Moon Burning - By Lucy Monroe Page 0,89
to assess their expressions, she would find agreement on them as well.
None of them understood.
“You can’t.”
“Are you certain of that?” One sardonic brow rose.
It should have irritated her, but all she felt was this awful wash of love go over her. No matter how annoying his obstinate refusal to comprehend their true differences, she found him entirely irresistible.
But she would not let him suffer under the illusion that he could accompany her. “Barr—”
“You are mine.”
“Yes.”
“I will go with you.”
“My people would kill you.”
“You’ll protect me.”
He thought he was teasing her, but he did not know how true those words had to be.
Of all the Éan, she was the only one who could. It was still a risk.
“I am going.” There was no room for argument in his tone.
She could not agree, but she would not deny him either. “I have much to tell you.”
“Finally.”
“Do not betray my trust.”
“You are my mate, a gift I will never dismiss.”
Oh, he was just piling on the guilt and he looked like he knew it. “I’m sorry.”
“For what exactly? Believing I have so little value you could just leave me? Mistrusting me? Refusing to accept my wolf? Threatening to take my child?”
Chapter 19
Barr almost felt badly for the way his mate’s face drained of color and the utter shock that shone in her eyes, nearly swallowing the brown with the black of her pupils. But it was past time she came to terms with what being his mate meant. All of it.
Her inability to accept his wolf had caused all of this. While he might understand her difficulty, he was not the Faol that had killed her parents or any other Éan for that matter.
He was her true mate, the one male alive who could match her and protect her, and she should damn well realize that.
“I’m . . . You think I’m . . .”
“With child? Aye. My babe grows inside you.” How she would react if that baby was born Faol and not human or Éan, he did not want to consider.
Her own deeply ingrained and formerly justified prejudices would have to be conquered by then. He refused to consider any other alternative.
“But I . . . My menses . . .”
He’d never seen her at a loss for words. It would be adorable, if it wasn’t due to her upset over carrying his child.
“I am Faol, not Éan, but we have our gifts as well. Your scent has changed.”
“No . . . It’s not . . .”
“Aye. I noted it immediately.” Niall’s claim had her spinning to face Barr’s brother.
“How could you tell the change in my scent? You’d never met me before.”
“My brother’s scent is mixed with yours.”
“I thought you meant you could smell his scent on me.”
“You carry his babe and by your scent it is wolf.”
Barr had suspected, but his own feelings were too involved for him to claim certainty.
“You can’t know that.” She stumbled back, away from him . . . away from the news his brother had imparted. “The Faol’s change does not happen until they are on the cusp of adulthood.”
It was all Barr could do to stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her back to him. He had had his fill of his mate moving away from him, threatening to leave him and rejecting the very essence of his nature.
Niall shrugged. “Barr and I have always been able to tell things from scent that others could not.”
Sabrine turned back to face Barr, her expression almost accusing. “When did you realize?”
“Three days past.”
“And you said nothing.”
He clamped his jaw, refusing to speak.
“Perhaps he wanted you to decide to stay without the knowledge you were pregnant with his child,” Verica said softly, now wrapped safely in Earc’s arms.
Barr scowled at her. She could keep her observations to herself.
But Sabrine’s eyes had widened with understanding. “I’m sorry,” she said again.
This time, he chose simply to nod an acknowledgment of her apology. It made no difference what prompted her regret.
She had promised to come back and he trusted her word. So, she had made her choice to stay without knowing she carried his child.
“I did not want to leave you.”
“You were set to betray my brother and your mating bond. No Chrechte should be so callous to the gifts our natures bestow upon us.” Niall’s tone left little doubt that he was still angry over the insult Sabrine had dealt Barr.
Meeting his brother’s eyes, Sabrine swallowed and nodded. “You are right.”
“So, you are finished dismissing our mating