Wolf Rain (Psy-Changeling Trinity #3) - Nalini Singh Page 0,57

day.” The Memory who’d entered that cabin was not the Memory who’d left. “Sascha insists I’m an E.”

“I guess you’d better get used to being in the Collective—word is, once you’re in, there’s no chance of parole.” Amusement in the statement. “Es hold on to their people.”

“I’m beginning to understand that.” Regardless, it’d take her time to process. Going from believing herself a monster to accepting the label of an empath was no easy matter. “Ashaya’s so . . . real, but Amara . . .”

“Yeah.” Alexei shoved his hair off his forehead.

Her attention shifted, snagging on the silky golden strands.

He shot her a highly wolfish look—a highly Alexei look. “Remember our deal. No touching unless I can touch back.”

Memory’s toes curled; she was nearly certain he wasn’t just talking about hair. The idea of his rough-skinned hands moving from her nape to lower down her body . . . Her abdomen tensed, the strange, fluttery feeling returning. It almost made her forget the state of her hair.

Lifting her hand to her matted curls, she shook her head. “Not yet.”

Alexei jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I picked up a few things from your list when I went to grab food. No talk of debt, lioness. It’s a ‘welcome to the territory’ gift.”

Memory went quiet. No one since her mother had ever just given her something with no expectation of a return. Renault had only fed her so she’d be strong enough to drain. He’d given her access to education only so she could pass for normal when he had use for her in the world. Even Jitterbug’s food had a catch attached—Renault had brought it in only so he could use her pet to control her.

Alexei wanted absolutely nothing from her in return for the items in the box on the backseat—or for the food he kept giving her. Her heart felt too huge in her chest, her skin not enough to contain it.

“It doesn’t hurt to let someone help you,” Alexei grumbled, his hand tight on the steering wheel.

Memory wanted to open her mouth, explain to him—but how could she explain her overwhelmed reaction to a wolf who’d grown up surrounded by pack? She’d felt Alexei’s intense loyalty to his alpha—and she’d felt the same loyalty coming from the other direction. He could have no comprehension of what it was like to grow up with only a psychopath for company.

He growled into the silence. “I saw you not eating most of your food, by the way.” Shoving a hand into his pocket, he dropped another bar in her lap. “Granola. It’s good.”

Beware of wolves bearing food.

Sascha’s amused voice echoed in her mind; the cardinal had made the comment when Alexei returned with their meal. He’d winked and told “Sascha darling” that she was safe. At the time, Memory had taken it to be a wolf-leopard joke, but she was no longer so sure. Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Does it mean something if a wolf brings you food?”

Alexei’s eyes gleamed when he shot her a look. “In this case it means I was brought up to look after tiny starving Es who think they’re lions.”

Gritting her teeth, Memory reached out and poked him in the arm again. He didn’t threaten to bite her, just sent her an amber-eyed glance that said her punishment would keep. Her breath caught, her toes curling inside her shoes.

“If you don’t like the granola bar,” he said after returning his gaze to the forest track, “tell me what you will eat and I’ll make sure you have it.”

Since the only reason she’d picked at her earlier meal was because it had been too close to her encounter with Amara, her stomach slightly nauseous, she opened the granola bar and took a cautious bite. Her eyes widened at the mix of sweet and salty, richness and nuttiness. Examining the wrapper, she saw it was a flavor called “Salted Caramel Almond.”

The wolf in the driver’s seat made a pleased rumbling sound in his throat when she devoured half the bar in a matter of seconds. Memory couldn’t even be annoyed with him, not when he’d blessed her taste buds with this divine deliciousness. “Do you always have these in your pockets? I’m going to rob you if you do.”

A sharp grin that made him beyond beautiful. “Heart-stopping” might be the better description. Memory wanted to sit on his lap and trace that grin with her fingers, just drink it in. Probably he’d bite her if