Raene and the Three Bears (The Alder Tales Book 2) by RS McCoy

Author:RS McCoy [McCoy, RS]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-11-29T05:00:00+00:00

With all his might, Parson swung the axe down into the wood. The small limb sailed away, along with a few dozen sizeable splinters, but Parson didn’t even pause. He took a step forward and removed the next limb with equal fervor.

“Watch it,” Lathan groaned.

When Parson looked up, he saw his oldest brother showered in cast-off bits of alder tree, plucking them from where they’d landed on his shoulders.

Parson only nodded and got back to work.

That is, until Lathan sat his axe head on the ground and leaned on it, watching Parson work with that knowing look of his. “What happened?” Lathan asked, his voice little more than a growl.

“Nothing.” Parson’s axe sank into wood and severed the next limb.

But Lathan remained, watching, his pine-green eyes darker than usual.

“I messed up,” Parson said, caving under the pressure of such a gaze from his brother. In aggravation, Parson brought down the axe again with more force than was necessary. He groaned when the axe remained lodged in the wood

“How?” Lathan asked, watching Parson use his foot to leverage the axe free without success.

Parson answered between labored grunts. “I just did.”

“You always mess up. What happened?” Lathan stood stoic and quiet as always, but his words weren’t laced with insult. He meant it as a fact. Parson did always mess up. Lathan wasn’t wrong to wonder what made this time different.

Instead of answering, Parson put his full weight into pulling the axe handle until it freed. He staggered back to regain his footing when he saw a figure approach.

It was none other than Hale. He was at the cut, where he had no reason to be today. But Parson knew exactly why he’d come.

“Damn.” Parson cursed under his breath, his hopes of maintaining some level of secrecy dashed when he saw the look on Hale’s face. He’d trusted Raene would understand that Hale could never know, but she hadn’t. She’d told him, and a part of Parson knew his relationship with his brother would never really be the same. He’d crossed that line, and there was no going back now.

“What were you thinking?” Hale shouted as he neared, his jaw set as stone. He stepped over a few bundles of limbs without taking his eyes from Parson. His unshakable focus rocked Parson to his core.

“I wasn’t. I’m sorry.” Parson couldn’t get the words out of his mouth fast enough. He was so, so sorry. It was epic mistake, a horrible failure. Parson hated that he’d done it.

When Hale was near enough, he put both hands to Parson’s chest and shoved hard, his eyes steeled in anger.

Parson had never seen Hale this way. It was Parson who couldn’t control his anger. Hale was always so calm, so careful with his words and his actions. Hale was never violent, even when it was warranted.

The look in his brother’s eye scared Parson more than anything. “I’m sorry,” he said again, knowing it sounded hollow and weak. But what else could he say? Nothing could change what had happened.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.