Wolfsbane by Gillian Philip

Author:Gillian Philip
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781905537792
Publisher: Strident Publishing Limited
Published: 2012-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

FINN

I woke with a sneeze, wolf-hair in my nostrils. The smell that clung to them was Branndair’s fur and his strong carnivorous breath, but it wasn’t unpleasant and I didn’t want to pull away from him. My arms tightened around his neck as his warm tongue lashed my cheek.

‘I thought you didn’t like him,’ I heard Seth say. ‘And now I’m all jealous.’

Reluctantly I pushed Branndair off and sat up, yawning. Seth was dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed, fighting the slight smile that tugged at his mouth.

‘So.’ I jiggled my eyebrows. ‘Which one of us are you jealous of ?’

‘Ha, ha.’

‘It’s morning,’ I said blearily as Faramach clambered onto my forearm and gave Branndair a raucous piece of his mind. ‘Was that you in my head last night, Faramach?’ I tickled the spiky feathers at his throat. ‘Thanks, pal.’ I looked him not quite in the eye, a little shy after sharing his eerie raven-mind in the night.

‘I have the feeling I’ve been ganged up on,’ said Seth, rubbing his temple hard with a forefinger. ‘I didn’t drink that much.’

‘Have you got a headache?’ I asked guiltily. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Well. That’s nothing, is it?’ He stared at me. Branndair lifted his massive bulk and stalked up the bed, flopping down proprietorially next to him, and Seth scratched his neck.

I gave the wolf a rueful look. ‘He’ll never let me forget this.’

Seth laughed one of his low villainous laughs. ‘No more hearth rug, my pet,’ he told Branndair. He glanced at me. ‘Thanks, lover. But don’t do it again.’

‘Oh, sure.’ I looked skywards. What was it with him? Testosterone?

He snorted. ‘Well. You’re very talented.’ Standing up, he took my hand and pulled me off the bed. ‘But it’s dangerous, what you did.’

‘Yep,’ I agreed. ‘And riding around the woods with a sword on your back picking fights with kelpies is ever so safe.’

He had the grace to look sheepish. ‘I’ve been at this game longer than you have.’

‘As you never tire of telling me. Just stick at ‘Thanks’.’

‘Thanks. I love you, you know.’ He held my wrist and kissed my temple. ‘Only don’t get mad at me if I don’t say it again for a while. Ah, Finn, you must be hungry.’

‘Starving, pal.’

‘There’ll be some kind of breakfast downstairs. Sulaire doesn’t get hangovers.’ Seth stretched and yawned. ‘Oh, Finn. Seven hours’ sleep feels so good.’ He wrapped his arms around me and bent his face into my neck. Then he pulled away abruptly. ‘You need some sleep yourself, though.’

‘I know. I just want her never to know if I’ll be there or not. She felt it, you know,’ I said with vicious satisfaction. ‘She felt it.’

‘Your ruthless streak is showing. Not before time. You think you could help my son find his?’

I gave him a Look. ‘Give him time, you old despot.’

‘I got him something. Here, see what you think.’ He opened the low trunk at the foot of the bed. It was one of Sionnach’s, the fretwork over its lid as delicate as lace, but three centuries old already and still strong.

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