A Healing Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

possible? Oh, the smell had changed subtly; instead of the sweet aroma of innocence that Luka just wanted to be around, it had grown up, as the woman whom the scent belonged to sure had. His knees buckled, causing him to fall into a bank of snow. There was no other woman that smelled like that, no other woman on earth to bring his body to life, tingling with awareness and need. Oh my God, she’s alive! Her scent was strong, though the life force wasn’t. She was alive, but in so much pain it nearly crippled Luka.
                Somehow, someway, she had managed to block the intensity of what she was suffering. Because of him. He knew he needed to get up, he had to go hold her, kiss her, make her better. For once and for all he had to take the pain away. But he didn’t deserve the completion that would bring him. He didn't deserve to finally have his mate when he had almost killed her. If there were a choice, he would take all the pain and leave her to find happiness. But that wasn’t possible, and deep down inside, he was a deadly predator. No way he could stomach not being with her, not loving her.
    Fuck! His father had set him up. No doubt Papa had known immediately who she was. Just as Papa knew Luka had given up all hope of ever really having a life. He’d believed he’d never mate, never have young. Tigers mated once, for life, and he had believed he killed his one and only because he was too young and stupid to know a wolf in tiger’s clothing when he saw one. 
    Because neither he nor Mica had been developed enough to truly mate, the bite would’ve changed her body in some ways but been unable to in others, effectively poisoning her. But the bite had connected them mentally and physically. He should have felt everything she went through. However, the pains had dulled for him when Mica would’ve been around thirteen. He had believed she’d died then. How had she been able to keep the worst of the pain away from him? Tears flooded his eyes. Unable to stop them, he silently let them flow. He didn't care the biting wind almost froze the moisture to his skin.
    Alive! All of a sudden life seemed a hell of a lot brighter. Luka wasn’t a sentimental kind of tiger, but hell, he felt like he had emotionally been run over by a semi carrying a brick house. Geez, he needed to get his ass in the house. Fumbling for the key in his pocket, it dropped from his suddenly nerveless fingers. He had no idea what he would say, what exactly he’d do. But he did know he had to get to her soon. If only he could gather the same courage he’d had while trying to hunt Gleb. Facing a fight to the death seemed a hell of a lot easier than going to claim his dying mate.
    He had to get it together. It may have been a miracle she was still alive, but she needed him. If nothing else, he could hold her and make her better. Getting off his knees, however, was a feat. Especially because someone thought it was a good idea to place traps under the snow all over the yard. Traps with catnip in them. What the hell? Had Mica figured out what happened to her and hated his kind because of it? That made no sense; why would she come back now if she had?
    Letting himself in the house was probably not his smartest move, but Luka made sure he didn't make a sound. God, it was hard! All he wanted to do was rush inside to care for what was his the way he should’ve been doing already. Stopping once he had silently closed and locked the door behind him, Luka sniffed the air carefully. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation. Maybe if he hadn’t run off like the scared little kitten he was all those years ago...
    Only Mica was here, though the scent of another woman was still there. The very same woman who’d once tossed him out of the window like he was vermin. It was good to know Mica’d had a constant companion over the years, one that was not male. But he was here now; he would be providing for all her needs and wants from now on.
    Creeping