Black Wolfe's Mate (Paranormal Shifter Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

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Chapter 5
 
    “S he will not survive the night,” Silas said quietly, pulling the sheet up over her torn and battered body. Though the words were expected, the heavy pain that accompanied them was not. Her breathing was labored; her heart struggled valiantly, each pulse weaker than the last. Blood no longer gushed from the open wounds where the rocks had ripped her flesh even as the waves relentlessly crushed her bones against them. Derrick had closed them all as quickly as he could, the saliva from his wolf’s tongue sealing them almost instantly, but she had already lost so much. Her human heart had very little left to circulate, a pump running on empty.
    Why? The question slammed through his mind, over and over again. Why was she out on the rocks? Why did she not heed the warning of the approaching storm? Why did she want to die?
    It made no sense to him. From the moment she had arrived, she had captured his interest. He hadn’t wanted it to happen, but it had just the same. Her quiet, natural beauty appealed to the beast in him. In the limited time he had spent with her, he had found her to be intelligent and charming, with a naiveté that filled him with wonder.
    When she had taken the initiative and boldly kissed him, he had tasted passion as well, untapped and potent.
    As she lay before him, dying, his mind conjured a picture of the first time he had seen her.
    He had been in his private office discussing something with Silas — something mundane he could no longer recall. He’d glanced out the window and saw her carefully making her way out to the cliffs, immediately garnering his attention.
    It was such an odd thing to do. Most guests preferred the white, sandy beaches, the meticulous gardens, and artfully designed patios and balconies to the inhospitable black stone of the breakers. Step by step, he watched her slow progress until she reached the end, where she then proceeded to gracefully sit upon the unforgiving rock.
    “Who is that?” he’d asked.
    Silas joined him at the window and followed his gaze. “I don’t know. Steffen picked up the newest arrivals this morning.”
    “What is she doing?”
    “Sea gazing, I suppose.”
    “It looks uncomfortable.”
    “She doesn’t seem to mind.”
    Minutes ticked by in silence until Derrick finally said, “I want to know who she is, Silas. Find out. Now.”
    For a long time after Silas left, Derrick had remained by the window, oddly fixated on the woman. She sat as still as a statue, her golden hair the only thing moving as the breeze lifted and tossed it about. She remained there until twilight, when she finally rose and simply went back the way she had come.
    Thus began his inexplicable fascination with Angelica Xanthopoulos.
    He had arrived at the restaurant early each morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of her at breakfast. When those attempts proved unsuccessful, he had strolled about at lunch, mingling with his guests, always searching for her. Night after night, he had watched and waited, his interest growing each day.
    She tended to distance herself from the other guests. Not once had she partaken in a meal in the grand dining hall. That was a shame, really, because the fare was quite spectacular.
    A brief inquiry informed him that a special meal was packed for her each day. It had surprised him. His master chef, Antoine, made exceptions for no one, especially not a tiny slip of a human female. When questioned further, the centuries-old chef had merely shrugged.
    And so, he had moved his search behind the safety of his floor-to-ceiling windows until he found her, unobtrusively exiting far below, skirting clear of the others, heading out far beyond the private beaches to the west. Without fail, she would return to the inhospitable breakers, where she would sit alone for hours on end, staring off into the distance.
    He didn’t know what made him follow her that fateful day. Curiosity, perhaps. Her strange behavior intrigued him, and so very