Elemental Flame Read Online Free PDF Page A

. She refuses to eat until you come."
    I thought of a dozen metaphors at that moment, so forceful I got a bit of blowback from the pack link. "I can't just drop what I'm doing to go play with a baby, Bastien. Please. Tell her I will as soon as I—" As soon as I what? Get over the hurt of being dumped? Of being stood up? Of being rejected?
    The fear of getting close to someone—even a baby wolf?
    Pfft. I realized at that moment all my thoughts of making this a fast rebound were crap. It wasn't going to be quick at all to get over Crwys.
    Sam-Sam, I think you might heal just a bit by holding her. It wouldn't hurt.
    "I can't do that," I said aloud to my mom and looked around for her. I spotted her by the door to my office where she sat and watched us.
    "The petite mère is right. You should listen."
    I turned on Bastien and pointed at him. "Her name is Grey. Stop calling her little mother. Now if that's all you got, you can go. I'll be there when I can."
    He looked crestfallen and I felt awful. I mean I really, really felt bad. Not just for him but for the child, Regine. But really…the kid was five or so weeks old. How much could she really be aware of? With a nod he reached into the left breast pocket of his denim jacket, retrieved a card and handed it to me. "That is the address. When you have the time, chérie ."
    I took the card, and without looking at it shoved it into my back pocket. When I looked back at him, Bastien was staring at me. "Is there something else?"
    "He hurt you. I don't know what he did, mon chérie . But it has cut deep. There is nothing more delicate than le coeur ."
    The heart.
    He was so…so very right.
    And before I could wave him goodbye or turn and head upstairs, Bastien did that fast move thing he was so good at, placed his warm hands on my cheeks, and pressed a soft but passionate kiss on my lips. I think I blacked out for a few seconds as my mind traveled to the woods, to trees and flowers, to the scent of fresh earth and the perfume of early blooms. I heard the hum of the pack in my head and I shook myself to come out of it.
    I stepped back from him. Slapping his face seemed like a good idea. I wanted to tell him off and warn him never to do that again. But I couldn't find my voice. On rubber knees I turned, moved through Ivan and Kyle, and half ran up the stairs to my apartment with Grey at my heels.

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    A quick check of my refrigerator quelled any thought of a real meal. I'd left what groceries I had at Arden's cabin, thinking I had food here. But what I found here had already started its transformation into liquid form.
    Thus starts the kitchen search for food. Something to get my mind off my growling stomach as well as the butterflies Bastien's kiss had deposited next to the hungry monster. I found a couple packs of Ramen and a container of chicken bouillon cubes.
    I chose the Ramen, chicken flavor, and set a kettle of water on the gas eye to boil. Dusting off a deep bowl, I opened the packet and dumped the wavy noodles into it…and just stared at the pattern.
    Logically, Crwys is gone. Bastien's here. And I knew how Bastien felt. He didn't exactly hide it, especially through the pack link. But hearts, especially mine, didn't work like a revolving door. My attraction to Crwys had been unprecedented when we met. It seemed unprecedented when I broke up with him after a week long fling. It seemed unprecedented now that I could even entertain the idea of a relationship with a Lycan.
    Waiting on the water to boil, I leaned against the counter of my tiny kitchen and folded my hands over the puckered, hard scar that rose up in the center of my chest. What had once been the iridescent symbol of magic was now something hideous. It reminded me of the painting of Dorian Gray. Was this scar the culmination of my sins? Was this mark like the old Witch's mark, foretold in Malleus Maleficarum?
    I hadn't realized I'd closed my eyes until I heard the water faucet turn on. Opening them, I saw my Undine