Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 Read Online Free PDF Page A

diner disappear before facing forward to whatever lay ahead.
     
    James stared at the woman sitting silently next to him. It wasn’t just that she was quiet. There was a stillness about her that bespoke of someone used to fading into the background, not wanting to bring any unwanted attention her way. He’d given her space and time, but an hour had passed and she’d yet to speak. It was time to get some answers.
    “Where are you from?”
    Even though he’d kept his voice low and as unthreatening as possible, she jerked at the sound. She shrugged and stared out the window.
    “You had to come from somewhere,” he continued patiently. “You said you’d only been working at the diner for about a few months.”
    “About six.”
    She was the least chatty woman he’d ever come across in his life. But he wasn’t worried. He knew he’d eventually get her entire story. She had to have family somewhere, and if she didn’t many packs would be glad to take her in. “Where were you before then?”
    She stiffened and her breathing became shallower. “Here and there.”
    He could smell the fear rolling off her. Reaching out his right hand, he captured her left one, which was lying limply by her side. He felt her flinch, but she didn’t pull away when he laced his fingers lightly though hers, not restraining her movement in any way, but just trying to reassure her. “Whatever or whoever it was, they can’t hurt you now.”
    She gave a bark of bitter laughter as she rubbed her free hand across her forehead. “I’m not so sure about that.” She sighed and shifted her body so she was turned more toward him. “What does it matter to you where I was or what happened in my past? You’ve got no responsibility for me. You can just drop me off at the next decent-sized town and drive away.”
    Everything inside him rebelled at the mere thought of leaving Shelley. Instincts he’d thought long dead, sprang instantly to life, and for the first time in decades, he felt the male wolf within him sit up and take interest. Not since Leda, his mate who’d died decades ago, had he felt this way.
    No! He shook his head. He didn’t need that kind of pain again. But there was no way he was letting Shelley go off on her own. Just the fact that she was a female of his species meant he had to protect her.
    “You know I can’t do that, Shelley. There’s no way I can abandon a female.”
    She shook her head and sighed again as she continued to rub her forehead. “Of course you can. I want to go to a town. No, a city. It’s the least you can do considering you’re the reason I don’t have a home or a job.”
    He ignored her accusation. It was true, but he wouldn’t change anything he’d done so it was a moot point. “Why don’t you let your hair down out of that tight bun? It might help your headache.”
    She seemed surprised he’d even noticed she had one. But he’d seen the way she rubbed her forehead, the slight squint of pain around her eyes. She hesitated, but then a moment later she slid her hand from his, reached behind her head and began plucking out pins. She tucked them safely in her dress pocket and then ran her fingers through her hair.
    It was thicker than James had expected and fell to just below her shoulders. The sun caught it, making the light brown strands shimmer. She gave him a tiny smile. She looked younger now and very, very beautiful. James swallowed and squirmed in his seat, trying to get comfortable. His jeans were suddenly very tight. For a man who’d had no problem with self-control for almost half a century, to say it was unsettling was an understatement.
    Fortunately, the woman seemed to have no sense of her own appeal. His gut clenched. As soon as word got out of her existence, the males would be circling, fighting over her.
    He didn’t like to think of what would happen to her if a decent sort of werewolf didn’t claim her. His culture was no different than humans in that respect. There were good