Chapter 10: Chapter 10

The clickity-clack of the hooves came up the driveway, and Imara met her own eyes in the mirror as she finished brushing her hair.

She wore the green dress Thorin bought her in New Orleans; the one he said made her eyes sparkle. It fit her well, and unlike the other dresses in her armoire, it showed off her womanly features. It narrowed at the waist and revealed just enough cleavage not to be obscene.

She left her hair down and wavy with the sides pulled back and hoped she looked good enough to make Ben pay for ignoring her all this time.

When she stepped into the hallway, she heard the door open downstairs and the sounds of Thomas and Thorin welcoming their guests. She thought she was angry enough to face him, but as soon as their eyes met when she came to the staircase, she had to clasp her hands together to stop the tremor.

Thorin pulled her into his side as she left the bottom step. “You’ve, of course, met Ben and Harold. This beautiful creature is Harold’s wife, Anna.”

Thorin pulled away from her as Anna grabbed her hands and tugged at them. “I’m so happy to meet you, Imara. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Her little nose wrinkled while she offered Anna a tight-lipped smile. “Lovely to meet you, madam.”

His disapproving sigh blew across her neck when Thorin pressed his hand on her back and nudged her along. “Please everyone, the dining room is this way.”

The tips of her ears were red as Imara crossed her arms and came to the chair Thomas pulled out for her. “Thank you, Thomas.”

After he pushed in her chair, Ben sat down next to her and leaned into her neck. “You look beautiful.”

She snapped out her napkin and dropped it across her lap. “Thank you.”

Thorin flicked his fingers between himself and Ben’s parents. “Well, since my dear sister seems to have left her manners upstairs this evening, why don’t we let Imara in on everything before this evening becomes any tenser.”

Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling, and an irritated huff echoed in her wineglass as she swallowed her mouthful. “What exactly are you talking about?”

He motioned to Anna before he brought his hands together under his chin. “Anna and I are old acquaintances, Imara. We met, oh, I don’t know, about thirty years ago.”

Her eyes darted to Ben, and she licked her lips. “So, you are a witch?”

He slid his hand on hers and closed his fingers around it, then his face pulled into a grimace because he knew she was already upset, and embarrassing her would not help the situation he found himself in. “I’m half-blood, Imara. My father was a Lycan.”

A shudder of a breath came from her mouth as she blinked back to the table and nodded. “Lycan? Of course, you are. Silly me; there are no wolves in the South.”

Her head shook from side to side enough for Ben to understand that he’d made a mistake by not telling her sooner. Snatching her hand away from him, she threw her chair back and stood in a single motion. “Excuse me.”

She flipped her hand up as he tried to grab her wrist. “Imara, wait! Stop.”

The front door slammed against the wall, and she hurried down the stairs, then onto the driveway. “Imara, stop!” He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “I’m sorry.”

Her hands pushed against his chest as she struggled to free herself from the grip he had on her arms. “Was that funny making a fool of me that way? Does it amuse you to torture me like this? Where have you been? I waited every day for you and that stupid wolf.”

“I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her so close that he could feel each jerk of her chest as she sniffled against him. “I couldn’t marry you until I gave you a proper house.” His knees dipped as he bent down to meet her eyes. “It’s not quite what you’re used to, but it’s ours. I’ve been working on it bit by bit for years, but now that you’re here, I had to finish it. Every spare moment I’ve spent on our home, Imara, I swear.”

He kissed her forehead, and she balled his shirt up in her hands. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you.”

“No.” He took a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped off her cheeks. “That’s one thing I will insist on. You’re a lady; I won’t have you working like a man. That’s my job.”

Her lips pulled into the pouty frown of a child before she buried her face in his chest. “I thought you’d given up on me. I’ve been such a mess.”

His nose wiggled itself into her hair as he shook his head. “I’ll never give up on you. You’re mine till the very end of all things.”

Panting hard against his skin while she looked up into his face, she nodded, and her eyes darted between his. “Take me there. I want to see it.”

His eyes fell between them as his hands slipped down her arms. “It isn’t much. I’ll build more later; I just had to finish it enough for us to move in.”

With their hands joined, she brought them to her mouth and kissed the back of his fingers. “Show me.”

A swoosh of air blew through the front yard of the little cottage that sat at the end of his parents’ lane. The black mist swirled in the darkness, and when it landed on the ground, two pairs of feet appeared. The tufts of dark clouds drifted off into the night until all that remained were Ben and Imara. She snapped her fingers, and a ball of bright white light appeared beside her.

Her eyes twinkled in the light as she took in the little house, and Ben waited for her to say something. “I tilled up space for a garden around back.”

Crawling down her side, her fingers gripped her dress, and she lifted the bottom a bit to keep from dragging in the dirt as she stepped away from Ben. “Thank you.”

An ache rose in his chest as he rushed ahead and pushed open the door. She walked to the long wooden table and tapped her fingertips on the top. “This is big.”

“Yeah.” He placed his hand on the mantle and kicked at the stone hearth. “I dug these stones from the creek down the road myself.”

She didn’t even acknowledge him when she passed the fireplace and went to the short hall where their bedroom was. He pressed his head against the thick oak mantle and closed his eyes until she called out to him. “Is this bed going to be big enough for you?”

He rested against the doorway as he watched her twist her lips and examine the room. “You hate it, don’t you?”

“No.” She reached behind her and grabbed hold of his forearm. “I love it. You made me a house with your own two hands.” Backing into his waiting arms, she pushed her hands up the sleeves of his shirt. “This is our house.”

He leaned into her neck and pressed his lips against her cheek as she turned to look into his face. “Even with all my parents’ money, I’ve never had anything of my own before.”

“You have me.” Squeezing her tight against his chest, he lifted his chin to everything before them. “As you can see, I don’t have much, but even my soul belongs to you.”