Murmured voices from inside filtered out, and after a while she finally turned her attention to me. I could feel her gaze and glanced over at her, giving Luna a genuine smile.
“I’ve never seen him so happy.” Were her first words.
I didn’t have to ask what she meant to understand her meaning.
“He acts as if he’s…” she paused and looked out at the garden, “…like he’s finally alive.” Her voice was soft with care.
It was said in a way that sounded motherly, filled with affection for Odhran. And it warmed me that she could see that he was in a much better place now.
She was silent, and there was a second when I could see the empathy reflected back in her blue eyes. I felt my throat tighten, my emotions rising up.
Although I appreciated her sympathy, I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. I wasn’t the only one who’d gone through atrocities and trauma. And I didn’t want to be defined by that. As if she realized what I was thinking, she nodded slowly.
“I won’t say what I really want to because I can see on your face you’re carving out a new path for yourself. And I want that for you. I may not know you, but I want that for you, Larkin. But I am sorry. I’m sorry so much of your life was taken from you. I’m sorry you didn’t have a voice in the matter. But you’ll never have to be alone again. Not only do you have Odhran… you have all of us, too.”
She glanced into the home, where everyone was talking and laughing, enjoying each other’s company.
“Every single one of those males and females in there has your back. You have their undying support.”
I was all choked up, because she said the perfect thing at the perfect time. She straightened and nodded, turning back toward the guests.
“Thank you again for coming over with Evie and Darragh, and for all the wonderful things you brought.”
“Honey, you are so welcome.” She gave me that motherly smile I was really growing to love. “I’ll give you a moment to yourself, or take all the time you need. No one will pressure or rush you. We are just so glad you’re here and you and Odhran have been reunited.”
She turned to head back inside. Before she entered, I said, “Thank you again. You have no idea how much your words… how much everything means to me.”
She didn’t say anything but she did give me a smile, and then she was inside, a rush of noise coming out onto the patio until she closed the door, muffling it once more.
I glanced at Odhran and saw he had his hawk eyes trained on me, a silent question asking if I was okay. I gave him another reassuring smile. I knew he’d storm right out here and make sure I was okay himself.
I saw his shoulders visibly relax. I knew he’d been worried about bringing me here tonight, but I didn’t want to be considered fragile. I was stronger than that.
I brushed away a tear I hadn’t known had fallen until it was sliding down my cheek, glanced once more at the night-blooming flowers, and then headed inside.
After telling him I was going to make a detour to the restroom to freshen up, and assuring him I didn’t need an escort, he gave me a kiss on the center of my forehead, and I left.
I wandered around the first floor, looking at some of the Scottish heritage decor before giving up on trying to find someone who could point me in the right direction of the bathroom. As I made my way up to the first level, there was a rhythmic sound coming from down the hallway.
I should have minded my own business, but I found myself moving toward it. The hallway was wide with plush carpeting under my feet, pictures hanging on either side of the walls, some of them landscaped paintings, but the majority of them family portraits and pictures of young children.
I stopped a few feet from one of the opened doors at the end of the hall just as a frazzled-looking young woman came out wearing servant attire and looking annoyed as hell.
She clutched a stack of towels in her arms, and she’d only gotten a foot from the entrance before another towel was hurtled out of the bedroom and landed in the center of the hallway.
I looked between the pieces of cloth and her, seeing that she was on the verge of tears, but then I saw that morph into anger. With one more annoyed look over her shoulder into the bedroom, she huffed out and walked over to the towel to pick it up, then moved past me.
The scent of her inner wolf was right there at the surface, and with a tight-lipped but friendly smile, she left the hall.
Freshening up now forgotten, I found myself moving toward the open doorway even though I kept telling myself curiosity killed the cat.
When I heard the deep rumble of a male speaking under his breath, I froze right before I got to the entrance.
“You fooking left me. Left me.”
He sounded panicked… fearful. I heard him pacing, and judging by the heavy sounds of him moving back and forth, he was big.
“Ye left when I needed ye the most.” He exhaled raggedly, still pacing.