The Mating(104)

Rose gave a short laugh. “Marla is sure going to be surprised when she learns the truth.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, she called me this morning, saying how worried she was about Kane and that maybe the two of us could help keep your relationship stable. She wanted us to get together and talk to you; convince you that seeing this Bryan guy was a bad idea. Just wait until she finds out how wrong we both were!”

“Marla said that?” Elise couldn’t keep the shock from her voice. Something was wrong with this picture. What was the woman planning now? And why involve Rose? “Um... So where were we supposed to be getting together?”

“In the woods. She said how you loved being out here, and that you’d be more receptive to what we had to say if you were in a comfortable environment. Actually, we’re almost at the meeting spot now. It’s just over this little rise.”

Elise looked around, suddenly taking stock of her unfamiliar surroundings. She’d been so busy thinking that she hadn’t really noticed where she was going until now. Tall trees surrounded the place where she stood, and only the faintest evidence of a trail was noticeable through the tangled, dried grass. The sound of rushing water told her she must be near the waterfall Kane had told her about and sure enough, a glimpse of the lake was evident through the trees. Realizing they must be in one of the places that Kane had said was restricted, she moved to walk away. “Rose, I don’t think we’re supposed to be here. Wasn’t most of the area around the lake declared off limits?”

Rose took Elise’s arm in a firm grip, stopping her from leaving. “Technically, yes. But the cleanup is happening a few miles away, almost on the other side, so we’re in no danger. Marla thought there’d be less chance that we’d be disturbed here.” Rose checked her watch and then sat down on a fallen log, pulling Elise down beside her. “She should be along any moment.”

A nervous feeling skittered down Elise’s spine. This whole setup didn’t seem right. “Rose, I don’t think we should stay here. Let’s go back.”

“But Marla’s going to be here any moment. It would be rude to leave without letting her know. If we wait, we can both explain the mix-up and then walk back together.”

“I don’t care if it’s rude or not. We need to go.” She tugged her companion to her feet then froze when a twig snapped behind her. Closing her eyes, a feeling of dread washed over her. Somehow, she just knew who was going to be behind her.





Chapter 30





Elise turned to face the newcomer. As she’d suspected it was Marla, though her attire was decidedly un-Marla-ish. Sturdy boots, jeans, and a winter jacket weren’t Marla’s usual garb and would almost lead a person to think the woman was planning to do physical labour of some kind. She was smiling too, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

Rose stood up and nodded in greeting. “I wondered when you’d get here.”

“I knew you’d wait for me. Why should I hurry?” Marla flipped her hair arrogantly and Rose compressed her lips, as if holding back a retort. Instead, she merely replied in her usual quiet tones.

“Well, we don’t want to keep Elise too long. You’ll never guess what exciting news she has. Did you know that she and Kane have blood-bonded? I’m sure he’ll be keeping tabs on her now.” She strangely over-emphasized the words ‘blood-bonded’.

Frowning, Elise stared at her. What was Rose doing? It seemed a rather unusual way of delivering the news, almost as if she was trying to tell Marla something without actually saying it out loud.

Marla didn’t take the news well. She looked at Elise, then at Rose, and back to Elise again. Her mouth was opening and closing, but nothing came out. Finally, words burst from her painted red lips. “That’s impossible! Kane’s angry. He thinks you’ve been cheating! He wouldn’t blood-bond with you, even if you were the last female on earth!” Storming over, she grabbed the collar of Elise’s coat and pulled it down, revealing her neck and the mark from the bond.

Watching the woman’s face turn purple with rage, Elise couldn’t help but smirk. “That’s right, Marla. Your plan backfired. Even after hearing the tapes, and seeing the false diary entries, Kane still wanted to bond with me.” While that wasn’t quite the truth, Elise didn’t feel the least bit guilty about altering the facts. After all that Marla had done, she deserved it.

Growling in rage, Marla tightened her fingers around Elise’s collar and pushed her backward. Stumbling, Elise barely kept herself from falling, but she didn’t really care. A feeling of triumph was coursing through her. At last, something good was happening on this miserable day. Sure, Kane wasn’t even acknowledging her existence, but at least Marla had finally been put in her place. It was with great satisfaction that she watched the other woman storming back and forth across the small clearing, running hands though her perfectly coiffed blond hair, and totally ruining the look.