Midnight Whispers - Paranormal Romance by Catherine Bullard Page A

apart from outside civilization, I did wonder if perhaps you all
lead a barbaric lifestyle. Sitting here now in your cozy cabin, sipping tea
after admiring your weaving and cooking skills, I would have to say I am sorely
mistaken. And perhaps a little ashamed.”
    Leah smiled
again, but this time it was a full, open one. “I really do hope you don’t
bungle this,” she said, turning to her brother, “because even if you haven’t
made up your mind, I have. I want to keep her.”
    Kyra laughed.
     
    ****
    The next day
Kyra arrived, the village seemed less hostile. When she stepped out of the maze
and walked to Bryce’s cabin, she still felt eyes on her, but the stares were no
longer openly hostile—or at least, not all of them. Most of the villagers
still looked upon her with mistrust, or at least caution, but none of them
looked as though they were ready to chase her out with a broom—or worse.
Kyra wasn’t certain what brought along the change, but she suspected it had
something to do with how well her visit had gone with Leah.
    Bryce met her
halfway to his cabin, and Kyra’s heart sped up a bit as he took her hand and
kissed it. The afternoon sunlight shone through the trees and glanced off his
thick, brown hair, giving it a lustrous sheen, and his green eyes glowed
warmly. Several days growth of beard shadowed his jaw, giving him a rugged,
woodsman look. She found herself instinctively comparing it with Jake’s
sunbaked complexion and sizzling blue eyes, and shook her head. Was she
actually considering a choice between the two men?
    “Is something
wrong?” he asked, lowering her hand and giving her a quizzical look.
    “I was just
thinking that you are far too handsome for your own good,” Kyra said, and
smiled, knowing it was not a lie and he wouldn’t be able to contest it.
    Sure enough,
Bryce grinned. “You’re just flattering me in the hopes of trying to distract
me,” he said, taking her hand and tugging her along into walking beside him.
“Not that I’m complaining. But it seems there is something on your mind.”
    Kyra smiled
ruefully even as she cursed inside—it seemed that his perception of her
ran beyond physical signs; but then, so had his sister’s. “I’m just wondering
what it will take to get your village to be more at ease around me,” she said,
which was true enough.
    Bryce
squeezed her hand gently, and Kyra found she liked having her hand in
his—it was warm and strong, and felt a good fit. “They’ll come around as
they get to know you better. You’ve already made a bit of progress during your
visit with Leah yesterday. She told some of the village women about you after
you’d left yesterday. Leah is respected, and the villagers trust her judgment.
You will just have to show them that she wasn’t in error with her words.”
    Kyra nodded.
“I’m nervous. Your people have every right to hate me.” And there was always
the possibility that she would reject Bryce, and then what? Would there be any
point in trying to be accepting by a people she wasn’t even going to be living
with anyway?
    “The fact
that you are willing to admit that is proof enough that you are a decent
person.” Bryce smiled. “Trust me, you will win them over eventually.” They
stepped inside his cabin. “Wait here for just a moment,” he told her, and then
went into his bedroom.
    As Bryce
ducked inside, he had to admit to himself that she was winning him over too.
No, he amended as he sat down on the edge of his bed for a moment to think. She
had already won him over. No longer was he thinking about trying to impress
her simply for the sake of the mating ritual. He was constantly looking for her
smile, for the flash of approval in her eyes. When he’d brought her over to his
sister to visit, he’d actually found himself getting jealous over how much of
Kyra’s attention Leah had taken up. It was ridiculous, considering that his
sister was no threat to his success with the ritual, and only