WolfeBlade: de Wolfe Pack Generations by Kathryn Veque (top 20 books to read .TXT) 📗

The expression of gratitude on Gavriella’s face spoke volumes.

Jordan understood.

When the cries of the baby faded as Troy carried him off, Andreas shut the door and bolted it, facing his wife. For a moment, they simply looked at one another before breaking down into soft laughter.

“I thought we’d never be rid of everyone,” Andreas said, stepping away from the door and holding out his hand to her. “Finally, some peace.”

Gavriella took his hand and he pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

“More dreams, Dray,” she whispered. “These are the best dreams of my life.”

He couldn’t disagree. “Of mine, too,” he murmured against the side of her head. “So much has happened over the past couple of months, I feel as if my head is still whirling with it.”

Gavriella pulled back to look at him. “So much, indeed, but you are well-deserving of all of it,” she said. “Not only are you a new husband, but you have a new post. With the those hideous men finally gone from Hell’s Guardhouse, I am so proud to think that the king has appointed you the garrison commander of the fortress. It is a very important position.”

Andreas shrugged modestly. “I was already there,” he said. “We could not leave it unmanned after the deaths of those vile men, especially not with the Scots on the rampage, so someone had to assume command. It just happened to be me.”

“It just happened to be you because you are the best man for the job,” Gavriella said firmly. “I am very proud of you, my love.”

He smiled faintly. “That is all that matters to me,” he said. “Theodis told me tonight that his father has agreed to permit him to serve with me, so we will have a powerful force, indeed. I’m very happy about that. I’ve missed Tay.”

“I know you have. I am excited for him to join you, too.”

He pointed a finger at her. “I’ve spent the past two months cleaning that place up and making it livable for you and Storm, but it needs a woman’s touch.”

“And I cannot wait to assume my role, by your side,” she said sincerely. “I will be bringing some of my servants from Falstone. Iva and Jocosa. I must have their help.”

“As you wish,” he said. But his gaze lingered on her for a moment. “Gavy… are you sure you feel comfortable living there? It did belong to that man whose name we no longer speak of. If you do not feel comfortable, sweetling, you must tell me. I do not want to force you to live somewhere that upsets you.”

Gavriella shushed him, taking his hand and pulling him towards the bedchamber that was attached to the smaller chamber they were in. “I feel perfectly comfortable,” she said. “I’ve never been there in my entire life, so it is of little matter to me. You say you have cleaned out all reminders of those men we no longer speak of, so why would I not be happy there? You are there and it is my right to live with you. Not at Falstone, a half a day’s ride away.”

He smiled ironically, since she had been living with her father during their betrothal period because of all of the activity surrounding the deaths of John and Nicholas de Soulis and also because of the clan wars, which had thankfully started to die down. Immediately after the de Soulis deaths, William de Wolfe petitioned King Edward for control of Hell’s Guardhouse, or The Hermitage as he called it, and it was quickly granted by Edward with the agreement that the king could station royal troops there if he needed to.

William thought that Edward might view the property as a foothold into Scotland for the submission of the Scots, but he agreed because he didn’t want to see the fortress go to anyone else. With the addition of The Hermitage, and Andreas de Wolfe as its commander, the power of the House of de Wolfe was growing.

And so was the family.

Andreas couldn’t have been more thrilled.

She had pulled him into the bedchamber by this time, which was warm and fragrant with rosemary and lavender Rhoswyn and Andreas’ sisters had spread around the chamber. He went over to the hearth to stoke it while Gavriella went to the bed and began pulling back the coverlet. Andreas glanced over his shoulder, watching her.

“Can I tell you something?” he said.

She smiled at him as she fluffed up a pillow. “Anything. You know that.”

His attention returned to the fire. “When we have been alone over the past couple of months, really alone, it has been very difficult not to give in to my natural instincts with you.”

She cocked her head curiously. “What do you mean?”

He tipped his head in the direction of the bed. “That.”

After a moment of confusion, it occurred to her what he meant. “Ah,” she said, returning to the pillows. “You have been perfectly chivalrous, my love.”

“I know. But I did not want to be.”

She started laughing. “It is not as if we haven’t… touched one another. We had moments of weakness.”

That was true. They had done a fair amount of fondling, kissing, and caressing, but Andreas had held off bedding her.

“I know,” he said, poking the fire one last time. “But I did not bed you for one very good reason.”

“What was that?”

He stood up from the fire and turned to her. “Because I did not want to rush it or be an opportunist,” he said. “The one and only time you have partaken of such a thing was not a good experience. I wanted our first time together to be very special and very tender. It is very important to me that I show you this is something wonderful. It is nothing to fear.”

The man was unbelievably sweet and considerate. It was that gentle soul that had touched her from the first, a man of great compassion. Gavriella stopped fussing with the pillows and went