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.Julian looked out of the window for a moment, making no move to go, then slowlyturned, but didn’t quite meet Nick’s eye.“I need to know.How many of us are there,here?”Nick stared.“What? Gay men?”Julian took a step back, flushing slightly.Nick had the strangest feeling he’d saidsomething to hurt the boy, and unconsciously took a step towards him.“I’d better go,”Julian said, looking at the floor.“No,” Nick told him.His voice sounded hoarse.Damn it, what was the matter withhim? “No.You’re going to stay and tel me what you meant.”Julian looked at him then, and the look of confusion in his eyes was, Nick thought,the most genuine expression he’d seen the boy display.Confusion? Nick watched,mesmerised, as Julian bit his lip.“You’re mocking me,” he whispered.What? “No, I’m not.I wouldn’t do that, Julian.” He took another step towards theboy, his heart thumping fiercely.There was just one other thing Julian could havemeant—but could it real y be true? Could he real y be…? God, if he was wrong, he wasabout to make the biggest idiot of himself.“You’re a werewolf,” he heard himself say,wonderingly.“Yes, of course! I thought—I thought you knew.That was why…” Julian stopped,frowning.“Why what? Why you threw yourself at me that night?” It stil didn’t make sense.“Yes! Look, you’re obviously an alpha, and I thought you wanted me, al right?” Helooked away again.“I thought if I—it doesn’t matter.” Julian’s head was turned awayfrom Nick, showing that pale, slender throat.His eyes were downcast, making thoselong lashes look even more beautiful.And he was a werewolf.Nick was finding it hard to concentrate on anything elseright now.Another werewolf.God, he’d been so alone, so very alone.And it had to beJulian.If Julian was a werewolf too, Nick would have to stay away from him.It wasn’t safe—his time with Carl had proved that.No wonder Nick wasn’t able to control himselfaround Julian, as the moon waxed ful and his instincts started to take over.Like now?Taking a deep breath, Nick stepped back, trying to think.He might not be able toturn Julian, but he could stil harm him.Images of Carl covered in his own blood shotthrough his head.“How long?” Nick asked, more in an attempt to gain time to calm down thananything else.“Since I was fourteen.” Julian looked troubled.Wel , it was hardly likely to be a pleasant memory.“Was it someone you knew?”Julian’s lips quirked in a bitter smile.“My father.”“What? ”“He felt it was time I joined the pack.”Nick couldn’t believe it.How could any man do that to his own child? “Wait—apack? There are more of you? Of us, I mean?”“About thirty.In our pack, that is.I know there are other packs, elsewhere.”Nick’s head was reeling.“That’s—that’s amazing! God, if only I’d known.It must bewonderful!”Julian flinched visibly.“No.It is not.”He sounded suddenly a lot more German, and when he thought back, Nick wasn’tsure which language he’d actual y used.He looked at the boy.Julian was hunchedover.Was he trembling? Without meaning to, Nick found himself gripping Julian by theshoulders.“What did they do to you?” he growled, hardly recognising his own voice.Damn it, this was not the way to treat someone who’d been abused.And he wasincreasingly certain that was what had happened to Julian.Bizarrely, however, Julian seemed reassured.“It doesn’t matter.I’m here now,” hesaid with a much firmer voice.He paused, and then spoke again.“You don’t have apack?”“No! I don’t even know any other werewolves.Apart from the one who turned me—and I haven’t seen him for close on three years—I’ve never even met anotherwerewolf.”Julian was silent a moment.“It’s lonely, isn’t it?” he said at last.Nick stared.“Yes,” he said final y.“But it is good to know that you are here.” He stil wouldn’t meet Nick’s eye.“I amsorry for my misunderstanding.I wil go now.Enjoy the books.”After he’d gone, Nick sat and looked at the door for a long time.There was nothing unusual in that Nick sought out Nadia’s company later.Theyfrequently met up in the SCR for a coffee at around this time.And they’d chatted for atleast a quarter of an hour before Nick even brought up the subject of her troublesomestudent.Even so, he felt his cheeks grow warmer as he broached the matter.“Um, I wondered—how much do you know about Julian’s family background?”Nadia shrugged, the movement causing her generous bosom to suffer a medium-sized earthquake.“Oh, bugger al , real y.I just mark his essays.He doesn’t comeround for tea and crumpets, you know.I know some things, of course.Let’s see…he grew up in South Germany and came over here a year or two ago when his parentssplit up.His mother’s English, I think.”“Presumably Lauder is his father’s name, then.Could you find out? I mean, not justabout the name.About, wel , his family in Germany, and the break-up, and so on.”“Wel , I suppose I could pop round for a sherry with Angus,” she said with a fainttone of reluctance.Angus Lemon was the admissions tutor, and he had appal ing tastein sherry.“Nadia, you’re an angel,” Nick told her sincerely.She gave a roguish grin.“Tel that to my third-years, dearie—I’ve just assignedthem an essay on the significance of Hamlet’s line For O, for O, the hobby-horse isforgot!”Nick laughed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]