And he certainly didn't have claws or a forked tongue or a tail as alphas were often depicted by her church.
That was all bullshit, as Troy liked to say. Faith wasn't a huge fan of swearing, but she had to admit, that particular word seemed to fit.
Troy was not the devil, and he wasn't an angel either. As it turned out, neither was Faith. Neither was anyone—not her pastor, her parents, her sister—even her sister's lover.
Maybe there was no such thing as a pure person. Maybe Troy was right, and there wasn't one true path or set of simple rules to follow one had to follow to ensure salvation.
Maybe life was just messy, full of confusing dilemmas with no clear answers, and everyone had to figure out what to do for themselves, according to their own values and needs and abilities.
That was a lot of maybes.
These were the things that Faith thought about as she wandered deep into the forest. She wasn't concerned that she would get lost; Troy had promised that no matter how far she went or how softly she walked, he would always be able to sense where she was. If she lost her way or was frightened, all she had to do was shout, and he'd be there in minutes.
If she'd been back at her parent's house, such a promise would have served as a warning. We're watching you, Faith. Stick to the path, and don't screw up.
But Troy had encouraged her to explore before he'd gone out to his garage to work. He wanted her to get comfortable with the land that was now hers as much as his. He wanted her to know that she would always be protected.
And for the first time, Faith truly believed him. After all, he hadn't lied to her since the moment they'd met. His honesty may have been harsh, even brutal at times—but he'd given her no reason to doubt him.
He had earned her trust. He would never lie to her and would always protect her. He knew how to make her body sing with pleasure. No wonder she was falling for him.
It was ridiculous to pretend that she could keep resisting this fate.
Faith knew she could blame her omega nature if she wanted to, since she had no choice in the matter, but that would just be another lie—and she was sick of lies.
Maybe her hormones were heightening her emotions, but she still had complete control of her reason. Faith was free to choose what her future would look like, guided by her head and her heart.
Even more importantly, what that future would feel like.
Because now that she'd tasted the depth of passion that could exist between two people, Faith didn't think she could bear to go back to her bland, flavorless life.
But that didn't mean that she was ready to bite Troy.
Okay, she may have wanted to last night, when she'd been almost overwhelmed by the urge. But that didn't mean she had to act on it.
There was something about the act of biting another human that went against the last traces of her old nature. Troy said that such a bite would create a bond stronger than marriage…but how could something so violent and barbaric symbolize love and commitment?
In the back of the closet she shared with her sisters, Faith still had the bride doll she'd been given by a kindly neighbor whose daughter had outgrown it, complete with a somewhat tattered white gown and veil. As a little girl, Faith had always loved pretending she was in a traditional wedding with flowers and rings and a church full of well-wishers.
A couple of bite marks weren't exactly the same thing.
Faith passed through a dense copse of aspen trees and emerged into a sunny clearing. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to feel the sun shining on her face, trying to clear her head of the swirl of confusing thoughts and contradictory desires.
Twenty-four hours ago, she'd been threatening Troy with Old Testament vengeance, and now she was thinking about wedding rings? Faith had a feeling she could hike this land for hours and never find the answers she was searching for.
"Faith?"
She snapped her head up at the familiar voice—one she'd known all her life.
Faith spun around and saw her sister Hope standing under the snowy boughs. Tears welled in her eyes.
It was her—it was really her sister.
The two women ran toward each other, arms open wide, joy lighting up their faces. Faith's tears turned to laughter the instant her arms wrapped around Hope, holding on so tight she was almost afraid that she was going to break her poor sister in half. There wasn't a force on earth that could tear them apart now, after everything they'd been through.
When they finally pulled apart, tears streaked Hope's face too. "Oh, Little Bird, I've missed you so much," she said, using the nickname she'd given Faith when they were kids. "I've been so worried."
"I'd thought I'd lost you," Faith confessed, unable to let go of her sister's hands. "Mom and dad told everyone you were dead."
Hope brushed away her tears. "They told you that after I came to the Boundarylands?"
Faith shook her head. "No, right after you left home. They told everyone you were murdered in the city. I've been mourning you for the last five years."
"Oh, Faith, I'm so sorry," Hope said, pulling her in tight again. "I wish I hadn't left you behind."
"But I wouldn't have gone with you back then even if you'd begged." Five years ago, Faith had been caught up completely in the teachings of the church.
"But if you thought I was dead, how did you know to come looking for me here?"
Faith told her sister about the article she'd found in their parent's kitchen, and the clandestine trip she'd made to the library. About stealing their parent's van and driving all the way here in a single day.
The only thing she didn't tell Hope about was Troy.
Hope's face
