Antonietta’s fingers sank into the silky fur in amazement. “A dog? You brought me a dog?”
“He is not just any dog.” Byron closed the door against the lashing rain and wind. “Celt is a companion and protector. He knows how to stay out of the way yet will always be with you, completely devoted. As long as this dog is with you, should there be need, I will be able to aid you, even if I am a great distance away.” He watched her face carefully for any indication of unease at his words. It wasn’t logical for Antonietta to accept his differences so easily, yet she never seemed to question him.
Antonietta dropped to her knees as she ran her hands over the dog’s powerful chest and down its back. “He’s very large. And he seems built to run. How will I ever be able to give him adequate exercise?” She wanted to keep the animal. The moment she touched the dog’s warmth, the moment she felt his long nose, gentle in her palm, she knew there was a connection. The dog was meant to be hers. She was desperate to have him, but at the same time she was aware of her limitations. “I want you to be happy.”
“Celt. His name is Celt. Borzois do not stay with people who make them unhappy. It is his choice, and judging by the way he has taken up position at your side, I would say he has made it. He needs rest and to regain his strength. His former owner was quite abusive. Apparently, Celt was owned by a young lady who had the misfortune to marry the wrong man. He was locked in a tiny pen where he could barely stand, and he was starved.”
“How awful. I feel his ribs.” Antonietta rubbed the silky ears. “We’ll get him strong again.
Grazie
, Byron. Truly. You make me want to cry that you would think to bring me something so wonderful. How ever did you find him?”
Byron shrugged casually. “I heard his call. He is a powerful dog but extremely gentle. He will obey all commands from you, including to attack should there be need. He will watch over you when I cannot be with you. Did you hire a bodyguard?”
“Justine is working on that for me. I know a woman who runs an international agency. I met her several years ago and was impressed. She’s an American, but all of her people are skilled and speak several languages. I’m certain whomever she sends will be fine.” She allowed the dog his own inspection, knowing scent was important in the animal world. “So you are called Celt. I’m Antonietta. I’ve never had a pet in my life, so please bear with me. I’ll do my best to learn quickly.”
“He is not a pet,” Byron corrected. “He will provide protection and companionship, but he chooses freely who he wishes to stay with. You can connect with me, so it is possible you can connect with him. The brain patterns are different, but if you practice, you can pick up his signals. It is all electrical currents.”
“I never thought of how it worked or that telepathy could be used with animals. Can you pick up his feelings?”
“Of course. He picks up ours. An animal will become upset if a child cries or its companion is distressed or in danger. You will see.”
“
Grazie
, Byron, this is a wonderful surprise.” For a moment she hugged the animal, trying to remember the last time she had been given a gift. Her cousins thought she could have anything she wanted, so they never bothered. “You’ll have to tell me how to exercise him properly.”
“I think Margurite will like him,” Byron said. “She has a natural affinity for animals. I have noticed she can draw wild creatures to her.”
“Can she?” Antonietta was astonished. “No one has ever said a word to me, not even Justine, and she’s my eyes here at the palazzo.” With one hand resting on the dog’s head, she tilted her chin at Byron. “What did you mean, when you were carrying me home from the cliffs, that there was a way I could see through you? You do incredible things. Is there a way you can make me see?”
Byron let out his breath slowly. His own hand found the dog’s silky fur. “That question is difficult, Antonietta. It is wrong to tell an untruth to one’s lifemate. Yes, I can aid you to see through my eyes, but it wouldn’t be permanent. You would see what I see through our mind link. As long as I was with you, sharing my eyes, you could see. Anything beyond that is a different matter and one I do not have all the answers for at this time.”
For a moment his wording threw her off. She’d never heard the words lifemate, but the idea of seeing was far too intriguing to change the subject. “I’d actually see? I would see little Margurite? My grandfather? The cousins? You? I could see myself in a mirror?”
“Yes, but you would be disoriented. Your body isn’t used to signals from your eyes and would become confused. It would be better to start with something small while you are staying perfectly still. Moving would probably increase your discomfort.” He wanted to gather her in his arms and hold her tight while he offered her an explanation. He could feel her confusion. It amazed him how much it bothered him when she was distressed.
Antonietta took a deep breath. “I’m going to settle Celt in my room and introduce him to the family when things calm down.” She turned his words over and over in her mind, trying to make sense of them. Trying to puzzle out what he wasn’t revealing to her. Trying to imagine being able to see, even if it was through his eyes.
She was surprised when the dog moved instantly to her side as she began to walk. It paced easily, not getting in her way yet remaining close to her.
“If he swerves in front of you, he wants you to stop, and there will be a reason,” Byron said. “It would be good for you to try to connect, as he can also be your eyes.”
“I don’t like relying on anything if I can help it,” Antonietta said. “It makes me more dependent.”
“You rely on Justine.” He kept his voice carefully neutral. “Celt is just a different tool as well as a companion. You might find he gives you even more freedom and independence. In any case, with him here, I will feel more at ease during the hours I am not with you. He needs rest now, but you will find, if he does bond with you, he will need to be with you most of the time for companionship.”
Antonietta hugged the dog again. “Don’t worry, Byron, I’ll cherish every moment with him.”
They went up the staircase and down the long hall to her rooms. After a brief inspection of the suite of rooms, Celt settled in as if it had always been his home. Antonietta was all too aware that Byron had closed the door to her quarters, leaving them alone. “It bothers you that I don’t ask you questions about your life, doesn’t it?”
“Why do you accept my differences so easily. Antonietta?” Byron asked curiously. “If I pushed beyond the barrier in your mind, I would be able to read your thoughts as lifemates do with one another, but I am trying to be considerate and wait until you wish to share your thoughts with me. If you do not talk to me, I have no way of knowing what you are thinking.” He spared a thought for human males who had no way of reading their woman’s mind.
Antonietta rubbed the dog’s silky ears. “Do you know the history of the Scarlettis and the palazzo? Did you know that this entire building is riddled with secret passageways? The passageways guard Scarletti treasures as well as our secrets. I want to show you something.” She leaned down to hug the dog again. “Stay here, be warm.”
“You are not going into the passageway, are you, Antonietta? I heard enough to know that those passageways are dangerous. I understand lethal traps are built into the walls and floors.”
She slipped her hand along the bottom of the wall until she located the mechanism to open the hidden door leading to the narrow passageway.
“The secret passageway is more than a means of escape to the sea,” Antonietta said. “It has been used by our family for generations to store valuable antiquities that conquerors, governments, or even the church might covet.”