Call Them by Their Fathers' Names

What's in a name? More than you think. If you're thinking about
changing your name to something more "Islamic," read this article
first to avoid mistakes. Our ancestry are to us like roots are to a
tree, one cannot truly cut them off.
One of these faults, whichare widespread among Muslims, especially
those who are serious about their religion, is the changing of the
family name to a Muslim name. This is forbidden by Allah,hence He
says, "Call them after their fathers. That ismost just in the sight of
Allah. If you know not their fathers, then call them your brothers in
faith and your patrons. There is no blame on you if you make a mistake
but you are accountable for what is done intentionally. Allah is Most
Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Qur'an 33:5]
In his famous tafseer, Imam ibn Katheer said that this verse abrogated
a ruling of something that was allowed at the beginning of Islam.
Abdullah ibn Umar said,"We used to call Zayd ibn Harithah, the patron
of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, Zayd ibn Mohammed until
the Qur'an stated, "Call them after their fathers. That ismost just in
the sight of Allah." (Bukhari) Ibn Katheer said, "Allah ordered us to
call them by their real fathers' names. That is only just and fair."
This common mistake among new Muslims in the West, namely changing
their family name, typically can lead them to fall into the following
prohibitions:
First, Neglect of Allah's Orders:
It makes them subject to the grave warning and the definite threat
that came in several ahadeeth. One of these ahadeeth, narrated by Imam
Ahmad and Ibn Majah from Ibn Abbaas say, that the Messenger of Allah,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said that, "Whomever is not namedafter
his father, or who takes as a benefactor andprotector other than his
supporter, is cursed by Allah, His Angels and all the people." This is
a severe and definite warning to those who are not named after
theirreal fathers.
Just because the father's name is a Christian name or a non-Muslim
name is not reason enough, in Islam, to change it. And so if one's
father name is George, he should not change it to Muhammad or Ali for
example. One must be named after his real father's name, even if he is
a non-believer (kafir), or the worst enemy to Allah and His Messenger,
sallallahu alayhe wa sal-lam.
To help illustrate this point, examine the following:
• Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl: This companion of the Prophet, sallallahu
alayhewa sallam became a Muslim in the year of al-Fatih or the
concurringof Makkah, and was one of the best Muslims, one who fought
for the sake of Allah until he was killed. He was the son of one of
the worst of Allah's enemies, Abu Jahl, the man who fought the
Prophet, sallallahu alayhewa sallam, with his hands, tongue and money.
Nevertheless, Ikremah never changed his father's name after becoming a
Muslim. He kept his real father's name although it was notan honorable
one.
• Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan: The Mother of the believers, the wife of the
Prophet, sallallahu alayhewa sallam, married the Prophet before her
father himself became a Muslim. Yet, she did not change her name and
theProphet, sallallahu alayhewa sallam, did not order her to change
it, although he was one of the Prophet's strongest enemies at the
time.
• Safiyyah bint Huyay: Herfather Huyay ibn Akhtab was a Jew. When she
became a Muslim, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam
married her, and she did not change her father's or her grandfather's
name even though everyone knew that they were non-believers, and that
they were the enemies ofAllah and his Messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa
sallam. More than that, Safiyyah used to visit her family, and when
Umar ibnul Khattab heard that she liked the Jews, he asked her about
it. She replied that they were her family, and that as a Muslim she
was supposedto keep her kin ties strong and, that that was the reason
for her visits with them. Look at this example! Safiyyah did not
forsake her family ties and never abandoned her family's name. She did
this because she knew that her name would not hurther or weaken her
faith and belief in Allah.
There are many more examples, but in these three I hope that all of us
find good enough reasons to rethink the issue, and to avoid doing the
opposite of what these three good companions of the Prophet,
sallallahu alayhewa sallam, did.
The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "He who knowingly
claims to be the son of other than his father, then he is forbidden
from entering Paradise." How can those who are running away from the
Hellfire, by seeking Islam and becoming Muslims, be so negligent, that
theymight end up in it anyway, by carelessly misnaming themselves
toothers than their real fathers? Why would anyone claim to be the son
of someone he knows for sure is not his father? One may meet a Muslim
who claims that his name is Muhammad Abdurrahman Ali. One would think
that this means he is Muhammad the son of Abdurrahman, and the
grandson of Ali. But after checking, one would be surprised to
discover that Abdurrahman and Ali are not real people at all, andthat
Muhammad, who happens to be the son of John, the grandson of Roberts,
for example, made them up. This is nota good thing to do, for it leads
one to fall into the next sin, falsification.
Second, Cheating People and Misleading Them:
In the previous example, when one hears the name Muhammad Abdurrahman
Ali, one automatically thinks that the name belongs to a Muslim from a
Muslim country. You do not expect it to belong to be an American or a
European from a Westernnon-Muslim father. This isan obvious case of
cheating and falsification, especially if the information is presented
on paper, like on a resume or other documents, meant for official
procedures or employment. This falsification is the same as lying, if
not worse.
Third, Injustice and Aggression:
For someone to be called after other than his real father's name is to
do great injustice to the father. This is why Allah says, "Call them
after theirfathers. That is most just in the sight of Allah." It is
only just and fair that Allah has made that obligatory on us. How can
anyone of us, willingly, choose to do otherwise?
Such acts are not allowedin Islam, whether the father is a Muslim or
not. It is imperative that Muslims who believe in Allah and the Last
Day, and who have read thesescripts and warnings but have fallen into
this sin, to repent to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, and correct their
mistake by renaming themselves after their real fathers, John, George
or any other.
What Should One Do?
Stating the above, the following question needsto be answered: What
can a person who does not know his real father do? This is especially
important because promiscuity in the West has made this task
difficult. Allah has revealed the answer to this question, "If you
know not their fathers, then call them your brothers in faith and your
patrons." [5:33] Of the one who does not know his father, we ask, who
was the man who raised and took care of you? If the answer is, my
stepfather, or this man whose name is, for example, Ibrahim, then we
call the person, our brother in Islam, Ibrahim's patron.
If he has no patron, then he can relate his name to his country or
city and add his kunia , or nickname, to it. A lot of prominent Muslim
scholars have done this in the past. The name canbe for example, Abu
Muhammad (nickname), Ali (his name) al-Canadi (the Canadian), or
al-Ameriky (the American), or al-Britany (the British), so on and
soforth.
One excuse for the father's name change that some people use, is the
allegation that their fathers' and grandfathers' names are not their
real names. They are names, they say,that were given to them by the
slave masters. Therefore, they are changing these names so that they
change the names, which are relatedto a bad interval in their history.
The answer is that this action is a misconception and a direct
contradiction to the above verse. Allah hasobliged us to be named
after our real fathers. If one's father's real name was changed by
force during the period of slavery, and you managed to know the
original name, then use it. But if you do not knowthe real name and
you change the current name, then you have committed the same sin as
the oppressor, for you have changed a man's name. Such a situation,
however, applies only to a number of people in the West.
Another excuse some people use for example, is that one would say, "I
am calling myself Muhammad Abdullah (i.e.the slave of Allah) and that
should be alright, forwe are all slaves of Allah, believers and
non-believers." And even though this statement is true in general,
people use names to indicate and ascertain a specific blood
relationship, and not to make a general statement about the fact that
one is the son of a man who was created by Allah. Again, we must be
careful so that we do not fall in the name change trap.
Wives Taking Their Husbands' Last Names:
It is important to note that one of the forms of being named after
other than your father, is what some newly converted Muslim women do.
They change their family names to their husbands' family names, as is
the norm in the West. I have seen many Muslim men and women who have
fallen into this prohibition. This type of name change actually hastwo
problems. The first is the fact that the woman would fall into the sin
of changing the name of her real father who spenthis life and money
caringfor her. What a recompense! The second is making resemblance
tothe non-believers in a tradition that is permanently a part of their
lifestyle.
An Important Question:
Many newly reverted Muslims ask, should they change their names?
The answer is that they should not change their names except in the
following situations:
• If the name is forbidden in Islam. For example, if the name implies
worshipping other than Allah like Abdush-Shams (slave of the sun),
Abdun-Nabi (slave of the Prophet), Abdul-Maseeh (slave of the Christ),
etc. Also, if thename symbolizes idols like Naelah, Hubal or Buddha,
then it must be changed immediately.
• If the name is typical of the non-believers like Botros, John,
Diana, Suzanne or Victoria, then a Muslim should stay away from these
names.
• If the name praises oneself, as in the case of Barrah (pious), the
Prophet, sallallahu alayhewa sallam, changed it to Zainab and said,
"Do not praise yourself. Allah knows the pious ones more than you do."
(Muslim)
• If the name has a bad meaning like the names of animals such as Faar
(mouse), Kalb (dog), Hanash (snake). Or pronounced badly in another
language such asTom (many pronounce it Toom, which sounds like garlic
in Arabic).
If the non-Muslim name islike one of the above then it must be changed
to a good Muslim name, one that is desirable in Islam. For example
Abdurrahman, Abdullah, any of the Prophets' names, the companions
names, the wives of the Prophet, allallahu alayhe wa sallam, or his
daughters.
It should be taken into consideration that only the first name is
changedand not the father's name no matter how badit is. In the Day of
Judgment, people will be called by their fathers' names. Bukhari wrote
a chapter in his book about people being called by their fathers'
names. In it he mentions a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Umar who said that
the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "On the Day of
Judgment,a sign will be raised for the deceitful saying, 'Thisis the
deceit of Fulan Ibn Fulan (this man the son of such a man).'" It is
necessary to mention that we should use the relational noun between
names in the Arabic language. For example Muhammad George Al-Ferency
(the French) should be called Muhammad the son of George the French.
Finally, after reading this clear account, accompanied by evidences
and examples, it now becomes necessary for every Muslim who believes
in Allah and the Last Day, to correct such mistakes andgo back to his
real name. A worshipper is judged by his deeds, and his emaan (faith).
Allah knows best who is pious and who is not, and changing names in
the way we were discussing does not increase it. As was demonstrated,
such an act can in fact hurt one's relationship with Allah. And Allah
knows best.

The Islamic Naming System

Islam places great emphasis on the clear identification of family
relationships. The Prophet (SAW) himself said,
"Learn enough about your lineage to know your blood relatives and
treat them accordingly." (At-Tirmidhee)
That is, family lines should be known well enough to prevent marriages
within the forbidden degrees and todetermine blood and family
obligations.
Although it is the duty of the Islamic state to take care of its
citizens, the primary responsibility lies first and foremost on family
members. Therefore, according to Islamic law, blood relationships
should be clearly defined and any tampering with them is strictly
forbidden.
Names Imply a Genealogical Relationship
This is clearly stressed in the Islamic naming system in which each
name and its sequences implies a specific genealogical relationship.
For example, the name Khaalid ibn Abdullah ibn Zakee al-Harbee, which
in present times is written Khaalid Abdullah Zakee al-Harbee means
Khaalid the son of Abdullah, the son of Zakee, from the tribe of Harb.
This system of naming people after their fathersand forefathers has
appeared in most cultures. Even in English, George the son of John
intime became George, John's son and eventuallybecame George Johnson.
In pre-Islamic times, the Arabs used to change the lineage of their
adopted sons to their own lineageand this practice also occurred
during the earlystages of Muhammed's prophethood (SAW). However, Allah
(SWT) forbade it during the Madeenan stage of prophethood in which the
majority of the religious, social and economic laws of islam were
revealed.
Call Them By Their Fathers
Ibn Umar (RA) reported that after the Prophet (SAW) freed Zayd ibn
Harithah and adopted him, people used to referto him as Zayd ibn
Muhammed until the verse the following verse was revealed,
"Call them by (the names of) their father's, that is more just in the
sight of Allah..." (Al-Ahzab 33:5)
Once this principle became part of the divine law, the Prophet (SAW)
was instructed to further emphasize it by a series of warnings. For
example, on one occasion he said,
"He who knowingly attributed his fatherhoodto someone other than his
real father will be excluded from paradise." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu
Dawood)
Abu Dharr (RA) also related that he heard the Prophet (SAW) say,
"He who deliberately lets himself be called the son of someone other
than his father is guilty of disbelief (kufr)." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu
Dawood)
Islamic Law is Comprehensive
Thus, the Arabic system ofnaming people accordingto their father's
names which was endorsed by the Prophet (SAW) and approved of by Allah
(SWT) is considered the Islamic naming system.
Islamic law is comprehensive. It regulates all aspects of human life
in order to establish a social system in which human welfare is looked
after and the worship of God is enshrined. Consequently, although some
facets of the Islamic naming system may be more important than other,
none are so irrelevant or unimportant that whether it is done or not
makes no difference.
The fact that European colonialism has managedto corrupt the
application of the Islamic naming system especially among non-Arab
Muslimsdoes not in any way alterits validity. By colonial times the
Western naming system had degenerated into a meaningless jumble of
names followed by a family name.
Muslim Woman Keeps HerFather's Name
Influenced by the Greco-Roman culture in which women were considered
to e the property of men, western society erased a woman's family name
upon marriage and replaced it by that of her husband. In the Islamic
naming system she retains her father's name as it indicates her true
lineage.
However, both of these degenerative Western trends have been widely
adopted in Muslim lands along with other un-Islamic cultural trappings
of European colonialism. New Muslims, unaware of the Islamic naming
system, often adopt Arabic namesin the chaotic European style.
Legacy of Slavery
In fact, those of African descent often erase even their family names
on thebasis that these names are remnants from the days of slavery.
That is, those of their ancestors who were slaves usually adopted the
family name of their slave masters andit was the slave masters' name
which was handed down from generations to generation. Hence, an
individual who may havebeen called Clive Baron Williams while his
father's name was George Herbert Williams may, upon entering Islamic,
rename himself Faisal Umar Nkruma Mahdi. However, his name according
to the Islamic naming system should have been Faisal George Williams,
that is, Faisal the son of George Williams. Whether"Williams" was the
name of his ancestors plantation owner or not is not of any
consequence. Since his father's name was George Williams, he is,
according to the Islamic naming system, the son of George Williams.
That much of his father's name is necessary to determine who his
relatives are in order to avoid incestuous marriages, discharge
inheritance rights and fulfill general responsibilities to blood
relations.
New Muslims Should Keep Family Name
This becomes especially important in the West where premarital and
extra-marital relations are common leading to generations of
illegitimate inter-related children. Consequently, when some of these
half-brothers and sisters enter Islam under different assumed family
names, there exists a veryreal possibility that some of them may
unintentionally contract incestuous marriage. The practice among new
Muslims of deleting their family names has frequently created deep
resentment among their non-Muslim families which could have been
easily avoided if the Islamic naming system had been adopted.
Actually, the new Muslim is under no obligation to change even his or
her"Christian name" unless itcontains an un-Islamic meaning. Thus, the
given name "Clive", which means cliff-dweller need not have been
changed whereas "Dennis", a variation of Dionysus (which was the Greek
god of wine and fertility who was worshipped with orgiastic rites),
would have to be changed. Similarly femalenames like "Lois" which
means desirable or "Ann" (or its diminutive forms Annie and Nancy)
which means grace , need not be changed while names like "Ingrid"
which means daughter of Ing (a god in Germanic mythology) or "Laverne"
taken from the name of the Roman goddess of spring and grain would
also have to be changed.
However,. it is perfectly acceptable for a Muslim, whether a recent
convertor not, to change his or her first name if he/she chooses. It
was the Prophet's (SAW) practice to change peoples first names if they
were too arrogant, negative or un-Islamic. One of the Prophet's (SAW)
wives was originally named"Barrah" (pious) and he changed it to
"Zaynab" (collected by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood) as Allah (SWT) had
said in the Quran,
"Do not claim piety for yourselves for He knows best who is
God-fearing." (An-Najm 53:32)
Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that another of the Prophet's (SAW) wives was
also named Barrah and he changed it to Juwayriyah (collected by
Muslim).
Ibn Umar (RA) reported that his father, Umar, hada daughter
named"Aasiyah" (disobedient) whom the Prophet (SAW) renamed "Jameelah"
(beautiful ). (collected by Muslim).
Jabir ibn Abdullah (RA) reported that the Prophet (SAW) decided
toforbid names like Ya'laa (elevated), Barakah (blessing), Aflah
(successful), Yasaar (wealth) and Naafi (beneficial). (collected by
Muslim).
The Prophet (SAW) Never Changed the Names of the Fathers
However, Allah's Messenger (SAW) never changed the names of people's
fathers, no matter how un-Islamic they may have been. For example,
when the Sahabi Abdu Shams ibn Sakhr accepted Islam, theProphet (SAW)
cancelled his given nam, Abdu-Shams (slave of a sun), and renamed him
Abdur-Rahman ibn Sakhr (collect by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaanee). His
father's name, Sakhr (rock), was left untouched.
Likewise, the Sahabi, AbuSalamah's name was changed to Abdullah ibn
Abdul-Asad leaving his father's name Abdul-Asad(slave of the lion)
unchanged. (collected by Ibn al-Jawzee).
Thus, it can be concluded that erasing one's family name is against
both the letter and the spirit of Islamic law. The father's first and
last name shouldbe retained and if the father is unknown, the mother's
first and last name should follow the Muslim's given or chosen name.
Kunyah Can Be Added
However, it should be noted, that there are other titles and
descriptive names which may be added to either or both the beginning
and the end of a person'sactual name. According to the Islamic naming
system, prefixed names known as Kunyah consist of Abu (the
father/owner of) in the case of males and Umm (the mother of) in the
case of women, followed by the name of the person's oldest child or
male child, a child wished for or a trait the person is noted for.
Some people became so well known by their Kunya that their actual
names are almost forgotten.
For example, among the Sahabah:
*. Abu Bakr (Abdullah ibn Uthman)
*. Abu Hurayrah (Abdur Rahman ibn Sakhr)
*. Abu Laylaa (Bilal al-Ansari)
And among the fuqahaa (legislators): Abu Haneefah (Nu'maan ibn Tahabit).
The suffixed tittles are of two types:
1. The Laqab , a descriptive trait, for example, Abu Bakr was titled
by the Prophet (SAW) "as-Siddeeq" (thetruthful) and Umar,"al-Farooq"
(the discerner).
2. The second type is known as Nisbah which refers to the place or
tribe with which one is associated. For example, the Sahabi, Abu
Dharr"al-Ghifaaree" (from the tribe of Ghifaar) and Hadith scholars
such as al-Bukhari (Muhammad ibn Ismaa'eel), from the cityBukhara and
at-Tirmidhee (Muhammad ibn Eesaa) from the city of Tirmidh. The
Nisabah suffix may also refer to a profession.
Naming Girls
Care should also be takenin naming girls, as the practice of giving
girls two or three female names before the family name is a fairly
recent Western practice which isinconsistent with the Islamic naming
system. For example, a girl named Asmaa Jameelah Zaynab Abdullah whose
father's name was Zayd Abdullah should really be called Asmaa Zayd
Abdullah, that is, Asmaa the daughter of Zayd Abdullah.
This principle is due to the fact that a man's or woman's given name,
according to the Islamic naming system, should only be followed by the
name of his or her mother if the father was unknown, or the child was
illegitimate and the parents were not married. Thus, the name Asmaa
Jameelah Zaynab Abdullah in the Islamic naming system means Asmaa was
the illegitimate daughter of Jameelah and her motherJameelah was also
the illegitimate daughter of Zaynab, the daughter of Abdullah.
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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Story - , Moons Peak [FINISHED]- Tangled Barbed Web (chapter 15)

I SPENT THE NIGHT in Derryn's room, though I hardly slept at all.
If it wasn't the cryptic howls from the lone wolf,then it was my
supposed fever I'd had during the night.
Though it wasn't all that bad, seeming how my cramps in my legs and
feet had subsided thanks to the salve that Satchel's mom had put on
them. Infact, there was no trace of any scars or any evidence that I
had calluses at all.
Despite my supposed fever, it felt like my energy had been charged
over night. I couldn't say the same about my feelings for Satchel
though.
All I know was, that therewas something strong that was there for him,
and that I was afraid to succumb to them.
I found a pile of clean clothes folded next to me: A pair of faded
jeans,a sweater and some undergarments with tagson them, and some
shoes. I tiptoed to the bathroom, and took a shower under the
seductive heat.
I shrugged the jeans on, that fit perfectly, but I was reluctant to
wear thesweater.
It was the color of peach, and screamed unflattering, but the cold
that was obvious in the air won me over, and I shrugged it on too.
I sought out Satchel, knowing very well he was not in the house,
justby scent alone. His home was in the way his father had left it.
Native American artifacts adorned the walls, and throughout the house
had that same wildernessfeel I saw in Derryns room. Like the forest
had come alive in the comfortof his home.
As I stepped out in the cold backyard, I grunted. The nip in the air
was obnoxious and I was slightly thankful for the unflattering garment
I had on my back.
I found Satchel a few yards away working on abroken fence. His skin
bare as if the cold air didn't bother him, save for the chocolate
suspenders and same colored slacks.
His back was to me, and he was struggling with the fence, grunting in
protest. I frowned. And then I looked down to see a helpless animal
tangled in wire. Barbed wire, and the grunts was not of Satchel, but
coming from the helpless animal.
A gray wolf, howling in protest. I realized and I rushed to its aid,
helping Satchel hopelessly since itwas barbed wire.
I couldn't seem to get a grip on the fence without cutting myself.
"God damn it!" Satchel cursed.
He had gloves on I realized, that's why it was easy for him to
graspthe barbs, but the tangled web of wire would not give way.
And the more the wolf struggled, the deeper thebarb buried in it, and
themore blood poured out of its wounds.
I was teary eyed I realized, astonished that a wild animal would
affect me like this.
Of course it would, because it's helpless My reason of thoughts scolded.
I knelt next to it, comforting it as best as I could in order to give
it abetter send off, while Satchel struggled to untangle the web.
I found myself imagining this animal could well be Satchel. Helpless
in his wolf form, tangled in a trap with no one to comfort him.
My tears mourned the wolf in front of me, as the animal let out one
last cry of help, and something in the back of my mind just knew it
wasdead.
I was vaguely aware of Satchel kneeling beside me, wiping his thumb
under my eyes. He'd taken his gloves off.
"Hey, it's not your fault. We tried our best. Nothing can change
death. It happens." I blinked up into his eyes. The rawness of his
honesty made it seem so real.
"That was a wolf? Did you know it?" I don't know if I was relieved
when he shook his head, or guilt stricken for the wolfs loneliness.
I ran my eyes over the dead wolf, lying limp on its side with its
tongue slightly out. I couldn't take my gaze away from it, and better
yet. I couldn't stand to see Satchel hurt and helpless like this wolf.
I'd be beside myself if something happened to him, and the minute that
realization registered, I felt I wept freely.
"That wolf had a family, someone to go home to? What if…what if you
ended up like that. Oh god!" I rambled, and the wolfs figure only got
more blurry from my tears. Satchel tipped my chin up with his hands
and gently forced me to look at him.
"Hey, its okay." He murmured, wrapping his arms around me to comfort
me. I reveled in his warmth, and his hot breath in my ear, promising
me the wolf was in a better place. Halfrealizing I was shaking from
shock or something.
We must have stayed like that for hours, though I was sure it was only
minutes, and I calmed from his reassurance and simply from his
presence.
I sighed, having no more tears left to cry, and I found myself
blushing. This was the third time I'd broken down in front of him, and
I was startingto look like the typical damsel in distress that I hated
so much.
I pulled back from his embrace, and blushed at his scrutinizing gaze.
"God! I keep doing this infront of you, you must begetting bored of me
already." I wiped my face, hoping I'll wipe my embarrassment too.
He had a thoughtful gazewhile he studied me, then shook his head.
"Not at all…you've been through a lot. I don't blame you. Plus I find
youquite interesting." I smiled up at him.
"Interesting? How so?" He tilted his head, and regarded me curiously.
"Well, your eyes remind me of the honey I collect every morning from
down there," He pointed out a far tree, where a visible beehive hung
loosely. He smiled uncaringly, gently swiping a strand of hair from my
face.
"And your hair is so delicately smooth, it's impossible to stop
wanting to touch it." He ran his hand down the length of my neck, to
my collarbone making an invisible tingling trail.
My heart beat in anticipation from his touch, and woke up a desire I
never knew I had, just from a gentle touch. I'd never felt it before,
not even when my ex-boyfriend Peter used to kiss me.
The sensual way Satchel'seyes roamed my face wasseduction alone. I
could melt under his piercing green gaze.
"And those lips, the way they quirk up to smile interests me to no
end, I watch you and I want you to be mine." He let his thumb roam the
bottom of my lip, as if it was a kiss in its touch.
"So you don't bore me Willy, I'm entertained by your beauty." He
drawledin a husky voice so sensual. It was followed by a kiss.
His kiss was gentle, sweetand light. It ended too soon for my liking.
"But right now we have work to do." He broke the contact and stood up
abruptly, taking with himany visible heat that conjured up between us.
He touched the gray wolf.
"We should bury it, she deserves a proper burial." I frowned, as he
gazed at the lifeless wolf that was buried in barbs.
"She?" He nodded.
"Yeah. She must have wondered from her pack.The scent on her says she
has been claimed as someone's mate and pack." My eyebrows raised.
"You could tell all this justby looking at it – her? By scent alone.
Are you sure?" He shrugged.
"There's no mistaking another males scent on her, so yes, I'm sure.
She'sbeen claimed as someone's mate and she's definitely from a pack."
I gulped, taking in the grotesque image thatwas once an alive animal.
"Wouldn't it be wise to wait until her pack comesto claim her?" He nodded.
"It would be, if she hadn't wandered onto our land. Better to bury her
now, because I don't fancy hearing the wrath of her pack for the fact
ofdying on our property, orhaving an animal rot in the likes of my
little sisterfinding it on her travels."
"Okay, we'll bury it in the cemetery?" He smiled.
"Just one thing…whatever you do, don't look." It was a warning; as he
struggled further to unhook the animal from the barbs.
I obeyed and never once stole a look back at the helpless animal,
until he said it was safe to.
He managed to drape a sheet over the bloodied animal by the time I
looked back, pinching each corner of the sheet so that it was wrapped
up in some kind of cacoon and hauled it over his shouler like he was
some kind of Santa carrying a sack of presents.
Except, the blood oozing throught the sheet stopped any image of
looking like a gift. Because I was sure noonein their right mind
wouldwant a dead animal under their Christmas tree. I shuddered.
Satchellooked at me.
"I'm sorry you had to see this." He said apologetically. I shook my head.
"Don't be, I'm just glad it wasn't you." He smiled then, light
reflecting from his piercing gaze and he kissed me on my forehead.
"I am too." He said, and we made our way to the cemetery on foot,
where we would bury it.