Wild Keepers

by Dee Bridgnorth

  There was a collective gasp from the group. They all turned to each other, whispering furiously. And then, a short man wearing a red bow tie and a green velvet jacket walked into the room, smiling broadly. He was balding, and had twinkling blue eyes, which he turned on the group.

  Maya couldn’t believe it. Freddie Armstrong was one of the most famous ballet artistic directors in the world. As far as she knew, he had a very good position with a prestigious London ballet company, and had been there for years. What on earth had persuaded him to up sticks and accept that post of director at Covenester of all the places in the world?

  “Thank you, everyone,” he said in a smooth British accent, taking a bow. “I am super excited to be with you all! And please excuse me if my eyelids start to droop a little while I am speaking. I’ve flown overnight from England and haven’t had a chance to rest yet.” He paused, dramatically. “I was just too excited and had to speak to you all right away!”

  The group stared at him, agog. Maya thought that they were all as astounded as she was to have the amazing Freddie Armstrong in their midst. How on earth had the CBC managed to secure him? They must have offered him the world, and then some, to get him to come here.

  “The first thing that I want to say,” Freddie continued, “is how sorry I am at the loss of David. He was a first-rate director, and we were well acquainted. The world is a worse place without having him in it.” He paused as people clapped. “But David would be the first to say that the show must go on, boys and girls. And that is exactly what is going to happen.” He paused, again. “But not the show that you think.”

  Everyone sat up higher in their chairs, staring at him. What was he saying?

  Freddie took a deep breath. “You’ve all been rehearsing a modern dance,” he said. “But I am going to be very controversial from the onset, and tell you that it is gone as of this moment.”

  Maya gasped. She had been rehearsing this part since she had moved here. She had been half expecting that it might be cancelled after David’s death, but Nick had kept them going with it, and there was no reason that Freddie couldn’t just take over the production. They were due to open in a few weeks with it. It seemed to make little sense.

  “I know, I know,” Freddie said. “You are all wondering why I’m cancelling it. The truth is, boys and girls, I watched you all rehearsing it from the wings today. And it is a dead duck, I am afraid. It most certainly will be dead on arrival on opening night. And I am afraid that we simply cannot have a stinker at this point, with the scandal of David’s death, and everything else that has been happening in this company.”

  Everyone was silent, absorbing what he had said. Maya thought that everyone was probably as astounded as she was.

  It was true, in a way. She had always had doubts about the dance, but David had insisted that they tackle something more modern, saying that they needed to attract a younger crowd. Bring in new blood. And it wasn’t as if Maya disliked modern dances; she wasn’t a traditionalist who could only contemplate dancing classical ballet. In fact, she had dreams of one day diversifying and dancing some new and exciting stuff.

  It was just that this particular dance wasn’t particularly good. Maya had found it a bit overblown, and the storyline was thin, to say the least. But she was paid to dance what the company had decided, so she hadn’t complained.

  Now, Freddie was saying that they were getting rid of that dance completely. Maya felt a fission of excitement go through her. She wouldn’t mourn the loss of it. But, what were they going to do instead?

  Freddie’s smile broadened. “Now, I am getting to the fun part,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, the next production of the Covenester Ballet Company is…. drumroll, please…Giselle!”

  Maya smiled, and she could see that everyone else was smiling, too. She loved Giselle; it was one of the all-time classic ballets that she simply never tired of. And as prima ballerina, she would get to dance in the title role, for the first time since she was twelve years old.

  It was simply a dream come true. Her smile widened, and the excitement she had been feeling before intensified. She wanted to rush to the rehearsal room and start practising for the role immediately. But she knew that she needed to calm down, just a little. There was a lot that had to happen before that time.

  “I’m glad that I have made you all happy,” beamed Freddie, nodding at them all. “But it’s the calm before the storm, my angels. I know that you are all about to clobber me, but when we open the curtain for Giselle on the stage just behind me, it is going to be in half the usual time it takes to prepare for such a production.”

  It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Maya took a deep breath. This was strange. Why would Freddie want to rush a production? She would have thought that he would want to over-rehearse, if anything. Make sure that they had it down pat. And he had a reputation as a relentless perfectionist, who would throw tantrums if the powers-that-be tried to get him to open the curtain before he felt the dancers were ready.

  “I can hear your questions,” he said, taking a deep breath. “The truth of it is, people, that the CBC is in a bad way. We all know it.” He stared intently at all of them. “I have been hired to turn all of that around, and I intend to. The first thing that I want is to make people sit up and take notice of us. If we announce that we are intending to perform Giselle in half the usual time, people will do that. It might be for the wrong reasons to start with, but they will be watching.”

  “Watching us to fail,” called out Nathaniel, the male principal dancer, frowning. “If we are under-rehearsed, they will all be circling us like sharks on opening night, waiting for the kill.”

  “True,” said Freddie, nodding his head. “They will be. So, that’s why we must show them that we aren’t going to lie down and play dead for them. We are going to give them not just a professional dance but an excellent dance! I intend that all of Covenester will be talking about this production, and when they finally see it, they will be raving about how wonderful it was, and how amazing our dancers are, to have overcome such setbacks.”

  Maya gulped, her excitement starting to fade into nerves. This was risky. She could see Freddie’s vision…almost. He was trying to shock the city of Covenester, turn the bad publicity and setbacks into positive ones. And he was setting them a challenge. It would attract a lot of publicity, attempting to stage this production ahead of time. And yes, their detractors would all be waiting to see them fall flat on their faces.

  But, on the other hand…. what if it succeeded? The publicity would be enormous. The press, and everyone who came to see the show, would be crowing about how the CBC turned tragedy into triumph. It could be a massive publicity coup for the company, there was no denying it.

  Maya stared at Freddie, admiringly. He was attracting controversy already. He was shaking things up and not acting according to the script. It took a daring artistic director to have such chutzpah. It seemed that Freddie Armstrong was as visionary and innovative as his reputation claimed.

  “First things first,” he yelled, over the din. “We are making the most dramatic costumes—ever—and we are doing promo. Lots of it. That means promo videos, rehearsal CDs, and other stuff. Interviews with all the papers and the media. Appearances at shopping centres if we must! Are we clear?”

  Everyone started talking again. Freddie clapped his hands for attention.

  “I know that you all think it is a little over the top,” he said slowly. “But as I sat on that plane coming here, jotting down ideas, I realised that sometimes you have to go hard or go home.” He took a deep breath. “Now is not the time to act timidly. We must take the bull by the horns and turn it around, by force. All that negative stuff can be used to our advantage, people. And I know that David would want us to do this. He would never want us to give up and slink away like a dog with its tail between its legs. And especially not over him. David Wagner was a team player, and he lived and breathed ballet.”

  Everyone nodded, talking exc
itedly. Maya could feel the excitement moving through the group, as if it were contagious.

  She stared at Freddie again. He was a great motivational speaker. It was true; the morale in the company was almost at zero. Too much had happened, and there was only so much that people could take before it started to affect their attitudes and performances. She had been the same. Only before she had questioned whether she should still be here, or whether she should turn and run for the hills.

  Now, she could feel that turning around. She gazed at Vera, who was standing next to Freddie. The choreographer was smiling so broadly she was almost radiant. Maya’s heart warmed. Vera loved this company, she really did. And she knew that Freddie’s speech had inspired this team to keep going, and that it had been a stroke of genius that he was here as their new artistic director.

  They could do it. Maya sat up higher in her seat, feeling better than she had since the incident in the costume room. It was as if she could see light at the end of the tunnel, again. That the horror and fear that she had experienced was blessedly staring to fade.

  “Are you with me, people?” Freddie’s voice was almost shouting.

  “Yes!” The cry was unanimous. The group started fist pumping the air.

  Maya gazed around and realised that this was the moment when it was all going to turn around for this company. At last.

  ***

  Evan watched the group excitedly babbling. Even he could admit that the new director’s opening speech had been rousing. If he was a part of this ballet company, he would be feeling a whole lot better now.

  He watched Maya, who was staring around at the group. Her face was shining, and a wide smile had transformed her whole demeanour. His breath caught in his throat a little, as he gazed at her. He wasn’t used to seeing her so happy and animated. Usually when she gazed at him, there wasn’t a smile on her face. Just a little knot of worry and anxiety plucking above her eyebrows.

  It was amazing, really, how attitude could transform someone. It was as if he had known that she was beautiful, before, but now he really saw it and felt it. Her true beauty simply blossomed when she was relaxed. He couldn’t help but wish that she would gaze at him like she was gazing at this group, now.

  He pulled himself up, just a little. Was he sincerely attracted to Maya Roberts? Only half an hour ago, he would’ve probably said not really. Even though he knew she was beautiful, she was always so arrogant around him. He knew that he teased her more than he should, but he couldn’t help it. She was so dismissive with him, and it was obvious she didn’t want him hanging around her. It riled him, just a little.

  The prima ballerina act that she had played to a tee didn’t impress him. And so far, that was all that he had seen of her.

  Now, though, it was as if he was viewing the real Maya. The flesh and blood woman who existed beneath the persona that she wore like a hair shirt. She was just a woman, who smiled and laughed and blushed like any other. Suddenly, he longed for that woman to always be around. He found himself wishing that she would leave the persona for dust and just embrace who she truly was.

  He watched as she stood up and walked over to Freddie Armstrong. The new artistic director became animated, talking to her as if she were the only woman in the world. Maya responded, laughing and smiling with him.

  Why couldn’t she laugh like that with him?

  He knew the answer, of course. He wasn’t important enough. He was just the security guard who trailed her like a shadow. Someone that she wanted to shake off, permanently. A woman like Maya Roberts, star ballerina, would never look twice at a man like him. They were from different worlds, entirely, and he doubted that there was a bridge wide enough to close the gap.

  Evan kept watching her. What was it about her? He knew that she was all wrong for him, and she would never deign to look at him twice anyway. There was no hope for anything between them. And yet…it was as if he was becoming mesmerised by her. He was lucky it was his job to watch her, otherwise other people might wonder why he was always staring at her. It was a good cover, if nothing else.

  It was all useless speculation, anyway. He didn’t want to get involved with anyone, even if she was willing. He couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone. That time bomb was still ticking, rapidly. Soon, he would reach his twenty-seventh year, and it was likely that he would not live to see his twenty-eighth. There was simply no point getting involved with a woman. What was the use? It would just cause more pain to everyone.

  He thought of his mother, who had lived with it. The knowledge that her husband was going to die and there was nothing she could do to change it. A man that she loved with her whole heart. And then, to know that her only son would inevitably suffer the same fate…well, it was cruel. He wouldn’t inflict it on anyone else.

  No, Evan had decided that very soon after his birthday, he would simply leave the Wild Keepers. Disappear without a trace. His wolf brothers would be shattered, but ultimately, he would be saving them pain, too. He would spend what little time he had left in this world with his mother. She had lived underneath the shadow of this curse for far too long, and she deserved that time with him.

  He wasn’t feeling sorry for himself. He was just accepting that this was his destiny.

  Maya suddenly turned around. Had she felt his eyes on her? She gazed at him with those large, chocolate brown eyes. That wide, radiant smile was still on her face.

  Their eyes caught, and their gazes seared together, as if a current of electricity had just surged to life between them.

  He could see that she had felt it, too. She jumped, just a little, and her eyes widened a fraction. He could see that one of her hands trembled where it rested on the back of a chair.

  They stared at each other for a second longer, then she turned away quickly. He could tell that she was just as confused by it as he was. And she certainly didn’t welcome it.

  Well, why would she? A woman of her status, who had the whole world at her feet. A star ballerina, who could probably have anyone that she wanted with a click of her long, tapered fingers.

  No, women like Maya Roberts weren’t meant for men like him. A man that walked and lived in the shadows. A man who transformed into a wolf to protect the city. And a man who lived constantly with the knowledge that very soon, it would all be over.

  Chapter Five

  Maya held in her breath, watching as the seamstress tugged at her waist putting the finishing touches onto the dress.

  These fittings were always one of the downsides of the job, she thought. You had to stand still, for a long time, and not fidget. Almost like being an artist’s model. Maya was always relieved when it was over.

  “Voila!” said the seamstress with a flourish, smiling broadly. “Get down and have a look.”

  Maya did as she was told, turning to the full-length mirror opposite. She barely recognised herself. Even without the heavy stage makeup that would be part and parcel of the outfit when performed, she was no longer herself. She wasn’t Maya Roberts, dancer. She was suddenly Giselle, who would perform her tragic dance before dying in this costume.

  It was a long gown, pure ivory in colour and threaded with silver. Maya knew that it would glow under the stage lights. It was beautiful, and it was perfect. She couldn’t believe that Sian, the seamstress, had made it so quickly.

  “Well done,” she said, smiling at the woman.

  “Yes, it’s turned out well, hasn’t it?” Sian looked at Maya’s reflection in the mirror. “This new director is a hard taskmaster, I must say! I don’t think I’ve ever had to get so many costumes together so quickly. And he wouldn’t even talk about using any that we already have.” She rolled her eyes, dramatically.

  “He wants impact,” said Maya, turning to the side, so that she could see the dress from a different angle. “He knows that people will recognise the old costumes. He wants everyone to sit up and take notice.”

  “Well, they are certainly going to do that,” said Sian, shaking her head. “These designs
are brilliant; traditional, but with a new spin on them. This is going to be Giselle in hyperdrive.”

  Maya nodded, smiling. The designs for the costumes were very innovative. Freddie had hired a new, upcoming designer, who was known for taking risks with her work. And Maya thought that it was definitely going to pay off. People would leave the theatre raving about the costumes themselves, let alone the dance.

  Freddie had been a hard taskmaster in that respect, as well. He had increased their rehearsal hours and convened closely with Vera on the choreography. Maya could tell that sometimes Vera got frustrated with how relentless Freddie was with the details, but it was working. Everyone knew that they had a great show on their hands if they could pull it off in the amount of time they had.

  Maya put a hand over her stomach, feeling it rumble. She had rushed to this fitting straight from rehearsal, without a chance to even eat lunch. Some days were just like that, but she had a full schedule this afternoon as well and knew that she wouldn’t make it through without eating something.

  “Are we finished?” she said, turning to the seamstress. “I really should eat, if I can.”

  “Of course,” said the woman.

  Suddenly, Maya could sense that someone was behind her. She turned her head a fraction, and saw that it was Evan. Of course.

  He gazed at her through narrowed eyes. “Pretty dress.”

  “Isn’t it?” said Sian, smiling at him. “And Maya is perfect in it! One of the best figures I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”

  Evan nodded, his eyes still on her reflection. Maya felt herself blushing slightly as she stared at him in the mirror. How was it that he always managed to unsettle her? Ever since that moment in the meeting, a week ago when their eyes had met, she had been super conscious of it. Of him. It was all that she could do to stop herself staring openly at him, and sometimes, she had to forcibly remove her gaze.

  “Yes,” said Evan, slowly, his eyes still on her reflection. “A very nice figure.”