Wolf's Promise

by Elyce de Reefe

  “We are going to want to ask you a few questions as well, Mr. Long.”

  “No,” Cray said. “You’re not.” And then he just stared at the detective.

  “We know at least two people were involved in the rescue operation that freed Ms. Brown. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  “Ms. Brown would like to give her statement about the abduction and a related murder. She would like to cooperate with your investigation.” And then he smiled at Detective Anderson. It was not a particularly pleasant smile. The detective narrowed his eyes slightly, but nodded.

  “We want that too.” He led the way to a small, bare conference room, probably an interrogation room, and only made a token protest when Cray insisted on being present.

  “My fiancée witnessed a brutal murder, and then was attacked outside the bridal shop in broad daylight, four days before the wedding. I’m not leaving her.” More staring, followed by another nod from Detective Anderson, and then the questions began. And continued. For hours. But Elizabeth maintained her assertions that she hadn’t seen either of the rescuers, having been blindfolded, and stubbornly refused to speculate on who they might have been. Why they might have rescued her. How they had known about the attack. In fact, she’d repeated that phrase over and over, just as Cray had coached her.

  “I don’t care to speculate on that.”

  Obviously, the good detective had his suspicions, eyeing Cray with an implacable gaze each time one of those questions came up, but he was also clearly no dummy. He knew this case would probably be the highlight of his career, and he didn’t push his one reliable witness too far.

  Then there was the lineup, picking out Sammy the Goon from a row of slouching thug-wannabes, and then Guido the Cheeto. There was no sign of the third guy. She'd never caught his name, but she was sure she could have identified his face. The driver she’d never seen. Neither he, nor the van, had been at the house when Cray and Gage arrived, so they hadn’t either. She also hadn’t been able to point out the big boss, although she did have her suspicions based on body language alone. But it wasn’t Greg.

  And there had been a bit of awkwardness when Anderson wanted to know where he could contact her. There was a short silence. Elizabeth glanced from Cray to the detective and back again. Really, she didn’t think she’d ever witness so much intensive staring in one day. Probably not in her entire life.

  “Don’t call us, we’ll call you,” Cray finally said, with a completely straight face.

  “There may be follow-up questions. And she will need to identify her boss once he’s apprehended.”

  “My fiancée is a witness to a possible mob-related murder. She is keeping a low profile at the moment.”

  “She should be at a safe-house.”

  “She will be.”

  More staring ensued, of course, and then finally, it was over.

  Elizabeth chewed her lip and tried to banish the memories all the questions had brought up. She glanced over at Cray’s strong profile as he steered the car effortlessly around a curve one-handed. That one hand rested casually on the top of the wheel. Why that looked so masculine, she had no idea. Of course the other hand was holding hers …

  Taking in the warm glow of his skin, the noble tilt of his cheekbones, and his aristocratic nose, she tried to turn her mind to happier things. Like the wedding. That would be taking place in three days. Soon this beautiful, fiercely protective man would be her husband. And thanks to him and his determination, Greg would have to pay for what he did to Artie.

  She heaved out a sigh. Cray glanced at her, his hard expression softening.

  “You did well, Elizabeth. I was proud to claim you as mine in front of the humans.” He grinned at her and squeezed her hand before dropping it to squeeze her knee.

  “Um. Thanks. I think.” She gave him a somewhat skeptical smile, which he missed since his eyes were on the road. “What more can a girl ask for?”

  “Your former boss will never get to you.” Cray’s face was grim. “The police will get him, and if they don’t, he’ll never get past Aaron’s security.” He glanced at her then. "He'll never get past me, either." He turned back to the road, his face hard. "Never again."

  “I know.”

  She patted his knee. The past twenty-four hours hadn’t been easy for him either. At least the pack house was still anonymous. Still safe. The wedding announcement her parents had so thoughtfully put in the paper described the wedding as taking place in a private ceremony at an undisclosed location in upstate New York. Like she was some kind of celebrity. They probably just didn’t want to admit their daughter was having a backyard wedding. So that was something anyway.

  And Mari had had the good sense to call the bridal shop and have them retrieve the shoes she’d dropped on the sidewalk while she’d been busy trying to fight off her abductors. So she had that going for her too. And if she had to face testifying in a murder trial at some point in her future, at least she knew Cray would be right there with her. And really, what more could a girl ask for?

  Elizabeth rubbed her palms up and down her jeans and started planning what to make for dinner. Soon she would be back in the comforting surroundings of the big house. Having dinner with her Pack. She smiled. Truly, what more could a girl ask for?

  Chapter 28

  The morning of the wedding started out grey and cloudy. Lyla couldn’t help worrying as she helped Mari put the finishing touches on all the arrangements. If it rained, they would have to move everything inside, and all Elizabeth’s careful planning would go out the window. It just didn’t seem fair after everything she’d been through. But Elizabeth, God bless her, hadn’t let what had happened dampen her spirits for a minute.

  Fortunately, the sun was out by mid-morning, and by the time Elizabeth arrived to dress for the ceremony, the day was bright and beautiful. There was a small issue convincing Cray that he really could let her dress in private, and in fact, wait outside for her. They were in Pack territory after all. Surrounded by the entire pack. Lyla was afraid they’d never get him all the way down the side yard and to his place at the end of the white runner. He just didn’t seem to understand Elizabeth’s desire to process down to him, like a normal bride.

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Lyla, clearly losing patience. Lyla could relate. Aaron had been hovering over her like a mother hen for the last two days. Elizabeth marched forward and thrust her arms against his chest, trying—unsuccessfully—to push him bodily out the bedroom door. Lucas finally solved the issue by declaring that he would remain to ensure Elizabeth’s safety, and sanity prevailed. She and Mari giggled as Lucas hooked Cray around the middle with an arm and dragged him away.

  Getting ready for the big event with Mari and Elizabeth, helping them with their hair and makeup, was oddly nostalgic for Lyla. A sweet reminder of her college days—all those evenings she’d spent with her girlfriends, laughing and swapping clothes as they got ready for a night out. Times she probably should have treasured. And something she hadn’t had in far too long.

  She smoothed down the gorgeous silver chiffon cocktail dress she was wearing and took one more look in the mirror. She loved this dress and hardly ever got to wear it. Tiny crystal beads glittered on the fitted bodice, and the beautiful A-line skirt swirled around her like a cloud. Lyla would have thought it was too dressy for an outdoor wedding, but Elizabeth insisted. “Just because it’s outdoors doesn’t mean we can’t dress up. We are aiming for ‘stunning vision of beauty’ here.”

  The soft blue dress Mari was wearing as Elizbeth’s maid of honor had reminded Lyla of this dress, hanging in her closet at the farmhouse. She’d made the mistake of mentioning it to Elizabeth yesterday, when they’d been going over the final details, and that was that. Eli and Zeke were dispatched to fetch it. Elizabeth had also advised wedge sandals, since regular heels would get stuck in the lawn. Fortunately, Lyla just happened to have a pair of black patent-leather peep-toe slingbacks that were wedges, so that worked perfectly. Af
ter all, a girl needs good shoes. Trying to describe them to Zeke and Eli had been hysterical, but the boys had come through.

  Mari’s dress was slightly more tailored than hers, and it looked absolutely lovely on her petite frame. The powder blue was perfect for her peaches-and-cream completion. Elizabeth had pinned a sprig of baby’s breath in Mari’s fine golden hair, and she looked like a little woodland fairy sprite about to take flight. How Elizabeth had talked her into being both the flower girl and maid of honor, Lyla had no idea. But she had no doubt Mari would be a ‘vision’ walking down the white runner in front of Elizabeth, scattering rose petals.

  Clearly Elizabeth was not one of those brides who worried about being overshadowed. And she shouldn’t. Elizabeth fairly glowed in soft ivory silk, her rich amber hair loose, flowing down past her shoulders. It glinted red-gold in the light coming through the windows and was going to be absolutely stunning when the sun caught it as she walked down the aisle to Cray.

  Lyla felt a tiny twist of pain, or maybe that was regret, deep in her chest. Once she’d stood in her own wedding dress, her heart full of hopes and dreams, but they had blackened, and what she’d thought was Doug’s need to care for her had turned into something dark and damaging.

  But you have Aaron now. Aaron, who could be trusted with her heart. With her dreams. And who really did have a need to care for her. That still sent a nervous thrill through her. It was just a little too close to Doug’s need for control.

  She sighed and pushed the worry out of her head. This is a happy day. And even though she’d only known the couple for a few weeks, she knew Cray would never treat Elizabeth that way. She chuckled under her breath. For one thing, Elizabeth would never allow it.

  “Okay, ladies, I will see you outside.” Lyla took a breath and opened the door.

  And almost swallowed her tongue. Aaron was lounging against the wall, looking absolutely stunning in a black tuxedo. She’d known he would be wearing one. All the guys were wearing tuxes, as Cray hadn’t been able to pick just one best man. But wowza. It was a little hard to breathe. He pushed off the wall and took her in with one sweep of his eyes.

  “Nice dress.” He glanced at the closed door of their bedroom like he was calculating how long it would take to get her out of it. Of course, since Mari and Elizabeth were in there, it was a moot point.

  She smiled up at him, her heart doing a funny little squeeze. “You look great, Aaron.” It was almost like they were the ones getting married.

  He offered his arm and she took it, appreciating the romantic gesture, if not necessarily its cause. He’d been like this ever since she’d woken up. Which was ridiculous. She was completely recovered. Well, almost completely recovered. She still felt maybe just a little weak, her legs just a tiny bit wobbly. But she was at least ninety percent recovered. It had been two days already, after all.

  Of course, she had collapsed after she’d released the scrying spell—and apparently scared the crap out of him. The fact that she’d slept for a full twenty-four hours after that hadn’t helped any. She’d just barely managed to hold the spell until she saw that Cray and Gage had neutralized the opposition—and then it was lights out.

  She’d woken a day later, with Aaron leaning over her, and feeling like she had the worst hangover of her life. But that was two days ago. Two and a half, really. Now she felt fine, even if she did appreciate his help going down the stairs.

  She paused for a moment when they reached the front porch. The meadow spread out before them, and a broad lawn graced the front of the house leading down to the river. The water rippled over rocks, glittering in the sunlight. Low bushes clung to the banks, and to the right, a picturesque white footbridge crossed over to the meadow beyond. It was a breathtaking sight.

  “Are you alright, Lyla?”

  Aaron’s voice was heavy with concern. Lyla barely resisted a grimace. How long would it take before he relaxed?

  “Just taking in the view.”

  She let out a breath and let him help her down the porch stairs. His concern was nice, but it was hard to see the anxiety in his face and know that she had put it there. He must have been out of his mind when she just keeled over like that. Next time she attempted any spell of that type of magnitude, she was going to make sure she was wearing her mother's bracelets. But in the rush to find Elizabeth, she hadn't even thought of it.

  “You know, we can put off the Ceremony until next month if you’re not feeling up to it.”

  “What?” Startled, Lyla stopped in her tracks. “What are you talking about? We can’t postpone the ceremony. Elizabeth has everything set. Her parents are here. There are guests—”

  “Not the wedding. Our ceremony. We can wait—”

  Ah, right. The Moonrise Ceremony. That was scheduled to take place tonight, after the wedding. If they didn’t do it now, they would have to wait for the next new moon. But Lyla didn’t want to wait. After Elizabeth’s ordeal, she wanted to do everything she could to remove herself from the mating pool. So to speak. Hearing that people planned to abduct you and living through the abduction of a friend were two entirely different things. And Lyla had no intention of repeating the experience firsthand. It wasn’t like there was any question about who she would choose.

  “No, Aaron. I’m fine. Really. Stop worrying, okay?”

  He didn’t look convinced, but steered her to the left where seats had been set up facing the river. The minister waited by a beautiful arbor that Jesse had procured from somewhere and painted white for the occasion. She and Mari had spent the morning decorating it with flowers and ferns the florist had dropped off, complete with those little plastic water tubes to keep them fresh. It looked fantastic, if she did say so herself. Pink and white sweetheart roses tucked into the ferns, with a smattering of purple freesia to give it spice.

  Actually, the whole area looked beautiful. Elegant white bamboo chairs were set in rows for the ceremony, with an aisle for Elizabeth to walk down. Cray waited in front with a row of tuxedo-clad men, his gaze pinned on the front door.

  Round tables with white tablecloths were set up for the reception, each with an ivory pillar candle encased in clear glass hurricane lanterns in the center. The candles were surrounded by a wreath of greens and blossoms. It was simple, elegant and beautiful. There was even one of those portable wooden dance floors set up to the side. Just beyond it, a graceful weeping willow arced over the river. It was the perfect setup for an outdoor wedding. Lyla took note. Elizabeth knew what she was doing.

  Aaron led her to her seat just behind the row of best men.

  “Were they finished dressing in there? Should I start the music for the procession?”

  “Go ahead, Aaron. They were just waiting for me to get to my place first.”

  Aaron nodded and pulled out his phone, an adorable look of concentration crossing his face as he pressed the appropriate buttons. Lyla smiled. He was in charge of all the music and was taking it seriously. He looked up, caught her smile, and grinned at her. And then the familiar strains of Cannon in D Major filled the air. Aaron took his place beside Jesse, at the end of the line, and Lyla turned to watch Mari emerge onto the porch and fairly dance down the steps. Elizabeth came next, on her father’s arm, Lucas just behind her on the other side.

  It was a long procession since they had to come all the way from the house. Cray looked tense enough to jump out of his skin, but Lyla had been right. Elizabeth outshone everyone. She floated down the stairs with her father, one hand effortlessly holding the skirts of her dress out of the way. She looked like a Renaissance princess—as if she maneuvered in long skirts like this every day. She reached the ground, releasing her skirts, and the elegant lines of the dress settled around her as she walked, the train trailing behind her, rippling like a silk waterfall. It was absolutely gorgeous against the green of the lawn. How she managed to move so gracefully all the way down the side yard, Lyla didn’t know.

  Elizabeth reached the top of the white runner and paused, but Lucas cont
inued on around the side of the chairs to take his place next to Aaron. It was like they had practiced, which Lyla knew was not the case. She nodded to Mari, who started down the aisle, her quick little steps somehow in time to the music as she scattered petals along the runner. Now that was a vision.

  Then it was Elizabeth’s turn. Lyla turned to share a smile with Aaron. As she turned back, her gaze caught on Cray, and the look on his face as he watched Elizabeth approach—burning intensity, with just a hint of wonder. Tears flooded her eyes. Every woman should have a man look at her like that.

  She flicked a glance at Aaron. He was watching her. A warm, knowing smile on his lips that made her stomach flutter. It wasn’t the same—not at all—but it would do. She smiled back.

  As Elizabeth took her place next to the line of tuxedo-clad men, Lyla had a brief impression that this was more than a marriage ceremony. Just for a second, it seemed almost like a formal recognition of Elizabeth’s place in the pack.

  It was later, in the grey-blue light of twilight, when the candles had been lit and fairy lights illuminated the dance floor, that Aaron pulled her from her seat.

  “They’re playing our song.”

  “Our song? We have a song?” She smiled. What would it be?

  He pulled her toward the dance floor. “Well, maybe it’s my song.” He grinned at her, just a hint of mischief in his eyes. “To you.”

  And then the rich orchestral strains of the Honey Dripper’s “Sea of Love” filled the air. Lyla couldn’t help it, she started laughing. “This is our song?”

  “My song. To you.”

  He pulled her onto the floor, and into his arms. And—oh my God—Lyla almost swooned when he led her smoothly into a foxtrot.

  “Aaron, you are a man of hidden talents.”

  His eyes twinkled as he mouthed the words to her. “Come with me, my love…”