by Victoria Zak
His arrogant tone made her want to reach out and punch him straight in the face. “And how long will that be?”
“When we get there.” Thomas smirked and rode past her to the front of the line.
JewelAna’s blood boiled. Being locked up in this carriage was driving her mad. She snatched at a tight pin holding back a strand of blonde hair. Blessed be, these horrible pins! Or more likely, Blasted. She scratched her head. Not to mention she could barely breathe from the restrictive dress she wore. How was she supposed to stay prim and proper until the morning when she would meet her suitor? And the rain didn’t help. Neither did her ladies maid, who seemed to be terrified of her.
Suddenly the carriage slowed to a delicate pace. JewelAna closed her eyes and exhaled, relieved. “Thank God,” she sighed.
Chapter Six
The carriage came to a halt outside a stone tower overlooking the ocean. The rain stopped its assault and retreated over the ocean, blowing a fine salty mist through the air. Thomas was collecting the last of the supplies they would need for the night when he set his sights on JewelAna.
Ever since she had stepped out of the carriage, he had followed her with his eyes, fixated on her every move. He watched her walk down a short sandy path that led to the shore. Her blonde hair whipped with the wind as she stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, looking over the angry sea. Her flawless face revealed no emotion.
Thomas wondered what she was thinking about, for his heart ached for her. Being forced to go away from home was always difficult to endure, particularly when leaving behind such a loving family. Then she had learned about her betrothal so unexpectedly, to realize her whole life had changed so abruptly. Her whole world had shifted right before her eyes. He couldn’t imagine Castle Questing ever being the same without her.
Her smile alone lit up a room like a ray of sunshine. Hell, she could charm the crown from a king with the way she innocently batted her eyelashes. Or the way she could crawl under his skin with that defiant mouth of hers. She persistently poked the bad wolf in him, daring it to come out and play. In his weakest moments he had nipped her a couple of times, tasting her intoxicating lips. Thomas shifted his stance to relieve the ache betwixt his legs. Aye, he was going to miss her terribly.
A strong hand clasped Thomas’s shoulder, shaking him free from his thoughts. “My lord, the bedchamber inside has been prepared as you wished.”
“Very well, Malin,” Thomas answered, never taking his eyes away from JewelAna.
Sir Malin, or Little Wolf, was the youngest of the pack and could read Thomas like the back of his paw. He felt his brother-in-arms distress and knew that the secrets he kept were a heavy burden upon his shoulders.
Malin followed Thomas’s stare and could see the pull of his burden and aye, she was temptation at its finest.
Thomas glanced at the boy and cleared his throat. “Is that all, Little Wolf?”
Nervously, Malin regained his knightly stance and his composure. “Aye…sir…is there anything else you’ll be needing?”
“Aye, send for Woolsey and Ulmer. I need to hunt.”
A gleam that only their pack shared and understood shone through the pup’s innocent eyes. A connection to the earth. A connection with the wild.
Malin wasted no time. In a flash he ran off toward the tower to fetch the men.
Thomas shook his head and smiled, wishing he still had that much young enthusiasm for life. To be able to live life without a care, throw caution to the wind. Being a de Wolfe with older brothers, he had learned responsibility at very young age. And also never to be late for a meal.
Noticing JewelAna rubbing her hands up and down her arms, Thomas grabbed his cloak and started down the trail to the water’s edge.
There was a peace about the waves crashing against the shore that settled his soul. With the sea surrounding them Thomas felt invincible, as if no one could reach them here. But as he glanced over the choppy waters, he knew that by dawn, that feeling would be proven false.
Trudging through the wet sand from the recent rainfall, he made his way to JewelAna. He came to a halt behind her and placed the cloak around her shoulders. “You look cold.”
“Now’s a fine time to be concerned about my wellbeing,” she said over her shoulder with a tinge of irritation in her voice.
It was evident she was still angry with him for the way she had been treated on their journey. He found her quite amusing when she pouted.
“Jewel, you do understand that we had to get here promptly.”
She spun around and pinned Thomas with a harsh glare that could turn a man to stone. “No, I don’t understand any of this madness.” She poked a finger at his chest. “I know in my heart there’s something more to my identity that you won’t tell me. I feel it in my blood, Thomas. Why won’t you tell me the truth? What are you so afraid of, de Wolfe?”
“I’ve told you many times that I took an oath to—”
“I know, I know,” she mocked. “You took an oath to protect me. Perhaps there comes a time when an oath needs to be broken. But you’re too bloody stubborn to see it!”
Thomas couldn’t believe his ears. An oath was an oath, a promise that could not and would not be broken under any circumstances. He’d lie cold in his grave before he broke a vow. By the Virgin, she had a way of crawling under his skin.
“I beg you to take it back!” Thomas growled.
JewelAna crossed her arms. “I will not.”
Thomas grabbed her and pulled her close. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with anger. “You do know I have every right to bend you over my knee and punish you for such blasphemy. Not to mention that dirty mouth of yours.”
He watched the crease in her forehead soften as if she was finally gaining control of her ire, yet her eyes still held him like hot steel. “That would require me being naked and we both know that’s against the oath.”
“JewelAna, I’m warning you.” He gripped her harder.
“And I’m telling you I care naught. If you were as honorable as you say you are, then you would tell me what this oath is all about. Furthermore, I hope you find enjoyment in taking that blasted oath to bed.” She ripped away from his grip and strode back to the tower.
Thomas planted his stance, for if he took one step he’d be on her tail in no time, would fling her over his shoulder, and take great pleasure in chastising her arse for such behavior. Trying to unfetter his frustration on his clothes, he tore at the sides of his surcoat and released a pent-up breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Indeed he needed to hunt.
Long after JewelAna left, Thomas made his way back to the tower where he met Woolsey, Ulmer, and Malin, all ready and impatiently waiting to shift. Tonight was a full moon, which meant their senses were magnified as their human spirit transformed into wolf. This was exactly the distraction he needed to rid him of his anger and thoughts of Jewel.
Chapter Seven
Thomas’s madness had begun long before his return from the Holy Land ten years ago. Waking up naked and cold in his father’s horse barn was odd behavior for a noble knight of his status. Thank God it was William who had found him and not his mother. Being the Scots woman she was, Thomas would have had a lot of explaining to do. On the other hand, William had never asked one question about Thomas’s appearance or where he had been for the last ten years. However, his father had kept a keen eye on his son for quite a while. Instead of ridiculing him, William had showed his son love and helped him through a tough time in his life.
Still, an array of questions were left unanswered. Flashes of images were all Thomas had to piece together a time in his life when the odds hadn’t been in his favor. He supposed the wolf had always been there inside him, waiting to be released. Whatever had taken place back in that cave had changed his life forever.
And for his friends, who he had journeyed with on that dreadful day, their lives had never been the same either.
A few years back rumors reached his ears that Kevin Hage had made it out
of the desert barely alive, but a changed man nonetheless; he was now an assassin with a hardened heart. Thomas supposed that if he ever saw Kevin again he wouldn’t recognize the man anymore, which was a shame. Kevin had been his best friend since childhood. Then again, Thomas had changed as well.
And then there was Adonis. Thomas feared the worst for him, for there had been no trace of the knight since that day. He could only pray that if Adonis had come to an early grave that he hadn’t had to suffer long. The storm had showed no mercy and did not care if Adonis was a good man or not. The blasted storm had destroyed everything in its path.
“My lord, the evening is upon us.” A sly grin crept across Woolsey’s lips.
“So it is.” Thomas removed his clothes and the rest of the men followed. Thomas was their alpha and well respected. This was his pack, which fought alongside the de Wolfe men, defending their lands from enemies, not that they had many, because their reputation served them well, and they laid siege only to favorable strongholds. Most of all they had one goal in common; to protect JewelAna. When duty came first and Thomas had to be called away, these men took over and cared for her when he could not. This pack was family.
Thomas rubbed the tension that JewelAna had created from the back of his neck. “Is Jewel safely inside the tower?”
“Aye. Louis and Jaegar are with her now and the other four men are outside the tower guarding the perimeter.”
“Very well.” Thomas was pleased with his men and knew JewelAna would be safe until he returned.
It was particularly risky for a wolf these days to be seen out in the open, as King Edward was hell bent on destroying all wolves. He even went as far as to personally employ a knight from his personal guard to lead an elite contingent to eradicate all wolves from England. No one knew exactly what had brought forth the king’s hatred towards the wolves; not even Woolsey would claim any knowledge of the subject and he had lived long enough to know firsthand why. However, Thomas believed the bad blood ran both ways and had developed well before the reign of Longshanks.
Like second nature, Thomas’s body became one with his animal as he shifted into a massive white wolf. He bolted toward the woods, ducking low-lying branches and kicking up wet leaves from the forest floor. The smell of wet earth combined with the ocean breeze, calling to his wild side, pulling him further into his wolf. He paused as he came across a cliff overlooking the ocean and held his nose to the wind, inhaling deeply. There was nothing more freeing than to be a wolf in the wild. From deep inside where his true being lay, he howled. The low bellowing cry echoed through the wind and within mere seconds distant howls replied; the hunt was on.
His eyesight sharpened and the smells of the forest intensified as he released the tension in his muscles, legs stretching out gracefully, rapidly. The pack swallowed up the ground, thick with pine and fir and spruce needles covering rocks and twigs and tangled roots. Every touch of his paws brought more exhilaration; his blood raced furiously through his veins, heart pumping. The sounds of twigs cracking, birds fleeing and flittering though the high branches, making his mouth water. The velvet darkness enveloped him like an old friend, though he could see the small scurrying movements of squirrels and voles, the drifting of frozen leaves. He could smell the odor of fear from all around him.
His heart pumped harder and faster as a familiar scent drifted his way. He froze, ears forward, paw barely lifted from the ground. Stomach rumbling, he growled fiercely and low so as not to warn what he had long been seeking: a deer—tonight’s prey. His hot breath made a cloud in the dark, cold winter air. And then he sprang forward, leaping high, stretching out his magnificent white body in a graceful arc, with death as its purpose.
Chapter Eight
The watchtower was impressively tall from her point of view. JewelAna sat on a bench in front of a large stone arched window in her bedchamber, watching the waves crash against the cliff below. The window was much bigger and wider than the lancet widows back home, making her feel tiny next to its enormous size. The full moon shimmered off the dark water as if tiny fairies frolicked below the surface. Oh, how she wished she could be one of those flighty creatures. After her unpleasant behavior with Thomas at the shore earlier, she wanted to run away from the embarrassment and indignity of it all. How was she ever going to look at him again? Insulting his good name was unfair, and furthermore, he did not deserve a tongue lashing for being honorable.
A gust of wind blew in and chilled her. Pulling the fur closer to her body, she paused for a moment at a distant whining howl. Leaning back, she sank into the stone wall and closed her eyes as the sea winds brushed her face, taking comfort in the eerie sound of the wolf’s howl. Aye, a wolf’s howl would strike fear into most people, but not her. It stilled her soul and awakened her at the same time. It gave her comfort to know that where there were wolves, she’d be safe. It reminded her of home and how much she would miss it.
Unknown to most, JewelAna knew there was much more to Thomas than just a noble knight. The same could be said about his pack. There was an alertness in their stance, as if they were ready and willing for anything that came their way. An image of Thomas holding his body against hers flashed before her: she recalled how his heat had burned her skin. And those eyes…a wildness shone through his dark depths that gave his secret away. His wolf.
A tear escaped and slid down her cheek; she already missed home.
She did not know how long she sat staring out at the hypnotic waves. She only know it had been a long time, and between her brooding and her nerves threatening to unravel, sleep would pass her by tonight. Restless, she quit her bedchamber and made her way downstairs. The tower hall was lit by a small flame from the hearth creating eerie shadows on the walls. And there was an uneasy quietness in the air.
JewelAna grabbed a pitcher of mead and searched for a cup. With ten knights here there was bound to be a cup somewhere. Finally, she recovered an upside down cup and looked inside. It appeared to be clean, so she poured herself some mead and observed the room.
Oddly, no one was milling around. Certainly, she thought she would trip over a sleeping knight or Woolsey telling her to go back to bed. But no one stirred. Disappointed because she’d hoped to see Thomas, she considered having more mead. She still had to apologize for her rude behavior. Who was she fooling? It was their last night together and she already missed the bad wolf.
She began to make her way back up the stairs when a deep voice gave her pause. The hairs on the back of her neck stood. She wasn’t alone.
“You should be in bed.” A stern voice came from the dark corner of the hall.
Turning to face it, she squinted to see through the darkness. “Thomas, is that you?”
A tall man with broad shoulders stepped into the light, drinking a tankard of mead.
JewelAna placed her hand on her rapidly beating heart. “Oh thank God, ’tis you.”
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
JewelAna hung her head and looked at her bare feet. “I can’t.”
Thomas walked over to his satchel and took out a rolled up piece of leather with a small bag attached to it. He unrolled the leather on the table and placed thirteen wooden geese around the embroidered cross with a fox in the middle.
JewelAna lifted her head and smiled. “Fox and Geese.” She beamed.
“Come.” Thomas motioned across the table. “Sit.”
Surprised that he was still talking to her, JewelAna took the seat across from him. He made his first move toward one of her geese and she smiled because Thomas always played the fox.
The first round they played in silence. JewelAna held back her aggressive playing strategies and allowed him to eat five of her geese. But in the end she had enough plays to capture the fox and win the first game.
“Play again?” Thomas nodded to the game while he poured them both more mead.
JewelAna nodded as she drank from her cup.
A few rounds later and JewelAna was ready to close in on the fox. Th
omas had lost every round, and for each round lost, the rule was the loser had to drink a full cup of mead. By this time Thomas’s speech began to slur. Unbeknownst to him, JewelAna had kept up with the knight cup for cup.
She studied the cross on the leather intently, deciding on her next and last move. She looked up at Thomas. If looks could kill she would be cold in the grave. A mischievous grin slowly spread across her lips as she picked up a wooden goose.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Thomas warned.
She giggled then kissed the goose on the head. A low-bellied growl echoed through the hall, causing an ache within her core. Never taking her eyes from his, she placed the goose in motion and captured the fox—again.
Thomas shoved his hands through his dark hair, frustrated. “It must run in the blood. You play just like your mother.”
Taken aback, JewelAna stopped laughing and quickly sobered. She looked at Thomas and the regret evident on his face. He was finally caught off guard. Now he had to tell her everything, and there was no going back.