Broken Wolf

by Stacy Claflin

  “No, but I have directions.”

  “We’ll show you the way. You’ll be able to find the castle easily from there, should you need to.”

  Alrekur raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Several vampires appeared and gathered our luggage.

  “This way,” said the queen.

  Sal shook Toby’s hand. “Congratulations to you both.”

  Toby pulled him into an embrace. “And thank you for everything, my friend.”

  We said our goodbyes, and Sal drove Toby’s Hummer away. Toby laced his fingers through mine, and we followed the vampires through the enchanted woods. We made our way along a well-traveled path for a while before turning onto a barely-used one, carpeted with moss and ivy.

  After pushing through some thick bushes, we came to a clearing with a welcoming little home. Its style was clearly Icelandic, and its charm immediately set me at ease. Small, colorful faeries floated around, taking care of the flowers and the vegetable garden. A single unicorn slept, curled up in a corner. It was breathtaking.

  The vampires with our luggage took it inside and returned to the king and queen’s side.

  Marguerite turned to us. “This is Hella’s private cottage, and she says to make yourselves at home. She’ll be in Iceland for at least the next two months, so don’t worry about her returning before then. You can stay here the entire time if you wish. Oh, and we’ll have a guard posted just on the other side of the bushes to make sure no one bothers you. The cupboards are fully stocked. Can you think of anything else?”

  I shook my head, unable to find any words. Toby thanked them for the both of us.

  “Well, we won’t keep you.” Marguerite took Alrekur’s hand. “Have a wonderful honeymoon, you two. And let us know if you need anything.” They disappeared through the small trail, hand in hand.

  I started to call out a goodbye, but a glowing red and blue light caught my attention. I glanced down to see the stone swirling brightly. My heart raced. With Fen taken care of, why was it still doing that?

  Toby turned to me. Suddenly, the stone’s glow faded to nothing. He grinned at me. “Looks like we’re alone now.”

  My heart warmed. The last thing I wanted to think about was the stone. We were on our honeymoon. “I think—”

  He scooped me up into his arms. “Now, to carry my bride across the threshold.”

  I squealed and wrapped my arms around his neck. He brought me inside the quaint home that smelled both sweet and woodsy. He kicked the door closed behind us and set me on a comfortable couch. “What would you like to do first?”

  I yawned. “Would it be horribly unromantic to sleep first?”

  “Not at all.” He yawned also. “As long as you’re in my arms.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  He scooped me up and carried me into a bedroom that was mostly filled by the bed. A dresser and desk sat off to one side, and it had lovely paintings of snowcapped scenery and also of the northern lights. Somehow, Toby pulled out the covers from the bed while still holding me and set me down. I scooted over, and made room for him.

  “You can’t get comfortable in that wedding gown.”

  “I managed in the limo, I mean the Hummer.”

  He smiled. “It did feel like a limousine, didn’t it? Regardless, we’re in a bed now.” He slid over and reached behind my back. The zipper slid down my back until it reached my waist. Toby reached for the strap and pulled it down with care. He helped me slide out of the dress before kicking off his slacks. I helped him unbutton his shirt and then tossed it onto the floor.

  He wrapped an arm around me, kissed my forehead, guided me to lean back onto the pillow, and said something, but I was already drifting off to sleep. Being in his arms felt like heaven on earth—it was everything and more than I’d always dreamed it would be.

  When I woke, everything was dark, except for the flickering of a few candles spread across the room. Flower petals had been spread across the bed coverings. I turned to see Toby smiling at me.

  I couldn’t believe this was how I would wake every morning—seeing his gorgeous, loving face before anyone else’s.

  He laced his fingers through my hair and ran his hands across my cheek. “I’m the luckiest man alive.”

  “And I’m the luckiest woman a—”

  Toby pressed his mouth on mine and pulled closer to me, taking my breath away.

  Chapter 34

  Toby

  The following days flew by in a blissful blur. We even lost track of what day it was. Victoria thought we’d been at the cottage for six days, but I thought it had only been five. We spent some time watching the faeries tend the garden in the lazy afternoons. They shared fresh vegetables with us and told us tales as old as time itself. The unicorn remained in the charming yard, even allowing us to rub its muzzle, and it ate from our hands. Victoria’s eyes lit up each time she fed it.

  Around the seventh or eighth day, Marguerite called, curious if we were ready for a grand celebration. Victoria’s eyes held deep concern, but my old friend assured me that only friendly vampires would be there. “Some of our dragon in-laws will also be there. They’ll keep everyone on their best behavior—even if you were to doubt people’s fear of upsetting Alrekur. Oh, and Hale will be there.”

  Victoria’s eyes lit up when I passed that along. She nodded eagerly.

  Once off the phone, I kissed her. “Thank you for agreeing to this celebration. It means so much for the queen to be able to give us this gift.”

  She kissed me back. “How bad could it be? Another celebration of our marriage?”

  We headed to the world’s largest castle, escorted by a vampire guard. He led us inside, taking us to a bedroom that was easily twice the size of Hella’s entire cottage. Victoria went into the bathroom while I wandered the perimeter of the room, looking at the beautiful paintings on the walls.

  She came out and smiled at me. “What did you say?”

  I turned to her. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “Yeah, you did. I heard you call my name.”

  “No, I was—”

  The door burst open and a handful of servants came in, barking orders at us. They dressed us in the finest formal wear. Male servants fitted me into a tuxedo that seemed made for me, and female servants bustled around Victoria. They first styled her hair into a fancy updo and then masterfully applied her makeup before finally sliding her into a ball gown that took my breath away.

  The dress was a dark teal with black lace throughout. Her skirt was many layers of silky fabric and lace. The bodice clung to her perfectly and was covered in sparkly black and white sequins in floral patterns.

  Our gazes met, and she looked me over with the same awe I felt toward her. The female servants led her over to me. I bowed and extended my arm. She took my hand, and the servants led us through the lovely halls of the castle—which paled desperately in comparison to my bride. We finally made our way to an elegant ballroom. Every chair and tablecloth matched the exact color of Victoria’s dress. Flowers and sequined decor covered the walls, also matching my lovely bride.

  The room was already filled with guests. Marguerite and Alrekur came over and greeted us, followed by many other old friends. I introduced Victoria to those she hadn’t met before. She and Hale embraced like long-lost friends.

  Marguerite whisked us away to a small platform and introduced us to the crowd, who burst into applause. Servants hurried around, passing around champagne flutes. I noticed most had a red hue. However, the ones Victoria and I were given, were yellow through and through.

  Alrekur raised his glass. “To our allies, and most importantly, our friends!”

  “To our friends!”

  Glasses clinked all around. Victoria and I tapped ours together, and then we tapped the king’s and queen’s before drinking. We danced and danced, mostly with each other, but occasionally trading partners. Morning light shone through the windows, but the party showed no signs of slowing down.

 
I leaned close to Victoria’s ear. “Vampires have been known to host parties lasting as long as a week, so as soon as you grow tired, let me know. Nobody will be offended if we need to leave.”

  “I’m just getting warmed up.”

  I grinned. “Good. So am I.” Then I swung her around the dance floor at twice the speed. Her eyes lit up and she laughed.

  Before long, the servants filled tables with mouthwatering food. My stomach growled as soon as I smelled it.

  I whispered to Victoria, “The castle has some of the best food you’ll ever taste.”

  “What are we waiting for?” She pulled me over to the table where Marguerite and Alrekur sat with some of their children. We laughed and shared stories of various adventures over the years. It seemed like nobody was without a dull moment in the supernatural world, so though we sat and feasted for hours, there wasn’t a shortage of entertainment as we went around the table telling our tales.

  Every time I emptied my plate, servants brought out more. I ate plateful after plateful, not able to get enough of the delicious food.

  Eventually, the outside light faded. One of my lower ribs popped. I rubbed it. “Does anyone know if it’s the full moon tonight?”

  Around the table, everyone gave me blank stares and shook their heads.

  “Are you starting to shift?” Marguerite’s eyes grew wide.

  My knee popped. “It’s beginning to appear that way.”

  She rose. “Follow me.”

  I glanced around the table. “Thank you for such a wonderful celebration.”

  Victoria stood and took my hand. “Sorry we have to leave so soon.”

  Marguerite waved us over. We walked around the edge of the room and slid out a side door. “Do you want to return after shifting, or will you be worn out? The party can go on for days, so we can wait for you.”

  A bone in my neck popped. I rubbed it and grimaced. “I’ll leave that up to Victoria.”

  “We can return, as long as you’re up to it.”

  The queen led us back to our changing room. “It’s best if you don’t shift here in the castle. It’ll awaken primal instincts of many vampires… and I don’t want to put you in the position of dealing with that.”

  “Should we leave the woods?” Victoria asked.

  Marguerite shook her head. “I’ll send a couple of our most self-controlled guards to follow you from a distance—just to keep any wandering vampires away.”

  One of my shoulders snapped, and I grunted. “I’d better get out of this suit before I destroy it.” I flung the jacket onto the nearest chair.

  The queen kissed Victoria’s cheek and then mine. “I’ll see you two in the morning.” She rushed out of the room.

  Victoria held the wolf essence stone. “I’ll shift with you.”

  I gritted my teeth and unbuttoned my shirt as more bones crunched. “I’d like that.”

  She unzipped her dress from the side and slid out of it. A few of her bones popped and snapped. We put on our clothes from earlier and ran into the hallway. A couple guards followed us, keeping their distance.

  “What about the stone?” I asked.

  “Somehow it stays on me when I shift. Must be part of the magic.”

  Once outside, we broke into a run. I held my wolf off as long as possible. As soon as I was sure we were out of sight from the castle, I stripped, threw my clothes at the base of a tree, and shifted. By the time I looked around with my wolf eyes, Victoria was also in wolf form. I walked over and nuzzled her. She licked my face, and then we both turned up toward the sky and howled at the moon—hopefully for the last time being under its curse.

  As we ran through the woods, our wolves stayed unusually close to each other. I slipped into the background and let my wolf take over for the evening. Our wolves deserved the chance to run free, enjoying the new marriage also.

  Later, I woke to the sun shining on my face. I opened my eyes to find Victoria curled against me on a pile of leaves. The two vampire guards stood at a distance with their backs to us. I ran my hands over Victoria’s back. “Wake up, my sweetness.”

  She rolled over and smiled at me, rubbing her eyes. I helped her up and we quickly dressed.

  “We’re ready to go back,” I said.

  One guard nodded, and they led us back to the castle and to our changing room. A new ball gown and tuxedo lay on the bed. Victoria and I got in the shower, washing twigs, leaves, and dirt from our hair.

  When we stepped into the room wearing our towels, servants bustled around the room. Before long, we were dressed again. This time, Victoria wore a grape-colored, ruffled gown with a bodice covered in white sparkly jewels. Her hair flowed down her back in cascading waves. I couldn’t take my attention off her.

  She looped her arm through mine, and we headed back to the dance hall where the party was still in full swing. Victoria and I had several plates of food before we joined everyone on the dance floor. We danced and danced. The daylight from the windows faded and returned again.

  Victoria leaned close and whispered in my ear, “I’m ready for some alone time. Are you?”

  “Definitely.” I lifted her and spun around before setting her down and giving her a kiss that made my toes curl up in delight. We glided around the dance floor until we made it to the king and queen. “We can’t thank you enough for this party, but we’re ready to head back to the cottage.”

  “I completely understand. Let us give you another toast before you leave.”

  “Of course. Thank you.”

  Alrekur clapped his hands, and we followed him back to the platform. A vampire I didn’t recognize followed us up.

  Marguerite stepped up to the mic. “Thank you so much for joining us in this celebration. As most of you know, Toby is one of my oldest and dearest friends. He helped me through some tough times as I struggled to face the truth of who I was, while untangling a web of lies running deeper than I ever imagined. I’m sure that without him, I wouldn’t be standing here today as your queen. That is why it gives me the greatest of pleasure to throw him this grand celebration. I couldn’t be happier that he finally has found the same happiness with his Victoria that I’ve found with my Alre. Before we send them off, we want to give them a special toast and blessing.”

  Everyone in the audience raised their glasses filled with deep red liquid.

  Alrekur stepped up to the mic and put his arm around his wife before turning to us. “Tobias and Victoria, we wish you the same happiness we ourselves enjoy. May you two enjoy a long life of joy and love, filled with exhilarating days as well as plenty of restful ones. We wish peaceful days to follow you in your many years to come.” He held up his fist.

  “Cheers!” shouted the crowd. The vampires drank to our happiness.

  The other vampire on the stage walked over to us slowly. He wore a long, slender hat and a robe that had an ancient look. He placed a hand on my shoulder and one on Victoria’s. “I bless you with a cover of peace and joy. May you find your greatest hopes and dreams, and defeat all your enemies.” He then placed his hand in his cloak and brought it out covered in a sparkly liquid. He spread it across my forehead and Victoria’s.

  The room burst into applause. Marguerite and Alrekur led us off the stage and back to the dressing room. They embraced us.

  Marguerite held onto Victoria’s hand. “Feel free to stay in the cottage as long as you want, and please accept the clothes as our gift to you.”

  Victoria’s mouth gaped. “The gowns and tuxedos?”

  “They were made for you. Please keep them.”

  “I’ll treasure them always.” Victoria threw her arms around the queen.

  We changed into more comfortable clothes and made our way back to the cottage, followed by a guard who carried our new formal wear in thick protective bags.

  Once back in our temporary home, my bride and I lost track of time, enjoying the fact the world included only the two of us as the days all blended together in a blissful wonder.

  Chapter
35

  Victoria

  “Time to wake, my sweetness.” Toby’s whisper seemed to come from nowhere.

  I opened my eyes and tried to figure out where I was. It took me a few moments to recognize Toby’s transformed Hummer. “Are we home?”

  He kissed my cheek. “We are, and it looks like everyone is excited to see us.”

  I peeked out of the curtain he held—this time, he let me look outside. Our entire pack, the wolfborns included, were gathered together out front of Moonhaven. Everyone did seem eager to see us. It wasn’t until that moment I realized just how much I’d missed each and every one of them. Being alone with Toby had been a dream come true—we were meant to be together, but at the same time we were also meant to be there for and with the pack.

  Stretching, I yawned and rubbed my eyes. I needed to wake up and pull myself together before we greeted everybody.

  “We’re here,” Sal announced from the other side of his curtain. The engine cut, and the front door opened and slammed shut.

  Toby helped me up as the back door opened, chasing out the darkness with blinding brightness. We stepped outside, and the first thing I noticed was the crisp ocean air. We couldn’t see the water, but after being so far from it in the enchanted forest, the smell made me feel right at home—as did the dog pile of hugs from our pack, welcoming us back.

  I tried to return the embraces, but it was hard to move with so many crowded around us. Once we had some space, I noticed everyone was there—and they were all talking over one another. It made my head spin, but I laughed. We were definitely home.

  We made our way to the mansion, but I stopped in the yard. Fen’s statue stood near the entrance, appearing as menacing in stone as in real life.

  “Are you okay?” Toby put an arm around me.

  I nodded, figuring I would eventually get used to it being there. It might even work in our favor, scaring off anyone who opposed us. We did know the witches who could free the killer that so many feared.

  Inside, Moonhaven smelled of my mom’s homemade stew and some other mouthwatering dishes. She came over to us and embraced me again. “I hope you’re hungry. I made a feast.”