The Wolf Prince

by Karen Kelley

  “I will.”

  “I hope you start to feel better.”

  “I’ll take some aspirin.”

  Jennifer left the room. A few minutes later, Darcy heard the front door close, and Jennifer’s car start. She let out a sigh of relief. Now to find Surlock. She pushed away from the table and stood. Before she could make good her escape, Ms. Abernathy came into the room.

  “Yes?” Darcy asked.

  “Do you think Surlock is okay?” she asked, her forehead wrinkled in worry.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I could have Ralph and a couple of the men look for him.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine. He likes to be alone sometimes. I bet Surlock made up his bed, then went for a walk. If he’s not back by this afternoon, then we’ll worry.”

  Ms. Abernathy visibly relaxed. “You’re right. Men aren’t the best about telling women when they’re going off somewhere.”

  Darcy breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly. In fact, I think I’ll take a walk, too. I ate way too much of your wonderful breakfast. It’s no wonder I always gain ten pounds every time I’m here.”

  Ms. Abernathy beamed. “You can stand to gain a little weight.”

  Darcy smiled and left the room. As soon as she was clear, she hurried to the back door, but at the last minute remembered her father had a dog whistle in his desk drawer. She turned and went back the other way.

  She went inside his office, closing the door behind her, and rushed over to the cherry wood desk. She found the whistle at the bottom of the second drawer, and breathed a sigh of relief. Darcy wasn’t sure exactly what she would accomplish, but, right now, anything was worth a try. She slipped the chain over her head so the whistle dangled between her breasts, a cold reminder of what she might be up against.

  She went outside, stopping at the guest house to grab some clothes just in case she did find Surlock. Maybe he was just hiding in the woods. She smiled. He would probably be mad as hell that he was having to stay hidden because he was naked. Not that she thought he was afraid of Ms. Abernathy, but he had promised not to run around in the buff when there might be staff about.

  She started down the path, her gaze scanning the edge of the woods. Her bravery had all but deserted her. She bent and picked up a hefty stick. It might not be much protection, but it wouldn’t hurt to have something to defend herself with, just in case.

  “Surlock,” she called. “It’s me, Darcy. If you’re out here, make some kind of noise.” She didn’t add, “But if you’re a werewolf, don’t show your face.”

  Nothing. No rustle of branches or anything. Had it been a ruse? Maybe this was his idea of one big joke. Bed them, make them think you’re a werewolf, then move on to the next easy mark.

  She shook her head. That was ridiculous, of course. There had been a bond between them. And no matter how much Jennifer wanted her to believe otherwise, Darcy had seen something happening to Surlock that hadn’t been normal. But whatever he’d changed into, she would stand beside her man.

  Her feet faltered when she realized she might not have much choice. She could be a werewolf, too. What kind of married life could she have with anyone else? She really doubted a normal husband would feel the same way about her if he rolled over in bed and she’d changed into something horrible. Even worse if she ever lost her temper and ate him. What would she tell their children? Sorry kids, your father pissed me off so I gobbled him up.

  She stopped and scanned the area. It looked like nothing more than a quiet, peaceful day. She’d been walking about ten minutes and still hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Surlock. She grimaced. Not a good choice of words.

  Time to bring out the big guns. She brought the whistle to her lips and blew.

  Nothing happened.

  She frowned and blew again. Still nothing. Damn, why hadn’t her father just tossed it if it was broken? She shook it a few times, then blew again.

  Not even a little peep.

  Her father used it to call stray dogs, the same ones people decided they no longer wanted and would dump on the side of a country road. Then the dogs would go wild. Starving, they’d attack just about anything. Her father tried to call them before that happened. He and Ralph would go out and search for the strays. If they found any, they would take them to the nearby shelter, where they at least had a chance to find a good home.

  But the stupid whistle didn’t work. She blew and blew until she was sure she was blue in the face. She had just gotten to the point of giving up when she heard a noise, like rustling, then a deep guttural growl.

  She held her ground. Not that it mattered. She didn’t think her feet would budge. Had this really been a good idea, trying to find Surlock? Right now, she wasn’t so sure.

  A thick fog began to roll in, just like last night. She hugged Surlock’s clothes tighter to her chest with one hand and gripped the stick a little harder with her other one. As much as she loved Surlock, she wasn’t about to let him gobble her up. Her mother would be devastated if she stumbled over her only daughter’s mutilated body.

  “Please don’t let him kill me,” she prayed just as the fog began to shift and clear. She heard something rustle again and tried to swallow past the lump in her throat.

  CHAPTER 17

  “I have a weapon,” Darcy said, her voice trembling.

  “Maybe if you hit me this time, I’ll regain my memory,” Surlock said as he stepped from behind a tree. He watched as Darcy dropped the stick, and the clothes that were crushed to her chest. She plowed her way through the underbrush and fell into his arms. He pulled her tight against him. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he knew he’d missed being with her.

  “I was so scared,” she whispered, and he could hear the tears in her voice.

  “I know. So was I.”

  “What happened?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t remember.”

  She leaned back and looked up at him. “Nothing?”

  “It’s as if I lost the time from right after we mated until a few minutes ago. I could feel something trying to take over my body.” He grimaced. “I think it might have accomplished it this time.”

  “But how did you get back?”

  “I’m not sure. I heard a shrill, high-pitched sound, different from the humming. It was as though it came from a long distance away. I was able to make out some of the words then.” He paused, thoughtful for a moment. “‘Stop that infernal noise.’” He frowned. “Yes, that’s what the voice said.”

  He looked at Darcy, but she didn’t meet his eyes. She was holding something back, not telling him what she was thinking. He had a feeling she knew what had happened to him.

  “You know what’s going on, don’t you?” he questioned her.

  She did look at him then, and her eyes were full of fear. His own gut clenched.

  “You have to tell me,” he said.

  “Get dressed first. It might be easier to show you.” She made her way out into the open, picked the clothes up, then handed them to him. “You’re probably starving. You can eat first.”

  After dressing, he joined her. “That sounds good. I feel as if I’ve been running most of the night.”

  “But you are hungry?”

  “Starved.” He watched her, wondering why she looked relieved.

  “Good.” She let out a deep breath. “I was afraid you’d be … uh … full.”

  They started back toward the house. When they were almost there, Darcy stopped. “If anyone asks, you made your bed this morning and went for a walk. A very long walk.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they think you were out all night. I don’t want them to get suspicious if anything happened last night.”

  “What do you think might have happened?”

  “Why worry when we don’t know for sure? Everything will be fine,” she said, speaking almost to herself.

  They went inside. Darcy opened the kitchen door a little and asked Ms. Abernathy if she could fix Surlock something to eat
. The next thing Surlock knew, Ms. Abernathy burst past Darcy and hurried to him.

  “You’re okay, then,” she said, stopping only a couple of feet from him. She quickly looked him over. “I was afraid you’d gotten lost or injured.”

  He tried to look contrite. “I’m sorry I worried everyone. I awoke early this morning and decided to go for a walk. I guess I went farther than I planned. The countryside is magnificent early in the morning.”

  “Next time leave a note,” she scolded. “Now have a seat. We just brought everything back to the kitchen, but it’s still warm. I’ll fix you a plate. Darcy, would you like anything?”

  “Just coffee.”

  Ms. Abernathy hurried from the room.

  “She really was concerned about you.” Darcy made her way to the table and pulled out one of the chairs.

  Surlock sat in the one beside her. “Ms. Abernathy and I haven’t spoken that much.”

  “But you played a song that moved her to tears, and you listened when she said you couldn’t run around naked, and I think she probably sees just how much I care about you.”

  “Do you care about me?”

  “Yes.” She folded her hands in front of her. “I was so afraid last night when … when—”

  “When what?” he prodded when she didn’t finish her sentence.

  “We’ll talk later, after you’ve finished eating.”

  Again, she wouldn’t meet his gaze and it made him wonder what exactly she had witnessed last night. Before he could question her further, Ms. Abernathy and two of the maids brought the food and drinks.

  When everything except Darcy’s coffee was sitting in front of him, Ms. Abernathy smiled. “And if you’re still hungry after all this, there’s plenty more.”

  He looked at the pancakes piled high, the saucer of bacon. On another plate were scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast. “This will be plenty,” he told her, knowing it wouldn’t be long until lunch. He might not recognize the food, but he enjoyed it.

  Surlock finished off the last bite, then pushed away the plate. “Ms. Abernathy is a good cook.”

  Darcy smiled and for the first time since they’d found each other, the dark shadows were gone from her eyes.

  “She calls it home cooking, stick-to-your-ribs food. Her momma was from the Deep South and she taught her everything she knows. I always gain weight every time I come down here, but it’s so worth it.”

  “My cook is not as good as Ms. Abernathy, but I enjoy her meals. I think I will miss Ms. Abernathy’s dishes when I go home to New Symtaria,” he said without thinking, then picked up his orange juice and took a drink.

  “And where exactly is New Symtaria?” Darcy asked, placing the white napkin beside her cup.

  He set his glass down. “Everyone knows where New Symtaria is,” he said, then grabbed his head as the humming in his ears increased.

  “Surlock, it’s okay. Don’t try to remember.”

  He felt her arms go around him; then she cradled his head against her chest. He’d remembered where he was from. Relief rushed through him. “I need to remember it all,” he said, straining for something more that would unlock the rest of his memories.

  “Shh, it’s okay. You remembered a little more and that’s good, but now you need to relax. Take a deep breath, then slowly exhale. We at least have the whole name of where you’re from. It wasn’t just Symtaria. It was New Symtaria and that might make a difference when we search for it.”

  The humming wasn’t quite so intense this time and it wasn’t followed by the screaming, so he supposed that was an improvement.

  “Do you want me to get your eardrops?”

  “No, it’s easing.” It was as if he could hear heavy steel doors slamming shut on the room that contained the rest of his memories. Frustration filled him. He wanted to know everything.

  “Don’t try to force your memories to return,” she told him as she moved away.

  He knew she was right, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. Something suddenly occurred to him. “If I have a cook, then I probably have money.”

  “Probably,” she said.

  That was good because he wanted to take care of Darcy in the style she was accustomed to. Odd, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember anything about money or ever having used it.

  He needed to know more, and he had a feeling Darcy had the key that would unlock another door. “Tell me what happened last night after I blacked out.”

  She swallowed hard, and her hands trembled. Surlock had a bad feeling about what she might know, but she had to tell him.

  “Okay, but remember that I won’t leave you, no matter what.” Her mouth turned down. “Actually, since I’m probably part of what happened, then I don’t really have a choice.”

  Now she worried him. What did she know that he didn’t?

  Darcy bit her bottom lip as she went inside the media room and shut the door behind them.

  “Are we going to watch another secret agent movie?” he asked.

  She shook her head and went to her father’s cabinet. What if she wasn’t right? What if it was just a trick of the light when clouds had moved in front of the moon?

  No, she knew what she’d seen had been real. Besides, she was pretty sure Surlock had changed back when she’d blown the dog whistle. She’d forgotten that humans couldn’t hear the sound. He’d said as much himself. That he’d heard a shrill sound, and then he came to.

  They were werewolves and there was no denying it.

  She ran her fingers over the titles until she came to the one she wanted. She pulled the case from its slot, then trudged to the DVD player and inserted the disk. After dimming the lights, she took the seat next to Surlock.

  The movie began to play. At first nothing seemed to happen. The pace was kind of slow.

  “I don’t understand,” Surlock said.

  She sighed. “Just wait. There’s a full moon coming up.”

  In the next scene the sexy hero of the movie was walking with his girlfriend down a quiet street. The moon was bright, but everything around them was shadowed in mystery.

  Suddenly, the man grabbed his head. The girl wore a shocked expression and asked what was happening, but the hero only shook his head. She tried to pull his hands away, but couldn’t. Her eyes were wild now with terror.

  Okay, it was a pretty cheesy movie. Darcy would admit to that, and probably not one of the gorier ones, but she would rather break it to Surlock gently that they were monsters.

  The hero moved his hands, but instead of the face of the handsome lover, it was the face of a man/wolf. His hands suddenly changed to hairy claws and his teeth grew long and sharp. The girl raised her hands to her mouth and screamed.

  Darcy pushed the remote to pause the movie. Surlock didn’t move, only stared at the still frame. Not the best place to stop, but she wanted him to see.

  “Are you saying this is what happened to me last night? I became this monster? That’s why I lost time?”

  She nodded, tears filling her eyes, then slipping down her face. “We’re werewolves.”

  He turned in his seat, grabbing her shoulders. “What happens next in the movie?”

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It matters to me.”

  Why had she even told him? What was the saying? Ignorance is bliss? She should’ve just made something up. Then he wouldn’t be looking at her right now with such a dismal expression.

  “Darcy, show me the rest of the movie.”

  She knew if she didn’t push play, he would figure out the remote, and watch the rest of it anyway. “Okay, okay,” she said when he reached for the remote.

  She pushed play and the movie started again. Darcy cringed in her seat. Not because the movie scared her. It was a low-budget film at best. She had no idea why her father had even bought it. No, she was more concerned with the fact that the same plot had played out last night. Surlock had really changed into a werewolf.

  Watching the movie was
like watching a train about to wreck, and realizing there were people she knew onboard. The boyfriend in the movie raised his arms, then grabbed the girl and took off running with her. It looked like they had exchanged the girl for a mannequin. The girl he carried was just a little too stiff.

  A man suddenly stepped in front of the werewolf and raised a gun. He proclaimed to love the woman. The werewolf growled and dropped the young woman.

  Did her leg just fall off? The camera swerved away, almost making Darcy’s eyes cross. The new man raised his gun. The werewolf struck a pose that might have passed for fierce, then started toward the new guy. One step at a time. The guy told him to stop or he’d shoot, warning that the bullets were silver.

  Of course, the werewolf didn’t stop, and the guy shot him. The werewolf clutched his chest, spun around a few times, then crumpled to the sidewalk.

  The girl suddenly regained consciousness and ran screaming to her werewolf, who was now changing back into her one true love. The werewolf/boyfriend gasped out his love with his dying breath, then closed his eyes forever.

  The new guy dropped his gun and hurried to the girl. He pulled her into his arms and from what Darcy could gather, the girl now had a new, and improved, boyfriend. Poor werewolf lay on the sidewalk as his blood poured from his body. Darcy stopped it there.

  Surlock drew in a ragged breath. “You’re telling me that I was like this monster?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Surlock slowly turned his gaze away from the blank screen and looked at Darcy. “You actually saw me turn into this hideous creature?”

  She bit her bottom lip. “Sort of,” she replied, unable to say more.

  He frowned. “What do you mean, ‘sort of’?”

  “Well, you didn’t look quite as fierce and I didn’t actually see ferocious looking teeth or claws.”

  He turned in his seat. “What exactly did you see?”

  “You grabbed your head. I knew the humming was even worse than usual. When you finally moved your hands from your face, it was like looking into the eyes of a wolf. And there was hair on your arms.” She thought back. “Yes, I’m pretty sure you were hairy.”