Once the wound was clean, Conor took the needle and carefully began threading. For a man, his stitches were impeccable. I had never been any good at sewing, but I had managed to decently stitch up a few wounds in my day. His work far surpassed mine, the stitches small and even, pulling the torn skin together to protect the valuable organs underneath. When he was done, he sat back on his heels, sighing.
“That ought to do it,” he said.
“He’ll be all right?” Hazel asked through sniffles and tears.
“It might be a few days, but he should be better soon,” Conor said. “He lost a lot of blood, but I don’t think it was too much. He won’t be able to run anytime soon, I’m afraid. That might tear his stitches.”
“He can stay here until he’s more recovered,” Jasper said. “We’ll keep a doctor here around the clock for him.”
“I’d be happy to stay,” Conor volunteered.
While I liked Conor, I had a knee–jerk reaction to him staying, and that involved Bridget. For her part, she looked almost ecstatic.
“That’s so kind of you,” she said.
“Don’t you have other patients?” I asked. “We would hate to pull you away from your work.”
“I have colleagues I can pass them off to,” Conor assured me. He looked up at Jasper.
“If you’re willing to stay, we’d be happy to have you,” Jasper told him. “I would be very grateful.”
“I’ll go tell the maids to make up a few rooms,” Bridget said, before bowing out.
“What’s going to happen when he shifts?” Hazel asked, examining the stitches. “The full moon is in a few days. Won’t they tear?”
Conor hesitated. “It’s hard to say. He may be healed up enough by then that they won’t tear. If they do, I’ll be here.”
“What about when you’re both turned, though? What if he begins bleeding?”
“If he’s doing poorly enough, his body will revert back before the moon goes down,” Conor reminded her.
“Yes, but you won’t be changed back!”
“I can help,” I said. “Remember, I can do stitches. They won’t look as nice as Conor’s, but they should do.”
Hazel sniffled. “That’s right, I remember, you stitched the cook. That makes me feel a little better.”
We laid a blanket over Adam until Bridget reported back to us that the rooms were set up. Stephen and Conor lifted Adam up and carried him carefully up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. It was one of the ones that overlooked the front yard and the mass of snow–covered trees that stretched for miles. The servants had stoked a fire in the fireplace, basking the room in light and warmth. A pitcher full of water sat on one of the side tables, though I suspected he wouldn’t have the strength or energy to pour his own glass for a few days, at least.
Hazel sunk onto a chair next to the bed and held his hand, looking at her fiancé lovingly. While they shared that quiet moment, I slipped out of the room and into my own chambers. After reaching over Adam to give him the ether and helping Conor bandage him up, I was covered in blood. I washed my hands, the red water swirling down the drain. It took me longer to scrub underneath my fingernails, where the blood had begun to dry and stain, but eventually, after time and a half a bar of soap, I was clean. I stripped off the dress, hoping that I’d remember to have someone wash the stains out. I changed into a clean, simpler dress, and stepped back out into the hallway. I had planned to check in with Jasper, but instead, I found Hazel outside Adam’s door, her head in her hands.
“Hazel?” I asked as I approached. She looked up at me, her eyes swollen and red from crying. Tears still fell from her eyes. Her energy was gone, and she leaned against the wall for support.
“Come here, love,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. I pulled her in tight and stroked her soft brown hair, a gesture that Annabelle had used on me many times and always seemed to calm me down.
“He’s going to be all right,” I reassured her.
“But what if he’s not?” she whimpered.
“He will be. Conor said so.”
She pulled away from me for a moment. “Christine, I’m so, so scared. I don’t know what I’ll do without him. He’s my everything.”
“I know, dear,” I said, pulling her close to me. I rubbed her back as she sobbed into my shoulder.
“How am I supposed to go home knowing that he’s here, dying?” she cried.
I paused. “What if you stayed the night here?”
She pulled back and wiped her eyes. “Really?”
“I don’t see why not. We’ve got plenty of bedrooms.”
“I would appreciate that,” Hazel said. “I simply can’t go back home and leave him here.”
“Of course,” I said. “I’m going to go tell the servants to make up another room for you, all right? Conor’s got the room next to him, but you can have the one across the hall. This time, it’s not olive green.”
She gave me a small giggle, and I left her momentarily. I explained the situation, and one of the servants went to make up a third room. When I returned, Hazel was back at Adam’s bedside. Conor and Jasper were there as well. Jasper was looking out the window, a distant look in his eye. I had gotten to know that look well. He was thinking very hard about something, and from the way his jaw was set, he wasn’t very happy about it. Meanwhile, Conor was checking Adam’s pulse.
“It’s much stronger this time,” he said, relieved.
“Good,” I said. “That’s what we like to hear.”
I went to join Jasper at the windowsill. He gave me a glance as I sidled up beside him, but he didn’t say anything.
“I invited Hazel to spend the night here,” I told him. “She can’t bear to leave him.”
“That was nice of you. I would have wanted someone to do the same for me.”
“You know, I remember when we came out of the woods, and Seth had beat you up pretty badly. Similar wounds, if you remember. I was mad at you still, but I was so scared. I couldn’t leave your side. I was terrified that I’d step out of the room, and when I came back, you’d be dead. In hindsight, a bit of an exaggeration, perhaps, but I was terrified all the same.”
“I remember waking up to see you next to me. It was the best feeling.”
I nodded. “I wanted to give that to Hazel and Adam as well. As their friends, it’s the least we could do.”
I paused. “You aren’t upset that I asked Hazel to stay without consulting you first?”
Jasper gave me a surprised look. “Why should I be upset? Wolf’s Peak is your home now, too, Christine. You are welcome to ask whomever you like to stay.”
“Oh, good,” I breathed. “Because I told Hazel that she could have her wedding reception here—”
“What?”
I was about to explain when a loud gasp came from the bed. We turned around to see Adam seizing, his back arched off the mattress. We all rushed to his side.
“What’s happening?” Hazel asked, her voice high and worried.
“I’m not sure,” Conor said, pressing his fingers to Adam’s pulse point. “His heart is racing.
Adam gasped again before his body went limp on the bed. His lips were almost completely white. He reached out and grasped at Jasper’s shirt, pulling him close.
“Seth,” he choked out. “It was Seth.”
Adam fell back on the bed and his eyes closed.
Chapter Thirteen
Wolf’s Peak was even more full of people than usual while Adam recovered. I saw no point in sending Hazel home while Adam was still bedridden, and Jasper didn’t either, so she continued to stay in the room across the hallway from him. I did my best to make her comfortable, but the room hadn’t been as properly prepped for a guest with the little time frame we’d had, so over the following days I was constantly sending someone to fetch towels or water for her room. The servants knew that something was going on, but didn’t know exactly what. Thankfully, they were respectful enough not to ask too many questions. I had no idea how
to explain what had happened to Adam.
The official explanation, as per Jasper, was that they had been out in the woods and Adam had gotten attacked by an animal, but it was a story with a lot of holes, so I generally kept quiet. I was concerned more than ever that I was going to let the secret slip, especially since I was constantly surrounded by wolves. I suspected most of the staff already knew about the werewolves of Faolancaster, but I was terrified that Bridget would discover the secret of Wolf’s Peak and that it would send her running when I needed her the most.
Two days after Adam’s attack, I went to knock on Hazel’s door. I didn’t hear a response, but she was a heavy sleeper, so I carefully opened the door. The room was empty; Hazel wasn’t there. I took a glance around the room. Her parents had brought by a few of her dresses, and they hung in the open wardrobe. I liked this room compared to some of the others. The wallpaper was a forest green with pale pink flowers, and the hardwood was covered in a navy rug. The bed here wasn’t as large as the bed in my room, perhaps a size smaller and without the tall posts. Instead this bed was made of brass, the metal sparkling in the light. The room wasn’t overly feminine, but I had chosen it for a reason. It was elegant and warm at the same time. I wanted Hazel to be as comfortable and comforted as possible while she was here.
Speaking of Hazel, I knew where she was. She had scarcely left Adam’s side over the last forty–eight hours. It took some coaxing to get her to eat or sleep, with the promise that someone would fetch her the moment there was any change in Adam’s condition.
I slipped out of Hazel’s room and across the hall, knocking softly.
“Come in,” Hazel called out.
I pushed the door open. The room we had put Adam in was darker, the walls a deep navy against the gray stone fireplace. He was in a massive bed, propped up by pillows, sipping at a glass of water. I was glad to see him sitting up and drinking. The last time I had seen him, he’d still been sleeping.
“Hey,” I said, walking toward the bed. “You’re looking better.”
“I’m feeling better,” Adam said. “I’ll be up and about in no time.”
“Well, not too quickly,” Hazel said. “I want you fully recovered.”
“The full moon is tonight, are you ready?” I asked.
Adam nodded. “I think so. My stitches are almost healed.”
“Well, if anything happens, I’ll be here,” I told him. It wasn’t like I had anywhere else to be anyway.
I left Hazel at Adam’s bedside, clutching his hands. I made my way down to Jasper’s study to check in on him.
I rarely went to Jasper’s study, since he was usually so absorbed in his work when he was in there. It was a room right off the library and centered around a large, heavy desk. Surrounding the desk were more bookshelves, all stuffed with books, which seemed impossible considering how many books were in the room next door.
I poked my head into the room, and Jasper looked up from his desk. I almost never saw him in his glasses; he only wore them when he was working. For some reason, I always thought his glasses made him look even more handsome, if possible. Perhaps they set off his high cheekbones or dark eyelashes, I wasn’t sure, but every time he wore his glasses I wanted to take him straight to bed.
That wouldn’t be happening tonight, though. It was less than two hours until the moon rose, which meant that, like it or not, the men would be turning. They wouldn’t be going back to their human forms until the moon went down, so there would be no romance for us tonight. Perhaps that was all right. I was tired anyway.
“Hello, Christine,” Jasper said, taking off his glasses. Internally, I pouted.
“I just wanted to say goodnight,” I said.
Jasper glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. “You’re going to bed already? It’s early.”
“Well, not necessarily. I know that you’re busy and you’re changing tonight, so I thought I’d say goodnight now.”
He smiled. “You’re wonderful, you know that?”
Butterflies fluttered in my chest. “Why do you say that?”
He gestured for me to come over to him, and I did. “You’ve taken all of this in such stride. Most of the women here, they’ve grown up with knowledge of werewolves. You’ve caught on quickly, without a second thought.”
Oh, if only he knew that I hadn’t only had second thoughts, I’d had third and fourth thoughts too. Clearly, it was a tribute to my acting ability if he hadn’t noticed.
“It’s no problem,” I said.
He gazed up at me from his chair. “I love you,” he told me.
“I love you too.”
That was the thing; despite everything, I did love him. For every horrific thing that had happened at Wolf’s Peak, I was desperately attached to him. For every thought I had about throwing it all away, I knew I would never do that. I was completely and irrevocably in love with a werewolf, and I was still coming to terms with that.
Jasper stood up from his chair and kissed me, a deep kiss that lingered on my lips long after I had left his study. I bade him goodnight and went back up to my room with a book. I wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight, in case there was an emergency and Adam needed to be stitched up.
No one ever came to get me, though, and I drifted off as the sun crept over the horizon. I didn’t wake up until well after lunch; it seemed no one in the house had the heart to wake me. I appreciated that. For the first time in forever I actually felt well–rested. I rang for Bridget to help me get dressed.
I went downstairs to eat and found the house full of people. All the council members were crowded in, Hazel was still there, and Annabelle had come, Daniel squirming in her arms. They were all gathered in the parlor, chatting.
“What’s going on?” I asked, surveying the crowd.
“Now that Adam is up and walking around, the men are having another meeting,” Annabelle said as she tried to keep Daniel from kicking her.
I looked to see Adam sitting in one of the chairs by the window talking to Conor. He finally had some color in his cheeks, though his wound still hurt; every so often he’d twist funny or laugh too hard and his face would contort in pain, but it would last only a moment before he was back to normal.
“What are they talking about?” I asked.
“What to do about Seth, most likely,” she said.
“I thought they were doing everything they could,” I said. Annabelle only shrugged.
The only one missing from the room was Jasper, and he came strolling in a moment later.
“All right, thanks for being here, everyone,” Jasper said. “Before I bring the men into our meeting, I’d like to address you all. As you all know by now, Seth is the one who attacked Adam. We are doing everything in our power to track him down, but until we do, we have a few ground rules. Curfew will be sundown, for everyone, with the exception of full moons. During the full moons, no one goes out alone. For the women, I don’t want you going out alone either, ever. Bring one of us with you. We don’t know how bold this has made Seth, and I don’t want to take any risks.”
I had no reason to protest. I wasn’t going to be going out anytime soon anyway, and with a baby inside me, I didn’t want to take any risks. There were many times I thought Jasper was being overprotective and overly cautious. This wasn’t one of them.
Jasper led the men to the great hall, which left me with the girls. My stomach rumbled.
“Have you eaten?” Hazel asked. “You just woke up, didn’t you?”
“I am hungry,” I admitted.
“Let’s get you some food!” Annabelle exclaimed. She pulled me up off the couch and we made our way to the kitchen.
We sat at the table as the cook made us a tray of tiny finger sandwiches. I ate most of them, but the girls had a few too as we sat and talked.
“I’m glad to see Adam is doing better,” I said to Hazel.
“Oh God, me too. I was so scared.” Tears sprang to her eyes, and I thought she might cry. “I don’t know what I would h
ave done if I had lost him.”
I understood the feeling of utter despair. I had felt it when I pulled Jasper, bloody and dying, out of the woods, and she had felt it watching Adam lying on the floor while Conor worked his magic. I reached over and put my hand on hers in an understanding gesture.
“How do you feel about this curfew?” Annabelle asked.
I shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I wasn’t going to be going anywhere anyway.”
“I suppose,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s frustrating for me. Stephen’s birthday is coming up, and I still need to find him a gift.”
“You’ll have to get one of the other men to go with you,” I said. “I’m sure Jasper would go, if he ever had time. He probably needs to get Stephen something as well.”
Annabelle rolled her eyes. “Knowing Jasper, he’s probably had something picked out for Stephen since his last birthday.”
“Aw,” Hazel said. “That’s sweet.”
“He’s thoughtful like that,” Annabelle shrugged. “Always has been.”
“That explains Christmas,” I sighed. “He surprised me wonderfully. I felt so unprepared.”
“But you got him that painting, right? He was telling Stephen how much he loved it.”
That perked me up. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” she assured me.
“He put it up in the parlor right away, but I thought he was simply trying to appease me,” I murmured.
“Wait, the painting in the parlor?” Hazel asked. “That’s beautiful! I told Adam that I want to get one of those done when we get our wedding photographs as well.”
“It’s from a painter in Paris. I’ll get you his information,” I told her.
She sighed. “I can’t wait to be married to Adam,” she said. “Then, if something like this were to happen again, I wouldn’t have to spend hours convincing my parents to let me stay with him.”
“You had to convince them? They didn’t want you to stay?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “They thought it was inappropriate.”
The Wolf's Bait (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 2) Page 10