He picked up the candlestick and set it on the low table. “Mother, I would have talked to you earlier, but you refused to see me.”
She hummed in her throat and looked at Riyad. He straightened suddenly and said, “Oh, sorry. I’ll go back and check on the flowers.”
When they were alone, his mother sat down on a high-backed chair and took several minutes to carefully arrange her skirt and settle into the chair. When she finally met his eyes, he could see the disappointment in the green depths.
Anger rose up inside him. Lindy was worried that she wouldn’t be accepted by his mother, and here she was already disapproving of his mate. And he would absolutely not tolerate that. She opened her mouth to speak, but he jumped to his feet and spoke first.
“I spelled for Lindy, Mom. I knew you wouldn’t stop sending females to my house until I found a mate. You forced my hand.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So your mating is my fault?”
He threw up his hands. “Of course not! Lindy’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Yes, I spelled for her because you were not listening to me about what I wanted, but I wouldn’t change anything that happened because of it. I got the most wonderful woman in the world as my mate. Mom,” he sat down on the table in front of her, “she accepts everything about me without question. She makes me want to be a better man. She’s perfect for me, and I don’t care if you’re unhappy that she’s from the Mortal Realm or that Dad and I planned the mating ceremony in the tradition of our ancestors. Tonight when the sun sets, I’m going to vow myself to Lindy forever. And then I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure she’s the most loved female who has ever lived.”
He inhaled slowly, trying to calm down. He knew his mother couldn’t take Lindy away from him, but his wolf was ready for a fight if she tried.
She cocked her head. “Are you quite done, Crimson?”
He frowned. “I…guess.”
She cleared her throat delicately and then said, “I’m proud of you, son.”
His mouth fell open. “You are?”
She nodded. “Yes. When your father first told me what you had done, I was furious.” She paused for a moment and then continued. “Then he told me what my constant attempts to find you a mate were doing to you and how bitter and angry you’d become. I never meant for that to happen. I just wanted you to be happy.”
“I am happy.”
She smiled. “I can see that. And you’re very protective of your Lindy.”
Reaching forward, she grabbed both of his hands. “I misjudged you. Or, rather, I didn’t listen. I thought if I sent enough eligible females to you that one of them would be your mate, but I was clearly wrong. Your father told me to stop, that I would push you away, but I thought I knew best. I can admit when I’m wrong, Crimson, and I was wrong. I’m sorry for the grief I’ve caused you, and I hope you’ll forgive me.”
He hugged her. “Of course I forgive you, Mom.”
She sniffled and leaned back, brushing tears from her cheeks with her fingertips. “Since your father refuses to allow me to make any changes to the itinerary tonight, I’d like you to take me to your home so I can meet your mate and help her get ready.”
“Really?” A great weight lifted from his shoulders at her acceptance.
“Of course. I’m about to get a daughter, and maybe I can talk her into giving me some grandbabies soon.”
Crimson chuckled. He would like that, too.
He stopped to tell his father and Riyad that he and his mother were heading home for a little while. After promising to return to finish helping, he assisted his mother into the carriage and sat next to her. Laud snapped the reins, and the horse began to trot.
“I asked your father if you were going to stay here or live in Lindy’s realm, and he said he didn’t know.”
“I don’t know yet either. I’m going to stay there for a week with her, and then we’ll decide. Aside from the maw-serpent in the bed and missing her modern technology, I’d say she’s enjoying herself.”
“A maw-serpent?” his mother gasped.
He began to tell her about finding the serpent and his suspicion that Giwyn was responsible when he felt a stab of fear straight in his heart. He pressed his palm over his heart, and his wolf snarled. He swore he could hear his name being screamed.
Lindy!
He barked at Laud to move faster, knowing the horse could close the distance to the house faster than he could fly. He told his mother what he felt and her eyes widened in worry. He felt Lindy’s fear as if it were his own. She was terrified and calling to him for help through their connection.
“Faster, damn it!” he shouted.
The fear he felt grew thicker until he was almost choking on it, and then just as suddenly as it had come, the fear cut off, and he was left feeling entirely bereft. He didn’t know what it meant. He didn’t want to think what it could mean.
He shouted for her in his mind, his wolf howling in distress. His house came into view, and he ripped off his shirt, letting his wings spring free from his back. Before the carriage stopped, he manifested his sword and leapt onto the walkway, racing forward. He could feel that the protection spell had been destroyed, and the stench of wizard clung to the air.
Hoping that she was in the house, he raced through each room, shouting her name, but finding no trace of her. He and Laud searched outside while his mother portal-called his father for help.
“Your father is on the way with reinforcements.” His mother said as she came outside.
“I can smell her to this point,” he gestured to the walkway, “and then she just disappears.”
He’d never met a wizard who was good. Most of them dabbled in dangerous, black magic, carousing with demons and castaways on the other side of Hades Ridge. “I know where I have to go,” he said, releasing his sword.
“Do you know who took her?” his mother asked, wringing her hands with worry.
“No.” He shook his head and walked into the house and to the bedroom, where he removed a satchel from the closet. Although his sword was his favorite weapon, he had many other weapons in his home, and he filled the satchel with them.
He walked out of the bedroom and said, “Mom, I smelled Giwyn and one of the young assistants that Lafawnya brought with her. I smelled the young female’s blood, and I think she was killed.”
“Giwyn was involved?” Her hands clenched into fists. “I’ll string her up by her bony fingers.”
“I’m sure she’ll deny everything, but I know what I smelled. Giwyn was here today, with the wizard and the girl. I’m certain she had something to do with Lindy’s disappearance.”
“I didn’t think a wizard could be strong enough to break one of your protection spells. Yours are so powerful because of your wulfen nature.”
“I didn’t know that either.”
It tore him to pieces. He had thought Lindy was safe in the house. He just hoped his carelessness would not lead to her death. He wouldn’t be able to survive her death. He already knew that with absolute certainty. His wolf would go into the afterlife in search of her without delay, and Crimson would deserve to have his own life cut short.
“I never told her.” He sat on the step and put his head in his hands. He could still smell her on his hands from when he’d held her that morning.
“Told her what?”
“That I love her. That I can’t live without her.”
His mother sat down and put her arm around him. “I’m sure she knows, Crimson. As soon as your father gets here, we’ll find her and bring her home safely.”
His home wasn’t safe for her, though, and he realized that now.
Before long, his father, Riyad, and Merik were standing in front of Crimson’s home, along with many of the males who Crimson had led into battle. Crimson explained the situation to them, and with a shout from Riyad, all the males extended their wings and roared a battle cry. They were with him. He’d never been so humbled.
After hugging his m
other and thanking her for her support, he took to the sky with his father and the men he had served with and headed to the Ridge. On the other side of the mountain, his mate was waiting for him to rescue her, he was sure of it. And woe be to any male who touched even a hair on her head. Crimson would see him dead in a painful and horrible fashion.
Chapter 17
Lindy woke up slowly. Her stomach rolled, and her head ached. Remembering that she was not safe inside Crimson’s home, but had been drugged and taken, she forced her body to appear relaxed and took in a few, deep breaths. She listened intently with her eyes closed. She could tell that several people were around her because of the sound of their breathing. Drawing in several slow, deep breaths, she tried to decipher what she smelled. Aside from the ground under her, she could scent nothing else.
Her hands were tied in front of her with rough rope, but her legs were free. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in a wooden cage in a clearing in the woods. She rolled to her butt and sat up, swooning for a moment as her head pounded and her vision blurred. Rubbing her thumb between her eyes, she groaned softly.
There were empty cages on either side of her. The clearing was surrounded by thick trees, but over the tops of them, she could see the mountains. They didn’t look all that far. Maybe just a few miles. If she could shift, she could run and maybe find a cavern to hide in until whoever took her stopped hunting for her. Then she could climb the mountain and find Crimson. It would be difficult, but she had to get back to him.
The sound of heavy footsteps filled the air. Turning to the side, she saw four huge men with bulky forearms lumbering toward the cages. They wore loincloths made of dark fabric and no shoes. Long hair hung in matted clumps from their heads, and their squished faces reminded her of bulldogs. Fear inched up her spine as they came toward her, but she breathed through it and willed herself to be strong.
The huge men parted, and the man who had taken her came toward the cage with another man. She stifled the growl in her throat and glared at them.
“She is lovely, is she not, Nikao?” the man who had taken her remarked.
The other man was thin and tall, with wispy blond hair and blue eyes, a hawk-like nose and pursed lips. “I don’t know, Crakin. She’s awfully fleshy.”
“Did you just call me fat?” she demanded.
Both men ignored her, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on her wolf. She could feel the drugs still in her system, but her wolf was there and ready, stronger than whatever potion she’d been given.
Clearing her mind, she opened her eyes and focused on the group of four huge creatures. Trolls, maybe. The enormous forearms made them look comical, and she bet from their stocky legs they couldn’t run fast, either.
The rope rubbed against her wrists, chafing them. It was too tight for her to wiggle her hands free, but when she shifted, it wouldn’t matter. The best plan was to wait until she was outside the cage and then shift.
Crakin gestured to the trolls. “Open the cage.”
“What if she tries to run?” Nikao asked.
Crakin lifted a narrow vial from the pocket of his jacket. “She’s not going anywhere.”
Nikao shook his head. “If she’s unconscious, no one will buy her.”
“This is a lighter dose. It will make her sluggish and complacent.”
One of the trolls lumbered forward. He flipped a latch on the top of the cage and threw open the lid. Reaching inside, he grabbed Lindy by the back of the shirt and hauled her out of the cage as if she were a sack of potatoes.
“Put me down!” She struggled, twisting her body to try to get free, but the troll didn’t let go of her shirt.
Crakin dipped the tip of a dart into the vial, and Lindy knew she had to take the opportunity to flee or she might never see Crimson again.
Exhaling, she let herself go into her shift, pushing her body to change quickly. The men shouted in surprise as she slipped from her clothes and the rope fell away. She hit the ground on four paws and ran for the mountains, not daring to look back.
The forest raced by her as she kept her eyes trained on the mountains rising up in the distance. She didn’t know if she was being followed, and she wasn’t about to stop and check. Her feet ached, and her body was sore as she pushed herself to get to the mountains.
The ground changed from mossy to rocky as she cleared the trees. She paused for only a heartbeat, finding a narrow trail that led up the mountain and headed for it. The sun set while she ran, but she could see enough to pick her way up the mountain. She searched as she climbed, hoping to find a cavern like Crimson had taken her to.
She stopped on the trail and sat down on her haunches. She was exhausted. She’d never pushed her body so hard in her shift. All she wanted was a cold drink of water and a long nap. Her head dropped, and she let out a soft whine. She wished that Crimson was there with her.
Shaking herself out of her exhaustion, she pushed on, knowing that stopping on the trail was a bad idea. She could rest when the sun came out.
Her paw stepped on dry branches that cracked, and she paused. She sniffed and scented bread. Was she going crazy? The scent of bread came from the right, and she turned her nose in that direction and smelled the rock. But it wasn’t rock, it was soft like a sponge. Pushing gingerly on the spongy material, she caught the scent of bread again and growled lightly. She took a step closer, and her paws suddenly went out from under her. The spongy material split apart, and she tumbled down a smooth, stone ramp, her body bouncing and jarring, knocking into every jutting rock.
Her head cracked hard against a stone, and she felt herself roll to a stop as she slipped into unconsciousness, unsure of where she was or whether she would ever see her mate again.
* * * * *
Cold water dribbled into Lindy’s mouth, waking her. She swallowed and choked, coughing slightly. Sitting up, she banged her head on a rock and winced, groaning.
“Ouch, damn it.”
Something small and warm touched her knee as she opened her eyes and looked down. The small, warm thing touching her was a small creature. It had tan skin and wispy brown hair. Its eyes were golden-brown.
“Shush now,” the creature said with a lilting, feminine voice. “There is nothing to harm you here in our home.”
Lindy looked around and found herself surrounded by dozens of the little creatures. The tallest among them were no more than two feet tall, each with the same tan skin and wispy brown hair.
Licking her lips again, she looked around for an exit but found nothing except rock walls. She must have fallen inside the mountain. The ceiling of the cave was just above her head and not tall enough for her to stand. Small homes made of wood were scattered around the cave and what looked like a hot spring was in one corner.
“What are you?” Lindy asked.
The one who had given her water smiled at her. “We’re brownies. My name is Veril.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Veril. My mate told me that some of you used to work in the fae glens for the fairies.”
There was a murmur of discontent, and Veril said, “We did, but we found that the fairies were happier taking credit for our work than thanking us for what we did. We love to work, but we also love to be appreciated.”
Lindy remembered suddenly that she was in her human form, which meant she was naked. Looking down, she discovered she was wearing a simple but elegant shift. It was the color of pine needles and knit of soft, thick yarn.
“Thank you for dressing me while I was unconscious. It’s lovely.”
Veril preened. “It was our pleasure. It’s not every day that a mortal-realm werewolf tumbles into our hidden home.”
“I smelled bread.”
Veril chuckled, and the others did as well. “It was our baking day.”
As if on cue, food was brought to Lindy, and as she ate, she told the brownies about her kidnapping.
The leader of the brownies, a stocky male named Levrin, shook his head. “That Crakin is a menace. The she-fa
e who hired him to take you was foolish. If he planned to sell you at the merash, then he will find her and sell her instead.”
“What is a merash?” Lindy asked, sopping up meat gravy with a thick slice of bread.
Levrin’s wife, Hior, shuddered. “You might call it a slave auction in your realm. Dark wizards like Crakin make money by kidnapping and selling supernatural creatures from this realm and others. You’re very lovely, and Nikao is a sex slave trader, so the merash was most likely for those looking for sex slaves. I’m afraid your future would have been a very bad one indeed if you had not escaped.”
“I don’t think they knew I could shift,” she said. “They seemed very surprised.”
“It’s possible he believed you to be human. Regardless, we’re happy to offer you protection.”
“I’d like to get to my mate. Can you show me how to make it to the other side of the mountain so I can get to him?”
“Better than that,” Levrin said. “We can take you to his home.”
She grinned, and tears filled her eyes. “You can?”
“Of course. We’re not fairies, but we do have magic,” Yunni, Veril’s daughter said.
Levrin nodded. “It will be our pleasure.”
Lindy wiped at the tears that fell to her cheeks. “Thank you so much. For saving me and protecting me.”
Levrin bowed, and the other brownies ducked their heads. “We were happy to do it.”
While the brownies prepared the portal that would take her to Crimson’s home, she washed her hands and face in the pool of the hot spring. She crawled on her hands and knees to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling, and knelt next to Veril and Yunni.
Levrin arranged some brightly colored rocks into a circle and spoke a few words. The brownies surrounded her, and Levrin said, “I would send you with my best fighters to ensure you are safe until you reach your mate.”
The Wolf's Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen Page 15