The Wolf's Betrothed (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 5)

by Patricia Blackmoor

  “Here you are, my dear,” Mrs. Henstridge said as she unlocked my room. The room was papered with a red damask, a fire roaring in the stone fireplace. The paper reflected the fire, and the print looked as if it was dancing in the flames. Across from the fireplace was a large mahogany bed, two side tables, and a matching armoire. On the far side of the room was a set of navy-blue upholstered chairs with a table between them. Where windows would normally be were instead narrow slits, wide enough to see out of but not big enough for anyone to climb through.

  The men had brought all of our luggage inside, hoisting the trunks and bags up the massive staircase. I dragged my trunk from the door over to my wardrobe, unlatching it and opening the lid. I sighed. So much to unpack. I wished Clara was here to help me, but I was on my own. I pulled gown after gown from the trunk, hanging them in the armoire. There was a small dressing table against the wall by the restroom, and I set my jewelry box and hairbrush there. When my trunk was empty and tucked against the wall, I sat down on my bed and sighed. This wasn’t home, and it was never going to be home.

  My skin was dirty and grimy from the journey, so I shed my clothes and soaked in the bath. It took me a moment to figure out the faucet, but when I turned it one way, hot water came pouring out. That was a relief; the castle may have been old, but clearly the plumbing had been updated.

  I had brought bath oils with me, and I was thankful. If I was going to be spending weeks on end with Adam, then I wanted to smell nice. I added some lotion to my arms and legs when I climbed out, and pulled a soft nightgown over me. The fabric floated around me as I crossed back to the bed.

  A heard a soft knock on my door and I stood back up to open the door.

  “May I come in?” Adam asked with a grin.

  I stepped aside. “Of course.”

  He took my hand, and together we sat down on the bed.

  “What do you think of this place?” he asked me.

  “It’s lovely. It seems safe.”

  He glanced toward the slit that constituted a window. “It is that.”

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s nice. Not quite home, but in a way, it’s better.”

  “Oh?”

  He smiled as he leaned toward me, our lips joining together in a kiss. He gently pushed me back onto the bed and I obliged, my head hitting the mattress. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, his heat washing over me. Hungrily, my fingers fumbled for the buttons of his shirt, pulling them loose. My hands rested against his sculpted chest. He jumped.

  “Jesus, Hazel, your hands are freezing,” he murmured.

  I knew they were, his skin was like fire against the ice of my fingers. “Can you make it?”

  I felt his lips smile against my neck. “I’ll do my best to power through.”

  He kissed down my neck and to my chest. His fingers hooked around the straps of my nightgown and pulled them down over my shoulders. With my breasts exposed to the cold air, my nipples hardened immediately. Adam took one of them in his mouth, the warmth of his tongue making me squirm with pleasure beneath him. His hand took my other nipple, pinching it to keep it hard in the warmth of his hands.

  Adam pulled the nightgown down my body and cast it aside on the floor. Before I could react, he began kissing up my thigh. I knew what he was going to do, but that wasn’t what I needed. I needed him inside me, filling me.

  “Adam—”

  His tongue was on me, sliding up from my center to my clit. My back arched as he sucked gently, waves of pleasure radiating through my body. As he worshipped me there, he slipped a finger inside of me. It still wasn’t enough. His tongue explored my folds, pressing against my bead, but it wasn’t what I needed.

  “Adam—” I gasped again, tilting his head up so he could see me. My eyes were wide, pleading. “I need you. Please. I need you.”

  I didn’t have to ask again. He shucked off his unbuttoned shirt, and my eyes fell on his fresh scar. I sat up and ran my fingers over it. “Are you going to be all right for this?”

  He climbed on top of me, meeting my lips. “Like I said, I’ll power through.”

  With the confirmation from him, I undid his trousers, and he stripped his bottom half naked.

  “Do you…did you bring anything?” my face flushed.

  “Oh! Yes,” he confirmed. He fumbled on the floor for his pants, and when he came back, he was wearing a condom.

  Adam positioned himself over me, lips connecting with mine once again. He rested his forehead against mine. “Are you ready?”

  “So ready,” I breathed.

  Positioned at my entrance, Adam thrust into me. Tears sprang to my eyes, his fullness stinging. It had been months since we’d been together, and my body needed to readjust to his girth. I took a deep breath.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, eyes full of concern.

  “I’m fine,” I assured him. “Keep going. Please.”

  He pulled out of me before thrusting again. This time it didn’t sting as badly. Instead, my body adjusted, letting him fill me. I pulled his lips toward mine, my hands clutching his hair. We panted as we thrust together in rhythm, heartbeats accelerating. Adam thrust deeper, faster, hitting me on the inside just where I needed it. I felt the warm sensation begin to flood through my body, and he continued to thrust until together we breathed the other’s name, spots flooding my vision.

  Adam stayed in my room all night.

  Chapter Nine

  I woke up with gray light streaming through the window. I wasn’t sure what time it was, since the windows were too narrow to see through from this angle, but my body was heavy like I had been asleep a long time.

  Adam was still sleeping beside me. He was facing me, his perfect lips slightly parted, his long eyelashes resting against his cheeks. His blond hair was a mess, and I had smile. He looked like an angel lying next to me.

  I climbed out of bed. The air was frigid, and I immediately wanted to curl back up under the blankets next to Adam. Instead I grabbed my dressing gown and slippers and stoked the fire. A blast of warmth hit me as the flames came to life.

  “Hazel?”

  I looked over to see Adam sitting up, still shirtless. I had pulled on my nightgown after we’d made love, too cold to sleep without it even with Adam under the covers with me. I pulled my hair over to one shoulder and walked back over to the bed.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” I told him, leaning over and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

  “It feels like it’s time to get up,” he said. “What time is it?”

  I glanced over at the clock on the side table. “About half past ten.”

  “Time for breakfast, I suppose.”

  I yawned. “Or we could just go back to bed.”

  “You’re not hungry?”

  My stomach rumbled. “I guess I’m starved.”

  Adam left to go to his room while I got changed for the day in mine. I picked one of my favorite blue dresses and pinned my hair back. When I left my room, Adam was waiting for me in the hallway.

  He took my arm as we walked down the stairs. We paused in the entry hall, looking at the labyrinthine hallways twisting away from us.

  “Which way do we go?” I asked.

  Adam frowned. “Follow the scent of food, I guess?”

  I didn’t smell anything, but Adam must have, because he took my hand in his and led me through the hallways until we found ourselves in a dining hall. Annabelle, Bridget, and Daniel were already there, eating.

  “Look who’s awake,” Bridget said. “How was your night?”

  I prayed my face wouldn’t flush, but I could feel the heat rising. “It was fine.”

  “Where’s Christine?” Adam asked, changing the subject.

  “Still sleeping,” Bridget said. “She was exhausted when we came in.”

  Mrs. Henstridge brought us breakfast and we thanked her as we dug into the plates of bacon and eggs.

  “I hope you all had a good night,” Mrs. He
nstridge said.

  “It was lovely,” I told her, and Bridget snickered. I rolled my eyes.

  The day was quiet. I appreciated the peace, especially after being pulled away from home. I tried not to hold resentment about being taken to Ashford Castle, but it was hard when no one had actually asked me if I wanted to go. I had just been told, just like I had been told that I was going to audition for the duke’s hand in marriage.

  “Have you asked the girls yet?” Adam asked me as we relaxed in the lounge.

  “Not yet,” I told him. “I’m planning on asking them at dinner.”

  “You seem nervous.”

  I hesitated. “I am.”

  We returned to the dining room for dinner, and this time Christine joined us for our meal. Mrs. Henstridge had cooked far more food than we probably needed, but the rich turkey and potatoes were fantastic. But despite the deliciousness of the food, Annabelle was hardly eating.

  “Annabelle, are you all right?” asked Christine, worry evident on her face. “You’ve hardly touched your food, and it’s quite good.”

  “I’m just not terribly hungry,” she said. “My stomach is a bit knotted.”

  Adam and Conor exchanged a look. I knew that look, and Christine knew that look meant something.

  “Annabelle?” she prodded

  Annabelle grinned. “All right,” she said. “I was going to save it for another time, because everything has been so stressful, but...I’m pregnant!”

  I let out a squeal. Christine leapt up from her chair to give Annabelle a hug.

  “Oh, my dear, that’s wonderful!” Christine cried.

  Annabelle’s face had turned bright red. “It was a little sooner than we expected. I mean, we weren’t being particularly careful or anything, but I didn’t think it would happen quite this quickly since we weren’t making a conscious effort to try either.”

  “Oh, I’m so delighted for you,” Christine sighed.

  I was delighted too, but feeling a little left out. I knew Adam wanted children badly, and I wanted them as well. My time would come soon, but it seemed to be taking forever.

  “When are you due?” I asked.

  Annabelle glanced at Conor.

  “I think we’ve determined that it will most likely be August, is that right?” she asked.

  “That would be my estimation, yes,” Conor said. “I just began to hear the heartbeat a few days ago, so I wouldn’t guess you’re any more than two months. I would estimate probably less.”

  “Oh my goodness, another baby!” Christine said with a sigh. “Our little ones will be just six months apart! If it’s a girl, they could get married!”

  Annabelle chuckled. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” she said. Then she giggled. “No, if it’s a girl, they’re definitely getting married. We’ll make them.”

  Christine laughed. “For what it’s worth, Lowell is either delighted or repulsed by the idea. I’m not sure which.”

  “Better make sure you’ve got the heirlooms ready,” I teased Christine. “He’ll be giving them away soon.”

  We watched as Daniel smashed his hand in the potatoes. “You’re going to have double trouble soon,” Christine laughed.

  “Oh, God, tell me about it,” she sighed.

  I had planned to ask the girls tonight, but Annabelle’s news was so exciting that I didn’t want to speak up. It was all right; we had plenty of nights to spend here and I could ask them tomorrow. But I must have been frowning, because Christine tilted her head at me.

  “Hazel?”

  She had broken me out of my thoughts. “Oh, yes?”

  “Are you all right, dear?”

  “Oh, yes.” I gave her a smile as I went back to my food, but it clearly wasn’t convincing, because she didn’t give up.

  “Hazel? What’s going on? You aren’t pregnant too, are you?”

  My eyes went wide and I’m pretty sure Adam nearly choked on his food. “Oh, heavens no! Not before the wedding!”

  “Yes, you don’t want to have to get a new dress,” Annabelle mused.

  “No, it’s just, I had something I wanted to say, but I’m going to wait until later,” I said, trying to pass it off as unimportant.

  “That seems silly, why’s that?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t want to overshadow Annabelle’s news, that’s all.”

  “Please, overshadow me,” Annabelle begged. “Let’s talk about something other than me.”

  I paused, and Christine motioned to get me talking.

  “Oh, all right,” I said, my voice shaking. “As you know, my wedding is coming up this spring, and thank you, Christine, for allowing us to host the reception at Wolf’s Peak.”

  Christine smiled. “It’s not a problem. I’m more than happy to host. Although I suspect most of the planning duties will be usurped by Annabelle.”

  “Definitely,” confirmed Annabelle.

  I licked my lips as I tried to find the words. “We’re in the process of planning everything. I’ve already told you a lot, but I haven’t told you the most important thing of all.”

  “It seems like you’re stalling, Hazel,” said Christine.

  “Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous. Because it’s not something that I have to tell you, it’s something that I have to ask you.”

  Annabelle and Christine stared at me.

  I took a deep breath. “Will you be my bridesmaids?” The words came out in a rush.

  Christine clasped her hands over her mouth. “Hazel! Of course! I would be honored.”

  “I would too,” added Annabelle.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, I’m so glad. I can’t wait!”

  After dinner we found ourselves back in the drawing room. We all relaxed by the fire, enjoying the peace that Ashford Castle held. The men played cards in the corner while I stretched out on the loveseat. Christine was comfortable in a chair by the fire, a blanket around her, and Annabelle lay on the rug with Daniel.

  We had been chatting about the upcoming wedding for a little while. Annabelle wanted to make sure she had a clear idea of the types of decorations I wanted, and we talked about colors and flowers. I drew them a few sketches to give them ideas.

  “I already have an idea what sort of dresses I’ll have you wear,” I told them.

  “And what sort is that?” Christine asked. Her eyes were growing heavy; we’d be going to bed soon.

  “I think I want them to be soft and flowy, with full sleeves. They’ll have a ribbon under the bust to accent the waist,” I drew a quick sketch so they knew what I meant. “I figure that will be the easiest since you’ll have just had a baby and Annabelle will still be expecting.”

  Christine shrugged. “I’ll be three months postpartum. I don’t necessarily have to be in something flowy.”

  “Aren’t you the optimistic one?” Annabelle asked as she scooped Daniel up from the floor. He snuggled into her shoulder, rubbing his eyes.

  “Are you getting tired, darling?” Annabelle asked as she rocked him. He yawned.

  Christine reached over and rubbed at the soft tuft of brown hair on the top of his head. “Are you ready for a little brother or sister?” Christine asked him. “Hopefully a sister.”

  He batted at her hand.

  “Seems he disagrees,” Annabelle laughed. “What about you? Are you ready for your little boy?”

  Christine sighed. “Some days I think I am, and then others I know I’m not.”

  “I’d like to say it gets easier once the baby is here, but it really doesn’t. You’re constantly doubting yourself and you’re at the whims of a toddler.”

  “Well, that’s rubbish. Who would put themselves through that on purpose?” Christine asked. I had to laugh. Her stomach was so large at this point she could hardly stand on her own; there was no going back now.

  We were all a little tired, so we bade the men goodnight and found our way back upstairs. I changed into a nightgown, brushing through my golden-brown hair. Was Adam going to come to my roo
m tonight? I didn’t know, but I certainly hoped so.

  I took my sketchpad and sketched a better idea of what I wanted for the bridesmaids. It was fun to see my drawings come to life. I had helped design my wedding gown, and I was excited to see what the girls would look like in their dresses as well.

  After about a half hour, Adam knocked on my door. He had changed into pajamas, and was resting against the door frame.

  “May I come in?”

  “Of course,” I said. Adam and I climbed under the covers together. The urgency had lessened; after our night together, we weren’t as eager to grasp at each other. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.

  “You look tired,” he said.

  “I am a little tired. It’s just being away from home, I think.”

  He nodded. “Thank you for being here,” he said. “I think it’s helpful for Christine. Jasper was so concerned about her coming.”

  I wished Adam and Jasper had shown me the same concern about me coming here. I didn’t mind doing this favor for the duke, or being a support system for Christine, but I would have preferred to have been asked rather than thrust into the situation. I didn’t say anything except, “Of course.”

  Adam blew out the candle on the nightstand and we were left with only the flickering of the fire. Neither of us had much energy tonight, so instead of fooling around, we curled up together and went to sleep.

  We were woken by screams. I didn’t even take time to think; I leapt right out of bed and Adam did too. We hurried down the stairs right behind Annabelle and Conor to find Christine and Bridget standing in the entry hall, the door wide open. It wasn’t until we came up right behind them that we saw what made them scream: a brutally disemboweled deer on the doorstep. While Conor and Adam examined the deer, I held Christine. She was shaking like a leaf.

  Conor and Bridget stepped aside to talk, and Adam pulled me aside as well.

  “Conor and I are going to investigate the grounds,” he said.