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

by Patricia Blackmoor

  I swallowed, turning away from him. “That is, when you’re home.”

  I crossed the bedroom to collect my things from the bathroom.

  “Hazel,” he said, following after me.

  I wiped a tear from my face. I hadn’t realized I was crying. “I’m fine.”

  He wrapped his arms around me again, kissing the top of my head. “Are you, though?”

  I took a deep breath. “Yes. I am.” I swallowed the stress. Adam was all right, I was all right, Christine was all right. We were headed home now, and we’d be safer there on home ground.

  “Oi, you two ready?” Conor called through the door.

  I brushed a few tears away. “Almost,” I called back.

  Adam helped me gather the rest of my things while I bundled myself up in my coat and gloves. I struggled to contain a yawn; just like our journey here, the sun hadn’t quite risen over the sky yet. Bridget had made all of us tea, and I eagerly sipped at it as we waited for the carriage to arrive.

  When it did pull up—with the driver employed from the neighboring village—the men loaded all our things in before motioning that we should join them. We hurried through the frozen dawn air, crowding together in the carriage car. I curled up against Adam, soaking in his warmth. It wasn’t fair that he could run so hot while my skin was like ice.

  It had snowed that night. Our footprints were fresh in the snow, and I scraped the snow off of my boots and onto the bottom of the carriage. Within a few moments, we were on the road back home.

  My head was resting against Adam, and I had begun to drift off. Early mornings and I didn’t get along well. All of us were tired, and all of us were ready to return to our own homes and our own beds. There was a certain relief to knowing that we would be back to Weylyn by the end of the day.

  And we would be back, but not all of us would make it. The carriage jerked, coming to a screeching halt as the horse whinnied in front of us. The men flew up from their seat, ready to protect us, as Christine yawned and stretched.

  The only sound was the whinnying of the horse. Conor called out to the driver, but the world was still quiet. I was alone on the seat and I clutched at the upholstery, heart pounding.

  “Please don’t go out there,” Christine begged the men.

  “We won’t, not just yet,” Conor promised, putting his lips to his mouth.

  I knew he wanted us to be quiet, but when I saw what was outside the window, I had to scream. Out the window of the carriage, a wolf was dragging something across the snow and into the woods. I had to narrow my eyes to get a better idea of what it was. I didn’t start screaming until I realized it was the body of our driver.

  Everyone crowded to see what I was looking at, and when they too realized, they let out gasps and whimpers. Adam pulled me back while Christine clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a cry. Her face had gone completely white, and I’m sure mine had as well.

  There was a loud bang as something hit the carriage, causing it to rock on the icy road. Another bang, followed by another. Just like the night in the castle, the wolves were throwing themselves at the doors.

  Conor and Adam exchanged a look, a look I knew all too well. My heart sank in my chest.

  “No,” I whispered, but it didn’t matter. Adam grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the other girls, pushing me to the far side of the carriage right before he and Conor began to shift. I landed on top of Bridget and she held me with surprising strength as chaos swirled around us. The men were shifting, bones snapping, teeth falling, and the wolves outside continued to throw themselves at our door while snarling.

  With a yank, Bridget opened the latch on the carriage door and the men bounded out into the snow. I wanted to scream at Bridget, to curse her for betraying me and letting our men out to face the danger, but the words caught in my throat, frozen by terror. Bridget’s breathing was fast, and she jolted out of her seat, knocking me to the floor. I went sliding across, hitting the opposite seat as she clawed at the opposite door. Once she had shoved it open, she jumped down from the carriage and bolted into the woods.

  I swallowed hard as I glanced at Christine. She couldn’t run after Bridget, and Annabelle had Daniel to take care of. That left only me, but there was no way in heaven or hell that I was leaving Adam behind. Besides, the wolves had already set their sights on us. I would never make it to the woods alive.

  Annabelle reached over and yanked the door shut, but before it could latch, one of the enemy wolves stuck his snout in the door. Christine and I broke from our fear to help Annabelle, grasping for the handle, trying to slam the door shut, but the wolf was too strong. The wolf, one brown and black with yellow, hateful eyes, snarled at us from the doorway. We huddled together, cowering away from him, as the opposite door was yanked off its hinges. Two wolves barred their teeth on this side. We were trapped.

  The three of us climbed up on the seat, pressing ourselves against the side of the carriage. Annabelle clutched Daniel to her chest, blocking him between her and the wall as he cried. One of the wolves grabbed onto Annabelle’s skirt, tearing at the layers, trying to pull her out of the carriage. She stumbled, nearly dropping Daniel, and I caught him as Christine reached over to steady her. The wolf snapped its teeth at her, and she cried out as he clamped his jaw on her leg. She struggled to keep her balance and keep Daniel protected, and we both held onto him, trying to keep this little boy safe.

  Christine kicked at the wolf, slamming her heel into his nose. He snarled, latching himself to her coat, pulling her to the ground. She landed on her side, fingers clawing at the floor. I jumped from my seat and grasped at her tiny wrists, pulling her with everything that I had. Beside me, Annabelle sank onto the seat, blood spilling from the wound on her leg.

  The wolf from the other side of the door, momentarily disturbed by either Conor or Adam, sprang back up and landed with his front paws in the carriage. He clamped down on my ankle and a pain unlike anything I’d ever felt before radiated through my leg. I’d lost all strength in the ankle and collapsed to the floor. I tried to keep hold of Christine, put her wrists slipped through my fingers as my head hit the seat. The wolf kept pulling at her, and she hit the bloody ground as he dragged her away.

  “Christine!” I shrieked, dragging my body across the floor of the carriage after her, as if I could somehow bring her back. As I reached the edge of the door frame one of the wolves leapt at me, his teeth merely inches from my face. I shrank back. I couldn’t go after Christine; I was almost certain I couldn’t walk. I could only watch as Christine was dragged across the ice and gravel.

  Outside was a battlefield. Blood had soaked into the fresh snow, staining the ground crimson. There had to be half a dozen men, but Conor and Adam were holding their own.

  “Adam!” I shouted, trying to get his attention. He had to save Christine before it was too late. “Adam!”

  Either he couldn’t hear me over the snarls or he couldn’t be distracted by my tone, because he didn’t turn to look at me. As he fought off the gray wolf, another came bounding out of the woods. This one was slim with sleek black hair, and was coming up behind Conor.

  “Conor!” I cried, trying to give him warning. He glanced back but didn’t seem at all concerned. Instead he tilted his head and the black wolf launched itself at one of the enemies.

  In the fear of Conor being ambushed, I had lost sight of Christine. I looked back just in time to see a man toss her on the floor of a wagon. One of the wolves howled, and the rest of them glanced over. All together, the enemy wolves jumped into the wagon and it took off, leaving Adam, Conor, and the black wolf behind.

  “Adam,” I murmured weekly. My ankle was bleeding, I could feel it soaking into my stockings. Daniel was still crying, the only noise in the silence. Now that I had nothing to distract me, the pain was overwhelming. I gasped for air.

  Adam had transformed back and grabbed his trousers from the floor of the carriage, yanking them on. He jumped into the carriage and tossed Conor his clothes, then knelt d
own by my side.

  “Hazel? Are you all right? Talk to me.”

  “Ankle,” is all I could croak out.

  Adam shoved my skirts up my leg and his face blanched. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. I knew how bad it was.

  “Conor?” he said, his voice shaking.

  Conor had pulled on his trousers but not his shirt. I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it had Bridget not appeared behind him, wearing the shirt. Conor climbed into the carriage and sat down by my feet. He unrolled my stocking, trying to be gentle, but the pain flooded over me again, sending spots into my vision.

  Conor cleared his throat. “They’ve torn your tendon.”

  “Hmm?” I was fighting hard to stay conscious.

  “Your tendon was torn by one of the wolves.”

  “He bit me,” I said. “Will I turn?”

  The men looked at each other, and I didn’t miss the concern in their eyes. “I don’t think so,” Conor said. “They bit you through your clothes. Their saliva needs to get into your bloodstream in order to turn you. I think you’ll be all right.”

  “But you’re not sure?”

  “We’ll keep an eye on you next full moon.” He said it like a joke, but his eyes were filled with worry.

  “It’s not so bad,” Bridget said. Her black hair was loose around her shoulders, arms crossed in Conor’s shirt.

  “You?” I asked.

  “I was bit years ago while living on the streets. You get used to it after a while. Plus you’re never cold.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad,” I muttered, but it was mostly to be polite.

  “Annabelle, you’re bleeding too,” Conor said. A few droplets of blood had seeped into Annabelle’s gown.

  “Just a scratch,” she said.

  With her permission, Conor lifted her skirts. He pulled out his medical bag and applied a quick bandage before turning back to Bridget and Adam.

  “Bridget and I will try to track them,” he said. “Adam, do you think you can go get help? They killed the horse. We need a new way back home.”

  Adam nodded.

  “Even with your scar?”

  “I’m fine,” Adam said.

  “What about us?” asked Annabelle.

  “They got what they wanted,” Conor said. “I doubt they’ll double back.”

  “You’re just going to leave us here?” I asked.

  Adam kissed my forehead. “I’ll hurry as fast as I can love. I promise.”

  “But—”

  This time, he kissed my lips. “I love you, Hazel.”

  Once again, they transformed. The three wolves bolted down the road, leaving Annabelle, Daniel, and me alone in the carriage.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched Adam run away. He’d adjusted me on the bench and put a blanket over me, my torn ankle mended and elevated. Across from me, Annabelle was in a similar position, curled up with Daniel and under a blanket.

  I sniffled in the freezing air. I was shivering nonstop, my teeth chattering together, and drew myself into a tight ball. I couldn’t elevate my foot this way, but it would mean nothing if it had frozen off by the time Adam returned. For once I was jealous of Daniel. He wasn’t a full werewolf yet, but he still ran warm. He was able to fall asleep on his mother’s chest, not a care in the world.

  “I can’t believe they just left us,” I murmured.

  “You know they had no choice,” Annabelle said.

  I knew they didn’t; someone needed to find Christine and her kidnappers, and it wasn’t safe for them to go alone. Someone needed to find help, and that someone ended up being Adam. I could be angry all I wanted, but that didn’t change the fact that in this situation, there were no other options.

  I was angry that I was in this situation in the first place. I hadn’t asked to come along on this journey. I could have been at home, safe and warm, not risking frostbite or blood loss. I could be safe, but I wasn’t, because I was here, and I was here because nobody gave a bloody hell what I wanted.

  I took a deep breath. Tears slipped down my face and I brushed them away. I couldn’t have the tears freezing on my cheeks. Who knew how long we would be stuck in the middle of the road like this? I flexed my fingers in my gloves, trying to keep them full of blood.

  I breathed again, trying to focus on something other than my own misery. I was stuck here, cold and bleeding, but Christine was in an even worse situation. She was pregnant and kidnapped.

  “Where you think they took her?” I asked.

  Annabelle sighed. “I wish I knew. They were heading north, but who knows if they’ll stay on that road. Hopefully Bridget and Conor can hold onto the scent.”

  “Did you know?” I asked. “That Bridget was a werewolf?”

  “I did,” she said.

  “Does Christine?”

  She frowned. “I would assume so.”

  “How did you find out?”

  Annabelle adjusted herself and Daniel so she could look at me. “You know that I tracked down both Christine and Bridget. Both were originally hesitant to come to Wolf’s Peak. When I met with Bridget and asked her to come work for Christine, she asked me if the stories of werewolves at Wolf’s Peak were true. When I confirmed they were, she was relieved, not scared. I never told her I knew, but I suspected.”

  I was quiet for a moment. “They’ll find her, right?” I knew Annabelle had no more of a clue than I did, but I needed an affirmation. She didn’t give me quite what I was looking for when her answer came after several seconds longer than I’d hoped.

  “Of course they will.”

  Her voice was faint.

  A shiver ran through my body, but I didn’t know if it was from the cold or from terror. My ankle throbbed with every beat of my heart. The blood had probably frozen my stocking to my leg.

  Both Annabelle and I twisted our necks when we heard the sound of a horse and carriage. I pushed myself into a seated position and craned my neck to see out the window. Relief flooded through me when I saw Adam step out.

  “He’s here,” I said as I pulled the blanket around my shoulders. With Daniel in her arms, Annabelle sat up as well. We waited anxiously until Adam opened the door.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  We nodded.

  Adam stood by the door and helped Annabelle down first, supporting her as she limped into the waiting carriage. Once she and Daniel were safely tucked away, it was my turn. I couldn’t put weight on my ankle, so Adam carried me across the snow.

  “Are you all right?” he asked me.

  “As well as can be expected,” I told him.

  “You’re freezing.”

  “Practically an icicle,” I confirmed. I was trying to make light of it, but my limbs and digits were becoming stiff and turning blue. Adam got me settled on the seat and wrapped me a blanket before leaving us once again.

  Adam and our new driver unloaded everything from the first carriage and piled it into the second. I wondered what Adam had told this driver about why we were stranded here. People this far out in the country could be superstitious; I was surprised he had gotten someone to bring us back to Weylyn. If I were to guess, I would guess it had cost him a pretty penny.

  Annabelle and I both watched as the men conversed briefly outside. I was more at ease now that Adam was back, but I didn’t think for one second that this meant we were in any kind of safety. All it meant was that we weren’t sitting ducks here anymore. If someone were to attack us, we had Adam as our protector.

  I flexed my feet, pain shooting up my legs. That had been a mistake, but I wanted to make sure I still could move them through the cold. I gasped at the sensation, like knives were stabbing through the tendons. The cold hadn’t numbed anything. The pain persisted. Hesitantly, I reached down and pulled at the hem of my skirt. The bandage Conor had placed on the back of my ankle was completely soaked with blood, and my stocking had turned bright red. I swallowed the vomit that rose in my throat, tossing my
skirts back down and leaning my head against the back of the seat. I closed my eyes, praying that I wouldn’t pass out.

  The carriage door opened and Adam stepped in. He didn’t say anything about how he was feeling, but I didn’t miss the wince that crossed his face as he sat next to me. His breathing was hard and fast, his face pale.

  “Adam?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  I studied him for a moment. “You’re in pain, aren’t you?”

  He pressed his lips together and nodded. “My muscles were torn when Seth attacked me. They’re mostly healed, but the constant shifting has put a toll on me.”

  I rested my head against his shoulder. “We’re a sorry bunch here, aren’t we?”

  “How’s your ankle?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “Just don’t look at it.”

  “Do you need another new bandage?”

  “I don’t want to touch it,” I admitted. It began to throb again.

  On the floor of the carriage I spotted Conor’s black medical bag. I reached down and grabbed it, rummaging around until I found a bottle.

  “This one says it’s for pain,” I said. I unscrewed the top and took a swig of the bitter liquid, coughing, before handing it to Adam. He took a tentative sip and offered it to Annabelle, who shook her head.

  The medicine began to take hold after we’d set off back toward Wolf’s Peak, and I allowed myself to fall asleep in the warmth of Adam’s arms.

  I hadn’t had a chance to prepare myself for our return. I woke up as we pulled through Weylyn, my ankle fresh with agony. I gasped as my eyes flew open, the pain overwhelming every one of my senses.

  “Hazel, are you okay?” Adam asked me as Annabelle looked on with concern.

  I nodded. I couldn’t speak. The pain had stolen all the air from my lungs.

  “We’re almost to Wolf’s Peak,” Adam said. “We’ll get you rebandaged there.”