“I let you go with him, and you just end up getting injured. He has no interest in keeping you safe.”
Harry crossed his arms. “Mum, she’s just clumsy, you know that. Remember when she tripped and fell in the lake when she was eight? Or when she fell down the stairs? Or when she—”
“All right, that’s enough,” I said, cutting him off. He shrugged.
“I just think it’s wrong,” she sighed.
I cleared my throat. “I think I’m going to get some sleep,” I said.
“Fine,” my mother sighed. “But we are going to have a conversation about this later.”
“All right, Mum. Whatever you say.” I reached over and took a gulp of the tonic. The bitter liquid slid down my throat. I knew I didn’t have long until I was completely knocked out.
My mum sighed and left the room, and Harry followed behind. I lay down on my bed, and as I tried to get comfortable, I realized my hair was still pulled back. Annoyed, I climbed out of bed and limped over to my desk. I sat down and pulled the pins out of my hair as the tonic started to take hold of my system. My vision swam and I clutched at my desk to get ahold of myself before standing. As I crossed back to my bed, I glanced out the window.
I thought I hallucinated the wolf watching me.
I would turn out to be very wrong.
Chapter Fourteen
I slept through the whole night and most of the next morning, but I didn’t sleep well. I woke up every few hours, either in pain or from horrific nightmares. In a way, the two were related. In my dreams, I dreamt that I looked down and my teeth had clattered to the floor. I stretched my arms in front of my body to see sharp claws punch through the tips of my fingers, blood dripping everywhere. My back arched backward and I felt my bones crack before collapsing to the floor.
I would wake up, heart racing, breathing coming in short bursts. The pain around most of my body had subsided except for the pain in my ankle. I blinked away tears as I struggled to regain my breath through the agony.
I fumbled my hand along my bedside table in the dark, nearly crying in relief as I found the bottle of tonic. I lit the candle by my bed and drank the medicine, washing it down with a glass of water.
My mother knocked on the door early in the afternoon. I rubbed at my eyes as she entered, and she hesitated in the doorway.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right if we leave?” she asked me.
I struggled to sit. “I’ll be fine, Mum, I promise.”
“Because we can postpone our trip.”
That was the absolute last thing I wanted. I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do the night of the full moon, when I ran the risk of transforming. I didn’t want my mother here for that, and I didn’t want her here in the days leading up to it either. I was already a wreck.
“I’ll be all right,” I told her. “Harry is here, and so is Rose.”
“I suppose that’s true,” she sighed. “All right. Rest up.”
I promised I would. Through the window I could hear my mother and father load into the carriage and start off down the road. Once I knew she was gone, I fell asleep.
I was woken up again by a knock on the door. Rose came in.
“Hazel, Adam is here,” she said. “I knew you were sleeping, so I wasn’t sure if you’d want him to come up.”
I pushed hair out of my face. “Thanks, Rose. You can send him up.”
A few moments later, Adam arrived. He sat on the edge of my bed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, eyes full of concern.
I couldn’t stop playing with my hair. I knew it was a mess. “I’m doing all right. Still in a lot of pain, but the tonic is helping. I’ve mostly been sleeping.”
He rested his hand against my cheek, and I closed my eyes at the touch.
“I missed you last night,” he said. “It was strange not waking up beside you.”
“I missed you too,” I said. I didn’t mention my nightmares. I didn’t want to concern him.
“You know that I can’t wait to marry you, right?”
I smiled. “I can’t wait either.”
“Just a few more months.”
“You still have time to run, if you want.”
He laughed. “Never.”
I was grinning back at him, but then his face became somber. I swallowed, my heart beginning to beat faster.
“What’s going on?” I asked him.
“We heard from Conor and Bridget. We know where Christine is being kept.”
I tucked my hair behind my hear. “But that’s great news. She’s still alive?”
“We don’t know for sure. The castle that Seth is holed up in only has one side with any sort of coverage to watch from; most of it is just endless flatland. They haven’t been able to catch sight of her from where they’re positioned, but they haven’t seen anything to make them think she’s been killed. Seth and his men haven’t brought out any bodies or anything.”
My shoulders sank in relief, and I was surprised by the tears springing to my eyes. “That’s such good news.”
He gave a small smile. “I wanted to tell you before we left.”
“What?” I tilted my head.
“We’re leaving now, but I had to say goodbye.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re going?”
“Of course I’m going.”
“Adam, you’re still injured! You’re still recovering! Who knows what danger you’ll face against Seth!” It felt like all the air had been kicked out of my lungs. I clutched at the blankets until my knuckles turned white.
“Hazel, this is my job. It’s what I have to do. Christine is Jasper’s wife, and I work for Jasper.”
My eyes filled with tears, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But Adam, the full moon is tomorrow, and I could turn. I need you here with me, just in case.”
He took my hands. “I know, Hazel, I know. I’m sorry.”
“My parents will be back tomorrow. How can I explain to them why I turned?”
He thought for a moment. “What if you stayed at Wolf’s Peak? I’ll have Annabelle stay with you. We’ll tell your mum that it’s so you’re there when Christine returns. If you shift, Annabelle will be there to help you.”
“But I want you,” I whispered.
He pulled me close to him, my head resting against his chest. “I know, my love, and I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “How can you do this to me? How can you put your job over me?”
“I swore an oath when I joined the council—”
“What’s going to happen when we have children? What if I need you around?”
“I’m sure—”
“You’re sure of what? Because I don’t think I’m sure of anything right now.”
He sighed. “Hazel, please don’t do this. Not right before I have to leave.”
“I’m sorry if I’m inconveniencing you.”
“Hazel—”
I sniffled. “Have Annabelle come get me tomorrow afternoon. I’ll see you when you get back.”
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I love you.”
I didn’t respond.
I was still bitter when Annabelle arrived the next day. It had been another sleepless night for me, filled with pain and nightmares, and I was in a bad mood. All I wanted was to skip through to a week from now, when Adam was back and I knew if I was a werewolf now or not.
“You ready?” Annabelle asked as she stood in the doorway to my bedroom.
“Almost,” I told her. “It’s been a bit of a struggle to move around.”
“Well, there’s no rush. We’ve got plenty of time until the moon rises.”
“Thank you for doing this with me,” I said as I packed my freshly-laundered gowns into my trunk. Since our cover story was that I was waiting for Christine, I would be staying at Wolf’s Peak until everyone returned. That could be a couple of days or several. Since I didn’t know how long we’d be gone, I packed heavy so I wouldn’t have to return h
ome and face questioning by my mother.
“It’s no problem at all,” Annabelle said. “I know that you must be terrified, even if the doctors don’t think there’s much risk.”
“I’m petrified. I know that I probably won’t turn, but every time I think about it, I feel like I might pass out.”
She put a hand on my arm, pausing me as I tossed a few more things into my trunk. “You’re going to be all right.”
I gave her a small smile. “Thanks.”
Harry appeared in my doorway. “Are you ready?”
We hadn’t told Harry everything; we didn’t want him to stress. Instead, we told him what he would tell my parents, that I was going so I could be a support system for Christine. I closed my trunk and Harry crossed my room to pick it up.
“How long will you be gone?” he asked.
I glanced at Annabelle. “Until the duchess returns, I suppose.”
“If she returns.”
“Don’t say that,” I scolded him. “I’m already worried enough.”
Harry carried my luggage out to the waiting carriage before coming back for me. I struggled with stairs, even going down them, so he hooked an arm around me and helped me hop down each step.
“How long until you’re healed?” he asked me.
“Dr. Brighton says I need to be in the cast for about eight weeks. After that it’ll take a little bit of time to get it back to full strength.”
He whistled. “That sounds bad. They must have really got you.”
I swallowed. I didn’t want Harry to know that I’d been bitten, not until we knew if I was going to turn or not. “Severed the tendon, the doctor said. Guy must have had pretty sharp claws.”
We left the house behind and limped toward the carriage, where Annabelle and Daniel were waiting. Harry lifted me inside, and I let myself fall back on the seat. My ankle throbbed from the effort, and I was desperate to get to Wolf’s Peak so I could unpack and get at my pain tonic.
“It’s awfully kind of the duke to let us stay at his home,” I said as our carriage started off to Wolf’s Peak.
Annabelle shrugged. “Oh, the duke doesn’t mind. You and Adam can stay at Wolf’s Peak whenever you’d like.”
I chuckled. “Do you have the sort of authority to say that?”
“Probably not, but it’s true. I’ve known Jasper a long time. He was my brother-in-law for a year.”
“I forget about that sometimes,” I admitted. “Cecilia was older than me, and I didn’t know her well. Does it make you feel awkward sometimes, that Jasper’s moved on?”
She shook her head. “He deserved to move on. He needed to move on. I know my sister would have wanted him to be happy.”
“I don’t know how I’d feel if Adam had been married once already. I might feel that I would never measure up.”
“Jasper adores Christine, just like Adam adores you.”
“Do you think?” I asked, remembering my fight with Adam the day before.
“That man adores you,” Annabelle said. “He has for God knows how long. If he hadn’t asked you to court, I would have done it for him.”
“You know, the weekend of our interviews, Jasper and I had a talk. He told me that Adam cared for me, though his words were more cryptic than that.”
Annabelle smirked. “Sounds about right.”
“I wasn’t sure I believed him. Sometimes I still don’t.”
“Oh, my dear,” she sighed, “that’s perfectly normal.”
We pulled up to Wolf’s Peak and Mr. Potter took our luggage and helped me inside and up the stairs. The servants had prepared the same room for me as the last time I had stayed here, when Adam was recovering.
“I love this room,” Annabelle said with a sigh, lingering in the doorway as I unpacked my gowns into the wardrobe.
“What room are you in?”
“Two doors down from you. That’s mine and Stephen’s room.”
“You have your own room here?”
She grinned. “I told you, Jasper is happy to let us stay here. Stephen is sort of his second-in-command, so some nights we’re here late. We’ve had that room as our own for years. Makes things easier. It has sort of a nook off of it where we keep Daniel’s crib.”
“Where is he, by the way?”
“Down for a nap. We have some quiet.”
I paused for a moment. “How does Stephen handle your work/life balance?” I asked her.
“Not very well.”
“And how do you handle that? How do you make your family work?”
She smiled. “The councilmen work hard to keep the peace in the werewolf community. That means that Stephen and Adam are busy a lot. And I know that can be really hard, so I’ve inserted myself into his life. It takes a little bit of work, sure, but if we haven’t spent enough time together, I come along with him. Sometimes it drives him nuts, but it helps keep him grounded. He remembers that we need time together.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“It’s not going to be easy. But remember, this is new to Adam. Stephen and I have been married for several years and we’re still trying to work it all out. You need to cut him a little bit of a break.”
“I suppose.”
“But,” she said, smirking, “don’t be afraid to let him know when he needs to give you a little bit more attention.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“They can be maddening,” she said with a sigh, sinking down into the chairs. “They get so absorbed in their work that they forget we exist. The first year of our marriage was rough. Stephen would get home late; I rarely saw him. Finally one day I got fed up. He told me he was going to Wolf’s Peak, and I asked if I could come along. He was surprised, but I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I ate dinner with the men and actually got to spend time with my husband. Oh, some of the older ones aren’t thrilled about it, but they don’t like spending time with their wives anyway.”
I laughed.
“And Jasper respects me,” she said. “He’ll say no if he feels he needs to.”
“I hope to someday get to that point,” I said.
“Right now, it’s all new. And Jasper cares for you just as he cares for me. He wants to make sure we’re safe and happy and that we don’t kill our husbands. Now, are you hungry?”
I had to admit I was; I hadn’t eaten much since I’d returned home. Food didn’t mix well with the pain tonic. Annabelle promised that we’d get something easy on my stomach, and she was true to her word when we sat down and Daisy served me a bowl of soup.
“Annabelle mentioned your stomach was upset. I hope this is all right,” she said.
“It’s perfect,” I told her.
I only sipped at the broth. The sky was beginning to grow darker, the trees black against the pink and purple sky. Sunset meant moonrise, and that meant my fate was drawing closer and closer. My hands began to shake, broth splashing back into the bowl. I struggled to take a deep breath, but I thought I might vomit.
It didn’t escape Annabelle’s notice; I caught her eyeing me. But I think she knew that there wasn’t much she could say that would ease my nerves, so she waited until I asked to go upstairs. She grabbed a bottle off the nearby rack, and together we climbed the stairs to my room.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” I told her.
“Are you kidding?” she asked, popping open the bottle. “It’s what I’m here for. I know you’re nervous. Here.”
She thrust the bottle at me, and I took a sip. The rum burned just a bit on the way down. For a moment I again thought I’d vomit, but soon enough it passed.
I sat perfectly still, watching the moon creep over the trees. Every twinge of pain, every tingle of my body sent me into a panic.
Waiting.
Something tickled my leg. Only my skirt.
Waiting.
The only sound was the ticking of the clock.
Tick, tick, tick.
Waiting.
I ran my tongue across my teeth
, making sure they didn’t feel loose.
Waiting.
The moon was high in the sky now. If I were going to turn, it would be any moment.
Waiting.
“You’re in the clear,” Annabelle said.
“You’re sure?”
“You should have turned twenty minutes ago, if you were going to turn at all.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I was safe.
If only I’d known how wrong I was.
Chapter Fifteen
Knowing that I wasn’t going to become a werewolf was a huge weight off my shoulders. Still, I didn’t sleep well, due to a mixture of pain and anxiety. Christine was still in danger, and Adam was out there trying to help save her. Two of my favorite people in the world had their lives on the line, and there was nothing I could do to help.
It was driving me mad, so the next morning, after I’d roused myself from bed, I asked Annabelle for advice once again.
“How do you do it?” I asked her as we sat in the breakfast room, sipping at tea. Annabelle had woken far earlier than I had, and had already eaten. I was waiting for my breakfast to be made.
“You’re going to need to elaborate, dear,” she said, reaching down and steering Daniel away from the potted plants.
“How do you handle Stephen being in danger? Doesn’t it worry you?”
“Oh,” she said with a nod. “Of course this worries me, but as I said last night, I’ve adjusted to it. You haven’t had a chance yet. And remember, too, this is the most action the council members have seen in, oh...five years.”
“Five years?”
“That was the last time Jasper saw Seth. The year that Cecilia died.”
“That’s right,” I said with a nod.
“Yes, the men are often in dangerous situations, but they’re well-trained. What happened to Adam is very rare. It’s been a long, long time since a wolf attacked anyone on the grounds of Wolf’s Peak. The men weren’t on their guard. Normally, like with this trip to rescue Christine, they’re a lot more prepared.”
I was about to respond when Mr. Potter came in the room, holding a small pink box.
“Miss Hazel, a man dropped this off for you,” he said, handing the box to me.
The Wolf's Betrothed (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 5) Page 11