Looking up, she could see that it was a man, tall and thin. He was covered in a pelt of some sort, a wolf’s head resting upon his own like a hat. His face was painted black, his features nearly undiscernible.
“Don’t you look good enough to eat,” he growled out as he moved closer.
Without thinking, Arianna picked up the pot and hurled it at the man beast then turned and ran. She didn’t have time to go back to the front of the cabin so she made a dash for the woods.
Her breath coming in sort gasps, she pushed herself faster. Though he would surely catch her in open land, the forest would hide her again, if she could reach it. Her legs burned with the effort as she raced toward the trees. She knew every stick in this part of the forest and she could hide if only she could make it.
The sound of footsteps behind her spurred her on as she reached the forest’s edge. Ducking into its shade, she immediately hid behind a large tree. He’d expect her to continue to run, which was why she stopped. It was important to keep her wits. It was the only thing that might save her.
She watched him race by, his loping stride looking oddly familiar. But as he disappeared among the trees, she turned left and made her way to a better hiding spot. Once the coast was clear, she’d go home. Someone in the village could surely help her care for her grandmother.
Part of her wished to pull back that infernal hood. It blocked her hearing, but it also kept her hair from giving her away. Just as she was about to risk it, two more voices filtered her way.
“The young pup is on the scent,” one called.
“Fan out,” another replied. “Help him catch our prey.”
She froze in fear, crouching down to blend in to her surroundings. But the next sound made her blood run cold. A hound let out a howl and she knew her cloak would only protect her for so long. It would hide her from a man’s sight but not from a dog’s nose.
She’d thought to return the way she had come but instead, she pushed toward an estuary that ran nearby. If the tide was high enough, it would be full. Hiding in the water was the only way to fool the dogs.
Splashing into the icy water, she grabbed a log that was floating nearby and pulled her cloak tighter about her head allowing her body to sink down into the water.
The tide was pulling out and soon she’d be at the beach. Hopefully the water would eliminate her scent and then she could wait out these ruffians. She would hide among the rocks and once the coast was clear, go back to her grandmother’s cottage and stay for the night.
Her heart was still beating wildly in her chest. The beach came into view and she made to slip off the log to swim to the shore, but as she let go of the log, her robes were too heavy and she began to sink.
Gasping, she clutched at the log again as the force of the water pulled her further out into the sea.
Arianna briefly wondered if she should take off the cloak and swim for shore but then she’d be exposed.
She was already near frozen and her mind couldn’t seem to decide if it was better to be swept out to sea or to be found by the wolf men. Looking back, she saw two of them searching the beach and she hunkered her head down again, her decision made.
But the water’s pull was faster than she imagined and within minutes, she was quite far out. Too far to ever swim back to the shore. Her legs barely worked, they were completely numb from the water. She tried to push herself further up on the log and out of the icy depths but her body just wouldn’t cooperate. It was then that her hood finally fell away. It didn’t matter now, she’d be dead in a matter minutes if she didn’t get out of this water.
Laying her head on the log, she closed her eyes. Better to die peacefully here then to have been captured by those men, her clouded mind reasoned.
“I do believe I’ve found a mermaid,” a deep voice called out. The wolf men. Her body jerked to attention and she lifted her head. But it wasn’t wolf men, but a large ship that filled her gaze.
Where had that come from?
CHAPTER 2
NICK JUMPED into the icy water, heedless of the cold. It wasn’t the first time he’d doused himself in the frigid Scottish ocean and he suspected it wouldn’t be his last.
He’d seen an odd movement in the spy glass and when the shock of red hair had come into view, he’d known it was a person in the water.
He had to be careful, of course. He’d been tasked with an important mission. One at which he could not fail, but he didn’t believe that he couldn’t rescue another person from drowning. It was the right thing to do, no matter what other mission was his to complete.
Swimming to the log, he could see that it was a young woman grasping the log with all the strength she had left. Her eyes blinked dazedly at him as she said nothing.
“Don’t you worry,” he found himself soothing her. “I’ll get you out of this water.”
Even as pale as her skin was, he could see her beauty. Fine high cheek bones, a perfectly straight nose and full lips, albeit currently purple in color.
Catching a rope that a member of his crew threw down, he tied it under her arms and gave the signal.
They easily pulled her from the water and tossed another rope down for him.
As soon as his feet hit the deck, he plucked the woman from his first mate’s arms and started for his quarters. He could tell by her color that the cold was bleeding the life out of her. She needed to get warm.
Heading for his cabin, he lay her on the floor, her eyes now closed, as he piled blankets on the bed.
Pulling the cloak from her shoulders, he stripped off her simple garments as quickly as he could. He kept himself focused on the task, trying not to look at her much. She was in distress and he focused on that.
When the cold air hit her skin she moaned and as he scooped her up to settle her in the bed, she gave a cry at the feel of his wet clothing.
Yanking back the covers, he laid her quickly on the mattress and then tossed the blankets on top of her. He knew he had to warm her fast and there was no fire to stoke up on a ship.
Grimacing, he stripped down his own clothing then and slipped under the blankets. She felt like ice against him as he settled her body closer.
It had been a long time since he’d held any woman and as he wrapped an arm about her waist, he tried not to think about what he was doing. He meant to warm her. But he couldn’t help but notice how perfectly she fit against the hollows of his body. She relaxed into him and for a moment pressed closer until she jerked away and cried out. “The wolves, the wolves.”
“Hush,” he whispered close to her ear. “There are no wolves here. You’re safe.”
She shrunk further into him, her hands clutching at his waist. “The wolves.” She repeated as though it meant something. Of course, there weren’t actual wolves. Not here, not for centuries. But why would she be saying it?
Her body slowly heated next to his and he breathed a sigh of relief. When she was finally warm, he slipped out of the bed and got dressed. The cold air was a slap to his body after the warmth of lying next to her. But, intimate as it was, she didn’t know him and it might frighten her to wake next to a stranger. He didn’t want to leave her, but he would allow her the privacy of waking in bed alone.
Sitting back on top of the covers, he brushed the still-damp locks of red hair away from her face. She looked even lovelier now, her cheeks rosy with warmth, her lips a soft pink. The creamy edge of her shoulder peaked out from under the blanket and his fingertips brushed its curve. He wanted to make sure she was still warm but he could admit, at least to himself, that her skin was silky soft and he simply liked touching it.
Where had she come from? Why was she in the water and who were the wolves?
Reluctantly, he stood. Nick didn’t want to leave her, but he did need to speak with his crew. He had to stop long enough to answer these basic questions. He couldn’t just sail off with her.
Though it was tempting. Then he laughed at himself. All three of his brothers had recently fallen in love and mar
ried. Graham had started it, meeting and marrying Charlotte. But the other two had quickly fallen as well. Their lovesick antics had clearly addled his mind.
But thinking of his brothers led him to remember why he’d set out in the first place. He pulled a pouch from his belt and opened the string that tied it closed.
Tiny shards of glass glittered up at him, their appeal undeniable. Even now, with half of them missing, scattered along the ocean floor, they begged him to be whole. Promised him a bright and beautiful future if only he’d put them back together again.
“Enough of that.” He cinched the bag closed determined to ignore them. “You’ll stay as you are.” He wasn’t crazy, hadn’t imagined that inanimate objects had spoken. They were, in fact, enchanted. Remnants of a magical object that his brother, Will, and wife, Eirwen, had destroyed when they’d defeated a sorceress.
Before Graham and Charlotte, if you’d asked him if magic was real, he would have denied it. Laughed even. But he’d seen far too much with his own eyes to ever deny it now.
Looking up from the bag, large eyes made contact with his. She was awake. Whoever she was. And she was looking from the bag to him, her lovely green eyes growing larger with each passing second.
“Did you hear it too?” he asked, but she only shrunk into the bed, pulling the blankets up to her nose. He was frightening her. He couldn’t blame her. He had time to get used to this whole business of magic and it still scared him near to death. He tried again. A safer topic. “What’s your name?”
“Arianna,” her voice was almost impossible to hear as it whispered out, muffled by the quilt.
“Arianna?” he asked to make sure and she nodded her head. “Is something wrong with your voice?”
She nodded again, allowing the covers to dip down to her chin. “I can’t…” but she let it trail off her hand coming to her throat. The gesture exposed a little more of her skin.
“Is it always like this or was it the water?” He wanted to brush her hair away from her face again, to comfort her, but he’d frightened her enough already.
“Water,” she whispered.
He got up then and crossed the room to pull a fresh shirt from one of the built-in drawers. “Put this on. I am going to find some hot broth for you and have the ship’s doctor give you an examination.”
One of her creamy arms reached from under the blankets to grab the shirt from his outstretched hand. Her eyes were still wide with fear, her auburn tresses cascading about her. He swallowed, hard. Beautiful as she was, he had to find where she belonged and return her quickly. He had a job to do.
CHAPTER 3
THE MAN WAS DAFT.
It was the only explanation for why he’d been talking to the contents of a bag. What was more, he seemed to think they were talking back.
What unsettled her the most about the entire interaction was that she had heard something strange. A voice, as though in her mind, asking her for help. Begging to be whole. Promising her the aid she needed. It even promised help with the wolves.
She searched her mind to remember where she was and how she’d gotten here? Memories of the men dressed as wolves flooded her thoughts and she shrank further into the bed. She knew she was on a ship and it suddenly occurred to her that she could just sail away from this whole business. They’d wanted to hurt her, those men. Referred to her as prey. What had happened to the other girls in her village?
She shuddered, because that made her think of her family—her Granny, brother, and mother—who would surely be worried.
She couldn’t just sail away with an insane man. It was ludicrous to even think. No matter the danger, she would stay. Care for them and help them as best she could. Even if that did mean she put herself in harm’s way.
Crazy as her sailor might be, he had plucked her from the water. A little warmth spread through her at the thought.
And it wasn’t just because he was handsome, though by the saints, he was handsome. Rich brown hair and sparkling eyes. A strong jaw with broad shoulders. He had the sort of strength…then she laughed at her own thoughts. She’d been about to say that he looked like the sort of man who could save a woman. But, of course, he was. He had saved her. Jumped into freezing water to rescue her.
She closed her eyes. Even if he couldn’t help with the wolves, mayhap he could return her to the beach to deliver the basket to her Granny?
She’d failed everyone today.
She attempted to sit up in bed to put on the shirt but her limbs simply wouldn’t work. She couldn’t even get her arms to prop her up so that she might pull the garment over her shoulders.
The door knob rattled and she did manage to once again pull the blankets up to her chin.
The man entered, her handsome sailor, and another older and stately gentleman followed.
“Brave thing you did, Captain Fairfield.” The older one patted Captain Fairfield on the back.
She found she liked the name. It suited him.
The captain grimaced, waving his hand to dismiss the praise. “I’m concerned she’ll grow ill. She can barely speak and I’ve no idea how long she was in the water.
“Her voice isn’t working so well, is it?” The doctor gave her a sympathetic glance.
The captain looked at her then too. He skimmed his gaze over her with the blankets up to her nose and then his gaze rested on the shirt still on the bed. “Dr. Harper, would you give us one moment please?”
The doctor nodded and then turned around again, exiting the room, and pulling the door closed behind him.
“Couldn’t…” she started but he held up his hand.
“Don’t waste your voice, I understand.” Then he sat on the bed next to her and grasped her by the shoulders. “I’m going to pull you up and slip the shirt around your back. I’ll help you get it on and I will do my very best to guard your modesty.”
Arianna blinked, heat infusing her cheeks. No man had seen her skin like that. And while he was being a gentleman about it, she simply could not believe this was happening.
He lifted her into a sitting position and slipped the shirt behind her, just as he said he would. Then, keeping his eyes averted, he lowered the blankets just a little to stuff her arms through. Even as weak as she was, his touch was delightfully warm, strong and solid in a way that made her feel safe and…well, she wasn’t entirely certain what else she was feeling but it was some sort of excitement.
Then, pulling the garment closed, he began to do up the buttons. Heat flared anew in her cheeks, something about this simple act so intimate. But then, as he’d gotten all the buttons done up so that the blankets pooled about her legs, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Better?” he asked.
She nodded, glad to not have a voice. Because, if she tried to speak, her tongue would surely be tied. Not that it had been unpleasant, far from it. But still, this strange day grew odder.
“Come back in Dr. Harper,” Captain Fairfield called. “And bring the broth.”
Broth. Hot soothing liquid sounded divine. Amazingly, the captain settled her back against the plump pillows keeping her head upright and, when the doctor handed him the cup of broth, the captain began to feed her himself.
The warm liquid soothed her throat and gave her some small amount of strength. “Have to go back,” she barely croaked. “My Granny.”
The captain gave a nod. “I’ve already instructed my crew to turn the ship.” He gave her another sip of broth and then set the cup aside. Rising, he moved away as the doctor took the captain’s place to examine her. She missed his heat.
He felt her throat, her head then turned back to Captain Fairfield, who’d come back into the room. “She’ll regain her voice in a few days. Keep feeding her broth and soft foods. Keep her warm and dry.”
“Granny,” she croaked.
“I’ll see to your, Granny.” Captain Fairfield told her. “You need to stay in bed. Should we return to the beach about where we rescued you?”
She nodded.
“Do you
write?” he asked.
She did and as he grabbed a piece of paper and quill, she tried to formulate her thoughts. Then she scrolled.
TAKE path on left of beach up cliff.
Granny is ill. Knock at cottage door and tell her I sent you.
Give her basket if it is still there.
Bring gun and men in case the wolves attack.
NICK READ her words over her shoulder. She didn’t have time to be eloquent, though she knew she sounded rough. “Wolves?” he asked. “You mentioned them in your sleep. Who are the wolves?”
She started, suddenly aware that he’d watched her as she slept. Then she sighed to herself, of course he had. He’d been there when she woke. But it hadn’t occurred to her that he’d been there the entire time. It didn’t matter, she needed to focus on her Granny.
MEN DRESSED IN WOLF CLOTHING.
Terrorizing the village.
HIS EYES GREW round as he read her words. “Do you have other family in the village?” he asked.
She nodded.
MOTHER AND BROTHER. Papa is away.
“WE’LL BE BACK at the beach before the sun sets. The wind is in our favor.” He patted her shoulder then. “I will take care of your Granny tonight but I will leave you here where you are warm and dry. We’ll anchor for the night and see how you are in the morning?”
“I agree,” the doctor nodded. “You shouldn’t be exposed to the elements for a few days, anyhow.”
She grimaced, but nodded her head reluctantly. Her mother would be fine until the morning. She’d told Arianna to stay if it got too late. But still, after meeting the wolves, she was worried for her family.
She wanted to be by their sides. She looked at Nick again. How nice would it be to have a strong man by her side now? Not one that talked to his belt, of course, but someone like him who could help shoulder the burden they had faced. At least Granny would have help tonight. She’d face the rest tomorrow.
Romantically Enchanted: A Twisted Fairytale Collection Page 50