WolfeBlade: de Wolfe Pack Generations

by Kathryn Le Veque

  Gone.

  But perhaps he had even more reason than that, as Lukas and Andreas were about to find out.

  “There is something you should know,” he said quietly. “I have spent my entire life upholding the good de Leia name. Or, trying to. My father, Henri de Leia, was a good man, as was his father before him. But we have suffered with the House of de Soulis as our neighbors for generations and the sins committed against us by those bastards are beyond measure. It has been our cross to bear. There is a history there that you should be aware of, lads. Nicholas de Soulis’ attack against Gavriella was not the first time a de Soulis has violated a woman in my family. It is only the latest.”

  Andreas and Lukas looked at the man with some sorrow. Given the reputation of de Soulis, they weren’t surprised to hear it. But Merek’s confession was unexpected.

  “Then this has happened before,” Andreas said quietly.

  Merek nodded. “Aye,” he said. “I was the result when John de Soulis’ father raped my mother as a young girl. She was only fifteen and newly married to my father, and as she told me upon her deathbed, she allowed Henri to think that he was my father. She never told him the truth, mayhap for the same reason I had when I sent the infant to Edenside and my daughter to London. Pride, honor… peace of mind. Because no one can win in a battle against de Soulis. They have Lucifer on their side, and no one can win against the Fallen One.”

  Andreas eyed the man with pity, with frustration. “I am truly sorry for you, my lord,” he said sincerely. “But surely you do not believe that they fight with Lucifer at their side.”

  Merek sighed heavily. “It has long been rumored that they believe in such things,” he said. “I would not be surprised if their obsession with this infant has something to do with it. I suppose that is why I never told Giddy. Even if I wanted the child, and my daughter, out of my sight, that doesn’t mean I was willing to throw them both to the wolves. Maybe, in my own way, I was protecting them. I should have been more honorable about it.”

  “But you let Giddy continue? Why did you not just send her away when you realized who had sent her?”

  Merek shrugged. “Loneliness, and fear, does strange things to a man sometimes,” he murmured. “Some attention is better than no attention at all. But I make no excuses. I thought you should know… everything. And I am sorry.”

  Perhaps they did understand everything, but it didn’t change the situation. Andreas simply dipped his head as if to acknowledge what he’d been told before quitting the chamber. He was almost to the stairs when he heard a voice behind him.

  “I am going with you.”

  Andreas stopped, turning to Lukas as the man walked up behind him. “Nay,” he said. “You must stay here to protect Gavriella. I do not know why de Soulis has not tried to take her before now, but they may try now that they know where the infant is. I am asking you to remain here with her. Will you, please?”

  Lukas frowned, but he didn’t fight Andreas. “Aye,” he said begrudgingly. “But do not go alone. Take your knights with you, at least. If you have to fight de Soulis for the infant, do not go into a fight with them undermanned.”

  “True enough,” Andreas said. “Please find my cousin, Will, and tell him what has happened. He is trustworthy. You may tell him everything. Tell him to gather one hundred men and be prepared to depart within the hour.”

  They split up, going about their duties. Andreas went on the hunt for Gavriella, finding her in the kitchen yard taking an inventory of the stores they’d used the previous night. She was very glad to see him and when he told her that he had permission to marry her, she threw herself at him gleefully and he spun her around as the kitchen servants grinned. For a brief and shining moment, they gave in to their delight.

  A moment of joy among hours of darkness.

  But their joy was short-lived when he told her what he and Lukas suspected and where he was going. Andreas really wasn’t surprised when she insisted on going with him. In truth, he didn’t have the heart to stop her.

  There was no way he could have.

  A mother determined to get to her child.

  Within the hour, they were mounted along with Will, Brodie, Gareth, and Corey, leaving Reed riding hard for Kale Water Castle to summon help from Troy. The Lair was closer, but Andreas wanted his father’s help because his Uncle Scott had enough to deal with at the moment, Scots and all. Lukas was left at Falstone to command the army. It was his post, after all, and he would man it till the death.

  As he watched the group of knights and one hundred soldiers pour out of Falstone’s gatehouse, he seriously wondered how this situation was going to end. He had several scenarios in his mind and only one of them good.

  When one was dealing with the House of de Soulis, the devil was in the details.

  Or, so the rumors said…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The journey to Edenside Foundling Home was a little more than a day’s ride from Falstone under normal conditions, but having suffered through a recent snowstorm, these weren’t normal conditions.

  Far from it.

  Even though the day following the storm had dawned bright and remained so, the appearance of the sun and the rise in temperature had turned the roads into soup and the rivers into torrents. The snow was melting and the water runoff was great., More than once, the horses had been up to their knees in muck.

  But that didn’t stop them.

  Andreas was trying to be thoughtful of Gavriella and not push too hard but, as it ended up, she was the one pushing them and setting the pace. She was heavily clad in warm clothing, so she was protected against the temperatures as she pushed her sturdy horse through swollen streams and muddy roads like a madwoman. There was a frenzy to her movements, a desperation.

  She had a son to retrieve.

  It came to the point where the men were simply trying to keep up with her.

  Andreas let her lead the way, mostly because there was no way to stop her, and it occurred to him how much the separation from the baby must have hurt her. He thought back to the moment he’d first met her, how hysterical and sad she had seemed. Guarded. She’s been rude and planted behind a shield of her own making. Given what he knew now, he understood completely, but the fact that she was rushing almost recklessly to collect her son told him much, much more.

  How much she had been hurting.

  It also began to occur to him what a rational nature she had because she didn’t view the child as something horrific, a reminder of the worst moment of her life. She didn’t equate him to the violent and vile act of his conception and Andreas thought that was quite remarkable. As a knight, he’d been trained to keep emotions out of the violence perpetrated in battle. An emotional fighter was often a man with a death wish. But a woman with that kind of capacity for reason and understanding of a violent moment in her life was remarkable, indeed. With every moment that passed, Andreas was more and more impressed by her.

  And the group pushed on.

  In truth, no one said a word about Gavriella wanting to push that hard. They simply followed her. When they reached spots in the road that seemed impassable, someone always found a way around it. Because the days were shorter, the sun set much earlier than normal and evening came beneath what was, strangely enough, called a wolf moon. It happened in January every year and was thought, by some, to have been called a wolf moon because the wolves seemed to bay at it more than any other moon.

  Andreas thought it was rather appropriate.

  That big, bright moon illuminated the countryside so they could see their way into Kelso. It had been dark for a few hours by the time they reached the border village with its great abbey, a soaring icon of stability and religion against the night sky. Andreas had been here, several times, and it occurred to him that he should probably send word to his Uncle Thomas about the situation since Edenside was his wife’s charity.

  Mae de Wolfe, Thomas’ wife, had taken charge of the charity right after a scandal that had seen th
ose in charge of the children selling them off for most unsavory purposes in most instances. She had taken a charity rocked by pain and scandal and mistrust and had made it into something fine and good.

  When he first heard that Gavriella’s infant had been taken there, he knew the child would be well-tended. He’d tried to tell Gavriella that before they left that morning, but she had been too preoccupied with the idea of seeing her son soon. Until the advent of Andreas, it was something she could have never even dreamed of. A distant father, a dark situation, and no hope.

  Andreas had once called her a new day. What he hadn’t realized was that he was her new day, too.

  The village of Kelso was quiet at this time of night and Andreas forced Gavriella to slow down so she wouldn’t awaken the entire village by thundering through. Reluctantly, she did, and Andreas took the lead, directing the party through the village and to the eastern side, which had been heavily burned by the Scots. The road continued all the way to Berwick, but the Edenside Foundling Home was just a few minutes out of town along this very path.

  Andreas could see it up ahead.

  Gavriella, of course, had never been to the home, so she didn’t know they were there until Andreas reined his horse to a halt in front of it.

  In fact, it didn’t look like a foundling home at all.

  Edenside had been a fortified tower house many years ago before the church took it over. There was a big, round tower with tiny windows towards the top and the entire complex was surrounded by a masonry wall that was quite tall, having been built and reinforced by the Earl of Northumbria. There was a massive gate in the wall, heavy oak and fortified by thick iron strips. As Brodie ordered the escort to spread out and dispatched a few scouts to comb the area, Andreas helped Gavriella off her horse and, along with Will and Gareth, approached the gate.

  There was a big iron bell attached to the wall next to the gate. It was meant to be used if a child was dropped off, but Andreas rang the bell loudly. As the echoes sounded off the walls, off the top of the tower, he looked at Gavriella, standing next to him.

  He was holding her hand, but she was squeezing his hard enough to cut off circulation. Even through his gloves, he could feel it.

  Her nerves had the better of her.

  “Do not fret,” he said softly. “We shall have the child back in no time.”

  She looked at him, her expression strained even though she was trying to smile. “I know,” she said. “I simply… God, Dray, you have no concept of how much it tore me apart when my father ordered my son away. He was so young… only a few weeks old. I know I should have hated the babe and I should have wanted him to disappear because of the violence he reminded me of but, as I told you, he was innocent. He was a victim as much as I was. But I will admit that when I first realized I had conceived, I prayed that I would lose the pregnancy.”

  He squeezed her hand. “That is understandable,” he said softly. “What changed your mind?”

  Her smile turned real. A soft, gentle gesture. “When I first felt him move,” she said. “Something changed at that moment. I am not sure why, but it did. When he was born, it wasn’t as difficult as I had been told. He came right out and when I looked in his face, I understood the meaning of true love. I… I’ve never really had that. Someone to love me, I mean. Not even my father does. But Storm… he was all mine and he loved me, and I loved him.”

  “Storm?”

  She nodded. “That is his name,” she said. “He was born on a stormy April morning, so I named him Storm. Mayhap someday, he will harness the wind as a great knight.”

  Andreas smiled. “He will be raised as a de Wolfe,” he said quietly. “Storm de Wolfe. Does this displease you?”

  She shook her head, gazing up at him. “Nay,” she said. “It is the greatest blessing I could ask for. That you are willing to treat him as your own. Truly, Dray… your compassion is astounding. I am humbled in the face of it.”

  He lifted her hand, kissing it. “It is I who am humbled,” he murmured. “And you have someone to love you in me. Don’t you realize that?”

  She nodded, her free hand coming up to touch his face, so sweetly and so tenderly. “I do,” she said. “But I still think I am dreaming.”

  “If you are, then we are dreaming together.”

  She grinned just as a small door within the gate lurched open and a small, wimpled face appeared.

  “What does thee wish?” came a quiet voice.

  Andreas shifted from the besotted lover to the imposing knight in a heartbeat. He peered at the face on the other side.

  “My name is Andreas de Wolfe,” he said. “My aunt and uncle are the Earl and Countess of Northumbria. Please admit us.”

  The woman didn’t move right away. She was trying to see the men in the darkness and what they were wearing. When Andreas realized that, he stood back and opened his cloak so she could see his de Wolfe tunic. It was one of the most recognizable in northern England.

  That was enough to open the gate.

  Andreas entered, leading Gavriella by the hand, followed by Will and finally Gareth. Brodie and Corey remained outside with the men. The tiny nun closed the gate, motioning for her guests to follow.

  “Come with me,” she said, heading for the tower.

  They pursued the woman into the stout, round tower. The entry level was surprisingly roomy, with a big entry chamber that had an enormous hearth and then a secondary chamber off that, containing a long table and sturdy benches. It was the dining hall. As the old woman bolted the door behind them, a woman in robes came down the stairs. She was swathed in unbleached wool from head to toe, her face round and rosy as she focused on the visitors.

  “I am Sister Fiona,” she said. “May I ask what brings thee at this late hour?”

  Andreas didn’t even have a chance to respond because Gavriella recognized her. She rushed the woman.

  “Do you remember me?” she said, nearly plowing the woman over in her eagerness. “My name is Gavriella de Leia and you came to Falstone Castle last year to collect my son. He was newly born and my father forced me to give him over to you. Do you remember? His name was Storm. I told you that before you took him away.”

  There was a plea in her tone. Begging. She wanted the woman to remember her so badly and the woman, in fact, studied her closely for a moment.

  “Falstone,” Sister Fiona said slowly. “A newly born infant, male.”

  “Aye!”

  Sister Fiona nodded. “I remember,” she said. “Thou were quite distraught, as I recall. Thou asked me to take good care of thy little boy.”

  Gavriella nodded quickly. “I did,” she said, tears stinging her eyes. “I have come to retrieve him. I am to marry Sir Andreas. He is a de Wolfe. His aunt and uncle are patrons of this charity. Please… may I have my son?”

  The sister’s focus lingered on her a moment, her features conveying surprise. Her gaze moved to Andreas, standing behind Gavriella with two other big knights.

  “I see,” she said after a moment. “Sir Andreas, thou art related to Lady Northumbria?”

  Andreas nodded. “I am,” he said. “Her husband is my father’s brother.”

  “Who is thy father?”

  “Troy de Wolfe, Lord Braemoor,” he said. “He is the lord of Kale Water Castle. It is not far from here.”

  Sister Fiona nodded. “I know of it,” she said. “And you are to marry this lady?”

  “I am. I will be a good father to the lad, I swear it.”

  Sister Fiona looked between Andreas and Gavriella for a moment before her focus finally settled on Andreas.

  May… may I speak with thee a moment, my lord?” she asked. “Alone, please.”

  It seemed like a strange request, but if it would get her child any faster, Gavriella was willing to do anything. Perhaps the old woman wanted to interrogate Andreas to make sure he would be a good father. Andreas walked past her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder as if to beg for her patience, as he followed the old nun into the ne
xt chamber.

  As Gavriella twitched and paced in the entry hall, Andreas had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong. It was the way the woman had looked at Gavriella when she recognized her. The woman came to a halt and turned to him.

  “My lord,” she said quietly. “I did not wish to tell the young lady in front of everyone, so as her betrothed, I will let thee tell her.”

  Andreas’ stomach lurched. “Tell her what?”

  The old woman wasn’t without sympathy. “Last month, several of the children contracted a fever,” she said softly. “The lady’s son was one of them. He was a sweet child, a healthy child, but the fever weakened him greatly. We lost four children to the illness, the lady’s son included.”

  Andreas closed his eyes and lowered his head. “God,” he groaned. “He’s dead?”

  “Aye.” Sister Fiona watched him struggle. “I am so very sorry. I remember thy lady when I came to take the child. She was utterly heartbroken over it, but I also remember her father. He was quite… firm, I am sorry to say. I do not know what the circumstances of the child’s birth were and I did not ask, but it seemed to me as if it was an… unfortunate birth.”

  She meant illegitimate, but she was too tactful to say so. Andreas dragged a hand over his face.

  “Unfortunate, indeed,” he said. “But I assure you, it was through no wrongdoing of her own. She was so happy to collect her son and now… it does not seem fair that tragedy seems to follow her wherever she goes.”

  Sister Fiona nodded faintly. “Am I to understand you are not the father?”

  “Nay.”

  “But you would raise the child as your own.”

  Andreas shrugged. “The child is part of her. That is all I see.”

  A smile creased the old woman’s lips. It was a touching thing to say. “Sir Andreas,” she said softly. “Sometimes God moves in ways that we do not understand but always with a purpose. I do not profess to know what his purpose was for allowing a child’s death, but it must not be in vain. We must have faith.”