The Moon Shadow : The Wolfrik Trilogy | Book 1

by K. Rea

  “Hello, I’m Evelyn,” I said. She didn’t seem intimidating but looks deceived. I felt a strong earthy power radiate off both women when they came through the door.

  “Hello, you can call me Becca. It looks like you’ve had a rough go of it lately. Fancy a shower?” Becca suggested politely. I’m sure I looked a mess and didn’t smell fantastic to anyone, especially not a vampire. I followed her through the guest room into the bathroom. A stack of fresh towels lay on the double vanity counter.

  “One of us will bring you some clothes once you’re clean. If I know Prince Aiden, he will give you as much time as he can before you have to face the king and Court,” Becca said.

  “How do you know? How do you know he’s not like the king?” I asked.

  “Prince Aiden called you his ward, not his prisoner. He doesn’t want you here; he definitely didn’t want you in the harem if he’s willing to leave you in his quarters. He never brings women here,” Becca said with a smile. She clearly misunderstood the situation. Her smile fell when she saw my stony expression.

  “He was meaner during the war; he had to be, I suppose. Prince Aiden can be harsh, but he’s fair. Let me know if you need help,” Becca said before closing the bathroom door behind her. It was a rather pleasant bathroom with a solid lock that I gratefully turned into place. The walls were dark evergreen, the tile appeared to be made of polished sea glass, a picture of a lake hung on one wall. Another door was on the far side of the bathroom. It didn’t open when I tried to open it. A walk-in shower, an indecently large tub, and a water closet completed the room.

  I avoided looking at myself in the mirror and quickly undressed, leaving the pajamas on the floor in a puddle of fabric. I dragged the bandage away; the wound was still tender. It barely healed since the last time I saw it.

  I grabbed a green washcloth and bar of soap from a basket on the counter before stepping into the shower. Grasping the shower handle, I turned it to scorching hot. At first, nothing happened. Slowly steam filled the glass shower, then scalding water rained down from fixtures in the ceiling. Merciful Goddess, can I just stay here in this bathroom?

  The minty eucalyptus soap was refreshing and washed away the remnants of the last couple of days. By the time I finished scrubbing my body, my skin was flushed. I saved my leg for last. Gingerly I washed it, biting back curses. Eventually, the water no longer ran red and brown with blood and dirt. I stood beneath the shower and allowed the water to calm me and wash away my unbidden tears. I suspected this would be the last peace I had for a while.

  Once I had control of my composure, I turned the shower off. I inhaled deeply, then carefully stepped out of the shower enclosure, leaving water in my wake. Quickly, I wrapped a plush towel around my body and used another to press the water from my hair. There was a gentle knock at the door, followed by the distinct sound of the lock being popped open. The door opened slowly.

  “Lady Wolfrik, we’re ready for you,” Mistress Tessa said, opening the door further. I followed her out of the bathroom, leaving footprints on the bedroom’s wooden floor. The guest room was an array of blues, from the lush carpet to the sapphire bedspread. My clothes hung from the open closet. The only window seemed to be a collection of colored stained glass. My toiletries lay on the bed, and they already placed a few trinkets I recognized as mine on top of the dresser. The ladies had moved me in. They expected me to stay awhile. Perhaps they tried to put me at ease, and I wouldn’t be alive long enough to settle myself in. I frowned at the thought.

  “Don’t sulk. It’s a wonderful room. The king could have placed you in prison or in his own quarters. Instead, you’re Prince Aiden’s ward. Don’t take that luxury for granted,” Mistress Tessa admonished. I doubted I would have been as comfortable in the king’s rooms; he would have locked me up.

  “Word of what transpired last night reached some at Court before the sun rose. Prince Aiden filled me in on the rest. He’s going to impressive lengths to protect you from your own folly. Now pick something to wear and quickly,” Mistress Tessa ordered. “The king wants to announce your presence properly in front of his vampire house and put the rumors to rest.” I went to the closet to pull out a pair of loose trousers and a long-sleeved blouse to cover my various wounds.

  “That was quite a wound,” Mistress Tessa murmured, her sternness softened. She gazed at my leg. The towel had ridden up my legs when I’d grabbed the blouse, showing the fresh wound, but that wasn’t what caught her attention. She was looking at the scar wrapped around my ankle from the silver and steel bear traps meant to capture a moon shadow. Becca handed me undergarments and left abruptly. I waited for Mistress Tessa to leave, but she huffed at me.

  “You possess nothing I haven’t already seen. Put those garments on and let Becca tend to your leg,” Mistress Tessa directed, crossed her arms over her bosom. I barely shimmied into my white bra when Mistress Tessa took the towel away. She thrust the cream blouse in my hands and herded me toward the bed. Becca came back into the room with a bowl that smelled of mint and rubbing alcohol.

  “This will hurt,” she blurted a moment before she smeared the mixture onto the cut. By the Goddess, it stung. A snarl escaped my lips. “It burns, but it will prevent infection and excessive scarring. Aiden said you did not want any additional vampire help to heal the wound, that the blood didn’t agree with you,” Becca explained. Her blond hair fell into her face. I tried to recover my composure and dignity, what little I had left.

  “The girl has had worse, Becca. She’ll heal once they remove the silver from around her neck. Until then, we just need to keep it from getting infected. Bandage the wound. We’ve taken as much time as we dare. The king waits for no one,” Mistress Tessa stated, leaving quickly, her green skirt and red braided hair swishing on the way out the door.

  “Don’t mind her; she’s upset. She disapproves of your circumstances. She was close friends with your great grandmother. She wanted you placed with us in the Ossett quarters when Prince Aiden contacted her. Instead, the king put you in the heart of the vampires’ quarters, even though you attempted to maim their heirs. To say the vampires want your blood would be an understatement,” Becca explained, pressing a sweet-smelling sticky bandage to my leg. “This should numb the area for a while.”

  “Ossett quarters?” I asked before I stood to pull my soft gray trousers over my bandage. She handed me a pair of soft flats to wear.

  “Yes, the Ossett coven leads the witches. We have a permanent residence when we’re here. I’m sure you passed the green doors on the way here, The ones with a circle of ivy on them? Those belong to our coven. Grandmother leads us. She says you’re not safe here being what you are, having done what you did, still bleeding, and unable to protect yourself alone. You won’t last long if they keep the silver about your neck,” Becca said sadly, gathering her things. I couldn’t help but finger the silver necklace, and it grew tighter across my neck from the brief touch. I followed the witches out into the hall.

  My hair hung in unruly, damp, dark waves on my shoulders. Again, I saw no one else in the halls. We stopped in front of a set of black double doors with a pair of roses carved into the surface.

  “We cannot walk with you through these doors. The king is holding a special audience with his vampire house regarding you. I will join you again afterward. The rest of the Council is eager to meet you,” Mistress Tessa whispered. She touched my silver chain, and it loosened a little. She startled me when she drew a mark on my forehead.

  “Grandmother, is there nothing else we can do?” Becca asked, looking to the other woman. Mistress Tessa did not look old enough to even be her mother, much less grandmother.

  “May the king look on you kindly, and the earth fill you with strength, young one,” Mistress Tessa said. She seemed less like a stern mother and more ancient and earthy than before. Her eyes glowed a rich emerald green as a deep, yet fleeting, sense of peace flooded my body, and my pain disappear
ed.

  “What did you do? Who are you?” I whispered as the glow faded from her eyes, and she smiled softly.

  “I gave you strength and lessened your pain. I am Mistress Tessa Ossett Nightingale; my family is a line of powerful witches and healers. My great-granddaughter Becca is in training. My Amy, another granddaughter, sent word that you would arrive needing help and explained your situation,” Mistress Tessa explained. The two women barely looked a decade apart in age, but I believed her.

  “Whatever you tell them, do not rile the king or insult the vampire houses; you’re in enough trouble as it is. Go on with you, girl,” Mistress Tessa whispered and nudged me toward the doors. I placed my hand against them, the same spot as many did before me—the wood worn smooth beneath my hands. The doors swung open, and I fell through. The doors swung shut behind me.

  TEN

  A pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders. For a moment, I hoped against the odds that the hands belonged to Aiden. Black dread filled my stomach at the sight of the stranger glaring at me. His brown eyes were swiftly overcome with black. His fangs bared as he set me on my feet. He turned me toward the crowd, pointed to a wall on the far side of the hall.

  “Clumsy fool of a girl, walk on,” the vampire whispered, his English accent thick. His meaty hand drifted down to grab my ass before he smacked it. I jumped and snarled as I turned to give him a piece of my mind before he chuckled. “I bite back, girl, best you walk before you pick a fight you can’t win with that pretty chain around your neck. I’d love to take a nibble.”

  I turned back to the crowd; the light was brighter here than in the hallway. I could see at least a hundred vampires. They watched me and listened to our brief exchange. Their clothing varied; some seemed to prefer the styles from other decades, though most dressed modern and professional as if they attended a board meeting or were headed into the office soon after this. Others barely dressed at all, with too much skin on display. The vampire who caught me shoved me forward again, and the crowd parted for us. He took it upon himself to escort me through the room. I stared out of the crowd; mostly black eyes stared back.

  At the back of the room sat a table with a throne and multiple chairs. King Gaius sat on the throne in the middle of all the chairs. He frowned down at me. Alex smiled at me, a half-eaten green apple in his hand. Aiden didn’t sit at all but casually leaned against his chair. He looked bored while the quiet hum of voices both hushed and called for my blood. I’d never felt more like prey in my life.

  Fight.

  The wolf within whispered, and I straightened my spine. I’d stare down the lot of these bloodsuckers. Whatever Mistress Tessa had done, I felt my wolf again; it was like she no longer slept.

  “Ah! Lady Evelyn Wolfrik, I almost didn’t recognize you without the rosebush in your hair. You clean up nicely. Thank you for joining us at your trial,” King Gaius said. He smiled, though the expression failed to reach his eyes, his coal-black eyes. His charm already smothered me; I couldn’t move if I wanted to, locked into his gaze.

  “Gerald, thank you for escorting the fair lady. I’m sure she’ll behave herself,” King Gaius said, the command settling over me.

  “King Gaius,” I acknowledged through gritted teeth. His oily, thick charm even coated my tongue.

  “There seems to be quite a lot of rumors going around as to your existence, your actions, and what should become of you,” Gaius stated. I forced myself to stare at the marble floor. If he was as ruthless as history suggested, he would not be kind in his judgment unless he had something to gain. During the Shadow Wars, Orion said the Blood King’s thirst for violence and pain was only matched by his thirst for blood.

  “You are clearly a Wolfrik. Like your great-grandparents before you, you believe yourself above the law. You attempted to exact justice and revenge against a member of my family. Threatened to usurp the royal family’s natural order. Thankfully, you failed. Am I wrong?” King Gaius asked.

  “Yes, King Gaius,” I said, keeping my head down, my eyes on the floor. My words echoing through the room, “I do not want the crown or your throne. Only justice for my parents.”

  “In pursuit of justice, did you harm an heir? Did you draw blood?” King Gaius asked, his eyes narrowing. He must have sensed my animosity, his face hardened in fury and displeasure.

  “Yes, King Gaius,” I whispered, but I may as well have bellowed it. Barely a heartbeat later, the crowd roared for my blood. I hazarded a look at Aiden; he looked displeased. I looked back at the king; he looked pleased.

  “For the house to hear, which heir did you harm?” King Gaius asked. I looked at Aiden; he shook his head no. The king didn’t know that I had harmed both of them.

  “The truth, now, girl!” Gaius bellowed; his command sent me painfully to my knees on the hard stone floor.

  “Both, both princes,” I rasped, the truth ripped from me, my hands out in front of me to keep myself from face planting onto the icy floor. The king snarled; the surrounding vampires once again called out for my blood.

  “The girl is harmless. I’ve had worse scratches in training,” Prince Aiden said casually, his voice cutting through the din as he walked around the table toward me. “She would be useful to keep the moon shadows in line. We should keep her alive.”

  “I agree with my brother. I’ve had lovers with more bite than this pup,” Prince Alex teased. “Plus, we brought her to heel. See how prettily she bows for a Wolfrik?”

  My father had claimed ‘a Wolfrik bows for no vampire,’ if only that was the truth. I took a steadying breath and felt within for the wolf that wanted to fight. The wolf within that wanted to live. I grabbed the silver chain around my throat and ripped it away with all the strength the ancient witch had given me. Aiden reached for me, but I changed shape. My leg burned in a blaze of healing pain; the silver scorched my paws for a moment.

  Run.

  I turned and ran as chaos erupted around me; I heard Alex’s laughter echo behind me. I prayed to the Goddess that I would make it outside. I bit the hands that reached for me. I only needed to make it to the doors, then find the green doors that belonged to the coven. They’d protect me.

  There was no warning before pain filled my mind. I still snapped my jaws at the hands that reached for me as they herded me backward toward the throne. The pain caused shadows to play in my vision. I could barely breathe. Darkness and the impulse to submit blanketed my mind. I tried to growl when someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, but it came out as a breathy whine. The crowd fell away from us as he dragged back in front of the throne. They dropped me back to the floor.

  I looked up at Alex, his green eyes overtaken by inky blackness. His face hardened, and the pain grew. I whimpered as the edges of my vision clouded in darkness. He frowned, and the pain lessened and disappeared almost entirely. Alex’s face remained unchanged, as if he were still inflicting pain. The command to submit echoed in my mind, fighting the wolf for dominance.

  “Come now, Lady Wolfrik, do you really think you could best the Kensley vampire house? Listen to your elders, girl. They know what’s best for you,” Alex boasted, smirking. He still pressed a command to stay, to submit, but did not hurt me again. “As my brother said, this darling pup is harmless. Young, naïve, and foolish, but harmless, and with training, she would do well at Court.”

  Thankfully, the vampires cheered loud enough to cover my murmured growl. Without the pressing pain, I struggled to keep the wolf in check, the urge to rip Alex’s throat out almost overwhelming. Aiden hadn’t moved a finger since I had run, but his facial expression was carefully guarded.

  “You all have witnessed Lady Evelyn Wolfrik. She will be dealt with accordingly. The Council and I will decide her fate. Her exiled upbringing, youth, and bloodline will be considered when I decide her fate. You are all dismissed,” King Gaius declared.

  “I would appreciate it if you changed back and joined
us at the table,” King Gaius said, gesturing to a small chair sitting beside him. “We have much to discuss.”

  ELEVEN

  Alex reached down to offer me a hand, but I shoved him away. He chuckled and pulled me to my feet, anyway. The audience disappeared quicker and quieter than I expected.

  “I’d like to hear the full story, not just the rumors, Gaius,” a woman said. She came out of the darkness behind the throne. She nearly floated beside Mistress Tessa with tan, dusky skin, dark bobbed hair, and dressed in a long turquoise dress. Others followed behind the two women.

  “Lady Evelyn, may I introduce the rest of the Council. Lady Cleo Rohan of the shapeshifters and head seer, Mistress Tessa Ossett Nightingale of the coven and woodland fae also head healer, Lady Abigail Ceeane ambassador of the sea. Sir Michael Faolan of the Weres and Commander of the Guard,” King Gaius introduced.

  “A pleasure to have a Wolfrik back among us,” Sir Michael said, reaching his hand out to me. He was dressed casually in a blazer, dress shirt, and jeans, similar to Aiden. His work boots were scuffed and worn; he may be a councilman, but he was no court dandy. Alex boldly stepped between us; Sir Michael frowned.

  “She may be young, but she’s strong. She swayed your nephews and every other werewolf we interrogated to forget she ever walked into the club,” Alex explained, which surprised me. I had only intended to affect the bouncers, apparently this man’s nephews. Sir Michael frowned further and stepped away from me.

  “Interesting, Lady Evelyn, please share your story, so we may decide what is to be done,” Lady Cleo bid me. I repeated the events of the last few days and the murder of my parents.

  “Curious, why did you come back? How did you get involved?” Lady Cleo asked Aiden. She turned to look at him.

  “I walked into the room to ask Alex when he wanted to leave when I walked into the struggle. At first, I thought she was a riled human I had seen at the club previously. We fought. After that, I decided it was best to bring her here. As quickly as possible,” Aiden explained.