“Got it,” Matthew replied, adding, “do you really think they would make a move while guests in your home?”
“I don’t know what they are planning, so it is better to be safe. I also don’t want to enrage either Alard. We should also call Alaina home, she might be useful.”
He knew he needed to talk to Susie, but he was still unsure of what to say. He needed to check the harvest, and the shipment to Tradonga. When he returned they would speak. Right now he needed his wolf. The time in the fields would bring him clarity.
Chapter 13
Susie was beside herself. How dare he just abandon her. She decided to walk through the gardens to help keep her grounded. It was a beautiful evening outside of the den with the lake lapping at the shoreline. Several rows of deep green gardens accentuated by hanging wires covered in the den’s laundry blowing gently in the breeze, made Susie feel at ease. The den was like a fine country estate, that happened to be carved out of a cliff. This time of the evening nothing stirred surrounding the house, everything was shrouded in a light golden yellow and she could allow herself to almost forget the events of the past few days. Almost.
She had, by some miracle or twist of fate, been brought to Jason’s father, and then he had disappeared. Two full days had passed since she and Aelnoth had shared that amazing kiss. If she were being honest, she was the one who kissed him. Even half asleep, she couldn’t deny her attraction to the man or the wolf. It wasn’t just that he had shown her kindness, listened to her, there was something deeper pulling her toward him. Since the auction, he was never far from her thoughts. Then the realization of who he really was—she had had a moment of pure happiness, immediately followed by confusion, and she had not seen him since.
She tried to ask Matthew about it, but he gave her a vague answer about checking the fields. For two full days, even at night? She knew Aelnoth was avoiding her, and she had no idea what her next steps should be. She couldn’t afford to alienate the father of her child, but she also couldn’t afford her attraction to him. She needed his support to bring Jason to Undervale and get him the medical care he needed.
She also needed him to keep Jason under his protection. She had not seen any children since she had been in the kingdom and was worried about how they might treat half-human/half-shifter children.
Thankfully, Matthew had given her work with the den maids to keep her mind busy. That evening was the first break in the work since she arrived, and she was grateful.
So far, everyone she’d met in the Ashlu den was friendly and welcoming. Millie, one of the shifter maids, whose family had served the royal Ashlu family for generations was the most helpful. She had told her all about the hunt that was coming. Lady Ashlu, Aelnoth’s mother, would host a guest and they would go out into the woods to hunt fox and deer on the Ashlu lands in their wolf forms. Susie found the whole thing fascinating. It reminded her of the old regency romance novels she had read as a girl. Only in Undervale instead of the men going out on the hunt, it was the women.
She had also learned that Alaina, the girl she had met at the Waystation who had tried to warn her before her capture, was Aelnoth’s sister and much beloved in the pack. She was coming home soon. Susie was eager to thank her in person.
The more Susie found out about shifter life and how things worked in Undervale the more confused she became. In so many ways the shifters seemed to have a dangerous and backward society, yet in other ways, they were very forward thinking.
Millie had also told her that Lady Ashlu loved the den to be surrounded by fresh flowers. While Susie had not met the woman yet, she was Jason’s grandmother, and Susie hoped to make a good impression by selecting some of the finest picking flowers from the garden to display around the den before the visitors arrived.
Her attention shifted from the garden to the fields just beyond, a magnificent wolf was running toward her at full speed. Susie felt her breath catch, she knew it was Aelnoth, and her anger at being abandoned faded as she was struck by how the sun played in ripples off the depth of his brown fur, giving the appearance of a magical shimmer. She had never seen a brown wolf before, she thought most were gray or black. He was large, larger than Susie could have imagined, his forelimbs were the length of two or more large dogs across, and he had a shock of gray around his ears and snout. Was it possible for a wild animal to look distinguished?
She knew she was supposed to be afraid of him, but he was the father of her child, and whether he knew it or not, she was confident he would not hurt her.
Susie could not take her eyes off him. He was magnificent as he ran full speed towards her. As if in the blink of an eye, mid-stride, his limbs stretched and transformed into his human form. His speed slowed as he continued walking towards the gate to the garden. He kept his eyes on her the entire time as he approached. A shiver of electricity climbed her spine at the sight of him naked marching toward her. She found she was slightly disappointed as he tore a bedsheet from the clothesline tying around his waist to cover himself, barely.
“You aren’t supposed to be alone,” he said. She detected a hint of anger as he practically snarled at her. So much for not being treated like a slave, she thought.
“My lord,” Susie said giving him an exaggerated curtsey. “Are you always this aggressive after you shift?”
He laughed. “Not usually, my apologies, I didn’t realize anyone would be out here, and I left instructions for your protection. May we start over as friends?”
“Friends,” she said, liking the sound of the word when he said it. She would very much like to be his friend. She wasn’t sure how any of this was supposed to work, but she wanted to try. “Look, I know we ended things the other night kind of…”
“Awkwardly?” he finished.
“Yeah, awkwardly. I need you to know, I didn’t want anything from you,” she said. “I have raised Jason fine on my own until now,”
“But…” he said, obviously reading through her thinly veiled attempt at independence.
“But, he needs shifter care. Human doctors can’t help him. He needs… well, he needs a father. I can’t tell him what he is. I won’t do it right. I can’t make him understand why he is different. You are his father. He needs you,” she looked up at Aelnoth pleading. She had hoped to frame her argument more eloquently but found when she was near him she lost her ability to be reasonable and measured. Her situation was truly desperate. She wanted to believe the kindness he had shown her in the library was who he really was. She needed to know she could count on someone.
“Hold on, how can I even be sure the boy is mine?” he asked.
“You don’t believe me?” she replied, louder than she had intended. His question dashing her momentary hope that this would all soon be over and handled. Her emotions began to run unchecked.
“It’s not that, but you have to realize,” he said, grabbing her arm and moving her toward the wall, speaking quietly, “we had one, amazing night, six years ago. You show up in Undervale, and somehow tricked me into paying for you, and then, you spring this on me. I’m the alpha, lord of my clan, wealthy, and a powerful shifter. I have enemies. I find it a little convenient that I would suddenly be the father of your child? I don’t doubt your boy needs help, I’m just wondering how can I be sure he is my responsibility?” he whispered, fiercely. Susie was not afraid of him, but she was pissed.
“Let go of me,” she snapped back through tightly gritted teeth as she ripped herself free of his grasp.
She wanted to slap the look of victim right off his face. How dare he think she would put herself through the hell of the last few days, and then lie about her child. Tricked him? How the hell would she have tricked him? To gain what?
“You couldn’t possibly know this, Aelnoth,” she spat. “But I didn’t then, nor do I now make a habit of having sex with random shifters. You were the only one. Whatever you may or may not think of me, don’t think I’d put my son in danger by falsely claiming you as his father. If you take one look at Jason
you will realize he is yours, he is Ashlu. Come inside, I have photos. I can show you.”
“You have… photos?” he asked, backing up slightly. Susie curtly nodded folding her arms around her chest. She could see his features soften. Were they possibly getting somewhere?
A shift in the air caused his ears to prick up. Susie noticed the change in him, but before she could ask what was wrong he had her against the wall, his lips were on hers. It was an aggressive kiss, nothing like the tender pleasure she found in the kiss they had shared the other night. She tried to push him off in protest. It felt too fake to Susie, no real emotion. She was enraged. One moment they were coming to an understanding about Jason, and then instantly his hands roamed all over her pawing and clawing at her like a needy schoolboy. She had no time to push him off to ask what the hell he was doing when they were interrupted.
“Well, well, well, you do get around quick, princess.”
Susie turned at the sound of the woman’s voice interrupting them, wiping her mouth and desperately trying to put herself back together after Aelnoth’s assault.
She was surprised to see Donna standing at the edge of the gate, dressed in a long cloak over what appeared to be traditional black and white maid’s uniform. Her graying hair pulled into a tight bun, pulling at her face and making her look much older than when they were jailed together barely a week before. Susie wasn’t sure where the animosity she heard in Donna’s voice was coming from, but suddenly she had an urge to be anywhere but in the garden. Before she could respond, Aelnoth quickly growled at the woman.
“You forget yourself, slave…”
Susie saw recognition flash in Donna’s eyes. The woman quickly knelt in a hasty curtsy. Casting her eyes downward in the accepted human interaction with an alpha wolf. “Forgive me, my lord, I didn’t realize it was you here with my old friend,” the older woman replied. Susie wondered if she should also be addressing Aelnoth with the same reverence. The way he had just behaved he certainly didn’t deserve it.
“Your old friend?” he replied. “Interesting, I hadn’t realized you had time in your cell to develop such close bonds with my breeder.” He wrapped his arm protectively around Susie’s waist, pulling her toward him and nuzzling her neck, sending pulses of pleasure down her spine. The hairs on her arms raised in anticipation. She hated that she was so attracted to this man. “Why are you here, interrupting us, if I may ask.”
It was clear to Susie, Aelnoth was taking control of the conversation. She wasn’t sure why he was going to such great effort to create the impression that Donna was interrupting an intimate moment. What did he know that Susie didn’t?
“My lord, I am here with Lady Alard for the hunt,” Donna replied sheepishly.
“Well, then I suggest you go find your master, and see if you can be of service. Leave us to our privacy.” He growled.
Susie was impressed watching how quickly Donna scurried off. There was no denying Aelnoth was a force. Once he was sure that Donna had gone he turned back to Susie.
“We have to be careful. Alard is angry with me for purchasing you out from under her. There is no telling what she will do or who she has spying for her,” he explained.
Susie’s head spun.
“That’s why you pretended Donna interrupted something…?” she asked.
“Something intimate? Yes, partly. That woman, Donna—she is desperate to please. I have seen her type of human before. If she thinks she only witnessed an intimate moment between breeder and master, she may think nothing of it,” he said. “But if she heard…I couldn’t let Alard have you. I didn’t know who you were, but I felt something—I knew how you would be treated if her son, Tylan got his paws on you. I couldn’t allow it,” he explained, brushing a stray hair from her forehead. His touch gentle again, putting Susie somewhat at ease.
“Tylan is her son?” Susie asked. He was a monster, of course he would have been connected to that woman. She couldn’t help but wonder what Donna may have heard of their discussion or why it would matter if she heard anything at all. She didn’t care about the palace intrigue, but she did care how it would affect Aelnoth, and her son’s future.
“There’s been talk that Catori, Lady Alard, will attempt to usurp my family. She wants to use my father’s death to show our weakness. Take Ashlu status within the kingdom and our lands. An heir is important to prevent that,” he explained. “That was the pretense as to why I was even at the auction the first place. Depending on what that woman heard, now everything becomes more complicated.”
“Well, you have an heir. It’s good if that comes out, isn’t it?” Susie asked.
“We don’t know what she is planning, but even if Jason is mine.”
Susie’s eyes grew dark, back to this again. What would it take to convince him?
“I do believe you,” he reassured. “But there are rules about breeding with humans, and I may have broken a lot of them. I don’t know how the king will react, but I do know that we have to get ahead of this before Alard gets to him. For Ashlu, for your safety, and for Jason’s safety.”
“Our safety?” she asked, instinctively placing her hands on his chest. She was powerless. He was her only touchstone. Everything in Undervale was so different from her world.
“Shifters are dangerous, Susie. As long as we maintain the illusion that you are my breeder, you’ll have some degree of status and protection,” he explained. “But if it gets out that I mated with you in the human world, that we have a son not raised in Undervale… it will be bad, for all of us.”
“Is there anyone I can trust?” He’s right, she thought. She only wanted to help her son, and now everything was getting more and more complicated. Susie was starting to regret coming to Undervale at all.
Aelnoth covered her hands with his own. Warmth and reassurance spread through Susie as he leaned down gently taking her lips with his own. “You can trust me, I swear it.”
Chapter 14
Aelnoth experienced an indescribable emotion staring at the photos of Susie’s son. His son. Even if he hadn’t chosen to believe her in the garden, there was no denying it in the face of photographic evidence. Jason had Aelnoth’s strong, Romanesque nose and his dark brown unruly hair. He had his mother’s ice-blue eyes, but they were wide set and almond shaped like his own. His son. All of a sudden he had an uncontrollable need to shield the boy and his mother from danger. It was hard to contemplate that barely a week ago he was so certain of what his future held. The alpha of his clan, the prosperousness of his people. Now, there was so much more to consider.
“You’ve barely said a word for an hour Aelnoth,” Susie said, kneeling in front of him.
She had handed him the photo album shyly and paced for the better part of the time he looked at the photographs, leaning in occasionally to describe a photo and the moment she had chosen to take the picture. She had documented everything over the last six years. Jason’s infancy, toddler years, his firsts, and his activities. There were photos of holidays and birthdays. Aelnoth had missed so much. He had a renewed sense of awe for the woman kneeling in front of him. She had sacrificed so much of herself to make sure his son was happy and healthy. She had given up her very freedom to try and find a place for him in this world. He was becoming overcome with emotion. It was not something he was used to.
“I forget myself, I apologize,” he said looking down at her. “He is…just… he is…”
“Perfect,” she finished.
“Perfect,” he agreed. “You did it all on your own. I should have known. I should have been there.” He stood, grabbing her hands and bringing her to her feet. She came willingly. He circled his hands around her waist, pulling her close.
“Noth, how could you have known. It was one night, we were young, drunk, and it wasn’t your responsibility. It was mine. I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said, looking up at him flashing him a smile that went to the heart of her soul. His stomach warmed with the pleasure of it, and he draped his arms around her shoulders,
resting his chin on her head; a new intimacy created between them.
He liked when she used his nickname. He was starting to think he liked a lot of what she said and did. Including the way she raised their son. He enjoyed the two of them, like this, in his bedroom discussing their child. Maybe he was wrong to think he didn’t need a woman, a family.
“Well, I know now. Tell me, what’s he like?” he asked.
“He is amazing, so smart and funny. Most of all, he’s good,” she said. “He is so good.” She moved out of his embrace and sat on the bed next to him. He watched her closely, hanging on every word. “When he started acting strangely and getting sick, it was clear he was in pain, but he never complained, not once.”
She was so beautiful. He brushed a tear from her cheek. “You miss him.” It wasn’t a question. When she spoke about him, her voice and demeanor changed. Her love for their child radiated out of her, he could feel it hit him like a sonic wave.
“I do, every second of every day,” she said. “I knew coming here was a risk. I honestly wasn’t sure what would happen. I was so scared on that auction block, but I don’t regret it. Any of it. I miss him, but now I’ve found you. You can know him, help him. Help both of us ”
“I can help him, and I will help him. I will help you both. He is my blood, and you’re my blood now too.” He didn’t know if his certainty came from the wolf, but he it was there just the same. No harm would come to either of them now. They were Ashlu pack.
The gratitude she saw in her eyes masked another, deeper emotion. Was it desire? As she sat next to him on the bed, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty. She may have been tiny but her curves under the light beige robe she wore—that one of the servants must have lent her—were womanly and full. He licked his lips as he looked her up and down.
“I like you in Ashlu clothing,” he said, watching her cheeks warm with the blush of his compliment.
“Millie gave this to me,” she said, shyly.
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