by Terri Reid
Hazel nodded and smiled at her sister. “Okay, let’s go with that one,” she said. “It’s just a bug. It’s just the flu. I’m going to get better soon.”
“And just to make up for teasing you, I’ll milk the goats this morning,” she said. “And Henry will clean the pens.”
Hazel chuckled. “Oh, I know Henry’s going to love that,” she replied. “Thank you, sis.”
“Hey, that’s what sisters are for,” she said. “Go back to bed and get some rest.”
Chapter Fifty-nine
Joseph was surprised to find Donovan waiting for him in his office when he got there the next morning.
“Hmmm,” Joseph said casually as he closed the door behind him and locked it. “I was sure I was the only one with keys to my office.”
He walked over to his credenza and turned on the music. A selection from the opera “The Pirates of Penzance” began to play.
Donovan nodded approvingly. “Nice,” he said.
“One of my favorites,” Joseph replied.
Donovan looked over his shoulder from the chair he was sitting in and raised a Styrofoam cup. “I brought you coffee,” he said.
Joseph slipped around the desk, picked up the cup, and stared at it for a moment. “How do I know it’s not poisoned?” he asked.
“Oh, good grief,” Donovan replied. “Why would I want to poison you?”
“Because of the mosq…I mean the Master,” Joseph replied, sitting back in his chair and leaving the coffee on his desk. “What can I do for you?”
“How are the Willoughbys doing?” Donovan asked.
Joseph studied him for a long moment and then shook his head. “See, what we have here is a simple trust issue,” he finally said. “You don’t trust me enough to tell me which side you’re really on, and I don’t trust you enough to give you any details about the Willoughbys that can be used against them.”
Donovan nodded. “So, is that why you didn’t tell me you are a werewolf?” he asked.
Joseph didn’t allow himself to react to the question. Instead he met Donovan’s eyes steadily and slowly nodded his head. “Because I’m not,” he said. “Care to try again?”
“Mayor Bates has a new friend who swears that you are a werewolf,” Donovan said.
“Helga is with Bates,” Joseph said slowly. “Well, damn.”
“You know her?” Donovan asked.
“Yeah, she is wanted for attempted murder in the village of Wulffolk,” he said. “It’s a small village a couple of miles away from here.”
“I never heard of it,” Donovan said.
Joseph shrugged. “You wouldn’t have,” he said. “They are like the Amish. They don’t use modern conveniences, and they don’t really interact with others. Helga was a villager who was caught poisoning children.”
“Did she have a gingerbread house too?” Donovan asked.
Joseph allowed a smile to spread on his face. “Now, see, that would be a wicked witch, like you,” he said. “A werewolf wouldn’t be into that whole baking thing.”
“Wulffolk, huh?” Donovan asked. “Wolf people?”
“So, did you and Hazel take German classes together?” Joseph asked.
“What?” Donovan questioned.
Joseph chuckled and shook his head. “Never mind,” he said. “The people are from a small county in Bavaria called Wulffolk. But if you want to pretend there are monsters in the woods, who am I to stop you?”
“Are you lying to me?” Donovan asked.
“Look it up,” Joseph replied casually and then decided to change the subject. “Have you found out where the ceremony is going to be held on the night of the full moon?”
Donovan shook his head. “No, they haven’t told me,” he said. “But I’m even more concerned about it.”
“Why?”
“I overheard something about a blood sacrifice,” he said. “I don’t know what they have in mind, but please make sure the Willoughbys’ goats are put away and protected before nightfall.”
Joseph nodded. “Losing one of those goats would break Hazel’s heart,” he agreed. Then he sat up as another thought came into his mind. “They aren’t thinking about sacrificing a person, are they?”
“No,” Donovan replied. Then he paused. “At least I don’t think so. It seems to me that Bates is becoming a little more unstable every day.” He leaned forward in his chair and lowered his voice. “You have protection for them, right?”
Joseph nodded. “I do,” he said. “But if you can be there to help, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Donovan sighed and shook his head. “I don’t think I can do that,” he said. “I need to make an appearance at the ceremony.”
“You know you’re playing a dangerous game,” Joseph said. “And not just with your own life, with the Willoughbys too.”
Donovan stood up. “I’m just doing what I think is the right thing to do,” he said.
“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Joseph said.
Donovan smiled. “Thanks for the advice,” he replied wryly.
Joseph shrugged. “Best advice I ever got,” he said. “Be careful out there.”
Donovan nodded and then left the office. When he closed the door behind him, Joseph picked up the coffee and tossed it in the garbage. “I’m not quite ready to trust you,” he murmured. “With my life or the Willoughbys.”
Chapter Sixty
The next night, as Hazel finished with the goats, she heard a knock on the barn door.
“Come in,” she called.
Joseph opened the door, walked inside, and then closed it behind him. “Are we alone?” he asked, hiding his hands behind his back.
She smiled at him, feeling her love bursting inside. “Well, except for the goats,” she replied.
“Good,” he said, stepping forward. He pulled one hand out from behind his back and handed her a bouquet of flowers.
“Oh, they are so beautiful,” she said, her heart melting. She lowered her face and breathed in their fragrance. “And they smell so good. Thank you.”
She rose up and brushed a kiss over his lips.
He put the flowers down on a stack of hay bales and took her into his arms. “I have to admit,” he said with a regretful shake of his head, “they are from Gabriella and not from me. I went to see her in the village today. She is so much better. She is racing around with all of the other children.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” she said, and then she added with a teasing smile. “But, since they are from Gabriella and not you, you have to give me back my kiss.”
He lowered his face until they were only inches apart. “With pleasure,” he whispered, and then he captured her lips with his. He deepened the kiss, pouring all of his emotion into it. When he stepped back, her eyes were filled with tears.
“What?” he asked, worried.
“That was a goodbye kiss,” she whispered, and then she shook her head. “I don’t want a goodbye kiss.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her. “I don’t want it to be a goodbye kiss either,” he said. “But I don’t know what tonight will bring.”
“I want to wait with you,” she said.
“What? No!” he said, stepping back and looking down at her. “It’s too dangerous. The ceremony for the other coven is tonight, and we don’t know where they’re going to be. And I don’t know what’s going to happen to me, how I’m going to react.”
“I need to be there,” she insisted. “I need to know what happens to you.”
“Hazel, please,” he said. “This might be our last time together. Please don’t argue with me.”
“Okay, a compromise,” she said.
“What?” he asked.
“We have a picnic, together, here in the barn,” she said. “I’ll be safe. We can wait for the full moon together, and I’ll know what happens.”
“But you haven’t been feeling well,” he said. “You need your rest.”
“I’m feeling much better today,” she re
plied, crossing her fingers surreptitiously behind her back. “Besides, I won’t be able to rest because I’ll be worrying about you.”
He nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. “A picnic would be wonderful, and it’s a beautiful night to enjoy it.”
She smiled at him. “We can have it on the balcony,” she suggested.
“I didn’t know you had a balcony,” he replied.
“Well, we didn’t until just now,” she said. “But it’s going to be perfect.”
They locked the goats in their pens and secured all of the windows and doors. Hazel led the way across the barn, on the opposite side from Henry’s apartment, and up the loft steps to a latched door.
“Ready?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t think I’m ever ready when I’m dealing with you,” he admitted.
She laughed with delight and then opened the door, leading the way outside. The small balcony was strewn with tiny, white lights and fragrant, white flowers. A small, glass table and two chairs took up the center of the balcony, and in a vase in the middle of the table was the bouquet from Gabriella.
Joseph shook his head. “This is perfect,” he said.
She turned and smiled at him. “Perfect for what?” she asked.
He pulled the small box out of his pocket and knelt down on one knee.
Hazel’s eyes widened and filled with tears. She covered her mouth with her hands.
“Hazel, I don’t know what tonight is going to bring,” Joseph said. “But I know I can’t leave this earth without telling you how much I love you and without giving you this.”
He opened up the box, and the dainty, gold filigree ring studded with diamonds sparkled in the night sky.
“Oh, Joseph, it’s beautiful,” she whispered through her tears.
“It was my grandmother’s ring,” he said. “And now it belongs to you, if you’ll accept it.”
She slowly knelt before him and held out her hand. “I love you, Joseph,” she breathed softly. “Of course I’ll accept it.”
He slipped the ring on her finger, then leaned forward and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, pouring all of her love into it. He wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her to him. When their kiss had ended, he continued to hold her.
“I don’t know what tonight is going to bring,” he whispered in her ear. “So, I’m not going to hold you to a pledge that may never come to be.”
She pulled back and gently placed her hand over his lips. “Joseph, I love you,” she said simply. “Only you. There will never be another love for me. I pledge my heart, my life, and my love to you.”
He took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “Hazel, will you marry me?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “Oh, yes,” she breathed, throwing her arms around him again. “Oh, yes, I will.”
Chapter Sixty-one
An hour later, the table and chairs were replaced with a love seat. The tiny lights were turned off, and Hazel was wrapped in Joseph’s arms. She leaned against his chest and sighed with happiness.
“Everyone is thrilled with our announcement,” she said, glancing at her phone and then sliding it into her back pocket. “I told them that we’d come in later, that we want to watch the moon together.”
He chuckled softly. “We haven’t been watching the moon,” he reminded her, placing another kiss on her lips and then looking down into her eyes. “But, quite honestly, I prefer this view.”
“This is perfect,” she said.
He leaned down, placed a kiss on her head and shook his head. “You are perfect,” he said.
She snorted. “Hardly,” she replied. “But our life is going to be perfect. I can picture us in a cute little cottage with a big yard.”
He adjusted his arms, pulling her closer, and laid his head against hers. “And cute little puppies all over the place,” he said.
She pulled away and stared at him. “Are your children, I mean, our children going to be puppies?” she asked, aghast.
He laughed so hard that he nearly dislodged her from her place against his chest. “No,” he finally breathed, wiping the tears from his eyes. “No, our babies will not be puppies. They will be regular babies. I just happen to like dogs.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and settled back against him. “Well, me too,” she said with a smile. “And goats, we have to have goats.”
He lowered his head and kissed her deeply. “And children,” he finally said. “Lots of children.”
She nodded and kissed him back. “Okay, let’s have a little boy first,” she sighed.
He looked down at her. “You can do that?” he asked.
“What? Have babies?” she responded. “I think so.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Choose which kind you have.”
She grinned and shook her head. “No, I can’t,” she teased. “Don’t you know anything about genetics? The dad is responsible for the sex of the baby.”
“Okay, then,” he said with a firm nod. “Then we should have a girl first, and she should look just like you.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “And she will have you wrapped around her tiny, little finger from the moment she’s born,” she whispered.
He leaned down and kissed her again. “Just like her mother does,” he said. Then his expression changed, and he grimaced.
“What?” she asked.
He glanced up at the sky. “The moon,” he said, groaning. “It’s nearing its apex.”
She sat up and put her hands on his shoulders. “What does that mean?” she asked, frightened.
He looked at her, regret in his eyes. “I’m changing,” he said. “I feel it coming on.”
She shook her head. “No, we fixed that,” she said. “You’re going to be fine. We’re going to be married.”
He took a deep breath, and she felt his body ripple beneath her. “Can we stop it?” she asked.
“I love you, Hazel,” he said. “Even if I don’t remember when I change, know that deep in my heart I’ll always love you.”
He gently moved her away from him and stood up.
Tears flowed down her cheeks. “Joseph, don’t leave me,” she cried softly.
He turned to her just as the final steps of his transformation occurred and his face elongated. “I love—,” the last word was lost in a long howl. Then Joseph leapt off the balcony and bounded into the woods.
Hazel stumbled to the edge of the balcony and watched him until he was lost from view. “Remember me, Joseph,” she pleaded. “Remember me.”
Chapter Sixty-two
Drying her eyes on a linen napkin, Hazel pushed open the door that led to the barn and walked onto the loft. The lights were dim, and she had to watch her step to ensure she didn’t trip on a corner of a hay bale. The goats were a little restless, but that wasn’t unusual for a night with a full moon. Everyone, it seems, she thought sadly, is affected by the moon in way or another.
She started down the steps and noticed a figure down below. “Who’s there?” she asked, pausing at the top.
A lantern switched on, and Harley, her old friend from the feed store, stepped forward. “I’m so sorry, Hazel,” he apologized. “I was supposed to come find you. But I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Harley,” she said with relief, continuing down the stairs. “What are you doing here this late at night? I don’t need anything from the…”
She was surprised when she felt something cold and heavy surround her wrist as she stepped off the staircase.
“I’m so sorry, Hazel,” Harley repeated. Then he jerked her backwards and caught her other wrist in the handcuffs behind her back. “These are iron. So, you know, don’t struggle or anything.”
“Harley?” Hazel cried, confused. “What are you doing?”
He grabbed hold of the chain that connected the cuffs and pushed his fist into the small of her back. “Just come along quietly,” he said. “I would hate to use my gun.”
>
“Your gun?” she breathed, shocked.
“The Master only wanted you,” he explained. “But he said if I needed, I could shoot any of your family members that tried to stop me.”
“But, Harley, you were always my friend,” Hazel pleaded. “I’ve never done anything to you. Please don’t do this.”
“It’s nothing personal, Hazel,” he said, slowly guiding her out of the barn and behind the pens. “Nothing personal at all. And, if you think about it, it’s kind of an honor.”
“An honor?” Hazel asked, chilled at the casual horror of his words.
“Yes, an honor,” he repeated. “The Master needs a virgin for tonight’s ceremony, and you were chosen.”
He pushed her down into the ditch near the road, and she stumbled in the high grass and weeds. “Be careful there,” he said. “We don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Harley, you have to let me go,” she said. “They’re going to kill me. You don’t want to be a part of this.”
Harley sighed. “You know, at first that’s what I thought, that I just didn’t want to be a part of this,” he replied, pushing her up onto the gravel road. “But, you know, once I realized how much good the Master was going to do for the people of Whitewater, I felt it was my duty to be part.”
“He’s not going to do good, Harley,” Hazel argued. “He’s lying to you. He’s lying to all of you.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Hazel,” he said easily. “He already got me two big contracts that I never thought I could get. My business is better than ever. It’s like blessings.”
“It’s not blessings,” Hazel said. “It’s a lie. It’s all a lie. Harley, can you really let me get killed over a couple big contracts?”
Harley sighed. “Well, if it were just me, I’d say no,” he rationalized. “But, you know, I got employees I’ve got to take care of. I’ve got mouths to feed.”
He pulled her to a stop next to his big delivery truck. “Step on up, Hazel,” he said, opening the back of the truck.
