Two Wolves and a Candy Seller [Werewolf Castle 1]

by Cara Adams

  Damask hadn’t said anything since they’d entered the castle. Grigori wondered what she was thinking. She didn’t seem nervous or awed, but perfectly normal.

  “How were you planning to look at the tower? Top to bottom? Best to worst?” he asked Jairus.

  “I thought start at the top and work down. That will give us all a feel for how many stairs we’d be constantly walking up and down.”

  “Realistically it’d only be a couple of times a day. We’ll all be at work during the day, won’t we? I mean, I’d be expected to get a job, wouldn’t I?” asked Damask.

  “No one is forced to work, but for fit and healthy people it’s encouraged. That’s one of the changes our existing Alpha made. Until then few people actually worked apart from at harvest time or on crafts like building furniture, or making clothing. That was something that’d gradually developed over the years. Originally everyone had needed to work all the time. Then as the pack got some money and started buying things people didn’t have to work anymore and it’d gradually gotten so that most people didn’t have to work. That system couldn’t continue because the money had to be earned to pay for things like electricity and additional food supplies which everyone decided they wanted,” Grigori explained.

  “Winter there’s far fewer tourists and we only open weekends and holidays, so that’s our quiet time. Of course it always used to be a quiet time anyway as the crops are gathered by then,” added Jairus.

  “I like the idea of having a job. I’d be happy to keep working once the season is over. I’d always intended to use this job to help me get a permanent job somewhere.”

  “Between candy store worker, musician, and ballad writer, I think you’ll be kept busy,” said Grigori.

  While they’d been talking they’d been walking up the steps. The steps went straight up the tower on the castle wall side. Rooms opened off on the other side in all sorts of odd places. Grigori knew Damask couldn’t see from here, but some of them then opened into other rooms and some didn’t. She’d get the idea on the way down though. One room was no use to them as they needed a living space, a more private bedroom, and a bathroom.

  The second top floor had two large rooms looking over the castle wall. Jairus pointed out where the upstairs family had their bathroom and kitchen so they’d need to put their bathroom underneath that. From there they walked down each level, stopping and peering into every room.

  The first time Damask saw a room carved into the castle wall itself she was excited. “Was this originally a hidden room?”

  “I don’t think so. I guess the wall just never was as thick here,” replied Jairus.

  Grigori really liked the rooms about halfway down the tower. Being halfway meant there was still an excellent view out over the outer courtyard and the road leading to town, but it wasn’t so much climbing to get there. Also they had no neighbors immediately above or below them, and wouldn’t, as there were no other rooms either exactly over or under these ones. On the other hand, that meant the plumbing might be more expensive he supposed. Although the entire tower was going to be refurbished eventually, so the issue would have to be addressed sooner or later.

  Damask went backward and forward through the three rooms several times. Grigori noticed she stood well back from the windows even though they had wood planks nailed across them.

  “I like this apartment the best so far. It’s going to be more private from other people in the tower, there’s plenty of light coming into it through the arrow slit windows and the room layout is good. Ideally the room we enter into would be our living room and kitchen, then our bedroom, and finally the bathroom, but I guess it’ll depend on where the pipes have to come from for plumbing and I suppose the kitchen and bathroom should be next to each to make it easier. If the first room has to be our bedroom perhaps we could make a narrow hallway through to the living room so we could shut the bedroom door and visitors couldn’t see in.”

  Grigori nodded. As always everything Damask said was sound logic. “And opaque window glass so people can’t see in,” he added.

  Jairus said, “That’s all fine by me. Do you want to see the last apartment or should I go and talk to our plumber?”

  “Oh I want to see the rest of the tower first. Maybe the next one will be even better. But so far this is easily the best option.”

  They’d just entered the apartment on the lower floor when Grigori’s cell phone beeped. Less than a second later Jairus’s cell phone beeped too. Damask laughed as both men reached for their phones, only for her own cell phone to ring. “Is this some kind of a prank?” she asked.

  “Mine isn’t,” said Grigori, staring at his screen. Why has the Alpha summoned me?

  Chapter Five

  Damask stared at her cell phone screen and wondered if she was going to be sick. The message read Come to the Alpha’s office with Jairus and Grigori now.

  “Oh shit! I never should have come in here without permission. Now he’s going to send me home in disgrace. I’ll never see either of you again.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Grigori.

  He must have seen the anguish on her face because in an instant both men were gripping her in a double bear hug.

  “The Alpha is never unreasonable. He can be stern and even angry, but he’s never unfair. You’ve only been with us and we haven’t imposed on anyone’s privacy. I don’t think he’s going to complain about our visiting the tower,” said Grigori.

  “However, he said now, so we’d better get moving,” added Jairus.

  Grigori led the way out of the tower and down the last flight of stairs, then into the east wing hallway. They walked almost to the far end stopping at an outer office. The woman there, a middle aged person with iron-gray hair, glanced over the top of her spectacles at them, then smiled. “Jairus, Grigori, and you must be Damask. Go straight in. He’s waiting for you.”

  Despite what Grigori had said, and despite the woman’s smile, Damask felt as if she might be ill. Or faint. Or possibly both. The thought that she’d annoyed such a powerful person was almost enough to send her running home to hide under her bed. Only the fear of never seeing Jairus and Grigori again gave her enough strength to swallow down her fear and stand up straight and tall.

  He didn’t look all that frightening. The Alpha of Werewolf Castle, Yerik Vulf, had a full head of pure white hair and shrewd black eyes. His forehead was lined but the creases beside his eyes spoke of a man who smiled often.

  There were three hard wooden upright chairs in front of his solid wood desk. “Sit,” he said.

  Damask was glad. She’d straightened her spine but wasn’t sure how long her courage would last. At least if she fainted from a sitting position she wouldn’t disgrace herself quite so much.

  The woman followed them into the room, a notepad in her hand and a pen tucked behind her ear. She closed the door then came and sat on a chair beside the Alpha. A chair Damask hadn’t even noticed until right then.

  But why the fuck was she here? Her gut was churning and she was ready to apologize for whatever she’d done wrong. She truly hadn’t meant to disobey anyone.

  “The Supreme Alpha of Europe died two days ago. His funeral is in Vienna at noon tomorrow. I expect the speed of the funeral and the late notice of his death is to try to prevent too much grandstanding by various packs and interest groups. It’s made it pretty damn challenging for the other Supremes to get there, though. It’s what a fifteen, sixteen hour flight from America?”

  “The new Alpha of Vienna is a very clever man. He may have booked airplane tickets for the various Supremes as soon as he knew.”

  “Ah, Odette, that’s why I love you. You think of everything I miss.”

  So that’s who she is. Mrs. Alpha. Um, Odette Vulf. But why am I here?

  “Jairus, you know Vienna and will recognize many of the people I need to know about. Skype is all very well in its way, but everyone will be dressed in a black business suit and I’ll struggle to distinguish one from the
other. Grigori and Damask, you are coming as well. Interspecies and ménage matings are the only way we werewolf shape-shifters can survive. Already we’ve seen the birthrate return to almost fifty percent females in the new generation of wolf and human matings. It’s time these dinosaurs got their heads out of their asses and into the twenty-first century and started solving problems instead of causing them.”

  Damask’s own head was reeling. She was going to a funeral? A very important funeral of one of the most important werewolves in the world? Her? A human and not even mated to Jairus and Grigori yet? The Alpha trusted her so much he’d take her with him?

  “Have both you men got black dress suits, white button-down shirts, sober neckties?”

  “Charcoal suit and matching tie, sir,” said Grigori.

  “Black suit, yes. I need to look through my neckties but I’m sure I’ll have a suitable one,” said Jairus.

  “And you, Damask? Do you have a suitable black dress?”

  Damask nearly panicked at being addressed directly but she gulped and said, “I have a floor-length black dress but I also have a navy day-length skirt and blazer which would likely be more appropriate. And navy pumps.”

  “You’re right. The suit will be better. Pack that,” said Odette.

  “Now. About our travel. I don’t want half the packs in Europe following us home, but I don’t want to have to drive all night to get there either.”

  “No problem, sir. We can fly to Bratislava. It’s only about a ninety minute drive from there and a lot of it’s on autobahns. We could lose any pursuers if we needed to by ducking on and off the exits.”

  “Jairus, you’ll be driving since you know the area best. What kind of car do you want me to hire?” asked Odette.

  “Fast.”

  Damask almost giggled but caught herself just in time.

  “Also, sir, if you can fit everything you need into carry-on luggage we’ll be much faster in and out of the airport than if we need to wait for a suitcase,” said Jairus.

  “We’ll only be staying one night so that is eminently doable. Very well, go and pack your luggage now. Be sure to have an early night. Odette will text you what time we’re leaving in the morning but I can assure you it’ll be much earlier than you are used to.”

  Damask hated to have to ask a question but in case he had forgotten she had to say it. “What about my job at the candy store tomorrow, sir?”

  “Henry will help out again and I’ll send one of the young men first thing in the morning to restock the shelves so Piotr doesn’t have to do that.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Damask followed Odette out of the Alpha’s office her head still spinning. He hadn’t yelled at her. She was going to a funeral. A very important funeral, just as if she was someone of importance herself. Her mother would be impressed but she wouldn’t say anything until she was home again. She didn’t want to do anything that might give away any of the pack’s secrets.

  The men walked her out of the building and stopped near the chapel house. “Pack a scarf or hat to hide your hair, and make sure you have shoes you can run in. I don’t expect anything will go wrong but just in case we need to get away from any pursuers, your hair will be the thing they’ll notice,” said Jairus.

  “That’s a good point. Plan to wear your hair at the funeral itself so it’s really noticeable. That way anyone wanting to follow us will focus on your hair. As soon as you cover it up we’ll be invisible. Just one more dark suit in a crowd,” added Grigori.

  “Can you ask costuming for a piece of navy blue fabric, please? I don’t have anything like that here at the castle with me. All my scarves and hats are for winter, so are still at home.”

  “Can do. See you tomorrow then. I’d really like to kiss you but I guess we won’t be doing that for a few days,” whispered Jairus.

  “But with luck we’ll be sitting together on the airplane for a few hours,” added Grigori.

  Damask wasn’t so sure about that. Booking flights for the very next day she rather thought they’d have to take any seats still available. But it didn’t matter. She was going to Vienna and even though it was for a funeral likely she’d see some of the sights of the city as they drove through it. Vienna. Wow!

  * * * *

  The flight into Bratislava arrived on time, for which Jairus was very grateful. It was one of the cheap flights with no food service and his stomach was telling him very angrily it needed some breakfast. He led them through the maze of the airport, glad they’d followed his advice and had only carry-on bags. The crowds at the luggage retrieval carousels were enormous and they were able to walk straight to the almost empty car hire booth and collect their vehicle.

  Odette had done as he asked. The car was a Mercedes with a lot of power under the hood. He drove steadily until they reached the autobahn, then he floored the gas pedal. The car took off like a rocket. He eased off the speed again but was certain they’d be able to outrun most cars sent to follow them. If any were, of course. It was all conjecture at this point.

  Odette had booked them rooms at a nice but not top-rank hotel in a quiet part of the city of Vienna, just to have a shower and get dressed. She’d also arranged for breakfast to be kept for them, which made him even happier. He was starving hungry and the sight of the pastries and bacon and eggs put new life in him.

  After they’d eaten, the Alpha asked, “It’s very nearly ten already. How long will it take us to get to the church?”

  “No more than twenty minutes, but it might take me almost as long as that to find a legal parking space. The last thing we need is to come out after the service and find the car has been towed away.”

  “Agreed. Very well. We’ll shower and change and meet here at eleven. Jairus can drop us off at the church when we arrive. I need Jairus to identify people for me, so Grigori you will have to find a legal parking space then find your way back to the church. Damask will save you a seat beside her but if the service has begun remain standing at the back. Aim to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Jairus was used to showering fast when he was on duty and had already cleaned his dress shoes the previous night, so putting on a suit didn’t take him all that long. He went straight down to the foyer and bookmarked the map of the streets around the church and sent the URL in an email to Grigori. Poor Grigori. He’d gotten the worse deal by having to find a parking space and then find his way back to the church on foot. Still they had plenty of time.

  He’d placed the length of navy fabric from the costuming department in his suit coat pocket to ensure he didn’t forget it. When Damask walked into the foyer, as stunning as ever, he handed the fabric to her. She opened her navy purse and dropped the fabric inside. “Thank you.”

  Her red hair was piled on her head in an updo, making her look taller, and she wore gold earrings that showed her neck to advantage. She also had a gold chain around her neck and another one on her left wrist. So simple, yet so pretty.

  “I’ll drive but you guide me. It’ll give me an opportunity to get to know the car and the traffic,” said Grigori.

  Jairus nodded. “That makes sense.”

  The Alpha and his wife arrived then and they left. Jairus felt more nervous sitting in the passenger seat than he’d been when he was driving, but Grigori handled the heavy, powerful car well, and drove sensibly.

  Jairus pointed out the German words for “No Parking” but the red line though the picture of the car made it pretty obvious anyway and Grigori spoke some German.

  Grigori pulled up smoothly outside the church and they all got out. Jairus watched Grigori merge into the traffic then turned to Damask and followed the Alpha up the steps. Although it was still twenty minutes before the service was due to start there were plenty of people in the old stone building. The Alpha’s position was well toward the front. The first few rows would be for family members and the other Supremes. Then would be three or four rows of the Alphas. Jairus calculated carefully and
sat six rows behind the Alpha but exactly behind him with Damask behind Odette and her purse on the seat beside her, reserving it for Grigori.

  Jairus concentrated on memorizing people, naming those he could and remembering as much as he could of the others, including who they sat next to and who they greeted on their way in.

  Their own Alpha left Odette minding his place and spoke to the son and daughter of the deceased Supreme. Both of them had shown very undesirable personality traits, but the Alpha was right. They were still grieving the death of their father and deserved recognition for that. He spoke next to the new Alpha of Vienna and his two mates, people Jairus had met and who he respected. From there the Alpha went and greeted the other Supremes, before making his way back to his seat as the pipe organ began to play.

  He heard Damask’s little sigh and he glanced at her. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying the music. Gently, he patted her hand then returned to his job. Identifying people. Grigori arrived and slid into his seat mere moments before the priest asked everyone to stand as the service began.

  It was conducted in German, which Jairus spoke fluently so he understood everything. He knew Grigori would also understand some of what was said, but he was surprised when it came time for the hymn to be sung and Damask’s voice rose out beside him in crystal clear tones, sweet, accurately pitched, and with perfect pronunciation. He hadn’t realized she knew any German at all and her singing was amazing.

  The pallbearers were the other Supreme Alphas, so perhaps Odette had guessed correctly and the Alpha of Vienna had bought their plane tickets in advance. Or maybe they’d been told ahead of the rest of the world. The son and daughter walked side by side behind the coffin followed by the rows of Alphas. Jairus inserted himself into the crowd staying as close behind his own Alpha as he could, watching, watching, watching, those who surrounded him.