Moments later, a soft rap on the door announced the person had finally made it to the bedroom’s entrance. Calling out to whoever was at the other side to come in, Victoria watched as the huge wooden door swung open and a woman in her mid-fifties stepped inside, appraising Victoria briefly as a warm smile spread her lips apart.
“My name is Emelina.” The woman closed the door behind her and approached. “Mr. Garland sent me up here to make sure his guest was perfectly comfortable. I assume you are the guest he spoke of.” Emelina spoke with a heavy accent but Victoria could not discern where the woman was from.
A guest? She was a guest in his house? “Um, I guess I am.”
The woman’s smile enhanced. “Good. Mr. Garland instructed me to provide you with anything you might need.”
Victoria took two steps toward Emelina then stopped. “Where is he?”
“He left, but he will be back soon,” she replied, her soft brown eyes taking her in with interest. “Is there anything you desire?”
Although she was still furious with Tristan for dumping her God knew where, there was no point in ranting about it since the man was nowhere within sight.
“Actually, a bath would be nice.” Submerging her body in warm water would probably help cool her anger down.
“Of course.” The woman walked across the room to a closed door at the opposite side of the room and opened it. Stepping inside, the woman said, “There are no women’s clothing here, but there are some items in this closet you might be able to wear until Mr. Garland shows himself.”
“Is he the lord of this house?” Victoria asked, surprised.
“Yes.” The woman took out a blue t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. “These might be big, but it’s better than nothing.” She held the items out for Victoria to inspect.
Victoria gave a nod of approval as she took the clothing from Emelina. “They’re fine, thank you.”
“After the lord shows up with proper clothing, you might be able to go sightseeing. Perhaps the Chateau de Versailles will strike your fancy or—”
“What? Wait! Where am I?” Shocked, she could stand there and stare at the older woman.
Emelina appeared confused. “Did the lord not tell you where he was bringing you?”
“No! He said nothing to me at all.”
“You would think that living for so long would have taught that man some manners,” Emelina muttered, shaking her head in disapproval. “Don’t worry, you will get used to his strange ways. I have.” The older woman ambled toward the huge French windows and started closing each one of the shades by hand.
“Hold on a second.” Victoria raised one finger to signal the woman to stop.
Emelina paused from closing the shades of the huge double French doors that covered one fourth of the long wall next to the closet door, and turned to look at Victoria.
“You know what he…is?”
“You don’t get to work for so many years for a man like Tristan and not notice how he comes and goes the way he does. Or how he does not age,” She pointed out.
Of course. That made perfect sense. Tristan had a home. She knew he couldn’t possibly be a homeless vampire lord.
“And you’re okay with him bringing someone into his home?” By someone she meant human. Was the woman not bothered by the fact that he could kill with just a strike of his hand?
“You are not human.”
Victoria blanched. How did she know that?
“I have seen many things in my life, enough so that I recognize an inhuman creature when I see one.” Victoria could only stare at the woman. “And Mr. Garland has never brought a female into his bedroom before.”
Emelina’s statement gave Victoria some measure of comfort. If Tristan had never brought a woman to his bedroom before, did that mean she was somehow important to him?
“How long have you worked for him?” Victoria wanted to change the subject before she started to build her hopes up. Just because the man had never brought a woman to this bedroom, that didn’t mean he hadn’t taken a woman anywhere else. For all she knew he made it a habit of popping in and out of places with the women he picked up from some unknown location.
“About thirty five years,” Emelina responded with a genuine smile.
Victoria arched her eyebrows in amazement. “That’s a long time.”
“It is,” Emelina stated with a shrug of the shoulders.
“So we’re in France?”
“Yes. Paris, to be exact,”
Much like Tristan had pointed out; she was a long way from home. Tristan had some serious explaining to do. However, she did have to recognize that she was at least somewhat grateful to be in France. There was no possible way for her father or the pack to find her there.
“Where is the bathroom?” she asked, determined to make the best of the situation.
“But of course. How silly of me, please forgive me.” Emelina sauntered over to another door at the opposite side of the closet’s entry and opened it. “The restroom is through here, you will find all the toiletries you need in there.” She pointed inside. “The master likes his room to be fully stocked even if he stops by only once or twice a year.”
Once or twice a year? Tristan was positively the most enigmatic creature she had ever met. Why did he choose to live in a cave in the middle of nowhere when he had a house as beautiful and as big as a palace to live in?
“Thank you, Emelina.” Victoria ambled toward the bathroom door, admiring the spaciousness of the bedroom as she sauntered across the grey carpet. The high ceilings were better suited for a cathedral than a master suite. “Do you happen to know when Tristan will be back?”
“Soon.” She smiled. “He is not very appreciative of city life. So I wouldn’t doubt for a second that once he’s done buying what he needs for you, he will come back to hide his pale skin in the house.”
It was obvious to Victoria that Emelina knew Tristan well. If he hated city life so much, why did he have a house as big and extravagant as the one she was in, as his home? And in one of the busiest cities in the world, no less. Perhaps, when he got back from his shopping trip, she could ask him.
“Thank you for everything, Emelina.”
“Oh, you don’t have to thank me.” She beamed. “It feels good to have something to do other than clean a house that’s already spotless.”
Victoria chuckled softly.
“I will go check on how dinner is coming along. Call me if you need anything.”
Victoria nodded and the woman slipped out the bedroom door and left her alone to ponder reality. As she sashayed into the bathroom and closed the door, her mind began to question Tristan’s motives for bringing her to his home in Paris. And since he didn’t give her so much as a warning, Victoria wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was such a strange man and had so many personalities it was hard to keep up with them all.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do or ask about her current predicament until the man showed up. She couldn’t do anything on her own and there was no obvious way for her to go back home—not that she would want to, anyway. She was as far from her father’s wrath as she could be and she was grateful for that. For the time being, she decided to finally enjoy a bath and patiently wait for Tristan’s arrival.
Chapter Seventeen
Since the princess’ sudden departure, the mansion had fallen into complete chaos at first, and then, nothing but silence reverberated across the Bonvalet territory. With the exception of the Trackers, most of the pack members had decided to make themselves scarce to avoid the alpha’s wrath. The werewolf walked around like a possessed man, ranting, cursing, tossing and breaking furniture along with the faces of whoever decided to cross him in any way. No one, not even the alpha’s longtime mate, had seen him so angry before.
Victor Bonvalet sat on his favorite wooden chair and impatiently waited for Danero and the other Trackers to march through the double doors to the mess hall. The announcement had been made that they had new
s and Victor could only hope it was in regards to his missing daughter.
The past few days had been pure hell for him. After the initial concern over his missing daughter had passed, anger replaced the worry he’d originally felt over her disappearance. It didn’t take long for him to realize that she’d vanished on purpose. Victoria had run off just to prove to him that she could disobey his wishes. Despite his mate’s concerns, he knew their daughter fared well. She was alive, safe, and probably having the time of her life while he sat on his makeshift throne and fumed over his predicament. How could an alpha like him prove himself when his own child made a fool out of him?
When he caught up with his daughter—because this was a matter of when and not if—Victor would make sure she never disobeyed him again. Rules were meant to be followed and she had to learn that. Had he been blessed with another son instead of a daughter, he wouldn’t have had to worry about disobedience. Unfortunately, his second child had been born female and to make things worse, she had been hell-bent on defying him from the moment she took her first steps.
The quiet atmosphere around him was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the double doors being opened. Danero, Tyrone, the pack elders, and several Trackers walked in. Their somber expressions made it clear the news they carried was not good.
“What did you find, Danero?” Victor asked. The suspicions the alpha carried over how much involvement Danero had in Victoria’s disappearance grew every day. Regardless, there was no way for him to prove his suspicions. At least, not without drawing blood, and this would put him in a precarious situation. Danero was the best Tracker he had ever found and he didn’t want to cross the werewolf the wrong way. If cornered, Danero could turn into a real problem. Victor knew this for a fact, and his gut instincts told him not to mess with the younger werewolf.
Victor tried to convince himself that the only reason he didn’t want to anger Danero was because of his usefulness to the pack, not because the werewolf, though only a beta, was probably the only one that wasn’t afraid to cross him.
Danero approached Victor with his head held high and his shoulders squared. Because Danero was an important pack member, he demonstrated the proper compliant approach that was expected of him, but Victor knew he didn’t like the fact that Victoria was being hunted down like some common criminal.
“The betas and I scoured the area near the hidden valley and we thought we caught whiff of Victoria’s scent in the air. I followed the scent and approached the summit of the mountain to see if she was there but,” Danero tensed as Victor’s eyes narrowed, “there was no one there when I arrived,” Danero assured him. His voice was steady, never once wavering. “But we did find these.”
Danero gestured for Tyrone to step forward and the other man did. He stopped within a few feet from where the alpha sat and tossed a duffel bag at his feet.
Victor didn’t have to get close to know those were his daughter’s belongings. Her scent was splattered on each and every one of them. A sudden thought crowded his mind. Had she been injured? Was she even now lying dead somewhere, rotting away as if she was nothing? Shaking his head, Victor dismissed the probability almost as fast as it had crossed his mind and focused instead, on other more important matters.
“Where did you find those?” Anger, irritation, and impatience were clearly visible in Victor’s green eyes.
“In a cabin up north, some fifty or so miles from the hidden valley.”
“Since you brought these and not my daughter, I assume she wasn’t there.” The alpha’s frustration was more than evident.
“No, she was not. The cabin appeared to have been vacant for a few hours at least.”
“Goddamn it!” Victor roared in anger, slamming his fist into the wooden chair with such force the end of it broke off. “She has to be out there somewhere.”
Tyrone waited until Victor collected himself before relating the rest of his statement.
“The scent of a vampire lingered inside the cabin as well,” Tyrone informed him.
Anger turned into suspicion. Victor thought he had reason to doubt his daughter’s activities. What was Victoria doing associating with a vampire? Providing they were involved in any way, they had to know that it could be fatal for them both. Vampires and werewolves simply did not correlate with one another. It was forbidden.
“This is turning into a real nightmare. No one can find a trace of her, no one knows where she is, and Armando will be here tomorrow. What am I supposed to tell him?”
“Maybe you should postpone the mating for another few weeks, at least until we can find her,” Danero suggested. “We can make something up.”
“I can’t do that,” Victor practically roared.
Tyrone arched his eyebrows. “When Armando arrives and finds no bride, he will want to know what’s going on.”
“Then I will have no choice but to tell him the truth.” Victor sighed in frustration. “Maybe he can help in the search.”
“He will grow angry once he realizes his intended bride fled,” Tyrone argued.
Victor frowned. “As you are well aware of, this mating is of utmost importance, not only for the survival of our kind, but because it will join two of the most powerful packs the world has to offer. It is a mating of convenience, so I need my daughter here to fulfill her duty. Armando must not know yet, because if he does, he will terminate the mating. That will not suit me at all.”
For once, Victor was able to force a reaction out of Danero. The younger werewolf glared back as if wishing he could fry the alpha on the spot.
“I understand,” Tyrone added.
“Do your best to find her,” Victor warned.
“I assure you, we are. We’ve spent countless hours searching every inch of the forest and nearby towns. It seems that every time we’ve come close to finding her we miss by a few hours.” Tyrone glanced to the side, looking directly at Danero, before turning his attention back to the alpha. Although Victor noticed, he refused to comment on it. If Victoria was nearby, they would find her. And if Danero was involved in her disappearance, there would be hell to pay.
“Wait for her at the cabin day and night if necessary,” Victor instructed.
“Danero and his team have been assigned to the location already.”
“Victoria is missing and since we cannot find her, wouldn’t it be wise to assume she might be injured?” Danero stepped forward, looking at Victor directly as he spoke. “What if something happened to her? What if a vampire attacked her?”
Victor’s booming tone commanded silence within the confines of the room. “I cannot discard the possibility that my daughter could have fallen victim to one of these fiends. However, as a father, I believe she has simply rebelled in her usual way just to aggravate me. Given that she took some of her belongings and several thousand dollars with her, I believe she has taken refuge amongst the humans.”
“Then why were her belongings still in the cabin? She wasn’t there when we arrived, and according to the other Trackers, she hasn’t been there since.”
Victor let out an exasperated sigh. “I realize you worry about my daughter because you care for her, Danero. But you know Victoria as well as I do, perhaps more so, and you know how she is. She is out there somewhere, and most likely alive, safe, and hiding from us. If she was severely hurt, I would have felt it.” At least, he believed it to be so. Truth was, he had no strong connection with his daughter and if she was hurt he probably wouldn’t be able to feel it at all.
“Of course.” Danero didn’t seem convinced, but to his credit, he said nothing else.
“Danero, Tyrone,” Victor hissed. “Once you finally find her, don’t hesitate to drag her in here if you have to.”
“Assemble the best Trackers we have and arrange two teams—you will be the leaders. Search every nearby town and the surrounding woodlands again, and don’t stop to rest, eat, or even sleep until you find her. Be discreet about it and don’t call any unnecessary attention to yourselves.” He paused l
ong enough to grip Danero with a stern look. “Bring her back to me even if you have to tie her down and drag her by the hair to do so.”
Tyrone and Danero exchanged concerned looks before marching out the doors to do the alpha’s bidding.
Chapter Eighteen
Tristan walked out of the last store he had gone into and marched down the long street. He’d bought several outfits he thought Victoria would like, but whether or not she enjoyed what he purchased for her was far from his list of concerns. His head felt as heavy with baggage as his hands were. He dreaded returning to the house to face her. By now she knew where she was and if he guessed correctly, she was probably trying to come up with ways to wring his neck and then get rid of the evidence. Not that he could blame her; he had practically kidnapped the poor girl.
Victoria, being the intelligent woman she was, was probably trying to understand why he brought her out here and for what reason. Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand it himself. What was he supposed to tell her? He didn’t even know why he had the sudden impulse to take her away. All he knew was that he felt an overwhelming need to protect her when he scanned her thoughts and realized she planned to run away. A sudden upsurge of possessiveness took hold of him because at some point he started to think of Victoria as his.
His mind argued that it was too soon for him to have such strong feelings about her. That her problems weren’t his. That he should drop her back home and leave her to face whatever she had to on her own, but truth be told, he didn’t want that.
His emotions however, were constantly contradicting themselves. One minute he wanted nothing to do with her and the next, he was willing to fight tooth and nail to have her. Frustration couldn’t even begin to describe what he felt.
Tristan shook his head as he swaggered down the sidewalk, avoiding looking at anyone directly. What was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to act when he couldn’t even sort out his troublesome sentiments?
Fierce Awakenings Page 14
