I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you!”
I rushed up the stairs and pulled open the top drawer of my dresser. My gift wasn’t much; I didn’t have money of my own, but I had spent a lot of time working on it. In fact, I had been working on it since the evening we had gotten engaged. I’d finished it only a few days ago, just in time for the holidays. I’d been terrified I’d have to give it to him late.
The gift was wrapped in paper and tied with string, and I tucked it under my arm as I swung my cape around my shoulders and attached it around my neck. Warm enough to brave the five-minute walk to Adam’s, I hurried down the back staircase to the door.
“Adam?” I called out softly as I reached the main floor.
“Over here.”
I looked to see him standing in the back doorway, a smirk on his face. I looked up to see a familiar green sprig hanging from the doorframe.
“Is that mistletoe?” I asked, drawing closer.
“Perhaps.”
“You should know by now you don’t need mistletoe to get me to kiss you,” I told him, but I still met his lips in a soft kiss.
Arms linked, we traipsed through the snow and into the trees. The snow wasn’t as thick here—the ground protected by a blanket of trees—and we passed quickly to Adam’s house. The fire in his living room fireplace was still roaring and cast heat and light across the rug. Adam must have planned it this way, because my gift was sitting on the mantel. He picked it up, and we sat down on the plush Oriental rug beside the fire. I cast off my cape and pulled out my package for him.
“Mine first,” he said, handing me a slender box. I pulled off the paper, opened the lid, and gasped.
“Oh, Adam, it’s stunning,” I said, lifting the necklace out of the box. The silver choker was made up of diamond-encrusted flowers with emerald centers and emerald leaves. It was flexible in my hands as I held it, the diamonds sparkling in the light of the fire.
“I’m glad you like it. To be honest, I had no idea what to get you. This was Jasper’s suggestion.”
“Perhaps I should thank him then.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
“Oi, I did pick it out,” he said. “I made sure it matched your ring.”
“And it does, beautifully,” I told him.
I was hesitant to hand my gift over. It wasn’t comparable. Still, I extended the package to him, and he took it without noticing my hesitation.
“Hazel, it’s lovely,” he said as he unrolled the small tapestry.
“I saw they had many of them at Wolf’s Peak, but you didn’t have many here.”
“And is that meant to be me?” he asked, pointing to the blond wolf standing along the shoreline.
“Can’t you tell?”
He gave me a withering look accompanied by a smile. “Hazel, do you know how long it’s been since I looked in the mirror while I was a wolf? Probably about ten years.”
I laughed. “Yes, it is meant to be you.”
He leaned over and kissed me. “I love it. It must have taken you months.”
“It did. Plenty of bloodshed, too.” I held up my fingertips.
He took my hand, kissing each of my fingers gently, then pulled my hand against his face. His skin was always so much warmer than mine, but it never bothered me. I always knew that he was a source of warmth when I needed it.
Adam pulled me close to him, and my head rested against his chest. “Once the holidays are over, things are going to be busy,” he said. “I probably won’t see you much until Seth is caught.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I just want to warn you.” He rubbed my head gently.
“Well, then, I suppose we should prepare ourselves,” I said. I pulled back, and he looked at me with confusion until I straddled him. Then he bit his lip, lust in his eyes as I ground into his lap. Our lips crashed together, a shiver of heat running down my spine as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me tight, his lips trailing down my neck to my collarbone…
There was a knock on the back door.
“Hazel!” Harry called out. “Mum and Dad are looking for you.”
I hung my head. “Bloody hell,” I sighed.
Chapter Five
Despite Adam’s warning that I wouldn’t be seeing him much, I still hoped that I might get the chance to spend the New Year’s holiday with him. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get to be with my fiancé over the holiday. I tried not to be too upset, but it was still disappointing. Instead, Lisbeth came over, and we sat up drinking cider long after my parents had gone to bed.
“You miss him,” Lisbeth said as we curled up on the sofa.
“So much,” I sighed. “I knew that he was going to be busy, but it’s been hard being apart from him. I hope that things are different once we’re actually married.”
She hesitated. “I wouldn’t count on it. He’s still going to be working for the duke.”
I pinched my lips together. “You’re right. Hopefully Seth will be captured by then.”
“I’m sure he will be,” she said, but I wasn’t as confident. He had been on the run now for nearly six months. It felt like they were never going to catch him.
Lisbeth reached her hand out and rubbed my arm. “They will. You just have to have patience.”
I nodded. “I’m trying. It’s hard though. And I can’t imagine how Christine is feeling.”
“Probably awful. Have you seen her recently?”
“Not since the Christmas party. I feel odd going over there without Adam.”
“Well, next time he’s home for a bit, you should see if you can go visit.”
As it would turn out, I wouldn’t see Adam for weeks. When he finally did appear, I jumped into his arms.
“I’ve missed you!” I cried, planting a kiss on his cheek.
He hugged me tightly. “I’ve missed you too. So much.”
I took his hand and led him into the house. We sat in the parlor, my brother sitting across the room under the guise of keeping an eye on us, but really, he was napping.
“What have you been doing? Where have you been?” I asked.
“All over,” he sighed. “Tracking down leads about Seth. Most led to dead ends. It’s been exhausting.”
“So he hasn’t been caught yet?”
“Unfortunately not. On top of that, we’ve had to choose a new councilman to replace Roderick. There’s been a heated debate around it. They finally chose Conor, but I’ve been stuck at Wolf’s Peak almost all weekend.”
“Will you be back for a while?” I asked, squeezing his hand.
“It all depends on Seth.”
I nodded, not meeting his eyes. I had missed him so much, I didn’t want him to leave again. “While you’re here, do you think I could pay a visit to Wolf’s Peak and see Christine? I’ve missed her, and I want to make sure that she’s all right.”
Adam raised his eyebrows. “Actually, I have the perfect opportunity. The duke is having a small party to welcome Conor into the council. You’ve been invited as well.”
“Really?”
“Of course, you’re my fiancé. You’re practically a part of the Wolf’s Peak family already.”
It was the second time someone had said that, and it made me smile. It was certainly better than being a member of my family.
Several days later, I was dressed in a soft pink dress, ready for the next party at Wolf’s Peak. I wore my new necklace, my fingers running over the silver flowers and sparkling gemstones. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Adam arrived at our house right on time. I excitedly hurried down the stairs, skirts bundled in my hands. He took one look at me and a grin spread across his face.
“You’re wearing the necklace I gave you,” he said, reaching out to touch it. My mother slapped his fingers away, and I rolled my eyes.
“Hands off until the wedding day,” my mother said. She didn’t know it was already too late.
Adam held his hand out to me, and I took it was we left the house, crossing throu
gh the snow to his waiting carriage. Adam helped me up into the carriage, and once the door was shut, we began the ride to Wolf’s Peak.
His hand found mine in the dark of the car, warm around my small fingers. He gave me a small tug and I scooted myself over, curling up next to him on the seat. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in tight, bending down to kiss the top of my head.
“I’ve missed you so,” he murmured.
I tilted my head up, our lips meeting in a deep kiss. I reached my hand so it rested on the back of his neck as he pulled me on top of him. I cradled his face in my hands, relishing the kisses. His lips scarcely left mine as his hand slid up my thigh. I didn’t quite realize what was happening until his fingers brushed between my legs.
“Oh my God,” I gasped as he found the small pearl between my folds. I grasped at his jacket as the first wave of pleasure hit me.
“Adam,” I said with the little breath I had in my body. “We don’t—we don’t really have time for that.”
His smile shined through the window as the moonlight glowed down. “I suppose I’ll just have to hurry, then.”
He slid one finger inside of me. My back arched as his thumb brushed against my clit.
“Adam,” I gasped out. “Oh, God.”
My hint of pleasure wasn’t quite enough yet. He pulled his finger out of me for the briefest moment before pushing a second one along with the first. I felt myself stretch under his ministrations, his fingers filling me, thrusting deep but gentle, hitting the perfect spot inside of me to send shockwaves down my body.
My face was buried in his neck, rocking against the thrusting of his fingers. “God, Adam…”
“Let go, my love,” he whispered, his breath warm in my ear.
He didn’t need to ask me twice. My abdomen felt light as my muscles clenched around his fingers. My breathing became short and shallow and his fingers moved faster and deeper. A warm tingling spread over my body as ecstasy filled me, overtaking me. I let out a loud cry into the crook of his neck.
When I had ridden the pleasure to its end, Adam gently pulled his fingers out. They glistened in the moonlight as he brought them to his mouth, licking them. The sight sent another round of shivers up my side.
“I love the taste of you,” he murmured in my ear. He could have given me another orgasm right there.
I would have lain out on the seat, the energy gone from my body, but the carriage pulled up to Wolf’s Peak and I had to somehow compose myself enough to meet with the duke and duchess.
I cleared my throat as we climbed from the carriage. Together we started up the steps to the house, snow drifting onto our clothes. As we stepped inside, Mr. Potter took our cloaks, and I caught Christine’s eye from the parlor.
I crossed to join Christine and Annabelle on the loveseat.
“This is fun, isn’t it? I think I’ll quite enjoy being married to a lord. I’ve never been to this many parties in such a short span!” I was talking too fast, and my face was probably still flushed, and I prayed they wouldn’t notice.
Christine seemed too tired to take notice. “I’ve never hosted this many,” she said. Her eyebrows were raised and eyes were wide, as if she was just now realizing how chaotic her life had been. She rested her head on Annabelle’s shoulder, and Annabelle patted her head comfortingly.
Jasper came toward us with a glass of cider. “You all right, my dear?” he asked his wife.
“Fine,” she sighed. She took the cup from him and sipped at it while he pulled over a chair.
“Hazel, how have you been?” he asked me.
“I’ve been all right, thanks,” I said. “How have things been here? Adam says it’s been busy.”
“That’s an understatement,” Christine said.
Jasper sighed. “She’s right, unfortunately. It’s been exhausting. We’ve exhausted almost all our resources to find Seth, and he’s still been elusive.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I glanced over at my fiancé. “I hope you catch him soon.”
“I’m sure you do,” Jasper said with a smile.
Adam came over to join us, having caught me glancing at him. “How are we over here?” he asked.
“Lovely,” I said. “So, Conor is the new councilman?”
“He is,” Jasper nodded.
“It was hotly contested, though,” Adam sighed.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“The older ones feel like they’re being overrun by the younger men,” Annabelle said with a grin. I turned to the men for confirmation, and they shrugged.
“She’s not exactly wrong,” Jasper muttered.
Christine pushed herself up from the couch. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “Excuse me.”
She waddled off toward the restroom, and I turned back to the men. “Where is Conor?” I asked.
Jasper looked around and frowned. “No idea.”
I stayed curled up on the loveseat as others moved around me. Jasper got up to mingle with the other councilmen, and Christine came back in and sat down with us. Moments later, Conor came back and sat with us. He was young, like Adam and Jasper, but his hair was sort of a coppery brown. We chatted for a bit until Jasper clapped his hands together to catch everyone’s attention.
“All right, men!” Jasper proclaimed, holding out his hands. “What do you say we go for a celebratory run? The night is young!”
The men cheered and followed Jasper toward the back of the house. Adam had told me that they always shifted in the Great Hall. It was part of the original house, and, as Annabelle put it, “They do like their tradition.”
We helped Christine off of the couch and met up with the men by the back door. They came out of the Great Hall as one mass of fur, threading their way between us, their tails wagging.
Adam came and found me, his warm eyes meeting with mine. I reached down and stroked his golden fur. I rarely saw Adam in his wolf form. In fact, the last time had been when he’d saved me from crazy Lillian at the lakeside. He was a gorgeous wolf, but I’d never tell him that. He wouldn’t want to be called gorgeous, even though his golden hair was the stuff of every girl’s dreams.
Adam turned his head and licked my hand, and I pretended to scowl, wiping the drool off on his fur. He shook it out, rubbing up against me. I didn’t want him to leave, I wanted him to stay in the house with me. I knew they needed to get out, to run and have fun after the stress of the last several months, but worry knotted it my stomach. It always did when he was in his wolf form, and with the added stress of murders and attacks, it was a wonder I hadn’t lost my mind with anxiety already.
I knelt down to give him a hug around his neck. Burying my face in his fur was calming, soothing somehow. He nuzzled me, his cold nose wet against my skin. I leaned back and gave him a short kiss on his snout before standing back up.
“Be safe,” I whispered to him, and he nodded in agreement, hazel eyes wide.
Annabelle, Christine, and I walked the men to the back door. The wolves were fairly helpless when they tried to open doors, so Christine slid the deadbolt back and Annabelle and I held the doors open. Cold air rushed in, and the men wagged their tails, excited to crash through the snow. One by one they leapt down the stairs, across the courtyard, and into the woods, the gibbous moon shining overhead. With a mutual sigh, the girls and I shut the doors and turned back inside.
The three of us meandered back to the parlor. Annabelle and Christine sat on the loveseat, while I sat on the chair Adam had been sitting in nearby. No need to squish together when it wasn’t so crowded.
“Hazel, how is your wedding planning going?” Annabelle asked me.
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” I told her.
“Do you have your dress?”
“It’s being designed now.” I couldn’t hold back the grin. “Oh, it’s so pretty! Simple, I mean, not as embellished as yours was, Christine. The dress is going to be a really simple silhouette, really soft and flowy, made of Chantilly lace. I’m wearing my mother’s pearl
s as well, as my something borrowed. It was her idea, of course. I think she’s more excited for this wedding than I am.” It was true, but I was getting more excited as the day drew closer.
“What else do you have chosen?” Christine asked me.
“Well, my mother insisted we get married at St. Peter’s church.”
“Oh, that’s beautiful!” Annabelle exclaimed. “I loved the stained glass in there. It’s exquisite.”
“We just haven’t found anywhere to host the reception. My family’s home isn’t nearly large enough,” I sighed.
Christine thought for a moment.. “You could do it here.”
My jaw dropped. “Really?”
She shrugged. “Well, sure. I mean, I would have to run it by Jasper, but I can’t think of a reason he’d say no. Lord knows, we have enough events here already. I doubt one more would be a problem.”
I jumped up to give her a hug. The ballroom at Wolf’s Peak was one of the most stunning places in town. Christine and Jasper had held their wedding reception there, and the whole room had seemed to glow. “Oh, Christine! That would be fantastic!”
“Oh, of course. But, um, don’t thank me yet. Thank me after I ask Jasper.”
“Sure,” I said. We chatted for a bit about the wedding, until Christine jumped. Her hands touched on her ribs and discussion turned to babies.
“I can’t wait until Adam and I have a baby,” I said. We had only talked about children briefly, but I knew he wanted a whole litter of them.
Annabelle laughed. “After you’re married, though. You don’t want to have to get your dress refitted.”
“Yes, that’s the main reason,” Christine scoffed.
I hadn’t thought it possible to find someone more sheltered than I was, but I had found it in Christine.
“Not all of us kept ourselves pure until marriage, you know,” Annabelle said.
“Oh, God, I didn’t need to know that,” Christine said, burying her head in her hands.
I needed to change the subject. “Have you finished the nursery yet?” I asked.
Christine led us upstairs to show us the baby’s nursery. We had only been back in the parlor for a few minutes when there was a loud banging against the back door. We all jumped as the noise echoed through the house, and we glanced at each other before rushing to the back door. Christine looked out the window onto the balcony and immediately hurried to unlock the door. We shoved it open and the wolves came pouring in.
The Wolf's Betrothed (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 5) Page 4
