No.
A black shape darted across my vision and my heart began to hammer. Just shapes in the darkness, or something more? I had my answer when I saw the glint of white teeth in the dim light from the window. In an instant he was on my bed, snarling above me.
Had I not screamed as loud as possible, I would have been dead.
Chapter Nineteen
When my scream pierced the air, the wolf’s eyes widened. As footsteps approached and doors slammed, he leapt off my bed and crashed through the window. A cold air rushed into the room as I sat frozen on my bed.
“Hazel?” Harry said, shoving his way into my room. “What happened?”
My mouth moved, but no sound wanted to come out. I was trying to find my head, clenching the sheets, struggling to breathe.
“A wolf,” I said with a gasp. “There was a wolf in here.”
“A wolf?” Harry asked.
I nodded.
My parents had joined Harry. My mother’s eyes were wide, and my father had his arms crossed.
“Hazel, what on earth happened?” My mother asked. “What happened to the window?”
“Someone broke in,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “They jumped through the window when I screamed.”
Harry went to the broken window to look down on the yard. “Well, he’s gone now.”
“Did he take anything?” my mother asked, looking around.
“I don’t think so,” I said, my voice shaky.
My father lit a candle while I struggled to pull myself into a seated position.
“Doesn’t look like anything is missing,” my mother said. “Shall we call the police?”
I glanced over at Harry, who met my eyes full of concern. “Whoever it was is long gone now,” he said. “Why don’t you guys go to bed, and I’ll make sure that the doors are locked?”
My mother hesitated, but my father pulled her arms. “Come on, dear. Nothing we can do until morning.”
Reluctant, my mother followed behind him and Harry left my room. I sat up in my bed, forcing myself to keep my breathing even.
“Hazel!” I heard my name being called from outside the house. I pulled myself out of bed, feet cold against the frozen floor, and crossed to the window. Adam stood down there, looking up at me.
“What the bloody hell?” he asked.
I glanced back to make sure my parents hadn’t heard him, then I gestured for him to come inside. He hesitated, but Harry must have heard him because from below me the front door opened and Harry told him to “Get his ass inside, it’s bloody freezing.”
A few moments later the two of them appeared in my doorway. Adam’s eyes were wide. “A wolf?” he asked.
“Not just a wolf, the same wolf,” I told him. “The one that attacked me at Wolf’s Peak.”
Adam’s face went pale. “You’re sure?”
“I don’t think I could forget those yellow eyes.”
“You were attacked by a wolf?” Harry asked.
“It was nothing,” I said, shaking my head.
“It wasn’t nothing,” Adam said.
“Well, I wasn’t injured.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Harry asked, looking between us. “I could have protected you.”
“I didn’t think there was any danger,” Adam said.
“Clearly you were wrong,” Harry said tersely.
“We didn’t think there was any reason that it would come after me,” I said, glancing at Adam. “We assumed I’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“And now?”
I was at a loss for words, and Adam was too. “I’ll talk to the duke in the morning,” he said. “See what he thinks.”
“All right,” Harry said, crossing his arms. “Are you all right with sleeping in my bedroom tonight?”
“I could stay,” Adam volunteered.
“Not unless you want to explain everything to my parents,” said Harry.
“That’s fair,” Adam sighed. He leaned down and kissed me. “I’ll come see you tomorrow, all right?”
I nodded.
Harry tacked a blanket over my window until we could get it repaired. This was the second time I’d been displaced thanks to a broken window; Lillian had thrown a brick through my window when she had been stalking me. I took my blanket and curled up on Harry’s bed while he slept on the floor.
“Harry?” I asked as we began to drift off.
“Yes, Hazel?”
“Are you angry at Adam?
He sighed. “I’m not angry. I just wish you two wouldn’t keep me in the dark about these things.”
“It wasn’t intentional. Things have just been a little crazy.”
Harry turned to face me. “I know that Adam loves you. I just want to make sure he’s protecting you. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I appreciate your concern,” I told him. “Now we need to find you someone.”
“Go to sleep, Hazel.”
I smiled to myself as I curled into a tight ball and fell asleep.
The next morning I was downstairs eating breakfast when there was a knock on the front door. A few moments later Adam and Jasper came through to greet us.
“Your grace!” my mother said, standing up from the table.
“Please, sit down, Mrs. Ackerman,” Jasper said. “I just need to speak to Hazel for a moment. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“You can talk here,” my mother said.
“I’d prefer somewhere a little bit more private,” he said. “There are some things I need to discuss with her.”
“You can use my study,” my father said.
“Wonderful,” Jasper told him.
I stood up from the table and led the men through the living room to my father’s study. It smelled like tobacco and old books, the scent contained in the room by a heavy door. We sat down in the chairs in the corner.
“Adam tells me that our missing wolf paid you a visit last night,” Jasper said.
I nodded. “I woke up to him in my bedroom. As soon as I screamed he jumped off my bed and out the window.”
“How did he get in?”
“The lock on the back door was broken,” Adam said. “Harry found it last night.”
“And how did he get into your bedroom?”
“We found teeth on the stairs,” said Adam. “Best guess, he opened her bedroom door and then shifted. Or maybe shifted in her bedroom.”
“It had to be the first one,” I said. “I heard the door open but I didn’t hear him shift.”
“All right,” he said with a nod. “Thank you for telling me this. I’ve got some investigating to do.”
“Of course. Anything to help and to keep it from happening again.”
“There’s another matter we need to discuss,” Jasper said, pulling an envelope from inside his coat. “We’ve been summoned.”
“Summoned? I don’t understand.”
“We’re being called to the elders’ castle in Sweden to testify against Seth.”
“We? They want me there?”
“Anyone who might have been present during his kidnapping of Christine.”
“That means—”
“There’s going to be a lot of us,” Jasper said with a smile.
“When do we need to leave?”
“A few weeks.”
I glanced at Adam. “But the wedding.”
“We’ll be back before then, I’ll make sure of it,” Jasper said.
“I don’t suppose I can say no,” I said.
Jasper and Adam shook their heads.
“All right. Well, it could be fun, right?”
“I hope so,” said Jasper. “I’m planning on having us stop for a few days in London for some sightseeing.”
“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to London,” I said.
“It’ll give us a chance to get out of Weylyn and spend some more time together,” Adam said. He didn’t need to be explicit. I knew what he meant.
�
��But first,” Jasper said, “would you like to come to a party?”
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we pulled up to Wolf’s Peak. Jasper had said it was a party for a new baby, but what sort of party was that? As it turned out, the whole parlor had been swathed in white tulle. It was a small affair, with only Jasper’s men and their wives in attendance. Christine was still upstairs when we arrived, but we sat on the loveseat near Annabelle and Stephen and chatted until Christine and Bridget came down the stairs. Christine was holding Lowell in a soft yellow blanket, and the moment she came into view, Bernadette and Anne were on their feet, waiting anxiously by the door. Christine stiffened when she saw them waiting for her. Jasper led Christine to a chair by the fire, and after a moment she was able to pass Lowell over to Bernadette.
After Anne got to hold him, Lowell was passed over to the loveseat. Adam held the baby in his arms for a few moments, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him. He’d had little family, but I knew that one day, hopefully soon, he’d make a fantastic father. When it came time for Adam to pass Lowell to me, my heart fluttered when our hands connected. Soon enough, this would be second nature for us.
“You’re a natural mother,” Adam said, watching me as I rocked Lowell.
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you,” I said.
“I’m a natural mother?”
With my free hand I swatted him on the arm. “You know what I meant.”
“Still, it’s nice to hear you say it.”
“You’d better be a natural if you want a dozen of these,” I told him.
“I never said a dozen. You make the number higher each time you mention it.”
I passed Lowell over to Annabelle when Bernadette began badgering Christine to let her hold the baby again. Annoyed, Christine came and took Lowell from Annabelle, claiming that she needed to hold him. That didn’t deter Bernadette for even a second, as she began pestering Christine once again. Handing the baby off to Jasper, Christine left the room and Jasper rested the baby on his shoulder.
“Is she all right?” I asked Annabelle.
“I think she’s just a bit overwhelmed,” Annabelle said. “She’s stressed about the trial, and I think it’s made her more anxious than normal. Give her a few moments.”
When Christine returned a few minutes later she looked much better. Bernadette had been scolded by her husband, so she kept her mouth shut for the rest of the party. Christine came to sit with us while we cooed over the baby, and she asked me more questions about the wedding planning.
If the trial was giving Christine anxiety, the wedding was my stressor. Two totally different reasons, I understood that, but every time I thought about the wedding, I became overwhelmed and afraid all over again. I had so little time to finish everything before our trip to Sweden, and it seemed a monumental task. Even with Annabelle, Lisbeth, and my mother by my side, every night I went to sleep running through the next day’s task list in my mind.
Flowers. Cake. Food. Guests. We had gotten almost all of our RSVPs back so I had been able to get most of my seating chart done, but every time I thought it was perfect my mother would protest, citing this feud or that so that my chart had to be redone again. My gown had arrived, and it looked just as perfect as I imagined, hanging in my closet, a soft, flowy lace that made me glow every time I caught sight of it. At least that was perfect.
The girls’ dresses had arrived as well, and I had delivered them to each girl’s house. Christine’s was already a little bit big, but we were working on taking it in. Annabelle’s was big too, but she’d be growing into hers.
Adam didn’t seem to understand what I was stressing so much about, which only served to make me want to strangle him whenever he told me to just try to relax, it will all be fine, after all, the important thing is that we’re getting married right? Lucky bastard had no idea. Thankfully Jasper, who’d been down the aisle twice, had an inkling, and had given his staff instructions to let Annabelle and me into the mansion whenever we requested so we could work out details for the reception. Unsurprisingly, I spent a lot of time at Wolf’s Peak as we tried to put the finishing touches on our planning before we were to set off to Sweden.
A few nights before we were scheduled to leave, Jasper held a dinner at Wolf’s Peak for those of us who were going to meet the elders and testify against Seth. Jasper had said there would be a lot of us going, but I was unprepared for twenty-two of us.
In addition to Jasper, Christine, Lowell, and the councilmen, was Annabelle, Daniel, and me, Anne and Bernadette, though I wasn’t sure why they were coming, Christoph, the man who had worked for Seth and had been turned trying to help Christine, his wife and daughter, Bridget, Daisy, Dr. Brighton, Hooper the coroner, and Detective Inspector Watson from Weylyn. It was going to be a busy trip. After we’d eaten and chatted, we were herded into the parlor so Jasper could go over everything with us.
“All right, everyone,” he said, raising his voice to get the room’s attention. “Thank you all for coming tonight. We’ve got a busy few weeks ahead of us. First off, I want to go over everyone who has been subpoenaed for this trial. The elders have requested myself, Christine, Conor, Adam, Bridget, Hazel, Annabelle, Stephen, Lester, Merrill, Peter, Hooper, Watson, Christoph, and Daisy. None of that should come as a surprise to any of you since I’ve spoken with you individually. Now, it’s possible that you may not actually end up testifying, but they want you there nonetheless. If you have questions about what they might ask you, come see me. If you are concerned about your ability to testify, speak with me or someone else, and we’ll be happy to help you practice. Any questions?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Now, I want everyone here the day after tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. sharp. Is that understood?”
Everyone nodded.
“Good. Our train leaves from Ervine to London at noon. That gives us an extra hour to get everything loaded up and to board the train. It’s a two-hour trip from London to Ervine, for any of you who have not made the journey before. We’ll spend two days in London. From there, we’ll travel to Sweden. That journey should take us about five days, giving us an extra two in the case of weather or other complications.”
“Where are we staying in Sweden?” Christine asked.
“At the elders’ palace,” Jasper answered. “It’s a massive estate, nearly twice the size of Wolf’s Peak. There is plenty of room for us. Now, the trial is slated to take a week. It could be less, it could be more. You have all been given an a leave of absence by your employers, excepting, of course, for those of you employed here. You will be compensated for your time.”
Everyone nodded.
“Any questions?” Jasper asked.
The room was quiet for a moment before exploding in chatter. Jasper put a hand up.
“All right,” he said. “One at a time.”
We went over all the questions everyone could think of. Yes, the elders had made accommodations for the full moon. Yes, Bernadette, there would be food. Yes, we could go sightseeing in London. My head was spinning as I tried to remember everything.
“All right,” Jasper said. “I want you all to keep in mind that although it’s spring, the weather in Sweden will be a little bit colder. Be sure to bring warm clothes. Though we are being summoned, we are still guests in the elders’ castle and I expect you to treat them with the utmost respect. Many of the items in the castle, as well as the elders themselves, are very old. I would also like you to be sure to bring things to entertain you, as it is a long journey. Any last questions?”
Everyone in the room shook their heads.
“Wonderful. I’ll see you all the day after tomorrow.”
I took a deep breath. Onto the next adventure.
Chapter Twenty
The morning of our trip I was awake before the sun rose. I yawned as I forced myself out of bed. Though spring had started, the trees beginning to bud, the air was frozen and my stiff fingers worked at the buttons on my gown. I thanked Cl
ara as she brought me tea, her eyes less red and puffy than mine.
“Are you excited?” she asked, lingering in the doorway.
“It should be fun,” I said, sipping at the tea. “I’ve never been to Sweden before.”
“Perhaps someday I’ll be able to take such adventures,” she said, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind her ears.
“Honestly, I think it will be nice to get out of the house, get away from my parents,” I said. I’d missed the time I’d spent with Adam without a chaperone. It would be a relief, too, to get away from Weylyn and the wolf that was stalking me. There was no guarantee that he wouldn’t follow, especially if he was one of Seth’s minions, but I would be constantly surrounded by the wolves of the council, and so I had no reason to fear.
As a strawberry pink started spreading across the horizon, Adam knocked on my door. Clara let him in and he came up to my bedroom.
“They fixed the window,” he said with a nod.
“They didn’t really have a choice. My dad kept saying, ‘I’m not paying to heat the outside.’”
“Sounds about right. Are you ready?”
I glanced at my trunk. I had packed it the night before, praying that I wasn’t forgetting anything. Weeks’ worth of gowns, undergarments, shoes...who knew how long we would be gone? I was thankful that I hadn’t packed away my winter clothing yet. Sweden was bound to be closer than our little English town.
Adam took my trunk while I bade my mother goodbye. Harry was still sleeping, as was my father, so I told my mother to tell them I loved them as I hugged her.
“You behave, now,” she said.
“I’m sure the duke and duchess wouldn’t allow anything else,” I said, knowing full well that Jasper and Christine didn’t care at all what we did.
“I suppose you’re right,” my mother exhaled. Adam took my hand and we crossed the threshold of my house, down the steps, and down the sidewalk to the carriage.
We pulled up to Wolf’s Peak, already bustling with people so early in the morning. Several carriages waited outside for us to take us to the train station at Ervine. I sat in the parlor with Annabelle, Christine, and the babies, all of us bleary-eyed as we watched the men load everything into the carriages.
The Wolf's Betrothed (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 5) Page 15
