by Jody Hedlund
Such creatures were deadly. They’d stop at nothing until they fulfilled the wishes of their Fera Agmen. I had no doubt these wolves had been ordered to kill Adelaide.
“Come, Adelaide,” Mitchell said, his voice edged with fear. He’d noticed the wolves now, too, and recognized the danger she was in. He motioned toward the oak towering above us. “I shall race you up into the highest part of the tree and see which of us can get there the fastest.”
Before Adelaide could respond with more stubbornness, the wolf released a feral growl. She twisted in her saddle. At the sight of the beast, she screamed, terror rippling across her face and turning it ashen.
The noise, along with the panic in her expression, hit me so forcefully my fingers nearly slipped from the taut bowstring. For an instant, fear tore into me as viciously as fangs tearing into flesh.
Just as quickly, I pushed aside all emotion and released the arrow. With a whistling whir, it ripped through the air and impaled the wolf through the head. Two more slinked out of the thick brush and began to creep toward Adelaide from the front. A third emerged from the rear.
How could I take out all three before any one of them made it to Adelaide?
Her horse snorted, nostrils flaring, eyes rounded and wild.
“Leap into the tree, Adelaide,” Mitchell pleaded, dropping from his horse and slapping its rear so that it bolted in the direction where Tall John had disappeared. “We need to get up the tree.”
Another wolf sprang from the woods and charged directly at Adelaide’s horse.
My arrow flashed forward, hitting the target and stopping the creature so that it fell motionless to the ground.
With the dead wolf at its feet, the horse reared onto its hind legs, neighing in alarm. Adelaide clutched after the reins, but she was too late. They slipped out of her reach, and the horse’s motion sent her toppling backward.
She screamed again, and instead of landing on her feet as I’d seen her do plenty of times in the past, she plummeted to the ground on her backside.
“Get up, Adelaide.” Mitchell attempted to hoist her to her feet. But she resisted him and scrambled away, her dagger out and ready.
“Watch behind!” I called.
Catching sight of the wolves creeping in on all sides, Adelaide released another terrified shriek.
Mitchell already had his sword out along with his flail. But he was staring helplessly at Adelaide and not on high alert as he needed to be in order to fend off the remaining pack.
I fitted another arrow into my bow and sighted the creature that seemed the most menacing. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the movement of another closing in on the right. They’d surrounded us. If only I could keep them from attacking until Tall John returned.
However, I had the terrible foreboding they planned to lunge for Adelaide at the same time. If they did, I wouldn’t be able to hold them off. I might kill two or three before they reached Adelaide, but not all four, not even if I had a full quiver.
“Mitchell,” I called. “You have to act now in order to protect Adelaide. I need you to eliminate the wolf to the left. And I shall take out the others.”
He lifted his stricken attention away from Adelaide. Our gazes collided for an instant, long enough for me to see once again how much he cared for her, that he loved her deeply and couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.
“Fight, Mitchell,” I admonished. “You must fight.”
My words seemed to rouse him. He crouched and faced the wolf, flail swinging and sword at the ready. In that instant, I saw him for the strong and competent man he’d become. He was no longer the little brother who’d trailed after me, attempting to keep up with all my escapades. I had a momentary pang of regret. If we didn’t survive, I wouldn’t get the chance to bridge the gap between us.
All the more reason to prevail. I focused on an imaginary target upon the closest wolf’s head. I would have preferred to pierce its heart, but it stooped too low for me to manage the shot. Since I didn’t have any arrows I could waste, I had to make the kill now.
The instant my arrow left my bow, the remaining wolves took that as their cue. All of them lunged in a coordinated attack that only confirmed these animals had been trained for battle by Fera Agmen.
My arrow stuck deep into my target’s forehead between its eyes, dropping it to the ground. Immediately I released another shot, sending it into the heart of the next creature. The yelp and ensuing silence told me I’d made the kill. Without time to aim, I released the fifth and final arrow. It pierced the wolf’s chest, but not in the heart.
Tossing aside my now useless bow, I reached for both my dagger and sword and leapt to place myself between the injured wolf and Adelaide. Already it was crouching and preparing to spring at Adelaide again.
Yelps came from the wolf Mitchell was still fighting. I prayed he would be able to keep it at bay until I could spin around to help him.
The golden eyes of the beast before me fixed upon Adelaide. The thick black fur near the impaled arrow had turned wet and slick with blood. But he bared his teeth in a low, menacing growl, and then sprang with a deft and powerful leap in spite of his injury.
I lifted my sword to finish him, but from the corner of my eye, I caught the shadowy black outline of a seventh alpha wolf flying through the air—this one, the largest of the pack, had kept himself hidden in order to orchestrate a surprise attack once his companions had distracted us.
Sickening bile swelled into my throat. I was too late to help Adelaide. Even as I frantically slashed my sword across the injured wolf’s neck and pivoted, I knew I couldn’t stop the alpha from landing upon Adelaide.
Silently, I willed Adelaide to overcome her fear and fight. She might not be able to kill the beast, but she could at least put up a measure of defense. However, she didn’t seem to notice the newest threat. Her attention was fixed upon the dead creature in front of her, her breath coming in wheezing gasps, her expression still one of terror.
I drew back my arm and flung my dagger at the alpha wolf. At best, I could only hope to hit its spine and slow it down. For a long agonizing heartbeat, I watched helplessly as the beast leapt in a high arc above Adelaide, its sharp claws outstretched and long fangs open.
“No!” I dove at it, intending to wrestle it with only my brute strength if need be.
My knife lodged into the beast’s back at the same time another knife soared through the air end over end. The blade sliced directly into the wolf’s heart. A second later, the creature knocked into Adelaide, throwing her backward and its full weight landing on her.
Her scream came to an abrupt halt, as did my heartbeat. I rushed to her. All I could picture were fangs piercing the vein in her throat and her lifeblood slipping away.
As I shoved the alpha wolf off her, Tall John broke through the brush, and I knew then his knife had brought the massive creature down. With his sword drawn, he ran to aid Mitchell, who was still fending off his wolf.
I heaved to free Adelaide, throwing the alpha wolf aside. It fell limply away. Gasping for breath, I dropped to my knees beside her. Bright crimson coated her chain mail. Frantically, I wiped at the blood and attempted to assess her injuries. From what I could tell, thankfully, the blood was from the wolf. She appeared unscathed.
I released a tense exhale, relief swelling up and making my hands shake even as I tossed aside my gloves and checked the pulse in her neck.
Behind me, the forest grew quiet, and a moment later Mitchell knelt on the opposite side of Adelaide. Perspiration ran down his face along with blood. I counted several scratches on his face, but they weren’t deep or life-threatening.
“Adelaide?” he gently shook her.
“She took a hard fall.” I lifted Adelaide’s head, pushed off her mail coif, and probed her scalp for injuries. I felt nothing but the silkiness of her hair. As though my touch had beckoned her from oblivion, her long lashes fluttered up. Her impossibly blue eyes peered at me, first in confusion and then with fear.
/>
“Christopher, save me,” she murmured before her eyelids closed again.
I thought maybe she’d fallen into an unconscious state once more, but with Mitchell there to take over her care, I started to rise, knowing I needed to assess our situation and determine if Ethelwulf had sent any more danger our way. Before I could move away, one of her gloved hands darted out and clasped mine.
“Do not leave me,” she whispered, opening her eyes again.
“You are safe now,” I reassured her, surprised at how shaky my voice came out.
“Please. I beg you.” Panic settled into her features again. I’d never seen Adelaide so frightened. Usually, when she was afraid, like the other night after we’d battled Ethelwulf’s knights, she remained composed. This was a side I didn’t know how to handle.
I glanced at Mitchell for his guidance. If anyone should be offering Adelaide comfort, he needed to be the one. Adelaide shifted her sights to Mitchell too.
“We killed the wolves,” he said tenderly, reaching down to stroke back a messy strand of her hair.
She lifted her head slightly and attempted to look at the carnage around us. As her gaze jerked from one dead wolf to the next, her hand in mine began to tremble until her entire body was shaking. She closed her eyes, her face as pale as death.
“We must be on our way, Adelaide,” I said quietly but with the firmness our situation demanded. We were still in danger and needed to find a safe campsite.
She nodded but didn’t stop trembling.
“You will ride with Mitchell until your fears are put to rest,” I suggested. Mitchell nodded as eagerly as I’d expected. I moved to leave, the matter settled.
She clung to my hand with unexpected strength. “No, my lord. I shall ride with you.” She looked at me with such vulnerability, I didn’t know how I could resist.
I shot Mitchell another glance, and hurt filled his eyes. My gut told me I should insist that her place was with my brother. She’d been fine without me all these years. She’d always had Mitchell to turn to with her concerns, and I needed to encourage her to continue going to him. But with her beautiful eyes pleading with me and her hand so tightly holding mine, I could not deny her.
“Very well.” I refused to meet Mitchell’s gaze. “Can you stand?”
She started to sit up, caught sight of the dead wolves, and then fell back, shaking again. Without wasting further time, I slipped my arms underneath her and scooped her up like a babe. In turn, she wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned her head against my shoulder.
Silently, Mitchell rose and began retrieving our weapons. Tall John moved to assist him, but not before pointing the way to our horses, which he’d led a short distance away. When I reached them, I lifted Adelaide toward my saddle, but she clung to me. Her grip around my neck held firm, and she burrowed her face in the exposed area of my throat that my chain mail didn’t cover. Her nose was warm, and her breath bathed my skin, rendering me immobile. If a wolf had decided at that moment to attack, I would have been helpless.
When she nestled in farther and her lips inadvertently brushed my flesh, I closed my eyes at the pleasure of holding her. For a few seconds, I basked in the sensation of her body in my arms, of feeling her pulse moving in time with mine, of knowing she’d wanted to be with me.
“Adelaide,” I murmured. “We must make haste.” I chastised her as much as myself and yet couldn’t stop from pressing my nose into her hair and breathing in her essence and the faint scent of lilac.
The strange longing I’d had since the first time I’d seen her upon my return rushed back in a wave that left me weak. My relief at her safety, that she was still alive, that the wolves hadn’t accomplished their mission to obliterate her, overwhelmed me so that I pressed my lips against her hair and breathed her in once more.
At the same moment, she shifted her nose and mouth, brushing my throat again, making me sharply aware of her lips, how close they were, and how easy it would be to bend down and touch mine to hers.
The second I considered it, I rapidly berated myself and pulled back. “Adelaide,” I said, this time hoping I sounded more in control. “I must put you on the horse.”
“Then stay with me.” Her words were warm and breathy against my neck.
I clenched my jaw, determined to bridle my emotions. I couldn’t explain this new power Adelaide held over me, a power that made me want to capitulate to her every whim and do whatever she asked. Always in the past, I’d been the one bending her and Mitchell to my devices, cajoling them to my antics. Why could I not continue to see her as my cousin and playmate? Such a view was much easier.
Yet after the past days of riding and talking with her, I couldn’t go back to seeing her as simply a childhood companion. I’d come to realize even more how much we’d both grown up, especially the extent to which she’d changed in five years. Not only had she turned into a stunning woman with the ability to take my breath away, but she was interesting, engaging, and someone I thoroughly enjoyed being with.
Nevertheless, I was a strong man who’d always resisted temptations, who’d never fallen prey to any woman. I wouldn’t start now, especially not with Adelaide. Though I’d always sensed her admiration when we’d been children and even now over the past week of being together again, I couldn’t encourage it. Maybe under different circumstances if I wasn’t an outlaw and a danger to everyone who knew me. Maybe if I’d never run away from home and could offer her a title and land.
Even then, even if everything was perfect, deep down I knew nothing could ever happen between us, no matter how strong the pull. Not now that she was the queen of Mercia.
“Christopher,” she whispered, her fingers brushing the nape of my neck. “Please.”
Just my name falling from her lips was enough to weaken me. I closed my eyes and fought against the strong feelings tightening within my chest for only a moment longer before giving way to them. Even with an inner warning urging me to oppose her wish, I told myself this was different, that she needed my comfort, and that I’d be careful.
“Just for a little while,” I whispered.
Only then did she loosen her arms and allow me to lift her into the saddle. Once astride, she glanced around with wide, frightened eyes, her hands trembling against the reins. Clearly, she was still afraid of the wolves, almost unnaturally so. Now was not the time to question her about it. But after we were on our way, I would pry into her strange reaction.
When I climbed up behind her, the tight confines of the saddle squeezed us together much closer than I’d anticipated. Far from being uncomfortable with our closeness, my presence seemed to calm her.
As I reached for the reins and surrounded her with my arms, she melded against me as though she belonged there. A protective surge rose from within, and I was surprised by the depth of my feelings and the desire to keep Adelaide in my arms evermore.
Such feelings would bring trouble, and I desperately needed to keep a barrier between us so that I remained only a friend and her loyal subject. I had to make myself do it, no matter how hard it would be.
Chapter
11
Adelaide
“If we continue the search for Emmeline,” I said as I rested against Christopher, “we shall likely take King Ethelwulf directly to her.”
Darkness was beginning to fall and with it a sprinkling of rain. Christopher hadn’t yet suggested I return to my horse. I knew I couldn’t ride with him indefinitely, as my extra weight would tire his steed, but I wasn’t ready to be away from the safety I felt in his embrace.
Ahead, Mitchell led the way on Roland. Tall John rode behind, guiding my horse by a lead rope. I’d thanked the faithful manservant for the knife throw that had saved my life, but my words had somehow seemed inadequate. I wished I could do more to show my appreciation to him, to all of them. But in the hours since the attack, I couldn’t seem to find the right way to express my gratitude.
We’d ridden mostly in silence. Mitchell held himself stiffly
, the sure sign I’d offended him when I’d decided to ride with Christopher instead of him. I couldn’t explain what had prompted my decision. I’d speculated that in my moment of unexpected weakness I’d needed Christopher’s strength and steadiness. Even now, his calmness and certainty soothed my still-frayed nerves.
Whatever the case, Mitchell wouldn’t harbor his annoyance with me for long. He never did. By the time we made camp, he’d forgive me, and we would be steadfast friends again. At least I hoped so.
Thankfully, my outward shaking had diminished even though my heart quavered. “I shall wait to seek Emmeline until we can do so covertly or else we have more forces to withstand anything King Ethelwulf might send our way next.”
“I think that is a wise decision, Your Majesty,” Christopher responded.
Something in his tone irritated me. Was it the formality? The distance? The way he was holding himself back? I was enclosed in his arms, and I reclined into his chest. But more than just our armor separated us. And I didn’t like it.
There were times I sensed a connection between us that went beyond our childhood ties, like when he’d held me in his arms after the battle with the wolves. But then, at other times, I felt a thick stone wall I couldn’t penetrate, a barrier I didn’t understand.
I wanted to demand he explain himself, but was afraid I might not like his answer. After all, Christopher was sometimes painfully honest with me. I didn’t know how I could bear his telling me he didn’t share the same affection. I’d be entirely mortified if he learned that my girlhood infatuation—which I’d thought I’d successfully squelched—had blossomed again upon his return. In fact, it was stronger than ever, but he was just as oblivious as always.
“You need not call me ‘Your Majesty,’” I said testily.
“I must give you the respect due the queen of Mercia,” he said evenly. “And you must demand it of everyone.”
His counsel was correct. Even so, I couldn’t help wishing for more than guidance from him. “We are still friends, my lord. Surely we can behave as we always have toward each other.”
