The Witch and the Wolf Read online

  Comprehension dawned as she watched in horrified fascination as his hand morphed into a paw. She watched as fur began sprouting from his skin, his chin and his nose began to elongate.

  “Hurry!” His voice a growl, animal…no longer human.

  She placed her glowing amulet back around her neck and leaned down to help him. She grasped his arm and shoulder, doing her best to ignore the rippling skin, the snapping bones, and helped him to his feet. They took a few steps together before his legs buckled beneath him. But it was enough. He’d entered the room.

  Lillian couldn’t breathe as she watched the transformation continue. North’s clothes ripped as the body beneath mutated into another creature. A clear liquid mixed with blood formed a puddle beneath him. He growled, snapping his teeth as they grew longer, sharper, and his mouth extended into a snout. The dark hair shed from his scalp to be replaced with black fur and his ears lengthened, pointing out and then up.

  “Good God, woman!” Amery shouted from behind her. She jumped at the sound of his voice and suddenly he was pulling her out of the room. North yelped and growled. She tried to pull away from Amery, but he was too strong for her. He flung her backward, and she hit the wall behind her, falling to the ground.

  She looked up to see North watching her and then a vicious snarl erupted from him and he lunged…

  Amery closed the door, slamming it against North as he hit it. Startled by the impact, it took Amery a second to close it fully and snap the heavy locks firmly in place. He leaned against the closed door, breathing heavily as he slid to the floor in front of her.

  They stared at one another as they listened to the growls, snarls, and thuds as North continued to attack the other side of the locked door. She imagined she could hear his claws scraping the inside of the chamber’s walls as he sought a way to free himself. The door vibrated violently against each impact.

  Lillian fought the tears that began to spill from the corners of her eyes.

  “He’s a werewolf,” she said.

  Chapter Seven

  “A werewolf,” Lillian repeated. She stared at Amery, cast in the shadowy duel light of her glowing amulet and the candle he had dropped on the floor. She watched him pick it up, thankful that the floor here was stone and therefore not ignitable. He stood on shaky limbs, leaning heavily against the wall.

  Amery’s presence seemed to awaken comprehension in Lillian’s mind. She looked anew at the bolted door in front of her that continued to shudder with each fierce blow from the wolf as he tried to escape.

  It was not simply chance that led North to this chamber. It had been placed here for a purpose.

  “How long has he been a werewolf?” Although she breathed heavily as if she had just run for miles, she surprised herself at the tranquil quality of her voice. So calm, serene…as if she inquired after a subject during tea.

  “By all that is holy woman!” Amery reprimanded gruffly, and she took note that the candlelight flickered as his hands trembled. “Did you not realize the danger you were in? He could have ripped you apart!”

  “I…” she began, then stopped. After taking a deep breath, she continued, “No, I cannot believe it.”

  Amery’s jaw dropped. He waved a hand toward the door that strained from the pounding on the other side. The snarls and growls muffled but not silenced by the barrier separating them. “Do you not hear that, Miss Merriweather? That’s not some tame pup in there. That’s a violent animal. A killer.”

  “Lord North would never harm me,” she said. “Of that I am certain.”

  “This is true,” Amery said, nodding his agreement. “But that’s not Lord North in there at the moment. That is a werewolf with no conscience of right or wrong. It only knows how to kill and how to feed.”

  “But they are one in the same,” Lillian protested, struggling to her feet. “Though he may now be a wolf, a man’s heart still beats inside him.”

  Amery sighed. His free hand rubbed his eyes, and she suspected she caught sight of a few glistening tears in the man’s eyes. “He has been cursed these eight years. I have been his friend and confidante for seven of them. I have seen what the creature can do to a person. You must trust me when I say it is not a pretty sight.”

  His statement silenced her. It seemed unnatural that North had the ability to kill without reason, even as a wolf. Yet, somehow, she felt certain in her heart that he could do her no harm.

  “I have to return above stairs,” Amery said, another deep sigh accompanying his words. “I cannot trust those men to stay locked in their rooms, and I don’t need them wandering about causing trouble.”

  Guilt suddenly overwhelmed her. “Mr. Amery, I apologize,” she said. “They came looking for me…if I had known…”

  He shook his head, stopping her. “When they knocked on the door, I fully intended on having them be on their way, whether it were snowing or not. But, the short one, your uncle, he insisted he knew you were here.”

  She nodded her understanding. “I see now why you and he were alone. You give the servants time off so no one discovers his secret. And then I blundered upon you bringing extra baggage trailing behind me.”

  “It’s just a bit of bad timing, is all,” Amery said, sadly. “Having you here made things much more complicated. Having those two…well…”

  “It’s near impossible.”

  Amery forced a smile. “We’ll manage, my dear. We’ll manage.” He straightened, pushing against the wall and brushed at his arms freeing them of any dirt. Then he turned to her, his face once again serious. “I have need of your help, if you’re willing.”

  “Of course. Anything.”

  “I need to keep an eye on your uncle and… the other gentleman, so I cannot stay here as I most times do.” He nodded farther down the passageway. She looked up to see a chair and a small table. “Sometimes he pounds somethin’ fierce, and I fear the hinges may give way at times, though I’d never tell him so. He’s enough to worry about. So I, most times, sit here and watch, just to be sure. Would you do it for me, tonight?”

  Lillian nodded without hesitation.

  “I thank you,” he said, gratefully. “Under the table I have stashed a pistol loaded with silver. You know how to use one, I hope.”

  “Yes.”

  “Keep it near you. If he does break free, you must shoot him.”

  The look in her eyes must have alerted him because he quickly continued, “As much as we might disagree, I cannot take the chance of Lord North running loose along the countryside. Who knows what untold damage he might cause?”

  With this, she could not argue.

  “You love him very much, don’t you?”

  After a brief hesitation, he said, “If I had had a son, I would have wanted him to be just like North.”

  She smiled and then followed him to the chair where she took a seat. It was then that he noticed her amulet.

  “What the devil is that?”

  She lifted the amulet in her hands, handing it to him for closer inspection.

  “Where did you get this?”

  Lillian looked up at Amery as he studied her, his brow furrowed in curiosity. “I must confess a secret, as well. I am a witch.” She waited for his reaction, attempting to judge what he might say or do.

  He surprised her instead with a chuckle. “Seven years ago, I would have insisted you escaped from Bedlam. Now, however… It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Witch.”

  She smiled as he bowed to her and then he was gone, and she sat alone listening to the howling and the tremendous thuds.

  ****

  Even though the sun’s rays did not reach the sealed chamber where North remained locked away, at dawn he changed back into a man. The process was just as painful as always, and he found himself on hands and knees, staring dismally at the stone floor awash with the clear fluid that always accompanied the change.

  He stood, on wobbly legs, and leaned against the door, resting his cheek against the solid oak. He lifted his hand and kn
ocked three times as was the pattern he and Amery had agreed upon.

  After nothing happened, North knocked again, and called, “Amery? Let me out.”

  He heard muted shuffling of feet and soon the rattle of the locks being undone sounded welcome to his ears. He held onto the frame as the door inched hesitantly open, and he found himself staring into curious bright blue eyes.

  “What the blazes are you doing down here?” He asked, frowning. Then his memory flooded him. The two men knocking at the front door… Her uncle and fiancé… Him running to the chamber and collapsing… Lillian suddenly there and helping him to his feet… Amery grabbing her and pushing her away.

  He groaned and closed his eyes, inhaling sharply at the knowledge of how closely she had come to being at the wolf’s mercy. How near she had been to death.

  “Jeremy?” Her tentative whisper reached his ears and despite his exhaustion and fear, his heart thrilled at the sound of his name on her lips. “Are you well?”

  “No.”

  He heard the door creak as she inched it open further. He turned his face into the doorframe, ashamed now how she had learned the truth. It must have been a great shock to her. She must be disgusted and horrified to learn that he was a monster. Indeed, it surprised him to see her here. After such a discovery, if she had any sense in her head, she would have run into the snow-covered night screaming.

  “Jeremy?” She repeated the worry in her voice evident. He did not want to look into her eyes, to see the revulsion he was certain to find there. He had no choice after his knees buckled beneath him, and he found himself collapsing.

  Lillian was there, of course, one arm around his chest, the other holding his arm tightly around her neck, keeping him upright. He still leaned against the doorframe but now she supported him.

  “Why are you here?” He asked, and grimaced at the petulant tone in his voice. Truly, he should be grateful but at present, he could find nothing to be grateful for. It was true she helped him into this chamber in time for Amery to lock him in, but almost at the cost of her life.

  “You are not well,” she said, her voice trembled. “Is this normal after…?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Amery always helps me to my room, and I sleep the day away. Changing exhausts me.”

  “Very well then, that’s what we shall do. Come along,” she straightened with resolve, pulling him away from the doorframe where he rested. “We’ve got to get you cleaned up and put to bed.” Then she gasped.

  He opened his eyes to see her staring down.

  “Oh,” she said, tilting her face back up to his. “You are naked.”

  He was.

  North had given it no thought. During the transformation from man to wolf, his clothes were torn to shreds. Normally, Amery had a change of clothes awaiting him by that chair he sat in. As he looked over now, he saw no familiar bundle.

  “Where is Amery?”

  The question seemed to snap her out of her maidenly concern. “Upstairs dealing with my uncle and… Lord Fitzwalter.”

  North grimaced.

  “I have a way of getting you to your room, but you must trust me.” The uncertainty in her voice amused him. How could he not trust her? She now knew his deepest, darkest secret. She could expose him. She could have him imprisoned and killed.

  “I have nothing but trust in you,” he said, darkly.

  “Do not move,” she ordered. “Stay extremely still and close your eyes.”

  He did as she requested. His stomach lurched. His head swam as if he had recently imbibed a bit too much too fast. And then, she was moving him away from the doorframe, but wait, the doorframe was gone.

  “Come with me.”

  He opened his eyes to find them in the hall outside his bedroom. She helped support him on his wobbly legs and led him through the door. Inside his room, he found a bathtub filled with steaming hot water.

  “Where did that come from? How did we get here?”

  She ignored his questions. Instead, she pulled him toward the bath and helped him into the water. He sank down into hot scented water with a grateful sigh. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, letting his tired and strained muscles relax. He sat there for a moment in silence, soaking in the hot water.

  He expected Lillian to make a hasty retreat but when he opened his eyes, she stood there staring at him.

  “How did you do this?”

  She continued to stare with her cheeks flushed pink, her eyes never leaving his. She stood very still, and he wondered for a moment if she had heard him.

  “Magic,” she said after so long he thought she refused to answer him.

  “Pardon?”

  “It’s magic,” she repeated, and then took a deep breath. “I’m a witch.”

  Chapter Eight

  It was the second time she spoke those words. She had never talked to anyone outside her family about her abilities and now two people who had been strangers to her until yesterday knew her secret. And yet, she felt she could trust no others as she could trust them. To reinforce her confidence, all she needed was to remind herself that these two men had kept a secret far greater than hers for eight years.

  “And you are a werewolf,” she continued.

  He grimaced and looked away from her.

  “How did it happen?”

  She watched him mulling over his response and took the time to remember all that she could on werewolves. Aunt Petunia had mentioned them years ago during one of her lessons. Lillian was thankful that Uncle Arden’s sister had taken charge of her and Melora’s education when they were younger. If it were not for her aunt, she and her sister would have never learned of their heritage. Their parents had died while they were very young, much too young to remember any lessons taught to them on magic.

  “You can trust me,” she said.

  “It seems I have no choice in the matter,” he murmured, but without the derision she had expected. He sighed and tilted his head toward her. “I honestly do not know. The first full moon after my twenty-fifth birthday I changed into that hideous creature. As it has been for every full moon thereafter.”

  “What of your brother and sister? Are they…?”

  “Heavens, no,” North scoffed at the notion.

  “Are you certain?” Lillian pressed, adding quietly, “After all, you have kept your condition a secret for these many years. Perhaps they have as well?”

  He hesitated only a moment before shaking his head. “I do not believe so.”

  “And no one else is aware of…?”

  “No one save Amery knows of my affliction. And it shall remain so, well, besides you.” He nodded in her direction as he leaned further back against the edge of the bathtub. “Who else could believe such nonsense as a man changing into a wolf? The stuff of myths, legends. Nothing but a cruel fairy tale. Not real. Never real.” His eyes darkened as he stared into the water perhaps with some past memory of a time she thought best not to inquire after.

  “No more real than a witch, I’m afraid,” Lillian commented her voice quiet and a shy smile curving her lips.

  “Hmm, yes about that,” North said, resting his head along the rim of the tub, letting the hot water soak into the tired muscles of his limbs.

  Lillian suspected the many questions swirled within his brain. She had kept so much of herself hidden while prying into his family history. Now she supposed it was her turn.

  “As you can see, witches exist as well as werewolves,” she began. “My mother was a witch, as was her mother and so on. My father, however, had not a magical bone in his body. He was a scholar and did not believe in such things.”

  North smiled, closing his eyes as if her voice lulled him to sleep. “I can only imagine how she must have convinced him.”

  “Yes,” Lillian said, smiling, “I understand it was far from pleasant. But by that time, he loved my mother more than you could imagine.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “They died in a carriage accident. Despite
the power we wield, we have many limitations. We are still mortal. My sister, Melora, and I were sent to live with Uncle Arden. He has abilities, though not as strong as the women in our family. He dabbles in alchemy. In fact, he’s obsessed by it. He squandered the family fortune in his pursuits and has left us penniless. His latest scheme was to sell us off to his rich cronies so they would fund his passion.”

  “Does Lord Fitzwalter know you are a witch?”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “We have learned to keep such things close amongst ourselves. And despite all the abilities I may possess, I cannot perform any spell to change a man’s heart or mind. Uncle Arden has his plans, and Lord Fitzwalter is among them. My sister and I believed it prudent to escape. We traveled separately thinking it might prove easier to evade any search party Uncle Arden might set forth. It was my unfortunate luck that Uncle Arden decided to accompany Lord Fitzwalter. I had not expected such action from him.”

  “He knew where you were?”

  Lillian nodded. “He must have used a simple spell to search for me. It’s one that was taught to us as children. I simply thought he would never leave his precious laboratory.”

  “He surprised you.”

  “Quite right. But no more surprising than finding you as a werewolf. Tell me…”

  North waved his hand, halting her before she could continue her queries. “I must admit I do not believe this is a proper time for an interview. Are you not embarrassed to be in the same room with a man in my…situation?”

  “Of course not. I’m a witch,” she said, in a somewhat boastful manner. “I know all about werewolves.”

  The corner of his mouth curled upward. “I meant in my state of undress.”

  Her face flushed a deeper shade of pink. “Oh, well, I mean… Well, I’ve already seen you naked. What more is there?”

  His head jerked up to stare at her in shock and then he laughed. “What more? I have been insulted.”

  “No, of course not.”

  “You may be a witch, talented in things beyond my knowledge, but when it comes to men you are the novice, are you not?”