Wolf Who Loved Me by Lydia Dare Page A

to scream loudly enough to shake the rafters and wake anyone in Kent who was sleeping. The horses in the stalls began to shuffle and prance, the noise was so deafening. It made his own sensitive ears hurt from the very shrillness of it. He approached her slowly, wishing with all his heart that he could say something to calm her.
    She backed toward the door and leaned heavily against it, then cursed beneath her breath when it didn’t open at her frantic shove. Who’d have thought such a delicate lady could have such a curse word in the recesses of her mind, waiting for the day she’d have cause to use it? Planted there for the very day she met a Lycan like him. Wes snorted.
    She held up one hand out in front of her, as though she could will him away with just that simple gesture. On a normal day, she probably could. But not today. “Don’t hurt me,” she whispered, her voice cracking as she groped behind her for the door handle.
    I won’t hurt you , he wanted to say. I’ll explain everything as soon as the moon recedes and the sun comes up. I promise. Not that the truth would put her any more at ease.
    A little squeak left her throat as he took a step closer, and her hand on the handle became more frantic. Thank God that door was too heavy for such a little slip of a lady to push it open. Then he heard the latch click and cringed. Tiny Lady Madeline shoved with all her might and tumbled backward out of the door. She landed in a heap of skirts and immediately jumped to her feet. He wanted to call to her, to tell her not to panic. But he was a Lycan, for God’s sake. He walked on four feet. He had no voice. He had no way to soothe her. If he was on two feet, he could grab her in his arms. He’d hold her and tell her everything would be all right.
    He’d never felt more helpless in his life.
    She took two quick steps back and he stepped forward. She cringed and cried out. Then she turned on her heel and ran. Oh, blast and damn. Of course, she’d run. This had to be difficult. He couldn’t call out to her. He couldn’t do anything. But one thing he absolutely could not do was allow her to go back to the castle. One word of what she’d just witnessed would put his entire family in danger. In fact, just being out in the open the way they were was dangerous enough. Someone else could see them, come to her rescue. Then he’d be done for.
    Wes went after her, hoping to stop her before she could reach the castle.
    She tripped on the hem of her dress and tumbled to her bottom. What a stroke of luck for Wes, though he hated to see her in such a state. He stood before her on four legs when a heavy drop of rain landed on the top of his head. Wes glanced up at the moon that had winked at him so playfully only a half hour before to find it was now obscured by dark clouds. Dark clouds that intended to open up and drench them any moment.
    Lady Madeline swiped a drop of rain from her cheek. Or was that a tear? Good God, he’d never forgive himself if that was a tear. Wes sat down and tilted his head, watching her quietly. Perhaps if he sat very still, she’d calm and he could… He could what? He could send her mental messages? Pigs would sooner fly. The only mental message she got from him was that he was a dangerous wolf. Wes snorted again.
    The sound must have frightened her, because she scrambled back to her feet and bolted for the castle, screaming once more. Wes quickly outpaced her, thank God, and he circled around her like the best little herding dog there ever was. She stopped when he got in front of her. He couldn’t allow her to reach the castle. One of two things would happen if he did—either she’d be called the worst sort of idiot or they’d send a watch out to find the rabid wolf that threatened the lady. Neither of those scenarios was acceptable.
    “P-please.” She took an awkward step toward the castle.
    Wes growled low in his throat. What else was he to do? He was a wolf, for Christ’s sake. Never had