life been more unkind. She stopped where she stood. Keeping a wary eye on him, she tried another hesitant step. He growled again and she halted once more.
Her gaze flashed toward the castle when he heard a rustling by the garden gate. “Did you hear something?” a voice asked. Gelligaer .
Oh, damn it to hell! Curse his bad fortune. If Wes wasn’t in Lycan form, he’d drop his head in his hands and sob. As it was, all he could do was whimper. Lady Madeline’s eyebrows pushed together at the noise. Wonderful. She even sent him curious glares when he was a bloody wolf.
“I didn’t hear anything,” answered another voice from the garden.
Lady Madeline opened her mouth to call out, but Wes couldn’t allow that, could he? He growled low in his throat, advancing upon her until her lovely peach skin turned pale white with fear.
The footsteps from the garden grew closer.
Lady Madeline inhaled deeply, as though she wanted to scream but couldn’t find her voice. Another menacing growl escaped Wes, one that caused the lady to pale even further. But at least she closed her mouth.
The voices moved even closer. What the devil was Wes to do now? He couldn’t leave her for Gelligaer and his companion to find, not when she knew Wes’ secret. She’d put his entire family in jeopardy if she blathered about it.
He could knock her down and drag her into the safety of the forest. But that would be a most ungentlemanly move. He couldn’t imagine getting Lady Madeline dirty, for God’s sake. She was always perfect, although she looked a little bedraggled at the moment, with her hair soaked from what was now a pouring rain. He could do it with ease, but the very thought of knocking her off her feet made his heart hurt.
Instead, Wes did what came naturally. He raised his tail, postured, and growled. He slowly walked toward her, forcing himself to make his steps measured and menacing. It was the furthest thing from what he’d ever imagined doing to her. But his desperation from this dreadful situation left him little choice. Wes growled his most menacing growl and raised his lip. She looked like she would swoon any moment. God, he hated this, but even through the rain, Gelligaer was approaching them. Wes snapped his teeth at her, the clatter surprising even him.
Finally, she turned and ran in the direction he herded her, into the forest.
***
Maddie’s blood ran cold when the wolf snapped his teeth at her. Blast it! They were now too far from the castle for her to cry for help. Why had she let him push her into the forest when she’d been so close to home? His sharp teeth did have something to do with that. If only she’d been a hoyden, she could have tried to scale one of the forest trees, but she’d never been a climber and she doubted her sodden kid slippers would be much help with a tree trunk.
Heavens, she was nearly out of breath!
Maddie ran, with the wolf at her feet, his gait long and lupine, his pace slow and methodical, his footfalls soft and quiet. Periodically, he would shift from one side to another, forcing her to change her path. The trees and bushes, heavy with rain, clutched at her clothes and hair. The run was nothing more than play for the wolf. For Mr. Hadley ? Certainly she’d been mistaken and Mr. Hadley hadn’t turned into a wolf in front of her very eyes! But he had, hadn’t he? The idea was too ludicrous to believe.
Off in the distance, Maddie saw a light glowing through the trees. A beacon of hope. If she could just reach the light, there had to be some human nearby, didn’t there?
Suddenly, the wolf growled, and he darted out in front of her. He didn’t want her to reach the light, apparently. Well, Maddie would gladly return home. She turned in that direction and began to run, but then she felt a tug at the back of her gown.
He’d caught her!
The snarling beast had his teeth sunk into her skirts. Still, Maddie fought, struggling to free herself. She would not give up without a fight.
Her gaze flashed toward the castle when he heard a rustling by the garden gate. “Did you hear something?” a voice asked. Gelligaer .
Oh, damn it to hell! Curse his bad fortune. If Wes wasn’t in Lycan form, he’d drop his head in his hands and sob. As it was, all he could do was whimper. Lady Madeline’s eyebrows pushed together at the noise. Wonderful. She even sent him curious glares when he was a bloody wolf.
“I didn’t hear anything,” answered another voice from the garden.
Lady Madeline opened her mouth to call out, but Wes couldn’t allow that, could he? He growled low in his throat, advancing upon her until her lovely peach skin turned pale white with fear.
The footsteps from the garden grew closer.
Lady Madeline inhaled deeply, as though she wanted to scream but couldn’t find her voice. Another menacing growl escaped Wes, one that caused the lady to pale even further. But at least she closed her mouth.
The voices moved even closer. What the devil was Wes to do now? He couldn’t leave her for Gelligaer and his companion to find, not when she knew Wes’ secret. She’d put his entire family in jeopardy if she blathered about it.
He could knock her down and drag her into the safety of the forest. But that would be a most ungentlemanly move. He couldn’t imagine getting Lady Madeline dirty, for God’s sake. She was always perfect, although she looked a little bedraggled at the moment, with her hair soaked from what was now a pouring rain. He could do it with ease, but the very thought of knocking her off her feet made his heart hurt.
Instead, Wes did what came naturally. He raised his tail, postured, and growled. He slowly walked toward her, forcing himself to make his steps measured and menacing. It was the furthest thing from what he’d ever imagined doing to her. But his desperation from this dreadful situation left him little choice. Wes growled his most menacing growl and raised his lip. She looked like she would swoon any moment. God, he hated this, but even through the rain, Gelligaer was approaching them. Wes snapped his teeth at her, the clatter surprising even him.
Finally, she turned and ran in the direction he herded her, into the forest.
***
Maddie’s blood ran cold when the wolf snapped his teeth at her. Blast it! They were now too far from the castle for her to cry for help. Why had she let him push her into the forest when she’d been so close to home? His sharp teeth did have something to do with that. If only she’d been a hoyden, she could have tried to scale one of the forest trees, but she’d never been a climber and she doubted her sodden kid slippers would be much help with a tree trunk.
Heavens, she was nearly out of breath!
Maddie ran, with the wolf at her feet, his gait long and lupine, his pace slow and methodical, his footfalls soft and quiet. Periodically, he would shift from one side to another, forcing her to change her path. The trees and bushes, heavy with rain, clutched at her clothes and hair. The run was nothing more than play for the wolf. For Mr. Hadley ? Certainly she’d been mistaken and Mr. Hadley hadn’t turned into a wolf in front of her very eyes! But he had, hadn’t he? The idea was too ludicrous to believe.
Off in the distance, Maddie saw a light glowing through the trees. A beacon of hope. If she could just reach the light, there had to be some human nearby, didn’t there?
Suddenly, the wolf growled, and he darted out in front of her. He didn’t want her to reach the light, apparently. Well, Maddie would gladly return home. She turned in that direction and began to run, but then she felt a tug at the back of her gown.
He’d caught her!
The snarling beast had his teeth sunk into her skirts. Still, Maddie fought, struggling to free herself. She would not give up without a fight.
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