Raw and Unedited

A Witch in Time

 

Chapter Two

Time seemed to slow down as Elise felt her body careen forward in an endless spinning vortex. Cross and Julianna kept their hold, and she gritted her teeth as her arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets.

“Ouch!” came a feminine shout.

They all landed in a tangle of limbs and bodies, rolling on the damp ground. Elise ended up on her back, and she blinked a few times wondering if she was hallucinating. Above her, the skies had turned gray and foggy, while the scent of earth and grass wafted into her nostrils. Her wolf immediately went on alert.

“What the hell—” Julianna gasped as she sat up and looked around her. “Where are we?” She turned to Cross. “Where did you bring us?”

Cross’s golden brows knitted together. “I didn’t bring us anywhere.”

Only a handful of people knew that Cross had inherited most of his father’s powers. Aside from changing the form of matter, which he must have used to remove her gloves, the other power was the ability to transport himself and others long distances. But why was he denying that he brought them away from The Enclave?

“Elise?” Julianna’s bi-colored eyes—one green and one blue—zeroed in on her. “What happened back there?”

“Don’t look at me,” she answered.

“But your hands … What did you do?”

Elise clenched her fists. “I used my powers.”

“You can control electricity?” Julianna asked.

“I can create electricity,” she clarified. Controlling electricity was another matter. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she told Cross.

“It was the only way, Elise,” Cross said. “He would have hurt you.”

“Well, I hope we got rid of that mage, whatever it is you guys did.” Juliann got to her feet and brushed off the blades of grass sticking to her pants. “Let me see if I can call Papa or Lucas.” She slipped her phone out of her pocket and tapped on the screen. An audible tone made her frown. “No reception. How about you guys? What carrier do you use?”

“Sorry, I must have dropped my purse.” When the mages kidnapped me, she added silently. A shiver ran through her.

“I don’t usually carry one,” Cross shrugged.

“Damn. Hopefully we’re not too far from New York.” Her eyes darted around. “This place doesn’t look too familiar. And, uh, why does it smell like shit?”

Elise’s nose wrinkled. It did smell awful out here, worse still because of her enhanced senses. “Maybe we’re near a sewage plant?”

“There should be several just outside the city,” Julianna said. “Oh, I hear something …” Her gaze moved into the distance, to a road just beyond the field. “What the … is that a horse? And a carriage? Oh my God, are we in Amish country?”

Cross followed her gaze, then his entire body went rigid. “I think you two should stay here.” His voice was oddly calm.

“Stay here?” Elise asked.

“We don’t know where we are exactly,” he said. “I think it would be better if I went and asked.”

Julianna shrugged. “Fine, go ahead. Let me see if I can try to find one or two bars.” She raised her phone up, waving it around.

“Yeah, we’ll stay here,” Elise said.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” Cross turned and suddenly disappeared.

“Jeez, I can’t get over how creepy that is,” Julianna said. “But you’re probably used to it, being a hybrid and all?”

Despite the fact that they were both the daughters of an Alpha, Elise didn’t really know Julianna Anderson too well, being a few years older than her. “Um, kind of. Why don’t we try going up that hill? Maybe you can find reception there.”

The hill was farther than it looked, but they managed to trudge up—a feat considering the ground was muddy, and they were both wearing heeled shoes. It took them a good thirty minutes, and when they reached the top, Julianna examined the screen on her phone. “Ugh, this darned thing. Hey, maybe you can use your electric powers to boost my signal or something.”

“It doesn’t really work that way,” she said glumly.

“How does it work then?” She continued to move her phone around. “I mean, I’ve seen Astrid use hers while in training. It’s pretty handy. How do you use yours? Can you, like, jumpstart a car or something?”

“Er … I wonder where Cross is? He’s been gone awhile. Maybe we should head back to where he left us.”

Thankfully, Julianna agreed with her and didn’t ask any more questions about her powers. They walked back down the hill, and as they approached the area where they landed, a soft pop startled both of them, and Cross reappeared in the same spot. “I have some … news.” He shook his hair, sending droplets of water everywhere.

“What happened to you?” Elise asked.

Julianna seemingly ignored the fact that Cross’s shirt and pants were dripping wet. “Well? Where are we?”

Cross actually looked hesitant which made Elise worry. In all the years she’d known him, Cross was always so confident and sure of himself. “I’d tell you both to sit down, but there’s no place to sit.”

“For fuck’s sake, Cross, just tell us where we are,” Julianna said in an impatient tone.

“We’re in England, just outside of London—”

“That’s not so bad,” Elise interrupted.

“In 1820.”

“Where’s that exactly?” Julianna asked. “Is that a zip code?”

Elise’s head snapped toward Cross. “Excuse me?”

“We’re in England. In the year 1820.”

The silence between the three of them was deafening, and Elise thought she wasn’t understanding him correctly. “We’ve … we traveled through time?”

“That can’t be right!” Julianna said. “You can’t travel back in time.”

“I’m afraid we did.” Cross rubbed a hand down his face. “It took me a while to get back because I had to make sure. I traveled to London to this place I knew well and, uh, landed in the Thames.”

“The river?” Elise asked.

“Yes. Uncle Sebastian has an apartment there, he lets me and Dad use it when we need a safe place to transport to.” He shook his head in disbelief. “The building isn’t there and I dropped straight into the Thames. After I got out, I walked around. I was definitely in London, but …” He took something out of his pocket, unfolded it, and held it up. “See?”

It was the front page of a newspaper, and when Elise examined it closer, she let out a gasp. “Oh my God.” The date definitely said 1820.

“What the fuck?” Julianna snatched the paper from Cross’s hand. “What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!” Her mismatched eyes trained back on Cross. “Is this really happening?”

“It is.”

“Why? What did you do?” she railed. “Oh my God.”

“Julianna, calm down,” Elise said.

“Calm down! Calm down?” the younger woman exclaimed. “How can I be calm, Elise? We’re over two hundred years in the past!” She turned back to Cross. “There must be something we can do?”

“I have a few ideas.” Cross’s jaw hardened. “And I’ll tell you both everything. But first, we need to find some shelter. While I was going around London, I found an abandoned house at the edge of town. We could stay the night there.”

Elise looked at Julianna. “I don’t really think we have much of a choice.”

Julianna opened her mouth, but only a small squeak came out. She clamped her lips together then spoke. “Okay.”

Cross took their hands. “All right. Brace yourselves.”

Elise closed her eyes feeling the coldness grip her. It was similar to the way the mages had transported her, but not quite the same. Cross’s magic definitely felt more natural and familiar to her. When she opened her eyes, they were indoors in a dark room. The musty, damp smell reminded her of the attic in Gracie Manor, her parents’ home in San Francisco. She let out a shiver.

“Wait.” Cross waved his hand, and a fire began to blaze in the fireplace in the corner.

Julianna sucked in a breath. “I can’t believe this.” Surprisingly, her voice sounded much calmer. “We’re really here. This is happening.” Though she began to pace, she was no longer hysterical.

“I’m afraid so,” Cross said. “There’s no furniture around, but this place should be secure.” With another wave of his hand, three sleeping bags appeared on the floor around the fire. “It’s not much, but we can get some rest. I can make you guys some clothes, if you want.”

“Whoa.” Julianna froze. “What the—”

“Cross can change the form of matter,” Elise explained. “Transmogrification.” It was a powerful form of blessed magic, and as far as she knew, only Cross and Daric could perform it.

“Can you make anything?” Julianna asked.

“Not quite,” Cross said. “For me to change one thing to another, I need know how it works and what it’s composed of. For example, I had to study the composition of fire to create it”—he pointed to the fireplace—“and learn about fibers and sewing to make the sleeping bags. The more I make something, the easier it gets though.” He waved his hand, and in an instant, Elise’s black dress and Julianna’s pantsuit turned into pajamas.

“Wow!” Julianna ran her hands down her new outfit. “Lined with flannel too!”

“Thank you,” Elise nodded at Cross gratefully.

“Are you hungry?” With a wave of his hand, bread and cheese appeared on the floor as well as glasses with water. “It’s not much. Cooked food is really complicated to make, because aside from knowing the composition of ingredients, I would have to know the recipe. Meat is especially difficult.”

“I guess I won’t be able to order a cheeseburger then?” Julianna asked.

“Afraid not.”

“This is fine, Cross,” Elise said. “Though I’m not really very hungry.”

Julianna, on the other hand, was already stuffing half a loaf into her mouth. “Oh my God, I didn’t realize how starved I was,” she said through a mouthful of bread. She had already claimed one of the sleeping bags and was sitting cross-legged on top of it.

Elise, not knowing what to do, followed suit and sat on the sleeping bag on the farthest left. “Cross, why don’t you tell us what you know?”

Cross nodded, then took the last open sleeping bag, curling his gigantic body down. “I guess I should start from the beginning.” In the firelight, his ocean-colored eyes seemed to liquefy. “A year ago, my father felt a dark shimmer of power rising up. Then he began to have dreams of the future.”

Elise shivered, despite the warm fire. “I didn’t know he could do that.”

“Neither did he,” he said. “His premonitions only come when he touches someone. It’s usually my grandmother, Signe, who has active premonitions. And she was having the same ones.”

“What did they see?” Elise asked.

“That the mages would rise in power and finally defeat us.” Cross’s face turned grim. “So we went to the Alpha. Grant Anderson didn’t want to cause any panic, so he sent me on a mission to find out more.”

“The mages started attacking us a few weeks ago,” Julianna said. “First, at Blood Moon, then at the first ascension ceremony. They also tried to get other Lycans to turn against us.” She scratched her head. “Growing up, we didn’t really learn about mages, but since those attacks, I’ve been trying to learn more.”

“Mages are basically witches and warlocks who have gone against nature by using blood magic,” Cross explained to Julianna.

“Blood is forbidden to use,” Elise added. “Because you often have to hurt or kill someone to get their blood.”

“However,” Cross continued, “a long time ago, a powerful mage named Magus Aurelius was able to concentrate his power into three artifacts.”

“Artifacts?” Julianna echoed.

“He infused three objects with the blood of six hundred humans and Lycans.”

The words made Elise shiver. “Why?”

“So that his power would be preserved,” Cross explained. “This was about a thousand years ago. Magus Aurelius controlled a large part of what’s now Central and Eastern Europe, but he was losing his power because the people were rising up against him, with the help of the Lycans. So, he placed as much of his magic into these three artifacts, hoping that one day, the mages would rise up and rule the world. He sacrificed three hundred humans and three hundred Lycans.”

Julianna’s face went pale. “That’s sick.”

“They came back, but we defeated them,” Elise said. “Rather, our parents did. In the battle of Norway, most of the mages were killed, then your dad gathered whoever was left and bound their powers before sending them to the Lycan Siberian Prison.”

“A small faction survived.” Cross’s eyes hardened. “And they found out about the artifacts. It took them nearly three decades but they were able to get their hands on one of them. A necklace that could control people, even without the use of blood rituals.”

Julianna’s eyes widened. “Where is it?”

“It’s still with the mages,” Cross said. “It was used by the mages to try and frame Lucas for murder. They wanted to put him in jail so they could kill him and take his blood, but didn’t succeed. They did manage to keep the necklace.”

“What about the other artifacts?” Elise asked. “Where are they?”

“I’ve been trying to track them down, and I had my suspicions.” His expression turned serious. “Now I’m definitely sure.”

“Sure of what?” Elise’s heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the answer.

“We had it all along. That is, the Lycan High Council had it.”

“The dagger,” she guessed. “It was the dagger.”

“Yes,” Cross said in a somber voice. “I was so close … but I wasn’t sure.” He bowed his head. “I’m so sorry. This shouldn’t have happened if I was certain of what the dagger was.”

“But how could it have transported us here?” Elise said.

“I think …” Cross cleared his throat. “Here’s what my theory is: the mages have been desperate to get at Lucas and Adrianna—not to kill them or stop them from ascending—rather, they want their blood.”

“But why?”

“I think it’s because as children of two Alphas, their blood must have some special property. It didn’t click into place until now, but I believe that when infused with double Alpha blood, the power of the artifacts is magnified. The necklace, as far as we knew, could control humans, but with Alpha blood, it could control Lycans. I believe the dagger would have allowed them to transport people across long distances.”

Elise pictured the scene in her mind. Julianna holding the bloody dagger. The mage reaching for it. “But why did we end up here?”

Cross looked sheepish. “I didn’t anticipate it, but it was you, Elise.”

“M-m-me?”

“Your powers. I didn’t know … I’m really sorry. I think your powers must have amplified the artifact. Along with Lucas’s blood … it’s the only explanation.”

“Wait! Where’s the dagger?” Julianna exclaimed. “That’s our way home, right? All we have to do is charge it up with Elise’s powers.” She slapped her palms together. “Badabing, badaboom, we’re home!”

“It’s not that simple,” Cross said. “I did try looking for the dagger when I realized where we were. It’s not here.”

“No.” Elise felt a dark despair take over her body. “We’re stuck here?”

“There has to be a way,” Julianna’s eyes narrowed at Cross. “You have an idea, right?”

Cross nodded. “When I first suspected that the dagger could be one of the artifacts, I learned as much as I could about it.”

“Why didn’t you ask to see it? Or tell the Lycan High Council?” Julianna asked. “Why all this secrecy? You and your father should have said something the moment you suspected the mages were coming back.”

When Cross didn’t say anything, it was Elise who spoke. “Because he’s a hybrid,” she said in a quiet voice. “They wouldn’t have believed him or his dad.” Despite the fact that there were many hybrid Lycans now that the witches and Lycans were no longer on opposite sides, there were still a few who didn’t trust either side. As a hybrid, Elise knew this and how it contributed to her feeling that she would never be part of either world.

Cross cleared his throat. “As I said, I learned as much as I could about the dagger.”

“And what did you find out?” Julianna asked.

“Lycans didn’t always use that particular dagger for ascension ceremonies. Any dagger or sword was used to cut the hand and make the vow.” During the ascension ceremony, the future Alpha had to seal their vow to protect their clan by slicing their palms with the dagger. “The dagger the Lycan High Council uses in our time belonged to the London clan. It was an heirloom from the Townsend family.”

“Why do we use it now?”

A line appeared between Cross’s brows. “The historical records are murky, but this is what I pieced together: During the ascension ceremony of one of the London Alphas, they were attacked by ‘evil forces.’ The London clan fought them off, but unfortunately, they killed the would-be Alpha.”

Elise gasped. “Who killed him?”

“Like I said, the details are murky. But from what I could interpret, Reed Townsend never became Alpha. Since he didn’t have any children, the title passed on to his nephew. But, the Lycan High Council wanted to honor Townsend, so they’ve been using the dagger ever since.”

“How does that help us now?” Julianna asked.

“If my research is correct, we should be in the right year when Reed Townsend is ascending to Alpha.”

Julianna’s face brightened. “That means the dagger is here!”

“And Townsend is also the first son of the two Alphas, about to ascend himself.” Cross added. “We could potentially be able to recreate what happened at Lucas’s ceremony.”

“But how can we be sure?” Elise asked. “It’s not like we intended to come here in the first place.”

“I’d like to believe we were brought here for a reason,” Cross said. “The dagger and another child of two Alphas are right here, where we are now. It can’t be a coincidence that we were brought here. With the dagger, Reed Townsend’s blood, and Elise’s power, we have a way home.”

She didn’t want to say aloud what they were all probably thinking: that it might not work. But then again, what else could they lose? “I suppose … we should give it a shot.”

“Great!” Julianna looked much more positive about the whole thing than Elise felt. “So, how do we get close to that dagger?”

Cross stood up. “I need to gather intel.”

“We can help,” Julianna offered.

He shook his head. “It will be easier if I go alone for now.”

“But—”

“At least for now. We don’t know what to expect out there.” he said. “I’ve taken precautions and put protection spells around this house. But, don’t try to leave until I’ve come back.”

“Where are you going?” Elise asked.

“I have to learn more about Reed Townsend.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I’ve picked up a few tricks here and there,” he said cryptically. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

And once again, he disappeared.

Elise stared at the empty spot where Cross had been, wondering where he had gone to. A heavy silence crept over them.

“We’ll be home in no time. Right?” But Julianna sounded like she had lost some of the confidence she had earlier.

“Of course.” Elise slipped into her sleeping bag. This had to work. Otherwise, she didn’t know what else to do.

* * *

Dawn was breaking by the time Elise was awakened by the heavy footsteps walking across the wooden floor. Her wolf didn’t sense any danger, which meant it knew who was in the house with them. She sat up immediately. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked up at the tall figure by the fireplace.

“It’s me,” came the reply.

Cross.

Her vision came into focus in the darkened room, and she sighed in relief. “What did you find out?”

“And what are you wearing?” Julianna’s sleep-rasped voice piped up from the sleeping bag beside her.

Cross grinned. “I had to blend in while I gathered intel.” Dressed in skin-tight pants, boots, and a loose white shirt, he looked more like a pirate than a Viking.

“You wouldn’t have happened to gather some coffee, did you?” Julianna sat up and brushed her hair back with her fingers.

With a wave of his hand, two mugs of steaming hot coffee appeared on the floor next to the sleeping bags. “My father insisted that coffee was the first thing I learn to make, after water.”

“Oh. My. God.” Julianna’s eyes widened as she took in a whiff of the rich aroma. “You can make coffee?” She took a sip of the liquid and let out a sigh. “Marry me, Cross. Right now.”

Elise chuckled and to her surprise, Cross actually blushed. “Thank you, Cross,” she said as she took sip from her own cup. “What did you find out?”

He sat down cross-legged next to them. “As I suspected, Reed Townsend is about to ascend to Alpha sometime soon, possibly in the next week or two. His parents passed away over six months ago in an accident.”

She didn’t know why, but she felt a pang of sympathy for this Reed Townsend, despite never having met him. But she supposed anyone would be devastated if they lost both their parents suddenly.

“The Lycan High Council has approved his ascension,” he continued. “They’re ironing out some details, but as soon as they arrive, they’ll proceed with the ceremony which could be any day now.”

“How did you find this all out?” Julianna asked.

“I located his home,” Cross explained. “It was surprisingly easy, given that he’s also the duke of Huntington. I just asked around, and some people directed me to where he lived. I waited until everyone was asleep, then I went inside and read through his mail. It took a while, but that’s what I was able to piece together, based on his correspondences with the Lycan High Council.”

“Good job,” Julianna said. “Did you find the dagger?”

He shook his head. “There was no time to search the entire house. I went to the office first, since I guessed that’s where his most important papers and items might be, but no sign of the dagger.”

“It might be in another home, especially if it’s an heirloom.” Elise said. “I mean, if he’s a duke, he probably has several estates all over the country. You might have to check them all.”

“How do you know that?” Julianna asked.

“Er, I mean … I do read books.” She felt her cheeks go hot. “Jane Austen and uh, some of those romance novels Aunt Jade used to lend me.”

She thought Julianna would mock her, but instead, the other woman clapped her hands together. “Great! Maybe you can figure out what clothes are appropriate for me to wear.”

“Clothes?” she asked. “Why?”

“Julianna,” Cross began. “You should leave things—”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Cross!” Julianna got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips. “If you think I’m going to stand around and do nothing, you’re mistaken.”

“But Julianna, it can be dangerous out there for you two.”

“Is it because I’m a girl?” Her voice raised by a decibel and a dark brow lifted. “Cross, I’m going to go crazy if I have to stay here another day. Besides, I’ve been a member of the Lycan Security Force for years. I can certainly protect myself, and I know how to lead investigations. With you and me searching together, we can cover more ground.”

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable.” Cross shook his head. “I’m already taking a risk by talking and interacting with the people in this time period. Who knows what kind of damage we could cause to the future if we were at the wrong place at the wrong time?”

“But, if you have my help, we can find the dagger faster and get home sooner, right?” Julianna reasoned. “Don’t forget, finding the dagger is just the first part. After that we somehow need to get some of Townsend’s blood on it and then have Elise use her power to zap us back home. How were you going to do that all by yourself?”

“I was going to do it clandestinely. Maybe place a sleeping potion on him and then take some of his blood.” Cross said. “But I suppose you’re right. If we wait too long and he dies during the ascension ceremony before we find the dagger and get his blood, we might lose our only way home.”

“Hey, I’m not going to stay here if you guys are going off to look for the dagger,” Elise said. “I’m coming with you. Don’t even think of saying no, Cross.” And if she were truly honest with herself, although she was scared of going outside, part of her was curious. What would it be like walking around in Regency London? She’d really only seen it in movies and read about it in novels.

“All right,” Cross said with a defeated sigh. “Looks like I’m outnumbered. But you both have to stick close to me when we’re outside. And don’t talk to anyone.”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Julianna said. “Now, how do we get some clothes so Elise and I can go outside without causing a scandal or ripping the space-time continuum?”

Acquiring the necessary clothing for the two females was harder than it seemed. For one thing, it would take Cross too long to learn how to recreate the fabrics and then how to construct the clothes. So, they decided he would have to steal the necessary clothes instead, popping in and out of some of London’s finest dressmakers’ salons without being detected.

Even then, it took him several trips, because he forgot the three or four layers of underthings that ladies wore in Regency times, plus a few other accessories and personal things they needed to look presentable to the outside world. “I never realized how hard it was to be a woman,” Cross said with much humor.

Elise was actually glad to be wearing real clothes and happy in the fact that she could wear gloves without looking weird. From the piles of outfits Cross had provided them, she chose a light-blue empire-cut gown in a rich satin fabric and gloves that went up to her elbows. “I’m just glad we didn’t get transported someplace where corsets were necessary.”

“Hey, this actually isn’t too bad,” Julianna said as she twirled around in a gold and white silk gown. “I’d rather wear something like that,” she indicated with her chin at Cross’s buckskin pants, shirt, and boots with her chin, “but I might make the stuffy London ladies faint.”

“You look great, Julianna.” Elise tapped her finger on her chin. “There’s just something it needs …”

“The hair,” Cross gestured to Julianna’s short bob. “You have the wrong hair.”

Julianna ran her hands through her cropped locks defensively. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“From what I’ve observed while I was outside, ladies have long hair in these times.”

The look of horror on Julianna’s face was unmissable. “Don’t you dare!”

But it was too late. As Cross waved his hand over Julianna’s head, her short dark hair began to grow and lengthen until it reached down to her waist.

“No!”

“It’s not that bad,” Elise said as she pinned her own long red hair up. “I can help you fix it.”

“Ugh!” Julianna gave a strand a tug. “It’s so heavy.”

Elise thought the long hair actually suited Julianna as it softened some of the more angular lines of her face. Not that Julianna wasn’t pretty, but Elise suspected she often got compared to her mother and her two other sisters. They were beautiful in that exotic, sensuous way of the petite and curvy, while Julianna was more on the tall and athletic side like her older brother and father.

Reaching for the hairbrush, she ran it through Julianna’s now-lengthy locks until they gleamed, then used the leftover pins to put them up. “There,” she said. “Now it looks perfect.” The thick, ebony curls were piled on top of her head artfully.

“I can’t wait until we get home,” Julianna grumbled. “I’m going to take a nice, long hot shower, then I’m going to chop all this off.”

Elise smothered a laugh. “I think we should be all good.” Both of them certainly were wearing enough layers of clothing. “What’s the plan?”

“I’ll take us to Hunter House,” Cross said. “That’s where he lives. From what I’ve read, the ascension ceremony is set to take place there.”

“We won’t get too close, will we?” Elise asked.

“No,” he answered. “We’ll observe from the outside across the street but no closer.”

“Good thinking,” Julianna said. “It’ll give us an idea of what the house is like, then maybe we can figure out how to infiltrate it or possibly observe Townsend’s daily routine. We’ll need to know the best time we can nab him and get some of his blood.”

“The street where he lives isn’t too busy, but we’ll have to be careful no one notices us. I’ll transport us a block away, in an empty alley I’ve been using. From there, we can walk by the house.” His voice turned serious. “For now, we’ll take one lap around. That’s it. Don’t talk to anyone, and try to blend in.”

“We’ll do our best.” Julianna winked at Elise. “Right?”

“Right.” Elise tried to sound as confident as Julianna. But in truth, she was nervous as a lamb. What would the outside be like?

“Ready?”

She looked at Cross’s outstretched hands, her heart beating like a drum in her chest. “Ready.” As his fingers closed over her gloved hands, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A cold sensation washed over her, and after a split second, she opened her eyes.

“Fucking hell.” Julianna let out a gagging sound. “What is that smell?”

As they stood in the shadowed, narrow alley, the stench hit Elise’s nostrils. “I guess romance novels tend to gloss over what history smelled like.” She pinched her nose.

“How do people stand it?” Julianna moaned.

“They probably get used to it,” Cross said with a grin. “Come on, it’s better out there, I promise.”

They each took an arm he offered and walked beside him as he guided them out of the alley. A fresh breeze greeted them as they turned the corner, and Elise took big gulps into her lungs.

“We’re close,” Cross whispered as they continued their stroll into the busy pedestrian street. They passed a few shops as well as people milling about. A few of them glanced their way as they walked by.

“Why are they looking at us?” Julianna’s eyes darted around. “God, I’m so tempted to tell these people to fuck off.”

While no one was outright staring at them, Elise could definitely feel eyes on them as they passed by. “Do you think they know?” Her wolf didn’t seem alarmed by anything. In fact, it had been oddly calm this entire time. Still, the looks they were getting from the people around them were disconcerting and she did her best to ignore them.

“The house is around the corner.”

Cross directed them to turn right, and as soon as Elise saw the building, she held her breath. So this was Hunter House. “House” was a misnomer—it was more of a grand mansion, taking up the entire block. It was imposing, but not garish, and done in a neoclassical style. It kind of reminded her of the house she grew up in, though this building was at least twice as big.

Julianna let out a low whistle. “Wow. It’s gonna take us a while to search the entire place.”

“I’m told it has at least ten bedrooms.” Cross slowed down as Julianna tugged on his arm, and they stopped right across the house.

“That might be a problem.” Julianna pursed her lips. “Ideally, we could wait until everyone’s asleep and search one section each night.”

“But if we don’t find it in here, we’d have to search all his other estates,” Cross said. “That could take weeks.”

“How about if we get jobs inside the house? I could be a maid or something,” Julianna said. “Like undercover work. As a maid, I could probably access all the rooms easily.”

“Good idea,” Cross said. “Now.…”

A small movement from the corner of her sight made Elise snap her head back toward the house. Cross and Julianna were so deep in conversation that they didn’t seem to notice that the large gate was ajar.

“Guys,” she said. “There’s someone …”

It happened so fast Elise barely blinked when she spied the small figure slipping out between the gates. Her wolf instantly went on alert, and she suddenly became aware of her surroundings. The small footsteps across the cobblestones. The pounding of hooves, and the rattle of wheels. When she turned her head, she saw where the thunderous sound was coming from. A coach was speeding down the road heading straight for the child.

Her wolf’s instincts kicked in, and she wrenched free of Cross’s arm. Her Lycan speed allowed her to reach the center of the street and grab the young boy frozen like a deer in headlights before he was run over by hooves and wheels. The momentum was too much, however, and she and the boy were sent sprawling across the sidewalk. He screamed and she held his tiny body to her, shielding it as best she could as they rolled several feet until her back hit the metal gates.

“Oomph!” she groaned as she lay sprawled out on the sidewalk. Good thing for Lycan healing; her bruises would heal by tomorrow, but she was still going to be black and blue for a couple of hours. But at least the boy was safe. She peered down. “Are you all right?” she whispered.

“Y-y-yes,” said the small voice. “I just wanted to …” He let out a sob.

“There, there,” she soothed. “You’re fine. Just—” She stiffened as she took a whiff of the boy’s scent. It was undeveloped, but distinct enough that she knew he wasn’t human. A pup.

“Ahem.”

She startled at the low baritone. A shiver ran through her, but instead of being afraid or defensive, her wolf’s ears perked up, and it stood very still as if waiting for something. When she looked up from where she was sitting on the ground, she found herself staring into the darkest ebony eyes she’d ever seen.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Three

For the last decade, order, routine, and schedules ran Reed’s life. He woke up at precisely seven fifteen in the morning, dressed by eight, and sat down to breakfast by eight fifteen. His solicitor, Percy Whittleby, walked into his office by nine o’clock, where they could discuss the day’s business dealings.

If there weren’t too many things on their agenda, they would finish by lunch, and Reed would have a peaceful meal by himself in the dining room. If they ran later, then he and Whittleby had cold sandwiches and refreshments from twelve o’clock to twelve thirty before proceeding with business. In the afternoon, if he had the time, he would go to White’s for a drink or two or a round of fencing at Angelo’s before getting ready for the evening’s activities. While he preferred to go to the theater or ballet with his latest female companion, he sometimes had to attend some boring dinner party or ball at the insistence of his mother—

“Your Grace?”

Whittleby’s nasal voice was a welcome intrusion, and Reed allowed the cold numb feeling to smother the other emotions threatening to surface, along with the distinct yowl from his inner wolf. His head snapped back to the other man. “What’s next on the agenda?”

“Well, uh, there is the matter of the rental of the house on Barber Street.”

“Barber Street?”

Whittleby coughed delicately. “Yes, Barber Street. You had it rented for Miss Boudreaux, but it’s been three months since she … she left the premises.”

Ah, Anaïs. His mistress—former mistress, that is. The ballerina had been hysterical, threatening to leave him when he stopped visiting and paying attention to her. He didn’t really know why she was so vexed, not when he allowed her to stay in the house and maintained her allowance even though he had no need of her amorous attention. One would think she’d be grateful to have a patron who left her alone most of the time. French women were so temperamental. Last he’d heard, she’d taken up with a viscount from Yorkshire. “So, what about it?”

“The owner would like to know if you plan to … continue with the rental contract.”

“I see. Well—”

The sound of the door crashing against the wall as it opened and a delighted squeal stopped Reed short. “What the—”

“Uncle Reed, Uncle Reed!” a high-pitched voice cried, as a small blur dashed into the room.

Despite the interruption, Reed couldn’t hold back the small smile that was forming on his lips. William Lowell James Griffiths charged into his uncle’s office with the exuberance that only five-year-old children seemed to possess. He darted past Whittleby, sped around the large oak desk taller than him, and ran straight into his uncle’s legs.

“Hello, little pup.” He got to his feet and hoisted William into his arms. “What are you doing here?”

William’s blue eyes twinkled as he giggled. “Mama and I wanted to surprise you.”

“Is that so?”

“William? William!” Another figure—this one older, taller, and female—came rushing into the room. “I told you to wait for me so Neville could announce us.”

For a moment, Reed felt his heart stop. Eleanor was the spitting image of their mother with her reddish blonde locks, petite frame, and bright green eyes. They looked so much alike it made his chest constrict. Maybe that was one of the reasons he’d seen less and less of her over the past months. He knew it was unfair, but he just didn’t want to be reminded of the tragedy of their parents’ sudden death.

Eleanor Amanda Griffiths, Countess of Winford walked in, stopping halfway when she saw William in his uncle’s arms. “Apologies for the interruption,” she nodded to Whittleby, “my son can be a handful.”

“Good morning, my lady.” Whittleby shot to his feet. “And no apologies needed.”

“Still, we interrupted your chat.” She walked over to Reed and then reached out for William. The young boy seemed reluctant, but when his mother raised a brow, he scrambled into her arms. “Please, go on and continue your discussion. You can pretend we’re not here.”

Whittleby’s eyes bulged, and he sent a pleading look to Reed. Of course, matters such as mistresses were not discussed before delicate ladies, so he decided to spare the other man. “Actually, Whittleby was just about to leave. But, to answer your last question, no I will not be continuing that contract.”

Whittleby looked relieved as he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow. “I’ll take care of that matter then, Your Grace.” He bowed and then turned to Eleanor and William. “My lady. Lord William.” After a deep nod, the turned on his heel and walked out the door.

Reed turned to his sister. “To what do I owe this surprise visit?”

Eleanor looked at him innocently. “What, I can’t miss my only brother and want to see him?”

That comment hit its mark and he winced inwardly. “You know you’re always welcome to stop by.”

William began to squirm. “Mama, can I please go and play?”

She sighed and set him to his feet. “Do you promise to behave?”

His little head bobbed up and down. “Yes, Mama.”

“All right, off you go.” She had barely finished the sentence when he broke free of her grasp and scampered toward the door. “And stay in the house!” she called after him. With a shake of her head, she turned back to Reed. “How have you been?”

“I’m fine.” That was his standard answer whenever Eleanor asked him how he was. What else could he say?

“I would ask you if inheriting the dukedom has made you any busier, but then you’ve always been obsessed with work.”

He tried not to let her tone irritate him. “I have seven estates and half a dozen businesses in England, plus more abroad to oversee and run.”

“And I know that you were able to expand the family estates and holdings because you’ve worked nonstop for the last ten years,” she said. “And now … with mother and father gone—”

“My responsibilities have tripled in the last six months.” He didn’t want to hear the words. Yes, he knew mother and father were gone, but hearing it out loud was another thing. “And soon I’ll be Alpha of London.” The ceremony would be held sometime in the next two weeks, once the Lycan High Council finished arrangements for their trip to London.

“But surely you can find some time to relax? Enjoy the season?”

“Surely you’re joking,” Reed said in an incredulous tone. “Why would I want to be out now, of all times? All of London’s mamas will be looking at me like some prized stallion to breed with their debutant daughters.”

“Reed Townsend!” Eleanor looked like she wanted to faint.

“Oh, come on now, Ellie,” he said, using the childhood nickname he had for her. “You’re a married woman.”

“You’re so full of yourself, just because you’re young and handsome.” She placed her hands on her hips. “If only those mamas and their daughters knew what a terrible husband you’d be, only living for work and business.”

“Well, they don’t want me for my winning personality, that’s for sure.” While it might seem egotistical, he was no fool. Reed knew he was a catch, not only because of his title but also for his wealth. The fact that he wasn’t old and decrepit was a small plus, but he knew many women would do anything for a duchess’s coronet. Like Joanna.

His wolf growled at the mention of the name. Indeed, he’d spent the last ten years drowning himself in work just so he didn’t have to think of her.

“Reed?” Eleanor’s brows were furrowed together. “Are you all right?”

His answer was automatic. “Like I said, I’m fine. Did you and William want to have lunch here with me? You know I can always ask Neville to tell the kitchen to prepare your favorites.”

“That would be lovely, thank you, Reed. But there was something I needed to discuss with you.”

“Of course.” He motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs in front of his desk, then sat in his own leather seat. “What is it?”

“It’s about our cousin, Bridget. Uncle Alec’s daughter.”

“Yes, I remember her.” Bridget Macdonald was the daughter of their mother’s cousin and Beta. No, he corrected himself. Technically, Alec MacDonald was now Alpha of Caelkirk, after Annabelle Townsend passed away.

While both entailment of the earldom and Alpha title of Caelkirk allowed the eldest child—regardless of sex—to inherit, it also limited it to the members of the clan. So, while Annabelle was Alpha, when she died, the only way Reed or Eleanor could inherit the Alpha role and title was to renounce their status in the London clan. Reed was already to be Alpha of London and Eleanor didn’t want to give up her life in England, so they were happy to let their Uncle Alec inherit both titles. Indeed, as Annabelle’s Beta while she lived in London, Alec MacDonald had been running the clan for the last thirty years anyway. He didn’t have any sons, so both titles would eventually be passed on to Bridget.

Reed thought back to when he last saw her. “She’s what … fourteen? Fifteen?”

“Actually, she just turned twenty.” Eleanor’s lips pursed together. “You don’t remember, do you?”

“Remember?”

She took a long, drawn-out breath. “Uncle Alec wrote a month ago and asked that we take her in and sponsor her for the season. I asked you if it was all right since it had been six months since Mother and Father passed away.”

He quirked a brow. “And I said yes?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, I see.” Glancing at the half-written letter sitting on his desk, he realized that he had meant to continue that as soon as Whittleby left. The letter was for one of his lawyers in—

“Reed, are you listening to me?” Eleanor crossed her arms over her chest.

“What?” He shrugged. “If I said yes, then of course you should do it.”

“Excellent.” She clasped her hands together. “Grandmama and I will be meeting her and determining which balls and events we should take her to. You’ll have to come to the major ones—”

“Me?” He asked in an incredulous tone. “Why do I have to go to balls with her?”

“She needs every bit of support behind her,” Eleanor reasoned. “It’s not that simple to launch her into society. She’s not exactly … I mean, you know … she’s …”

“Scottish?” Reed finished. “She’ll also be a countess in her own right and an heiress. Surely between you and Grandmama, she’ll be a smashing success in London.”

“But she’s not English, which means she’ll most likely attract fortune hunters. But that’s not the only thing.” Eleanor let out a sigh. “Uncle Alec says she’s already met most of the eligible bachelors in Scotland, and none of them are her True Mate.”

“And how the devil is she supposed to know him?”

“You know how,” Eleanor said in a serious tone.

He scoffed. “Right.” The supposed legend that Lycans from his mother’s clan knew their True Mates at first sight. “What nonsense—” He stopped when Eleanor narrowed her eyes at her.

“You know it’s not nonsense.”

“I wasn’t going to call it anything,” he said defensively. “Ellie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean … that is … I know you’re very happy with Winford and I’m glad for you both.”

Since Reed had never met his supposed True Mate before and even after Joanna, they had all thought that maybe the legend only applied to the Lycans who were pure Scottish. However, much to their surprise, Eleanor had recognized their father’s Beta, Jeremy Griffiths, Earl of Winford, as her True Mate.

Jeremy was fifteen years older than Eleanor and was just coming back from the war with Napoleon. Though he was part of the London clan, he hadn’t been around since before the war began, so he’d decided to pay his respects to the Alpha. It was at her coming out ball that Eleanor had spied Winford and recognized him as her True Mate. Their mother had been excited, and though the then-duke of Huntington had his reservations, he couldn’t deny his daughter or their True Mate pairing. Of course, they were married after an appropriate engagement period, and his nephew, William, arrived nine months to the day of their wedding. A year later, the clan’s Beta had passed away and Winford was selected to be Beta, a position he still held today.

“Don’t tell me you still don’t believe, Reed,” Eleanor said. “Maybe you just haven’t met—”

“It’s not that I don’t believe.” That was not quite a lie, but nor was it the truth. But how to explain to her? “I think … maybe it’s not everyone in our family that recognizes their True Mate right away. I mean, Grandfather and his father never did.” In fact, according to their records, the only Alpha to have ever met his True Mate had been Lowell Townsend. “Maybe because it’s only on mother’s side of the family that only half the people on our side will have it.”

“You mean, because I inherited it, maybe you didn’t?” she asked skeptically.

“Perhaps.” Definitely. That was it. Eleanor had the right idea.

“But … it’s just …” A sigh escaped her. “When you meet your mate and you get this feeling …” She blushed and clamped her mouth shut, her lashes lowering. Like their mother, Eleanor never talked about what it was like when she first met her True Mate, like it was some damned secret.

He mentally shook his head. Did he even want to know at this point in his life? Could he even recognize a True Mate? His emotions were so locked up, he didn’t even think he’d recognize her if she lay sprawled out at his feet.

“Reed, you can’t just stay unmarried forever.”

He could barely stifle his chuckle. “Of course I can. I’m a man.”

“But you need a wife. A duchess and a Lupa.”

“There is no rule that says I have to,” he reminded her. “Besides, I don’twant a wife, a duchess, or a mate. I don’t need one. I don’t even need an heir. William will inherit the dukedom and the Alpha title.” He had been contemplating it the last six months, and he had decided that that was the best course of action.

“But Reed, I—” Eleanor’s hands gripped that arms of her chair and her body went stiff.

“Eleanor?” He cocked his head at her. “What’s the matter?”

A loud scream pierced the air and Reed’s senses went on full alert. His wolf’s hackles rose, and its claws tore at his insides, warning him that something was definitely wrong.

“William!” Eleanor cried as her face twisted into a mask of concern. From the way his sister shot to her feet and called on her Lycan speed to propel herself out the office, she must have sensed real danger. A risk of course, considering half the staff wasn’t Lycan. However, his wolf urged him to follow Eleanor, and so he did, all the way out the door and to the gate.

He spied the slightly ajar gate and his sister about to exit. With his instincts on full alert, he pushed forward, pulling her aside so he could be on the frontlines, in case there really was a threat. He stopped short as a bundle of blue silk sprawled at his feet. Much to his surprise, a figure unfurled in a flurry of fabric and startlingly blue eyes stared back up at him. The color of the sky when lightning struck the clouds.

And then he felt it.

Heat ran down his spine, followed by numbing cold. Then, it was like his head had been hit by a blunt object while a large fist slammed into his chest. All of this happened in a split second and without any pain.

His inner wolf let out a soul-piercing howl.

Mate, a voice inside him whispered.

Hell’s bells.

“Oh, my Lord! William!”

His sister’s voice cut through the chaos in his mind, and he blinked. Eleanor was by his feet, kneeling down as she gathered her son into her arms.

“Oh, William … William, darling …” she cooed as she soothed the boy. “I was so scared …”

It was a feat to turn his gaze away from them. From her. He didn’t want to look at her, really look at her.

“Elise!” another feminine voice called out. A woman in a gold ballgown was running across the street toward them. What the devil was going on? A third person—a rather imposing and tall man dressed like some kind of buccaneer—ran up behind her.

“Are you okay? Elise, this isn’t what we—” The woman in gold looked up and locked eyes with him.

What strange eyes. One blue and one green. However, looking into this woman’s eyes didn’t give him the same reaction as the other one. Except that his wolf’s claws extended, feeling the presence of an unknown wolf.

Lycan. She was a Lycan. And so was her male companion.

“Who are you?” he asked her. “And what are you doing in my territory?”

“Alpha,” the man said in a reverent voice, his head dropping low and not meeting his gaze. “Forgive us for arriving unannounced in your territory.”

Reed felt his anger rising. They knew they were in violation of the Constanta Agreement, the set of rules that governed Lycan kind and territorial matters. No Lycan was to cross into another’s territory without permission. “You dare come here, into my territory and my home? How did you—”

“Reed!” Eleanor rose up to her full height and planted herself in front of him. “For goodness sake! She saved William! He could have been run over by that hackney coach.” She glanced around. “Where is it?”

“The coachman has gone, ma’am,” the man explained. “He didn’t even see your son or my … our … Elise when she caught him.”

His Elise? A pang of jealousy shot through him and he couldn’t help but look to her to gauge her reaction. It was a move he regretted because his body instantly reacted to her again.

She was standing now, brushing the dirt from her skirts, then as she lifted her head, locked gazes with him. Her presence struck him like a bolt of lightning, and this time he could not turn away, not when she was staring up at him with those vivid blue eyes so big, they took up half her face. Her creamy skin was flushed and her pouty lips slightly parted.

And that hair—dark red curls that tumbled down her shoulders and back in an almost scandalous manner. No woman would leave the house with her hair in such disarray, and irrational anger surged through him, as if he wanted to keep such a sight to himself.

“Er, Elise?” the woman in gold said. “Are you okay?”

She blinked. “What?”

“Who are you?” Eleanor held William tight to her as her eyes narrowed at the three strangers. “And which clan are you from?”

“We’re from very far away,” the man said. “America.”

“Oh!” Eleanor exclaimed. “Americans! I’ve never met Americans before. Have you, Reed?”

“Only a handful,” he answered, finally able to tear his gaze from the woman.Elise. Her name was burned into his brain. Did he dare say who she could be? Was it really her? Surely this woman who seemingly came from nowhere, wearing a ballgown in the middle of day, was his True Mate? Did she feel it too? She didn’t say anything, but instead, averted her gaze.

No. It couldn’t be. This was all wrong.

“You seem to know who my brother is,” Eleanor began. “At least, you acknowledged that he is Alpha, so you must know who he is.”

“You’re Reed Townsend, Duke of Huntington,” the man finished.

Eleanor looked at him meaningfully, waiting to make an introduction. He cleared his throat. “This is my sister, Lady Eleanor Griffiths, Countess of Winford, and her son, Lord William Griffiths.” He assessed the other man—quite tall, maybe as tall as his Scottish cousins, though he looked more like a tanned pirate with his long blond hair tied back and his buckskin pants, boots, and loose white shirt. He wore neither hat nor waistcoat. What the devil was he doing with two young women?

“You’re probably wondering who we are,” the man said.

Definitely not a gentleman, with those manners. But then again, they were Americans. Perhaps it was their first time in a civilized place like London. “Since you seem to already know who I am, I suppose you may introduce yourselves.”

The young woman in gold opened her mouth but shut it when the man gave her a meaningful look, then turned back to him. “My lord—I mean, Your Grace,” he began. “My name is Cross Alexander Jonasson of the New York clan. I am an … envoy sent by the Alpha of New York City to meet with you and celebrate your ascension to Alpha.”

“If you’re an envoy, then why was I not informed beforehand?” There was something not quite right about Mr. Jonasson’s story. “Our clans have no formal relations. There should have been a missive from your Alpha, and then a request for an introduction and meeting, which I would have had to approve with a letter of my own.”

“We did send a letter, Your Grace,” he said. “Did it not reach you?”

“Mail from the colonies gets lost all the time,” Eleanor said. “Plus, with so much going on … Did you address it to the right place?”

Mr. Jonasson shook his head. “I’m not sure, my lady. I mean, the Alpha just sent us …” He turned to his companions. “Forgive me for failing to introduce you to my companions. This”—he nodded to the woman in gold—“is Miss Julianna Anderson, daughter of our Alpha. And …” He hesitated for a moment. “Her cousin, Miss Elise Henney.”

Both women gawked at him silently, not greeting him or even giving a curtsey. Were all Americans raised like wild animals?

“Reed.” Eleanor placed a hand on his arm. “I think we should … invite our guests inside.”

He knew exactly what his sister was saying, of course—get these strangely-dressed people inside the house before some nosy neighbor sees them and sent all of the ton’s tongues wagging.

“Right. Let’s sort this out inside.” He led them to the front door which was now being held open by the faithful Neville. A Lycan himself, the normal unflappable butler frowned and his nostrils flared when his gaze landed on the newcomers.

“It’s all right, Neville,” he said in a low voice. “Would you please prepare some refreshments for our … guests?”

The butler harrumphed, but said, “Of course, my lord.”

“William.” Eleanor put her son down. “Are you hurt?”

“No, Mama.” William’s voice was much quieter than it usually was. His little face scrunched up into a serious expression. “I’m fine.”

Eleanor smirked at Reed. “My, that sounds awfully familiar. I wonder where he learned that?”

With all the excitement, Reed nearly forgot about his nephew. He bent down to William’s level and then checked him over. He breathed a sigh of relief. Aside from his torn trousers, the boy looked unhurt. “William, you must never do that again, understand me?”

He nodded. “Yes, Uncle Reed.”

“Excellent.” He smiled at him and then ruffled his hair affectionately. “Now, why don’t you go with Neville and he’ll bring you a snack? Then you can go to the playroom.”

His little head bobbed up and down, then walked toward Neville and tugged at his coattails. “Do you have some of those butter biscuits, Neville?”

“I believe Cook might have some hidden away somewhere, Lord William,” Neville said. “Let’s ask her, shall we?”

As his nephew followed the butler down the hall, Reed walked to his office, trying not to look back, despite his wolf’s desperate desire to look at Elise and make sure she was still following. Enough, he said. It was undignified enough that he had to lead them into his own home like some servant, but he wasn’t going to give in to his animal’s whims. Because surely, this strange woman, this American, couldn’t possibly be his True Mate. He was more convinced of it now. Maybe her reaction to him was because she was foreign.

“I hope Neville is brewing some strong tea.” Eleanor sighed. “This excitement is too much.” She turned to Elise. “Miss Henney, please forgive me for not thanking you right away for saving my son. You have my utmost gratitude.”

“I-it was nothing, m-my lady.” She curtseyed, and while Reed thought the move utterly strange, his sister seemed to be amused.

“Well, uh, they must do things very differently in America.” Her eyes scanned Elise’s evening gown. “Very different.”

“Indeed,” Reed muttered under his breath, then turned to Jonasson. “So, explain yourself and what you are doing here.”

“As I said, Your Grace, we were just sent here by our Alpha. I believe … he was first in contact with your late father, and he invited us to come here.”

“My father told me no such thing.” Surely Lowell would have at least mentioned it.

“We had heard he passed away,” Jonasson continued. “And of course, our Alpha waited for the appropriate mourning period before contacting you and sending his condolences, along with an acceptance of your father’s invitation to continue relations.”

He could not erase that seed of doubt in his mind. “He would have discussed something like that with me.”

“Reed, do you think it could have been right before the accident?” Eleanor said. “They’d been staying in Huntington Park for a few months and Father conducted most of his business from there.”

A year before they died, Annabelle and Lowell had become tired of the London life and decided to live in the largest of their country estates “indefinitely.”

“And you were always too busy to visit them regularly,” Eleanor added.

Reed knew his sister had no malicious intent to her words; no, she was merely stating facts. His life revolved around their business in London and he had scarce little time to journey up to Huntington Park on a regular basis, so instead, he and his father relied on messengers who made the long trip. Reed had not seen his parents in two months when they passed away.

He did not say anything which his sister took as an affirmative. “See? It could be possible that’s what happened right?”

“Perhaps Lady Winford has made a logical conclusion,” Jonasson said. “Of course, you could confirm it with a letter to our Alpha. It will take a while, and the journey back will be long. Maybe we can come back next spring, should you still desire an alliance.”

“Another year?” Eleanor said. “After you’ve journeyed for months to come here? Reed, surely you’re not going to turn them away.”

His wolf growled. I should send them home, he told his animal. How can we trust them? His every human instinct told him he should send them away. Yes, including her. The things she made him feel … it unnerved him. But he had a feeling this was two against one: both his wolf and Eleanor would never give him peace. “I suppose you could stay in London. For now,” he added in an ominous tone. As Alpha, he could ask them to leave at any time.

Eleanor clapped her hands together. “Splendid. Miss Anderson is the daughter of an Alpha, and I wouldn’t want to offend their clan if we sent her away.”

He frowned. That was the other thing that bothered him. “Why exactly did an Alpha send his daughter and niece without a proper chaperone across the sea?” The thought of Jonasson alone with Elise on board a ship with no one else for company made him want to break something. Even if the two women were not compromised, it simply wasn’t proper.

Jonasson spoke. “I am their cousin as well,” he explained. “Twice removed.”

“And your chaperone? Surely your Alpha would have provided a duenna for the two young ladies. An older aunt or paid companion with impeccable reputation?” If they were lying, he would catch them now.

“She died,” Julianna burst out.

“Miss … Lucinda Jones passed away right before we docked,” Elise said quickly.

“How awful!” Eleanor cried. “What did she die of?”

“Dysentery!” Julianna offered.

His sister looked like she needed her smelling salts. Dysentery? What proper young woman talked about such things in company? Elise, at least, had the decency to glare at the other woman.

“Truly terrible,” Reed said. “Where did you intend to stay in London?”

“We have just arrived from the port and will be looking for a suitable hotel,” Jonasson said.

“Hotel?” Eleanor exclaimed. “No, you shan’t be staying in some hotel! You’ll stay with us,” she declared.

“Eleanor—”

“If they had not traveled all the way here from America, William would be crushed under the hooves and wheels of that coach!” Eleanor got to her feet, her hands clasping together. “We have plenty of room and I will be an impeccable chaperone to the girls. It’s no bother, since Bridget will be arriving soon, and so will Grandmama, so all three ladies will have two women of irreproachable reputations guarding their virtues.” Her face brightened with recognition. “Oh, of course! Silly me. I’ve wondered why your Alpha would send two unmarried women across the pond. You’re here for the season, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, definitely. Totally. That’s it. Whatever you say,” Julianna nodded enthusiastically. “I—ow! Elise, why are you jabbing your elbow in my ribs?”

Elise’s pretty face went pale. “It’s not—”

“Oh, don’t you ladies worry,” Eleanor said, excitement tinging her tone. “I’ve already made a list of eligible Lycan bachelors since my cousin is also here for the season. This is so exciting. We’ve always made matches with nearby clans, but we might be making the first trans-continent alliance through marriage.”

“M-m-marriage?” Now it was Julianna’s face that drained of blood.

“Yes, Julianna,” Elise said wryly. “Like you said, we’re here for the season. London’s marriage mart.”

While the thought of Elise surrounded by a gaggle of beaux vying for attention made him feel like he’d been punched in the gut, the distaste in her voice made Reed’s anger lessen. Still, the emotions inside him were in chaos, a state his normally controlled self did not enjoy.

Eleanor’s lips pursed, and she tapped a finger on her chin. “Of course, you both are a little … older than most of the girls coming out for the season. You’re probably what … twenty-four? Not fresh out of the schoolroom, but not quite … of debutant age. Still, you’re both quite the catch, especially if you’re related to the Alpha of New York.”

Julianna opened her mouth, but Elise hooked her arm around her waist and pulled her back. “Thank you, my lady, you’re too kind.”

“I can have someone fetch your things,” Eleanor offered. “Are they still at the port?”

“We don’t have any luggage, my lady,” Jonasson said. “They were stolen.”

“Stolen?” Eleanor gasped. “By whom?”

“Pirates!” Julianna said.

“Robbers!” Elise added at the same instant. The two girls looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Well, which is it?” Reed asked impatiently.

“Both,” Jonasson said. “We were beset by pirates on the sea and then robbers had stolen our things when we landed.”

“How terrible!” Eleanor’s cheeks puffed up. “But it makes sense now,” she said with a laugh.

“Sense?” Julianna asked.

“Why, yes,” his sister tutted. “Why you’re dressed up in evening gowns and why Mr. Jonasson doesn’t have his coat. I thought it was a colonial quirk.”

“We’re dressed in … evening gowns.” Julianna sounded like she was asking a question and stating the obvious at the same time.

“You poor things. These gowns must be what those … those brigands left you with. You certainly couldn’t go out naked.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry, I have a few gowns you can borrow in the meantime. Good thing I’m such an ‘unfashionable height’ as Grandmama says,” she said with a chuckle. “My gowns will easily fit Miss Anderson and we can always shorten them for Miss Henney.”

“Gowns for the season will cost you a fortune,” Reed commented. “Perhaps you may need to wait a while until you get some funds.”

“We’ll be fine,” Elise snapped. “We aren’t paupers.”

That she seemed upset in turn made his wolf agitated. “I didn’t mean—”

“We have the means, I assure you,” Jonasson interrupted. “The er, pirates and robbers only managed to steal our luggage while I had our money stored safely away.”

Reed looked the other man up and down, wondering where in the world he could possibly have a substantial amount of money hidden on his person.

“Excellent,” Eleanor said.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. “Your tea is here, Your Grace,” Neville then turned to Eleanor. “Lord William is in the playroom, enjoying his biscuits.”

“Thank you, Neville,” Reed said. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind, could you arrange for tea in the library instead? And show our guests there please.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“My sister and I will follow in a moment,” he said.

“We will see you there, Your Grace.” Jonasson and the two ladies followed Neville out. Once he was sure that they were far enough away, Reed turned to his sister.

“What the devil are you thinking, inviting them to stay with you and offering to sponsor them for the season?” His hands clenched at his sides. “We don’t know them or if they’re telling the truth about their Alpha and our father.”

“Reed, don’t be silly. Who could make up such a wild story?” Eleanor reached out and placed a soothing hand on his arm. “It all fits, right? You know Father and Mother were always very forward thinking when it came to alliances. Maybe this was their plan, right before they—”

“Still, it’s all very strange. They’re very strange.” And, he did not like how Elise Henney caused so much chaos in both himself and his wolf.

“They’re foreigners, of course they’re going to be a little … odd.” Eleanor wrinkled her nose. “Think of poor Mother when she first moved to England. You know she must have had a terrible time, and Grandmama—and I love her dearly—couldn’t have made it easy on her. I won’t have those girls suffer like her.”

That comment really hit him in the gut. He’d seen it over the years, of course—the dowager duchess never really got along with her daughter-in-law, and the two were often at odds with each other. “It is very odd that an Alpha would let his daughter and niece travel all the way here for an alliance.”

“Maybe their customs are a bit more permissive.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t suppose he …”

“He what?”

She shook her head. “No, preposterous. Neither of them would suit you.”

“Not suit me?” Well, they were both American and untitled.

“Of course not,” she chuckled. “I know you too well. Miss Anderson is too exuberant, you’d squash her spirit, and Miss Henney seems so shy, you’d scare her to death.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” His wolf, on the other hand, yowled in protest at the latter of Eleanor’s suggestion.

“Unless you’re interested—”

“We’ve been gone a long time,” Reed said. “Let us join our guests before they think we’re talking about them.

“We are talking about them,” Eleanor pointed out. “But I suppose you’re right.” She took Reed’s offered arm and they strolled out of the office.

As they walked toward the library, Reed contemplated what he was going to do about Mr. Jonasson, Miss Anderson, and of course, Miss Henney. While Eleanor may have been convinced by their tale, he was not. There was something the three of them were hiding and he was determined to find out the truth.

In the meantime, he vowed to ignore Elise Henney as much as he could. He did not want or need a wife, not even a True Mate. Women were not to be trusted, as he had learned in the past. Besides, he couldn’t even be sure they were True Mates, and there was no way he was going to confirm it by getting her with child.

The thought of Elise growing large with his pup made his wolf growl in approval. And while it brought out a primal feeling inside him, he quashed it, like he did with every emotion he’d felt for the last decade.

 

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