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And wasn’t that something they’d both had to do in order to survive?
Neither planting any real roots anywhere. Moon Flower was the first place where Bellamy felt he had something to return to. Ashwood never had that, not in any real sense.
Ashwood breathed more evenly the farther away from his rooms they traveled. He finally glanced at Bellamy. “You can go back into hiding at Moon Flower, and I’ll make my escape.”
A renewed fire lit inside Bellamy. “It’s not fair that he should walk free.”
“Perhaps I’ll even have to face him again.” Ashwood’s hands curled into fists. “At least I’ll be free of him, one way or another.”
He thought of Ashwood’s scars and felt devastated all over again.
As the carriage pulled in front of the apothecary, the place that’d kept him safe for nearly two years, an idea began taking shape. “I think you should come inside. We can seek Madam Langley’s advice and develop a plan together.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good—”
“Please,” he beseeched Ashwood. He didn’t want him to suffer alone. “At least for sustenance and a rest before you begin your journey, if that’s what you decide.”
Once he exited the coach, Bellamy held out his hand to assist him from his seat, and when Ashwood reached for it, Bellamy could breathe again. They entered the apothecary together.
Shock registered on the madam’s face the instant she saw them. She was alone at the counter, and two customers were searching the crystals section.
She set aside the mortar and pestle as they approached. “Madam Fairborn told me you’d recovered, but I needed to see it with my own eyes.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, but I—”
“Had important business to attend to,” she said, reaching across the counter to cup his cheek, as if making sure he was indeed all right. “I assume it was taken care of?”
“Yes.” He winced. “For the most part.”
Her assessing gaze swung to Ashwood. “And I suppose we have you to thank for Bellamy’s remarkable recovery?”
His cheeks colored, and a tense smile stretched his lips as he nodded.
“Well, then we owe you a decent meal, at the very least. Join us for dinner? Miss Celestine will be sure to cook something to your lik—”
“I’m afraid we have an urgent matter to discuss with you,” Bellamy interrupted.
“All right,” she said, growing sober. “I’ll need to finish up here. Wait for me upstairs.”
Chapter 19
Ashwood followed Bellamy up the back stairs to where the lads slept and lived, on the same floor where they also entertained gentlemen callers two nights a week. Bellamy could feel the tension rolling off Ashwood’s stiff frame, and just as he was about to offer him some reassurance, there was a squeal and a flurry of movement. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by the twins, Wren and Sparrow, who drew him into a hug while Percy and Charles looked on, apparently having abandoned their game of backgammon in the sitting room.
“We thought you were dead,” Francis said, his eyes wide as if he were seeing a ghost, just as Oscar entered the room behind him, possibly to see what had caused all the excitement.
“I thought so too,” Bellamy said, his heart much lighter now after seeing all their faces—albeit with stunned expressions.
“So you let Ashwood hea—I mean, help you recover?” Oscar caught himself just in time.
“I did.” He glanced at Ashwood, who stood tense in the center of the room. He’d heard so much about them all, he was conceivably trying to make sense of their reactions, as well as his own. “Ashwood will be joining us this evening, as our guest.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Ashwood said, and then he was whisked around the room by Wren, who proceeded to introduce him to everyone. He looked overwhelmed, and Bellamy could understand why. He’d likely never been fawned over before, and that was exactly what they were doing. Ashwood was quite handsome and charming, after all.
“Do you have something to tell us?” Sparrow asked with a gleam in his eye as he looked between him and Ashwood.
“We already know!” Percy said, glancing over his shoulder at Oscar.
Bellamy’s stomach tightened uncomfortably, and he felt Ashwood stiffen at his side. “Oscar, what in the world were you thinking?”
“You know he cannot help gossiping,” Wren said in an amused tone. “Oscar gloated, of course, that he was right—that you and Ashwood are indeed fated!”
Bellamy sagged in relief that Oscar hadn’t betrayed his trust. Not completely. He didn’t tell the lads that Bellamy was a wolf, same as Ashwood. Only that they were fated to be together, something that not only Madam Langley, but also Galen, had become good at detecting.
“Stop crowding them. Clean up your mess. Then tell Miss Celestine we have two more for dinner,” Oscar said as if he were an older sibling instead of the jokester of the group. “We can bombard them with questions later.”
