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Lycaon raised a brow, his lips curved at one side as his gaze rested on me.
Luke joked, “Come on then, I’m taking you there now. This tension is turning me on. I’ve got stuff to do!”
ADARA
Luke transported us about a quarter of a mile from Ellsworth Hall. An imposing Georgian manor set in acres of manicured grounds and fortunately for us, surrounded by trees.
Four stone Palladiums marked the entrance, the building was lined with stone balustrades, and large rectangular windows. But we needed to find a less grand entrance, the servant’s door.
Luke had told me that Adara meant noble, so this council was possibly some type of hierarchy order for the witches. Hakon had hinted that Mattie was involved in some shady dealings.We’d whisked up a masking spell to conceal our presence, with the help of Luke, but whether that would work against such a powerful coven, we’d soon find out.
Wide-eyed, Lycaon scanned the area before us. Lifting his chin he sniffed the air.The day was slowly fading, the shadows elongated, like bony fingers clawing on the grass.It was almost dusk, which we needed. Although trees adorned the grounds, they were small, fruit trees mostly, plum, apple, pear and scattered far apart, which meant dashing from one to another. With the amount of windows from the manor overlooking the grounds, it was highly likely we’d be spotted.
“We’ll wait here a little longer.” A smile danced on his lips. “What can we do for thirty minutes until darkness comes?” He nudged me. “I’m only kidding.”
Bobbing his head to look past the tree, he continued, “Mostly. I’m kind of kidding. What are you hoping to find there?”
He stood inches from me. For a moment I forgot why I was here, consumed in his scent. His t-shirt stretched outlining every muscle over his hard sculpted body. Placing his huge hand next to me, his arm almost blocking the view, I breathed him in. He blinked rapidly, rolling his lips to hide his grin.
I leaned into him. As I did his hands wrapped lightly over my cheeks, bending to meet my lips, firm, demanding.
Gulping, I moved back.“Everyone tells me to be careful with you. Your feral nature. The big bad wolf. You’re not going to eat me, are you?”
He breathed a laugh, his eyes resting on my face then slowly surveying my body. Heat swirled through me.
Leaning closer, his voice barely a whisper, “Not in the way you’re referring to. No. You should be careful, but I won’t harm you.” His gaze averted past me. “The wolf, the beast… Doubtful. But it’s a wild animal, Elsa, and I only have so much control. I can promise you this,” he pinned me again with his stare, “I will do my best by you. So ...” he nodded towards the manor.
“Good to know, I appreciate your honesty.”
He dropped his shoulders, glancing up through his hair which fell over his face. “If, as a wolf I’m hunting or feeding, you’d best stay far away. I don’t think it would harm you. Then again, it’s primal.”
I nodded. “In the manor, I want to find something to help. A council who are seeking to put Loren’s soul to rest, to help Zale.” I twisted around, scanning the space between us and the hall. “Somehow I doubt that’s what we’ll find.”
“Well, yeah. Most supernatural species are amoral. Intent on gaining power and harming, slaughtering others. Conor spoke well of the few vamps he knew, most are just fangs on feet. Screwing and bleeding whoever they come into contact with. And leaving a trail of death. Not that I can speak. I’ve killed humans, hell Elsa, I eat them. But in the main, only the evil ones.”
In the main?
His magic, his spell suddenly lessened and my mouth ran off without engaging my brain. “Is that what you tell yourself? I’ve never killed a mortal. Or an immortal. But if I had to, I guess I would. I don’t know.”
Lycaon leaned into me, his hair touching my face, hot breath making me tremble. “You won’t have to. I’ll do it for you. I told you, I’m here for you.” He edged back. “If that’s too much, you should let me know.”
As he scanned the place before us, the night wrapping slowly around us, I caught his eye. “Maybe it is too much, but I can’t turn this off. I think about you. I’m the witch, yet you’ve bewitched me.”
Again he tried to withhold a smile. “Same here Elsa.” He moved back. “I’d better stand over here, before I ravish you. I can’t concentrate.” He avoided eye contact.
I swallowed repeatedly, trying to get my breath back. “Well, whatever happens, we’re going to walk into the lion’s den. Hopefully we’ll meet a better fate than Loren and Zale…”
With dusk wrapping around us, we ran from tree to tree, moving closer to the house.The sound of tyres on gravel had us stop, peering around the trees.
Limousines, Bentleys, Rolls Royce’s were a few I could identify. Porters were on hand to open car doors. The people who stepped out were dressed in black suits and cloaks, hoods covering their heads. As a few glanced around, I saw they wore oval shaped mirrored masks. I glanced at the number plates which I saw had been removed.
Neither of us spoke. If they were witches, which judging by Mattie’s invitation I guessed they had to be, they’d hear us however quietly we whispered.
As they headed inside the manor, a break in the guest line, we headed for the back of the building. Lycaon sniffed the air, nodded, picking up scents and noises that were inaudible to me. He pulled me with him behind another tree. I slammed into his body, he bent down, his lips on mine.
For the moment I forgot everything. The cool night breeze wrapped around us, the shadow of the trees concealing us and his scent, his kiss consumed my mind, my body.
“We’ll be ok. I got this. But whatever you hope to find, that’s on you. I can track, break-in, and escape in ways you can’t imagine. I haven’t exactly always toed the legal line, Elsa.”
