Chapter 22 #2
“Selene, listen to me.” He grabbed her hand.
“I know what you’re thinking, but you can’t.
This law isn’t a whim or something new. Natalie was aware of the risk, and she accepted it.
Fen made it absolutely clear that the sale of bounty hunter weapons in Avondale was a capital offense.
She could have stopped when the law was passed, she could have moved away, but she chose to stay and continue her work. ”
Natalie had said as much to Selene, but Selene hadn’t understood the finality of that choice.
She was on her feet before she knew she’d decided to stand. “Where did they take her?”
“No.” Marley surged up, wings buzzing again. “You can’t, Selene.”
“The hell I can’t,” she snapped. “Natalie is my friend, and it is my fault she’s been arrested. If I’d been more careful with the dagger she gave me—to protect me—she would still be safe. Still be protecting other people who need her. I won’t let this happen.”
Tim stood and put his hands on Selene’s shoulders.
“Selene. We love you. You must know that. And it’s obvious Fen has fallen hard for you, but I need you to hear me.
When it comes to Fenris Hall, he is the pack leader before anything else.
Even before love. If you confront him, he won’t choose you. You can’t save Natalie.”
As Tim spoke, Selene’s heart turned to glass and shattered.
“He won’t choose you.” Didn’t I have this very thought when Fen left tonight? That there would be times Avondale had to come first.
She could accept that. She couldn’t accept that he would execute Natalie.
“I have to try,” Selene told him. “Please tell me where they’ve taken her.”
It was Marley who answered. “You have a beautiful soul, Selene. You really are one of us. She’ll be at the estate.”
“Marley,” Tim voice was low. “She shouldn’t.”
“You’re right,” Marley replied, his voice snapping. “And it probably won’t do any good, but if Fenris will listen to anyone, it’s Selene. If she wants to try, we should let her. Natalie deserves whatever support we can offer.”
Tim’s mouth flattened, but he inclined his head in agreement.
“How much time do I have?” Selene asked Marley, gratitude spilling through her. “Will she be executed tonight?”
“No,” Marley replied. “There’s a formal process. An announcement will be issued to the paranormal community that documents the crimes and the punishments attached to those crimes. I’d say you have two days. Three at the most. But—”
Selene cut him off, moving toward the front hall. “Then I don’t have any time to waste. Will you stay with Allie?”
“You’re going now?” Tim gasped. “Selene, hold on—”
“I want to go with you!” Allie ran after Selene and grabbed her hand. “I want to help. If Josh hadn’t said anything, Natalie wouldn’t be in trouble.”
Selene turned and pulled Allie into a hug. God, the poor girl had been through so much already. They both had. And look how strong she is, how brave. Emma would be so proud.
“Thank you, sweetheart, but I need to go alone. This is between me and Fen.”
“But I feel bad,” Allie protested. “It’s Natalie. I love her. Mom loved her too.”
“I know. It means a lot that you support me, Allie, and it will to Natalie too,” Selene told her. “Thank you. But it will be easier for me to say what I need to say to Fen if we’re alone. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” Allie answered uneasily. “Please be careful.”
Selene saw fear flash through Allie’s eyes, and she paused to take Allie’s hand.
“I will,” Selene said in a firm voice. “And Allie, Fenris won’t hurt me. Even if I make him furious, he would never do me harm.”
“I know,” Allie replied, blowing out a breath. “And I know that what happened with my dad was his fault, not Fen’s. I just wish it hadn’t happened. I wish none of this was happening. I’m sad and I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.”
“We’re going to do everything we can to help Natalie,” Selene told her. “And we’ll find a way through this. Through everything. I promise.”
Marley fluttered over to Allie, resting a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll stay with our best girl, Allie, and take care of her. Good luck, Selene. Goddess go with you.”
“Thanks.”
As Selene left the room, she noticed Tim and Marley watching her as if she were the one walking to the gallows.
Josh was waiting for Selene at the manor gate. She got out of the car and approached him.
“Allie texted you?”
He nodded, indecision written clearly on his face. “Don’t do this, Ms. Jones. It won’t end well.”
She glared at him. “Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut.”
“I owe Fenris everything,” Josh shot back. “Keeping that secret was a betrayal.”
“And if I don’t try to help Natalie, I’d be betraying my best friend,” she told him. “So where does that leave us?”
Josh bristled. “Natalie knew the law.”
I am so tired of hearing that.
“Are you going to let me in, or do I have to climb the fence?” Selene asked.
Josh stared her down for what was probably ten seconds but felt like forever. Then, with a curse under his breath, he spun and punched a code into the gate control box. The tall iron barrier drew back.
“Thanks,” Selene said, returning to her car. “I guess I’ll tell Allie you’re not such a bad guy after all.”
At the end of the winding drive, the manor loomed, looking more than ever like an impregnable fortress from an age long since passed.
On her first visit to Fen’s estate, Selene hadn’t known what to expect.
It was strange, after all she’d shared with him since that dinner, that once again she couldn’t predict what she would encounter within the foreboding stone walls.
Selene parked her car, climbed out, and marched toward the tall front doors. A movement in her peripheral vision made her slow, then pull up short as a huge wolf stalked out of the shadows. That a creature of its size could move in utter silence was uncanny. She remained still as it approached her.
When Fenris had taken his wolf form, it happened so quickly and amid the chaos of Daniel’s attack that Selene’s picture of what he’d looked like was muddled.
Yet, she didn’t think this was Fen. The size was right, but the color of the wolf that approached her didn’t match what she remembered.
This wolf was jet black, where she thought Fen had been a mix of gray, silver, and light brown. But she couldn’t be sure.
As she tried to plot her next move, a growl at her back made her spin, only to find a second wolf, just as large, approaching from the opposite direction. This wolf was bronze tinged with black, and like the first, it moved without making a sound.
Are all wolves ninjas, or just werewolves?
The wolves stopped a few feet away from her, teeth bared, hackles raised. Had she met them in human form? Were they part of Fenris’s guard?
Even if they knew who she was, it was impossible to mistake their message: You are not welcome here.
Selene knew Fen’s wolves wouldn’t harm her, but her lizard brain, with its survival instincts, screamed at her to get into the car and drive without looking back.
But she couldn’t abandon Natalie. Fen might want her to stay away, but his wolves were a warning, not a threat.
“I need to speak with Fenris.” Her voice came out stronger than she’d expected, and it renewed her resolve. “Please tell him Selene Jones is here.”
The black wolf’s ears flicked as it regarded her while the other wolf stalked closer.
Selene stayed rooted in place. No doubt they could smell her fear, but she refused to balk.
She’d brought nothing silver with her because she wanted to ensure Fen understood she came to reason with him, not to fight.
Not that she’d win a fight. With the wolves closing in, she wondered if leaving any means of defense at home had been a poor decision.
The bronze wolf suddenly stopped, lifted its head, and let loose a long, piercing howl.
Selene yelped and jumped back. The black wolf’s tongue lolled out, and she had the distinct impression it was laughing at her.
So much for maintaining my dignity.
The howl echoed in the night air and then all was quiet again. The wolves positioned themselves between Selene and the front door and sat on their haunches, staring at her but no longer growling. She knew if she took a step forward, she’d see their sharp teeth again.
How long would Fen make her wait? It didn’t seem like him to turn this situation into a standoff, but considering what he planned to do to Natalie, she questioned how well she knew him.
Only a minute or two passed before the front door swung open, revealing the wood sprite, Anu. The wolves stepped to either side of Selene, and when she started toward the door, they walked beside her.
“Ms. Jones,” Anu greeted her. “Fenris will see you in his study. Please follow me.”
“Thank you.”
Selene entered the manor. She expected the wolves to remain outside, but they continued into the house, either escorting or guarding her as she followed Anu.
Guess I’m not to be trusted, Selene thought, her heart sinking. That didn’t bode well for how this meeting with Fenris would proceed.
The manor was even more labyrinthine than she recalled: long hallways, endless doorways, and myriad passages.
She hadn’t gotten so far as to think of launching a rescue for Natalie, but as she took in her surroundings, it was obvious that any such attempt would fail.
She’d never find her way through this place, much less out of it, especially if she was being chased by wolf guards who knew the layout of the manor.
Sorry, Nat. I hope it doesn’t come to that. Because we’re both screwed if it does.
By the time they reached a set of wooden double doors deep within the manor, Selene had no idea how to retrace her steps to the front entrance. The sinking feeling in her stomach had become a bottomless pit.