31. Detained
A s Lord Aldric’s words hung in the air like the threat they were, females began delivering dinner—several platters of roasted meat, one with a full pig on it, smaller ones of vegetables, more of fruit. There were different breads, butter, several jars of jellies, honey, and three kinds of pie. Glasses of water were poured, and bottles of a dark liquid.
Rose was happy for the interruption and used it to study the people pouring in—shirtless males and females wearing simple dresses. The tables were soon crowded, everyone talking around and over each other as they filled their plates. More sat on the floor. The chandelier was lowered and lighted, as well as the wall lamps, dispelling the long and growing shadows.
“Eat.” Lord Aldric reached for some of the quickly disappearing meat and took a large slice of one of the pies. After a long drink of his beverage, he then filled Rose’s. “You’ll like this,” he told her with a playful wink.
Ignoring the flirting, she filled her plate with fruit, vegetables, and a slice of bread. She set a plate of meat on the floor by Larkin, who lay beside her as the leopard. Two boys sat on the floor several feet away, tossing bits of their food to him. They giggled when he caught it .
As she spread butter and honey on her bread, she asked, “Is this all of your pack?” While she didn’t understand Lord Aldric, she was curious about his people.
“Nay. These are mostly my hunters, patrolmen, officers, and Keep staff. Those that handle the farming or run businesses in the village have homes elsewhere.”
“You are a large pack.”
“Several hundred wolves strong.” Pride filled his voice.
“One of the largest in Neigera,” Tiernan added, pouring more drink for himself. “And the best by far.”
While Rose ate, grateful for fresh food instead of the dried fruits and crackers she’d lived on during the journey, she tried to wrap her head around their words. She supposed that was why King Florian had sent her Prince—because Silvershade was large and posed a legitimate threat a smaller pack would not.
The glances of the pack and the wary way the guards watched made her acutely aware of that threat.
Even if the alpha was currently playing genial host.
Regardless, the tight-knit bonds of a family were obvious. From the children chattering and laughing to the females discussing their males and household chores to the males discussing morning training and patrols, the closeness of this pack was evident.
She was the interloper.
Taking a drink, she was intrigued by the flavor, sweet but with a slight burn she recognized as alcohol. “What is this?”
“Ale,” Lord Aldric answered. “It takes much to get a werewolf drunk, but a glass of that’ll probably do you well.”
She didn’t know him well enough to tell if he was trying to loosen her tongue or being hospitable since his wolves were drinking the same. Eating the last bit of fruit on her plate, she drank water as the wolves indulged in their ale and empty platters were picked up.
At least the interrogation had halted.
“May I retire, Lord Aldric?” she asked, weariness settling in.
“Lady Rose, you are free to come and go as you please. As I said, I hold no grudge against you. You are a guest in my home. If there is anything you need, please let me know.”
Tiernan snorted at that, but Rose pretended not to notice. “Before I go then, can you at least reassure me that everyone . . . detained . . . is alright?”
Lord Aldric sighed, and after a moment where his eyes went distant, said, “They’re fine. A little conked and complaining, but fine.”
Rose cocked her head, wondering how he’d gotten an answer without speaking to anyone. Perhaps he was playing her. If he was, she decided to address it tomorrow.
Taking consolation in the fact that holding her Prince captive was Lord Aldric’s bargaining chip and thus harming him further unlikely, Rose stood. Both males stood as well.
“I will say goodnight then, gentlemen. Thank you for your hospitality.” Giving a short curtsy, she was surprised when Lord Aldric inclined his head.
“I’ve never been called a gentleman,” Tiernan joked as Lord Aldric led Rose toward the stairs, where a male was stationed with arms folded over his chest, face impassive.
“Lady Rose, this is Cedric. He will take you to your room.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cedric,” Rose said to the big blonde, who grunted and then started up, clearly expecting her to follow. Not taking offense, Rose held open her arms for Larkin, now a housecat, to jump up and be carried. His watchful eyes took in everything as they climbed .
In her room, called the Sapphire Suite by the female who’d prepared it, she found a beautiful sitting area with blue cushioned furniture in a light wood. A settee flanked by two small chairs with a low table set before them was positioned in front of a large fireplace. A low fire burned there, shedding warmth and light.
Across the room, a tapestry hung on the wall, a large tree full of bluebirds with a flowery border. A writing desk sat near the window hung with pretty blue velvet draperies and a ruched valance.
Through a large archway was the bedroom. The large blue canopied bed on the far wall dominated the space. Rose was pleased to see that all her trunks were at the foot of that bed. Two little tables sat at the head, candles in silver stands lit atop them. A deep blue rug with pointy silver stars adorned the floor before another fireplace on the left, where another low fire burned. Near was the commode, tucked behind a large blue standing screen. A step away was a wooden bathtub next to the washbasin and a table where towels sat folded.
On the wall opposite was another window with those same beautiful draperies. A large silver mirror hung close, near the wardrobe and dressing table. A blue tapestry of a wood-lined brook and wildlife graced the wall facing the bed, next to the archway. There was a low bench there.
Everything was warm and inviting in a way that had never been for her.
It filled her with guilt.
Larkin stretched at the foot of the bed while Rose made use of the toilet. She then opened the first trunk for a nightdress. Instead of her things, she found Prince Adrian’s. Missing him, she knelt and picked up the first thing her hands found, a light shirt, and pressed it to her face, inhaling the spicy scent imbued in the fabric .
Fighting tears as she breathed in the smell, she felt incredibly lacking and ill-prepared. One wrong move could make things so much worse, not only for herself and her Prince but the kingdom as well.
The fact that the wolves were considering war was terrifying. She wanted to trust them because Lord Aldric had been kind to her, even generous, but that could have been a facade. Though she felt he’d been candid, honest and truthful in what he’d said, she didn’t want to be duped. Too many times she’d seen others use deceit to win someone over and then show their true nature once they got what they wanted.
She did not want to be a pawn. The wolves’ loathing of the monarchy was well apparent.
Even now, though she was told she was a guest, Cedric guarded her door. Though Rose understood, it made her feel trapped. She’d been questioned as if she had something to hide. It all left a bitter taste on her tongue.
But she couldn’t fault Lord Aldric. She didn’t resent him, even if part of her wanted to.
Stuck in the middle, she was also conflicted, confused, and unsure of herself.
After putting her Prince’s shirt away, Rose closed the trunk and walked to the window. Pushing aside one of the curtains, she stared into the night. The forest surrounding them was dark, the trees inky black on their dark side. Where the moonlight struck them, there was a silverish tint to the foliage which reminded Rose of the tattoos the members of this pack were branded with. The males’, she’d noticed, were large and very apparent. The females’ were smaller—she’d noted the one who’d set up her room had one on the inside of her forearm.
Larkin came to jump into her arms, and she stroked him as he purred to comfort her. She kissed his orange head and smiled as he rubbed his cheek on hers and kneaded the arm that held him with gentle claws .
She was tired, so incredibly tired after the week-long journey and stresses of the day that felt forever long. The bed called to her, but even after she finally crawled into it, Larkin curling beside her as the leopard she adored, sleep eluded her. Her head throbbed with the ever-present ache, only made worse by the thoughts and worries buzzing like angry bees.
When she dreamed, it was of rats eating her Prince in the dark.
In the cell with Timothy and his guard, Adrian fumed. He fucking hurt. He was healing quickly, as vampires always did, but his face throbbed. That dumbass, cocksucking werewolf had broken his damn nose. And his cuts stung. The slash across his chest—he couldn’t even remember how he’d gotten that—burned his entire chest like fire.
And the sight of that mongrel dog kissing his Rose repeated in his head. It was just her hand, but it infuriated him. Clenching his fists, which sent a painful ache up his arms, he vowed that if that mutt touched her in any inappropriate way, he’d castrate him and then shove the balls down his throat.
Rose could take care of herself; she’d done so for years against masters just as vile as Aldric, if not worse. The werewolf’s quarrel wasn’t with her anyway, but the crown. He seemed taken with her, from what Adrian had seen, and while that grated, it also reassured.
But if they found out who she was to him, they could use her against him. Even stupid dogs would surely notice she was the only female in his entourage .
He had to believe she’d be okay because his situation was much more pressing. The cell he was in was too secure to break out. The door was thick iron bolted to the wall, the bars spaced too close to slip through. The stones were packed tight with no way to dig out, and they’d found none loose. There was a window, but it was high and tiny.
And all his threats fell on deaf ears.
“Any thoughts, Timothy?”
“I’m sorry to say no, sir. I see no way out. We’ve not even got anything to pick the lock.”
The wolves had stripped them of their armor, weapons, and even their clothing. They were down to their cotton underwear. It was damn degrading and a good thing most of his group were vampires and not as affected by the cold of their stone surroundings. The humans were all shivering in their skivvies, even with being allowed the beds, as there were two thin bedding rolls in each cell. There were no blankets.
He absently wondered how Rose had survived so long in worse circumstances.
At least there weren’t any vermin.
“I’m thinking on it, sir,” Timothy went on. “Right now, I’ve got nothing, but I’m watching. There are four guards, two at each door, and they’ve not yet changed.”
“Keep watching. All of you keep watching. We need to get out of here.”
“Miss Rose is out there,” Evan said. “She was smart enough not to get herself locked in here. She’ll figure something.”
“Regardless, we need a plan.”
Normally, Larkin would aid him in such situations, but he knew his pet was still with Rose. Something was up with that, but he didn’t know what. As with Lord Aldric’s favor of her, that reassured Adrian as well as irked.
If his friend were with him, he would find a way to steal the key .
But Adrian couldn’t think like that. He needed to rely on himself.
The wolves currently had the upper hand, but it would not remain that way.
And once the tide turned, he’d make them pay.