Chapter 34
“ M ore apples are coming! Sorry for the wait!” Lucy promised those waiting in the long queue as she manned the toffee apple stall. Rosie and Emerson had left to get the extras stored in the Manor’s kitchen but were taking a little longer than she’d hoped. Those in the queue were grumbling a little, and she hated to disappoint the kids waiting most of all. Staving off a yawn, she noticed the moon was almost full overhead. The day of the binding would soon be upon them. She only hoped her element would return by then.
“Please feel free to pop over to another stall while you wait,” she added. “The hot dog with relish or the vegan burgers at the end of the lane will knock your socks off!”
A few petered off, while others loitered close by. Lucy couldn’t believe how quickly they were running out of stock; clearly the new layout of the festival was working. Mrs Lark had also reported that the carousel had already made back the money they’d spent on the renovations.
“Lucinda! Please come quick,” Mr Rodriguez bellowed, making his way through the crowd.
“Take a breath. What’s wrong?” Lucy asked as he rested his hand on the rather rickety candy-striped stall and dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. The queue, waiting for their overwhelmingly sweet apples, eyed him in bewilderment.
“Rosie and P-Professor Hughes…” he stammered, motioning for her to follow. “Come now!”
Before she could ask any questions, he was already down the lane. Lucy followed close behind, trying not to bump into anyone on the way.
“If you’d tell me what has happened—” She was interrupted by a shout and a loud growl. There was a crowd gathered in the square; something had clearly drawn their attention other than the festival antics. Lucy shoved her way through to see Rosie and Emerson standing by the white gazebo surrounded by a group of four visitors she didn’t recognise. It wasn’t unusual for new people to come to town for the festival, but the way they were standing made it look like someone was about to start chanting “Fight!”.
“Filthy traitor. He’s a member of the Order. We had to come and see it with our own eyes,” spat one of the men, in a rather worn shirt and jeans. The two other males nodded along. Behind them, a woman in a grey dress looked like she’d rather be anywhere but there.
Wolves, Lucy realised, missing Rosie’s reply. She stood protectively in front of Emerson, who spoke up next.
“There are families around. We should go our separate ways and enjoy the festival,” he said.
The smallest male’s eyes flashed amber. “Are you giving us orders? I should rip your throat out for even speaking to us!” Stepping forward, he knocked the tray of apples from Emerson’s arms. Thankfully, he didn’t react other than to take Rosie’s arm. Hopefully she wouldn’t go feral; her claws were extended.
Lucy couldn’t believe no one had intervened yet; thank goodness Mr Rodriguez had informed her before the confrontation got out of hand. Even the band performing on the gazebo were peering down and over at the crowd.
A glimmer of silver shone in Emerson’s waistband. Is that a gun? Lucy’s eyes must be playing tricks on her – there were enough fairy lights littered around town to make her head spin. It could have just been a reflection.
The way he removed his hand from the inside of his jacket when she stepped forward had her thinking otherwise. She clapped her hands, and all eyes fell on her.
“Everyone, please return to what you were doing! There is so much to experience, and only two hours left before the stalls and shops close up for the night.” She kept her voice calm and level, but with an edge of authority that told them to move the hell on and there was nothing to see here. While the crowd dispersed and the group of troublemakers turned to each other, clearly trying to figure out who was ruining their show, Lucy stepped up beside Rosie.
“Retract the claws,” she ordered, not wanting her friend to get in trouble. Committing violence at the festival in front of magless and visitors would carry a harsh punishment.
Rosie, lost in her wolf rage, growled at her before realising who she was.
“What’s going on?” Lucy asked, calmly and clearly. The group of wolves glared at her, but she kept her attention on Rosie and Emerson.
“We were coming back to the stall when this lot came out of the house of horrors and wouldn’t let us pass,” Emerson explained while Rosie kept her attention on the group.
“Emerson, take Rosie back to the manor and get the remaining trays for the stall. Our customers are waiting,” Lucy commanded, refusing to give the group of wolves any attention.
“Lucy, I’m not leaving—”
“Now, Rosie.” She was speaking not as her friend, but as the future leader of Foxford.
Emerson took Rosie’s hand. Touching a wolf on the brink of changing was dangerous, but Rosie visibly relaxed. The crowd parted to let them through.
“They aren’t going anywhere,” the head of the group growled.
“Yes, they are,” Lucy replied coolly. “As are you. I suggest you return to the woods or enjoy the rest of the night. I highly recommend the Punch and Judy show at the theatre.”
“Are you giving us orders now? Are you protecting this traitor and him?” The werewolf squared up to her, but she couldn’t imagine he’d do anything. There was no way Alpha Beline would allow them to cause trouble in town.
Lucy let out a long sigh. “Yes, I am. Allow me to introduce myself: Lucinda Hawthorne.” She extended her hand and the wolf sneered at her. “Does your alpha know that you’ve come here to cause such a disturbance? Mr Hughes is a guest of this sanctuary, and thus under the coven’s protection. Rosie is a resident who has long cut ties with your pack. You are welcome here, just as they are. However, I won’t allow any threat of violence during the festival that many in this town have worked so hard on.”
“A Hawthorne? Do you think a name is going to intimidate us?”
A crowd was gathering again, and she didn’t want any human casualties if tempers got out of hand. “No, I wouldn’t want to intimidate anyone. The Hawthornes have been serving the pack as healers for generations. I only hope that the respect goes both ways,” she said, refusing to raise her voice. She wanted to diffuse the situation, not make it worse, and she didn’t like the odds of four against one.
“This isn’t about the pack or your family. How can you stomach the sight of an Order member in your town – and with one of our kind? We can’t accept it,” the wolf said, standing a little too close for her liking. “What has Foxford come to? Why should we respect you or your rules when you don’t even respect yourself?”
Lucy noted his claws, extended at his sides. She took a step back, getting out from his reach. To her outrage, he tried to follow, and the other members of the group started to circle her. How fucking dare they challenge me? She remembered what they had done to Benedict and the manor a few weeks back, and wondered if Alpha Beline was losing her grip on her pack.
“Why don’t we all just cool down?” she snarled, and before she could stop herself, the water from the dunk tank opposite them leapt out of the tank and onto the confronting group.
Lucy froze, completely overtaken by her element. Her body shivered as she felt the cool stream of magic rush through her veins. Benedict had been right when he’d said it would reappear… but that wasn’t exactly how she’d wanted to manage the situation. She winced as the drenched troublemakers growled at her, but the remaining onlookers dissolved into laughter. Well, that’s one way to break the tension.
The wolf tried to take a swipe at her, but to Lucy’s surprise the woman in the grey dress got between them and blocked the blow.
“Enough. We should go. You’ve had too much to drink, and Hawthorne is right. Beline won’t be happy about this. The eldest Hawthorne just helped little Maisie – you’ve no right to draw your claws on her!”
Lucy wondered if she was the true leader of the group, as they fell in behind her, huffing and muttering to each other, egos bruised and metaphorical tails tucked.
“Excuse my brother; we were merely shocked to see Rosie after so many years, and we weren’t expecting her to keep– such company,” the woman said, tipping her head respectfully to Lucy.
“No harm done. Sorry about giving your brothers a bath. We can all get a bit carried away,” Lucy said, relieved.
“Don’t worry, they could use one.” They had a small laugh, much to the irritation of the other wolves. “We’ll leave now, but I hope you can be discreet about what has happened.”
She doesn’t want the story to get back to Beline. “We all make mistakes. A lot of people saw what just happened, so I can’t promise word won’t get back to her. However, it won’t come from me,” Lucy promised impulsively. She hoped that a bit of mercy and forgiveness would help ensure such events wouldn’t happen again. “I understand you live by your own laws in the woods, but when your kin ventures into town, I hope they abide by our laws. For everyone’s safety.”
“You have my word.”
“That’s all I can ask for.”
“We will leave you now. Please send our regards to Grams, and let her know that Maisie is doing much better.”
“I will.” Lucy watched them leave. There was still a trace of aggression or rebellion in the first wolf’s eyes, but she was glad that his sister had been able to bring them to their senses. So close to the full moon, it was amazing that everyone had managed to get through the altercation without a scratch.
She smiled politely at the people staring at her as she turned to head back to the toffee apple stall. She was sure the coven would learn about the altercation before the night was out, but given that no one had been injured and their relationship with the pack remained intact, there wasn’t much else she could have done.