Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ROSAMUND
“Wait!” I shout. One of them grabs me, and I struggle in his hold. “You can’t do that!”
“Let her go! You fucking cunts.” Valen is fighting the three men pulling him out of the tub, his eyes going to wolf, his teeth lengthening. “Release her!”
Why is he pleading for me and not himself?
“Did he break into your room?” Stepfather asks, hands clasped at his back, as if he’s inquiring about the weather. “Or did you invite him inside?”
“I… He didn’t. I was—”
“Princess,” Valen barks. “Don’t say anything to compromise yourself. Let it go.”
I shoot him a bewildered look. “But—”
“Take me,” he says, and suddenly stops fighting. “Do what you will with me. Don’t touch her.”
“Valen,” I whisper, “no.”
“I can take it.” He’s looking at me. “For you, I will.”
“No. We’re not barbarians. This is ridiculous!” I turn to Stepfather. “This isn’t his fault.”
“How interesting.” Stepfather’s eyes narrow. “Is it yours, then? Let’s have you both lashed.”
“You can’t do that!” I start struggling anew. “I’m the lady of this house.”
“Are you, now? You think you have any power here? A little too late to assert yourself, huh, daughter? You spent your life coddled and hidden away—”
“Coddled?” I all but spit at him. “I was never coddled by you.”
He sniffs and turns his back on us. “Lock them both up.”
“But my lord,” one of his manservants objects, “he’ll kill her if we lock them up together, eat her—”
“Not my problem. She wants to be near him? Let him have her for dinner.”
We have no dungeons, as this is a stately manor and not a fort, or I’m sure we would have ended up there. Instead, we are shut inside a small storeroom downstairs. Crates are piled at the back, leaving us precious little space behind the door to stand or sit.
Someone has thrown Valen his pants and a shirt, so the werewolf is dressed once again. So terribly thoughtful of them to consider dignity and propriety after grabbing us and throwing us into this hole like criminals.
Standing there, in the dimness broken only by the light slipping under the door, I remember Della’s words and bow my head. She was right. I should have been more careful. I hadn’t thought Stepfather had people watching me.
But honestly, how could I have foreseen this? I’ve lived here all my life, and despite all the terrible things that happened long ago, being locked up and threatened with a lashing, after having goons set on me trying to kill me, just wasn’t in the cards, or so I had thought.
“What is Stepfather playing at?” I press my back to the wall by the door and pat the sheathed knife, hidden in the folds of my skirt. “He doesn’t want me to reach my future husband. He’s trying to have me killed. He’s humiliating me. Why? Why is he doing this?”
“You should sit and preserve your energy,” Valen says, doing as he says, sliding down to sit on the floor.
“What is he doing? What…?” I shake my head, frustrated. “Has something changed? He married me off for his own interests, and now…”
“You are the heir of this House. While you live, his own daughter can’t inherit anything.”
I shoot him a sharp look. “I’m leaving to get married. I’ll be abandoning my rights, as per the laws of the plains, when I take my bonding vows. And nothing has changed.”
“As far as you know.” I can make out his outline, limned in faint light, the pale hair, the glint of his eyes. “It does feel like a desperate move.”
“It makes no sense,” I insist and sigh. “We have to get out of here.”
“Shall I break the lock?”
“Can you?” I pull out my knife and insert it into the lock, wiggling it around. “I’m pretty sure they bolted it from the outside, too.” After a while, I sheathe my knife again. “Dammit.”
“Princess, with your permission,” he growls, “the moment they open the door, I’ll break us out of the manor. I can take the lashing, I can take just about anything, but you cannot be harmed.”
I scoff. “Just because he said I’m coddled… You shouldn’t believe him. I can take pain—”
“I know you can. But not on my watch.”
I stare at him sitting there, unbound, untethered.
Dressed in plain dark pants and a soaked, white shirt that clings to his powerful torso, with his wet hair falling in his eyes, he looks so…
human. A muscular, handsome hireling inside my home, gazing up at me through pale lashes, not a deadly creature brought here for my demise.
“Why are you acting like this?” I demand, a different sort of fear gripping me. “Like… like you’d give your life for me. You don’t know me, and since you entered my home, we have all treated you worse than we treat our dogs.”
“Lucky dogs.”
“Seriously, Valen. I—”
“Say it again,” he rasps.
“What?”
“My name. You’ve never said it before. I like hearing it from your lips.”
I stare at him. “What are you…?”
“Indulge me.”
I sigh. “Valen.”
He smirks, letting his head fall back against the crumbling plaster. “Yeah. Like that.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Definitely. Barking mad.” He chuckles, a deep, pleasant sound. “I just can’t fucking grasp how the hell I got myself pining over a celibate maiden.”
“Don’t mock me.”
“Does it look like I am mocking you?” He frowns. “I’m not the type. Listen—”
I shake my head. “No. That won’t work. I don’t know you.”
“Well, it’s a challenge, and I’m always up for one. Hells, that’s why I… Fuck.” He jumps to his feet with fluid grace, his tall body filling the small space, and gestures imperiously. “Stand behind me. Someone is coming.”
“Again, no.” I clench my fists and remain beside him. “If you’re thinking about killing anyone, think again. I’ve grown up with these people.”
“So you’re willing to die at their hands?” he snaps.
Good point, and yet… “No killing. No hurting people. Got it?”
“At your command,” he drawls, “Princess. You want to die? Be my guest.”
Huffing, I brace myself as Stepfather opens the door and stands there, gazing at me, his face so familiar, I almost believe he’s here to recant his earlier decision.
“Let me out of here,” I bite out. “Let both of us out. I want—”
“You’re not going anywhere just yet.”
“Why are you doing this?” I need to know. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow anyway. I received the message about the reception. I’m all packed and ready to go. I’ll be out of your hair permanently—”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
I take a step back and flinch when I brush against Valen. “You sent those men to kill me, didn’t you? For some reason, you want me dead. Why? Up until recently, you were all too happy to see me go.”
He watches me, his gaze narrowed. “I thought Lord Eorl and I had a deal.”
“And don’t you?”
“Your adorable future husband has decided to ask for a dowry.”
“So what? It’s still worth it for you to—”
“He wants the manor.”
I frown. “I don’t believe it. He wouldn’t suddenly change the terms.”
“And yet. He sent me gold to pay off my debts, as per our initial agreement, but now he demands this manor and the estates if he is to take you off my hands. I’ve already given my word in front of witnesses to marry you off to him. Can’t rescind it.”
My hands clench in the skirt of my wet dress. “And that’s why you decided to kill me.”
“Once you’re gone, I’ll send word that a wolf got you. Such a tragic, poetic ending. I’ll have the bard compose a song about it.” He waves a hand as if dismissing the matter. “The contract will be annulled. And he can’t take back what he has already given.”
A low growl emanates from Valen. Heat radiates off his tall body, distracting, but not enough to drive the chill settling in my bones at my stepfather’s words.
“How much gold did he end up giving you?” I ask, hating how my voice shakes. I hadn’t realized a transaction had already occurred over me. “How large were your debts? My Gods, what did you do?”
He gives a low laugh. “Already justifying him. How sweet. A pity you’ll never meet him.”
“He will punish you. You’re playing with fire,” I whisper. “You… you loved my mother. Let me go.” My heart sinks at the coldness in his eyes. “Let’s make a deal.”
“What deal could you ever hope to offer me?” Stepfather sneers.
“Your usefulness has been spent.” He taps a finger against his lips.
“I am a genius. I admit I didn’t have a clean plan in my mind at first. When I asked Lord Sinen to capture a wolf for me, I only wanted to scare you, but then… then I realized the potential.”
“You could have killed me in my sleep,” I say. “What use did you have for this travesty?”
“Lord Eorl is making alliances with the dark fae. Making one of the wolves my slave and having his future wife killed by the beast will send a powerful message to him… and to the dark fae.”
Valen snorts. “Your slave. You’re funny, old man. Even funnier that you think the wolves will care about this farce.”
“What do you want?” I demand. “What do you really want?”
“I want more.” Stepfather’s eyes gleam with excitement.
“I’ll destroy Lord Eorl and get his lands and his subjects.
I’ll make alliances of my own, and I’ll extend my sphere of influence all the way to the Palace.
Trade deals, commissions. I’ll have a battalion of werewolves at my disposal. They’ll make me powerful.”
“You’re insane,” Valen breathes. “You and what army?” He sniffs. “Fuck, you’re drunk. Permanently drunk, I’d wager.”
“Your only concern,” I say, glaring at my stepfather, “is your gambling games. I doubt you’ll go against Lord Eorl. You only want to keep the manor and continue making a profit.”
“So what? Your disdain stings those who care,” he says coldly.
“Not me. I’ll keep the manor, and I’ll find a way to destroy your sweet Lord Eorl.
I’ll do what is best for me, and I’ll enjoy your suffering.
” He arches his brows. “For your information, I never loved your mother. I only married her for her lands. And the only reason I didn’t kick you out long ago or end your life, insufferable brat that you are, was this marriage that was supposed to benefit me.
But now there is nothing left to save you. ”
I gulp. “Stepfather—”
“No.” A manic gleam enters his eyes. “Lord Eorl thinks he controls me? Me, Lord Liam of Nihan’s Creek? I’ll show him who’s the master here.” He raps on the door. “Take them.”
“Where are we going?” I whisper.
“The hall, where everyone can watch. I will pit you against one another, for a laugh. Everyone will witness the wolf killing you.”
“Valen won’t hurt me,” I whisper, my throat tight.
“Valerian,” Stepfather says, “is a full-blooded werewolf. And he will have good reason to kill you, I promise you that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I did promise you a magical sword to fight the werewolf with. And I keep my promises.”