Page 10 of Master Wolf

“How do you know who they are?”

Marguerite reached into her reticule and pulled out something small and glinting, offering it to Drew. “They wear one of these.”

He stretched out his hand and she dropped the item onto his palm. It was a signet ring, the gold old and very yellow. He examined it. The flat surface of the ring contained a crest. Three birds’ heads. Ravens. He had seen the design before, on a seal his uncle had kept on his desk and used for his letters. He remembered being a small boy and watching his uncle push the seal into the hot red wax, the birds’ heads standing out sharply afterwards. His uncle hadn’t owned one of these rings though.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, peering at the engraving which was worn smooth at the edges with age.

“It was Cruikshank’s,” Marguerite replied. “Francis took it from his hand the night he died. He knew it might be useful one day.”

Drew glanced up sharply, then returned his gaze to the ring briefly before silently handing it back to her. She replaced it in her reticule.

“So,” Drew said slowly. “You have two purposes in Edinburgh. Firstly, securing the skeleton if you can, and secondly, keeping your eyes open for any members of the Order, in the hope they will lead you to Alys?”

“I have three purposes,” Marguerite corrected. “I also need to discover what is going on with Lindsay. Why he is in Edinburgh and what has happened to weaken him so.” She paused, then added, “So. Will you join me? Will you help me, Drew?”

Drew sighed. He felt as though he had no choice—and he hated feeling that way—but no protest escaped his stiff lips.

“All right,” he muttered. “I will help you.”

“Good. We leave tomorrow.”

Chapter Three

Warm lips whisperedover Drew’s throat, rousing him from sleep.

Even with his eyelids closed, he knew the owner of that teasing mouth. Knew by his sweet rainwater scent.

“Lindsay?” Drew murmured.

Lindsay, my love.

He did not say those words aloud though. Instead, he opened his eyes.

The drapes were open and soft sunlight streamed into the bedchamber, illuminating a thousand tiny dust motes and kissing Lindsay’s dark, downbent head while he trailed kisses along Drew’s collarbone.

“Lindsay,” Drew whispered again, and this time he got a soft chuckle in response before Lindsay lifted his head, revealing achingly familiar brown eyes that gleamed with humour and affection.

Drew’s heart clenched, seized by a sudden joy that was almost painful. He reached out, intending to thread his fingers into the long, dark tresses that tumbled over Lindsay’s shoulders…

…only to bolt upright with a harsh gasp, his hand clutching at the empty air.

Lindsay had vanished, along with the dust motes and the warm morning sunbeams. There was no sunshine today. It was a cold, wet October morning in London and he hadn’t seen Lindsay Somerville for twelve years.

But he would be seeing him very soon—he and Marguerite were leaving London that very afternoon.

He didn’t know he felt about that. His wolf was beside itself with joy, but his human self was anxious. These last twelve years without Lindsay had not been easy, but recently he’d finally begun to feel like he had gained some kind of control over his wolf. Was he risking undoing that by returning to Edinburgh with Marguerite?

After breakfast, Drew called in at his office. He sat down with Albert for two hours, leaving him with a long list of instructions to carry out, then returned home to finish packing and await Marguerite.

When Marguerite’s coach arrived, he left his things on the street for the coachmen to load up and climbed inside.

“Is that all you have?” Marguerite asked, poking her head out of the window and looking down her nose at his paltry collection of luggage.

“Why would I need more?”

“We could be away for some time.”

“It can’t take all that long,” Drew replied, opening the door and climbing in. “We’ve only to buy a skeleton and see who else turns up to see it.” He didn’t mention Lindsay.