Page 19 of Master Wolf

Francis’s expression twisted and his scent was distressed. “You do not know what love is!”

When Duncan went to speak again, Francis held up a shaking hand and the man fell silent again, though his eyes burned.

At length, Francis lowered his hand and after a brief silence, it seemed that Duncan had regained the power to speak.

“So, tell me, Eunuch,” he said. “What do you have planned for me now? What are we going to do in this cosy little farmhouse? Have you finally grown some balls? Are you going to kill me?”

Francis eyed him quietly for several moments, then he said bleakly. “No. I don’t plan to kill you. I will keep you here with me for a while, then release you. As I always do.”

Duncan’s upper lip curled. Drew realised that he considered Francis a weakling, and that it shamed him to be unable to overcome Francis’s power over him.

“Is that all?” Duncan said, his voice bored.

Francis’s expression hardened, and he said bitterly, “And then I will order you out of my sight so I don’t have to evenlookat you anymore. Or hear you, or smell you, or even remember you exist.”

Duncan’s scent shifted abruptly, and the force of the emotion behind it struck Drew viscerally.Pain.

It was so bone-deep, so acute, that Drew might almost have felt sorry for him, but just as quickly, the momentary vulnerability was gone, replaced by a surge of angry frustration and a desire tohurtso strong, Drew felt sickened.

He glanced at Francis and could see from his expression he had sensed all that too.

“You cannot mean to release him,” Drew said, his voice incredulous. “We could rid the world of him here and now.”

But Francis only shook his head.

Drew made an inarticulate noise of disbelief. The thought of Duncan unleashing that vile rage was horrible.

“For God’s sake, Francis,” he said. “Think. You’ve said yourself he will never let you or Lindsay be. He probably only pursues Lindsay so that you will come running after him. Neither you nor Lindsay will be free of him until he is dead. We could end this now.Today.”

“Oh come now, you underestimate Lindsay’s charms,” Duncan interrupted in an amused voice. “I don’tonlypursue Lindsay for the Eunuch’s sake. He really is exceedingly enticing in chains on his knees.”

“Shut up!” Francis snapped, without looking at Duncan. The big man did as he was bid, though this time he appeared pleased—possibly because he was getting a reaction from Francis. Attention from the master he both despised and longed for.

Francis turned back to Drew and his expression was distraught, his scent pure misery. “I’m sorry, but I cannot agree. It would be murder. A mortal sin.”

Drew glared at him. “You would not need to be part of it,” he said. “I would do it.”

“But Iwouldneed to be part of it,” Francis said, distressed. “I would have to use my influence over Duncan to keep him from killing you. It’s too much, Drew—I cannot do it.”

“You sound as though you love me still, Master Eunuch,” Duncan interjected, his tone mocking. Drew ignored him, keeping his pleading gaze fixed on Francis.

“Just think,” he said urgently. “How will you feel if he ever gets hold of Lindsay again? You’ll blame yourself, Francis, I know you will. What would you rather be responsible for? Lindsay’s suffering in the future or this one’s death now?”

“I love Lindsay dearly,” Francis told Drew. “And I would do anything in my power to protect him. But this?” He swallowed hard. “This is not within my power, Drew.”

“But—”

“I made vows once,” Francis, his voice driven. “It was a long time ago, before I was transformed, and much has changed since then. But those vows still matter to me. I cannot break them and I do not want to.”

Drew glared, angry now. “Thenyouare the slave here,” he hissed. “Not him.” he gestured angrily at Duncan.

Francis said nothing, though his scent was sour with grief and painful misery.

As for Duncan, he chuckled delightedly. “Do you know,” he said, studying Drew. “Despite the fact you want to kill me, I rather like you. You have balls. Don’t you agree, Eunuch?”

“Be quiet!” Francis exclaimed, and this time his voice throbbed with a note of frustrated compulsion that made Duncan’s mouth fully close and his sneering smile die on his lips. “I don’t want to hear your voiceanymore!” Francis went on, every syllable imbued with disgust. “Bad enough that I have to sit here and look at you.”

Duncan’s scent shifted again, the same way as before. Grief, then a flash of anger that simmered down to a pulsing resentful misery tinged with impossible yearning.