Page 74 of Master Wolf
Marguerite’s sudden, sharp anxiety flooded the air. “Yes, you must go,” she said grimly. “I will follow with Wynne and Alys in the carriage.” She glanced at Wynne, who was grey with fatigue and appeared quite dazed.
Drew nodded. “Try to come as soon as you can. I can’t imagine what we will find when we get there, I—” He broke off, then added. “Whatever Lindsay says, he needs us.”
Marguerite nodded gravely.
Leaving his clothes where they lay, and without another word, Drew stalked out of the kitchen, quite naked, and made his way out of the house, stepping out into a cold, dark world. The waning moon lingered behind a veil of clouds. There were no stars to be seen. It was a profoundly dark night.
Drew walked down the steps to the driveway and dropped to his hands and knees. That was all he needed to do to summon forth his anxious wolf. The frantic beast rushed to the surface, overtaking his human self.
And then he was running.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Drew pickedup Duncan’s scent before he even reached Albany Street, and the closer he got, the stronger it became. He had no doubt as he raced towards the townhouse, heart pounding painfully, that Duncan had got there before him. The question was, how long before? And was he still there?
He decided to go in through the back of the house to evade detection, disdaining the front door in favour of careering around the corner onto the lane that led to the rear gardens. After pausing for a few moments to regain his breath, he ran and leapt at the six-foot wall that took him over into one of the neighbouring gardens, scrabbling his way over the top and landing hard on the other side. There were two more walls to scale after that, each one seeming a foot higher than the last. Finally though, he dropped down into Lindsay’s garden, landing in a heap in the middle of the herb garden. He lay there for a few moments, the scents of rosemary and lavender and thyme teasing his nostrils, making him lift his head and shake his dazedness away.
Time to shift back.
Once again, the shift came amazingly easily. Drew’s wolf surrendered Drew’s body back to him without its usual grudging resistance. For once, they were aligned, of one mind and intention.
When it was done and he was in human form again, he rose to his feet, swaying briefly as he adjusted back to his body. Once he felt steadier, he made his way to the kitchen door. There was no light from the window next to the door and no sounds of any servants in there. Drew tried the door handle and was unsurprised to find it locked, but it didn’t matter—the window had been left very slightly open, enough for him to get in. Stepping up onto the window ledge, Drew insinuated his fingers inside the gap, yanking the lower sash upwards. The metal catch on the rail twisted and broke, splintering the rail. Wincing at the noise, Drew lifted the lower sash and slid through the resulting gap before gently lowering it behind him.
In the kitchen, everything was neat and put away, no fire in the grate. There hadn’t been anyone here for an hour or two by the look of things—the servants must have left early. Had Lindsay dismissed them?
Drew stood in the middle of the kitchen, listening intently and scenting the air. He could make out Duncan’s scent, faint but quite definite. He was here—or had been. Drew’s heart raced as hard as if he was running at full pelt, but now it was with pure fear for Lindsay. The knowledge that Lindsay would do anything rather than be in Duncan’s power for another moment petrified him.
He stood, unmoving, and listened intently but the house was as quiet as it was dark. Had Duncan already been and gone? Taken Lindsay with him?
Crossing the kitchen floor, Drew opened the door as carefully as possibly, flinching at every creak, and made his way out into the corridor that led to the front of the house. With every step, Duncan’s scent grew stronger. Soon Drew found himself in the hallway just beyond the front door. He could tell that this was where Duncan had arrived—and his scent led upstairs.
It was just then, as Drew set his foot on the first step, that he heard it. Laughter. If you could call that harsh bark laughter. Then another voice, low and angry. Not raised, not yet.
There was someone here. More than one someone.
Drew crept quickly up the stairs, listening and scenting all the while. Duncan’s scent was strong now. And so was the sickness scent Drew hated.
The voices—still low—were coming from Lindsay’s bedchamber and as Drew moved swiftly and silently down the corridor, he began to make out words.
“—Wolfsbane. It kills the—” That was Lindsay, a note of challenge in his voice. He sounded as though he was relishing every word.
Duncan spoke next, his tone scornful. “What are you talking about, cur? You can’t kill your wolf.”
“Yes, you can. If you take the Wolfsbane slowly, it severs the bonds. It’s taken me two years, but I’ve done it,” Lindsay said triumphantly. “My wolf is gone and with it my bond to you. You can’t make me obey you ever again.”
Drew was almost at the door now, but he stilled at those words.
My wolf is gone.
He felt the truth of that declaration like a sword through his heart, and his wolf keened within him, inconsolable. Desperately, he reached out with his every wolf sense, searching for some sign of Lindsay’s wolf, but there was none.
The Wolfsbane had finally done its work then. Lindsay was free. Which meant Drew was too.
After all this time, he should feel some sense of liberty filling him, but instead he felt only horror and grief. The truth was, it didn’t matter what happened to the bond. Even if Lindsay’s wolf was gone forever, Drew’s heart still beat for Lindsay and his soul still yearned for him. He realised now, that was never going to change.
“Kneel,” Duncan said, his voice low and dangerous. The order thrummed with a power that Drew could feel even from where he stood on the other side of the door, but Lindsay only laughed, a wild harsh sound.
“Kneel, you fucking cur!” Duncan roared.