Page 17

Chapter Seventeen

W e spilled into the warm, cozy kitchen, teapot steaming, cat curled up on the chair next to the stove then pushed down the hall, too many people for the narrow space.

When we burst into my father’s study, he was leaning on the mantle, book in hand. It was on werewolves. How fitting.

“What’s this?” he asked with his customary calm.

“We caught him with Delphi.” Bram said, looking thunderous.

Penn shoved him. “That’s not why we’re here. We need the first aid kit. Delphi’s been shot.”

My father dropped the book to the floor with a thud as he stared at Cross in consternation and then his eyes met mine, and there was a world of emotion I couldn’t read, welling in those dark eyes.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, clinging to Cross and the blanket.

“According to my research, a werewolf will survive a bullet to the heart, unless it’s silver,” my dad said in a clear voice then turned to look at the gun on the desk, and the silver bullets spilled out over the gleaming mahogany surface.

I inhaled sharply, which pulled on my wound. “Are you going to shoot me again?”

“No,” Cross answered for him, then nodded at Penn. “The first aid kit, if you’d be so kind. Your father wouldn’t be so foolish as to attempt to injure someone the lord heir of the night court has declared under his personal protection.”

Bram muttered, “Is that what you call what you were doing in the barn?”

“Is she? Under your protection?” my father asked, ignoring Bram.

Penn snorted and headed across the room for the cabinet underneath his books on Elven lore. “Delphi’s bleeding out, so let’s talk about who’s protecting her? That’s ironic. Dad, you should clear off your desk so Cross can put her on it. Bram, go get a soft blanket for her, and a pillow. If mom finds out you guys were arguing while Delphi’s bleeding, she’ll kill everyone.”

That seemed to be the motivation they needed. My mother could be terrifying, and my father wouldn’t ever want to disappoint her. Also, he probably didn’t really want to kill his only daughter. He cleared off the desk, sweeping everything into drawers in a mess he’d have to be meticulous about later while Bram disappeared and returned shortly with a blanket he arranged.

Cross tightened his hold on me for a moment before he lowered me to the desk and then pulled down the blanket so he could see the damage.

“You got her in the heart,” Penn said, sounding horrified. “Are you sure she’s not going to die?”

“Penn, go get some boiling water,” my dad said and then rolled up his sleeves and went to his healing elixirs cabinet.

I closed my eyes, because the strain of not knowing whether or not my father was going to shoot me again had taken all my energy.

“That’s right, relax Delphinia,” Cross said, putting a large hand on my head while his other trailed lines of healing magic over my skin.

I think I passed out, because the next thing I knew, I was being tucked into my bed by a pale and exhausted-looking Cross.

I frowned at him and touched his forehead. “You’re pretty even looking like a bloodless corpse.”

He smiled slightly and raised my hand to his lips. “That’s my line. Rest, Delphinia.”

“Only if you do.”

“I intend to.”

“In the barn with an itchy blanket?” I shook my head and patted my bed. “We were already caught in a compromising position in the barn. Our bed is made. Now we must lie in it.”

He frowned at me and then I tugged on him hard enough that he sat on the bed, looking confused how that had happened. I pulled him all the way down and linked my arm over his shoulder and spooned against his back.

“Now I can rest knowing that if my dad tries to shoot me with a silver bullet, you’ll block it,” I said, closing my eyes.

“Why didn’t you say you wanted me to block a bullet in the first place? I can definitely do that unconscious. I’m afraid that my healing talents are much more scant than my killing talents. One of these days you’re going to have me do something I’m good at.”

“Blocking bullets? Playing suitor? Researching werewolf law?”

“Mm. I am also very good at buying yarn.”

I smiled and let the scent of him, flowers, and moonlight, lull me into a sense of safety and contentment.

I woke up the next morning with birds singing, the sun shining, and everything right with the world. Cross was sitting up, careful not to wake me.

“Good morning,” I said.

He froze and cautiously turned to look at me, studying my skin tone and eyes. “Good morning.”

I sat up and pulled the blanket up so I would stay covered. “You look nervous.”

“Mm. I slept defenseless in your father’s house. That bodes ill.”

“Does it? Why?”

He sighed heavily. “I waved my title around like an arrogant idiot.”

“Ah, an elf thing I’m too normal to understand. We’re going home today. Don’t worry about whatever subtle meanings you may have communicated with my father. He’s married to a gnome. He’ll let it go.”

“Mm.”

He gave me a slight bow and then left the room, closing the door behind me so I could have some privacy, or so he could have some privacy. I shouldn’t have made him sleep with me, but I’d been too tired and out of it to think clearly. I got dressed in some nice jeans and a pretty blouse with lace around the collar, and packed up. I was still moving slow, probably because of the blood loss. It took time even for a werewolf to regenerate.

I grabbed my suitcase and went out into the hall, having to step over vines that spread over the hallway, hanging from the ceiling all around my door. Hm. Looks like my dad had grown a protective barrier to keep out my mother. That was interesting. And worrisome. What did that mean to my elf father?

Hopefully, we could leave before I found out. I went downstairs, put my suitcase against the wall, and headed for the kitchen. I opened the door to the scent of onions and something bloody that my gnomish mother would never cook. Liver? My mouth watered, and I took a step closer to the stove.

“Good morning,” my mother said cheerfully, hefting the cast-iron skillet and swinging it towards the table. She dumped the grayish slivers of meat and onions onto a plate and beamed at me. “Sit down and eat. I’ve got some giblets as well, marinating on the stove in bone broth. It’s supposed to be very nourishing.”

I walked to the table and sat down, feeling numb and weird. My mother definitely knew I was a werewolf. “You know.”

“Of course. Also, your father did blood work on you, and you aren’t contagious. I was so irritated when he insisted on waiting for the test results before he let me see you. After he shot you! Poor dear.” She ruffled my hair with her gentle fingers. Like I was still her daughter.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stabbed the liver, glancing up at her for permission.

“Go on. You’re still too pale, but for being shot in the heart, you look wonderful. There are definitely some advantages to being a werewolf. And how nice that your elf doesn’t mind.”

I licked my lips. “He’s not really my elf.”

She smiled at me. “Of course. Eat your breakfast.”

That ‘of course,’ told me everything I needed to know about her thoughts on the matter. To her mind, Cross was my elf, and we were as good as married. Insisting that we weren’t would do absolutely no good. So I ate my breakfast, and it was exactly what my wolf craved and never got. I wanted to whine and wag my tail at my new favorite person. I should be baking cookies and camouflaging my scent, but I’d do that later. After we got back to town.

I ate more than I ever had in my life, and finally, I stood up. “Thanks, mom. I really can’t eat any more.”

She pulled me into a hug, coming up to my chin and squeezed me tight. “My poor dear girl. The next time disaster strikes, you tell me. You don’t run away and hide from your family. Understood?”

I squeezed her back. “Thanks, mom. But I’ve done all right on my own.”

“Hmph. Well, I suppose so, but you would have done better with our support. I could have been sending you care packages that you could actually eat.”

“Mom, I can still eat cookies.”

Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Of course. I can eat anything a gnome, elf, or a wolf can eat.”

“Still, I should have known better.”

“Delphinia,” my father called from the doorway. “Could you please join us in the study?”

My mother patted my shoulder. “That’s right. He wanted to speak to you before you left. He’s been having a long discussion with your elf. Probably wants to tell you the details, your dowry, his settlement, that sort of thing. Run along.”

I stared at her and then turned to run towards the study. I was going to grab Cross and then get out of there as fast as possible.

“For honor’s sake, you must marry my daughter,” my father said to Cross, like it was the obvious solution to a problem.

I stopped abruptly in the door to stare at my dad in horror. “Beg your pardon?”

“He must marry you for your honor,” he explained, like that was an explanation that actually explained anything.

I sputtered. “We weren’t even together, not like that! Even if we had been, this isn’t the medieval ages.”

My father smiled slightly. “But he is an elf. Things must be done the right way.” He turned to Cross. “For the sake of your name, your house, she will be your honorable bride.”

Cross shook his head. “I won’t force her to accept a title that I’ve personally abandoned. You know my blood, my nature, but I have no ties to that family. I left that behind long ago.”

“And my daughter? Do you not care if her honor is besmirched?”

I snorted. “I’m a werewolf, dad. Whatever honor I had died when I was infected. Stop. Cross is my protector. That’s enough. More than enough.”

He shot me a look and then turned to Cross, looking extremely confident. Cross didn’t. He looked more irritated than anything. “You will marry my daughter.”

Cross’s eyes were hard. “I will never allow you to force her to accept someone she merely tolerates after you push her into that vulnerable position. I expected better from you.” Cross’s voice was cold, icy, absolute.

My father cocked his head. “You won’t allow me? You sound like a lord.”

“Never. If that’s what you’re looking for, connections to a house, you are absolutely mistaken in me. I have no house, no people, no family.”

“On the contrary,” my dad said levelly. “You are now permanently connected to me and my family through my daughter.” He turned to me. “Do you not understand what a protector is, Delphinia? You are his vassal if he doesn’t make you his equal, his bride, his mate.”

I pointed a finger at my father while anger grew in my chest. “If he doesn’t make me? You’re the one trying to trick someone into marrying me, dad. I get that now you realize that I’m a werewolf, and that reduces the pool of gentlemen willing to take your daughter off your hands, but you can’t dump me on Cross, just because he agreed to help me find the monster who turned me in the first place. We’re working together. That’s all. We aren’t compatible long-term.”

“No? Why not? And don’t tell me why he doesn’t want to be with you. You tell me why you wouldn’t want to marry the handsome senator who doesn’t shrink away from you, even knowing what you are. Tell me, Delphinia. What do you have against him?”

I stared at my father while tears stung my eyes. I didn’t want to tell him, but the truth was already out. I raised my chin. “Honestly, I hate him. I don’t want to marry someone who can do whatever is necessary no matter how much it hurts someone. He’s the one who kept me alive while I was transitioning. He tortured me every day to keep me alive. He’s a pretty elf, but I still hate him.”

“Do you? And that’s why you held him while you kept him in your bed?” my father asked with a slight tilt of his head. He smiled suddenly. “Very well. If you hate him, I will not push the matter.”

I stared at him, suspicious of his sudden acceptance of things. “Thank you.”

“Thank you. He wouldn’t tell me what your reservations were, but now they are very clear. He kept you alive when his nature is to kill those who threaten peace. He is your protector, and you owe him your life. It is appropriate that you are his vassal until you have repaid your debt.”

I stared at him and wanted to beat my head against something. “Okay. Well, it’s been so good to see everyone. We’ve really got to get going so we can make it home before dark.” I gave my dad a delicate hug that he returned with surprising strength.

He kissed my hair and then whispered, “I am sorry that I shot you.”

See? Even my dad could apologize for shooting me. Was I going to cry? I pressed my trembling lips together and pulled back to smile at him. “No problem. It was a very good shot.”

“I was trying to hit your spine and your heart, but I didn’t get both. That is good, or you wouldn’t have been able to run, and someone probably would have cut off your head.” He frowned suddenly and sank into the nearest chair, a wingback near a bookshelf. “That took years off my life, Delphinia.”

“What were you doing with a gun at Bram’s wedding, anyway?”

“I saw some tracks earlier in the week. I suppose it must have been you.”

I exchanged glances with Cross and then patted his shoulder. “Could you show me these tracks?”

He sighed heavily. “No. I erased them since I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“Of course you did. Who wants to worry about monsters when there’s a wedding to plan?” I gave him another hug and then grabbed Cross’s hand and pulled him to the door. “Well, we’ve got to get going. I love you!”

I turned into the hall and then stopped when my way was blocked by Bram. He looked from me to Cross and then grabbed me in a hug and squeezed me tight, holding me for a long time. His neck was right there where I could rip it out if I wanted to, and he’d let me. I smiled and squeezed him back.

He wheezed and put me back down. “Werewolf strength, huh?”

“Next time, we’ll have to wrestle. And I won’t hold back.” I grinned at him while he smiled back at me. Then I was surrounded by Fen, Hook, and Penn.

“You’re really a werewolf? How did you survive transitioning?” Hook asked, interested in the theory of it.

“We’ve got to go,” I said, laughing, making my way down the hall. My mother came out of the kitchen, and then it was a real crowd. She’d brought with her containers of food, so much food to help me heal and strengthen my wolf.

Everyone was there, even my dad, on the porch, waving and laughing while we got into the lovely black car and drove away.

I frowned as I turned to look back at my family. “He let it go too easily.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. No one’s going to force you to marry me.”

I glanced at him, taking in the perfect proportions, the strength and grace. “Yes, well, that’s a relief.”

He flashed me a smile. “And your family knows what you are, but loves you anyway. Yes, it’s a relief.”

I wanted to rest my head on his shoulder and tangle our hands together. Instead, I sank into my seat and watched my childhood world go by.