Mathias falls in love with his daughter's governess.
______________
The Wolf’s Kiss
Hungary
1901
Mathias
I was nervous, apprehensive, yet a part of me was hopeful as my eyes looked out the window to find the carriage making its way up the dirt road to my ancestral estate. A woman was coming to the castle – a woman who I hoped would take the position of governess to my four-year-old daughter, Emily.
I stood up from behind my desk, walked to the window, and stared at the coach. I sent my finest to fetch her from the train station in Fonyód proper. Dark clouds blew in from the north over Lake Balaton. My estates bordered the lake, and on a clear day, you could see for miles. My eyes narrowed. My skin grew unseasonably cool. Even now, I felt lonely despite the fact I would have company soon.
The carriage stopped in front of the castle steps and I watched my footman help the woman out. My heart grew light. She was as beautiful as before. Her long tawny hair fell down past her shoulders, and her sensitive, sweet hazel eyes made my heart skip a beat. She smiled at the footman, an offer of thanks for his help, and my lips curled into a jealous snarl. I wanted that smile reserved for my presence only. Still, I had no right to ask for it, beast that I was. Quickly, I raced to the mirror next to the bookshelf in my study and ran a hand through my thick hair, tussling the curls into shape. I straightened the lapel of suit and smiled, not too broadly, afraid to disclose my unnatural teeth.
There was a knock on the door.
“Enter.” I clasped my hands behind my back hiding my nervousness from her.
She walked into my study, bringing her bright light, my valet, Lazlo, at her side.
“Count Mathias Duma, Miss Katherine Douglas,” Lazlo announced.
Humbled, I bowed before her, almost afraid to look into her mesmerizing eyes. “Miss Douglas.”
She lifted her skirt, delivering her curtsey with a natural grace I knew she possessed. “Count Duma.”
My eyes cut to Lazlo. “You may leave.”
He nodded his head and promptly did as I commanded. Katherine looked apprehensive.
“When we’re together, you may call me Mathias.”
“Isn’t that a breach of protocol?” she asked. She stood next to the door, unsure of her surroundings and I knew I had to put her at ease.
“Perhaps, but I’m not so strict here in the country,” I replied.
I spied the hint of a smile tease her tender lips. “I noticed. Shouldn’t I have curtseyed to you first?”
I felt my cheeks redden. “Like I said, I’m not much for protocol in the country. May I call you Kate?”
Finally that smile I wanted peeked out from her lips. “My friends call me Kate, but you can call me Katherine – Mathias.”
“I’m not your friend?”
“Not yet. You have to earn my friendship. Besides, if I am to be a governess to your daughter, we should have some formalities between us.”
“I see – Katherine.”
“You know, you’re not quite what I expected you to be,” she said.
I motioned for her to sit on the couch and I took the chair across from her. “What were you expecting? An old man with gray hair?”
“With yellow teeth and balding,” she added, smiling. “It was a grim picture, I assure you, so I apologize. You’re nothing of the sort.”
I chuckled. “Oh, that is a dismal picture. Would you like some refreshment? Some tea perhaps?”
“Do you have water?”
“I do.” Without hesitation, I went to the bar near the window and poured a glass of water from a chilled pitcher. As I presented it to her, her hand rested against mine, sending tingles throughout my limb. I paused, elated by her incidental touch. There was no fear in it, only kindness.
“Do I know you, Mathias?”
“Perhaps.”
“So…we’ve met before? I mean,
your eyes – I know them.”
“Three months ago at Lord Archibald’s ball,” I replied.
“Lord Archibald’s masquerade ball,” she corrected.
“I was the pilgrim you danced with.”
I saw her cheeks blush as she suddenly jerked her hand from mine, clutching her glass. Both of us were aware of the brief, yet sweet kiss our mouths shared that night. It was a kiss that I hoped would offer me salvation. She didn’t fear me or shun me, but instead welcomed the trespass I took that night. Even now I could see in her eyes that our kiss was a pleasant memory for her.
“Ah, well, I see. And, ah, when do I get to meet Emily?”
I sat down, smiling at her. She needed time. This discovery was unexpected to her. “I’ll call for her shortly.”
“Why me?” she asked abruptly. “What happened to Emily’s mother? Why do you need a governess?”
I clasped my hands in front of me, saddened by the thought of Elizabeth. “Two years ago we were riding in a carriage, coming from Fonyód and we were attacked by a pack of wolves. They killed my wife, leaving me barely alive. Her loss was devastating to me.”
“I’m sorry, Mathias,” she replied. She reached out and put her hand over my mine, squeezing tight. Again, I was happy for her touch.
“So, ah, how did you come to know Lord Archibald?” she continued.
“We went to school together in Paris.”
“He spoke very highly of you. He said you were a man of principal, who had done a lot to help the people of Lake Balaton.”
“And did he tell you anything else?”
“He said you were also moody and brooding,” she replied. “But I find you kind and welcoming.”
I smiled at that. “Whatever you need for Emily don’t hesitate to ask. If I have to send to Budapest for it, I will. I want my daughter to receive a proper upbringing.”
“Thank you, Mathias.”
“And whatever you need, ask. I will grant what I can within reason.”
“Within reason? What do you think I’m going to ask for?” She sounded surprised.
“To leave.” I stood up abruptly and shoved my hands into my pockets.
“And I reserve the right to leave if I want. I’m in a strange country with a strange man I hardly know,” she replied.
Her reply felt like a silver arrow piercing my flesh, but I knew if I did not give her the choice to leave, she would grow to resent me, and I didn’t think I could bear it. I turned away, sulking.
“Mathias.” Her voice sounded demanding.
“I will refuse you nothing,” I finally said.
It grew still. Then I felt her hand touch my elbow as she stepped out from behind me. “Thank you.”
“I’ll have Emily sent for,” I said, shrugging away from her. She said nothing, only watching with her sweet eyes as I left the room to find my daughter.
Katherine
After meeting Emily, who by the way was a precocious four-year-old, I was escorted to my room by one of the maids, Claudia. When I opened the door, I discovered my luggage waiting neatly on my bed, ready to be unpacked. Claudia dived into them.
“Where do ya’ want these, Miss?” she asked, picking up some undergarments.
“I can unpack myself, Claudia.”
“My Lord insisted I help. He appointed me your personal maid and all,” she said.
I smiled at her. What hadn’t Mathias thought of? “Well, can you run me a spot of bathwater and I’ll unpack?”
“Yes, ma’m,” she replied. Claudia ran off to the adjacent room
and began my bath.
I walked to the window and peered out past the curtains. My room overlooked Lake Balaton. I could see where there was a lush flower garden from the estate which led to the shore and to the left, there was a vineyard. I wondered if they were on Mathias’s land as well.
Mathias. How handsome he was! He was tall and lean, with a full head of curly hair and a clever smile. His eyes sparkled when they looked at me. How could they not! I remembered his kiss all too well from the masquerade ball. His lips were so sweet, reverent even. I prayed I’d get a chance to meet him after the party, but when everyone had unmasked he was gone. I thought I’d never see him again, so I was very surprised to discover he’d been the enigmatic count who had asked my guardian, Lord Archibald, if I would be willing to go to Hungary to be a governess. Mind you, I had my reservations, but I also hoped it would be a way to explore the world freely and uninhibited by the protocols of society. Well, I was still willing to follow protocols, I didn’t want to embarrass Lord Archibald after all, but I had a feeling being with Mathias and his daughter would give me the delicious option to explore my world without being nagged and harped at.
I turned away from the window and began to unpacked. How sad Mathias was – how brooding. I could tell the loss of his wife had shaken him. He seemed a very lonely man desperate for company. Well, if I could bring him a little companionship, I didn’t mind, not one bit. He needed someone.
I finished unpacking and took a bath before joining Mathias and his daughter for dinner.
**********
“Emily, come here.”
Emily ran away from the shore of the lake and joined me back in the garden. “I just wanted to see the fish.”
I smiled at her. “Well, after our picnic, we’ll walk along the shore.”
“Yay!”
“Is this a good spot for our picnic?” I asked. We were in the garden next to the rose bushes.
“The best,” Emily said.
I motioned for her to help me lay out the blanket and unpack the food. We had ham sandwiches, apples, and bottled water. Emily laid her items out before her and we began to eat. Emily shared her father’s curly hair, but she probably had her mother’s eyes. They were a deep gray-blue, unlike Mathias, who had green eyes.
I had been in Hungary now for close to three weeks and I was having a marvelous time. The weather was much like that in England’s summer, and everyone was pleasant. Emily loved learning, and I feared I couldn’t keep up with her thirst for knowledge. Just yesterday we went into town and picked out some books at the local library which were appropriate for her.
“Daddy!” She looked up at the castle and waved. My eyes drifted in her direction and I discovered Mathias on his balcony, waving back at his daughter.
Mathias. He’d been so kind since my arrival. Every night we’d share the dinner meal together and discuss Emily’s day. He loved his daughter very much, yet in the evenings he would retire to his study, almost abruptly, and I never saw him again until the next morning. It was as if he wanted to keep a painful affliction from me.
“It’s a nice day for a picnic,” he yelled.
“Join us, Daddy!”
I watched as Mathias left the balcony and then exited the servant’s doors. I enjoyed his company; he was clever, charming, and very sweet, and I feared my affection for him was growing faster than I could handle it. Mind you, no man ever made me feel like I was the only woman in the room – not like him. Every time he looked at me with those smoldering malachite eyes of his, I could barely keep my head.
“Good day, Katherine, Emily,” he said, as he approached.
I bit my lip. He wore only a white shirt, tucked neatly into his brown pants. Mathias also wore a pair of riding boots, as if he were preparing for a ride on his horse. The shirt tapered down neatly to his wrists and the top button was unfastened, revealing a hint of the broad chest underneath. He looked like a male Adonis in that moment with his dark, exotic looks. I wanted to faint, but I knew I had to try and keep my head.
“Good day, Mathias,” I said, coolly.
He sat down next to Emily and smiled. “Is there enough for me, Sweetpea?”
She broke her sandwich in half and gave it to him.
“Thank you.” His eyes cut to me. “How you are two enjoying your day?”
“It’s nice,” I replied.
He smiled at me and bit into his sandwich.
“Were you going riding?”
“Yes, I have to meet someone in town. I won’t be long,” he replied.
He peeked my curiosity. Meeting people didn’t seem like it was something he was fond of doing. He kept to himself mostly. Then I wondered if he was meeting a woman. I grimaced at the appalling thought.
“Why the frown, Katherine?” he asked.
“Ah, I just felt a chill from the lake,” I replied.
Emily finished her sandwich and washed it down with some water. “Now can I go look at the fish?”
“Yes, but stay within eyesight,” I replied. I was still eating my meal.
Mathias chuckled as he watched Emily ran down to the shore.
“Do you have a lesson planned for this afternoon?” He wiped his lips with a napkin as he finished his meal.
“I wanted to go through the garden and show her the different flowers and how to pick them out.”
“I think she’ll enjoy it very much.” He smiled and began picking up our mess.
I liked it when he smiled, but he never seemed to give a full, broad one. He kept his lips close together, hardly opening them. I was tempted to kiss him, just so I could see if he would let me discover what he was hiding. He looked at me awkwardly and I realized I’d been staring at him.
“Katherine,” he finally said, “the next couple of days I’ll in and out on business. There’s a good chance you won’t see me.”
I nodded my head.
He leaned to the left bracing himself with his hand on the blanket, studying me. His shirt casually fell across his chest and I spied a deep scar at the base of his neck, almost on his shoulder. It looked almost knotted in some places where the healing had been difficult.
“Mathias, your bruise looks painful.”
“I’m used to it.”
I reached out, wanting to touch him, hoping to sooth whatever it was that had brought him such pain, but just as my fingers caressed his injury, his hand lunged out and grabbed my wrist.
“Don’t touch me.”
I froze. His face was lined with embarrassment and fear, yet he seemed to be pleading with his eyes for me to touch him.
“Mathias, I only want to comfort you,” I said, not daring to jerk my hand away.
Our eyes faced off; my heart thumped in my chest. I didn’t want to make him mad. He released his grip slowly, allowing my fingers to caress his knotted skin. He flinched almost involuntary, as if it had been an eternity since someone touched him there.
“Do you find it ugly?” he asked.
“No, I don’t.” My fingers danced over the uneven flesh lightly. My heart went out to him. This wasn’t the only scar he’d received that fateful night.
“Do you find me unattractive?”
“No, you’re very handsome. Don’t let that night haunt you,” I replied compassionately.
Mathias leaned forward and his lips claimed mine with the same intensity I saw burning in his eyes. Fierce, yet sweet, his kiss totally disoriented me. His lips were incrediably firm and I gave way to his desires, realizing they were mine as well.
I felt his arms slide under mine, his hands bracing my elbows. Our mouths continued to caress each other, tasting, tempting, teasing, forcing my senses to revel in the bliss of his kiss. It took every bit of my self control to break away from Mathias’s hungry lips.
His mouth trembled beside my cheek and he cupped my face with the palm of his hand. His breath was rapid, yet shallow. Mathias slowly ran his fingers alongside my face into the tresses of my hair.
“I want you,” he said huskily.
“Do you think its wise Emily finds us like this?” I asked. I was completely shocked by his bold admission of passion.
It broke the spell. Mathias slowly withdrew from me. His want, his longing, his need was so intense; I thought I’d faint. Now, I’d never had a season in London. After all, I was only the ward of Lord Archibald and the best I could hope was a governess position, but I never thought a man like Mathias, wealthy and established, would want such a wayward soul like me.
“No, I suppose it’s not, Katherine,” he paused. “When I return, I want to spend more time with you if you’ll allow it.”
“I’d like that.”
He smiled his little smile that I’d grown accustomed to, and I rubbed his chin with his thumb, high on the sweet kiss I’d just shared with him.
Mathias
That night I tried to hide my secret from Katherine. I left the castle before the sun set and went to the gatehouse near my vineyard. I waited with trepidation and fear for the moon to rise and when it did, I became a wolf.
The next morning I awoke in the middle of my vineyard, naked, curled up in a fetal position next to the merlot vines. My head throbbed, my body ached. I hated my condition, my reward for surviving the wolf attack that took my wife’s life. I got to my feet and stumbled to the gatehouse. Thankfully the vineyard had always been private during the night and the dusk of morning. When I got there, Resa was waiting for me.
She met me at the door and helped me to the bed.
“Drink this,” she said. She put the warm liquid to my lips. I greedily allowed it down my throat and it brought relief to my aches and pains. Then she got up and dipped a washrag into a basin of wolfsbane and buckthorn, taking care to gently wash my cuts and scraps. Once she attended to my physical needs, she covered me up in a blanket.
“How was last night? Do you remember it?” she asked. Resa sat in a chair next to the couch.
“I don’t remember much. I attacked a wild pig, I believe.”
“Good. It’s not smart to attack the estate’s livestock. Someone will know. Do you want me to stay today?”
“No. Come back tonight.”
She nodded her head and stood up. I left the usual payment for her services on the kitchen table. She retrieved it and left.
Oh, how could Kate live with my condition and me? Was it fair to even ask her? A part of me wanted to send her away to keep her safe and the other part wanted to embrace her; show her my country and freely give her my love – and I did love her. I was hesitant to say the words though. My love was not something pure, contorted by the beast within. Oh, I had loved her from the moment I saw her at Lord Archibald’s ball. Dare I trust her with my horrible secret? I closed my eyes and balled my fists in frustration. Should I trust my heart or my head? Would Kate even want me knowing the beast I was? I did not know what to do.
Katherine
The past month was incredible. Mathias gave me a tour of his vineyard and I learned just how vast his estates were. We went to Fonyód proper on several occasions to eat, even taking Emily with us, and for the first time in my life I finally felt like I was a vital, important member of a family.
Mathias was a patron of the local museum and he owned a cotton mill that employed a fair amount of people. The citizens of Fonyód thought very highly of him. His kindness seemed unlimited and every time he looked at me with his fiery malachite eyes, I felt myself falling deeper and deeper in love with him.
That night however, I found him in the garden overlooking the lake at twilight. His face was wrinkled with such concern, I wondered what was bothering him.
I walked up beside him and put my hand on his arm, looking up into his troubled face.
“What’s wrong my moody, handsome Count?” I asked.
“I have to go away again for a couple of days,” he replied. The starlight cast deep shadows over the contours of his chiseled features.
“Business?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you look so troubled?” I walked in front of him and pressed my hands against his firm chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist.
“It’s complicated.”
“I’ll miss you, Mathias.”
He put his hands on my arms and looked down into my eyes. “Katherine, I―”
“Kate.”
He smiled that sweet little smile I loved. “Kate―”
“I love you, Mathias.”
His lips claimed mine, fiercely - possessively. I felt like I was the only woman in the world. Our lips mated in a searing dance of passion and when he ran his tongue over my lips, I eagerly accepted him. Our tongues slid over each other. I couldn’t fight it anymore. I didn’t want to. I was in love with Mathias and I wanted to let him know it with every fiber of my being.
His lips trailed down my neck, nipping at my flesh. “Kate, sweet Kate…” he whispered.
I felt his hand cup my breast over the bodice of my dress. It was the first time he’d been so bold, and I let him. I was so hungry for his touch. I craved him like a sweat treat.
He dropped his head to the valley between my breasts and began to kiss my tender flesh.
“Oh, Mathias…”
My head spun, my knees grew wobbly. I thread my fingers through the curls of his hair, my heart thumping in my chest.
Mathias’s mouth trailed teasing kisses down my neck and he began to suckle my skin. I was lost in the swirling sensations of bliss.
Suddenly he jerked away. I opened my eyes only to discover blood dripping off long incisor teeth. He looked startled himself and I realized that he’d lost control in his own sensations, as I had lost mine.
“Kate…” he choked.
I felt blood trickle past my collarbone. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my neck. “I’m so sorry, Kate. I was…I…”
“It doesn’t hurt, I’m fine, I am.” I said, trying to reassure him. He looked terrified. His lips trembled. His nostrils distended, and his brow grew wide.
“I hurt you,” he said.
“We got carried away.”
Mathias backed up, shaking. I lunged out, grabbing his hand and squeezed to let him know it didn’t matter to me. “Mathias, please don’t leave. I know you feel bad, but―”
His eyes cut to the moon and my eyes followed. It was just a sliver away from being full. In that moment, I’d never seen him look so feral as the moonlight crested over the hills and valleys of his face. His malachite eyes bordered on peridot. His teeth were sharp. His hair was wild and untamed. He looked like I beast, but I knew his heart and I wasn’t scared.
“Mathias―”
He turned around and ran away. I dropped to my knees, cradling my head in my hands. What was wrong with my kind, handsome Count? Why did he look like that? Was it the moon? Didn’t he love me, too? Was he so distraught he couldn’t face me? I wept bitterly, unsure what would happen next.
Mathias
I ran to the gatehouse and unleashed all my pent up anxieties by throwing the chairs of the table at the mantle. I loved Kate! But how could I make love to her when my desires, left unchecked, would only maim her tender flesh? I wasn’t worthy of her love. Collapsing, I fell to the floor and cried.
The day was a blur. I was hungry, angry, thirsty, and in love. I wanted to take Kate to my bed and make her mine completely; I wanted to ask her to marry me, but how could I? I was a beast who would ruin her; I was convinced of it.
That night I saw the full moon crest over the horizon and the blood in my body raced. Bathed in the moonlight, my limbs grew, hair extended over my body. My nose became long and snout-like. My hearing sharpened and my eyes allowed me to see clearly in the dark. I had one thing on my mind – Kate. But first I had to feed the insatiable hunger that consumed my wolverine body. I went to the livery to feed. Unlike others of my kind, I refused to eat the meat of a human. I would never eat it – not after Elizabeth’s death.
Recklessly, I broke the wooden fence by smashing my body into it. The pigs squealed. The chickens clucked loudly. I bit down on my prey. It howled in pain. A shot rang out, then another. I felt a sharp sting in my leg, and realizing I’d been shot, let go of the pig and scampered away.
*******
I remember feeling the sun on my face. I was in the woods near the livery and I heard rustling noises close.
“My Lord!”
“Bring him inside!”
I was too feeble to protest. My servants found me naked, lying face down on the ground. One of them took off his pants and Lazlo brought me inside. I shivered and convulsed from the aches and pains in my body. Hopefully Kate and Emily would not see me like this.
“What do you need, My Lord?” asked Lazlo.
“Bring me Resa Lemac. She sells herbs and medicines. She’ll be at the gatehouse in the vineyard.”
Lazlo nodded to my footman, Talon, to have it done and brought me to my room. I writhed in agony on the bed. Resa would help. She was more than a healer – she was a witch.
*******
When next I awoke, Resa was there. She had pulled the bullet from my wound and my flesh was mending quickly, coupled with my body’s accelerated healing abilities and her herbs. I wore a pair of pants, but no shirt and Resa rubbed my chest with a washrag soaked in her usual healing ointments.
“Thank you, Resa.”
“What happened? There are rumors buzzing around the castle. They say you must have been in a duel and left for dead, but I know better. Were you a wolf when this happened?”
“Yes.”
“How could you be so careless?” I reached out and put my hand on her arm.
“I’ve fallen in love, Resa.”
“Does the woman you love know about your condition?”
“No. I have to tell her. I just don’t know how.”
The door opened. Kate walked in. Her look of concern was replaced with shock – then betrayal.
“Mathias! Is that why you left me last night? For another woman?”
“Kate,” I struggled to sit up. Resa remained seated. “It’s not what you think.”
“Feeling guilty? Is that why you ran away?” she demanded.
“Kate, Resa is a healer. She’s attending to my wound – nothing more.”
Tears streamed down Kate’s pretty face. It was my careless handling of the situation yesterday that brought her to misinterpret the scene between Resa and I now. Kate looked confused and wounded like a morning bird who couldn’t find their nest in the dark. She turned around and ran out of my room. I growled in frustration. I wanted to chase after her, but my leg wasn’t fully healed. I knew I had to pursue her soon or risk losing her forever.
***********
My leg healed sufficiently enough by the afternoon, but it was too late to follow Kate. My man, Lazlo, advised me she had left with one bag and that Talon, the footman, had driven her into town. Still, I had to try. I changed into my riding clothes and limped to the stables. I only had two hours of sunlight to find Kate and tell her the truth.
When I got to Fonyód, I went to the business district, looking for my coach. To my relief, I found Talon giving the horses water outside of the Taszár hotel.
“Where’s Miss Douglas?” I asked, carefully dismounting my horse.
“Inside, My Lord.”
“Tie up Rebel for me. I have to talk to her.”
He nodded his head. The look on his face was utter confusion, but he did as he was told.
I moved with purpose. After providing the clerk with a sufficient bribe, he gave me Kate’s room number. I raced up to her room as fast as my injuried leg allowed, but there was no answer when I knocked. Frustrated, I put my hand on the knob and to my surprise, it opened.
“Kate! We have to talk,” I said.
The room was empty. Where was she? I went to the window and looked onto the hotel’s gardens. Sitting on the patio by a rose bush was Kate, lost in the letter she was writing. It was then I noticed how dangerously low the sun was to the horizon. Within the hour it would set and I’d become a wolf again.
Limping out of the room, I made my way to the gardens where Kate was sitting. Her face was stained with tears, and I could only imagine she was writing to Lord Archibald about my sins. Determined, I quietly limped behind her, clenching my fists. I felt my blood begin to race through my body as the sun finally set. The full moon was about to rise. If only the garden didn’t smell so sweet on this pale night. If only it offered hope.
“I love you, Kate.”
She spun around in her chair, surprised by my presence. “Mathias!”
I must have been a pathetic sight with my hair askew and my wrinkled clothes, but I didn’t care. I gasped for breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.
“Resa is a healer, a nurse, nothing more.”
“How can I believe you? You had your shirt off. She was rubbing your chest,” Kate replied.
I felt the adrenaline inside me begin to pump my blood faster. “Kate, I had bruises―”
“Is it true , were you in a duel?”
“No.”
“Were you shot?”
“Yes – in the leg, Kate, please believe that I love you, but right now I have to go – and quickly.”
“Go where, Mathias? Away from me?” she demanded. Her eyes wanted to believe in my declaration of love, but my insistence on leaving seemed to reinforce my insincerity.
“I don’t want you to see me when I become―”
“―become a what?”
I choked on my words, then I felt the final surge of my body’s reaction to the moonlight. My eyes cut to the horizon. My incandescent torturer crept into view. I ran, limping awkwardly, stumbling over the patio furniture. I heard Kate’s footsteps behind me.
“Mathias, wait!”
I dived past the rose bushes and the transformation came over me.
“Mathias, don’t leave!”
As soon as my feral limbs hit the ground, I quickly moved out of her view. Hidden behind a set of roses, I watched her stop near the jasmine vines. She looked flustered, bewildered, and hurt.
“Mathias!”
I howled. Her eyes grew wide. Her back clung to the trellis.
“Mathias.”
I howled again. I had to. Then I hung my head. Despite my love for her, I couldn’t torment her by revealing my secret. She deserved a real man, not a monster.
Slowly she began to back away toward the hotel down the path. I watched her with my eyes, making sure she was safe. She moved slow, unsure of herself.
My nose twitched. Someone – some beast was approaching. My howls must have attracted other animals. Kate wasn’t safe!
She stepped onto the patio. The wolf attacked, knocking her over.
“Mathias! Help!”
I ran as fast as my injuried leg allowed and bounded onto the patio. The wolf looked up. I knew it was a beast like me. I growled at him to leave her alone. He sneered at me. I didn’t wait. I pounced on him and we locked our teeth on each other’s neck. We rolled on the ground as Kate scampered away. Then I remembered the roses. I shoved the wolf into the thorns and he howled in pain. My eyes burned yellow.
“Leave.”
It did as I commanded. I backed away slowly, back onto the patio.
“Mathias?”
I turned around and looked at her through my feral eyes, nodding my head.
She sat down in a chair and cried.
Katherine
My lover was a werewolf! He was kind and generous - and a wolf! I was in shock! I sat in the patio chair, stunned by this revelation. He slowly walked toward me, limping on one leg, and my heart went out to him. He’d just saved me from another of his kind, I firmly believed that. But where did that leave us?
The wolf laid down at my feet. He wanted to be near me – and I realized I wanted to be near him. I got down on my knees next to him and caressed his neck. “I have to go upstairs. I can’t stay here all night. You understand?”
He nodded his head.
“Come see me at first light. I’ll be waiting for you. Do you know where my room is?”
Again, he nodded his head. I smiled and left him on the patio.
*********
I suppose I should have been terrified of what Mathias was, but I wasn’t. Now I understood why he had to go away for a couple of days a month. I believed his explanation that Resa was healer. I can only imagine what his body went through. Mathias would never hurt me. I just had to have the courage to commit to him. Could I live with what he was? A beast? I cried myself to sleep.
Just after the daybreak, I heard the knob of my room’s door twist, and Mathias walked in. He was naked, and his body was covered in scratches and bruises. His leg had a scar from the bullet wound, and scar on his neck seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.
I rushed to the bath and presented him with a towel, which he wrapped around his waist. Then he sat down on the bed and looked at me. I slowly walked in front of him. His eyes were tired, his body trembled. I could only imagine what loneliness he lived with.
“Kate, I love you,” he said quietly. “But I am a werewolf. I can’t imagine that you’re willing to live with that.”
“You didn’t hurt me last night,” I reminded him.
He drew in a deep breath. “But I could hurt you, and the thought of doing that scares me.”
I sat down next to him and reached for his hand, squeezing it. “You saved me last night.”
“Kate―”
“Don’t protest – don’t push me away, Mathias. I’m in love with you, too, and I don’t want to leave. We’ll deal with what you are – together.”
His Adam’s apple shook. “You mean it?”
I cupped his cheek with the palm of my hand and looked into his wounded malachite eyes. “Yes. I do.”
His hand covered my mine. He savored my touch. I couldn’t imagine leaving him. He gave me a home and a family, things I never had in my life. I leaned over and kissed his sweet lips savoring the wolf’s kiss.
