Han cast about, looking for Adonis. He hoped that the cat hadn't caused Adrian any trouble and clawed any expensive furniture or drapes. Han kneeled down and looked under a chair in the waiting room. No Adonis. Hopefully, he had been well fed and taken care of, providing that Adrian hadn't become upset and done something horrible.
He stood up and turned around, sweeping the room with his eyes one last time. He saw something in the doorway and did a double take. Adrian himself was standing in the doorway holding Adonis. He had that same smile he always had on his face as he regarded Han silently for a moment. Without speaking a single word, he gently lowered the cat to the floor, smoothed its fur back one last time, then turned and departed the room.
Han let out an inaudible breath in relief and knelt down, holding his hand out to Adonis. “Here, kitty, kitty.” The cat came obediently to his call and Han scooped Adonis up into his arms. “I hope you behaved yourself, Adonis. I would hate to hear from Sir Adrian that you were horrible.” He petted Adonis lovingly as he exited the room and wandered down the hallway to the Music Room.
Along his way, Han came face to face with Vanessa. He stopped dead in his tracks and clutched Adonis close to his chest. He stared at her wide eyed and backed up away from her.
Vanessa smiled sweetly at Han. “And how are you this fair evening, Han?”
“F-fine, ma’am.” Han took another step back and swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat.
“Good.” Vanessa smiled again. “Well, I hope to see you again. Perhaps you’ll play for me next time. I do so enjoy your music.”
Han bowed to Vanessa. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Vanessa kept smiling at Han and swept past him to some other remote part of the keep. Han watched her until she disappeared from sight before sighing to himself. He looked down at Adonis. “What do you think, Adonis? You think she means what she says?”
Adonis only purred, content to be in Han’s arms for the time being.
Han sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” He looked down the hall and thought for a moment. “Come on. Let’s go find you something to eat.”
***
Solara had never felt so ill before in her life. What in the world was going on? It wasn’t that time of the month and she was pretty sure it wasn’t food poisoning. She didn’t feel achy all over or have the chills, so having a cold was out of the question. If it wasn’t any of those things, then what was it?
Another spasm of pain racked her body and she doubled over in pain, holding her side in some vain attempt to alleviate it. Moments passed before the pain lessened and become more bearable. Now she was just miserable.
She crawled back into bed and pulled the sheets up over her body. Hopefully, whatever it was, she could sleep it off. She would much rather be wandering about the keep and have a watchful eye out for trouble then stuck in bed, sick, and defenseless. She sighed to herself. Might as well recuperate the best way she can than complaining about it.
***
Adrian froze and listened again. There: that sound again. The cry of a wolf could be heard faintly in the distance. He wondered why wolves would be coming in so close to S’ran, especially to the keep. He thought that he was too far south and too warm for wolves, but apparently he was wrong.
He meandered his way along one of the many hallways of his keep when he heard Vanessa and Han talking. He paused and took a step toward the shadows to hide himself and listen in. Han looked rather uncertain while talking to Vanessa, and when she swept by the bard, Adrian relaxed slightly.
Something appeared to be out of place and he had a hunch that Vanessa was up to something again. As to what it could be was anyone’s guess. He watched Han leave in the direction of the kitchen when he felt a presence behind him. He turned about to find one of his servants standing there with a gentleman dressed in a dark blue surcoat, white doublet and pants, and black boots standing behind him. He had gray hair for a man so young and pale gold eyes. He regarded Adrian with keen interest as he was introduced.
“Sir, this gentleman has come to the keep seeking you,” the old servant said in a trembling voice caused by age.
“Really?” Now Adrian’s interest was piqued.
“Yes, sir. He would like to speak to you privately if possible.”
“Of course. Please show him to the Waiting Room. I shall be there shortly.”
The old gentleman bowed precariously to his lord and guided the gray haired gentleman away to the room suggested, the younger man looking back at Adrian over his shoulder briefly before turning a corner.
First Vanessa, now this strange gentleman. Are the two somehow related? There was only one way to find out: he would have to talk to his guest first and see what he wanted.
With that thought in mind, Adrian followed the same path that the old manservant used to reach the Waiting Room. He paused outside the door to collect his thoughts then opened the door. The gentleman with the pale gold eyes and gray hair turned away from the window to face him.
“What is it I can help you with?” Adrian inquired as he crossed the threshold of the room and made his way toward his guest.
“Prince Cross, I assume?” the gentleman asked. When Adrian nodded, he continued. “I have a question for you: would it be permissible for my clan and myself to live on your lands?”
Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Your clan?”
The gentleman nodded.
“First, tell me who you are, what you are, and why I should let you stay on my lands,” Adrian demanded.
The gray haired gentleman smiled roguishly. “Forgive me for my rude manners. My name is Jason Carter. I-” he hesitated and looked down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at Adrian “-I am a werewolf. My clan and I have need of a place to stay.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you need a place to stay?”
Jason paused before answering. “We left our clan and have started our own. We need a place to stay that will keep our…enemies at bay while we tend our wounds.”
“And what do you offer in exchange if I allow you to stay on my lands?”
Jason shrugged. “Protection of any sort. We can even protect your livestock. I noticed that your herd of sheep was rather low….especially for a prince of the realm….”
Adrian narrowed his eyes. “And what do you know about the herds that the people of my realm tend to?”
Jason shrugged again. “My pack and I can enter places that most people cannot…and we observe. We can even alert you to dangers, if you wish?”
Adrian laughed low in his throat, extremely amused by the proposition. “Why should I even bother? I have my own men to do the very same thing.”
“Because we are faster, stronger, and know these parts better than any man or woman. We can alert you to anything faster than any normal human could ever hope to. We could be your personal bodyguards.”
The smile slipped away from Adrian’s face and he regarded Jason carefully. “Why are you making such a proposition to me, Mr. Carter?”
“Because I have nothing to loose and everything to gain.”
Adrian was intrigued. What could make a werewolf forsake his clan and bring others with him to another land, assuming that he and his friends had traveled far. He mulled the possibilities over in his mind before coming to a decision. “Very well. You may stay on one condition: no harming my livestock and no harming anyone who belongs to me. Agreed?”
Jason inclined his head to Adrian. “Agreed.”
“Very well. Return here when you and your clan have recuperated. We shall discuss the details of our alliance then.”
Jason bowed slightly at the waist. “As you wish.”
“Connor, the gentleman that showed you here, will show you out. If you will excuse me, I have a few errands to tend to.”
***
She heard sweet music being played on the very fringes of her consciousness. She wasn’t quite awake yet, but she was slowly making her way there. When she finally opened her eyes, she found Han sitting in a chair near the window singing softly. At her bedside was a woman. One of Adrian’s many servants that he had employed recently. She struggled to sit up in bed, but Han dissuaded her with a shake of his head.
“You shouldn’t move, Miss Solara. Just rest.” He gestured to a food ladled with food sitting on the chest at the foot of the bed. “I brought food with me as well, since I didn’t see you at dinner. Sir Adrian was worried as well. He may visit later.”
Solara smiled faintly. “Thank you for the food,” she croaked. She eyed the food hungrily and her stomach growled in protest of not having had anything to digest all day.
Han laughed. “Here. Let me help you.” He rose from his chair and fetched the tray. He walked to the bed with the tray and waited for Solara to sit up in bed. When she was ready, he set the tray on her lap. He rose from his seat and smiled at Solara. “I hope you feel better, Miss Solara. I’ll be by in the morning to see how you’re doing.”
Solara smiled in return. “Thank you, Han.”
“You’re welcome, Miss Solara.” Han bowed politely to her and left the room, Adonis coming out from under the bed to follow the bard out.
***
Adrian smoothed some damp hair from Solara’s brow. How could someone be so sick so suddenly? He had the inkling of an idea that it was Vanessa, but he couldn’t be certain. Solara could very well have contracted some unknown disease while she had been traveling about in his country.
He was tempted to save her by his own means, but something was holding him back. He couldn’t define exactly what was keeping him from Tempting her, but there it was: a block, a hunch, that if he did, it would prove to be disastrous for them both.
“I’ll summon a doctor for you, Solara,” he promised. “The best one I can find. I’ll make it all better, my lovely one.”
He smoothed Solara’s hair back once more, a slight frown apparent on his face. He would find the cause of her illness. He still had a sneaky suspicion that it was Vanessa, but he would get a doctor first to diagnose her. No use jumping to conclusions. If it Vanessa was the cause of this, she would have Hell to pay.
***
Vanessa watched with some satisfaction as the doctor left Solara’s room and overheard him tell Adrian that he didn’t know what was wrong with Solara. When she saw that worried look pass over Adrian’s face, her happy mood dropped like a brick in a moat. This was not turning out the way she wanted it to. Adrian wasn’t supposed to be worried about the barbarian woman. He was supposed to be bored with her now that she was sick.
She watched Adrian frown ever so slightly and brush past the doctor to enter Solara’s room. No, this wasn’t working out the way she had planned at all. Usually, Adrian tired of women quickly, but not of the challenge of wooing one. Now, he appeared to be especially attached to this one. He barely knew her and he was worrying himself to death over her welfare. It didn’t make sense. No matter. She was determined to be the victor in the end. She could make this work. This will at least prove to be a distraction for Adrian as she set about the next phase of her plan. She would be rid of Han and Solara. Even if it killed her.
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