Harlequin Nocturne May 2015 Box Set: Wolf Hunter\Possessed by a Wolf (26 page)

The west entrance to the rest of the palace slammed open again, the heavy oak doors swinging as if they were no more than paper. Lexie realized that the gunshots both inside and outside the palace had stopped. A tall, dark-haired man with a rifle stood poised on the threshold, looking stern and businesslike in a perfectly tailored black suit.

“Sam!” Chloe exclaimed softly.

For the first time, hope warmed Lexie. Sam Ralston was Chloe's fiancé and like most of the warriors serving
La Compagnie des Morts
—the Company of the Dead—Sam was a vampire. He was also utterly reliable, exactly the sort of good guy one wanted on one's side when the world turned upside down.

Sam was one of Princess Amelie's personal bodyguards. Lexie frowned, doubt eroding her sense of relief. Why hadn't he been at the party, guarding the princess? Why were the only guards here Prince Kyle's?

Sam had clearly been fighting, the collar of his jacket ripped and the front of his shirt smeared with dirt. He strode forward, looking disheveled but in control. His cool regard took in the wolf, the hounds, the royals, and only faltered when he saw Chloe huddled on the floor. His expression grew even darker. A handful of other armed men arrived in his wake, all wearing black. They were vampires, too, judging by their pale faces and graceful movements.

Princess Amelie watched them approach with a somber expression at odds with her bright yellow party dress. She was delicately beautiful, with long dark hair and wide violet eyes. Prince Kyle kept a protective hand on her waist.

At the prince's order, the handlers had removed the dogs. The baying of the hounds was fading, but many of the green-coated Vidonese had remained. Now they stepped forward. They were less graceful than the vampires, but made up for it with coiled, angry tension. And then one of the green-coated men pushed forward, gesturing to the others to fall in behind him. Clearly, he was their captain—and it wasn't just his air of authority that set him apart. An elaborate design of a serpent and crossed daggers was embroidered in gold on his jacket sleeve.
Those aren't just ordinary guardsmen
, Lexie realized with a fresh bolt of alarm.
They're Knights of Vidon!
Both sides of the supernatural war were right in front of her, facing off before her eyes.

The knights were closest to Kyle and Leo, the vampires to Amelie. The two groups—so clearly representing the kingdoms of Vidon and Marcari—seemed to pull the couple apart with the weight of their hostility. Anger hung in the air like lightning waiting to strike.

Sam stopped before the princess and dropped to one knee, the gesture reminiscent of a warrior of old—which he was. He bowed his head, and the room fell silent once more.

Faran moved to stand close to Lexie, the heat from his body like a warm blanket. His rough fur brushed her hand. For a moment, with him beside her, she forgot to be afraid—forgot that she'd done her best to break the bonds between them.

Then Sam spoke.

“My lady, we have been betrayed.”

Faran sent up a howl, long and heartbroken, that stole Lexie's breath.

Chapter 2

L
exie watched the closed faces of the knights and vampires and wished for her camera—and not just to take pictures. Somehow she saw things more clearly through a lens, and right now she desperately wanted to understand what was going on.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one.

“Explain yourselves,” Kyle said, his gaze roaming from the captain of the knights to Sam and back again. The room felt unnaturally quiet in the ringing emptiness left by the wolf's howl.

The prince was young and athletic, looking more like a striker for one of the Italian football teams than he did royalty. His brown hair curled past his collar, and normally his mobile mouth was ready to laugh. But right now, he was furious. “Tell me why there is violence here? Why you are making accusations on a night when my bride and I should be toasting a united and peaceful future?”

Nobody spoke for a moment, the vampires still as waxwork. It was Faran who broke the silence with a low woof. He roused himself, his ruff brushing against Lexie's hand as he limped slowly toward the royal couple. With a touch of panic for his safety, she reached out, her fingers tangling in his coat. Faran paused, looking over his shoulder. His eyes caught the light, reflecting an unearthly yellow glow—but the wolfish stare gave nothing away.

Gooseflesh rose along her arms. She had left him for good reasons—only some of them to do with his furry side. Her courage suddenly draining away, she dropped her hand.

The wolf huffed and carried on, padding wearily forward. He was safe now, Lexie decided. With so much tension in the room, no one was drawing a weapon without good cause. Still, everyone in Faran's path moved away as if pulled by an invisible string.

The wolf sat down next to Sam, ears pricked forward as if ready to join the conversation. Sam put one hand on his back, a gesture of solidarity. To the onlookers, it appeared as if the wolf was Sam's pet.

“Your Royal Highness,” Sam said, addressing Princess Amelie. “The Knights of Vidon struck at the loyal members of the Company. They claim our presence here is treason. We were forced to defend ourselves.”

Before anyone could respond, the captain of the Vidonese Knights gave a sharp, military bow. “There was clearly a mistake, Your Highness. When it became clear to me that the orders had been given too soon, I commanded our men to stand down. The hostilities have ceased.”

Too soon?
Lexie's entire body chilled until she was light-headed. Did that mean there was a
correct
time to open fire on Sam and the rest of Marcari's trusted bodyguards?

The princess wheeled on the knight. “Captain Gregori, when is it ever suitable to fire on my people? Who gave those orders?”

A shocked murmur ran through the room. Lexie moved quickly to Chloe's side, grasping her friend's hand. Chloe returned her grip as if she needed comfort just as badly.

“Where is my father?” the princess demanded, fear sharpening her tone.

Captain Gregori gave a slight bow. “Your Highness, the Kings of Marcari and Vidon have been in a private conference at the summer palace.”

“I know that. Where is he
now
?”

“They are still there, Your Highness.”

And they didn't even break for their own heirs' engagement party?
Lexie wondered. Both the queens had passed away, which made the absence of the royal fathers even more pointed.
What's so important that it's keeping them locked away in the countryside?

The storm of voices grew louder. Kyle held up a hand for silence, waiting out the crescendo of exclamations until the room fell quiet again. “Many of our honored guests have left, but some still remain. Captain Gregori, would you please order your men to see those still here safely back to their rooms. You, however, will remain. Once this chamber is cleared, we shall receive your full report and a
thorough
explanation.”

“Shots have been fired,” the princess protested. “My people attacked. I want more than words!”

Prince Kyle gave a firm nod. “So do I, my love. But we must think first of the safety of our guests. Captain Gregori, order a sweep of the grounds. Ensure there are no more misinformed marksmen lurking in the bushes. And bring those dog handlers to me. I want to know what possessed anyone to bring a dog pack into the city. The last time I looked, downtown was woefully short of wild boar.”

Although the prince's words were polite, his tone said heads would roll. Still, there was an uncomfortable pause where no one moved a muscle. But then Sam pointed to two of his own men. “Start helping.”

Obediently, the dark-suited members of the Company turned and approached the shocked crowd of onlookers.

It was like a switch flipped. Suddenly everyone moved, the scene dissolving into commotion. People streamed past Lexie as they pushed toward the doors, many not even waiting for an escort back to their rooms.

Lexie swept up her cameras and equipment, packing as quickly as she could. Now that the threat of danger was past, an intense weariness flooded her. Unfortunately, it wasn't the kind of tired that promised a good sleep. She could already feel nightmares coming on.

Winding an extension cord, she looked around the room. Even though she was moving at top speed, she was one of the last ones out. Even Faran was gone, vanishing when her back was turned. There was only a trail of blood from his wound.

She still felt a treacherous pang of disappointment. Knowing Faran, that would be the last glimpse she'd have of him. Once he'd made a decision, he stuck to it. Her vision blurred a moment, but she blinked the tears away. She'd already cried enough over the way things had ended between them—enough to last a lifetime.

“Ms. Haven,” said a male voice beside her, making her start.

She looked up. It was Prince Leo. He wore a dark suit, his style and manner as impeccable as an aftershave commercial. He was holding another extension cord, neatly bundled. He gave her a faint smile. “I thought you could use some assistance.”

She accepted the cord. It was a polite way of hurrying her out the door, but it was graciously done. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Have you got everything?”

She put the cords in her bag and glanced around. “I think that's it.”

His fingertips brushed her sleeve. The contact was barely there, but it made her shiver, and not in a good way. The gesture reminded her of her brother, who'd been the perfect gentleman in public and something else when her parents' backs were turned.

“Then I bid you good night, Ms. Haven. I must say I admire your spirit. I'm not fond of large dogs, to say nothing of wild animals.” Without waiting for a reply, Prince Leo gave a brief nod and went to join the other royals.

Her
spirit
. Just a suave way of saying that her particular brand of crazy had some entertainment value.

Lexie bent and zipped up her duffel bag, then hitched the strap over her shoulder. It was heavy, but the familiar weight was a comfort. Chloe, who had been speaking with Princess Amelie, finished the conversation and joined her. Together they left the reception room for the corridor, the heavy oak doors slamming behind them. The sound echoed along the marble palace floors.

“I can't believe any of this,” Chloe said, pale with anger. Her heels clicked on the marble floor, the sound like snapping teeth. “Their wedding is just weeks away.”

Lexie frowned. “What was all that about Kyle's knights going after the Company? Did you follow any of the conversation?”

“I don't think it was Kyle's idea. He looked ready to strangle Captain Gregori.”

And then they stopped walking. The corridor was crammed shoulder to shoulder with people—guests, palace employees and medical personnel tending to those with cuts from the broken glass. Lexie hated enclosed spaces. “We'll never get through this.”

Chloe glanced around, noticing that Lexie was standing motionless behind her. “You can dive out of an airplane, but you hate a crowded room.”

Lexie shrugged. “I want somewhere private to hash this all over. A jam-packed hallway isn't the place.”

“Follow me.” Chloe took a left turn and led her down a different, less populated corridor. Eventually they came to a narrow door. She pushed it open, revealing the palace garden beyond.

Lexie followed her out. A walk across the soft, springy grass wasn't ideal—Lexie's bag was heavy and Chloe had to take off her spike heels, but the open air was a relief. The dogs were absent, and a few guardsmen patrolled at a distance. Otherwise, it was quiet.

“Well?” Lexie asked after a moment. “Do you have any idea what's going on?”

“There is a disagreement between the two royal houses,” Chloe said, keeping her voice down although there was no one close by. “Sam won't tell me anything.”

At that, her cheeks darkened to a brighter pink.

“Has he even hinted what it's about?” The breeze whipped Lexie's hair across her face. She brushed it away.

“I don't think he knows the details, but it's to do with the wedding. It's all wedding, all day. No one thinks about anything else.”

Lexie shifted the strap of her bag. “Still, it's a
wedding.
What's so wrong that they're shooting at each other? Did someone order the wrong napkins?”

Chloe gave a derisive laugh. “This isn't like an ordinary marriage, sweetie. With royal families involved, it's as much a treaty as anything else. The politics are above my pay grade, but even I know everything could fall apart in a blink.”

The wing of the palace where they slept was just ahead, and Lexie's spirits began to recover a little. They walked without speaking, the way old friends could, and she caught the scent of the sea. The Mediterranean was visible from the upper balconies of the palace, but here there were only trees and pale stone walls.

“Who's that?” Chloe asked, pointing ahead.

Lexie squinted. Someone was sitting on a rock wall, hunched over as if he was resting. The waist-high wall—according to the official palace guidebook—was part of an ancient fortification no longer in use. The breeze gusted again, rustling leaves. The ambient light caught a shock of fair hair. Lexie stopped, dumbfounded for a second.
Faran
.

Chloe gestured with the hand that held her shoes. “I'm sure you two have something to say to each other. I should go.”

“Don't you dare!” Lexie reached out to catch her arm.

But Chloe was too fast. “I'll see you in the morning. Maybe Sam will actually tell me something by then.” She retreated across the lawn.

“No, wait!” But Lexie's feet were glued to the earth, and it felt as if that earth was opening up to swallow her whole. Defeated, she set her bag of equipment on the ground.

Slowly, Faran slid from the wall and landed with easy grace, although he seemed to favor his right side. Lexie felt the same tug of recognition as when she'd seen him inside. Now that he was in human form, he was terrifying in a completely different way.

Faran had shaggy fair hair and strong-boned features that reminded her of a Viking. But it was the memory of what she couldn't see beneath the black T-shirt and jeans that made her mouth go dry. Faran Kenyon was tall, with a warrior's lean and muscular body that had made Lexie reach for her camera time and again because she barely trusted what her naked eyes told her. She could have made a fortune from those photos. For a moment, she drifted in memory, recalling the hot, hard feel of him beneath her hands.

They'd met in Cannes when she'd been photographing a swimwear collection. He'd been catering private events, and looking as sexy as sin fresh out of the box. When he'd turned on the charm, it had been a full-on sensory assault.

Two months later, they'd been living together in Paris. She'd had no idea he'd been working undercover the whole time, hunting down a ring of rogue vampires who dealt in the traffic of runaway girls. Not until the end, when she was halfway out the door.

“Hey,” he said, watching her warily. It was too dark to see the color of his eyes, but she knew they would be blue now, and not wolfish gold.

“Hey,” she returned, hot embarrassment stealing over her. She groped for something to say that wouldn't be inane. “You got dressed fast.”

So much for sounding cool and collected.

His eyebrows gave a slight lift. “The guardhouse has lockers.”

“Oh. So you're prepared.”

He gave her an exasperated look. “Normally I'm a prepared kind of guy. Though I didn't expect to see you here.”

There wasn't anything to say to that. “Are you hurt? Did they use...” she trailed off. “I should stop talking now.”

His mouth flattened with anger. The next words came out hot and fast. “Silver bullets? Yeah. Thirty-eight hollow point ammo and hunting dogs. Way to make a guy feel special. I was lucky it wasn't a direct hit.”

“What are you saying?” she asked in a small voice.

“I've been patrolling the grounds every night after dark. They knew I was coming. I ran to the one place I could think of where they would have to stop shooting.”

“Inside the palace.” She realized they were talking as if years hadn't passed since their last conversation.

“Leaping through the window was not my best move, but I'd tried everything else and I'd been hit.” He ran a hand through his fair hair. “I appreciate that you stood up for me.”

“No problem.” She wasn't sure what she expected, but
appreciate
felt lukewarm. Then again, she was talking to a werewolf ex-boyfriend who'd never been a stickler for etiquette. “Do you know what's going on?”

“No.” His voice held a ring of bitter truth. “But it's nasty.”

He touched his ribs, probing gently. His breath hissed inward, surprising her. Faran rarely showed pain or any kind of vulnerability, so it must have really hurt. Her hand rose, automatically reaching out to comfort him, but she dropped it before he noticed.