Keeper of the Wolves (7 page)

Relief filled my chest at the notes of the
howl. Shadow Runner’s deep tones of joy and relief combined with
the notes of our pack. It told of their worry and fear at my lack
of response, and their determination to see me safely home. They
were the same tones the wolves and I had exchanged every night
since my capture. It filled me with strength to hear the same notes
now.

“
Are they leaving?” Rasmus
asked.

I nodded and heard audible breaths of relief
in answer. As my strength left, Joven and Rasmus lowered me back
down to the banterskin rug. “Well done,” Rasmus said before the
darkness took over again.

***

The next time I awoke I felt stronger. It
was strange to be a wolf again. I couldn’t decide if it was the
lingering effects of the fever or being in a building surrounded by
people that made me feel like a stranger in my wolf fur. I opened
my eyes, but closed them again at the piercing pain the sunlight
streaming into the windows sent through my skull.

“
It is a bit bright in
here,” Joven said in a happy tone.

I opened my eyes a crack and shifted them
sideways to look at him. He sat on the floor with his back against
a green armchair with polished cherry wood armrests. He wore a tan
jerkin, dark red pants, and a matching maroon cravat along with
doeskin boots detailed in golden lace. His clothing looked as
though he had them on for the first time; no wrinkle marred the
pressed seams and dirt looked as though it was kept away from the
clothing by the mere aura of cleanliness that surrounded it. I
wondered how someone could keep attire in such shape while sitting
on the floor.

“
Glad to see you’re awake,”
he continued with a heartfelt smile. At my glance around the room,
he shook his head. “We’re the only ones here. Everyone else has
duties to attend to they’ve put off while you were an invalid
struggling to survive.”

At my silence, he grinned. “You’re wondering
if I have duties as well?” he chuckled. “Let’s just say I have a
perfectionist’s drive to stay up late at night despite the protests
of my servants to finish the obligations required by the heir to
the throne. Needless to say, my servants don’t protest out loud,
but I see it in their eyes when I’m in the library studying Rala’s
history instead of sleeping like a decent human being.”

He lifted an appreciative eyebrow at me.
“You, on the other hand, have slept like a log for almost a week.
You’ve got to be famished.”

The thought of food sent a wave of nausea
through my body and I closed my eyes again.

Joven let out a chuckle. “I guess it’s a bit
soon for that. Rasmus said you almost died. I suppose you have some
recovering to do.” He shifted on the floor and when I opened my
eyes again, he leaned forward. “I appreciate you saving us from the
stallion. I’ve never seen anyone do something like that. It was
incredible.” I let out a slight breath in a huff and the smile that
had faded from his face reappeared. “I’ll take that as a sound of
modesty, and reply by saying putting your life at risk for someone
else requires a bravery I’m not even sure I possess.”

I found myself liking his easy manner. His
tendency to speak both sides of the conversation was amusing and
informative. He pushed his hair back from his forehead. “I need to
be frank with you. I’m glad you survived, and my motives are
entirely selfish.”

I waited in silence for him
to continue. He looked down at his hands, then glanced at the fire
that crackled low in the fireplace. The scent of the cedar and
maple embers tickled my nose. Joven let out a sigh and looked at me
again. “Your presence here happens to be at a very trying time for
this
family
.” He
said the last word as though doubtful it fit the description. After
a pause, he shrugged and gave a wry smile. “Our situation isn’t
exactly on the level if you know what I mean.”

I had no idea what he meant, and was glad
when he said, “I guess I should assume that as a man who lives as a
wolf most of his life, or the other way around, whichever it may
be, you don’t know what I mean.” He put his elbows on his knees and
laced his fingers together. “My father, the Duke of Vielkeep, died
a year ago.” He let out a breath that sounded heavy as though it
carried the weight of the world. “Let’s just stay he is missed by
almost everyone, Koya and I especially, but by Mother not at all.
Theirs was a marriage of necessity to keep Vielkeep at its
strongest, but their hearts were never in the matter. Father threw
himself into running his kingdom, but a few years ago he began to
lock himself in his quarters worried about Viel attacks and things
that haven’t happened for almost a decade. He passed away confused
and fearful, a shadow of the man he once was.”

Joven’s fists closed when he said the last
words; haunted memories swept through his eyes. He fell silent.
After a moment, he glanced at me and continued, “I wasn’t ready to
take the throne then, and I’m not ready yet. There are many things
Father left out of our education toward the end of his sanity. Koya
and I have done the best we can, but our hold on Vielkeep is a
tenuous one because we are young. We won’t be safe until we can
solidify it through marriage or a show of strength.” He continued
in a hushed tone. “We don’t have enough soldiers for a war, and
we’ve enough on our minds without worrying about defending our
borders. We have the Valley Guardians and our soldiers ready for
more than just attacks from the other greedy duchies.”

His words fell away, his eyes on something I
couldn’t see. He blinked. Shaking his head, he turned back to look
at me. “Sorry, I haven’t slept much.” He gave an apologetic grin.
“Where was I? Ah, yes. Then there’s Mother. Oh, Mother, what can I
say?” He looked at the ceiling as if hoping to find the answer
written there. When he met my eyes again, a half-smile graced his
face. “Mother could care less about Vielkeep, the land, the people,
the animals, or the castle. All she cares about are festivities and
the finer things of life. Trust me when I say if you travel into
her part of the castle, you’ll know it.”

I didn’t know what to make of that, so I
settled for listening quietly. It had worked well so far.

“
My point is,” Joven
continued, “Koya and I are left on our own to take care of
Vielkeep. The other four duchies are getting anxious. We are still
considered in training for the throne until I reach twenty-one. If
they find out that our mother is unfit to rule, their armies will
attack and Vielkeep will be shredded; whatever’s left will then be
divided like scraps of meat between hungry wolves.” He glanced at
me with a touch of humor in his eyes. “Sorry for the analogy.” He
tried again. “The only way for us to keep Vielkeep from the wol-”
he glanced at me, “Dragons, is for Koya and I to marry into duchies
that will strengthen our position. That is where you come
in.”

His brow creased and he studied a scar that
ran across the back of one of his hands. “There are spies
throughout our castle reporting to the other duchies. Mother is fit
enough to fool them if she keeps to her quarters, and Vielkeep runs
smoothly because our staff is well-trained and overseen by my men;
however, I do not doubt there are those who would rather make Koya
and I disappear than let us marry and strengthen our hold
here.”

The thought of Koya in trouble sent a surge
of strength through my body. I lifted my head and watched his every
word. “Until she finds a suitor, or,” he said the words as though
they disgusted him, “We each find a match that will strengthen our
position despite our distaste for the said match, Koya needs a
protector who can be with her every moment and keep her safe.”

His words of matches and suitors didn’t make
sense; wolves chose a mate they cared for and stayed with them
throughout their life. I had never heard of a wolf settling for a
‘distasteful’ mate. However, positions of weakness and strength
made perfect sense. A pack’s protection lay in its ability to
defend its territory. Weaker packs were pushed out and stronger
wolves moved in. Also, wolves depended upon pack hierarchy for
order and structure. The strongest wolf led the pack until bested
by a stronger challenger. This ensured that the fittest wolf was in
charge of the others’ safety.

Joven said their city of Vielkeep was
strong, but he and his sister’s position to rule it could be
challenged unless they were matched with mates in a position of
strength. If they were challenged when they weren’t prepared, the
city would fall much like a pack’s territory. I knew well how to
defend territory. Having an opportunity to act as a wolf within the
confines of the city brought me onto familiar ground. That I could
handle.

Joven saw the spark of understanding in my
eyes. “Will you help us? Will you protect my sister with your
life?”

I dipped my head in assent and he reached
over and patted my fur before I could react. The gesture was
familiar and slightly degrading. I bared my teeth and set my ears
back against my skull.

Joven removed his hand with a look of
feigned surprise. “What, too doggish for you? Don’t like pats on
the head and walks through Highbridge Park? What kind of a pet are
you?” I let out a quiet snarl for good measure and laughter rolled
from his chest. “You’re going to have to work on that, you know. If
Rasmus is right and your change into human form is dictated by the
moon, you’ll be a wolf when Koya needs you a lot more than you’ll
be a human.” He looked up at the sunlight spilling through the
windows, then back at me. “Which is probably good, because it seems
you’ve had more practice as a wolf.” He reached out to pat my head
again and withdrew his fingers with another laugh when I snapped at
him, my teeth clicking closed millimeters from his hand. “Good to
see you’re feeling better.”

I was feeling better; instead of being
bothered by his jests, a feeling of warm camaraderie rose in my
chest. I studied him. His carefully tailored clothes and the
seemingly casual but obviously well-rehearsed sweep of his hair
back from his forehead indicated that outward appearance mattered
very much to Joven, but his humor-filled gaze and the easy
relationship he had with his sister showed he was still very much a
pup getting accustomed to his position of leadership. I guessed we
were close to the same age. I had no idea when I was born, so I
couldn’t make any comparisons that way, but I felt a kinship with
Joven.

The fact that I could feel so comfortable
around a human who was obviously even more at ease around me
confused me. I was a wolf stuck in a castle. I should have been on
edge and trying to escape with the opening of every door. Instead,
I lounged in front of a fire like some tame hunting cat and enjoyed
the presence of a human who had helped put me there.

Chapter 6

Footsteps brought me to my feet. I kept my
weight off my left paw because it was still healing, but the
bandages were gone and only scars would remain to remind me of the
Cruel One. My heart gave a strange flutter as though a sparrow was
trying to get free of my chest. I recognized the footsteps.

“
Keeper?”

Rasmus began the name as joke, saying that I
kept the wolves from attacking. Joven and Koya took up the name and
it stuck for the past two days after Joven opened up to me about
their dire situation. I wasn’t at full health, but the wounds had
stopped bleeding and the fever was gone. My strength wavered more
than I preferred, but I was anxious to get out of the room.

The door opened and Koya peered around it.
“Keeper, are you awake?” When she saw I was standing, a smile lit
her face. She pushed the door open all the way and stepped inside.
“You’ve got to be ready to get out of here.” She glanced behind
her. “I don’t know if Rasmus would approve. He says you need
another few days’ rest, but you don’t seem the type to take it
easy.” Koya gestured toward the door. “Care for a turn around the
garden?”

I walked up to her. Her scent swirled around
me like leaves caught in a playful wind. I couldn’t get used to the
way it made my heart pound. When she set her hand on my back, her
touch sent tingles down my spine. I glanced up at her, wondering if
she knew of the affect she had on me. She wore a dark blue dress
with birds worked in golden thread around the neckline and down the
sleeves. White lace set off her graceful neck and lined her wrists
while thin gold stitching defined her bodice and small waist. The
slippers she wore matched the dress perfectly except for a few dark
stains on the toes. The scent that clung to them hinted of rich
loam and ivy.

“
Tessa will scold me when
she sees them,” Koya said, following my gaze. “I don’t know why I
can never keep my shoes clean.”

I wanted to point out that avoiding the
shadowy places in the garden where the sun had little chance to dry
the moisture would help, but I couldn’t speak in my wolf form. I
had yet to talk as a human, either. Though I changed at night, I
didn’t trust my human form. I hadn’t left the confines of the room
and I had spent the last few days sleeping during the lingering
remains of the fever. I wondered if tonight would be different.

Koya led the way out of the room and I found
the scent of two servants who had cleaned the hallway since I last
crossed the thick carpet. Koya stepped across the thick fibers as
though unaware of how they sunk deep underfoot and smelled faintly
of sheep and grass, whispers of a life before they were made into
the thick weave.

“
Here it is,” Koya said with
a smile. She pulled open the unguarded door and sunlight overflowed
in. I knew it was my imagination that made the flowers on the
carpet look as though they reached toward the light, but it was
exactly how I felt. Every moment in the makeshift recovery room
made me long for unfettered sunshine and fresh air. The brief
moments I had experienced with Koya outside the cage in the garden
had been heavenly. Fear that I would never feel that again sat
heavily upon me during my sickness.