CHAPTER 11

Russel didn’t say anything for several, long seconds. He knew he had to be careful now. If he approached this delicate situation in the wrong way, Lola would run and then he wouldn’t be able to protect her. And he wanted to protect her. He realized that simple fact more and more each day. The magnetic pull she had over him had only grown stronger during their time spent traveling. He didn’t just like having her with him, he loved it. The simple fact that he knew she would be there in the morning made the days brighter. More bearable. He took a silent moment to think of something plausible that wasn’t the actual truth and wasn’t an easily spotted lie. “My father sent me as an envoy to Sarchi to start talks of alliance against Harvenk,” he said. “He thought sending the fifth-born son alone would send them a clear message that he meant peace. As you know, I got a bit delayed.” He winked at her. “Your father must have a lot of faith in you to trust you with a mission like that,” she said. “It sounds important.” “Unfortunately, it will have to wait,” he replied. “Something a little more urgent happened to come up. I’m sure he’ll understand.” Russel, of course, knew that his father absolutely would not understand. But, he was still trying to come up with some sort of game plan once they crossed over into Oclan. Despite the fact that the king wanted Lola dead, Russel still felt confident that was the best place for her. It kept her firmly out of Drake’s clutches. While the insane moron had the gall to enter human lands, he knew he would never get away with coming into Oclan territory. He would be found and slaughtered in short order. Their host came back with the wine and two glasses. He set the glasses down in front of each of them and then opened the bottle. He poured a generous amount into their glasses and bowed again. “Please,” he said. “Enjoy. This is a superb vintage from a local winery here in Wrexon.” “Thank you,” Lola said with a cheery smile. Russel simply gave him a tiny, almost indistinct nod of his head. “Of course. If there is anything else you might wish before your food arrives, do not hesitate to ask.” With that, the host left and attended to the other patrons of the restaurant. Lola picked up her glass and sniffed the wine experimentally. She’d never had the stuff before. Most of the alcoholic drink she had gotten back in Gloucester had been home-brewed mead or beer, both of which were not very pleasant. She held her glass up toward the center of the table and waited for Russel to do the same. “To the success of future endeavors,” she said, not really knowing what else to say. “Cheers.” Russel chuckled a little. “Cheers.” They both drank experimentally at first, testing the wine to see what it tasted like. It had a slight bitterness to it that lingered but overall, it had a pleasant sweetness with a hint of fruit, minerals, and tannins. It was, in her estimation, a much better drink than what she was used to. “I’ve never had wine before,” she said. She could feel a little heat entering her cheeks. “It’s…pleasant.” “Yes,” he replied. “It is very good wine. But be careful. It’s easy to get carried away.” “I’ll be okay,” she replied. “I just want something to dull…things. For a time.” Russel understood but decided he was going to keep an eye on her just to make sure. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hungover tomorrow. He wanted her to be clear-headed and alert. That knight, Sir Thomas, still worried him. Something about the man had set his nerves on edge. The way he picked him out of the line of hundreds of humans didn’t feel like some kind of coincidence. It should be impossible for a human to know he was a werewolf. For the most part anyway. The eyes would sometimes give it away if the light hit them the right way. But that shouldn’t have been the case at the city entrance. That quirk typically became a problem at night. So how did that human manage to pull out the one werewolf in that line of humans? “You okay?” Lola asked. “I’m fine. Just thinking,” he told her. “About what?” she asked. “It’s nothing,” he said, not wanting to worry her. He smiled. “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, we’ll get an early start to the day.” “I’ve never been in a city like Wrexon before,” she said. “Is it weird that I’m kind of excited?” “Not at all,” he replied. Their food came a few minutes later and they ate. Their conversation moved away from talk of their current situation to other things. Things that gave them a little more insight into who they were as people. Likes. Dislikes. Anecdotes from their childhoods. What their lives had been like. It was the first time either one had really connected with another person on a deeper level. Russel had grown up as a royal in a kingdom that feared his father. It made it difficult for him to get close to anyone else. Most people tended to stay away from him or were only nice because of his status. He could never truly trust the motivations of others. For Lola, she had been friends with others in her village but never had any romantic interest with anyone. It was different with Russel. She felt something deeper there. Something she never felt with anyone else. It helped take her mind off the trauma of everything Drake had done to her. All the pain he caused and the sadness that came with the lives he ended. Eventually, their time in The Midnight Oil ended. Russel paid for dinner, which was exorbitant but he didn’t mind, and then they left. The outside air had a pleasant warmth to it and the streets had cleared a lot from the mid-morning rush of people. The press of bodies and so many people in one place had been very uncomfortable, so Lola appreciated the much-needed space. They spent most of the afternoon and early evening drifting from one shop to the next, avoiding any patrols of knights and soldiers that happened to cross their paths. There were a few, each person in them scanning their surroundings for signs of trouble. Fortunately, most of them didn’t have the innate suspiciousness that Sir Thomas had displayed and left the two of them alone. By the time they were done with their shopping endeavors, Russel had bought Lola a few new outfits, an upgraded travel cloak, a new pack, a spare pair of shoes, and a jade necklace she had fallen in love with. Russel grabbed a few items for himself but mostly, he wanted to spoil her. It was clear she didn’t need that kind of stuff and was perfectly happy with what she had, but he felt she deserved something good to happen to her. Even if it was only a shopping trip and some new things. “You getting tired of carrying all those bags around?” Lola asked after their last excursion into a shop selling knives and swords. He bought her a long blade of excellent quality to help her better protect herself since she couldn’t grow claws. He promised to train her on how to use it after they left Wrexon. Russel looked up at the sky and noticed, with some shock, that it was getting dark. He wondered how the day had managed to disappear so quickly. “Perhaps. Shall we find lodging for the night?” he asked. She walked up to him and wrapped her arm around his elbow. “I think that sounds good.” They hunted for a suitable place for twenty minutes until a local they asked for a recommendation directed them to a well-known inn a few blocks down the road. They went inside and were able to get a room. Russel paid for a suite on the top floor so they wouldn’t be bothered by others. When they got up there, they found themselves in a lavish room with a large, four-poster bed, a beautiful sofa in front of it, a fireplace, and a separate room with a bath that even had taps for hot and cold water. “I feel that bath calling my name,” she said, dropping off the bags she carried next to the bed. “Hot, scalding water is just the thing I need to soothe all my tired muscles.” “That does sound very relaxing,” he said. “Go ahead. I’ll guard against any intrusion.” She smiled at that. Then her eyes got a bit more serious. “I’m glad you found me,” she said. “I’d be dead right now if you hadn’t been there.” “It seems fate had different plans,” he replied. “I’m glad it did. This world would be a much poorer and sadder place without you in it, Lola.” She smiled wide at that, looked like she wanted to say more but didn’t. Instead, she disappeared into the bathroom. Russel heard the water turn on and the bath fill. He hoped Lola truly got the rest and relaxation she needed. The road to Wrexon had been a long and difficult one and he was afraid that entrance into Oclan wasn’t going to be any easier. Not with his father wanting her dead. He heard the water turn off and he expected to hear the sounds of her getting into the bath next. Instead, she walked out in only a thin, silk robe the hotel must have left for the guests. It was belted loosely at the waist, leaving the swells of her breasts clearly visible. Her eyes burned with something he had never seen there before. Desire. Russel was speechless. His pulse started to pound. His eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from her beautiful form. She untied the robe’s belt and let it fall open. Then she slipped it off and it fell to the floor. “You look like you could use a bath too.”