House of Wolf (A Wulvers Prequel)

The gardens were truly beautiful. Floral scents of bright flowers filled the air alongside the sound of bees buzzing between the rainbow of petals. I'd never seen so many different plants before, some familiar and others not. I knew I would easily get lost for hours here. Torian lead me through the maze and underneath a rose covered archway.

"This is the herb garden. Nobody has used it in a while, we get our herbs from our healer in the glen," he explained, releasing my arm to let me look around.

It was obvious it hadn't been maintained. Weeds interspersed with wild lavender grew everywhere. It would take time to clear it, but it was work I enjoyed and I gave my husband a grin.

"I can grow whatever I like?" I asked hopefully.

He smiled back and nodded. "This land is yours to do with as you please, my wife."

I would have started there and then if I thought I could get away with it but I was aware that I would soon be meeting the rest of Torian's family. Still, it was something to look forward to, a reason to stay.

I'd brought some seeds with me that I could plant and my gardening tools were stashed away beneath some of my dresses. I was glad I didn't need to hide my knowledge here.

Walking down the path that went down between the small plots of ground, I imagined what I would plant and where. Looking up, I decided it was perfect. There were no high trees around so the herbs growing would capture the rays of the sun and moon.

Crouching, I picked up some of the rich soil, squeezing it in my hands, uncaring that they would get dirty. I could feel Torian watching as I studied every inch of what was now mine.

"Is it to your satisfaction?"

Standing and wiping my hands on my dress, I looked around once more before walking back to my husband. "It's perfect."

He looked almost relieved when he smiled, reaching out to place my hand on his arm again.

"Perhaps you can start tomorrow. My mother would love to help you but my sister might take some convincing," he chuckled, leading me around the rest of the huge gardens. "Anything you need, I'm sure we can find for you."

Chewing my lip, I looked up at him to find his eyes already on me. It was a curious thing that he didn't fear my hobby.

"You do not mind that I have knowledge of herbs, of fighting, of the old gods?" I asked carefully.

My father hated it. He was terrified of the whispers about my mother, even though it never stopped her work. When she passed, my father tried to put a stop to me tending the herbs and making tinctures, and poultices. While he had managed to ban me from going into the nearby villages to offer my services as a healer, I'd refused to be kept away from my herbs. Eventually he lost interest in all my activities. He stopped caring.

"Why would I mind? I'm pleased that you know well how to defend yourself, how to heal. And as you pointed out so fiercely earlier, my family follow the old gods as well." He smirked.

Blushing, I looked away, fretting over my next words before breathing out shakily. "You do not think me to be a witch?"

Torian laughed, the sound catching me off guard. I stared at him like he was mad, which I wasn't quite sure he wasn't. When he finally managed to rein in his amusement, he shook his head.

"Of course I do not think you are a witch, Lady Máili. Why would you ask that?"

I shifted uneasily as he paused by a small, man-made pond. "People called my mother a witch. I think my father thought she was too."

"I know," he admitted quietly, those honey coloured eyes still not holding any fear or wariness of me.

"Then why would you marry the daughter of a known witch? Your father propositioned mine, you could have had any of the rich noblewomen at court, but you chose me. I do not understand why," I said, frowning up at him.

He gave me a gentle, understanding smile, holding both my hands in his. I waited with baited breath for his answer. The world seemed to fall silent with me, as if even nature wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I know this must all be confusing to you and I know from your point of view, it makes little sense. You will get your answers, wife. I promise. As I said before, when the time is right. Know that you're safe here to practice your beliefs, nobody will accuse you of being a witch. I can tell you that I know very well that you are not one," he answered vaguely.

His words only added to my growing frustration but I bit my tongue. Three times or more now I had tried to get my answers and every time he had avoided it. I had to resign myself to one of my most hated activities, waiting.

"How can you be so confident in what you know about me, Lord Torian?" I asked teasingly, feeling almost shy.

He chuckled, stepping closer. One of his rough hands slid up my arm before he tucked a wild strand of black hair behind my ear. I froze, a strange warm feeling heating the spot where his finger had brushed my cheek. My reaction only made his grin widen and for a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me as he leaned in close.

"I know you more than you know yourself," he whispered, his voice low and husky.

The warmth on my skin seemed to grow, dropping low in my abdomen. I was embarrassed by the way my palms began to sweat and tremble. My lips parted, and when I began to lean in ever so slightly, he pulled away. The loss of contact was almost jarring and I stumbled back, humiliated. Had he been toying with me? If he had, I had been too easy to play.

Torian looked angry now as he created yet more distance between us, his jaw tense. He looked towards the house, his head cocking to the side like a hound listening to something. I was once more reminded of how strange he was.

"I'm sorry if I have offended you somehow, my lord," I murmured, shame painting my cheeks red.

He frowned as he looked at me again and shook his head. "Of course you haven't. I overstepped, forgive me."

Overstepped? For touching his wife? I truly didn't understand him, nor quite what he wanted from me. Unsure of what to say now, I turned my gaze back to the flowers. The air grew awkward and tense between us once more and I wished I'd decided to stay in our rooms. Perhaps it wasn't too late to ask Torian to tell his family I was still weary from travelling. Then again, perhaps the cheery disposition of Torian's mother and brother would lift my spirits.

"Torian!" a female voice yelled from closer to the castle. "Torian I saw you come this way, do not play hide and seek with me now!"

My lips twitched in amusement and Torian's demeanor changed greatly as he smiled.

"My sister," he told me. "Come to hunt us down."

"Shall we attempt to stay hidden?" I asked, making him laugh.

"Nobody can hide from her, she has the nose of a bloodhound."

I found that a rather odd thing to say, but I was too pleased that the awkwardness had melted away to say anything. Hurried footsteps and the swish of long skirts could be heard, and rounding the next corner came the tall blonde I'd seen in the courtyard.

She grinned when she spotted us, marching with confident strides. "Lunch has been laid out and everyone is waiting for you both. Our Lady Mother is less than pleased."

"I am sure she will forgive us. We got a little distrcated on our way back," Torian said.

His sister sent him a sly look. "Oh, I'm sure being newly wed comes with all manner of distractions."

For the second time that day, my cheeks flared a brilliant red. My embarrassment made her grin, and she looked between us both. Torian however, was not so amused.

"Aileen," his hissed fiercely, making me flinch.

Her head dropped low, shoulder slumping as she tilted her chin so her tanned neck was bared. I watched this interaction with barely concealed curiosity. Her actions seemed to be a balm to my husband's anger, the odd hum of some tangible energy dissipating.

When Aileen lifted her head again, she completely ignored her brother to greet me. She tugged me into her arms, pressing her cheek against mine just as her mother had. I was beginning to think it was some Highland custom of greeting as I awkwardly hugged her back.

Breathing her in, she smelt like heather, I noted, earthy with subtle hints of floral.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you at last, Máili!" she announced in delight, grinning as she pulled back. "I'm happy to have another female in our home. We have been outweighed by males for far too long now."

Oh I could have hugged her again. The relief in finding that Aileen was far more like Artair than Torian was almost overwhelming. Her grin was contagious and if we weren't being watched by a grumpy Torian, I'd have announced that I would be more than happy to join forces with her.

The secret smile Aileen gave me had me thinking she knew exactly what I was thinking. With her arm entwined with mine, she began to lead me back towards the castle so we could eat. I chanced a peek over my shoulder, but Torian seemed lost in thought as he followed us.

Aileen was chattering on about how glad she was to finally have a sister, how she too wished to be married soon.

". . .to someone from our land of course. I do not wish to travel far from home like you did. I couldn't imagine leaving my family and friends, all for a male-"

"Enough, Aileen," Torian warned, but the woman simply rolled her bright emerald eyes.

I wondered how often these two were at each others throats. I hadn't taken her words to heart like I think Torian believed I had. Leaving home didn't mean to me what it meant to my new sister. She obviously loved her family and home, there was nothing wrong with that.

Though I missed my own rooms and my privacy, starting somewhere new would be easy with no real ties to where I had grown up. Even the ties to my father had been severed when he handed me away.

"I hope you do find a match close to home. I think I would miss the way you so easily seem to nettle my husband," I said in amusement, my eyes meeting Torian's as he opened the door for us.

There was a flicker of something close to laughter in his eyes but his face remained tense as his sister's laughter filled the air. She patted my hand, smiling brightly. "I believe we are going to be good friends, my sister."

I could only hope so. I had the feeling that I would be needing friends.

Feeling a lot calmer as Aileen passed me back to her brother, I followed their lead back to the dining hall. Laughter and voices echoed through, bouncing of stone walls. I smiled. At least I knew they were a happy family.

Aileen stepped in first, sending me an encouraging smile that I returned. Artair stood from the table when he spotted me, his easy grin in place.

"Finally, I'm starving!"

I wondered why they hadn't started without us, feeling a little bad that I'd held them all up. An unhappy looking man sat on his other side, a look of disgust on his face as he studied me. My husband let out a growl like sound that him the man looking away. I got the distinct impression that he didn't like me.

"You know my mother and father, and you've now met Artair and Aileen too," Torian said as he lead me up to the seats near where his parents sat at the head of the table.

Another couple sat on their right, the woman smiling brightly at me while who assumed to be her husband looked as unimpressed by me as the other man had. I lost the confidence Aileen had given me. Torian pulled out a chair for me and I sat slowly, hating the way I felt like a specimen being carefully dissected.

He nodded to the couple. "My Aunt Beth and Uncle Finlay."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," his aunt greeted warmly, her hand tightening over her husband's.

He grunted his own hello, which had me shifting uncomfortably in my seat. My gaze flicked to the man around Artair's age and Torian finally sat next to me.

"My cousin Owen. Who should be showing much more respect than he is," Torian grit out.

Owen glared before sending me a dashing smile that I was sure was entirely fake. "An honour to be in your presence at last, cousin."

I recognised his voice as the one I had overheard last night, the one who had voiced that I should have married Artair instead, that I wasn't for to marry Lord Lyall's heir. At least that was what I could gather of his opposition to my marrying Torian. Even Torian had agreed I wasn't strong enough for him, for his pups. I'd still not figured out quite what was meant by that.

"Are you settling in all right, my dear?" Lady Lyall quickly asked, sending her nephew an unhappy look and distracting me from my thoughts.

I nodded, allowing Torian to take my plate, watching as he put a little of everything on it. Nobody had made my plate before, not since I was a small child, but I found the act heartwarming.

"I am, thank you. Your gardens are truly beautiful. I've never seen such an array of flowers before, my lady" I complimented.

"Now now, what did I say. You can call me Eilidh, we're not formal here. We're family," she smiled.

I really wasn't sure I could simply call her Eilidh. It had been drilled into me since my birth to use proper titles, but I gave her a bob of my head before settling to eat. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Torian quickly stayed my hand, nodding over to his Father. I gave him a confused look which made Owen chuckle from down the table. Artair sent him a glare and I was sure I heard him grunt as Aileen elbowed him.

"My father must start eating first, wife. Then ourselves," he explained quietly.

I nodded, blushing at my own ignorance. Peeking up at Torian's father, I relaxed when he didn't seem slighted. In fact, he gave me a wink before taking the first bite of rich meats.

"You'll get to understand our customs soon," Torian's aunt said. "I'm sure things were a little different back at home."

If only she knew quite how different it was. At home, I had eaten most of my meals alone in my chambers unless my father had guests. My father had been an only child and as far as I was aware, my mother had no family, so our meals had been just the three of us. I'd never eaten as a family quite like this before.

I frowned at my plate, still finding my appetite to be gone. Torian stopped eating to watch me and I quickly tried to look as though I was cutting up some meat. But my husband was no fool.

"You haven't eaten a thing since we arrived here. You need to eat," he urged, a small command in his tone.

That caught the attention of his parents. His mother stared at me with wide eyes, gasping.

"Goods Gods, child. Are you unwell?" she inquired, her eyes studying my face.

"I'm quite well," I promised, forcing myself to eat a small piece of bread.

I don't think anyone was easily persuaded by that. Even Torian's grumpy uncle looked ever so slightly concerned. Yet I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong. I didn't feel sick, simply a little tired as I had been for a few weeks now. I just wasn't that hungry lately, which was odd in itself as my mother had often teased me for having the appetite of a lion.

"A little too much excitement has spoiled your appetite I think," Aileen teased, her lips quirked into a smirk.

I wondered just how much she'd understood of the tension that had been between Torian and I in the gardens. My husband was glaring at her, especially when Artair grinned wide.

"Whatever did take you both so long to look around the gardens?" he mused, inspecting the chicken on his fork.

"Behave, both of you," Alistair scolded gently, even as he too looked at us both with intrigue.

Looking down at my plate, I avoided the gaze of my husband.

Eilidh huffed. "See, you've embarrassed the poor girl. You can both help Ian with the border tonight."

As if sensing I was about to ask about the border, Torian squeezed my thigh. I was so caught of guard by the intimacy of such touch that the question flew from my mouth. But I knew what he meant by it, it was one of those secrets I wasn't allowed to know about yet.

But I was going to find out, one way or another. I was done being kept in the dark.