Page 61 of Wolf's Return
Lance began to chant.No!D’Artagnon roared and lunged for him, but clutched on empty air, colliding with the wall. Lance was gone. His nemesis had vanished. Only his scent and the hum of his bitterness lingered in the room.
Merde.D’Artagnon spun around to the shocked expressions of his pack mates.
“We left our most prized possession unguarded. That is what Lance said. He has gone to the keep.” Gaharet’s face paled. “Erin.”
The blood in his veins turned to ice. With blood magic like that, no amount of guards or fortifications would keep him out.Constance.
D’Artagnon pushed past the twins and Farren and pounded down the stairs, Gaharet, Aimon and Ulrik close on his heels. They had all left their mates behind. He plunged from the rank air of the pleasure house and out into the street, and skidded to a halt. Lothair, surrounded by his keep guard, blocked their way.
Merde.
With a slow shake of his head, Comte Lothair crossed his arms. “Gaharet, Gaharet, Gaharet. You have you been keeping secrets from me again?”
Lothair eyed D’Artagnon up and down, settling on his scar, and D’Artagnon fought the instinct to hide it beneath his hair. Curiosity and a myriad of questions brimmed in the comte’s eyes. Questions D’Artagnon had no intention of answering. Not now. His brother’s mate and unborn pup were in grave peril. And Constance was with them. He took a step toward the comte, with a mind to shoulder his way through the keep guards. A ring of steel snapped into place, swords leveled at his chest.
Lothair sidled up to him. “Now, now D’Artagnon. What is the rush?”
D’Artagnon stood his ground. It would take more than Comte Lothair and a handful of his keep guards to stop D’Artagnon from going after Lance. Ending this once and for all.
Gaharet stepped between them. “Now is not the place for this discussion. Nor the time.” He leaned closer to the comte, keeping his voice low. “Lance was Renaud’s informant.”
“Well, then.” Lothair gestured at the pleasure house. “Let us apprehend him.”
D’Artagnon snarled his frustration.
“He is no longer inside,” muttered Gaharet.
Lothair’s brows shot up toward his hairline. “No longer—” He waved his hand at them. “Lance got past all of you?”
“We need to get back to my keep.Now.”
Lothair scrutinized them all, then gave a nod to his men. “Lower your swords.” He looked around. “Where are the rest of your horses?”
Gaharet pointed beyond the wall. “In the forest.”
“Capitaine,” Lothair called the man over. “Send two men to fetch their horses. And bring me a score of mounted men, and my horse saddled and ready to ride. Meet me at the gate. Go.”
The capitaine issued orders and scurried off with the guards.
Lothair turned toward the gate. “Walk with me.”
D’Artagnon gritted his teeth, but followed. At least they were heading in the right direction. And the keep guard was gone. Their drawn swords had made his skin itch, his wolf bursting to come out.
They hustled out of the alley, the few people in these narrow back streets scurrying out of their way.
“I guessed you were after Lance when you all converged on the pleasure house,” said Lothair. “I have spies, too, Gaharet. There is nothing that goes on in my county that I do not know about.” He gave D’Artagnon a hard look. “Mostly. But why are we heading for your keep? Would we not be better served going after Lance?”
Lothair was helping them?
“Lance has gone after our mates,” said Gaharet, the fear for Erin and his pup in the pace of his strides and the terseness of his voice.
Lothair grunted. “It is a wonder your kind has survived this long. Threaten your women and it brings you to your knees. HowdidLance evade you all? He did not leave through the door as you did. Out the window, perhaps?”
D’Artagnon could not stop the growl that rumbled in his chest at the thought of Cordelia. “He has a witch on his side.”
Lothair stopped abruptly. “A witch?” He shook his head and caught up with them. “Werewolves, magical amulets, a chevalier who comes back from the dead. It should not surprise me witches also exist.” Lothair sighed. “Best we keep this information from that witch hunter, Faucher. Or maybe we tell him and use Faucher to track her down.”
D’Artagnon tightened his grip on his sword. Risk Faucher finding Constance? If he had to silence Lothair himself, he would not let that happen.
