Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane, Chapter 9, By Ruth Nalio

Autumn…

Monday! That meant we were to go hunting today! I just loved my sarcasm especially when it was in my own head and I couldn’t share it with anyone. Well, I guess if I were to get out of bed and have breakfast, I might just have someone to share my sarcasm with. Father wouldn’t like it much but I thought I’d enjoy myself very much.

Father wouldn’t be happy when I came down in pants either. I believed he’d been thinking that I was bluffing or something the week before when I asked Jude if he’d mind. Well, I wasn’t, dresses were ridiculous when it came to hunting. He’d be even more upset with me when he saw the kind of shirt I was wearing.

I pulled on my pants quickly and through on my shirt then laced up my boots before brushing out my hair and tying it back out of my face. Then I rushed down the steps. I could smell the eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, ham, and coffee as I walked toward the dining room. Father always liked to have a large breakfast before going on a hunt, just as I did. Taking food with you was always an option but a bad one. The smell of the food would give you away. Sometimes I even ate before I got dressed so as to not carry the smell with me.

My father looked up at me as I walked in. I didn’t even give him a chance to say anything about my clothing. “Jude said it was fine for me to wear pants, so don’t give me that look. If I’m going to hunt and be on my best behavior today then I’ll be comfortable.”

“You shouldn’t have to try to be on your best behavior, you should be having too much fun to care.”

“Good then everyone should be having too much fun to care.”

He just shook his head. “Eat your breakfast.”

“You think I’d pass up a good meal?”

“When it comes to spending time with Trystan you start acting odd.”

“That’s only because he upsets me so.”

“If you would just give him a chance and bite back your words once in a while he might not upset you so.”

“I doubt that.”

“You’re right, you couldn’t bite back your words to save your life.”

“I have to learn how far I can push him, Father, just like I do everyone I meet.”

“You don’t do that to your girlfriends.”

“That’s because they are not in my life as much. Plus, you’d be surprised what women talk about. Men are the only ones that need to be tested.”

“You’d be wise not to test men too much. Trystan and I may not hit you, but another man may.”

“You wouldn’t let them.”

“I won’t always be there to stop them. Most men would tell me to hit you myself.”

“You wouldn’t.” As soon as the words had left my mouth I knew they were a mistake. “Unless I deserved it of course.”

“You might not want to push me as far as you do. You’re not too big to be taught your place.” He said as he chucked my chin. This was his way of saying ‘I’m a man whether you like it or not.’

“I know Father.”

Trystan…

Autumn and her father would arrive any moment. I couldn’t wait to see if she was serious about the pants or not. If she were I would have to use it to my advantage, of course. The more we fought the more likely it was that we would get out of this engagement.

I took a sip of my coffee and looked out the window again. I’d already eaten a bowl of oatmeal, four eggs, six pieces of bacon, two pieces of toast with jam, three biscuits with gravy, and a slice of fried ham. Father was behind me still eating at the table and drinking his coffee. He must have eaten half as much as me so far and was pushing to eat more. I had to hold back the laughter at how easy it was for me to eat so much.

“For someone who can’t stand their fiancé you sure are watching for her.”

“I’m merely curious as to whether or not she was serious about wearing pants. I’ve never seen a woman in pants. Then again women are not supposed to wear pants.”

“That’s what society says, but I think that if the woman is comfortable in them, then let her.”

“Would you wish to be seen with a woman who dresses like a man?”

“I’m not opposed to it, but then again I do know how appealing a pair of legs are.” I didn’t say anything to his comment. What was there to say? He had painted quite a picture. I did have to wonder how long Autumn’s legs were, and how shapely. Stop it! I shouldn’t think of such things!

“We’ll know soon enough. They are coming around the corner now.”

“So soon?”

“I told you to eat faster,” I told him as I watched the carriage pull to a stop. Father must have told them that he had horses for them to ride.

“You need to slow them down, and distract them while I finish eating.”

“You think they ate well enough?” I didn’t want to stop because they became hungry.

“If not then it's their fault. I’ll not be teaching them the rules of hunting. Mason should know himself.”

“As you wish father.” I walked away from the window and down the hall. Mason was just leaving the carriage when I reached the bottom of the steps. He smiled at me and motioned me over to him.

“Would you be a gentleman and help Autumn out the other door even though she is dressed like a boy?” Mason said jokingly.

“I wouldn’t pass up this chance for anything. So she really has pants on?” The door was already open and one booted foot stuck out.

“Of course I have pants, and I don’t need help getting out of this thing.” I watched as the rest of the leg followed the boot. The pants were snug on her very long legs. By the moon they were shapely! Tight, well-formed calves, thick, yet slim thighs, all led to round hips. I could only imagine what they looked like under the cloth!

“You’re really wearing pants.” That was all I could say.

“You expected a bluff?”

“Well I didn’t know what to expect but it sure as hell wasn’t this.”

“Just what is that supposed to mean?” She put her hands in fists on those round hips of hers. “Look at my face, not my legs!” She demanded, snapping me out of it.

“You look ridiculous.” I lied. I noticed for the first time that she was wearing a button-up shirt that was tight as well but made for her since the buttons didn’t bulge at her well-endowed breasts.

“You couldn’t even wear a woman’s shirt?”

She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t expect you to take this well at all.”

“I’m going to have to say that you had these made special for you since they don’t fit like any man’s clothes that I’ve ever seen.”

“Actually you're only partially right. I made them myself. I do have some feminine qualities.” She stuck her chin up in a defiant motion when she said this. “Now if you’ll excuse me I must get my horse unattached from the carriage.”

She turned on her heel and walked away in a way that would have made the most respectable man wish to groan. God help me her ass was beautiful! In the pants, it was perfectly outlined. Full, round, and desirable! And the way she rolled her hips from side to side when she walked made it all the more appealing! Lord, I was lost in the perfection of her ass!

I shook my head and walked after her to help with the horses. It had simply been too long since I’d had a woman. Let alone a woman shaped like her. Now that I thought about it, I don’t believe I’d ever had a woman shaped like Autumn. She was one hell of a fine-built woman. Damn the moon! Stop thinking of that!

“Are you ill?” Autumn said as she gave me the strangest look.

“I’m fine, why?”

“You seem to be distracted. You’ve hardly said a word to me, hardly an insult.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Well, no, but you also, well-” She trailed off.

“I what?” I half snarled at her hesitation.

She squared her shoulders, “Well you growled at me.”

“I did no such thing.” Panic rushed through me. Damn the wolf! It was affecting me now!

“Yes, you did! Don’t stand there and tell me that I’m wrong when I know damn well what I heard!”

“I was clearing my throat,” I said after a moment’s hesitation. Thank the moon I thought fast.

“If you say so. I’m not going to argue the point when we both know I’m right.”

“The hell you are.”

“Trystan!” Father said as he rounded the horses. “There is no need for such language!”

“If you knew how infuriating this woman was then you’d be cursing as well.”

“It was my fault. I should not have asked why he growled at me.”

Father’s eyes widened and he looked at me in shock, “You growled at her?”

“I was clearing my throat and she continues to say that I growled at her.”

“Because you did,” Autumn said defiantly as she crossed her arms.

“That’s enough,” Father said before I could get out another word. “Now you help her to get her horse.”

Autumn smiled and turned to the horses and I looked at Father. He glanced at Autumn then turned to me then his head snapped back to Autumn in surprise. His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide once more. He looked at me and then Autumn, then back at me. He mouthed ‘Is that why’ and I shook my head. He shook his head and walked away.

Father would no doubt have something to say to her benefit once he got the chance. Autumn was a fine woman but she was also the most infuriating person I’d ever met. I walked to the other side of the horse so as to avoid being close to her. She looked over the horse's back and glared at me with a hateful smile. “ Ger. ” I said with a smile of my own.

She pursed her lips and ground her jaw. I knew she was fighting to keep from saying something. I visibly stifled a laugh and mocked her anger just to get under her skin. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and smiled sweetly at me. So she wanted to give me a challenge? “ Ger. ” This time I drug out the sound longer.

“I’m not going to let you get to me today. I know what I heard and that was not it.”

“Really? How about, growl?” I said with obviously fake curiosity.

“You know, it’s getting close.” She said with a fake look of interest on her face.

“Okay, grr.” This time I did growl at her.

She narrowed her eyes. “That was damn close to what it was.”

“I’m glad to have gotten closer to what you imagined.”

“I didn’t imagine it!” She said in a louder voice.

“Trystan! Autumn! Stop it and get on with the horse!” Father said and Mason laughed softly. I could hear him? Normally I wouldn’t be able to hear his laugh. I put my fight with Autumn aside and focused on the whispered conversation Father and Mason were having.

“What are they fighting about now, Jude?”

“Autumn said that Trystan growled at her and Trystan is claiming to have just cleared his throat.”

Mason laughed. “My bet is he did growl, she can be quite infuriating at times.”

“I don’t think it was that. I believe it was the pants. It was a good idea to let her wear them today. If you ask me, Trystan likes the way she looks in them. No disrespect to your daughter, she is a lovely young woman.”

“You don’t have to defend yourself, she’s built like her mother was. Most men stare at her, that’s why I don’t like letting her wear pants.”

“It may just be a good thing around Trystan. Maybe he’ll give up trying to get this wedding called off.”

“Maybe. Now all we have to do is get my little Aut to give up. That’s the hard part.”

“As soon as Trystan comes to his senses and tries wooing her I’m sure it will be easier. They already get along when they're working against us.”

I tuned them out and looked at Autumn who was glaring at me. “What?”

“You didn’t have to help me if you didn’t want to, all you’re doing is standing there.”

“I was trying to listen to what our fathers were talking about. We have to stop working together so happily to get out of this engagement. They seem to think that if we can get along when working to end this there is hope for us yet.”

She smiled at me, “I can’t stand you! Even when we are working toward the same thing you are infuriating! If we do wed, then you’d best sleep with your door locked and one eye open because I will kill you!” She said loudly and covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

“You’d best do the same!” I snapped back.

“Autumn!” Mason came around the horses with Father on his heels. “That’s no way to talk to your fiancé!”

“That’s easily solved, just make it so he’s no longer my fiancé!”

“Autumn,” Mason said in a low calm voice that was not to be misunderstood. It was a way of telling her she had gone too far.

Autumn shivered but stiffened her spine. “Trystan, I think my father would like it if I apologized to you.”

“From the look that my father is giving me I’d best say sorry to you as well. Will you forgive my earlier comments?”

“As long as you forgive me mine.”

“You are forgiven.”

Mason stepped close to Autumn and whispered, “If you say such again you’ll regret it.” Autumn stuck up her chin but gave her head one quick nod of agreement.

“It’s my fault, I should not have started it,” I said.

“You don’t need to defend me, Trystan. I should not have been trying so hard to get my father to call off this wedding.”

Mason looked at me then at Autumn. “Was there even anything that caused you to say such?”

“The fact that if we work well together on one thing then you’ll think there is hope yet. Just because I’m 18 doesn’t make me stupid.”

“Autumn, do not push me any further.”

“Actually, I told her to start this.” I clarified.

“Just because the two of you piss us off doesn’t mean we will call off this wedding. Remember that, Trystan.” Father said. “You’d do best to think about the trouble you just got Autumn into for naught.”

“I got myself into it. He didn’t tell me to be so hateful; he just told me that the two of you would think there was hope for us yet if we continued to get along.”

“I don’t want to hear any more about this, do you, Jude?” Mason said as he turned from Autumn.

“No, I do not. Finish this horse. It should have been done five minutes ago.”

Autumn waited for them to walk away before she took a shuddering breath and turned around with her eyes closed. “That was a complete failure. All I did was get myself into so much trouble that Father wants nothing more than to beat me.”

“Are you going to cry?” I asked softly.

She opened her eyes and glared at me. “Do I look like I’m going to cry?”

“Well you did, but not now that your eyes are open.”

“I was trying to control my anger, it wouldn’t do to hit the horse.” She said as I undid the last of the harness on my side.

“It wouldn’t.”

“So what is our next move? Just because my Father’s mad at me doesn’t mean that I’m giving up.”

“I don’t know. I say we just do what we normally do since it seems to be bothering them. As long as they don’t see us getting along, maybe we could just not talk to one another.”

“That sounds like a good plan, let’s start now.” She took the lead of the horse and walked away from me without another word. Father and Mason were waiting for us around the side of the house.

“Do the two of you have your guns?” Mason asked as he looked from me to Autumn. Autumn gave a nod in agreement so I did the same. I wasn’t going to be the first to break our silence.

“Let’s go then, shall we?” Father said then mounted his horse. We all did the same and began riding to the woods.