Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane, Chapter 13, By Ruth Nalio

Autumn…

I downed a scotch as Father stood glaring at me with his arms crossed. I was going to be in for it after today. I had been pushing him further than ever before all day. I decided to keep my back to him and wait for him to explode on me. I poured myself another drink but didn’t so much as take a sip.

“I can’t believe the way you’ve been acting today. I thought that today might be a chance for you and Trystan to get to know each other without all the fighting, and what did you do? You made a complete mess of things! Every time I turned around you were arguing with him! Then to top it off, you were disrespectful to Jude!”

I closed my eyes and waited for him to say more, when he didn’t I decided to talk, “I don’t know what else to do to get you to understand-”

“Don’t! Don’t even start telling me that again! You and Trystan will stop acting like children! Do you understand me?” I took a deep breath, and then a drink of my scotch. I could feel him waiting for an answer, but I wasn’t going to give him one. “I said, do you understand me?” He demanded.

I opened my eyes and spun around to face him. “Trystan and I will stop acting like children when you stop treating us like children, and stop trying to force us into something that we don’t want!” The words spilled out of my mouth before I could even think of what I was saying, but I didn’t regret it.

Father acted like he was going to hit me but stopped himself at the last minute, inches from my face. I didn’t so much as flinch. I tightened my jaw and stuck up my chin. He turned around and ran a hand threw his hair. I downed the rest of my drink and set the glass down with a thud. “Go to bed.”

I nearly argued with him but decided better of it. I walked out of the room without another word and without so much as a glance at him. Once I got in my room and closed the door, I slammed my back against it and sank to the floor. I buried my face in my hands and held back the scream of rage caught in my chest.

It was all so hopeless! What was I to do, what else could I do? I had to find a way out of this! I couldn’t just give in and get married, especially not to Trystan! All we did was fight! Maybe, if he wouldn’t try to start a fight with me, it could work. No! I didn’t want that, it would never work! There was no bright side to this and never would be unless I got out of it.

I sat there, on the floor, and hugged my knees. The hopelessness was heavy in my chest. My stomach was knotted up with the feeling. My head was swimming with useless ideas, ones that had already failed. I had to find a way out, I just had to, I couldn’t let this happen. What was I going to do?

Trystan…

“What the hell was that!?” Father fumed, madder than I’d seen him in years. “What the hell do the two of you think you’re going to get out of all this? You’re not getting out of this engagement, Trystan, no matter what you do! Especially since the two of you find it so easy to work together at pushing me and Mason so far!”

“Are you done?” I asked calmly.

He turned to face me, his eyes wide and on fire with anger. “Am I done?” He yelled, “No I’m not done! The way you behaved is unacceptable! You were both disrespectful and ruined what should have been a wonderful day for all of us! What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Well, I think you should take into consideration that you and Mason are the only ones happy with this arrangement.”

“Trystan! What the hell does that have to do with what happened tonight?”

“Everything!” I yelled back at him. “If you weren’t forcing the two of us into this it would be a different story! If we can’t get along now, what makes you think she’s going to calmly accept what I am? You don’t think that I would frighten her? She already knows how much I dislike her, what do you think she’ll think when she finds out what I really am!”

“If you start treating her with respect, stop trying to start fights with her, and start acting like you like her then she won’t think anything bad will come of it!”

“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think? The first time I let my guard down she’ll run to her father and tell him what I am! Then you’ll have no son. He’ll have both of us killed!”

“You don’t know that,” Father said in a steady voice as he looked me in the eye. “You don’t know how they’ll react. You haven’t given yourself the chance to get to know anything but Autumn’s anger.”

“I know plenty, she’s arrogant, a damn good shot with any weapon in her hand, and damn near the gutsiest woman I’ve ever met. On top of all of that, she’s the single most infuriating woman I’ve ever met in my life!”

Father smiled, “She’s also the most intriguing woman you’ve ever laid eyes on. You’ll have her dancing through your dreams at night with the way she looked in those pants.”

I growled and ground my teeth together. “No woman should ever be allowed to wear pants! It's unnatural!”

“It does things to a man, especially a man that’s trying like hell to deny that he’s interested.” Father smiled.

“You bloody bastard, you’re enjoying this!” I accused him.

He laughed, “You’re not the only one who can fake being mad.” He winked and fixed himself a drink.

“You won’t be faking anything if you don’t stop drinking that.”

“Calm yourself, this is my last drink.”

“Father, this is never going to work, and you know it. I’ll never be able to get married as long as I am what I am.”

“You’ll see, it will work. You’ll find a cure. You may never need to tell her.”

“What if I don’t have to, what if she finds out the hard way?” I asked before turning and leaving the room. I wasn’t going to give him the chance to respond to that. I heard him call my name down the hall, but I only quickened my pace. Before I knew it, I was in my room with the door closed behind me.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the moon, my curse, my master. “Damn you,” I said under my breath. I turned away from the window, walked to the basin of water next to my bed, and washed my face. I would have to get fresh water for it in the morning. “Autumn, I pray you have a better plan than I, my father seems as though he’s not fazed by my affliction,” I spoke to my ceiling before dropping onto my bed and closing my eyes.

Autumn’s ball was held in a brilliant castle. Dancers whirled by in radiant colors with bejeweled masks. I heard Autumn sigh as we entered through the large double doors. Autumn was wearing a particularly elegant burgundy gown and a black mask with feathers. Her dark curls were twisted up on top of her head with a few well-placed curls hanging loose.

The gown was one that drew the eye. It was cut to hang just on the edge of the shoulders in loose sleeves. The bodice was tight and outlined her figure perfectly. Her bosom was plumped in a way that would draw any man’s eye. The skirt hung full and heavy about her legs and drug the floor in a train ever so slightly.

“I expect you’ll be wanting me to dance with you?” I asked in a whisper as she hardly touched the arm I escorted her with.

She looked at me then for the first time, “It’s required at this sort of event.”

“I don’t know how well I’ll waltz but I’ll try. Would you mind terribly if I got some refreshments first?” I asked as I eyed through my simple black mask decorated with black feathers.

“All they serve is champagne.”

“Would you like a glass?”

“Yes.” She gave me a confused look.

“I’ll only give you one dance, then you’ll excuse me as I dance with other women and you with other men. Surely it will reach my father or yours that we danced but only once.” I winked at her and she smiled back at me and took her arm away from mine quickly.

“Let’s show in actions but not words how much we do not wish to be here with each other, then, shall we?”

“Perfect, my dear.” I walked away from Autumn and scanned the women floating around the room. I could feel the pull of the moon as I neared the windows. It was only a matter of days before I changed. I was taking a risk being here, but what choice did I have? Not a woman in the room was catching my interest, they were all too full of powder and too pale.

“Two please,” I said as I approached the waiter.

“You have a young miss you’re trying to woo tonight sir?”

“I’m not wooing anyone at the moment,” I said dryly. I looked once more as I made my way back to Autumn. It was no use, they all looked too fake, too transparent, too breakable. “Here you are.” I handed the Champaign to Autumn.

“See anything you like?” She asked in a clipped tone.

“Not particularly.”

“Yes, well I’ll have to see if I have better luck than you.” She sipped her Champaign and looked around the room without hiding it.

I downed my Champaign and looked at Autumn, “Let's get this dancing thing over with, then you can dance with every man here for all I care.” I held up a hand and waited for her to accept it.

She downed the rest of her drink as well then set it next to a plant. She put one gloved hand in mine, “This should be interesting.”

“We’ll see.” I pulled her into the waltz effortlessly and began turning her around the room. She was as skilled a dancer as any, which surprised me. Her fiery temperament lingered just below the surface though. “You look lovely tonight, Autumn.”

“Thank you?”

“Let's just hope that it's enough for some man to overlook your temper.”

She narrowed her eyes, “And let's hope that you look presentable enough for at least one young lady to overlook your failing charm.”

“I only have failing charm when I’m forced to be someplace I don’t wish to be.”

“And you think I wanted to be here with you?”

“This is the kind of party you enjoy, I find it boring.”

“Then it is not my fault that you are so difficult to please.”

Autumn…

The waltz ended and Trystan stepped away from me. “I’m not so difficult, I’m just diverse.” He didn’t even bow before he walked away. He needed all the help he could get with his manners. Let’s hope that the way his wavy hair was tied back with a few unruly wisps escaping caught the interest of one of the women here tonight. Or perhaps the way his crisp white shirt looked across his broad shoulders under the black overcoat.

“May I have this dance?” A young man asked, pulling me out of my fuming.

I smiled sweetly at him, “It would be my honor.”

“May I say, that gentleman was a fool to walk away from such a lovely young woman as yourself.”

“Lucky for you, though.”

“Yes.” He smiled and glanced down at my breasts then quickly back at my face. “Lucky for me.” We began the dance and all conversation faded into meaningless words. I watched, in each turn, as a young woman got closer and closer to Trystan, talking to him, practically begging him to dance with her. He only smiled sweetly and said a few words that I couldn’t hear.

When the dance ended she gave a small sigh and looked longingly at the dancers. “What are you looking at, my dear?”

“Nothing. Would you excuse me? I need something to drink.” I walked away, picked up a glass, and sipped at it close enough that I thought I would be able to hear what Trystan was saying.

“The next dance is for you. I need to run through the steps in my head first though. I wouldn’t want to disappoint such a lovely creature as yourself.”

She giggled, “That’s alright. So what brings you here tonight?”

“My father had me escort this young woman who thinks I’m a scoundrel.”

She giggled, “Now, you can tell me the truth.”

“I am. This woman hates me. I don’t care much for her, either. She’s not like you, you’re delicate and sweet, she’s strong-willed and sharp-tongued.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat.

He gave a soft laugh, “I’m just teasing you, I know a person who knows the bride and groom.”

She laughed, “How lovely.”

“It's not polite to eavesdrop, Autumn.” I gave a start and turned my head quickly to see a young man that my father worked with. It had taken me a moment longer to recognize him under the mask that covered one eye. It was black and white with a swirling gold design on it.

“It's not polite to call me Autumn either.” I pointed out with a small smile.

“Only if someone overhears.”

“Then let’s hope no one heard.”

“Would you like to dance with someone you know tonight?”

“Why yes, I would.” I sat down my drink and took the hand he held out. It was all so elegant here, all so simple. It was fun to be spun around the dance floor, but not what I longed for. One mindless spin after another, chasing away some of the loss I felt deep inside. At the end of the song it was all the same, bow, thank you, and find a new partner.

My new partner was a bit older, around 26 or more. He smiled and wrapped his arm around my waist. “You are a fine woman to hold.” He whispered in my ear, no doubt trying to woo me. We danced around and around. He wouldn’t stop looking at my breasts though. When I cleared my throat he looked at me and smiled, “I’m only admiring your dress.”

I gave him a small frown to let him know I wasn’t buying it. Smiling, he leaned in close to my ear, “Your perfume is like a field of wildflowers, your skin as smooth as cream.” I almost laughed at the last one. “And your curls, I’d love to see your curls spread over my pillows.”

“I beg your pardon!” I said in surprise as I tried to pull away.

“Don’t make a scene, I was just telling you the truth.” His hold on my waist tightened. “Maybe later we can sneak away and steal a kiss.” He said as he brushed his lips against my ear.

“Let. Me. Go,” I said as I pulled away from him.

“There’s no need to be rude.” He chided me.

“Let go of me this instant or I will make a scene.”

“I’ll not have a woman threaten me.” He said in a gruff voice.

“How about a man?” Trystan’s voice came from behind me.

“This isn’t any of your business.” The man said to Trystan as he loosened his hold on me. We had stopped dancing, as well as many people around us.

“I don’t think you're being nice to the lady, and that is my business.”

He let go of me entirely and shoved me to the side. “Really, and just who’s to say she wasn’t being impolite to me first?”

“I know she can be quite a handful, seeing as she is my fiancé, but I was listening to the entire conversation, and I don’t like the way you were talking to her.”

He backed up and looked at me then Trystan, “You’re engaged?”

Trystan narrowed his eyes and shook his head in confirmation.

“You lucky bastard, I’d love to be the one to break her in.”

“If you keep talking like that, I’ll break you, sir,” Trystan said calmly.

“Are you threatening me?”

“I don’t like to see a woman treated badly, especially when she has done nothing wrong.” Trystan set his jaw and took a step closer to the man. The other man seemed to shrink, as Trystan got closer.

“I think it’s time we go, Trystan,” I said as I stepped up next to them and put my hand on Trystan’s shoulder. I felt the tension slowly ease away under my hand. “Excuse, us sir.”

“There is no need to be polite to him, Autumn.” Trystan took my hand off his shoulder and tucked it in the crook of his arm and led me out of the doors. Once we were out of earshot of the people within he stopped. “I should have thrown him out on his ass for what he said to you. No man should talk that way to a proper lady such as yourself.”

“How the hell did you hear what he said to me?”

“You shouldn’t have tried to get between us. If I had been in any less control of myself, you could have been hurt. I should have ripped his head off.” He growled.

“Trystan,” I said softly and touched his chest lightly with my fingers. When he looked at me I could see the anger in his eyes. “Thank you.”

The anger in his eyes melted away and became replaced with shock. “What the hell are our parents going to think?”

What did he mean? I was getting confused now. “What do you mean, what will they think? The man was holding me inappropriately, saying derogatory things to me, and trying to kiss my ear and neck.”

“No, not about that!” He waved it aside, “I called you my fiancé, in front of all those people.”

“Oh.” I’d forgotten that.

“Yes, oh.”

“Well, you said it with disgust.” I tried.

“Let me think.” He looked at the ground for a moment then snapped his fingers, “I’ve got it! You need to get mad at me for making a sean and I’ll get mad at you for making a fool of me in public.” He said with a smile.

“Well, that certainly works.” I shivered as a chilled wind blew across my bare arms.

He looked me up and down then rolled his eyes. He put an arm around my shoulders. “Let's get you into the carriage before you catch a cold. With the way you’re dressed, it's no wonder you shivered.”

I wanted to pull away, but the warmth rolling off his body and around mine held me in place. “It was just a cold wind is all, I’m not going to get sick off of one cold wind. I’ve been outside in far less.” I shut my eyes to the words that slipped out of my mouth.

He stopped and looked at me, “Less?” He asked with his brows raised.

I thought for a moment then, “Yes, thinner skirts and short sleeves like this. What did you think I meant?”

He narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down once again, “With your coloring, one could only assume that you meant something less decent.”

“And what if I did? It’s no business of yours.”

“For now it is. Let’s hope we can change that, though.” He mumbled fiancé under his breath and shook his head as we walked to our carriage. “We’re leaving.”

“So soon, sir?”

“Yes, there was an incident that I’d rather not discuss at the moment.”

“Only because you made a scene,” I said as I turned my back on the coachman and winked at Trystan.

“Don’t start with me, woman, get in the damned carriage.”

“I don’t have to do anything you say,” I said as I crossed my arms.

“Have it your way then.” He moved so quickly that I had no time to react.

“Put me down!” I demanded as he picked me up and stuffed me in the carriage. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting away from this bloody ball.” He growled and climbed in after me. Once he had the door closed he smiled and winked at me. “Had to make it look good.”

“Yes, well, you could have let me in on it first.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He smiled even wider.

“Oooo! You are so aggravating!” I said loud enough that the driver could hear, but it wasn’t just for show and Trystan knew it.

“Nowhere near as aggravating as that damned ball.” He said in all honesty.

“Really? And just what is your idea of a good time?”

“You wouldn’t like it.”

I crossed my arms. “Try me.”

“You want me to take you to a real party? Fine. After my business trip, I’ll take you to a real party.”

“A real party? Just what is this real party like?”

“Fun.”

“Really, and just what is fun like?”

“Not like that ball.”

“Ger! Tell me what it is!”

He smiled a wicked smile, “Unsophisticated fun.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means if I want to hit someone then I have every right to, and society won’t look badly on me for it because they won’t know. Have you changed your mind yet?”

“No,” I said coolly and looked him square in the eye.

He smiled wickedly. “I hope you tell every detail of it to your father then, just so he knows what kind of life I like to live.”

“I’m sure I will.” This was going to be good. I could only hope that it would help us to get out of this engagement.