Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane, Chapter2 By Ruth Nalio

Trystan…

Watching Autumn as our parents became friends, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her look of disgust. How on Earth were the two of us supposed to get out of this arrangement if our parents found our dislike of each other a way to become better acquainted? Unless the two of us were to work together?

Just the thought of it made me cringe. Getting close to Autumn or even letting her get close to me could be a horrible mistake, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t just sit back and let this happen. I could talk to my father and get him to realize what a mistake this would be, and I could get her to talk to her father about the same thing, heaven knew she was anything but spineless.

“Mason, would you care to join me in the sitting room for a cigar and brandy? I’m sure the kids will not kill each other in our absence.” My father offered.

“If you feel confident they will be fine without us then how can I decline?” Jude accepted with only a glance at us.

“Father! You are leaving me alone with a man? That is improper!”

“Autumn, I think we have nothing to worry about but the safety of his ears.” Mason dismissed her complaint.

“I do believe my ears will be fine.” This was just the opportunity I needed to talk to her and make a plan to get this entire thing called off.

“What? Are you all insane?”

“A footman will be right in the next room. If, for some reason, my son decides to accost you, just raise your voice and he will be at your assistance.”

“Truly, Autumn, he is to be your husband anyway.”

“But Father-”

“Enough.” Although it was soft-spoken, even I could tell Mason had put his foot down on the matter.

“Yes, Father,” she grumbled.

I patiently watched as our parents left the room before turning my attention to Autumn, who was again sulking. What was it with women and sulking when they didn’t get their way? Never mind that, damn the moon! Even now it was getting the best of me.

“Autumn, let's set aside our obvious distaste for each other, hmm?”

I watched as she rolled her eyes before saying, “Oh, don’t start that bullshit. You don’t want this any more than I do.”

Sitting back, ignoring the shock of her cursing and taking a sip of my wine, I smiled at her, “Exactly.”

To that, she sat forward and allowed an adorable little crease to mark her forehead. It was a moment before she finally took the bait. “Okay, you have my attention. Just what are you thinking?”

“I am thinking that we can work together toward the same goal, that is, if you truly don’t want this marriage, because I can reconsider the arrangement-” I hoped my bluff would not cost me.

“Just tell me what you mean already! Lord knows I don’t want this marriage.”

“If you could talk to your father and make him see how doomed this is-” she cut me off before I could finish.

“I already have told him I do not wish to get married.”

“I believe I was talking. If we are going to work together then we must allow each other to talk before adding our own.”

“Don’t expect an apology from me, just continue.”

“I am going to do everything in my power to convince my father tonight that this is a failed endeavor and it would be a good thing for you to do the same with your father.”

“May I?”

I smiled at her obvious hate of asking my permission to speak. “Yes.”

“Our parents already know of our dislike of each other, how will we convince them this is a bad match?”

“Do you have anything that you could possibly use against your father? I hate to suggest blackmail, but it’s the only thing I’ve got that could work against mine and I was hoping you had something of the sort.”

“As a matter of fact, I just might have a bargaining chip or two now that I think of it.” A devilish spark lit her eye.

“Like what? I want to know if it's some silly thing you think will work but any self-respecting man wouldn’t think twice about?”

“Thank you very much, it’s none of your business, and this is something he will not stop thinking about once I bring it to his attention. Just what do you have that’s such good leverage?”

“Well, Autumn, as you so delicately pointed out, it isn’t any of your business.”

“If all else fails you can always tell him you're more interested in men.”

To that, I had to laugh, “Autumn, my father has caught me with too many women.”

“Just because you kiss a girl or two doesn’t mean he will not believe it.”

“My father has caught me doing a lot more than kissing a girl,” I said carefully.

“I knew that, but you didn’t have to say it! I could have thought of you just kissing them but now every time I look at you I’m going to see your rump in the air!”

Shock rolled through me then suddenly it hit me, “You're not a virgin?”

“I most certainly am! Just because a woman has never done it does not mean I don’t know how it’s done or that it’s done, especially when my father wanted me to know just what any young lad would want from me! Not to mention the time I walked in on two of the servants doing the deed!”

This time I really couldn’t control myself. I burst out laughing. The thought of Autumn walking in on some poor unsuspecting servant was just too much! “I wonder who was more embarrassed, you or the servants!”

“I’m not sure, but I can tell you who was bare-assed!” Surprisingly she began to laugh. The single most musical sound I had ever heard in my life. “Truly, I think he was more angered than anything until he realized I might tell my father. Then he began begging that I forget the entire thing! As if my father would care! I told him and he only stifled a laugh and told me the woman was screaming in pain because s*x hurt women!” Then through her laughing she snorted and began crying she was laughing so hard. “As if any woman would scream, ‘more, more it feels so good, more!’-if -if- if it truly hurts!”

I lost all control and began laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. This was too much! Her father had almost succeeded in frightening her away from s*x even in the marriage bed! Suddenly I realized the footman was staring at the two of us as if we had gone mad. Then it hit me how loud she had imitated the girl she was talking about.

I cleared my throat and tried to stop my laughing, “Autumn was just telling me a story.” I watched as one brow rose in suspicion.

“I found two servants doing some rather inappropriate activities in the kitchen pantry when I was young and was just telling Trystan how my father had tried telling me the woman was in pain when clearly she liked it.” Autumn did her best to explain soberly.

Then our parents were there eyeing us questioningly. “We were coming down the hall when we heard Autumn’s, rather loud reenactment,” Mason said, eyeing his daughter with a half smile on his face. “Seems you caught me in a fib Aut. Had I known the words you heard I may have told you something else.”

Aut? That was just wrong for her. It must have been a childhood nickname Mason couldn’t let go. I wondered how irritating it was to her. I know I would kill my father if he called me any of my childhood nicknames.

“Now you do realize that it will hurt the first time though, that I’m not lying about.”

“Father!” I watched as Autumn turned bright red at her father’s openness.

“The two of you will be doing it soon enough, why not tell you what to expect on your wedding night now?” He defended as he too reddened.

“Father! You could have waited until we were alone to tell me this!”

“I guess you’re right. We’ll be going now anyhow unless you two have more to discuss?” Mason looked at me in question.

“Just one more thing, Autumn, I am afraid I will not be able to escort you to the ball. You see, I have some business that I have to take care of that I had completely forgotten about.”

“That’s not the real reason. I know why you aren’t taking me.” She countered.

I felt a moment of panic before quickly tapping it down, “Oh really? Why?’

“I’d bet you can’t dance to save your life, and you’re afraid that I’d ask you to dance.”

Sighing inwardly to myself, I replied, “How did I ever think such a thing would get past you? Well, now you’ve caught me. So you’ll find another escort?”

“Of course. Thank you for letting me know.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize this.”

“No problem. I’ll simply go with my friends and make a girl's outing of it.”

“Sounds lovely. Now that I know you’re going with a few other girls I regret not being able to attend.”

“It’s a shame; you could have gotten on well with one of them.”

“You may have to introduce me to a few of them.”

“Maybe,” she said as she climbed into her carriage.

I had to admit that had been a nice move by her, talking as if she would introduce me to one of her friends. Maybe one of our parents would see it as a sign that this was not a good idea. Then again, maybe Father would see it as another one of the challenges I should take up, winning over Autumn or making her jealous.

“What the hell was that,” Father demanded.

Maybe he wouldn’t, I smiled to myself, “I believe that was Autumn and I discussing the better option of other people.”

“Not that! You were discussing s*x with her? What the hell happened to the two of you hating each other? You had one hell of a show of dislike for one another at the table over dinner, and now you’re talking of s*x with her? Talking about other women!”

“Are you saying you were hoping I would drive her away? Because I have plenty of ways to do that one.”

“No! I’m saying that whatever game you’re playing at, I’m not biting! So you had better get used to Autumn and only Autumn, no other women!”

“You think I want to get involved with anyone? I don’t want to get close enough to anyone that I can be a danger to them, That’s why I leave two days before I become the monster that I am! What the hell makes you think that this betrothal is a good idea? You want me to hurt, or worse, kill that lovely young woman? I sure as hell don’t!”

“I think that if you were to woo her until she falls in love with you it won’t matter to her, and she will understand and know how to keep herself safe from you.”

“You think it’s that easy? What makes you think that she even could fall in love with me? And what makes you think that even if she falls in love with me it will be enough to accept what I am?”

“Because I accept what you are!”

“You’re my father, you’re a man! She is a delicate woman who can’t even eat when she is upset! She can’t even stand her father telling her that it will hurt her the first time!”

“She was comfortable enough to talk to you about finding a few servants having s*x!”

“I started that conversation by asking if she were a virgin!”

“Just why in the hell would you ask if she were a virgin if you have no interest in wedding her?”

“It was all a part of the conversation and I can’t remember now, but she said something to make me think otherwise. I was shocked and just blurted out the question. It doesn’t even matter anyhow.”

“It’s a good thing that she is a virgin though, it means you will not have to worry that she carries another man’s child when you wed.”

“Why can’t you see it’s not a good idea for us to wed?”

“I honestly think she would be able to handle it! And who’s to say you won’t have found a cure for yourself by then?”

“I have to leave in two days' time and will not be back for seven days or more after that. I am no closer to finding a cure than I was four months ago! All I know is if I were to eat the amount of wolfsbane it takes to cure me I would not only be cured but dead! There is no guarantee that any cure I come up with will not kill me! Do you wish to make her a widow so young if she can handle being married to a monster looking for the cure?”

“You are not a monster! You haven’t hurt anyone and you certainly haven’t killed anyone!”

“That’s right, I haven’t yet, and I certainly don’t want her to be the first.”

“You won’t hurt anyone!”

“Just because I would never hurt anyone unless I had to right now doesn’t mean I won’t when I’m an animal! Don’t you see it? How I start to change as I get closer and closer to the transformation? It’s not just physical! I can’t concentrate! I start thinking in a less civilized way and start getting angry easily! I don’t want to hurt anyone!”

“There is something about her that tells me she could take care of herself if something went wrong. Under all that propriety and femininity is a backbone stronger than this estate, and if you were to give her a chance, you might just see it! I don’t want to hear any more on the subject. As far as I am concerned, the only person who can call this off is Mason, and he seems to think you are just what his headstrong daughter needs.”

“I will never tell her because she will never accept it! She would think that the werewolf that has been terrorizing the town is me and tell the first person she can, and have me shot with a silver bullet before I even turn!”

“We’ll see.”

I couldn’t believe it! He just turned and walked away as if I hadn’t said a thing! Was he truly that eager to see me married? What could he think would happen; that she would ask to have my puppies? The woman could hardly stand being in the same room with me, let alone her ever falling in love with me!

I stormed up the steps to my room and forced myself to go over my notes once more. There had to be something I had missed. If I did find a cure that ended up killing me, maybe I could get lucky enough to find it before I got married. If wolfsbane wasn’t the answer, then there had to be something. I just had to find it! I had to.

Autumn…

I sincerely hoped he didn’t think I was serious about introducing him to anyone. I also hoped Father’s silence lasted until we got home. I didn’t know how to go about talking him out of this just yet. I just knew the angle I wanted to work from. Sadly, it was the only angle I had. Once I used it up, I had nothing else.

I risked a glance at him to see his face. It wasn’t mad, but it wasn’t happy either. It was like he was pondering something. I hoped that meant he was thinking of calling off the entire thing. Then again, he could have been thinking of a way to tell me that finding my husband-to-be another woman was not the way to encourage his faithfulness. Gods, I hoped not.

Maybe his silence was a good time for me to think of another angle for getting out of this engagement. Obviously, it had to be something more than ‘Father, we just can’t stand each other,’ otherwise, he would have called it off before dinner was over. With a heavy sigh, I settled back in the seat and closed my eyes against the night and the restlessness that came with it.

“I miss your mother so.”

At that, I snapped my eyes open again and looked at him, before glancing away quickly. He hardly ever talked about Mother. That was the last thing I was expecting out of him, or so I thought before he let out a soft chuckle.