Ravenwood(88)

Chapter Eighteen





Neither Caleb nor Hayter had returned by nightfall. The long day left Elinore with far too much time to ruminate on what the omega wolf had told her and she now feared for Caleb’s safety more so than before. She had not liked the idea of Caleb going after Hayter, but it had seemed a wise choice at the time. Now… Elinore stayed busy throughout the day assisting the staff of Ravenwood with their duties, feeling as though she had to be a constant, calm presence for them, but her mind churned with thoughts of Caleb finding Hayter - perhaps as some savage, feral beast.

Elinore recalled the animal that bit her in the woods. She could not reconcile the creature that bit her with a human being, not even Hayter. She could easily reconcile the idea of Caleb with that of the black wolf - both quiet, unobtrusive creatures. But the animal that had bit her had been demonic. A hellhound. Mad yellow eyes, slavering jaws, sharp teeth. Her arm ached with the sense memory of being bitten, of feeling teeth sink into her flesh and pull. God, the pull of those teeth against her flesh had been nausea-inducing. She’d stabbed the wolf. She’d shot it. Had Hayter appeared injured when she first met him? At all? Would she have known if he had been hurt? Caleb said wounds from silver took longer to heal. How much longer? Would Caleb have known if Hayter had been injured?

Another thought batted against the confines of her mind, like a hurricane trapped in a bottle - swirling and crashing against the perimeter, lashing out fast and violent. Did Caleb know Hayter was the one that bit her?

Elinore dismissed the thought. No, Caleb must not know his uncle was the one that bit her, nor the one that was terrorizing the countryside killing animals and driving fear into the residents. That left Elinore in an uncomfortable position - to be the one to tell Caleb that his uncle was possibly entirely mad. She did not relish the thought. She thought back on how Caleb had spoken of his family, how he’d articulated that his uncle was all he had left. Could she be the one to take that from him? Did she have a choice? Hayter could not be allowed to continue as he had been. As Elinore understood it, his attacks were growing more savage and she feared it was only a matter of time before Hayter turned his attentions to human prey. What then?

She would have to tell Caleb. She would simply have to.

But, he would be unlikely to believe her as easily as she believed the omega. Elinore had no love lost for Hayter. She’d not liked him from the start - he was strange and peculiar. While Caleb may have issues with him, Elinore had no doubt that he loved Hayter as family. Family was a strong bond, one she was loath to break. Elinore might need proof of Hayter’s behavior, proof that he was the feral wolf. She did not yet know if she loved Caleb, for truly they had not known each other for very long, but she knew her heart held an affection for him. She hoped that his heart held one for her. But would that be enough?

“You’ve hardly touched your food, dear. Is it not to your liking?”

Elinore looked up from where she’d been staring blindly, not seeing her food, into the kind face of Mrs. Thistlewaite. Elinore had not even heard her come out of the kitchen, so intent on her thoughts.

“Oh, forgive me. It’s wonderful, Mrs. Thistlewaite. I’m merely… woolgathering.”

Mrs. Thistlewaite seemed hesitant and then spoke. “May I sit and speak with you a moment?”

“Please,” Elinore said, gesturing to the chair at the head of the table.

Mrs. Thistlewaite shook her head. “Oh, no, I couldn’t sit there. That’s for the Alpha.” She rounded the table and took what was Caleb’s normal seat opposite Elinore.

“What is on your mind, Mrs. Thistlewaite? Is your husband doing well? Is there something that needs to be done?”

“Nothing of sort, miss. He is healing slowly and the doctor assures all he needs is time.”

Elinore nodded, eating some of her dinner while she waited for Mrs. Thistlewaite to continue.

“I was very… pleased with how you handled yourself this morning. With the… incident outside.”

“Thank you. I fear I stumbled my way through it.” Elinore hadn’t known what to do, but coming outside of the manor and seeing that poor animal carcass, she’d felt the need to do something, to be some kind of touchstone for Ravenwood.

“You did well, miss. I think the gentlemen were impressed as well and they are not the sort to be easily moved.”

Elinore felt herself flush at the praise. “Again, thank you.”

Mrs. Thistlewaite smoothed over imaginary lines in the tablecloth with her fingers. “Mr. Vollmond has been the head of the house since the prior Mr. Vollmond passed unexpectedly,” she said, apropos of nothing.

“Yes, Caleb told me. He said that after his father and mother died, Hayter came here and became Alpha.” Elinore paused. “I had the impression that Caleb could have been Alpha, but that he chose not to.”

Mrs. Thistlewaite nodded. “We were all quite… disappointed the he did not take the Alpha role. Perhaps if he’d had some time to grieve after his father and then his mother died, but Mr. Vollmond arrived so quickly. Mr. Vollmond himself was grieving his wife, Victoria, at the time. Losing a mate is of course quite distressing for the Vollmond family. Especially since his bite caused it.”

Elinore’s stomach turned at the words. “What do you mean?”

“Victoria was ill and from what Mr. Vollmond’s staff tells me, he thought to cure her with the bite. But she was too far gone and succumbed. She likely would have died anyway, but it was the bite that accelerated the process. They say he was inconsolable for days. It was very shortly afterward that Caleb’s parents passed and Mr. Vollmond arrived and became Alpha. Having a leader is very important to the Vollmond family.” Mrs. Thistlewaite paused, staring at Elinore intently. “A family of which you are now a part.”