Never once did he consider she could be plotting revenge.
“Don’t even think about repaying me, my lady. It would be my pleasure to offer your woodlands some peace.”
“Well, I shall consider your offer if I’m not successful in apprehending the wolven myself. But the thrill of the chase is quite exciting.”
“You excite me, too, my lady.” The orc squeezed her hand. “I shall look forward to hearing how your chase concludes.”
He followed Phillipa into the building and Wesley growled. He would guarantee, for a wager of all the money that was on the line in the gentlemen’s gaming room, that the orc would indeed not like how the chase would conclude.
Because the Wolven King planned to win.
The High Tea
Dearest Reader,
Just when I thought I’d seen it all at the Monsters Ball, the bête monde never fails to surprise me.
A wolven by the name of Wesley, rumored to be Lord Andrew Wesley, the Duke of Chelmsford, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, was seen running through the gardens on night one of the Ball without his clothing. Yes, all who saw it were completely scandalized by his indiscretion.
There had been reports that Countess Stalbridge and Master Bow thought he might be too feral to attend this fine affair, and perhaps they should not have given him the benefit of the doubt.
Even more shocking was what he overheard Lady Phillipa, the woman he allegedly abandoned on their wedding night, ask how to kill a wolven.
Oh, things are getting juicy, and it’s still only the first night of the Ball.
Sip slowly, my friends, and get some rest. There’s no telling what day two may bring.
Lady Grey
Chapter Ten
Phillipa
The door to Phillipa’s room wouldn’t budge. She pushed against it, hoping she was in the right place. This was indeed the third floor, but she’d been so nervous when she’d left her room for the ball, she hadn’t properly taken in her surroundings. The sun had risen about an hour before, and she was exhausted, a little tipsy on sweet wine, and elated. She must have danced with every beast at this Ball.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. In the ton, the seasons had felt like a duty. Something that had to be done to secure a husband. Without that possibility, she enjoyed getting to know all of her suitors, and asking them for their expertise.
She had learned so much, and if she came face to face with that dastardly Wolven King, she would know exactly what to do.
Another jiggle of the knob, and then she gave up, knocking on the door.
“Who’s there?” Ainslee’s voice was barely audible through the thick wood.
“It’s me, you silly fae. Let me in.” She laughed, but it came to an abrupt end when her friend opened the door.
“Keep your voice down, Duchess.” Ainslee was as brown as a dead leaf that had spent the winter decomposing in the garden. Her wings drooped like they were the heaviest part of her body. Phillipa had no idea how she was airborne. And her eyes were black, almost lifeless.
Phillipa gasped and closed the door behind her quickly. “What happened to you?”
“He’s here, my lady. And he threatened me.”
“Who?”
“The Wolven King.”
Phillipa’s lips parted. She sat on the bed and motioned for Ainslee to land beside her.
“Tell me everything. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“Yes. No.” Ainslee hugged herself and shook her head. “I was sitting on the bookcase, watching the festivities. It was a safe spot, I figured, because if anyone noticed me there when they passed, I could pretend I was a statue. Oh, it was such a grand affair, and no beast in the room could take his eyes off you—”
“Tell me about the wolven.” Heat rose in Phillipa’s cheeks. “We can talk about the Ball later.”
“I was watching you dance, enjoying the revelry, and the next thing I know, this feral beast stalks up the stairs. On all fours, like he was out in the wild. It was so vulgar, my lady. I knew it was the Wolven King. I’d smelled that stink on the bodies of fae who he didn’t manage to best. It burned my nostrils, and it took everything I had not to scream. He saw me, of course, and because I was so aghast, I’d forgotten to spell myself to make it look like I was made of stone. He had the audacity to demand magic from me. I asked him why he thought I would just give him magic. And he said he wanted to charm you.”
Phillipa gasped. “No.”
Ainslee nodded. “I was so worried that he would approach you, but I had no way to contact you without revealing myself to everyone at the Ball.”
“I never saw him, at dinner or while we were dancing.” Phillipa took a moment to recount the night. The details were fuzzy, and she had a few unfamiliar creatures that she had to ask someone what they were, but she was certain she had not seen a wolven. Especially one acting so beastly.
“He must have seen us arrive, my lady. Or he’d seen you come out of the room. However he found you, you’ve enchanted this beast as well.”
“He’ll never have me.” Phillipa shuddered. “How did your encounter end?”
Ainslee grinned. Some of her color had come back. Not as brilliant as usual, but she no longer looked wilted. “I sent him dark magic, which will hopefully prevent him from making a match at the Ball. No lady deserves to be paired with a beast as dreadful as he.”
“But he didn’t hurt you?” Phillipa asked. The fae who’d encountered him in the woods mostly survived the initial encounter. But drained of their magic, their bodies soon expired.
“No.” Ainslee bristled. “The Wolven King appears to be on his best behavior at the Monsters Ball. But enough about that awful wolven. Tell me about the handsome monsters you met tonight.”
Phillipa’s sigh turned into a yawn and ended with a giggle. “Oh, Ainslee, I can barely think about that until I know you are out of harm’s way. How will I make sure you are safe for the next two days?”
“I have my magic, and I’ll be better at hiding myself. While I was sitting on the shelf, I heard so much delicious gossip. Tomorrow night will be enchanting, by all accounts. Do you have your eye on any particular monster?”
“Ainslee, you know why I’m here, and now we need to put our plans into action.” Another yawn. “Our plan will be much better after a good night’s sleep. But right now, I can tell you I spoke with a minotaur, a serpent, and an orc. All of them gave me ideas of how I could attack the Wolven King.”
Ainslee’s eyes widened. “Duchess, you can do no such thing.”
“Why do you no longer believe in me, fae? We’re closer to him than we ever had been. He never was so open in the forest, so forward. We need a plan. Maybe I shall dance with him, and sink the silver dagger right into his heart.”
“My lady, you can’t go through with this. You’ll be ruined.” Ainslee put her hand on Phillipa’s thigh. “The plan was perfectly acceptable when we assumed that you would encounter the wolven in the woodlands. But if you do it here, you’ll be charged with murder. The Royal Hospital will seem like a vacation compared to where they will send you.”