Heart of Stone - Book 1: Fighting Fate

A strange noise met Aubree’s ears a few moments after she turned her back to Stone. At first, she hadn’t noticed because she was knee-deep in her own quicksand of misery, but then the door burst open and Gwen was sprinting out and pulling her into her arms.

That was when she thought she heard the snarl of an animal behind her and she froze.

“Don’t look,” Gwen whispered into her ear.

Gwen’s hold on her was strong, catching Aubree by surprise. She thought she heard the crunch of pebbles grinding underfoot, but knew there were no pebbles on the terrace.

She was so consumed by guilt that she couldn’t even endure the thought of turning around and facing Stone now, or ever again for that matter. How could she face him when she wanted nothing more than to kiss him again, even though she was engaged and had just broken his heart?

“I can’t,” she choked out against the raw, burning sensation in her throat.

“What?”

Aubree clutched tightly to her friend, burying her face into Gwen’s shoulder, too ashamed to even look at her.

“Aubree?” Worry laced her voice as she loosened her hold on Aubree.

She hiccupped, grimacing under the weight of what she must now do. “I can’t see Stone anymore.”

Gwen pulled away, gripping Aubree’s arms, but Aubree still clenched her eyes shut.

Shocked, Gwen asked, “What? What do you mean?”

Aubree cringed, hating herself and the mess she had created. “I’m engaged to Dan.”

She felt Gwen stiffen as her own shoulders fell in defeat. She hung her head as Gwen cursed softly next to her.

“When did this happen?”

“Saturday night,” Aubree responded in a low voice.

Gwen cursed again. “That explains a few things.”

Raising her head a little, Aubree gave her a puzzled look. She expected Gwen to flip out on her, not utter a few cuss words.

Sighing, Gwen tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. Her brown eyes were looking away from her as she thought about Aubree’s words and situation. “Did you tell him?”

Aubree nodded and Gwen closed her eyes. Pressing her fingers against her forehead, her face contorted at the painful realization of their circumstances. “No wonder he’s upset and took off. This is seriously messed up,” she murmured.

Aubree’s eyes widened. He took off?

She looked around and saw that Stone was gone. About to ask how, Gwen grabbed her and pulled her toward the door.

“Come on, we gotta get out of here.”

Aubree wanted to protest, but could only manage a cough from her inflamed throat.

Spinning around, Gwen marched to the table to hand the glass of water to Aubree. Once Aubree eased the fire in her throat, she handed the glass back to Gwen, who set it back down on the bistro table, took her hand and practically dragged her into the castle.

“I have to get you home before dark,” Gwen said as she marched down the hallway to the staircase.

Fear bubbled up from Aubree’s stomach as she remembered the vampire that nearly killed her.

There will be more like that man after you, Stone had said.

She tightened her own grip on Gwen’s hand as they wound down the spiral staircase.

This is a dream, but it can happen again in real life, she remembered him saying before she woke up from her nap. And next time, I might not be there to save you.

But that had been a dream, right? How could she have dreamed those words when she had no idea what kind of danger she was in beforehand?

“Gwen?” she asked as they exited the staircase and hurried down the main hallway.

Gwen shushed her as they approached a woman leaving one of the rooms. She was wearing what looked like a brown floor-length dress from a hundred years ago with a flour-covered apron on top.

Gwen stopped in front of the woman, who looked from Aubree to Gwen before lowering her head. “Can I be of service, Luna?”

Aubree arched an eyebrow at the woman’s submissive behavior, but was even more startled by Gwen’s response.

“Tell your alpha that the Blauwald Pack will be taking their leave now.”

Aubree could feel her eyes bugging out of her head at the commanding tone in which Gwen spoke. Not to mention the air of confidence and authority in which she held herself.

Alpha? Pack? Those two words alone made her think of animals, more precisely, wolves.

What in the world was going on?

The woman bowed her head. “Is there anything I can get you for your journey back?”

Gwen turned to Aubree and lifted an eyebrow.

Aubree was still trying to make sense of everything and could only stare at Gwen with her mouth hanging open.

Gwen turned to the woman once more. “A popsicle and a bottle of water. Thank you.”

Nodding, the woman turned back into the room from which she came from.

Tugging Aubree forward, they passed the door that closed softly behind the woman. The smell of cooking meat and baking bread met her nose, and despite any window into the room beyond, she knew it was a kitchen and could hear knives chopping away on wooden boards and the clang of a metal pot.

The entrance ahead was an arch that must have been about ten feet high and six feet wide at the base. The double wooden doors looked heavy and had round iron handles that Gwen pulled open effortlessly.

As they passed through it, their feet crunching on the pebbled pathway that led to what must have been the garage several yards away, Aubree asked, “Blauwald Pack? What are you guys?”

Gwen stopped to gape at her for a moment before coming to her senses. Closing her eyes with a sigh before opening them again, she said, “I guess some more explanations are in order. Doesn’t surprise me that he’d omit that part.”

The woman rushed out of the door behind them with a popsicle in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other. Gwen took them from her with a slight nod of her head.

“Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No, thank you,” Gwen replied. “You may take your leave.”

The woman hesitated, but added, “Alpha will be here shortly to bid you farewell.”

Gwen said something in that strange language Aubree heard her use before with Hector and Rosemary. The woman blanched, glancing at Aubree before saying something back in their weird language, bowing, and scampering back inside the castle.

Muttering something under her breath, Gwen handed Aubree the water bottle and popsicle. “No questions right now, please. I’ll explain everything in the car, okay? We have to get going. We’ll be lucky if we can get home before dark now.”

Aubree nodded, feeling the tension and stress Gwen was under.

Darkness meant danger, and while she didn’t know how much danger there could be, she knew she had no choice but to trust Gwen.

A moment later, Hector and Rosemary appeared from around the building and hurried across the grass toward them. Worry creased their brows as they exchanged a few words in their foreign language.

Another moment later, Vincent stepped out the door with a big man supporting a mane of wild auburn hair and a neatly trimmed beard. A tall, willowy woman stood with them with pale blonde hair and a fair complexion that glowed like the moon. She wore a regal-inspired dress with a tight-fitted bodice and big full skirt that looked too heavy for her slender frame. Her pale gray eyes regarded Aubree without a hint of emotion within their depths. Something about her sent shivers up her spine and she held her breath to keep herself from lowering her gaze.

“Leaving so soon?” Vincent asked.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Gwen said, her face a mask of the emotions Aubree knew she must be feeling inside.

“Why not stay another night? My chefs are preparing a feast in your honor.”

“Regrettably, I’m afraid we have to decline your hospitable offer due to urgent matters back home,” Gwen said before speaking again in their foreign language.

They spoke a little longer in their mysterious language before Vincent gave a slight nod of his head. “As you wish. Have a safe journey home.” He turned to Aubree and his beady little eyes made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. “Do take care of yourself, my dear.”

The way the corners of his eyes crinkled with the corners of his lips rising, she knew exactly what Hector meant when he warned her about Vincent.

There was something very dangerous and untrustworthy about him.

She was ready to leave when Gwen bowed her head respectfully and looped her arm through Aubree’s to guide her away to the car without another word.