Her dreams were wild and untamed… And in them, she was chased by wolves. Big, black wolves that ran behind her and snapped at her heels. Ones that sank their teeth into her as they rolled her down on the ground and snarled and thrashed above her. The wolves were so strong and powerful, Bonnie knew that she didn’t stand a chance of escape… But it didn’t matter, because she didn’t want to. She wanted them to ravage her, she wanted them to tear at her delicate skin with their sharp fangs, and she wanted them to consume her so fiercely that she would never be the same again.
When she woke, her heart was racing and she was glistening with sweat. She sat bolt upright in bed and looked around her. Night had fallen and the stars were shining bright in the sky. She was alone, Ariane had not returned and for once, she was glad of not having to speak to someone, and relished the opportunity to get up and stoke the fire herself.
She stopped by the window and let the cool air blow in and calm her down. She had gotten awfully worked up dreaming of those snarling wolves and now she didn’t know what to do with herself. She looked out at the night sky and at all of the stars twinkling bright, and the big swell of moon shining through the clouds.
She couldn’t stay locked up in her room, no matter what the dangers held. She had to get out there and experience the night like she was used to, and like she craved.
She listened as she stood there, and below her, from elsewhere in the castle, she could hear the sounds of music drifting up to meet her. A bard was playing and men and women were singing and laughing. She knew that the main hall would be filled with drunken lords and ladies, and even though she had never partaken in any of her parents’ parties, she had the overwhelming desire to see what was happening right there below her.
She moved over to the silver vase and picked it up from above the hearth. She looked at her reflection in it, using the light from the fire, and smiled as she saw how rosy her cheeks were against her pale skin. She reached over to a box she had hidden away, one she had been given by her mother, and she reached inside and looked at the small amount of make-up she had stored. There was a rouge for the lips, and even though she had no idea, really, how to apply it, she smoothed some onto her top and bottom lip and hoped for the best.
When she looked back into the vase, she smiled with delight as she saw how the color made her face light up and it emphasized her beautiful eyes. Bonnie had never seen herself looking so womanly and, for the first time in her life, she felt as if something really was about to happen for her. She knew that the man she was supposed to be with was close by. She knew that she had found him.
She made her way to her clothing and sifted through her dresses. She had one that she had been saving for some time, and even though it was much lower cut than most of the others, she felt it was appropriate, considering that it was the evening. She slipped her blue velvet one off over her head and pulled the rich berry velvet gown down over her soft, supple body. She felt like a true princess, and as her hair tumbled perfectly down her back, she could not help but smile and clap her hands together.
“This is it,” she said aloud to herself. “This feels right.”
She checked her reflection once more and then she headed toward the door of her bedchamber. She hoped that the guards would leave her be, but even if they insisted on following her, she would gladly accept their escort down to the main hall.
She laughed to herself, her mood had certainly lifted considerably since earlier in the day.
As she opened the door, as expected, they both turned and looked down at her.
“Evening,” she said cheerily as she swept past them and waited for them to follow.
They picked up her signal and dutifully followed, keeping just enough distance between them as to not anger Bonnie, and to keep it looking as if she wasn’t being completely guarded and flanked by two soldiers.
As they made their way down the grand staircase and continued down the hall, Bonnie felt the nerves rising up from her belly and into her throat. Her heart was beginning to race and she felt herself go dizzy.
What if he had left?
Or even worse… What if he was fooling on with another woman right there in the castle?
Both were likely concepts, but Bonnie felt inside of her that surely Alexander would do neither. She had felt something when she had looked into his eyes, and she was certain that he had felt it too.
The guards walked beside her as they approached the tall, open doorway to the main hall, and she took a moment before she sucked in a lungful of air and took another step forward.
This is it, she thought. One way or another, you’re about to find out.
She made her way, slowly and demurely, into the main hall, and without looking up, she could already feel the eyes on her. She cast her eyes seductively around the room and when they fell upon Alexander Campbell, she felt a surge of something that only confirmed what she had already thought.
This man was meant for her.
He got to his feet and looked back at her with lust and affection in his eyes. He took a step forward, not taking his eyes away from Bonnie, his mouth hanging slightly open.
He wasn’t with another woman, and he was very much still in Castle Grant!
Now all Bonnie had to ensure was that he made his way to her… and never left.