Sassy Ever After: Secret Sass (Kindle Worlds) by K. Lyn (2)

A kilometer from her house, she saw the cottage of old Mrs. Smith.  The windows glowed with orange firelight and the door was partially open.  Several people stood a distance away, and then loud screaming filled the night again.

"Lord, take me," screamed Mrs. Smith.  "I do not wish for this.  Lord, just take me to heaven and keep this misery from overcoming me."

Victoria stilled.  One of the people who stood outside of the house, Ms. Digger, walked over and touched her arm.

"What is happening?" Victoria asked in way of greeting.

"Mrs. Smith has been overcome with the spots," Ms. Digger said in horror.  "Her body is covered in hideous, dark red marks.  The doctor is doing a bleeding."

Once again, Mrs. Smith cried out, "Please, please, please stop."

Victoria shook her head in horror and Ms. Digger bobbed her head in agreement.  After pivoting, Victoria raced for home with the bread clutched in her thin arms.

Leon shifting on the bed caused her to recover from her memory.  A bleeding.  She was going to have to endure a bleeding?  The idea made her ill.  Yet she knew that if she wanted to survive, she would have to endure it.

"I will."  Victoria's jaw clenched.  "I will endure this.  Please, do what you must, as long as I live."

Dr. Manheim nodded, and Leon gazed at her with eyes which glowed with respect.

As Victoria sat on her bed with her throbbing leg wrapped, she contemplated her injury.  I should tell my mother what is happening to me.  I should write to her.  If I should die from this, I would want her to know how much I love her and how much I wish I could have seen her wedding.  She knew Leon had to have some form of parchment and knew the letter carrier in town.  She felt guilt about asking Leon for anything more, especially since he had given her so much already, but she had to say goodbye to her mother while she still could.

Victoria hobbled toward the door and was just about to open it when it banged open, almost knocking her over.  As she gasped, caught herself on her wounded leg, and then cried out, pain electrocuted her body.  Leon stood before her, wide-eyed, with a bowl of steaming soup next to a hunk of bread on a wooden tray in his hands.

"Victoria," Leon said.  "What on earth are you doing up?  You should be in bed, recovering."

"I'm sorry," Victoria gasped.  "I wanted to ask you for something, but I wasn't sure where you were."

Clucking as if he was her father, Leon placed the tray of food upon the dresser and then wrapped his hand around her waist.  Her heart sped up at the slight touch as he walked her to the bed and then gently eased her back into the sitting position.  As she gazed up into Leon's face, she thought, I have never known a man with such charitable kindness.  Though he did not know me, he took me into his home when I was injured.  Now he brought a doctor to me to aid me and he even feeds me meals.

"Are you all right?" Leon asked.  "You look dazed."

"I was…"  Heat filled her face.  "I just thought you are the most kindhearted, giving man I have ever met."

Leon's face hardened so fast it shocked her.  "That is not true."

"It is, though," she said.  "You have given me so much.  No matter what happens to me, Leon, I want to thank you.  Thank you for taking such good care of me."

"Anyone would have taken you in."  Leon swallowed.  "Only a truly cruel person would leave a defenseless, injured woman out in the cold to die.  I made this soup for you, and I want you to eat it while it's still hot.  Despite your heat, Dr. Manheim instructed me that it was best to feed you hot foods and keep you in bed at all times."

Turning, Leon headed over to the dresser and then re-collected the tray with the food on it.  He placed the tray in front of Victoria, who accepted it gratefully despite the fact that she wasn't hungry.  She was touched by his kindness and would eat the food because of it.

"And also, what did you need from me?" Leon asked.  "We were so busy almost colliding that you forgot to tell me."

"I want to send my mother a letter to inform her of my poor condition."

Victoria dragged her eyes away from the soup.  "Would it be possible for me to do so?"

"Of course," Leon nodded.  "I shall bring parchment to you immediately.  And we shall also have to fix the problem of you not being able to summon me right away.  I will be sleeping in the room right next to yours as long as you are ill so that you can call me immediately, but I wish to do more.  I don't want you getting up and injuring yourself further.  Stay in bed from now on, you understand, Victoria?"

"It is unnecessary to change bedrooms just for my sake."  Her heart pounded in pleasure at his caring.

"I feel that it is," Leon said, staring at her somberly.  "I want you to get better."

Silence filled the bedroom as his words echoed in her head.  Even though her leg ached and she was sweaty, she felt a jolt of true attraction in her stomach.  Staring into Leon's eyes made her feel as though she could float away.  But then her leg throbbed again and she peered down at it and sighed.

Leon sighed too and sat next to her, grabbing her hand.  His touch comforted her and drove away some of the pain, but not all of it.  She leaned her head against his shoulder and he did not pull away from her touch.  Instead, he snaked his hand around her shoulders and drew her close, so close that she could breathe in his musky male scent, so close that all she had to do was reach out and she could put her lips against his own.  All she wanted at that moment was to curl up in his arms and pretend her leg did not ache, just like in her dream.  She looked at his lips and licked her own, and she saw Leon's Adam's apple bob as he gulped.

As Leon gazed at Victoria's beautiful face, he felt his stomach fill with longing.  But he also felt disgusted with himself.  First, he shouldn't have wanted Victoria to begin with because of what he was.  Second, she was ill.  Her face was pale and covered in a sweaty sheen, and though she said nothing, he could not ignore the way she grabbed at her skirt and balled it within her fists.  She was in a lot of pain and all he could think about was her beauty and he wanted to push her back on the bed and make love to her.

Victoria licked her lips again and his heart pounded.  It would be too easy to press his lips against hers and make her shut her innocent eyes.  After all, she was innocent.  She may have already been bedded by a man, but any woman who said, "I just thought you are the most kindhearted, giving man I have ever met," was innocent.  And he cared for Victoria all the more for it.

While Victoria gazed at him, she inched closer and pressed her hand against his cheek.  He could feel the softness of her skin and he shuddered with want.  How could one person, one gorgeous creature, have so much power over him?  When she leaned forward, her soft, hot lips mingling over his own and her sweet breath filling his nose, his heart screamed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" while his mind screamed, "No! No! No!"

He wrapped his hand in her sweaty red hair and tangled his fingers in her curls.  Curiously, he probed her mouth with his tongue, eager to enter her and plunge inside.  With a low groan, she opened her mouth and he entered her.  As he rubbed her tongue with his own, he became aware of how even the inside of her mouth was hot.  He felt her sweat dampened neck and remembered how sick she was.  She should be lying down in bed, but not with him on top of her.  As he wrapped his hand around her waist and she shuddered and winced, he released her with a gasp and pulled away, staring into her stunned green eyes.

"I shouldn't have done that," Leon said quickly.

Victoria's eyes widened in shock and then hurt.  "But I…But you…"

It was too easy to remember Devon.

"Blood," Leon whispered.  "What in God's name is this?"

His brother lay on his side, arm draped over his rib cage, with his throat torn out, revealing a yellowing spinal cord within.  There were bite marks on his neck and arms, and his eyes were wide in silent horror.

"No."  Leon shook his head and took a step back into the wall.  "Sweet mother of God, no.  What have I done?  What have I done?"

As Victoria stared at him, he replaced Devon's body with hers.  Instead of Devon laying with his throat torn out and blood dribbling down his neck, it was Victoria.  Her sparkling green eyes were blank and staring, and the smell of copper filled the air.

Victoria reached for him, but he got to his feet and took a step back.  The smell of her injury filled the air and he realized that it may have been a warning of what he was capable of after all.  Suddenly, in the close quarters, he couldn't breathe.  He had to be free and go somewhere.  He had to get out of the room and forget about Devon, if only for a second.

After pivoting, he headed for the door.  Behind him, Victoria cried, "Wait, Leon.  Wait."

Instead of listening, he charged for the door, entered the hallway, and brushed past Dr. Manheim, who carried a jar of leeches.  He sprinted for the door and headed outside.  Once in the forest, he inhaled the scent of the dirt and the trees and felt comforted, but only a little.  He ached to transform, as he had not done since Victoria had arrived.  He found it ironic that he found solace for what he had done to his brother by transforming into the beast that had attacked him.  On nights that were not full moons, he had control of himself, but it was as if his brain was in a numb daze.  That was what he wished for now – that numb daze.

Shutting his eyes, burning filled his body and, as he heard the sound of his clothes ripping, he saw red.

When Dr. Manheim undid the bandages on Victoria's leg, the wound throbbed again.  The bushel of twigs Dr. Manheim had brought lay on top of the wound, nudging the goo.  But even as Dr. Manheim laid his jar of horrible leeches on the side of the bed and unscrewed the clear bottle of liquid in his hand, she thought only of the kiss between her and Leon.  He had behaved like he had enjoyed the magic of the moment as much as she, but then he was gone – away from her, away from the room.

"Are you ready for this?" Dr. Manheim asked, drawing her back to the present.  "It will sting.  I would feel more comfortable about your readiness if Leon was here, but I saw him charge down the hall a few minutes ago, and he did not appear to be comfortable with soothing anyone, not even himself."

"That would be my fault."  Victoria bit her bottom lip.

"I doubt it," Dr. Manheim frowned.  "I consider Leon and I to have a private relationship, but I will tell you this to help you.  Leon is very attracted to you.  I can see it in his eyes when he gazes upon you; however, his past is darker than you can ever imagine, and he believes that some things cannot be overlooked."

"But the past is just the past."  At least, that was what she told herself in regard to Sir William.  "He should be trying to make his life better for the future."

"I have told him something similar," Dr. Manheim said.  "The man is stubborn, though.  He will not listen to me.  Perhaps there will come a time when he will listen to you.  But let us speak no more on the topic.  Wouldn't you rather have Leon tell you himself what ails him?"

She nodded.  Though she wished to know desperately what had caused Leon to flee from the room after their heated kiss, she wanted to learn from him what was wrong.  He would tell her if and when he was ready.  For now, she just had to deal with the throbbing pain in her swollen leg before it killed her.

"What is the clear liquid, Dr. Manheim?" she asked, wishing to draw her thoughts away from Leon for the moment.

"The clear liquid is alcohol."  Dr. Manheim uncapped the top and the intense scent of alcohol filled the air.  It caused her nose to wrinkle.  "My father learned some of his skills from traveling, and he passed them on to me.  I must once again warn you of the pain you will be forced to endure."

Though she wanted to jump off the bed and run, she nodded and then gripped the material between her fingers.  Physical pain she could endure.  The mental pain of losing people was the type of agony she could not stand.

"All right."  Dr. Manheim smiled encouragingly at her.

Lowering the bottle over the wolf's bite, Dr. Manheim tilted it over her leg and the clear liquid dribbled out of the opening and onto her wound.  The moment the alcohol met her leg, burning filled her limb and caused her to throw her head back and cry out in agony.  It hurt bad, so bad that she could hardly breathe.  Tears of pain filled her eyes and she longed to wipe the alcohol off of her wound.

She shuddered and curled up in a ball as Dr. Manheim touched her arm.  "It will be all right.  You will be all right.  The pain of the alcohol will leave you soon."

Shutting her eyes, she groaned in agony and tried to calm herself down.  A few minutes went by and the burning subsided.  Finally, she was able to open her eyes and glance down at her trembling leg.  The next time Dr. Manheim said that something would be very painful, she wasn't going to take him lightly.  And this was just the alcohol.

"Are you ready for the next part of my treatment?" Dr. Manheim asked.

"Can I…"  She took a deep breath to steady herself.  "Can I have a quick moment to ready myself?  My leg still burns."

"It would be easier on you if you got it over with quickly," Dr. Manheim said.  "The vinegar will burn equally as much."

"I understand."  She shuddered at the thought.  "I just want a moment."

Dr. Manheim nodded, though his eyebrows furrowed in dislike.  Shrugging it off, Victoria struggled to her feet and then limped over to the window, gripping it to comfort herself.  As she gazed outside into the forest, she saw a strange creature dart in front of her window, making her scream and nearly fall backward to the floor.

The creature had dark black fur, glowing red eyes, and perked ears.  It appeared to be a strange cross between the wolf which had bitten her and a massive, ten foot tall bear.  Though the beast left her sight as fast as it had come, she could not erase it from her mind.  Her heart pounded as she thought, Did I just see the Devil?  Did he come to take me?  She pressed her hands to her lips.

It was only when Leon transformed into a human a few hours later that he realized the horrors of what he had done.  She saw me, he thought, staring at the ground with large eyes as he panted and shook his head.  I can't believe she saw me.  I was stupid, going to her window after I heard her scream.  He should have remembered that being in a werewolf form oftentimes went hand in hand with unintelligent behavior.

As he straightened up, he realized he had a lot to apologize for to Victoria.  First, he had run out on her after the kiss, and she would not understand why, and would likely blame herself.  Second, he had left her all alone when she had needed him.  Third, he darted in front of her window as a werewolf, but she wouldn't have any idea that was his fault.  He swore and dusted himself off, glancing at the doors to his estate.  It was time for him to head back inside now and smell the roses.  He also had to face his own intense attraction to Victoria, whether he wanted to or not.

With a sigh, Leon shook his head, approached the doors of his estate, opened them and entered inside.  Once there, he took a right and headed down the hallway to his bedroom.  He collected his clothes, got dressed, and then left his bedroom by way of the door to his left.  The door led to his office.  He entered, went over to his dusty desk which hadn't seen his hand in years except for when he had contacted Dr. Manheim, and grabbed his quill, ink stone, and sheets of parchment that Victoria could use in order to contact her mother.  That should be a good enough peace offering for the moment.

Turning around, Leon headed for the door and left his office.  He then took a right and headed over to Victoria's room.  He knocked on the door.

"Victoria, it's me, Leon," Leon said.

"Since when do you knock?" Victoria asked.  "It's your room and your estate.  Just come inside."

Leon entered her room and saw that Victoria appeared worse now than she had this morning.  Her face was pale and her white gown was soaked through with sweat.  Her hair was pasted to her forehead in thick, curly ringlets.  Her mouth was pursed and she grasped at her wound with tight fists.

"Victoria," Leon gasped.  "Are you all right?  Are you growing more ill?"

"I think it's more the result of Dr. Manheim's treatment."  Victoria gave a hesitant smile which did not reach her eyes.  "I feel like my leg has twice been doused with acid, and then there were the leeches which made me feel lightheaded.  He may be making me better, but right now I feel much worse.  On top of that, I saw this wild animal running around your estate.  Please be careful, Leon.  It was ten times bigger than any wolf, and one bite from it would remove a leg completely, not just leave an evil bite mark."

She did see me.  She did.  Biting his lip, he decided to ignore it and focus on her pains.  Maybe she would not mention the wild beast she had seen again, and he could get away with his grave error.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there."  Leon frowned at his feet.  "And I'm sorry about how I reacted after I kissed you.  I did not have the intention to be so bold.  I do not think it's a good idea for us to become involved that way."

For a moment Victoria was silent, but then she said, "Leon, why are you so dead set against us being together?  And where were you this afternoon?  You weren't outside, were you?  I am frightened by that creature I saw."

Silence filled the room, and Leon felt the stinging blow of her words.  "I am frightened by the creature I saw."  Of course she was frightened of him.  He was a large, hulking beast, and he had killed a man before, which proved that he was dangerous.  This just showed how wrong he had been to kiss her.

"I was off getting your parchment," he lied.  "Here it is.  While you write your letter to your mother, I am going to make supper."

Confusion filled Victoria as she gazed down at the parchment she had set upon one of Leon's books in order to write to her mother.  Leon had acted even odder this afternoon, especially when she mentioned the creature she had seen.  He had been so adamant about killing the wolves, but he appeared to not care that a monstrous, unknown beast wandered around his estate.  Maybe he didn’t believe her, and rightfully so.  Maybe she had seen the Devil dancing around in her head.

She bit her bottom lip so hard it hurt and then she dipped the tip of her quill into her ink, ignoring the way her balmy hand quaked and the way her leg shook and ached after her treatment with Dr. Manheim.  Some of the healing sticks were wedged into the bandages, which only added to her misery because the rough bark roughly rubbed against the sticky parts of the wound and caused her leg to burn.  Focus on writing to your mother.  Focus, focus, focus.

 

Dear Mother,

I traveled many miles from home all the way to a place called Harlow.  At first I thought Harlow was a magical town, especially since I saw an opening for a servant position at a large estate upon the hill.  You can imagine my excitement when I traveled up the hill.  Unfortunately, this is when the bad news in my letter starts, but I suppose there is some good too.

When heading up the mountain, I was bitten by a wild wolf.  Though I managed to survive, my leg has become swollen and appears evil.  The man of the estate, Leon, is taking care of me, and a doctor is looking after my leg.  There is a chance I may not make it home to see you again, Mother, so I thought I would take this chance to tell you some things.  Too many people do not get the opportunity to tell their beloved family members how much they mean to them, and I do not intend to make such an error.

I love you more than I can ever say.  Remember when you used to attempt to teach me to sew and I was horrible at it?  Well, I really could sew.  I used to miss stitches on purpose, just so you would pay attention to me and show me how to do it properly.  I so love the sound of your voice and still do.  I miss it terribly, especially now when I am ill.  I was such a troublesome child, wasn't I?  A troublesome child who grew up to become a troublesome adult.

And now for my more pleasant news.  The man of this estate is so kind.  I remembered when you told me you knew Father was a kind soul and the man you wanted to wed when you first met him.  I think I understand what you meant now.  Leon is the kindest person I have ever encountered.  He cares for me diligently, though he does not have to.  Unfortunately, I am afraid that his heart is as torn apart as my leg.  We make quite a pair, he and I.

I wish I could see your wedding.  I will send word every day I can.  I pray someday soon this letter will be considered foolish and that I am in good health.

With the deepest love imaginable,

Your daughter,

Victoria 

 

Victoria sighed and put down her quill.  She grabbed a second piece of parchment and scribbled down the whereabouts of Leon's estate on it because she had a feeling her mother may come for a visit, whether Leon allowed it or not.

***

Sir William paced back and forth in the room where Cecile and Dawson remained tied to the table, covered in blood.  Remains of their dinner, bread covered in mold, and glasses of water were at their side.  It had annoyed Sir William to no end that he had to hand feed them in order to keep them alive.  Maybe he should have slaughtered them both and lured Victoria back to an empty house.  It was a good idea.  He was too wealthy to be on his hands and knees feeding anyone.

"Where is the letter?" Sir William barked at Cecile, who shivered.  "Where is Victoria?  It has been days.  Days.  And yet there is no word."

Cecile did not respond.  In Sir William's frustration, he lunged at her, drew back his leg, and kicked her.  Cecile screamed and Dawson groaned and attempted to move.  In response to Dawson's actions, Sir William turned and kicked him in the groin, causing Dawson to wheeze and gasp for air.  Shaking in anger, Sir William then returned to pacing back and forth in front of them.

"Maybe I was mistaken."  Sir William bit his bottom lip.  "Maybe your daughter does not love you as much as I thought.  That could be a problem for me.  A very big problem."

Neither Dawson nor Cecile moved.  Sir William swore and continued to pace.

 

That night, Leon entered Victoria's bedroom, and she thought he appeared pale.  She bit her bottom lip, grasped her aching and swollen leg, and wondered whether she should comfort him.  She glanced at the letter by her bedside, wondering whether she should ask him to deliver it for her if he was growing ill, too.  Leon had put himself out enough for her cause.

"Here is your dinner," Leon said quietly, placing the meal in front of Victoria.  Leon straightened and turned to leave, and Victoria caught his arm, nearly spilling the bowl of beef and potato stew all over the sheets.

"Leon, wait," Victoria wheezed.  "Are you…are you all right, Leon?  You are unlike yourself.  You appear pale, and normally you keep me company in the evenings.  I could really use it.  I grow so lonely in here by myself."

Leon paused and then stared at the floor.  "I'm fine, Victoria.  Just fine.  I am sorry if you are feeling neglected.  I'll stay."

When Leon sat, she could see distance in his eyes.  Victoria touched his arm and squeezed it in confusion.  Her leg throbbed again, and she winced.  Leon must have seen it because his expression softened and some of the previous hardness dissolved.

"Are you all right, Victoria?"  He shook his head.  "Here I am, worrying about myself, when I should be caring about you.  I am a selfish man."

"No, you're not," Victoria smiled sadly.  "But I don't know why I keep trying to insist that you are kindhearted.  You are too stubborn to listen to me."

He chuckled.  "It runs in my family.  My brother was the same way."

Then Leon sucked in air as if mentioning his brother hurt him.  Victoria longed to probe him to see what caused such a deep hurt in his heart, but she did not want him to harden toward her again.  She longed for his company, and his coldness hurt.

"I wrote a letter to my mother," Victoria said, changing the subject.  Leon appeared relieved.

"Really?"  Leon nodded.  "I will go to town and pay someone to deliver it to your home tomorrow.  It will be a bit late to do so tonight."

"Yes."  She wrapped her arms tighter around herself and a bead of sweat dribbled down her face.  "I feel bad about worrying her, though.  Maybe it would be better if I had not written.  Then either I'll be fine or…"

"You'll be fine," Leon said defiantly, his voice angry.  It took Victoria by surprise, and she put her hand to her breast.  "I already see color in your cheeks and you have more energy now.  I do not think that you will die."

The determination in his voice gave her hope.  She felt as if, even as she knocked on heaven's door, Leon would be right there behind her, pulling her back and bringing her home.  If only she knew what would happen if she did get better.  The more she stayed here, the less she wanted to leave.  She wondered if that was why Leon acted so distant.

She began to watch Leon in his angry silence.  He stared out the window.  Following his gaze, Victoria looked outside at the moon which was three-quarters full.  It was beautiful and blazing in the sky.

"It's a beautiful night," Victoria said.  "On a night like tonight, I would normally be outside, lying in the grass.  Back home, I used to sleep outside on clear nights sometimes.  My father would too, always lying beside me.  My mother was always too scared to.  She called my father and me her 'forest animals'."

"Mmmm."  He nodded his head, but even though his response was threadbare, she could tell that he was listening to her.

"Full moons were always my favorite, even though my neighbors called it witching hour."  Victoria laughed and then winced as shooting pain went up her leg.  "I wonder how long until the next one and whether I'll still be around to see it."

"The next full moon is in less than a week," Leon said.

Shock filled her.  She had never met a person who knew about moon times.

"How did you know that?" she asked, shocked.

"I count."  Brow furrowing, Leon tore his eyes away from the glowing three-fourths moon and glanced down at his hands.  "There are twenty-nine days between each set.  I like to keep track of things.  It helps."

"Twenty-nine days to a cycle."  Victoria frowned at the moon.  "Who would have thought?  Maybe I'll be able to count it every month so I'll know.  It's so beautiful."

But when Victoria turned to glance at Leon, his eyes had the same cold hardness to them again.  What did I say now?  She watched him get up, his back stiff, and then saw him still and whip back around again.

"The letter."  He held out his hand.  "I almost forgot.  Where is it?"

"Here."  Victoria grabbed the letter and pressed it into his hand.  "Thank you so much."

"Yes."  He swallowed.  "Don't mention it.  Be sure to eat your supper.  Leave the dirty dishes by the bed and I'll collect them in the morning."

She prodded his arm.  "Be sure to actually do them and not leave them to rot."

Finally, he chuckled.  It was good to hear the sound.  She sighed in relief.

Leon turned around and headed for the door, and she said, "Leon, be careful on the way to town tomorrow.  That creature was massive, and I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you.  Whether you like it or not, you are a very special man to me."

That night, Leon could not sleep again.  It was as if Victoria's words were a choir in his ears.  "Whether you like it or not, you are a very special man to me."  He both liked it and disliked it.  Some part of him longed to tell her what he was, that he was the hideous monster she spoke of, the one who had the potential to devour her and everyone he cared about.  The thought made him sick to his stomach and made him slam his fist against the wall.  He knew there would be no use going to bed again.  When he went, he would dream of only one person – Victoria…Victoria with her sweet breath…Victoria with her arms around him.  And then there were the nightmares.  He oftentimes awoke in a cold sweat, imagining Victoria dripping with blood and her body having a seizure in his arms.  How could he live with himself if that happened to her?  And if Victoria knew the real him, he doubted she would care for him so much anyway.

As he swore, he shook his head to clear the negative thoughts from his mind.  I should do Victoria's dishes, as I want to keep my hands busy anyway.  Nights of reading had left his eyes tired.

He entered the hallway and turned right where Victoria's room was.  Distantly, he could make out the loud sound of Dr. Manheim's snoring, and he grimaced.  After opening Victoria's door, he crept inside and shut the door behind him to keep Dr. Manheim's noise as distant from her as possible.  Once he was inside the room, though, the closeness to Victoria made his feelings even more intense.

The room was dark and she was on her side, her hand drawn up to a fist against her chest.  Her hair spilled across her face like dark veins.  Her breath left her chest in soft whooshes.  As he gazed upon her lips in the secluded darkness of the room, his imagination ran away with him before he could stop it.

He imagined her in a wedding dress, her hair done up with flowers and a laugh on her lips.  Naturally, he would be at her side, holding her close in a dance and feeling like the luckiest man in the world that she was his bride.  But as Victoria let out a groan of pain, he was brought back to reality and realized that was something which would not happen.  Yet it wouldn't hurt to touch her face, would it?

Though he knew it was inappropriate and that Victoria would frown upon his actions and likely see him as a frightening man who watched her while she was at her most vulnerable, he stepped in closer and touched her cheek.  Surprisingly, her cheek was cool, far cooler than it had been before.  She truly was getting well.  The thought made him sigh in joy and relief.

As Leon's hand lingered, Victoria groaned, "Leon," and then rolled over onto her back.

While she lay there, her breath leaving her lips in calm gasps, he imagined kissing her and holding her.  I shouldn't do this.  I should be avoiding her, not doing this.  But, even as he had that thought, he found himself leaning forward and touching her pale cheek.  He shut his eyes and gently pressed his lips against her own, tasting her.

Heavens, she tasted good.  He pulled away, staring down at Victoria and feeling shaky with pleasure and guilt all at once.  After whipping around, he headed for the dishes, collected them, and fled the room before he did anything more that he would regret.

***

When Dr. Manheim removed the bandage from Victoria's room two days later, it was still red and swollen with yellow pus oozing from the top, but it was also noticeably better.  The red had withdrawn and the yellow ooze had retreated.  Victoria did not know whether it was the alcohol, the vinegar, or the herbs Dr. Manheim had placed upon the wound that caused the change, but she let out a sigh of relief regardless.

"Dr. Manheim, the redness."  She smiled for the first time in days, despite the fact that her leg still throbbed and her head still ached.  "It's retreating."

"Yes, there is a definite improvement in the state of the wound," Dr. Manheim said.  "However, you must retain a logical standpoint on this.  It has only been one day and the wound will take a long time to heal.  Very easily the wound can go from getting better to getting worse."

Victoria nodded.  The throbbing of her wound was a clear reminder of that.  Still, it was a step in a good direction.  If only Leon were here to share in her joy.

"Dr. Manheim, have you seen Leon?" she asked.  "It's unusual for him to skip bringing me breakfast.  Why did you bring it in his stead?"

"Yes, I thought it was rather odd myself," Dr. Manheim nodded.  "I do not know where he is, but I believe he needs a checkup.  He has grown paler over the last couple of days, and I am concerned."

She gasped and pressed her hand to her forehead.  What was Leon doing?  Why was he avoiding her?  The thought made her feel more ill by the second.

"Don't worry about him, Victoria."  Dr. Manheim patted her hand.

But she was worried.  She was worried because now that she was getting better, the days she spent with Leon were numbered as he was still convinced that she needed to go.  She knew the day she left his side would hurt her a lot worse than any wolf bite.  She bit her bottom lip and stared at her wound, releasing a shaking sigh.

That night, Victoria could not sleep.  She felt as though her limbs were fused with energy.  She didn't know if it was because of the news that she was getting better or if it was because she was anxious about Leon and his lack of visits.  As Victoria sat in bed with a book open in her lap, she saw a dark shadow linger along the bottom of her floor.  She knew who the shadow belonged to because it was far too long and thin to be Dr. Manheim.

"Leon," she said after a moment when nobody came inside.

She heard Leon gasp at the other side of the door.  She wondered whether he had intended to keep checking on her in secret.  It was like he was a small child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

When Leon opened the door and stepped inside, Victoria immediately knew what Dr. Manheim had meant about Leon needing a checkup.  His face was pale, his eyes were sunken in, and his mouth was tense.  How long has it been since Leon had any sleep?  As Leon walked toward the bed, she had to fight down the urge to reach out to him and embrace him as tightly as she could.

"Why are you awake?" Leon asked her.  "You should be resting."

"I could ask you the same thing."  She smiled at him sadly.  "You look as if you have contracted the plague.  Have you taken ill?"

"No, I'm just tired."  Leon yawned as if to prove his point.  "I was just going to bed now."

"Wait."  Victoria patted the bed at her side.  "Sit with me for a moment.  I’m becoming crazy in this room.  I feel like I may never get out of it."

"You will be out of this room soon enough."  Leon frowned.  "I heard from Dr. Manheim that your leg is healing now."

Both of them silently assessed each other.  Victoria inwardly begged, Ask me to stay.  Tell me to be your servant.  Please, please, please don't make me leave.  I want to see your face every day.  But neither of them spoke.  Leon eyeballed the place by her bedside and did not move to sit down.  Victoria began to get desperate.

"Please."  Victoria patted the place by her bed one more time.

"Oh, all right," Leon sighed and sat down beside her.  "Just for a moment."

The moment Leon sat down, Victoria smiled at him and longed to reach for his face.  She wanted to spend all night caressing his cheeks and his muscles, feeling every inch of him.  Though her leg still throbbed, it was a miracle that other things could be on her mind.  Like being with Leon, for instance.  She hesitated and then she touched his face.  She saw his eyes flicker with concern and dart toward the door, but after she stroked his skin a couple of times he sighed and then relaxed.  It felt good to have Leon back in her room again, good to have him around.  If only she could convince him to let her stay.

When Leon had lost the urge to secretly steal a kiss from Victoria while she slept again, he did not expect her to be awake and reading one of his books.  Now, as she stroked his cheek, filling his body with relaxation and his mind with a dull haze, he lost himself to her powers.  Despite the fact that the room smelled like sickness and sweat, Victoria still had a sweet scent to her skin as she caressed him.  The smell made him relax more and more.  Soon he found himself seeking the one thing he had avoided over the past week – sleep.  He so desperately wanted to sleep and felt that he could.

As his eyes fluttered shut, he heard Victoria gently say, "Leon."  Her soft call was like a butterfly kiss upon the lips.  As her hand lulled him to sleep, he found himself leaning sideways.  Before he could exhale again, he lay in Victoria's bed, facing her.  That was what he had needed all along, he realized – her touch, her kiss.

Victoria pulled him into his arms and he balanced his head over her soft breasts and sighed.  That was when his world went black.

The next morning, Victoria awoke and smiled down at Leon, who held her against his chest as if he was frightened of letting her go.  His chest rose and fell as he slept, and his face appeared defenseless.  Guiltily, Victoria ran her hand down his chest, enjoying the feeling of his muscles beneath her fingers.  Once she had her hand around his waist, she tightened her grip around him and snuggled closer, desperate to spend all the time she could with Leon while he was still here.

As she curled up against him, a smile crossed her lips and a tear fell down her cheek.  She finally found a place that felt like home, a first since her father had died.  Would she be forced to leave if she got better?

When Leon awoke, he couldn't remember where he was.  Why am I in a different room?  Did I transform and not realize it?  Did I sleep walk?  He was hard pressed to remember what had happened the night before and was shocked that he had slept soundly without a single nightmare.  Also the sun which shone through the window wasn't dim like the morning sun.  It was bright and high, like that of the afternoon sun.  He must have slept late.

That was when Leon heard somebody shift beside him and let out a soft sigh.  He glanced around in shock and saw who was at his side.  It was Victoria who lay in bed next to him, holding gently onto his arm.  He gasped and flew out of the bed so fast he almost fell over.

"Victoria," he said, and the memory of last night came rushing back.

He had been so tired, tired enough that he had fallen asleep all because Victoria had stroked his cheek.  He couldn't believe how stupid he had been.  Asleep?  With Victoria?  That was exactly what he did not need to do in order to become more attached to her.

"You slept well," Victoria smiled at him slyly.  "Dr. Manheim came to give me my treatments a couple of times, but I had to turn him away because you were still asleep and I did not wish to wake you.  It appears the sleep has done well for you.  You don't look sick anymore."

Well, maybe he didn't appear sick or feel physically ill, but he felt horrible mentally.  What if, by some turn of fate, he had changed in the middle of the night?  Sure, it hadn't happened in all of his hundreds of years as a werewolf, but it could.  He groaned and ran a hand through his hair.  He should have fought away the urge to come and see her, but he hadn't, and now look what happened.

"I've got to go."  Leon shuddered and whirled around.  "I have to make you breakfast."

Victoria let out a gasp.  "Leon, stop."

Leon froze.

"Leon, I have affections for you," Victoria said.  "Can you please tell me why I can't stay here with you?  You are unmarried and your body favors me."

Heat filled his cheeks.  What kind of lady would refer to carnal passions so easily?  Maybe she wasn't as innocent as he had thought.

"What makes you say that?" Leon asked nervously.

"Oh, Leon, it's obvious."  Victoria sighed and glanced pointedly at his waist.

Sure enough, his cock was far harder this morning than it normally was when he awoke.  It caused a tent in his pants and he realized there was no way Victoria would have not noticed it, even if she was innocent.  He swore, charged toward the hallway, opened the door, and then slammed it shut behind him.  He charged for his bedroom and slammed that door behind him, too.

Once inside, he pressed his hand over his face, breathed deeply, and tried to maintain his calm.  Meanwhile, though, his head screamed, Victoria, Victoria, Victoria, over and over again.  Leon began to realize what he feared had come.  He wasn't sure he was going to have the strength to send Victoria away when she got better, but not doing so could cost Victoria her life.

For three days, Leon did not enter Victoria's room, though her leg had healed and the swelling went down.  She should have been overjoyed at her healing, but it only made her miserable.  There was only one cure to her misery – Leon – and he was being even more stubborn than her father had been.  She crossed her arms, shook her head, and glanced at Dr. Manheim, who was putting away his bottles of alcohol and vinegar, which still made her leg burn with pain every time he doused the wound with it.

"Dr. Manheim, how much longer must I stay in this room?"  Victoria longed for a walk, a change of scenery to distract her from Leon and his current desire to stay as far away from her as possible.  "May I go out?  Just for a little while?  I long to see the moon and get some fresh air.  I know Leon is taking care of Stormy, but I want to see him, too.  The horse did save my life, after all.  He deserves my affections."

Dr. Manheim regarded her with intelligent eyes.  "How does your leg fare?"

"It pains me little," Victoria said eagerly, sensing his weakness.  He might just let her leave her room today.

"Fine.  I suppose I can understand your need for exploration.  I do not understand why you can't wait until tomorrow morning when I can guide you."  Dr. Manheim shook his head.  "You may do light physical activity.  Light.  That means you may go outside to walk, but do not leave the yard and do not stay outside for long.  I still do not trust that leg of yours."

She nodded and bit her lip.  "I wouldn't stray far outside the estate anyway."

"Wolves."  Dr. Manheim nodded.  "It would make sense that you fear them.  I am sure, however, that Leon managed to get rid of the rest of them while you were ill.  Normally he frightens them away, but I believe your injury has angered him greatly and he has taken to spilling blood."

Her eyes widened in shock.  "Frighten?  A wolf?  How?"

Dr. Manheim's face tensed.  "Oh, there are methods.  Loud noises.  Most wolves have a dislike of such things."

It did not escape Victoria's attention that Dr. Manheim's hands twitched nervously and he did not meet her eyes.  If Leon can scare away wolves, what about that massive beast?  And why do I sense that Dr. Manheim is hiding something from me?  She pulled the sheets aside and slowly stood up.  There was one other thing which did not fit the puzzle but reminded her of the wolves they discussed now because it was what she truly feared – the strange mammoth wolf beast.

"Dr. Manheim, do you know anything about the giant beast I saw the other day?" she asked.  "I thought it was the Devil coming for me.  It was massive, like a bear with the body of a wolf.  I have never seen anything like it, but Leon appeared unconcerned.  What would Leon do about frightening that away?"

This time, Victoria knew she didn't imagine the twitch that Dr. Manheim developed.  He also did not look in her direction and he stared determinedly away from her, as if glancing into her eyes might lead to him bursting into flames.

"Sometimes it is common with a patient suffering from the heat to see images which are not present."  Dr. Manheim still did not gaze at her.  "Perhaps the wolf that bit you was actually under the command of a witch, and she cast a spell of images upon you.  I do not know.  All I know is there is no such animal in existence, nor will there ever be.  If you continue with these odd allegations, I shall take back my permission for you to leave the estate and command you to return to your bed.  I cannot have a patient with a jumbled head rushing about the estate with the potential of getting lost."

Silence fell.  Victoria hung her head and then slowly nodded.  Maybe she was being crazy, but she swore that Dr. Manheim had started acting odd at the mention of the beast, too.

"I understand."  Victoria frowned.  "I shall not mention that creature again."

"Good."  Dr. Manheim nodded at her.  "You would do well to remember that in the presence of Leon, too.  It is no wonder he is tossing and turning, thinking about you."

After pivoting, Dr. Manheim walked toward the door, opened it, and then went into the hallway and disappeared.  Victoria stared after him a moment before taking a tentative step forward on her bad leg.  The moment she stepped on it, pain shot up her limb and the wound ached as the dry scabs pinched together.  Still, she was determined to go outside, if only to clear her head about Leon and now her "imaginary" beast.  Maybe this house had begun to get to her.

As Victoria groaned with every step, she exited her room and then lingered in the hallway.  She stared at Leon's room and discovered that the door was ajar.  She limped toward his room, glanced both ways, and then peered inside.  The room was empty and his bed was rumpled and unmade.  So Leon isn't around.  I wonder where he is.  Shrugging, Victoria limped for the nearest door, in pain with every step.

Leon's hard cock would not cease its stiffening.  As he headed back to his room after his cool walk outside, all he could think about was Victoria naked, as had been the case after he had spent the night in her room.  He could recall the feeling of her smooth thighs brushing against the head of his cock, her soft breathing as she pressed her breasts against his chest, and the way her ass was a perfect cup-full in his hand.  She was perfection, and he longed for her body the way a starving man longs for food.

Finally, Leon reached his room while ignoring the sound of a door clicking closed some distance away.  He moved past the door and entered his room.  Groaning, Leon locked eyes with his bed, barely having the mind to push the door closed behind him.  He waddled over to his bed and flopped backward.

As he lay on his back, he began to imagine the way Victoria's breasts would heave when she unlaced the top of her dress, revealing her perfect breasts as they spilled forth from the bodice.  He wondered how large her nipples were and what coin size they would replicate.  He imagined her thin stomach and her wide hips and curvy backside.  It was easy to pretend that she slid her dress off in front of him, revealing her perfect cunt wet with her juices.  The images were enough to drive his breathing to a harsh pant.  As he dreamed about Victoria's perfect body, he pulled off his shirt and flung it to the side, grateful for the cool air on his sweaty body.  He couldn't believe he had the strength and the carnal drive to pleasure himself for the third time that day.  Victoria drove his blood to a boil faster than any woman he had ever seen.

As he unbuckled his pants, he let out a monstrous groan as he tossed back his head and arched his back.

"Victoria!" he cried out, his breath leaving him in a hurried "woosh."

While Victoria limped back to her bedroom, she was shocked when she heard Leon call her from within his bedroom.  After all, he had been trying so hard to ignore her over the past couple of days.  And the way he said her name, too.  It was breathless, eager, and passionate.  It was the same way Sir William had once called her name, but when Leon said it, she felt pleasure instead of disgust.

Maybe Leon had finally come to his senses and decided that he didn't want her to leave after all.

Victoria turned the knob of Leon's door and entered his room.  Seconds ticked past as she digested the sight before her.  Leon lay on his bed, his pants about his lower hips and his cock in his hand.  His face was ashen, but as Leon spotted her standing at his doorway in the dim lamp light, his face lost all color completely.  Victoria was paralyzed like a deer spotting a hunter with his bow.  Leon had not called her.  Leon had been in the throes of passion while thinking about her.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Leon swore and clambered off of the bed while buckling his pants.  Victoria continued to linger, her heart pounding in her chest, as she contemplated what was going on.  Leon.  Naked.  Alone with her in the room.  She could smell his sweat and a different scent that was all his own.  It was just Leon.  Too intense, musky, and mildly sweet to replicate.

As Victoria's mind spun, Leon stood up silently and stared at her.  Suddenly, her brain began to function once more.  Why was she still standing there?  She had walked in on his private time.  Heat filled her face at the thought of what she had just interrupted, and she felt guilty for feeling so much pleasure from seeing Leon's naked body.  The truth was, she had never felt pleasure gazing at Sir William.

She whirled around to head to the door, but Leon reached her in three strides before she could turn the knob, and stopped her.  Silence fell in the room except for their heavy breathing.  Victoria couldn't believe that had happened, couldn't believe she had walked in on Leon while he was…God, she couldn't even finish the thought.  A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead and then landed on her dress.  A gasp left her throat as she gazed into Leon's intense eyes.  Say something, she willed, desperate for him to clear the tension in the air.

When Leon didn't say anything, Victoria realized that it was up to her.

"Leon, I'm sorry."  She glanced at his cock, which still formed a tent in his pants despite the awkwardness of the situation.  "I heard you say my name, and I thought you wanted me."  Her face grew hotter, so hot she could have fried an egg upon it.  "No, I mean…God, I don't know what I mean.  I'm sorry again."

"Don't be."  Then Leon glanced down at her lips and licked his own.  The breath left Victoria's heaving chest in a harsh gasp.

As Leon gazed down at Victoria and the words, "Don't be", slipped from his mouth, he felt confusion and the urge to punch himself in the face.  Yes, he had been imagining Victoria.  He had imagined her cherry lips around his cock and then the joy of burying himself inside her.  Yes, he wanted Victoria with an unquenchable passion.  But that didn't mean he should have her.  He hadn't made love to a woman since before he had transformed.  There were so many unanswered questions.  What if pushing himself into Victoria had made her change into a cursed beast like him?  What if he begged her to stay?  Yet the burning of his cock would not let him push her from the room.  It was even obvious, judging by the way Victoria licked her plump pink lips hungrily, that she wanted him, too.

Before Leon could overcome his confusion and move, Victoria made his choice for him by grabbing him by the collar and forcing her lips against his own.  He groaned against her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and then plunged his tongue into her mouth so fast and so forcefully she gasped in shock.  As Leon lowered his hand and touched her firm butt cheeks, all thoughts of werewolves left him.  Her cheeks were firmer than he had imagined, even after all that time in bed.  It was like holding two fat fruits within his hands.  The cheeks were soft but still firm.

Underneath Leon's touch, Victoria groaned and massaged his tongue with her own.  Victoria was a great kisser, better than he had ever imagined possible.  Her tongue wrestled with his own, silk against silk, and her breath was hurried and hungry, just as his own must have been.  Victoria whimpered against his lips and he felt her soft breasts press against his own chest.  Leon broke away from Victoria's mouth and stared into her lily pad eyes.  So long had he waited to touch a woman that he felt as if he was going to break beneath the wonder of it, now that he finally had the chance.

With a groan of want, Leon wrapped his hands around her and then fumbled with the lace of her dress.  Even before his werewolf days, he had bedded only two women, and both of them had been quick, urgent, forbidden affairs with just a lifting of skirts in the woods.  He did not have much experience with the removal of women's lace and he began to get frustrated.  Chuckling against his mouth, Victoria expertly loosened the lace and slipped the top of her dress off of her body, letting the material fall to the ground around her like a brown puddle.

The real Victoria was fully exposed to him now, and she was far more beautiful than even his dreams could replicate.  Her breasts were full and fat with chestnut nipples the size of coins which were pointed and aroused.  Her waist was thin but not too thin.  Unlike some of the starved women in Harlow, Victoria had the body of a woman.  She had soft, gorgeous curves and pale skin dusted with a frail layer of freckles which made him want to set out on a mission to kiss each one.

Victoria wore a pair of white undergarments with a band around the waist.  The undershorts did not do such a fine woman justice and he wanted to remove them right away.  With a groan of want as his cock throbbed and his balls ached, he kissed Victoria roughly, spun her around so that her back was toward the bed, and then he walked her there while kissing her.  He did all of that while thrusting his tongue roughly into her mouth.

Once he got Victoria to the bed, he seized her undershorts and pulled them down her legs.  Once the band reached Victoria's injury, he carefully eased them over the wound so the garment would not touch it, despite the fact that he was so excited his breath left him in hurried, urgent "wooshes" of excitement.  The wound was a wakeup call and a reminder to him that whatever happened tonight, he should be gentle despite the furious passion which filled his heart and body.  He peered up over Victoria's legs and gazed into Victoria's bright green and wanting eyes.

"You all right?" Leon grunted huskily as he straightened up.

"Yes."  Victoria smiled at him.  "Though I would be better if I wasn't the only one completely in the nude."

"We'll get there," Leon panted throatily.  "Trust me.  We'll get there."

Leon crawled over Victoria on all fours and covered her mouth with his own.  Hungrily, he filled her mouth and inserted his tongue again for a moment before pulling away and then kissing the soft, pale crevice of her throat.  Carnal hunger filled him as he sucked at her skin and then nuzzled her as she squirmed beneath him.  With a groan, Victoria reached around and cupped his ass cheeks in her palms.

After Leon moaned in pleasure, he kissed down her frail shoulders and tasted her sweet skin.  He meandered all the way past her collar bone and chest plate until he reached the swell of her beautiful, freckled breasts.  He sucked her breasts into his mouth, enjoying the softness of her warm skin against his tongue.  After he stopped sucking at her skin, he lathered her left breast with his tongue and then made his way toward the aroused nipple.

With a smirk, Leon drew the nipple into his mouth and sucked on it, hard, all while he fondled the other nipple roughly with his hand.  Victoria enjoyed the attention, arched her back into his touch, and cried out his name "Leon!" so loudly he was certain those a mile away could hear it.  Her cry pleased him, caused his eager cock to want to plunge into her, and he groaned against her nipple.

Leon sat up and stared down at Victoria's nude body – her sweat and saliva dampened chest, her smooth skin, and her aroused nipples.  After that, he glanced past her curved, soft hips, and stared at the place he wanted most to be.  Between Victoria's legs was a triangle of auburn hair that curled in perfect ringlets over her cunt's lips.  Some of the curls were already damp from her own juices, and he could tell by the way Victoria squirmed even when he wasn't touching her that she wanted him to bury himself into her.

As he groaned, he placed his hand over her cunt and fingered her damp lips.  He played with the cleft at the front, enjoyed hearing her desperate, needy cry, and then continued his trail toward the hot hole in the center.  God, she is so wet.  So, so wet.  While he traced the outline of her hole with his finger, he glanced up and gazed into her lily pad green eyes.

"Leon," Victoria whimpered.  "I've never felt like this with anyone.  Sir William never made me…Oh…Heavens…"

She arched her back, let out a desperate cry as he traced her, and then was silent.  He was glad.  The mentioning of the other man who had touched her, the hated Sir William, filled him with jealousy.  He wanted to push all thoughts of such a man from her mind, and he knew just how to do it.

By pushing all the way into her.

With one thrust, Victoria felt Leon insert his finger into her hole while he fondled the front of her pussy with his thumb.  Every thrust into her body filled her with pleasure, and she cried out loud and desperately, heat and pleasure filling her stomach.  She wanted to shut her eyes, the pleasure was so overwhelming, but yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from Leon's hungry face as he gazed into her wet cunt with an intense and hungry expression.

Sir William had never been like this.  With him, it had been an in and out affair, over and over again.  He would lay her down, force her to spread her legs, and then hover over her.  While he was inside her, she always felt tainted, sweaty, and disgusting.  Not now.  Not even as Leon thrust into her with his fingers as he was fully clothed while she moaned like a desperate animal.  She had never imagined that anything could feel like this.

Just as the pleasure became so intense in her sex that she was certain she was going to burst, Leon did something awful – he pulled out of her with a "schlick."  Without him pounding into her, Victoria felt empty, desperate, and wanting.  How could he pull out just when she was in the throes of ecstasy?  As she wiggled her hips from side to side, desperate to have Leon thrusting into her again, she watched him crawl back onto the bed and pull his shirt over his head, revealing his golden skin for the first time.

His chest was defined and toned, as if he spent hours working outside, though she had never seen him do so.  His stomach was hard with muscles as well.  A chestnut patch of hair led from his lower stomach all the way to the edge of his pants, and Victoria wanted to lather his pelvis with her tongue and then follow the trail all the way down until she reached his eager cock.

With a groan of want, she sat up, ignoring the throbbing of her injured leg, and pushed her palms against his toned chest and then began to kiss his neck, his chest, and then, finally, his abs.  Beneath her tongue, Leon's skin was hot and his muscles were toned.  She felt her cunt spasm as she licked his flesh and tasted his skin's salty flavor.  She kissed down Leon's abs and pelvis until she was balanced right above his pants.

Reaching forward, she undid the ties which bound his pants and pulled them down his hips along with his undergarments.  His cock sprung free from the confines of his clothing, erect and eager.  His cock was longer than Sir William's, with two larger, fuller balls at the base covered in chestnut curls.  Though she had licked a man's cock many times, this was the first time she was eager to do it.  She couldn't wait to enjoy Leon's body in a way she had never done before.

With a grin, she wrapped her hands around his base and then balanced over his cock.  She took his cock's head in her mouth and enjoyed the salt of his pre-cum upon her tongue before she took all of him in her mouth.  Though she had to fight down the urge to gag, she enjoyed the sensation of having Leon inside of her mouth so much that she didn't care.  Leon enjoyed it too, because he groaned and gripped at the bedspread with his hands before wriggling his hips.

Victoria massaged his base with one hand, kneaded Leon's soft balls with the other, and moved up and down over his cock.  As she ran her tongue over Leon's cock's underside, she breathed in deep as she felt pleasure fill her.  While she bobbed her head over Leon's cock, Leon reached forward and grabbed one of her breasts within his hand and fondled the nipple with his thumb.  She groaned in response and glanced up from over his cock, all while maintaining a steady rhythm as she enjoyed the taste of his flesh.

When Victoria and Leon locked eyes, Leon let out a hoarse groan and tweaked her nipple again.  Sweat had begun to build on his skin and then trickled downward.  Victoria licked and sucked at him and then pulled off of him with a "pop," enjoying the lingering flavor of his cock on her tongue.  As she grinned in pleasure, she seized his pants, which were bunched around his lower thighs, and pulled them off all the way.  Once they were off, she was able to see Leon's body in all its glory and she enjoyed every bit of him, from his muscular chest, his hot shaft glistening with spit, and his muscular legs.  As Victoria studied his body, Leon let out a moan and then smirked at her before sitting up again.

As Leon grabbed her shoulders and pushed her so that she was underneath him, she knew what was coming and she eagerly spread her legs so he could fill her.  Leon reached down, fondled her cunt's lips with tender fingers, and Victoria shivered in pleasure and lifted her hips off of the bed.  Her leg ached and made her wince, but she was willing to take that pain for the pleasure of having Leon inside of her.

"Are you sure this is all right?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Of course," Victoria puffed.  "My leg is fine.  Everything is fine."

With a nod, Leon steadied himself above her and then lowered himself onto her.  She loved the pressure of having him on top of her, chest to chest, hip to hip.  Victoria could feel every inch of his hot, throbbing cock against her inner thigh and she loved it.  As she shuddered and spread her legs, she felt the pull of her body as he pushed his cock's head against her opening, stretching her out and filling her with pleasure as well as his dick.

"All right?" Leon asked again, staring at her with those same intense, hungry eyes.

When she nodded, Leon thrust into her, hard, and sent her sliding upward a few inches.  She wrapped her arms around Leon's back and held on.  Leon ground into her again and again, filling her up repeatedly, as she embraced the friction of his cock inside of her and whimpered and moaned.

"You're so amazing."  Leon buried his head in her hair.  "Oh, Victoria."

Those words nearly made her come.  She had never heard anything like them from Sir William, and she could tell by the needy tone that Leon meant them.  He wanted her.  He wanted her just as much as she wanted him.  The thought made her want to drive him deeper and deeper into her until the two of them became one person instead of two.

With a cry of pleasure, Victoria led her hands down Leon's arching back and wrapped them around his ass cheeks, pushing him deeper and deeper into her with every thrust.  Leon groaned against her hair again, increased his intensity, and then stared deeply into her eyes.  As Leon rode her, Victoria felt as though she could fall straight into Leon's soul and stay there.

I love you, Leon.  She peered into his eyes, longing to say the words.  I love you so much.

But when Leon thrust into her several more times with desperate, low breaths, she realized she was too much of a coward to say them.  The friction inside of her built and the moment was gone as she lost her head and pleasure filled her stomach as she arched her back, accepting all of Leon inside of her – his body and his soul.  She shuddered, tightening her hold on his ass cheeks, and let out a shaky sigh as she relaxed onto the bed, sweaty.

Leon gazed down at Victoria's naked, sweaty body, filled with love and affection and guilt.  What have I done?  I could have hurt her.  I could have just given her the curse.  He groaned underneath his breath and Victoria must have taken his groan for something other than it was, because she reached up and tangled her hand in his sweaty hair and smiled at him.

God, she is so beautiful.  At that moment, as he gazed into her green eyes, he realized a horrifying but yet warming truth – he was in love with Victoria.  He loved her hair, green eyes, and curvy body, but most of all, he loved the fierceness within her which had driven her to kill the wolves that attacked her.  He also loved the gentleness she had as well as that un-fearing sexuality which had fueled her during their time together.

That was why he never should have allowed Victoria into his estate, injured or not.  He couldn't have her here because he couldn't risk losing her the way he had lost his brother.  And losing her meant breaking his own heart.

Victoria lowered her hand and bit her bottom lip.  "Leon, what's wrong?  Why are you staring at me like that?  Your face has lost all of its color.  It's as if you saw the Devil fly into the room."

I am the Devil.  He shook his head and clambered off of the bed.  I never should have bedded her.  Never.  I am truly evil, putting her at risk and giving her hope for something she cannot have.  He bent down and seized his pants and pulled them on without his undergarments.

"Leon."  A desperate edge laced Victoria's voice.  "Leon, heavens, what is the matter with you?  Did I do something wrong?"

"It's not you."  His heart filled with pain and he could hear it creep into his voice, despite his efforts to keep his tone steady.  "Victoria, I’m going to go outside for a couple of hours.  When I get back, I want you out of this bedroom.  In a few days' time when your leg is healed, you will take your horse, leave my estate, and never come back.  If you don't, I will chase you away.  I am not jesting about this.  You’d better be out of this room when I get back."

"What?"  Victoria scrambled out of bed, whimpered when she landed on her bad leg, and moved to grab his arm.  "Leon, what's wrong?"

When Victoria grabbed his arm, Leon panicked and pushed her away harsher than he had intended to.  She cried out and landed on her backside.  Though he wished to apologize a thousand times over, scoop her off the floor and carry her to bed, he didn't.  Instead, he forced himself to give her a hard glare.

"Leave.  Me.  Be."

Then he stormed out of the bedroom.

Pain and hurt filled Victoria as she went to her bedroom and stared at her empty bed.  Had it really happened?  Had she really just made passionate love with a man and then have him shove her away a few moments later?  What had happened in Leon's past to make him so cold?  She bunched her fists and felt tears well up in her eyes.  She wanted to talk to Leon, but there was one thing she felt for Leon that she had never felt before – fear.

There had been such relentless anger in his eyes as he gazed at her.  She feared him, though she still loved him all the same.  She knew she would be foolish to go after him tonight, though she wanted to.  Tears filled her eyes at the thought of what had occurred between them as she threw herself face down onto the bed.

But as she lay on the bed, tears streaming down her face, she could not chase away the image of Leon staring down at her with affection.  Some part of him had to care about her, she realized, or else he wouldn't have been able to gaze at her the way he had.  She had spent years in the arms of a man who did not care for her, so she knew what true coldness looked like.  Leon did not have that.  Leon was warm and sweet and kind.  And trying too hard to shove her away for reasons she did not understand.

In frustration, she balled the blankets between her fists and glared down at the bedspread.  Her leg throbbed but she ignored it.  It was a reminder that she was still injured, but she didn't care to think about it.  Instead, she thought of what was going to happen when Leon threw her out in a few days' time.

With a sigh of frustration, Victoria rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.  I cannot give up on him.  No, I will not give up on him.  Love was not something she could toss aside so easily.  Maybe Leon could remove her from his estate and send her back to Harlow, but he did not own Harlow.  He also couldn't stop her from waiting and watching him.  He couldn't stop her from wanting him so fiercely it caused her heart to ache.

She would change his mind and she would make him marry her when the time came.  It didn't matter what kind of darkness haunted Leon's past.  The only thing that mattered to her now was him.

 

Sir William sat at the table with a plate full of potatoes and pork in front of him.  It tasted bland, not at all like the food he had back at his estate that was prepared by a group of trained servants.  Pushing away his plate, he grunted and glared at it, ignoring the thunder that boomed outside and caused the house to shake.

Just as Sir William stood up, plate in hand, he heard a knock on the door and stilled.  He glanced down at Cecile, who was pale and covered in a crust of blood.  She appeared thin and her lips were dry.  Sir William then leered at Dawson, who also appeared thinner but still strong as he glared at Sir William.  Sir William scoffed, decided they were nothing to worry about, and then walked over to the door and opened it.

A young man stood at the door with a chestnut horse at his side.  The young man wore the blue overcoat and cream color britches of a letter delivery boy.

"I have come to deliver a letter," the young man said.  "Is the lady of the house home?"

"I will take it to her."  Sir William held out his hand.  "I am the man of the house and I read all of the letters."

Though the young man hesitated at first, he finally held out the letter and passed it to Sir William.  Sir William stepped back, slammed the door shut in the youth's face, and then tore open the manila envelope sealed with red wax and opened the note, his heart pounding and his mind whirling with excitement.  The excitement was short lived as he read the letter.

Dear Mother,

I traveled many miles from home all the way to a place called Harlow.  At first I thought Harlow was a magical town, especially since I saw an opening for a servant position at a large estate upon the hill.  You can imagine my excitement when I traveled to query about it.  Unfortunately, that is when the bad news in my letter starts, but I suppose there is some good too, though.

When heading up the mountain, I was bitten by a wild wolf.  Though I managed to survive, my leg has become swollen and evil.  The man of the estate, Leon, is taking care of me, and a doctor is looking after my leg.  There is a chance I may not make it home to see you again, Mother, so I thought I would take this chance to tell you some things.  Too many people do not get the opportunity to tell their beloved family members how much they mean to them, and I do not intend to do so.

I love you more than I can ever say.  Remember when you used to attempt to teach me to sew and I was horrible at it?  Well, I could sew.  I used to miss stitches on purpose, just so you would pay attention to me and show me how to do it properly.  I so love the sound of your voice and still do.  I miss it terribly, especially now when I am ill.  I was such a troublesome child, wasn't I, a troublesome child who grew up to become a troublesome adult.

And now for my more pleasant news.  The man of this estate is so kind.  I remembered when you told me you know Father was a kind soul and the man you wanted to wed when you first met him.  I think I understand what you mean now.  Leon is the kindest person I have ever encountered.  He cares for me diligently, though he does not have to.  Unfortunately, I am afraid his heart is as torn apart as my leg.  We make quite a pair, he and I.

I wish I could see your wedding.  I will send word every day.  I pray someday soon that this letter was foolish and that I am in good health.

With the deepest love imaginable,

Your daughter,

Victoria 

Once he had finished the letter, anger and malice burned through his body like none he had known before, not even when he had first learned that Victoria planned to leave him.  Victoria was with a man.  Some other man who she enjoyed the presence of.  Crushing the letter into a ball in his fist, Sir William let out a scream of rage, whipped around, and stormed into the dining room where Cecile quivered and Dawson's eyes narrowed.

"Your daughter is a harlot," Sir William screamed.  "I don't need you two anymore.  I am going to leave you both here to starve, and I'm going to find her and then I am going to slaughter her lover and make her watch."

Cecile whimpered and Sir William, enraged at anything that moved, kicked her in the face and watched teeth scatter along the ground as she screamed, and Dawson growled in rage.  After that, Sir William whirled around and sprinted for the door, prepared to get his horse and ride throughout the night.

***

Leon was determined to get Victoria away from his estate before the full moon, which would occur within two days' time.  The thought of her here beneath his roof while she was so vulnerable made him ill.  As Leon paced in front of his door, ignoring his stomach's demand for breakfast, there was a knock at the door.  At first he thought it was Victoria and ignored the knock, but it became more and more persistent.

"It's Dr. Manheim, not Victoria," a rough raspy voice said from the other side of the door.

Gritting his teeth, Leon stormed over to the door and opened it.  The shrewd doctor stood on the other side of the threshold with his arms crossed in front of him.

"So you knew I was avoiding her."  Leon stepped aside and waved Dr. Manheim into his room.

"Sir, a blind and deaf ninety-year-old man would have known what you are doing."  Dr. Manheim frowned at him.  "You are breaking that young woman's heart, and your own along with it."

Leon scowled, "If that’s what you have come here to talk about, then I…"

"Victoria may be the ideal wife for you, and you are foolish to send her away," Dr. Manheim held up his hand, "However, that is not why I've come to call.  I have come to tell you that my job here is done and I will be leaving this afternoon to head back to my home.  I miss my wife and my son."

For a moment, Leon stilled.  He realized he had been selfish.  He hadn't even known that Dr. Manheim had a son.

"I see."  Leon frowned.  "I should thank you for coming to me like this and leaving your family behind.  I shall give you extra payment."

Once again, Dr. Manheim raised his hand.  "I don't require anything extra.  I rushed to help you because I like you, just like my father liked you."

Leon wasn't sure what to say.  His heart felt like it was caught in his throat.  It was the first time in a long time he had heard kind words like that.  When Leon said nothing, Dr. Manheim cleared his throat and began to continue speaking again.

"I lied when I said this was not about Victoria.  It is."  Dr. Manheim frowned.  "I vowed to keep myself professional when I came in here to see you, but I cannot.  You are a good man, Leon, and you have lived too long alone.  How will you feel when this house is empty?  You deserve better than to live like this."

Leon shook his head.  It was a lie.  He was not good.

"No, don't shake your head at me, Leon."  Reaching forward, Dr. Manheim grabbed his arm.  "You care for Victoria.  A blind man could see that, too.  And she cares for you.  You should stop living in the past."

"I am a monster," Leon cried.

"No, you are not," Dr. Manheim's voice was rough.  "A monster would have left that girl to die.  You are a good man with a problem, but Victoria is a good woman who will be willing to stick by your side despite that."

"I cannot risk hurting her."

"If you let her walk out the door, you will be hurting her a lot more than you ever could had you bitten her."  Dr. Manheim scowled at him.  "Think about that."

Silence filled the room.  Leon could not think of a counter argument and he began to feel nauseated.  Swearing, he ran his hand through his hair.

"Are you done?" Leon snapped.

"Now I am."  Dr. Manheim moved toward the door but cast him one last dark stare.  "Don't forget my words, though, Leon.  You have and you will hurt her, pushing her away from you the way you are."

When Dr. Manheim left the room and shut the door behind him with a click, Leon swore again and stared at his shoes.  "I know…I know…"

Victoria stood at the door with Dr. Manheim as she stepped forward and gave him a hard embrace.  He smelled of the tree roots he had strapped to her leg, and he gave her an extra, comforting squeeze which shocked her.  The entire time, Dr. Manheim had maintained a stoic face when it came to her.  Now, as he backed away, she saw that his eyes glistened with sadness and his jaw was tense.

"Dr. Manheim, I'll miss you."  Victoria frowned.  "Perhaps the two of us may write letters?"

"I intend to do so, especially to check up on your leg."  His eyes lingered on her dress.  "Sometimes problems like these reoccur.  If you receive so much as a twinge that sets you on edge, call me and I'll come to you at once, even if you don't have sufficient payment for my services."

"You are a very kind man, Dr. Manheim."

"I am toward the people I enjoy the company of."  Dr. Manheim smiled at her.

It took Victoria a moment to realize that Dr. Manheim had just paid her a compliment.  She gave him a slow, sad smile and then reached out and hugged him one last time.  It hurt her heart to see him go.  He was a good man.  Maybe he hadn't shown her much emotion while he was here, but she still enjoyed his company all the same.

"Victoria, I really shouldn't say this, but I am going to anyway."  Squeezing her arm, Dr. Manheim gave her a frown.  "I don't want you to give up on Leon, even if he sends you away.  The man cares for you.  I can see it in his eyes.  He needs you too, though he doesn't appear to realize it yet."

"I don't intend to give up on him."  She grinned weakly.  "When he sends me away, I will be heading back to Harlow.  I'm sure he'll have to make an appearance down there eventually, and I'll be around when he does.  And I'll find a job somewhere doing something.  I don't care if I have to beg on the street corners or clean soot from the walls.  I will do what I have to do to make him see that he needs me."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you."  Dr. Manheim winked at her.  "Well, I best be on my way now, I'm afraid.  I've got a long journey ahead of me, and I am eager to get back to my home.  Best of luck to you, Victoria.  Perhaps next time I come, I will be at your side for a good reason instead of a wicked one."

"I don't understand," Victoria frowned.

Reaching out, Dr. Manheim patted her stomach, pivoted, and then walked away.  Heat filled her face as she stared after him, but then she found herself pressing her hand to her stomach herself.  Her, carry Leon's child?  With Sir William, she had always been scared about what would happen if she got pregnant.  Likely the child would be born with a spiked tail or horns.  With Leon, though, the idea of being pregnant with his baby made her heart grow warm.  Maybe she could have a child that appeared like Leon with warm eyes and golden skin.

But that was way down the road, and now she had to think of what to do in order to win Leon over.  Frowning, Victoria pivoted and limped back to her room, wincing with every step.

***

A fierce and angry growl left Sir William's throat as he forced his horse down the road.  The animal panted wildly beneath him, foam flying everywhere.  Sweat poured down his face after the night of hard galloping, but he ignored it.  The only thing he felt now was rage – intense rage.  Every inch of his soul and his blood boiled with anger and made him feel sick.  Soon he would have Victoria again.  And soon he would kill Victoria's lover and she would watch.

The thought caused him to drive his heels into his horse's sides, though the animal was tired and covered in a layer of sweat.  Just as he beat the horse's haunches with the palm of his hand, the horse reared and then skidded to a stop.  As Sir William drove his heels harder into his horse, the animal once again reared, snorted, and then let out a desperate whicker before falling on her knees.  Sir William scrambled off the horse just before she rolled to her side and stared straight ahead, panting and covered in a blanket of white foam.  Sir William swore, seized the horse's reins, and attempted to drag her to her hooves.  The horse let out a pained scream and did not move.

He growled, and then whirled around.  He could see a city ahead of him.  It was only a short ride from Harlow, and he could get another horse in the city.  In his anger, he collected his bag and sword.  The crumbled letter was at the horse's side, but he saw no point in collecting it and bringing it with him.  He knew Victoria's secrets now.  He didn't need the letter to prove it.

***

In desperation, Victoria shadowed Leon, who walked down the hallway toward the kitchen.  His back was stiff and his jaw tight, so she knew he had seen her.  Victoria limped after him, glaring at him, desperate to make him acknowledge her.

"Are you a child, Leon?" Victoria demanded.  "Are you going to run and hide from me forever?  You need to face what's between us."

Still Leon did not answer.  He continued to head down the hallway toward the kitchen.  When he reached the door to the kitchen, he opened it and then shut it behind him as if she was just an angry, unseen ghost wailing at him.  As Victoria stared at the door, the sadness gave way to frustration.  If only she knew what had happened to him that made him so determined to keep her at arm's length.  She did not understand how an attractive man of a fine age could be so determined to stay away from her, even after the night they had shared together.

Dr. Manheim had said Leon cared for her.  She believed him.  After all, she had seen the look in Leon's eyes herself.  So what was the problem and what could she do to fix it?  Groaning, she threw up her arms, whirled around, and stalked toward her room to think.

Ignoring Victoria was like trying to ignore a broken piece of his heart which lay upon the floor.  Leon wanted to grab her and kiss her so fiercely it chased the breath from her heaving chest and made her green eyes widen in shock.  But instead, he was forced to ignore her, all because he was a werewolf.  It didn't seem fair that he had to give up the woman of his dreams due to a curse he had not asked for.

He hadn't asked to be bitten that midsummer's night.

He hadn't asked to kill his brother.

He hadn't asked to be here and desperate to touch Victoria.

But that was where he was, stuck here with the woman of his dreams who he could not have.  And with a full moon coming tomorrow night, too.  The idea of having her in his estate the night of a full moon made him sick with anxiety.  Tomorrow, he would have a talk with Victoria.  Tomorrow, he would give her enough money to send her to town, and he would say the words to her that would make her hurt enough to leave.

Even if it killed him.

***

Nobody was willing to sell Sir William a new horse at night, but now, in the morning he haggled with a plump old woman over a fat stallion which would be so slow it would take him a year to reach Victoria instead of a day.  As he examined the bay horse with the dull eyes, a plump, short man rode past him on a palomino horse.  The man had a leather handbag and appeared to be a doctor of some kind.

Shaking his head and wishing he had a fast horse like that, Sir William whirled around and stared back at Merilee, the woman with her flyaway grey hair and her two missing front teeth.

"So are you buying the animal or what?"  The stench of Merilee's body carried to Sir William, making him grimace.  "Guarantee he's the only horse for sale in this town.  We don't got much.  Take 'im or leave 'im.  I don't care.  Isn't much use to me."

"I'll take him."  Sir William scowled and held out the coins.

Almost, Victoria.  Almost.  One more day.

***

The next morning, Leon knocked on Victoria's door, his heart thudding in his chest as he digested what he was about to do.  He was deliberately entering the room of the girl of his dreams so that he could break her heart.  Nothing had ever felt as twisted to him as that fact.

"Come in."  Victoria sounded shocked by his knocking.

Leon entered Victoria's room and felt his heart pound even harder.  This was going to be hard.  Already, as Victoria gazed at him as she sat on the bed, he wanted to walk over to her, gather her in his arms, and kiss her fat lips until she groaned beneath him.  He longed to make their bodies and hearts one again.  If only circumstances could have been different.

"I need to talk to you," Leon frowned.  "I want you to move to town today.  You can stay at the inn.  I'll give you the coins to do it.  I have more than enough."

Shock and hurt crossed her face.

"What?"  Her green eyes widened.  "No.  Please.  I still have at least a week until I can walk properly."

"I will carry you down the mountain myself."  He crossed his arms.  "This is not a bargaining matter.  I've decided that today is the day.  You have to leave."

Leave it at this, Victoria.  For the love of God, please don't make me say what I don't mean.

But Victoria hopped off of the bed and hobbled over to him where she placed her hand against his chest and gazed into his eyes.  He once again had to fight down the urge to cover her mouth with his own, but he managed.  Instead, he stared into her eyes and did his best to feign toughness.  It was the second hardest thing he had ever done, the first being cleaning up his brother's body from his bedroom floor.

"You care for me, Leon."  Victoria gripped his shirt.  "Why do you push me away if you care for me?  We can be together, you and I.  You know it."

"I don't care for you at all," he lied.

Though hurt flashed across Victoria's face, she continued to hold onto his shirt.

"I don't believe that, Leon."  Her mouth thinned in determination.  "If you don't care, then why did you make love to me?  You aren't the kind of man who beds a woman for no reason.  You care for me.  Don't lie.  Just tell me what has you so determined to get me away from you."

Oh, Victoria, you made me do this.  His shoulders stiffened as he put on his cold mask.  Now he would be a monster during the day as well as at night.

"I bedded you because after I heard your story I knew you would be easy."  Leon watched Victoria's mouth fall open in hurt and horror.  "I don't care for you.  It has just been a long time since I had carnal relations.  But I have grown tired of keeping a whore in my household.  That is why I want you to leave."

The silence ticked by.  Victoria finally released his shirt, hung her head, and took a step away from him.  Leon could tell by that silence just how much he had hurt her.  He longed to reach out, to tell her he was a fool and had said all that to keep her safe, but instead he backed away, turned, and headed for the doorway.

As he left her room, he felt his legs and heart get heavier and heavier.  He knew at that moment he had lost the woman he loved, and it was his fault.  He shut his eyes, stilled, and then pressed his hand against his mouth and let out a deep, shaken sigh.  Oh, Victoria, I'm so sorry.

The words Leon had spoken rung in Victoria's ears.  A whore.  He thinks I’m a whore.  Maybe she was.  After all, she had spread her legs for Sir William and now she had spread her legs for Leon.  But she had thought that after her conversations with Leon, he understood her.  She had felt as if there was a kinship between them which had not been there with anyone before.

Now she realized that she had been wrong.

A man who loved her never would have said such hurtful words.  A man who loved her would not have taken to tearing out her heart in order to drive her away.  Though she had few coins left, and the money that Leon would give her for the inn would have been appreciated for her survival, she did not want to take anything more from him.  With tears filling her eyes, she gathered her bag and sword which lay by her bed, and gazed down at them.  Tonight she would take her things and go.  She would head back home to her mother's, though the danger there was great.  It didn't matter to her whether Sir William discovered her whereabouts now.  She felt too torn up inside to care.  She began to wonder whether Leon had not only taken a piece of her heart, but the remains of her soul and fighting spirit, too.

With a shudder in her pain, Victoria spun around and headed toward the door.  Once she went into the hallway, she did not look back.  She couldn't bear to.  There would be too many memories there.

When Leon returned to Victoria's room to give her the aid she needed to head to town, he opened the door to her room and was shocked to discover that it was empty.  There was no Victoria curled up weeping under the covers like he had expected.  Her bag and sword were gone, too.  No, Victoria, no.  He shivered as he gazed at her things in horror.

Yes, Leon had wanted her gone, but not like this.  Not when she was too injured to walk far and had no funds to her name.  He had planned to give her all the money she would ever need when she left.  She deserved that much.  But now her room was empty and he had no hours before nightfall when he would change into a beast against his will.

I have to find her.  She can't have gone far with that leg.  Swearing, he rushed into the hallway and then headed outside.

Victoria rode Stormy down the path with her injured leg burning.  Still, she did not care.  The ache of her wound could not compare to the pain in her agonized heart.  She bit her bottom lip as she trotted outside the town of Harlow, and she felt as if she could barely breathe from the pain.  As she sat atop her horse and gazed forward blurrily, she heard a familiar but unexpected voice call her name.

"Victoria," said Sir William, his voice so laced with anger she could feel it leak into every syllable.

She gazed to the side of the empty, though well-beaten path, and noticed that Sir William stood by the side of the road next to an old, sweat covered black horse favoring its right fetlock.  In shock, Victoria tightened her grip on her reins.  Just as she was about to bury her heels into the horse's sides, Sir William launched himself at Stormy, seized the horse by the bridle, and yanked.  Stormy threw up his head and reared.

Under normal circumstances when her leg was strong and able to tighten around Stormy's side, she would have been able to stay on.  Instead, she lost her grip and fell to the side at once, hitting the ground with an "oomph" and knocking the breath out of her.  As she gasped, fighting for air, she stared over her shoulder and saw Sir William draw his sword from his sheath as Stormy reared up on his hind legs and tried to fight him, just as he had done with the wolf.

"No," Victoria barely managed to gasp.

But Sir William sliced Stormy across the neck and the horse crumbled and fell to his side, wheezing as blood gushed down over his brittle fur.  Horror and agony filled her.  That horse was her best friend.  No, Stormy.  Has Sir William gone mad?  She tried to stand up, but now her side ached just as bad as her injured leg and she crumbled at once.

Harlow.  Harlow is nearby.  When she opened her mouth to scream, though, Sir William launched himself at her, straddled her from behind, and covered her mouth with his hand.  His hand smelled of blood and was damp with it.  She could also smell his sweat.  After opening her mouth, Victoria sunk her teeth into Sir William's finger.  Sir William yelped, released her, and she had the opportunity to cry out.

"Help me!" Victoria screamed.  "Help!  Somebody!  Please!"

"You and your mother have a lot in common, you little witch."  Sir William drew back his hand, punched her across the face, and she tasted blood and her ears rang.

As she tried to blink the stars from her eyes, Sir William pressed his hand over her mouth again so hard that her head pressed into the dirt.  She couldn't even suck in air through her lips.  Once again, she groaned and attempted to squirm, but Sir William kneed her side.

"So tell me, who is this lover of yours and why were you leaving him in such a hurry?" Sir William hissed in her ear.  He did not remove his hand so she could give him an answer.

"Here I was, thinking you cared for me."  Sir William stopped pressing her face.  "I thought I would marry you once my hag of a wife died.  But I was wrong.  You are nothing more than a witch who was after me for my money."

She struggled, attempted to bring up her leg, but Sir William rolled off of her and seized her by her hair.  Her scalp burned as if it was on fire and she screamed in agony.  With a grunt of anger, Sir William began to pull her into the forest, but there was the sound of crackling near the forest's edge.  Sir William released her hair and she struggled to her feet again, her head still burning, but Sir William seized her by the arm and then shoved her to the ground as pain filled her side, legs, and scalp.  There didn't seem to be a part of her that wasn't broken.

"Stay down, you little witch."  Sir William stalked around her.  "Somebody's here.  Somebody is watching.  Come out."

As Victoria lay on the ground, panting in agony, a brown blur shot out of the woods.  It was Dr. Manheim on his horse.  He had seen it all.  As Dr. Manheim rode past her, his eyes wide, she saw that he clutched a piece of paper in his fist.  He stole a wild glance at her and she realized where he was going.  Leon.  He is going to Leon to get help.  But would he help her?

"See what you've done."  Sir William leered at her.  "He is going to tell on us, the cowardly little man.  But I'll bring you into the forest where he won't ever hope to find you.  At least, not until after the wolves have.  Maybe I'll leave your body as a gift for your lover.  Do you think he'll like that?  Do you?"

Victoria stared at Sir William, silent, horrified, and shocked by his madness.  He snarled at her, once again he swore, seized her hair, and began to pull her into the forest.

***

Leon lunged down the mountain in his wolf form, growling and sniffing, trying to catch Victoria's scent.  He could tell that she was somewhere close by and he could swear he smelled blood in the air.  Had Victoria re-hurt herself because of him?  The thought made him so sick he increased his pace.  Why was it the people he loved always got hurt because of him, no matter how hard he tried?  He had tried so hard to protect Victoria that he had broken his own heart, and now this happened.

Just as Leon darted across the path right in front of Harlow, hoping to skulk around the city to see if Victoria was inside the town, he caught the scent of Dr. Manheim and went rigid.  Dr. Manheim should not still be here.  He should be halfway to his home by now.  Growling, he whipped around just as Dr. Manheim rode his horse wildly around the edge of the forest.  Dr. Manheim's eyes were the size of dinner plates and his mouth hung open.  Fear was written all over his face.

In horror, Leon changed back into his human form, not caring that he was naked, and not caring that the cold air tickled his skin.

"Dr. Manheim," Leon yelled.

Dr. Manheim yanked hard on his reins as he passed him and the horse neighed in protest and then skidded to a stop, showering Leon's body with rocks and dirt.  Panting, Dr. Manheim whirled his horse around, grasped his chest as if his heart might spill from his chest if he didn't, and stared at Leon with wide eyes.

"It's Victoria," Dr. Manheim wheezed.

Fear filled Leon tenfold.  No.  Not her.  Anyone but her.  He leapt at Dr. Manheim, seized his leg, and fought down the temptation to rip the man from his horse and shake the answer out of him.  Victoria.  What was the matter with Victoria?

"Tell me what happened," Leon demanded.

"I was riding back home when I came across a horse that had been beaten to the ground.  I thought that maybe I could help the poor animal.  That was when I found this."  Dr. Manheim waved a crumbled piece of paper around.  "It's a letter from Victoria.  I thought she should be warned that somebody had it, but when I reached the outskirts of Harlow, I heard yelling and fighting.  A tall man ripped Victoria off her horse, sliced the horse's neck, and went to drag her into the forest.  He saw me, but I got away just in time.  I knew I wasn't strong enough to save her alone.  You have to help her, Leon."

"I know who it is."  Leon felt his stomach sink and his heart break.  This truly was his fault.  If only he hadn't chased her away, then she would be safe with him in his estate.  "That was the man she was fleeing from.  She used to be his mistress."

"Well, we have to get her away from him."  Dr. Manheim tightened his grip on the reins.  "I fear we don't have much time left."

"Show me the way," Leon growled.

"If they went into the forest…"

Leon glared at him.  "If they went into the forest, you know I'll be able to find him.  And when I do, I'll rip his heart out and feed it to him.  Nobody hurts Victoria.  Nobody."

In the darkness of the forest, Victoria was tied to a log with her hands behind her back.  She hung her head as her scalp burned with pain.  A few strands which had been pulled loose by Sir William's yanking hung in her face, matted with blood.  She released shuddering breaths as she tried to calm herself, but nothing helped.  She was going to die.

As Victoria struggled to breathe, Sir William paced in front of her.  There was a wildfire in his eyes as if hell itself lived within his very soul.  He muttered words she could not understand beneath his breath and then he shook his head.

"I was going to get your lover and make you watch him die."  Sir William gritted his teeth.  "Where is he, Victoria?  Or did you steal all you could from him and then flee?"

Leon.  Even if he had been so cold to her, she wanted to protect him.  She didn't know whether Dr. Manheim would convince him to come to her rescue, but even if he didn't, she didn't want harm to befall him.  He deserved to live.

"I don't know who you're talking about."  She bit her lip.  "I have no lover.  I came here to find work.  That is all."

"You are full of lies, you evil woman."  Spit flew into Victoria's face as Sir William howled at her.  "I saw your letter.  I saw there was a man you wrote about.  I want to know where he is."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Victoria repeated.  "I have no lover."

The anger Victoria predicted came.  Sir William roared. "Where is he?" he demanded.

"I do not know," Victoria repeated.

"Yes.  You.  Do."

In Sir William's anger, he seized her by the shoulders.  Her teeth clacked together and a groan escaped her throat.  His rough hands caused her head, side, and leg to ache.  She closed her eyes, trying to fight down the tears which filled them.

She could not believe this was the end.

The whore, Victoria, lied to him.  Sir William was certain of it.  There was no way she had miswritten in that letter to her mother.  He knew her well enough to understand she had spread her delicious legs for some other man.  The fact that she would not tell him who the man was made him want to eat her heart out with a stick.

"Tell me," Sir William roared.  "Tell me."

"She doesn't have to," said a deep, angry male voice.  "Because I will."

Sir William whipped around as Victoria gasped.

Leon gazed at Victoria's blood covered face and felt so angry that he could have screamed for three days and it wouldn't have been enough.  In his rage, Leon turned toward the man who had done this to her, the hated "Sir William" that Victoria had mentioned to him.  At Leon's side, Dr. Manheim lingered.  He shot a concerned look at the sky, which was laced with red as the sun fell.  At the moment, Leon ignored the concern and continued to stalk into the camp where Sir William gazed at him with fiery red madness upon his face.

"You…" Leon snarled.  "You hurt Victoria."

"And you would be the man she mentioned in the letter."  A malicious grin crossed Sir William's face, but some of the anger faded to confusion as he studied Leon's nakedness.  "Leave it to Victoria to spread her legs for the village madman."

"There. Is. Nothing. Wrong. With. Victoria," Leon roared.

To Sir William's right, he heard Victoria give a concerned groan.  He gazed at her and felt sweat trickle down his face as his skin burned.  He felt strange, but that didn't matter.  All that mattered was that he got rid of Sir William so he would never hurt Victoria again.

"Get away from her," Leon boomed when Sir William did not move away from Victoria.

"As you wish."  Sir William stepped toward him and withdrew his sword.

A grin crossed Leon's face.  A sword against him?  Truly?  His body was as hard as iron.  Sir William could have sliced at him all day and nothing would have happened.  Sir William drew up his hand, brought it down upon Leon's shoulder, and gasped as the sword let out a "ting" and vibrated.  Sir William stared down at his sword in terror as Victoria let out a frightened, confused wail.

"What is this?"  Sir William gazed down at his blade, open-mouthed.

Drawing back his arm, Sir William attempted to plunge his blade straight into Leon's abs, but the sword didn't so much as sting him.  As a shocked expression crossed Sir William's face as he stepped back, Leon glanced at the pink-crimson sky and felt his limbs shake.  He wanted to change.  Everything was growing dimmer.

He let out a scream of rage and then everything went black.

What is the matter with this man?  Sir William gripped his sword tightly as he gazed at Victoria's lover, who was naked and beginning to convulse.  He truly is mad.  Or something more.

His sword had not been able to plunge into his flesh.  He had not even been able to slice through skin with his hardest blow.  Sir William groaned and then glanced up again.  He saw the naked man throw back his head and let out an evil, deep roar into the night.  His eyes glowed a deep and bloody red and his fangs elongated as blood spilled down his gums.  At that moment, Sir William knew who he was meeting – the Devil himself, coming to take him to hell after all the horrors he had committed.  But if he was going to hell, he was going to take Victoria with him.

With a growl of rage, Sir William stumbled over to Victoria, who shook with fear as she gazed at her lover in disbelief as he chopped the rope from her hands which bound her to the log.  Using Victoria as a shield, Sir William forced her against him and pressed the blade of his sword against her neck as she cried out, chocked, and then reached toward the monster with her hand outstretched.

"Leon, help me," Victoria choked.  "Leon, please.  What's happening to you?  Dr. Manheim, what's going on?"

"No."  Dr. Manheim leapt forward just as black fur began to coat Leon's body.  "Don't talk to him, Victoria.  He's not Leon right now."

As if to prove his point, Leon's muscles cracked and knifepoint nails burst from his fingers as he let out one last ear-shattering roar.  Dr. Manheim swore, ran toward the pair of them, and attempted to grab Sir William's arm to wrestle Victoria away from him.  Sir William tightened the sword so hard against Victoria's neck that she choked.

Sir William swore, glared at the little doctor who attempted to take Victoria away from him, and began to inch his way toward the dark forest with Victoria still in his arms.

"Get away from me, you fool," Sir William said.  "I will kill her and then me.  Either way, I will have Victoria at my side tonight, whether it is in the cold bed of death or not."

"You have to run," Dr. Manheim said.

Leon let out a massive roar and his eyes gazed at them with a blood pounding hunger.  Red eyes.  So the Devil has red eyes and is ten feet tall.  Sir William growled, stared down at Victoria's head, and realized he would rather have Victoria dead at his feet than be dead himself.  He didn't want to meet this fate after all.

With a grunt, Sir William tossed Victoria at the strange beast as she fell and rolled with a loud wail.  She trembled at the beast's feet and then gazed at him with green eyes filled with intense fear.  Sir William let out a cry, whirled around, and sprinted into the forest.

Victoria stared into Leon's massive red eyes with her heart pounding in fear as she thought, This is the monstrous wolf I saw wandering around Leon's estate.  It was Leon.  It was Leon the whole time.  Suddenly, everything made sense to her.  Leon did not want to be with her because he was this – a monster.

Fear filled her as she trembled on the ground.  She searched Leon's eyes for any sign of the man who had made love to her in his bedroom, and saw only rage.  Was this how she would die?  Perhaps she had been destined to meet the grave at the fangs of a wolf after all.

But as Leon stared down at her, unmoving, she realized that he could have killed her already.  He could have ripped her apart limb from limb, and Dr. Manheim, who lingered a foot away quaking, as well.  Maybe Leon was still in there.  Maybe the man who had rescued her in the forest was still there.  She had to find out.

"Leon, can you hear me?" Victoria whispered as she slowly staggered to her feet.  "Leon, do you recognize me?  Do you know me?"

The wolf did not change positions.  Instead, he continued to stare at her with eyes of blood.  She took a tentative step toward him, palm extended.  To her right, she heard Dr. Manheim give a frightened groan.

When Victoria's palm was a few inches from the wolf's snout, he let out a deep growl and then took a snap at her fingers.  His massive fangs did not meet skin, however.  She realized he had to have missed on purpose and for only one reason – she was getting to him.  Maybe some part of him heard her words after all.

With a shaking hand, Victoria persevered and took another step forward.  "Leon, it's all right.  Everything's all right."

Dr. Manheim whispered, "Don't, Victoria.  It's the moon.  The full moon makes him lose control.  He won't recognize you."

But Victoria pressed her hand against his hot muzzle and felt his breath leave his mouth in thick, heavy puffs.  She began to stroke the top of Leon's muzzle, feeling the coarse black fur beneath her fingers.  So big.  He's so big.  But as she continued to touch Leon's fur, she realized it was truly him.  This was the man she loved.  Maybe he was a monster, but it was only physical.  Inside, he was still the man who had rescued her from a wolf bite, even if he didn't have to.

All that had happened between them caused tears to fill her eyes.  She shuddered as she gazed at him.  Leon had come for her.  Despite everything, he was here with her.  He saved her from Sir William.

"I love you, Leon," she said, leaning her head against his fur and smelling earth and sweat upon his coat.  "I don't care if this is what you are.  You came for me, saved me, and I love you."

Leon let out a moan and then he sat down, threw back his head, and howled into the sky.  The howl was loud and ear-splitting, and Victoria was forced to release her grip on him to cover her ears.  Leon regarded her with his blazing red eyes again for a moment, cocked his head, and then pushed past her, causing her to fall on her butt in the dirt with a cry.  He headed into the forest and disappeared from her sight.

With a cry of shock, Dr. Manheim scurried over to her side and seized her arm.  His hands shook and were covered in a layer of sweat.  "Are you all right, Victoria?  He could have eaten you."

She nodded.  "I'm all right.  But where is he going and what’s going on?"

Her answer was the sound of loud, ear-splitting screams, Sir William's screams.

"Cover your ears and run."  Dr. Manheim grabbed her hand.  "I'll explain everything once we get to safety."

Sir William ran forward, panting, with sweat dripping down his forehead.  Behind him, he heard the sound of movement and tried to dart to the right through the thicket.  His leg still bled from where he had fallen into a pothole and had sliced through his flesh.  The smell of blood filled the air from the wound and his voice was still hoarse from his scream.  As Sir William ran, he began to hear the horrible sound of loud panting behind him as well as crashing noises.

I've got to get away.  I have too much going for me to die.  As Sir William raced forward, the sound of panting grew louder and louder, heavier and heavier.  He heard a groan of wood as the creature moved to his right.

"Get away from me," Sir William said.  "It's not my time."

The answering sound was a dark, deep growl.  Sir William turned to the right and saw the flicker of a lantern in the distance.  Harlow.  It was his only chance.  He sped up his pace and then found himself staring into two eyes which at that moment shone brighter than any lanterns.

They were blood red.

He saw a white pair of fangs, heard a crunch and a white flash, and then he was gone.

 

When morning came, Victoria stared into the woods at the outskirts of Harlow with her mouth gaping.  A wolf?  A real wolf?  It was hard to digest, harder than even the dandelion soup she had been forced to eat when she was starving.  Dr. Manheim stood at her side, grasping her arm.

"Where do you think Leon is?" Victoria whispered.

"I didn't hear anything about deaths in Harlow," Dr. Manheim said, "though I am certain your friend, Sir William, didn't live through the night to tell the tale of their meeting."

"Let's go look for Leon."  Victoria headed for the path which led to Leon's estate with her fists balled in determination.  "You said he doesn't remember anything the morning after a full moon, correct?  He's probably confused."

Dr. Manheim didn't move.  Frowning, Victoria turned around and stared at him.

"After last night, you are willing to go after him?"  Dr. Manheim stared at her.  "Most women would run away.  You discovered that monsters exist, and this is how you react?"

"I am not most women."  Victoria frowned.  "And yes, a part of me still doesn't believe this is happening."

Shuddering, she ran her hand through her hair as she thought of the red-eyed beast she had seen last night.  Exhaustion caused her head to grow fuzzy as she bit her bottom lip.  But there was one thing which was clear about last night.

Regardless of the fact that Leon was a ten-foot tall cursed beast, he had still come to rescue her.  He had still saved her.

And she still loved him.

Leon awoke with a groan in the forest next to his estate, and his head pounded and burned as if somebody had lit it on fire.  When he gazed up at the sky, he discovered that it was blue.  There was the stale taste of blood in his mouth and his bones clacked and ached.  What happened to me?  He sat up, put his hand to his forehead, and then recalled what he remembered last.

He had stood with Sir William.  At sunset.

"Victoria," he cried, leaping to his feet in horror.

Gripping his head, he tried to remember what he had done the night before.  Had he harmed her?  She had been right before him when he had transformed in his rage.  That meant she must have been…Must have been…

He couldn't even finish the thought.  With a howl of despair, he cupped his head in his hands and tried to fight away the unbearable pain in his heart.  He had not only lost the woman he loved, but he had killed her.  First his brother, the boy he thought he loved most, and now the woman he had longed to make his wife.

I cannot stand this anymore.  I cannot hurt the people I love.  Shaking, Leon gazed up at his estate and saw the highest tower.  He could climb up there and jump.  Even a werewolf wouldn't be able to survive that drop.  With a howl of despair, Leon ran toward the tower, his heart pounding and his mouth dry.

Victoria ran to Leon's estate and gazed at the man who stood on the roof in horror.  It took her a moment to realize the man was Leon because he was so far away.  He’s going to jump.  I’ll bet even a werewolf can't take a jump that high and survive.

With a wail of despair, Victoria ran toward the tower, waving her arms madly.  She could only pray that he saw her.  If he jumped – if he died – she didn't think she could bear it.  All she wanted was him in her arms again.  She wished none of this had ever happened.

"Leon," Victoria screamed.  "Leon, stop.  Don't do it."

Leon finally peered downward and locked eyes with her.  She skidded to a stop in front of the brick wall and gazed at his face, however distant.  Even from that far away, she could see his mouth drop open and his eyes widen in shock.  Tears filled her eyes and trickled down her cheek as she waved at him.

"Leon, don't jump."  She waved at him again.  "I don't care if you're a werewolf.  All I want is for the two of us to be together."

"Victoria," Leon yelled, his eyes still wide in shock.

"Come down, Leon."  Sniffling, she wiped away the hot tears which had spilled upon her cheeks.  "Come back to me, Leon.  Please."

"Oh, Victoria."

In a moment, Leon whipped around and left her sight.  The last Victoria saw of him was his two naked butt cheeks.  Victoria, gripping her pounding heart, stared at the door of the estate.  As she waited, Dr. Manheim gripped her arm, making her jump.  She had nearly forgotten he had come with her.

"It is done now," Dr. Manheim said.  "You don't need me anymore.  You have each other."

"Don't go," she said.

"I think you'll be plenty busy without me."  Dr. Manheim smiled at her.  "He finally found the woman who will love him no matter what he is, just like I suspected."

Just as Victoria opened her mouth to stop Dr. Manheim as he pivoted and headed back down the mountain, she heard the door to the estate open and she whipped around.  Leon stepped through the doors still naked from his feet to his head.  For a moment, she envisioned him as a werewolf with his red eyes and abrasive black fur.  Was that really him?  And was Sir William really dead?

But as she stood there, those questions were pushed from her mind.  Leon was in front of her, a wide grin on his face as tears poured down his cheeks.  He held open his arms to her, and she rushed into them, gripping his back.  His embrace felt so good she could have melted into his arms and stayed there forever.  She smelled the same scent on him as she had on the werewolf.  It was the rough smell of sweat, but she didn't mind.  She didn't mind at all.

"How did you survive?" Leon asked.

"Easy."  She smiled against his skin.  "I believed you were still you, and you were.  But don't you remember anything?"

Leon shook his head and grunted.  "No.  Nothing.  I woke up this morning and had the taste of blood in my mouth.  I was so certain it was you who I…who I…"

She shook her head.  "No, Leon, you killed…I think you killed Sir William.  Nobody in Harlow reported seeing a body as of last night, but I think you did."

Silence fell between them, and she took the time to squeeze Leon harder.  As she held him, she wondered whether it was cold of her to not care that Sir William had died.  In fact, she felt relieved that she would never have to see his face again.

"Victoria," Leon whispered, "how can you still care for me in such a way when you saw what I am?  A fearsome beast.  I killed my brother, Victoria.  I killed my brother."

The words shocked her, but as she gazed into Leon's face, she saw such sadness there that it wiped away any worries she might have had about her own safety.  All she felt was pity – pity for Leon.  Pity for what he had gone through.  With a groan, she grasped Leon in her arms, tight, and she held on as she sighed against his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Leon," she said, "but I’m certain it’s not your fault.  I am here now.  I’m going to help you deal with this.  Even if you shove me out the door every day, I won't go anywhere.  After last night, I realized why you were so hell-bent on keeping me away.  But werewolf or not, I care for you."

"Oh, Victoria, what if I hurt you?" he asked, shaking his head.

She thought of last night, of how she had stared into his red eyes and patted his coarse fur.  Last night, he had not hurt her.  Why would he after last night?

"You won't," she said.

"But I could."

"You won't."

Leon stepped away and gazed into her face with deep, probing eyes.

"I won't," he finally said.  "I love you too much."

Leon bent his head, pressed his lips against her own, and kissed her deeply.  As she was pressed against his naked body, her palm wide against his chest, her heart pounded and her blood rushed.  Yes, this was exactly where she needed to be.  This was exactly where every soul needed to be, with the person she loved.

Whether they were a werewolf or not.

When Leon stepped back, pulling his silk smooth tongue out of her mouth, he gazed at her with an intense expression on her face.

"And Sir William…"  His voice was tight.  "Aren't you upset that I…"

"He was going to kill me.  You saved me."  She shook her head.  "No, I…"

She paused as her mother's face flashed in her mind.  Sir William had said that he had gotten to her mother.  What had he done with her?  She felt her face grow cold and she pressed her hand to her mouth.  What if he had killed her?

"What's the matter?"  Leon's face was pale, too.

"My mother," Victoria said.  "He took the letter from my mother.  I have to get back home right away."

"I'll get the carriage."  Leon's lips were tight.  "I'm coming with you.  We'll go as fast as we can."

Leon couldn't believe that a heart could endure so much over such a short period of time.  First his heart had been ripped from his chest when he had thought Victoria was taken, and then he had changed, woken up, and thought he had killed her.  The joy he had felt at finding her again was swiftly replaced by an aching stomach as he forced his horses along the rocky road, going a pace that was not safe for the wagon or the animals.  Even with their current speed, it would take them days before they reached Victoria's home.  When they got there, what would they find?  He stole a glance at Victoria and realized that whatever it was, he would be there for her, just like she was for him.

As the wagon bounced along, he couldn't believe he had not devoured Victoria in his darkened state.  There wasn't even a flicker of a memory of last night in his aching mind.  All he knew now was that he had the woman he loved at his side, and she didn't care that he was a werewolf.  Unfortunately, she was as pale as snow, her lips were pursed, and her eyes were red-rimmed from her tears.

"It will be all right."  Leon reached over and grabbed her hand with his free one.  "Everything is going to be fine, Victoria.  I love you."

"I love you too," Victoria whispered, and Leon’s heart soared regardless of his anxiety.  "If only I knew what that monster had done to my mother.  What if she is dead?  What if I never see her again and this is my fault?  I was with Sir William in order to feed her, but what if I got her and her fiancé a death sentence instead?"

More tears slipped from her eyelashes and trickled down her pale cheeks.

"It will be all right," Leon repeated.

He continued to hold her hand as the wagon bounced up and down at a rapid, jarring pace.

Victoria felt close to vomiting as the wagon bounced up and down.  Her head ached from her sleepless night, and she knew that she would have to endure another, even if she and Leon stopped to give the horses rest.  There was no way that she could sleep with guilt riding on her shoulders the way it was.  At least she had Leon with her.

As she held his hand, she felt his strength fill her.  Occasionally, she imagined what had happened last night, the darkness of his werewolf form, and she felt the lingering sensation of disbelief.  She knew that soon enough, though, she would come to believe in what he was and it still wouldn't matter.

While Leon soothed her hand, her thoughts slipped back to her mother and the beautiful dress she had sewn herself for the wedding.  Finally, her mother had found herself a new soul mate, but for what?  To die?  No, Victoria could only hope her mother was still alive.

When Leon and Victoria reached the city where Dawson lived, she saw the same small cottages and the dark forest surrounding it, and felt her heart leap in her chest.  Please be all right.  Please be all right.  Her head pounded, her sides ached, her leg felt like it was on fire, and her jaw hurt from clenching all night long.  None of that mattered, though, as long as she got back to her mother and discovered that she was alive.

"It's down this path and to the right," Victoria directed, pointing toward an opening between two trees where a dirt road led.

"All right."  Leon directed the horses toward the path and forced them down it.

Both of the horses were covered in a layer of frothy sweat and their bits were bloody, even though Leon and Victoria had given time to rest each night.  The horses pulled them all the way to the end of the road in the hulking forest.

A minute later, they arrived at Dawson's household.  It was a small house, though far larger than hers had ever been, and made from brick.  A silver horse was tied to the porch by its bridle.  Leon directed their horses near the silver horse, pulled on the reins, and then said "Whoa!" and Victoria leapt out of the carriage before it had stopped.

"Mother, mother," Victoria shouted, thundering up the stairs of the porch.  "Mother, tell me you're all right."

Victoria opened the front door to the house, burst inside, and caught the smell of sweat, blood, and urine.  When she ran down the hall, she saw a table which had been upturned, and two long pieces of rope lay on the floor next to the table.  There were blood stains on the wood.

Something terrible had happened here.  She pressed her hand to her lips in horror.  Mother.  Oh God, Mother.

Forcing herself forward, even though she might find something terrible, Victoria entered the kitchen where a giant wood stove was.  Tears filled her eyes as she spotted the puddle of blood upon the floor.  Had Sir William buried her mother already, before she got the chance to say goodbye?  How terrible.  She started to sob.

Behind her, she heard the sound of footsteps, and she whirled around.  She met Leon's solid chest and buried her head against his hard muscles.  Leon wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight, breathing into her hair.  Victoria released a shaky, sad sigh.

"My mother," Victoria groaned.  "This is my fault."

"None of this is your fault."  Leon squeezed her even tighter.  "Like with my brother, some things just happen."

Victoria pulled away and stared into Leon's intense gaze, realizing how hard it must have been for him to say those words to her.  Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around his chest again.  That was when she heard the sound of thudding from upstairs, and she sucked in air.

"Did you hear that?" Victoria asked.

"Yes."  Leon's stare lingered on the ceiling.  "Let's go see what it was."

Nodding, Victoria leapt forward with Leon on her tail.  She raced for the stairs and took them two at a time, even though with every step her legs and sides felt as if they had been lit aflame.  When she reached the top floor, she saw a strange man in the hallway she didn’t recognize.  He had an auburn beard, a balding head, and chestnut eyes.

"So it was you who was yelling," the man said.  "We have some very sick people here.  They need their rest.  Hoodlums.  What do you want?"

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the town doctor," the man said.  "Who are you and why are you here?"

"Doctor."  Her heart felt as if it had been filled with a cup of joy.  "Dawson's alive?  What about my mother, Cecile?"

The doctor's eyes filled with shock.  "You're Cecile's daughter?"

Ignoring the question, she repeated, "Is Cecile alive?"

"Yes."  The doctor stepped away from the door.  "She is in her room.  She is sick, but alive."

With a cry of joy, Victoria ran for the door, pushed past the doctor as if he was a ghost, and then turned the handle of the door.  When she entered the room, she skidded to a stop and let out a groan of horror.  Her mother lay on a white bed to the right.  She appeared thinner than Victoria had ever seen her, her face was black, blue, and red, and her breath left her mouth in tiny gasps.  Only one of her eyes was opened, but it focused on Victoria.

In the bed next to Cecile's lay Dawson.  He was also black, blue, and thin, and his hands were clenched in front of him.

"Mother," Victoria cried.  "Dawson."

Victoria leapt at her mother, kneeled, and gripped her sweaty hands.  Her mother groaned and turned her head a fraction to peer at her through her one remaining good eye.  Victoria leaned down and kissed her mother's hands, wishing she could kiss away the hurt.  The threshold groaned as Leon stepped into the room.

"Mother, I am so sorry,"  Victoria shuddered.  "Sir William got to you.  He hurt you.  Oh, God."

Her mother groaned.  "I’m just so glad you're all right, my precious baby girl."

"I'm all right."  She squeezed her mother's hands harder in relief.  "I am more than all right."

Then she balanced her head on the bed and sighed in relief as her mother petted her red hair in affection.

As Leon gazed upon Victoria who lay partially on top of her mother with shaking shoulders, he felt out of place in the room.  He leaned against the wall, his heart pounding, and pretended he wasn't there.  That wasn't hard.  He had been pretending as much for years with the townspeople of Harlow.  There wasn't much difference now.

Unfortunately, Victoria's mother croaked, "Who is the man I see?"

Victoria, battered and injured, but still beautiful, grinned at him.  "Mother, I know you are injured, but this is Leon, the man I want to spend the rest of my life with."

The words caused his heart to beat harder because now that Victoria knew he was a werewolf and had proven to him that she could withstand the full moons, forever was possible.  And he loved her for it.

When Victoria extended her hand to him, offering him a place in her world and in her family, he stepped over to her and took it.  His palm against her own felt right.

 

Victoria lay on her good side, wheezing, as she stared at the wall with the lamp burning, trying to digest what had happened to her during the last couple of weeks.  Her mother was all right but badly injured, Leon slept in an alternate room in Dawson's household, and Sir William was dead.  As she lay still, she felt rising anger at what Sir William had done to her mother.  She never before thought she would be happy about the death of another person, but as she lay there gripping the bedspread, she discovered that she was.

But at least my mother is still alive.  She rolled onto her back and winced.  The doctor had informed her that she had a broken bone in her side.  Her leg appeared to be healing, despite the rough treatment, for which she was grateful.

As she lay there, trying to fall asleep but finding herself unable to, she heard the sound of a soft knock on her door.  She sat up, her heart pounding, and automatically thought of Sir William and her mother's face.

"H...hello?" she said nervously.

"Victoria, it's Leon," Leon said.  "I am sorry to disturb you at such a late hour.  I saw your light on and…"

He didn't finish his sentence but she did not need him to.  After the incident with Sir William, discovering Leon's true self, and everything that had happened with her mother, she and Leon had not had time to talk about anything.

"Come in, Leon."  Victoria sat up and winced as fire burned her side.  "Please."

The door squeaked as Leon opened the door and stepped inside.  When their eyes locked, Leon smiled at her, and his eyes sparkled even in the dim light of the lamp.  She moved to get up, but he held out his hands to her, palm up, and shook his head.  He walked over to her bed, sat down beside her, and grabbed her hand.  She sighed and then leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You all right?" Leon asked.

"I am now that you're here."  She shut her eyes.  "I haven't been able to sleep at all as of late."

"Are you sure that isn’t because of me?  Because of what you saw me become?"  His voice was pinched with pain.  "I killed someone again.  He may have been evil, but the fact that I devoured someone makes my heart grow ill."

"He was trying to kill me."  She opened her eyes and turned her head to stare at him.  "Without you, he may have succeeded.  You saved my life.  It was self-defense.  And as for you as a beast…How did that happen?"

Leon stared at the bedspread and released a shaky sigh.  "Are you sure you wish to hear it?"

"Of course.  I asked, didn't I?"

Once again, Leon sighed, and Victoria could see from the exhaustion in his eyes how hard the conversation was on him.

"Years and years ago, right after my parents died, I began hunting a lot to get over my pain.  My father and I were really close, and the idea that I would never see him again oftentimes filled me with sadness."  His jaw clenched.  "On my way back to Harlow, I saw a massive black wolf tear apart a sheep which I knew belonged to one of the nearby townspeople.  I went after the wolf with my bow and arrow.  It was an unintelligent action.  I expected the wolf to run, like most wolves run from humans."

"But it wasn't a regular wolf," Victoria summarized in awe.

"No, it wasn't," Leon sighed.  "It was a wolf, like me, on a full moon.  The creature glared at me with eyes of blood.  I swear my life flashed before my eyes.  It charged at me, snarling and growling.  I put up my arm to defend myself, and the wolf sunk his fangs into my arm."

Victoria thought of what Leon had appeared like when he transformed – the black fur as strong as armor, his glowing red eyes, and of course, the fangs which were as thick as her thumbs but twice as long.  She shuddered.  It was hard to imagine a way to get rid of any creature that size.

"How did you get away?" she asked, awed.

"Luck.  Sheer luck."  Leon shrugged.  "The man who owned the sheep went after it.  Under normal circumstances, a werewolf wouldn't have run, but he had one thing which frightened it away, a torch with fire at the end of it.  It ran away from the fire in its unintelligent state, and I was dragged back to the town where my arm was bandaged and healed."

"And they never found out who the werewolf was?" Victoria gasped.

"No."  Leon frowned.  "He never reappeared.  Everybody thought I was bitten by a regular wolf.  But then, things changed…"

Though Victoria longed to speak more, she saw the pain in his eyes and realized that probing him would be bad.  She could learn about his troubled past little by little over the course of their lives together.  Smiling, she nudged his arm and puffed out her cheeks, making a squirrel face which had oftentimes entertained her mother.  He took one look at her expression and chuckled, shaking his head.

"You are a strange woman."  Leon threw back his head and smiled.  "I tell you I was bitten by a monster and now am one myself, and this is your reaction."

"I am not a strange woman at all."  Grabbing Leon's hand, Victoria drew it to her pounding heart.  "I am a woman in love, and a woman in love doesn't abandon the man she cares about, no matter what he is."

"Then I am a lucky man."  Leon's expression sobered.

"Don't you ever deny it."  She poked him in the chest.  "And you’d better not push me away again.  You hear me?"

"I won't."  He clutched her chest.  "Not ever."

"Good."

In the darkness, she could see that Leon's face was once again intense and hungry.  She leaned forward, pressed her hand against his cheek, and felt his hot breath against the palm of her hand.  The two of them stared into one another's eyes for a moment, and Victoria swore she could fall into his soul if she kept it up long enough.

"I love you, Victoria," Leon whispered.

"I love you too, Leon."

Before Victoria could blink or prepare herself, Leon's lips came crashing down upon hers, hot, needy, and wanting.  His hands gripped her hair, tangling in her wild curls.  The fierceness with which he kissed her caused her broken side to ache, but she didn't mind.  She pressed against him, shoving her tongue into his mouth and enjoying the flavor of the wine they had shared that still lingered on his breath.  The two of them pulled away a moment later, panting.

As Victoria stared Leon in the eye, she had the urge to touch as much of him as possible.  After all, just days ago she had thought she would never get to have him again.  She reached forward, seized his shirt, and yanked it up.  Leon raised his arms and Victoria pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it to the side of the bed.  In his nakedness by the light of the lantern, she reached forward and touched the scar upon his forearm with a new sense of understanding.  That scar, with the tender red skin, had caused Leon so much trouble in his life.  It was the start of so much agony.

She took Leon's arm, drew it up to her lips, and kissed the red skin tenderly.  Leon sighed and gently caressed her cheek, as she did this.  Once she pulled away, Leon locked eyes with her and gently pushed her onto the bed so that she was lying on her back.  As he overcame her and kissed the crook of her neck and then wandered down to her chest, she shuddered with want as a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead.  As she shivered in pleasure as Leon devoured her skin, she ran her hands down his strong, muscular back and thought about how his muscles and bones had torn that night and the pained wails he had released into the night.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered.

Leon stilled above her.  "What?"

"When you change into the beast, does it hurt?" she asked.

For a second she thought that Leon would not respond, but then he nodded against her neck.  "It's a bit like having your entire body lit on fire."

"I’m so sorry."  She gripped harder to his back.  "I’m so sorry you have had to endure such pain on your own for so many years."

When Leon pulled back and stared her in the face, she saw the want, hunger, and passion in his eyes increase tenfold.  His lips crashed down upon hers in lust and never-ending hunger.  A groan left his mouth as he once again tangled his hand in her hair.

Victoria's words were what Leon had wanted to hear for so long, though he had not realized it.  The fact that she had said them, the fact that she knew him so well already, and she understood exactly what he needed to hear, took his breath away.  He knew he would be a foolish man not to beg her to spend the rest of her life with him.  He had already spent all of his idiocy pushing her away to begin with, when he should have accepted her into his life with open arms.

"Victoria, Victoria, Victoria," Leon groaned against her mouth as he pulled away.  "I love you."

It was a test of wills not to give in to intense passion and rip the clothing from her body.  Grumbling, Leon began to yank at the strings of her dress, and he finally got them untied after a minute of grumbling, while Victoria stared on with a smirk on her face.  He pulled the two sides of her corset apart and finally he once again saw the gorgeous pale breasts which had driven him to carnal madness a week ago.  Had it truly been only a week since he had touched them?  It felt much longer than that.  Every second he spent not touching Victoria was a second wasted.

With a groan of want, Leon leaned down and took her nipple into his mouth, rolling it over his tongue.  Her skin tasted so sweet.  He wondered how that was even possible.  As he licked and lathered Victoria's aroused nipple with his tongue, Victoria arched her back and moaned in such want that he almost came far too early and soiled his night pants.

"Oh, Victoria," he whispered against her breast as he fondled her other nipple with his hand.

He continued to tease Victoria's nipple with his mouth as he rolled the other one between his index and middle finger.  Judging by her groan, her shudder, and the soft whimpers she released, Victoria enjoyed receiving the attention as much as he loved giving it.  With a grunt of pleasure, Leon glanced up over her sweaty, heaving breasts and locked eyes with her.  Victoria stared back at him with her glowing lily pad green eyes.

Though Victoria did not break his gaze, she sat up and grabbed the bottom of the corset and pulled it farther apart.  She then lifted the corset over her head, exposing the fragile bones of her rib cage, and tossed it over the side of the bed.  With a whimper of pain – from her side or leg, he guessed – she slid out of her dress and pulled it over her hips and tossed it over the side of the bed.  She stared at Leon with the intensity of a burning wildfire.

"Are you sure this is all right?"  Leon reached forward and caressed her cheek.  "You are in a lot of pain, and I…"

Victoria tangled her hand in his hair and covered his mouth with her own, driving her tongue into his mouth.  When she pulled away a moment later, a sly grin was on her face.

"I guess that means you are all right," he said sheepishly.

"Yes."  She ran her hands down his sweaty chest and leaned forward and began to kiss his toned muscles.  "I want you, Leon.  I need you."

The words sent a shot of pleasure straight to his groin.  He needed and wanted her, too.  Stopping now would have been so painful for him it would have been worse than a thousand kicks to his groin.

Victoria pushed all of his concerns to the side as she lathered his chest with her hot tongue and covered his pecs with butterfly kisses which made him shiver.  With a groan, he rolled over onto his back as she straddled him and kissed down to where his pants were.  She seized the waistband of his pants and began to pull them off.  His cock sprung free, eager and hard.

With a groan, Leon propped himself up onto his elbows as he watched Victoria's expression.  As Victoria took in his cock, her eyes widened as if this was the first time she had seen it, and she licked her lips as if hungry.  She pulled his pants all the way down his legs, tossed them to the side, and then crawled back up to his cock and continued to stare at his fist-sized balls and plump, veiny shaft as if it was the most attractive thing in the entire world.

Victoria lowered her mouth over the top of his cock and devoured the whole shaft.  A gasp of pleasure left Leon as he watched himself disappear into her hot, wet cave.  Pressure built in his balls and he knew he could no longer watch Victoria's red lips devour him lest he come early.  With a grunt, he threw back his head and draped his arm over his eyes, immersed in the sensation of tingling in his shaft and building heat in his balls.

Just as he was certain that he was going to explode, Victoria pulled off of him and cool air hit his cock.  As Leon groaned, trying to get his bearings, Victoria fastened her hand around the base and began to pump his cock hard, fast, and rough.  The sudden pressure and friction caused his hips to arch, and his dick threatened to explode all over her fat, aroused breasts which jiggled sublimely with each movement she made.

I’m going to come.  I am.  But he didn't want it to end like this.  He wanted to be inside her, driving his cock into her body with each pump of his hips.

"Stop," he groaned.

Victoria released him, a wicked grin on his face.

Breathing heavy, he blinked and tried to maintain his composure.  He had been so close, and his cock protested his request to make Victoria stop.  But he was a strong enough man to maintain himself.

Victoria had never felt closer to Leon before.  That was why she had been so overeager to watch pleasure fill his face as he came.  She pressed her hand against his pelvis, feeling his muscles tremble, and couldn't help but smile at the hungry expression he Leon wore as he panted and breathed deeply.

Leon sat up so fast that Victoria gasped in shock.  He flipped her over so that she was on her back again.  Though his quick, forceful movement caused a little pain to fill her side and leg, she was all right with that because she was together with him.

Leon moved over her breasts again.  He rolled her nipple between his teeth and let out an excited sigh against the fat of her breast.  He kissed his way down along her hips and with a groan of pleasure, he seized the waistband of her undershorts and tugged them all the way down her shapely legs.  When he returned to hover over her cunt, she let out an excited sigh.  As she squirmed, she could tell that she was wet because she could hear her pussy lips squelch.

As Victoria shuddered and spread her legs wide, Leon moved his fingers between her legs and pulled apart the lips of her pussy with his fingers.  Before she had time to prepare herself mentally, Leon shoved into her with his index finger.  She groaned as pleasure filled her from the shock, but she was so wet already that his sudden insertion only brought pleasurable feelings to her.  With a groan, she arched her back, eager for more of Leon.

Leon continued to pump into Victoria with his index finger, and as her hips quivered with every thrust, she stared down at him and watched as he grinned at her from over her aroused breasts.  His eyes were alit with fiery passion, which only made her urge to come even stronger.  I love and want this man.  She shuddered as she squirmed around his finger.

While Victoria groaned in pleasure, Leon inserted two fingers, stretching her more and causing every movement to fill her with intense pleasure that built inside her.  Yes, it felt good.  It felt better than anything she had ever experienced.  Just as she felt herself close to climaxing and waves of pleasure caused her to clench her cunt muscles, Leon pulled out of her while grinning.  She glared at him, but her annoyance at his stopping did not last long.

"To repay the favor," he said affectionately, and then he kissed the soft insides of her thighs and lathered them with his tongue.

But Leon did not stray toward Victoria's cunt again as she so desperately wanted him to.  Instead, he moved upward so that he hovered over her face and then he kissed her lips hard.  When she opened her mouth to accept his tongue, he let out a shaky, impassioned sigh and sucked at the end of her tongue, making her groan.  As he continued to drink in her mouth, his fingers wandered toward her cunt again.  He began to play with her sensitive cleft as he held his tongue in her mouth.

Victoria wanted him inside her.  She longed to be together with him in ways which were more than just mouth to mouth.  With a hungry groan, she arched her hips and lifted, though it caused her side to fill with agony.  The ache in her cunt was so much greater than any ache in her side.

"Please," she begged.  "Please, I want you inside of me."

With a groan of approval, Leon settled himself on top of her and steered his cock into her cunt as she raised her hips and spread her legs further.  She felt slight stretching as he inserted his shaft inside of her, but it was all pleasure once he was fully inside.  She squirmed around, feeling his cock, and tightened her cunt muscles around him, desperate to have him permanently inside of her.

"God, so tight," Leon groaned, tangling his fingers in her hair.  "What the hell are you doing?"

Victoria's eyes widened as she whimpered.  She wrapped her hands around his shoulder and breathed in his ear, "Take me.  Take me now."

Leon did not ask her any more questions and instead he ploughed into her as hard as he could.  Though her leg and side burned, holding onto Leon and moving with him appeared to help ease the slight pain.  Any discomfort she endured was worth it for the pleasure which filled her and caused her to whimper, arch her back, and clench Leon’s back.

As Leon moved in and out of her, Victoria continued to tighten her muscles rhythmically, and every time she did, Leon let out desperate groans.  It felt so good that she clenched her eyes shut, but he soon tangled his hand in her sweaty hair with one hand and used his other hand to push at her chin and direct her face to the right.  In shock, her eyes shot open, and she saw Leon's bright, intense, adoring eyes stare down at her.  Yes, she thought.  God, Yes.

"Look at me," Leon said.  "I love your eyes."

Instead of nodding, Victoria continued to stare deeply into Leon's eyes and she groaned in pleasure.  She became aware that Leon could be the one to pleasure her for the rest of her life.  The idea drove her near to the edge and she knew she would soon come.

As Victoria clamped around his cock and the pressure increased, Leon knew he was close to coming.  Victoria let out a loud cry, dug her nails into his back, and raised her hips to accept his thrusts.  As he increased his thrusts, he felt Victoria grow wet and slippery as she came.  The clenching plus the wetness and the heat inside of her drew Leon to the edge, and he shot his load with a groan of pleasure.

With a sigh, he leaned his head against her chest as he panted and attempted to recover.  The two of them were silent except for the sound of their rough gasping.  Leon rolled off of Victoria and onto the side of the bed where he grabbed her hand and held it in his.  Her palm was damp.

"I love you," Leon whispered.

Victoria sat up slowly and reached over and cupped Leon's cheek.  She leaned forward and kissed his lips so tenderly and with so much love that he knew she felt the same.

~K. Lyn~