Red Moon (20 page)

“You did not force her to share your bed, Tristan.”
 Vivian said gently.  “She loves you.”

“Aye, she does.”  Tristan said miserably.  “And I
have treated her terribly.”

“You have not!”  Vivian insisted.  “You have been
very kind to her.”

He laughed bitterly.  “Have I?  She told me once
that what I only wanted her as my whore and to my shame, she was right.”

Vivian opened her mouth to protest but she stopped when
Tristan stared at her with haunted eyes. “I wanted to have it both,
mother.  I wanted a Lycan mother for Sophia and I wanted Avery in my
bed.  I didn’t care that I was hurting Avery or leading Victoria on. 
I’ve been incredibly selfish.”

“Oh, Tristan.”  Vivian’s heart ached for her child and
she placed a hand on his arm.  “I’m afraid this is partially my
fault.  I was so certain that Victoria would be the right person for
Sophia, for
you
, that I pushed you towards her.”

She faltered for a moment.  “I did not know the depth
of your feelings for Avery.”

He stared at her, his tanned face reddening.  “What do
you mean?”

“My sweet boy.”  She shook her head and smiled a little.
 “You’re in love with Avery.  Can you not see it?”

“Mother I – “  

He stopped, looking at her helplessly.

She smiled again and put her arm around him.  They
stared silently out the window as Nicholas babbled quietly in Tristan’s arms.

“Sophia my love, it’s time to go in for lunch.”  Maya
shivered in the cold air as Sophia pouted at her.

“Just one more game, Maya.  Please.”

Marshall grinned.  “What game this time, Sophia?”

“Hide and seek!”  Sophia clapped her hands delightedly
as Maya smiled.

“Close your eyes and count to fifty.”  Sophia
demanded. 

Marshall and Maya closed their eyes and began to count as
Sophia laughed and ran off.

* * *

“Hello Avery.”

Avery groaned inwardly and turned to face Hendrick. 
She had just entered the barn and was about to start shoveling out a stall when
Hendrick’s voice had washed over her.

“Hello Hendrick.”  She smiled politely and crossed her
arms over her chest.

Hendrick stepped closer and returned her smile.  “How
are you today?”

“Fine.”

“Not feeling sick after yesterday?”  He inquired.

“No.”  She replied shortly.

“Good.”  He leaned against the wall of one of the
stalls.  “Tell me, Avery.  Do you know – do you understand just what
a gift you have been blessed with?  How valuable you are?”

Avery cupped her elbows nervously.  “What is that you
want, Hendrick?”

“I want you to join me in my household, Avery.  I know
Tristan is getting rid of you and I want to give you the chance to make a
better life for yourself.”

“He has already sold me to another.”  She replied.

He tipped his head in acknowledgement.  “Aye, but in
my
home you will not be a slave.  You will be my wife.  I will treat you
well and you will have everything you want.  Pretty dresses, slaves to
attend to your every need, you will never want for anything again.  I
promise you that.”

“That is very kind of you, Hendrick.  “Avery cleared
her throat.  “But I’m afraid I will have to decline your offer.”

A look of irritation flashed across his face before he
smiled again.  “I’m afraid you have no choice, Avery.  I have already
spoken with Tristan and he has agreed to sell you to me.”

Avery stared at him in shock.  “You lie.”

“I do not.”  Hendrick said solemnly.  “Your Lord
Tristan thought you would enjoy being my wife more than you would enjoy the
life of a slave.”

“No.”  Avery whispered.  She glanced down at the
floor in confusion, her stomach churning and her hands trembling.  The air
in the barn suddenly felt too suffocating, the previously large space too
small, and she could hear her pulse thudding loudly in her ears.

“He would not do that.”  She said softly.  “He
knows that I want to be close to my sister.  He would not sell me to you.”

Hendrick sighed irritably.  “I told you, girl.
 It’s done.  In fact, my carriage is outside and waiting. We leave
for my home now.”

He whistled piercingly and two of his men appeared in the
open doorway of the barn.  Avery began to back up as Hendrick walked
towards her.

“I want to speak to Tristan right now.”  She
spat.  “I’m not going anywhere until I hear it from him.”

“Sweet girl, he has gone for a ride with my dear
sister.  You’ve seen how close they’ve grown over the last few weeks.
Although I have no doubt that he will miss you, I imagine she is right at this
very moment helping him to forget all about you.”

She slapped him hard across the face and his blue eyes
flashed yellow at her, a low growl starting in his throat.  “You don’t
ever want to cross me, Avery.  Do you understand?”

She tried to hit him again and he struck her across the
temple.  She slumped forward, knocked unconscious, and he hoisted her over
his shoulder and carried her towards the door.  He paused, his head cocked
to the side, before he handed Avery’s prone body to one of his men.

“Put her in the carriage.  I’ll join you shortly.”

The man nodded and he and the other left the barn. 
Hendrick walked slowly down the middle of the barn, inhaling deeply.  He
whistled softly under his breath before suddenly darting into the last empty
stall. 

He dragged Sophia out by her wrist and glared down at
her.  “What did you see, girl?  Tell me now and be quick about it.”

She stared at him, her lips trembling as her eyes turned a
light green and began to glow softly.

He bent down until he was at her eye level and spoke softly.
 “If you tell anyone what you have seen, I will come back and kill your
baby brother and your grandmother while they sleep.  Do you understand
me?”

She suddenly snarled and bared her teeth at him. 
Before he could move she had sunk her small, needle-sharp teeth into his
wrist. 

He let out a short yelp of pain and shook her loose as she
shifted into her wolf form.  She backed up snarling and spitting at him,
and he stood and stared down at her.

“Remember what I said, girl.”  He turned and left the
barn.

* * *

“It is a beautiful day is it not?”  Victoria smiled up
at Tristan.  At Victoria’s request, they had left their horses tied to a
grove of trees and walked towards the lake that was at the edge of his
property.

“Aye, it is.”  He replied.

Victoria frowned.  Tristan had been quiet and distant
the entire ride and she squeezed his arm gently.  “Are you feeling well
today, Tristan?”

“I feel fine.”  They stood at the edge of the lake and
stared at its crystal blue waters.  After a moment, he turned to her.
 “Victoria, I must speak with you.”

She smiled up at him.  “Of course, my darling.”

“I’m afraid I have been dishonest with you about my
feelings.  I have led you to believe that I – “

He paused as she suddenly winced and placed a hand on her
side.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes.”  She gave him a small, trembling smile.

“Have you hurt yourself?”

“Not quite.”  She grimaced and rubbed gently at her
side.

“Let me see.”

She pulled her shirt up and he frowned at the small but deep
cut he could see on her side.  It was starting to heal but it still looked
swollen and sore.

“What happened?”

She sighed.  “It is nothing, my lord.”

“Obviously it isn’t nothing.”  He said impatiently.
 “Tell me.”

She gave him a sorrowful look.  “It was the Red, my
lord.”

His mouth dropped open.  “What?”

She sighed again.  “Earlier this morning I was chatting
with her and our conversation turned to you.  I mentioned how close we had
grown and that I would not be surprised if you asked me to stay longer. 
And that your mother and I had already begun to plan our wedding.”

“How did you get cut?”  He asked impatiently.

“She attacked me, Tristan.”  She said softly. 
“She drew a knife from her skirt and went after me.”

“She would not do that.”  Tristan said darkly.

“She did.”  Victoria insisted.  “Hendrick was
there and saw the whole thing.  If it had not been for him, I don’t know
what would have happened.”

He stared at her.  “You’re a Lycan, Victoria. 
You’re saying you cannot protect yourself against a human?”

“I had no wish to hurt her, Tristan.  I know how
grateful you are that she saved Sophia’s life.”

He sighed harshly.  “I will speak with her
immediately.”

Victoria rested her hand on his arm.  “My lord,
Hendrick was understandably upset and worried for my safety.  He received
word yesterday that he was needed at home and he decided to take the Red with
him.”

“He did what?”  Tristan stared at her thunderstruck.

“You cannot blame him, my lord.  She attacked me. 
He thought it would be best for all concerned if he took the Red with
him.  He left you a handsome sum of money for her.”

Tristan turned and began to stride back towards the
horses.  Victoria hurried after him.

“Tristan, where are you going?”

“Back to the house.  I must speak with Avery and your
brother.”

“It is too late, my lord.  He spoke with me before we
went on our ride and said that he would be leaving immediately.”

Tristan stopped and glared at her.  “Then I will go
after them.”

Victoria placed her hand on his arm.  “Tristan, I know
you are upset but Avery agreed to go with Hendrick.”

Tristan stared at her and she nodded.  “Aye, it is
true.  I swear to you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Really?  She is in love with you and you made it
perfectly clear that you wanted her for your bed and your bed only.  When
she did not agree to that, you turned cold and distant to her.  Once she
had calmed down, she jumped at the chance to leave with Hendrick.”

“Her sister…”  Tristan protested.  “She would not
live so far from her sister.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.  I believe your cruel
treatment of her has overshadowed her desire to be close to her sister.”

They had reached the horses and Tristan, his face a mask of
anger and shock, silently helped her into her saddle before swinging his body
onto his horse.

“My lord, I am sorry but you know this is for the best.”
 Victoria said quietly as they began to ride back to the house.

Tristan didn’t respond.  His mind was whirling with the
realization that Avery had left him.

* * *

“Sophia?  You’re worrying me, my sweet.”  Maya sat
on the edge of the little girl’s bed.  “Will you tell me what’s bothering
you?”

She frowned when the little girl huddled deeper under the
covers and didn’t respond.

“Sophia, do you feel sick?”

“No.”  The little girl said quietly.  “I am tired
and I want to be left alone.”

Maya placed her hand against the girl’s forehead.  It
was cool to the touch and Sophia’s cheeks were still flushed with colour.

“Tell me what’s wrong, my love.”  She said quietly.

“There’s nothing wrong.  I am tired.”  The little
girl repeated herself.

“Sophia, you must tell me what’s – “

The little girl suddenly sat up and growled at her, her eyes
glowing with a fierce light.  Maya stood and backed away, holding her
hands up.  “Okay love, everything’s fine.”

“Leave me alone, Maya!”  Sophia shouted.  “I want
to rest!”

Maya, her heart pounding, left the nursery and went to the
kitchen where she had left Marshall.

* * *

Maya sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. 
She stared at Marshall as tears began to drip down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, my sweet.”  Marshall crouched next to her
and rubbed her knee gently.

“She would not leave me without saying goodbye.”  She
whispered.

“She was unhappy, Maya.  She told you that
herself.  Perhaps she looked at the chance to leave with Hendrick as a
fresh start.”

“But she was going to the Barton’s in a day or so.  Why
would she leave with Hendrick?  He lives so far away.”  She said
plaintively.

She looked down at Marshall.  “I do not believe she
left with him of her own will.”  She said firmly.  “Lord Tristan
thinks of you as his brother.  Will you speak to him for me?  Tell
him that Avery would never leave me like that.  They only left a few hours
ago.  We could saddle horses and catch up to them.  Convince him to
let me go after them so that I may speak with my sister.”

Marshall nodded.  “Of course, my sweet Maya.”

* * *

Tristan sat in the armchair next to the fire and stared
blankly into the fire.  He still couldn’t believe that Avery had left with
Hendrick.  His hand tightened around the glass he was holding. 
Victoria had been right; he had been cold and distant with Avery.  He had
thought it was for the best, had believed that if he closed himself off from
her it would hurt less when he took her to the Barton’s. 

He had been a fool and now he was paying the price.  He
would never see her again and it was his –

There was a knock at the door of his bedroom and Marshall
stepped into the room.  “Tristan, I must speak with you.”

“This is not a good time, Marshall.”  He said wearily.

“Maya sent me here.”  Marshall said with dogged
determination.  “She does not believe her sister would leave without even
saying goodbye to her, and I agree.  She wants to go after them.  Do
we have your permission to go?”

“No.”  Tristan said gruffly.

“Tristan – give Maya the chance to see her sister. 
Surely you don’t believe that Avery would leave you or Maya to go with
Hendrick.  The night of the party, Hendrick tried to – “

“Enough!”  Tristan roared at him.  He stood and
threw his glass into the fire.  It shattered into tiny pieces, and
Marshall shrank back as Tristan turned and glared at him.

“She is gone!  There is nothing we can do about
it.  Now leave me!”

With a stiff bow, Marshall left his bedroom.

* * *

A half-hour later, Tristan sighed irritably when he heard
the door of his bedroom open.  “Marshall, I told you to leave me alone.”

“Papa?”

He twisted in his chair to see Sophia, looking very small
and pale, standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

“Sophia, my love, come here.”  He held out his arms to
her and she ran across the room and climbed into his lap.  She snuggled
into him and he buried his face in her dark hair and breathed deeply. Her
entire body was trembling and he frowned.

“Sophia, what is wrong?”

She stared up at him, tears beginning to slide down her
cheeks.  “I have something to tell you, papa.”