Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Luna didn’t think she’d ever been so shocked as the moment she heard an earl call her his wife. Wife! That wasn’t part of the plan at all, and this man thought he could claim they’d already gotten hitched?

No. She wouldn’t abide by that. Lying about her interest in him was easy, but pretending they had a history was an entirely different deal than what he’d asked for. What game did he play now? Did he think she’d go along with this?

Considering the crowd holding their breath around them, Luna didn’t have a choice at the moment. But soon she would drag him back into the manor and blister his ears.

First, she had to deal with this problem.

Plastering a smile on her face, she tried to pretend she was Maeve. “Gentlemen. I think this has all been a horrible misunderstanding, and I fully appreciate how heroic you all have been. Rushing to the aid of a fallen friend is a sign you all uphold a sense of honor that should be illuminated in history books. Now, I assure you, the Earl and I will look into this matter and we will speak with each and every one of you to understand what has occurred here.”

Was this how easy it was for Maeve? One second they were an angry mob, ready to throw pitchforks and burn down the manor. And the next, they stared at her with slack jaws and glassy eyes.

All she’d done was straighten her shoulders and smile at them, for heaven’s sake. Luna wasn’t even a traditionally beautiful woman! They should at least fight her on this, but no. They all seemed to fall under her spell.

Good enough, she supposed. Luna touched a hand to her heart and added, “I am genuinely moved by your willingness and loyalty to your friend. You have my word that we will get to the bottom of this matter. But in the meantime, please take care of yourselves. Dead Man’s Crossing would be less remarkable if it were missing its guardians.”

Okay, maybe that was laying it on a little thick. No one seemed to notice, or if they did, they didn’t mind that she’d basically ripped pages out of a history book to make sure they all felt as though they were the heroes in this story.

“We’ll hold you to that,” the dark haired man said, pointing a finger in her face before turning around.

Just like that, they all filtered out of the manor’s courtyard and went home. Not a single one looked back at her, and none of them hesitated as they left. It was as if her words had soothed the beasts inside them, or whatever other poetic thing she wanted to come up with.

Three of the men hooked their arms underneath the dead body and dragged it out with them. That poor boy. She’d seen a werewolf kill before when she lived in the convent and they’d tried to teach her alongside Maeve. She was so big, they thought she was a natural born hunter.

Unfortunately for them, she wasn’t.

Popping her hands onto her hips, she watched them go with a calculating eye. Luna had already intended to throw fists if one of them turned around. Let them try to do what they’d planned. She’d knock a man out and lay him flat on the ground for being a fool. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Once they were all out of sight, she turned on the Earl. Thankfully, Luther had remained behind her, and that saved her the time of having to find him. She’d have tracked him through the manor like a hunter on a mission if she had to, but this man would explain what the hell had happened.

She crossed her arms and stared at him. Silent. Calm. Just like the nuns in the convent had done to her when she was a little girl who had tried to sneak out in the middle of the night and they’d caught her.

He scuffed his foot on the ground, saying nothing but giving away far too much. “What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re going to explain everything, my lord,” she said his title sarcastically. “An entire mob shows up at your house with a dead body in tow, and then you call me your wife. I think you better start from the beginning or I’m going to leave.”

“You’ll end up in jail if you do that.”

She arched her brow. “Try me.”

He paled until she thought he’d pass out before he nodded. “All right. Just not here. Come with me to my study and I’ll... I’ll explain everything.”

Somehow, she had a feeling that she’d have to pull every last detail out of him before she understood what the hell was going on in this manor. But at the very least, he appeared willing to explain it all. She supposed that was a start.

As she trailed him through the halls, she wondered why he was even willing to tell her anything at all. She was the thief. The woman he’d put in his murder dungeon and then somehow struck up a deal with. He shouldn’t tell her any of his secrets. She was the worst person to confide in.

He sat her down in his office and handed her an empty tea cup. Luther said nothing while he set a small tea kettle in the fire to boil, rather than calling for the servants, and she watched his shaky movements with a sudden realization.

Though she had tried to take from him, though she was clearly a person without morals, he had no one else. This was a desperate cry for help if he told her the truth, and that meant she should listen.

So she kept her mouth shut and put three cubes of sugar in her cup while she waited for the water.

His trembles didn’t get any better. If anything, they got worse. She lunged upright to take the kettle away from him before he spilled boiling water all over himself. “Would you be careful, please?”

“Sorry, I just... my mind is elsewhere.”

“On the mob that showed up at your front door?” she asked while pouring them both matching cups.

He wrapped his hands around the edges, apparently not feeling the burning heat on his palms. “On the body, actually.”

Ah, right, of course. Most people would be horrified that they’d seen a man so brutalized. Luna supposed it was natural that he’d be shaken. Death was difficult to look in the eyes, especially when one was accused of being the person who had created the entire situation.

She sat down in front of him and decided if she wanted the truth, then she should give him the truth in return. “I’ve seen a murder by werewolf before. And I know that probably shocks you. My upbringing wasn’t entirely normal.”

His eyes flicked up from his hands, and it was the first reaction she’d seen from him that looked more like himself. “I did hear that correctly, then. You knew what had killed that man.”

“My sisters and I are the daughters of witches.” She held up her hand before he could ask her any questions, silencing him with the gesture. “My mother was a pagan, and no, she didn’t do black magic. My lineage is one of strong, tall women who were capable of fighting if they absolutely had to. Kitchen witches, if you will. We cooked. We made spells into cookies that we’d give to children so they didn’t have nightmares. But the Church didn’t like that.”

The memories still plagued her, running through her head as though they were still happening. “My mother was found out earlier than the others. She gave herself up so the rest of our clan could flee, but that eventually put me in the hands of the Church after they burned her. I’ll spare you the details of what my sisters and I endured, but none of us are natural women, if that makes any sense to you. We have fought our entire lives and live in the shadows with the dark things.”

She stopped there, letting him mull over her words. It wasn’t easy to understand, she knew that. Most people who were aware of her situation didn’t know how to respond when she told them.

Luna wasn’t ashamed of being a witch. She wasn’t ashamed of her upbringing or where she came from. The only thing that made her uncomfortable was the many years she’d spent in the clutches of the Church, trying to be something she wasn’t.

With a deep breath, Luther set down his teacup and licked his lips. “You’re a witch?”

“I am.”

“Like...” He lifted his fingers and waggled them in the air. “Curses flying in all directions and riding on brooms at night?”

“Not that kind of witch.” She had to work hard to not grin at the thought.

No one rode brooms through the air, not like that at least. She’d heard of witches trying, but they were never successful. The best they could do was gracefully float to the ground from the top of buildings. Beatrix had done that a few times.

She pointed to her ears. “Most witches have a very specific kind of magic. I can hear gemstones and jewelry singing. They’re rather loud and usually quite rude, but it helps me steal them from people.”

“Ah.” He nodded as though that made all the sense in the world. “So you were going to steal some of my mother’s old jewelry.”

“I was. They’re very tired of being put away and not worn. Most of them want to be admired, you know.”

Luther chuckled, but then grew somber again. He looked back down at his hands, spreading his fingers wide, almost as though he could see something on them. “Thank you for telling me your story, Luna. I suppose it makes all of this a little easier to admit.”

Her heart thudded hard in her chest. Once, twice, until she was certain he could hear it. What was he going to tell her? Surely not what she suspected.

“I’m the werewolf,” he muttered. “I killed that man when I accidentally locked you in the basement. You were supposed to be in the ballroom, away from the monster. Instead, I locked you in the room where I usually contain my beast. He got out and then did something before I could lock him up the next night. I’m not sure how to control it or what to do now that he knows how to get out.”

Oh shit.

He was a werewolf. He’d killed that man and that’s why he’d been so pale when he stared at the body. Not that she could blame him. Looking at your own victim while being accused of said murder must be extremely difficult. And yet...

She should run. It wasn’t safe in this manor of madness with a werewolf on the loose and a maniac running about.

“A werewolf?” she repeated, stunned by the sudden turn this conversation had taken. “You’re a werewolf?”

“My whole life, actually. I’m a born wolf, not made. Which, I suppose, makes all this even worse, considering my father trained me to be more careful than this.” He spread his fingers even wider until the digits curled like claws. “I never should have been so foolish as to let it out.”

“Right. Well.” What was she supposed to say? “I think it’s a little too late to ponder what might have happened if things were different.”

“It’s hard not to when you have blood on your hands.” He looked up from those hands to meet her gaze. “I’m so sorry you were dragged into all of this. And I should also explain that much of the wealth here in Dead Man’s Crossing comes from the aunt who is going to arrive here in a few nights. She helps fund my endeavors monthly, because she can. But also because she likes me.”

And there it was. The reasoning for all of this, even though he should have told her that from the beginning. This aunt wasn’t bribed to keep his own freedom. The entire town rested on her shoulders now.

Luna let out a little growl that would have made the wolf inside him proud if it could hear her. “So what you’re saying is that if I’m not convincing enough to your very esteemed aunt then not only is this town going to fall apart at the seams, but you’re going to keep killing more people until the Church sends a hunter your way?”

He winced. “That’s about the whole of it, yes. So you can see why I’ve been so intent on keeping you here with me.”

Yes, she absolutely could see the reasoning. But that didn’t make him right for doing it.

“You should never have dragged me into this.” She sniffed loudly and straightened her shoulders. “Thankfully, you found a thief who still has a bit of a soul, and I wouldn’t mind clearing my record. Now that I know all this, you’re going to have to do more for me, Earl of Dead Man’s Crossing.”

“What’s your price?”

“I just said it, Luther. I want my record cleared. No more people looking for me after this. When I’m done here, it better feel like I was never a thief and never caught for stealing in my entire life. Do I make myself clear?”

He nodded without question, and she felt a great weight lift off her shoulders. Luna hadn’t realized how worried she was about leaving this place. Now, she didn’t have to worry quite so much.

Luther cleared his throat. “I don’t understand why you’re handling this all so well. I told you that I’m a monster and you’re shrugging it off and then making more deals.”

She chewed on the inside of her lip, debating if she should tell him. Finally, she decided he should know it all. Why not?

“My brother-in-law is a vampire. I’m the daughter of a witch. My younger sister sees spirits and they tell her what to do. A werewolf isn’t all that strange to me, Luther. What I find strange is that you’re expecting me to impress this aunt of yours with zero training. I grew up on the streets and in the Church. I have no clothing other than what I’m currently wearing.”

“You what?” That snapped him out of his stupor. “I had noticed you were wearing the same clothing every time I saw you, but I assumed you just... had more of that than anything else.”

“When would I have gotten clothing, Luther?”

“Well, shit,” he muttered. “We’ve got to fix that, now don’t we?”

“Before your aunt gets here preferably, but I don’t know what you’re expecting out of me to be honest.” Leaning back in her chair, she crossed an arm over her chest and held out the teacup with the other. “Do we have a deal?”

He looked her over one last time before sighing and turning his gaze to the ceiling. “Why does this feel like I’m making a deal with the devil?”

“You probably are.”

“Well then.” He clinked their cups together. “To hell and back, Luna.”