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Forget being fatigued. Now I needed to drain more energy. I changed into a pair of jeans and a soft sweater I’d previously missed, then donned the least uncomfortable looking boots and headed outside to view the rest of the property. Still no sign of my guards.
I admit I visited the stables to pet the horses before I turned my sights to a garden maze. A sense of foreboding washed over me as I passed the arched, open gate. Let the sensation deter me? No. I wasn’t some wilting violet. Plus, it might be nice to enjoy a little peace and quiet amid the twists and bends. But. Huh. Did I hear the howl of a wolf emanating from somewhere up ahead? Isobel had mentioned a war with shifters.
Deciding to turn around, I returned the way I’d come. Or attempted to. Where was the exit? And where did that pear tree come from?
The sun began its descent, the temperature droppingfrom cool to cold in a matter of minutes. Hoping to conserve warmth as I tried another path, I wrapped my arms around my middle. Oh, wow. The bushes grew into bigger walls, towering over me.
I stopped and performed a full turn. Um. Where was I?
Heart thudding, I retraced my steps and passed the pear tree again. Then again. Sunlight continued to dwindle, shadows thickening. My teeth chattered from shock and fright as much as cold.
The leafy maze walls seemed to close in on me, bringing more darkness. Panic squeezed my chest. “Help,” I called. Never be too proud to request help; something I taught the students in my care. I only prayed I didn’t summon the wolf. “Someone? Anyone?”
No response. The heart-thudding intensified, but I refused to give in to hysteria. Should I stay put? The bodyguards must be hunting for me. Yes, yes. They’d find me if I just remained in place. But an eternity passed as I huddled half-inside, half-outside a bush. The moon eked across the night sky, and still no one came.
In the distance, the wolf howled with greater menace, and I shuddered. In response to the wild animal’s call, distressed dogs barked, and birds twittered.
Had I made the wrong call? Should I have kept walking? I inched away from the protection of the bush, thinking to move on, but the wind kicked up, slapping limbs together and rustling leaves. Okay, so, here I stayed. My sunburn provided a soft waft of heat, yet I grew colder, soon plagued by shivers.
Tears stung my eyes. Every movie where a lone traveler died in the elements played in my mind. Maybe now was the time to panic after all.
No. Nope. Not happening. Any moment, Callen wouldreturn home and send someone to search for me. Surely. Perhaps he’d even come for me himself, ready to castigate me for causing us to miss the clan meeting. According to Isobel, he could find me in a matter of minutes.
The tension in my shoulders loosened. Yes, Callen would come. But another eternity passed, my hope slowly withering.
He wasn’t coming. No one was coming. Had I already completed my mission and convinced Callen to wash his hands of me?
Sniffling, I wiped my runny nose with the sleeve of my sweater. The moon was nothing but a sliver now, making it too dark to navigate the winding corridors of greenery. If I stumbled somewhere I shouldn’t, or gained the attention of a wild animal, I’d only worsen my predicament. At least the maze walls offered a windbreak from the worst of the elements. The best I could do was survive the night and set off in the morning.
Exhaustion infused every part of my body, my limbs too heavy to lug around, anyway. I leaned my head against a sturdy branch, mashing my lips together to cut off a sob. My eyelids slid closed. The cold bothered me less and less as I drifted away on a cloud of?—
“You are the most stubborn creature in existence.”
The low, irritated voice yanked me to the present. My eyelids popped open. Callen! At my side, he bent down and scooped me into his arms. He’d come to fetch me!
He marched through the maze, carrying me close to his chest. And mmm. He radiated the most delicious heat. I nuzzled closer.
Stumbling a little, he snapped, “I should let you suffer for pulling a stunt like this.”
“Stunt?” I peered up at him and huffed a breath. “I got lost.”
“Really? That’s your story?” A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You walked it before, Isobel.”
Oh. “Stress adversely affects the memory. It’s science, look it up.”
The muscle jumped again. “You wished to avoid the clan meeting, nothing more.”
“Wrong. That was just a bonus,” I muttered, too tired to mind my tongue.
He carted me over a threshold, entering an empty castle ballroom. More commanding than usual, he said, “You will attend tomorrow’s meeting.”
“Maybe.” I had more thinking to do.
“You will.” A growl rumbled in his chest. “What are you doing now—stop.”
The cuddling? “Sure. As soon as you stop blasting such amazing heat,” I told him, too cozy to be intimidated.
He missed another step but recovered gracefully. “Careful, wife. You donna wish to provoke my beast.”
