Legend Unleashed (Keeping Secrets, 1)

Chapter 12

Alastair led the way to the bottom of the building and brought them to an empty room tucked away down a narrow corridor. Temperance clambered into the top of the bunk bed furthest from the entrance. Setting her bag down beside her, she watched Halvard stake his claim on the bed beneath hers.

Alastair stepped forward to do the same. Pulling up, he glowered down at the werewolf then settled for the single bed opposite the bunk. Temperance stared down at him.

“Alastair, can’t you contact the Assembly yourself? We’re wasting time here.”

“They’d probably kill me first, if Sebastian could have his way. If Konrad asks they’re more likely to give me a chance to speak. They respect him,” the wizard muttered.

The implication of Cyprian’s betrayal had left him in a foul mood. It was understandable, Temperance couldn’t believe it either. She twisted her fingers around the strap of her bag. She had been right not to trust Cyprian all these years.

“So…are we going to think of a plan of what to do next?”

Alastair wrapped a blanket around his body and turned to face away from her.

“No then,” Temperance sighed.

As she sat on the bed she could feel herself nodding off. She shook her head. She didn’t want to fall asleep yet.

She slipped down off the bunk, stopping when she heard a long, drawn out creek. Alastair didn’t move, but Halvard was watching her.

“Stay,” she mouthed to him, slipping out before he could respond. She shuffled no more than a few steps down the hallway before he had grabbed her arm. He glared at her, then down the length of the corridor.

“I’m no dog,” he muttered. “Where are you going?”

“To the bathroom, I think there’s one down there.” She pointed at a door ajar at the end of the corridor; inside there were white tiles and a row of sinks.

Halvard released her with a short nod. She was impressed by how far he’d progressed in so short a space of time. He had gone from being almost completely animalistic to coherent in a matter of hours. She felt him watching her as she slipped into the bathroom. She took her time washing up.

When she came out, he was gone. An enticing smell of food wafted down the corridor. Her stomach started growling, her last decent meal had been in Cyprian’s house. She bit her lip. She would just be a few minutes. Halvard wouldn’t miss her if she was quick.

She darted down the hall following the scent. Turning the corner she stumbled across a small kitchen. There was a man with shaggy,

shoulder length hair inside scraping the burnt surface off a piece of toast. Once he had finished, he spread a dollop of butter over it. Temperance’s mouth salivated at the sight. However, she hesitated to go in. Even though she could only see the man’s back, he looked intimidating. She tried to sneak away.

The man paused; his head rose.

Temperance froze in fear and berated herself for her stupidity. Alastair had warned her that the place could be full of werewolves. She felt the air leave her lungs when he turned around. It was the one from the forest, the man that Alastair had stabbed; Fenrir.

He was fully clothed this time, in faded jeans and a thin blue cotton jumper, stretched tight over his muscles. A lock of black hair fell into his intense brown eyes. Temperance went bright red at the memory of seeing him naked. She didn’t know what to do now that he’d seen her.

Her legs twitched ready to bolt, wanting to make the decision for her. She worried that the animal side of him might interpret it as a chase. The magic in the building should protect her if she ran but she didn’t want to put it to the test.