Enchanting Winter
CHAPTER ELEVEN

“

Lady Willow, you really must calm down.” Anna paces behind Willow trying to tie her corset. “You are making it impossible to dress you.”

“Anna, can I tell you something?”

“Of course m’lady.”

“And what I’m telling you, you tell no one else?” Willow questions sternly.

“Of course Lady Willow.”

“I like Cassius.”

Anna brow furrows, “Lord Black is an exceptional man.”

“No.” Willow shakes her head at Anna’s misunderstanding. “I like Cassius. I can’t get him out of my head. I’m trying desperately but I can’t stop thinking about him.”

Anna stands frozen, confused.

“He said he…” Willow trails off. “But he is engaged. Hell, his engagement party is today.”

Willow is still to meet Quinn. The older Carson sister is supposedly delayed and will only just make it in time for the party. Willow has decided that is on purpose the girl is probably exactly like her sister and keen to make grand entrance.

“I’m not sure I know what to say m’lady.”

“It is fine Anna. I just needed to talk to someone.”

“I’m always available.”

“Thank you Anna.” Willow shocks her ladies maid with a hug before letting her continue dressing her. A knock taps on the door as Anna is finishing lacing Willow’s dress. Anna hurries over to the door and Jonathan steps inside.

“Mr Bane is here for you Lady Willow.”

“Oh, thank you Jonathan.” Willow says with a smile her worries about Cassius briefly forgotten when she realises she will have a friendly face with her today.

“He will be waiting for you in the parlour m’lady.”

“Lady Willow will be down shortly.” Anna says encouraging Jonathan back out the door. Anna applies the final touches to Willow’s hair and Willow can’t help but smile when she takes in her reflection.

“I have to admit Anna it may have not be my style but you make me look really pretty.”

“All I’m doing is bringing your beauty out from within m’lady.”

“Are you saying if you polish a turd it is still a turd?”

“Uh…I don’t think so.” A blush takes over Anna’s cheeks.

“Thank you Anna. Be sure to have a little fun at the party.”

“I’ll try m’lady.”

Willow hurries to the door where Jonathan is waiting to escort her down to the parlour. Once down the stairs Willow darts passed the slow moving Jonathan and towards where Luke is waiting for her. She pushes the doors of the parlour open without introduction to see Luke sitting in one of her grandmother’s fancy antique chairs with his hands clenched in his lap. His leg is shaking and opposite him her grandfather sits watching him with a glare.

“Luke!” Willow says with a smile and Luke is quick to stand with a smile matching her own. A throat clearing stops Willow before she can pull the werewolf into a hug. Willow turns to face the Duke with a slight blush.

“Your Grace I’m so sorry, She-” Jonathan babbles as he enters the room puffing.

“It is quite alright Mr Clark. I don’t believe my granddaughter needs much introduction. Willow, might I talk to you for a moment?” The Duke gestures her over to him and Luke turns towards the bay windows as a sign of giving them privacy.

“Of course Your Grace.” Willow replies in her sweetest voice.

The Duke gives her a slight eye roll before looking at her seriously.

“This is the company you have been keeping at the academy?”

“Lukos is my friend.”

“Nothing more?”

Willow shifts uncomfortably refusing to answer. The Duke sighs.

“I know I have no right to meddle after everything we have put you through since you arrived but there are certain expectations that come with being the heir to Winter Grove.”

Sensing the fact that Willow would love to debate with him the Duke holds his hands up in surrender.

“I must be ready for when the other guests arrive. I will leave the two of you. Perhaps Mr Bane might like a tour of the grounds Willow?”

The Duke presses a kiss to Willow’s forehead, shakes Luke’s hand and steps out of the parlour door before Jonathan enters to stand stoically in the corner.

Because I can’t possibly be trusted on my own...

“How are you?” Luke steps forward his eyes prying more than his question lets on.

“Should we walk?” Willow asks wanting it to be harder for Jonathan to overhear.

“After you m’lady.”

Willow places her hand in the crook of Luke’s arm and the two venture out into the garden.

“This place is huge.” Luke comments after a few beats of silence.

“Your home is different?”

“We are of different social standings Lady Willow.”

“Don’t call me that.” Willow mutters and Luke laughs.

“Things are just different.”

“Because you are a wolf?”

“That is neither here nor there. There have been titled shifters before.”

“Shifters?”

“I’m not an ordinary werewolf like you may have read about in your realm Willow. I’m a shifter. Shifters can take their animal form whenever they wish either partially or fully.”

“Like the day you showed me just your paw.”

“Yes, like the day I showed you my paw.” Luke smiles softly. “Spencer yelled at me for doing that.”

“My fault.” Willow interjects quietly.

“Truth is I don’t care and I’d show myself to you a million times over.”

Willow pulls Luke to a stop.

“Luke…”

“I know the blood sucker has marked you. I could smell it the next day. That is irrelevant though. I like you Willow. More than I probably should, as your grandfather said there are expectations with your title.”

“Wolf hearing?”

“Something like that, it doesn’t matter how much I like you I can never have you in that way.”

“It’s not fair.” Willow mumbles. Luke chuckles.

“No, but it is life and if you’ll have me I’d very much like to stay as your friend.”

For the first time since arriving in Winter Grove Willow feels she has found someone genuine. Her arms wrap around Luke pulling him against her chest which makes him chuckle awkwardly. There is a throat that clears behind them and Willow turns to see Jonathan standing stoically but staring at them, disapproval clear on his face.

“That is the second time today you have molested me in someone else presence.”

“Molested?”

“Hugged me out of turn.” Luke corrects himself.

“Thank you.” Willow whispers and Luke smiles at her. Pulling back from the hug he holds her hand in his pulling it to his lips.

“I’ll always be here for you Will.”

Willow smiles at the nickname and once again places her arm in Luke’s and the two continue walking. They chat about anything and everything from school, to Willow’s magic ring, to her feelings about being ‘marked’. When the two see a carriage entering the property they start back towards the house. The carriage is similar to the one Willow arrived in with the same Winter Grove crest on the side.

“I’d say that will be the bride-to-be.” Luke comments.

“Have you met her before? Quinn?”

“The infamous Miss Carson? Nope. As if she would want to meet someone as lowly as me.”

“You are not lowly.” Willow rolls her eyes. Willow watches as the carriage rolls to a stop. At least five household staff move to the carriage immediately fetching trunks and carrying them into the house. One of the footmen extends his hand through the carriage door and Willow sees skirts billow out.

Quinn has the same brown hair as her sister but even from a distance it is obvious that she is the prettier of the Carson girls, which considering Blair is beautiful is definitely saying something.

“She is very pretty.” Willow mumbles.

“Meh, I prefer blondes.” Luke says from beside her and his comment receives an elbow to the stomach from Willow.

Looking back to the house the Duke and Duchess stand on the stairs waiting to accept their niece and Lord Cassius Black is now standing in front of Quinn. The footman speaks loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Presenting Miss Quinn Carson.”

Quinn curtsies on her name and Cassius steps forward taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. Still holding her hand he bows slightly before placing her hand on his arm to escort her inside.

Willow feels her heart clench. As though noticing Luke offers her hand a squeeze. Cassius looks back over his shoulder and locks eyes with Willow. Willow has felt his presence in her mind for weeks but heard nothing from him. She knows he has heard every thought and she has held nothing back from him.

I have let you know exactly how I feel. Willow thinks knowing he can hear every word.

“The betrothal is unimportant, love.” Cassius’s voice is softer than normal as though he knows Willow could implode at any moment.

Luke notices the air around Willow feel colder. Cassius notices the change in her straight away and unable to watch the scene in front of her Willow spins on her heel and bolts.

Cassius wants nothing more then to wrench Quinn’s manicured hand from his arm and chase after Willow but he doesn’t. He tries to reach out to her through their connection desperately telling her of his feelings and to calm down but she is no longer listening.

Willow runs surprisingly fast considering the substantial heel on her shoe and the amount of skirts on her dress. Luke replaces himself using his animal instincts to catch up.

“Willow you need to stop!”

Willow doesn’t answer him as she leaves the Winter Grove estate and replaces herself in forest.

“Willow!”

Somewhere along the way Jonathan disappeared and Lukos can only hope that he left to replace someone capable of calming the half Wiccan, half witch down. He can smell the magic coming out of her and see the icicles falling from her fingers.

“Willow it isn’t safe. The forest it belongs to-” Luke is cut off by an ear splitting growl and Willow freezes suddenly ice and snow swirling around her. Luke reaches for her hand but the ice is so cold it burns. He groans in pain the sound causing more ice to circle.

“I’m sorry.” Willow whispers.

“Willow, we will talk it all through ok? But right now we need to leave. There are beings that live in this forest that will not like me.”

Willow looks back at him with her eyes widen as the growling gets even closer.

“What-” Luke smacks his hand over Willow’s mouth and shakes his head furiously.

“Is he talking to you?”

“Who?”

“Black. Is he in your mind right now?”

“Always.” Willow whispers fresh tears forming in her eyes.

“I don’t ask to hurt you Willow but he is the only way we are getting out of here. I’m going to need to shift and you need to call him.”

“Luke…”

“Now Willow!”