Lydia Dare - Wolf Next Door

"Your sense of humor is sorely lacking," Garrick grumbled, his eyebrows drawn together tightly. "Prayer is not a laughing matter, you know."

"My apologies, Garrick." A heavy pant reached Will's ears, and he looked around the floor. Surely Emory wouldn't bring the hounds inside, not into the parlor while guests were here, even if he was trying to dissuade particular ladies in attendance. Then he glanced up and caught the gaze of Miss Giddings, whose heavy breathing grew louder and louder as she approached.

"Will God forgive me if I warn you she's flanking you right now? You've only moments to make an escape, should you desire one."

"I'll say a prayer for you, Will," Garrick said sto ically, as he stepped around him and ducked his head. But, as he did, Will didn't miss the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. The good vicar did have a sense of humor after all. One could not grow up with so many derelict brothers and not maintain some appreciation for the fantastical.

Lizzie Giddings nearly ran Will over to chase after Garrick. "Oh, Vicar Hawthorne," she sang, waving her hand in the air as she trailed him. Will could do no more than shake his head and laugh.

"That's what he gets for condemning Emory for not wanting to partner the girl," Blaine whispered quietly, stepping to Will's side.

"I bet he'll not do that again," Will replied absently. His gaze settled on Prisca, his ears perking up when he heard her laugh over something Brimsworth said. Damned earl! He'd been by her side the entire night.

Be careful around the man

. What a fool he'd been with that bargain. He should have asked for a lot more than that! Stay twenty paces away from him at all times. That should have been his demand. Don't flirt with him. Don't laugh at his inane jokes. He should have thrown those in for good measure.

"Prissy's having a good time of it," Blaine said. "And even Blackmoor has relaxed a bit." Will glanced over to where Simon stood talking amiably with the Giddings brothers. He was much closer to Prisca than where Will stood, which comforted him just a bit. That was probably because Lily was with her.

Of course, Ben rested on the couch with his hand on Elspeth's expanding stomach. He'd not moved more than two feet from his wife, either. It was almost as though he sensed some sort of danger. Like any good shepherd circles his flock, a Lycan would circle his true master all night, if he sensed danger nearby.

Will had been trying to edge closer to Prisca throughout the evening, but every time he took a step in her direction, Brimsworth grabbed her elbow and pulled her farther away. And she'd gone willingly. At least his brothers sensed the same danger he did. He wasn't completely daft. Just worried.

"I believe it's time for a game of Blind Man's Bluff," Emory said over the conversations bouncing around the corners of the room. With a smile, Prisca passed him a length of silken fabric, which he folded to make a blindfold.

Will wanted to groan with the tedium of it, but then Prisca called out, "Once you're blindfolded, the person you touch will also be your partner during the scavenger hunt, provided that you can name the person you've captured, of course."

Lizzie and Sarah Giddings both clapped loudly. Garrick sunk back to lean against the wall. "Fun, fun!" Lizzie called. "Who goes first?"

Prisca scanned the assemblage quickly. Then Emory held the blindfold out to Lily, who laughed as he beckoned Simon to bend down so she could tie it over his eyes. "You will owe me for this, Your Grace," Simon muttered to her, so low that only Lily and the other Lycans in the room could hear him.

Will couldn't hold back his chuckle when Lily replied in a hushed whisper beside Simon's ear, "Promises, promises, Your Grace." Then she giggled, tied the knot, and spun Simon in a quick circle. The object of the game was to disorient the seeker so he wouldn't know who he grabbed blindly. But the game was a complete failure on a Lycan. A Lycan always knew his mate. And with their sense of smell, any of the Lycans in the room could pick out exactly who each person was.

However, Simon made a grand show of reaching out blindly, clasping and unclasping his hands. Darius grunted when Simon bumped an elbow into his ribs as he spun around. And Pierce held back an oath when Simon trod upon the toe of his Hessians. Simon would get recompense, one way or the other.

Finally, Simon gave up the game and honed in on Lily. She had a playful gleam in her eye. She was the only person who'd ever been able to

play

with Simon. When he stepped closer to her, he reached out to grab her arm but she dashed around the outside of the room, making a show of keeping a finger in front of her mouth, urging everyone to be quiet.

Simon followed slowly, his gait predatory. "Lily, dear. I believe you're cheating," he challenged. Then he made one giant leap over the settee and landed on his feet directly in front of her, where he swept her into his arms and kissed the side of her neck. "Oops, I missed," he laughed as Lily pulled the blindfold from his eyes.

"You never miss," she laughed as she patted his chest and then turned to hand the blindfold to Elspeth.

Ben and Elspeth danced a similar dance, but theirs was a bit more comical to watch. Ben didn't go after Ellie with the single-minded purpose that Simon had used. But, finally, he caught her.

Then it was Will's turn to catch Prisca.

Will watched as Elspeth removed Ben's blindfold and he bent to claim a quick kiss to her cheek. He wanted a love like that. Elspeth held the blindfold out to Will, but as he kicked himself away from the wall and started across the room, Brimsworth got there first.

"Would you mind if I take the next turn, Lady Elspeth?" he asked graciously, sending her a charming smile. The man probably had a slew of women dropping at his feet to kiss his boots on a daily basis.

"I was goin' ta pass it ta William, but if he doesna mind," she said as she looked around Brimsworth in Will's direction. Her eyebrows raised in silent question. And sympathy.

There was no way Will could take the blindfold and catch Prisca if Brimsworth got it first. By not taking it, he guaranteed Prisca would be partnered by the strange Lycan during the scavenger hunt. She'd disappear alone with him. And there'd be nothing he could do about it. But to raise a fuss would appear suspicious with everyone looking on. Will simply shrugged and reclaimed his place against the wall, where he leaned negligently against the doorjamb as though he hadn't a care in the world.

Yet Will's heart raced within his chest. The earl tied the blindfold over his eyes himself, and then Emory came forward to spin him around.

"Oh, dear," the earl grunted as he bumped into a tea table. Then glasses rattled as he bumped the sideboard. "I hope I didn't break anything," he joked.

"Not yet, Brimsworth," Emory called back. "Though you get closer to doing so every second."

"Hopefully, I'll stumble into one of the lovely ladies in just a moment. One of the beautiful Giddings sisters would be a great find right now."

Will looked over at them where Sarah Giddings fanned herself with her hand. She laughed a bit, followed by a loud snort. Blaine tucked his head into his chest and bit his bottom lip to hide his grin.

When Brimsworth was within a foot of Prisca, Will kicked away from the wall again and tensed. Simon sent a warning look, but Will paid it no heed. The blasted earl sniffed loudly, his nose close to Prisca's hair.

"I believe I know

that

scent," he said. Then his hand reached out and touched the back of Prisca's head. A red haze passed before Will's vision as the earl stroked down the length of the shiny sable mass, his hand finally landing at the small of Prisca's back.