He had one blue eye and one silver-gray.
He was daring her to accept what she hadseen.
Annelise swallowed her instinctive fear with difficulty. This was Rolfe, the man who granted her shelter, who made her flesh sing with desire, who spoke to her with an understanding she had never known. This was the man whose ring she gladlywore.
Annelise stepped through the gates withresolve.
The wolf did notmove.
She continued, her heart hammering, realizing that she was more afraid of the wolf than the change. This time, he did not wag his tail to encourage her, and there was no resemblance to the ostler’spuppies.
This time, it was atest.
Annelise crouched in the snow before him and gazed into those unusual eyes. “I love you, Rolfe de Viandin,” she said with conviction. “I love all of your truth, and I know I alwayswill.”
He held her gaze for a long moment, as if incredulous, then bent and licked the back of her hand. She reached to sink her fingers into the thickness of his fur and marveled that this was herhusband.
Another wolf howled in the distance and Rolfe’s head snapped up. Annelise saw the yellow gleam of a pair of eyes in the fading shadows. Rolfe’s lip lifted in a menacing snarl and then he barked withvigor.
The second wolf disappeared, abandoning her to seek otherprey.
It was clear that in either form, her husband defendedher.
Rolfe nudged her elbow with his nose, urging Annelise to her feet. He pushed her toward the gate but she held her ground. “If you are in peril, then I will remain with you,” she said, thinking her offer mostreasonable.
Rolfe growled in disagreement. He trotted to the gate of the palace, then back to her, effectively telling Annelise what heintended.
She folded her arms across her chest. “I am not going back in there withoutyou.”
Rolfe snarled and increased the speed of his pacing between Annelise and thegate.
“No,” she insisted. “As long as you remain out here, then so willI.”
Rolfe glanced in the direction that the other wolf had disappeared, then growled atAnnelise.
She leaned over and tapped him smartly on the snout. “You do not frighten me, husband ofmine.”
Rolfe dove behind Annelise and pushed her in the direction of the gate with his head. She shook her head at his determination, pivoting to facehim.
“I wish to remain with you.” She raised her voice. “Close!” she called to the gates and they did. “Let me fetch my cloak and my boots. We will remain together in theforest.”
Rolfe backed up, shaking his head from side to side as he did so. He settled on his haunches and dropped his nose to rest on his paws. He looked to be annoyed with her, but that was only fair, as she was irked withhim.
“Vexingman.”
He exhaled in a low growl, his eyes gleaming. Indeed, the resemblance to him when he was a man and annoyed with her was so striking that Annelise almost laughed outloud.
“Who commands the gates of my palace?” a woman demanded, her voice low and resonant. A shiver ran up Annelise’s spine at the sound and she spun to find a dark shadow looming over her. It was a woman, but not a woman, for she was both there and not there. Annelise could see the closed gates through the woman’s form, but the force of her glare was notinconsiderable.
Herpalace.
Thedjinn.
Annelise took a reluctant step back. Rolfe leaped in front of her, teeth bared as he snarled at the apparition beforethem.
The djinn laughed, exhibiting an array of brass teeth. “You think you are clever, Rolfe de Viandin, because you have been fortunate. Do not imagine that I will permit you to break the curse.” She slowly grew taller, until she towered over the walls of the palace and Annelise like a storm cloud. She turned her gaze upon Annelise. “Have you a name,mortal?”
“I am Annelise de Sayerne, wife of Rolfe de Viandin, lord of thispalace.”
