The wolf’s ears pricked up, then he trotted a dozen paces away. He turned and darted back to the gate, then repeated themotion.
Annelise folded her arms across her chest. “You expect me to follow you? You must think me mad.” She spared a glance at the darkening sky. “Night will come soon enough and I do not wish to be alone in the forest with a wolf when it arrives.” She shivered, remembering her similar experience all toowell.
The wolf trotted away and back once more, his feet marking a trail in the snow. Annelise chewed her lip. Every instinct within her demanded that she follow the beast, although she knew it was folly of the worstkind.
Curse hercuriosity.
“Why should I trustyou?”
The wolf opened his mouth in what looked like a smile. Annelise could have sworn hewinked.
That was it. Her mind was playing tricks upon her of the most cruel nature. How could she even consider following a wolf into the forest at night? How could she imagine such a beast could smile orwink?
Evidently, solitude had dismissed any scrap of sense she might havehad.
It was odd that both the wolf and her husband had eyes of different colors, one blue and one silver-gray.
Exactly what curse had been laid upon herhusband?
Annelise shook her head, dismissing what had to bewhimsy.
“This is madness.” She could not help but explain herself to the animal. “You are a wolf, a brute beast. You cannot possibly be urging me to accompany you, and I cannot be considering doing precisely that. Go away and leave mealone.”
Annelise turned back to the courtyard, but the wolf let out a howl from behindher.
She tried to ignore it, but the wolf barked sharply, then howledlouder.
“Cursed creature!” Annelise stormed back to the gates and pushed upon one heavy door. “Cursed gate! Close out this creature that I might be inpeace.”
She pushed and strained, but the gate was as immovable open as closed. The wolf ceased his howling when she drew nearer, and Annelise spared him aglance.
He wagged his tail, reminding her of the pups the ostler had once bred in Sayerne’s stables. Who would have imagined a wolf might have a certaincharm?
Clearly, the cold was addling herwits.
Annelise shoved at the door withoutsuccess.
“A plague on this palace,” she muttered, then stepped through the portal to try to pull itclosed.
Too late Annelise realized she had stepped over the line the gates made when they were closed. The wolf barked and the portal slammed closed so quickly that Annelise almost had her finger caught between thedoors.
She was locked outside the palace’sgates.
She spun to face the wolf and propped her hands on her hips. “You did that,” sheaccused.
The wolf wagged his tail as though conceding his guilt, then trotted toward the forest. He glanced back atAnnelise.
“You truly expect me to followyou.”
He ran back to her, nuzzled her kirtle so quickly that she had no time to pull away, wagged his tail, then bounced along the well-trodden path once more. He waited on a small rise of snow ahead, his postureexpectant.
He might have been a puppy waiting for her to throw aball.
Annelise gave the gates one last shove, already knowing that nothing would happen. They did notbudge.
“It seems that I hardly have achoice.”
The wolf barked and trotted into the woods. If she was going to keep sight of him and not find herself lost in the forest again, Annelise had to follow him quickly. She picked up her skirts, muttering under her breath, and did preciselythat.
