Of course, she had not arrived as yet. He circled the tower in his wolf form. She knew that he did not change shape until dark, and he had forbidden her to watch hischange.
But still Rolfe paced, impatient for night to fall. He worried about her making the journey in the darkness and wondered if he should meet her at the palace gates. But he had pledged to meet her here, at the tower. He had said he would await her and seeking her at the palace might make her believe he did not trust her. The kernel of dread that had lodged within him that morn outside the palace gates had haunted him all theday.
What if Annelise lefthim?
What if she betrayedhim?
What would he do withouther?
Rolfe paced as he watched the sky, relief flooding through him when the last vestige of the sun’s light was gone and he became himself again. He charged up the tower’s stairs and seized his clothes. Hauling his shirt over his head as he crossed the room, he peered anxiously toward thepalace.
There was not a flicker of movement in theforest.
But she would come. Rolfe paced the tower room restlessly, haunted all the while by recollections of loving Annelise beside the small firehere.
When next he glanced out the window, the sky had darkened to indigo and was filled with myriadstars.
Still there was no movement in the forestbelow.
Trepidation rose within him. Why did she notcome?
He knew the gates had obeyed his dictate, although he should have expected nothing else. He had watched her in the morning as she tried the gates. Her radiant smile had convinced Rolfe that his choice had been a good one. At the time, Annelise’s obvious joy had been enough to dispel all of Rolfe’s doubts. Now, in darkness and solitude, he was no longercertain.
What could keep her from his side, other than a lack of regard for him? Perhaps she felt she had no need of him any longer. Perhaps she did not burn with the same desire for his company that he felt forhers.
Every passing moment fed Rolfe’sdoubts.
He had followed her and Mephistopheles only until she turned back with the destrier. Convinced of her safety, he had retreated to a burrow to sleep in theforest.
What if Annelise had not returned to the palace? What if she had beeninjured?
Rolfe stared into the blackness as the snow began to fall, and his hands clenched on the base of the window. He had pledged to wait for her here, so to seek her out at the palace would imply that he thought little of herword.
He had chosen to trust the lady and trust her he would. No doubt she had fallen asleep or some such and would come along shortly. He could not imagine how or why that might have occurred, but the possibility that she might be in peril troubled himdeeply.
Rolfe would wait until the moon rose, then seek his missingbride.
Until then, he paced the chamber in the tower, impatient to ensure his lady’ssafety.
