The Hob (The Gray Court 4) (32 page)

The staff banged twice more. Harold cleared his throat in the sudden silence. “In light of the fact that the High King, His Serene Highness King Oberon, is missing, Lord Robin Goodfellow, Knight of Oberon, Prince of the Gray, appointed heir of the High King, now sits in his place. If, for any reason, the High King does not return to his throne within a year and a day, Prince Robin will be crowned High King.”

Robin glanced around the room. Look at them squirm. How many of them had helped his king’s kidnappers?

The majordomo stepped forward and tapped his staff against the floor twice, silencing the courtiers. “All hail the Prince Regent, Prince Robin Goodfellow.”

Robin touched the clasp, one that would respond only to the rightful king or his appointed regent, enjoying the dismay on many a face as it became the crown of the High King.

Robin smiled, his teeth wicked sharp. “Call Lord Raven MacSweeney to us.”

The court was stunned as the ex-Black Court operative swept into the room and bowed before the throne. “My liege.”

Robin nodded at his son as he stood tall and proud. “Your oath, if it pleases you.” There had not been time to bring Raven before Oberon as planned, therefore Raven would give his oath to the Regent. It would be equally binding, and the courtiers would be forced to accept it.

Raven gracefully knelt before the throne. “I hereby renounce all ties to the Black Lady, Queen Titannia, Queen of the Black Court, Lady of the Unseelie.” The courtiers gasped as that name, anathema in the court for so long, rang out clear and true. “I declare myself Oberon’s man from this day forth, in honor and in faith, having no other oaths to forswear. By the gods, I pledge my loyalty to the Gray Court, High King Oberon and his descendants. I declare myself the sworn servant of the Gray Lord, High King Oberon, King of the Gray Court, Lord over the Fae. I pledge my sword and my honor to uphold the laws of the Court. I and my house will abide by the laws handed down by the High King. I will faithfully perform all services required by Crown and Court. So swear I, Lord Raven MacSweeney.”

Robin’s eyes twinkled as Michaela nodded beside him, a serene smile on her face. “I, Prince Robin Goodfellow, the acting Gray Lord, Lord of the Fae, hereby hear your oaths and accept them in the name of Crown and Court, and High King Oberon. I declare you our loyal servant, sworn to our bidding. From this day forth my sword shall defend you, my magic protect you, and my wrath be mighty should you fail of your duty. All former oaths to the Black are hereby null and void, by my power as Prince Regent. So swear I, Robin Goodfellow, the Hobgoblin.”

Raven shivered as the weight of the oath’s magic settled over him. He was now Gray Court, bound to Oberon, and thus to Robin.

“I hereby recruit you into the Blades, Lord Raven. Do you accept?”

“I do.” Raven’s blue eyes flashed green for a second. Robin wondered if any save Michaela and himself saw it.

“Very good. Now.” Robin steepled his fingers together and continued to ignore the rising whispers of the courtiers. Michaela laid her hand on his knee, lending him her strength to do what needed to be done. “I have a job for you…”

He shivered as he made his way down the highway, the icy cold rain plastering what little clothing he had to his skin.

Something was very wrong. He needed to go somewhere. Be somewhere, but…

Why couldn’t he
remember
?

The sum total of what he knew was this barren highway, this cold rain. Nothing, not even a glimmer of what he’d once been, lived within his mind.

Why? What had happened that he didn’t even know his own fucking name?

Headlights cut through the dark, dreary night, slowing to a stop beside him to reveal a dark sedan. The driver’s side door window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.

He gasped, stumbling back a step.

“
You.
”

About the Author

Dana Marie Bell wrote her first short story when she was thirteen years old. She attended the High School for Creative and Performing Arts for creative writing, where freedom of expression was the order of the day. When her parents moved out of the city and placed her in a Catholic high school for her senior year, she tried desperately to get away, but the nuns held fast, and she graduated with honors despite herself.

Dana has lived primarily in the Northeast (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, to be precise), with a brief stint on the US Virgin Island of St. Croix. She lives with her soul mate and husband Dusty, their two maniacal children, an evil, ice-cream stealing cat and a bull terrier that thinks it’s a Pekinese.

You can learn more about Dana at
www.danamariebell.com
or contact her at
[email protected]
.

Look for these titles by Dana Marie Bell

Now Available:

Halle Pumas

The Wallflower

Sweet Dreams

Cat of a Different Color

Steel Beauty

Only In My Dreams

Halle Shifters

Bear Necessities

Cynful

The Gray Court

Dare to Believe

Noble Blood

Artistic Vision

The Hob

Heart’s Desire

Shadow of the Wolf

Poconos Pack

Finding Forgiveness

True Destiny

Very Much Alive

Eye of the Beholder

Howl for Me

Coming Soon:

Heart’s Desire

Hecate’s Own

Strike a match, light the candle…and fall into the spell.

Shadow of the Wolf

© 2012 Dana Marie Bell

Heart’s Desire, Book 1

Christopher Beckett is from an ancient line of wizards, but with one aspect that sets him apart. His wolf. Right now that wolf is howling for a mate. Knowing it’s only a matter of time before the wolf’s needs override everything else in his life, Chris casts the spell all the Becketts have used to call their mates to them.

His wish list is short: She must be of a lineage at least as old as his own. And she must accept his wolf. When his mate appears, he realizes his list should have been one item longer.
 

Alannah Evans, a powerful witch of the Evans Coven, has no problem with Chris’s wolf. It’s the wizard part that sticks in her magical craw. Witches and wizards have always been at odds, so by rights, she and Chris shouldn’t be striking sparks of attraction this bright. But Chris will not be denied, and gradually she finds herself trusting him—then falling into the fire of desire.

When it becomes clear an old enemy has targeted them both for death, Chris charges into a duel that could cost him his life. Or worse: Lana.

Warning:
Product contains explicit sex, graphic language, magic, mayhem, and a wet, naked wolf shifter bearing hot chocolate. Mmm…chocolate.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Shadow of the Wolf:

Lana stopped, a strange sense of both safety and vulnerability flashing through her.
That way.
She started to turn to her left and shrieked.

Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and the dark shape of a man stood before her. His eyes gleamed in the flash of lightning, his grin triumphant. He reached out toward her and tried to grab her arm.

Her entire being shuddered away from him. Lana stepped away from the man. “Why have you been following me?”

The man tilted his head. “Isn’t your car broken down on the road? I thought you could use some help.”

His voice was a pleasant blend of concern and attraction. Lana’s eyes narrowed, bringing up her second sight. Usually she could conjure up a person’s aura fairly easily, but this man’s was somehow shielded. Unfortunately she got just enough of a feel off of that shield to know what she was dealing with.
 

Damn. A freaking wizard. Figures.

No way did she want to engage in a magical dance with a wizard, especially when she couldn’t tell how strong he was. Lana took a step back. Every instinct she had pushing her away from the man in front of her.

“I’d be careful too. There are rumors of some kind of wild animal in these parts. Found a few dogs mangled in the woods.”

The concern in his voice was false. A flash of black and sickly green surrounded him, the colors murky and muddled, before he shielded himself once more. Something was off about those colors, but she was too cold and tired to figure it out now. “Ah, thanks for the warning.” Lana took another step away from the scary stranger, her instincts screaming at her that her only safety lay
behind
her, somewhere in the shadows.

The man matched her, moving forward a step. “You really should have waited in your car for a cop or something, Miss…?”

Lana put her hands behind her, feeling for trees and branches. She continued to move away from the menace she sensed in front of her. If she could reach the safe harbor she felt behind her, everything would be all right.

Only if she could reach it, though.

Then again, the Lord does help those who help themselves.
Her eyes were drawn to the branch swaying dangerously above his head.
And the Lady provides the means.

The stranger dropped all pretense of helpfulness. He shook his head at her, his expression annoyed. “Are you going to make this difficult? It doesn’t have to be painful, you know.”

“What doesn’t have to be painful?”

“Your death.”

With those words several things happened at once. A long, menacing growl erupted out of the darkness. One of the shadows hurtled through the night, knocking the blond man onto his ass.

And the branch he’d been standing under snapped, helped along by Lana and the force of the wind, hitting the blond on the top of his head and knocking him out cold.

The shadow animal turned, its golden eyes trained on Lana. Slowly it stalked toward her, its body moving with a supple, lethal grace.

A black wolf. In rural Pennsylvania
.

Lord? Lady? No freaking way
that’s
safe.
Lana gulped, and wondered if, somewhere out there, Fate was laughing its ass off at her.

Christopher’s heart was still pounding in his chest. He turned toward his mate, scenting her for any injuries. He relaxed a bit when all he smelled were scratches, most likely from her flight through the woods.

When Cole had threatened her, it had been all he could do not to rip out the bastard’s throat. The only thing that had saved him had been the falling branch and his mate’s horrified gasp.

She was brave, his female. She stood there and watched him coming toward her with big, chocolate brown eyes wide with fear and…

Yes. Fascination. Good. Much better than the fear he’d sensed coursing through her as Cole threatened her.

He approached her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. When he reached her side, he gently stroked her thigh with his massive head, unable to prevent the rough, happy grumble that leapt to his throat.

“Oh boy.”

Her soft whisper sent shivers down his spine. His tail curled in pleasure, waving back and forth. Her hand came to rest tentatively on his broad back, her fingers digging into his fur.

With a yip he turned. Gently he gathered her hand in his mouth, careful of his sharp teeth, and tugged her toward his home.

“Um, okay. Go with the big doggie. Got it.”

He rolled his eyes but did his best to ignore her words. The breathy, scared tone of voice matched her scent—frightened, wary and brave. Christopher felt pride in his mate. She followed his lead, barely sparing Cole a glance. It pleased him that she made no move to give his enemy aid.

Certain now she followed, Christopher let her hand go and stalked into the cold, wet night.

I’m following a wolf through the woods in rural Pennsylvania after it attacked a man who told me he was going to kill me, and somehow my inner warning signal is okay with that.

Lana pinched the fleshy part of her arm hard. “OW!”

The wolf stopped and looked at her curiously, its head tilted to the side.

“Nope, not dreaming.” Lana rubbed at her arm, hoping it wouldn’t bruise. She hadn’t meant to pinch quite
that
hard.

The wolf huffed and turned, heading off once more. Of the two strangers she’d met in the woods tonight, Lana considered the wolf far less dangerous, at least to her. The way the big wolf had acted after she’d hit the man on the head with that branch had been surreal, but not very frightening at all. The sense of safety she’d been heading toward had centered itself on the wolf, and she’d felt compelled to follow wherever he led.