WolfeStrike (De Wolfe Pack Generations #2) - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,90

to the touch. She then used her fingers to prop open his eyelids, peering into his eyes.

“Well?” Tor said.

Barbara’s gaze was still on the man. “I am not certain,” she said. “He does seem feverish.”

“What do you require to heal him?”

She turned to look at him, then. “If you want me to heal him, then I must be permitted to move about freely,” she said. “There are herbs and medicines to gather, and I must have access to the kitchen so I can brew a potion. If I tell you what to bring me, there is no guarantee it will be done correctly.”

She had a point, but Tor wasn’t thrilled with giving her the ability to roam freely about Blackpool, not after what she had done. Therefore, he crooked his finger at her, beckoning her to him. When she and Lenore timidly came near, Tor pulled them aside and lowered his voice.

“I want you two to listen to me very carefully,” he said. “I know what you are capable of. I have known for years and, God help me, it has taken me this long to acknowledge the truth, so I want you to understand me clearly. I will release you so that you may go about your business. You may return to your chatelaine duties. But if you so much as look, speak, or act in a way that displeases me towards Lady Isalyn or even Isabella, or any other woman for that matter, I will put you in the vault and you will stay there the rest of your lives. You will never know freedom again. Your days of vindictive and appalling behavior is over. Is this in any way unclear?”

Barbara’s expression tightened while Lenore’s eyes widened. “You would not do that!” Lenore hissed. “You cannot lock us away. Jane would not let you!”

It took all of Tor’s strength not to lash out at her for that statement. His jaw ticked dangerously. “Be glad that you are a woman, Lenore,” he said. “Were you a man, I would plaster your body all over this chamber. As it is, keep your mouth shut. Mention Jane again, in any way, and I will turn you out of these walls and forget I ever knew you.”

Lenore gasped, recoiling, but Barbara remained immobile. “You needn’t worry about us, Tor,” Barbara said evenly. “We understand your terms.”

“Obey them or everything you know is at an end.”

Barbara nodded shortly, pinching Lenore until the woman nodded unhappily. But she didn’t do as he had told her – she didn’t keep her mouth shut.

That had always been Lenore’s problem.

“But you do not understand,” Lenore hissed. “What we do, we do to protect Jane’s memory. You are her husband, Tor. You only belong to her and we must preserve that.”

Tor stared at her. It was a very good thing she wasn’t a man because if she had been, she would be dead right now. As it was, he had to take a step back. He was closer to losing his composure than he had ever been in his life.

“Jane is dead,” he said simply. “She has been dead for nearly seventeen years. I do not belong to anyone at the moment, but I soon shall. Thank you for reminding me that you cannot continue to live with me. It takes away any lingering guilt I might have felt for sending you away.”

Lenore’s eyes widened. Even Barbara had a reaction. “Send us away?” she gasped. “But… but we live here!”

Tor wasn’t going to argue the point with them. This wasn’t the time. In fact, he’d said too much already, but he didn’t regret it.

He was finally seeing what everyone else saw in The Vipers.

He pointed to the bed.

“Tend to that man,” he said. “You have the freedom to move about the castle within reason. I have your keys and I will not return them to you, so if you need to go anywhere that requires a key, you must get my permission. Do you understand?”

They still weren’t over the shock of him speaking of sending them away, but they both nodded. “Aye,” Barbara said. “We… we are grateful for your mercy, Tor.”

He didn’t believe that for one minute. Barbara was the ringleader, the chief manipulator, and she was good at telling people what she wanted them to hear. Stepping away from them, Tor motioned to Fraser and the soldiers to follow.

“Come,” he said. “We shall leave the man to Barbara and Lenore, but do not let the man