confronted with a man about a year older than her with short brown hair and brown eyes. Not conventionally handsome, but there was a certain something about him.
Katrina smiled nervously.
“I’m sorry if I startled you,” He gave her a slight bow.
“No, you didn’t startle me. You must excuse me; I really need to get back to the ball,” Katrina said nervously, starting for the house.
“Katrina?”
Katrina felt her blood run cold. Her knees seemed to buckle beneath her.
“I’m sorry,” he said apologetically, slipping his arm around Katrina’s waist to support her, “I should have introduced myself but I thought you knew me. I’m Marcus Townsend.”
Katrina straightened.
“You’re Mister Townsend?” Katrina asked, surprised.
“In the flesh.” Marcus winked. “And I’m at your service, m’lady.” He took her hand in his and lightly kissed it.
Katrina smiled in spite of herself and, rubbing her bare arms again, decided to make her way toward the rose arbor, Marcus following close behind. Once there, she sat down on a stone seat; Marcus did the same.
“Are you cold?” Marcus repeated.
“No, why do you ask?”
“Two things: you keep rubbing your arms, and you’re shivering.”
“Shivering?” Katrina said absently. Her attention was drawn to two people talking on the balcony just outside the ballroom. Something about the couple gave Katrina pause, and as the man turned more into the moonlight she realized that it was Jonathan Granger, the beau that her sister wanted to court.
At least I now know why Suzanne was so adamant to come here tonight , Katrina thought.
“Katrina, are you alright?” Marcus asked. He followed Katrina’s gaze to the balcony and his eyes narrowed.
Katrina gave herself a mental shake and forced her attention back toward Marcus. “Do you know her?” Katrina nodded toward the balcony.
“Yes. Her name is Emily Rhodes and she is staying with me and Jonathan this season.”
“Is she a relative?”
“Kind of,” Marcus replied cryptically.
Katrina frowned. “I’m sorry to be so unbecoming, but how can you be ‘kind of’ related to a person? Either you are, or you’re not!”
Marcus removed his coat and placed it around Katrina’s shoulders. As he did, he said, “It’s hard to explain, but you could say that Emily and I share the same blood.”
Katrina opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, her face suddenly showing both alarm and confusion.
“Is something wrong?” Marcus asked, his voice laced with concern.
“I need to get back to the ball. There is someone I must speak to urgently!”
“Why, of course. I hope everything’s okay.”
Katrina looked at Marcus and smiled. “I’m sorry about this and to you it might seem trivial, but I must go and intercept Suzanne before she sees Jonathan with Emily.”
“Why?”
“Because knowing my sister, she has probably disobeyed our father and shimmied down one of the ivy tresses to get here. If she sees Jonathan alone with a beautiful girl she would surely cause a scene.”
As Katrina and Marcus walked back toward the house, Katrina let her attention go back to Jonathan. When she was within earshot of his discussion with Emily, she stopped, horror struck. “Did I hear that correctly?” she asked Marcus. Tears welled in her eyes. “Please say that Jonathan was joking!”
Marcus bowed his head. He whispered, “I’m sorry, but it’s not a joke. What Jonathan was saying is true.”
“B-b-but that can’t be … there’s no such thing! It can’t be true! He can’t be a werewolf !”
Jonathan and Emily stopped talking and looked over the stone railing into the garden below. Noticing Marcus below him, Jonathan jumped over the stone barrier and landed gracefully behind Marcus.
Katrina stumbled backwards in shock. She kept her eyes fixed on Jonathan’s, which were now silver.
“I can’t believe this,” she said. “You couldn’t have just jumped thirty feet. You’d die. No human
Katrina smiled nervously.
“I’m sorry if I startled you,” He gave her a slight bow.
“No, you didn’t startle me. You must excuse me; I really need to get back to the ball,” Katrina said nervously, starting for the house.
“Katrina?”
Katrina felt her blood run cold. Her knees seemed to buckle beneath her.
“I’m sorry,” he said apologetically, slipping his arm around Katrina’s waist to support her, “I should have introduced myself but I thought you knew me. I’m Marcus Townsend.”
Katrina straightened.
“You’re Mister Townsend?” Katrina asked, surprised.
“In the flesh.” Marcus winked. “And I’m at your service, m’lady.” He took her hand in his and lightly kissed it.
Katrina smiled in spite of herself and, rubbing her bare arms again, decided to make her way toward the rose arbor, Marcus following close behind. Once there, she sat down on a stone seat; Marcus did the same.
“Are you cold?” Marcus repeated.
“No, why do you ask?”
“Two things: you keep rubbing your arms, and you’re shivering.”
“Shivering?” Katrina said absently. Her attention was drawn to two people talking on the balcony just outside the ballroom. Something about the couple gave Katrina pause, and as the man turned more into the moonlight she realized that it was Jonathan Granger, the beau that her sister wanted to court.
At least I now know why Suzanne was so adamant to come here tonight , Katrina thought.
“Katrina, are you alright?” Marcus asked. He followed Katrina’s gaze to the balcony and his eyes narrowed.
Katrina gave herself a mental shake and forced her attention back toward Marcus. “Do you know her?” Katrina nodded toward the balcony.
“Yes. Her name is Emily Rhodes and she is staying with me and Jonathan this season.”
“Is she a relative?”
“Kind of,” Marcus replied cryptically.
Katrina frowned. “I’m sorry to be so unbecoming, but how can you be ‘kind of’ related to a person? Either you are, or you’re not!”
Marcus removed his coat and placed it around Katrina’s shoulders. As he did, he said, “It’s hard to explain, but you could say that Emily and I share the same blood.”
Katrina opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, her face suddenly showing both alarm and confusion.
“Is something wrong?” Marcus asked, his voice laced with concern.
“I need to get back to the ball. There is someone I must speak to urgently!”
“Why, of course. I hope everything’s okay.”
Katrina looked at Marcus and smiled. “I’m sorry about this and to you it might seem trivial, but I must go and intercept Suzanne before she sees Jonathan with Emily.”
“Why?”
“Because knowing my sister, she has probably disobeyed our father and shimmied down one of the ivy tresses to get here. If she sees Jonathan alone with a beautiful girl she would surely cause a scene.”
As Katrina and Marcus walked back toward the house, Katrina let her attention go back to Jonathan. When she was within earshot of his discussion with Emily, she stopped, horror struck. “Did I hear that correctly?” she asked Marcus. Tears welled in her eyes. “Please say that Jonathan was joking!”
Marcus bowed his head. He whispered, “I’m sorry, but it’s not a joke. What Jonathan was saying is true.”
“B-b-but that can’t be … there’s no such thing! It can’t be true! He can’t be a werewolf !”
Jonathan and Emily stopped talking and looked over the stone railing into the garden below. Noticing Marcus below him, Jonathan jumped over the stone barrier and landed gracefully behind Marcus.
Katrina stumbled backwards in shock. She kept her eyes fixed on Jonathan’s, which were now silver.
“I can’t believe this,” she said. “You couldn’t have just jumped thirty feet. You’d die. No human
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