The Duke and the Dryad (Elemental Series) by Elizabeth Rose Page B

part of nature. She’d almost fallen asleep with her check against the earth and her back against the oak tree, until the cry of her wolf alerted her to an intruder.
    He eyes flickered open and she listened to the howl again. Then she called with her mind for Zev to join her. And flatt ening her body against the noble oak, she used her powers of the earth to blend into the tree.
     
    * * *
     
    Lord Wolfe made his way through the forest, following the howl of the lone wolf. His heart raced in his chest as he urged his horse forward. He could see an occasional glimpse of a black tail through the trees. The wolf was leading him somewhere, he thought. The wolf was leading and wanted him to follow.
    The animal came to a halt in front of a small hut made of wood, built half into the side of a hill. It was covered with vines and blooming flowers, and if he hadn’t seen the door illuminated by the moon, he wouldn’t even had known it was there.
    He’d been through his forest many times before and thought he knew every inch of it. But here was something he’d never noticed, and being curious, he had to know who lived here.
    He slid off his horse silently, all the wh ile keeping his eyes on the mysterious animal that seemed to be trying to tell him something. It knew he was there, and kept circling him with its head down. Still, it didn’t seem to want to harm him, or he was sure it would have attacked already. Instead, it sat down next to a huge oak, looking at the bark as if the tree was speaking to him in some silent manner. He tethered the reins of his horse to a branch, and pulled out his sword slowly, so as not to frighten the wolf. ’Twas the biggest wolf he’d ever seen. And somehow, he felt drawn to it.
    He moved toward the tree silently, sure he had seen a shadow in the moonlight. He guessed someone was hiding behind it, possibly meaning to attack. But why wasn’t the person running from the wolf? And oddly enough, why wasn’t the wolf running from the hidden person, or even him for that matter?
     
    Rae melded her body to the bark of the oak, feeling its power coursing through her. She realized now she never should have called Zev to her side, as someone had followed her wolf right to her home. She could see a horse in the distance, but the rider was nowhere in site. Then, she turned back and looked in the other direction, and gasped as she realized Lord Wolfe was standing not three paces away from her. She saw him look up, surveying the tree, then walk around the other side, scrutinizing and searching for something. He was right in front of her now, but because of her ability to blend in with her surroundings, he could not see her. Then, to her dismay, Zev jumped up onto her, trying to lick her face.
    “Nay, down boy,” she whispered, but obviously the duke heard.
    He squinted, walked closer, and squinted again. And when Zev scurried away, his hand shot out and he touched her on the breast. She screamed in surprise and moved forward slightly, giving herself away. He reached out quickly, and grabbed her by the arm, twirling her around and holding his sword to her throat.
    “Don’t move or I’ll sever your head from your body. ”
    Not the right thing to say to a n elemental in her own surroundings. Her anger was fed by his harsh action, igniting her dormant power of being able to move objects with her mind. Without even trying, she disarmed him. The sword went flying out of his hand, embedding itself into the bark of the oak.
    “Ow,” she said, feeling the stab as if she were the oak herself. ’Twas then he realized it was her, and he turned her roughly toward him.
    “You!” he spat . “You are supposed to be back in the solar sleeping in my bed.”
    “And you should be there as well.” She knew it sounded as if she’d meant in his bed with her. She didn’t mean that – or did she?
    “What are you doing here, and why are you hiding?”
    “This is my home,” she told him. “You are the