“Wait,” a familiar voice commanded. Quentin. “Tel-ford, please—”
Telford, too, was there, and all the delegates, and Rowena. Quentin had disobeyed. He hadn’t taken the women to safety.
“Braden,” Quentin said, his hand settling gently on Braden’s side. “Can you hear me?”
Unconsciousness was very near, and with it total helplessness. Miraculously, he was alive, and his enemies had been temporarily subdued. But if he did not Change swiftly, he would be trapped in wolf form until his wounds fully healed, unable to speak or lead.
There was a considerable risk in Changing now. If he waited, he could heal naturally and Change when he recovered. If he Changed while badly wounded, weak as he was, he could exhaust the last of his life’s energy, and die in the process. He would either heal himself in one great effort through the miracle of the transformation—or forfeit his own life.
He chose. He was vaguely aware of Quentin’s oath as he compelled his body to become human again. This time it was no easy metamorphosis. Every cell protested; his bones and muscles and flesh screamed in agony.
But when it was over, he was alive. His body was whole, but he was as feeble as a day-old pup.
“Where… is Cassidy?” he demanded.
“You idiot, Braden—you could have killed yourself just now.” He swallowed audibly. “Cassidy’s safe. She’s the one who saved you.”
Braden tried and failed to lift himself from the ground. Quentin supported him onto his knees. “I told you to take her—” He coughed. “How?”
Quentin understood. “When I went into the garden, she was gone, and so was the Russian woman. I collected Rowena and went looking for her. I found her with Telford at the last moment, but she refused to come with me. I would have had to use force to stop her, and even then I don’t think I would have succeeded. She was a veritable tigress. She knew what was about to happen. She ran to her room and came out with a rope, and then beat us all here.”
He laughed with an edge of bitterness. “Lucky for you, for all of us. The gunshot you heard… that was John Dodd, Braden. Firing at you.” He acknowledged Braden’s shock with a snort. “Yes, Dodd. He came out of nowhere. There was another man with him, similarly armed. They turned on us, giving Fedor the distraction he required to emerge from hiding and attack. Del Fiero was wounded trying to help you—and then Cassidy dashed in and roped Stefan by the hind legs.”
Dazed, Braden tried to picture the scene. “Cassidy… roped Stefan?”
“Like a contrary bit of beefsteak on the hoof. I believe they call it a ‘lasso.’ Most entertaining. She pulled him off you, giving us the chance to overcome the humans and catch Fedor.”
“Don Alarico is injured?”
“He was—but before we could help him, he disappeared. We haven’t seen him since. Oh, there’s no doubt that he was on our side, but he’s most definitely gone. We took Stefan and Fedor prisoner; they’re in hand, now. So is Dodd. The other man escaped. Everyone else has returned to the house.”
“Dodd,” Braden said. “The Russians must have got to him, before the ceremony. Turned him to their will, against us—”
“They tried to turn me as well,” another voice said. Telford knelt beside them. “Forgive me, my lord. I failed to guard Miss Holt. I left for a few moments to investigate suspicious activity in the guest wing, and Fedor accosted me. He revealed Stefan’s plans to tamper with the challenge. He intended to compel me to betray you. I had to let him believe he succeeded.” Telford cleared his throat. “He would not let me go until he was certain I would do as he ordered, and by then Miss Holt was gone. I was too late to warn you.”
That explained Telford’s uncharacteristic dereliction of duty. “They obviously found others to obey them,” Braden said. “I’m grateful that there are some humans who cannot be influenced.”
“Nevertheless,” Telford said stiffly, “I failed—”
“The failure was mine. I should have known they would attempt this.”
“It’s over now,” Quentin said. “You need rest.”