Guardian of Werewolf Keep (Werewolf Keep Trilogy) by Nhys Glover Read Free Book Online

female voice behind her , as Phil bent over one glorious golden bloom. She stood up, and turned resolutely to greet Charlotte.
    S he found the dark haired beauty staring daggers at her again, fists on hips.
    ‘I am sorry you are having trouble accepting my presence at the Keep, Charlotte. But this was my father’s property , and he has left it to me. That means I have every right to walk these gardens. They do not belong to you.’
    ‘I knew you were a bitch the moment I laid eyes on you. And this place is only yours if you stay here for three months. We al l know the stipulations in the will. You will not make it that long. You will turn tail and run, before the next full moon. I know your type.’ The girl sashayed forward, and plucked the rose Phil had just been smelling from the bush. She made much of breathing in the scent, appreciatively.
    ‘But I am afraid I have never met y our type before. That may simply be because I have only associated with ladies in the past.’ Phil gained inordinate satisfaction from the look of stunned affront on Charlotte’s face.
    ‘Be careful, your ladyship, it is unwise to cross us. We are dangerous.’
    ‘Charlotte, keep your threats to yourself,’ Jasper intruded, coming up behind Phil to stand at her side. For one insane moment , she had thought the woman meant to physically attack her again. Jasper’s presence provided her with the safety she needed.
    But that was insane. Charlotte couldn’t mean to carry through with her threat , could she? Although her behaviour that morning had been that of a madwoman, she seemed perfectly sane now. Sane people didn’t threaten the safety of competitors. Did they?
    Charlotte huffed loudly , turned on her heels, and stormed away, her long black curls bobbing in her wake.
    ‘Be very careful around Charlotte. She feels threatened by your arrival. She could harm you.’
    ‘If she is that dangerous, maybe she would be better off in a more safeguarded institution.’
    ‘There is nowhere else for someone like Charlotte. For any of us. This place is unique.’
    ‘All the same, having someone here who could turn violent at any moment is not a good idea.’
    ‘You will understand…’
    ‘I know,’ she interrupted him with a huff, ‘when Byron gets back.’
    ‘Yes. Enjoy the fresh air. The weather will change shortly. A storm is coming.’
    She looked out on the horizon, but could see nothing but bright blue sky. ‘How do you know?’
    ‘I have an instinct for such things,’ he replied enigmatically , before giving her another little bow, and striding off toward what she thought must be the stables beyond the wall.
    Looking up at the sun again , she wondered at his prediction. He was such an unusual young man. At once, he seemed the perfect gentleman, refined and perfectly polished in appearance and manner, but at the same time, he seemed wild and unpredictable, as if his civility was only skin deep. If Charlotte was dangerous, then so was he. In fact, she was starting to wonder if she was surrounded by an unknown danger from all of the people she had met, so far that day.
    Except Byron. She felt no threat from Byron. Even at his most intimidating , the night before, she had not felt the chilling disquiet the rest of the denizens of the Keep made her feel. He gave her a sense of safety and protection. Even when his kiss reduced her to needy vulnerability, she did not question her safety with him. But the others… they were a worry.
    She wandered back inside and, after browsing the library shelves for some time, she then went to explore further. At the back of the building, not far from the kitchen, she found a set of stone steps that led into a cellar. Thinking this might be the wine cellar , and it might be nice to choose a good bottle of wine for their evening meal, Phil looked around for a lamp that could light her way. After locating one in the kitchen, she started down the stairs.
    The deeper she went, the colder it became. The