Timothy:
The rage I felt had no cap on it. I was a seething mass of fury so explosively wrapped, I could barely see the space in front of me without the tinge of red.
That Queen Moragana would steal my bride, there was no revenge sweet enough to prevent my cutting into the woman’s delicate neck with a very dull knife the moment I found her, no matter how many guards she surrounded herself with. The Faery court be dammed. The Queen had brought this onto herself. I’d earlier forgiven her for her interference at the wedding, even for the necklace that frightened my bride, but this . . .
I thought I had long ago given up my violent side, yet such treachery has charged through me like an errant current. I swear I will pay the Queen back for this offence, and if she in anyway harms my beloved . . .
“Calm down,” Daniel ordered, then began singing his meditative chant, believing that doing so might magically solve something. It couldn’t.
The wolves had kept me from strangling Ben. I’d trusted the Fae not to let the Queen sway him into the Faery drama, yet, Ben must have known what the Queen was planning to do. He had to have been informed. Obviously, she knew precisely where our cabin was. They had planned the capture while we had our guard down and were enjoying the simple frivolity of a card game.
The wolves should have let me end his life. It would have been quick. Now I must look at the fake worry on his traitor’s face. Ben, who had long been my friend, and a friend of Penelope, at least I believed it so.
Betrayal on all sides, and my poor Penelope was the one who must pay for it. Why would they seize her instead of me? She had nothing to do with Faery, but I knew in my soul. This was about me. Why didn’t I protect her better? How could I have allowed this to happen?
“Ben is not at fault,” Daniel issued the statement in a manner so calm, I wanted to slug him senseless.
“How can you say that?” I roared with half a mind to ignore the wolf claws pricking both arms as they manhandled me still.
“Let me go,” I shouted, hearing the treble in my throat, not from indecision, but from complete panic. Where was Andrew? I needed my friend, my only loyal friend, or had he been part of this, too jealous of my happiness to allow me mine? Had Andrew betrayed me as well?
“Stop.” Daniel’s voice was no louder. He was not issuing the voluminous thunder god voice that could blast through mountains and cause redwood trees to fall.
“Help me,” I pleaded. “Help my sweet love. Find Penelope. We have to get her back.”
“We’ll get her back. You can count on it,” Terry said, loosening his hold on my left arm.
“Yeah, Boss. We’ll get her back. No one can do this to her, to you.”
Bob, being Bob, released his hold on my right. I swung about, knocked my fist into both of their jaws and leaped for Ben.