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marriage. The idea was a
dangerous one, but it was all she could think about as she entered
her chamber after her mother had left. What if he would ruin her,
take her virginity and make her unsuitable for marriage? They could
not force her to marry Thomas then. She let her maid help her out
of her dress and into her bed. She let the woman think she was
asleep and once the woman had left, Saribella slipped out of bed.
She put her cloak on over her chemise and went to her door. Before
she could grasp the handle, it opened. She stifled a cry as her
best friend tumbled in, quickly shutting the door behind him.
    "Thomas, what are you doing here?"
    "I wanted to see you." He straightened and
turned towards her. He was tall, though not nearly as tall as Grey.
His hair was nearly black and his eyes were the deepest blue. Even
though he was quite handsome, Saribella could only see him as her
friend. “What do you think, do you think Master Grey can save
us?”
    She just stared at her friend for a moment.
Studying his face. He had been her constant companion for so long
she could not imagine her life without him, and yet she could not
see her future with him. They did not belong together, this much
she knew. Thomas would never really understand the depth of her
words when she whispered, “I hope so.”
    He crossed the room to her, taking her hands
in his, misunderstanding the emotion behind her words. “Do not
worry, Sari. This Master Grey will bring peace. He will defeat the
werewolves. He will protect us.”
    She smiled tightly at him. “I know. He will
be our salvation.”
    “You look tired. You should get some rest.”
Thomas kissed her on the forehead, such a tender and brotherly
thing to do that Saribella almost cried. A union between them would
mean the end of such ease. It would change things, of that she was
sure.
    “I think you are right.” She grinned then.
“And besides you just want to go off and see Beth before you retire
to your chambers.”
    His grin, which should have been shy, was
roguish. “You know me well, Sari. Get some rest.”
    “Give Beth my love.”
    Thomas just shook his head, and headed for
the door. “Good night, Saribella.”
    “Good night, Thomas.”
    After he had left she waited a few moments,
mostly to give Thomas time to disappear down the hall, but also to
gather her courage. Her talk with Thomas just now, had only
cemented her need to get out of this marriage. Once she felt ready,
she went to her door and then crept away from her chamber.
    She hurried down the corridor, already
knowing which of the guest suites had been arranged for him, as she
had overseen the task herself. She knocked on his door, no longer
thinking, simply acting on her deepest desires.
    He opened the door and she rushed in,
shutting it behind her and then leaning against it, hoping her
nerves did not show on her face. She looked up at him and he was no
longer wearing his hooded jerkin. In the light from the fire
burning in the hearth she could see he had light brown hair and he
was taller than her by far. She tried not to sound breathless when
she whispered, “I need your help.”
    He opened the door and she rushed in,
shutting the door behind her and then leaning against it hoping her
nerves did not show. She looked up at him. In the light from the
burning fire in the hearth she could see he was taller than her.
She tried not to sound breathless when she whispered, “I need your
help.”
    He reached for the bow already by his door,
ready to face whatever crisis awaited him. “The werewolves?”
    She shook her head and cut him off. “No, not
the werewolves.”
    He set the bow down, eyeing her wearily but
still wanting to help her. “Then what?”
    She took a deep breath, briefly closing her
eyes, before she opened them to meet his startling blue ones. “I
need you to ruin me.”
    “Ruin you?” Grey asked, not quite
understanding. He was distracted enough by her mere presence, he
could almost taste the magic