Page 52 of Wolves’ Witch

“Oh…ah…” Isobella struggled to collect herself. “Sorry, yes there are three Montagnes.”

Had getting rid of Faucher ever been her true task? For her coven maybe, but for the Langeais wolves?

Edmond’s concern wafted over her. “Is something wrong?”

“Ah…no, no. I…”

She’d thought it odd they were targeting Faucher. The Faucherians couldn’t be that big of a deal. Maybe in France, but until Gabriel and Stef had approached the coven, Isobella had never heard of them. If they’d truly wanted to have a resounding impact on witchcraft down through the ages, wouldn’t they have chosen someone like the Witch-Finder General? Or Heinrich Kramer or Jacob Sprenger, the authors of Malleus Maleficarum? Everyone knew about them. Instead, they’d chosen a tenth-century bishop who was barely a footnote in history.

“The other two Montagnes?” asked Erin.

“Ah…twins,” she said, though she paid no heed to any reaction they might’ve had.

It all made perfect sense now. Why they’d sent her, a mediocre green witch—a dying witch—instead of a strong blood witch like Annabelle.

“Twins?” asked Gaharet.

“Pierre and Louis.”

Isobella did have a task. One only she could perform. Gabriel had known it all along. And Louis and Pierre. Maybe Annabelle, too. It just had nothing to do with Faucher.

“And are they mated?” asked Erin.

Isobella snapped herself out of her thoughts at the guile in Erin’s voice. She knew. Or suspected. She glanced at Gaharet. His lips twitched, and he raised one eyebrow at her. So did he.

She glanced first at Edmond and Aubert, who were hanging on her every word. They hadn’t, and never would, meet the twenty-first century Montagnes. They would never understand the significance of their appearance. Not like Isobella. But what she was about to say, they couldn’t fail to grasp. “Yes. They are mated. To Melinda.”

Erin tapped a finger to her lips, her confusion as fake as the designer merchandise in Chinatown. “So which twin is mated to Melinda? Pierre or Louis?”

Isobella glanced around the table. There was no help for it. All the Langeais wolves were waiting for an answer. “Both. Melinda is mated to both Pierre and Louis Montagne.”

There was silence at the table, as the import of her words sank in.

Rebekah chortled. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have our very own why choose romance.”

Kathryn frowned. “Why choose what?”

“Never mind, Kathryn,” said Erin, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. “Bek and I will explain it to you later. Just know it’s a good thing. A very good thing.”

Isobella’s attention flicked between Edmond and Aubert. Edmond’s smile could light up the sun. To her surprise, so could Aubert’s.

* * * *

The glimpse of Isobella tucked up in bed was brief as Anne and the old wolf emerged from her bedchamber, but Aubert would keep it close to warm him through the night. The wall at his back and the floor beneath his ass was not comfortable, but there was nowhere else he would rather be. His brother settled in beside him. Nor Edmond.

Anne crossed her arms over her generous bosom and stared down at them. “What are you boys waiting for?” She jerked her head toward the closed bedchamber door. “She is in there, not out here in the cold corridor.”

Aubert grunted. He wanted to be in there making it up to his mate, not sitting on the floor outside her bedchamber. But despite Isobella’s surprise revelation at supper, he was not convinced Isobella could be won over. Not after this morn.

Edmond jerked his chin at Vladimir. “We could say the same to you, Anne.”

“What…I…hmpf. I do not know what you are talking about.” Anne huffed and stomped off down the hall, the patient Vladimir trailing along behind her.

They could learn a lot from the old wolf. Anne was not ready to accept what was right in front of her. Not so soon after Tumas’ death. Isobella might be familiar with twins—Montagne twins—who shared a mate, but would she want them storming into her bedchamber right now? No more than Anne would Vladimir.

With his hands resting on his raised knees, Aubert leaned his head back against the wall. Isobella had been so tense after her revelation. Because she did not want to mate two men? Or because she did not want to mate him?

Edmond nudged him. “It is not like you to admit defeat so easily.”