I read the reports of his escape from that dreaded asylum with pride and jubilation. My boy became a man in his own right that full moon. Were it not for the interruptions of Miss Conliffe and Inspector Aberline I might have been overcome when he came to destroy me. Not that I feared my impending death by that time.
I would never be left in peace once Lawrence revealed my condition. More importantly, I would never be permitted to see Gwen again, and my feral libido couldn't accept that fate. The final battle was a marvel, the greatest spectacle ever to take place under the roof of Talbot hall. And the way that silver bullet rang out across the grounds, echoing off the trees and stones could have put the most renowned orchestra to shame. As for Aberline's howling, it was significantly more impressive than his bite. I can't blame the poor man for not having quite mastered the art of the lycan but I have never killed anything so quickly in all my years of transformation.
Conliffe fled to the stables, cowering and quivering in the empty stall just inside the left entrance. The leather strap of a bridle hanging limply over her exposed right shoulder was fascinating. I watched it sway in time with her breath, leaning on the post jutting from the wall of her stall and completely immersed in shadow. I shall have to acquire a horse, name it after her and shelter it in that stall in memory of the occasion. I followed her to the station, to London and to the doors of her hotel. Not a soul even glanced at my darkly cloaked figure stalking the streets around it, waiting until she exited the building. I felt my skin healing day by day, until even my hair had grown back. Still she had not ventured outside. Naturally I grew incredibly frustrated. I had triumphed over sons and demons to take her to my bed, and her reclusive grief grated on my patience. I refused to tease myself any longer, and traced her scent to her suite, a decent sized, top floor set of rooms. I held back until nightfall, and when the moon was high in the sky, I stole into her chamber without a sound.
