A/N: Hi! Ok first: Thank you to everyone who actually reads and/or reviews this story: You rock! Secondly: We move on with the plot (finally) and I hope you like the new chap. Everyone who finds mistakes is allowed to keep them ;). Have fun!

Chapter 10: Nightly discoveries

Sitting on the grass, loose flicks of auburn hair dancing in the wind, the sunrays shining on her pale skin – Georgiana took a deep breath. She was at home.

"Georgie!" Slowly did she open her eyes, only to meet two ocean blue orbs, inches away from her face. She immediately embraced the person – it was Edmond, and he was well!

"Edmond! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too my love."

Then they were silent and just held each other. Georgiana sighted happily and again closed her eyes. But then she felt something warm underneath her hands. She panicked and stared at his arms. Crimson liquid covered his shoulders and chest and stained her dress. She tried to stop the blood flood, but every time she covered a wound with the hem of her dress a new one would open right next to it. She could only watch him bleed to death.

"Edmond!"

A scream was heard and Georgiana was awake. It took her a few seconds until she realized that she had been the one screaming. Carefully, she sat up in her bed. She was shaking enormously, her body covered in cold sweat, and had goose bumps on her arms and legs.

Edmond! She had these dreams every single night, and wasn't sure how long she would be able to bear it. It was too much, simply too much.

She took deep breaths and tried to calm herself. It's only a dream, only a dream. But this did not help to prevent a single tear from rolling down her cheek.

This was not fair! She wanted to go home, to see her parents and Christine and Edmond again. She suddenly felt the urge to break something. Badly. A vase, standing on the mantelpiece in the other room all of a sudden struck her as very tempting. Without thinking she stood up and walked to the chimney, but a sudden flash of light, coming from the dark windows made her forget what she was about to do.

Georgiana instead made her way to the windows, not sure of what to expect. The balcony made it impossible to see anything and so she – after some consideration – carefully opened the glass doors and stepped outside into the crisp night air.

She could not see anything, but her ears soon caught pieces of a hushed discussion that was held underneath her balcony.

"…you to keep her away from my belongings! How difficult can it be for somebody like you! She's only human after all!" A husky voice argued in a semi-whisper. Although she had heard this voice only a few times since her arrival here she immediately recognized it – the master! She bended down and crawled to a corner of the balcony to be as near as possible to the conversation without being discovered.

"I can't forbid her to walk through the house. She lives here too now. I'd have to give her then a good reason, and that means I'd have to tell her certain things. Do you want that?" This was Clarice's voice. What was going on down there?

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"I'm trying to protect you."

"Don't! You're nothing after all! Or why would someone like you be here to protect someone like me!"

"You have no idea of my reasons for being here!"

"Have you forgotten who I am!" He wasn't whispering anymore. "What I am! What does he even care about me? Stop pretending to be a prophet! I'm not interested in what you are saying!" The sound of stone breaking into pieces made Georgiana wince.

"But your mother…" Clarice was interrupted by a second stone vase flying past her left ear and shattering on the wall behind her. She didn't move an inch.

"Don't you dare talk about her! I know what you want to say! You don't have the right to stain her very name with your words!" His voice was now so loud that it made Georgiana feel chills running down her spine.

"I'm sorry, I didn't..." but he sharply cut her off.

"Leave me alone. Now!" He said this with a dangerous sounding undertone. Georgiana peered over the edge of the rail she was leaning against and saw Clarice return to the house. She watched him as he buried his face in his hands and felt…pity for him. She could have struck herself. How could she feel pity for him! But as he stood there, his form softened by the moonlight, he didn't appear as brutal or as dangerous as before. He looked…young and vulnerable. Georgiana could not understand him or her own reaction to his suddenly appearing so helpless. She felt awful. This wasn't right.

Before she could make sense of her thoughts and impressions, he stood straight again and pulled his shirt over his head. The white muscles of his back and arms so defined and yet smooth looking. She had never in her whole life seen a man without a shirt. Not even Edmond! She knew this was entirely wrong and stupid of her, but she couldn't turn away from the dazzling sight. Then he all of a sudden disappeared in a blaze of white light. The light disappeared soon again, but in the place of a young man was now a black creature - like a wolf, but much bigger and faster. Where was the man? And where did that animal came from?

He's the…he's the…wolf! But…how? How…can that be!

But if he was the wolf then he was also the one who had attacked Edmond and Marcèl in the woods!

There's only one way of finding an answer. I must find Clarice!

Pacing through the dark castle corridors she looked everywhere but couldn't find the housekeeper. She gave up. It was useless. Clarice wasn't to be found, but Georgiana doubted that the woman had gone to sleep. She was frustrated. She wanted answers. She wanted to know what was going on in this god-forsaken place!

I she couldn't find Clarice then she would wait for him to return. She wouldn't let them fool her. Something here was not right - the master of the estate could turn himself into a hideous beast!

So she went to his rooms and waited…and waited. But he wouldn't return. Georgiana's head was hurting because of her frustration, but nevertheless did she manage to stay awake. She waited until the first sunrays grazed the walls of his chamber, then exhaustion forced her to sit down on a couch at the windows. She closed her eyes and dreamless sleep embraced her.

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She woke up at the sensation of something light and warm caressing her cheek. Her eyes opened and she looked around. First she couldn't sense anything unusual, but then it hit her.

She was lying on a bed – but not her own – and panicked. Where was she? She swiftly pulled the bed covers aside and was about to stand up, when an amused sounding voice made her stop mid-motion.

"Good morning." She froze.

He was sitting on a chair next to the bed, casually leaning against the back. His voice was smooth like velvet, but his whole figure was stiff like the body of a statue. Georgiana didn't know how long he had been there, watching her sleep.

"I thought I had told you never to enter my rooms again."

"How long have you been watching me?"

"How long have you been in sleeping in my bed?" a chuckle escaped his lips and made Georgiana furious. She wanted to slap him for this and finally stood up. He again only chuckled.

"I wouldn't do that." When she didn't take the hint he only wandered with his glance up and down her form, which made her look down at herself. She gasped and felt her cheeks burn.

She wasn't wearing the dress anymore she had put on last night before searching for Clarice, but a white shirt – probably one of his - that barely reached the middle of her thighs. Her legs were completely uncovered but what was worse was the fact that the fabric was thin enough for the outlines of her silhouette to be clearly visible. His staring at her didn't help. She felt exposed and miserable and wished that she could escape from his presence. With her hands she tried to cover herself and regain some part of her dignity, but her attempt was obviously only amusing him. She watched as he slowly stood up and approached her. He held her captive with his eyes and she felt her knees weaken a little.

He bent down and whispered into her ear. She suddenly realized how tall he was compared to herself. "Don't be shy. It's not like you haven't seen anything of me." His eyes twinkled diabolically. Then he turned and left the room.