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The packhouse itself was located in the middle of a stunning lake a couple of hours out of Blackpool, and my jaw dropped as we crested a hill and saw it spread out before us. "It's beautiful," I said, awed.
And it was. But as we approached the shores, I wondered how were we going to get across? There were no bridges leading to the castle, and there were also no boats. Leo, however, soon showed me the answer; a long tunnel, diving right under the lake, opened up on the grass as we approached, and before long we were in complete darkness, save for the dashboard and the headlights showing the way.
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I had no idea how Leo knew where he was going; there were no white lines to indicate corners or tight curves, but Leo drove as confidently as if he knew this tunnel like the back of his hand, and, after what seemed like forever, we emerged into an underground basement that was almost dazzling after the utter darkness. Leo pulled into a parking space, cut the engine, and turned to me.
"Welcome," he said. "It's not much, but it's home."
When we emerged on the ground floor by means of a lift - apparently two thirds of the castle was underwater, I gaped at the sight of the front hall. It was about as opulent as it could be, and my jaw was all but on the floor as I did a full 360 degree turn, taking it all in.
"This is more than 'not much'," I said when I regained the ability to speak.
"I told you, Sean comes from a very long line," Leo said, taking my arm in one hand and my suitcase in another. "He's got the connections to make the pack the wealthiest it's ever been, and that's why he's on the most wanted bachelor list of practically every female this side of creation." He sighed. "I just wish he wasn't so bloody arrogant, but you'll get my meaning soon enough. Get yourself settled; you've got the pick of the rooms, and free run to explore every nook and cranny this place has to offer. It's your home as much as it is ours."
I felt my heart warm at these words, and when he left me at the first floor - which was every bit as opulent as the front hall - I felt a slight twinge of regret. Caira shared my sentiments.
'Would your sisters object to getting to Sean through his brother?' she wondered, as I tentatively pushed open the first door I saw. It turned out to be a rather lavishly appointed bedroom, and I felt a bit small as I walked over to the giant four-poster bed and set my suitcase down. Through a door off to my right, I spied a glimpse of marble, and I pondered my answer as I kicked my shoes off and walked over. "I think we'll play it by ear," I said at last, delighted when I saw it was a bathroom, with a huge bath in the centre - more like a pool, to be honest, though it was really only about four feet at the deep end, and a foot at the shallow end. I didn't care, and two minutes later, I'd submerged myself at the deep end, basking in a bliss I thought I might never experience again.
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Now that I had Caira, I could swim underwater as long as I pleased without the fear of running out of air; werewolves could breathe underwater, and I took full advantage. 'Playing it by ear seems a good ploy,' Caira agreed, gently breaking into my blissful reverie. 'Leo seems taken by us, I might add, and Hunter seems to have taken a bit of shine to me as well.'
I had to smile at that as I finally surfaced, shaking the water out of my eyes. "Leo doesn't like Sean at all," I said. "He hates him, I think. Getting to Sean through Leo might work; I've the feeling Sean believes nothing but good of his brother, and he probably thinks any attack would come from outside, not from within his own pack."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPyYDlar1m
'I wonder how many of his pack actually feel the same as Leo?' Caira wondered.
I left that question unanswered for now and ducked underwater again. I had a lot of lost time to make up for, and the question of how loyal Sean's pack really was could wait until I'd gotten reacquainted with my underwater world.
