The Wolf with the Iron Jaw (Elysium #1)

Chapter Eleven

Rousing from a deep sleep, Trinket squinted against the sunlight spilling into her room through the curtains and let out a soft groan as she rolled over to glance at the clock.

Ten o'clock.

She closed her eyes again, still exhausted from her late-night adventures with Booker. It felt like she could sleep the entire day away.

Wait.

She opened her eyes once more and checked the clock a second time.

Ten o'clock.

Ten o'clock?

Sitting up with a gasp, she threw off her covers and jumped out of bed. How could she have overslept? What kind of maid didn't get up to make her employer tea and breakfast?

"Stupid wolf," she mumbled as she hopped on one foot in an attempt to lace up her boot.

As soon as she was dressed, she tore out of her room and raced down the stairs, hoping she'd still have a job after her carelessness. Maybe Booker was too preoccupied with his work to have noticed her absence just yet.

Alas, the moment she turned into the hallway to sneak into the kitchen, Booker stepped out of the laboratory. He caught her by the waist as she raced by, stopping her in her tracks. "Whoa, slow down, my dear."

She spun around to face him, slightly taken aback by his bold gesture. "I'm so sorry I overslept, Mr. Larkin. I'll start breakfast right away."

He smiled and loosened his grip, leading her into the parlour. "Not to worry. I went out to the bakery early this morning and bought fresh crumpets, so there's no need to trouble yourself."

"You didn't have to do that, I—"

"I know, I know, but I assumed you'd be tired after our little outing last night. Here, sit."

The teapot and two teacups were set on the table before the settee, along with a tray of baked goods. "This is quite unexpected," she said.

He sat next to her and helped himself to a crumpet. "I'm not completely helpless in the kitchen, you know."

Furrowing her brow, she tried not to stare as he lounged on the settee beside her like it was perfectly normal to be taking tea with his maid. This was not how a servant-employer relationship was supposed to go.

She cleared her throat self-consciously. "Again, I'm so sorry for oversleeping."

Booker waved her apology away and handed her a crumpet. "So we made some headway last night."

"We did?" she asked as she hesitantly took a bite of the pastry.

"Yes. We discovered that the Wolf seems to lurk about in thickly inhabited areas. As you suggested, this could mean it was bred in captivity."

"Does that make things easier?"

"Perhaps. We've also learned it's hungry and will keep returning to where it can find food."

Placing her half-eaten crumpet on the table, she leaned over to pour the boiled water into the teacups. "And you intend to be sure it finds food."

Booker accepted the cup she offered him and grinned. "Oh, I do indeed."

She added honey to her tea and sipped it thoughtfully. "If you had a trap of some sort, you could bait it."

"I was considering that, but I worry it would be rather conspicuous. Could attract the attention of the police or even the Mice. Too much of a risk."

Tapping her fingers against the rim of her cup, she considered what other options there could be. "You want to capture it alive, correct?"

"It's preferable. I feel I could learn more about it if it were still breathing. However, it would be difficult to transport a living, snarling wolf with a mouth full of metal. Dead may be our only option."