Exclusive For Steemit - Deadlier Than The Male - My Serialised story

They soon arrived back at the villa and Hazel went straight to the kitchens, which were deserted by this time. She prepared the testicles and then took a pan and fried them. Then she placed the sweetbreads on a plate and took them in to the others. Without saying a word, she placed the plate in front of Stephan and bade him eat.

He looked up at Hazel puzzled and then to Anton who also was puzzled, as was Elizabeth. Nichasin was interested, but Santi turned his head, sickened.

Stephan picked up one of the sweetbreads and without hesitation, bit into it. His expression told that he had eaten this before but not recently because he was puzzled at the taste.

Anton rushed around the table to Hazel and pulled her back from the group watching Stephan eat.

“What was that? Are they sweetbreads?”

“Yes they are.”

“Human sweetbreads?”

Hazel nodded.

“I do not think you know what you are doing here Hazel.”

“No and neither do you, which makes us even!” Hazel said, pulling her arm out of Anton’s hand.

They watched with growing disappointment that nothing seemed to be happening with Stephan after eating the delicacies.

Anton then said to Hazel, “What were you hoping would happen?”

“I didn’t know what would happen, but nothing has, so there is no harm.”

“No Hazel, when you start an experiment, you see it through to the finish. I am afraid you and I will have to stay with Stephan and entertain him, just to watch the results of your experiment, if there are any to be seen.”

Anton led Hazel around the table to sit opposite Stephan, and then he sat next to Hazel, watching. Stephan smiled at Hazel and she either could not or would not hide the look of disgust that crept across her face.

Stephan appeared to notice nothing as he finished his meal. He wiped his sleeve across his mouth and gazed at Hazel, who turned her head away, preferring to look at Anton. Elizabeth and Santi were talking with Nichasin and they moved out into the garden where the air was warm and pleasant.

Anton nudged Hazel’s leg with his and she diverted her attention to Stephan whose loving gaze was beginning to alter. He smiled at Hazel in a manner that looked as though it should be accompanied by a sarcastic comment. Then he met Anton’s gaze in a confrontational way, then back to Hazel. Suddenly he stood up, knocking his chair away from him, making Hazel jump even though she was expecting something.

“You bitch!” Stephan spat as he leaned across the table to grasp Hazel’s clothing at her throat. “I can see what you are doing. You are making love to this man who pretends to be my friend. You unfaithful harpy! You are probably bedding Nichasin and Santi too. You are trying to make a fool of me, but no more. Do you hear me, you whore?”

Hazel sat calm whilst he raged at her, his nose almost touching hers, spittle flecking the corners of his mouth and spraying onto Hazel’s face. It was only when his hand raised to strike her that she reacted. She stood, but his grip was so strong that she dragged him across the table with her, but he was off-balance, lying across the table, his upper body held up by his grip on her, but he could no longer hit her because his right hand was now supporting his weight on the table.

Hazel took hold of his left hand, the one that held her, with her left hand and turned his wrist over to face upwards, and then continued the movement until a loud snap was heard as the bones in his forearm twisted against each other and finally gave.

Stephan let go of her, screaming his agony. Nichasin, Santi and Elizabeth appeared in the doorway and were shocked at the scene of the guest sprawled on the marble floor holding his arm and screaming.

“Don’t worry Elizabeth, Stephan has had an accident, he mistakenly thought Hazel and I are lovers and she has made her feelings clear on the subject.” Anton said

“You accused Hazel of that Stephan?” Elizabeth asked.

Stephan could not answer because though his screaming was not so intense, he was not coherent through the whimpering and moaning. He sat on the floor, cradling his broken arm, trying to be still. Everyone around him was just watching; the Wolves were so used to their injuries repairing quick that they did not appreciate that Stephan could need medical attention and Santi was just too selfish to realise. Hazel of course, could not care less either way. It took Elizabeth to goad them all into action. She told Santi to run for the physician and after beginning to protest, which Elizabeth put a halt to with one glare, he went.

“Elizabeth, what explanation will you give the physician?” Anton asked in a gentle manner that suggested that he would not interfere with any decision Elizabeth made.

“Why would I need to explain anything in my own home?”

“For one thing, the break in his arm would have taken more than a woman’s strength.”

“And so, either you, Nichasin or Santi did it by accident, whilst showing off.” Elizabeth said.

“That depends, whether he will go along with that.” Anton inclined his head towards Stephan, still whimpering on the floor.

“In that case, we will play it by ear, we shall allow Stephan to explain and then we expand on that if necessary.”

As they were waiting for the physician to arrive, they tried to get Stephan more comfortable and help him onto a chaise. He again screamed as Anton helped him up from the floor, but the scream was not prolonged and he went back to his whimpers.

Santi was soon back, with the physician and he led the doctor into the room.

“Madam Nadasdy.” He bowed. “I have not had to attend you in these many years, though I have had the pleasure of your conversation at many a party. Your – ah – servant here, informs me that there has been an accident.”

“Yes, it is one of my guests, through here if you please.” She led the way.

Stephan was still cradling his arm.

“May I see?” The doctor asked, but Stephan looked at him bewildered.

Stephan then looked at Anton and Elizabeth in turn and said, “What does he want?”

Anton and Elizabeth hesitated for a moment then grasped the problem. They had been speaking French with Stephan not Italian, he could not understand Italian but they all swapped easily from one to the other and so conversation was no problem until someone who spoke only Italian needed to communicate with him.

Elizabeth said; “This is a physician, Stephan, he has come to mend your arm.”

“She broke my arm because I found out she was an unfaithful bitch!” Stephan said, holding his arm so the doctor could see it.

“He says it was an accident, a foolish act on his part, he was attempting to impress Hazel but the trick went horribly wrong and Stephan was injured.” Elizabeth explained.

“It is a nasty break, I will have to strap it tightly, it may hurt when I straighten it, but it needs to be straightened, otherwise it will not heal well.” The doctor said.

“Stephan, this man will have to manipulate your arm so that you will still be able to use it when it heals. It may hurt a little but the pain will go, whereas if he does not put it right now, you will never use the arm properly again, do you understand?” Elizabeth said to Stephan.

“Yes I understand. Tell him to try not to hurt me too much, please, I beg you.” He complained.

Elizabeth nodded to Stephan and said to the doctor: “He says for you to do it quickly, before he changes his mind. Nichasin and Anton will hold him as you do it.”

Anton held Stephan’s good arm and Nichasin went behind him to hold around his chest. The doctor pulled and straightened the arm, making Stephan redouble his screams of before, but he could not move his upper body, Anton and Nichasin held him so tight. He could however, kick. Santi had to grab his legs as he tried to kick at the physician. Once the arm was straightened and strapped up, the doctor stood. Hazel had been to the kitchen to fetch wine and glasses, which she offered to the doctor.

Elizabeth was introducing them all as Hazel returned, “And this young lady is my good friend Hazel. This is Johannes Costanzo, a kind and gentle physician. I know of him through my servants more than anyone else, they have nothing but good words for him. I appreciate your attending so swiftly to my guest.”

Johannes bowed to Hazel and said, “I can see why he was trying to impress you, lady, and I think that if I had 20 years less, I may have also been competing with him for your affections, not that my Lady Nadasdy is unworthy of foolish attempts to impress, I hastily add.” They laughed at that and Hazel said: “Ah, but I very much doubt that you would have tried to impress by anything so foolish.”

“Who can tell?” He smiled.

After a while, the doctor left. Hazel and Elizabeth walked him to the door and bade him good night. Hazel did not return to the room where the rest of them were, instead, she called good night to them through the doorway and went up to bed. There were no locks on the door, but she moved a chair up to wedge against it just in case Stephan should try to gain entry during the night. The last thing Hazel wanted was to kill him in anger after Anton had expressed interest in more research on him, but she also knew that if he came close to her whilst she was asleep, she would indeed, put an end to his existence.

Over the next few days, Hazel took to staying with Elizabeth, wherever she went, avoiding Anton who seemed to be preoccupied with studying Stephan. Hazel could no longer bear to be in the same room as Stephan and refused to eat at the same table, preferring to go outside alone, though sometimes, Nichasin would join her or Elizabeth would.

“Hazel, the arguments with Anton are getting worse, it is beginning to bother me and I can no longer ignore the atmosphere between the three of you.” Elizabeth said one afternoon as they took a stroll.

“I’m sorry Elizabeth. I would avoid discomforting you at any cost, but I really can’t abide Stephan. He makes me shudder with every loving look he gives me. He thinks I am his property. I am so miserable, I feel I would return to England rather than stay much longer in the same house as that loathsome creature.”

“Hazel; but why did you not tell me this?” Elizabeth stopped walking and faced her, taking her hands in her own.

Hazel searched Elizabeth’s face for any signs that she was mocking or teasing, but found only sincerity. “I don’t know why Stephan is so obsessed with me, I’ve done nothing to encourage him and you have seen me being off-hand with him and even nasty and cruel, but still he seems encouraged more than discouraged. What else can I do?”

“You are so very young Hazel, not only young in Wolf years, but young in Hume years too. You have also led a very sheltered and, may I say, naïve life. There are men like Stephan wherever you go and however long you may live. It is not only your looks that attract men, but also your easy manner. That is not to say you are flirtatious, for you are not, but you are self-confident and assured of your beauty, within as well as without. You hold a stare without flinching and that sometimes is taken wrongly as confrontation or encouragement, but that is no fault of yours, more of theirs. This man will follow you, wanting to possess you and wanting to break you. That would be a terrible tragedy were you to allow anyone to do that, for your indomitable spirit is what is most attractive about you. Do not ever lose that, it will carry you far.”

Hazel didn’t reply but she cast her eyes down in modesty at Elizabeth’s kind words.

“I have something to tell Anton, but I have delayed it. I have decided not to go with you to Rome.” Elizabeth said and Hazel’s eyes once more were raised to Elizabeth’s.

“But why won’t you come? Are you going to stay here with Santi? I thought you had made preparations to leave.” Hazel was aghast; she had counted on Elizabeth’s companionship to Rome, which was the only thing Hazel felt could make the journey bearable.

“I am not staying, Hazel. Everything that has been planned is to continue, your schooling by Anton and I will have to take place over a shorter time that is all, but I am confident in your ability to learn. I wish to travel, farther afield than I have been in ages. I have only stayed on the Mediterranean for all of my Wolf life, only to visit France a few times. I am bored, I know there are so many more things for me to experience again. I am three hundred years old and I have been here for too long. I want to see snow again. But I will tell you this; Stephan will not be travelling to Rome with you either. Tomorrow night we have a surprise in store for him.”

“Do you mean at the party?”

“Sh now Hazel, we have company.” Elizabeth turned away from Hazel and they continued walking. Hazel sensed Wolf, but at a distance and whoever it was, was keeping that distance, whether by design or accident, Hazel did not know and if Elizabeth did, then she did not say.

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