“M-My wish?” Damn him and his flirty self. He didn’t affect me nearly as much as my men did, but being the object of his charm still got me flustered. “Where are we going?”
“To a place you said you wanted to see.” He tilted his head and smized so well he would’ve put all the Top Models from my old world to shame. “We’re taking you to the Tower.”
***
“I don’t trust him,” Maddox said, one hand on my lower back and the other on his sword. The cool night air had me pressing closer to his side. “I say he’s the traitor who helped the mercenary escape.”
“Gods, you’re an ass.” Rowan led us through a wooded area beyond the castle grounds. “Just because a man smiles at your muffin, you accuse him of treason.”
“Sounds like enough of a reason to me,” Maddox mumbled under his breath.
I gently bumped him. “Behave.”
“I’ll behave only if Reign does. One more flirty stare and I’m gutting him.”
“Now, Captain, that’s not very noble of you,” Briar said from my other side. “What if Reign winds up being Evan’s next mate? Two more are on the way, you know.”
I had told them what Lupin said about me having seven lovers, each of whom would play a pivotal role in my destiny. Surprisingly enough, they’d taken the news well. Their only concern was the newcomers treating me well.
“I need no reminder, physician. Two more men to protect Evan is reassuring.” Maddox scowled. “But I protest against one of them being the flirtatious spy.”
I snorted and grabbed his bicep. “No worries, big guy. I don’t think Reign is one of them.”
“How can you be sure?” Callum asked. He walked behind me, keeping watch of our surroundings from the rear. Lake was with us too but stayed out of sight, just in case we encountered knights patrolling the woods.
“Just a feeling,” I answered. “With each of you, I felt a deep connection. Like something was tugging in my chest and trying to pull us together. I don’t have that with Reign. I also don’t smell him.”
“I remember you mentioning that.” Briar nodded. “We each have a scent unique to you. I’m magnolia blossoms, yes? Fitting. I used to love sitting beneath the tree outside my childhood home. It brought me peace.”
Warmth settled over my heart. That explained the reason behind his scent. I’d never known it before.
“My scent is vanilla bean?” Callum asked.
“Yep. Mixed with freshly baked bread.” I grinned at him over my shoulder. “I told you that you were a cinnamon roll.”
He flashed his dimple.
We continued forward. That deep in the woods, the moonlight scarcely reached us, showing only through wider breaks between tree branches. It made it all too easy for my imagination to run wild. Every rustled leaf was the mercenary about to pounce. Every snapped twig was him trailing behind us.
Reign and Draven had gone ahead of us to prepare for our arrival. Captain Remy had approved of Reign’s plan; however, they hadn’t anticipated all of my men insisting on coming with me. But there was no way any of them would let me go anywhere without them.
“Do you think Lake will be safe in the Tower?” I asked. “They won’t try to hurt him or anything, will they?”
“The pup will be fine,” Rowan responded. “Captain Remy and the others already know about him.”
“And they’re okay with it?”
“Aye. The Secret Order doesn’t abide by the same ideals as others in Bremloc. We have our own code. Condemning a demi-wolf who’s done nothing wrong is against what we stand for.” Rowan veered to the left, passing beneath an archway of two trees sloped toward each other. “Besides, if anyone did try to hurt the pup, they’d have to go through me. And none of them have a death wish.”
My heart lifted into my throat. He and Lake really had grown close. So much so that Rowan would kill for him without a second thought.
The branches and dense foliage thinned before we stepped out into an open field bathed in moonlight. Iridescent flowers sprouted from the grass, their leaves glowing a pale blue. A small pond sat off to the right, and more fluorescent flowers grew along the bank. Even the grass seemed to hold an air of enchantment, faintly shimmering.
A weeping willow swayed in the evening breeze, a distant musical hum sounding as the long branches danced. Flickers of light gleamed off it, like it was made of twinkling stars.
“Wow.” I took it all in, feeling like I’d been dropped into a sci-fi fantasy movie. “Where are we?”
“A place of great arcane power,” Briar said in an awed tone. “I can sense the rivers of mana flowing beneath us. I’ve heard stories but have never seen it with my own eyes.”
