“Maybe he can’t, though. Like he’s taken an oath or something?” Sophie suggested.
“Or maybe he’s not ready to put it all on the line.” I looked up in surprise at Agnes’s words, a bitter note in her voice, and found her staring out the window at the pub.
“Um, I don’t know. That’s the thing. I just don’t know. So what do I do? Wait it out or just move on?”
“I think you need to give it a few days. See if he comes back to you, offers an explanation. Give him a little time. You obviously care about him, Faelan,” Shona said.
I love him. But maybe … that won’t matter.
I stifled a yawn as I stood.
“I appreciate the advice, ladies, but I’m absolutely beat. I barely slept last night and had back-to-back patients all day.”
“I’ll walk you back up the road,” Sophie said, rising as well. “I’m headed that way.”
“Do you want a lift?” Shona asked. “I drove in because I didn’t want to walk back alone in the dark.”
“Nah, it’s close enough. I like the walk. I know I own the castle and all, but it still gets me, every time, when Iwalk up that hill and the castle is all lit up against the dark sky.” Sophie held a hand to her heart.
“I get that. I felt that last night, walking to the restaurant. Makes you feel like a princess.”
“It really does,” Sophie gushed and tugged at the hem of her UCLA jumper. “If a princess wears leggings and sweatshirts, that is.”
“Hey, it’s your castle. Your rules.” I laughed, feeling a touch lighter than I had all day. Turning to the room, I held out my hands. “Honestly? This helped. It didn’t solve anything, but it helped. Friendship matters and I want you to know that I won’t take any of you for granted.”
“Och, you’re going to get me going.” Willow waved a hand in front of her eyes, and then after a hearty round of hugs, Sophie and I were out in the cool night air. We fell into step, walking down Main Street toward the loch.
“I’m happy here,” I said, surprising myself. “I mean, just look at this place.”
“I know. It’s just a postcard, isn’t it?” Sophie agreed.
The moon hung, bright and full, a fat bulb in the sky, illuminating a silvery path across the loch. Lights twinkled in the windows of the houses, and up on the hill, MacAlpine Castle stood, a beacon in the night. It was a quiet evening, not unusual for a small town night, but as we rounded the corner where Main Street T-d off with the loch, apprehension flared through me. Something felt … off.
A low growl sounded and Sophie grabbed my arm.
“Did you hear that?” Sophie whispered.
“Aye.” I scanned the bushes that lined the road, searching.We waited, but when nothing more came, we looked at each other.
“My flat’s not far. Should we go for it?” I asked, fear creeping in.
“What if running makes it chase us?” Sophie hissed.
A howl broke the night, and Sophie shrieked, leaping into the air and grabbing my arm.
“Oh my God. Look!” Sophie pointed and there, just up the hill, I could make out a pack of wolves, their heads thrown back as they bellowed to the moon.
It was their distraction that proved to be our mistake.
One we might pay for dearly.
Another shriek split the night sky, and this time we both whirled to face the loch.
But it was too fast.
We had no time to react.
In seconds the Kelpies were bearing down on us, thundering up the shoreline, their eyes blazing red, their mouths opened in a scream.
