He searched for a few moments and nodded. “Snow, just like rain, clears scent molecules from the air. Weather reports are notoriously inaccurate, but there’s a good chance it snowed again last night.”
“He was too close when I went back to clear the evidence, and it wasn’t snowing when I left. Is shifting the snow to bury everything enough?”
His jaw tightened. “Possibly. But underestimate Thorvin at your peril. He’s by far the most intelligent of us.”
“How soon will we know?”
“We have a meeting tomorrow. He’s always been a shit liar. I’ll know if he suspects anything when I see him.”
I grimaced. “If he does?”
He sighed and shook his head. “He’s the smartest of the Lords, but he’s also the most reasonable. But we’re all unpredictable. There’s no way to tell what he’ll do.”
“Is he power hungry?”
“I’ve seen no evidence of it. Thorvin far prefers books to leadership.”
The thought of a powerful wolf shifter preferring to bury his nose in a book rather than lead people made me chuckle. “How’d he become a Lord?”
“Again, underestimate any of the Lords at your peril. He might prefer scholarship over war, but Thorvin takes fitness and prowess to the extreme. He won his position the old-fashioned way—through challenge.”
I sighed. “Well, shit.”
“Exactly.”
“And Garrett?” Thorvin was a worry for another day. Garrett lived at the Keep with Caelan. The way my Lord looked at his Second when I rose from the shelter had sent shivers down my spine.
“We’ve been friends for many, many years. This was a blip, Evie. Do not worry about him. He’s skilled enough to hold his own if I decided to take my anger out on him.”
My eyes narrowed. “And will you?”
He tweaked my nose. “A couple of months ago, you would have skewered Garrett on a limb and roasted him on the barbecue. What’s changed?”
I sighed. “He’s still a massive pain in the ass, but he proved helpful. And Thalia really annoys him, and that’s been fun to watch.”
Caelan’s eyes flickered at my mention of Thalia, an unreadable look on his face gone in less than a heartbeat.
“Caelan?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you not like the Seer?”
“The Seer is a chat for another day.” He rose in one lithe motion, scooping me into a bride’s carry. “In the meantime, you need a shower.”
He buried his nose in my neck and sniffed. “You smell like dirt and my Second.”
“Hmm. The shower is a little lonely. I wouldn’t mind some company.”
The ring of his eyes went golden. “Your energy hasn’t replenished.”
“I’m off today. I have all day to replenish.” I wiggled my eyebrows, making him laugh.
He carried me into the bedroom and straight into the bathroom, placing me on the counter, his hands on either side of my hips. “I wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself,” he said huskily.
Caelan pressed a kiss to the sensitive place where my neck met my shoulder. I shivered.
“How about I wash you?”
