* * *
I found Ramsay outside,and to my surprise the evening sun had already set beyond the deep purple mountains that loomed in the distance.
But they’re not really that far, are they?
“How did it go?” Ramsay asked after giving me a brief hug. “You look tired.”
“I am. But it was worth it. I healed some of her scarring and she seemed excited.” I sighed. “I just hope I can heal her womb.”
“Even if you can’t, healing the scar is still healing,” he said.
I nodded and rested my head on his shoulder, too tired to lay the rest of my thoughts on him. We watched the sun set wordlessly, turning the sky a darker and darker shade of blue. The mountains blocked out the sun like a massive eclipse--a constant reminder of what lurked outside our territory.
“They never came,” I remarked.
“The gryphons?”
I nodded. “Noro said I had a month to figure out the prophecy, because the rest of his pride would find out something was up by then.”
“Eh, he was guessing.” Ramsay waved a hand. “What reason do they have to come down, anyway? They still don’t know about you, remember?”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “But they could easily find out. That’s what Noro was worried about.” I rubbed my arm, not adding my own private worry thatIwas scared of that, too.
Ramsay put his arm protectively around my shoulders. “The Madame said she wouldn’t tell, and you seem to trust her pretty well.”
“I do. She’s honest.”
“That’s more than I can say about some other people,” he muttered.
Without pressing, I knew he was talking about Neil. I grew uncomfortable at the thought. Neither of us had heard from him since eavesdropping on their conversation earlier in the day. Where had he gone? It was possible he was still in the human village, and that made my skin crawl. I glanced over my shoulder and surveyed the area, prickling with paranoia. But he wasn’t there.
“Sorry,” Ramsay said, squeezing my shoulder. “I didn’t mean to bring him up and bum you out.”
“It’s fine. At least he’s the only thing we have to worry about now that we have a… truce with the humans, I guess?”
“You’re right.” He smiled and kissed me. “Always lookin’ on the bright side, huh?”
I shot him a lopsided grin. “Trying to, at least.” I paused. “Do you think the others are searching for us?”
“I’d be more surprised if they weren’t.” He tapped his chin. “I hope they don’t come here trying to do some big dramatic rescue when we aren’t in any real danger. I’m guessing you wanna stay long enough to heal that woman, huh?”
I nodded. “Yes. I’m not leaving until I try my hardest to give her that option back.”
Since Ramsay was an alpha, I didn’t know if he understood the gravity of this to me--and to the Madame. But then he laced his fingers with mine, leaning closer so that his warmth seeped into my skin.
“I get you,” he said softly. He reached down to cup the front of my lower belly with his palm, where our baby was slowly growing. “I’m excited to meet this little one, even if it won’t happen for quite some time.”
I put my hand on top of his. “I know. Me too.”
But a shadow crossed my thoughts. The world wasn’t safe yet. What would it look like in less than nine months? That was a lot of time for bad things to happen. I shut my eyes, trying to imagine a world of peace, where the threat of the gryphons didn’t exist, and the humans and the wolf packs lived in harmony.
Despite my hopeful praying, we didn’t live in that perfect world.
That meant it was up to me and my mates to fix it before our sweet child arrived.
