Not that she needed to worry about it. He looked like someone who liked his women young with perky bodies, and while she wasn’t old, she was no spring chicken, nor was her body perky.Sighing, she put away her maid cart, lost in thought, as she meandered to the staff breakroom.
Stassi’s parents would be overjoyed at the news of her quitting the palace. They were the best parents someone could ask for and were always supportive, but they hated the idea of her working in The Capital and losing her memories every day.
She understood their concern. It was strange at first, but she quickly adjusted to the sensation.
When she turned the corner, she crashed into someone and fell on her butt. A wolf stared back at her, and her first thought, because she was an idiot, was to say, “Sam?”
The wolf cocked his head, and the man she ran into helped her up. “Sam who?”
Realizing her mistake, she brushed off the back of her skirt. “No one.”
“Excuse us,” the man said. “We must be going.”
She looked up then, recognizing him from somewhere. He and the wolf skirted around her as she searched her memory for the man’s face, and when she remembered, she gasped. “Wait!”
The man and the wolf walked faster, and she jogged after them. He was The Butcher’s father. Stassi saw him on the news after Aurora’s arrest. If he was here, something was happening, and the way they were hurrying away from her only solidified her suspicions.
“I spoke with Samyaza!” she called out as she jogged toward them, cringing at how her voice bounced off the walls. Yelling his name wasn’t her brightest moment.
The duo stopped and turned back to her, meeting her in the middle, and the man asked, “When?”
She tried not to look out of breath after such a short jog, but there was no way they missed her wheezing. “Today. Last night, I meant. He was here.”
The man looked down at the wolf, and Stassi stepped back. “He told me about everything.”
The man’s wise eyes slid to her, assessing. “Why? Who are you?”
“My name is Stassi, and I’ve spoken with him a few times,” she answered defensively. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I was supposed to listen for anything important about the king, but I work nights, and the king wasn’t around.” The wolf chuffed, and she eyed him nervously. “I know where the stolen soul is, but that’s it.”
Both the man and wolf reacted to her words, and the man reached out to touch her shoulder. She side-stepped his grasp, and he held a hand up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you. You said you know where Cora’s soul is?”
She nodded. “It’s in the king’s office. He keeps it in a cabinet.”
The two looked at each other, then back at her. “Do you know who Rory is?” the man asked.
Wasn’t that what Sam called Aurora?“The Butcher?” she asked for clarification.
“Yes. Have you seen her here today?” His eyes looked hopeful, and Stassi felt terrible for telling him no.
“I haven’t.” She hesitated. “I heard another maid say the king is out today.”
The man turned to the wolf and nodded. “Stassi, do you know if guards are near the king’s office?”
“There are always two.” The man nodded again, and she regretted what she was about to say, even before she said it. “I can take you there.”
“I’m Patrick,” the man said, tipping his head to the wolf. “This is Keith. He’s a shifter. We would appreciate it if you took us most of the way. We will trail behind you, and when we get close, you leave. You don’t need to get mixed up in this.”
Stassi mapped out the way in her head. “When I adjust my bun and turn left, you stay straight and take the next right.”
Patrick nodded, and the wolf looked side to side before shifting into a gorgeous man. Flustered, Stassi stepped back. “You should warn people before you do that.”
“Next time, I’ll growl,” he replied with a charming grin. “Lead the way.”
She considered stopping to grab her cleaning cart to look less conspicuous, but it was out of the way. Walking as nonchalant as possible, she made her way to the king’s office, listening to the footsteps of the men who trailed far behind her in case they stopped.
When she approached the turnoff, she grabbed her bun and adjusted it, but before she could turn, Tag rounded the corner leading to the king’s office.Why was he still here?He worked the night shift.
“Stassi,” he said with a hint of surprise.
