Leopold glares at me, his bushy eyebrows shooting up.
“Where are they?”
“In town.”
“I’m going to get them.”
No,Evander pushes to me.Let her have a little space. We haven’t heard of any Firested in the area since September.
“Did the wolf shifter guards go with them?” I ask Leopold, knowing full well that they didn’t. I haven’t scented them in the castle for a week.
Leopold doesn’t answer.
I’m unbuttoning my shirt. Flying over the village, I’m certain I’ll be able to spot her. I’m out and into the driveway in the courtyard when the sound of crushed gravel under wheels has my ears perked.
The dark town car rounds the top of the hill. My dragon’s pushing at my skin. I’m standing in the middle of the driveway. I step in front of the car, making Percy stop. Raine is riding in the front seat with him. I catch his eyes through the window, fists clenched, and then I pull the driver’s car door from the hinges. Heaving. I’m a hair away from shifting.
Percy’s brown cap falls to the front seat. “Prince?” His voice trembles, and the title sends me further into the void.
“Roark!” Raine pulls on my arm. “What are you doing?” She has two hands wrapped around my wrist, her feet digging into the gravel. “Roark. Stop. Percy didn’t do anything. Stop.”
I clench my eyes shut. Smoke pours from my nose.
Raine jumps on my back. Her hands wrap around my neck. “Roark?” Her lips hover over my ear. “Roark,” she whispers. “Please, stop.”
I unclench my hands and take a step away from the car.My dragon’s calming down as her hand slides down my chest. Air’s slow to come into my lungs, mixing with smoke. “Raine.” I close my eyes and rotate her until we’re chest to chest.
“Are you okay?” A hand swipes down the side of my arm in a petting motion. Raine’s blue eyes are wide. “Let’s go inside, please.”
I glance back at the car, the door on the gravel. Percy hasn’t moved. Pivoting around, I see that there are a lot of people by the door. Evander, Kieren, Leopold, and the kitchen staff, among others. Raine’s feet hit the gravel, her hand in mine. She tugs me along, the surrounding evening sky and scenery nothing but a blur. We don’t make but a few feet away from the car before I stop. Adrenaline rushes through me. “Why were you gone?”
“Shopping. Shopping for Halloween decorations with Percy. They were expensive, so we drove to the next village because I found a sale.”
“Expensive?”
“Yes. I’m not paying a hundred euros for a cardboard skeleton. That’s nuts. But I found a... You’re okay?”
I nod. My dragon recedes back into me.
This won’t help us win her over,Evander says.
Kieren’s next to her. “Are you okay, Raine?”
Raine reaches out and takes Kieren’s hand, placing it on my arm. “Yes,” she says over her shoulder, pivoting back to the car. Percy’s out. He’s popped the trunk and is holding the door in his hand, staring at the trunk. “Percy, I’m sorry this happened.”
“It’s my fault. I should have had you sit in back and had the privacy screen up.” Percy inclines his head to me.
“No. That’s nuts. Of course you shouldn’t have.” Raineglares back at me. “I’m sorry, Percy.” She high-steps to me, gravel scattering at her feet. “You’ve met Percy, right? Percy? The gentle dragon whose mate does your laundry? Blanche—you know Blanche, right? You can’t be jealous of Percy.” Her finger lands in the middle of my chest. Then she drops her hand and pushes through the crowd to the door. “No, wait. I need to get the things from the car.”
“I’ll bring them in, Miss Raine. We’ll have dinner warmed up for you. Where would you like it?” Leopold asks.
“My suite. Alone,” she says staring right at me. “Thank you, Leo.”
Leopold inclines his head and follows her into the castle. One of the valets helps Percy with the car.
“You fucked that up,” Evander says.
“He’s correct,” Kieren has the nerve to say.
