I squeeze her hand and give her an encouraging look. “Then what, little moth? Tell me.”
“During the Winter Court army’s attack on Braemar, I heard your voice, and I sensed your presence. I even felt the bloodlust coursing through your veins as you slaughtered my people. And that’s when I knew the seer hadn’t lied.”
“Did you flee Braemar before Tribute Day because you feared I would spot you in the castle and recognize you as my fated mate?” I ask, even though I’m almost certain it’s the reason she took off. It makes sense. She wanted to avoid catching my notice. She wanted to remain hidden from me.
“Yes,” she admits. “I tried to sneak away by myself, but my father caught me. After I told him the truth about the orc seer, and also that I kept hearing your voice, he insisted that he help me. So, we fled Braemar on the eve of Tribute Day.”
“We are close to several port cities,” I say. “Were you planning to take a ship south?”
“Yes. We planned to travel to the southernmost island that a ship would carry us to. We’ve heard that fae and orcs have never been spotted on the islands in the lower part of the Clarrsian Sea, so we thought we would be safest there.” She exhales slowly and settles deeper into the furs, and it pleases me to see her looking somewhat relaxed.
More than ever, I want her to feel safe in my presence. I was a fool to taunt her earlier as I mentioned punishing her for being a runner. If she were a fae female, she would’ve recognized my words as a dark yet teasing ploy to seduce her, but as a human she took my words more literally.
“The islands beyond the Clarrsian Sea will be conquered eventually,” I tell her. “An era of total fae rule over the realm is upon us. Our priestesses claim it’s inevitable, and that meanseven the most remote islands will be inhabited by my people one day as well. Eventually, I would’ve found you, Isabel. We are fated to belong to one another.”
She turns and stares directly at me. The firelight bathes her in warm, orange rays, accentuating her sheer beauty. I take a moment to study the freckles on her nose and cheeks, noting they’re in the same pattern as in my dreams of her. Truly, the gods have decreed for us to be together. Yet she still seems hesitant to accept our mating union. There’s a wariness to her gaze, a reluctance to her demeanor as she continues staring at me.
“I suppose the gods are laughing at me now. They probably think it’s funny that I tried so hard to outrun fate. What a fool I am. I put my father at risk, and I risked my own life too. If you hadn’t arrived at just the right moment, those wolf-bears would’ve surely eaten me.”
I smile. “They are called direwolves. And I don’t think the gods are laughing at you, little moth. You aren’t a fool. Now, about your father… where is he? Why were you alone in the forest? I promised to keep him safe, and I will, but I require more information.”
“Direwolves,” she whispers. “Gods, for as long as I live, I pray I never encounter such creatures again.” She emits a shaky sigh, glances at the fire, then returns her gaze to me. “My poor father. I fear I am a terrible daughter to him. He’s been on the road with me all this time, but just last night I escaped from the inn where we were staying. I suddenly heard your voice again, so I surmised that meant you were close. I wanted to get a head start on running away from you, but I also wanted to make sure my father wasn’t with me if you caught me. I feared that you might hurt him, possibly even kill him.”
Lifting her hand, I lean down to kiss it. A visible shiver moves through her as my lips graze the back of her hand, and I relishthe blush that suddenly stains her cheeks. She feels the bond just as I do, and she’s drawn to me just as I’m drawn to her. But will she agree to mate with me tonight? Gods, I hope so.
I clear my throat, realizing too many moments have passed as I ogled her without responding to her statement. “As I’ve already said, I won’t harm your father.”
Her eyes suddenly flare wide, and she stiffens in place. “If my father doesn’t heed my warning not to follow me… he might encounter the same direwolves in the forest.” She goes pale, then looks at the mouth of the cave and tries to stand.
I wrap an arm around her to prevent her from rising.
“I must warn him,” she says urgently. She flails in my embrace and pushes at my chest.
Agitation tears through me. I’d hoped to spend the entire night holding Isabel close, consummating our union, and learning more about her. Does she expect me to travel to whatever town her father is staying in and warn the man not to foolishly enter an ussha-blessed forest that’s crawling with fae predators? Fucking fires.
Drawing in a deep breath, I remind myself that Isabel is my mate. The one female I am meant to spend the rest of my days caring for. If I allow her father to perish, even by his own recklessness, I doubt she would ever forgive me. She might even resist the mating bond.
I’ve killed countless human males, most of them soldiers, and the death of Tomas Sinclair wouldn’t bother me. What’s one more dead human man? And yet… Isabel’s worry bothers me. I want to erase the anxiety in her eyes. I long to calm her fears no matter the cost. The prospect of watching her grieve her father’s death leaves me deeply unsettled.
“Very well,” I finally say. “In the morning, we’ll visit the inn where your father is staying. You can warn him about the direwolves and encourage him to stay out of the forest.”
“Thank you, Gideon.” She ceases struggling in my arms and peers up at me. “I-I left him a note and asked him not to follow me, but he is stubborn and very protective of me.”
“Was he a good father to you?” I find myself asking.
“Yes, he was, and I love him dearly. I would be devastated if anything happened to him. Can we leave just before sunrise? He’s an early riser.”
“Yes, little moth, we can leave just before sunrise.”
“Thank you again,” she murmurs, her voice a soft, sweet vibration near my ear.
“You’re welcome.”
Her warm breath caresses my neck, a delicious sensation that makes me crave a deeper intimacy with her. I long for the full strength of the mating bond, though I know it won’t finish forming until after we’ve consummated our union.
Again, I wonder if she’ll agree to mate with me tonight.
As eager as I am to claim her, I cannot fathom compelling her to lie with me. Even the idea of glamouring her to crave my touch doesn’t hold any appeal.
