My chest throbs. She doesn’t see a woman who is cursed. Or an outsider. She sees someone worthy of her brother’s heart.
Clouds break apart for the first time all day. Sunlight spills into the greenhouse, warming my skin. It sparkles against Demi’s braid as she speaks.
“The first Luna was once like you, you know. Human. The Sponsa Noctis’s curse is not so much a punishment as it is a debt to be repaid for sparing our kind. Perhaps she chose someone who would be willing to right her wrongs and resist the temptation of the Blood Master. Perhaps this is a chance to end him altogether.”
“I might be a decent shot, but I’m no vampire slayer. We don’t even know how to kill him.”
She bites her lip. “After she met a Servant of the First Moon, my mother became obsessed with finding the answer. The capital library has dozens of ancient tomes related to the curse. She devoured all of them, scouring the archives for something referred to as the ‘Final Death.’ She must’ve been close by the time the vampires showed up on our doorstep.”
“I—I don’t know if I’m capable of finding this alleged ‘Final Death’—whatever it is—let alone using it. But if this is how I’m supposed to win the loyalty of your people, then I’ll do it. Together, we’ll finish what your mother was hoping to achieve.”
Demi runs her fingers delicately over a climbing rose that bears its first spring buds. Tears gleam in her eyes.
“Ah, that reminds me.” She stops herself. “I made something for you.”
She places a small jar of cream in my palm. “It’s a salve, made from the combination of henbane, yew bark, and other oils extracted from plants in my greenhouse back home.” I take a dab of it on my finger. The scent is mild. Earthy. “Years ago, my former partner and I set out to find a way for humans to naturally repel vampires. By combining her passion for chemistry and my special interest in botanical alkaloids, we created a topical that, if absorbed into the skin regularly, would steadily build a resistance to mind compulsion.”
“Fascinating.”
“Kiersten thought so, too. She was the one who suggested we produce it on a larger scale and share it with our human allies. Just before she left the pack, we had begun the next phase of our research: searching for an alkaloid that might be safely ingested by humans so that they might poison vampires when bitten. While I wish we had found a solution that would extend to lycans, the topical isn’t an option for us. Neither is silver.For your species, henbane works to block against mind control, but unfortunately, it only manages to inflict harm on my kind. I always hoped to continue the project on my own, but my duties as Alpha took precedence.”
Admiring the smooth finish of my dewy skin, I pocket the salve.
Her smile returns. “One of these days, you’ll have to come foraging with me. I’ll show you how to find the bark along with some of my other favorite remedies. Mother Terris has lots of secrets.”
Chapter 32
AXE
Tesni and I push through the doors of the training barracks, nodding to her cadets sparring in the boxing sector as we pass.
The atmosphere has been chafingly tense following Sunday’s banquet. Elders who were first skeptical at Vessa’s arrival aren’t being shy about their dissent now. The warriors, who typically refrain from engaging in political matters, simmer in their tempers, ready to lash out to defend Vessa’s honor. I trust my pack with my life and would lay mine down for any of them in an instant, but I’d be an idiot to assume the secret will be contained here for long. If word gets out that the Blood Master’s bride has allied with us, it’s just a matter of time before vampire legions mobilize.
Against the far back wall, Vessa navigates a rock-climbing structure. The familiar cadence of her heart fills my ears, steady in concentration as she plots her next move. Tesni clears her throat, walking me through her agenda for expediting the Luna’s training. Mind-centering, weightlifting, sparring, and climbing. Today, they’re moving on to the second module: building muscular intuition.
I watch as Vessa reaches for the next rock, sweat beading her forehead. Under her cut-off top, her ribcage expands, testing the muscles of her abdomen and shoulders. It’s impossible not to notice her toned deltoids and triceps, refined in the last few weeks of aerobics and sharpshooting. My wolf rumbles, scenting the salt that aerates through her skin. Damn, it’s arousing.
Screw your head back on, Alpha.
Tesni continues her brief. “Qinnu and I went over routines targeting balance and mobility, which she’s been told to implement daily in addition to upper body conditioning. After two weeks, we’ll see if she’s ready to test these skills in the forest freehand.”
Qinnu watches Vessa from the ground level, assisted by Tripp, this year’s top recruit. Impressed by his display of leadership in the Circle recovery op, I recommended he receive Bleeding Sun’s sacramental warrior flames one year early. Just like I did at seventeen.
Raising the freshly inked arm, Tripp directs her to move diagonally to the left. Two maneuvers later, and she’s reached the top. Vessa gives me a friendly wave as she pants heavily, relishing the accomplishment.
Another scent piques the air, pulling my nose in the cadet’s direction. The male watches intently, throat bobbing as the human swings her legs and squats, preparing to descend. By the sheer breadth of his stench, there might as well be a string of drool dangling from his mouth. Surely enough, his beady eyes are glued to her—fuck this.
Rage scorches my veins.
Qinnu catches on at the last possible moment. “Shit.”
I detonate, shoving the boy to the ground. Instantly, he rolls away from my grasp, springing back onto his feet and squaring up.
“Seriously?” Tesni steps forward to position herself between us, but I’m too fast, sweeping Tripp’s feet out beneath him and slamming my fist into his jaw. He counters by kneeing me in the shoulder. Little bastard.
Qinnu yanks her backwards. “Kid’s had the flames for three days and he’s already acting like his balls doubled in size. Let ‘em hash it out.”
Vessa pushes off the wall. “What the hell is going on?”
