“Hey, I can walk back alone if you want to go?—”
“No. No. But I do think I should go back and get more. I don’t want to turn anyone away.” He chewed on his lip.
That was incredibly sweet. “Isthere more?”
“Not at the party. But my friend owns a bakery. I’ll be back… okay? Start, and I’ll be back.” He jogged away then, leaving me with the wagon of food.
My siblings lined up first, as was custom when you were sharing food with the community. Your family went first. Including my aunts, uncles, and cousins.Forty of us in all. I began to serve them as they lined up one by one. My mom was at the end.
When my favorite aunt, Gracine, came up, she pulled me in for a huge hug. “Your mom told us everything. I’m terrified for you and proud of you all at once.”
I smiled at her and squeezed her hand. “Love you.”
“Love you too, kiddo.”
When it was my mother's turn, I noticed she didn’t have a plate.
“Let all the kids in the community eat first, and if there’s more, I’ll have some,” she said, leaning in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Got your note. So proud of you. Worried, but proud.”
I smiled at her, slipping a truffle into her hand as she pulled away. “You haven’t experienced life until you’ve eaten this,” I told her.
She laughed. “Well, alright.” She popped it into her mouth, and her eyes sprang wide. “Oh wow,” she said through a full mouth.
I chuckled and then stepped away to let the others help themselves. There was no shoving, no shouting, or fighting over anything. Mrs. Kinley stepped up and began serving all of the children first. It was how our community worked. We all pulled together to help each other. We all raised the children as if they were our own. The elderly, too. I yawned,feeling suddenly drained of energy, but pushed through.
My mother was tending to my littlest siblings, and I was walking over to help her, when I noticed movement in the tall grass beside the field.
I snapped my head in that direction just as Kaelric stepped out of the shadows, arms crossed as he glared at me.
That bastard!
Changing direction, I stomped over to him. “Did you follow me here?”
“Would I be much of a guardian if I didn’t?”
“I’m safe with my people,” I growled.
His eyes watched the orderly line of people as they excitedly made small plates of food. Most only took one small hunk of meat and one small side. No one was overindulging, not like I had. They were respectful and trying to make it spread to as many people as possible.
“Maybe,” Kaelric agreed, “but on the road back to the dorm? Maybe not.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Stay here and watch if you want, but don’t come any closer,” I warned, keeping a hand on my weapon.
His eyes flashed yellow. He cracked his neck as if working out some tension. “No onespeaks to me like this back home.”
“Hah. Then it’s good for you.” He sounded like he came from an Elite family and was raised with a silver spoon.
I gave him my back and headed for my mother and siblings. He might have a traitor mark, but he seemed to want me to win just as badly as I wanted to. Even if it was only to take this weapon from me. Still, I couldn’t trust him with my family. I barely knew him, and my arm still throbbed with what I did know. His wolf bit me harder than it needed to for the bonding—I’d never forget that. I’d seen too many women in the Dregs stay with abusive men because they put food on the table, or gave them security. That wouldn’t be me.
“Brynn,” a soft voice reached me, and I spun in that direction.
“Fiona!”
Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hair a mess, and she held her arms to her chest like she was trying to keep her heart from falling out of it.
I remembered in that moment that Regalis Draven was her lover. And he died and gave me the mark that was meant for her.
Her gaze went to the mark on my chest, and I opened my mouth to speak, but she rushed forward, pulling me into her arms.
