‘That’s the sexiest thing a woman has ever said to me.’
‘Let’s go get Val, free Elia’s mom, and end this war,’I declared.
The room around us continued to buzz with chatter, but in that moment, everything crystallized.
I was ready.
Chapter Twelve
After saying goodbye to my family and Cassian and Elia, Kaelric and I headed for Loroc. Cassian said he was going to finally visit his family in Aerlyn and took the train that way. Kaelric and I ran in our wolf forms and covered the ground quickly, our paws thudding softly over soil and leaves. Wind whispered through our fur as the countryside blurred beneath us. We stopped only to hunt or lap water from the river, and during those brief pauses, the world felt impossibly quiet, as if holding its breath for whatever the two of us would do next.
We slept curled together beneath a towering pine. The night was clear and full of stars. I’d never felt more like I was meant to live in nature this way. Damp moss cushioned us, and the cold earth soothed the ache of my new bones. When I was in wolf form, I wasn’t worried about bugs, or too much sun, or mud on my paws. Nothing felt uncomfortable or strange. I was wild and free, and Kaelric was by my side the entire time, his warmth pressed into my flank. That alone made the world feel safe.
I couldn’t put into words what it was like to be mates with him now that I was a wolfkin. In the human world, you dated, got engaged, and then married. But as wolfkin mates, youfast-forwarded all of that. There was no hesitation, ormaybe someday. He was more than my husband. He was the other part of my soul. I didn’t need vows or a big celebration for that to be true. The bond itself was the promise.
Now that I was a wolfkin, we could be together fully without consequence. We could have children. Everything I wanted. The thought of pups, little versions of Kaelric with soft black fur and fiery orange eyes, made my chest feel warm and full.
As we ran the last few miles to Loroc, I checked in with Val.
‘All good there? I’m coming soon,’I told her.
Silence followed. No warm greeting. No immediate snark. Just void.
I slowed, paws dragging against the grass, and Kaelric noticed, easing back with me.
‘What’s wrong, my love? Are you tired?’
‘Your mother isn’t responding to me.’My nose hovered low to the ground, picking up every unfamiliar scent. I was still learning how to separate every little smell, how to tell what was animal, what was human, what was Elite.
‘Try again,’he pressed gently.
I closed my eyes.‘Val, you’re scaring me. Are you okay?’
The stillness around us sharpened, pressing into my fur like needles. Only when I forced myself to breathe and sink deeper into the quiet did I feel her faintly. Wrong. Hidden. Afraid.
‘He has an Elite with metal magic. Can’t talk. He knows where I am.’Val’s message came clipped, like it took everything in her to get the words out.
My heart lurched.
An Elite with metal magic meant they could pull Val up out of the water with their power.
No. No. No.
My wolf threw her head back, and an agonizing howl ripped from my throat before I even thought about it. Kaelric stiffened beside me.
I bolted, claws tearing the ground, and Kaelric ran at my side as I relayed what was happening.
‘Don’t worry. They can’t wield her,’he said, pushing reassurance into our bond.
Panic surged through me. ‘They could melt her down!’
‘No way. She would kill them if they tried.’
I stumbled, processing his words. I was wolfkin now… she could draw on my strength to defend herself. Her tether to me was no longer fragile. She could fight back.
‘They could keep me from wielding her.’The realization struck like a physical blow. If they locked her away, if they broke our connection, or hid her somewhere the bond couldn’t reach… it would all be over.
Kaelric didn’t respond, but his silence was answer enough. He simply ran faster, his long strides stretching into a sprint that left the wind screaming around us.
