“I’ll organise a rota.” Facing Sasha, he said, “I’d rather not have half the pack rotating in and out of Axel’s house, so for the time being, are you happy to stay with Axel?”
She eyed me curiously. “Are you sure you don’t want to do it? It would be an ideal time for the two of you to talk.”
My heart felt heavy, and I sighed at the weight in my chest. “There’s nothing left to say.”
Never one to let me have the last word, she huffed. “While I don’t believe that for a second, yes, I’ll move in and guard Axel.” She glared at me, then focused on Rys. “But I’d like to revisit this arrangement in a week. See where we are.”
“Agreed.”
Pushing back her chair, she stood. “I’m assuming you want me over there as soon as possible, so I’ll go pack a bag.” She left silence in her wake as she retreated upstairs. Not awkward, exactly, but I sensed Rys’s need to talk, and it was honestly the last thing I felt like doing.
“Walk with me.” Rys stood and waited for me to do the same before heading out the back door into the garden beyond.
I followed him across the thick green grass, barely managing to appreciate the cool breeze caressing my skin and the warmth from the autumn sun.
Rys came to a stop at the edge of the garden, where grass morphed into the start of the forest floor. He toed at a stick on the ground. “How much did you overhear?”
Arse.
I was hoping maybe Max had kept that bit to himself. I grimaced, and Rys snorted.
“Don’t worry, that came from Max. He thought it prudent not to share that bit of information with the others. Lady Sarhin swore him and Gabriel to secrecy. I can only imagine her displeasure if she knew you’d been listening.”
I shuddered.
Rys’s amusement vanished. “You can’t repeat anything that you overheard, though. Not even to me.”
“I wouldn’t. But I only caught the tail end of their conversation. Nothing that we didn’t already know. Not really.” And as much as I burnt to know more, I was glad I didn’t. Back in my human form, I couldn’t get away from the fact that I’d been wrong to listen. Whether they should’ve been more careful or not, I knew better.
He hummed. “I know whatever happened to Axel before he came here was bad enough that the high court granted him an indefinite stay. A rare thing for an employee of theirs to be awarded.”
My head snapped round to face him. “An employee?” I’d never given much thought to what Axel had done before he came here, but working for the high court didn’t fit with the impression I had of him.
“I don’t know exactly what he did there—you know how secretive the fae can be—but yes, he worked for them.”
I glanced up at the sky, not knowing what I was supposed to say to that. Or feel, for that matter.
Everything was so much easier as my wolf.
The urge to shift back and forget it all was stronger than it had been in a long while.
Rys knew me far too well. “You can’t hide in wolf form.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
He laughed at me.
“Fine. But it’s easier to patrol the forest on four legs instead of two.”
“Agreed, but don’t give in to the temptation to lose yourself to the pull of the wild, Talis. Everything will still be there waiting for you when you eventually have to shift back.”
“I know that.”
“Besides, I’ll need you or whoever you’re patrolling with to check in periodically with Sasha.”
“Of course,” I replied, already knowing that it wouldn’t be me. I’d meant what I’d said to Axel. I needed some time away from him. Running around the forest was the perfect way to get that. It also meant I could avoid talking to anyone else too. “I’ll take the night shifts this week.”
“All right.” Rys pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen. “Be ready to patrol for ten o’clock tonight.”
