“How did you find out?”
“River told me this morning.”
“And you did not think this was something I would like to know?”
He lifts a shoulder. “I did not think you would care because you already have a mate.”
A mate I never wanted in the first place. I should march straight over to the chieftain’s home and explain everything. But then that would mean pitting myself against his daughter.
Even if she told him the truth, he might not forgive me for the role I played in stringing her along.
I had hoped that Leah would get tired of waiting and choose someone else, not force my hand.
All he will see is betrayal after betrayal.
“The Seelie did not institute a curfew for a fucking weasel or a fox.” There is only one beast that would result in such a panic. “They think a wolf crossed the bridge.” If a wolfdidsomehow manage to cross the bridge, then no one in Rosehill is safe.
Kerrisis not safe.
I need to go to her. I need to?—
He shoves the spoon toward me, reddish-brown liquid dripping like blood down the wood, splattering into the pot. “Sit your ass back down. No wolves crossed the canyon. Everyone in this camp knows how imperative it is to protect the bridge. I asked those who were on duty while we were gone if they have seen signs of a wolf, and do you know what all of them said?”
I bet he is going to tell me.
“They said there have been no tracks in the forests or on the paths. Whatever did this… it was not a wolf.” He tosses the spoon into the pot. “I have a theory though. But you are not going to like it.”
I do not like many things I have heard over the last couple of days but that has not stopped me from listening. “Tell me anyway.”
His eyes narrow. “I do not think the curfew has anything to do with wild animals at all. I think they are trying to keep an Unseelie fae from stealing their prince’s bride.”
35
“The ancient practice of marking one’s mate with one’s teeth is as barbaric as it seems.”
Unseelie Fae: A Scientific Study
The stiff wood of my window ledge digs into my backside as I stare into the night, wishing I could see Ever.
Eventually, they will catch the wolf that prowls our streets, then the curfew will be lifted, and life can go back to normal. Until then, all I can do is try to find a semblance of patience and fill my days with plenty of walks so my legs and mind are tired by nightfall.
My plan hasn’t worked thus far, but there’s always tomorrow.
According to the books I checked out of the library earlier today, the wolves can grow as large as a horse. After reading the Unseelie book, I don’t have much faith in the tome’s accuracy.
Still, for this beast to shut down an entire city, it must be fearsome, indeed.
As if conjured from my deepest, darkest imagination, a shadow stirs down in the garden. I press my hand against the cold windowpane, holding my breath as the shadow takes the form of a gigantic wolf?—
No, not a wolf.A man.
My heart hums inside my chest, beating faster when I realize who is in my aunt’s garden.
What in the world is Ever doing here? Doesn’t he realize it’s not safe? How did he get around the guards? I fumble for my robe and throw it on over my shift.
The way he prowls through the hedges reminds me of a mountain lion I once saw on an adjacent cliff back in Gravale.
He scales the trellis with grace, keeping to the shadows as he slips along the thatch to my window. I open the latch and ease the barrier aside; the cool kiss of spring air wafts over me.
