“Your squirrel is following us,” Feral said, glancing over his shoulder.
“He’s protective.”
He scoffed. “What does he intend to do with his tiny incisors? They’re not real fangs.”
“You’d be surprised.”
Another snort rang out.
The staircase went on forever, winding up and up into the canopy. Through gaps in the wood, I caught glimpses of the forest spreading out below us, the grove growing smaller with each turn.
“You’re not even winded,” I said.
“Should I be?”
“You’re climbing one hundred and four steps.”
“I’ve carried elk carcasses farther.”
“That’s… disturbing and impressive at the same time.”
His chest rumbled with what might be a laugh.
We finally emerged onto a landing near the very top of the tree. Feral shouldered open a door carved with wolf heads and carried me into a suite that took up the entire upper portion of the massive trunk.
He passed through a sitting room and into a bedroom that was larger than my entire laboratory. A huge bed dominated one side, covered in furs and soft-looking blankets. Weapons hung on the walls, swords and bows and things I couldn’t identify, but I wasn’t one who enjoyed battling with things like that. Words were my swords. My brain was my bow and arrow. What caught my attention was the openings carved into the living wood, massive windows that showed the canopy spreading out in all directions.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
Feral kicked the door shut in Acorn’s face.
“Hey,” I said.
He crossed to the bed and tossed me onto it.
I bounced once on the furs, my veil dislodging and sliding off to the side.
Feral stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at me with an expression I couldn’t read.
“So,” I said, pushing myself up onto my elbows. “About those experiments I mentioned.”
His mouth curved into a real smile this time, all teeth. “They can wait.”
My heart kicked against my ribs, and for once, I didn’t have a logical sentence ready.
I was bonded to a wolf king who carried me up one hundred and four steps and smiled like he wanted to devour me.
This was going to complicate my research schedule significantly.
CHAPTER THREE
FERAL
Mate,my inner wolf growled.
Shut up,I growled in reply.
I stood over the bed, every muscle in my body locked down, fighting the urge surging through me like wildfire.
