There were few places I could go in a Keep full of shifters capable of sniffing out emotions, so I headed straight into the forest surrounding the Keep. My people knew to leave me alone if they saw me headed this way.
I walked for miles, my thoughts whirling in confusion. This was not the way I remembered Sarah—not the way she was only a few days ago. Had I done something wrong? Was she angry at me?
Even worse was me. My feelings toward Sarah were changing, and I had no idea why. We weren’t mates, but that had never mattered to me. I considered her mine and planned to keep it that way forever.
But I hadn’t felt right in a few days now, and the feeling was only worsening. I kept walking until I reached an area that made me stop.
Layers of scent hit my nose. My wolves—Jace and at least two others—a darker, heavier scent of magic, Kinsley, and Moira. Why had Moira been here?
That magical scent was familiar. I walked closer and inhaled, closing my eyes to identify the layers.
When my eyes flew open in recognition, a beautiful woman stood before me, her eyes glowing like emeralds. The same woman I’d smelled when Moira took me to that abandoned cabin.
“Hello, Lord,” the woman purred. “You’re just the person I’m looking for.”
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
The bone twitched inside my palm, creeping me right the hell out.
Cliona’s magic rose through the air, the soft words she spoke carried away by the strengthening wind.
Evie still stood beside me, her dark hair blowing away from her face. “You can still change your mind.”
“Can I?”
My friend released a breath. “I hoped when I got free of all this bullshit, that meant everyone I loved would be free too.”
I slid her an amused glance. “Well, Evangeline, not everything is about you.”
She snickered. “Asshole. Apparently, you have more skeletons in your closet than a science lab, so this one is on you.”
“I put myself too much in the spotlight over the last year. That’s how she found me.”
Evie’s expression sobered. “And that was because of me.”
I locked arms with her. “I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to. You can’t blame a villain for being a villain, Evie. I knew she’d find me eventually. I just never thought I’d have someone I cared for who might get caught up in her wrath.”
“You weren’t worried about me?”
I snorted. “After seeing you hang Ethan up by his shoelaces and shake him like a maraca?”
She grinned. “I’m telling that story at your wedding.”
I wish. “To your dad?”
She rolled her eyes. “Hell fucking no. We both know you aren’t marrying my father.”
I glanced at her in surprise. “What makes you say that?”
Evie smiled. “Sometimes relationships happen because two people need certain things at specific times in their lives. I think this is one of those for you two.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Evie held a hand up. “There’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think it’s wonderful. Sometimes we meet people who come into our lives to meet our needs. Sometimes they come in to teach us lessons. Every step we take in our lives and the people placed in our paths are there for a reason—to get us where we’re meant to be.”
I said nothing for a long moment. “Alright, Gandhi.”
Evie giggled. “You know I’m right. Plus, I haven’t seen Dad for a while, and he used to come around all the time when things were hot and heavy.”
