“Sereana?”
He nodded. “I don’t trust her, Zee.”
“Good. Neither do I. Nobody should. She’s a witch.” I was half-witch, but we were both adept at ignoring that inconvenient fact.
“Exactly.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “I wouldn’tput it past her to double-cross us. I know the alpha doesn’t trust her either, but you should have seen her eyes when she hurt you. She fuckin’ enjoyed herself. No wonder she doesn’t need a man. Causing pain is clearly what gets her off.”
“You have no idea. But the last time we fought the Mondeine, both sides were nearly wiped out. Sereana is shady as hell, but she’s powerful, and she hates the Mondeine with the passion of a hundred fiery suns. I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her, but her goals align with ours.”
“For now.”
“For now.” And I didn’t want to even think about what would happen when that changed, and she was no longer around to bind my wolf.
“I can’t believe you have to go through that every month,” Mack said, as if he could read my mind. “You sure you’re okay? That table…. Those fucking straps…. Why didn’t you ever tell me it was that bad?”
Annoyed that he kept bringing it up, I asked, “Why would I? You think I want to talk about that? I don’t even want to think about it. It happens, and then it’s over. That’s how I get through it every month.” Emotion clogged my throat, making it impossible to speak.
His fingers feathered over my arm as tension built in the air between us.
“Has a dragon ever attacked the farm?” I asked.
Mack’s fingers stilled, and he studied me a heartbeat too long before answering. “No. I saw a wyvern once. But a long-range harpoon dissuaded it from attacking. Never seen a dragon. What was it like?”
This topic was no better than the last, but I had to give him something. “Terrifying.” But then I remembered that wasn’t how I’d described him to my dad. In his human form, the dragon hadn’t been frightening at all. His silver eyes had roamed over me with a curiosity I’d never seen in anyone’s gaze before. Thinking about it now made me uncomfortable.
Exhaustion tugged at my eyelids, and I remembered how I should be spending the limited time that I was free of him. “Not someone I ever want to see again.”
Warm lips landed on my forehead. “Get some sleep, Zee. I got you.”
Hoping he was right, I drifted off to sleep.
THE WORST POSSIBLE BATTLEFIELD
Arioch
Alarge leather satchel landed beside my chair with a plop, stealing my attention away from my breakfast. Beside the bag, Norval blinked into existence and swept into a bow so deep his dark hair nearly brushed the floor.
“Pardon my interruption, m’lord, but I have gathered your supplies and provisions.” He straightened, coming eye-level with the top of the bag, which he patted proudly.
“Thank you, Norval.”
“I am but your humble servant.” Another bow. “Word has spread that you are leaving immediately after breakfast. The staff is gathering in the courtyard to see you off as soon as you are ready.”
Uncertainty constricted my lungs. I questioned my unacceptably tentative plan, but my choices were limited. Despite my best efforts, I would be walking into battle unprepared, relying entirely too much on sheer luck and overwhelming might.
Am I taking the best course of action?
I was taking the only course available to me. The artifact would not permit otherwise. Its absence was a splinter driven intothe core of my being, burrowing deeper with each hour I delayed. I would simply assess the wolves’ defenses upon arrival and adjust my plan accordingly. There was no room for hesitation when the alternative was madness.
A darker question lurked beneath the planning; one I dared not examine too closely. What would I have done had she not shattered the ward? I would still be trapped behind it, with a hoard screaming for its missing piece.
I severed that line of thought before it could take root. That way lay madness, and I was already closer to the edge than I cared to admit.
I could leave. I would leave.
Even if it meant abandoning my people.
They were capable. They would endure. I had to believe that because there was no alternative. Remaining while my mind slowly unraveled would serve no one.
