Page 147 of Blood of the Fairest

Wulf pulls away so he can frown at me in confusion, but then he grits his teeth at the sight of the redness on my cheek that was slapped.

One of his warm, calloused fingers gently brushes the place where I bit my own lip.

His ice-blue gaze grows murderous. "Who did this?"

"Me."

Understanding dawns as he realizes I needed the queen's freaky blood. "Are they all dead?"

"Very," I promise.

Weirdly, that seems to piss him off further. He glowers silently at the Loomdark behind me like he wants to turn into a bear and maul whatever is left of the bandits.

"Yet again, nothing harmed you in the Loomdark," Eris muses quietly from the axe hanging near Wulf's hip. "Reinhilde rarely summoned me on her trips to gather ingredients here. Whatever she truly was, I wonder if she could always go into that dark forest without consequence."

Now that he mentions it…

If the Loomdark is home to monsters, that could include vampires. Is that why nothing attacked me in there? They simply recognized one of their kind?

Wulf's attention moves back to me with resolve. "When we return to the carriage, I will scour every inch of your body for further injuries."

My horny brain loves that idea way too much.

But I remember we have an audience when Ingrid blushes and whispers, "Oh, my."

I'm just glad she's not looking at me like I have two heads, after seeing me bite the throat of that bandit earlier.

Realizing Snow White is looking between Wulf and me with clear meaning and Anika is smirking, I decide it's time to re-establish that he and I are not an item.

We can't be, for plenty of reasons.

Even if those reasons are getting harder to remember the longer I stay in this fairytale world.

"No scouring necessary. I'm perfectly fine, just really tired," I insist.

The Huntsman clearly intends to argue, but Ingrid pipes up, concern radiating from her angelic face.

"If Her Majesty is tired, we should get back on the road to reach the next inn right away. This ordeal has been just awful, and she'll need to rest well before meeting the royals of Aurefeld tomorrow."

I haven't rested well in days, but I can only hope the nightmares take it easy on me tonight.

The nightmares did not, in fact, take it easy last night.

It didn't help that I couldn't stop thinking about the four coachmen and two Isenmerian guards who were killed during the attack. Or should I say those Boneless Bobs—because their bodies had all been spirited away by witchfolk by the time we left for the last inn, where I slept like shit.

I'm grateful to be wearing a sheer veil over my head for once, because at least it's covering my dark circles as I walk through a vaulted, ornate hallway toward Aurefeld Castle's throne room.

Wulf walks behind me. With all the reflective gold accents everywhere in this castle, Eris has no trouble keeping up as we're escorted by a prim-looking maid.

Snow White and Ingrid are resting in the room Snow was assigned to, in the wing of the castle reserved for Isenmerian guests during the festival. Anika and her parents were also given luxurious quarters—which I hope is a good sign that whatever happened between Aurefeld's king and Anika's father is in the past.

As we reach a set of massive white double doors embellished with swirling gold patterns, I whistle.

"Ritzy."

In fact, every bit of Aurefeld Castle I've seen so far has been ritzy, golden, and massive. It's definitely bigger than Isenmere's castle and is surrounded by thriving cities and endless farmfields.

I can't seem to look anywhere without admiring gold paint, sconces, accents, or some kind of filigree.