Page 25 of Plug and Tame

Little princess. The name he used to call her when she was young. She’d never realised he’d meant it literally.

“I don’t feel fearless,” she whispered. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

His large hand closed over hers and she squeezed it.

“And yet, you are so close. The journey up the mountain is always the most difficult near the top, but keep pushing, Kira. For once you reach the top, the water is so sweet, the air so fresh, that you will never want to leave. That is where you belong. Do not forget that.”

“I won’t,” she said, smiling weakly as she wiped her eyes. Fiddling with the locket at her neck, she searched for a change in topic. “So, err…what about the herbs inside this?”

“Ah. Well…”

Byron rubbed his moustache and mumbled something intelligible.

“Speak up, I can’t hear you,” she said..

“The magic herbs were intended to soothe your emotions. Nathaniel wanted you to have a source of comfort and stability throughout your life—”

“So, you’re telling me the locket regulates my emotions?” Kira interrupted.

“Yes.”

“Well…they clearly don’t fucking work,” she snapped, fuming as she marched towards the woods and morphing midstride.

How dare he!

But she wasn’t half as angry as she had been earlier. There were many more important things to consider. The sun was travelling low, and she was ready to tell Nathaniel what her decision was. But first, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

Byron loped after her.

When Kira arrived back at the campsite, Nathaniel was not alone. Two female wolves sat beside him, one in human form, one in wolf form, both of them gazing at him with admiration as he laughed at Mary’s joke.

Jealousy blossomed in Kira’s chest, and she stopped at the edge of the campsite, paralysed as she watched Nathaniel help Mary drain the stock from a large black pot.

“See? This is why we’ve missed you, Nathaniel,” the female wolf in human form said, giving a soft melodic laugh that made Kira’s insides curdle.

The wolf’s laughter died when she caught sight of Kira staring daggers at her.

Nathaniel looked up and met her gaze as he tilted the heavy pot back into place. “Kira, you’re back.”

He made it sound like he’d been waiting for her all this time. It tempered her jealousy, but only slightly.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes. I’m back.”

Nathaniel approached, and the way he looked at her made her momentarily forget about the female wolves. As he drew close, her gaze darted to his lips. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her.

Hesitating for a fraction of a second, Nathaniel placed his hand on her back.

“I’m glad you’re back,” he said in an undertone, guiding her towards the campfire. “Come meet the others. I think you’ll get along well.”

I sincerely doubt it.

The wolf in human form shuffled over on the log she was sitting on to make room for her and Nathaniel.

As they sat, Kira drew a sharp breath. The wolf had a tan-coloured coat with the faintest spattering of light spots. Kira couldn’t see her tails, but she was certain she was of the nine tails bloodline.

Which means we’re related.

Meeting another family member of hers should have been a joyous moment, but then the wolf stretched and moved closer to the fire, and Kira caught sight of the wolf’s tails—or lack of.