Page 99

His arm came around her instantly, warm and solid, folding her against his chest. He could feel how little strength she had left.

"I should have—" she started.

He tightened his hold. "Don't."

Her breath shuddered.

"Bowen..." she whispered.

He lowered his head slightly. "He was yours more than he was mine," he said quietly.

"He was a child," she said, voice breaking, hand fisting in his tunic. "I can't believe he is gone."

Blaidd closed his eyes briefly. "I know."

He had trained Bowen, tried to be a father to him. But Fae had done her best to be a mother to him when she was barely more than a child and, and though they were never truly close, Fae felt that void.

She pulled back slightly, wiping at her face with the back of her hand, breath puffing slightly in the cold. "I am coming with you."

Blaidd studied her.

"I won't stop you," he said, "but I would feel better if you stayed."

Her eyes flashed faintly. "You think I will sit here while some maniac..."

"That's not what I think."

He cupped her face briefly, forcing her to look at him. "I don't know what this is," he said, voice low. "And that is what troubles me."

"I will need to find the changelings, try to speak to them." He drew in a slow breath. "And I will need to speak to the witch."

Fae's fingers tightened reflexively around his thick wrist; he squeezed back.

"I want you far away when that happens," Blaidd said softly, his eyes focused on her. "You are my heart, and I worry I will lose you before I have a chance to win you back."

He leaned his forehead against hers again, his voice nothing but a murmur. "And if this is black magic, then I will walk into it." His thumb brushed her cheek. "But I will not have it reaching for you while I do."

For a moment, the alpha was gone, and only the man who desperately wanted to be hers remained.

"Let's go for a run," Fae said, taking his hand. "Clear our heads."

***

Dusk settled low and heavy over the trees as paws covered the forest ground.

Aiko was already in the clearing, her dark fox pacing in tight circles while Sora looked on in wolf form. Her tail flicked once as Fae approached.

Where Blaidd's wolf was massive and northern, Kenji's fox was lean and fluid—the colour of moonlight.

Fae shifted without ceremony. Bone reshaped as fur rippled chestnut along her spine. She shifted into her wolf seamlessly and took off in a run with Kenji following.

Blaidd followed behind them, guarding and watching, all his attention on Fae.

Aiko darted and landed a playful nip on Fae's flank. Fae reacted on instinct, bumping her with a shoulder, but Aiko paused.

"You are not yourself."

Fae lunged forward.