Chapter 76-1
Troy
Claim
The small little honeyed wolf was curled up tightly in the bed. She gave me a half-hearted wag as I
sat on the edge and gently stroked my hand over the top of her head. “Is it all right if I join you?”
Another thump of the tail. I settled back against the wall and resisted the urge to pull the small
wolf in my lap. My own wolf rose inside me, but he didn’t try to take control. Instead, he just came
close enough so Kiana’s wolf could feel me.
She sighed and leaned against me.
“I guess I should catch you up on what happened,” I began.
“The crone called. She was furious that her maiden had been hiding out on our land, so after she
finished blistering my ears, she provided some information on Anya and her twin, Yelena.
Apparently, they were close. So close that when Anya came for the maiden position, the crone was
certain both of them were there. She admitted that she’d performed a spell to separate two souls
when Anya disappeared.
She assumed the spell worked, and the twins had simply gone home with their tails tucked
between their legs. We think Yelena might have sacrificed Anya to get onto our land. The land couldn’t tell the two souls apart. So while we were looking for Anya’s killer, she was roaming freely and doing goddess knows what.
“I have to assume that she was not working alone. Someone there wanted her. Probably Morven. In any case, if she was supposed to bring the rising darkness, we stopped her. She’s very dead.”
Kiana’s wolf shifted, and she whimpered just a little. I stroked her ears.
My voice cracked as I spoke. “I figured Morven had twisted things, forced you somehow to agree
to go with him. That was the only explanation I clung to. But deep down, I knew… I knew it wasn’t
just him. It was me. I haven’t treated you the way I should have. I failed you, Kiana, and I don’t even
know how to make it right. I don’t know if I ever can. I’ve got a lifetime of penance to crawl through before I’m even worthy of standing near you.”
My throat tightened, and the words burned coming out. “Willa came up with the plan. Irene….she
darkened the bond. Do you know what that did to me? I’ve never felt so hollow, so utterly stripped
of myself. It was like living dead, Kiana. Breathing without a soul…without you. I can’t… I can’t survive it again.”
I swallowed hard, hating how desperate I sounded, but unable to stop. “Irene told me she wasn’t
sure if it would even work on your end. But the mating bond-ours-is a two-way street. Darken one
WO
20
N
|||
O
1/2
<Chapter 76-1
Claim
end, and it might effectively be dead. She’s had to redo the spell twice a week, which has annoyed her. It should lift soon. I hope… I hope you’ll accept it again.”
I prayed she might press her muzzle into my palm, lean just an inch closer, give me something-
anything-to cling to. Even the faintest sign that I wasn’t already lost to her.
But she didn’t. She didn’t move, didn’t soften. Her tired eyes just stayed fixed on the wall.
“Going forward, we have to stay in town and together for four days. Then one of the merchant
ships is going to take us to London’s pack. From there, we can make our way back home. Don’t
worry. Morven’s hands will be tied. He can’t wolf out here in town, and we chose a motel close to
the police station, so he won’t take you by force. Strange that we are relying on human protection.
“We told everyone that Bridget was attacked by rogues and killed. I hate that she’s dying a hero, but she has a cousin with two young children, and I don’t want them to live in the shadow of her
treachery. There were several competitors for her position. Willa didn’t hesitate. Finn would have
been her only competition, but he didn’t want it.”
Comments
LUCK DRAW >
99
H
Vote
O 20
WED
O
<
2/2
