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My moan echoed through the quiet space. Grae hitched one knee up over his shoulder and continued to feast on me. My head fell back, banging into the glass, the pleasure building tighter and higher like a hot coil ready to explode. My hand slipped again, squeaking across the glass, and I nearly toppled sideways. Grae clenched onto my hips tighter to keep me from falling face-first into the stones below as we both let out a chuckle.

“Grae.” My voice came out all husky and raw as I steadied myself on his shoulders.

I dropped my foot back onto the stones below me and pushedhim backward until he was lying splayed across the ground. I straddled him, my hands frantically freeing his cock from his trousers, happy for a second reason he’d already taken off his belt. Grae’s hooded eyes watched me with lust-laced heat as I guided him toward my dripping core. His fingernails dug into my hips as I lowered onto him, my head rolling back with the mounting pleasure. I didn’t know how long I’d be able to hang on. I was already teetering on the edge of an orgasm. The stress and anxiety of the day just made my movements more feverish. I needed this,weneeded this—this anchoring to something real and raw and so far from our fears.

I rode him with wanton abandon, relishing in the feeling of him filling me over and over again. Grae’s hips bucked, bouncing me upward, matching each of his movements with my own.

“Fuck, that’s good,” he groaned, his breathing so jagged I knew he was trying to hold himself back. That only spurred me on, working him faster until his eyes were clenched closed and he sputtered, “Calla, I—”

My matching moan silenced him, my hands fisting in his jacket and holding on for dear life as my orgasm tore through me. My cries of pleasure bounced off the glass, echoing through the whole greenhouse as Grae erupted with me. He gripped me so tightly, plunging back into me as he released again and again, our orgasms burning so long and bright that I saw stars.

I collapsed on top of him and his arms banded around me, holding me to his heaving chest. I buried my face in his neck, breathing in his scent, listening to his heartbeat slow. I kissed his skin, tasting his salty sweat and wishing we could stay in this quiet little secret place in the world. But even as my release echoed through me, I knew I had to go save Briar from Klaus’s overzealous advances. I had a Queen to convince I was worthy of her aid. I had a court that needed my protection and humans in Damrienn who needed saving.

“That is my favorite kind of distraction,” I murmured against Grae’s skin.

“Certainly clears the mind.”

“Now let’s go find ourselves some more allies.” My mate grumbled as I forced myself to get up and regroup from that quick burst of passion, but he soon followed. We both knew we couldn’t linger here.

In another life, Grae and I would stay all night, watching the stars and listening to each other’s beating hearts. But that dream would only be a reality once I secured the future for us all.

Sadie

I wandered through the gardens, picking an afternoon snack from the citrus trees on my way back to the library. The air was laced with the scent of blossoming tropical flowers and vanilla. The garden was truly magical, and I spent most of my waking hours there when I wasn’t in the library combing through scrolls and stories.

It was a daunting task relearning and scrutinizing our ancient history through a completely different lens. Sometimes the Wolf and human stories aligned, sometimes they deviated entirely from each other, and I struggled to parse fact from fiction. Too many words, too many translations... When I closed my eyes, I still saw the words inked upon the page, felt the parchment rubbing across my fingertips, and heard pages being flicked like a shuffled deck of cards.

I took another breath, letting the heady jasmine and vanilla replace the dusty must of old tomes. I idled about the garden, taking another deep inhale, my scent superseding all my other senses. At the center of the garden, I found the tiled well and meandered over.

As I reached out for the golden bucket, Navin’s voice said, “Don’t.”

Hand still hovering midair, I looked over my shoulder at him. “Why are you always lingering?”

Navin had been a constant shadow since the day I shifted, watching me from across the library as I flicked through every book I could get my hands on. Smart of him to keep his distance. Despite losing the resolve to kill him outright, I still was debating whether I could pull off a light stabbing. Of course, that wouldn’t lend itself well to this ploy that Navin actually had control over me. If Rasil truly believed it when he returned, he was more of a bloody fool than I gave him credit for.

“Why are you hovering around like an annoying little gnat?” I asked again when Navin didn’t immediately answer me.

He plucked a bright pink fruit from the branch above him, its soft flesh denting in his grip. “Because you’re new to this place and you don’t know its rules,” he said, shining the fruit on his shirt before taking a bite.

“And one of the rules is don’t touch the bucket?” I asked. “Is it magical?”

“Yes.”

I look at him skeptically.

“It’s a whispering well,” he said through a mouthful of fruit. He wiped the back of his hand across his lips. “We use it to communicate with other Songkeepers, but if you don’t know the right song, you might end up talking to the wrong well on the other end. It takes practice. I’ve accidentally scared a few farmers in my time.”

I chuckled, imagining the frightened person hearing voices echoing up their well. That would certainly be a story to share around the fire. I lowered my hand and backed away from the well, turning instead toward a stone bench. I perched on the seat, staring up at the purple flowers that rambled over the archway.

“Could we contact Maez through the whispering well?”

“Does Maez often frequent wells? The Songkeepers know which ones to go to and when. If Maez even went to a well, the likelihood we’d synchronize our times seems improbable.”

“Great,” I muttered, dropping my head in my hands. What I’d give for a confirmation she was okay. But as the breeze blew through the trees and water trickled across the stones, I couldn’t seem to summon the same panic I’d felt in the days preceding.

Navin hummed to himself as he ambled closer, and I wondered what magic he was casting. Did he ever hum just for mindless enjoyment? Was there always a reason? Was he controlling my emotions with his songs even now?

“You look tired,” he said finally as he took another bite of food.