Page 49

“Look at us,” she says with a watery laugh. “Two grown women blubbering like children.”

“Speak for yourself,” I retort, attempting a smile even as I wipe my own tears away. “I’m blubbering with dignity.”

It’s a weak joke, but it makes her laugh again, and the sound is so familiar, so beloved, that fresh tears spring to my eyes.

“Maya!”

The excited shout comes from behind Leanna, and a small figure darts around her, launching himself at me with the boundless energy only a child can possess. I catch him just in time, lifting him into a hug that makes my ribs protest.

“Finn!” I exclaim, burying my face in his unruly dark hair. He smells of pine sap and boy sweat and the wild outdoors—probably the scent of the Northern Wolf Kingdom.

“You were gone for so, so long,” he says, his small arms wrapped tightly around my neck. “Mom said not to worry, that you were just lost, but I was scared you would never come back.”

His innocent admission pierces me. I never considered how my disappearance might have affected him. Finn has known me his entire life. I was there when he was born, and I’ve watched him grow from a squalling infant into this vibrant boy.

“I’m sorry I was away for so long,” I tell him, setting him down but keeping one hand on his shoulder. “But I’m back now.”

He looks up at me with solemn eyes, so much like his father’s. “Promise you won’t go away again?”

The question catches me off guard. I can’t make that promise—not with everything that’s happening, not with the SilverRing Organization still out there, not with Griffin’s kingdom in turmoil and my own place in it so uncertain. But looking down at Finn’s earnest face, I can’t bring myself to explain the complications of adult life.

“I promise I will always find my way back to you,” I say instead, which feels like a truth I can uphold.

This seems to satisfy him. His serious expression dissolves into a grin, revealing a missing front tooth that wasn’t gone when I last saw him.

“So, you are alive,” comes a deep voice from the doorway.

I look up to see Cedric, King of the Northern Wolf Kingdom, filling the entrance to the cottage. He’s as intimidating as ever: tall and broad-shouldered, with short dark hair and a face that seems permanently set in stern lines. But his eyes, when they meet mine, hold genuine warmth despite his gruff demeanor.

“Don’t sound too excited,” I manage to say dryly. “I might think you actually care.”

“Maya,” he says with a nod that manages to convey more respect than many men’s bows. “Good to see you breathing.”

Coming from Cedric, this is practically an emotional declaration. I straighten up, strangely aware of how small and human I must look to him in my pajamas and cardigan.

“Thanks for not holding that memorial service,” I say, aiming for lightness but hearing the genuine gratitude in my voice.

A corner of his mouth twitches in what might almost be a smile. “My mate was convinced of your continued existence. And she can be very persuasive.”

Leanna rolls her eyes, but there’s fondness in the gesture. “What my eloquent husband means is that he’s glad you’re okay.”

“That’s what I said,” Cedric responds, sounding genuinely confused.

I can’t help the small laugh that escapes me. Their dynamic has always amused me—Leanna, open and expressive, translating her stoic mate’s minimal communications for the rest of us.

“Come in, all of you,” I say, suddenly remembering we’re still standing in the entryway. “Mom made breakfast.”

“Is that Leanna I hear?” My mother appears from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Her eyes light up at the sight of our visitors. “Oh! And Cedric and little Finn, too! What a wonderful surprise!”

I knew Leanna visited my mother, but I wasn’t aware that Cedric and Finn accompanied her.

“Helen,” Leanna says warmly, stepping forward to embrace my mother. “I bet you’re happy to see Maya, too.”

“Of course I am,” Mom agrees, returning the hug before bending slightly to Finn’s level. “And look how you’ve grown! You must be, what, twenty years old by now?”

Finn giggles. “I’m eight, Grandma Helen!”

“Eight?” Mom puts a hand to her chest in exaggerated shock. “Impossible! You were just a baby last week!”