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“Oh, kids are kids,” mom murmurs, kissing the crown of my head. “It happens.”

“You really shouldn’t let the two species play together,” one of the nannies says, her voice soft and thoughtful. “The boys are wolves, and they’re much stronger than this one is.”

My eyes fly open. “I’m strong!”

Mom coos to me and holds me closer, looking anxiously toward the entrance to the courtyard for whatever help is coming.

“The Prince really shouldn’t be blamed if he hurt her – the human girls aresofrail, it’s just biology for them to see her as a target, as prey –“

“Enough,” the Queen snaps, taking her hand away from me and glaring at the nanny, whose face goes pale. “You can leave those supplies there,” she says, nodding to the basket in the woman’s hand.

Slowly the nanny lowers the basket to the ground. “Please, I didn’t mean –“

“You may go,” Miss Ella says, her face stern. “Tender your resignation inside. We’ll send your severance along in your next paycheck.”

The nanny bursts into tears and begins to walk away, one of her friends patting her on her back as she goes.

“Was that too much?” mom whispers, continuing to rock me. I look up into her confused face, worried.

“I won’t have it in my house, Annalise,” the Queen whispers, reaching out and touching my arm softly again. I whimper, turning my face into my mother’s shoulder. “I don’t want that kind of language and ideas around my kids. It’s not right.”

Mom hums softly, and I rest against her, the pounding footsteps of some medical personnel sounding out behind me.

Chapter 35 – Lamb

Nadia

Cole looks at me so seriously, his gorgeous blue eyes wide, his lips slightly parted.

I scowl and lean forward, smacking him on the shoulder.

“What?”

“You stop looking at me with those pity eyes, Cole Kincaid!”

“Well, it’s a sad story!”

“Iknow!” I growl, leaning forward to glare at him, leaning into my anger as I always do. “Itsuckswhen someone youtrustpushes you over and breaks your arm and calls you a crybaby and a sheep –“

“Oh my god, Nadia,” Cole growls, leaning forward to glare at me now – all traces of pity wiped away, which I much prefer. “You’re seriously going to hold that against me? The fact that I called you asheep? That’s not even like – a slur that wolves use against humans! That’s justJudebeing an idiot!”

“It hurt my feelings!”

“We wereeight!”

I scowl, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair. He does the same, and silence passes between us like a living thing, angry and palpable.

“Look, I’m not just holding a stupid childhood grudge,” I say, doing my best to take deep breaths. “That might have been thestartof it – but humans hear this sort of shit that wolves say everyday! That we’resomuch weaker, and that we’re prey, that we need tofearthe other half of the population because they’re big, strong, scary wolves, and they could kill us with hardly any effort! And the shit male wolves say about female humans...” I shake my head, angry again, letting him use his imagination.

Cole exhales, long and slow, his shoulders sinking. “So, what that nanny said? You hear that sort of thing a lot?”

“Allthe time, Cole,” I say, leaning forward to him. “And maybeyoujust don’t hear it because you hang outexclusivelywith wolves!”

He clenches his jaw but lets me continue.

“And this is part of the problem! You think that everything isfinebetween humans and wolves because you’re in the position ofpower, Cole – you’ve got all the money, all the access, all the political and physical power. You have noideawhat it’s like on our side.”

“Well, you cantellme,” he says, the words slipping from between his clenched teeth. “I’ve always made it clear to you that Iwantto talk to you – that I’m willing to listen!”