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My family will adore her. My mother has been desperate for me to find a mate.“They'll love you. Especially my younger sister.”

I should explain to her about the bond, but as we continue to talk, I cannot find the courage to speak the words.

Tomorrow, I will tell her. I’ll find a way to bring it up and brace myself for whatever her answer may be. And I will accept whatever she decides… even if it shatters my heart.

CHAPTER 15

RAPUNZEL

As we rest beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient oak, I sigh in frustration, tugging at the knots in my braid. After our travel today, it has become terribly unruly.

Ren shifts back into his two-legged form and kneels beside me. “May I?”

Surprised, I nod. His touch is gentle as he undoes my braid, combing through the silken strands with his fingers, carefully working out the tangled knots.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Of course.”

As he continues to brush out my hair, Ren tells me stories about his life. He’s hilarious and I find myself laughing almost every time he opens his mouth. I can’t remember the last time I felt such joy.

When he’s finished, I twist ribbons back into the length as I rebraid it, to make sure it doesn’t drag on the ground when I walk. When I’m done, Ren shifts back into his massive Fox form.

As I lean against him, I find my thoughts drifting to Glinda—Drusilla, I keep reminding myself. Sadness stabs at my chest. I cannot stop thinking about her betrayal.

Ren lays his foreleg over my waist, draping his tail over my body like a blanket to protect me from the chill night air. With a heavy sigh, I nestle into his thick fur, his warmth and masculine scent a soothing comfort for my troubled thoughts.

“Are you warm enough?”

Unable to speak through my sadness, I nod.

He is silent for a long moment, tilting his head to one side to regard me.“What’s wrong?”His voice hums through my thoughts again.

I squeeze my eyes shut against the pain. “Everything I thought I knew was a lie.” My throat tightens. “I thought Glinda was protecting me. That shesavedme.” I shake my head. “But she was Drusilla all along. I cannot believe I was so foolish to trust her.”

A soft, rumbling sound vibrates through his chest. Not quite a growl, but something close to it.

“Do not blame yourself,”he murmurs.“She manipulated you so you wouldn’t question her.”

I shake my head. “The other thing I cannot understand is: why did she wait so long? She had years to take me and leave. All those opportunities she must have had—why didn’t she seize them sooner?”

Ren’s expression grows thoughtful, his fox ears twitching.“Perhaps she was hesitant because she knew how fiercely your family loved you. Maybe she believed that taking you sooner would’ve brought unwanted attention and danger to her plans.”

He brushes his muzzle along my shoulder, reassuringly.“Pretending to protect you—working for your family—it gaveher a measure of control. She probably thought it was the safest way to remain close to you at the time.”

I nod slowly, processing his words. Even so, I’m ashamed of how naïve I was. “She told me I wassafewith her, that the world beyond my tower was full of danger and people who would hurt me. That theevil Goblin witchwas still out there, searching for me.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “But the bad witch was always her. And I never even saw it.” I look at him. “But you did. And I’m not sure I would have believed you if she hadn’t revealed her true nature.”

His breath is warm against my skin as he nuzzles my side.“You cannot blame yourself, Rapunzel. She stole your memories to imprison your mind. She made you dependent upon her so she could keep you in the tower.”

“But that’s just it. I’m free, but I’m not.” I shake my head. “Without my memories, I still feel like I’m trapped. I may have escaped the tower, but my memories are still held hostage by Drusilla’s spell. How can I move forward when I don’t even know who I truly am? Where I’m from?”

“When I was a kit, I wandered too far from home once. My mother always warned me about human trappers, but I didn’t listen. I thought I was fast enough. Clever enough to avoid any danger.”

He lets out a small huff of amusement.“But I was most definitely wrong.”He shakes his head.“I got caught in a steel trap. Not one that snapped closed, thank the gods, but one meant to hold its prey alive.”He shudders.“I remember the feel of the cold metal against my fur. Panicked, I clawed at the bars until my paws ached and bled. But nothing worked. I was trapped. I’ve never felt so helpless.”

My heart aches for him.“That must have been terrible.”