Page 70

An hour later, I returned to my bedroom.

“Where have you been?” Wolf asked before I had even shut the door behind me. It was the first thing he had said to me in days.

“Out,” I answered. “Not like it’s any of your business.”

He leaned against his bed, still fully dressed as if he had just gotten back to the room. It had to be well past midnight.

“Hells, do you ever make anything easy?”

I paused and faced him. “Just stop,” I said. “Stop pretending like you have to give a shit about me, Wolf. You go your way, I’ll go mine. It’s been working pretty damn well that way so far.”

“Come with me,” he said.

“What?”

“Come with me for the night. I have something I want you to see.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I whispered, but I knew he could hear it in my voice. The uncertainty. The doubt.

We both knew I wanted nothing more than to get as far away from this damn castle as soon as possible.

Wolf’s jaw tightened as he looked at me. “Let’s go.” He walked out of the room and let the door close behind him, not waiting to see if I would actually follow him.

Probably because he knew I would.

I was darting out of the door and down the hallway before I could process my actions, before I could realize how pathetic and embarrassing it was for me to bend to him in this way, especially after I just agreed to bond with Lanson during the final test. At least he walked straight ahead of me, not antagonizing me for acting the way we both knew I would.

No, he walked with his shoulders back and his feet steady. Almost like he was… nervous.

“Where are we going?” I asked, catching up to him as he led us through the back doors of the castle and into the forest.

The same forest I had killed Ryder in not too long ago. I hadn’t been back here since, and I didn't trust myself around the raw shadows of night.

“You haven’t been yourself lately,” he answered.

“What are you talking about? You don’t know me well enough to make that observation.”

I couldn’t deny the hint of anger lacing his words. It tightened my chest, catapulted my heart.

“I’m talking about the fact that you’re a killer, Huntress. You’re a predator. You carry sharp blades and even sharper teeth.”

He kept marching forward, his thick black boots crushing the fallen leaves below. He didn’t slow down for me. Didn’t turn to see if I still followed.

I did.

“That was different,” I replied. “What you saw me do in Midgrave, that was—”

“That was what? Somebody else?”

“No, it was—”

“What?” he asked again, his voice morphing into a growl that sent goosebumps down my arms. “What changed? Because I sure as all hells know you’re not growing soft. Not here. Not now.”

“I’m not growing soft.”

“Really?” He spun to face me; I almost ran straight into his chest. “Because that lethal weapon I met in Midgrave sure as all hells wouldn’t agree to bond with some random fucking fae.”

My breath hitched. “You were spying on me?”