Page 56 of Contested Crown

I put it to the side, then began digging out my clothes. Dirty clothes were tossed into the laundry hamper in the corner of the room, which left me with a single T-shirt and a pair of jeans that I had laundered a few weeks ago and never worn because the fit was wrong.

After I went through my clothes, I got to my meager personal possessions. Inventorying them all, it felt as though I had disappeared, as though everything I was could be contained in this bag. I was a wolf without a pack, a man without a name, a person without even a place to call home.

I put the books I had taken from the safe house on the bedside table. My toiletries went into the bathroom, although I had a feeling if we searched the drawers, we would find much higher-end replacements. They hadn’t taken any of the cash, so I tucked it back in the bag. Then there was the box.

I thought about zipping the bag closed with the box still inside, and I probably would have done that, except Cade said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

He had been staring at a notepad in his lap, going through each of the pages. Whatever he saw made him shake his head.

Wetting his lips, he walked into the bathroom, leaving the notepad behind when he shut the door firmly.

Without him there, I was unable to resist reaching into the bag and taking out the wooden box. It was the size of my palms put together, intricately carved. When I opened it, my past stared up at me. A picture of my family was on top, the nine of us grinning at the camera. I traced my finger over my parents’ faces, my mother’s bright eyes and fierce smile, my father beside her, always supporting, always trusting.

I wished I could ignore my siblings, but their faces were an accusation.Why did you survive when we didn’t?

Even Miriam looked happy, no sign of whatever darkness had led her to betray the family, to betray all of us. Underneath were the three other photos I had managed to find. When running for my life, no one had said, “Don’t forget, save a few pictures.”

But Carlo had built a web page for a high school project. The family photos had been on the About Me section. I’d saved them before the site went under when the hosting company was consumed by another, larger tech firm.

The last evidence of the Castillo family gone forever.

There was a flower, something from the garden that had snagged on my sock when I had run off the property. There were three coins, all that was left from the first paycheck that Declan had given me. Digging in my pocket, I found the ring my mother had worn. I stashed it in the box, shutting the lid and replacing it in the duffel. When I zipped up the bag, I promised myself that I would show Cade.

He would look at that picture of my family and know that my parents weren’t killers. Then I tucked the bag under the bed.

There was a soft knock at the door, and when I answered, the woman on the other side smiled, but the tension in her shoulders made me wonder what she’d heard about werewolves. The badge sewn on her clothing showed that she was white level, almost House Morrison, but not quite.

“I’m here to take any laundry, and Lady Elizabeth sent this.” She offered over an envelope addressed in flowing script toPrince Bartlett.

I went inside to retrieve the overflowing laundry basket, and she hefted it easily. When she left, I raised my eyebrow when I saw another badged member of House Morrison standing across the hall from our room, slouched against the wall, arms crossed.

He jerked his chin, and I said, “So did you pull the short straw, or is the short straw the midnight shift?”

His nostrils flared in a silent snort. “I’m just resting here. It’s quite a hike around House Morrison. Have to pace yourself.”

I shook my head but shut the door behind me. When I got back, Cade was out of the shower, his towel hanging on his hips. I wanted to follow the line of hair down from his navel, but I stopped myself.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Apparently, we get free laundry service. Elizabeth sent this.” I offered over the envelope, and Cade opened it.

He pulled out the card inside. His eyes moved back and forth, rereading the text.

“What is it?” I asked. Significantly, I glanced at the bathroom, asking if it was a conversation we should have in private.

Cade shook his head. “Elizabeth is inviting us to train tomorrow with the rest of House Morrison’s offensive spellworkers.”

“Is there a way out?” I asked.

Cade shook his head. So, we were trapped into doing the thing we had been avoiding. Fighting mages with Cade low on magic and me without my wolf.

“Well,” I drawled. “This will be fun.”

ChapterNineteen

We found pajamas in the dressers, and after a quick examination, Cade declared them clear of magic. We fell asleep back-to-back, but at a creak in the hall, I startled awake within an hour. Next to me, Cade turned.

He wrapped his arms around me, his body pressed against my back. I felt his strong hands and his face between my shoulder blades.