Page 16 of The Wolf and the Chimera (The Witch and the Cowboy #3)

Ryder

As Elle and I strolled down the staircase that led to the gym, I tried once again to figure out what I had said wrong last night.

Though things hadn’t been easy between us before, I had gotten used to little things.

She would let me hold her hand or call her ‘Ellie’ without frowning.

Now, she was as distant as ever. When I opened the gym’s door for her, I placed my hand on the small of her back, and she flinched like my touch burned her.

“Everything okay?” I asked. Again.

“Of course,” she replied and fixed that damned smile on her face.

It was the smile she pasted on for the world. Before, I resented that she played nicely with everyone but me. Now, I missed her feistiness.

At least it had been real.

Before I could press her on the reason for her distance, Kieran stood from the bench press and waved us over. As usual, Melanie and Bo accompanied him. The rest of the gym was blessedly empty.

I had wanted Elle to sleep in after what she’d gone through last night, but she had been adamant this would be the best time to ask Kieran what exactly he knew about his father.

At four o’clock this morning, she’d dressed in distractingly tight yoga pants, tennis shoes, and a dry-fit top, though there was no way I was actually training her today.

My own basketball shorts and gray t-shirt were also part of the cover-up.

“Good morning, Elle,” Kieran greeted then awkwardly added, “Ryder.”

I nodded.

“Wow,” Melanie commented. “I can feel the fraternal affection in the air.”

I snorted, and Bo rolled his eyes, but Elle ignored her.

“Thank you all for helping Ryder find me,” she said.

She smiled warmly at each of them, and Bo’s cheeks reddened. Kieran scratched the back of his neck.

“No worries,” he said. “I just wish we knew what the bastard was up to.”

I sighed. “Any clue what he wants from Elle?”

“We didn’t even know anything about the sorceress until last night,” Melanie replied.

Kieran chewed on his lip. “The High Witch is hunting you, right?”

Elle nodded. “She wants to entomb me to keep the sorceress at bay forever.”

Bo cursed.

“Good gods,” Melanie muttered.

“Lyall has been angling for a way to get one up on Cordelia for years,” Kieran said. “Elle must be the latest development in that plan.”

“But the witches and wolves have been allies since the creation of the Leaders,” I argued.

Melanie snickered. “Just because you hook up with witches, does that mean you believe there are never power struggles between our two peoples?”

I stiffened. I had forgotten that the last time I was forced to come here for some festival created by Lyall, Freya had astrally projected me.

Her projection hadn’t been wearing much clothing.

Elle gaped at me. “Freya?”

I opened my mouth, but words escaped me. It didn’t matter. From the hurt on Elle’s face, she didn’t need my verbal confirmation to know the truth.

I had never told her Freya and I used to be more than friends.

“Melanie,” Bo chided.

The pink-haired werewolf grimaced. “Sorry. Really, I’m sorry, Elle—”

“It’s fine,” Elle promised.

Her fake smile returned, though it wasn’t as convincing as usual. Her lips stretched too tightly across her face.

“You were saying, Kieran?” Elle prompted.

My brother hesitated then quickly launched back into the discussion about Lyall. I wanted nothing more than to talk to Elle privately but figuring out Lyall’s motives and how they affected Elle’s safety were too important to walk away from.

“He wouldn’t take you in just to piss her off,” Kieran said. “He’s not petty. He’s power-hungry.”

“He somehow figured out how to drain her magic,” I mused. “I wonder if he found out how to store it too.”

“Maybe,” Bo agreed. “It looked like it was going into that black container.”

“But why?” Melanie asked. “What could he do with her magic?”

Elle paced across the tiled floors of the weightlifting section of the gym.

“I don’t know,” Elle said, “but I might know somewhere we could look for the answer.”

She focused on Kieran.

“Remember when I ran into you?” Elle asked him. He nodded. “I was hurrying away from the library. I had just been exploring the shelves and the next thing I knew, the Keeper was ordering me out and warning me not to return.”

I growled. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Elle scoffed. “I guess neither of us tell each other everything, do we?”

Anger and shame swirled inside me. Melanie chuckled, and I glared at her. The she-wolf didn’t hide her amusement.

“My point is,” Elle continued, “there’s something in there she didn’t want me to find. Maybe it has something to do with why Lyall wants my magic.”

“It’s a good theory,” Bo said, “but the library is heavily guarded, not to mention, it’s filled with a million secret passageways and archives. No one knows how to navigate that place except for the Keeper.”

“We would need time to search it,” Kieran agreed, “on a night when the whole pack is distracted.”

Melanie grinned. “And lucky for us, that night might just be tonight.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s the equinox,” Bo explained. “Lyall throws a huge bonfire for it. Everyone—including the Keeper—is required to attend.”

“But,” Elle protested, “how will we sneak into the library if we’re required to go to the bonfire?”

“We can take turns sneaking away,” I suggested. “And report back on what sections we covered. That way, no one is gone for long enough to raise suspicions.”

“Exactly,” Kieran said. He gestured toward Elle and me. “Who’s going to question anything about a mated couple sneaking away from a party for a little while?”

Anyone who really knows us would.

“So, it’s a plan,” Melanie said and wiggled her fingers together like some kind of cartoon villain.

“What’s a plan?”

At the sound of Kalli’s voice, we all jumped.

Instinctively, I drifted toward Elle but tried to maintain nonchalance.

Kalli strode toward us. Though her eyebrows rose in surprise at the sight of all of us together and not at each other’s throats, her wary smile didn’t indicate she suspected us of treason.

I wondered if Lyall had told her about our sneaking around last night.

“The bonfire!” Kieran said and smiled. “We were telling them about how fun it is and how Eddie gets way too drunk every year.”

Kalli raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms over her paint-stained sweatshirt.

“That’s no way to speak about your elders,” she chided, “even if it is true.”

We chuckled, but Melanie laughed way too loudly. Bo glared at her, and she feigned a coughing fit to try to disguise her nerves.

“Um,” Kalli said and shook her head as if to clear it. “I came here to check on you, Elle, and invite both of you to tonight’s bonfire. The equinox is very important to our pack.”

Which is code for you have to attend.

In her years of being with Lyall, it appeared Kalli had picked up on his habit of never saying what she actually meant.

“We would be honored,” Elle said. “And thank you for checking on me. I’m feeling much better thanks to Lyall’s help.”

As she spoke, her heartbeat remained smooth and steady. Her gaze remained centered on Kalli’s, and her scent didn’t change. I was both impressed and disturbed by the ease with which Elle lied.

Kalli grinned. “It’s nice to see all of you getting along. Tonight will be fun!”

We all voiced our agreement, and Kalli was appeased. She sauntered out of the gym, but none of us took a breath until the door clicked shut.

???

In the grassy field behind the chateau, a huge fire stretched toward the horizon.

Twilight cast the sky in shades of blue, purple, and vibrant orange.

All around us, werewolves milled. It was the most relaxed I had ever seen Lyall’s pack.

Plates were stacked high with barbeque, red solo cups were filled to the brim, and music blasted from speakers set up on the back patio.

As Elle and I descended the sandstone steps down to the party, I couldn’t help but return my gaze to her.

Her braided hair was coiled into a crown, and her lips glistened under the light of the setting sun.

She wore a thick, orange sweater tucked into a tight black skirt and tall, leather boots.

Her leg muscles flexed with each step she took.

My thoughts tumbled from my lips. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said and smiled cordially but didn’t meet my eyes.

I cursed under my breath, and Elle frowned. She searched for something array in our surroundings.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“That’s what I’d like to know,” I grumbled.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I tugged her elbow, and we faced each other. With the music, conversations, and crackle of fire, I was confident no one would pick up on our voices.

“I’m sorry for not telling you about Freya,” I said.

“It’s none of my business,” Elle interrupted. “It’s not like we’re really together.”

Frustration loosened my tongue.

“Really?” I asked. “Then why have you been treating me like I have the plague all day?”

Her own anger cracked through her careful facade, and I relished it. Finally, she showed me something real.

“We both know you didn’t want a mate,” she whispered. “It’s not hard to tell that the only thing binding you to me is duty and magic. I’d rather not muddle things up with pretending to be more.”

I frowned in confusion.

Did Elle really not know how I felt about her?

How do I feel about her?

I was certain of one thing. My feelings for Elle had nothing to do with duty.

Sure, most of our time together had been preoccupied by the overwhelming need to keep her safe, but obligation wasn’t why I wanted to see past the fake smiles she gave the rest of the world.

It wasn’t why I wanted to touch her in any way she would allow.

It wasn’t why I admired her strength and compassion and bravery.

Before I could tell her any of that, Kieran approached us.

“You guys made it!” he cheered.

When I glared daggers at him, his grin faltered.

“I think I’ll go get some food,” Elle said.

I moved to follow her, but Melanie appeared out of the crowd, took Elle’s elbow, and led her to the buffet line. I kept Elle in my sight but allowed her the space from me she clearly needed.

“Dude,” Kieran said. “You really should’ve told her about Freya.”

My skin prickled. “ Dude , I know.”

I should’ve told her a lot of things.

I just wasn’t sure when I was supposed to tell her them. I wasn’t sure when the magic that drove me to protect Elle had fallen second to the emotional need to make her safe and happy.

Kieran chuckled. “You’re lucky she’s your mate. Otherwise, she totally would’ve dumped your ass by now.”

“Anyone ever told you you’re good at cheering people up?” I asked.

He nodded.

“They lied.”

Kieran threw his head back and laughed. Despite my problems with Elle, I couldn’t help but smile at my brother. Standing here joking with him reminded me of being back home with the pack who raised me. It was odd, but nice.

“Good to see you two laughing together,” Kalli greeted.

My good mood soured.

“I’m going to get something to drink,” I said.

Kieran called after me, but I ignored him. I didn’t have the patience to play nicely with Kalli. Besides, I needed to keep my attention sharp to find the perfect moment to slip away to the library. Bo was there now, checking to see if it was truly empty of librarians and the Keeper.

I walked through the horde of wolves and nodded in greeting to those I passed. I didn’t begrudge Lyall’s pack—they hadn’t chosen their leader. I also wanted them to notice my attendance at the bonfire. It would make for a stronger alibi.

Instead of drinking from the keg of beer many of the wolves were indulging in, I opted for water and stood to the side of the drink station. Instinctively, I found Elle. Across the bonfire, she chatted and snacked with Melanie. Firelight danced on her rich, brown skin.

I wondered if we would’ve been better off running instead of ever coming to this place. I wondered where we would be if the sorceress hadn’t returned.

Someone stumbled into my back and sloshed beer all over my flannel shirt. Cursing, I faced the bleary-eyed werewolf.

“Sorry, man,” he slurred.

“Are you drunk?” I asked.

He offered me a wobbly grin and raised his half-empty cup. Beer droplets clung to his scraggly beard.

“Specially imported,” he said.

I shook my head at him, and he wandered into the crowd. How much pack money did Lyall spend on alcohol? He was obsessed with his specially imported goods.

He was certainly obsessed with getting Elle to try it, I thought.

As my gaze drifted back to my mate, a horrible realization clicked into place.

Had the wine broken the spell that protected Elle from the sorceress?

Elle’s power had been on lockdown since we left Montana. It had only made a reappearance after Lyall had insisted she drink the wine, which was after we’d discussed leaving thanks to the control she had over her magic .

As if my thoughts had summoned him, Lyall appeared at the top of the stairs wearing clothes far too clean and fancy for a bonfire. He threw his arms open in greeting, and someone turned off the music.

“Welcome!” he called. “Please, enjoy the food and drink I’ve provided. It’s time to celebrate the equinox!”

As my hatred for him bubbled over, his stare found mine across the crowd.

You want to keep me here? I thought. Fine. I’ll make sure you live to regret it.