I looked up to the moon, wishing I could lie but instead saying, “I do.”
“Of course you do—you’ve felt it forever.”
I flushed, because even though I had kept that secret from her, of course she knew.
“I know you never planned on this, Cal,” Briar said. “And I’ll be here to help you do all those courtly things, but this is the first and only thing I ever truly wanted for myself. Love.” Her brows knitted together as her voice cracked. “And the Goddess’s blessing means no one can take it from me now.”
She had hid that deepest wish even from me. I had thought Briar wanted the crown more than anything, and I felt the pang of her choice to marry Grae all the keener. She had wanted none of it, but she’d done what she thought was best for our people, knowing she’d never have the kind of love she craved . . . just as I would deny myself that love in favor of her.
She placed a gentle hand on my forearm. “You’ll make a better ruler anyway, Cal.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she carried on. “Wolves don’t need diamonds and lace. They need strength and smarts. And you have more of that than anyone I know. You’ll find a way to defeat Sawyn without King Nero’s aid. That’s what matters to our people, our legacy. And I will help you with the gowns and rouge.”
I huffed, my lips pulling to the side. We stared up at the twinkling stars as fireflies danced around the meadow. My thundering heart settled. We’d find a way forward together, as we always did. Somehow, it would be all right.
“You should go back to the castle,” I murmured. “Be with your mate.”
“I can stay if you want—”
“No,” I said, wiping a hand down my face. “I’m not ready to return just yet.”
“But you will return, yes?” she asked, concern in her voice.
“I’m your shadow, Briar. You can’t go far without me,” I quipped.
But she leaned down once more, pulling me into a fierce hug. “You’re not my shadow, sister. You’re my twin, the other half of my coin. I’m so sorry you ever felt that way.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just sat there and hugged her back as the crickets chirped their nighttime chorus around us. Eventually she stood up, looking down at me with love in her eyes.
“Maez will be introducing me to the pack in the grand hall if you want to join us,” Briar said, kissing the top of my head. “It’ll be okay, Cal. We’ll deal with the King. He may think we’re just pretty, mindless girls. But you and I both know we are more than that. Vellia trained us well. We can handle him. There are worse things in this life than finding your one true love.”
I grimaced as my sister walked off. One true love. I should be as light and happy as her, but all I felt was trepidation. If Grae were a baker or a farrier, maybe I wouldn’t feel this white hot poker in my gut, but he was the crown prince. I’d be the center of his pack’s scrutiny, and I was certain King Nero would try to make my life miserable because I was more than a submissive, pretty thing. I pursed my lips together. Part of me wanted Grae, had always wanted Grae . . . but, seeing who he was in Highwick, could I trust him?
I stood with a sigh, trailing my fingers through the tall meadow grasses. I plucked a cornflower, its petals fluttering away in the breeze. The hem of the tunic swished around my knees as I paced from one end of the meadow to the other. I ruminated over every worry again and again, circling through my options and always coming up short. I knew there was no getting out of returning to the castle. At some point, I’d have to face him.
Taking one more turn around the spans, I steeled myself for what was to come. I turned back toward the city and something caught my eye. I froze.
Leaning against a tree trunk, watching me, was my fated mate.
Eleven
His dark eyes reflected gold in the moonlight as that predatory gaze tracked me. My mate. The only part of him that moved was his eyes as he leaned against the tree, and he was all the more menacing for it. Birds cawed in the distance and my heart hammered so loudly I was certain he could hear it. The knot in my gut tugged me forward, and I was grateful that I didn’t have a knife on me still.
“You should’ve told me about your father’s plans,” I said, stopping a few paces away from him, knowing I needed the distance to think.
“Yes,” he gritted out, his voice filled with regret. “I thought I had convinced my father to acknowledge you, but I should’ve known better. He lied to me, too. That is why I remained silent in his office. He already knew how much you meant to me and . . . and I was one breath away from snapping his neck.”