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Kade grabbed a glass and poured Evelyn honeysuckle wine. The white liquid glinted the slightest green, and he slid it over to her without a word.
Bracing his hands on the bar, he looked to Tovi next. “What can I get you?”
The corner of Tovi’s mouth quirked up as she stared between the glass of wine and Evelyn. She assessed Kade with those jade eyes, ones seemingly far older than her age.
“Your darkest red, please.”
Kade pushed off the bar, heading to the end of the shelves. He took his time as he listened in on the hushed conversation behind him, hoping to learn something of value.
“What?” Evelyn hissed.
“Oh, don’t you dare. I know exactly why you forgot to tell me about him,” Tovi said.
Kade tapped into his werewolf hearing. Their voices barely made it over the traveling band’s song, which had built into a jig.
“Stop. You’re making nothing into something.” A plea plagued Evelyn’s tone. So did worry. Kade desperately wanted to understand. Did he worry her? Was it something else? Was it whatever was building between them?
Someone in the crowd cheered and another whistled as the band’s jig built in tempo. Kade pretended to rummage through wine bottles while he concentrated on Tovi’s next words, almost lost to the beat of the goatskin drums. As he rose, bottle in hand, he caught the tail end of her speech.
“Nothing into something? I guess pouring your favorite drink unpromoted and eye fucking you across the inn is totally nothing.”
Kade almost dropped the wine bottle and knocked a line of glasses over, but luckily another “Ow!” muffled his fumble.
Moons, did he really stare at Evelyn that way? He couldn’t help himself. Temptation seeped into his muscles, and he turned to face them. But Evelyn and Tovi’s eye contact was inseverable, and they took no notice as he listened and watched this time.
Evelyn’s cheeks shined ruby in the inn’s firelight, and her grip on her glass turned her knuckles white. “You know it must be nothing.”
Tovi’s shoulders slackened, and she leaned closer into Evelyn, eyes sympathetic with a small smile. “Bloody hell, Eve—you actually . . .” Tovi shook her head. “You’re right. I teased too far, and I’m sorry.”
Evelyn gave her friend a weak smile in return, and their conversation was over. Done and gone before Kade learned much of anything, except that Evelyn had a reason for pushing Kade away, because whatever it was between them, it had to be “nothing.” Her walls were purposeful, and from the looks of their forlorn expressions, Evelyn was struggling and Tovi hated it for her.
Kade sauntered back over to them, sliding Tovi’s glass to her. He wished to meet Evelyn’s gaze, wished to see in those incredible silvery gray eyes an answer as to why, but she focused on the band, lost to the music and sipping her wine.
Why run? Why keep secrets? Why push him away?
Stars above, Kade cared for her feelings, these whys she harbored so close, but it also only made him more frustrated. Remembering his mother’s sacrifice, he couldn’t forget duty no matter how hard he tried. Sympathy and frustration warred within him. He wanted to work with her on these murders, regain the progress he’d made with her, but he also wanted to declare his title and remind Evelyn of hers.
These murders in Callum only demonstrated their need to return home, fulfill the prophecy, and fight the darkness.
Together.
And yet, his betrothed likely had no intention of returning home.
If only he could say the right words, promise the right things—
The door of the Runaway Radish burst open, the storm’s wind barreling into the inn and blowing the crowd’s hair, cloaks, and belongings about. Lightning flashed outside, illuminating a frantic townsman, beard and hair matted with rain.
“The vampyr! It’s here! In the streets of Callum!”
The hackles of Kade’s werewolf rose. It took all his strength, all his training, to not jump over the bar and shift. Not only did Evelyn sit before him, but the rest of Callum had not yet seen his form. From the frightful screams and shouts of terror, they’d witnessed enough beasts for the time being.
Evelyn rose from her barstool without a backward glance toward him. Stars above, was she going without him? Of course, she was completely capable, and she might not want him beside her after their disagreement the night before.But he had no intention of letting her face the vampyr alone.
Kade grabbed his sword, tucked under the bar and never too far from reach, and jumped over the bar, all while resisting shifting into his werewolf form. It was so different, so maddening being unable to shift so easily like he did back home. His werewolf form was like armor, and it itched under his skin to be worn and used.
He breathed deeply and battled for composure as he moved through the frightened crowd with purpose. The townsfolk of Callum gave him a wide berth, allowing him to reach Evelyn at the door with Tovi in tow.
“Where?” he asked, voice booming over the crowd.
