“That sounds promising,” Ethan says. “That means she’ll make a full recovery, right?”
“I have no way of knowing that for certain, given how badly she was injured. All I can say is that for the time being, she needs rest so that her body can repair itself.”
I take in a deep breath. It’s probably a bad idea to question her right now, but what other choice do I have? The sooner I find out what really happened, the better it is for us all. “I needto speak with her,” I tell Olcan. “Just a few questions about what happened tonight while the memory is still fresh.”
He nods. “As long as it doesn’t take too long, Commander.”
With that, he steps aside, and I give Ethan a silent cue to follow as I approach her bed. As soon as she sees us, she offers a small, pained smile.
“Commander . . . and Ethan.” Her silvery voice is raspy and weak. Every breath she takes between words sounds labored. “You have come to visit. How lovely. Forgive me for not freshening up.”
Ethan chuckles. “Not necessary, Your Grace.”
“Your Grace?” she says, her one good eye widens. “How formal. I thought we were friendlier than that.”
His face flushes a little. My wolf bristles possessively and I have to shove down the urge to growl at her. Haron is severely injured, but my wolf doesn’t care about being logical.
She is in no shape to steal your human even if she wanted to.
“Haron.” I keep my voice level. “We’re not here for a social visit. We need to know if you can tell us what happened to you. At least, as much as you can remember.”
Her small smile fades, and Haron takes a moment, her breath rattling with every movement of her chest. “I was attacked,” she says finally, “by the guard who was escorting me through the Luna’s garden.” She recites it like she’s reading it off a page.
“Can you tell me any details about the attack?” I ask.
Haron pauses, looking at Ethan as if to ask for his help. He says, “We just want to get the facts straight. That’s all. Just tell us what you remember.”
His words seem to put her at ease. Her smile returns and she says, “After dinner, the guard — Jayme, I believe you called him — walked with me to the Luna’s garden. He led me downa beautiful lane of the reddest roses I’ve ever seen. I was . . . amazed by them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen flowers so bright.”
She closes her eye, and for a second, I think maybe she’s drifting back into unconsciousness, but then she opens it again.
“I told him that I thought they were beautiful,” she says. “And then I turned to ask him if he knew how the Luna grew such lovely flowers. That’s when he struck me in the face, the first time.”
Her pleasant countenance is gone, and her swollen face grimaces in pain. “I fell to the ground, and he growled at me . . .” Her voice cracks. “The next thing I knew, claws were ripping away my clothing. I tried to get away, but he grabbed me and— and—”
She starts to weep, so I place my hand on hers. “It’s all right,” I comfort her. “Take your time.”
She gives a small nod, followed by a sniffle. “I tried to use light magic to shield myself, but he was too strong. Everything went black. The next thing I remember is your face, Commander, as you carried me away. All I could think was that I had to tell someone what happened. Please tell me he’s been arrested. I’m so afraid that he might hurt my father and brother.”
“He’s been imprisoned,” Ethan says. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of.”
This seems to relax her, and she looks at him as if he alone saved her life. “Thank you, dear Ethan. You are so kind.”
My wolf paces, her agitation cloying through my skin. “Thank you,” I say to her, patting her bandaged hand. “We should let you rest now.”
“I’m glad I could assist,” she says, more to Ethan than me.
We leave. As we walk down the halls, my wolf’s frustration floods my conscious mind. The same territorial instinct from the feast finds its way back, setting me on edge. Ethan was beingpolite. I know that. But my wolf doesn’t do polite. She sees a threat circling what belongs to her, and no amount of reasoning will convince her otherwise.
The disconnect between rationality and animal instinct is maddening. It’s taking more control than it should to suppress her jealousy. I can’t believe that with all that’s at stake, I have to worry about reining in my own wolf.
“Hey,” Ethan says, touching my arm to get my attention. I stop, but I don’t look him in the eye. I just want to get this night over with. “You all right?”
“Yes, of course I am.”
He just looks at me, waiting.
“Honestly, you have to be the single most annoying creature I’ve ever encountered. Can’t I just be bothered for no reason?”
