The agony of loss and disbelief hit me in equal measure. “No.”
He winced and looked away. “I will leave at first light to find her murderer and bring them to justice.”
“I will come with you.”
Ieshim clapped me on the shoulder and shook his head. “Yourcourage is undeniable, but your duty lies here. You are the lord of the manor now, and your people will look to you for protection in this dire time.” He met my gaze once more. “Do you understand why you must stay behind?”
I nodded, even though I most definitely did not. How could Mother be gone? She was wise and powerful, a testament to the strength of our lineage. Surely there had to be a mistake.
“Good. Now, I need you to do something for me.” He slid a plain wooden box from his satchel and offered it to me. “Can you open this?”
I took the box and tried, but could not.
Ieshim frowned. “Your mother hid it before she died. We believe it holds a powerful artifact that must be kept from the machinations of our enemies. Will you install it in your hoard for me?”
I nodded. “I will keep it safe, sire.”
He nodded, his glittering silver eyes somber yet earnest. “I accept your vow, my son.”
I released the diamond, ending the memory before it could continue.
I would retrieve my treasure.
And punish the befreckled thief who had dared steal from me.
A DEVIOUS PLAN
Arioch
Exhaustion weighed upon me like iron shackles. Logic dictated that rest would hasten my recovery, but this attack had caught me unaware and woefully ignorant of my adversary, and those were not labels I would allow to define me.
I needed information.
Dismissing the wreckage of my hoard, I focused on the library, took a breath, and appeared amidst the written wisdom my family had amassed over the years. Much of my life had unfolded between these floor-to-ceiling shelves. To stave off tedium and ready myself for the day when I would at last be permitted to depart the estate, I had devoured and organized every scrap of potentially useful information I could find.
Now, the day had finally arrived.
To retrieve my artifact, I would need to hunt down the most fascinating creature no book could have prepared me for. She had tried to stab me and had escaped with my treasure, and now I was fantasizing about her death.
Or bedding her, because I was still a beast.
Perhaps she really had bewitched me.
Regardless, I needed to focus on gathering data. I needed to prepare in case this retrieval evolved into a declaration of war on an entire pack. I could not afford to underestimate the threat again.
Wincing, I lumbered directly to the section devoted to wolf shifters and surveyed the two shelves, attempting to recall the contents of each tome. More than a decade had passed since I had read several of them.
I reached for the first volume only to encounter an apple that materialized upon the shelf.
“A peace offering? Answers would be more prudent,” I grumbled.
Silence greeted me.
I switched to silent communication.Why did you delay so long before rousing me?
Again, nothing.
My temper flared, and I wanted nothing more than to snatch up the fruit and bash it against the wall; however, that would solve nothing and would likely reopen my injuries. Besides, I was famished. Instead, I devoured it with haste. The core vanished the instant I finished, and I began selecting books.
