Page 84 of A Sunwoven Ascent

“At least try the tunic,” Evelyne said.

Kaldrek gave a low, unimpressed growl but snatched the clothes from Alaric’s hands anyway. Evelyne watched, thoroughly entertained, as he stripped off his leathers without the slightest hesitation, revealing the broad lines of his bare chest.

For a moment the world seemed to narrow around him.

“Oh, heavens!” Aurelia shrieked.

Kaldrek paused mid-motion, glancing up with open confusion. “What?”

“You cannot simply remove your clothing in front of everyone,” Aurelia said, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.

He shrugged, as if unconcerned. “I’m a wolf. Most of these people have already seen me naked.”

Aurelia placed a hand to her forehead. “Evelyne, how are we possibly meant to bring him home to Mother?”

Evelyne laughed and waved the concern away. “Mother will probably think he’s quite handsome.”

Cillian cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should spread out a bit and change. For Aurelia’s sake.”

The suggestion was accepted at once.

Heidara stepped into her dress with visible reluctance, tugging irritably at the fitted waist as she adjusted the neckline. “How do you wear things like this every day?” she muttered.

Despite her complaints, the deep green suited Heidara beautifully, setting off her golden hair and eyes even in the fading evening light. Evelyne did not miss the quiet admiration in Alaric’s gaze.

Kaldrek, meanwhile, managed to force himself into the trousers, though they remained absurdly short on his long legs. In the end, he abandoned them and kept his leather pants. The tunic fit no better, stretched taut across his shoulders and chest, its seams threatening surrender with every movement.

Even so, Evelyne had to admit the effect was… impressive.

“I do like seeing you in that,” she murmured.

He drew her gently against him, his mouth brushing the edge of her ear and sending a shiver down her spine.

“Enjoy it while you can,” he whispered. “The first chance I get, this fabric is coming off.”

“Even better.”

He answered with a playful nip at her ear before stepping back.

A moment later, the others finished dressing, making their final adjustments to coats and belts.

They were ready.

Chapter 38

The cobblestone streets of Velenshire hummed as they always did. Lantern light spilled across the walkways, illuminating couples strolling arm in arm and merchants lingering outside their shops to entice late patrons. Gentlemen rested their hands lightly against their wives’ backs as they wandered between storefronts, their voices mingling with laughter and the soft clink of glasses from nearby taverns.

Night had only just fallen and the town thrived in that comfortable hour when people walked off a hearty meal and lingered in conversation with friends. Few of the faces were familiar to Evelyne. Most of the families she recognized from balls and society luncheons hailed from Caltheris or Rosewyth. Only a handful lived in Velenshire itself, and those were likely at home by now, filling their bellies with wine or soaking in hot baths before retiring for the night.

Evelyne had lost track of the date. Perhaps even the month. She knew only that autumn was nearing, her favorite season in the south, when the air cooled enough to sharpen her morning runs, though the warmth lingered longer here than it ever did in Centaro. Winter could still feel cruel to southern bones accustomed to long days of sun.

Tonight, however, nostalgia would have to wait. The plan was simple in theory: follow Alaric to Lord and Lady Shaw’s estate, ask whether they might shelter two wolf packs, and secure a carriage back to Caltheris. In practice, it meant moving through Velenshire as though they belonged there. They could not rush or skulk. They had to appear like ordinary visitors, like shoppers lingering in the evening market, or couples taking a pleasant stroll, until they reached the quieter road toward the Shaw estate.

Alaric walked beside Aurelia, the two conversing easily in case they crossed paths with anyone who recognized them. Evelyne and Cillian followed a few paces behind, as siblings naturally might, while Heidara kept close to Kaldrek.

Now that Evelyne studied them, she realized it might have been the worst pairing they could have chosen. Neither had the faintest idea how to appear relaxed. Heidara moved stiffly in her borrowed dress, as though the fabric itself had offended her, and Kaldrek—handsome as he looked in the fitted tunic—towered over nearly everyone on the street. His height alone made him impossible to overlook.

They paused beside a jeweler’s window, pretending to admire the glittering display while Alaric and Aurelia continued ahead, laughing softly like old friends enjoying the evening market. When they passed Velenshire’s grand library, with its ancient stone walls rising high above the street, Kaldrek nearly stopped in his tracks. Heidara stared openly at the towering structure until he nudged her arm, urging her on.