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Come for me. It’s the command I’ve been waiting for as I let myself shatter. That single word repeating endlessly throughout my very being. He comes at the same time, his groan loud enough to meet my ears through shut doors and wallpapered walls.

His mind eases shut like a door that had been accidentally left cracked open.

Sweet dreams, tiny monster.

I’m awoken to an ominous howl.

I sit upright, blinking into the well-lit bedroom.

The doors to my suite open and close in a blink. Quill’s movement is still too fast for me to pick up on as he appears beside my bed.

His hardened cock tents against his undershorts, but before I’m able to reach for him and drag my tongue against his skin, he holds up a finger to his kissable lips and inches toward the window.

I slip out of bed, close on his heels, and follow his gaze to at least a dozen eyes staring back at us from the lush greenery about a hundred feet from the west side of the castle where the shore meets the jungle.

“Are those…”

“Werewolves,” Quill confirms. “And they’re fucking trespassing.”

Chapter 23

RORY

“Why do you think they’re here?” I ask, following Quill to my wardrobe.

He plucks an exquisite cranberry-colored gown from the rack and hands it to me. “Put this on. I’ll be right back.”

“Quill—”

The suite’s doors swing shut behind him. I glance at the dress with its intricate lace detailing and dew-drop beading along the bodice. It’s beautiful enough to rival even Cress’s creations. My chest gives a painful little twinge at the thought of my friend.

I’m just fastening the buttons along my ribcage when Quill barges back into my suite, looking sinful as ever in his tight-fitting cranberry vest over his black high-collared shirt and matching trousers.

Risna barrels in after him, cradling Florin. She’s clad in layers of leather with knives of all shapes and sizes strapped to her thighs. The sunlight glimmers off even more blades tucked in her boots. Thirteen weapons total. Fourteen, if I count the fat cat she deposits into my arms.

“Truly, Quill,” she clucks as she takes over, fastening me into my gown. “You could’ve at least helped her into her gown since you helped her out of it.”

He doesn’t even crack a smile, his gaze focused and intent on the werewolves outside.

“Tough crowd.” She huffs. “If Eivor were here, he’d be belly laughing at that.” She spins me around and juts her chin toward Florin. “I forgot to even ask if you liked cats.”

“I do.” I run my fingers over Florin’s folded ears. “I’ve always wanted one, but I wasn’t allowed to have any pets growing up. So, I made do with what I could, and I fed the alley cats behind my friend’s boutique.”

“I’m sure the beasts loved you for that.”

“They did.” Florin blinks up at me, her small face docile and sweet. I tap my fingertip against her little black nose. “So much so they started to follow me home. My father wasn’t happy about that. He claimed he was allergic, but I knew that wasn’t true. He just didn’t want me to form any attachments to anything that might make me question my role as Adelphi’s Sacrifice.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” she scoffs. “Did he have them taken away, then?”

Quill looks over his shoulder at me, brows pinched together.

I saw everything you endured growing up with them.

“No,” I say, voice shaky as the memory hits me like a punch to the gut. “He had them all slaughtered right in front of me. He claimed that type of meaningless slaughter was precisely what creatures would do to mortals if Vivvy didn’t ascend. It was another attempt to convince me that my death was a necessary sacrifice.” I blow out a long breath. “I never went near another animal after that.”

“We should’ve killed that sick fuck when we had the chance,” Carver says, leaning against the doorframe. Eivor sidles up beside him. Both are dressed similarly to Risna—all leather and deadly steel. “Will you make him pay for how he treated you?”

I shake my head. “Him knowing that I’m alive, well, as alive as I can be, is the sweetest revenge already. I have an infinite number of years ahead of me… He doesn’t, and that’s good enough for me.”