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Seth’s chest rose as he drew a deep breath. “And what about this present conundrum? All four packs are close to war because of a territorial issue that arose from Lorelei’s summons.”
“The only word I have for you from my most wise and most beloved wife is that you must do this together, join forces. Can you do that?”
> Lorelei looked up at Seth. Meeting her gaze, he looked as serious as she felt, his gray-green eyes pinched. “We can try,” he said.
“And my wise one has suggested something to which I’ve agreed. I can hold the shifters back for a while, for at least a couple of hours. During that time, I want you to commune, talk to each other, see if you can figure this out and take the next step.” He held Seth’s gaze. “I suggest you take Lorelei to the hot springs at Magnum Peak, but let her run the distance as a shifter.”
Seth turned to her. “Are you willing?”
She smiled suddenly. “Am I willing to run? Any day or night of the week.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” And because he looked so serious, she squeezed his hand and added, “We have to go. We have to do this, explore what’s here, and make a decision.”
He nodded.
Davido smiled. “Be back in two hours, no longer.”
“Understood.”
Instead of going out the front door, Seth recommended they leave through the back entrance because if they showed themselves to the brigade at this point, their presence might remind the shifters of their unresolved dispute.
As she stepped into the cold once more, she could smell venison already cooking on the spits. The brigade would be well fed by the time she and Seth returned and hopefully this would serve to keep the shifters calm as well.
The moment her boots touched the snow, she shifted, then looked up at him through her wolf’s eyes. He’d put his coat back on, and even in her wolf form he looked so good to her.
Have you been to Magnum Peak?
She shook her muzzle.
He smiled. “It’s a quick ten mile jaunt due north.”
I’ll track you.
With that, he took to the skies. Her connection to him seemed to be growing stronger the more she was in his company. She knew where he was without having to glance skyward.
She also knew the moment he put on his speed.
She changed gears and began to run faster than a real wolf could run, her gaze charting the terrain ahead, up and up, past tree after tree.
She hit a gorge and found the nearest footbridge then raced across. The northern half of Walvashorr was a land of rivers, gorges, and steep mountains. Because of it, every gorge had dozens of footbridges created for realm-folk who couldn’t fly.
She stayed with him, noting that he always slowed near a gorge, giving her time to catch up.
She’d crossed her third one when he took his time flying up what she knew had to be the final peak. His voice entered her mind. Follow the path to the right of the footbridge. It’ll be steep.
Piece-a-cake.
She could hear him laugh even though he hovered thirty feet above her and glided over the snow covered tree tops.
She found the narrow rocky path and began the climb, zigzagging and working her muscles hard. She’d rarely spent time in her wolf form before serving as Seth’s bodyguard, so she hadn’t known what she was missing. But now, she doubted she could go back to her simple fae life on two legs.
She rarely transformed to her wraith-shape since only a handful of enlightened realm-folk would be able to tolerate her in that form. Her vampire DNA played a very small part and didn’t seem to have a role in her life, which was fine with her. Three identities were enough to manage. Even Margetta had told her that her father had always been disappointed that her vampire DNA held an entirely recessive place in her make-up.
But her shifter abilities had exploded. Rosamunde’s command that she go to Walvashorr had opened a new world to Lorelei, one she already treasured.
And now there was Seth, and the possibility of bonding with him as a blood rose and something more, something shifter-based as regis and prime female. She wasn’t sure exactly why Davido had sent them to the hot springs, but she valued the time she would have with Seth to get to know him better.
