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CHAPTER1
Dash took a seat outside the tavern and angled his chair so he could see the festivities in the distance. Most of the inhabitants of Gateshead wore less formal attire for the outdoor ceremony, which made it easy for Dash to spot his mate, as Christopher and his friend Simon wore clothing more appropriate for a wedding in the capitol. They stood together on the edge of the crowd, standing so close to each other Dash would’ve been jealous if he hadn’t known Simon was in love with one of Christopher’s older brothers.
A barmaid brought Dash’s ale out and set it down in front of him before perching on the edge of the table. She nodded in the direction of his gaze. “The entire town was invited. They wouldn’t mind if you joined them, I promise. All are welcome at the Red Temple, and Ramsey and Aron would be the first to hand you a drink or find you someone to dance with,” she said.
They might, but while they were doing that my mate would probably slip away and be miles down the road before I could follow.Dash took a long drink of his ale and said, “Thank you. One of the priests did invite me earlier today, but I didn’t want to intrude. I’ve been to a few mate vows before, and it’s a pretty intimate ceremony.”
“Are you a shifter?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “I’m a fox.”
“Oh, so you’re a bit sly, then?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
He hadn’t flirted with anyone in a long time, and he had to admit it felt good, even if he wasn’t actually interested in her. “I can be.”
“What brings you this way? You look like a soldier,” she said.
These clothes did once belong to a soldier. He settled back in his chair. “I’ve done a bit of this and a bit of that over the years,” he said, lifting his ale to his lips again. Everyone here seemed warm and welcoming, but he doubted they’d smile so readily if they knew he was a highwayman. That bit of information had already complicated his life once. He wasn’t going to take a chance again.
“Like my older brother.” She nodded to the tavern. “Tried every trade in creation before he bought this place. Happiest he’s ever been now.”
“I’m looking to put down roots. My spirit mate is more than a decade younger than me and not quite ready to settle down yet. I’m trying to give him time while I sort things out. He’s not that keen on my current profession, and I’m looking for a change.”
“Where does he live? Are you on your way to him, or are you off to find your fortune?”
“He’s not far from here,” he said. “I hope to be with him tomorrow.”
“Best of luck to you. If you’ll be in the area, you might ask up at the temple. If you have any skills or talents, they might be able to point you in the right direction.”
He smiled at her and then finished his ale, tossing a few coins onto the table. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He clasped his hands behind his back and bowed to her. “Have a good evening, my dear.”
She smiled and threw him a wink. “You too, love.” She grabbed his empty mug and the coins before sashaying back into the tavern. A year ago, he would’ve followed her inside and stayed all night—well into the night, if she was willing. But lovely as she was, she couldn’t compare to his mate. He gazed off toward the reception again.
Did he think of me at all as he watched his friend take the mate vow? Does he think about the nights and days we spent together?
Dash went back to his room at the inn, not wanting to risk being seen. Simon wouldn’t recognize him, but Christopher would know him right away. Dash didn’t want a scene, and he also didn’t want Christopher to out him to the authorities. He’d been trying to mend his ways, but there were still a few items in his saddle bags that could possibly be traced back to their original owners. Until he rid himself of them, he risked being locked up, and he had no way of knowing if Christopher would be willing to intercede for him in any way. He didn’t want to find out, as seeing Christopher reject him in that way would be too much to bear. Claiming his mate was already enough of a challenge—he’d stand no chance whatsoever if he found himself in prison or hanging from the end of a rope.
* * *
Christopher paused in tightening his saddle as an odd sensation tickled up his spine for the third time that morning. He turned around and scanned the area, but he saw no one nearby and nothing out of place. His cast his gaze up to the windows of the inn, but he didn’t see anyone. A curtain fluttered in one open window, but the room seemed to be empty. A breeze picked up and blew the curtain again, revealing nothing behind it.
“You all right?” Simon asked as he walked past Christopher and threw his bag into the small cart they’d brought. He reached for their tarp and shook it out before tossing it over their trunk and bags. “You’re acting weird today.”
“I feel weird today,” Christopher said. He grabbed one of the ropes and unwound it to help Simon secure the tarp over their belongings. “Like someone is watching us.”
“Watching us?”
“Yeah. Just a feeling I have.”
Simon looked up at the inn, and then he glanced down the street toward the tavern. He looked in the other direction and made a close study of the men and women in the farmer’s market. “Did you actually see anyone watching us?” he asked.
“No. It’s just a feeling. Why?”
Simon moved closer. “There was a dark-haired man with a short beard watching you yesterday. I wondered if he recognized you. I saw him outside early this morning and asked about him. He’s not from around here. Just passing through. Made me wonder if the king sent him to spy on us.”
Christopher tried to keep his expression neutral as memories of a very particular dark-haired, bearded man fluttered through his brain. A completely different sensation moved up his spine as he thought about Dash, and he lowered his head to focus on securing the tarp. “Might be nothing, but we should probably head out soon. If this man seems to be following us, we can stop in Groveton and rethink our strategy.”
Simon nodded. “All right. The people I talked to said he was alone. Could be nothing, like you said. Aron said he only told his mate’s sister and a couple of the priests who you are, but I’m sure word still got around, especially since we were a bit overdressed.”
