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Iwas responsible for the fracture in their relationship. Kyla had learned that Evie was my mate, and I’d immediately ordered her to keep that information to herself. I’d justified it with the argument that Evie couldn’t blame Kyla when she learned I’d ordered her silence. But Evie wasn’t a wolf. She had no idea of the compulsion that would have stopped Kyla each time she wanted to fill her friend in.
It hadn’t occurred to me to order Kyla not to go after the sword until we were ready. And that was a mistake on my part. She was impulsive, yes, but I knew each of my pack members—some of them better than they knew themselves. Kyla had a deep well of protective loyalty within her. She would die for her friends, and yet the moment she and Evie fought, she’d assumed their friendship was over.
She’d likely seen this as a chance to remove any threat to Evie before disappearing from her life completely.
I was sure Evie would have plenty to say about that.
Now that I had a moment to breathe, I could admit the part I’d played. I still stood behind my decision not to tell Evie she was my mate. I’d needed her to see me as a man, not a potential jailer. If she’d learned of who she was to me, learned just how much my wolf needed her, she would never have come near me. We would have remained strangers. Now, at least, I knew she cared for me in some capacity. Even if it was reluctant attraction.
When it came to Evie, I’d take anything she had to offer.
Light gleamed from the end of the corridor. My wolf leaped to the forefront of my mind.
The first chamber held nothing but the creatures Kyla had obviously ripped apart. Pride curled in my gut, but I didn’t have time to study the scene. Slamming through the next door, I hit the corridor behind it at a jog.
I could smell Evie. Kyla. Blood. And enemies.
My jog became a sprint. A snarl left my throat as I looked at the carnage in front of me, taking it in. Thanks to the scents left behind, it was easy to understand what had happened. That rope had held Kyla. Evie had arrived, and they’d killed the scorpion creatures. But Evie had lost so much blood, my wolf howled its rage inside me.
My mate was wounded. So badly, she could be dying right now. I stalked past the bodies and eyed the rope. My wolf searched it for traces of magic, but whatever Evie and Kyla had done, it was now inert.
I walked warily through the hanging strands of the rope before pushing open the door on the other side of the chamber. Kyla had been in here for hours. They couldn’t be too far ahead of me.
I picked up speed.
Four
Evie
We moseyed down the corridor. I’d known the footprint of the seelie king’s castle was massive, but this hallway was stretching on for what felt like miles.
I glanced at Kyla. An awkward silence spread between us. She looked as miserable as I felt.
“I know you couldn’t tell me,” I said finally.
“Do you really? Then how come you’ve barely looked at me, except for when we both almost died?” She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
“Nathaniel doesn’t give orders often. He doesn’t enjoy knowing people have no choice but to do what he says. He once told me he would rather know if people disagreed with his orders. That way, he could tackle the problem head on.”
Sounded like Nathaniel.
“But he gave you an order.”
“Yeah. I found out you were his mate, and of course I was planning to tell you. We hadn’t been friends for long, but I figured you deserved to be told, regardless.
“Nathaniel stepped into the room and said he was sorry. He looked tormented, and some part of me knew what was coming. He ordered me to never talk to you about being his mate until you already knew. He also said I wasn’t allowed to hint, nudge, or even allude to the fact that Nathaniel could have a mate.”
That son of a bitch. I ground my teeth as Kyla went on.
“The moment he finished speaking, the order took effect. I’d never experienced that level of compulsion before. Whenever I even thought about attempting to tell you, my throat closed up. I physicallycouldn’ttell you, Evie. I’m sorry that I lied to you. And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. But lying to you was torture.”
I kicked out at the wall. “I’m sorry. I knew it wasn’t fair to blame you the moment you told me about his order, but hearing how it worked now… I should’ve listened properly. It was just…a lot.”
“You’d just been blindsided by it. I get it.” Kyla studied me. “Did you talk to Danica?”
I sucked in a furious breath. “Yeah. She spouted some bullshit about how it was for the best, and how Nathaniel convinced her I would run. AllIknow is that she should’ve been loyal to me first.”
