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“You are my heart,” I whisper, pressing a soft kiss to her neck, directly over my mark.
“Come with us, Mal.” She wraps her arms around me, holding me close. “Please.”
“I cannot. I have to speak with my father… make him see reason.”
Luna’s eyes are bright with tears. Cupping her face in both hands, I brush away the stray ones that run down her cheek. “If I leave with you now, he will hunt us. This is the only way you and your family will be safe.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “There must be another way.”
“I will come to you, Luna,” I promise. “I will find you again when it is safe. My vow.”
I capture her mouth in a claiming kiss, tasting the salt of her tears as I try to hold back my own. I crush her to my chest, savoring this moment because I know it will be a long time before I will have her in my arms again.
Taking her hand in mine, I guide her down the stairs to her family. Her father curses as he struggles to loosen the straps holding the last horse to the carriage lead. I move to his side and unfasten it.
“Why are you helping me?” he asks, his voice low enough that I’m certain no one else heard him.
“I’m not helping you,” I growl. “I’m saving my mate.”
“Mate?” His head jerks back, his eyes wide in shock. “Did you—”
“She is mine,” I snarl. “I have given her my mark, and I will come for her when it is safe.”
He shakes his head. “Your father will kill you if he finds out that you helped us. And he will never accept her. Not after what I have—”
“He will not find out,” I grit through my teeth. “I’ve no doubt that this waryourpeople have started will come to a bloody and vicious end soon. One of our warriors is worth a dozen of yours.” I seethe. I turn to face him fully, smelling his fear despite his otherwise stoic features. All the time spent among my people should have taught him that my kind can easily see through such facades. Scent never lies. “You were a fool to not warn my father when you could have. It would have saved the lives of thousands of your people.”
“I want you to know that I did not condone the assassination attempt on your family.”
“And yet you did nothing to stop it,” I growl. “Your silence does not absolve you of your guilt, Ambassador Falen. My father will hold you responsible. And he will continue to do so, unless I can convince him otherwise.”
“And what if you cannot?” His eyes search mine. “What then?”
My gaze shifts to Luna, standing with her mother near the other horses, and I clench my jaw. “Your king was a fool to provoke my father. Do your best to convince him to beg forgiveness and mercy. War with Winterhold will only end in his ruin. Your kingdom cannot stand against mine and expect to win.” He opens his mouth as if to protest, but I meet his gaze evenly. “Swallow your pride. You know I am right.” I hand him the reins to the horse. “And I will do my best to convince my father that peace is the answer. Avoid the main roads until you reach the border.”
Without waiting for him to answer, I walk over to Luna while her father goes to her mother.
“Please.” Luna’s warm brown eyes meet mine. “Come with us, Mal.”
I pull her to my chest and hold her close. “You know I cannot.”
“When will I see you again?” she murmurs against me.
Cupping her chin, I tip her face up to mine. “I will come for you when it is safe.”
“Promise me.” She blinks back tears. “Give me your vow.”
“I have already given it.” I trace my fingers over my mark on her neck, noting it is already healing. “You are my mate. I will come for you. My vow.”
She stretches up on her toes and presses her lips to mine. Wrapping my arms around her, I crush her to my chest as I deepen our kiss, trying to convey to her that she is all. She is everything. There will be no other for me. Now or ever. It is her and only her. And I will die before I break my promise.
When we finally pull away, I grip her waist and lift her up onto her horse. Her weight is so slight, it makes me afraid, worried thinking of how easily she could be hurt. My inner wolf claws and thrashes beneath the surface, fighting my resolve to send her away, insisting she is safer at my side.
Curling my hands into my fists, I force this dark and primal part of me to submit to my will. I do not make this decision lightly.
I watch as Luna and her family ride away into the forest. Once they are gone, I quickly retrieve the fallen bodies of the guards from the woods, dragging them inside the main house. I pull a log from the burning hearth and over to the window. The curtains catch fire immediately, and I watch for a moment to make sure the flames spread.
As I walk away from the house, I shift back into wolf form and break into a run. The sooner I can convince my father that Luna’s family had nothing to do with the attempt on my family’s life, the sooner she will be in my arms again.
