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“Not quite this severe, but yes. All wolven.”
She nodded and landed on the table beside his bed. “You had an adverse reaction to the magic, because I had to use a lot of it last night. It’s within reason that you would feel depleted. We know when the magic works, but we don’t realize what our bodies must do to accommodate it.”
“Perhaps no more magic for you, wolven.” Phillipa squeezed his paw.
“Without it, I’ll always be like this,” he said.
“Like what? Handsome, fierce, protective? I don’t see any problem with that,” Phillipa added. “Every time you accept yourself the way you are now, I fall in love with you a little more.”
“My kin would certainly not object to you quitting magic,” Ainslee added with a grin. “But there’s something I must tell you, because I would not be able to live with myself if I did not.”
Phillipa raised a brow at the fae. “Not now.”
Ainslee waved her off. “I tried to tell the lady about this before, but she didn’t want to listen.”
“It was after you’d had me readThe High Tea. I did not have the stomach for more gossip.”
“It’s not gossip.” The fae steeled herself. “I found an old magic book in the library. I wanted to be prepared if your mother came back, or if we received unfavorable news from the Queen. I stumbled upon some information about themonstrum plaga, and how it could possibly be reversed.”
Wesley couldn’t have heard her right. This was the news he had been hoping for since he learned of themonstrum plaga. “But it’s not magic?”
“It’s not fae magic. I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I must admit I don’t often study magic that doesn’t belong to my kin. This theory relies on a portal, and it depends on very precise timing. The book is on the desk in Phillipa’s room, if you would like to see it.”
Phillipa rose, not even having to ask what he wanted, and Wesley followed her. The book lay open on the desk, in front of a window that overlooked the garden. He swallowed hard, picturing Phillipa on that bench, naked and ready for him.
But what lie in front of him now might be the key to everything he was looking for. A chance to regain his humanity without destroying everything he came in contact with.
On the full moon before the summer solstice, a portal will open at Stonehenge. When the light of the moon hits the heel stone, there is an opportunity for the virus to be reversed.
Accompanying the claim was a map of the stones, and a brief explanation of the virus.
“There aren’t many instructions. It seems like a page is missing,” Ainslee said. “I looked for more information, but this is it.”
“Those illustrations are quite rude,” Phillipa said. “They do not make the monsters look elegant at all.”
“Full moon. Two weeks from now,” Wesley said. It was far from a guarantee, but it was the most promising piece of information he’d ever found regarding the matter. “We need to try it. It can be our mating ceremony.”
“We’re already married. Of course, my mother might have changed that. Can we plan a ceremony in just two weeks?”
He took her hand into his paw. “Don’t care about everyone else. Just want to claim you. But first, I owe you a waltz.”
* * *
Wesley had savedthe finest jacket Master Bow had provided for him and took extra care dressing himself that night. A black jacket with velvet lapels and matching black breaches. His cravat was white, and it stood out against his almost black fur.
He was nervous. For himself, he wouldn’t care if he was cast out of society. He’d go back to the woods and live his life as a wolven.
But for Phillipa, it would be devastating.
If he thought it would help, he’d go before the Queen himself. His mate deserved to live the life of a duchess, not an outcast.
It will be much easier after your trip to Stonehenge, he thought to himself. No, he could not get his hopes up. His uncle had told him about fae magic, but all it had managed for Wesley was to make him more wolven. This portal could bring something far worse.
He had to try. For he believed it was the way to give Phillipa the life she truly deserved.
Nervous energy filled the air as he headed to the hallway. It wasn’t just him, which made him feel more at ease. But he definitely had the most at stake, as none of the other monsters had possibly defied the wishes of Her Majesty to claim their mate.
Martin and Simon waved to him and some of the ladies waited for their new partners. Phillipa’s door opened, and she searched the hallway, smiling when she saw him.
