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My wolf wanted him too. In him, she saw a packmate. An Alpha, one she could respect, if not actually submit to. The days with him hovering around had her wanting to curl up in his bed and never leave.
Of course, my wolf tended to want to roll over and get belly rubs from the brute, so her judgment wasn’t to be trusted. Whatever Cole said about us being one and the same, that was a clear divide.
No, I couldn’t have Cole. Not in truth. There were too many secrets for me to trust him. I’d asked and asked, but he seemed no more willing to share any answers than before I’d left. He was the freaking King of Hell, and if someone didn’t tell me what that really meant soon, I might go mad.
Later, I’d seek answers. Maybe Hecate would be willing to share more. She’d been the only one to give me any insight into the mess that was this world.
But first, I needed to see Daphne.
The castle I’d lived in before had been empty of anyone but Cole and one murderous snake-haired bitch. I’d expected the same (minus Medusa).
Clearly, that was incorrect.
The hallways were filled with people. The soundproofing of Cole’s bedroom must’ve been impeccable because I’d never heard a thing. Yet now, I saw them. Staff, at least some of them, by the simple uniforms they wore. Others were in more ornate clothing decorated with jewelry. Some looked like me, human-shaped or similar, with slight modifications like animal tails or blue skin. Others were… different. I tried not to stare, especially since everyone seemed to be working very hard to not stare atme.
As I walked down the hallway, trying to not screw up the directions Cole had given me, it was impossible to miss their glances. The whispered comments behind hands. Of course, whispers were nothing I couldn’t easily overhear.
“Is that her?” someone asked as I passed by.
“It has to be. I mean, that’s definitely the king’s shirt.”
Apparently, black silk was a signature look of Cole’s if they could tell at a glance. I refused to feel embarrassed, though I wished I’d taken a spare set of pants even if they stood no chance of fitting, not when Cole’s legs were so much longer than mine. In that ensemble, I would’ve looked like a kid playing dress-up.
In just a shirt… it was a bit moresalacious.
That would’ve explained away the whispers, except some seemed to go beyond that.
“She’s back,” someone said. I couldn’t tell if it was horror or awe in their voice and didn’t stop to ask.
What do they mean by back?I’d never met any of these people before.
I moved down the stairs two steps at a time after passing the endless hallway. When I reached the next floor, the wall on my right opened to a large open window. I halted my quest to get to Daphne and looked out.
With one look, I confirmed my suspicion.
This was the capital. The same place I’d looked out on in my dream with Cole, yet now it was filled with motion and sound. There was nothing beyond the general din of day-to-day life that reached up to the floor I was on, but the city was bustling. The market I’d found the strange cat in was by the entrance, as I remembered. Though I couldn’t make out the specific bar I’d found the Libra demon at, there was clearly no shortage of restaurants and pubs and other stores.
Why did Cole keep this from me?It shouldn’t have mattered, but he’d put such a line in the sand over taking me to the city. Yet now, as I looked out, I felt almost at home. Or if not at home, like this place could become one.
It was a ridiculous thought. I had no home. All that mattered was Daphne. I turned away from the window and continued down the hall to find my friend.
But the thought lingered anyway.
I rounded the corner and found an open door. The scent of healing herbs and fresh linens hit my nose first. A medical wing, clearly. Rows of beds lined the room, white fabric hugging them. And there was my best friend, sitting up in one of them.
“Daphne!” I couldn’t contain my joy at seeing my friend. I darted over to the bedside, not even bothering to scan the room for other inhabitants.
My friend met my exuberance with an embrace.
“Avery! You’re okay,” she said, pulling back and looking me over. “They wouldn’t tell me anything about you. But it looks like you healed.”
“You look way better too.” It was true. It had been a little over a week, but courtesy of whatever they had done in combination with her natural shifter resiliency, Daphne looked almost like the girl I remembered instead of the shell of herself I’d found in the Moon-Ghost cell.
At that moment, a rush of gratitude rose in my chest. Whatever issues I had with Cole, he’d kept my friend safe.
He’d also kept me from her, which I still didn’t agree with, but she was okay. Better than okay.
Daphne pulled me down with her on the bed. It felt good to have my best friend back.
