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“Are there moments you don’t despise me?” I asked between strikes.
Silence. Meaning what? She didn’t want to admit the truth? I heaved a sigh. After removing the final hinge, I cupped the sides of the door and lifted. Oh wow, much heavier than I’d anticipated.
I wobbled, almost falling. Mackenzie rushed over at the last second to absorb half the weight, saving the day.
“Let’s forget what’s transpired between us in the past and move forward with a fresh start. We can grow to be friends.” Oh, how I needed a confidantright now.
More silence. Maybe she’d consider it? A girl could hope, anyway.
Together we positioned the door against the wall, the men never lifting a hand to help us. To their credit, they didn’t lift a hand to block us, either.
I stood in the gaping entrance, drinking in new sights. A mix of ancient and modern. Antique furnishings complimented the elaborately carved wood paneling on the walls while high-tech electronics kept the chamber from being a time capsule. Dark blue bedding matched the drapes dancing at the sides of an open balcony.
The primary bedroom. Callen’s private, personal space, exactly as I’d suspected. His incredible scent saturated every inch.
Quaking legs carried me deeper inside. I closed in on the stuffed wolf’s head hanging over an elaborate carved marble mantle. Bile burned my throat. This mount differed from the ones in his office. The creature appeared to be half-human, half-beast. He possessed both tanned flesh and black fur, yet his slightly exaggerated bone structure reminded me of Callen. So did the ice-blue eyes glaring down at a desk centered between two bookcases.
Was this a wolf-shifter? He…it…couldn’t be real.
Could it?
I looked closer, hoping this was similar to a jackalope. An amalgamation made by stitching together various bits of different animals. The bile burned hotter when I found no signs of a clever forgery.
“Behold.” Mackenzie sidled up to me, her attention snared by the beast-man, too. “Prince Roderick.”
This wasn’t just any wolf-shifter; it was Isobel’s beloved Roderick?
My hand flew up to clasp the necklace I no longer wore. “Why is he here?” I rasped.
“A reminder, I’m sure.”
“Of what?”
From the doorway, Buzz spoke up. “In a single day, your selfishness killed a prince and shattered a king.” No emotion underlay his tone, yet I felt his disdain. “You might be able to forget the past, but no one else can.”
Chapter
Seven
Wild At Heart: When a New Discovery Leaves You Howling With Regret
FromA Beginner’s Guide to Berserker Bliss
Author Unknown
Dazed, I raced to my bedroom. My chest constricted with every breath, and I fought the newest tide of panic threatening to overtake me.
Wolf-shifters were real. Berserkers, too. And I lived with one.
The warrior who viewed me as his wife kept his brother’s head hanging over his hearth to remind himself of my treachery.
The walls of Isobel’s room closed in on me. The designer apparel. The opulent bedding. Even Thora’s dog bed now made me twitch. I must get out of here.
Gearing up, I donned the warmest clothes found in the closet and shoved my feet into the closest pair of shoes.Slingback two-inch heels. For once, I didn’t mess with the height. I didn’t care.
As I pocketed my phone and dozens of silk ribbons, I realized I didn’t intend to visit the stable but the maze. Maybe, just maybe, if I conquered this evil maze of vines and leaves, I could tackle the immortal whose last name I currently shared.
I locked my door before I shut it and strode into the hall. An action I performed without thinking, as though muscle memory had taken over. I ground my teeth. Had it? Did I carry some of Isobel’s quirks with me?
