Page 17 of The Milliner and the Griffin Rider

Chloe returned to the store an hour later, glad to see that Maddie had closed it early since she was bursting with her news. But she came to an abrupt stop inside the front door, all happiness draining away.

“Gannon,” Chloe said flatly, her eyes tightening at sight of the unwelcome visitor.

Maddie turned to her, her face a mix of relief and worry. Chloe reminded herself that no matter how much she despised the man, she couldn’t allow herself to lash out at him. It would cause Maddie too much distress.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as calmly as she could.

“Merely examining my property.” He gave an oily smile, his eyes gliding over Chloe in the same way they glided over every inch of the store—as if he could consume everything his eyes fell on and still not be satisfied.

She shivered but forced her voice not to shake.

“It’s not your property yet.”

“You intend to meet my terms?” A new layer of greed entered his expression. “How is the matter coming? When can I expect the egg?” His brows rose, but Maddie narrowed her eyes, meeting his gaze without flinching.

“You said we had a month. We still have time. And I’ll thank you not to come by again until either the month is up or else you receive word from us that we’re ready to hand over the egg.”

Gannon hesitated, an unpleasant grin sliding onto his face. But when he spoke, his words were bland. “You can expect to see me at the exact end of the month and not a moment later.”

He left without further farewells, and Chloe kept her posture locked in place, her expression rigid and strong, until she’d closed the door behind him. She latched it securely and checked the shop’s blinds. As soon as she was sure he was gone and out of sight, she gave a trembling sigh and sank into a chair.

“Are you all right?” Maddie asked in alarm. “Where have you been?” She eyed the empty basket at Chloe’s feet in confusion.

Chloe bolted upright, unable to believe she had forgotten about Sage, even for a moment.

“Oh Maddie! You won’t believe it!”

Maddie gave a wry grin. “No matter what it is, I already believe it. It’s you we’re talking about, after all.”

“I’ve been chosen by a griffin. A griffin, Maddie! At the duke’s estate.”

This time it was Maddie’s legs that failed her. She staggered sideways, collapsing into the chair Chloe had just vacated. Ammy, who had been hiding from Gannon behind the measuring table, squeaked in distress and raced over to Maddie, running up her leg and burying herself in her lap.

Maddie stroked her with a shaking hand. “You bonded with a griffin. You?”

Chloe grinned, all thought of Gannon banished. “The other griffin riders were even more horrified.” She laughed, their initial concerns made humorous by their subsequent acceptance.

An acceptance that had been forced on them by Harrison, her mind whispered. Of all the men, he had been the one to speak up for her. But she knew she shouldn’t read anything into it. Harrison had done that for Sage’s sake, not hers.

“The other griffin riders,” Maddie repeated faintly. “Because you’re now a griffin rider.”

Chloe laughed. “Perhaps not quite that. I’m still a milliner. I’m not going to be joining the squad or anything. But I will get to ride a griffin!” Her eyes lit up, but a moment later concern made her face fall. “As long as Sage grows big enough. I can tell the captain is worried about her.”

“We’ll have to cook more stew,” Maddie said, her compassion easily stirred. “I saw the rest of it had disappeared, and that bowl you brought back looks empty. She liked it?”

“She gobbled it down,” Chloe assured her with a grin. “And don’t worry about the store. I’ll keep up with my hat orders, even if I have to work half the night.”

“And surely you’ll have a chance to meet the Duke now.” Maddie brightened considerably as she thought it all over. “Bonding with a griffin must greatly increase your chance of being given an egg!”

Chloe nodded. It was basically the same thought she’d had herself. But for some reason, it sat uncomfortably in her belly, although she couldn’t entirely put her finger on why.

She let her mind turn to thoughts of Sage instead, a smile spreading over her face. She never grew tired of thinking of her griffin.

The next day she took another pot of stew to the barracks, and Sage ate it just as greedily. Harrison arrived within a few minutes of her own arrival, and she suspected he had been keeping watch for her.

He gave her an initial lesson in caring for Sage’s feathers, promising to teach her about caring for the griffin’s furry parts the next day. After that would be paws and claws, then talons and beak. She would learn about her diet, her necessary exercise regime, and the complexities of griffin social hierarchies. If she thought of it all at once, it felt overwhelming. But when she remembered she’d get to see Sage every day as she learned, the thought became manageable.

She soon grew to love her daily visits to the estate, and not only for the time with Sage. Harrison always waited for her, and she spent hours upon hours with him talking griffins. Occasionally she still caught him giving her a wary look, but as Sage’s chosen human he accepted her without further question. And he clearly delighted in the progress Sage was now making daily.