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The growl that answered him was darker still.

"Move," Blaidd repeated, eyes never leaving Fae. "I need...I need to touch her."

And in that moment, Fae understood with terrifying clarity—

This was not the cold meeting she expected; it was everything she hoped for and had already given up on. She was finally ready to let go, and he was going to destroy everything in his path to get to her if she made one wrong move.

She could see the madness in his desperate, hungry eyes.

And she stood at the center of it, the bond fraying, the amulet warming her palm against the truth her soul already knew.

He had come for her.

And the wolf in him did not intend to let her go again.

Chapter 33

It took only a moment for Fae to understand that Blaidd was not in the right frame of mind. Even the slightest provocation from Kenji or even Sulien would not end well.

Hesitant seconds passed before she turned her head slightly and gave Aiko and Kenji a small shake of her head.

Go.

Kenji hesitated just long enough to make Blaidd lurch forward, aggression burning naked in his eyes. Too many emotions tore across his face in quick succession—hope, hunger, rage.

More than she had seen there in eight years.

Before his hand could reach for hers, she stepped back. "Stop," she said with a chill in her voice. "Do not touch me."

She had seen naughty cubs react less strongly to being chastened.

The Blaidd she had known would have powered on, barely seeming to listen to a word she said. But this one retreated immediately, like someone he trusted had delivered a well-deserved slap.

Something reined him back. The feral edge seemed to recede just a fraction, as if her voice had given him lifeboat to hold on to while he was drowning.

After a tense minute of watching Kenji and Aiko walk back into the village–though they frequently cast worried looks at Fae—she started walking.

"Walk with me," she said, already turning away. "And keep your distance."

She headed toward the forest, the trees now familiar after her frequent runs. Her wolf was silent, as if in a daze. Blaidd hesitated only a second before he followed meekly—his footsteps silent and controlled on the wet forest floor, as though afraid one misstep would make her change her mind.

She could feel his eyes on her like a lover's touch, like the heat of the sun on bare, chilled skin.

Her heart thundered like a jungle drum—and she knew he could hear it just as she could hear the crazed beat of his.

When Sulien made to follow, she lifted a hand without turning. "Not you, Sulien."

He stopped, wary, his eyes never leaving Blaidd.

"I will be fine," Fae said quietly.

Sulien did not look convinced. "I will keep my distance."

Surprisingly, Blaidd did not object.

They walked until the village lay well behind them, until the smells faded to moss and water and leaf-mould. A narrow stream cut through the trees. Fae crossed the stepping-stones and sat on a sun-warmed rock.

Blaidd remained standing for a long, undecided moment before he finally lowered himself beneath a tree on the opposite side.