Chapter 534

KILLIAN

Kael had not technically invited me to follow him.

To be precise about it, Kael had not done anything that could be interpreted as an invitation. He’d wall past the secondary clinic’s doorway at half past ten at night with the specific purposeful quality of som who knew where they were going and was going there, and I’d been sitting in the recovery room’s door because the room was small and the night was the kind that made small rooms feel smaller, and I’d see him.

And I’d followed him.

I was aware this was not the most sophisticated decision I’d ever made. I was aware that following Kael through the pack grounds at night because I wanted the company was not behavior that communicate the kind of settled, reasonable presence I was trying to establish in Shadowmere during the very narrow window of time when my continued existence here was conditional on not making things worse.

The wolf had wanted the company. The wolf had been in the recovery room all week and was restless in specific way of a rogue wolf who had access to open space but had been choosing not to use it because th open space was everyone else’s and the everyone else had opinions about my presence in it.

The wolf had said: *Follow him.*

And I’d followed him.

The problem was the dark.

Shadowmere’s interior grounds had lighting along the main paths, but Kael had taken the secondary rout that went through the inner garden section, which had minimal path lighting because it was Ivory’s space and Ivory’s botanical work was sensitive to excessive artificial light at night. The path was navigable – I could see adequately, wolf senses working even without the full shift – but it was dark enough that the specific combination of a root system that had grown across the path and my attention being on the movi figure ahead of me rather than the ground beneath me produced a predictable outcome.

I caught my foot.

My instinct was to grab something to stabilize.

The something I grabbed was Kael.

The sequence of events from that point was very fast and very specific and ended with me on the ground and Kael on the ground beneath me, in the way of things that couldn’t have been arranged more awkwardly if someone had been trying.

I processed this.

My wolf said: “Say something.”

I tried to think of something to say.

09:45 Wed, Aug 26 M

Chapter 534

My wolf said: “SAY SOMETHING.*

Nothing useful was coming to mind. The specific problem was that the list of things I could say that wouldn’t make the situation worse was very short and I was going through it rapidly and finding most of them inadequate.

Then I heard the gasp.

Not one gasp. Two. From approximately eight feet away, at the edge of the path where the lighting from main garden section was slightly better.

Ivory and Jordan.

Standing at the edge of the path. Looking at us. Their mouths open in the specific way of people who’d arrived at a scene and were in the process of interpreting it. The interpretation was visible on their faces it was not the correct one.

“Kael.” I said

We-

time Kael said “Ivory.”

N

ice had the quality of someone who’d been presented with information and was n’t-we don’t need an explanation.”

said. “Because the explanation is-

an said. His voice was extremely controlled. The kind of control that existed specifically to

ferent response from escaping. “We can give you some privacy if you need-”

need privacy,” Kael said. “Nothing happened. Get off me,” he said, to me.

ff him.

both stood up with the specific quality of two people trying to establish through the act of standing that ey had been horizontal for entirely innocent reasons. The establishing was not going well.

“There was a root,” I said. “On the path.”

“Of course,” Ivory said.

“I tripped.” I said. “He was directly in front of me.”

“Naturally,” Jordan said.

“This is completely-” I started.

“Killian,” Kael said, and his voice had the specific quality of someone who’d located what he wanted to say.

get off my-get awa

I’m alm

09:45 Wed, Aug 26 M

Chapter 534

I took two steps back.

ory was looking at Jordan. Jordan was looking at Ivory. Something was being communicated between then in the specific shorthand of people who’d known each other for twenty years, and whatever was beir communicated was producing expressions that were doing significant work to contain themselves.

“This is not Aaryon and Dante, Kael said.

I had no idea who Aaryon and Dante were.

“Nobody said it was, Ivory said.

“Your face said it was, Kael said.

“My face was expressing concern for the uneven path surface, Ivory said. “Which is clearly a hazard.”

ace said it was,” Kael said.

expressing concern for the path surface, Jordan said.

half-brothers,” Kael said, to the garden in general. “We’re half-brothers. Ah shit, it is the same This is not-whatever you’re both thinking is not-

still no idea who these people were but I was beginning to understand their significance from contex

what,” I said.

“Don’t,” Kael said.

“Books seven through nine,” Ivory said. “The subplot-”

“Do not tell him about the subplot,” Kael said.

“The subplot,” Ivory continued, with the specific serenity of someone who’d decided the information was relevant, “involves two characters with a shared father who-”

“IVORY,” Kael said.

“-discover that their dynamic has more layers than initially-”

“These are my books,” Kael said. “I bought them. I can make rules about them.”

“You bought them with pack budget,” Ivory said. “They’re pack property.”

A

“Pack property does not mean you get to narrate-”

“I’m just giving Killian context,” Ivory said.

“Killian doesn’t need context, Kael said.

! said.

“Am 1′ 1 waid, mostly to myself

Barlocked content wory wid, to me

I’m lew confered now I sad. I understand what’s happening

“Nothing is happening, Kari saad

I underwend what they thanks happening” I went

“Nothing is happening Karl vest exper

You two shipping us fad to Ivory and jorden because the woed had finally comment nd the meaning was extremarly dear

We’re shipping anyour” Jordan sad with the per quality of a man who absondy was

“We re past serving Ivory und

The dyname Jordan sand

“The tension Ivory saud

There is no tension Karl said.

“There was a lot of tension on the ground just now Ivory said

“That was a ROOT Karl vaid. “On the PATH. I was on the ground because of GRAVITY.”

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Florence

A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.