29. Brinley
Chapter 29
Brinley
B rinley placed a hand on her stomach as she stared at her reflection in the tall mirror. The golden dress swept the floor but had long slits on either side, all the way up to her hips, and the deep V neckline showed more of her breasts than had ever been on display. Rose had lined her eyes with kohl and painted her lips dark red. Her long brown curls lay around her shoulders, reaching the middle of her back.
“See,” Rose said, coming up behind her. “You look amazing.”
“So do you.” Brinley turned to see her friend in an equally beautiful red gown. Brinley had been training so much lately, trying to access her magic and practicing defensive fighting with Daci, that she hadn’t been sitting with Rose as much. Every day, Brinley returned to the house sore and exhausted. Both from training and the extra activities with Gabriel that had occurred more and more often. It was like they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. It didn’t matter where they were, if they were left alone, they were going at it like fucking rabbits.
“I couldn’t decide between a pink fabric and a blue one, but the seamstress insisted this was the right color for me.” She twirled back and forth, letting the skirt swish around her ankles.
Brinley smiled and reached to adjust part of the neckline that had curled under at Rose’s collarbone. “Well, she was right. It’s perfect.”
“Indeed,” a deep voice said.
Rose’s eyes widened, and a little dimple appeared as she smiled. She quickly schooled her features and turned toward Paxton, who had entered with Gabriel. Despite her trying to act neutral, she practically ran to Pax. He laughed and lifted her in a hug. Brinley watched them, ignoring the other eyes burning into her. Their love for one another was nearly palpable. She’d never seen two people so sweet together.
“You wore it?” Rose asked when he set her down. She brushed a finger over the pink rose in the front pocket of his shirt.
“I told you I would.” He wore a simple button-down with dark trousers.
It was similar to Gabriel’s attire. Except, Gabriel had his black sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his tattooed forearms that made her mouth water. He moved to Brinley’s side and whispered, “Brinley.”
She clenched her jaw, not wanting to show that it sent her heart racing, though she assumed he could hear or sense it regardless. “Gabriel.”
“You look…”
At that, she finally glanced at him. The hunger in his eyes nearly took her breath away. She got lost in that dark gaze, wondering why she was supposed to hate this beautiful man. Because right now, she couldn’t remember.
Almost as if he couldn’t help it, he reached a hand up to her cheek but then stopped. He dropped his arm and cleared his throat.
“Wow, Brinley,” Paxton said in a teasing tone. “I think you broke him.”
Gabriel shot him a scowl, but she smiled at her friend. Paxton had an arm around Rose’s back, and not for the first time, Brinley wondered what exactly was going on between the two. If she had to guess, the need to support her wasn’t the only reason he was holding on to her. His finger was slowly drawing circles on Rose’s side. Did Gabriel see it?
Brinley looked up at him, but she couldn’t tell. She couldn’t imagine he would be happy about his beta being with his younger sister. She didn’t know how old Paxton was, but he had to be close to his mid-twenties, and Rose wasn’t yet eighteen.
“Really though, you both look beautiful,” Paxton said.
“You do.” Gabriel reached forward to touch one of her curls and whispered, “I love your hair down like this.”
“Thank you.” Brinley tucked a strand behind her ear.
“All right, let’s go!” Rose’s excitement was contagious. “Harris is meeting us down there.”
“As you wish, my lady.” Paxton gave a short, dramatic bow before leading her toward the door. He grabbed a shawl from the coat rack and draped it over one of his shoulders. Because he undoubtedly knew she would need it later.
Brinley and Gabriel followed at a slower pace. He shut the door to the solarium behind them and then offered her his arm. She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow as they descended the spiral staircase, her heels clacking on the iron. The other two were already down the hall of the second floor, about to reach the other stairs.
“They’re cute,” Brinley whispered, leaning into Gabriel, trying to gauge his thoughts.
He sighed. “They love each other.”
She could hear the resignation in his voice, and she needed to know the reasoning. Pulling him to a stop near the door to the study, she asked, “What?”
“One way or another, one of them is going to end up hurt, and I don’t know what to do to help them.”
“What do you mean?”
Gabriel turned to her. They were alone in the hallway now, but he kept his voice low. “Rose has been in love with him for as long as I can remember. It was cute when she was young, and I assumed she’d grow out of it, but…”
“But she hasn’t,” Brinley finished. That much was clear to anyone.
Nodding, he went on. “And Pax loves her like she’s his own sister, but that’s all.”
Brinley wholeheartedly disagreed but kept her mouth shut about it. If he didn’t notice that his best friend definitely did not see Rose that way, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. Not when they were actually getting along.
She would talk to Rose about it privately tomorrow. A lot of things needed to be discussed tomorrow, apparently.
“So…” He lifted Brinley’s hand—their designated signal that he was talking about the curse. “If things are resolved, Rose is going to have to come to terms with the fact that Paxton is too old for her and that he doesn’t feel the same. And if the…” He tapped a finger against her palm. “If it’s not resolved, I don’t know what’s going to happen to Rose, but it will destroy Paxton.”
It would destroy her and Gabriel too, and so many others, she was sure. Before she could overthink things, Brinley stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Gabriel. His own crossed behind her back as he held her tightly.
“We’ll figure this out,” she whispered. “I’ll break the curse, I promise.” She’d repeated this to him multiple times in the last month. Each time she saw him losing hope or grieving over what could possibly happen, she felt the need to reassure him.
Gabriel pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you for caring.”
She rested against his chest another moment. His hand trailed up her back, and then he brushed her long locks off of her shoulder. As his fingers curled around the side of her neck, she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. His thumb caressed her jaw. “You really do look absolutely incredible tonight. Don’t get me wrong, you’re always breathtaking, but tonight…”
His gaze roamed along her body, lingering on her exposed cleavage.
“We should probably go,” she said with a soft chuckle, forcing the words out. If they didn’t leave now, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from ripping off his clothes. She wanted him so much her body begged her to stay, to drag him into the bedroom.
As she stepped aside, Gabriel smirked. He gently grabbed her arm while they walked down the stairs and leaned in to say against her ear, “I can smell your desire, bijou.”
Her cheeks heated. Pulling away, she quickened her pace. But with his long strides, Gabriel easily caught up.
The sun had just started setting behind the village walls when they made it outside. People walked down the street, an excited air about them, similar to how Rose had been before disappearing. All were dressed nicely. But it wasn’t the ball gowns she had seen in court as a child. The dresses were similar to what she currently wore—thin and flowing. Some were modest, but others were even more revealing than hers, with fabric cut out at the waist or with deeper plunging necklines that reached their stomachs. Many had missing backs entirely, and there was a lot of sheer fabric among the people.
“Are you finally going to tell me where we’re going?” Brinley asked as she and Gabriel headed in the same direction as the rest.
“You’ll see.” He grinned at her.
When he offered his arm again, she slipped her hand around it without hesitation. She trusted the people in this village more than she ever thought possible, but it still made her nervous to be in such large crowds. And a large crowd there was, all piled together in front of…
Brinley’s eyes snapped to Gabriel, but he kept his gaze on the gates ahead of them. People parted for the two of them. He led her right to the front, where Rose, Paxton, Daciana, Joel, Darren, and other familiar faces waited.
Gabriel nodded to someone, and the gates creaked as they opened wide. The murmurs of excitement grew around them. Brinley didn’t understand. Were they all going out? Why dress up if they were only going to shift into their wolf forms?
“Just wait,” he said, as if reading her mind.
The last rays of the sun disappeared behind the trees. Light faded, slowly replaced by darkness.
“Dusk,” she breathed.
Gabriel moved to hold her hand instead, lacing their fingers together. “Your favorite.”
“How—”
“And a full moon, like the day I found you,” he cut her off.
Her brow furrowed, and he squeezed her hand. She looked out at the fields of grass and the surrounding forest. He turned with her, pointing to the slightly glowing area over the wall to the east, where the moon gradually lifted into the sky. Gabriel brought their clasped hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles before moving toward the invisible dividing line between Zareia and the rest of the world. He paused near it and glanced at his friends, his sister, his people, and finally Brinley.
She could hardly breathe.
“Ready?” he asked.
She didn’t know what she needed to be ready for, but she nodded, trusting him.
Without another word, he stepped over the line, bringing her with him. She tried to release his hand to give him room to shift, but he tightened his hold on her and took a few more steps.
Her lips parted in surprise, her eyes widening. “You’re not…”
“Not tonight.”
Around them, his people shouted and hollered. They raced out of the gates, rushing past Gabriel and Brinley as if they were but a boulder in a stream. His free hand went to her waist, and he stepped closer with the most beautiful smile she thought she’d ever seen. He still held one of her hands, but she placed the other on his cheek, making him meet her gaze.
“On the night of the full moon, you can leave without shifting?”
Gabriel used a finger to tap the hand he held.
“So, the night you found me…”
He leaned in to kiss her forehead. “I tried telling you, but I couldn’t figure out how.”
How to get past the part of the curse that physically wouldn’t let him. She closed her eyes. Eventually, they were alone, save for those guarding the gates.
“Once a month, you, what, all come running out here to stretch your legs? Visit other villages?”
At that, Gabriel pulled back enough to look at her with a smirk. “You think we’d waste such clothes on that nonsense?”
There was that.
“No,” he said. “Well, some do. But we are going to fête de la lune.” He turned and began leading her toward the forest. She could see various fires started, and people dancing around them, but the biggest was ahead of them. As they headed toward it, he explained, “Some families like to celebrate on their own, especially those with children. The main party here, where most of us go, can get a little… wild.”
“Says the wolf,” she muttered but smiled.
His grin morphed into something wicked that would have frightened her weeks ago. Now, it sent a thrill through her. When they reached the festivities, he surprised her by lifting her hand above her head and twirling her. She laughed and stumbled, but he caught her easily. A few people had produced drums and fiddles, even a flute. Many danced around the tall flames while others had found places to sit and chat, and a few were cooking over smaller fires.
Brinley spotted Paxton, Rose, and Harris sitting on a log. Rose had her shawl around her shoulders and leaned into Paxton. Harris sat on Paxton’s other side talking to a young woman who stood before him. Brinley joined them as Gabriel went to grab drinks from the barrels that had been rolled out.
“I don’t understand.” Brinley took a seat on the ground near Rose’s leg, her back against the log. “The one night you’re free to venture anywhere in this form, and you all just celebrate right outside the walls?”
Gabriel handed Brinley a cup of something that smelled strong. He stepped over her, managing to sit on the log beside his sister, with Brinley between his legs. She took a sip of what turned out to be brandy and choked.
“Can’t handle it?” Rose teased.
Groaning at the realization she could no longer see her friend, Brinley moved to her knees. She put an arm on Gabriel’s thigh and rested her chin atop her hand.
Harris turned toward them when his friend left. “Don’t worry, most can’t at first.”
Brinley held the cup out for Rose, who grabbed it. Before she could take much more than a sip, Paxton snatched it away.
“Nice try.” He gulped down some of it with a wince and set it in the grass.
Rose pouted, but he just shook his head. Harris chuckled and nonchalantly reached for it himself.
“To answer your question,” Gabriel’s fingers combed through Brinley’s hair, playing with the curls, “when it first happened, we went farther. Many tried to leave, to outrun the…”
“Curse,” she supplied.
Gabriel tapped her elbow. “Some visited other places, taking care of business, but at sunrise, we always…”
“Shift back to your wolf form.”
Tap. “So, eventually, we stopped trying. Instead, most of us chose to celebrate the night.”
“Wait.” She lifted her head. “Every month?” When they all nodded, she asked, “What about last month? I didn’t see or hear about any of this going on.”
Gabriel’s fingers stilled. “That was the day Rose collapsed.”
The night they sat in the solarium with her. Harris leaned around Paxton to pat her hand. Paxton kissed the side of her head, rubbing a hand up and down her arm. The pain in his eyes made Brinley’s heart ache. How did Gabriel not see it?
Brinley returned to the topic of the celebration, wanting to give them a night of happiness. “So, you all come out here? Why not go farther if it’s your one night of freedom?”
“Some do,” Pax said. “But with the increase in rogue activity throughout the queendom, it’s safer to stay close.”
Brinley straightened, her fear returning. She looked up at Gabriel. “The rogues. Like those who attacked me the night I tried to leave? And the ones you say attacked the village I was traveling through?”
The terror of her birthday was as fresh in her mind as if it happened yesterday. She started to get to her feet, frantically searching around, waiting for the screams to start again. But then, Gabriel was there with a hand on each of her shoulders to stop her.
“Look at me, Brinley,” he commanded.
She met his eyes through her tear-blurred vision.
“You’re safe,” he said in a soothing tone. “You’re safe, bijou.”
“We set up a perimeter to keep an eye out for any rogues,” Paxton added.
“No one is going to attack this celebration; it’s not like your birthday.” Gabriel moved his hand to the back of her neck. “Breathe.”
Brinley took a deep breath and realized her hands shook.
“I promise we’re safe,” he said in a quiet voice that would’ve been lost in the festive noises around them if she hadn’t been watching him so closely.
Nodding, she reached up to brush away fallen tears, careful not to ruin her makeup. Gabriel swiped a thumb beneath her eye with a sad smile and then wiped the smeared kohl onto his pants.
“Did I mess up all of Rose’s hard work?” she asked, aiming to lighten the mood.
Gabriel shook his head. “Still as beautiful as ever.”
Her stomach fluttered again.
“All right, I’ve rested long enough.” Rose got to her feet. “I want to dance!”
She all but skipped to Brinley’s side and held out a hand. Brinley didn’t hesitate to slide hers into it. Rose pulled her away from Gabriel with a grin, and Harris followed. She twirled in a circle, bringing Brinley right along with her to join the other revelers around the fire.
It took a few minutes to relax and stop worrying, but it was almost as if a physical weight lifted off of her chest. She held both of Rose’s hands, and they spun together. Laughter bubbled up from her chest. Smiling, she jumped around, clapped, and followed the dance moves of the others. Harris twirled her in a circle before his friend—Teagan—came over and pulled him into a steamy kiss.
Brinley’s heart still ached for all she’d lost, for the lives taken two months ago. But for the first time since that horrid night, she felt like she could breathe. For a brief moment, she forgot to think these weren’t her people. She forgot about the curse.
At least, she did until Rose grew too tired to continue. Even then, the girl insisted she was fine to sit and watch, that Brinley should keep having fun. Harris helped Rose sit beside Paxton, who immediately wrapped an arm around her. Then, Harris slipped away with the other woman, disappearing into the nearby trees. Brinley was about to join Rose, but Daciana grabbed her hand and brought her back into the dancing. She didn’t argue. She did, however, make Daci wait long enough for her to remove her heels. When she tossed them to the ground beside Rose, her friend laughed.
Then, Brinley was back in the commotion, dancing around with the twins. She’d seen Gabriel a few times chatting to different people, but now she couldn’t find him. Turning her head this way and that, she searched for the brooding alpha, wondering if he ever danced. If he would dance with her.
She finally spotted him, and his eyes were already focused on her. He stood on the outer edge of the party near the trees. The trees she saw a few other couples sneak off into throughout the night. As if by some silent signal, more broke away and disappeared into the shadows while many of the dancers took a break to chat and eat.
Gabriel still stared at her. Just like she watched him through the sparks of the fire reaching toward the stars that blanketed the sky above them. She licked her lips, debating on what to do. Her body screamed at her to go to him, but she knew she shouldn’t. Especially when he turned and walked into the dark forest.
She knew exactly what would happen if she went after him. And things were shifting too much between them. After what happened earlier with her magic?—
“If you don’t follow him, I will,” a deep voice said next to her.
“Maybe you should.” She glanced over at Joel, knowing he was just teasing. To her knowledge, Gabriel hadn’t been with the man in over a month. Not since she and Gabriel started whatever it was that they were doing.
He tilted his head and shook it slowly. “It’s not me he wants.”
The words made her chest tighten. “And you’re really fine with this?”
“He cares about you so much. I’ve always known that. Even when you make him want to yank his hair out, you make him happier, lighter.It’s like you’ve taken a little of that burden from his shoulders. Regardless of whether you can help us, I know he will forever be grateful he found you,” Joel said with a smile. “Go.”
Ignoring the burning in the back of her throat, she looked over at Rose, who was fully occupied by Paxton, Daciana, Darren, and a couple others Brinley knew were the girl’s friends. Rose laughed and nodded at something one of them said. Paxton kissed her temple, and Brinley could practically see Rose melt into his side, her grin transforming into something sweet as she turned her face up to his. Brinley had the distinct feeling she was intruding on a private moment, despite all the others around them. But Pax didn’t kiss her, like Brinley thought he might. He simply grinned and continued talking, his hand lifting to brush a piece of her blond hair back.
Brinley steeled her spine as if preparing for battle, took another deep breath, and walked around the fire toward the trees. She headed into the shadows that had haunted her dreams for weeks, but this time, she wasn’t afraid.
This time, she wanted the big bad wolf to find her.