Chapter 19
ROWAN
The sun creeps over the horizon, spilling gold through my window, and I’m still reeling from the almost-kiss. So much so, sleep barely brushed me all night. Whatever weariness had nearly toppled me off the bed evaporated the moment Cade leaned in close, his mouth a heartbeat from mine.
Or maybe it was me leaning in first. Honestly, it’s hard to tell when one is caught in some sort of magnetic pull that makes the brain short-circuit. Either way, something was about to happen, and now I don’t know how to feel about it.
You should have gone to his room like I told you last night, Wolf pipes up, smug as ever.
Of course, she’s all in for the action. She’s probably the reason I ended up in that situation in the first place. But I can’t exactly blame her. Not when she’s been locked in my body for twenty-nine years. Still, my sympathy only stretches so far before it turns into trouble.
I told you, Wolf, I say sternly. Let’s figure out how to stay alive first, and then we can sort out true love, okay?
And like I told you, she huffs, what if finding love is what keeps us alive?
Great. Now my wolf’s trying to play relationship counselor.
And worse… She might have a point. Because if there’s even a sliver of truth to the prophecy, if there’s a chance I could unravel into the monster they fear, Cade might be the only one able to stop me.
At least according to the late-night chapters I skimmed in Wolf Shifters 101 while insomnia had me hostage.
Still, I’m stubborn. I want to know who I am before I become someone’s mate. I want to stand on my own two feet before I let anyone else tether me.
That’s the human in you speaking, Wolf sighs, the sound dripping with exaggerated disappointment. Just remember that part of your life was a lie.
Maybe technically, but it was a beautiful life.
One that I’m grateful to have lived with my mom for as long as I had.
At first, I thought I’d be upset that she kept all this from me, but there isn’t a single part of me that can find a reason to be.
I might not understand the why of her decisions, but I can still appreciate them because I have no doubt that each one was made in love and selflessness.
If I know nothing else, I know that my mother loved me.
I expect a retort from my wolf, or Wolf as I’ve begun calling her since she apparently doesn’t have a name, but she remains quiet as I swing my legs out of bed.
The mattress dips when I get up—the personalized comfort in this room is beyond addictive, even if it doesn’t guarantee sleep—and Archie stirs on the pillow. His following yawn sounds like a tiny chainsaw, and I think he’s waking up, but he rolls back into sleep. Lucky little fuzzball.
Quickly, I move through the motions of getting ready for the day—a hot shower with the scent of eucalyptus providing a refreshing start to my day.
Thanks to my magically customized clothes, it’s easy to pick out an outfit for training.
Comfort over trendy. Something tells me leggings will serve me better than jeans in the coming days as Cade puts me through whatever training-from-hell he has planned.
Especially since he said I might hate him by the time he’s done. Wonderful pep talker that one.
I make it downstairs, the energy of the house adding to the pep in my step. Though I’m not particularly hungry, Wolf rumbles in the back of my mind. You’ll want to give me bacon, or I might bite someone later.
Right. Bacon diplomacy.
The small dining hall is quiet when I enter. Too quiet. Well, except for Iris, who hums one of her bizarre little tunes like she’s auditioning for a haunted opera. But the rest of them? Tension so thick it feels like I’m chewing it.
Cade’s at the table, jaw tight, his energy filling the room like we’re back to day one.
Elias sits nearby, posture relaxed, but his eyes are sharp.
Stephanie—the female shifter I barely met yesterday and thought had left—leans back in her chair, spoon dangling from her lips as she grins at me over her cereal.
Or glares. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference.
Liz sips from a tall smoothie glass, and I squint at the liquid inside.
Purple-red, thick, and suspicious. Blood smoothie?
Beet juice? Some sort of murder-chic kombucha?
After last night’s chat with Cade, I’ve realized that I need to start asking more questions—like, does my new vampire friend normally drink from a person, a bag, or a jug marked “do not open”?
“Well, good morning, Rowan.” Iris bustles forward, floral dress billowing, and thrusts a plate toward me. “I’m glad you could join us for breakfast.”
Is bacon really worth this? I ask Wolf.
Absolutely, she growls. Whatever their problem is, it has nothing to do with us.
Pretty sure it has everything to do with us, but I don’t argue. I take my seat and let the magical food do its job. There are already floating plates of bacon, so I load up on that while also making a silent request for scrambled eggs and a biscuit with extra butter. Survival fuel.
Nobody speaks to me as I sit down, careful to avoid the cursed chair and Stephanie. By the time I’m settled, my plate is loaded, and I quietly begin to eat.
Except the silence prickles at my skin, making me look up again. Stephanie’s stare is too sharp, and Cade leans forward like a blade drawn, his attention cutting between us. It’s protective, I realize, but also terrifying. If she makes one wrong move, he’ll end her.
And while I don’t exactly want bloodshed across the table, it’s nice to know I’m not the easiest target in the room thanks to my bodyguard.
I take another bite, determined to ignore the static of tension when thunder cracks inside the manor.
“Oh, that ferret better not scratch my floors!” Iris squawks, hiking up her skirt like she’s about to run a relay.
Ferret? As in Archie?
I rise from my seat just in time to see Great Dane-sized Archie standing off with Iris as he demands, “Is she okay?”
“Yes, furball. Now, zap yourself back to size and put those claws away.” Iris waggles a finger in his snout. “We’re just eating.”
“Not likely.” Archie’s sharp teeth flash as he sidesteps her, gaze locking onto me.
I give him a pathetic little wave, half “please don’t maul me,” half “sorry my grandma is nuts.” Though, I’m more concerned with why he thought I wasn’t okay…
When he sees me safe, he finally shrinks back to normal, shaking out his fur as if turning into a monster-sized version of himself is no bigger deal than stretching after a nap.
I’m never going to get used to seeing that happen.
Everyone around the table watches as he scurries over toward me, settling into my lap. I pay them no attention as I hand-feed him a piece of egg. “Good morning.”
“Next time, maybe wake me,” he grumbles between bites.
His voice is low and gravelly, still thick with sleep, and I swear it sounds more feral than usual. Great. Even my bestie is cranky today. Apparently, everyone woke up on the wrong side of the apocalypse today except me and Iris. Something tells me that being paired with her isn’t a good thing.
Did I miss something bigger than the whole Council-wants-me-dead thing? Because, honestly, I kind of assumed that was already a given. Why is everyone acting like it’s suddenly a fresh horror?
Stephanie drums her crimson nails against the table, her gaze sharp enough to draw blood. “Such a shame,” she says in a singsong tone that makes my skin crawl. She rises, smoothing her black dress, and tilts her chin at Cade. “I have places to be, but I’ll be seeing you, Alpha Westin.”
Cade doesn’t so much as twitch in her direction. His golden eyes stay locked on me instead, burning with enough intensity to make my cheeks heat.
Fantastic. Today’s going to be a long-ass day.
“Shifter shits, Cade!” Iris explodes once Stephanie is gone, throwing her hands on her hips.
Her face flushes red as she glares at him like he just kicked her begonias.
“I know it’s been a while since you’ve played Alpha, but maybe try treating your people with some respect.
You know, in case, oh, I don’t know, we need their help keeping my granddaughter alive. ”
Oh. This is new. I’ve seen kooky Iris and snarky Iris, but pissed-off Iris? That’s an interesting one. And it leaves me with the same question as always—does she actually care about me, or am I just a pawn in whatever game she’s playing?
We’ll find out eventually, Wolf chimes in, not seeming to think one way or the other yet.
“Rowan will be safe regardless,” Cade replies flatly. He pushes back his chair, standing tall, his untouched plate forgotten. When his gaze finds me again, it’s steady and sure. “Are you ready?”
I glance down at my barely touched food, but honestly, I’m more than happy to escape this circus. Scooping Archie up onto my shoulder, I grab the entire pile of bacon from my plate and stuff it into a napkin. “Yep.”
“I’ll be along shortly,” Liz calls as I head for the door.
Oh, perfect. There will be plenty of people waiting for their turn to beat on me. My dream morning.
Nibbling on the bacon, I trail behind Cade. His broad shoulders twitch with barely leashed tension, and he stomps down the hall like we’re marching straight into war.
“So,” I drawl, stretching the word with a smile I’m certain will irritate him, “how’d you sleep?”
He answers with a grunt.
Ah. Back to that. Super exciting times.
“Well, I slept like shit,” I continue cheerfully, “but the good news is it gave me extra time to read more of that book. You have to be pretty powerful to be an Alpha Supreme. Is that why they haven’t replaced you? Because they can’t find anyone stronger than you?”
He stays silent, jaw tight, but Archie pipes up from my shoulder and clears his throat, like he’s about to deliver the wisdom of the ages. “Obviously, no one’s stronger than Cade. That’s why he stomps around like a bear instead of answering your questions.”
Well, at least he’s back to acting normally.
I bite down on a laugh as Cade pauses only long enough to look back and snarl at Archie. I expect the ferret to be at least afraid, but his whiskers twitch as if he’s smiling, confident about his insult.
I keep quiet after that while we move through the house. No sense in getting my best friend skewered.
Cade leads us out the back doors, into the wide sprawl of meadow that stretches beyond the manor.
Mist curls low over the grass, silver in the morning light, and the air is cool enough that it nips at my cheeks.
It should be beautiful, but the pressure of silence between us makes the open space feel like a cage.
Cade finally stops in the center of the clearing. “This is where we’ll train,” he says, voice clipped. “No distractions, no excuses. Just you, me, and whatever strength you can dig up from inside yourself.”
My jaw tightens. His tone makes it sound less like training and more like preparing me for an execution. “You could try being at least a little inspirational like you were last night, you know. Maybe throw in a ‘good morning’ before you act like a drill sergeant.”
“Good mornings don’t keep you alive, Rowan,” he grumbles, folding his arms.
“And neither does your sulking like a puppy after his favorite bone was stolen,” I snap back. The words tumble out hot and faster than I expect.
He stares at me, unreadable, and something inside me snaps until I can’t stop my next moves. I shove him—hard. Harder than I mean to. My palms slam into his chest, and he stumbles back a step, eyes widening at the unexpected force.
I blink at my hands like they’ve betrayed me. “Okay. I didn’t know I could do that.”
“You’re stronger than you realize. That’s good to know,” Cade says, but his voice is still distant, distracted, like his mind is chewing on something heavier.
I plant my hands on my hips, heat flaring in my chest. “Enough. You’ve been stomping around, glaring holes into everyone this morning, and acting like I’m already halfway to my grave. Tell me what the hell is going on. What aren’t you saying?”
His jaw works harder, golden eyes narrowing until the silence between us feels like it could split the earth. Then, finally, his words land like a blade to the gut.
“The council didn’t just approve the hunting of hybrids.” His voice is low, lethal. “They put a bounty on you.”
Well, that’s fun.