Peeking over my shoulder, I watched as Ara strolled to the door, swaying, and exited without another word. I waited a few seconds to not stir suspicion and followed her out the door. Outside, I glanced down the path both ways—nothing. But just as I thought she’d vanished, a twig snapped to my left. Squinting, her silhouette was barely visible from the tree line as she stumbled through the forest.
So strange.
I prowled behind her, just far enough behind that she wouldn’t hear me. Based on how much she drank, though, I don’t even think she’d notice me if I walked directly down the path in broad moonlight.
We continued for about a mile when she stepped up to the edge of the treeline, glanced right and left, and stepped out into the grassy clearing.
My breath caught in my throat.
A crisp breeze blew by her as she looked up to the sky, gazing at the full moon sinking on the horizon. It illuminated her skin, her eyes reflecting the same brilliance.
She is mine.
My heart thundered in my chest. I ached to touch her, fill her, claim her. The bond was drowning me in lust, commanding me forward. I started to take a step toward her when she closed her eyes and I hesitated. She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly, as anguish sunk into her features.
My heart sank. The look on her face was gut-wrenching.
My fire raged, consumed by her anguish and fueled by the mate bond. As a tear slid down her cheek, past her quivering lip, the ground singed at my feet and the smell of burning grass drifted up to meet my nose.
Taking another breath, she took off, jogging forward to the towering estate, stopping at the base of a thick vine with small purple flowers. My mouth fell open as she reached up, latched on, and climbed to the second-floor window with ease, unlocking the latch, and climbed in, disappearing from sight.
I stared at the window in disbelief, unable to close my mouth, when two figures strolled around the corner of the building, garbed in brown leather armor and a sword strapped to each hip.
No…
“He said there was a disturbance along the border. Apparently, some Fae attacked the looking tower at the northern tip and burned everything. None of the soldiers were left alive and all of their bodies were… charred. Everything was still smoldering when they arrived,” he whispered nervously, his eyes darting to his companion. Even from here, I could see the sweat dripping down his forehead, his face scrunched in panic. “You don’t think the creature would try to come to the Capitol, do you?”
The other guard ogled at him and I couldn’t tear my eyes away as I inched closer to hear his response.
“Of course not. The Capitol houses the largest army in Auryna, not to mention the general hosts the most thoroughly trained men and assassins of the entire realm on these grounds,” he said, waving a hand in dismissal. “No, it would be a fool to come here.”
I froze, my fire sputtering out.
These grounds.
General Starrin hosts men onthesegrounds.
My mind flashed to the conversation I heard at the pub, overwhelming me all at once. The general’s daughter refused to stay on the estate grounds.
My eyes darted to her window, her silhouette black against the warm light in her room.
Everything clicked into place. The sneaking. The sadness. The lack of freedom.
My mate… I swallowed hard as she unclasped her cloak, tossing it on the bed.
My mate was General Starrin’s daughter.
Human.
She was human.
Chapter Four
Ara
Asoft breeze blew in from the open window, pulling me from my dream. I stirred awake, visions of red eyes lingering. The smell of rain permeated the air.
Opening my eyes, my head pounded.