Page 118 of Oath of Revenge

He leaned back and picked up the lantern before opening the stall door just enough for her to come through. “Well then, I guess you’ll be staying until it’s safe. Come on now. I’ve got a nice bowl of venison and potatoes inside with fresh bread. Are you hungry?”

Her feet scuffled on the ground, then she came into the light, a brow raised suspiciously. “I—I didn’t bring any coin.”

He shrugged. “You can work for it.”

Her brows rose, and judging by the fine stitching on her dress, it might’ve been the first time anyone suggested such a thing to her.

“How? I’m not trained for anything.”

He shrugged. “You can wipe down the tables when customers leave, maybe help Madge in the kitchen.”

She sniffed and took another step forward. “That… that doesn’t sound too bad.”

He turned and walked slowly out of the stables, hearing the tap of her little steps following behind.

A hand on his sleeve made him blink and look down.

“Wulfric, what is it? You look like you’re in pain,” Scarlet asked.

Brow furrowed, he glanced back to the black-haired woman who now stood, speaking quietly with Knox. The dragon bent his head to her deferentially then frowned and looked up at Wulfric. He stiffened and faked a smile to those around him before walking with the black-haired woman toward Wulfric and Scarlet.

Someone tried to enter the room behind them, so Scarlet tugged him toward the gigantic windows in the corner. It was quieter and away from the other groups of people, but he felt cornered.

His mind was racing with conflicting emotions as he watched Knox and the woman approach. He wasn’t ready to confront his past, but it was about to collide with his present no matter what he wanted. His breath grew shallow, his chest tight.

Knox turned to Scarlet and said, “You look fetching, Red. Who knew you’d wear a dress so well?”

Scarlet punched him on the shoulder, and he laughed as he grabbed her hand. “Come on, sister. Ashur has been asking after you all night. Wulfric, this is my wife, mate, and queen, Eirwyn. Eirwyn, the Growler Alpha.”

Scarlet’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve kept Eirwyn resting for days, refusing to even introduce her to Wulfric, but now you’re leaving them alone to talk? What’s going on?”

Knox tugged her away toward the towering gargoyle across the room, saying, “You’re too suspicious, Red.”

“Don’t call me that.”

The look Knox shot him over her shoulder told him to proceed with caution as he distracted her. When Scarlet reached the gargoyle, Knox turned so he could keep watch over his mate, his wife.

Wulfric pulled his gaze away from his own mate to the petite woman in front of him. “You—you’ve grown up,” he said, his voice gravelly.

She smiled, that same mischievous sparkle returning to her eyes. “That’s what happens when ten years passes. We thought you were dead, Warren.”

Warren. His previous name for a previous life. Such a simple thing to have forgotten, yet it was like a weight lifted from his shoulders. He swallowed hard.

“I’m Wulfric now. Warren is long gone, dead like you said. When I became a Growler, I lost all memories, my… humanity. I’ve only regained them recently, and some seem to still be missing.”

“What’s missing?” she asked, head tilting to the side.

He pursed his lips and arched a brow. “If I knew what they were, they wouldn’t be missing.”

She laughed and the lights near them danced along the wall. It was a familiar sound and sight that reminded him of his former home. His chest tightened.

“Too true.” She turned as if pulled by a sixth sense and frowned at Knox. Then she nodded and turned back to him.

“We have little time and this isn’t the place to discuss it, but I must know. What do you remember of your daughter?”

He blinked, his head aching as he searched his memories. “She… died in the fever that took my wife.”

Eirwyn’s eyes saddened as she shook her head. “No, Wulfric. She didn’t die. She’s still alive. Don’t you remember us in the tavern all those years ago? Do you truly not remember?”

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