Page 37 of Hidden

“Don’t you have servants to gather greenery?” Rafe asked as she wandered the few feet back to the trees. “Gardeners?”

His deep voice startled Lila. They’d barely spoken since they left the house. “I understand Lord Farras is bringing his retinue. There will be plenty of staff then.”

“So why not wait until your lord arrives?”

She examined a holly bush, wondering if its shining leaves were worth the prickles. When she looked up, Rafe’s expression was hard to read. “He is an honored guest. He shouldn’t have to prepare his own welcome.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, then vanished. “You don’t like him much, do you?”

Lila shrugged, reminding herself to be more guarded. “My opinion does not matter.”

She cut a branch of holly and turned to drop it in the basket. The motion brought her within an arm’s reach of Rafe. Only the basket stood between them. There had been yards before, so the wolf had moved closer, staying right on her heels. Just as he had for the better part of the last hour.

He was acting as her servant, but he was also stalking her. Lila felt a sudden, terrified impulse to bolt, but knew better. That would make her prey.

“Your opinion should matter,” he said. “You are part of your pack.”

“Not for long. I’m not staying,” she replied. “I have a job and a home in the city that say I don’t need to care. Or impress anyone.”

She hadn’t meant to be so blunt—or even talk to the wolf at all—but voicing her defiance felt good. It also left her feeling lonely. Going her own way was a two-edged blade.

“I’m sure you impress them. They would not ask for your help otherwise.” That faint smile was back, more knowing than happy. He understood her position every bit as well as she did.

Her gaze lingered on his expression, narrowing to his smile, and then his mouth. Not for the first time, she wondered if wolves were good kissers.

Lila pulled her thoughts up short. The wolf wasn’t there to satisfy her curiosity. He wasn’t even a friend, and was certainly not her confidante. He was here for information, for payback, and to protect his pack.

“I didn’t ask for sympathy,” she said, finally letting the holly drop into the basket. It fell with a rustle.

“We’ve both been pulled into a situation we didn’t bargain for,” he said. “That’s not sympathy, just observation.”

“You’re trying to find common ground so you can build trust between us. That trick is as old as Stonehenge.” She stepped back to return to her work, but he caught her arm. A bold move, for a captive. She met his frown with a glare.

“Neither of us understand what’s going on.” He slowly released her. “That’s plain enough from the questions you ask your kin.”

Lila wondered exactly how much he’d seen and heard. “What’s that to you?”

“We both want the truth. Together we stand a better chance of finding it.”

He’d leaned so close she could see the touch of panic in his eyes. Rafe was gambling she wouldn’t end him then and there. It was rare to find a male—even a fae male—who acknowledged her power and still trusted her enough to lay himself bare. This mortal wolf was doing just that.

Surprise flooded Lila. “What do you propose?”

It wasn’t agreement, but it was enough that he looked away, finally ending his intense scrutiny of her every move. “First, I want to see the graves of my kin.”

He ducked his head then, hiding from her gaze an instant before he straightened, his features blank once more. The show of vulnerability was brief but real, rousing the tumult of emotions that had drowned Lila over the last few days. His pain found an answering chord inside her—one she’d barely acknowledged for fear she’d crack in two.

Without warning, their lips met. It took Lila a moment to realize she had been the one to lean in, but he’d responded with instant intensity. The pressure of his kiss made her ache in forgotten places. She jumped back in shock, her fingers pressing to her lips as if to rub away the sensation of his warm mouth against hers. A scalding heat spread over her skin, turning her cheeks to flame. “I’m sorry.”

His dark eyebrows quirked. “Are you? Shall I demand a stronger apology?”

His banter rang hollow, embarrassing her more. The air between them was thick with feeling—fear, desire, anger—and there was no room to be lighthearted. She turned away, desperate to end the moment.

What had she been thinking? And yet, her heart couldn’t witness that much hurt without trying to heal it. Fool, what comfort could a fae give to a wolf?

“If you want to see the graves, come this way,” she said briskly, striking out along a narrow path.

Rafe picked up the basket and followed. Lila led them on a half-hour walk that circled the house and angled up the slope behind it. As before, the forest thickened before they reached the hidden cluster of mounds. When they passed through the final barrier of branches, she stepped aside to allow Rafe a complete view of the small clearing.

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