Page 122 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

“Red is good. I like red.”

“Well, then, why are you still standing there? Strip already! You’re not the first pair of tits I’ve seen, and you won’t be the last. We’ve got no time to waste.”

FIFTY-NINE

Gael

Marciana’s face was the picture of surprised fury. “So you’re telling me that you’ve landed on my doorstep unannounced and on the run, with the entire IGC, ODL, and every werewolf pack in Europe after you? Got any other tidbits that might be pertinent to add?”

“The rumors are true,” Reed said, rapping twice on the desk with his knuckles. “The high alpha’s mate? She’s the real deal. An omega with fertility powers.”

All the color drained out of Marciana so quickly, I thought she might faint.

“Holy Goddess of the Moon. Are you sure? How do you know?”

“Do you know Jada of the Kodiak shifter sleuth?” Reed asked.

Marciana sank slowly into her austere wooden chair, nodding as she went. “I know of her. Her sister-in-law was killed in the purge, but she and I have never met in person.”

“Yes, well, she did a cleansing ceremony on all of us and then read some glowing runes on a riverbank that confirmed it.”

“She performed a gift-reading ceremony? And you didn’t get your damn fool selveskilled?”

“The ODL might have shown up within a few hours and tried. But we got out of there before we were found out,” I interjected. “The point is, we’re sure. We’ve also had two of our females marked by the omega seal.”

Head priestess or no, Marciana swore like a sailor. It was impressive. I didn’t even know some of the terms she threw in there.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” She squinted accusingly at Reed. “Most people have forgotten, but inside these walls, we haven’t. The Maiden’s Enclave might be nothing more than overly prepared bodyguards for children in the present, but in the past, we were theoath-sworn protectors of omegas. We were nearly wiped off the planet right alongside our charges. Only three priestesses survived to come back and revive the traditional ways. Three. We used to be hundreds!”

“I know, and I’m sorry. But where else were we supposed to go?” I asked, regretting that I’d dropped a literal bomb on my sister and the maidens’ doorstep. “If you don’t want to honor the old ways, we’d understand. We’re not asking you to take up arms at our side. We’re only asking for temporary shelter while we work out our next move.”

“No, you fool. I couldn’t turn you away with an omega and two omega-marked females—I’m guessing one of them is yourpregnant mate, Gael?” She pinned me with an accusing look.

“You guess correctly,” Kane answered for me. He sat with his arms crossed, not entirely convinced this was the best plan, but I’d insisted that we’d find safe harbor if we were honest with the priestesses who ran the enclave. I was one of the few people who still knew of their true mission, and I was certain I hadn’t led us astray.

“I will not be forsworn in my oath to the Goddess. For as long as I am a priestess of this enclave, you will have ourprotection. But the details we’ll need to work out tomorrow. For tonight, you have a bonding ceremony to prepare for.”

“Speaking of a bonding ceremony, it would be a great honor to have a priestess of the enclave oversee our bonding rites. If you’d be willing, it would mean a lot to me.”

Marciana nodded, expression grave. “You lot need all the help you can get. I’ll be happy to do the ceremony. Now get out of my office. I’ve got things to prepare.”

She stood and shooed us out like naughty children, even Kane, the high alpha of all wolf shifters. But men didn’t hold much sway in these walls, no matter their titles.

It felt like I’d been holding my breath as I stepped out of the office, door swinging softly shut behind me.

“Well, you were right. She didn’t throw us out on our asses,” Kane said, resting a hand on my shoulder. “I admit, I didn’t want to tell her, but perhaps our being forced to flee might turn into a positive if we can get some more allies on our side. I have a feeling we’re going to need them over the next few months.”

Reed snorted from his other side, but remained silent. What was there to say? We were going to need all the help we could get, with half the magical world hunting us.

Night felllike soft magic over the enclave. Night birds chirped in the trees, fireflies flitted in the air, and I swore I could almost taste some sort of power floating on the breeze. But perhaps it was woven into the maidens themselves.

They sang all around the enclave as sunset fell into velvet dark. A harmonious blend of feminine voices, ranging from the deeper tones up to those that could rival the lightest songbirds. They sang in an ancient language forgotten by most, but never within these walls. It was hauntingly lovely, and the thickperfume of flowers mounded in the clearing completed the beautiful scene.

I wore borrowed gray slacks and a snow-white button-up shirt, left halfway open as per tradition, my bare throat on display for my mate. I’d been freshly shaved by Reed, and one of the maidens had even given my overgrown hair a trim and style so it lay slicked back from my forehead.

Hopefully, Leigh recognizes me.

Nerves sang in my belly as I waited in the garden. They’d told me she was inside the little stone building at the front entrance of the garden, but thick drapes had been pulled over all the windows, so I couldn’t sneak any peeks at my mate ahead of time.

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