Page 125 of Elven Crown

Probably just a side effect of all the blood loss.

After a moment’s pause all around, Maxwell snarled at Rowan again, then spun away from the elf to head toward Rebecca.

The next thing she knew, he’d bent over beside her, grabbing her arm to drape it over both his shoulders. “You need the healer.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” She grunted as he helped her to her feet. “I just need some rest. You can take me to my room—”

“Don’t argue with me on this, Knox. Just let me help you.”

The wooden shard in her stomach hurt so badly now, she couldn’t help but relent and accept. She let him support her on the hobbling walk across the training gym toward its double doors.

What she wanted was to stop all this fussing, yank out this hells-be-damned splinter, and heal herself up right here and now, just to get the whole damn thing over with so they could all move on.

Again, that just wasn’t an option.

No one knew a damn thing about what she could do.

It had to stay that way.

Meaning Rebecca had to suck it up and keep playing victim of a violent accident while Maxwell helped her to the infirmary. Allto keep her secrets and her identity hidden the way theyhadto remain hidden.

Moving with surprising care, Maxwell half-carried, half-guided her toward the gym’s double doors, which someone else had already parted and propped open for them. Then he paused, looked over his shoulder, and sent a piercing whistle through the training gym. “Rick!”

The squeak of a shoe heel across the wooden floor preceded Rick’s arrival before he stumbled to a halt in front of them. “Yeah, boss?”

“I want constant eyes on Blackmoon. No matter how many bullshit excuses he gives you. If he eventhinksabout pulling some shit like this again, you lock him up. Understand?”

“Got it.” The blackhorn nodded once, then swallowed thickly when his gaze fell on the stake protruding from Rebecca’s guts. “The healer will set that right, Knox.”

All Rebecca could manage was a huff of a laugh that sounded more like a shuddering sigh before Maxwell barked to the entire task force, “Keep training. No one leaves this room before I get back.”

Then he led Rebecca through the doors and down the hall.

It was all she could do to let him without trying to struggle out of it.

The shifter moved like he was racing against the clock. That was probably true, though Rebecca still couldn’t tell him why this was unnecessary and why she would be fine, no matter how quickly he got her to Zida.

Nothing she might say to him now would be convincing enough, because only the truth would make him believe her, and that was still far too dangerous.

The shifter was doing his best to work with her, but she didn’t trust him that much.

Not yet.

The farther they left the training gym behind them, though, the more Rebecca’s thoughts turned to Rowan. Once they did, she couldn’t stop worrying about the Blackmoon Elf effectively locked in the gym with the rest of Shade’s task force.

Not in concern for his safety or because she thought Maxwell’s security team might actually hurt him if he made the wrong move.

No, quite the opposite.

Rowan had so easily dispatched an entire team of operatives, mostly Maxwell’s security guys, the night he’d broken into Shade’s compound, and he hadn’t even been trying. He wouldn’t find it remotely difficult to take on the entire task force at once in the gym, if he felt the need.

And if he did anything to make Rick and the others feel like they had to subdue him, they would all get their asses handed to them again in the blink of an eye.

Anyone else would have learned their lesson and toned it down, but Rowan Blackmoon never had been the kind of elf to hold back out of respect, decorum, or formality. If something pissed him off or impeded what he wanted at any moment, he’d do whatever he wanted anyway.

And any fool who tried to stop him was done.

What concerned Rebecca the most now was Rowan Blackmoon and his big mouth.

---