Page 68 of Fated or Knot

“It will be. We could stop at an omega store on the way?—”

Fal poked his head back into the room. “I have terrible news,” he interrupted. “We’reexpected.”

The royal pack had sent a small army of servants to meet us at the station, it turned out. Several betas and a handful of alphas, all of races I’d never seen before, came into the train to get our things. Tormund carried me out with the group, much to my chagrin until he stepped off the train and the Serian winter enveloped us. The air was dry and frigid, biting at any exposed skin.

I wrapped my cloak tighter around my body and snuggled back into Tormund’s extra heat. He took a deep breath and said cheerfully, “There’s the wonderful smell of Serian cold!”

All I scented was the fur lining of my drawn hood and the nothingness of a frozen nose. “How can you smell anything?” I asked with chattering teeth.

He laughed. “You’ll get used to it. Would you be okay sharing a horse, li’l bird?”

I lifted my hood to spot the horse in question. It was waiting with a beta holding the reins, with Fal and Kauz astride two nearby, waiting for us. The one Tormund was about to mountwas huge and shaggy, with fur the blue-white color of aged snow and hooves as big as snowshoes. It nickered happily upon seeing him approach.

“I have some experience with horses,” I ventured.

“I will buy you one, then,” he said. “But this is my girl.”

He placed me back on my feet briefly to take the mare’s reins and coo while he rubbed her nose. She nuzzled his palm thoroughly and stamped a front hoof. “I know,” he murmured in Serian, along with more I didn’t quiet catch.

I accepted a boost into the saddle and scooted forward when Tormund squeezed in behind me and guided the mare into motion. I sat straighter and relaxed my back out of old habit. “Did you ride often?” he asked.

“I used to,” I said, thinking wistfully. “Osme Fen didn’t have a lot to do, but we certainly had horses. We’d race them for fun on quiet days.”

“Would you win?”

I twisted my lip as I thought through the question. “Goodness, it was a long time ago now. I can’t remember.”

We had formed a kind of procession through the street leading away from the magirail station. I felt eyes on me as the fae of Neslune parted for the princes and their servants. My fingers closed around the side of my hood, prepared to draw it further over my head, though I didn’t yet. This city might be my new home, so I didn’t hide from it.

On first glance, it seemed a lot like Ilysnor, only with significantly colder weather. We displaced many of the Unseelie residents, who stopped going about their business and stared as we paraded past them.

“Hmm. We should race once you train your new horse, li’l bird. But don’t be surprised if you win—you are so lightweight,” he teased.

“Oh, you don’t actually have to buy me a horse,” I hedged.

“No, I want to. I’ll get you one of those wee li’l half-unicorn horses that leave sparkles behind them when they run. You would look very cute on one,” he proclaimed.

“Cute on what?” Kauz had dropped back to bring his mount next to ours. He wore a vest and a cloak to keep warm.

Tormund explained in rapid Serian, and Kauz nodded. “Aye, she would look adorable on a horse like that. Let’s buy her one.”

“Not you too,” I protested.

The dream warden grinned. “Don’t you remember me telling you how much we were going to spoil you, sweetheart?”

“If this evening goes well. And…” I said under my breath.

Somehow, Kauz still heard me. “And what?” he prompted.

“It’s nothing.”

“Tell me,” he invited with that calm, soothing voice of his.

“Just…Marius.” I fiddled with my fingertips under the folds of my cloak. I hadn’t told the other males everything about what’d happened between me and his beast. They’d shrugged it off anyway. It was just how he was. They seemed to know something was going on with him, probably through their pack bond.

“I can’t wait for you to meet my mother,” Kauz said. “It’s going to be wonderful to watch you blossom once you see how excited she’ll be that we’ve found our mate.Andfor Marius to untie himself from his multitude of self-inflicted knots.”

“Self-inflicted knots?” I echoed.

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