Page 94 of Wolf Touched

Me neither.The muscles in Raffe’s back tensed, causing them to bulge through his shirt.

As soon as we stepped back into the living room, I was surprised to see Sedona sitting up on the couch with Dru next to her, replacing her bandages. Octavia sat beside Dru, her face strained, with Adam, Lucy, and Fane standing behind the couch. My nose picked up a heavier rosemary scent, so I glanced into the kitchen to find Priestess Caroline holding a steaming mug while leaning against the doorframe. Her face was pale and wrinkled more than normal from exhaustion.

Octavia homed in on me, and her shoulders sagged with relief. She murmured, “Thank gods, you both look almost normal.”

Yeah, it was probably a good thing that I hadn’t looked at myself before the shower. I’d have been a lot more self-conscious now if Raffe hadn’t made me feel truly loved and cherished. But no wonder he’d wanted to take care of me.

Josie and Dave were missing. That was strange, but they had just cemented their bond and might have needed to reconnect like Raffe and me.

Keith stepped away from the side of the couch where he’d been standing next to Sedona and held out the phone. “Keagan is refusing to talk to anyone but you.”

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing.” Priestess Caroline arched a brow. “Making a deal with someone who attacked you is foolish, almost worse than bringing home the woman who almost killed Skylar.”

Raffe’s hands fisted at his sides, and his neck corded. “I’m doing this toprotectSkylar. There is nothing more important to me than that, so I don’t appreciate your accusations.”

I hurried to his side, slid my hand into his, making his hand unclench, and pushed calm toward him through our bond. I felt his anger ease slightly as our connection sprang to life.

Priestess Caroline pointed a finger at me and rasped, “The only people protecting your mate effectively are herself andus, so why do you get to decide whether we work with the enemy who killed twenty of my coven members last night when you didn’t lose anyone?”

“Uh …” Keith cleared his throat. “I don’t know how long Keagan is willing to wait, but should I—”

There was no way I would let him finish that sentence with the tension between Caroline and us right now. I stepped forward and lifted a hand. “Priestess Caroline, you’re right. You lost people, people you care about, and somehow, we didn’t. But Raffe didn’t start the conversation; I did. He wasn’t happy about it at first, but believe me, it’s better to make an alliance—and Raffe is the only one who can make this one because of his position in his family company—so we have somewhere safe to go and none of us have to lose anyone else. This is about protecting all of us and preventing the entirety of the Eastern people from threatening to attack us again and again.”

“We didn’t want to attack you.” Sedona glanced over her shoulder at the priestess. “You’ve got to believe me. If Keagan and my mother can find another way to break from King Jovian, they’ll take it in a heartbeat. Raffe has a way.”

“You know I respect you more than anything.” Octavia stood and turned so she could see everyone in the room, but she addressed the priestess. “But Skylar’s right. If we don’ttry something, they’ll attack again. It’s not a matter ofif. Next time, they’ll bring more people.”

Priestess Caroline waved a hand. “Fine. Proceed. Though don’t be surprised when you get betrayed.”

A deep growl emanated from Raffe, and I squeezed his hand. I linked,Take the call. We both think this is what’s best. She’s tired and not thinking clearly after losing so many of her people. Imagine how she must feel.

He exhaled and rolled his shoulders.You’re right. It’s just—

I know.I understood that he didn’t like her insinuation.Just take the call, and let’s see what they have to say. We could be arguing over nothing.

You’re doing the right thing,Lucy connected with everyone in the room, giving Raffe a reassuring smile.I’d tell you if I disagreed.

This is the safest bet for all of us.Adam nodded, giving his consent.

Raffe took the phone from Keith, unpressed mute, and placed it to his ear. “Hello.”

A smooth, older, masculine voice came across the line. “Is this Prince Raffe?”

“Nope.” Raffe smirked. “Just Raffe. I’m not a prince anymore.”

“So Priestess Ednah informed me, but I find that hard to believe. Why would someone walk away from power like that? Especially a strong wolf like yourself.”

My stomach churned, and the weight of the world settled on my shoulders. This conversation already wasn’t going well, and all the hope I had about finding somewhere safe for us felt like it was slipping between my fingers.

Hey, it’s going to be okay.Raffe’s warm eyes focused on me.He has to ask these questions and hear this for himself.He’s testing me. If he didn’t, I’d be more worried.He then said out loud, “Nothing is more important to me than my fated mate’s safety and having a long life together. You should know that since I refused your and my father’s plan to bridge the gap between us. You don’t want to kill my fated mate—or that’s what your coven told us—but you attacked us to find a way to get your freedom. I have a solution that will gain you that without getting more blood on your hands, and I hope that counts for something.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. I find it interesting. But why should I trust you to follow through on your word?”

“There’s nothing I can do to make that guarantee. You aren’t here, so you can’t smell if I’m lying or not, just the same as I can’t pick up on whether I can trust you in return.” Raffe paused and sighed. “Still, you have more assurances than we do. One of your own that you trust has vouched for our story and how we’ve treated her.”

Keagan laughed darkly. “I’d say you have the upper hand because you have someone you’re already aware is very important to us, and of course she’ll vouch for you. You’re standing around her as she talks to us. Unlike you and the other Western supernaturals, vampires, witches, and shifters get along here. We care for each other like families, and that’s something that bothers your father and, from what I’ve heard, you as well.”

“Yeah, well.” Raffe closed his eyes. “When you’re fated to an arcane-born, the people you love have their own strange fated-mate connections, and your strongest ally is a coven, it puts a lot of shit into perspective.”

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