Page 13 of Fated to the Wolf Billionaire

“Galyna!” Elodie cried, bodily putting herself between her friend and my mate, even as I spun Fiona behind me. “What in the nine hells is wrong with you?”

“Use your nose, Elodie. This fool is going to break the barrier. We have to get the human out of here. I won’t put my family at risk for a human.”

Elodie drew her own double-bladed sword so fast, it blurred, resting the blade’s edge against her comrade’s with a grim expression. “We are sworn to protect them. Put away your weapon.”

“Tell me you can’t smell that she’s human—you know the laws!”

“I know our oath. The enclave’s duty is to serve.”

Galyna snarled, eyes trained immediately past my shoulder, as if she was considering charging around me. But a moment later, she sheathed the sword with a huff and glared at me. “I won’t draw the blood of my own. But you’ve got five minutes to explain her presence, or Iwillremove you, and Elodie will not stand in my way a second time.”

“I’m sure they’ve got an explanation.” Elodie smiled at us, but she didn’t put her sword away.

Under a red-lipsticked smile was the heart of a fighter, and I wouldn’t forget it.

My control was razor thin, and I was grateful that Dirge filled them in on the fact that Fiona was my mate and that the priestess was aware of her presence here. Galyna remained on edge but agreed not to attack unless the priestess ordered us to leave again.

And then it was the moment of truth. I turned to Fiona, who still stood quietly behind me, and resisted the urge to hustle her through my door. Barely.

“We could all use some rest after last night.” I could see every single thing I’d done so wrong in this situation with perfect clarity, picturing my mother’s disapproving face as if she were standing in front of me, wagging a finger and a list of my failures. “Would you like to room with Olivia? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

Fiona frowned up at me, started to speak, and then abruptly stopped. She lifted her chin before she tried again. “You don’t want me to room with you?”

No beating around the bush. I respected the fuck out of that. “I want that more than anything. But you don’t know me yet, and I thought after what you saw earlier… you might be more comfortable rooming with her.”

“You mean the wolf.”

I nodded. What else was there to say? She’d seen me at the absolute worst a wolf could be, and I couldn’t make excuses that would wipe that away. I wasn’t going to gaslight or lie to her.

“I’d still rather stay with you.”

Knock me down with a feather, she was ballsy.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind sharing,” Olivia spoke up from my side, where I hadn’t even noticed her standing.

“I’m sure. Even when he was upset, he didn’t hurt me. Plus, you have a wolf too, right?”

Olivia nodded, smile faltering a little. “She’s very gentle and a little smaller than Shay’s wolf, who you saw earlier.”

I blinked at that. Shay had shown Fiona her wolf? That, at least, helped explain how Fiona was so calm about all of this.

“I’m sure she’s lovely,” Fiona said, grabbing Olivia’s hand to reassure her. “And I appreciate the offer. But… Reed makes me feel safe, somehow. And I think I’d like to stay with him for now. Plus, he promised to explain the wholematesthing.”

“Sure, no problem,” Olivia agreed, but when she spun away, I saw the look of sadness she tried to hide.

Our newest pack mate seemed to be struggling with her place, and I would mention it to Brielle later, to see if she had any ideas on how to make her feel more welcome. But right now… I had to focus on Fiona.

I opened the door to my borrowed room in silence, feeling slightly ashamed about the mess I’d left on the desk last night before heading out to drink away my woes. But she seemed unbothered as she trailed in past me, taking it all in with avid interest.

“Are the rooms here all stone? The room I woke up in was just like this. It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, this citadel was built in the 1400s. The history books tell us it was a collaborative effort between master stone masons from the wolf packs and a local coven of witches.”

Fiona’s eyes went round. “Wait,witchesare real too? Like the pointy-hats-and-cauldrons kind?”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not close with any, so I can’t say if the cauldron thing is true. But most of them dress pretty normally. You’re more likely to mistake a witch for a hippie than a Hollywood-style witch.”

“Aw, that’s kind of a letdown, honestly.”

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