Page 384 of Primal Bonds

Rosana spread her hands in genuine confusion. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about a wolf.”

Or did she? She stilled.

The wolf had to be Luc. And more, she’d bet a month’s pay that he was Adric’s former lieutenant, the fada who’d been with Blaer in Lewes. In fact, it was probably Luc who’d been seen at Rock Run earlier this week. The question was, why was Adric with him?

The wolf was outside the door now. Langdon strolled across the room to a bookcase and removed a small packet from an inlaid ebony-and-ivory box.

Rosana came to her feet as the wolf entered the library. She’d never seen Luc as his animal, but the scent fit. And damn, he was big. His head was almost level with hers, his eyes a deep amber just a few shades away from the gold of his man-form.

Her nostrils twitched. Adric was here. But why couldn’t she see him?

Langdon’s mouth turned down. “Does Blaer know you’re here?” he asked Luc.

The wolf peeled his upper lip in a tooth-baring snarl.

“And you, Adric,” the prince added. “Did you think I wouldn’t know the instant you crossed through the portal?”

No reply.

But in the silence that fell, Rosana detected slow, almost-imperceptible breathing to Luc’s left. Without moving her head, she slid a look in its direction. There was an odd, man-size disturbance in the air that made it difficult to see the bookshelf behind it.

Her heart jumped—and then sank. She smoothly turned back to Langdon. “All I see is a wolf, and I told you, Adric’s not a wolf.”

“Yes,” the prince returned with a chilly little smile. “You did tell me that.” He tore open the packet and tossed an acrid-smelling gray powder right at the man-sized disturbance.

Luc surged forward, aiming for Langdon’s throat, but the prince threw up an arm to block him. The two fell to the floor, Luc on top, his teeth sunk into Langdon’s forearm.

The gray powder outlined Adric and the dagger in his right hand. Swiping the powder off his face, he stalked across the library floor. Langdon was on top now, his hands wrapped around Luc’s muzzle, the gash on his arm spattering blood everywhere.

“Go,” Adric growled at Rosana as he circled the two combatants, searching for an opening.

“I don’t think so,” she muttered. She shot a longing glance at the brown bat that had once been her stiletto and then grabbed the raven statue from its pedestal instead. It made a nice, solid weight in her hands.

She eyed the fighters. Adric was completely visible now, his body coated in the bad-smelling gray powder. He sliced at Langdon with his dagger, but the night fae rolled, shoving Luc in front of him. The blade slashed through the heavy muscles of the wolf’s left shoulder.

Luc turned and snapped at Adric, and then froze.

A horrorstruck look crossed Adric’s face. “Fuck. I’m sorry, bro.”

He eased the knife out just as the prince grabbed Luc’s ruff and slammed him headfirst onto the floor. The wolf made a final, jerky movement before collapsing, motionless.

Langdon flowed to his feet and faced Adric, taking a martial arts stance, arms raised and knees bent with one leg forward.

Adric prowled forward, the dagger loose and ready in his hand. His eyes were a cougar-blue, his expression hard, predatory. Rosana could almost see the big cat overlaying the human.

Langdon stepped backwards. He was at his desk now. Reaching behind him, he grabbed a paperweight and flung it at Adric. It turned in mid-air into a thick, hissing snake with a copperhead’s distinctive hourglass markings. With a growled curse, Adric slapped it away. The snake landed on the floor, and he bent and chopped off its head with a single stroke of his knife.

Langdon’s eyes flickered red and Rosana growled.

Oh no, you don’t.

She regripped the raven, palms sweaty, and moved to the prince’s left.

Adric indicated her with his chin. “Let Rosana go. This has nothing to do with her. She’s not even a member of my clan.”

Langdon tilted his head. “A trade?”

“What kind of trade?”

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