Page 46 of The Wolf and the Chimera
He was certainly obsessed with getting Elle to try it,I thought.
As my gaze drifted back to my mate, a horrible realization clicked into place.
Had the wine broken the spell that protected Elle from the sorceress?
Elle’s power had been on lockdown since we left Montana. It had only made a reappearance after Lyall had insisted she drink the wine, which was after we’d discussed leaving thanks to the control she had over her magic.
As if my thoughts had summoned him, Lyall appeared at the top of the stairs wearing clothes far too clean and fancy for a bonfire. He threw his arms open in greeting, and someone turned off the music.
“Welcome!” he called. “Please, enjoy the food and drink I’ve provided. It’s time to celebrate the equinox!”
As my hatred for him bubbled over, his stare found mine across the crowd.
You want to keep me here?I thought.Fine. I’ll make sure you live to regret it.
Chapter Fourteen
Elle
The estate’s hallways were eerily quiet, interrupted only by the soft patter of my and Ryder's footsteps. When we neared the intersection of halls that led to the library, Ryder jerked me to a stop.
“What—”
“Play along,” he whispered and pressed my back against the wall.
He chuckled against my lips. Despite my confusion, his warm breath sent a pleasant shiver through my body. Loud footsteps caught my attention, but Ryder eclipsed my vision.
“Why hang around a bonfire when I could be here with you?” he asked.
Ryder nuzzled my neck, then pressed a kiss to the spot where it connected to my shoulder. As his touch sent shockwaves down my spine, I gasped. His hands flexed their grip on my waist, and he groaned.
Giggles and shrieks filled the hall. Over Ryder’s shoulder, I spotted a gaggle of young, female werewolves tittering at us. When they realized I noticed them, they ran past us in the direction of the bonfire. Slowly, Ryder swallowed and stepped away from me. As I tried to calm my racing heart with deep breaths, I wondered if my eyes were as glazed as his.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.”
Considering the tingles still dancing on my skin,sorrywasn’t how I would’ve described my feelings.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “They shouldn’t suspect anything.”
“Nope,” Ryder said. He shook his head as if to clear it. “Let’s move.”
He walked rigidly toward the library, and I wondered how he could regain his focus so quickly after something like that.
Probably because kissing for show is not that big of a deal,I thought.Especially not when he’s hooked up with a beautiful, powerful witch.
I quieted the petty thought. I had no right to be jealous, especially when Freya was in the High Witch’s clutches because of me. Really, it was no wonder why Ryder got no thrill from our kiss. I, the girl he was shackled to, was the reason the girl he had chosen was currently being held captive.
Was Freya the reason he and Walker butted heads?
When we reached the double doors of the library, I forced my thoughts back to the task at hand. Though I hadn’t been welcomed here, I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful shelves of books, and the stars that shined through the high-rising windows.
“Anything easily accessible won’t have what we need,” Ryder said. “We need to look for secret alcoves and passageways.”
“Right,” I said.
In the stark silence of the library, I perused the shelves for anything out of place. The books were organized both alphabetically and by genre. The eastern wall catered to fiction stories, whereas the western wall ventured into research on various places and topics. Not one book was out of place.
Beside me, Ryder ran his hands down the shelves and slid his gaze along the endless rows of books. Minutes passed, and we found nothing. My gaze drifted across the room to the Keeper’s desk. Considering it might be spelled, I was cautious to touch it, but time was of the essence.
