Page 42 of Wolf Queen Ruin
Luna yanked her hand from mine, her heartbeat accelerating in a rhythm I could track without effort.“Fix this,” she demanded.
“Of course.I’ll need to consult certain texts.”There had to be centuries-old grimoires that might contain information about breaking fae binding enchantments.“For now, the rings aren’t harmful.They’re merely resistant to separation.”
“Yeah.Real funny,” Luna muttered.“How convenient.”
I understood her bitterness, but was this any great surprise?I’d already admitted I had feelings for Luna under Vivienne’s Blood Truth serum.The rings obviously sensed this, and despite Luna’s alarmed reaction, she must have felt the same way about me, at least on some level, which kindled a whole new fire within my chest.
Still, neither of us had consented to a genuine engagement.
“I’ll resolve this,” I promised.“You have my word.”
Luna searched my face for a moment, her expression softening.“I believe you,” she said.“But next time you give me magical jewelry, a warning label would be nice.With a side of bacon several hours later.”
I inclined my head.“Noted for next time.”
She fumbled with her keys again, finally unlocking the Repository’s entrance.Before stepping inside, she turned back to face me.
“For what it’s worth,” she said, “you were not terrible company tonight.For a vampire.”
I smiled.“High praise indeed.You weren’t terrible either, Luna.You did well.”
She shrugged.“I had an okay teacher.”
She stepped inside, the door sealing behind her with the distinctive hum of activated wards.I remained motionless, listening as her footsteps receded, tracking her progress through the building until she reached her upstairs apartment.
Only then did I allow myself to examine the ring on my own finger.The metal had warmed, which was unusual for an item worn by a vampire, as we don’t generate enough body heat to affect our surroundings.The enchantment was stronger than I’d anticipated, and its implications troubled me.
Vivienne had forced a meeting with the Vampire Council tomorrow night, a meeting I didn’t plan to attend.If they learned of this fake engagement between Luna and me that had turned very real, I didn’t know what they would do, let alone what Vivienne would do.
I didn’t want to frighten Luna further, but the rings had been created by my fae ancestors to identify true mates—souls whose essences complemented each other so perfectly that a binding between them would transcend normal limitations.The rings were meant to identify such rare compatibility, not create it.
If they had activated for Luna and me…
I closed my eyes briefly.My existence had been defined by control and deliberate distance, especially from mortals whose lifespans represented mere moments in the expanse of my immortality.
The last time I’d allowed myself to care for a human, the consequences had been…
I shut down that line of thought.The past was irreversible.Only the present required my attention.
A familiar prickling sensation at the base of my skull alerted me to watching eyes.Not one observer but several, positioned at different vantage points along the street.
The person or people who’d hired Atlas Security and chased us, most likely.Or Marcel’s people.Though I couldn’t dismiss the possibility of Vivienne’s involvement either.
I stepped into the shadows beside the building to blend in with the darkness.
Four watchers, I determined after a careful scan.Well positioned, using both technological and magical surveillance methods.
I could eliminate them easily enough.Permanently, if necessary.But they would simply be replaced, and their disappearance would reveal that I’d detected the surveillance operation.
Better to identify their employer first.Better still to use their presence to feed false information when advantageous.
Farther down the street, I crossed into a shadowed alcove, prepared for a night of counter surveillance.The vampiric ability to remain motionless for extended periods proved useful in situations like these.I would wait, watch, and identify which of our enemies had deployed this particular set of eyes.
As I maintained my vigil, my thoughts kept returning to Luna.To the connection between us that had grown strong enough to activate ancient fae magic.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.I’d spent centuries building walls to prevent this kind of entanglement, only to find myself bound to a woman who should have been merely a temporary ally.
A woman whose daughter was dying.
