Page 28 of In Her Own Rite

Maren looks in the rearview mirror and pulls over to the side of the road. I climb out, wrapping my coat tighter around myself to brace against the winter air. It’s colder now, the nip in the air from this morning more of a bite. Kieran’s wolf barrels towards us, and I can tell even from here that he’s running at all-out speed. I expect him to slow when he sees that we’ve pulled over, but he doesn’t. As he nears, his body snaps forwards, unfolding into his human form. He comes to a halt in front of me so forcefully I almost think he’s going to slam into my body, but throws out an arm to brace himself on the car just in time.

“Get back in the car,” he growls. He’s panting, his hair loose around his face and damp with sweat. I do my best not to look down at his bare chest; not to remember that same body on me last night, between my legs, inside me.

“Why? What’s going on?” I ask.

Behind me, I hear Maren’s door opening as she steps out onto the road.

“You can’t be here. It’s not safe.”

“This again,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I’m taking some time away. You know, for my…” I gesture awkwardly.

“I don’t care. You can’t do that right now. Get back in the car, go back to thefikarig.”

“What’s going on?” I ask again, my voice starting to betray my annoyance.

Maren turns the corner and immediately turns her head away.

“God, I amnevergonna get used to you guys being naked all the time,” she mutters, presumably at the sight of Kieran’s bare ass. “Hang on, I think Seb left some clothes here last week.” She opens the trunk of the car, and Kieran looks behind him, distracted.

“Kieran,tell me,” I say. “What’s wrong?”

“There was an attack on the south shore,” he says, turning back to me, still breathless. “They think it’s rebels from the southern isles. I’m not letting you go anywhere by yourself. Now get in the car.”

11

KIERAN

Em brings a hand to her mouth, her eyes going wide. “What? What kind of attack?”

Maren shuts the trunk and shoves a ball of clothing into my hands. They smell like Seb and sweat and things I’m not gonna let myself think about.

“No islanders were hurt,” I say, stepping into his sweatpants. They come up a few inches above my ankles. “Listen, we need to at leasttalkabout this in the car. I don’t feel good just standing out here.”

With visible reluctance, Em opens the door on her side and folds the front seat down so I can climb in the back. Once I’m in—my knees rammed against the leather of their seats—she gets in front. I duck my head into the sweater, pulling it over my shoulders and arms, uncomfortably tight. Maren gets into the driver’s seat.

“Take us back to thefikarig,” I order her.

She gives me a look in the rearview mirror. “Excuse me?”

“Mare, I don’t have time for this today.”

“You’re not the boss of me. I agreed to take Em to the north shore and that’s what I’m doing unless she tells me otherwise.” She shifts the car into drive and pulls back onto the road, driving north.

“Kieran, tell us. What happened?” Em asks, turning in her chair to face me. She puts her hand on mine, and her thumb brushes against the hair tie she leant me, still on my wrist. The feel of her skin is electric; I can feel the edge of her heat simmering under the surface, and instinctively pull my hand away to steady myself.

“They called us to an emergency council meeting,” I say. “One of the farms on Saroe’s south shore was razed. An entire field of sheep was slaughtered. Not for food—they were trying to send a message.”

“It wasn’t a wildlife attack?” she asks.

“Girl, everything on this island is a goddamn wildlife attack,” Maren mutters under her breath.

“No,” I say, ignoring her. “They wrote something on the wall of the barn.Hayyala, in blood.”

“Oh my God,” Maren says in disgust, just as Em gasps,

“There’s no way.”

“It has to be,” I say.

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