“Come now.” The wolf looked back at me with a wicked glow in his eye. “We both know as soon as I noticed you that I would not be leaving with anyone else.”

Smiling, I ducked my head, unsure what to do with this persistent faerie warrior but certain I shouldn’t allow myself to feel any guilt when he stood and dumped some coins onto the table. “Take a walk with me.”

I looked up at him. “To your bed, I presume?”

His eye flashed, but he only held out his hand.

It hung between us, giant and calloused and stiff, as though he wasn’t accustomed to doing such a thing for anyone. “I didn’t take you for a well-mannered male.” Yet I placed my hand within his.

It was swallowed, his grip gentle but firm as he gave a tug, and I rose from my seat. My head spun, reminding me of the wine I’d consumed over the past few hours.

Another slight tug and I was forced to lay my hand upon his hard chest and tilt my head back to see him when he murmured, “I’m the furthest thing from well-mannered, wildflower.” His head lowered, nose skimming my hair. I shivered when he groaned. “You smell like honey.”

“I thought you scented something else,” I quipped, but the words were but a whisper.

“Oh, there’s still plenty of that too.”

Laughing, I found myself clenching the hand still holding mine, my fingers curling into the coarse fabric of his midnight black tunic as though I would fall back into dark nothing without this unlikely savior. “Better get me some fresh air, then.”

True to his word, we took to the damp city streets of Vordane.

They were less clustered than when I’d arrived. Some stragglers drank and laughed in groups, while others dined late outside restaurants. The moisture from the afternoon rainfall created a glow upon the cobblestone, weeds and shrubs and flowers lining the cracks and shopfronts still gleaming.

In whites and yellows and blues, they shivered and swayed.

My hand stayed tucked in the embrace of the wolf’s. My heart remained torn but determined to stay afloat. And as he appeased the curiosity I couldn’t shake, I felt myself slowly forgetting anything that wasn’t him.

Recalling what his friend had said upon leaving the tavern, I broke the warm silence. “A commander,” I said as though I knew anything at all. “Impressive.” Though I’d gleaned that the ruler of this kingdom I’d decided to visit was stars-bent on seeking vengeance against their neighboring realm, I knew little else.

We had too many monsters of our own to concern ourselves with the problems of others.