Chapter 38

The door slams open as I burst into the bedroom, chest heaving. Violet paces back and forth in the firelight, a sleeping Eirik cradled in her arms. She whirls around to face me, her amber eyes wide with fear.

"What happened? Is everyone alright?" Her words tremble on the edge of panic.

Guilt gnaws at my stomach, seeing the fear I put there. I never wanted to make her worry like this. I should have kept the village safe.

I take a breath, then close the door.

"Wolfbone orcs tried to set fire to the fields," I spit out. "Nellwyn and Morga spotted them on their walk and raised the alarm. Morga chased the bastards down but..." I rake a hand through my hair. "The gates were open. The guard was dead. They got in."

Violet sucks in a sharp breath. "Did they escape?"

"Two of them did. Morga gutted the third one."

She nods, pressing Eirik tighter to her chest. The baby doesn't even stir, even as Violet starts pacing again. And I hate it. I hate how worried she is. How worried everyone in the clan must be.

Exhaustion seeps into my bones as I slump onto the mattress, the battle rush fading. I've been on my feet for over an hour now, ever since Nellwyn screamed fire. My mind churns. Someone had to have let the Wolfbones in. Someone unlocked the gates. Slit my guard's throat.

But who?

A sour suspicion rises like bile. I scrub a hand down my face.

"You were right," I say, defeated.

Violet stops and turns to me. "About what?"

"It has to be someone on the inside."

Violet stares at me. Without a word, she takes Eirik to his crib and tucks him in. She steps between my knees, gathering my face between her hands.

"Hey." Violet's voice draws me out of my brooding. "It's not your fault."

"Of course it is." The words taste bitter.

"No. We'll find whoever did this and stop them. You're not wrong for trusting your clan, my king. That's a good thing."

My king. The way she says it makes my heart grow two sizes. I pull her closer to me and bury my face in her neck. Her scent relaxes me. Nothing else has the same effect.

My lips part against her collarbones. "I think I know who it is."

She pulls back. "Who?"

"There's someone here who has every reason to want revenge." I take a beat, searching for the right words. "Nellwyn was enslaved by humans many years ago. Sold to another clan. My father rescued her, but the rest of our clan spent many years distrusting her. Even mistreating her. I should have made more of an effort to make her feel welcome here. I failed at that too, just like I failed to save my sister." I take another deep whiff of her scent. "If something happens, Violet, if they attack again... promise me you'll take Eirik and get out through the classroom trapdoor. Don't wait for me."

She tries to pull me off her, but I resist. "Thorn, nothing will?—"

My fingers curl around her arms as I gaze into her eyes with urgency. "Promise me, Violet."

She stares at me for a long moment before nodding once. "I promise."

Relief fills me. I cup her face in my hands, feeling the warmth of her skin, the softness. I capture her lips in a gentle kiss.

It doesn't stay gentle for long. It becomes searing. Desperate. I try to memorize the sweet taste of her. Try to memorize the feel of her against me.

Because this brave little human is the only woman I've ever loved, and I can't bear the thought of losing her.