11. Rhyson

11

Rhyson

"Humans," I repeated as I stared at Juniper. "In the middle of a rogue werewolf mountain."

"Yes," Maya snapped from next to her. "And since I was the one who smelled them, you should be directing your questions at me. I realize it's absurd, but they are not wolves. They smelled…a little strange, but I don't spend a whole lot of time around humans."

Growling, I fixed her with a gaze, but she didn't shrink away. "And you thought it was a good idea to follow that smell?"

"Yes, Rhyson, I thought it might be prudent to see why I was smelling something strange since we're in an unknown environment searching for…what are we searching for again?" she asked sweetly. Next to me, Duke growled, but we'd discussed not calling me Your Majesty while we were here, so there wasn't a whole lot that he could do.

With a glare, I tried to settle my wolf. He was irrationally unhappy, although not for the same reason I was. He was pissed that I'd let her go off alone and she'd almost gotten into trouble again.

My wolf wanted his cub, assuming it was his.

"In any case, if it's a trap, I certainly think we can handle it. If it's not, it's our first chance to get some information about the area," Juniper cut in. "The sooner we get information, the sooner we can leave, and if there are humans on this mountain, you of all people need to know."

For hundreds of years, shifters and humans have shared the same world without humans knowing. Most shifter communities were in rural areas where they could control who interacted with them, but there were shifters in the cities too.

But humans here? Juniper was right. That was something that I needed to see.

"You will eat something before we go," I muttered to Maya. I'd overheard her conversation with Tessa, although when I'd cornered our healer about it this morning, she'd given me one of her rare frosty looks. Tessa was adamant that patient-healer privileges were important to her, and not even a king could make her talk.

All night long I'd watched as Maya shivered in her human form. I almost demanded that she shift, but what did I care if she tortured herself all night long?

We packed up our camp while Juniper and Maya ate, trying to leave as little trace of our footprints as possible. Afterward, Maya walked over to Tessa and spoke to her, but her voice was too low for me to overhear. I couldn't help the anxiety that gripped me. Was she feeling unwell? Was something wrong with the baby?

They separated before she glanced at me and immediately turned her head. I stifled a growl and let Juniper lead the way.

There was a man-made bridge across the river, and I realized that it was mechanical and could be raised and lowered from the other side. Smart. The river made for an excellent barrier. The man lowered the bridge and gave us a friendly wave, which immediately put me on edge. They'd taken great pains to protect themselves, but they were just going to let us through even though they didn't know us?

Something didn't add up.

I let my wolf to the surface and inhaled deeply. Maya was right. They smelled more human than not, but something was just a little off.

"I'm so glad you returned," the man said with a smile as he held out his hand. "My name is Charles."

"Ro," I greeted, avoiding giving him my full name. "Your invitation for breakfast was a surprising one."

"Oh, I'm sure it is. Most wolves are surprised when we invite them in," he said with a chuckle. "But I promise we mean you no harm. Consider us your welcoming committee to Shadowed Moon Mountain."

I stepped aside to let my wolves pass, and when Maya walked by Charles, he reached out and touched her arm. She immediately jerked away, and I stiffened. "Apologies," he said with a dip of his head. "I didn't mean to startle you. I wanted to tell you that there's a physician on site who might be able to ease your discomfort."

"My discomfort?" she said, and I almost echoed the same. Could he sense that she was pregnant?

"You're favoring your left knee. I'm guessing it's an old injury that flares up from time to time."

Her cheeks reddened. "Um, yes. It is a little twinge. You're very observant."

"You have a long journey ahead of you."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"These mountains are a journey for everyone. Lots of walking. The salve will help." He winked and drew the bridge back up again. "Come. I hope you haven't eaten. We have plenty for breakfast."

As he walked away, Mara reached down and touched her knee. She caught me looking, narrowed her eyes, and joined the rest of the group as she walked away. I examined her gait. She wasn't limping, but she was favoring her right leg just a little.

Furious as I was, I couldn't question her just yet. Not when people were coming out of their houses and greeting us with enthusiastic waves.

What the hell? Was there some kind of weird cult in the middle of the woods?

As rustic as the buildings were, everything was solidly made. The cabins had thatched roofs and glass windows. A dirt and rock path led between the homes and buildings. There were gardens and a farming area with cows, chickens, and goats. Two vehicles were parked at the end of the road.

"What are you doing here?" Duke asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Living," Charles said with a laugh. "We have our place on the mountain, with the wolves. Where there is wild magic, you'll find all kinds of things. Some of us are human. Some of us are witches. We have a few werewolves among us. Anyone who needs sanctuary is welcome."

"Witches?" Nash demanded. "You have witches here?"

"That surprises you? It has been a long time since I've been off the mountain, but I assure you, there are witches everywhere. Powerful ones gravitate here. They're more comfortable with the magic here."

"You're a witch?" Maya asked.

"No, though most days, I wish I was," he responded with a strange sigh. Rounding the corner, we came across a table filled with food: cheese and bread and fruit and fish. A feast, especially for so early in the morning. My stomach rumbled, but I was hyperaware of the strangeness of the situation, as was everyone else. No one dove for it, although everyone did stare. Was that drool coming from Dante's mouth?

"That suspicion will serve you well here," Charles admitted. He waved his hands, and three men and women joined us. Together, they made a show of tasting all the food. Duke looked at me and I nodded.

They descended on the table as if they were starving. I didn't begrudge them the big meal. It might be the last full one they had for a while.

"How did you know that we were in search of sanctuary?"

A brunette with blue eyes and petite features snapped her head up and frowned. "It's not polite to lie to your hosts after they've treated you well, Rhyson. You are not in search of sanctuary. Not yet."

Everyone stilled, and my wolf rose to the surface of my skin. I let my power loose and stared down at her. "And just how do you know my name?"