Page 45 of Hound

If it wasn’t for the tail that stalked behind me.

The beast surfaced. I knew when a predator tailed a prey. It was in the way the air grew tense, how my sharp senses amplified and adjusted to my surroundings. While it was similar to the way it crackled when I hunted, this wasn’t the case.

I was the prey now. In reality, I had been ever since I was assigned here.

First, with Sonia. She had stalked me ever since my arrival, but recently, she'd made it more obvious with more frequent run-ins across my rounds. With her, I wasn’t as weary.

But with Mr. Amelle, I was.

We’d spoken only a handful of times, but not enough for him to be suspicious of me. Every interaction Christopher andI shared was planned. Precise. If it had been about that, Sonia would have brought it up already. Although I’m sure no one knew what was happening between us.

But that wasn’t a problem anymore. I stopped seeing him after that night when I’d heard Sonia’s voice and his response from behind his room door.

I will be accepting the marriage arrangement to Anabella Ambrogio.

So why was Mr. Amelle tailing me now?

Storming out of the mansion likethatdoesn’t really make me look innocent.

I followed the path from the second gate to the first one, where it spanned to the quarters. Entering, I stepped through the lobby and sharply turned into a back hallway. Rows of empty offices occupied the space, but there, at the corner, was an undisclosed exit that faced the secret door I saw on my first day.

I took the chance. If it existed, it was for a reason—to help me.

Wind passed me in waves as I dashed through and around the surrounding forest until I reached the one place no one could reach.

The cave.

I’d lost Mr. Amelle, but found someone else.

“What are you doing here?” I spat at Christopher, his shoulders rising as he turned to me. Anger rushed through my veins but it wasn’t enough to mask the overwhelming ache in my chest. It did nothing to erase the beauty that called to me. His intoxicating scent that fired up every piece of my body with electricity.

“Is everything alright?” His eyes were glued to my fingers. Suddenly, sharp tips dug into my skin. I released my fists, my normal fingernails gone, transfigured by the beast's claws thatblended into skin and bled around the cuticles. “I haven’t seen you in quite some time.”

I inhaled deeply. Held it. When I exhaled, the nails dwindled and revealed mine. “I’m fine.”

Did he notice I was lying straight through my teeth?

Christopher’s eyebrows furrowed as he gradually stepped forward. “What is it? And don’t lie this time. I can. . .feel when you do.”

“Of course you can,” I spat, although the sarcasm was beyond that since I felt it, too, in small increments. “You can do whatever your heart desires and fucking lie all you want, though.”

“What?” Sage green eyes deepened in disbelief.

Fuck.

“What are you talking about Lorenzo?”

“I heard you,” I muttered. “You’re marrying someone.” I didn’t know who, but I didn’t fucking care. It was someone who wasn’tme.

“It’s not for love. It’s solely political. Lorenzo, you must believe me?—”

“I don’t give a fuck!” Rage thundered through me and splattered my vision with red. Was this his plan all along? To string me along until duty called? But then why not make that clear from the start? Guardians could marry, but it wasn’t common. And for some likeme, who shouldn’t exist in this world dictated by politics, it was impossible.

His lips parted but he didn’t say anything. He took another step forward. My body responded by motioning away. “Tell me. Was any of this even real?”

“Lorenzo, yes, of course, but let me explain?—”

“No, letmeexplain one thing, Christopher.” Everything stilled. “This feeling I have for you—which pulses and grows—is beyond anything I’ve felt before. Something otherworldly yet not. And it has existed since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

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