Page 37 of Blood So Brutal

And even though I was still pissed off and confused, I kept my mouth shut.

Wolf walked in after me, holding the stable door open until I was inside. It was small but tidy. Griffith had his own living space in the corner, covered in blankets and pillows and lanterns. The horses had individual stalls inside the building, each one clean and spacious. I could tell he deeply cared for these horses, it was more than a job to him.

I liked Griffith already.

“Wolf, you still remember the ropes around here?” Griffith asked as he walked to the end of the stables.

“I sure do,” Wolf answered.

“Good. You can help your friend here get adjusted. I’ll take your brother to one of the new mares outside. Meet us out there when you’re ready.”

The way they spoke was so familiar, like they had known each other for years. Griffith said nothing else as he opened the far door to the stables and led Jessiah back outside.

There had to have been ten horses here at least. The fact that they were protected here for so long with just one man…

“We’re within the protection of The Golden City,” Wolf said in a low voice. He busied himself with greeting the horses in the stalls around us. “The hungry ones can’t touch anyone here. Nobody gets in unless Griffith lifts the magic to this place.” He answered my unspoken questions without even looking at me.

“Griffith controls the magic of the wall?”

Wolf shrugged. “Only to these stables. The tunnels take us here, and Griffith can let us out from this point. But the only way back is also through him.”

I stayed quiet as Wolf ran his hand down the nose of a beautiful white horse. He was good with them. He whispered to them softly, greeting each of the three horses inside the stables before finally opening the stall door to one of them.

“Here,” he said. “This one’s for you. She’s calm but quick.” He led the beautiful horse over to where I stood. Something in her eyes held power. Confidence.

This horse was a warrior.

“Have you ridden before?” Wolf stared at me with arrogant, amused eyes as I approached the large animal.

She blew a puff of breath into my face as I reached out and grabbed her loose reins. “Yep,” I lied.

“Good,” Wolf said. “I was over here thinking youhadn’tridden a horse before, considering you were raised inMidgrave, and that you would have to ride with me for your own safety, but it looks like I was wrong.”

“You were very wrong.” I slid my hand down the horse’s long, white neck. She really was a beauty. Hells, Iwishedwe had been lucky enough to have horses in Midgrave. Nobody there couldkeep them fed, though, much less safe. “I won’t be needing your assistance. Or your attitude, for that matter.”

Wolf smiled at me in the shadows of the stables and leaned back onto the wooden wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s great.” He smirked as if he knew I was lying, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. “Hop on, then. Jessiah will be waiting for you out front.”

I mean, Wolf could do it. How hard could it possibly be?

I walked to the side of the horse, moving my hand from the soft, silky fur to the thick saddle.Just hoist yourself up. It won’t be that bad.

Yeah, I was very, very wrong about horses. As soon as I gripped the saddle and hoisted myself up, the massive beauty beneath me moved. She took a few steps forward, then backward, and when I pulled on the reins to try and gain control, she bucked completely, lifting her front two legs off the ground and sending me tumbling backward. I landed in a thin pile of hay, not nearly enough to break my fall.

“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath as I tried to force air back into my lungs.

“Dammit, Huntyr.” Wolf was at my side in an instant, hands on my head, my shoulders, my torso. “Are you alright?”

I forced a smile. “What? No snide remark on how I can’t ride a horse?”

His brows furrowed as I winced. A shooting pain came from my back, just behind my ribs. I shifted, but Wolf was already on it, inspecting the area. A few seconds later, he yanked a small piece of wood free from the wound.

I nearly punched him in the face. “Dammit, Wolf! You could have warned me!”

“Youcould have toldmeyou couldn’t actually ride a horse. Do you know how dangerous that could be? Especially on a three-day journey! Hells, you could have died trying to ride her!”

“Sounds plenty better than riding with you for three days straight.”

A sharp pierce of emotion flooded our bond before Wolf shut the window between us. It was rare of him to hide his emotions from me, I realized. At first, I thought it was because he wanted me to feel how sorry he was, but now, he started to hide more and more.

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