Page 55 of To Carve A Wolf

But then I saw movement. A shape, small and silent, barely more than a shadow crouched near the stone staircase that led down to the lower halls. He was huddled in the corner, tucked between the high banister and the wall, his little arms wrapped around his knees, curls messy, dressed in soft nightclothes too big for his frame.

I paused. Narrowed my eyes.

“Boy,” I said.

His head jerked up fast. Big brown eyes blinked up at me, wide and unsure, shimmering slightly in the low light.

“What are you doing up?”

Dain shifted, fingers twisting into the hem of his tunic. “The wind is… howling.”

The draft through the old citadel made a mournful sound sometimes, low and long, like wolves in the distance. To most of us, it was background noise. But to a four-year-old?

He looked away, then down at his feet, voice small. “I got scared.”

I said nothing for a moment, just watched him try to tuck his fear away behind pride. The kid had fire in him—I’d seen it in thetraining yard—but tonight, he was just a child.

“And where were you going?” I asked.

His fingers fidgeted more. “To find Lexi. But the guards don’t let me see her.”

I sighed. Ran a hand through my hair. “Come on.”

He looked up, confused.

“Let’s go,” I said, and held out a hand.

After only a second of hesitation, he stood and shuffled over. His small hand slipped into mine, warm and hesitant. We walked together down the corridor, his bare feet soft against the stone, my steps slow so he could keep up.

I led him to the guest room, the one I’d been using since marking hisLexi. He stopped at the threshold, eyes wide at the heavy bed, the furs, the massive fireplace.

“This your room?” he asked.

“For now.”

He stepped in like it was a sacred space. When I gestured toward the bed, he didn’t wait. He just climbed up and nestled into the blankets like he belonged there.

“Are you staying?” he asked, peeking out from under the thick furs.

I stared for a moment. “Yeah. I’ll stay.”

He smiled. Smiled like I’d handed him the moon. The next twenty minutes were chaos.

“Why is your bed so big?”

“Where do you keep your swords?”

“Do alphas get more meat at dinner?”

“Have you ever killed a bear?”

“Can I have armor when I’m five?”

“Why don’t you have a wife?”

“Are you gonna marry Lexi?”

That one made me choke on air.

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