Page 45 of The Wolf

“Give her a break, Kat. She’s doing just fine.” Penny shakes her head, clearly used to her lack of sugarcoating.

Katia looks at me with a more serious gaze.“I’m glad you two found each other. Well, I’m…acceptingof it, anyway. Couldbe worse for you. He’sfine… for a mongrel.” She gives me a wink that feels oddly approving, despite the biting tone. “However, please remember that werewolves are unpredictable. Especially during the full moon.”

“Will do.” I practically salute, knowing damned well nothing can stop me if it comes to him. “Did he put you up to this?”

“As if I’d ever do him any favors!” She laughs cynically.

When she gets serious, she stares at me intensely for a long moment before her smile flickers, and for the briefest of seconds, I catch a glimpse of something darker in her blood-red eyes.

Her gaze shifts away, staring into the fire as though it holds some private memory. “I was born over half a millennium ago in the medieval Balkans, back when times were less certain and yet felt much simpler. You know, Ihada life before… all of this. A future. A family.” She says it with a casualness that doesn’t quite match the heaviness in her voice. “Until they were all slaughtered. A werewolf pack—rabid, out of control—decimated everything I loved.”

The words hang in the air like a heavy fog as I process the weight of them.

“I was the only one who survived. Barely. A nomadic vampire found me just in time. He was drawn to the blood—so much of it spilled—and he healed me… I remember the pain from the bite, even worse than the damage done to my body by the werewolves. Then he made me drink from his vein, and when I turned hours later, he was already gone.” She shrugs, as though it’s a thing of little consequence. “The hunters showed up next. They thought I was the monster who ripped my family to shreds. And I was on the run ever since. That’s the price of survival, I guess.”

I don’t know what to say to that. There’s so much loss in her story, but I can’t find the right response.

Her eyes meet mine again, and for a moment, there’s an unspoken understanding between us. Then, as quickly as it came, the moment passes, and Katia’s smirk returns, sharp as ever. “I’m just letting you know that I’ve seen what werewolves can do. And I know it’s not Alexander, but even his control has limits. It only takes a split second for a freak accident.”

I swallow, an uncomfortable churn in my stomach. “Noted.”

“Very well then.” Katia gives us both one last look and heads off.

Penny turns to me, a small smile playing on her lips. “She’s something, isn’t she?”

“She definitely isn’t shy to express her opinion,” I agree.

“But she has pure intentions,” Penny adds, her tone softening. “She’s just…Katia. She’s protective, in her own way. She’s been through a lot, Julia.”

“I figured as much.”

Penny hesitates for a moment, her expression distant, as if lost in thought. “Kat doesn’t like talking about her past, but she’s seen centuries pass, you know? She’s much older even than Alexander. We welcomed her in the Veil only about two hundred years ago… The two of us quickly fell for each other, she turned me, and we settled down. But before that, life was a different kind ofhardfor her. It wasn’t all bonfires and banter like this.”

I nod. It’s difficult to imagine Katia as anything but her sharp, unbothered self, but I know there’s more to her. I always knew. And how incredibly strong she is.

“She doesn’t like people getting close, not really,” Penny continues, glancing back at Katia slipping into the crowd with her usual aloof charm. “But she’s loyal, especially to those she cares about. And, despite how she acts, she does care. She’s just been around too long to trust easily. Not everyone gets a second chance with her.” Penny smiles warmly, her hand brushing against mine. “She likes you a lot, you know.”

“I do too,” I respond quickly. “All of you are so wonderfully welcoming.”

“Of course! That’s what family is for!” She studies my face for a moment, her eyes softening with emotion. “I’m glad you’re here, Julia. With us. You’re so good for my brother.”

“Stop, you’re making me cry.” I give her a hug overtaken by feelings. “I’msoglad to be here,” I say softly, my heart full in a way I can’t explain.

I realize how much more there is to this strange little family I’ve found myself in, and I’m so excited for the future.

Then, once again, it hits me that it may be the last time we are all together like this.

My glossy from tears eyes wander around, taking the moment in. As the festivities continue, the bonfire crackles, and the hum of conversation and laughter fills the air. But almost as if sensing someone watching me, I look up. There, high on top of the castle’s cathedral tower, I notice a dark outline—there’s no mistaking the curve of the pointed horns and sharp peaks of the wings.

Perhaps the gargoyle is notthatanti-social.

16.

King

The warmth spreads across my chest, and I smile on the inside while Julia and Penny are having a moment. Despite everything, I can’t help but feel something good—something right—watching them bond. It’s a fragile kind of peace, but it’s peace, nonetheless.

“Alexander,” Farah’s voice cuts through the quiet, pulling me back to reality.

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