Page 72 of The Wolf

“Why is it obvious? We’ve been in situations where he needed my help before.”

“And you,” he continues, disregarding my words, “should befuriouswith me, not understanding.”

“You knew,” I accuse, my voice rising as the anger hits. “You knew it was a trap, and you used that to escape when Alex gave you his word he’d free you.”

“Yes,” he admits without hesitation, his tone grim. “And it’s a shame I’ll have to live with. But I don’t trust the wolf.”

I glare at him. “He gave you his word,” I snap. “But thankfully, you won’t have to live with it for too long, because hewillturn you to fucking dust! And Iwilllet it happen!”

The gargoyle smirks faintly, visibly amused by my outburst. “Come, Julia,” he says, scooping me up in his arms with no effort. He cradles me against his chest, his wings spreading wide. “Let’s get you back to the castle.”

“You know,” I ponder, “that’s the first time when you called me by my name.”

“Is it?” He looks down at me, his voice much more playful than normal.

I nod, then coax. “You never gave me yours.”

“You never asked.”

Shit, he’s not wrong.

I give him a sheepish smile. “Well, I’m asking now.”

“Vernox.”

“Vernox,” I repeat after him, my lips curling into a full grin.

As we rise into the air, the world blurs beneath us, the cold wind whipping through my hair. Above us, the Northern Lights illuminate the way, welcoming us back. For a moment, it’s almost peaceful. But his words keep flashing through my thoughts.

“So, I’m too naïve. Is that what you’re saying?” I ask, pouting slightly as I look up at him.

“Yes,” he replies bluntly, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Immensely.”

I groan, rolling my eyes. “Ugh! Use some filter, you’re being mean.”

“No, not mean. Just honest,” he counters, his smirk growing wider.

“You wanted me to be furious? Now I am,” I retort, crossing my arms with a huff.

Helaughs—a deep, rumbling sound that vibrates through me, and for a fleeting moment, the tension of the night begins to melt away.

23.

King

The moment I step back into the Veil, the sight of her nearly brings me to my knees. Julia stands right there, just by the edge of the pine forest, waiting for me. She’s trembling, her face streaked with tears of excitement. Her hair, however, is a wild mess, and her clothes are all torn and bloodied, making me sick at the thought of what she’s been through. But she’s alive.

She’s alive.

I close the distance between us in two long strides, pulling her into my arms and off the ground with a desperation I can’t contain. She’s so fragile yet so fiercely alive, and I bury my face in her curls, inhaling her scent like it’s the only thing tethering me to sanity.

“Julia,” I whisper, my voice raw and shaky.

Her arms wrap around my neck, legs circling my waist, as she clings to me, her body finally relaxing against mine. She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t need to. I feel the weight ofher fear, her relief, her exhaustion, all of it flooding through the bond that’s now fully reconnected and stronger than ever.

But as I hold her, that perfect moment is slowly eclipsed by another feeling—a dark rage that simmers up from somewhere deep within me.

The fucking gargoyle.

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