Page 168 of Primal Bonds

She fingered the amethyst crystals of her quartz, a gift from Adric after her kidnapping. He’d found her a good match, and she loved how the amethyst ranged in shades from deep purple to smoky gray, but she still mourned her old quartz.

The one the river fada had smashed into pieces and tossed into the filthy waters of the Inner Harbor.

Enough. It wasn’t her nature to hide. So she’d embarrassed herself—who gave a shit?

Throwing off the comforter, she got out of bed and pulled a sweater over her T-shirt before lacing on her hiking boots. Her blades went back into their usual places—the dagger and stiletto into the leather sheaths in her boots, the switchblade in her right front pocket. The fishing knife she left in the backpack.

The little round table had an inlaid checkerboard, and she found a box of checkers on a shelf beneath the table. She set up the pieces and idly pushed them around, working on a new strategy.

She’d learned the game from her dad and then kept it up. She and Adric had often played matches on the little checkerboard she carried around with her as they shivered during a long, cold stakeout ordered by Uncle Leron.

The thought of her smart, serious dad made her squeeze her eyes shut. Will Savonett hadn’t even wanted to be a soldier. If he’d had his way, he would’ve been a crystal engineer like Jace. His death, along with her mom’s, had left a hole in her heart that nothing could fill.

No one should die so young and far from home.

Fane emerged from the bathroom, jolting her back to the present. His blue eyes crinkled in a smile. “Morning.”

“Morning.”

All he wore were the skinny black jeans from last night. She couldn’t help a quick perusal of his bare chest, all lean, hard muscle with dark blond hair curling over it.

That spark of interest heated her insides again. She pressed her mouth into a line and looked away.

Going into his closet, he pulled on a clean T-shirt and an oatmeal-colored sweater with a black-and-white band across the chest in a traditional Icelandic pattern.

“Hungry?” he asked. “I can get us some breakfast.”

“Thank you.” She rose to her feet. She wanted to be standing for this. “But first, I want to see this wolf.”

He stilled. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m not asking your permission. Take me to him, or I’ll go myself.”

He studied her, clearly trying to decide how best to manage her. She raised her chin, because she wasn’t going to be “managed.”

“I should call your bluff,” he said. “You wouldn’t get within ten yards of him before you found yourself locked in a cage, too.”

She swallowed hard—and reined in her pride. Clashing with him would get her nowhere. In Baltimore, she was a person of power, the alpha’s second. Here she was a fada, lower than dirt as far as the ice fae were concerned. But Fane had treated her well. Hell, he’d probably saved her life.

“Please. I have to make sure it’s really him. No one has to know. You can conceal me like you did last night, can’t you?”

“How do I know you won’t try to stick one of those knives into him?”

“I won’t. That’s a promise.” She’d already rejected that as a bad idea. The fae would know a fada was running loose in the castle.

His hand cupped her face. “I have a hard time saying no to you. Why is that, do you think?” His thumb caressed her cheek.

Their gazes snagged. His eyes were very blue.

She moistened her lips. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

Those sky-colored eyes heated like twin blue flames. “I think you do.” He blew out a breath and released her. “I’ll probably regret this, but all right. I’ll take you to him. We’ll go now, while everyone else is at breakfast.”

“Thank you.” She scraped a hand over her shaved head and then took a step back. “I just need a minute.” She dashed into the bathroom to pee and run a brush over her teeth.

Fane was waiting, arms crossed over his broad chest. “I’ll have your promise before we leave this room. You’re just going to take a look—nothing else. Is that clear?”

“Yes.” She instinctively touched her chest over her quartz. “I give you my word.”

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