Page 51 of Wolf's Redemption

Gaharet’s hand curled around the amulet. “Having this back will please Erin.”

Ulrik quirked an eyebrow. “Your mate hungers for power?”

Gaharet removed the plain amulet from around his neck and handed it to him. “My mate is an archeologist. A studier of history and historical artifacts.”

Ulrik slipped the familiar piece over his head and the comforting weight settled against his chest. The binding amulet had weighed far too heavily on him. It was a relief to have his own back where it belonged.

Gaharet slipped the binding amulet around his neck and tucked it beneath his tunic. “Erin found her amulet digging through the remains of Langeais Keep. In the underground chamber. With a headless skeleton and a wolf’s skull.”

“Merde.” The implications ofthat…

“Precisely. From the moment she realized I had swapped my amulet for yours, Erin has been beside herself with worry that the bones she found might belong to me.”

“Especially now she is with young.”

Pride and a fierce possessiveness glittered in Gaharet’s eyes. “Yes. More so, now she carries my pup.”

Ulrik shared a glance with Gaharet. “The bones belong to someone.”

“That they do.”

Ulrik leaned his elbows on his knees. “Some poor unfortunate sap Lothair sacrifices to get what he wanted?”

Gaharet cocked an eyebrow. “With an amulet?”

Ulrik grunted. “Could Renaud or Lothair have gotten their hands on one?”

Gaharet considered the idea. “The traitor could have handed over his.”

“Possible. If so, we can always hope the bones belong to Lothair. Renaud wanted me to bite him. Offered me my freedom in return for the favor.”

Gaharet’s dark gaze fixed on him. “That must have been tempting.”

Ulrik grimaced. “Oh, yes.”

Satisfaction glinted in Gaharet’s eyes and a knowing smile curved at the edges of his mouth. “But you did not.”

“Give Renaud what he wanted?” Ulrik scowled. “I will not be a pawn for that wretched excuse for a priest. Nor would I trust he would hold up his part of any deal.”

“I do not think it is Lothair who ends up in that chamber. Erin would have mentioned it as a possibility if there were a chance the bones belonged to him.”

They sat in silence, staring into the forest, the chatter of the women a steady but muted hum. Rebekah’s laughter rang out. Another burst of laughter, this time from Erin, dragged both his and Gaharet’s attention to the little hut.

Gaharet’s lips twitched. “I would wager Aimon is not the only one with a story to tell.”

Ulrik shrugged. “Not much of one. Like Erin, Rebekah found an amulet. Circumstances coincided—she was bleeding, she translated the spell, then recited it.”

Gaharet grunted. “On something calledGoogle, I imagine.”

“Google?”More laughter from the hut. “Their words are so strange.”

“Truly. Erin tried to explain thisGoogleto me. It is something called a…search engine. Not like something called an engine that powers a cart. Nor one that makes a carriage soar through the air like a bird. This engine can be anywhere and everywhere all at once.” Gaharet puffed out a breath. “I cannot fathom it.”

“A powered cart? A carriage that soars through the air?” Ulrik stared at the little cottage. “They are from our future. I suppose itstands to reason they would have things we could never imagine. Rebekah has a device that can create light and communicate across long distances.”

“Interesting.”

“It no longer works and the front of it has cracks in it. She says she needs a power source to make it work.”

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