Page 44 of Auctioned Mate

Ah, this was the right place to absorb life force. The sun beamed down at me, the wind brought each new inhalation, and the trees offered their shade. When I tilted my head to the sky, I could feel myself growing more rejuvenated by the minute. Izdor had been right—I needed fresh air.

What better way to find it than to sit in town?

Though Estaria would have granted me much more life force from nature, earth had a decent bounty of it, and it fed me enough to keep up my glamor. To anyone from the Silverdawn pack, I would appear as Juriah. But onlookers in town would see a much older gentleman with a white beard and a ball cap ready to feed seeds to the pigeons.

It was innocuous enough to keep me safe while granting me a reprieve from the tension in my household.

Tension that could likely get resolved if Macy would simply call herself mine.

I shook off the ridiculous thought. As I had established with Izdor, there was no need for Macy to belong to me. I didn’t ascribe to the rituals of this realm, nor did I find it appealing to put my needs ahead of hers when her safety was my priority.

But owning her would protect her.

The point of winning the bid had been to get her under my care. It didn’t matter that the money was fake. Though I had to wonder if Baneridge would be keen on a new monetary agreement, one that involved real money.

Where am I going to get money like that?

I stared at the pastries in my lap. Sandy hues reflected golden drops of sun, flaky bread breaking apart under my influence to reveal gooey red jelly inside. Such delectable treats were to be savored and shared.

Emptiness came to me once more. I glanced to my right, almost expecting to see Macy at my side with a pout of disapproval on her lips while she chewed. If she were here, she would probably comment on how she could make something better out of dirt and river water.

To save her meant to save myself. She was my responsibility, as I had stated to Izdor, and I planned on making sure her security was more than amply provided. If that meant robbing a bank to secure the right funds to purchase her from Baneridge, then I would do it.

In less than a heartbeat, I would accomplish that task.

The crisp scent of green apples slid into my awareness, and I jumped up from the bench, turning about until my eyes landed on the origin. Macy waved sheepishly as she approached, opening her mouth to speak, and then immediately shutting it when she noticed the pastries.

I offered her one. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you would yell at me.”

I frowned. “If you thought that, then I’ve done a horrible job at taking care of you.”

“Well…”

“Is that how I’ve disappointed you?” Her eyes became the sword of defeat that plunged into my heart. “That must be why you’ve been so angry. I’ve let you down.”

I bowed my head. She tapped my chin in the same manner I would do for her and invited me to sit. The moment we relaxed was the moment I sensed the glamor surrounding her. If I squinted, I could see Etta’s handiwork. Such lovely webs formed in a geometrical pattern around Macy.

“Are you an old lady as well?” I asked while physically touching some of her glamor threads. “How did you get past Izdor?”

“Actually, it was his idea.”

I dropped my hand into my lap. “He’s nosy.”

“He’s worried about you.”

I focused on the fountain, lifting one of the pastries to my mouth. “When is he not?”

“I guess when he’s sleeping.”

“Ah, I never stop worrying about you even when I’m sleeping.”

She held a paper cup out to me. “It’s tea from the café. I thought you might like it.”

I stared at the cup, trying to determine why she was acting this way. “Macy, why did you leave the house?”

“For the same reason you left. To get some air.”

---