“Even though he works for the Order?”
Myanin shrugged. “I’ve never heard of a Canis lupus turning on his true mate. Not once in all of my existence.”
Tenia seemed to think about this for a few minutes and then nodded. “I haven’t either.”
Myanin finished her cotton candy and put the empty bag back in her pocket. “Are you ready to proceed?” She motioned toward the mountain.
Tenia sighed. “Might as well get it over with. Facing Perizada might actually be worse than finding out I have a werewolf mate that has ties to the Order.”
“She’s that scary?” Myanin asked.
“Not so much scary as … crazy,” Tenia said. “No, no, not so much crazy as … batshit insane when she gets irritated, which seems to happen a lot.” A tiny smile formed on the fae’s lips that made it clear she had at least some affection toward the high fae. “You never really know what she’s going to do.”
“A little crazy is good,” Myanin said.
Tenia frowned. “On some people. But I think maybe you should reign your crazy in.”
“I’m not crazy,” Myanin said matter-of-factly.
“Yes you are.” Tenia walked over and held out her arm. “Anyone who tells you differently is straight-up lying to you.”
Myanin placed her hand on the fae’s again and shrugged. “I’m working on myself. I can’t fix everything all at once. Crazy might have to be the last thing I fix.”
Tenia snorted. “Great.” Then they flashed.
When they appeared in the queen’s chambers, Lilly was standing with her back against the wall. It was obvious she’d decided she would not be caught unaware again. Myanin had texted her about thirty minutes ago.
“You’re late,” the queen said as she looked down at the phone in her hand.
A second later, Myanin found herself pushed against the wall with a fae blade pressed against her throat. A small but very powerful fae—Perizada, she presumed—glared at her.
“Peri, you agreed to hear her out,” Lilly said, sounding much too bored for Myanin’s liking. Myanin wasn’t actually afraid of the high fae. Though it was apparent by the woman’s power that she was ancient and actually more powerful than Myanin. Which she found interesting considering Myanin knew she herself was more powerful than Alston. Was Perizada actually more powerful than Alston?
“I’m having second thoughts,” Perizada said as the blade pressed tighter. If Myanin had her throat slit by a fae blade, there would be no healing. She would be well and truly screwed. But then, isn’t it what she deserved?
“Do what you must,” Myanin said, her voice soft as she met the high fae’s eyes. “It is no less than I deserve. And I have made things right with my Creator.” Myanin heard a door open and close, but she didn’t take her eyes off the woman who held the blade. There was a deep rumbling and then what sounded like two males, because the grunts were too deep to be female, struggling.
“Peri, let her go,” a deep guttural voice commanded.
“Just because we’re mates doesn’t mean I agreed to take orders, wolf,” the high fae said as her icy gaze continued to stare into Myanin’s eyes.
“You know me well enough that I would never attempt to give you an order, female. But I’d really rather not have to hurt Gerick,” said the male, presumably Perizada’s mate, who was apparently a wolf.
“Why on earth would you have to hurt Gerick?” the high fae asked, still not moving her blade away.
“Because he is currently attempting to get to you,” the male said.
“Hmm,” Perizada purred. “Interesting.”
Myanin’s brow rose. “More interesting than your blade at my throat?”
“Possibly,” the high fae smirked. “You are only alive because Lilly says we can trust you. The second I have a single doubt about that, your flesh will know the sting of my blade, and it will be the last thing you ever feel.”
Myanin lowered her eyes. “I appreciate the opportunity to prove Queen Lilly correct.” She said the words calmly, but her magic was attempting to crawl from her body. What the ever-loving hell? Myanin’s magic was her own now as the Great Luna had removed all traces of Lyra, for which Myanin was grateful. Why was it behaving so strangely?
Peri’s words helped Myanin refocus on the blade at her throat and not on her magic, which seemed to be acting crazier than her for once. “For Lilly’s sake, I hope you do. It would break her heart if she realized she put her faith in the wrong person and brought a wolf in sheep’s clothing among her people.”
“Interesting choice of words, considering,” Myanin said as she clenched her fist at her sides in an attempt to keep her power from dripping from her fingers. Whoever had entered the room and was wrestling with Peri’s mate, Myanin’s power wanted him. Badly.
Perizada smirked and finally pulled her blade away. “The Great Luna seems to have a sense of humor when passing out mates. She deemed it only fitting that I have a wolf for a mate, considering how much they get on my nerves.”
As she stepped back, an enormous male appeared at her side. “I love you too, mate,” the hulking man said.
“I am Perizada. You may call me Peri, unless there comes a day when you no longer have the right. This is my mate, Lucian.” She motioned to the big werewolf.
Myanin bowed her head to both of them. “I am Myanin. And I understand why you distrust me.”
“Thadrick and I have never really gotten along,” Peri said. “He’s an ass. But he’s become a member of the pack that stands as one against the Order. Hurt one of us, you hurt us all.”
Myanin’s heart squeezed tightly in her chest, but it wasn’t because of pain related to Thadrick, at least not because she had wanted him and didn’t get him. This time there was an ache so deep that it threatened to take her breath because he was a part of a group that genuinely cared about him
