GARRICK’S POV
“What in the Seven Moons just happened here?”
Nobody answered me.
I looked around the room.
Selah was still crouched against the wall, one hand resting on the beast’s head.
The beast sat beside her, and he was covered in blood, watching everyone in the room as though daring them to come near her.
The dead guard was still on the floor, blood spread across the stones, and everyone was staring at me.
“What happened?” I asked the room again, but nobody spoke, and my patience was already wearing thin.
“I asked a question.”
I looked at the woman standing near the wall…
Cynthia.
She was supposed to be at her father’s territory.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“What am I doing here?” she repeated.
“Yes.” I answered.
“Hmph!” She folded her arms.
“I heard that you brought another woman into your house. I heard it from one of the servants. At first I thought it was a lie, maybe someone had misunderstood something or maybe they were just referring to your niece. But then I heard that the woman is an Oracle.”
Her eyes moved toward Selah, the disgust on her face obvious.
“So I came here to see it for myself.”
I felt my jaw tighten.
“And that is why you came all the way here?”
“No. Let me speak.” She walked closer.
“You were supposed to come to my father’s territory yesterday, and you said you would, but you didn’t.”
“I had other matters to handle.”
“Other matters?” Her voice rose.
“Is that what you’re calling her?” She pointed toward Selah, whose hand stopped moving over the beast’s head.
Cynthia looked at her again.
“She is the reason you didn’t come, isn’t she?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Cynthia laughed bitterly.
“You have never broken an arrangement with my family before. Everyone knows you, the stoic, rule-abiding alpha lord that you are. You have never ignored me like that. And now, suddenly, an Oracle appears in your house and you forget that you were supposed to come and see me?”
She shook her head.
“You don’t understand what this looks like.”
“Oh, trust me, I understand exactly what it looks like.”
“Then why are you allowing it?” Her voice cracked with emotion, and I watched her face.
She was angry, but underneath the anger was fear and insecurity.
I knew that she had spent years being certain about where she stood with me, even our families had arranged our marriage.
Everyone knew it.
But now, this strange woman, this Oracle had appeared, and everything had changed.
Cynthia’s fingers curled against her arms.
“I was supposed to be your wife.”
“You are not my wife yet, so stop speaking as though you are.”
The words made her face fall for a moment before she quickly recovered.
“You’re defending her?”
I looked at Selah, still crouched near the wall with the beast beside her.
Cynthia stared at me, and the room became very quiet.
“You really mean it,” she whispered, and when I didn’t answer, she looked at Selah again.
“Her? This girl?” Her eyes moved over Selah’s silvery-white hair, her gray eyes, and the simple clothes she wore.
Selah was staring at the ground, and a fierce protective feeling came alive inside me.
I didn’t like the way Cynthia was looking at her, and I wanted to do something about it.
I wanted to shield her from the world.
“She doesn’t belong here!” Cynthia insisted.
“She’s a… She’s an abomination. You know what she is.”
“I know what she is.”
Cynthia shook her head.
“No. You don’t. You have no idea what bringing someone like her into this house means. And I find her in your house with you protecting her…. you brought her into the same house where I’m supposed to become your wife.”
Selah’s shoulders lowered, and she looked uncomfortable.
Cynthia’s nose turned up.
Cynthia stepped back, then looked at me again.
“Why are you doing this? She has already caused enough trouble!”
I felt something hot move through me as I remembered the fear on Selah’s face, and then the roar, the beast coming through the hallway to protect her.
Now Cynthia was standing in front of me, pointing at Selah as though she were some unwanted object, and it felt too familiar, as though my mate was being attacked all over again.
I pushed Cynthia aside, and she stumbled several steps and gasped.
I didn’t look back at her.
I went straight to Selah, still crouched beside the beast, and reached down.
“Come here.”
She looked at my hand, then at my face, and I waited.
After a moment, she placed her hand in mine, and I pulled her to her feet.
“Are you hurt? Your arm?” She looked down, and there were red marks where Cynthia had grabbed her.
My anger rose again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Selah nodded, and I looked at her face.
She seemed shaken but she was standing.
That was enough for now.
Just then the doors opened, and Vera and Mira walked in.
Immediately she saw the scene, Vera stopped.
Her eyes went straight to the floor, her face going pale.
She let out a scream.
“Seven Moons!” She rushed closer to Mira.
“What happened here?”
“Cynthia tried to attack Selah.” I explained.
Vera’s eyes moved to Cynthia.
“What?”
“She—” Cynthia started, but I cut her off.
“The beast came to protect Selah.”
“The beast?” Vera looked at me, and I nodded toward the beast, still sitting beside Selah.
She finally noticed it, and her entire body went stiff.
She gave the beast a slightly terrified look before slowly moving to stand behind Mira.
“The beast.” Vera whispered.
“I can see that. How did it get here? How did it know Selah was in danger?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know.”
Mira herself was giving the beast a skeptical loom.
“It came all the way here because she was being attacked? That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
She eyed the beast again while Vera stayed hidden behind her.
“Is it safe?” Vera asked.
The beast suddenly snapped its head toward her, and Vera immediately moved farther behind Mira.
“I don’t think it likes me.”
I looked at Selah, watching the beast.
There was something strange about the way the creature stayed beside her;it wasn’t acting like a wild animal.
It was never this tame before, but now it was waiting, watching and protecting.
I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t have time to.
I placed both hands on Selah’s shoulders.
“Come with me.”
Her gray eyes lifted to mine, and I turned her toward Vera and Mira.
“Take her to her new quarters.”
“Of course,” Mira said, nodding.
Selah allowed Mira to take her hand, and Vera stayed close to Mira as they guided Selah toward the door.
The beast stood from its hind legs and followed Selah, and Vera nearly stumbled in fright.
“What? Is it coming with us?” They moved into the hallway, and I watched Selah disappear from sight.
Then I reached inward for the mind link.
RONAN.
His response came almost immediately.
YES, GARRICK?
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
ORGANIZE SOME GUARDS TO COME HERE.
THERE IS A DEAD BODY IN THE ORACLE’S ROOM.
His yell was instantaneous.
WHAT?
WHAT IS A DEAD BODY DOING IN THE ORACLE’S ROOM?
I’LL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING LATER.
GARRICK—
I SAID LATER.
Ronan went quiet.
YEAH, SURE.
I’LL MOBILIZE SOME MEN.
I closed the link, then turned around.
Cynthia was still standing where I had pushed her, looking sullen and angry.
But I had no sympathy to spare for her.
I walked toward the door and didn’t look back.
I had enough problems waiting for me already.