Chapter 11: The Bond

Dane took it worse than I did.

I told him that night, sitting on the edge of the bed with a cup of cold tea.

He put his fist through the plaster beside the window.

Dust drifted down.

"I'll take you out," he said. "Tonight."

"I'll have two horses at the postern gate and we'll be over the pass by dawn."

"And then?"

"Then you're safe."

"And the baby's safe."

"And Rowena keeps the pelt, and the captain keeps the ring."

"And Lena stays in a salt barrel for the rest of time."

"I don't care."

"I do."

He turned.

His eyes were wild and his knuckles were bleeding.

I thought he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"Brenna, she's going to kill you."

"She's going to try."

"You say that as if it's a joke."

"It's a plan."

I put the cup down.

"She can't touch me until the baby's born. The Moon Rite is five months off."

"She has to shift in front of every clan or lose the throne, and she can't."

"You're going to let her walk to the edge."

"I'm going to push."

He stared at me.

Then he crossed the room in two strides and took my face in both hands.

He kissed me so hard that my head hit the wall.

"You're mad," he said against my mouth.

"I'm Cardross."

"Gods help me, so you are."

He had my dress over my head before I could laugh.

Keep reading free with an account. Start She Wore My Twin's Hide, So I Carried Her Mate's Heir from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.