Chapter 21: You Never Asked

The moon cleared the ridge, and Cade went down on his knees.

He did not fall.

He knelt on the granite in front of me with both hands flat on the stone.

The grey had crossed his collarbone and covered his chest.

It was creeping over the left side, where the heart is, and he was breathing in short, thin pulls.

Hattie came running and put her fingers on his throat.

"Carys," she said. "It's slowing."

"How long?"

"The moon has to be fully up. After that, I don't know." She looked at my face. "Minutes."

Two hundred wolves stood around us in the white light, and nobody made a sound.

Rhys stood at my shoulder with his fists shut.

He wanted to say it.

I could see him wanting to.

"Don't," Cade said to him, without lifting his head. "Nobody asks her. I mean it."

"Cade--"

"It's hers."

I walked around in front of him.

It took me a moment, with the baby low and heavy and the stone slick underfoot.

He looked up at me from his knees.

His face was grey to the mouth, and his brown eyes were clear.

"Don't do it because they're watching," he said. "Don't do it for the pup. You can walk away from me tonight, and I'll know I earned it."

"I know you will."

"Then--"

"You never asked," I said.