They Hid My Fated Mate, So I Left With the Rival Alpha novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: The Moon Trial

By morning the steward was asleep on a cot in my pantry with a wolf on each side of the door.

Sorcha found me at the stove, stirring oats and glaring at them.

She had an apron on over a borrowed dress and flour already on her sleeve.

"Where does the butter go?" she asked.

"Cold shelf, left of the window. Why are you smiling?"

"Because for ten years I handed Brendan's guests tea in a house where I was not allowed an opinion on the tea." She tied the apron strings tighter. "Here I'm allowed to burn the toast."

"You're not allowed to burn the toast."

"Then I'm allowed to be told."

Garth leaned in the doorway and took a roll off the cooling rack.

I smacked his hand with the spoon.

"That was breakfast for forty."

"That was a very good roll." He ate it in two bites. "Ronan's in the hall with the elders. He asked if you'd come before the bell."

"He asked?"

"He said 'ask her.' It clearly cost him something."

I washed my hands and went.

The great hall was half full and quiet.

Ronan stood at the head of the long table with the tin in front of him.

On his right sat his great-uncle, the elder, with a cup of something steaming at his elbow and a calm, pleasant face.

I had seen that face looking at my bread.

I had never seen it look at me as it did now.

"Alpha," I said.

"Hazel. My great-uncle was telling me about the fire."

"Was he," I said.

"A tragedy," said the elder. "Hill cabins and old stoves. The steward was always careless."

Ronan said nothing.

Through the bond I felt his wolf pull hard toward the elder, and I felt him hold it back.

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