I Was Never Their First Choice novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: The Year of Letters

Kjell's POV

I was at the gate before the sky had any grey in it.

Solveig's sister had been walking south for a night and a day, with no cloak.

Elias and Perrin had gone after her at dusk with bread and a spare cloak, and I had not stopped them.

Bram found me there with the key in my fist and a lantern he did not need.

"You are going to ride into Silverbrook," he said.

"Yes."

"With a trial wolf, under the old law, with her claim unsealed."

"Yes."

"Their Alpha will call it abduction, and he'll be right on paper."

"I know the paper," I said. "I wrote half of it."

Bram sat down on the mounting block with a grunt.

"You've been staring at that gate for a year," he said. "And you never once rode through it south."

"A taken wolf is a prisoner."

"You could have asked the pack's Beta. You could have sent me."

"I sent the envoy. Twice."

"And twice you let her come back with a boy." Bram spread his enormous hands. "I'm only saying it because someone should. You sat here and let it stand."

He was right.

I had told myself it was law, and honour, and the cost of buying a person.

It was also that I was afraid of what she would say when she saw me.

"Go and sleep," I said.

"I'm going to pack the good furs," Bram said. "She'll want the good furs."

He went in, humming.

I heard her on the stair before I saw her, boots on stone, quick and certain.

She stopped three steps above me with her braid half undone and my torn shirt buttoned wrong over her tunic.

"You're not leaving without telling me the rest," Solveig said.

"There is no rest."

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