Chapter 13: Den Four

Jasper Radcliffe was on his knees on the step of Den Four at first light, which was exactly where I had told him to be.

He had been there since three in the morning.

I knew because I had watched him through the curtain, and he had not moved once.

By dawn half the pack had found a reason to walk past our door.

Two warriors stood at the fence with coffee mugs.

An old healer sat on an upturned bucket, as if she had paid for the seat.

Lottie opened the door in her boots and a faded shirt, with her arms folded.

She looked down at him for a long time.

"Well?" she said.

"Lottie Greer." His voice was rough from the night. "At the Midsummer Moon I asked you to be my Luna in front of three hundred wolves."

"I did it so you could not say no. That was a cowardly way to ask, and I am sorry."

"Again," said Lottie. "The back row can't hear you."

Somebody at the fence snorted into a mug.

Jasper said it again, louder.

"Why me?" said Lottie. "I want the real answer, not the polite one."

His jaw worked.

"I chose you because I felt nothing when I looked at you," he said. "That was the whole point."

"Charming," said Lottie.

The whole fence laughed, and I bit the inside of my cheek.