Chapter 11: The Sick Room

"Come alone," Dane's message had said, and I read it aloud at the breakfast table so there would be no secrets.

Caius put down his fork.

"No," he said.

"I'm not going alone."

"Good."

"I'm going with you, and you'll wait at the sick room door," I said.

"He wants me to be afraid of him. I'd like to find out why."

The envoy cleared his throat.

"I'll note that the Crown accompanied the stake," he said, to nobody.

We reached the Silver Creek lodge at dusk.

The pups' drawings were still taped to the Alpha's door.

I went in alone, and Caius stood in the corridor with his back to the wall, close enough to hear.

Orrin was worse.

The black lines had come back overnight and climbed to his jaw, and his breath rattled.

I sat on the bed and laid my hands on him.

The poison fought me this time.

It dragged at my palms and sent an ache through my skull.

I set my teeth and drew it out of him inch by inch.

It took a long time.

When his breathing finally evened, I sat back, sweating.

His eyes opened.

"Marlo," he whispered. "I did a bad thing to you."

"Rest."

"No. I have to say it." His fingers closed on my sleeve.

"That mark," he said. "I asked for it. Dane didn't want to, at the start."

My stomach dropped.

"Asked who?"

"A woman in the hills. She does work for people who can pay." He swallowed.

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