BROOKE

Trust no one.

That was it. Three little, ominous words written in angry, jagged letters. I scoffed when I read them. If he'd risked his life to tell me that, he was wasting his energy. I never trusted anyone, least of all him.

I did my best to push him out of my mind, but it was difficult, and dinner with Titan was nearly a disaster. No matter how hard I tried, I kept zoning out, daydreaming about things that would make Mother lay an egg. It didn't help that there were so many people there to witness my lack of attentiveness. Thankfully, I had a good excuse. After all, I'd gone through something very traumatic the night before. It was only expected that I'd be tired.

"I'll prepare some lavender tea for you after dinner," Aster had offered in her wispy voice. She was the pack salutary. At least, she had been. At one hundred and twenty-five years old, it was a wonder she could sit upright, and she often forgot she'd been replaced by modern medicine.

I hadn't been about to remind her. "Yes, Aster. That would be lovely. Thank you."

"Of course, dear." She'd smiled, revealing teeth so brown they looked wooden.

If society had its way, Aster would have disappeared to a private room decades ago. But no amount of power or money could make them brave enough to risk a curse. We may try to be like humans, but there were certain things our wolves wouldn't allow.

Titan had smiled at me, his eyes softening. It was no secret he had a strong bond with Aster. After all, he'd grown up with her in the castle his whole life. Another reason she was so untouchable. That brief interaction saved my life, and I made a mental note to remember that should I find myself struggling again.

If all else fails, be kind to Aster.

But in the back of my mind, I knew it wouldn't be enough. I needed to do a better job at pretending. I needed to try harder to forget. People did forget, didn't they? Eventually?

I avoided the garden, but it didn't stop the next note from coming. Mother and I were exploring the grounds when it appeared like magic on a concrete ledge. In the open. Where anyone could see. I snatched and shoved it into my pocket, praying Mother hadn't noticed.

Thankfully, she hadn't.

Do you always look so tempting, or are you trying to drive me insane?

A flood of heat; a sudden chill. I chewed my bottom lip. His recklessness was frightening, but it was the kind of fear people sought. Like riding a roller coaster or skydiving. He excited me, and no matter how counterproductive it was, I found myself constantly searching for the next square of paper, anticipating what he would say. Dreams of him intensified, coming night after night, taunting me with what could never be. So vivid. His hands roughly sliding over my skin, gripping me close. His harsh breaths, his eager mouth, my inability to hate a single second of it.

The third note took longer to arrive. So long in fact, I didn't think it ever would. Why say that then disappear? Perhaps he'd been caught. Would they tell me if he had? Of course not. Why would they? Images of him in that horrible dungeon, his wrists shackled above his head, surrounded by that stench, tied my nerves into knots.

I was on the brink of going down to check when the note appeared in the last place I would have expected.

A dress box.

I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. Mother had ordered us both clothes from the local boutique. It was neatly placed atop the tissue paper, as if he'd been the one to pack it. Thank goddess she hadn't checked the items before sending them to me.

How had he gotten it in there? When? I picked it up and plopped down onto the edge of the bed, ignoring the zing in my middle as I unfolded the paper.

Every time he touches you, I want to remove his hands. It's getting harder not to.

I stilled. Remove them how? Gingerly grip his wrist and move it aside? Swat them away? I wanted to believe that's what he meant, but common sense had bloodier theories.

This was getting dangerous. I was teetering on the edge of a cliff I knew well. I'd watched too many fall. I'd seen them pushed by Mother, disappearing so far down the mountain, society forgot they ever existed.

If she knew how close we were to ruin, there'd be no surviving her.

I was hyper-aware of Titan after that. Every time he took my hand or offered his arm or even brushed me in passing, I'd hold my breath, waiting for my phantom to attack. It didn't matter where we were, I had the constant sensation that I was being watched. Like he was everywhere and nowhere and not bound by the same limits as the rest of us. How close could a valley wolf get?

My answer came when the fourth note was lying in my nightstand, mere inches from my face.

He could get close.

Remarkably close.

He wasn't a normal man. He'd actually made it inside the castle. He'd been in my room.

I read it with shaking hands and shallow breaths.

That was some dream you were having.

I stared at the paper for the longest time, sifting through the fog still left over from sleep. Heat crept up my neck, spreading over my face as detail after detail returned. A knock sounded on the door.

I balled the note up and shoved it beneath the duvet. "Come in."

Lily entered, carrying a tray. "Morning, Your Grace." She set it on the table. "Alpha Titan wishes to know if you'd accompany him into town after breakfast."

Lovely. Just what I needed: an entire day of pretending. "Tell him I'd love to."

She nodded and left, and I retrieved the note and did my best to restore it. It was a crumpled mess, but it wasn't torn. I slid it beneath my mattress, letting it join the others. No matter how risky and ridiculous it was, I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

With a sigh, I staggered over to the vanity and flopped down onto the bench. A sense of doom embraced me, clinging so tight, I was sure I'd implode. How had he gotten into my room? My nerves tingled, remembering the dream. A dark figure. His scent. Warm skin against mine. How much of it had been real? If it was half as good as I imagined it to be...

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. If I'd had any hope of surviving this before, it was dead now. He was pursuing me, and I didn't have the strength to push him away. If he'd climbed into my bed, it would have been over. My wolf was too strong, and the closer he got, the more in control she became.

I grabbed a wipe and began cleaning my face with more force than necessary. It didn't help that Titan took our courtship so seriously, always arranging things for us to do together. Prior to coming here, I'd worried he would be just as stiff and distant as Mother, condemning me to a boring life full of constant airs. But he wasn't anything like how I'd expected.

He was surprisingly easy going. Under normal circumstances, his attitude would have been a blessing. Now, I wished he was as formidable as people believed him to be. It would have made this situation much easier. He made it so hard to pretend nothing was wrong, and I was about to spend the entire day with him. At least the town would be crowded, so we wouldn't have to be alone—if we ever actually were.

With a mental shake, I fixed my hair, applied my makeup, and dressed in a pair of dark, wide-leg trousers and a floral blouse. I just needed to take this one moment at a time. I could overcome this. I had to.

Titan smiled when he came to retrieve me, then frowned at the tray on the table. "You skipped breakfast again."

I blinked. He'd noticed I skipped it before? "I don't get terribly hungry in the mornings."

He grimaced but nodded. "So long as you're well?"

"Perfectly." I gave him my best smile. "Shall we go now?"

* * *

The town bustled, people coming and going in and out of the little shops and perusing the booths lining the castle road. Titan led me through the crowds, smiling and chatting with everyone we passed. I was used to the attention, and I played the role expected of me.

"How lovely." Smile.

"Oh, your baby is beautiful." A soft touch on the arm.

A docile nod to an elder.

This I could do. This was what I'd been training for my whole life, and with it, I found a sense of calm I'd been lacking for weeks.

That is, until I noticed the dark figure sifting through the sea of bodies.

A black hood covered the top half of his face, and nobody seemed to notice his existence apart from me. I tracked his progress as he maneuvered between the booths. It was him. I wasn't sure how I knew. There were too many people around to catch any one scent. It was just a feeling. He was watching me back.

His lips curved just before he disappeared from view.

I swallowed.

"Brooke?" Titan pressed his palm against my lower back.

Without thought, I jerked away.

His brow furrowed.

Shoot! "I'd like to get some more clothes," I said quickly. "I'm still running a bit low after..."

"Of course." Titan nodded and motioned toward one of the shops. "Please excuse us," he said to the man he'd been speaking with.

He led the way to the same boutique Mother had ordered from, and I chewed the inside of my cheek, feeling as if I were walking right into a trap.

"Your Grace." The shop girl curtsied so low her knees nearly touched the floor.

"Please—" Titan waved dismissively. "—There's no need for formalities. Our luna requires a new wardrobe. See to it she finds whatever she needs." He focused on me, and his voice softened. "Spare no expense. I have some business to address while we're here, but I'll have sentinels posted outside the door. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to send for me."

"Thank you," I said. "I'll be fine."

Would I be?

He kissed my knuckles then left me there, and the shop girl started on about the latest arrivals. I barely heard her speaking. I oohed and aahed when it was appropriate, but inside, I was burning alive. He was here. He was close. He was coming; I could feel it in my bones.

With an armful of dresses and various items in tow, the girl directed me to the private fitting rooms at the back of the store.

"Shall I help you, Your Grace?" she asked.

"That won't be necessary." No one could help me. "But...don't go too far."

She dipped her chin, and I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

The room was fairly large, and there was only one way in or out. A cushioned bench lined the back wall, and full-sized mirrors with gilded frames assured me I was alone.

I sighed, releasing a shaky laugh beneath my breath. He couldn't just come in. Why would he? If he could make it into my room, why take the risk?

I undressed, trying on one item at a time without paying much attention to how they looked. It didn't matter. They were fine. I created two piles on either side of the bench: those that fit and those that didn't. When I made it through what I had, I cracked the door open and extended the rejects out. "Excuse me," I called, giving them a little shake. "These can go back. If you have anything else, I'm ready to try it now."

She took them from me, and I closed the door, inspecting myself in the mirror.

A knock sounded a moment later, and I opened it again. "Thank y—"

A piece of paper was pressed into my palm, and I jerked my hand back.

A note.

I yanked the door open, but no one was there. Then the shop girl approached, both hands full of hangers. "Here you are, Your Grace."

I searched the many racks of clothes, the curtains hanging over the windows, but if he was hiding, he was doing it well.

"Is everything alright?" The girl hesitated, frowning. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Don't be ridiculous," I breathed. "Ghosts aren't real."

A lie.

She nodded slowly, then handed me the clothes, and left without another word.

I shut the door and opened the note.

Meet me in the garden at midnight.