And then the crushing aftermath. The doubt. The confusion. The desolation.

But now Victoria was telling me that it had all been a setup. That none of it was true. It was my cousin who had caused the hunters to arrive at Rock Hall. Not Victoria. Of course, not Victoria! Not my kind, beautiful friend Victoria.

After she finished recounting her tale, I gazed up at her, the corners of my eyes heating. It felt like an iron weight had been lifted from my chest, freeing me. As I felt the urge to sit up again, this time she allowed me to lean against the headboard.

“Our jinn have been working on your leg,” she explained, gesturing to the bottom half of me that was covered with blankets. I had been so consumed by Victoria that I had even forgotten all about it. “And don’t worry. A male nurse put you in clothes,” she added, indicating my crisp blue clothing.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“You’re in Meadow Hospital. In The Shade.”

In The Shade. My lips parted as her words sank in. A dozen questions fought to the front of my mind at once. How was I saved? How did I get here? Who saved me? How did they know where to find me? What is happening in my home country, The Woodlands? I also wondered how thoroughly the jinn had managed to fix my leg. I had feeling down there, and I was able to move it.

But somehow, I could not quite bring myself to ask any of this yet. With my newfound Victoria sitting just inches away from me, she still had my mind beguiled.

A span of silence fell as we gazed into each other’s eyes. Then, as though we were being drawn together like puppets on a string, slowly we leaned closer to each other. Hesitant. Tentative. Until our noses touched. She closed her eyes as my hands moved through her locks. I ran the tip of my nose down the bridge of hers, breathing her in. Cherishing her presence.

She rested her palms against my chest, her fingers curving and gathering the fabric of my shirt. I closed my own eyes, pressing my rough cheek against the smoothness of hers. My heart was pounding. I wanted to taste her lips. I wanted to kiss her again, with nobody watching. With nobody to decree what was right and what was wrong. With nobody to tear us apart.

I wanted to set us free. Was that what she wanted, too?

I distanced my face from hers a couple of inches so that I could behold her eyes. As she lifted her eyelids, my pulse raced harder. They were glazed with the same emotions that I felt deep within my chest. Longing. Desire. Need.

Her cheeks flushed even as her mouth curved in a smile. She leaned in and touched our noses together again. And this time, it was her lips that pressed against mine first. I couldn’t help but wind my arms around her waist and pull her to lie sideways next to me on the mattress. Her head resting against my pillow, I relished every sensation her kiss ignited in my body. I treasured her every touch, her every tender caress, like gold dust.

It felt like she was back where she belonged. Close to me. Safe with me…

Loved by me.

Epilogue: Brucella

Where has that boy gotten to?

I could not believe that I had let him get away. We had been searching for him nonstop, sailing around the waters where I had lost sight of him, as well as all the surrounding areas.

Eventually we came upon the ogres’ shores. I wondered if he really could’ve swum this far. He would have been a fool to. These waters near the ogres’ kingdom were swarming with dangerous creatures.

Still, I had to remind myself that the poor boy was confused. Ever since my sister and brother-in-law had died, he seemed to have quite lost his senses. Thus, as much as his behavior aggravated me, I could not bring myself to be too angry with him. He was still in mourning. Grief could make a man do things that they never would have otherwise done. In any case, that girl was gone now. I couldn’t imagine that she would be returning to the battleground The Woodlands had become.

Rona, bless her heart, had asked me why we were so bent on chasing down Bastien. I explained to her the truth: that he was mad with grief right now. That he was in shock, needing to be guided and protected closely, until he recovered his mind. As his only remaining family, it was our duty to do what was best for him.

I directed Sergius to navigate the boat closer to the ogres’ shoreline, and slowly but steadily, we traversed the entire circumference of the island, looking for clues. As we came a half-circle around the vast island, many hours later, I beheld a sight that made me both sigh with relief and tense with fear. A trail of blood running along the sand.

I leapt off the ship and bounded toward the beach, sniffing at the trail. Even though it had gone cold, I knew instantly that this was Bastien. I could scent my nephew better than anyone. I followed the trail toward a line of trees while my husband and family leapt from the ship and followed my lead. I foraged through the bushes and reached a huge patch of dried blood. My eyes widened at the sight. He had been bleeding a lot. Enough to make a werewolf pass out, possibly even die. But where was his body? Had an ogre come to scoop it up and carry it off for a meal?

Then I picked up on Bastien’s scent again, as well as the scent of another werewolf. A werewolf I didn’t recognize. The scents led us through the trees for several feet and then back onto the sand. I followed another trail of blood drops along the beach. Who was this second werewolf? We hurried further, gaining speed. The trail swerved back toward yet another cluster of trees many miles down the beach. We traipsed through thick undergrowth before stopping abruptly. We’d arrived at the edge of a gaping black hole. A gate I’d never known existed.

Bastien never would have known about it either. It was impossible. My sister and brother-in-law had deliberately made him lead a sheltered life. He had never been out of The Woodlands. He would never have known to come here unless he’d had help. The second werewolf must have helped him. But who was he? Why would he help him? And why would he head to the human realm—a place full of perils for a werewolf?