Page 38 of Wolf’s Fated Bride

Blade puts his hands on his hips. “What is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem,” Ash says.

Blade returns to stand by the fireplace so Ash will calm down.

Silence falls like a dead deer.

“Peter was a good Regulator,” Ash says. “I miss him.”

“Awww,” I say, feeling bad that I gave him a hard time. He’s grieving, and anger is a part of the grieving process. “Do you not have any alchemy reserves left over from him?”

“Drank them all. I have none left.” Ash leans back and expels a breath that makes me think he’s tired.

Sven appears in the doorway. He looks around the room. “Can I come in?”

Ash nods, and Sven approaches the fire. “I can’t feel my fingers or toes.”

Blade claps him on the back. “One more reason to move into Fireborn territory and escape the cold.”

“What did the Peace Bbroker have to say after the incident?” Ash asks. “It was a live feed, so I assume they saw that a wolf survived my fire.”

Sven glances at me. “He wants to know which wolf joined the purge. But of course, I can’t tell one wolf from the next, so I told him I’d investigate.”

“Good man,” Ash says.

“It won’t last,” Blade says. “She will be found out.”

“Can you explain it away?” I ask Sven.

He shakes his head. “If it were Sören, we could say he’s a water carrier and was able to resurrect his armor before the fire engulfed him, but that’s not what happened. After the explosion of flames, you stood there, untouched, as if the inferno didn’t exist. Fascinating, I must say. But there’s a target on your back now. Nothing that we know of can survive elemental fire of that magnitude. Even Sören would melt. It should’ve melted your bones.”

“Like won’t hurt like,” I say. “That’s the explanation. Once I heal the burn on my hand, I’ll lose immunity.”

Sven frowns. “That implies that Ash’s burn is like a vaccine. It provides immunity, even if only temporarily. That theory can be studied.”

“I’m sure⁠—”

“You’ve said enough.” Ash cuts me off, then snaps his head to the right a moment before my sister barges into the room in her white nightgown, messy hair, and tear-stained face.

“Thank the Moon you’re okay!” She throws herself at Sven, kisses his cheek, neck, shoulder. She’s drunk and medicated. We’re so fucked. SO FUCKED.

Sven stares at Ash like a deer caught in headlights. He might be a dead deer soon.

There is no saving this situation.

Even if the fire can’t hurt me, Ash will slice me open with his claws. In any case, we’re all dead.

Ash watches the couple, or rather, Maren climbing Sven like a damn tree. Sven tries to peel my sister off him, but she’s clinging for dear life, crying into the crook of his neck.

“Maren,” I say, “your betrothed is here.”

That seems to reach my drunk sister’s brain, and she lifts her head from Sven’s shoulder. Glassy eyes look over at me before she steps down and turns toward Ash.

Maren tucks her hair behind her ears and folds her hands in front of her. “I didn’t mean for you to see that.” Embarrassed now, she swallows and drops her gaze to the floor.

“If your fire comes near my sister,” I tell Ash, “I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

Was that me? Did I really say that out loud? Judging by the way Ash Fireborn is staring at me, I just threatened his life.