5
Abrown wolf with black points trotted beside me on my way to meet Saint. I was reckless, but I wasn’t a total fool. I brought a protector in case he had dishonorable intentions. Meg, always up for an adventure, wasn’t put out to miss the hunt. Not when there was a secret rendezvous to be had.
The note didn’t spell out a meeting place, but the market would be deserted this time of night.
Dressed in borrowed servants’ clothes, this time a simple dress, I was as anonymous as a lady could get.
“Howl,” Saint whispered from behind me. “You came.”
With a warning growl for him, Meg trotted off a few yards to sit and glare at him for the duration.
“How could I resist a clandestine meeting?” I waltzed up to him, a sway in my hips. “Or you?”
“You’re bold.”
“This from the boy who sent me a message to meet him at night, unchaperoned.”
“I’m leaving.”
The change of topic tipped me off balance, and my thoughts spilled out. “Why?”
“Dangerous people are following me, and I can’t be here when they arrive.”
“I can keep you safe.” I clasped his hands in mine as if that would hold him. “My family will protect you.”
An entire network existed for this very reason, to hide witches who required a fresh start to escape their pursuers. Black witches, once engaged in a hunt, didn’t stop until their prey was run to ground. A white witch in their crosshairs had only one hope for survival. An alias and a fresh start in a new town far from their home.
“You can’t. They can’t.” He shook his head then peered down at me. “Why would you want to?”
“You’re in trouble.” I squeezed his calloused fingers. “What kind of friend do you take me for?”
“We only just met,” he protested. “You have no idea how reckless it was of you to come.”
“Oh, but I do.” I rolled my thumbs over his knuckles. “Reckless ideas are my specialty.”
“You should have run the first time our eyes met and never looked back.”
A chill skittered down my spine, but I shrugged it off. “You won’t scare me off so easily.”
“You don’t know me.” He honed his voice to a razor’s edge. “You don’t know who I am.”
“You must want to tell me.” I gestured to the empty stalls. “Why else bring me here?”
Naughty ideas circled my thoughts, most involving his lips, but his grim mood warned me he had other plans.
“As I said, I’m leaving.” He flexed his jaw. “I wanted to see you one last time before I go.”
The fantasy of stolen kisses evaporated as his meaning sank in. Silly to let it hurt, to let him hurt me, but it did. He did. This was what I got for climbing out windows and risking Papa’s eternal wrath over a boy.
“Well, you’ve seen me.” I spun a circle. “Look your fill.” I struck a pose for him. “Done?”
“Howl…”
With a tip of my chin, I aimed for the exit. “Goodbye, Saint.”
Meg fell in step with me, snarling over her shoulder at Saint, who let me walk away.
“One more week.” He might as well have whispered his compromise. “I can stay one more week, but only if you’ll see me.”