A Curse of Shadows - Page 59

His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but it still makes my stomach flutter, adding fuel to the still-smoldering inferno within me.

“You’re just as perceptive as you always were,” he replies, taking my hand in his as we keep walking at a swift speed. “I’m trying to figure out what the urgency is, but Mali doesn’t know, either. Elyn arrived by boat and the moment she stepped onto our land, she demanded to see you. I don’t like that she’s being so insistent, but I’ve also learned that our elders aren’t to be ignored.”

Right. Elder wolves. My dad is the oldest wolf I’ve met here so far at seven hundred eighteen years old. Something that is still hard to accept when he doesn’t look a day over fifty, but as my memories return, I’ve begun to just know things like how wolf shifters age quickest in their first twenty-five years of life, then that slows to a rapid crawl, and how they never appear older than their fifties until about eight or nine hundred years have passed or until they begin to stop shifting.

The energy used when transforming to one’s wolf is what makes the aging process of the human form slow to a snail’s pace, except for the ruling leader. Whoever is coined the Alpha King or Queen stops aging completely.

Until I remembered that, I realize I should have questioned why Asher still appears to be in his twenties, but I can’t really complain. I also try not to think too much about how technically, he’s centuries older than me.

Without really getting an answer, we continue to exit the castle. Outside, the crisp air brushes against my heated skin, and we find Noen waiting for us, his gaze seeming to be actively avoiding mine.

“Elyn insisted on the northern part of the river,” he says with a grimace, talking to Asher, then nodding in my direction. “It will take you all day to get there if she has to walk.”

Asher frowns, then looks down at me. “He’s right. I have an idea, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”

“And that would be?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“How would you feel riding on my wolf?” He smirks, a playful glint in his eyes. “The two of you already connected before and it’s the quickest way to get across the island.”

The image of me clinging to Asher’s ebony wolf immediately pops into my mind and I start to laugh because I look terrified, but still, I shrug because what other choice do I have?

“Let’s do it,” I tell him, still chuckling. “Just don’t judge me if I scream and don’t be worried, either.”

That gives Asher pause and he tilts his head as if he’s going to question my response, but then he seems to decide otherwise.

“I’ll let Malimorte know we’re on our way, then,” he says, then he addresses Noen again. “Finish the preparations for tonight. We should be back before dusk.”

“I’ll let you know when the pack is ready.”

Noen turns to leave, and my chest is hit with a pang of remorse. I’m not sure what for. Maybe I’m grieving the friendship I only just remembered, or I feel sorry for him, but I can’t stop my next words.

“I hope I see you later, Noen.”

His shoulders tense and he opens his mouth, but then he keeps walking away from us without replying to me. Well, that didn’t go well.

Asher stares at me, his expression blank, as if he’s trying to hide how uncomfortable that just made him.

I pat his chest and do my best to explain. “I remembered our friendship. He was so sad before and he doesn’t seem much better. Regardless of what he may or may not have felt for me, he was still my friend, Asher. I can’t just ignore how he’s hurting.”

He grabs my waist, pulling on me until we’re pressed flush together. “And I can’t ignore how jealous that makes me.”

I tap his chin and grin. “You’re kind of cute when you pout.”

“‘Cute’?” He frowns. “Cute isn’t what I’d imagine any respectable alpha wants to be called.”

Laughter bubbles up from deep within me. “Were you hoping for sexy or irresistible or tantalizing…”

“Or all of the above,” he replies, leaning in to nip at my lower lip. “Now, are you sure about riding my wolf?”

I shake my head as I step back. “But I’m going to give it a try, anyway. Just know if I fall off, I expect a hot bubble bath, a full body massage, and all the chocolate-covered strawberries on this island.”

His eyes darken and his chest rumbles. “You can have all of that even if nothing goes wrong.”

Hm, yeah, probably not the best direction to take this conversation so soon after nearly ravaging each other in his office.

“You might want to shift now,” I tell him, creating more space between us.

“Right.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as I do my best to take in every second of the transformation, but once again, the change happens within the blink of an eye.