She had it so bad for him, and Sarah knew that another two weeks would only complicate things further. She had been through worse, though. At least this time, she’d be the one walking away.
Chapter 7
The candles were still burning when Sarah woke a short while later. Although she hadn’t rested for long, she felt much more energized than she had the previous morning. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
A black shadow stood behind the canopy, and Sarah froze when she caught sight of it, her heart skipping a beat. Nervously, she squinted, bringing the shade into focus.
A wolf, about the size of her cousin’s golden retriever, sat upright next to her mattress, its eyes burning into hers.
Sarah held its gaze, and once she was confident that her voice wouldn’t tremble, she said, “Hello there.”
The wolf tilted its head, amber eyes catching the light. It considered her, then it moved closer, its nose brushing up against the filmy canopy. After a brief moment of indecision, Sarah reached out, touching its nose through the sheer fabric. It was cool and damp.
Abruptly, the wolf turned its head towards the doorway, its ears standing at attention. She heard the slap of bare feet on stone, before a girl rounded the corner. Sarah couldn’t make out her features, but she could see long blonde hair and a green dress.
“Caim!” she hissed. “You are not supposed to be in here.”
Sarah looked back at the wolf, her eyes widening. Cain’s son. She opened her mouth to tell the girl it was okay, but before she could get a word out, the wolf had darted from the room, the wind tossing the canopy the only sign that he had been there.
The girl padded over to the mattress, pressing her face against the curtain. “I am sorry about him. Caim is spoiled. He does not think that the rules apply to him.”
Upon closer inspection, Sarah could see that she looked to be around ten or eleven. She was very cute, and seemed to be making an effort to hide her own curiosity.
“Most little boys don’t,” Sarah said, giving her a conspiratorial wink. “I’m Sarah.”
The girl took this as an invitation to crawl under the canopy, and Sarah moved to make room for her to sit.
“I know. My name is Lotus. You are very pretty.”
Sarah laughed, brushing back her hair self-consciously. “I think I’m going to like you, Lotus.”
Lotus turned her face up, smiling. “That is good. I was worried you would not like me. Cain’s last mate did not like me.” Looking alarmed, she said, “You won’t tell Cain I was here, right?”
Sarah shook her head, too busy contemplating what Lotus had said about Cain’s previous mate to correct the girl on her assumption.
“That is good as well. Cain told the pups to stay away from you while you slept. But you’re not sleeping anymore. Plus, I am not a pup. I am a juvenile.”
“I see,” Sarah said, suppressing a grin. She liked the way Lotus spoke so matter-of-factly about everything. “Say, do you think you could take me to check on Snow?”
She had thought about the little girl while tossing and turning earlier, wondering whether Clover had kept her word to watch over Snow, or if she was back in that cramped room all by herself.
“Sure,” Lotus said, standing up and holding out her hand. “I’ll show you the way.”
The trip back to Snow’s room was much less daunting with Lotus holding Sarah’s hand. When they entered the room, Snow was sitting up on the blankets, holding a threadbare ragdoll in her small lap. Her face lit up at the sight of Sarah.
“I thought I’d find you alone,” Sarah said in a mirthless tone. She crouched down next to Snow, placing a hand on her back. “How are you feeling?”
Lotus came up alongside them. “Snow doesn’t talk,” she informed.
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to her,” Sarah replied lightly. “Where is everyone else?”
“Alder and Hale are still gone. Clover, Fern, and Meadow are in the moon room. Cain and my sisters went out to hunt.”
Sarah grabbed Snow’s inhaler, dropping it into a wide pocket before picking the child up. Much like her doll, Snow offered no resistance, laying her head in the crook of Sarah’s neck as she melded herself to Sarah’s body.
Why everyone seemed to think it was okay to leave such a sweet little girl—or any child her age—alone was a mystery.
“How many sisters do you have?” Sarah asked Lotus, rubbing Snow’s back.
“Two.”
Sarah did a mental count, her brow furrowing. “And that’s your whole pack?” She hadn’t thought it would be so small.
“There is also Caim and Sable, but they are pups,” Lotus said.