Dante had not slept at all. His mind painted terrifying pictures: Daniel’s mouth on her skin, his hands under her skirt, Cordelia pinned to the door she had just closed. He tried to force the picture to end with her pushing him away, but the scene turned harsher instead. Anger rose so hard he realized he had been staring at the ceiling without blinking. Shame followed him—for even allowing himself to think such things.
When the sky thinned, he dressed in last night’s clothes and went to wash. He found Cordelia asleep at the small table, cheek on her arm, a candle burned to a pool of wax. His jaw loosened. She had waited for him and fell asleep.
She woke at the sound of his step and sat up fast. “You look unwell,” she said, voice rough with sleep. She reached for his hand; his fingers were cold.
“I’m fine,” he said, and it sounded unconvincing even to him.
She drew him to the chair by the fire and knelt to set kindling. “I’ll bring tea.” On her way to the door, she pulled out a fresh shirt and set it within his reach. By the time the fire took, his eyes were closing against his will. He meant to wait for her. He slept instead.
Cordelia came back with a kettle, found him slumped in the chair, and softened. She covered him with a blanket, dressed quickly, and went to find one of his advisers.
Cordelia walked halfway around the wing, but only the servants were up so early, so she went out into the main hall. There she was met with silence, but as soon as she was about to leave, footsteps echoed behind her. She turned around and saw Leia with a stack of papers in her hands.
"Cordelia?" she said in surprise, realising she was not alone in the hall. "Why are you here so early?"
"I was looking for someone," the girl replied briefly. "And I think I found them,’ she said. “Please tell anyone who asks that the Alpha is not to be disturbed until noon.”
Leah nodded, “Consider it done.”
Cordelia stood with the woman for a moment, asking what she had in her hands. Wishing her friend success in her endeavours, she waited for breakfast time near the kitchen. Then loaded a tray: bread, eggs, stewed meat, a small pot of honey, two mugs, and the tea. The door squeaked when she nudged it with her hip. Dante stood up because of the noise.
“Morning,” She set it on the table. “Eat with me.”
He was touched and tried not to show it too much. They ate in a calm that felt earned. After a few bites, she asked, “Where were you last night?”
“Night watch needed a hand,” he said, looking down at his plate.
Her brow pulled in. “You look exhausted.”
“I am.” He did not explain more. He didn’t have the words he wanted to use.
Cordelia sensed his reluctance to talk, and they finished breakfast in silence. When they had finished eating, she carefully poured tea into the cups. A pleasant aroma rose from the cups.
“Let’s leave the den for one week. We can ride to my family’s estate. We’ll take Leah, Daniel, and Silas. The village warms earlier than these mountains. It will do everyone good.”
Daniel’s name put heat back in his blood for a second, but she met his eyes with a steady look that asked him to trust her, not the talk in his head. He held the look and let the heat pass.
“All right,” he said. “Only a week.”
“Thank you.” Her relief was small and real. “I'll let them know.”
Just the thought of Cordelia being alone with Daniel again made the veins in Dante's temples throb. He suggested they spend some time together and keep her company, to which Cordelia gladly agreed.
They started with Leah. She didn’t ask why. “I’ll pack light,” she said.
They crossed the yard to the armory. Silas stood under the eave, coat neat, eyes alert.
“We’re riding to Cordelia`s estate,” Dante said. “To relax and recharge”
Silas gave a crisp nod. “I’ll set the file. The south road is clear.”
“Don't bother,” Cordelia said. “Only a few close people are going.”
Silas merely raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. The hardest part remained for Dante: meeting Daniel. He was on the east side of the yard, hauling a rack of staves back under cover. Sweat showed at his temples despite the cold.
“Daniel,” Dante called.
Daniel straightened fast, then stopped himself from saluting like a soldier. “Alpha.”
“We're going to take a break. Want to join us? ” Dante said.
Daniel’s gaze slid to Cordelia and softened, just for a breath. Gratitude, apology, something in between. Jealousy stirred within Dante. How dare he look at her like that? At his Luna. A beast awoke in his chest, a wolf that had been sleeping until now. Only the one at whom it was directed heard his warning growl. Daniel abruptly shifted his gaze from Cordelia to his Alpha.
“I’ll be ready,” he said, and turned to work without another look at her.
Dante silently took Cordelia by the arm, but she only had time to glance between the two of them.
He had never pulled her like that before. ‘Dante,’ she called to him, but his grip did not loosen. ‘Dante!’ she raised her voice, and he finally stopped. She cautiously withdrew her hand. They spent the rest of the way in silence. Cordelia kept her pace, Dante kept his face calm. The beast in him had risen and gone still again, like water settling after a stone. She decided not to impose herself. He would tell her when the time was right, at least that's what she hoped.
In their room, Cordelia began to gather what they would need. She moved the way a person moves when she is making a place ready for welcome—checking a clasp, rolling a scarf, tying bundles for Mira’s food, choosing the book that would keep her quiet on the road. The small tasks pleased her. He watched the light return to her face as she worked.
He helped in practical ways. He checked his belt knife, chose spare gloves. He wrote a line for Herrick that he must settle before their return.
She crossed to him and laid her palm on his shoulder, calming his beast immediately “Thank you for saying yes,” she said.
He waved it off. “We all need fresh air.”
At that moment, he wanted to tell her about his nightmares. Where and how he had actually spent the previous night. But his pride prevented him from doing so. He would not burden her with his demons, would not show weakness.
They met the others in the yard closer to nightfall. The wolves did not need horses, but they saddled them for Cordelia's convenience. The tension between Daniel and Dante was too obvious, at least because the former saluted with clenched jaw, while the latter demonstratively walked past.
The east gate opened. Air met them, clean and clean.