The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

The male grinned, but I had a feeling my suggestion
went in one ear and skipped right out the other.
“Setti has been on the road for quite some time. He
could use some extra care,” Casteel commented, thankfully
drawing the attention away from me.
“I will make sure he and the others receive it.” Harlan
held onto the reins as he rubbed the side of Setti’s muzzle.
Casteel leapt down with a fluid grace that made me
wonder if he were a pit of endless energy and then
immediately reached for me. I took his hands, and he lifted
me from the saddle, placing me on the ground beside him.
His hands slid to my hips and lingered there. I looked up at
him, and he bent down, pressing his lips to my forehead.
The sweet kiss tugged at my heart.
“Just a couple of more minutes,” he murmured as he
tucked several tangled strands of hair over my shoulder.
“And we’ll be alone.”
I nodded. His arm stayed around me as we turned.
Kieran and Jasper had stopped in front of us, but the
wolven not in their mortal forms caught and held my
attention. They had followed us into the courtyard, and
there were…gods, there had to be hundreds of them. They
prowled along the stables and the estate. Dozens leapt onto
the walls of the courtyard. Others climbed the wide steps of
the manor and stood between the pillars. They parted,
creating a path between us and the bronze doors. But
before Casteel or I could move, they shifted. All of them at
once. Fur thinned and gave way to flesh. Bones cracked and
shrank, fusing back together. Limbs straightened and claws
retracted into nails. Within seconds, they stood in their
mortal forms. There was a whole lot of skin on display. More
than I ever needed to see. My cheeks started to heat as I
struggled not to look, well…anywhere. I started to ask
Casteel what was happening, but the wolven moved
simultaneously.