Alexander's horse moved in tandem with mine, his presence like a mountain at my back. He didn't tell me to stop. If anything, I felt his silent approval radiating off him, a dark, protective intensity that fueled my own fire.
"The Lady said it belongs to her," Alexander added, his voice vibrating with a territorial growl. "In the North, we don't ask twice. You can leave with your 'trophy' on Jay's shoulder, or you can stay here and see how many bolts it takes to silence that giggling."
The air was so still I could hear the heartbeat of the pup against my chest. Morrigan looked at me, then at the crossbow, and finally at the cold, determined faces of the brothers who had all drawn their weapons.
