Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“That won’t amount to anything,” Arleth said. “Except maybe a strained relationship with the Red Lupine Court and Granny. If anything goes wrong with Granny’s business or they start bringing in less gold, they’ll exile her or make some other statement and pass her off to Flamma as a show of faith. She’ll just be on thin ice if Flamma contacts Red Lupine.”
I looked over my workstation, trying to push aside the dread I felt knowing Granny’s life was closing down around her. I hated that it was coming to this. I wished she hadn’t put me in this position. I didn’t want to hurt her; I didn’t want to treat her like she had treated me. With the product, though, there was no choice. She had to be shut down, and I was the only one who could do it.
“We’re going to be the reason they start bringing in less gold,” I murmured, and Hannon’s gaze rooted to me. “Speaking of, Finley, here are the mock-ups for the art. Also, what is in that Moonfire Lily brew, and when can I drink it?”
Finley stepped to the desk where I’d put the art. She smiled when she looked at the dragon one. Nyfain’s great golden dragon spread its wings in the image, but the coloring of the rest of the packaging matched her dragon.
“His form is just so intense,” I muttered. “And he’s golden. He was made to be a symbol.”
“His dragon will be happy to hear your thoughts.” She laughed and passed it off to Arleth. “I love it.”
“This is . . .” Arleth puffed out her chest a bit as she showed Delaney the mock-up.
“It looks very fine,” Delaney said. “Like a luxury item. Maybe too fine?”
“People like luxury, and it’ll still be affordable.” I handed off the other.
Finley quirked a brow. “This one is very . . .”
“Loud,” Arleth said, looking over her shoulder.
“Bold,” Finley said. “Fuchsia? That’s what you want to go with for the Moonfire Lily products?”
“Oh.” I bit my lip. “I was actually thinking of the stuff I make. I didn’t know we were doing a special line for the Moonfire Lily. See the fairy on the symbol?”
“No.” Finley shook her head. “Get rid of the fairy on this one. Keep the wolf. Dragons have Everlass. Wolves have Moonfire Lily. If the glowing elixir I made works out, I’m thinking your lily is going to be all the rage, and what’s better? The fairies won’t have a fucking clue what it is, how we made it, and, most importantly, how we got an elixir to glow. If the fairies play nice, maybe we’ll put a fairy on something else. Now. Let’s get to work, people. There needs to be a reason I got up this horribly fucking early.”
“It’s good for you,” Vemar told her.
She scowled at him. “Tell me that again and see what happens.”
Vemar laughed delightedly. “Maybe I will, Strange Lady.” Vemar reserved pet names for people he liked, though I didn’t know the origin of Finley’s nickname. “I could use a good battle.”
Chapter 37
Aurelia
Vemar didn’t end up saying it again, not with all the work we had to do.
Throughout the day, I kept looking at the label I’d done up with Weston’s favorite color, trying to picture the symbol without the fairy. It would be too plain. Too . . . simple?
About noon, I realized it wasn’t the composition that bothered me, but the single wolf. The image struck me as lonely, like Weston shouldering his duty alone. Solitary, like I had always been before I’d met him. The thought made me sad and a little uncomfortable. I’d need to come up with something else.
“Why the fuck do I always find you fuckers standing over the plants like they might up and run away?” Hadriel pushed into our circle a couple hours later as we stood in the garden, looking down on the Moonfire Lily, snug between the Everlass and happy as could be. Its petals glowed a slow throb, hardly visible in the daylight.
“The glowing is entrancing,” Finley said in a hush, nibbling at her lip. “I really want to showcase that in an elixir. Like, really really.”
“Fine, think about that later.” Hadriel shooed me out of the circle. “You’re busy. We’re all busy. Come on, it’s time for you to go get ready. Finley, my love, get your ass moving. You need to be there.”
“What? Where?” I asked as he pushed me away from the others.
“You, my darling, are getting claimed tonight. Time to end all the cumdrop dreams of single ladies and gents everywhere.”
My stomach turned over in sudden, dread-laced nervousness. “What? Tonight? Weston didn’t tell me this.”
“That is because Weston has been patiently waiting for the king, who has been patiently waiting for Finley, who has been patiently waiting for Hannon to return. This is kind of a big deal. Given your true mate status and your power, you have the potential to be signing on as a pack leader. As a commander, in other words, of all the land shifters in the kingdom. So far you’ve only met wolves and dragons. Dragons don’t connect through a bond like wolves, but other creatures do, like birds of prey, or jackals, or wily rabbits, or other shit I don’t keep track of.”