Chapter 36: Stopover at a Quiet Inn

Jude POV

After healing in a short time from nearly being blown to bits, he trotted in the dark with Dane alongside Duffy Kruspodin's merchant wagon. He could hear the soft snoring of Lilia, Daxius, and Ravyn. 

He wished he could sleep beside Ravyn in Duffy's big wagon, but someone had to scout for danger in the dark. "You have four legs and noses that can smell a rabbit across a valley," was how Duffy put it. "I love being in shifter territory–haven't been there in years. I should really take my business there."

When Jude asked why he hadn't opened negotiations with Evenhide and the Crimsontails, Duffy had shrugged enigmatically and lit a pipe to keep himself warm. "My business has kept me occupied," he'd said enigmatically, and didn't offer any more details.

"Are you tired?" Jude asked Dane now.

The gold eyes sparkled in the dark. "Shockingly, no. You?"

"I could run from here to the sea. We're alive, and my mate is!"

Dane smelled satisfied. "The same. And I'm intrigued that the stories Lilia has been telling us for years about her mother's oldest friend Duffy were, if anything, understatements–just wait until Patch and Dirge meet him!"

"To say nothing of the rest of the family." Jude smirked. The gnome had grown on them both. "My mate has more depth than I realized."

Dane grunted. "You're particularly fond of that word, aren't you? And I'm surprised that after less than a week since you bonded, your new mate is lying in the wagon without you."

"And beside her former husband, is that it?"

"I wasn't going to mention that."

Jude sniffed the air. Nothing dangerous nearby. "I trust Ravyn. And I know what she feels–mostly frustration mixed with sympathy."

Ravyn still cared for Daxius, but he didn't sense a burning passion or unrequited love. Maybe his own blazing love and the mate bond blinded him, but he chose to trust his mate.

He yawned, weariness coming on. He took several quick panting breaths to wake him up. "Keep me awake. Tell me everything Lilia and Ravyn have shared about our new friend Duffy."

* * * * *

Dane POV

His eyes fluttered open as the afternoon sun teased them. Beside him, Jude sighed in sleep, and Dane felt Ravyn's fingers stroking his hair. "Hello, sleepyhead," she said softly.

The jolting and rocking beneath them inspired panic because he had no idea where he was. But Jude slept through it all. Ravyn was here, and Jude didn't have a care in the world. 

Dane sat up and accepted a bottle of water from Ravyn. "Are we on a ship? In a carriage?"

She laughed. "No, son. Think back. Remember last night?"

The cool, refreshing water soothed his parched throat, but a thought hit him hard. "Lilia! Where's Lilia?"

"Enjoying the sunshine." Ravyn had a smile in her voice. "We slept long and well. I thought you two would sleep longer."

"So did I," Jude said grumpily beside them. "SOMEONE woke me up, and it wasn't my mate."

Duffy's cheerful voice intruded. "Maybe it was both your snoring. Thank you, by the way, for the snacks. Kept my brain awake–and I'm glad I cooked the game first. I've eaten some truly questionable things in my time, but I do draw the line at raw meat."

"When we're not in wolf form, so do we," Jude assured him, kissing Ravyn's hand. She ruffled his hair. 

Fenrir's guts, the two couldn't keep their hands off each other. The blessing and the curse of the newly mated. 

"So, where are we?" Dane asked. 

Jude was curious, too. "And will we journey through the night again, with Jude and I scouting, or will we camp? Ravyn is leading this expedition–she has a huge say in that. But Duffy, you're being so kind as to let us travel with you."

Duffy walked down the narrow steps into the wagon. "We've departed from the Brigantium Road and are headed north along the Spice Road–that's what the merchants call it, anyway. There's a Royal Guard outpost and trading post an hour's ride away–we'll stop there. You, Jude. I understand your family were merchants?"

Dane smiled. Ravyn must have told Duffy all about Jude.

"Before we became royal," Jude answered. "And who's driving the wagon if you're here?"

"Lilia," Duffy answered. "And Daxius is sitting beside her keeping an eye on the road. Back to the subject at hand. You know how to act like a merchant, Ravyn says. You'll be my new assistant, and Dane will be yours–makes me look important."

Dane smirked. "Don't get too used to the situation, Jude."

Ignoring Dane, Jude cleared his throat. "Will people be curious that you have an assistant?"

"As often as I've complained about looking for a right hand, no," came the quick reply. "But I do tend to be a lone voyager, so you'll have to be convincing. Ravyn and Lilia are no problem. Even Daxius should be able to manage it. I'll be disappointed if you can't."

* * * * *

Ravyn POV

After four days of merchant business and traveling, Ravyn sighed in bliss as she sank down on the bed in her olive-green-painted room at the Wild Bittersweet Inn. Her room with Jude. 

Privacy, a crackling fire in the fireplace, and her mate, her old friend, and several of her family under one roof. What more could she ask for? Daxius was a wild card, but the rest of the party had to acknowledge that he'd been on his best behavior, even when posing as a merchant. Dane and Jude also acquitted themselves just fine as merchants.

Male hands came up from behind her and kneaded her shoulders, making her moan in bliss. "How did you know?"

Jude had a wicked, playful smile in his voice. "I saw you needed a soothing touch–you're sore from the road."

A wave of desire flooded her, and it felt potent and fiery, very male. She luxuriated in the warmth of his hands, in this beautiful inn …

A memory surfaced. Another room, another inn in another city. She couldn't remember which one. She and Daxius had been traveling to find new crystals, and he finally called an end to their search for the day by dragging her to an inn with warm rolls, a roaring fire, and the temptation of a dice game–one of Daxius' weaknesses. 

Jude growled softly and nipped her to get her attention. "You're far away."

Why think of Daxius and their happier times when she was with Jude?

A knock on the door, and Duffy called out from the hallway, "We're going to dinner! Both of you, shall you come down or do we have them send up a tray?"

Jude growled again and Ravyn held in her laughter. "Do we want a tray?" she asked quietly.

"Someone else who'll interrupt us? No. We'll eat downstairs like civilized people and then we'll come back here, where you'll put your witch shields in place so no one can disturb us." He called out, "Coming, Duffy!"

Minutes later, Ravyn was squeezed between Jude and Daxius in a booth in the packed dining room. They all enjoyed mouthwatering food, and plenty of it. 

Daxius served her cold spiced fruit soup. "You always ordered this at inns whenever we'd travel for the shop," he said nostalgically.

Ravyn smiled. "I ordered it once or twice."

"EVERY place we went," Daxius corrected, his turquoise eyes gleaming. "Sometimes I thought you were making a study of the varieties of fruit soup in Lugdunum. You even made it for Lilia and me that time we–"

"Mother's fruit soup cure-all," Lilia chimed in. "Next to her goldenberry cobbler that everyone in Evenhide and Crimsontail is mad about, it's her specialty."

After trying a spoonful of fruit soup, Dane growled. "You've been keeping that particular cure a secret. Now you have to make it for us."

"And especially in Silverpaw territory at our first feast together as Alpha and Luna," Jude said with possessive fire in his eyes.

Daxius talked over him. "The first time Ravyn and I tried it was at a little inn north of Wildefell."

"It wasn't an inn, Daxius." Ravyn couldn't help correcting him. "It was those three sisters that invited us to stay with them when we got to chatting while stopping at that ruin."

"And they ran a dragon hatchery," Daxius drawled, passing Ravyn a basket of warm rolls.

Rsvyn burst out laughing. "It was a dragonet hatchery, but yes. I'd forgotten that! Every place in their house was burned or scorched. They called the dragonets their babies."

"I rather miss all the Cresta pups around," Daxius said suddenly. "They're all so smart and gifted and so much fun."

Dane acknowledged the compliment. "Thank you. Our lives are busy but so much richer."

Daxius started reminiscing about Lilia's childhood, which intrigued Jude, but at some point Ravyn noticed he said little during the rest of the meal. He pulled Dane aside after dinner and they both went for a run outside in wolf form. Daxius and Duffy decided to go to the bar to get into a dice game.

Ravyn had just gone to her room for the night when Lilia came to see her. "You and Father are getting along."

"Just trying to make things easier, by reminding him of the good memories," Ravyn said. "But the rest of tonight belongs to Jude."

Lilia frowned. "Just so Father doesn't get into trouble–Dane won't be happy if he has to step in and fight drunks to save him."

Ravyn sighed. "I'll nag him to be careful, and then I'm going to enjoy my night with my MATE."

Lilia visibly relaxed. "That's wise."

When Ravyn walked into the bar, which reminded her of a dimly lit cave, Daxius was already arguing with two dwarves, a burly human mercenary, a goblin, and a shady-looking smogcat, a feline species that walked on two legs and constantly hissed smog. 

"You cheated! You slipped in that twenty-sided dice," Daxius shouted.

"I saw you," Duffy agreed.

"LIAR," the two dwarves yelled. They both stank of liquor and sweat. 

The human bared his yellowish teeth. "The wizard is losing and doesn't want to pay his debts."

"He can't insult us," one of the dwarves shouted, and the other one threw a small, sharp knife at Daxius, who dodged out of the way.

Ravyn grabbed Daxius and teleported upstairs to her room immediately. The magicians in the party could teleport short distances. "What were you thinking, Daxius?"

"I'm happy you still care."

She noticed the knife point had grazed his neck, and she used her healing power. "That will teach you to argue with a dwarf …"

His voice turned husky. "I've missed your caring."

Jude burst into the room and sprang at Daxius, teeth sharpened and claws out. "GET AWAY FROM MY MATE!"