The Mate Hunt
She spun, knife up, searching the dark.
“The next one won’t be,” she warned.
“I hope not,” I murmured, stepping easily over her trap. “I’d hate to be disappointed in my future mate.”
Her knife flashed through the air. I caught it by the handle, the blade halting inches from my cheek. The silence let me enjoy the weight of it in my hand... well-balanced, sharp, wrapped in weathered leather.
Mara’s mark was carved near the base: a crescent moon and three lines. Old rebellion. Old blood. She’d likely never told Maeve what it meant.