22

Our bedroom is quite far up, and jumping from such a height to the ground is terrifying. However, Cedric’s wolf does it quite easily. His feet have barely landed when he begins racing toward the gate. There are a few shifters around, but nobody stops us.

Of course not. They must recognizing their king.

A few of them shift forms and try to join us, but he snaps his teeth at them, making them hang back.

I look over my shoulder at them as they begin racing off in a different direction, to play. Wolves enjoy playing in their animal forms together, bonding with each other. As they disappear into the trees, I feel a hint of envy. They’re probably heading off to go on a run.

I’ve shifted plenty of times, but I’ve never joined in a pack run, which is something all shifters take part in. I was never allowed to. If wolf shifters don’t assume their true form frequently, it can harm their wolf. Whenever I shifted back in the East, I had to do it privately, within the confines of my room.

As Cedric runs across the land, I lift my head. My braid was not securely tied, and the sections of hair unravel in the wind. The air is cold and slices against my cheeks, but I like it. My eyes shutter close as I enjoy the freedom. It’s exhilarating.

He ran at a similar pace when he brought me here, but I was half out of my mind back then. Now, though? I want to laugh out loud. I want to tell him to run faster.

A small giggle escapes my mouth before I clamp my mouth shut. However, Cedric hears it, and he howls in response. It’s almost as if he can sense what I want, and he picks up his pace. By the time he slows to a walk, my face is flushed from excitement and I’m trembling, unable to stop smiling.

I have no idea where we are. Before I can even try to get my bearings, Cedric shifts back, and suddenly he’s holding me in his arms like a bride being carried over the threshold. I try to calm my rapidly beating heart as I look around.

I hear the sounds of waves crashing just before my eyes settle on the vast expanse of water.

The ocean. We’re on a beach.

“What are we doing here?” Cedric lowers my legs to the ground, and I look around. There is sand underneath my feet, and it’s really dark out. “Your Majesty?”

He doesn’t respond, simply crouching down and gathering a few stones. He tosses them in his hand once before picking one out and tossing it in the direction of the ocean. I follow the stone’s progress, and when it makes contact with the water’s surface, something strange happens. The spot glows brightly.

As the stone skips along the surface, each point of contact lights up, a mesmerizing blue and silver light that stays for a few seconds before fading away.

My gaze lingers on the glowing sea. I’m fascinated. “What is that?”

“Something you can only find in the Northern Wolf Kingdom,” Cedric tells me. I don’t know why he sounds so smug.

“Is it some kind of algae?” I ask, curious now.

When I take a step toward the water, he stops me. “Careful. The water gets quite deep after a certain point.”

“I won’t go far,” I promise as I slip off my shoes.

“Leanna.” There is a warning edge to Cedric’s voice, but I don’t care. I step into the water and am surprised that it’s not cold. Wiggling my toes in delight, I can’t help but grin.

“Look!” I stomp my feet in place, and the glow appears once again. “Cedric, look! It’s lighting up where I walk!”

“I can see that.” He doesn’t sound disdainful, just amused.

I look around before splashing my feet in the water some more and watching the disturbed spots glow. I don’t know why I’m getting so excited. I take a few more steps, only to be plucked out of the water by two strong hands under my arms.

“That’s as far as you go. There’s a steep drop there.”

I flush, feeling Cedric holding me like a child, my legs dangling in the air. “Okay, okay. Put me down.”

He carries me back to the shore, ignoring my protests. But when my wet feet hit the sand, it clings to my skin. Dismay fills me when I realize that I won’t be able to wear my shoes with this sand all over my feet.

“I have to wash my—”

Cedric picks me up again and lowers me slowly into the edge of the water so that only my feet dip in.

Flustered, I cry out, “W–What are you doing?”

“Cleaning your feet,” he says, clearly confused.

“I can do it myself!” My face feels hot. “Let me go! Please!”

He sighs as if he simply can’t understand me but puts me down.

I rinse my feet, but then I face another dilemma. “My shoes—”

I feel like an idiot now.

Cedric shakes his head at me and fetches them. I try to put them on, but no matter what I do, either they will get wet or I will have to step into the sand. “I guess I can’t wear them.”

“At times, you are completely hopeless,” he growls before crouching down and pulling my feet toward him. I nearly fall over with the force he uses.

My face is burning. “You don’t have to do this. I can just walk barefoot!”

“Do you ever stop yapping?” he snaps.

I shut up. He cleans off my feet at the edge of the water and then wipes them with his shirt before putting on the shoes.

“There. Now don’t take them off again.”

Dazed, I stare at the man. He just washed my feet and put my shoes on for me. Is this the same brute who kidnapped me and said all sorts of horrid things to me? He’s the king of the Northern Wolf Kingdom, and he’s washing my feet?

I feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to think.

Nobody has ever done something like that for me before. Nobody has looked after me before or taken care of me. For a moment, my eyes burn with emotions, and I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t know what to make of this man who says one thing and does another.

Turning my gaze away from him, I try to focus on something else.

“If it’s not algae, what is it?” I ask finally.

“We throw the corpses of the monsters in here,” Cedric says, almost proudly. “Their bodies are tainted with the magic from the Veil, and it causes this effect in the water. This ocean is one of the deepest in the world. It disintegrates the corpses, and the magic causes this glowing effect.”

My face goes pale at his explanation.

I look down at my feet. Suddenly, the charm of the whole experience vanishes. The glowing was caused by the decaying remains of monsters!

“I’m sure this is better than whatever Erik showed you,” Cedric says, his voice prideful.

I stare at him and then at the ocean. “That was from algae. This is—This is from corpses.”

“Exactly. It’s fascinating isn’t it?” My mate looks far too pleased. When he gives me an expectant look, I don’t have the heart to tell him how creepy it is.

“Definitely.” I take a step away from the waves that are washing up on the shore. “Maybe we should leave now.”

“You want to leave?” He looks surprised. “Don’t you want to go for a run? This is your first time outside of the castle and the villages.”

I go still. “You mean, I can shift?”

He laughs. “That is how you will go for a run, isn’t it?”

My mouth moves as I try to form words. “It’s just that—I mean, I’ve never really shifted in front of anyone before.”

“You’ve never gone on a pack run? Are you telling me the wolves in the Eastern Kingdom don’t bond during pack runs?” He looks surprised, and I shake my head.

“They do. I just wasn’t allowed to join them.” I look around the beach. It’s empty. “What about my clothes?”