The Will of the Goddess

Cassian

‘I smell it too.’

Though I haven’t said a word, Turgan senses my thoughts and confirms my suspicions in a private mind-link. The foul scent of forest wolves grows stronger as we approach the outskirts of our boundaries.

Assanan’s warriors have already breached the perimeter of our lands.

And this means war.

‘I’m beginning to think he and Cobour are working together,’ I tell my Beta. “The Mountain-King Alpha is pathetic. He would only be emboldened by such a partnership—’

‘To make our warriors tire before Assanan’s attack,’ he finishes for me.

‘Exactly.’ I test the air with my keen wolf’s sense, closing my eyes to focus on their numbers. ‘I have at least a hundred different wolf scents.’

‘At least,’ he agrees. ‘What’s our move?’

‘Triple the guards on this line,’ I tell him. ‘For now, let’s see if we can catch any of them on our side of the border and teach them a lesson.’

‘Aye.’

To the rest of our scout party, I add, ‘Kill any mountain or forest wolves encroaching on our territory. Zero tolerance.’

‘Aye, Alpha,’ they all say in unison.

I lead the pack, my white wolf guiding our twenty strongest warriors, along with Turgan, toward the outermost stretches of our territory. We make no play at stealth, the dead leaves and dried twigs snapping noisily beneath us as we make our way toward the border.

Though Assanan claims the bulk of the forest, trees line our territory toward its outskirts, blocking the strong ocean winds from reaching this far inland. Few plants hold their ground against the harsh salt sprays near the coast, as is evident by the efforts to keep the castle maintained, despite its natural rock construction.

Though wolves aren’t normally seafaring, uncountable centuries ago, our ancestors chose coastal lands as their own, wisely understanding the importance of sea trade for future generations.

As I run forward, my mother’s voice chimes through a private mind-link. Concerned, I engage with her. ‘Mother, are you well?’

‘I’m fine, son, just fine,’ she insists. ‘Lyra and I are awaiting your arrival in the tearoom.’

Lyra—the name strikes a chord, electric tingles echoing through my wolf, yet I have no idea who Mother is talking about.

‘Mother, I’m out on patrol,’ I explain. ‘I don’t expect to return until sunset.’

‘But we’re waiting,’ she argues. ‘Do you not wish to meet your bride?’

The word rattles through me. Bride—she must mean the human girl. I hadn’t even considered what her name might be. I’d hoped allowing the girl topside would have appeased my mother for the time being.

But Mother’s mind is so hollow now, she’s gaining some sort of pleasure from pretending I’ll wed a human female. Losing her mate has truly made her come undone.

‘I’ll be home at sunset,’ I repeat. ‘I don’t doubt you’ll be able to entertain each other until then.’

‘We’ll be waiting!’ Her tone is enthusiastic, hopeful, like a child.

‘Are we stopping here?’

Turgan’s question floods into my mind, and I realize I’d nearly slowed to a stop. ‘My mother called,’ I explain.

‘Has she had another attack?’ he asks. ‘Do we need to return?’

‘No,’ I tell him. ‘She is well, just wanting me to entertain company.’

‘The girl?’

I let out a sigh, or one somewhat resembling one coming out of my wolf’s muzzle. ‘It keeps her busy, entertaining thoughts of my marriage, so I allow it.’

‘Surely you’ll tell her the truth before you’re standing at the altar.’

I very nearly clamp down on his carotid for the snide joke. ‘It won’t go that far,’ I say instead.

He goes silent, knowing better than to test me further, and as we pick up speed, the others following unquestioningly. I need to focus, to take out any forest wolves who dare step foot in my territory.

Yet something in my wolf, something deep in its primal being, stirs me, calling me to return to the castle.

I’ll do no such thing. I shall return at sunset as planned.

***

“Gather the unit commanders,” I tell Turgan once we’ve returned and shifted to human form. “The dead we’ve left today will only be the beginning.”

“Aye, Sea-King Alpha Cassian,” he replies.

I turn to him, wrinkles forming in my brow. “You never call me by my full title.”

“I may as well get used to it,” he explains, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. “Once you have a Luna, we’ll need to be more formal.”

“I will have no Luna,” I snap. “Well, I know not what the future brings, but this human girl certainly wouldn’t be worthy of the title even if I did plan to marry her.” I give him a dangerous scowl. “Which I do not,” I add.

He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Understood.”

But I can practically hear his smirk as he walks away. Few other men would escape a death sentence for such behavior.

Having dressed, I make my way toward my mother’s quarters. ‘I’m on my way,’ I tell her.

‘Oh, lovely,’ she replies. ‘We’re here in my suite, dear. Please hurry. We’ve been waiting so long.’

A groan escapes me, and a nearby guard jumps to attention at his post. But I pass him, ignoring him, cursing my father internally for getting himself killed and leaving me with a shell of a mother.

The guards outside her quarters give me the sign of respect and open the large double doors. Inside, my mother smiles broadly as she catches sight of me. I see the human girl facing away in the chair opposite her, catching only the dusting of crimson hair over the silk chair back.

My wolf shudders inside me. Why?

“Oh, there you are,” Mother says, her face filled with nothing but hollow, infantile emotion. “You need to meet your future bride, Lyra.”

She gestures toward the woman, who stands, keeping her eyes toward the ground yet not quite in a submissive stance, no doubt thinking herself a royal because she belongs to the human family currently in power in their small enclave.

She’s lovely, I’ll give her that, as I had also noticed when she was first brought to the castle. But she’s not a Luna, not even a half-wolf, as I can clearly catch from her scent, pleasant as it might be.

The woman—Lyra, I suppose is her name—makes a strange move, bending down low and giving me a nod of her head. It must be a human custom.

Silly and useless, just as they are.

“Well, aren’t you going to say hello?” My mother grins and looks at me expectantly.

I have no intention of playing at a wedding to this pathetic human. My wolf growls at the thought, and I push him back. Why he reacts this way, I can’t imagine. The Goddess surely has greater gifts awaiting our future than a pretty face with no substance.

“Greetings,” I say coldly. “I’ll say this from the start. What arrangements your father made are void here. I agreed simply as a courtesy. You may live in this castle in comfort, but there will be no wedding.”

The girl lowers her eyes to the floor.

“Cassian?” Mother asks, her head tilted.

“I’m sorry, Mother,” I tell her. “I won’t marry a human. I will keep my word and give her father’s kingdom access to the sea, and that is all.”

“But—” Mother begins.

“No, Mother,” I insist.

Her expression falters, and she sinks backward, too far away to return to her chair, her lips contorting in that all-too-familiar pattern.

Another attack.

‘Get here now,’ I tell the healer, stepping forward to break my mother’s fall.

The human girl does the same, almost on the same level of instinct, catching my mother’s arms and weakly assisting as we get her back into the chair.

I steady Mother’s back, and my hand brushes across Lyra’s as I pull it away.

Sparks of molten fire rush through my veins, my heart thumping wildly against my ribcage. I step back from the shock of it, turning my head toward Lyra.

Our eyes meet, hers wide, confused as they bore into my own. We stand there, our gaze unbroken, as the healer bursts through my mother’s doors and rushes to her side.

I step away, finally getting my bearings and forcing myself to break that gaze.

‘This one was strong.’

Blinking, my head shakes as I sort out the healer’s words in the mind-link. ‘But she will be fine,’ she adds. ‘She just needs rest.’

‘See to what she needs,’ I snap, turning away.

I cannot even stay by my mother at this time of need. My feet quicken as I storm down the hallway, bracing against the desperate whines of my wolf inside me.

How the fuck can this be?

How… and why, did the Goddess mate me to a weak, pathetic human?