A second death?

Chapter Four

Lyra

“The Wolf King has failed!”

The wolf King who was currently thrown over my shoulder, was cussing me out under his breath.

"No wolf King in history has ever failed the Alpha trials."

Everyone began murmuring. The dainty blonde who I was starting to realize was probably the 'Selene' he had mentioned back on the trial ground, strutted towards me and whipped me a dirty slap straight on the cheek.

It stung like hell.

Tears streaked her cheeks as she sobbed, “How could you? You shamed me before everyone. You've done the trials before so how could you fail?"

My mind scrambled on how I was supposed to respond. I barely knew what the Wolf King looked like in my past life, my pack was far away from the palace and I really didn't care.

So how on Earth was I supposed to pretend to be a man I barely knew? If I spoke too softly, they would know something was wrong. If I spoke too brash, they would know something was wrong too. Either way, this was a no-win situation.

Think, Lyra. Think.

I forced Malrik’s voice to roll out of my throat.

"Selene,” I said, cold, dismissive, like he had been when I landed in that river. “I did not betray you. I just pitied her?"

She hiccupped. “Pity?”

I raised my chin and announced, praying I wasn’t digging myself into a grave. “The woman I carried out is nothing. She will not be my queen. She will not share my bed. She will be… a servant. Err, a maid, perhaps. That is all.”

People looked even more scandalized by my words. Ah crap. Malrik in my body pinched my back and I tensed, trying to fight the sting.

Selene’s face crumpled, hitting my chest with her fist. “You dare call this pity?” she cried, her voice breaking. “You spat on the mate bond, Malrik. You spat on the goddess herself-”

"End this already," Malrik hissed in my ear.

“Enough.” I growled and the crowd hushed instantly. My stomach flipped. Goddess above, this man was terrifying, even I was afraid of how I had just sounded.

“Never in history has a Wolf king failed the Trial and taken a woman from it into his household,” A woman yelled, gliding forward, all dressed in long grey robes. She had a staff so she had to be the priestess. "You have committed heresy, Your Majesty,"

“Err,” I started, my throat running dry as the woman moved closer. Weren't Priestess rumored to have powers? This woman would know immediately that I wasn't the wolf King.

“There’s a first time for everything,” I blurted and clutched Malrik, well my real body, tighter against me, before storming through the crowd.

"Your Majesty!" The Priestess and the elders called behind me.

"We will discuss this later!" I threw back, storming to the palace.

“When we switch back, little witch," Malrik hissed. "I will strangle you with my bare hands for bringing such heavy shame on me.”

Chills ran down my spine. He really would kill me.

"Then I hope we never switch back, your Majesty, because I’m not ready to die.” I replied and earned another pinch.

"Pinching me is childish," I snapped, wincing at the burning pain.

"It's the only thing I can fucking do," He growled.

We were almost at the massive doors of the rather huge palace when a massive man blocked my way.

Damn, was the palace crawling with giants? This man stood toe to toe, chest to chest with the wolf King's body.

I tried to rack my head to remember if the Wolf King ever had a brother. Kings had a knack for producing just one kid though because no one wanted the headaches of rivalry between brothers.

Judging by the way people gasped around me, including Malrik who stiffened while hanging on my shoulders, everyone knew exactly who he was. Everyone except me.

He raised a hand, pointing at the body slung over my shoulder, at my body.

“Drop the woman, your Majesty,” he said in a cold terrifying voice. “You said to yourself she would be nothing more than a servant. So let her go if she means nothing to you and you did not choose her."

"Yes, do that!" Someone in the crowd yelled and everyone began murmuring in agreement.

I tried to step past him, but his hand shot out, clamping around my arm. His grip was strong, and even though I had the strength in Malrik's body, my pulse thundered because I didn’t know the rules here. I didn’t know who this man was or what he could do and he had to be pretty fucking important if he was grabbing the Wolf King by the arm.

"Look, can we do this later?" I asked, opting for a smile but that only seemed to alarm the man even more.

I guess the Wolf King doesn't smile?

“What are you doing, Malrik?” he bellowed. “You’ve always been ruthless. Clever and smart enough to lead us. But this? This is the dumbest shit you’ve ever done.”

"Thanks for the advice buddy," I mumbled. "I'll circle back and-"

He turned his head and barked. “Guards!”

Suddenly we were surrounded by guards and my stomach dropped. Oh goddess, this was turning out to be a mess.

“Take the woman,” he yelled, jabbing a finger at the body on my shoulder. “Throw her in the dungeon where she belongs.”

My gut twisted violently as guards rushed forward, prying my body from me. The wolf King in my body didn't say a word as they carried him off me, but he wasn't glaring at me, he was glaring at the giant before me.

"Look at how she dares to look at you, Alpha Thane!" Selene spat and really, she was starting to give me a headache. "She is evil. She was sent from the depths of hell!"

Tears pricked the corner of my eyes but I blinked rapidly, trying to think. If they took my body to the dungeons then at least I was still alive. When there was life there was hope, right?

What if Malrik died in my body, in the dungeons? Would I be stuck playing Wolf King forever?

Well at least I'll be alive.

A bitter taste filled my mouth but I didn't have time to be sentimental. Being sentimental cost me my heart in my last life. I would never let that happen again. If I had to be a cold witch to survive, then so fucking be it.

“Why waste time with dungeons?" Alpha Thane spat, extending his very sharp claws. His "It will be better to kill her now and restore balance to the kingdom.”

Oh shit. No no no!