grave decisions

Dante Milburn

Every inch of my body buzzed with adrenaline as I watched the silver carriage roll into the gritty fortress lot.

A royal guest from the west mountains of Shadowville and one of the elder’s potential conquests of women who would be my mate.

She had ridden all morning and through The Darkness to be able to make it in time, so I knew well enough that she was powerful.

Perhaps even as strong as an elder if she wasn't raving mad and tearing at her intestines by the time she made it out of the carriage.

“Try not to scare this one away, Alpha. There’s not many women who would put up with your sour demeanor, even as the King.” Kefas growled as he stepped up in a turquoise suit beside me.

The silk was too tight around his broad shoulders, and there was so much oil on his head that I was sure I could light a match and it would explode like some make-shift dynamite.

He was lecturing me on sour demeanor? The man in bed with different courtesans who robbed him of his gold each night?

“The day I take dating advice from you, Kefas is the day I have my balls chopped off at the gallows and thrown to the fortress bulls.” I sneered, ignoring his charismatic laugh as the carriage loomed before us.

 “Your Highness! My goodness, you look just as dashing as the last time I saw you!” Princess Triel’s wide hazel eyes stared up at me from the half-open window of the carriage.

My reflection revealed no emotion, only the black lace of the mask I’d tied around my head.

“Welcome to Infinity Fortress, M’lady. I trust you’ve had an eventful travel? If you would let me escort you up to your quarters where our best maidens are waiting to help you freshen up—” he implored, sucking up to royalty already like the kiss-ass that he was, but the woman’s big eyes floated to mine, and stayed.

“Nonsense! When the party’s just about to start? I’ve had enough refreshments to last me two general council meetings in fact!” She cheered, and I reigned in the snicker at the top of my throat.

I wasn't the only one Kefas’ monotone bored to death, and I almost felt pity for him when he glanced round in confusion, before his face narrowed in hate and he turned away from us.

“What are you doing back here, Triel? A marriage? Really?” I hissed, unable to contain my annoyed curiosity.

“I thought what better way than to spend the rest of my life but with an Alpha I’ve been friends with my whole life,” She purred, her glittering gold dress almost taking my eyes out with how brightly it shone before she held one hand up at me.

I couldn't help the smile the spread over my lips before I pressed a kiss to her offering, ignoring the nurses who stabbed at her horsemen with needles while she waved them off her.

“Quarantine after, party now. What do you say?” She whispered with an air of conspiracy, leaning so tightly against me that her breasts squashed against my arm as I led her to the giant stone steps.

“Sounds brilliant. I bet the people are dying for you to give your address.” I mumbled, taking the hand she held out and ignoring the other wolves who bowed out of our way as we stepped into the chilly hall.

The tall white pillars stretched into the pointy tower ceiling of the hall, its high open windows making the night wind filter steadily through.

Small fairy lights crisscrossed the space above us, with pots of dandelions and purple Lilly flowers arranged around the lights.

It looked like a scene straight out of a fairytale. With couples dancing and cavorting on the stage, and the servants scurrying around in the shadows, careful not to taint the light with their presence.

I had never seen anything so revolting, until the woman pressed her breast into my back, bouncing from foot to foot excitedly.

“Wow, place is really packed isn't it? I just can't wait to have everyone staring at us when we announce our mating after the royal dance!” Triel exclaimed, clapping her hands good-naturedly as I fought to keep the grimace from showing on my face.

This was all too fast, everything was happening too fast!

My fingers laced around hers as the loud hum of a new medley started and she grinned wildly.

“When was the last time we did this? A hundred? Maybe two hundred years ago? You used to be so much fun, Dante. Until you went and fell in love with that Leila—” Triel babbled on, oblivious to the way my eyes narrowed to slits when she took my dead lovers name.

It was a good thing we had a lot of witnesses, or I would have been tempted to slice her tongue off for the affront.

“Enough. Triel. I did not have you here to reminisce about old times. Just dance, act, and if you do a good job when the night is over we’ll see about updating your status from mistress to queen Luna, how about that?” 

If the woman had heard me, she made no move to reply, save for the slow grinding of her jaw before she swallowed hard, spinning to look over my shoulder.

“Who is that? Dante! You didn't tell me Caius had a new beau—” She drawled, flipping her long blond hair over one shoulder and making the glitter she had rubbed into it fall to the tiles like goldust.

I followed her gaze to the string of elite wolves standing in the shadowed corner of the hall.

Ronan stood a head taller than the other elites, his short buzz of silvery white hair making it impossible to mistake him for anyone else.

His silk black suit shimmered in the dark, its strobe lights bouncing off the silver chalet he clawed in one hand.

“Wouldn’t you say I'm the fairest of the woman in this party? Your Highness? I bet your brother’s will be far more interesting company than you are—” Triel muttered glumly, sticking out her bottom lip when I turned to roll my eyes at her.

Until the Shadow’s sweet vanilla scent struck me like lightning.

Amara Eldwood was here? What the hell was Caius thinking exposing her to the elders? 

Was he just straining to give them a reason to dethrone me?!

Fucks sake, taking in strays was one thing! But a shadow in Infinity pack was unforgivable!

She was supposed to keep her head down and stay in her goddamned room! 

Why was it that no one ever listened to me until shit hit the fucking fan?

“Come on, Come on,” I hissed under my breath, scanning the crowd for her just as her bright red hair caught the overhead light and I stifled a gasp.

Ravenously beautiful.

It was the only way the describe the sheer green and black dress she was wearing that clung to her curves like a second skin.

Rage stabbed into my temples as a red haze creeped into the corners of my eyes, making my view of her tight, snatched back a pinhole.

Was she trying to give everyone in the hall a hard on?

I couldn't remember her being this stunning when Caius had carried her to the infirm bay. But then again, with wounds like the one she had, it was impossible to remember anything else.

My jaw tightened when I watched her throw her head back to laugh, leaning in to whisper something in my Beta’s ear and making him grin back in return.

How long had it been since he smiled at me like that?

“Excuse me.” I growled, making the wolf infront of me shrink away in fright as I waded through the crowd, ignoring Triel’s dainty hand when it tightened warily on my arm.

He was touching her. The little blond FUCK was touching her!

Hadn't we all agreed we would keep our cocks in our pants and get the wench out of our fortress before she can cause any more harm than she already did?

“What the hell is he doing?” My body moved before I could stop myself and it took every morsel of control I could manage not to rip his arm right from his shoulder when I reached them.

Her stunning red hair glowed under the light, and when she spun to face me so that those big green eyes widened in surprise, I stopped moving.

My heart pounded inside me and electricity zapped through my body as I took in her curly hair, the soft plunge of her dress that exposed her porcelain breasts…the flared hips where the lace stretched tightly across.

“You know her.” Triel snapped, and the jealous lily in her voice was unmistakable.

I’d always known the princess for her mean streak. It was the one thing we had in common besides wild sex, but for some reason, a wash of protectiveness around her.

The last thing I wanted was for the princess to see the redhead as competition. All the other women who made that mistake were dead.

“She’s nothing.” I hissed, draping my hands destructively against the small of her waist before she twisted away, hard hazel eyes finding mine, with none of the mirth they held earlier.