Seven

MALRIC’S P.O.V.

A vicious growl ripped through my chest as I stormed down the hallway.

My wolf was out of his mind. I had never felt him take this kind of control unless it was the blood moon. But that had been yesterday, and the effects of the moon had never lasted this long before.

Yet, all I could think about was the woman in my room, standing there in nothing but a red slip meant to seduce me.

And it had been working.

Everything about her had been calling to my wolf… calling to me.

It took everything I had to remind myself that she was there for one reason and one reason only. She was no different than the others.

“What's going on?” Greyson, my Beta, asked as I stormed past him and into my private sitting room.

“Nothing,” I snapped, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood like a dark omen, telling me to turn around and go back to my room.

I felt my wolf pacing in my mind, growing more agitated with each passing moment.

“Is it the woman?” Greyson asked, following me into my sitting room and crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall and watched me open the bottle of liquor.

“She tried to jump out of the window,” I spat, but he didn’t seem the least bit surprised at the news as I handed him a glass before knocking my own back, hissing at the bite of moon flower in it.

“It sounds like you are going to have your hands full.” He chuckled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass with an amused glint in his eyes that didn’t sit well with me.

Remembering the way she felt in my hands and arms as I pulled her back inside… my entire body burned hot.

She had felt so perfect against me, warm curves, and had a smell that made me lose all train of thought when I was close to her.

It was dangerous. It was wrong.

“Should we have a cleanup crew on hand?” Greyson asked, and rage surged through me so quickly that there was no holding back as I turned and slammed my best friend into the wall.

The image of the woman broken and lifeless on the ground outside the castle flashed through my mind, breaking what little restraint I had over my wolf.

“How many times have I told you not to use your magic on me, Greyson?” I snarled, furious that he had sent that to me.

Yet, Greyson didn’t bother to fight back.

“Hm,” he mused, eyeing me with a calculated stare. “I’ll assume you have assigned guards to stand at the bottom for a game of catch, then.”

Stepping back, I nodded, pulled in a deep breath through my nose, and closed my eyes, trying to force down my frustration.

“The Elders did it again,” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose as my wolf retreated, feeling equally as disgusted as I was by the display I had walked into.

“They just want you to give them an heir,” he muttered, but from the wrinkle of his nose, he was as bothered by the idea as I was.

“I think it’s been well established by now that it is not in the cards for us,” I said, turning and heading back to refill my drink as the weight of it settled on my shoulders. “Our women haven’t been able to conceive, no one has been blessed with a soulmate in decades, and the women our beasts pick each blood moon don’t survive the mark. We are going to be extinct soon if I don’t find the answer.”

“And if it is simply the will of the Goddess herself?” Greyson asked, and I sighed, having thought the same thing several times before.

“Then we will continue to pray and beg for her forgiveness for whatever we have done to wrong her,” I said, sipping my drink as I glanced out the window over the very people depending on me to figure this out.

Men and women milled about, but the square was devoid of children playing in the fountain as they once did, or chasing each other around.

Now, there were none.

Hurried movement at the outskirts of the square caught my eye, and I clenched my jaw as the figure stumbled over their oversized pants, picked them up, and then took off at a jog.

I watched closely, amused by her determination, something the others hadn’t had. They had just stayed in the room, curled up in a ball and cried.

But this one… stubborn and brave.

My amusement grew, curious to see what her plan was as she stopped suddenly.

But then she took two steps back, her back straightening and her hands moving up defensively as one of my warriors rounded the corner and came into view, glaring down at her.

"Fuck.” I hissed.

“What is it?” He asked, moving to the window to follow my gaze.

“Prepare the witch in the dungeon for questioning. I’ll be there soon,” I ordered, turning to rush out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Greyson called after me, but I kept moving as his laugh rang out behind me as he saw the same thing I had. “A handful indeed.”