61|Responsibilities

I couldn’t sleep that night after talking to the King. The duty of leading this country was nothing compared to the special responsibility he gave me. I didn’t expect that the solution he had in mind would involve me.

His offer for my foster parents to live in the capital made sense. I could lead with peace of mind if they were in a safe place, unreachable by my old or new enemies. My coronation as crown prince would cause turmoil in the witch community.

But if all werewolves and royal lycans were united, they couldn’t divide us. The strength of all of us was enough to fight back if they rebelled in the future. That was why they were looking for someone like Devon to ruin the peace between us.

To ease my mind, I let Ryder go for a morning run in the forest near the palace. I only stopped near the lake I'd seen with the King on my first night of shapeshifting. The view was much more beautiful near sunrise.

'We can do this,' Ryder said, reassuring me. 'You led a large pack once. So y