Clara “I’ll be there shortly,” Prince Legiere said. He turned and stepped toward me. He paused before me, and I realized he was quite tall and lean. I could see the taut muscle in his naked chest as he brushed a stray hair away from my eyes. There was no stink of pipe smoke, but instead, I caught hints of rich woody musk and amber. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant smell. Our eyes met, and he bent down quickly. His lips brushed against my forehead in a strangely formal kiss. I was too surprised to say anything, and he nodded at the servant. “See you tonight,” he said. He waited for the servant to move further away, and he gave the lowest of whispers. “And don’t even think about heading out to your right, running down the corridor, heading up the southeast steps, and sliding away the false entrance tile hidden under the tapestry of a boar hunt.” He winked at me, and then he strode off to where the servant was waiting. I blinked and chewed my lip. Clearly, he wanted to show me someth
ClaraI saw all that I wanted to see. As quietly as I dared, I crawled back through the passageway. Once I was sure I was far enough from the room, I scrambled as fast as I could to the exit. I felt the tile with my hands, slid it open, and I leaped out of the exit. I bumped directly into another werewolf.“Sorry,” I gasped. My heart still pounded from what I had just heard. I stared at the werewolf who eyed me critically.It was the werewolf who called me a country bumpkin from Bragne. He was younger and shorter than me, but I could see that he had a lean strength in his body. His silver hair matched the color of his pale eyes, and he dressed in simple violet leather. A black cloak covered his head. I noticed the color of his darker skin, and I wondered if he was a Northerner.He glanced at me and the passageway I just came out of. “How did you know about this place?” he asked. His voice was surprisingly steady, and I wondered if he was angry or not.I didn’t know if I was supposed t
ClaraA cool breeze wafted through the windows. I drowsily stirred from sleep. Oddly, I felt incredibly comfortable and warm, despite the coolness of the room.Naked arms circled around my waist, and I felt something nuzzling my neck and cheek.“Soft….” Prince Legiere murmured in his sleep.I broke away from his arms with a start, and I realized that I was on the bed along with him. Did he carry me here? I wanted to smash another pillow in his face, and I grabbed a cushion to do so. I was about to wake him up, but then I grew fascinated by his sleeping face. His long indigo and silver hair were strewn about his face in a disheveled mess, but for some reason, it only made him look even more desirable. His long indigo lashes fluttered momentarily, and his jaw worked out some tension in his face. He was surprisingly muscled and fit, and I tried not to stare at how broad his chest was.He groaned and shifted to his side. His arms found me again and crushed me against his side. I gasped at
ClaraFelix pulled up his hood at the sound of my gasp and narrowed his eyes. He looked to the prince for guidance. Prince Legiere only smiled through his teeth at me and continued to smoke, as if it were just another day dealing with a sorcerer.“He has the Stigma and the Mark,” I said. Suddenly, I was unsure of myself. In the Moonstone Pack, or anywhere in Lycaneum, Felix would have been hunted, questioned, and burned alive. Sorcerers were burned, so that the Stigma would not spread to any other werewolf.I remembered Prince Legiere’s young betrothed. She too had the Stigma. Had there been an outbreak here in Khordon? Why hadn’t word gotten out about this in nearly every corner of Lycaneum? Is this why the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack wanted nothing to do with the Dark Shade? Did he hear about the sorcerers – werewolves who defied all reason and sought the arts of magic, at great risk to themselves and to everyone around them?“I’ve got the Mark,” Felix said coolly. “What of it?” Onc
Clara“I’m not bathing with you.” I glared at him.“Oh?” said Prince Legiere. He began to undo the black laces of his trousers, and I turned away just in time before he pulled them down. His breeches flew across the room and landed in a crumpled pile in the corner.“Well, then I’m afraid that you’ll have to go without a bath the entire day. You see the servants listen to me only, and boiling water for baths is tedious work for them. So if I say to them that if Lady Clara wants to take a bath, she’ll have to wait the next day.”My ears flushed in indignation. “You wouldn’t dare. I need a bath right now! I haven’t washed for nearly three days, and I feel revolting!”Something tickled my neck, and I swapped his hand away.“What a terrible shame. Then you just stand there facing the wall like a prisoner marked for execution. Ah, here they come.”Werewolves came through the door holding wooden basins of steaming hot water. There were so many servants that it was like a procession. They cam
ClaraI tried not to hiss as I dipped into the steaming hot water. The bath was boiling – much hotter than I was used to. Back when I still lived with the Moonstone Pack, I took quick, utilitarian baths. I often used the leftover water from Sisley’s bath or even Gerald’s when he wasn’t a lieutenant yet in the Allied Hunters. I would pour the water into a tiny wooden basin and squeeze my body inside. The water would be dirty and lukewarm, though I was grateful for any hot water at all. It was that or bathing in the river. Many other werewolves on the low end of the caste had to do this; it was just another thing to be ashamed of.Here the bath water gleamed with pale milky pink, green, and purple colors. It was like someone had stolen the aurora borealis in the night sky and deposited it into the bath. The scent was incredible – sea salts, subtle florals, citrus, and spice. They mixed into a fragrance that healed my anxious mind.I closed my eyes but kept the towel close to my breasts.
ClaraI debated if I would pursue Prince Legiere or stay the enjoy the rest of the bath. A knock at the door decided the matter for me.“Your Ladyship,” said a voice that was not Prince Legiere’s. “We brought you breakfast. May the servants come in to dry you off?”I sighed and closed my eyes. In between trying to hide my naked body from the prince’s prying eyes and wheedling information out of his head, I felt that I didn’t have much time to enjoy the bath. Guilt flitted through my chest, as I thought about Prince Griffin and Hazel. What were they doing now? Were they safe? Had they decided to defend Bragne, or did they do the smarter thing and retreat further south? What exactly was I doing here in Khordon being pampered like some prissy Elite princess instead of doing something of worth?I willed myself to leave the bath, and I told the servants they could come in. Even that action felt strange to me. Commanding servants, as if I were an Elite. I justified it to myself by saying th
ClaraWhen the three of us finished breakfast, we headed out of my room onto the veranda overlooking the entirety of the city of Khordon. Khordon was built on several sloping hills, and the Quarters lay on one of those hills.Piper pointed out several buildings to me. “That’s my home,” she said, as she picked out a yellow brick building with several pavilions and gardens to the west. “It’s the House of Yultis. My father lives there.”She pointed to an intimidating castle surrounded by other square buildings. Black banners covered the battlements, and I could pick out the silver emblem of the Dark Shade: claws ripping through the fabric. “That’s the Seat of the Alpha, where Dean is supposed to live. But he likes living in the Quarters more.”“He’s not supposed to live there yet,” Felix said. “Even though everyone knows that he’s the chosen Emperor, Dean still has to pay lip service to Prince Bruess.”I remembered how Prince Legiere had spoken of his half-brother as living in a gilded c