My Dead King

They’d barely declared my sweet old king dead. And all my fears were running rampant.

I worried that perhaps this was what the NightHunter wolf had been waiting for.

What if he’s going to return now?

But it was the same fear I’d had every night since the beast had left.

My long skirts swished around my legs as I paced my chambers. I was locked inside it, and still found myself watching the door fearfully.

But the footstep I heard at the bottom of the stairs was one I knew.

Not him either.

Don’t come up here. Don’t come up here. I had one hand cradling my tossing stomach. I was chewing on the thumbnail of the other hand.

All my willing was inundated by the hammering of an armored fist on the large wooden door.

Alaric.

He’s come for me. Thinking he can claim me, unchallenged, now that my King is dead.

“Go away!”

“Unlikely.” He scoffed. Bangin