“Stop!” I yanked the door open. “Before you summon the household!” He walked in. Forcing me to back up. He kicked the door closed behind him. Making my stomach sink. What’s he going to do? What if all those tiny kindnesses were just to get close enough to drag me back. Always my mind went back to my fear of the Asara Pack. But a subconscious part of me knew that peeling Alaric from that pack was a nearly impossible feat. Despite all my recent hopes. I was now far more reserved. Less confident. And my King is no longer here to protect me. That made my heart ache. Not only for myself but for missing him. The world is less of a place without him in it. Alaric took a menacing step toward me. Forcing me back to the present with striking clarity. Shit. Looking at him I could see purpose written all over him. Determination turning his blue eyes flinted silver. “Tell me what

Alaric eventually shook all of my guards off him like nuisance raindrops. Tossing them in a scatter over the floor. Making them slowly retreat as they eyed him as if he were someone foreign. Realizing that he was inhumanly strong. Even more powerful under the Mating Moon. Stronger, fiercer. “What are you?” One murmured. “He can’t be human.” The one that had tried to hold him said. In the chaos, I fled past him. Determined to find an escape. I looked furtively down the hall. Trying to find a safe direction to retreat. And hide throughout the Mating Moon. But I’d need somewhere that would disguise my scent. If that’s even possible. Alaric was an impressive wolf. And as the next potential Alpha, he’d been born with increased strength and senses. He can smell better than me. Better than most wolves. Which made him even more difficult to hide from.

I knew the distance to the bailey. There’s a chance I could survive the fall. I knew it was slim but if I managed to roll just as I hit…I could make it. Then I could vanish back out into the fields. Get lost in the woods. I had one more chance to lose them all. But as I reached the window and palmed both sides of the stone slit, I felt a hard arm hooking around my waist. “Have you lost your mind?” He whirled around with me and aimed for the bed. Furiously tossing me over it. He stood over me. His shoulders jerking with each breath. He was furiously ripping what was left of his metal armor off. Tossing it over his shoulder and sending it careening over the chamber floor. Until he stood there in a sweat-saturated brown tunic and leather pants. He snarled between his teeth. Making his lips curl warningly. I instinctively whimpered in response to the power he was emanating. As suc

Draven reached out and snatched the handle a foot away from Alaric. Reversing it and sending it careening dully back into the crowd which screeched and splayed to get out of the way. His eyes narrowed on a particular man. Who was staring back at him, hatefully. Alaric noted his face. Sure that he would have to deal with him, later. Though he wouldn’t make a martyr of him just now. “But I’ll have you know, I’m not the only one.” “Who?” Someone asked. A few shuffled closer to hear. Wondering if he was bluffing. “Your Queen has been hiding her true nature a long time. But when the time is right, she will show you what she is. But no one,” He eyed everyone meaningfully. “No one harms her, without declaring war with me.” There was a hush over everyone as they wondered if what he said was true. Without saying anything further he headed inside. Knowing that there would be no further dissenting out there today. Not when

For all the coaching speeches I’d given myself, what he said now was the last thing I expected him to charge me with, and I reacted instinctively. His voice was calm as he clearly pronounced his accusations. “You let the King tell you what to do, keep you here as a pet, and tame you to his hand. You let Lord Bartholomew steal bits of your realm from beneath your nose. Filtering goods and servants into Waterway.” I gaped at him. “He wouldn’t do that!” Despite all my vows to myself to watch my words, I was so astounded by his words that I couldn’t hold my silence. “He has been doing that.” Alaric’s lip twitched in contempt. “I told you not to trust him. But you’d not hear what I said to you. You will listen now though, won’t you?” “You were just jealous that I was promised to him upon My King’s passing.” I cried desperately. Recalling how quiet he’d become when I’d declared that I would hunt all the wolves and wed Bartholomew. A