MADDOC
Maddoc stared at Duke Ryden’s mansion as the sky brightened. He’d stood at the window all night watching the house, a vicious fury pulsing throughout his body, urging him to move—to do something about the fact that his Omega was in another man’s possession. But if he moved, even just one inch, the fury would overcome him and no doubt spoil the plans that were being put into place to get her back. He couldn’t risk that. Nothing was more important than getting Analisa back to him. And yet, his fury could not be quelled by such logic or reason. Especially not when this fucking duke had touched her while escorting her into his mansion.
“Maddoc.” Raine’s voice was annoyingly matter-of-fact. “You should eat something.”
He didn’t need to glance down to know she was holding a bowl of food. “I need nothing but a report on my Omega, Raine. If you cannot provide that, find someone who can.”
“We have servants in the mansion, but we won’t get a report from them for the next few days. You know that.”
Unfortunately, the extensive land that surrounded Duke Ryden’s mansion made it difficult to monitor and observe the building without alerting his sentries. The closest they could get was the servant homes on the edge of the grounds, and luckily more than one of the families supported Maddoc and his cause. As soon as he’d left the palace, Maddoc had sent instructions to his guild to set up central operations in the nearest servant house so he could monitor Ana’s movements while they made their plans. But once he saw her and the duke, he hadn’t moved from the window.
“We may be able to get a message from Elizabeth when she goes in tomorrow,” Raine continued, gesturing to the next room where one of the residents were, “but not sooner than that.”
“It’s not good enough.” Maddoc’s low growl burned the back of his throat. “I want to know what the fuck she was doing all night. And I want to know today!” The fury in him roiled at the thought she might have been anywhere near the duke last night. Thankfully, her heat wasn’t due for weeks. If there were any chance of it arriving while she was in the duke’s possession, he would have stormed in and collected her, regardless of the consequences—though those consequences would likely include the opportunity to kill the duke.
“We’ve always been very careful not to betray those who provide us with information,” Raine said carefully. “We’ve never asked them to do anything that will reveal their allegiance with us. It may be they are unable or unwilling to give us that information—”
The harsh growl in Maddoc’s throat cut off her words. There was no point explaining that none of that mattered now. He was on the edge of a cliff of sanity, ready to descend into the most mindless, violent rage if anyone breathed the wrong way.
Raine must have read something in his silence because she changed the subject. “I heard from Walrick. The king has called on his royal court to meet after the public court hearing opens today. They will be planning how to get the princess.”
Maddoc nodded slightly without taking his eyes off the mansion. He’d initially said he wanted to be at the palace, learning the king’s plan to do to get Ana back in order to ensure he got to her first. But realistically, he couldn’t go anywhere until his rage subsided.
Although he knew Ana was betrothed, he’d never once considered that he’d have to see her with a man other than her guards or her father. His plan had worked well—there was no reason to believe that things would fall apart on the third night and this would be a possible outcome. But he hadn’t accounted for Ana being so beautifully willful. He knew the duke wasn’t forcing her to do this—she would never have left her parents unless she wanted to; it had given him hope that her eyes were finally opening. But she was supposed to be with him when that happened. Her being with the duke made this about more than just the deal he made with the king about who would get her first. The need to get Ana back swirled throughout his body like a bitter, brutal whirlwind battering his insides, and it muted everything else.
Quiet footsteps behind them drew Raine’s attention, and she moved away, leaving him to sink back into the dark tension of his fury. At the same time, a flurry of movement sprung up in the courtyard.
Lifting his magnifying lens, Maddoc watched in the dreary morning light as a carriage came to a stop in the courtyard. Footmen and other staff flurried around it, checking the wheels and the horses, installing cushions, blankets, and a hamper. It wasn’t the kind of carriage used for a quick trip or to transport goods; it was a carriage fit for royalty. Analisa was going somewhere.
Maddoc’s mood shifted a little. Maybe he could capture her while she traveled. When he turned, he caught the end of the conversation between Raine and the servant who had arrived.
“—and so they intend to do that all day.”
“Do what?” Maddoc shot at him.
The man started, suddenly tense with Maddoc’s eyes on him. “Visit all the royal houses. They’re announcing their wedding and doing the tour.”
Maddoc turned back to look at the house, his mind in deep thought. Taking Ana while she toured the houses would be extremely difficult. The chances of escaping cleanly would be low.
The good thing was, if they were traveling, it was unlikely Ryden would have much opportunity to be too inappropriate with her. Of course, if it had been Maddoc, he would be between her legs for every moment on the journey between each house, but Ryden was the type of Alpha who wouldn't turn up to any royal house with a woman who looked well fucked. Not even a beautiful, irresistible Omega. Still, he had to know if he’d dared to touch her.
Lifting his lens again, he watched for them. The sun was bright in the sky by the time Ana stepped out of the mansion, and what a sight she was. Her sleek red hair spilled over her shoulders, and her satiny blue gown clung to her incredible figure. Duke Ryden stepped out after her, and Maddoc’s fury flared, his grip on his lens tightening. But as he watched them walk to the carriage and Ryden help her inside, his anger melted down to a smoldering irritation. They didn't fuck. It was clear for anyone to see. They weren’t comfortable with each other the way they should be if they’d been intimate. Hell, Ana shouldn’t even be able to walk properly if the Alpha who’d been betrothed to her for years had finally gotten to her last night. As the carriage began to move, he saw she was even angled away from the duke, a significant distance between them on the bench.
Maddoc lowered his lens and exhaled heavily. The duke hadn’t touched her yet, but that wouldn’t last. There was no Alpha who could resist an Omega in his possession for very long. It was likely that he would wait until their wedding night, but he would have her by then.
He put down his lens and moved away from the window. If Ana and Ryden were in the public eye, traveling for most of the day, he didn’t need to keep an eye on her so closely. "I want their full route," he said to Raine, pointing at Ana’s carriage. "And a note of any stops or deviations they make in between the houses." He headed to the door. "I’m going to the palace."
* * *
“They are out of their fucking minds!” Orick stormed into his throne room, followed by the queen and the rest of his court.
Maddoc remained still, careful not to draw any attention to the wall of decorative lattice that ran along the very top of the room. The secret corridor behind it was one of the few places that allowed him to remain hidden with no disguise, even though his view was partially obscured. The most important thing was being able to listen in on one of the most important rooms in the palace.
“What are they trying to prove by this?” Orick thundered, pacing in front of his throne, as his court took their usual positions. “They are harming her more than they are helping her!”
“The commoners will never look at her the same again,” the queen murmured as though in pain. “After everything we have done to try to keep this from them… it was all in vain."
Maddoc allowed himself a grim smile. The rumors that had been circulating since his visit to the court had been confirmed by three of the houses announcing it to the commoners today and accusing the king of allowing it to happen. It had been a lively hearing, one that painted him as the ultimate villain and Ana as a pure, virginal innocent victim whom the king had not protected.
"Her reputation may be marked to some degree," one of the king’s courtiers said. "But if you recall, when we were discussing the repercussions of the outlaw’s hearing, we did suggest that Duke Ryden still marrying her would curb some of that damage to her reputation. If they are announcing their wedding, even though they claim she was harmed by you, it absolves her reputation further. The commoners may be concerned at the beginning of all this, but as long as Ana and Ryden wed successfully, no one will even remember the slight on her reputation within a year or two."
“Yes,” another older courtier said. “This hearing was orchestrated to damage you, Your Majesty, not her.”
Orick slowed to a stop. “To blame me for Ana’s virginity being given to the outlaw?”
The queen inhaled sharply. “To take the throne.” Her strangled voice echoed across the large room.
Orick remained still for a moment, as did the whole room. “That is why three of the houses were in agreement.”
“Yes. They want to claim you are incompetent so you can be removed,” she said.
A moment of silence hung in the air.
“Ana is not ready to rule, and neither is Ryden," Orick said, his voice tight. He made his way to his throne and sat down. "If they try to and I resist, what will be the consequences of that? Will they attempt to violently usurp me? What manpower could they possibly use against the crown?"
"Not necessarily, Your Majesty." The king’s formal adviser finally spoke up. "It is likely they will simply claim that you are an unfit king, and that Ana needs to step in now."
“On what basis?" Orick thundered. "I have been an exemplary king, almost every single king from my line has ruled this kingdom, and have maintained a peaceful existence for all. By what reasoning could they have that I am unfit?"
"The outlaw," the queen said through gritted teeth, bitterness strong in her tone. "You owe a Royal Promise to him. That is the one thing attributed to you and none of your royal line."
“It is still risky for them to pin everything on you honoring the Royal Promise, Your Majesty,” the formal adviser said. “You didn’t go against Allandis Law or the expectations of the people. It is the wedding that is going to be the problem. Once she is married, they have an immediate claim to the throne without any of the other houses having a chance to interfere. They just need to find a way to remove you.”
“They?” The queen’s voice was sharp. “Are you suggesting my Ana has anything to do with this plan? Because she has no desire to be queen right now.”
“No, of course not,” the adviser said. “But we do know Duke Ryden is very ambitious, Your Majesty.”
Orick nodded gravely. “And if they have the support of two other houses, it is likely they have a hand in it as well.”
Maddoc ground his teeth. They were all using Analisa for their own purposes, just like her parents had done.
“So what do we do?” the queen asked, her voice stern. “How do we stop the wedding and get Ana back home with us.”
"I’m not sure you can, Your Majesty," the adviser said apologetically. "She is officially an adult and she has been betrothed to a royal house for years, which means they have a small amount of claim over her. Unfortunately, the situation does not lend itself easily to your favor with regards to Allandis law.”
"I don’t give a fuck about Allandis law. She is my daughter!"
Maddoc grinned at the queen’s outburst. She may act virtuously regal in public, but in the privacy of her court, she was just as coarse and corrupt as the rest of them.
"Atara." Although the king spoke sternly, there was a gentleness in his tone that calmed the queen. She placed her hands in her lap and leaned back on her throne.
The king addressed the adviser. "Maddoc is going after Ana. Regardless of what the houses are trying to do with the throne, the only way to save Ana from him, and the Royal Promise, is for us to get to her first. The houses should be told about the deal I made with him—it will keep Ana safe if we can all protect her.”
“I don’t think the houses will care about that now, Your Majesty,” another courtier said. “Goldfrost and Thorneshaw have already made their allegiances known. They cannot back down from targeting the crown.”
“Then we just have to take her,” the king growled, rising from his throne. “At the wedding.”
The general of the king's guard stepped forward. “We can plan that right now, Your Majesty. We know where and when it will be, and we can prepare for Maddoc and his men.”
“Do it.” The king looked back at the adviser. “I want the houses punished for attempting this. Find a way to do it.”
The adviser nodded, but his face was grim. “Will Ana still be marrying into Redcrest?”
Orick was quiet for a moment. “What are the repercussions if she doesn’t?”
The queen leaned forward and touched his arm. “It is well known Ryden is her mate. We cannot separate them.”
The king exhaled heavily and nodded.
For the next hour, the king and his royal court discussed his continued reign, how they would take Ana back, and the effect of the current circumstances on the houses relationship with the crown.
Maddoc listened to their plans, and formulated plans of his own, trying to push back his disgust at the way they were intending to continue using Ana. He would be glad to finally get her away from them—they’d already damaged her enough.
By the end of their meeting, the king decided to take her back after she married Ryden, and force Redcrest to fall in line, and that suited Maddoc fine. He planned to take her before she married. If possible, he would take her tonight and leave these warring men to their own devices.
Finally, the court dispersed to prepare their plans, leaving Orick and Atara alone in the room.
"We will get her back, Atara," Orick murmured as he took her hands in his. “And she will understand. We just need to explain things to her, that's all."
"She is rebelling." Atara’s voice was raspy. "She knows that we haven't been truthful with her and this is her way of lashing out. She has always been so calm and so obedient… It was bound to happen eventually."
"It wasn't," the king growled. "She never would have had any of these reactions or tempers if it wasn't for that bastard. He is the one who upset the balance here, not us."
"And you have to wonder," the queen murmured thoughtfully, "if that's what he had always intended to do."
Maddoc held his breath as a long silence filled the room. It wasn't possible for the ruling couple to figure out his plan, but they knew by now that he was not stupid. If Ana had truly told them some of the things she had spoken about with him, they would know that he was leading her toward topics that they would not approve of. If they stopped thinking about their throne so intensely and instead thought about why he’d done what he had, they might figure it out. But he knew they wouldn't.
"No, he said he had nothing to do with the attack on me," Orick said finally. "If that truly was a random occurrence, how could he know to be there in order to intervene and be owed a promise?"
The queen was silent for a moment. "That is assuming a lot, Orick. Those men may not have been from Allandis and they may have had nothing to do with Maddoc, but he took advantage of the situation and benefited from everything that happened. It’s too much of a coincidence. I don’t know how he was involved, but he is. Do not underestimate him."
Maddoc's beard twitched. It was too late for that.
* * *
It took a while to leave the palace undetected. When he returned to the safe house, Maddoc was pleased Ana had not yet returned. According to their spies out in Allandis, it seemed she was spending a couple of hours at each house and still had two more to go. They wouldn’t be back at Ryden's mansion before dusk.
Maddoc discussed the king's plans with his commanders. Most of his men held the required skills needed and were already on the mainland of Allandis, but there were a few specialists he would have to call upon, and it would be a rush for them to get there. He would also need a way to disappear into the ’shire without being followed.
“We can’t do it tonight, Doc,” Bram concluded finally.
Maddoc growled his displeasure, but Bram just shrugged.
“It’s impossible.” He popped one end of a twig into the corner of his mouth. “We won’t have the manpower ‘til tomorra’, we won’t have our herd of guild ’orses or the right weaponry ’til then neither. And the way that mansion is protected, we won’t get far if we try for ’er tonight.” Bram used to help farmers with ailing crops turn their stock around, but when the crown deemed him nameless, he lost everything he owned. Now, he was Maddoc’s most experienced and trusted strategist, and though he had his quirks, Maddoc had learned it was wise to listen to him.
Bram squinted and looked at the map again, chewing his twig. “I say we get ’er at the weddin’ gardens. Easy to get in, easy to get out, easy to get lost and stay lost.”
“The king will try to get her then too,” Griff reminded him. Griff, another nameless man, was an older Alpha who’d once been a knight. He was Maddoc’s second-in-command. “We have to prepare for that.”
“Yeah, but afterward,” Bram pointed out. “We are snatchin’ her before.”
“And they will be expecting something—”
Maddoc turned away and let his commanders talk it over, returning to the window to struggle with his growing irritation. If it had to happen tomorrow, that was just one more night without Ana. And another night with her in Ryden’s possession.
“Are you all right, Maddoc?”
He glanced over to see Raine. “I’m going to the mansion.”
Raine stiffened. “That’s not a good idea. Even if you’re not caught and detained, you’re too conspicuous.” She waved her hands at his body to make a point about his size. “They will know you’re nearby and planning something. It will make things harder for us tomorrow.”
“I want to know what’s going on in there,” he demanded.
Raine pursed her lips and was silent. Too silent.
Maddoc frowned. “What is it?”
“Elizabeth was able to go in and report back to us since they have been out all day.”
Maddoc turned to her. “And?”
“They are sharing a room, Maddoc,” she said reluctantly. “And a bed.”
A growl blazed from his throat and chest as his fury reignited.
“But there was no indication of…” Raine stumbled over her words. “She changed the sheets and it doesn’t seem like anything happened.”
Nothing happened? There was no doubt Ryden had touched Ana if they were sharing a bed.
Raine’s voice was soft when she spoke again. “Maddoc, if you want company tonight—”
“Leave.”
Maddoc grabbed his magnifying lens and turned toward the window, toward the mansion, back on the brutal edge of his rage. He only had to control it for one more night.