It has been quite some time since I was seated at the royal table during a ball. As I look out over the couples dancing and those enjoying food, I realize that these people are actually happy. During formal gatherings in Aurum, the music is soft, the voices quiet. Very few dance, and those who do look as though they’d rather be anywhere else.
But here, everyone is laughing, smiling—enjoying their evening as they dance away and overindulge in food and ale. Merrick sits to my right, the king to my left, with his bride on his other side. His children are out mingling on the dance floor below with his eldest daughter carrying the young tot from his late wife’s indiscretion around on her hip.
It’s fascinating to me that he would allow the child to survive. Not because I agree with such horrific cruelty, but because it’s what I would expect from the king who raised me.
“You look rather intrigued, Beta,” King Grendel says as he leans in so I can hear him speak.
“I am surprised you would take the child in as your own,” I reply, turning to him. “Given his true parentage.”
The king smiles softly at me then turns to look as his daughter spins the laughing tot in a circle. “It is not the child’s fault that its mother was a whore,” he replies. “Why would I punish such sweet innocence over the transgressions of someone else?”
“I agree. It is just not something that—”
“Your king would do?”
“He is not my king,” I snap far harsher than I would have before. My wolf twists inside of me, begging to be free.
“Of course, he isn’t,” the king replies with a barked laugh. “That bastard has no idea what it means to be a true ruler. People flee here, you know, from his kingdom. Some of my guards were originally from Aurum.”
That surprises me. I’ve heard stories of people fleeing from Viridia and coming to Aurum to seek out a safe haven. “Those are not the rumors being spread in Aurum, Your Highness.”
“I suppose they are not.” Sighing, he leans back in his chair and folds his hands. “Aurum was once a place of peace, or so my father told me. Until King Julius’s father slaughtered the previous king.”
“I’ve heard those same stories,” I reply. “My mother told them to me before she died.”
“My apologies for your loss.”
“If he continues to flirt with you, Beta, King or not, I might feed him his own cock.”
I spit the ale out then cough and sputter. Merrick’s hand goes to my back, and he pats lightly. “I am so sorry. The ale went down wrong.”
King Grendel nods in understanding. “That has happened to me more times than I care to admit.”
“He is not flirting with me,” I reply.
“Can you not sense his arousal?”
At Merrick’s words, I take a deep breath. There is something potent in the air, something un—oh. “King Julius arranging my marriage to Alpha Umbra was the best thing that came out of my captivity,” I say, leaning into an incredibly amused Merrick.
The scent in the air shifts, and the king smiles softly. “Yes, it is difficult these days to find a partner who is your equal.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” I turn to Merrick. “Care to dance with me?”
His answering grin is wide and sends heat pooling between my legs. “I would love nothing more, wife.”
“Excuse us.” With a polite smile, I abandon my chair. Merrick guides me toward the dance floor then pulls me against him so quickly it leaves me breathless.
“Smart move. Worried about your new admirer?” he asks, his voice slipping into my mind like a blade through fresh butter.
“A little,” I admit, enjoying the jealousy I can feel rolling off of him. Being able to sense his emotions, from the subtle change in his mood to something as pulse-pounding as the attraction he feels for me, is far more amazing than I ever would have thought possible.
Merrick spins me in an elegant waltz and then dips me down and presses his lips to the hollow of my throat. I sigh, a breathless sound that only he can hear.
“You drive me wild,” he whispers.
“If I had known you could dance, I would have insisted on it sooner.”
Merrick chuckles. “I may be a brute, Mate, but I am cultured.”
“So I see. The feared Alpha who enjoys a good book and can dance far better than any royal I’ve ever shared the floor with.”
Merrick pulls me close and drops his lips to my ear. “You forgot that I fuck like a savage.”
My blood hammers in my ears as he turns me again, spinning us around the floor as the tempo of the music continues to move faster. The band plays expertly, but they and the people around us disappear when Merrick’s arms are around me.
It seems selfish, to be experiencing this much joy when such a bloody fight is looming on the horizon.
“You are allowed to enjoy a moment,” Merrick tells me softly. “Especially when the future is so unknown.”
“I long for evenings without fear of what’s to come when the sun rises.”
“The world will not end tomorrow morning,” Merrick tells me. “But just in case, should we not make the most of tonight?”
My heart pounds, my blood heating with the idea of spending an evening tucked away in the security of a castle while wrapped in the arms of my husband. He is right, though, isn’t he? There is no telling what tomorrow might bring.
And, at least, we have tonight.
Gripping his hand, I pull him out of the room and toward the nearest exit. He’s on me before we hit the hall. Merrick slams me into the wall, his mouth taking mine in a feverish assault of tongue and teeth. His hands are everywhere.
My sides, my ass, my hips.
He pulls away and then yanks me into an alcove, hiding us from the view of passersby as he continues to ravage my mouth. Merrick’s hands go to my ass and lift me, pressing my back into the wall as I wrap both legs around his waist.
I bury my hands in his hair as he shoves my skirts up and buries himself in me. My cry is muffled by his bruising kiss as he thrusts into me, hard and fast. Every muscle in my body turns liquid as my orgasm rips through me and I shatter around him.
His own overtakes him, and he stills inside of me, slowing his kisses and drawing them out. Long languid strokes of his tongue on mine until he pulls away and rests his forehead against mine.
Our breathing ragged, we remain connected, tucked away in the alcove of a castle belonging to someone I once believed to be my enemy and has now become my greatest ally.
“We’re going to get caught.”
“Then let them catch us.” He slips out of me and lets me down so my legs hit the floor. After lacing his pants back up, he takes my hand and pulls me back toward the dining hall.
“We’re going back?”
Merrick flashes me a grin. “Wouldn’t want to be rude, now, would we?”
In the early light of dawn, I slip out of our bed and dress before I head downstairs. The stone halls are empty as I make my way through the hall and out toward the gardens.
The air is perfumed as I stroll through rows of roses, their bright blooms in direct contrast with the darkness I feel lingering within me. It’s the same pulse-pounding anxiety I once felt in the back of a carriage on my way to meet Merrick. Now, I carry it because I know I will be going toe-to-toe with one of the most horrible men I’ve ever known.
The type of man who will behead two people simply because of their loyalty to me. I swallow hard as that all-too-familiar grief settles on my heart.
Bonnie and Ezra didn’t get the chance to see the freedom they deserved, and that will never stop weighing on me.
“Heavy thoughts on such an early morning, child.”
I jump and press a hand to my heart. An elderly woman sits on a bench, a steaming mug in her hand. She smiles at me. “Sorry, you startled me.”
“Do not be sorry,” she says with a smile. “I am quite glad that I still have the ability to startle.” She pats the seat beside her. “Come, sit.”
I do but only because I sense a calmness about her. A sort of serenity I would have missed before being turned into a wolf. Though, given that fact, I do find it quite embarrassing I didn’t know she was there.
Merrick would have.
Her white hair is tied back in a thick braided halo, and she smiles wistfully as she stares out at the roses. “I used to rather enjoy hiding behind the bushes and jumping out at my father.” Her soft laughter warms my heart. “Then, once he was gone, I did the same to my husband. Then, my children.”
“It sounds like you have a rather lovely family.”
“That, I do, child.” She reaches over and gently pats my hand with her wrinkled one. Then, she lets it linger on my hand and continues looking out over the flowers. “You are married to the Savage One.”
I swallow hard, a bit of heat creeping up the back of my neck at Merrick being referred to as a savage. Even though, not too long ago, I was calling him the same.
“Do not take offense; that is merely what we always knew him as.”
“You know of Merrick?”
“I’ve known of Merrick since I was a little girl. My father would tell me stories of a savage wolf who stalked the trees at night.”
Savage wolf. “A wolf? Merrick is a man,” I reply.
She turns to me, wearing a smile so knowing that I cannot argue further. “Sure he is, child.” Her eyes sparkle with knowledge, and I am not certain whether I should be alarmed or not. After all, Merrick’s secret was close-guarded, right? “Rest assured that my son never believed those rumors. Though, there are some who did.”
“Your son?”
“The man you came to seek help from.”
Realization dawns. “You’re King Grendel’s mother.”
“I am.”
“Your son has agreed to aid us.”
“No surprise there. He despises your father.”
“Julius is not my father,” I tell her. “I was merely a child he used as a pawn.”
The woman arches a silver brow. “Now, that is a rumor I had not heard. I’m assuming you told my son this.”
“I did.”
She nods. “Alexander is quite fair. As good a leader as his father was. Julius is—”
“An ass?”
The woman laughs. “Yes, my dear. Ass is quite the word for him. Though, I do believe donkeys would take offense to being compared to a man such as he.”
I snort. A completely unladylike sound that has the previous queen grinning with utter delight. “I quite like you, Kiya Umbra.”
Having her refer to me with Merrick’s last name does wonders to perk me up. “I adore you as well. Though I am afraid I do not know your name.”
“Patty,” she replies.
“Patty.” I shake her hand. “It has been lovely to meet you.”
“You as well.” Her gaze darkens, her expression morphing from pleasure to sadness. “Dark times lie ahead, Kiya. In those moments, we can either be carved by our pain or strengthened by it. Remember that.” Before I can respond, Patty stands and glances over to my left. I follow her line of vision and see Merrick standing, watching me curiously. The man is built like a stone structure himself, his body carved to perfection. He’s dressed in brown riding pants, knee-high black boots, and a white shirt that is partially unbuttoned. “Looks like you have better company than me waiting for you.” She pats me on the shoulder. When I glance back to ask what the hell she meant by her words, she’s already gone.
“Out for a morning stroll, wife?” Merrick questions as he closes the distance between us and presses his lips to my cheek.
“You found her.” King Grendel comes around the corner, wearing riding pants and a crimson shirt. He smiles at me, but that smile fades within moments. “What did you see?”
“Huh?”
“You saw something out here. What was it?”
“Nothing. I met your mother, though, she’s lovely.”
But he does not look at all pleased. “My mother has been dead for over a decade, Beta Kiya.”
“What?” The heat drains from my face as I look from him to Merrick. “You saw her, she was sitting right beside me when you arrived.”
“I saw no one beside you, my love.” Mouth flattened in a tight line, he looks concerned.
“I am not crazy.”
“On the contrary,” the king assures me. “There are many ghosts that linger on these grounds, but the gardens are where they choose to show themselves should they have something to say. What did my mother say to you?”
“She simply introduced herself and told me that she’d heard stories of the Shadow Lands ever since she was a girl,” I lie. If his expression is any indication, what she told me holds weight. The last thing I want to do is give him a reason to rethink our agreement.
The king narrows his gaze on me for a moment. My palms begin to sweat. Will he call me on my lie?
“Very well. At least, it was not a bad omen she delivered. The ghosts here, they know things,” he says. “And what they say always comes to pass.”
My heart plummets, my stomach twisting into knots. Merrick’s gaze is locked on me. Bad omen. With Noah’s declaration back at the border village, that makes two for me. Just how horrific will this fight be?
“Why do you lie?” Merrick asks, starting our silent conversation as the king claps his hands together.
“Let us prepare the horses.”
“The woman warned me that dark times lie ahead,” I say. “She told me that we can either be carved by our pain or strengthened by it.”
His gaze hardens, and the air around him shifts. My wolf becomes restless within me, her need to be free, to fight, difficult to contain. “We will be fine,” he assures me, though I know he’s concerned.
“Why do you lie?” I repeat his words back to him as we follow the king.
“Because the truth will do us no good in times like this. We need hope. Not the dark declaration of a dead woman.”