Somber silence stretched across the room in the moments following. Heads lowered in respect as Sébastien kneeled on the ground by his father’s fallen form. Pain radiated through our bond in sharp bursts from him. I watched as the Wolvyn Commander—Prince of Verastarr—my mate—lost his entire family in the span of minutes.
Pushing upward, preparing to get up, I felt a tug holding me down in place. My blurry gaze turned as my eyes collided with Dravyn’s. His head shook as he motioned for me to wait. So I stayed. My heart breaking as the man I had begun to fall for suffered, my heart calling out for him as I sat on the cold floor. A wave of anguish wrapped around the room for the souls that had gone to The Void, as we who survived were left to pick up the bitter remains.
Sébastien rose slowly, his body tense as he turned to look over the wolvyn who remained. I watched my mate. His body worn from hours of fighting, blood splattered over him, a few deep gashes slowly dripping crimson down his skin. His ice-blue eyes set, hardened, hiding emotion as he looked over his remaining guard, radiating authority and power amidst trial and pain.
His jaw locked into place as he rose to his full height. Sounds of movement rose from around me, my gaze shifting over the room as I watched in awe. One by one, men and wolvyn alike lowered themselves, kneeling before Sébastien as they pledged themselves to him. Sébastien met each one of their gazes, acknowledging them with a nod of his head.
Dravyn moved from my side, crossing the battleground of a throne room, as he walked toward the throne. Picking up an onyx crown, he stepped in front of Sébastien, kneeling down as he held the symbol out. The air was silent as Sébastien stared between his brother and father’s fallen forms, before nodding once at his closest friend, accepting the crown. The weight of Verastarr now rested on his shoulders.
“Their deaths will be avenged.” Sébastien growled as he looked on at his people. “The Nordak have drawn their last breath, and I don’t plan to stop until we burn every last one.”
A united howl sounded from the wolvyn in the room, rising as they accepted their new leader. The head of their pack. Sébastien Capetian. King of Verastarr.
* * *
The next few days following the attack were filled with chaos. Sébastien focused on restructuring the Verastarr Guard, preparing for the impending war as arrangements were made for those who had lost their lives in the attack.
I walked into the breakfast room, my black pants with the slitted sides flowing freely, a sharp contrast to the tight shirt that hugged my figure. My injuries were healing, though my magic and disconnection with my wolvyn form were still a struggle to control following the battle. Sharp laughter caught my ear as I glanced up. The familiar faces of Dravyn as well as Kodrayn and Ryker greeted me.
“Well, if it isn’t our favorite little troublemaker,” Kode jibed at me as I took a seat beside Dravyn. The two of them had shown up shortly after the attack, battle ready as they helped Sébastien deal with the aftermath of the ambush, picking up the pieces and helping him to rebuild from the rubble.
“Morning to you as well,” I retorted as I sipped a cup of tea, watching the men around me chat. The group seemed at ease, even as I sensed an underlying current of tension. “Where’s Sébastien?” I questioned, turning toward Dravyn.
His gaze flicked from mine to Kode, then Ry, before finally dragging his eyes back to mine. “Busy,” he replied.
“Busy with what?” I prompted, frustrated that they were still holding out on me after all we had endured.
“Just wrapping up some things,” Kode replied in yet another vague answer. I stood up then, slamming my chair against the table, dishes rattling as the three men looked at me. The stitches in my side from the latest attack strained from the sudden movement.
“That’s it,” I snapped, glaring at the group. “Enough with the secrecy. Do you all really think I can’t see beyond closed doors? All the late-night meetings, whispered voices, the plotting. I know something’s going on. Hell. Sébastien’s been gone for two days and refuses to speak with me. So.” I paused as I met each of their eyes. “Which one of you is going to grow a pair and tell me what the fuck is going on? I’m done with the bullshit, half-assed answers.”
Kode leaned back in his chair, hands clapping slowly as Ryker chuckled under his breath. “Who had two days?” Ry muttered as he reached into his pocket, pulling out some coins.
“And that would be me.” Dravyn smirked as the two men paid up, amusement floating across the air from everyone but me.
“What the hell?” I groaned as I sat back down. “You guys seriously took bets on me?”
“Of course.” Dravyn laughed. “Sébastien was an idiot to think he could get away with everything without you realizing something was up.”
“So…” I prompted.
“Well,” Kode began. “We knew war was inescapable. Even before you showed up with the first artifact. Your arrival just sped up the timeline. The Nordak have been pushing boundaries, testing limits over the years.”
“But nobody has done anything about it. Until now. The Nordak King lit the fuse with his ambush here. A line has been drawn,” Ryker added. “Sébastien will be declaring war. Tonight.”
“WHAT?!” I shrieked, my voice raising two octaves as my gaze flicked between the three men. “Tell me you’re joking,” I demanded, as anger spiked through my bloodstream.
“Ryker and Kode will be supporting Sébastien in his declaration of attack, allying with Verastarr,” Dravyn responded, matter of fact. A decision made, simple as that.
“So, you three idiots are just going to declare war on a land, after they brutally murdered Sébastien’s brother and got his father killed?” I questioned.
“Precisely,” Kode stated, and his voice hardened as he stared at me. “After they brutally murdered our blood brother. Yes. We will… Embers and Ash.”
“And you will do nothing to stop him,” Ryker added. “This war has been brewing for decades. With one artifact already having emerged, the other two won’t be far behind. War is coming, whether we want it or not. It’s just a matter of time until it lands on our doorstep.”
I stared between the three men, noting the seriousness in their eyes, the set determination radiating from each of them. They were doing this.
“What about the East Engles?” I questioned, knowing that neither Ry nor Kode were the rulers there. That left one land unmentioned.
Dravyn’s jaw ticked as I asked the question. “They only look out for themselves,” he said. “If the Nordak haven’t already gotten to them, they will soon. Both of their lands combined have a higher population than ours. Our best hope is to intercept the other two artifacts before they do. All of Vanaiyer will be looking for the next two.”
My heart grew heavy, praying that my sister didn’t go looking for the next one. That she stayed in the present, far removed from this impending nightmare.
* * *
I smoothed my hands over the sleeves of the wine-colored satin gown. Rosalie tightening the black ties across the back of the dress as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Black lace was intricately woven along the neckline, accenting the wine color. The slits on each side of my hip trailing up, exposing my legs. My reflection stared back at me, a woman I hardly recognized. The hard set of my face, the sorrow in my eyes mixed with fear for the future.
Tonight, Sébastien would accept his role of ruler over Verastarr officially. His first act, a declaration of war against Nordak, backed by Reggeon and Avyon; allies, as we burned the realm for justice. For revenge.
Strapping a dagger to the inside of my thigh, I walked out the door. My feet led me toward the throne room. A room I hadn’t stepped foot in since we had lost Adrastan and Kairon, along with forty other wolvyn. My lungs tightened as I thought of entering the room, visions haunting me from that day. From all that had been lost.
I nodded to the guards on either side of the towering doors, as I stopped, waiting for them to be opened, to face a future I had never imagined. A destiny I had never dreamed I would have chosen.
A warm breeze fluttered across my skin, my dress dancing as the doors pulled open, my legs trembled as I stepped forward, entering the room. My eyes met Sébastien’s across the space. Black leathers hugged his thick legs, matching the black shirt he wore, the sleeves rolled up a notch or two, the top button undone, exposing his tattooed skin peeking through. A low heat built in my core as I walked across the space toward him. My king. My mate.
Ma Reine, he purred down the bond. The change of nickname sent a spike of arousal coursing through me as I held his gaze, alight with desire. I stopped in front of him, my breath catching as he tilted my chin to meet his eyes.
“You’re positive this is what you want to do?” I questioned softly.
His body tensed as his gaze tracked mine. “It’s the only option. They took my father and my brother from me. In turn, I will take everything from them. They have hunted our realm for far too long.”
I nodded in understanding. The darkness the Nordak cast as a shadow over Vanaiyer needed to be brought down. A darkness that had snuffed the light from my own time. One that had ruled through terror for far too long.
Leaning up on my tiptoes, I clashed my lips against his, inhaling the scent of pine and spice. The scent of my new home. His tongue pushed, seeking entrance as I lost myself in the feel of him. The desperation and speed at which our kiss escalated made it feel like there was no tomorrow. Tomorrow a war would be brewing, and the thought made my heart crack; the uncertainty made my very being ache. But today. Today I had him.
His hand wrapped around my neck, holding my head up as he gained better access, heat rushing through me as my body pressed against his, our lips dancing. He broke the kiss, lust blazing in his eyes as he stared down at me.
“I’ve known you would be mine since I first laid eyes on you,” he said, his finger tracing the bond inked on my wrist. “Mine. For eternity. Because from the moment we met, our paths were intertwined. A fate not to be reckoned with. We will pick up the shattered pieces of our hearts. Of the hearts of our people. And we will put them back together piece by piece. We will rise from within the embers and we will restore this realm.” Strength and determination set across his face, his eyes dark as he stared out over the terrace, over the lands of Verastarr, our home. Our future.
I smiled as he finished, my hand entwining with his as we both took a deep breath, walking out onto the terrace. Out to accept our destiny. The future of Vanaiyer lay in our hands as we joined Kodrayn and Ryker. Preparing to set the realm on fire. Tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the start of a new beginning—war.