Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2)

1“Come on, Reyna,” Fina said. She sat down at the small dining room table in my quarters. “Don’t you think this has gone on long enough?”It was mid-morning, and I had nothing on my schedule for the day. It’d been two months since my wedding to the Bloody King, Elias of Nightfall. No longer was I Lady Reyna of Daybreak-- I was now Lady Reyna of Nightfall, Queen of Frasia. I had beautiful lodgings, attentive handmaidens, and my two closest friends, Fina and Adora, as members of the court. I’d attended fine luncheons and dull meetings, familiarized myself with the way the Nightfall Court runs and the day-to-day business there.I’d spent more time in the library, too, but I couldn’t seem to muster the energy or the desire to delve further into my research. What was the point of trying to figure out why the Fae disappeared when I had no real leads, and no one wanted to talk about it?I leaned my chin into the palm of my hand, at the seat across from Fina. “What do you mean?”“The moping

I wore the exhaustion of the past two months on my face. Sometimes when I looked in the mirror, I hardly recognized myself at all. With a sigh, I pulled on my fine silk underclothes, then padded back into my quarters. The girls had chosen a simple black dress for me, slinky black fabric that hugged my frame but not too tightly, with delicate straps and dark lace detailing the neckline. It was formal, but simple and comfortable—they knew my taste. Amity sighed, pleased, and then dabbed a small amount of stain on my lower lip. No full makeup tonight. I had to look nice, of course, but this was just dinner with my husband.I tried to focus on what Fina had said. It’d be easier for us both if we could be civil. This could at least be a starting point.The girls shifted into their wolf forms, then escorted me through the manor to the formal dining room. I was getting more comfortable with the cool silence of the place, and the familiar click of wolf claws on the polished floors. Sometimes

For a moment we stood staring at each other just a few paces apart. Elias’ gaze flickered to my mouth for a brief moment, but he didn’t move. My wolf whined again, longing for closeness—he was right there. Right within reach. But this offer was still part of being partners in leadership—I was still learning to trust him. My wolf had never doubted Elias, though. Not for a moment. I’d denied her instincts for a long time, and sometimes I still questioned them.But had she ever steered me wrong?It was in Daybreak I’d learned to distrust her. It was a hard habit to shake. The ferocity of her desire still cowed me, made me nervous. I couldn’t rely on my wolf to guide me completely. At least, not yet.“Well,” he said with a small smile, “Lady Reyna. Thank you for dining with me.”He swept into a formal bow. I couldn’t help but smile in return, sweeping into a curtsy before I left the dining room and returned to our quarters alone.2“Gods above,” Fina said, squeezing my forearm as she wat

I burned with envy—not from Kodan’s extensive travel, but just from the chance Fina had to pick her brain in private. It made climbing back into the carriage with Elias even more frustrating. As we made our way back onto the road, Elias looked just as irritated as me as he reviewed the documents.By sunset, we had made it out of the forest and back onto the bald streets of Frasia, then to the inn we were staying at for the night. It was a large timber and brick building with a thatched roof, and a lamp burning over the sign that declared its unfortunate name: the Bloody Nightingale. It was the largest structure for miles, with the others around it mostly small subsistence farms.Elias climbed out of the coach first and stretched his arms luxuriously overhead. His spine popped, and he groaned with pleasure. “Gods, I hate those carriages,” he grumbled. “I have half a mind to run the rest of the way.”“I don’t know if that’d make a great first impression,” I teased.“Oh, gods,” he said a

3The next morning, I climbed into the carriage feeling shockingly well-rested. Elias had been right about the run—I’d slept like the dead on the slightly too soft mattress. I slept even better with the heat of Elias’ body next to mine. He’d been perfectly respectful all night too, keeping his distance from me. If I’d woken up first with my nose pressed to his nape, well, he didn’t need to know that.The mischievous glimmer in his dark eyes, however, suggested he might. “That run seemed to serve you well,” he said as he set our rucksacks inside the carriage. “Should make for a more pleasant ride today. Are you sore at all?”“No, should I be?” I asked, rubbing my neck.“Not particularly,” he said. “Just from the roughhousing last night. You were quite spry for someone who rarely shifts.” He set his hand at my neck where I was rubbing it and pressed his thumb into the muscle. It was slightly sore—that was why the contact sent delicious warmth spiraling through me.I swallowed and stepp