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Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 27
I hadn’t seen any of the town at large, not since we’d rolled through the palace gates and into the courtyard. The four of us took a carriage to the center. Fina and Adora were nearly vibrating with excitement, and Elias looked pleased just to be out from under King Draunar’s thumb.The town outside Shianga was beautiful. It was quieter than Efra, with low buildings made of stone and clay, cobbled streets, and shop doors painted in bright colors like jewels. Fina hopped out of the coach first and adjusted her wide-brimmed straw hat against the afternoon sun.“Wow!” she said, and spun on her heel, taking in the town square with a wide smile. “This place is amazing! Come on, Adora!”Adora hurried out of the carriage, looking a little more hesitant than Fina did. She tugged at the collar of her linen dress. “Where did the attendants say the tailor was?”I stepped out of the carriage. “The tailor?”“Yes!” Fina said. “Did you see the golden robes the king wore? Apparently, that’s a fabric
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“I’m looking to learn more about the history of Shianga and Frasia,” I said.Gulde glanced nervously at Elias. Something in Elias’ expression made him grimace and turn back to me. “You’ve certainly come to the right place,” he said. “Right this way.”“Take your time,” Elias said. He dropped into a rickety chair by the hearth with a relieved sigh. The sight made me bite back a smile—he was clearly savoring this brief moment of peace away from the palace.I followed Gulde to the back of the shop. He waved me behind the desk, and then guided me through a tiny doorway I never would’ve even noticed if he hadn’t directed me to it.“This is where I keep the rare books,” he said. He tapped the wall and sconces, mounted high on the interiors, glowed warmly. The walls were lined with glass cabinets, sparsely filled, but they were clearly well-tended. Gulde unlocked one of them and peered inside. “What exactly are you looking to learn more about?”Curiosity gnawed at me. Some of the books in her
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Ever since we’d been together, she’d been closer to the surface, but less irritable, too. It was a strange sensation. I almost wished we could take a break from all the pageantry of the negotiations so I could ask him to go on a run with me. A moonlight run, a days-long run. I wanted to spend time with him, just the two of us, as our wolves. I’d never felt that desire so strongly before.It felt like we were on the brink of something, but I wasn’t sure what it was.While he was in the shower, I’d rolled over in bed and grabbed the “History of Fae” from the nightstand to start thumbing through it again in an attempt to distract myself from my circling thoughts. It was so dense, it was almost guaranteed to put me to sleep.“Not really,” I said. “There’s so much information, and it doesn’t even seem to be laid out in any ways that make sense. I keep stumbling across strange little tidbits, though. Did you know the Fae queen influences the movement of all the Fae in the realm? Like a hive
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Like he could read my mind, he glanced over at me and grinned. I flushed and looked away. I pushed down my feelings of embarrassment and quickly shucked off my lightweight gown, and my underclothes too, leaving them folded with my cloak in the gazebo. I turned around to face him, bare as the day I was born, with my hair falling loose over my shoulders.Elias’ eyes burned gold as his gaze roved over my body. “You’d better shift, little wolf,” he growled, “or else I’m going to take you right here.”Desire shot through me. I bit my lower lip. “See if you can keep up and maybe you’ll get your way.”Then, with a soft sigh, I shifted.It was so easy it was nearly effortless, like leaping into cool, welcoming water. My wolf surged forth, and my paws hit the moss with a strong thump. I shook out my white pelt, then tipped my head back and inhaled the cool air. It was better than I had even imagined, layered with the smell of water and mud, mushrooms and fauna, decay and growth. I felt electri
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My hackles rose. Elias’ did, too, and his grip tightened on me. He squinted up at the sky. The great shape above circled a few times, swooping dramatically, causing the shadow to cover and uncover us like a blanket. The dragon then arced down, cutting through the canopy with expert ease and landing with a thump in the clearing.The rich green scales shot through with gold were unmistakable. The dragon folded his immense wings to his back and stood on his back legs, surveying us, eyes flickering as he bared his golden fangs.Elias sat halfway up, concealing me from view. “Draunar,” he said, low like growl, the lack of title akin to an insult.10King Draunar bared all his teeth in a draconic smile. He took a step closer. His long, lizard-like tail swept the moss behind him. Then, the air sang with energy, and King Draunar shifted back into his human form. It was unlike the ceremonial change he’d done to welcome us to his palace when we’d first arrived. He wasn’t draped in gold fabric
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We have no coups here, no messy lineages decided by foolish competitions for seats at the royal table. The Shiangan army could crush the wolves of Frasia like bugs. And I will, Elias, if you refuse to give me what I desire.”Elias said nothing. Hatred and rage rolled off him in tangible waves. I could feel his wolf surging closer to the surface, and I knew he was moments from shifting and ripping Draunar’s throat out with his teeth. If there was one way to ensure we were at war, instead of just listening to royal threats, that was how to do it.“Consider what I’ve said,” Draunar said. He took a step back. “I’ll give you until the ball at the end of the week to make your decision.” He smiled at me again. “I look forward to it, Reyna.”I growled in response, but that only made Draunar laugh. “Feisty thing.” Then, he shifted back into his dragon, extended his immense wings, and took to the skies. The impact from his flight sent gusts of wind through my pelt, and made me shiver like it wa
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When I made my way inside, he was nowhere to be seen. I realized I had no idea where Kodan was staying, or where they were having strategy meetings. So much for me being involved in the decision-making. I made my way back to the guest quarters, where luckily Fina and Adora had just called in afternoon tea from the kitchens. When I stepped into their room, the table was spread with fine meats and cheeses, and hot spiced tea that I accepted eagerly.“Are you all right?” Fina asked, peering from over the rim of her own teacup with concern. “Wasn’t today a day off? You should be resting.”“It was certainly supposed to be a restful day,” I said. “I went on a run with Elias.”“That seems lovely,” Adora said. “Especially with the weather here. Perfect day for it.”“You’d think so,” I said. “And it was, until King Draunar butted in.”“He crashed your date?” Fina gaped at me.“I know,” I said.“I hate to say this,” Adora said, with her voice lowered, “as he’s been such a lovely host, but he’s
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I pressed my lips together. If only it were that simple. If Elias had worked everything out, he would’ve told me. His continued distance made it clear the two kingdoms had not come to an agreement.The girls didn’t know that without one, we would be doomed to war. Was that going to be my first real action as Queen of Frasia? Drawing our nation into a conflict we couldn’t win?“You’ve got that look on your face again,” Fina said.“What look?” I asked guiltily. I tried to focus on my two friends. There wasn’t anything they could do about this situation—the least I could do was give them my full attention when they were trying to make me feel better.“That bored-sad look you get when you’re trying to solve some unsolvable problem in your mind without telling us about it,” Adora said.My face heated. “It’s not—”Fina waved her hand. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of royal stuff you have to deal with that we don’t. I don’t expect you to tell us everything.” She sighed. “It’
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Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 91
Elias and I sat at a long table atop the dais, with Enet and Khainan seated at our sides. The band played a riotous, fast-moving song, and the crowd of wolves on the floor engaged in one of Nightfall’s many elegant, quick, high-energy jigs. I caught a few glimpses of Fina and Adora in the crowd, exchanging grins as they bounced gleefully between dance partners. Laughter rang through the room as men swung women up into the air, dark skirts flashed like waves, and even a few kisses were snuck on the dance floor.Looking out over the crowd, with a glass of wine in my hand and Elias’ hand on my thigh, I felt settled. I felt like I was at home. Elias gazed over the crowd, too, then caught my eye and gave me a small smile.We’d been through a lot. In my darkest moments I’d thought I might never see him again.But here we were. Seated side by side with a convoy from abroad, overlooking our kingdom. I’d survived Draunar and Corinne both. Elias had survived a brush with craziness.If we’d made
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I pushed open the door to the balcony and stepped outside, immediately sighing with pleasure in the crisp, cool midday air. Enet joined me, then braced both hands on the railing and gazed out over the tree line.“It’s beautiful here,” she said. “Colder than Askon, but just as lush.”“I’ve read about Askon,” I said. “And pored over the maps and the few sketches we have. Your architecture is incredible.”Enet smiled, looking vaguely impressed. “You’re interested in Askonian architecture?”“It’s unique,” I said, “building around the trees like that. I hope to include some of that style if Efra continues to grow.”Enet nodded. “What else have you read about Askon?” she asked.I knew a leading question when I heard one. I stood next to her, gazing out over the tree line.“There’s not much in the library,” I said. “Frasia hasn’t maintained a close relationship with Askon, obviously. But there’s some history.”“History that led you to call on us rather than Osna, or Cruora?”“We’re also both
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I had never seen such a grand procession of carriages. I had to intentionally keep my jaw shut as they rolled seemingly without end through the gates of the manor. The carriages were pure black, detailed with gold, and pulled by gorgeous horses with sleek black pelts. They carried no markings of the jaguars, but the sheer beauty of the carriages proved they were royal. Two carriages rolled ahead, guided by a few servants hustling on foot—luggage and servants of Askon’s own, I assumed. The third carriage in the line came to a stop at the front doors of the palace. The horses tossed their heads, nickering; the driver hopped down and swept into a dramatic bow before he opened the door to the carriage.I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. I had a vision of what jaguar shifters might look like—tall and elegant, catlike and sleek, dressed in gold and jewels, like the dragons of Shianga. But the two that stepped out of the carriage surprised me.The queen emerged first. She was a short, lean
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There was a part of me that wondered why I still wanted to shift so badly. I’d spent so much time trapped in that shape—shouldn’t I be sick of it? Yet I only felt more connected to my wolf. We weren’t two separate identities in the same body. We were two sides of the same coin. Connected. One and the same. A run sounded amazing—a break from the responsibilities of leadership—but we had no time for that now.We could take a break in other ways, though.I took control of the kiss with a hand on his nape. Elias smiled against my lips, surprised and pleased. I set my hands at his chest and pushed him backward. He took a few steps back until the backs of his legs hit the edge of the bed, and then I pushed him down. He hit the mattress with a smirk, then scooted back, propped up on one elbow. He watched me with one eyebrow raised slightly, curiously, like he was waiting for something.I felt my face heat slightly. I still wasn’t used to being looked at like this—watched so openly, and with
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“The talks in Shianga were doomed from the start,” he said, “courtesy of Rodthar of Daybreak. I hope having you all here, as a show of good faith, will prevent such complications in these talks. Since all of our fates hang in the balance.”The heads of the packs agreed to stay until word was received from Askon. Now all that was left to discuss were the details of the invitation we would send to the jaguars. Elias nodded to the servants posted at the edge of the room, and on his command, they exited and returned with the fine spread of boar and vegetables prepared for dinner.As the conversation moved away from the more serious topics of politicking to the more casual engagements of wolves catching up, Elias got roped into a conversation with Giles, and at my side, Barion topped off my glass of wine from the carafe in the center of the table.“Your Highness,” he said quietly, “I owe you an apology as well.”I sighed and closed my eyes briefly. “Please,” I said. “Not now.”Barion’s exp
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There was Giles from Dawnguard, a broad-shouldered man dressed in leather armor, with a scar over one eye. From Duskmoon, Isalde, a tall woman who looked remarkably like Fina, wearing an immense necklace of amethyst and onyx. Starcrest had sent an older woman, Marget, whose eyes were clouded with blindness, but not Ealric, and for that I was grateful. It would have been a little much to have to navigate sitting at this table with Ealric and Barion of Daybreak.We took our seats at the head. I was between Barion and Elias, and anxiety was already crawling in my throat.“Thank you all for attending,” Elias said, “and welcome to Efra. I trust your journeys were not too challenging.”Around the table, murmurs of assent.“If I may,” Barion said. “Before we start, I do believe it’d be best for me to speak on the recent happenings.”He held my gaze as he said it, and he looked…beaten down. Terrible even. So unlike the gregarious man who had trained me all through my youth. His fine clothes w
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She smiled gently. “Well, I’m grateful to you for keeping them to yourself. Some shifters are not so keen to be reminded of our continued existence.”I nodded, glancing toward the back room.Aerika caught it. “They have even closer lineage than I do. It’s safer for them to stay there. I do the guest-facing work when I can.” She finished pinning the hem and moved up to check the fit of the waistband. “There’s no word going around. It’s more like…a feeling.”“A feeling?”She nodded. “There was a feeling when the queen was taken captive—though we didn’t know that was what happened. I felt like a hole had been struck inside of me, somehow, and my power was beginning to slowly drain out. So slowly I hardly noticed it happening. And then, a few weeks ago, suddenly the hole was plugged. I felt stronger. More awake. More like myself again.” She smiled again, softly. “Like I’d been living in a fog, and didn’t even realize it until it cleared. I knew something had changed. I had my suspicions,
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The thought was so horrifying it rattled down my spine like a physical touch. Had Duchess Alana really been capable of something so awful? Using her son to get rid of her own husband?“He’d be proud of you now,” I said. “That much I know.”He swallowed hard, his eyes closed tight. My heart broke for him—for us both—but there was still a flare of pride there too. It hurt, but we’d done the right thing. For ourselves, and for our kingdom.“Come on,” I said, “let’s get some sleep before we have to face your adoring subjects in a few hours.”Elias climbed out of the tub and toweled off, and then we fell into the bed as quickly as we could. We wouldn’t have much peace now, not with all the work that needed to be done to heal the city from Rodthar’s terrible leadership, and then the specter of Corinne looming in the future. There wasn’t a lot of peace to be found, but there was a little here, in this moment. The sun had already crossed the horizon, but with Elias’ arms finally around me, sl
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I still felt distant from myself, unreal, like the events of the past few weeks had happened to someone else. How was it possible that I was standing safely in this room? How was it possible that the man who raised me had tried to steal the throne? That the duchess’ blade had been at my throat just a little while ago? And that just days before that, I’d been a hostage of the Fae queen, and before that, a relic in Draunar’s hoard?I wasn’t sure how much time passed as I stood at the window. The sky turned golden with the dawn and the soup cooled to a lukewarm temperature in my bowl. I was about to give up, crawl onto the welcoming mattress and try to sleep, when finally, finally, the door opened.I turned from the window.Elias stepped over the threshold. The King of Frasia.My husband.In the privacy of our quarters, with his exhausted gaze meeting mine, the numbness finally cracked like ice inside me. I dropped the soup and barreled forward, threw my arms around his neck, and pulled
