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Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 69
Elias stood in front of the gates and grinned up at the lookout. Kodan and I stood behind him. My feet ached from the hike, and I was tired down to my bones. It was like the consistent ache in my heart, like a fresh bruise, was making my exhaustion more impossible to ignore than ever.“Elias of Nightfall,” he said. “I’ve come to speak to your pack leader. And hopefully break bread.”The lookout gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. She ducked down in the tower, and then the wooden gates slowly began to crank open. They only opened just enough for us to slip through, and then closed immediately behind us.“Thank you,” Elias said, clapping the lookout on the shoulder.She stared at him wide-eyed. She looked no older than fifteen. “Your Highness,” she said. “We—I—I’ll announce your presence.”“Relax,” Elias said with a warm smile. It was a kinder expression than I’d seen since I’d coaxed him out of the cave. “I grew up in this town. No need for any theatrics.”The lookout was still
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I wrapped my arms around myself. Even with him so close to me, I’d never felt so alone. “Elias,” I said. “Please talk to me.”“What is there to talk about?” he snapped. His voice was cold and stiff with restrained anger. “You left me. You chose Draunar. And I had been foolish enough to think that what was between us was real.” He shook his head, laughing softly.“I had to,” I said. My voice rose in desperation. I had to make him understand. “I had to, Elias, with his terms—”“I believe you called our marriage a ‘practical arrangement?’” he said. “Isn’t that right?”I snapped my mouth shut. After all that had happened, I’d almost forgotten what I’d said in order to force Elias to let me go. I had said our marriage was just a forced agreement—a practical decision. Not rooted in love.That had been true, at the start. But things had changed.“I didn’t mean it,” I said meekly.“Then why would you say it?” He whirled to face it, golden eyes blazing. “You chose him so easily. Hardly any hes
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I wrapped my hand around his nape and pulled him down for a kiss. Even if he couldn’t forgive me, or even fully understand me, I knew from the pain in his eyes that he still cared about me. Loved me. And I loved him, too, even though I’d left him alone in Shianga.His lips met mine. Softly at first. Just the barest touch of my lips against his, and for a moment the stiffness made me think he might pull back and shove me away.But then it was as if something inside him snapped. He growled low and possessive in his chest, then wrapped his arm around my waist and hauled me flush against him. His other hand raked through my hair; he kissed me so hard I bent back with the force of it. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and moaned into the kiss, a sound of desire and relief both. My wolf was just as pleased as I was, close to the surface, heightening the sensations. It felt like it’d been years since I’d kissed him. Now I couldn’t get enough, chasing his lips, deepening the kiss, eve
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“Don’t hide,” he growled. “Look at me.”I bit my lower lip, then turned back to meet his gaze.“Good,” he said. He slid his hand over my belly, delicious pressure that made me squirm, and then gripped my thigh and tugged my legs apart. I gasped, gripping his upper arm hard. He exhaled hard, eyes landing between my legs, where I was already wet and ready for him.“Gorgeous.” He traced his fingertips gently up my inner thigh, then slid two fingers against my pussy, not pressing inside but just sliding over my wet folds. I gasped, moving my hips down toward his hand as pleasure licked up my spine. It was overwhelming, but still not enough, just slow steady pressure that had me rocking my hips to match it.“Please,” I begged. “I need you.”Elias swallowed my repeated pleas in another kiss, wet and messy, tongue and teeth clashing. He shoved his pants down just enough to free his length, and as much as I wanted to get my hands on him, my mouth on him, I didn’t want to stop kissing him. I h
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“When I was leaving, he woke up. I couldn’t let him see the scales, so I told him I was just…checking on him. That I wanted to see him.”Elias nodded.“He invited me into his bed. I told him to wait until he was better rested, since he was so injured and exhausted. Hoping to the gods that the spell worked so I wouldn’t have to see that promise through.” I propped my chin on my knees. “He demanded a kiss, and I gave it.”“You kissed him,” Elias growled.I nodded. I couldn’t meet his eyes.“That foul beast,” he said. Rage radiated off him in waves. “I can only hope the Fae queen keeps him alive so I can slaughter him myself for what he did.”“Can I ask you something?” I asked.The anger was still palpable in the air, but he nodded.“When I was in his room, I had a knife on me,” I said. “To pry the scales he was shedding off. And when I was done and I had them, there was a moment when I had the knife in my hand and I realized I could slit his throat. Right there. I was trying to decide i
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One of the servants stood and fixed her a bowl of oatmeal and a mug of coffee, which she accepted with an exhausted, grateful sigh.“I did,” she said. “It’s worse than we expected.”“What do you mean?” Elias asked.“Rodthar has not just taken the throne,” she said. “He’s made the manor into a fortress. It’s as if he’s brought all of Daybreak with him. There are guards swarming the place.”“I see,” Elias said coolly. “He’s expecting retribution.”Kodan nodded. “There’s no way we can get into the castle. Not without a lot of help, and not without killing a lot of wolves.”“The reinforcements are coming,” Elias said, “but a man like Rodthar won’t hesitate to throw his guards on their swords if he must.”“I must admit,” Kodan said, “If what Reyna said about Corinne is true, I don’t think we should risk our forces fighting the Daybreak guards.”“Nor do I,” Thaddeus said. “The wolves of Siena are strong, but few in number. I won’t lead them into a slaughterhouse.”“No one is going into a sl
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Elias nodded. “Regardless of how you feel about him now, no woman should have to see the man who raised her slaughtered.”“He didn’t raise me,” I said, my voice hard.Elias looked up, curious.“He barely spoke to me,” I said. “I was never good enough for him—never ladylike enough, too opinionated, too cold. Barion is the one who raised me. The duke always seemed like he didn’t want anything to do with me.” I chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “I guess that much was true.”“You’d see him pay for his crimes?” Elias asked.“I’d do it myself,” I said. “If given the opportunity.”Now it was Elias’ turn to chuckle. He set his hand at my hip and tugged me in between the open spread of his legs. Then he took the mug of coffee from my hand and took a sip. I huffed in faux indignation.“Would you actually?” he asked.I knew he was thinking of the cave, of my hand wrapped around the knife, hesitating as I looked down at Draunar.“I would,” I said. “With you at my side. Knowing it wasn’t jus
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“Come,” I said, “we’ll get breakfast. There’s much I need to catch you up on.”We ended up in the kitchens, seated at a small wooden table in the corner while the servants fried more bacon and cracked more eggs into the cast iron on the immense fire. They didn’t seem to mind us, and I was happy to let Elias catch the generals of Duskmoon and Starcrest up on our plan to take back Efra. I caught them up on everything—my time in Draunar’s hoard, Corinne’s takeover of Shianga, and now Daybreak’s opportunistic coup in Efra.“Do you really think this will work?” Fina asked. “Going through the tunnels?”“It’s the best option we have,” I said. “We’ve been hurt enough by battling Shianga. I don’t want us to lose any more wolves trying to fight through the soldiers of Daybreak to get to the duke. If we can take out the duke first, Daybreak will fall back.” I nodded to myself. “I know they will.”“How do you know?” Adora asked.“The duke has lost sight of the pack,” I said. “First he sent me to
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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
