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Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 80
She said nothing, but I realized this was part of the ritual. Only one of us would be queen, as only one of the men in the center of the room would be king.Ealric locked the front doors and took his place at Alana’s other side, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back. The Daybreak guards locked the doors on either side. If Kodan wanted to get in, she’d have to break the entry down herself, which I didn’t doubt she was capable of doing. But still, the click of the lock made nerves shiver up my spine.A tense silence fell over the room. The hair on my forearms stood up as power crackled through the two men. They bared their teeth at each other, then paced in a slow circle, sizing each other up in human form.Rodthar shifted first. His wolf burst forth, and as it did, smoothly and effortlessly, I realized I hadn’t seen him like this since I was a little girl. He was a huge wolf, bigger even than Elias. His pelt was a deep, chocolate brown, and his eyes burned bright like copper
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 81
In the arena, when Elias had battled Griffin, this was when he had given him a chance to submit. To escape defeated, but with his life intact.Elias offered Rodthar no such respite. He tore into Rodthar’s throat with feral ferocity, his sharp canines ripping through his flesh and pulling out muscle in a gruesome, visceral display. The wound was deep, vicious, and Rodthar’s whines melted into gurgles as blood drained from his body.Rodthar’s body twitched and fell still.Dead. He was dead.Elias planted his foot on the unmoving corpse and then tilted his head back, letting out one low, sonorous howl. The sound echoed in the throne room, and around the ring of spectators, the Nightfall wolves beat fists against their leather armor in a show of loyalty.My heart felt frozen in my chest. I hadn’t processed it, still—that Rodthar was dead, that Elias had won, that I was once again the Queen of Frasia. I was still staring at the heap that was once my stepfather, the blood pooling under Rodt
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 82
“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll announce my return to the city and dispel the rest of the Daybreak guards. It won’t be long.”Again, I nodded. All I could think was: we did it. It’s over.For now.He kissed me again briefly, then with some reluctance stepped away. “Kodan!” he said. “With me.”Side by side, Kodan and Elias each took one of Rodthar’s back legs. They hauled his body toward the doors and then out of the throne room, out to the gates of the manor. I intuitively knew what they would do then: they’d drag the body out of the manor and leave it dropped at the front doors, so all the Daybreak wolves would know of Rodthar’s death.“Deal with this,” Ealric said to the remaining guards, gesturing at the duchess’ body.Fina rushed to my side. “Are you all right?” she asked. Her eyes were wide and concerned. “Are you hurt?”“I’m okay,” I said, offering her a small smile. “Really.”“Come,” she said, “let’s go to the kitchens, get you something hot to drink while the king sorts out the de
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 83
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 84
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 85
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,
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 86
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 87
“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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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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 90
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 89
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 88
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 87
“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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 86
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 85
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,
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 84
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
Primal Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 2) 83
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
