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 expression shuttered. “Of course.”

“I mean.” I took a sip, then turned slightly toward him, keeping my voice low and private. “Frasia has to come first. We have to sort out what we’re doing to protect the packs. But…but after all this, Barion, of course there’s much for us to discuss.”

He nodded in agreement. “You’re right. It will come later.” He paused and sipped his own glass. “I’m quite glad you’re well, Your Highness.”

Once dinner was finished, Elias and I excused ourselves, instructing the servants to take our guests to their quarters and ensure everyone was settled.

In the quiet of our bedroom, Elias shucked off his jacket and nearly collapsed into the wooden chair at his writing desk. He sighed, pressed his fingers to his temples, and then reached for a fresh sheet of parchment.

“Tonight?” I asked. I draped my arms over his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek, then knocked my temple against his. “You’re going to go ahead and write the invitation?”

“I’d like to get a bird in the sky as soon as possible,” he said. “It’s not an easy journey to Askon. It’d take too long to send a proper messenger.”

“You know the keepers don’t like to send a messenger out at night,” I said. “It can wait until the morning.”

He sighed and smoothed his hand over the parchment. “I’ll feel better if it’s written and ready to send.”

“You’ll write better in the morning,” I pushed back. “Come on. We both need to sleep.”

He turned his head and caught my lips in a brief kiss. “How was tonight?” he asked. “I know having Barion as a convoy is not ideal.”

I sighed and let my weight slump onto him in the chair. I turned the question over in my mind, with my nose pressed into the curve of his neck, letting his familiar scent soothe me.

“It was okay,” I said, after a long moment of consideration. “It’s strange. We have so much history, and I still… I still care for him, but I don’t feel like I need him as much.”

Elias hummed in understanding.

“I did before,” I said. “I relied on him for stability. But now…it’s different now. I’m not so reliant on anyone else for my stability, or my safety.”

“Not even me?” Elias half-teased.

“That’s not what I mean,” I said, and kissed his neck. “I mean, I can rely on myself more.”

Again he nodded in understanding. “Spoken like a queen.”

“Really?” I asked. “Sounded a bit awkward to me. You don’t think I sound a bit like a teenager?”

That made him laugh, bright and surprised. He unwound my arms from around me so he could stand up, leaving the parchment untouched on the desk. Instead, he pulled me in and kissed me properly.

“Leave the invitation for tomorrow morning,” I murmured against his lips.

Elias tugged the silk shirt from the waistband of my fine trousers, then slid his hand over the bare skin of my back. His touch sent a promising shiver down my spine. “All right,” he said with a smile. “You’ve convinced me.”

He deepened the kiss, drawing my lower lip between his teeth before sliding his tongue into my mouth. It was intense, it was claiming. Internally, my wolf preened as I pressed closer and looped my arms around his neck. I scraped my nails through the fine dark hair at the base of his skull, and he hummed with pleasure. Then he drew his mouth over my jawline, the column of my neck. He slid his hands down over my hips and over the fine silk of my trousers.

“I like these,” he murmured against my skin.

“What?” I asked. “The trousers?”

“They suit you,” he said. “Much better than the gowns.”

“You don’t like the gowns?” I teased.

He nipped at the skin of my neck. The slight pain made me shiver in delight. “Of course I do,” he said. “I like everything you wear. You’re gorgeous.”

“But you like these best?” I asked.

“Function,” he said, “suits you.”

I slid my hands under the hem of his shirt and up the broad plane of his back, holding him close. “I like it too,” I admitted. “Freedom of movement. Makes me want to run.”

He growled in agreement, and his grip tightened on my hips. “I want that, too,” he said. “Gods, I want to go running with you.”

I guided him back into another deep kiss. We hadn’t had nearly enough time to go out running alone with all the work required to get Efra back on its feet. I longed for it now, even with Elias in my arms—I craved the freedom of being in my wolf form, feeling the moss under my paws, inhaling layered scents on the night wind. I wanted to be in the moonlight with him, running full speed, waiting for him to catch me and pin me to the soft ground. I wanted to submit.