Delia looked outright devastated at the news. Adolph would say that he didn’t enjoy the look on her face, but it would be a lie. He still hadn’t forgotten about her tearing the gown he’d had made for Laurel or attempting to throw Laurel out of the castle.Delia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her? Work with Laurel on charity projects? While it would get her out of her long sessions with Helena, it was not complete freedom. She didn't want to run around the city with Laurel, but she held her tongue. Basil's drunken confession echoed in her ears. She had to do something and imitating Laurel for a little while was as good as anything else she'd tried. Could she maybe get him drunk enough to sleep with her? Did alcohol work on his wolf as well as it worked on his human form? They left the castle after Delia's morning session with Helena. She still hadn't managed to walk around the room with the stupid book on her head and she hadn't read many of the books she'd been given. She h
If Delia had to mop another dirty floor, she’d scream, pull a nurse’s hair out, and bash her brains in. The nurses and cleaning staff of the hospital were all dull and irritating, never taking the hint that Delia didn’t care about any of the people in the hospital’s well-being. Still, the hospital was better than the orphanage. Being surrounded by all those pathetic children reminded her of her childhood in a way she never wanted to think about. Trying to play nice with Laurel and obeying her orders was going to drive her crazy. She needed another plan to get Basil to think differently about her. “You are slouching,” Helena said primly, cutting into Delia’s thoughts as the book clattered to the floor. “Try again.”She wanted to lunge across the room and tear the woman’s hair out, but knowing that Adolph had hired her stayed her hand. She didn’t need to make an enemy of Adolph. She couldn’t afford to. Eden was gone, but she knew he’d want to see some sort of progress when he got ba
Laurel couldn’t sleep that night. She had a decent day, but she couldn’t find a restful position, so she rose from the bed and pulled on her dressing gown. Often, she’d take a walk around the castle in her past life trying to calm her mind and find some peace. She walked through the guest wing and down to the ground floor, passing the gallery that faced the garden just behind the palace before she felt someone in the shadows. Her heart quickened, wondering if it was Laura’s killed. She rounded the corner and grabbed a candelabra before she whirled, setting a fighting stance to defend herself and gasped as Adolph smiled at her. He hadn’t expected her to try and arm herself, but he was impressed. She had truly come far in her training to think to do so or even to notice him. He hadn’t meant to sneak up on her, but his footsteps were light out of habit. “I’m impressed you noticed me.”“Y-Your Majesty, forgive me. I didn’t know you were there….”“No need to apologize,” he said. “I was
Henry watched Basil swing and nearly miss for what felt like the millionth time today. He was pretty sure that his nephew wasn't going to be able to work much longer like this. What had happened to him?A couple of days ago there had been another change in Basil's behavior. He showed up still stumbling around, picked up an ax, and got to work without saying much of anything, reeking of alcohol and looking exhausted. He looked a little past nauseous today, yet he didn't let up on his clumsy, though decent, pace. Henry wasn't sure what to make of it though he and Raven had spoken about Basil's strange behavior lately. Maybe he was fighting with his wife. Henry knew that anytime he and Raven were at odds it was hard for him to focus, but something told him that that wasn't the case.Basil’s ax skittered across the stone uselessly before falling from his hands, and Henry decided that was enough.“Basil, sit down for a second.”Basil turned blinking at him before obeying sitting on the st
The morning of the wedding came faster than she imagined it would. She prepared to leave her room to start the traditions of the day only to find Basil standing outside of her door looking as though he was about to knock.Her eyes narrowed at him in suspicion, “What do you want?”“Laura--”Laurel held up a hand, “I have nothing to say to you.”“But you're--”“Laurel, the king’s mate and luna, and you are the prince, his son.”Basil clenched his jaw, “I can't accept that. Didn't you love me? You can't say that you don't feel anything for me anymore.”Her eyes turned cold as she looked at him unfeeling and unflinching.*“You are nothing.”* Basil’s blood ran cold as the cool breeze of that night whirled around him. *“Though I am glad you have shown your wretched face.”*The look of shock on his face gave her the strength to keep going.“Soon, the kingdom will know that His Majesty *is my mate and the one I will love for the rest of my life*.”“Laura--”“I will be the luna of the kingdom
The walk to the temple from the ballroom wasn't long, but it was very scenic. The path had been cleared of weeds and replanted with fresh paving stones to guide the way and new flowers that seemed more vibrant than any flower had the right to be after being planted less than a week prior.Oliver, the gardener, had outdone himself.“Are you all right?” Laurel looked up at Adolph. His expression was pensive and troubled. “Are you feeling okay?”Adolf lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, “I am overjoyed. You look lovely.”“Somehow, temple wear suits you.”“Do you think I can get away with wearing it all the time?”“I doubt it would do anything to lessen your very menacing reputation.”“Probably not.”Laurel gassed as they rounded the corner and she got her first look at the temple. The columns looked new. She couldn't even tell that it had been in a state of disrepair. The steps gleamed as if they had been polished and were lined with moonstone that glinted a silvery-blue in the even
Adolf closed his fist swiftly, breaking the man’s neck before standing and wiping his face with disgust.“Burn this man’s body and get the rest of them to the dungeons to be interrogated. They’ll crack and I don’t care if they die.”“As you wish, Your Majesty.”Adolph watched Chasel and the guards take the rest of them away. He turned to Laurel who looked a bit pale but smiled at him. “I’m sorry for killing him in front of you like that.”She shook her head, “I expected it… He spit in your face.”He grimaced, “No more killing for the day at least.”Laurel almost laughed. She realized it was a very morbid thing to laugh about, but she couldn't help it. They walked to the secluded fountain in the garden so he could wash his face and hands.“They didn't intend to kill you,” Adolph said, wiping the water from his face. “It seemed that man had orders to kidnap you. For what reason, I don't know, but I don't like it.”There was only one person he could think of who would have a reason to k
The reception ended slowly. People were mostly too drunk to leave that night and ended up staying in the various guest rooms around the castle. Laura and Adolf retired as soon as Raven said that they had the rest of the cleanup in hand. Laurel was a bit nervous as she realized that she wouldn't be returning to the room she had been staying in that night. Raven had already told her that they had already moved all of her things to the luna’s quarters and Adolph was clear that he intended to spend the night with her.What would that mean she wasn't exactly sure. She didn’t have much of a concept of what he intended to do to consummate their marriage. Was sleeping in the same bed enough or would he want sex?“Are you okay?”Laura wasn't entirely sure she could answer that question. She supposed she had been preparing for it in some way. In her past life, she had tried to prepare herself. She shuddered at the thought. She didn't think Adolf would leave her the way Basil had left her, but t