The shifter king’s closet was no joke. I’d seen smaller houses. A row of drawers and shelves divided the space in half, creating two separate chambers. The walls on either side were lined with rows of suits and clothes on hangers. Two crystal chandeliers sparkled above me, one on each half of the space. At the rear of the closet, I saw an arched doorway leading to a dark space that wasn’t lit by the same switch I’d used to turn on the chandeliers. I had a feeling that was where I needed to be.I walked past the clothes toward the doorway. As soon as I passed through, lights flickered to life. My jaw dropped. I was staring at glass shelves lined with jewelry on black velvet cushions. Huge diamond necklaces, gold chains, rings with stones of every color. None of this should be so easily accessible. He seriously left a strange woman in his room with all this behind a simple door?Hubris did not begin to define it. This was plain stupid.In the center of the spread of gems and gold sat a

The gathered shifters continued to laugh. Some of them yelled insults. A few even threw things at her. Internally, I was seething. My wolf paced, more unsettled and angry than I’d ever felt her. This wasn’t something we should have to endure. My mother shouldn’t be here. Her life, and my life should be so different than it was.What if she’d continued to shift? What if she’d taught me? Would Spencer have busted out and come for both of us? Or would I have never lived to see my nineteenth birthday?There were so many questions but none of them mattered. I couldn’t change the past. All I could do was be ready to offer the crown as soon as Spencer challenged the king.“There’s more, my friends!” The Shifter King lifted his hands in the air, effectively calming the jeering crowd. “I have two more surprises.”I held my breath, waiting for his words, terrified he was going to threaten to harm my mom. I wasn’t going to be able to stay hidden in the crowd much longer. If he threatened her and

A moment later, the crowd parted again and Chris Lupton, the shifter king himself, walked into the circle. The gathered shifters cheered and whooped, making their final bid of allegiance to the candidate they thought would win. I didn’t blame them. I was nobody and I was so much smaller than my opponent.He’d had years of shifting and fighting under his belt. I was new to everything. There was a good possibility I wouldn’t live past tonight, but I refused to fully acknowledge that. I sent the thought away, determined to tempt fate again.I’d done it so many times before, what made tonight different? I’d lived through injuries that should have killed me and when I’d been trapped in a cave to die, I’d emerged stronger than ever. Okay, fine, I was at death’s door a few days ago and my wolf saved me, but that experience brought me my wolf. With her, I was capable of anything. I knew I had yet to even touch on what was possible when we connected.The king began to strip his clothes, tossin

The king was limping now, but he wasn’t done yet. In a move I didn’t see coming, he charged us, knocking my wolf to the ground. I gasped and let out a yelp as we landed, my head hitting the stone. My vision blurred, and I felt a little nauseous. That was a major blow and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get up right away.We were in a tight spot, claws digging into our chest, flat against the ground. The king’s wolf growled, teeth bared. He leaned closer and I was terrified he was going to rip my wolf’s throat out.My wolf seemed to growl internally. As if she was mad at me. Just as I was about to snap back at her in my head, I realized I’d slipped up. I was letting the human part take the lead. Usually if we were pinned, I could get us out, but right now, the human part of me was fuzzy and injured.I relinquished control, letting my wolf take charge.Get us out of this.With a movement that caused searing pain, my wolf twisted. The king’s claws tore through our skin, but with a

They hauled him away, presumably taking him off the grounds. I was proud of myself for holding back and not killing him and I hoped he was smart enough to keep his distance.“Thought you might want these, your highness,” the housekeeper woman held up my black pants, shirt, and jacket that I’d abandoned in the storage closet.“Thank you,” I said. “Seriously. For everything.” I pulled on my clothes, grateful for the warmth.She smiled. “We waited a long time for someone to stand up to him.”“What’s your name?” I asked.“Claire,” she said.“Do you like your job, Claire?” I asked.She laughed. “I’m pretty sure I got myself fired tonight.”“I think your boss is the only one who got fired tonight,” Malcom said.“What are you good at, Claire?” I asked.Her smile faded and she looked down at her hands.“What’s wrong?” My brow furrowed. Had I offended her?She looked up. “I had a mark once. I was meant to be a protector. I’m not sure if I’m good at it, because they didn’t let me try.”“Do you