All Chapters of Dark Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 3): Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Since the late Duke of Daybreak —my father’s— attempted takeover of Frasia, Efra had healed with remarkable speed and resiliency. The narrow, cobbled streets bustled with activity once again, laughter spilled from the taverns, and merchants manned their stands on the street corners. As Elias and I strode side-by-side through the streets, the riotous laughter melted and was replaced by murmurs as wolves exchanged glances, elbowing each other. We were given a wide berth on the streets of Efra, but out of respect more than anything else. Over the months Elias had proven himself a reliable King. I’d made some missteps as Queen, but I thought I was well on my way to proving myself as a valuable leader.When we’d first started the patrols, Kodan had been unsure about the two of us walking through Efra without a security detail. It’d only taken a look from us both to remind her that we’d handled situations a lot more dangerous than moving through the streets of our own kingdom. And how were

The next morning, Enet and Khainan departed for Askon as the sun rose over the horizon. The day itself was busy with the responsibilities of running the court: patrolling the borders, hearing grievances, and preparing my study in the library for reviewing Enet’s maps. I had no time to sink into my research, however, as there was yet another important dinner planned for the evening.“You know,” I said to my handmaiden Amity, in the quiet of my private dressing room, “I do wonder if most of my life will be centered around fancy dinners.”“Your Highness, you are the only Queen I know who could spend weeks kidnapped by dragons and Fae, and still lament the amount of dinners you must attend.” Amity cinched the lace of my rich purple dress a bit tighter, then fastened them.“Well, the Fae Queen required me to attend a lot of dinners, too,” I said. “Granted, I was in my wolf form, and I didn’t really have to say much at those…”Amity laughed and shook her head. “True, you have to do a bit mo

“I do, and as a warrior you must realize that an enemy does not wait to strike until it is convenient,” Elias said.Barion narrowed his eyes. “I do, and I wonder if you are giving this Fae Queen more credit than she is due. If Draunar could keep her locked up without trouble for so long, what makes you think she is so powerful now?”“Because she is no longer trapped,” I said. “She has her power back, and she’s angry.”The table fell briefly silent as everyone’s gazes fell on me.I swallowed, some of my confidence melting away under so many severe and curious looks. “We should be ready,” I said. “If we’re not, she’ll take advantage of our weaknesses.”Giles clicked his tongue and sat back in his chair. “And what if this does nothing but stoke fear in our communities? Like Barion says, Daybreak has been weakened by the Duke, and the effects of an attempted coup ripple through the other packs as well.”Elias narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. Anxiety wrapped its cold fingers around my

It wasn’t exactly graceful, though, and the thought of Elias racing through the woods with a pack in his jaw was delightful. To think I’d thought he was a big scary wolf when I’d first met him. And to think I’d spent so much of my life not letting mine run free at all.Elias pulled on a pair of trousers, then pulled the rest of the contents from the pack. He’d brought a blanket, a spare change of clothes for me, a heavy cloak, and a waxed cloth with a small spread of snacks and a canteen of tea inside.After seeing the clothes, I shifted back into human shape, only a little reluctantly. Immediately the cold air stung my skin, and I shivered and hurried close to where Elias was spreading out the blanket. I tugged on the clothes he’d brought: a pair of thick trousers and a shirt of his own. He’d even brought me a pair of woven socks.“Warm enough?” he asked as he placed the heavy cloak over my shoulders.I snuggled close into his side. He always ran hot, and now felt like a furnace agai

Warmth surged through me. Even more so than being crowned queen, in this moment, I knew Elias wanted me to be his equal. He trusted me. I wasn’t just a trophy, or a prize, or a bit of arm candy to smile at wolves in meetings. He wanted me to lead — and I wasn’t going to let him down.I tugged off the cloak, and then turned and swept my hair over my shoulder. Elias took the necklace and gingerly clasped it around my neck.I turned back around. The necklace hung just to my solar plexus, before the curve of my breasts. He touched the fang with his forefinger and said, “Reyna, I’m honored to call you my Queen.”I moved forward and kissed him deeply. I had no other way to express the surge of love I felt for him then — love, honor, and relief. His confidence in me made me feel more sure. More capable. This trip to Cruora would be fine. I could do this—I could be the diplomat and the Queen Nightfall deserved.I climbed into his lap, so my knees were astride his hips, and wound my arms aroun