Page 112

The small blade in his hand came from nowhere, and he slit the female’s throat and then shoved it into my shoulder in one smooth, fluid motion. Surprise kept the pain at bay for mere seconds before I screamed in agony.

Alaroth shot me a suspicious look. “Something you’d like to say?”

I bowed on one knee, clutching my hand to my chest and shaking my head. “No, Your Majesty. It will be done.”

42

THE BLACK WOLF

My eyes pierced through the darkness, but even with my human eyes I could have navigated my way to the portal. I knew these woods better than any of the fae’s other guards. Every rock, every tree, every stream.

Movement caught my eye and I froze, watching the small tharax leap between the branches above me.

I huffed and went on my way. I wasn’t hungry—my human was kept well fed for the most part—but even if I was, tharaxes were stringy, with too much fur and bone to be a decent meal.

The fire moon was rising, and the water moon waned. If the fae wanted me back with a full pack of alphas under my command by morning, I needed to hurry. There was no telling where they’d run off to.

I had hoped they’d been foolish enough to go straight to the castle to their omega and I would meet them soon, but she must have warned them through the bond that I was coming.

It must be nice to have a bond. And a pack.

The omega was from my litter, but she wasn’t my pack. Not in the way I wanted or needed.

My human didn’t realize how difficult it was for me to run alone. Why did I even listen to the fae’s orders to not form a pack again? I was an alpha, I certainly didn’t need to answer to him.

I finally made it to the portal, but the ground was covered in a thick, sparkling dust, dulling my senses. I circled the area three times, but there was no trail to pick up on. It was as though they hadn’t even been here.

I growled as a pixie flew in front of my face.

“Mean alpha, rude alpha. You won’t find them!”

Before I could bark and demand her return she flew off, leaving me in my defeat.

The fae would not be pleased. And it annoyed me that I should even care.

43

MARLOWE

My heart was ready to burst, out of both love and fear. My pack was here, but they were in so much danger.

I didn’t want to distract them with words, so instead I continued to send my love down the bonds, letting them know they were in my thoughts always. It felt good to have the channels open again, to give and receive our unspoken communication. I hadn’t realized how much I’d suffered mentally not having that link, but it reminded me of that feeling when your nose was no longer congested after a cold, and you could finally breathe again.

I chewed the skin around my nails nervously as I looked out the window. What could they even do from a haven? How could they get in? Cam told me the pixies—pixies!—were helping them. But they were essentially breaking into a prison. Maybe they could blend in and hide once inside, and that would protect them for now?

But what about when it was time to escape? How would that even work?

One by one they responded with their own confirmations of devotion back down the bonds, and for the first time since I’d arrived in this realm, I felt at peace.

The door flew back open and Alaroth slammed it closed behind him, his chest heaving in anger as he stared at me.

“You’re smiling,” he spat. “You’ve never smiled for me.”

Even when he’d tortured me, he hadn’t seemed this upset, and I worried he might use more than magic to punish me if I wasn’t careful.

I backed up slowly, soon running into the wall behind me. “Alaroth, we barely know each other…”

He stalked closer and closer, the aqua in his eyes completely overtaken by darkness. “You’re a subject of Vespera, and I am your king! Do you know how fortunate you are to have been chosen by me? To be my queen? And yet you continually show me nothing but contempt. Ingratitude. You openly yearn for others in my presence. It’s inexcusable!”