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“Shh,” the king said, bringing his finger to my lips. “That is not the preparation she requires.”

I tilted my head in confusion. When we had discussed our plans over the years, the king had made it clear he expected Marlowe to fight alongside us. “I’m not sure weapons would be as effective given her size. Magic is still…”

Alaroth laughed, interrupting me again. “You think I would risk my queen, my beautiful omega, by placing her on the front lines? No, no. Her potential greatness lies somewhere much closer to her wheelhouse.”

My sister’s greatest assets, aside from her intelligence, were ofthe sort I didn’t really want to think about. The king read the thoughts on my face clearly, and patted me on the shoulder. “No need to let your mind rush towards the darkest possibilities behind my words, Ezra. I would say it’s insulting, but then again, it’s good to know you understand the potential depth of my depravity.”

He grinned widely, picking the flower he’d been sniffing and sticking it behind my ear. “You may teach her how to use magic, if it will help you sleep at night. We have another matter to discuss, however.”

He turned and began to walk further into the garden, his hands clasped behind his back, wordlessly expecting me to follow. I kept pace just a step behind him.

“What shall we do about her pack?”

Crap. I didn’t really want to hurt them.

If we had grown up in Maiingan Hollow like normal shifters, without this prophecy hanging over our heads, then I probably would have even liked them. They weren’t as strong as me, but they certainly weren’t weak. They also seemed to really care for my sister and wanted to protect her, like by bonding with that younger male who’d performed so well in the Rite.

And Marlowe was just as protective of her pack as they were of her, what with the way she’d stepped into the ring to fight me herself so I wouldn’t hurt them. If she found out about our parents, she would never speak to me again. But if I killed her alphas?

She would rip my throat out, and I would probably let her. I didn’t have a bonded pack myself—the king forbade them—but as a shifter, I could understand how deep those ties ran.

“They are no threat to us,” I replied. “And I’m afraid you would lose Marlowe’s favor if you ordered them to be eliminated.”

The king was silent for a moment. “You’re wrong about the first thing, although it’s because of the second.”

A pixie buzzed in my face, and I shooed it away. Worse than mosquitoes.

“Their threat isn’t physical—it’s precisely because of Marlowe’s connection and feelings that makes them dangerous to keep alive. As long as she believes she may someday outsmart me and make it back to them, she’ll never be mine.”

He stopped, his eyes shifting to mine. “You watched us from the woods. You must realize as I do that your sister has no intention of ever marrying me or sharing a bed. At least right now.”

I cringed again, the thought of them together too nauseatingto respond to.

“She knows this is a game, so what is the best move for me? If I kill them, she’ll be too distraught to play along. But if I keep them alive, I’ll never truly win.”

He turned around fully to face me, crossing his arms. “You know her better than I, so how do I get what I want from her?”

Did I want to hear it again? No, but I still needed to confirm. “And what you want from her is….?”

“Her heart.”

When relief crossed my face, the king laughed, slapping me on the arm. “Come now, if I just wanted to fuck her, I could.Easily. But the heart is much more difficult to conquer than the body, and I do enjoy a challenge. So, how do I navigate this?”

I ran my tongue along my teeth in thought. What did I really know about Marlowe anymore? “When I left, we were both still kids who thought they were human. Now she’s a grown omega female with a pack of bonded alphas. She’s not a stranger to me, but the last time I was involved with her relationships, she was asking me if she should keep dating a guy over the summer just because he had a car and a pool.”

His brows furrowed in thought, and then a small, delighted smile grew on his face. “So she appreciates wealth and comfort?”

“No,” I said with a sigh, “that’s not what I mean. It’s just that I’m sure her priorities have changed. What impresses a teenager and what impresses an adult are two different things.”

It was like high school all over again, with my friends begging me to help them get into my sister’s pants. How exactly did I end up back here?

Alaroth clicked his tongue against his teeth. “You’d be surprised. However, I believe you when it comes to Marlowe. She certainly hasn’t been attracted to my title and strength thus far, nor my countenance.” He closed his eyes and bit his lip, chuckling quietly. “Although I am skilled enough to elicit a positive reaction from her body, so at least at a visceral level she does not find me abhorrent.”

I muffled a laugh. “Shedoes not find me abhorrent at a visceral level—wow, the marriage vows are writing themselves.”

He gave me a pointed look. “I’m glad you find my inner torment so amusing.”

Even though we were talking about Marlowe, it was times like these that reminded me why I respected Alaroth. In front of his court, he projected absolute power, strength, and control.