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B laer watched Langdon’s maneuverings with interest. The Rock Run alpha and the Baltimore alpha had both come to him. And now the sun fae queen herself was involved, along with the powerful Lady Olivia and most of Rock Run and Baltimore’s top people.

The prince was a master schemer. A woman could learn from him. Maybe she’d allow him to live—for now. For one thing, she was curious to know what his endgame was.

Her gaze turned to Luc, in his wolf form as he’d been ever since he’d brought his alpha to the prince.

Her secret weapon. The prince knew Luc was under her geas —that was impossible to hide from other fae.

But no one, not even Jon and Krysten, knew she could control the wolf fada through his quartz.

If she ordered Luc to kill Langdon, he would.

She wondered if Adric knew she’d learned the secret from his own cousin, Corban. Not that it mattered—Corban was dead. The fool had sought to control her .

Her lip curled.

She and Luc were alone in her new living room, she on a red velvet chair, the wolf fada on a rug before the hearth. A real fire burned in the fireplace. She’d learned to appreciate such things while shut up in her solitary tower in Iceland.

The solitary tower to which Langdon had helped banish her.

Luc’s eyes opened. They stared into hers, an inhuman yellow-orange. The sheer hate on his furred face made her draw back. She covered her instinctive response by shifting her body on the velvet chair.

Luc had proved hard to tame. He’d lost weight, become increasingly resistant to her commands. She’d expected him to surrender to her more powerful will by now, but she was beginning to think he’d break first.

That…hurt.

She frowned. Fada were lower forms of life. Weaker than the fae, slaves to their emotions. To be used and then discarded when their purpose was served.

Why should she care what happened to Luc?

She rose to her feet. “Shift,” she ordered. “And dress in the clothes I’ve provided, not those stinking rags you seem to prefer. We’ll dine at the great hall tonight.”

Luc immediately obeyed. It took longer than normal, and she wondered if she’d been wise to demand it. The stubborn ass was wasting away before her eyes.

At last, he stood before her, proudly naked. Too thin, yes, but with broad shoulders and sculpted muscles covered by smooth brown skin. By fae standards, his face was just this side of ugly: rugged and roughly formed, with a dark scruff on his jaw and bushy eyebrows jutting over deep-set eyes.

A wolf in a man’s body. Wild, dangerous.

And Goddess, she craved him.

She moistened her lips. His gaze went to them, lingered, and his mouth twisted. The hate was there again, this time on a human face.

Instinct made her want to step back. So instead, she moved forward.

They were nearly the same height, with him just an inch or two taller. She was close enough that she could feel his breath on her mouth. Her lips tingled hungrily.

She ran her fingers over the black stubble on his jaw, traced a hard pectoral. “I know you want me.”

His cock twitched. He stared back, his face a mask of disdain. “I’d rather fuck a viper.”

Hurt twisted through her, followed by fury. She whirled away before he could see either.

“Get dressed. And Luc? You will eat, if I have to force-feed you myself.”

His voice was expressionless. “Yes, my lady.”