Kieran
I sit in the shadows of Daciana’s quarters, watching her sleep. The room is lit by a single candle, which casts flickering light across her pale face. She looks smaller somehow, curled on her side beneath the thin blanket, her breathing shallow and uneven.
She’s growing fragile. Day by day, I watch her fade, and it tears something vital inside me.
Her brow furrows suddenly, lips parting on a silent gasp. Her fingers curl into the sheets, knuckles white. I recognize the signs immediately. A nightmare taking hold, pulling her into whatever darkness haunts her sleep.
I lean forward, extending my hand toward her. Magic flows from my fingertips, gentle as moonlight, wrapping around her consciousness like a protective cocoon. It’s an ability few possess, this capacity to touch another’s dreams, to soothe the troubled waters of their mind. I learned it years ago, practiced it in secret, never imagining I’d use it like this.
For her.
The tension bleeds from her features. Her breathing evens out, deepens. Her hand uncurls, relaxing against the mattress. The nightmare retreats, banished by my intervention, and she settles back into peaceful sleep.
I should leave. I have no business being here, in her private quarters in the dead of night. If anyone found me, the scandal alone would be devastating. But I can’t bring myself to go. Not when she’s like this. Not when I know what Seth has done to her.
The candlelight plays across her features, and my chest tightens with an ache I’ve tried so hard to suppress. She’s beautiful. Not in the polished way of court ladies or the delicate way of protected nobles. Hers is a fierce beauty, hard-won and battle-tested, and it strikes me deep inside every time I look at her. I’ve seen the intense determination in her gaze when she faces down danger. The quiet strength she carries like armor.
She’s different now. More quiet, more reserved. But around her friends whom she trusts, I’ve seen her smile unguarded. It’s the same when she laughs. The sound pierces me, my wolf desperate to get to her, to make her see us, recognize us. But I suppress him. My heart has been through so much grief that the scars no longer heal. I want her to be happy now. I want her to be safe, and I want to watch over her from the shadows for the remainder of our lives.
My hand moves of its own accord, fingertips brushing her cheek with a gentleness that surprises me. Her skin is cool, and the dark circles beneath her eyes speak of exhaustion that still plagues her.
The gesture feels ancient. Natural. As if I’ve touched her face like this a thousand times before.
“I will protect you this time,” I murmur, the words barely a breath in the quiet room. “I swear it, Daciana. I won’t fail you again.”
I mean every word. But she doesn’t stir, lost in whatever peaceful dreams my magic has granted her.
My wolf stirs beneath my skin, snarling his agreement. Protect. Defend. Destroy anyone who threatens what is ours.
I pull my hand back and rise from the chair. “Artisem,” I call softly.
He materializes from the doorway where he has been keeping watch, his expression carefully neutral. He’s one of the few who know the truth. Who has served my family long enough to understand.
“Arrange an audience with King Lucian,” I say, my voice hard as stone. “Tell him I require both him and Commander Seth to be present.”
Artisem’s eyes widen. “Kieran, perhaps we should—”
“Now,” I growl.
He bows and disappears without another word.
I look back at Daciana one more time. In sleep, with her guard down, I can almost see past the walls she has built. The vulnerability she hides so carefully, the softness beneath the soldier’s façade.
I wonder if her kisses still taste the same. Like wildflowers and summer storms and something I can’t name. Something that feels like coming home.
The ache in my chest intensifies, spreading through my ribs like roots taking hold. This isn’t just desire, though the gods know I still want her with an intensity that frightens me. This is something deeper. Something that inserts itself in the spaces between heartbeats and refuses to be dislodged.
I remember the way she looked at me two weeks ago, when I insisted she keep the attack secret. The flash of conflict in her eyes, loyalty warring with duty. She chose me. Even knowing it could cost her, she chose me.
And Seth punished her for it.
My hands curl into fists, claws pricking the skin of my palms. The wolf inside me demands blood, demands retribution. But I force the urge down, channeling it into something colder and more dangerous than rage.
Within the hour, I’m striding through the palace corridors toward Lucian’s private study. The halls are quiet at this time of night, lit by enchanted sconces that cast everything in shades of amber. Guards nod as I pass, recognizing me, not daring to question a foreign alpha’s business.
The study doors open before I reach them. Lucian sits behind his desk, still dressed despite the late hour. He looks tired but alert, eyes sharp as blades. Seth stands to his right, arms crossed, his expression carved from granite.
“Alpha Kieran.” Lucian gestures to a chair with false courtesy. “This is quite urgent, I’m told. Please, sit.”
I remain standing, feet planted, shoulders squared. “This won’t take long.”
Seth’s eyes narrow fractionally. He knows. He must know why I’m here.
“I’ve come to deliver a warning,” I say, and my voice could freeze fire. “If your Commander continues to torture my—”
The word catches in my throat. Mate. The truth I’ve hidden, the bond I’ve denied, hovering on the edge of exposure.
“If he continues this treatment of Daciana,” I continue, forcing the words to be steady, “or if he sends her to her death through his negligence, my pack will withdraw our support. We’ll leave the capital immediately and revoke our offer to help you find the necromancer who harmed both your mate and his.”
The temperature in the room plummets. Lucian goes very still, his expression shifting from casual interest to sharp focus. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Daciana was injured, yes, but tortured? What are you talking about? I’ve only heard she was hurt in an attack. I’ve been too busy with official duties to find out more.”
My eyes cut to Seth. He stiffens.
“You don’t know?” I ask, my voice quiet but dangerous. “Your Commander has been ruthlessly working a soldier under his command.”
“Ruthlessly?” Lucian looks at Seth, confused.
Seth’s jaw tightens. “Daciana concealed the details of an attack on Alpha Kieran two weeks ago. She was punished. I made her do night rounds.”
Lucian goes still. “You made her do night rounds while she’s one of the Queen’s guards?”
“It’s up to me how to discipline my people,” Seth says.
“Daciana is not your people,” Lucian retorts, his voice sharp. “She is Astra’s people. She may be under your command, but her punishments have to be discussed with the Queen first. How did you expect Daciana to be alert while protecting Astra when she was working all the time?”
Seth is silent for a moment. “Hiding such information could have put our relationship with the delegates at risk—”
“I asked Daciana not to tell anyone,” I cut him off, my words cold and precise. “There are those who wish to eradicate my pack because we are the purest and most ancient form of hybrids. I knew I had enemies. I didn’t want anyone to know I was injured. If one person knew, others surely would.”
I step closer to Seth, letting him see the wolf in my eyes. “It was your punishment that caused Daciana to be injured. How would you answer to me if she were killed?”
Lucian looks at me with unveiled interest. “Why would we be answerable to you if anything were to happen to Daciana?”
I hold his stare, my jaw tight. The silence becomes deafening.
Then, Lucian and Seth exchange a look. Some unspoken understanding passes between them.
“Alpha Kieran,” the King asks quietly, “is Daciana your fated mate?”
My heart stutters. The question hangs in the air, demanding an answer I’m not ready to give.
“That’s a private matter,” I say through gritted teeth. “But if anything happens to her, my pack will no longer help the Wolf Kingdom, come what may.”
I turn toward the door, but Lucian stops me from walking out. “Kieran, wait.”
I pause but don’t look back at him.
“It’s clear that Daciana is important to you,” he says carefully.
“I’ve given my warning,” I say coldly, and then I leave before either of them can say anything else.
Artisem falls into step beside me in the corridor, his expression worried. “Was that wise?” he asks quietly. “You never planned to reveal your connection to her.”
I think of Daciana’s pale face, her trembling hands, the dark circles under her eyes. In the span of a few months, she has been attacked repeatedly, almost dying each time. I’ve nearly lost her over and over again.
“I thought she was safe here,” I say, more to myself than to Artisem. “In the capital. Under royal protection.” My hands shake with suppressed rage. With a fear I can’t quite name. “But is she?” I whisper. “Or am I watching her slowly be destroyed?”
Artisem doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to.
We both know the truth.
I walk through the dimly lit corridors, my mind racing with everything that just transpired in Lucian’s study. The weight of my secret presses against my chest like a stone.
“Artisem,” I say, keeping my voice low, “arrange for some good food for Daciana. Make sure it’s nourishing. Broths, fresh bread, fruits. Have it delivered to her chambers discreetly.”
He nods, understanding immediately. “Of course. Anything else?”
“Yes. I need Aaron and Ferin. We’re going into the woods.”
“Now?”
“Now,” I confirm. “Have them meet me at the eastern gate in ten minutes.”
SOON, we’re deep in the forest where Daciana was attacked. The moon filters through the leaves above us, casting everything in silver and shadow. My wolf senses sharpen, picking up traces others would miss.
“Here,” I say, crouching beside a tree. Blood. Not Daciana’s. The scent is all wrong. This belongs to whoever hurt her.
Aaron kneels beside me, his eyes shifting to amber as his wolf rises closer to the surface. “The soldiers must have investigated after the attack. They would have found this trail.”
“And it probably led nowhere,” I say, studying the blood spatter. The trail is clear for perhaps twenty feet, then vanishes completely. No drag marks, no continued drops, nothing. Whoever orchestrated this knew how to cover their tracks. “That’s why we’re here.”
I stand, extending my hand over the droplets. Magic flows from my fingertips, ancient and primal. This is the gift of my bloodline, the pure hybrid magic that few possess anymore. The air shimmers, and threads of silver light begin to weave outward from the blood, tracing a path invisible to ordinary sight.
“There,” I say quietly, following the ethereal trail deeper into the woods.
Aaron and Ferin fall into step behind me, their expressions grim. They know what I’m doing: using magic to track what can’t be tracked by conventional means. It’s a skill that sets us apart, that makes my pack both valuable and feared.
The silver threads lead us away from the attack site, winding through the forest in a serpentine pattern designed to confuse. But magic doesn’t lie. It follows the essence of the blood, the life force that once animated it, no matter how carefully the path it took was hidden.
We reach the edge of the forest, where the trees thin out near the main road. The threads converge on a spot in the underbrush, and there, partially hidden beneath fallen leaves and branches, is a corpse.
Or what’s left of one.
Animals have been at it. Scavengers drawn by the scent of death. But even through the damage, I can see this wasn’t natural decay. The body has been deliberately mutilated, carved up in ways meant to obscure identity.
The face is beyond recognition.
But I know. The scent, faint as it is beneath the rot and blood, tells me everything. This is the one who hurt her. The one whose poisoned claws tore into her flesh.
I think of the female alpha, one of the wild wolves that follow Daciana. The desperate way she clawed at my door, her whines frantic and urgent. I think of how I found Daciana, her body so cold, so badly injured, her blood everywhere. Too much blood. Far too much for anyone to survive.
But she survived. Barely.
Rage, white-hot and consuming, floods through me.
I reach down, my claws extending, and plunge my hand into the corpse’s chest cavity. Its ribs crack under the force. My fingers close around what’s left of the heart, cold and lifeless, and I rip it free. It turns to paste in my grip, oozing between my fingers. I crush it completely, watching the remains fall to the forest floor like mud.
“Let the animals have him,” I say coldly. “His face is beyond identification anyway.”
Aaron and Ferin exchange glances but say nothing. They know better than to question me when my wolf is this close to the surface, when fury radiates from me like heat from a forge.
Aaron clears his throat carefully. “If they’re going after Daciana, then the Queen isn’t safe, either.”
The words cut through my rage, bringing clarity back. He’s right. The poison on those claws was very specific, designed to harm someone with Daciana’s unique bloodline. And if Daciana is being targeted specifically, that puts Astra in constant danger simply by being near her.
Astra staying alive is crucial. More crucial than anyone in the palace realizes.
“Agreed,” I say quietly, wiping my hand on the grass.
My mind turns over the implications. Daciana needs to be protected. She needs to be where I can watch over her constantly, where my people can form a barrier between her and this threat that keeps coming for her.
She needs to be by my side.
But to remove her from her duty to the Queen, to justify taking Astra’s personal guard away, I would have to reveal the prophecy. The one that speaks of the Wolf Kingdom’s downfall, of the darkness coming for it. The one that brought me here in the first place. The prophecy I’ve kept close to my chest because revealing it would cause panic, would make me look like a harbinger of doom rather than an ally.
“They’re covering their tracks,” I add, gesturing to the mutilated corpse. “Whoever orchestrated this attack killed their own man to keep him silent. They made sure the physical trail would lead nowhere. That’s why the soldiers found nothing.”
“Professional,” Ferin observes grimly. “And merciless.”
“Let’s go.” The fury still simmers beneath my skin, but I channel it into cold determination. “We have what we need.”
I turn back toward the trees, my thoughts churning.
By the time we return to the palace, the sky is beginning to lighten at the edges, revealing the deep blue-gray that comes in the hours before dawn. The halls are silent now, even the night servants having retired. Only the guards remain at their posts, nodding to us as we pass.
I dismiss Aaron and Ferin with quiet thanks and make my way to my chambers. Sleep doesn’t come easily. My mind turns over everything—the mutilated corpse, the targeted poison, the prophecy I’ve kept hidden, and Daciana sleeping mere corridors away, still too weak, still too vulnerable.
When I finally drift off, my sleep is fitful and brief.
A knock at my door awakens me. Sunlight streams through the windows. Morning has come, whether I’m ready for it or not.
“Enter,” I call, sitting up.
A palace messenger steps inside, bowing low. “Alpha Kieran. Queen Astra requests your presence in her herb garden at your earliest convenience.”
My jaw tightens. Of course she does. Lucian has told her about last night, and now, she wants answers.
“Tell Her Majesty I’ll be there shortly,” I say.
The messenger bows again and retreats.
I dress quickly, choosing simple clothing. No need for formal attire for a meeting in a garden. As I make my way through the palace corridors, servants are beginning their morning routines. The smell of fresh bread wafts from the kitchens.
The herb garden is tucked away behind the palace, accessible through a small gate in the stone wall. It’s Astra’s personal sanctuary, I’ve been told. A place where she spends most of her time away from court.
Once I push through the gate, I pause.
The garden is beautiful in its simplicity. Raised beds overflow with plants I recognize immediately. Moonpetal for accelerating shifter healing, silverleaf for poison extraction, wolfsbane cultivated carefully for its medicinal properties when properly prepared. There’s bloodroot for strengthening bonds between mates, nightshade for fever reduction in our kind, and dozens of others whose scents mingle in the morning air.
Astra kneels beside one of the beds, her hands in the soil, her simple dress protected by a worn apron. Her dark hair is pulled back in a practical braid, and there’s dirt under her fingernails. She looks up when she hears my approach, a genuine smile crossing her face.
“Alpha Kieran,” she says, standing and brushing off her hands. “Thank you for coming.”
I find myself admiring the garden again, the careful attention evident in every thriving plant. “This is impressive, Your Majesty. You have species here I haven’t seen outside my own territory.”
Her smile softens, becoming warmer. “Lucian planted most of these for me when we first mated. He built all the beds himself.” She gestures around the garden with obvious pride. “I’ve been growing my collection ever since. Every plant here serves a purpose. Healing, strengthening, protecting our people.”
There’s no pretense here, no royal airs. Just a woman who loves her garden and the mate who helped her create it.
“It’s peaceful,” I say honestly.
“It is.” She moves to a small, wooden bench beneath a trellis where climbing moonvine grows. She sits, patting the space beside her. “That’s why I prefer to have difficult conversations here. The formality of the throne room makes everything feel like a battle.”
I join her on the bench, noting how her fingers absently brush against some silverleaf growing nearby.
“Lucian told me what happened last night,” she says, her tone shifting from warm to serious. “About your ultimatum.”
Of course he did. They’re mates. They tell each other everything.
“Then you know my concerns about Daciana’s safety,” I say carefully.
She nods slowly, her fingers going still on the plant. “I do. And I share them.” She pauses, then adds quietly, “Lucian also mentioned his suspicion about your connection to her.”
My jaw tightens. “That’s—”
“A private matter, yes. You made that clear.” She turns to look at me fully, her eyes direct but not unkind. “But Kieran, Daciana is more than just my guard. She’s my friend. One of the few people in this palace I trust completely.”
“Which is why she needs better protection than she’s currently receiving,” I say, keeping my voice level.
“Is that really why you’re so concerned?” Astra asks softly. “Or is there something else? Something you’re not telling us?”
I meet Astra’s gaze steadily, weighing my options. The truth will change everything. But if I want to keep Daciana close, if I want to protect her properly, I have no choice.
“I want Daciana to serve as a liaison for my delegation,” I say finally.
Astra stiffens, her expression hardening. “A liaison.”
“Yes. She would coordinate between your court and my people. Handle communications, arrangements…”
“No.” The word is flat, final. Astra stands up from the bench, her hands curling into fists. “I’m not handing over my friend without a proper explanation, Kieran. What aren’t you telling me?”
I rise to face her, keeping my voice calm even as urgency claws at my chest. “Daciana has been attacked multiple times since I arrived in your capital. Each time more dangerous than the last.”
“I know she was injured in the woods…”
“Injured?” The word sounds harsher than I intend. “She was poisoned, Astra. She nearly died in my arms while I tried to heal her.”
Astra’s face pales, but she doesn’t back down. “That still doesn’t explain why you need her as your liaison.”
I step closer, letting the Queen see the wolf in my eyes. “If you value your own life, and the life of your child, you’ll agree to my request.”
“Is that a threat?” The voice comes from behind me, harsh and dangerous.
I turn to find Lucian emerging from between the herb beds, his eyes blazing. He must have been here the entire time, hidden among the greenery. No wonder there were no guards at the garden entrance. Astra’s mate was her protection.
“Not a threat,” I say, holding his stare. “A reality.”
Lucian moves to stand behind Astra, one hand resting protectively on her shoulder, the other moving instinctively to her rounded belly. She’s seven months along now, the swell of her pregnancy clearly visible beneath her simple dress.
I look between them, these two powerful people who rule the Wolf Kingdom, who have no idea what’s coming for them. What’s already here.
“The threats to Daciana will not disappear,” I say quietly. “And when they come for her again, the Queen may be hurt in the process.”
“Why do you believe Daciana is in such danger?” Astra asks, her voice sharp with concern.
I take a breath, preparing to disclose what I’ve kept hidden for so long. “Because Daciana is not the person you think she is. She’s special, even if she doesn’t know it herself.”
“Special how?” Lucian demands.
“I can’t reveal that,” I say firmly. “But I am the only one who can protect her properly.”
Astra’s eyes widen, understanding dawning there. “You came to the castle after years of solitude in your pack in the mountains. You never leave your territory. Ever.” She pauses, her voice dropping. “Did you come here for Daciana?”
“I didn’t know about Daciana when I made the decision to come,” I admit. “I came for you, Your Majesty.”
Lucian bristles, and then his body goes rigid. A low growl rumbles in his chest. His hand tightens possessively over Astra’s swollen belly.
I hold up a finger. “Not like that. I came to make sure you don’t die.”
Astra swallows hard. She doesn’t sway or grab for support; instead, her spine straightens, and her hand moves to cover Lucian’s where it rests on her stomach. “Explain.”
My wolf stirs uneasily. This is it. The moment everything changes.
“There are witches who often seek sanctuary with my pack,” I begin, my voice low and measured. “We’re isolated in the mountains. Private. We offer protection to those who need it, and in return, they share their knowledge with us.”
“Get to the point,” Lucian says, his voice controlled but edged with steel.
“Years ago, when I had just become alpha, a prophecy was revealed.” I look directly at Astra, then deliberately let my gaze drop to her pregnant belly before meeting her eyes again. “A prophecy about a war that would break out when the true queen of the wolves was slaughtered. Murdered along with her unborn child.”
Astra’s hand presses firmer against Lucian’s, but her expression remains steady. Calculating. “The prophecy referred to me.”
“Yes. You’re the one with the ability to control a shifter’s wolf. The true queen.” I pause, choosing my next words carefully. “According to the prophecy, your murder, and the murder of your unborn child, would trigger a war that would tear the Wolf Kingdom apart.”
Silence falls over the garden for a moment.
“Why?” Lucian asks in a low voice. “Why would her death start a war?”
I meet his eyes. “Because her blood, hers and her unborn child’s, would be enough to facilitate a transfer of her abilities to another person.”
Astra and Lucian exchange a look. Something passes between them, something dark and knowing.
“Has it been attempted before?” I ask sharply, reading their expressions.
Astra’s jaw tightens. “Once. But we stopped it. Obviously.”
“The threat is not gone,” I say, my tone harsh. “Whoever tried once will try again. They know it’s possible. They know what they need.” I gesture to her rounded belly. “And they’re running out of time. In two months, your child will be born, and the window will close. The prophecy specifies an unborn child. Once the baby is born, the ritual won’t work the same way.”
“So, they’ll be desperate,” Lucian says, his mind already racing through the implications.
“Exactly. More desperate. More reckless. More willing to take risks.” I step even closer. “And if Daciana is standing between them and you when they make their move—”
“She’ll be killed, too,” Astra finishes quietly.
“Or you’ll be killed while they’re targeting her.” I let that sink in. “I didn’t come here for politics. I didn’t come here for alliances or trade agreements or diplomatic favor. I came to warn you because a prophecy revealed that the true queen would be murdered. That’s it. That was my only purpose.”
“Until you saw Daciana,” Astra says.
“Until I saw Daciana,” I confirm, my voice becoming rough. “Now, I have a stake in this. I cannot allow this prophecy to be fulfilled. At any cost.”
Lucian’s eyes narrow. “Can prophecies be changed?”
The question surprises me. Most people accept prophecies as immutable fate. But Lucian is asking if they can fight it.
“Yes,” I say carefully. “But it’s not easy. Prophecies are like rivers. They have a natural course they want to follow. You can build dams, redirect the flow, but the water still wants to go where it was meant to go. It takes tremendous effort and constant vigilance to change a prophecy’s outcome.”
“But it can be done,” Astra says firmly.
“It can be done.” I hold her gaze, letting the weight of my next words settle between us. “And I will help you change it. I have resources you don’t. Witches who understand prophecies, magic that can counter what’s coming, knowledge that has been passed down through generations in my pack.” I pause deliberately. “But only if Daciana is under my protection. Only if you allow me to keep her safe while we work to prevent your death.”
The bargain hangs in the air, clear and unmistakable.
“You’re leveraging our lives for Daciana’s,” Lucian says, eyeing me suspiciously.
“I’m offering you a solution that protects everyone,” I counter. “Separate Daciana from Astra’s side so she’s not caught in the crossfire. Put her under my protection where my people can guard her properly. And in return, I’ll use every resource at my disposal to help you change this prophecy.”
“You still haven’t explained what makes her so special,” Lucian says. “Why her presence changes everything for you.”
“I won’t share that,” I repeat, my jaw tight. “But know this. Whoever is trying to kill her won’t stop. They’ve sent multiple attackers already, each one escalating in skill and violence. They’re willing to murder their own people to cover their tracks.” I gesture toward the forest. “Last night I found the corpse of the person who attacked her in the woods. Someone mutilated the body beyond recognition and left it for the scavengers.”
Astra’s expression hardens. “A conspiracy.”
“A well-organized one.” I fold my arms across my chest. “And as long as she’s serving as your personal guard, you’re in the line of fire. If they strike at her while she’s protecting you…” I let the implication hang in the air.
Understanding flashes across Astra’s face. Her hands spread wider over her stomach. “They could kill me and my baby while trying to kill her. Fulfill the prophecy by accident.”
“Or on purpose,” I say grimly. “Kill three targets with one strike. Daciana dies, you die, your child dies, they harvest your blood for the ritual, and the Kingdom descends into war. And with your due date approaching, whoever wants this prophecy fulfilled is running out of time.”
Lucian’s free arm wraps around Astra, but neither of them looks terrified. They look aggressive. Like wolves who are cornered but ready to fight back.
“If she serves as liaison to my delegation,” I press, “she’ll still be in the palace. She’ll still be able to see you, Astra. But she’ll be under my protection. My people will watch her constantly. No one will be able to get close to her without going through us first. And with Daciana safe, I can focus all my efforts on helping you prevent the prophecy from coming to pass.”
“And what makes you think your protection is better than ours?” Lucian asks coldly.
I hold his gaze. “Because I found the body when your soldiers couldn’t even find a trail. Because I used magic your people don’t possess to track what can’t otherwise be tracked. Because I have resources and abilities that you don’t.” My voice drops, becomes more intense. “And because I will burn this entire Kingdom to the ground before I let anyone hurt her.”
The admission is too much. Too revealing. Too raw.
Astra and Lucian exchange a long look, having one of those silent conversations that only mates can have. Astra’s hands haven’t left her belly, and Lucian’s remains in place there, too.
The bargain has been laid bare. The choice is clear.
I turn to leave, but Astra’s voice stops me.
“Kieran.”
I look back.
Her expression is guarded but cordial. “Thank you. For coming here. For warning us.” She pauses. “And for caring about Daciana, whatever your reasons may be.”
My shoulders loosen slightly. “She deserves to be cared for, Your Majesty. She deserves to be protected. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
I leave the herb garden, my mind churning. The prophecy is out now. The bargain is offered. No taking it back. No more pretending I came here simply out of diplomatic interest or idle curiosity.
Everything has changed.
And elsewhere in this palace, Daciana sleeps, still fragile and recovering, completely unaware of the forces moving around her. Unaware that her life is tangled with a prophecy that threatens to destroy the Kingdom. Unaware that I’ve just negotiated for her safety with the lives of the Queen and her unborn child hanging in the balance.
My wolf snarls his frustration, his need to go to her, to guard her personally. But I force myself to walk back to my chambers instead.
Soon, I promise both myself and the beast inside me. Soon, she’ll be under my protection properly.
And then let anyone try to hurt her.
Let them try.