Page 14 of The Wolf King

The blade is laughably small in relation to his huge build, but he raises his hands placatingly. “Please calm down.”

Emotions that have lain dormant inside me for years awaken.

“How dare you tell me to calm down.”

Every time my father, or the priest, or my brother dismissed me for daring to show emotion, flashes before my eyes and feeds the wildness growing inside me.

“You come into my chambers in the middle of the night,” I slice the blade through the air, “thinking you can steal me from my bed.” I cut the space between us. “And you act as if I am overreacting?”

I jab the letter opener at his stomach and he grabs my wrist.

I still. His hand is callused and strong as it wraps around the bone.

“Get off me,”I hiss.

He bends my wrist and the tiny blade hits the stone floor and clatters. Crouching down, he picks it up. He winces when the silver comes into contact with his skin.

“You can have this back when you behave yourself.”

When he pockets it, I kick his chest. He grabs my ankle, putting a hand on my lower back to steady me. Our eyes meet, and my breath hitches at the intensity of his expression.

“What do you want with me?” I ask.

“I think you can help me end this war.”

I shake my head. “Kidnapping me will only worsen it. You’re going to get yourself killed, you fool.”

“If that is the price I must pay to save my people, I will gladly pay it. So, what will it be, Princess? Will you grab your cloak and walk out of this room with me? Or am I going to throw you over my shoulder? You have a choice. It’s not a very good one.” He mimics my words from earlier, a grim smile on his face. “But it’s a choice nonetheless.”

“You bastard.” I shake my head. “You can’t possibly think you’ll get all the way out of the castle.”

I can hear shouting and the thunder of hooves in the grounds below.

“See? They’re coming for you.” I jerk my head toward the window, and a strand of red hair catches in my mouth. “If you go now, you have a chance to—”

Before I know what’s happening, he’s on his feet, and I’m over his shoulder. I shriek, punching his back.

“Are you insane?” I snarl. “They’ll skin you alive for—”

He throws open my wardrobe and the words die in my throat at the inopportune moment for my threat.

In the current circumstance, guilt should not flood so powerfully through my chest at the sight of the wolf coat that hangs there. Nor should I want, desperately, to tell him that it was there when I arrived.

The Wolves have been attacking my people for centuries, yet I can’t bring myself to agree with some of Sebastian’s more barbaric practices.

He stills, the muscles in his back tightening.

Then he grabs a different fur and heads out of my chambers.

I punch him between his shoulder blades again, but I do not put my full force into it.

Perhaps it’s because his mood has darkened and I’m afraid. Or perhaps it’s because a small part of me is glad I’m being taken away from my fate with Sebastian, despite how frightening this wolf may be.

“You won’t get away with this,” I growl, regardless.

“I will. Now be quiet.”

“Where are you taking me?”

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