Page 47 of The Wolf King

It takes everything in me not to crumple into a pile on Callum’s floor.

“A feast?”

Back home, I’d relish the idea of going to a feast.

The balls, the gatherings, the summer festivals—I lived for those events. As stifling as they could be, they were the only times when my father saw me as useful—even if I was just a prop to him, or a trophy to dangle in front of visiting kingdoms.

But I have been riding for two days, and I haven’t bathed properly, and I don’t have my clothes or my servants or my make-up.

I shake my head. “No. I’m not in the mood for a feast. I will retire early tonight, and you can speak to Blake alone.”

Callum sighs. “Why don’t you sit down?”

He nods at the big four-poster bed to my side and my cheeks heat. I’m an unmarried woman. He can’t possibly expect me to sit on his bed.

“I would rather stand.”

“I’m not leaving you alone. You’re coming with me.”

“No.”

He arches an eyebrow. “No?”

This man is a mountain, and he’s used to getting his own way. There is only one card I can play to get the upper hand here.

“If you drag me into your Great Hall, I will tell everyone who I am!” I fold my arms. “It will cause carnage. And what will you do then?”

“That would end worse for you than it would for me, Princess,” says Callum. “Believe me.”

“So you’re not going to protect me?”

“Oh, I would protect you from the Wolves outside these doors. But if you’re going to do something reckless, it’s me you’ll have to contend with.”

I feel as if he’s just doused me with cold water. “You’re threatening me?”

“Aye,” he says. Though I’ve seen him threaten people before—with his muscles hard, and his posture dominant—and he doesn’t look like that now. He looks relaxed, his expression soft, a playful glint in his green eyes.

“Is that how you became the big, strong alpha?” I demand. “Threatening women you kidnapped?”

“Not quite.”

I fight the urge to ask him how he became an alpha, pushing down the intrigue that blooms inside my chest at how this infernal Kingdom of Wolves actually works. Now is not the time.

“Well, what are you going to do to me?” I ask.

The armchair creaks as he leans forward, and his heat and scent wash over me. “I’d start by telling everybody about our secret.”

“What secret?”

“About our... sleeping arrangement last night.” He clucks his tongue. “What will people think? A princess and a wolf. The scandal!”

My cheeks heat, and a feral sound escapes my lips.

A slow smile spreads across his face.

“What kind of gentleman are you?” I demand.

“I’m not a gentleman, remember? I’m a wolf.” The amusement doesn’t leave his expression as he nods at the bed. “Sit down.”

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