Page 1 of King

Chapter 1

Rue

I put up a good fight. Fate dealt me a raw deal–the weakest designation, a Prime happy to pass me around like cheap wine, and a lifetime of misery.

But I escaped it for a while. I enjoyed a brief taste of freedom and love with a breathtaking fae. Those memories are mine. No one can take them from me, especially when I’m returning with a tangible reminder.

Vaegon, my pup. A precious piece of Durin, the mate I was never truly meant to have.

Mannus, the bitter bastard Mother and I slipped past during our escape, may be here to drag me back to my fate, but no one will ever take Vaegon from me. I wouldn’t be blessed with this perfect pup only to have him snatched right back. Even fate couldn’t be that cruel.

I try to draw comfort from that as we make our way to camp, but I find myself unsure. Fate has been anything but kind to me so far.

We walk in silence, other than the frosty ground crunching beneath our feet and a growl from Mannus any time we slow our pace. The journey to the hut seemed so long. Now that I’m being forced back to our camp, the time slips through my grasp as if I’m sleeping.

The forest feels safe. Durin could appear any moment out here in the open. But once we pass into our pack’s territory, the atmosphere seems to shift. What I once called home has become so threatening.

One of the pack’s Alpha wolves notices us while on his rounds and approaches. He paces back and forth a few times, checking us over. Mannus just nods to him and continues toward our camp. The wolf races ahead, probably to tell Bock we’ve returned.

As soon as we see the first tent, he’s there, blocking our path. His power pulses around us like a barrier, as if we’d be foolish enough to run.

But his eyes surprise me. They’re full of worry instead of the anger I’d expected.

“Are you hurt, mate?” he asks, reaching for me.

I shake my head no and bare my throat, remaining where I stand. The term “mate” makes me sick. And there’s no way I’m running into his outstretched arms like this is some kind of sweet reunion. I don’t want to provoke him in case he takes it out on my mother, but I won’t let him think I’m happy to see him.

The pack has begun to gather around us, silently emerging from the shadows and stepping out from behind tents. It’s unsettling, like being in the eye of a brewing storm. But I’m surprised to find that I don’t care who’s here for this. I left them all behind when I fled. Whether they agreed with him or not, they accepted Bock’s plans for me. They’re nothing to me now.

Bock’s expression turns from concern to shock, then to fury, as his eyes settle on my stomach. All traces of worry and tenderness vanish, replaced by a barely-contained rage swirling in his eyes. He keeps them locked on mine as a primal roar erupts from his lungs, turning to steam in the chilly air.

“What have you done?” he demands.

His Alpha bark presses down on my chest, ensuring I speakthe truth. He probably assumed we’d been caught and killed. Now, he finds us both unharmed, bringing with us another life we hadn’t left with.

“I was afraid,” I blurt.

My body urges me to continue under the weight of his bark. To unleash my disgust for him and his twisted sense of what’s acceptable. I’dloveto be honest with him, but I don’t want my mother to be punished.

Mercifully, she steps forward to prevent the unforgivable disrespect that was ready to fly out of my mouth.

“After we finished at the market, an innot spooked Rue, and she went into heat. She needed somewhere to hide for the duration.”

While all of that is true, it leaves much unsaid. Bock shifts his attention to her, noting that she’s speaking freely. He quickly corrects that.

“And why did you not send for me?” he barks.

His veins bulge beneath his skin in his fury. The tips of his long fangs brush against the thick hair of his beard. He’s imposing like this. Aggressive. But I think most of his anger is stemming from embarrassment. He lost track of his future mate, missed out on her first heat, and now, she returns carrying another male’s pup.

Good. Fuck him.

I want to stab him in the balls for speaking to my mother the way he did, but I’m relieved to be released from his bark’s influence. Mother is more calculating than me. She’s picked up some things from the fae at the market over the years. She’ll be able to handle Bock and his bark much better than I could.

“I was afraid to leave her,” she says carefully, implying she didn’t want me to be vulnerable while she ran for help. “She found a deep cave where she could ride out her heat.”

Both statements are true, though they aren’t directlyconnected. Bock has no idea that she wasn’t with me in the cave.

“Why didn’t you return immediately after her heat?” he demands.

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