Page 46 of King

But most importantly, my mother is there.

“Madda!” I shout, jumping up and running into her open arms. Durin follows after me and joins our embrace.

“Oh, Rue,” she whispers against my cheek. “I tried. I really tried to convince the whole pack to stand with Durin.”

“It’s okay, Lasha,” Durin reassures her, squeezing her arm. “I wouldn’t expect them to.”

“But some of them did!” she says, pointing to the group of Alphas who are already introducing themselves to Jade’s group. “They were impressed with your power, Durin. After you and Rue left, they started seeing Bock in a different light.”

When I pull away from my mother, Arya steps in for a quick hug. “Bock began mistreating your mother and the Alphas who supported Durin,” she tells me. “I think he felt threatened by Durin’s power. That elf showed up out of nowhere,” she says, pointing at Vaegon. “He gathered up the Alphas who were willing to fight and the Betas and Omegas who wanted to leave. Now, here we are,” she finishes with a grin.

“The Betas and Omegas will remain here until the battle is over,” the seer announces, snatching everyone’s attention away. “Alphas, you’ll help with preparations today.”

With a wave of her hand, Durin and all the Alphas except Frederick vanish. I stagger back, clutching my chest asdevastation and despair slam into me yet again.

She hasn’t just taken Vaegon from me this time; she’s taken my mate, too.

She approaches me and takes my hand. My fangs shoot out in response to her threatening touch. I stare menacingly into her eyes, fully prepared to rip her apart. But I’m surprised to find a flicker of compassion in the eyes staring back at me.

“They will all return safely this evening,” she says calmly.

I feel the life return to my heart, but Jade’s panicked expression ignites a fury in me. I yank my hand away from the seer’s grip and wrap it around her throat.

A few of the elves step forward to defend her, but she raises a hand to stop them.

Let them come. I’ll set them straight, too. I won’t roll over for elves or anyone else. No one has a right to treat me the way she has.

“If you ever pull that shit again, I’ll fucking kill you,” I growl. “I don’t care if Durin and Vaegon haven’t returned yet. The pieces are in place. You’re no longer needed, and I’m done with your bullshit.”

I release her throat but hold my ground. The way this realm stands aside when leaders overstep their bounds infuriates me. It’s gone on long enough.

The seer stares blankly back at me. I need to make sure she heard me, so I press on. “You say you’re a servant of fate, but the way you treat others shows you’ve forgotten your place. You’re here to keep everyone on their paths? Well, someone needs to remind you of yours. I’m more than willing to take on that role.”

A tense silence hangs in the air as everyone waits for the seer’s response.

Naturally, she doesn’t give one. The battle is coming, and I know that should be everyone’s focus. But this isn’t over between us. I won’t be a pawn in her games. She has her visions, but Ihave my will.

No one, not the seer nor fate nor anyone else, can take that away from me.

Chapter 16

Durin

One moment, I’m smiling at Rue and her mother. The next, I find myself by the dark lake with both Vaegons and all the Alphas from the clearing. Piles of fabric lay at my feet, and glass vials spill out of open sacks all around us.

Everything goes still and silent. The air thickens. Dark shapes dart beneath the water’s surface, and haunting songs begin to drift through the air. Hoofbeats pound against the sand as kelpies rush from the trees and the shore to surround us.

My son reacts defensively, letting his blue energy crackle around him. Some of the Alphas shift and form a protective circle around us. Their bodies press tightly together as they close us in at their backs. The other Alphas crouch low, growling with bared fangs and claws, ready for a fight.

We’re just as startled as the kelpies are, but we’re the ones intruding on their territory. They have a right to defend themselves against us, but a fight with them is the last thing we need.

The hypnotic songs grow louder. Some of the wolves begin to drift away from the circle as they’re drawn closer to the water.

“Majestic!” I shout, pressing my palms against my ears. “We apologize for the intrusion!”

I push through the circle to make myself seen. The kelpiesknow me. I need to diffuse this situation before a battle breaks out among us, risking soldiers we need for the real fight ahead.

The kelpies’ melodies fade, and the wolves caught in their spell look around in confusion. Vaegon pulls his magic back inside, and the other Alphas stand down.

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