Revelers engaged in a manner of sensuous acts. She saw a couple on a blue velvet chair. A female sitting atop a male’s lap with her skirts bunched around her waist, revealing scandalizing hints of her tanned, strong thighs every so often. Bodies danced and swirled on the frost-coated marble floors, gowns billowing out.
Silk dressed the bodies of the courtiers—blues and incandescent whites; though, most were dressed scantily. It seemed Luella’s thin, silken gown, which bared her shoulders and arms, was a more modest cut compared to the rest in the room.
Tharen was a hot presence at her back. He didn’t touch her, but he might as well have been for how aware she was of him as she hesitantly ventured deeper into the room. At her back, he warned off any that dared to come closer.
A sharp whistle behind her, and she peeked back at him, seeing his fingers poised at his lips.
Who had he called?Whathad he called?
She didn’t have to wonder long.
From the shadows as if made out of nothing, three large beasts with fur of the purest white—like snow.
Her body shook.
Bloody maws, rending flesh, snarls, and howls.
A body, toppling from a tower of rubble…
And standing at the precipice: Luella, staring down at the male she had killed?—
The trio of wolves prowled closer.
The smallest was in the middle, the other two flanking either side as if in protection.
"Keep going," Tharen ordered. When she made no move to continue, his hot palm touched her lower back, shoving her forward. She stumbled but caught herself in time.
Something odd happened, then.
The largest of the wolves bent, head lowering to the ground with a snarl, pulling back its maw from its long, pointed teeth. A string of saliva dripped from its mouth, pooling against the marble floors. The other two stood by its side, waiting with raised hackles.
Tharen sighed, exasperated. "Well, godsdamn."
Luella looked to him, and his head whipped from the wolves to her. Tharen shoved her forward again; the beast snarled and slowly moved closer. Tharen moved his hand away from her, and the wolf’s snarl tapered off.
"Fuck me," the mage mumbled under hisbreath. "Fine, fine."
He raised his palms before him and jerked his head to signal her to continue.
She did so with caution, watching the trio of wolves out of the corner of her eye as she walked deeper into the crowd of sinful revelers. The wolves spanned out at her sides, prowling throughout the crowd, making unsuspecting courtiers jump and scurry out of their way.
With the Prima at her back and the wolves making a space for her in the crowd, she made her way with ease. The sea of swirling dancers parted, revealing the King as he sat upon his throne.
He was already looking at her.
The enchanted dust that fell from above was almost like snow, and it coated the ends of his golden hair, swirling between them. She came to a stop before the dais, and Tharen gripped her nape, forcing her head to bow.
"Kneel before your King, Chosen," Vale ordered, looking down his nose at her.
Tharen forced her to kneel, and her muscles strained as she tried to stave off his forceful touch; though, it was no use, her body bowed under his weight, knees thudding against the marble as she was forced to kneel.
Luella did not falter as her blue eyes met the dragon shifter’s green.
"Not broken." Vale held out a hand, ordering her to stand.
"Not yet," Tharen added from behind her.
The wolves let out low growls, joined by one she knew intimately well.