Page 43 of The Wolf King's Demand

Yet all she was met with were frightened eyes and nervous voices saying no. In the blink of an eye, little Cassia disappeared with the one person Addison entrusted to take care of the little girl. With every castle space swept, with every square foot of outside ground covered, Addison’s panic grew more and more.

Eventually, they all made their way back to the great hall. They were bereft of where to look and hoping Addison’s father would know what to do. Addison felt a pit in her stomach, suddenly regretting the fact that the girl’s mates had all gone on a shifter’s excursion in the woods. She would feel much better if Tyler were here to help her keep her head.

By now, Addison was a mess of tears. Her hands shook. Her sisters helped her to a nearby chair.

“Father, Mother, please, what do we do?”

Suddenly, a voice called from upstairs. Nanny Richelot stood at the top railing and called down. “Queen Addison, a note. I found a note. It lay on Cassia’s bed.”

Addison jerked her head and stifled her sniffles. She ran for the stairs and met the nanny halfway down. Addison’s father ran to meet his daughter, and, on the landing, together they read the missive scrolled in a quick ink quill hand.

Addison,

If you want to see Cassia alive again,

you will abdicate your throne as Queen of the realm.

And you will divorce yourself from being King Tyler’s mate.

Letitia.

“The hell I will!” Addison shouted defiantly, then fell into her father’s arms, wailing.

Her father shook her to her senses. “Child now is not the time to cry. Regain that spunk. We must fight for Cassia in every way we know how.”

Addison nodded, gulped back the tears, and with what inner strength she had left, left her father’s arms and stood tall. The queen morphed into the woman who had beaten that abusive rogue mother. She had fought for Cassia then. She would fight for her now.

“Father, you are right. Please alert your men. Send someone to find Tyler and the others, too, and send someone to Somberglen to get Tyler’s beta and tell him what’s going on.”

“I will, my daughter.” With one last quick hug, he hurried off to begin assigning orders.

Addison’s mother and sisters gathered around the enraged queen.

“Someone is out to get me. I don’t know for sure why, but it does not matter. They want a battle. Well, I’m not afraid, and I’m not going to run. So let’s have the war,” Addison declared.

Her family nodded and murmured agreement.

“If it takes my own life, I will find Cassia and rescue her again. I will bring her back where she belongs. With Tyler’s help, we will put an end to any of those treasonous traitors left from the rogue pack once and for all.”

Addison ran out the foyer doors, calling out Cassia’s name. Her sisters followed suit.

In the castle’s outside keep, she made this promise: “Cassia! Cassia! I love you! Mommy is coming! Daddy will find you, our little one.”

The queen's cries echoed through the valley, ricocheting off the granite cliffs and reverberating on the lake water. Ravens in the magnificent trees shot off in all directions, caw-cawing their mimicked cry.

What had started out as a sunny day had storm clouds gathering and lightning striking. Booming thunderclaps and torrential rains came down on the wailing mother as her family members dragged her limp body back inside.

As her sisters held the water-drenched Addison at the castle door to await Tyler’s arrival, the queen whispered in a raspy and tremor-ridden voice. “Cassia, Cassia, you are my world. We will save you. Hold on, my little one. Daddy and I will have you in our arms again.”

TWENTY-SIX

TYLER

It took no time for Tyler to reach the castle after receiving the message from a servant who found him with the other family shifters in the woods. He rushed into the great hall, where he found Addison pacing back and forth. The look on his queen’s face was tragic. Tyler had never seen Addison so despondent before, and the sight broke his heart.

“Addison, I’m here.” Tyler reached out to her.

“Oh, Tyler. Please help, please! She’s gone. Cassia is gone!” Addison rushed into his arms, wailing.

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