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“Lee visits me every week. He’s been such a dear, bringing me food and firewood and anything else I might need. He also
brought some tradesmen to fix up the house, did you see?” “I did,”
“Definitely a keeper.”
“I know you will,” she whispers. “I have so much faith in you, Mer. You’ve been our protector all these years since your father passed. I know you won’t let us
down now.”
If Stark is a black hole, Killian is a luminous sun.
He’s enraged that Stark is touching me like this. “The lady is spoken for,” Stark says sharply, his hand tightening on my waist.
“I’m claimed by Crown Prince Killian.”
“I’m his, and his alone.”
That’s when it finally sinks in. No more hiding. No more sneaking. I’m his, and he’s mine—and now everybody knows it. No taking that back.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmurs,
“You look like a queen in this dress.”
“For saying that, and for the dress. It’s absolutely perfect.”
“It’s perfect for you. And yet, all I can think about is taking i...
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“While everyone’s w...
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“Definitely not. All the delicious wonders under that dress are f...
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“Killian, your choice is
acknowledged with due approbation.” He gives me a smile of kingly satisfaction. “Be honored, Meryn Cooper.”
The king has formally approved of our relationship.
Damn, so much has changed. He’s a prince, I’m Bonded to a direwolf, and the king himself just authorized our relationship before the entire court.
“I could be that ruler,” he growls. “And you could be by my side.”
“While your pack suffered, you blocked us out for human pleasure.”
“Last night, during a Siphon assault in Grunfall, Strategos Alpha Markos was killed.”
“The Sovereign Alpha herself is coming here from the front to discuss the situation with the king while the direwolves select
our next leader. While she’s here, she’s going to expect to see that the Strategos Rawbonds are unified, cohesive. Ready to jump into battle when they graduate training. If she senses that anyone is not fitting into the pack at this juncture…”
If I cannot mend my reputation with the pack, the Sovereign Alpha may take me out herself.
“This friendship thing, this is new to me. I know how to be a sister, a daughter, a lover, a fighter. I didn’t realize that being a friend meant something different.”
“I kept this a secret because I wasn’t sure how I felt,”
“Killian and I have been seeing each other for over a year.”
“We met in the Central Market. He, apparently, ventures into the commoner part of the city on occasion…”
“So it’s serious,” Izabel says, contemplative. “It’s not just a Bonding Trials fling.” “It’s serious,” I confirm.
“Prepare yourself,” Anassa commands.
“In all my time as a Bonded soldier, as the Daemos Alpha, and then as Sovereign Alpha,” she says, “I have never seen anything like… this.”
This, said with contempt. My relationship with Killian, she means. A Rawbond dallying with the crown prince.
“This has all been very unusual, girl, and you are drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.”
“The crown prince and I are together?” I offer hesitantly. “That’s what you—” “I am not here to talk to you about your love life, you child,”
“I’m sorry, but then why did you call me?”
“The Strategos direwolves have convened and chosen their next leader. Anassa. You are the new Strategos Alpha.”
“Do you accuse the direwolves of making a mistake in choosing their leaders?”
“This is not a debate, girl. The wolves have convened, they have chosen, and Anassa will lead
Strategos. Which means you, as her rider, will serve as Strategos Alpha.”
“Why me? Why us?”
“The wolves see things that humans cannot. They know what’s coming. And for whatever reason,” she says, “they believe you—and Anassa together—are what Strategos needs.”
“It is not just me who was chosen. The other direwolves chose us as a pair. A direwolf’s individual ability is meaningful, but even the strongest among us is weak without a paired rider to guide our powers.”
“You were born to lead, girl. Whether or not you believe that is of no consequence anymore. You must, so you will.”
“Hey,” I mentally shout at her as she goes. “I’m sorry. For shutting you out so thoroughly. It won’t ever happen again.” “I know,” she calls.
“I have an announcement. The direwolves have decided on a new leader. They’ve chosen Anassa. I will serve as your Alpha.”
“SILENCE.”
Anassa’s ability to speak into everyone’s mind at once leaves no more room for argument.
“Report to my office at dawn tomorrow. Your Alpha training begins.”
