Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“Do you think they’ll teach me all it can do? Won’t they be concerned I’ll use it against them?”
“We’ll bake a sort of ally situation into the contract and have you spend time there and get to know the people. They’ll think you wouldn’t want to hurt them if you come to think of them as part of your heritage.”
“I won’t.”
“Yeah. And hopefully that won’t be a real pity.” She laughed as a flash of pain stabbed through me.
I reached out for her and staggered, clutching at my belly, terrified that something might’ve happened to the baby.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, holding me to keep me upright.
A crawling feeling snaked down my spine before melting away, and my breath caught. A feeling I recognized took its place: danger. Specifically, the danger of Alexander turning his sights to me. He meant me harm, and now I was within arm’s reach. The punishment would come soon.
“Fuck. Oh no,” I said as another stab of pain hit me through the bond. With it came frustrated anger—anger and worry.
“It’s Weston,” I said, turning in his direction. He was far away, but those stabs throbbed, curdling his anger and increasing his fear.
My own fear rose.
“Fuck. It’s Granny. She’s come, I know it. I knew it.” I ripped off my clothes. “He’s in trouble.”
“Where is he?” Finley shed hers.
“He said he was going to the docks. Hurry!”
“I’ll meet you there.”
I shifted, and my wolf took off at a sprint. The pack bond was waiting for us, helping my wolf feel everyone’s location. Weston wasn’t connected, though, and neither was anyone that should’ve been near his location. They must’ve been in human form.
My wolf fed a warning through the bond as she ran, communicating Weston’s distress and location. She urged the pack to us, her power rising as she cut through the forest.
“Not everyone,” I told her as wolves ran to us. “We need to leave people behind to protect the castle.”
“I know that.” She was terse but changed her commands, keeping a force to guard the forest and castle and calling on those not strictly needed.
Weston was uncomfortable, whatever was happening to him. Two points in his body ached. His fear and worry were paramount, but it wasn’t for himself. It had turned, and now he worried about me. They planned to use him as bait.
Their plan would work.
We cut through the woods on the fastest route possible. Dante, Tanix, and Nova fell in. Sixten would stay behind to help orchestrate the remaining guard.
My wolf felt Dante’s question though the bond. What is it?
She relayed that she didn’t know, slowing a little so that they could continue to keep pace.
“Tell them you think it’s Granny. Alexander. They know about our feelings about them,” I said.
She did as I said, and I felt the answering rush of anger from the others.
Our fear beat a solid drum in our chest as we drew closer to him. This kingdom was much smaller than that of Red Lupine, so much more condensed. With time, we could build, but I was damn glad of it in this moment.
We cut through one of the smaller towns. People saw us pass, looking up as we did. Dragons flew above us, the great golden dragon beside his mate.
The townspeople shifted quickly and connected to the bond. My wolf directed them based on their power level and experience, and those we needed fell in. Dragons, who couldn’t connect with the bond, rose into the sky to join the others.
Eventually the trees started to thin and the ground sloped downward toward the sea. Ships and boats dotted the waters, some tied up, some slowly making their way in or out. Traders had paused in unloading their supplies. Donkeys and horses hitched to carts waited to the side; no one was moving. They were all looking worriedly down the road.
As we cut through the market, someone pointed.
“Hurry,” the man shouted.
I put on a burst of speed. The dragons soared overhead. Nothing looked out of place except for the people stalling in their activities.
My wolf’s feet thumped against the docks as we used the bond to guide us to Weston. He was at the end. As we approached, my stomach got queasy.
On the ship out in the water, Weston stood in a sort of prison, the bars all around him affixed with spikes. If he moved, if his knees buckled, if he shifted, he’d be pierced in too many ways. He’d die.
He’d been posted right beside the railing of the ship so that we could easily see him.
Beside him, wearing her scarlet hooded cloak, waited Granny. She was endangering my mate. Of all the unforgivable actions she’d ever done, that was the absolute worst.
My wolf slowed, baring her teeth.
At the end of the dock, a little boat bobbed, its oars out. Alexander waited at the bow, sitting peacefully, looking at the wolves now crowding the docks.