Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
And here he is, nervous, over some dumb rich girl we were forced to take in. I don’t need the hassle, let alone another mouth to feed, but the ancient constitution demands royal blood in exchange for a treaty, so we had to take in the girl.
“You’re the bloody King of Varkhar,” I shout. “You’re a Blood Alpha. You don’t get nervous. She’s the one who gets nervous.”
He doesn’t seem convinced.
“You have Hollowborn blood on your chest,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re bigger than an ox. I think you’ll be okay.”
“What if she’s the one?” he asks, getting that dreamy look in his eyes.
I sigh as I walk away from the map and head to the bar in the corner. I need a drink if we’re going to talk about this again.
“She’s human,” I say as I pour myself a very large cup of bitter mead. “It’s incredibly rare for a wolf shifter to mate with a human. And a pair of Blood Alphas have never mated with a human for their queen in all six hundred years of Varkharian history.”
“There’s a first for everything,” he says, shrugging those large, broad shoulders.
“Yes,” I say, shaking my head. “And I’m looking forward to the first day I can get through without you mentioning our mate.”
His eyes drop to the floor. I know this is harder for him than it is for me. My mind stays busy with the million problems a kingdom needs solving, meanwhile his wolf just longs for our mate.
I walk over and put my hand on his shoulder.
“She’ll come,” I say softly. “We can’t force it though, Tovik. And don’t get your hopes up about this… princess. She’s probably just some spoiled rich girl from the Jewel Kingdom who has no idea about us wolves and will spend her days locked in her room cursing the day we were born.”
“Yeah,” he says. “I guess you’re right.”
The distant sound of horns fills the room and we both perk up.
It’s the trumpeters announcing the arrival of the humans.
The princess is here.
“Well,” I say as my chest fills with dread. “Let’s go welcome this spoiled brat.”
Chapter Four
Vaela
“We’re not in the Jewel Kingdom any longer,” I whisper under my breath when the Blood Alphas’ castle comes into view.
“No, we are not,” Garrick says, looking up at it. “I’ve seen grain silos with more decoration than this.”
It’s true. It’s not as elegant and luxurious as I’m used to, but it has its own sort of charm in a savage, brutish way. There are no slender towers reaching elegantly into the clouds, no bright banners rippling from polished golden poles, and not a single marble statue of a naked goddess posing beside a fountain.
It’s a dark, hulking fortress crudely carved from rough stones, which are covered in old moss and creeping vines. The thick stone towers are connected by high walls lined with armed guards. I shiver when I see the brown furry back and bushy tail of a wolf prowling behind the crenellations.
Everyone we pass stops and stares at us in shock as we roll into the courtyard, passing under the dark red banners hanging from the battlements, each marked with the black head of a snarling wolf.
“Garrick,” I whisper as the Varkharian guards take control of the horses, guiding them toward the large doors on the far side of the courtyard. “I’m going to be okay, right?”
He smiles sadly at me. “Princess, I’ve never seen you in any situation you couldn’t handle. Keep your wits about you, don’t lose that indomitable spirit Aurevale loves so much, and you will be just fine.”
I hope he’s right.
But this place is no Aurevale.
I hold my breath and stare in shock as a woman suddenly drops onto all fours and explodes into a large brown wolf. She shakes out her fur, sniffs the air, and races out of the castle.
“Did you see that?” I ask, turning to catch another glimpse of her. She is gone and most shockingly of all, not one other person in the bustling courtyard seemed to notice or care that this woman just turned into a wolf.
Loud trumpets sound out as the kings’ men step out of the huge wooden doors.
More people gather in the cramped courtyard as they approach. I even spot several wolves prowling around with their heads lowered, staying to the back of the crowd.
Is that how it is here? Do wolves just mingle along with everyone else?
This place is not like the courtyard at home with all of the fancy dresses and gentlemen in jeweled gloves and embroidered coats. I don’t see one scrap of silk in this entire lot.
“I’ll present you,” Garrick says, opening our covered carriage.
“No! Wait!” I reach out to grab him, but he slips out and stands on the raised step.
“Coming to you from Aurevale!” he shouts loud enough for the entire kingdom to hear. “The exquisite and graceful, Princess Vaela Valecourt.”