by Bianca Mckay
Father had sent him to enchant the beast, not Thame, and yet within days, Thame had become enchanted himself by the very creature they were meant to ensnare. Dru snorted with disgust, kicking the beast in her ribs as she laid sprawled out on the ground.
"Dru, we might have a problem," Wren said fearfully.
"What is the matter now?" Dru whined.
He was tired of his plans getting messed up by other people. As soon as Wren was no longer useful to him, he fully intended to have her die tragically in a carriage accident, or perhaps a fall from a cliff. If there was one thing he learned on this journey, it was to stop being the nice guy. Oh, how he had tapered down those violent urges for years, never giving in to the darkness that called to him like a seductive mistress. He was done with that now, at last shedding the bookworm persona and taking all of the power and glory that was his birthright.
"I think he is healing," Wren whispered, her face milky white.
Dru stomped towards Thame's prone form, his brows lowered.
"That cannot be right, he was just on the brink of death," Dru argued.
Much to Dru's dismay, Wren had been correct in her assessment. Dru's wound was no longer a wide hole that went all the way through him; it was now a very tiny hole, much like a prick with a needle or a splinter. He would have to depart right away before Thame awoke, lest his brother come up with another way to ruin their mission. All Dru needed to do was get to Rynoch, the capitol of Jurot, where he would be surrounded by Aribelle's beasts. Once there, Thame had no chance of alerting a single soul to their trickery and plot, or he would condemn them both to death and Vildaheim to a war in which their people would suffer.
"What should we do?" Wren asked, biting her lip.
Dru wanted to flick her mouth every time she did that. It made his eye twitch in aggravation.
"We leave tonight," Dru said decisively. "You will escort us to Rynoch, then deliver a message to my father. After you bring me back his response, the gold is all yours, and you will be free of this wretched place."
Dru moved around Aribelle's tent, tossing whatever appeared important into packs that were settled in the corner. Time was not on his side; he thought wildly. If Thame was healing this quickly, they didn't have much more time to spare.
"The bitch had magic up her sleeve, I guarantee it," Dru griped.
"But what will we do with your brother?" Wren asked.
Dru glared at Thame, his lip curling in disdain at the weakling who he once called his brother. Thame allowed a beast to bewitch his mind, convincing him that their mission was no longer for the greater good of their own people. Thame fell in love with the beast who tortured him for days and stabbed Dru in the arm.
"That is not my brother, not anymore," Dru spat. "Let the beasts have their way with him; we leave him to die."
"But if he wakes up, won't he come looking for you, thinking that something awful has happened?" Wren asked dubiously.
Dru pondered that for a minute, rubbing the back of his neck as he hurried his thoughts along. His neck and chest began to itch as panic rose swiftly on the heels of his courageous takedown of the beast. He needed to get far away from the quickly healing Thame, or this would be all for not. As an idea formed, Dru rummaged through the packs, pulling out a bottle of ink, a quill, and a rather crumpled piece of parchment.
"I will write him a letter so that he knows to return home, shamed and likely disowned. He will know better than to follow, or he'd be risking his own execution as well," Dru said smugly.
Dru jotted down words he never thought he would have the chance to say to Thame, feeling victorious over his brother for the first time in his life. Dru would bring the bitch the heel and be forever worshipped as a hero in Vildaheim. Father would disown and likely exile Thame the instant he knew the truth of Thame's actions here, leaving Dru, the heir to the throne. As an extra slap in the face to Thame, Dru was planning on making very public displays of affection with Aribelle in the hopes that Thame would read or hear all about it. He would never sully himself by rutting the beast, but it sure would be wickedly delightful to see the heartbreak on Thame's face when he saw Aribelle wrapped in an embrace with him, Dru thought maliciously.
"What do we do with her?" Wren said as she pointed to the beast on the floor.
Dru sighed in aggravation, giving Wren a droll look.
"It would be quite nice if you could come to some of these conclusions on your own, you know. I can see why she called you a whelp; you're like a toddler waddling around asking the most basic of questions like you have no brains of your own," Dru snapped.
Wren just stood there, giving Dru a blank look as though she did not comprehend a single word he said, proving his point.
"Drag her, Wren. You shall drag her," Dru said slowly.
Wren nodded enthusiastically, giving the unconscious beast a spiteful smile. As she dragged Aribelle from the tent, Dru walked over to Thame torn between which he wanted to do more: stick a dagger in his heart or make him live the rest of his life as a joke, exiled in shame. Seeing as he did not know if Thame would again heal, Dru settled on knowing that in just a few days, Thame would be living the life Dru had always been forced to lead.
"Goodbye, Thame," Dru said as he set the note on Thame's lap. "I'll be sure that no matter where you are exiled to, you get an invitation to the beast's execution. Perhaps I’ll convince our father to give you both one at the same time. Wouldn't that be lovely?"
Dru walked out of the tent without a backward glance, whistling as he strode through the woods to where Wren stood, waiting for him with Aribelle.
"Come now, Wren, show me to my new throne," Dru said with a grand sweeping motion of his arm and a dark chuckle.
Epilogue
“Momma, if loving people is bad, does that mean you don’t love me?”
“My beauty, love is a foolish notion. I’ve yet to give my heart to any person truly, and if you’re smart, you’ll keep yours locked away as well.”
Three Days Later…
Thame woke slowly, the increasing brightness in the tent mixed with the obnoxious chirping of the birds outside grating on his nerves. There were no sounds of movement around the camp, save from those of the wildlife that roamed freely in the woods. Thame opened and closed his mouth several times, his tongue heavy and his mouth so dry that he began to wonder if he was chewing on sand in his sleep.
"Belle?" He croaked out, his voice cracking and sending him into a fit of coughing.
There was no answer to his call, so he assumed everyone had gone hunting and left him here as he was of no use, wounded as he was. As that thought crossed Thame's mind, his hands went to his chest in amazement. He remembered how badly he was injured, an arrow through the chest if he wasn't mistaken. How was he alive? He marveled. The wound was closed completely, leaving hardly a sliver of a scar in its wake. His stomach gave a loud rumble, and it suddenly felt as though his stomach was trying to eat itself out of severe hunger.
Sitting up cautiously, because he did not want to make a fool of himself by calling for Aribelle to help him back into bed, Thame glanced around the room for some food. Everything seemed much brighter than he remembered, smells were more intense, and...
"Gods above, will you please shut up!" Thame yelled hoarsely as the birds continued their chattering.
It was like they were next to his ear chirping away, just to annoy him. Clenching his fist on the blanket, Thame felt a piercing pain at the tips of his fingers and snatched them off the cover. Looking closely, he saw black claws retracting as shock replaced his anger.
"She saved me," Thame said, his voice filled with awe.
He hadn't known that she would even still care for him after the way they argued in the woods, let alone that she would use this amount of magic to save him. Aribelle had told him that she had never turned another into a wolf, and he got the impression that it was something that she wished she never had to do, which left him deeply touched that she had found him worthy of this magi
c. Despite her lack of trust in him, which was warranted, she cared for him and made that abundantly clear through her actions.
As Thame stood up, his legs shook, barely capable of holding his weight. His body was sore all over, like every muscle in his body had been in spasm for days on end. He shuffled towards the tent flaps inch-by-inch, exhaustion already taking hold of him. The absence of smoke from a fire along with the silence that greeted him as he called out for his brother and Aribelle told him that they were nowhere nearby, but Thame could not spend another minute in this tent. It felt like he had slept away the past month, and no matter how painful the simple exertion of walking was, Thame owed Aribelle an apology and an explanation. He couldn't continue to profess his feelings for her without giving her the truth of why he came.
Aribelle had been right all along. She deserved the truth, not just as the ruler of Jurot, but as the woman who had enchanted him with her wit and humor, her wrathful, vindictive ways and the softness that laid far beneath all those layers. He wanted to continue to learn about her, hear stories of her childhood, and watch as her face lit up with delight during the winter months. It was unfair to ask of her to give him all those things without first earning her trust, for that was the only honorable way he would win her heart as well.
Thame stepped outside into the glaringly bright sunlight, the air charged with an impending thunderstorm. Far off in the distance, he could see the grayness of the sky, the clouds heavy and dark, coming inland off the coast. He could not fathom Aribelle, Wren, and Dru all together peacefully, hunting for meat and not trying to stab each other in the back. He hoped that, at the very least, the three would make it back safely before the storm hit.
Sitting down on a log next to the firepit, Thame waited patiently, enjoying the fresh air. As time passed by, Thame grew concerned for the group, who had still not made it back to camp. The storm came, pouring down freezing rain, and still, Thame sat, staring at the trees, hoping to see his brother or Aribelle coming towards him, unharmed.
The sun had set, the shadows lengthened, and still, Thame sat waiting, knowing he could not just venture out into the unknown in his feeble state. As Thame fought to keep his eyes open, he said a silent prayer that everyone was alright.
The next day dawned bright and sunny, without a cloud in sight. Thame woke from his uncomfortable perch on the log, still alone and now extremely worried for his brother and Aribelle, and even Wren. They should have been back yesterday, but their camp looked abandoned, save for him. Thame got up and walked around the camp, looking for any sign that might point him in the direction that the group took the day before, but he saw nothing.
What he did notice was that his limbs moved easier, and there was a total absence of pain on this morning. He would have to go out in search of them, rescue them if need be, without overexerting himself and risking his own demise. Walking back to Aribelle's tent, Thame threw open the flaps and headed to the bed. His boots sat on the floor, a note laying atop of them. Thame sat down and unfolded the parchment, his eyes turning a violent shade of red as he read what was written.
Thame,
You are probably wondering where everyone is right now. I sincerely wish I could have been here to see the look on your face when you realize we all left you here to die, but alas, I had more important matters in which to attend. Should you be capable of doing so upon your awakening, please see yourself home, where our father will already have been informed of your infidelity to your mission and your king.
I, however, have corrected your blunderings and took control of the situation. As the beast sat in the corner, watching you slowly die, I offered her a drink. It did not take long after that for her to see where her heart truly lies, with me, of course. I surely do not need to explain to you the ramifications that would follow should you attempt to thwart our upcoming nuptials, but in case you are considering ambushing our very special day, allow me to assure you it would end in the bloodshed of many.
I do hope that there are no hard feelings between us. After all, I stood by and allowed you the glory and the spotlight and all of our father's affections for my entire life. All you have to do at this point is to make a choice. Step aside and be a good brother for just one instance in our lives or come for the beast and ignite a war between our kingdoms. I have made my choice, as has Aribelle. This choice is yours, Thamyris.
Wishing you would have died when you had the chance,
Druas
Thame crumbled the paper in his hand; his jaw clenched with barely restrained fury. His brother betrayed him, after everything they had been through. After Thame expressed his growing feelings for Aribelle, his brother still sought to destroy her. Thame felt a murderous rage take hold of his soul. He would not rest until his brother paid the price for his betrayal. He would find a way to Rynoch and tear apart Dru's entire charade and come clean with Aribelle about everything, including his suspicions that her mother was working with King Thaddeus. Pulling on his boots, Thame conjured up a plan, starting with intercepting whatever message Druas was planning to send their father. As luck would have it, Thame knew exactly who Dru would send to do his dirty work.
He would get the information he needed from Wren, and then everyone who stood in his way of Aribelle was going to die.
~*~*~*~*~
Aribelle’s story continues in Ruthless Heir, which is available for pre-order here: https://amzn.to/2swilNe
Acknowledgments
My husband: I can never thank you enough for your constant encouragement and support. You will forever be the ham to my burger.
Walter: You’re awesome. Your insight has been invaluable, and your enthusiasm for Belle’s character bolstered my confidence in writing a female alpha.
My Beta and ARC teams: You ladies are the best, and I am lucky to have you.
Meet the Author
Bianca lives on the east coast with her husband and children. She enjoys reading and binge-watching crime dramas in her spare time. She also loves to bake and collect candles. If you wish to connect with Bianca, you can do so the following ways:
Newsletter: http://biancamckay.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/908025286202323/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BiancaAuthor