by Emma Dean
“As do I, Mother.” Adelina looked up at Elara and caught the courtesan’s eye. “May I speak to you in private?”
Both females glanced at Adelina in alarm. She stopped before the platform with their thrones and her mother hesitated.
“It’s all right Adele, I won’t be far,” Elara promised.
The queen stepped onto the raised platform and took her seat. Adelina pulled Elara a few steps farther from the platform, just enough Adele couldn’t hear their conversation, but still close enough to clearly see any threat that could harm the queen.
She glanced at Alpha standing guard on the other side of the platform. Adelina didn’t want anyone else to hear these words.
“I know,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I’ve seen the genetic scan.”
Elara’s face grew deathly pale, but she said nothing. She glanced at Adele and then back to Adelina. Did the courtesan think she meant the mating bond? Adelina tilted her head in question.
“Yes, I know about that as well, but also that Ian and I have a lot more in common than I thought.” It was difficult to keep her words subtle, cloaked, and vague enough to confuse anyone who might overhear.
“Are you angry?” Elara asked.
The question threw Adelina off guard and she had to think on it a moment.
“No, I am not angry.”
Elara seemed to breathe easier and she made a point not to look at the queen. “How did you find out?”
“Nadyah suspected.” There was more to it than that, but it would be the simplest explanation. Adelina was not sure how much she wanted to confide to Elara, knowing it would all make its way back to Queen Adele.
It was all very confusing. Her father was still her father, and always had been. But all her life Adelina thought Adele was her mother. She’d felt bitter about their lack of relationship. The two of them weren’t close and they didn’t have much in common though Adele always praised her for doing everything exactly as she should, conforming to the idealistic royal standards perfectly.
It gave her mother – her half-mother? – the time and energy to focus on the heir and the wild one, Giselle. But it left their relationship lacking. Adelina was left to her own devices and only her father had really sought out time with her.
Except Elara. Elara had always done what the queen couldn’t and Adelina had adored every moment of it. She’d thought of Elara like an aunt, but knowing the woman had hid her true identity from Adelina for so many years…
“Did you think I wouldn’t love you as a mother?” Adelina asked. It was sharp and painful to ask, barbed in a way she didn’t usually feel.
Elara flinched. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I knew you loved me in your own way, and that was enough. We couldn’t risk it getting out. It would have put you in danger.”
Adelina glanced at Adele again who was trying, and failing miserably to look interested in anything but their conversation.
Maybe Adelina was angry, angry at all she’d missed out on. Ian loved his mother dearly, he was doted on and they were close. Adelina felt forgotten and ignored…the quintessential middle child she supposed.
“I’m upset,” she said instead. “I wish I had what you and Ian have, what the queen and Raena have.” Adelina shrugged and wished Giselle were home already.
Elara had always made her feel less forgotten, but now that she knew Elara was her mother, she felt as though things could have been different.
“You were no better than Adele,” Adelina said, words so quiet Elara had to adjust her auditory implant. “You ignored me because you were afraid to get too close, and I understand why, but it makes no difference in the end, does it?”
Then she turned the full weight of her gaze on Elara, feeling the shift in her scent as Elara’s submitted…less dominant than the king, but more than the queen. Adelina didn’t know why she felt so hurt and betrayed, after so many cycles she should know better. This was simply how her life was.
“I will never apologize for keeping you safe, but I am sorry things couldn’t have been different,” Elara admitted. She took a step closer to Adelina so they brushed shoulders. Then Elara took her hand and squeezed. “But now you know, and I want whatever it is you want. If you want nothing to do with me, then I will keep my distance. If you want more…I will do that as well. It hasn’t been easy – staying away all these cycles.”
Adelina shoved the tears back down. Life as a royal was restrictive. Elara had no control over the mate bond; she had no control over the rules that were thrust upon her. She could not have Adele all to herself and her dominance had been locked in place, then to try and make her own life for herself? Adelina couldn’t really blame her when she was trying to do that as well.
“You have been like a mother to me all these cycles, and I’ve always loved that,” Adelina told her, squeezing her hand in return. “It will take me time to wrap my thoughts around the shift, but I would like to become closer if that’s at all possible.”
Elara pulled her into a hug, breaking protocol, but Adelina didn’t care. She hugged her mother for the first time, knowing exactly who she was.
“Adele does love you,” Elara whispered in her ear. “She’s been afraid for you…she knows about the issue with your scent. That’s why she’s ensured your submission all these cycles.”
Adelina pulled back with a frown. She studied Elara’s face and saw the same high cheekbones and the tilted eyes that she had. Adelina had Adele’s chin, and her father’s purple Dragan eyes. Somehow Adele had known about her dominance.
“How?”
Elara shrugged one shoulder delicately and then faced the grounds once more. “There was an incident when you were a little tot. No one remembers, but we’ve been careful since then.”
She wanted to be mad, but she understood the reasoning and that made it difficult to commit to the outrage she felt. What would have happened to her if people found out she was some strange hybrid courtesan-royal? There was a difference between her and Ian, and Adelina worried about exactly what that was.
Adelina decided not to press the matter. “I hope to see you before I leave.”
Elara cupped her cheek and those blue eyes looked so incredibly sad. “If you need anything, just let me know.” She kissed Adelina’s forehead and then went to take her place behind Adele’s elbow.
Adelina stared out at the palace grounds. The palace was to her left, the mountains at her back, and the forest to her right. Mala was still visible in the sky, only a half moon now. Adelina tilted her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the sun on her face and neck.
“Are you all right?” Joslynn asked.
She took a deep breath and let it out, letting loose the storm of emotions inside. Adelina opened her eyes and smiled at Joslynn. She’d never had a female friend before other than Nadyah, but with Nadyah it was a bit different. She felt she and Nadyah were more than friends, even lovers despite the camerraleto.
“I’m okay,” Adelina reassured her fiery-haired friend. “It’s been a long day.”
Joslynn trailed after her and up onto the platform. The countess still looked uncomfortable about spending the Games with the royal family, but Adelina didn’t care. It would keep her safe. Nowhere else was quite as guarded and Joslynn was vulnerable and weaker at the moment than she normally was.
The instincts in Adelina to protect had been triggered the second she’d smelled blood and pain.
She sat next to Joslynn and settled in for a long afternoon.
“I didn’t know you spoke the Drakesthai tongue until today,” Joslynn said.
Nobles, courtiers, and citizens gathered and the drums beat a steady rhythm like a heartbeat. The drums sang to the blood. They signaled the Game of the Wolf was about to begin and the wolf Adelina had buried deep inside recognized something in that rhythm.
“Yes, it’s been difficult to learn, but I’ve enjoyed it,” she told Joslynn, ignoring the itchy feeling under her skin. “I’ve always hoped I’d be the first
from the Draga galaxy to actually speak with them.”
Joslynn smiled and tugged on her diamond encrusted necklace. “You’ll have to tell me everything when you get back. Imagine the jewels they might have…Khara has a few I could never find on Pedranus or anywhere in the Draga galaxy, they have this pink stone called morganite. It’s really very lovely.”
Adelina was about to ask her about the other gems, but she was interrupted by Veri’s sharp voice clear as a bell across the fields.
“I nominate Princess Adelina!”
Adelina whipped her head to the grounds before the palace and saw every single person’s eyes shift to her. The recorders closed in tight to catch the reaction on her face. She couldn’t help the surprised look, or the way her lips parted to politely refuse.
“I nominate Princess Adelina!” Raena’s teasing voice echoed.
Then her name was a roar on the lips of the people waiting to see her flounder and fail.
There was no way she could refuse now. Adelina glanced at Queen Adele, who had an encouraging smile, but the flicker of fear in her eyes was real. Elara looked outright terrified for her.
Adelina couldn’t decline, not with Raena’s blessing.
Even Joslynn grew pale; the red of her lips a stark contrast.
Shakily Adelina stood from her seat. Alpha came up to the raised platform and offered his hand. With trembling fingers she reached out, knowing the recorders could see the way her hand shook as she held onto Alpha. His hands held her waist as she jumped down, setting her on the grass softly.
“Be careful,” he warned, lips unmoving with his whispered words.
Adelina smiled wide at him when she wanted to run away and hide, hoping it would calm him as well as herself. Then she took a step away from Alpha, a step away from the safety of his presence and spread her hands out, hands palm up in supplication, keeping that smile plastered on her face as her heart thundered in her chest. “I would be honored to play the Wolf.”
Cheers rattled in her ears. Never had she played in the Game of the Wolf, never had she been a Wolf. Adelina was always so careful to keep those instincts buried and hidden.
Earlier she had wanted to see if she could play, and she supposed she’d gotten her wish. Adelina cursed her own stupidity. She took another step forward and she thought she would vomit as the staff came towards her.
What would happen when she played the Wolf? Or when she turned on her prey, what would the recorders capture that she couldn’t explain away?
All the players waited for her in the center of the grass, ready to come closer when she chose a number. Veri’s wide grin made Adelina shiver. Raena watched her with those hawk-like eyes, sharp and predatory. Something inside her sister had to suspect, had to recognize another predator out of some deep-seated instinct Raena did not understand.
Adelina had been so careful to keep it deep and buried.
The housekeeper approached first and he bowed, waiting for her to nod. When she did he reached up and tied the mask around her face. The face of the Wolf covered her forehead, eyes, and nose. The fur tickled her skin and she could see through the eyeholes just enough to know catching her prey would be no easy task.
They couldn’t shift from skin to pelt, from two legs to four. Not like some of the legends said. But they could shift from human to animal in an entirely different manner, in instinct and mentality; utter savagery with no thoughts to delicate human sensibilities.
With sweaty palms she reached to her waist and removed the skirts from her top, handing them over to whoever was closest as she studied each of the players. Some of the nobles and courtiers smirked and laughed, knowing it would be easy to best her. Others looked contemplative, probably realizing they’d never seen her do any physical activity other than dancing.
Then there were the ones like Veri, Asher, Raena, and Stefano who looked ready to flee just in case—just in case the wolf inside her came out to play.
No weapons were allowed. Only claws and teeth and cunning. She had to catch her prey – the royals, nobles, and guests behind her – with her bare hands and make them submit. Adelina had to mark her prey with a bite. Once she did, her round would be over and another could begin.
A second staff member Adelina didn’t recognize came up with a small bowl filled with red, thick liquid. Viscous and pungent; instantly she knew what it was and her mouth watered. “Diventa il lupa,” he said.
Become the wolf.
Somehow the recorders caught the whispered words and they echoed back on the display of the livestream, reverberating through the galaxy; through Adelina’s very bones.
A vicious game based on the beloved nursery rhyme. Adelina stared into the eyes of the male in front of her. The words had changed over the millennia but it still brought a chill to her skin.
Who’s afraid of the wolf?
Little wolf, little wolf
Something deep inside Adelina stirred at the scent coming from the bowl, at the sound of the drums as they beat faster in time to the words in her head. Her hands were surprisingly steady as she took the bowl and brought it to her lips.
Are you afraid of the little wolf?
When the clock strikes three
The wolf takes your teeth
The taste of rabbit blood filled her mouth, hot and spiced. She swallowed, fighting her gag reflex against the texture. Another swallow and she handed the bowl back to the servant. It was whisked away.
The warm red liquid dripped from her lips and the drums beat faster and faster. Adelina didn’t bother to wipe away the blood as she turned her back on all the players, on her prey she had to catch – eyes on the Obsidian Mountains as she succumbed to her baser senses.
Little wolf, little wolf
The wolf makes you weep
What time is it little wolf?
The Game of the Wolf was a dangerous one, a game that taunted them to shed that flawless human skin and give in to instinct. It was a child’s game, one that had evolved into something else.
Better run, it’s half past five
The little wolf wants your hide
“Tell me little Wolf, what time is it?” Raena’s voice slithered and taunted her, the figurative hackles rising on Adelina’s neck as the creature within recognized this one was not prey at all.
Her prey was so far behind her. “It’s the seventh hour,” Adelina whispered, picking a number that would bring them a little closer, but not too close.
The recorders caught her every word. The sound of her own voice was nearly unrecognizable as Adelina heard it on the display. Footsteps behind her made her focus razor sharp as they all came seven steps closer, closing the distance between them. She closed her eyes.
Become the wolf
And you might survive
“Little Wolf, little Wolf,” Asher teased, echoing the nursery rhyme. “What time is it?”
The blood on her tongue tasted delicious and she wanted more of it.
“It’s the thirteenth hour,” Adelina responded.
Those steps came ever closer, but still so far away. How much closer would she bring them before deciding to turn on them?
“What time is it, Wolf?” Veri demanded.
The voice was so much closer than before. Adelina lifted her nose, scenting all the prey behind her, waiting and taunting.
“It’s only the second hour,” Adelina answered, a real smile on her face this time, showing her teeth. Gasps as the spectators all saw the blood coating her teeth, displayed on the massive viewer for everyone to see. She licked the rest of the blood from her lips.
Grass rustled. Two steps closer.
Their hearts started to beat faster as the distance closed. How close would they dare to go? How close would she make them get?
Hayden’s voice reached her through the sound of the rushing blood in her veins, and Adelina saw red. “Beautiful Wolf, what time is it?” This one had a debt to pay.
Become the wolf.
Her smile turned into a grin and t
he sharp canines of her teeth glinted, sharp and deadly on the viewer. “I’m hungry,” she snarled, whipping around.
They all scattered, running from the Wolf.
Her prey ran from her – for the maze, the woods, the palace. Those instincts deep inside her roared to life, taking over. Adelina let her careful control, that leash she always held on to so tightly; she let it go. Instinct pushed her to chase. Who would taste the best?
Asher held Veri’s hand and they both laughed, breathless and wild as they ran. Those two were smart. They headed for the forest where logic told Adelina they would climb the trees. She prowled forward, not yet running as she scented them all. Her fingers curled and her nails lengthened, the canines in her mouth felt sharper, and her vision clearer.
Stefano’s scent was sharp like grass, mixed in with his lilac scent. Adelina watched as some of her prey ran into the maze, and the scents were submissive enough her mouth watered.
A massive, toothy grin warned them all the Wolf inside her was ready to play. Adelina had designed that maze, knew every path and dead end.
She took off, fast as the wind and her prey screamed in fear and delight as they ran. She ignored the ones smart enough to run into the palace and the forest. Too many ran for the maze. A recorder whizzed by her, managing to keep up. Through the haze of bloodlust she snarled again, swiping at the annoying, hovering tech. Metal and glass shattered and fell to the ground. The others stayed out of reach after that.
The scents on the wind tantalized, promising such sweet tastes when she found her delicious prey. All the training she’d done with Alpha and Nadyah kicked in and her footsteps became silent, she became nothing more than a shadow as she stalked through the maze.
Where was the one she sought, the one who smelled like orange-blossom and citrus?
Adelina ran the tips of her nails over the shrubbery, knowing a few were close enough to hear the leaves rattle and shake. Multiple heartbeats ratcheted up, pounding so hard and loud they might actually give out.
There, there was the one she sought. Adelina looked up to gauge the height of the walls, her hearing telling her exactly where her prey was. They ran and ran, not knowing the path they took was a dead end where there would be no escape, another leading them into a trap. She decided to give chase.