by T. F. Walsh
“Apologies for the interruption, Sultan Boran. Emperor Levin has asked me to fetch you for breakfast, after which you, Levin, and Marcin will spend the day in his meeting room.”
“Give me a moment. I’ll be right down.”
Aisha and I emerged from the bedroom as Father shut the door, his expression turned into a grimace. Yep, we were wading in dangerous waters, the kind filled with piranhas.
“What do we do now?” I gnawed on my bottom lip.
He tugged down on his shirt and glanced my way. “You’ve got less than a day to brush up on your hunting skills. I’ll go to Levin and see what I can uncover.” Sighing, he opened the door again and planted a forced smile on his lips as he stepped out.
“We’re so dead.” Aisha brushed past and faced me, her arms wrapped around her stomach. “How else will this play out? The only thing on our side is that the assassin is obviously a terrible shot since they missed the first time. But what if you’re not around the next time, then ...” She gasped. “Did you see how Levin treated his own son at the hearing? It’ll be us, but worse.”
“Calm down. That won’t happen. Marcin is with Levin today, which means guards will be everywhere.” I couldn’t have Aisha panic, and I had to stay in control.
“Maybe you should tell Marcin.”
“I really want to, but didn’t you hear Father?” The more I thought about it, the more I believed Father was right.
Aisha’s brow creased in the I-don’t-buy-your-argument way. “But you and he ran away once. You told me you thought he loved you. Surely—”
“That was nine years ago. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want to be my mate.” I rubbed a hand along my hip, the one I’d broken when I fell down the gorge during our attempted runaway escapade. No matter how much my insides tightened in Marcin’s presence, I couldn’t go there again.
Aisha paused for a moment, her shoulders stiff and her lips pinched. “Not all men are like Father or Levin. They don’t all automatically assume everyone is out to stab them in the back. Marcin deserves the truth. He’s the target.”
I glanced out the window where the sun was in its full glory, bright against the cloudless sky. The mountain peaks glistened with snow, and despite the beauty, Aisha’s terror leeched into me. Marcin had a right to know he was in danger, except every time I contemplated the idea, my gut turned, demanding we stick by Father’s rule and not trust Marcin. My wolf instinctually protested, nudging my insides that it was the wrong decision and we should trust Marcin.
“We listen to Father,” I said, focusing on the current threat, the dagger, and the upcoming venery. Then it hit me. “I’m such a bird-brained idiot.”
“Not sure I’d go that far.”
“Hey.” I fake punched Aisha in the arm. “I picked up on the poison used on the dagger, so tomorrow morning before the hunt, I just have to be on guard for that same smell on the entrants. Might work.”
“If they have it on them. What if they’ve hidden the weapon in the woods?”
I stared at Aisha. “The woods are too vast to search now, and considering we don’t even know what we’re hunting tomorrow, how would the assassin know which direction we’d be running?”
Aisha shrugged and glanced out the window. “We don’t know.”
How could she remain so calm? “I’ll still sniff the area for the scent. Got to cover all bases.”
“Nothing to lose.”
Sick of rehashing this, the urge to kick something real hard struck. “How ’bout we head outside so I can practice.”
“Yes!” She spun and bolted toward our bedrooms. “I’m bringing Klaus and Grit with us.”
My mouth opened to stop her, but maybe having them along would stop anyone from trying to assassinate me ... in case we had this all wrong, and I was the target.
• • •
Without knowing the venery rules, I assumed the worst: no weapons. Fine by me, as I’d hunted animals without them, though it could involve tracking down a hidden object. Surely not.
We moved away from the dim castle corridors that always made me tense. At the age of nine, I had been accidentally locked inside a dungeon cell while playing down there. For two days, I was trapped in pitch blackness, screaming for help, crying, terrified. Finally, a guard retrieving a set of keys discovered me. But I’d never forget the foreboding feeling of darkness pressing down on me, the sensation that I’d die in those cells and never see my family or friends or the sun again. Just death and me in one room. I never planned to go there again.
Huffing, I traipsed amid a cluster of trees on the west side of the castle to avoid the open land where anyone could spot us. My feet sunk in snow to my knees, and damn, this hunt was going to be more difficult than I anticipated. It never snowed like this in Turkey. What we were experiencing here was the aftermath of an avalanche.
Grit pounced past me, tongue sticking out. Klaus raced after him.
“Hey,” Aisha called out, rushing after them. “I tagged you, Grit. You’re supposed to chase us, not the other way around.” She stumbled to her knees but got up and kept going.
If I was ever going to keep up with Marcin tomorrow, I had to get used to the environment. I leapt after the trio. My attempt at running turned into a half fast walk, half knee lift. Damn. Maybe the answer was to transform. At least that way, I’d be as fast as the dracwulves. Except, I ought to raise my stamina in human form just in case.
I passed Aisha and turned right after Klaus, who kept glancing back to make sure he didn’t lose sight of us. “Hurry up, lazy bum,” I said over my shoulder.
Aisha had slowed the pace, her cheeks glowing bright red.
When I refocused on the path ahead, I spotted Grit darting left, faster than a bullet, chasing a bouncing animal—a rabbit.
Challenge accepted.
“Aisha, chase the bunny.” I swerved and sprinted after Grit, unable to stop the giggles building up in my chest. Back home, Aisha and I spent hours trying to catch the loose chickens that escaped from a nearby farm. Besides, my scent always calmed animals and put them into a kind of sleepy trance, so if I could get close enough, I’d try to save the rabbit. It had been that way ever since I was born. But more than a month ago during the red moon, also called the Lunar Eutine, my ability strengthened when I transformed from a moonwulf, when the full moon would control my shifts, to wulfkin status, where I mastered my wolf.
The distance between Grit and me widened, and the rabbit he chased headed for the cluster of trees. I’d never catch him while clumsily plodding through the snow; my hip ached to high hell from the long strides. Aisha wasn’t anywhere near us, having collapsed into the snow behind me.
Time to play dirty.
I stopped and yanked my jacket off, then my top and bra. In two seconds, I shed my other clothes and boots. And right there, in the center of my chest was a presence—my wolf—pushing against my human side. My flesh rippled, and the wolf exploded free as brown and white striated fur spread across my body. My limbs elongated and reshaped, bones cracked, and skin split into a four-legged form. Catch rabbit. A howl that could carry for miles slipped past my lips as I shook off the last remnants of my human form and threw myself into a huge drift of snow.
Fast strides were a breeze, and my hip didn’t hurt while in wolf form. I closed in on my target, inhaling Grit’s muddy scent along with the furry smell of the sweet morsel. Delicious.
A white tail bounced into the woods. Not far, Grit skidded to a halt and bolted after his meal.
I pushed ahead. Catch the bunny. I careened around a large tree and merged into the shadowy woodland. My paws dug into snow and soil, the wind swooshing through my fur. Where are you?
Then a guttural growl bellowed. Not the kind I’d expect from hunting down a tiny mammal.
Grit!
A scream followed.
My chest tightened. Goddess, no. My insides deadened and only one vision dominated—Grit attacking a wulfkin.
I pounced toward the sounds, but m
y back foot skidded and sent me flat on my side like a drunken fool. Back on my feet, I moved fast, weaving around trees and leaping over dead branches, the heavy stench of earth and wolf filling my nostrils.
Then I came to a jarring halt near an old pine, stripped bare of needles.
A male wulfkin with a large hooked nose was gripping a knife with both hands. The first ripples of his transformation caused his body to shiver. Across from him stood Grit, all one hundred pounds, seemingly confused as his head danced between the wulfkin and me. He kept sniffing the ground in a circle, searching for his bunny.
Father had warned us. If the dracwulves caused trouble again, he’d send them away forever. It would break Aisha’s heart. I couldn’t bear to lose them. Klaus and Grit had been our pets since they were pups.
“I’ll kill it.” Hook Nose guy lunged forward, his blade swiping the air, inches from Grit’s face.
I threw myself between them and forced a shift back into my human body with as much ease as slipping off a coat. The snap of coldness swathed around me tightly.
“Stop,” I said. “He won’t hurt you.”
Hook Nose’s head jerked in my direction, his wide eyes tracing the length of my naked body, and a grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. But it vanished the moment he looked down at Grit while readying his knife for another attack.
Grit was by my side, snarling at the wulfkin. I reached behind me with a hand, patting him. “It’s okay, boy. You can calm down now.”
“Dracwulves are banned and should be killed on sight.”
Grit’s snarls eased, replaced by heavy grunts, his hot breath on my hand as he licked my fingers.
“Get out of the way.” The wulfkin stepped closer. “I have to finish it.”
“He’s my pet.”
His shoulders shot back. A genuine surprised look, complete with a furrowed brow and parted mouth, greeted me. “Then you deserve to be hunted down and killed too.”
“My family doesn’t follow your prehistoric Varlac rules.” I hadn’t intended to sound so angry, but this wulfkin irked me.
Snow crunched behind me. My spine stiffened, but with a quick inhale, I released the breath I’d been holding.
Hook Nose guy spat on the ground between us. “Turks. Not good for anything but bait.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’d fuck you since you already undressed for me. On second thought, Marcin can have you for now.”
His comment caught me off guard, and I stared at the guy, the question of what he meant at the front of my thoughts, except I refused to spend another second in his presence.
“Sanyi, where are you?” a male’s voice called out from deeper in the woods. Another burly guy emerged, his gaze locked onto me.
Too much company for my liking.
“Selena?” Aisha appeared, my clothes bunched up in her arms.
Despite my nakedness, the fire burning through my veins wiped clear the frostiness, and my hand curled into a fist as I stared at the arrogant son of a bitch with a huge nose.
Aisha grabbed my elbow.
“Don’t waste your time with these losers.”
Of course, she was right, but hell, I considered breaking that ridiculous nose of his in three places. Sidestepping Grit, I nudged him toward the castle. “Let’s go, boy.”
I clenched my teeth and rushed after Aisha and Grit, well aware that Hook Nose guy probably voiced the opinion of most Hungarians. Maybe fearing Levin wasn’t my only problem—it seemed the Hungarian clan had enemies on the inside too. Could Hook Nose guy’s hatred of Marcin be in any way related to the missing dagger?
CHAPTER NINE
Marcin
Enre’s expression twisted, and he jerked to his feet, the chair behind him falling over. “I’m sick of waiting in this hellhole. And why the fuck hasn’t Father come to see me yet? I want out. Let me represent myself at the venery. I’d run circles around all of those other fools.”
Never been called a fool before, but I bit my tongue. “With the Turkish clan here, Father’s trying to run things by the rules for once. Don’t give him any reasons to dispute your freedom.”
Daciana stepped closer to my brother, her deep, gray eyes striking against her pale complexion. “Enre’s right. Let us represent ourselves. We’re not helpless.”
“If it were up to me, you’d be back home already. Stay put awhile longer, that’s all I ask.”
Enre’s gaze never left me. His stubble was in need of a trim, and his black hair was a mess as if he hadn’t combed it for weeks. Probably hadn’t.
I understood he was pissed and frustrated, but welcome to my world, twenty-four seven. For my brother, I’d risk my life because he didn’t deserve the upbringing he’d gotten.
Enre leaned against the window frame, arms folded across his chest. Daciana lifted the overturned chair and sat on it, releasing a low sigh. The fire behind me hissed and sputtered, and despite its warmth, iciness clung to my skin. With Enre’s hunting skills, developed at a young age, he would have made a powerful alpha from the get-go. But without support, he’d spent his days finding ways to avoid Father. I helped where I could, but the worse Father got, the more distant Enre grew. And then one day, he had left without saying good-bye.
“What are we supposed to do?” He spoke with his back to me. “Sit here and wait like trapped foxes? It’s fucking bullshit. Father hasn’t changed one bit.”
“He’s gotten worse since you left.”
Enre turned around, the bridge of his nose creased. “Find that hard to believe.”
“Trust me. Everyone’s an enemy to him. He doesn’t hesitate before striking.” Like the small Moldavian pack in Romania he’d ordered attacked. By the time I found out, half the wulfkin were dead, and Father had claimed the territory as his own. He had set himself up to take over Transylvania because of its easy access into Turkey and Russia. No use dredging up horror stories with Enre when I intended to put my brother at ease.
“Except you, his favorite.”
His words left a sour taste in my mouth. “I’m in the challenge to gain your freedom.”
“You don’t owe me anything.”
I shouldn’t have responded because I doubted anything I said would make up for the years of separation or the fact that Enre blamed me for never sticking up for him. He couldn’t be more wrong. I wasn’t here to convince him otherwise. My purpose was to save their lives. Then maybe we could relook at mending our relationship.
“Blame me all you want, but nothing is as clear-cut as you think. I’ve done things like this my whole life to help you out, and maybe one day, you’ll listen to my side of the story.”
Enre’s narrowed gaze gave nothing away. “You’re not getting any sympathy from me. For all I know, this whole incident is some kind of trick you and Father concocted.”
Daciana cleared her throat, drawing my attention. She tucked dark chocolate hair behind her ears and leaned forward in her seat. “Tomorrow’s the day of the venery, then?”
“Yep. A number of wulfkin were selected this morning.” I returned my attention to Enre. “I’ll win the challenge and prove your innocence.” I’d hoped for Vincent, my second-in-command, to participate alongside me. Unfortunately, his name wasn’t drawn out of the bucket. Most of the ones called were wulfkin from Father’s side and were the kind who’d kill anyone who stood in the way of their boon. They wouldn’t care what Father threatened them with if it meant getting a free ticket to anything they wanted. That came from building a pack of followers through fear.
“Not going anywhere without Daciana.”
I shifted in my seat. “I give you my word, you’ll both live.”
“Will you keep us posted about what’s going on?” Daciana asked.
“Of course.” My cell beeped in my pocket. I grabbed it. A reminder for dinner with Selena in five minutes. She’d invited me, which had me all kinds of curious, especially since I suspected it might have something to do with the missing blade from the weapons room.
I stood and brushed down my shirt.
“Good luck,” Daciana said, her voice softening as did the look in her eyes.
Enre didn’t say a word.
The invisible wall between us wasn’t coming down anytime soon. Once this song and dance tournament was over, we’d address that.
• • •
I gulped back a mouthful of blood wine. Tonight, my expectations weren’t on food but on Selena arriving. I set the silver goblet down a bit too hard, crimson splashing over the edge and dribbling onto the wooden floor. I shifted on the bright green cushion, crossing my legs, unable to get comfortable. How does anyone sit on these things and not lose sensation in their legs? Father would have a fit if he saw us eating a meal sitting on the floor.
The room had been decorated in a strange fusion of Eastern Europe meets The Arabian Nights. Tapestries covered three walls, each showcasing wolves running through a field. Silvery moonlight bounced off their gray pelts, and the grassy meadow seemed to almost move if you looked at it long enough. All the furniture had been removed and replaced with a rainbow of cushions in a circle in the center. The thick layer of incense burning in the far corner burned my nostrils, a cross between frankincense and sandalwood.
I checked my phone. Fifteen minutes late to her own dinner invitation. Should I be disappointed or surprised? The only reason I remained was curiosity. Tonight was about discovering what Selena concealed and, most importantly, why.
Footsteps echoed from behind the door before it opened.
I untangled my legs and stood.
Selena strolled in, her hips swinging in a rhythm that called to my wolf and pelvis. She wore the bluest dress with a corset emphasizing her cleavage, the sheen fabric billowing around her feet with each step she took closer.
Regardless, in my mind, I already had her up against the wall, skirt pulled up to her waist and me buried deep inside her. Her soft murmurs in my ear, begging me for more. Hell, I’d imagined myself with her nonstop since her arrival.
Then my sights slid to the dracwulf on her leash, and the fantasy disappeared. My inner wolf snarled in my chest.