How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  Beside him, Luciana gasped. “There are so many people. And I didn’t realize Ebton Palace was so huge.”

  Leo nodded. “My family built the drawbridge over the river several centuries ago. Any boat that wishes to sail through must pay a toll. That was the beginning of the Benwick family’s wealth and power.”

  She bit her lip and gave him a worried look.

  He reached out to take her hand. “We can do this.”

  With a nod, she squeezed his hand. “Together.”

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Slowly they rode through town. Without his uniform, Leo garnered only a few curious looks. The townspeople were far more interested in the coffin being escorted by a few soldiers. As the people pressed closer, asking who had died, Leo worried that one of them would get too close to him and accidentally receive a shock. As nice as it was not to be feared for a change, he couldn’t risk injuring anyone.

  He motioned to his squire. “Edmund, you’ll need to announce me, not as a duke but…”

  “Aye, I understand,” Edmund muttered, then forged ahead through the jostling crowd. With a loud voice, he yelled, “Make way for Leofric of Benwick, Lord Protector of the Realm!”

  By the time Edmund repeated the announcement twice, the crowd had reacted with shouts of panic. Some ran away, while others pressed against buildings, watching with expressions of terror as Leo passed by. Uncle Fred had done a good job of making sure people feared him. The path before them was now clear, and whispers of the Beast floated through the air.

  Luciana gave him a sympathetic look.

  “I’m used to it.” He motioned toward the fortress. “The news of our arrival will reach the king before we do.”

  Sure enough, when they arrived at the gatehouse, the guards there waved them on through. As they pulled to a stop in the courtyard, the king’s chief minister, Lord Morris, rushed toward them.

  “Morris,” Leo greeted him as he dismounted. He’d never cared much for the minister. Morris, a former priest and spy, had been rewarded with land and a title. A scrawny man with beady eyes, he’d risen to power due to his willingness to do the king’s dirty work. No doubt, he was the one who had dispatched the assassins to kill Leo and Luciana.

  “Lord Benwick.” Morris sketched a small bow. “I see you have brought the Lady of Vindalyn as ordered.”

  “Yes.” Leo helped Luciana off her horse. “But my title is now the Duke of Vindalyn, and my wife is the duchess.”

  Morris smirked. “I would not press that matter, if I were you. Your recent letter to His Majesty angered him greatly. He was reading it again just moments ago.” He bowed to Luciana. “My lady.”

  She curtsied. “My lord.”

  “I have urgent news for the king,” Leo said. “If you will escort us—”

  “In good time.” Morris waved a dismissive hand. “The king is enjoying his midday meal at the moment and doesn’t wish to be disturbed. He requested that you wait here.”

  Leo clenched his gloved hands. Not only was Frederic making them wait, but he was purposefully not inviting them to join him at his table. To be even more insulting, he was not having them shown to some rooms where they could wait in comfort. Unfortunately, it was typical behavior for dear Uncle Fred.

  Morris motioned to the coffin. “Did one of your men die on the journey? You should have buried him—”

  “I had intended to tell the king first,” Leo interrupted. “As I said, the matter is urgent. I have brought the body of Prince Tedric.”

  Morris blinked. “That can’t be. I saw him here at court just a few hours ago.”

  Leo tensed. “He was here?” When Morris nodded, Leo continued, “That was an imposter. The real prince is here in this coffin. He was murdered.”

  Morris gasped. “You—you killed him?”

  Leo gritted his teeth, while Luciana huffed.

  She glared at Morris. “My husband would never kill his cousin. Or any innocent man, for that matter.”

  Leo’s heart warmed at the way his wife defended him. “Let me explain what happened.” He reported all that had transpired at Benwick Castle, but Morris gave him a skeptical look.

  “The murderer changed into an eagle and flew away?” Morris snorted. “That was convenient.”

  Edmund, Jensen, and the Benwick guards corroborated Leo’s story, but Morris still looked unconvinced.

  “Men who can shift into animals?” Morris scoffed. “Inconceivable.”

  Brody sat up in the cart and barked to get everyone’s attention. When he shifted into human form, Morris shrieked and backed away.

  “Believe me now?” Leo asked drily.

  “Wh-what is that?” Morris pointed at Brody as he shifted back into a dog. “He must be Embraced, an abomination before the Light! He should be put to death!”

  Brody growled, and with lightning speed, Leo grabbed the minster’s vest and yanked him forward. “No one touches him. Understand?” He shoved Morris back.

  With a huff, Morris adjusted his vest. “Hardly surprising that you would surround yourself with abominations since you’re one, too.”

  “He’s the heir to the throne, you ass,” Edmund muttered, then smirked when Morris glared at him.

  Leo motioned toward the coffin. “Shall we open it so you can verify the body?”

  “I’ll inform His Majesty and send the royal physician.” Morris scurried off to the keep.

  After a few minutes, the royal physician arrived with some soldiers, and they pried the lid off the coffin.

  “It is the prince,” the physician said sadly. “We should take him to the chapel. Come.” He motioned for the soldiers to carry the coffin.

  After a long wait, six of His Majesty’s personal guard arrived to escort them to the king.

  “His Majesty wishes to see only the Lord Protector and his wife,” the captain of the guard announced as he gave Leo a stern look. “And you must leave all your weapons here.”

  As Leo unbuckled his sword belt, Edmund drew near. “I don’t like this.”

  “It’s a standard request.” Leo handed him his sword, then the dagger from his boot. “Don’t worry. My power is my best weapon. And I’ll have some help.” He waved at Brody, and the dog shifter jumped down from the cart.

  Luciana handed Jensen her dagger.

  As Leo and his wife followed the guards into the keep, he glanced back to make sure Brody was trailing them at a safe distance. Once inside the keep, the dog shifter could sniff out the Chameleon, if he was there.

  The guards led them up the grand staircase and down a gallery decorated with portraits of former kings and queens. Brody slunk behind them, keeping in the shadows.

  When they arrived at the king’s sitting room, the captain knocked and opened the door.

  “We’ll be fine,” Leo whispered to his wife as he strode inside.

  She followed, her face pale, but her chin lifted with determination. Brody dashed in before the door shut. Three guards remained outside in the gallery, while the other three came inside. Brody sniffed at them, and the captain nudged him aside.

  There were already five dogs in the room, so no one objected to Brody’s presence. But it seemed odd to Leo that the king’s dogs were hovering by the door to his bedchamber. One of them whined and scratched at the door.

  “You may speak,” Frederic grumbled.

  “Your Majesty.” Leo bowed, and Luciana curtsied.

  Frederic had aged since Leo had last seen him. There was more gray than red in his long hair and beard, and the skin around his eyes and jowls was puffy and gray. He sat at the head of a long table covered with platters of food.

  The dogs approached him, snarling and growling.

  “Hush!” He threw a ham bone in their midst, and they snapped at one another as they fought for the prize.

  Apparently, Frederic had eaten his fill, for he tossed more food to the dogs. It was a statement, Leo realized. His uncle wanted them to know he’d rather share his food with dogs than with them.
r />   Frederic scowled at him. “I hear you brought my son’s body.”

  Leo bowed his head. “My sincere condolences.”

  Frederic snorted. “As if Tedric’s death has saddened you in any way.”

  “He was a good man—”

  “He was a fool!” Frederic ripped a leg off a roasted chicken and threw it at his dogs. Brody circled the group of dogs, sniffing.

  “He was too weak to be king.” Frederic took a long drink of wine, then slammed the goblet on the table as he glared at Leo. “I suppose you’ll do well enough. At least you know how to make people fear you, Beast that you are.”

  “I would not wish to govern through fear,” Leo said.

  “Then you are as big a fool as Tedric. If the people do not fear you, you will have chaos.” Frederic scoffed. “I should have killed you years ago.”

  “You certainly tried,” Leo said drily.

  Frederic barked a laugh, then gave Luciana a curious look. “So you’re the heiress of Vindalyn. I heard you were pretty.”

  Luciana curtsied. “Your Majesty.”

  Frederic gave Leo a sour look. “So you helped yourself to the duchy.”

  “If I hadn’t, I feared my wife and the former duke would suffer some sort of accident,” Leo replied.

  Frederic grabbed a knife off the table and threw it at Leo, but he dodged it with lightning speed. “You bastard. I ought to go ahead and kill you. With your freakish powers, you can never have children. Our line will perish.” With a smirk, he filled his goblet with more wine. “Perhaps I should bed the wench for you.”

  Leo clenched his fists. “You will not.”

  Luciana looped her arm through his. “We are truly man and wife. I am already with child.”

  Leo stiffened with surprise and searched her eyes. Was she just saying that, or was it true?

  She went up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

  “She touches you and lives?” Frederic eyed him closely. “Then your power must be depleted. Guards! Arrest him! Arrest them both.”

  Leo pushed Luciana behind him. “For what reason?” He pulled off his gloves as the guards drew their swords.

  “Do I need a reason?” Frederic laughed. “How about this one? I’ll feel safer if you wait for my throne in the dungeons.”

  Sparks sizzled around Leo’s fingers, and the guards halted their advance. “As you can see, my power is intact. I will decline your offer of hospitality, Uncle. If you have no wish to see me again, I will gladly return to the army or to Vindalyn with my wife.”

  Brody suddenly barked and snapped at the king.

  “Get back!” Frederic threw a goblet at Brody.

  When Brody barked again, the king stood, his eyes narrowed on the dog shifter. “Guards, kill that dog.”

  The three guards advanced, but hesitated when Brody slipped into the midst of the other dogs as they all began to snarl at the king.

  “Which one?” the captain asked.

  “Why are they acting like this?” another guard asked.

  “Dammit, I’ll do it myself.” Frederic grabbed another knife off the table and approached the snarling dogs. With a limp.

  Leo sucked in a quick breath. There were bandages around the king’s right foot. And the dogs knew he was an imposter. “He’s the Chameleon!” He lifted his hand to shoot a bolt of lightning.

  The guards jumped in front of the false king to protect him.

  “Kill him!” The Chameleon pointed at Leo. “He’s trying to kill me!”

  “He’s not the real king!” Leo moved to the side, trying to get a clean shot at the Chameleon.

  “Kill the woman first!” the Chameleon shouted, then ran with a limp toward the bedchamber.

  The guards advanced on Luciana, and Leo used his power to rip the swords from their hands. They drew their daggers and continued to advance. She grabbed a fallen sword and hurried to Leo’s side.

  Meanwhile, the Chameleon had rushed into the bedchamber, followed by the group of growling dogs.

  The captain swiped at Leo with his dagger. Leo dodged it, then tapped the man on the back. With a yelp, he fell to the ground and passed out.

  “Cease!” Leo yelled at the other two guards. “I have no wish to harm you.”

  The door flung open and the three guards who had remained outside barged in with Lord Morris.

  Leo lifted his hands. Sparks still swirled around his fingertips. “Stay back.”

  “Where is His Majesty?” Morris shouted.

  “I don’t know,” Leo said. “The Chameleon has taken his place. Come!” He grabbed Luciana’s arm and ran into the king’s bedchamber. The dogs were scrambling around the bed, whining and scratching.

  The Chameleon was nowhere in sight. Leo opened a door and peered inside. The privy was empty.

  “Look!” Luciana knelt beside a pile of clothes. “He must have undressed.”

  Lord Morris ran into the room, followed by the guards. “What is going on? Where is the king?”

  Leo pointed at the dogs. “I think you’ll find him underneath the bed. The Chameleon killed him, then took his place.”

  Morris scoffed. “Then where is this Chameleon? How do I know you didn’t kill—”

  “We just arrived!” Luciana yelled.

  “They didn’t harm the king,” a guard added.

  While Morris peered under the bed, Leo went at lightning speed to check the dressing room and every spot in the room where the Chameleon could be hiding.

  Morris joined him by the fireplace. “You were correct. The king is dead. But where is the Chameleon?”

  The guards pulled the king’s body out and laid it to rest on the bed. The dogs milled about, whimpering.

  “The dogs,” Luciana said. “There’s one more than before.”

  One of the dogs dashed into the sitting room, his gait uneven from an injured leg. Brody gave chase, barking at him.

  “That’s him!” Leo ran into the sitting room, but the sight there brought him to an abrupt halt. There were two Brodys. Identical.

  Luciana stopped beside him. “Which one is the Chameleon?”

  “What the hell?” Lord Morris whispered as he entered the room.

  Sparks flickered around Leo’s hands as he tried to decide which dog to strike.

  One dog shimmered, then shifted into human form. “I’m the real one. See?”

  Leo tried to remember if the Chameleon had seen Brody’s human form. Yes, he had.

  The second one shifted. “No, I’m Brody!” He quickly covered his private parts. “Begging your pardon, my lady … Luciana.”

  Leo aimed a lightning bolt at the first Brody just as the imposter made a leap for the balcony window. The bolt struck the wooden frame and set the curtain on fire.

  The Chameleon burst onto the balcony and leaped into the air as he shifted into an eagle.

  “No!” Leo ran onto the balcony and shot a lightning bolt at the eagle.

  Fire singed a wing, and the eagle screeched. It dove into the midst of town.

  “Dammit.” Leo didn’t dare shoot lightning into the town. He’d set the place on fire and probably injure some people in the process.

  “He’s getting away!” Luciana cried beside him.

  Leo banged a fist on the balcony railing. How could he track the bastard down when he didn’t know what he looked like? He turned around and found one of the guards had ripped the burning curtain down and stuffed it into the nearby fireplace. Brody had helped himself to a pair of the king’s breeches from his dressing room.

  “You saw the Chameleon, right?” Leo asked Morris and the guards. “You agree that he murdered the king and impersonated him?” He didn’t want any rumors starting that he had killed his uncle or his cousin.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Morris bowed low, and the other guards followed suit.

  Leo swallowed hard. He was now the king.

  Beside him, Luciana curtsied.

  “Wait.” He took her hands and led her down the balcony out of everyone’s sigh
t. “I don’t want you to bow to me.”

  “But I’m supposed to—”

  “No. The position will be burdensome enough as it is. When I’m with you, I want to simply be your husband, the man who loves you more than anyone.”

  Her eyes glistened with tears. “I’m so proud of you.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes. I should have known the Chameleon would come straight here. I should have stopped him before—”

  “How?” She rested a hand on his chest. “You’re not an eagle that can fly by night. We left right after sunrise and came as quickly as we could. You mustn’t blame yourself for this.”

  “I should have stopped—”

  “No, the guards should have stopped him. That was their job.” She touched his face. “My dear heart, you can’t take responsibility for every evil act in the world.”

  He searched her eyes, then nodded. “You’re right.” He took her hand and kissed her palm. “Are you really with child?”

  She smiled. “I’m one day late for my courses. Too early to know for sure, but—”

  He pulled her into his arms. “Have I told you recently that I love you?”

  “I believe you did this morning.”

  “I love you more each day.” He stepped back to gaze into her lovely face. “And I need you. I’ll need your calm wisdom, your bravery, your love and support.”

  A tear rolled down her cheek. “You’re the king now.”

  “And you’re my queen.” He kissed her forehead. “More than my queen. You’re my heart and soul, and you will never bow to me for you are my equal in every way.”

  She sniffed. “Oh, Leo. I love you so much.”

  He pulled her in for a long kiss.

  When he drew back, he became aware of loud, shouting voices. Damn. He’d thought he’d found a private place, but the courtyard below was filled with people cheering him on.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  Luciana laughed and gave him a hug. “It’s all right. We just gave the people proof that their new king is not a Beast after all.”

  Down below, the people began to chant, “Long live the king! Long live the queen!”

  Apparently, while Leo had been busy kissing his wife, the news had spread. “It won’t be easy,” he warned her. “There will be factions who want to kill us, and other countries that will want to destroy us.”