by Ovidia Pike
“No buts,” she said, cutting me off, then she raised her voice slightly.
“Guards,” she said, gesturing them over. “Take this man to the trees. I want him hanged.”
“Hanged?” I asked her in bewilderment. “The man I killed was an enemy to your family—to your people. I did you a favor.”
“You came onto my land and killed one of our own,” the queen said, an icy tone to her voice, gesturing for her guards to open my cell. I stared at her in dazed confusion as they pulled me out roughly by the arms, yanking me through the entrance of the cave and up the base into the woods.
“You cannot be serious right now,” I said as they paused to tie my hands with a length of rope. I immediately tried to untie it, working my fingers into the rope, hoping that it was the type of knot I could slip.
“I am serious. The wolves have gotten too comfortable. When one of you comes on my land and kills one of my people—”
Her voice trailed off and I swallowed hard when I saw the noose hanging from a tree. I thought about shifting, about trying to run, but there was no way I’d be able to outrun or fight five lions on my own, including a member of royalty. The queen looked old and worn to me and her eyes were clouded over. I wondered for a moment if she was even lucid but didn’t have time to reconsider it before I was jerked forward and forced to step on a platform underneath the noose. A guard wrapped it around my neck and the queen cleared her throat.
“Anything you want to say?” she asked.
“Uh, not really,” I said. “If you see Camilla, tell her I tried.”
The queen nodded. I took a deep breath and my body jerked when the platform was kicked out from underneath me, leaving me hanging by the neck. I started to choke, my air cutting off as I finally freed my hands from the rope and let it fall. I grasped the noose around my neck and pulled myself up as best as I could so that I was no longer dangling by the neck, but I knew I couldn’t hold on much longer, that eventually I’d tire out and give in. I struggled to breathe before I started choking again, and I closed my eyes, knowing that I was going to die.
I heard a noise, gasps of surprise, and opened my eyes to see a lioness flying toward me. Her claws ripped easily through the rope as if cutting butter and I fell to the ground, choking and gasping, and then loosening the rope from around my neck and tossing it aside. The queen’s face twisted up in anger and she gestured at the guard.
“Kill him,” she said, but the lioness who had saved me darted between us and shifted.
“Mother,” Selene said in a hard voice. “What are you doing?”
“He came here and killed our own,” the queen said. “I want him dead.”
“We don’t execute people,” Selene said. “Least of all wolves. If Alarick hears about this—”
“What’s one wolf against us?” the queen asked.
“More powerful than you can imagine,” Selene said. “And he’s already angry. You can’t do this.”
“I can and I will,” the queen said defiantly. Selene bit her lip.
“Give him a day, at least. I want to talk to him,” she said. “We can...do it tomorrow. He deserves a good meal and some rest first. That’s the right thing to do, that’s how we’ve always done it.”
The queen didn’t speak, and her guard took a step toward me. Selene put her hand up and glared at the woman.
“You will step back,” she said.
“But—”
“You are pointing your spear at a royal,” Selene said to the guard, and I realized only then that she’d turned it to the princess. I slipped in front of her instinctively, holding the queen’s eye.
“One good meal,” the queen said begrudgingly. “You have that right.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Yes, thank you, mother,” Selene breathed in relief. “I will take him back to the lower caves and be sure that he’s brought dinner tonight. We can decide what to do in the morning.”
“The decision has already been made, Selene. I am the queen.”
Selene stared at her mother, then let out a tired sigh.
“Let’s go,” she said to me, glaring down the guards as we passed. Selene kept walking past the dungeon caves, glancing over her shoulder as we walked.
“Where are we going?” I asked her.
“There’s a tunnel that will take you to a cellar in the forest. You can climb out and go from there—we don’t use the tunnels anymore since one of them collapsed.”
“Won’t the queen be upset?”
“She’s already upset,” Selene said. “She’ll be mad, but I can deal with it. I’m not going to let you die.”
“Thank you, princess,” I said as we approached a wooden door built straight into the ground. Selene lifted it to show me the tunnel underneath, a ladder descending to the damp earth.
“Appreciate it,” I said. She nodded.
“Better not come back,” she warned.
“I won’t.”
“Why did you come here?” she asked.
“To find Camilla. She’s missing.”
“She’s not here,” Selene said with a frown. “I haven’t seen her.”
“That’s what I thought. That’s what her friend said. I think...that they have her.”
Selene stared at me, lips pressing into a thin line.
“We’re going to get her back.”
“I’m going,” I said. “I’ll find her.”
“I’ll help you,” she said. “I just have to get my things—”
“No, it’s okay. It’s dangerous out there, princess. If you’re not trained—”
“I’m not,” she sighed. “I’ve begged my mother, but she thinks it’s beneath us. That we have people to fight our battles for us.”
“You are royalty,” I said to her.
“I wish I wasn’t,” she said wistfully as I prepared to climb down the ladder to the tunnel.
“Thanks again,” I said to her.
“Yes, you’re welcome,” she said. She turned to go, and I watched her for a moment before I climbed down into the tunnel, making my way to the end and then back home.
Chapter 11: Gabriel
I paused outside of Sophie’s door, nervous, hoping that I wouldn’t see hatred and anger in her eyes. I had avoided seeing her since our last encounter, knowing I wouldn’t be able to take it knowing I had genuinely hurt her. I swallowed the lump in my throat, determined to apologize, something I very rarely did in any case. I knocked on the door and she answered it, her face blushing a scarlet red immediately.
“Hi,” she said almost breathlessly.
“Hi,” I said, my voice coming out forced and awkward. “Um, can we talk for a minute?”
“Are you going to rip my clothes off?” she asked.
“No,” I responded, though it was one of many things I wanted to do to her. She gestured for me to come inside and closed the door behind us, looking curiously up at my face.
“What do you need, Gabriel?” she asked.
“I need—I desperately need to apologize,” I said, the words spilling quickly from my lips. “I can’t—I mean—hurting you, I—”
“You didn’t actually hurt me,” she said, a shy look on her face. “I mean, it stung, but it wasn’t...bad.”
“That’s not the point,” I said. “I should never have treated you so roughly. I fucking hate that it happened.”
“No, Gabriel,” she said, reaching forward, putting her hand on my arm. “It’s okay. It really is. I...didn’t mind it. At all. I just wish you hadn’t run away after.”
“I had to. I couldn’t look at what I’d done, the handprint, your face smashed into the bed. God, Sophie, I...need you to know that if we ever went further than this I would be gentle with you. I would never, ever hurt you.”
“I know,” she said. “You were angry. I know.”
“That doesn’t excuse it. You’re my—” I cut myself off before I could tell her the truth of it, that she was meant to be my natural mate if I was able to
take one. I had known that for a fact after the first kiss.
“Your what?” she asked.
“I want to take care of you,” I said instead.
“You want to be gentle with me,” she said softly, lips curving into a small smile.
“I do.”
“Why?” she asked. “You’re rough all over. Why treat me any different?”
“Because I’m in love with you,” I blurted before I could stop myself. A shocked look came over her face, her eyes widening. She didn’t say anything, just stared at me, looking into my eyes.
“It’s maddening,” I went on, rambling, despite myself. “I can’t breathe when I’m with you, I can’t breathe without you. It’s so deep that I’m drowning in it. All I think about is being with you, keeping you, waking up to you every morning. I’m fucking drowning here, Sophie. And you’re not—you don’t make it any easier when you look at me like that.”
“Like what?” she asked quietly.
“Like you don’t think I’m a monster,” I said. “Like you want me to kiss you every time you meet my eye.”
“You’re not a monster,” she said.
“I am, but I love you anyway.”
“Gabriel—”
“I’m sorry, don’t—” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes in frustration. “Please don’t respond to that.”
“Okay,” she said in a barely-there voice. When I opened my eyes, she was studying my face, lips parted as if to speak.
“That’s all I wanted to say,” I said quickly. “Was that I was sorry. I need to get going now, I have a lot to do.”
“Okay then,” she said. I left her behind without looking at her again, heart pounding so hard in my chest that I couldn’t take it. I cursed myself over and over again as I stripped out of my clothes to go running in the woods, desperate to fly through the trees to get rid of some of the energy that was coiling behind my chest, threatening to break out of my ribcage. I started to run but paused when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over to see Sam in wolf form, his smoky grey coat smooth and shiny. He shifted when he saw me and jogged toward me, and I took a step back and growled at him in warning.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m just—I need your help.”
I stared at him suspiciously, then shifted back to human form.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“Camilla is missing. I think that group of lions has her—they do have her. I have to find her.”
“So go find her,” I said, waving him away. He ran his hand through his hair.
“I know you don’t trust me and I get it,” he said. “I respect what you do to protect this village. I am asking for your help to find her. Please.”
I considered it for a moment before sighing.
“Fine, we’ll split up. You take the west end and make your way to the edge of our land,” I said.
“Do not go any further.”
“Okay,” he agreed, though I knew he wouldn’t stick to it.
“I’ll go east,” I said, knowing it would give me a chance to stay in the woods as a wolf, to not have to face what I had said to Sophie.
I sniffed around the grounds, trying to catch the scent of Camilla, wondering where she was. I continued searching even when the sun went down, wanting to be out of my head. I couldn’t believe the words I had spoken to her, and then I remembered only the shocked look on her face.
I paused when I caught the scent of something other than Camilla—the warm scent of a feline—and I knew there were lions close by. I lifted my head to scan through the trees, sniffing the air instead of the ground. I could smell smoke, and when I squinted, I could see the light of a fire not far ahead. I crept forward, sticking to the shadows, peering closely to see four people sitting on logs around the fire. Another lay in a heap on the ground, and when I looked closer I could see that it was Camilla, tied up with a gag in her mouth. I took a deep breath and prepared myself, crouching to the ground, creeping forward as much as I could without succumbing to fear or nerves.
I stayed there for a moment. None of the people spoke, everyone sitting quietly in a circle, everyone looking exhausted. I knew the best opportunity to attack was at that moment, so before I could hesitate and re-think it, I jumped forward and dove on the closest shifter, pushing him into the fire. He let out a scream and tried to shift but I held him there for a moment before turning to see three lions surrounding me. I glanced at Camilla to see that her eyes were open, that she was giving me an intent look that I read loud and clear. I slipped out of the center of the circle of lions, felt one dive at my back as I went to Camilla. I felt claws rip into my skin as I ripped at the rope with my jaw, felt the other two lions surround us as Camilla kicked and writhed out from the ropes. I jumped back a bit when she shifted into a large lioness, but I didn’t have time to hesitate before I had to flip around, sinking my teeth into the closest lion’s neck and ripping it out. I saw Camilla fighting next to me, and I continued to tear at flesh in a blur until the last lion was down. I shifted and looked over at Camilla, who was standing in human form.
“What the fuck?” I asked her, but instead of answering, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground. I cursed and went to her, lifting her into my arms. I carried her back through the forest and to the village as quickly as I could. I was almost there by the time Sam came jogging up to us.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked, immediately taking her from my arms to feel her pulse.
“She’s alive. We...got into a scrap with some lions. She was being held there. She’s one of them.”
Sam didn’t say anything but stared down at Camilla’s face.
“I’m going to take her to the doctor,” he said, hurrying away with her without further word. I felt exhaustion fill my body as I started toward the village again, going immediately to my hut even though I was covered in scratches. I immediately jumped into the shower, rinsing the blood from my body, the cuts stinging all over as I dried myself and climbed into bed.
I rolled out of bed in irritation when there was a knock on the door, having just dozed off. I threw it open and paused when I saw Sophie there, looking up at me with a small, shy smile and sparkling eyes.
“Hi,” I said, mute for anything further than that.
“Hi, Gabriel,” she said, hands clasped together in front of her. “I just wanted...to say goodnight.”
“You wanted to say goodnight?” I asked, smiling back at her, unable to help myself.
“I was wondering if—” she began, then paused.
“What is it?” I asked her.
“I was wondering if you would kiss me,” she said with a flush to her cheeks, as if she was admitting something embarrassing. “Will you kiss me goodnight?”
“Come here,” I said, touching her cheek, pulling her face to mine. I kissed her slowly, tasting every part of her mouth, sucking on her sweet lips, arms wrapped around her waist. I could feel her heart pounding against me in the same rhythm as my own as she buried her fingers in my hair and held me close.
“Say it again,” she whispered against my lips. “Please?”
“What do you want me to say?” I asked her. She pulled back and looked up at me.
“You know what,” she said, a coy look on her face. I leaned in and kissed her forehead.
“I love you,” I said to her, kissing her eyelids, her nose and her cheeks, each time telling her the same thing. “I’ve never loved anything. Only you.”
“Do you promise?” she asked.
“I promise, Sophie,” I confirmed to her, kissing her lips again. She gave me a bright grin as she pulled back.
“Goodnight,” she said. “See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight,” I said. I stood there watching, slightly dazed and filled with light as she turned away. I gazed at her until she disappeared around the corner, taking a step out of my house to look after her. I saw her skipping with energy and excitement and the love s
welled in me so powerfully that it was almost overwhelming. The permanent smile on my face didn’t fade as I closed the door behind me and crawled back into bed, wishing she was there, part of me daring to hope that one day she would be.
Chapter 12: Camilla
I woke up and squeezed the hand of the person who was holding mine, keeping my eyes closed. I felt his hand go to my face and turn it toward his.
“You awake?” he asked hopefully. I opened my eyes to see Sam standing over me, and when I met his eyes they lit up, a warm smile on his face.
“Good morning,” he said, letting go of my face, sitting down in the chair next to me. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel okay,” I said, sitting up in the bed. “How long have I been out?”
“Just overnight,” he said.
“Did you stay here?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I thought I would. I was worried.”
“I think I’m fine,” I said, feeling a little groggy. I remembered the last time I’d seen him, the kiss, sitting on his lap, and blushed when I remembered that I’d practically offered myself to him in my desire. His warm smile turned into a playful grin.
“You’re blushing,” he said. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, looking away from his face. “Is Gabriel okay?”
“He is. He looked a bit scratched up, but he made it. Carried you through the woods and handed you off to me. I’m so sorry that I didn’t get to you first. I looked everywhere for you—I went to the caves and the queen tried to have me executed. The only reason I’m alive is because Selene let me go.”
“She tried to have you executed?” I asked in disbelief. It was something I would have believed of Elina, who hated wolves and wanted to see each one of them hanged, but not the queen, who didn’t hold the same beliefs.
“There was something off about her,” Sam said. “As if she wasn’t quite there.”
“I heard she was losing it,” I said. “That’s too bad. I respected the queen—not so much the princess. She’s much too soft.”
“She seemed very capable,” Sam said. “Got me out of there quick.”