by Renee Carr
“Prince John will escort the duchess in,” he said. “So I imagine he is waiting for her.”
“Oh, I see,” she mumbled, trying not to bristle. She took a sip of her drink and waited as patiently as she could. There were a few people she found entertaining to talk to, but she felt her heart rate rise when she heard the trumpets blare.
“The Alpha and queen!” came the announcement and everyone turned. King Michael had his queen on his arm, making a slow descent down the stairs. Sarah dipped low, as did everyone else. However, her eyes flickered upwards, waiting for the next announcement.
“Prince Nathan and Prince Cory, Betas to the Dragon Kingdom,” said the footman next, and then announced what Sarah had been waiting for.
“Prince John, Crown Prince of the Dragon Kingdom, and the Duchess of Armoon, Lady Hailey.”
Sarah knew that the duchess was going to be on John’s arm, but what she didn’t expect was to be intimidated by her. The duchess was tall and regal, with supple curves and beautiful eyes. She looked upon the sea of heads bowing to her as if she were more comfortable than in her own living room.
John’s eyes searched the crowd and met Sarah’s. She took a step towards him with a warm smile, but then, to her surprise, John went in the other direction with Hailey.
Sarah had no idea what to make of the situation at first. Was she supposed to follow him? Was she supposed to interrupt? Was she supposed to dance with him? Or was he going to torture her and parade this duchess around all night after they had just spent two days in bed together?
“Lady Sarah,” Prince Nathan approached her and she dipped quickly, surprised that he had sought her out. “My brother has a message for you.”
“A message?” she asked. She wasn’t sure what Nathan knew and what part she was supposed to be playing at the moment. She hadn’t expected the duchess to be beautiful and John to walk away from her. Her carefully crafted plan was falling to pieces in front of her eyes. She hoped that John was alright. It seemed that there was no one else he felt comfortable confiding his darkest thoughts to. He certainly wouldn’t talk to the duchess if one of his moods came on.
“The second dance of the night, he has reserved for you,” Nathan told her. “Please make sure to be nearby when he changes partners.”
“The second dance?” she asked. “But...”
“He must dance the first one with the duchess,” Nathan said calmly. “He hopes you understand.”
“I don’t,” Sarah said through clenched teeth. “But I will obey his wishes. Please tell him that this is a one-time occasion.”
Nathan’s eyebrows shot up.
“I...”
“Please tell him,” Sarah repeated and he nodded.
“I will pass the message along, my lady,” he said, and then disappeared back into the crowd. Sarah took another sip of her drink, leaving the half-empty cup on a table beside her.
Was everything she felt just a moment in time to John or did he still intend to go through with his plan?
Doubt crept into her vision and she turned her head, intending to head to the balcony to get some fresh air. However, she had taken only a step or two when she heard a commotion behind her. She turned around just in time to see the Alpha king stumble and then fall to the ground. The queen screamed and dropped to her knees beside him. The crowd immediately rushed forward, circling him. Sarah felt her breath catch in her throat as she tried to fight her way through. Was this another attack by the werewolves? Were they all in more danger than she had calculated?
Chapter 10
John couldn’t believe the moment he saw his father fall. It was like all the life drained out of his face. He watched his strong, regal Alpha father reduced to a pale statue and then hit the ground with no awareness of who or what was around him.
John was certain that his father was dead. Michael would never fall like that if he was anything but passed from this world. But as John stood, frozen, he saw that his father’s chest continued to rise and fall, and his mother was talking to him.
“John!” Joshua grabbed his brother around the waist, pulling him back. “Cory! Come with me.”
“What?” John turned around to look at his brother, dumbfounded.
“If father has been wounded or poisoned, it has happened here in this crowd. You are the heir, and Cory, you are the last hope. Come with me.”
“John!” Hailey pulled on his arm but John broke the grip at once, pulling away.
“Nathan!” he called to his brother, who was at the front of the crowd, trying to kneel down despite the fact that there was no space. He managed to make eye contact with his brother before finally being yanked away. Nathan only nodded briefly, to acknowledge that he understood what was happening, and then John was pulled out of the side door.
“How could this happen?” Cory asked as they ran to what they knew was designated as the safe room. It was a secret passage, never spoken about except to identify it to each member of the family once. “How could this happen? He was fine. He was...”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Joshua sounded incredibly doubtful. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s just...”
“He’s not fine,” John said as they made their way inside the room. “He’s not fine. He never would have fallen if...”
“So he’s ill,” Joshua said. “It doesn’t mean he won’t be fine. It doesn’t mean he won’t still get to celebrate being the longest-standing Alpha in...”
“Find out,” John grabbed his brother by the collar. “Find out and bring me back news. Right away.”
“I need to keep you safe,” Joshua protested.
“No,” John said. “If it is just us left after today, then I will not operate without information. And if this is an attack, Joshua, then you find Lady Sarah Beckwith and you bring her to me, immediately.”
“I’ll find... who?” Joshua looked at him like he was mad. “Do you mean Duchess Hailey?”
“Did I stutter?” John growled at him. “You find Lady Sarah and you keep her safe or you bring her to me.”
“But... why?” Joshua asked.
“Because she will be my wife,” John stated, the first time he had said it out loud. Both brothers stopped moving, staring at their oldest brother.
“Did you hit your head too?” Cory asked at last. “I mean, I knew that...”
“I said it and I meant it,” John said. “Go. Now.”
Joshua did not hesitate any longer. He tore out of the room, leaving John alone with Cory. The crown prince paced the small space, trying to piece together everything he had observed. If it was an attack, he wasn’t going to stay in here. His father could be dead for all he knew, and he could be Alpha at this current moment.
“Mother is not going to be happy,” Cory said at last. “If you marry Lady Sarah.”
“At the moment, I don’t really care,” John answered. Cory shrugged.
“Is she your mate?” he asked.
“Yes,” John turned to his youngest brother, not expecting him to understand. But Cory just smiled.
“Alright,” he said. “Then congratulations.”
John sputtered.
“That’s it?” he asked. “No ridicule? No judgment? You always have something smart to say, Cory.”
“I do,” Cory replied. “But I don’t have a word to say if you have truly found your mate. And you are practical, big brother. You know that’s a horrible match. But if she is yours, then that’s what it is, you can’t avoid it.”
“I know,” John sighed. “Although I have tried to avoid it.”
The door opened nearly three minutes later. John turned to it, expecting news. His heart sank as he saw that it was Sarah, being roughly thrown in by Joshua, who looked panicked.
“It’s an attack?” John asked, although he already knew the answer.
“It looks like poison,” Joshua said. “Possibly werewolf venom.”
John went to Sarah, in case she needed comfort. However, she seemed far more interested in getting in
formation than relaxing in his arms.
“He would have been injected with it,” Sarah guessed. “Otherwise, he’d be vomiting it up everywhere. If it is werewolf venom, that is.”
“I’m going to lock down the palace,” Joshua said. “No one will leave until we find the culprit.”
“I need..”
“John,” Sarah grabbed him, stopping him from rushing out the door. “Stop. Calculate. Think.”
She met his gaze, and his rage and panic seemed to disappear. He took a deep breath as she did, and his next words came out calmer and more measured.
“If injection is what it is,” John said, “then I am in no danger unless someone comes at me with a needle. Cory, you stay here. Sarah...”
“If you think I’m staying here too, you have lost your mind,” Sarah said. He knew there was no point in fighting with her, so he took her hand. Together, the two of them, with Joshua, moved out of the room quickly.
The palace was in a state of chaos. John knew that there would be no way to keep this from the airways. Technology was too fast, and everyone would be reaching out to their contacts, trying to figure out what was happening.
“We need to show them that the kingdom is safe,” Sarah said. “Even if the Alpha is not.”
“I need to see my father,” John said, but she gripped his wrist.
“John,” she said. “Your father will not be here forever. But the kingdom will be, and they will remember the panic of this moment.”
He knew she was right, but he hated that she was.
“Come with me,” he said and she agreed, following him down the hallway.
“Where is Nathan?” John asked as they stormed down the long hallway.
“He is with father,” Joshua said. “In the medical bay. He promised to call me with any news.”
John set his jaw. He knew that if he couldn’t be with Michael, then Nathan was the next best person to do so. He felt his strength waver slightly, without his brother by his side. It was restored by the look on Sarah’s face, as they opened the doors to the ballroom. Just a few minutes ago, it had been a place of happiness and laughter. Now, it was absolute chaos.
“Announce me,” John said to Joshua, under his breath, and Joshua sucked in air.
“The Crown Prince John,” he said, his voice booming through the room. The crowd fell silent immediately, turning to the head of the room.
“I want to assure you,” John said, “that whatever is happening to my father right now, we will get to the bottom of this. And if it is an attack, we will find the culprit. If he is among you, I urge him to come forward and face me, one man to another. The rest of you, I promise your safety in this matter. No one leaves until we have answers.”
No one dared question the crown prince, even though murmurs went through the crowd. John looked out among the sea of faces, hoping that someone would come forward and challenge him. He needed a fight right now, something to get his blood circulating and not just building up in his temples. However, no one moved and so eventually, John waved his hand.
“As you were,” he said, knowing there was no way that anyone could act normally while they waited for news.
It seemed like hours had passed, but according to the clock, it was just an hour. When the ballroom door opened, everyone turned. Nathan stood there, and John sized him up immediately. Nathan looked pale and in shock, but he did not look devastated. Michael, as far as John could tell, was still alive.
“It’s not poison,” Nathan said quietly, drawing closer to his brother so that no one could overhear them.
“What?” John asked. “But... I thought we were sure...”
“Initially,” Nathan said. “But now that tests have been run, we have the answers. It’s his heart, John.”
“His heart?” John repeated. “His heart has always been strong.”
“Apparently, it hasn’t,” Nathan said. “It’s always been weak. Mother and Father have kept it from us, and kept it under control. But now...”
“I will find him a new heart,” John declared. “I will...”
Nathan shook his head.
“It won’t take,” he said and John clenched his teeth.
“How long does he have left?” he asked.
“A month, maybe two,” Nathan said. “The doctors said that there is nothing they can do. It was stress that caused it, in the end.”
“Stress?” John said in disbelief.
“The werewolf rebellion has weighed heavily on him, and they said it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“Then they will be stopped,” John vowed. “Mark my words, we will never be bothered by the werewolves again.”
“John,” Sarah said quietly beside him. She had remained silent up until now, but she couldn’t any longer. “Don’t tell him. Tell them.”
She indicated the people behind them, straining to listen for news about their Alpha. John took a deep breath.
“You’re right,” he said. “Nathan, is there any other news that I need?”
“For now, he’s stable,” Nathan said. “And he may even return to sit on the throne for another little bit. But...”
“But not for long,” John said.
“He was speaking of you,” Nathan said quietly. “He hoped that you were alright. He was talking about making the throne secure.”
John met Sarah’s eyes.
“Yes, I know exactly what he is talking about,” he said. “And I will. His last days will not be spent in agony or stress.”
“Tell them,” Sarah urged him again and John turned around to a thousand pairs of waiting eyes.
He had spoken to a large group before, and he had done so as the crown prince. It didn’t bother him to be watched by so many eager faces. However, at this moment, as he promised their safety and updated them about his father, he realized that this was his future. It wasn’t just about reassuring the kingdom and making a plan under a time of great stress. It was Nathan standing on one side of him, and Sarah on the other, supporting him as he found the words to be a great leader when all hope seemed lost. This was his future; this was the life the universe had planned out for him.
“I would like to see him,” John said at last, after he had spoken to the crowd. They had a thousand questions, but John didn’t want to answer them.
“Yes, of course,” Nathan said. “He’ll want to see you too.”
“Nathan,” John said, before they tore out the door. “Lady Sarah is coming with us.”
“Oh,” Nathan paused. “Alright, if you wish.”
“As my fiancée,” John said, turning to Sarah. “If you agree with that.”
“Yes, I agree,” Sarah said, her heart hammering. This was not how she imagined a proposal, but it wasn’t exactly a surprise. “We should go.”
“The shock of that may...” Nathan started, as they hustled down the hall.
“I know,” John said. “But I’d rather he know the next queen of his kingdom, in case...”
“Of your kingdom,” Nathan corrected him, the words feeling foreign on his lips.
“Of my kingdom,” John said, looking between the two of them. “Of our kingdom.”
Chapter 11
Sarah was supposed to return home by the end of the week. She needed to return to school, and her parents were expecting that she would be back soon, especially considering that they had no idea where she was. She had said that she was just with friends, and left it vague, which was probably why they hadn’t called her in a panic when the news broke about the king. She kept in regular contact, pretending all was well, instead of revealing the fact that she was about to change her life.
“How is he?” she asked when John met her in the library the next day.
“He’s... alright,” John said with a sigh. “Although it won’t be very long, I’m sure of it. He looks weaker by the day, and he’s making himself weaker still by continually stressing about the kingdom.”
“Have you told him about your... plans for th
e future?” she asked, and John shook his head.
“I haven’t had the time,” he admitted. “It seems there is much to discuss. But Father has... brought it up. And if you haven’t noticed, Duchess Hailey is still here.”
“What do they expect?” she asked. “You to have a quick wedding before he dies?”
John swallowed hard and she realized that was exactly what the Alpha wanted.
“Oh,” she said. “Crap.”
He smiled warmly at her reaction to that.
“What are we going to do?”
“If I tell him,” John said, “I’ll need a good argument.”
“A good argument?” Sarah spluttered. “How good of an argument do you need? I’m your mate, I am trained in all the areas you need to run a kingdom. And if he’s concerned about securing his kingdom in the next few days, considering the werewolves have been on your land already...”
“I—” John rubbed his face. “Is this really what you want, Sarah?”
“Yes,” she said, looking him right in the eyes. “This is what I want. It’s just unfortunate timing.”
“There is perhaps not a good time for my father to perish,” he replied and she sighed.
“I’m sorry, my love. That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” he said. “I know. It’s just... not that I want to marry Hailey. But many would say she is very much like me. You and I are very different. It’s going to be more of a fight.”
“Yes,” she answered. “I know. But nothing worth doing is easy.”
“Alright, then,” he conceded. “Would you like to come with me?”
“Where?” she asked. “I was thinking about packing, since—”
“Sarah, if you’re going to live here and marry me, you can’t pack!” he cried and she realized how silly she had sounded.
“Right,” she said. “Well, I still have to finish the courses, don’t I? Otherwise, my argument about being qualified doesn’t exactly hold water.”
“We will sort that,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m sorry that this will be your introduction to my father, the Alpha. He is currently a shadow of himself.”