Stealing the Wolf Prince

by Elle Clouse

  “Mine too.” An old memory flashed through her mind, there and then gone again before she could focus on it. She sighed.

  “Rotten apples from the start,” Aisling said. Kiera noticed Lachlan and Connor had backed away from them for their little conversation. “Yes, go talk man talk. I have four brothers to chat with at any time. Only rarely does my dear cousin Caitlin visit now that we are grown. I’m so sick of talk of the hunt or of weapons when I am not meant to learn either.”

  Kiera smiled. They were going to get along just fine. “We will just have to stick together to make sure these men know how it really is.”

  They had reached an understanding.

  “I hear that you play chess,” Connor said, cutting into their conversation from across the room.

  “I do.” Kiera gave Lachlan a playful glance for outing her love of the game. “I assume you are asking for a friendly game?”

  Connor feigned surprise. “Why, of course.” Kiera glanced at the chess table and wasn’t surprised to see that Lachlan had already set the game up.

  “Careful,” Aisling said. “My brother cheats.”

  Kiera took her place on the white side of the board and waited for Connor to sit as well.

  “I don’t see why you bother playing me when Lachlan is better than I am,” she said as she moved her first pawn forward two spaces.

  “I can’t beat him either at this game.” Connor glanced up with a raise brow at Lachlan. “But the winner does need to play Lachlan. So don’t take it easy on me.”

  “Never fear. I don’t coddle people.”

  The game progressed with increasing speed. Pawns fell and were removed to the side of the table. Then a bishop, a rook, a knight. Finally, only a handful of pieces remained, and Kiera’s queen was backed into a corner. She tipped it with a sigh while Connor laughed. Aisling mouthed the word cheater behind her brother’s back, making Kiera smile.

  “Lachlan will avenge me.” Kiera watched Lachlan pick up the white pieces and begin setting each on its home square. In response he smiled at her, eyes crinkling up in the way she found so endearing. She took the opportunity to rise from the table. Aisling found the wine and poured them all a goblet of Merlot.

  “Now to business.” Lachlan motioned for Kiera to take a seat near the hearth. Aisling pressed a goblet into each person's hand, then joined her. “The next few weeks will be rather busy for all of us. The coronation is in two weeks. Within that time we will have more dignitaries arriving, and I’m certain my brothers will make more attempts to prevent the event.”

  Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.

  “They will try to gather their supporters here too,” Lachlan continued, swishing the wine around in his goblet, “but they have been mistreating everyone from scullery maid to visiting dignitary. They might feel their control slipping and get desperate.”

  “This should make things more interesting, then.” Connor wrinkled his nose. “Life with you was always more interesting.”

  Kiera frowned at the idea of more plots by the brothers.

  Connor caught her scowl. With a wink, he turned to Lachlan and said, “Remember when Lord Dubhan’s horse got spooked during the last hunt?”

  “That was fifteen years ago. You are still going to dredge that up?” Lachlan laughed.

  “What’s this about?” Kiera was more interested in hearing about Lachlan’s life before his imprisonment.

  “The damn horse ran off with all our gear before I could unpack it,” he explained in response to Kiera’s quizzical look. “We had to hunt the horse down, and by that time it had caused so much of a ruckus, all the game had fled.”

  Kiera tried to think of a young Lachlan on a hunt with the lords but could only see the strong, determined man before her. Connor was not done with rehashing their childhood, though. Kiera found herself listening to tales of Lachlan’s tomfoolery for the better part of an hour. After a while, she wondered if he had changed the topic on purpose to lighten the mood. If so, he was a craftier man than she’d first thought.

  Their conversation wound on until the last of the wine passed Connor’s lips. Lachlan glanced at the empty bottle, then stood and placed a hand on Kiera’s shoulder. “Thank you for coming, Connor and Aisling.”

  “You are welcome.” Connor stood and set his empty goblet aside. Aisling had been yawning for the last half hour without bothering to cover her mouth. He motioned for her to rise. “Good night, Kiera, Lachlan.”

  Kiera turned as Connor shut the parlor door and found Lachlan’s ethereal blue gaze on her. He knelt and grabbed her hands, then pressed his lips to her palms. Her heart fluttered.

  “Kiera, I have known since I first saw you that you were the one meant for me. Even when we were children. I don’t know why fate chose to separate us when it did, but we are together now and I want to keep you by my side.” Lachlan paused and reached into his pocket. “I know it’s not traditional to give a ring, but I want you to always have something of me with you if you will accept me as your husband.”

  Lachlan slid a silver ring set with an opalescent crystal onto her finger. Simple, but beautiful, it fit her perfectly.

  Kiera couldn’t speak. She nodded and threw herself into his arms, then giggled as he stood, lifting her with him, and held her close.

  When her feet finally touched the ground, she looked up and melted into his kiss. Bliss rushed through her, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, tingling and delightful. She never wanted it to end. It was as if heaven had descended upon her. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer, and he clasped her tightly to his chest.

  Someone cleared their throat.

  Lachlan looked up, releasing her from the kiss, but maintained his embrace. Kiera turned her head, irritated at the interruption.

  “What is it, Flann?” The gruffness of Lachlan’s voice surprised her.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesties,” Flann said, “but your father is asking for you, urgently.”

  Lachlan looked down at Kiera, and gave her one last kiss before releasing her to stand on her own. He kept her hand in his as Flann led them toward the king’s room.

  Kiera clung to Lachlan’s arm. Most people would be asleep at this time of night, but her heart was racing too fast from Lachlan’s kiss to feel tired. She hadn’t seen the king since her first dinner at the castle with Ian and Ayden when she was posing as Princess Fedelma. There would be some explaining to do. She trusted in Lachlan, though. He wouldn’t put her in a compromising position.

  Kiera didn’t have a lot of time to think about it, though; King Roudri’s quarters were a lot closer than she’d realized.

  The room was much larger than Lachlan’s and dark, lit only by one candelabrum and the fire. In the center was a huge canopy bed. The curtains were drawn on all sides but one, where two chairs stood waiting.

  Lachlan and Kiera sat. The king lay in bed, his chest barely rising and falling. He looked as though he was asleep.

  “Father,” Lachlan whispered. The king startled awake. He looked at them both, shaken at first, but then he smiled.

  “I wanted to talk to you. It is good that you two are here.” He took a few moments to catch his breath. “I am not going to make it much longer, I fear. I don’t think I will see your coronation. I wanted you to know that I feel the kingdom will be in good hands with you and Kiera.”

  Kiera bit back a sigh of relief when she realized that he knew her actual identity. Roudri didn’t seem angered by her attempted deceit.

  “Don’t let your brothers spoil it for you. They will try to take it from you. As king, you will have to make decisions that will be hard, but you need to keep the interests of the kingdom at heart.”

  “Yes, Father.” Lachlan took his hand. “I will make you proud.”

  A smile touched the king’s face. “You already have.” His hand shook. “Love her,” he breathed. “Love her better than yourself, and you will be truly happy.”

  Tears spilled down Lachlan�
�s cheeks as his father took his last breath. The King of Cearbhall passed on with a smile on his face. No one could have asked for a more peaceful way for a beloved king and father to go.

  Lachlan looked toward the foot of the bed where Flann stood, pale with grief but very reserved. They sat there, mourning in their own ways for several minutes.

  At last, Flann stood and said, “King Roudri is dead, long live the king.”

  He went to the doors. In walked Connor, Aisling, and the three younger cousins. They must have been waiting in the hall. They kneeled at the king’s side and began to weep.

  LACHLAN LOOKED AT HIS five cousins and his fiancée. This was what remained of his family, then. His brothers did not count, despite being related by blood. They had alienated themselves with their own misdeeds, and they were no longer kin. Nothing more than traitors who needed to be dealt with.

  Flann disappeared, no doubt to set about preparing for a royal funeral. Lachlan knew Flann had taken care of as much as he could while his father was still alive, but now final arrangements needed to be made: the announcements sent, the service planned, the plot prepared. Everything was happening too fast, his father’s death and his engagement to Kiera on the same night.

  Lachlan led Kiera back to their room and saw her to bed; she went without protest. He didn’t join her just yet. Instead he sought out Flann and helped with whatever he could. Anything to keep busy and his mind occupied.

  Chapter 15

  Melchir found Kiera in the main library the day before the funeral. “I am sorry to hear of your loss,” he said. “Roudri was a great man. Our nation had good relations with him, and he will be a missed ally. Although I have complete faith that Lachlan will maintain the tie of friendship.”

  “Thank you.” Kiera put down the ledger she had been studying. Lachlan had suggested she research the flow of money through the castle treasury, and in doing so, she was starting to glean what Ayden had done. She did not want to bother Lachlan with her findings until she had enough for a solid conviction, though. He had enough burdens right now with the funeral of his last surviving parent. Kiera knew well how that felt; she didn’t want to add to that load with circumstantial evidence.

  Kiera looked at the elf who had sired her and sighed. Although absent her whole life, he was here now and willing to reconnect. Could she be so heartless to snub her father while Lachlan’s mourned his?

  Melchir gestured to the ring on her finger. “When do you formally announce the betrothal?”

  “How did you know what this meant?” Kiera looked at the beautiful ring for the tenth time that day. A betrothal did not normally involve the giving of a gift to symbolize the impending union.

  “It is an Aosi tradition to give a ring like that to an intended bride.” Melchir took her hand to inspect the ring. “The pattern in the silver is Aosi indeed, and this stone can only be found in the mountains where our clan resides.” He looked very pleased, impressed even. “This is an exquisite stone. Lachlan really did his homework. You know, he asked for permission from both Brogan and myself to propose to you.”

  “I didn’t know,” Kiera said in astonishment. He had gone through all the proper channels, he had asked her guardian—the official and unofficial one—and researched the traditions of her new clan. She was so flattered she couldn’t think of anything to say.

  “You have chosen very well for yourself,” Melchir continued when she didn’t speak again. “And Lachlan is a very lucky man to have you.”

  “Thank you,” was all she could manage.

  “But I didn’t come here to talk about this. I have a gift for you.” From a pocket he pulled a small, leather-bound book with a silver-filigreed leaf on the cover. “This was your mother’s spell book when she was at the academy.”

  Kiera opened it. The pages were blank. She looked up, her expression quizzical.

  “The book itself is magic too,” Melchir explained. “You write whatever you want to keep on the pages, and it will recall it whenever you need it. So if your mother were to open it intending to cast a certain spell, it would show it to her. But since it is now yours, it will only show you things that you have entered.”

  All her mother’s spells and notes were still in the book even though she couldn’t get to any of them. It was a bittersweet gift, but it meant a lot to her. She hadn’t been able to save anything of her mother’s when she had passed away. Now she had her necklace and her spell book. She finally had mementos to keep.

  “Thank you. I will cherish this always.” She gave Melchir a brief hug, startling the elf. “Too bad I am not a magician.”

  “But you can be, if you want to,” Melchir said. “You will have complete access to all the resources in the academy library. And as my daughter, you can request books to be lent to you and sent here. I took the liberty of borrowing this on your behalf, should you wish to study as your mother did.”

  He handed her another larger book with an archaic symbol stamped into the green leather cover. Kiera opened it. The characters on the inside of the book were foreign to her. “I can’t read Aosi.” She had obviously left the elves before she could have learned to read and write their language. It seemed she could only understand it when spoken.

  Melchir waved his hand over the book and said a word. All the writing changed to her language.

  Kiera smiled. “You’ll have to teach me that.” Magic Fundamentals, Volume One, the title read.

  “Now, I trust that you won’t try any spells without proper guidance or precaution,” Melchir warned. “Your mother was very quick to pick things up, and I assume you got her gift. This is something that will keep you busy for a while, after you are done reorganizing this library.”

  She grimaced. “This library is in piss-poor shape. It’s almost so bad that I want to cry when I think about it.”

  “Then they are lucky to have you here,” Melchir said. “Another thing. There is also the issue of the last spell your mother cast to make you forget your past. We can lift it at any moment, if you would like. You need only ask.”

  Kiera hadn’t forgotten about the supposed spell. She just wasn’t sure she believed her mother would do such a thing to her.

  Melchir seemed to interpret her silence as a dismissal and bowed, taking his leave.

  Kiera looked at the two books he had just given her. Her mother’s spell book and a book on magic fundamentals. She felt as though she had just been handed a free pass to intellectual happiness.

  BROGAN FOUND HIS COUSIN early that evening in her shared suite, poring over a book by lamplight. It was not an unusual sight at all. She looked up and smiled when he approached, looking like her usual self. The stress of castle intrigues didn’t seem to be affecting her countenance.

  “Lachlan said I’d find you here.” He took the chair across from Kiera as she placed a marker on her page and closed her book. “What are you reading?”

  “Melchir gave me a book on magic.” The giddiness in her expression was hard to miss. “And my mother’s spell book, although it’s blank.”

  “So you are going to try to master magic now?” The thought amused him, but he already knew her answer. “What is this about a spell your mother cast on you?”

  She scowled. “Have you been talking to Melchir?”

  “Ardhor, actually. That half-brother of yours isn’t half-bad.” He smiled. “And he is one of the only nobility in this castle who will associate with me, aside from Lachlan. Lachlan cleared us of any treason charges for impersonating royalty, by the way, but I think people are sour over the prank. They have to accept his edict as law, but no one likes being lied to.”

  “No, they don’t. Just like no one likes being magicked against their will.”

  “The spell doesn’t surprise me, Kiera. Your mother was always enchanting things or willing things to go our way. She thought she was secretive about it, but I caught on. My father won a few too many bets for it just to be luck on his side.”

  The blank look on Kiera’s face tol
d him that she didn’t remember any of it, but it was all still vivid in Brogan’s memory. Their life had become exponentially more difficult after Fiona died. His father had been in the habit of saying that their luck had run out, but Brogan knew better. It wasn’t luck, it was Fiona’s spells running out.

  He said, “I think that you should let Ardhor remove the spell.”

  Kiera looked away. “I have no real proof that the spell is there.”

  Brogan sighed. It was their word against hers, and she would of course be inclined to believe what she thought to be true.

  “Do you remember,” he started, “when those debt collectors came for my father in the dead of winter? They forced their way through the door, beat my father mercilessly, and tipped over the lanterns, leaving the place to burn?” Brogan watched her nod. They had both been too young to do anything and had huddled in the corner as the horror unfolded before them. It should have served as a wakeup call to his father, but old habits died hard with him. “How did we survive?”

  “We... My mother... She...” She shook her head, then rubbed her temples. “I can’t recall. I remember watching those men knock over the lanterns and the drapes catching on fire... But I can’t remember how the entire house didn’t burn down. It’s just...a blank.”

  “Your mother arrived moments after those thugs left. She got us out and dragged my father out by his boots. Then she chanted something, made a hand motion, and I felt all the air rush out of the house at once. The fire died out when the air was gone. Your mother said that she snuffed the fires out, but she didn’t say more than that.”

  Kiera’s expression remained blank. “I don’t remember any of that. I just remember being outside after the fire was out.” She set the book aside at last. Finally, she sighed. “I’ll talk to Ardhor soon. I don’t like these holes in my memories.”

  Brogan nodded. “I think that will be for the best. Even though our childhood wasn’t the most traditional or safe, I learned a lot from my gambling-addicted father and my odd, flamboyant aunt.”