His eyes meet mine. They’re shining in the candlelight. “Thank you. Although, I haven’t been smiling very much in the past two decades.”
I lift up my wine and smile shyly at him. “I guess we’ll have to change that.”
He smiles and it makes my whole body fill with warmth.
The royal servants bring the food, setting it down in a dramatic fashion. I’m in awe of all of the meat, vegetables, and dinner rolls on the table. It’s enough to feed half my village. I’mthinking they made a mistake until I look over at my dinner companion and once again, marvel at the size of him.
I keep peppering Alaric with questions as we begin eating, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I keep getting the sense that he’s very intrigued by me. Like he can’t wait to hear the next thing to come out of my mouth.
I try to lighten the mood and get this serious man smiling, so I switch to some silly questions.
“Has anyone ever fainted in front of you? I feel like the answer is yes.”
He chuckles. “Many times.”
“Oh man,” I say, laughing. “I know I shouldn’t laugh, but I can totally see that. You look so intimidating with that crown on. Do you practice looking intimidating, or does it just happen naturally?”
His mouth curls up in a grin.
“You totally practice it!”
He shakes his head and laughs low. “When I first got the crown?—”
“Iknewit!”
“—Imayhave practiced it once. Or twice.”
“Or a hundred times,” I say, giggling.
“No more than ten.”
I point at him as we both crack up. “Well, you’re a professional now!”
It’s not just me asking the questions. He asks me all about my life in the village, my personal history, and my candle-making business. He leans forward and listens attentively, asking me follow-up questions and listening like he can’t get enough of the words coming out of my mouth.
He runs a whole kingdom and I run a tiny candle-making operation at the village fair, but he makes me feel like it’s the most amazing thing in the world.
Alaric eats an incredible amount of food as we talk. I finishwaybefore him, but I don’t mind. We’re having a great conversation and I like watching him eat. I can’t get enough of the sight of that big, masculine jaw chewing.
The servants take away the dishes when he’s finally done, refill our wine, and then bring us dessert—a delicious warm berry pie that makes my toes curl when I have the first bite.
“Can I ask you something?” I say softly between licks of my fork.
He nods. “You can ask me anything.”
“What happened to your wolf?” I ask. “You said you nearly lost him to grief? What does that mean? How do you lose him if he’s inside you?”
Alaric lowers his gaze to the table and I notice his breathing becomes slower and heavier. When he speaks, his voice is quieter, like he’s letting me see him at his most vulnerable.
“He went silent,” he says sadly. “Over the past year, I just… I stopped feeling him at all. No pull during the full moon. No instinct. No growls or howls. Just… emptiness.”
I reach across the table without thinking and place my hand over his.
“It’s been horrible,” he whispers. “A Wolf King cannot rule a pack without his wolf. Shifters would instinctively rebel. It would be unnatural for them. Over the past few weeks, I could feel the whispers starting. They were beginning to doubt me. I feared the rebellions were about to commence. And I had nothing to fight them with.”
My heart aches.
“My whole kingdom would have been in ruins. Packs fighting packs. No one would have been safe.”
