And the Wolf King, my mate, this amazing man, would have been the first one killed. I shudder at the thought.
“And now…” I say, afraid to ask. “Is he back?”
Alaric’s shoulders rise as if he can feel the power within. He smiles as his eyes fill with pride.
“He is,” he says confidently. “Youbrought him back. The moment I scented you, it was like he roared awake. Like he’d been lying in grief waiting for his mate all this time, and once you appeared, the nightmare was over.”
My cheeks blush shyly. I can’t believe I brought his wolf back to life. I can’t believe any of this is happening.
“Have you let him out?” I ask, replaying the day in my head. Has he had time to release his wolf? I don’t think so…
“Not yet,” he says. “I wanted to get ready for our dinner.”
I jump up from the table so fast and hard my chair screeches across the floor. “Let’s go now.”
“Now?” he says, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” I say with my pulse racing. “I want to see him. He won’t hurt me, will he?”
“Never,” he says fiercely. “He would die to protect you.”
“Then let’s go outside,” I say, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. “Your wolf has waited all this time to meet me. Let’s not make him wait a second longer.”
Alaric grins as he lets me pull him up to his feet.
“Very well,” he says, following me to the door. “Be prepared for a lot of licking.”
Chapter Eight
King Alaric
As soon as I step outside, my wolf is bursting to get out.
He’s charging and clawing and snarling in my ear, more excited than I’ve ever felt him.
He feels like the wolf of my youth with more energy than he can possibly burn as he slams against the inside of my skin like a battering ram, all muscle and instinct and feral impatience, rattling my bones with his power.
I stumble onto the grass, trying to leave Morwen a safe distance behind me. I know my wolf would never hurt her, but he’s so amped up with adrenaline and excitement that I’m worried he may hurt her accidentally. My chest tightens with the effort of keeping him contained, every breath a battle, every step an act of restraint. It feels like trying to hold back a charging beast with nothing but willpower and pride—and both are wearing thin.
“Stay back,” I warn my mate, my voice coming out monstrous from being so close to a shift.
She stays close to the castle entrance as I stumble forward, trying to get as far from her as possible before this beast breaks loose from my skin.
Be careful around her, I warn him as I yank off clothes and kick off boots.
He answers with a low, possessive rumble that vibrates through my ribs. My arms and chest begin to swell. My canine teethacheas they lengthen and sharpen. Heat builds in my ballooning muscles, my skin tightens and stretches to the point of tearing.
It’s a sweet pain. An addictive pain. A pain that I’ve missed…
I haven’t felt power like this in so long.
A smile hits my lips as he explodes out of me with a roar and I’m pulled into the darkness.
The outside world sharpens, each sense heightening with intensity as I’m suddenly experiencing the world as a wolf. The very ground feels different beneath my paws. I cantastethe air. I can smell the animals who passed through the forest earlier today, the dew in the grass from this morning, the moss on the stone wall. But overpowering and all-consuming is my mate’s sacred scent.
My wolf turns and looks at her, grumbling low and possessively as he takes a step toward her.
No, I bark at him.Not yet. Release some energy first.
