“Oh, have we started?” I say with a grin.
The excitement on his face drops as I slowly turn the tides, giving him a taste of my true strength.
“Go ahead,” I say with a nod. “Use your other hand too.”
He flashes me a look of annoyance, but as his hand continues to move backwards, he jumps in with his other hand.
This man could have twelve hands and I’d still beat him easily. I give him another few seconds of panic before I tap the back of his hand onto the crate.
Everyone cheers. They’ve been losing to this cocky man for years.
“I let him win,” Valther says, rubbing his hand as he gets up. “I didn’t need no wolf army after me.”
“Suuuure,” Edrik says, laughing. “Guys, helethim win.”
“Shut up, you rat,” Valther says, chasing after him.
We all laugh as we watch Valther trying to catch him. Edrik is fast and as slippery as a florna eel. He zips around the ropes and up the mast with ease as Valther stomps around underneath, cursing him.
Calista walks over and slides her arm around my hips. Just the smell of her is enough to make my legs go weak. She’s so incredible. Some days, I just sit on the bow and watch her work. I love seeing her commanding the men, breaking up arguments, dishing out orders. She’s the most entertaining thing I’ve ever seen. I could watch her forever. She’s so tough and ballsy and doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s going to be an extraordinary queen.
I have no doubt that my people will still be singing about Queen Calista in two hundred years. There will be statues of her all over the Stormfur kingdom and tales told to little pups about her bravery and her indomitable will.
I couldn’t have found a better mate.
“I think my entire crew have man-crushes on you,” she whispers.
I laugh. “What makes you say that?” Although when I look around, eyes that were on me suddenly dart away.
“Trust me,” she says. “They do. They argue about everything. What to eat, where to fish, the best way to drop the net—but when I told them we were heading for the Stormfur Realm to drop off the next Wolf King, none of them argued. They’re all excited. They look at you like you’re a god.”
“That’s how they think of you,” I tell her. “I hear how they talk about you when you’re not around. They look up to you as well.”
“I guess we’ll make a good team,” she says, sliding her hand down to my ass. I have to grab her wrist and pull her hand away. It’s not the full moon yet and the rules are clear. We have to wait no matter how much it pains us.
And it’s been a lot of pain.
Four days and nights of torture. There’s nothing I want more than to strip this woman bare and ravage her, but I can’t. I have to look past the short-term hunger to the long-term pleasure. I want my mark on her neck to be set by the gods. I want us to be mates forever. I must endure.
“You’re no fun,” she whispers, winking at me.
“Wait until the full moon,” I growl. “You’ll see how much fun I am.”
She shivers. “Can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.”
Although it’s not so simple. We’re scheduled to arrive on shore the day of the crowning ceremony. I’ll have to defeat my cousin and any of the wolves who he brought over to his side.
It will be a dangerous affair. I’m terrified of bringing Calista into such a deadly environment.
“Maybe you should just drop me off,” I tell her as we walk to the edge of the boat, watching the vast ocean. “Sail away with your crew and come back at the next full moon when I can ensure that it’s safe.”
“No freaking way,” she says, adamant and stubborn as always. “I’m not leaving you. We’re in this together.”
I knew she would say that.
And that’s why she’s perfect.
