AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A tone rings from a hidden speaker and I look up to the ceiling. Suddenly, Liam’s voice fills the room and I realize he’s speaking on an intercom.
He’s talking to the whole school.
“Attention, Brimstone Academy. This is Liam Drake. Only son of King Alastor, King of the Kingdom of Keys. Here’s something you didn’t know. He’s not the rightful king. Because I’m not his blood heir. I’m adopted. And I’m half wolf shifter. So now you know. Alastor Drake is a fraud. He’s not fit to rule.”
My jaw drops open and my eyes widen as I stare at Liam.
Thiswas his plan?
Liam declared war on his father.
We’re all fucked now.
“Liam.” I run to him and grab the phone and slam it on the receiver. “What did you do? Why would you do that?”
“We’re out of options, Harper,” he says.
“No, we had time. We had until the end of the semester,” I say. “Liam, you have to get back on. Tell them you were messing around. Please.” I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to him.
“I got a message from my dad yesterday,” Liam says. “He’s on his way here. I don’t think he was going to give you any more time.”
“That’s not going to help me or you. All you did was piss him off,” I say.
He shakes his head. “My aunt is probably already on her way. She’s got spies everywhere. All the royals do. With any luck, she’ll get here before my dad and take him out for us.”
I don’t have a response to that. Of course, I want the king gone. I don’t want to end up serving him or giving him my magic. But a tiny part of me is conflicted. Liam might be adopted, but it is his father. And I know first hand how much even a terrible parent means to a kid.
“Liam, what did you do?” I whisper.
He walks around the desk and places his hands on my upper arms. “I’m protecting you. And getting my life back. You were right, I can’t be myself. That night in the woods, I saw you.”
I hold my breath. He’s never talked to me about that night when he was in his wolf form and I was starting to think maybe I’d made the whole thing up in my head.
“I was so afraid I was going to hurt you. I have no control in that form and the injury made me too weak to fight the change at the full moon. When I saw you, the demon side of me tried to gain control, but the wolf overpowered me. He was ready to attack you.”
“But you didn’t hurt me,” I say.
“No, because my wolf sensed his mate,” he says. “And then something amazing happened. We clicked. My wolf and my demon. The two halves of me connected and I fully knew what was happening. I had a say. We both did. The wolf and the demon working as one. That was because of you, Harper.”
“I just stood there,” I say.
“You trusted me,” he says. “You believed in me. And you loved me. I don’t even love myself. You changed everything. I want to be who I’m supposed to be. For you. With you.”
Tears sting my eyes. “I love you, Liam.”
He pulls me in for a hug. “I love you, Harper. And I’m not going to let my dad have you.”
