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“Did you know the wolf was coming for you?” the queen asks, not seeming to notice my silent communication with Atlas.
Keeping my gaze on Atlas, I narrow my eyes as I firmly answer, “No.”
“How did he find you?” Irritation enters the queen’s voice, and I can’t tell if that’s because of my one-word answers or because she no longer has my full attention.
“I don’t know.” Breaking my stare with Atlas, I shift my gaze back to the queen in time to watch her scoff.
“I find that hard to believe.” Leaning forward, she rests a hand on the arm of the couch, her fingers tapping against it with pent-up agitation. “He’s your mate, you can sense his feelings, can you not?”
It feels like I’m in dangerous territory with this line of questioning. Her query feels as though she’s trying to get more information out of me and confirm that Synismy mate. Does she intend to use it against me, or is it for the safety of Haven? My gut is telling me that it’s probably a mixture of both.
Realising I’m going to have to give her more information whether I like it or not, I grimace. “Not with the block you’ve placed over me. I have no idea how he got around it and found me.” Hoping that my sincerity shines through, I shake my head. “Syn is different…” I’m about to mention the darkness he sometimes summons that makes him stand apart from the others, but I get a warning tingle in my gut. I glance over at Ivar, and he shakes his head. The movement is miniscule, and I have no idea how he knows what I was thinking, but it tells me everything I need to know—the queendoesn’t know about Syn’s strange magic.
“There’s something wrong with Syn,” I correct, hoping she’ll miss my slip-up as she assumes I’m talking about his maddened state and not about his darkness. The queen looks down on all werewolves, so I’m pretty sure she would never suspect that he has his own type of magic. Besides, everything I’m saying is the truth, so I can’t be punished for lying. “It’s like he’s got the sickness,” I continue, “only this is different.”
The queen turns to her dark witch for confirmation, and I release a long, quiet breath of relief as Ivar dips his head. This should comfort the queen, but if anything, she seems more annoyed.
“Did you plan to run away?” The question is practically barked at me, and I have to hold back my smile as I give my simple answer.
“No.”
That small burst of humour quickly disappears as Ivar clears his throat. I should have known better than to feel smug, as it’s now biting me in the ass. All attention turns to the dark witch, the queen’s head whipping around so fast I almost miss the movement.
“She speaks the truth, but it tastes… off,” Ivar says, his expression never changing. “There is something she’s not saying.”
While I have an understanding with Ivar, I can’t ever forget that his first loyalty lies with the queen, nor how powerful his gift is. I had no idea he could tell if someone was lying by omission.
Sighing, I rub my hands across my face, trying to decide how to word my answer without getting any of us killed. “I didn’t plan to run away with him, but I would have if I had the opportunity and if it weren’t for Nicolai.” I probably shouldn’t let her know how much power she has over me with my mates, but I know there’s no point in lying. She already knows that I’d never leave without Nicolai, so I’m not giving much away, just confirming her suspicions.
“I see.” Pursing her lips, she rests her chin on her hand with a thoughtful expression. “Is there any chance that he could have been followed here?”
“I don’t think so, but I can’t guarantee it.” I hate every word that comes out of my mouth, knowing that I’m just giving her a reason not to trust Syn.
She looks at Ivar, confirming my words, and then over at Atlas. “Double the watch and make sure the shields are up,” she snaps, the order sharp and biting. “I want to know how he got through our strongest shields.”
Atlas bows his head, accepting both her order and her ire as though it’s his fault all of this happened. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Guilt flickers inside me as I think of Atlas getting in trouble because of my actions. I hadn’t thought about that, my mind so focused on Syn, but now I can’t stop being afraid that he’s going to get punished. That awakens the darkness inside me, filling me with her dark rage.If they hurt him or any of our mates, they will experience my wrath, it whispers seductively, wanting me to embrace the madness.
That snaps me back to reality pretty quickly. I can’t afford to do anything that could jeopardise the safety of my mates. Swallowing the lump in the back of my throat, I meet the queen’s gaze.
“What’s going to happen to my mate now?” I voice the question I’ve been both desperate to ask, but also dreading the answer to.
“He’s my prisoner,” she replies evenly, but she either can’t hold back her small smile at this thought or doesn’t bother to try. “I need to consult my court before I decide what to do with him. Usually, we would kill any werewolf who dares come so close.”
My heart feels like it stops in my chest, my whole body going cold.They wouldn’t kill him. They can’t. They know it would kill me. She’s just saying this to wind me up, I tell myself, and while I know that’s true, it doesn’t stop the panic spiral I’m beginning to slide down as the silence seems to stretch between us.
“Obviously we can’t do that in this case,” she finally says, gesturing to me with a flippant wave of her hand. Her eyes glisten with mirth. She knows exactly what she did, enjoying every second of my silent agony.
Clucking her tongue, she tilts her head to one side. “Speaking of court, we need to introduce you to court life now that you’re staying with us. You will attend with me tomorrow.”
I frown in confusion, firstly at the sudden change of topic, but also due to one word in particular. “Staying?”
Our agreement had always been that I would learn to control my magic and then I could leave Haven if I wanted to. I’ve never mentioned staying here long term, and that’s exactly what it sounds like she’s saying. She’s wanted me to stay from the start and has been trying to convince me, but my mind is made up more than ever. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible, unharmed and with my mates.
I see the exact moment that I fall into her trap, her smug expression returning as she runs her tongue over her bottom lip. “Three of your mates are here. I have two of your mates locked up, one of which will never be able to leave because he knows the location of Haven and can somehow get through our shields.” Fake surprise coats her words, her brows raised. “I assume that meant you’d be staying with us.”
Horrified awareness hits me as I realise she’s right. There’s no way I’m leaving without them, meaning that for as long as the queen has control over Syn and Nicolai, I won’t be going anywhere.
