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The magic inherent in all wolves that binds our animal and human forms was still there. My wolf was still there. I felt her presence in my mind, but no matter how many times I tried, she refused to answer my call.
Whatever drugs the guards had given me did more than knock me out. They incapacitated my wolf. I’d been stripped of my ability to heal and defend myself.
The Deofol pack had taken my wolf and my mate from me. They’d taken everything, left me broken and at their mercy.
And the mercy of their demon wolf god.
“Oh, good. You’re awake.” Valerie strolled in the room with an arm full of towels and what appeared to be beauty products. “We need to get you ready for your big day and, I hate to say it, but we do have our work cut out for ourselves.”
“Where is my mate?” I needed to see his body, see for myself that he was truly gone.
One more loved one with no place to mark their life and death except the scar they left on my heart.
“He’s waiting for you, Talia.” Valerie set the stack of towels on a chaise lounge and piled the products beside them. “Which is why we need to get you prepared for the blessing ritual and then the mating ceremony.”
For a moment I thought she was talking about Galen and my heart leapt, only to shatter all over again when I realized she was talking about her god.
“I won’t marry him. I won’t.” I pushed to my feet and stood my ground as best as I could on wobbly legs. “You can force me to stand at an altar, but I will never say the words. I’ll cut out my tongue first.”
“Oh please, don’t be so dramatic.” Valerie disappeared behind a door on the opposite side of the room and returned a moment later, the sound of rushing water following her. “I’m drawing you a bath. A nice long soak will do you a world of good.”
“You’re delusional.” I rushed to the door, rattled the doorknob and pounded my fist against the wooden panels. “I will never stop trying to escape. Never, do you hear me?”
“It’s just a bubble bath, Talia. There’s no one waiting in the bathroom to perform a wedding ceremony, I promise you.” Valerie sighed and collected the bottles of shampoo and conditioner. “I understand how overwhelmed you are with your new role and responsibility. If I could switch places with you I would, but the demon wolf god did not choose me.”
“I chose my mate, Valerie.” I clutched the doorknob, holding on for dear life, as my world dropped out from under me. “My heart, my soul, belongs to Galen.”
“A queen is allowed her consorts, Talia. Think about that before you throw your life away. As a consort you have no rights, no power, but all that changes when you wear the crown.” She turned on her heel and walked into the bathroom.
“I don’t want consorts.” I marched after her, furious that she would suggest I take another wolf as a lover. “I want Galen. You’ve taken him from me, just like you’ve taken everything else.”
“We separated the two of you after your last escape attempt. Surely, even you can understand that. You act like we killed him in cold blood.” She ran her hand through the cloud of bubbles floating on the surface of the bath water, and glanced over her shoulder.” Wait, you thought he was dead?”
“Of course I thought he was dead. I can’t feel him through our pack bond anymore.” Still, I dared to hope that she was telling the truth about Galen. “The last time I saw him he was lying in a pool of his own blood.”
“I can’t speak for the alpha’s plans for him, but as of now Galen Long Claw is still alive.”
My heart raced at the news that he wasn’t dead, but after everything Valerie had done, I couldn’t trust her.
“Take me to him.” I wanted proof of life and the only proof that I would accept was seeing him with my own eyes.
“And if I do that, if I take you to him, what are you willing to do for me?” She flicked the water in the tub, splashing it onto the marble tile tub surround.
I stripped out of my clothes, stepped over the side of the soaker tub and sank into the steamy water.
“There’s a good girl. Lean your head back.” Valerie raised a white porcelain pitcher and poured water over my head, soaking my hair. “What do you know about our god?”
“Nothing.” It didn’t cost me anything to admit I was ignorant of their ways.
My mother went rogue and ran away from the Deofol pack. That told me all that I needed to know.
“He is a benevolent god, Talia. He will treat you like the goddess you are.” Valerie squeezed a puddle of shampoo, that smelled of rosehip and bergamot, into her hand and lathered it into my hair.
“He cursed witches, attacked innocent people and wolves. You call that benevolent? I think we have very different definitions of what that word means.” I swiped the back of my hand against my forehead to stop a trail of bubbles from reaching my eyes.
“No wonder you’re so resistant to marriage. That couldn’t be further from the truth.” Valerie refilled the pitcher from the faucet and rinsed the shampoo from my hair. “Our god isn’t the one responsible for the curses or the attacks. His wife is.”
“His wife?” I rounded on her, sending a wave of bathwater splashing over the side of the tub. “He’s already mated? Why would he take another?”
