I panted, wiping my wet hair off my forehead as I surveyed the space. Shrubs and weeds had reclaimed the floor, growing from the dirty cracks in the paving stones. Cobwebs covered the ceiling and only a few scraps of wood remained.
“What is this place?” I released Grae’s hand and ventured further into the room. I held out my hands in front of me as I walked, my eyes working to see through the gloom.
“A ruin of some sort,” Grae breathed, wiping a hand down his wet face. “A human temple maybe?”
He followed after me as I found my way to a curving stairwell. Rivers of water ran down the moss-covered steps, the heavy rain misted from the caved-in ceiling to the right. I got up two stairs before Grae caught my hand.
“I feel like one misstep and this entire thing will crumble,” he said, pulling me down a stair so that I was the same height as him.
I slid my hands up his chest and around his neck. Fingers dipping into his drenched hair, I laughed. “You might as well have jumped into a lake.”
“I was lured into the rain by this beautiful creature. It’s not my fault I was bewitched.” His hands slipped between the folds of my cloak and circled my waist.
“I wanted to be alone with you,” I whispered.
His lips found mine, enveloping me in a warm, soft kiss. His mouth skimmed up to my ear. “This is far from the crackling fire and a warm bed I’d imagined for our first time together.”
“What is this wolfish obsession with firsts?” I rolled my eyes. “The third time can be in a nice warm bed, or the fifth.” Grae’s lips twisted into a wicked smirk. I waved a hand up and down my tunic and leathers. “Do I look like some dainty, soft-hearted damsel?”
“No.” He took a step closer, his cloak brushing against the fabric of my tunic. His breath danced across my cheek as he leaned into me. I sucked in a sharp breath as his teeth tested the flesh below my ear. “You look like my mate.”
“If we waited for everything to be perfect, we might never have each other.” My fingernails pressed into his neck. “Besides, we are Wolves. We don’t need fires and beds.”
Grae responded with his tongue replacing his teeth, making me arch my head back further.
“I knew I shouldn’t have given you that little taste,” he murmured, his hot breath in my ear making my skin ripple with goosebumps. “Now you’re ravenous.”
“Yes,” I groaned through clenched teeth. The rain poured so loud throughout the cavernous space, I was certain no one could hear me.
“What do you want, mischievous little fox?” Grae’s hand strayed from my hip, moving around to cup my ass. “Tell me and I’ll give it to you.”
“I want you.” My lips parted as I panted, “I want you inside of me.”
Grae groaned as his fingers pressed in tighter and then he released me. His hands made quick work of unclasping his cloak and he threw it down on the stairs behind me. I grinned as he hastened to unclasp mine and did the same, layering the stone steps in our thick wool cloaks.
“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to hear that,” he growled.
His lips crashed into mine, pulling my bottom lip between his teeth and sucking until I moaned. He guided me backward and I perched myself on the crumbling stone steps. Grae prowled over me, holding himself up as his hips nestled between my thighs. The friction of our leathers made me squirm, and he tilted his hips, rubbing his hard length against me even more directly. I already felt so light that I might’ve tipped over the edge from anticipation alone.
“Since the moment you crashed into me in Allesdale,” he groaned, rocking against me as his teeth found my neck again, “I’ve been wanting to claim you as mine in every way. You’d claimed my heart so many years before that, but it was then that I knew for certain. You are mine.”
My tongue slid against his in a hot, deep kiss. My hips matched his rhythm as I chased that throbbing desire building within me.
“And you are mine.”
He took my hand and put it against his erection straining against his trousers. “Is this what you want, little fox?” Grae’s voice was low and husky.
“Enough teasing,” I growled against his mouth, giving a squeeze to show he wasn’t the only one in control. “Take your clothes off.”
Grae sucked in a breath. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
I fumbled with the buttons of my trousers as Grae unbuckled his belt.
“Grae!” a voice boomed through the darkness.
Our hands both stilled. It was Hector.
“Fucking Gods,” Grae muttered, dropping his head. “I’ll gut him myself.”
“Grae!” Hector screamed again, and the panic in his voice sobered us. “They’ve taken her.”
I snatched the cloaks as Grae ran to the sound of Hector’s voice. “Taken who?”
“Sadie and Navin, they’ve taken her and—”
“The Rooks?”
“No,” Hector wheezed, bending over and sucking in heavy breaths. “Silver Wolves.”
“Shit,” I spat. “Do you think Queen Ingrid lied to us about what she told them?”
“I don’t know.” Grae shook his head, turning back to Hector. “Where have they taken them?”
“I heard her screaming,” he rasped, his eyes wide and haunted. “They were headed west toward the other side of town. I think they’re still here looking for us.”
“We need to get back to the wagon and get our weapons,” I said, already moving toward the crumbled entryway. “We’re going to have to kill them.”
Hector and Grae’s footsteps halted.
“You know it’s true.” I whirled on them. “They took Sadie! If they return without us, they will be killed for failing. If they return with us, we will be killed. Do you see any other way?”
The two of them looked at each other, knowing I spoke the truth.
“I know it’s your pack—”
“This is our pack now,” Hector cut in. “Sadie and I chose you, Calla.” He stepped in front of me, stalling my movement. “Which is why you should stay behind.”
“Absolutely not,” I scoffed, shoving him to the side.
They followed me into the rain.
“You’re the future queen,” Hector shouted, darting after me. “You’re the future for all of us. Let Grae and me go.”
I whirled back at him, pointing my finger into his face. “Firstly, Grae is my mate and if he is killed, I die, too,” I shouted, watching Hector retreat a step at the force of my words. “Secondly, Sadie pledged her sword to me and I refuse to sit back when I know I could fight. This is the queen I’m going to be, Hector. This is the future you signed up for. Get used to it.”
I felt the claiming in those words—a sudden clarity of who I was, of who I wanted to be. I was going to be at the front of the pack, not hiding behind it. I would lead with my kingdom, not rule over them. Splashing through the sodden streets, I dashed back toward the wagon. This was what I wanted out of life, and I was finally stubborn enough to take it.
We stormed into the wagon and toward the bunks, not stopping as the others stared at us. I grabbed my dagger, riffling in my pack for my belt.
“Esh,” Malou cursed, looking us up and down.
“What is going on?” Ora rose from the couch. “Is everyone okay?”
“We can handle it,” Hector said, strapping a belt of knives to his thigh.