How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days (The Embraced #1)

She followed, her face pale, but her chin lifted with determination. Brody dashed in before the door shut. Three guards remained outside in the gallery, while the other three came inside. Brody sniffed at them, and the captain nudged him aside.

There were already five dogs in the room, so no one objected to Brody’s presence. But it seemed odd to Leo that the king’s dogs were hovering by the door to his bedchamber. One of them whined and scratched at the door.

“You may speak,” Frederic grumbled.

“Your Majesty.” Leo bowed, and Luciana curtsied.

Frederic had aged since Leo had last seen him. There was more gray than red in his long hair and beard, and the skin around his eyes and jowls was puffy and gray. He sat at the head of a long table covered with platters of food.

The dogs approached him, snarling and growling.

“Hush!” He threw a ham bone in their midst, and they snapped at one another as they fought for the prize.

Apparently, Frederic had eaten his fill, for he tossed more food to the dogs. It was a statement, Leo realized. His uncle wanted them to know he’d rather share his food with dogs than with them.

Frederic scowled at him. “I hear you brought my son’s body.”

Leo bowed his head. “My sincere condolences.”

Frederic snorted. “As if Tedric’s death has saddened you in any way.”

“He was a good man—”

“He was a fool!” Frederic ripped a leg off a roasted chicken and threw it at his dogs. Brody circled the group of dogs, sniffing.

“He was too weak to be king.” Frederic took a long drink of wine, then slammed the goblet on the table as he glared at Leo. “I suppose you’ll do well enough. At least you know how to make people fear you, Beast that you are.”

“I would not wish to govern through fear,” Leo said.

“Then you are as big a fool as Tedric. If the people do not fear you, you will have chaos.” Frederic scoffed. “I should have killed you years ago.”

“You certainly tried,” Leo said drily.

Frederic barked a laugh, then gave Luciana a curious look. “So you’re the heiress of Vindalyn. I heard you were pretty.”

Luciana curtsied. “Your Majesty.”

Frederic gave Leo a sour look. “So you helped yourself to the duchy.”

“If I hadn’t, I feared my wife and the former duke would suffer some sort of accident,” Leo replied.

Frederic grabbed a knife off the table and threw it at Leo, but he dodged it with lightning speed. “You bastard. I ought to go ahead and kill you. With your freakish powers, you can never have children. Our line will perish.” With a smirk, he filled his goblet with more wine. “Perhaps I should bed the wench for you.”

Leo clenched his fists. “You will not.”

Luciana looped her arm through his. “We are truly man and wife. I am already with child.”

Leo stiffened with surprise and searched her eyes. Was she just saying that, or was it true?

She went up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

“She touches you and lives?” Frederic eyed him closely. “Then your power must be depleted. Guards! Arrest him! Arrest them both.”

Leo pushed Luciana behind him. “For what reason?” He pulled off his gloves as the guards drew their swords.

“Do I need a reason?” Frederic laughed. “How about this one? I’ll feel safer if you wait for my throne in the dungeons.”

Sparks sizzled around Leo’s fingers, and the guards halted their advance. “As you can see, my power is intact. I will decline your offer of hospitality, Uncle. If you have no wish to see me again, I will gladly return to the army or to Vindalyn with my wife.”

Brody suddenly barked and snapped at the king.

“Get back!” Frederic threw a goblet at Brody.

When Brody barked again, the king stood, his eyes narrowed on the dog shifter. “Guards, kill that dog.”

The three guards advanced, but hesitated when Brody slipped into the midst of the other dogs as they all began to snarl at the king.

“Which one?” the captain asked.

“Why are they acting like this?” another guard asked.

“Dammit, I’ll do it myself.” Frederic grabbed another knife off the table and approached the snarling dogs. With a limp.

Leo sucked in a quick breath. There were bandages around the king’s right foot. And the dogs knew he was an imposter. “He’s the Chameleon!” He lifted his hand to shoot a bolt of lightning.

The guards jumped in front of the false king to protect him.

“Kill him!” The Chameleon pointed at Leo. “He’s trying to kill me!”

“He’s not the real king!” Leo moved to the side, trying to get a clean shot at the Chameleon.

“Kill the woman first!” the Chameleon shouted, then ran with a limp toward the bedchamber.

The guards advanced on Luciana, and Leo used his power to rip the swords from their hands. They drew their daggers and continued to advance. She grabbed a fallen sword and hurried to Leo’s side.

Meanwhile, the Chameleon had rushed into the bedchamber, followed by the group of growling dogs.

The captain swiped at Leo with his dagger. Leo dodged it, then tapped the man on the back. With a yelp, he fell to the ground and passed out.

“Cease!” Leo yelled at the other two guards. “I have no wish to harm you.”

The door flung open and the three guards who had remained outside barged in with Lord Morris.

Leo lifted his hands. Sparks still swirled around his fingertips. “Stay back.”

“Where is His Majesty?” Morris shouted.

“I don’t know,” Leo said. “The Chameleon has taken his place. Come!” He grabbed Luciana’s arm and ran into the king’s bedchamber. The dogs were scrambling around the bed, whining and scratching.

The Chameleon was nowhere in sight. Leo opened a door and peered inside. The privy was empty.

“Look!” Luciana knelt beside a pile of clothes. “He must have undressed.”

Lord Morris ran into the room, followed by the guards. “What is going on? Where is the king?”

Leo pointed at the dogs. “I think you’ll find him underneath the bed. The Chameleon killed him, then took his place.”

Morris scoffed. “Then where is this Chameleon? How do I know you didn’t kill—”

“We just arrived!” Luciana yelled.