She sighs and hands it to me. My fingers quake as I unfold the paper. Immediately I recognize Crede’s elegant handwriting.
My dearest Liana, I do not know the answer to your question. I don’t know if anyone else had a part in the king wolf’s death. As you requested, I’ve asked discreetly, but if anyone knows anything, my lady, they are not speaking. But neither are we grieving for a king we had no allegiance to. We do grieve for you, though. Your fierceness is missed, and I promise you, I am doing everything to bring you back home. Yours faithfully, Crede
The weight of his words falls heavy on my soul and I crumble the paper. Unappeased, I tear into it, spearing through his words, through the scent of our pride’s sins on the small piece of paper. He doesn’t care about a wolf’s death, and he doesn’t care if others in our pride conspired for it.
Remorse smears over my skin and I rub my arms with harsh strokes of my hands to warm my frozen body. Still I can’t scrub away the ugliness, the disease that flows through my veins, because my pride – we did this. If not in execution, then in our disinterest.
Winnie takes the torn piece of paper from my grasp, wads it into a tight ball and tosses it toward the trash bin, missing by at least a foot. “Outside,” she demands, pulling me to my feet. “They’ll be gone for a few hours. You need to stretch your legs.”
“Shall we change form?” I try to joke to lighten my mood, but it falls deafly to my own ears. “You can scurry away in your little bunny self while I chase after you.”
“Ha ha,” she says dryly.
Walking to my closet, she takes out a coat that she helps me into. She clasps her hand around my arm, which is still tender from when Noble grabbed me, and guides me to the door. Although I know I should put up more of a fight, I follow because Winnie’s right. I need some fresh air. I need to not be holed up between the four walls of my self-made prison. I need to be free of my thoughts and the inner turmoil Crede’s message brings me.
I need to find the desire and the courage to face my husband, my king, and come clean of the guilt that’s been eating at me. Not knowing what my fate will be after I tell him Arlo killed his father on my behalf, makes me hold my tongue. But what’s right has to come above self-preservation. At least if I were to die, I’d die with a clean conscience. And if he were to send me back to Summer, I’d go back to a pride that still respects me.
Keeping my head bowed, I follow Winnie through the castle that was to be my home. A castle I’ve yet to explore or know any part of aside from my bedroom and bathroom. Next to me, Winnie chatters away, but I’m far too lost in thought to listen. Either way, I don’t think she minds.
Once outside, the unforgiving cold of Winter slaps against my face as snow falls on us. I brace myself, arms clutched to my chest as I take in the bitter cold and try to summon the warmth from the dimming sun.
Winnie leans into me, giving my hand a quick squeeze. “Change, Liana. Take your few moments of freedom and let yourself be.”
I send her a grateful glance and shrug out of my coat. She holds onto it, pressing it against her chest as I discard the rest of my clothes. She picks up after me as I change into my true nature. I stretch my legs back and when Winnie runs her fingers through my mane I press my head into her palm.
“You’re soft,” she says.
I open my mouth and do my best to grin at her.
“And yep, huge sharp teeth. Close your mouth, Liana.”
Humor rumbles from deep inside my chest and Winnie throws her head back in laughter. Lighter than I’ve felt in days, together we walk the grounds. My large paws leaving prints in the fresh snow as she leaves dainty little footprints. Not caring that I can’t respond, Winnie continues to talk while I assess my new backyard.
While it’s cold here, the kind of cold that infiltrates your bones, it isn’t altogether bad. The clamor of children playing not too far from us fills me with hope for a brighter future. A future where Noble’s and my children can play in the snow. Little wolves and lions frolicking carelessly while we watch with the doting kind of love I always received from both my parents, but mostly my mother.
Behind us, a man snorts and I turn my body to the sound, standing in front of Winnie so I can protect her in case whoever it is means us harm.
“You’re off your mark, lion.” The man sneers.
“She is your queen,” Winnie says, her tone confident.
The man moves closer, so I align my body to better shield Winnie.
“She’s no queen of mine. There hasn’t been a coronation. And haven’t you heard?” He angles his face and laughs a humorless laugh. “Your marriage is to be annulled.”
I stammer back a few steps and knock into Winnie, who rests a hand on my head. The man chuckles again when I hiss at him. With long even strides, he moves toward us and when his eyes darken, I send Winnie a warning look. But her focus is on the man who quickly changes form into a light gray wolf. I stalk in front of her and pull back my muzzle to bare my teeth. The wolf growls, his hackles rising. He snaps his jaw in our direction and for the first time ever, I cower.
Bracing myself for the cold, I change back into human form.
“Go,” I tell Winnie.
She shakes her head and with her fists raised she prepares herself to fight.
“Go!” I bellow.
The wolf leaps at us, and I shove Winnie to the ground. Knowing I deserve this, I don’t brace myself when the wolf lands on top of me. He pins me to the ground, saliva falling from his open mouth and I stare into his murky eyes.
“Do what you must,” I say, “but this war between lions and wolves ends here.”
He digs his teeth into my shoulder. Winnie screams, but I know help will not come. Not for me.
I turn my head to look at her. Our eyes meet. Hers wide with shock and fear, mine calm and confident.
“Run!” I yell at her. “Run!”
Thankfully, she listens and after a few missteps, she runs back in the direction of the castle. The wolf bites and mauls my body and I shudder in response. Instinctively, I want to change, to let the lion take control and save us both. Through clenched teeth, I hold back, knowing this is better for Noble.
My death will be the vengeance he deserves. And maybe it’ll prevent the brewing war between our two realms.
A tear spills from my eye as I bite my bottom lip in agony. Fire burns my body with every bite and I hope unconsciousness takes me soon.
Dazed, I hear an angry snarl and when I turn to face the noise, I find familiar black eyes peeking through the bushes. I smile, happy to see him one last time.
“My Noble,” I whisper, another small tear paving a path of our destruction down my cheek.
The black wolf leaps from the shadows and the two wolves tumble over the crisp snow. Growls and snarls echo in my head, but I fight off the ensuing darkness as I trek their fight. Only when I hear my beautiful black wolf’s howl do I let myself succumb to the perilous gloom swimming around my periphery. Because I know that he has won. That he is okay.