She crosses her arms, sighs, and Winnie looks close to tears.
My own eyes burn in answer, and her gaze softens to notice my desperation. “Noble,” she says softly. “I know you’ve lost your father, but you have to remember how many times we discussed this very thing. A change for the realm. Remember? You promised.”
“I don’t have time for this, Winnie. And you’d better get out of sight before the pack sees you.”
She nods. “Fine. But we will talk. Later.”
My body shudders and the change begins without warning. I’m me, but suddenly, not me at the same time.
Winnie backs away. “Noble? Noble!” She trips on her feet and I stalk forward, half me, half rogue. “What should I do!?” she screeches.
“Hide,” I say with a strange mixture of animal and man vocal chords. Snapping my jaws, Winnie spins and springs up the steps for the castle before I completely lose myself.
Forcing the final amount of control I do have, I flee, running toward the woods, tearing off my clothes. I fly past the gardens, through branches that cut neatly into my skin, eyes blurring with the wind when I’m finished.
Now, my paws take up the ground. At first, I head toward the others, I can hear them. The pack is strong together. They are formidable and perfectly working as one.
But not one wolf is as fast as I am.
At the last second before I am out of sight of the castle, I spin and glance up at the tower to Liana’s rooms. Like I knew, she is there, hair flying in the wind, eyes finding me with ease. A cat can see in the night as well as any of us. We are all nocturnal beasts. At least she and I have that sole common thing to build on.
And build we must, lest they tear us to pieces.
It is only now that I realize I am me inside of this wolf skin. I can control it somehow when never could I before. I’m unable to think about the surprise of that because Liana stands at the window, bare chested, and as if she notices my sudden hesitation, she finally pulls her robes closed.
Even covered, she sends me a look of such challenge that I shake my fur in reaction to the piercing gaze. Bruised, battered, but never conquered, my wife may be in a strange realm, but already she is not only Queen of Winter, Liana has become queen of my heart.
Chapter 27
Noble
Returned to the castle after hardly any time has passed, I dress in my rooms, confused by the fact that the wolf had finished hunting so swiftly.
The night is young. The wolf had hunted, yes, but strangely enough, he’d not strayed far from the castle.
I stalk through the halls, uncertain of what I’ll do when I arrive, but my feet take me to Liana’s room as if they have a mind of their own.
Oren’s there, he’s standing in my way.
“You said no one could enter, sire.”
“Careful, Oren,” I mutter.
His raised brow is my only reply, but he steps aside. “Perhaps I could run with the pack, the night is still young.”
“Yes,” I say, realizing just now he’s withstood his own change all this time.
Oren looks weary from the fight. He rushes away, almost as swiftly as I had before.
When I open the door, I’m greeted by an angry, gigantic ball of fur. Despite my very manly self, I yelp and barely catch the teeth and claws before they can decapitate me. The lioness stops attacking me, and my wife rises from her paws to her feet, changing so swiftly, that I am still trying to fend off myself from the assault.
“I’m sorry!” she shouts.
“What in all of the realms, Liana!”
“I thought it was your guard! I thought to escape and go after you.” She glares at me, breathing hard. “I should be with you, Noble. By your side. Not trapped here like a prisoner.”
“Prisoner…?”
“Yes.” She flings a hand at the door. “I’ve checked. It’s barred, locked tight.”
“For your protection.”
She motions to the bruising that is fading, but still visible on her beautiful skin.
I realize in the moment, I am arguing with a very naked and angry wife. It’s not entirely terrible.
“No one will harm you ever again, Liana.” I take two large steps forward, and she stands her ground.
I cup her chin in my hand. “Never again. I swear it.”
Her golden eyes show hesitation. Not fear, but something else…distrust.
I glance around. I don’t have a sword, but I have a knife. Pulling this, I slice it across my hand, then bow to a knee and offer her the blade. “On my honor, on my life, I swear it by this blade, Liana, Princess of Lions, Queen of Wolves, that if anyone should harm you again under my roof, that you may then press this blade between my ribs and put the cold point into my heart.”
I sense her reluctance, but Liana takes the knife. “It’s a beautiful blade,” she says, her eyes turning mischievous.
“Do you accept, my lady?”
Swift as a snake, she presses the point of the blade under my chin, forcing my gaze to meet her eyes. Measuredly and with meaning she says, “And you will never again point your sword in my direction as well, King Noble.”
“Yes,” I whisper, entranced by the fire in her eyes, “I swear.”
She could cut my throat right now, and the sight I should die by is one of a goddess of the realms taking what she deems is owed. Long seconds pass, and I sense the change before I see it.
“Then yes, Noble,” she whispers, touching my cheek, dropping the knife, “I accept.”
Something passes between us until I am on my feet, and in one smooth motion lifting the queen off of hers. I carry her not to the bed, but to the window where I throw aside the curtains, then push open the glass, letting in the cold rush of winter.
“Noble!”
“The moonlight,” I say, feeling it strike me at my core.
Liana in my arms, the blue glow reflecting off her skin, it does something to me.
Her fingers stroke the base of my neck. “Is this some sort of wolf tradition?” she asks, her breath brought short as I sit her on the edge of the window, naked.
With the chill at her back, I’m working at my clothes until I can bring our warm bodies together.
“It’s part of my promise to you,” I say.
“Is it?” Her eyes are wide with surprise, but the light inside of them is dancing.
I don’t answer. I kiss her collar bone, and move her hair to the side and busy myself with more available goosebumps. Holding her with one arm around her back, lest she fall out into the open air, my body is now demanding that Liana and I do what we should have been doing the entire of our wedding night.
“Your promise?” she prods.
“Oh yes,” I gasp, because she has bitten the stubble along my jaw, and her claws have found my back from nape to rump.
“I promised you protection,” I say, pushing her legs wider, “to keep you safe.” I press myself between them more firmly.
Liana is the gasping one now. “You can’t always.”
“I can’t always.”