21. Hadriel

Chapter 21

Hadriel

O nce the power had fully receded, the beta glanced the king's way. Nyfain's great gold dragon roared, deep-throated and vicious—a challenge.

"Oh shit . . ."

Weston's hackles rose and he turned toward the dragon, stepping in front of Aurelia protectively. He must've known this would happen, but his instincts had taken over anyway.

The other dragons roared. One lifted its shiny black head into the air and spewed fire. The impatient dragon pushed into the sky, moving into position as though planning to dive and snap Aurelia up.

My wolf bared his teeth, hackles rising. Aurelia's hackles rose, too, the threat obvious.

The king dashed forward, faster on the ground than anyone would expect he'd be. By nature, dragons were clumsy on land, but he'd had a shitload of practice. Weston dodged to the side, and Aurelia darted in the opposite direction. Despite being new to all this, she was still faster than Weston's much larger, more experienced wolf.

Weston sprinted between the dragon's legs, gnashing his teeth along the back of an ankle. It was one of the few vulnerable spots a lone wolf could reach; to defeat a dragon, a pack needed several strong wolves to bring the dragon toppling to the ground, where the rest of them could then get at the softer underbelly and throat. Weston was showing Aurelia, already training her. He wasted no time.

She followed suit but didn't go out the other side, instead systematically darting between his legs, over and over, sometimes barely missed by his stomping feet or swinging tail. Weston yelped at her, trying to get her away. Nyfain roared, turning as the other dragons began stomping into the fray.

"Oh shit, oh shit," I said, feeling our heart picking up pace. "Go help! Get her out of there!"

"She has to heed the beta's training," my wolf gritted out, his body tense. "We can't get involved unless he calls for us."

He wanted to, though. I could feel it in his coiled muscles, in his quivering haunches.

Weston's ears went back flat. He darted between the dragons, trying to get to his mate. Aurelia didn't relent. She was working Nyfain, gnashing at him. The relentless determination she'd shown in her work earlier that day was just as evident now.

The huge golden dragon stopped and then dropped into a crouch, as though going down onto his belly. He stopped at his knees, though, his control incredible; most dragons were not able to complete that maneuver. He was doing it so as not to crush her.

He wouldn't have.

She darted out like she'd been on four legs all her life, spun, and launched up. Her jump was clumsy but still high, and her teeth sank into his belly.

"There she is," I said in a hush. "There's the crazy bitch Vemar said was in there."

Nyfain roared, standing again. Aurelia didn't let go, somehow hanging on with her fucking teeth and now scrabbling with her legs, trying to claw through his underside.

"Fuck," my wolf said. He rarely swore, but this situation definitely called for it. "I've never seen anyone do that. How's she hanging on?"

"That woman is cunning as fuck. She's no joke when she's in survival mode." This was her wolf's equivalent of climbing out the fucking window.

Nyfain swung around, thumped his tail, and then roared in frustration. He spewed fire, nearly scorching us, and hopped around a little while Aurelia ripped at him in a feat of acrobatics that was as unbelievable as it was impressive.

Another dragon collided with Nyfain, knocking her off. She twisted in the air, but she was no cat. She fell on her side and Weston was there, standing over her, growling at the stomping dragons.

She didn't stop.

She was up in a moment, limping a little, running at Nyfain again. A swell of power rose through the clearing, and then a strange feeling came over me. It was a panicked feeling—a warning of danger, of an enemy in our midst. And then it was a strange sort of magical call to attack!

My wolf launched forward in a frenzy. Three of the five dragons on the ground immediately stopped stomping and shuddered. A moment later they were running at Nyfain, smoke billowing up from their mouths, teeth bared. The dragon in the air dove down, scraping his claws across Nyfain's back. The king was no longer their ally—he was now their enemy. Their target.

Only one dragon didn't join in. Vemar pushed back from the crowd and lay down. He knew the feeling for what it was: Aurelia's magic. Her mind-fuckery, as he called it.

"Don't attack," I yelled at my wolf as the magic drummed around us. I'd never felt it this strong. She must've been pulling power from Weston through the bond to enhance this other facet of her magic. "Remember when I randomly took off running with her the other day and you called me an idiot? Well, now you're the idiot. Don't attack!"

The dragons closed in on Nyfain, backing him to the edge of the clearing. He could've fought them off, but he clearly didn't want to hurt them. The one flying swooped down.

Weston's wolf tackled Aurelia, rolling her over with his larger body and then grabbing her neck in his teeth. She struggled to get free, to get out from under him. Her power kept throbbing in the clearing. That type of magic didn‘t come from her shifter blood. It couldn't; I'd never seen or heard of anything like it. Weston tightened his hold, growling, leaning half his body on top of her to pin her.

Her whine was barely audible over the sounds of the attack, and then the power in the clearing dissipated as fast as it had started. As it died, the dragons slowed, then shuddered again before looking around in confusion. Vemar lifted his head as the airborne dragon tilted wildly in the air before landing clumsily, sliding a few feet on his face.

Weston continued to keep Aurelia pressed to the ground as the dragons drifted away from the fight. They resumed their starting positions, heads bowed a little, clearly having no idea what had just happened. Vemar pushed himself to a standing position, waiting patiently.

Nyfain dripped blood from his belly and took halting steps. Aurelia had clearly had an effect.

"The beta will be proud of her," my wolf said, flattening to his belly as Nyfain huffed smoke out of his nose.

"If he doesn't get chewed out for this."

"He won't. She's an untrained asset. Just think of how effective she'll be when trained up."

"She's a captive. We need to address that first. People who've lost loved ones are calling for her head."

The situation was a mess. The king sympathized with Aurelia, but the queen still wasn't sure. Then there were the people. They didn't give a shit about her story, what little of it they knew. As far as they were concerned, she was Granny's drugmaker. A killer. They wanted justice.

The royalty might come around, but in some cases, they had no choice but to answer to the populace. Even if the king and queen agreed with each other, their hands could be tied.

I didn't even want to get started on the pack situation. It was no secret that Aurelia was Weston's true mate. It was also no secret how a true mate would react if his other half was threatened. Word was that he would leave, that many of his most powerful wolves would go with him, and the act would rip this kingdom apart from the inside out.

In the eye of the storm, just trying to do the right thing, was Aurelia. Slapped around from birth, hated for something that wasn't her fault and wasn't even true, she was now an enemy of the people for doing what she'd been told so her parental figure would love her. To try to keep a safe home. It broke my heart. All of it. That this was working out so horribly had me literally losing hours of sleep.

I'd fix this. Somehow, I would figure this out. I had helped get this damn place out of the curse, and I'd keep it away from boiled destruction as well.

Weston pulled away from his mate, turning to face the king. Aurelia rolled over slowly, staying on her belly for now, head on her paws. She had been chastised, forced to submit, and she was showing her subservience to the king. Perfectly handled. Thank all the fucks.

The king's large dragon form morphed back into a man with blood dripping down his stomach and his ankles and wrists all fucked up. He didn't show the pain as he looked down on Weston and Aurelia.

"Go," he commanded, waving the dragons away.

They took to the air, Vemar roaring as he took one last look at Aurelia before soaring away.

"Shift," the king told the two wolves.

They did.

Aurelia didn't stand after she'd regained her human form, sitting on her butt with her knees up, her arms draped around them. She studied the ground, head bowed.

The beta stood beside her, his shoulders straight and head held high, facing the king without remorse. That spoke volumes. He didn't give a damn what the king might say. It would not diminish Weston's pride in her. My wolf had been right.

"What was that?" Nyfain asked Weston before looking down on Aurelia.

"I'll do better," Aurelia said in a monotone voice.

My heart ached. There was no way I could be sure, but I'd bet my left nut she'd said those words, in that tone, when Granny scolded her and told her she'd be punished for what she'd done. Her response seemed practiced. Pitiful.

"Aurelia, look at me," Nyfain said.

She looked up dutifully, her eyes devoid of emotion, ready to face what came.

Nyfain took a knee in front of her, wincing as he did so. "I wasn't scolding you, Aurelia. I challenged you, and you answered that challenge in a way none of us expected. You did well here. You need training, that's all. My mate was a handful in the beginning, too. What I meant was, what was that magic? What did your wolf do?"

"Panic, mostly."

"You don't know how you turned the dragons against me?"

She shook her head slowly. "My wolf wasn't really... thinking things through. She mostly just reacts, and you're mostly just terrifying, more so in dragon form. She used everything at our disposal."

"And that magic, that mind... spin you used on my dragons, that was at your wolf's disposal?"

She shrugged. "I had the thought we needed help. Then... we got help. I'm honestly not sure how. I've never been in that situation before."

Nyfain looked up at Weston for a long moment before he reached out and placed his hand on Aurelia's shoulder. "Do not beat yourself up over this. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, when Weston called you down, you submitted. That was the right response, and very well done. We can build on this."

She nodded, looking up at him with large, glassy eyes. "Thank you."

My heart felt like it had been kicked around the floor. My wolf's ears drooped, and if we'd been in human form, I'd have been sobbing.

A crease formed between the king's brow as he studied her, truly seeing for the first time what Granny's treatment had done. It was one thing to hear it while the woman was confidently and defiantly answering questions, but it was another to see this puddle of human. This strong woman was so used to getting beaten down, she simply sat there quietly as she waited for the blows to come.

He didn't comment further, just patted her shoulder before standing again.

"Hadriel," Nyfain said, "take her back to her room and get her a hot bath." To her he said, "No more working today. Bathe, and eat, and relax. I won't keep your"—he paused—"Weston long. I'll send him to you in a bit, so you can talk through it."

"Okay." She pushed to her feet, and Nyfain stepped back to give her room.

Weston stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He bent, his lips near her ear, whispering something I couldn't overhear. She nodded once, and then twice. After that she was on her way, her eyes down as she crossed the clearing.

I shifted and hurried to grab our clothes, stomped and kicked around and crushed into the dirt though they were.

"Well, now I'm glad you didn't change and ruin another of my jackets," I said, picking up her things. "How do you feel about just walking back naked? These are terrible."

"It's okay, I'll wear them." She put them on silently without looking up, and I knew she was ready to break.

I was breaking just watching her.

No one was challenged like this their first time; no one was usually challenged at all. This had only happened because she was the alpha's true mate and posed a risk to the pack. Pushing her like this—bringing out that strange magic she didn't know how to control—wasn't fair, not for someone who didn't know the culture. Not for someone who had only ever known a life of being abused when she wasn't absolutely perfect. They needed to handle her differently going forward, something I thought the king had made a mental note of. If he hadn't, Weston surely had. They were two great leaders, and I had faith they'd guard her better going forward.

In the meantime, I would do my best to bolster her back up until the beta could join her and offer her the support of a true mate. I'd had plenty of experience helping her navigate through the stories of her depressing life. This experience would not be going to that pile. This would be a heroic moment in her journals, her bravery and tenacity and magical abilities recounted in vivid detail. I'd make sure of it.

"To the bath," I said after I'd put on my dirty clothes, pepping up. "Just in time, too. My lord, you're dirtier than a demon's dick. Let's get Leala to get you some really nice bath salts and petals and all that extra shit that makes us feel like royalty, shall we? There are perks to living in a castle."

I hooked my arm within hers.

"And a nice meal, too." I licked my lips as we walked. "I could go for lamb. Do you know how to make lamb? I'll steal all the supplies and you can make it. Sound good?"

Weston

I watched Hadriel guide my mate to the castle, wishing I could've been the one to walk her back. I knew she regarded this situation as a failure, when in reality it was anything but.

"Well?" Nyfain asked me, ducking behind a tree to grab our clothes.

I took a deep breath. "Well."

He laughed once and nodded. "Let's start at the beginning. The shift seemed like it went well."

"The shift went fine. There was a moment of confusion during the transition, but we managed it."

"Grabbing for control?"

"Not even a little." I told him about how she managed her power, keeping it banked to protect the established pack bond.

"Sounds like the makings of a good alpha." He paused. "A good mate."

"Yes, it does," I said quietly. "I merged our power and tried a direct pack bond with Hadriel. I wanted to see what that might look like."

"And?"

"She strengthened the pack bond in a way I can only describe as pleasant. Really fucking pleasant. Strong, too. If we can train her to apply it to the rest of the pack, it'll be the most intense pack bond I think anyone will have ever felt. Unbreakable."

"Do you foresee having a problem giving commands with her in the bond?"

I ran my fingers through my unruly hair. It needed to be cut, badly. "I don't think so, but I can't yet say for sure. That sort of thing is what usually tears down an alpha pair. Our bond is new, our wolves are new to each other... I really can't tell yet how that will play out. Aurelia can be stubborn as all hell. When I tell her to do something, she pushes back. I don't know yet if her wolf will be the same way. If so, it's not a good recipe for a pack bond."

"I think you're forgetting the type of mate I have. I know something about stubbornness, pushing back, and refusing to do as she's told. When it's important, they usually make the right choices. If they are a strong leader, it'll help make you better. Make us all better, as a kingdom. Our alpha pair leadership works. There's no reason yours couldn't."

"I'm hoping so. I—" I clenched my jaw against my swell of longing. The future I imagined with her was something I was scared to admit. I'd done such horrible things in my life. Lived such terrible experiences. Often it felt like I didn't deserve true happiness, that I shouldn't have my dreams answered. But damn it, I couldn't deny how badly I wanted her, wanted our messy yet perfect love. A family.

"Speak," he said, studying me.

I made busy doing up my buttons. "I really want this," I admitted. "I want her as my mate. I want her to lead your pack alongside me. I want to be the strongest commander in the magical world, and I want her help with that."

"You want it all."

"Yeah, I suppose I do."

"There's just one problem."

There was a helluva lot more than just one problem.

"What is that?" I asked.

"The fairies are going to make a play for her. That magic..." Nyfain shook his head, a warning in his eyes. "That magic was not shifter magic. We already know she has fairy blood. That magic was powerful and has the potential to be devastating. My own people turned on me. They would've killed me if given the chance. That magic would be dangerously destructive in battle. She wouldn't even need to fight; she could have the enemy do it for her."

"Did you note that Vemar didn't succumb?"

"I did. Vemar is known for his inability to be manipulated with magic. His mind is strong. Most aren't."

"She's your prisoner. How would the fairies get her without stepping on your toes?"

Nyfain laughed, heading back toward the castle. "Calia seems sweet and nice, but she is cutthroat. If she deems Aurelia's magic valuable, she'll offer Aurelia the world. If Aurelia accepts, Calia will take her out of here right under our noses. She won't even say sorry when I call her on it. I know this because if the roles were reversed, that's exactly what I would do. Inter-kingdom politics are a battlefield, and though Calia is a strong ally, she also makes an excellent foe. As for the shifter element of Aurelia's magic, I'm guessing her power is as strong as yours."

"Yes, and when we merge in the bond, our combined power doesn't just double—it grows exponentially."

"We're looking into her father. My mother has already identified a few possibilities. She sent a note to her contacts to get more information, as did Hadriel. It's safe to say it is someone powerful."

"Yes."

"They'll want her bloodline, and they'll pay handsomely to get it. She'll have a real family again—a biological family. That'll be attractive for someone like her."

Cold dread seeped through me. "This is turning into more than just one problem."

"I'm bad at counting." He paused, then looked me in the eye. "I need to know, Weston. If she goes to another kingdom, will you go with her? I'll do everything in my power to keep her, but you know the reality of her situation. The people here... aren't fans."

I didn't want to be anywhere else. I'd found a home here, a job I loved, people I was honored to serve. The fairy court was sly and crafty and wouldn't want me to lead anything. The other wolf kingdoms were shortsighted, and ruled by leaders I didn't respect. I wouldn't be happy in any of those places.

But she was my future. She was so close to realizing it. I wouldn't say no to her.

"I don't know," I answered semi-honestly. She would still have to ask me, and she wasn't there yet. Not quite. "She might not even want me to go. She isn't ready to accept my claim. I'm not rushing her. I want her to come to me on her own."

"Noble. A word of advice—be nice to her. Show her how much you like her. I know from experience that running hot and cold just pisses them off, and Aurelia is not one you want to piss off." He smirked. "She'll have the whole fucking castle trying to kill you."