Sadie

The capital city of Rikesh was a vast pyramid, sloping up and up to the royal castle in the center that looked down on the domed rooftops, gilded spires, and waving pennants of the city below. When we departed the wagon, Maez gave my arm a quick squeeze. She cut an impressive figure in her stolen uniform. She’d had to cinch the Wolf’s belt to the tightest hole, but otherwise the garments fit her surprisingly well. With the gilded chin strap and the low-brimmed helmet, her features were obscured enough that no human would question her. So long as a member of the pack didn’t try to strike up a full-on conversation with her, she’d be fine.

“Be quick,”

I whispered to her as she adjusted her military jacket. I wanted to give her a hug. Her face told me she wanted to do the same. But there were too many eyes upon us now. Instead, I just gave her a swift pat on the shoulder like I’d done so many times before. “Good luck.”

“We’ll be laughing about this over a bottle of wine tonight. I promise you,”

she said in her usual cavalier way and dashed off through the crowd. The humans of Rikesh gave her a wide berth, darting out of her way like a school of fish scattering in the presence of a shark.

Navin tugged on my arm, and I adjusted my veil one more time. The bloody thing was itchy and sweltering. I could barely see the castle in the distance but up close was a blur and I was forced to rely on Navin to guide me through the crowd. We trudged uphill, Navin parading me through the streets to the towering castle gates. Everywhere around us dripped in opulence. Even the tall sandstone walls surrounding the castle were beautiful, adorned with intricate mosaics depicting the many monsters that the Onyx Wolves had driven out of Valta.

Now, all that history seemed tainted and warped somehow. The war with the humans was entirely left out of the legends depicted on the walls. The histories that wrapped around the Onyx Wolf palace were that of Wolf glory. The only humans amongst any of the mythical creatures and heroic figures were the ones kneeling and bowing to Wolf kings of old. Never once had I thought to question this art, this truth. Never once had I thought the Wolves were anything but the saviors of the humans despite how we treated them now in current times. How—how—could I have ever thought that? The fact that humans ever battled with Wolves was so diametrically opposed to everything I was raised to believe. But history forgets the losers. Only those who win wars get to dictate how that event is told, and in Wolf history, humans showed up on our shores, begging to be saved from monsters; we saved them and they made us Gods.

I wondered if, after all this, Calla or Nero would be the one writing our next phase of history.

My eyes trailed from the swirling murals along the walls to the lone guard who stood in front of the towering iron gates. I had to twist my head to the side to see him through my veil. The beads and lace made blotchy patches that obscured my view. Beyond him was a winding path that led up to the black and bronze steps of the giant castle, resplendent with seven gilded domes and glinting bronze parapets that glittered in the sunlight.

I imagined from all the way up there, they’d be in the clouds, watching the city below like a sea of ants. The grandiosity was even beyond that of the other court castles, and the imposing positioning made it very clear who the ruler was in this land: a King who lived at the tallest peak of the highest mountain.

“I need to speak with your King,”

Navin called to the guard who was clearly a Wolf. Even at several paces away, I could tell by the keenness in his eyes and that otherworldly stillness. As he swaggered closer, his image blurred, obscured by the beads and lace.

“And why would the King bother to see a human?”

he asked with a rough chuckle. His assessing green eyes flickered toward me. I felt his gaze rove over my veil, down my ruffled gown, and to where my hands were bound in silver rope behind my back. “Who’s she?”

Navin kept his grip on my upper arm as he took a step forward and leaned in—a universal sign of a secret to share—and the guard couldn’t help but lean in, too. “ Rauxtide,”

he whispered. “I have Tadei’s bride here. I’ve come for my bounty.”

The guard’s eyes flared as he looked at me again. “Lift her veil,”

he commanded.

“And let you be the first to gaze upon her?”

Navin had the gall to sound offended. I chewed on my lip to keep from smiling. He played this role too well, like so many others he played, but I saw beneath it now, saw to the core of him and all he so easily hid. “Let me ask you something: Do you know this Silver Wolf, Rauxtide, personally?” Navin asked, his voice heavy with skepticism. “Have you even seen her before or a painting of her likeness?”

“No,”

the guard spat. “But I know a Wolf when I see one. And I have a hard time believing a Silver Wolf could be caught by a single human.”

“What about a hundred humans? My entire village was involved in her capture,”

Navin continued. “We have a vested interest in obtaining her bounty. Of course, now with her hands bound and the inability to shift, she’s much more compliant, aren’t you, dear?” He pulled me roughly forward, and I snarled at him as he shoved me into the bars of the gate. “Look her over, smell her, or whatever it is you Wolves do if you don’t believe me. But if you touch the veil, I’ll have to let Prince Tadei—and King Luo—know.”

“You are rumpling my gown, you piece of shit,”

I gritted out.

Navin tsked and rolled his eyes, playing along as he said to the guard, “She’ll certainly make a good princess, eh?”

The guard arched his brow, taking a step in toward me and sniffing the air. I tilted my head to get a better view as his pupils dilated and his lips curved. “She’s a Wolf all right.”

Navin bounced on his heels. “Excellent—”

“But who’s to say she’s the one King Nero promised my prince?”

“Who else could she possibly be?”

Navin guffawed. “I thought Wolves didn’t abandon their packs.”

“Watch yourself, human,”

the guard growled, baring his teeth. “We don’t leave our packs.” His eyes landed on me again. “Not if we want to live.”

“Then if she is a Silver Wolf, she can only be but one of two,”

Navin countered. “I followed her in the woods outside Sevelde before her capture, bright silver fur tipped in black. She’s either Rauxtide or Maez Claudius, the only other woman to defect. Either way, you have Nero’s niece or the King’s future sister-in-law. I suspect he will want to know she’s here regardless.” Navin looked back behind him at the lingering crowd of onlookers. “You can inspect her as closely as you like inside, but let us in. I don’t want one of these ruffians thinking of snatching my prize from me before I get my reward.”

The guard paused for one more split second before relenting and unlocking the gates. Navin half-dragged me in and I put up a mild protest.

“Behave,”

he snapped at me, making the guard chuckle.

Our act seemed to encourage the guard more. “The King will be overjoyed,”

he said. “To have his brother’s bride here at last. Finally, there will be new royal pups. The people will rejoice. The line of Valtan succession will be secured when she whelps.”

Normally, I would’ve pretended to dry heave at that sentiment, but I just kept walking. Whelping. They seriously thought they could just ship me off here and I’d be a good little bitch for these Onyx Wolf royals? Me? Of all people! Nero never knew me at all. Clearly, neither did my father. I hoped my father and uncles were rolled over, belly up in front of Nero’s throne right now, begging for his forgiveness for not delivering me to Tadei.

My stomach soured, knowing Briar wasn’t all that far off from living this life, too. She had been willing to go through with it when she was betrothed to Grae . . . and despite it making my stomach turn, I understood. It was all we’d ever known. No matter the ferocity of my female relatives, I came from a line of subservience and mind control that I was only beginning to unscramble. If it were me, would I have had the strength to deny King Nero’s orders? Would I have said no?

But that hadn’t happened. Instead, Nero was going to leave Maez to rot, and I finally had the courage to understand just how barbaric we could be as a people and rebel. Thank the Gods I did. Because maybe Nero had always planned on offering me to Tadei one day—a pawn in his games of power. Or if not this prince, some other Wolf not of my choosing. I shuddered, suddenly aware of how close I was to being trapped in a life like this.

As we entered into the spacious courtyard, I felt bolstered that I was a new person now—not a follower but a fighter in name and in action. The fragrant smell of flowers hit me as we crossed to the giant steps, radiating heat from their dark stones. Up here, the air was thinner and cooler than in the city below, and though the dark stones baked with heat, the castle still felt airy and fresh compared to the throng.

The guard scuttled ahead through the garden hedges to warn his comrades of my arrival. We followed the winding path through the gardens, curving through the lush flora until we reached those black and bronze steps.

The castle’s interior was just as impressive as its exterior. The walls were covered in exquisite carvings, depicting scenes from ancient myths and stories of valor. The floors were covered with intricately patterned tiles, and the high domed ceilings were adorned with elaborately painted frescoes.

We wandered down the echoing space, Navin giving my arm an occasional squeeze as if to remind me that we were still here together. We’d find a way out. We just needed that vase and a hasty retreat.

When we entered the throne room, my heart skipped a beat. The space was enormous. Giant pennants of midnight draped from the ceilings all the way to the floor, swaying in the breeze like the forked tongue of a massive serpent.

We padded across the tiles to the empty dais ahead of us, each step bouncing around the empty room.

Courtiers hustled in from the doors lining the sides of the grand hall, whispering excitedly to each other. They wore light clothing in the most brilliant jewel tones, along with dented bronze and gemstone jewelry that displayed their clear wealth. Valta was one of the wealthiest courts in Aotreas, second only to Olmdere, and now with the Olmderian mines closed, Valta was poised to become the front-runner.

The throne itself was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, adorned with precious jewels and moon phase carvings. Two heralds rushed in, curling brass horns in hand, and they positioned themselves on either side of the dais as they waited for the King.

I stood before the first step up to the dais, Navin by my side. The crowds swarmed around our backs but kept at least two paces of distance as if they might catch something if they got too close. My stomach twisted into a burning knot. This was it.

The muffled whispers of the crowd were so quiet that the screech of the giant doors opening made me jolt. The room instantly silenced so that now the quiet was absolute, and my heart thundered so hard in my chest as a horde of guards entered, I wondered if others could hear it. Almost as a relief, horns bellowed a royal call as two figures clad in flowing black robes strode into the room. They wore elaborate headpieces, swirling atop their heads like antlers. The one at the front also wore a golden half-moon chest piece inlaid with red and blue gemstones. The one behind wore a smaller golden necklace depicting a bursting sun.

Their faces were stoic, yet their eyes bore a wary intensity as they stepped up onto the dais. King Luo, the one with a short gray beard and the more elaborate headpiece, carefully lowered himself onto his throne. He waited until Tadei moved to stand beside him before he spoke.

“So you found my brother’s wayward bride?”

His voice was a deep timbre that cut easily through the room, silencing the eager crowd.

Navin dropped into a low bow, placing his fist over his chest. “I have, Your Majesty,”

he answered in slightly garbled Valtan.

The King pressed one of his ringed fingers to his lips, intrigued. “Bring her forward.”

He lazily curled his fingers, beckoning us, and we approached the dais.

I didn’t have to pretend to be panicked now. Fear wafted off me, enough to scent the air, and Tadei’s mouth pinched as his frown lines deepened. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could hear my eyes widening.

“Hello, wife,”

he purred, waiting for his brother to gesture with his hand before he approached me.

The snarl poised on my lips was silenced as Navin kicked my knee, forcing me to drop. “Bow for your King.”

Tadei’s delighted laugh grated against my skin. His eyes were alight with wicked intrigue, one that curdled my stomach. Oh, he clearly loved this, watching the way Navin manhandled me. The fucking sadist. I desperately wished for my knives.

As Tadei approached, he surveyed me with a cruel smirk that made a shiver of dread trail down my spine. Navin stiffened beside me.

“Why the veil?”

Tadei asked Navin, dropping my hand to rub his thumb and forefinger across the fabric, but he didn’t lift it.

“I thought you would want to be the first Rikeshi to see your bride’s face,”

Navin said. “It’s custom, isn’t it, Your Highness?”

King Luo and Tadei flashed matching smiles. Clearly, they liked the thought of that as much as Maez had predicted. Tadei’s fingers traced across the veil, lingering, seemingly enjoying the claim and possessiveness of it. This is what Wolf Kings did; they traded and sold us to consolidate their power. Bile rose up my throat at the thought. I knew they would delight in owning me, breaking me, another beautiful treasure for their mantel. How close was I to this becoming my life?

“The bounty,”

Navin pushed, looking past Tadei’s lingering gaze on me and up to the King.

“Ah yes,”

King Luo said. “A million gritas, I believe. You will be a rich man—”

“I don’t want it,”

Navin cut in, and the room broke out into frantic whispers. “Your Majesty,” he added hastily. “I am a musician, an artist. I would rather possess some pieces of beauty than coin, relics I can show off on my travels. I know Your Majesty is quite the collector.”

Luo arched his brow. “Relics, you say?”

He didn’t seem at all surprised, only vaguely amused. Dread pooled in my gut. Something about his reaction felt terribly wrong.

“If it pleases you, Your Majesty, I would like to pick three pieces of art from your gallery.”

More murmurs of intrigue sounded behind us.

King Luo let out a long sigh and looked at his brother. “Artists,”

he said with a flippant roll of his eyes. He rose from his throne and waved a beckoning hand as if Navin were only a minor nuisance. “Fine. I agree to your request. Let’s get it over with.”

Tadei grabbed me by the upper arm and pulled me along, seemingly enjoying my discomfort as my arm tugged to the side. A prince who liked his betrothed’s hands tied—that told me plenty about what kind of Wolf he was.

We followed Luo and Navin out the side door and into the hall, my eyes frantically searching for Maez. As soon as Navin got the vase, I wanted to get the fuck out of here.

Tadei squeezed me to his side with enough force to make a guttural warning escape my lips. That only made him grin.

“I like a bit of bite,”

he said, dropping his lips to the side of my veil. “It wouldn’t be any fun otherwise.” His foul breath wafted over to me, and I screwed my face up in disgust, wishing my veil was thicker.

“Someone’s been licking their own asshole again,”

I muttered.

Tadei threw his head back in a hearty laugh while his fingers dug into my flesh so tightly I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out in pain. “Come, bride, let me show you your new home,”

he said loud enough for everyone to hear. He lowered his voice just for me as he added, “I can’t wait to see how many times I can snap these bones before shifting won’t heal them.”

I searched for Maez again as bile rose up my throat. Maybe I could kill this sick son of a bitch first, and then Maez could swoop in and escort me off the premises the second the vase was in Navin’s hand. Someone really needed to kill this guy.

Each step down the long hallway made my stomach plummet further. Everything was going according to plan, I tried to reassure myself. Luo produced a key from around his neck and unlocked a set of heavy bronze doors. I could feel the excitement of the crowd behind me as the wood groaned and the doors opened.

We passed through an echoing atrium and into the gallery covered in floor-to-ceiling paintings and twin rows of pedestals bisecting the room upon which sat everything from golden plates to crowns and scepters.

The gaggle of onlookers followed close behind Tadei and me, whispering to each other about “the Silver Wolf bitch.”

I whipped my head around, though my glare was lost on them through the veil.

“You’ll get used to it,”

Tadei said. “They’ll respect you more once you’ve provided some sons for the crown.”

It took everything within me not to give him a swift kick between the legs. Yeah, I couldn’t let this prince live.

I found Navin up ahead, two paces behind King Luo, and tried to focus on their conversation rather than the malodorous beast beside me.

“This one?”

Navin asked, gesturing to a landscape painting of the floating mountains of Upper Valta.

Luo shrugged. “I thought you’d pick something more . . . grand.”

The crowd tittered as if he’d told a joke.

Navin nodded to one of the portraits on the far wall that was taller than me. “I’m afraid anything larger would be harder to travel with.”

He turned to the pedestals. “Perhaps something smaller.” He paced down the row of precious relics, his footsteps slowing and then faltering as he reached the far wall. Then he halted.

In front of him was an empty pedestal.

“Looking for something in particular, human?”

Luo asked, cocking his head at Navin in curiosity, but his smile filled my veins with ice.

Navin’s eyes grew wider, and I prayed he kept his composure, even as I was itching to shift. I forced my Wolf back even as every alarm bell started ringing in my mind.

“I heard tell of a piece of art made by those in Lower Valta . . . It’s a green stone vase, inlaid with gold . . .”

Navin’s words fell to silence as the door to the atrium opened again.

I twisted my veil to see who moved through the doorway as Tadei’s hand regained its death grip on my arm. The green stone vase was proffered out. My entire body was doused in ice as my shaking gaze tracked from the beautiful vase up to the familiar eyes of the person holding it.

“You mean this vase, husband?”