Page 39 of Fated to the Wolf Prince

“We are not harassing anyone. We are serving our stated purpose, which is ratified by the Magical Race Accords. Werewolves are bound by its law, just as any other magical race.”

“There are protections in place, Alpha, to prevent this sort of overstep.” Andrei’s low rumble held no hint of threat, only boredom. “Perhaps your father should call the chancellor, let him know that these three are breaking subsection twelve of the accords and are in need of advisory review.”

“That won’t be necessary,” the fae said smoothly. His voice bubbled like a peaceful stream, infused with persuasive magic.

Fae were tricky, even lesser fae like this one. I let one claw shift and dug the tip into the meat of my palm to keep myself sharp.

“We’ll be taking our leave now. I can confirm that this is indeed nonshifter magic. Alpha Kane is correct in that it cannot be omega. We’ll consider this investigation closed and return once your pack mate has delivered her little bundle of joy.”

The fae gestured for his squad mates, and they quickly joined him. With a wave and a whisper, the three of them shimmered and disappeared.

“Well, that was, as you pups say, sketchy as feck,” Andrei said, his Romanian accent tripping him up.

“It’s fuck, man. Sketchy as fuck.” Gael clapped him on the shoulder, and they began bantering happily. But my eyes were trained on the spot where the ODL had stood, my wolf still unable to accept that the threat was gone.

“Alpha? You okay?”

“Fine, Gael. Thank you.”

“Thinking about your girl? Reed says they’re quiet in their room.”

Brielle, my heart. A fresh stab of pain at our separation cut into me, and my father’s words echoed in my head, pounding impossibly like a tattoo against the back of my eyes.

Go to her, son. Don’t leave until you’ve solved the problem.

I left the clearing at a run, not able to wait another moment to see my mate.

So I didn’t.

TWENTY-SIX

Brielle

Exhaustion, weighing my limbs down and making me feel like a lump of wet clay instead of a person, was all I felt that first afternoon. That, and searing pain in my heart. Shay curled up behind my back on the bed, back in human form now, and we lay back to back under the covers while Leigh hovered around, doing Goddess knew what.

Cups of hot tea and chicken noodle soup showed up at regular intervals, but I was so exhausted, I never took more than a sip or two.

The second day, I was able to sit up, and hunger stirred my belly as if I hadn’t eaten in months instead of a day. My wolf was mournful, curled into a ball and ignoring me, but still closer than usual. Especially postshift when we’d been snatched apart so forcibly. Usually, I could barely feel her, but this time, I felt her disdain pouring through me like burning potpourri.

Unpleasant and rank.

I sipped a cup of herbal tea—my own blend, filched from my med kit, if I wasn’t mistaken—and studiously ignored the plate of cold scrambled eggs sitting on the bedside table. Shay was showering, and Leigh was sitting at the foot of the bed, staring me down.

“Just spit it out,” I murmured, taking another sip of the soothing brew.

“He won’t leave. I’ve tried everything I can think of, but he won’t leave.”

“Who won’t leave?” Surely she didn’t mean Kane. He hadn’t followed us into the dormitory, and even if he had, he had a pack and a gathering to run. He was too busy to wait around on me all day.

“Your alpha, who else? He’s camped in the hallway like a damn hippie, has been since about an hour after we left the run. Stubborn, that one.” She glared at the door, and I tried to filter through my shock to give her a helpful answer.

“I don’t know anyone else who’s stubborn like that,” I blurted.

Her answering glare told me she didn’t see the humor in their similarities at the moment.

But I was too floored to care. He’d been in the hall all night?

“Surely he went back to his room to sleep.”

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