Page 13 of The Court of Truth

Chatter kicks up the moment she stops talking, but she backs away from the microphones and walks with her head held high as she leaves the podium. Pride burns through my body as I watch her, but before I can get my fill, the screen is shut off and all eyes quickly find me at the back of the room.

There’s expectation in their gazes. For what, I’m not quite sure. As I scan my eyes over each wolf present, I notice a mixture of hope outweighed by uncertainty and tinged with frustration.

Jake brought me in here because some of the wolves aren’t sure where my loyalties lie, which means they see Addi as a threat, which is laughable at best.

Rolling my shoulders back, I take a deep breath. “For our pack to strengthen, we must reunite with the rest of the kingdom instead of hiding away, isolating ourselves like my father forced upon us. If anyone thinks that the pack doesn’t align with everything she just said, then you’ve lost your mind. We want the kingdom to thrive and feel safe, and more than that, we want someone in control who won’t be selfish like those in the past.” My words are firm, unwavering, and filled with determination.

Dion, a woman in her late thirties, steps forward. Her lips are pursed and her arms are folded over her chest defensively. “It’s going to take a lot of work,” she gripes, raising her eyebrow in question, and I shrug.

“Change does.” It’s as simple as that. Well, not really. I don’t know what the change is going to entail, none of us do, but we need to be prepared to put in the hard work if we have any hopes of getting out of the mess we’re buried in.

“And we need you here,” she adds, earning a few agreeing nods from the gathered crowd.

“I am here.” I swing my hands out at my sides to make my point.

“For now,” she swipes, and I scoff.

“Stop tiptoeing around what you mean and say it,” I growl, my wolf irritated by her incessant pushing while my love for Addi fuels it more.

“One snap of her fingers and you’re by her side,” she states, a smug grin taking over her face like she thinks she knows everything.

That’s not true. Well, not entirely.

“What you’re missing, Dion, are facts. You’re happily standing there, making judgements about someone you don’t even know. Not even a little bit. Are you forgetting that she’s a wolf too? She understands what is needed from me here. She’s appointed her council and I didn’t make the list because she knew the pack needed me more. Despite all of that, the truth is, if that woman snaps her fingers, it will be with urgency and you can bet your ass I’ll be there because that’s the woman I love. My mate. It will be entirely selfish on my part. Not hers, mine. And sometimes I may ask for your help too, but if she calls, it won’t be for her. She’s not selfish, not like me. If she calls, it will be for the kingdom and it is our duty to care for the kingdom too.”

Dion shakes her head, the words clearly not sinking in as she lifts her hand. “But?—”

“Need I remind you how selfish your last alpha was?” I interject, refusing to deal with one more pushback from someone who seems to have been more than content under my father’s control.

She stares me down, but I fight right back, quickly ensuring every wolf in the room understands. When silence hangs in the air, I take that as my cue.

“Now, if you don’t like it, you can fucking leave. In the meantime, I’m going to her, selfishly, because I want to be there when she re-enters her childhood home. Any issues with that, take them up with yourself because I don’t care to fucking hear it. Think about what you would do in my shoes if this was the person you loved, your mate.”

9

ADRIANNA

It doesn’t matter how much I try to breathe through it, sensing the media behind me, capturing my every move, is nerve-wracking and I hate it. My father prepared me to be a fighter, not a public figure. Or maybe he did, I just didn’t realize how much it would feel like being examined under a microscope.

I get the media being there when I address the kingdom, I need them in order to reach every citizen, but now, as they track my every move with every step through the wrought-iron gates framing the castle, it feels a little unnecessary.

“Does the media really have to be here for this?” I ask, peering at Arlo out of the corner of my eye. He keeps his gaze straight ahead, acutely aware of the audience we have.

“No, but we don’t really have a choice,” he offers, and I sigh.

It doesn’t matter that there are people standing between us, blocking me from view as best as possible, I still know they’re there. With Arlo to my left and Flora to my right, Brody, Raiden, Kryll, and Beau create a semi-barrier around us. It’s protective, maybe a little possessive on Raiden’s part at least, but I’m grateful for it nonetheless.

The cobbled path evens out as the front door nears, and my heart lodges in my throat.

“Nervous?” Kryll asks from behind, and I nod.

“Am I that obvious?” I don’t want the kingdom to see my vulnerability. That’s not the transparency they need. They need me to be strong, they deserve it, but this place has the power to burn me without even a spark.

“I’ve got you, Princess,” he murmurs, his hand ghosting down my arm as discreetly as possible.

“She’s a queen now,” Flora chimes in.

The words make me fake gag and she chuckles as Kryll speaks. “She’ll always be my princess. A princess to the dragons for all of eternity too.”

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