Page 17 of Bound to Four Alphas

The priestess blinked and her eyes flickered to Ronan. Understandable; from smell, she was a wolf shifter. A young runaway from one of the Gods-damned Northern clans, most likely.

“Maybe I wasn’t clear before,” she wrung her hands, her scent spiking in distress. “Selena agreed to this. The four of you can’t stay in a pack alone, you need an omega to balance your magic, o-or you’ll kill each other!”

“I said no.” Kaelen crossed his arms, unwilling to even entertain the notion of such a ridiculous idea.

“Kaelen,” Ronan took a hesitant step towards him, his own expression grim, “I think we have to.”

“Like hell we do,” Kaelen turned on him, magic sparking down his skin, fury rising.

Ronan cast a wary look towards the priestesses. “Maybe you ladies should leave so we can discuss this amongst ourselves.”

The priestess looked for a moment like she was going to protest, opening her mouth to speak, but a deep growl from Kaelen had her squeaking and scurrying away, the other priestesses close behind her.

“That wasn’t very nice,” commented Elian from where he lounged on a divan, idly flicking through one of the many books from the modest library where they had been bid to wait.

“Fuck off, Benellane,” Kaelen rumbled without bothering to look over to the Fae prick.

Ronan arched an eyebrow. “What other choice do we have? The magic of the Forest God has decreed it. We will bind her to us in the most ancient of rituals and that is the end of it.”

“The Forest God is dead,” Kaelen hissed, “his magic has been set loose. Do you really think it would decide that some chit of a girl, from thehumanlands no less, would be the one to unite the realm?”

“I do,” said Ronan.

“Then you’re an even bigger fool than I could have expected.”

Ronan snarled, drawing himself upwards, his impossible size unfurling against the slight. Kaelen didn’t break eye contact, his own fists clenching as he eyed up the threat in front of him. Neither of them could shift, not in a room this size, so it would have to be fists if it came down to it.

“You disrespect the magic,” Ronan said through gritted teeth. “We have been granted an opportunity to come together, to fight the encroaching humans who would destroy us, and you would turn your back on it? You would condemn your people to death or slavery by refusing us?”

Kaelen shifted, Ronan’s words hitting unexpectedly close to home. He was all too aware of his responsibility as a king, the burden of his responsibility ever present. But that was why he had to refuse. “You think I am condemning my people by refusing to go through with this? I’m not the one putting myfaith in stories and childish hopes of unity. I know what dangers there are in the world and I defend my people against them. I will not put them in harm’s way because some priestesses claimprophecy.”

“How safe will your people be if we tear each other apart because this bond is unstable?” Ronan roared. “Without us to protect them, how quickly will the human King Dorian send his whelp Damien alongside an army thousands strong to overcome us? Your territory doesn’t border the human kingdom like mine does. I’ve heard things, Kaelen, dark things. Things about a weapon that could destroy us.”

Scoffing, Kaelen turned away from him, ignoring the warning growl at the slight. In their days traveling together, he had reluctantly come to respect the wolf. Ronan’s strength and devotion to his people was clear. But of course, they could never be allies.

Their past was too soaked in blood.

“If I may,” Elian said, swinging his legs down and snapping the book shut, “I wouldn’t be too fast to discount the prophecy. I’ve learned over the years that disrespecting a deity in their own temple is often a bad idea.”

Kaelen’s gaze snapped to the Fae, a growl already forming in his chest. Elian had masterfully managed to piss him off for almost the entire journey, and his patience was running very thin. But for once, the Fae didn’t seem to be messing around. His expression was serious, guarded even, against Kaelen’s aggression.

“The dying words of a God no longer fit to rule? Why should I place my faith in such a thing?”

Elian stood, cautious and placating, “Because the prophecy is much older than that, Kaelen. It’s older than me,older than the Forest God, even. Certain things have been foretold in legend for a millennia. And this is one of them.”

Kaelen couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. “You don’t seriously believe this, do you?”

Elian shrugged, a secretive smile tugging on his lips. “I’ve been waiting for this day for centuries, Dragon King. And you are not going to get in my way.”

The threat was plain as day. Shadows began to gather at Elian’s feet, the light of the fire fading as the temperature of the room dropped to ice. And his eyes, his strange green eyes, seemed to glow.

A frisson of fear ran down Kaelen’s spine, the alpha within him recognizing the true power of a real threat. But with that fear came a surge of rage, and Kaelen bared his teeth. For all his power, all his age, Elian was a selfish child compared to him. And he would not bow down to him.

“You may do as you wish,” Kaelen said, allowing his own magical power to unfurl with molten heat. “I will not be a part of this nonsense any longer.”

“And the girl?” Ronan growled. “You would abandon her?”

Kaelen opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out.

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