Page 184 of Fated or Knot

I bit my lip, trying to stifle the sudden sob that tore from my lungs. I was so close to mating into Pack Sorles. My heat was a breath away. But the stupid contract and vile Pack Ellisar was going to get in the way at the very last moment. I didn’t want to fulfill the contract. I’d rather never have a heat at all.

Rennyn cursed under his breath and sat up. “Stars, don’tcry. I was just about to tell you the solution,” he protested. He ran his hand between his horns, glancing around like someone else would materialize and comfort me as I tried, and failed, not to shed tears. It seemed I’d spurred him into a panic for a moment.

“Aw, c’mere. It’s okay.” He slid onto the seat next to me and looped an arm over my shoulders, purring aggressively as he hugged me to his side. “I’m called the Clever King for good reason, and it’s not because I let my family members get fumbled up in stupid contracts. I have a plan.” The soothing vibration emanating from his chest worked wonders to take me down from the despair that’d seized me so suddenly. “AndI’m your bonus dad, which means I’m going to make sure all three barkfolk are fed into the nearest bonfire regardless ofanything. Okay?”

“Okay, Dad,” I sniffed, wiping my face clean. I caught a hint of his scent, something warm and floral, and it reminded me of Fal and my omega instincts of the short, blissful time I’d visited Serian’s palace and found family here as a young girl. Relaxing into his hug, I self-soothed with a small purr.

“Listen to me. You’re not mating into Pack Ellisar and Fal is not going to owe them a grievance. Before your heat arrives, Ellisar, Dalstin, and Floris must all either be dead or otherwise unable to claim you to render the contract null and void. I suspect they came to Serian fully intending to hide until you’ve been claimed, so they would get their grievance from a crown prince. They didn’t expect to bumble into Laurel, and thus Cymora.” He rolled his eyes hard. “And I didn’t expect two of myfour sons to be so deep into rut that…well, let’s say they’ve made my job much harder lately.”

My eyes widened in alarm. “Marius is still in rut?”

“That’sthe first thing you ask?”

“It’s been over a week!”

“He is…” He whistled and passed his free hand over his face. “Gone. If something doesn’t concern you, at this point he doesn’t care about it. Don’t worry too much, he’ll get better. But for right now, he’s a dangerous variable for my very amazing, but not foolproof, plan.”

“So, you’re going to kill Pack Ellisar before I go into heat,” I said slowly, letting it sink in for myself. “And thus, no contract.”

He tilted his head with a hum. “With about fifteen more steps in between now and then, aye. Well, and also nay. I’m not going to do any killing. That’s what my brother and his love affair with gigantic weaponry usually comes in.” He grinned cheekily at that. “Your part in the plan is simple, but it’s a big ask. You need one last heat suppressant tattoo. My other brother will touch up the one you have.”

I mewled in quiet denial. I’d beensoclose to not needing to suppress my heat. Even if it was the best course of action…yes, it was a sacrifice.

“Also, you willnotgo into the palace, as previously stated. Marius and Fal will follow your scent trail like a pair of bloodhounds. They can’t help it. Even if they’ve agreed to their part of the plan, they will still act on instinct over reason right now,” he remarked with an edge to his tone. Annoyance, perhaps. “You and Tormund both have to leave on your next adventure as soon as possible to avoid them. I very much don’t want to see sweet Tor-Tor in rut. You kids all grow up way too fast.”

I giggled. “Sorry.”

“Aye, do apologize. Omegas start going into heat frightfully early. You shouldn’t even know what sex is until you’re in your thirties, let alone be discussing breeding. As a male I know would say,ach,” he grumped with extra disgust, giving my shoulders one last squeeze before he made for the carriage’s exit. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d better go burn this shirt before sunshine lad and wild boy smell it and team up to hurt me for touching you. Bye, Larkie.”

It concerned me a bit that I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Bye, Dad,” I answered.

I followed him out after a minute, as the inside of the carriage had gotten awfully stuffy. We were behind the palace and close to a stables area, which was busy with palace workers and messengers coming and going. Nearby, a trampled circle of dirt hosted a few guards circling in a practice bout while several more alphas watched.

The carriage pulled away at a leisurely pace. I noticed Rennyn wave to the crowd of alphas and cup his hand over his mouth, pointing back at me. The largest male glanced over, then nodded at the dark elf king. It was Theodred, and he started to stride my way. Stars, I didn’t think I would run into him so soon.

“Princess, you’re back!”

Lon swooped out of the sky, distinguishable by the brown leaf patterns on the inside of her moth wings. I brightened immediately. “Lon!”

Her oversized red eyes swerved left and right before she fluttered over, arms out for a hug. I hugged her gladly, purring since she was as soft and warm as she looked with all that dark fur. She settled her feet on the ground with one last flutter and let me go. “I missed you,” she giggled. “My sister does too! She’s packing you a bag right now. I’m here early because Prince Marius wanted me to give you this.”

She patted her dress and reached into a pocket to produce what looked like a jewelry box and a folded letter. I glanced at the letter first. It was in Marius’s slanted, left-handed writing and…completely indecipherable. I might’ve understood spoken Serian well enough, but the written language was just as foreign as it’d been on the train ride here.

Shrugging, I opened the box, then fumbled its contents with a startled shout. Two sharp teeth went flinging into the grass nearby, and Theodred’s terrifying growl sounded behind me. He’d drawn a massive axe he brandished with one hand, taking a defensive posture over Lon and me. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he rumbled.

Lon’s antennae were completely askew. She gave me a baffled look, then crouched down to look for the teeth. “Um. N-nothing’s wrong,” I stammered, just seized by fright to see the redcap king with a weapon in hand. His growl alone made everything omega in me want to run and hide.

Theodred’s nostrils flared, then his gaze drifted to his weapon. He placed it into a holder at his side and said in an attempt at a softer voice, “You’re frightened of me.”

My fear turned swiftly into guilt. I’d barely said two words to him, too intimidated by his very presence.

“There was a time when you were too young to be scared. You sat on my shoulders and flapped your wings like an oversized butterfly; maybe you still remember it as well as I do.”

“I do.” I definitely hadn’t realized how scary a redcap could be, as the fiery giants of the fae race. But I also remembered how safe I’d felt with him, and as a sensitive little omega, I’d known instinctively which alphas were safe and which ones weren’t. Maybe I needed to relax and give him a fair chance. “Um, Marius gave me teeth.”

“Here you go, Princess.” Lon finished dusting off specks of grass from said teeth and put them back in the box that I stillheld. They were alpha fangs. Yellowed with age, but still sharp like small knives. The roots were scrubbed clean and gleamed ivory in the sunlight.

Theodred glanced at them, before inclining his chin toward the letter I held. “Ah, I know who those belonged to. Read the note.”

---