Page 80 of A Reign of Malice
“There’s nothing like the bond between women who truly see each other,” Isla agrees, brushing a lock of pinkish hair behind her ear. “We’ve faced gods, curses, and war to have these lives. But having each other? That’s what kept me sane.”
“Especially when we all get together and drink too much wine,” I add with a smirk.
Estee points at me with a wicked grin. “Nowthat’ssomething we’re definitely repeating once this mess is over.”
A genuine laugh rises in my throat for the first time all day. That’s something to look forward to. Right after I finally claim my mate.
A dull ache blooms in my chest as I think of Julian. No matter how grateful I am that Clara came to get me earlier, I haven’t had more than a moment alone with him. And now, that longing is impossible to ignore. It hums beneath my skin like a second pulse, louder, needier, growing with each passing second. I glance toward the door, fighting the very real urge to abandon everything and run to him.
“Look at her,” Isla teases, laughter coating her words like honey. “She’s already gone for him.”
“As if she had a choice,” Estee mutters, feigning exasperation before fanning her face dramatically. “Did you see the way he looked at her when they first locked eyes? If I wasn’t happily mated, I’d be a little jealous.”
“Same,” Isla chimes in with a grin. “You’re lucky we’re both taken, Sloane. Otherwise, you’d have some serious competition for that man.”
Their teasing is light, playful—meant in good fun—but my wolf doesn’t understand jokes. The possessive part of me surges forward, a guttural growl rising from my throat before I can stop it. “Mine.”
Isla and Estee both take a step back, wide-eyed but grinning all the same.
“Easy, girl,” Estee says with a smirk. “We were only teasing.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t joke about that until they’ve completed the bond,” Isla adds, her hands still up in mock surrender.
“I think that would be wise,” I mutter, my voice rougher than I intend, my wolf still pacing inside me.
“Sloane?” Julian calls from the corridor.
Estee snickers behind me. “Looks like she’s not the only one struggling with control.”
I ignore her—lovingly—and stride to the doorway, pulling back the blanket just as Julian reaches it from the other side.
His eyes are wide, searching my face with such intensity that I forget how to breathe for a second. “Are you okay? Did someone…?”
He cuts himself off as he notices Isla and Estee behind me.
“I’m fine,” I say, placing both palms against his chest. “We were just talking.”
Julian wraps his arms around me, drawing me close. His scent calms the restlessness in my chest. I could stay here forever.
“Okay,” he murmurs. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
“You’re not the only one who can’t stay away,” Asher calls as he stops behind Julian, followed closely by Theo.
The room fills quickly as the men enter to find their mates, arms wrapping around shoulders and gazes full of understanding. Suddenly, the space feels smaller, cozier, charged with something I can’t quite name. Unity, maybe. Or simply the calm before the storm.
“You better not be plotting without us,” Theo says, pulling Estee into his side.
“Always,” she answers with a sly smile then glances around the room. “We should probably make the rounds. Figure out who’s standing with us tonight.”
I nod, having already been thinking about that earlier. “I’ll start with my pack.”
“We’ll speak with the ones from Venaris,” Isla says, her voice softer now. “Let them know that no matter what they choose, they’ll have a home, whether in one of our kingdoms or yours.”
“And no matter what role they choose to play,” Julian adds, surprising even me, “we make it clear that every choice has value. The ones who stay behind will be just as critical. Protecting the vulnerable is just as noble as fighting on the front lines.”
I glance up at him, pride blooming in my chest. He might not yet believe himself to be a king, but crown or not, he already is. It doesn’t matter if he’s spent the last two centuries locked away. His heart is exactly what these people need, and I’m going to make sure he never forgets that.
And as something powerful and unfamiliar settles deep inmy bones—hope, maybe, or a steady kind of determination—I realize we’re standing on the edge of everything.
