Page 35 of Of Wolves and Wives

Peirce makes a single grunt as he bears the whipping. Tears sting my eyes as his back becomes crisscrossed with bloody lines. Yet, the Grey Prince doesn’t stop. He continues to bring the whip down upon Pierce’s back. My cries turn to sobs as I watch his blood begin to trickle down his sides to the cold marble beneath him.

Finally, he slumps as he passes out. Only then does the prince pause in his assault. Sweat glistens from his skin as he takes a step back. His eyes flick to me, and I wince as I note Peirce’s blood has splattered across his face. The prince grins as he drops the whip to the floor.

I shake my head, but it’s too late. The Grey Prince’s eyes light with desire as he crosses to me. Behind me, the guard releases me as he takes a step back. I barely manage to catch myself before the prince is there. His hand wraps around my throat as he drags me to him, bringing our eyes to the same level.

“It seems you should be punished as well,” he growls.

In a swift movement, I’m shoved to the floor next to Peirce. My cheek is pressed into the cold ground as my hand lands in a puddle of blood. Bile rises through me as the prince tears at my skirts. Then, he takes me. His rough movements cause me to cry out in pain as he gives in to his primal urges.

“Stop,” an icy voice demands.

The Grey Prince pauses long enough for me to lift my head, tears staining my cheeks as I meet Helena’s furious gaze. She takes in the scene as she steps further into the throne room.

19

Rose

Moments tick pass, but the Grey Prince doesn’t remove himself from me. Though, I can feel his entire body tensing at the sound of his wife’s voice. Despite the dozens of people in the room, a heavy silence falls over the room. Until Lyra lets out a sob. Helena’s gaze sharpens as she glances to the dais then back to her husband. Finally, her eyes shift to me. Her eyes narrow as she turns to the guards at her back.

“Fetch Heath or Rykker immediately,” she orders.

With a nod, the guard slips from the room. The Grey Prince finally releases me, and I sag to the ground as he rises to meet his wife. My relief is immediate as tears flow down my cheeks.

“You dare interrupt me in the middle of court?” the Grey Prince demands. “You dare storm in here to question my authority or how I see fit to best use my mates? Then you further insult me by sending for another man while my subjects look on?”

“I am your mate. Not these human creatures.”

A cold laugh slips from the Grey Prince before he replies, “You are only my mate by law. The moment you failed to bear me an heir, you stopped being my mate in any other sense of the word.”

The prince lets out another cold laugh at this. I shift just slightly so that I can see Helena’s eyes darken. I watch as something inside her shatters at his claim. Without a sound, she lunges toward the prince. Mid-leap, she shifts into a stunning black wolf. The Grey Prince lets out a deep growl as he too shifts into a large silver wolf.

He meets her as she lands just a few feet from me. His powerful paws bat at her as he shoves her to the ground. Horror washes over me as he easily overpowers her. In a blink, he has his jaw at her throat. Blood mats her black hairs as he tosses her aside. By some miracle, she still lands on her feet. She sways for a moment before lunging at him once more.

Her yelps mix with the sounds of teeth gnashing and snarling as the two wolves meet once more. Pulling my knees to my chest, I shake as I watch them fight. It’s a terrifying thing to witness. Fur and blood blur past me. I force myself to keep my eyes open, unwilling to miss it should they stumble too close to where I lie next to Peirce. Then, a horrifying sound fills the room as the Grey Prince tears through Helena. He sends her body flying across the floor until she slumps against the far wall. The black wolf disappears as Helena’s broken and limp body appear.

The Grey Prince stalks toward her. He paws at her body for a moment before shifting back to his human form. Standing above her body, I note that his muscles are swollen from the fight as he crouches at her side. He tugs her head up with a yank of her hair before letting it hit the floor with a sickening crack.

A moment passes, the room growing even more deadly silent. Then a slight rasp comes from Helena. Her chest rises, but her body remains limp. She’s not yet dead. Nodding to himself, the Grey Prince straightens and moves away from his wife’s body.

“Get her out of my sight,” he orders. “Have her tended to.”

I tense as he storms past where I lie, but he doesn’t pause. In three steps, he returns to his dais, where he sits upon his throne. He reaches for Lyra, dragging her down into his lap. His eyes meet mine for a moment before he glances out at his subjects. With a wave of his hand, court resumes as though nothing has happened. I’m left to lie next to Peirce on the floor.

The minutes tick by until Heath appears at my side. I’m not sure if it’s been several minutes or entire ages, but I’m relieved to see his stoic face. He wastes no time in scooping me into his arms. I cling to him, burying my face in his chest as he stands.

“One moment, guard,” the Grey Prince calls after us.

Heath’s arms tighten around me as he goes still. A moment passes without any sound before the Grey Prince lets out a sigh. Still, Heath doesn’t turn to face the prince.

“I want the human locked in her room until I say otherwise,” the Grey Prince says. “No visitors, no maids, and no guards.”

“Her health will falter without us there to ensure she eats,” Heath immediately counters.

Before he can say more, the prince cuts him off with a snort before adding, “Then no food for her either.”

I can sense Heath preparing to argue further. Shifting in his arms, I bring my lips to his ear to ask about Peirce. I hope it's enough of a distraction.

“Rykker will tend to him,” Heath quietly assures me.

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