Page 28 of The Forgotten Princess

Devin shifts. I start to move off of him, but he holds me in place, wrapping his arms around me tighter. I know that he needs me to stay right where I am and I have no intention of moving—not when he needs me.

“It was a young family—a male and female. Wolf shifters. They were mates. And they had two young children,” Damian says. “Your father killed them to send a message.”

I take a deep breath through my nose, slowly letting it out. “He’s lost control and he knows it. He’s going what he can to make an impact. The only thing left for him is the legacy he leaves behind. He wants history to know how strong he is.”

“History will not be kind to King Hastings,” Damian says. “It rarely is to socialist dictators.”

He’s right, of course.

My father thinks he’s doing the right thing. He has grand ideas of a utopian future, only his idea of utopia is terrifying.

“I will spare you from watching the execution, but I’d like you to watch his speech after the execution.” Damian looks between Devin and me, his eyes finally landingoun behind me. “Dev, do you think you can control your emotions?”

Devin gives him a curt nod.

“What about you?” Damian raises an eyebrow at me. “You’re a very powerful earth elemental, Tori. I don’t want you causing catastrophic damage.”

I take a deep breath through my nose and out my mouth.

Right now, I’m not angry. I’m upset about what my father did. The only anger I feel is coming from Devin and he’s trying very hard to get it under control.

“I can handle it,” I tell Damian.

He studies me for a moment before he pulls his phone from his pocket and turns the screen around so that I can see it.

My father is standing on a stage. I recognize the room, it’s where he always does his speeches. There are a few people standing behind him, one of them being Kailor’s father. How he can stand to be there after what King Hastings did, I’m not sure. Then again, Kai’s dad was always just as bad as our father. Maybe worse, if that’s possible.

“This is just the beginning,” my father says.

He pauses while others cheer. Of course they’re cheering—he would only invite those who agree with his harsh dealings. Anybody who openly opposes my father is executed.

“Iwillget my daughter back from the vicious wolf shifters. They have brainwashed her, but I will see to it that she is rescued. No harm will come to her,” King Hastings promises. “And if the wolf shifters don’t return her, this is just the beginning.”

My stomach churns at his words.

“I will kill anybody who stands in my way. The wolves declared war on us when they killed my heir and kidnapped my daughter, but I promise that we will have victory.”

Once again, the audience cheers.

Because Devin is touching me, I can feel his anger. It’s so strong that it consumes my own feelings. The ground begins to tremble, so I jump up from Devin’s lap.

“Tori,” Damian says warily.

“I’m sorry.” The trembling stops the moment I jump up. “That was Devin. He was feeding me his emotions. I couldn’t control it.”

He sighs. “At least it was only a small earthquake.”

I’m not sure that Winter will see it that way.

Devin looks up at me, his eyes finally fading from yellow to green. “I’m sorry, Tori. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay.” I step closer to him.

He stands from the chair and wraps his arms around me. I lean into his embrace, letting him comfort me.

Damian clears his throat, so I glance over at him.

“What’s happening can’t continue,” Damian says. “King Hastings has to be stopped. I know that the two of you are young. I want nothing more than to protect you from all of this, but you’re involved. This is about you. One way or another, your lives are about to change.”

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