Page 16 of Forgotten Queen

I was furious.

The girl must’ve been a replacement Omega. The urge to claw Sabine’s face off was overwhelming. I might even be able to win. My hands tingled, and I clenched them into fists to tamp down on any green sparks that might give me away.

I wanted to go over there and fight Sabine so badly. Give her a taste of her own medicine. The desire for retribution warmed my very blood.

But even if I could win, I’d blow my cover. All my hard work would be for nothing because, while I might be able to win against Sabine, I had no chance in a hundred-on-one fight.

I forced myself to turn away from the young shifter, who would be in for a long night of torment.

I hated myself more than a little in that moment.

The rest of the journey to the Kings’s house was uninterrupted. Everyone was caught up in the revelry. The Alphas ran the pack, and they passed it down from father to son. Maddox might rule us now, but one day, when he stepped down or died, Jett would take over.

I had doubts about Maddox King’s willingness to relinquish power, though.

But even being the Alpha Heir was enough to warrant an annual celebration. People were drunk and cheerful. I kept my head down, my hair coverings in place.

And then I was in front of the house.

Of course, I wasn’t stupid enough to go right in the front door. Even half-drunk, pack sentinels would be watching around for mischief. Instead, I wandered around the side. The King residence was completely unlike the humble cabins of the Wind-Blood territory. It was funny. There, the Alpha’s home looked the same as any other.

This was a mansion.

I wasn’t an expert on the layout, having never been inside. When I was alive, I’d made it my mission to avoid the place at all costs.

But I couldn’t afford to stay out, exposed. I went around back, tasting the air to detect anyone nearby and coming up empty.

The house was elevated, the windows about six feet off the ground. I jumped and pulled myself just up to the sill to look inside. It was the kitchen, which, thankfully, was deserted. No lights were on, which hopefully meant nobody was home.

With any luck, no one would be running in for supplies. Everything was almost certainly sourced from the dining hall anyway, instead of the Alpha’s personal residence. I’d hoped for a bathroom or something more concealed, but this would have to do.

Now to get in.

Breaking a window would be loud. I hoisted myself up, carefully balancing on the windowsill, and eased the window up. Unlocked.

But of course it was unlocked. No one was suicidal enough to sneak into Maddox King’s home.

Good thing I’m already dead.

I didn’t pause to question my good fortune. Instead, I eased the window back down once inside and moved as quickly as I could to hide in the shadows. No matter how I strained my hearing, the house seemed silent, but it was hard to be sure with the steady thrum of bass outside polluting the silence.

Finding the cells was my next challenge. I expected to feel anxious, moving so deeply in the territory of my enemy. Breathing in the scent of my fated mate, who forsook me. My heart should’ve been pounding.

Yet, none of that happened. Jett’s lingering scent did nothing but irritate me. An unnatural calm took over as I searched the house. The stairs to the basement were easy enough to find. A finished space, built like a space for the King family to relax.

The cells, as it turned out, were another layer beyond that.

There was no mistaking the door to the dungeon. While the rest of the King residence was a manicured mansion fit for hosting and curated appeal, there was no masking the scents that leaked out of the door. Dirt. Blood. Despair.

I bit down on the growl in my throat at the thought of Daphne’s own despair mixing in with that.

The door opened to a rickety old set of stairs. I climbed down them, two at a time, while keeping my movement quiet.

I’d seen a glimpse of the cells in my scrying, but I was utterly unprepared for what I found.

What lay under Maddox’s house reminded me more of the dungeon in Cole’s castle than the pristine mansion I’d walked through above. Rows and rows of cells. The distasteful feel of silver crawled over my skin. Not as bad as when I’d stepped in the room with that box, but still unpleasant.

The cells were unguarded and, as best I could tell, empty. I stalked through, checking each one.

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