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After a long moment, Prince Arlys responds with, “Is there anything that you would accept to allow us on your lands?”
“We don’t negotiate with their kind,” Prince Drogo snaps.
The bear shifter looks amused. “The first thing would be for you to chain up that dog.”
Prince Drogo growls, stepping forward.
That was the wrong thing to say.
Prince Darkheart chuckles. “I’m not finished yet.” His eyes twinkle with amusement as they slip to me. “Three is such an odd number of husbands to have. Four makes much more sense. Doesn’t it? I think I need in on this marriage, and my people need in on the alliance.” The cocky, confident smile returns to his face.
In on this marriage? Is he really saying what I think he’s saying? Everything inside of me tenses. I can’t handle the three husbands I have. I certainly can’t handle a fourth.
Prince Drogo’s eyes glow yellow, and he bares his teeth. “Abso-fucking-lutely not,” he growls and takes another step toward Prince Darkheart. The space between them is far too small now. “Don’t even fucking look at her.” His claws extend from his hands and fur grows out of the back of his neck.
Whoa. My gaze moves from him to the bear shifter. Does the guy really mean anything he says? Or is he just trying to get a reaction from the princes? Basically, I’m wondering what his angle is, what he wants. Is it just to be part of the alliance? It seems like there’s more to this.
Prince Darkheart doesn’t back down. The only movement he makes is to throw his head back and laugh loudly. I look around the room, and the princes are all shocked. I wonder how well they know this man, and what their meetings with the bears are typically like.
The big shifter grins. “Oh man, what an angry pup. Calm down, little buddy.” Prince Darkheart actually bends over to be at eye level with Drogo.
My eyes almost pop out of my head. That’s a bold move.
Prince Drogo growls. “This ‘pup’ is going to kick your ass. Just try to come near Princess Tara and see what I do.”
“Princess Tara? That’s her name, huh?” Prince Darkheart asks, peering over the wall of shifters at me. “I like the way it feels on my tongue. Tara.” He repeats my name, dragging each letter out.
To my surprise, Prince Drogo lunges for him and his fist connects solidly with Prince Darkheart's open palm. An open palm that wasn’t there a second ago.
Prince Drogo pushes back and swings again, and again meets Prince Darkheart’s palm. I can see Prince Drogo’s anger building. He’s almost completely shifted now. This is going to be a bad fight if this doesn’t stop now.
I break past Prince Rinan and Prince Arlys’s big bodies, racing to stand between them. “Enough!”
“It’s not enough! It’s barely started!” Prince Drogo roars.
I flinch, but I don’t move. “We have bigger problems than your egos.” I turn to face each of the men. “People are dying. King Talon is dying! We don’t have time for your flexing.”
Something eases in the room, something that can’t be seen but can definitely be felt. The fur begins to disappear from Prince Drogo’s skin, and his eyes return to normal. He’s still breathing roughly, but at least he seems to be gaining some control.
“The beautiful lady is right,” the bear shifter says, his voice low, slipping along my flesh.
I shake off the effects of his voice and turn to Prince Darkheart. “Are your people dying too?”
His eyes soften. “You sure are gorgeous.”
Prince Drogo growls behind me.
I whip around and face him. “Cut it out,” I order, and then look back at the bear shifter. “You too. We both know you’re just saying what you’re saying to upset them.”
He looks surprised. “I don’t have to try to upset a wolf shifter.”
“Arrogant bear asshole,” Prince Rinan mutters.
I sigh, frustrated, my mind working. The bear is here because he heard about our alliance and our plans to cross his mountain. I guess rumors travel quickly. He’s not just here to tell us what he knows. He’s also not here just to marry me. So what does he want? And what do we want from him?
We want to get on his mountain… and he wants, probably, to help his people, just like us.
“Prince Darkheart, it’s clear your people are experiencing the effects of the Illness too, or else you wouldn’t be here.” I’m taking a gamble with my words. A gamble that the same mountain water that is making the wolf shifters sick is making his people sick too.
