Page 35 of Wolf Duke

Alaric waited. And waited. “Are you thinking something?”

“Yes,” Evaine replied, looking a little disappointed.

He grimaced. “Perhaps it takes a while. I honestly don’t know how it happens, whether it’s a sudden gift or if it gradually grows stronger. I can ask Mother in the morning. Are you hungry? Would you like some honey cakes?”

“An entire plateful, if possible,” his mate said with a rueful smile.

“Your wish is my command,” Alaric replied as he climbed out of bed and offered an elaborate bow. Then he sauntered to the small table in front of the fireplace and leaned over to pick up a plate of freshly baked cakes and a small pat of butter.

“That is such a fine arse. Perhaps I could nibble on that instead.”

He laughed. “After we’ve had our fill of honey cakes, you are more than welcome to do so.”

Evaine made that yelping sound again. “Argh! Why do you only hear those thoughts?”

“Because you want me to hear them, my queen.”

She gasped, her whole face lighting up, and it was like the sun breaking through a cloud. “I heard that!”

Relief once again swept through him. Much like Evaine, he hated not knowing things, and to be unable to offer comfort or instruction was unendurable. But in all honesty, he wouldn’t be terribly aggrieved if she couldn’t hear everything. Opening his heart and mind when it had been closed so long was a mammoth task. “It seems to work best when we’re not trying to force it,” Alaric said cautiously, as he returned to the bed with the honey cakes.

She smiled brightly. “Then let us eat. After that, well…”

Alaric inclined his head as his cock began to harden. Some things required no words, bonded mind link or not.

Chapter

Eight

“As you can see, the carts are nearly fully loaded, my queen. Are you sure there is nothing I can add to make your travel more comfortable? Even a particular trinket or pillow?”

As the cold, misty dawn air swirled around the torches lighting up the courtyard, Evaine smiled and shook her head at Willie, the castle marshal. She couldn’t fault his attention to detail, or any of the plans he had made for the impending month-long progress to introduce her to Alaric’s subjects. The marshal had consulted her continuously on preferences for lodging and food and audiences, even inconsequential things like musical instruments to be played at entertainments or her favorite flowers. At no time had she felt like a piece on a chessboard, forever waiting to be moved this way or that. But now all the castle guests had departed, and the sketches for her and Alaric’s official portrait were complete. It was time to leave the sanctuary of Blackstone Castle.

“No,” said Evaine. “I am more than content. I don’t really have anything in the way of personal trinkets…well, none at all, actually.”

Willie winced and kicked at a small stone with the toe of his boot. “Ah, forgive me. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“You didn’t,” she hastily assured him, wanting to wince herself at the ill-thought comment. As a crowned queen, she needed to be far more mindful around servants. Far more discreet.

In truth, she was struggling to calm her inner nerves about the journey they were about to commence. The prospect remained daunting in so many ways beyond the obvious change that she was now queen. After ten years running from town to town and village to village, it was hard to be excited about a royal progress that had no less than twenty stops. Twenty! And they would be traveling over 700 miles, in the middle of winter, for it was custom in Wolfdom to introduce a new queen to her subjects as soon as possible, rather than waiting for summer as the humans did.

Really, she felt rather foolish for not knowing just how vast Alaric’s kingdom was. While it encompassed the entire principality of Wales, it also stretched north to Hadrian’s Wall, as far east as Derby, and as far south as Cirencester. Although both Willie and Captain Bardolf had assured her she would have warriors dedicated to her safety, and that the king’s personal guard of fifty highly trained and heavily armed warriors would accompany them the entire way…the second half of the journey alarmed her most. On several occasions they would be close to the Eastern Lands border.

What if they were set upon by a large pack of mercenaries? Or Guy Saville himself? There were plenty of places where a traveling party could be ambushed.

Evaine shuddered. As Queen of the Western Lands, some might claim she was no longer a threat or easy target, and the usurper would leave her alone. However, there was an equally strong argument that she was now an even greater prize. Anyone could be tempted by a queen’s ransom, or if they were truly evil: strike a terrible blow by murdering a king’s fated mate, for without cubs, it would throw succession into chaos. She was very much afraid Guy Saville viewed her as the latter, especially if he had ambitions beyond the Eastern Lands.

Tyrants always wanted more.

Willie cleared his throat, then bowed. “Well, I know King Alaric wishes to depart very soon to allow the greatest amount of travel in daylight. Today you’ll go to Worcester. After that to Gloucester, then a few days at the Forest of Dean for some excellent hunting and hospitality at St. Briavels Castle. I know there’ll be many dignitaries for you to meet. Perhaps even some humans.”

Evaine couldn’t conceal a grimace. “Oh.”

The marshal laughed. “Fear not, my queen, they would all have heard by now what happens to those who displease King Alaric. The Oxfords got what they deserved! I know it’s not usually the Beaumont way, but we were all proud of our king for his small show of force. Sometimes it is necessary to remind others that just because a wolf prefers peace, he is by no means weak.”

Except if the human is powerful, and so aggrieved that it starts a war.

Abruptly chilled, even wrapped up warmly in a hooded, ermine-lined black cloak, Evaine rubbed her gloved hands together. Although there had been no human retaliation, or further contact by an emissary or King Henry himself, she didn’t believe for a moment that the matter was laid to rest. Not for an arrogant nobleman like Lord Oxford. “I suppose my main task is remembering I’m a duchess if around humans.”