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The King's fist connected hard with the table again, cracking the air. "I have done everything I can to mold you. To make you a true commander of wolves, but you have continuously failed me!" He let out a vicious roar and threw his glass across the room. It shattered against the side of a cabinet, covering the ground in jagged shards.
I hadn't even noticed the ridiculous furniture filling the tent. An imposing bed, heavy chairs, and several bookshelves made me feel as if I were sitting on top of the enraged wolves.
Eager to disappear into the shadows, I grabbed a hand towel off the cart and hurried to the mess. My hands shook from the rage pulsing in the tight space, and I needed a moment to steady myself.
"I cannot trust my throne to your sister," the King growled at Byriel as if it were his fault. Then like the release of an arrow, his voice came out so quiet, but his authority was still just as sharp. "Her anger…" he sighed, scrubbing his face with his big hands.
"Perhaps you shouldn't have killed her lover," Byriel snapped.
I froze—a shard of glass pressed between my fingers—and waited for the King to react. He stood and leaned far over the table. Byriel tipped his head back and looked his father in the eye. From where I sat, I could see his face. He kept his expression under control, but his eyes looked murderous.
"Fae and shifters don't mate," the King growled. The air crackled in my ears as his anger grew. "The result of such a union is dangerous. I saved your sister a lifetime of pain. We stick to our own kind."
Byriel dropped his gaze, and so did I. Was he thinking of Blue?
The King placed his palms flat on the table, leaning toward his son. "I did what had to be done. I understand Strayton's anger as young love is always the hardest to lose. But fucking the enemy is unforgivable. How she couldn't see how he was using her. Bending her to his will." The King straightened his back. "I fear she has completely lost her way."
"She's not the only one," Byriel whispered, his eyes glowing red.
Silence crackled in my ears, making my jaw ache. My wolf whimpered, and I circled my fingers around the hilt of my dagger to both calm her and remind myself of my purpose.
A deep rumble pushed from the King's chest as he spoke. "Watch your fucking tone. I have done what any good King would have to protect my people. It was them or all of fucking Havre!"
Byriel's eyes snapped to his father's face. "You aren't making any sense! Killing pups—"
"You are so fucking weak!"
The King gripped the edge of the table, flinging the massive piece of furniture to the other side of the room. The lanterns flew and broke. The table landed hard on its side, crashing into the side of the tent. The top spoke swayed a bit, and I held my breath, terrified the whole thing would crumble. Neither alpha seemed to notice or care.
I stayed fixed in my spot, not daring to move an inch. But with all the light gone, except for a small lantern next to the drink cart, the whole space was dim. I doubt either would notice me.
Very slowly, the old wolf walked toward Byriel, his breath leaving him in harsh pants. "I will not let our era end with me. The prophecy is clear."
Byriel rose from his chair, holding his head high. The wounded look in his eyes was gutting. I frequently forgot this crazed man was his father.
"This!" The King motioned to Byriel's pained expression. "This is why I had to kill my people. Your weak heart and lack of strength left me with no other fucking choice! And with what the witches have seen," he let out a harsh breath, "I can't let Havre fall to war."
"What war?" Byriel's voice rose. He held his hands out, and for a moment, I thought he might grab the old wolf. "There's no war, Father! There's no reason—"
"If you had read the prophecy, you'd know."
"I have read it." Byriel let out a pained sigh, shaking his head. "It says nothing about war. And having a green witch read it—"
"The dawn of a new era!" the King yelled out one of the lines from the prophecy. "The era of wolves is over, my boy. My kingdom is in danger with those poor, blessed marked wolves still alive. I didn't want to kill them, but I had to."
"Ihad to kill them!" Byriel roared. His rage finally burst out of him like a damn, making me flinch. "Not you! Me! I sunk my blade into that pup's belly! I listened to their dying prayers and their pleas for mercy. I watched their mates grieve and fight.Idid! Not you!"
I held my breath, expecting the King to lash out and rip Byriel limb from limb. But instead, he crossed his arms, a self-satisfied grin stretching across his face.
"I hate how right I am about you,” he said. “I wanted to leave the throne to you, but you just can't finish anything. You “couldn’t even find all the wolves. You just didn’t give a shit and gave up.” He paused, waiting for Byriel to respond, but he remained silent, glaring at his father.
"You have consistently," the King continued, "since the day you were born, found any excuse to run from a fight."
"I have done every fucking thing you have ever asked of me," Byriel gritted out, his eyes glossy with tears. "Mother always said wielding peace is the first and most important step in a fight."
"Your mother had no fucking clue—"
Byriel cut him off with a vicious snarl that made my chest tighten. My wolf was on the verge of a full-on panic, and I squeezed my fists repeatedly, trying to calm myself. There was simply too much rage in this room, and my eyes stung from the force of it.
