Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
He sees all his plans unraveling and then turns to me with a feral viciousness. He lets out a low growl and then phases into his wolf. The purple royal cloak falls off his shoulders as his dark grey wolf bursts out, snarling at me.
He doesn’t hesitate. That wolf comes charging.
I don’t have time to phase.
“Kieran!”
It’s Calista’s voice. When I turn, the emerald sword is already in the air, reflecting the torchlight. I reach up and catch it by the hilt.
Lucan’s wolf is already in the air, lunging toward me, trying to finish what it started on the night of my father’s funeral.
With one fluid motion, I turn and raise the sword.
Lucan lands on it.
The sound his wolf makes will surely haunt me for the rest of my life.
His momentum carries him forward and the blade slides in to the hilt. The impact brings us both down. I climb to my knees and wince when I see the tip of the emerald blade sticking out of his panting wolf’s back. Blood pools out under him, turning the old stone dais red.
“Forgive me, cousin,” I whisper as I take the sword by the hilt and yank it out.
His wolf whimpers. More blood pours out.
He phases back into his human form, screaming out in pain as he shifts.
The fighting around us stops as his guards and Calista’s crew watch. Everyone is watching.
But I don’t pay any attention to that.
My cousin is dying. Evil or not, he was still my cousin, still my blood, and at one time, my friend.
Lucan stares up at the stars, the torchlight catching his face. For a moment, I see a flash of the carefree boy he used to be. I wish we could go back to those lazy summer afternoons fishing on the coast. We would always compete to see who could catch the bigger fish, but it was all in good fun. I wonder where we went wrong.
I kneel down beside him and take his cold hand.
“Cousin,” he whispers, smiling sadly at me. “You always did best me in everything.”
“Not in everything,” I say quietly. “You always caught the bigger fish.”
He winces as he laughs. His grip tightens on my hand.
“I should have just accepted it,” he says, his eyes closing. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t see past it.”
“I know.”
“Your father was a good king,” he says, his voice weakening. “Better than mine was. Better than I would have been.”
His eyes find mine and for the first time in years, there’s no bitterness left in them. “He was right to choose you.”
My throat tightens. “Lucan...”
“Deep down, I knew it should have been you,” he says, a tear leaking down his temple. “But that just made me hate you all the more. I’m sorry, cousin.”
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “I forgive you.”
His lips curve into a weak smile. “You were always better at that too.”
I squeeze his hand harder.
He’s barely breathing now. Calista’s sword must have cut through his heart. I can see his eyes fading.
“Go to Ulissa,” I say softly. “Your father is there. Mine is too. And grandfather of course. They’re all waiting to greet you.”
His smile is the most peaceful thing I’ve seen on his face in twenty years.
“I’ll tell them the rightful Wolf King has taken his crown,” he barely whispers. “Long live Wolf King Kieran Stormfur.”
His hand goes slack in mine. His eyes go still.
And my cousin is off to Ulissa.
I stay beside him for a breath. Two. Three.
Then I stand up.
The courtyard is silent again. Every eye is on me—the entire Stormfur pack, the couples who came to be bound tonight, my mate and her crew, the nobles and warriors and the villagers and the pups—all of them are holding their breath, watching and waiting.
The high priest picks up the crown and the crowd roars in jubilation.
I can feel the thundering sound vibrating through my body. It gets louder as he walks over and places the crown on my head.
“All hail, Wolf King Kieran Stormfur,” he bellows.
The roar that goes up from the pack is the loudest thing I have ever heard. It rises and rises, wolves throwing their heads back and adding their howls to the chorus. The cascading sound rolls across the valleys and forests and rivers and mountains, stretching out into every inch of my kingdom.
The only one not cheering is Calista. She’s looking at me with a proud grin like she knew this would happen all along.
It takes the high priest a long time to settle the crowd. When he finally gets them under control, they all kneel before me.
Except for Calista. I don’t think this woman would kneel for anyone.
I feel the weight of the crown—the burden of responsibility—but I’m ready for it. With Calista by my side, I can handle anything.
The high priest takes a deep breath as he raises his arms to the pack.