Chapter6

Sebastian

“Fenrir, what have you done?”

The body before me convulsed, drowning in its own blood. My fingers dripped crimson, the warmth of life seeping from my kill.

I had ended him.

Yet, even as his final breath rattled out, something else seized me.

A scent.

It was intoxicating—warm vanilla, sharp citrus, a whisper of musk. It coiled around me, It was soft and deeply inviting, comforting and alluring. It ignited something primal. My pulse roared in my ears, my muscles tensed like a beast ready to pounce.

It coerced my entire being, constricting my muscles as my heartbeat increased. I could feel my blood pulsating, desires burning down my intestines. There was lust and want in my eyes and mind. My lips craved for her flesh. I could feel my groin hardening to a point where I could take it no more.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the surge of heat in my veins. My body demanded it. My wolf commanded. Then I saw her.

Wrapped in cloth, her face was hidden, but her eyes—by the goddess. They flickered between gold and black, power surging beneath their depths.

Something sacred. Something mine.

A growl rumbled through my chest.

“No one touches my mate.”

I reached for her, pulling her into my grasp. The instant our skin met, a shock coursed through me. Power. Recognition. Claiming. It took everything in me to get myself under control, especially the raging Fenrir.

Ours. Fenrir’s voice thundered in my head.

Then—a sharp c***k ran through her face. I turned with a snarl, fury blazing through me.

Iyanna.

The Princess of Høtenhiem stood before me, defiance in her eyes. Fenrir wanted to rip her apart, but I held him back. She was the daughter of King Edward. I did not want to start a war.

****

“I forbid you from seeing her again,” Iyanna hissed.

I laughed—cold, clowning her order. “You think you can forbid me?”

She lifted her chin defiantly. “I am your betrothed! Your future Luna! There's nothing much you can do about it,” she yelled. “You will not see her again.”

My amusement vanished in an instant. “I am Alpha and King.” My voice cut through the air, releasing the wolf within me. “You do not command me.” I raked.

She faltered, but only for a second before regaining her composure as she recoiled at my sound. I was an Alpha after all, but she later shook it out of her. Her lips curled into a smirk.

“Then break the pact with my father. Let’s see how you stand when the vampires burn your kingdom to the ground.”

My eyes darkened. “Stupid girl,” I retorted.

She did have me cornered. The alliance with Høtenhiem was crucial. The vampire threat loomed closer each day. And the last war had cost me my father.

But this so-called union would be nothing more than a political necessity. A loveless, empty arrangement.

And now?

The goddess had chosen for me. A true mate.

I turned to Brandur as he was present. “Take me to her,” I ordered.

****

The dungeon reeked of damp stone and despair, with little mice running up and down. It triggered Fenrir as I let escape a deep and terrifying growl.

Then I heard it. Her heartbeat. Weak. Barely there. A snarl ripped through me again.

“Unchain her,” I commanded, my Alpha dominance shaking the walls. The guards stumbled over themselves to obey.

I stepped forward, scooping her into my arms. She was too light, too fragile, her skin too cold. A growl of pure rage ripped from my throat. My jaw clenched. They had starved her.

Brandur approached. “Brother, let me.”

I hesitated. Fenrir hated the idea. Every instinct screamed at me to keep her close. My grip on her tightened.

But Brandur was right. The Red Moon was approaching. There was work to be done.

I exhaled sharply. “Take her home.” He smirked, taking her from my arms. Fenrir growled in protest.

A dark feeling twisted in my gut. But I pushed it aside.

For now.

****

Brandur

Mate?

I almost laughed.

Sebastian stood over his kill, his so-called mate cradled in his arms.

A vampire-tainted vermin. The goddess had cursed him. Perfect. I had spent my life in his shadow, born just two minutes too late. The Forgotten Prince. The unwanted heir.

But now? Now, I had my opportunity.

I despised my brother because he was made Alpha and King only because he came two minutes earlier than me. We were twins, though not identical. I was treated like an outcast, a remnant of my father's seed.

My brother had been Alpha after our father's death. Ever since it had been like a privilege to be his brother and one to an alpha. I was belittled, placed second, and treated like a princess.

****

Sebastian handed her over without hesitation.

i***t. I inhaled sharply, fighting the urge to gag. That stench. She was mixed-blood. Tainted. An insult to our kind.

Still, I played my role. If I wanted to destroy a king, I needed to know his weakness first. Her home would be a start. We rode toward Riverbay in silence, my thoughts flickering on all the possible ways to bring Sebastian down using his mate.

Then I caught a scent—sharp, distinct. I jumped from the carriage, my heart hammering.

“Wildflowers!” I exclaimed. They were burnt down in Yormsborg as they proved dangerous to wolves, but a small and forgotten town like Riverbay was certain to harbour it.

Then another struck me. Something more dangerous—mistletoe. A single dose could weaken a werewolf. Enough of it could kill one. But an Alpha? I was unsure. My brother was powerful, and one to be treated with extreme caution.

I grinned. Then, a blur of grey fur streaked past. Fenrir. Sebastian had felt her absence. He had tracked us. I smirked. “What would Princess Iyanna say about this?”

Then my blood ran cold. My gaze flicked down to the mistletoe I had found.

And I whispered, “The princess.”