Last night was the most beautiful night I’d spent in my life.
I woke up feeling the weight of Kaius’s arm across my waist, anchoring me to this new reality–he was King now, and somehow, impossibly, I was his Queen.
I turned carefully to face him, studying his features in the soft morning light. In sleep, the hard lines of his face softened, making him look younger, almost vulnerable. Without thinking, I traced the line of his jaw with my fingertips, marveling at how this powerful wolf had become mine just as truly as I had become his.
His eyes opened at my touch, amber and alert even as he woke. “What are you doing, Elowen?” His voice was rough with sleep but held a note of amusement.
“Nothing… it just. I think you are really handsome.” I said.
“Hearing this from you is a different feel. But I am the more lucky one; I think you look unique,” he replied, his hand coming up to brush a strand of hair from my face.
“Good unique or… weird unique?” I asked, half–teasing.
“Sexy unique. His eyes darkened as they traveled over what he could see of me above the sheets.
That wasn’t part of the options, but I’ll take that,” I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in months.
He pulled me closer, his intentions clear in the heat of his gaze. I didn’t hesitate, pressing closer. My hand slid down his front, mapping the hard ridge straining against his sleep pants. I hooked my fingers beneath the loose waistband, freed his cock into my palm, and closed them around his thick length, beginning a slow stroke.
Kaius growled low in his throat. “Ignore it,” he murmured against my neck.
The knock came again, more insistent this time, followed by Thalia’s voice. “Alpha King, we need to discuss your return journey.”
Kaius sighed, reluctantly releasing me. “One moment,” he called, his voice controlled despite the frustration evident in his expression.
We dressed quickly, though Kaius took the time to steal kisses as I tried to make myself presentable. By the time we opened the
door, Thalia’s face had set into a mask of barely concealed impatience.
“So… the new King is only interested in one Queen?” Thalia said by way of greeting, her ageless eyes glittering with barely concealed malice. “We’ve arranged the convoy back to Ravenhollow as instructed. The pack members are already preparing for merger. Yet here you two are, still enjoying your private little honeymoon?
I stiffened at her tone, ready to defend our right to privacy, but Kaiu merely regarded her with cold amusement.
“Did my rejection of your ‘gift‘ of women last night upset you that much?”
Thalla’s face tightened, her ageless features twisting with indignation. “That has nothing to do with me! I was merely fulfilling tradition by offering them to you. Every King before you has accepted such tributes gratefully.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a hiss. Or perhaps you’re just playing devoted mate for now, until your position is secure?”
“Did my rejection of your ‘gift‘ of women last night upset you that much?”
Thalia’s face tightened, her ageless features twisting with indignation. “That has nothing to do with me! I was merely fulfilling. tradition by offering them to you. Every King before you has accepted such tributes gratefully.” She stepped closer, her voice
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dropping to a hiss. “Or perhaps you’re just playing devoted mate for now, until your position is secure?”
Kaius’s expression changed instantly.
I moved forward, unwilling to let this escalate further.
“You could leave; I and Kaius would be there when we are ready,” I said dismissively, making it clear I considered her presence
unwelcome and unnecessary.
Thalia’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You forget your place, pup.”
Before I could retort, Kaius stepped forward, his presence suddenly filling the doorway with quiet menace. “And you forget your manners, elder. She is right, please leave; I really do not want to see your face for the time being.”
“Alpha King Kaius. Do not ever forget that I made you; without me, you would have died in the hands of the elders, a long time ago, so when you speak to me, you watch it.” Thalia’s voice rose with each word, her composure cracking to reveal something ugly
beneath.
In a movement too fast for me to track, Kaius had Thalia by the throat, pinning her to the opposite wall of the corridor. “You need me, Alpha,” she choked out, her eyes wide with fear despite her defiant words.
“No. I had never needed anyone before,” Kaius replied, his voice deadly calm. “We might have made a deal, but it gives you no control, no power till it is completed; you dare not threaten me ever again, Elder Thalia.”
He released her, and she slumped slightly against the wall, one hand going to her throat. Without another word, she straightened and walked away, her dignity somewhat restored though her defeat was clear to anyone watching.
Kaius turned back to me, his expression softening immediately. “I apologize for the interruption.”
“What was that about?” I asked, still processing the violent exchange I’d just witnessed.
He drew me back into our room, closing the door firmly behind us. “Thalia believes she has more leverage than she actually does. common misconception among those who mistake usefulness for indispensability.”
“Kaius… what is this deal you made with Thalia?” I couldn’t help asking, needing to understand what could create such tension between them.
“She has ambitious expectations,” he said carefully, his voice low as if concerned about being overheard. “She provided essential support at a critical time, with the understanding that her service would be generously rewarded.”
“What kind of reward?” I pressed, unsettled by the way his amber eyes had darkened.
“The kind that would dramatically elevate her position.” He moved to the window, his back to me as he looked out over the Ironvale compound.
“And she’ll come to collect eventually,” I said, understanding dawning
“Precisely.” He turned back to me, his expression unreadable, “But that’s a problem for another day. What matters now is that we’ve achieved what we came for. We should prepare to return to Ravenhollow.”
The journey back to Ravenhollow was markedly different from our arrival at Ironvale. Where before we had traveled as Alpha and Lama, now we returned as King and Queen. The difference was subtle but unmistakable–in the deeper bows of the guards, the more formal address from pack members, the increased deference from those who had previously treated me with mere tolerance.
When we finally arrived at the pack house I felt a surprising sense of relief washing over me.
“It suits you,” Kaius remarked as we walked through the main hall, nodding toward a group of wolves who had immediately lowered their eyes at our approach.
“What does?” I asked, still not entirely comfortable with the intensified attention.
“Power,” he replied simply. “The crown becomes you, Elowen.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed, but I appreciated his confidence in me.
“My father’s pack members have been merging with ours since we go back,” Kaius said as we entered our private chambers, closing the door behind us. “But his territory is empty now. The Alphas need to discuss what to do about it at tomorrow’s meeting.”
“I should be there, shouldn’t I?” I asked, realizing I actually wanted to participate rather than being relegated to the sidelines.
“Of course. You’re their Queen now.”
A knock at the door interrupted us again, though this one was gentler than Thalia’s had been. Kaius tensed slightly, but his expression relaxed when he scented the visitor.
“It’s my mother,” he said, moving to open the door.
Ophelia stood in the hallway, her beauty undimmed despite the strain evident in her posture. “Can I at least come in?” she asked, her eyes moving past Kaius to find me.
“Oh, yeah, come in,” I replied, somewhat surprised by her visit. She had barely acknowledged
me
during our time at Ironvale.
Ophelia stepped inside, glancing briefly at her son. “Kaius, I’d like to speak with Elowen alone, if you don’t mind.”
“I’ll give you two some time.” His eyes met mine, silently asking if this was acceptable. I gave him a slight nod, and he left, closing the door behind him.
“So… I didn’t expect you,” I said once we were alone.
“I know, I’m sorry for coming in unannounced. I just had to tell you that I am leaving,” Ophelia said, her voice steady though I could see tension in the way she held herself.
“Leaving?” I hadn’t expected this, especially not so soon after Kaius’s coronation.
“Yes. I want to get out there; that had always been my dream. I wanted to be free of everything and start over. Maybe it is too late, but I would never know if I don’t try. Who knows, maybe even find something that’s mine alone.” There was a wistfulness in her tone that I’d never heard before.
“I would have expected you to be done with connections after everything,” I said carefully, thinking about what she’d endured with
Alarie
“What Alaric and I had was never love, and maybe that had been why I was never satisfied. The admission seemed to cost her something, a slight flinch crossing her features as she spoke his name.
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“So I guess this is goodbye,” I said, uncertain how to respond to this new, vulnerable version of the woman who had always seemed
so remote.
“You don’t really think I came all this way just because I wanted to say goodbye to you first. Do you?” Her lips curved in a knowing smile that reminded me suddenly of Kaius.
“Then why are you here?” I asked, though I suspected I already knew
“It’s Kaius. I know he had told you a little about me, and from all you have seen, it seems like I do not love him, but I do. I love him so very much, even if it is too late to play some vital roles in his life But he has you now. I had never seen him look at any other woman the way he looks at you and…” Her voice hardened slightly.” want to warn you that if you do anything to hurt him, then he would not be the only one coming for you.”
The threat surprised me it was both a warning and a mother’s strange way of showing she cared.
–
“Goodbye, Luna Ophelia,” I said, using her formal title as a subtle reminder that this was no longer her territory–either the pack or her son’s heart.
She nodded once, accepting both my dismissal and the message behind it. With a last lingering look at the chambers that had once been hers, she turned and left.
I stood alone for several minutes, processing the interaction. Before could fully gather my thoughts, the door opened again and Kaius returned.
“She’s gone?” he asked, though it was clear he already knew the answer.
“Yes. I was just about to come find you to tell you what she wanted, I said, studying his face for any reaction.
He moved to the window, his expression distant. “I know why she came. She’s leaving now that Alaric is gone. Without him, there’s nothing binding her here anymore.”
“You’re quite the mind reader,” I remarked, surprised by his accuracy. It seems you do care about what happens to her, after all.”
Kaius remained silent, his profile sharp against the afternoon light.
“She really does love you, you know,” I said softly, breaking the silence.
“In her way,” he agreed, turning back to me. “Too little, too late, but believe it’s genuine.”
“Will you miss her?” I asked, curious about his feelings toward the mother who had failed him so profoundly.
He considered the question, his amber eyes reflecting the afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows. “No,” he decided finally. “But I hope she finds what she’s looking for.”
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