e dais, staring at the doors th

versations, and servants were already clearing the broken cryst

something was te

I

med through h

acing inside him, snarling and throwing

MINE

clenched

nt of the entire realm. He had made his deci

l as though someone had

p enough to make his fingers twitch. He had rejected women before. He had dismissed off

had made him

scent reache

ay something darker, something old and powerful th

lifted

d h

s finger

Maje

e pulled him fr

mixture of lilies and something sweet, clung to him. Normally, he wo

he whispered. "We should continue

down at

d his gaze

what happened. You d

ess

olf s

removed her han

use

ed quickly. She turned toward a nearby Alph

not wait for

s and entered t

oors closed behind him, h

ug them into his palms until blood ran down h

wanted

to the palace, and make certain she

refused

no matter what the Moon Goddess

e chambers and slamme

ame cr

de immediatel

sty, is ev

ea

rd fell

and moonlight poured through the tall windows. He gripped the m

s had swallowed most of the silver, a

n fighting to keep

actly what

hand agains

nswere

mn

en had approached him from every corner of the realm, hoping to catch his

his nose even though she was

looked at him before he rejected her. He

d destroye

ered the blood dripping from he

ightened agai

d not

ld not

ounded at

nt

carefully behind him. He took one look at Kil

"Princess Vivienne is handling the guests. The vis

said n

m hes

guards after

N

r came to

aised an

urned awa

all for tonight. That is enough.

se, Your

not sound

udying him, searching for a qu

hing else?" Ki

our Ma

n le

wed and w

r click

ed still for t

n

w

re

ard

ened almost

tered and bowed.

ndmaid. Bring her to

sitated for

on

him and turned t

not have

only complicate matters. He could have left her alone

stood ther

later, the g

d is here, Y

d he

d steppe

ntered

ed so violently tha

t, and her hair had come loose around her face. Tear tracks marked her cheeks. Dr

ked exh

him as if she exp

ed when someone challenged him. Yet the sight of her low

me," he

oulders s

not move. Then she s

he tears. Her face was delicate, her lips slightly swollen from where s

ever noticed

passed her countless times. Yet he had never

uld not l

roken, but the

against him, desp

steppe

although he saw her fi

una," he began. "That d

ession t

other arrangeme

d at him,

you my priva

t followed was

ued before she

eed. No one will be permitted to touch you. You will have my pro

ched h

rangement will remain secret. You will have no cr

her, stopping just

I can give you a life mo

d at the distan

lowered

force. I am the king, and y

went

e hated the words com

s jaw tightening. "My wolf

mething inside him demanded that he be careful with h

shed his thumb against

shi

ted for one p

e stepp

N

stared

did yo

t lower her eyes. "I will not be your

k him harder th

osed around

d he immediately

d not explain. No one refused him. No one looked hi

m with tears on her chee

olf s

i

tore through the arms of a nearby chair as he g

t o

t him for one

d and walked t

ize. She did not even look back whe

middle of his chamb

de him, its wooden arms s

om. He had offered her protection and wealth

have bee

aced inside him, re

red at the

refus

o

own, dragging her back into his arms, and provi

n his life, he was afrai