Werewolves survived nearly two centuries without their king. Wolfhelm Palace, once known for its splendor, was now a barren building with a rich history but no future.
Aashni Oberoi, hailing from the wealthiest and most influential family among were...
"Sometimes it's best to let the demon have its day." -Kaz Brekker (Rule of Wolves)
RAIDEN REGALIS
It took nearly a week of being in wolf form for my wolf to be satisfied. By the time I shifted back into my human form, my back was stiff along with my muscles. Jonah had run outside when I had mind-linked him that I was back. Apparently, I was incredibly behind on all things royal and had to get a move on.
"I think it's imperative that we begin with the walkthrough of the dungeons. With that out of the way, we can focus on your meeting with the nobles later," he said quickly, clutching his iPad in his hands like it was his last line of defense. I liked Jonah. He was a bit of a stickler for things but it's what I need to make sure I could do everything in a timely manner. I'd like to think I knew him enough by now to know when he was acting strange.
"Jonah, what's wrong?" I asked as I buttoned the top few buttons of my white shirt.
"I–uh–Your Majesty, first, I would like to apologize. I had no intention of seeing Miss Oberoi in such a vulnerable state but you instructed that I check on her and I didn't think she would be naked–"
"Naked?" I shouted. My hands reached out and grabbed him by his collar before slamming him against a tree.
"Explain," I gritted out.
"It had been a while since I had returned and you said to check on her if she wasn't home in time so I went out to look for her. I expected to run into her wolf but I found that she was sleeping in the grass fields with no clothes on. I think she was sunbathing," he rushed out. My hands gripped his collar tighter.
"But! But I closed my eyes immediately, had Sage bring some clothes, and left once Miss Oberoi was accompanied!"
I closed my eyes and willed myself to count to ten. I wasn't that mad at Jonah. I knew he didn't mean to see her like that and he was a good kid who was utterly petrified of me most days. Yet there was still jealousy that he had seen her like that and I hadn't. It would be nice to see Aashni's gorgeous skin on display with no clothing hindering my view but when exactly did I expect that to happen? She would be gone soon, a queen in name only.
Sleeping with Aashni would be a mistake. If I had her once, I'd never let her go.
I dropped Jonah and his feet landed with a loud thud.
"Let's go see some criminals," I muttered.
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The Wolfhelm Dungeons were reserved for the worst of the worst. The criminals that graced these cells were monsters who would soon be on a ship to Raath Isle where they would be dinner for the monsters of the night.
Wolfsbane coated their chains to prevent shifts and healing. Rags hung from their bodies. Despite their living conditions, these prisoners were still werewolves. Their bodies had preserved them well. Most of them still had some muscle to them and none of them looked to be on the brink of death.
Today, my job was to review their crimes and make sure that all of them truly deserved their punishment. It was rare for someone to be pardoned and I had never done it in my reign but it was always a possibility. The more likely options were Raath Isle or death. Most prisoners hoped for death.
As we walked by each prisoner, Jonah rattled off their crime and I nodded if I felt the disciplinary committee had made the right choice in their punishment.
The closer we got to the end, I noticed that one of the prisoners hand's was broken. It laid limp in his lap and he looked at me with menacing eyes. My wolf and my beast were instantly on high alert.
"Martin Jones, arrested for murdering three teenage girls via arson, one of which was his sister. Each murder occurred separately after he had stalked the victim for months. Sentenced to Raath Isle," Jonah spoke, already walking towards the next cell because he knew that I would agree with Martin's punishment. I would have kept walking too if he hadn't opened his stupid little mouth.
"Ah, His Majesty finally graced me with his presence. I've got to say, I prefer your mate. She's got a better body on her," he snarled.
My eyes glowed as I stopped. My breathing was heavy and not a single sound could be heard in the dungeons as everyone waited with a bated breath for my reaction.
"The fuck did you just say?" I asked, not quite believing that this fucking scum would be stupid enough to say anything about Aashni.
"Didn't you hear me? I said your bitch of a mate's–" his words were cut off by my hand, my now monstrous and equipped with sharp claws hand. I saw Jonah's horrified face and the prisoner's scared one. but for the first time in my life, I didn't fight my beast as he took control of my body. I shifted from man to beast with no resistance.
All I could feel was my blood simmering with rage. This man had the nerve to talk to my mate, to insult her as if she was anything less than a queen. There was only death left for him. I wouldn't be satisfied until there was not a single drop of blood left in his veins. As the thought raced through my mind and my vision turned dark, it occurred to me that this was the first time me, my wolf, and my beast were in agreement.
The thought should have been comforting but as my senses became sharper and the violence thrummed inside me, I knew that nobody was safe. It would be a miracle if Martin was the only one that lost his life today. The fear permeating the air told me the other prisoners thought the same.
Good. Let them see their king.
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