Page 25 of The Forbidden Wolf King
Maker, I missed that smell.I missed the way I felt tucked against his muscular chest.
“She brought in another wolf!” someone commented.
“Why would she do that? She could have left her?” another said as they attended to Eliza and my vision started to blur.
Axil reached out and traced my jaw like he had a hundred times, all while holding my gaze. “Because that’s Zara. She’s loyal.”
He said it like he knew my soul inside and out and to be seen like that, it made a part of me come alive again. A part I thought had died.
And that’s when everything went black and I lost my battle with staying conscious.
SIX
I came to with the sound of arguing voices.
“Eliza says she’s pack with her!” an older male shouted.
“That’s against the rules. Only one wolf per pack may enter the Queen Trials,” another man said.
It sounded like the elder advisors were arguing. My body was still sore and I wanted to hear what they were saying so I continued to lie there quietly with my eyes pinched shut.
“I’mthe king,” Axil growled. “And I say it’s not. Both women entered the trials from different packs. We told them to survive the task and they did what they had to in order to do that.”
“But—” one went to argue then stopped, probably getting a glare from Axil.
“They would have an extreme advantage in the next task, my lord,” the more reasonable voice added.
“Then so be it. You want me to marry the strongest member of our kind. Well, I think a womanwho isn’t even an alpha, and was able to force a pack bond, is pretty damn strong,” Axil said and my belly warmed.
He was talking about me.
There was the sound of shuffling feet then as they retreated from the room and my eyelids sprang open. I was in an elvin crystal healing chamber bed with stark white sheets draped over my body. I realized then that not everyone had left, and I peered up to find Axil looking down at me.
“How’s—” I started but he waved me off.
“She’s fine. You saved her life.” His words were clipped and short.
Why did he sound upset? I propped myself up onto my elbows. “And you’re mad about that?” I growled. “You haven’t changed a bit. Still the same selfish little boy who only cares about his royal reputation!”
I didn’t care that he was king now, Axil Moon needed to be taken down a notch. He didn’t have a right to be angry at me for saving someone’s life.
At my words, he recoiled as if I’d slapped him. “Is that what you think?”
All the pain I swore I’d gotten over as a young teen came flooding to the surface. “Yes, Axil. Did you black out at our break-up? Your brother informed you that I was a piece of Mud Flat trash and you agreed and walked away. Never even came back the next year. Never sent a letter.Nothing.”
His cheeks burned with shame, redness washing over his neck. “I didn’t agree.” His voice was small and he looked horrified, eyes wide as he began to fidget with his hands.
I laughed, a biting sound. “The silence and sight of your back as you walked away was agreement enough.”
He frowned. “You hate me. I’ve spent all of these years loving you and youhateme?” He sounded surprised.
His words were like an arrow to my heart. I sat up fully now, pleased to feel no pain in my ribs, just the aching in my soul at his words. I was clothed, even if it was in a white healing gown, and so I slipped off the bed and hobbled towards him, testing the weight on my ankle. It was tender but nothing like before. It made me wonder how long I’d been out, but I no longer cared in this moment.
“Loving me?” Instead of feeling joy, I had never been more pissed off in my life. “You think that walking away after those two months at camp—”
“I—”
“DO NOT INTERUPT ME!” I shouted like a crazed maniac, pulling dominant power into my voice and his eyes flew wide. “I’ve waited five years to tell you this, Axil Moon, you will let me speak my truth!”
