Page 96 of Hunt Me

Hustling feet met them at the end of the corridor. A servant bowed before informing them that their esteemed guest was seated in the dining hall.

“Shall I return to be by Queen Matilda’s side?”

“No. Come with me, Ezra. Tobias, inform Belzara that her services are required. She is not to leave Queen Matilda’s side until I return.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the servant responded with a short bow before rushing off.

“Let’s make haste, Ezra. We wouldn’t want to keep the wolf waiting.”

***

Luka’s top lip curled upward in disgust as he watched David tear into the flesh of a goat. He moaned loudly as he chewed. His moans reflected the pleasure he felt as he consumed the tender meat. He sounded like he was in the throes of passion, and Luka found him to be unnecessarily inappropriate.

“This,” David stated, holding up a goat leg, “is far better than the rats I feasted on in my cell.”

“I’ll forward your compliments to the cook,” Luka spoke tightly.

“Where is the queen?”

“Worry not of her whereabouts.”

“‘Tis a shame. I had envisioned this feast differently,” David admitted.

“How so?” Ezra queried, bracing himself for David to say something inappropriate and give Luka a reason to send him to the stocks.

“I thought I’d gorge myself on a meal fit for a king while staring at a pretty mouth and supple tits.”

Ezra jumped to his feet and wrapped his hands around David’s neck in less than a second. Luka stood slowly and waltzed around the length of the grand table while his former advisor attempted to sever the foolish wolf’s head from his shoulder.

He hovered over the wolf at Ezra’s mercy and tsked. “Release him, Ezra.”

“But he—”

“I’m aware. Release him.”

Ezra growled in David’s face before obeying his king. The wolf sputtered and coughed as the color slowly returned to his cheeks.

“I-I-I’d watch him if I were you,” David complained.

“And why is that, wolf?”

“He attacked me as a covetous lover would. King Alesi, are you certain your most trusted advisor only delights in men? Perhaps he’s gained a taste for women?” David laughed raucously. “I’d keep my eye on this one around your queen.”

“Are you finished with your aimless babbling, wolf, or shall you return to the dungeon?”

Luka smirked when trepidation struck the emaciated man’s features. He returned to his chair at the head of the table.

“Beta David. Excuse me… David.”

A smile returned to Luka’s lips when he noticed how the man bristled when he dropped his honorific.

“As you’ve been informed, you are no longer the beta of your pack, and you’ve been reduced to a pauper—not a coin to your name, a shirt to your back, or a roof over your head. You barely have a name.”

David glared at Luka defiantly and said, “All of that may ring true, but there is something valuable that I have.”

“And what is that?”

“A purpose. I would not be at this table with you if I did not have a greater purpose. We are wasting valuable time discussing what I already know. Tell me what I don’t know,” David demanded.