The Wolf Prince

CHAPTER 20



“I believe you have something of mine,” her mother said grimly, holding out her hand.

The earring. Willow couldn’t believe she’d completely forgotten about it. Slowly, she dug into her pouch and retrieved it. Dropping the bauble into her mother’s hand, she sighed. “I’m sorry—” she began.

“Silence,” the queen ordered, holding up the pearl. The earring began to glow as she closed her fingers over its luster. Closing her eyes, she listened to something only she could hear.

They all watched, Willow and Ruben confused, King Puck appearing wary.

Finally, Queen Millicent opened her eyes. Fixing her sharp violet glare on her husband, she made a sound of disgust. “The jewelry has told me everything. I now know Tatiana lied. These two are guilty of nothing.”

The king flashed a look of surprise. “Then what do you want me to do with them?”

“Release them,” the queen ordered, bitterness darkening her tone. She could hardly meet Willow’s gaze. “Chad is the killer, as you said. Tatiana, for whatever foolish reason, seeks to help him.” Making a dismissive gesture, she turned away, tossing her pardon over her shoulder. “You and your human are free to go.”

“Wait,” Willow called out. “We are not finished, Mother. I met my true father. King Drem has told me you forbid him to contact me.”

The queen’s expression, already cold, turned to ice. “So?”

“So? That’s all you can say? Why did you hide this from me?”

“Because it doesn’t matter. I never wanted you. You are nothing but a constant reminder of my sin.”

Though in some small part of her soul, she’d known this, actually hearing her mother say these words had Willow reeling. “But you’re my mother...”

“No longer.” The queen lifted her chin, the gesture reminding Willow of herself. “From this day forward, you are the daughter of King Drem. You are no longer welcome here.”

“Release them,” the king ordered. As her guards unlocked the cells, Ruben stood. “What about Chad?” he asked.

From the doorway, King Puck answered. “Though we’ve not yet heard from his parents, I’m certain Eric will give approval for you to take him to Teslinko to be tried for his crime.”

Ruben bowed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the king said, sounding anything but gracious. Then, without a word of apology or even a look at their youngest daughter, the King and Queen of SouthWard swept from the room.

Willow stared after the woman who’d birthed her and briefly allowed herself to feel the old, familiar longing. Her entire life she’d ached for her mother’s approval—no, more than that. She’d longed for her mother’s love.

Apparently, as far as Queen Millicent was concerned, Willow would never be worthy. Maternal love was supposed to be unconditional, but not her mother’s. Willow might as well have wished for wings to fly, or something equally unobtainable.

That’s when Willow realized she could no longer stay here. No matter what happened, whether she went to Teslinko with Ruben or back to NorthWard to live among the Shadows, SouthWard was no longer her home.

Though she tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, she felt like an enormous hole had been ripped in her soul.

* * *

Besotted. Glaring at Willow and Ruben while they made goo-goo eyes at each other, Chad silently sneered. He might have been defeated, at least for now—or however long King Drem’s spell kept his magic contained. It wouldn’t be forever, this he felt quite certain. The massive amount of energy it would take to cast a forever spell would have been more than King Drem and an entire army of Sidhe could have managed.

The question was, how long would it last? Patience wasn’t something he had in abundance, yet Chad knew he’d have to wait. Because once his magic was released, no one—especially not one puny human Shape-shifter and a bastard Sidhe princess with no magic—would be able to stop him.

Then he would have his vengeance. And it would be bloody. Exactly how he liked it.

His brother Eric would also pay. The coward had simply turned him over to the SouthWard rulers, in effect washing his hands of his only brother. If Chad had been permitted to see his brother once before he was sent to Teslinko, he would have spat on him. He suspected Eric knew this and that was why he stayed away.

Curious as to what kind of punishment the humans would try to impose on him, Chad settled in to wait for them to come collect him. He’d already been told they’d be taking him to Teslinko.

* * *

Coming through the portal with Willow, Ruben had never felt so completely and utterly happy. Finally, he’d returned home, along with the woman he loved. Though he hadn’t yet confessed his feelings to her, he planned to do so once he’d delivered Chad to his father to stand trial.

Willow seemed unusually solemn, no doubt a direct result of her parents’ coldhearted actions. He planned to make that up to her—once she became his wife, she would never want for warmth and love.

Since metal wouldn’t travel through the portal—or veil, as Willow called it—new bindings had been fashioned for Chad. Made out of some kind of heavy-duty rope, he’d been bound with his hands behind his back and his ankles shackled, just loose enough to permit him to walk. King Puck had assured them the bonds were magical, and that the magic would transfer through the portal intact.

For safety’s sake, Ruben kept Chad slightly ahead of him. He didn’t want to take a chance the other man would try to escape the instant they crossed over.

They all went through at once. Ruben and Chad, with Willow right alongside them. Ruben landed on his feet on recognizable ground, in his beloved, familiar forest and breathed the pine-scented air. Taking Willow’s hand, he swung it once, laughing while Chad glowered at them.

Both surprised and relieved that Chad had put up no resistance, Ruben ordered him to walk. He still held Willow’s hand and together they began to hurry toward home.

When they reached the first rise in the forest, he pulled her close and kissed her until they were both breathless. Smiling, he wrapped her in his arms and turned to face the first view of his family’s castle.

Normally the ancient, crumbling tower where he’d often took refuge was the only part visible. But now...he saw nothing.

Ruben knew a moment of trepidation as he jerked the plastic rope that held Chad tethered. “Are you certain we’ve arrived back in Teslinko, in my world?”

The worry in his voice made Willow look up at him, frowning. “Yes, of course. The gateway is in the veil between my world and yours, not any others.”

He took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heartbeat. “We’d best hurry then. Something must have happened to my home.”

Letting go of her hand, he ordered Chad to go as he started forward, slowing enough to reach out and steady Willow when the footing grew rough. As they reached flatter, more level land, he picked up the pace, urging Chad ahead of him the way he might have urged a packhorse.

The dark looks the EastWard prince kept shooting Ruben told him how little the other man appreciated this.

Willow kept pace with them easily. The sound of their running feet blended with the pounding of his heart. He could only hope his parents were all right. He’d never forgive himself if the extremists had succeeded in hurting his family while he’d been gone.

He hadn’t remembered the landscape being so hilly, though to be fair he’d never tried to run it before, except as wolf. At the thought, his inner wolf stirred, though there was no struggle to try and change, just a deep feeling of contentment. This in itself was new, and slightly shocking. Maybe Willow had been right. Perhaps there was something to be said for this newfound acceptance of his dual nature.

Chad jerked his rope, probably deliberately, which made Ruben stumble. Like a chain reaction, Willow nearly lost her footing, too.

Instantly he grasped her elbow to steady her, even as he pulled back on Chad’s tether.

“We’re nearly there,” he told her. She’d been to his home before, as had Chad, he remembered.

They continued at a slightly slower pace, though anxiety still churned inside him. He kept her elbow in his hand as he tried to brace himself for what he might find.

The path curved here; there was the stone bench surrounded by the rose bushes his mother had planted. There was the arbor of sturdy oak trees he’d helped his sister take care of when they’d been younger.

At the last bend in the path, he broke through the trees, tugging her along with him. Panting, he stopped, peering at the welcome sight in front of him. There sat the home, his castle, the slate-colored stones glowing warmly in the bright afternoon sun.

The building appeared exactly as he’d left it, except there had been quite a bit of repairs made already to the ballroom that had been destroyed in the explosion.

He swayed, his relief so great he couldn’t speak. Slightly ahead of them, Chad looked back and sneered.

“See.” Willow touched his arm and leaned into him. “It’s all right. Nothing has changed.”

But it had. Something was...different.

Not entirely sure what, he glanced past the renovated ballroom and up the small hill, searching in vain for his old hiding place. Where the tower had once cast a long shadow on that bit of lawn, he saw only sun. The old part of the keep was no more. This he couldn’t fathom. The tower had stood for many centuries, withstanding storm and wind and the fallacies of man. What could possibly have brought it down now?

“Come on.” Taking her hand once more, he pulled her around the huge gardens, toward the curved drive. He forced Chad to continue to move ahead of them. As they rounded the corner where repairs were still being made to the ballroom that had been destroyed by the bomb, he led her up weathered stone steps to a rise in the land.

“Here.” Nothing left but several piles of stone. Grief filled him, sorrow for losing both the last piece of his family’s past, and his only secret, special place. True, there were secret hallways and hidden rooms inside the newer part of the palace, which was actually a few hundred years old, but this had been his. Part of his family’s history, part of his childhood, part of his life.

“What is it?” Willow turned, surveying the area. She lifted her head, sniffing the wind in a manner that reminded him so much of a wolf that he froze. “I sense something,” she said. “Age and sorrow and history. Why?”

“An old part of the castle once stood here.” He shook his head. “It was the only part that remained of the old keep. There was a massive stone tower here.” He pointed. “With crumbling steps.”

“Can we get a move on?” Chad said, his expression disparaging. Ruben ignored him, glad of the magical tether that kept the EastWard prince bound. King Puck had promised it would last until Chad had served his sentence, or been killed, whichever his punishment might be.

While Ruben was happy—so happy—that his home was unscathed, he’d lost something, too. This had been his refuge. And now it was no longer.

As he stood surveying the ruins, letting his sorrow show in the bend of his shoulders, she came up behind him and once again wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry. It obviously meant a lot to you.”

“Yes. I’m not sure what happened to it. It looks like another explosion, though why the extremists would want to target this section...” But even as he spoke, he knew why.

“My father’s father declared it off-limits, but of course I came here every chance I got. Even as an adult, this was where I came when I wanted to escape the rest of the world. They must have been targeting me.”

“But how did they know?”

He shrugged. “All of my family knew I came here, as did most of the servants. No one spoke about it and I was never disturbed here. It’s easy to see how, if word had leaked to the extremists, they could hurt me by destroying this.”

“They didn’t know you weren’t here.” Her caramel-colored eyes searched his face. “I’m very glad you weren’t here.”

“Me, too.”

Standing on tiptoe, she touched her mouth to his. Gladly, he kissed her back, letting her touch erase the sorrow. He’d only lost a place. She—and his family—were what really mattered.

Chad grunted, grimacing. Ruben sent him a warning glare, then focused his attention back on Willow.

Chuckling, she broke apart. “It does have a beautiful view from here. Maybe you can put a bench here or something.”

“Maybe. No more hiding away,” he mused. “I’ll miss it.”

“I think perhaps its loss is fitting,” she said, still holding his arm. “You no longer have a need to hide away from your life.”

She was right. “And now it’s time.” Giving Chad’s tether a shake, he linked arms with Willow as he forced his prisoner toward justice.

Recognizing him, the guards immediately sprang to attention and opened the door. Ruben kept Chad’s tether a bit tighter and led him up the steps and into his home.

“My son!” Nothing but joy in his voice, King Leo rushed from around the corner, enveloping Ruben in a heartfelt hug. “Welcome home.”

When he pulled back and caught sight of Willow, who hung back, he held out one arm and motioned her forward so he could include her in the embrace. “Princess Willow. Thank you for taking such good care of my son.”

He glanced at Chad and his brows rose. “You caught him?”

“Yes. He’s also Bright—from EastWard—and a prince. He’s under a magical spell to prevent him from using his magic. The bonds are also ensorcelled, so that he cannot get away.”

“Excellent.” Giving Chad a hard glare, King Leo motioned to his men. “Take him below to the dungeon. He will stay there until he can be brought to trial.”

“What of my bonds?” Chad spoke for the first time. “Surely you plan to remove these once I’m in my cell.”

Ruben and his father shared a glance. Finally, Ruben shrugged. “King Puck didn’t tell me how to remove them.”

Willow didn’t even try to hide her smile. “He told me. But I’m not sure you deserve to have them taken off. He said they’d remain until you received your sentence.”

Narrowing his eyes, Chad glared at her. He said nothing as the guards marched him forward.

Once he was out of sight, Ruben looked at the woman he loved. “Are you going to remove them?”

“Maybe someday.” Her smile widened, including King Leo. An expression of satisfaction shone in her eyes. “I can do it remotely. I don’t have to be anywhere near him.”

Linking arms with her, Ruben gazed down at her, matching his smile to hers. “I’m glad. I think we’ve both had enough of Chad to last us the rest of our lives.”

King Leo cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence. “You’ve been gone about three months.”

Again Ruben and Willow exchanged a glance. “I told you time passes differently in my world.”

Though he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her, before asking her to stay with him forever, Ruben knew now wasn’t the time. He turned to his father, letting some of his weariness show. “It was a difficult journey.”

Face grave, the king nodded. “We had troubles here as well. The extremists stepped up their attacks.”

“Is that what happened there?” Ruben asked, gesturing out the window in the direction of the ruins where his beloved tower had once stood.

“Yes.” King Leo frowned. “The extremists apparently decided to capture you and must have learned that you often visited the old tower. So they set a trap.” He grimaced. “Or tried to. There’s a reason that place was condemned and deemed unsafe. Best as we can tell, there were six of them.”

“Six to capture one man?” Willow sounded impressed.

King Leo gave Ruben a fond smile. “My son is known for his fighting ability.”

Tilting her head, Willow considered him, the glow in her caramel-brown eyes making his face feel warm. To distract himself, he looked back at his father.

“Were they all inside when it collapsed?” Ruben asked.

“Yes. Four of them were killed instantly. The other two were badly injured. One died in the hospital. The other is still recuperating from his wounds.”

“I’ll talk to him later,” Ruben said. “After I rest.”

“Of course.” His father clapped him on the shoulder, then held out his other arm for Willow. Grinning, she walked into his embrace.

When they broke apart, Ruben’s throat was tight and Willow’s eyes moist.

“Now why don’t you two get some sleep? We can deal with all of this later.”

“Agreed.” Ruben held out his hand. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with Willow. She took it, exhaustion putting faint hollows under her eyes. “At least the hard part is behind us.”

As they walked away, down the long corridors toward the staircase, heading for his bedroom where this incredible journey had first begun, she stopped and pulled her hand free.

“Ruben, I—”

A loud barking interrupted her. Cocking her head, she listened as the sound grew closer.

“York!” Ruben called. “My dog,” he told her. “He must have learned I’ve returned home.”

He’d barely finished speaking when a huge German shepherd dog came barreling around the corner, barking frantically and joyously. The canine leaped for Ruben, who dropped down and held out his arms, bracing himself for the one-hundred-pound animal.

With a powerful lunge, the ecstatic dog took him down, whining and licking as he welcomed his person home.

“There, there, boy,” Ruben said, hugging his pet and burying his hands in York’s short coat. Gradually, the dog calmed down, his delighted shudders disappearing. Finally, panting, York sat, leaning against Ruben’s leg as if to warn him not to go anywhere else without him.

Eyes brimming, Willow made a sound low in her throat. “The purest sort of joy,” she managed to say. “He loves you so much.”

“As I do him.” He motioned her to come closer. “Willow, may I introduce you to my beloved dog, York,” he said, feeling only slightly foolish at the formal introduction. After all, this was a woman who could actually communicate with animals.

“York,” Willow said, in that singsong voice of hers. “I’m pleased to meet you.”

The German shepherd sniffed the air, tilted his head, studying Willow. Rather than approaching the big animal, she crouched down low, turning sideways so she didn’t face the canine directly. The wolf in Ruben admired this tactic, well aware of the need to let the dog approach her of his own free will. Especially since they were going to be a family, if he had his way.

After a moment, York made a sound, low in his throat. A woof, which Ruben swore sounded as much like a question as anything else.

Willow nodded. “I do love him,” she said, so softly that Ruben could barely make out the words. “More than I ever thought possible.”

Then, rising and moving with great dignity, the huge dog went to her and raised his paw. Solemnly, Willow shook it. “I promise.”

“You promise what?” Ruben asked.

Without lifting her gaze from York, Willow slowly shook her head. York whined and licked her, his large tongue sweeping her cheek. Willow laughed, delight making her eyes glow. And then she listened, her expressive face showing, at first seriousness, then wonder and finally a tentative sort of hopeful joy.

When she finally raised her gaze to Ruben, she looked shaken.

York got up and went back to Ruben, taking a watchful seat at his side.

Meanwhile, Willow appeared close to tears.

“What’s wrong?” Ruben asked, helping her get to her feet. Though he still wanted to know what she’d promised his pet, he needed to make sure she was all right.

“He says that you love me,” she whispered, a single fat tear rolling like silver down her cheek.

“I do.” Ruben kissed her now, tasting salt and hope and more on her lips. “What did you promise him?”

When she raised her gaze to his, the emotion he saw shimmering there made him catch his breath.

“I promised that I would love you the rest of my life,” she said, her voice husky.

“You know I’ll hold you to that,” he told her. “And I promise you the same. There will be no others.”

Desire, electric and raw, hummed between them. Meeting her gaze, he willed her to read his thoughts.

A slow, sensual grin blossomed as she eyed him, the passion blazing to life in her whole face heating his blood.

“I want you,” she breathed, standing up on tiptoe to kiss the pulsing hollow at the base of his throat, sending a rush of need through him.

“And I want you,” he responded. “Forever and always.”

“Starting right now,” she said, laughing up at him, the sound full of life and joy and love.

“Wait.” He took a step back, feeling as though a weight crushed his chest. “I can’t ask you to give up your world and I can’t leave mine.” His voice broke. With great effort he steadied it. “Here, Teslinko—I’m the heir to the throne.”

She cocked her head to gaze up at him, the sparkle in her rich brown eyes completely undimmed. “You can take vacations, can you not?”

“Of course,” he answered, at first not completely sure where she was going with this. “You mean visits to SouthWard? You actually want to go to Tatiana and Eric’s wedding?” The two had finally agreed to marry, which had made Eric ecstatic and Tatiana resigned.

A brief shadow crossed her expressive face. “No. Not there. I meant to visit my father, King Drem. And all my other relatives. I’m sure if I ask him, he’ll arrange for a portal to take us there periodically.”

“But after what happened to you there...”

She shook her head. “I spoke with him about that in private. He’s promised to make sure no one else tries to put any spells on me. There’s no reason we can’t go. Especially once we have children. I want them to know their grandfather.”

Children? The idea brought him such happiness, he could barely swallow past the lump in his throat.

Misreading his silence, she searched his face. “You do want to have children, don’t you?”

Opening his mouth to speak, he realized he couldn’t find the words. He nodded instead. Finally, hope bloomed in him, fierce and bright.

Which might have been a good thing. “Love will always win,” she breathed, standing up again on tiptoe to press her mouth to his.

Then, grabbing his hand, she tugged him after her as they took off running for his room where they could consummate the lifelong pact they’d just made.