Waking up in Jadi’s embrace is pleasurable, yet my head throbs. Throughout the night, my ears detected every minuscule sound, and the illumination from the machines aggravated my now hypersensitive eyes. Compounding my discontent, I already lament my decision to accept Devina. The incessant purring of the wolf within me persisted all night as Jadi held me, and any protest I made only intensified her annoying purrs.
There is no option for retreat. Jadi will soon depart for war, and I must be capable of defending myself and our child against more assaults, particularly now that Aldo is aware of my residence. I cannot depend on Jadi consistently for rescue. I must cultivate strength not only for Bray but also for my own sake.
A sudden knock at the door interrupts my contemplation, prompting me to glance up and observe the Queen and her King peering in to ascertain our wakefulness. I tap Jadi on the shoulder, and he murmurs in his slumber, while the lustful wolf within me purrs and whines for the affection of her mate.
King Mark enters the room with a stern and frigid demeanour, while the petite Queen hurries to keep pace with her brooding consort. She clutches a black leather tome adorned with a gold lock featuring a carved tree of life. Thick vines encircle the pages, securing the book’s closure.
“What are you?” Mark retorts, directing an accusatory finger at me.
Jadi immediately rises to his feet, adopting a protective posture in front of the bed. A deep growl emanates from his chest as a warning, rousing little Bray from sleep.
Upon my arrival, Bray leaps into my lap, encircling my neck with his small arms and drawing me in for an embrace. I can feel his tears saturate my shirt, his shoulders quaking as he weeps.
“Oh, dear,” I whisper, embracing him and placing my chin on his head to comfort my weeping puppy. “Shh shh shh,” I croon. “It’s all right. We are safe now, I assure you.”
“I was genuinely frightened, mother,” he weeps. “No more red liquid, mother, please? No more.”
My heart fractures into countless fragments, realising that Bray could not comprehend the events that transpired in the automobile, and it infuriates me to consider that he probably cried out for his mother for hours, yearning to rouse me.
“It is acceptable, my Little Intelligent Boy. It is acceptable. I have fully recovered now. No more crimson liquid,” I exhale into his hair.
Mark, this can be postponed’, Josie asserts, pulling at her partner’s arm. ‘She has just awakened. Allow her time to acclimatise’.
“Josie is too gracious to ask you to depart, but I am not,” he states, disregarding his companion. “If you persist in jeopardising my packs, I will expel you myself.”
“You shall not proceed with that,” Josie replies, while Mark snarls at his companion.
“Observe me,” he menaces, with no trace of uncertainty in his tone.
“Then I shall depart with them,” Josie murmurs, prompting Mark’s expression to soften in response to her subtle ultimatum.
“Josie-”
“River Moon did not reject me despite the turmoil I created,” she states softly, gazing at the book in her hands. “I will not be the one to deny assistance to a pack of wolves in need, regardless of the obstacles we may encounter because of them.”
He grips his companion by the shoulders, his expression turning grave as he addresses her. “River Moon has just emerged from a conflict, and you are still mending the aftermath of Amethyst Lake. Lune de Minuit formally declared war last night, and once that body is returned to Scarlett Haven, it will not be long before Crescent Mane follows suit. How much more are you prepared to sacrifice, Josie? How much more?” he enquires, his voice barely above a whisper.
Josie’s gaze shifts to the weeping puppy in my embrace, and she offers a weary smile. “Everything.”
There’s a lengthy delay before Mark answers, pain and tiredness flaring in his deep blue eyes. He knows he’s lost the war and it terrifies him but he will not let his Queen fight alone.
The young King cradles his Queen’s face, seemingly lamenting her as his vulnerability, before gently kissing her forehead with a tenderness reserved for intimate partners. When Mark turns to Jadi and me once again, the tempest in his eyes calms, and he moves aside to allow his mate to take the initiative.
Josie cautiously enters the centre of the room, clutching the book, her cheeks faintly reddened as she offers us an uneasy grin.
“Mark possesses a kinder disposition than his appearance suggests,” Josie murmurs bashfully, accompanied by a shrug. “He simply… has numerous responsibilities at the moment,” she continues, glancing briefly at her companion. Subsequently, she taps the book against her chin and smiles at Bray, who obscures his face from her view, before settling on the edge of the bed and sliding the book towards me.
“Are you familiar with a black book?” Josie enquires, as Jadi nods and turns to elucidate for me.
“It is an enchanted book concerning all werewolves,” he states. “However, only silver and gold wolves are capable of reading it. The pages appear blank to ordinary wolves.”
“Yes, it’s said that the faes cast a spell on the books so no unwanted creatures could look inside. Even Witches can’t break the spell to read from them,” Josie nods. “These books contain all of our secrets. Our weaknesses, our strengths. Everything. Every Moonlit wolf clan has a copy and even a few regular packs have them too.”
