Time for Some Tough Love—Like

*Rafe*

“It’s just a bunch of bullshit!” Kris shouts at me. I take him a few steps further away from the chapel and into the forest, watching Ainslee say goodbye to her friends out of the corner of my eye. It’s best if she and I don’t have another encounter for a while, so I’m fine if she doesn’t know where I’m at. I don’t need two people shouting at me.

“Lower your voice, Kris.” It’s a command, one he is compelled to follow.

“Those assholes were hiding in the chapel all fucking night, and Zeke knew about it. He steered me out of there on purpose so they could get away. That’s fucking bullshit, and I’m taking them back to the castle!” He is so angry his face is turning red, quite the feat for a vampire.

“Zeke was acting on my orders,” I clarify, digging my fingertips into my hip to remind myself to stay calm. “You’re not doing anything, Kris. Those shifters are free to go back to their packs.”

“I would’ve found all of them. I could smell them.”

“I understand that, Kris, but that’s not what’s going to happen. You made your point, now do as I say, or else you can head back to the castle and find yourself in contempt.” It’s time for me to use a bit of the authority that’s been allocated to me by the king. I stand up a little taller and narrow my eyes at him.

Kris glares right back at me. He’s older than me and been a part of the leadership of the kingdom since before I was even born—as a vampire or a human. I wonder sometimes if he doesn’t wish that Axel would’ve chosen him to be a prince all those years ago instead of me. But Kris was too old and set in his ways. I was young. Malleable. I let Axel turn me into a good leader.

But I’m not capable of being manipulated by Kris, and I’m not going to take his bullshit anymore.

He shakes his head at me. “Sometimes I wonder what the fuck Axel is thinking.”

“That. Is. Enough.” I feel my fangs elongating and close my lips tightly because I don’t want him to know how badly he’s gotten under my skin. Something tells me Kris isn’t going to like a lot of the changes I plan to make once I’m fully in charge. He will either learn to adapt, or he will find himself out of a position. I’ve agreed to keep him as my advisor because Axel thought he could help me learn the ins-and-outs of how the current king runs the kingdom. That is all fine and well, but I will not put up with anyone disrespecting me.

Kris is still furious as he slams his boots together and raises his hand to his forehead in salute. He spins around and bolts away from me, but not in the direction of the shifters he’s arguing to recapture, thank goodness.

I take a moment to assess the situation. The temple rises out of the shadows of the trees a few feet away. My mind goes back to what Ainslee had said the night before. This used to be shifter territory. She’s not wrong. Much of Shadowglade belonged to other lands at one point. This hasn’t been Longclaw territory, though. No, their border stopped about thirty miles to the west, back toward Beotown, but still a good fifty miles from where Ainslee’s friends were headed. Axel had conquered this territory over three hundred years ago. The indigenous people are long gone.

Shaking my head, I head off to the location where the group from Beotown is being loaded onto a transport vehicle to be taken back to their home village. The trees are too close together to get any sort of a vehicle in here, so I have to make my way out of the forest, but that’s easier in the daylight

As I dart between the trees, in a rush because I want this all to be over with and won’t mind if I never step food in these woods again, I think back to how I’d taken the chance that Ainslee would end up in that area under the altar. I’d waited near the chapel and watched all of her friends head into the crypt. They were much louder than they probably intended to be. When I heard them say it was full, I figured she’d go inside. So, I took a gamble, and it paid off. If someone else would’ve crawled in their first, it would’ve been a problem for all of us.

I’d smelled her approaching though. Her scent was becoming a fragrance I found it hard to breathe without, and that was a problem.

Back when I’d reminded myself that she was a wolf shifter who lived far away from the castle, it was easier to distance myself from her—mentally. Now, she would be living under my roof.

Under my care.

Under my nose.

Under me.

My feet crunch through leaves, and I am tempted to run. It will do me no good, though. I cannot run away from this young woman.

This Luna Queen.

I make it to the clearing on the outskirts of the forest just as the guards are loading up the winners. They look somber for people who are headed home. I count seven from Beotown. That’s not bad.

There should’ve been eight.

Nelson lifts a hand and waves at me, and I wave back. He knows. Zeke told him our reasoning—my reasoning—and he seems like the sort of man that can be trusted. Seems odd to call him a man considering he’s one eighth my age, but when you live as long as I have, you realize wisdom isn’t always measured in years.

The girl from Moonfalls has a friend with her as they head back. I realize that Ainslee would’ve helped her no matter who she was, but she made a wise choice helping save the mayor’s daughter. I would’ve done what I could to get her out of here safely as well. Ainslee made that easier on me.

She made it easier on Nelson as well, I figure.

Kris is supervising the other transport vehicle, with the sole winner from Nightpaw village. His arms are folded, and his jaw is set. Obviously, he’s still pissed. That’s fine. He’ll either get over it or he won’t. Ordinarily, I’d find myself apologizing to the person I’d offended in a day or two, but on this one, I’m not going to budge.

With all the feeders rounded up and under Jerim’s care, I realize I cannot stall here anymore. I have to head back to Castle Shadowmanor. It’s funny how I both don’t want to go home but also don’t want to stay here.

It’s not that I don’t want to be back within the comforting walls of my own home. I simply don’t want to face Ainslee’s wrath.

I’ve got to find a way to make her see that I am her prince, her soon to be king, and she can’t keep screaming at me like a fucking banshee.

Maybe it’s time for some tough love—tough like, that is.

I certainly don’t love her. That’s just a phrase.

I whistle for my horse, and he comes flying out of the woods, ready to get back to life outside of the culling. For him, it’ll be the same as always. For me, I have a feeling life as I know it is about to change.

Forever.