“I have experience being impoverished and having to work with nature,” I respond bluntly.
Leisel looks around the gathered group with a surprising amount of contempt for such a young, innocent girl, and that sends pride soaring through me. Pride and hope that she’ll be able to survive Kinrith despite her kind predisposition—though I’ve already found out that her kindness doesn’t extend to shifters.
Once the stew’s steaming hot, I serve two portions in wooden bowls, handing one to Leisel.
Then I ask the shifters, “Don’t you all have a dinner to be preparing? Or things to be doing?”
That disperses the crowd quickly enough, but Camden and Wyatt stay, much to my annoyance.
“You know you’ll have to spend time with them,” Camden drawls. “As their queen and Alpha female, regular interaction is required.”
I snort. “I won my duel, Camden. I’m not obligated to do anythingyou tell me—I’m not a pack member.”
Camden clicks his tongue. “Be that as it may, the high court will decide whether or not your duel truly releases you.”
I look at him sharply. “I won. The laws on that are sacrosanct.”
He nods casually. “In many cases, amongst normal shifters, yes. However, I’m not a normal shifter—I’m an Alpha of a very powerful pack. Without you, I’ll lose strength, and then the pack will lose strength, which might lead to the entire power structure amongst shifters crumbling. If you take the case to them, I’d wager the counselors making up the high court will overturn your win in favor of ensuring the shifter population doesn’t suffer.”
I let out a laugh. It’s an empty, mirthless laugh that conveys without words just how furious I am, just how completely unfair this entire situation is.
I say in a controlled tone, “Considering the vast corruption amongst shifters, I wouldn’t be surprised if you manage to put yourself above laws that you’re responsible for enforcing on others.”
“Which is not the mark of a good leader,” Leisel pitches in between bites of her stew.
I plant a kiss on the crown of her head, wishing she didn’t have to be stuck in the middle of my conflict with Camden.
“The more agreeable you are, the easier this will go,” Camden says, his temper rising. “I have no wish to fight with you. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable.”
“If you expect compliance from me, you’ll be sorely disappointed,” I shoot back. “And you are absolutely being unreasonable. You pulled the rug out from under my carefully constructed life, disregarded the laws that protect me, used my love for my sister against me, and expect me to accept you? Are you blind to how warped that is?”
Camden’s eyes darken. “No, I’m not blind to how unorthodox our situation is, but if nothing else, this should teach you that I’lldoanythingto have you. There’s no line I won’t cross, no boundary that’ll keep you away from me.”
I snort. “So I have no free will? What you say goes?”
“No,” Camden snaps. “You’ll have more power than anyone in this realm—the same amount I have. You’ll be aqueen.”
“I don’t want to be a queen,” I respond, working to keep my tone even. “I’m not interested in power. I’m not interested in the world of mythics or shifters. I had a good life before you came along and ruined it.”
“A good life?” he scoffs. “You labored like a dog. Pinched every penny. Overworked yourself to the extreme, all while raising a child. You call that a good life?”
I’m surprised by how much he already seems to know about me, but I shouldn’t be. Being who he is, Camden can probably get information on anyone and everyone. What surprises me more is that he isn’tentirelywrong; my life was difficult and laborious, but that didn’t bother me because it was fulfilling.
“I was happy,” I tell him. “I was content in my routine. If you think I’ll be either of those things at your side, you’re delusional.”
Camden seems to wrestle with himself for several minutes, stirring in a tense silence. Finally, he says, “You’ll change your mind. You’ll come to know me, and then you’ll feel differently.”
I tilt my head. “What’s it like living in dreamland? Because in the real world, your words sound ridiculous and more than a little fucking pathetic.” I normally don’t swear in front of Leisel, but I can’t help myself.
Instead of getting angry and storming off like I’d hoped, his lips quirk with amusement. “Sassy, witty, and foul-mouthed. You’re my perfect woman.”
I resist the urge to drop my head in my hands and groan. Instead, I reply, “If you insist on staying here, please don’t make me suffer through talking to you. It’s the least you can do.”
Camden lets out a deep sigh, seals his lips, and finally stands. He walks off, with Wyatt standing to follow behind him after casting one last look at Leisel.
Chapter Fourteen
Later that evening, once Leisel’s sound asleep in our tent, I creep out of it and sit in front, keeping a watchful eye out. Although I’m so exhausted I think I might drop, I force myself to stay lucid in case any threats come around. With the anxiety that’s been my constant companion, my vigilance is beginning to border on paranoia. Everything looks like a threat; the dark trees, the tents scattered about the clearing, even the embers of guttering fires.
