Goddess above, it really did sound pathetic. Maybe Rummy was right.
Maybe I did have a hero complex.
But hero complex or not, these men were ready to help. To protect. Wolf was hesitating, and I was going to find out why.
“That’s pretty much my plan, yes.” I jogged up the long set of stairs that led to Huntyr and Wolf’s penthouse, and Xavier followed.
They’d really fixed the place up over the last two years, patching holes in walls and repairing crumbling bricks. Every day, this place looked less like the bleeding city we’d found.
I banged on the door twice, then took a step back, reining in the urge to burst in.
Xavier stood silent beside me.
Just as I raised my fist to knock again, Wolf ripped the door open. “Hello to you, too, brother.”
I pushed past him, motioning for Xavier to follow. “We need to talk.”
“Right.” Wolf broke into the obnoxious smile that had gotten him through so much shit with our father. My brother was smart and conniving, but he hid it all beneath layers and layers of charm.
Long ago, I’d learned to see beneath the charade.
“I think I know why you’re here,” he continued, his tone still deceptively even.
Without stopping, I strode to the far side of the unit so I could look out over the entirety of Scarlata.
The view from here was incredible. This early, morning dew clung to the streets and most citizens were only now beginning their days.
“Good,” I replied. “Then I don’t have to waste time explaining the importance of mobilizing our soldiers.”
“You coming here changes nothing,” Wolf pushed, switching into stoic leader mode. “Huntyr and I have made up our minds.”
I swallowed down my temper. “You’re kidding, right? A week ago, you were going on and on about wanting to protect othersthe way you were never protected. Remember that? Or am I confusing you with another king who actually cares about saving his people?”
Wolf rolled his eyes. “You know there’s nothing I want more than to help people.”
“Help people?” I asked. “Or help yourself?”
Wolf’s expression darkened, and Xavier let out a low whistle behind me.
“You’ve been a great asset to us, brother,” Wolf said, “but don’t forget your place here. You’re my advisor, and I value your input, but this decision is not yours to make.”
“Whose decision is it, then?” Fury heated my veins, making my heart thump heavily against my chest. “What changed your mind? Because I know you, Wolf. You want to help those people just as much as I do. You want to help that kingdom!”
“What about our own people?” he argued. “I can’t turn my back on them now. I can’t leave them here while I go fight for a kingdom we know nothing about. This could all be a damn hoax, for all we know, brother.”
“Please. This isn’t a hoax. You read the letter just like I did.”
Silence filled the air. “Letter?” Xavier asked. “What letter?”
I held Wolf’s gaze, and he held mine. “Tell him. Tell him about the letter from the new King of Pericius. Tell him how they were practically begging for our help.”
Wolf eventually turned his attention to Xavier. “We received word not too long ago. They’re asking for our assistance to subdue the rebel forces rising on their borders.”
Xavier considered this with a calm face. He was levelheaded about these types of things. Other matters in his life? That was another story.
“Why us?” he asked.
Wolf shrugged. “I would assume they heard about what happened here two years ago. We have gifted fae and vampyres.We have strong men and an army skilled in combat. Why not us?”
