“Why are you allowing yourself to be slipped a sleeping agent instead of just wishing me well and watching me walk away?”
“Because Granny’s drugs have killed people dear to those in this pack. Some still want you hanged as a representative of Granny’s organization. They are not moved by your circumstances. They want our duty fulfilled. This will appease them. We’ll go hunting for you tomorrow. Hopefully, we will not find you”—his eyes lit with determination and pain—“and we’ll start working on finding this other organization. I just ask that you please stop production.”
Hadriel was right, Weston had been giving me an opening with which to walk away. He was letting me go even though itwent against the commands he’d been given by his royal crown. He’d known, and accepted, what I’d planned to do. He was pushing back against his duty. For me.
Conflicting emotions roiled within me. He was ready to sacrifice his life to help me take control of mine. Thank you wasn’t enough—he’d listened; he was protecting me in the only way he could. He was granting my freedom and allowing me a future.
Sorrow filled me at the realization that this was where it would have to end between us. I couldn’t express my newfound admiration for this alpha. For this man. I couldn’t express the regret that our journey had started so dark and had to end so bittersweetly.
“Clearly I can’t read you as well as you can read me,” I said, scooting closer and leaning against his chest. “I had no idea you knew any of this. And I said such awful things to you.”
“They were true, all of them. I needed to hear them. Everyone needed to hear them. Lastly, about your animal, and then I’ll need to head to bed because the agent is starting to work. Note for the future, I would’ve had time to tie you up before this drug took hold. You’d want to get your captor really good and drunk before you slipped him this.”
“We would’ve been in bed dozing off by now if you hadn’t thrown me for a loop.”
He smiled, so handsome. “That makes sense.” He resumed his seriousness, talking faster. “Any decent alpha can pull out your animal. You have a lot of power. For anyone looking, it’s a shining beacon pulsing inside of you. Wait to ask someone to do it, though. I know that is a lot to ask, but it will be dangerous for you to expose your animal without the correct backup. A lone wolf packing that kind of power, without training and with your extravagant beauty, would always need to watch herself, but in this kingdom they’ll hear about you and rope you inwhether you want it or not. Let my past be a lesson. There are many types of cages, and some of them are gilded, but they are cages nonetheless. Keep that animal bottled up until you have powerful protection or are on the shores of another kingdom—maybe a fairy kingdom. A strong fae can easily pull out your magic. You’ll have the life you’ve always wanted. Now, let’s get to bed. Can I undress you now that you’ve used what was hidden in your pockets?”
My eyes teared and the breath left me. “You knew about that, too.” My heart ached to hear these truths, to realize the lengths he would go to in order to make amends.
“As I said, I can’t help but watch you. It’s like you dance with each movement. It’s so beautiful. I wish I could see your wolf. She’ll be so graceful, I bet. So sleek. The beauty to my brawn.”
“You’re plenty beautiful,” I said, closing my eyes as he pushed up my shirt and circled a nipple with his tongue.
“Yeah, we gotta hurry. This thing is taking me down fast. Strip yourself, love, I want to feel your skin against mine one last time before this takes me under.”
We barely got him settled before his eyes began drifting shut.
“Please, find happiness,” he whispered, already breathing deeply. “Stay safe, and find your happily ever after.”
Chapter 24
Aurelia
Ilay curled up in his arms, breathing in his scent and basking in his heat. The voices in the clearing were quieting as people drifted away to their beds, shifting into their wolves and curling up. The lantern still glowed, bathing his strong jaw and straight features in the warm light.
I traced his full lips with my fingertips and then his shapely eyebrows. The pad of my finger drifted along the ridge of his nose, along his chin and then down his throat. His even breath washed across my face, so peaceful in his sleep.
For once I felt entirely tranquil beside him. I wasn’t his prisoner any longer. He was letting me go.
My heart swelled with overwhelming gratitude as I took in his handsome face. He was easily the most attractive man I’d ever seen. The most charismatic, too.
Maybe it is this situation with you that is my true punishment...
It occurred to me that the situation he spoke of wasn’t taking me to the dragons. If it were, letting me leave would absolve him of that hardship. It wasn’t foregoing his duty, either. How I left would clear him of that, not to mention my innocence of thecrimes in question. No, it had to be me leaving him at all that was his true punishment.
I gasped out a struggled breath that rustled Weston’s hair. It was time to go.
I bent forward and kissed his lips softly, lingering there for a moment. Gods help me, I no longer wanted to walk away. Now that I had the ability, I didn’t want to exercise my freedom. I couldn’t stay here, though. If I stayed, he’d have no choice but to do his duty.
And it sounded like it might not be in my best interest to meet the dragons.
After quickly getting dressed I grabbed my bag, hearing a tinkling in the bottom. Confused, I opened and reached down, finding a little sack with hard objects inside.
Gold.
My eyes widened as I looked into the pouch.
Inside was more gold than I’d ever seen in my life, though in fairness, I had rarely ever seen one coin, let alone several. Weston had known with certainty tonight would be the night even before I’d given him that wine. He wasn’t just letting me walk away, he was ensuring I could do it easily. Safely. He was providing me the necessities to start a life on my own, something Granny had never done.
