I walked to my throne and sat. Let my expression settle into the cold mask of the Wolf King. Buried every emotion deep where no one could see.
“Thank you all for gathering on short notice,” I said. My voice carried through the room with authority. “I called you here to address the attack that occurred in the library yesterday.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd in waves of curiosity and concern and calculation. I nodded at Aurion, who stood near the doors, and he slipped out quietly to fetch Wen.
“Someone thought the human whore was truly my mate,” I continued. Let a sneer curl my lip. Let disdain drip from every word. “They believed attacking her would wound me. Would weaken me. Pathetic.”
The murmurs grew louder as confusion and surprise spread through the assembled nobles.
“I want to cut these rumors short before more violence occurs based on false assumptions.” I leaned back in my throne. Projected boredom, disinterest. Everything I did not feel. “The human has been useful, a curiosity from another realm. But she is not my mate. She never was and willneverbe.”
The doors opened and Wen walked in with Aurion behind her. She looked around the room with confusion clear on her face. Her eyes found mine and I saw the moment she registered my expression. The coldness there.
Fear flickered across her features.
My heart screamed at me to stop, to go to her, to explain everything, but I forced myself to remain seated and kept my expression frozen in cold indifference.
“Your Majesty,” Lord Corvei said. “What exactly are you saying?”
“I am saying I used the pet for my own entertainment. Brought her here because I was bored and wanted something novel to amuse me. And oh, she served that purpose well enough.Humans can be…Veryentertaining and energetic.” I looked directly at Wen and watched her face pale. “But she is nothing more than that. A plaything I grew tired of.”
“Then why did you claim she was your mate in the last council meeting?” Darius called out with smugness coating every word.
“Her hormones were messing up with my head. As you all probably know, she was in…A very particular time in her month. I’m free from her spell now.” I let my eyes glow red as I turned to face him fully. “And I do not appreciate being questioned about my decisions, Darius. I am king. I do what I want, when I want, for whatever reasons I deem appropriate. Do you understand?”
Darius paled and bowed his head. “Yes, Your Majesty. My apologies.”
“Good.” I turned back to the room at large. “She was useful for studying the portal, for learning about her realm, and for fucking. But clearly pretending she meant anything to me has caused more problems than it solved. So I am correcting that mistake now.”
Wen was staring at me with betrayal written across every feature. Tears gathered in her eyes. I wanted to die.
“If she is not your mate, then what are your intentions regarding marriage?” Corvei asked. “With all due respect, the kingdom needs an heir. A queen.”
I fucking hated this.
I gestured toward the crowd. “Lady Amaia. Please join me.”
Amaia stepped forward with barely concealed glee lighting up her face. She walked to the throne with exaggerated grace and stood beside me, placing her hand possessively on my shoulder. “My king,” she purred.
“I will marry Lady Amaia in two months’ time,” I announced. “She will be your queen. The alliance between our families will strengthen the kingdom.”
Amaia leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I am so honored, my love. I promise to be everything you need.” She looked directly at Wen as she said it with vicious satisfaction in her eyes.
The throne room erupted in conversation as some nobles expressed pleasure at the announcement while others looked confused and all of them were clearly eager to gossip about this development.
But I was only looking at Wen. Her face had crumbled completely as tears streamed down her cheeks. She clutched at her chest where the bond pulsed between us and I felt her pain through that connection so strongly it was agony.
“And the human?” Matthias called out. “What will you do with her?”
“Send her back through the portal.” I stood from my throne and walked down the steps toward Wen even though every step felt like walking toward my own execution. “She is no longer needed or wanted here.”
Amaia laughed behind me. “Good riddance. The little pet was becoming tedious anyway.”
I stopped in front of Wen and looked down at my mate. At the woman I loved more than my own life. And prepared to destroy everything between us.
“You disgust me,” I said. My voice was cold and cruel. Each word felt like driving a knife into my own chest. “Did you actually believe I could love you? A weak human with no power, no status, no value? Please. You’re delusional if you ever thought so.”
“Mal, please,” she whispered. Her voice was breaking. “I don’t understand-”
