Another command. But instead of feeling resentful after he left, I found myself staring off into the distance as I imagined what the control room for this secret kingdom might look like. Were there truly no wires? Then perhaps I’d find some solar panels. Seriously, it could be anything. Would I even be able to figure out what I was looking at?
Maybe I should ask Sea for something to take notes with before tomorrow's field trip — even paper would do. I mean, I hated writing by hand, but I did want to be a non-self-taught physicist someday. And what physicist, amateur or real, would pass up the chance to figure out how a sustained simulation with actual 3-D structures worked just because she didn't have access to a tablet when—
“I know what ye’re thinking about," a rough voice said beside me out of the blue. "And I'm here to tell ye, it ain't going to work."
I didn't realize I was staring in the direction of the tower until I jerked my head around to see Wild, now in human form, glaring down at me.
Naomi
I hadn’t even noticedthat Wild's wolf had slipped away from my side, where he’d been all night, and my breath caught at his transformation.
He now wore an ivory and gold tunic, just like Sea and the other guys who’d decided to attend the wedding in human form. But he had a fur stole draped over his shoulders. It wasn’t as long as Sea’s cape, but it was fastened with the same intricate knotted wolf clasps, giving him that same regal vibe.
Most surprising of all, he now wore a crown on top of his closely cropped hair. But unlike Sea’s black and silver crown with amethysts, Wild’s crown was made from dusky gold, the same material as his earrings, and painted with green details that reminded me of Ireland's endless emerald fields.
As it turned out, Wild's wolf cleaned up into a surprisingly dashing king. I might have even complimented him on his royal glow-up — if not for the way he was glaring down at me.
“What, did ye think I’d stay on all fours for the entire wedding?” Wild's lip curled with a decidedly less friendly sneer than his wolf. “Figured ye’d throw me a piece of cake like a doggie treat, shove Sea into the fire, then use the distraction to take off for the tower again?”
That actually wasn’t a terrible plan. Especially with so many of the males having drunk plentifully from the bronze chalices of alcohol also being passed around with the food.
But the truth was, I hadn’t been thinking about the tower. Like, at all.
With a sinking heart, I realized that a new escape plan hadn’t even crossed my mind since seeing the second tower with the red door; it hadn’t entered my mind since the start of the reception. Not even once. Because the night felt enjoyable.
I found that truth way more disturbing than Wild’s false accusations.
Wild mistook my upset look for the answer he’d already assumed.
“Ye can certainly try it, but ye’re aware Sea could have stopped me a week ago before I got my head between yer legs? Did he tell ye that in all them ‘please like me’ letters he was writing ye?”
My belly fluttered at the thought of Sea watching me — watching us like that.
“It’s true. He watched me take my first taste of ye, and he had a right hell of a time controlling his wolf after he dropped ye back at the habitat,” Wild informed me with a dark smirk before leaning forward to ask, “So imagine what he’ll let me do — what we'll do to ye together if you try that shite again? No, don’t look for him, Flower. Keep yer eyes right here on me. Come now…”
I jolted. I didn’t even realize on a conscious level that I’d tried to look away to seek out Sea in the crowd until I found myself locked back on to Wild’s electric blue stare.
“I need ye to understand that if ye run again, there will be no further obeisance to the Heat Laws.” The smirk was gone now, replaced by a steely expression. “I will track ye down like prey, and Sea and I will take the turns we’ve been miserably waiting for since we first laid eyes on ye back in Scotland. Imagine how devastated that self-righteous ego of yers’ll be when ye beg us to keep going?”
A cold shiver ran down my spine, and my body tensed.
Actually, I did have titles. The One with the Prickly Temper. Not Nice Naomi. That Hamilton Sister with the Sharp-Tongue. That was what they used to call me behind my back in St. Ailbe.
But where was that she-wolf now? My heart thundered in my ears, and my brain jumbled with no idea what to do with Wild’s threat — his extremely carnal threat that sounded more like a promise.
“Wild, I didn’t know you’d decided to shift back or else I would have fetched a piece of this for you, too.”
Sea chose that moment to return with two pieces of cake on woven plates, reminding me why he had left. Just as Wild had reminded me why I had no business making future plans to further discover this kingdom.
“Obviously, I wanted to make sure I was in human form for the big show,” Wild answered Sea while grinning at me. “Besides, cake tastes better in human form. Wouldn’t ye agree, Flower?”
Okay, I was more naive than most twenty-three-year-olds when it came to sex, but even I could hear the double entendre in his answer. Suddenly, Wild’s pet name no longer struck me as sweet.
I snatched the plate from Sea without a thank you and asked, “How much longer are we required to stay on this group date?”
Sea cocked his head, his eyes widening slightly at my abruptquestion. “There’s just the performance to go. It’ll be starting any moment now.”
“Then we can go home?” The perma-harsh note I’d let slip out of my voice during the reception returned with full vengeance. "Or, in our case, back to the prison where you're keeping us locked up?"
