“In any case, The Prophecy predicted that both the wolf and bear kingdoms would receive a bride each, from across the sea. I can’t say I completely believe in that prediction, myth, or whatever you want to call it.
“But there is another one we have—called The Potential. That’s when all sitting rulers of the Bear Kingdom agree to consider one bride as a shared mate.”
I waited for something—anything—to dawn in her expression. But she kept right on regarding me with that same furrowed brow.
I cursed Declan under my breath for refusing to handle this part.
As COO and second in command, I was meant to be the one making sure everything ran smoothly. Negotiations were supposed to be his department.
Nevertheless, I soldiered on.
“There hasn’t been a three-Bear King Potential in nearly eight hundred years. The king’s mother was a Byzantine-era Slav Tsarina—that’s essentially a princess from old Bulgaria. Back then, there were only two ruling bear lines. But she ended up mothering the Shadow King’s line when she fell pregnant withtwins soon after giving birth to the High King’s son. It’s said that the first-born twin was slight and long, with dark hair like hers, and the second-born was large and wide, like the Mountain King. Normally, the second-born would have become the High Prince. But…”
I tilted my head, considering how to phrase the next part. Probably not the best idea to reveal that I came from a long line of petty arseholes, but I’d promised to be honest. “But as the twins grew older, the Mountain King began to suspect the High King was the first-born twin’s father, and he didn’t want to hand over his throne to someone who looked so little like him. It’s said that the High King adored their queen so much that he established a third kingdom line rather than cause her any pain because of the Mountain King’s jealous temper.”
I gave a short shrug. “Anyway, bit of history for you to help you process all of this.”
Sadie didn’t appear to fully understand the lesson. “Okay, that explains some of the paintings I saw on the way. But what does this have to do with me, exactly?”
“Most shared queens, including the Shadow Tsarina, have been others–that's what we call foreign bears,” I explained. “But Cian, Declan—that’s the High King, and me… we’ve never found anyone–outsider or other--that even two of us agreed on. So when we learned that you Canadians had your own bear population—and that one had arrived in Scotland—we knew this meeting had to be arranged.”
Sadie’s brow remained knit, but she started working it out aloud. “So you don’t necessarily believe in The Prophecy… but you kidnapped me in order to take a chance on this Potential?”
“Almost exactly.” I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. At least she understood the bones of it—the tangled mess of myth, duty, and procreation.
“The Shadow King is the true believer in The Prophecy. And at twenty-nine, he’s eager to see it fulfilled.”
“I get that,” she said with a rueful twist of her mouth. “I’m about to turn twenty-four, and I’ve been dying for a mate since I was eighteen. I can’t imagine doing five more years of this.”
Then she winced. “Even though… yeah, kidnapping wasn’t the way to go about it. Still, I want to help the three of you out.”
My heart soared. I hadn’t totally fecked this up. She understood. She was on board. Despite her puritan upbringing, she got it.
But then her expression fell.
“I just don’t know how to help. I mean… I only found out I was a bear—what? A couple of hours ago? I don’t even know how to find this Canadian population of bears you think might hold your Potential.”
I stared at her, stunned. And then realized she truly didn’t get it.
“Sadie,” I said carefully, “do you not understand?”
I leaned forward, holding her gaze so that this time there would be no misunderstanding my explanation.
“The Shadow King and I arranged this meeting withyou. We sent an army of Irish Wolves into enemy territory to getyou. Based ononepicture.”
I let that land.
“Youare The Potential. The one we’re hoping to claim. The one we want. The one we risked everything for.You. And no one else.”
Who Me?
Sadie
“I’m The Potential?”
The fulfillment of a prophecy etched out in what sounded like a Ten Commandments-level tablet by the gods who left all of this super-advanced tech behind?
The one the three Irish Bear Kings want to make their queen—like the ones in all those portraits?
