Page 60 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

A sickness rose within. All the pain, the tears and grief he’d laid at my feet swallowed me. Walking away had torn my soul to shreds, but what was I supposed to do? Forgive him? Kiss his tattoo better?

I tugged Pablo’s fur.

‘Where is the… man?’

He set his amber eyes on mine, almost raised a brow as though he’d wondered when I was going to ask him, and headed deeper into The Void.

The lack of Vyrium lamps unnerved me; their far-weaker oil counterparts burnt at set intervals, spilling rusty light through the corridors. It was as though the rebels were making a statement. That we relied on Vyrium too much. And Matthias was here… here amongst those he blamed for the demise of his father, the shame coating the name of Elmswood. Had they rescued him? Did Matthias also view an alliance as the only way forward? I doubted it. The mutual distrust was a deep cut. I fought back the tears at the prospect this was some ploy of the empress. Did my husband carry out her wishes while whispering words of love?

After the way he’d attacked Vyrus, how he’d slumped to the ground vomiting that noxious substance, I wasn’t sure I even knew him any more.

Judging by the low light flitting through the windows, it was almost morn. My body screamed for rest, but how could I ever sleep again knowing Matthias’s salvation was somewhere in this damn labyrinth? Pablo stood at the top of a long set of wide stairs leading into yet more darkness. The muted sound of glass bottles clattered from below, and I groaned.

‘He’s found the wine cellar, hasn’t he?’ The wolf sneezed. Yes, then. I heaved in a deep breath. If I were going to give my husband a chance to make up for all the pain he’d caused, I needed the God – whatever state he was currently in. He couldn’t get that drunk, surely?

Gripping Pab a bit tighter, I strode down the stairs. The gloom stole my sight completely and the wolf pushed himself against my leg, helping me find the steps. A tiny flicker of amber broke through the dark.

‘Vy—’ I stopped, the God’s warning about keeping his identity secret at the fore of my mind. ‘Hawk?’ The ground evened and I headed towards the light, cursing as my boot skimmed a bottle. ‘Hawk?’

I bent down and lifted a candle almost burnt to the wick. Pablo padded forward as I squinted at the walls, the hazy glittering of bottle after bottle. I raised a brow. The rebels certainly weren’t denied a few comforts then? It was clear some of those nobles had made a detour through their family’s stocks of the finest red before their exile.

A yip, barely there, dragged my attention from the rebels’ stores to the wolf. I cursed, barely able to make out his great form when I noticed a figure sprawled next to him… snoring… drunk.

‘Damn.’ I knelt down, the panic swarming through my chest, shoving the candle as close to his face as I could. ‘Damn.’

The great and powerful God we all feared lay half-comatose on the cold tiles of a wine cellar. I pinched the top of my nose. Surely our almighty deity would be better equipped to hold his liquor? He lay on his side, knees curled up, one arm over his eyes, wheezing.

Pablo sniffed Vyrus’s forehead, tilting his head as the God belched and sneezed straight into his face. He didn’t even register the wolf’s presence as Pab lifted a paw and poked the greatest divine being in the universe.

Grabbing his shoulder, I shook him.

Vyrus’s hand grabbed mine.

‘Sleepy,’ he drawled. ‘You. Off. Fuck.’

I pushed the hair from my face. I didn’t care if he could bring about the end of days with a click of his fingers. The ability to draw the Vyrium from Matthias’s skin lay in his hands and I’d risk his all-vengeful anger time and time again to save the man I loved.

I shook harder. ‘Wake up.’

He batted me away, a low grumble rumbling through him before emitting a heavy fart. Pablo whined, backing away.

‘I do not have time for this.’ My palm hovered over his cheek. Could I really slap a god? The glint of a bottle lying behind his head caught my attention and I grabbed it. A quick shake confirmed it still held a fair bit and I poured it over him. Apart from a low snore, Vyrus didn’t react.

‘Damn you.’ I grabbed his sodden shirt and, groaning, lifted him till he sat. ‘Wake up, you stupid man. I need you.’

One eye glinted in the dark. My shoulders slumped.

‘Wha’ d’ya wan’?’

I gripped his shoulders as he fell forward, his head slamming into my jaw.

‘You, you silly man. Sober up, for Evella’s sake. I need you. I fucking need⁠—’

‘You need him?’

Letting go of the God, who promptly slumped into my arms, I turned to the steps. Even with the orange glow of the lamp, I couldn’t make out the two figures halfway down the steps. I didn’t need to see them to recognise my husband’s voice, though.

Closing my eyes, I sighed as Matthias stepped slowly, deliberately, towards me and the God.