Page 87 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

‘You were going to kill me,’ I said, as his eyes lingered on Pablo.

‘I didn’t.’ His features scrunched as though he’d cry. Gods, I couldn’t handle a snivelling child. ‘That was Lommond. I wanted to tell Enfys, but he told me it was what Papa wanted. I really am sorry.’

‘Oskar,’ Enfys said, tugging me towards the candle. ‘I’m giving Sorrow her gift. Go play with the wolf, would you?’

‘Play with the wolf?’ I said. Did she honestly think Pablo was a family pet? But as the wolf huffed, stood face to face with a rather pale Oskar, I decided it might be fun. ‘Don’t let Skye see him, though. There’ll be a war if she sees he’s eaten his garland.’

Enfys watched as the door closed before bringing a book from behind her.

Taking it, I smiled and turned it to the light so I could see it better. ‘A book. The perfect gift for⁠—’

I traced the gilded initials on the cover, my heart thumping as the words dried in my throat.

‘I went through some of Papa’s personal items. Journals, letters, that sort of thing and found this.’

I glanced up. ‘Mama’s journal?’

My sister nodded, the glint of a tear appearing in the corner of her eyes. I flicked through the pages, a stone settling in my stomach. Mama’s script was too small, too cursive for my eyes. Smiling, I met her gaze and shrugged.

‘I can’t… can’t read it.’

Enfys sniffed as she took it, turning the yellowing pages to a section in the centre as though she already knew what lay there.

‘It’s from before she married Papa,’ she said, her voice barely a whisper. ‘From the months when she was missing. When she carried you while on the run with your papa.’

A sob caught in my throat. Papa, my papa. The forever blurry shape, the name I’d been denied.

Enfys closed the book and placed it in my hands. ‘We haven’t time to read it now. But I’ve read it, Sorrow. She loved him.’ I swiped a stray tear from my cheek. ‘She loved him so much. I’ll tell you the details later. It’s quite the story. Do you know he wanted to call you Joy?’

I shook my head, fought back the tears before I faced Matthias with a blotchy face.

‘His… his name? What was Papa’s name?’

Enfys smiled before placing the book on a shelf.

‘Gabriel.’ A sob escaped at the sound of Papa’s name. ‘Gabriel Blythe. Only Mama always called him Gabe.’

I closed my eyes and forced those damn tears away. Gabe. My papa was called Gabe.

‘As Mama can’t be here, or your Papa, would you allow me to give you away?’

My hands flew to my mouth. I nodded. ‘Please…’

She swiped a tear from my cheek. ‘Come along then, Sorrow Villente. Let’s get you two hitched. Do you think you’ll ever do this a third time?’

I shrugged, blowing out a long breath. ‘That depends on how many times Matthias pisses me off and I divorce him.’

Enfys giggled, her strong grip steadying my shivers as I descended the stairs to where we’d exchange our vows. I knew I would mean them this time.

As we’d only had a few hours to transform The Alliance’s cobbled courtyard into a venue worthy of a Royal wedding, I’d pictured a cold, dark space. I wouldn’t have cared. All I wanted was to tell everyone Matthias Fucking Elmswood and I adored each other. I wanted those who were our whole world to bear witness to this exchange. A ceremony that meant something rather than the few minutes we’d spent in front of a sweaty priest who skipped the majority of the vows – my relief when he’d forgone our first kiss. So when I clutched Enfys’s arm and left the gloom of the corridors, I swallowed my gasp, blinking away the swirls and glistening shadows.

A myriad of glowing, buttery lights cascaded down from silvery ropes, rose-scented candles flickered on every surface, illuminating the cobbled square. I squinted at the flowers placed in what seemed to be anything that might contain them, dotted around the space between the mismatched chairs, where the guests turned to see the wolf queen. The full red moon hung low in the indigo night. I exhaled a steadying breath as my heart hammered.

Enfys lay her hand on my arm. I glanced across, fighting to keep the grin from my face.

‘I really don’t want to make you cry.’ I side-eyed her. ‘But the stars are so bright tonight. Remember how Mama used to tell us about them? And your Matthias learnt to trust her, to curl up on her lap as she told him the tales?’

Damn Enfys, she really was trying to make me cry. I’d forgotten how hard it had been for him to trust Mama.