Sorenas
Sorenas stepped inside. His eyes fell upon her, and he smiled with a warm, longing expression that would have perfectly matched a reunion of the caliber he was trying to affect. But the emotions didn’t reach his eyes. There was a hunger there, lust and premature triumph too, as he rocked back on his heels and looked at her, his gaze dragging over her in a way that made her skin crawl, and every muscle in her body tense.
Her love, for all of his rough upbringing, would never look at her like that. Not even after all these years apart, and he certainly wouldn’t sneak into her room without knocking, no matter how welcome he knew himself to be. The walls shimmered with warning, but she already knew his intentions.
“I… can’t begin to explain how happy I am to see you,” Sorenas whispered.
“How did you get here?” She flicked her gaze over him. No weapons.
Arrogant, or was he relying on this ruse? Maybe he thought she didn’t know he was a shifter.
He had to be quite confident in whatever knowledge he believed he had about her, or he simply underestimated her intelligence. She hoped the legions of dead men waiting to welcome him to their table were ready to tell him that was his undoing.
“Isn’t it obvious? The archways.” He smiled. “Didn’t you say to use them?”
The fury in her chest heated. Sorenas had certainly spoken to her Shield in depth, tortured him, and yet his fealty was unwavering, giving Sorenas enough to think he could pull this off while warning her. To anyone who could not use them, the gates were just decorative archways.
“Why come now?” She turned to face him. “Where have you been all this time?”
He worked his jaw. “It’s… a long story.”
She made a show of opening one of her drawers and rifling through it. There was nothing in it. She closed the drawer and went to the next.
“Fair,” she said. “Fifteen years is a long time. We should hurry and start dragging the boats onto shore.” She hummed. “What did you do with the bodies?”
“The bodies?”
She turned to look at him. “The bodies. Did you offer them already?”
“It’s a bit too much to kill them all, isn’t it? The king as well?”
“Is it? Are you saying you don’t believe they pose a threat to Caelthos? Considering the war—”
“No, of course not. King Naos only means to be an ally… I think once we’re married, things will blow over.”
She turned from her drawers, watching him from the corner of her eye. He hadn’t moved, but there was a tension in his body that hadn’t been there when he’d come in.
The fool.
She crossed the chambers to her washing basin, so she could watch him through the mirror. As soon as her back was turned, the expression shifted, and his eyes flickered with light.
“Will you not don your armor?” She asked, keeping her voice light, barely restraining her amusement.”It would likely make shooing them off the island a great deal easier.”
He chuckled. “I think it’s more amusing to see them all try.”
She laughed. “True… Though I have to ask, what did you do with the helm?”
He shook his head. “It’s too embarrassing to talk about. I’d rather not… your father was right to have me leave the armor on the island.”
So he didn’t have it. Naos must have it. Did he know?
Did it matter if he did?
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Just recall it.”
“It’s not important.”
“I say what is important.” She looked up and met his gaze through the mirror. He set his jaw. “And I say that I will paint the palace floors in the blood of every man who has wronged me. So, you will either don your armor and prepare for battle, or I will denounce you and start a trial for a new Shield.”
He snarled, almost subvocally. “You have a lot of nerve to command me—”
“I am Kyria of Caelthos.” She turned. “You have entered my domain, and I have more than the right to command an outsider pretending to be someone he cannot even fathom.”
He went still, staring at her. “What—”
“Though I am interested to know how it is that you have affected quite the semblance of his presence.” She narrowed her eyes. “And where is my Shield?”
“I am the Shield.”
“You would not even be fit to be a boot, let alone mine. How long do you plan to keep this up? I’d appreciate it if you got out rather than wasting more of my time.”
His lips twitched. “You seem to misunderstand your position.”
“Does your father know you’re here?” She smiled. “Can’t imagine he’d be too happy to hear you attempting to take a taste before I’m ruined.”
His lips lifted into a cruel smirk. “My father will have to make his peace with it.”
“Your death? Unlikely.” She smiled coldly. “He’ll be joining you shortly.”
He let out a low, rumbling laugh. The scent of ice and animal musk sparked in the air. Between one moment and the next, his clothes fell to the ground, claws clicked against stone, and he lunged at her. She leaped aside, snagging the simple spear she’d stashed beside the cabinet. She whirled around, aiming the spear at him as he sailed through the air, a large, powerful body covered in brown fur. He shifted back into his human form and landed just in front of the washing basin, naked. The basin and mirror rocked as he steadied himself and turned, revealing his cock jutting out from his body.
She cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Doesn’t look like you’re up to the task of ruining anyone.”
He growled. “I’m going to make you scream for that.”
She aimed the spear at him. “With an oyster knife?”
The wolfish light in his eyes turned blazing hot. He licked his lips. “You have no idea how long I’ve been looking forward to this.”
She smirked. “Hope it’s everything you’ve dreamed of. Hate for you to have a lackluster story to tell in the afterlife.”
He snarled, lunging at her again. She dodged again, barely evading his attack. His claws dragged across her shoulder guard, knocking her into a low dresser. He scrambled, swiping at her. She blocked his blow and kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling back over her bed. She darted aside, spear trained on him. The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway reached her. It was just one set of footsteps, light. Maybe one of those traitorous servants. She’d deal with them soon enough.
Sorenas leaped to his feet, shifting in midair. Every combat instinct screamed, pulling her beneath his body and urging her forward. He tucked, swiping at her. She lifted the spear, and his claws ripped through it as he tumbled through the air and slammed into the far wall.
Then, a familiar song drifted in on the storm wind with a swelling cry, bringing tears to her eyes.
A heralding.
A welcome.
He was home.
