The Wolf King's Bride, page 17
“How could my father keep this from me? How?!” she shouted.
“He wanted to protect you, Nora. To shield you from the ugly truth,” Rhona tried to reassure her daughter-in-law.
“It’s inexcusable. I … it’s …” she couldn’t finish. There were no words. Nora started to sob.
Kellan picked her up and placed her in his lap, supporting her body with both arms. He held her and rocked her and grieved with her. They had both lost a parent to the same ill cause.
“Why? She wasn’t a threat. And surely Callum was not so ambitious as to seek control of Imperium. How could they do this?” she cried.
Niles leaned forward, seeking Nora’s gaze. Once she returned it, he spoke.
“Your mother was the most powerful elemental to ever live, Nora. She had visions. Everyone knows she had visions. She predicted a child of hers would be Queen of the North. Callum arranged a marriage between Kellan and your sister. That would be two Gwydions on two thrones. They thought it would upset the balance.”
“So, they killed them,” Nora said.
“So, they killed them,” Niles repeated.
“Then why didn’t they go after Kellan? Callum was already mated.”
“Kellan didn’t eat with us that evening. Though, we believe he was the intended target. It was easiest to taint what was cooking in the kitchen, rather than one plate. But no one knew that Kellan had ridden North to check on some reports about the forest.”
“What about after it was known you were taking me as your mate? Wouldn’t that have prompted some sort of interference?”
Kellan hesitated. He did not want his wife to think him a monster. He had blood on his hands, blood she might find abhorrent.
His torso inched towards the back of his chair, fearful he’d need the distance, terrified she would demand more than a few inches.
In his hesitation to respond, Rhona spoke.
“No.”
“Why not?” Nora asked.
“Because they were already dead,” Rhona answered, looking at her son. “Kellan and Edward tracked them down. Aside from the wolf, the others had been careless in masking their scents. One led to the next and so on. Kellan was able to find them easily enough.”
“And when he found them?” Nora whispered.
“Both he and your father eliminated the threat. Every. Single. One. We assumed, since all four were … deceased, it was the end of the group.”
Nora shifted to better see her husband’s face. She found it difficult to believe her father could have been involved. She couldn’t see him harming anyone. But Kellan was a warrior. She could easily picture him on his quest for vengeance. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother her.
Nora noticed Kellan’s hands had left her body and were now firmly gripping the arms of his chair. His thighs and core were full of tension. He was braced for her reaction.
If he thought this would be what compelled her to withhold her affections, he couldn’t be further from the truth. His blue irises glinted and the wolf made himself known.
He was a protector, a fierce warrior who would do what needed to be done. The wolf would never apologize for the kills. This much, Nora knew.
She also knew her husband should never feel obliged to apologize for them either. His actions were justified. Warranted. Put her mother’s murderer in front of her, and Nora herself would strike the fiend down.
Kellan did not deserve judgement, especially not from his mate. It broke her heart to see him preparing for her to think less of him when he’d only risen higher in her regard.
Nora shifted closer and whispered, “Thank you,” against his lips. Kellan had sought revenge for both Callum and Elora. And for that, Nora was thankful.
Kellan blinked, stunned into silence. Nora wasn’t repulsed by what he had done. She didn’t think less of him for tracking and killing those men. She was grateful.
He lifted his palms to cup her face, utterly and completely lost in the moment. Kellan thought he couldn’t possibly feel more for her than he already did. He was mistaken.
Niles cleared his throat and Nora blushed, having momentarily forgotten she and Kellan weren’t alone. “We apparently missed someone. They either had more than four or, more likely, had plans in place for recruiting their successors. This will need to be rectified, Kellan.”
“Agreed. I will write to Edward tonight and have a rider deliver it immediately. But first, I think I need to get Nora to our chamber. She is exhausted.”
He was right. Nora was emotionally fatigued. So much, in fact, she offered no protest when he carried her the entire way, removed her clothing, and tucked her in as he would a child. As she drifted off to sleep, she could hear his quill scratching across parchment.
Chapter 18
“Any word from my father?” Nora asked as she entered Kellan’s study.
“Not yet, my love,” Kellan responded as he put down his quill. He rose to greet his wife by kissing her on each cheek. “But it is early yet. I’m sure we will receive word soon.”
Kellan nodded over her shoulder and Quinn, the guard who had escorted her, closed the door. Nora hated that she wasn’t free to roam, but she had stopped protesting Kellan’s protections. In fact, she felt more at ease having someone with her at all times now that she knew the truth about Sephtis Kenelm.
“Come here, Wife,” Kellan growled as he pulled Nora’s body to his and kissed her soundly.
Nora’s body flared with heat. She was not only growing accustomed to Kellan’s touch, she was starting to need it. Nora pressed into his body as close as she could, and Kellan laughed.
“Eager little thing, aren’t you?” Kellan savored the feel of her trying to get more of him. She was perfection.
“Shh, Quinn can hear you.”
“My men are discreet.”
With that, Kellan picked her up and sat her on his desk. He parted her thighs and stepped into the welcoming space. He watched the pulse in Nora’s neck as it quickened. Something about that artery excited him beyond reason.
“I would have to disagree with that assessment,” Nora responded as she kissed Kellan’s neck.
Kellan stopped his ministrations. “What makes you say that?”
“Quinn told Alec I made him show me his chest.”
Kellan barked out something between a snort and a laugh, not believing his wife’s boldness. “You didn’t.”
“Well,” she started, scrunching her nose in that adorable way he loved so much, “I just wanted to be certain that my escort wasn’t,” she lowered her voice, “you know.”
Kellan laughed again. “Oh, Nora. That’s priceless. They probably think you wanted an eyeful of his physique.”
Nora’s mouth dropped open and her face began to burn. “Oh, no.”
“Yes. They don’t know what you were looking for.”
Nora buried her face in Kellan’s shirt, her face on fire. “What must they think of me?”
“It doesn’t matter, Nora. Besides, you think I would let someone escort you around without knowing if they carried the mark of Sephtis Kenelm?”
Nora sighed, lifting her face to his. “No. I suppose not.”
Kellan kissed her temple, then her cheek, and lightly brushed his lips across her skin, down to her earlobe. She fisted his shirt in her hands, shuddering.
“Want to know what is truly humorous?” he asked.
Nora tilted back so she could see his eyes. “What?”
“This morning, I made them show me their chests, as well. Every last one of them.”
Nora giggled at the visual of Kellan inspecting his guards’ bodies. The men must think the royal couple an odd pair. She’d worried for so long the Burghards would think her fragile when she should have worried they would think she was crazy.
“Are you certain they wouldn’t know? What we were looking for?”
Kellan shook his head. “Doubtful. But I’m sure they will soon. The two men that took care of the demon’s body could have seen part of the marking, though I’m hoping the hole in his chest was enough to conceal it.”
Nora flinched, recalling the gruesome event in the dungeon.
“Most of the guards will act with extreme discretion, but this will be bothersome. We’ll have to address it with the men soon. I’d prefer to speak to Foley and your father before we do, especially if they’ve found anything.”
Nora bobbed her head in agreement and thought about how the news would be perceived. Would the Burghards agree with the Sephtis Kenelm? Surely not, knowing the group had murdered their former king.
Her stomach fluttered, and she felt vibrations, radiating from the deepest part of her heart. They were coming faster than ever before, almost painful in their intensity. Nora started to panic.
Kellan could smell Nora’s fear. A hint of magic drifted through the air and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. “Nora? Nora, look at me.”
Nora opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The vibrations grew stronger and stronger until she had no control over her limbs. Her body seized, her eyes remained open, but unseeing. She was stuck in a vision.
Blood. So much blood. Slashed skin, peeled away from the bone. Echoes of men’s cries of agony. A face flashed through the carnage and the vision released her.
Nora gasped for air and Kellan held on to her, worried she would fall. He waited for her to catch her breath. Kellan wanted to call for help, but he was unsure what had happened. The scent of magic was strong now—and it was coming from Nora.
“Nora? Nora look at me,” he commanded again. “What’s going on?”
Tears flooded her eyes. “My father!” she wailed. “Kellan, my father!”
Adrenaline and fear filled the air. His wife was terrified. “Nora, tell me what just happened. Now.”
“I—I saw him. His body … blood,” her voice shook as did her body.
Kellan frowned. “What do you mean you saw him?”
“In a vision. I had … a vision,” she murmured, lowering her eyes from the Alpha’s narrowing glare.
“You had a vision,” he stated slowly, his mind churning and clicking.
“Y-yes,” she whimpered.
Kellan stared at his wife, trying to make sense of this. Queen Elora had been the only elemental known to have visions. It’s possible she passed on this ability to Nora. Which did not make sense because Nora had no magical abilities—or so she said.
She didn’t seem surprised. She called the episode a vision, knew it for what it was. Kellan suspected there was something his wife wasn’t telling him. His wolf’s hackles raised. Mates did not withhold from one another.
“Is this the first time you’ve had a vision?” Kellan asked cautiously.
Nora bit her lip, debating the consequences of her answer. It was too late to hide. He would know if she lied.
Steeling herself for the fallout, she shook her head. Tears spilled rapidly, falling down Nora’s cheeks. Kellan now knew she possessed some degree of magic. It wouldn’t matter how useless the power was. He would know she and her father had hid it from him.
“I thought you were not magical.” His expression was pained, as she knew it would be.
“I—”
“You said you were not,” Kellan interrupted, his voice cracking like a whip across her heart. Nora shrunk away from him.
“Your father said you were not. Did you … did you both deceive me?” he drew out, his voice deceptively calm.
Kellan felt raw at the thought of his precious Nora lying to him. Mates did not tell one another falsehoods. Matehood was what he and his people held most sacred in life. Lying simply did not happen between mated wolves.
Of course, Nora wasn’t a wolf, so perhaps lying to him wasn’t quite as difficult as he hoped it would be. Was lying to him so easy that she could mask the scent?
He felt ill at the thought. He would never have lied to Nora. Never, no matter what the cost. How could she have conceived of doing such a thing?
“Kellan, no,” Nora pleaded as she grabbed onto the front of his shirt, pulling on it with both hands. “I did not mean to deceive you. I am not magical like my sisters. That is the truth.”
Kellan pried Nora’s fingers from his shirt and took a step back. He was upset and confused, but he stayed close enough in case he needed to hold her upright again.
“It is a half-truth, Nora. At best. Tell me, did you and Edward carefully construct your wording to prevent me from detecting the lie?”
Nora looked down at her hands, which were now trembling. Her tears ran rampant into her lap, covering her forearms in salty wet drops.
“Answer me.”
“Yes,” she whispered, not wanting to say the word.
“Yes?!” Kellan shouted, his fury breaking through and shattering his quiet facade. “Why? What would possess you to do such a thing? To me, your husband?”
“I—my father thought it best. The visions are usually so jumbled and scattered that I cannot make sense of them. I haven’t had that many, and none of them have been worth sharing. Only a handful have been clear enough to articulate.”
“And the truth? Was that not worth sharing? With the person whose life is now tied to your own?” Kellan spat.
Nora recoiled, causing Kellan to growl at her reaction. He was livid, but his wolf wanted to protect Nora. Seeing her flinch bothered him, but he stood strong on his anger. He would make it very clear she was never to lie to him again. They would not move forward with any dishonesty between them.
“What else?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What else have you lied about, Nora?”
“I didn’t lie. I—”
“Fine,” he interrupted. “What else don’t I know? I’m sure you’ve been careful with every word you’ve spoken to me. So, tell me, witch, what other powers do you possess?”
Nora fought for breath, not believing his callousness. Only a moment ago, she had been so happy in his arms. Yes, he had been overbearing and overprotective, but never had he been cruel. Never had he resorted to name-calling.
Her chest constricted, the emotional wounds flayed open. Nora clutched at the skin over her heart, fruitlessly trying to staunch the pain flowing from the invisible injury.
“I am not a witch,” she hissed.
Kellan had not meant to throw out that word, or to cut her so deeply. He knew he offended her by saying it.
Subconsciously, he probably wanted her to feel the agony he was feeling. But he also wanted to take it back. Instead, knowing he could never take it back, he let it hang in the air between them. He was angry with Nora, and, now, angry with himself. He did not know how to proceed.
The anguish from Kellan’s insult promptly twisted Nora’s sadness into anger. She repeated his affront in her head, fueling the flames of her ire. Where she lacked the experience with matters of the heart, she made up for it with the ability to cling to her anger.
Holding onto the familiar, she calmed her cries and wiped the wetness from her face. It was time to give him the truth, as she should have from the beginning.
Nora hopped down from the desk and started walking towards the door. Kellan grabbed her arm and jerked her back, harder than intended. He’d forgotten for a moment she was an elemental.
Knowing he’d likely marked her in a way a Burghard should never mark a mate, he released her as though he’d been scalded. His wolf whined, urging Kellan to fix it.
Nora rubbed a hand over her upper arm, confident she was bruised. She understood Kellan’s anger, but his behavior towards her was out of line. He was not the man she thought he was.
“Nora, I—”
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. You want your truth, so I’m going to give it to you.”
Nora turned on her heel and walked away from her husband.
Chapter 19
Kellan followed Nora to the greenhouse. He watched closely as she pulled out the key and unlocked the new door. She opened it and stepped inside.
The afternoon light was almost blinding through the glass panels on the wall and roof. Nora had to shield her eyes as she made her way to the middle of the room.
“Shut the door when you come in,” she said. Her speech was void of emotion. Nora felt numb.
Kellan closed the door and walked to where his wife was standing. He had often wondered what she did in here when she was alone. Perhaps practicing magic in secret?
Nora reached up to her shoulder, close to the seam. She clutched the material and pulled as hard as she could, ripping the sleeve. She threw the sleeve on the ground and inspected her arm.
Kellan saw small circles marring Nora’s perfect skin. Bruises were already forming where his fingertips had dug into her bicep. His wolf complained and Kellan silenced him. Kellan had never been more ashamed of himself as he was in this moment.
“I apologize, Nora,” he said quietly. “I’m upset, but that is no excuse.”
“I’m sure you’ll want to hold on to all that anger when you see this. Maybe you should back away so I don’t get mauled or dismembered?”
Kellan frowned. He deserved the harshness of her words. Yes, he’d overreacted—again. But surely Nora knew he was no threat to her life.
“I would never attack you like that. You have to know I would never harm you in that manner.”
Nora didn’t look at him. Her eyes were on her arm. “I know nothing about what you would or wouldn’t do to me. So back away.”
Kellan’s body tensed, fearing he had done some irreversible damage to their relationship, but he said nothing more. Instead, he took three steps backwards.
Nora laid down on her back with her arms out to each side. She closed her eyes and let the elements into her body. They wept for her. They promised to heal her, to give her life. Nora accepted their offering, as she’d done thousands of times before.
Kellan watched in disbelief as the greenery stretched and pulled towards Nora. A faint white light encapsulated her figure. As Nora’s body seemed to fill with life, the flowers and plants began to wilt.
Nora stopped the transfer, wanting to avoid killing any of the plants. She was always very careful not to take too much. She opened her eyes and sat up, waiting for Kellan to say something.
