The Winter Prince by Lopez Constance

The Winter Prince by Lopez Constance

Author:Lopez, Constance
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-12-15T00:00:00+00:00


Chapter 18

Revi

Revi raked his claws across the paper, shredding it into ribbons that fluttered to the floor.

He was so, so tired. He’d thought he had dealt with the zruyeds. He always thought he’d dealt with them, but they always kept coming back.

Pushing to his feet, he stalked from the room, tail lashing. Better to leave quickly and get it over with. His steward would tell Enlo where he’d gone. Kienna…

It was better if he didn’t tell her. He needed to embrace his inner beast for this task, and she made him want to be… different. Better than a beast.

But he had to be a monster to fight monsters.

And he had to get there quickly. He considered his current form. Good for fighting and bursts of speed, but not his favorite for long treks. “Zeminy.”

A ripple of pain, and then he loped down the hall again, now a wolf. He’d run for days as a wolf. This form would get him to the zruyeds invading his lands.

He made it to the entry hall before he was intercepted.

“Beast?”

He tensed at the feminine voice and reluctantly looked over his shoulder.

Kienna stood at the foot of the stairs, as radiant as ever. “It’s almost dinnertime. I was just headed to the dining hall. Are you...” Her eyes tracked over him, as if looking for some clues to his plans. “Are you leaving?”

“There have been reports.” He kneaded his paws into the rug beneath him. “Enemies have breached the borders of my Court. I must go protect my people.”

“Oh… When will you return?”

Did he imagine the concern in her voice? It was wishful thinking to consider that perhaps she might miss him.

He longed to cross the room and wrap his arms around her as he had in the dream. But he was not that man. He had claws, not hands, and today he had to go use those claws to be the beast his Court needed him to be. To protect their borders. No matter how weary he was of the fighting. He was the Winter Prince, and protection fell, first and foremost, to him. He had warriors he commanded, but they had to stay stationed where they were, at the border itself. If zruyeds had slipped by them, those nuisances were his task.

“I don’t know.”

“I see.” Kienna twisted her hands together. “Well… Be safe.”

He blinked. He was never safe when hunting zruyeds, but the fact that she gave him such well wishes at all locked around his heart. He inclined his head to her. “I’ll return when I can.”

When the enemy was vanquished, he added mentally. When his Court was safe.

When she was safe.



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