“Why are you here?” I ask, still not sure why he is telling us all of this. He is a wolf shifter. He could be trying to get us to let down our guard so he can kill us himself.
Kai and the others must be thinking the same because they stand protectively around me in a semicircle, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
“When I was a child, half of our pack was killed by humans. I have lived in fear since that day of losing everyone else because of the hatred between our two peoples.” He places his hand on his chest. “Some in the pack want vengeance, but I want peace. I want to live in a world where we do not have to worry about killing one another.” He pauses. “I was there the day the queen spoke with one of the Elders. They told her that her reign would soon end and you would be upon her throne instead.”
“But I’m human,” I tell him. “I don’t understand.”
He shifts into a wolf, and my mates pull me behind them, growling low in their throat.
He tips his head to the side and speaks in my mind. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” I reply, and he instantly turns into a man once more.
“Then it is true. You are a human who can both hear and speak to our people in our animal form. You are the bridge between worlds.” He drops to one knee and bows before me. “You are destined to marry the prince and become the queen of both kingdoms.”
Everyone remains still and quiet beside me. The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air. I have already chosen them as my mates. I cannot marry the prince. He is human, and he would not tolerate me having anyone but him. And I do not love him. Nor would I ever love anyone enough to give up my mates.
I do not tell him this, however. I simply motion for him to stand. “Will you help us rescue the prince?”
He crosses his arm over his chest and bows low. “Yes, I will help you.” His eyes meet mine. “The prince must kill the wolf queen. It is the only way to transfer the power of the throne. He will not defeat her easily.”
I look at my mates. In their eyes, I see the same mistrust that I’m sure my own reflect. I want to believe this man wants to help us, but it could just as easily be a trap set by the wolf queen.
Although I already know the answer, I study him, deciding to test his loyalty. “Do you know where the wolf queen keeps the prince?”
“Yes. He is in a tower near the edge of the forest. You know it well, I presume, for it used to be your home.” He pauses. “On your eighteenth birthday, everyone in the pack was given the mission to take your life for our queen. Only a few accepted because the rest of us understand that peace is better than the hatred that has existed between our people all these long years.” His gaze shifts to each of my mates. “The reputation of your guards is known far and wide. This alone deters many from seeking to take your life.”
“Why does the wolf queen keep him there?”
His gaze shifts to my mates. “It is forbidden to bring a human to our kingdom, across the veil. She will not break her own laws. Not even to imprison one she considers her enemy.”
“And why has she not killed him?” Kai asks.
“That, I do not know,” he replies.
My mates all turn to me. Devon’s voice fills my mind. “I do not trust him. He is wolf kind. He could be an agent of the queen.”
Kai nods. “I agree. We should not trust him.”
Nyx looks to us. “What if he is telling the truth? A wolf would make a good ally. The queen will have the prince heavily guarded in the tower.”
I touch Nyx’s arm. “Can you use a spell like you did with the wolf shifter in the woods? See if he is speaking the truth?”
He shakes his head. “No.” His brown eyes sweep to the wolf shifter. “He is skilled in magic. I can smell it on him. There would be no way for me to know if he counteracts my spell should I use it to see if he is telling the truth.”
“The wolf queen is bound to have many patrolling Ella’s home,” Cash interrupts. “As much as I hate to admit it, we may not be enough to rescue the prince if we go in there alone.”
“What about the humans?” Finn asks. “The king and queen might send guards to help us.”
I shake my head. “The king does not trust us enough to commit his guards. That he asked us to bring back his son is a test. And if we fail, I’m certain he will hunt us down.” I pause. “We have no choice but to trust this man. If we are to have any chance, we will need more help.”
Devon looks to me. “No. We should not trust him. We can do this alone.”
I take his hand. “No, we can’t. Not if we want everyone to make it through this alive.” I look to the rest of my mates. “I do not want to lose any of you.”
Kai lowers his head. “Unfortunately, she is right. We will need help if we are to succeed.”
Devon clenches his jaw as he looks at us. “You are all fools who will be killed the moment this male double-crosses us.”
Kai’s gaze burns with anger as he looks to Devon. “I am the leader here, and Ella says we should trust him. She is the one who makes the final decision on this. Not you.”
He growls low in his throat as he grits his teeth. “Fine.”
We
