The gates of Stormcaller crashed open with a sound like breaking bones.
“State your business!” The guard’s voice cut through the salt-thick air, his spear leveled at my chest before I’d even dismounted.
“Prince Kieran of the Mountain Throne,” I said, keeping my hands visible. “Here by invitation of Alpha Willowclaw.”
“No invitation was extended.” The guard stepped closer, flanked by two others who emerged from the shadows like wraiths. “The Alpha receives no visitors.”
“Then perhaps you should ask her before you decide for her.”
“Perhaps you should turn around and—”
“Let him pass.”
The voice came from above, carrying the weight of absolute authority. I looked up to see a figure silhouetted against the storm-dark sky—a woman in black standing on the fortress wall like she owned the very stones.
“Alpha?” The guard’s voice cracked with uncertainty.
“You heard me.” Even from this distance, her voice sent electricity down my spine. “Escort the prince to the war room. And Marcus?”
“Yes, Alpha?”
“If you threaten my guests again, I’ll throw you from the cliffs myself.”
The guards scrambled to obey, their earlier hostility replaced by obvious terror. As we crossed the courtyard, I caught sight of movement in the upper windows—faces appearing and disappearing like ghosts watching a funeral procession.
“Friendly place,” I muttered.
“The Alpha doesn’t believe in friendly,” Marcus replied grimly. “She believes in useful.”
We climbed stone steps worn smooth by centuries of use, the walls carved with runes that seemed to writhe in the torchlight. Halfway up, a door creaked open and a small figure stepped into the corridor.
A boy, no more than eight years old, with dark hair and pale skin. But it was his eyes that stopped me cold—silver, like molten mercury, like looking into a mirror that reflected someone I’d never met.
“Reed.” Marcus’s voice carried warning. “You shouldn’t be here.”
The boy ignored him, studying me with an intensity that made my wolf pace restlessly. “You’re him,” he said, his voice carrying the same smoky quality as the woman on the wall. “The one from the dreams.”
“Dreams?” I crouched to his level, something in my chest pulling tight. “What dreams?”
“The ones where the three queens stand together.” His silver eyes held mine without flinching. “Mama says they’re not dreams. They’re memories that haven’t happened yet.”
“Reed!” A new voice cracked like a whip down the corridor. “What did I tell you about speaking to strangers?”
The boy’s face went pale, but he didn’t move. “He’s not a stranger, Mama. He’s family.”
The word hit me like a physical blow. Family. This child—her child—saw something in me that I didn’t even understand.
“Go to your room. Now.”
Reed shot me one last look—something that might have been hope or warning—then disappeared behind his door. The corridor felt colder without him.
“The Alpha is waiting,” Marcus said, but his voice carried new respect.
The war room was carved directly from the cliff face, its windows offering a view of the churning sea below. She stood with her back to the door, her silhouette sharp against the storm-lit sky.
“You may go, Marcus.”
“Alpha, perhaps I should—”
“Go.”
The guard retreated, leaving us alone. The silence stretched until I thought it might snap.
“So,” she said without turning. “You’re the prince who’s been collecting mates like trophies.”
“And you’re the Alpha who’s been hiding her son from the world.”
She turned then, slowly, and I got my first real look at Nyx Willowclaw. She was younger than I’d expected, but age had nothing to do with the power that radiated from her like heat from a forge. Black hair, storm-gray eyes, and a mouth that looked like it had forgotten how to smile.
“Hiding?” Her laugh was sharp as broken glass. “I’m protecting him from men like you.”
“Men like me?”
“Men who think children are weapons to be used in their political games.” She moved closer, and I caught the scent of sea spray and something darker. “Men who would use a boy’s parentage to legitimize their claim to a throne.”
“I don’t even know who his father is.”
“Don’t you?” Her eyes blazed with fury and pain. “The silver eyes didn’t give it away? The way he recognized you on sight?”
The implications hit me like a tidal wave. “He’s—”
“He’s mine.” Her voice cut through my shock like a blade. “And he will never be used as a pawn in anyone’s game. Not even yours.”
“I would never—”
“Wouldn’t you?” She stopped just out of arm’s reach, close enough that I could see the exhaustion she was fighting to hide. “You’ve already claimed two mates. What’s one more, especially if she comes with a heir?”
“That’s not why I’m here.”
“Then why are you here?”
The question hung between us like a challenge. I looked at this fierce woman who’d just revealed a secret that could reshape the entire balance of power between our territories.
“Because I dreamed of you,” I said honestly. “Because something inside me recognized you before we’d ever met.”
“Dreams.” She spat the word like a curse. “The bond pulling you toward what it wants, regardless of what you want.”
“Is that what you think this is?”
“I think you’re a man caught between duty and desire, trying to convince yourself they’re the same thing.” Her eyes held mine relentlessly. “I think you want to be the hero of some grand prophecy instead of facing the reality of what you’re asking us all to sacrifice.”
“And what am I asking you to sacrifice?”
“Everything.” The word came out raw, honest. “My independence. My son’s safety. My ability to protect my people without worrying about your political enemies.”
“I’m not asking you to give up anything.”
“Aren’t you?” She turned away, looking out at the storm-lashed sea. “Because from where I stand, it looks like you’re asking me to trust a man I don’t know with everything I’ve spent my life building.”
“Then get to know me.”
“Why?” She looked at me over her shoulder, and I saw something vulnerable flicker in her eyes before she hid it. “So I can fall in love with you too? So I can become another woman willing to share her heart because fate demands it?”
“So you can decide for yourself whether this is real or just politics.”
“And if I decide it’s politics?”
“Then you tell me to leave, and I go.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
She studied me for a long moment, something complex moving behind her storm-gray eyes.
“You really think it’s that simple?”
“I think you’re terrified of finding out it might be.”
The accusation hit its mark. I saw her flinch, saw her hands clench into fists.
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
“You’re afraid of hope.” I stepped closer, and she didn’t back away. “You’re afraid that this might actually be real, that you might not have to face everything alone anymore.”
“I’ve been alone for eight years.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’ve raised my son, ruled my territory, survived assassination attempts and political betrayals all by myself. Why would I risk that for a man who might decide I’m not worth the trouble?”
“Because maybe you don’t want to be alone anymore.”
“And maybe I don’t have a choice.” She turned to face me fully, and I saw the weight she’d been carrying in every line of her body. “The prophecy says three queens, Prince. It doesn’t say we get to choose whether we want the crown.”
“It doesn’t say we have to accept it either.”
“Doesn’t it?” Her smile was bitter. “Because from where I stand, it looks like refusing means watching everything I’ve built crumble while the territories tear themselves apart.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“I want to know if you’re worth the risk.” She moved closer, close enough that I could see the gold flecks in her storm-gray eyes. “I want to know if you’re the kind of man who can love a woman with a child that isn’t his.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“And if you decide you can’t? If the reality of being a stepfather is too much for the great prince?”
“Then I’m not the man you need.”
She stared at me for a long moment, then slowly extended her hand.
“Seven days,” she said. “Seven days to prove you’re not just another political opportunist. Seven days to show me you can be trusted with my son’s future.”
I took her hand, feeling the electric shock of recognition that came with every new bond.
“And if I fail?”
“Then you leave Stormcaller and never return.” Her grip tightened. “And I’ll make sure the other Alphas know exactly what kind of man they’re dealing with.”
“Deal.”
“Good.” She released my hand but didn’t step back. “I hate charm.”