Winter's Wolf (A Court of Shifters Chronicles #1) Read online

  “Yes, my queen. What is the assignment?” I was trying to figure out how any assignment could relate to Wren mating and why in the world that would have to be kept secret from Wren herself.

  Esmeralda leaned back in her metal throne. “You will take Wren to the other Courts and find her a mate.”

  Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I struggled to remain standing. It was one thing to accept I could never have Wren for myself, but to have to help find her a mate? “Do you truly believe I’m the right choice for this?”

  “As I said, she trusts you. That trust will go a long way. And I know you can keep her safe.”

  “Are you truly concerned with her safety?” If she was, how could she have allowed Wren to be out traveling now? Times were turbulent, but surely no one would hurt the heir to the Winter Throne.

  “I am always concerned with my daughter’s safety, particularly in times like these. She is a target. She will become even more of a target once word is out she is ready to settle down and take over the throne. But Wren trusts you. And I trust you. You are strong, stronger than most of our wolves here. Your parents have proven themselves loyal to the court, and it’s time for you to prove the same thing.”

  “And what if she does not agree?” I was nearly positive she wouldn’t. She would be completely against doing an official visit, for that’s what this would be, to meet the available wolves in each court.

  “She has no choice.” The queen’s voice was hard. Cold.

  “But you said I was to keep this secret.”

  “You will tell her once you leave. If we do not have this alliance soon, the whole court could be in danger.”

  “What excuse will you give her ahead of time?”

  “That you are being sent on Court business. I will send you with sealed envelopes.”

  “She will hate me.” And she would never forgive me. I was unfortunately aware of that.

  “And why should that matter to me?” Esmeralda’s expression darkened.

  “It should not. I misspoke.” I knew my place, and I knew the dangers of stepping out of it. I had four younger siblings to worry about.

  The queen nodded. “If you succeed on this assignment, you will be handsomely rewarded. As will your entire family. I have a very specific prize in mind for you.”

  “When do you want me to take her?” I could not believe I was agreeing to this, but then again, I had no choice. Saying no to the queen was impossible. Besides, if I said no she’d just find another to take Wren. And what if that other didn’t protect her well? What if something befell her? I couldn’t live with myself if that happened. Not to mention what the queen would do to my family… I couldn't put them at risk even if finding Wren a mate was the last thing I ever wanted to do.

  “When she returns from Spring Court we will prepare for your departure.” Esmeralda gave me a stern look. “I will make sure you are given all the provisions you need.”

  “Yes, my queen.” I bowed my head, letting her know she had my agreement even though she already knew. I’d been in no position to say no.

  “Do you understand the importance of this assignment?” She rested her forearms on the arms of the throne.

  “Yes, my queen. Completely.”

  “And please make sure she behaves herself. Particularly in Summer. You know that would be the most beneficial alliance.”

  It was also the one she’d hate the most. She’d been feuding with the Summer heir, Coral, for as long as I could remember. I didn’t really understand where the argument began, but it only seemed to get worse over the years despite the two not spending that much time together.

  “No one can make Wren act a certain way.” It was one of the many things I loved about her. She was impossible to tame.

  “If anyone can, it is you.”

  “You give me too much credit, my queen.”

  “Wren has always held you in esteem; she’s listened to you more than anyone else.”

  “That’s not true. She enjoys my company for whatever reason, but that doesn't mean she listens.”

  “You will make this work.” Her words were unyielding. There was no reason to argue.

  I nodded. “I will do my best.”

  “Yes, you will.”

  She didn’t need to say anything. I knew my audience was over. I bowed once more before walking back out the way I came.

  “Can I come?” Genevieve asked as soon as I left the throne room.

  “Come where?” I glanced back into the throne room. The queen had her eyes closed, but I didn’t let that fool me. She knew everything that was going on in her palace all the time.

  I picked up my pace and headed back toward the entrance.

  Genevieve sighed. “I heard everything you discussed with my mother.”

  “Then you know the answer already.” I was still trying to accept it. Accept that I was required to help Wren meet the shifter who gets to live the life I wanted to live more than anything.

  “Because it’s too dangerous?” She rolled her eyes. “You can protect me.”

  “Yes, and the nature of the trip.”

  “But things are so boring here. I want to travel.” She whined.

  “I’d prefer boring to taking this trip.” I’d prefer almost anything to it.

  “You know you can’t let her find a mate that isn’t you.”

  “I have no choice.” And she was going to end up with someone else anyway. At least this way I could protect her.

  “You are a wolf.”

  “I’m a low-born wolf who is of your court.” Why was I even entertaining this conversation with an eleven-year-old?

  “Yes, but you two are so cute together.”

  “Genevieve, being cute together doesn’t change anything, and you know it.”

  “But if you were her mate I’d see you more.”

  “Yes, you would. But that’s not going to happen.”

  “I wish it could.” She swung her arms at her sides. “I so wish it could.”

  “You can wish for things all you want, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”

  “But it could. If you wish hard enough.”

  “If only life worked that way.” Because then there was no way I’d be taking the girl of my dreams around to the other courts to find her mate. I’d be taking her as my mate instead. “But you can’t tell your sister. You heard your mom.”

  “I know.” She wrapped one arm over her chest and clasped her other hand. “And I also know you are going to find a way around it. I am sure you can.”

  “You have more confidence in me than I have.”

  “Wren has confidence in you too.”

  “She’s going to kill me for this.” I just hoped that one day she’d forgive me. It would be hard enough watching her with someone else, but I couldn’t stomach losing her friendship forever.

  “She’ll understand you had no choice.”

  “Are we talking about the same Wren?”

  Genevieve laughed. “Ok. She will be mad, but she won’t kill you.”

  “Are you so sure about that?”

  “Yes. Yes, I am. She loves you too much.”

  “Your sister doesn't love me.”

  Genevieve stopped. “Yes, she does.”

  “How much do you even know about love? You're eleven.”

  “It doesn’t matter how much I know about love. It’s what I know about my sister.”

  I reached the palace doors. “See you around, Genevieve.”

  She stopped me. “Frost. It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to work out.”

  “How do you know?”

  She put a hand on my elbow. “I just do. I just know these things.”

  Wren

  Going home wasn’t easy. The trip itself was easy enough, what with Lacey letting me use her personal transport, but thinking about having to face my mother made my stomach churn. Nothing could prepare me for that. But there was no use putting it off—well, putting it off too long.

&nb
sp; “You’re back!” Genevieve ran up to me as soon as I stepped inside the palace. “You were gone so long.”

  I gave her a big hug. “Glad you missed me.”

  “Of course I missed you!” She pulled away from the hug. “And what did you bring me?”

  “What makes you think I brought you anything?” I teased.

  “You always bring me something. Always.”

  “I may have brought you one little thing.” I patted my shoulder bag. “Come up to my room with me.”

  I walked through the cold halls of the palace. That was the worst part of coming back from Lacey’s. The letdown of having to accept the white cold rather than the warm colors of Spring Court was always jarring.

  Genevieve followed along behind me as I made my way up the twisting staircases toward the wing of the palace I shared with my sister.

  “How is Lacey?” She asked. “Did you have fun?”

  “She’s doing well. Same as always, I guess. And I did. It was overall relaxing.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Mostly swam and slept.”

  “Oh, come on. You must have done more.”

  “Not too much. We went out to the inn a few times. I don’t know what else you think we could have done.”

  “I knew you went out.”

  We reached my room, and I set down my bag. I pulled out Genevieve’s gift, all wrapped up in pale pink paper.

  She unwrapped it immediately, letting the paper fall to reveal the cloth. “Oh, it’s gorgeous!” She held the lavender dress to her chest. “So beautiful.”

  “It looked like you.”

  Her face fell. “Mother will never let me wear it out though. It doesn’t suit our winter palette, does it?”

  “It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy wearing it in here.” I saw so much of myself in her expression. In her disappointment. Sure, there were many good things about living in Winter Court. We were strong and fierce, and there is a beauty to the cold, but I’d always longed for more color. More warmth.

  “You’re right. Thank you. It was such a thoughtful gift.” Genevieve beamed.

  “I also got you this.” I pulled out a satchel from my bag.

  “Crystal candies!” Her face lit up again when she looked inside. “The pink and yellow kinds. My favorite.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that.”

  “Of course you did.” She pulled me into another hug. “You are the best big sister ever.”

  “Maybe not the best. I did leave you for a month.”

  “I understand. I’d do the same thing if I were allowed.”

  “But I'm here to stay for a while. I promise.” I needed to be a better sister. I’d sworn to myself I’d protect her. I wouldn’t let my mother change her. Ruin her. I had to stop with my selfish quests.

  “You can’t promise that.” Her hands fell to her sides.

  “Why not?”

  “Oh.” She paled. “No reason.”

  “Come on.” I knew my sister, and I knew she was hiding something. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  I pulled the satchel from her hands. “No more crystal candies until you answer me.”

  She sighed loudly. “That’s not fair. I want to tell you, but I can’t. I’ll get in a lot of trouble.”

  “With who?”

  She looked away. “With mother.”

  I wasn’t sure why I even asked. Of course it was my mother. “What’s going on? You have to tell me.”

  “She’ll kill me.” Genevieve shivered. Sometimes I truly hated my mother. She meant well in her own way a good deal of the time, but even when she did mean well, she could be terrifying.

  “She won’t because she’ll never know.” I’d protect Genevieve in any way I could. One way to do it was to be very, very careful.

  “You can’t promise that.”

  “Sure I can. You know how much I love you. I’d never want to get you in trouble.”

  She closed my door. “I don’t like hiding things from you.”

  “Nor should you. We’re sisters. We’re supposed to tell each other everything.”

  “You don’t tell me everything. Don’t pretend you do.”

  “Ok. Fine. But there are certain things you aren’t old enough to understand. I can’t help that.”

  “I can understand anything. I’m not a child.”

  “You are eleven. That makes you a child.” I wasn’t trying to offend her, but I also wasn’t going to pretend.

  “I’m twelve next week. And then I’ll be thirteen and a teen.”

  “Fine. When you turn thirteen I’ll start telling you everything.”

  “No you won’t.” She pouted. “Don’t lie.”

  “Come on, Genevy, tell me.” I couldn’t help her—or myself—if she didn’t fill me in.

  “That’s not fair. You can’t call me that when you know how much I’m struggling.” She clasped her hands together in front of her.

  “You closed the door. That means you want to tell me.” I took a seat and patted the spot beside me. “Come on. Let’s talk.”

  “No. I only closed it because I don’t want to take the chance of anyone even hearing us discuss this.”

  “No one else is in our wing. You know that.”

  “Fine.” She glanced at the closed door and then back to me. “Mother is sending you off to find a mate.”

  “What?” I hadn’t expected that. I mean, I knew full well mother wanted me to find one, but she’d said nothing about sending me off to select someone. She wasn’t in that much of a hurry, at least I didn’t think she was. “You must be kidding me.”

  Genevieve took the seat I’d suggested. “And she’s making Frost take you.”

  “Frost?” My mind went immediately to our kiss. To the intensity between us and the realization that no, I hadn’t imagined things all those years. He felt the same things I did. “Well, he would have told me anyway.”

  “I doubt it.” Genevieve looked down at her lap. “Mother threatened him. She threatened his family.”

  Anger surged through me. I hated my mother sometimes. Being a leader wasn’t easy, and being strict had its benefits, but threats like that were taking things too far.

  “Thank you for telling me. I swear I won’t let you get in trouble.”

  “But you are going to go? You won’t get Frost in trouble?”

  “Of course I won’t get Frost in trouble.” I’d get myself in trouble or worse long before I let him get hurt.

  “Are you going to tell him I told you?” Her lower lip quivered. “Because he told me I shouldn’t tell.”

  “I won’t tell him right away. Then he’d be stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can’t ask him to lie to my mother. She is the queen.” She liked him as much as she liked anyone, but that didn’t mean she’d spare him her wrath.

  “I wish I could go with you. But he said I can’t.”

  “No, you can’t. It’s not safe for you out there.” I put an arm around her. She was too young to be dealing with any of this. I wished I could protect her from all of it.

  “But it’s not safe for you either.”

  “Yes, but if anything happens to me, the court needs you.” Sometimes I wondered what it would be like if she’d been born first, but I wouldn’t have wanted to push that kind of responsibility on anyone, especially not Genevieve. She was far too gentle of a soul. Sure she had strength, but she was too good of a person to deal with the responsibility of running Winter Court.

  “Nothing is going to happen to you. It can’t.” She stiffened.

  “You know I do my best.” But I’d try harder. For her sake.

  “I’d miss you. And I don’t want to be queen.”

  “You’d make a better queen than me.” She would. Even at eleven she had more patience than I did. And she cared. She really cared about people, whether she knew them or not.

  “That’s not true.” She turned toward me.

  “Yes, i
t is. But that’s not here or now. I don’t have plans to put that kind of responsibility on you. I’ll make sure I stay alive.”

  “Can I stay in here to eat my candy?” When she asked things like that she sounded so much younger. So like the little girl she’d always be in my head.

  “Sure. You can stay as long as you want. But I’m going out.” I handed the candy back.

  “To find Frost?” She took a yellow crystal from the pouch.

  “Yes. I need to find him.”

  “I bet he’s out at the range.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Frost’s schedule was fairly predictable. Something I really liked about him. “I’ll see you soon, Genevy.”

  “I don’t mind when you use my nickname for those reasons. That’s totally different.”

  “I know.” I gave her a quick hug before I walked out of my room. I still wasn’t ready to face my mother. No, first I needed to find Frost.

  He was exactly where both Genevieve and I knew he’d be. Out at the range, practicing with his bow. He was the best archer in the court, which was rare for a shifter who didn’t need a weapon to fight. The rest of us Fae did. But Frost was an amazing archer; he had an athleticism I envied and admired.

  I stood back and admired him as he launched off an arrow. It hit the target right on the bullseye.

  He set another arrow. I watched the muscles in his arm tense as he pulled it back and let it loose. It hit right next to the previous one.

  “You had better keep practicing. You may have been off by a fraction of a millimeter,” I teased.

  “Any amount of a distance off can be the difference between life and death.” He said almost to himself before he abruptly set down his bow and turned to me. “Glad to see you back, Wren.” He wore a smile, but it seemed forced. His eyes were sad. If Genevieve hadn’t told me what was going on I’d have been freaking out that he was hiding something from me or was still being weird about our kiss. But I couldn’t ignore it completely. Otherwise he’d be suspicious.