“I can help you, I swear it,” Dru repeated, sounding earnest in his vow.
“Druas, is that you?” Thame mumbled sleepily where he lay.
“Yes, brother, it is I,” Dru answered, sounding relieved that his brother was now conscious.
Thame, however, flopped his head back down on the cot and began to snore absurdly loud. Dru huffed out a long sigh behind her, seemingly dejected. She relaxed a fraction, hopeful that he had given up trying to persuade her that they could work together to flee this wretched place. But her relaxed stance was gone in an instant as she dumped out two pouches heavy with coin. There were so many of them and not the dull silver ones that the poor folk saved for weeks in order to support their families. No, these were fat round golden coins, the kind only royalty or those in the inner courts had in abundance.
“Druas and Thame,” Wren mumbled to herself, her mind searching for why those names sounded so familiar.
With a gasp, she turned around and pointed an accusing finger at Dru.
“Druas, the gentle prince of Vildaheim. Thamyris, the ruthless heir to the throne,” Wren said on a breathy whisper, full of awe.
Then she broke into a hysterical fit of laughter.
“What is so amusing? Yes, we are the princes of Vildaheim, so now do you believe that I could be of great assistance to you?” Dru asked.
“Not at all,” Wren said through misty eyes. “You see, if I help you escape and I get caught, I’m dead. If the Alpha discovers who you are and sends word to King Thaddeus, both sides lose many in battle, which will mean I die because I refuse to kill or fight anyone. So no, you cannot help me, unless you can guarantee my safety, which does not appear to be something you can commit to at the present time.”
“As you have discovered, I have more than enough coin to secure all of us safe travels and buy the silence of many men who would otherwise wag their tongues as to your whereabouts,” Dru said smugly.
Wren walked around the hut putting out the burning lamps and candles, one by one, as she pondered this offer. She could simply steal the coin from the princes and make a run for it, but that would still leave two humans here amongst a pack of wolves to be eaten or put to death. And what if one of them eventually escaped their ill fate? Then King Thaddeus would put a price on her head, and she would be the enemy just as much as the Alpha. She would not just be stealing from two princes, but she would be just as responsible for their deaths.
The sun had risen fully, brightening the hut although the shutters were still closed. Soft yellow rays of light spilled through the cracks in the door, the few open spots in the logs, and beneath the shuttered windows.
“What would you have me do? Cut you both loose just minutes before the Alpha is due to arrive? We may as well just kill ourselves now if that is the best plan you have. We would never make it out of here without a distraction,” Wren hissed, her heart pumping wildly in her chest.
She couldn’t leave this place without them, especially now that she knew who they were. She couldn’t escape this hell just to enter a new one of looking over her shoulder every waking moment. She would forever fear that King Thaddeus discovered how she abandoned his sons and sent assassins after her.
“Nothing like that, no,” Dru said. “We actually need to play guests of this Alpha for a while longer.”
“That is madness; she will kill you,” Wren whispered harshly.
“Not when you have a lover’s draught on hand. One sip of that pink potion and she will become enchanted with the first man she encounters. There is nothing I cannot get her to agree with once she believes me to be her betrothed,” Dru whispered with a smirk, flashing his stained teeth.
Wren held back her cringe at the sight of his teeth, adrenaline flooding through her veins. To do this would be a betrayal of the worst sort. It would be worse than running away; it would be bewitching the Alpha for whatever reason the princes had. Her stomach roiled dangerously, the burning of vomit splashing upwards in her throat. With sweaty palms, Wren walked back to the princes’ belongings and snatched up the vial of pink potion. The vial was scorching hot, searing the flesh of her palm. Wren dropped it back down on top of the pile of clothes, her stomach churning violently as she swallowed hard. Her limbs felt shaky, sweat beaded at the nape of her neck, and the room spun as she swayed.
"Are you alright?" Dru asked, concerned, trying to sit up.
Wren shook herself, her mind snapping back to alertness, and she nodded weakly. The feeling passed as quickly as it had taken over her.
"Yes, I'm fine, just got dizzy for a moment," Wren replied. "What do you intend to do if you trick the Alpha into drinking the draught?"
Dru stared at her for a long moment, a dubious look on his face. Wren tapped her foot impatiently. She did not expect him to trust her with all of his secrets, but if they were to help each other flee Jurot, they needed a plan quickly. There was no time for gaining trust, not when Aeson and the Alpha could arrive at any minute.
"Spit it out, gentle prince, we haven't much time," Wren snapped.
"How do I know you wouldn't just tell your Alpha everything I say?" Dru asked, squinting his eyes at her.
"Aribelle is not my Alpha," Wren scoffed. "Do you think I want to be a part of this pack? I made the wrong choice, trusted the wrong person. A witch changed me into a beast, brought me here with promises of a good life for my family back in Olthaire. Only, I haven't heard from them, and I am not certain they are receiving my messages. Then to overhear what Aribelle and her army of beasts and magic wielders have planned for the other kingdoms! All of this talk about taking back the land owed to them about kingdoms recognizing them as leaders. Humans will die! My family may die! I have no intention of running to the beast and telling her a damn thing."
Wren's face was flushed a deep red color, her breath coming in harsh pants. Her teeth were clenched tightly as she glared at the man who was ignorant of what was at stake. The only thing that mattered was her family and the innocent lives that would be lost should Aribelle be allowed to follow through with her plans to overthrow the kings and queens of the lands. Loyalty to the person who had made the past several months of her life akin to torture was nowhere near being on her list of priorities.
Dru cleared his throat, looking a little sheepish, but contrite.
"We are here to stop her. There have been whispers of her plots that have reached as far as our father's ears, and we were sent on a mission to defeat the beast who rules Jurot without mercy. We are on the same side, Wren, this I swear to you," Dru said softly as his eyes gazed intently into her own.
Wren was lost in her thoughts, contemplating whether or not she should dare risk her life by helping the princes bewitch the Alpha when the door suddenly burst open. A chilly breeze blasted through the room, causing the fire to dance wildly in the grate. With her heart in her throat, Wren slid the coins and the potion into the pockets of her dress before turning toward the door.
One look into those viciously cold blue eyes had Wren whimpering where she stood.
Eight: A Dalliance
“Momma, when can I have a boyfriend?”
“When you are old enough to understand that you must use them before they use you.”
Dru cringed as his arms strained against the rope that held him immobile on the cot. The frightened look on Wren’s face made him wish to know what terrified her so. He longed for a knife from the pack, although he did not know how to defend himself with one, a weapon was better than lying down and taking whatever beating or mauling was sure to come.