Wolf Princess Sold to the Dragon King

The red flags had been stacking since the harbor, but the dominoes had been falling since noon. By the time Renwick walked through his own gate, the two lists were about to fuck each other in the face.

Fifteen miles away, the sixth domino was scratching his ass and checking his pockets for keys.

DOMINO 6: PEE PEE PRINCE WAKES UP FROM NAP

LUNARIS DUNGEON - 6:00 PM

Cassian Lunaris woke from his extended nap, yawned hard enough to scare small animals, and confirmed the master dungeon key was still riding shotgun in his pocket.

Nobody had come to check on him or feed the prisoners a single goddamn scrap all day. Selfish bastards. This place was going to shit without him.

He started wondering if the keep had been taken over while he was busy being dead to the world.

It sounded like a full circus had set up shop upstairs.

If Tyler tried to go to that summit without him and the dragon had already left, that would be the absolute jackpot. He hadn’t seen either of them. The healer hadn’t come down to check on him either.

One hour. That’s the deal. If no one came down, that meant the current management had died, fled, or otherwise shit the bed, and he was either escaping or installing himself as the rightful boss. He was fine with either career path.

DOMINO 7: HORSEBACK THROUGH THE APOCALYPSE

LUNARIS TERRITORY - 6:05 PM

Renwick Lunaris had sailed from Velkaris expecting to find his kingdom running because his son was managing it. His daughter was blissfully stationed with the Dragon King and seven hundred and fifty million in gold was staying right where it was.

Outside of the small fact that he’d walked away from billions because he’d never heard of some motherfucker named Landon Solveil, the mission had been a success. That regret could go fuck itself.

Both Renwick and Draven agreed that Cassian and Tyler would have shit the bed at least twenty times in Velkaris. Having them stay here was absolutely the correct move.

Blood Contract? Handled.

Relationships With Dragons? Smoothed Over.

Keep? Handled.

The crossing had been long and the sea had been a complete cunt. Time for a whiskey and relaxation and to see his Maria.

That was the plan until he saw the dock workers. Then the red flags started to pile with the subtlety of a dick in a punchbowl.

RED FLAG 1: Those Guys Look Like Hell

The harbor wolves met him at the dock and two of them were bandaged. Beta Draven asked them if something happened. They confirmed yes, something fucking happened. Neither man elaborated.

Renwick nodded the way kings nod when they don’t have time for the full story and are assuming the short version is fine. The short version was not fine.

Boating accident most likely.

RED FLAG 2: Ghost Town Energy

The whole goddamn village looked like it had been evacuated by someone who knew what they were doing.

There were no children playing. No street vendors either. A stray cat crossed the road. It was the most alive thing they’d seen in half a mile.

School? Empty. Doors open. Nothing creepy about that at all.

Bakery? Closed.

Butcher? Empty.

Tavern? Boarded shut.

Brothel? Permanently fucked. The customers and staff had both fled.

A shutter banged in the wind. Both men flinched. Yes, two grown-ass wolves flinching at a shutter. That was the energy of this ride.

Probably some event Maria planned that Cassian helped her with.

RED FLAG 3: That’s Not Dinner

Three miles out, Renwick could smell ash. The air tasted like it too.

"Renwick."

"Don’t."

"I have to say it."

"You don’t."

"It smells like someone cremated a barn full of livestock."

"Thank you for that image."

"I’m just saying. That’s a lot of ash for a Tuesday."

They looked at each other. Started laughing. The kind of laughter that happens when two men could not believe after their long-ass trip, it smelled like THIS on top of everything. Gods.

RED FLAG 4: Some Freak Storm

DISTANCE TO LUNARIS KEEP - ONE MILE

Beta Draven squinted at the Keep. Then squinted harder. Then tilted his head like the angle might help.

Next to him, Renwick was doing the same damn thing.

Half the windows were MISSING. They could see it from the road.

"Huh," Draven said.

"Huh," Renwick agreed.

"Those were windows."

"They were."

"They aren’t now."

"I paid for those windows."

"You did."

"Someone is going to explain to me what happened to my windows."

"I look forward to hearing that explanation."

"So do I, Draven. So do I."

"Likely a massive thunderstorm. Or our sons committed an act of stupidity."

They looked at each other and lost it. The laughter echoed off the empty buildings. Nobody was around to hear. No one would ever find out that the Alpha and Beta were losing their minds.

Being around demons and dragons will do that to you.

RED FLAG 5: Why Are No Senior Officers Supervising

The gate guards were not his regular rotation. He didn’t recognize a single face.

"Your Majesty!" The guards snapped to attention so hard one of them dropped his helmet. It rolled across the cobblestone. Nobody picked it up. The helmet came to rest against Renwick’s horse. The horse looked down at it. Renwick looked down at it. The guard whose helmet it was looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him.

New hires. Definitely new hires.

"This is triple the normal rotation," Draven observed.

New rotations. Triple security. Everything pointed to Cassian being competent, which was about damn time. Overdue actually for Cassian. Finally some good initiative. Exactly the kind of decision a regent should make.

"Cassian must have increased security."

Draven leaned in. "If Cassian hired these men, I’ll eat my saddle."

"Then I hope you’re hungry."

RED FLAG 6: For Fuck’s Sake, Which Elder Was It?

DRAGONS - 100 MILES OUT

ETA - 36 MINUTES

RENWICK’S AWARENESS - 0

The Keep’s banner was at half-mast.

Someone important died. Outstanding. He was about to stroll through his own gate, past the new security detail, through his windowless Keep, and straight into a funeral he hadn’t been invited to. Home sweet fucking home.

Renwick and Draven were blissfully unaware that a strike team was barreling towards his Keep at full-speed. By the time they landed, that would be the least of his problems.