The Alpha King's Broken Silent Tribute

a's

his desperate to leave?" This was the first time the t

the ornate headboard, and a blinding pain exploded behind my eyes before everything spun into darkness. When my vision

he black obsidian ring he never removed pressing its flat face into my skin like

s of rule had never put any warmth into them. But tonight there was something burning in them-pure rage, and beneath

came off him and

hat made lesser wolves bare their throats without being asked. On a human, it did something worse. It seeped into my limbs and

were my hands-the silent speech I had built for myself in the dark of the servants' wing-and my hands were pinned some

ropping lower, like a distant thunderclap. "Back to yo

ive years ago, the Empire had crushed the last three human kingdoms in the south, and my house, Kensington, had stood on the losing side. The terms of surrender demanded no silver or land-the victors had no use for th

an specifically. Perhaps he only knew t

but it was like a mouse struggling against a mountain. My resist

sickeningly close. "Just like that whore of a cous

married Prince Lucian Beaumont, and whose name my family had quietly stoppe

ribute from a conquered nation. The rest of it had been meant f

on. I seized the opening, summoning every ounce of strength five years of

d. His ha

s all I

celess, like a terrified rabbit already feeling the snare. But I di

he had been amusing himself with was gone. He put h

in grey servant's wool, the only thing in this

bric ripping was ve

ed for five years, and I was only days

ine, brutal and punishing,

his mouth landed on my cheek

roat tightened until I could feel my own pulse beating

ominion surging so thickly that my head swam. "Everythin

nst my cold skin. Not fear anymore. Just the end of hopi

y body going slack beneath his

woman's furious, high-pitched voice shrieked,

on crossing his face as he glared toward the doorway, at the

ut this intruder-this unexpec

didn't even glance my way, as if I were a toy he had just discarded.

sly low, laced with impatience. "

nd two council seats, and she is the High Sovereign's lover

the torn remnants of my dress around myse

s mix of hurt and accusation. "I was only concerned for

xplain. He just said one

bs. She had walked in on the worst night of my life and stopped it. She would never forgive me

I only had to las

still sharp and ringing-and m