Elis
Dinner was laid out in the grand hall like a feast fit for ten kings but I barely touched a thing. The scent of roasted meats, spiced vegetables, and warm bread filled the air, yet I might as well have been staring at stones. My appetite was long gone, lost somewhere between my frustration and fear.
Candlelight flickered across the gold-gilded plates, casting long shadows over the walls and across the table. I could feel the heaviness in my jaw, the pressure behind my eyes. No matter how still I sat, the storm in my head wouldn't quiet.
"You have barely eaten," Eunice said, breaking the silence with her familiar voice, soft but firm. She stood close, as she always did. She'd raised me, held me through childhood fevers and taught me how to braid a sword strap before I could read a scroll. She knew how to read me too well. "What burdens your mind, My King?"
I let out a breath and rubbed at my temple. "I have to break this curse, Eunice. In a fortnight." My voice came out rough. "I can't let them see me falter. I can't be reduced to a… a joke. I've bled for this kingdom. They don't get to strip that from me because I can't bare my teeth on command."
She placed her hand on my shoulder, grounding me with her touch. "You are strong, Elis. Cursed or not. Your strength has never been in question."
"It is now." I looked down at my untouched plate. "They're questioning everything. And if I can't shift when they demand it, I'll lose their trust. Their loyalty. I'll lose my crown."
She didn't answer right away. I felt her pause, maybe weighing her words or maybe just studying me like she used to when I got too proud to ask for help. "Have you told her?" she asked at last.
I lifted my gaze to hers. "Told who?"
Her expression didn't flinch. "Lily."
Her name felt like a stone tossed into still water. Ripples everywhere. I leaned back in my chair, fingers drumming against the wood. I hadn't expected that. Of all the things haunting me lately, she was the one I hadn't quite found the courage to face head-on. "No," I admitted. "You think I should?"
"I think…" she hesitated, then nodded slowly, "…you already trust her more than you realize. The bond between you…it's not just fate. There's power in the connection, Elis. Don't underestimate what it could mean. Or what it might awaken."
I was already rising before I fully processed what I was doing. "I'll see her imediately," I said simply.
Eunice smiled like she knew I would. "Good."
***
I knocked once before I opened the door, but I didn't really wait for permission. My feet carried me inside like they'd made the decision for me. Her room smelled like dried lavender and old books. Warm. Familiar. Safe.
She was on her bed, legs tucked under her, reading something by candlelight and wearing nothing but a soft nightgown that clung to her like moonlight on water. My breath caught. And unfortunately, so did Tika's. My wolf growled…low, guttural and possessive. I stiffened immediately. Forced the sound down. Shut it off before it got worse.
"You're not decent," I muttered, glancing away though the image had already branded itself in my skull.
She flushed red and pulled the sheets around her. "You came unannounced. What did you expect?"
I cracked a smirk despite myself. "I should've knocked harder, apparently."
She gave me one of her signature looks; half exasperated, half amused and sighed. "What are you doing here, Elis? It's late."
"I came to check on you," I said.
A beat of silence. She arched an eyebrow. "You, the Alpha King of Marlick, left your chambers in the middle of the night just to check on your healer?"
"You're not just a healer," I murmured, stepping farther into the room and closing the door behind me.
She scrambled for a robe, clearly flustered. She started fussing with random objects; straightening books, shifting bottles, doing anything not to look at me directly. It made me want to smile and scream at the same time.
"I could make you tea," she offered too brightly. "Or check your injuries…"
"Lily," I said, touching her wrist to stop her movements, "I'm fine. Sit."
We sat together in the small space by her fire, the tension slowly shifting into something softer. After a moment, I found myself saying it out loud…words I hadn't said to anyone but Eunice. "I've been having trouble shifting," I said.
She looked up, playing innocent, but I caught the flicker of concern in her eyes. "Trouble?" she asked. "As in… you can't?"
I nodded. "Especially during full moons. I try but my wolf fights me or maybe I fight him. I don't even know anymore."
Her brow furrowed. She didn't speak right away, just studied me with that gentle, perceptive gaze. Then she smiled, unexpectedly playful. "Maybe you need to wake him up."
I gave her a dry look. "Wake Tika up?"
She shrugged. "There's an old story my grandmother used to tell. About wolves who stopped shifting because they were missing something vital. Something they craved. Give your wolf what he wants, and he'll come back to you."
"And what do you think he wants?"
She smirked. "That's for you to figure out… my king."
I stared at her. Something about the way she said that…casual but full of heat..,hit low and deep. Tika stirred again, restless under my skin. "You're impossible," I muttered, trying to keep things light.
She winked. "Glad you noticed."
We talked a while longer. Laughed. For a moment, everything felt like it used to, before the war, before the whispers, before the crown felt like a noose. Eventually, I left her room, but later that night, I paced. I didn't sleep. Her words echoed louder than they should've. Wake him up. Give him what he craves. Ridiculous. Superstitious nonsense. Except... Tika hadn't stirred during battle. Not during hunts. Not even when I fought bare-knuckled with my warriors. But when I saw her tonight…When I saw Lily in that thin nightgown, golden in the candlelight, scent wrapped around me like silk…Tika growled. The sound shook me to my core. I stumbled back from the memory, gripping the edge of my desk. My claws had started to emerge. My breath came fast. Hell.Was she right? Did my wolf crave... her?
The next day I pushed myself harder. Trained until my muscles burned. Hunted. Fought. Nothing close to a shift. But that evening, when I caught sight of her in the courtyard, walking with Sara, laughing like she belonged with wolves…Tika roared. My claws sprang. My body coiled tight. I gripped the balcony rail and held on like it was the only thing keeping me tethered. I didn't need a story now. I had the answer. Tika didn't want blood. He didn't want war. He wanted Lily. And suddenly… I didn't know if that terrified me or thrilled me more.