Wolf Princess Sold to the Dragon King

This next domino is pure, unfiltered Guinevere Lunaris bullshit.

A daddy walked into a circus and started dickering over terms with a disgraced dynasty’s last dipshit while a dragon unknowingly broadcasted a play-by-play to every damn wolf in Greyhall Crossing and dickgoblins demanded dibs in the background.

The summit agenda was dead.

✦✦✦

DOMINO 64: THE DEVIL’S FAMILY PORTRAIT

Renwick Lunaris rounded the corner.

He stopped.

The scene arranged itself for him like a painting commissioned by the devil.

A dead king on the floor with a Gamma kneeling over him.

His daughter in dragon-iron cuffs, gagged, bleeding from her throat. Her eyes were red-rimmed and locked on the body that wasn’t moving, fighting Tharos’s grip with the desperation of a woman who had stopped caring about the blade at her neck because something worse was happening ten feet in front of her.

Behind Tharos Stonehowl, two Dark Fae stood in the corridor with the casual entitlement of creatures who had been handed VIP passes and were merely observing nature. Eighteen armed wolves lined both walls. Six of which were proudly half naked and belonged to Lunaris.

Renwick’s eyes moved from Tharos to the Dark Fae to the blade to his daughter and back to Tharos. He had already decided this was a negotiation, not a rescue.

Guinevere wasn’t listening to what was being said because every nerve in her body was pulling towards Nicholas Shadowfell on the ground. His chest wasn’t moving and his eyes were open and they were looking at the ceiling instead of at her and that was wrong. That was wrong in a way that made her ribs feel like they were collapsing inward with a grief so vast she didn’t have the language or framework for it.

She pulled against the cuffs until the dragon iron and silver bit through skin and she felt the blood run warm down her wrists and she didn’t stop because stopping meant accepting the stillness on that floor and she was not doing that. She didn’t give a fuck that her father was there or that eighteen pairs of eyes were on her.

All she could hear was the sound of her wolf howling in her mind and the ringing in her ears that kept growing louder.

”You’re holding a daughter I sold, Tharos. She served her purpose. If you want to keep her, keep her. You’ll find out why I let her go.”

”That’s bullshit, Lunaris, and we both know it. I have your highest value asset in my hands right now.”

”Think about what you just said, Tharos. If she’s my highest-value asset, why would I put her in a deal with your father? I wouldn’t. Which means there was no deal. Which means your father took something without permission. And men who take things without permission face consequences. Pick a version and live with it.”

1

”Don’t lawyer me, Lunaris,” Tharos snapped. ”I’ve sat across from men twice as smart as you and walked out with their signature on my terms. You can spin this however you want. I’ve got the girl. You’ve got words. Words don’t bleed.”

It was at this point in time the Gods decided to unmute Kael Ashenvale who began providing commentary, completely unaware that he was broadcasting to every wolf in Greyhall Crossing.

Kael: Sir Screams-A-Lot still thinks he’s running this negotiation but Gramps has him.

It wasn’t mindlink. None of the wolves knew what it was or how to turn it off. And Guinevere was too focused on getting to Nicholas Shadowfell to hear it or give a flying fuck.

What did Tharos and Renwick do? They ignored it like reasonable dictators.

”The Dragon King turned your father into an urn, and I’ll happily give it to you. Consider it a family reunion.”

”The dragon king,” Stonehowl repeated flatly. ”Bullshit. You sold her to some lower dragon lord who sold her to Shadowfell. It’s not hard to figure out. You lost your leverage, Lunaris.”

The two Dark Fae behind him exchanged a pointed glance worth a thousand words.

Kael: He is really dumb. He is also going to be a pile of ash.

”Two hundred and fifty million gold,” Tharos demanded. ”Cash. Delivered to Stonehowl within the month.”

Kael: There it is. Gramps got to the price but Sir Screams-A-Lot brought a torch to a glacier fight.

”Thirty million. Delivered in trade goods over six months and you walk out of this building unharmed. That is the best offer you will receive tonight or any other night.”

”Thirty million is an INSULT.”

”Thirty million is generous considering you’re holding a blade at the throat of the Dragon King’s wife. I’m giving you an exit that doesn’t end in ash. I suggest you take it before someone in this corridor decides you don’t leave here.”

Kael: Dragon King’s wife dropped again. Let’s see if he has connected the dots that have been connected for him twelve times in this very circular conversation.

Purple light flashed behind Guinevere, coming from her destroyed chambers. It was the same purple as the rift currently sitting open in the hallway.

”ONE HAS ACTIVATED! YAY! THE VESSEL COMES WITH US NOW!”

Kael: Sir Screams-A-Lot is quiet. He’s considering it.

”They weren’t supposed to come HERE,” Tharos snapped at the clutch-mates.

”They are activated by her, Alpha.” The larger one blinked at him. ”Didn’t you read the instructions?”

”THERE WERE NO INSTRUCTIONS.”

Kael: These fucks. I swear on every god, after I get there and roast that bastard, we are going to try a leash again. For one week. Minimum. You are grounded, Wolf Girl.

The brothers started chanting again loudly.

”THE SCENT. OH THE SCENT. SHE IS RIPE AND READY AND THE WOMB GLOWS—”

”RIPE LITTLE CUNT, READY AND WARM, FIRST LOAD IN STARTS THE SWARM.”

”Not my problem,” Tharos said, dragging Guinevere towards the portal that had been opened. ”Fifty million delivered to my throne room if you want her alive.”

Kael: If he takes you through that portal, I will burn him slowly over days. Tell him that. It will hurt like a motherfucker.