THE RISE OF THE WOLF KING

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Only for You

By sunset, I had burned two chickens, ruined a pot of rice, and discovered that onions possessed a remarkable ability to fight back.

“This is pitiful,” Maggie said.

She stood on the opposite side of the kitchen table with her arms folded, watching smoke rise from the blackened remains of my third attempt at supper.

The main kitchen had emptied nearly an hour earlier. I had ordered the cooks and servants away so Anna would not discover what I was preparing. Unfortunately, their absence meant no one remained to prevent me from destroying half the evening meal.

“I did exactly what you told me.”

“I told you to turn the chicken.”

“I turned it.”

“You turned it after the skin caught fire.”

“You were supposed to warn me.”

“I did. You said an Alpha could recognize when meat was cooked.”

“I recognized it.”

“Once it became charcoal.”

Ian sat near the pantry, eating pieces of bread from the basket meant for my supper. At fifteen, he possessed the appetite of three grown wolves and the loyalty of none.

“Perhaps Carmen likes burnt food,” he offered.

“Anna,” I corrected.

Maggie groaned.

Ian looked between us. “Who is Anna?”

“Carmen,” Maggie said.

“Then why are we calling her Anna?”

“Because Enrique has decided he prefers it.”

Ian considered this. “Can I decide to call Carlos something else?”

“You may call him whatever you wish,” I said.

“Can I call him Fat Carlos?”

Carlos entered through the kitchen doors carrying a bottle of wine.

“No.”

Ian smiled. “Good evening, Fat Carlos.”

Carlos looked at me.

I pointed toward Maggie. “Her influence.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” she said.

Carlos placed the wine on the table and examined the ruined food.

“What happened?”

“Your Alpha attempted to cook,” Maggie explained.

Carlos lifted one of the blackened chickens by its leg. The meat remained stiff and smoking.

“Is it dead?”

“It was when I began.”

“Are you certain?”

I snatched it from him and threw it onto the table.

“You were supposed to bring fresh meat.”

“I did.”

Carlos whistled.

Two kitchen boys entered carrying covered platters. The scent of properly roasted beef, warm bread, vegetables, and cinnamon drifted through the room.

I stared at him.

“What?”

“Anna told me to bring my own food.”

“And you did. I simply made sure it was edible.”

“She will know I did not prepare this.”

“She already knows you cannot cook.”

“How?”

“Everyone knows.”

“I did not know.”

“That is because you have never cooked.”

Maggie uncovered one of the platters. “Take this and pretend you were wise enough to ask for help.”

“That would be dishonest.”

All three of them stared at me.

Carlos broke first.

His laughter echoed off the kitchen walls.

“I can have each of you imprisoned,” I reminded them.

“You have threatened to imprison half the pack since yesterday,” Maggie said. “At some point, you will need more cells.”

“I intend to build them.”

Carlos poured himself a cup of wine. “Should we discuss the mare?”

The humor left the room.

I looked toward Ian.

My brother understood the silent dismissal. He took the remaining loaf of bread and left without argument.

Maggie closed the kitchen doors behind him.

Carlos leaned against the table.

“I questioned every stable hand,” he said. “None admitted to opening the stall.”

“Did you believe them?”

“Some. Not all.”

“The Alpha bond revealed guilt.”

“The stable workers are terrified of losing their positions. Fear can feel like guilt.”

“Someone lifted that latch.”

“We know.”

Maggie’s expression tightened. “Do you think Carmen was the target?”

“Anna,” I said.

“Enrique.”

“I do not know who the target was. Until I do, two warriors will remain near her.”

“She will hate that,” Maggie said.

“She can hate me while she remains alive.”

Carlos watched me carefully. “We have no proof she was in danger.”

“Someone condemned her during the coronation. Less than a day later, a horse nearly trampled her former suitor while she stood beside him.”

“That does not prove the incidents are connected.”

“It does not prove they are not.”

My hand moved unconsciously toward the Fang of the Sun.

The dagger had become a habit. Whenever anger or uncertainty entered me, I reached for it. Its weight reminded me of my father and the promise I had made before the pack.

Protect the weak.

Defend the blood beneath my care.

I had sworn those vows before knowing the most precious blood in Dios del Sol would belong to a woman half the pack refused to accept.

“Enrique,” Maggie said, “you cannot fight an enemy you have not identified.”

“I can make them afraid to move again.”

“Fear will not make them loyal to her.”

“I do not need them to love her.”

“No. But one day, she will be their Luna. She will need more than obedience.”

My father’s words echoed inside me.

Your duty is not to make them fear your strength. It is to make them trust it.

I hated how often everyone repeated lessons I already understood.

“I am handling it.”

Maggie looked as though she wanted to argue, but Carlos shook his head.

“Go,” he said. “You will be late.”

I looked toward the window.

The sun rested low above the tree line.

Anna was waiting.

I wrapped the food in cloth and placed it inside a large basket. Maggie added two cups, fruit, and a small honey cake when she believed I was not looking.

Carlos handed me the wine.

“Ordinary?” I asked.

“Unfortunately.”

I started toward the door.

“Enrique,” Maggie called.

I glanced back.

“Do not spend the entire evening telling her who you are. Ask who she is.”

“I know who she is.”

“You know facts about her. That is not the same thing.”

I left before she could offer more advice.

The creek ran through the eastern edge of the territory, curving between limestone banks before disappearing into the woods. Live oaks stretched over the water, their branches draped with moss. Fireflies glowed among the tall grass. The last sunlight painted the creek copper and gold while cicadas sang from the trees.

Anna was already there.

She sat on a flat stone near the water with her shoes beside her and the hem of her dress gathered above her ankles. Her bare feet moved through the current.

For a moment, I remained beneath the trees and watched her.

She had removed her apron and the pale scarf she wore during work. Her thick curls fell freely around her shoulders, framing her face and spilling down her back. She wore the same plain brown dress from the stables.

She had changed nothing.

She was beautiful.

Anna turned before I announced myself.

The unfinished bond had warned her of my approach.

“You are late,” she said.

“The sun has not set.”

“It nearly has.”

“Then I am almost late.”

“That is another way of saying late.”

I carried the basket toward her.

“You argue too much.”

“You give too many reasons.”

Her eyes moved toward the trees behind me.

“Where are they?”

“Who?”

“The guards.”

I looked over my shoulder.

Two warriors stood far enough away that a human would not have noticed them. Anna was not human.

“They are protecting the eastern boundary.”

“They followed you here.”

“They happened to walk in the same direction.”

“They are staring at us.”

“They are very dedicated.”

“Enrique.”

I set the basket down.

“Someone released the mare.”

“And you believe someone is trying to kill me?”

“I believe someone may wish to frighten you.”

“By nearly killing Tomás?”

My wolf disliked hearing his name from her mouth.

“I am investigating.”

“You assigned guards to me without asking.”

“If I had asked, would you have agreed?”

“No.”

“That is why I did not ask.”

She shook her head.

“You cannot decide everything for me.”

“I can decide how my warriors are used.”

“To watch me?”

“To protect you.”

“Those are not always the same thing.”

Her words irritated me because I knew she was right.

I sent a command through the pack bond.

The two warriors bowed from a distance and disappeared into the woods.

Anna looked surprised.

“They are gone.”

“I can see that.”

“You may thank me.”

“I did not ask for them in the first place.”

“You are difficult to please.”

“So I have been told.”

I held out my hand.

She looked at it.

“What?”

“You are sitting on the only dry stone.”

“There is an entire creek bank.”

“This is the best place.”

“Then sit beside me.”

“There is not enough room.”

Anna looked at the wide stone beneath her.

I continued holding out my hand.

She finally accepted it.

The moment our palms touched, warmth moved through the bond.

I pulled her to her feet.

She stepped onto the grass and glanced at the stone I had claimed.

“You could have simply asked me to move.”

“I wanted to touch you.”

The honesty startled her.

It startled me too.

Anna withdrew her hand slowly.

Her fingers trailed across mine before separating.

“What did you bring?”

“Supper.”

She opened the basket.

Her eyebrows lifted at the sight of the roasted beef, soft bread, vegetables, fruit, wine, and honey cake.

“You made all of this?”

“Yes.”

She picked up the corner of the cloth.

The embroidered mark of the pack kitchen was visible beneath it.

“Enrique.”

“I arranged the food.”

“That is not the same as cooking.”

“I cooked several things.”

“Where are they?”

“In the kitchen.”

“Why did you not bring them?”

“They were not suitable for eating.”

Her laughter drifted across the creek.

I sat beside her and began removing the dishes.

“For someone who cannot cook, you are very proud.”

“I can cook.”

“You just said the food was not suitable for eating.”

“That was my first attempt.”

“How many attempts did you make?”

“Three.”

Anna covered her mouth.

I narrowed my eyes.

“You are enjoying this.”

“A little.”

“I spent hours preparing for you.”

Her teasing softened.

“You did?”

“I burned my hand twice. The onions attacked me.”

“They made you cry?”

“I did not cry.”

“Of course not.”

“I am an Alpha.”

“And Alphas do not cry?”

“Not because of vegetables.”

She smiled as she sat beside me.

Our shoulders nearly touched.

For several minutes, we ate while the sun lowered behind the trees. Anna tore her bread into small pieces before eating it. She tasted everything slowly, as though a meal prepared for her was a rare luxury.

I wondered how often she had eaten standing in the kitchens after everyone else was served.

“Is it good?” I asked.

“It is.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I watched you hold the same empty cup through half your coronation.”

“I was distracted.”

“You were drunk.”

“Enchanted.”

“Drunk.”

“Your lack of respect for your Alpha is concerning.”

“I am respecting you by telling the truth.”

“You have a very convenient understanding of respect.”

She took another bite of bread. “My grandmother taught me that.”

“Tell me about her.”

Anna’s expression changed.

Tenderness entered her eyes, followed by grief.

“She practically raised me. My parents worked from before sunrise until after dark, so I spent most of my childhood in her kitchen.”

“Is that why you became a cook?”

“I am not a cook.”

“You work in the kitchens.”

“I carry dishes, wash pots, peel vegetables, scrub floors, and do anything else I am told. Your head cook does not allow new servants near the ovens.”

“I will speak with her.”

“No.”

“What do you want, then?”

Anna looked across the water.

“I want to learn.”

“To cook?”

“To do everything. I want to read better. I want to understand herbs and numbers. I want to learn how the pack stores food through winter and how the household accounts are managed.”

“You wish to become a housekeeper?”

“Perhaps. Or a cook. Maybe something else.”

“You do not know?”

“Women like me are rarely asked what we want to become.”

The simple statement held no bitterness, which made it strike harder.

“What did your grandmother want for you?”

“She wanted me to have choices.”

“And your parents?”

“The same. That is why they sent me here.”

She twisted a piece of bread between her fingers.

“My mother cried when I left. She tried to hide it, but I heard her outside our house after everyone went to sleep. My father told her Dios del Sol was safer. He said there would be more opportunities here.”

Her eyes lowered.

“I promised I would not disappoint them.”

“You have not.”

“You do not know that.”

“I know enough.”

“You have known me for two days.”

“And in those two days, you ended a relationship honestly, defended the man you hurt, stood against your Alpha, and returned to work after being publicly rejected by half his pack.”

She looked at me.

“You did not disappoint anyone.”

Emotion moved through the bond.

Gratitude.

Hope.

And a loneliness so deep that it seemed to have lived within her for years.

I reached for her hand.

This time, she allowed me to hold it without hesitation.

“I can give your family money,” I said. “Enough that they will never struggle again.”

Anna pulled her hand from mine.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I am your mate?”

“Because they are important to you.”

“And if I were only a servant?”

I did not answer quickly enough.

She nodded.

“That is why.”

“I do not understand.”

“I want to help them with something I earned.”

“You would rather work for years than accept something I can give you today?”

“Yes.”

“That is foolish.”

“It may be.”

“Then allow me to be foolish for you.”

Anna looked at me.

The bond warmed again.

“You truly are accustomed to getting your way.”

“I told you that.”

“No. I told you that.”

“I agreed.”

“You did not.”

“I agreed privately.”

She laughed.

I liked discovering how quickly her laughter could chase away my frustration.

“What if I paid you?” I asked.

“For what?”

“To teach me.”

“Teach you what?”

“How to cook.”

She looked suspicious. “Why?”

“So I can make you supper without assistance.”

“And you would pay me for lessons?”

“The same wage earned by the kitchen servants.”

“Twice that.”

“You bargain with your Alpha?”

“I am told Dios del Sol offers opportunities.”

I smiled.

“Agreed.”

Anna held out her hand.

I accepted it.

Her fingers were small within mine, but her grip was firm.

“Your first lesson is tomorrow,” she said.

“I have a council meeting.”

“Then the day after.”

“I have patrol.”

“The day after that.”

“I may be busy.”

“Then perhaps you do not want lessons.”

“I will be there tomorrow.”

Her smile was victorious.

I realized too late that she had manipulated me.

“You did that intentionally.”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“You are dangerous.”

“My grandmother always said so.”

“What was she like?”

Anna’s expression softened again.

“Kind. Stubborn. She sang when she cooked and scolded anyone who entered her kitchen with an ugly attitude. Her name was Carmen.”

Understanding settled over me.

“That is why you use it.”

“She died when I was sixteen. Afterward, everyone continued calling me by her name. It felt like carrying a piece of her.”

Guilt followed.

“I should not have tried to take that from you.”

“You did not know.”

“I should have asked.”

“Yes.”

“You enjoy being right.”

“Nearly as much as you do.”

I leaned closer.

“May I still call you Anna?”

Her eyes met mine.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because it sounds different when you say it.”

“How?”

She looked down at our joined hands.

“Like it belongs to someone I might become.”

The answer entered a part of me I had never allowed anyone to touch.

“Then no one else may call you Anna.”

Her brows lifted. “You cannot control what people call me.”

“I can make a request.”

“You do not make requests.”

“I asked you to have supper with me.”

“After ordering me not to wear my servant’s dress.”

“I admitted my mistake.”

“No, you did not.”

“I thought about admitting it.”

“That must have been difficult.”

“It was painful.”

She smiled.

The last edge of the sun disappeared beneath the trees. Moonlight replaced it, turning the surface of the creek silver.

Anna pulled her feet from the water and tucked them beneath her dress.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I told you. I want to expand Dios del Sol.”

“No. What do you want for yourself?”

The question caught me unprepared.

The future had always been a collection of duties and ambitions. Become Alpha. Strengthen the warriors. Expand our borders. Build alliances. Make Dios del Sol impossible to challenge.

No one had ever separated Enrique from the pack long enough to ask what he wanted.

“I do not know.”

Anna studied me.

“I think you do.”

I looked at the water.

“I want to build something that lasts.”

“Your pack has existed for generations.”

“I want it to become greater than it has ever been. I want our name known beyond Texas. I want our enemies to look toward this territory and understand that nothing can destroy us.”

“And when you have that?”

“Then we will be safe.”

“Will you stop?”

I turned to her.

“Stop what?”

“Reaching for more.”

I did not answer.

Anna’s expression was gentle, but something about the question made my wolf restless.

“You think ambition is wrong?”

“No. I think hunger can convince a person that being full is only one more bite away.”

The Fang of the Sun felt heavier against my hip.

My father had used the same word during my vows.

Hunger.

“You sound like my mother.”

“Is that an insult?”

“I have not decided.”

Anna nudged my shoulder with hers.

I pushed back lightly.

She pushed me again.

I wrapped one arm around her waist before she could pull away and lifted her onto my lap.

Anna gasped.

“Enrique.”

“You started it.”

“I pushed your shoulder.”

“And now you must face the consequences.”

She placed both hands against my chest.

Her dark curls surrounded us, filling my senses with jasmine and vanilla. Her weight rested against me. Her heart raced beneath mine.

The bond tightened.

My wolf rose, desperate to claim her.

I felt the same need answering from within her.

Anna’s lips parted.

“You said you would court me.”

“I brought supper.”

“You stole supper.”

“I arranged it.”

“That still does not count.”

“Then perhaps this will.”

I lowered my head.

She turned her face slightly.

My mouth stopped a breath from hers.

“Tell me no,” I whispered.

Anna’s fingers curled into my shirt.

“I do not want to.”

The final thread of restraint snapped.

I kissed her.

The bond exploded between us.

Warmth rushed through my body, followed by a force so powerful that the creek, the trees, and the entire territory disappeared. Her lips were soft and uncertain beneath mine. She tasted like honey cake and cinnamon.

For one heartbeat, she remained still.

Then Anna kissed me back.

Her arms slid around my neck. My hand tightened at her waist, drawing her closer until no space remained between us.

My wolf howled inside me.

Mine.

The word thundered through the unfinished bond.

Anna heard it.

She pulled away sharply.

Her breath came fast. Her lips were swollen from my kiss, and her eyes glowed faintly with the presence of her wolf.

“I am not yours yet,” she whispered.

I pressed my forehead against hers.

“I know.”

“You do not sound convinced.”

“My wolf disagrees.”

“And you?”

I looked into her eyes.

“I am trying to be more reasonable than he is.”

“Are you succeeding?”

“No.”

She laughed breathlessly.

I wanted to kiss her again.

Instead, I loosened my hold and allowed her to move from my lap.

The disappointment that crossed her face nearly destroyed my restraint.

“You stopped,” she said.

“You asked me to court you.”

“I did.”

“If I kiss you again, I may forget the difference between courting and claiming.”

Her cheeks warmed.

“Then perhaps you should keep your distance.”

“Perhaps.”

Neither of us moved.

Anna’s fingertips touched her lips.

“Was that your first kiss?” I asked.

“No.”

Jealousy flared.

“Tomás?”

She rolled her eyes. “We are not discussing Tomás.”

“That means yes.”

“It means I do not want you and Carlos dragging him toward the southern boundary.”

“He survived today.”

“Barely.”

“Carlos was only playing.”

“Tomás did not know that.”

“That was the purpose.”

Anna shook her head, but amusement softened her expression.

“For an Alpha and Beta, the two of you behave like troublesome boys.”

“We are very serious men.”

“You hid behind a wagon.”

“For strategic reasons.”

“And threatened a wounded stable worker with coyotes.”

“He spoke disrespectfully.”

“He said two complete sentences.”

“His tone was troubling.”

Anna began gathering the empty dishes.

I helped her place them in the basket.

When I lifted the folded cloth from the bottom, a small object fell onto the grass.

A dead night-blooming jasmine flower.

Anna stared at it.

The white petals had been crushed and stained with something dark.

Blood.

Beneath the flower rested a narrow piece of parchment.

My body went still.

I unfolded it.

Four words had been written across the paper.

The moon chose wrong.

Anna’s fear struck through the bond.

I rose so quickly that the basket overturned.

Food and dishes scattered across the bank.

“Did you put that there?” she asked.

“No.”

“Who packed the basket?”

“Carlos brought the food. Maggie added the cake.”

“Could one of them—”

“No.”

My wolf pushed against my skin.

Every sound in the woods became a threat. Every scent twisted among the trees. I reached through the pack bond, searching for the two warriors I had dismissed.

They were nearly half a mile away.

I had sent them away because Anna asked.

Because I wanted to prove I could respect her choices.

Because I had allowed myself to believe one quiet evening belonged to us.

A branch snapped across the creek.

I pulled Anna behind me and drew the Fang of the Sun.

The blade caught the moonlight.

“Who is there?”

Silence answered.

Then a wolf moved through the brush.

I felt its presence through the pack bond, but the connection was faint and carefully guarded. Before I could identify it, the animal turned and ran.

I started after it.

Anna seized my arm.

“Do not leave me.”

The terror in her voice stopped me more effectively than an Alpha command.

I sheathed the dagger and turned toward her.

She was trembling.

I wrapped both arms around her and lifted her against my chest.

“I have you.”

“Someone was watching us.”

“I know.”

“They put that inside your basket.”

“I know.”

“How?”

I looked toward the dark trees.

Someone inside Dios del Sol had entered the kitchens, touched the food meant for their Alpha, and placed a threat where they knew I would find it.

This was no whispered objection from an elder.

It was a challenge.

My power rolled across the territory.

The wolves nearest us froze beneath it.

Farther away, warriors shifted and began running in our direction.

Anna clung to me.

“Enrique.”

“I will find them.”

Her fear entered my blood and transformed.

It became rage.

Cold.

Certain.

“I will find every person who helped them,” I promised. “And no one will ever frighten you again.”

Anna pulled back enough to look at me.

“Do not become cruel because someone else is.”

“I am protecting you.”

“You can protect me without losing yourself.”

I thought of the wolf disappearing into the trees.

Of the blood on the crushed flower.

Of Anna’s voice asking me not to leave her.

“I will do what is necessary.”

The first warriors broke through the brush.

Carlos led them.

His eyes moved from the dagger at my hip to the bloody flower and the message on the ground.

“What happened?”

I placed Anna in his care and turned toward the trees.

“Seal the territory.”

Carlos read the parchment.

The humor vanished from his face.

“No one leaves,” I said. “Search every room. Question every wolf. I want the kitchens emptied and the servants separated until we know who touched that basket.”

Anna stepped away from Carlos.

“The servants had nothing to do with this.”

“We do not know that.”

“You cannot punish all of them.”

“It is temporary.”

“They will blame me.”

“They will be alive to do it.”

“You promised not to take away every piece of my old life.”

“And you asked me not to leave you.”

Pain moved through the bond.

I regretted the words the moment they left my mouth.

Anna stared at me as though the man who had kissed her beside the creek had disappeared.

Perhaps a part of him had.

I softened my voice.

“Trust me.”

Her eyes lowered to the bloodstained flower.

“I want to.”

It was not an answer.

Carlos issued orders to the warriors. Wolves scattered through the trees and raced toward the pack house.

I reached for Anna’s hand.

She hesitated before allowing me to take it.

The trust between us had begun forming only moments before, warm and fragile beneath our first kiss.

Now I felt the first crack run through it.

Not because an enemy had threatened her.

Because protecting Anna had given me my first reason to believe that my fear was more important than her freedom.

And once a man accepts that lie in the name of love, every cage he builds begins to look like shelter.