The Wolf Prince

CHAPTER 23

Surlock had been searching for Darcy almost two hours and still hadn’t located her. Panic seared through him.

Peter had laughed and said they were probably both searching for each other and not crossing paths. Surlock could see his point. There were twice as many people at the party now. There was barely room to breathe.

Surlock headed for the French doors, planning to use the band’s microphone to call out to Darcy. Just as he stepped outside, a man wearing a red cape and horns approached. He grabbed Surlock’s arm.

Surlock frowned, and the man released him.

“Are you Surlock?”

“Yes.” Surlock looked at him. Could this man know him? Surlock didn’t recognize him. He was of average height with dark hair. Something about him seemed familiar, though.

“Darcy sent me to find you. Said you were dressed like a wolf.” His voice shook as if he were nervous or scared.

“What’s the matter? Where is she?”

“She fell. I told her I would get you. I think her ankle is broken.”

“Take me to her.” What had she been doing that she would fall? Probably trying to find him. He should never have let her out of his sight, but there had been so many people jostling him, he’d let go of her arm and the next thing he knew, she’d been swallowed by the crowd.

He followed the man down the steps toward the side of the house. No wonder she had fallen. There was no light here, and as they continued, no people. Surlock began to get suspicious. He grabbed the man’s arm.

“Where did you say she was?”

“Just on the other side of those bushes.”

Someone moaned.

“Darcy!”

“Surlock,” came a muffled response.

Relief flooded through him that Darcy could respond. He hurried around the bush and saw her lying on the ground, her back to him, softly crying.

“Where are you hurt?”

She turned over. Surlock saw it wasn’t Darcy at all. “What is this?” he growled.

“Your worst nightmare.” The man behind him laughed. Surlock whirled around, and saw the gun. It didn’t matter. He roared, and charged the man. The man fired, hitting Surlock in the chest.

The roaring in his ears was back, but he couldn’t stop it this time as his legs buckled and he went to the ground. “Darcy,” he managed to say.

“She’ll be dead before you come to. Sorry, but you know as well as I that impures are an abomination.”

Surlock’s head pounded as the world around him went dark. No, Darcy wasn’t going to die. He wouldn’t let that happen. But right now, he knew there wasn’t anything he could do. The humming slowed, then stopped, and he didn’t hear anything else.

“Is he breathing?” Excoria asked. By the gods, Nivla would have her head if Surlock died, even though she wasn’t the one who’d shot him. Nivla couldn’t very well kill his own son.

“He’s breathing,” Ekon said. “I knew it would take a lot to keep the prince knocked out. He’s a big man.”

She looked down at Prince Surlock. Not bad looking, either. There was a lot of naked flesh showing. What would it feel like to run her hands over his muscles and pretend for a moment that he lusted after her as she had lusted after him through the years?

“Let’s get him on the cart. It’s going to take us a while just to get him to the car.”

And Excoria was pretty sure she would be doing most of the work. Ekon wasn’t going to exert himself too much.

They rolled Prince Surlock onto a cart with wheels. The prince was definitely big, but she did enjoy touching him. His body was hard and muscled.

He was also very heavy as Ekon pulled one end of the cart and she pushed the other. They were both breathing hard by the time they got to the car. Surlock was still out. She was thankful for that. She hadn’t liked the look in his eyes when he’d realized she wasn’t Darcy. How she wished to be Darcy for a brief moment and have him look at her with desire.

But no, she hadn’t been good enough for the prince on New Symtaria. He’d sneered at her advances. But who was sneering now?

They got him inside the car. She climbed into the driver’s side again. Ekon didn’t like to drive, so that chore was also left to her. Not that she really minded. She just let him think she did.

It wasn’t far to the warehouse. Once they were there, they used another cart to haul Surlock inside, putting him in the cage next to the woman’s. The drug had almost worn off the impure. She was sitting up, leaning against the bars of the cage. When she saw Surlock, she tried to move. It apparently took too much effort, and she gave up.

“Surlock,” she said.

Ekon curled his lip. “Quiet, impure! You will not say the prince’s name. You are unworthy.”

“Screw you!” Darcy spat.

Excoria hid her smile. She would have enjoyed telling Ekon that, but didn’t have the courage. When Ekon took a menacing step toward the impure, she grabbed his arm.

“Leave her. She’s not worth your time.”

He took a deep breath. “You’re right. Nivla will be here soon.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Nivla? Will the exchange take place so soon?” Her stomach curled. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. She knew he would come sooner or later, but she preferred later. Much later.

“There’s been a change of plans.” He looked at her with all the innocence of a rattlesnake. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“No, I guess you forgot.”

There was a whirring outside. Dread filled Excoria. Nivla was here. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what was about to happen.

Ekon went to meet his father after the craft landed. Excoria hurried in his wake. The craft’s door was opening. Three high warriors came out first. Then Nivla appeared, standing at the threshold. She was pretty sure he did it for effect. She rolled her eyes, then quickly bowed her head.

“Ekon, you have been successful?”

“Yes, Father.”

“I didn’t doubt you would be. After all, you’re my son.” His forehead wrinkled. “Why are you dressed like this?”

“I’m in costume, Father. So I could blend in at the party.”

“Very wise.” His lip curled in disdain when his gaze moved to Excoria.

She raised her chin. Could she help it if this was all she had to wear? She’d asked for funds and had only been laughed at.

They breezed past her without a word. She fumed silently as she followed.

“This is the impure?” Nivla asked as he glanced in Darcy’s direction.

“Yes.”

He stared at her for a long time. Excoria knew exactly what was on his mind. The slit up Darcy’s dress had ripped and most of her legs were exposed. Nivla licked his lips as if he would like to join the impure inside her cage, but then he must have decided he didn’t have time. He turned to the other cage.

“Ah, Prince Surlock.” He clapped his son on the back. “You have done well, my son.”

Excoria cleared her throat. Really, did he actually think his imbecile son had done everything by himself? Not hardly, and she wasn’t about to let Ekon steal all the glory.

“Excoria, did you want something?” Nivla asked.

“I helped,” she whined. That hadn’t come out like she had planned. “I mean to say that I was the one who kept an eye on Prince Surlock, and I lured the girl here.”

“You mean the impure?” He scoffed. “I wouldn’t think she would be a problem.”

“Well, she wasn’t.”

“Then it’s settled. We’re taking the prince to Rovertia to make the exchange for our Great Leader. You will stay here and dispose of the impure.”

“And then what?”

He waved his hand as though she was a bothersome gnat buzzing around his face. “Then you will continue as before, hunting other impures.”

“But—”

Nivla squared his shoulders while his son smirked. “You have a problem with my orders?”

She bowed her head, placing the back of her hand against her forehead. “No, Great Leader.”

“Good.” He turned to his men. “Load the prince on the craft. It’s time we leave.”

They were none too gentle with the prince as they carried him to the craft. Excoria stepped outside and watched them take off. There went her dreams of riches. They wouldn’t even bother to mention her part in the prince’s capture. All of the credit for this mission would go to Nivla and his son. She was nothing to them, so nothing in the way of wealth or honors would come her way.

She picked up a rock and threw it as hard as she could at the departing craft. Not that it would even come close to its mark, but it made her feel a little better. If there was any way she could get revenge, she would!

Now she had to dispose of the impure. And worse, she still hadn’t eaten, and she was starving.

She stomped back inside the warehouse. The woman eyed her warily.

“I have to kill you,” Excoria told her. “If I don’t, someone else will. Then they would come after me.” She shrugged. “You know how it is.”

Excoria opened the door and stepped inside. The girl tried to move away, but the drug hadn’t worn off completely. Excoria knew from experience it would leave her incapacitated for several more hours. Excoria wasn’t sure if that made her job more difficult or not. She hated watching the impures struggle as they attempted to escape. They were like worms on the floor, wiggling and squirming.

She really, really hated this part.

“I can’t die,” Darcy said, her voice bleak with denial.

“Everyone has to die,” Excoria said. “It’s a fact of life. You’ll just be leaving a little sooner than you’d planned.”

“But I haven’t lived my dream,” she murmured.

Excoria knew she shouldn’t engage in conversation with the impure, but she was curious. She knew about dreams and what it felt like to have them crumble at your feet.

“What was your dream?” she asked.

“I wanted to work as a private investigator.”

Excoria snorted. “That’s it? You wanted a job? Why didn’t you just do it?”

“Because I lacked the courage.”

“Think about it this way: You won’t have to worry about it anymore.”