The door to my chambers flew open, hitting the wall with a bang. I sat up, awaking with a start, only to be immediately pinned under a furred body. The drapes were ripped from their rails. Cerberus's snarl vibrated through him.

"Keh," I heard Brennon scoff. "I shouldn't be surprised."

I peered around Cerberus's arm, catching sight of the human who barged in. He already had on his tunic and pants and evidently been up for at least an hour or two. The lycan growled again.

"What do you want, human?"

The man shrugged, then shot me a glare. "I told you your day would come. Lord Perimone's outside your gates." With that said, he turned and marched from the room.

I glanced up, my gaze meeting that of Cerberus. With a huff, the alpha lycan dragged his body over mine, dropping to the floor on all fours. I reached down and retrieved my mask from where it had fallen. Familiar pain shot through my body, now in my hips as well. Upon receiving my full weight, my knees buckled, nearly giving way beneath me. Soft fur brushed my side.

"On," Cerberus growled, bowing low so that it was possible for me to mount without vaulting.

"But-"

"You can barely stand."

I blinked down at him. "What about yesterday?"

The lycan huffed. "I have always known of your fear. Yesterday changes nothing."

"Then... why?"

His gaze met mine. "You didn't trust me."

I didn't speak, I could think of nothing to say. We stayed silent, staring into each other's eyes. Slowly, a small smile made its way to my features. I lifted my mask, tying it on before swinging myself onto the lycan's back. My fingers tangled in his thick fur. My thighs gripped at the space behind his shoulder blades where I could feel his muscles flex with every movement.

"Fair enough, Alpha." I settled down onto his back. "Let's see if Lord Perimone is ready to give up his lands."

I could hear the wolfish grin in his voice. "As my lady wishes."

Cerberus leapt from the top of the stairs, landing gracefully beside my throne. His snarl vibrated through him as he stalked across the platform and turned towards the four humans who had been herded into the hallway. I wondered if he growled at Lord Perimone or Howens. I doubted the two guards that accompanied them were threat enough to warrant a warning. Brennon sat below the platform, seemingly at ease despite the dozen lycans nearby. He thought himself above their threat. I ignored him. I had other matters of more importance at the moment.

"So, it seems you finally came up with a better offer," I said, sitting tall. "I'm glad. I was starting to get a little impatient."

It had been a while since I felt truly powerful, not just hiding behind a scary mask. Since I realized most of the lycans were likely more afraid of their alpha than loyal to me, I had struggled to keep dominance. Yet now I knew, no matter our pack order, Cerberus was still my hellish guardian.

In contrast, the confident man I met a mere month ago was shaking with withdrawal. He may have lasted an impressive time between his first doses, but his will was not so strong now. I couldn't help but glance to Brennon.

"I came to implore you to stop this madness," Perimone pleaded. "Surely a jury would lighten your sentence, if only you would show a little remorse."

I snorted. "And here I thought juries disapproved of lies while on the stand."

"Be reasonable-"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I think I am. All I'm asking is to avoid war and skip straight to my reign." My smile widened to a grin at his awestruck expression. I leaned forward, idly scratching behind Cerberus's ear. "Really, it would be more to your benefit than mine, since less people would be slaughtered. The lycans can be difficult to stop once they're let loose, and they're quite indiscriminate...."

The politician actually fell to his knees, hands clasped together. It took all my well practiced self control to keep from snickering at the man's pitiful foolishness. "Please, Desire, my love..."

This time, the scoff came not from me, but below the pedestal, where Brennon sat. "You'd do better to save your breath, my lord. Her tastes swing more canine, if you know what I mean."

My eyes widened. Blood rushed through me, burning in my veins. "Brennon!" I barked. Cerberus's ears swiveled in my direction. "Hold your tongue!" I lowered my voice so only he could hear. "And if you dare enter my chambers again, my guard will tear you to pieces so small we’ll need a bin to collect them."

"Is that so?"

Running my fingers through the lycan's fur, I leaned closer to his face. "Cerberus, would you do that for me?"

His shoulders flexed under my thighs. "With pleasure, my lady," he growled.

"Keh, of course he would."

"Hold your tongue, human!" the black lycan standing behind the Asken soldiers barked out, causing them to jump. "Or I will hold it for you."

A wave of tension spread through Cerberus. It was unlike Thorn to speak out of turn. A lower, nearly inaudible snarl came from the alpha, warning his beta. Thankfully, though it was disrespectfully interjected, Brennon did quiet at Thorn's words.

I leaned down again, whispering in Cerberus's ear, "Bring me closer."

The lycan gave a quick nod before hopping down from the platform and stalking to the still kneeling Perimone. The man stared up at Cerberus's barred teeth. Apparently, my guard was none too fond of the man who had me kidnapped from him. Howens stepped forward as well, hand resting on a sword hung at his side. The lycan let out a loud, threatening growl, licking at his exposed fangs. He was even less fond of the man who had done the kidnapping.

"I've had enough of your sniveling," I huffed, staring down at the lord. "So I will speak, then ask you a yes or no question. If you answer to my satisfaction, I will give you what you crave. If you don't, I'll have Thorn rip apart one of your guards. Do we have an understanding?"

Perimone nodded, slowly rising to his feet. Even standing at his full height, I still towered over a foot above him.

"Good," I purred, before switching my voice to a more annoyed tone. "You were quite the figure when I first met you. I admit, I even thought it would be fun to be rivals." A lie, but the Lady of the Lycan Mountains never had any problem with that. My lip curled as I looked over his still pleading features. "But I underestimated just how far you'd fall. You did this to yourself, waiting so long. Imagine what a pitiful creature you will become if you deny yourself much longer. Not only will you suffer, but the villages and towns of your country as well. I doubt the people of Askance will tolerate that. You'll lose your position. You'll be a hated shell of a human living on the streets. Either way, I'm going to take revenge on the people who wronged me, it's your choice if you want to stay on top, or sink to the bottom." My eyes narrowed. "So my question is, will you surrender Askance?"

There was a pause, in which his eyes desperately searched mine. He found no mercy. The Lady of the Lycan Mountains had none.

"Monster," he choked. "How can I love you?"

"Idiot!" I barked, anger causing my face to flush. "You don't love me! Nobody loves me, just my-!" I stumbled over my words. I almost let too much slip. I hurried to recover. "Shut up with your foolish delusions and answer my question! Will you, or will you not surrender Askance?!"

"No," he breathed.

My fist clenched in Cerberus's fur. From the corner of my eye, I saw Thorn tense, a wicked grin on his features as he waited for the order. The soldiers both trembled under the lycan's predatory gaze, their eyes focused on me. Their faces pleaded for mercy, to forgive a mistake that was not theirs. They wanted that which no one had ever shown me. Sometimes I doubted it existed at all.

My fingernails dug into the flesh of my palms until I was certain I would bleed. "Out!" I shouted. "Get out of my hall! Get out of my lands! Just get out and rot in the mud! I don't care anymore!"

The humans didn't need me to repeat myself. The guards scrambled over one another in their escape. Howens jogged in a much more dignified manner, though he was not foolish enough to test me. Only Perimone dared glance back. A snarl from Cerberus sent him scampering after the others.

Suddenly aware of the newly acquired pain in my chest, I stiffened my elbows to keep from slumping over the lycan's back. I had been distracted from the aching by the confrontation, but now I could clearly feel the pounding of my head and the soreness in my limbs. It hurt just shifting my legs. The pain nearly distracted me from the dozens of eyes focused on me.

"Cerberus," I breathed, hoping the other lycans attributed my slight pant from shouting. "I need- I want some quiet... to think."

His eyes met mine. It was difficult to tell, but it seemed concern lingered in those crimson irises. "As my lady wishes."