Double Cross

AURELIA

Cirillo’s voice echoed through the room, “Why the hell would you do that?!” Aurelia watched him squirm, trapped in the manacles that kept him from casting any spells. Ella was in the same predicament. The manacles were a parting gift from Hades, a token of their good relations.

Why indeed?

“Why? You know why, Father,” Aurelia replied, her voice slow and condescending. “Because you left me.”

“I thought we settled that,” he shot back.

“You idiot! We could have gotten rid of the king. You could have,” Ellathoria snarled, sounding more like a wolf than a woman.

“But I don’t want to get rid of the king,” Aurelia said sweetly, throwing everyone in the room off balance. She turned to the king and gently touched his cheek. “You’re my king. I’m quite fond of you.”

His eyes were ablaze, but at her words, he swallowed hard. The king was nervous, unsure, and confused. It amused her.

The darker part of her, the part tied to dark magic, had taken over. That part wanted to rule with him, while the other part of her wanted to kill him. The irony wasn’t lost on her.

“And stupid?” she started again, turning her attention back to Ellathoria.

“I’m not stupid. I’ll be the queen of the wolves and the fae, and you... well, where do we put those who suffer forever, my king?”

He didn’t answer, but she didn’t care.

“The eternal dungeons.”

The wolves began to drag them away. The council watched in horror, fearing they might be next. They had no idea what Ella and Cirillo had planned.

“Why?” Ella’s voice echoed through the vast throne room.

Aurelia signaled the warrior wolves to stop and tilted her head.

“Cathan said something a while back.” She glanced at him, and he wore a knowing expression. “Something I forgot. Something important and incredibly true. He told me to remember, but I wasn’t sure what he meant. Then it all clicked.”

She paused, leaving the room hanging on her words. “Painted smiles.”

Cathan smirked and nodded at the queen. She had understood him, even if no one else did.

“He told me it was all a facade.

“The sneakiest council members had the warmest smiles, the kindest facades, the most dutiful morals. It was all lies.

“You orchestrated the attack on the castle with those rebel wolves. I recognized it from another wolf. A wolf that went mad because of fae magic.

“You forced me to use more power than I could handle. I’m not sure you like the outcome. To you, it was the only way you saw me ever agreeing to lose my soul.

“You tried to convince me it was for power. You planned to kill me once this was all over, to take the kingdom for yourself and get rid of me. So that’s why. Enjoy the dungeons.”

The guards dragged the two out of the room, despite their protests.

“Now that we’ve dealt with that unpleasantness, we can start making changes,” Aurelia announced.

The council looked wary as they stared at her in awe. The young fae wolf had grown so much since they’d first met her. She was wiser, darker.

“Cathan will be my Beta.”

He wrinkled his nose at that, making Aurelia laugh.

“Or whatever you want to call second-in-command.”

“Aurelia—” Axon started, finally recovering from his shock.

“Did I say you could speak?” she cut him off with a low growl. She was quick to anger, like the king. She guessed that’s what power and darkness did to you.

“The council will be my advisors on fae matters and their respective factions. The king will still be my king, and his advisors will be servants, not compelled in any way.

“I think I’ll enjoy watching you all squirm.”

It was punishment enough. There was no fun in compelling all the wolves when it wasn’t necessary.

“Though, Vidarr, you can still be the general if you swear loyalty to me,” she offered.

“Never,” he growled. “My loyalty is to the king, always.”

“As you wish,” she replied casually.

“Just remember what I can do if you get any ideas. Your army is under my control. I’ve ordered them to accommodate the fae and find them homes. We’ll be one kingdom again.”

Many in the room weren’t sure if this was better or worse for them. Cathan was now second-in-command, but to a queen he didn’t recognize. The Aurelia he knew didn’t act like this.

Maybe he liked knowing more than her. He liked advising her, teaching her. He appreciated her innocence and naivety, as dangerous as it was.

Ellathoria had pushed her too far. She’d traded her soul, given in to the immense darkness within her. But he would stay loyal to her. He was in love with her.

“Leave. Take care of your people. Cathan, you’ll help Ella’s people, right?”

“Yes, my queen,” he replied with a nod. The council slowly cleared out, leaving only the wolves in the throne room.

The tension was so thick it would have been suffocating if she hadn’t come out on top. Her eyes met her mate’s, frozen in place after the events that had just unfolded.

~“So much to process,”~ she thought. No wonder he was struggling to understand.

“You...” was all he could say. The mighty king, at a loss for words. It was a sight to see. Entertaining to her.

“You’ll never be my queen,” Laurent hissed, charging at her.

Before he could reach her, she tapped into his mind and said, ~“Stop.”~ And he did.

“What are you doing?!” he yelled, frozen in place.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m trying to stop you from attacking me,” she shot back, tilting her head with an innocent air.

“Don’t use your filthy fae magic on me,” he spat out.

“Let him go, Aurelia!” the king ordered. Surprisingly, she obeyed.

She turned her gaze to the king, whose eyes were locked on her. They held a depth of emotion she couldn’t decipher. He’d never been this complicated before.

Maybe because he lacked a soul, he chose not to feel. But now, his eyes were a storm of emotions, so tangled she couldn’t identify a single one. “Everyone out,” he ordered. The other wolves left, albeit reluctantly.

They were alone now. The room felt cold, empty, as if they were surrounded by nothingness. It was just the two of them.

“You think ruling people means controlling them?” he asked, his voice soft but laced with judgment.

“Only the army. It keeps everyone in line. Just like you rule,” she retorted, closing the distance between them. He had no comeback for that. It was the truth.

“You look at me like I’ve wronged you greatly. You act like you’re innocent, like my betrayal is a shock.

“I know you, my king. You’re smart. You sensed a plot. You just underestimated me. Don’t pretend we didn’t hurt each other. I’d say we’re even.”

He shook his head, a low growl rumbling in his throat. His eyes flashed red as he glared at her.

“No, you lied to me. About what you are,” he hissed. “I never lied to you.”

“That’s because you never told me anything,” she countered, scoffing. “I was never your equal. I was always beneath you.”

“That’s because you were.” His voice echoed around the room, his anger simmering, ready to explode. She placed a hand on his cheek and sighed.

“I never was. I’m your queen now. If you don’t listen to me, I’ll find a way to punish you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled.

“You know my father, Cirillo. He could cross planes and barriers. So can I. You might not care about the living, but maybe I’ll pay your mother a visit.”

The mention of his mother set his blood on fire. It felt like his entire being was ablaze.

He would have torn her apart. But she was now immortal. How convenient for her. And what a smart choice it was. Many wanted her dead.

His beast took over in that moment. He didn’t have the strength to resist. His eyes stayed a permanent red as he lifted her by her neck.

She didn’t seem scared at all. So calm, even her heartbeat was steady. She just watched him, as if she was curious. Struggling for breath, yet she showed no fear.

Immortality did that to a person. Made them believe they were invincible—even when they weren’t. The king certainly wasn’t.

She could have traded her soul to gain the power to kill him if she wanted. So he still had a fight left in him.

He looked into the eyes of a mate he didn’t recognize. That’s why he let her go and left the throne room.

She didn’t fear the king, but she wouldn’t let her arrogance cloud her judgment like the king had. She would learn from his mistakes and rule as she saw fit.

She would also allow herself a little revenge.

The warrior wolves who had openly mocked her were compelled to eat each other.

The servants who had spread nasty rumors were thrown into Aurelia’s new rabid wolf den. Eaten alive.

She thought of the cruelest, most satisfying punishments and carried them out while the king did nothing. His advisors did nothing. And everyone watched and bowed down to their queen.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the new fae-wolf kingdom. The fae celebrated, finally able to live without fear. Aurelia’s firm hand and sadistic ways reached every corner, every mind.

They knew the consequences of stepping out of line. Anyone could be punished.

The queen was more ruthless and merciless than the king, and no one wanted to suffer the fate she had sentenced others to. She found new and horrifying ways to punish people.

She lay in bed next to her sleeping mate, studying his features. He had barely touched her since she took over. Even the mate bond couldn’t bring them together.

She had driven this wedge between them. But she hoped, with time, he would understand and accept the situation, as she had.

Longing. That was what she was feeling. She had everything, yet she felt... empty. Trading her soul had left her alone in the dark. This was her life now, her life forever.

Immortality was forever.