Wolf Princess Sold to the Dragon King novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299: Wards Before Whores, Gentlemen

Welcome back to the Real Alphas of Nyros.

We left off with the new Stepdad trying to force the conversation onto the actual agenda. Only for the table to treat that as optional and immediately redirect everything back to the much more interesting gossip.

Current Topic: The Dragon King.

Coming up: Which one is your daughter sleeping with?

This is why Stepdad drinks.

"The Dragon King brought two mages with him as a personal favor to Nicholas," Renwick said. "They installed something called wards which block the ability for portals to form inside a structure. Your keeps are unprotected from this and it is something we need to discuss."

Stepdad swung at the agenda again. Will he be successful this time?

No. The answer is no.

Exactly one second of silence followed before Darwin Blackmoor opened his mouth.

"Wards," he repeated. "Installed by dragon mages. In a wolf keep. Without consulting the table."

"It was an emergency measure, Blackmoor," Redmoon chimed in.

"Emergency measures don’t come with dragon mages, Redmoon. They come with explanations. Where was our vote?"

"There was no vote because the building was compromised."

"The building is ALWAYS compromised. That’s what summits ARE." Darwin had a point. It was buried under six layers of attitude, but it was there.

Renwick gave a half-hearted shrug that communicated exactly how many fucks he gave.

"Did Shadowfell approve this?" Ironmaw asked.

"Yes."

"Before or after he left?"

"Before."

"And he didn’t think to mention it to the table?"

"He mentioned it to me. I’m mentioning it to you. That’s how chains of command work, Ironmaw."

Ironmaw had the posture of a kid at the dinner table who has been told no three times and was loading attempt number four.

"So we’re a chain now. Lovely," he said. "And where are we on that chain exactly?"

Reed: Is he asking where he falls on the chain of command?

Damon: Yes. The answer is below Renwick.

"The part that asks questions. Not the part that answers them," Renwick replied.

Ironmaw shut his mouth immediately.

Next to him, Thornback folded his arms with the energy of the observant kid who was now done being polite.

"I’d like to hear this from Shadowfell directly."

"I’m sure you would."

"Is that a no?"

"That’s a ’he’s not here and I am.’ Work with what you’ve got, Thornback."

The room felt that one.

"What I’ve got is a borrowed chair making borrowed decisions," Thornback said.

"What you’ve got is a building that isn’t leaking Dark Fae portals anymore. You’re welcome," Renwick said flatly.

Veilcross was loading a tantrum so large it needed a runway.

"Both."

Renwick’s jaw tightened by a fraction. "No, that’s not what this is."

"Not what, Lunaris? Not exactly what it looks like?"

"She’s married to the Dragon King," Renwick said. "That’s the only thing she is. Her matebond with Shadowfell is biological and nothing more. That is the extent of the relationship."

"Just biological my ass." Thornback let out a laugh that bounced off the stone walls. "He partial-shifted for her. Threatened war. Then handed his summit to her daddy. Come off it, Renwick. That’s a consort or marriage."

"Is that so?" Renwick asked like he didn’t have time for stupid.

"Yes," Thornback said. "This is code for she’s with both, for any wolf in the back row who missed it. The woman you were all threatening last night belongs to Shadowfell AND the Dragon King."

"WE were threatening?" An Alpha three seats down sputtered. "That was YOU, Thornback. I was certainly not—"

"You drew your blade, Ashwick."

"I drew my blade at VEILCROSS. Not at the girl. There’s a difference."

"The difference is the direction you were pointing it and you were pointing it at HER."

"I was pointing it NEAR her, Thornback. Not at her directly. Let’s get that straight."

"Your blade, your arm, and your face, and all three were aimed at a little girl."

"Is this a trial? Am I on trial now? Because if we’re prosecuting every man who drew steel last night, this table is going to be VERY empty."

"Gentlemen," Redmoon tried.

"Don’t gentlemen me, Redmoon. I was by the DOOR. I couldn’t have reached her with a goddamn javelin."

Alpha Grimscar buried his face in both hands. He had checked out. Physically present. Spiritually in a different kingdom.

"Can we possibly," Redmoon attempted again, "discuss the Dark Fae threat before we relitigate who was pointing what at whom?"