The Wolf (Everdark Tales #2)

24.

King

J ulia was distraught the whole night and couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares and period cramps. She felt miserable. And I felt like I wasn’t doing enough… like I wasn’t being enough for her. While, at the same time, I was worried about the others.

However, the day begins on a better note, as they slowly start to return to the Veil.

Julia and I step outside to welcome the arrivals. Clara is already there, standing at the forefront, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as Edwin and their sons come through the gently shimmering dome portal. She rushes forward to greet them, pulling each one into a fierce embrace. Her joy is infectious, though shadowed by the ones who didn’t make it back.

Nearby, Meg perches on the stone bench, her sharp, curious eyes scanning the creatures. She swings her legs idly, but there’s an alertness to her posture that exposes her ever-watchful nature.

Above us, the gargoyle looms in his usual spot atop the tower. I can feel his gaze burning into me, but I don’t look up. I can’t—not yet. The wound of his betrayal is still too raw for me to even tolerate him. Perhaps not ever. All I want is to break him and bleed him dry. Just knowing he’s up there is enough to shatter my inner fucking solitude. He doesn’t apologize or ask for forgiveness—not to me, at least—and I damn sure don’t offer it.

But Julia does. Of course. She always does the opposite of me. Her compassion runs where my anger digs in.

The lawn in front of the castle continues to fill with figures, some familiar, others new survivors of the world outside the Veil. Some move hesitantly, and others are almost desperate to be anywhere but where they came from. I watch them come, one by one, their expressions flickering between hope and fear.

I spot the sleek lizard-like creature, its scaled skin glinting faintly in the aurora lights. Some kind of aquatic mutant with tentacles dives into the river and out of the view. A huge part-lion strides confidently, his tail swishing as he scans the surroundings. A centaur towers over the group, his equine lower half powerful and imposing.

Yet, as I count them, I realize how few have returned. Each missing face hits me like a blow. We’d lost too many—another werewolf gone, two witches, a few vampires. Losses that weigh heavy on your chest, the kind that makes you question whether this fight is even worth it. But Area 51 was the second-largest military base, and we’ve destroyed decades’ worth of their resources. I have to believe it means something —especially when I see the innocent faces of the women freed from captivity, now safe with the “monsters” who would never treat them as cruelly as their own kind did.

Among the crowd, Penny and Katia show up, holding hands. It’s impossible not to notice how in love they are, clinging to each other. They’re laughing softly, fingers interlocked, heads bent together, and for a second, it’s like they’re the only two people in the universe.

The sight of them does something to me.

Julia’s hand brushes against mine, and the flashback hits me like a tsunami—her lifeless body in my arms, cold and still. I blink, trying to shove it back into the corner of my mind where I keep all the shit I don’t want to feel. But it’s still so fucking raw.

I imagine my sister must’ve gone through something similar when Katia… almost didn’t make it. Seeing them together now warms me on the inside in a way I can’t quite put into words.

Penny catches Julia’s gaze and lights up, pulling Katia toward us. “Hey! You made it out alive!” she says with a grin.

“And so did you,” Julia bounces back, and there’s warmth in her voice, similar to the one spreading inside me.

Katia steps closer, but her smile falters when her stare slides past Julia and lands on me. Her mouth twists into something sour, as it always does.

I can’t help myself, and in the next moment, I hold her in my embrace.

“Eww. What the fuck are you doing, Marduk?” she hisses, struggling to get free.

“It’s good to have you back,” I say in a flat tone, trying to conceal how I truly feel.

“Just—ugh.” She can act all she wants but I see the emotions in her bloody eyes. Then, she crosses her arms on her chest and sends a mocking grin my way, lashing out, “What happened to you? You’ve gotten soft.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, okay. Good to see you too.”

Katia narrows her eyes, muttering something under her breath, but Penny squeezes her arm, and she lets it go—for now.

As they move off to join Clara, I’m relieved to notice Farah waving toward us, with Satan beside her, sporting his human glamour. She looks tired, but she’s well. And my heart is full again, seeing my family safe and sound together.

Out of all the newcomers, the reptilian creature catches my eye especially. He’s standing stiffly, shoulders squared, his blue eyes darting around like he’s waiting for someone to shout orders at him.

Taking Julia’s hand, I walk over, and as soon as I get close, he snaps to attention.

“Sir! Yes, Sir!” His hissing voice is loud and clipped, making me flinch.

Julia and I exchange a glance, equally stunned. I recover first, though barely. The beings around here address me with respect, most of them even using my title. But this? This is different. This one’s been trained, twisted into a soldier. A poor life for a creature who should have been ruling the food chain, not obeying his makers.

“You don’t need to be this anymore,” I say, trying to keep my tone steady.

“Yes, Sir! Understood, Sir!” he barks again, his back straight as a board.

“What do they call you?” I try another approach.

“R037, Sir!”

The designation sounds more like a barcode than a name, making my stomach turn.

“R037?” Julia repeats, her voice soft and quiet.

Edwin steps forward, shaking his head like he’s seen this before. “Go easy on him,” he mutters under his breath.

“Listen, R037,” I say, my tone low but firm. “You’re free now. No more ‘sir,’ no more numbers. We’ll find you a real name. One that’s yours. How does that sound?”

The reptilian blinks, his long, forked tongue flicking out for a moment. His rigid stance wavers slightly, as though my words are pushing through. But just as quickly, he snaps back into place. “Yes, Sir! Thank you, Sir!”

I sigh. He’s got a long road ahead of him. But at least now, it’s his road to walk. That’s a start.

Then, suddenly, Meg screams. The sound is piercing and sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

“Alex!” Julia’s voice follows immediately, filled with urgency that sends a jolt of alarm through me.

I whirl around, my instincts already screaming danger.

The minotaur is charging.

Massive and terrifying, his muscular frame barrels forward with single-minded determination, curled horns angled low. His nostrils flare, eyes are wild, bloodshot, and locked onto Meg with an intensity that leaves no doubt about his intentions.

Meg doesn’t move. She’s just staring at him, frozen in place, like all of her usual sharpness and snark have been stripped away, overtaken by sheer terror.

She’s completely vulnerable, and it’s wrong. It’s so fucking wrong I can’t process it fast enough.

In an instant, I’m in motion, snarling in a warning, claws fully extended ahead.

Vernox dives down from his perch, spreading his wings and dropping from the tower in one fluid motion beside me. Together, we cut off the minotaur’s path, positioning ourselves between him and Meg. And for once, I don’t care that the bastard is here. But that hardly earns him any points.

“Stop!” I roar at the charging mass of fur and muscle ahead, my commanding voice reverberating through the castle grounds. My claws flex, prepared to fight if it comes to that.

The minotaur skids to a halt, his hooves gouging deep grooves into the earth. He snorts, his chest heaves as he glares at me, his nostrils flaring wider, the scent of his overwhelming desire thick in the air. He’s barely holding himself back, his muscles tensed, ready to spring again. I don’t move. I wonder if he even hears me. His eyes are wild, filled with an animalistic hunger that I recognize all too well.

“We don’t act like this around here,” I say, my voice steady, even though my heart is pounding with a rush of adrenaline.

He huffs again, and for a second, I think he’s going to charge anyway. His hands clench into massive fists, and his gaze flickers between me and Meg, still lingering behind me. I can see it in his eyes—he’s lost in something bigger than me, bigger than him.

I square my stance, bracing for the impact, my mind racing through every scrap of knowledge I have about minotaurs. I’ve never fought one before. Hell, I’m not even sure if I can win this, especially with the current state he’s in—feral, unhinged, horny. I don’t like my odds. But I brace myself either way.

“Julia,” I say, my tone low and deliberate, though I don’t take my eyes off him. “Get Meg out of here. Now.”

Julia doesn’t argue. She grabs Meg’s arm, tugging her away. “Come on, babe,” she urges, her voice gentle but firm, but I catch the sheer panic on her face.

Meg doesn’t resist, though her body is stiff as concrete, her feet dragging slightly as the two head toward the safety of the castle. She’s not even trying to hide how shaken she is. It’s so unlike her that it makes my chest tighten.

Once their scent fades into the distance, I turn my attention back to the minotaur.

He’s still staring after Meg, nostrils flaring as he sniffs the air, completely fixated on something he doesn’t yet fully understand.

But I know that look—the primal, overpowering, hunger that comes from instincts left unchecked. That raw, unbridled need when every fiber of your being is suddenly screaming mine. It’s all-consuming and impossible to reason with.

I know it because I’ve felt it—this pull, like something deep inside me clicked into place. The first time I saw my Julia, it hit me like a thunderclap, obliterating every thought except the desperate urge to claim her, protect her, make her mine in every sense of the word. It wasn’t love—well, not at first. Love came later, softer and deeper, as I got to know her sharp tongue, her defiant heart, and the gentleness she hides beneath her walls. Yet, that first moment, that visceral intensity, it was pure instinct, and it terrified me how little control I had over it.

That’s why I recognize the minotaur’s gaze now. He’s trapped in that moment, unable to see anything beyond the haze of desire, a prisoner to the monstrous nature his captors have forced him to embrace. Where I had the chance to grow beyond it, he doesn’t even know there’s anything more. I feel for him, but that behavior is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated here.

The minotaur’s pulse eventually slows, but he’s still trembling with unspent energy as he fights internally to contain himself. His wild gaze follows their retreating forms, and I step into his line of sight, forcing him to look at me instead.

His ears twitch, but he doesn’t move, locking eyes with me, his breaths harsh and guttural.

“Breathe.” I step closer, though I remain ready to defend myself if he snaps again. “You’re not a beast anymore. You’re free. But freedom comes with rules. Do you understand me?”

He growls low in his throat, the sound vibrating in the air between us.

“You’ve been kept like an animal, trained to act on instinct, to take what you want.” I pause, keeping my voice steady. “But that’s over. Here, we’re better than that. You want to stay? You learn control—and you learn it fast.”

His breathing begins to even out, though the tension in his frame remains.

“Do you even know what you were doing just now?”

He huffs, his eyes narrowing as though my question confuses him.

“You were about to hurt her. She didn’t choose you.” I lean closer, holding his gaze. “You think that’s how it works? You don’t take without consent. Not here. Not ever.”

He growls again, his fists tightening further, but there’s a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

“It’s going to be hard. It’s going to take time. But you can’t live like this anymore. And if you want to be more than a weapon, you have to stop letting your instincts rule you.”

The minotaur exhales sharply, the sound almost like a snort, and his broad shoulders slump slightly, his gaze dropping to the ground. It’s not submission—not fully—but it’s something.

“Go cool off,” I tell him. “And stay away from her.”

He hesitates for a moment. Then, with a grunt, he turns and lumbers away, vanishing into the forest at the edge of the Veil. I’m concerned he’s about to run away, but he’s smart enough to stay within its borders, hiding out in the shadows."

I let out a breath, the tension in my chest easing slightly, and my claws finally retract.

The gargoyle is staring at me—I can feel his eyes burning into me. “That could’ve gone worse.”

I don’t respond. I don’t stare back. Because if I do, his head will be flying a few feet away after meeting my fist. I simply turn toward the castle, where Julia is waiting for me, just inside the doorway.

She gives me a look—part relief, part concern—and I quickly approach her, asking, “How’s Meg?”

“Pretty shaken up,” she admits, leaning into me for warmth. “It brought up some memories from her past—things she wishes she’d never remembered. But she’s a fighter. She’ll pull through.”

I silently vow to make sure the minotaur never gets another chance to act like that again. Not around her. Not around anyone.

I exhale deeply, my claws flexing unconsciously at my sides. “He’s not a… I know it looked horrific. He was kept as a monster, most likely his whole life. That’s all he’s ever known—what they made him into.”

Julia sighs, the sadness in her expression mirrored in the way her hand trails gently along my arm. “That’s awful. No one should have to live like that.” She pauses, her fingers tightening slightly. “It was scary, though.”

I nod with an apologetic look. “Julia, he saved me out there. I want to give him a chance. I owe him that.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“If you trust him, I trust him.” She smiles faintly and nuzzles against my chest, her touch soothing in ways she probably doesn’t even realize. “But maybe it’s best if he stays away from Meg. At least until he learns some manners.”

“Of course,” I agree. “I’ll make sure of it. I hope she knows we won’t let anything happen to her.”

“She does,” Julia says, her voice soft but certain, then cranes her neck to look at me. “Do you think they’re mates? Satan hinted her mate was coming.”

I consider the question for a moment. “Well, I’m not sure how it works for minotaurs. We thought they were extinct for so long that I’ll need to brush up on my literature. But judging by the way he looked at her…” I halt my words as the memory of that primal, desperate need surfaces again. “Yes. Most definitely. From his side.”

“Damn,” Julia murmurs with a wry grin. “It’s not going to be easy for him. She’s… not really into the whole furry thing.”

I can’t help the low chuckle that escapes me. “Oh yeah? Is she giving you a hard time?”

“You have no idea,” she replies, shaking her head. There’s a playful twinkle in her eyes, but I can see the hint of exhaustion too. The weight of everything she’s endured still lingers on her shoulders.

“Well,” I say, sliding my hands to her waist and pulling her tighter against me, “I’m glad you are… into the furry thing.”

Before she can quip back, I sweep her up, her legs wrapping around my waist as her arms circle my neck.

“Alex!” She laughs, her head tilting back as her curls cascade down like a river of fire.

“What?” I ask innocently, with what probably is the stupidest smirk on my face. Then I add, “You still having those cramps?”

She snorts, rolling her eyes, but leans in closer, her forehead pressing gently against mine. “You’re incorrigible.”

I’m still fucking her on her period, I don’t care. Nothing about her could ever make me want her less. That sexy body is all mine.

“Only for you, my Queen,” I murmur, my voice dipping lower as I cradle her against me.

Her laughter fades into something softer, her eyes locking with mine, and for a moment, the chaos of the world outside the Veil seems to melt away.