The Wolf King

Callum says he thought of her constantly while away and promises not to leave her again. Aurora reminds herself that he intends to trade her for the Heart of the Moon, but Callum insists he will find another way. She kisses him. He asks her to remove Blake’s collar, which she throws across the room in shame.

Later that night, they eat in his bed. He is nearly healed. Aurora explains what happened during his absence, including her suspicion that Isla stole his collar. Callum asks about a note, revealing he wrote one before leaving that she never received. He promises to speak with Isla.

Callum explains he avoided saying goodbye in person because he felt he was losing control to his inner wolf around her. He promised not to touch her because she is his prisoner and cannot truly consent without freedom, but Aurora tells him she chose to come and has never felt freer. She tells him to stop being a gentleman, to which he whispers he will happily oblige.

Callum kisses Aurora in different spots on her body, asking teasingly if he’s behaving like a gentleman. Eventually, he removes her underwear and performs oral sex on her.

Aurora attempts to initiate sex, but he refuses for now. He explains his boundary: He will give to her but will not take from her. They lie down. Aurora instead asks about the Wolf King. Callum explains James was ambushed by an unusually large and well-armed force of Sebastian’s soldiers. Aurora worries about what will happen when James learns about her presence there, and she dreams of wolf eyes watching her through trees.

The next morning, Callum is pensive. He has brought Aurora two dresses: a simple white one and a striking black one. Aurora chooses the white dress to appear innocent and demure. Aurora notices Blake’s collar on the floor and decides to return it.

Aurora enters Blake’s chambers without knocking. He infers that she and Callum have been intimate and proceeds to tease and provoke her until she slaps him. As she leaves, Blake criticizes her white dress and advises that the Wolf King, James, likes his women bold.

Aurora returns to Callum’s chambers and asks if he regrets what happened between them. Callum denies any regret but explains he is worried about the meeting with James, who might not be pleased by their relationship. James will know about their intimacy because Callum’s scent is all over her, and she has no time to wash. They prepare to meet James.

Callum and Aurora walk to the Great Hall. He is uncharacteristically quiet. Troubled by Blake’s words, Aurora asks about the kind of women the Wolf King likes. Callum mentions a former lover, Claire, was fiery, confirming Blake’s advice. Aurora runs back and changes into a striking black dress, stunning Callum.

They enter the Great Hall, which is full of wolves. A large wooden throne sits on a platform where alphas are standing, including Blake, now elegantly dressed. Aurora tells Callum she hit Blake; Callum is surprised Blake allowed it, mentioning Blake’s deadly reputation and past in the King’s Guard.

The music changes, and the Wolf King makes his entrance. All the wolves kneel except Aurora. James walks to the platform, his eyes landing on her, and says it is customary to kneel before a king.

Following Blake’s advice to be bold, Aurora refuses. The hall erupts. Callum steps protectively in front of Aurora. James addresses Callum as his brother. Callum follows him through a door behind the throne, leaving Aurora alone on the platform with Blake.

Blake jokes he did not expect Aurora to challenge James’s claim to the throne and explains the Wolf King title is won through challenge and political support, not inherited. James’s father was the first Wolf King. When the position opened, Callum had enough clan support to potentially win the challenge against James, but he forfeited. This weakened James’s claim and created tension between the brothers.

Callum summons Aurora and Blake into an antechamber where James is seated. James confronts Aurora about the men who died in battle. He asks if Sebastian has the Heart of the Moon, then yells that he can smell Callum’s scent on her, which will ruin any trade.

Callum and James argue about trading her, but Aurora intervenes, asserting she is more useful as a strategist than a bargaining chip. Blake interjects that Aurora came willingly. James suddenly agrees to keep her, announcing a feast for that night, but she feels he was persuaded too easily. As he leaves, he gives Aurora a calculating look that makes her and Blake wary.

A feast is held in the Great Hall that night, where Aurora notes the hostile eyes on her. Callum has been in meetings all day and is now deep in conversation with James. Blake sits beside Aurora, seemingly drunk, and offers her whisky. He reveals Magnus and his friends are incapacitated with food poisoning and implies he used a vial of poison he previously took from her in the kitchens.

Later, a drunk Aurora flirts with Callum at the table. She asks him to pleasure her again as he did the previous night. He refuses, though tempted, and asks her to dance instead. On the dance floor, Aurora feels truly happy and free for the first time. Callum sees Fiona, who appears tense, and goes to speak to her. Blake asks Aurora to dance.

Aurora is suspicious, but he tells her he is playing a game and challenges her to play along to see if she can win. Tempted, she accepts his hand. He leads her in the Dance of the Dawn, a formal Southlands dance. She tries and fails to guess his past, amusing him.

Aurora recognizes the melody as the lullaby her mother sang to her and realizes it is the same tune she once hummed to Blake. He claims it is a wolf melody. He holds her fast when she tries to leave, warning that everyone, including James, is watching. Blake tells Aurora she is in danger and insists the dance is part of his game.

Callum suddenly scoops Aurora up, gives her a hard, claiming kiss, and carries Aurora from the hall. He tells Ryan to guard her door while he attends to business. Later, Aurora wakes to Callum with his hand over her mouth. He helps her get dressed and notices her scarred back in the darkness before fastening her cloak.

They sneak through servant corridors to the entrance hall, where Blake blocks their escape. Aurora convinces him to step aside, urging them to run. In the courtyard, Fiona waits with a packed horse. As they flee, Callum reveals James has sent a messenger to Sebastian—the feast was a lie, and James intends to trade Aurora for the Heart of the Moon. Callum declares he is taking her to his home, Highfell.

Callum and Aurora ride through the night. He asks how she got the scars on her back. She reluctantly explains that the High Priest beat her as a cleansing when she was sick as a child, like her mother.

The next morning, Aurora has a hangover. He explains they are taking a week-long, secret route because James will have sent wolves along the main route, the Northern Pass. Callum believes James will give up the chase after a few days to avoid making an enemy of him, but James will likely pretend to have Aurora to lure Sebastian into a trap. They ride without stopping until nightfall.

They make camp by a loch. Tense, Aurora asks about his jealousy seeing her dance with Blake. Callum worries she wouldn’t like him under normal circumstances. When she disagrees, they discuss what they like about each other. Aurora becomes emotional, saying no one has ever complimented anything but her looks. Callum says he wants to know everything about her and she is no longer his prisoner.