The Darkest Wolves - A.K. Koonce Page 0,17

Avian’s sweet little attitude to the floor by now, not discussing hardware.

“Hell’s kingdom is made up of many races, but hellhounds and wolves like yourself are the majority. Demons and hell fae coexist with us, but the Prince will not take disrespect. And so you need to learn his few common clicks.” Avian takes a few steps closer to me, and the more he explains, the more annoyed I’m becoming.

“He clicks at hellhounds?” My left eyebrow is so high it’s ready to jump ship at any moment.

“Yes.” Avian nods, and a strand of his dark hair falls over his bright silver eyes.

My teeth grind, and I try so damn hard to just listen. If I just hold my tongue, surely this won’t really be as demeaning as I’m imagining it.

Avian smiles.

I force a smile.

Then he ruins it all when he speaks.

“The first click we learn will be sit.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

“What? What’s wrong?” Avian’s hand skims my elbow lightly, and it’s hard for me to not take my frustration out on him.

Roman was right: I need to listen more. I need to just listen.

I focus as I exhale ever so slowly. “Nothing.” I calm myself with another breath. “I’m fine. Please continue.”

Somehow I stop myself from flinging my body to the floor and kicking and screaming about the patriarchy and bigots.

I smile.

Avian smiles.

“Today we’ll practice sit and silence.”

My wide eyes widen impossibly more as I literally bite my cheek and smile even harder like a lunatic.

“We’ll do kneel and fetch tonight after the dinner.”

Kneel. Fetch. Kneel. And fetch.

What. The. Fuck.

“Nope,” I blurt. “Can’t do it.” I’m striding to the door within half a second, and I nearly fall face first when he flashes in front of me with a spark of dark embers.

They’re faster here as well as stronger. Do they even realize it?

“What are you doing?” His hands are around my shoulders, and I can’t even process how powerful this man is. He could snap my bones if he really wanted to. And I don’t give a single damn.

I’m too irate.

“Fetch? Are you fucking serious, Avian?!”

“You’re mad,” says the one man who I thought had some intelligence out of the three.

“Yes! I’m fucking mad!”

He nods like he’s absorbing that info as I spew it.

“Because…” His wide eyes are empty and searching as he tries to piece together this mysterious puzzle. “Because this training is…hard?” He phrases that uncertainty in such a confused way my mouth drops wide open.

“Seriously? I’m mad because it’s belittling, Av! Why the fuck would I fetch something for anyone! I’ve been blessed by the Goddess Moon herself!” Pain shoots through my jaw as I snap my mouth closed with force and determination. “I kneel and fetch for no one.”

His palms slide down my arms so slowly it shivers across my flesh with that single touch. His dark eyebrows pull together with a look of sadness.

When he speaks, it’s a heartbreaking sound. “Your Goddess means nothing in the kingdom of hell. Your ruler and master is one in the same. And if you wish to live, you’ll kneel when you’re told. And you’ll definitely fetch whatever he wants,” he whispers like it’s painful to say, and I notice how slowly he takes another little step closer to me.

We’re so close I have to peer up at him from beneath thick lashes. And it hurts to realize how right he is.

It hurts me. And it’s easy to see that it hurts him just as much.

This powerful man before me is a slave.

And now I am too.

Six

Touch Me

Two clicks sound through the room for what must be the millionth annoying time.

I seethe in silence. I say nothing. Because I’m too busy biting through the inside of my cheek.

“Good! Complete silence. Good girl,” Avian praises with an enormous oblivious smile.

Good. Girl.

This is my fucking life now.

His big palm pats my head affectionately, and I have to stop myself from nipping at his fingers with snapping rage.

The adorable condescending fucker.

He’s so smart. But he’s so, so damn blind to how much this training is pissing me off.

He sits on the edge of the bed with his legs spread wide as he prepares to click at me once more. If he tells me to sit one more time, I’m going to shove that clicker up his puppy ass.

His thumb lifts, and instead of waiting for the clicking instructions, I stride to him. He can’t see me of course, but he instantly notices the sound of my feet storming over the smooth