Page 68 of The Dark Prince
But then he jerked away, rolling and tumbling off the bed in an undignified heap.
“Are you alright?” I cried out, hurrying to the edge, afraid he’d been hurt or worse. I couldn’t move because my wrists were still bound to the bedpost. I growled and yanked as hard as I could, and the knot slipped free.
On the floor, Tyr crumpled in a heap, panting just as heavily as I was. He hiked his breeches back over himself and covered his face with shaking hands. After a moment, he faced me. The fur and claws had receded, leaving only a tired, dejected man behind.
“Sir Darius was like a father to me, raising and training me since I was a boy. In a lot of ways, he was much more of a father than—”
He cut himself off, looking devastated.
“More so than your actual father, the king,” I finished softly. I couldn’t be angry with him anymore.
“Gideon was my brother in all but blood.” Tyr crawled to the edge of the bed, taking my hand in his and nuzzling his face against it. “Everyone close to me will turn and die, Isadora. I can’t do that to you. I refuse to hurt you that way. I can’t let you any closer. Maddeus stopped me once before, but if anything happened to you because of me.…” Madness gleamed in his eyes.
I put my other hand in his hair, stroking softly. “It will never come to that,” I vowed.
“Please, Isadora. Please understand. I didn’t want to marry you. I didn’t want to marry anyone, but this … it’s the only good thing I’ve ever allowed myself. And I … I … it’s more than duty. It’s more than a need to see you provided for.”
I slid down from the bed into his lap, trying to shush him gently as he grew more and more disturbed.
“No, listen. I need to tell y-you t-this.”
His body trembled uncontrollably. I tried to hold him, but it only grew worse until it wracked his entire frame with tremors. He pushed me away violently.
“I-I n-need to s-say—” he choked out, focusing every fiber of his being on what he wanted to say to me.
“Tyr! What’s wrong? Should I—”
Then something grabbed my hair and yanked me back, pulling me off of Tyr. A blade was at my throat as my chin snapped up to see Aella in a fury. She hadn’t left. She’d grabbed her weapon back and waited for her chance to strike.
I was an idiot. Tyr and I were both fools, blinded by lust.I shouldn’t have encouraged the beast. We were both to blame.
“End this now, or I’ll slit her throat!” she cried out, and Tyr’s golden eyes went black.
“NO! You idiot—”I shrieked at Aella, but it was too late.
I had the power to calm the beast inside Tyr. He took criticism and verbal lashings with ease, fighting the monster back constantly. He fought off his own lust and wants, always successful. But at me before him with a blade to my neck, he lost whatever last grip on the frayed edges of his sanity. Seeing me threatened was too much.
Fur erupted from his skin, and all traces of gold left his eyes. His back hunched over as dozens of cracks pierced the air.
“TYR!” I screamed.
“G-GO!” he roared. “I l-llllloo!”
He screamed then, a tortured sound that morphed and twisted until it was the shriek of an animal. A howl cut through the room, and suddenly the beast from the woods was right there, in place of my husband. I elbowed Aella in the ribs and she coughed, dropping the knife and jerking back. My fingers found the dagger and wrapped around it, but I tucked it into a cloak pocket. There was no way I would ever use it on Tyr. I couldn’t.
Aella recovered and stood, staring at the beast that stood in Tyr’s place. I scrambled to my feet and stood in between her and the beast, my hands held helplessly out in front of me. “Tyr,” I whispered, tears falling onto my cheeks.
I took a step back.
The beast took one forward, saliva dripping from its mouth onto the floor.
I took another step back.
The beast took two steps forward. He growled low, menacing and deadly.
I heard Aella fumble with the door handle behind me. The moment I heard it open, I exploded into motion, shoving Aella through and yanking it shut with more strength than I thought possible.
“Isadora!”
