“Say exactly what you mean,” I clipped. I didn’t need him to spell it out, but I wanted him to make his position abundantly clear. There would be no dancing around words. If he was turning his back on me, he’d better turn it real fucking well.

Dade’s upper lip curled. “If you go after this mate of yours, then you betray us all.”

Unbelievable.

While I understood his concerns, they were not warranted. Hating that I had to, I tried to keep my temper in check as I grasped at whatever I could to keep this from happening. “You said it yourself. Wistensia is in no position to be warring with us, and they damned well know it.”

Dade raised a brow. “You’re certain of this, are you?” When I didn’t answer, he laughed, his words growing growled. “For you must be when you know we are at our weakest, yet you still wish to skip across the Night Sea to anger another king by stealing his wife.”

“And whose fault is that?” I growled back, entirely done with treading lightly and this conversation. “For years, I’ve done everything you wanted. I’ve killed. I’ve robbed. I’ve captured. I’ve burned livelihoods and homes to the ground. All for this kingdom. All for you,” I seethed. “So forgive me for not giving one single fuck about keeping the peace when you are the one who encouraged me to disturb it so fucking thoroughly.”

The room shook with his rage—with his need to put me in my place.

My blood roared and pressed at my skin. My flesh groaned. Every sense sharpened as the shift awaited the last trigger to unleash. I grinned, ready and hungry for it. “We both know I’ve followed your every command because I chose to, you pompous asshole, not because I had to. So you just go right ahead…”

Claws unsheathed from Dade’s hands, his eyes glowing a lupine blue as his own wolf rose to the surface, ready to take over.

“Come on, now.” I rounded the table slowly. “It’s the only way if you wish to stop me.” I let the gathered heat beneath my veins unfurl with my claws, rippling shadow encircling us both.

“Let him go.”

We both froze mid-change. Muscle protested, and my skin swelled.

Opal entered the war room, her apricot skirts bundled in her hands as she looked between us and sighed. “She might be someone else’s queen, but she is his mate, Daden. She returned to Vordane because she knows who and what she wants, despite the gargantuan risks.” Opal walked closer to her mate. “You must let him try to find a way.”

Dade, stiff and still glowering at me, said nothing.

Then she hit him hard with her soft question. “Would you want someone to stop you?”