He’d completed his junior training—and a year earlier than what was expected. Most assumed it was because he wanted to keep up with Ryon, who was a couple of years older than Hel’s twelve years, and he never bothered correcting them.

They might suspect, but no one would know that the young wolf with one blue and green eye was an alpha hiding in plain sight. Though Hel had figured it out years ago when he began training to one day join Vordane’s royal legions, he was content with the way things were.

He was also well aware that there was no kingdom left for him to claim. Any survivors from Wistensia—if they hadn’t in the years prior to the tower’s downfall—had since scattered across both Sinshell and Vordane. There were likely not enough to claim as his own.

And given all they’d been through, I’d made it abundantly clear that a good ruler would simply leave his people be to enjoy a hard-gained peace.

Aster laughed and fussed over Hel’s long hair when he set her down. He stood still and let her smooth the black locks over his broadening shoulders. Already half a head taller than her, I was expecting he would grow taller than me.

“You need to bathe,” Aster said, her nose crinkling.

“I know.” He kissed her cheek and grabbed his gear, then bounded from the apartment. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Make sure you’re on time,” I warned.

“Always am,” he sang back.

I scoffed.

Aster looked at the door Helvectus had slammed closed behind him, her lip between her teeth. “Do you think he truly wishes to join?”

Nowadays, Vordane’s wolves were given the choice to join Dade’s legions of warriors. Most still did, being that it was ingrained within us to serve and protect, and therefore hard to ignore the desire. Aster worried, as the next phase of training Hel would enter in a few weeks meant he was signing on for a future as a warrior of Vordane. A commitment she feared he was too young to make.

She wasn’t a wolf, and therefore I couldn’t make her understand. I could only reassure her.

I plucked the paintbrushes from her hand and dumped them onto the closest table, then I took her by the waist. “He does.”

“You’re sure?” Grasping my arms, she blinked up at me, wholly unaware, or perhaps uncaring, that she had a giant blue smudge of paint upon her cheek.

Smirking, I nodded as I licked my thumb and gently rubbed her skin.

She scowled. “I told them to tell me when that happens.”

“And you expect a bunch of younglings to actually do such a thing?” A roll of her eyes had me tilting her chin so I could fuse her lips to mine.