Chapter 17: The Alphas Arrive

The Alphas of Highcross, Stonefall and Dunmere rode in on the same grey afternoon.

Each came with forty wolves at his back and a reason to dislike me.

Odessa's letter had said I was a witch who had bewitched the king and burned his hand.

The packs had read it, and they had come to see the witch hang.

The king gave a feast to receive them.

He put me at the foot of the high table, beside Ewan, in a clean grey gown.

"Your Majesty," said the Alpha of Highcross, before the soup was cleared. "Is that her?"

He was a broad red man with a beard.

He had not stopped looking at me since he sat down.

"That is Linnet Marwood," said Lucan.

"The one who put wolfsbane in the heir's cup."

"The one who took it out."

"So you say." The Alpha leaned back.

"Alpha Aldous is a sorrowful man tonight, Your Majesty."

"He tells me his younger girl has always been a liar and a thief."

Across the hall, my father sat among the Marwood wolves with his eyes on his plate.

He had not looked at me once.

Beside him, empty, was Odessa's chair.

"Your sorrow does you credit, Alpha," Lucan said evenly. "Let the packs judge at the Winter Moon."

"They will. I only want to know why I should sit at a table with a poisoner."

I put down my spoon.

"You won't have to for long," I said. "Your son is hurt."

The whole table went quiet.

Beside the Alpha sat a pale young man of twenty with his right sleeve rolled to the elbow.

The skin under it was shiny and grey, in the stripes a silver blade leaves.

"That is a silver wound," I said. "Months old. It hasn't closed since the day it was cut."

"How would you know?" said the Alpha, half rising.

"He's been wrapped in iron cloth, and it weeps through the cuff. He hasn't lifted a cup in that hand all night."

The young man's face changed.

"Give me your arm," I said, "or don't. It's your choice."

The Alpha looked at his son.

The young man looked at the king.

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