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to deal with.”

 
Chapter 4
     
     
    B riony looked from Fallon over to Josh, trying to judge the werewolf king’s expression. Josh was impossible to read right then though.
                “When you say ‘deal with the vampires’…” Briony said.
                “I mean that we can destroy them,” Josh replied, apparently unconcerned that Fallon was right there. “There is the power in Palisor to destroy all of them, if only we have the courage to unleash it. If only we have the strength to do what we need to do for both our worlds.”
                “ All the vampires?” Briony asked.
                Josh nodded. “All of them, all at once. Imagine it, Briony.”
                Oh, she was imagining it, all right, and with some vampires, the thought of them being gone just like that was an appealing one. If they had a way to stop Pietre, for example… Yet the way Josh put it, it sounded like they wouldn’t be able to choose which vampires were killed. Which meant that Fallon would be every bit as vulnerable. And what about George, down at the diner? What about Jake ? Her brother might be half werewolf, but he still had plenty of vampire blood in him. Could Josh really be suggesting something that might kill Jake?
                Briony stared at him, trying to understand how he could say it. Trying to work out what he had planned. Josh just stood there, looking like he was enjoying her gaze on him, and seeming as comfortable in the opulence of the palace as if he’d been born to it.
                “This is why you talked me into bringing you over into Palisor, isn’t it? You’ve known about this all along?”
                Josh nodded. “I’ve known what the prophecy says, and I’ve known what we need to do to bring about the end of the vampires. I’ve known what we need to do ever since I first found out what you were.”
                “And what’s that, Josh?” Briony demanded. “What do you think we need to do? What have you been planning all this time? Why did you really come to Palisor?”
                Josh smiled then, and it seemed such a simple, straightforward smile. Yet Briony knew there was nothing either simple or straightforward about the werewolf king.
                “Isn’t it obvious, Briony?” he asked. “I came here to marry you.”
                “What?” Briony said in simple shock. “No! No way! I mean… you can’t actually mean that, Josh. Why would you possibly think that I’d marry you?”
                That made a spark of annoyance flicker across Josh’s features.
                “And why would you want to marry me?” Briony added. “I thought you were the one guy around me who genuinely wasn’t interested in me that way.”
                Josh laughed then. “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far, Briony. Those pheromones you put out are pretty appealing, especially to an alpha male drawn to a mate, and you’re a beautiful girl. I’m not blind.”
                “Yet,” Fallon said softly from Briony’s side. He clearly didn’t like the way the conversation was going.
                Josh took a step forward. “Don’t threaten me, vampire. Not here. I’m a werewolf in Palisor. You know what that means? One bite. One tiny bite, and it’s over. And even if that didn’t do it, who do you think the Hugtandalfer would side with? Me or you?”
                “I think they’d side with their queen, Josh,” Briony said, pushing him back with one hand. “So you need to stop trying to pick fights with people I care about. You haven’t even answered my question yet. Why would you think we’re going to get married?”
                “Because you want the vampires stopped as much as I do,” Josh said. He caught Briony’s pushing hand and held it, turning it over to lower his