I laughed. “Good! I need all the support I can get.”
“You’ll be fine, Pet,” he whispered in my ear as we reached the table. Lucian pulled out the chair beside Bash and I took a seat. He bowed to me and dipped his head in a show of respect to Bash. “I must make the rounds. I’ll see you both later.” With that, Lucian disappeared through the crowd, leaving me alone with Bash.
“He looks good,” Bash noted as he watched Lucian go.
“Yeah,” I mumbled, “but I still need to figure out what I need to do to get him freed from Sheunta Village.”
Bash nodded. “Baby steps, Mackenzie. Everything in due time.”
I knew he was right, but it was still frustrating. I wanted to fix everything right now, but it just wasn’t possible.
Bash and I huddled together for the next hour at the table, talking about how we felt with the Blood Moon now out. We could feel the extra boost of strength coursing through our veins, which made it feel even more strange because we weren’t shifting and taking advantage of it.
“Princess …?”
A gruff voice interrupted our conversation and I peered over my shoulder to see Callum from the Council standing behind me. He was tall, with a broad frame and dark hair that matched his eyes. He was wearing a kilt just like Alexander, though the colors were slightly different. I still didn’t know what the different colors meant. When I asked Alexander about it, he said they represented different clans, but I didn’t ask him to explain further. I needed to add that to my ever-expanding list of things to learn about in the near future.
“Yes, Callum?” I twisted around in my seat and craned my neck to look up at him. I would stand, but my feet were already aching because of these damn heels.
“I thought we might talk … outside the council room,” he suggested, looking behind me to Bash as if implying in private.
“He stays.” I motioned to the seat beside me. “Have a seat.”
Callum straightened and cleared his throat, the picture of ruffled dignity. “I would rather stand.”
“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. “What do you want?”
Callum squinted his eyes and all feigned pleasantness disappeared from his face in a blink. “We are wasting resources on extra security because of yer so-called threat and it’s time we stop with the nonsense, lass. Everything has been fine – not even a whisper has been detected. If anyone is coming, they’re coming for ye, not for the King.” He pointed at me accusingly, his gnarled fingers trembling with rage.
Bash growled behind me and I held up a hand to stop him. We weren’t going to make a scene in the ballroom because of this buffoon. There were too many people around.
“Interesting,” I mused. “Is that all?”
His face turned beet red and he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly like a fish out of water, but no sound came out.
“I guess so,” I dismissed him with a shrug. “Okay, I’ll take what you said into consideration. Nice chat.” I smiled sweetly and started to turn away and continue my conversation with Bash when his meaty hand clamped down on my shoulder, his fingernails digging into my skin.
“I’m nae done with ye yet!” he snarled.
Bash kicked his chair back in his haste to stand, grabbing Callum’s wrist from my shoulder and twisting it at an odd angle.
“Hands off the Princess,” he growled. I felt his anger seeping from his pores.
Callum groaned in pain and Bash pushed him away, releasing his hold and standing beside me like a rabid bodyguard. Eyes started to turn our way and whispers made their way across the ballroom.
This was exactly what I wanted to avoid, but it was funny how it was Bash who lost his cool and not me.
One point for Kenzie!
“What is it that you want from me, Callum?” I asked, making my voice sound bored. In reality, I was itching to leave and get away from the prying eyes that stalked our every move.
Callum stepped forward menacingly, but Bash took an answering step toward him and the Council member backed away.
“I want ye to talk to yer father about lowering security. He obviously does nae listen to his council anymore, but he’ll listen to ye,” he snapped, disgust lacing his tone like he thought of me as nothing more than the dirt beneath his shoe.
I gave a dramatic sigh and stood, carefully adjusting my dress. “Only because your feelings are obviously hurt and I want to appease your fragile male ego, I will speak with Alexander. But,” I emphasized the word, “if anything happens because we did as you suggested, it’ll be on your head. Quite literally.” I ran a finger across my neck to drive the idea home.
He looked murderous, but instead of answering or even saying thank you, he stormed away, leaving me standing there with a bunch of onlookers and Alexander standing by his throne looking my way. Of course he heard my little exchange with Callum, because we’re wolves and we had sensitive hearing. The whole damn ballroom must have heard me.
I reached for Bash’s hand and tugged him forward. “Let’s get out of here,” I whispered.
Without hesitation, Bash ushered me out of the ballroom and we practically raced down the castle hallways on the way to our rooms, hampered by the tight fit of my dress and my wobbly heels. We walked in silence toward the guest wing and I heard some of the King’s Guard trailing us as our security detail.
I tried to walk faster, but my dress was too tight around my thighs, which drastically limited my movements. Bash finally looked over at me and stopped walking, swooped me up in his arms, and hustled toward the guest wing with long, purposeful strides.
“Who’s lacking patience now?” I joked, but when I received a growl in response, I shut up.
When we reach the guest wing, Bash kicked the doors open, walked in, and slams them shut behind us with his foot as the guards take their posts on either side of the door. He strode toward our bedroom with single-minded purpose; once we were inside, he closed the door and placed me on my feet. Before I could turn around to face him, Bash ripped the beautiful dress apart from the back.
I let out a little shriek in surprise as the dark green mermaid dress fell to my feet in soft tatters, leaving me standing there in my undergarments. I spun around to face Bash with surprise etched on my features. When I saw his look of desire, I hastily kicked off my heels. He pulled me toward his chest and I grabbed onto the lapels of his tuxedo the instant before his lips crashed onto mine in a frenzy of pent-up emotion. We walked backward toward the bed and I tugged his bowtie loose as he removed his suit jacket, leaving both piled on the floor. I started unbuttoning his shirt and got about three buttons loose before he tossed me onto the bed.
“Bash …” I murmured as he crawled toward me in just his perfectly pressed black slacks.
“Hmm?” He trailed his lips from my leg, up my thigh, and up my abdomen until he hovered over me.
“You shouldn’t have torn up my dress,” I offered lamely as he kissed along the sensitive spot on my neck, making me moan.
“I’ve been dying to get you out of it all night,” he breathed against my neck.
“What if Alexander asks us to go back?” I asked softly, my thoughts scattered and trying vainly to focus.
“He won’t.” Bash grinned as his hand slipped between my thighs. I arched my back, losing all control, and happily gave myself over to him.
A knock at the door stirred me awake and I tightened my hold on Bash as I’m draped across his bare chest. I cracked one eye open to see it was already morning. Bash’s arm stiffened around me and he glided his hand up and down my naked back.
“How long have you been awake?” I grumbled against his chest.
“I just woke up,” he said as he kissed the top of my head. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” I smiled in response just as someone knocked on the door again. “Be right out!” I yelled.
I reluctantly rolled off Bash and off the bed, crossing the room to grab my robe draped across the back of the armchair by the balcony door. I shrugge
d into it and tied the belt, then looked over at Bash to make sure he was covered up before I opened the door.
“Yes?” I answered the door to find one of the King’s Guard standing before me.
He blushed at the sight of me. “Princess, yer father is requesting yer presence in the council room.”
I rested my head against the door. “Really? Now? What time is it?”
The guard cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. I probably had sex hair. “It’s eight in the morning, Princess.”
I sighed. “Well, damn. Can I at least have some brekkie?”
He shook his head apologetically. “No, Princess. Ye must go now.”
“Fuck. Okay, let me get dressed.” He nodded respectfully and I closed the door.
“Council meeting?” Bash asked as he leaned against the cushioned headboard, the bedsheet covering his very naked lower body.
“Yeah, probably about what happened last night.” I stumbled over to my closet and started picking out some clothes.
“Well, you better hurry. You know they don’t like it when you make them wait.”
“I don’t care,” I retorted from the walk-in closet, which was expansive enough to be considered another bedroom. “I’m taking a shower first. I’m not going in there smelling like sex.”
“You’re stirring the pot, Mackenzie,” Bash sang.
I poked my head out of the closet. “The only reason you’re saying that is because you just want to mark your territory, so hush. I’m showering, and that’s final. They can wait.”
It took me a scant twenty minutes to shower, get dressed, and make my way to the council room, escorted by the guard who came to get me this morning. I felt anxiety rolling off him in waves because I made him wait. While I kind of felt bad for him, hygiene was important to me.
The guard stepped past me and reached for the double doors, opening them to let me into the room. Everyone was already in their assigned seats, grumbling about my tardiness, but I walked in with my head held high and a megawatt smile plastered on my face. I sat beside Alexander, feeling chagrined because I knew my antics were giving him unnecessary gray hairs.
“Now we can commence,” Alexander announced as he straightened in his seat. He stabbed a finger on the mahogany table and demanded, “I want to know what happened last night. Who caused a scene?”
Everyone stayed quiet, studiously avoiding eye contact with each other.
What a bunch of pussies.
I rolled my eyes. “For Christ’s sake,” I muttered, then shifted in my chair to face him. “Alexander, it has been brought to my attention that maybe we should lower security in the village since we have encountered no proof of a threat.”
“Who is it that brought this to yer attention?” he demanded, his gray eyes flashing.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. If they want to risk the safety of the village, let them.”
“Princess …” Ranulf argued, but I held up a hand.
“I don’t want to cause discord within the Council.” I took a moment to scrutinize the face of every person situated around the table. “But when tragedy strikes, and it will, just remember this face.” I pointed to my face, knowing I looked smug as hell.
Callum grunted, “We’ll be fine.”
I grinned. “Sure you will.”
Alexander looked uncertain. Unlike his council, he believed me and knew there was truth in the looming threat, which made him realize relaxing our security protocols was a very bad idea, especially this close to my coronation. But I gave him a reassuring look.
“All in favor?” Alexander asked. Everyone minus me and Ranulf said aye. “Very well. We will reduce the security in the village.”
Jacob grunted, “Finally! We can take on whomever tries to threaten us.” The others around the table agreed with his bluster, puffing their chests out in turn.
I snorted derisively. “Not this Lycan. Even I couldn’t take him.”
Jacob laughed, the sound sharp and grating. “Yer just a luna!” The rest of the Council laughed with him, sharing in their mutual disregard that a luna could possibly be a fierce fighter.
Alexander held out a hand to stop me when I made a move to rise, and Ranulf gave me a very stern look, but I simply couldn’t help myself.
“Really?” I cut into the laughter. “Because I’m a luna, you think I’m helpless?”
Don’t they remember my fight against the Wendigo? I’m a total badass! The memory of that fight should be explanation enough of my prowess. Not to toot my own horn and all, but you know, toot toot, bitch.
“Do ye really think yer stronger than any of us, Princess?” Finlay asked, dismissing me as a joke.
Maybe I was too arrogant for my own good sometimes, but maybe it was just confidence. Yeah, let’s go with that.
“I think I can take you all on. Want to give it a try?” I leaned forward expectantly, placing my elbows on the table with an unconcealed gleam of excitement in my eyes.
“I got one even better,” Jacob declared, obviously finding this all very entertaining. The old bastard. “My grandson is the best fighter the village has seen in twenty years. Think ye can fight him?”
“No!” Alexander roared, slapping a palm on the table. “There will be no fighting. Mackenzie is a princess and will nae level herself to—”
“Bring it on, boomer!” I yelled, the adrenaline pumping in my veins and clearing out any rational thought I may once have had.
The men of the Council glanced at each other, asking what a ‘boomer’ was, and I wanted to slap my forehead. Sometimes I was still too human.
“Mackenzie!” Alexander looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “This is nae the behavior of a princess.”
“Listen to yer father, Princess,” Ranulf urged calmly, ever the voice of reason.
I shrugged at them both. “It’s just a little harmless fun. What’s the worst that can happen?”
I looked over at Jacob, who sat there looking satisfied, like Christmas came early for him. He thought he was about to teach the Princess a lesson.
Sorry old man. It’ll be the other way around.
After the Council meeting, I grabbed Bash from the guest wing and we headed to the south side of the castle. Where the rest of the castle was pristine and elegant, the south side was like entering a different world entirely, eerily reminiscent of what I liked to call dungeon chic. The walls were made of chipped stone covered in smudges of dirt, further accented by a dank, moldy smell that didn’t exactly scream Welcome! There were few windows and the dim lighting made it difficult to see, but at least we weren’t underground.
We pushed through a set of heavy doors studded with heavy iron hinges and a burst of light shone in our eyes as we entered the Guard’s Tower—an open, circular space where the King’s Guard practiced and trained. The moment we entered the south tower of the castle, I heard the metallic glint of steel hitting steel and deep growls coming from the guards in the midst of their sparring sessions. An immense rack was mounted to the far wall that bristled with weapons ranging from wicked knives to heavy broadswords and so much more.
Bash didn’t ask any questions when I stole him from our room without explanation, but now he asked, “What are we doing here?”
“So … I’ve been challenged,” I said quickly without looking at him, focusing my gaze on a set of daggers as I trailed my fingers over the solid wood hilts.
“What?” he exclaimed. “By who?” Bash grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.
I gave a ponderous sigh as if I wasn’t pleased at how things had played out. “Jacob from the Council suggested that I spar with his grandson. Supposedly, he’s the best fighter in the village.” Though I tried to play it down, excitement unfurled in my belly and I was already anticipating the fight. The suspense was killing me.
“Let me be your champion, Mackenzie,” Bash proposed.
I started to laugh. “Oh, Bash. Let’s not do this again.” I gently tugged my arm from his
grasp. “It’ll be fine! Quick and easy.” I didn’t know that for sure, but I felt compelled to reassure him. For all I knew, Jacob’s grandson was a beast. I kinda hoped he was. It had been a while since I fought, and I needed a challenge.
“Princess!” Liam, one of the guards who was assigned to shadow me, came running toward us wearing only a pair of shorts. His hair was wet and sweat glistened on his chest where he had been sparring with another guard. “What are ye doing here?” he asked, a little out of breath.
“She was challenged,” Bash said, clearly disappointed. “By Jacob. He’s using his grandson.”
Liam whistled. “William? He’s an animal. Princess, I’ll gladly take yer place.” He placed a fist over his heart and bowed his head in loyalty.
I liked Liam. Though he didn’t often speak, I could tell he was a good guy. In true Scottish fashion, he boasted a full head of strawberry blond hair with bright green eyes to match. Broad and muscular, he was all business.
“Don’t bother,” Bash grumbled. “I’ve already tried.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Liam urged, “Princess, please. William will nae take it easy on ye.”
That was what I was hoping for, but I couldn’t necessarily tell them that. Bash would lose his shit, and well … I didn’t know about Liam. My skin felt itchy and I just needed to blow off some steam. So what if I got my ass kicked? Maybe it would do me some good. All I knew was I couldn’t back down now, not even if I wanted to. It was too late for that. I gave my word and my word was my bond. The only way I would ever gain the Council’s respect was to fight—and I couldn’t do that with a champion. Maybe they would finally shut up after this.
“Both of you, relax.” I gave each of them a comforting pat on the shoulder. “I got this.”
I heard the groan of the heavy doors and when I turned to look, I saw the full Council stroll into the Guard’s Tower. Jacob stood in the center of their group with someone I didn’t recognize. The newcomer was around my age, maybe a year or two older, with a buzz cut. He was already shirtless, confidently making his way through the tower like he’d been there many times before.
Queen of the Lycan Page 3
