I couldn’t keep this to myself any longer. He was right; I was only insulting him by acting like there was nothing to tell. Bash was my partner in crime, my soulmate, my best freakin’ friend. If I couldn’t trust him, I couldn’t trust anyone.
I swallowed loudly. “They found fae magic,” I whispered so no one outside the room could possibly hear me.
At that admission, Bash finally turned his head to face me. “What?”
“You heard me,” I continued to whisper. “I don’t know how, and I don’t have any fae powers obviously, but Angus warned me to keep it a secret.”
Bash’s expression turned stony and his clear blue eyes were ablaze. “Mackenzie, I don’t think you understand the gravity of the situation,” he whispered back.
“I do,” I tried to nod. “I’m already a hybrid, and now I have fae magic in my blood. I’m a freakin’ circus freak.”
Bash shook his head slowly. “No, you don’t get it. If you have fae magic in your blood, that means you could possibly have a claim to their throne.”
I frowned, sure I misheard him. “What?”
He shifted on the bed and faced me fully, leaning forward. “Tell me exactly what happened. How did you give them your blood? What did they say? How did they find out?”
I took a couple deep breaths before speaking. I was still incredibly weak, but I pushed through, knowing I could collapse later. “Angus told me to meet him in Central Park. When I got there, he came out of the realm along with four other fae. They surrounded me in a circle and started chanting something in their language, I don’t remember what it was.” I scratched my head at the foggy memory. “Angus pricked my finger, specifically my left middle finger, and bled me into a small vial. One fae stopped chanting long enough to taste my blood from the vial, and he announced I had fae magic. Then Angus told me to keep it a secret.”
Bash scratched at his scruff. “Something’s not right about this, Mackenzie. First, Angus insisted on a vial of your blood and we never questioned why. That should have been our first red flag. The fae are anxious for a new leader, yet they haven’t named anyone. He could be prepping you—”
I shook my head before he could finish his thought. “No way. The fae hate me after I killed Drusilla. How could I become their Queen when I killed the previous one?”
“Not all fae hate you, Mackenzie,” Bash stated dryly. “Drusilla may have had a little cult following, but most of the fae didn’t agree with her ruling style. It’s why so many of them fought with us during the Freedom War. It only seems like they don’t like you because fae aren’t necessarily known for being warm creatures.”
He could say that again. Angus was cold as ice and stiff as a board. I wouldn’t use the word ‘warm’ to describe him.
“Fine. If that’s the case, then we just tell Angus and his followers no. It’s simple. I have enough to deal with among my own people. I don’t need to add the fae to my laundry list of problems.”
Bash grunted, “You better hope it’s that easy. What are we going to do about the blood draw? You’re sick, Mackenzie. Dr. Harris has to do his job.”
I sighed. “You could just find a warlock to hocus pocus me back to health.”
He rolled his eyes. “You know it doesn’t work that way. They need to find what’s wrong with you first, and then they can hocus pocus you or whatever. You and your human terms …” he grumbled with a shake of his head.
“Fine. Figure out a way to treat me without the blood draw.”
With that, Bash stood and left the room to get Dr. Harris, who returned with Tavish, the resident warlock of the castle. This was my first time meeting the warlock, and my first impression was that he seemed totally normal, unlike Bobby Wu. Tavish had long, wavy hair that fell just below his shoulders. It gave off a bit of a hippie vibe or maybe Jesus Christ. Whichever of the two.
Dr. Harris and Tavish ran various scans and determined that I wasn’t poisoned, much to my dismay. Which meant I was actually sick. Weird.
“I’m going to give you a B12 shot, but I want you to stay hydrated. Increase your caffeine intake—”
“Wait a minute,” Bash interrupted. He’d been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “You mean to tell me she has to have more caffeine?”
Dr. Harris looked over at him. “Yes. Her blood pressure is extremely low. She also needs to increase her salt intake, so that means more sodium.”
“She drinks massive amounts of coffee already!” Bash exclaimed, aghast.
I chuckled. “Actually, I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had the time.”
Dr. Harris turned back to me. “So you’ve had a change in diet?”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Hmm. Still doesn’t explain the fever,” Dr. Harris muttered. “Tavish, give her something for the fever and body aches. We’ll observe you for the next few days and see how you do.”
I nodded and let Tavish get to work.
9
By the end of the week, I was roughly back to my old self again. Slightly weak, but at least the cold sweats and body aches were gone. And just in time for my meeting with the Summits. The last thing I needed was to show them I was ill. They would take full advantage of that. So, I did the one thing I hated more than anything—I wore make-up. I needed something to cover the dark circles around my eyes that made me look like a damned zombie, but I also needed to look like myself, like I was living my best life, in front of the Summits. Show no weakness, and all that jazz.
“Where is the meeting being held?” I asked Ranulf as I shuffled through some last-minute paperwork in my office before the meeting.
“The throne room. I had the guards set up some tables and chairs for the alphas,” Ranulf reported as he stood in front of my desk. The throne room was probably best with the amount of people that would be in attendance. I didn’t think the council room would be big enough.
I took a sip from my third cup of coffee that morning. “Good. Have they arrived yet?”
“They’re filtering in as we speak.”
I looked at my watch. They still had ten minutes, but they were cutting it close. Then again, so was I.
“Do ye want yer father to accompany ye?”
I thought about it for a moment. I wanted to keep Alexander in the loop. I didn’t want to exclude him from anything—I needed his help. But I also needed the alphas to know I could stand on my own two feet without Alexander. That I didn’t need any hand holding. Ugh, politics were so complicated. It was like high school … but supernatural.
“Have Alexander on standby,” I acquiesced. “I’ll tell you when to bring him in.”
Ranulf bowed and left to relay the message to one of the guards. I chugged the rest of my coffee and set my mug aside. I wouldn’t have had time to finish another one before the meeting anyway.
Dressed in a pair of black slacks, a dark blue sweater, and my oxford flats, I stood from my chair and got ready to leave. My dark brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail away from my face so they could see every expression I made.
Ranulf re-entered the office, ready to escort me to the throne room. “Ready, Yer Majesty?”
I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “Ready.”
We walked out of the office and down the corridor to the open foyer that led to the grand staircase. From there, we descended the steps surrounded by the Queen’s Guard. They marched a path toward the throne room, bristling with protective energy for their Queen. As we approached the wooden doors with the carved wolves on the front, the guards opened them and we stepped inside.
The Summit Alphas all stood at my presence. I walked toward my throne with my head held high, avoiding their gazes. Stepping up to the platform, I paused for a moment to look at the sea of alphas—there were about forty to fifty of them present—and then I sat down. Ranulf stayed glued to my side while my guards spread out across the room. I knew there was also a large contingent of my guards outside in case they were needed.
<
br /> I nodded at the alphas and they took their seats. I carefully observed their expressions and could tell most of them weren’t thrilled to be taking cues from a luna. Or maybe it was just me in particular. I didn’t have the most stellar reputation, as we all knew by then, and I was sure they’d already heard about what happened to the King’s Council, so that was probably not jiving with them at the moment. Yikes. Yeah, there were a lot of unhappy faces in the crowd.
My gaze stopped in the center and slightly right, where I locked eyes with none other than Charles Cadwell—Alpha of the Northeast American Pack and Jonah and Jackson’s father. From the fire in those familiar chocolate eyes, he still blamed me for Jonah’s death. Either he was resigned to my new position, or he planned to take advantage of my naivety to take me down. Whatever game plan Charles had, I would be ready for it. His petty schemes were nothing compared to what I was already dealing with.
“Welcome to Sheunta Village,” I said by way of greeting with a toothy smile that was beyond fake. “I hope your accommodations have been to your liking.”
Lucas, who was sitting in the front row on the left side, cleared his throat. “No complaints, Your Majesty,” he replied. “You’re as gracious as you are beautiful.”
Gag me now.
I grinned. “I hope that was a compliment.”
“Of course.” He bowed slightly in his seat. “Thank you for taking the time to see us. We know your schedule is very hectic. Especially now that you’ve assumed the throne—”
“Are you the spokesperson for both summits?” I interrupted his pleasantries and raised a brow, looking at both sides of the room. From the looks of it, the American Summit was to my right and the European Summit was to my left. But was Lucas speaking for them both?
“N-No,” he stammered, clearly taken aback by my question. “I speak for the European Summit.”
An alpha in the front row on the right raised his hand. “I speak for the American Summit, Your Majesty,” he declared. “My name is Grayson. I’m the Alpha of the Canadian Pack.” Grayson was a middle-aged man, maybe a bit older than Alexander. Salt and pepper hair, but it looked good. He was definitely a silver fox. The guy looked like he spent a lot of time at the gym. He appeared tall, but I couldn’t really tell from his sitting position.
“Canada, huh?” I mused. “I remember when the Toronto Pack hired the fae to kidnap me.”
Back when I ran away to L.A. as a lone wolf and then came back to New York City, several packs around North America tried to capture me once they found out I was the illegitimate daughter of the Lycan King. All for a shot at the throne. It was a very dark time and a period I hated thinking about.
Grayson had the decency to look away. “That was an unfortunate event that I hope we can move past.”
“I’m sure we can work something out,” I replied cryptically. “Now, tell me, what is it that the Summits would like to discuss?”
Lucas leaned forward. “As I was trying to say, Your Majesty, we know your schedule is hectic, but since we’re all here for the various events happening in Sheunta Village—”
“You mean my coronation and mating ceremony?” I interrupted again, knowing I was getting under his skin.
Lucas nodded with a tight expression. “Yes, for those. We would like to take advantage of our time here to discuss a few of our grievances with you.”
My eyes widened exaggeratedly, and I placed a hand mockingly on my chest. “Grievances? My, oh my, what could possibly be the problem?”
I heard an undisguised snort from the right side of the room, but I kept my gaze riveted on Lucas. I knew it came from Charles, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of entertaining his outburst.
Lucas pressed his lips together in a tight line and paused for a moment before responding. He obviously didn’t enjoy my sarcasm. Surprisingly, he wasn’t the one who answered.
“We want to discuss the lunas,” Grayson declared loudly, his voice penetrating the stillness like the crack of a whip. I slowly slid my gaze his way and tilted my head, wondering if he was trying to establish dominance by pitching his voice that way.
Ranulf growled beside me but I held up a hand to stop him. “And what do you want to discuss about the lunas? Let’s not beat around the bush, please. Get to the point, gentlemen. My patience only goes so far.”
“We must set some boundaries,” Grayson stated as if it should be obvious. “King Alexander’s law is too broad. We need to be more specific on what they can and cannot do … along with what is still required of them.”
I placed my arms on the throne’s armrests and clutched it for dear life to keep my temper at bay. I couldn’t have an outburst. Not there and not then. And definitely not in my position. I was Queen now, and that meant I had to act a certain way, whether I liked it or not. However, that didn’t mean I had to let them spout nonsense, either. I needed to hit them with a political punch instead of a physical one.
Although I really wanted it to be my fist.
My eyes trailed around the room and took in the various expressions playing on the faces of the assembled alphas. It was obvious they were all on the same page, to some extent. I made a note to get to know these alphas better so I could find out exactly where they stood.
“Is that right …?” My eyes fell back on Grayson, who was staring me down defiantly. Ballsy. “Let me ask you this … where do you think I stand on this petition?”
“I think you’re reasonable, Your Majesty, and you’ll do what’s best for our people,” Grayson stated matter-of-factly.
“Your Majesty, please, if you’ll allow us to explain, maybe you can see—”
Lucas tried to smooth over Grayson’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach, but I wasn’t falling for his tactics. The Italian Alpha was a smooth talker who was used to having ladies fall at his feet. I was entirely the wrong audience for that level of bullshit.
“Is your concern the birthrate?” I raised a brow, remembering the excuse Bernard gave me right before I left New York City and he challenged Jackson for the Alpha position of the Brooklyn Pack. He said he wanted to take over and get the pack back to how things used to be, which included getting the lunas ‘in line’ since the birthrates of the Lycan had decreased since they gained their freedom. The entire idea was disgusting.
“It’s one of our concerns,” Lucas agreed with a nod. “Our numbers are low, which is a very real concern. But perhaps more concerning is the fact that a luna in America became a captain in her pack. Those positions shouldn’t be handed out to lunas.”
I was revolted to hear everyone’s grumbles of agreement. My hands tightened further on the armrests and I took a couple deep, calming breaths to keep my claws from coming out. It was apparent they were talking about Sterling. Didn’t they know I was the one who helped her become a captain in the Brooklyn Pack? She was the first luna to ever ascend to a leadership position within a pack, which was quite an amazing feat. And there these bastards were, wanting to take it away from her and any other luna who dared to follow in her footsteps.
I narrowed my eyes on Lucas. “You’re talking about Sterling Rose of the Brooklyn Pack. I trained her.”
The room quieted and it suddenly got very awkward as the occupants all struggled not to make eye contact. If they didn’t care enough to do a little investigation and learn that fact for themselves, then they were a bunch of idiots. They knew I came from New York City. Given my revolutionary leanings, it had to be obvious that I would’ve had a hand in making Sterling captain.
Lucas gave a tight smile and cleared his throat. “We’re not trying to offend you, Your Majesty—”
“You’re not?” I clarified. “Because from what I can tell, you all want to reverse the law King Alexander put into place for the betterment of the lunas and you have the audacity to think you can accomplish it through me.” I laughed derisively, covering my mouth in a ladylike way. “It’s a pretty bold move to ask a luna to suppress other lunas. Especially to ask the luna who freed them
all to begin with. Tell me the truth – when you guys were plotting out what you were going to say when you came in here, how did you think this was going to go?” I tilted my head to the side and scanned the room.
“We assumed you would do what was best for the Lycan,” Grayson snapped. “To think of our people first and put your pride aside.”
Ranulf took a step forward and growled. I put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back. Not yet.
I eyed the Canadian Alpha and grinned. “You think this is about my pride?” I asked honestly. When he didn’t respond, I raised my voice so loud, the sound bounced against the walls with enough force to make them vibrate. “ANSWER ME!”
Grayson flinched but remained still and poised in his seat. The others outwardly grimaced, feeling the punishing effects of another alpha’s ire.
The Canadian Alpha stood and lifted his chin high as he faced me. “The lunas were fine before the Freedom War. We didn’t have any complaints until you came along and messed with the status quo. The rest of us shouldn’t be forced to suffer because you’re used to human ways and are trying to force them down our throats! You’re a Lycan now. It’s time you learn to follow our traditions and our ways.”
The room was completely still; everyone held their breath in dread of what was about to happen. It was an indescribably bold move for him to speak to me in that manner. I felt Ranulf bristling angrily beside me, just itching to put him in his place. But if I let him, then I would never be taken seriously. I needed to stand up for myself—without using my fists.
They wanted to go back to the way things were when lunas were bound to them, serving them and breeding like it was their job. Those dark days wouldn’t return as long as I was Queen. I would die defending luna rights before I would let those bastards revert back to their old ways.
I released my white-knuckled grip from my throne and stood, adjusting my blouse before stepping down from the platform and walking toward them. I stopped just before I bumped into Grayson’s chest, who loomed over me with a satisfied smile.
Queen of the Lycan Page 14
