Ailios was skewered to a tree up ahead, her body limp and bloodied as it hung from the wood with a spear lodged in her abdomen.
“Ailios!” I shouted and pushed past my guards in my dash to reach her.
Her dreaded locks hung forward limply, covering her bloodied face. I tilted her head back, brushing her hair away from her neck as I tried to find a pulse.
“Ailios, please … stay with me,” I whispered as I pressed two fingers along her neck. I couldn’t tell how long she had been there, but I hoped she was still alive. When a slow pulse thumped beneath my fingers, I breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s alive! Help me get her down!”
The guards held her up as I grabbed the spear. When they had her firmly in their grasp, I counted to three and pulled the spear out of her.
Ailios gasped, her yellow eyes widening in shock. We quickly laid her on the ground and covered her wound hastily with cloth pulled from a pack.
I kneeled beside her, my hand over her bloodied abdomen. “You need to shift, Ailios,” I whispered. “And you need to do it now.”
Blood sprouted from her mouth as she tried to answer, but no words came out. Her head moved around as if she was trying to express something and couldn’t.
“Ailios, please. Shift!”
She let out a massive growl and revealed her canines, clawing the soil beside her in pain. Slowly, she shifted into a wolf with soft, reddish brown fur. She rested on her side, breathing heavily.
I exhaled slowly as I watched her injury gradually stitch itself back together. I reached out a hand to brush her coat. When she allowed it, I knew she must have been in too much pain to stop me.
I peered over my shoulder to look at Ranulf and asked, “What happened here?”
“I don know, Yer Majesty,” he answered mindlessly as he surveyed the area of what was clearly a massacre.
“We need to secure the area,” Liam announced, then directed the other guards to fan out and search the perimeter for other threats or survivors.
I sat on the ground beside the healing wolf as we waited for Ailios to be restored. I glanced at Ranulf. “I can’t believe Fenrir would attack the Highlanders like this. He doesn’t seem capable of such wanton destruction. He wants the Lycan on his side, and attacking the Highlanders is the opposite of doing that. It doesn’t make sense.”
Ranulf rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Maybe it wasn’t him,” he proposed.
I frowned. “What?”
“Yer vision said he mentioned something was coming. What if it’s already here?” Ranulf mused.
My stomach plummeted. In the horror of finding Ailios pinned to a tree, I completely forgot about it.
“Only Ailios and the Highlanders can answer that now.” I tightened my ponytail and rubbed my temple, trying to stave off the headache that threatened. “I need to find Fenrir.”
“No, Yer Majesty. It’s too dangerous,” Ranulf said sternly. “If he’s the one behind this, he will kill ye.”
The spear that was stuck in Ailios’ abdomen was her own, and there were no other weapons left in the area to give us a clue as to who the enemy was. Who could have done this? Where were the Highlanders? They wouldn’t have left Ailios behind … unless they thought she was dead. Even then, they would have come back for her body.
What the hell was going on?
It took Ailios an hour to fully heal. We waited patiently as she did, still on full alert since the area wasn’t safe. When she shifted back to her human self, I handed her clothes so she could dress and made sure no one crowded her. The guards vigilantly maintained their posts around the perimeter while Ranulf and I stayed with her.
“Are you okay, Ailios?” I asked softly as she sat up, her yellow eyes dull compared to their normal brilliance.
She shivered. “Thank ye, Yer Majesty,” she croaked.
The fact that she was shaking told me the extent of her trauma. Ailios was a warrior. She wasn’t afraid of anything. Whatever happened here shook her to the core.
“Ailios, I’m sorry to ask you this, and I know it’s bad timing, but can you tell me what happened?” I asked gingerly.
She nodded slowly as she spaced out, staring ahead without seeing. “It came in the middle of the night,” she whispered as if afraid someone in the forest might hear her. “We did nae see it coming. It was silent. It ravaged through our camp in a rain of crimson. I’ve never seen a monster like this before, Yer Majesty.” She shuddered and looked at me in terror.
I swallowed loudly, fighting the goosebumps that tickled my spine. “What happened to you?”
“I was trying to gather the others … to run,” she admitted as if it was an embarrassment. To a fierce Highlander, it was an embarrassment and she was ashamed. “When I turned around, a spear struck me and the force threw me straight into a tree. I told the others to run. I felt myself dying … I told them there was no point in saving me, I would just hold them back.”
I nodded in understanding. “Did you see the monster? Did you see who attacked you?”
Ailios shook her head. “That’s the thing, Yer Majesty, it was all a blur. I could nae see a thing in the dark.”
Could Fenrir have done this? It didn’t seem like his style, but there was always the possibility that I hadn’t seen his true self. I couldn’t rule him out yet. Whatever it was, the Highlanders were no longer safe in the forest.
“You can’t stay in Caledonian, Ailios.” I placed a delicate hand on her arm. “Come stay at the castle. You’re more than welcome there.”
“No,” she croaked. “I must find my sisters. They’re somewhere in the forest, in hiding and afraid, maybe hurt or worse. I need to go to them.”
I nodded again. “Okay, I understand.” And I did. If my friends or family were lost and in danger, I wouldn’t rest until I found them. “When you find them, come to the castle. I will offer you all sanctuary.”
“Yer Majesty—” Ranulf interrupted, but I held up a hand.
I knew the treaty with the Highlanders was still in the works and without the Council it couldn’t be finalized, but this was an emergency. Screw the treaty and screw politics. We needed to keep the Highlanders safe at all cost. They were still Lycans; a separate culture within our species. We must preserve them.
“Do you understand me, Ailios?” I reiterated. “Come into the village as soon as possible. The forest isn’t safe.”
She nodded. “Aye, Yer Majesty.”
We stood and grasped each other’s arms. “Until next time. Stay safe.” Ailios released me and ran into the forest without looking back. I watched her go until she disappeared from view.
Ranulf came to stand beside me and cleared his throat. “Ye did nae ask her about joining the Council.”
“It’s not the time for that. When the time comes, I know she’ll join, but right now, she has more important things to worry about.”
When we returned to the castle, Ranulf went his separate way to report what happened in the forest. My guards followed me into my office where I saw Helena had placed a gleaming new coffee machine. I wanted to give my grandmother a massive hug in gratitude. After the morning I’d had, I needed caffeine badly. This day was not going like it was supposed to.
After brewing a cup of coffee in a mug large enough to double as a soup bowl, I started to walk over to my desk when there was a knock on the door.
Liam poked his head inside. “Ye have a visitor, Yer Majesty,” he announced uneasily. “It’s Lucas, the Alpha of the Italian Pack.”
I froze in place at the impromptu visit, mid-stir of my coffee. Lucas knew Lycan politics better than to just show up without making an appointment. I wasn’t sure if this was a power play, but I would entertain it long enough to find out.
“Send him in.” I continued stirring my coffee and sat behind my desk.
Moments later, Lucas strolled in wearing a slim suit with the Summit’s gold triquetra pin placed prominently on the lapel. His black hair was neatly combed and he looked very dashing and proper.
Not like a rugged wolf. Made me wonder if he could keep up in a fight.
“What’s this about, Lucas?” I demanded before he took two steps inside my office.
He bowed slightly. “Apologies, Your Majesty. I know I should have made an appointment, but I saw you come in and wondered if you had a few moments to see me,” he said, his Italian accent thick and lilting.
I twisted my mouth to the side. “I don’t have much time, so make this quick.” Surprisingly, I actually did have more than a few minutes, but I didn’t want him to know that. I took a sip of my coffee and waved for him to hurry.
“Right.” He hurried toward me and clasped his hands behind him. “I wanted to talk to you about the meeting we had the other day with the Summits. It did not go exactly how I imagined it would.”
“Really?” I replied dryly. “I wonder why …”
He pressed his lips into a straight line and I knew he was suppressing a comment. “I understand how you feel about the lunas—”
“Do you really?”
“I do.” He nodded enthusiastically. “I watched you during your trial many years ago. I remember what you said about our treatment of the lunas—about what happened to you at the hands of the Chicago Alpha. It was no surprise to me when you attacked that particular Lycan.”
I stiffened at the mention of Logan St. James. It had been a long time since I last thought about him and I certainly didn’t like Lucas bringing him up now.
“I’m sure we can design a compromise that will satisfy all parties,” he continued smoothly. “Ensuring we maintain the lunas’ freedom while still increasing our numbers and making sure we keep certain traditions sacred.”
I didn’t miss the emphasis on keeping lunas as unwilling breeding mills, or the implication that certain traditions – such as leadership positions within a pack – should be kept sacred, i.e., away from lunas. I brought the coffee mug to my lips, taking a sip with my pinky raised, listening intently at the garbage spewing from his mouth. How stupid did they think I was? Did they think the lunas were a bunch of airheads? That if we heard some pretty words spoken by a pretty face, we’d suddenly cave and give a big smile, thanking them for saving the day with their bright ideas?
“Is that all?” I held the coffee mug in front of my lips to cover the smirk that threatened to spread across my face.
Lucas’s green eyes widened for a split second, surprised I didn’t immediately accept his proposal, before he schooled his features. “Uh … yes, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t sound so sure.” I lowered my mug and placed it on my desk. “Is this your solution to our current predicament?”
“Yes,” he said more clearly, punctuated by a stunning smile with his Colgate-white teeth and superstar looks. If he thought I’d fall for his charms, he was sorely mistaken.
I sighed heavily like I was bored. “Lucas, Lucas, Lucas,” I said in a sing-song voice. “That’s not a solution, it’s a bloody tragedy. I will not have the lunas being treated like a breeding mill. Why don’t you guys try having meaningful relationships and fall in love with a luna and woo them the right way, and then, I don’t know, this might be a crazy idea, but then you might want to start a family afterwards. Geez, how absurd!” I said sarcastically. “As for this ‘keeping traditions’ nonsense, it’s the twenty-first century, get with the times. Women are allowed to do the same things men are allowed to do. Sometimes, they even do it better. If none of you can get that through your thick skulls,” I tapped my mahogany desk multiple times to emphasize my point, “I can accept your resignation letters at any time. If you think you can sway me, you obviously don’t know me well. I will die on this hill, you understand me? So go back to your little goons and pass this message along, because I’m not changing my mind. And the next time you speak to me as if I’m an idiot, you won’t like what happens next. You’re dismissed.” I waved him away and grabbed the first folder I found on my desk, ignoring him completely. I started skimming through random reports as I waited for Lucas to leave.
He stood there for a full minute in shock before he bowed and mumbled, “Yes, Your Majesty,” leaving my office in a hurry.
Once the door closed behind him, I slumped in my chair and sighed. “For fuck’s sake,” I said out loud. “I didn’t realize freeing the lunas would still be a problem years later. I guess change takes time.”
The next Summit meeting would be interesting after Lucas delivered this last message. I’d better have a Council by then to back me up or I would be screwed.
12
I entered the royal wing to find it completely empty. I expected to find Ranulf or at least Alexander waiting for me. The guards stood resolutely at their posts and I continued to the Queen’s Chamber, surprised that even Bash wasn’t inside. I found a note on his nightstand telling me he was in the council room making arrangements for the potential candidates to come to Sheunta Village. Guess I couldn’t be too upset since he was working hard on my behalf. Without Bash, there was no way I would have a Council in time for the Summit meeting.
I released my hair from its ponytail and started unbuttoning my shirt. I turned and started toward the closet, but the instant I entered the large space, I came to an abrupt halt.
“Son of a bitch!” I gasped, yanking my shirt closed and stumbling back in shock.
Sitting in the circular chair in the center of the closet that I used to put on my shoes was Fenrir, wearing a well-tailored suit with one leg crossed casually over the other, his back perfectly straight as he patiently waited for me.
“It’s about time you arrived, little wolf,” he whispered low enough so my guards couldn’t hear from the common room.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I growled. “How did you get in?”
Bobby Wu emerged from behind a rack of clothing. He looked much better than the last time I saw him. The dark circles around his eyes were gone and he looked relatively sane this time. He wore a t-shirt with a comic book character on the front, a pair of khaki cargo shorts, and flip flops.
“Your wards aren’t as strong as you think they are, Princess.” Bobby smirked shyly, his teasing demeanor a departure from his normal personality.
But none of that mattered right now. What bothered me was the fact that no alarm bells were raised with this latest breach of wards. Further proof that the castle was not safe.
I wasn’t safe.
“I’m not a princess anymore, in case you haven’t noticed,” I growled at the warlock.
He chuckled. “You’ll always be a princess to me.”
I glared at him and turned my ire in Fenrir’s direction. “What is this about? Are you here to finally kill me?”
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Fenrir grinned. “Little wolf, the incessant martyr. What a spectacular finale.”
I flashed my silver eyes and growled, my canines revealing themselves. I was ready for round two, even if I wasn’t at my strongest.
Bobby started to move between us, but Fenrir stood smoothly from the chair and blocked his way, adjusting his suit and popping his cuffs with a flourish. “I didn’t come to fight … today,” he clarified. “I heard Raven paid you a visit. I must admit, you have her a bit rattled. Tell me, little wolf, are you spying on me?” He raised a challenging brow.
I scoffed, “Spying on you? Are you serious? I don’t even know where you’re hiding, jackass.”
He tilted his head and studied me carefully. “Interesting. Yet you seem to know more than you should. Why is that?”
I gave a derisive snort. “Maybe you have a mole.”
He shook his head. “No, that’s not it. You’re not being truthful with me, little wolf.”
Not many people knew about my oracle abilities, and I knew for a fact it wasn’t written in my file in the archives. I wanted to keep it that way.
I shrugged. “You’re not being truthful with me, either. Why should I be with you?”
He smiled ruefully. “Touché. But don’t assume you’re safe because yo
u have half the story, little wolf. You don’t know anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “Obviously. But instead of fighting with me, why don’t you work with me? Tell me who’s coming—”
His eyes flashed. “Don’t pretend to know what’s going on, little wolf,” he cut me off.
I looked over at Bobby for some clue as to what was going on, but he remained stone-faced.
“Fine. Did you attack the Highlanders?” I asked.
He frowned. “The Highlanders?” he repeated, obviously unsure to whom I was referring.
“They are the lunas who live in Caledonian Forest,” Bobby explained.
Recognition sparked behind Fenrir’s eyes. “Oh … they were attacked? When?”
I shrugged. “If it wasn’t you, then what does it matter?”
“I’ll find out either way, little wolf. You might as well tell me what you know.” He gave a playful smirk, confident I would fall victim to his wolfish charms.
I grinned back just as saucily. “Then find out on your own. Good luck with that.”
Fenrir growled and took a step toward me but Bobby grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Not here,” he muttered. I didn’t know if the warlock was protecting me, but I kind of hoped Fenrir would attack me outright. I wanted to get this over and done with and stop playing these cat-and-mouse games.
“Luck is on your side today, little wolf,” Fenrir rumbled. “Stay out of the forest if you know what’s good for you.”
I furrowed my brows at his vague attempt to protect me when just a moment ago he was contemplating killing me. “Why not send me to the forest and get rid of your problem once and for all?” I taunted.
Fenrir’s face took on a dark expression before he replied, “I wouldn’t wish this death on my worst enemy.” He peered over his shoulder at Bobby. “Let’s go.”
With one hand, Bobby released a torrent of golden and orange swirls from his hand, opening a portal in my closet. I guess that explained how they got in there to begin with. My clothes flattened around my body from the force of the portal as it expanded.
Queen of the Lycan Page 18
