Queen of the Lycan

by Karina Espinosa

  Amy was wearing a pair of white shorts and a purple tank top, and each of her colorful tattoos were on full display. With two full tatted sleeves and piercings in her brows, lip, tongue, and nose, she looked unlike anyone else here. She was petite where I was tall. We were complete opposites and I loved it. Yin and yang. It was what made our friendship unique and cemented our bond as soulmates. She was my female better half. I wouldn’t have survived being a werewolf without Amy there beside me.

  “Helena showed me your gown, and oh my gosh … it’s totally badass, Kenz.” She gave a wide grin. “I wholeheartedly approve. Alexander must have lost his shit!” she snorted.

  I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “He hasn’t really seen it yet.”

  Amy choked on her scrambled eggs. “What?!”

  After all the shit I gave Alexander about letting me pick my own dresses … He was just starting to get used to the idea, and now I was going to the extreme. He was going to have a heart attack.

  I winced. “Let’s just call it a surprise.”

  Amy tossed back her head and gave a great, big belly laugh. “Shit, Kenz, you’re fucked. You’re going to look like the Queen of the Dead.”

  “Hey!” I pointed my fork at her. “I’m gonna look slim and classy.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, okay.” She took a mouthful of French toast, syrup dripping down her chin. “Jackson and Ollie are with Bash, helping him get ready. You should have seen them when they were reunited. It was so cute, the little bromance they have going on.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, whatever.” On the outside I played it cool, but inside I was over the moon. I knew Bash missed his friends from back home. He didn’t have anyone here that he shared a strong bond with besides me. At least not yet. With Jackson and Ollie around for the next few days, at least he wouldn’t feel so lonely when I wasn’t around. There was only so much I could do. Hopefully, others from the Brooklyn Pack were able to make the trip as well. It would be good for him to see people outside the castle and get a piece of normalcy.

  We finished breakfast and I drank three full cups of coffee that would hopefully sustain me until my next pick-me-up. Stopping off in my bathroom to brush my teeth, I wiped my mouth and headed into hair and make-up with Amy.

  Just like for my coronation, they molded my hair into a braided up-do that crowned my head. There were so many pins in my hair, I could already feel them stabbing my scalp. I shook my head from side to side but my hair didn’t move an inch, as shellacked as it was with hairspray and as welded with bobby pins as it was.

  They decided to go with a smoky eye and muted makeup to offset my dramatic gown, then topped it off with my favorite shade of red lipstick. The make-up made my gray eyes pop. For once, I felt glamorous and couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror.

  “Wow, Kenz.” Amy stared at my reflection in the mirror from behind me. “You look like a dark queen. You’re beautiful,” she murmured wistfully.

  For the first time in the two months I’d been in Scotland and since I’d assumed the throne, I actually felt like a Queen.

  “Are ye ready for the dress, Yer Majesty?” Ana asked as she walked up beside me. I looked over at her and nodded.

  “Yes, please.” I watched as Helena entered with the garment bag containing my dress.

  “Chickie, are ye ready?” Helena said with a bright smile on her face.

  I beamed. “Yes, Granny.” I untied my robe and stepped onto the platform in the middle of the room, wearing only my underwear.

  Helena hung the garment bag on the rack and unzipped it, revealing an all-black, long sleeved gown with a deep v neckline. The fabric cinched at the waist, then the skirt flared out in a curtain of supple satin and lace.

  Ana and Helena helped me into the dress, zipping me inside and tugging on my seams to get the placement just right. I’d never felt so regal before. Not even on the day of my coronation.

  Amy entered one of the dressing rooms to change and emerged in a dark emerald dress that accented her red hair and green eyes perfectly. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail with massive curls spilling down her back. She looked stunning.

  “Yer rings, chickie.” Helena handed me my MacCoinnich ring and engagement ring. I slipped them on and decided to not wear any other jewelry since I would also be wearing the gold crown on my head and didn’t want to look like a disco ball.

  “Thank you, Granny,” I offered as I accepted her help stepping down from the platform.

  “Of course, hen.” She patted my cheek with a broad smile. “Let’s get ye down that aisle.”

  Ana walked across the room carrying a burgundy pillow with the gold crown resting on top, the rubies catching the light in a million starbursts. Helena plucked the crown from the pillow, and when I lowered my head, she placed it on me.

  “Perfect, chickie. Now you’re a Queen,” Helena muttered as she adjusted the crown on my head. She reached for my hands and gave them a comforting squeeze.

  I didn’t let her go. “Were you nervous when you went through your mating ceremony?” I asked.

  Helena smiled and the corners of her eyes wrinkled. “Oh, hen, I almost did nae show up.”

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Ye see, I had what the humans call an arranged marriage. Yer grandda was a great Lycan, but I did nae choose him. I learned to love him over time.”

  I frowned. “That’s … messed up.”

  She gave a slight shrug. “It was the way things were done back then.” Helena patted my hands. “He never mistreated me, but I always knew my place, and that was as a luna and then as Queen. It’s different for ye, chickie. Yer no ordinary luna. Ye can choose who ye love, and yer nae the queen of a king, ye are the Queen of the Lycan. There is nothing ye should be nervous about.”

  Of course she was right. At least I wasn’t mating with some stranger like she had to do. I was being mated to Bash. My soulmate. My best friend. My other half. This should be as easy as breathing. We were already bonded in every way possible; what was so difficult about going through the mating ceremony? It should be a piece of cake.

  “You’re right, Granny.” I took a deep breath and exhaled. “I can do this.”

  Just then, William and Liam entered and announced that it was time for us to go. With my skirt trailing behind me, I followed them out of the dressing room and toward the throne room where the ceremony would be held.

  Amy gripped my hand as we walked side-by-side, Helena flanking my other side. Helena carried my bouquet of red roses, but as we got closer, she handed them over. I took the fragrant flowers with shaky hands.

  “Is everyone already in there?” I asked my guards.

  “Everyone is seated and waiting,” William answered as he pressed a button on the communication device fastened snugly in his ear. “The alpha is on the move,” he announced our movements to the other guards.

  We stopped by the grand staircase and Amy released my hand. “This is where we part ways,” she said, “but we’ll see you inside.” Taking Helena’s arm, they headed toward the throne room to take their seats.

  Even though I knew I shouldn’t be apprehensive, I stood there with nerves eating away at my insides. I started panting and for a second, I thought I was about to have a full-blown panic attack. I hunched over with my hands on my knees and gasped for air.

  “Mackenzie?” Alexander called out.

  I whipped around to face him, then cleared my throat and plastered on a fake smile. “Yes?”

  He winced. “Are ye okay, darling?”

  “I’m fine,” I rasped.

  “Ye don look fine.” He pressed his lips together and paused. I took that moment to take him in. He wore a black tuxedo with a vibrant red rose secured to his lapel. His wavy hair was brushed back, except for that one unruly curl over his forehead. The salt and pepper on the sides of his head seemed more prominent than I remembered, and those gray eyes that were identical to mine were bright and glassy.

  “I�
�m just a little nervous,” I admitted.

  Alexander took a couple steps toward me and placed a hand on my cheek, tilting his head. “It’s okay to be nervous, darling.” He looked at me with unabashed pride shining in his eyes. “Ye look gorgeous. Admittedly, this would nae be my first pick for a dress,” he cleared his throat and eyed me, “but it suits ye. And I want ye to be yerself. Especially today.”

  “I love him, Alexander,” I replied nervously.

  He nodded with a smile. “I know ye do.”

  “Then why am I so afraid?”

  Alexander pulled me in for a hug, careful not to mess up my hair or makeup, and I clutched him like a life raft. “Yer afraid because ye don like commitment, Mackenzie. This is something permanent ye cannae take it back. But what ye have to remember is that what ye have with Sebastian is more powerful than a mating ceremony. This is all just a formality. Nothing in this world will break the bond ye have with him. So do nae be afraid.”

  I took a couple deep breaths before pulling back. “I feel so irrational.”

  Alexander chuckled. “It’s all rational, darling. Don worry. Now let’s go before they start to worry.” He winked and a weight lifted from my shoulders.

  I nodded and slipped my arm in Alexander’s. He led me toward the throne room where William and Liam were standing, waiting to open the doors for us.

  William spoke into his earpiece. “The alpha is ready,” he said. “In five, four, three, two, one …”

  They opened the doors simultaneously and the sweet trill of violins crescendoed throughout the room. Everyone stood at the sight of me and Alexander. I looked straight down the center aisle and met Sebastian’s unflinching blue eyes. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit with a red rose on his lapel, matching Alexander. His midnight black hair was slicked back and he looked so handsome standing there, his hands clasped before him as he patiently waited for me.

  Alexander and I slowly walked down the aisle, hundreds of eyes fastened on our every move. I could see my friends from the SIU had arrived, Roman and Emma were waving at me, and Ollie, Jackson and Amy were all the way at the front. All of my friends were here. It made me all the more nervous.

  The string music was nothing but background noise to the sound of my furiously beating heart and deep breaths. Alexander patted my hand and squeezed lightly to remind me to calm down. I exhaled quietly and kept my focus on Bash.

  When we reached the front, Alexander took my arm and hand, extending it and handing me over to Bash.

  “Take care of her, ye understand?” Alexander told him sternly.

  Bash nodded. “I understand.” Alexander turned to take his seat as Bash clasped my trembling hand and walked me the rest of the way to the front.

  The same priest who was at my coronation was standing before us. He motioned for the crowd to sit and I heard quiet whispers and the shuffling of fabric as everyone followed his direction. Bash and I remained standing, facing him and holding hands.

  “The bond between two mated Lycans is unbreakable,” the priest began. “From this moment forward, ye will be considered one. Ye …”

  He continued what I was sure was a beautiful speech, but I tuned him out and my mind wandered. Alexander was right – I must have commitment issues.

  I didn’t regret what we were doing. That wasn’t the emotion I felt. But I never imagined I’d be in this position, either. Nonetheless, I had to get over whatever fears I had, because I was doing this for Bash as much as I was for me. He needed this as a symbol of our partnership. It couldn’t always be what I wanted all the time.

  I peered up at my mate and he looked down at me with a rare smile that had the power to melt all my worries away. He was happy. After all the sacrifices he’d made for me, this reciprocal act made him happy. All he wanted was to be with me. It was almost laughable that someone could possibly want that. I was such a mess, and I knew I was a handful even on my best days. But even with my shortcomings and character flaws, I made him happy. How could committing to the man make me nervous?

  “I love you,” he mouthed. My eyes teared up as I mouthed the words back to him.

  “Please face one another,” the priest instructed. I snapped out of my daydream and turned my body fully to face Bash while he did the same. “Under the full moon, bring out your wolves.”

  Bash was the first to close his eyes. He tightened his hands before releasing a growl and flashing his sapphire eyes at me. The bond between us hit me like a wrecking ball and if I hadn’t been holding his hand, I would have fallen backward.

  A low growl slipped out of me and my canines slid out as I looked down at the ground before looking up at Bash with my silver eyes.

  The tether that held us together tightened and drew us nearer, making us stumble closer. At first, I didn’t understand how this could be happening, but when I glanced at the ground again, I noticed we were standing in a circle that was ringed with a powdery substance. It looked like … mountain ash, which is used to ward off evil spirits. How didn’t I notice it sooner?

  The priest reached for a gold bowl resting on a small table and brought it between us. “These are Nightshade berries. For humans, it is deadly. For Lycan, it provides a vision, similar to a hallucination, when we bite into our mate. Ingest a piece and mark your mate.”

  I peered into the bowl with wide eyes and cut my eyes back up at Bash like we couldn’t possibly do something so crazy.

  I’m not going to eat that shit! It’s basically like going on an acid trip in front of hundreds of people. And then he wants me to bite him? The fuck kind of kinky shit is this?

  Without hesitation, Bash reached into the bowl for a berry and popped it into his mouth, swallowing it quickly. I stared at him wide eyed. He definitely wasn’t taking in my facial expression or social cues.

  Bash stepped closer to me until we were chest to chest and I sucked in a breath, holding it before he gently took hold of my chin and tilted my head to the side. He leaned down, breathing heavily in the crook of my neck as his canines glided against my skin. I automatically reached for the lapels of his tuxedo and clutched him tightly, anticipating the pain of his bite, all the while thinking, This is completely absurd!

  His canines pierced my skin and I flinched. He growled loudly in my ear before releasing me, holding me at arm’s length.

  Was it weird that I really wanted to punch him in the face for doing this? I was really tempted to do just that before his hold on me tightened and his eyes rolled to the back of his head until all I saw were the whites of his eyes.

  “Bash!” I shrieked, trying to grab him before he fell, but the priest held me back.

  “Relax, Yer Majesty,” the priest offered calmly. “He’s having a vision.”

  I snapped my mouth shut, suddenly embarrassed by my outburst, and stood perfectly still as I waited for him to come back to me. For fuck’s sake … this should have been done in private! Not in front of a crowd. I avoided making eye contact with anyone, feeling my face overheat.

  I stood awkwardly for about ten minutes before Bash’s eyes returned to their sapphire blue and he sucked in a deep breath. I reached for his face to get him to look at me and make sure he was okay, and was surprised to see him grinning. I’d never seen him look this ecstatic.

  What the hell did he see?

  “Yer Majesty?” The priest held the gold bowl out to me.

  I glared at him, and not too politely. My eyes were still silvered so I knew I looked intimidating. I tried to step out of the circle, but found I couldn’t leave the mountain ash barrier. I was trapped.

  “It’s okay, Mackenzie,” Bash whispered. “Trust me.”

  Fuck this. Furious, I reached into the bowl and plucked out a berry. I popped it into my mouth and grimaced at the sickly sweetness. The instant I swallowed, I felt lightheaded; the effects were fast.

  I grabbed Bash by his shirt and pulled him toward me roughly. The crowd laughed at my vigor, but I wasn’t laughing with them. I snarled angrily, tilting his head
to the side and exposing my canines. I bit into him hard and felt him wince. I wasn’t even trying to pretend to be gentle. I was mad about this weird-ass tradition. I just wanted a normal wedding! Was that too much to ask?

  I pulled back and released him, then stumbled back as the room spun and the corners of my eyes dimmed. My eyes rolled back and my head flopped to the side as I blacked out.

  “I like her a lot,” a young man admitted as he stood before me in my office. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen years old. His hair was darker than midnight and he was tall and lean. He looked like a teenage version of Bash.

  “What’s the problem, then?” I asked, shrugging as if it wasn’t a problem.

  “You know what the problem is,” he sighed, his voice deep for a teenager. “She’s not—well, you know.”

  “Don’t make a big deal about it. I won’t.” I walked over to make a cup of coffee. “Have you told her?”

  His eyes widened. “No! Of course not! Are you crazy?”

  I chuckled. “I’ve been known to act a bit insane from time to time, but the idea isn’t that outrageous. Just tell her. You never know, she just might reject you!” I laughed.

  He growled. “Not funny.”

  “I mean, it’s kind of funny. If you’re looking for my disapproval as an excuse to back out, you don’t have it. Sorry. Now beat it, I’m busy.”

  I gasped and opened my eyes, scanning the room and realizing with a start that I was back in the throne room, standing before Bash. “What the fuck …?” I muttered, frowning as I stared at my hands interlocked with his.

  The priest cleared his throat, catching our attention. “May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, and rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness. From this day forward.” He motioned to someone behind us. “The rings.”

  Jackson and Amy appeared with our wedding bands and handed them over to us before going back to their seats. Bash took my left hand where my engagement ring was placed and slipped the wedding band on the ring finger beside it. He took my hand afterward and placed a kiss on top of it.