Queen's Guard

by S. Dalambakis

  Book 2

  Shifter Royalty Trilogy

  By: S. Dalambakis

  Queen’s Guard Copyright © 2018 Shaquala Dalambakis

  Cover design © 2018 Covered Creatively

  Edited by Rachael Kunz of Muddy Waters Editing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. If you have obtained this book via piracy, or suspect it has been duplicated illegally, do the right thing. Advise the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  To those readers who bought the first book in this trilogy. You made my dreams come true. Thank you!! It means more to me than you know, or I can express.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Epilogue

  Author Note

  Other Books by S. Dalambakis

  Playlist

  Sneak Peek

  About the Author

  Kelsey

  I rub my hands up and down my arms. Why is it so cold in here? I look at my surroundings. Where am I? How did I end up in the woods? I would never come out here, not as a human anyway. My panther prowls in the back of my mind. She wants out, to feel the dirt and earth beneath her paws. She loves to run in the cover of the woods. I’ll have to come back and let her, once I figure out where I am. I don’t see any houses or cabins anywhere. I start to move forward, hopefully in the right direction. Wait, I can just use my senses to guide me.

  Just as I try to clear my mind, a strange entity appears before me. The only thing I can see is a white hooded cloak. The hood hung over the entity’s face, hiding it from my view. It doesn’t help that the only light I had was from the moon. Not even my shifter sight helps me. My panther goes on alert, waiting to spring into action. So far, I don’t sense any danger.

  “Kelsey, you are being chosen to receive a gift.”

  Oo, I like gifts. “What kind of gift, and who are you? How do you know who I am?”

  “It matters not who I am, but this gift, you should not take lightly. We will be watching you. You must prove that you deserve this gift. This will be a test of your strength and character. Heed my warning, if you abuse this gift, it will be rescinded.”

  Before I can ask any more questions, the entity places his palm on my forehead. There is a sudden and sharp pain. I scream, and a growl quickly follows. As swiftly as the pain came, it left.

  “What did you do to me?”

  “You now have your gift. Use it well.”

  The entity disappears as rapidly as he came. I search around me frantically. Not wanting to spend another moment in these woods, I take off running. I’m not paying attention and I trip over a fallen log. I put my arms out in front of me to break my fall, but I never hit the ground.

  I jerk, bolting upright. My breathing comes in short gasps. I reach up and push sweaty hair from my face. I look around the room. I’m in my bedroom laying in bed. I take a deep breath trying to calm my racing heart. I can almost still smell the scent of the woods and feel the pain. It all felt so real.

  It was just a dream, Kelsey. Go back to sleep. I lay back down trying to get comfortable. It had to be a dream, right? Then why did it feel so real?

  Callyn

  The past three months of my life have been crazy. I moved to a new town and started at a new school, where I met four of the best-looking boys; Graydon James, Lucian Harris, Zeke Montgomery, and Maximus Anderson. But that’s not all. These boys are my destined mates. Yes, that’s right, all of them. They are mine. See, I found out a couple of weeks ago that magic exists and so do shifters. And that I, Callyn Silvers, am a descendant of the Alpha Queen bloodline.

  What does that mean for me?

  Apparently, I am the heir to rule all shifter kind, with my mates at my side. I don’t know exactly what that means for me or the boys yet, but I’m sure it’s not going to be anything easy. Elder Harris, Lucian’s grandfather, is supposed to explain it more to me but didn’t want to do that in the hospital. He said there were too many ears, and you never know who you can trust. It’s better to be safe than sorry. He wanted to wait until I was cleared to go home.

  Home.

  Can I even call it that anymore? Well, maybe I can now, because the police found my aunt, and she is in the process of moving here to Camden Falls. See, my father is abusive…well, was abusive. The last time my father beat me, it landed me in the hospital. That’s when I found out about shifters, magic, and the Alpha Queen. Elder Harris went to my house to make sure my father didn’t cause any problems when they arrested him.

  While he was there, he went snooping in my stuff. Am I mad about it? Yeah. Do I understand why? Yeah. But I also feel like he could have asked me. Though, I’m not sure I would have said anything. I’m not exactly a fount of information. I only told the guys about my father because I couldn’t hide it anymore. They were angry to say the least. Lucky for me, another shifter family was willing to take me in for a little while until my aunt arrives.

  Oh, I almost forgot. When Elder Harris was going through my things, he found a necklace. My mother handed it down to me before she passed away. I was told it was a valuable family heirloom, to keep it hidden, and tell no one. Elder Harris told me that the necklace is for the Alpha Queen. It is handed down to the next reigning queen. That queen would be me. No pressure right. When I put the necklace on, it warmed, and a tingling sensation started to spread through my body. The necklace healed me. I no longer carry the marks of the abuse my father put me through. Well, physically at least, emotionally is a different story. I’ll get there one day.

  Now, I’m headed to Lucian’s to have dinner with the guys and his grandparents. I knock on the door and wait patiently in front of Lucian’s two-story home. In no time at all, the door opens. Lucian stands before me in tan cargo pants and a red t-shirt with a pocket on the left side, running his fingers through his wavy, copper hair. His brown eyes, have a spark to them. The color so deep, they look like pools of chocolate I can swim in all day. The corner of his mouth pulls up in a smirk. He knows I’m checking him out. But can you blame me, the boy is good-looking. I still can’t believe he’s mine.

  “Hey baby, come on in. It’s starting to get chilly out.”

  He steps to the side; I enter the house and wait for him to close the door. I walk up to him and wrap my arms around his waist. His left arm wraps around the top of my shoulders, his right-hand tangles in my hair at the nape of my neck. He pulls me closer; my body presses against his. Lucian rest his cheek on the top of my head. I can hear him inhale. I press my nose against his chest and take a deep breath. He smells like outside, just after a summer rain.

  “Luke, you can’t hog her. I want my lovin’s too.”

 
I pull back and smile up at Lucian as he leans down and plants a quick kiss to my cheek, before I step back out of Lucian’s embrace. I turn to find Max standing in the doorway of the living room, his head slightly tilted to the side. I start to chuckle, which turns into a full-blown laugh because he tilts his head to the other side. The motion reminds me of a curious dog. It makes sense though, he is a wolf shifter. I have yet to see his animal. The only one I have seen shift is Lucian. His fox is absolutely adorable. His fur the same color as Lucian’s hair and so soft. Even their eyes were the same deep, dark brown.

  I see Graydon and Zeke walk up behind Max.

  “Did you break her Max?” Zeke questions.

  “I have no idea why she’s laughing this hard. She turned around, looked at me, and lost it.”

  “Well, you are funny...looking,” Graydon states.

  “Ha-ha.”

  Zeke tilts his head to the side, which causes me to laugh even more. It takes me a couple of minutes to get myself under control. I wipe the tears from my eyes from laughing so hard.

  “Care to explain, Callie bear.”

  “I turned around from hugging Lucian, and Max stood there with his head tilted to the side. It reminded me of a dog. I started to laugh, and he tilts his head the other way. Then I remembered he is a wolf shifter, and I lost it. I was starting to calm down, when you guys walked up and asked what was wrong. Then Zeke goes and tilts his head, and I lost it all over again.”

  Graydon shakes his head, but I see the small smile on his lips. The rest of the boys start to chuckle.

  “Come on, Angel. Lucian’s grandfather wants to talk to us before dinner is done,” Max states.

  He looks good in his blue jeans and blue plaid, button-up shirt. The blue in his shirt brings out the arctic blue of his eyes. They are the color of the sky on a clear summer day. His blonde, shoulder length hair is slightly messy, like he just woke up.

  My eyes drift over to Graydon. I sigh. That boy makes wearing a pair of gray sweat pants illegal. No one should look that good in sweats. His plain, white t-shirt is stretched across his broad chest. His ever-present scowl is on his face. I just want to run my fingers through his inky black hair. It’s faded on the sides and long on top. His eyes are one of the things that captures your attention. They are the color of the green moss that covers the forest floor - breathtaking.

  I look over at Zeke, I’m glad he’s in jeans today. His butt looks phenomenal in jeans. He has on a black, long sleeve, Henley shirt. His hair is gelled, but has a slight poof, a male pompadour. His eyes, man they are a combination of gold with contrasting green and brown flecks. I’ve never seen anything like them. I sigh and smile. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

  Max holds out his hand. I step forward and interlace our fingers together. Palm to palm, I can feel the energy, the electricity between us. I noticed that since I have been wearing the necklace, the energy between me and the boys has increased. I have felt drawn to them from the beginning, but everything has been intensified. It’s like I can feel the power. I love the feeling, like a soft caress over my body. Each boy has their own unique energy.

  I’m still trying to wrap my head around them being all mine. I don’t have to hide my feelings about them. I don’t have to hide in my house any longer. I can be a normal teenager. Well, as close to normal as I can get. I am the Alpha Queen’s descendant after all. Which brings me to this dinner. I’m going to learn more about my lineage, hopefully. I’m scared, nervous, and excited all at once.

  Max leads me into the living room and over to the couch. He takes the spot on my right, and Lucian the spot on my left. Graydon is posted behind me, and Zeke is sitting on the floor in front of me. They are surrounding me, like sentinels. My very own harem of protectors.

  Lucian

  We surround Callyn. We want to support her, comfort her, and be near her in case she needs us. We only know a little bit of what my grandfather is about to tell Callyn. I’m nervous for her. She has had one freak out since she was told she is the Alpha Queen’s descendant, but she is taking the rest of this in stride. Unless, she’s hiding what she’s really feeling from us. I wouldn’t put it past her. It’s almost like pulling teeth trying to get Callyn to open with us. I am hoping that with her father in jail, she will realize she doesn’t have to live like he still has her under his thumb. My grandfather clears his throat to get everyone’s attention.

  “Good evening, Callyn.”

  “Good evening, Elder Harris.”

  “No need to be so formal. You can call Reginald or grandfather. Whichever you’re comfortable with.” Callyn just nods her head. “Well, let’s get to it then. I know I told you at the hospital that the necklace you are wearing is the symbol of the Alpha Queen and is always handed down to the next reigning queen. Seeing as how the necklace reacted to you once you put it on, I have no qualms in saying that you, Callyn Silvers, are the Alpha Queen.”

  “What exactly does that mean for me and for them?”

  “What it means dear, is you and the boys are the rulers of all shifters. You set and enforce laws for shifters. You make sure that the needs of the shifters are being meet and hand out punishments to those who do not follow your rules. You have the final say so in all things shifter related. The night the last Alpha Queen and her mates perished, everyone thought so did her line. You are living proof that they had at least one child. How that child escaped no one knows. How her descendant ended up in America is yet another mystery. There are details from that night that are still unclear. The shortened version is, the Queen and her mates were overthrown by the Queen’s own brother.

  “He gathered forces, gained power and followers. He somehow overpowered the five most powerful beings in our world. Now, what I can tell you is that every Alpha Queen is a phoenix shifter. I am uncertain as to why you have not or cannot shift, but I am looking into it. I would suggest that the boys each take the time to teach you what they know about shifters and their own abilities. The prophecy stated that another war will ensue when the next alpha pairing came to be. That is all of you. You must prepare and be ready when the time comes. I will help as much as I can.”

  “So, we come up with a training schedule. Do you know why people wouldn’t want another Alpha Queen? Are we going to have to watch the people around us more closely?” I question.

  “The training schedule is an excellent idea. I would strongly suggest that you also come up with some sort guard detail schedule. You will all need to take turns protecting her, more so when people start to find out who exactly you all are. There are still people who believe no one should hold that much power. Heed my warning, this is a dangerous situation, take every precaution you can, and trust no one.”

  “I am able to tell my aunt? She will be taking care of me, and I feel like she should be warned if there is a possibility that her life could be in danger because of me. Is there anymore you can tell me?”

  “I would suggest you not tell her because the less she knows the better off she is, but I also know she will eventually hear about it. Things have a way of not staying a secret for very long. My advice would be to tell her the very minimum. Most of what we know of that night is just hearsay passed down from generation to generation. Remember it’s been two hundred years since we last had an Alpha Queen. We have very few written records of that night. I would dare to say that anything pertaining to the Alpha Queen and her mates was closely guarded, and as you can tell, rightly so.”

  Callyn nods her head but she has a frown on her face. I am getting ready to ask her what has her thinking so hard, when my grandmother enters the room.

  “Dinner is ready. Come and eat, you can finish this conversation afterward.”

  I wait until my grandparents leave the living room before I turn and face Callyn. “Are you alright?” She shakes her head no.

  “I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m doing. What am I going to do? This is all so much. I was a nobody, a loner, now I’m some sort of Queen. I don’t know how to
rule people. I can barely hold myself together let alone the entire shifter race.”

  I reach out and grab Callyn’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You are forgetting one important fact, you are not going to be doing this alone. We are here to help you. We will take this one day at a time. We’ll start with the training schedule. You need to be able to protect yourself as best as you can. We will arm you with all the knowledge we can. It will benefit all of us if you know what we can do. Who knows, maybe we’ll find out what you can do.”

  “He’s right, sweetheart. Whatever is going to happen, we will face together,” Zeke says.

  “Damn straight, Callie bear. I told you I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you again, and I meant it,” Graydon states.

  “Like I need to say anything. You’re my P.I.C.,” Max says.

  “P.I.C.?” Callie questions.

  “Yeah, my partner in crime. You and me, angel.” Max leans a little closer to Callyn and stage whispers, “You love getting Graydon riled up, just as much as I do.”

  Callyn giggles, “I do.” She looks back at Graydon and gives him a smile. He just rolls his eyes.

  “Let’s go eat,” Graydon says as he walks to the front of the couch. He holds out his hand for Callie, and she accepts. He helps her up from the couch, leading her to the kitchen while Zeke and Max quickly follow.

  My mind is racing. There is so much we have to prepare and plan for. On the top of my list is Callyn’s safety and training. We are going to have to do the training in secret. If we bring a human to our training center questions will be asked. I’m going to have to see if Graydon’s dad, who runs the center, will let us come in after hours. I pull my phone out of my pocket, pull up my notes app, and begin making a list of all the things we needed to do. We have a lot of work ahead of us.