by Jaymin Eve
Violet had already let me go, the energy riding me too much when combined with her own magical powers. In a way, both of us now were filled with mecca energy, and sometimes too much can be explosive, as had been demonstrated not two minutes previous.
I moved away from the group of concerned shifters fussing around me. I was queen now, and it was time for me to step up and reassure my people. The crowd was panicked, the wolves across the world probably glued to their televisions. With this in mind I took a deep breath and stepped to the edge of the stage. My dominants and guards crowded below me to stop anyone from approaching.
“Silence!” I shouted, needing them to calm so I could speak. My voice sounded the same, but mecca laced every word, and a magical silence descended. Now I was starting to understand how the Red Queen had commanded a room so easily.
“Please, I understand your concern, but there is no need.” I held my hands up, palms wide as I sought to comfort my people. “The mecca was stronger than we anticipated, but now that I have bonded with it, the effects will start to filter out to the boroughs. You will feel the dissonance ease. We will once again be strong and united!”
I knew I sounded confident, that the worries and fears plaguing me were not obvious on the outside. I wanted to believe everything I’d just said, and in some ways it was the truth. I could already feel the power filtering out of me and to the rest of the alpha wolves. From them it would continue on to their shifters, until every single one of my race was touched.
Need crushed my chest, the need to prove to my people that I was strong enough, that I could be a queen they could depend on. Taking a deep breath, I felt for the Manhattan pack first, those nearest to me, then spread my energy out to those in all of New York City, and finally across the world. When I felt the mass consciousness of my people, I let the mental bells toll. The same bells the queen had sent when she died, I sent them to signify a rebirth for our people. As the bells knelled, every one of my people bent to one knee and bowed their heads. Every person but the bear king and his men.
There was definitely a change with the mecca power. Now that I was connected, I could feel it much more than before. How was I going to figure it out though? The only person I could have asked was murdered not more than a week ago.
Had the Red Queen discovered a problem? Something she shouldn’t have, that led to her death? And how was I going to be able to figure it out without ending up with the same fate?
Chapter Ten
Never look a gift bear in the mouth.
The chaos took longer than expected to die down, but eventually order returned and the coronation continued. The council members swore their allegiance and wise counsel to me, and all except one or two showed the due amount of respect to my position. It wasn’t easy for me to replace council members. They were elected based on more than the queen’s approval, but I could make life very difficult for those who tried to exert their power.
The entire time I felt the eyes of my people watching each step with eager interest. But the eyes that burned through me the most was that … that damn bear’s. Who maybe wasn’t so damned after all. Why had he saved me? If I had fallen during the coronation, the wolf shifters would have descended into anarchy and our boroughs would have been vulnerable to a takeover. That was what the bears had battled us for, for over three hundred years. He could have had all five boroughs, total and complete power over the mecca and vortexes, and yet he had chosen to save my life.
Maybe he wanted the life debt I now owed him. I had no idea if bears followed such practices, but wolves did. If he ever called on me for anything that was in my power to grant, I had to follow through. And I had a lot of power in my hands now.
Still, if he’d become the ruler of five boroughs, he’d have been the most powerful shifter in the entire world. He’d have had no need for me.
That bear had a game plan, and I was going to find out what it was.
“Arianna … Your Highness…”
Calista startled me from my thoughts, and I realized that the last of the ceremonial chanting and speeches were done. “It’s time to greet your people.”
I plastered a smile to my face, hoping like hell it didn’t look as brittle and fake as I felt at the moment. With guards around me I made my way down off the elevated floor. The shifters pressed in closer to me, all of them wanting to see their queen, for no other reason than the power now entrenched in my very skin.
I had a thought and turned to Violet. “Do I look different?” There seemed to be a lot of wide-eyed looks going on.
My best friend grinned. Some of the tension which had been lining her pale face eased. “Uh, yeah, you could say that. You always look beautiful, Arianna, but right now you’re truly radiant. You literally glow with the mecca, and for once I’m not the only one who can see it.”
That was interesting. I never remembered the Red Queen ever glowing, even when she connected to the power. Another mystery for me to unravel. My list was getting a little too lengthy for my liking.
When I was finally done, it was time for the dinner and ball. This was a black tie, invite only event. The alphas from across the boroughs would be present, and so would the bear king. He had the place of honor apparently. Well, the most honorable place behind me.
Calista cornered me just before I was about to enter. “Hold still, Arianna, I need to fix your hair.”
My hands flew up to feel my braid crown, forgetting of course I was wearing an actual crown. I almost knocked the heavy, ornate piece off. Calista let out a little shriek and her tablet went flying as she lurched forward to save the crown. Only she couldn’t get close to it. Her hand bounced off about a foot from my head.
She blinked wide eyes at me as both of us held our breath. “Why can’t I touch it?” she whispered. “Violet, can you touch it still?”
She called across to the magic born, who’d been patiently waiting close to Blaine and the rest of my dominants. Violet strode to my side, her white hair fanning out around her like there was a nice breeze fan in effect. My friend paused, reaching out a tentative hand toward the crown. She managed to get a little closer than Calista, but still couldn’t actually touch the piece.
I reached up and eased it free of my hair, holding it in front of me. Both girls tried to touch it again, and both of them were rebuffed. “The crown has bonded to you and the mecca,” Violet said. “I warned the council that using the mecca stones could possibly create an unstable energy, but the Covenant lays out a special magical test that dictates the stones for each crown, and your results were without a doubt the mecca crystal. You are literally, more than any other queen, queen of the mecca.”
Okay, so now I understood why my crown was filled with mecca stones; it had not been Violet’s idea. She seemed to be almost against the idea. I wondered what this magical test entailed. I had always loved magic. As a child I was envious of Violet for being magic born. It’s something I had wanted to be.
“Quick question: why is my copy of the Covenant missing all of this information?”
I knew that damn book by heart, and yet I continued to be surprised by these new pieces of information.
Calista reached down and retrieved her precious tablet, thankful the case had saved it from smashing. “The council has the extended version of the Covenant. It’s not viewed by any but them, not even the queen.”
One-handed, she started to fix my hair while I let her information mull around my mind. Once she declared me ready, I had to secure the crown, as no one could help me. Except for offering some little suggestions … like a bit to the left…
“If no one sees this extended version but the council, then how can we trust that their rules are even real? Or correct?”
Violet led the way to the double doors; my guards fanned out, preparing to enter first. “Because the council is spelled to speak truth of Covenant laws. They’re the guardians. The upholders. The mecca would punish them if they abused that power. Still, with everything odd going on, it pays
to be cautious. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Yes. Yes it did, and I was a firm believer in knowledge being power so I was going to do everything in my power to get my hands on that extended version of the Covenant.
The first two hours of the night went by in a flash. I mingled, talked politics, and even managed to finish a few of the delicious treats being served on huge silver platters. Calista cornered me soon after this, handing me a glass of champagne. I took a quick sip, needing a kick of alcohol to perk me up. As the delicious bubbles washed across my tongue, I sighed.
“Benefits of being queen, you always get the good alcohol.”
My advisor tried to glare, but even as she shook her head at me, a smile managed to break free. “You’ve done exceptionally well tonight. I only observed four eye rolls, two times feigning of deafness, six mumbled curse words, and three deliberate elbows.”
For the love of … she was a ninja. I hadn’t seen her all night until now.
“I think it was four elbows. That shifter from Queens was really handsy, and if it hadn’t been an elbow to the ribs, it was going to be a foot in his ba—”
“Your Highness!” she cut me off. “Seriously, I can’t take you anywhere.”
I surprised her then by leaning forward and wrapping my free arm around her. It was frowned upon for the queen to touch a submissive, but I didn’t care. “Thank you,” I whispered. “You have been preparing me for this. You have sacrificed your own life and happiness many times for heirs. Everyone wanted you as an advisor when you finished the last heir group, and you chose me. I would not have been even remotely equipped for this role without you. I don’t thank you enough.”
I would have sworn she was crying. I heard a few sniffles, but when I pulled back there was no evidence, just a beaming smile and a proud expression. “It’s been my honor. I love you like a daughter. You know that, and you’re a true queen.” She started to fidget a little bit then and I narrowed my eyes on her.
“I recognize that look, Cal. What is it? You might as well tell me now.”
She swallowed. “The bear king has requested a dance. He is not taking no for an answer, and the council are hoping you’ll be prepared to play nice. Especially after he helped out with … the mecca thing.”
Sucking in a deep breath, my eyes sought out the massive figure. I hadn’t exactly been avoiding him … just making sure that whenever he moved in my direction I was extremely busy and couldn’t stop to chat. Okay, yeah, I was totally avoiding that big, gorgeous, distracting bear. I tried to recall his name. He’d told me when we were fifteen … Kallen … Kaden. It was definitely a K name, but I couldn’t recall which one. Everything but the kiss had been purged from my memory. The kiss I still couldn’t shake, and after that moment in the garden I knew exactly why.
Our peace talks were scheduled for later tonight, so there was really no need for me to see him at this dance. I was worried that he would start making demands, and I would have to figure out how to deal with the fallout of our kiss.
Calista still looked nervous, so without too much effort on my part I fixed a pleasant expression on my face and strode across the huge room.
Dozens of eyes followed me. I was now the most watched female in the three boroughs. I wasn’t sure the whole queen thing had really sunk in yet; it would take some getting used to. One set of eyes in particular were very disconcerting. It was as if he had heard my conversation with Calista and was already waiting for me. He stood alone now, towering over everyone else in the room. I had no idea how I hadn’t noticed in the garden, or even at fifteen, the commanding nature of his stance, the confidence he exuded, the power trapped beneath his corded muscles and caveman attitude.
No one in any of the world would doubt he was a king. But there was no denying the bastard had hidden it from me, and deliberately. I hadn’t changed that much since fifteen, but he was almost unrecognizable.
“Your Majesty,” he said, when I was a few feet from him. He did not bow, or even incline his head, which was fine by me. I sure as hell wasn’t going to bow back.
“Would you like to dance, Your Highness?” I replied, drawing on every ounce of my training and etiquette. Although I did not hold out my hand as I should have, because I wanted the upper hand. He would have to come to me.
And come he did, stepping across the space between us in one giant stride and engulfing me with the same energy and heat that he had in the garden. I swallowed hard, fighting my own urge to step back. He was too much of everything, and I wasn’t sure this dance was a good idea at all.
Then he held out his hand and I forgot all misgivings and fears. My instincts kicked in, and when I placed my hand into his, energy sizzled between us. Mecca danced in the space, surging through each of us and our connection to it.
He grinned, and with steel-like strength hauled me into his arms. I stiffened enough to stop our bodies from colliding, but the dance of mecca energy between us was almost enough to crumble my resolve. We started to move, both of us highly trained and able to easily follow along with the current traditional song and its intricate steps.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said first, needing to get it out of the way. “For helping me tonight. I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”
I knew exactly what would have happened. The mecca would have ripped me to pieces, but there was no need to give him too much ammunition. As he moved us further into the mass of shifters already dancing, he leaned down, lessening the distance between us to a slightly inappropriate level.
“Call me Kade,” he said, which was a complete break of protocol. I sure as hell wasn’t letting him call me Arianna. I needed whatever barriers there were between us to remain intact. “Do you know what actually happened tonight? Because I’ve never seen the mecca act in that way. The power … it was far beyond anything I’ve felt before.”
I fought for composure. This was not a male you let know your weaknesses. But the mecca affected him also, and I knew eventually we’d have to discuss the possibility that there was a problem. Not today though. I wanted to do my own investigating.
“I really have no idea. The mecca is a vast power, and it has definitely reacted to the death of the Red Queen. How were you able to filter it like that?”
He swirled me around, tightening his strong arms around me again. “I have a special affinity with the mecca. A born connection to it. It’s rare in our world, almost unheard of, but it’s definitely helpful as king.” His voice lowered. “I’m glad it was you who earned the crown. You are worthy of the role.”
Well that affinity probably explained how he’d hidden his energy that day in the garden. Something I was still annoyed about. Staring into his eyes, which somehow managed to swirl like the melted copper of their color and yet still have the depth of an aged whiskey, I found myself asking: “How is one to know they are truly worthy? Living day to day with a power beyond anything a single entity should handle, the lives of thousands in your hands. How do you do it? How do you truly become worthy?”
His eyes lightened, his fierceness relaxing slightly, and for a moment it felt like we were old friends. In fact, had I ever been so rawly honest with anyone before? Maybe Violet. But she was different. I didn’t know what had come over me.
He took a second to answer, and I found myself waiting with more anticipation than was queenly for his reply. “The fact that you even stop to question your worth is part of what makes you worthy. You had honor even at fifteen. You had fire, and passion filling every facet of your being. You talked of your friends like you would die for any of them in an instant … when as an heir they should be the ones dying for you. A ruler should never ask from their people more than they are willing to sacrifice themselves.” He paused. “I never wanted to be king. That was the role my brother was groomed for, but sometimes these things are not in our hands. You are queen because you are best for the job at this moment in time. It’s up to you whether you build on the worth you alread
y have.”
It touched me that he remembered our long ago meeting on the Island. I was also a little taken aback by the deeper nature of our conversation. I shouldn’t have been surprised, it had been exactly the same when we were fifteen – sharing of thoughts, and conversing in a way which spoke of a true connection. The dance was over now, the music taking a few beats’ break. We pulled apart as the crowd clapped around us and he leaned a little closer.
“I’m sure you’ll live up to the potential I saw in you at fifteen. See you later, Arianna.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, hands flying to my hips. First names were not used unless permission was given. How arrogant.
I wanted to remind him of that but he was gone. Somehow, despite being a giant, he moved with the grace of an athlete and disappeared with the skill of a thief in the night.
“Well, that looked like it went well.” Calista was back by my side, and I had to blink a few times to break the spell he’d left over me. “Not a single eye roll or elbow to be seen.”
That was true. I’d actually enjoyed the brief chat. He was far less of a pain than I’d expected, and no mention of the kiss. As Calista led me to my next duty, I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said. Had I made a mistake with my honesty? Would he use that against me somehow? I’d always had an issue with people telling me I was worthy; I’d been hearing it for years. It wasn’t a confidence issue – I understood my worth and I had trained hard for the role – but it still bothered me. That word … worthy. I had done nothing yet to deserve that. I was worthy because royal blood ran in my veins. Why had I made myself so vulnerable right before the peace talks?
The bear king, on the other hand … I could see his worth in the way his people loved him, and he in return gave back just as much to them. I might not know a lot about him, but I knew that much from the rumors spread about the new beloved bear king. The fact that war did not interest him, that said a lot.
I wasn’t naïve, I knew he would take our boroughs if the opportunity arose. Gerald had all but admitted they had plans for that, but he didn’t attack us when we were weak. He wanted to win with honor. He didn’t want war.
