by L. Rose
It would, we all knew it. None of us liked it, but it was certain. They wouldn’t give up what they were doing and suddenly turn over a new leaf in life where killing and kidnapping were bad.
We would have to fight them.
My heart thumped harder in my chest. It all felt daunting. My hands shook from the fear I had for my mates.
“What did it say?” I whispered.
“They’re moving up the date of the meeting,” Thorn said, his hands clenched at his sides.
“When?” Cedrick asked, his voice cold.
“We have a couple of hours to get there,” Asher bit out.
“They can’t do this,” I yelled, and then picked up the chair in front of me and threw it across the room. Arms circled me and brought me into a chest. Cedrick. More warmth surrounded me. I could smell Ezra, Alex, and Nate.
“Unfortunately, they can do it, sweetheart,” Thorn said gently from close by.
“And if we do not abide by it, it won’t look good for us,” Asher added.
Fuck.
Fuckety fuck.
Nate’s nose pressed into my neck. “You smell different.”
I shrugged, not sure what he meant or how I smelled different than any other time. I was too concerned about what would happen soon.
“It’s probably because she’s been away for a while,” Thorn said, and Nate hummed under his breath before sticking his nose back into my neck and sniffing.
Having them close helped my anxiety, but I still felt the turmoil floating in me. Nate kissed my neck. “They’re trying to get us unprepared and without our backup. But they won’t. We don’t need days for it to fall into place. Kiered and Xi left as soon as we heard to speak with the vampires. Kiered will also take Xi to the shifters. We’re not trusting communicating through devices just in case. They’ll come. They’ll assist us.”
“Did my brother speak with our mother?” Cedrick asked.
“He did,” Thorn answered. “She’s sending your people near the council compound. We’ll speak to them when we get closer.”
“Love, you need to eat.” Asher smiled softly. “We have an hour here, but then we need to move to make it there in time to speak with the people before going into the trap.”
I snorted. “Yeah, a trap. Maybe I could go alone and—”
“No,” Asher clipped.
“Like fuck,” Nate bit out.
“Not a chance,” Thorn told me.
“As if,” Ezra said.
“We’ll be by your side always, and if you try to leave, I’ll have Alex place you in your own bubble, one we can move around where we want,” Cedrick warned.
“I’ll do it, too, if you try anything to risk yourself for any of us.”
My bottom lip trembled. “You all suck, but I’ve never felt loved and cherished as much as I do from all of you. Bastards.”
They chuckled.
Sighing, I nodded. “All right, I’ll eat, and then we’ll all go kick some ass.”
We all stood a couple of blocks away speaking with the large number of people who showed. The lion and tiger shifters were there. Cedrick’s guards had just arrived, so he was off speaking with them. Asher was by the vampires having words.
By now, they would all know what they had to do. The vampires were taking the right, and the shifters were infiltrating from below. Alex had given them the tunnel system that led right into the dungeons. The fae would be taking the left, and some of our guards would enter through the back, if possible, while my mates and I would walk right through the front door.
As I stared off down the road, my mind drifted over my time with my men. I couldn’t have predicted where my life would go. No one would have thought I would become a queen. A ghoul queen at that. But I wouldn’t change any of it because it took me right to my bonded mates.
I thought Fate may have screwed me over, but I was wrong. My life was better with my mates in it. All of them.
No regret lingered inside me over having my family brought into this mess. It was meant to be. The children loved it. My sister and Eric did as well, even after everything that had happened.
All I had to do was fight for our freedom from the council so we could live peacefully without them breathing down our necks or threatening any of us. We’d be safe, our people would be safe, and the other races would be safe.
All we had to do was win.
I glanced down, fiddling with the gown Alex had dressed me in. It was large and puffy at the bottom while the top squeezed me so tight I was sure my boobs were going to burst out. Maybe Alex picked it for that reason, since the council was a formal event and I had to dress over the top for it. Not only that, but I was a queen and was supposed to look the part. I allowed it, after a few complaints and sour looks, once he promised that when, not if, it came down to fighting, Alex would change my outfit instantly so I could move more freely.
“We’ll be okay” came from my side. Thorn smiled down at me before he took my hand in his. “Do you believe it?”
“It’s scary.”
“I know.”
“I want to believe it, but the council has done so much damage without the people knowing. They’re capable of so much.”
“So are we. You’ve killed with your bare hands. They hide behind their minions and use them as their weapons. We can take them.”
Since he said that, I realized it was true. They did use the elite force a lot, and I already knew Nate, Alex, and Asher were confident in fighting them since they had been the top of their classes.
Confidence. That was what I needed.
Hell, I had it in my men. I just needed to have it for myself.
I nodded. “You’re right. We can take them.”
Thorn leaned in and kissed my temple. “There’s our mate.”
“We’re moving out,” Nate called.
I swallowed; my throat felt thick. As we moved to our vehicle, I wanted to tell my mates how much they meant to me. I wanted to tell them to be careful, to fight hard, and kill anyone they thought would be a threat. But the words didn’t seem enough. Instead, I dropped my shields and let them feel everything I wanted to say.
They circled me, touching me in some way. I could feel and scent them all. My hellhound, my vampire, my mage, my shifter, my ghoul, and my fae.
Before I could let my emotions take hold and break me down in panic and fear, I straightened and nodded. “Let’s get this done.”
Xi and Kiered had already left in their own vehicle. They would be having their own private moment before shit hit the fan.
We rode in silence, this time in a limousine, because appearances mattered. Too soon we pulled up in the front, and out the window I took in the daunting skyscraper building. The front looked like an old church, but at the back, it branched up into something modern and ugly.
The driver opened the back door, and Thorn was the first to climb out, then Asher, and Cedrick. It was Cedrick’s hand just in the door that waited for my hand.
Closing my eyes, I took one moment to myself and prayed for the last time.
Please, whoever is listening, no matter what happens, protect my mates.
Opening my eyes, I smiled at my remaining mates and then took Cedrick’s hand. He helped me slide out in this monstrosity of a dress. I stood and moved aside for Nate, Ezra, and Alex. I could see Xi and Kiered standing up near the door waiting for us.
People milled around, looking our way. Some were vampires, witches, mages, shifters, and other things I hadn’t yet sensed before to recognize what they were. There were a lot of humans as well.
It seemed the people had been informed of our rescheduled visit.
Asher took my hand on my other side while Thorn and Nate stayed in front of us. Ezra and Alex were at our backs, and together, we made our way up to their doors.
Into the link, I complained, “Alex, I see a lot of suits, even for the women. I could have worn pants. I feel overdressed.”
“Trust me, they’ll think you’re a little
flaky from what you wear and then, bang, when stuff goes down, you’ll be in your fighting uniform.”
“So it was a ruse. You should have told me that, Alex.”
I didn’t need to look—his voice told me he was smiling. “But it was fun to watch you freak out over it. Plus, you do look fantastic in it.”
“Especially your breasts,” Ezra added.
My face heated. “You monsters.”
“Well, I am, not sure about magic boy.”
Nate and Thorn moved aside a little when we got to the door. The two guards there bowed when they saw me and then opened the doors for us.
“Is that usual?” I asked in their minds.
“No. They’re usually stationed inside the doors and at the bottom of the stairs, but not at the door to open it.”
“I feel special.”
“You are special, beautiful.” Cedrick winked down at me.
“Thank you.” We entered, and the guards followed us in, along with Xi and Kiered.
“Please sign in at the desk, Paige Alice,” one guard asked.
“She will,” Nate answered for me. I sent the guard a smile and a nod of thanks. His head jerked back a little, as if surprised by it, and he looked to the other guard who also seemed shocked. What had the council said about me? That I truly was a monster made from darkness?
At the desk, a young woman stepped around it and bowed. “Queen Alice, it’s a pleasure to have you here at the council headquarters. My name is Kimberly, and I’ll be your guide today.” She waved out her arm. “If you would please sign in.” Thorn stepped up to the desk and went to pick up the pen. “Oh no, it has to be the queen.”
“Why?” Nate clipped.
Kimberly cringed. “The one invited must be the one to sign in.”
“That rule changes here and today,” Thorn said.
“Please!” Kimberly cried.
“It’s a fucking trap,” Thorn stated through the link.
“Alex, can you sense anything?” Asher asked.
He closed his eyes so they didn’t shine. “A binding spell, I think. Hard to tell from back here.”
“Someone wants to bind Paige to themselves to have control over her.”
“Alex, are you able to diffuse it or protect me from it?” I asked.
“Yes, already doing so. I’m not leaving anyone out this time.”
Ezra’s love for Alex washed through the link. “Not your fault, and it turned out better with me in my human form.”
“Thorn,” I called aloud. “It’s no trouble. I wouldn’t want Kimberly to get into trouble from straying from protocol.”
Kimberly bowed over and over as I stepped up to the desk. “Thank you,” she also kept muttering.
“Shit,” Nate bit out. Kimberly whimpered, but quickly stopped moving her body and mouth.
I forced a laugh. “Now, Nate, don’t be so grumpy.” I smiled at Kimberly. “Don’t worry about him. He’s all bark with no bite.” I wanted her at ease around me. I wasn’t who the council made me out to be. I needed as many people to see that as I could.
Her smile back was hesitant and wobbly. Her fear was obvious.
Picking up the pen, I felt a slight tingle, but other than that, nothing. I quickly signed my name and put it back down. I lifted my gaze to her and smiled again. Her eyes widened a fraction before she caught herself and turned. “Right this way, please.”
It seemed she wasn’t our only guide. The guards from the front door walked at each side of Kimberly. As we walked, we kept getting stared at, so I made sure to smile and wave as I went. It annoyed me most of them were as shocked as the guards had been. But some of them looked at me like I was the shit they’d just walked on.
Kimberly led us to what looked like a waiting room and said, “If you’ll just wait here a moment, I’ll make sure they’re ready for you.”
I nodded. “Of course, thank you.”
She blinked slowly, nodded, and then walked through the double doors in front of us.
“Queen Alice,” Kiered called, stepping close. “I just got this delivered to me as we waited outside. A gift from our mother. Yeno dropped it off.” He lifted his hand, opened his palm, and inside it sat a broach in the shape of a leaf. It looked very similar to the tattoo on my shoulder.
Through the link he told us, “It’s a camera. Mother wants to show everyone what will happen behind those closed doors. She’ll be broadcasting it on… I think Kiered said Youtubiler.”
Ezra coughed through his sudden laugh. “YouTube, man.”
The guards eyed him, but one stepped forward. “I will have to check it.”
“They’ll look for anything magical. They don’t want to be bugged,” Asher said into our minds.
“Cedrick, will it pass?”
“Kiered believes so. It’s very new, as in it only got designed this morning, which is why the delivery was late.”
I took it from his palm and offered it out to the guard. It was then I realized he’d been blocking us from sensing him as his power erupted when he closed both hands around the broach. His eyes glowed purple, like Alex’s, but they weren’t as pretty or vibrant. Since I didn’t need to hold my breath, I thinned my lips, watching to see if we were found out.
He dropped his top hand and nodded before passing it back to me. “It’s fine.”
I took the broach, and Nate helped me pin it to my shoulder strap. We continued to wait and wait. I knew the council members were screwing with us. They were probably watching from behind those closed doors.
I stayed in the one spot and made sure to keep the smile on my face.
“I’m so fucking bored,” Ezra complained.
“You’re not the only one,” Nate said.
“How long do you think they’ll make us wait?” I asked.
“It’s hard to say, my love,” Asher replied.
“Sweetheart, I forgot to ask, how was the visit home?”
Thorns voice startled me because he’d been so silent. “It was great. I wish you all could have made it.”
“We’ll be home soon,” Nate said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Cedrick added. “The time there wasn’t enough for my first time, but I got to see how our mate’s people love her.” He smiled down at me. “She was surprised when she found out how the guards are competing against one another to win a spot in the enforcers unit.”
“It’s because she leads with her heart. The changes she’s already made have been taken wonderfully,” Asher said. “Who knew so many were living the old ways?”
“What do you mean?” the other guard asked. Not the mage.
Smiling, I asked, “What’s your name?”
“William, and that’s Kyle.”
“Well, William, I’m new to all this, so when I was told I was queen and then presented with a castle and the people in it to take care of, it was a lot to take in, and I worried I would be too different to rule.” He nodded. “However, what I saw when I first arrived was a lot of bigotry and hate among different races. My first order of business was to ensure people, no matter who they were, could love and be with who they wanted. Without hate involved. Anyone who didn’t like it was offered a chance to leave because I would never want anyone to be where they didn’t feel comfortable or at home in.” I smiled as I watched them both take in what I’d said. William seemed to like what I said, but Kyle frowned. I shrugged. “It may have something to do with how human I still felt, but I also knew, since I have six bonded mates of different factions, that I would fight to have them at my side. Just because we are different from one another shouldn’t mean we couldn’t love. Do you agree?”
“William,” Kyle clipped. William glanced to him and Kyle shook his head.
William rolled his eyes but then said, “It’s not for me to say.”
“Then do you believe that people in a position of power have the right to do what they want? Even if it means killing those weaker or kidnapping them for other purposes?”
Kyle sno
rted. “Who’s doing those things? Point them out and the council will take care of it. They take care of everything.”
I shrugged again and kept on smiling. I was sure my face would ache so damn much from all the pretending. My heart ached for him, for all the ones who were blind to what the council really were. Evil.
“So you can’t say.” Kyle smirked.
Ezra and Nate growled under their breath. I shook my head. “It’s okay, guys. He can say whatever he wants. The truth will be told eventually.”
Kyle’s smirk dropped.
Moving my gaze to the doors, I said, “I only wish for peace. I don’t like fighting, competing, or bullies. All I want is to live with my mates, surrounded by my people who are happy, healthy, and safe.” I looked back to Kyle. “Is it too much to ask for?”
He said nothing but held my stare.
“Whose coven are you connected to?” Alex asked.
“Morrison’s,” Kyle answered with a glare for Alex.
Alex’s lips thinned before he said into our minds, “They’re worse than my father’s coven.”
“That explains the hostilities,” Cedrick said.
“I see that look. But I’ve heard about you, Alex Smith. You were an enforcer for the council like Nate and Asher. A mixed team, a weak team. You all ran when the mission went wrong and people got killed. You all ran to be with the woman who caused over twenty deaths.”
“What are you talking about?” Nate demanded, his tone harsh.
“That’s what we all got told,” William said.
Kyle shot him a glare. “It’s what we got told and what we believe.”
Were the council listening to this? Were they waiting to see how we would react?
Well, it was time to get the show started.
I took a step forward. “It may be what you heard, but I don’t see everyone believing it, and good on them for being smart. Do you want to hear my side of it?”
“No,” Kyle snapped.
“Yes,” William answered.
I smiled warmly at William. “Then I’ll explain for those who wish to know, like yourself. Then you can judge for yourself. That night—”
The doors opened and Kimberly stepped out. “The council is ready for you.”
Of course they were.
