by Kat Zaccard
“It’s a pity you can’t try me today, Alice; the moon is waning and, by tomorrow, there will only be a sliver left in the sky. I demand that you fight me yourself, Alice, and I suppose that means waiting a fortnight for the full moon.”
Before anyone could protest, I spoke over the crowd, which settled down to hear me. “I grant your request to trial by combat, Christina Reynolds. But there is no need to wait. I am prepared to fight you now.”
“No!” shouted Diego by my side. “I will fight for you. We cannot risk your life!”
I smiled at him but then looked to Duke Aleksandr. He looked proud and worried at the same time. I knew this was the way to prove once and for all I was the true alpha and leader of the Great Pack.
“But the moon? You must fight as wolves.” Ulric’s voice almost sounded concerned. Had he grown a soft spot for me? Unlikely.
“The moon is always in the sky and therefore of no consequence.” I took off my jacket and unfastened my top. Before the leather armor fell, I’d shifted into my wolf.
Chapter 33
There were gasps around the room. I feared for a few elderly members’ hearts if I continued to shock them like this. Through the stunned onlookers, I calmly walked out into the antechamber. The antechamber was a much larger room, more suitable for the crowd and the impending fight.
Jack and Sir Henry led Christina through the crowd. The rest of the werewolves encircled us, backing up to give us plenty of room. Jack looked sick to his stomach but didn’t interfere. He calmly approached and led Diego away. Diego looked terrified, his eyes never leaving my face. I tried to project a calming thought to him, but he scowled back at me in return. I wanted to laugh, but I turned my attention to Christina.
She had disrobed and shifted into her wolf. Around us, other palace guards shifted to maintain order once the fight began. I’d read about trial by combat before, but never witnessed anything remotely close to the event. I glanced around the crowd and felt bolstered by their presence. I sensed that most of them hoped I would win, but many feared I wouldn’t. I could sense Nadia wanting to protest, but she was the one who had suggested I take the throne. Now was my chance.
Christina’s wolf was grey like a timber wolf. She was larger than me and bared her teeth, growling. She was fierce and formidable. I knew this was no play attack, no drill, and no training practice. This was for real. I thought about my birth mother lying helpless in labor. I thought about my little brother broken and bleeding. I thought about Christina’s smug face, and I pounced.
With a snarl, Christina engaged. We both rose up on our hind legs, grappling with our front paws and snapping at each other’s necks. We broke apart and circled each other, snarling and growling. The crowd backed up to accommodate our widening circle and shouted and jeered at us. Most were chanting my name, but a few called out for Christina.
Christina lunged, catching me off guard. She sank her teeth into my flank, and I yipped in pain. I kicked to shake her off, then spun to deliver my own sharp bite. My teeth clamped on air as she danced away from me. We circled again.
I attacked, clamping my jaws on her neck. She whimpered, and I let up a little, expecting her to yield. She took advantage of my loosened grip and bucked me off. She swiped at my nose, scratching it and drawing first blood. I shook myself in pain and fury, blinking blood out of my eyes.
“It’s fight to the death, Alice! Go for the jugular!” shouted Anatoly from the sidelines.
I dodged back as Christina attacked again. She backed me up to the far wall, and I could feel the crowd swing to her favor. They were caught up in the fight like it was a sporting match. I drew on my wolf and darted past Christina. I turned and extended my auburn foreleg, tripping her as she chased after me. I jumped on her back and sank my teeth into her fur.
Yield! I ordered with my alpha telepathy.
She bucked and shook out of my grip again. I didn’t want to make the killing bite. She pounced and pinned me down. I shifted my weight and rolled over her. We tussled again and broke apart. I tasted blood in my mouth and knew I’d broken skin with my last bite. I shook my head, trying to escape the taste and smell. Christina attacked again, catching me off guard. I reared up to defend myself.
We were locked together by our forelegs. I twisted and turned and managed to get a bite at her throat again. I bit hard, piercing the skin, but not severing the artery. Christina stilled; she knew I had her beat.
Yield, I mentally ordered again. She thrashed under me, trying to break free. I threw my wolf into the command. Yield!
Christina fell still. I let her go and she remained cowered on the floor. I stood and shifted into my human skin. “I’ve won. Christina has yielded.”
“You must kill her,” shouted Olympia. Woah, I thought they were friends?
“It is the way,” called out Aleksandr.
“I do not wish to spill blood in the palace. Arrest Christina and take her to the dungeon. The council will decide her fate later.”
Jack and Sir Henry, along with a few palace guards, went to secure the prisoner. Christina had not risen from her cower. She looked up and suddenly lunged for me one last time.
“STOP!” I shouted at her, using any alpha influence I could muster in my human form.
To my surprise, she skittered to a halt at my feet. She looked antsy, like she would break free from my hold at any minute.
“Yield,” I commanded. She drew still. “Kneel,” I ordered. Her wolf knelt to the ground. The crowd around me was a flurry of whispers.
I heard the words “true alpha” and “Great Queen,” tossed about but had no time to notice who said what. I used every ounce of my power to hold Christina in place while the palace guards wrapped her in chains. The guards led Christina away, and the shocked crowd gave way to cheers.
I was surrounded by werewolves congratulating me. Discreetly, Diego slipped a robe around my shoulders, for which I was eternally grateful. I continued to answer questions as best I could. Shea wiggled through the crowd and threw her arms around me.
“Don’t you ever do that again!” she scolded.
Aleksandr and Anatoly congratulated me. Nadia was beaming her approval. I looked around at the crowd, hardly believing it was over. I spied Jillian, Logan, and Ulric in deep conversation and made my way through the crowd to them
The crowd gave way and seemed to note the need for us to converse. Ulric approached me rigidly. “Well, Your Majesty, it appears you have won in more ways than one today.” He knelt formally before me. “The Royal Clan Dolph pledges its allegiance to the Royal Clan Luna. Long Live Queen Alice!”
An answering cheer erupted from the room and, one by one, the heads of royal and noble clans knelt before me to declare their loyalty to my reign. I was awed and humbled. Nadia approached and offered the same pledge, then she rose and whispered in my ear that this was just for show as we’d have to do it all over again at the coronation.
“Can’t we just call it done?” I whined.
“Sorry, Your Majesty, you can’t change every werewolf tradition in a day.”
The crowds were thinning as the staff announced a royal banquet in my honor to be served presently. I wondered that they had time to prepare a feast in my honor, but reasoned it was the same meal set for this morning. I’d simply changed the cause for the occasion.
Diego and Jack were persuading me to return to my quarters, when I caught Jillian’s eye. I begged them to give me a moment and I nodded at her to join me.
She approached and I noticed her rubbing her belly. With her hand holding her shirt back, I could just start to see the hint of a baby bump. I realized I still owed her an apology.
“I’m so sorry, Jillian,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “I never wanted to reveal your secret like that.”
Jillian raised an eyebrow at me. “But you did. Not to mention, you ousted my mom.”
I gulped, dropping her hands. Words couldn’t mend what I had broken. “I… I…” I stammered.
Jill
ian waved her hand at me and sighed. “Thank you for sparing her life. I almost wished for her death, but in the end, I’m grateful you spared her.”
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow at her confession.
“She killed my Grandma,” Jillian cried, tears springing to her eyes. “You read Grammy’s letter. She suspected my mother was capable of it. It’s the only explanation. She was so angry that Grammy Babs voted to annul the betrothal. Grammy knew how I felt about Logan…”
“Jillian, that’s horrible.”
“They always fought. Grammy was always going on about Mother squandering Grammy’s life debt. Of course, I didn’t know what that meant at the time. Mother claimed she was the only one willing to do what it took to stay in power. But I’d no idea she would stoop to matricide.”
I was stunned. I wanted to comfort her, but Logan appeared at her side. He wrapped an arm around Jillian and glared at me. “Don’t go upsetting her now.”
“She’s not, Lo.” Jillian sniffed. “If anything, she saved us.” Jillian turned appreciative eyes on me, “Thank you, Alice, you saved us both.” She rubbed her belly again. “Mother was going to make me get rid of it.”
Logan and I gasped. “But that’s illegal!” he cried. Werewolves were already dwindling in numbers, so expectant mothers were highly revered. I had my own views on a woman’s right to her body, but it was clear that Jillian wanted this baby. They both did.
“So is murder and regicide,” she stated savagely.
I didn’t know what to say. Logan turned to me and offered his hand. I shook it while he was leaning in to kiss my hand. I knocked him in the nose, and we both started to grin.
“I guess this means we’re not betrothed anymore,” he said.
“I guess not. And I suppose I owe you two a congratulations.”
Logan and Jillian looked at each other, the realization dawning on both of them simultaneously. I couldn’t help but laugh.
Logan got down on his knee to propose. “Jillian of the Noble Clan Reynolds, would you do me the honor of becoming my mate?”
Jillian squealed and pulled Logan to his feet and into a hug. “Of course I will! And all of our babies will have the surname Dolph!” She laughed at Logan’s confusion and promised to fill him in later.
Logan spun her around then bent down to talk to her belly. “I don’t really know how to be a father, little baby, but I promise to be the best one I can be.”
I wiped a tear from my eye, so happy to see them together. Their little family had just begun.
Jillian frowned. “I just wish Grammy was here to see this. She’ll never meet my baby.”
“But she did know about him or her. And she did meet your mate, even if you weren’t twined yet.” I offered Jillian what little comfort I could.
“That’s true,” said Logan. He’d stopped cooing to Jillian’s belly. Logan stood and put his arms around her. “She once pulled me aside and told me she was rooting for me. I’d like to think she still is.”
Chapter 34
Before the feast, I went down to the dungeons to check on Christina and Sloane. The royal guards had insisted on returning Sloane to her cell. I made them remove the chains and the barbaric collar. The guards were nervously fumbling with the locks when Sloane sighed and pulled the chains apart. The links fell to the floor and Sloane grinned at the stunned guards. Sloane had willingly submitted to their capture to avoid hurting my allies, but she didn’t mind showing them who was really boss in that jailhouse. I brought her a lamp and some books to read.
“I’m sorry it’s not much,” I said. “I want to get you out of here as soon as possible.” I was annoyed that while I had won my throne, not everyone was immediately obeying my every command. “The council insists that we put you on trial. I know it’s a show to put the public at ease. There’s no way you’ll be found guilty.”
Sloane’s pale face wrinkled. “Do not be so sure, Alice. Your kind has a great fear of my kind. Unfortunately, it is mostly deserved. Fear makes good people do terrible things.”
“I promise to protect you.”
“I believe you, Alice.”
I heard bitter laughter from the cell next door. I walked over to see Christina chained to the floor.
“You stupid little bitch! You have no idea what you’re up against.” She bared her teeth at me.
“I think I do.” I smiled at her and walked away, heading to the feast in my honor.
Later that night, there was a frantic knock on my door. Diego and Jack swept into the room and searched every corner of my suite. When they started to tug at books and pull on the lamp sconces, I demanded they stop and tell me what they were doing.
“We’re searching for hidden passageways,” Diego told me then looked expectantly at Jack.
“What is it?” I asked again.
“It’s Christina. She’s escaped.” Jack looked down at the floor.
“How?”
“We’re not sure. That’s why we’re checking for hidden tunnels and who was on guard duty. No one claims to know a thing. We put the guards on duty on lockdown until we can assess their loyalty.”
“Oh, no.” It was the understatement of the year.
“Oh, no is right; you should’ve killed her when you had the chance, Alice.” It wasn’t like Jack to be so bloodthirsty, but after I revealed Christina’s allegiance to the upyr king, he now knew who to blame for the loss of his beloved Kulani.
“I’m glad you didn’t. You don’t need that additional burden. We think she’s left the palace grounds,” Diego put in. “We’ve sent search parties after them.”
“Them?”
“Christina and whoever helped her escaped. We put guards on Jillian and the Dolph suites as well,” added Jack.
“But I don’t think they would help her.”
“It’s uncertain who would. We need to check the guard lists and see who’s missing.”
I decided that I still wanted to leave the Winter Palace as soon as possible. Jack argued that I should return to Mt. Henley, but I reasoned that I still needed to go home to Wisconsin.
“My parents have no idea that I’m a werewolf, let alone one that’s about to be crowned the Queen of the Great Pack. I have to go home for one last summer. I’ll tell them I got a job in the Canadian government next year. But to them, I’m still their underage teenage daughter.”
Diego looked up at me, and I wished I hadn’t said “underage.”
“I turn eighteen in September. I will be crowned then.”
He nodded at me and looked away. Wait, what? Did he think I meant something by that? God, how I wished for a moment alone with him!
◆◆◆
My wish was granted the next day as he led me to the tarmac, where Shea and I were boarding a private jet to take us to America.
“I’m going to miss you, Diego,” I admitted. “I don’t know how I’ll explain Becky.” I wasn’t sure my folks would be totally oblivious to the hot blonde tailing me all summer.
“You won’t have to, she’s trained to guard unseen and unheard.”
“So, better than Max and Levi?”
“Much better, not that they’re bad, but Becky’s the best.” Diego wouldn’t throw a fellow Sliver under the bus.
“Not quite the best.” My words were weighted.
Diego cleared his throat. “Plus, you’ll have the witches to protect you.”
“True, though I’m more worried about the humans. If Christina returns to the upyr nest, there’s nothing to stop them from attacking outright.”
“We’ll be prepared for that.”
“I still can’t believe the upyr king is my great-uncle Frederick. I didn’t know werewolves could become upyr.”
“Sloane says as long as the living host imbibes the blood of an upyr before death, they have a chance to change.”
Diego had spent a lot of time with Sloane in her cell, asking her all about the upyr, their defenses, and ability to attack. She was proving to be an even more useful res
ource than I’d anticipated. I’d insisted that her cell be made more comfortable and sent bedding and furniture for her use. I ordered that she was to be fed animal blood daily and treated like a guest. That was the best I could do until the trial later that summer. I tried to tamp my hope, but after defeating Christina, I was brimming with it.
I turned to Diego with a mischievous smile. “I’m not betrothed anymore!”
“I know,” he replied less enthusiastically.
“Do you? Do you know that I’m free as a bird? I am totally single!” I crowed.
Diego cracked a grin. “So it would seem, Your Majesty.”
The title was a slap in the face. “Do you? I’m free, Diego. We’re free!”
Diego sighed and looked deep into my eyes. I swear he wanted to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me. “One thing at a time, Your Majesty.”
“Again with the title!” I admonished.
He held up his hand in surrender. “Alice, there’s still protocol, rules…”
I shut him up with a kiss. He stood rigid a moment as I wrapped my arms around him. Finally, he melted into my embrace and kissed me back urgently. I felt his arms wrap around me, and he lifted me off the ground. We broke the kiss, and he swung me around in a circle. Setting me back on my feet he gently pulled a loose strand of hair off of my face.
“You’re still about to be Queen,” he said softly.
“Babe, I am the Queen.”
END BOOK TWO
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About the Author
Kat Zaccard spends her days singing with the birds and her nights howling at the moon. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching Kundalini Yoga, playing the ukulele, or creating art of all kinds. Kat finds magic in the ordinary moments of life and weaves them into stories … some of which she eventually writes down. She lives in Madison, WI with her true mate, two kids, and an assortment of creatures.
