Dathan knew all about the responsibility of ruling a kingdom and wishing to be elsewhere. Yet he did it anyway—when Cedric wasn’t covering for him. And so would I.
I closed the distance, then held out my hand for him to take. “From this day forth, you shall have the keys to the kingdom. No werewolf will harm you or your people. You will always be welcome here.”
“Excellent.” He patted my hand. “Because I don’t plan on leaving Natasha any time soon.”
I beamed. Of course he’d stick around. For a while anyway.
“Get your council in order,” Dathan said. “Your parents will help you. Send out your best men to bring in every werewolf from over the world. They must all swear loyalty to you. And once you’ve established yourself and you’re ruling like a proper queen...” you can make little shifter-werewolf-vampire babies with Zack.
I blushed and mashed my lips together to keep from giggling, fairly certain my ears had turned red. I cleared my throat. “Thank you for all your help. The debt can never be repaid.”
“I was going to say the same thing to you.” Dathan’s expression grew solemn, almost reverent, and then he bowed. “I will forever be at your service, Your Majesty.” And then he swept Natasha away.
The man of my dreams loved me back and nothing stood in our way to be together—my fantasy come true. I was ruler over all werewolves now and could forge a new path for my people, create our future. The weight of the responsibility ambushed me and I reeled.
Zack pressed me close and sighed. I’m pretty sure this job is going to suck.
I nuzzled into him. But we’ll do it together. And just think how many people whose lives will be better because of what we did. And what we’ll do.
“Yeah.” He leaned his head against mine. “It’s a big job.”
“I’m exhausted just thinking about it.”
Guess what I’m not too tired for, Zack said.
By the glint in his eyes, I wasn’t sure I wanted to play that game with Zack. We still had too much to do the next few hours putting our house in order. “What?”
“Food.” When I laughed, he added, And then I want you for dessert.
† † †
Zack didn’t get his dessert. For one thing, we had no privacy anywhere. Even if we had a stolen moment, as soon as we went missing, my parents would assume what we were up to. Nope, nope, nope. And I didn’t want anything to do with Mortimer’s filthy room or anything he ever touched. Not only that, as far as I knew, no one had been able to get through the door I’d fused shut.
We’d relocated to the great hall where Mortimer had performed his kingly duties. Dathan made me sit in the giant throne made of real gold while Cesar conducted pledges for the steady stream of newcomers. Zack compelled them to be loyal while I accepted the oath. Even better, he compelled them out of their evil ways.
The glamoured werewolves spread word about the new regime and werewolves poured in from miles around. Zack never left my side. In between pledges, I learned which werewolf did what job or assigned additional tasks like arranging sleeping quarters for my royal council.
Uh-oh, Zack shoved into my head. You’ll never guess who just arrived.
My gaze shot to the door. Standing on the other side of the room was my ex-boyfriend Daniel who’d stalked me, tried to rape me and had attempted to kill Zack. Only a handful of hours had passed since I’d become queen. Daniel couldn’t have been too far away to get here so quickly. In a second, he’s going to realize...Daniel’s eyes widened, signaling he’d just figured out that his new king and queen were the two people he hated most in the world. You should glamour him right away, before he gets out of control.
Or maybe not, Zack said. “Welcome. Werewolf law requires pledging loyalty to any new rulers or choose death.”
“Is this some kind of a joke?” Daniel’s fair complexion quickly pinkened, his eyes squinty.
“On your knees.” Cedric struck Daniel’s back with the flat side of his sword. Cedric had insisted on staying for a few days. He didn’t want to take any chances on something going wrong and everyone’s hard work to be wasted.
The force of the blow threw Daniel forward and he dropped, his palms flattening on the ground and putting him on all fours.
Wouldn’t it be easier to glamour him, Zack, and get it over with?
Easier, yes. More fun, no. “Rise and place your hand on the bible.”
I inwardly sighed. “You must do as your king bids.”
Daniel’s gaze bounced between Zack and me. “This is my worst nightmare. Seriously, you guys are king and queen?”
“I slayed Mortimer,” I replied, holding my mouth straight as it tried to curve up. I could admit, at least to myself, that seeing Daniel realize he had been completely bested and utterly conquered did make me feel a little bit smug. “Which made me queen. Zack and I are married now, so he is your king.”
Daniel’s mouth gaped and his eyes shot to Zack. “Married?”
“Repeat after me,” Cedric ordered, extending the werewolf bible.
Energy floated by me, which told me Zack was finally glamouring Daniel. I tuned out the pledge I’d already heard what seemed like a million times. I wondered if we’d see many more women and if all the tranquilized shape-shifters had awoken.
With the battle and everything else, I’d forgotten about the shape-shifter girl who’d been unconscious when I’d left Mortimer’s suite. She had to be awake by now. While Zack finished up with Daniel then gave orders to one of the werewolves, I stole a moment to contact the shape-shifter girl.
Since I didn’t know her name, I pictured her, then sent out my thoughts. I’m assuming you’re awake now. If you haven’t already left the building, you don’t have to. The werewolf king has been killed, by me actually, and our kingdom is under new, kinder management. You’re safe now. When I didn’t get a reply, I figured I should explain how I knew about her. I’m a shape-shifter. I was in the vent and saw you in the king’s suite lying on the floor.
Even if I wanted to believe you, I can’t risk this being a trap.
I’d do the same thing in your shoes. If you’ve already morphed and escaped, you’ve probably noticed no one is chasing you. If you’re still inside somewhere in the ducts, take a look around and see what’s going on.
She’d work it out eventually. For now, I was glad she was safe. I had other things to do.
“Your Majesty.” A handsome blond shape-shifter bowed deeply. Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what.
“You may rise.” I was totally getting the hang of the whole queen thing. I’d even cut out many of my contractions so I sounded more proper. “What is your name?”
“Benjamin, at your service.” He bowed again, but not as low, then straightened.
Zack jumped off the raised platform that held the throne. “Benjamin. Good to see you again.” Zack refocused on me. “I couldn’t have done what I did in the dungeon, coordinating everything, if not for him. Good man.”
“Your version is a gross exaggeration, but thank you for the endorsement, Your Majesty.” His gaze bounced between Zack and me. “Because I have a request.”
“We’ll do our best,” Zack answered. “What is it?”
Zoe stormed in, practically skidding to a halt in front of us. “I’ve been asking everyone and no one can tell me where he is.”
“Who?” Zack asked as Chait trailed behind her.
“David, the witch who was working with Mortimer. Please don’t tell me he escaped,” Zoe hissed. “That would really piss me off.”
“You’re looking for David the witch?” Benjamin asked, twisting to see Zoe. “Trust me, he’s not going anywhere. You can find him in the dungeon.”
Zoe shook her head. “I already searched there and sensed no sign of life.”
“Because he’s dead. He died peacefully in his sleep.” Benjamin’s gaze wavered and I wondered what was going through his mind.
“How?” I asked.
<
br /> “He lost his head.” Benjamin cracked his knuckles. “I suppose I could have let him wake up and then I’d have the pleasure of killing him and watching the life go out of his eyes. But he’d been torturing me and many others for years, doing unspeakable things. He didn’t deserve the chance at one more second of life.”
Zoe sighed. “While I’m sorry about missing the satisfaction of killing him myself, I’m happy one of us did. If you suffered at his hands half as much as I did, I’m truly sorry.”
Benjamin nodded. “As you enter the dungeon, walk straight back. He’s in his office, in the corner. Well, part of him. I may have tossed his head into an empty cell.”
Zoe grimaced. “I think I’ll take your word for it. I’ve seen enough mayhem for one day.”
“As you were saying, Benjamin? You had a request?” I asked as my parents and Natasha came into the great room.
“I was brought here as a boy and that was a century ago. It’s almost all I’ve ever known.” Benjamin took a deep breath. “The world is so much different now. There are things I’ve never seen, like those flat square boxes you use to talk to people and the bigger metal boxes they call computers. People speak quite differently as well. I was hoping I could stay here a while and learn about the modern world before venturing out.”
He must have been tortured for years. My throat tightened in empathy for him. “No problem. We’ll make sure you have a safe place as long as you need it. I mean, it’s only fair, right? They took from you all these years. They can give back.”
Natasha stepped toward Benjamin, nervously chewing her bottom lip. “Your name is Benjamin?”
He bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
She stared at him, her eyes shining. “Was that always your name or did the werewolves give it to you?”
“As long as I can remember.”
“Do you remember your parents?” she asked, her voice unsteady.
He shrugged. “I can’t make out their faces anymore. Seems like so long ago. They were both killed by werewolves.”
She lifted her chin slightly. “Did you witness your mother’s death?”
“No.” He tilted his head, taking more careful note of her. “I saw my father murdered and then I was taken away as they were about to kill my mother.”
“You don’t remember what your mother looked like?” Her voice broke.
Benjamin squinted. “Maybe a little similar to you...”
“Do you remember your mother’s name?” she asked in a whisper.
“I’d never forget. Her name was...Natasha.” He took in a sudden breath, studying her.
That’s why Benjamin was familiar to me—he resembled my father and my aunt!
Tears streamed down my aunt’s cheeks. “I couldn’t feel your presence. I assumed they killed you, like they killed your father. But maybe you were just too far away. I couldn’t imagine you survived or why they would even keep you alive.”
Benjamin shuddered and I thought he was going to bawl like a baby, but he held it together as he gently took her hand and held it to his face, closing his eyes. “They beat me into unconsciousness when I wasn’t in use, and kept me in an iron cage. Probably why you didn’t sense me. While I was young and hadn’t learned to morph, I couldn’t escape. And I was too useful to kill.” Benjamin hesitated, long enough to glance at her. “And then when I got older, I fell in love. I couldn’t abandon her.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “And once David came along and kept you poisoned, they no longer needed to keep her alive?”
An odd sobbing noise started in his throat as he pulled his mother into a fierce hug.
Let’s leave them alone, I told Zack, and motioned everyone out of the room. I need some air anyway. We quietly slipped away.
“Wow.” Zack paused out in the corridor. “It’s been an unbelievable twenty-four hours.”
“Your Majesties.” A tall dark werewolf stopped before us and bowed. “Your suite is ready.”
They had to have worked pretty hard to get through the doors I had welded. “The door is fixed and the place is clean, linens changed?” I asked.
“Even better. Come see for yourself.”
“Please make sure they aren’t disturbed,” I told the guards as we left the great hall, then Zack and I joined hands as we traveled the long corridor. At the end, two new thick metal doors graced the doorway. Two guards on each side bowed as we crossed the threshold.
The wood floors had been cleaned until they shone. Burgundy drapes with subtle threads of silver replaced the old gaudy gold curtains.
The werewolf lifted the velvety burgundy bedspread and cream sheet at the corner to expose the mattress. “Everything is new, mattress and bedding.”
“Byron, right?” I’d had to learn too many names.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He bowed again.
“This room is soundproof, correct?” Zack asked, shooting Byron the same look he always did when glamouring someone into telling the truth.
“Yes, of course.”
I inhaled long and deep. “I don’t know how they got rid of the smell, but it’s pretty great.”
“The walls were scrubbed and even the furniture is new, Your Majesty.” The werewolf’s head inclined again. “Even the ceilings were cleaned.”
“It’s beautiful. Thank you so much, Byron.” I offered him a smile. “Please make sure both our parents receive the same courtesies.”
“Already on it and almost done with their suites.” Byron backed out of the room, leaving Zack and me on our own.
My magic hadn’t faded yet. I zeroed in on the doors, and they closed and locked. Mom, Dad, where are you?
We left Natasha alone to catch up with Benjamin. We’re out doing searches in town for any other shape-shifters being held captive. We’ll be gone a while. Everything okay? my dad asked.
It’s all good. Dinner is in two hours. Do you think you’ll be back by then?
We’ll make sure of it, my mom replied. See you soon, sweetheart.
“Where’s your mom and dad?” I asked Zack.
“They took Cedric’s helicopter to pick up my cousin Alura.” He opened a dresser drawer to find it had been filled with our clothes. “This room looks quite different.”
I focused telepathically on the guards outside our door. We haven’t slept in a long time. Make sure we’re not disturbed until I tell you otherwise.
I cast a glance at Zack. We were finally alone and could do anything we wanted. My heart skipped a beat. “What are you doing?”
“Checking for secret tunnels.” He pushed on the wall then knocked. “Mortimer was famous for having them in all his castles.”
“You could search more thoroughly later.” I reached up to feel the texture of the silky curtains.
He spun around and eyed me. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re in a soundproof room and no one’s around to bother us for at least a couple hours. And the guards have been informed that we don’t want to be disturbed.” Nervous about what his reaction might be, I licked my lips. “And your hands aren’t already all over me.”
Zack swallowed as he got my meaning, then his brows flew up in surprise. “Allow me to remedy that, milady.” He rocketed toward me, stopping right in front of me, then he slowly gathered me in a hug. He held me, pressing me closer and closer, then he whispered, “I missed you so much. The whole time I was undercover, thinking of you was the only thing that got me through it.”
I lifted my chin to meet his gaze, then laid my palms against his cheeks. “Oh, Zack. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I wish I could’ve been here with you.”
“You’re here now.” His mouth curved up. “And we have two hours.”
“You’re okay with this?” Stupid question, yes, but I wanted assurance his desire for me hadn’t somehow died.
“I feel pretty good about it, actually.” Zack cocked his head, frowning. “How could you think I wouldn’t want to be alone with the girl I’ve been waiting this long for,
the woman I love, my wife?”
I released an unsteady breath. “Sometimes you work so hard for something, then you finally get it and suddenly you’re not interested anymore.”
Zack rested his palms at my hips. “My thoughts couldn’t be further away.”
“So you do still want me?” My hands trailed to the back of his neck.
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist, yanking me against him. “I only went along for the ride, because I wanted to be king.”
I threw my head back and laughed, because Zack couldn’t have known we would end up here. He had never wanted this job anyway. He would’ve rather been anywhere else. “We’re wasting time,” I whispered.
He bent to brush a soft kiss on my shoulder. “Are we in a hurry?”
I willed my muscles to relax. “No.”
“Nervous? Afraid?” His thumb pressed into my waist as he inhaled my scent.
Breathing became difficult and my entire body ached for him, though he’d barely touched me. “I’m only afraid you’ll stop.”
“Not a chance.” His warm soft lips covered mine, his tongue sending a ripple of desire through my limbs. I held my breath as he pushed forward, guiding me backward until the back of my knees touched the foot of the bed.
“I’ve never done this before. Show me what you want me to do.”
His teeth grazed my earlobe. “What makes you think I’d know?”
But Zack had dated my slutty ex-best friend, who I had caught making out with my cheating ex-boyfriend, Daniel. My hands went to Zack’s chest to hold him off. “Weren’t you with Gina?”
“Before I met you, I’d been working since I turned sixteen, plus going to school, doing homework and caring for my sick mother. Not much opportunity for dating—or getting anywhere with girls. And if I got a call saying my mom passed away and I wasn’t there, I didn’t want it to be because I’d chosen to spend time with someone like Gina instead of my mother.”
All these months, I’d thought he had slept with Gina—because that’s what she told me. But he hadn’t. I was the one he fought for, waited for, risked his life for—and then married. Not Gina or anyone else. I’d wasted too many moments doubting his feelings when he’d been showing me all along.
Shapes of Autumn (Boxed set, books 1 - 5) Page 106