A true queen.
And the way her pack of females came together for her now… this was the key to protecting our people. Together, as one. Not divided as we had been for so long.
I stood on my injured leg, putting less weight on that paw, and stared down the remaining males who eyed my mate. They wouldn’t dare make a move for her now, but I knew what had to be done, and none of them—male or female—were going to like it.
The alpha must demand submission.
Lifting my face to the sky, I let my instincts guide me. From deep in my gut, the sound rose, rumbling forth in a commanding howl to the moon. The cry was loud in my ears, reminding me of my father’s alpha call. It had been so long since I’d heard it, that I almost forgot what it sounded like. But I could never forget the way it rolled down my spine, a heavy weight, even as a child in my human form. The way it urged me down, to the floor before his feet. The way it demanded my supplication and reminded me I wasn’t in charge.
Bow. “Bow to your king,” I resonated in their minds.
I let off another bellow, not waiting to see if the first one brought them all down. No matter what my omega mate said, if they couldn’t bow to the alpha, they wouldn’t be part of the pack. One straggler had caused my mother’s demise. I wouldn’t let the same thing happen to Zelene.
Bow to your alpha king.
When the moon had thoroughly heard my call, I looked to my people. Many cowered, the alpha call affecting them in a similar way Zelene’s heat affected me. Whimpers of defeat rolled through my mind, but still some didn’t lower themselves.
I turned to eye the omega females, including my own who was already on her knees. “Bow,” I demanded. And one by one they bent to the ground, uttering their allegiance. Then I faced the males. “Bow, and you will live.”
Dagger lowered his knee first, but not for the first time. The omega males followed his lead. Some of the pledges I heard in my head were even grateful. How long had they fought amongst themselves with no one but Dagger to direct them? I would be a good king to them, I vowed to myself. Not just for Zelene or the pack, but for who my father could have been had he not been so lost.
I went to my mate, careful not to show my limp. No weakness would be tolerated while the omegas were learning their place. Nudging her with my nose, I pushed her up. She wouldn’t bow to me anymore. Not unless it was in our bed.
“This is your queen,” I thundered, emphasizing the declaration with another alpha call. “You will not harm her. Any who move upon her will suffer death at my hands.”
Tears streamed down Zelene’s face but I couldn’t tell if it was because of my words or because she was in pain.
It was time to go.
“Climb on, my rose.”
“You’re hurt,” she whispered, but I growled her concern away and bumped her knees with my body so that she fell onto my back.
The battle was only halfway won. There was still work to do. But for now, the omegas understood that change was coming.
With a final nod to the wolves, I headed for the city gates with Dagger and my mate’s family in tow.
Chapter Twelve
Zelene
This time, I paid her in gold. As queen, I didn’t have to buy my own fabric. I should’ve had an omega do that for me. But everything was different now, and I intended to show my people that not only through my words but also by my actions. Words didn’t matter, they could be bent, twisted, and broken. I would let what I did speak for me.
My intention was to lift everyone in this city off their knees so we could stop fighting each other and focus on the real enemies. The humans. And I’d start with the woman who set everything into motion, the one who’d sold me that beautiful pink and gold fabric even though she knew I’d lied to her.
Did I, though? Because now the castle was my home.
I’d never give her another reason to doubt me again.
“I knew you were capable of great things,” she said as she snipped the last thread and stepped back to admire her handiwork. She had made me another pink dress. This one, the color of rose petals. She met my gaze. “That was why I sold you the fabric. And instead of getting yourself killed for having something that shouldn’t have belonged to you, you did something beautiful with it.”
Looking a queen directly in the eye and speaking her mind like that would’ve had serious consequences for an omega just weeks ago. But once Adalai and I returned to the castle, we had a serious talk. He’d been a wolf, in the heat of the moment, when he said The Division was over. At the time, I’d been consumed by instinct and need, and it was imperative that we be on the same page. The lives of my fellow omegas depended on it, and I refused to turn my back on them because I had a chance to better myself. No. It might have been every wolf for themselves in the Badlands during The Division, but that wasn’t what any of us wanted. I couldn’t forget the way the mass of omega females came together to help me in the desert. From here out, I would treat every omega the way I treated Tavia, Charolet, Rielle, and Ashla. Our elders told stories of how we had all worked together to fight for what was ours. My mother died fighting for that very principle.
I wouldn’t let any of it be in vain.
“You look gorgeous, Zelene.” Tavia was breathtaking herself. Her dark hair had been swept up on her head and she wore a robin’s egg blue gown.
“So do you. You all do,” I said, finding the others. “It’s like you stepped out of my dream.”
Charolet stood behind Tavia, wearing green chiffon, and wiggling her freshly manicured fingers in front of her face. “Never thought I’d have these.” The manicurist had glued little jewels to their fingernails and mine were painted the deep pink of my original dress. Our hair was done too, twisted into decorative curls and bejeweled with crystals. Later I would wear a crown.
A crown. Me. Zelene from the Badlands. Holy crap.
Rielle was decked out in purple, and Ashla’s dress was gold. No bland and rough sugar sack cotton for these ladies ever again.
“Are you nervous, Zee? Going in front of all the people of the city and the Badlands for the first time?” Ashla asked. She hadn’t stopped fluttering her eyelashes since the makeup artist left. My friends, now my court, had always been beautiful. It took my breath away to see them get the respect they deserved.
“I’m absolutely terrified.” The butterflies rose in my belly, but they were different than the night I crashed the party at this castle. For the first time since The Division, omegas, betas, and alphas would be standing together, equal, watching Adalai promise himself to me forever.
There had been rumblings loud enough to penetrate the thick stone walls of the castle that some people in the city, and some in the Badlands too, thought he’d made a mistake. As the story spread, they decided I was too reckless and too inexperienced to lead. Even other omegas worried that the betas and alphas wouldn’t respect me.
“It doesn’t matter what I say when we go out on the balcony. I’ll show them Adalai made the right choice by being true to my heart, day after day.”
“It still freaks me out that you call him Adalai. I keep expecting to get chased out of here,” Rielle said with a chuckle. “Like I’m going to wake up from this dream, back in the Badlands, dirty, hungry, and late for work in the downstairs kitchen.”
“Never again.” Tonight, they’d sit at the head table with the king and all his most trusted alphas. Alphas that were hungry for mates of their very own. I hoped like Adalai, they wanted to do the right thing. Because I would never stop being fiercely protective of my girls. “You’re part of my court now. Everything is different.”
“That’s what scares me,” Charolet said under her breath. She didn’t mean for me to hear it, but she didn’t shy away from my gaze when I did. “I’m afraid they’ll try to divide us, and make the castle crumble from inside the walls. I don’t know what it takes to be in the Queen’s Court.”
“I don’t know what it means to be queen.” The door opened, and one
of Adalai’s castle staff motioned to us that it was time to go. “But we’re about to find out.”
“Zelene,” Tavia called to me before I left the room. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I know Mom’s looking down on you from heaven and smiling, getting all the other omegas up there together and pointing at you saying, that’s my girl.”
I’d done what Mom couldn’t. I’d convinced the King Alpha to end The Division. But I couldn’t think about how much we’d had to sacrifice to get to this very place right now or I’d lose it.
“But are you sure about this?” Tavia added. “That you want to marry Adalai?”
“Of course I am. I love him.” New butterflies fluttered in my belly. It was the first time I’d said those words out loud.
“It changes everything for all of us.” My sister swallowed hard, but her gaze didn’t waver from mine. “Things can never go back to the way they were.”
“That’s a good thing.” I understood what she meant. We may have been filthy and starving, but we weren’t broken. We didn’t know what changes my marriage would bring to the lives of the people we cared about. The fight didn’t end when the crown rested on my head. No. It had just begun.
My legs were jelly and my head swam as I followed the women through the winding hallways of the castle. I was more nervous tonight than I had been the night of the party. As an unruly omega, I had nothing to lose. Now all the people of our pack, our divided city, depended on me. I gave them hope that things could finally turn around. That the wars could end and we could work together again in peace.
I arrived in the grand court, the same room that had hosted the military party. Adalai looked absolutely gorgeous, framed by the lamps that illuminated the balcony. He wore a rich silk jacket of navy blue. The sleeves had been embroidered with gold and his chest was decorated with too many war medals to count. His onyx eyes sparkled when he saw me, and he held out his hand.
“Her Majesty.” The words were little more than a hot breath against my ear, but they sent a shiver down my spine. He pressed his lips against my cheek, steadying me. “I’ve dreamed of this moment, when I would present my queen to a united city. But never did I imagine a beauty as splendid as you.”
His words made my chest warm with emotion.
“I hope to do you proud, my King.” I curtsied. Not in a submissive move, it was pure respect. I’d worried that once my heat passed and Adalai was no longer ruled by his long-dormant animal, he would realize what he’d done. Ended The Division and taken an omega as his bride. But he had absolutely no regrets about his decision. He immediately set this celebration into motion, because he couldn’t wait to present me to the city.
Except I feared we weren’t prepared. There was still so much I had yet to share with the king about the Badlands. His mother’s murder had triggered The Division, and he had lost all touch with that side of him. It was up to me to educate him, and keep both the alphas and omegas safe. Not to mention, the random missing omegas nobody could account for. Their families would want the king to care, to take action to find them.
Like everything else in my life, I didn’t know how I’d do it yet, but I knew I could pull it off.
“They can’t wait to meet you,” Adalai said. “They’ve been calling your name. Wait until they see you. You look absolutely stunning. You’ve made me proud to call you my Queen.”
“I’m still an omega,” I reminded. “I always have been, and I always will be. That’s how I plan to rule.”
“You’ll bring justice to people who are starving for it. You’ll be the reason we win the war against the humans and get our Luxoria back.” He put his hand on the small of my back. The heat from his body seeped through the thick velvet. “Come with me.”
A cheer rose from the crowd when the king and I stepped out onto the balcony. He squeezed my hand in his and then raised them high between us. Unity. Pride. Strength.
Dagger stepped onto the balcony behind us. He put his hand on Adalai’s shoulder. “It’s time for the ceremony, Your Majesty.”
Adalai turned toward me, kissing me to the approval of the crowd...well, most of them anyway. I could’ve sworn I heard a few boos. But I didn’t let it bother me. I wouldn’t be the most popular queen, not yet. I had a lot to prove. Every day of my life had been a battle, and I’d survived so far. I’d been preparing for this uphill crawl my entire life.
Standing between us in his military dress leather, Dagger crossed his hands low on his belly. He nodded to me. “Your Majesty.” No hiding the words still tasted bitter on his tongue. He’d lost all control of the Badlands at the hands of a renegade queen. “It’s my honor to welcome you to the court.”
“I look forward to serving you.”
Dagger stepped up to the microphone. “Today is a day that some among us have dreamed of, and yet… others have feared with all their hearts—”
“What the fuck?” Adalai muttered under his breath. “I gave him the vows. How dare he go off script.”
I leaned close, because I was shaking and I wasn’t sure I was able to whisper. “If he means to cause a riot, let him. He can get it all out of his system, but we will bring the people of the Luxoria together once and for all.”
“—The end of The Division. We have fought long and hard. Some have given their lives, and lost loved ones. But perhaps we all wanted the same thing.” Dagger looked down at a slip of paper. The vows? His lip turned up at the corner as he continued. “Peace. Today is the ultimate symbol of that transition. The union between King Adalai of Luxoria, and omega Zelene. This is a day that our descendants will read about in history books, as life as we know it will never be the same.”
Dagger shot a hard gaze my direction. His words were the same as Tavia’s, but they held a vastly different meaning.
Adalai growled and a gasp rolled over the crowd. “Are these wedding vows or a statement of mutiny?”
Dagger blinked before meeting Adalai’s glare. “Just stating facts, Your Majesty.”
“State them elsewhere, if you must. This is my fucking mating ceremony,” the king hissed low.
Dagger clenched his jaw, clearly considering his next move. Zelene let out a breath when he leaned forward to the microphone. “Do you have anything you’d like to say to your bride before promising yourself to her forever?”
“Yes.” Adalai sighed deeply, trying to shake off the exchange, as he turned to me. “My beautiful Zelene, my rose. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that I was meant to be yours forever… even if all I wanted to do was make you mine. I didn’t know who you were, or what you risked to come to me. Only that you were the answer to a question I never knew I had, and I’d go to any lengths to have you. I couldn’t have guessed how you would change the lives of everyone in the city. I’m excited for our pack—alpha, beta, and omega—to get to know you, and for you to have a chance to make their lives better. I can’t wait for them to see you like I have. Smart. Brave. Caring. And just.”
His loving words stole my breath as he placed the crown on my head. Solid gold and bejeweled, it surprised me with its weight. Then he leaned in and kissed my forehead. A chaste move meant to win over the crowd in my favor. He’d save the fire for when we were alone.
It was my turn to speak to the crowd for the first time. “Your Majesty. You told me not to call you that anymore, but you truly are magic. There was no way you didn’t know what I was when you met me, with my bare feet and dirty skin. But still, you were willing to give me a chance. You listened to me like I was your equal. That’s the sign of a great leader. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and help you serve all the people of this great city.”
Another cheer rose from the crowd as I took Adalai’s face in my hands and kissed him. Even in heels, I had to go up on my tiptoes to meet his lips. It was so easy to forget anyone else was there, until Dagger cleared his throat.
“Would you like to say anything to the people of the city, Queen Zelene?”
That title would take som
e getting used to.
“I would.” I stepped up to the microphone, overwhelmed by the response of the crowd. Even from this vantage point, I saw so many familiar faces. They were still dressed in the plain wardrobe of the Badlands residents, but the hopeful expression they held was a shocking change to their appearance. They saw themselves in me, standing on that balcony in the gorgeous velvet gown.
“Hi.” My message was mostly for the omegas, and I wanted to make sure they knew that. No fancy language was necessary. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be standing here, addressing you from the castle as your queen. And believe me, I’ve had some wild dreams. When you look at me, with my pretty dress, crown, and fancy title, I don’t want you to see any of that. I want you to see yourself. I want you to see Zelene who worked in the kitchen of this very castle ever since she was old enough to see over the counter. Zelene who fought to keep her friends safe in the Badlands. Because I want you to know I’ll fight just as hard for you. Whatever lies ahead, Luxoria and the Badlands fighting together will be unbeatable, and I am humbled for the opportunity to serve as your queen.”
Adalai’s hand was at the small of my back again, his lips against my ear. “You’re a natural leader.”
I turned away from the crowd. The celebration had already started in the city streets. A band played as fireworks exploded in my honor. It was completely overwhelming.
“I’m used to doing things scared,” I said.
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore. You’re mine now. To protect and keep, and I plan on taking my vows seriously.” Adalai led me away from the balcony. His men waited for him, as well as my ladies.
His Forbidden Omega (The Royal Omegas Book 1) Page 9