A surge of energy arced through my body, making me gasp so loud, my voice echoed throughout the throne room. My eyes widened and silvered, and I felt a surge of power stronger than I’d ever felt before pulse through me like a shot of adrenaline. Right now, I felt like I could lift a five-ton truck.
My right fist clenched as more power than should be possible to possess in one body coursed through me like a bolt of lightning until I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My eyes darted around the room wildly, looking for somewhere to release it. Feeling dizzy and out of breath, I ripped my hand away from the ribbon, tearing it straight through the middle. I gulped fevered breaths and then let out the loudest howl I’d ever made in my life.
The walls shook and everyone in the room struggled to hold on to something for fear of being knocked over from the blast. Hundreds of gaping faces winced from the force, watching me grip the skirt of my dress and give a continuous, earthshattering howl for five solid minutes.
Once I was utterly spent, my howl died to a whimper. Sweat poured from my brow and my heavy breaths sounded ragged in the opulent throne room. Even so, I felt more powerful than ever before. I wondered, Did I just receive Alexander’s power?
After I regained my bearings, I glanced at Alexander, scared I would see him as a withered husk. Strangely enough, he didn’t look any different from before.
Where did that power come from?
Alexander stepped to the side and the priest took his place. “With this acceptance, ye will forever be known as the first Queen of the Lycan.”
A guard stepped forward holding a burgundy pillow with a brilliant gold crown resting atop it, the rubies glittering and sparkling around the base. The priest gently lifted the crown and placed it on my head, then muttered a string of words I didn’t understand, but that I recognized enough to know it was in Scottish Gaelic.
“Mhà an rathad èirigh suas gus coinneachadh riut.
Biodh a ’ghaoth an-còmhnaidh aig do dhruim.
Biodh a ’ghrian a’ deàrrsadh blàth air d’aghaidh;
tuitidh na h-uisgeachan bog air na h-achaidhean agad agus gus an coinnich sinn a-rithist, gun glèidh Dia thu ann am pailme a làmh.”
The priest completed his recitation and made the mark of a cross on my forehead with his thumb and again in the air in front of me. I peered over at Alexander, wondering what he was saying. He could have been cursing me, for all I knew. That was what I got for not being bilingual.
“I now present to the Lycans, Queen Mackenzie MacCoinnich, the first Queen of the Lycans.”
Everyone stood and clapped, and I even heard a few whoops. I turned around to face the crowd just as the priest removed Alexander’s crown from his head. Alexander met my eyes for a second before he dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and placed a fisted hand over his heart.
“I pledge my loyalty to you, now and until my final breath,” he said. With his declaration, I noticed the Lycans in the crowd start to form a line behind him.
Bash stood behind Alexander, and the moment he stepped away, Bash came forward and dropped to a knee, placing a fist over his heart and repeating what Alexander said. “I pledge my loyalty to you, now and until my final breath.” Ranulf was right behind him.
One by one, they all pledged their loyalty to me as I stood there like a dimwit, wondering what to do with my hands. I was partially saved from my inner ramblings when several of the pledge bearers took my hand and kissed the back of it. Hopefully I didn’t look completely oblivious.
The guards came to pledge their loyalty in shifts to make sure there was always someone guarding the posts. As the line inched forward, I took the opportunity to sneak peeks at some of the Summit leaders.
I was enjoying watching Jacob eat crow as he took a knee before me – unwillingly, I might add – when he stood and I saw the next person in line – a very anxious looking Charles Cadwell—Alpha of the Northeast American Pack. He was dressed to the nines in a dark navy suit, his chestnut hair combed back and those chocolate eyes that damnit, always reminded me of Jonah, staring at me with coldness.
He hesitantly strode toward me, adjusting his tie and clearing his throat. It was blatantly obvious he wasn’t thrilled to do what he was obligated to do. It seemed like a popular theme today, at least among those who were tasked with helping their Queen. I pressed my lips together tightly to keep from laughing and waited patiently for him to take a knee.
Instead, Charles walked closer to me and leaned forward, taking my gloved hand in his and bringing his cheek to my cheek. “You don’t deserve any of this,” he whispered low enough so only I could hear. To an outsider, it looked like we were sharing a secret between friends. If they only knew.
I kept a fake smile plastered on my face and squeezed Charles’s hand as tight as possible until I heard bones crack. “You’re a disgrace to his memory,” I whispered back. “Now pledge your loyalty and get out of my face.” I pushed him away and smiled brightly for the sake of our crowd.
Charles took a measured step back, cradling the hand I had gripped. He trembled with anger as he stiffly took a knee, his jaw clenching and unclenching with each second that passed. He made a fist with his broken hand, placing it over his heart. “I pledge my loyalty to you, now and until my final breath,” he gritted between his teeth.
I gave him a toothy grin. “I hope so, Charles, I hope so …” I replied dismissively.
He stormed out of the throne room, making a spectacle, but I kept my fake smile in place, not giving away a single thing.
On the heels of Charles’s heated departure, the doors to the throne room opened again and gasps rang out all around the room. I glanced away from the unknown Lycan kneeling before me to see who had arrived and was thrilled to see Ailios and the Highlanders enter the throne room with their heads held high, as if the scared and sometimes angry expressions greeting their arrival didn’t bother them at all.
Ailios snaked her way to the front of the line while everyone was busy watching and whispering. Her hair was in long dreadlocks knotted with wooden beads, her teeth filed razor sharp and her glinting eyes yellow like her wolf. Everything about her announced her home and familiarity to the forest. In her hand she held her spear, and as the Lycan in front of me stood and walked away with a curious glance at the Highlander, she strolled toward me.
“Yer Majesty.” When she bowed, the startled whispers increased in intensity.
“Ailios, thank you for coming,” I greeted. “You know you’re not obligated to do this.”
She nodded. “I know, but we want to. Yer our Queen.” When Ailios dropped to a knee, everyone gave a collective gasp. This was a first. No Highlander had ever pledged their loyalty to a MacCoinnich. “I pledge my loyalty to ye, now and until my final breath,” she promised as she placed a fist over her heart and bowed her head.
“Thank you, Ailios,” I whispered. “You may rise.”
“No, thank ye, Yer Majesty. Because with ye, there will be change.”
The coronation dragged on for almost three hours, mostly because of the long line of pledges. Once those were complete, I sat on the throne for the first time in front of my subjects, the flashing bulbs from the royal photographer’s camera blindingly bright. Once the moment had been adequately immortalized, I stood and Bash escorted me from the throne room as everyone bowed. As soon as we were far enough from the throne room, I sucked in a huge breath.
“Oh my God!” I gasped. “Hurry and get me to the room so I can get out of this infernal corset!” I whisper-shouted.
Bash took my hand and kept me walking forward. “Relax, we’re almost to the room.”
We were surrounded by guards as usual, but I realized with a jolt that these weren’t our usual guards. I didn’t recognize any of these men. Where was Liam?
“Where are we going? This isn’t the way to our rooms,” I said a little out of breath.
One of the guards in front answered from over his shoulder, “Ye’ve been moved to the King’s—I mean the Queen’s chambers in the royal wi
ng, Yer Majesty.”
Your Majesty? Jesus Christ.
I looked up at Bash in horror and he patted my hand. “Breathe,” he repeated. “Take it one step at a time.”
When we entered the royal wing, the pack of guards dispersed, leaving two standing guard outside our chambers. I searched the room with wide eyes and walked in a daze to the closet, amazed to see all our things already inside. I couldn’t believe how fast they’d moved us! They removed every trace of Alexander as if he was never here.
“It’s a new mattress, if you’re worried,” Bash said once I emerged from the closet.
I frowned. “Actually, I hadn’t even thought of that. What the fuck …?”
He nodded. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I didn’t expect everything to happen so fast.”
I pulled my MacCoinnich ring off my finger, as well as my engagement ring and placed them on top of the dresser. Then I ripped off my gloves and flung them on the floor. I reached behind me and tried to tear the corset off, but quickly realized I was unable to do it on my own.
“Help,” I mumbled. “Get me out of this.”
Bash walked over to me and untangled the ties of my corset, quickly untying the thin ribbons. With each strand loosened, I exhaled and felt as if I could finally breathe a little bit more … a little bit more. As delicately as possible, I stepped out of the dress until I was standing in the middle of the room wearing just my undergarments—with a crown on my head. I looked utterly ridiculous.
Gently, I took the gold crown and placed it gingerly on the dresser next to my rings. “I want a pair of sweatpants.” I stared at Bash, who sat on the edge of our new bed with a small smile.
He shook his head. “Sorry, Your Majesty, but a dress is waiting for you in the closet. They’re waiting for us to arrive at the reception.”
I growled, “Of course there’s a reception.”
Bash grinned. “The people of the village are bringing gifts to their new Queen.”
“I feel like I’m in the Middle Ages.” I fought the urge to scrub my face or run my fingers through my hair, knowing it would mess up hours of work. “They already pledged their loyalty; I don’t need gifts.”
“It’s tradition,” Bash replied as he entered the closet to bring out my dress.
I sighed. “I’m really getting tired of that word.” I accepted the garment bag and laid it on the bed, unzipping it to reveal a deep red dress. The difference between this dress and the gown I’d just removed was night and day. This dress didn’t require its own solar system and it didn’t have a wide gown that stood out three feet on all sides, intended to put distance between myself and others. It was sleek – form fitting, low cut, and reaching to the floor in a crimson puddle.
Before I got the chance to dress, my phone dinged, announcing I had a text message. I walked over to the nightstand where it rested on the charger and saw a message from Amy.
Amy: I just watched your coronation on TV!!! Arrooo!! You howled like a badass!
I laughed as I perched on the edge of the bed to text her back.
Me: Thanks, Amy. Wish you were here!
I didn’t have to wait long for a reply.
Amy: I’ll be there soon! You know I won’t miss your mating ceremony!
I smiled, feeling slightly more at ease having heard from my best friend, even though she was thousands of miles away. I went back to the dress laid out on the bed and picked it up. I quickly put it on, pleasantly surprised that the dress fit like a glove. When I turned around, Bash was waiting for me with my crown in hand
“Missing something?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes and he placed it back on top of my head. I reached for my family ring and my engagement ring and slipped them on as well, then sized Bash up and down in his tuxedo. “Did I tell you how handsome you look?”
He grinned. “As a matter of fact, you didn’t. Why thank you, Your Majesty.”
I groaned. “Ugh, stop calling me that.”
Bash laughed and offered me his arm with a wink. Before he opened the door to the hall, we each took a deep breath. After sharing a quiet moment, we left our room and headed down to the ballroom where the reception was being held, our guards in tow. I could already move and breathe easier in this dress than the gown I had on earlier; I was glad for the outfit change.
While we were still a good ways down the corridor, I could already hear the music in the ballroom and the laughter of our guests. It sounded like everyone was having a good time, but the moment I stood outside the door, everything quieted. The doors opened and a lone bagpipe played a stately, somber processional.
A loud, ringing voice announced, “Queen Mackenzie MacCoinnich, first Queen of the Lycan, with Prince Consort Sebastian Steel.”
Bash led me down the grand staircase of the ballroom and I smiled at everyone so hard my cheeks hurt. We made our way down the stairs without incident and crossed the ballroom to the throne, the crowds on either side giving us a wide berth. Standing in front of my new throne, I carefully adjusted my dress and sat on the plush chair, surprised when everyone started clapping like they’d never seen someone sit before. It was pretty trippy. Once I was seated, Bash sat in the chair beside me, the one that used to be Ivana’s. As if someone gave a secret signal, the party continued and the chatter ratcheted up again.
It seemed like everyone from the village, Lycan and a multitude of other species alike, came to congratulate me throughout the reception and offer kind words of encouragement, which was a nice departure from what I expected and made me relax just a tad.
We were well into the reception when Ophelia strode up to the throne with two other oracles trailing behind her. All three of them had milky white eyes that gave away their species.
I inched forward. “Ophelia … It’s good to see you. You look good,” I offered hesitantly. The old woman might not be able to see me, but her other senses worked extremely well.
She inclined her head slightly. “Likewise, Yer Majesty.”
I chuckled. “You can still call me Mackenzie.”
“Aye.” She grinned and the wrinkles on her face were more pronounced. “Ye have nae come to visit me. Ye must do so soon. We have much to discuss.”
Her words made me frown. Did she know something? “Is everything okay, Ophelia?”
“The walls have ears, Mackenzie,” she tsked.
I looked around the ballroom as shivers crawled up my spine. Although it appeared as if no one was paying attention to us, they may very well have been listening. “I’ll have Ranulf schedule a time for you to come into the castle—”
“I would rather ye come to the temple, Mackenzie. It’s safer,” she interrupted, her words careful and measured.
My frown deepened. “Didn’t Lucian tell you? The forest isn’t safe.”
Ophelia’s grin widened. “Do nae fear the forest, Mackenzie, for the trees are yer friends.”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t help it. I could never understand her riddles, and with her earlier warning ringing in my ears, I knew better than to ask.
“Okay … I’ll come see you this week,” I replied slowly.
“Come by tomorrow,” she insisted. “I’ll be expecting ye, Mackenzie.”
I nodded as if she could see me and belatedly remembered she was blind., “Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ophelia and her sisters smiled before turning and leaving, moving gracefully through the crowd as if they could see perfectly. It was beyond eerie.
Bash leaned over and whispered, “You shouldn’t have agreed to a meeting without talking to Alexander or Ranulf.”
I smirked. “I’m Queen. I get to make the decisions now.” Bash still looked unsure, so I reached for his hand. “Look, I’m not going to be reckless and go alone. I’ll take a couple of guards, and if you want to come along, I wouldn’t mind either.”
Bash nodded and his shoulders relaxed slightly. “Okay.”
Although my offer to include him seemed to appease him, I knew he was still w
orried. Regardless of what Ophelia said, the forest was dangerous and we couldn’t let down our guard. Those guards were still missing and most likely in Fenrir’s clutches. That is, if they weren’t dead.
I trailed Ophelia’s movements through the crowd and noticed that her two companions were nowhere in sight. I craned my neck and looked around, but couldn’t find them anywhere in the ballroom.
“Hmm … what are you up to, Ophelia …?” I muttered to myself as I watched her easily navigate through the bodies using nothing but her senses.
“Pet?” Lucian approached and I tore my gaze from the oracle to the dapper vampire standing before me.
I grinned. “Lucian!” For some reason, I was happy he still called me by his nickname. “Glad you could make it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he drawled. “You did wonderfully in your coronation. Your father must be very proud.”
I smiled awkwardly and looked away, uncomfortable by the praise and uncertain how Alexander was feeling after having his power stripped away.
“Well, I brought you a gift.” Lucian extended his hand, which held a box wrapped in gold foil paper and a velvet red ribbon.
I reached for it and held the box tightly. “You didn’t have to buy me anything, Luce.”
“Technically I didn’t buy it.” He looked up to the ceiling in contemplation. “More like I’m passing it on.” He smiled wide enough that the glint of his fangs peeked from behind his lips.
Now I was really curious, so I slid off the red ribbon and tugged the gold paper away. Lifting the lid, I pushed the tissue paper aside to reveal a brown leather journal. My brows furrowed and I looked up at Lucian in confusion.
“I never look a gift horse in the mouth, but I’m not really the journaling type, Luce.”
Lucian laughed and nodded. “I know, Pet … It was your mum’s.” I nearly dropped the box. “She wanted to journal as much as she could until she lost her sight. Then, when she found out about you, well, they became letters to you. Especially when she realized her time was coming to an end.” Lucian cleared his throat, obviously getting choked up. “I’ve never read it. I didn’t want to invade her privacy. But I told her if I ever crossed paths with you, I would hand it over. It never seemed like the right time until now.” He took a moment to compose himself. “There’s an unopened letter in there for you as well. She made me promise to give it to you if you ever found out about her. I guess now is as good a time as ever, Pet.”
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