The rest of dinner was fairly quiet, filled with subdued chatter about random things, but I mostly kept silent. By that point, all I could think about was my bed. Maybe if I got some sleep, I would be better in the morning. I probably shouldn’t have gone straight to work after last night’s incident.
When we finished dinner, one of the guards entered the dining hall and announced that William was waiting in my office.
“Do ye want me to come with ye?” Ranulf asked as he stood with me.
I shook my head. “It’s okay. I want to talk to him alone. He might be more receptive that way.”
Ranulf grumbled something I couldn’t understand and slumped back in his chair.
The guards followed me out of the dining hall and back to my office. I was practically dragging my feet along the perfectly polished floors. Thank God I was wearing a pair of flats instead of the heels they kept trying to force me into. I didn’t think I could have made it this far, otherwise.
When my office door opened, there was already a guard in there with William sitting in the chair across from my desk. My guards took their posts outside and Liam entered with me, taking his post in front of the closed door. William stood as I shuffled to my desk, then sat after I’m seated.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice, William,” I offered by way of greeting.
He rubbed his hands together nervously. “Of course, Yer Majesty.”
I tilted my head to the side and peered at the fidgety man sitting in front of me. “I bet you’re wondering why I wanted to see you.”
He gave a nervous nod.
“I heard King Alexander has tried to recruit you into the King’s Guard before, but you refused. How come?”
William leaned back in the chair and sighed, looking as if he expected this line of questioning. “To be blunt, Yer Majesty, my grandda is the one with political aspirations, not me. I just want to live a simple life. I’m very content working as a blacksmith.”
I nodded in understanding. “So who taught you how to fight?”
“My da,” he answered proudly. “He was part of the King’s Guard.”
I jerked back in surprise. This was certainly a tidbit I wasn’t aware of. “He was?”
“He died protecting King Hamish—King Alexander’s da.” William’s jaw tightened and a muscle ticked in a staccato rhythm.
I could tell there was some unresolved resentment there. The question was – was he upset with the former King, or with his father?
“What about your mother?” I asked, trying to get a picture of his family life besides the one member I knew and loathed, Jacob.
He smiled shyly. “I live with my mam.”
“Is she a luna?”
“Yes she is. She continues to serve the local pack,” he answered tightly.
Hmm. So they were a traditional family. Maybe they didn’t agree with me and my politics… or maybe they did and were too afraid to defy Jacob.
“How does Jacob fit into your family?”
William cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with this line of questioning. He must have known what happened with the King’s Council. “My grandda is the head of the family, Yer Majesty.”
I decided to change tactics and steer the conversation away from his family. “From what I hear from my guards, you’re a beast in the ring,” I chuckled, “but in my limited interactions with you outside the ring, you act like you could barely swat a fly. It’s such a conundrum, but one I find endearing. I think you would be an excellent guard. You’re levelheaded and calm, but when the time comes, you can be savage. I need that in my Queen’s Guard.”
His eyes widened. “Yer Majesty!” he stuttered. “Like I said, I don want to join the Guard—”
“What do you want?” I cut him off. “What can I offer you?”
“Ex-Excuse me?”
I smirked, loving the fact that for the first time in my life, I could truly offer someone whatever they wanted. “What is it that you desire, William?” I leaned forward on my desk. “I can’t imagine you’re content with a simple life as a blacksmith.”
I mean, he could have been. There was certainly nothing wrong with his profession, but he was so talented, and obviously being a guard ran in his blood. He must have had some sort of ambition.
He swallowed a few times. “I don want to die like my da, Yer Majesty.”
When he lowered his head in shame, I finally understood what he had been trying to tell me. He didn’t think he could put my life before his. And from the look on his face, the admission made him feel like a coward.
A long time ago, Bash told me Lycan lived short lives because of all the fighting they did. Our tempers caused much of it, but there always seemed to be some sort of war to fight. William’s father must have been relatively young when he died, which meant William was just a child when it happened.
I exhaled loudly. “I can’t promise you won’t die. It would be wrong of me to guarantee you a long and fulfilling life. I don’t know the future.” I snorted lightly, thinking about my dormant oracle abilities. If I knew how to use them, maybe I could know his future. “But you have a great talent, William. It would be a shame if it went to waste.”
He glanced down at his hands and then at me. “Where would I be stationed?”
“You’d be on my detail. I’m trying to build a solid team and I want you to train them.”
His brows furrowed as he took in what I just said. Until the words came out of my mouth, I didn’t even know that was what I wanted him to do. But if he was as skilled as others said and that he had demonstrated in front of me, then I wanted the other guards protecting me to be just as skilled as he was. Honestly, William could have taken me down easily that day we fought. I just got lucky. But the one punch he got in nearly undid me.
“I don know, Yer Majesty.” He scratched the back of his head as he thought through my proposal. “I heard what happened at yer coronation. Ye have yer hands full.”
“Which is why I need the best,” I urged. I narrowed my eyes at him and sighed. “I tend to fight my own battles, as you’ve come to realize, so I’m really not asking for much. You won’t be jumping in front of bullets for me.”
William rubbed his hands over his thighs as one leg bounced erratically. “What makes ye different from the others? With all due respect, Yer Majesty, my grandda does nae like ye.”
I laughed. “I know, and I don’t like your grandfather, either. He’s stuck in his ways and I’m all about change, William. I want the best for the Lycan—all the Lycan—not just the males. I’m an equal opportunist and some people don’t like that.” I shrugged. “I have a lot of enemies because of it, and I’m okay with that because I know what I’m doing is right. This is a pivotal moment for our people. A lot of things need to change around here, and I’m hoping you can be a part of it.”
William blew out a breath and chuckled. “That’s quite a speech, Yer Majesty. Ye really think ye can change the Lycan?” He raised a skeptical brow.
I nodded firmly. “I’m willing to try.”
“I want something better for my mam,” he said softly, avoiding my eyes. Something in his demeanor told me it had something to do with Jacob.
I lifted my chin. “I can help you. Whatever it is that she wants, consider it done.”
He snorted disbelievingly. “Ye want me to join that bad?”
“Yes … but I also want to help a fellow luna whom I assume is stuck in a lifestyle she doesn’t want.”
His mouth twisted to the side and he nodded. “Fine, Yer Majesty, I’ll join the Queen’s Guard.”
I grinned. “Perfect! You can put your notice in at work and come to the South Tower once you’re done at the blacksmith. I’ll let Ranulf know to expect you.”
I trudged back to the Queen’s chamber with just enough energy left to collapse in bed. My body ached and I was sweating profusely. Peeling off my shirt, I tossed it over the bed. I was glad Bash was already fast asleep, becau
se I didn’t want to alarm him. I honestly didn’t know what was wrong with me. If I’d been poisoned, I needed to see someone soon before I got worse. Performing my duties would only get more difficult if my health declined.
Kicking my shoes off, I curled in on myself and fell asleep on top of the covers, my overheated body way too hot to climb underneath them.
My sleep was restless. All night long, I tossed and turned, waking up the next morning in a pool of sweat. I didn’t feel any better than I had the night before. If anything, I felt worse. I didn’t know how I didn’t wake Bash with all my flopping back and forth, or how he didn’t feel anything through the bond.
What the hell was going on?
Someone knocked at the door and I didn’t have the energy to call out for them to enter. I barely had enough strength to lift my head off the pillow. My eyes were blurry, and it felt as if I was drifting in a fog. The bedroom door opened and Ranulf poked his head in.
He took one look at me and shouted, “Yer Majesty!” Bash jerked awake. Ranulf darted toward my side of the bed and placed a cool hand to my forehead. “Yer burning up,” he stated flatly. “How long have ye been like this?”
Bash turned to face us and quickly sat up. “What’s wrong?” His expression fell and I knew he felt guilty for not catching on sooner.
“I think I must have a cold or the flu,” I mumbled breathlessly.
“That’s impossible; Lycan cannae get human illnesses,” Ranulf grunted as he pushed me gently back on the bed. “I’m calling Dr. Harris and the warlock to come see ye. Yer nae getting out of bed.” He pointed at me to stay put before leaving the room.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I didn’t think I could move even if I wanted to. My body ached all over and all I could do was wrap my arms around myself and hold on.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Mackenzie?” Bash whispered as he brushed a lock of damp hair away from my sticky face.
“I thought I could sleep it off,” I muttered. “But now I think I’ve been poisoned. I think … maybe Fenrir’s claws were laced with something.”
“That’s how long you’ve been sick?” Bash asked, hurt and confusion clear on his face. I knew what he was thinking. If I was really that sick, why didn’t he feel it through our bond? I wondered the same thing.
“It’s okay, Bash.” I attempted to lift my hand and caress his face, but my arm went limp and fell back on the bed.
“It’s not okay!” he growled. “You could be dying!” He gripped the sheets, his jaw ticking in anger.
I gave him a lazy smirk. “You think a little poison is going to take me out? Pfft. As if,” I mumbled. “When I die, I’m going out like a badass. Remember that,” I teased sleepily.
“This isn’t the time to joke, Mackenzie.”
“Who said I’m joking?”
If there was one thing I was sure about, it was that I wouldn’t die like this. No way. I refused. I was stubborn enough to defy death if I had to, but this wasn’t the death I’d be getting. Ophelia said I would face death many times; well, I supposed she wasn’t wrong. Now my job was to push through and not give up. If I was the tether to whatever prophecy she alluded to, so be it, but I had to be alive for it to happen. And I planned to live.
Bash walked to the bathroom, filled a bowl with cold water, and grabbed a washcloth. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he dipped the washcloth in the bowl and squeezed out the excess water before placing the damp cloth on my forehead. In seconds, I felt an inkling of relief. Refreshing my cloth every few minutes, he kept at it until Ranulf returned thirty minutes later with the doctor in tow.
I belatedly realized I was probably not appropriately dressed as Head of State. I was still wearing my slacks from yesterday and my shirt was in a crumpled heap on the floor, leaving me with just a bra to cover my top half, but I was so out of it, I didn’t really care. No one else seemed to, either.
“Seems you’re not feeling well, huh?” Dr. Harris approached my side of the bed with a kind smile.
“Nope,” I mumbled. “I think it’s poison.”
“Poison?!” Ranulf exclaimed.
Bash clamped a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “It’s just a running theory since she got ill right after her fight with Fenrir. It’s possible his claws were laced with something.”
Ranulf ran a hand through his dark hair and I saw the worry lines on his forehead deepen. He seemed to be aging before my eyes.
Dr. Harris put on his stethoscope and placed the frigid disk on my chest so he could listen to my breathing just as the bedroom door burst open and Alexander stormed in.
“What’s happening? What’s wrong with her?” he demanded, worry clear in his gray eyes.
“I don’t know just yet,” Dr. Harris answered as he motioned for me to sit up.
Bash placed an arm around my back to help support me since I lacked the strength to do it on my own. The doc placed the stethoscope on my back, now marginally warmed by my skin, and listened for several long seconds, asking me to breathe deeply in and out. He gestured for me to lay back down and produced a pencil flashlight to check my eyes. As soon as the light hit my eyes, I couldn’t stop the reflex that caused me to flash my silver eyes at him. I jerked back, embarrassed.
Dr. Harris chuckled. “It’s okay; it’s completely normal to react that way.”
“Oh,” was all I could say as I watched him reach into his black medical bag and pull out a couple of shiny pieces of equipment to check my blood pressure and temperature. The entire experience felt very … human.
When he was done checking my vitals, he stowed everything back in his bag and stood up with a sigh. “Well, I’ll start by stating the obvious. Even for a Lycan, you’re running exceedingly hot. But what concerns me most is your low blood pressure. I want to run some blood work. If you’ve been poisoned, we’ll be able to find out what kind from the blood test. I’ll have our resident warlock, Tavish run them so it’s faster and we won’t have to wait.”
“Good,” Alexander said. “Do it.”
I was about to nod in agreement when I realized something. “No,” I croaked. “You can’t take my blood.”
Everyone turned to look at me with varying expressions ranging from disbelief to curiosity. I ignored them all and stared directly at Dr. Harris.
“Your Majesty, if you want to get better, we must—”
“Figure out another way, but no blood draw,” I announced, my voice steadier.
I didn’t know whether I was doing the right thing or not, but all I could think about was that night in Central Park when I met with Angus. Nothing was ever free with the fae, and he requested a sample of my blood to repay my debt for the favors I requested. We were both surprised when he found fae magic in my blood. Angus told me to keep it a secret, which I’d done to this day. Bash didn’t even know.
I didn’t know why I had fae magic in my blood when I didn’t have any fae powers, but more than that, I didn’t know why it needed to be kept a secret from the people closest to me. Even so, right now I wasn’t in the mood for anyone to find out. I had enough to worry about. If they took a blood sample and it went to a warlock, my secret could be exposed. I didn’t know how all this intrigue worked, but I didn’t want to take the risk.
“Mackenzie, don be difficult,” Alexander reprimanded. “We don know what’s wrong with ye!”
Dr. Harris cleared his throat. “There’s a simpler way to find out if you’ve been poisoned, but I still want to run other tests that I need your blood for. I don’t think it’s poison. Your blood pressure is what concerns me, Your Majesty.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away from everyone. “Find another way,” I insisted stubbornly.
“Are ye afraid of needles?” Ranulf asked.
I wanted to roll my eyes but somehow managed to refrain. “Something like that,” I whispered. I wasn’t afraid of needles; I was afraid of the truth.
“Damnit, Mackenzie!” Alexander yelled, taking a step forward before Bash s
tood in his way.
“May we have some privacy?” Bash requested, though to anyone with ears, they could tell it was more of a demand.
Alexander’s face was mottled with his frustration, but he calmly walked out of the room with Ranulf.
Dr. Harris collected his bag and gave a polite nod. “I’ll wait in the common area of the royal wing.”
Once it was just the two of us, the silence was uncomfortable. Bash approached the bed and perched on the edge, sagging forward with his elbows on his knees and his head down.
“I’m only going to ask once … Whether you tell me the truth is up to you, Mackenzie,” he started. My stomach tightened apprehensively. “What are you hiding?”
I tried to sit up and rest against the cushioned headboard, but was only able to manage something that made me look slumped over. I was about to speak when he cut me off.
“I’ve learned to give you space and not ask so many questions when every ounce in my body wants to be overbearing. But I know with you I can’t be that way. I can’t be overprotective, even though I want to keep you locked away safely.” He sighed. “But don’t think I’ve forgotten the blood debt you owe the fae. By your reaction just now, I’m assuming it’s already been paid. Is that how you freed Bernard’s father from the fae realm so quickly?”
My breathing came out in shallow breaths and my mouth was dry from the effort, but I knew I couldn’t lie to Bash. Not now. He wasn’t stupid. Even though I didn’t tell him about the deal I brokered, he put two and two together. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
“Y-Yes,” I stammered. “I worked out a deal with Angus to free Bernard’s dad from the fae realm, amongst other things. To do that, they asked me to pay my debt.”
Bash refused to look at me. He kept his head bowed and stared at his clasped hands. “And what did you learn?”
“What makes you think I learned anything?”
Bash scoffed, “Don’t insult my intelligence, Mackenzie. You wouldn’t be refusing a blood draw unless you found something out about your blood. What is it?”
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