“Did you ask the lunas what they want?” I asked the most obvious question.
“What?” Grayson scoffed, the idea absurd to his ears.
“The lunas,” I enunciated slowly. “Did you stop to ask them what they want? Do they want things to go back to the way it was? Because it’s their lives being discussed, not yours. So have you asked them?” I raised a questioning brow.
“If you’re asking if I ran a poll, then the answer is no.” He stopped to bask in the light chuckles that spread throughout the room, then turned back to me, looking victorious. “I think we can all agree,” he waved to encompass everyone in the room, “that things need to go back to how it was. We know what’s best. It’s why we’re the alphas of our packs’ regions.”
I snorted a laugh and shook my head. “Sit down.”
“Excuse me?” Grayson jerked back in surprise.
“I said, sit down.”
He stood before me with a dumbfounded look, too shocked to move. So I took my pointer finger and placed it on top of his shoulder, pushing him back down in his chair. He was strong as a bull, but he wasn’t stronger than me. Grayson plopped down in his seat with a loud thud.
When he snarled and started to open his mouth, I put my free pointer finger over my lips. “Shh,” I quieted him like a petulant five-year-old. “Shut up.” Once he was quiet, I stepped away from him and walked to the center of the room so I could look out at all of the members of the summits. I chuckled inwardly, knowing I must look crazy to them. “You know, I thought I was arrogant, but you all take the cake. Maybe it’s a Lycan trait, but wow, that was a pretty asinine statement you just made. You really think you know what’s best for the lunas because you have a dick?”
The room sucked in a collective breath, shocked by my utter lack of decorum. I knew I wasn’t talking as a Queen should, but I felt I had to simplify it for this crowd or they wouldn’t get it.
“Yes, I grew up human, and I still have a lot of human tendencies. I won’t deny that, and I’m not ashamed of it, either. Those traits are what’s going to help me lead the Lycan. But I’ll tell you right now, my origins in the human world have nothing to do with me wanting to free the lunas. Freeing the lunas is morally correct. It’s right. They weren’t put on this earth solely for your pleasure. They’re not there for you to order around to clean and breed when you please. And if you can’t see what’s wrong with that, then maybe you shouldn’t be Alpha of your region. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t be an alpha at all.” I stared at each and every one of them, making sure to make eye contact with every person sitting in the room.
Their shocked gasps were audible, and I knew what they were thinking. They were considering the fact that I could replace them just as easily as I replaced the King’s Council. Now, changing the Summit membership would be a bit trickier than the Council was, not to mention a far bigger headache, but if I had to do it, I would. For the sake of the lunas.
“You can’t replace us,” Lucas said slowly as if he couldn’t quite believe I could insinuate such a thing.
I turned to him and smiled. “Watch me.”
“This is ridiculous!” Charles shouted, jumping from his seat. “You got rid of the King’s Council, and now you’re going to get rid of the Summits? Are you on a power trip?”
I grinned at my arch nemesis. “Ah, Charles Cadwell, my favorite alpha,” I joked. “Am I on a power trip?” I shook my head. “No. But I will take out the trash. The Queen’s Council is supposed to be filled with her most trusted advisors. Since I didn’t trust any of them, I was well within my rights to remove them and fill their seats with people whom I know can help me lead the Lycan to a better, more inclusive future. As for you lot, I’m still debating whether you’re worth saving.”
“We can replace you, too!” someone whispered from the left side of the room.
I jerked my head in that direction. My eyes narrowed and I searched the seats for the owner of the voice. “Who said that?” Not surprisingly, no one spoke up. “If you had the balls to say it, man up and own it. I promise I don’t bite,” I added with a smirk.
A tentative hand went up in the back of the room, belonging to a young man with shaggy blond hair. “Your Majesty,” he said a little louder this time.
“Your name,” I demanded.
“Stefan. I’m the Alpha of the German Pack,” he answered with a gruff accent.
“And you just said I can be replaced as well …” I repeated as the others craned their necks to stare at Stefan.
He swallowed a few times before replying, “You might be Queen, Your Majesty, but we are the Summit. As such, the offices work hand-in-hand. If we feel like you’re not protecting the Lycan properly, there are laws in place—”
“And how exactly am I not protecting the Lycan properly?” I interrupted. “All because I choose to protect the lunas from your abuse? You have no grounds for my dismissal.” I waved him off and rolled my eyes. “Also, I don’t take well to threats, so keep that in mind the next time you speak.”
“Are you threatening us?” Grayson asked suspiciously.
“Are you threatening me?” I countered. “Because from what I can see, this entire meeting was about getting the lunas to toe the line or else, and now you’re threatening my crown. As your Queen, I’m entitled to respond.”
Lucas suddenly stood and held up his hands placatingly. “Your Majesty, that was not our intention. Please do not misunderstand.”
“I don’t believe I’ve misunderstood anything, but let me make it very clear, here and now—leave my lunas alone.” I scanned the room, daring them to disagree. “If I hear of any unpleasantness, you will feel my wrath. And trust me, you don’t want to be in my path when it comes out.” I flashed my silver eyes to drive the point home. Until now, I’d been very careful to contain my anger with great difficulty.
“What about Sterling Rose?” Charles asked. “She’s in my region. Does she get to stay as a captain of the Brooklyn Pack?”
I snapped my head in his direction. “If anything happens to Sterling, I will hold you personally responsible, Charles Cadwell. Remember that.”
His expression darkened and he slumped in his chair. Whatever he had planned for Sterling just went out the window. I hoped they realized I wasn’t playing around with them. The lunas were my top priority. I didn’t know how long I would be Queen, but until my last day, I vowed to make sure they were free to make their own choices.
I walked back to the throne and sat down smoothly, crossing one leg over the other and resting my arms on the armrests. “If you thought it would be easy to manipulate me, or if you thought you could railroad me and possibly dethrone me, think again. I won’t make it easy for you. And I can be very vengeful, so tread carefully. My goal is not to be your enemy, but if you make one of me, that’s on you, not me. We can do great things if we work together, but you have to be open minded and get past your prejudices. If not, the Lycan will never be the great race it can be. And the weight of that tragedy will rest solely on your shoulders. So think very carefully about your next steps.” I glanced at Ranulf. “Set up another meeting with them before the mating ceremony.” Ranulf nodded and I returned my attention to my captive audience. “Hopefully next time you’ll be singing a different tune.” I stood and straightened my clothes. “Until we meet again, gentlemen.”
With that, I stepped down from the platform and strode out of the throne room with my guards surrounding me and my head held high.
10
When I entered the royal wing, I saw Alexander seated in the common area with his guards at his side, waiting patiently for me. He was supposed to have joined the meeting, but there wasn’t an opportunity to bring him in with all the shit-show activities going on.
My guards took their posts and I sat across from Alexander, exhaling loudly and rolling my shoulders to release the tension.
Alexander frowned. “That bad?”
I rubbed my forehead and sighed. “Let’s just say it could have be
en better.”
“What did they want?”
“They want to reverse your law for the lunas. Which is ridiculous when I say it out loud!” I laughed hysterically. “Did they really think I, of all people, would agree to that? I was the one who fought for it!” I shouted.
“They probably thought they could reason with ye, ye ken,” Alexander explained. “Did they bring up the treaty with the Highlanders?”
I shook my head. “We didn’t have the opportunity to talk about anything else. Once they brought up the lunas, it set me over the top. I’m sure they have a laundry list of things they want to change, but I didn’t make it easy for them,” I admitted sheepishly.
“Be careful, darling.” Alexander leaned forward. “Especially of Lucas. He comes off as innocent and docile, but he’s a true snake in the grass.”
I nodded in agreement. “I figured as much. Don’t worry; I won’t let them get one over on me.”
Alexander’s frown deepened. “This is why it’s important ye build yer Council. Ye need them to deal with the Summits. Hurry, Mackenzie. Ye can only hold them off for so long.”
“I will, I will, I promise,” I grumbled.
I had so much on my plate, but I knew I needed to establish this council before I ended up fighting against the Summits all on my own. And Alexander was right – there was only so much I could do as Queen. This wasn’t a dictatorship. If Stefan was right, then the Summit might try to interpret the law to dethrone me on a stupid technicality. I couldn’t let that happen.
I leaned against the floral sofa and rested my head on the back, closing my eyes for a moment. I was exhausted, mind and body. I was still weak and nowhere near a hundred percent. The illness that knocked me on my ass still lingered, leaving me weak and foggy-minded at times. I did my best to keep it together in the throne room, but now I felt like I could sleep for an entire day.
“Darling, are ye okay?”
“Hmm?” I lifted my head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just resting my eyes.” I smiled and tried to look as casual as possible. The last thing I wanted was for Alexander to worry.
Luckily, Ranulf picked that moment to walk into the royal wing, cutting Alexander off just as he was about to say something.
“Hells bells, Yer Majesty! Ye left me with a mess, ye ken,” Ranulf grunted as he sat beside Alexander. “We set up a meeting for one week from today, but they were none too happy about it.”
“I’m sure they weren’t,” I muttered as I looked out the French doors that led to the balcony. “But they’ll have to get over it. There’s a new sheriff in town and I’m not taking any of their bullshit.”
“Ye need a Council, Yer Majesty,” Ranulf pleaded in a very un-Ranulf way. If they were trying to get me to understand the importance of the Queen’s Council, I think I was getting the point.
“I know, Ranulf. Alexander already beat you to it. But it’s not like I can pull a list of people out of my ass and hand it over. I don’t know anyone around here.”
“They don have to be from Sheunta Village, darling,” Alexander said. “We can pay for moving expenses if ye want someone from the outside.”
I thought about that for a moment and considered my options. There was Jackson, but he really needed to be Alpha of the Brooklyn Pack. That was where he belonged. Bernard just got his father back, and even if that wasn’t a factor, we didn’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on matters relating to the lunas. Then there was Cassidy. I could ask him … but asking him to leave the SIU? I didn’t know if I could do that, especially since it would mean leaving Michaels without a partner. There was Ollie, my brother, but he was too green and new to the Lycan world. He didn’t know much about Lycan laws. I needed someone more seasoned. Someone like …
I perked up and stared at Alexander and Ranulf. “I want a luna!”
“What?” Ranulf questioned, looking bewildered.
“The only luna on the Council so far is Ailios, but she’s a Highlander and she comes with a whole other set of baggage. I want an everyday, run of the mill luna to join my Council. A voice for the lunas. Someone who sees what I can’t.”
If Blu was still alive, I would have begged her to join, stowing her away in my luggage to bring her across the ocean.
“We can find one,” Ranulf agreed cautiously. “Are ye sure ye want to go this route, though? This will cause even more tension with the Summits.”
I shrugged. “It’s my Council, not theirs. If they want to change the laws for the lunas, well, shouldn’t the lunas have a representative there to fight for them?”
“Very well.” Ranulf nodded and made a note of it in his phone. “A minimum of ten seats need to be filled to have a full Council. Ye need to fill five more, Yer Majesty.”
“Don’t worry; I got it,” I reassured them, even though I had no clue where I would find these elusive Council members. “Is that all for now?” I asked, looking at Alexander and the grizzled old guard. When they nodded, I called out, “Liam!”
“Yes, Yer Majesty?” The young guard walked into the common room and bowed slightly.
“Ask the stable boys to get Shadow ready. I want to go for a ride.” I stood up from the sofa and stretched out my limbs. It sounded like all my joints creaked and popped at the same time. I winced, hoping no one heard or noticed my discomfort.
“A ride?” Alexander repeated, and both he and Ranulf stood. “Ye cannae go into the forest now, Mackenzie. It’s too dangerous!”
“I’m not hiding in the castle,” I said with an air of nonchalance. “I have the guards, so I won’t be alone. I’ve only seen Shadow once since I arrived. I think I deserve to go for a ride.”
Alexander frowned. “I’ll go with ye, then. Liam, get Lily ready as well.”
I held up a hand to stop this before it spiraled out of control. “No. I want to go alone.” I was sure it seemed quirky, but there was a method to my madness. Of course I wanted to see Shadow. It had been so long since I saw him, he barely recognized me anymore. But there was also another reason why I wanted to go into the forest alone. A reason that none of them would approve of if I told them. I had to let this play out as if it wasn’t planned.
“I want some time to think, that’s all,” I clarified. “Maybe we can go for a ride tomorrow morning.”
“Aye,” he mumbled and sat back down, his feelings hurt. “Be careful.”
I smiled ruefully at them both and followed my guards out of the royal wing, toward the back of the castle.
Once we crossed the drawbridge over the moat and stepped foot onto a lawn that was so vibrantly green and lush it made you want to weep, I raised my eyes to the mountains and rolling hills of Scotland that spread out as far as the eye could see. The image was breathtaking. I paused for a moment and took a deep breath, already feeling the tightness in my chest from the meeting with the Summits uncoil. My steps a little lighter, we entered the forest and walked a quarter of a mile before we reached the stables.
When we came around the corner, I saw two young stable boys leading Shadow out by the reins, his saddle already in place.
“How has my boy been?” I asked with a bright smile as I approached Shadow to stroke his mane. My horse was solid black and fierce, looking (and acting) like one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. His name was perfect for him because he blended into the shadows well enough that even seasoned hunters were unable to spot him in the dark. At my touch, Shadow jerked and whinnied before he saw who I was. When he recognized me, he leaned into my hand affectionately. “Good boy. I’ve missed you, you beady eyed devil,” I laughed.
The stable boys chuckled. “He has nae been easy to manage, Yer Majesty,” a freckly-faced boy with sandy blond hair said with a slight bow.
When I first met Shadow, he was standoffish and listless, unwilling to let anyone ride or pet him. I believed the poor animal was depressed, and Alexander was planning to get rid of him before I came along. Who knew we’d be a match?
I grinned. “That’s not nice, Shadow. You gotta behave or
I won’t splurge on organic carrots.” I walked around him, inspecting the straps and giving the boys a satisfied nod. Gripping the saddle horn and placing my left foot in the stirrup, I lunged and swung my right leg over, settling into the saddle with a satisfying squeak of well-oiled leather. I waited patiently for my guards to mount their horses before taking the lead into the forest. “Thank you for taking such great care of Shadow,” I said to the stable boys, to which they responded by bowing deeply with embarrassed giggles.
Taking the reins, I made a kissing noise and tugged the reins to the left, moving down a forest trail at an easy trot, taking in the scenery. The air in Scotland was different than in New York City. It was noticeably crisper, cleaner. It was quite literally a breath of fresh air.
We rode for about a mile before Liam sidled up beside me on his horse. “Yer Majesty, do ye have a destination in mind?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Just taking a break from everything in the castle.”
“Ye might nae want to stray too far from the castle just in case, Yer Majesty,” Liam warned.
I looked around and counted the guards with me. Six. Would that be enough if we were attacked?
“Are you afraid, Liam?” I looked over at him curiously.
He jerked back as if I’d slapped him and shook his head quickly. “No, of course nae, Yer Majesty. I’m just worried about yer safety. We might nae have the numbers to protect ye.”
That was a legitimate concern. There were only seven of us, and who knew how many of Fenrir and his pals were out there? To compound the problem, I couldn’t count on the Highlanders because they were on the other side of Caledonian Forest.
“Trust the trees, Liam.” I repeated what Ophelia said to me. It must have meant something.
The guard nodded and stayed by my side as we continued our journey through the forest. I heard whistles and the rustling of leaves and wondered if the trees were making the noise or if it was something else. It was during this train of thought that I picked up the sound of another heartbeat and pulled on Shadows reins, jerking him to a stop.
Queen of the Lycan Page 15