Queen of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  “Show-off.” He kisses me and gets up, extending a hand to help me off the couch. We tangle together, kissing once more before forcing ourselves apart. I’m so tired and falling asleep by the fire with Lucas next to me is going to be so fucking nice.

  “We should start packing,” I muse as I slowly go up the stairs. “We leave for Florida soon and I have nothing prepped.”

  “How long does it take you to pack?” Lucas cocks an eyebrow.

  “I need at least two days. One to lay everything out and another to agonize over if I’m bringing too much or too little.”

  “If you need anything, we’ll just buy it.”

  “Thanks, sugar daddy.” I turn around, giving him a wink.

  “And speaking of packing, we can start boxing things up to take over to the new house. I know this house is feeling a little tight with both of our items.”

  A smile pulls up my lips. “That’s exciting! There’s a lot of stuff in the basement I can send over. That will make it easy, really, if we start slowly moving everything over.”

  “Do you need everything in the basement?”

  I reach the top of the stairs and give Lucas a pointed look. “Most of that stuff is holiday decorations. I might have a few boxes of books, but they’re all signed to me and I cannot get rid of them.”

  “Your bookshelves in your office and in your bedroom are filled with books.”

  “Those are my reading books.”

  “Reading books?” he questions.

  “Yeah, books that are okay to crack the spine and read. You don’t actually read signed copies.”

  “Wait a minute.” He pauses in the doorway to our bedroom, amusement on his face. “So, what you’re saying is that you have two copies of some of the same books? One that’s signed by the author and another for you to read?”

  “Yes, and usually I’ll buy the e-book version of it too.”

  “I think you can let some of those go.”

  I gasp. “No fucking way! I love my books!”

  “You have a bookstore.”

  “Because I love books,” I counter. “And I thought you did too.”

  “Oh, I do. I very much enjoy reading in as many languages as I can. But I also don’t like clutter.”

  I put a hand on my hip. “Just be thankful I’ve only accumulated a few years of clutter. Prepare yourself for the off chance I am half immortal or something like that because I’ll be saving all the things.”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  I cock an eyebrow. “You mean you’ll carry all my stuff across said bridge.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Lucas laughs.

  “It does in my head.” I cross the room and go to the dresser. It’ll be warm by the fire, and I haven’t worn my silk pajama set in a while. The shorts are quite short, and the tank top is low-cut. Lucas will love me in it, I know, and it’s actually really comfy for being as sexy as it is. Men don’t realize how uncomfortable most lingerie is.

  I pull it out and close the dresser drawer. I’m feeling a million times better, and having two exciting things to look forward to gives me the biggest sense of relief. I’m going to pack my suitcase for a magical vacation with Lucas, and when we come back, we can move some of our stuff into the new house because we’ll be that much closer to moving into it together.

  And when we’re finally able to move into the big, old estate, I’ll be another month or two along with this pregnancy. Moving into a new house, picking out which room we’ll set up for the baby, and then decorating the nursery together, excited and nervous about having our baby arrive…it’s how life is supposed to go.

  Meet your soulmate. Fall in love. Get married. Start a family.

  It’s something I’ve always wanted but never thought possible. But it is, and it’s happening. I let out a happy sigh, feeling—for the first time in a while—that things are going to be okay. In just a few days, Lucas and I will board a fancy-shmancy private jet and will stay in an over-the-top presidential suite at an already over-the-top fancy resort.

  I can relax. Not worry about a damn thing. Have someone make my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll shop. Go on rides. Just be able to be with Lucas without a care in the fucking world.

  Fuck, I need this vacation.

  Lucas takes our pillows off the bed to take downstairs. He’s almost out of the room when the motion sensor alert on his phone goes off.

  “I thought you were going to disable that,” I mumble, still annoyed he set it up. If anything tried to get close to the house, my wardings would keep it away, alerting me in the process.

  “I turned down the sensitivity,” Lucas tells me and speeds downstairs to get his phone. With my PJs in hand, I walk out of the bedroom. Lucas is back up before I can even get to the hall, and we both look at the screen of his phone as he pulls up the security footage.

  Yawning, I wait for a raccoon to come into focus, or even a large moth flying by. Then I can tell Lucas—again—how the cameras are stupid, and we don’t need them.

  But a raccoon didn’t set off the motion sensor. Not this time. “Holy shit.” The pajamas fall from my hands as I stare at Lucas’s phone screen. “It’s a wolf.”

  Chapter 19

  “If that is a werewolf, I swear to fucking god…” I clench my jaw and the lights above us start to flicker. Lucas’s blue eyes flash with anger and he drops the phone, turning and speeding out of the room.

  “Come on, guys,” I say to my familiars and Scarlet, sucking in a breath and pushing my shoulders back. Shaking my head in annoyance and anger, I hurry down the stairs, shove my feet back in my boots and follow Lucas out the open back door.

  I shiver as soon as the cold night air hits me, making me wish I grabbed my cloak on the way out. I start running, too late to turn back now. Barking reverberates through the woods, followed by a high-pitched yelp.

  “Go!” I tell my familiars, who shadow ahead of me. Light from the full moon floods down on me, lighting up the yard. I don’t have to conjure a string of magic for light until I slip into the woods, where the thick canopy of leaves above me blocks out the moonlight.

  “What are you doing in my yard?” Lucas growls. I narrow my eyes and step over a fallen log and pull the hem of my dress off a pricker bush. I take another few slides forward and see Lucas’s back. He’s holding someone up against a tree with one hand closed around their throat. Bare legs dangle down, swinging as they desperately try to kick Lucas.

  Anger surges inside of me. Is it too much to ask for one fucking night off?

  The string of magic I’m twirling between my fingers turns red, bathing my face in crimson light. Silently, I step next to Lucas, and all three of my familiars shadow around us. Even with my seemingly sweet and innocent puppy standing between my feet, doing her best to look like a threat, this is a frightening sight, and the fear shows on the werewolf’s face.

  “I suggest you answer him.” I spin the string of magic in the air, taking solace in the way the energy sparks around my fingers.

  “I…I…can’t…” The werewolf brings one of his hands up, trying to remove Lucas’s hand from his throat. He has short dark blond hair, with his face covered in stubble. He’s fit in his human from—like most werewolves are—and would be more than a match for any human.

  But when it comes to vampires…hah. Good luck with that one. A pack of werewolves working together can take down just about anything, though. They’re not as strong or fast as vampires, especially one Lucas’s age, but they are not a threat to be ignored.

  I bring both hands up, pulling the string of magic between them.

  “Ad imperium,” I say and send the magic forward, magically binding the werewolf’s hands together. Lucas lets go, dropping him to the ground. The werewolf brings his bound hands to his throat, rubbing his neck where Lucas had gripped him as he gasps for air.

  “I’m sorry, my love,” Lucas tells me, stepping back and wrapping his arm around my waist. “I’m sorry th
is fucking cocksucking werewolf ruined our night. But don’t worry.” He flashes his fangs at the were. “I’ll make sure he pays for it.” Lucas kisses my forehead and the werewolf gets up, trying to make a desperate run for it.

  Freya shadows forward and knocks him back to the ground.

  “I wouldn’t try that if I were you.” I turn away from Lucas and stare down the werewolf. “If you haven’t noticed, you’re outnumbered, six to one.”

  There werewolf looks at me, Lucas, my three familiars, and then Scarlet. Yes, I included her in my count. She might not look menacing now, but just you wait…

  “Now, answer the question. What are you doing in our yard?”

  The werewolf scurries back, dirt and leaves rubbing against his bare body, and his eyes fill with fear.

  “You’re a witch,” he starts, voice shaking. “With a vampire.”

  I turn my gaze away from him and look at Lucas with a smile. “Talk about a power couple, right?”

  Lucas speeds forward, getting down and in the werewolf’s face. “I haven’t had were-blood in a while. Don’t tempt me tonight,” he threatens. “Tell us what you are doing in the woods.” Unlike witches, werewolves and shapeshifters can fall prey to a vampire’s powers. Only the alpha and his immediate family have the ability to resist being held spellbound.

  And this werewolf is clearly not the alpha.

  “I was sent here,” the werewolf answers.

  “By who?” Lucas asks, straightening up now that he has the guy spellbound.

  “My pack master.”

  “Why?”

  “To see if the rumors were true,” he says, aware that he’s spilling all the secrets.

  “What rumors?”

  “The Ley line is protected by witches.”

  I toss my head back. “Not this again.” Since the discovery of the line, my coven has protected it. We’ve tapped into its power from time to time but have always used it responsibly since we know the consequences firsthand. The Ley line is not a force to be reckoned with. “What do you want with the Ley line?” I ask, crouching down to Lucas. The werewolf before me is naked, as one would expect after shifting from wolf to human.

  Still…it’s kinda weird.

  “Let me guess,” I go on, unable to help myself. “Power?”

  “Yes. Our numbers have dwindled, and we want to raise back up in the ranks.”

  “Well, you’re going to have to find it elsewhere,” I tell him and stand back up. “Tell your pack master to get the hell out of dodge before…before…fuck…I can’t remember how the rest of the saying goes.” I roll my eyes and yawn, so fucking annoyed that my perfect romantic night by the fire got interrupted. “My coven doesn’t have any issue with werewolves. Go now, before we have a problem.”

  “Okay,” the werewolf says, agreeing to anything since he’s under Lucas’s hold. “Wait…I…we…can’t.” He blinks several times, wrestling with what he wants to say—or doesn’t want to say—and what he’s being compelled to tell us.

  “Because she…she…wants to be here,” the werewolf goes on, wincing as the words spill out of his mouth.

  “Your pack master?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, cool! The alpha is a chick,” I say, and Lucas turns, looking at me incredulously. “What?” I ask with a shrug. “That’s the first time I’ve heard of a female leading a pack. It’s very progressive. Which makes me think maybe we could talk.” I look at the werewolf. “Your pack, my coven…we can come to some sort of agreement. Because, I’m sorry, but Thorne Hill is ours. Though that doesn’t mean we can’t come up with some sort of peaceful arrangement.”

  “She says witches are dirty, devil-worshipping whores,” he says almost apologetically.

  I blink. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” Letting out a heavy sign, I shake my head. “If that's how she wants to be, then you’re going to go and give her a message.”

  “That won’t do any good,” the wolf goes on, eyes glossing over even more.

  “Why?” Lucas asks.

  The wolf swallows, trying to keep the words from coming out.

  Lucas leans in. “Tell us why.”

  “She’s…she’s…already decided we want a war against the witches.”

  I ball my fingers into fists, and all the anger I was feeling earlier wells up inside of me. Werewolves raging war on us is the last fucking thing we need. I’m not worried about being beaten, but there will be bloodshed for sure, and what’s a better way to bring attention to both the werewolves and the witches?

  To fucking fight each other.

  Angels want to kill me. Demons want me to rule. A group of vampires has been targeting Lucas for a while now, and they’re striking closer and closer to home, getting hunters involved. It’s just too much. My heart pounds in my chest, and the anger mixes with intense frustration.

  “That will never work,” Lucas tells the werewolf.

  “We’ve got two other packs ready to fight with us,” he replies. “Their pack masters agree it’s time to take the power of the Ley line back from the witches.”

  I sharply inhale and clench my jaw. Wolf packs can be anywhere from ten or so members all the way to nearly a hundred. It’ll be a blood bath, and I’m so fucking tired of supernaturals picking on each other.

  “Take the power back?” Magic sparks around my fingers. “We don’t have the power of the Ley line.” My hands start to shake with anger, and I feel power swelling inside me like a coil, winding tighter and tighter. “We protect the Ley line from idiots like you who think it’s yours for the taking. Disturbing the Ley line endangers us all, but you’re too power-hungry to ever admit it. You see it as a weakness when really you should be thanking us!”

  I stomp a foot down on the ground, and the sound reverberates through the forest as if a thousand feet stomped all at once. The werewolf tenses, looking at me in fear. I haven’t been here in a while—at a place where I’m so tired, so frustrated, so sick of the same damn thing that I want to scream.

  So that’s exactly what I do.

  “I don’t have time for this!” I throw out my hands, and black energy comes from deep with me, shaking the trees and rippling through the forest. Birds take flight, wings echoing through the dark night.

  And then all is silent.

  Blue light glows before me, and it takes me a minute to realize it’s my eyes, glowing like an angel’s eyes.

  “W-what are you?” the werewolf asks.

  “What I am,” I start, speaking through clenched teeth, “is really fucking pissed off. What I am is someone who really needs a fucking vacation, but my plans keep getting interrupted by stupid, greedy assholes who take and take and take without thinking about how it impacts anyone else. There are nonmagical humans in this town, and we all happen to be quite fond of them. You start a war and it will affect us as well as them, and I won’t let that happen.”

  Lucas speeds forward, sinking his fangs into the werewolf’s neck without warning. It startles me, but it’s over as fast as it started. The werewolf isn’t being held spellbound anymore, and he yells when Lucas’s fangs rip open his flesh.

  “Take that back your pack master as a message,” Lucas says, spitting the blood out. Vampires spitting out perfectly good blood is quite insulting, saying you’re so below me your blood isn’t even worth drinking. “Tell her the witches and the vampires won’t stand for a war.”

  “There doesn’t have to be any more bloodshed,” I tell him, shaking my hands to get rid of the excess energy that’s building around my fingers again. I don’t want to blow the forest up. I feel bad enough about chopping down trees on the new property to make room for the garage.

  “But there will be if you don’t get the fuck out of Thorne Hill,” Lucas growls. He comes back to my side and slips his arm around my waist. “Like my wife told you,” he says, putting emphasis on the fact that we’re married. Werewolves and other supernaturals know about the history between vampires and witches…and how things turned out bac
k then.

  If vampires couldn’t defeat the witches, no other group of supernaturals could either. Don’t bring fangs and fur to a magic fight, basically.

  “You are outnumbered. And you can tell your pack master no matter how many other packs she brings in, she will always be outnumbered.”

  Scarlet barks, trying her hardest to sound menacing. The werewolf looks at her and lets out a snort of laughter. “Oh yeah, you and what army?”

  “Funny you should ask that.” I flash a sweet smile as my familiars shadow around him. The werewolf is unable to keep the unease from his face. I’ll be the first to admit my familiars are terrifying in their shadow form, and Scarlet is just as scary.

  I crouch down on the ground, petting my little wiggling puppy for a second before snapping off her collar. The air vibrates around us as she shifts from harmless puppy into menacing hellhound.

  “Now go,” I tell the werewolf. “Before I tell her to chase you. I’m sure you’re fast, but I think my hellhound is faster.”

  I snap my fingers and undo the magical binding on the werewolf’s wrist. He shuffles back, blood still dripping down his neck, and shifts from human to wolf. After one final look at Scarlet, he takes off, running away with his tail tucked between his legs.

  “Fuck,” I huff, and Lucas takes my hand.

  “If they know what’s good for them, they’ll leave town,” he tells me, trying to soothe my nerves.

  “I know, but I don’t think they know what’s good for them.”

  “Tell Tabatha in the morning. I’m sure the coven can do something.”

  “Oh, they can, and they will.” I pick Scarlet’s collar out from the ground, letting her run back to the house in hellhound form. “We’ve always gotten along with other supernaturals, but over the years they’ve challenged us. Obviously, it’s a moot point. Mess with the witches and you get the, uh…fuck. I can’t think of a phrase for that either.” I rub my forehead. “I was trying to make a mess with the bull, and you’ll get the horns type of metaphor. I’m too tired to think.”

  “We’re going inside and you’re going to bed.”