by Jaymin Eve
“Great weather,” one of them said.
“Mmmhmm,” I replied, and smiled, walking past them quickly.
Humans found it difficult to be in my presence for too long. As an alpha, the power of my wolf made them feel uneasy … threatened. Then add in that I was an heir and the small connection to the mecca within me was enough to make them sick if they remained in my presence too long. Once a human woman on the train had vomited right at my feet. She’d sat too close to me for an hour-long ride. Since then I avoided public transportation. Submissive wolves were sent to deal with any human drama. They were tolerated much better by the humans.
It was a brisk hour-long hike before I finally reached my entry point to the bears’ residence. I decided to go the more difficult of routes, which I knew was less guarded than some of the others. Of course, this required me to rock climb up a massive cliff, which would bring me to the back of the mansion, which faced the water. This section of the building was pretty much floor-to-ceiling windows. I’d have a clear view of how many bears were inhabiting the place. If I’d have taken the front entrance, which was where their cars were parked, I would have had to deal with a multitude of guards, and a ten-foot-tall electrified fence.
So cliff face it was. I climbed silently but with swift movements. It still took me at least twenty minutes to scale up, and as I reached the edge I popped the very top of my head up to see over. The immediate area looked clear, so in one rapid movement I launched myself up and over onto the flat ground. Without pause, I rolled myself across to take cover under a large fragrant rose bush.
Letting myself catch my breath, I slowly unhooked my backpack, going over my next moves in my head. My plan was somewhere in that fine line of genius or completely crazy. Removing the knife from my boot, I slipped it into my bag and then covered the entire pack with greenery. My bag was now camouflaged … and I was about to infiltrate the bear king’s Island mansion unarmed. I was hoping it was the right choice, because the reality was that if I was caught and it looked like I had any intention of harming the king’s people, I would be put to death straight away. If I were weaponless and simply looked like a spy or thief, I might keep my life. I think the council would appreciate my thinking on this – trying not to incite a war. I doubted Selene was so thoughtful.
Oh man, I missed Finn. He’d have been able to scout around for me. Despite his massive size, if he didn’t want to be seen, he wasn’t. Not able to stall any longer, I slowly inched my head up and surveyed the home. The estate was far back on the property, but from my current location I could see two men inside the living room. The double back doors were open, white gauze curtains flowing in the wind, letting the sea breeze into the house.
Were those the bear councilmen? My council had directed us here and said the mecca crystal was near one of these bears. So hopefully I’d luck out and find it on my first go. The backyard appeared to be empty, and there was a lot of foliage scattered about that should give me cover on my way to the mansion. Just as I was about to dash across, I saw Selene lying on the roof, inching forward in an army crawl. Dammit!
Wasting no time, I sprung from my bushy hideout and hit the ground, staying flat as I crawled my way beneath plants and trees. I wanted so badly to shed my clothes and shift to my wolf. To have her nose and her eyes … her instincts. But it would be much harder for me to retrieve the crystal, and shifting took time and would leave a magical trace that could easily be detected. I couldn’t risk it.
I crawled slowly along the perimeter, not caring that I was covered in sand and dirt and had a small cut on my elbow. My plan was to get to the side of the house and then sneak in through a window. I was pleased to find that the closer I got to the house, the more I felt … a tingle, a magical beacon. The mecca crystal, no matter how small, was calling to me.
I inched closer until I reached the side of the house, where there was a study visible through large double windows. I could see full bookshelves; the window was cracked open. That was my entrance. Rolling out from under the bushes, I popped up and was almost at the side when a voice sent my entire plan crashing down.
“Well, well, what is a wolf heir doing on the bear king’s property?” The voice was husky and deep and I was so royally screwed. Pun intended. I had been seen. If I ran, the guard would sound the alarm – I needed to talk my way out of this situation, running was not an option. Turning slowly, I opened my hands to show I wasn’t armed. He already knew I was an heir, he must have recognized my insignia on my shirt, which would hopefully buy me enough time to plead my case.
Unfortunately, by the time I finished spinning to meet my fate, no plan had formulated in my head. Looks like it was the good old “wing it and hope for the best” plan. Some freaking queen I was going to make.
When the male came into view, I was a little taken aback. I’d expected it to be a guard, multiple guards actually, but it seemed luck might be on my side after all, because the giant of a bear standing shirtless before me was definitely not a guard. He seemed to be the gardener, right down to the pair of shears in his right hand, hanging non-threateningly at his side.
I took a second to admire the view. Because a view like this was made to be admired.
He was one of the hugest males I’d ever seen, topping out close to seven feet. He had heavily corded muscles and darkly tanned skin. Someone clearly used to being outdoors, lifting heavy stuff, swinging an axe … maybe. With his wild dark hair and neatly trimmed but still sort of scruffy beard, he was every girl’s woodcutter fantasy come to life. And his eyes, holy crap, his eyes were like molten copper, swirling as they remained locked on my face.
I realized I’d been standing there gawking like a pup with her first crush, and that was no way for a queen to act. I needed to talk my way past the gardener and then grab that crystal before Selene got there first.
He showed no discomfort to find a wolf casually strolling around his king’s territory. His stance was relaxed, although his face and eyes were harder. He tilted his head to the side, and as those unique eyes caressed my features, the swirling depths deepened and his clenched jaw relaxed. His lips quirked into a smile.
“You,” he whispered, and chills ran up my arms.
He said it like he knew me.
“I … I’m unarmed, and this is not an act of war. Our queen fell and...”
He took three quick paces toward me and I tensed, readying myself for a fight. I didn’t need weapons to kill a man. I’d done it with my bare hands many times. Despite the fact we were gifted dominion over our boroughs as heirs, you still had to prove yourself. You still had to be alpha enough. But this was one of the largest men I had ever seen. If he wanted me dead, there was no doubt he could make that happen.
He hadn’t raised any alarm yet though, which gave me some sense of comfort. One on one was much better odds than the entirety of the king’s army.
He cast me in shadow as he closed in, seemingly even more massive than he’d looked from across the way. My breathing slowed, every part of me focused on the incoming battle. Then he shocked the hell out of me.
“I never forgot that kiss,” he said, his arm snaking out to curve around the back of my neck.
My brain tried to process his words and actions at the same time. What in all shifter gods was he doing? What kiss?
My next barrage of curses was hushed as the bear’s surprisingly full lips crashed into mine. For a second the world stood still. I forgot who I was, what I was doing here, and the fact that hot-as-woodcutter-man was a bear. Energy sizzled between us, so intense that I was either going to collapse or drown if it didn’t ease.
Desire like I’d never known unfurled in my chest and continued downward through my body. I fought for clarity, drawing on every piece of training I’d ever had in my life. He was a freaking bear, I was a queen heir, this could not happen! I started to growl, and just as I was about to bite his tongue off, he pulled back, grinning.
It was then that I realized exactly who the royal garde
ner was, why he acted so familiar with me. It had been the dimple that jogged my memory, a dimple that was barely visible within his dark facial hair.
“You…” My voice was hard, but still much breathier than I liked.
It was the same bear I’d kissed at fifteen on this very island. Of course back then he’d been only a little taller than me, and baby-faced. Now he was hard and all man. And he’d just kissed me … again. My right hand came up and smacked him solidly across the face. I’d practically had to jump to reach it, but it was still so satisfying.
He had no right to touch me, and I didn’t appreciate the manhandling, no matter how satisfying the kiss was. In the back of my mind I was reminded of the wolf council’s words: if we were caught here, we belonged to the bears, and they could do what they wanted with us. Yeah, not okay with me. No bear got to kiss me, or make my body ache – not allowed.
Unfortunately, my slap hadn’t seemed to deter him. If anything, his eyes were twinkling as they continued to hold me captive. Over his shoulder a streak of purple caught my attention. Selene was running through the yard clutching a stone in her hand. No!
Dammit! This distracting, giant gorgeous idiot had just cost me the third task, and I still wasn’t in the clear. Not only was Selene going to win the points and have the advantage in the final round, I was still stuck here at the mercy of a bear.
“Who’s that?” I said, bringing the other heir to his attention.
With the smallest of smiles, he turned to stare straight in the direction Selene had dashed, as if he’d known she was there all along. In a burst of movement he took off after her, and he was fast.
“Wait right there,” he called back to me, his voice low and gruff.
Yeah, for sure, woodsman. Idiot.
Without hesitation I took off, leaping across multiple obstacles and not letting up my pace one bit. I heard a shout, but there were no other sounds of pursuit; the gardener had chosen to run down Selene. I doubted he would catch her; she had a decent head start and was probably already halfway back to our meeting spot. I ran as fast as I could to the cliff face again, unearthing my pack and all but falling back down the cliff, getting a nasty gash in my left elbow. It would heal quickly though; I was more worried about being caught.
Luckily I did not see any more humans on my trek back to the meeting point. I was surely a disheveled mess right about now. When I reached the thick trees of the cherry grove, Selene was already waiting for me.
She had a leather pouch in her hand and was grinning from ear to ear. “Thanks for making out with that mammoth bear. You really gave me the extra time I needed to get in and out.”
My blood boiled as disappointment and rage flooded through me. Now it looked like I was some stupid, hormone-driven wolf who couldn’t keep it in her pants long enough to try and become queen.
“Not that I can blame you,” Selene continued. “He was probably the hottest guy I have ever seen. Yummy.”
“He attacked me!” I said, my voice hoarse.
Right … crap. My mind knew the truth; he had initiated the kiss but I had liked it. For the love of all things shifter, why? I’d been attracted to that male when he was scrawny and underfed – and now … definitely not scrawny. And where in all the hells was his shirt? Seriously, you can’t just surprise a woman with a body like that and then kiss her. It just wasn’t done.
I should have kicked him in the jewels; my slap was nowhere near harsh enough. Shaking it off, I followed the still-grinning Selene out of the woods. I knew by this point the advisors would be watching through Sabina. They would know she’d been the one to retrieve the crystal first, so I couldn’t steal it from her. I had lost fair and square. Damn that bear!
“There is no point stressing yourself over this.” Calista was trying to appease my anger while I took out my frustration on a boxing bag. “Things happen. Selene has the advantage in the final fight, but you are not without plenty of skills of your own.”
Smack, smack, smack. Each thud was cathartic, right up until the bear’s face flooded back into my mind. “It wasn’t just that she won,” I said, huffing between words. I wiped at the sweat coating my forehead, before spinning out and kicking the heavy weight. The bag swung out and back for my next kick. “I let him kiss me. I just stood there for at least thirty seconds and enjoyed every freaking second.”
What was wrong with me?
Calista chuckled, and I immediately swung my head around to nail her with a glare. This was so not funny, and as my advisor she should be appalled by my actions. I was a queen heir to the wolves and he was a bear.
“Arianna, you’re a hot-blooded female and it has been a long time since you had any sort of regular partner. You neglect that part of your body and life because of duty, but the blood of shifter queens run in your veins. You’re sensual, and need someone to kiss you like that every single day.”
I was no longer kicking the bag. She had caught me completely by surprise. I didn’t know what to say. Calista was always nudging me to take a mate, to settle down and do the whole … relationship thing. I grew up with a mother that chose a breeding partner for sperm so it hadn’t exactly put the greatest example in my mind.
“Just next time, please … not a bear, and not during the Summit.” And my advisor was finally back. “I need your focus for just a little longer, we have a throne to win. And our strategy must be absolutely bulletproof for tomorrow. Selene cannot become queen. She is not worthy.”
I rested both of my gloved hands against the bag, sinking into it as exhaustion washed over me. It had been a big day, but my stamina was usually better than this. For some reason I was just wrecked. Every day of being this close to the mecca was changing me. Its energy infiltrating my body.
“Has there been any word on the mecca?” I asked, lowering my voice. We were alone, my guards spread out the perimeter, but you never knew who was listening. “Every day it feels even stronger to me, more out of control.”
Calista had her tablet out in a flash; that thing was pretty much an extension of her hand.
“Nothing official, and honestly, until Violet mentioned the change I never even noticed there was anything up. I can only just sense it now.”
“It’s so strong for me,” I murmured, holding my hands out like I was actually running it through the power. It felt like it was swirling around me.
“Must be an heir thing,” Calista said, shrugging.
I’d have asked Selene, except she was not my favorite person today, or any day really. I couldn’t lose to her tomorrow. No matter what happened in the battle, I had to take her down. An entire race of wolves was counting on me. Not to mention I wasn’t too keen on death.
Calista signaled to my dominants. “We should head back to the suite. I have a bunch of schematics to go over with you, and we should discuss all the possible scenarios for tomorrow.”
I nodded, already unstrapping my wrists. My body ached, and I knew I’d pushed it too far. After arriving back to the main hall, and having to watch as Selene was awarded the points, gold, and spell book, I’d come straight down here. I must have been hitting the bag for two hours at least, and still tension rode my body.
Damn that bear.
Violet was in my suite’s main dining room when we trooped in. A few of my dominants stopped to chat with her for a minute before settling into their normal positions. Poker was definitely on the table again tonight, but probably not for me. No doubt Calista would have me studying.
“Feel free to jump into the first few games,” she said, shocking the hell out of me. “I need to discuss a few of the Summit rules with the council. They have to give me some more details about tomorrow. We’ll get started when I return.”
I was pretty much bouncing in my chair, and Violet threw back her head and snort laughed. “Girl, you are seriously like an excited puppy right now. Anything to get out of work.”
I stuck my tongue out, in full queenly glory. “It’s been a crappy day. I’m excited for a bit of f
un before figuring out how not to die tomorrow.” The logic and skills required in poker calmed me—or did until I was two margaritas in and Derek started suggesting we start playing strip poker.
As if he heard that thought, his eyes met mine.
Calista’s words earlier had shaken me. She was right. I needed a relationship, a regular partner, someone I could depend on and trust. Why couldn’t I feel the sort of passion for Derek that damn bear had made me feel with one stupid kiss? Derek would have been perfect as a partner. That was the reason I’d already tried to make it work. But to no avail. I just couldn’t seem to be like my mother, or the Red Queen. I couldn’t have the convenient male because it worked, I wanted more. I wanted epic. To feel every single emotion, even if some of those were dark and scary. Safe did not interest me. Love was huge and crazy, or so I had been told, and I wanted that.
Violet snorted again, before winking at me. The look on her face … I was ninety percent certain she could actually read thoughts. She gestured for me to take my place at the table and we ended up with eight in for the first round. The rest of the guards were on duty, but would swap in and out through the night. Some would sleep and the others would gamble. Not much else to do while trapped inside this mansion, and it kept morale high.
I took a second to really see the shifters around me. I’d been so caught up in the Summit and the queen’s death that I felt I’d barely had any time with my friends. My family.
First was Monica and Jen. Those two were dominant, best friends, and laugh-out-loud funny with their inappropriate comments. They even looked similar, both small, with ashy blond hair. Jen’s eyes were gray, darkening to blue when she was angry, which was a lot more frequently than the more levelheaded Monica. She was both protective and calm. I always knew she’d keep a level head in any situation, and that’s how she’d made it into my inner circle of guards.