by Jaymin Eve
Looking at sweet Winnie now, something hit me, hard. She wasn’t my sister, not biologically. Different mom and dad. She felt more like a daughter. Might as well be. Calista and I had raised her since she was a day old. It made me love and cherish her more.
Reaching over, I squeezed her little hand. “I think I do need a nap. Will you be okay?” If she begged me to stay awake and play more, I would.
Winnie waved a hand at me. “I’m fine! Chase and I are going to find the mermaid cove and steal all of the pirate treasures there.”
I nodded. “Okay, as long as mermaid cove is in this backyard?”
One of Winnie’s attendants nodded, and I smiled. Kade had been watching me, beneath heavy lidded eyes of his own, and now he stood, taking my hand. Without another word we crossed into the house and walked down the hall to the bedroom. Once inside, I kicked off my shoes, belt, and slid my bra from beneath my shirt. Screw showering, screw pj’s, screw sex, I just wanted sleep. I fell into the thick feather-topped mattress and a sigh escaped my lips.
Kade sat perched on the edge of the bed. He let out a low, deep chuckle. “Sometimes I’m not sure if you love me or sleep more.”
I smiled. “It’s a tie, really.”
He wasn’t undressing or lying beside me.
Leaning over, he kissed my cheek. “I’ll be back in an hour to sleep beside you. I need to see my mother about something.”
“Mmmkay,” I mumbled, and that’s when the exhaustion took me.
I awoke to early morning light on my face. You know that feeling you get after an incredibly satisfying night’s sleep, that full body relaxation? I had that, and no wonder. One look at the alarm clock on the dresser told me I’d slept for fifteen hours. I rolled over and took in the sight of my big bear, his long body stretched out at my side, chest rising and falling. He actually looked pretty peaceful for Kade. Normally he had all of this energy and strength just naturally exuding from his body.
I decided to have a quick shower and then see if he was awake. I crept from the bed and entered his massive bathroom. While showering, I ran over a hundred different scenarios in my head about what I would say to my people today, needing the right words to make them understand everything that had been happening lately. Not to mention the changes in me now. I was going to have to go out there and speak of an enemy that most of them would never have heard of, the fae, and in the same breath tell them I was half one.
By the time I had brushed my teeth and dressed, I still wasn’t sure what I could say that would sway them to see my side of things. In the end, it would come down to majority rule. Not everyone would be happy with bears and wolves ruling side by side, or with me being part fae, but hopefully enough would see the benefits of having me return as queen. In time, everyone would see that it could work.
I was so lost in my thoughts that when I opened the bathroom door that led into the adjoining master bedroom, I slammed into Kade. He was shirtless, with wet hair.
“Sorry.” I placed my hands on his chest and let them brush over his abdomen. “Where did you shower?”
His eyes were dark as they ran across my face. “I used a guest bathroom.”
I let my hands trail the elastic of his boxers. “You could have joined me.”
His eyes lightened to a brilliant copper. “I decided to give you a little time alone. I know you’re nervous about the speech today. Plus, I had some things to think about too.”
My hand froze. I didn’t like it when my normally unflappable bear got that slightly uneasy look on his face. “Is everything okay? Anything I can help you with?”
One of Kade’s hands had been slack at his side, and he pulled it up between us now, opening his palm to show a beautiful diamond ring. The stone was large and oval, with a multitude of smaller diamonds running along the side and down the band. My breath caught in my throat. “I want to give you all the time you need. We can have a long engagement, but I’ve wanted to ask you this for so long … I refuse to wait any longer. I had an elaborate thing planned, lots of surprises, but that’s just not you.” He knew me so well. Simple and private was what I liked. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, pulling back just long enough to say, “Arianna, will you marry me?”
Once I was able to process all of the beautiful emotions running through me, I used our bond to reply, Yes.
He grinned, slipping the ring on my finger. It was a perfect fit.
“It was my grandmother’s,” Kade said as he stroked my hand.
“It’s beautiful,” I replied breathlessly. It was perfect.
I would go into this meeting fully committed to a bear and wolf partnership. Kade’s lips crashed into mine and all thoughts of a meeting were swept from my mind. Actually, all thoughts of anything other than the feel and scent of my mate were gone.
Kade lifted me into his arms, and my legs did their usual wrap-around-him thing. In a flash he had moved us out of the bathroom and my back was against the wall, Kade pressing into me. My mouth opened as his tongue danced with mine; our kisses soon turning hot and heavy. Kade peppered kisses down my jaw, before trailing them further down.
“We don’t have long,” Kade said against my skin.
My head went back as he hit the sensitive spot behind my ear. “I won’t need long,” I said with a laugh-groan.
His chest rumbled, and I knew his bear was happy. I was happy too. We had just enough time to celebrate our new journey together, and then we would go see our people, and fight for our continued existence.
After breakfast, it was time to head to the meeting spot. Kade, Violet, and I were waiting and ready. Monica, Blaine, and Victor would be our guard. My nerves had settled down slightly. I would accept whatever outcome was handed down today. I would survive either way. I had Kade, Winnie, and the rest of my family. If the wolves decided this was not a road for them, I would be with the bears. They were my people now too.
Seriously though, I was engaged to a bear, had killed Selene, and was about to try to unite two races after hundreds of years at war. At this point, not much could shock me. Or so I thought until I stepped out onto the front porch and a sleek black sedan pulled up. Two people stepped out that I hadn’t expected to see and I literally gasped, almost tripping down the stairs.
It wasn’t Calista’s presence per se that shocked me, though I had expected her to stay and care for Baladar. It was Baladar himself, on the Island, not a prisoner in his loft, that left me open-mouthed.
“Of course!” Violet shouted, running to greet Baladar. She didn’t touch him, which was normal, but she got right up in his face. Kade and I remained on the porch, both of us trying to figure out what had happened.
“When I killed Sabina the spell broke, didn’t it?” Violet was looking like a student asking her teacher if she got a hundred percent on her quiz.
Baladar winked at Violet and nodded. That was when I realized the light blue coloring of his iris had returned. It also seemed, by the way he looked right at Violet, that he could see her.
I hurried down the stairs to them now. “You’re not blind.” My voice was high with happiness, which only increased as I noticed Calista’s and Baladar’s hands intertwined. “This is such wonderful news! I’m so very happy for you.” My gaze found my advisor, who looked radiantly happy. “For both of you.”
Baladar nodded, pulling his love closer to him. “For the first time in over a century I’m tasting freedom, and it’s perfect.” His eyes locked in on me. “I’m here now to help, to repay some of the debt I owe you.”
My eyes caught on the shine of my diamond, and I felt the strength of my mate through our bond. “I have everything I need. You owe me nothing.”
Reaching into the sedan, Baladar pulled out an old brown leather book. He handed it to me. Frowning, I gently cracked the spine, glancing across the first few pages. There were old black and white photographs with names and dates, like a family tree. But as I read further, I gasped. Baladar had given me a royal family tree for bear and wolf s
hifter married couples.
“Bears and wolves were always meant to rule side by side. Make them see that,” Baladar said, and I nodded, handing the book to Violet.
“Thank you.” I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to keep my emotions in check. We were going to bring our case to the people. We were going to make them see. Bears and wolves were stronger together.
Chapter Sixteen
Long live the queen.
Alphas, pack members, and even lone shifters had come from all around the world. Bears and wolves together. Tens of thousands of them filled the Island. I had seriously underestimated Calista’s ability to get word out in a very short period of time.
We were set up on the same hill where the mid-summer festival and stage had been. At first Calista protested, saying there were too many raw memories of those we had lost there, but I wanted them to understand what was at stake here, that those losses were nothing compared to what we could sustain if we didn’t join together and lock the fae out of our world. Even though I had fixed the mecca, I knew the winter queen would not be satisfied. She wanted the earth side mecca and would stop at nothing to get it. She also wanted the power inside of me. I had no idea where or when they would hit, but we needed to be prepared for her attack.
I stood on the edge of the huge platform, thousands of shifters spread out before me, bears along the left side, wolves on the right. Unlike last time, there was a decent gap separating the two races down the center. Selene had done this. In her very short time screwing up the role of queen, she had someone managed to increase the already too large divide between our people.
“You ready, Ari?” Kade was at my side and Finn by my legs, but I would step out alone.
The wolf council were not in sight yet, but I knew they were out there, lingering in the outer areas. They would jump in if I failed, to try and wrest control of the wolves from me. I couldn’t let that happen. They would continue down the same path as Selene.
Straightening my shoulders, I smoothed down my red silk dress. Calista had gone all out with my appearance. My hair was pinned up in a braid crown. I wore my arm cuffs, and had my sword strapped across my back. The sheath was from Kade’s armory, and I might have shed a few tears thinking of how Ben wasn’t here to find me the right piece. Actually, standing here, all the memories of my friend came flooding up from the box I had shoved them into, the box in which I had stored all my grief because there had been no room, no time for it. This still wasn’t the time, but my emotions were dangerously close to the surface, especially when I caught sight of Victor and Blaine – rigid jaws, hard eyes, throats working. They were close to losing it too, but they didn’t. I drew strength from their strength, and I walked out onto the stage.
A large group to my right let out a cheer as I moved across the platform. I turned to find Bianca front and center; behind her were hundreds of wolf shifters, many of them I recognized as the defectors who had been at Kade’s Staten Island mansion. They wore proud expressions, their warmth and energy touching my heart and bringing a true smile to my face. I inclined my head toward the shifters who had helped me destroy Selene, before turning back to the larger crowd. I was center stage now, staring out across a sea of shifters.
There had been a lot of noise until this point: arguing, fighting, crying over lost loved ones, even some laughter. For many this was a reunion. But as I stood alone, facing out toward them, a hushed silence slowly descended over the hill. I didn’t speak straight away, I let the silence reign until there was only the birds, the ocean, the thousands of heartbeats in the clearing.
It was clear that my fae-ness had shocked them, but so far no one was screaming obscenities at me. Taking this as a good sign, I used the mecca to project my voice far out into the clearing.
“Thank you all for coming today on such short notice. Thank you for giving me a chance to explain to you everything that has happened over the past few months.”
A few whispers echoed around, but for the most part I could tell I had their attention. “I want to start our new relationship with the truth. I won’t hide things from you like the council and previous leaders have.” Gasps and curses rang out. “They told us that wolves and bears were enemies. That the bears would destroy us. That we should attack first. This was a LIE!”
I added more mecca because they were starting to get louder. “In the beginning, bears and wolves ruled together.”
This caused the most uproar. Turning my head, I gave Violet a nod, and she lifted the book from Baladar up in her hands, and then with a blast of energy the information on the pages projected above the crowd as if on a movie screen, ten feet tall so everyone could see.
“This is the first family tree,” I told the hushed crowd. “Bears and wolves are opposites in lots of ways for a reason. Male heirs for the bears, female for the wolves. This is because our true mates lie within the other races. King Kade is my bonded mate.” Another series of loud cries from the crowd. I could sense their disbelief, and maybe even slivers of hope. “He is my true bonded mate. We are connected and have a mental link.”
As I spoke Violet continued flicking through the pages, through the history, through the family trees. Kade stepped up at my side and linked his hand through mine. He wore his golden crown, and had on his royal armor, full military style. He had never been more beautiful, and I found myself growing even more confident standing with him.
I lifted our joined hands. “Together Kade and I can control the mecca in a way no other can.” We gave a quick demonstration, shooting out blasts of energy, sharing it with all of our shifters. “Together our people can fight the true enemy who has caused all the mayhem and destruction in our world over the past few months. The fae.”
“You’re one of them! Why should we trust you?” This cry came from the other side of the stage, and I wasn’t even remotely surprised to find the wolf council standing there. Well, most of them anyway. I could see eight or nine members.
It was Torin who had spoken. “You come back here looking exactly like the Tuatha, and you kill our queen. Why should anyone believe a lying, treasonous, snake like you, Arianna. You are just like your aunt, a failed queen. A traitor. A disgrace.”
Rage ripped through me and I lashed out at Torin with fae power, forcing him to kneel. Everyone gasped and backed up a few paces, staring at the kneeling councilman.
Looking up, I spoke to my people, laying my fragile soul bare for all to see. “I am a victim of lies as well. I found out only a few days ago that my true mother was the Red Queen herself, and…” I struggled to finish, tears lining my eyes, but I swallowed them down and said. “My biological father was fae, a very evil fae who I hope to kill. I didn’t know any of this until I went to the Otherworld to get Violet back.”
Silence washed over the crowd, and these weird looks of pity and respect began to roll in. I hated their pity, but I was empowered by the clear evidence that I was reaching them. Some of them anyway.
“Selene robbed me of my crown without proper evidence, started a needless war between the wolves and the bears … so yes, I killed her. Kade and I restored the mecca, which was the only shot we had to stop the fae from attacking. I don’t want to rule again by force. I want a democracy. I want change. The ways of old are dead and I want a new stronger pack for all of us!” I roared and they roared right back.
I opened my arms. “I leave you with a choice. You can join Kade and I as we embark on this new adventure of having a bigger, stronger, combined pack. We’ll open the borders to the five boroughs and share the mecca. I will be your queen and he your king, and you will all have a chance at finding your bonded mate.” The crowd was deadly silent. “Or you can hold another Summit, choose from the next batch of heirs, and stick to your old ways. I will live in Staten Island with the bears and wish you nothing but love and good tidings.”
I dropped my hands and let one hot tear fall down my cheek. I hoped they could feel the emotions I was projecting, how much I loved them, how much I wanted fo
r my people to prosper and love and be happy. I felt them all inside of me, through the mecca, each beautiful soul.
Bianca made her move then, pushing through the crowd, making her way over to where I had Torin pinned on his knees. People were murmuring, talking about what they wanted to do, and I just stood there ready for any outcome they chose. The Boston alpha stood behind Torin and in a single swift move unsheathed her sword slicing it across the councilmembers throat. Torin fell forward, his blood flooding out in a rush.
The Boston alpha turned toward the crowd. “Long live Queen Arianna!”
Thousands of voices echoed her call and I lost it. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I heard the cries of my people. “Long live Queen Arianna! Long live King Kade!”
The majority were screaming. A few dozen wolf shifters began to walk away, the old council members with them. Good. Let them go. Leave New York City and never come back.
Kade wiped a tear from my cheek. “The people have spoken.”
Violet crossed the stage, and in her hands was the wooden box that held my mecca crown. I had no idea how she had managed to retrieve that, and it was probably better not to know. Taking a deep breath, I opened the box and since I was the only one who could touch the mecca piece, I settled it on my head. The crowd went wild, and for the first time the wolves and bears began to mingle, shaking hands, introducing themselves, walking around to both sides. I had no misconceptions that this joining was going to be easy, but clearly enough people had been following the journey of me and Kade. They could hear the truth in what I said. They wanted change.
Kade, Violet, and I remained on stage. Calista and Baladar soon joined us. We were all smiling, and I was just about to call for celebrations when a popping came from behind me. I whirled around to see a portal opening. Baladar and Violet rushed in front of me, hands raised, ready to defend us. A single figure pitched forward from the swirling mass of energy, and I let out a cry when I saw Dalia slumped across the stage. An unnatural silence descended across the crowds behind me; no doubt all of them were waiting to see what had happened. Pushing my people out of the way I dropped down beside Dalia, who was not moving. I turned her, tears springing to my eyes at the sight of her stomach sliced open, too much blood seeping free.