by Kat Zaccard
“All werewolves are allergic to aconite; its lay name is wolfsbane, which I should think is pretty self-explanatory,” the shop owner explained calmly.
Shea gasped, and I asked, “You know about werewolves?” Even though I did know about werewolves, I still felt ridiculous saying it aloud.
“Yes, Alice, I do. I suppose it’s time to drop the pretenses. I’ve known about you since before you came to Greenville almost seventeen years ago.”
“You have my attention.” I tried to draw myself up but was still weak from the wolfsbane. Shea coughed next to me, trying to stand.
“Relax, you two. I mean you no harm. Had I meant to hurt you, I wouldn’t have saved you from the wolfsbane.” She made a good point. We both settled down.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you formally, Your Majesty. I am Gwendolyn Fawr, High Priestess of the Greenville Coven, and by all intents and purposes, your godmother.”
“Hang on; you’re her fairy godmother?” Shea must have been hit harder by the wolfsbane than me; she was acting loopy. She started to giggle uncontrollably, muttering things like horses, glass slipper, and pumpkins. I punched her shoulder before she launched into Bibbity-bobbity-boo. Shea settled down and Gwendolyn continued.
“I’m just a regular godmother.” She smiled. “I looked after you when your father died, and made arrangements to bring you here. It was all very hush-hush; by the end, your father trusted no one.”
“You knew my father?” I knew very little about my birth parents. After I was born, my mother died in childbirth along with my twin brother. I had survived, and my father was elected king regent in my stead until I came of age. He died in an alleged hunting accident, and I was sent into hiding. I didn’t even know what he looked like. I’d seen a statue of my mother in the palace gardens. But I’d never seen a portrait of my birth family. There weren’t even graves to visit, since werewolves burned their dead.
“Yes, I knew your parents. And I’m sorry for your many losses,” Gwendolyn said.
I felt a twinge in my gut. “Did you know what they named my brother?” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, I don’t. Werewolves keep a baby’s name secret until their naming day.”
“I knew it was a long-shot, but I had to ask.”
“There were many rumors of plots to overthrow the Luna Clan. I never believed your father’s death was an accident. Given his last will and testament, it’s almost as if he anticipated it. He instructed me to send you far away to be adopted by humans. He made arrangements for your application to Mount Henley, and he asked me to watch over you until you came of age.”
“My father’s death wasn’t an accident.” I said it softly, afraid to conjure his ghost. Maybe I also hit the wolfsbane too hard? I wasn’t usually so dramatic.
Gwendolyn inhaled a sharp breath. “Do you have proof?”
“I met someone who told me.” My vague answer was met with a raised brow. I recognized the annoyed look. I often saw it on my French teacher’s face whenever I tried to answer a question in class. I wanted to trust Gwendolyn, but I couldn’t risk Pierre’s safety. Pierre had been my father’s valet. I’d met him at the Winter Palace last winter. “Someone close to my father witnessed his murder. The hunting accident was staged. He’d told no one about the murder for fear of his own safety. He’d tried to track down the two guards who’d committed the treason, but they’d vanished. So he kept his terrible secret until he met me. He isn’t convinced my mother’s death was an accident either. He’s searching for my mother’s midwife.” As I confessed to a stranger, Shea kicked me under the table, and I wondered at my over-share. My inner wolf seemed to instantly trust Gwendolyn. Still, I wondered what was in the tea.
“That’s terrible news, but not wholly unexpected,” Gwendolyn said. “Negotiations with the werewolves completely stalled after your father’s death.”
“Why haven’t we spoken before?” I asked.
“Yeah, right!” Gwendolyn laughed, suddenly sounding half her age. “Your parents only knew me as the social worker who helped place an orphaned child.”
“You told them you were a social worker?” questioned Shea, arms crossed.
“I was a social worker, thank you very much. I told them about your birth parents’ last request, the scholarship, and inheritance. I made it clear the inheritance was dependent upon you attending Mount Henley. When they didn’t enroll you freshman year, I nudged the idea along by sending pamphlets about the school’s honor and prestige. I was beyond relieved when they finally enrolled you last fall. I was planning drastic measures if you didn’t get there by the full moon after your sixteenth birthday!”
I wanted to know what her drastic measures involved, but Shea beat me to it.
“If you know we’re werewolves, then why do you have aconite on your shelves?”
Gwendolyn turned to Shea. “You have to understand that having two teenage werewolves in town is very frightening for some. Not to mention, the two full-grown Slivers. Your security, I imagine? Anyway, I have an obligation to my coven to protect them, even if it’s just to protect them from their own wild imaginations.”
“Hang on, your coven? Does that mean…?” My brain fog was clearing and I was starting to process what she was saying.
“That’s right, dear, I’m a witch.”
“Deer!” guffawed Shea.
“Do I need to slap her or something?” I asked hopefully.
“No, she’ll be fine. The aconite is still working itself out of her system. Here, dear, drink your tea.” Shea, who’d been trying to take a sip, snorted tea out of her nose at the second mention of “deer.”
“Why don’t you just tell your coven that we’re not a threat?” I asked.
“Well I have, of course. But witches, like people or werewolves, for that matter, come in all varieties, and some are less trusting than others. We have no treaties with werewolves. There’s also the fear of what may follow you here.”
“What do you mean?” An icy chill ran down my back.
“Alice, I am not from your world, but I’ve known of the political unrest in the Great Pack. I’ve also heard grumblings of darker things. More werewolves have been coming into the country from Europe. They’re not bound by the same laws and may pose a threat. Not to mention the things from which they flee.” She turned and her eyes bored into mine as if she could read my thoughts should she stare hard enough.
“You’ve seen the upyr,” she stated without question. I blinked away from her gaze.
“Yes, I know there are upyr in Canada.”
“Are you sure they haven’t followed you?” she asked darkly.
“No! They couldn’t.” Could they? “We flew,” I added lamely. Suddenly, I was no longer a carefree teenager home for summer break. Why did I think I could escape?
“I don’t know if the threat has spread to the States, but my contacts in the north have brought disturbing reports of late. Your presence here may not be advisable.”
“My parents don’t know about any of this stuff; they expect me to be here for summer break.”
“I understand, Princess, and I’m not certain the danger is even present. Still, your enemies must know what leverage your parents could be.”
“We’re leaving in a couple days for the full moon. I asked my security detail to stay and protect them. But will my parents be in danger when I leave for school? What should I do?” I hated feeling unsure of myself and my plans. I didn’t like putting my trust in this stranger, but what else could I do?
“Fear not. It is my duty as High Priestess to protect the innocent of Greenville. We will guard over your parents while you’re gone and we’re already on high alert. I suggest you be as well.”
We thanked Gwendolyn for her help and agreed to meet with her when we returned from Nadia’s after the full moon. On the way home, we went over everything we’d learned. Shea was slightly less slap-happy and had more appropriate responses to the inf
ormation bombs that had exploded that night.
Going home to dinner felt surreal and we almost forgot what movie we’d seen when my parents asked about it. We were subdued at dinner and quickly excused ourselves under the pretense of heading to bed early. Instead, we stayed up late discussing the new developments in the Luna saga. Even though it was technically my story, I felt removed from it. I felt like a fraud when Shea grew indignant that my birth mother might have been murdered. It was horrible, but it was read-it-in-the-newspaper horrible, not actually-happened-to-me horrible. I felt bad that my birth parents were dead, but I felt worse that I didn’t feel bad enough about it. I never knew them.
Regardless of my birth family’s tragic tale, it was more their story than mine. And if truth be told, I was still angry at my birth parents. I was furious that they’d abandoned me, sent me to the human world outside of the Great Pack, and had betrothed me to the son of another royal clan. Now here I was, nearly seventeen, engaged to a boy I barely knew and didn’t even like. It was barbaric; it went against everything I’d been raised to believe. Last summer, I was a normal teenage girl. This summer might be my last shot at freedom. I was bound by a family I didn’t know, a commitment I didn’t want, and a crown I couldn’t ignore.
Chapter 4
Shea and I were packed and ready for our visit to see Nadia. My dad dropped us off at the airport early, and we were escorted to the tarmac where the Osakura private jet awaited us. As we boarded, a friendly flight attendant told us that there had been a change in the itinerary and we were now flying to the Osakura Estate instead of the Kamloops airport in British Colombia. I thanked him, but privately wondered where we were going. Nadia had a townhouse in Dryden, the village behind Mt. Henley, but I had no idea where her family estate might be.
We settled in for a long flight and tried to guess the reason for the change of plans. Nadia Osakura was my mentor in werewolf politics. She had been the first underage council member, having taken her seat at just fifteen years old after her parents had died. She’d paved the way for me to be accepted on the council last winter. We were both the eldest of our clans, but in my case, I was the last. Nadia still had her little brother, Nolan.
Traditionally, there were twelve seats on the High Council: the queen and representatives from the eleven remaining royal werewolf families. The werewolf population was in decline. Several of the royal clans had already died out and opportunistic families had bought their way onto the council. In fact, the Queen Regent herself was not of royal blood and, technically, sat in the Luna chair. The Reynolds family had bought a seat on the High Council several generations ago, but Christina Reynolds was determined to add royal blood to their family line. Christina had married my great-uncle Fredrick before her late husband’s child had even been born. After giving birth to her first child, Christina did not have time to conceive a Luna heir before my great-uncle died. To me, Frederick was just another unknown relative I’d never meet. After my father’s death, Christina had been appointed my guardian and Queen Regent, but by then, I’d disappeared. According to Gwendolyn, my birth father had arranged to hide me in the human world.
Since Christina held the Luna seat, Nadia had helped elect a thirteenth chair to instate my voting rights when I joined the council last year. Nadia hoped that when I assumed the throne, the thirteenth seat could become a public chair elected by the people. As an American, I was all for it. Of course, I had to take the throne, first. And while the Queen Regent publicly supported my return to court, it was unlikely she’d step down from power as easily.
Nadia had also promised to help me annul my betrothal to Logan Dolph. He was a royal pain in the ass, prince or not. I dated him last year despite my wariness about the betrothal; he’d seemed kind and handsome and worth a shot. I was even starting to fall for him. But then his true nature started to leak through his smooth façade. I realized he was a snob and, like many royal clans, looked down on Winterstones like Shea. Orphaned werewolves are adopted into the Great Pack and given the last name Winterstone to give them a sense of family and community. Some of the older families don’t find it an honor and treat Winterstones as inferior to royal clans. I found that elitism disgusting and couldn’t get past Logan’s prejudice towards my best friend. We’d broken up last winter, but the trouble was we were still technically betrothed.
Nadia had gotten me a team of lawyers who’d been working on my case all spring. We were set to have an audience with the High Council this summer. It was convenient to schedule our full moon shift with Nadia since she also arranged for a meeting with my lawyers the same weekend. I presumed that the change in location was to accommodate the lawyers.
I was wrong, as I learned when we landed in a private airfield on the edge of the Osakura Estate. Several disgruntled-looking men and women in suits were disembarking a similar jet nearby. I guessed that Nadia had changed the plans last minute on them as well. Shea and I collected our carry-on luggage and climbed into a car that was waiting to take us to the main house. Twenty minutes later, we were deposited at the front of a large mansion, bigger than Mt. Henley, which was saying something. Valets took our luggage, and servants ushered us into the house.
Nadia greeted us in the foyer and kissed our cheeks like visiting dignitaries. We complimented her new hair style, which had grown longer since she’d graduated that May. Her long black locks were the envy of all. She led us into a parlor where cool drinks and a tray of small sandwiches waited. Werewolves were notoriously ravenous, especially teen werewolves, so we dug into the tray with enthusiasm. After exchanging pleasantries and complimenting the estate, we got down to business.
“It’s great to see your family home, but why the change of plans?” I noticed that we hadn’t seen any of the lawyers from the tarmac and wondered where they might be and who was greeting them.
“Yes, I apologize for the lack of notice. My brother didn’t want to stay in Dryden all summer, and really, who can blame him? We’re stuck there all school year, and it was nice that he missed our home. The first year after our parents died, he didn’t want to come back here. So this summer, I had to indulge him.”
“Where is Nolan?” Shea asked.
“He’s getting Robert and his team settled. We’ll see him at dinner. I warn you, he’ll pepper you with questions about Mount Henley. He’s starting this fall and is far too excited for a normal teenage pup!”
“I can’t imagine knowing I’d be turning into a werewolf my whole life!” I said. “No wonder he’s excited.”
“Well, he still has almost a year before he turns sixteen, but honestly, it’s just good to see him getting back to his old self.” Nadia was a very private person and didn’t share her feelings readily. I considered it an honor that she was telling us about her personal life and the difficulty of healing from her parents’ deaths. Shea and I never knew our birth parents, so we could only mourn the ghosts of who they might have been. Nadia had the painful awareness of her loss and a younger brother to stay strong for. In that moment, I could forgive her secretive ways and standoffish behavior. Trust didn’t come easily to her.
Conversation turned to more pleasant topics, and after a bit, Nadia showed us to our rooms to get settled. We promised to meet in an hour to tour the gardens. I was itching to get outside and shift. The full moon was two days away, but Nadia could shift, and Shea wanted to practice. Nadia knew I had more days under the moon than most of my classmates, but she didn’t know I was already a Sliver.
An hour later, I meandered my way back to the sprawling gardens outside. Nadia was talking to a tall figure, and I squinted into the sunlight to see who else had arrived.
Nadia turned as I approached and smiled at me. “Ah, Alice, you remember Diego?”
He was a dark silhouette against the bright light. My breath caught in my throat as he came into focus. His dark eyes pulled me in so quickly that I only briefly registered the hard lean muscles and chiseled chin. At just eighteen years of age, everyone knew Diego Galvan as the
youngest Sliver on patrol, able to shift into his brown-black wolf at will since he had been seventeen. He was well-liked and respected among even the older Slivers. I knew Diego Galvan from my time running patrols, and I trusted him. He had been with me during the upyr attacks last year. His super shift had saved me twice.
I smiled up at him, feeling my cheeks grow pink as I remembered our last encounter. The day after the attack he’d visited me in the hospital wing, and for a moment, he’d let his guard down. For a moment, it was just us. But then he’d called me the future queen, reminding me that I had a duty beyond desire. My teeth clenched as I tried to suppress the memory that punched me in the gut.
Instead, I summoned the memory of the last time we’d spoken as friends. It had been about a month before graduation. I had kissed him impulsively. At first, he had kissed me back, and it had been … but he pulled away. He knew my status and my betrothed. He said I was too young and too royal for him. It still stung, but I couldn’t dwell on a crush. I had bigger problems.
Seeing him here in the sunlight, however, was unexpected. His hair was a little longer, his skin a little darker from the summer sun’s kiss. Did I imagine his chocolate eyes melted as he smiled at me? My stomach dropped and I wished desperately that the betrothal was a nightmare I could wake up from.
“Your Majesty,” Diego said formally with a small bow. I punched him in the arm.
“Ow!” he complained, rubbing his shoulder.
“Nadia doesn’t count as public, Diego,” I admonished.
“Sorry.” I glared until he added, “Alice.” I smiled at him and asked what he was doing here.
“Diego has been assessing my security here at the estate as well as covertly helping me continue my training now that I’ve graduated,” Nadia explained. Diego was highly regarded among the Slivers of the pack, so I wasn’t surprised Nadia wanted to hire the best. I was surprised that I felt a little jealous of these private sessions, however.