Wolf Unleashed (The Royal Heir Series Book 2)

by Jen L. Grey

  We did, for thirty minutes before I made him leave with me to help me pick out a ring. He kissed my lips. When I came back and saw you’d planned my coronation, it solidified my thoughts that we were on the same page and just tiptoeing around each other. I want you, and I’m strong enough to be the king by your side.

  There was never a doubt in my mind. I kissed him back, feeling the happiest I’d ever been.

  Someone knocked on our open door.

  “Are you two … ready?” Mona’s lips curved into a huge smile. “I think you’ll both look unkempt if you try for a quickie.”

  I didn’t even bother pulling away from Mason, instead, moving my hand so the ring was directly in her line of vision.

  “Oh my God.” Mona’s mouth dropped open and she laughed. “Kassie, our girl is engaged.”

  “Of course she is. He’s going to be crowned King next year.” Kassie’s grumbling got louder as she headed into the room.

  “What?” Ella ran into the room and stopped in her tracks. “He put a ring on her.” Her voice sounded almost as happy as mine.

  I guess we’d better separate since everyone is coming in here to see us. Even as I thought the words, I didn’t pull away.

  You’re right. He kissed me deeply one more time. We’d better not be late.

  Before we separated, Ella pushed us apart and hugged me. “We’re going to be officially sisters.”

  “They were getting married already.” Alec entered the room and rolled his eyes. “How is this such a big deal?”

  “Because this is too important to gloss over.” Ella let me go and turned around to jump into her brother’s arms. “And you didn’t fuck it up. I’m so proud.”

  “All right. Enough.” Kassie shooed both Ella and Alec from the room. “We can’t be late.”

  Despite Kassie’s grumblings, I couldn’t take my eyes off of Mason.

  "You are the spitting image of your mother with your father's eyes." Mona's mouth spread into a sad smile as she caught my gaze. "I'm glad you finally put your hair up. It suits you and this moment with Mason perfectly."

  I hadn’t even thought of that. "Maybe." Even though it hurt, it felt good to acknowledge that similarity.

  “Come on, let’s go meet the alphas and celebrate your official engagement.” Mona winked at me as she exited the room.

  “Shall we?” Mason held his arm out for me to loop my arm through. “My beautiful fiancée?”

  “Of course.” Slipping my arm through his was one of my biggest comforts. Hell, being near him made me feel steady and strong.

  As we entered the room where the others waited, Ella stopped in her tracks as she took me in. "Hot damn. I didn’t notice back there. Somehow you managed to look hotter than ever in that dress. Happiness has definitely upped your game."

  "Don't get used to it." Ella loved wearing dresses. If it was up to her, she'd be playing dress-up with me every day. "This is a rare occasion type of thing."

  "Sure it is." Ella waved me off as if I hadn't said anything.

  “If you keep on pointing out her looks, I’m very likely to break.” Mason released my arm and tugged me into his open ones. "Hot damn. I’m one lucky man." He leaned down for a kiss, but Ella stuck her hand in between our lips.

  "Ew." Ella jerked her hand back and rubbed the top of her hand, where Mason had kissed it, on her dress. "You kissed my hand."

  Mason wiped his mouth on his forearm. "It wasn't done on purpose. You put your hand in front of my lips."

  "You can't mess up her makeup. Somehow you haven’t already, and I don’t even want to understand how." Ella pointed at me. "But if you keep it up, her light smoky eyes and bright red lipstick will be ruined. She has to look her part."

  "She damn well looks the part." Mason was about to go in for a kiss again until Ella raised her hand.

  "Don't make me do this." She arched her eyebrow and held it closer to us. “It wasn’t pleasant for either of us before, but it’s for a worthy cause.”

  "Fine, but when we get back, she's mine, and anyone who doesn't leave will get a show." Mason pulled me against him and took a deep breath.

  "You're not so bad yourself." He was wearing a white button-down underneath his black suit. Even in multiple layers, his muscles were still defined.

  "It's time to go." Kassie entered the room and frowned. "Time to break it up. We need to head down so we have time to scope it out before you two get comfortable."

  "Next time, we probably need Tommy." I hated to go back to work mode. Though if I didn’t, our lives could be at risk. If the vampire prince was going to show up everywhere I went, it probably would help to have extra protection.

  "Yeah, you're right," Kassie muttered, but I was surprised that she had agreed so quickly. They did seem to be getting along better now.

  "Anything on the radar yet?" Obviously, the prince was going to strike some time while we were here.

  "Not yet, but we'll stay alert." Kassie nodded toward the elevator. "Let's go so we can get back here sooner."

  That wasn't an understatement. I took a deep breath and linked my fingers with Mason's. Thank God he was with me. There was no telling what we could be walking into.

  Chapter Thirteen

  As we entered the restaurant downstairs, my stomach knotted painfully. It wasn't even because we were meeting the alpha, Conrad. I hated how the vampire prince, Nicholas, was able to put a damper on our meeting, but hell, he could appear out of the shadows at any time. I had to get my head together. I forced my shoulders to relax and my eyes forward. The more I acted like prey, the more it would feed into the vampire prince’s ego, and he would enjoy executing his threat.

  "Queen Elena." Conrad stepped up to stand in front of us and pointed toward a back section. "I've got a table reserved for us in the back." His stylish brown hair was spiked in the front, and his suit looked pristine even though he had been wearing it the entire day. "My mate is already waiting for us."

  "I'm so glad she could make it." Earlier, he hadn't sounded quite sure if she'd get out of her accounting job in time to be here. With the holidays and year end so close, she was working a lot of overtime.

  "Follow me." He turned and nodded at the servers as we made our way to the back. It still amazed me that he was only ten years or so older than me. He was one of the youngest alphas in all of the large cities. He'd worked his ass off as a busboy and gradually made his way up the ladder at this very hotel for his alpha. When the alpha died, he had left everything to Conrad.

  It hadn't been easy from all the whispers I'd heard. Somehow, he’d managed to come out on top despite the numerous challenges other shifters threw at him.

  Is this guy in his twenties? Mason seemed to be having the same thoughts.

  Yes, almost thirty, I think. He'd done very well for himself.

  Louis and Ella were right behind us with Alec and my guards taking up the rear.

  When we reached the back of the restaurant, we came to a small doorway into a private section. There was another bar set up in here with a bartender working behind it.

  A woman at the table stood when she saw me approach. Her hair was light blonde and was stylishly cut, tapering off a little below her chin. There was a faint wave to it and her dark blue eyes sparkled. She was wearing a black suit with a light blue blouse underneath. "Queen Elena …" She bowed, and her eyes went straight to Mason, "and the future King."

  That still throws me off-kilter. Mason smiled, and there was no sign of his discomfort. He was made for this.

  Now you know how I feel."And this is Mason's sister, Ella, and Prince Louis." I held my hand out toward them directly behind us.

  "Oh, I didn't realize the prince was here too." She bowed her head to him in recognition and then at Ella. "Are you his mate?"

  For the first time ever, Ella was speechless. Her eyes widened, and she took a quick intake of air.

  "Yes, she is." Louis didn't even flinch at Ella's reaction. "But we haven't admitted it to each other yet."
<
br />   "What?" Alec choked on the word. "Is this true?" His gaze focused on Ella.

  Ella gave a short laugh and then paused. She scanned over the people she didn’t know and began to rub the back of her neck.

  Okay, now I had to divert everyone’s attention from this situation. "And the women in the back are my guardians, Mona and Kassie, with Mason's best friend, Alec."

  "Your guardians?" Conrad's forehead wrinkled.

  "Well, they are more than guards to me. They're my family." No one understood the relationship that I had with the two women. Normally, royals didn't even acknowledge that their guards were in tow. "They raised me." I stopped. There was no reason to say any more. Everyone knew what had happened by now.

  "Of course." The woman's voice quavered, and she held out her hand to me. "I'm Trina, and I'm so honored that you came here to join us."

  It wasn’t easy facing the alphas after everything that happened with my uncle. But I wanted to make sure that, no matter what details they already knew about my life, I was going to be the best queen I could possibly be for my people. “I know the impression my uncle had on our world, and I wish all of you hadn’t had to bear his ignorance, neglect, and cruelty. However, I am not my uncle, and I am looking forward to meeting all of the American alphas and as many of the pack members as I can. I want things to be different under my reign with Mason. That’s why one of our first priorities is visiting all of the packs and keeping regular contact so we can help and support you in any way we are needed.”

  "I'm thankful for that." She gave me a genuine smile. "My father spoke so highly of your father and grandfather. He’d said that's what true leaders were made of. I can already tell that you'll follow in their footsteps."

  That was the best compliment I could ever have received, even though it did put some pressure on us.

  "My mate has the biggest, kindest, and strongest heart I've ever seen." Mason took my hand in his and brushed his lips against mine.

  "Aw, that's so sweet." Trina smiled and took her mate's hand. "Fate has a way of knowing what's right."

  "And must have a sense of humor." Louis arched an eyebrow at Ella.

  He had seen Alec's lips on hers earlier today, so I could understand why he was still upset.

  "Sometimes people can feel a little confused." Ella's eyes flashed at him.

  "If I'm confusing you, then maybe I haven’t been as straightforward as I would have liked to believe." Alec arched his eyebrow as he stared Louis down.

  "Excuse me for a second." I smiled, needing this to end now. "I need to speak to my three friends here alone." Mason, I need you to hold down the fort. I'm not going to allow these three to ruin what we're here for.

  "Oh yeah." Conrad waved his hand across the hall. "My office is there if you need it." He cleared his throat.

  "Perfect, thank you." I turned around and pointed at Ella, Louis, and Alec. "You're coming with me."

  "Let me go check the damn room first." Kassie rolled her eyes at the three of them. "And I thought I was done dealing with this drama tonight." She marched off as Mona chuckled.

  "Come on." I walked in between Louis and Ella, pushing them apart. They were beginning to piss me off.

  They followed behind me without making a peep.

  "It's fine." Kassie motioned for me to enter the room. "Shut the door, and I'll be right outside."

  I marched into the office and realized it was going to be a tight squeeze for the four of us, but we wouldn't be here long. When the three of them shuffled in, I glanced at each one. "This has to stop now." I side-eyed Louis. "You know better, for God's sake."

  He avoided my eyes and stared at the ground. "You're right. I'm sorry."

  "You." I pointed at Ella. "I love you more than anything in the world and know you feel the same way. We are here, trying to unite all the packs in the country, and I need you to save your imploding until we're upstairs, away from the alphas. Not center stage."

  "There isn't a reason for imploding." Alec nodded at me. "All I need to know is if it’s true?" He turned his body and focused completely on Ella. "I know we aren't mates, but I don't give a damn. I want you."

  Well, I guess it was happening now.

  "If you would've said those words to me just two months ago, it would've been a dream come true." She paused and closed her eyes for a moment. "But Louis is right. He's my mate, and even though I still love you, it's not in the same way." Her face fell as she took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

  "No, it's fine." Alec stumbled back a few steps and opened the door. "I'm sorry Elena. I can't stay for dinner." He turned and rushed toward the restaurant's exit.

  “Should one of you go after him?” I asked Kassie. I didn’t want anything to happen to him.

  “Yeah, I’ll get it coordinated when we get back to the table.” Kassie nodded her head.

  "I didn't mean for that to happen." Now I felt responsible.

  "No, it's a good thing that you did this." Ella pushed her finger onto Louis's chest. "But you can't be a jealous asshole."

  "Oh, sorry if it bothered me to see my mate kissing another guy." Louis grabbed the offending finger and lowered it from his chest. "Maybe I should return the favor so you can see how it feels."

  "That's ..." Ella huffed and stomped her foot. "Ugh ... That's not fair."

  Considering the height of her stilettos, I was surprised they didn't snap in half. "Okay, as fun and awkward as this is, I'm going to head out." This is something the two of them needed to work through without me. I had a feeling that pretty soon, they'd be going at it in a way that would become even more embarrassing for me. "Just, if you're going to have sex, don't do it here. Go back to the room or something."

  Not even waiting for a response, I pushed past them.

  "Uh ... you're leaving them alone in there?" Kassie stepped in front of me and tilted her head.

  "Yes, but I need you to stay here and make sure nothing ..." I took a deep breath, feeling both amused and ashamed at the next words, "happens in there if you know what I mean." I needed to ask Mona or Tommy to go after Alec.

  "Of course I know what you mean." Kassie huffed and shook her head. "I don't want to babysit, but I'll do it. The last thing we need is for your first official city meeting here to include your sister and the prince of Europe banging in the alpha's office while you're in a meeting."

  "Thank you." I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm lucky to have you."

  "Damn straight you are," Kassie mumbled as I headed back to the meeting.

  "Is everything okay?" Conrad stood and smiled. "I see you're missing four people?"

  "Let's just say Ella has found her fated mate, and not everyone is happy about that." I had to at least tell them something.

  Mason stood and pulled out the chair next to him. "I'm assuming Kassie is on watch?"

  I walked over and brushed my lips against his before sitting right across from Trina. "Yup." Even though I hated having my back to the door, I didn't want to cause a scene. “Mona, do you mind going up to the hotel room and keeping an eye on Alec?”

  "Meeting your fated mate always causes drama at first." Trina smiled and fluttered her eyelids. "Sometimes, not everyone is happy they're found."

  "I'm sure Kassie is already pounding on the door, telling them to come out." Mona leaned back in her chair and laughed. She was sitting at the end in between Conrad and Mason so she could watch the door. “I need to stay here. We can’t leave you unguarded.”

  Mason turned his head in my direction with worry lines on his forehead. Is he okay?

  No, I think he took off back to our room. There was no telling how bad Alec was hurting right now. It appeared that both he and Ella had feelings for each other for a while. If you need to go ...

  It's more important for me to be here with you. He leaned over and placed his arm across the back of my chair.

  “Let me call one of the security guards on duty and have them go up there with him.” Conrad smiled. “We can’t have our Quee
n and future king not adequately protected.” He took his phone out and typed a message. After a second, he smiled at me. “Done.”

  “Thank you so much for that.” That was one less thing to worry about.

  "I hope we aren't too late." A loud, deep voice called from behind me.

  "No, of course not. Right on time." Conrad nodded to the two large men who’d entered the room with their mates in tow. They looked similar to each other with the same strong jawline, chiseled face, and dark blond hair. The only difference was one looked a few years older and had a cleft chin.

  These were the two other alphas in the city. Their story was different than most since they were brothers. In fact, the oldest one, Jaxon, was beta to his younger brother, Xavier, but when the alpha over Jaxon's current pack died, someone needed to fill the position. All three packs in Chicago were large, so it only made sense for Jaxon to take over. He was the strongest one available and wanted to fill the need.

  "My Queen and future King." Jaxon bowed his head in respect. "It's great to finally meet you." He pointed to his mate. "This is Andie."

  The girl was an inch shorter than me and wore a tight-fitting red dress which contrasted with her black hair that fell down her back. She held her hand out toward me; her red fingernails close to the same shade as her dress. "It's an honor."

  "We feel the same way." I took her hand and turned to Xavier. "And you must be Xavier and Sienna." At least they were all here now so we could get this show on the road.

  “It's so nice to meet a natural redhead like myself." Sienna flipped her dark auburn hair over her shoulder, and her chocolate eyes met my own. The hunter green dress was a sheath of lace from top to about mid-thigh.

  "Yes, we are a rare breed." I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

  Mason shook hands with all four of them, and before long, we were settled at the table.

  "First off, I'd like to say thank you for making our city one of your first visits." Jaxon took the seat next to Trina. "When you called us and asked to meet, I was relieved that maybe we could go back to the way things should be for our people."