Discovery of a Queen: Chapter 8

Caleb’s words echo loudly in my head as the fire continues to burn blue and the lights in the room start to flicker. Kelly looks to the other councilmen, while Olivia appears downright giddy. Patrick is flicking his gaze between Caleb and me, and the other councilmen are tense, ready to spring into action if needed.

“That’s what I thought you said, but I needed to be sure you were stupid enough to actually say that out loud.” Caleb takes a step toward me. “Patrick, your request has been granted.” Connor and Malcolm look like they’re about to argue, but I drop the hold I have on my dominance, flooding the room with power. Connor and Malcolm both instantly close their mouths, their eyes round. Caleb has to clutch the back of the couch to remain standing. Connor, Malcolm, and Patrick all slide to the floor.

“I’m pulling rank. If you have an issue with that, take it up with the twat behind you. Make sure you teach him about women too, I’m not convinced he knows where the clit is.” I stand and march out of the room, Kelly and Olivia rushing out after me. A low roar reverberates through the hall from my sitting room, but I ignore it. Fuck fragile male egos.

“While that was amusing, I’m not sure that pissing off the Alpha of the Council is the best thing to do here,” Kelly, always the voice of reason, remarks.

“It’s not my intention to piss him off. But he doesn’t get to make decisions he has no right making simply because he has a penis, and he thinks that makes him the boss.” My blood is boiling. “But if it makes you feel any better, I’ll talk to him tonight to make sure he understands why I just did what I did.”

“You don’t owe anyone an explanation. But smoothing over ruffled feathers might be a start toward making sure he doesn’t just pick you up caveman-style and leave with you.” Kelly has a point.

“He could try. But we all know he can’t just up and take an alpha away from a pack. Unless I renounce my title or I’m overthrown, it would cause complete and utter chaos. He’d then need to fix that chaos. Not to mention the issues it would bring about in the coven. He’s better off just leaving me here. He knows it, which is why he’s acting like a petulant child.”

“Do what you feel is right, we know you have the best interest of the community at heart, Ayla, especially after what just happened. But I personally think you should treat this a little more carefully. I don’t want to see him lose it.”

I sigh. “Point taken.”

Later that night, I make my way to the house that was given to Caleb and his fellow councilmen. My head is pounding, and I have no idea what to say to Caleb once I see him again. His caveman attitude is going to drive me insane.

, my dragon reminds me.

My dragon is taking his side? Seriously?

Annoyed, I shove her to the back of my head. While I can admit she’s right, a mate would make me stronger, this particular mate would only cause far more issues than I want to deal with right now. Especially considering I’ve got to hunt down and kill Malick. We don’t have time for childish games, we need to focus on the real issue here.

Sighing, I walk up the steps to the front door of the house and knock. I can sense Caleb is awake in the living room of the house. The fact that I am this aware of him already irritates me further. But I take several deep breaths while he makes his way to the door in an effort to calm myself. Going into this conversation in an adversarial way is only going to make him a dead man, a. And me the most wanted on the Council’s hit list for murdering the Alpha of all alphas.

He doesn’t look surprised to see me when he pulls open the door. Instead, he grunts and gestures for me to move to the lawn chairs in the front yard, following closely behind me. Awareness floods my system. I can feel his eyes burning their way down my body, leaving flames licking at my skin in their wake. Heat curls through my veins, leaving me wet and aching. Damn it. I hate that he can do this to me and I can’t even see him. What the hell is wrong with me?

We each take a seat and sit in awkward silence for a minute. I’m still struggling to find a way to explain why I need him to not be a caveman.

“I…” He stops and clears his throat. “I…apologize…for how I came across earlier.” Well, that sounded like he’d just swallowed razor blades. I’m secretly happy this is difficult for both of us.

“I need to explain myself.” Since we both seem so awkward about apologies, may as well throw my hat in.

“No. No, you don’t. I shouldn’t have used our mate bond like that.” His voice is low, and he looks thoughtful.

“While I agree, you absolutely should not have used whatever is going on like that, I still need to explain.” I take a deep breath before continuing. “I understand things are…difficult between us right now. But I need you to think about the packs merging from a more logical standpoint. It doesn’t make sense to uproot all those people and move them to Council territory in a completely foreign country. While it’ll be a big adjustment for them moving from one side of the continent to the other, at least it’s the same country.” I look over at him to see him staring at me, that thoughtful expression still on his face.

“Not only that, but the Council wouldn’t have gotten involved had they petitioned us outside of current events. It would have just been paperwork for you. Yes, if you honestly thought that their pack was being pressured into joining ours you could step in, but aside from that, you wouldn’t have. You only stepped in because you assumed I would be leaving the New England Pack to be with you. Therefore, the Rocky Mountain Pack should just go with the Council too.”

He looks as though he’s about to say something, but I raise my hand to stop him.

“Let me finish.” I sigh and run my hand through my hair. “I need you to understand that I will not just up and leave this community. Especially not now that we’ve painted a large neon target on our backs. I am safer here with my community. I know I have a lot of work to catch up on in order to take Malick down, but that all needs to happen here, with my people. And frankly, I’m not willing to leave them even after all of this is over.”

He’s quiet for a moment before stating, “I see.”

“Do you?” My question isn’t meant to sound offensive. It comes out soft and uncertain.

“I do, actually, and I suppose if I were in your shoes, I’d feel exactly the same way. We do need to figure this out, Ayla. We’re mates.” He sounds contemplative, not argumentative, but there’s enough stubbornness still in his tone to keep my feathers good and ruffled.

“We can’t be if you’re going to force me away from my people.” And before he can answer, I’m up and striding back to the house. I’m fighting against every urge in my body to go back to him, curl up against his chest, and just let him make everything okay because it’s going to be okay. I also don’t feel like arguing with him, and he needs to think about what this all means now that I’ve had my say.

It’s almost dawn the next day when I finally get to head to my room for some rest. I’m exhausted, my heart is heavy, my limbs are tingling, and I can’t feel my face. I sluggishly realize I haven’t eaten, despite Kelly having brought all that food to the meeting earlier in the day. Fuck boys and their stupid heads. Yet another thing I can hold against Caleb. He food-blocked me and I’m hangry. I’m far too tired to get food for myself now. My eyes are heavy, and I just want to flop into my bed. I also refuse to make someone else bring me food.

The door to my room closes with a soft behind me, and I wave my hand to ensure it’s magically locked to keep people away. Which typically isn’t something I do unless my room is empty, but with the twat-waffle, food-blocker wandering around, I don’t want to take any chances.

, I tell my dragon.

, I concede.

That actually doesn’t sound too bad, but I’m too dead to actually do anything right now. I sleepily wave my hand over my body, magically stripping myself before collapsing into bed. My eyes are closed and I’m dead to the world before my head even hits the pillow.

I’m dreaming, I know I have to be dreaming, but my dreams are strange, flashes of the past mixed with what I assume are my fears for the future. I hope they’re my fears for the future. I’m not gifted with premonitions, unlike my oldest sister, but I’ve learned never to assume anything. Still, the flashes all happen so fast it’s hard keeping track of what I’m seeing.

My mother in battle, her silver scales flashing in the sunlight, flames spilling from her mouth.

Malick standing over my naked body, his eyes glowing with lust. My arms and legs are bound to a stone surface. I struggle, but he only gets closer.

Flames. Red. Blue. Orange.

My father’s broken body covered in blood, his lifeless eyes staring up from a field of thistle.

My sisters, each encased in tombs of glass, as shadows dance around them in glee.

A set of glowing red eyes.

Darkness.

The sound of laughter echoing from all directions, sending a shiver down my spine.

Malick’s voice ringing in my ear. “Do you know the real reason your kind was hunted to extinction, little queen?”

The lick of a whip against my back, the searing pain, and the explosion of the crack as the whip snaps against my skin.

Screams. My own. My mother’s. Echoing screams.

The flashes fade. I’m surrounded by complete blackness. I strain my eyes in an attempt to see anything, but even with my enhanced shifter sight, I can’t make out anything but darkness. I turn, trying to look in another direction, but nothing. Spinning to look behind me, I notice a pair of gleaming red eyes. I remain calm, fighting to keep my heart from racing.

“Ah! Little queen! I was so hoping you would join me tonight.”

My dragon doesn’t answer. I take a deep breath in an effort to remain calm.

“I can practically hear that wonderful brain of yours spinning, my dear.” He sounds utterly delighted.

“Where the hell am I?”

“Why, you’re in my mind, little queen.” His mind? How the fuck did I end up here?

“You see, when I stabbed you with my little rock dagger earlier, I left a little piece of myself in you. I can’t have you just disappearing on me again, now can I?” My heart sinks. How did I not notice anything demonic in my body?

“What the hell are you talking about?” I fight to keep the panic from edging into my voice.

“I can’t spoil the surprise!” He claps his hands and light floods my vision, blinding me. “Now that we’re both here, let’s have a little chat and get to know one another, yes?” He’s sitting on a large leather chair in his human form, dressed in a three-piece suit. He snaps his fingers, and another leather chair appears next to his.

I look down at myself and am relieved to see I’m dressed, though a full-length gown isn’t what I was expecting to find. Malick holds his hand out to the chair, clearly indicating that I should take a seat. I remain standing.

“Now, now, my dear. You can’t leave until I let you, so I insist you take a seat.” A hard edge lines his tone, and I’m flung into the chair next to him. “Wonderful! Now that that’s settled, let’s chat. How on earth did you manage to slip by me all these years? You’re fully grown!”

I keep my mouth shut. Displeased, Malick’s eyes narrow into slits. He snaps his fingers again and vines shoot out of the chair, large thorns growing along them, digging into my skin. I grit my teeth. This is only a dream, he can’t actually hurt my body, which is safely back in my bed.

“I asked you a question, little queen. I highly suggest you answer it.”

He said that I couldn’t leave this place unless he releases me. I find this hard to believe. There has to be a way to get out of this. Keeping him talking may just buy me enough time to figure out how. So I let my magic flow into my body, grateful that I haven’t lost it like I’ve lost my dragon. I need to start searching for a hole in this illusion.

“I’m the only queen left. I blocked any sort of supernatural signature I gave off and lived as a human for most of my life.”

“Now that doesn’t seem right. You were born to rule! Why would you settle for something so pedestrian?” I raise my eyebrow at him, reaching further out with my magic.

“Really? Queens were being hunted. Why the hell wouldn’t I hide?”

“We both know it’s not in your makeup to hide.”

“No. It went against every instinct I have. But I did it because the last thing I wanted was to end up surrounded by a legion of demons, dead.”

He tsks.

“You were hiding from more than just me, little queen, weren’t you?” He smirks and taps a finger to his temple. He can’t possibly know what I’m currently thinking, or these thorns would have shredded me by now. So how does he know I was also hiding from the Council?

“I don’t know what you mean.” Playing dumb always works.

“Of course you do, my dear. Bringing attention to yourself would put you on a collision course with the Council.” His smirk widens. “I see you still haven’t finalized the bond with your supposed mate.”

“There is no supposed about it. He’s my mate.” Even though it makes the thorns dig deeper into me, I straighten my back, my eyes narrowing. “Whether we’ve sealed the bond or not doesn’t matter. We’re fated to be together.”

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. His rage is almost palpable, pulsing through the air like a living thing. The thorns dig even farther into my flesh, the vines tightening painfully around my body.

“I think it’s time you learn not to make me angry.” His tone is quiet and surprisingly calm.

Flames start licking along the vines. While most fire won’t hurt me, this isn’t ordinary fire, it’s hellfire. And while I know my body won’t physically be hurt, that doesn’t mean my brain won’t register the pain. The flames start to caress my skin and my muscles spasm as pain racks every nerve inside me. I viciously bite my lip to keep from screaming. Oh God, the flames are edging along the thorns as well, allowing the hellfire to burrow into my flesh.

My eyes roll into the back of my head, and my body starts convulsing uncontrollably. Try as I might to keep myself from screaming, I fail.