Blood of the Wolf: The Crown (Mackenzie Grey Book 11), Karina Espinosa [top 10 ebook reader txt] 📗

his face in the crook of my neck. I could feel his smile on my skin. “You’re going to be a great mom.”

“You just want to see me drive a minivan,” I grunted, rolling my eyes.

Bash threw his head back laughing. “You wouldn’t survive as a soccer mom. Sadly, you would probably murder all the other moms. And I’m not even joking.”

“Hey!” I pushed off him and peered over my shoulder at him. “No I wouldn’t!”

“Yeah, you would. You get annoyed easily, and your temper …” He blew out a breath. “Yeah, let’s not go there.”

I smacked him in the arm. “Asshole,” I grumbled. “Why trust me with a kid, then?”

Bash grinned. “Because we’re not raising our kid in the human world.”

My face fell. “Excuse me?”

He choked on a laugh. “Mackenzie, you can’t be serious! Do you really want to send our kid off to public school? Our kid’s gonna have more important things to worry about than decoding mixed fractions.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?” I raised a brow.

“Like running a species. Our child will be the heir to the Lycan throne.”

I placed my hands on my face and rubbed my cheeks roughly. This must have been why Adaline ran away with me. Why she never told Alexander I existed. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luxury, but I had to figure out another way to protect this child. I vowed my child wouldn’t be used as a pawn because they were the heir. This little person was worth more than that.

“You don’t agree,” Bash surmised.

“Duh!” I shouted and pulled my hands away from my reddened face. “How clueless can you be? Adaline literally ran away with me, and this conversation right here was one of the reasons why. Granted, I was a luna and she knew it would be different for me, but still. I don’t want my kid to be raised like a lycan. Gross.”

Bash snorted. “Gross?”

“Yeah, gross. I see how lycan children are raised, and I don’t agree with your methods. We’re doing it my way,” I said with finality. “And if I want to send my kid to public school, so fuckin’ what? They eventually need to learn their multiplication tables.” I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin defiantly.

Bash smiled broadly. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yes!”

“Okay.”

“I don’t care—” I started, ready to wail on him. I stopped short when he didn’t argue. “Wait … why are you agreeing with me?” I frowned.

Bash shrugged. “If that’s what you want, then it’s fine by me. I just want you involved. This is the first time I think I’ve heard you say my kid.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but then shut it. I was such an asshole. I smacked him on the chest. “Don’t pick a fight with me, Sebastian Steel!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Smirking, he leaned over and popped a kiss on my lips.

I grabbed Bash by the front of his shirt and pulled him toward me. “You call that a kiss?” I raised a challenging brow.

Just then, someone cleared their throat and we both looked to the side, shocked to see Fenrir leaning against a boulder.

He waved us on. “I mean, do carry on.”

“Oh,” I said dryly. “It’s you.”

“Why, what a warm welcome, Your Majesty.” He gave a half-ass bow. “Don’t mind me; I’m just watching.”

“I’m sure you like to watch, you perv.” I rolled my eyes.

“What do you want, Fenrir?” Bash asked with a sigh.

Fenrir shrugged. “I was wondering what you lot were doing so deep in the highlands and far away from the village. It doesn’t seem safe for the Queen.” He grinned.

I bet he still wanted me dead. “I’m touched.” I placed a mocking hand on my chest. “You’re worried about me.”

“Of course, little wolf. I mean, you could be killed at any moment,” he sang the last part. “I’m only looking out for your best interests.”

“Right.” Bash rolled his eyes. “Are you and the Valkyries hiding in the highlands?”

“Where else would we be? It’s not as if we’ve been provided lodging in the castle,” he pouted.

“In your dreams, asshole,” I grumbled.

Fenrir smirked. “I thought so. Anywho, why are you here? You look a bit … frazzled.”

I snorted. “Didn’t you feel the massive earthquake that went through Caledonian Forest? It was like a damn tsunami! We barely made it out.”

Fenrir tilted his head. “An earthquake? I didn’t feel a thing. Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”

“Trust me, it was real,” Bash grunted.

How could he not have felt it? If I hadn’t been with William and Bash, I would have entertained the possibility that I’d imagined it. But no, that was impossible. Right?

Suddenly, Fenrir turned serious. “Nevertheless, you shouldn’t stay in the highlands long. Head back to the village as soon as you can.”

I straightened. “Have you seen him?”

He nodded. “We encountered Abaddon last night on his way back from the village. We don’t know what he did, but it can’t be good that he got so close.”

I know what he did. He came to deliver that package to me. How he got into the castle was still a mystery.

“Have you seen the Highlanders?” I asked. I hadn’t heard from Ailios in a while, and she hadn’t come to the mating ceremony, which meant she was still looking for the others.

“They’re deep in the highlands. Nowhere near here.” Fenrir shook his head. “If it’s not safe for them, it’s definitely not safe for you, little wolf. Trust me, head back to the village. You’ll be safer.”

“But the earthquake—”

“It was in your head,” Fenrir interrupted. “Abaddon likes to play with the mind. It’s one of his specialties. He’s not known for destruction for nothing. If you go back through the forest, you’ll see that everything is fine.”

My gaze fell on Bash in shock. It felt so real. Every tremor and shake. Each time Shadow skidded to a stop just before falling through a crevice, I felt my heart drop. How could that be my imagination?

An ominous breeze gusted through and I didn’t know if