Queen of the Lycan, Karina Espinosa [accelerated reader books .TXT] 📗

me fight her best warrior to the death to prove who I was. Interesting way to start a friendship, but the Highlanders weren’t bad people. Alexander had been working hard with the treaty to give them the opportunity to rejoin society again, which I knew was what they really wanted.

“Let me escort ye back inland,” Ailios offered. I didn’t even consider refusing. I would surely get lost in the forest, especially considering I ran in there like a hot head without a back-up plan for how to get out.

Ailios put her thumb and middle finger to her lips and whistled, which was apparently her signal for the other Amazonian lunas to disperse, leaving just us two. The beads in her dreadlocked hair clinked with each move she made.

“After ye, Princess.” She motioned me forward and we began our trek back to the edge of Caledonian Forest.

I dragged my busted leg through Sheunta Village and tried to avoid direct eye contact. Since I’d discarded my cloak in the forest, I kept my head ducked down to avoid attention, though that was easier said than done. My pale sundress was ripped and torn, blood dribbled down my thigh and leg, and I knew I looked a little worse for wear.

“Oh my goodness, Princess!” I heard the first shriek and shut my eyes, chastising myself again for not thinking to change out of the outfit I’d worn earlier that day. Of course they’d recognize me. Shit.

“Look, it’s the Princess!”

“She’s hurt! Someone help her!”

“Get a guard!”

Two Lycans ran up to me and tried to help me walk, but I brushed them off with a casual wave. “No worries, I’m okay. Really, I promise,” I supplied with a tight smile.

“Please, Princess, let us help you to the castle,” one of them pleaded as he lightly took hold of my arm.

I wasn’t some damned damsel in distress, and I hated that I looked so broken. This certainly wasn’t the empowering message I wanted to give the lunas. I could have entered through the back entrance of the castle, but the trek wound around to the other side of the forest and I wouldn’t have arrived until sometime tomorrow, especially with a bum leg.

My would-be helpers made enough noise to alert half a dozen guards, who came running down the cobbled street with Ranulf in the center.

When he approached me, he didn’t say a single thing. He just scooped me up in his arms and spun around to march back into the castle. I glanced back at the Lycans who helped me walk down the street and yelled, “Thank you!” I may not have wanted their help, but I wasn’t going to be rude, either.

Escorted by the guards, we hurried back to the castle, the draw bridge raising and the gate closing, sealing the castle from any more guests.

With my arms around his neck, I wisely remained quiet as a stone-faced Ranulf marched further into the castle. Instead of going toward the guest wing, he walked in the direction of the royal wing. My heart dropped when I realized he was taking me to Alexander.

I saw Bash standing in the corridor and the storm on his face told me enough. He was furious, and rightly so. He let me and Ranulf pass without a word but followed us as we entered the King’s chambers, which Ranulf opened with a booming kick to the door so he didn’t have to set me down. He was probably afraid I would take off running again. I’d be lying if I said the thought didn’t cross my mind.

Alexander was back in his human form, resting. Ranulf dumped me unceremoniously on the bed beside him.

“Ow!” I shouted with a scowl. “Be gentle, I’m injured,” I muttered.

“I wonder why!” Ranulf yelled. “Hells bells, Princess, what were ye thinking?”

“Do you understand the panic we’ve been in?” Bash chimed in. “Fenrir could have killed you!”

Yeah, he tried. Well, Raven did. Semantics. But I’m not telling them that.

“I was perfectly fine!” I argued lamely, trying to downplay the blood pouring from my thigh. “Besides that, I learned who shot Alexander. I’ve met her before.” Not that it really mattered since I still didn’t know what the hell she was.

“Who cares?” Ranulf shouted. “Do ye understand if ye would have died, we would be left without a Queen?” His face was beet red. I’d never seen the old guard so angry.

I lowered my head and placed my hand over my wound to stop the bleeding. I had nothing to say in my defense because they were right. If Ailios and the others hadn’t shown up and stopped that dagger from hitting me, I would be dead. I would have left the Lycan without a Queen and with no heir. The end of the MacCoinnich line would have ended with Alexander.

“Leave me with Mackenzie,” Alexander finally spoke. I didn’t look up from my bloody leg.

Ranulf huffed and stormed out of the chambers with Bash following, giving me one lingering look before closing the door behind him.

Before Alexander could say anything, I spoke first. “I’m sorry, okay? I know it was stupid.”

He sighed and reached for my hand. “It was nae stupid, darling. Poorly planned, aye, but nae stupid.”

I looked up at him in confusion.

He raised a brow. “Did ye find him?”

“He found me,” I admitted. “He was in Caledonian Forest with the woman who shot you.”

“And ye recognized her?”

I nodded. “I met her like, two years ago, I think. It was around the time of the Freedom Wars. I met her at a bar. At the time, I would have sworn she was human, but today, she had wings coming out of her back. I’ve never seen anything like it! Is she an angel? Are angels real? And if so, she’s a real bitch.” I mumbled the last part in case God was listening.

Alexander chuckled. “I don think she’s an angel, darling, but she is something. We must find out what those women are. Can ye