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

had to take his place. I did nae know if I was ready, but I had no choice. I was the only one in line for the throne.”

“Why is there always only one person available to take the crown? Shouldn’t I have cousins or something?” I finally asked what had been bugging me for a while. There had to be more MacCoinnichs out there! I couldn’t be the only one left.

“There were,” he mused, “but war wiped most of us out. We’re a dying bloodline. It’s why it’s so important that ye have an heir, Mackenzie.”

I looked down at my slippered feet and gritted my teeth. The last thing I wanted was children. It was something I knew I wouldn’t budge on. No child deserved the life I had—filled with enemies lurking at every corner, being forced to watch their back because death prowled just over their shoulder. I refused to pass that on to my children.

“I don’t want—”

“I know,” he cut me off. “Just … think about it. Give it some time. Ye might change yer mind.”

I didn’t respond because I didn’t want to start an argument. I knew I wouldn’t change my mind, and I didn’t want to give Alexander false hope.

“Why do you look so sad in your portrait?” I changed the subject as I pointed to his painting trimmed in an ornate gold frame.

“Ah … That was shortly after yer mam left me. I’d just heard about her passing the day I posed for this painting. I was heartbroken. I can never pass by here without thinking of Adaline.”

“Why didn’t you just marry her?” I questioned, stepping away from his embrace.

He sighed. “It’s nae that simple, darling. Ye know how our laws are. I could nae marry outside of the Lycan, and I was already promised to Ivana. I could nae go back on my word.”

There was so much I longed to say about what he just revealed, but I wisely kept my mouth shut. There was no point criticizing the damage that had already been done.

Alexander placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him. “The past is in the past. Now ye must think about the future. And ye are the future, Mackenzie. My mistakes and burdens, those are mine to carry. Don worry about them and don worry about tomorrow. Yer going to do great. I have all the faith in the world. This is yer destiny. Ye were born for this.”

I gave an obnoxious snort. “I don’t know about all that.”

“I do. Yer going to make history. And soon it’ll be ye on this wall beside me.” He pointed to the empty space beside his portrait. “And I’ll let ye pick out the dress then,” he added with a wink.

I laughed and poked his chest. “Yeah, you better.”

Alexander pulled me in for a hug and I wrapped my arms around him. “My darling girl, if only I could protect ye for the rest of yer life, I would,” he muttered into my hair.

“I can protect myself.”

He nodded. “I know ye can. But I will always be here for ye no matter what, Mackenzie. Don forget that. And I will be by yer side tomorrow, every step of the way.”

“Thank you, Alexander … for everything,” I muttered into his chest. I pulled back and smiled, knowing how blessed I was to have his support. Without Alexander, there was no way I could survive as Queen. Having him in my corner would make this crazy ride easier.

After meandering back to my room, I fell into a fitful sleep. Sunday dawned quickly, though without incident. The guards that went missing in the forest were still missing, but Lucian managed to convince the Highlanders to help with the search and rescue mission in the forest. The Sisters of the Sight were a different story. I received word first thing in the morning that Ophelia wanted to speak with me before agreeing to anything.

I was awakened at the crack of dawn in preparation for the coronation that would occur in just a few hours. Helena bustled into our bedroom, not caring what our state of undress may or may not have been, and flung back the curtains to greet the day.

“Rise and shine, chickie!” she yelled as the early morning sun streamed into the room and straight into my face.

I groaned into my pillow. “It’s too early for all that sunlight,” I grumbled.

Bash slapped me on the ass with a loud smack. “Time to get up.”

I turned to face him and glared. “You don’t get to vote. You get to sleep in.”

He gave me a boyish grin with his eyes still closed, obviously still partially asleep. I wanted to smack him, but he looked so cute. Damnit. He suckered me.

“I hate you,” I mumbled.

“Love you too,” he whispered a split second before he started snoring. I imagined smothering him with a pillow. Before I could act on my impulse, I rolled over and sat up.

Helena was holding my robe out, ready for me to step inside. As soon as I was belted in, she started rushing around and prodding me to start moving. “Hop in the shower, hen. Wash yer hair and scrub yerself good.”

“Okay, okay.” I dragged myself to the bathroom with sluggish steps, knowing hours of painstaking torture in the form of hair and make-up stylists were waiting for me after this. I was not looking forward to sitting still for hours on end, much less to endure all that and then be dressed in that damn gown with a corset engineered to suck the air out of my lungs. These people, I swear. They thought we were living in another time.

I took a leisurely shower, spending an hour washing my hair, shaving, and scrubbing myself raw until I was squeaky clean. Instead of dressing, I slipped into my robe again. When I finally exited the bathroom with steamed mirrors and damp mist trailing after me, my hair wrapped