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

“Everything okay?” Bash leaned in and whispered beside me.

Tight lipped, I nodded. He frowned but continued to eat his soup while stealing random looks at me.

“William will be here after dinner,” Ranulf announced as he took his seat beside Alexander. “It was quite difficult to get him to agree to come. If it wasn’t because the Queen was requesting his presence, I think he would have refused.”

“Yer looking a little pale, darling,” Alexander interrupted Ranulf’s tirade. “Are ye nae feeling well?”

“Huh?” I popped my head up to look at him. “No, I’m fine! Probably just need some sun.”

He pondered my answer for a moment but seemed to accept it, because he bent his head and continued eating. I sagged in relief and drained my bowl, waiting for my entrée.

The rest of dinner was fairly quiet, filled with subdued chatter about random things, but I mostly kept silent. By that point, all I could think about was my bed. Maybe if I got some sleep, I would be better in the morning. I probably shouldn’t have gone straight to work after last night’s incident.

When we finished dinner, one of the guards entered the dining hall and announced that William was waiting in my office.

“Do ye want me to come with ye?” Ranulf asked as he stood with me.

I shook my head. “It’s okay. I want to talk to him alone. He might be more receptive that way.”

Ranulf grumbled something I couldn’t understand and slumped back in his chair.

The guards followed me out of the dining hall and back to my office. I was practically dragging my feet along the perfectly polished floors. Thank God I was wearing a pair of flats instead of the heels they kept trying to force me into. I didn’t think I could have made it this far, otherwise.

When my office door opened, there was already a guard in there with William sitting in the chair across from my desk. My guards took their posts outside and Liam entered with me, taking his post in front of the closed door. William stood as I shuffled to my desk, then sat after I’m seated.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, William,” I offered by way of greeting.

He rubbed his hands together nervously. “Of course, Yer Majesty.”

I tilted my head to the side and peered at the fidgety man sitting in front of me. “I bet you’re wondering why I wanted to see you.”

He gave a nervous nod.

“I heard King Alexander has tried to recruit you into the King’s Guard before, but you refused. How come?”

William leaned back in the chair and sighed, looking as if he expected this line of questioning. “To be blunt, Yer Majesty, my grandda is the one with political aspirations, not me. I just want to live a simple life. I’m very content working as a blacksmith.”

I nodded in understanding. “So who taught you how to fight?”

“My da,” he answered proudly. “He was part of the King’s Guard.”

I jerked back in surprise. This was certainly a tidbit I wasn’t aware of. “He was?”

“He died protecting King Hamish—King Alexander’s da.” William’s jaw tightened and a muscle ticked in a staccato rhythm.

I could tell there was some unresolved resentment there. The question was – was he upset with the former King, or with his father?

“What about your mother?” I asked, trying to get a picture of his family life besides the one member I knew and loathed, Jacob.

He smiled shyly. “I live with my mam.”

“Is she a luna?”

“Yes she is. She continues to serve the local pack,” he answered tightly.

Hmm. So they were a traditional family. Maybe they didn’t agree with me and my politics… or maybe they did and were too afraid to defy Jacob.

“How does Jacob fit into your family?”

William cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with this line of questioning. He must have known what happened with the King’s Council. “My grandda is the head of the family, Yer Majesty.”

I decided to change tactics and steer the conversation away from his family. “From what I hear from my guards, you’re a beast in the ring,” I chuckled, “but in my limited interactions with you outside the ring, you act like you could barely swat a fly. It’s such a conundrum, but one I find endearing. I think you would be an excellent guard. You’re levelheaded and calm, but when the time comes, you can be savage. I need that in my Queen’s Guard.”

His eyes widened. “Yer Majesty!” he stuttered. “Like I said, I don want to join the Guard—”

“What do you want?” I cut him off. “What can I offer you?”

“Ex-Excuse me?”

I smirked, loving the fact that for the first time in my life, I could truly offer someone whatever they wanted. “What is it that you desire, William?” I leaned forward on my desk. “I can’t imagine you’re content with a simple life as a blacksmith.”

I mean, he could have been. There was certainly nothing wrong with his profession, but he was so talented, and obviously being a guard ran in his blood. He must have had some sort of ambition.

He swallowed a few times. “I don want to die like my da, Yer Majesty.”

When he lowered his head in shame, I finally understood what he had been trying to tell me. He didn’t think he could put my life before his. And from the look on his face, the admission made him feel like a coward.

A long time ago, Bash told me Lycan lived short lives because of all the fighting they did. Our tempers caused much of it, but there always seemed to be some sort of war to fight. William’s father must have been relatively young when he died, which meant William was just a child when it happened.

I exhaled loudly. “I can’t promise you won’t die. It would be wrong of me to guarantee you a long and fulfilling life. I don’t know