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

keep my claws from coming out. It was apparent they were talking about Sterling. Didn’t they know I was the one who helped her become a captain in the Brooklyn Pack? She was the first luna to ever ascend to a leadership position within a pack, which was quite an amazing feat. And there these bastards were, wanting to take it away from her and any other luna who dared to follow in her footsteps.

I narrowed my eyes on Lucas. “You’re talking about Sterling Rose of the Brooklyn Pack. I trained her.”

The room quieted and it suddenly got very awkward as the occupants all struggled not to make eye contact. If they didn’t care enough to do a little investigation and learn that fact for themselves, then they were a bunch of idiots. They knew I came from New York City. Given my revolutionary leanings, it had to be obvious that I would’ve had a hand in making Sterling captain.

Lucas gave a tight smile and cleared his throat. “We’re not trying to offend you, Your Majesty—”

“You’re not?” I clarified. “Because from what I can tell, you all want to reverse the law King Alexander put into place for the betterment of the lunas and you have the audacity to think you can accomplish it through me.” I laughed derisively, covering my mouth in a ladylike way. “It’s a pretty bold move to ask a luna to suppress other lunas. Especially to ask the luna who freed them all to begin with. Tell me the truth – when you guys were plotting out what you were going to say when you came in here, how did you think this was going to go?” I tilted my head to the side and scanned the room.

“We assumed you would do what was best for the Lycan,” Grayson snapped. “To think of our people first and put your pride aside.”

Ranulf took a step forward and growled. I put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back. Not yet.

I eyed the Canadian Alpha and grinned. “You think this is about my pride?” I asked honestly. When he didn’t respond, I raised my voice so loud, the sound bounced against the walls with enough force to make them vibrate. “ANSWER ME!”

Grayson flinched but remained still and poised in his seat. The others outwardly grimaced, feeling the punishing effects of another alpha’s ire.

The Canadian Alpha stood and lifted his chin high as he faced me. “The lunas were fine before the Freedom War. We didn’t have any complaints until you came along and messed with the status quo. The rest of us shouldn’t be forced to suffer because you’re used to human ways and are trying to force them down our throats! You’re a Lycan now. It’s time you learn to follow our traditions and our ways.”

The room was completely still; everyone held their breath in dread of what was about to happen. It was an indescribably bold move for him to speak to me in that manner. I felt Ranulf bristling angrily beside me, just itching to put him in his place. But if I let him, then I would never be taken seriously. I needed to stand up for myself—without using my fists.

They wanted to go back to the way things were when lunas were bound to them, serving them and breeding like it was their job. Those dark days wouldn’t return as long as I was Queen. I would die defending luna rights before I would let those bastards revert back to their old ways.

I released my white-knuckled grip from my throne and stood, adjusting my blouse before stepping down from the platform and walking toward them. I stopped just before I bumped into Grayson’s chest, who loomed over me with a satisfied smile.

“Did you ask the lunas what they want?” I asked the most obvious question.

“What?” Grayson scoffed, the idea absurd to his ears.

“The lunas,” I enunciated slowly. “Did you stop to ask them what they want? Do they want things to go back to the way it was? Because it’s their lives being discussed, not yours. So have you asked them?” I raised a questioning brow.

“If you’re asking if I ran a poll, then the answer is no.” He stopped to bask in the light chuckles that spread throughout the room, then turned back to me, looking victorious. “I think we can all agree,” he waved to encompass everyone in the room, “that things need to go back to how it was. We know what’s best. It’s why we’re the alphas of our packs’ regions.”

I snorted a laugh and shook my head. “Sit down.”

“Excuse me?” Grayson jerked back in surprise.

“I said, sit down.”

He stood before me with a dumbfounded look, too shocked to move. So I took my pointer finger and placed it on top of his shoulder, pushing him back down in his chair. He was strong as a bull, but he wasn’t stronger than me. Grayson plopped down in his seat with a loud thud.

When he snarled and started to open his mouth, I put my free pointer finger over my lips. “Shh,” I quieted him like a petulant five-year-old. “Shut up.” Once he was quiet, I stepped away from him and walked to the center of the room so I could look out at all of the members of the summits. I chuckled inwardly, knowing I must look crazy to them. “You know, I thought I was arrogant, but you all take the cake. Maybe it’s a Lycan trait, but wow, that was a pretty asinine statement you just made. You really think you know what’s best for the lunas because you have a dick?”

The room sucked in a collective breath, shocked by my utter lack of decorum. I knew I wasn’t talking as a Queen should, but I felt I had to simplify it for this crowd or they wouldn’t get it.

“Yes, I grew up human, and I still have a lot of human tendencies. I