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

Ranulf huffed but didn’t say a word.

“I think ye did well, darling.” Alexander patted me on the shoulder. “We cannae forget what’s going on outside the village.”

I smiled. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, either,” I said, looking between Alexander and Bash.

“You have work for us, too?” Bash asked in shock. “We’re busy dealing with Abaddon—”

“I can’t let this demon consume your every thought.” I shook my head. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since before I became Queen. Since New York.”

“What’s that, darling?”

“I want to start a Council,” I started.

Ranulf snorted. “Ye have one already.”

“No. I want to start a supernatural Council where a representative from each species is a member. Hopefully we can learn to work together. When there are disputes, we’ll discuss it within the Council,” I said. “It’s one way to avoid senseless wars amongst all supernaturals.”

Everyone was quiet as they glanced at one another. The silence made me anxious.

“Darling,” Alexander started, “the idea is novel, but it will nae work. We could never work together.”

I frowned. “How do you know without even trying?”

Alexander looked to Ranulf for assistance, but the guard looked as if he had no words. I turned my gaze in Bash’s direction and found him deep in thought.

“This is something I’ve already decided I want to do, so it’s not imperative that you support me. I’ll find others who will,” I said confidently.

Alexander sighed. “What representatives do ye have in mind?”

“For starters, Lucian for the vampires,” I stated the obvious. This would be the perfect opportunity to get Lucian out of exile. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have an ulterior motive. My goal was still to free Lucian from Sheunta Village. “Malakai for the fae,” I said as I remembered the promise I made to Malakai. In exchange for a favor, I promised I’d bring him on to the Council once I became Queen. I hadn’t forgotten. “I’ll have to find someone to represent the witches and warlocks, the nymphs, the ghouls, and others.”

Ranulf hummed. “It won’t be easy, Yer Majesty, and ye cannae pick all representatives from America,” he said. “Ye’ll have to search around the world.”

My eyes widened. “I’ll do it.”

Alexander turned on Ranulf. “How can ye possibly entertain this notion? Ye know she won’t succeed!”

Ranulf shrugged. “She just might. We won’t know until she tries.”

“There’s a very well-known witch in South Korea you could reach out to,” Bash spoke for the first time. “Her name is Kim Eun-Kyung. She’s supposed to be extremely powerful.”

“Does she dabble in dark magic like Bobby?” I asked.

Bash shook his head. “That’s the kicker. She doesn’t, but she still rivals his potency. She would be a good representative for the witches and warlocks.”

“You too?” Alexander scoffed. “Eun-Kyung won’t do this! I know her. She would never join a supernatural council.”

I shrugged. “She hasn’t met me.”

Was I being overly confident? Possibly. I wasn’t sure if this witch would join or not, but I had to try. This Council could benefit our community so much if we just gave it a try. We could stop so many senseless wars … unless they didn’t want to. I knew Lycans loved to fight, but I was hoping to extend the lifespan of our people. We died too early from so many pointless wars. If we could stop them, wouldn’t that be better for us all? Why did the idea seem so absurd to Alexander?

14

After the meeting, I requested that William be my only escort.

“Where are we going, Yer Majesty?” William asked as I dragged him by the sleeve of his uniform downstairs, across the castle toward the back exit, and across the drawbridge. “Since ye have a break in yer schedule, ye should really rest.”

“I can’t stay in that stuffy castle one more second. I need fresh air.” I sucked in a deep breath and took in the crisp, Scotland air.

“We cannae go into the forest, Yer Majesty,” William insisted, hesitating as I hauled him toward the tree line.

“We’re only going to the stables.”

William dug in his heels and stopped walking, making me jerk to a stop.

“What are you doing?” I asked, whirling around to face him.

“Yer Majesty …” he sighed. “Ye cannae ride a horse right now. Ye know this.”

I exhaled dramatically and rolled my eyes. “I know, William! I just want to brush Shadow’s mane. Can’t I see my horse for a while?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are ye sure? Don make me have to tackle a pregnant woman, Yer Majesty.”

I threw my head back and busted out laughing. “I promise.” I held out my pinky. He interlaced it with mine and we shook on it. Once that was settled, the walk to the stables was quite enjoyable. We traversed the rest of the quarter mile into the forest without incident.

When we arrived, I noticed none of the stable boys were around. They usually jumped at the chance to preen and strut as they readied my horse for me. I called out but no one answered, which was strange. “I guess they’re on a break.”

William frowned. “Even if they’re on a break, someone should still have been left behind to watch the stables. I’ll have to report this to Ranulf.”

I twisted my mouth to the side, feeling bad about getting someone in trouble, but honestly, without the stable boys around, anyone could come and take our horses. William was right.

William headed toward the double doors and unlatched them. We walked inside, breathing the smells of fresh hay and the light odor of horse dung. On my way to Shadow’s stable in the back of the barn, I grabbed a brush from the wall. When I reached his gate, I opened it and went inside.

William followed me in. “I’m nae giving ye any opportunity to run.”

I snorted. “No problem.” I started brushing Shadow, giving him kisses and patting him on the back. “I’m rebellious, but damn, I know my limits.”

“Yer unpredictable, Yer Majesty. Sometimes ye listen, sometimes ye don.” He shrugged