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

“Ask the stable boys to get Shadow ready. I want to go for a ride.” I stood up from the sofa and stretched out my limbs. It sounded like all my joints creaked and popped at the same time. I winced, hoping no one heard or noticed my discomfort.

“A ride?” Alexander repeated, and both he and Ranulf stood. “Ye cannae go into the forest now, Mackenzie. It’s too dangerous!”

“I’m not hiding in the castle,” I said with an air of nonchalance. “I have the guards, so I won’t be alone. I’ve only seen Shadow once since I arrived. I think I deserve to go for a ride.”

Alexander frowned. “I’ll go with ye, then. Liam, get Lily ready as well.”

I held up a hand to stop this before it spiraled out of control. “No. I want to go alone.” I was sure it seemed quirky, but there was a method to my madness. Of course I wanted to see Shadow. It had been so long since I saw him, he barely recognized me anymore. But there was also another reason why I wanted to go into the forest alone. A reason that none of them would approve of if I told them. I had to let this play out as if it wasn’t planned.

“I want some time to think, that’s all,” I clarified. “Maybe we can go for a ride tomorrow morning.”

“Aye,” he mumbled and sat back down, his feelings hurt. “Be careful.”

I smiled ruefully at them both and followed my guards out of the royal wing, toward the back of the castle.

Once we crossed the drawbridge over the moat and stepped foot onto a lawn that was so vibrantly green and lush it made you want to weep, I raised my eyes to the mountains and rolling hills of Scotland that spread out as far as the eye could see. The image was breathtaking. I paused for a moment and took a deep breath, already feeling the tightness in my chest from the meeting with the Summits uncoil. My steps a little lighter, we entered the forest and walked a quarter of a mile before we reached the stables.

When we came around the corner, I saw two young stable boys leading Shadow out by the reins, his saddle already in place.

“How has my boy been?” I asked with a bright smile as I approached Shadow to stroke his mane. My horse was solid black and fierce, looking (and acting) like one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. His name was perfect for him because he blended into the shadows well enough that even seasoned hunters were unable to spot him in the dark. At my touch, Shadow jerked and whinnied before he saw who I was. When he recognized me, he leaned into my hand affectionately. “Good boy. I’ve missed you, you beady eyed devil,” I laughed.

The stable boys chuckled. “He has nae been easy to manage, Yer Majesty,” a freckly-faced boy with sandy blond hair said with a slight bow.

When I first met Shadow, he was standoffish and listless, unwilling to let anyone ride or pet him. I believed the poor animal was depressed, and Alexander was planning to get rid of him before I came along. Who knew we’d be a match?

I grinned. “That’s not nice, Shadow. You gotta behave or I won’t splurge on organic carrots.” I walked around him, inspecting the straps and giving the boys a satisfied nod. Gripping the saddle horn and placing my left foot in the stirrup, I lunged and swung my right leg over, settling into the saddle with a satisfying squeak of well-oiled leather. I waited patiently for my guards to mount their horses before taking the lead into the forest. “Thank you for taking such great care of Shadow,” I said to the stable boys, to which they responded by bowing deeply with embarrassed giggles.

Taking the reins, I made a kissing noise and tugged the reins to the left, moving down a forest trail at an easy trot, taking in the scenery. The air in Scotland was different than in New York City. It was noticeably crisper, cleaner. It was quite literally a breath of fresh air.

We rode for about a mile before Liam sidled up beside me on his horse. “Yer Majesty, do ye have a destination in mind?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Just taking a break from everything in the castle.”

“Ye might nae want to stray too far from the castle just in case, Yer Majesty,” Liam warned.

I looked around and counted the guards with me. Six. Would that be enough if we were attacked?

“Are you afraid, Liam?” I looked over at him curiously.

He jerked back as if I’d slapped him and shook his head quickly. “No, of course nae, Yer Majesty. I’m just worried about yer safety. We might nae have the numbers to protect ye.”

That was a legitimate concern. There were only seven of us, and who knew how many of Fenrir and his pals were out there? To compound the problem, I couldn’t count on the Highlanders because they were on the other side of Caledonian Forest.

“Trust the trees, Liam.” I repeated what Ophelia said to me. It must have meant something.

The guard nodded and stayed by my side as we continued our journey through the forest. I heard whistles and the rustling of leaves and wondered if the trees were making the noise or if it was something else. It was during this train of thought that I picked up the sound of another heartbeat and pulled on Shadows reins, jerking him to a stop.

“What’s wrong, Yer Majesty?” Liam asked as everyone stopped, on high alert and scanning the surrounding area.

I closed my eyes and zeroed in on my hearing, allowing all the sounds in the forest—from the birds to the leaves, the breathing of the guards around me and the horses’ muffled snorts, until I heard a singular heartbeat fifty feet to my left.

“Someone’s here.” I opened my eyes.

“Surround