Forbidden Queen

Katy

Alex is quiet after we leave the dungeon. He doesn’t seem to want to talk, but fortunately Philip hasn’t noticed and proceeds to tell us about the itinerary he has planned for the next few days.

“We will have a small dinner tonight, with just my ranking wolves and their families. The territories Gamma, Nadine and the head warrior Jason.

Tomorrow, I have arranged for you to join one of our hunting expeditions in the Lomond Forest. Have you hunted much before your highness?”

“No. I have only shifted into my wolf a few times. Not nearly as often as I would have liked. It wasn’t considered safe for me to do so while I was a member of the Lunar Eclipse Pack, because she is so distinctive. A silver wolf. Then with my royal duties I just haven’t had the time.”

“Being here will give you the opportunities to shift that you have missed, and I guarantee that there is nowhere in the world better to run than in the northern territory.”

“I look forward to it.”

…….

The next day Alex and I shift into our wolf forms and trot into the forest. We are met by a party of ten wolves, who bear their neck in submission before me. My wolf gives a quick series of barks acknowledging their deference to her.

The largest wolf, a shewolf with grey fur and a black snout, raises her head beckoning us to follow. She turns and starts to run through the forest, and we race after her. We are running at a steady space and Alex and I find it easy to keep up with the other wolves without expending too much power.

I love running with Alex’s black wolf. My wolf is giddy with excitement and pleasure at being so close to her mate. Most destined mates spend time together running and playing in their wolf form, but we have had limited opportunity to do that.

When we get back to the royal palace, I am determined that we will make time to run together like this. However busy we are, whatever threats we might face, we need to be able to spend time in our wolf forms. We are not meant to lock them away.

I watch as Alex’s wolf relaxes, and I see him lose some of the tension he has been feeling ever since he found out that his brother had been captured. He had been silent all through dinner last night. I had enjoyed meeting Philip’s gamma and pack warrior, and their families. They were straightforward and didn’t stand on ceremony.

It was the first time I had felt truly comfortable in company, other than with Alex, Joseph, Anna and Daniel, since we had arrived in the Royal Kingdom. It had been so relaxing to spend time with wolves without the stuffy formality that is part of being queen.

I was sad that Alex had been unable to enjoy it. I could feel the turmoil of his emotions, that he hadn’t been able to forget even for a few minutes that his brother was in a cell close by.

He had said that he wouldn’t go to see his brother again while he was here, but this morning I knew he had snuck out of our rooms to visit him in the dungeon. He was struggling with what he needed to do. To send Jordan back to the pack to be judged and, as he knew, eventually to be executed. There would be no leniency, no pardoning his behaviour.

I was just glad that this hunt would take his mind off his brother’s fate even if it was only for a few hours.

We proceed through the forest, following the grey wolf. Sometimes, she would stop as though she had identified prey, but it would not be long before she moved again. We continue like this for an hour.

Suddenly she halts again, her ears perk up and she turn to the left, I watch her inhale catching the scent of an animal. She starts to move running faster than before following the scent.

We follow close behind her, the excitement building among us as we race toward our prey. We break into a clearing where there are a small herd of deer. We race towards them to attack. I have never killed a deer before, my wolf has never been part of a hunting party, but instinct takes over and she launches herself at a large deer.

I can see panic in its eyes, as it realises a predator is bearing down upon it. It starts to run but it is too slow to escape me. I drag it to the ground with my claws, my jaws latch on to its neck and rip out its throat. I look left and watch as Alex brings down a deer a couple of metres away.

“Well done your majesty” says a tall woman with grey hair, I recognise as Philip’s gamma. I realise, now that she has shifted back, that she is the grey wolf that has been leading the hunt.

I shift back to my human form. “Thank you. It has been exhilarating to be part of my first pack hunt.”

“You have done well; you brought the deer down cleanly and managed to kill it without causing too much damage to its flesh. We will be able to salvage all of the meat from its carcass.”

I smile at the praise.

“We have been lucky to find a herd of deer. There is no need to continue the hunt for longer. We will carry them back to the packhouse where they can be cleaned and butchered.”

I nod.

…………

When we return to the pack house Philip is waiting for us, with Joseph.

“Did you enjoy the hunt?” Philip asks.

“Yes, it was great.”

“I have to leave, your majesty, I have extracted all the information I can out of our prisoners. I am going to take them back to the palace and begin my questioning of Karen.”

“Of course, Joseph. When I get back, I want to meet with her. I want to speak to her and find out why she did what she did.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

I hug him “Safe journey.”

Joseph nods and walks away.

Philip clears his throat. “The Alphas from the Yellow Moon, and Grey Claw packs will meet us at a settlement on our eastern border this evening. My warriors have cleared the area of any unknown wolves and are guarding the venue so that you will be safe.”

“Thank you.” Ruth has been as good as her word and has arranged meetings with the Alphas who are considering forming an alliance with us. I feel bad for ever suspecting her of being a spy for Lucius. I shake that thought from my head. I have to be wary.

Karen was thought to be almost above suspicion. Attacked by Lucius warriors in her youth, she watched as he killed her parents, but even that wasn’t enough to stop her from falling under his spell and betraying us. I had liked her, felt grateful for the advice and support she had provided to me since I had joined the royal pack, I had hoped we would become friends. And after all that she had betrayed me, helped Lucius to try and kill me. It just proved how stupid it would be for me to trust anyone, other than my close circle of friends and supporters. People needed to prove themselves to me first.

“I will let you both get cleaned up and have a rest. We have a couple of hours before we need to leave.”

“Thank you” Alex tells him.

……………….

Two hours later we stand in the packhouse hall waiting to depart for the meeting with the alphas. Alex and I are dressed formally. It doesn’t hurt to remind everyone of who I am. Alex is wearing a black tuxedo, and I am dressed in a grey silk dress with thin straps. It flows below my knees. I need something that I can move in if we encounter any danger.

Philip opens the door and directs us to one of three cars that are waiting for us outside.

“We have a good relationship with Annabel, the Alpha of the Yellow Moon Pack. The pack remained neutral during the war, but they have always been friendly to us.

I do not know Dominic the Alpha of the Grey Claw pack. He has only recently taken over from his father as Alpha. Up until now they have refused to meet with us. I am hoping that Dominic will be different from his father and will be open to forming an alliance.”

“I hope so. We need as many allies as we can get if we are going to finish off Lucius for good” Alex says.

“They should want an alliance with us. With the number of packs being attacked by rogues and, Lucius taking over the smaller packs, no one is safe” I say.

“Well, we will find out tonight.”