Queen of the Lycan - Karina Espinosa (bill gates book recommendations .TXT) 📗

Could Fenrir have done this? It didn’t seem like his style, but there was always the possibility that I hadn’t seen his true self. I couldn’t rule him out yet. Whatever it was, the Highlanders were no longer safe in the forest.

“You can’t stay in Caledonian, Ailios.” I placed a delicate hand on her arm. “Come stay at the castle. You’re more than welcome there.”

“No,” she croaked. “I must find my sisters. They’re somewhere in the forest, in hiding and afraid, maybe hurt or worse. I need to go to them.”

I nodded again. “Okay, I understand.” And I did. If my friends or family were lost and in danger, I wouldn’t rest until I found them. “When you find them, come to the castle. I will offer you all sanctuary.”

“Yer Majesty—” Ranulf interrupted, but I held up a hand.

I knew the treaty with the Highlanders was still in the works and without the Council it couldn’t be finalized, but this was an emergency. Screw the treaty and screw politics. We needed to keep the Highlanders safe at all cost. They were still Lycans; a separate culture within our species. We must preserve them.

“Do you understand me, Ailios?” I reiterated. “Come into the village as soon as possible. The forest isn’t safe.”

She nodded. “Aye, Yer Majesty.”

We stood and grasped each other’s arms. “Until next time. Stay safe.” Ailios released me and ran into the forest without looking back. I watched her go until she disappeared from view.

Ranulf came to stand beside me and cleared his throat. “Ye did nae ask her about joining the Council.”

“It’s not the time for that. When the time comes, I know she’ll join, but right now, she has more important things to worry about.”

When we returned to the castle, Ranulf went his separate way to report what happened in the forest. My guards followed me into my office where I saw Helena had placed a gleaming new coffee machine. I wanted to give my grandmother a massive hug in gratitude. After the morning I’d had, I needed caffeine badly. This day was not going like it was supposed to.

After brewing a cup of coffee in a mug large enough to double as a soup bowl, I started to walk over to my desk when there was a knock on the door.

Liam poked his head inside. “Ye have a visitor, Yer Majesty,” he announced uneasily. “It’s Lucas, the Alpha of the Italian Pack.”

I froze in place at the impromptu visit, mid-stir of my coffee. Lucas knew Lycan politics better than to just show up without making an appointment. I wasn’t sure if this was a power play, but I would entertain it long enough to find out.

“Send him in.” I continued stirring my coffee and sat behind my desk.

Moments later, Lucas strolled in wearing a slim suit with the Summit’s gold triquetra pin placed prominently on the lapel. His black hair was neatly combed and he looked very dashing and proper. Not like a rugged wolf. Made me wonder if he could keep up in a fight.

“What’s this about, Lucas?” I demanded before he took two steps inside my office.

He bowed slightly. “Apologies, Your Majesty. I know I should have made an appointment, but I saw you come in and wondered if you had a few moments to see me,” he said, his Italian accent thick and lilting.

I twisted my mouth to the side. “I don’t have much time, so make this quick.” Surprisingly, I actually did have more than a few minutes, but I didn’t want him to know that. I took a sip of my coffee and waved for him to hurry.

“Right.” He hurried toward me and clasped his hands behind him. “I wanted to talk to you about the meeting we had the other day with the Summits. It did not go exactly how I imagined it would.”

“Really?” I replied dryly. “I wonder why …”

He pressed his lips into a straight line and I knew he was suppressing a comment. “I understand how you feel about the lunas—”

“Do you really?”

“I do.” He nodded enthusiastically. “I watched you during your trial many years ago. I remember what you said about our treatment of the lunas—about what happened to you at the hands of the Chicago Alpha. It was no surprise to me when you attacked that particular Lycan.”

I stiffened at the mention of Logan St. James. It had been a long time since I last thought about him and I certainly didn’t like Lucas bringing him up now.

“I’m sure we can design a compromise that will satisfy all parties,” he continued smoothly. “Ensuring we maintain the lunas’ freedom while still increasing our numbers and making sure we keep certain traditions sacred.”

I didn’t miss the emphasis on keeping lunas as unwilling breeding mills, or the implication that certain traditions – such as leadership positions within a pack – should be kept sacred, i.e., away from lunas. I brought the coffee mug to my lips, taking a sip with my pinky raised, listening intently at the garbage spewing from his mouth. How stupid did they think I was? Did they think the lunas were a bunch of airheads? That if we heard some pretty words spoken by a pretty face, we’d suddenly cave and give a big smile, thanking them for saving the day with their bright ideas?

“Is that all?” I held the coffee mug in front of my lips to cover the smirk that threatened to spread across my face.

Lucas’s green eyes widened for a split second, surprised I didn’t immediately accept his proposal, before he schooled his features. “Uh … yes, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t sound so sure.” I lowered my mug and placed it on my desk. “Is this your solution to our current predicament?”

“Yes,” he said more clearly, punctuated by a stunning smile with his Colgate-white teeth and superstar looks. If he thought I’d fall for his charms, he was sorely mistaken.

I sighed heavily like I was