Chapter 167 Nothingness

Chapter 167 Nothingness
❀ Maeve ❀

“Lucky us, our queen has deigned to grace us with her presence,” Drusilla drawled, sarcasm thick in every word. “Fortunately, I took it upon myself to keep the queendom together during your… absence.”
I smirked. “You say that like you didn’t enjoy it.”
Drusilla sputtered. “You may be queen, but I’m still your elder.”
“Millennia older, yes. And I appreciate every single decade you have over me. How else would Veilmoor have survived?”
The only thing bigger than Drusilla’s anger was her ego, and I’d decided to take advantage of it.
Apparently, the people had been riled to discover their soldiers fought to defend IronWolf pack—the land of mutts, as they called it.
Drusilla had managed everything in my absence, even appointing a new Crimson Warden.
Nikolai had been thrilled to discover his new post. He stood aside now, trying to escape Drusilla’s notice.
“Take a seat, Warden. You may be my progeny, but you’re also the queen’s toy. You’re safe.”
“He’s not my toy.”
“In this house, your mutt and leech can be nothing else.”
I rolled my eyes. Drusilla never ceased to remind us of who was in charge, as if my mates hadn’t already accepted it.
Bastian also stood, inspecting every angle and feature of the council room. The difference between IronWolf’s war room and Veilmoor’s council room was stark. I didn’t blame his veiled admiration.
We didn’t have time to spare; already, an alpha ceremony was in progress back at IronWolf. Said alpha was sipping bloodwine in a vampire seat.
I caught my reflection in the tinted wall-length glass surrounding the room. My curled platinum hair entwined in my crown, blood gems in my throat collar competing for attention.
A soft mesh top of gold molded to my chest, thicker mesh covering my breasts. Crimson skirts pillowed over my legs as I sat, but when I stood, a high slit would tease one thigh. 
Both my males made no secret of their heated looks of appreciation when that happened.
I turned back to my aunt, swirling my wine. “I have a proposition for you.”
“Whatever could it be?” she said, feigning disinterest.
But I knew how much she loved the queendom. She would do anything to remain in the gears of its success.
“I’ve decided to appoint you Arch-Chancellor of the IronVeil Council.”
She blinked—slow, blank. “What in seven hells is that?”
I smiled. 
We’d come here to inform her of the amalgamation of all three territories: IronWolf, Blackbridge, and Veilmoor. 
The tenuous alliance of the territories had been holding us back. Thousands of years of development had been lost because the three species couldn’t find a way to work together outside of illegal operations.
And how better to rule my territories than if they were united?
I relayed all this to Drusilla. She took a deep breath. “You plan to force vampires, humans, and wolves to come together?”
I shrugged. “They’ve been doing that all along. We just need to crack open the secrecy and put mechanisms in place to make it safe and profitable for all.”
She looked averse to the idea, but I could see her resistance waning.
I leaned forward. “Think about it. You oversee the day-to-day bureaucracy, tax collection, and law-making for the combined territories. You could really cement your name in this new empire, Aunt.”
Her gaze gleamed. She was sold.
“And the wolf is in agreement with this?”
“Of course. He’s my beta and lover. Ashar’s commander. Yara’s in charge of the human territories. I’m calling for the ushering of a new age of development. Killing and fucking can’t be all we’re capable of.”
Ashar choked on his wine beside me.
“Yes, Ashar, you heard me.”
He sighed. “I feel attacked.”
“It’s never too late to redeem yourself,” I joked. To Drusilla, I said, “Well. What do you say?”
“Do I have a choice?” Drusilla rose from her seat, moving to the glass. “You’d raze this world to the ground if left unchecked. I’ll gladly check you.”
Satisfaction thrummed from her, but I let her get away with pretending to be apathetic.
Bastian stepped forward, his visage imposing. “We must leave. Our presence is needed on the other side of your empire, Empress.”
Nikolai drifted over as well. Before I knew it, both stood on either side of me, staring down with heated deference. 
The air turned thick.
“Sickening,” Lilith murmured without malice. 
Ashar stared without shame. My cheeks flushed. Having two formidable mates was an indulgence I reveled in.
“Of course,” I said, taking Nikolai’s offered hand. Ashar and Yara hurriedly closed in on us.
We formed a closed link of held hands, and I traced us to IronWolf, right into the middle of the ceremony grounds. 
Pack members gasped and moved away, staring as if we presented a threat. I knew how it looked: two red-eyed vampires in a wolf pack. 
Hopefully, my dreams of assimilation and peace would be realized as soon as supernaturally possible.
Large torches lit the night in a straight path. In the middle, perfumed petals littered the glittering sand.
Suddenly, emotion overwhelmed me.
My first night in IronWolf, I’d been as good as human, at the mercy of a violent world and uncertainty. 
Now, my mates flanked me, each anchoring me in ways I never imagined.
When I reached the structured dais, the silence was absolute. The pack members stared with a mix of curiosity, hope, and wariness.
I was just a girl who stumbled upon a trail of inherited power, fought to deserve it, and now stood at the helm of something bigger than myself.
“When I first came to IronWolf, all I sought was security and a community. A place to thrive and call my own. Instead, I found blood and a dysfunctional society.”
Murmurs rose, rippling through the crowd like waves on a stormy shore.
“I am Queen Maeve, daughter of the Crimson Queen who swept the ashes of war on a vicious wind.” Gasps and glares. “But I am also Princess Maeve, daughter of Alpha Mordane, who, before the curse’s plague, was a fearsome and beloved ruler.”
I met their eyes with a firm gaze. 
“I didn’t grow up sheltered or obtuse. I’ve lived as a human, a wolf, and a vampire,” my voice hardened. “I deserve the benefit of the doubt. I deserve your trust in directing us to a better world—”
Applause broke out. I hadn’t even completed my speech.
In the crowd, I saw Gwen and Sorin. Bastian and Nikolai. Yara and Ren. Were those Jessica and Tammy? They cheered the loudest. My heart thumped in my chest. 
Acceptance? Admiration? For me?
Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
Then suddenly, they all quieted, looking behind me. I turned, my senses alert, to see the matrons. Or the wardens, as they were in Veilmoor.
“The Echo has come a long way. Without even our help,” one said. The other two hummed their agreement.
“You already wear a crown, so we can’t give you another.”
My brows furrowed, lips parting to argue—
“Instead, we’ll give you an amulet. And a tip for when you’re tested.”
The flames roared in their eyes, the wind picking up.
“Tested?”
Without hesitation, one of them approached with an amulet in her hands. So dissimilar to Alpha Mordane’s Crimson amulet, this one was a daintier chain of pure silver.
A thumb-sized wolf head, formed of light silver mesh, hung from it. Its fangs were thick, curved, and glinting in the light.
Silver was toxic to both vampires and wolves.
She clasped it around my neck. 
The silver did not burn my skin.
They turned me back around to face the crowd. Had the crowd gotten bigger? Drusilla stood off to the side in a crimson cloak, more cloaked figures with her. The only visible part of her face, her lips, were curved in a soft smile.
The wardens placed their hands on my shoulders.
“All hail Maeve, the Pale Empress of IronVeil!”
“Lead us to a future with all strengths and none of the weaknesses!” They cheered.
There I stood, immobile, frozen, as a crowd of vampires, wolves, and humans accepted me as their empress.
“When you’re tested, there’s a better way than using your vampire. Learn to control it, and your weakness becomes your strength.”
“She’s already halfway there,” another murmured.
What? Did they mean the curse? 
I spun to demand more answers—the matrons had vanished.
Bastian and Nikolai climbed the dais to join me, gazes burning with pride. 
Bastian took my hand, and Nikolai suddenly traced us. 
I had no idea where, but with them, I’d fall into nothingness with a smile on my face.