Chapter 55

Two days pass in a breeze. Everyone seems to sit a reasonable distance from me – even Elias.

I don’t blame them. My mood swings are worse than a hormonal pregnant woman. One second I’m calm, and the next, I’m trying to rip an Omega’s throat for being clumsy.

If it weren’t for Elias, I’d have ripped her throat out.

The poor woman was terrified. Theia was the most shocked. She has never seen such a violent side of me, especially towards innocents. Still, they managed to calm me down.

Elias says it’s the distance between Jaxson and me. I can’t help but disagree. Though these past few days without him felt incomplete and lonely, there’s something else. I know it.

Still, maybe this is normal. I can’t remember a single time I was apart from Jaxson like this.

It doesn’t matter, we’re just a few minutes from entering the warrior pack, and my first instinct is to find the lake, knowing Jaxson will also be there – I hope.

I’ve tried to reach him through my bonds, but I can’t seem to push through his walls. I know our bond has weakened since my death, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer there.

“Please, Alpha, if you continue picking at your dress, it’ll rip,” Henry warns. I huff.

Unfortunately, Elias said, now that I’m Queen, I need to dress more appropriately. I don’t know what he had against my simple blue dress shirt, but he made me leave it behind. How annoying!

Right now, I’m wearing a flowy silvery-white dress. It has no sleeves, but it accentuates my breast making them appear bigger than they are. A slit runs down the valley and stops a few inches down. My hair sits in a messy Elsa braid over my shoulder, a few strings free to shape my face. And a white silky smooth curtain trail behind me.

I stare at my legs, relieved they at least allowed me to rip up the bottom of the dress. I wasn’t going to walk around feeling so constricted. No way! “You look so beautiful!” Theia gushes.

I throw her a quick smile as our limo enters warrior territory. I can sense the Alpha’s, warriors and soldiers are already here. “Valerie…” Elias cuts through my thoughts. My gaze flickers to his to see him holding a crown.

Not just any crown - It’s my mothers!

I take it from his hands and hold it in my hands. “Where did you…?”

“Your mother tasked me to give to you when you were ready,” he says. Tears sting my eyes, remembering the beating my mother took for losing it. “She knew Valak would never give it to you, and in her eyes, you’re the only one deserving of it.”

A small smile spreads across my face, sitting the crown on my forehead. The Nairn crown fits perfectly against my forehead, and it swirls into an intricate design downwards and rests between my brows. An amethyst crystal, sitting in the middle.

Theia gasps, “wow.”

I smile just as Henry announces, “w-we’re here.” I don’t think he meant to stutter, but I can feel the tension bleeding of wolves, so thick I could cut it with a knife, and the Qusayr makes their presence known.

So, you can only imagine the hostility amongst us. Right now, everyone is an enemy.

I glance out the tinted windows. An army of creatures stands as far as the eye can see.

The tension between the creatures is suffocating. Henry opens the door, and I take my first step out, my heels digging into the concrete as I accept his hand to assist me.

We stand at the bottom of the porch steps, the Qusayr standing dominantly over the rest. My eyes catch Sophia. She wears an elegant deep crimson dress adorned with Nairn. Her red hair is curled in soft waves and falls over one shoulder, standing proudly wearing a crown over her head also decorated with Nairn crystals.

I have to stop my jaw from falling - she looks beautiful.

Grayson wore his usual attire - only instead of his leather cloak, he wears a beautiful black cloak hanging off his broad shoulders, a Nairn crystal with his crest sitting over his left peck.

As for Jaxson, my breath catches in awe just staring at him. He wore a cloak too, but it wasn’t just any cloak. It belongs to a wolf – his wolf! His toned body catches my eyes. My fingers burn to feel every bump and curve of his pecks - to trace his tribal ink, and to hold him.

My heart races once I catch his eyes, his gaze drinking me in – unable to look away.

Below them stand the royal of each race. I recognise Iliana and an incredibly gorgeous dark-skinned male. Just by his presence alone, I know he’s the Vampire King.

However, it quickly falls when a loud, possessive growl awakens from none other than Jaxson himself. My eyes snap to his, only to see his eyes on mine and Henry’s interlaced hands.

Henry releases me, gulping loudly, afraid of Jaxson.

I can feel his uneasiness through the bond. “Can you see them?” I ask curiously through the mind link. Henry keeps his head lowered, but I can feel his confusion.

“Of course, Alpha. It pretty hard not to,” If Henry can see them, so can everyone else. Does that mean they’re no longer hiding? I walk up the porch steps and stand in between Iliana and the Vampire King.

Where is Charming?

Henry stands to the side beside Theia, and Elias joins the Qusayr at the top. The council members stand in a row behind us.

I recognise Gerald. His anger and hatred for me are hard to ignore through the bond. “Control your dogs, Criminal!”

My eyes flicker to Iliana - her eyes show annoyance and disgust. It seems she hates me. Does it have something to do with almost destroying her kingdom? Dylan filled me in.

Still, I was unconscious, and now I’m Queen. That tone won’t sit with me. Maybe if we were alone, I’d let it slide, but I can’t show my wolves their Queen is a coward. “You first,” I don’t bother looking at her, keeping my eyes fixed on the crowd ahead.

Still, I can feel her fury tickle across my skin.

“How dare…?” Her words break away once I finally meet her eyes. My gaze narrows onto hers, her eyes widen, her heartbeat quickens, and her shoulders tense.

“Do not cause a scene, Iliana. I assure you; you will not win,” I drawl. Before taking a step towards her, tilting my head the slightest, “and please call me Alpha… or Queen. Whatever suits you,” I smile.

Iliana doesn’t speak, but the crowd does. “Do not step in my space, filthy scum!” A wolf growls, and he isn’t the only one.

Others pick fights with each other. A Fae and Demon. A wolf and A fae. A Fae and a Witch. A mer-creautre and a Demon. In some cases, their fighting with their own kind.

Honestly, I expected this.

“Does anyone have popcorn?” My gaze flickers to the Demon King. His head tilts slightly, holding a mischievous smirk waiting to taste blood and chaos. His attention shifts to me. His whole black eyes meet mine, “Do you?”

A soft, sultry giggle awakens behind him, and my eyes flicker to the Mer-Queen. Her dark wet hair falls onto her shoulder, a scaly robe hanging off her shoulders, barely concealing her breasts.

“Nah, sorry,” I chuckle, returning my attention to the Demon King - he blinks and blinks again. Within seconds he’s standing in front of me, curiously. He leans down until his cold breath brushes against my ear.

He starts - sniffing me? Actually, he inhales me like I’m his favourite drug.

I’m glad I’m not staring at Jaxson, I can practically taste his bloodlust, and I know this particular demon senses it.

“Your soul smells… delicious,” he moans. I smile the action takes him by surprise. Lifting my hand, he backs up only a little, tilting his head, curious to see what I was trying to do.

I flick his forehead.

The demon king whips through the air like a bullet and falls into the crowd of angry creatures.

The sudden act of violence takes everyone by surprise. The air is tense with fear and awe. No one breathes - no one moves.

The demon king laughs. It starts low and gradually gets higher. Holding his stomach as he stands to his feet. “I could have died,” he laughs, clearly amused.

“Then we’d know what your limit was-... Satan,” I drawl. I’m not pissed - it’s quite the opposite. Still, my plan worked - the crowd is silent. Satan kicks his heel into the ground and lands right in front of me - again.

“Hm, you’re far more fun than your father,” he hums. I tilt my head a little. My lips twitch slightly.

“I know… the man was so uptight,” I grumble. He smirks and returns to his place beside Iliana and the Mer-Queen.

I take a step forward; the crowd suddenly feels uneasy and confused.

They were raised and taught everyone is an enemy. Right now, they don’t know whether to start killing and get the hell out of here - or stay. Afraid if they move, they die.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and touch every one of the bonds. The wolves submit, and I only planned to calm them down, but I didn’t expect my presence to calm others too.

They didn’t bow, but they did relax.

I turn to Elias; His eyes hold mine, and I nod, silently telling him he can address the crowd now.

Stepping forward, we prepare for war!