The Unexpected Queen

LEAH

Maria shows up right on the dot. Mom and I have spread out all the food we’ve cooked on the kitchen table, along with a couple of wine coolers a neighbor dropped off. Mom shoots me, and the neighbor, a stern look, but I manage to convince her to let us each have one.

“Wow, it’s so pretty in here!” Maria exclaims as she steps into the kitchen. Then she drops her voice and gives me a concerned look. “How do you think it’s going to be, hanging out with him now that you know… he’s not your mate?”

“I guess I just have to deal with it, right?” I shrug. Honestly, I don’t want to think about it. I’m ready to leave my crush on Jake in the past and start fresh. The next chapter of my life is all about becoming a pack doctor.

Jake bangs on the front door before swinging it open and calling out, “Hey! Can I come in?”

“Sure! Come on in, Jake!” I call back. Just hearing his voice ties my stomach in knots. Shit, maybe I should call this whole thing off.

He steps into the kitchen and gives Maria and then me a hug. We all sit down and start digging into the delicious food Mom and I have prepared. The bubbles from the wine cooler tickle my throat as I sip. The alcohol soothes my nerves, and I can feel my body start to relax.

The evening goes smoothly, all of us joking and laughing like we always do. Maybe the coolers help lighten the mood. Whatever it is, I’m not complaining; I’m just relieved that it’s not awkward or uncomfortable.

I find myself watching Jake as we all sit on the couch watching a movie. His blond hair is messy and his cheeks are pink from laughing. He catches me staring and tosses a pillow at me.

“Hey!” I shout, grabbing the nearest pillow and smacking him right in the face with it.

“I forgot how strong you are!” He laughs and tackles me to the floor. He ends up lying on top of me. I look up into his gorgeous blue eyes and feel my cheeks heat up and my breath hitch.

He crosses his eyes at me and the moment is broken. He gets up and extends a hand to help me up. Maria is giving us both a skeptical look, one eyebrow raised.

“I should probably head out,” Jake says, scratching his neck. “Thanks for having me over, Leah.” He leans over and plants a light kiss on my cheek.

I lift my hand and touch the spot his lips just grazed. I watch, wide-eyed, as Jake exits the living room and then I hear the front door open and close.

“Are you okay?” Maria asks, coming to stand next to me. I nod but my gaze is still fixed on the spot where Jake was standing just a moment ago.

“He kissed me… On the cheek, but…he kissed me. It doesn’t mean anything, though, does it?”

“Does it matter if it means something or not? You can’t be together now and then break up when one of you finds their mate.” Maria’s voice is sharp.

I know she’s right, but the hope of something happening between me and Jake clouds my judgment. Unless… What if the silver-gray wolf is real? What if that spark I felt when I touched him in my dream could actually happen? Is Maria right, that if Jake and I get together, we’d still have to break up as soon as one of us finds their mate?

“You can reject your mate…” I start softly, but Maria slaps me on the arm.

“Shush!” she hisses. “That’s one of the worst sins you can commit! The Moon Goddess’s blessing is not something to take lightly!”

“Sorry. You’re right, of course. It’s not smart to have feelings for someone who isn’t your mate. And it’s definitely not smart to act on those feelings. But what if I never meet my mate? What then?”

“You’ll meet him, I promise,” Maria replies and gives me a hug. While we wait for her dad to pick her up, we make plans for next weekend. We decide to leave at five o’clock so we have plenty of time to drive to the king’s castle. It’s about two hours north of here, so we have a long car ride ahead of us.

Once she’s gone, I crawl into bed, worn out. I’ve started to look forward to going to bed every night so I can see the wolf again. His energy is powerful and I feel an unexplainable calm when I’m around him. My eyelids grow heavy and I drift off to sleep. The next time I open my eyes, I’m in the woods. I run down the path through the trees until I reach the poppy meadow. I take a deep breath, desperate to catch his scent.

“Hey!” I call out to the meadow, but there’s no response. I sigh and turn back toward the forest, but all I see is darkness. I wander into the meadow, bend down to a poppy flower, and inhale deeply. This place is incredibly beautiful. I sink into the grass, surrounded by buzzing bumblebees flitting from one poppy to another. I smile at their fluffy little bodies, covered in pollen.

Suddenly, I catch his scent, and I turn toward it. I see him standing a little ways off, his fur shimmering in the moonlight. I stand up and he strides confidently toward me, stopping only when he’s an arm’s length away.

A deep growl rumbles from the wolf’s chest, and I hold his gaze. His large, black eyes study me from head to toe. He takes another step forward and rests his massive head on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around his enormous neck and hold him close. Beautiful sparks spread through my body, and I sigh heavily as all the stress leaves me. The embrace fills me with pleasure and a sense of home. I let go of him and step back a little so I can look into his eyes again.

“Who are you?” I whisper, cupping his face in my hands.

His eyes shift from black to brown.

“Shift,” I command, trying to sound as authoritative as I can.

The wolf retreats, stepping back a few paces. I watch, mesmerized, as his form starts to twist and warp. The eerie sound of bones snapping echoes through the forest. Just when I’m on the brink of seeing the man of my dreams, reality yanks me back. My eyes flutter open, squinting against the bright sunlight streaming into my room.

“No!” I mutter under my breath, smacking my pillow in frustration.