Broken Queen Book 3
Autorzy
Danni D
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142K
Rozdziały
30
61: A New Path Forward
ARIEL
The darkness of the night provides cover as I lead my warrior squad through the forest, trailing the scent of a band of Hunters.
They won’t elude us this time...
Since the funeral, the Hunters have spilled out of the woodwork, intent on tearing down our pack like hungry termites.
But the death of the king isn’t the only reason they’ve felt emboldened to cross our borders...
They were working with one of our own—he betrayed his own kind.
Xavier.
The memory is seared into my mind.
***
We’re trapped.
Nowhere to run.
And the alphas are closing in.
“Form a defensive line!” I shout, getting ready to shift.
But then, Xavier brushes past me, heading straight for the red-eyed alphas.
“What the hell are you doing?”
When Xavier holds up his hand, the alphas heel, as if they’re mind-linked to him.
Oh my Goddess...
Xavier turns around, a wicked smile spreading across his lips.
“It... it was you,” I stammer. “You betrayed us.”
“Today isn’t just a funeral for the former king,” Xavier sneers.
The monstrous, mutated alphas all stand in unison, their eyes red and bloodshot.
“It’s a funeral for the current king as well.”
***
I shake my wolf’s pelt, and along with it, my bad memory.
I need to focus on the present... on tracking the Hunters.
We crouch low in the undergrowth and I mind-link my squad.
Stay alert. I can scent them nearby.
Suddenly, my ears perk up as the ground beneath my paws vibrates.
Footsteps. Dozens of them. From every direction.
Within moments, we’re surrounded.
Hunters’ crossbows pointed at us as we back into a tight circle.
I bare my fangs and snarl.
***
I kick off my heels and rip the seams on either side of my dress up to my hips for mobility.
I’m ready to fight.
My heart drops in horror as I see all of my friends backed into corners of the chapel, partially shifted.
What do I do?
I can’t help them all.
All I can do is watch as the crazed, ferocious alphas snarl and pounce on the Royal Pack guards, knocking their swords aside and pinning them down, teeth bared at their throats.
***
How the hell am I going to get us out of this?
Six wolves surrounded by a dozen Hunters.
I need to think on my feet—or rather my paws.
I’ve been in worse positions than this.
In fact, I’ve been in an impossible position before.
***
Xavier turns back to me, raising his voice so everyone can hear:
“I’m giving you a choice, Ariel. In a few moments, I’m going to take the throne. There’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. When I do this, I can either kill everyone here. Like this—”
He snaps his fingers and all the alphas lunge excitedly, as if a meal has been brought out in front of them.
A cry of terror spreads throughout the chapel.
“Or…you can agree to be my queen, and we get mated tonight.” His eyes twinkle deviously.
Once I hear what Xavier is making me choose between, my head starts to spin.
I’m completely powerless, and I feel my heart begin to throb.
An impossible choice.
I look into the face of Alex, my mate, his helpless green eyes begging me to stop.
But in the end, there’s only one choice I can make.
***
I have to protect my squad. They’re my responsibility.
“I’m about to do something crazy,” I say, mind-linking them. “Just trust me.”
I step forward and shift back into human form.
The Hunters are completely taken aback.
“I surrender,” I say. “You’ve won.”
One of the Hunters smirks as he drinks in my naked body. When he lowers his crossbow and reaches out for me, I return his smirk.
“NOW!” I shout, lunging and grabbing his weapon.
***
When Xavier places his hand on my face and leans in, I’m ready for him. I pull my moonstone dagger from the folds of my dress and press the blade into his throat.
Xavier’s eyes widen, not with fear so much as with surprise.
Did he really expect me to willingly go along with his grand plan?
Fucking idiot.
“Don’t do this, Ariel,” Xavier says to me in a clear, cool voice. “We’re meant to be together. It’s destiny!”
“I will NEVER be your queen, Xavier.”
***
The Hunters groan in agony, their wounded bodies littering the mossy forest floor.
I finish reattaching my armor as Steve enters the clearing with backup.
“Take them to the dungeons, and we’ll question them later,” I say.
The sun begins to peek over the treetops, and I exhale loudly.
Goddess, the grind never ends…
But I smile as the sun warms my face.
I love every damn second of it.
***
The sun is already up as I attempt to sneak into bed as quietly as possible.
I just returned from an all-nighter patrol with the pack warriors, and I don’t want to wake Alex.
His soft snoring is adorable, and I imagine his wolf is having the best dream right now—chasing rabbits through the woods and then lazing in the spring breeze.
I remove my combat boots and tiptoe across the room, careful not to make a sound, until—
“Shit!” I trip over the Bo staff that I use for training. I really shouldn’t leave my weapons lying around…
When I look back up, Alex’s emerald eyes pierce my coarse leather armor with an intense look of desire.
He’s awake…in more ways than one.
“Take it off,” he commands.
I oblige, slowly removing each strap, teasing him as I take my time.
He sits up and digs his claws into our bed as his breathing becomes louder. His muscular chest heaves in and out with anticipation.
“It’s taking every ounce of my self-control not to pounce on you and rip those clothes from your body,” he says.
“Patience is a virtue,” I reply, letting my chest armor fall to the floor.
I approach him and straddle his lap as he sits on the edge of the bed. Inhaling deeply, he wastes no time diving face-first into my bare breasts.
“You smell like a field of flowers,” he says in a muffled voice.
As his tongue moves to my soft nipple, I let out a moan. He lightly bites it, and it instantly becomes hard in his mouth.
My wolf whimpers in the back of my mind. She’s done with this teasing.
And so am I.
Alex looks surprised as I push him flat on his back.
I kiss him in a carnal display of passion, letting my wolf take over.
His hands grip my ass tightly as I writhe on top of him. He rips my tights open and I can feel his growing bulge beneath me.
I slide back, and Alex lets out a low growl as my fingers unbutton his pants and release his sword from its sheath.
I like imagining Alex’s member as a sword because that’s what feels most comfortable in my hands.
And I’m very skilled with a sword.
Alex’s eyes roll back in his head as I grasp his shaft and stroke it with vigor. I lean down and wrap my lips around the tip before moving it deeper into my throat.
“Ariel…,” Alex grunts. “You’re gonna make me…”
Teasing him, I come up for air, but Alex grabs my shoulders and flips me over, so that he’s the one on top.
He rubs himself roughly against my sex, and I cry out. My wolf craves her mate. She wants to be satisfied.
“I want to feel you inside me,” I say. “Don’t hold back. You know I can take it, Alpha.”
“Don’t worry,” he responds. “I know how my warrior likes it.”
A wave of euphoria hits me as Alex begins to part my sex with his massive—
“WAA-AAA-HHH!”
A screaming baby jolts me out of my rapturous state.
“WAA-WAA-WAH!”
And then a second screaming infant.
Alex sighs as he rolls off of me and gets out of bed. “We really need to install some soundproof walls.”
My family moving into the palace hadn’t exactly been smooth sailing the past month. But when Xavier was arrested for conspiring with the Hunters, the Crescent Moon Pack kicked them to the curb.
They had nowhere else to turn, and I wasn’t going to just throw them to the rogues.
Although, if I did, my sex life with Alex would certainly improve…
We’re supposed to be in our honeymoon phase, but we haven’t even had the chance to go on our actual honeymoon.
Shouting starts to mix with the wailing babies, and I don’t need three guesses to figure out who’s causing all the drama.
“Fucking Natalia,” I mutter under my breath.
I jump out of bed and pull on a robe. “I’ll take care of this.”
***
As I reach the bottom of the stairs, the screaming intensifies—both from the babies and the women.
“Are you out of your damn mind?” Natalia says, clutching Xavi in her arms. “Do you know the harmful effects refined sugar can have on a child?”
“Good Goddess, Natalia!” Helena fumes as she holds Camelia. “It’s just a cookie!”
Natalia scoffs and narrows her eyes. “Just a cookie? I thought you were supposed to be all ‘one with nature’ or whatever. And yet you feed my baby poison!”
Thank the Goddess that these two are holding their kids because otherwise they’d be clawing each other’s eyes out.
Helena notices me and shoots me a silent SOS with her eyes.
“Natalia, don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” I say, stepping between them.
“Stay out of this, Ariel,” Natalia snaps. “You have no idea what it’s like to be a mother.”
She’s trying to provoke me, but I refuse to take the bait. I learned in warrior training that the best way to handle conflict is to de-escalate the situation.
“If Xavi has dietary restrictions, I’m sure we can accommodate them, along with your many other requests.” Unintended frustration seeps into my tone.
Damn, so much for de-escalation.
Natalia glares at me. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I an inconvenience to you? I’m only a single mother trying to raise my child the best that I can.”
Here we go…
“Natalia, I’m not saying that—”
“You put the father of my child in the fucking dungeon!” As Natalia’s voice rises, Xavi starts to cry again. “I have to do this alone because of YOU!”
Before I can defend myself, another voice does it for me.
“That is so unfair of you, Natalia,” my mother, Dianne, says as she swoops over to my side. “And after Ariel opened her home to us…”
“Dianne, I can handle this on my own,” I say, not wanting this one-on-one boxing match to turn into a battle royal.
Dianne ignores me and keeps going: “Xavier deserves to be locked up after what he did. He disgraced our whole family.”
“Of course you’re taking her side. Typical,” Natalia says resentfully.
Typical?
HARDLY!
Growing up, my mother always sided with Natalia. She didn’t just play favorites—I barely even existed in her eyes.
But in the past month she’s really changed her tune, and I have to admit... it feels good to have her side with me for once.
Dianne sidles up to me and speaks to Natalia dismissively: “Dear, must you always be so ungrateful? I raised you better than that. Show some decorum.”
Natalia’s expression falls, and I almost feel sorry for her. I know what it’s like to be on my mother’s bad side. It’s the only side I’ve known until recently.
I know I should question her motives, but...
I don’t want to ruin a good thing.
***
When I get back to my bedroom, I close the door a little harder than I mean to.
“Everything good?” Alex asks.
“If she wants to be with Xavier so badly, maybe I should just throw her in the cell next to his,” I say, fully realizing that I’m being over the top. “Maybe then she’d shut up.”
Alex looks amused as he wraps his arms around me. “You’d never do that to your sister. You’re way too nice.”
“Of course not,” I say, leaning into his chest. “But the fantasy is the only thing keeping me from killing her.”
Alex laughs and kisses me. “Good thing you’ve been blessed with never-ending patience.” He grabs a towel and heads for the bathroom. “I’m gonna shower—want to join?”
“Sure, I’ll be there in a minute,” I say. “But don’t expect part two of what we started this morning. This will be a cold shower. Natalia has completely ruined my mood.”
As Alex disappears into the bathroom, I take a deep breath. My family is driving me crazy, and I’m starting to regret my decision to invite them into my life.
Suddenly, I feel a pulsing sensation that radiates throughout my entire body. I start to feel light-headed as a silky voice pervades my mind:
“You must close the rift of the past if you want to open a new path forward, my child.”
The Moon Goddess.
She always has impeccable timing.
“Selene, can you just tell me exactly what you want, for once?”
If I’m being honest with myself though, this message is pretty clear.
I can’t just continue to tolerate my family’s presence...
I need to actually mend my relationships with them.
And it will take more than a Goddess-given healing ability to do that...
***
As I practice my sword-fighting technique in the warrior barracks, I do my best to put Natalia out of my mind.
Sweat beads down my forehead as I thrust the sword forward, slicing through the air.
This is my therapy. The real way that I deal with my frustration.
When I’m training, all my problems fade away, at least for a while. I purge them from my body like every drop of perspiration that rolls off my skin.
“Hey, sweaty! Fix your stance. It’s way too wide.” Dom’s smug voice breaks my focus.
As Dom approaches behind me, I sheathe my sword and whip around, putting him in a headlock. “Your mouth is way too wide!”
“Hey, save the aggression for your sister,” he jokes as I let him go.
“Helena told you about this morning, I assume.”
He nods and laughs. “We might avoid any playdates with Xavi in the near future.”
“Sorry, Natalia can be a real pain in the ass, but I think she enjoys having those playdates, even if she doesn’t show it,” I say. “What brings you to the barracks?”
“I’m looking for you,” he replies. “Or rather, Alex is—he said it’s important.”
I rack my brain for what I’m supposed to do today, but I come up blank.
“I guess I’ll head back to the palace and find out what’s going on,” I say, tossing my sword to Dom by the hilt.
He catches it and grins. “Goddess-speed, brave warrior.”
***
As I approach the palace, I’m surprised to see half a dozen news vans parked near the courtyard. Camera crews line the steps, and reporters swarm the entryway like buzzing bees, while Maria tries to keep them in order.
Suddenly, Alex is at my side, gripping my arm—and leading me right toward the crowd.
“Ariel, where have you been? And why are you still in your warrior gear? Did you just get done training?”
“Yeah, but…Alex, what the hell is going on? Who are all these people?”
“They’re here for the state-of-the-pack speech. I told you about this. Several times actually.” There’s a hint of annoyance in Alex’s voice.
Oh, Goddess! Now I remember!
Alex has been putting it off, but ever since Xavier attacked at the funeral, the packs have been clamoring for an explanation.
As Alex pulls me through the crowd and up the steps, I’m suddenly very aware of how sweaty and unkempt I look.
“Alex, maybe I should sit this one out…”
“You’re my luna—you can’t just sit it out,” he replies, his tone tense. “We have to present a unified front.”
“But, Alex... I look like a mess,” I protest. “And I’m not sure I can handle—”
“You look beautiful,” he says, his tone softening. “Just take my hand.”
Alex’s warm skin against mine eases my nerves for a moment. But only for a moment.
As I stand at his side and the cameras start clicking, my anxiety begins to creep around the edges of my mind.
With each flash, I see the lights of an operating table in the Hunter’s lair.
As all eyes are on me, I can only think of the cold, grey eyes of the Hunter who kidnapped me.
My head begins to spin. I hear the Hunters laughing as my body is beaten and tortured.
Alex is speaking, but I can’t understand his words. An incessant buzzing noise drowns out everything else.
The lights before my eyes blur, and suddenly everything loses its form.
My heart is threatening to explode from my chest.
Oh my Goddess. Oh my Goddess. Oh my Goddess.
I can’t do this.
As the crippling anxiety takes over, I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. My knees buckle and I’m crushed underneath my past—all the trauma I try to bury drags me down.
“Ariel!” Alex’s voice is the last thing I hear.
The crowd fades away as my body hits the ground.
