Chapter 61

The bag is pulled roughly from my head and the cloth out of my mouth. I’m in the middle of the woods and I can’t see the road. Five figures stand surrounding me.

“Who are you?” I demand. “What do you want?”

“My name is Ellen.” A woman answers. The same woman I had followed. She is middle-aged, her dark hair holding a little gray. She looks at me intently. “And what we want, is our people to be unified, safe, and free again. But to have that, we need you.”

I know them immediately. “You’re the Lycans.” I practically gasp.

She looks pleased at that. “And you are our queen. We have been searching for you for a long time.”

I know my face is as shocked as I feel. I knew who I was, who my parents were, but the idea that I was these people’s queen never crossed my mind.

“I think you’re mistaken.” I say.

“It is no mistake.” Ellen answers, “You are our queen. You are the last of your lineage and therefore, you are the only one who can lead our people. We need you to come with us.”

“Come with you, where?” I demand. “I can’t just leave. I have Adrian and Grace.”

Ellen’s face goes hard and a growl echoes from the others.

“The werewolf Alpha betrayed our people and left us to be slaughtered. Your place is with us, not with him.” She answers angrily.

I shake my head. “No, it’s more complicated than that.”

My words fall on deaf ears as more growls erupt.

“It is simple.” She says. “Your parents and grandparents made mistakes, but our people paid the price in blood. Adrian’s price. Our kind is all but wiped out now. You must choose now my queen. Your people or your treacherous lover.”

A part of me screams that I owe these people nothing. I have never met them before and even if I did go with them, who am I to lead them? I didn’t even know who I was until a few weeks ago. I’m not a leader. And despite what they say, I can’t bring myself to leave Adrian.

Yet, as I look at the faces around me, I can’t bring myself to say no. There’s desperation in their eyes and a hope that I don’t have the heart to take from them. These are my people. I have gone for so long without family or a place where I truly belonged, and here they were. The ones I didn’t even realize I was searching for.

“This is a lot to consider.” I say, hoping to buy for time. “I need to think.”

Ellen doesn’t look pleased by that answer. “If you do not claim your place, we will have no choice. One of the Lycans will challenge you. As the last living heir, your death is the only way that position can move to another line.”

My heart races and I look at the faces around me with a new horror.

“I just need time.” I rush the words out. “I need to consider things, but I refuse to fight anyone.”

Ellen doesn’t look convinced, but she looks to another of the Lycans who nods to her.

“Very well.” She says. “You have until the next full moon. Then your people will require your decision. Whether you will step into your responsibilities and accept your legacy or if you will abandon us.”

My heart squeezes at the thought and as they shift forms and disappear into the woods, I have this terrible ache deep within myself as though they took my home with them.

“Lily!” Adrian’s voice tears through the trees and a quiet sob frees itself from my throat as he appears before me. His eyes are frantic and hold that yellow hue that tells me the wolf is threatening to unleash itself.

He breathes a sigh of relief as he reaches me and pulls me into his chest.

“Are you hurt?” He asks, holding me tightly.

“No,” I answer. “Not really.”

It’s only then that I allow myself cry.

Adrian POV

I get Lily home and into the living room where she sits down heavily on the couch. She told me a little in the car on the way here, and I’m anxious to know the rest, but I give her the space she needs to think.

I go to the kitchen and make her some of Susan’s calming tea. As I hand it to her, I kneel before her on the floor and clasp one of her hands in mine.

“Lily, I need to know. What did they want from you?” I ask. I know it was the Lycans that took her, but she wasn’t clear about what they wanted or why she was so upset.

Lily swallows hard, her beautiful eyes are glassy from tears and a wrinkle of worry creases her brow. I want to reach up and rub it away, hold her tightly until all she feels is safety and comfort. I rub my thumb back and forth across her hand, hoping the movement is calming.

“They want me to come with them. They called me their queen.” She answers and I focus on keeping my breath calm and steady. I should have expected this.

“Why did they leave you?” I ask. “Why didn’t they take you with them?”

“They want me to choose them.” She answers quietly. “They gave me until the next full moon to decide if I will leave you and go with them or not. If I do not, they told me that I will be challenged, and someone will fight me for my birthright.”

A small growl escapes me, and she flinches. I stifle it and focus on keeping calm. She doesn’t need me to lose my temper right now, but the threat has the wolf stirring.

“They are still angry, Adrian. They blame you for our people suffering.”

The word “our” has my breath catching. She’s already considering herself one of them, but why wouldn’t she? She’s not only a Lycan but their queen.

Guilt slams into me with a force I don’t quite expect. I’ve never regretted my vengeance against the Lycans before. But that was before I discovered my mate was one of them.

“This is my fault.” I say and her eyes meet mine, still wet with unshed tears. “I was young and rash. I never should have allowed the Lycans to be at the mercy of the bear people. I knew what would happen.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Lily clutches my hand.

“I left your people to die.” I say the words bluntly.

“The past is done.” She says. “We have to move forward now. I have to decide what to do. I can’t leave them, they’re my people. I feel like I’ve been searching for them and not even knowing it.” My heart squeezes again with worry that I might lose her. The wolf growls in protest, but I push him back down. She meets my eyes again, tears streaming down her lovely cheeks. “But I can’t lose you.”

The words bring relief over me like a wave. “We will figure it out, darling. I promise.”

“How?” She asks, hopelessness filling her eyes. “One thing after another, it seems like fate wants to keep us apart.”

I take her face gently between my hands. “If fate wanted us apart, it wouldn’t have made you my mate. We will figure this out. I promise.”

I lean down and capture her lips with mine, sealing the promise with everything I have in me. She is finally mine, and I will not lose her.