“That bloody old hag,” Ranulf grumbled. “She does nae know when to mind her own business.”
“Well, personally I’m glad she interfered, or I’d be dead meat,” I mumbled, gratefully accepting a large mug of coffee from Bash.
“What’s that about, anyway?” Bash asked with a challenging glint in his eye. “Why are you so desperate to die?”
I wagged my finger at him and made a tsk noise. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m in no rush to kick the bucket just yet, but I also had a feeling he wasn’t going to kill me, so I decided to run with it. Did I get a little dramatic? Possibly. Sue me.” I shrugged.
Bash rolled his eyes. “You’re going to get yourself killed one of these days. Stop depending on these visions.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I waved him off. “Anyway, Fenrir is coming to the castle tomorrow, which means we have to be prepared. I don’t know what’s running through his mind or what he has planned. We need information, so we have to figure out a way to pull it out of him.”
Ranulf smirked. “What better way to get a man talking than loosening his tongue with some alcohol?”
I chuckled and sipped my coffee. “You think that’ll actually work?” I wasn’t a drinker, so I didn’t have first-hand experience about the effects of alcohol. Ironically enough, I was pretending to be drunk the night I met Raven many moons ago.
“It’s a worth a shot, Yer Majesty,” Ranulf offered.
I nodded. “Set up a dinner,” I added. “We’ll greet our guests with a feast.”
“For how many?” Bash asked.
Fenrir didn’t tell us who he would be bringing with him, so I considered the possibilities. “Count on three for sure. Fenrir will definitely be traveling with Raven and Bobby, but let’s have additional seats available just in case. We’ll play it by ear.”
“Very well.” Ranulf entered notes in his phone. “I’ll have the kitchen prepare.”
Bash’s phone rang and he excused himself to step outside and answer it. Once he was gone, I turned to Ranulf.
“Invite Ophelia. I want her here as a peace maker. She’s obviously the one who brokered this deal, so she must take responsibility. Also, is there any way to keep Alexander and Bash out of the dinner?”
Ranulf scoffed, “Are ye mad? There’s no way they’ll miss this! Why don ye want them to attend?”
I looked down at my half-drunk coffee and tapped on my mug with the band of my ring. “They’re too emotional,” I finally whispered. “If things go south, I don’t want them interfering … trying to save me.”
Ranulf sighed. “Yer Majesty … Mackenzie …”
I glanced up at the mention of my name. He never called me Mackenzie. It had always been Princess, or once I became Queen, Your Majesty. “If yer going to include them in yer Council, ye cannae freeze them out. They deserve to be there. As Council members.”
“But—”
“Alexander is yer father,” he interrupted. “Ye cannae expect him to be relaxed when yer life is at risk. Remember how ye reacted when that arrow struck him in the chest? The same goes for ye, Yer Majesty. That’s what it means to be family. He cares — a lot — and that is nae going to change.”
I blew out a breath and opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, he continued.
“As for Sebastian, well, he’s soon to be yer mate. And the both of ye have a rare bond that has nae been seen in many decades. He’s going to want to protect ye and ye cannae stop it. He’s also a wolf, for God’s sake, Yer Majesty. What do ye expect? We’re an overprotective species. For him, it’s on overdrive. Ye cannae expect them to ignore their emotions.”
Of course he was right. Ranulf was always right. But he needed to remember I was a wolf too, an Alpha, and my overbearing protectiveness was kicking in just as much if not more than theirs was. I wanted to protect them from whatever fallout would occur from Fenrir. I didn’t want them anywhere near him. Hell, Alexander thought he could take him on and almost got himself killed. I had to make sure they were safe no matter what.
Before I could respond, Bash walked back into my office, ending his phone call and tucking his phone inside his suit jacket.
“The candidates are here,” he announced. “Would you like to meet them in a group, or one on one?”
“One on one.” I straightened in my chair. Chugging the rest of my coffee, I pushed my empty mug to the side. “Bring in the first candidate.”
I waited patiently as Bash left to bring in the first candidate. Ranulf took a seat in the sitting area off to the side to watch the interview and take notes with Bash. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door and Bash entered with a luna who made me jerk back in surprise.
She was beautiful, with long, glossy, black curly hair. Her eyes were almond shaped and the color of dark honey. The depth of her tan complexion was heightened by the white sweater she wore, further accented by her hourglass-shaped figure. But what shocked me the most was her uncanny resemblance to Blu.
Physically, they shared nothing except perhaps their body shape, but there was something in her eyes, a silent confidence that Blu always had, that made me gravitate toward her. I had to blink a few times to shake out of the stupor I’d fallen into.
The luna bowed deeply and placed her right fist over her heart. “Your Majesty,” she greeted with a thick Spanish accent. “It is an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is all mine.” I smiled brightly and motioned to the chair across from me. “Please, have a seat.”
She straightened and sat down. “My name is Maria Fernanda Sandoval. I’m from the Barcelona Pack in Spain,” she introduced herself. “Thank you for
