Turning in that direction, I let some of my inner wolf rise up, the mecca shimmering across my skin in a purple glow of energy. I knew the mecca crown on my head would also be glowing, the stones infused with energy. I remained silent for a moment, letting them stare upon me. It never hurts to remind them that you are queen, that you are powerful.
Finally I said, “We have suspicions about who is behind the new threat. All I will say for now is that they are not enemies who will be easily countered, and until such a time I have more evidence this is all you need to know.”
No one else opened their mouths, which probably had a lot to do with the purple lightshow my body was doing. Stepping across the platform, I neared my fallen friend. His body was tightly bound in a stitched cloth that displayed his yellow lineage symbol. He was handsome still, even in death, with his multicolored hair styled back neatly. But all of his vibrancy was gone; it was impossibly painful to see Derek like this, to know he was gone and that we were about to send his shell off in a warrior fire. Sucking in a few short breaths, trying to get my emotions under control, I lifted my head to the sky and shouted: “Derek, you are honored. A warrior going home to your people. Fly free, my friend. Until we meet again.”
Violet, my best friend and pack magic born, stepped up beside me, and together we lifted our hands and a burst of purple flames shot up all around the pyre. I needed her help; I was a newbie when it came to mecca control. The flames smashed against us, we were so close. The heat was scorching, tightening my skin to the point it felt like it would crack, drying the tears tracing slowly down my cheeks. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t leave him until he was dust and ashes. That was the way of our people.
My dominants joined me, all of us burning with our friend. Then, as one, the seven of us, Violet included, lifted our heads and let loose a long, mournful howl. My people joined in. Our cries rang out across the royal house, across the world. I let my sorrow filter out into my bonds with all shifters. Calista had sent out a press release stating the time of the funeral and asked shifters around the world to pray for Derek and to pay their respects. I felt them now, scattered about within the energy that made up my body.
For a moment the shifter packs all stood together in grief, and I knew this was the only way for us to beat the fae, as one people. But we would also need the bear shifters.
I needed Kade. It was a truth that could get me dethroned or killed, an alliance I needed to be careful with but my heart and gut told me it was the only way. Kade was going to teach me how to control and channel mecca, and then we were going to neutralize the threat against our people.
One way or another.
Chapter Two
One beary brutal beating.
I lay on my back panting, sweat beading my brow. The force of the mecca had just thrown me across the room and Kade was not happy.
“You need to focus!” he said, his voice firm as he reached down to pull me up. I reluctantly took his hand and stood, meeting his molten gaze.
“I am focusing! The mecca is out of control. No one can handle this kind of power.” It had been three weeks since the fae had attacked us all at the king’s mansion. Three weeks and over a half dozen mecca training sessions with Kade.
We were struggling to fit them all in with my new queen duties. Kade was more established within his boroughs and didn’t have as much to do, so he was working around my timetable.
Kade pushed back at me again, one of the few shifters in the world who could without repercussions. “You’re wrong. I can see the mecca, and although I agree it’s stronger than ever, you can control it. I’ve never seen someone’s body so responsive to the energy. Almost as if you were made to harness it.”
My cheeks reddened at his reference to my body. Not only was the energy within us constantly pushing us together, the close proximity of our training was upping the sexual tension to a tangible level that was making him extra hard to resist.
Calista, my royal advisor, had been harping on about me taking a mate – at least for the short term, to kill off the rumors of my supposed affair with the king. The council was spinning it to say we were in peace talks, trying to form an alliance to figure out who had killed the former Red Queen, but rumors still abounded. My eulogy at Derek’s sendoff had helped a little – I heard less talk of killing bears anyway. But one speech was never going to undo hundreds of years of animosity. Slow and steady.
“There are new rumors about me,” I said to Kade after I caught my breath. “Apparently I’m sleeping my way through the bears in the hopes of conceiving a hybrid child.” I shook my head at the very thought. There had never been a hybrid child. It was strictly forbidden and I wasn’t even sure it was possible.
Kade snorted; his chest rumbled. “I think we need to start giving our people harder jobs. They have way too much time on their hands for gossip.”
“Yep, not enough toiling going on in the shifter world. They’ve had it too easy for too long.”
He straightened, waving his hand, which meant he wanted me to stop procrastinating and start training again. Stretching out my aching body, I let out a bit of an exaggerated sigh. As I stepped closer to him, his heat was everywhere, his scent all soil and earth and life. Dammit. Finding a wolf mate was probably the smart thing to do. It would solve plenty of my problems. But … I couldn’t, and I didn’t really have the time right now to try to talk myself into it. After the battle at Kade’s home, Derek’s death, and the very real threat of a fae war … well, my priorities were elsewhere.
My thoughts were cut off by Kade touching my cheek. I held my breath, barely moving.
“Eyelash,” he murmured in that husky voice. As he pulled back from my face I saw a tiny eyelash clasped between his strong fingers.
“Make a wish.” He lifted it closer to my lips.
There was mirth dancing in his eyes, and I knew he was toying with me. But still … the king of bears made eyelash wishes and tended to roses. Crap. These training sessions were going to be the death of me. Maybe literally. We could not be together, our people would tear us apart, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t appreciating all the sexy that was Kade. I blew on the eyelash, sending it flying away. Kade didn’t move so I cleared my throat and stepped back a pace.
“Let’s do the mecca thing again,” I said, trying to defuse the tension.
Still wearing that slight grin, Kade nodded and stepped back, both of us trying to get distance from the other in hopes that it would smother this burning fire that had started between us.