“What do you mean, a lot of them? What about Winnie?” Warmth brushed against my leg and it was Finn, pressing himself against my comfortable night clothes, supporting my weight.
Calista’s chin was trembling. “Winnie is fine. She’s already on a boat back to Manhattan. Violet was taken, maybe more. We haven’t accounted for everyone yet. And Ben is … dead. He was ambushed by at least a dozen fae. We lost more than five hundred wolves and three hundred bears.”
I sagged back into the bed at her news. Ben. No, it couldn’t be true. Ben and Derek both killed by fae. Violet snatched into their world. My heart was breaking, I could feel the fissuring cracks as my body bled for my loved ones. Drawing on the strength of my crown, I searched the pack bonds, filtering energy around the alphas as I tried to sense my people.
Calista was right. Where Ben’s bright shining energy used to be, there was only emptiness. Emptiness everywhere. Over five hundred lost on the night of the summer festival. Our celebration would now go down in the history books as the most awful battle we had endured since the dark days.
Fighting through my shock and pain, I forced myself to stand. On my own. No support from Finn or Calista. “Okay. I need to know exactly what happened last night. How the fae appeared, and if anyone was around. We’ll need to interview the wolf and bear shifters…”
“You have no time for that,” said Calista. “The council and Selene are waiting for you. They have called a trial for dissolution of crown.” This time my advisor couldn’t keep her composure. A single tear trailed down her cheek; her sorrow was palpable.
“Based on what?” I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.
“Unfit to rule.” Another few tears trailed along her cheeks.
I let her information process. The council and Selene had decided I was unfit to rule and now they would challenge me. It wasn’t an easy process, and without hard evidence they wouldn’t succeed. Nope. This was a show of their strength, pushing me back for my display of dominance yesterday.
“Calista, listen to me...” My voice remained strong. The petty annoyances of the council and Selene were so far down my list of things to worry about. I had no idea where Kade was, my best friend had been kidnapped by fae, and another one of my most cherished friends was dead. Everything else paled in comparison.
Calista swallowed hard and met my eyes.
“We’ll get through this,” I said to her, and she blinked a few times, before wiping at her eyes and nodding. My strong, clever advisor was back.
There was a knock at the door and my gut clenched. An unfit trial was a low blow after the shifter world had just lost so many people. The moment I was declared innocent, I was firing the entire council and killing Selene with my bare hands.
“Enter!” I shouted through gritted teeth.
It was Sabina, which only served to further piss me off. “You’re wanted for questioning,” she said, her white hair billowing slightly around her. They had sent the magic born to make sure I showed up and didn’t use mecca to create a scene.
Striding from the room, I made a point to step out in front. No one was leading me to trial. Once I descended the steps from the opulent second floor, I made my way into the formal living room, my head held high, pain buried deep inside. None of them would know how much my heart ached at the sight of the entire council, Selene with her familiar on her arm, and six of the lead alphas from the boroughs, all preparing to strip me of my crown.
Calista, Finn, and Sabina, who had followed me into the room, remained at my back as I addressed the group. “How dare you? How dare you declare an unfit trial as we all grieve the loss of our people? We’re at war, there’s no worse time for a coup.”
Selene seemed to have taken extra care with her hair and makeup today. Her red locks were pinned up in a mass of loose curls, her clothes very formal. She strode over and took center stage, just where she always like to be. She pinned me with a glare.
“Where were you when the fae attack began, Arianna?”
I growled. “That’s ‘Your Majesty.’ You haven’t stripped me of my crown yet.”
The council did turn slightly disapproving looks on her, but none of them said anything. It was like the decision was made before I even heard the reasons.
“Where were you, Selene? I didn’t see you when I blasted the entire hill with mecca magic and ended the attack! Saving thousands of shifters.”
Three of the alphas smiled, before being cut off by glares from the council. Maybe I could count on some of them to be on my side. A declaration of unfit to rule had to be unanimous.
Selene touched her cheek. “Where was I? Hmm, good question.” Suddenly she gestured to the large flat screen TV on the wall and I noticed there was a remote in her hand.
With one click the TV flared to life and I was looking upon the broken-down cabin, two figures on the screen. One was Kade and the other was me. Oh crap. I knew exactly what she had filmed here. It was the moment just after I had told him I hated him. Selene had been in the bushes watching us, recording us.
“I love you,” Kade said on the video, and just about every person in the room gasped. I even heard Calista huff from behind me. Finn snuggled closer to my side, both for comfort and because we both knew that we might have to fight our way out of this room.
The next images on the video recording sealed my fate. It showed me reaching up and kissing Kade with a ferocious intensity. A kiss of passion. A kiss of love.
Selene paused the screen so that it stopped on us mid-kiss and turned to me. “Arianna, of the red line, you are unfit to rule the wolf shifters. Your affair with the bear king has blinded your judgment and allowed a war with the fae to brew and seep over into our lives, costing us greatly. I call for a motion to dethrone you and banish you from the boroughs. From the mecca. All in favor say ‘aye.’”
“Wait!” I commanded, stepping closer to Selene as realization hit me. “It was you who cloaked the energy so I wouldn’t sense the fae attack. You and Sabina…” I shot a look at the magic born, who remained expressionless.
My protests were pointless, completely ignored as the ayes began rolling in. One by one the council and alphas agreed with Selene’s motion. Right up until there was one alpha left.
It was Roger, a diehard separate race fanatic. I realized now that Selene had only invited the alphas who were hardcore about the rules. I knew I was screwed, but I tried anyway.
“Don’t do this. The mecca is broken, but I can fix it. I can fix it and the fae will leave us alone.”
Roger just shook his head. “You took an oath.” Then he looked at Selene. “Aye.”
The people had spoken, and I was worse than a failed heir. I was a failed queen. Torine moved in front of me, sharp blade clutched in his right hand. “I must unbind the mecca to you and then tie it to Selene.”