Page 20 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)

Chapter

Twenty

Colbie

I don’t think my brain actually processed what Violet said, because when we get to the border of the neutral and shifter zones, and I watch with undisguised awe as Hunter shifts. Standing before me is a twenty foot, dark purple dragon, and all I can do is reach out and run my hand over its shiny scales, but before I can touch it, Violet slaps my hand away.

“Ah, maybe don’t touch the pretty fire-breathing shifter without permission,” Violet stammers.

The dragon swings its head around and pins her with its green stare, blowing smoke out of its nose and huffing with annoyance. She holds up her hands and backs away.

“Then again, maybe he wants you to touch him. Who the hell am I to tell you what to do?” she mutters before grumbling under her breath, “Damn grumpy lizard. I’m only trying to teach the shifter ways. We don’t want her going around stroking every shifter she comes in contact with, do we? That’s like a man going around squeezing every woman’s breast he sees. It’s lucky he’s wearing magickal clothes, otherwise he would have had to get naked in front of us all.”

“Naked?” I ask, not hating the idea of seeing this man naked.

“Yeah, unless they are spelled, clothes get ruined when we shift, so most of the time, we get naked first. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Violet assures me as I gape at her in horror.

Brodie chuckles, reaches up, and grabs my hand, placing it against Hunter’s side and running it back and forth. His scales are surprisingly warm to the touch and kind of silky feeling. “Violet is right. You shouldn’t go around touching every shifter you see, but Hunter really doesn’t mind if you touch him. It’s natural. You’re going to be curious, and he especially likes it if you scratch between is eyebrow ridges.”

I gasp in shock as Hunter’s large head leans in and practically headbutts me, and Brodie points to a spot. I reach up and rub the area he pointed at, and a loud purring sound comes out of the dragon’s mouth as he leans his heavy head against my stomach, his nostrils flaring in and out with large lungfuls of air.

“That’s enough.” Brodie pushes the dragon’s head away, glaring at him. “Come on, up you go. I promise the big lug is actually a fairly smooth ride.”

“That’s what he said,” Violet mutters behind us, and I can’t help my snicker of laughter. I’m pretty sure I’m in a small amount of shock. Seeing the dragon just made this all very fucking real.

Brodie rolls his eyes but smirks at Violet’s comment. “I like you.” He points at her before cupping his hands and nodding at them. “Put your foot in here, and then use the spikes on his back to pull yourself. Settle into the spot between his head and his wings, then scoot along, and I’ll climb up behind you. Violet, are you coming with us?”

She bites her lip and looks to me. “Is that okay? I don’t want to offend him or anything, but I don’t want to let Colbie go on her own. I can run if it’s a problem, but I won’t get there as quickly as you.”

“Are we offending him by riding him?” I ask, stopping before climbing up the dragon like Brodie told me to. “I don’t want one of the first things I do as queen to offend such a magnificent creature.”

Brodie shakes his head. “No, it’s an honor for Hunter to give you a lift. Trust me, he doesn’t mind in the least.” Brodie gives the dragon a sideways glance. “But mostly, shifters won’t let anyone else but their bond group or mates ride them. He said he would make an exception for Violet and his queen.”

Violet still looks unsure but agrees. Before long, the three of us are mounted on Hunter’s back, and my stomach is in my throat. I’m sandwiched between Brodie and Violet, with Brodie’s strong, warm chest against my back. He leans in, and his breath brushes across my ear, causing goosebumps to erupt on my arms. “Here we go.”

Hunter’s large, iridescent purple wings stretch out wide, and I feel his whole body dip as he uses his powerful legs to leap into the air. The wings flap up and down to gain momentum. I can’t stop the squeal of fright that leaves my mouth as we are jostled back and forth with the movement. If it wasn’t for Brodie holding me tightly, I probably would have slipped off. His arms around my waist and his thick thighs against mine hold me securely, and I try to do the same thing for Violet, but she has a hold of two large spikes that sit behind his brow ridge and seems more than comfortable.

“Easy,” Brodie murmurs, and one of his hands strokes my thigh. “I promise Hunter has never lost a rider. He’s actually a smooth ride once we get airborne. It’s just the takeoff and landing that’s a little bumpy.” My heart races as we lift above the forest and higher into the air. I shiver in the cold air and say a prayer of thanks that the rain has stopped for now, though it is still overcast. I look up and wince at the thought of flying through those clouds. Brodie must guess what I’m thinking.

“We’re not dressed for cloud flight, so he’ll stay below them. Hey, Hunter, the girls are cold,” he calls out, and all of a sudden, the surface I’m sitting on starts to warm, radiating toasty heat beneath my thighs. “He can at least make the ride slightly more comfortable for us. After all, he’s a living furnace.”

Hunter starts to move faster, streamlining his body, and the wind whips past our ears, making communication a little tricky. Instead, I watch the world go by and have an internal panic attack about what’s going to happen. The forest is large, and I gain a new appreciation for how far Archie ran on the day I found him. No wonder he was exhausted. We pass over a small village. In a large clearing in the forest, children run and laugh and wave at the dragon flying overhead, but finally, in the distance, I make out a large, white structure.

“That’s the castle,” Brodie says, leaning in close again so I can hear him. “It’s on the outskirts of the largest shifter city and will be your new home.”

We get closer, and Hunter finally starts a slow, circling descent into the courtyard of the huge structure. I can’t even begin to guess how many rooms the place has. My anxiety revs higher the closer we get to the ground.

“Everything is about to change. My life is never going to be the same, is it?” I lean my head against Brodie’s chest, forgetting where and who I am for a moment, just soaking in the comfort and strength he offers.

“Yes, it is, but I’m sure you will be nothing short of spectacular.” His words make me warm inside, and I get the urge to turn around and kiss him, so I do, placing my lips on his cheek.

“Thank you,” I murmur before facing forward again just as Hunter touches down gently.

Suddenly, we are surrounded by guards all carrying guns, but thankfully, none of them are pointing them at us. I feel a rush of panic, though, and grab Brodie’s wrist.

“Please don’t tell them who I am yet,” I ask desperately, and I feel his whole body stiffen behind me, but he slides off the dragon and holds up his hand to help me down.

“Fine, but if I can give you some advice—shifters admire strength. Don’t cower or hide from your destiny, Colbie.” He helps me down before turning and holding up his hands to the guards in a nonthreatening way.

“At ease. These ladies are with me,” Brodie calls out, and the guards melt back into their surroundings.

Violet jumps down, and in a flash, Hunter changes back. He doesn’t say anything, just starts walking toward the palace, expecting us to follow. I look around. Hunter has landed in a paved courtyard to the side of the castle, and there doesn’t seem to be much else here except for a building where I hear the whinny of horses. I’m assuming it’s the stable.

“There is a central courtyard Hunter could have landed in too, but that would have attracted a lot more attention. It was better to come in this way,” Brodie explains as we approach a portico that leads into the palace. Hunter opens the door and moves through, followed by Violet, but I freeze in place. Brodie steps up beside me and looks at me quizzically.

“What happens next?” I ask him, not looking away from the daunting entry. Brodie frowns and shrugs, running a nervous hand through his hair.

“Um, I’m not actually sure. I wasn’t around during the last coronation.”

I think about the book I read last night that is still on my bedside table. I’ll have to ask my grandparents to pack some of my things, or maybe they will let me return to do it myself. I mean, I’m not a prisoner, right? The book said that the moment the newly chosen human crosses the threshold of the shifter palace, the magic that is their right will embrace them, and that the process will end when the queen is crowned. What the hell does that even mean? What freaking process?

I hear a commotion inside the palace and turn my attention back to what’s happening. I see people waiting inside the room, quizzing Hunter and Violet. Brodie’s hand on my arm brings my attention back to him.

“It’s okay, Colbie, you just need to trust the goddess.” His eyes are soft like he can hear my internal worries.

“Colbie?” A voice has me looking up. It’s Queen Mia, and her eyes are wide with surprise as they scan my body. “What are you doing here? Did your mother send you?” It’s then that I remember I still have the pendant on, so I lift it over my head and tuck it into my pocket, leaving my marks on display.

She gasps and places her hand against her chest. “Oh, dear child.” Her eyes fill with sympathy, and she takes a step forward and holds out her hand encouragingly. “Don’t worry, the four of us will help you every step of the way, but you need to take that first step. It’s the hardest, but we will catch you, I promise.” Her voice is gentle and cajoling, like she’s talking to a wild animal, and she’s not wrong to assume that. A very big part of me wants to spin around, hurry into the forest, return to my life, and pretend none of this ever happened, but then I remember Aramis’s warning. I can’t change this, so instead, I straighten my shoulders, and I see Mia’s eyes gleam with pride. I brace myself for whatever comes next and walk over the threshold of the palace and into my new life.

Brodie follows behind me, and I stop just inside a large foyer. Hunter is talking to a man whom I recognize as King Lucas, while Violet talks to the other two queens. I look around and feel my body sag when nothing happens. Obviously, I was worried over nothing.

I give Queen Mia a small, wobbly smile, which she doesn’t return. Instead, she gestures to Brodie. “Get ready,” she tells him as my body starts to warm, and I look down to the source of the heat to find my body is glowing. I wave my arms like I’m trying to get the glow off me.

“What’s happening?” I screech as my body seizes and white-hot pain explodes through my limbs. I can’t control myself as I begin to convulse, and I drop, unable to support my body weight any longer. I’m vaguely conscious of being caught, but the pain is too much. I squeeze my eyes shut and open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. My vocal cords are seized as well, so I’m silent as waves of agony roll through my body in a never-ending tidal wave. It’s too much, and I black out as my system overloads.

“ W ow that seemed way worse than what I went through,” a male voice mumbles. “I remember glowing and pain, but I never seized like that or blacked out.”

“Where’s the damn physician?” I hear Hunter growl. “What is taking him so damn long?”

“He was guest lecturing at the university today. We didn’t think to keep him on hand until the new royal showed.” I recognize that voice as Queen Evie. “Poor child. Let’s bring her up to her room, and we can at least make her comfortable.”

I hear a growl, and I realize I’m being held by someone when their grip on my body gets tighter.

“Okay, Brodie, you can carry her, but you need to listen to Evie.” That’s the final queen, Layla. “If we take her to her room, we can get her comfortable and ready for when the palace physician gets here to check her.”

“Why is she still unconscious? What did the magic do to her?” Violet sounds distressed.

“We’re not actually sure. My experience was very different. Can anyone feel her animal inside her?” Lucas asks, and I hear the worry in his tone.

“I can’t sense anything, but her scent is stronger,” Hunter replies, sounding agitated, and Brodie growls again as I feel him move.

No one talks, but I can tell we’re moving. I try to open my eyes, but they refuse to cooperate. Same with the rest of my body. I try to figure out if I feel any different, but all I can feel are achy muscles and my throbbing head.

I hear everyone’s footsteps as we move through the palace and whispered words, but I can’t make out what they are saying. After what seems like a long walk, I hear a door open.

“Here, lay her down on the bed. I’ll remove her shoes,” Mia tells Brodie, who does as she asks, but he seems somewhat reluctant, like he doesn’t want me to leave his arms. The bed is soft, and I moan as he places me down, but I still can’t force my eyes to open or my mouth to make words. Brodie’s hand is still in mine as I feel Mia gently remove the sneakers from my feet.

“Brodie, you need to let the girl go,” King Lucas snaps, and I hear another rumbly growl, but his hand releases mine.

“We should let her rest until the physician gets here to check her over. I’m sure she’s fine and just overloaded from that influx of power. It looked like a lot,” Layla says sensibly.

“Is no one else worried about what that might mean? Why can’t we feel an animal inside her? Did something go wrong? Did the magic reject her?” Evie’s worried, and I can tell from the inhale of breath somewhere that at least one person hadn’t considered it.

“Nonsense. It’s never happened in the whole time the humans have been our rulers, and I doubt Aramis would ever allow it to occur. It’s her magic and her chosen one. I’m sure her wishes will make themselves known in time.” King Lucas sounds firm but frazzled, almost like he doesn’t believe what he is saying.

“I would like permission to stay,” I hear my friend say.

“Who are you, child?” Layla asks.

“Violet is here at Colbie’s request,” Hunter rumbles, answering the queen before Violet can. “She works with her in her bakery.”

“Good. That is good. I wish I had a friend with me when I went through this. All of mine were human. It’s good that she has someone who will help her through this. Of course you may keep her company. Send for us if she wakes before the physician arrives,” King Lucas says, approving her request.

I hear Violet clear her throat awkwardly.

“Speak up, child. We are not to be feared,” Evie chides gently.

“Colbie’s mother may be a problem.” A rush of surprise overrides the lingering pain. How does she know that?

“Malina Karridge?” I can hear the surprise in Queen Layla’s voice.

“Yes, she is a somewhat domineering woman, and she likes to make Colbie feel small, or that’s what her grandpa told me just before we left. She will try to insert herself into a role as Colbie’s advisor. Her grandparents warned us not to let her.” Trust my grandpa to look out for me like that. He knows I have trouble saying no to her, so he made it so I didn’t have to. Thank goodness for the old man.

“She’s human, so she has no standing whatsoever. What she wants won’t matter, only what Colbie wants. Now let’s leave the poor girl in peace. Hunter and Brodie, please return to headquarters and advise Bryson that the royal has been found so he can call off the search and gather the rest of your team.” King Lucas brushes away Violet’s concern, but I have a feeling he’s going to regret it. My mother does not like to be told no.

“Of course, sir,” Hunter replies.

“Should we go to her place and pack a bag so she at least has some of her things? I’m pretty sure her grandparents would help us?” I feel a warm rush of affection for Brodie. I only hope that he doesn’t run into my mother, though they both seem proficient enough to cope with her, and if not, they can dazzle her with their good looks. She’s a sucker for a handsome man.

“Good thinking,” Queen Layla replies. “The rest of us will wait for her to wake so we can talk about what happens next.” I hear them all file out of my room, and the door closes behind them as a hand picks up one of mine.

“Come on, Colbie, we need you to wake up. Everyone is worried about you,” Violet murmurs, but instead of obeying her plea, I sink deeper.