Page 24 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Colbie

O nce dessert is cleared away, Lucas turns the conversation back to me. “Colbie, I was wondering if you would like my help to learn to shift? I think it would be a good idea if we don’t leave it too long before you shift for the first time. You might psych yourself out. If you’re too much inside your head, it’s more difficult,” he suggests, and I agree.

“There’s a special room inside the palace where we help shifters shift for the first time. It’s magic proof to protect the rest of the castle in case a mythical’s magic gets away from them, or they have trouble controlling their animal. Shall we all move there?” Layla stands up, and it seems to me she’s inviting the whole group to observe, but I don’t know how I feel about that.

I bite my lip with worry, scared to question her, but then I remember I’m queen. I don’t need to be afraid of these people. “You want me to get naked in front of everyone?”

My question shocks Layla, but she quickly shakes her head. “Oh my goodness, no. I’m sorry you thought that. That dress is shift proof, which means you can shift in it without worrying about it being destroyed. It’s a special fae magic that’s applied to the fabric.”

“Shifters aren’t too worried about getting naked, but we are a little more reserved in the palace. A clothing optional policy is not something we encourage. You never know who might be wandering about. We regularly get visitors from other kingdoms and representatives from the human zone. We don’t want to scare anyone off with naked bits flapping about,” Gracelin’s husband, Adam, explains with a wink, and I heave out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness.”

There’s an awkward silence, and I look around the table, trying to gauge what it’s about.

Gretchin scoffs and throws up her hands. “What no one wants to tell you is after the challenge part of the coronation ceremony, you will have to shift to show the shifter population you can. You will have to strip down naked to do that so no one can accuse you of using fae magic or a witch charm to shift.”

“Naked in front of everyone?” I ask, not sure I heard her right.

She nods and grins. “Yeah, but by then it won’t even be an issue, you’ll see.”

I’m not sure she’s right about that, but I’m not going to think about it for now.

Lucas offers me his arm again. “Come on. Aren’t you dying to find out what you can shift into? I know I was.” I take his arm and allow him to lead me through the palace.

“I think I’m going to need a tracker to help remember my way around,” I murmur to him as I take in all the beautiful furniture and elaborate art on the walls, trying to make note of landmarks for reference, and he chuckles.

“I was the same way. We will do as much as we can to help you, I promise, before we take our leave and move to our new home. It’s the least we can do. The old bag who was queen before me was a bitch who didn’t want to give up her power. She was not helpful in the least. She ripped my animal out, which was excruciating, and then disappeared to her retirement home without a backward glance. I had to figure everything out on my own. Thankfully, I had the girls to help me.”

“Do you mind if I ask you about them and your relationship?” I look behind us. The rest of the party is following farther back. I think they are giving us time to talk privately.

“Of course, ask me anything,” he encourages me.

“How soon did they arrive after you were marked, and how long did you have to decide?” I ask, not sure if I really want the answer to these questions, but knowing I need them.

“Well, I didn’t get the luxury of hiding my marks when they appeared.” He doesn’t sound mad, just wistful. “I was at a party in the human zone, watching the magic happen on a giant screen, and when they appeared, I was surrounded by humans and escorted to the border where a night watch team met me and brought me here.” He gestures to his face. “There was no chance I was going to be able to hide them no matter what happened.”

“And the people selected as your mates?” I ask.

“In my case, it was all women. I’m not sexually attracted to men, so the goddess didn’t choose any for me, though that hasn’t always been the case in the past. They started appearing within hours of my arrival at the castle. All of them were invited to stay so I could get to know them, but I didn’t need to. I knew the moment I met my three that they were the ones for me. It really was effortless. I tried to give the others a chance, but I knew in my heart whom I was going to mate with.”

“How many were there in total?” I ask.

“I think twelve women were marked, but as soon as I made up my mind, even before I told anyone, those marks disappeared, and they were asked to leave the palace. I’m sure you will have more to choose from since you will have six mates,” he tells me, and I stop mid-step, and he jostles to stop next to me.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask him, and he winces.

“Has no one said anything about that? Damn. There are six consort crowns. The magic also dictates the amount of mates a king or queen has. Mostly it has been three, which they say reflects the amount the goddess has, but a couple of times in history, it’s been two or four.”

“How many had six?” I ask, and he grimaces.

“None.”

I feel nauseous, and I put a hand against my stomach. “I couldn’t even manage a relationship with one man, let alone six. I can’t do this.” My breathing starts to rush in and out of my lungs, and I feel a little lightheaded in my panic.

“Breathe, Colbie.” A steady hand on my back helps me focus a little better, and the soothing, commanding tone helps get my breathing under control. “In and out slowly.” I blink and focus on who’s giving me instructions. Hunter’s bright green eyes are glowing. I’ve noticed they only do that when a shifter’s emotions are heightened. I get lost in them, letting them ground me and help reel in the panic.

Swaying a little, I fill my lungs before releasing them and realize my panic has settled and a wave of calm now rolls over me. There’s a soothing, purring kind of sound coming from somewhere, and I look around for a cat, but then I step closer to Hunter and lean in, listening to his chest. “Are you purring?”

His cheeks turn a little pink, and he steps back, his nostrils flaring. “Yes, sorry. My dragon was trying to make you feel better,” he admits, and out of the corner of my eye, I see his mother and the queens exchange a curious glance.

“It helped, thank you.” I hook my arm through Lucas’s again and drag him forward, away from the others, to continue the uncomfortable conversation.

“So how many men have appeared since I’ve been unconscious? Please tell me I have a decent selection to choose from?” I hiss, still feeling somewhat agitated, though Hunter helped immensely. As I walk away from him, the power in my chest seems to reach out for him, and a yearning sensation takes hold of me, but I ignore it. Surely someone would have mentioned if any of the men at dinner were marked. I certainly didn’t see any glaringly obvious wrist shackles.

There’s an awkward pause before Lucas sighs and sags slightly. “None.”

The nausea and panic return. “What do you mean, none?”

“Now, don’t panic. I’m sure they will start arriving tomorrow. I’m thinking maybe the magic going haywire interfered with the process.”

We arrive at a large, reinforced door, and he puts his hand over a biometric scanner. “One of tomorrow’s jobs is to key you in to all the security around the palace, as well as show you the vault, but for now, I’ll open everything for you.”

A light flashes, and a small beep rings out as the door unlatches, and we step into a huge, circular room with a large domed roof. It’s empty except for a small seating area around one side. The rest of the guests file into the seating area to observe, while Lucas toes off his shoes and gestures for me to do the same.

“Most shoes don’t have the same spells as the fabric,” he warns. “It’s easier if you kick them off so your animal doesn’t get tangled up in them when you shift.”

I do that and put them off to the side out of the way. Before Lucas can go any further, Gracelin approaches, holding out a black velvet bag. “It’s time to remove the charm. Drop it in here, and I’ll give it back when you are done,” she tells me, and Lucas frowns with confusion.

“What does she mean?” His eyes drift to the pendant and cord around my neck, and his eyes widen with surprise.

“Oh, I hadn’t realized you put it back on.”

Gracelin nods. “Yes, I think it’s part of the spell. It encourages you not to notice it. She was wearing it after the first influx of magic again, and nobody put it back on her. It’s why none of you could feel an animal inside her.”

“That is some very powerful magic. Where did you get it?” Lucas doesn’t sound angry, just curious.

“From a friend in the human zone who has an interest in magic.” I don’t give him any details, and he doesn’t push for them.

I remove the pendant and drop it in the bag. There’s a chorus of grunts and shouts of surprise, and when I look up, everyone is once again on their knees with their heads bowed, including the king.

He gapes at me in shock. “I have never felt anything so powerful before in my life.”

I coax my animal to ease up on the dominance, and I see exactly when it pulls back. Everyone is able to get to their feet again.

“I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to help you,” Lucas admits as Bryson approaches us and Gracelin returns to the viewing area, the bag containing my pendant held away from her body.

Bryson eyes me with caution and curiosity, but it doesn’t feel malicious. “Your Majesty, will you allow me to assist the king in coaxing your animal out? I believe it’s going to take more than just him.”

“Please call me Colbie, and of course, any help I can get is much appreciated.”

Lucas shakes his head like he’s trying to clear his mind. “I don’t know if the two of us will be enough. Whatever she is, its dominance and power are off the charts. I’ve never felt anything like her before, and I think I’ve met all the different kinds of shifters over the years.”

“What if all the boys help? Surely when faced with that much dominance, we should be able to force a shift.”

Lucas nods, and Bryson gestures for the rest of the men to join us. “I’m sorry, Colbie, this is going to hurt, but hopefully with all of us, it should be quick. If I do it on my own, it’s only going to draw the shift and pain out.”

I nod my understanding as we all move to the center of the room. Bryson and Lucas take their spots, and Adam and the four night watch males fan out around me.

“Everyone, step back a few steps. Let’s give the girl room,” Mia calls out from her spot, and when I look at her, her eyes are narrowed in concentration, but Evie gives me a thumbs-up and a smile of encouragement.

“You’ve got this, cupcake,” Gretchin shouts, and I raise my eyebrows.

“Cupcake?”

“Meh, you smell like them, so it seems fitting,” she replies, and I chuckle nervously but take a small sniff of myself. I can’t smell anything, but I appreciate her attempt to distract me.

“Okay, on three I need you to command her to shift, but unlike when you’re commanding a regular shifter and you only use a little bit, you need to use as much dominance as you contain. We’re actually lucky most of you are on the higher end of the dominance scale, and unlike when you stop once a shifter starts to change, you have to focus on her through the whole shift. The first time is the hardest. Alright, is everyone ready?” Lucas asks after issuing instructions.

He gets nods and murmurs of assent, and then he counts down. I can’t stop myself from bracing for the pain again, but there’s a throb of reassurance from inside my chest. When Lucas reaches one, there’s a loud, echoing boom as the seven men command me to shift.

I was expecting resistance and pain, but what happens is nothing short of miraculous. My body seems to fold into itself, the sensations gentle, calming, and encouraging. I mostly lose track of what’s happening, the feelings becoming disorienting, and when I blink my eyes open, my perspective of the world has changed. My view is multifaceted, like I’m seeing through multiple pairs of eyes from all sorts of angles, and it takes my mind a little time to sort it all out, but eventually, it all seems to filter in, and my brain processes everything differently. There’s still a sense of myself, but there’s an overriding sense of otherness as well—a more animalistic me. A myriad of scents assaults me, and I try to filter through them, but they are confusing, and it’s tricky. A few of them make my mouth water, like I want to take a big bite out of whoever smells like that. I lick my lips and do a double take.

“Holy fuck.” It’s a whisper, but I have no problem hearing it. I swing around to look at the person. With that action, I finally comprehend I have more than one head. “She’s a fucking hydra.”

I look down and notice I have a huge, serpentine body as large as Hunter’s dragon, but I’m skinnier and don’t have wings. I’m more streamlined, like I’m designed for gliding or swimming, and I have six heads with long necks. I’m a gorgeous blue green color, which I bet camouflages beautifully in the water. I lift a clawed front leg and try to take a step forward, but I misjudge and stumble and go down hard, my body awkward and uncoordinated. I’m unable to slow or stop the descent.

“Shit, watch out!” The men scatter so they are not trampled or squashed by my massive form.

A mournful wail escapes my mouth as I squeeze my eyes shut in the hopes I can pretend I’m dead, feeling embarrassed beyond belief at how uncoordinated I am. Someone approaches me, and when I open my eyes, Brodie stands there with a look of awe on his face, his Caribbean blue eyes shining with his inner animal. He smells so good, like the woods on a hot summer day—pine and cedar, crisp and refreshing, with a hint of warmth like the sun shining through the trees. He strokes a hand over my head.

“It’s okay, we will work on that. By the time we’re done with you, everyone will fear the formidable and magical shifter queen,” he reassures me.