Page 3 of Unwilling Queen (Kingdoms #1)

Chapter

Three

Brodie

W e don’t mess around once we have Archer secured. Hunter sets a fast pace toward our borders. Once we enter the forest that delineates the neutral zone from shifter grounds, he shifts, and I help Archie onto his back before climbing up behind him. Normally I would shift and run by myself, but I want to be here to make sure Archie doesn’t fall.

Hunter flaps his giant wings, and we take to the air, Archie whooping with pure joy. I smile at the kid’s reaction as the wind whips past us. Hunter’s speed is unparalleled in the air. Archie always begs Hunter to take him flying every time we visit the castle, but his overprotective mother always says no. She’s not here now, though, and I’m sure she will forgive us when we return her son to her safe and sound. Flying on the back of a dragon will be overshadowed by the worrying fact that he was kidnapped.

Archie is the grandson of the current king and queens. They have three children themselves, and Archie is Princess Gracelin’s son. Neither of the other royal children have found mates yet despite the mounting pressure from their parents.

Archie is lucky, Hunter’s voice rumbles in my mind. He could have disappeared without a trace like the other three children who are still missing. Someone is obviously targeting shifter children, but to go after the king’s own grandson is bold.

We suspected the witches were taking our children. They are the closest, and the vamps and fae are too far away. The other logical conclusion is a human. But why? I muse, my grip on Archie tightening with my worry. Thankfully he doesn’t notice, just stretches his arms wide to pretend that he’s flying.

I’m sure it means nothing good. It also bodes badly for shifter-witch relations, and goddess help the humans if it’s them.

It’s a terrible time for it. On the full moon, the new king or queen will be selected, and they are walking into a shit storm of epic proportions.

Do you think the timing is deliberate? he asks.

Without a doubt. What better time to stir up trouble when the shifter species is in a time of transition?

The castle comes into view, and Hunter spirals down toward the large courtyard. Guards run out holding weapons, but I see them relax when they notice the deep purple dragon. Hunter is the only one of his race who is that color.

But the witches and shifters have always been on good terms. In fact, we’ve been at peace with all three other races for many years. I can’t imagine that they would risk that after all races were almost annihilated by humans two hundred years ago.

So what? A rogue witch? He guesses as he puts his wings out to slow our descent and make the landing gentle.

I would assume so, but we’ll leave that up to the king and his queens to determine. The witch queen will be here for the coronation of our new king or queen in a few weeks. I’m sure they will get to the bottom of it. Until then, we’ll warn our people to tighten the security on their children and widen our search for the remaining missing ones. Dad will spin a story so as not to panic the shifter population.

I feel his renewed determination to find the other missing children. We’ve managed to keep the news from the general shifter population up until now, but we can’t afford to do that any longer. Widespread panic isn’t going to help either. This is really a bad time for any upheaval. The transition of a new king and queen is always a little rocky for the first year until they find their footing and get used to shifter ways.

I swing my leg off Hunter and slide down his body before turning around and gesturing to Archie. He crosses his arms stubbornly, and his lip juts out in a pout. “No, I’m not getting down.”

I chuckle. He looks so much like his uncle, one of my best friends, at the moment that it’s comical. “Your mother will be here at any moment, and what do you think she will say when she sees you riding a dragon?” I ask, and his eyes widen before he quickly leaps.

Luckily I have quick reflexes and catch the small boy before he can damage himself. I lower him to the ground as Hunter shifts back into his human form. Thankfully our watch uniforms are spelled to change with us so he’s not naked, because the castle doors fling open and the king and queens run out, followed by their two daughters.

“Archie!” Gracelin cries, pushing past everyone and snatching him out of my arms. Adam, her mate, joins them, wrapping his big arms around the two smaller figures. His bear’s rumbling growl sounds both relieved and aggravated at the same time.

“Brodie, Hunter, where did you find him?” The king asks as his wives surround the family, fussing over the little boy. The rest of the guards fade away, leaving behind only General Bryson, the commander of the shifter army and Hunter’s father. Bryson is a large man, and his oldest son Hunter is practically his twin, but King Lucas is slighter, not quite as tall, and he has a long, lean figure indicating he would excel at stealth just like his tiger. Bryson grips his son’s shoulder in greeting but does not show overt affection when on duty in public view.

“Actually, we didn’t find him. A human in the neutral zone did and tried to report him to the watch,” I explain as the four of us make our way back into the castle, followed by the rest of the royal family. The only one not around is the king’s son, but I know why, so I’m not particularly worried.

“A human?” The king frowns as he leads us through the extravagant castle that is their family home. Many of the rooms are only used for special occasions, but I can tell he’s leading us toward his family space. Soon, they will move out of this castle for the next king or queen to take up residence. They have a family compound nearby they will move into. All outgoing royal families are gifted them from the goddess as part of their retirement package.

“ Tried to report it?” Bryson growls, sounding annoyed. Not only is he the general of the shifter army, but he also is the night watch commander.

I sigh and turn my attention to my boss. “Gianna was manning the switchboard tonight. You know what she’s like.”

He grumbles and shakes his head. “That girl has gone too far. I never should have allowed her mother to convince me to hire her.”

“What is she like?” the king asks, not hiding his annoyance, and Bryson runs an agitated hand through his hair as Hunter and I exchange a glance. Gianna is a man eater. I’m almost certain the only reason she took the job with the watch was so she could be around all the strongest shifters. She wants her pick of the crop and often lets her ambitions to snag a strong husband get in the way of doing her job properly. She’s also not particularly fond of humans.

“Gianna told the human she had no teams to send, but the human female says she didn’t even get a chance to tell her about the cub before she was cut off,” I reply before Bryson can answer. The man is like a father to me, and I hate that he has to explain the behavior of one annoying shifter woman.

The king’s tiger rumbles inside his chest, and Bryson’s dragon joins in. I wouldn’t want to be in Gianna’s shoes.

“I will see to Gianna. She’s going to be very sorry she didn’t prioritize her job over her need for a husband,” Bryson growls, and I wince. I don’t like Gianna, but I’ve been on the end of Bryson’s ire before, and it’s not fun.

“No, send for her. I want her to explain to my face why she neglected to take an emergency call when the watch was on high alert for a missing child. Even if she didn’t know all the details, she was still neglectful in her duties. The night watch is there to keep the neutral zone safe, and she failed,” King Lucas demands, and Bryson lowers his head in acknowledgment of the order. He pulls out his phone and shoots off a message before turning his attention to Hunter and me.

“Tell us about the human. Are we sure she found Archie and wasn’t the person who took him in the first place?” Hunter’s father asks as we enter the royal family’s living room. The king waves all the staff away, leaving us alone. We make ourselves comfortable, the tears staining Gracelin’s cheeks making me feel thankful that we found her son in one piece. She’s always been like a sister to me, and seeing her despair was heartbreaking.

“I’ll kill her, and nobody will stop me,” Adam rumbles, his fur bristling on his arms as he struggles with his shift. The three of them find a couch, and Gracelin puts a hand on her husband’s arm, warning him to be careful. Archie rests his head peacefully against his mother’s chest, but at his father’s words, he sits bolt upright.

“No, leave Colbie alone. She was nice to me. I love her, and I want to marry her,” he declares with hearts in his eyes, stabbing his father’s chest with his little finger.

It breaks the tension in the room as we chuckle at his declaration. He’s too young to realize shifters don’t marry humans—or not often, anyway.

“No, Archie is right. The woman protected him. He told us he was snatched up from the stables when he snuck out of bed last night and went to play with the kittens. From how he described them, we think it might be a witch. He claimed they smelled like moldy hay,” Hunter explains, leaning against one of the walls. I take my place next to him as the queens and Princess Gretchin find a place to sit. King Lucas and General Bryson also remain standing.

Archie squirms when his parents look at him with disappointment. He knows he fucked up, but he’s definitely been punished enough. “Oh, Archie, you know you aren’t supposed to wander around outside the castle on your own.” His mother sounds so disappointed, I grimace. I know that tone well. I’ve heard it a number of times from my own mother when I was Archie’s age.

Bryson and Lucas gently question him about his experience. Gracelin starts to cry again, and her sister squishes in next to her and holds her hand while Adam tries to whisper words of reassurance. I hide the smirk that wants to cross my lips at the sight of the big grizzly bear becoming a teddy around his wife.

Adam is a former watch member. When he mated Gracelin, he transferred to the shifter army so he could be home every night with his wife. He now leads his own team of men, but because we haven’t been at war, they mostly train and patrol shifter territory.

“I’m so proud of you, son.” He embraces Archie again, and I see a wide smile stretch across the boy’s face as his chest puffs out. “You were very brave and did well to get away from the witch.”

He really must have shaken the witch up, or maybe the witch isn’t very powerful, because he should have easily been able to subdue a shifter child with his magic. Maybe that’s why he smelled like moldy hay—most witches smell like fresh herbs or some kind of plant—or maybe it points to the other suspicion that is niggling inside my brain, which is that it could have been a human.

“And I rode on Hunter’s back too,” he announces proudly. Hunter winces and tries to melt into the wall as Gracelin’s eyes narrow on him. Before she can voice a barrage of grievances, Queen Mia, Gretchin’s mother, clears her throat, and we turn our attention to her. She shifts a couple of long black braids off her shoulder, her dark eyes alight with curiosity. She’s wearing a red pantsuit that looks stunning against her dark skin. The king really is a lucky guy. The queens are all striking women, and not only are they gorgeous, but they are also kind and loving. I have gotten to know them well through my friendship with their son.

“Tell us more about the human woman. We need to show her our thanks. She obviously took care of our boy if he wants to marry her.” Her lips twitch, but she smothers her amusement.

“The human owns a bakery in the neutral zone. She seemed kind enough,” I tell them, thinking about the spark between us when we shook hands, then I remember the thing I shoved into my pocket. I pull out the little marshmallow tiger. It’s slightly squished but doesn’t look too worse for wear. I hold my hand out, showing them. “She’s making these adorable marshmallow animals in celebration of your retirement,” I tell them, stepping over and giving it to Archie, whose eyes light up at the treat.

“Colbie made me,” he declares, snatching it from my hand and holding it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. He runs a finger over the marshmallow head. “I will keep it forever,” he declares, and Gracelin scrunches up her nose.

“No, you will not. You’ll attract ants and critters into your room. Eat it now, and then we can find you some real food,” she tells him. His bottom lip sticks out, and it’s like his four grandparents hold their breath. I snicker at the reaction, but his curiosity must win out over his desire to keep his new friend’s creation, because he stuffs it into his mouth and chews, his eyes going round with astonishment. “Tastes like oranges,” he tells everyone, mumbling around the mallow. “It’s really good.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Queen Evelyn scolds, but there’s no anger in her tone. Her hazel eyes sparkle with mirth as she watches him enjoy his treat.

“Did you say her name is Colbie?” Queen Layla asks, leaning forward. Her shoulder-length red hair falls forward with the movement, and I see the interest in her eyes.

“Yes, Colbie, and she’s really pretty, with long black hair and pretty purple eyes. She’s short like you, Mom, but she smells nice, like cupcakes, and she had a really nice voice.” Archie sighs, and again, we all snicker at his lovesick actions. “She gave me milk and a whole plate of meat when I was in cub form and couldn’t change back and eat cupcakes. She sang while she baked, and it was so nice, I went to sleep.”

Gracelin’s eyes soften at hearing how well her son was treated by the little human.

“Colbie’s an unusual name. You don’t think it’s the same Colbie we were friends with as kids, do you?” Gretchin runs her hand over her nephew’s tousled blond hair, smiling indulgently before turning to her mother. Gretchin keeps her hair cropped short against her head. She complains that her curls are too hard to manage when she’s on patrol as part of one of the shifter army teams.

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing,” Evelyn agrees as she turns to her co-queens. “Wasn’t Malina Karridge’s daughter called Colbie?”

“The dress designer?” Layla’s eyebrows jump. “I think so, but when we stopped bringing the kids to our appointments, she stopped having her daughter there. I remember the four of them would sit under her design table and giggle the whole time she measured, fitted, and showed us samples. They would have tea parties, and it kept them out of our hair,” she explains to the rest of us in the room.

“Yes, I remember she was a little younger than us but a sweet girl. She would bake us cookies to have with our tea. They were the yummiest things I’d ever tasted.” Gretchin nudges her sister. “Do you remember?”

“Yes, she was such a shy little thing, always so nervous around Gryffin, but one day, she had a broken arm and wasn’t able to pour the tea, and she started crying. Our brother almost had a panic attack. He took over, poured the tea from her little teapot, and assured her he would help with whatever she needed. I think he was a little smitten with the little girl.” Gracelin laughs before frowning. “I had forgotten all about her. I feel guilty now.”

Gracelin and Gretchin have an air of sadness about them. “Why did we stop going? I know you still use her,” Gretchin asks her mother, but it’s Gryffin’s mother, Layla, who answers.

“You turned twelve and got control of your shifts. We didn’t want you scaring the girl. Although her mother knew who we were, the girl didn’t, and we didn’t think it was fair to you three or her if you shifted in front of her and she was scared. You didn’t seem to notice since you had plenty of your own school friends, and like you said, she was a little younger than you.”

“Fine, but I would like to do something nice for her. She needs an award or something,” Gracelin says, and I clear my throat, remembering what the intriguing woman said to me.

“I suggested the same thing, and she vehemently denied it. She was just glad Archie was safe,” I explain, and there’s a look of wonder on their faces. There aren’t many people, shifter or human, who would turn down a reward from the king and queens. “I get the feeling she didn’t want to draw attention.”

“You know what would probably be a nice gesture?” Queen Mia muses thoughtfully. “If we supported her bakery and ordered some treats. That way, we’ll show we are supportive of neutral zone businesses and encourage other shifters to visit.”

“But in the past, you always suggested we avoid the neutral zone,” Gretchin argues.

“We walk a fine line, Gretchin. We are the shifter king and queens, and despite me being a former human, we can’t be seen as favoring the humans over shifters or vice versa, but I don’t see any harm in it this time,” King Lucas says to his daughter, going over to a side table and pulling the stopper out of a crystal bottle that holds amber liquid. He gestures to General Bryson and holds out a glass, but the general shakes his head. The king turns to Hunter and me and raises an eyebrow.

“We have to get back to command and sign out for the day, but thank you, sir,” I tell him, and he nods in understanding. Despite being the king, we grew up as his son’s best friends and have been bond mates since we turned seventeen. He is like another father to both Hunter and me.

He pours a glass for himself and Adam, handing his son-in-law his before turning his attention to his wives and daughters. “Can I order you some tea, ladies?” The five women have been whispering amongst themselves and quickly separate when he speaks to them.

“What, we don’t get offered whiskey too?” Gretchin scowls at her father who winces sheepishly and pours her a glass, before passing it to her. He raises his eyebrows at the other women. Gracelin shakes her head.

“That would be lovely, thank you, dear,” Queen Layla replies with a laugh. “You know, I believe I need a new dress for the coronation ceremony. I think I might just pop in and see Malina. It’s been a while since we used her services.”

Queen Mia claps her hands, her eyes sparkling. “What a wonderful idea. I believe we all could use new dresses. How about we all go?”

“Don’t forget about us.” Gretchin nudges her sister, who nods her head. “Yes, and I believe I would like to get a hot chocolate and maybe one or two tigers to float on top.” She growls and pretends to scratch at Archie, who giggles and throws himself into his aunt’s arms.

“And if I go too, I can see my future wife again, and maybe she will make me a hot chocolate too,” he says, wrapping his little arms around Gretchin and hugging her tightly. When her eyes widen and she gasps for air, Adam untangles his son.

“Ladies, how about you leave the poor girl alone? She did this family a tremendous favor when she found our boy. Let’s not go and ruin it,” King Lucas warns, but they ignore him, and he huffs out an annoyed breath while Bryson doesn’t even try to hide his amusement. Lucas scowls at him. “Shall I invite Ember and Sable over to conspire?” he suggests, and both Bryson and Hunter shudder and shake their heads. Hunt’s mother and sister are just as energetic as the queens and princesses. Maybe a little more, to be honest, because they don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances.

“We have to get going.” Hunter pushes off the wall and nudges me with his elbow. “Come on, we need to check in with the rest of the team and clock out.”

“If you see Gianna, make sure you let her know the king wants to see her, and if she doesn’t come, escort her here yourselves,” Bryson reminds us, and I nod while Hunter grimaces. He hates Gianna. She’s made it very clear that she would like to mate our bonded group, but we have no interest in her. All our animals agree. She doesn’t smell right to any of them, not to mention she doesn’t carry our mark.

“And don’t forget, you are all invited to our retirement party. It would be nice if you brought dates,” Queen Mia calls after us.

“Or we could introduce you to some very lovely ladies,” Evelyn suggests.

“Leave them be,” Queen Layla scolds her co-wives. “They will find love when the time is right, and she will be perfect. You know how hard it is for bonded groups to find the one. The goddess will mark their mate when she deems them ready.”

We hurry out of the room, their arguing voices fading behind us. I can’t stop the yawn that leaves my mouth, and I rub my eyes. “God, I can’t wait to get to bed. It’s been a long ass night.” I clap Hunter on the shoulder.

“It has been a long night, but thankfully a successful one. Want a ride back?” he offers, and I consider whether to shift and run and decide I’m too tired.

“Yeah, that would be great. The sooner I can get back, the sooner I can hit the hay.”

He shifts, and I climb up. We soar across shifter land back toward the neutral zone. I am hoping soon, I can make my way back to the bakery to get coffee and take another look at the pretty human girl, but I keep that thought to myself. I have no business wanting a second look at her, but there was just something about her that piqued both my and my wolf’s interest.