11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It was late and I was disheartened, so I wasn't in the mood to chat when Thomas Elliott darkened my door holding two glasses of champagne. Liam was at the security console in my office and Greg was nowhere to be seen. He must be running patrol, I thought inanely.

I'd declared that I was looking for a mate and Elliott had danced with me at my coronation ball. As he looked at me now, his eyes were warm and interested; if I hadn't already been head over heels in love with Greg, I might have been interested, too. Instead it took real effort to muster a welcoming smile for the handsome man.

‘Come in, Alpha Elliott,' I said. ‘I'm sorry that other business took me off site earlier on.'

‘Not a problem, Lucy,' he responded, though he looked curious.

The ‘Lucy' grated. I had spent a fair amount of time insisting to my pack that they should call me Lucy rather than Alpha, and most of them ignored me. I was getting used to Alpha and even Queen, but Elliott hadn't earned the familiarity that allowed him to call me by my given name.

My smile became distinctly strained. He must have noticed because he hastily dropped to one knee. ‘My Queen,' he corrected himself.

I was tempted to leave him kneeling but I didn't want to become like Rain and Isaacs and the other alpha holes, so I gestured for him to get up.

He did so, then held out one of the flutes of champagne. I took it and delicately sniffed the contents. It smelt normal but I had no doubt that potions could be clear, colourless and scentless so I held it loosely in hand and didn't sip it.

Elliott turned, looked pointedly at Liam and then back at me. He wanted privacy. Well, too bad; I wanted a chaperone. ‘Take a seat,' I said firmly. ‘What brings you here without an invitation?'

He winced. ‘Lucy, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot and that was not my intention at all.' He looked at me with eager blue eyes. ‘I was hoping to have an opportunity to court you. I couldn't help but feel there was something between us when we danced at my ancestral home, and I wanted to further explore that. Will you allow me that courtesy?'

It felt churlish in the extreme to say no – not to mention dangerous. Elliott was an alpha werewolf and I'd literally stolen the seat of power from his lands. He needed to save face and maybe dating me would allow that. Besides, to my knowledge he hadn't challenged anyone else of late, so if he wanted to he could legally challenge me.

We could take him, Esme said confidently.

You think that about everyone, I said, amused.

Because it is true, she huffed. We are a mighty warrior. One day you will accept it.

We couldn't take Bastion.

We could. He is weak. The curse on him drains him significantly. If it isn't lifted soon… She trailed off but I didn't need her to finish the sentence. If the curse wasn't lifted soon, Bastion would die. If he continued to be stubborn, then I'd approach Amber myself about healing him; she wouldn't like it but she probably wouldn't curse me.

With an effort, I put my concern for Bastion aside. I looked at Elliott, who was staring at me with pleading eyes. I couldn't for the life of me remember what he'd asked me.

He wants to know if he can date to mate us, Esme reminded me.

Ugh. That. I didn't have enough allies to alienate him, not yet, so I managed a smile. ‘Sure. Perhaps we can take a walk together. Tomorrow.' I loved to make things Future Lucy's problem, right up until Future Lucy became Present Lucy and then I cursed my procrastinating arse.

He beamed. ‘I'd love to go for a walk with you.' He raised his glass to me in a clear invitation to make a toast and I leaned forward a little to clink our glasses. Then I set mine down without drinking from it and a small frown crossed his face. It was there and gone in a blink.

‘Well,' he said tightly, ‘it's late. I'll leave you to deal with your affairs. But Lucy, I look forward to that walk.'

I didn't have it in me to lie at that moment so I gave him a vague smile. He bowed as he took his leave. When I looked up, Liam's shoulders were tense. ‘What's up, Liam?'

‘Nothing,' he replied shortly.

‘Come on, talk to me. What's bothering you?'

He turned around abruptly, spinning in his chair. ‘You should be mating with Manners. We all know it. Why are you entertaining that twat?'

‘That twat is an alpha,' I said levelly.

‘So he's better than Manners?' Liam spat.

‘Not even a little bit – but I'm still in a precarious position. I need to build my allies. I can't afford to make more enemies. Rain is already circling. '

‘Fuck him. We'll kill him when he comes,' Liam snarled. ‘But you're hurting Manners. We can all see it. Why won't you ask him to mate?'

‘Why won't he ask me?' I threw back, finally voicing the dark thought that had been bothering me for weeks. Why hadn't he raised the topic with me? Not once?

Liam blinked. ‘ You're the alpha – it is up to you to raise it. He is the beta. Tradition dictates he must wait for you to ask him . Tristan made sure he was clear on that point.'

I pinched the bridge of my nose and stifled the frustrated scream that wanted to erupt out of me. ‘And no one thought to tell me that?'

‘Well, we thought Esme would clarify it.'

ESME! I shrieked. Why didn't you tell me it was up to ME to make the first move?

I did, she said blankly. I told you that we had to mate with him.

You didn't make it clear, I started hotly. You— You know what? Never mind.

In my head, Esme let out a low whine and her tail went between her legs. I dropped my head into my hands. I'm sorry, okay? It's just that I wasn't clear about all of this and there's been a bit of a balls-up all because of a stupid misunderstanding. And now I have a matter of days to clear it up and hopefully mate with Manners before the full moon.

There was a long pause before Esme finally spoke. You do know you don't have to actually mate with Manners on the full moon? You just have to declare your intention to do so.

My jaw dropped. Are you freaking kidding me? We just need to get engaged?

Well, declare to mate. Yes, I suppose it is like your betrothal.

I dropped my head onto the desk. The whole time I'd been freaking out because I was worried I'd be forcing Greg up the aisle prematurely, and now I learned that it was little more than an engagement? An engagement that we could probably drag out as long as we wanted?

Assumptions hadn't been treating me well lately, so I reached out to Esme again. Can we declare to mate and then not mate for a set period or as long as we want?

As long as you want, though it is traditional to do it sooner rather than later.

But we can wait a year or two? More even?

Well, yes. But until you are actually mated, Greg and Red could formally challenge us.

I thunked my head on the desk again; perhaps that could knock some sense into Esme. There was no way in hell that Greg and Red would ever betray us. I rubbed my eyes and stood. ‘I'm going to bed,' I said to Liam. ‘It's been a long night.'

The tension had gone from his frame and he was looking at me sympathetically, maybe with a little pity. Ugh. ‘Good night, my Queen.'

I climbed the stairs to the bedroom and took the time to do my make-up removal, cleansing, toning and moisturising routine, then I brushed out my hair and climbed into bed.

I lay in the darkness waiting for Greg to join me – but he never did.