Wolves' Queen (The Royal Heir Series Book 1) Read online

  “Don’t worry. I don’t owe her anything. I bring her herbs and give her a little of my blood, and we’re even.” She once started telling me why she needed my blood, and I stopped her. I remember saying, “As long as it doesn’t impact me, then I didn’t give a shit.” She seemed to be happy with that answer.

  “The blood is what I’m worried about,” Kassie huffed.

  “I looked it up online.” I had told her I didn’t want to know, but one night, curiosity got the best of me. “It’s for killing vampires.” Any way I could help reduce the supernatural population, I was in.

  “Well, I can’t complain about that.” She tilted her head to the side. “But I’m not one hundred percent sure about your reasons.”

  “I’m eighteen now, so you’re kinda stuck dealing with my decisions.” I grabbed my purse and keys off the ground. “So we’re just going to have to agree to disagree.”

  “You better be damn glad I love you.” Kassie took another long sip. “Hurry up, and don’t be late. I’ll have us some steaks for dinner tonight.”

  My stomach growled just at the thought. “Yeah, make sure mine is rare. Last time, you overdid it.”

  “I got distracted by Aquaman.” Kassie pointed her finger at me and arched an eyebrow. “That means it was justified. Besides, I make one mistake, and you won’t let me live it down.”

  “Because it’s food.” Jason Momoa or not, food should never be ruined. It was a damn travesty. “See ya.”

  “Be careful.” She shouted as I opened the privacy gate and headed to my car.

  My car wasn’t fancy by any means, but I love my little Honda Civic. It was cute, clean, and best of all, a dark red. I pulled out of the driveway and made my way to class.

  I parked in the general student parking lot, which happened to be at least a mile away from where I needed to be. It was ten minutes until class started, so I had to hurry.

  Luckily, it was a beautiful day. The sun was out, and as always, it was burning up in August. That was one of the things I missed about New York. At least in the city, it was only this miserable for five months out of the year instead of eight like here. Usually around October, it finally began cooling off here.

  I grabbed my purse and backpack and slammed the door. I took off and hit the lock button as I went.

  “Well, hey there.” A guy nodded at me as I rushed past him.

  Ugh, men are such idiots. Not wanting to waste any of my time, I ignored him and pushed my legs faster.

  “Dumb bitch.” The guy mumbled under his breath, thinking I couldn’t hear him.

  But of course, I had exceptional hearing without my wolf. Normally, I’d turn around and tell him where he could go, but I needed to hurry. I tried to stay under the radar, so I didn’t want to rush in late.

  It was sometimes hard hiding how fast I could be, yet another thing that kept me not human. So I tried moving slower than I wanted.

  The brick building appeared, and I rushed up the four steps and straight through the doors. My class was on the first floor, so at least I had that going for me.

  Within a minute, I entered the classroom and scanned the open desks. Of course, Connor was in this class, and he waved me over to an open seat next to him.

  Oh, hell, no.

  My eyes scanned past him, and I spotted an open seat in the very back. That’s where I wanted to be. I slipped between a few desks and walked through the aisle, heading for my perfect seat.

  “Elena,” Connor called as if he thought I hadn’t seen him.

  That night proved, over and over again, how much of a mistake it’d been. I unzipped my bag and pulled out my book for class.

  “I think that guy is hollering for you.” A girl leaned over and giggled. “He’s pretty hot.”

  “If you’re into the needy kind.” I met her gaze and rolled my eyes. “Seriously, he’s a clinger.”

  The girl shrugged, and her hazel eyes twinkled. “Some wouldn’t mind a guy looking like that being that way.” She tilted her head, causing her blonde hair to cascade over her shoulder.

  “From what I gather from you, you wouldn’t like him either.” She had on a stylish red wrap dress, which made her eyes and hair pop. She was put together, but there was something independent I saw in her eyes.

  “You think you already know me?” She laughed and straightened her shoulders.

  “No, but it’s your body language.” I motioned to where we sat. “You’re trying to blend in and not stick out. Your dress is trendy; your nails are painted a light pink as if it was planned for the outfit, and you seem put together. Women who are put together don’t want someone needy.” Or they’re emotionally unavailable like me.

  “I’m not sure if I’m impressed or horrified that you pegged me so quickly.” She glanced at the ceiling and shrugged. “I’ll have to get back to you on the verdict.”

  “Oh, I’m so eager to hear your decision.” My words were sarcastic. It wasn’t like I cared what she thought anyway.

  “Hey, now.” She glanced at me. “Do you know who I am?”

  And here, I thought she wouldn’t get on my nerves. Boy, was I wrong. “No, and frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass. I’m here to learn and leave.”

  An older man entered the classroom with gray hair and glasses. He glanced at the class and smiled. “Hi. I’m Professor Smith, so let’s get started.”

  As soon as the clock turned to nine-fifty, I stood from my seat and headed to the door.

  “Hey, I wasn’t quite done yet.” The professor’s eyes widened when they landed on mine.

  “Well, times up, and I’ve gotta go.” Just because he was a teacher didn’t mean shit to me when it came to them running over, and honestly, Connor had eyed me several times throughout the class, and I didn’t want to deal with him. “See ya Wednesday.” I turned and walked out of the class with a few students snickering behind me. I wanted to visit the witch before my next class started.

  It only took a few minutes for me to make my way back to my car and get moving. I needed to get to the store and fast. I just hoped she got there on time. Sometimes she ran late, but I’d wait. At least there was a Qdoba nearby if I needed to grab something to eat. My stomach grumbled at the thought.

  The storefront wasn’t too far from campus, so I rolled into the parking lot ten minutes after ten. I turned the car off and climbed out, heading straight to the door. I scanned the window for the open sign, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the sign was lit.

  At least that was one win for the day. I quickly opened the store’s door and stepped into the dark room.

  This place always gave me the willies. The overpowering stench of rosemary always made me want to gag. I passed the rows of bowls, herbs, and cards to head straight to the counter.

  “I dreamed about you last night.” Rose appeared from the back room. Her long black hair waved down her back, and her amber eyes were mesmerizing. She had to be only a couple of years older than me, but you could never be sure. Witches could glamour themselves and appear to people however they wanted. To see a witch’s true face was rare, and only those as close to her as her coven were the ones who received such honor. For all I knew, she could have gray hair and be hunched over. “Something happened last night to weaken the magic.”

  Yeah, reliving my parents’ death was a doozy. “So you knew I’d be here today.”

  “Of course.” Her red lips spread into a big smile. “The usual payment if you don’t mind.”

  “Fine.” I held my hand out on the counter. “I forgot the herbs this time.”

  She laughed again. “No worries. The blood is what I need most. We have vampires sniffing around our coven.”

  That was the most information she’d given me before. “That sucks. Good luck with that.”

  “You’re one interesting girl.” She pulled a knife from her black dress pocket and held it above my hand. “I can feel the strength and will inside you. Why do you keep wanting to hide it?”

  “If you’re goi
ng to ask questions, I’ll find someone else.” She handled the exchange as a mutually beneficial arrangement. Now, she was getting nosey, which wasn’t part of the deal. And witches were the worst gossipers of every supernatural race.

  “Fine.” She huffed and held my pointer finger with her left hand. “No need to get all grumpy.” As she inserted the dagger into my skin, a drop of blood puddled on the tip of my finger.

  The metallic scent swirled in the air, but that was par for the course.

  She released my hand and grabbed a small bottle. “Pour some in here.” She twisted the lid off and handed the glass container to me.

  “Yeah, I know.” I squeezed my pointer finger, making sure several large drops coated the bottom. “Here you go.”

  “Good girl.” She chuckled as she took the bottle and placed the lid back on.

  “No dog jokes.” I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with her changed attitude. “Now, let’s do this. I'm hungry.”

  “Ahhh…” Rose pointed at me and nodded. “That’s what your problem is today. Next time, eat before you get here. It’s hard enough to handle you when you aren’t hangry.”

  I kept coming back here due to her blunt nature. We knew exactly what side we stood on. “Yeah, yeah. Just do it.”

  “Fine.” She grabbed some herbs and crushed them in her hands. She mouthed some words silently and placed the herbs in my hand. “There. Done.”

  I’d always wondered what she said for the spell, but she told me only coven members are allowed to hear one another’s spells. Something about trade secrets or some shit like that.

  As the magic settled in me, my wolf began to retreat back into her cage. She hated it, but this was the best for both of us. If we were meant to be rulers, fate wouldn’t have intervened.

  “You need to be careful.” Something flashed in her eyes. “Were you around anyone today? You have a wolf scent on your skin.”

  “What? No.” In all transparency, I made myself not scan for other supernaturals. The more you were attuned to the world, the more you became a target. “At least, I don’t think so.”

  “If you’re beginning to make contact with new wolves other than your two caretakers, it’s going to make the magic wear off faster, so you’d better be careful. Your wolf grew beside those two and doesn’t feel threatened.” She grabbed a pink sticky note and wrote down her name and number. “Look, we’ve been doing these charades ever since you were a little girl. I don’t want to see something bad happen to you, so take my number. Call me if you need me, no matter the time.”

  “So what will this cost me?” With witches, you had to be careful. They were sneaky as fuck and strong as hell.

  “A future favor.” She crossed her arms and stared me down. “I’ve always been able to see glimpses of people’s futures. Even yours. But now when I look at you, all I see is black.”

  “Huh.” Black wasn’t usually a good color when tied to magic. “Maybe I’ve escaped death once, and it’s coming back around for me.” I should’ve died that day with my parents. It seemed wrong to live. They died way too soon. The world still needed them. Hell, I still needed them.

  “No, it’s not that.” She tilted her head and crossed her arms. “It’s that your future isn’t set in stone yet. You’re about to come to a crossroads. One where a choice has to be made.”

  “Let’s be clear.” She was giving me the heebie-jeebies. “My future is set, and there won’t be any changing it.” Kassie or Mona must have come by here and said something to her. “Thanks for this.” I grabbed the sticky note and put it in my jeans pocket. I wasn’t about to turn down an offer like that. Next time I needed her and she wasn’t at the store, I could finally track her down instead of waiting outside the shop like a fucking creeper.

  “Be careful.” She forced a sad smile. “I’m sure I’ll see you very soon.”

  Something in her words caused a chill to run down my spine.

  Chapter Three

  “Hey, you.” The girl from earlier arched her eyebrow as I took my seat next to her.

  Maybe I should’ve taken my chances with Connor. “Hi.” Maybe she’d get the hint.

  “I’ve decided I like you.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “So, my name is Ella. You’ll need to know my name for this to continue.”

  I grabbed my notebook and pencil out of my bag and leaned back in my seat, keeping my eyes forward.

  “This is the part where you tell me your name.” She turned her body toward me and tilted her head.

  “Not interested.” Maybe if I was blunt, she’d get the hint.

  “Hmmm… I heard that guy holler it out in the last class, so technically I know it. But I’m going to pretend I don’t until I hear it from you.” She tapped her lips with her fingertip. “Then, I’ll go with Hope. Because maybe if I call you that, you wouldn’t have such a dark cloud over your head.”

  My lips twitched to inch upward, but I bit my tongue.

  “Elena.” Connor entered the room with a huge smile on his face. “You must not have seen me Monday. I saved you a seat.” He pointed to the desk that was vacant beside where he had sat the other day.

  “No, I saw you.” He needed to get the damn hint. “Just didn’t want to sit there.”

  “What?” His mouth dropped, and he shook his head. “Oh, you want to be in the back.” He grinned at me once more. “I get that. I’ll come join you.”

  He made his way to the open desk beside me. As he placed his black backpack down, his light blue polo shirt inched up, showing his six-pack.

  I had to give him credit. He was hot in the wholesome, all-American way. He had short, dirty-blond hair and blue eyes.

  As he slid into the seat, he grinned in my direction. “So… what are you doing later?”

  “Gotta wash my hair.” I’d rather go jump off a bridge than do anything with him.

  “Oh, well, what about tomorrow?” He bit his bottom lip and scanned my body. “I’d like to pick up where we left off.”

  “Not interested.” I wasn’t sure how else to make it clear to him.

  “That’s the second time you’ve said that in two minutes.” Ella giggled and shook her head. “I’m kind of offended you lumped me in with him.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Connor frowned at her.

  “She’s not interested. Why don’t you get a clue?” Ella rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You’re panting after her like a puppy dog.”

  That was a fair analysis.

  “Why don’t you mind your own business?” Connor frowned at her.

  Thankfully, the professor entered the room. His eyes settled on me for a second. “I’m so glad you made time for us again.”

  He was trying to embarrass me. “I’m punctual like that. I’m here when class begins and ends when the time on my schedule is up.”

  Ella snorted.

  The professor startled and took a deep breath. “Well, I guess I better get to it.”

  As usual, I stood right at the class end time and began my trek out the door.

  “Hey, Elena,” Ella called after me.

  “I thought I was Hope?” I couldn’t keep the small grin off my face.

  “Ha, well. Dumbass said your name, so I figured…” She stopped and pursed her lips. “I kinda like the nickname Hope. I mean, it pegs you hardcore.”

  “Did you catch up with me to insult me?” She had some balls, so I had to give her that. Most people tried to stay clear of me.

  “Yeah, I figured you didn’t hate yourself enough, so I thought I’d help you out.”

  We walked outdoors, and the breeze picked up. That’s when her earthy scent hit me. Shit, she was a wolf shifter. No wonder I felt inclined to like her. “Well, don’t worry. It’s more than you probably can see.” I had to get away and now.

  “Look, I have to a party tonight.” She shrugged her shoulders and licked her lips. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind keeping me company.”

  “That’s a no.” I already
told her I wasn’t interested, so I wasn’t sure why she just asked the question. “If the ‘I’m not interested’ comment back there confused you, it meant no.”

  “See, there’s something about you that intrigues me.” She lifted both hands in the air. “I’m not into girls if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  A laugh escaped me before I could shut it down. “I’m so glad you clarified that.”

  “Just wanted to make sure I didn’t give off those vibes.” She waved her arm up and down my body. “Not that you aren’t hot.”

  “Uh… thanks, I think.” I stopped moving before I realized what I’d done. Dammit, she was going to be a problem. I didn’t want friends.

  “Where are you heading off to?” She glanced around. “You got another class?”

  “In a couple of hours.” I had history and composition later on. I’d been pissed when I couldn’t get all my classes back to back, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

  “Let’s go grab something to eat then.” She took a few steps in the direction of the cafeteria.

  “Uh… They probably aren’t serving lunch.”

  “So?” She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed my arm, dragging me along with her. “We’ll grab a coffee and wait. My next class starts at noon, so we can hang out for a little while.”

  For once, I didn’t have a reason to say no. I didn’t have a single damn thing to do, so I found myself following her.

  It only took a few minutes before we entered the student center. It was only ten in the morning and was busy with students. There was a Starbucks inside, which surprised me.

  “Let’s go get that coffee before we sit down.” She beelined straight to the coffee shop and got in line. “What are you going to get?”

  “Uh… coffee?” It came out as a question when I hadn’t meant for it to.

  “You don’t know.” She patted my shoulder and winked. “I got you covered, girl.”

  “What can I get for you today?” The cashier glanced at both Ella and me.

  “We’ll take two grande blonde lattes with nonfat milk and vanilla.” She rambled the words off her lips as if she was a pro.