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The Reluctant Queen 1
The bookstore was more crowded than usual. A new controversial book had been published on the war between the three humanity derived races and it had crashed the internet, so people were coming in by the droves to pick up hard copies. It was said that it was actually being denounced by the leaders of the vampires, werewolves, and humans, so it made one wonder how it got published in the first place. It also made it that much more desirable.I watched as a vampire led his human mate around the store, the two of them lost in their own world. A hundred years ago, they would've been met with alarm and disdain but since the end of the war and the dominance of vampires and werewolves and their need to only have human mates, it was now a very common scene. It was now more rare to see a pairing of the same race. "We're almost out of the Creighton book," my employee, Janus, let me know as she set out more copies of the controversial book. I wasn't surprised
The Reluctant Queen 2
Considering the vampire king was almost six centuries past when most of his kind found their mate, it was shocking to hear that he was finally claiming his and that she lived in Gardena. Gardena was barely on the map, only notable for having cheap living accommodations still within walking distance to the city center. It was widely accepted that when he did find his mate, she would be from Harpsmore or one of the provinces that were governed by a titled member of the gentry. “So any thoughts on who she could be?” Janus asked once we were at the bistro. She was bouncing in her seat from excitement. “Who is she?” her boyfriend, Kyle, asked, leaning over to try and plant a kiss on her cheek. He finally grabbed her face with both hands and kissed her forehead. “She is the vampire king’s mate!” Janus squealed excitedly and Kyle and I exchanged a look. It wasn’t like Janus to be this excited over something that didn’t involve skulls or rituals. Often confused for a vampire mate, she wore
The Reluctant Queen 3
“Breathe baby, damn it, come on honey breathe.” I could hear a man’s voice, panicked. “Your Highness, the doctor is on his way.” Another man’s voice. “He better get here soon or I’ll rip his arms off and beat him with them,” the first man snarled. All of a sudden a rush of oxygen filled my lungs and I began to cough. “Finally! I finally come to claim you and how do you repay me? By almost dying. Don’t you ever scare me like that again. I’m nearly six hundred years old. It’s not good for my health.” I opened my eyes and saw two dark chocolate brown eyes looking down at me, full of concern. “You’re in perfect health, stop whining,” a third male voice said. “I’d drop dead too if this is how you came to claim me. What were you thinking? She’s a human, they’re frail, you can’t just stalk them in the dark. You, get the electricity turned back on and get a light on in here.” “I didn’t do this to her,” the first man hissed. “That idiot over there did.” “Good gawd Trick, did you kill him?”
The Reluctant Queen 4
"No.""What do you mean no?""No means no. I'm not going to kiss you. I don't even know you.""I just told you we are mates." He said it so matter of fact."I can't help it if you're delusional.""Excuse me?" Trick's eyes narrowed at me and my pulse quickened."Listen, there is no way someone like you is mated to someone like me. I mean, you get that right?" He folded his arms across his chest."No I don't get it. What's wrong with being my mate?""Oh good grief,
The Reluctant Queen 5
“So wait, you’re really the mate to the vampire king. The king of Vampires. The guy in charge of vampires. He’s your mate,” Janus rambled. “Yes, I really am the vampire king’s mate.” “Not Lily?” “Not Lily.” “Do I need to kill this Lily to prove she’s not my mate?” Trick asked, raising an eyebrow. “No!” I shouted at the same time Janus said, “Well-“. “No,” I said firmly, shooting Janus a look. “Fine, have it your way,” Janus pouted. I turned back to Trick. “Why are you here?” I asked, suddenly aware that I was in my Hello Kitty pajamas without a bra. “I came to check on you. That’s what mates do.” He came over to the couch, planting his hands on the back. “How are you feeling?” “I’m fine,” I said, pulling one of my throw pillows in front of my chest. “Good.” He leaned down until his lips were almost touching my ear. “I missed you.” Heat rushed straight to my core. My thighs clenched and my mouth went dry. “So does this mean Saraya is going to go to the palace?” Janus asked.
The Reluctant Queen 6
All of the blood in my body rushed to my sex. Sex. He was talking about doing THAT with me. My body flushed and I pulled the throw pillow tighter to me. “Uh don’t we need to be married first?” “Why? Are you a virgin?” Trick leaned on the back of the couch, his cheek on his hand. “No, I just thought…”“No? Who was he?” he interrupted. “Who was who?”“The guy who took your virginity.”“Why?”“I have to kill him.” “What? No, you can’t do that.” I shook my head, standing up. “Fine, I’ll just maim him.” He pushed off the couch. “No!”“I’ll leave the important parts intact in case he wants to take someone else’s virginity.”“Are you a virgin?” I asked, hands on my hips. Trick blinked a few times. “Well?”“How can…how can you…do you not know who I am?”“Exactly. The expectation that I would be one when you’re not is ridiculous.” “You’re right,” he admitted. “I’m just not thrilled with the thought of you and another man.”“Yeah I can’t imagine what that must feel like,” I snapped back,
The Reluctant Queen 7
The dark was cold. I couldn’t see Bishop or feel his hand. None of my senses worked. Right as I was beginning to panic, the lights came on. I felt Bishop’s hand, solid ground appeared beneath my feet, and I was able to take a deep breath. “Well done Milady,” I heard Bishop say as he released my hand. I blinked a few times, trying to get my bearings. “Welcome to the Palace of the Vampire King.” We stood in a magnificent room. The walls were covered in gold and floor to ceiling crystal windows allowed sunlight to stream in. The floor was solid white marble with golden flecks. Up above, the ribs holding up the vaulted ceiling were also gold. The ceiling itself was painted with the coronation of the first vampire king. “This is the most beautiful room I’ve ever been in,” I said in a hushed tone. “The Golden Hall is the most opulent room in the palace. It’s where His Majesty’s coronation took place and where your wedding will be held. It seemed the most appropriate place to start your i
The Reluctant Queen 8
“Pardon me, Milady, but Master Bishop thought you might need some assistance,” a tiny blonde in a light blue dress said with a curtsy. She was half my size, with porcelain skin and the palest blue eyes. They were practically colorless. “Oh no, I’m fine. I made my choice for tonight and was just letting Bishop, er Master Bishop, know,” I explained, trying not to stare at the minute person in front of me. I am a fairly hefty girl, at least twenty pounds heavier than most women my height. My curves have curves and I buy pants that take minimal effort to get over my butt. No one uses words like delicate, attractive, or banging body to describe me. Common adjectives include solid, thick, or built like a linebacker. On a good day I feel like a pudgy troll. Next to this itty bitty creature, I was easily a giant pudgy troll. “Would you like me to iron your selection?” she asked, miniature translucent wings unfurling. They fluttered rapidly as she lifted off the ground and flew right in front
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The Reluctant Queen 16
There was no time to think about my mortality now. As I finished off the last of my drink, Bishop whisked me back to my new office. It had an entrance directly to the Great Court but the main entrance was accessible through the Lesser Courts. The gold motif continued and I wondered if it fulfilled some kind of fetish for Trick. The wall paper was cream with gold flecks, the writing desk was cast in gold, the chandelier shimmered with Swarovski crystals in gold settings. Sunlight gleamed through windows trimmed in gold and the whole room had a wicked glare to it. First order of business, sheers to diffuse the light.“Well, Milady, here are the final candidates for your staff,” Bishop brought my attention to the paperwork on my desk. Each showed a headshot of the woman being considered, as well as a detailed resume. “No humans?” I inquired, flipped through the sheets.“Given the nature of the palace business, it’s best to have a staff well versed in vampire culture,” Bishop explained.
The Reluctant Queen 15
After living through Bishop’s morning schedule for me, I could see why Trick always hired him back. The man was like a machine, never deviating from the task at hand, a clear plotted course for each action, and always ready with a reason why we couldn’t take a break to have a snack or a shot of tequila. By the time I was allowed to make my way to Lucy’s and have lunch with her, Jules, and Kyla, I was ready to forsake Trick and run back to the bookstore. Then Bishop brought me a giant toasted club sandwich with extra bacon and a side of potato soup (heavy on the bacon) and all was forgiven. When he sat down a vodka spritzer, I almost kissed him. “Rough morning?” Jules commented, watching me drain the entire drink. Bishop whisked the empty glass away and set down a replacement beverage.“Did you know that I have to invite the queens of each realm to monthly lunches for the rest of my life? And then attend them in each of the realms? Every month. In every realm. Also, there’s an entire
The Reluctant Queen 14
My mouth went dry as all liquid in my body shot straight to my panties. Trick took advantage of my shocked open mouth, inserting his tongue, closing the gap I had been maintaining. My hands fisted his dress shirt, while he took handfuls of my ass. I rubbed myself across his front, feeling his erection through his pants. Damn, that was an inhumanly impossible cock. Duh stupid. I groaned at my idiotic thought but Trick took that as approval, sliding both hands under my shirt, lifting it until both of my breasts were exposed.“Hey now,” I squealed, trying to step away. Trick’s eyes were black with need and he pulled me back to him, dropping his mouth to my left nipple. My toes curled the second his lips touched my skin, his tongue teasing me. “Oh, uh, mmmm, we can’t,” I panted. “Please.” Trick stopped and I died when he pulled away, the cold air replacing his breath.“Give me one good reason why we can’t,” he demanded, his tone low. It wasn’t threatening, but it still
The Reluctant Queen 13
I rubbed my sweaty palms on my leggings and stepped out of my room. Jules and Lucy looked relieved to see me.“You didn’t need to check on me,” I told them. “I appreciate it, though.”“Well things were pretty intense and that group is not exactly easy,” Lucy said understandingly. “Jules and I remember meeting them for the first time.” Jules nodded.“It was horrible. The only saving grace for me was no one said anything bigoted. If they had, I would’ve just been done,” Jules remembered. “Thankfully, Risk scares most of them and the ones he doesn’t scare don’t care.”“Does Trick care?” I asked. I already had an oppressive mother, I couldn’t stand it if my husband was the same way.“Nope. He gave me away at our wedding.” A tender smile crossed Jules’ face. “My parents refused to attend, so he declared he was my father for the day. It was perfect.” My heart burst with pride. And relief. “I’m glad. I may need a set of substitute parents for my wedding.” Jules and L
The Reluctant Queen 12
“Bishop.” Trick’s voice was bone chilling. “Yes, Your Majesty, Lord Hail came to pay his respects to Miss Saraya earlier today.” Bishop’s already grey skin appeared more sickly as he spoke. The muscle along Trick’s jaw clenched. “You are dismissed,” Trick managed through clenched teeth. Bishop bowed his head and disappeared. My heart sank. Was he coming back? Had Trick just fired him? “It appears that I’ve caused some discord between servant and master,” Hail said, smirking while he took his seat. “Trick,” I said softly. “Not now,” he replied shortly. His tone dumped cold water on my feelings causing tears to form. I stared at my plate, trying to
The Reluctant Queen 11
“Uh, not that I know of,” I managed. “You’d remember if we had,” Trick said, holding up his champagne glass for a refill. “Would she?” Maven teased. “You would know,” Eclipse said in a sickenly sweet voice. My heart fell. “Your speculation on my previous relationship with Trick is gross, not to mention unfair to Saraya. If you have something to say, address it with me. This passive aggressive pettiness is unbecoming of someone of your rank, even if that someone is you.” Eclipse opened her mouth to say something but she stopped, her jaw open. “Eclipse, I highly recommend that you think very carefully before you say anything else the rest of the evening,” Trick cautioned, leaning back in his chair with his glass. “You have proven to be a competent minister. It would be a shame to be replaced, unable to fulfill your father’s dying wish. Have I made myself clear?” Her eyes darted to Trick and I realized that she sat there paralyzed. “Good.” The next instant her j
The Reluctant Queen 10
Bishop led the way into the main salon. Trick stood with three men, one of them a human. There were also three women, one of them a vampire. All of them held champagne glasses and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one too. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at Trick. He wore a suit similar to Lord Hail. The suit jacket stretched across his wide shoulders and he stood comfortably, with his right hand in his pants pocket. His dark hair hung just over his eyes that were such a rich brown they resembled freshly tilled earth. When he caught me gawking at him, he smirked. He set down his glass and walked over to me. “Hi,” he said, stopping just in front of me. “Hi,” I said back, all of a sudden feeling very shy. “Were you able to talk to your parents?” “Briefly.” I didn’t want to tell him about the conversation with my mom. Something told me he wouldn’t find it amusing. “Well, I’ve arranged to have them come to our engagement party at the end of the week. You’ll have plenty of time to
The Reluctant Queen 9
“Saraya Ana Lopez, I cannot believe I had to find out about your relationship from the internet!” my mother yelled the moment she picked up my call. “Have you lost your mind?!” I cringed.“I didn’t really have a say in the matter, mother. There wasn’t an application process or anything.”“This is serious Saraya,” she hissed.“No shit Catherine.” The older I got, the less tolerant I became of my mother’s sanctimonious bullshit. She believed that those who mate with vampires and werewolves did so by choice; that it had nothing to do with destiny. She would never come out and say she was a purist, but she had no problem looking down on the mixing of races.
The Reluctant Queen 8
“Pardon me, Milady, but Master Bishop thought you might need some assistance,” a tiny blonde in a light blue dress said with a curtsy. She was half my size, with porcelain skin and the palest blue eyes. They were practically colorless. “Oh no, I’m fine. I made my choice for tonight and was just letting Bishop, er Master Bishop, know,” I explained, trying not to stare at the minute person in front of me. I am a fairly hefty girl, at least twenty pounds heavier than most women my height. My curves have curves and I buy pants that take minimal effort to get over my butt. No one uses words like delicate, attractive, or banging body to describe me. Common adjectives include solid, thick, or built like a linebacker. On a good day I feel like a pudgy troll. Next to this itty bitty creature, I was easily a giant pudgy troll. “Would you like me to iron your selection?” she asked, miniature translucent wings unfurling. They fluttered rapidly as she lifted off the ground and flew right in front
