Sophia wanted to meet with Avery and we all decided to come along. They were going to show me some parts of the city and we were going to grab some more clothes for me and new stuff for Traitor.

There was no way I was letting my cute little adorable kitten run around with Sophia’s tacky collar on.

We walked to the parking lot, going out the back door of the apartment because some reporters were still hanging around the front door. Vultures.

As soon as we walked up to the car, I realized we had a problem. I was the fifth of the group. And as the fifth member, I officially made Hunter’s car a very small fit for everyone. He drove a shiny black 1969 Mustang, apparently his love for antique cars only rivaled my own, and we were going to be squished.

I immediately went for the back seat; I’d take the middle. Easton took my elbow and tried to steer me towards the front passenger seat but I convinced him that I was happy being squished in between Avery and Christian.

After a lot of convincing, we were all packed in the car and I was grinning ear to ear. I really didn’t mind being squished between these two sexy guys. Christian still smelled like the ocean, even though the smell should’ve left him days ago. Avery stared out the window, just like he’d done in the helicopter, his eyes intently watching the rest of the cars as we pulled out of the parking spot.

I took his hand in mine and he glanced at me briefly, smiling, then he squeezed my hand softly and went back to staring out the window. Christian put his head on my shoulder and I relaxed into him.

Easton pulled out his phone to look at the maps. I looked over his shoulder and noticed that he was using a special app that included their country.

“Make sure that you don't take Main Street because they're having a parade today. It will be blocked off."

"I remember. It hasn't been that long.” Hunter grumbled as he maneuvered the car with ease; it purred loudly as we tore out of the parking lot. When we reached the street, we paused to wait for a jogger, who was waiting at the side of the road.

Instead of crossing the road, the hooded jogger moved down the car. So fast that I barely knew what was happening, he stuck his hand in the car and aimed a gun at me. “Die, terrorist!”

A sharp scream escaped my mouth. Christian shoved the jogger’s hand away and the gun went off. The bullet hit Avery’s shoulder.

I shifted into my wolf form and jumped through the car window, snarling.

The jogger tore off back up the street and I raced after him, ready for blood.

* * *

My mind was so focused, I saw no other being, human or beast, as I pursued the jogger. He was incredibly fast, so fast that he must have had magical powers to outrace my four feet. But he stunk like smelly fish which was easy to follow. People stumbled to get out of our way as we raced down the road. I snarled as I passed them, nipping at them if they took too long.

I barely registered the pounding feet of the guys behind me. Smelly fish scrambled around the corner and my nails clawed the ground as I turned towards him. Then I skidded to a stop, almost colliding with a group of people crowded around the street.

Dragon shifters danced through the streets with large costumed dragons overhead. Actual dragons flew above the crowd and a soft wind blew iridescent scales through the air. The smell of sparklers and popping firecrackers masked the smell of Smelly Fish but I managed to get ahold of a faint trail. I squatted low as I sniffed the ground, moving deftly through the crowd.

“Look Mommy, a wolf.” A little kid with dark straight hair and light brown eyes pointed at me.

Suddenly the crowd moved away from me. The mom pulled her son to her tight and another couple grabbed their children and moved them away from me. A little girl cried out, pulling against her mom to reach for the pinwheel she’d dropped on the ground.

Suddenly, the voices of the guys came rushing into my head. They must’ve shifted.

Where the fuck is that motherfucker? I’m going to rip his claws out, one by one.

I see him, he’s moving north on main street, with the parade.

As soon as I hit the road, I was back on full sprint mode. Most of the people in the parade didn’t even realize that a wolf was running among them until I’d passed by.

Suddenly I caught sight of Smelly Fish, and my instincts took over my body. My vision concentrated solely on him and my nose zeroed in on his smell. His clothes were shredding from his body; I knew I only had a second to grab him before he shifted and flew out of my reach.

I leaped through the air just as his feet left the ground. His tiny wings could barely support the weight of his bulbous body and I grabbed his scaled feet with my sharp claws, yanking him downward. He tumbled to the ground, rolling and shredding his wings. Then Easton, silver-scaled and enormous, swooped down from the sky.

The crowd scattered and red paper mâché was cut into ribbons as Easton’s claws scraped the street, reaching for Smelly Fish. I backed up as Easton grabbed Smelly Fish and carried him into the sky.

Taking him back to your place, Hunter.

The sight of the rest of the guys overhead made me feel that they could handle this. I turned back around and began to race back towards the apartment. I wanted to be there when they questioned the guy.

Then I saw the red and yellow pinwheel that the girl from earlier had dropped. I took a second to gently scrape the pinwheel into my teeth and smelled my way through the crowd until I found the cotton candy girl.

“Mommy, look.” The little girl pointed at me. The mother turned and, seeing the pinwheel in my mouth, she gripped the girl close. Her mouth was open; she stared at me with a look of disbelief.

I didn’t get too close but stretched my neck to appear non-threatening and the mother yanked it from my mouth. I nodded to her and, ignoring her glare, I slowly trotted away and towards the street corner.

Just before I turned it, I heard the girl call after me. “Goodbye, Wolfie!”

I grinned to myself, noticing that the people still moved out of my way but they weren’t as panicked as before; most of them just stared stupidly at me.

A flash of red hair flew by me and I lifted my nose into the air.

Then I took off again, this time following the distinct smell of a Queen Bitch.

* * *

She was dressed in regular clothes, with jeans and a black leather jacket and a hat pulled tight over her hair. I only saw a glimpse of her before she disappeared around the corner block. She looked like your regular joe schmoe, but I would never forget the stink of cranky bitch. It was the faint whiff of jasmine and honey and I just knew it was her.

Darting through the street, I followed her smell until I found her walking into a sketchy looking building. Overhead, the guys had disappeared, along with their voices in my head and I knew they thought I was meeting them back at the apartment.

I hesitated and pressed myself against the wall of a small building across the street. Looking around, I saw no soldiers or anything that looked like a trap. And then, slowly, I crossed the street and nuzzled the door open.

A wash of power flowed over my body, squeezing it tight and there was a popping sensation as I pushed forward. Gerard stood just inside the magical barrier and I halted, daunted by his serious stare.

“The Queen wishes to speak to you.”

I sat on my haunches and growled. Low enough to show him my feelings, but not loud enough to be threatening. What if I don’t wish to speak to the Queen?

He held a cloak towards me; it was made with the same velvety green material that the Queen had worn and I was tempted to caress it. “Shift. She’s waiting in the back room.”

Then he put the cloak on the ground and turned around to give me my privacy.

Sighing internally, I forced the shift over my wolf. She retreated reluctantly, not wanting to leave me without protection.

I was not disappointed with the softness of the velvet material; being a friend of the Queen could have its advantages. As soon as I was properly covered, Gerard turned towards me and held his hand out.

Intrigued, I took it and he led me towards the back room.

It was dark inside and my wolf eyes led me across the room without tripping. There were signs that a family had lived here before; some toys and well worn furniture were scattered about. We went into the hallway and passed a couple of rooms. The doors were closed so even though I was tempted to peek inside, I couldn’t.

At the end of the hallway, Gerard opened the door to reveal the Queen sitting on a bed inside a large room. Her jasmine and honey smell filled the space. She had her hands clasped in her lap; her hair had been pulled into a messy bun; and this time, her eyes were dark and fathomless. She looked like an entirely different person.

She didn’t begin with preambles. “You’re in trouble.”

“No shit. Someone just tried to kill me. Who was it?”

“I’m not sure; all Gerard’s spies could tell us was that someone was going to attempt to kill you. I’m glad they didn’t succeed.”

I stopped just inside her room and crossed my arms across my chest. “You look different. Less bitchy.”

Pink spread through her cheeks and she avoided my stare, but looked down at the floor. Gerard sighed and then took a step back. “I’ll be out here if you need me.”

The softness in her eyes betrayed her affection for him. “Thank you, Gerard.”

He bowed. “As always, my Queen.” He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Then her face moved towards me and she pat the bed next to her. “Sit.”

When I didn’t move, she tried again. “Please.”

I quickly glanced around the room, still unsure if this was a trap. My instincts told me it wasn’t but I still didn’t move so she put her hands back in her lap and looked earnestly at me.

“Do you have a name? Besides ‘Queen-ie’?” I said this in a nasally, snobby voice. I was being deliberately insolent to see how she would react. Would she order Gerard to cut off my head?

Instead she laughed and I stared at her, surprised. The sound was light and airy, nothing at all like I expected. I’d anticipated her laugh would sound like Cruella Deville’s laugh or something.

“My name is Aria. Feel free to call me that in private.”

I nodded and flushed, now feeling stupid for being so rude. “You can call me Lizzy.”

“Thank you, Lizzy.”

I took in a deep breath. “So, is that all you wanted to tell me? That my life was in danger?”

She frowned. “Unfortunately, no. I need your help. I’m in grave danger.”

* * *

I raised my eyebrow. “You?” I deadpanned. “In danger?”

She stood up, moving towards me. Her eyes took on a different intensity. “I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone,” she glanced towards the door, “except Gerard knows, of course.”

I held up my hand. “Wait, why would you even trust me with any kind of secret? You’ve never met me before. And I’m a wolf, remember?”

“You’re Robert’s daughter. He’s told me about you; I know I can trust you.”

Frowning, I paced across the room and away from the intensity of her stare. “He told me nothing of you. Or of dragons.” I swiveled towards her. “I didn’t even know that you guys really existed until after he was dead.”

Nodding, she walked towards me, holding her hand out placating. “That’s because your father was the most honorable man I ever knew. Dragons were hunted by men for several centuries and even now, wolves continue to kill us off, one-by-one. He made a promise several years ago that he would never reveal our existence and he kept that promise.” She was next to me and I could feel the truth of her words expressed in her eyes. “I was heartbroken when Gerard told me that he had been killed, and by your own pack.” Her hand was on my arm and warmth radiated through her touch.

Then I saw her ring, the one so similar to my dad’s. I touched it. “What does this mean? My dad, he had something similar.”

She quickly pulled her hand away and tucked it behind her back. “We knew each other in University and became good friends. The ring is a symbol of our pact. The pact that a few of us made to each other. That we would always protect each other.” She stared into my eyes. “That’s why your father called Edward when your pack attacked. He knew that Edward would do whatever it took to keep you safe.”

Then she took in a deep breath and I saw a quiver of her lips. She crossed the room and sat back on the bed, slumping over. “That’s why I approached you. I was hoping that I could count on you to help me. Just as your father counted on Edward.”

I frowned. Well, if she put it like that… I couldn’t begrudge her help now. Besides, I was beginning to feel sorry for her, even though she’d been Scary Queen B only just last night. I sat next to her on the bed.

“What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to fix the book.”

I laughed; it felt hollow. “You made that clear last night.”

“I know, and I apologize for the way I behaved. Although in public, don’t expect this version of me.”

I stood back up and towered over her. “Why didn’t you just ask me for help, instead of the show you put on last night?”

She stood up, meeting my gaze. “Are you kidding? Andre brought you in with a full task force. He wanted blood - more specifically, Emma’s blood. You have no idea the danger I’m in. If Andre senses any weakness in me, he’ll strike. And I won’t live through it.” Her eyes bore into me. “He’ll kill me if he can. The only thing keeping him from acting now is that he’s afraid of me.”

“I saw you snuff out my guys’ power with a small wave of your hand. How could he possibly kill you?”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. My power is tied to the kingdom, through my bloodline. The ancient relics that give my kingdom power also give me power. If anything is destroyed, then it weakens my power.” She took in a deep breath. “Gerard noticed last year that the ancient relics are slowly disappearing. We think that Andre is collecting them and either holding them hostage or destroying them.” Her hand gripped my arm. “That’s why any relics out there need to be protected. I have a small group of men that I trust, collecting the remaining ones but I didn’t call for Easton to return his book. That would’ve drawn too much attention to it and alert Andre that I know what he’s been doing. Plus, I trusted Edward and his team; they’ve never betrayed me before.” She looked away. “Except for Sophia, of course, but I don’t think she has any plans for my kingdom, she’s just naturally selfish.”

Her eyes betrayed a little playfulness and I was happy to know that she felt the same way about Sophia as I did.

I sat down on the bed; it was soft. “Whose bed is this?”

She sat next to me. “It was Gerard's. This was his childhood home.”

“How long have you known him?”

She smiled. “Since I was a child; he practically raised me.”

I thought of my own parents. “You can’t underestimate Andre. My dad underestimated Garrett and it cost him his life. Don’t make the same mistake.”

She swallowed hard. “I’m trying not to. But it’s hard to know who I can trust these days.”

I nodded; I could understand that. Suddenly I knew I had to do whatever it took to help her. “You can trust me and the guys. I promise you that. We will find a way to fix the book.”

Relief poured over her face. “Thank you. I knew I could trust Robert’s daughter.”

There was a knock at the door and Gerard poked his face in. “I’m sorry my Queen, but we must go. They’ll become suspicious.”

She nodded and stood up. “We’ll be right there. Check the area, make sure it’s safe.”

He nodded. “Of course.” Then he was gone.

She turned to me and I stood up to face her. “I need you to fix the book as fast as possible. I know I technically gave you two weeks, but I worry that Andre will try to take advantage of this time.”

I nodded; I understood.

She slipped her ring off her finger and put it into my hand. It felt warm and comforting. “Here, this will be a sign to the others that they can trust you.”

I put it on, thanking her and she turned to leave.

“Wait,” I called to her, “do you know how to fix the book? At least some clue.”

“Of course.” Her eyes twinkled.

“How?”

“A useable spell is in the book. When I looked through it, I found one there, still intact.”

“Oh great!” I slapped my head. Why didn’t we think of that? “So I just read it out loud or something?”

The Queen frowned. “You know nothing of magic.” She didn’t say it as a question and I wondered if I should be offended. “You can’t just read magic out loud and poof, it works. If that were true, then everyone would be able to do it.”

“Then how am I supposed to use the spell?”

She pat my cheeks. “Elizabeth, you already have the power in you. You just need to know how to harness it.”

I frowned. “That’s not very helpful.”

She reached towards my neck and pulled out the necklace my mother gave me. I gripped my hand on hers, stopping her and looked into her eyes.

“This magic is very powerful. I’m surprised you haven’t used it yet.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know how. My mom gave it to me right before she died.”

The Queen closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

I squeezed her hand tight. “Tell me. I need to know. What does the necklace do?”

She gave me a sad look. “I don’t know that much about it, only that your mother kept it hidden for a reason. I’m sorry.”

Pain filled my chest; I wanted to curl up on the bed and cry. I would never learn the purpose of the necklace.

She touched my cheek. “If you can’t use the necklace, then there is only one other kind of magic that I know of that you could use.”

“What’s that?”

“The sacrifice spell.”

“What? What does that mean?”

Then Gerard opened the door again. “The way is clear. We must leave now.”

She nodded and moved towards the door. “Wait here for a moment; we can’t be seen leaving together.”

“But what does that mean? What kind of sacrifice?”

“You must sacrifice something dear to you in order to make the payment required for the kind of magic you will need. Do not take this responsibility lightly; the book must be fixed. And I’m sorry to ask you to do it, but my kingdom and my very life depends on it.”

Then Gerard hooked his arm through hers and she walked towards the door. She paused to look back at me. Her back was straight, her pose demure; she was The Queen again. “Tonight I’m having a dance at the castle; I expect you and your guys to be there. You’ll be meeting someone there.”

I bowed. “I would be honored.”

When I stood back up, the hallway was empty. I heard her call back towards me. “And don’t try to cheat; that would be very bad for everyone.”

Then they were gone; I didn’t even hear them leave but somehow I knew they were no longer there.