Forbidden Queen
Chapter Twenty-Four – The End of the Journey

Alex

The reinforcements from the Royal pack have arrived and we are finally ready to dismantle our camp and resume our journey. It will take us three days of travelling to reach the royal capital. I can’t wait until we get there, and Katy is surrounded by an army of loyal warriors, who will keep her safe.

I watch her as she sleeps beside me. Her arms wrapped around my waist; her eyes closed, a content smile on her face. I will never get bored of watching her sleeping. I love these moments in the early morning before she is awake, when she looks so peaceful. At moments like this, she looks just like any young girl asleep, not like a queen weighed down by duty and obligations. During this time we spend in bed together alone, she is mine and only mine. It is only when she gets up that she becomes the queen, who belongs to all her werewolf subjects.

I watch her start to stir from her sleep, and gently press my lips to hers. Her hands reach out and pull me closer.

“Morning, my love” she says to me with a smile.

“Morning my beautiful mate did you sleep well?”

“Yes, with you beside me always. Now though I need to get up, and we need to prepare for a day of travel.”

“Not long now until we reach the royal kingdom and your new home.”

“It is finally becoming real. Is it wrong of me to be so nervous? For all the hardship we have suffered on this journey part of me dreads it ending. I worry about the future, what if I am not able to fulfil the role of queen?”

“Anyone in your position would be nervous. This is a massive step, one that you would have thought impossible only a few months ago. But you are already doing an amazing job. Taking time to get to know your people, learning to fight so you can hold your own and be beside them in any battle. You are already making difficult decisions. This is the role you are meant to do, and I am grateful that I will be by your side to help in you in any way that I can.”

“You always know what to say to make me feel better. I am sure we have another half hour before we need to get ready.” She tells me as she pulls me closer.

……………

When we are finally ready to start the day, I make my way to greet the new arivals

from the Royal Pack. It is obvious from their lean, hard physiques that they are experienced fighters. I am pleased. They will be worthy replacements for the wolves we lost in the battle.

I explain to them who is travelling with us and how we have structured the convoy. By the time I have brought them up to speed and given them their orders, Katy has finished her training session with Joseph.

Joseph approaches me. “I think we may find a use for our refugee from the Black Moon Pack” he tells me.

“Really, what are you thinking?” I ask.

“Well, we are no closer to finding out who the leader of the attack was. She should recognise him. This would be a good opportunity to test her loyalty.”

“True. Let’s go and ask her.”

“You don’t want to check with Katy first?” He asks,

“No, I don’t think she will object to us asking Anna to identify him.”

“Let’s go then” he says leading the way.

When we arrive at Daniel and Anna’s tent, I can see that they have only just finished dressing. They both look tired but blissfully happy, their mating marks visible on their necks. I can’t help but smile at seeing them so content, and it brings back memories of when Katy and I sealed our bond.

“I am sorry to disturb you both” I tell them. “Congratulations on sealing your bond. We have some questions which we would like to ask Anna about the Black Moon pack wolf who lead the attack against us.”

I watch as Daniel turns to her, immediately checking that she is OK. She nods her head and squeezes his hand to reassure him.

“OK. What do you want to know?”

“Can you tell us who this wolf is?” I show her the picture of the dead body of the wolf who led the attack. “We have not been able to identify him. We really need to know who he is and how important his loss will be to Lucius.”

She nods and looks closely at the picture. I watch her freeze I can see that she recognises the wolf. She lets out a small sob, and Daniel moves to put his arms round her. Desperately trying to comfort her mate.

“Who is he to you?” he asks.

“My brother. We were never close, but to see him dead……”

“Of course, you must be upset” Joseph says kindly. I am surprised that after everything he has said about her, he is treating her so gently.

“He was the wolf my father made him. He could be violent and cruel. I had never seen him be kind to anyone. As much as I wanted to love my brother, I couldn’t and now he is dead.”

“Was he very important to your father? Part of his inner circle?” Joseph asks her.

“I am not sure if my father really cares for anyone. But if he did, it would be my brother. They spent a lot of time together, as my father trained him to be his successor. If he was sent to lead the raid against this convoy, then this was my father’s best attempt at capturing or killing the queen. He wouldn’t have risked his heir on anything less.”

“Thank you” Joseph tells her. “You have been very helpful.”

We both get up to leave and after saying our goodbyes Joseph waits until we are out of earshot before saying. “From what she has said this will be a major setback for Lucius. We have killed his only son, and his last remaining child is here with us. We can’t lower our guard, but I don’t expect we will encounter anymore of his forces on this journey.”

“Good. There has been enough bloodshed. I just want to get my mate safely to the Royal Kingdom.”

“I think the rest of our journey will be uneventfully now” Joseph tells me. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“I hope so.”

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