Genevieve
"He can't really force us to mate, right?" I asked.
Malcom might be a powerful werewolf, but there is no one that can force two people to mate. Except maybe the Moon Goddess; that's why girls have heat. Heat is supposed to speed up the mating process. It makes the male wolves more- for lack of a better word- needy.
Heat and the mate pull are the supposed to be the only two things that can affect the mating process. Another wolf shouldn't be able to force someone to mate, even if he's the head of the Council.
"I'm not sure, Eve," Asher said quietly.
"He can't make us do anything," I said sternly. "I'm the Queen. I'm a higher rank than him. He can't just order me around."
Asher sighed. "He sees us as kids. He doesn't even see us as equals, and he definitely doesn't look at you like you're higher than him," he informed me.
I started tearing up at the truth. Malcom thinks he can order us around. He won't listen to us. He'll treat us like children, and we can't stop him. "I-I can't do this right now," I said in a wobbly voice. Tears escaped my eyes, but I ignored them. "This is- I just... All of this is too much," I admitted.
I told Matthew about our parents. Some crazy rogues came into my home with a freaking witch and he cast some spell. I had to heal Matthew, who almost died in my arms! Then all this shit with the Council. And I still have things to do after everything is sorted out. None of this ends.
I don't get a break. I finish with one thing, just for something else to come up and cause more problems.
"Hey," Asher said softly. "Everything is gonna work out."
"I'm not ready to mate, Asher," I said honestly.
"I know. I'm not doing anything that you aren't okay with. We'll mate when you're ready, not when some old psycho werewolf tells us to," Asher stated.
*****
"You are so beautiful," Jordyn gushed while looking over my shoulder and into the mirror. Today is the coronation. Today is the day that I will officially be announced as Queen.
I'm wearing a magenta dress with one strap on my right shoulder. The dress is tight until it reaches my waist, then its flows out. There is a strip of shiny bedazzles that is under my breasts and curves up to the strap of my dress. My locket was hanging on my neck. I finished the outfit with a pair of silver open-toe heels covered in sparkles.
Knock. Knock. Knock. "Come in." I called out as I continued to look at myself in the body mirror.
Britney poked her head through a small space in the door. "Its time." she stated giddily.
I took a deep breath before turning away from the mirror and walking to the throne room. I stopped at the glass doors of the room. The whole room was filled with wolves. All the seats were taken up and some people stood by the walls. The Council was seated at the front of the room, facing the crowd. Ryan was also at the front of the room, but he was standing in the center. I chose him to be the one to announce my coronation.
Ryan nodded at me, signaling me to enter. I slowly walked into the room and to the front. I stopped in front of Ryan and turned around to face the crowd. Ryan began a little speech while I scanned the room.
The important people were in the front rows. Asher, Shawn, Britney, Hope, Jordyn, Matthew, and Elise were in the first row. The rest of the people in the crowd were Alphas, Lunas, and Betas. There were a few thirds. I recognized Brian from Asher's pack and Alpha and Luna Laney from the Midnight Howlers.
Luna Laney was very pregnant. I shot them a quick smile just as Ryan finished his speech. I should've listened to what he was saying. But I knew the basics already.
I inhaled as much oxygen as my lungs could hold. This was the moment I've been stressing over. "With great pleasure, I present to you, Queen Genevieve Burke," Ryan stated as a crown was gently placed onto my head.
The crowd hollered and cheered causing a huge smile to spread across my face. I swiftly glanced at the Council. Almost everyone had smiles on their faces and were clapping. Malcom had a blank expression as he boredly slapped his hands together as a pathetic excuse for a clap. There's something about him that just isn't right. Even before he told us that we had to mate- he was giving off this strange vibe.
'You look gorgeous,' Asher told me through the mind-link.
That snapped me out of my thoughts about Malcom. I looked in the crowd and immediately spotted him. I marched up to my mate and pressed my lips to his. Cheers became louder, and wolf whistles erupted in the crowd. No pun intended. I buried my face into Asher chest once we pulled away. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.
"Eve is the Queen!" Matthew exclaimed. I peeled myself away from Asher and hugged my little brother.
"Yup. You're big sister is the Queen," I stated proudly.
"Mommy and Daddy would be very happy for you," Matthew said. A few happy tears escaped my eyes before I gently kissed Matthew's forehead.
"The ball room is now open, as well as the dining hall. A buffet will be set up, so you can help yourselves," Ryan announced.
"Food!" Shawn shouted before darting out the room.
Britney laughed before following after her mate; but she stopped at the door. She turned around and walked back to me, before engulfing me in a hug. "Congrats," she whispered before she disappeared from the room.
"What would you like to do, my Queen?" Asher asked.
I rolled my eyes at the title. "Ballroom?" I suggested. Asher nodded and stuck his arm out. I locked our arms together and walked to the ballroom.
*****
The rest of the night was filled with compliments, dancing, and congratulations. Before 3 a.m., all the Alphas, Lunas, Betas, and Thirds left; leaving the Council as the only people in the room. Janette came up to me and Asher with the rest of the Council behind her. "You look so gorgeous," she complimented.
"Thank you," I said kindly.
To my surprise, Janette and the Council- minus Malcom- bowed before me. "We are honored to have you as our Queen," Janette said. They all gave me small smiles as they made their way out of the castle.
"You have until Friday," Malcom warned before following after the rest of the Council.
'I am going to rip him to shreds,' Ingrid growled in my head.
"Nothing will happen without your permission," Asher promised as he kissed my temple.
"I don't trust him," I stated, referring to Malcom.
Asher nodded. "Neither do I. But you can trust me. And I will not do anything unless its okay with you," he said.
"Okay," I said quietly before dragging us both to our room. I changed into one of Asher's shirts while he stripped down to his boxers. We laid in the bed with my head against his chest.
I fell asleep with a smile on my face as I listened to his heartbeat.