Chapter 1
Hey Readers! This is a standalone story in my book series; The Werewolf Throne Legacies! If you haven't read the first three books, "The Alpha King and His Second Chance", "The Alpha King and His Human Luna", and "The Alpha Queen and Her Chosen Mate," now is the time! There won't be any MAJOR spoilers, but you will have a better understanding of the book in general by reading the first three books first! Hope you enjoy and happy reading!
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Annalise
We sat at the opposite sides of the long wooden dinner table, our silverware clinking against the ceramic plates that had been handed down for generations. I wonder who was going to make the first move. Her or me? There were far too many looks being exchanged at this meal for something not to happen. And given this past year, I think it's safe to say things are about to go down.
I tried to think back to where everything went wrong. Was it something I said? Something I did? Perhaps, but I don't think it was my actions that caused my older sister, Bethany, to kill our father. I know she did it, I just cant prove it, though I have tried hard to. And she knows this.
Under normal circumstances, once our father, Alpha King Bjorn, passed away, Bethany would have taken over as the new ruler. But this was no normal circumstance. Our father had a will, and in it he named me to be his successor. Unfortunately, the will has mysteriously been misplaced. And that was okay, at first. The council decided to leave our kingdom without a ruler temporarily. Sadly, that time was almost up. It would go to a vote. The council would thoroughly evaluate my sister and me and decide who was more fit to rule. She had years on me, but I surpassed her in all other categories, and she knew this, and so did everyone else.
She was getting desperate, her hunger for power driving her. In fact, several months ago, she even told the council a bit of information I wished to keep secret, and soon after, King Derek was at my door wanting to pursue me romantically. Had things moved forward, I might be living in another kingdom far far away right now and Bethany would have already been made queen. However, King Derek had just recently decided to form a union with princess Kelly, and now here we sat, just days away from the council's arrival, to see who was more fit to rule. If something was going to happen, it would be right about now.
I asked a number of my father's closest guards to stay near me for protection, but it was clear that the loyalty in our castle was split. Half seemed to think the first born was the rightful heir to the throne, the other half prayed that the will was in fact real and Bethany would not be made Queen.
"I will see you at breakfast?" I asked, setting my napkin down on the table.
"Sure." Bethany shrugged, a dangerous glint in her eye.
"Perhaps I will make quiche Lorraine."
"Sounds lovely." She said, her eyes narrowing.
Not only do I know that she killed our father, but I'm positive I know how she did it. Food poisioning. Our father was as healthy as a hoarse prior to his death, when Bethany made him a special birthday dessert. He went to bed soon after and never woke up. That in mind, I read every book I could on the matter, studying about poisonous plants. I also decided that from now on, I would be cooking for myself. I also oversee everything that comes in and out of the kitchen. There have shockingly been at least eight attempts at bringing in produce we never ordered, practically confirming my suspicions in and of itself. We lived in Iceland. It was small but beautiful. However, due to its small size, it requires us to import many of our foods, making it easy for someone to 'accidently' slip something into a shipment without getting caught.
I left the dining room, accompanied by my father's Beta, Geir. He was a big muscular man with some gray speckles starting to appear in his otherwise dark brown hair. Geir was like a second dad to me. He has been by my side the entire time. He helped me plan my father's funeral, he has offered a lot of advice on how I might help the kingdom without actually being queen, and he has been fiercely protective of me. I hoped that one day I could repay him for his kindness. His loyalty did not lie with the person in charge, but rather with what was right and just, what would be best for our people. And apparently, he thought I was it.
"She is up to something." Geir said, scanning the halls and looking over his shoulder every few seconds.
"No doubt." I sighed heavily.
I hated living in fear in my own home. Especially since that fear was of my own sister. Can I even call her that anymore? At what point does blood no longer count? I would imagine killing our father in cold blood for her own personal gain would be the moment. We were never especially close to begin with, having been born a decade apart.
"What would you have me do?" Geir asked. "We have been playing her games for far too long."
"I agree. Do we know where everyone's loyalty lies?"
"Mostly. There are a few on the fence, but I think they could be easily swayed in our favor."
"Good, that's good." I nodded, trying to think of the next best plan. I didn't want a war in my own home, but I was afraid that might be my only option. "If we wait for Bethany to strike, that could sway the few." I shrugged.
"With all due respect, princess, if we wait any longer, we might not have the chance to strike back. Bethany is ruthless."
"I hate it when you are right." I grumbeled. "Gather all of our supporters, discretely. Prepare them for what lies ahead. I want everyone heavily armed at all times. I don't care if their job is to sort the mail or clean the stables, everyone is armed and ready."
"Yes princess." He nodded, stopping me before I could reach for my bedroom doorhandle.
He quickly searched my room while I waited in the doorway, making sure there were no unwelcome guests. It is part of our routine now, ever since I found my room rifled. I thought I was the only one with a key, but apparently not. Now, as soon as my room was cleared, I shut myself in and would wedge a chair in under the door handle to prevent anyone from getting in or picking the lock. Of course, if they really wanted to get in, they could. We were werewolves after all. However, no one wanted to make a scene. Everything is about appearance these days.
Truthfully, I never wanted to be queen, but knowing how selfish and cruel Bethany is, I would happily take the crown if it meant she didn't have it.
"All clear." Geir nodded. "Have a nice evening princess."
"Thanks Geir, I don't know what I'd do without you." I said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading into my room for bed.
"Myself or Gunner will be here in the morning to escort you." He added as I was shutting the door.
"Got it, thanks." I smiled, softly clicking the door shut before wedging the chair into place.
Geir yanked the handle, as he always did, testing it for security. I really don't know what I would do without him. I made my way to the bathroom and began drawing myself a warm bath. As the tub began to fill, I began brushing my hair. It was almost touching the floor, if I tipped my head back far enough it actually would. It took me a hot minute to get through brushing it, but by the time I was done braiding it and pinning it to the top of my head, my bath was ready.
I could never bathe and wash my hair at the same time. My hair took so long to wash that the water would run cold by the time I was done, and not only that, but my hair was so heavy when wet, it might drown me if I tried to wash it while in the tub. Maybe I'll cut it one day, but not for now. I loved my long hair.
I also loved this bubble bath. With it I was finally able to relax a bit, not worrying that someone was watching me or following me. Just me and the hot bubbly water, so relaxing-
"Something doesn't feel right." My wolf, Aria, growled, interrupting my tranquility.
"That is the third time this week that you have said that." I sighed. She was just as much on edge as I was. "Geir checked the room, and the only way in or out was blocked. We would hear someone trying to break in."
"Something is off, I can feel it." She insisted, effectively giving me chills.
Fine. I quickly finished washing, got out of the tub, and got dressed into my nightgown, my eyes glued to the bathroom door. There was nowhere anyone could hide in here. All my bathroom had was a clawfoot tub, a toilet, and a vanity. There were some shelves too, but I doubt anyone would be able to squeeze themselves into them and still stay hidden. None the less, my mind began to run wild, and I found myself checking the most ridiculous places to make sure no one was in the bathroom with me.
Now for the scary part, the rest of my room. I had a bedroom with a fireplace and a closet, a reading room with a balcony, and the front area where I first came in from. I was shaking as I grabbed one of the stokers used for the fireplace, ready to strike at anything that moved.
I searched high and low, under the bed and up into the chimney. I looked in the back of my closet and inside my hope chest, and let's not forget all the nooks and crannies in between. I was finally able to breathe once I was done, thankful that I would be safe for another night.
"How long will we continue her games?" Aria asked.
"As long as we need to, so we can ensure she won't be made queen." I grumbled as I stepped out onto my tiny balcony.
I gazed at the northern lights, gawking at the natural beauty gifted to us by the moon goddess herself. I found myself wondering how such a beautiful world could also hold so much evil. How was I going to get past all of this? What was I going to do if I was made queen? Kick Bethany out? What would I do if Bethany was made queen? Run for my life? So many questions, so few answers. With my head thoroughly filled with too many thoughts, I turned to go back inside when something caught my eye.
"Aria, what is that?" I asked, bending down to get a closer look.
"Looks like a hook." She said, sending a chill up my spine.
My breath hitched when I saw the rope attached to the end of the grappling hook, going all the way down to the ground. I turned to run, but was met with a pair of dark brown eyes. A man, I would presume from his build, wearing all black. He looked like a ninja, moved like one too. I tried to move past him, in an effort to retreat back to the safety of my room, but was soon pinned against the metal railing of my balcony. I began to scream, and was about to shift, but he covered my mouth and shot something into my neck that sent me to the floor. Things just got very bad.
