The Lycan King's Rebellious Queen

2- I like the look of this one

Archer

I sat in the back of the car that brought us into the Northern Territory, the windows were tinted just enough so I couldn't be seen. My Beta Logan was sitting beside me scrolling through his phone whilst we waited to park outside of Hightop.

I had been here only a handful of times before, the King when he was alive never permitted me to cross the border without an acceptable excuse. Now he was gone it was my one chance to win over Lord Arthur Summers and secure my place as king to finally unite the kingdom as one again.

I had become good friends with Lord Arthur over the years, we had built up good connections between the two of us and despite many others not agreeing with him speaking with me he always remained on neutral ground and welcomed my business.

We came to an abrupt stop outside of the building which jolted me forward in my seat, I didn't comment on the sudden breaking as I could hear the driver cursing under his breath about inconsiderate bikers so I presume someone had cut him up.

“Let's go,” Logan said from beside me as he stepped out of the vehicle into the warm sun. I opened my own door before the driver got around to me, I was more than capable of doing it myself. Logan walked around to me and began talking to me about something but there was someone else that caught my attention.

A woman in bike leathers, I could easily tell it was a woman by her figure and the way her leathers stuck to her body showing her excellent figure. She was walking up the steps in the same direction we were heading, she reached up and took off her helmet letting the most exquisite dark red hair fall halfway down her back. She used her hand to run through it freeing it more so, the sudden smell of sweet strawberries hit me as I watched her smile and thank the man in front of her as he held the door open for her.

“Nice” I heard Logan comment as he now also had his eyes on her. “Fancy yourself a bit of human do you” he smiled.

“Not today” I answered him bluntly, I began walking up the steps wanting to see where this woman was heading, her scent was quite strong to me and she looked beautiful from the back I just knew I had to see her face.

We walked into the building and I immediately saw the unknown woman behind the reception. The way she was standing I still couldn't make out her face as she kept her back to me, the woman sat at the reception desk looked at her watch and spoke to her. She answered her as she rushed across to the elevator and stepped inside, maybe she was here for a meeting also, but I still wanted to see more of her.

Logan walked over to the desk to inform them we were here as I kept back watching the dial move above the double doors seeing what level she was getting off at. To my surprise it was the top floor, was she Arthur's assistant? A warm feeling rushed through me knowing I was heading in the same direction.

“I know the way” I called to the receptionist as she stood from her seat about to guide Logan and me to Arthur's office. The woman looked panicked as she slowly sat back in her seat and watched us walk to the elevator.

It took a while to come back down to the ground floor but the moment I stepped inside the air was filled with the woman's scent. Taking in deep breaths of her I stood and waited for the doors to open as I felt us moving up the building. The girl in leathers with the red hair was cemented into my mind, it wasn't a good time for me to be distracted. I had to remain focus on the situation in hand.

We slowly came to a stop and the doors opened, as I expected the redhead still had her back to me but she was drinking out of what looked to be a bottle of whisky.

Arthur seemed to be in a panic so much so neither of them heard the elevator doors open, the woman handed the bottle back to him and I noticed it was a bottle from the crate I had sent him at Christmas. He quickly got a napkin and began wiping the rim of the bottle. “Then who is it for?” The woman asked him in a raspy voice wiping her mouth. I smiled knowing the whisky I had sent Arthur was doing its job.

“That would be me” I answered for him. Arthur looked up in horror as he tried hiding the bottle and fasten the lid back onto it.

But It was the angel in front of me that I was more focused on. She turned around to look at me, and I felt something deep inside of my shift, she was perfect. Like I had designed her myself to make the perfect woman. She looked up at me with her big green eyes, her dark lashes just made the green orbs stand out just that little bit more. There was just a tint of redness in her cheeks, I can only presume that was the whisky.

“What the f**k!” she said slowly turning to look at Arthur.

“Harley, language!” he snapped under his breath aiming his anger at her.

Harley, I liked how the name sounded, I didn't know her but the name seemed to suit her perfectly.

“Dad, what the f**k are you meeting with him for” she pointed back at me.

Arthur laughed nervously as he pulled at his collar looking at me. “I do apologise for my daughter, she can be quite abrupt at times, but she was just leaving” he walked around the desk taking hold of her arm and pulling her away from us.

“Your daughter?” I repeated as if I was asking it as a question.

“Oh Yes, I'll just see her out” Arthur called back as he ushered her away.

“No need” I pulled out one of the chairs. “I would like her to stay” I nodded to the chair telling her to take a seat.

“No, thanks,” she said giving me a look of disgust, she turned around and pressed the button as the elevator as it had already closed.

“I insist, I wouldn't want to bother one of my men downstairs by having him drag you kicking and screaming all the way back up here” I smiled.

“Of course, she will stay,” Arthur said in a high-pitched tone as he began pulling her back in our direction by her wrist giving her a look I could tell she had seen plenty of times before.

She sat in the chair I offered and I pulled out the one beside her. “So let's get straight down to business shall we, I have a long drive back.

“Of course, sorry about the rude welcome. I assure you my daughter will sit QUIETLY! And anything said in here will of course remain between the four of us” he said the word quietly a lot sterner than the others as he gave Harley that same look again telling her to behave.

She rolled her eyes at him and pulled out her phone from her back pocket and remained quiet. He began typing on his keyboard and looking at his computer screen, “Now I know we have been talking for some time about your application for king,”

“King!” Harley shouted sitting upright in her seat looking at her father. Arthur closed his eyes at the sound of her voice.

“Would that be a problem?” I asked her.

“Why would you want to be king of this place?” she asked me.

“What's wrong with this place?” wanting to know the meaning behind her question.

“It's a dump, sorry dad” she immediately said to him. “But King Aidan ruined this place, let's face it he practically reversed time and now we are back to the upper class overpowering the lower class, I mean, did you know, you can order a slave from the internet now? It's degrading, and an embarrassment to live here” She seemed to speak with her heart about the way things were done here.

I just looked at the passion on her face as she spoke on the subject. Arthur began to speak, “Yes I agree, there are a lot of changes to be made and it is going to need the right person to set things straight” I held up my hand to stop Arthur for a moment which he did instantly.

“What if I said I agreed with you and I wanted to abolish all these stupid laws King Aidan set”

“Do you plan on eating people?” she asked folding her arms across her chest. I wanted to laugh at her question as I saw Arthur out the corner of my eyes shaking his head mumbling obscenities under his breath, but I remained stoic.

“I can assure you humans don't taste that good I prefer beef” I answered her, I could hear Logan trying to keep in his laughter from behind us.

“Well, that would not be a total disaster then, I suppose” she shrugged and sat back in her seat again.

“As you were saying” I nodded to Arthur to carry on with what he was explaining.

“As I said, the application and statements you have provided us with are great there are no problems there, and, being of royal stature yourself would be perfect and save me a lot of hassle of training up some other imbecile. But.” he took a deep breath and looked back at me.

“There is always a but,” Logan said as he pulled out another chair and took a seat on the other side of me.

“You need to have a link to this territory, you are considered to be an outsider here, you have no property here or links with anyone other than myself, and there is no equity or funds held in our banks” Arthur explained.

“Ok, I'll open an account with your branch here and move some money around. Logan can find me some properties to buy” I looked at Logan who was nodding his head agreeing.

Arthur nodded, “That's a start, now Aidan is no longer here the opportunity for your kind to buy into our ecosystem is opening up, I suggest you take what you can get your hands on. People are not very wealthy here so most vacant properties will be left to the homeless and be ruined within the year.”

“What about getting to know people? Do you have any official events coming up or anything we could attend to make some good connections?” Logan asked on my behalf.

Arthur stared flicking through his diary, “Unfortunately not for a while, with the King's passing all events are on hold until the three-month mourning period has ended. maybe I could host a dinner or...”

“That will take too long” I said shaking my head.

“Do you have any extended family here? Or any children you may have fathered that lives here, a long lost wife maybe or cousin? Anything that ties you to here” Arthur asked.

I shook my head, “No, Lycan remember, nobody associated with me would have been allowed to stay here” I answered bluntly.

“ Off the record” Arthur whispered leaning closer to us. “I know a place, Pendal alley, you could pay one of the women from there to marry you, obviously keeping a prenup firmly in place. Then if you keep the marriage going for a year then divorce her quietly, send her on her way with a nice payout, job done”

“Your setting him up with a hooker” Harley laughed, "And how exactly do you know of this place father?"

“I just heard about it that's all" he snapped. "Plus, It's not real Harley, it will just look real to everyone on the outside but rules would be in place” Arthur explained.

“And that would work if I had a wife from here?” I asked making sure I understood him correctly.

“Yes,” He answered with a nod. “Then I can finish the paperwork and the crown would be yours, but it will have to be done soon. Once the death of Aidan is known worldwide you will have a lot of competition.

“Ok, then that's settled,” I said as I stood buttoning my jacket. “I will get everything done I have to but I will not be marrying any hookers, I will marry Harley this Saturday at my house.”

Her eyes darted up to mine in shock, “The f**k you will!” Harley stood from her seat and looked at me dumbfounded.

I ignored her foul language and looked at Arthur who stood looking equally as shocked. “Email me Harley's address and I will pick her up on friday with all her belongings”

“Who do you think you are? Dad, tell him I'm not marrying him” I heard Harley protesting behind me as we walked toward the elevator.

“If needed I can find an alternative woman for you” Arthur yelled as he ran up behind me.

I turned to look at Harley one last time to refresh the image in my mind before I left. “That's ok Arthur, I like the look of this one” I winked at her as I turned away and stepped into the elevator.

"This one" she shouted. "I'm not a cattle at the market waiting to be sold, I'm..."

“See you Friday” I tried holding back the smirk but it was impossible. Knowing I was going to have her for a whole year excited me, This was going to be fun.