Unlikely Queen (Crystal Castle 1)

While the others lose themselves to the rhythm and heat from the fire, I battle with the thoughts plaguing me. I worry for my sisters and whether they have made it home unharmed. I worry how far the queen will go to find me. I worry that when I close my eyes at night, I will wake up seeing her wicked, smiling face.

I feel hopeless.

Beside me, John clears his throat.

“For goodness’ sake, just ask me,” I declare, exasperated by his odd behavior. He once again looks at me, but this time he appears slightly nervous.

“What does she look like?” He breaks eye contact, his voice is uneven, and I can’t help but smile.

“We all look similar… dark hair, green eyes.”

“Are you all alike?” This time he holds my gaze, and that’s when I see just how interested he is in finding out more about my sister.

“No, Tatiana is the eldest. She’s more of the protector, I guess you could say. She trains us, keeps us on schedule, and maintains the house. Sometimes, I think she has to be like our parents. Tanya, on the other hand, is the peacemaker. She doesn’t like having to fight for everything, especially something as basic as our safety.”

I smile as their faces come to mind. This is the first time I have been separated from my sisters, and it feels strange having to describe them in this way.

Beside me, I doubt John listened to a word I said from the faraway look on his face.

“Tatiana.” He lets her name roll off of his tongue like he is getting used to hearing and saying it.

I’m almost lost in my own thoughts when the hairs on my body stand on end. My senses come on high alert, and instinctively, I grip John’s arm. He looks at it, then follows my worried gaze.

“They’re coming!”

“Where?” John is quick to his feet, pulling me up with him. He is strong and powerful, and it is easy to feel safe in his presence. But that doesn’t mean the threat isn’t real.

As if on cue, those dancing around the bonfire come to a standstill. They can sense my fear. Wary faces meet ours, and it’s then I notice John’s eyes are now glowing orange. His shoulders square for battle and his pack quickly follow suit.

All their eyes are now glowing a bright yellow. Since John is the alpha, his color is different. It distinguishes him from the rest.

“Where are they?” he asks again.

To feel their presence, I close my eyes and point in the direction of the threat, and all gazes follow.

John releases my arm, and taking a few steps forward, he sniffs the air, hoping to pick up any trace.

“I can’t smell them.”

“They are close to the border.” My voice trembles slightly. I’m scared. The anticipation from everything that’s happened today has me on edge. The expectancy of what’s to come has me tense and nervous. My body tenses, my hands becoming clammy.

“Tell me more.”

“I can feel my sister. She’s… she is there somewhere. Somewhere close. They are with Tatiana.”

John’s back straightens at the mention of her name, and he nods to Patrick, the one I met at the brick wall when I first arrived. Patrick comes right over and stands tall in front of me. He himself is a brick wall and I feel miniature in his presence.

“Get her to safety,” John instructs in a low, calm voice. Without hesitating, Patrick takes my arm, but I try to pull free. I manage to twist out of his grasp, and he is surprised by my strength.

“I can help!” I tell them, but they will have nothing of it.

The others are beginning to shift into their wolf forms, and it’s a mesmerizing transition—so beautiful and elegant, yet terrifying at the same time.

John’s attention, however, is still focused on trying to locate the threat.

“You need to leave… so leave,” Patrick demands, once again gripping my arm. This time his fingers dig deep into the muscle to the point where it hurts. He leads the way, dragging me from the light of the bonfire and into the darkness. He is fast, but I keep up, and soon my eyes adjust to the mirky blackness around me.

The wolves howl and it echoes through the night, so I stop to witness the spectacle. Hyped and ready for battle, I see them in their pack, but then I see shapes move so fast, I have to blink to make sure what I am witnessing is real.

Vampires.

“Come on,” Patrick urges, his voice deep and serious this time. “We can’t stop. They will smell you. We have to leave.”

I know he’s right. A mere breeze could carry my scent and it would be game over. The problem is, I’m transfixed. I can’t move—my attention solely on John.

A vampire stands face to face with John, but John doesn’t shift an inch. He’s poised in the face of evil.