The Alpha’s Cursed Queen (Eternal Oath Saga #1)

Chapter 11

Alice

I pack the sandwich in a plastic container before pasting a sticky note on it and writing a sweet message. After smiling at the note that I know is going to have the recipient laughing like a loon, I look over my shoulder and call out, “Mira, it’s getting late. Move your little butt.”

I hear the pitter patter of little feet on the wooden floor of the hallway, and a little girl not even half my size skids into the kitchen. “Here!”

I give her a sharp look. “What have I said about skidding in the house? You’re going to fall and hurt yourself.”

“No, I won’t!” my six-year-old daughter protests before grabbing her lunch box and shoving it recklessly into her backpack. “Let’s go.”

I looked down at her bare feet. “You want to get your shoes first, ma’am?”

She wiggles her toes at me, giving me that carelessly charming smile that never fails to pang my heart with the ghost of a memory. “I don’t like shoes.”

I bop her on the nose. “Well, first graders have to wear shoes. And one of us happens to be a first grader.”

“Why can’t I go back to kindergarten?” She sticks out her lower lip. “All my friends are there.”

I sigh heavily, having already had this discussion every day for the past week. “Because your Aunt Mary seems to think you’re a genius, and then, you didn’t help any by acing the interview at the elementary school. Besides, you like learning, and you’ll make loads of new friends.”

My daughter tugs on both tips of her ponytails. “Jamie says first graders are mean.”

I crouch down and smooth out the ends of her hair before telling her seriously, “Jamie doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s homeschooled.”

“Why can’t I be homeschooled with him?” She looks at me pleadingly. “I like him.”

I straighten up, trying not to let those big green eyes of hers melt my heart. “Jamie and you together are like a ticking time bomb. No homeschooling for you, especially with him, because the last time we tried that, the two of you nearly set his apartment on fire.”

“I just wanted to make eggs,” Mira protests, determined to get the last word.

I give her an exasperated pat on the shoulder. “Mira, go get your shoes. We have five minutes. I can’t be late for work today. Move it. One, two, three, go!”

Always up for a challenge, she scampers back to her room. I hear things being tossed around as she searches for her little black shoes.

The only thing my daughter inherited from me is my red hair. I don’t know where she got her brains from. She has always been smart, even as a toddler. It probably helped that whenever Mary came to visit me in Phoenix, she would spend half the time playing teacher with my infant. My baby would be spouting the alphabet or counting to one hundred as soon as Mary left.

When it was time for Mira to start school, the director of the kindergarten took me aside and told me first grade would be better for my daughter. I didn’t want Mira to have to experience being the outcast, as she would be significantly younger than her classmates, so I refused. But then, my happy-go-lucky child began to stand out a little too much from her peers, something that bothered the other kindergarteners. This is the only reason why I agreed to let her be transferred to first grade in the middle of the academic year. The school’s principal, clearly impressed with my daughter, even suggested putting her in second grade instead, but I had to put my foot down somewhere.

When I hear tiny little stomping sounds, I know the shoes have been found and put on.

“I’m ready!” Mira appears in the kitchen doorway, her little fists resting on her hips in a superhero pose.

I look at her, my heart overflowing with warmth. At her age, I was huddled in closets, trying to escape my bullies. My daughter never has to worry about surviving. She is one of the most confident children I’ve ever seen. I’ve raised her with an abundance of love and affection, and it shows.

She stomps over to me, throws her arms around my waist, and gazes up at me. “Why do you look sad, Mama?”

I stroke her cheek with the back of my hand, smiling down at her. “Just thinking of what a blessing I’ve been given in the shape of you.”

She gives me a broad smile, showing me the gap in her teeth. “I’m a blessing?”

I kneel by her side, cupping her chubby little face in my hands. “The most beautiful blessing of them all. When you came along, you took away every bit of heartache I ever had. So, you are my little blessing.”

She kisses my nose cheekily. “Does this mean I can get ice cream later?”

I roll my eyes, amused. “You never waste an opportunity, do you?”

“I like ice cream.”

Laughing lightly, I nudge her out the door of our apartment before grabbing the keys to my car and locking up.

I drop Mira off at the elementary school. Unable to stop myself from lingering, I watch her as she heads inside. Despite her previous concerns, she seems her usual cheery self, and I know she will end up befriending at least one child by the end of the day. Yet, I can’t help but worry. It’s her first day in a new place. What if she misses me? What if someone bullies her?

Mia was always a happy baby, a friendly, giggling child from the moment she was placed in my arms. She’s never had a problem making friends and has easily charmed her babysitters and kindergarten teachers out of giving her punishments for her bouts of naughtiness. She’s mischievous and curious, and an overall healthy child, but I still worry about her. I want her to settle in at this new school. I know how cruel children can be.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I sigh. Time to go to work.

Kalem and Sons is a law firm that recruited me four years ago. They have a building in the Melrose District, a hub of activity. My office is on the top floor along with the other senior lawyers. After greeting my assistant, Holly, I walk inside the large space that I was given a year ago.

Getting into law school was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life, and having a toddler attached to my hip while attending classes was even harder. But I had a little help in the form of Mary and a few babysitters. The determination to give my daughter the life I never had drove me to succeed. I functioned on the bare minimum hours of sleep and worked myself to the bone, studying and doing odd jobs when I needed money. But I did it.

“Miss Lane?” Holly knocks on the door before entering. “Miss Lockhart’s assistant called for a lunch meeting this afternoon.”

I’m taking out my laptop from my briefcase, and I look up in surprise. “Katherine’s assistant called?”

“As I understand, it’s not a personal request but a business one,” Holly clarifies.

I blink. Katherine Lockhart is a friend of mine. When I first joined Kalem and Sons, I was a junior lawyer in the team that was working on the Pinnacle Group’s case. That meant I had to do a lot of grunt work. Katherine’s father was the CEO, and she had just joined her family’s firm. She was very hands on, and the two of us worked together on the case, hammering out the fine details. Thanks to the many hours we spent eating takeout in either my office or hers as we pored over facts, an unlikely friendship blossomed.

Now, we get together for lunch at least once a week, so for her to set up a formal appointment with me, without so much as a heads up, means it must be serious.

“Do I have any meetings today?”

“One, and it can be rescheduled,” Holly informs me quickly. “If you want, I can get Jefferson to cover it. It’s also a lunch meeting. But it’s a small mom-and-pop shop. Their son-in-law is trying to convince them to merge their—”

“—successful restaurant with his failed chain of restaurants,” I finish, recalling the meeting from last Friday. “No. Call Brandon and tell him to schedule dinner with Katherine instead of lunch. Tell him I have an important meeting today.”

Holly hesitates. “Are you sure? Pinnacle Group is one of our biggest accounts.”

I give her a firm look. “Pinnacle Group isn’t going to suffer if I don’t show up for a meeting. That old couple will. All clients are equally important, Holly. Just because they won’t be paying my normal fees doesn’t mean they don’t deserve my full attention.”

My assistant gives me a flustered look. “Of course. I’ll let Brandon know.”

She closes the door behind her, and I sink into my leather chair.

Seven years ago, I could not have imagined sitting in such a splendid office, with an assistant and people relying on me. I would not have dreamed that other law firms would try to poach me.

Seven years ago, I was lying in the bed of a private clinic, wanting to die. My spirit had been crushed in its entirety, my body so badly damaged that I was holding on by a thread. Mary put her hands on my flat belly, the blood of another healer staining those hands.

My friend, who is the gentlest person I have ever known, had killed someone to protect me and to protect the secret I was carrying inside me. A child. A child with royal blood.

The memory has me touching my stomach.

It was Mira’s existence that made me fight for a second chance in life. I worked hard to become someone. I had been at the bottom of the barrel, and I was determined to claw my way out. The moment I learned I was carrying a child, I swore to myself that I would never let anyone humiliate me again.

My eyes flit around the room, the office that is a symbol of my success. Alice Lane is no longer a worthless wolf shifter. She’s a successful corporate lawyer who is on track for partnership. My child is happy and confident. She is loved. She will never know even a day of sadness, if I can have it my way.

I look at one of the photos on my desk. Mira is in my arms. She was a few months old when this was taken. I had started law school just a few weeks earlier. I was thin back then, having run myself ragged throughout the pregnancy. I look so tired, but this picture is a reminder of who I fought for and how I fought for her.

Mira’s birth changed a lot of things for me. My red hair, which had once been a source of ridicule for me, is now something I carry with pride. Cut in a blunt bob, the edges barely touching my shoulders, I dare somebody to call me Firecrotch now. My wolf rumbles within me in approval.

When the white witches performed the sealing spell on me, they subdued my wolf spirit, which had only just woken up inside me. However, when Mira was born nine months later, I once again had a brush with death, and my wolf spirit revived. Even Mary couldn’t explain it. It was unheard of.

However, the plan had been to hide in the human world and pose as a human. Mary helped me with my shift and taught me how to accept my wolf, but I can’t risk running into wolf shifters in Arizona. While the Moonlight Pack has no control in this state, the Blackwood Pack is the ruling entity here, and I have done everything to make sure I don’t get on their radar.

Fortunately for me, ever since the sealing ritual, according to Mary, I don’t smell like one of my kind. If my scent was diluted before, it is even more so now. Sometimes one has to be grateful for the small things.

I try not to think about the past, but perhaps today, after sending Mira off to a new school, my heart feels heavy. Walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window that looks out on Phoenix, I gaze at the city I now call home.

A knock on the door has me looking over. “Come in.”

A man enters. His dark hair is streaked with gray, his features youthful despite his age. Harry Asher is one of the partners at Kalem and Sons. He’s in his early forties and has been a good friend to me over these past four years. At the same time, he has not concealed his interest in me, which started the moment I joined this firm.

“Harry.” I greet him with a small smile. “What brings you here?”

“I heard it was Mira’s first day at the new school.” He closes the door behind him, and I notice the cup of coffee in his hand. “Thought you might need this to get you through the day. Extra special blend.”

He winks at me, and I chuckle. “Thanks. She’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that.” He settles in the visitor chair, unfolding his long legs. “After all, she is your daughter.”

I laugh lightly, but I’ve learned how to rebuff advances and compliments designed to show interest. I lift my left hand and run my fingers through my hair, showing off the gold band on my ring finger. In the human world, Alice Lane is a widow. Initially, I had planned to tell people I was married, but at some point I would have had to introduce a husband to them. The widow card was easier to play.

The few friends I have made often ask if I’m lonely. Katherine has tried to set me up on several blind dates, most of them ambushes. I’ve told her plenty of times that I cannot move on from my husband and that I want to focus on Mira, but my friend refuses to give up. She doesn’t seem to understand that while I have an abundant amount of love for Mira, there is no space for anybody else in my heart.

I tasted love once, and the scars are still etched into my soul. Even though Harry gets along with my daughter, and he is a good, kind man, I still cannot open my heart to him. Katherine has encouraged me plenty of times to give him a chance, but she doesn’t understand that my heart is nothing more than a dead piece of meat when it comes to romantic love. As handsome and caring as Harry is, I simply cannot look at him in that way.

Luckily, Harry seems to understand my lack of interest because he has never once verbally expressed his feelings to me.

“Katherine has called me for a meeting,” I inform him, sitting at my desk and sipping the coffee that he brought me. “Any idea what that’s about?”

Harry smirks. “I believe there’s a project she’s trying to recruit you for, but you are not the only lawyer from this firm that Pinnacle Group is considering. They’re looking to create a team to handle a major contract coming their way.”

My eyes widen. “If it’s a major contract, shouldn’t one of the partners be leading the team?”

Harry drums his fingers on my desk. “You do know that both you and Levi are on the partnership track, don’t you? This is your opportunity to prove yourself. The partners will be observing this entire deal very closely, so you should do your best.”

I hesitate. “Does Levi know about this?”

Harry gets to his feet and puts a finger to his lips. “We never had this conversation.”

I watch him leave, my heart pounding in excitement. Levi Thorne is one of the older lawyers, and he has a strong track record. The only difference between us is that while his reputation is stable, mine is growing. This is why the two of us are been considered for partnership at the same time, even though our status in the firm is different. He’s not my biggest fan, but I’ve worked with him a couple of times before, and he’s a good lawyer. Being pitted against him is nothing short of an honor.

I smile to myself. Making partner before turning thirty is an achievement I never dreamed of. I’m going to do everything in my power to get that position.

*****

I lean back in my seat, watching the Bernardi couple’s son-in-law gesture with his hands. He’s talking about family bonds and how he plans to make them all rich. The way his lawyer is smirking as if he’s got the deal in the bag makes my smile broaden even more.

I have the contract in my hand and a sheaf of papers that I worked on last night in front of me. The older couple sitting by my side look tense, holding each other’s hands for support.

They’ve closed their restaurant for lunch today. It’s not a huge place, but it’s quite popular. The two of them came here from Italy after Mr. Bernardi’s parents were murdered by the local mafia. They don’t want to hand the restaurant over to the son-in-law, but he and their daughter have made things quite difficult for them, so much so that Mr. Bernardi is being forced to consider retirement, which he cannot afford.

I can see Mrs. Bernardi trembling, her eyes wet. I put my hand on her knee, giving her a cool look and a discreet shake of the head. She swallows and lowers her gaze.

The problem isn’t as simple as the older couple being forced to sign a contract. It’s more than that. I usually only take corporate cases, staying away from the emotionally charged ones, but this case is personal. When I first moved here, the Bernardis were kind to me. They would often give me a free meal when I was a college student and my pockets were empty. Mrs. Bernardi has babysat Mira a few times, as well.

I wait till their son-in-law, Charlie, runs out of steam. His lawyer, Mason Robert, adjusts the lapels of his suit jacket.

“As you can see, my client has been nothing but fair. I fail to see why Mr. Bernardi feels the need to hire a lawyer. After all, their daughter is their only child. She will rightfully inherit this restaurant at some point. So why not—”

“She could inherit the place once they die,” I cut him off pleasantly, gesturing toward the older couple. “And unless your client is planning to hire somebody to take them out, with the two of them in peak health, there will be no inheritance in the foreseeable future. Trying to force Mr. Bernardi to retire makes no sense to me.”

“It’s in their best interest,” Mason argues. “They’re in their fifties. They can retire, live off the money they have made, and let the young blood carry on the business.”

I make a show of putting on my reading glasses before picking up the pile of papers before me and flipping through them. “I’m sure you’re not referring to the retirement fund that your client and his wife stole from Mr. and Mrs. Bernardi.”

Charlie bristles. “We didn’t steal it. They willingly signed it over. Nobody forced them.”

I look over the top of my glasses at the man, smiling faintly. “I see. So, when you said, and I quote, ‘you will never see your grandchildren again if you don’t sign that paper,’ is that not a threat?”

His lawyer opens his mouth, but I lift a finger, silencing him.

“Maybe stealing is the wrong term, but you illegally coerced them to sign over the money that you then used in your failing restaurant chain.”

I take off my glasses, letting them dangle from my finger as I look at Charlie’s lawyer. “What are you expecting the Bernardis to live on when your client has already taken their retirement fund?”

Charlie shrugs. “They can work for me if they need the money.”

I blink slowly. “So, they will go from being the owners of a successful restaurant to being your employees? In what world does that make sense?”

Mason is about to speak, but Charlie shushes his lawyer. He stands up and leans forward, his eyes glittering. “Listen. Why don’t you keep your yap shut and get walking? We don’t need your help. This is a family matter. There’s nothing a skirt like you can do, anyway.”

I study the man across from me in his white T-shirt with a ketchup stain on it and his black pants that are hanging so low that I can tell you the brand name of his underwear. His hair is slicked back with so much grease that it’s shining brighter than the sun. There’s a piece tucked away in the waistband of his pants, which he has been showing me constantly since our meeting started.

He’s a couple years younger than me, and greed is written all over his face.

“A skirt like me, Mr. Robert, can do a lot of damage. Why don’t you sit down and let your lawyer do the talking? Your in-laws don’t want to give you their restaurant, especially considering the amount you’re trying to offer them for it. Your father-in-law does not wish to retire. And if he doesn’t want to, you can’t make him. Sending men to break things in here is not the way to go about it. And after the kind of behavior you and your wife have demonstrated, you can forget about an inheritance.”

“I’ll sue him, you bitch!” All riled up now, Charlie actually spits in my face.

A few things happen at once. Mr. Bernardi turns red, and Mrs. Bernardi lets out a shocked cry. Mason curses out loud, grabs Charlie, and forces him to sit down.

I reach out and pick up one of the paper napkins from the table. I wet it with some water from my glass before cleaning my face with it. I take my sweet time, strategizing as I do so.

“You can’t treat her like that!” Mr. Bernardi is raising his voice, and Charlie pushes back his seat and starts advancing around the table.

“Hold your fucking tongue, old man! There’s a lot I can do to you, too. If you don’t want anything happening to that old bird of yours, sign over the fucking restaurant.”

“Get your client under control, Mr. Robert,” I say mildly, “before I charge him with assault. With the misdemeanors already on his rap sheet, he’s going to go away for a couple of years, at least. Then his wife and kids will have no choice but to move in with his in-laws. And they’ll be seeing their grandchildren as much as they want.”

“You little bitch.” Charlie lunges at me, and I let him get his hands around my throat.

Bored with this, I let him strangle me for a minute before grabbing him by the hair on the back of his head. Using my shifter strength, I yank him away from me and slam his head onto the table. Dazed, he totters backward before falling into his chair.

“So that will be one count of assault and one attempted murder charge.” I straighten my shirt before looking at the pale-faced attorney. “I wonder how many years he’ll do for that?”

Charlie looks confused. I didn’t hit him hard enough on the table to leave a mark, but it was enough to rattle him.

I slide a piece of paper over to Mason. “This is what is going to happen. The Bernardis will change their estate plan such that after their passing, the restaurant will be sold and the proceeds given to charity. They no longer want their daughter to inherit anything. If they change their minds, they will leave their money in a trust for their grandchildren, to be accessed only for their education. With respect to the grandchildren, who are their biggest concern, they will be filing for grandparent rights. Considering that they raised both their grandchildren when they were born, and the boys have spent months with them on several occasions, I am confident they will be granted visitation privileges. Don’t tempt me to go for custody because no judge will turn me down when they find out that the children’s parents emptied the trust funds the grandparents set up for them, and that they did so using illegal means. As a bonus for your client, I will be charging him with assault and attempted murder, and that’s just because I don’t like him.”

Mason closes his eyes briefly, the vein in his forehead pulsing.

“Yo.” Charlie manages to get himself together enough to scowl. “She’s shitting us, isn’t she?”

His lawyer slams the paper down on the table and growls, “No, she’s not, Charlie. And if you don’t want to go to jail, you’d better shut up.”

Normally lawyers don’t talk to their clients in this manner, but then, Mason is also Charlie’s brother.

“I need to confer with my client,” Mason finally replies to me through gritted teeth.

I gesture toward the empty restaurant. “By all means.”

An hour later, Mrs. Bernardi is sobbing into her hands as her husband tries to comfort her.

“He can’t stop you from seeing your grandchildren, Susan,” I tell her. “I warned you to expect this outcome. At least now, he can’t touch your assets or this restaurant. I’ve already prepared the paperwork to file for custody of your grandchildren. The investigator I have looking into your daughter and your son-in-law has given me a lot of information that we can use against them.”

Susan leans against her husband. “I don’t want to break up my daughter’s marriage.”

“I understand that,” I comfort her. “But you should think about the children. They deserve a stable home. Emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. Those children are being used as pawns to bleed you and your husband dry.”

I kneel by her side and look up at her. “I know you love your daughter, but sometimes blood isn’t thicker than water. She has chosen this lifestyle. Ellie knows what she’s doing. She has chosen to betray you and your husband. You’ve already heard what she and Charlie intended to do. You two worked hard to build this place. Forcing you to give up your restaurant, to give up your house, so that they can move in and control everything while you and George work for them for minimum wage isn’t fair. It’s not right. It’s not something any child should put their parents through. You know that, and I know that. You are not hurting her. You are trying to protect yourself.”

Her eyes are red as I squeeze her hands, my voice gentle. “You have nothing left, Susan. She blackmailed you out of your savings account, the trusts for the boys, your retirement funds. If you give in, what will happen to you and George? She will work him to the bone. She doesn’t love you. Not the way she should. I don’t feel good saying any of this, but you have to be practical. There are two little boys who need you. Do this for them.”

George’s hand settles on my shoulder, his voice heavy with grief. “I can’t thank you enough for what you are doing for us, Alice. Susan will understand. Just give her some time.”

I get to my feet, giving him a sad smile. “Whenever you’re ready, I will file for custody. And remember, you’re not breaking up your daughter’s home. You are giving her children a chance to have a good life, a life she’s denying them deliberately to hurt you.”

When I leave the Bernardis’ restaurant, my heart is heavy, but I know I’ve done everything I can. The rest is up to them. They can either choose to protect their grandchildren and themselves or give in to the cruel and selfish demands of their daughter and her husband.

When I entered the human world, I realized that betrayal lives in every society, be it human or shifter.