Chapter 22
The final move.
Henley
For the past week, things have been hectic as we prepare for my crowning ceremony, but thankfully, there hasn’t been any retaliation from the shadowy group.
They’ve gotten really quiet, which seems like a good thing to me, but Parker is worried.
He tries to hide it, but I can feel how stressed he is through our mate bond.
I can’t blame him—if our roles were reversed, I’d be worried too.
Parker is out patrolling with his dad and a few members of the pack, so Will is hanging out with me today. Parker checks on me about every five minutes, which I’m glad for. I worry about him being out on patrol.
I walk around the large ballroom in Uncle Ferno’s home—or, er, my home, I suppose. He signed the deed over to me, and he plans to move out as soon as he knows that everything is all right. I told him not to worry about it because this house is plenty big enough for all of us, but he insists.
Will motions toward the makeshift platform they finished building yesterday. They’re in the middle of decorating now, and they’ve set up a throne at the front of the room.
“Is that supposed to be your throne?” he asks.
I sigh. “I don’t think there is technically a throne. This isn’t medieval times. It’s more… symbolic.” At least, I hope it is.
Will chuckles. “You’re too fun to mess with.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You’re not supposed to mess with me—that’s more of Blaine’s thing.”
He lifts one eyebrow. “At least I don’t call you vixen.”
“He doesn’t anymore.” Since Blaine met Keagan, he’s been less flirty. Parker definitely likes that—he always thought Blaine flirted with me too much. But I knew Blaine was never serious. His personality is just flirty.
“How are you doing with all this?” He motions around the room.
I have guards at each entrance to the room. Five of said guards are carefully watching the decorating staff, and two are standing close to me. But I have a feeling he’s not asking how I feel about the guards—he wants to know how I feel about being crowned ‘queen.’
“I’m okay,” I answer as honestly as I can. “I was scared at first, but I feel better after talking with Parker. He’s reminded me several times that fate doesn’t make mistakes.”
Will rubs a hand at the scuff of his jaw. “He’s right. You were always destined to be qu—” his voice is cut off at the sound of shouting. I turn to see what all the commotion is about.
A group of ten supernaturals is pushing their way inside the room. Two of my guards like on the ground, and I hope they’re just unconscious. But they barrel through everybody with only one target in mind—me.
Will steps in front of me, his bulk hiding me.
But I see their weapons. The one in the front has a gun.
I can’t be killed by a gun, but Will can.
Without any hesitation, I shove him to the side just in time for the shot.
The bullet hits me so hard that I fall onto the ground.
I hear shouting and movement. I look down at my chest and see the blood soaking through my shirt, but I don’t feel any pain.
That shot would’ve killed Will. I know that.
Slowly, the world around me fades to black, and at the edge of my consciousness, I can hear Parker through our mate bond, but I can’t make out the words.
Will
I stare in horror as Henley bleeds out on the floor.
Why the heck would she push me out of the way? I should’ve been the one to take the hit.
Henley’s guards are quick to move into action. Together, they take down the ten men who barged their way in, but I keep my focus on Henley.
She’s not breathing.
My chest pounds so hard as I hit the floor on my knees beside her.
Shouldn’t she be on fire right now? Shouldn’t she be about to be reborn from the ashes?
One of Henley’s guards puts his hands around me and tugs me away from Henley. I try to fight him, but two more guards pull me away.
Why are they trying to pull me away from her? But then Henley’s body goes up in flames, and the heat, even from five feet away, nearly burns the breath out of my lungs.
“Her fire wasn’t that hot last time,” I say, staring in shock as Henley reforms from the ashes. It’s not the first time I’ve witnessed it, but I don’t think it’ll ever get less shocking to witness.
“It’s because she’s queen now,” one of the guards explains. “We didn’t want you to burn—you won’t come back to life.”
I sit back on my behind and watch Henley on the floor. She’s unconscious, but she’s breathing.
Parker is absolutely going to murder me. I let his wife—his mate—get shot for me. She doesn’t even have supernatural strength. But I wasn’t expecting her to shove me aside. All I wanted to do was protect her and save her life.
Shouldn’t that group have known better than to try to kill her with a gun? We already know that only one thing can kill a phoenix other than old age.
More people come into the room, but I’m too busy watching Henley’s chest rise and fall to notice anybody else.
She’s okay, I tell myself over and over again, like a chant.
Parker falls onto his knees next to Henley. His face is pale with worry. “What happened?”
I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. I can’t speak. I’m just… overwhelmed.
“She took a bullet,” one of Henley’s guards tells Parker.
“She died, but she’s all right. Her body has already reformed from the ashes.
She’ll likely be unconscious for a little longer—maybe thirty minutes or an hour.
That shot would’ve killed anybody but her.
But because she’s a royal, it takes more to kill her. ”
Parker looks up at that. “What kind of bullet was used?”
The guard shows him the stone that was shot from the gun. I didn’t notice it because I was too busy watching Henley.
What was she thinking? Why would she do that for me of all people?
Parker lifts Henley from the hard ground. “I’m going to put her somewhere more comfortable until she wakes. Somebody call for King Basilicus and Alpha Benson—they’ll both want to question the ones that you detained.”
Detained?
I finally look around the room. Most of the men are dead, but three of them are handcuffed by Henley’s guards.
“There were only ten of them,” I manage to tell Parker as I walk at his side.
“Only ten?” Parker lifts an eyebrow. “That seems like an awfully small group to make such a bold move. Maybe the group isn’t as widespread as we thought.”
It is comforting. Maybe whoever is behind this group doesn’t have the number because it seemed like a very desperate move on their part.
“I’m sorry,” I tell Parker as he puts Henley down on the sofa. “It happened so fast. I put myself in front of her, and I wasn’t expecting her to shove me aside and take the bullet.”
Parker turns toward me, determination in his eyes. “Will, I’m not mad at you. You protected her as best you could. And while I’m fighting to gain control of my wolf so I don’t shift, I’m not upset. She’s alive, and you’re alive. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
I nod. “She may not be a wolf shifter, but she has the instincts of a luna.”
An alpha and a luna always put their pack first, even above their own lives. It was a selfless act that saved my life.
“Thank you for looking after her.” Parker kneels on the floor by Henley. I watch the two of them, grateful that she’s still alive. The group didn’t succeed. And now that we have them in custody, we’ll find out who is behind all of this and bring an end to it once and for all.
Henley
I wake to the sound of voices—a lot of them, judging by the volume.
What is going on?
I try to open my eyes, but they’re still so heavy.
“Henley.” Parker’s voice is close. But wasn’t he supposed to be with his dad today?
Slowly, things come back to me. The attack. Me getting shot.
Will.
I sit up, my eyes finally listening to my command. “Will. Where is Will? Is he okay?”
Parker pulls me into his arms. “Thank goodness you’re awake. You were out a long time.”
I hug him because it seems that is what he needs, but I hope he will answer my question soon because I’m freaking out.
“Will is fine,” Parker says. “He’s getting some food.”
He pulls back, and I take a look around the room. There are a ton of people milling about. I spot Uncle Ferno and King Basilicus standing together, but when they see that I’m sitting up, they walk over.
I focus on Parker’s blue eyes. Everything is still a bit fuzzy. “So Will didn’t get shot?”
“No,” he answers. “He’s perfectly healthy, though I think he’s mad at you for shoving him aside.”
I furrow my brows. “I saved his life.”
Parker shrugs. “Wolf shifters aren’t always logical with our emotions.”
King Basilicus steps in front of the sofa. “Are you doing all right?”
“Just groggy,” I answer. It’s difficult to blink because my eyes are so heavy.
“That will wear off.” Uncle Ferno scans me over from head to toe, and his shoulders slump in relief. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried.”
I push my hair out of my face. “How long was I out?”
“Three hours,” Parker practically growls the words.
“You woke at the perfect time as we’ve finally got the answers we needed from our prisoners,” King Basilicus says.
Parker stands, his eyes turning amber. “Who is behind the group?”
The dragon king lifts one eyebrow at Parker. “He’s already been taken into custody. His powers have been stripped away, and he’s about to be sent to Supernatural Island, so don’t go running off to kill him.”
Parker closes his eyes and takes a couple of deep breaths. When he opens them again, they’re back to their natural shade of blue.
“It was Alpha Tyrian,” Uncle Ferno says.
I blink. “Who?”
“The tiger shifter alpha.” Parker frowns. “Are any of his pack involved?”
“A few,” King Basilicus answers. “But it seems that he mostly backed the organization on his own, using pack funds. Their pride is naturally very upset by the news.”
“So it’s over?” I chew on my bottom lip.
“It’s over,” Uncle Ferno answers, smiling widely.
“It is over.” King Basilicus looks at Parker. “But there are always those who are scared of supernaturals more powerful than them. You will need to make sure your mate is always guarded.”
“I will.” Parker stands up straighter.
“A few dragon shifters found their mates when they came here to help protect Henley, and they have agreed to move here. I’ll make sure they set up a guard rotation, as I’m sure you’ll do with the wolf shifters that are here,” King Basilicus says, then nods his head at me.
“I have a feeling I will be seeing you around, Queen Henley.”
Queen? The thought is almost enough to make me want to close my eyes again.
Parker squeezes my hand, reminding me that I’m not alone, and I’ll never have to be again. I don’t have to be afraid to lead—not when I have my mate standing with me.
The end.