Closing in on the table I could see the settings were ornate, and overdressed as always. We wouldn’t want the bears to think we were poor or something. I noticed from the corner of my eye that Breanna had arrived and was crossing the room. Looked like Selene was late, I tried not to smile at that. I stepped across to greet the council, as duty dictated, but I was cut off as the doors to the far end of the room opened.
A massive, bearded man strolled in, Gerald, looking even more mammoth than in his photo. He wasn’t wearing formal attire, and instead was outfitted with dark denim jeans, a tight black t-shirt, and leather wrist cuffs, a huge sword hanging from his belt. Sucking in a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders and prepared myself for this test of my queenliness. Turning from the council, I took a few steps toward the male, opening my arms in a welcoming gesture.
“Welcome to Manhattan, Bear Shifter Councilman Gerald. Please take a seat.” My voice was even, not overly pleasant but not yet on the verge of killing him.
He surprised me by bowing deeply and unsheathing his sword, laying it on the ground near the edge of the room before he joined us at the table. Torine caught my eye and it was clear that we shared the same thought. He came in peace. No man unsheathed his sword before declaring war.
Because I got here early, I chose the center seat at the head of the table, with Breanna taking the chair to my right after she quietly greeted our guest. Finn settled in at my back, and I knew he’d keep me safe. I gestured for Gerald to sit to my left for many reasons, most of which was to irritate Selene when she arrived and saw the seating arrangement. The queen’s council and other honored guests were all seated now. Our guards stood around the perimeter, and staff scurried about the space, making sure everyone had drinks.
The huge, ornate double doors opened again and Selene strode in looking like she was attending the opera. We were all formally dressed, but Selene had clearly taken it too far with her lacy geometrical hairpiece and golden-painted swirls of glittery artwork along her arms. The extra time had made her late, and would cost her valuable points with the council. She spied the seating and scowled at me.
“Thank you for inviting me, Your Highness,” Gerald told me as he gripped his water glass with a big meaty paw.
Close enough now to hear his words, Selene groaned. “She’s not the queen yet, just an heir.” Those words should not have been the first thing he heard from her, and I could see the disapproval cross the councilors’ faces.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep my retort in. “You’re welcome, Gerald. We’re always welcoming of all visits in the name of peace.”
He gave me a nod, those dark glittering eyes assessing me closely. I was usually very good at reading the emotions of others, but he was keeping everything inside. He was very contained for a shifter. His bear scent was earthy and filled with forest tones, foreign but pleasant. Gerald eyed Finn, who remained behind my chair, and was staring at him.
“Is that your familiar?” Gerald asked, the slightest of awe in his tone.
I simply nodded and Gerald smiled. “Bigger than some of our female bears.”
I gave him a polite smile, and as the waiters began to serve the first course I focused on the plate in front of me and tried to mask my confusion. The bear war councilman was making light conversation, being polite, smiling, and unsheathing his sword. What the hell was he here for? Didn’t he know our queen was murdered?
When everyone was served, we all stared at him, waiting for him to take the first bite. As a guest it was the protocol. Instead he just sighed, hand hovering over the plate before he dropped his fork, looking at me. For some reason he seemed to have chosen me as the one he was going to focus on tonight. Despite the fact that I hoped to be queen very soon, I wasn’t queen yet, so his disregard of everyone else was a little unexpected.
His voice went deep, husky with emotion. “I don’t want to do the political thing tonight. Can we speak freely?” He was still looking at me, but I knew everyone else was listening in.
Some of the tension eased within me. His attitude was refreshing. And I was very curious about what he was going to say. Still, I wouldn’t let my guard down too far. This could be some ploy to gain my trust and then declare war or kill me.
I nodded. “By all means. You may speak as freely as needed.”
“We didn’t kill your queen.” He dropped that bomb and the room fell silent. The only movement was from the guards as they took a minute step forward. Gerald continued: “I know it’s the only logical explanation, but we didn’t. Someone attacked us too, possibly right at the moment your queen fell, and tried to take out my king. We lost twenty royal guards in the battle.”
Holy shifter! Why hadn’t I heard of this? Probably because we’d been focused on our queen’s death and the Summit. Still, Calista was usually up-to-date on this type of data. I suppose our two sides didn’t exactly share information easily.
Gerald regarded me, waiting for my answer. I knew I had to tread carefully. The entire council was watching and I didn’t want to seem weak.
“Thank you for your statement and honesty. Our queen was killed alone, without guards, and by my reckoning there is only one person alive that’s strong enough to defeat a queen with the power of mecca flowing through her veins.”
He exhaled loudly. “My king, yes. We agree this is the logical explanation, but that is why I am here to tell you he didn’t do it. If we wanted to overthrow you, we have many plans which could be enacted at any time. Top of that list was one which involved killing all of the heirs and then the queen so there would be no one to take over. This would weaken your boroughs, and we could step right in and claim the power. But our king was not planning on attacking the wolves. He has no plans to ever attack unprovoked. War is not his style.”