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He went on. But it’s all clear now.Those who killed your parents have been dealt with and will trouble you no more. We thought there was peace in this land, but when your sister’s hearing deteriorated, they regretted their choice. And when someone accidentally learned you’d survived, they made plans to replace Janis with you. It was more than we could tolerate. And we handled the situation.
If we’d looked similar as children, did we now? Our wolves were not the same at all, mine far more russet than hers in coloration, and stockier I thought. How could they have believed they could switch us out like identical pet hamsters?
Callista’s…Jillian’s head turned, facing each council member in turn.Will there ever come a time when my family is not being used by others? I thought my sister dead, but if their plans had gone through I am sure she should have been soon.
I just wanted an end to all of this, of all of everything that had gone on for so many years.I’m fine. And I am ready to step aside.
She faced me.Are you deaf? I tried to think of any signs of that when we were children.
Not completely, but close, and likely to be soon, according to the healers. It is for the best that you take over.
Her gaze narrowed.Do you think I would do that? You have been raised to be queen, and I live in a backwater pack with my mates in a small cabin. I’ve come far to find that happiness, and I will not give it up easily.
Nobody is asking you give up your mates,the grayest of the elders, clearly the most senior, addressed her.
I like my life.Her imperious reply showed her more a queen in her world than I’d ever been in this one. Nobody argued with the high council…or so I’d heard.
Janis,he asked in what I felt sure was a formal statement,will you keep your throne with our support at your sister’s request? Those who treated you as their puppet are gone. As in dead, I felt confident. The one Dean killed might have suffered less than the others.
But I had to ask one more time.Sister, are you sure?
As long as you are willing.
And I was, because I wanted the very best for my sister, and she’d made her wishes clear. I didn’t know how I would do as a true queen, but the council assured me in the meeting that followed that they would leave some advisors behind to help me, and that they would not step entirely back for a time to their usual non-interference.
I had their full support.
And Jillian had her beautiful new life. At least one of us could have peace and happiness. And I was so glad it was her.
Chapter Three
At least I had a little time with my sister before she returned to her wonderful life. A week. A week to catch up on so many years. She was accompanied by her three handsome, doting mates who all insisted I was their sister now, too. Jillian and I, escorted by her mates, ran the lands of my kingdom in fur form, taking in everything and discussing it all.
Only as wolves could we do that since Jillian, formerly Callista, was unable to speak. I could hear almost nothing now. But mind to mind, trotting past cottages and racing over hillsides, lands we had not run since we were cubs, we had no barriers.
Remember when…Nearly every conversation started with that, and went from there. And the amazing thing was that I did remember, and so did my twin. And neither of us had more than the foggiest images before we reunited. Although I’d been here in the castle all this time, my wolf never got to run the hills and vales, never got to splash in the streams or chase rabbits. She must have been so sad, but she didn’t ever throw it at me. Never made me feel worse.
And now…as we both let our wolves run free, my sister and I reestablished a connection that should never have been severed. I wondered how we hadn’t known each other was still alive. Actually Jillian had buried her memories behind a wall of trauma. I hadn’t had that protective barrier. But with our connection reestablished, I could feel healing starting to take place in us both.
Unfortunately, our time together came to an end sooner than I would have wished. I tried to get Jillian and her mates to stay longer, but she felt that when you abdicate the throne it’s a good idea to leave and let the new queen take over. Not that I was thenewqueen, but I was thetruequeen for the first time.
And Jillian was right that if she did stay, it might give some of my subjects the idea she belonged on throne. Her desires might not come into play. Hopefully, the support of the high council would help me get things in order, but it was going to be an uphill battle for sure.
The day Jillian and her mates left, I stood outside and watched them drive away. I fought the feelings of loss fighting to surge forward again. My wolf was ready to take over and run after them.
A touch on my elbow came from Leif, a council assistants who I suspected was one of the wolves I’d seen slinking past my tower the day everything changed. I’d since learned they held responsibility for a sneak attack that overthrew Bors. I turned to read the words on his lips “You are wanted in the throne room.” His voice held that deep timbre I could hear best, but not always every word. It reverberated through my chest like a bass rhythm on one of the songs that Bors frowned upon. He’d seemed to frown upon anything modern.
“What? Oh, of course.” I cast one more glance down the drive and sighed. “I will be there in a moment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He gave a short bow and took a step back. “I will convey your reply.” He actually turned on a heel and marched away, stiff-backed and formal in a way I’d rarely experienced despite my supposed decade and a half of sitting on the throne. He wore fitted black slacks and low black boots, his white shirt like something out of a fairy-tale. Usually I was the only one wearing clothes so out of date. Perhaps it was just his style, and the pants certainly highlighted a part of his anatomy I’d never found my gaze focusing on before. Or rather, the bulge outlined in front and, now, an ass so perfect I wanted to bite it.
I spun on a heel as well, turning away lest he look back and see my flaming cheeks. I’d seen few males, in truth, beyond the palace staff, and none of them had ever made me want to bite any part of them. I must be giddy with all the changes in my life. Glancing down at the gown I wore, rose-pink, the neckline dipping to reveal a hint of cleavage, waist nipped in by a corset my maid had pulled so tight I could barely breathe, the skirt flowing to the ground and revealing only the tip of my slippers, I wondered what my sister had thought of my clothing.
She wore such practical attire. Blue jeans and boots or other good, strong-soled shoes. Her tops were often T-shirts words on them—mostly expressions I didn’t understand—or hooded sweatshirts, tank tops, and similar. She’d left me a few, but when would I dare wear them? A queen must dress appropriately at all times. How would a “hoodie” withBorn to Run Wildon the back look on a queen? Probably better than the sweatpants with the lips on the bottom. I wouldn’t dare wear those outside my quarters.
Jillian really had chosen the better life. And I was glad for her. Did I say really? Truly even. But part of me wanted to shift and chase her mates’ car until I caught up and jumped in an open window. If I didn’t owe my people a better life than they’d led since my parents’ death, nothing would have stopped me.
But during the past week, both as a wolf and on horseback, I had toured most of the lands and gotten a good look at what had become of the neat villages and prosperous farms, and my heart broke. I would spend the rest of my life making it up to them. I had to. No matter how hard they worked, if the regent stripped them of every bit of profit, how would they have had anything to reinvest in repairs to buildings, breeding and caring for livestock, even the expenses related to crops?
