Ivan's Queen

“Amelia, are you okay?” My mom asks as soon as I walk in, her eyes shining with confusion.

I bite my lip when everyone at the dining table looks up at me. I mumble out a low “fine” with a strained smile before quickly taking my seat. Valentina and Misha glance at me worriedly only to sigh when I shake my head discreetly. I don’t want mom to worry about what happened and dad would surely go crazy if he finds out. There has been enough drama already and I don’t want to add to it. Besides, the ointment Ivan had given me yesterday has worked wonders and I can hardly see any signs of bruising! But unfortunately, no ointment could help with the pain. My abdomen is still aching and sore which makes my movements awkward.

I sigh and start piling my plate with food from the delicious breakfast spread, relieved that everyone’s attention is now elsewhere. We make plans to go into the city to do some shopping which I’m very excited about.

After breakfast, everyone disappears into their rooms to get ready as we leave in thirty minutes. I put on a pair of leggings with a baby blue hoodie and white shoes so that I’m comfortable. I wanted to wear my jeans but I knew the waistband would be even more uncomfortable against my sore skin.

My hair is still damp from my shower this morning so I quickly blow dry it. Putting on some makeup, I decide to go with a natural look. When I’m done, I leave the bathroom and start tying my hair into a ponytail as I walk over to my bed.

“Please tell me you kicked her ass.”

I jump and a loud shriek escapes me at the unexpected voice. Groaning when my abdomen screams in protest, I flop back onto the bed. My dad stands by the door with his arms crossed and the dark tattoos littering his arms make him look even more intimidating than he already is. I should’ve known he would find out what happened yesterday, he always knows what’s going on in our lives.

“I could barely stand.” I grit out, breathing slowly as I sit up.

“Well, do you plan to?” He arches a brow, lips set in a firm line.

“Yes.” I nod, matching his smirk that appears when I answer.

“That’s my girl.” He murmurs before walking over to sit beside me.

He gently pulls me into a hug, pressing his lips to my temple. My tense shoulders sag in defeat when his comforting embrace envelopes me with warmth. He rubs my arm as a pained whimper escapes me when I move to hug him.

“It won’t stop hurting.” I whisper with a shake of my head.

“I know princess, it’ll take a while to heal. But maybe this will cheer you up?” He shifts slightly and pulls out a charm in the shape of a sun.

I laugh and my mood lifts as he puts it onto my bracelet. On my sixteenth birthday when I didn’t shift, I was disappointed and really upset. So, to cheer me up my Dad gifted me a special bracelet with charms that he puts snippets of his memories into. He enlisted the help of a witch that he knew through aunt Aurora.

This is the eighth one and he always happens to have one on him every time I’m upset or feeling low. Closing my eyes, I touch it and instantly find myself reminiscing to the morning when dad, mom and I decided to take a hike and make it in time to see the sunrise. I see the city below and the sky above colored in hues of orange, yellow and blue. I see myself turning to look up at dad with a wide smile, excitement in my eyes. And then it fades into bright white light.

“Thanks Dad.” I smile softly before giving him a hug.

“Looks like we’re running out of space.” He muses as he nods at my bracelet.

“You could buy me another one.” I shrug, hearing him scoff as he stands.

“Do you know how expensive these are kid?! I barely have money left to feed you all!” He exclaims but amusement shines bright in his eyes.

I giggle, knowing that he’s obviously joking. Dad and mom have worked hard over the years to provide for us and the entire pack. Alongside that, they’ve always helped people in the pack secure jobs so that we can all be independent. Because of my interest in becoming a nurse, mom has always allowed me to help in the pack’s infirmary and earn some cash.

“We’re leaving in fifteen, do you think you’re okay to come with us?” He asks, referring to our shopping trip.

“Yeah, if it gets really bad then I’ll come back here.” I nod before grabbing my handbag that I stuff with my essentials and purse.

“Alright, I’ll see you down there in a few.” He calls as he leaves my room.

After making sure I have everything I need, I walk out of my bedroom with one last look in the mirror. Deciding to grab a water bottle from the kitchen, I start rushing a little bit when everyone seems to be coming downstairs to leave. As soon as I grab it from the fridge, I turn around only to see Ivan walking in.

“Hi.” I greet with a shy smile, scooting to the side when he opens the fridge.

He nods silently, taking a sip. “Are you going?”

“Yes, are you?”

“No, and I don’t think you should either.” He frowns, his bright emeralds straying to the side of my abdomen.

“I feel a bit better now. The ointment you gave me really helped.” I grin as I put the water bottle into my bag.

“I saw you walk in this morning, you didn’t look fine.” He growls lowly, crossing his arms.

“Look, I’ll come back if it starts to hurt more. Besides, I’m bored and – ouch!” I whimper, smacking his hand when he touches my side.

“Yeah, that seems pretty okay to me.” He rolls his eyes sarcastically, making me glare at him.

“Why would you do that?!” I snap, shoving him but it doesn’t affect him at all.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go!” He growls, grabbing my arm to stop me from hitting him. “Why do you always have to be so stubborn?!”

“Ivan, I said –”

Out of the blue, a dark-haired woman appears right beside us which makes me gasp in surprise. Ivan only has time to turn his head when she grabs his arm and we disappear. Wind whips through my hair as my surroundings blur around me. The only person visible is Ivan who is holding onto me with a death grip.

He wraps an arm around me and tucks my head into his chest. It feels like I’m gliding but not quite and the experience is making me quite nauseous. We last a minute in the weird space before my feet meet solid ground and I crash into Ivan who wraps his arms around my waist to steady me.

“Ayla, you fucking idiot!” He roars, letting go of me to lunge at his twin sister.

“Oh…shit!” She breathes when she notices me, screaming when Ivan grabs hold of her shoulders.

She twists out of his grasp and throws him a few feet away. The twins are soon engaged in a fight and Ivan looks like he wants to murder his sister while she dodges his attacks. I sigh, knowing I can’t stop them and choose to lean against the door to grant me an easy exit should I require it.

“You stupid woman! You’re supposed to look before teleporting someone else!” He yells, throwing her off him and over the couch.

“I’m sorry! It’s an urgent matter, I didn’t think to look!” She snaps angrily, overturning the couch and almost crushing Ivan who didn’t seem at all affected by the weight. “Besides, it’s just a girl! Since when do you date, anyway?”

“I don’t, that’s my mate!” He roars, flinging an armchair at her which she throws away before it can hit her. “You recklessly teleported her! I could have lost her if I didn’t hold on in time!”

“Oh my goddess, you found your mate!” She squeals happily, clapping her hands as she appears before me. Her eyes widen when she finally recognizes me and the happiness in her eyes increases tenfold. “And it’s Amelia! Oh, a match made in heaven! I always thought you two were cute!”

I blush at her excitement, hugging her back when she wraps her arms around me tightly. “It’s nice to see you again, Ayla.”

Ayla is the spitting image of her father with dark brown hair, green eyes and sharp features. She is one of the fiercest women I know who always stands up for herself and others. I remember spending time with her when we used to see each other over the summers, she was always sweet yet sassy.

“What was so urgent that you had to teleport us here?” Ivan asks as he takes a seat on one of the untouched armchairs. How that survived I have no idea.

“The east and north villages outside the castle were bombed, two-hundred casualties in total.” Ayla sighs and her voice is etched in pain as she relays the news.

My hand muffles my gasp at the shocking news and I watch as Ivan’s features harden. He stands and makes his way over to the table before taking the file Ayla holds out to him. His eyes scan the document before he leans back and pinches the bridge of his nose in distress. I can see his brain working as he tries to figure out what to do.

“Take Amelia to her room. I’ll call a meeting.” He orders, making Ayla grasp my arm and pull me out of the office before I can protest.

We walk down the hallway and Ayla tells me that we’re in a castle when she catches me staring around in surprise and awe. We seem to be on one of the highest levels in the castle. Everything is grand, luxurious and screams royalty. The windows are large and arched, showing off the sprawling garden below to the left of the castle. There’s hundreds of different flowers, plants and trees which are all basking in the sunshine and the gentle breeze.

But when I look out of the windows to my right, the scenery is the exact opposite. I can see a long, stone road leading away from the castle until I can’t even see where it ends. At a distance, there’s a massive wall built to protect the castle from intruders. I step closer to the glass and notice the guards patrolling who seem like tiny ants from up here.

Pressing my nose against the window, I look down to see another road leading to a different direction. Ayla explains that these roads surround the castle in a circle and they all lead to different areas of the kingdom. The castle itself acts as a center.

“Are we…?” I trail off as I frown in confusion.

“We’re in The Lycan kingdom. It’s a hidden realm between the borders of Russia and Estonia.” She explains as we start walking once more at a leisurely pace.

I nod silently as I take everything in. Our footsteps echo on the white marble floors as my eyes roam over the intricately carved pillars and ceilings. Around three chandeliers hang in every hallway and are accompanied by small lamps on the walls. The decor is quite modern and not what I was expecting at all.

We arrive outside a large, white wood door and Ayla opens it to guide me inside. The room is very spacious and I immediately spot a balcony. Hurrying over to it, I open the doors to see the garden below and the mountains in the distance which makes me smile in content. The sunshine combined with the white walls makes the room brighter and I turn to see the four-poster bed, the white sheer curtains flowing gently because of the wind coming in.

There’s also a fireplace embedded into the wall underneath a flat screen TV with two armchairs and a coffee table placed before it. Walking through the room, I find a spacious walk in wardrobe and a luxurious en-suite bathroom with a view of the mountains. The castle is basically surrounded by mountains.

“Do you like it?” I hear Ayla ask as I walk back into the room.

“I love it!” I breathe in amazement as I take a seat on the bed.

“Great!” She beams before stepping towards the door. “I’m sorry, I can’t stay. I need to help Ivan with the situation but I’ll see you at dinner okay?”

“That’s okay, I understand.” I smile, waving as she leaves.

I decide to wait in my room and venture out to the balcony again, taking a random book off the shelf to pass the time with. There’s a lounge chair with a coffee table beside it and I prop my feet up before opening the novel, finding it to be a thriller. Time passes by and the sun that was once shining high in the sky is eventually makes its descent.

The air becomes chilly and chases me inside to the comfort and warmth of my room. Glancing at the clock on the wall to see that it’s six in the evening, I turn on the TV and choose a random channel. The shows are all different and more targeted towards the Lycans and werewolves who live in this kingdom but I find them interesting all the same.

Eventually, an hour later, Ivan walks in to find me watching cartoons. I flush under his amused gaze as his brow arches at my choice of entertainment. Shrugging, I sit up as he makes his way over to me. But before he can say or do anything, his phone rings and he fishes it out of the pocket of his jeans.

“Shit!” He mutters under his breath as he stares down at the device.

“What’s wrong?” I frown in confusion.

“Uncle Kaden is calling.”