Queen Alpha (NYC Mecca #2)(44)
Faces turned to greet me, and I was pleased to see most of them smiling, only a few scowls. Every queen knows you can’t please everyone; the former Red Queen went out of her way to please no one, but I believed in catering to my people. At least a small amount.
Behind the stage was a beautiful adornment of hundreds of flowers that had been strung up. As Finn brought me out of the crowd and up to the stage’s steps, I saw Kade. That damn bear. It felt like forever since I’d seen him, and as I found my gaze glued to his tall frame, my heart began to pound in my chest. My palms grew sweaty and my stomach was in knots. I knew there was no point denying it any longer. I had fallen for the bear king.
He was dressed in a worn pair of jeans, a red and black checked flannelette button-up, which was open at the neck, displaying a lot of bare, muscled chest, and he had an axe thrown over his shoulder. Add in some rugged black boots and … hot damn. He’d just brought my fantasy to life. He was a huntsman.
Heat shot through me and I wanted to fan my face. He could have literally come to the summer festival naked and it wouldn’t have been as hot as his woodcutter outfit. Okay, maybe not literally naked. Naked was the clear winner. I was a fan of naked. But seriously, did he somehow know I thought of him as a sexy woodsman? Maybe Violet told him? I wouldn’t put it past her to start matchmaking behind the scenes.
I knew my cheeks were pink as I stepped off Finn and ascended the steps. Kade outstretched his hand to help me up the final few. Pushing aside naked thoughts, I took his hand, and as I looked into his warm golden eyes, everything else melted away. In this moment I forgot that thousands of shifters were watching us. I forgot that both of our lives and crowns were on the line. It felt like we were the only two in the world. Suddenly the crowd began to cheer, and like a swift kick to my clenched stomach muscles, I was reminded of where and who we were.
“Kade,” I breathed now that I was a mere foot away from him. I finally noticed Nix on his shoulder, and I realized how single-focused I had been on the king. How did one miss a massive eagle?
“Arianna,” he murmured back. God, the way he said my name made my stomach clench again, the desire heating even more within me.
I cleared my throat. “Happy summer festival.”
His eyes narrowed the slightest bit, as he turned his head, assessing me. “Are you actually happy, Ari?”
I realized then my hand was still in his, so I pulled it back, rubbing it quickly across my face. A lame attempt to mask my shock. Breathing deeply, I tried to suppress my very strong emotions. It had been a huge, overly emotional day already, and I was having trouble containing myself.
Finally I said: “You’re the second person today that’s asked me that.”
Why did shifters keep asking me this? Making me examine my feelings. I was much better with the suppress-until-I-had-to-deal-with-it type of existence. Was it that obvious that I was miserable inside?
Before either of us could respond further, howls rose up, followed by bellowing roars. Our people wanted a speech. Kade gave me one more long look, a look that said a thousand words, before he turned to the crowd.
“We have gathered here today, just as our ancestors before us, to honor the peace between our people and bask in the beauty of this season. I think I speak for both Queen Arianna and myself when I say that we wish you health, prosperity, and love on this blessed day.”
His voice held such strength and sincerity. Despite his confession to me on the night of my coronation that he had never been meant to be king, it was clear that this was the role he’d been destined for. I nodded in agreement and let my voice be heard.
“For a long time we feared and even hated each other, but let tonight be a clean slate. Let us come together and drink, eat, and be merry. Let us make new memories for generations to come!”
The crowd went wild then, throwing their fists in the air and screaming as the music picked up. They all began to dance. From my previous years here, and the sight of many lifted beer mugs, I knew that at least half the crowd was already drunk, but that didn’t matter. My people were happy, and that made me happy.
Kade and I both turned then and made our way across to our thrones. Just before I took my seat in the high-backed, jeweled piece, I turned to Kade and looked him dead in the eyes.
“Yes, I’m happy.” Right now, in this moment. I wasn’t sure if I’d just lied to Kade, or to Calista earlier.
The bear king’s eyes turned dark as he nodded. It must have been the wrong thing to say, because over the next hour we drank, ate, watched dancing and fire throwing, and Kade uttered not one more word to me. Finally, when the sun had long set in the sky and it was dark, he turned to me. His stare was … it was dark. And a part of me broke as I returned that gaze, helpless to tear myself away.
“What?” I finally managed to ask.
He reached out as if he was going to touch me. His huge hand stilled inches from my face, and I was struggling to breathe, struggling not to sob. Emotions were ricocheting through me, and I knew everything was about to change. I could feel it in the ache that had spread all the way into my soul.
His voice rumbled out. “I’m not happy.”
Then he stood and walked off the stage, making his way through the drunken partying crowd. I was frozen to my seat, my hands clenched at my sides while I tried to pull myself together. How could he do this to me? At the summer festival where every eye was on us. Why wait until now to burst the bubble on the “just friends” world we were living in?