Queen Alpha (NYC Mecca #2)(49)

“Where were you when the fae attack began, Arianna?”

I growled. “That’s ‘Your Majesty.’ You haven’t stripped me of my crown yet.”

The council did turn slightly disapproving looks on her, but none of them said anything. It was like the decision was made before I even heard the reasons.

“Where were you, Selene? I didn’t see you when I blasted the entire hill with mecca magic and ended the attack! Saving thousands of shifters.”

Three of the alphas smiled, before being cut off by glares from the council. Maybe I could count on some of them to be on my side. A declaration of unfit to rule had to be unanimous.

Selene touched her cheek. “Where was I? Hmm, good question.” Suddenly she gestured to the large flat screen TV on the wall and I noticed there was a remote in her hand.

With one click the TV flared to life and I was looking upon the broken-down cabin, two figures on the screen. One was Kade and the other was me. Oh crap. I knew exactly what she had filmed here. It was the moment just after I had told him I hated him. Selene had been in the bushes watching us, recording us.

“I love you,” Kade said on the video, and just about every person in the room gasped. I even heard Calista huff from behind me. Finn snuggled closer to my side, both for comfort and because we both knew that we might have to fight our way out of this room.

The next images on the video recording sealed my fate. It showed me reaching up and kissing Kade with a ferocious intensity. A kiss of passion. A kiss of love.

Selene paused the screen so that it stopped on us mid-kiss and turned to me. “Arianna, of the red line, you are unfit to rule the wolf shifters. Your affair with the bear king has blinded your judgment and allowed a war with the fae to brew and seep over into our lives, costing us greatly. I call for a motion to dethrone you and banish you from the boroughs. From the mecca. All in favor say ‘aye.’”

“Wait!” I commanded, stepping closer to Selene as realization hit me. “It was you who cloaked the energy so I wouldn’t sense the fae attack. You and Sabina…” I shot a look at the magic born, who remained expressionless.

My protests were pointless, completely ignored as the ayes began rolling in. One by one the council and alphas agreed with Selene’s motion. Right up until there was one alpha left.

It was Roger, a diehard separate race fanatic. I realized now that Selene had only invited the alphas who were hardcore about the rules. I knew I was screwed, but I tried anyway.

“Don’t do this. The mecca is broken, but I can fix it. I can fix it and the fae will leave us alone.”

Roger just shook his head. “You took an oath.” Then he looked at Selene. “Aye.”

The people had spoken, and I was worse than a failed heir. I was a failed queen. Torine moved in front of me, sharp blade clutched in his right hand. “I must unbind the mecca to you and then tie it to Selene.”

I saw the special goblet in his other hand. Selene had planned this entire thing, and she clearly had the council’s approval. Calista stepped forward now, glaring at every wolf in the room.

“She’ll never be fully separated from the mecca. Only in death. Arianna will always be the true queen. Selene is just a diluted replacement. I hope you’re all happy with your choice. You may have doomed us all.”

Torine growled before slicing my wrist and pouring my blood into the mecca cup. I just stood there in shock, trying to figure out a way to salvage this. When the cup was nearly full, he stopped and knelt to Finn, holding the sword out.

Finn crouched low and gave a deep growl.

“Cut him and lose your head,” I warned.

Torine stood and backed up a few paces, handing the cup to Selene. “It’s good enough,” he said to her before he cut her wrist, allowing the blood to drain into the cup, mixing with mine.

The moment our blood touched I felt an awful invasion, a presence within my own body. Selene. As the cup drained, her presence washed away, but so did most of the mecca from within me. There was still a good amount there, but it was half what it used to be. Selene took a deep breath as the mecca power surged within her.

“Selene of the Purple Hearts pack, I now declare you queen of the wolf shifters.”

The council faced the new queen and shouted, “Long live the queen!”

Just like that I had been replaced.

“Arianna, I cast you out of the boroughs. You may never enter the mecca again.” Selene’s banishment cut right into my soul. She’d just barred me from my home, from the one place an heir could feel the mecca, the power.

Well, since I had nothing left to lose, I might as well go out chopping that damn snake into a thousand pieces. Calista must have known what I was thinking, because her hand clamped around my upper arm in a death grip.

“Good luck,” Calista told them all, and then with surprising strength yanked me backward down the hallway. My suitcase was at the base of the stairs, and I realized she’d brought it down with her before. She grabbed it and then we were moving, out of the mansion and through the open back door.

Once we were in the large open back yard, I turned to my advisor. “Why didn’t you let me kill her!” Fury was riding my body in waves. This couldn’t be happening. How was this happening?

Calista looked at Finn as if they’d shared some thought. “Because I want you to live,” she said shortly, before she took off stalking into the woods behind the estate.