Novels by Queen

Maya's POVThe door of Elijah’s car closed shut and sealed us inside.I had spent the entire drive sitting stiffly against the passenger door, my arms crossed tightly over my chest as I glared out the bulletproof window.I expected him to drag me back into the castle or lock me away in another one of his training rooms.Instead, he had driven past the guard posts, pushing deeper into the forest that bordered the pack territory until the vehicle came to a stop beneath a black tree.He had killed the engine, gotten out and dragged me by the hand through the twisting forest without uttering an explanation.The distant sounds of howling sent shivers down my spine and I was about to ask when he walked us into a clearing.Standing at the edge of an impossibly beautiful lake.The moonlight casted a silver sheen across the surface of a wide, perfectly still lake that was hidden deep within the trees.The water looked ethereal, glowing with something natural.I had been caught up in the breath

Maya's POVMy breath caught in my throat as I stared at Allison.Her face was flushed with her hands resting over her stomach as she soaked in the shock of the assembly.Around us, the murmurs began.High-ranking delegates, allied pack leaders and council members shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between Allison, Stephen and me.An heir. A potential bloodline continuation for the Alpha. In the hierarchy of pack politics, an unborn child changed every calculation on the board.I turned my head slowly to look at Stephen.He was frozen with his jaw locked so tight a muscle twitched beneath his skin. His eyes were fixed on Allison but he didn't say a single word. He didn't deny it immediately and he didn't confirm it.He simply narrowed his gaze and his silence, throwing the entire ballroom into deeper confusion."Prove it," a council elder shouted from the edge of the crowd, breaking the silence. "A claim like that regarding the Alpha's bloodline requires immediate verification.

Stephen's POVThe grand ballroom of the Whiston castle was packed to capacity.Allied pack leaders, regional delegates and high-ranking council members filled the space, moving across the hall.The atmosphere was wrapped in a luxury but the tension in the room was obvious. Everyone knew the political balance of the district hinged on this night.It was the quadruplets' joint birthday celebration.I stood at the raised head table overlooking the ballroom, followed by my brothers. Karl stood to my left, dressed in a suit and chatting politely with a visiting delegate from the northern territories.Elijah stood further down, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze scanning the crowd with something dark and bored.Nathan stood quietly beside me, his instincts on high alert.I kept my eyes constantly scanning the grand doors at the far end of the hall.Despite the tight security net surrounding the castle and despite the manifests and financial records Karl had provided to clear his alib

Maya's POVIt wasn't a question or a negotiation. But a business transaction designed to push political leverage and secure the estate's borders at the expense of my freedom.Anger surged through my chest, burning hot enough to cut through the numbness of the past twenty-four hours."No," I said.My voice was firmer than ever as I stared directly into the eyes of Julian's father. "I said no. I am not marrying Julian.""Maya–" he began, raising a hand."I am done being traded like currency!" I snapped, cutting him off immediately. "You offered protection under a specific accord and you broke those terms the second your security failed. You don't get to trap me in a forced marriage just to patch up your fragile political borders!"I didn't wait for his reply. I went straight toward the doors of the study.I reached out, ready to wrench it open and walk out of this estate forever, consequences be damned.Before I could pull the door open, the door was hit from behind.The door opened inw

Maya's POVI slipped through the side entrance of the east wing, keeping my head down as I crossed the floor.My skin still crawled with the humiliation of Stephen’s words and every muscle in my body ached from the physical and emotional exhaustion of the night.Before I could reach the stairs leading to my room, footsteps approached from the corridor.Julian stepped into view. When he saw me, the tension in his posture vanished instantly, replaced by a wave of relief. He crossed the distance between us, his eyes sweeping over my face and shoulders."Maya," Julian breathed out, his voice laced with disbelief. "You're back. I thought... Nathan dragged you straight into Whiston castle. What did the Whiston guards do to you? Are you okay?"I pulled my jacket tighter around myself, avoiding his direct gaze. "I'm fine, Julian.""Fine?" he repeated, an edge returning to his voice as he reached out to grab my arm. "You were dragged out of our courtyard by an armed unit led by an Alpha's brot

Stephen's POVMaya slapped my hand away from her face with enough force to knock my arm aside.Her chest heaved, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock, betrayal and white-hot fury.Without uttering another word, she scrambled up from the ground, turned around and fled out of the bathroom.Standing there, the adrenaline of the chemical slowly receded from my veins.I heard the patter of her footsteps across the bedroom floor, followed by the door swinging open and slamming shut down the hallway.She was gone.I let out a slow breath, running a hand over my face. The haze of the drug cleared, leaving behind the reality of what had just happened. I had crossed a line.The cruel words I had thrown at her echoed in my own head. I hadn't meant them, they were pulled from the darkest, most possessive corners of my consciousness but the damage was done.To be fair, this wasn't the first time Maya heard those particular words from me or anyone else but this time, the timing was off. I did it r