average human’s Reviews > Unwilling Queen > Status Update

I close my eyes, lie back, and let the sun beat down on my face, knowing this is going to be the last moment of pure peace that I’m going to get for a long time.
I must drift off a little, lulled into a false sense of comfort, because I don’t know how much time has passed when a shadow casts across my face, and I crack my eyes open to find Nox standing over the top of me.
“Hey, pretty girl, you’re going to get burnt if you aren’t careful.” He crouches down beside me as I sit up and blink a couple of times against the brightness of the day.
“Are you done?” I ask him as I watch a bead of water drip from a lock of his long hair, which looks darker when it’s wet and has managed to work itself free from its confines.
“Yeah, come on, I’ll make you some breakfast.” He stands up and holds out a hand. I reach out to grab it, and he freezes, looking at the marks on my wrist which have somehow been exposed. The sleeves of my rash guard are pushed back, so it must have happened while I was napping.
My heart starts to race as his eyes narrow on the marks, which are somehow darker now, the gold almost shimmering in the sunlight.
“Colbie, what is that?” he asks, and I hear the suspicion in his voice. I hurriedly snatch my hand back and tug down the long sleeves to cover the marks, but it’s too late, he saw them, and they have caught his complete focus.
I push up off the sand and brush it off me before tossing the spare towel at him. “Nothing,” I tell him, not waiting for a response before I start walking back to the cabin.
I hear him following behind me and pray he lets it go, but when we mount the steps to the porch, he grabs my arm.
“Colbie?”
When I turn around to face him, his eyes blaze with both anger and more questions.
“That is not a normal tattoo, is it?” he asks, but he already knows the answer, so I don’t bother replying. He ditches his surfboard haphazardly off to the side and reaches for both my arms, pushing up both sleeves. His fingers circle my wrists and the marks that sit there.
His gaze lifts to mine, and I see so many emotions swirling in his—hurt, anger, and confusion. “When did they appear on your arms?” he asks, and I shrug.
“Saturday night,” I admit, and he drops my hands like he’s been burnt.
“You’re the new shifter queen,” he whispers, sounding awed as well as slightly horrified. “That’s what you were so upset about on Sunday.”
Now that he’s released me, I whirl and hurry into the house, straight to his bedroom. I tug off my borrowed swim gear and throw on my clothes from yesterday before quickly attaching the jeweled cuffs to my wrists again. I grab my phone off the bedside table. There are a couple of missed calls from my mom and a message asking where I am. I don’t have the energy or emotional strength to deal with her right now. It’s taking everything I have to keep my shit together at the moment. When I turn, I find Nox leaning against the door, watching me.
“Talk to me, Colbie,” he begs.
“What do you want me to say, Nox?” I say flatly. “Do you want me to tell you that I am the very last person who wanted this? That the thought of it makes me feel sick to my stomach? That I am the worst person for the job? That I secretly want to run away and pretend it never happened? That I wish I could wear the cuffs for the rest of my life and pretend the marks aren’t there or find someone to tattoo over them so I can forget about them?” I’m shouting at the end of my tirade, and tears spill down my cheeks.
He pushes off the doorframe and hurries toward me, gathering me into his arms and holding me tightly. I sink into his embrace as he murmurs words of reassurance, but they are empty promises. There is nothing I can do to stop this runaway train. I’ve spent enough time hiding. When I leave here today, I will return to the neutral zone, get my affairs in order, and then present myself to the shifters. There’s no more avoiding it, the goddess made sure I knew that.
He leads me out into the living room and helps me onto the couch. Nox pulls a blanket over me and hurries around the kitchen, doing something. I watch, kind of in an emotional daze. He removed his wet suit and is only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, so all his golden skin is on display, but even that’s not enough to get me out of the funk I’m sinking into.
When he returns, he has coffee as well as the plates of pie we didn’t get to last night. He hands me one and puts my coffee on the table in front of the sofa before returning to grab his own. When he joins me on the couch, we are both silent as we eat our pie, but then he clears his throat.
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be an amazing queen. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I can tell you’re a good person with a kind heart, and I think that needs to be the core makeup of someone who is chosen to be ruler. I don’t think you will let the power and status go to your head like some have in the past, and I’m sure the shifters will be proud to have you as their queen.”
I scoff and continue to eat my apple pie. It’s pretty good. “Easy for you to say. I’m sure you’ve never disappointed anyone in your life.” I wave my empty spoon.
He frowns, pausing with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “Oh, I can assure you, I disappoint plenty—my parents, my friends, the people of my village, just to name a few.”
We sink into silence, a pity party for two in the making. “You know that any shifters you come across are going to know who you are, right? The magic in those marks will call to them, and it will get stronger the longer you leave it.”
My mouth drops open, and I gape at him in shock. “How do you know that?”
“It’s my business to know about magic. They may mistake it for magic in the cuffs, but eventually, they won’t be able to ignore it.”
I groan and slump down on the couch. “One of my employees is a shifter,” I admit to him. “I was hoping for another day or two at least to get my grandparents situated and up to speed in my bakery before I had to present myself to the palace.”
This gets his attention, and he whips around to face me. “You’re going to do it?”
“Well, like you said, I don’t have a lot of choices, and I may have gotten a visit from Aramis just before I ended up on your porch,” I admit sheepishly, and it’s his turn to gape at me with shock. I can’t stop the little giggle that bubbles up out of my chest at his stunned expression.
“The goddess Aramis visited you? That’s unheard of.” He sounds awed.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she knew I was thinking of bailing and wanted to let me know there was no escaping this.”
“That’s slightly terrifying,” he remarks before shoveling another bite of pie into his mouth.
“You have no Idea,” I agree as I lean forward to grab my coffee, washing down the last of my pie with it.
The silence is loaded, and I feel like squirming, but I hold my shit together. Suddenly, Nox jumps to his feet and starts pacing back and forth before stopping and looking down at me.
“Will you let me help you?” he asks, and I feel my eyebrows jump in surprise.
“What can you do?” I ask skeptically. “I can’t hide out here forever, no matter how much I would like to.”
He spins and hurries across the room and into his office, talking loudly. “You know how I do security and web design, but I also have an interest in everything supernatural? Well, sometimes on my research trips, I come across items of interest.”
I frown, kind of lost with where he’s going with this. “You’ve lost me,” I call, but all of a sudden, he shouts, “Ha!”
When he returns, he’s carrying a corded pendant much like the one he has around his neck—even the stones are the same gold and black—and he thrusts it toward me.
“I picked this up on a trip to the witch kingdom. This should hide the magic in those marks from any shifter you come in contact with at least for another couple of days, long enough for you to do what you need to do with your bakery.”
I stare at him, feeling confused and hopeful all at the same time. I reach out and take the offered necklace. The weight of the pendant is surprising. I hold it up to the light, and the stones shimmer. I narrow my eyes, looking from it to the one around his neck. He sees my gaze and shrugs, unconcerned.
“I liked the stones. There’s nothing magical about me whatsoever, but there was something that made me buy them.” He looks out the window like he’s lost in his thoughts for a moment before returning his attention to me. “Take it. I hope it gives you a small reprieve before your life dramatically changes.”
I sigh and place it over my head, and my eyes widen with surprise as the marks shimmer and fade from view. “It works,” I exclaim, and he nods, looking pleased.
“That’s great.”
We fall into another awkward silence, and I can’t stand that our time together has ended like this. I go to apologize, but he interrupts me.
“Come back and visit if you can. I’ve really enjoyed our time together.” He sounds as sad as I feel, like he’s saying the words knowing the chances of it happening are slim. Shifters aren’t allowed in the human zone without special permission. I’m sure as the queen of the shifters, I could probably get in, but I’m not sure a booty call is the right reason.
“Or we could meet in the neutral zone, at my café, for lunch maybe,” I say hopefully.
“Sure, maybe. I’ll text you,” he replies, but I know from the look in his eyes he’s only giving me lip service. I don’t think he’s anti-supernatural, since he admits to having a fascination with magic and the like, but Nox is a self-confessed loner, and even the sparsely populated neutral zone probably has too many people in it.
I stand up, knowing that the longer we draw this out, the more painful it’s going to be. “I need to get going. There is no point in putting off the inevitable anymore. The sooner I can get my grandparents settled in at the bakery, the quicker I can get this over with.”
He chuckles darkly. “You sound like you’re going to your death. I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be that bad to be queen. Hey, you may even love it. What shifter form are you hoping to gain?”
I gape at him, unable to control my shock at his words. “Shifter form?” I say, and his eyes almost bug out of his head.
“Yeah, part of the magic gives you an animal. You will learn to shift. How else can you control shifters without having the same kind of power?”
I wobble slightly, and he puts a hand out to steady me. I shake my head. “I haven’t even thought about it. Hell, I don’t even know all the different kinds of shifters there are.”
Once I’m steady, he lets go of my arm, moves over to his bookcase, and pulls out a large hardcover book. “Here, take this. It’s shifter 101.”
I take the large book from him and open it, flipping through some pages. The information is everything one would need to know about shifters, even closely guarded information.
“How did you get this?” I ask, and he waves a hand.
“It’s been in my family for years. Someone must have had shifter connections in the past.”
I hug it to my chest. “Thank you. Hopefully I can get through it in the next few days or so, then I won’t look like such an idiot when I present myself to the palace.”
He reaches out and gives my hand a squeeze. “They would never think you are an idiot. Humans are deliberately kept in the dark, but I think you’re going to do amazing things, Colbie. Have faith in yourself.” He sighs and steps toward his room. “Just let me throw some clothes on, and I’ll run you home, okay?”
He walks toward his room, and it’s all I can do to bite my lip and hold in the sob that wants to escape. Tears well in my eyes, but I don’t let them overflow. Crying about this isn’t going to solve or change anything, but I’ve been so happy the last few days, and I will hold onto these memories tightly for the rest of my life.

66%

By the time Olivia and Justin arrive, I feel confident between the four of them and Violet that my bakery will be in safe hands.
Justin and Olivia have met my grandparents before, so I only have to introduce Violet when she arrives.
I have to figure out a way of telling the three of them that I won’t be around for a while, if ever again. I’m pretty sure they can sense my inner turmoil, because just before we’re going to flip the sign over to open, Justin puts his hands on his hips.
“Damn it, Colbie, what’s wrong? You’re wound tighter than a top.” One of the things I appreciate about Justin is that he doesn’t beat around the bush.
“Come back into the kitchen for a moment,” I request as Violet lifts her hand away from the sign.
“But…” She looks at the locked door, and I wave a hand.
“A few minutes won’t matter. Nobody is waiting yet anyway.” The rain is falling steadily outside, keeping our early morning customers in bed or indoors.
“What’s going on?” Olivia asks cautiously as I lean against the prep counter, and the three of them join us in the kitchen.
Again, I’m not sure how to tell them, so I lift the necklace over my head, and my marks appear. Violet gasps and staggers slightly to the side. Justin puts out his hand to steady her, and she stares at me with awe in her eyes.
“So you can feel them?” I murmur, and she drops to her knees and bows her head.
“My queen.” Olivia and Justin gape at her before turning to look at me, their eyes locked on the marks around my wrists.
“You’re the next shifter queen,” Justin murmurs as Olivia gasps.
“Oh my god!”
“Get up, Violet. You don’t need to bow to me ever.” She doesn’t listen, so I reach out to her.
She takes my hand and rises, still not meeting my eyes. “Why haven’t you presented yourself at the palace yet? Rumors are flying around the shifter zone. Some are saying that Aramis messed up. Others are saying that the human thinks they are too good to be queen. The shifters are getting restless,” she warns.
“It’s a lot, you know. I just needed to take a few days to get my head on straight. I didn’t want this,” I explain, and she finally lifts her head and meets my gaze.
“And that’s what’s going to make you great, but you can’t delay any longer.”
I slip the pendant back over my head and nod. “I know. I just needed to make sure you were all going to be okay here. I would like you to work with Granny and Grampy to get them up to speed on everything. They won’t be able to stay forever, and I’m going to need the two of you to take over. If this isn’t what you want, then I need to start interviewing for a baker,” I explain to Olivia and Justin, who both visibly startle before they exchange a glance.
“I would be honored.” Justin bows his head to me.
“So would I. Don’t worry, Colbie, we will look after the bakery like it’s our own,” Olivia assures me, and I feel myself relax a little now that I know it will be in the hands of people I trust.
“Well, let’s open up then.” I clap my hands together, and Justin and Olivia jump into action and hurry to the front to open the bakery, but Violet just stands there and gapes at me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her, looking from her to my grandparents. Grampy shrugs, not knowing what to say, but Granny is watching Violet carefully.
“Why are you waiting?” Violet asks, no judgment in her tone, only curiosity.
“It’s not like I asked to be queen,” I reply defensively. “I don’t have the first clue about what to do.”
“None of the royals did when they started. It’s why you have advisors and mates, to help you through all this.” She crosses her arms and has a stubborn set to her jaw. “Time to grow a set, Colbie, our people are waiting for you.”
I look at my grandparents, and Granny is doing her best to hide a smirk, but Grampy is outright chuckling.
“I like this girl. Maybe she can be your advisor instead of your mother.”
Violet’s eyes widen, and she shakes her head vehemently. “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly do anything like that. I’m not one of the upper class, and that’s whom Her Majesty will chose her advisors from.”
“Stop right there.” I hold up a hand. “I don’t ever want to hear you put yourself down like that again, and none of that ‘Your Majesty’ crap. I’m Colbie to you. Please give me that little bit of normality. And Grampy is right. I need someone I can trust, and you are the only shifter I know apart from Brock and Niles next door. I know you’re still in college, but I need you, at least to begin with.”
“I’ve actually finished all my classes for the semester, which is why I was looking for a job. All my friends are still going, and I didn’t want to be bored, but they only have a few more weeks left anyway.”
“Good, then it’s settled.” I look around my precious bakery and feel a wave of sorrow. Nothing is ever going to be the same.
“Okay, so how are we going to do this? Do I just walk into the shifter zone and announce myself?” I lift my apron off, hang it on the hook, and look down at myself. I wore jeans today, and they are still clean since Granny and Grampy did most of the labor while I organized all the paperwork. My top is also clean, so I’m not going to bother returning home. If I do, my mother might waylay me and force me to wear something that isn’t me.
She gasps and shakes her head. “Absolutely not. Humans are not allowed into the shifter zone without an official escort.” She cocks her head to the side like she’s listening to something, and her eyes light up.
“Well, how do I get an official escort?” I ask, and she doesn’t answer, just spins around and heads into the shop.
“What the hell?” Grampy grumbles, but Granny comes over and puts her hands on my arms.
“We are so proud of you, Colbie, and you know where to find us when you need us.” She pulls me into a hug, which Grampy quickly joins. He presses a kiss to my head.
“Give them hell, sweetheart, and don’t you dare take any of their crap. We will run interference with your mother, but I’m not sure how long that will last.”
Tears well in my eyes, but I swallow around the lump in my throat and nod just as the kitchen door swings open, and Violet returns with Hunter and Brodie in tow.
Brodie smirks at me and looks around the kitchen. “When Violet said we needed to see something, I was a little worried there was going to be another shifter cub back here.” His smile is warm and inviting, and I instantly feel lighter.
Hunter nods. “Glad to see you’re back,” he murmurs, and my eyes widen in surprise. They noticed I was gone.
“These two have been in both mornings and afternoons for coffee, hot chocolate, and lunch,” Violet tells me.
“So what did you want to show us?” Brodie turns his attention to the shifter girl, and she nods at me.
“Show them,” she demands, and I smile. The timid, shy shifter from before is gone, and I’m pleased.
Granny and Grampy nod their encouragement, so I lift the pendant and place it on the counter. I don’t want to lose it, because I’ll never know when I might want to sneak away and pretend to be human—that’s if it will even work once I gain the shifter magic.
I see the moment the two males notice the marks. Both of them stare for a moment before dropping to their knees in unison and bowing their heads. “Your Majesty,” they murmur together, and Violet snorts.
“Oh yeah, I can see that becoming annoying for sure.” She hip bumps me, and I feel grateful that she is in my life.
“Get up please, I don’t want you on your knees.” Unless it’s for another reason. I keep that last comment to myself. Both men rise with grace. “So, um, I guess I’m the next shifter queen, and Violet says I need an escort to the palace.”
They stare at me with no short amount of awe, and I feel the urge to squirm under such close scrutiny.
“I can’t believe you’re the next shifter queen,” Brodie murmurs, and I wince, not sure if he’s disappointed or pleased, but his next words make me feel so much better. “But I’m very happy about it.” His and Hunter’s eyes both glow with their inner animals, and I shuffle my feet, feeling awkward.
Violet clears her throat. “Escort?”
“Yes, of course.” Hunter is all business. Both of them are, in fact, and I mourn the loss of the casual, friendly way they were speaking to me. “I’ll let my father know, and he can make arrangements.” He pulls a phone out of the pocket of his uniform, and my heart starts to race with panic.
“No.” I hold up a hand. “Please, is there any way we can do this discreetly? Can’t the two of you just escort me?” I plead, looking between them, and Brodie’s eyes soften, even if he keeps his expression professional. He and Hunter exchange a look, and Hunter huffs a puff of smoke out of his nostrils.
“We can do that. My dad is going to kick my ass, but I will deal with it.”
“You boys look after my girl, okay? She’s going to need people on her side. Can I trust you to do that?” Grampy is staring the two shifters down like he has his own inner beast, and both men give him their assurance.
“I promise, sir. Our team has been assigned to watch her until her coronation and she chooses her mates. We will keep her safe,” Brodie sounds even more serious than when he found me with Archie. “We will go out back. Put the pendant back on for now. That will keep you hidden until we can get where we need to go.”
I give my grandparents hugs and kisses goodbye then follow the guys into the alley. Violet follows us, but she stays in the doorway of the bakery.
“Aren’t you coming?” I ask her, and she bites her lip, looking from me to the two men.
“It sounds like the queen has chosen you. Neither of us are going to stop you,” Hunter assures her, and she relaxes slightly.
“What about work?” She looks back, and I hear Grampy grumble, “Go, child. We might be older, but we can handle this.”
Violet whips off her apron and returns to the kitchen to hang it up. I hear the rumble of my grandpa’s voice as he says something to her, but I can’t make out what the conversation is about. It doesn’t take her long to return though.
“We need to get her to the edge of the neutral zone, then Hunter can shift and take us all directly to the palace,” Brodie says as the three of them fan out around me—Hunter at my back, and the other two on either side of me.
“Shift?” I can’t help the words from blasting out of my mouth, and Violet chuckles, making me feel very nervous indeed.
“Oh boy, Colbie, I hope you pulled up those big girl panties, because you’re about to ride a dragon.”