Forbidden Queen
Chapter Twelve – Friend or Foe?

Anna

We make our way out of the depths of the forest and continue walking. My captors don’t speak, they ignore me.

The warrior called Daniel holds my arm firmly, not so tightly that it hurts but I know that there is no chance of me escaping his grip. I can feel my skin tingle where his hand touches me. I know that he can feel it to, that he knows what we are to each other, that this is the mate bond.

I use the time while we walk to observe the warriors that surround me. Daniel, my mate, is the youngest of the group. Although he is obviously as strong and muscular as the others, his skin is surprisingly smooth and contains none of the scars that the others display.

He looks straight ahead, avoiding my gaze, but occasionally when he thinks I am not looking his eyes turn towards me. I can tell that he is trying to figure out who I am.

After an hour we reach their camp. It is situated within a large clearing, which is filled with tents and armoured vehicles. Fierce looking wolves guard the perimeter.

The wolf who had questioned me earlier steps forward to speak to the sentry.

“We are back but with a prisoner. I need to speak to Joseph and Alex to replace out what they want to do with her.”

“Who is she?” the sentry asks.

“That is what we need to replace out. I am not sure who she is, or if she is dangerous.”

“Make your way to the main tent and I will let Joseph and Alex know” he replies.

Katy

I am sleeping soundly in Alex’s arms when one of the warriors comes to wake Alex.

“Sorry to disturb you sir, but the scouts have returned with a captive.”

“One of Lucius warriors?” Alex asks immediately, alert to a possible threat.

“No, we don’t think so. She is a young girl, but she was travelling alone, and her story doesn’t ring true. The scouts thought it was best to bring her back to camp so that you and Commander Joseph can interrogate her. We have taken her to the main tent.”

“Is Joseph aware?” Alex asks.

“Yes, he is already there waiting for you.”

“Good. I will be there as soon as I am dressed.” Alex says as he gets up and starts to pull on his shirt and trousers.

I get up as well and prepare to join him.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Joining you. I want to replace out who this girl is.”

“You don’t need to. It would be better if you stayed here and got some rest. I know how tired you are with all the travelling and training you are doing.

“No, I want to be there. If this girl is a potential threat to us, then I need to know about it.” I know that he loves me, and his first instinct is to protect and look after me, but as queen I can’t be excluded from these types of meetings.

“OK” he says. I know he is not happy, but I am pleased that he hasn’t tried to fight me on this one.

….

When we enter the main tent, I see Joseph, and three of the warriors standing round a small, slender girl, with dark brown hair and pale skin. She looks to be about my age. I can see that she is frightened, but she is trying to do her best not to show it.

Daniel is standing close to her, his face is blank, but his arm is placed proprietarily on her shoulder. Is she his mate I wonder?

“Who is she?” Alex asks.

“We found her with a group of Lucius’ warriors. They looked to be holding her against her will, but we don’t know why. According to her, she is a lone wolf, with no family. She claims that she was travelling alone to her uncle’s pack.”

“Alone, why would anyone but a rogue travel alone?” Alex says moving closer to get a better look at our prisoner. “She doesn’t smell like a rogue.”

“Not all lone wolves are rogues” she says, speaking for the first time. Her voice is quiet, and she is shaking, but I can tell that she is brave, few wolves would be able to stand up to Alex in a situation like this.

“True” Joseph says, “but lone wolves that are not rogues know better than to traipse through a forest in rogue territory alone. They wouldn’t expose themselves to that kind of danger.”

She swallows and then says, “I didn’t think of the danger.”

I can see that there is more to her story than a lone wolf travelling through the forest, but I don’t think that she means us any harm. I don’t think that she even knows who we are.

“She saved my life” Daniel tells us. “I was seriously wounded and she healed me. I would have died without her help. She had the opportunity to escape but she chose to stay. She used her own energy to heal my wounds.”

“That is unusual. Few healers have the ability anymore to heal serious wounds without the use of aids. It is rare to replace a wolf with a powerful gift of healing. She could really add value to the Royal pack if she can do what you say,” Joseph says sounding impressed

I feel myself soften. Whoever this girl is, she can’t be part of the Black Moon Pack. If she was, she wouldn’t have given up the opportunity to escape, she wouldn’t have stopped to heal a stranger like Daniel.

“What is your name?” I ask her.

“Anna.”

“Where are you from Anna? You and your family must have belonged to a pack at some point.”

She pauses before saying. “I don’t remember us ever belonging to a pack. All my life I have been a lone wolf. We moved around a lot; we didn’t stay in one place for very long.”

“We?” Alex asks.

“My mother and I. She was my only family. She died recently in a rogue attack.”

Lone wolves are at more risk from rogue attacks than wolves who belong to a pack. They are easier targets, without a pack to defend them they are vulnerable. However, I am not sure that she is telling the truth. It is clear that Alex and Joseph don’t believe her either.

“Surely even if you don’t remember being part of a pack, your mother must have spoken about the pack she had once belonged to?” Alex asks.

She pauses, I can see panic in her eyes. “I don’t remember her talking about one.”

“If not in a pack, where did you stay?”

“The last place was Burton.”

“That must have been difficult for you. Very close to the Black Moon Pack, they are known to be ruthless when it comes to lone wolves. Prepared to kill them on sight” Joseph observes.

“We had to be careful, but we were desperate my mother was very ill, and we needed somewhere to stay.”

“Before that?” Alex asks.

“Riverside” she says.

“I don’t know it” Alex says looking at Joseph.

“I haven’t been there, but when we get back to the Royal Pack, we can ask David. He was originally from Riverside, and he visits his family there regularly. He can question her and replace out if she is speaking the truth,”

“The Royal Pack, I can’t go there. I need to replace my uncle” Anna protests. I can hear panic in her voice.

“I am afraid that you will have to forget about that for the moment. We cannot just let you go. We are escorting our new queen to the royal pack.” Joseph says nodding at me. “This is a dangerous mission, and you know too much about us now.

If you are one of Lucius spies, then we cannot risk you sharing with him our location and the number of wolves we have in our convoy. If you are not one of Lucius’ spies you could still be caught by his warriors and be forced to tell them what you know about us.

You will travel with us to the Royal Pack, where we will verify your story. If we replace out that you are speaking the truth, we will help you to reach your uncle. If you are found to be lying…. well then that will be a different matter” Joseph tells her.

She shudders, but nods.

“You are not a prisoner, but we have to be careful. We don’t travel with a jail cell, or handcuffs, but you will be assigned an escort at all times.

Daniel you will be responsible for her. You will travel with her, eat with her and be with her when she sleeps. I am trusting you to make sure she doesn’t escape” Alex says.

Daniel nods and grabs her arm firmly.

Before they can leave, I feel a sudden urge to help this girl. “Perhaps while she is here, she can work with our healers. I can see no harm in her spending time with them. I will let them know about her and perhaps she could travel with them?”

Anna’s face brightens for the first time “thank you. I would love to do that.”

Daniel looks at me with gratitude. I can see that there is something between them, more than the fact that she saved his life.

“Come” he says gently leading her out of the tent.

When they are both gone, I turn to Alex and Joseph and ask “what do you think of her?”

“I think she is lying” Joseph says “but I don’t know why. I can’t see her being one of Lucius’ spies. He is too clever to send a girl like her, who we could have killed on sight. Why she is lying though is the question.”

“If anyone can replace out, then it will be Daniel. He puts people at ease” Alex says.

“And if he doesn’t, when we get back to the Royal Pack, we will be able to interrogate her properly” Joseph tells us.

I feel sorry for Anna she looked so scared. I have to wonder what she is hiding that makes her willing to risk interrogation by the royal guard.