The Ultima Luna Queen (Book 2)

-Eleena’s POV-

After I read the note from the Rogue King, Derrick and I were immediately flanked by six guards, one of whom was Cedric. They led us out of the throne room and up the stairs to our room.

“Get inside your majesties and lock the door!” Cedric ordered, and Derrick asked, “Cedric, what is happening outside?”

“Rogues, your Grace, and we already have eight wounded pack members and four dead Rogues.”

I felt nauseous and wanted to know more. “Cedric, are any of the wounded expecting she-wolves or children?”

“Two of the wounded are children. One is Beta Jaxon’s little girl, and the other is from Crescent Moon as well. We believe her name is Renee. The other wounded are a mix of male and female. All expecting she-wolves are safe.”

I ran inside the room and straight to the bathroom. I knelt in front of the toilet just in time to vomit. I heard Derrick tell Cedric to keep us informed. He closed and locked the door, and I listened to the rustling of his cloak brushing along the walls. He removed his cloak and put it on the bed. I flushed the bile away and stood. Derrick walked into the bathroom to see me clean my mouth and used mouthwash to rinse the vomit breath away. He removed my cloak and brought it into our bedroom. When he returned, he ran up to me because I was sitting on my seat near my vanity, crying. He sat next to me and embraced me.

“Sadie! My sweet little Sadie! Oh, Moon Goddess, please let her be okay!”

“I know. I hope she’s okay.”

“And little Renee!”

“I know, my love. I pray that they are both okay.”

He held me, scratched my back for a little while, and said, “You know, while you were in the hospital suffering from Mate Deception, I think I met Sadie.”

I looked into his beautiful eyes, smiled, and asked, “Really?”

He nodded and explained, “I heard a little girl talking to her mother, asking who I was. She explained to her, and the little girl ran up to hug me. She had the most beautiful blue eyes and gave the best hug imaginable. Your hugs are better, by the way. She asked if I liked you, and I told her I liked you very much and wanted to help you. She told me that she loved you very much. I promised her that I would take good care of you. She hugged me and told me she loved me.”

I smiled and said, “That’s my sweet girl! Oh, my sweet Sadie! I kept telling her mom, Vivi, she had her for me. Derrick, I hope she’s okay.”

Derrick heard the commotion outside, and he got up. He walked into the bedroom and opened the curtain just enough for him to see and to keep him hidden. I got up and walked into the bedroom.

“It looks like the Rogues are gone. The guards are helping the paramedics identify the injured.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Derrick, Eleena, it’s Luca.”

Derrick went to answer it, and Luca walked in.

“The Rogues are gone. The guards killed seven of them. We have the archer in the dungeons and are about to question him. I don’t want you two involved because you both had a long, emotional morning…”

I interrupted, “Luca, we are involved because Edward has threatened to kill me and has waged war on our kingdoms. Derrick and I can’t just sit back and hide while everyone attempts to solve the problem.”

“Eleena,” Luca sighed and said, “I know you are involved. What I wanted to say was that I was going to interrogate the archer. You and Derrick need to take it easy right now from all the fanfare and whirlwind from this morning.”

“Luca, Eleena and I have one final act we have to do to solidify our roles as King and Queen. We need to go to the shrine in the cemetery,” Derrick insisted and continued, “I feel once we complete that step, everything will return to order until we figure out our strategy in confronting King Edward.”

He was silent for a while, rubbed the back of his neck, nodded, and said, “Go to the shrine. Make sure you have a couple of guards just in case some Rogues are hiding.”

Derrick’s eyes glazed over because he was mind-linking someone. I sighed and sat down on the bed. I was trying to settle my queasy stomach by taking deep breaths. Come on, little one, I would like to feel better.

Luca knelt before me and asked, “Are you alright? I know that was a stupid question, but you look like you’re about to throw up.”

“I’ve been throwing up for the past two days. I was just crowned Queen, and the Rogue King wants me dead. Do you think I’m alright?”

He shook his head, looked into my eyes, and said, “I know you’re not alright. Please know that I will do everything in my power to help you and Derrick.”

I inhaled deeply, exhaled, smiled, and said, “I know you will. Derrick and I appreciate you more than you ever know.”

Derrick sat beside me, took my hand in his, and kissed my cheek. I looked into his eyes and smiled weakly.

He said, “Cedric and Marty are coming to meet us, and then we will go to the shrine.”

I nodded, and Luca stood up, saying, “When you are finished in the shrine, we’ll meet in your office.”

Derrick nodded and said, “Sounds like a plan, but who’s we?”

“You have Lycan King Nikolai Romanov, Lycan King Katori Yamata, Alpha King Carlisle Manchester, Beau, and Lycan King Giovani Macchiato, who want to discuss strategy to take Rogue King Edward down.”

There was a knock at the door, and Luca went to answer it. Cedric and Marty walked into the room and saluted us.

“My King, my Queen, we have arrived to escort you to the shrine.”

Derrick nodded and said, “Thank you, Cedric.” He looked at me and asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I nodded and said, “Let’s go.”

-Derrick’s POV-

Eleena and I followed Cedric and Marty out of our bedroom and down the stairs. Eleena laced her fingers with mine, and Logan ran up to me, following us down the hall.

“Are you both alright?”

I replied, “Yes, Eleena and I are fine. We’re heading out to the shrine to complete one final task, and we will be official. We have Cedric and Marty coming for added protection. Don’t worry about us.”

“I’ll always worry about you both.”

I looked into his eyes, smiled, and said, “I know. Rest easy, Beta. We’re okay.”

Eleena and I continued to follow Cedric and Marty out of the castle.

As we walked toward the cemetery, Cedric and Marty observed our surroundings. When there was noise, they immediately got defensive, only to see a squirrel run up a tree or a bird flying away because it got spooked. Cedric opened the gate, and Eleena and I walked through with Marty following us. Cedric closed the gate and caught up to us as we passed through the many graves of past Omegas, Royal Guard members, and Davison family members. The shrine stood tall before us, looking like a small stone-covered Gothic chapel.

“Marty and I will stand guard while you and the Queen are inside.”

I nodded and said, “Thank you, Cedric.”

I opened the door and said, “After you, my love.”

Eleena walked inside, and I closed the door behind us.

-Eleena’s POV-

I walked inside and saw a huge statue of the Moon Goddess sitting on a rocky surface with a white wolf lying on the ground next to her at the far corner of the room. Every window was stained glass with a reddish-brown wolf head in the center.

“Derrick, this is beautiful. It feels so otherworldly.”

He smiled and said, “This shrine has been in the Davison family for centuries. I cannot tell you the exact age of this building, but know that it’s ancient.”

I approached the statue and noticed it was a fountain. Water flowed between the Moon Goddess and the wolf and emptied into a large basin at my feet. Derrick walked up to me and took my hand.

I looked at him, and he said, “It is here where we will spill three drops of blood into the basin. Once we do that, we will feel every werewolf throughout our kingdom and will bring order across our lands, neutralizing the threat until he decides to strike again.”

I looked at the statue and noticed something sharp sticking out of where the water falls into the basin. I ran my thumb on it, and it sliced it. I hissed and realized blood was beginning to pool on my thumb. I held my thumb over the water and squeezed three drops from my thumb. Derrick did the same thing, and suddenly, I felt the bond of each wolf across the United States and our kingdom. I heard the howl of each wolf accepting Derrick and me as their King and Queen. Once the sensation was over, I felt a familiar presence.

“Hello, my Ultima Queen and her Alpha King Mate, your hearts are troubled.”

I nodded and said, “Rogue King Edward sent a threat and waged war.”

“He even waged war on Luca,” Derrick added, and the Moon Goddess said, “The Rogue King has been after you since he attacked your family in France when you were five. He saw you shift, and that’s why he sought you out. He knew the Ultima Wolf was superior to all wolves and was powerful. He doesn’t know how powerful you are. You only know a fraction of your power.”

My mouth dropped, and I looked at Derrick. He was shocked at what he heard as well. He asked, “How powerful is she?”

The Moon Goddess explained, “Eleena, remember our last conversation when Demetri died (I nodded). I told you that your children would be your ultimate strength. You already have my strength and can use it when you see fit. You have the power to use all of my strength. Now that you’re expecting your first child, I can assure you that you can still shift and not bring harm to the baby. My protection is on this child. You have my word, and my word never fails. Derrick, you can draw upon Eleena’s strength if you need to, but you can also use mine not to the fullest extent that my Ultima can. The Alpha and Lycan Kings are willing to offer their aid. With their help, the Rogue King won’t stand a chance against you. Have faith, my Ultima Queen and her Alpha King Mate; I see better days ahead.”

She kissed my forehead and Derrick’s and said, “You both have my protection. Call upon my strength when you need it, and I’ll be there.”

She disappeared, and Derrick placed his hand on my belly. I rubbed his hand with mine, and he sighed.

“I don’t feel comfortable with you shifting while you’re pregnant. I know the Moon Goddess said it would be alright, but I still worry.”

“I know you do,” I sighed and continued, “But we must keep our faith in the Moon Goddess. She said my children are my ultimate strength. I’m pregnant with our first. This baby is my strength. I’ll be damned if the Rogue King tries to do anything to destroy our happiness!”

He embraced me, and I wrapped my arms around him. Tears poured from my eyes, and the sobbing started. He scratched my back and kissed my head. I vowed that no more people would get hurt because of me. I vowed to protect them not as their Queen but as their Ultima Luna Queen.