Return of the Alpha: The Crown (Mackenzie Grey Book 12) Read online

  Return of the Alpha

  Mackenzie Grey: The Crown #3

  Karina Espinosa

  Copyright © 2021 by Karina Espinosa

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover design by © Christian Bentulan

  Edited by Stacy Sanford

  Copyright 2021 by Karina Espinosa

  ISBN-13: 9798541526493

  ASIN: B099767YMN

  For my readers.

  It’s been a long ride, but we’ve made it.

  Thank you!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Karina Espinosa

  About the Author

  1

  I couldn’t feel a thing.

  I was cold. Numb.

  I didn’t feel like myself anymore. It felt more like I was having an out-of-body experience as I laid on the medical bed in Dr. Harris’s clinic, waiting for the results of his examination. I stared at the ceiling, taking shallow breaths and praying to whatever god was listening to help me.

  It couldn’t be over. Not yet. Not like this.

  A single tear slid down the corner of my eye and I bit my trembling bottom lip to keep it steady.

  Bash reached for my cold hands. His were so warm, a chill ran through my body at his touch. I turned my head to face him and he squeezed my hands reassuringly but didn’t say a word. None of us could.

  I looked down at my bloody pants and choked on a sob as I squeezed my eyes shut. Visions of Abaddon clouded my mind, his booming voice ringing in my ears.

  “How about it, Queen? Want to make a deal with the devil?”

  It was the last thing he said before Raven grabbed me and flew me out of Caledonian Forest. My ears were filled with Abaddon’s maniacal laughter as we got farther and farther away from the forest.

  After our flight from Abaddon to the clinic, I’d been there ever since. It had been hours and I still didn’t know if my baby was okay. The idea alone made me sick, wracked with guilt. I did this to myself. If anything happened, it would be all my fault.

  “Listen to me, Mackenzie, everything is going to be okay,” Bash tried to reassure me. “You, the baby … everything and everyone is safe, you hear me?”

  I turned my head back to the ceiling and sighed heavily. “I just want to go home. Can you take me home, please?”

  “I will,” Bash promised. “As soon as Dr. Harris returns with your results, we’ll leave.”

  He didn’t understand what I meant. This wasn’t home. Not Scotland. I wanted to go back to Brooklyn. That was home.

  I couldn’t wait much longer. I felt as if I was suffocating in this small medical room.

  “Relax, Mackenzie. Take deep breaths.” Bash brushed my hair back, breathing with me.

  I tried to control my breathing, but it only made me panic even more. Just then, Dr. Harris opened the door to the room and walked inside. His face was grave, and the pit in my stomach dropped. Whatever he had to say wasn’t good.

  Bash stood immediately and faced the doctor. “Is she okay?”

  “Have a seat.” He motioned to a chair in the corner of the room, but Bash remained standing. Dr. Harris sighed. “I’ll preface this by easing your anxiety and saying you haven’t miscarried. With that said, the baby is at risk.”

  “At risk of what?” Bash asked carefully.

  “Of a potential miscarriage,” Dr. Harris replied, turning to me. “Mackenzie, you’ve put your body through too much and you’re under a lot of stress. It’s not good for the baby. I know you don’t want this, but I’m putting you on bed rest for the time being. For your sake and the baby’s.”

  I never hid from my problems and I didn’t like staying still. Being put on bed rest and hiding in the castle felt just like that: like I was hiding from Abaddon, the fae, Charles, and every other person who was after me. I didn’t like that feeling because it felt alien. But to protect my child, I would hide in this castle one hundred years if I had to.

  That made me think about Adaline and the things she’d been willing to do for me; things that were probably just as out of character for her.

  I cleared my throat. “I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll stay on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy if I have to.”

  Bash whipped his head in my direction, his eyes bulging. “You will?”

  I nodded. “Now, can we leave, please?” I murmured, defeated. “I really just want to go home.”

  Bash’s face fell. “Yeah, Mackenzie. We can go home now.”

  2

  Three Months Later

  I flipped through my options on Netflix for something to watch and stopped on The Witcher. It was all the rage according to my friends on social media, who were amazed I still hadn’t watched it, so I decided to put on the first episode. It had been out for a while, but with everything that’d been on my plate, I hadn’t had time to watch it. Many compared it to Game of Thrones, which I loved, so I decided to give it a try. And, I mean, Henry Cavill? You couldn’t go wrong.

  I dimmed the lights, wiggled my swollen toes under the covers, snuggled under the comforter, and pressed play. That was pretty much the extent of what I’d been doing the past three months. Unlike the last time I was on bed rest, this time Alexander made sure I showered every day and prodded me to walk around the royal wing to get some exercise.

  No one knew about my pregnancy yet because no one was allowed in the royal wing other than Ranulf, William, Alexander, Dr. Harris, or Bash, and occasionally Ophelia to train. Ranulf and William took turns guarding me so each of them could rest. I asked them to tell Liam so there could be someone else on guard, but they still didn’t want to bring anyone else into the fold.

  From what William told me, gossip was swirling about me in the castle and around town. According to everyone, the Queen was missing and no one had seen me for three months. I hadn’t gone to a single Summit or Council meeting because Bash or Alexander always took my place. Many lycans were upset over that fact. Nonetheless, thankfully no one had barged into the royal wing to demand to see me as of yet.

  As for Abaddon, it had been fairly quiet on that front, almost as if he knew I was hiding in the castle and was merely biding his time. There were reports of mysterious deaths in Inverness, the closest human city outside of Sheunta Village, but we hadn’t figured out if they were connected to Abaddon just yet. My gut told me it had to be. Stealing lives was the only way Abaddon could survive in the human realm, unless he had returned to the Underworld, which I highly doubted. He wouldn’t have returned without getting what he came for.

  I placed a hand over my growing bump and rubbed my belly as I curled in bed and raised the volume on the TV. A knock on the door ale
rted me to someone’s arrival and I paused the show. “Come in!” I called out.

  The door opened and William poked his head inside. “Yer Majesty,” he greeted, “I’ve brought lunch.”

  I sat up quickly and adjusted myself for the tray that William was bringing over. I started salivating when I saw a plate with a cold cut sub sandwich filled with ham, salami, pepperoni, cheese, lettuce, tomato, black pepper, Italian dressing, and lots and lots of pickles. It was my latest craving and I couldn’t get enough of it.

  “How are ye feeling?” William asked as he gently placed the tray over my lap.

  I licked my lips as I took in the sandwich and chips. “I feel fine,” I murmured. I grabbed the sub and took a big, hearty bite, grumbling, “Any news?” with my mouth full.

  William chuckled. “Everything is pretty quiet, Yer Majesty, although yer extremely missed.”

  “What about the Summit Alphas? Are they gone?” I grabbed a few chips, cramming them in my mouth ravenously.

  “Aye. Most of them went back home since their original trip to Sheunta Village was extended.”

  “Most?” I quirked a brow and sipped on my bottled water. “Who stayed behind?”

  William sighed. “Grayson … Lucas … and a few others. They’re still fighting for yer brother’s transfer. Now they’re blocking him from applying for the Captain position in the Brooklyn Pack.”

  My nostrils flared and I held the comforter in a white knuckled grip. “Even with Charles missing, they still want to play games.”

  “The Spaniard Alpha left in a hurry after he heard that Maria sent enforcers to the Barcelona Pack. He’s nae very happy right now.”

  I snorted. “Good. That’s what they get for messing with me. I should send enforcers to Canada. Let’s see how Grayson likes that.” I took an anger-fueled bite of my sub.

  William nodded. “I’ll relay the message to Maria.”

  I huffed. “Any word from Rowan?”

  He shook his head. “She’s still deep undercover. We have guards keeping an eye on her from a distance and it seems like she’s gotten in good with Jacob, but he still does nae fully trust her.”

  I scoffed, “Of course not. That old geezer is smart.”

  “Junior’s project is still in the works and has been kept secret. The African Summit is coming along nicely,” William said.

  “Good,” I muttered. “At least something is working out well.”

  I demolished my sandwich and chips as William continued divulging the latest news around the castle and town. I was licking my fingers when he cleared his throat.

  “Um … Yer Majesty?” he started.

  “Yes?”

  He straightened. “Cosima Slade, the witch who owns the town apothecary has requested to see ye. I … uh … don really know what to do in this situation since yer nae seeing anyone.”

  “Did you tell anyone?” I asked.

  He shook his head, looking uncomfortable. “No, Yer Majesty. One of the guards informed me last night and now I’m informing ye.”

  If Cosima wanted to see me, it probably had something to do with the elixir I asked her to concoct. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but maybe she’d been able to come up with something we could use to fight Abaddon. One could only hope.

  “I’m going to need your help, William.” I pushed my tray to the bottom of the bed.

  “Anything, Yer Majesty.”

  “I need you to sneak Cosima into the castle,” I said expectantly. “Since I can’t leave my room, I need her to come here.”

  William grimaced. “Yer Majesty …” he muttered. “Yer asking a lot from me. How can I sneak her into the castle without getting caught?”

  “Through the service entrance,” I replied easily, having thought it all out. “Dress her up as one of the kitchen staff and then bring her up to the royal wing.”

  “There’s one problem with that, Yer Majesty … who will be guarding yer room in the meantime?” He raised a questioning brow.

  I bit my lip, pondering on what to do. We couldn’t leave me unguarded and alone. I hated to say it, but it would give any one of the remaining Summit Alphas a perfect opportunity to storm my rooms. They would take one look at me and my belly and the truth would be out.

  “Liam!” I blurted. “He doesn’t have to come into my rooms. He just needs to guard outside the royal wing’s corridor, the only entrance inside.”

  “Yer playing with fire, Yer Majesty. If Ranulf finds out, he’ll have my head. Or worse, if Liam finds out—”

  “I trust Liam. I’m not worried about him finding out,” I answered. And I did trust him. Aside from William, Liam was the only other guard whom I trusted unconditionally. Truthfully, I wished we could tell him so we’d have more help.

  “All right,” William sighed. “I’ll ask Liam for his help. My shift is over in three hours. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now.”

  I nodded in agreement. William grabbed my empty tray and exited my chambers.

  “Good luck,” I murmured.

  I couldn’t sit still. I paced my room with a hand over my round stomach and waited impatiently for William to return with Cosima. It had been thirty minutes already and no word yet. I was nervous that Bash or Alexander would come up to the royal wing suddenly and find Liam guarding the door instead of William. I didn’t want to get either of them in trouble. Regardless, I would take the blame. It wasn’t like my guards could have said no to me. It wasn’t their fault.

  Afraid I’d wear a hole through the carpet of my chambers, I exited and went out to the empty common room. With the curtains drawn so nobody could peek inside, I missed the sun. I missed the crisp Scotland air. I wished I could go outside for just five minutes.

  I approached the door that led to the corridor of the royal wing where Liam was and leaned against the door. I gave a soft knock. “Hey, Liam?” I whispered.

  He cleared his throat. “Yer Majesty?” he said, a little stunned.

  I grinned. “The one and only. How have you been?”

  He choked out, “I’ve been fine, but I should be asking how ye’ve been! Are ye okay?”

  I smiled. “I’m fine. Since I’m not around, I hope they’ve been keeping you busy.”

  He groaned. “I’ve been guarding the Alpha of the Italian Pack, Yer Majesty, but it’s nae the same. When are ye going to get better? I’d really like to get back on yer detail.”

  I perked up. “You’re guarding Lucas? Why?”

  Liam snorted. “He says he does nae feel safe with Charles on the loose, so he requested security.”

  I laughed. “What a pansy! Is he really scared of Charles, of all people? They’re both alphas! They’re on equal footing.”

  “That’s what I said,” Liam sighed. “Anyway, I’m stuck with him and he’s a prima donna, Yer Majesty. It’s exhausting.”

  “I bet,” I mumbled. Suddenly, a thought struck me. “Want to do me a favor?”

  “Anything, Yer Majesty!”

  I grinned. “Since you’re on Lucas’s security detail, I want you to spy on him for me. Even though he says he’s afraid of Charles, I don’t believe him. I think they’re up to something and I want you to figure it out.”

  “Of course, Yer Majesty!” Liam sounded delighted to have a mission to undertake on my behalf.

  “But Liam, be very careful. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Prima donna or not, Lucas is crafty and dangerous. They all are. I’m not sure they won’t kill you if you’re caught.”

  Liam cleared his throat. “Don worry, Yer Majesty. I’ll be extremely careful.”

  I nodded, satisfied with the plan. With Rowan watching Jacob and the rest of the ex-Council members, and Liam on Lucas’s tail, I might get ten steps ahead of them all. But just like I warned Liam, I had to be careful. Being ahead in the game didn’t always help. Look what happened with Charles. He attacked and tried to kill me, then still managed to get away. The faded claw marks on my stomach were all that was left.

  “Yer M
ajesty …”

  “Yeah?” I said through the door.

  “If ye don mind me asking, why have ye been in yer rooms all these months? Abaddon is still out there.”

  I rested my forehead on the door and sighed. “I’m not ill, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “There’s a lot of rumors going around, Yer Majesty. Many believe yer afraid of the demon and are in hiding.”

  I growled, my claws extending and scraping against the wood of the door. “I’m not hiding from Abaddon,” I snarled.

  I hated feeling weak. I never ran away from my problems. And to those on the outside with no insight, that seemed to be exactly what I was doing. I looked like a coward, and that thought made me furious because it couldn’t be further from the truth. If I could, I would fight Abaddon right this second. But after that scare three months ago, I couldn’t put the baby at risk. Not again.

  No one had told me what kind of rumors were floating around; probably because they didn’t want to upset me. But without knowing it, Liam opened a can of worms. In reality, I’d already figured out what others were probably saying about me, so it wasn’t entirely his fault.

  We continued discussing what the other guards on my detail were up to and where they were since they weren’t guarding me until William returned with Cosima.

  “Ye can return to yer detail, Liam,” I heard William say on the other side of the door.

  “Aye,” Liam said. “Take care, Yer Majesty.”

  “Thank you, and don’t forget what we discussed!” I hurried to say.