The Queen's Half

Chapter 2

Come, mate

After the ceremony finished, I escaped the garden to take a shower. When I looked in the mirror, my face and neck was smeared with dried blood, my eyes were wide and dark, and my eyeliner had smudged giving me a raccoon look. For a moment, I truly looked like a monster.

My eyes stung, but no tears came. I turned away from my reflection and jumped beneath the scalding water, vigorously rubbing my skin to get Finnic's lifeblood off of me. My wounds had already closed, but raised pinks scars lingered on my stomach and shoulder.

I emerged from the bathroom, my skin tinged pink, wearing the same white dress and red cloak from earlier. Erickson sat on my bed, and when he saw me he stood up with a crooked smile on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you, my queen," he said before bowing down in front of me, his right fist pressed to his heart.

"Oh stop that Eric," I snorted, slapping his arm away from his chest. 

He flashed me a goofy grin as he straightened up. He watched me for a moment, his face growing serious as he saw my lingering guilt. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me against him, pressing his freshly shaved cheek against mine, laying his scent on me. "I know it was hard for you to do what you did, but I'm proud of you," Eric said, his voice solemn.

I held onto him tighter, taking in the subtle woodsy scent that always clung to his skin. "I know he was a terrible person, but to take his life..." I shook my head, my throat closing. "I feel like a monster," I whispered.

"He wouldn't have stopped if you let him live. It was either kill or be killed, Selene."

"Knowing that doesn't make it easier."

"Killing should never be easy... If killing didn't bother you, then it would make you a monster," he murmured into my hair.

"That was my first time..." I couldn't bring my mouth the form the words again.

"I know," Eric said, smoothing a hand down my hair. "I know."

We stood in silence for a few minutes, holding each other, swaying side to side.

I peeled myself off of him once I got my emotions in check. "Thank you."

He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before walking over to my nightstand. He turned back to face me with my crown in his large hands. He swiftly walked over to me, placing the crown on top of my head. "Perfect," he whispered, his gaze never leaving my face.

I bit the inside of my cheek as I stared up at his face. When I was a child, I thought that Eric would be my mate, but once I came of age, at 16, I realized he wasn't. Then he met his mate, Sarah, a year later, and any lingering feelings I might have had disappeared. Now five years later, Eric was like the older brother I always needed.

A wicked gleam entered his eyes, "Now come on, you don't want to miss your own party! I heard Alpha Ridoc snuck in some of his famous moonshine"

"Oh gosh," I laughed, as Eric tugged me out the door, the steady thump of the music faintly ringing through the hall. "I can already feel the hangover."

***

I could feel someone's callused hands firmly pressed against my bare shoulders shaking me. "You're majesty, it's time to wake up." I rolled over hiding beneath my blanket from their shrill voice. "My queen, you must get up, you have a meeting with the council in an hour."

The woman stopped shaking me, instead she walked across the room and threw open the heavy curtains, bathing the room in light. Then she walked back over and yanked the covers off of me, the cold bedroom air slapped across my skin, goosebumps instantly rising. I groaned loudly, the brightness burning my eyes. I sat up and glared at the woman standing at the foot of my bed holding my blanket hostage.