《Mated To Alpha Gregory》


 False Accusation

    Lilith¡¯s POVN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I have to quickly report to the alpha as soon as possible! If we dy any longer, the pack will be destroyed without anyone suspecting!¡± My father, the beta of our Green Forest pack, paced back and forth in our living room. His face pulled into a deep frown while musing over the ominous conversation he had overheard while patrolling the pack territory.


    ¡°James, rx! You can always report to the alpha at ater time; right now he is having a meeting with the alpha of the Silver Crest pack,¡± my mom urged while trying to get him to settle down.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it! They have evil intentions! And the Alpha is there alone! Why else do you think those wretched people asked me to leave?! It¡¯s because they want the alpha alone, and we can¡¯t have that; I should go now!¡± My father argued with his arms flying around, something he does when he is extremely stressed about something.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you not to tell him, but considering the people that are with him and the important discussion they are having, you know the alpha would not like to be interrupted,¡± my mother argued.


    ¡°Plus, you only overheard the conversation; you did not have any evidence to prove that what you heard was true. Give it a little time, at least until they leave,¡± she added, and my father let out a long sigh. He massaged his forehead, his hand slicking back his curly brown hair as he rxed into the chair with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t get this feeling-this foreboding feeling-out of my head. I feel something bad is about to happen, and we won¡¯t have enough time to react. The pack, the people-I don¡¯t want to sit still when I could do something to stop it,¡± he breathed out in frustration.


    ¡°I am sure we will figure something out, Father. The alpha trusts you so much that he will believe you, but we need to be patient until they leave. I¡¯m sure we can settle this as long as they aren¡¯t carrying out their sinister n tonight.¡± I joined in, and my father nodded. Just as I had finished speaking, a loud knock resounded throughout the living room.


    With a start, everyone jumped up, body-tense in alertness, ready to defend against any intruder. As the only child of the beta, I have trained all my life to take over my father¡¯s position, and I am hailed as one of the best warriors of our generation, second only to Raider, my boyfriend, who is also the next Alpha of the Green Forest pack.


    My father walked towards the door, and I stood behind him, while my mother, who is an omega, stood behind us with an anxious expression. ¡°Lilith, stay back and protect your mother,¡± my father instructed, and I nodded as I stepped back to stand close to my mother.


    Our hesitation must have made the person on the other side of the door impatient, because the next moment they began kicking the door with force, causing the house to shake violently. ¡°Is the pack getting attacked right now? Oh, goddess, what are we going to do? What about our people? Is the alpha okay?¡± My mother rants.


    As my father pulled open the door, four of the pack warriors barged in, followed by an angry-looking alpha. He sneered as he saw my father standing before him with a confused expression. ¡°Is there a reason for this visit tonight?¡± My father asked, confusionced in his tone as the Alpha¡¯s sneer got even more sinister.


    ¡°You could have sent for me through the pack link; there was no reason for you toe here on your own and with the pack warriors. Did something happen? What about the people from the Silver Crest pack? Are they gone?¡± My father asked.


    ¡°Seize him!¡± Alpha River ordered without replying to any of my father¡¯s questions. My mother stepped forward, cing herself between my father and the pack warriors.


    It was aw in our pack that no omega should be rough-handled, as they are the weakest of our kind, and they needed to be protected. However, seeing the dark look on Alpha¡¯s face, I can tell the rules in the situation do not count.


    ¡°Seize them all! Bring them out!¡± The alpha ordered and turned away. I watched in horror as my mother crashed against the guards that had roughly grabbed her, while my father remained silent and cooperative as they dragged us out of our home.


    We were dragged to the pack¡¯s square, where all pack meetings usually take ce. Upon our arrival, we immediately noticed all the pack members were gathered, each one of them facing different emotions.


    Some were angry and hurt, some were pitiful, and others were indifferent.


    My mind went nk, unable to fathom what exactly was going on.


    Why were we being arrested?


    Why are the pack members looking at us with so much hate?


    Since when do we need to be pitied?


    These thoughts churned in my head as we were forced to kneel in the middle of the whole pack as members gathered. ¡°What is going on?¡± I breathed out, knowing my father could hear me. Instead of answering, my father¡¯s jaw ticked, and he looked away from my mother and me. Even then, I could see the negative emotions swirling in his eyes and the tears brimming in them.


    I got an idea of what was happening, but my brain refused to register it. I just didn¡¯t want to believe it. I turned to the Alpha, trying to see what the reaction was, but all I saw in them was hate directed towards my family. I shut my eyes, scared of what would happen to us.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to listen to my mother¡¯s sobs. She had probably figured out the situation too.


    ¡°Beta James Arthur, you have been charged with treason against the Alpha and the pack!¡± The alpha announced it, and I froze. I looked from my father to the alpha in shock and unbelief.


    There is no way!


    There was no way anyone would believe my father, the most loyal person in the Green Forest pack, would betray the pack, but as I looked at the faces of the people around us, I knew they had all been brainwashed.


    ¡°My husband would never betray the pack! He was falsely used!¡± My mother screamed while trying to reach the alpha.


    ¡°We all know how loyal my father is to the pack; there is no way he would betray the pack! Please recheck!¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Then exin this? Exin why the Silver Crest pack found your father¡¯s beta crest in the Nightingale pack. The beta crest, as we all know, is a symbol of authority, and it does not leave the owner¡¯s side at any time unless you have given it out,¡± the alpha announced.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± The alpha demanded, and my father sighed.


    ¡°I stand by my word to always protect the Green Forest pack, and I will never betray the pack. I do not know how the crest got to the Nightingale pack, as it was still with me even tonight while I was on patrol.¡± My father announced, and the Alpha scowled angrily.


    ¡°Are you calling me and the Alpha of the Silvercrest, who seemed to be secretly visiting the Nightingale pack liars?¡± Alpha River growled, and my father shook his head.


    ¡°I could never call you a liar, but I believe you should know what I would or would never do. But seeing how you are right now, I know nothing I say would ever go into your head.¡± My father replied firmly. Despite the situation we were in, he maintained hisposure, wavering under the alpha¡¯s intense gaze.


    My father¡¯s eyes flickered at the alpha of the Silver Crest pack, who had been standing quite quietly behind Alpha River. My eyes followed his, and I saw the man snicker, looking down at my father with a gloating look of triumph.


    With a shake of his head, my father turned back to the crowd and paused his life. ¡°I¡¯m saying this one more time because I know that very soon you all will look back on today and realize what a great mistake you have made. I have never and will never betray the Green Forest pack.¡± My father roared, and a tear slipped down my face.


    Even in the face of death, he chose to swear his loyalty to the pack. The Alpha stepped forward and raised his hands, ready to dere judgment: ¡°This time tomorrow, James Arthur, the former Beta of the Green Forest pack, will be executed alongside his mate!¡±


    ¡°And their daughter is hereby demoted to the rank of an omega,¡± he dered.

 Betrayed and Rejected

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    ¡°Father! Mother!¡± I cried out as they began to drag my parents to the dungeon. ¡°Father! Father! Please! Please. My family would never betray the Green Forest pack ! He could never do such a thing!¡± I pleaded with the Alpha, who only nced at me with a cold, condescending gaze before barking out anothermand.


    ¡°Take her to the abandoned building on the outskirts of the pack. Assign a chore to her and make sure shepletes the chore before she is given anything in the pack,¡± he ordered, and the warriors immediately got into action, picking me up roughly.


    Without any more strength to fight, I could only continue to cry and plead, hoping he would listen to me and release my parents.


    We would ept anything. Extra chores, demotion, or even banishment-but anything other than death.


    ¡°Please! For the sake of the friendship you shared with my family, please give us a chance to prove our innocence,¡± I pleaded, and the alpha growled.


    ¡°The only reason I am keeping you alive is for the sake of our past rtionship, Lilith. If not, you would have died with your parents!¡± He dered, and I shook my head.


    ¡°You should know better! My father would never betray the pack! He was plotted against, because he had caught on to their ns.¡± I confessed, and the alpha¡¯s face softened a bit. Seeing it as a way to continue. ¡°He had overheard them talking about how to take over the pack while he was on patrol, and he came to tell you, but you had visitors, and he was waiting! You have to believe me; my father would never betray you in the pack!¡± I cried out.


    The Gamma stepped forward and pped me across the face; his face pulled into a deep frown as he pulled my ears. ¡°If you are going to make baseless usations, at least provide evidence! You don¡¯t expect us to believe that just because you said it?¡±


    ¡°Drop it, Lilith,¡± my father mind-linked me without looking my way. ¡°You will never get through to them,¡± he added, and I sniffled. ¡°But father¡­¡±


    ¡°What do I always tell you about a warrior¡¯s death?¡± He asked, and I sniffled even harder, knowing he was trying to be strong for my mother and me.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for a warrior to die for their pack at any time,¡± I replied, and he nodded. ¡°Then consider our deaths as those of the warriors who sacrifice their lives for the safety of the people.¡±


    ¡°But father¡­ Your death will only bring about the destruction of the pack. They took you out of the way because they know you are a threat to their schemes; shouldn¡¯t staying alive be the right thing to do in this situation?¡±


    ¡°The right thing to do is know when to give up,¡± he said, cutting off the mind-link as they dragged them away. I lost my strength and fell on my knees, crying my heart out and praying to the moon goddess for salvation.


    Please, if you are up there! If you are listening to my prayers, save my parents. They are innocent and loyal! They would never harm your other creation!


    Please! Please! Please!


    As I continued to pray to the goddess while being dragged away, I felt my wolf let out a howl in my head, her heart squeezing together in pain and the next moment I passed out.


    It waste in the afternoon when I opened my eyes again. I looked around, feeling confused about the new and unfamiliar environment I was in. Just as I tried standing up from the cold, hard floor I had slept on overnight, I felt a splitting headache, and the memories of the previous day came crashing in.


    My parents!


    Then was the execution day!


    No, I can¡¯t allow them to die! I have to do something!


    I scrambled to my feet and hurried out of the abandoned house I had been ced in, while thinking of a way to get the Alpha to change his punishment.


    ¡®Let¡¯s talk to Raider; he should be able to help us talk to his father; after all, he is our mate¡¯ my wolf, Lexi suggested, and I nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Raider should be able to help! Of course, why had I not thought about it before?¡± I muttered to myself as I ran in the direction of Raider¡¯s home.


    A new hope was brewing in me with every distance I covered. Considering the mate bond we share, I am sure Raider would listen to me and help my father out of the predicament he was in. I suppressed my anticipation as I neared his home, not wanting to get my hopes too high only for it to be shattered.


    My face brightened up as I noticed Raider was about to enter his apartment. ¡°Raider! Raider! Please wait!¡± I called out and increased my pace. A look of surprise shed through his eyes as he noticed my presence, and then, within the next few seconds, his brows pulled together into a frown.


    ¡°Lilith? Why are you here?¡± He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. It was as if he was scared someone would hear him calling my name.


    ¡°I came to see you. Please, Raider, for the sake of our friendship and mate bond, kindly help me plead with the alpha to reduce the punishment on my parents at least until we are either proven guilty or innocent.¡± I pleaded, and his frown deepened.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Lilith,¡± he replied with a shake of his head and my heart into my stomach. ¡°Why not?¡± I choked out. ¡°You don¡¯t seriously believe my father did what he was used of, did you?¡± I asked, and he turned away, unable to maintain eye contact with me.


    ¡°Ah!¡± I cried out as my hand flew to my face in frustration. ¡°We are up together; my house was your second home, and vice versa. My father trained you and taught you almost all you know, and you could not even give him the benefit of the doubt. A stranger¡¯s words weigh more than his.¡± I demanded, and he remained silent.


    My body tensed up as I noticed a female figure walking out of his home, half-naked with hickeys decorating her neck. My body trembled, and my wolf howled in pain, seeing the smug look on her face. ¡°What do you mean by a stranger¡¯s word?¡± Thedy demanded it with a sneer.


    She walked up to Raider and wrapped her hands around his arm in a seductive manner. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t told her about us. Why would she refer to my father as a stranger when our wedding is just a few days away?¡± She asked with a coy tone, and I saw Raider tense as my eyes met him.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    A bitterugh escaped my lips, and then it turned to full-blown sobbing. ¡°You were having an affair with another woman despite me being your mate?¡± I asked coldly, my tone devoid of any emotions.


    ¡°You were even about to get married to her while promising me a future! I¡¯m your mate, Raider! I¡¯m the one who is supposed to get married to you!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Not anymore!¡± He yelled back at me, ¡°I could never be with the daughter of the man who had tried to betray my pack! It¡¯s over between us!¡± He dered.


    With every tiny bit of strength left within me, I fought the urge to crumble in front of these two as I maintained my cold gaze. ¡°You were nning to marry her; all these were nned even before my father was used. I¡¯m not even sure if you are all not on it just to take me out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± He demanded.


    ¡°Make me shut up! You ingrate! Make me shut up!¡± I screamed. ¡°My family sacrificed everything for the pack! Did you forget my brother died trying to protect your weak ass?! We pledged loyalty to you and the pack even though you were the one who pushed him to his death, and this is what we get?!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Why?! Why?!¡±


    ¡°I have no use for you any longer, and when I be useful, it¡¯s normal that it is discarded.¡± Raider sneered, and thedy snickered.


    ¡°I, Raider Smith, the next Alpha of the Green Forest pack, reject you, Lilith Arthur, as my mate!¡± He dered, and I screamed as the bond snapped.


    With gutted teeth and hatred, I looked into his eyes. ¡°I, Lilith Arthur, ept your rejection,¡± I sneered.


    ¡°And from this day on, I curse you to never know peace! I curse you today never to know happiness! I curse you to die at the hands of your most beloved without leaving a seed behind! I curse you!¡± I screamed and heard thunder rumble in the clear afternoon sky, as I stomped back to the cottage that had been given to me.

 The Wedding Banquet

    Adams¡¯ POV


    ¡°You have been invited to be a witness at the wedding ceremony between the Silver Crest pack and the Green Forest pack . Both are marrying their children off to each other to seal the alliance between their packs,¡± Ronan, my royal beta, reported as he walked into my office with a pile of documents that needed my attention.


    ¡°Oh! The two are forming an alliance?¡± I asked with a raised brow, and my beta shrugged. ¡°I was just as surprised as you are, considering the bad blood that was between them previously. But then again, the rogue activities in their territory have increased in recent years and even in the past three months, and I¡¯m guessing they have finally realized they have a mutual enemy that needs to be fought together,¡± Ronan exined.


    ¡°When is the wedding? Am I attending as a guest or as the alpha king to witness their union?¡± I asked as I went back to reading the mountain of files on my table. I could never get a break from work, no matter how much I tried. Before I could finish one, there was another waiting to be attended to.


    ¡°It¡¯s next week. And you are invited, as the alpha king, to sign the cooperation between the two packs,¡± Ronan replied as he handed me the invitation that was sent with my name on it.


    ¡°That quick? How long has the preparation been going on? Are those two getting married? Why would I need to sign a cooperation agreement? It¡¯s not a merger,¡± I asked curiously, and Ronan shook his head with aplicated expression.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t mates,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure what is going on here either. Beta James and his wife were executed just a few days ago under the charges of treason and collision with an enemy pack, and ording to the information I got, James¡¯ only daughter was Raider¡¯s mate, and he had just broken off their bond the day of her parents¡¯ execution. What a heartless fellow; he could not even allow the girl to mourn her parents properly,¡± Ronan cursed, and as I sat back into the chair, my curiosity piqued.


    I could already see the politics at y from the little information he had given. It was obvious there was arge trap being made around the Green Forest pack, with River being at the center. As the alpha king of the werewolf race, I have seen and experienced all sorts of schemes amongst other Alphas and even amongst the ones I call family, enough for me to recognize a scheme at its early stage.


    ¡®However, what was the goal? To have morend?¡¯ I mused. ¡®Silver Crest has more territory than the Green Forest, so that should not be their motivation, but is there something we are missing? Maybe something bigger?¡¯


    ¡°River is being yed,¡± I stated, and Ronan nodded with a mixed expression.


    ¡°I also share the same thought. There is no way all that happened can be a coincidence; it smells too fishy. First, James was plotted against. They were obviously removing the threat, and now they are marrying their daughter into the pack-nting a spy,¡± he recounted calmly.


    ¡°I can guarantee there has been no alpha as blind as River in all history. He could not even see through such a minor scheme,¡± he sneered, his eyes filled with contempt and ridicule.


    ¡°And I also found out Alpha Fred of the Silver Crest pack had been meeting up with your second brother recently. So I¡¯m guessing they are nning something together, and to get it, they needed Green Forest or River out of the way; that¡¯s just my opinion though,¡± he added.


    Being reminded of my second brother, my face grew cold, and a low growl escaped my lips. ¡°I was getting suspicious that Ben had been a little quiet recently. I guess he has been busy trying to build forces against me, but does he think having both Silver Crest and Green Forest together will be able to deal with me?¡± I gritted out in annoyance, already losing my cool, that the idiot of my brother was going to be causing more trouble for me to clean upter.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know his exact n yet, so we can¡¯t tell whether he needs both of them together. There is another possibility that he wants to use them to get rid of the rogue in that part of the kingdom and then use them to raise his influence amongst the people. Either way, we just have to be prepared for a counterattack.¡± Ramon advised, and I let out a sigh.


    ¡°I will be attending the wedding in a week; prepare everything needed,¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Alright, I will try to find out more about the happenings between those two in the meantime,¡± Ronan replied, and he began to make his way out of the office.


    As he reached for the door handle, he turned back with a mischievous grin. ¡°Your mother will be back next week, and she¡¯s saying something about finding the perfect wife for you. I don¡¯t know what that is, but good luck, bro,¡± he winked and left, and I let out a deep, frustrated sigh.     ¡°Let¡¯s wee the Alpha King, King Gregory Adams!¡± The host announced this as I stepped into therge banquet hall of the Green Forest park. Cheers of apuse and whispers of praise apanied every step I took as I made my way to the front of the podium, where my seat had been prepared.


    ¡°Thank you for honoring our invitation, your Majesty.¡±


    Alpha River smiled as he led me to my seat, where the rest of his people were already waiting. They all bowed, showing their necks in submission, as I took my seat at the head of the table.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I could celebrate such a happy moment with you all,¡± I replied monotonously, acknowledging each one of them with a slight nod of my head. Pretending not to know, I looked around and frowned.


    ¡°Why is your beta not here to wee me? Am I not important enough for a guest?¡± I growled lowly, and they all went tense. River stepped forward with his head bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the pack no longer has a beta.¡± My mind trailed off, and I shut out every voice around me as my wolf began pacing back and forth in my head.


    He growled while trying to fight for control as a peaceful yet intoxicating scent of bloodstained rose drifted into my nose. The people around me tensed up as they noticed the change in my demeanor.


    I stood up and hurriedly followed the trace of the scent to the back of the banquet hall, where the scene that assaulted me left my blood boiling over.


    ¡°How dare you! How dare youy your stinking hands on her??¡±

 New Mate

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    ¡®p¡¯


    ¡®p¡¯


    ¡°Wrench!¡± Cassandra, Raider¡¯s new mate, yelled as she kept pping me, her face pulled together in an angry scowl. I felt my skin sting from where her ws had grazed my skin; the metallic taste of blood seeped into my mouth from how hard she had been pping me.


    ¡°I asked you to prepare the blue dress first, so I could wear it to the pre-wedding banquet, and you went to prepare the green dress for me! Are you trying to ruin my joyous day just because you can¡¯t have one??¡± She yelled as she threw another p in my face. I whimpered in pain, holding back the scream that threatened to fall from my lips.


    ¡®I won¡¯t cry. Not in front of her!¡¯ I repeated it and repeated it to myself.


    ¡°Pathetic fool!¡± She yelled into my face as shended another p on my face. ¡°The banquet is almost here, and I haven¡¯t even gotten halfway dressed because of your clumsiness! Are you dumb? Can¡¯t you speak?¡± She demanded angrily as I kept silent.


    Themotion soon attracted Raider into the room. He walked in fully dressed in a ck tuxedo paired with brown shoes. He stood beside Cassandra, his arms protectively wrapping around her waist, as he red at me.


    ¡°What has she done to annoy you again?¡± He asked as he kissed her on the forehead. She whimpered and pouted while looking up at him with a coy expression. ¡°I asked her to prepare the blue dress you got for me, so I could wear it to the pre-wedding banquet, but she prepared the green one instead,¡± she whimpered, and Raider frowned.


    ¡°I thought we agreed you were to put on the green one first? And you even made sure to supervise the preparation; she didn¡¯t make any mistakes, babe,¡± Raider exined, and Cassandra¡¯s face turned ugly the next moment as she pushed him off.


    ¡°Are you taking her side right now?! Are you calling me a liar? You are tired of me, and you want to go back to your ex?¡± She demanded coldly as she pulled my hair, dragging me around as she let out her anger at me.


    Raider massaged his nose bridge and let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not taking her side! I¡¯m not! You are the one I love, not her, so why would I want to be with her instead of you? Come on, the banquet is about to start; you can deal with herter,¡± he exined, trying to make her calm down.


    With a sneer, she released my hair and pushed me against the wall. ¡°Do you hear that? I¡¯m the one he loves, and no matter what tricks you pull, he can never be yours.¡± She dered triumphantly while looking down at me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stand up and get my dress ready?! If anything goes wrong with my day, I promise you a life of hell!¡± She dered as she threw another kick at me. My heart ached, and my blood boiled with rage as she gave me a gloating look, sticking out her tongue in my direction.


    Without giving them the satisfaction of seeing me cry, I walked out of the room and immediately went to prepare the dress, only for her to end up wearing the blue dress that I had first prepared for her.


    ¡°You are not permitted to enter the hall or go back to your hole until everyone has returned to their homes after the banquet.¡± Cassandra instructed me as I escorted her to the back door of the banquet hall with the rest of the omegas assigned to her for the night.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°I would have loved to see your pathetic reaction as I get married to your mate, but your filthy appearance will ruin my good mood, and I don¡¯t want that, so as punishment, you will be waiting here for the rest of the night. You are not permitted to talk to anyone or answer any questions; am I understood?¡± She demanded with a re directed at me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, my tone devoid of any emotion. Not that I was capable of having any. I had beenpletely broken the day I was forced to watch my parents die under the influence of wolfsbane.


    It was a slow and painful dying process thatsted for a while. I had watched for the first time how a father cried after losing his mate, only for him to die not long after.


    No other emotion couldpare to the pain I felt that night or the days following, where I would dream about the scene over and over again.


    I wanted revenge, of course; any normal person would, but this was thest request from my father.


    ¡®Forgive them¡¯ he had said; no, he pleaded, and despite the pain he was feeling, he never closed his eyes until he heard my promise.


    There was nothing else to live for, so what¡¯s the essence of having emotions that can easily be manipted by people who wanted nothing but to see you crumble, begging for your life?


    I thought I had shut out my heart, that I had shut down my emotions. Yet the scent of rain and apples drifted into my nose, triggering all the buried emotions I had awakened with the sleeping wolf.


    As the scent drew closer, I felt safe yet anxious.


    What is this?


    What does this mean for your wrenched moon goddess? Are you trying to make my life a joke?


    As I tried looking up to see who the scent belonged to, I felt a p on my face and noticed Cassandra had gotten dangerously close to my face. ¡°I told you to address me as Luna, you¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, a growl resounded around.


    ¡°How dare youy your stinking hands on her!¡± I heard as my eyes began to blur.


    ¡®I¡¯m exhausted¡¯


    ¡®I want it all to end here and now!¡¯ I thought to myself as I felt a strong hand wrap around my waist, thest thing I heard before I weed the darkness, a word I never wanted to hear again.


    ¡°Mate!¡±

 In My Home

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    The bright morning light fell into my eyes the moment I opened them, causing momentary blindness, and I winced and shut them immediately.


    My eyes fluttered a whileter, and I frowned and sprang up, taking in the white, pristine wall of my surroundings. This wasn¡¯t my room in the cottage. The bed is even way bigger than the one in my former room.


    I stepped away from the bed, my eyes closing as I tried to remember how I had gotten here and, more importantly, where I was.


    Just then, the door swung open, and my eyes immediately darted to it to meet those beautiful, deep blue eyes. I swallowed hard as my memories came flooding back.


    Cassandra¡¯s and Raider¡¯s wedding!


    Mate!


    I had fainted!


    He had called me ¡®mate¡¯; he was my mate! Lexi wasn¡¯t on the same page as me; she purred at the sight of him. He was good-looking, the most handsome man I had ever seen, but that didn¡¯t freak me out, as I wasn¡¯t going to forget everything and ept him. Besides, he seemed like a high-ranked wolf, and there was no reason for him to be with an omega like me.


    I averted my gaze at the painting on the wall; it was a better sight than to stare into his eyes.


    Although I was looking away from him, I heard his footsteps approaching after closing the door, and suddenly, the room filled with his woodsy scent. I was struggling with myself, but I soon found myself greedily inhaling his scent, and like magic, a warm fuzzy feeling began to spread through me, and I heard Lexi purr.


    I curled my fist into a ball, ignoring the urge to roll my eyes. I wanted to keep my face expressionless, but then I saw him blocking my view of the window.


    ¡°You are in my home.¡± His voice was sweet, and just as his face was, I tried to shut Lexi up. She was too trusting for her own good.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be here,¡± I said slowly, avoiding his piercing gaze. I had no idea what happened or how I had gotten here, but I knew that it couldn¡¯t be good. My memories were hazy after he had called me mate, but I was sure Cassandra was there, and there was no way she was going to let me out of her sight.


    ¡°You were unconscious, and-¡±


    ¡°And you thought about bringing me here?¡± I nced at him sharply, ring at him in disbelief.


    The most admirable smile I had ever seen was etched on his handsome face, and he ced a tray of food I didn¡¯t notice he was holding earlier on the nightstand before he began walking over to me. My heart began fluttering wildly in my chest, and as I took a step backward, he leaned dangerously close to me, and a gasp escaped from my lips.


    His smiles were immediately reced with a frown, and I suddenly felt the need to exin my behavior.


    ¡°I¡¯m a traitor.¡± I swallowed hard, as I said, but it was for the best. I didn¡¯t want to get him into trouble, and if Cassandra were to find out that he was with me, she would surely go get him punished. It didn¡¯t matter which family he was from.


    His brows pulled together in a frown. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am the daughter of a traitor, therefore a traitor. You must have heard about-¡±


    ¡°How long have I been out?¡±


    I had just realized that it looked like the day was just starting, and it couldn¡¯t be. It was already after sunrise when Cassandra yelled at me earlier on. It couldn¡¯t be-


    ¡°Almost a day-¡±


    ¡°What!!¡± My eyes widened in disbelief. A day! The wedding!


    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± I screamed as I shook my head. I wasn¡¯t scared of Cassandra; I only feared that she had other twisted things up her sleeve. I had lost everything, and frankly, I should be dead. It was better than living like this, but I couldn¡¯t take my own life.


    ¡°Calm down, Lilith.¡±


    I looked at him sharply. He knew my name! That means he knew who I was! ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down! Don¡¯t you-¡± I sighed and closed my eyes. I had to get out of here quickly.


    ¡°Look, Lilith, I don¡¯t want to hurt you. I just want to take care of you until you¡¯re better. You¡¯re hurt,¡± he said quietly.


    He was right. I was indeed hurting from all that pounding I had received from Cassandra, but it was nothingpared to the pain in my heart.


    Our eyes locked, and I almost got lost in those deep blue eyes and the softened expression they held. The sight of him pulled my heartstrings, and I felt a nudge from Lexi, who was already referring to him as ¡®our Sweetheart¡¯.


    ¡°You have to eat,¡± he said, and I followed the direction of his eyes to the tray on the nightstand.


    ¡°And,¡± he said, dropping some pills. ¡°It¡¯ll help with the pain.¡±


    ¡°I want to leave,¡± I said slowly, eyes fixed on the painting.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    He said nothing, so I nced up, only to see his lips pursed into a thin line. He looked hurt. I frowned, wondering if what I said had hurt him in any way.


    ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± I said slowly as I made my way to the door.


    ¡°Stay,¡± he said, and I halted in my tracks. ¡°If you¡¯re really thankful, stay.¡±


    I swallowed hard. I had many questions to ask. I wanted to know how I had gotten here. I was sure that I had heard him say something and yell at her, but my memories were hazy, and I wasn¡¯t sure.


    I spun around. I had to ask questions to know what I was going to face when I got back to her.


    ¡°Did you-? Did you perhaps ask Luna Cassandra-why she-did you ask her anything?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to ask if I had yelled at her for raising her hand at you? Yes, I did,¡± he said nonchntly, like he hadn¡¯t done anything unbelievable!


    He took a step forward, and I clenched my fist to my side. I was already in hell and didn¡¯t need someone else to add to it.


    ¡°Why-?¡±


    ¡°I will do anything for the people I love.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! You shouldn¡¯t have! Except if you¡¯re the Alpha King, you can¡¯t help me!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s exactly why I can help you,¡± he said, leaning dangerously close to me, so close that I feared that he would be able to hear each beat of my heart.


    ¡°I am the Alpha King, the Lycan of the werewolf race.¡±

 A New Dress

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    My mouth opened, and I mped them shut immediately and shook my head. It was impossible.


    ¡°You are lying-¡±


    ¡°Then how did you get here? You know that bitch won¡¯t let you just leave.¡±


    It was then that I began to remember. My memories had been hazy, and I wasn¡¯t sure what was real and what wasn¡¯t, but I was sure that I had seen a look of shock on Cassandra¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a maid to be with you shortly,¡± he said, moving to the door.


    ¡°What about the wedding?¡± I blurted out just before he could leave, and he halted in his tracks without turning around.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He said this as he walked out.


    A part of me felt terrible for the way I had treated him, but I couldn¡¯t trust myself around him. Lexi had already melted.


    Almost immediately, the door opened, and a maid entered.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Miss Lilith, My name is Cara, and the Alpha King sent me to cater to all your needs.¡±


    I nodded and said nothing. ¡°Should I run you a warm bath now, mydy?¡±


    I wanted to refuse, but seeing that I hadn¡¯t had my bath for a while, I nodded.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    She seemed taken aback by my question, and then she smiled quickly, masking her initial confusion. ¡°The ck hound pack, mydy.¡±


    I nodded, saying nothing.


    While she went to run a warm bath, I ate alone and took the pills. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what had happened. Had Cassandra sold me to him? Was she pissed when he called me his mate?


    It didn¡¯t take long after I had my bath that someone entered the room. She was a round, plump woman who seemed to be in her mid-thirties and was adorned with several pieces of sparkling jewelry.


    I nced at Cara, and she chuckled nervously. ¡°Mydy, this is Lady Portoks, the best dressmaker in the entire kingdom. She¡¯s here to take measurements for your dress.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a dress.¡±


    ¡°But-but you do, mydy, for the mating ceremony.¡±


    I squinted my eyes. ¡°What mating ceremony?¡±


    She nced at the dressmaker and fixed her eyes on the ground. She was avoiding my eyes.


    I sprang up immediately. ¡°Where is the Alpha King right now?¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for her to finish talking before I dashed out of the room and headed straight to the door in front of me. I pushed it open to see that it was full of people dressed in the same uniform-maids!


    ¡°Where is the Alpha King?¡±


    They pointed to their left, a shocked expression on their faces, and I nodded as I dashed into the room.


    I pushed open the door they had pointed to, only to be met with several pairs of eyes.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± He seemed surprised to see me but quickly masked it with excitement as he walked towards me and ced a hand on my shoulder.


    I wanted to push him away, but I couldn¡¯t. I stayed mute instead, while he introduced me to the man in the room as his mate. They smiled and nodded in approval, and I wondered if they knew who I was.


    ¡°I will be back,¡± he said as he led me out of the room. His hand on my shoulder was still there.


    ¡°I know you are startled, but I promise you that I¡¯ll protect you. I won¡¯t let any harm befall you,¡± he promised, staring into my eyes, and I averted his gaze.


    I said nothing, but zoned off as he kept emphasizing how he was never going to let anyone hurt me again. I didn¡¯t care about being hurt or not; I didn¡¯t even care about anything. I couldn¡¯t feel anything either.


    ¡°Marry me, Lilith. Marry me, and I promise you that you¡¯ll have no reason to cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    He looked taken aback. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    He looked like he was about to say something, but instead, he smiled, and then his smile widened into a grin as he pulled me into his embrace.


    I rolled my eyes as Lexi purred. I didn¡¯t do that for her or myself. I just did it because he was going to keep persuading me, and it was better than going back to Raider and Cassandra.


    ¡°I have to go back to the meeting now, but as soon as it¡¯s done, I¡¯lle see you.¡±


    I nodded and said nothing, walking back to the room. The maid and dressmaker held a concerned look on their faces; the worry line on their foreheads was visible.


    ¡°Continue,¡± I said slowly as I stood in front of the dressmaker.


    ¡°The wedding in Green Forest Park-what did they say about it?¡±


    She stopped, and even though I could not see them, I knew that they were exchanging looks. There was something they weren¡¯t telling me.


    ¡°Cara?¡±


    ¡°Mydy, it-¡±


    I raised a brow as I turned to her. Her eyes were fixed on the ground as she fiddled with her finger. I had noticed her doing that earlier and realized that it was something she does when she is nervous.


    ¡°What-forget it!¡± I said, while the dressmaker continued taking my measurements.


    The room was quiet-so quiet that it brought back the memories of my parents when they were being murdered and Raider, when I had seen him with Cassandra. I would not cry, no matter what, and I wasn¡¯t going to die either, at least not yet.


    ¡°Mydy,¡± Cara began, and I looked at her. I wanted to tell her not to call me that. I was just an Omega. But I kept quiet instead; after all, my status was just about to change.


    There was a gentle knock on the door, and Cara nced at me. Her big brown orbs looked at me pitifully, and I walked straight to the door, startling the dressmaker.


    ¡°Mydy-¡±


    I opened the door, my lips parting as my breath hitched in my throat, and I nced at her. She was thest person I was expecting.


    ¡°May Ie in?¡± She asked, a smile that wasn¡¯t visible in her eyes etched on her face, and then I realized that I had been staring at her for a while now.


    ¡°Mydy-¡± I hadn¡¯t realized that Cara was beside me.


    I wondered what she was doing in there, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t leave her standing there.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    As I watched her enter the room, my eyes met Cara¡¯s, and from the look in her eyes, I hoped that I hadn¡¯t made a mistake with those two words.

 A Mistake

    Adam¡¯s POV;


    I paced around in my office, pondering over my conversation with her and how strangely she had acted in my presence. I wondered if I was too hasty in telling her to marry me.


    You fool!


    I sighed and expelled a breath. I told her that I was going to see her after the meeting with a few council members, but now that I think about it, I might have ruined the chance to get her to like me.


    When she heard that I was the Alpha King, she acted strangely-not like she was scared of me, more like indifferent-and she had agreed to marry me that quickly.


    I was waiting for Ronan. He was supposed to be supervising the ongoing work at the newly built college, but I needed to talk to someone, and there was no one I trusted more than him.


    Just then, the office door opened, and he stepped in, his eyesced with worry, and my brows pulled together into a frown, my mouth parting slowly.


    ¡°How¡¯s she?¡± he questioned before


    I couldn¡¯t say anything as he plopped onto the sofa.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I have been waiting-¡±


    ¡°I saw Ben just outside the mansion.¡± He grabbed the half-empty bottle of whiskey that was on the table and took a long swig.


    I sighed and went around the desk, taking a seat in one of the plush leather chairs, directly opposite Ronan. Out of all my older brothers, Ben was the one who seemed to hold the most grudges and whom I had always been wary of.


    ¡°How¡¯s she?¡± He asked, breaking my reverie, and a deep sigh escaped from my lips.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake now, but she seems to still be in pain.¡±


    My beta had been surprised the day before when, at the wedding in Green Forest, I had disappeared for a while and appearedter with an unconscious woman over my shoulder and told him that it was time to leave.


    ¡°Doctor Wilde has confirmed that she¡¯s going to be fine, right?¡±


    I grunted and reached to the table to take the bottle of whiskey that Ronan had dropped on the table, downing the remaining whiskey in a single gulp as I remembered what the doctor had told me immediately after he had examined her.


    She had been brutally abused, and it was a miracle that she had been in good shape for this long. She was malnourished and needed lots of rest. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they could do that to another person. My wolf, Ted, growled in anger. My jaw clenched, and I gritted my teeth as I curled my fist into a ball.


    From my peripheral vision, I could see Ronan looking at me with concern, and I drew in a deep breath to calm my anger, and my eyes stared into his.


    ¡°She will heal. Doctor Wilde said her physical scars are not really the problem, but her emotional scars. That man was her mate! It¡¯s just so terrible, and I think she¡¯s scared of me.¡± My voice broke at thest part, and my jaw clenched harder as I averted my gaze.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°How can you treat someone who¡¯s supposed to be your mate like that? How dare he! And she¡¯s just so innocent and-¡± I punched the hardwood desk as I gritted my teeth even tighter.


    ¡°And the jerk had the guts to tell me that he was not aware that she was being abused!¡±


    I remembered how he had looked confused as he saw her unconscious on my shoulder, and then he ran towards me, unable to hide his anxiety and guilt.


    He had asked what was wrong, and it took all the strength in me to not punch him right there and then. I had already been informed by a guard about who she was, and that was how I knew that he knew about the abuses, and I was sure that he even took part in them.


    Apparently, the wedding ceremony couldn¡¯t be held anymore due to the fact that I wasn¡¯t there, and I had told the guards at the mansion gates that I didn¡¯t want to see him, at least until I thought of a better way to punish him, as I couldn¡¯t punish him directly since he was the Alpha¡¯s son.


    ¡°What will you do about him?¡± Ronan questioned me, breaking my chain of thoughts.


    ¡°I have no idea for now, but he will definitely pay. No one dares touch what is mine and go scot-free.¡± I nced at the now empty bottle and swallowed hard as I remembered how she had treated me earlier. She was wary of me.


    ¡°I saw her this morning, and she wouldn¡¯t even let me get close. You needed to have seen how panicked she was. And when she knew who I was, she didn¡¯t want me to go close-and I should¡¯ve taken things easy and tried to get her to know me first, but then I ruined it!¡±


    I nced at Ronan, and his brows were pulled together into a frown, and I heaved a sigh.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± His tone was calm, like he was dreading what I was going to say.


    ¡°I asked her to marry me-¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°And she said yes. But it was all so very quick; she seemed so far away; it was just as if she didn¡¯t want to annoy me.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Your Highness, I didn¡¯t say this earlier because I wasn¡¯t too sure, but-¡±


    I sprang up immediately as his tone hinted that something was wrong.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Whileing here, I heard some of the maids whispering about the arrival of the daughter of the Alpha of Silvercrest pa-¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this earlier?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s hard gaze red into mine, and I knew what he was thinking. He didn¡¯t have to say the words because I thought the same way too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Together, we left my office and walked straight to her room. I ignored the greetings from the maids and guards.


    Doctor Wilde had said that seeing those people from her past who abused her might be triggering for her, and I couldn¡¯t bear to see her in any more pain.


    I pushed open the door to see that same blonde who had an ugly sneer on her face as she hit Lilith. Now there was a smile on her face, a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes as she suddenly turned to me after I had opened the door.


    I clenched my fist tightly as I nced at Lilith; her expression was neutral, but I understood her now; she was trying not to let anything get to her. She was more or less a zombie, which is why she said yes to me when I asked to marry her.


    My lips were pursed in a thin line. ¡°What are you doing here, Miss Haines?¡±


    She chuckled softly and bowed. ¡°Your Highness,¡± she said, raising her head slightly.


    ¡°I realized how wrong I had been. No matter who she is or what she has done, I shouldn¡¯t have hit her. It was so wrong of me.¡±


    It was all fake. The way she smiled, the way she spoke-everything. I do not hit women, but the urge to punch that fake smile away from her face was just too much.


    She had acted surprised when I called Lilith my mate that day, and she asked me if I was sure, as this was an Omega, a traitor, and a ve. I had never had such a strong urge to punch something or someone.


    ¡°Miss Haines, I appreciate the thought, but there is no need for that. I had ordered the guards to not let anyone in here. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re her-¡±


    ¡°Common, Your Highness. She was my ve; it is only proper for me toe to wish her well and offer some words of-¡±


    I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist tightly at her words. She had emphasized the word ¡®ve.¡¯


    ¡°Miss Haines, I suggest you leave now, as your presence was never in any way needed. The king willmunicate to Alpha Haines and Alpha Smith whatever punishment he seeks for you,¡± Ronan cut in, noticing my rage.


    I heaved a sigh as I unclenched my fist. I was going to make them pay, and that was a promise.


    Suddenly, she fell to her knees, making Lilith, who had gone to sit on the sofa without looking at her, turn around. I could see the panic in her eyes before it was quickly reced with a look of indifference.


    ¡°Your Highness, please. I am sorry. I had no idea that she was your mate. I was only trying to discipline her. Your Highness, please-¡±


    I stared down at her and her fake tears. She wasn¡¯t remorseful; it was evident from her tone and her eyes. She was only begging because I had promised to punish her.


    ¡°Tell the guards to drag her out.¡± With that, I walked towards Lilith, ignoring the other woman¡¯s plea as she was being dragged away by the guards.

 Hurt

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    A sense of calm filled me as I sat on the bed opposite the window to watch the sunset and marvel at how beautiful it looked.


    I had been in that position since I woke up from my short nap about an hour ago. I was startled initially and internally cursed myself as I thought that I waste for my chores, and Cassandra was waiting in a corner, ready to pounce on me for daring to wake upte as I thought I was still in Green Forest.


    All that felt like a long time ago when, in reality, it was just four days ago. I was surprised at Cassandra¡¯s outburst, but I knew that woman too well, and I was aware that she was faking it. She wanted to escape being punished.


    ording to Cara, the wedding had been canceled, and I wondered if he had already thought about his earlier decision and decided that he couldn¡¯t be with an Omega who is also a traitor.


    I was almost always in the room, except for times when the Alpha King would tell me to spend some time with him on an evening stroll or join him for dinner. I was polite to him, but I really didn¡¯t care. He never asked any other questions except if I was okay or if I had eaten.


    I was no longer in the Green Forest but in the home of Alpha King Adams, king of the four packs in the state. If I were being honest, the thought terrified me because I feared that he was going to eventually leave me or betray me as Raider did. The thoughts that he had ulterior motives filled my head, and while I knew that I had to be prepared for the inevitable, my mind wasn¡¯t prepared.


    Lexi, my wolf, wasn¡¯t even helping matters, as she seemed to have been brainwashed. She couldn¡¯t function properly at the mere thoughts of the Alpha King, talk more of being in his presence, and it was even more terrifying to know that she might willingly give us up into his waiting arms when the opportunity finally presented itself.


    ¡°He¡¯s our savior,¡± she said, and I hissed.


    ¡°You feel something for him. Don¡¯t deny it,¡± she said again, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Whatever I feel for him is disgusting. I hate them all.¡±


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t the cause of your pain. See, he¡¯s willing to punish Cassandra and Raider for causing you such pain.¡±


    I was thoroughly annoyed, and I shut her up once and for all. ¡°You are too gullible, and that is going to be our downfall! He is only nice to us because he wants to use us. He doesn¡¯t care about us!¡±


    She whimpered, and a deep sigh was expelled from my lips.


    I kept staring at the now darkening sky, as I expected to see the stars anytime now.


    ¡°You should give him a chance and try to get to know him better.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Lexi!¡±


    I am furious with her now. She was too trusting in such an evil world, and that was why I never let her out. She saw everyone as being good!


    Sometimes, I hated that we were so connected that I felt every one of her emotions and that, despite our disagreements, she still managed to push those emotions on me. But she was the only one I could trust in this cruel world.


    A knock sounded on the door, disrupting my thoughts, and I turned from the window to face the door as I thought that it was Cara.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Cara was proving to be a friend, but I had no idea if it was real or if it was because she was paid to make sure I wasfortable.


    Slowly, the door opened, and the face of the Alpha King came into view. I blinked rapidly as my heart skipped a beat at the sight of him as my eyesnded on his ocean blue eyes.


    He was staring at me intently, and I found myself unable to look away. He smiled, and I felt myself melting, and the same warm fuzzy feelings that Lexi had been feeling suddenly projected into my body. I peeked my eyes away from him quickly, deciding that I wasn¡¯t meant to feel those strange emotions.


    ¡°How are you, Lilith?¡± His deep, velvety voice did nothing to prevent that strange sensation from taking over my body, and I nced at the painting on the wall, the one I always looked at whenever he was in the room.


    It was a painting of arge white wolf howling into the moon, and for some reason, I found myself drawn to the painting.


    ¡°Do you like the painting?¡± He added, and I heard the door close.


    I nodded without a word, realizing that he had noticed me staring at the painting, and he muttered something under his breath as he sat down on the plush sofa in the room.


    ¡°I noticed that you¡¯re always looking at it. It was a gift from someone.¡±


    I said nothing, and for a while, the room was quiet as I struggled to get rid of the unwanted warmth spreading within me. I had breakfast alone as he wasn¡¯t present at the dining table, which I was grateful for as I hated being in his presence because of my emotions.


    Maybe he couldn¡¯t bear to see me hurt when all he needed from me was to satisfy his pleasures.


    ¡°I could leave if you prefer to be alone,¡± he said after a while, and I popped my head up to nce at him to see that he had turned on his heel and was now facing the door, his back to me.


    I must have been so lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice that he had stood up and walked to the door.


    ¡°You can stay.¡±


    He spun around, his eyes widening and his lips parting slightly, before he quickly masked his surprise with a boyish grin.


    I was even surprised at myself.


    He took a step forward, and with each step he took, my heart began to flutter wildly in my chest.


    ¡°Thank you, Lilith.¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak, but swallowed hard as I nodded instead. I was surprised that he was thanking me.


    ¡°I had somewhere urgent to be this morning; that was why I missed breakfast.


    I nodded, resisting the urge to tell him that I was fine. It was the best breakfast that I had eaten in a long time.


    ¡°Does anywhere hurt?¡±


    I shook my head in response, and he nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to know. Soon, you¡¯ll bepletely healed.¡±


    He stepped closer to the bed, too close, and then he sat down beside me. I felt my body go stiff and released a breath in order to hide my nervousness and fear.


    I nced up to see that he was looking at me; his cheerful exterior was reced with a frown, and our eyes met. I swallowed the painful lump in my throat as my heart mmed hard against my chest in fear.


    I tore my gaze away, and when I looked up at him slowly, I saw the hurt in his face, and I felt the sudden need to exin to him.


    ¡°Why did you cancel the wedding?¡± I found myself asking instead of providing an exnation, and he seemed taken aback by my question.


    ¡°I-I-look, Lilith, I know you¡¯re afraid of me. I don¡¯t want you to be afraid. I will protect you.¡±


    He was talking, but I zoned him off and just nodded.


    ¡°I do love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I think we should get to know each other first. I want to know you-the real you, the real Lilith. Give me a chance to meet her.¡±


    My gaze darted at him, and I could see the sincerity in his eyes at that moment. I wanted to bear myself out to him, but I just couldn¡¯t.


    Raider had looked at me like that. I had trusted him wholeheartedly, and my father had trusted his father, but then I saw what that had brought about. There was no way I was going to trust him.


    I felt Lexi linking with his wolf, and I was sure he felt it too with the way he nced at me, and I drew her back as I berated her.


    ¡°There is nothing more to know about me than you already have. I am an Omega, and Ie from a family of¡­¡±


    ¡°Lilith!¡± He snapped, and I let out a sigh as I nced at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe any of that. I¨C¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you believe. What¡¯s done is done. Nothing can bring either of my parents back, and if you want to marry me even after knowing that fact, then fine, I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you asked.¡±

 Introduction

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    Her silky, wavy, fiery red hair spilled out of the hood of her cloak, flowing down her shoulder. She looked angelic with her emerald green eyes, which seemed to light up as they stared into mine. A smile was ying on her full, pink lips.


    My mouth parted slowly as I stared back at the reflection in shock. I was ncing at the mirror, but the person staring back at me wasn¡¯t me; it was someone else.


    The urge to nce behind me in order to be sure that she wasn¡¯t behind me was strong, but I couldn¡¯t feel her presence, and I was very sure that I was the only one alone in the room.


    I closed my eyes and opened them almost immediately to be sure that this wasn¡¯t a dream, and to my surprise, she was still there.


    I swallowed the painful lump in my throat as my curiosity heightened, my heat mming hard against my chest as a cold, dreadful shiver worked its way down my spine.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± My voice came out in an unintended whisper, and her grin widened, mirroring the expression in her eyes.


    I wasn¡¯t expecting her to respond, as my heart was thudding wildly in my chest. I wanted to run away, but I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Soon, my dear. Soon, very soon, you will find out.¡±


    I jumped back with fright. Just like her face, her voice also sounded angelic; it was the most lovely voice I ever heard, and surprisingly, her voice calmed my raging heart.


    ¡°W-what?¡± I breathed out, taking a slow step toward the mirror again.


    She ced her hand on the mirror as if she wanted to reach out to me, and even though I knew it was impossible, I felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.


    Suddenly, it seemed as if the more I stared at her, the more I saw her smile fade away, finally giving way to a gloomy expression, making her once beautiful green eyes that twinkled with joy be a dull shade of green.


    ¡°What-what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    There was a sudden knock on the door, making my heart skip and giving way to panic, and I turned around slowly, my heart thudding wildly in my chest as I watched the doorknob turn.


    I hadpletely forgotten that the Alpha King was waiting for me outside.


    He had agreed to marry me, and a date had already been set for the marriage, but I had to be introduced to the council of elders first. He had told Cara and a few other maids to make sure I was ready, but I had told him that I was fine on my own.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± I tried to sound as calm as possible, but I was sure that my voice came outced with nervousness.


    ¡°Come on, Lilith, let me in.¡±


    I spun around just as I heard the door open, and to my surprise, she was gone, and all I saw was my own reflection.


    A wave of disappointment washed over me.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not ready yet.¡±


    His tone was calm, but underneath it was disappointment, and I swallowed hard as I realized that he had seen the look on my face.


    ¡°No,¡± I blurted out, ignoring my raging emotions and the many questions that I had.


    I raised my head at him to see that he was holding a tray that had a small cake in it.


    ¡°This is a thank you,¡± he said as soon as he saw that I was looking at the cake, and I collected it and ced it on the nightstand. I wanted to ask him what he was thankful for, but I really didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you looking so well. I brought you something,¡± he said, looking nervous, and I wondered what it was that he brought that made him look like that.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he said, turning to the door, and I followed his eyes to see Cara entering with a box.


    He left without a word, and I stared at his retreating figure until he was out of the room, and then I nced at Cara.


    ¡°His Highness personally picked this for you,¡± she said, a shy smile on her face.


    He had so many servants. In fact, one thing I had learned from living in the mansion for weeks was that there was a servant for everything. There was a maid for cleaning my room, a maid who made sure I was called upon for dinner, and another one for breakfast.


    So him picking a dress for me when there were other maids to do that was indeed unusual and sweet?


    I took the box from her, and inside it was a deep purple dress. I nced at it and nodded without a word.


    ¡°The dress is perfect!¡± She held it up for me to look at it.


    I couldn¡¯t agree more on that. The dress was indeed beautiful. It hadce and satin and looked like what the royals would wear.


    But what attracted me to it wasn¡¯t its color or feel; it was the fact that it was conservative and not revealing at all.


    ¡°And it¡¯s Gregory¡¯s family color,¡± she said in a low voice, and I mentally rolled my eyes as Lexi purred.


    He was indeed sweet and has been trying to prove that he wasn¡¯t like I thought he was, but I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to fall for such lies.


    A few minutester, I stepped out of the room, and as soon as he saw me, his eyes lit up. He had this smile on his face that every man has whenever he sees a beautiful woman.


    I wasn¡¯t delusional enough to believe that I was a raving beauty. He walked towards me and ced his hand on my back as we walked towards the room I had entered a few days ago.


    It was the room where the meeting was going to be held, and as soon as I walked in, I could feel several pairs of eyes on me as I took my seat beside him, not caring about their gazes or those judgments. It was evident in their eyes.


    ¡®What does he see in her?¡¯


    ¡®She is just an Omega!¡¯


    ¡®A traitor!¡¯


    ¡®Why would he choose to marry this one?¡¯


    ¡®There are much prettier women out there, and he chose a traitorous Omega!¡¯


    As he introduced me to them, I could see the disappointment in their eyes.


    I felt a hand on mine, and I nced up to meet his concerned face.


    ¡°Should we leave?¡±


    I shook my head, realizing that my expression had betrayed me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Call me Adams.¡±


    I could feel the elder¡¯s gaze on us, and I nodded and turned as he continued addressing them.


    There was no way I was going to call him Adams anyway.


    ¡°Join us by this time next week for the mating ceremony,¡± I heard him say, and the room erupted with cheers.


    ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness!¡± The elders chorused, and he stood up and reached out his hand towards me. I held it, and just as we were about to reach the door, it opened, and a man who looked exactly like the Alpha King but was a bit older entered.


    His eyes, which were the only difference between him and Adams as he was a dark shade of brown, twinkled with mischief, and he grinned.


    ¡°Congrattions, brother!¡± He walked towards Adams and patted his back, and I could swear that his grip on my wrist tightened.


    ¡°I have been hearing about the new woman in the mansion, and I was wondering when you were going to tell us. I figured that since you had forgotten to inform us, I had bettere to congratte you.¡±


    He nced at me, and I subconsciously leaned towards the Alpha King. I didn¡¯t know who he was, but I suddenly didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°And you must be the lucky woman!¡± His arms were stretched out to me, and I realized that he wanted a handshake.


    I hesitantly brought out my hand, and just as I was about to shake him, I felt my hand being yanked back.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± It was the Alpha King, and his tone was harsh. I had never heard him use such a harsh tone.


    ¡°Seriously? I just told you that I came to congratte you.¡±


    He winked at me just before Adams interrupted him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what games you¡¯re ying this time, Ben, but-¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    I turned around, and as I had thought, the council members were also there to witness what was going on. But surprisingly, they didn¡¯t seem surprised.


    ¡°Go to your room,¡± I heard Adams say, and realized that he was speaking to me, and even though I wanted to let him know that the council members were watching, I walked out immediately and went to my room, resisting the urge to eavesdrop on their conversation.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

 Birthday

    Adam¡¯s POV;


    I was in the middle of a business call when someone knocked at the door. My brows pulled together into a frown because I had earlier instructed the guards stationed by the door to not let anyone disturb me.


    I was pissed off that they had failed to obey my instructions, and I pursed my lips into a thin line of irritation as my jaw clenched.


    There was a knock again, and I groaned with frustration as I peeled the phone away from my ear.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called out, wondering who it was to have disturbed me so early in the morning and still annoyed that the guards had disobeyed my instructions.


    After the incident the previous day, I was pretty sure that Ben was up to no good, and it scared me to think that he was going to harm Lilith. I figured that she must¡¯ve been startled and went to meet herter that day, but she was still the same, indifferent, and unbothered. She was like a zombie, only that she wasn¡¯t rotting.


    I was still thinking of a suitable punishment for Raider and his new mate. I heard from Ronan that they had gone ahead with the mating ceremony, but it was a small ceremony.


    The door opened, and Ronan walked in and sat on the chair right in front of me.


    ¡°I was going through those documents and didn¡¯t need any disturbance.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to hide my annoyance, and he nced at the documents.


    It was about the newly constructed college, and I was confused as the ounts didn¡¯t seem to add up. I had thought it was a mistake on my side earlier, but for some reason, I felt a need to go through it again, and it really wasn¡¯t adding up.


    I didn¡¯t want to say it, but something was happening. Funds were being embezzled by someone right under my nose.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Alpha. But I think you¡¯ll thank me for this.¡±


    He dipped his hand into the pockets of his cks and fished out a folded piece of paper before handing it to me.


    Without hesitation, I took the report from his hand and opened it, my eyes gradually scanning the words on the paper. The more I read, the more understanding dawned on me, and gradually, my eyes began to light up, and I smiled.


    ¡°How did you get this?¡±


    He grinned. ¡°I have my source.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s none of my business. Thank you,¡± I said as I dashed out of the room and walked quickly to the kitchen.


    I whispered something to the head-maid, and she nodded with understanding.


    A few hourster, I was in front of her room, and I inhaled deeply as I knocked on the door, arge cake in my hand.


    I had brought her a cake the day before, as Cara told me that she seemed to love chocte cakes.


    She opened the door almost immediately, and I kept staring at her, marveling at her beauty, until I realized that she was waiting for me to say something.


    ¡°Uhmm, I brought a cake,¡± she nodded politely as she took it from me.


    She was still polite and cautious in front of me. I asked Cara if that was how she was, and she confirmed that it was how she acted towards everybody. She seemed to be indifferent.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±


    She nodded and muttered what sounded like a thank-you.


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday,¡± I said again, realizing that she might have forgotten. She had gone through a lot, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that she had forgotten her own birthday.


    She furrowed her brows, and then I could swear that I saw her eyes light up before they returned to their normal neutral expression.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Lilith.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her tone held pure sincerity; it was different from that robotic tone she always used to reply to me.


    And just like before, I could feel my wolf linking with hers, and again, she withdrew. I said nothing, realizing that she needed time.


    ¡°About the wedding, we could call it off if you¡¯re not ready.¡±


    She shook her head, and I sighed. She was going to keep doing this. The wedding was just a few days away, and I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that I had pressured her into it.


    I had no idea how I was going to convince her that I was really on her side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to make you happy, Lilith-anything! So if there is anything you need, you should let me know.¡±


    ¡°How did you find out about my birthday?¡± She blurted out, and I nced at her.


    I was still standing by the doorway, and she made no effort to invite me inside.


    ¡°Ronan, you¡¯ve met him. He¡¯s my beta. He dug out some information-¡±


    She nodded, and we stared at each other without saying a word, and I realized that she didn¡¯t want me there. Perhaps my presence was ufortable for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave now. I¡¯ll see you during dinner.¡±


    I walked back to my room, and just as I was about to enter my room, something caught my eye. It was Ben, and he looked like he was having a heated conversation with someone else.


    I couldn¡¯t see the person, so I engaged my wolf¡¯s sensitive nose to see if I might be able to recognize whose scent it was.


    Ben was family, and I couldn¡¯t just tell him to leave the mansion. He had repeated that the day before in front of the council members, and I knew what he was ying at, but he was right.


    He had left on his own, and now he was back, and it should have been a good thing as I would be able to keep my eyes on him, but it wasn¡¯t as I feared that his return wouldn¡¯t be good.


    I quickly texted Ronan, and almost immediately, there was a knock on my door, and I opened it to allow him inside.


    ¡°I want you to put a closer eye on Ben. I don¡¯t trust him, not one bit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing that. You¡¯re not the only one who finds his sudden return surprising, and besides, he¡¯s still meeting with Alpha Fred. That reminds me, What will you do about Raider?¡±


    ¡°I should punish him, but I have no idea what punishment would be befitting.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before he bes Alpha and, therefore, untouchable.¡±


    I interrupted him quickly. ¡°Is Alpha River abdicating?¡±


    Ronan scoffed and shook his head. ¡°The man is dying.¡±


    ¡°ording to my source, he¡¯s been consuming poison that has been slowly killing him, and your guess is as good as mine, Alpha Fred.¡±


    ¡°Raider is as gullible as his father, so he is only going to be a puppet. The real ruler of the Green Forest will be his father-inw.¡± I nodded my head as I visualized how everything was going to y out.


    ¡°What will you do, your highness?¡±


    ¡°Me? I will not interfere. Let¡¯s see how everything goes.¡±


    I could feel his eyes on me, and I sighed as I turned to him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re just going to let things be.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Fred is smart, and you can¡¯t underestimate Ben. He¡¯s always been the smartest of us. They must¡¯ve already thought about the possibility of me interfering, and there are measures for that.¡± I paused and walked to the window, shoving my hands deep into my pocket as I took in the beauty of the view.


    ¡°They might spin the narrative around and make it seem like a mere usation.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°For now, we watch and see whatever is going on before doing anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh Man! And I was so happy and getting prepared to show my new skills,¡± he stood up and began to throw punches in the air.


    ¡°What do I do to make her trust me? She acts very polite and formal around me. I¡¯ve told her to trust me; I¡¯ve shown her nothing but care. Nothing is working!¡±


    ¡°I think teaching Raider and his wife a lesson will help you.¡±


    ¡°Well, do you have any idea?¡±


    After what seemed like an eternity of us staring at each other, he grinned widely, and my brows pulled into a frown.


    ¡°I do have a n. A stone to kill three birds,¡± he said with a smile etched on his face as he made a mock throwing of stones, making me want to roll my eyes.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Spill!¡±


    He nced around, then inched closer to me and began to speak. When he finished speaking, the grin was still etched on my face as I nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for this. You can send them an invitation now. Make sure to make it a VIP invitation.¡±


    He nodded and we exchanged a knowing look and I smiled.


    As soon as he left, my mind wandered back to what I had realized earlier, and I wondered why I didn¡¯t tell Ronan.

 The Date

    Adam¡¯s POV;


    With the wedding being just two days away, my anxiety increased as I felt that I was making a mistake.


    While I wanted her to know that she was mine and to show her off to the world as my mate, I also felt that it was too soon to spring it on her after everything she had gone through at the hands of Raider and Cassandra.


    I knew that she was scared under the facade of indifference, but I was ready to show her that she could be loved and protected.


    ¡°What do you think buddy?¡± I asked Ted, my wolf, and he growled.


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to have her.¡±


    I exhaled deeply. It wasn¡¯t like I was expecting him to agree with me anyway.


    I pushed him out of my head as I decided to focus on the work at hand.


    A lot of money was missing from the pack¡¯s treasury, a lot that I wondered how that happened right under my nose.


    I had to quickly speak to Ronan, if possible, before the dinner.


    I had asked Lilith to a dinner date earlier as a way to get closer to each other and, just as before, she said yes without giving it a thought. I still couldn¡¯t shake off the thought that the wedding was a mistake.


    I just wished she¡¯d open up to me. Or she¡¯d show some sort of emotion. It was as if she had built an invisible wall of concrete over her and I wondered if I was ever going to be able to break that.


    Cara had told me earlier that she had gone into the kitchen to prepare some meals and I wondered if that meant something, but I was d nheless.


    I continued to scan through the documents and sighed as I realized what was happening. I groaned and dropped the file as I took my phone and sent a quick text to my assistant. I told him to pick up the dress and jewelry I had ordered for Lilith that morning.


    She was treating me to dinner and the least I could do was to buy her a dress.


    Half an hourter, my assistant arrived with the dress and I walked briskly to her room as I wanted to give it to her myself.


    I was about to head up the stairs to her bedroom when I saw her walking out of the kitchen. Her lips were pursed in a thin line, and she looked peaceful and angelic.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± I smiled as I walked towards her, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around her.


    She tensed up as soon as she saw me and then quickly regained herposure as she muttered what sounded like a greeting.


    ¡°Here, take this,¡± I ced the package containing the dress and jewelry in her hand.


    I winked at her, but she stared right back at me, no emotion whatsoever in her eyes.


    She subconsciously licked her dry lips. The beautiful sight caught my attention and I had the urge to pull her closer and attack both her neck and lips with kisses.


    My urge was getting stronger, and I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to control myself if I stood there for long. So I ced my hands on her shoulder and turned her around as I stood beside her.


    I leaned down to whisper in her ear, but my lips identally grazed her neck and felt her shiver against me.


    I pulled away quickly, surprised and d that I was finally able to get a reaction from her.


    At first, she stood rooted to the spot, but then she began to walk towards her bedroom without a word, and it was then I realized what I wanted to say to her.


    ¡°Meet me at theke by 7, baby!¡± I called after her and grinned widely.


    ¡°You can¡¯t run away from me, cupcake. You¡¯re mine,¡± I growled in a low voice as I turned to leave. Ted growled in affirmation too.


    I walked briskly to my bedroom in a bid to prepare for my first date night with my woman. After trying out a few outfits, I ended up settling for a gray shirt and ck cks.


    By 7 pm, I was already by theke. I had instructed the head maid to set the table with all the meals Lilith had prepared and as I sat there waiting for her, their mouth-watering aroma wafted into my sensitive nostrils and I could tell that she had done some magic.


    Just as I kept salivating and gushing about how I couldn¡¯t wait to taste the meal, my eyesnded on her and my Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as my eyes were fixed on her.


    She was dressed in an elegant dark red strapless bodycon dress that hugged her body like a second skin, entuating her curves. She was walking towards me and with each step she took, my heart raced faster, and I stood up immediately.


    The ne she wore had a small diamond pendant that shone on her neck and with each step she took, her wavy ck hair seemed to bounce.


    I wasn¡¯t salivating about the food anymore. I didn¡¯t want it anymore. All I wanted was her.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± She murmured as she bowed slowly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve captured my heart,¡± I confessed as my heart rate sped up.


    She averted her gaze, fixing her eyes on the roses I had kept on the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know which flowers you like, so I got you this one.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I like it,¡± there was no emotion in her voice, and I had a feeling that she was lying, but I said nothing, not wanting the dinner to be awkward.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, cupcake.¡±


    She licked her glossy lips and my eyes followed that simple action as I imagined it was my tongue sliding against that tasty luscious flesh and tasting her instead.


    I quickly regained myposure before she noticed me looking at her lips and I pulled out a chair for her.


    She sat down, and I rounded the table and sat down opposite hers.


    It was a candlelit dinner with a hint of romantic decorations as I wanted to show her how much I loved her and hoped that she¡¯d open up her heart to me.


    As soon as we sat down, the maid that had been standing at a distance quickly ran to us and began to dish the first course for the night before she returned to where she had been standing.


    It was just as I had imagined. She wasn¡¯t just beautiful, but she was also a great cook!


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t already love you, the taste of this meal would have made me.¡±


    I saw her cheeks heat up and a spark in her eyes briefly before going back to her normal expression as she quickly returned her attention to the .


    I reached across the table for her free hand and ced my palm on hers.


    ¡°I love you Lilith, but I¡¯m willing to wait until you¡¯re ready. I don¡¯t want you feeling pressured into it¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She blurted out immediately and then sighed as she turned her gaze away. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. The marriage.¡±


    ¡°Because I asked you?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s for the best,¡± her words broke my heart and I gulped down the ss of water in front of me hurriedly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel anything for me.¡± It was a statement, rather than a question, and her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she mped them shut and said nothing.


    ¡°Say something!¡± I yelled, and she popped up her head immediately to nce at me.


    I was breathing heavily now as I realized that I had just shouted at her.


    Still, her face was still expressionless as she stared at me.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± She suddenly startled me with her voice.


    ¡°Lilith, I understand that you¡¯ve been hurt and betrayed, and trusting people is something that is near impossible at the moment, but, cupcake, I want you to trust me and I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured into doing something you¡¯re not ready for,¡± I noticed that she had pulled her hand away from mine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll marry you,¡± she simply said as she continued eating.


    I decided that it was time to tell her about my n and how I intended to punish the people who hurt her.


    ¡°Uhm, Lilith,¡± she nced up at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re going to take this but. About the wedding. I have invited Raider and Cassandra¨C¡±


    I nced at her, noting how her face contorted, and her lips curled into a frown as soon as she heard their names.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s¨C¡±


    Suddenly, she stood and bowed. ¡°Thank you for the meal, your highness.¡± There was no emotion whatsoever on her face as she walked away.


    You annoyed her!

 Hearsay

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    As soon as I got to my room, I began to berate myself for running away.


    It wasn¡¯t like he had done something wrong, but the mere mention of their names brought back those pent-up emotions. And they were going to see me get married to the Alpha king and attain the highest status possible.


    I felt guilty, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t go back to say anything. Lexi purred and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°No, Lexi. We can¡¯t go to him now.¡±


    I knew that he might be thinking about withdrawing the invitations or even calling off the wedding.


    That night, I kept tossing and turning and thinking of ways to make him not call off the wedding or withdraw the invitations from Cassandra and Raider.


    ¡°You know you can¡¯t keep bottling up our feelings for him,¡± Lexi voiced out, but I ignored her.


    I hated that I was always flighty around him and I couldn¡¯t help it. I could feel my body slowly giving in to the deep feelings that arose within me.


    Whenever I set my eyes on him, my heart leaped, and when he smiled at me, I could feel butterflies setting off in my stomach. There was a certain warmness I couldn¡¯t exin that spread through me, and the deep feelings offort that surrounded me whenever I was in his presence.


    ¡°You have to forgive yourself for trusting Raider,¡± Lexi reasoned, and I released a deep sigh, my shoulders slumping in defeat.


    I was scared of everyone, I couldn¡¯t trust anyone and risked falling into the wrong hands andnding in another kind of situation. I shook my head immediately as my mind began to think of Adams.


    My stomach growled with anger, then I sighed on remembering that I hadn¡¯t eaten much as I had fled from the dinner date.


    I decided to go to the kitchen to get anything that was avable to eat.


    The murmurings from the maids in the kitchen were the first noises that sailed into my ears when I got closer to the kitchen.


    At first, their conversation didn¡¯t interest me until I was just a few feet away from the door and I heard my name.


    Suddenly, their words captured my interest and I tiptoed to the door, pressed my ear to it, wanting to hear whatever it was they were talking about.


    My heart mmed hard against my chest, and I wondered if they were talking about how unfit I was to be one of the Luna Queens due to my recent status as an Omega and the fact that they believed my father to be a traitor.


    Lexi grumbled in disapproval, but I shut her out while listening to the gossip of the maids.


    ¡°She¡¯s so cold to him. I mean, she should be d that he¡¯s marrying her,¡± one of them said, followed by the nking of kitchen wares before another feminine voice spoke, which I was sure was another maid.


    ¡°Nobody in the council likes her or even approves her, but it¡¯s not like they can say anything to him. He¡¯s very calm and considerate¨C¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If it were his brothers, they wouldn¡¯t have batted an eyelid at her, mate or not,¡± yet another voice spoke, and I scrunched my face, but I remained quiet, and continued listening to their conversation.


    ¡°Ben would¡¯ve made for a better Alpha king,¡± was the first voice this time around. And then the voices became distant as I heard the sound of water sshing.


    ¡°I hope Benes back to reim his position!¡± I heard the voice again as soon as the sound of the water stopped.


    Several gasps of shock followed, and my palm quickly flew to my mouth due to the harsh tone and cruel way she had said it.


    I was aware that Adams was not supposed to be the Alpha king since he was thest of his brothers, but I had no details of what had happened, and how he came to be the Alpha king.


    ¡°Julia!¡± one of the maids yelled, apparently bewildered by the words of her colleague.


    ¡°Common! You all have the same thoughts too, and it¡¯s not like I told a lie. I said what I said, and I¡¯m not sorry about it. Do you know what will happen once she bes Luna queen? A traitorous omega bing the Luna Queen! Isn¡¯t thatughable? Our pack is going to be aughingstock!¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason you want Ben to be the Alpha king? What if Ben bes a terrible ruler? Do you even know if he¡¯s interested in ruling this pack?¡±


    ¡°Oh please! Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re not aware that he¡¯s the better one out of all the five brothers and that he¡¯s currently trying to reim his position! It¡¯s¨C¡±


    I listened to hear the rest of her words, getting more intrigued, but then, all I heard was muffled noises. It sounded as if someone was cing a palm on her mouth to prevent her from speaking further.


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep your mouth shut and not speak again, Julia!¡± The voice sounded more mature than that of the girls I had been hearing, and my guess was that it belonged to the head maid or her assistant.


    I have seen her a few times. She was a short, round, plump middle-aged woman who seemed to always carry a smile.


    An eerie silence descended, and I expelled a sigh, but still remained in my position, trying hard to be silent while I waited for them to continue with their discussion, hoping they¡¯d reveal more regarding the issue.


    I had no idea about the internal power struggle between the five brothers, hence, their gossip poked the curious kitten in me and I wanted to know more. But I couldn¡¯t just walk in there and demand answers.


    ¡°You will not speak ill of your King or his decisions. You will diligently carry on with your duties and leave the Pack¡¯s business to the King and the council members. Otherwise, you lose your job here. Have I made myself clear?¡± Her voice was cold and harsh as she spoke.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t telling a lie,¡± I heard the maid they had called Julia murmur.


    ¡°The walls have ears,¡± the woman cautioned, and it seemed that the conversation was over, everywhere became silent.


    I waited to hear something, but there was nothing, but the nking of tes and stter of water and then the light thud of footsteps and I gasped when I realized that it was heading in my direction.


    I quickly jumped back and reached for the doorknob, pretending to open before it suddenly swung open.


    It was the older woman, and it wasn¡¯t the head maid or her assistant. I hadn¡¯t seen this one before. She seemed to be in her early forties. She had very short dark hair that just reached the nape of her neck. She was dressed in the dark blue and white maid¡¯s uniform, and she smiled at me. I returned her smile with a sweet, innocent one.


    ¡°Good evening¨C¡±


    ¡°Pa, mydy.¡±


    ¡°Alight, Pa. Is there something for me to eat?¡±


    She looked taken aback by my question as she opened her mouth and stared at me for a while before smiling nervously.


    ¡°Yes, mydy! A moment please,¡± she dashed into the kitchen.


    I took that opportunity to nce around to see the other girls. There were four of them and I remembered that I had heard three different voices. They quickly said their greetings as soon as they saw me, without meeting my eyes as they continued with their chores, leaving me to wonder about which of them had been talking about the rivalry between the brothers.


    ¡°Mydy, we¡¯ll bring it to your room. You can leave,¡± Pa said as soon as she noticed me standing by the doorway.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wait to get it.¡±


    She shrugged and returned less than a minuteter with a tray that she held out to me.


    ¡°Here you go, mydy.¡±


    I took it from her. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She nodded curtly, and I left the kitchen for my bedroom, still pondering on all that I had heard.


    As soon as I got to my room, I knew immediately that something was wrong. The door which I had shut was slightly ajar and my brows knitted in confusion.


    Just then, Lexi purred, and I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh as the familiar scent wafted to my nose, sending excitement to my stomach.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± He said huskily when I entered the room. He frowned as he saw the tray in my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for inviting them without¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I blurted out before I could even control myself. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m d you invited them,¡± I didn¡¯t hide my emotion as I spoke, letting him know that I was d that he was helping me.


    A smile broke out on his handsome face, and he pulled me into his embrace. I didn¡¯t pull away, instead, I thought about what the maid had said earlier, about Ben trying to im his position. I wanted to know if he knew about it.

 Mating Ceremony

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    The day of the mating ceremony came so fast that I wondered if I was really ready for this.


    Looking at myself in the mirror, dressed in a pretty whiteced dress with a light pink tulle skirt that covered my legs and a crown of flowers resting on my head, reminded me of the woman in the mirror.


    That was a few days ago, but it felt like just yesterday. I couldn¡¯t say anything to anyone, but I was always wondering who the woman was. She had told me that I was going to find out who she was pretty soon, and I couldn¡¯t wait.


    I nced at the mirror slowly again, willing myself to see her, but instead, all I saw was my own reflection and how beautiful I looked. Although my eyes held a certain sadness, I smiled slowly in a bid to hide it.


    ¡°You look beautiful, mydy,¡± Cara said, and I nodded without a word.


    Adams had told me that it was the custom in the ckhound pack for all the werewolves to be in their wolf form during thetter part of the mating ceremony. Apparently, that was the most important part of the ceremony, as we were going to need the moon goddess¡¯ blessing.


    I heard the door open, and I turned around to see him strolling in with a huge smile on his face. He was dressed in an expensive suit, and his jet-ck hair was slicked back with gel.


    I could see Adam¡¯s apple bob up and down as his eyesnded on my face, an unrecognizable expression on his face as his smile faltered. I resisted the urge to ask him what was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he said, his voice husky as he walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me.


    My heart skipped a beat, and I swallowed hard, willing my heart not to betray me. Luckily for me, his beta appeared in the doorway to tell us that everyone was waiting for us already.


    He nodded and grabbed my arm, raising it to his lips and kissing it before we exited the house, hand in hand, and began heading to the venue.


    The first ceremony was to be held in the garden, while the second and most crucial part was to take ce in the woods.


    I stood motionless, my eyes vacant, as I nced at the garden, which was now well-decorated and filled with guests from all over the werewolf realm.


    Lexi¡¯s happiness was radiating through me, and a deep breath was expelled from my lips as my eyesnded on the familiar faces. Raider, Cassandra, and their parents.


    I swallowed the painful lump in my throat as the memories of my parents¡¯ deaths came rushing back to me, like an old wound that had been opened again. I peeled my eyes away from them.


    Adams gazed at me and pulled his brows into a frown as he whispered.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, my voice giving no hint whatsoever as to how I currently felt.


    ¡°Sure?¡± He grabbed my arms and looked into my eyes, and I nodded, knowing that it was time to say our vows. His eyes gleamed with pride and adoration.


    ¡°Lilith, the first time I set my eyes on you, you took my breath away, and I wouldn¡¯t mind my breath being taken away by you over and over again if it meant I got to be with you. I love you, Lilith, and¡±


    He was still talking with my eyes fixed on him, but I wasn¡¯t listening to him; my mind was preupied with other things, and it wasn¡¯t until I saw his lips stop moving that I realized that he was done.


    I was meant to have prepared my vow too, but I hadn¡¯t. I had decided that I was going to say whatever came to mind. Whatever I said wasn¡¯t going to be true anyway.


    ¡°Adams, I am honored that the moon goddess chose me to be your mate despite everything. I love you and wouldn¡¯t want to do this with any other person.¡±


    The words I was speaking didn¡¯t seem like they wereing from my own mouth. But then I heard the crowd erupt with cheers and congrattions, urging us to seal our bond by sharing a kiss.


    Adams pulled me tightly against him, and I didn¡¯t resist nor did I care. His lips descended upon my cold and unresponsive one, and he pulled away almost immediately. It was a very light kiss.


    A sigh was expelled from my lips, and everything became a blur. The mixed emotions I had been harboring all let loose, and I zoned out.


    Adams¡¯ hand grasped mine, and I swallowed hard, pushing aside the emotions that came with it. My heart was a block of ice, and I wasn¡¯t going to let my guard down and melt before him, even though that was what Lexi wanted.


    Exchanging vows, receiving gifts from the guests, Adams¡¯s warm smile-it all felt like a painful headache. What was worse was that Lexi kept trying to link up with his wolf. I knew that we were going to eventually do that in thetter part of the ceremony, but for now, I do not want to experience those emotions.


    We were seated in the middle of the crowd, and one by one, everyone came to offer their congrattions and gifts.


    ¡°Congrattions, your highness-her highness.¡±


    The familiar voice broke my daze, and I nced up and stared at her. She had a small smile on her face as she bowed, and she was holding a small box. Raider was beside her, also bowing.


    I could feel Adams¡¯s gaze on me, and as our eyes met, he nudged them, and I realized what he was doing.


    He wanted me to be the one to make them stand. It was customary to keep bowing until the Alpha King or his queen acknowledged you.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said after a while, and they both stood up.


    I could see the irritation on Cassandra¡¯s face that even the fake smile she had on couldn¡¯t hide.


    ¡°Is that punishment enough?¡± Adams asked as soon as they left, and I struggled not tough, and I nodded slowly.


    It wasn¡¯t enough punishment for them after what I went through, but there was only so much an Alpha king could do to an Alpha¡¯s son. It was satisfying to watch the anger on their faces and know that they couldn¡¯t do anything.


    He held my hand; his warmth and strength were oddlyforting. Lexi purred, and my eyes rolled internally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always protect and be with you,¡± he said, and I nodded without a word as the man who looked like him and whom I had seen a few days in the conference room walked towards us.


    ¡°Wee to the family,¡± he said, a small smile ying on his lips as his eyes twinkled with mischief.


    I could feel Adams tense beside me, and from the corner of my eyes, I saw his lips pursed in a thin line.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t be properly introduced thest time. I¡¯m Ben, his brother,¡± he patted Adams, earning a re from him.


    I said nothing but nodded as I realized that this was him, the one the maid had been talking about the other day.


    ¡°Why do you look-you don¡¯t seem happy? Aren¡¯t you happy to be the queen?¡±


    I grinned widely, and he frowned before bursting outughing.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny. I hope we get to catch up soon.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to leave?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to chase me away?¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    He turned to nce at me and winked. ¡°See you around your Highness and you two; have fun.¡± He walked away, and I heard Adams mutter a string of curses under his breath.


    I resisted the urge to ask him any questions as we focused on the other guests who wereing to greet us.


    ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness. My Queen.¡±


    Upon hearing his voice, I swallowed hard, and even Lexi whimpered. I raised my head slowly, staring straight into his eyes, making me relive my parents¡¯ deaths all over again.


    Don¡¯t show him that you¡¯re affected by him!


    ¡°Alpha River! I never thought I¡¯d see you here,¡± Adams responded as he nced at me.


    ¡°Did you send him an invitation?¡±


    I shook my head as Alpha River chuckled nervously.


    ¡°She was like a daughter to me, you know. She was supposed to even be my daughter-inw.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Then what happened?¡±


    He chuckled nervously as he rubbed his forehead, something I always noticed him doing whenever he was stressed about something.


    ¡°Well, you see, your highness. James betrayed me and everything -¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    At the mention of my father¡¯s name, I swallowed hard, willing myself to remain calm and not do anything. I didn¡¯t want any of them to know that I was still in pain over what happened.


    ¡°Get out! Right now, before I¡¯m forced to call the guards on you!¡±

 Into The Woods

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    Seeing Alpha River¡¯s retreating figure brought me a sense offort, but I still said nothing as I felt Adam¡¯s gaze on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± he said, and I nodded.


    The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur, and very soon, it was already sunset.


    The seer in the ck Hound pack, who was known to be one of the best in the entire werewolf realm, had picked today as the best day for us to get married.


    ording to him, it was going to be a full moon, and the moon goddess would be bestowing her blessings on a few lucky wolves.


    That evening, after Cara led me back to my room to get rid of my dress and other adornments in order for them to not get ruined, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Lexi was right after all.


    He had treated me very nicely, saved me from Cassandra¡¯s clutches, and yelled at Alpha River for my sake.


    Just then, the door opened, and he walked in. He had reced his shirt with a simple T-shirt and cks, one he¡¯d rip off while changing into his wolf form, as it waspulsory for him to do so.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He held out his hand to me, and I took it quickly, my heart racing at his touch but struggling to keep my expression neutral.


    He suddenly stopped and turned around, peering into my face. I resisted the urge to ask him what was wrong as I struggled to not let my expression give me out.


    ¡°Damn it! Lilith, I¡¯ve been trying to keep this in, but I can¡¯t anymore. I love you so much that it hurts.¡± His thumb grazed my bottom lips, and he leaned in to seal his lips with mine but stopped suddenly at thest moment.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kiss you or touch you unless you want it,¡± he said, our gazes meeting before he turned around, pulling me with him as we walked to the woods, where everyone was already waiting. I saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes. But he was toote; I had already given all the love I had to Raider.


    ¡°See! He cares for us!¡± Lexi whined, and I rolled my eyes internally.


    ¡°Just tell him that you want him to kiss and touch us,¡± she said as she began to try linking with his wolf. Immediately I noticed, so I stopped her immediately and shut her off.


    Cara had told me that the mating ceremony was going to be held in the middle of the woods, with everyone present in their werewolf form gathered in arge circle around the two of us as we howled our vows.


    He nced at me as he let go of my arm and nodded at me. It was then that I realized that he meant it was time for us to change into our wolf form.


    Lexi howled in excitement. She had been wanting toe out and run around the woods, as it had been a long time since I did that. I couldn¡¯t do that while I was a servant, as Cassandra had told me that if I ever transformed, she was going to make sure my limbs were cut off.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    As fast as she could, she began to dominate my body, and I felt the pain that came with bones cracking and cells reforming to that of a wolf. Within minutes, she hadpleted the transformation.


    I gaped in awe at the huge ck wolf in front of me, his dark eyes piercing into mine. He growled, and Lexi purred in response.


    He nudged her, and she whined yfully and began to run towards the woods. It was like she couldn¡¯t wait to conclude the mating ceremony.


    We soon arrived at the venue to see all of the pack members in their wolf forms, gathered in a huge circle with an opening to let us into their midst.


    Once we got into the middle, they covered it up and began to howl as they¡¯d do, a way of showing their support and blessing, even though I knew that it was all fake. They didn¡¯t like me.


    We howled our vows into the full moon, and the other pack members howled in approval.


    We are friends now. He was mine, and I was his. I had no idea how to feel about that, but I was always vacant, my eyes vacant as I nodded to whatever anyone said. They were never going to get any emotions out of me.


    A whileter, I walked to the room that he had prepared for us for our first night.


    Cara had given me a silk nightdress to cover my nakedness after I had transformed into my human form. She had then informed me that the Alpha King had prepared a room for us.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll introduce the new maids assigned to you.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± I blurted out, and it seemed as though my question had startled her as she blinked rapidly and then grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be around, my queen, but unfortunately, I was not assigned to you. But you can always call on me whenever you need me.¡±


    I frowned but said nothing, wondering why they were taking Cara away from me. I was already bing used to her. I wanted to ask her if this was what Adams was doing, but I kept quiet instead as we walked towards the room.


    ¡°Good evening, sir,¡± I heard Cara say, breaking my chain of thoughts. I nced up to see the man I had seen earlier. Ben.


    ¡°My queen. You look gorgeous. Congrattions once again,¡± he said, holding my hand and bringing it to his lips, nting a small kiss.


    His eyes still had that twinkle of mischief.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± I saw him nce at Cara and then at me, his smile widening, and then I realized that he wanted her to excuse us.


    Cara nced at me. I saw the look of uncertainty in her eyes, and I nodded. She looked like she was about to say something, but instead, she bowed as she walked away quickly.


    ¡°Wee to the family once again.¡± The smile on his lips unnerved me, but my expression was still neutral.


    ¡°Look, I won¡¯t mince words right now. I heard what happened between your family and Alpha Rivers¡¯. I can help you get your revenge.¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want vengeance?¡± He looked taken aback, and I was unmoved by his offer to help me.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    His brows pulled together into a frown, and he chuckled slowly. ¡°Then why did you marry my brother?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my mate.¡±


    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re scared, and you don¡¯t know if you can trust me. But I promise you, you can trust me. I¡¯ll help you. Think about your parents and how they were killed. Come on, you know you hate them.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need your help.¡± I heard a voiceing from behind me, and when I turned around, I saw my husband standing there, looking magnificent in the ck T-shirt he was wearing. But he looked tired.


    ¡°You can stop pestering her now and allow us newlyweds to enjoy our night,¡± he said, walking close behind me and hugging me from behind. ¡°I miss my wife already.¡±


    My expression remained unwavering. Even when he spun me around and pulled me with him towards the room.


    I wanted to turn around as I could feel his eyes on us, but I resisted the urge and instead walked with him to the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him,¡± he said as soon as we got to the room, and I nodded as my eyes fell on the bed. It was a king-sized bed. I swallowed hard, realizing that we were going to have to sleep together. He had hinted at that earlier, and it was custom for all newly mated wolves to consummate their marriage.


    ¡°I really wish you¡¯d show some sort of emotion,¡± he muttered, but I said nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re Queen now. You can do whatever you want,¡± he said, peering into my eyes. He was too close to me-dangerously close at that.


    I nodded, and his lips parted as if he wanted to say something. Instead, nothing came out, and he began to walk towards another door that I hadn¡¯t seen until now.


    ¡°Oh! I will be staying in the adjoining room. There¡¯s a connecting door so that we cane and go out of the same room without letting anyone know that we don¡¯t sleep in the same room. Some people here want to find something against us. Goodnight, my queen,¡± he said without turning around, and I realized that he was talking about Ben.


    Watching his retreating figure, I was hit with a pang of guilt. He had been extremely kind to me, and I only wished I could find a way to let him into my heart and be the woman I once was before everything happened.

 Conversations

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    I woke up to a bright light streaming through the curtain. For a moment, my heart mmed hard against my chest as the bed felt unfamiliar.


    My eyes fluttered open and immediately, they met him. He was on the sofa, his eyes were closed and his lips parted slightly as he snored lightly. Even in his sleep, he looked handsome.


    Suddenly, his eyes opened, just in time to see me staring at him. I made no attempt to look away and instead remained expressionless.


    ¡°How was your night, my queen?¡± A small smile was ying on his lips and I thought that perhaps, he had caught me looking at him.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    He was saying something that was muffled by a yawn as he stood up and stretched, walking out of the room.


    ¡°See you at breakfast, cupcake.¡±


    I released a breath that I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    There was a sudden knock on the door and I trudged slowly to open it, seeing Cara and a few other maids, I was reminded of what she had said the day before about my maids being changed.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness,¡± they all bowed and I nodded.


    ¡°This is Primrose¡ª¡± She was talking, but I zoned out and just nced at them nkly, my eyes vacant. It wasn¡¯t until I heard a familiar name that I snapped out of my daze.


    ¡°¨CJulia.¡±


    I mentally berated myself for not listening earlier, but the all too familiar voice spoke and I nced at her, suddenly remembering that I had seen her in the kitchen that day.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be at your beck and call at all times, Your Highness,¡± she was smiling and it seemed so real that I¡¯d think she really liked me if I hadn¡¯t heard what I had heard the other day.


    ¡°Well, you can always call on me whenever you need me, Your Highness,¡± Cara said and bowed.


    I nced at her retreating figure and even Lexi whimpered. We had grown so ustomed to her that I hoped that these new twenty-something maids assigned to me were going to at least be like her. I knew that they were all Omega werewolves of lesser status and, hence, always given a very low position in the pack.


    Apparently, Julia was my personal maid and she was even much more personal than I thought possible as she followed me to my room, offered to bathe and dress me even after I had refused, andter insisted on picking a dress for me as the new queen, to which I allowed.


    I ended up wearing a deep-necked pale blue dress which brought out my curves.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She walked me to the dining table, where Adams was already waiting for me. He smiled as soon as he saw me as he stood up and brought out a chair for me to sit.


    ¡°Should we go on a honeymoon?¡±


    I was taken aback. I never thought of that, but I was careful to not let my emotions betray me. I didn¡¯t want to go on a honeymoon.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± he said after a while of my silence and we ate in silence.


    I turned around as I had a feeling that I was being watched and to my surprise, I caught Julia¡¯s eyes and she didn¡¯t attempt to look away as she smiled widely upon meeting my gaze. She was a few distance away from us as she watched me, and I wondered if this was also Adams¡¯ idea.


    I wondered if he knew that this woman wanted his brother to take his throne from him.


    Just then, a familiar face came into view, his eyes like always, glinting with mischief as he smirked.


    ¡°Brother! Sister inw!¡± He said as he plopped onto the seat beside me.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Adams¡¯ jaw clenched tightly and I could see his eyes zing with fury as he red at his brother.


    ¡°Common, Your Highness. I just wanted to have breakfast with my family.¡± He grabbed a bacon and munched it, humming as he did so, while Adams clenched his fist tightly as he red at him.


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± He was talking with his mouth full, so his voice came out a bit muffled. I said nothing and my expression remained neutral while I ate slowly.


    ¡°Oh! That reminds me, our Queen, are you still sick?¡±


    I nced at him with a raised brow and he shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth before he spoke.


    ¡°I mean, you seemed so-out of it yesterday. I wonder if it was because of the wedding. You didn¡¯t seem at all like your mind was at the wedding¨C¡±


    ¡°Ben,¡± Adams growled and Ben shrugged.


    ¡°I was just asking a question because I was concerned. I know a good healer¨C¡±


    I focused on my meal in front of me, but I could still feel Julia¡¯s gaze on me, I said nothing as I watched the interaction between the brothers. It was obvious that Adams didn¡¯t like him. I wondered if Julia was secretly wishing that they¡¯d kill each other.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see youter my queen and I hope to catch up with you soon¡­¡± he sent me a wink and I averted my gaze, fixing my gaze instead on the intricate designs on the wall.


    ¡°You will do no such-,¡± his eyesnded on mine and he saw that I wasn¡¯t eating anymore.


    He stood up and went to my side, stretching out his hand which I took quickly as I stood up. I could feel Ben¡¯s re on us as we walked towards the room.


    ¡°Do you want to do anything today?¡± His voice was smooth and I wanted to tell him that I wanted to be with him all through the day, but instead, I shook my head in response.


    ¡°I was thinking-¡± he was still talking when I nced at the familiar figure walking towards us.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he bowed as soon as he got to us.


    ¡°Ronan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    He nced at me and I understood immediately that whatever was going on was a secret that I wasn¡¯t meant to hear. I however said nothing, until Adams spoke.


    ¡°I will see youter, my queen, there¡¯s an urgent matter I have to take care of,¡± he said and I nodded and watched him walk away with his beta.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± The familiar voice came from behind me, almost scaring me and I turned around, wondering if she had followed us.


    ¡°My Queen, a moment please,¡± the voice called from behind and I halted in my tracks. Ben!


    I wondered if he was here to ¡®help me¡¯ after I had refused and Adams had told him off.


    ¡°A newlywed bride shouldn¡¯t be by herself. And don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re going to your room. You should have fun,¡± he was smiling as he said this and I wondered what kind of fun he was talking about.


    ¡°Come, walk with me to the garden,¡± he said, holding out his hand to me. For some reason, I thought it was wrong, but I still held it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet and you look like you don¡¯t care about anything in the world. Why? Is it because of what happened with your family?¡±


    I said nothing and instead, took in the view of the garden while keeping my expression and emotions bottled.


    ¡°Why did you marry my brother? You both don¡¯t seem to share any kind of love. Although, I think he loves you. Did he promise to help you get revenge on Alpha River and his family?¡±


    ¡°I love the Alpha king and I don¡¯t want revenge on anyone,¡± as I said it, I remembered my father¡¯s words, bringing back memories I had been trying to keep bottled up.


    ¡°Hmmm¨Cthat doesn¡¯t sound at all like your behavior. You¡¯re so¨Cdistant and-¡±


    Just then, his phone rang and I thanked the goddess silently for the interruption.


    He walked farther away from me as he took the call and I nced around, feeling the need to leave, but not wanting to be impolite to him.


    ¡°Well, where were we?¡± He said as he took my hand. I was startled but regained myposure immediately and wondered how he had gotten here.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I was asking why you married my brother.¡±


    ¡°He asked me to.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°So you married him, because he asked you to marry him?¡±


    ¡°And I love him.¡±


    ¡°Int-¡±


    Suddenly, my arms were yanked away from him and without turning around, I already knew who it was.


    Adams.


    His jaw was clenched tightly as he faced his brother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your n, but I want you to stay far away from my woman!¡±


    ¡°Chill, little Adams. I was just having a harmless conversation¨C¡±


    The speed at which he turned and moved to Ben was rming, the fury in his eyes, zing. I had never seen someone as angry as he was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call me that!¡±

 Plans

    Unknown pov;


    I knew that something was going on when she had that look in her eyes again. It was the same kind of look she had the day I went to the conference room.


    She was bottling up those emotions and I had never seen my brother so angry as he was then. He must really love her a lot. Too bad that she doesn¡¯t feel the same way towards him.


    She was like a puppet, the perfect one if I really wanted to get to our brother, and one brother was too in love to want to pull the strings. That was where I was going to have toe in.


    Not even the others would see thising. I smiled to myself as I removed the phone from my pocket and dialed an all-too-familiar number.


    The phone rang for a while before he picked up.


    ¡°Have you heard of our brother¡¯s wife?¡± I said and the person on the other end of the line grunted.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What wife?¡±


    ¡°He is about to take a queen. Now, that¡¯s not the problem. The thing is that she is an Omega. You heard about the recently executed beta of the Greenforest Park. She¡¯s the daughter.¡±


    He was silent for a while and knowing him, I believed that he was thinking about something.


    ¡°How does this concern me? If he wants to take a weak thing as his mate, that should be his business, not mine. Why are you calling me, Brother ?¡±


    ¡°I think, we can use her to our advantage. We¡¯ve been looking for his weakness for a while now and I think I finally found it,¡± I smiled as I thought about the ways I was going to make Adams suffer.


    It was something I had been thinking about for a while.


    ¡°Anyways, I think we should have a meeting. All of us. We can¡¯t let Adams do with this kingdom as he likes..¡±


    ¡°What is your n, brother ?¡± He was beginning to sound angry and I understood that he was impatient. That was his problem, he was impatient and had a shallow mindset.


    That was how Raoul was. He was the third one of us and my direct immediate brother. He never really wanted to see ns for their long-term values. He was only after the immediate gain.


    ¡°That¡¯s your own problem, brother. Just ensure you attend the meeting. I willmunicate the date and time to you all soon.¡±


    He was muttering something that sounded like a curse and I realized that it was because he must¡¯ve gone to one of his useless tours again and he didn¡¯t want to be disturbed.


    There was a knock on my door and I groaned as I thought of who it could be. I had instructed the guards stationed in front of my door to not let anyone in as I had a lot to do.


    I wondered if it was our other brother who had returned and was already stirring up troubles. I had heard that he had been meeting with the Alpha of Silvercrest Park.


    After what had happened in Greenforest Park, I was more than sure that he must¡¯ve had a hand in that. Perhaps, he was coveting the throne for himself. But if anyone should get the throne, it was to be me. It had to be me. I wouldn¡¯t let someone else take that from me.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said after a while as there was another loud knock this time.


    I muttered a string of curses as I pushed the file I had been looking at away. Everything was going ording to nned and I was sure that Adams wasn¡¯t suspecting a thing, at least not yet.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the familiar female voice spoke as she bowed and I smiled as I regarded her.


    The moment I set my eyes on her, I was certain that she would be perfect for the job and it turned out that I wasn¡¯t wrong. She had been nothing short of perfect. How she had managed to be the new queen¡¯s personal maid was something I didn¡¯t understand.


    She had assured me that she was going to get close to her. I had told her that it was dangerous and she had to leave, but she had refused and told me to trust her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. Someone might hear.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re supposed to be the King. The position is yours. you¡¯re the perfect king.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, my queen.¡±


    I bridged the gap between us, iming her lips with mine as I slowly savored the taste of her lips.


    I nced and the door as I tried to pull away, but she drew me back, deepening the kiss.


    ¡°The door¡­¡± I rasped and she shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one¡¯s going toe in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said as we pulled away, panting for breath.


    ¡°Not as much as I have.¡±


    ¡°Your brother came to see me. I think the head maid works for him.¡±


    My brows pulled together into a frown as I wondered why my brother would see her. Unlike him, I had stayed calm and was just like a ghost, even at the wedding.


    I was aware that Adams did not trust me, but seeing as I had seemed to busy myself with other affairs like the bars and the women, although I was faithful to only one woman, my mate who had done a lot to help me, even when it was extremely risky.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to tell you earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°What does he want?¡± My tone was harsh and I internally berated myself.


    ¡°He wants me to report her every move, in fact, everything about her. ording to him, even her¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a spy?¡±


    Her eyes lit up. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    She interrupted me quickly. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we y along. I¡¯ll earn his trust and find out what exactly he is up to and get back to you.¡±


    I furrowed my brows as I thought about what she had just said. It sounded meaningful. It was a good idea and I nodded.


    ¡°But it¡¯s risky. If you¡¯re caught¡­.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be caught.¡±


    ¡°Is there a point in arguing with you?¡±


    She gave me that look. The same look she normally gives that I¡¯d know that nothing I do or say would be able to convince her otherwise.


    ¡°Be safe, please,¡± I said, peering into her eyes and she nodded as she smiled.


    ¡°Oh, I need to leave now. I had to convince the guards here that I came to give you what the queen had personally requested,¡± she said and turned to leave.


    ¡°What is the queen like?¡±


    She stopped and turned around. ¡°I think she¡¯s traumatized and has built a wall around herself. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way anyone can break that.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think my brother wants you to keep an eye on her?¡±


    ¡°The same reason I wanted to be close to her. He wants to use her against Adams. But I have a n. Your brother wants her to be his puppet. It¡¯s not going to work. I¡¯ve seen the look in her eyes. She¡¯s determined.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± I said as I took long strides forward to meet her. She spun around immediately, facing me.


    ¡°Finding out what your brother really wants as I feel like he has a greater n. That¡¯s not all, we have to get the support of some of the council members and introduce a perfect candidate for a queen. We need to make everyone see that having an Omega who came from a family of traitors is not really advisable as it¡¯s going to taint our reputation.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. It was a good n, but seeing how madly in love Adams was, it wasn¡¯t going to be a good n.


    ¡°We could get caught.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t. We will continue, just like before. Just like with the issue of the funds. Has he caught on yet? Just trust me! All we have to do is remain in the shadows and let everyone else do the work for us. There is your brother and there are also others.¡±


    I shook my head. The n was too risky and I didn¡¯t even have any atom of idea on how she was going to get it done. It wasn¡¯t going to be too early to let someone else do our dirty job without revealing ourselves.


    ¡°It¡¯s risky. I don¡¯t want to push our luck. I believe we were lucky thest time,¡± I voiced out my concern.


    That was the problem with She. She was really overconfident and sometimes, it scared me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry and just trust me.¡± She leaned in closer to me and whispered her ns to me.


    I shook my head. No matter how good the n was, I just couldn¡¯t let her go through with it. It was too risky and if something should happen to her, I would never be able to forgive myself.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going ahead with it. With or without your approval.¡±

 The Dinner

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    Ever since I got here, mealtimes have always been the same, just Adams and me. I couldn¡¯t help thinking if that is how it was before my arrival.


    I imagined if he ate alone or if there had been another woman, but almost immediately, I pushed those thoughts away from my mind because it was obvious that Lexi, my wolf, was beginning to feel jealous.


    After Julia told me that it was time for dinner, she walked with me the same way she had always done, and surprisingly, there seemed to be a feast prepared on the table. I tried, but was unable to guess what was going on.


    I hadn¡¯t thought much about it when I noticed Ben walk up to me, grinning as he made to say something before another voice interrupted him.


    ¡°Brother! I never thought I¡¯d get to see your face.¡±


    I slowly turned around, the first word he had said registering in my brain. He had just called Ben his brother, and this wasn¡¯t Adams, although the resemnce was uncanny. The only difference being that this one had very dark eyes, and his hair was bleach blonde.


    For some reason, it seemed as though it wasn¡¯t the first time we were meeting. But I couldn¡¯t figure out where I had seen him before, so I shoved the thought behind.


    ¡°And you must be the damsel who sessfully captured our brother¡¯s heart.¡± His smile looked genuine, and his eyes tinged with warmth, unlike Ben¡¯s own, which seemed like he was always up to no good.


    ¡°Your majesty,¡± he said, bowed slightly, and then straightened his posture. I realized that when he smiled, he looked even more like Adams.


    ¡°I¡¯m Raoul, one of the Alpha King¡¯s brothers. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you. And apologies for missing your wedding ceremony, an error on my part.¡±


    I nodded but said nothing. Just like a gentleman, he pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down, having thanked him quietly.


    From my peripheral vision, I saw Ben texting on his phone. He was too engrossed in whatever he was doing to mind us.


    Adams must¡¯ve prepared a feast because he wanted me to meet his brothers.


    ¡°Brothers!¡±


    This one had a loud voice, and both Ben and Raoul turned their faces to look at him as he approached us.


    He patted Ben¡¯s back, earning a re from him, and fist-bumped Raoul. The thing I noticed was that all the brothers looked alike. This one had a small earring on his left ear and lots of chains on his neck.


    ¡°Bartholomew!¡±


    ¡°You must be thedy of the moment,¡± he said as he bowed. ¡°Your Highness. Bartholomew Gregory, at your service.¡±


    I nodded, then smiled slightly, noting how familiar he looked, though I thought nothing about it. I saw him turn to Raoul, and they began to chatter amongst themselves while we waited for Adams, who was uncharacteristicallyte. One thing I had known about him after spending almost a month with him was that he liked to keep to time.


    While still keeping my expression neutral, I nced around to take in my surroundings. Julia was still watching me from a distance. I couldn¡¯t say why; could it be that Adams told her to do so? Ben was still engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone; his brows pulled together in concentration.


    ¡°Our brother wille.¡± I nced at them and realized that they must be talking about theirst brother. I listened in on their conversation while fixing my eyes on the person walking towards us. From his gait, I knew that it was Adams and not another one of their brothers.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± they all stood up as soon as he got to the table. Their smiles, except for Ben¡¯s, who wasn¡¯t even smiling at the moment, seemed ingenuine. Do they all desire to take the throne from him?


    ¡°Brothers,¡± he nodded curtly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry foringte.¡±


    ¡°Common, you¡¯re the Alpha King.¡± You¡¯re allowed to bete.¡± The one who had introduced himself, as Bartholomew said with a smile,.


    He sat down beside me, with the other brothers facing us.


    ¡°Our big brother isn¡¯t here.¡± He stated it as a sigh expelled from his lips.


    ¡°Were you expecting him to be here? When he disappeared, leaving the throne to you?¡± Raoul said something iprehensible under his breath. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want Adams on the throne.


    ¡°You want the throne?¡± I didn¡¯t look up, but knowing Adams, I was sure that he was ring at his brother.


    ¡°You¡¯re still quiet today, my queen,¡± Ben said, and I nced up at him. I wanted to tell him that I was fine, but I felt someone¡¯s hand on mine and looked down to see that it was Adams¡¯.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Adams said, but she is fine and does not need your help.¡±


    He gazed at me, a small smile ying on his lips. ¡°I want you to meet my brothers.¡±


    ¡°Brothers, I wasn¡¯t happy that you all didn¡¯te to my wedding as a family. So, I believe I have to invite you all to dinner to meet the newest member of our family.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one from the family of traitors? The one demoted to an Omega?¡±


    It was Raoul¡¯s voice. Honestly, I managed to keep my expression neutral, even though his words broke my heart.


    I already knew that they were going to be thinking about that and was surprised that no one had mentioned it, especially Ben. I had assumed that they were all scared of Adams.


    ¡°Raoul?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Have you been in the dungeons before?¡±


    ¡°Wait. Do you want to throw me into the dungeon because of a harmless question? Me! Your elder brother? I really do not me you; it¡¯s our elder.¡±


    ¡°Careful now, Raoul,¡± Ben interjected, earning a re from him.


    ¡°The meal is going to get cold,¡± I said upon seeing how angry Adams was already.


    Another figure walked towards the table. I frowned, wondering if it was thest brother. To my surprise, as he got nearer, I saw that it was Ronan.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± he said, bowed a little, pulled out a chair, and sat.


    ¡°What is this? You invited your Beta to a family dinner?¡± Raoul chuckled with disbelief as he red at Ronan.


    Adams ignored him and began to eat. I followed as well, but I still listened to Raoulment about how he was going to ruin the reputation of the kingdom.


    ¡°I believe they¡¯ve all introduced themselves to you,¡± Adams questioned, looking at me, and I nodded.


    The dinner afterward went smoothly. I could still feel Raoul¡¯s gaze on me, but I didn¡¯t let that affect me in any way.


    After dinner, Adams stood up and held out his hand to me, which I took quickly. Ben¡¯s voice startled me.


    ¡°Brother, you should let your woman hang with us. She should get to know us, you know, as inws. Perhaps we could even give her some tips to make you happy,¡± he winked, his eyes still twinkling with mischief as always.


    Adams ignored him, and we walked together towards the garden. From my peripheral vision, I could see Julia behind us.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about everything. It¡¯s just,¡± he rubbed his forehead, an action I¡¯ve seen him do several times if he¡¯s trying to tell me something.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust my brothers, any of them. They¡¯re all like sharks, waiting for me to slip so they can swallow me. They don¡¯t like that I¡¯m in power.¡±


    I said nothing but felt like telling him about the conversation I had heard earlier. The one where Julia said that Ben was going to reim his position soon.


    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think you should ever be alone with them. They¡¯re up to no good.¡±


    I nodded, and he continued. ¡°You see, I¡¯m thest of five brothers. When our father died, the next king should¡¯ve been my brother, our eldest brother. But for some inexplicable reasons, he abdicated, naming me the new king.¡± He paused, making me wonder if the memory of that hurt him.


    I was like that, too. A responsibility I didn¡¯t want was shoved on me, but I had no choice but to take it.


    ¡°My brothers didn¡¯t take it well. They begged, warned, and threatened me to give it up. I wanted to, but things kept happening that prevented me from doing so.¡±


    I nced at him to see the hurt in his eyes. ¡°I love my brothers. I love them a lot, but this throne is like a curse. It¡¯s drifting us apart from each other.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Someone called out, making him halt in his tracks.


    Ronan appeared in front of us and bowed.


    ¡°Here, your highness,¡± he said, handing over a sealed envelope to Adams.


    As soon as he saw it, his expression changed, and I needed not be told that whatever that envelope contained wasn¡¯t good at all.

 The Council Members

    Adams¡¯ POV;


    I was still reeling with anger from the incident at dinner with my brothers, and now it was this?


    I didn¡¯t need to open it to know what it was about. I had a conversation with Ronan regarding this a few weeks ago.


    shback


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this will pose a problem between you and the members of the council?¡± Ronan asked after being quiet throughout the drive until we got to the pack, and I had made sure that the royal doctor checked her.


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯ve been thinking about all morning?¡±


    ¡°I mean, she is technically a criminal. That¡¯s you interfering in Greenforest¡¯s personal business. I don¡¯t think the members of the council will like that very much.¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I care about what they think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, your highness. You have to care. If your brother could capitalize on this fact and get their support, then there will be nothing stopping him.¡±


    ¡°I am the Alpha King!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness. The real power resides with the members of the council; you know that! I think you should send her back to Greenforest immediately. I know you only wish to help her, but you have already gotten the attention of Alpha Rivers. He might want to-¡±


    I swallowed hard and turned back, gazing squarely at him.


    ¡°She is my mate, Ronan.¡±


    He looked taken aback, and I turned back to look out the window. I had decided to just watch everything y out and not interfere; besides, it wasn¡¯t in my jurisdiction. But after seeing my mate being mistreated like that, I couldn¡¯t just sit back.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all he said as he nodded with understanding.


    ¡°I know they¡¯re going to try using her against me, but I will be prepared. I can¡¯t let anything at all happen to her.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to make her the queen?¡± He asked after a while of silence, and a sigh was expelled from my lips.


    I sat down in front of him, feeling the urge to drink the whiskey that was atop the table.


    ¡°What do you think, Ronan?¡±


    ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t. She¡¯s an Omega and Greenforest¡¯s traitor. To clear her name, it will require you to reveal that you know about the ploy between Alpha Haines and your brother.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to make her mine when the time was right.¡±


    ¡°You do know that once the members of the council find out that you rescued an Omega and she is currently in one of your rooms, not the maid¡¯s quarter, they¡¯re going to realize that she is either your mate or someone special to you, and they won¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°I will be ready.¡±


    Present


    I had shared my surprise with Ronan about how the elders had all been quiet, even when I had introduced her to them as my mate and future queen. They had all given their approval and blessings during the mating ceremony, and now, all of a sudden, they were sending me a letter for an emergency meeting.


    ¡°What if it isn¡¯t what we¡¯re thinking?¡± I nced at the maid, who was always following us. I wondered if it was Lilith who had instructed her to follow us because she didn¡¯t feel safe with me.


    Although I wanted to ask, I said nothing as I felt it was going to be awkward and she was going to get mad as to why I was questioning her maid.


    ¡°You!¡± I said, ncing at her and motioning for her toe closer. ¡°Come. Come escort the Queen to her chambers.¡±


    She hurried closer, bowed, and muttered something that sounded like a greeting. My mind was too preupied to think about anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, my queen,¡± I said, and she nodded and walked away with her maid. I watched her retreating figure, feeling determined more than ever to protect her.


    I frowned as I realized something-that woman who walked away with her just now wasn¡¯t the personal maid I had assigned to her. Had she requested a change?


    ¡°Your Highness, after dinner today, I think we¡¯ve been looking at the wrong person,¡± Ronan said, breaking my reverie, and I nced at him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve been looking at Ben and disregarding the rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t have the balls to do anything. But I know Ben. He is daring, and I¡¯m very much convinced that he is the mastermind behind everything. Who have you been thinking about? Raoul?¡± I burst outughing.


    As a child, I looked up to Raoul, butter, I got to know that Raoul¡¯s got a big mouth. He was a talker with no action. He was a coward, and his mind was too shallow.


    ¡°Raoul is a coward, and Bartholomew is too busy taking care of his skin to go out and plot anything. I know this is Ben¡¯s doing. He¡¯s a snake!¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    I broke the seal and opened the letter, sighing as I read the content.


    ¡°Bloody idiots!¡± I muttered and tore it to pieces. The letter didn¡¯t give details about what the meeting was about. It was only stated that it was going to be about the progress of the kingdom.


    I hissed in annoyance and walked to my room. I had slept in my room that night instead of the room I shared with Lilith.


    Throughout the night, I kept tossing and turning as I tried to think about the best course of action at the moment. I also tried to be positive. It could be that the reason they were summoning an emergency meeting wasn¡¯t at all because of what I was thinking.


    That morning, I dressed up quickly and sent a message to Lilith that I wasn¡¯t going to have breakfast that morning. I knew that she wasn¡¯t going to say anything, as she was still indifferent towards me even after several weeks of being here. ording to the doctor, her trauma ran deep.


    When I got to the conference room, they were already seated and waiting for me. They stood up as soon as they saw me, and I grunted and took my seat, my eyes scanning all of their faces as if I were looking for a trace of whatever they had called this meeting for.


    ¡°Your Highness, as concerned members of this kingdom, we cannot fold our arms and do nothing when it¡¯s going to ruins,¡± one of the council members, Darius, spoke first.


    I scoffed. Concerned members indeed. More like convinced members.


    ¡°And tell us, Darius, how this kingdom is going to ruins.¡±


    ¡°I know, as a youngster, you just want to follow your heart and love. I¡¯ve been there before.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying there¡¯s something wrong with following one¡¯s heart? Aren¡¯t you married? Are you trying to tell us here that you don¡¯t love your wife?¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness. I do love my wife. Very much. She was given to me by the moon goddess. He suddenly stopped talking, and I chuckled slowly as I saw that he was being nudged by the person seated beside him.


    ¡°Our queen was also given to us by the moon goddess. Now, what were you saying?¡±


    Another council member stood up. He was the oldest and most influential member of the council and a good friend to myte father. I wondered if he had also been brainwashed by my brother.


    ¡°Your Highness, without wasting much of your time, what we¡¯re trying to tell you now is that we think we all might have made a mistake. I acknowledged that she was your mate, but her heritage is the problem. I am talking about the new queen,¡± he paused as a sigh expelled from his lips.


    ¡°That aside, she has not been performing the duties of a queen; I even heard that she¡¯s always gloomy and devoid of life. Another piece of information that got to us was that our archenemy, the Redvine pack, called you weak for having a weak queen who is also a¡­ the word is abominable.¡±


    The others murmured in approval, and I sighed. They had all been brainwashed.


    ¡°But you all gave your approval before and during the mating ritual,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°That was our mistake, your highness,¡± another member of the council chipped in.


    ¡°Well, I have heard you all, and I appreciate the concern. But there is nothing we can do about that.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, on the contrary, there are things we can do.¡±


    I furrowed my brows, wondering what nonsense they were going to spew this time around.


    ¡°And what are they?¡±


    He nced at the others, and from the way he looked nervous, I knew that I wasn¡¯t going to like whatever he was going to say.


    ¡°Your Highness, we could change the queen.¡±


    He was still talking, but I wasn¡¯t listening anymore. The words kept ringing in my ear. ¡®Change the queen¡¯. I clenched my fist tightly, and I felt my fingernail dig into my skin.


    That was thest thing I expected them to say.


    ¡°You want me to DIVORCE her!¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, but he nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

 Zombie Luna

    Adam¡¯s pov;


    I was still reeling from the fact that the members of the council had thrown such ridiculous suggestions at me.


    I was trying to keep my anger in check, but it wasn¡¯t working. I stood up, and angrily left. I felt Ronan walking quickly behind me to reach me, then I spun around quickly, causing him to almost collide with me.


    ¡°Your Highness, you need to be calm¡­¡±


    I scoffed while facing him. It was probably the look on my face or the way I flung my arms wildly. It appeared he wanted to say something but stopped short as soon as his eyes met mine.


    ¡°Calm down? Do these people want me to leave her? And I cannot just stand there and listen to them spew such nonsense. Oh, I should¡¯ve asked who they wanted me to marry.¡±


    I hissed and walked away, trying to take the thought of what had just happened out of my eyes. I could still hear Ronan¡¯s footsteps behind me, so I turned back and screamed at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me!¡±


    He looked somewhat hurt, and a sigh went from my lips as I turned to apologize to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that I want to be alone right now.¡±


    He nodded, his expression not showing any pain whatsoever.


    ¡°I understand, Your Highness.¡±


    Just as I was about to walk into my room, my eyes caught sight of a familiar face. I squinted my eyes to be sure that it wasn¡¯t someone else.


    Indeed, it was her. It was the maid I had personally assigned to Lilith. I think her name was Carol or something along the line.


    Ronan had told me that she could be trusted. Apparently, she was histe friend¡¯s sister and they¡¯d grown up together. He had brought her to the mansion and when I had been looking for a maid who could keep an eye on Lilith, he had rmended her.


    ¡°Get that maid over here, now,¡± I said to one of the guards in front of my room. He bowed and hurried out, racing so that he wouldn¡¯t miss her.


    It didn¡¯t take much time before he arrived with her. She bowed. ¡°Your Highness, you sent for me.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°What was your name again? Carol?¡±


    She shook her head quickly. ¡°Cara, your Highness.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Well, Cara, I remember assigning you to the Queen. What happened and why is there someone else with her?¡±


    I watched her expression as she frowned, and then kept her expression neutral.


    ¡°Your Highness, the order for my recement came from the higher-ups, after the Queen¡¯s instation ceremony.¡±


    My brows pulled into a frown. I had not ordered such a thing. The thing was that if it had indeede from the higher-ups, there could only be one person who would have been able to pull such off, The Queen, Lilith. She was the only one who could have ordered a recement. But why?


    I wanted to ask Cara if something had happened but thought better about it as she was going to think that I had some sort of disagreement with Lilith.


    If Lilith wanted a recement, then she must¡¯ve had a good reason for doing that. There was no point in me questioning her, it was going to be a bother.


    ¡°You may leave,¡± I said, and she nodded as she left.


    I walked to my room, and plopped onto the sofa, sighing as I did, as soon as I remembered what the council members were spewing. I was d that they had not brought a woman they thought was the best Queen.


    I stood up and walked briskly to the refrigerator, opening it and grabbing a bottle of whiskey. I took a swig off the bottle and walked to the window, allowing the harsh liquid to dance around my mouth before swallowing everything in a single gulp, letting the harshness burn my throat.


    I was about to walk away from the window when a familiar face caught my sight. He was talking to someone on the phone and grinning. It looked so genuine that I wondered who it was he was talking to.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    The only things that ever amused Ben were evil things, and I was pretty sure that whatever it was that he was being told was evil. He must¡¯ve been told that I had been summoned and the issue of divorcing Lilith had been brought up. He must¡¯ve also heard about my reaction and might beughing because it was funny.


    I peeled my eyes away from there and plopped onto the sofa, the urge to see Lilith was very high, so I stood up again and walked out of the room, walking quickly to her chambers.


    I knocked quietly and a whileter, the door was opened by that same maid. For some reason, she looked familiar, but I decided that I probably knew her from seeing her often in the mansion.


    I walked past her and went to sit in front of Lilith, who seemed preupied with whatever it was she was embroidering.


    ¡°What are you weaving?¡±


    ¡°A butterfly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a handkerchief?¡± I asked, and she nodded, saying nothing more, and I smiled.


    ¡°For me, I hope?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything for a while, as if she was thinking about it. And then she nodded.


    ¡°For you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you asked.¡±


    I stood up, suddenly angry. I knew I shouldn¡¯t be, but with everything going on at the moment, my temper was rising by the minute. I hade to see her in a bid to calm myself down after everything that had happened.


    I was going through all of this because of her. Yet, here she was, giving me two-worded replies and telling me that she was making a handkerchief for me because I asked.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? I have tried everything! Done everything! For you and yet you¡­¡± I flung my arms, willing myself to not say any more unless I was going to hurt her and regret it.


    She nced up at me, clearly surprised at my outburst, but not reacting in any way whatsoever.


    ¡°Are you a vegetable? Don¡¯t you have emotions? You just sit here all day, not doing anything on your own unless you¡¯re told! Don¡¯t you have willpower of your own? What the hell!¡±


    ¡°Common! Don¡¯t look at me like that! Show some bloody emotions! You¡¯re not okay with me shouting at you! Do something!¡±


    She still kept her expression as it had always been, but she had stopped her embroidery now and was now looking at the ground. My eyes caught the maid¡¯s, and it was then that I realized how I had messed up. I had scolded her in front of the maid, there was no way she was going to forgive me. Anyway, that was if she could even speak up about how she hated the way I had yelled at her.


    ¡°Get out!¡± I said to the maid, who bowed and quickly scurried out of the room, the door shutting loudly behind her.


    For some reason, I had a bad feeling about the maid, but I was sure of one thing, the news about what had happened in this room wasn¡¯t going to leave this room.


    Every maid was required to swear an oath not to rte anything that happened in this mansion to anyone outside the mansion.


    I knelt in front of her, taking her hands with mine andcing them together.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lilith. I¡¯m sorry I yelled at you,¡± I peered into her face, but her expression was unwavering.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she muttered, and my lips parted in surprise. I was taken aback that she had finally said a word, but I felt the need to know what had happened.


    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡±


    She nced at me for a while and then she spoke. ¡°You are angry.¡±


    My brows pulled into a frown. ¡°You¡¯re sorry because I am angry?¡± She nodded, and I shook my head and pulled my hands away from hers.


    ¡°Never mind. My own mistake!¡± I stood up and nced at her. Her expression was still the same and I walked out of the room, seeing the maid just at the door and making a mental note of doing my research and finding out about her.


    I was just about to go to the training ground when I figured out that some sparring would do a lot to stop me from overthinking.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Ronan called out, and I turned to him. He frowned.


    ¡°You look stressed, your highness. You should take everything easy.¡±


    I chuckled as I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t just look stressed. I am stressed. I think I have made a mistake. She wouldn¡¯t even look me in the eye. I¡¯m certain that¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± one of the guards called out, and I turned to look at him.


    ¡°What?¡± I furrowed my brows, regarding him.


    ¡°You have a guest.¡±


    My brows pulled into a frown, as I imagined who this guest was.

 The Guest

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    It wasn¡¯t the way he spoke to me that hurt me, it was the fact that he was right. I was, more or less, a living vegetable.


    I wondered if Julia had seen that and smiled at herself. After all, she had said that I didn¡¯t deserve to be Queen. She wasn¡¯t lying. I didn¡¯t deserve to be a Queen.


    Adams deserved much more. He deserved someone who could love him and take on the queen¡¯s duties as well as someone who could actually express their emotions. Not a half-dead queen like me.


    I watched as bubbles formed in the water as a result of the pebble I had thrown into theke, settling on the bottom.


    Theke was so clear and blue that it reminded me of his eyes. I could see all the pebbles I had thrown inside earlier. It wasforting and rxing to do this and what was even more was that Julia wasn¡¯t with me. Perhaps she was and had stayed in one corner to watch me, thinking that I was going to do something.


    She had stuck to following me around, and it was annoying. Earlier today, after Adams left, she began to advise me about trauma, rxing, whatever. I didn¡¯t want to listen to her and I didn¡¯t want to tell her off, so I excused myself that I needed to use the restroom.


    Fortunately for me, she had excused herself earlier, saying that she wanted to visit her sick mother. Otherwise, she was going to remain with me until I had slept, or she was sure that I had slept, because most of the time, I pretended to fall asleep in order to get her to leave.


    Theke shone under the bright moonlight which illuminated the forest ground. I had secretly beening to theke every night, and it was now like my nightly ritual as it brought me a sense of calm.


    I stood up, still staring at theke as the night breeze blew past, making me pull my robe tightly against my body to avoid catching a cold.


    Out of nowhere, I heard a low growl. Quickly, I turned my head in the direction of the sound, wondering if Julia hade to scare me or if it was just someone else.


    My eyesnded on the silhouette of a wolf behind one of the trees, a few feet away from me. On seeing it, my heartbeat hitched up, and I gradually took a step away from theke as I thought of a better option.


    It could be that it was someone else that hade to attack me. I thought of either running away or staying back and facing whoever it was.


    My heart was thudding so hard that I could hear it in my ears.


    While I continued staring at the shadow of the wolf, it slowly came into view from behind the tree. My first instinct was to run for my life, but instead, I stayed rooted to the spot.


    Suddenly, the wolf transformed, and I furrowed my brows as I saw that it was a beautiful woman around my age.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she questioned as she regarded me, an amused look on her face.


    I was surprised that she was asking me this. Everyone in the mansion knew who I was.


    ¡°I asked a question,¡± she stated again in an authoritative tone, and I knew that whoever this woman was, she was a high-ranked wolf and, somehow, she had no idea who I was.


    ¡°I¡¯m the..¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± We both turned to the source of the voice. It was Julia and I internally rolled my eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She then turned to the woman.


    ¡°Lady Crane. I never thought you¡¯d be here now.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ you¡¯re the queen,¡± she said, a small smile ying on her lips. She nodded, and I noticed that she didn¡¯t bow or courtesy.


    ¡°Here, mydy,¡± Julia handed a robe to the woman that she had called Lady Crane.


    ¡°I am Maya Crane,¡± She said, holding out her hand toward me. I was surprised that she would offer to shake the queen¡¯s hand instead of bowing. It was surprising, but I didn¡¯t let my emotions show as I took her hand.


    ¡°You have such hard hands. Do you work a lot, your highness?¡±


    I could feel Julia¡¯s eyes on us and I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t read her, but I had a very bad feeling about her.


    ¡°I¡¯m cold, get me a cup of warm coffee. Anything you want, your Highness?¡±


    She quickly added, ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t tell me your name. You do have a name, right?¡±N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Get me two cups of coffee,¡± she said to Julia, who bowed and left us.


    This woman had some guts. Wanting to know my name!


    ¡°Come on, are you sick, or don¡¯t you talk?¡± Her brows pulled together into a frown.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°I just want to be friends with you. You see, I¡¯ve been away for a long time. I just came back and decided to stay at the mansion.¡±


    I wondered what her rtionship was with Adams for her to be staying in the mansion. Suddenly, I was ovee with pain and jealousy as well as envy.


    She must have been from a very prestigious family and she was very outspoken. On top of that, she was beautiful. She was the perfect Queen. I wondered if she was in love with Adams.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s cold out here. What are you even doing here?¡± She frowned and pulled me with her as she went to the house.


    We met Julia on the way, and she turned to her.


    ¡°Bring it to her room, please.¡±


    She turned to me and shed a smile that seemed so sincere that it was hard to doubt her sincerity.


    ¡°Come, we have a lot of catching up to do.¡±


    I walked slowly towards her, wondering what she meant by that and if she could be trusted or if she was just like the others.

 Revelations

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    Maya Crane was an interesting woman. Turns out that she was the daughter of a member of the council and had been in another pack far away.


    I still couldn¡¯t tell if she was an Ally or a foe. But she did say that she wanted to be close and, as much as I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t ask her why she was staying in the mansion instead of at her family¡¯s house.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time for breakfast,¡± Julia said, breaking my string of thoughts. A small sigh expelled from my lips as I stood up.


    As usual, she walked with me to the dining area. As I approached the dining area, I resisted the urge to show how confused I was at the sight of the scene before me.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    There, on the dining table were Maya Crane and the Alpha king, my husband. They were engrossed in a conversation and whatever Adams was saying seemed funny as she was giggling.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± she said in betweenughter and I nodded as I sat down opposite both of them. She had sat on the seat I normally sat.


    I shouldn¡¯t care about him liking her or not, but the sight of the both of them as they continued talking made my heart clench tightly, and I felt I was going to die due to the pain.


    ¡°How was your night?¡± He asked and I nodded without looking at him.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I hadn¡¯t seen him since he had left angrily due to the way I had replied to him.


    I felt bad for him. He had been nothing short of nice and all I had done was treat him so badly. I made a mental note to see him immediately after breakfast.


    He didn¡¯t say a word to me again and asionally exchanged words with Maya. It seemed as though Maya noticed how I felt as she turned to me, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re not saying anything, and you look so dull.¡±


    I shook my head, feeling the urge to fake a smile, but not knowing how to actually do that, so I instead kept my expression neutral as I nodded.


    After breakfast, I walked to my room, ignoring Maya¡¯s suggestion for us to hang out. I didn¡¯t understand the sudden jealousy I felt towards her and I didn¡¯t want to be in her presence. It was like being in her presence worsened the pain I felt.


    I stood still, turned around slowly and frowned. It was just as I had thought. Julia wasn¡¯t following me. I was so used to her walking with me that it felt weird that she wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    ¡°¡­. I feel for her, though,¡± a voice spoke, and I halted in my tracks. I knew it was a maid, and they must be in a group, gossiping as they always did.


    ¡°She has no idea at all! I heard they metst night, and they¡¯re now having breakfast together.¡±


    ¡°What do you think will happen? Will she be our new Queen?¡±


    ¡°The entire council is in support of her bing Queen.¡±


    Their voices became distant, and I heard footsteps and realized that they must¡¯ve seen someone. I didn¡¯t wait to see who it was and walked to my room briskly.


    There was a gentle knock on the door, then I sat up on the bed, wondering who it could be, as Julia was the only one who frequented my room, and she never bothered to knock.


    Just then, the door opened and Maya walked in, a smile etched on her face.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± She said as she approached me and sat on the bed beside me.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if I call you by your hand since we¡¯re friends now, right?¡± Her eyes lit up as she spoke and I nodded.


    ¡°Perfect! Why did you leave the dining table like that? Are you having problems with the King?¡±


    I shook my head, but still felt her eyes on me.


    ¡°You know, we¡¯re friends now. You can tell me anything.¡±


    I wanted to ask her if she wanted to be Queen. I had the urge to confirm what the maids were saying. If indeed the entire council was supporting her, then there was no stopping it from happening. She was going to be Queen.


    What about Adams? Did he really want her to be his queen? And is that why she was there in the mansion? Plus, they had seemed very close.


    ¡°You know, I never thought I¡¯d ever be back here¡­.¡±


    There was a knock again, and she stood up and walked to the door.


    The door opened and Ben entered, a smile on his face and I became ufortable. What could have brought him here?


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± he said as he nced at Maya.


    ¡°How have you been, Ben?¡± She said, and I watched her face to see if her expression was going to show that she supported him.


    She was smiling, but it was the same smile she always had on whenever she looked at me.


    ¡°Your Highness, may I speak to you alone?¡± For the first time ever, he had a serious expression etched on his face and I nced at Maya.


    ¡°You want me to leave?¡± Her lips pouted as she faked being hurt and then smiled and began to walk out of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Lilith.


    As soon as the door shut, leaving us both in the room, I nced at him to see his brows tired together in confusion.


    ¡°You let her call you by your name?¡±


    I nodded and he shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not good. No matter who it is, they¡¯re not supposed to call you by your name. You¡¯re not just anybody! You¡¯re the Queen!¡± He sat down on the only sofa in the room.


    ¡°Look, I just want to get closer to you. Not because you¡¯re my brother¡¯s wife, but because I feel for you as a person. You¡¯ve been through a lot and people might just want to use you because of your vulnerability!¡±


    I said nothing, my expression remaining neutral, and I thought about whether he wasn¡¯t the one who wanted to use me.


    ¡°Please, just trust me.¡±


    He sounded so sincere that I began to think whether he was really as evil as Julia had said he was.


    ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t want to say this earlier, but I think this is what is happening right here. My brother married you because he has some grudges against Alpha River, and he wants to use you to get to him. He wants to conquer Green Forest and nobody knows the pack more than you do. You were an elite warrior and, even more, the supposed future beta before everything happened. You¡¯re useful to him,¡± he bit his lower lips before continuing.


    ¡°You are very useful to him and that¡¯s the only reason he married you. He doesn¡¯t love you. The woman he loves is-¡± he sighed deeply.


    ¡°Maya Crane. They¡¯re both using you. Perhaps they¡¯reughing behind your back right now. I can¡¯t just sit and watch all of these things happen to you. You seem like a good person and I want to help you.¡±


    My heart clenched painfully with his sudden revtion and I didn¡¯t understand why, as I obviously wasn¡¯t in love with Adams. But still, it hurts to be used like this. And I thought Maya was a friend when the only person who truly cared about me was the one I had been pushing away.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m lying to you, ask him if he wasn¡¯t previously engaged to her.¡±


    I nced at him sharply, surprise visible on my face, before regaining myposure.


    ¡°They were engaged,¡± it wasn¡¯t a question and I did my best to prevent my voice from betraying my expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you had to hear of it like that. I intended to have kept it since nobody said anything to you,¡± he said, and I nodded.


    ¡°Recently, the members of the council called for an emergency meeting. It was about your dethronement. They said you were unfit to be Queen. I believe he wanted to appease them and that was why he brought his first love back.¡±


    ¡°Just, let me help you, make you the queen you¡¯re meant to be,¡± he sounded so convincing, but I didn¡¯t want to be a Queen. I didn¡¯t care about anything. Lexi would¡¯ve wanted this, but I didn¡¯t, and it was a good thing that I had already shut her off.


    ¡°Take this and keep it in his room, here,¡± he said, handing me a small device of some sort, and I nced at it and then up at him.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to help you hear what conversation goes on between him and Maya when you¡¯re not there. Aren¡¯t you curious to know what they¡¯re always talking about?¡±


    I took it from him and nodded, inwardly thinking about whether I was going to do what he had said or not.


    There was also the possibility of Ben telling a lie, but there was only one way to find out.

 Confrontations

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    When Maya came back, I noted how sincere she looked and spoke around me and wondered if everything was a lie or how much of it was true. I didn¡¯t say anything, though. I just couldn¡¯t.


    If she wanted to be Queen, then she was free to do so. I didn¡¯t have the heart to feel anything for anyone.


    Surprisingly, during dinner, Maya didn¡¯t join us, instead, a maid came to inform us that she was down with Flu.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Adams suddenly blurted out during the meal, and I nced up at him without a word.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to face you after what happened,¡± he said, and I nodded, realizing that he was talking about the night he had yelled at me.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been refusing toe to the room?¡± He said with a raised brow and I nced at him, keeping my expression neutral.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I got your message from one of the maids that you wanted to sleep in your room from now on.¡±


    I had never sent such a message and I wondered if Julia had done that. I thought about talking to her about it but decided against it. What good would that do?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you, but pleasee to the room tonight.¡± ¡°Please,¡± he added, almost immediately, and I inhaled slowly and nodded.


    It was then that I suddenly remembered the device Ben had given me and what he had told me. I didn¡¯t know how he was going to react if I asked him that, but it really wasn¡¯t any of my business. It was better I forgot about what he had said.


    ¡°I have to go to the college now with Ronan, but I¡¯ll see youter. Okay?¡± He said, and I nodded as I stood up from the chair and walked to my room.


    ¡°Your Highness, how did your meal go?¡± Julia questioned from behind me, but I kept quiet.


    She was saying something else, but I wasn¡¯t listening as my eyes caught sight of a figure hurriedly walking out through the back door. It was unmistakably the same long dark wavy hair I was familiar with. Maya crane.


    I wondered where she was hurrying to and through the back door when she was supposed to be down with Flu. I had a bad feeling about it and I immediately turned to Julia.


    ¡°Go get me an Apple tart.¡±


    ¡°Annalise! Please go get an¡­¡±


    She was still talking when I interrupted her.


    ¡°You should get it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Her brows were raised, but she was smart enough to avert her gaze. It was probably the longest gear wire I had spoken to her at once.


    ¡°If I wanted an apple Tart from Annalise or whoever, I would ask them to get it. I want you to get it for me and I want you to be there when it¡¯s baked. You know how I like it,¡± I said, and she nodded slowly as she still stood there.


    I was getting impatient. I wanted to leave quickly. I was curious to see what had made her run out in a hurry and, knowing Julia, she was either going to go with me or persuade me to go or even offer to go by herself to see what was so interesting. I couldn¡¯t ignore my gut feeling as I felt that this was something I couldn¡¯t miss.


    ¡°Run along now, Julia,¡± I said, and she snapped out of her daze and walked quickly towards the kitchen.


    I took that opportunity to walk towards the back door which, by the way, I never thought was ever used for anything. Surprisingly, it led to the garden and I walked slowly around to not give myself away. Unfortunately, there was no one around and just as I was going to leave, a voice stopped me.


    ¡°Lilith?¡±


    I spun around to meet Adam¡¯s gaze. His brows knitted in confusion as he nced around, and I wondered why he was there when he had told me that he was going to the College with Ronan.


    ¡°I thought I had seen something,¡± I said as he nced at me as if he was waiting for some sort of exnation.


    But it was he who was supposed to offer me an exnation as everything was suddenly beginning to dawn on me now.


    I think he hade here to see Maya. This must be their rendezvous. It made sense that way. He must not want me to know about their affairs, and they had agreed to keep seeing each other in the garden.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one here,¡± he said, ncing around again, and I noted how his eyes were searching, he must be trying to make sure that she had already left, or she was well hidden.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go in,¡± he ced his hand on my shoulder and led me to the house through the back door.


    ¡°How is this door even open,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I saw someonee out of here.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything and I resisted the urge to ask him what he was doing there when he told me that he was going to college.


    ¡°Your Highness! I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you! Where did you go!¡± Julia yelled as soon as we got to my room and I wondered how she was back so soon.


    ¡°For someone that¡¯s always by her side, I¡¯m disappointed,¡± he said, and then pressed a kiss on my forehead before leaving.


    ¡°See youter.¡±


    So that was it. He was the one who had told her to keep an eye on me.


    Now, it was all making sense and I felt like a fool for thinking that he was a good man.


    ¡°Your Apple tart, your highness. It¡¯s going to get cold,¡± Julia said, breaking my chain of thoughts, and I shook my head, my expression still neutral.


    He might¡¯ve made her stay by my side so that she could give him information about me. Too bad, she was never going to get anything to say to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry anymore. You can have it,¡± I said as my mind went to the device Ben had given me. There was no need to think about it anymore, I was going to do as he had said.


    Later that evening, I nced around the room to see that Julia wasn¡¯t there, and I stood up, believing that this was my chance. I held the device tightly under my dress and walked to our shared room.


    After cing the device under the table, where it wouldn¡¯t be easily noticed, I nced around the room, my eyes falling on the discarded suit on the armchair.


    I picked it up and lifted it to my nose, greedily inhaling the familiar scent of him and I smiled sadly. Even if I wanted to have him, I couldn¡¯t.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, Lilith,¡± I mumbled to myself as I pressed the jacket tightly against my body.


    My brows knitted in confusion as I felt a sharp poke against my midsection.


    I held up the jacket and felt it with one hand, finding the stiff shape of a greeting card.


    I nced at the door, swallowing hard as I slipped it out of the inner pocket and draped the jacket on my arm as I read the handwritten address for the Mansion on the light pink envelope.


    I turned to the back of the envelope and frowned, as there was no sender¡¯s address or information whatsoever on it at all. But the pretty cursive on the body was feminine, and I didn¡¯t need to be told that this was sent by a woman, perhaps, Maya.


    I knew it couldn¡¯t be a correspondence from work, and it was personal, and I debated on whether to open it or to just keep it back. But I needed to know if he really was with Maya.


    If it was a work correspondence, he wouldn¡¯t be carrying it in his inner pocket. I sighed, knowing that I might probably regret what I was just about to do, but opened the envelope regardless.


    I furrowed my brows as I saw the caricature of a house and a moving truck on the front of the card. ¡°We finally moved¡± was written in aical font, right on top of the illustration.


    For some reason, my hands began to tremble as I peeled my eyes away from theic and read the note.


    I didn¡¯t care about what I was going to see, all I knew was that I was going to be fine. I didn¡¯t have any feelings for him and I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity.


    A small photograph dropped from the envelope and I bent to pick it up, a gasp escaping from my lips as I did so.


    I never thought anything could hurt me again, not after what happened to my parents, but this, felt like a knife was wedged deep inside me, making a home for itself in my heart.

 The Secret

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    In the photo was a child, a boy of not more than three years with dark hair and blue eyes.


    The same shade of blue I was all too familiar with.


    Adams,


    I know you¡¯re hurting, but so am I. Each moment spent without you is pain. A pain so raw, that it feels as though a hot knife is searing through my heart.


    I promised not toe back to the town, but it¡¯s time we stopped hiding when we¡¯re not some dirty little secret.


    You¡¯re married now, and I respect your decision to do so. However, it would be nice to see you, even if it has to be for just a moment. I¡¯ll stay out of your way, and you won¡¯t even know I¡¯m there.


    Ted misses you. I named him Teddy, after your wolf. It¡¯s funny, right, when we aren¡¯t even mates. But our bond is greater than that of mates.


    Someday, I¡¯m going to have to tell him about his father. Although I have no idea about what to say, all the same, he¡¯s going to have to know.


    In case you want to visit, we¡¯re going to be at the first apartment you got for me. You know the way.


    All my love,


    M xoxo.


    I didn¡¯t realize I was holding my breath until it rushed out of me in one sharp, shaky exhale.


    It hurt so much that I felt as though I was drowning.


    He had been so kind to me that I felt bad for shutting myself out. Turns out, Ben was right, he was only using me. But how was I only just starting to notice? Was he that good of a liar that I couldn¡¯t see any signs?


    This was proof that Ben had been telling the truth. I gripped the envelope tightly, gasping heavily as I tried to breathe.


    Calm down, Lilith! Why are you so hurt? You didn¡¯t even love the man!


    Still, it hurts, and I blinked back the tears that threatened to cascade down my face.


    Remembering his words earlier when he had made those fierce derations to bring back another wave of pain.


    M? That was obviously Maya. They were fooling me, right under my nose.


    Bile rose in my throat and my skin crawled as a storm of different emotions hurtled through me, leaving me even more breathless than I thought possible.


    Get a grip on yourself, Lilith! Don¡¯t let the currents take you. Don¡¯t show any emotions!


    Preferring a stronger emotion that would hold me up on my feet like a shot of adrenaline, I overcame the sense of betrayal and hurt.


    Fury surged through my body and embraced it instead. I closed my eyes and controlled my breath.


    I stared at the child¡¯s picture again and studied the boy¡¯s sweet face, noting some simrities in the bone structure and the eyes.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He was a handsome and happy-looking child, just like his parents.


    Judging from the letter, apparently, he didn¡¯t want the boy or anything like that, but he was so cute, that I wondered how he was able to resist such an angel. I knew I wouldn¡¯t.


    I sighed and slid the card back into the jacket pocket and draped it back on the armchair, where I had earlier seen it.


    This was what I had been reduced to, a voiceless victim. What was I even going to say? Ask him if he and Maya were having an affair. Or if they had a child? That would mean that I actually did care. The thing was that I didn¡¯t.


    I walked out of the room, making sure to let my expression remain as it had always been like I didn¡¯t care.


    Not caring wasn¡¯t going to hurt me. I wouldn¡¯t delude myself into having hope, so it would be easier to survive. But currently, the hurt I felt was unlike any I have ever felt. Perhaps it was due to our mate bond.


    Screw this stupid bond!


    ¡°Lilith!¡± a very familiar voice called out and I popped my head up to nce at her. Surprisingly, right beside her was my husband, who had said he was going to college.


    Had she lied about being down with the flu, just to get him in her room?


    They must¡¯ve had a marathon as Adams was still sweating.


    Maya must be a good pretender. She still had that same fake, sincere smile on her face. The smile that had deceived me and made me believe that she was worth keeping as a friend.


    No words or sounds came out of my mouth as I stood there, gazing at them. Adams had lied to me, just like the others. Just like Raider, he had deceived us and I had stupidly fallen for it.


    My heart clenched painfully.


    ¡°What is it, dear? You look so pale, are you alright?¡± Maya moved to my side and I nced up to meet Adams¡¯ gaze. He had that concerned look in his eyes.


    ¡°Get the doctor, now!¡± He yelled at a maid and I wanted to tell him not to, but my eyes were heavy. It felt as though something heavy was resting on my eyelids.


    Adams was by my side immediately, holding me back in ce as I felt my eyes roll back on my head.


    The two traitors, on either side. They might be secretly celebrating right now.


    I struggled to keep my eyes open, but the darkness was overwhelming.


    My eyes opened as the familiar voices sounded even closer, and I shut my eyes tightly again as the bright light assaulted them. The surroundings were familiar, and I blinked rapidly before it dawned on me that I was in my room.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± The voice sounded familiar, yet so far away, then I squinted my eyes as I sat up.


    ¡°No, no! Your Highness! Don¡¯t get up¨C¡± I could see her face clearly now as she held my shoulder down to the bed slowly. She looked concerned, but after what had happened, there was no one I could trust anymore. Especially now that I had a feeling that all of her concerns were fake. After all, he had paid her to stay by my side always and probably report back to him.


    I wondered if she was aware of the romance between Maya and the Alpha king. If I was the only one in the dark. If perhaps, the other maids and guards looked at me with pity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back with the doctor, Your Highness,¡± she said and, almost immediately, walked out of the room, only to arrive a few minutester with a doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Your Highness,¡± she hurriedly walked out of the room again, and I nced at her without a word.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m Doctor Mark and I¡¯ll check you¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Doctor,¡± I stood up and that seemed to surprise him, judging by the look of surprise etched on his face.


    ¡°Are you¡­are you sure Your Highness? I have to check just in case..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Doctor. I was just tired.¡±


    He nodded and walked out of the room, not looking the least bit convinced.


    I swallowed hard, noting that my husband, who was supposed to be by my side at the moment, was nowhere to be seen. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was at their rendezvous.


    Julia was still not back from wherever she was, so this was the perfect opportunity to go to the garden and confirm.


    As much as ours was a marriage filled with distrust and deceit, I didn¡¯t want the servants to view me as pitiful, so I was willing to protect his secret.


    I briskly walked out of my room, ignoring the greetings from the servants and not caring to look at their faces. I was scared of what they¡¯d gaze at.


    Perhaps they knew that I had found out about my husband and his mistress and must have thought to themselves about how pathetic I was to not have confronted them, but fainted instead.


    I stepped out into one of the quieter balconies along the hall that led to a view of the moonlit gardens. I didn¡¯t want to look suspicious by following the back door.


    The song my mother used to sing suddenly filled my head and I resisted the urge to sing out loud. If indeed they were here, my voice was going to give me away. My footsteps were quiet as I made sure to make no noise.


    Something held my feet and I tumbled backwards, expecting my body to collide with the ground. Instead, a string of unfamiliar hands held me back in ce and I spun around to see those familiar eyes that seemed to always twinkle with mischief.


    ¡°Your Highness, Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said awkwardly, pulling away from him quickly.


    From afar, I saw two figures huddled in a private corner pulled apart quickly.


    Ben seemed to have also seen what I saw, and I heard him sigh as he grabbed my arm, pulling me back to the main house.

 What To Do

    Adams¡¯ POV;


    I squinted my eyes to be sure I wasn¡¯t mistaken. The sight in front of me was one I never thought I would ever see.


    Right there in front of me was Ben, hand in hand with my wife, who would never let me touch her and who had be some sort of robot.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± someone called out, and I didn¡¯t have to turn back to know it was Ronan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you,¡± he continued when I didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± He said again and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°That¡¯s your brother and your wife¡­.¡±


    ¡°She seems so¡­. I thought she didn¡¯t want anyone to touch her,¡± I was staring at them in disbelief.


    I blinked back and, without any more thought, walked towards them, ignoring whatever Ronan was saying.


    ¡°I need to speak with my wife,¡± I said, through gritted teeth, watching as her expressionless face stared back at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she wants to talk to you though¡­¡±


    I was getting angrier by the minute and immediately, I grabbed him by his cor.


    ¡°I warned you to stay away from her!¡± I growled, tightening my hold on his neck.


    He tried to pry my hands away from his shirt, but I was already blinded by anger to just let him be and the more he tried to free himself, the more I tightened my hold. I could feel his every breath as he tried to grasp onto the small fragment of life left in him.


    I knew Ben, and I was more than aware of what he was capable of. If he was stuck at her side, I knew that it meant nothing good.


    ¡°Your-wife-is an adult!¡± He was sessfully able to free himself from my grip and rubbed his neck as he spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine,¡± he said and coughed, and I followed his eyes.


    My lips parted slightly, and I tried to say something, but no word came out, so I mped my mouth shut.


    She had seen the part of me that I was trying to keep from her. Ben was smiling at her, but she was still staring at me. Her face held no emotion, but I knew that she was wondering about the kind of monster that I was.


    Goddamn, that sly naught!


    ¡°Let me walk you to your room, Your Highness,¡± he held her hand and I watched them leave. Their retreating figures did nothing to unnerve me.


    I didn¡¯t know if I was supposed to be d that she didn¡¯t run away or sad that she didn¡¯t say anything. If only she¡¯d just show some Goddamn emotion! It would be nice to know how she felt or thought!


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°What was the name of that maid you introduced to me the other day?¡± I cut in as I walked back to my room, with him following closely behind me.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­you mean, Cara?¡±


    I opened the door to my room to find Maya standing there. My brows pulled together into a frown.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Ronan. Can you give us a few minutes?¡± She said, a small smile etched on her face.


    ¡°I want to speak to his highness in private,¡± she said again. This time, her tone was firm and harsh.


    I turned to Ronan, nudging him to go out. I was curious to know what she wanted to say, and I had something to say to her as well.


    ¡°What is this about?¡± I said as soon as I heard the door shut, running my head as I sat down. A small headache was already forming, and I believed that it was due to stress.


    ¡°We were engaged once. What happened?¡±


    My brows knitted in confusion as I red at her in disbelief.


    ¡°Why are you bringing that up right now?¡±


    ¡°We never talked about it,¡± she plopped onto the sofa. ¡°I want to talk about it now.¡±


    I sneered. Maya Crane was really something. ¡°Why are you here, Maya? Like, really, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I told you¡­¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± I scoffed. ¡°You said you were going to stay just for that night. That¡¯s why I let you¡­¡±


    She stood up and inches closer to me, dangerously close!


    ¡°Why are you hurting yourself this way?¡± It came out in a whisper and I curled my fist into a ball.


    ¡°Get out, Maya!¡±


    ¡°Out? Out where?¡±


    ¡°Out of my room, and this mansion¡­¡±


    ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t want me to leave. Shall I ask her?¡± A smile was ying on her lips now, then she moved away from me and plopped back on the sofa.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t love you, you know. She feels nothing for you. Anyway, I¡¯m sure you know all that already. When will you divorce her?¡±


    I scoffed, realizing that, once again, my intuition was right. This was her father¡¯s ploy.


    ¡°The council might not be that patient.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and get out!¡± I snapped, pointing at the door, and she nced at me, the smile reced by something entirely different, a mix of disbelief and surprise.


    She smiled again, but this time, I could see the nervousness hidden beneath the smile.


    ¡°When you need me, which I¡¯m telling you, you will. You know where to find me,¡± with that, she stood up and walked out of the room.


    Those sly nuts!


    They must¡¯ve thought that because Maya and I were once engaged, I must still feel something for her, how wrong they were.


    Perhaps they had forgotten why we were engaged in the first ce.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Ronan called, jolting me back to the present.


    ¡°She looked¡­¡±


    ¡°I need you to discreetly look into her. Find out whom she¡¯s meeting with.¡±


    He nodded slowly, the surprise on his face obvious.


    ¡°Do you think¨C¡±


    I nodded. I do not just think, I knew. That was the reason our engagement was called off three years ago.


    ¡°And bring me that maid, Cara, or whatever you called her.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, Cara,¡± he left the room and I grabbed the half-empty bottle of bourbon that was left on the table, taking a king swig off it as I thought of what to do.


    Something was going on, and I wasn¡¯t going to just sit back and watch. The council, Maya, the maid, my brothers, whoever had taken such a huge amount of money from the treasury, as well as my wife, I was going to solve each issue, one at a time.

 Unrest

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    Our marriage wasn¡¯t built on love, but it still hurt that he had brought his mistress to the house we shared.


    He had promised that he was going to give me time to open up my heart to him. It was barely a monthter and he was already tired. I scoffed at that thought and finally pushed the thoughts of him and his betrayal out of my mind. It really wasn¡¯t worth it.


    To make matters worse, he didn¡¯t appear for dinner and neither did she, and I couldn¡¯t help but imagine if he was somewhere with her. There was no word from any of the maids either and Ben might¡¯ve noticed, for he ate with me and, thankfully, didn¡¯t say anything.


    He seemed like a good person, so I wanted to ask him if what I had heard was right, if indeed, he was after the throne, but I couldn¡¯t find myself doing that.


    ¡°Lilith!¡±


    I nced up, breaking my reverie and definitely surprised to hear his voice after what had happened the day before with Ben.


    I stood up and bowed. I had already got dressed and was about to go down for breakfast and my heart clenched at the thought of him being absent again. I wanted to see him, if not for anything, to see his face as he professed his love for me, while screwing the woman beside us.


    ¡°I was very disappointed yesterday with¡­¡±


    I decided that I wasn¡¯t going to listen to him. For some reason, I had the thought that he was going to change the entire narrative to suit him, just as Ben had said.


    ¡°¨Cyour etiquette. I think you need a¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for breakfast,¡± I cut him off as I walked out of the room. Julia had left earlier to attend to something else I had no idea about, as I didn¡¯t pay attention when she was talking. I was only too d that she was leaving for a while again as it would afford me time to be alone, away from her prying eyes.


    When I got to the dining table, Maya was already there waiting for us, she had a smile on her face.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± She stood up to embrace me and I stood still, my hands by my side.


    ¡°She is a Queen! You don¡¯t refer to her by her name,¡± Adams, who must¡¯ve followed me, stated, and I scoffed inwardly.


    They were trying so hard to act like they weren¡¯t screwing each other. I would¡¯ve been deceived if I hadn¡¯t seen everything I¡¯d seen.


    ¡°Oh! She¡¯s my friend, I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t mind. Do you mind, Lilith?¡±


    She had that same genuine smile on her lips, the one that had deceived me, but not anymore.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± I said, ignoring her as I fought back the urge to say something back at both of them or let them know that I was aware and that they couldn¡¯t deceive me any longer.


    Breakfast was quiet. They both tried engaging me in conversations, but I was quiet, and immediately I was done, I stood up.


    ¡°You¡¯re done? You didn¡¯t even eat much! Are you sure you¡¯re fine? I heard that you didn¡¯t allow the doctor to check you,¡± Maya¡¯s voice came out muffled as her mouth was filled with food.


    The only way Maya was going to know about that was if he told her and, who knows, how many other things about me that he had told her.


    ¡°We need to talk¡­¡±


    ¡°Your highness! I¡¯m sorry foring sote, something important came up,¡± Ben said as he walked towards us, his lips were curled in a small smile.


    ¡°Sote? To where?¡± Adams, who had stood up and seemed as if he was going to follow me, furrowed his brows in confusion as he turned to Ben.


    ¡°Oh, her highness, out of the kindness of her heart, had invited me for breakfast, but unfortunately¡­.¡±


    ¡°She invited you for breakfast!¡± His face wasced with disbelief, and he turned to me. ¡°You invited him?¡± His tone was using, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice the irony of the entire situation.


    I should be the one using him of letting his mistress stay in the mansion and then letting her join us during mealtimes. Ben was family, he was his brother after all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, your highness,¡± Ben ignored him and held his hand out to me, which I eagerly took.


    I didn¡¯t need to look back to see the look of surprise and horror on Adams¡¯ face. But after what he did the day before, I knew that he wouldn¡¯t dare cause a scene again.


    I walked hand in hand with Ben, although I had no idea where he was taking me to, neither had I invited him for breakfast nor wanted to go anywhere with him. He must be trying to irk Adams, who I could see was already working.


    I said nothing as he led me out to his car. ¡°We¡¯re going somewhere you¡¯ll like.¡±


    A couple of minutester, he pulled up in front of a bar. A bar!


    I nced at him, my face still remaining expressionless.


    ¡°Rx, don¡¯t worry. I care about you and want you to be fine. I don¡¯t like how all your feelings are just so bottled up. I know you¡¯re sad and want to cry, but you think that crying doesn¡¯t do anything. After all, it won¡¯t bring back your parents,¡± he paused, and I winced, thinking about how right he was.


    ¡°But crying makes you feel a little bit better. Just let it all out and see.¡±


    I nced at the bar, noting how noisy it was and thinking about going back or just going in. I eventually walked in. He was right, I needed a drink.


    ¡°Would you like to hear some things from the recorder you ced in the room?¡± He questioned as soon as we sat down. He asked for an ale.


    I shook my head in response, knowing that I was better off not hearing my husband¡¯s dirty talk with my so-called friend.


    Ben was saying something, but I wasn¡¯t listening and was only focused on the drink in front of me.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± someone called, and I popped my head up to nce at the men in front of us.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ben questioned, standing up to face the beta of the pack and the two big men in ck suits behind him.


    ¡°The king¡¯s order,¡± Ronan replied and faced me.


    ¡°We need to leave now, your highness. It¡¯s for your safety and the king is worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Safety? She¡¯s with me,¡± Ben interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s the king¡¯s order,¡± his eyes never left mine.


    ¡°The Queen can make her own decision,¡± Ben pointed out, but Ronan said nothing, his eyes still fixed on me.


    I popped my head up to nce at him, his eyes seemed to be pleading and, for a second, I was tempted to tell him to get out and go back to Adams and tell him that I didn¡¯t want to see him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I stood up and nced at Ben, the only true friend I¡¯ve had in a long time. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He looked like he was about to say something, but smiled instead. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, your highness.¡±


    I went with them to the car, and they never said a word throughout the drive.


    All through, I was wondering what my husband was going to do. I had seen how scary he was after what he did to Ben and I knew that he was going to be angry.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°What the hell, Lilith!¡± He roared as soon as I walked into the main house.


    I halted in my tracks and stared at him, my face remaining expressionless.


    ¡°How could you just walk into that filthy, despicable bar?¡± He asked, dangerously still, as though if he moved, it would only be to strangle me, something that wasn¡¯t entirely impossible, given how he had looked when he tried to strangle Ben.


    There was nothing filthy about that bar, but I said nothing.


    ¡°And drinking? Common Lilith! I thought you were smarter than that?¡±


    Yes! Smart enough to know that you¡¯re having me tailed by even my own maid and your mistress is here with us!


    ¡°Lilith!¡± Maya screeched as she approached us. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you¨C yelling at her?¡± She faced him.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go,¡± she linked her arms with mine and pulled me with her to my room. I nced back at him and saw an unrecognizable expression on his face. It was as though he was holding back words.


    ¡°What happened? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you? Not even your maids could tell me anything,¡± She began, as soon as we entered the room.


    Even her voice irritated me and I wondered if they talked about me, if they spoke about how foolish I was as they cuddled each other, right under my nose.

 The Throne

    Unknown POV;


    Seeing what was going on, I could say that my n was working, even though not the way I had intended for it to.


    I downed the contents of the ss in a single shot, letting the harsh taste dance around my mouth before gulping it. The wristwatch on my wrist told me that my brothers were already almost an hourte, and I began to wonder if they had betrayed me.


    Just like me, I knew they had their own ns, but they could all n as much as they liked. There was no doubt about who was eventually going to sit on the throne.


    The fact that they were still in the mansion was proof enough that they had eyes on the throne.


    ¡°Hey bro!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have to turn around to find out who it was. I let out a deep sigh as I heard a chair pull out. I chose the meeting ce to be this bar as I wanted a discreet ce for us to talk.


    ¡°I thought I was going to grow gray hairs before you guys got here. And someone is still not here,¡± I nced at my wristwatch.


    ¡°I had an impromptu guest,¡± he said, pouring himself a drink, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what guest it was.


    Was he meeting with the council members as well?


    ¡°Ouuuu, herees our brother who is neverte. Why are youte today, bro?¡± He questioned after a huge gulp.


    ¡°Something came up,¡± he said stiffly, his lips pursed in a thin line.


    I cleared my throat and began. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time already, so I¡¯ll go straight to the reason for this meeting.¡±


    I kept quiet, just as the bar attendant approached us. I couldn¡¯t risk anyone listening in on our conversation.


    ¡°The pack is currently weakening. A pack our father struggled to strengthen. And that¡¯s because of our brother. The Queen has broken so many rules and her status as an omega doesn¡¯t help¡­¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s because¡­¡± I raised my hand to stop him, knowing what he was going to say.


    I had thought of that and saw it as an opportunity.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if someone took her there. The point is that she went to a bar. A Luna Queen of this kingdom! What lesson or morals is she showing to the other Lunas?¡±


    None of them said anything and I continued. ¡°Now, I have heard that the council are calling for her dethronement. This, my brothers, is time for us to rise up and take what is ours¡­¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re to rule together?¡±


    I nced at him and then at our second brother, who chuckled softly. ¡°It¡¯s a valid question,¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°Who else? Although that¡¯s not the point right now. We do know that our brother cannot rule this kingdom! In fact, from the information I gathered, I heard there¡¯s some money missing from the park¡¯s treasury.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been curious, brother, what did you use such a huge amount of money on?¡±


    My lips parted, just as my eyes widened in surprise. I had been extremely careful and was so sure that nobody was aware of what had happened.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I regained myposure quickly. They would never find out what the money was going to be used for.


    ¡°Common, brother, we all know about the money¡­¡±


    ¡°This meeting was not called for us to throw usations at each other¡­¡±


    He scoffed and muttered something under his breath.


    ¡°The thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure, the most important thing is dethroning our brother. But after then, what? Who will sit on the throne?¡±


    I was already getting angry with both of them. It was as though they had conspired to act unreasonable, but I was sure it was because they wanted to get a reaction from me. Something that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡°Who else? Isn¡¯t that obvious already? I¡¯ve contributed a great deal.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? And what do you think I¡¯ve been doing?¡± He cut in, suddenly.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I chuckled and dropped the ss I had been holding with a thud. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been wasting your time.¡±


    When I realized that my brothers had their own ns and the meeting was heading nowhere, I decided to take my leave.


    ¡°What are you doing here!¡± I barked, shutting the door behind me and wondering how she got in there.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be here! Look! Everything is going wrong! My brothers know about the money!¡±


    ¡°Rx, my king,¡± she said, cing her long fingers seductively on my shoulder.


    I narrated everything to her and she sighed. ¡°You should¡¯ve stayed with her at all times! Then we wouldn¡¯t have missed this much!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, your highness. There is another party we¡¯re currently forgetting about. Lady Crane.¡±


    That piqued my interest. I had invited Maya over and briefed her on everything, but she seemed to be really in love with Adams, as she stayed away from me.


    ¡°Lady Crane is in love with your brother, deeply in love and wants him for herself. I overheard their conversation, and it seemed as though Lilith also suspected something.


    ¡°He said something about why their engagement was cut off. I had no idea that they were even engaged. Do you know why they never got married?¡±


    I chuckled inwardly at the thought. A long time ago, they were engaged and were about to get married. All this was until the incident.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said slowly, peeling my eyes away from her.


    ¡°Is your n going well, my king?¡± She said, and I turned around and nted a kiss on her lips, shutting her off.


    She was determined to help me, even though the woman I wanted was Maya Crane. She had kept her end of the bargain, except she wasn¡¯t faking it and was really in love with him.


    But knowing Maya, she was never in love with anyone. All she cared about was bing Queen, and I was going to make her dream a reality. She was going to be Queen, and I was going to be by her side.


    I pulled away from her and stared into her honey-colored eyes. I felt a tiny bit of guilt about what I had to do with her, but it was necessary, seeing that she knew a lot.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the next phase of the n.¡±

 Unfortunate Incident

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time for breakfast,¡± Julia said for the umpteenth time. A long sigh expelled from my lips while I stood up.


    I was already dressed, but the thought of Maya being there at the table terrified me. I don¡¯t know if I should ask Adams what she was doing in the mansion.


    Now that I think about it, he must¡¯ve really taken advantage of my meekness, knowing that I wouldn¡¯t ask what she was doing in the mansion.


    I heard Julia¡¯s footsteps as I walked to the dining area.


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me,¡± I said and, without turning around, I knew that the familiar expression of surprise was etched on her face.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    I said nothing, there wasn¡¯t a need to. She heard what I had said.


    ¡°Lilith! You¡¯rete!¡± Maya cooed in between spoonfuls of what I suspected to be the scrambled eggs in front of her and I smiled softly, noting that they had already begun to eat.


    I knew that it was already way past breakfast time, but still, it pained me to think that he couldn¡¯t even check on me to know why I wasn¡¯t present.


    ¡°Morning, cupcake,¡± he said after dropping the ss of orange juice, his eyes fixed on the papers in front of him.


    I muttered a greeting and sat down. My eyes flew to the far end of the hall, where Julia always stood to wait or watch me, whatever she did, and surprisingly, just as I had told her, she wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you need something?¡± Maya questioned, her eyes following mine.


    I shook my head and began to eat, taking note of how disengaged Adams was with us, or me rather. Whatever was in the papers seemed to be important, as his brows were pulled together in concentration.


    I hadn¡¯t taken more than five spoonfuls of white porridge when I began to feel uneasy. I dropped the spoon and rested my body back onto the chair in afortable position. I could feel nausea slowly creeping up on me and I tried to remember if I had eaten something that my body was allergic to.


    I shut my eyes tightly, allowing the wave of nausea to pass and struggling topose myself. I couldn¡¯t afford to fall sick at the moment.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Maya said, making my eyes fly open to see her concerned face. It looked sincere that if I hadn¡¯t seen that letter or the garden incident, I¡¯d have been happy that someone cared about me.


    I nodded and managed a stiff smile, suddenly finding it hard to maintain my usual emotionless face. I was panting heavily now.


    Deciding to get some fresh air and throw some water over my face, I stood up without a word, for fear that I was going to throw up, and tried to walk to the bathroom.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± I heard Maya¡¯s voice, but it seemed so far away.


    My legs felt Ron heavy and I almost toppled over, but eased myself onto the wall for support. It was then that I felt two people by my side, my husband and his mistress.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m not,¡± I trailed off, trying so hard topose myself, but still couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Lilith, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Maya was saying, and I could see how her face wrinkled with confusion. Their voices sounded far away, and I heard Adams calling out for the doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯m.. I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not feeling well¡­¡± I trailed off as my vision blurred and my head swirled. They were saying something, but it sounded so distant, and they were looking at me with a mix of fear and worry.


    I was trying not to give in to the darkness. I wanted to tell Adams that I knew about him and his mistress and that I wasn¡¯t fooled, but no matter how hard I tried, the darkness was inevitable, and I finally fell into it, my husband holding me back in ce with his arms before I fell to the ground, his face being thest I saw.


    My eyes seemed so heavy and wouldn¡¯t open, no matter how hard I tried. I was hearing the whispers of people my brain couldn¡¯t quite ce. I had never felt this tired, weak and physically drained.


    Someone was stroking my hand. ¡°Please, Your Highness, wake up!¡± It was a familiar voice, but I couldn¡¯t quite ce a face on the voice, as my memories were all jumbled up.


    It was a female voice and immediately after, I began to hear the sound of choked sobs. She was crying because of me. Whoever she was, she must¡¯ve really loved me a lot.


    ¡°Whoever did this to you, they are going to pay, your highness¡­.¡± Her voice was lower this time around and I wished so badly that I could see the person¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sleep well, Your Highness.¡±


    I wondered why her voice became this firm, and it didn¡¯t seem like she was crying anymore. Instead, the voice sounded as though she was mocking me. Why would she be telling me to sleep well?


    Suddenly, I began to feel the little energy I had sapping away, my head feeling very heavy and my thoughts bing disoriented.


    Thest thing I heard before the ckout was receding footsteps. She had walked away, and I had a feeling that she had done something.


    ¡°Your Highness, can you hear me?¡± I had no idea how long I was out, but I still couldn¡¯t move my body, and neither could I open my eyes. I was getting weaker by the minute.


    The voice sounded familiar, and it was as if he was either talking on the phone or in the room with someone else.


    ¡°Do you think she can hear us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, your highness. Come, I miss you.¡±


    ¡°Not here. She¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°And? I¡¯m also here, your highness, my body craves you and your touch.¡±


    ¡°Someone coulde in here and see us.¡±


    ¡°When am I here? And you?¡±


    ¡°Not here..¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m bolting the door,¡± just as she had said, I heard the clicking of the door and knew that it had been shut.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    My heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces as my memories began to rush back to me.


    It felt like Raider all over again. But this time, with my second chance mate, who had promised and sworn and spoke about his love.


    I know the sound I am hearing now. The sound of a man grunting and the woman moaning. They were having fun, right in front of me. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were responsible for what was happening to me.


    I slipped back into the darkness again, ready this time around, to meet my parents. It was time for us to be reunited as a family.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± I heard this voice, it was Maya. I wondered if she had finished having fun.


    ¡°You have to wake up! Please!¡± She was wailing, the dirty pretentious bitch!


    It felt as though my body was being nudged. But I couldn¡¯t feel a thing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, mydy,¡± an unfamiliar voice said and, for some reason, I was d that they wouldn¡¯t have fun before me again as there was someone else in the room.


    ¡°Will she be fine, doctor?¡± I heard my husband¡¯s voice, but it was strange. It was very unlike the voice I heard earlier.


    While this one sounded concerned and worried, as if he was tired of it all, the previous one sounded carefree and rxed. He was either a good pretender or he had a personality disorder.


    ¡°The poison is a rare one and it¡¯s very effective. From my diagnosis, she¡¯s ingested this poison gradually over time. If it was given to¡­¡±


    ¡°Can she be cured?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to answer that question, your highness. The only thing I can say for now is that you should prepare for the worst.¡±


    So this was it. It was poison. Whoever wanted to kill me was very calcting. They must¡¯ve known that feeding me poison at once was going to arouse suspicion, so they decided to give me a little at a time.


    My head was whirring, and the darkness was calling out to me again. Although my eyes were closed, I could feel my surroundings, and it didn¡¯t seem so dark, but now, I had to give into the darkness again, something so terrifying.


    That was how I kept losing and regaining consciousness and hearing the different people that came to my room speak, most times, not recognizing their voices. For some reason, I could tell whose sympathy was sincere and whose wasn¡¯t.


    Maya and my husband, to the best of my knowledge, didn¡¯t have fun in the room anymore.


    ¡°Lilith,¡± I heard someone say, as soon as the door shut. It didn¡¯t sound like Maya whom I had thought, as she was the only one who called me by my name.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to live anymore. You¡¯ve gone through a lot and you¡¯ve outlived your usefulness. It¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡±


    My heart began to race. Whoever was behind the poisonings was back and was in my room, currently.


    I struggled to say something, but the darkness was overwhelming, and I finally slipped into it.

 His Queen!

    Adams¡¯ Pov;


    I paced in my office, pondering over my conversation with the doctor.


    The poison he had told me was used on her was from a rare tree, one I never thought still existed as my father, thete king, had burnt it down.


    The only thing that I had thought of was that the poison was obtained from another ce. But why was she poisoned? I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.


    I still kept reying the image of her, how she had fallen into my arms and struggled to say something. I wasn¡¯t going to just sit still and let all of this happen.


    The office door opened and Ronan stepped in, his eyes bearing a worried expression. I was waiting for him after sending it to him earlier. He was supposed to be meeting with the council members on my behalf, but I wanted to talk to him immediately.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he started, and then seeing the expression on my face, added, ¡°How¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡°Still the same,¡± I let out a loud exhtion as I thought about her. She was just the same as she had always been. She was unresponsive and, ording to the doctor, in a vegetative state, and even if she were to survive, the chances of her being normal were very slim. There was the possibility of her being a vegetable forever.


    I sat down on one of the plush leather office chairs.


    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡±


    I hissed, remembering my conversation with the doctor again. Doctor Ethan was allegedly the best doctor in the entire kingdom, even better than the royal doctor.


    ¡°Who do you suspect is responsible?¡± He sat down opposite me and I rubbed my forehead. If I began to call out the people, I suspected, I would call out everyone in the kingdom.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare poison. One thing I do know is that it hasn¡¯t gotten from this kingdom, at least not from here in the background.¡±


    ¡°Your brother has a lot of contacts outside this kingdom.¡±


    I chuckled softly. ¡°You think my brother is responsible?¡± A small sigh was expelled from my lips.


    ¡°What about the maid, Cara, was it?¡± It was weird that she had suddenly disappeared and, naturally, she was the first person I suspected, and I had ordered the guards and the head maids to find her.


    If she was poisoned, it had to be from somewhere else besides the food we eat together, as the meals were always tasted before consumption.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness. There is still no news as to her whereabouts. But I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the one. Instead, I think something happened to her¡­..¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± One of the guards barged into the office and my eyebrows knocked in confusion as I nced at him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± even as I questioned him, I had a feeling that something had gone awfully wrong.


    ¡°The Queen¡­she, she was¡­she¡­.¡±


    I dashed out of the room without allowing him to finish whatever he was saying. I couldn¡¯t bear it if something happened to her. I was always going to feel guilty.


    She didn¡¯t want this life, but now, she was pulled into it and had no choice but to ept it, and now, her life was in danger.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± I called out as Ronan held me back. The doctor was trying to stabilize her. It seemed that she had gone into shock.


    The heart monitor kept beating rapidly, as though it wanted to tten. I had never been more agitated than I was at that moment.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if she died. If only I hadn¡¯t saved her from Cassandra, then none of this would¡¯ve happened. She was going to be alive. I had only caused her nothing but pain.


    Suddenly, the heart monitor began to beat normally, and I sighed in relief.


    ¡°Your Highness, she¡¯s stable for now, but her condition has worsened¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I frowned. She was supposed to be better, not worse.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin this, your highness, but from my diagnosis, what I can say is that the poison was reactivated¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Doctor,¡± Ronan questioned, even before I could say anything.


    He cleared his throat as he stepped away from her. ¡°What I mean, Your Highness, is that she recently ingested the poison again, this time in arge quantity. I have tried to expel it from her body, but such arge quantity¡­¡±


    I was struggling to understand what the doctor was saying. ¡°You mean, she¡­¡±


    I was still talking when Ronan darted out of the room. My brows knitted in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean? That someone gave her the poison again, just now? That someone¡­¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t evenplete the sentence as it sounded unbelievable. How could someone possibly poison her again? There were guards stationed in front of her door.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying, your highness. And whoever did this wants her to die.¡±


    I closed my eyes and opened them, walking towards her and sping her palms with mine.


    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±


    He nodded and walked out. I nced around, wondering where Ronan had gone or if he knew something that I didn¡¯t. Perhaps that was where he had gone.


    I stepped out of the room, red at the guards and then sighed. Whoever must¡¯ve done this was someone close to her.


    ¡°Who was thest person to leave this room, before the arrival of the doctor?¡± Just as I asked, I realized that I had forgotten something important.


    The new maid she had assigned to herself was supposed to be by her side and, for some time now, I¡¯d gone to the room but met her absence there.


    ¡°Lady Crane, Your Highness,¡± one of them said, and my brows knitted in confusion.


    ¡°Lady crane?¡±


    Maya was everything, but not a murderer. I shook my head.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    They nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t believe it. I had taken Maya as a friend, despite the fact that she had made her intentions toward me clear. There was a time I used to be in love with her, until the incident.


    ¡°And before her?¡±


    ¡°The beta was here briefly. He left immediately.¡±


    ¡°Ronan was here?¡± Everything was definitely confusing.


    Now, what I was being told was that the only people who could possibly be behind this were Ronan or Maya.


    Just before I could walk away to go look for him, he appeared a few guards behind him.


    ¡°Your Highness..¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ronan?¡± My brows knitted in confusion.


    ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t tell you earlier as I wasn¡¯t so sure, but I believe it to be the truth now.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The maid that reced Cara. The one always following her highness everywhere¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, her personal maid, I can¡¯t find her, she should¡¯ve been in there. What is going on here?¡±


    He seemed to hesitate a while before speaking. ¡°I found out that the recement was ordered by you, not the Queen, which I found weird because I recall you once saying she had requested a recement¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not all. The thing is, I did some background check on her and she lied about a lot of things. She¡¯s not originally from here and her name is not Julia. She got a job here, from the rmendation of¡­your Brother..¡±


    ¡°Ben.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. That¡¯s the only thing I could find for now, I wanted to be sure before telling you, but with this new development, I have every reason to believe that she is responsible for what happened to the Queen. It makes much sense that way.¡±


    ¡°As the personal assistant to the Queen, she has every opportunity to poison her..¡±


    I cut in quickly. ¡°But why, I mean, why try to kill her? The councils are already calling for her dethronement. Killing her is going to be a waste..¡±


    ¡± There are lots of reasons. She¡¯s probably not useful to them or she¡¯s coteral damage or it¡¯s just to hurt you. Or there¡¯s the possibility that she knows something she shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And let me guess, you haven¡¯t found her.¡±


    He shook his head and a small sigh left my lips. ¡°The guards said thest person to leave this room was Maya.¡±


    ¡°Lady crane?¡± He furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Yes. And before her, it was you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said and I nced up at him. There was no way I was going to suspect my Beta. He was my most trusted friend and ally. I already felt bad for keeping the secret about the incident at the treasury away from him.


    ¡°I went there to look for her.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask..¡±


    ¡°I figured you should know.¡±


    ¡°I have to find Cara, as well as the other maid¡­¡±


    ¡°Find Maya and detain her for questioning. I was here with her earlier. I want to know why she came back.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she did this?¡± He questioned, exchanging a knowing look with me and I shrugged. It really didn¡¯t matter what I thought. All that mattered was that I didn¡¯t care who it was, I was going to punish whoever hurt my woman.

 Chance Encounter

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    It was as though nobody wasing to check on me anymore, not even Maya nor my husband, and my heart clenched at the thought that I had been discarded.


    Whoever had tried to kill me must¡¯ve either given up or thought that I was dead as there was still no attempt anymore. I had no idea whose voice I had heard, but I was sure it was Maya.


    She was the only one who would gain a lot from my death.


    While I was engrossed in my thoughts, the door opened and my nose caught a whiff of a familiar smell. My mother!


    But my wolf was already even more weakened than I was. How was she able to pick up such a scent, and how was it even possible when my mother was dead or was I also dead? Had the goddess finally decided to let me reunite with my family?


    ¡°Open your eyes!¡± It was the unmistakable voice that belonged to my mother.


    Mother! I tried to call out, but it felt as though something was holding my throat and preventing me from speaking.


    ¡°Lilith! Open your eyes. It¡¯s me, your mother.¡±


    I could feel the hot liquid from my eyes dropping. There was nothing I wanted more than seeing her face, seeing her smile and those honey-colored eyes as they twinkled whenever she smiled.


    If I had been dead, I should¡¯ve been able to open my eyes easily, right?


    ¡°M¡­ mother!¡± I croaked out, my voiceing out hoarsely as I tried to pry my eyes open.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, Honey, that¡¯s it, you can do it,¡± She urged.


    The tears kept dropping from my eyes as my eyes remained glued together.


    My eyes began to open, slowly at first, before fully opening and meeting hers. She grinned at me and I smiled.


    ¡°You did it.¡±


    ¡°Am I dead?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Why would you think that? Your father and I have been waiting for you for a long time. Raider will be here soon¡­¡±


    My brows knitted in confusion. It was then that I nced around to see that the room I was in was very familiar, it was my old room. My room is in my father¡¯s house in Green Forest.


    ¡°Why, mother, why are we here?¡±


    She walked towards me and ced a hand on my forehead. ¡°Oh dear, you¡¯re burning up. You have a fever. I don¡¯t think the engagement can be held today.¡±


    Engagement? What engagement and what is going on? What about the Alpha King?


    ¡°This is a dream.¡±


    ¡°Why honey? Do you want this to be a dream? I know you¡¯re very excited about the engagement. I was too, but it can¡¯t hold, with you in this state.¡±


    I shook my head. Something was terribly wrong. They were supposed to be dead and Raider was supposed to be with Cassandra.


    ¡°No, Mother! This is a dream! I¡¯m married to Adams, the Lycan king and Raider cheated on me. Alpha River betrayed our family.¡±


    ¡°Shh,e, child,¡± she pulled me into her embrace, patting me on my back.


    Just then, the door opened, and I didn¡¯t have to turn around to find out who it was. His voice gave him away. ¡°Lilith!¡±


    My mother turned around, and I skined slowly to meet his eyes, a lone tear sliding down my eye as I did so. Thest time I saw him, he was about to be executed and told me not to take revenge.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± His brows were furrowed in concern and I shook my head.


    I wasn¡¯t okay. I didn¡¯t understand what was going on. I knew that everything wasn¡¯t a dream. Raider had indeed betrayed our family, and I was married to Adams and my parents were dead.


    ¡°She keeps saying Alpha River betrayed us, and she¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s true! It wasn¡¯t a nightmare, it happened! This isn¡¯t real.¡±


    They exchanged looks and my father sighed. ¡°Dear, you were in an ident and were in aa for months. You keep getting memorypses now and then. Unfortunately, this is one of such times.¡±


    Tears flowed down my face. I couldn¡¯t believe anything they were saying. None of this was real!Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And honey, the Alpha king isn¡¯t Adams. It¡¯s Ben. Adams died a couple of months ago.¡±


    I gasped at my mother¡¯s statement. How was it possible that he had died so quickly?


    My father was saying something, but I wasn¡¯t listening. I was still trying to process what they were saying, that I had either dreamed or imagined it.


    ¡°Come dear,¡± you need to rest. My father held my shoulder and pulled me to the bed.


    Suddenly, I pulled away, startling both of them. ¡°No matter how badly I want, this is not true. This is just a dream!¡±


    Just as I said so, my father began to fade away. I nced around to see my mother fading as well. The room was also changing. My heart clenched tightly as I watched them leave.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± Someone called out from the mirror and I frowned before standing up to go see who it was.


    The voice wasing from the mirror and I trudged slowly towards it, my heart mming hard against my chest.


    My eyes seemed to nearly bulge out of their sockets when I saw her again.


    ¡°Lilith,¡± she said again and smiled. I was still in my room, but this had to be a dream, another horrible dream.


    She looked just like she had before, her silky fiery red hair spilling out of her red cloak and flowing down her shoulders.


    ¡°Lilith,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± My voice came out hoarsely.


    ¡°You.¡±


    I blinked rapidly, trying to understand what was going on. If this was also a dream, or was it real?


    ¡°You are my chosen one.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself,¡± she said, and disappeared from the mirror. I turned around to see if she was out of the mirror or finally gone.


    Something in the mirror caught my eyes and I turned around to see what was going on. A scene began to unfold before my eyes.


    Adams was groaning as though he was in pain as his wolf changed, it was tearing up other wolves and people to pieces. The sight was unlike any I had ever seen, and I didn¡¯t know when a gasp escaped from my lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I was visibly frightened, and it was evident from my voice.


    ¡°His curse,¡± the voice came from beside me and I sharply turned to stare at her angelic face.


    ¡°Watch,¡± she pointed at the mirror and I peeled my eyes away from her to nce at the mirror.


    Suddenly, there was a white wolf by his side and that seemed to alleviate his pain. It looked so much like mine, only that my wolf wasn¡¯t white. Most white wolves were blessed with the divine healing power.


    ¡°That¡¯s you, Lilith,¡± she said, and I nced at her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A Great War ising and you, and only you, can save the rest of your kind.¡±


    She sounded so serious, if not for that, I¡¯d have busted outughing. She was talking about me saving everyone, the same me that couldn¡¯t save myself. It was indeed fun.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. But it has to be done by you. Why else do you think I made him your second chance mate?¡±


    My eyes widened as I tapped at her. ¡°You¡¯re, you¡¯re the goddess,¡± I blurted out and fell to my knees.


    ¡°Arise, my chosen one,¡± she touched my back and I stood up slowly, still unable to believe that I was currently seeing the goddess.


    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t love me. His mistress¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in you. Of course, there are bound to be lots of obstacles in your path, but you should never give in to it. The love he has for you is one so genuine,¡± she exined.


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t convinced. I had read that letter, and I had seen them.


    ¡°But the letter..¡±


    ¡°There are lots of people who would rather see you both apart, than together, Lilith. It¡¯s up to you now, to know who your true friends are.¡±


    Then was Ben? No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°Adams was cursed with a power that could consume him and everyone around him. It¡¯s the only power that can stop theing war, but it¡¯s too much for just one person. There needs to be a bnce and that was why I found the perfect person. One with goodness in her heart, the light in the darkness, my chosen one.¡±


    I listened to her, my mind on only one thing. The war she had been talking about.


    ¡°What war?¡±


    ¡°The greatest war in your history. Watch,¡± she said, pointing to the mirror. Just then, something began to unfold in the mirror and I peeled my eyes away from her to nce at the mirror.


    My mouth hung open as I saw the most horrific events y out before me.

 Failed Plot

    Unknown POV;


    Lilith was either too strong a woman or She hadn¡¯t done a proper job. That poison was one that could take out ten strong men and the best part of it, was it had no cure, yet for some reason, she was still alive, although unconscious.


    In my short time alive, I knew never to think that something was impossible. After all, who would¡¯ve thought that my brother would end up as the king when he was the youngest of us, or that my father would die just as he had? So when I heard that the doctor had said that she wasn¡¯t going to live, I decided that it wasn¡¯t enough. She had to bepletely finished.


    When She told me that she had done the job, I told her to leave. It was better that way. After all, she was the only one who knew that I was responsible for it.


    She didn¡¯t want to leave, but I promised her that I was going to bring her back when I became the king, something I had no intention of doing. She had served her purpose and that was it. I was going to give her a small reward for her help, but the woman who would sit by my side was Maya. I couldn¡¯t weaken my hold by taking an Omega and one who knew so many of my secrets.


    I sat down, smiling as I expected the bad news to spread throughout the mansion any minute from now. Instead, there was nothing and I wondered why they hadn¡¯t found out.


    There was a small knock on my door and I guessed they hade to deliver the news, especially to me. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want any other person to hear at the moment. After all, her illness was still kept a secret from others outside the mansion. Something I had intended to reveal to the members of the council, but thought there was no need since she was going to die anyway.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I said, dropping the ss of wine I had been holding on the table.


    I heard the sound of the door opening and then shutting and turned around to see who it was.


    ¡°Maya?¡±


    My brows knitted in confusion as she was thest person I expected to see. After I had told her what to do, telling her that it was to get Adams to notice her, I had told her to never see me privately as it would spark rumors, especially after that incident.


    She had no idea the ns I had for her or that I loved her, but I made peace with the fact that she woulde to love me soon.


    She called my name and I chuckled softly. It¡¯s been years since Ist heard my name from her.


    ¡°Why are you here, Lady Crane?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be celebrating something. Is there a special asion?¡± Her eyes darted to the bottle of wine and my eyes followed her.


    I was indeed celebrating. I was celebrating the beginning of the end of Adams, but she didn¡¯t have to know that.


    The n was that Adams was going to fall apart after his wife¡¯s death and that would give me ample time to dethrone him. It was a simple and effective n. While he was busy mourning his wife, I would be busy with his dethronement.


    ¡°No, actually, I¡¯ve been worried. I just needed a ss of wine to think clearly.¡±


    She grabbed the bottle and looked at the name on thebel. She chuckled, dropping the bottle back on the table. ¡°Interesting that you need a celebratory wine to think.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I said after a long silence. Had she figured out something or what? If anything, she should be thanking me as I was aware that her likeness to the queen was fake. She hated the Queen and wanted what was the Queen¡¯s.


    ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what? Be more specific?¡± I plopped onto the sofa and tapped the space beside me. ¡°Come sit.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, thank you. Did you poison her?¡±


    ¡°You mean Her Highness?¡± my head popped up as I nced at her, studying her expression. ¡°Why would you even think of such? Do you think I¡¯m that evil? C¡¯mon! Maya!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think. I just want to be sure that it¡¯s not you, that you¡¯re not doing it because of me or something. You know, I don¡¯t even know why you¡¯ve been helping me.¡±


    I grabbed the ss of wine and downed it in a single shot and stared at her. ¡°You really want to know?¡±


    She nodded and I sighed. ¡°Very well. The thing is that I love you very much, Maya, and I know that you love someone else, but I can¡¯t bear to see you unhappy. I only want to help you fulfill your dreams as it¡¯s going to make you happy.¡±


    She looked like she was about to say something, but stopped short. ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered quietly.


    I nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m no killer and I certainly wouldn¡¯t kill my own brother¡¯s wife.¡±


    She stood up, and I watched her retreating figure as she walked out of the room.


    ¡°I will have you,¡± I said, just as she shut the door. ¡°Just you wait.¡±


    I heardmotions and what sounded like a woman screaming shortly after she left. I opened my door and darted towards the source of the noise to see Maya being grabbed by some guards. Ronan, the beta, was with the guards, and he seemed to be saying something.


    ¡°What is going on here? And why are you dragging her like that!¡± I barked, shooting Ronan a re. We never saw eye to eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, this is Alpha¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk to me like that!¡± I jabbed a finger at him.


    ¡°She¡¯s being taken for questioning in connection with the Queen¡¯s poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Is the Queen dead?¡±


    I realized my slip-up toote until he raised a brow at me.


    ¡°Do you want her to be?¡±


    ¡°No! Definitely not! I¡¯ve been praying to the goddess day and night for her healing. But this is not right. Lady Crane is a guest to this mansion and taking her, just like that, is going to bring some trouble. You know whose daughter she is.¡±


    Ronan muttered something iprehensible and then nudged the guards to take her away before turning to me.


    ¡°Thanks for your concern, I¡¯ll ry them to the Alpha.¡± He began to walk away, and I stood there, watching the woman I loved being held in chains and unable to do anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way, Lady Crane!¡± I shouted after them, hoping she would have heard me.


    There were tears in her eyes and it broke my heart. The thing was that I had no idea how to help her. I couldn¡¯t speak to Adams without raising suspicion, especially given our history.


    The only thing I could think of was to inform her father. He was the only one who could help her. Nathaniel Crane was known to never joke with his children and Maya told me that it took a lot of pleading with him before she could stay in the mansion.


    I dashed to my room and dressed quickly and in a few minutes¡¯ time, I was on my way to the Crane¡¯s family mansion. It was the second-biggest house in the kingdom, after our family¡¯s mansion, and Nathaniel was an influential member of the council.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Nathaniel.¡±


    ¡°You have to wait as he ¡­¡±


    ¡°Goddamit! It¡¯s important right now! It¡¯s about Lady Crane!¡±


    The guard looked like he was about to say something else before a baritone voice startled us both.


    ¡°Did you just say it¡¯s about my daughter? You¡¯re one of the Gregory brothers.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    It was Nathaniel himself and given how he looked, with his lips coated with fragments of the meal he was eating and a spoon in his hand, I figured out that he had heard about his daughter and that was why he had rushed out.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I began to introduce myself and then narrated everything that had happened.


    ¡°Bosco! Get the car,¡± he yelled, throwing the spoon aside and wiping his mouth with his palm as he hurriedly walked down the steps.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Bosco must¡¯ve understood the urgency considering the way he drove speedily to the mansion, making us reach there in record time.


    ¡°Where is the king?¡± Nathaniel yelled as soon as he entered the main house.


    Meanwhile, I had already slipped away. I didn¡¯t want anyone, especially Adams, to find out that I had gone to call Nathaniel.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    I spun around, just before I got to my room, to see our other brother, an unrecognizable expression on his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you. Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I was bing angrier by the minute and wanted him to go straight to the point.


    ¡°The Queen has woken up.¡±

 The Interrogation

    Chapter 31; The Interrogation


    Adams¡¯ POV;


    I was sitting quietly in Lilith¡¯s room, praying for the goddess to bring her back to me. I was weakened by the fact that this was my fault.


    I told the guards not to let anyone, no matter who it was, and that was why, when I heard a knock, I scrunched my face, wondering why the guards had disobeyed me.


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± I said upon seeing Ronan after opening the door.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I havee to inform you that Lady Crane is currently being held in the dungeon. In case you want to question her, right now.¡±


    I clenched my dust tightly to my side, I didn¡¯t want to just question her, although I never hit women, I was tempted to find this one and squeeze the life out of her neck.


    ¡°Did she say anything?¡±


    He shook his head and I sank back into the chair. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to say anything anyway. For some reason, I felt that Maya was going to keep denying it.


    She had the most reasons to poison her, the first one being that she was jealous. She must¡¯ve really wanted me that much to make her poison the Queen.


    ¡°What about the maid?¡± I questioned, remembering that when I had asked the guards when she was here, they had said that it wasn¡¯t long after we left.


    The maid was suspicious of running away and even more suspicious as she was the person closest to the Queen and the perfect person to poison her. Perhaps, through a ss of water or a small snack or anything.


    Also, the fact that she hid her identity was also rming. Why bother hiding your identity if you don¡¯t have something to hide?


    ¡°We¡¯ve not seen her yet. I think she¡¯s left the mansion, but I did find something interesting,¡± he said, handing a tablet over to me.


    My brows pulled together in concentration as I studied the information in front of me. My jaw clenched tightly, and I gripped the tablet tightly so that it looked as though it was going to shatter.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how surprised I was as well.¡±


    ¡°A financial analyst. Why is a financial analyst working as a maid?¡±


    ¡°Beats me. I¡¯ve been thinking the same too. The only conclusion I could reach was that she wasn¡¯t hired to just poison the Queen,¡± our eyes met, and my heart clenched tightly.


    I had been yed. The real mission really wasn¡¯t Lilith¡¯s death, it must¡¯ve been a way to distract me.


    ¡°Have you looked at the treasury? Is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± He pressed and I closed my eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness, What¡¯s going on? I tried to look through some things from the treasury¡­it appeared that you¡¯ve been spending lots of time looking through some files rted to¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you, Ronan.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± He whispered, and a loud sigh expelled from my lips.


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Everything, Ronan, Everything. I found out toote.¡±


    Ronan looked as though all the energy had been sapped out of him.


    ¡°Ben?¡± He questioned slowly and I nodded. I was unsure, but I knew that it had to be my brother.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to put the kingdom in turmoil, so I kept it to myself,¡± I said, even though that wasn¡¯t the actual reason I didn¡¯t tell Ronan. I had no idea what I didn¡¯t want to tell him.


    ¡°We should detain him, your highness. By the time I thoroughly question him, he¡­¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting the immunity he has.¡±


    That was one reason why my brothers got away with so many things. They could never be arrested due to the fact that they were royalty. Plus, there was the fact that I didn¡¯t have proof.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find proof. All I have to do is find She Troy and that¡¯s all.¡±


    I nodded, although I had the notion that we were never going to find her. This woman was smart, too smart to have deceived both Lilith and me.


    ¡°About Lady Crane,¡± he began, and I stood up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she did it.¡± It was a statement rather than a question and he nodded.


    I also didn¡¯t think she was smart enough to pull off something like that, although one could never tell. She was a jealous woman and, given our past, I believe she must¡¯ve either been indirectly involved or aware of what was going on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see her.¡±


    I walked briskly to the dungeon, my expression Stoic as I thought about Lilith. The doctor had made it clear that if she survived, it was going to be a miracle and that miracle was what I was counting on. He said that the poison had eaten deep into her, but something else he said gave me hope.


    Apparently, with the amount of poison in her system, she was supposed to have died, but she was still alive. That gave me hope that she was going to pull through.


    The dungeon was located at the far end of the property. We passed the cells of other prisoners and I heard them begging for mercy. I was dead to their pleas and the surrounding noise, as my only focus was to see Maya.


    Ronan led me to her cell, and he pulled the gate open. As soon as she heard the rattling of the door lock and chains, her head that had been buried between her legs snapped up, and she instantly fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Your Highness, I didn¡¯t do anything! I promise!¡±


    I stared at her, my fists clenched to my side as I studied her face. Her eyes held pain and her lips quivered due to the tears.


    ¡°Why did you do it?¡±


    She shook her head rapidly. ¡°I swear to you, I didn¡¯t do anything! I would never do something like that!¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you go back to her room?¡±


    ¡°I just. I just thought what happened to her was horrible, and I went to say a few prayers. You have to forgive me,¡± she said in between tears.


    ¡°Save your crocodile tears! You must think you could get away with it because you¡¯re a Crane,¡± I mmed my fist on the door, making her jump with fright.


    ¡°You colluded with my brother. Which of them?¡± I studied her face for anything that was going to give her guilt away.


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± She screamed now and I noted her agitation.


    ¡°Which of my brothers? Ben? What did he promise you? That you were going to be Queen?¡±


    She gasped. She was a Crane after all, and like the rest of her family, she was also power-hungry and if my brother had promised to make her Queen, then it was possible for her to do anything.


    ¡°I would never murder someone! You of all people should know that,¡± she sniffed and wiped the tears off her face.


    But she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Yes, I love you and I want you all to myself, but I¡¯m not so evil as to poison someone!¡±


    ¡°Did you also hire She?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who that is! Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know her name? Did you hire the maid?¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s no point saying anything when you won¡¯t even believe me,¡± she folded her arms and sat down just as she had earlier.


    ¡°Send words to my father. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not aware that his precious daughter is somewhere in a dark dungeon rotting away.¡±


    ¡°You think your father can help you out this time? You Cranes are funny. Since you keep denying it, I have no choice,¡± I turned to Ronan, who had been quiet since we got here.


    ¡°Make sure she remains here without food or water until she¡¯s ready to talk.¡±


    She burst out intoughter. ¡°I have nothing else to say. But then, I¡¯d love to know how everything unfolds. Oh, I wish the Queen a quick recovery, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Ronan called from behind me and I turned to him.


    ¡°The other maid, Cara, she¡¯s been found,¡± he whispered, and I nodded, giving Maya onest look before storming out of the cell.


    ¡°She was found unconscious at the edge of the town by the guards. She¡¯s currently receiving treatment now, but is yet to wake up.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. ¡°What do you think happened?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think they wanted her out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Let me know when she wakes up.¡±


    He nodded, and I opened the door to the Queen¡¯s room, letting out a loud exhtion.


    If Nathaniel Crane got wind of the fact that his daughter was being held here, all hell was going to break loose.


    Suddenly, something caught my eye and I rushed towards her, my face breaking into a smile as I confirmed that, indeed, her eyes had opened.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± her voice was hoarse, but her smile lit up her face. I had no idea that her smile was this beautiful.

 Awake

    Lilith POV;


    Immediately I opened my eyes, it felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulder. I had never felt so at ease in such a long time and, surprisingly, I felt energized. It must¡¯ve been because of the encounter with the goddess.


    Just then, I heard the door open and the running footsteps almost immediately.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± I croaked out, just as he approached me and, without further thought, embraced him.


    The goddess had shown me a few things, especially about how he had worried about me. He was really in love with me and didn¡¯t need me for any agenda.


    ¡°Lilith! You¡¯re¡­¡± he turned towards the door, ¡°Get the doctor!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think there was a need for that, but I said nothing, tears streaming down my face as I thought about how I¡¯d lost my life and caused him so much pain.


    ¡°Are you okay? Is there anywhere hurting you?¡± He nced at me, checking my body as though he was going to find injuries or signs that I was unwell.


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± He questioned, and I nodded, a smile ying on my lips.


    There was a slight knock on the door before it was opened to reveal his beta and another man who seemed to be in his fifties. I couldn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°Your Highness, congrattions,¡± Ronan said, bowing, and I nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Ronan. But where are my flowers? Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t bring anyone. Is that how sick people are being treated over here?¡±


    He exchanged nces with Adams, and I knew that he was thinking whether I was still okay, as I never even spoke, much more making jokes.


    ¡°Uhm, Your Highness¡­¡± his brows were pulled together into a frown.


    I studied his expression, a small smile ying on my lips.


    ¡°Your Highness, did you hurt your head?¡±


    My smile even widened as I shook my head, and faced the doctor, who quickly cleared his throat, and then bowed.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m Doctor Mark, and I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Doctor Mark is the best doctor in the entire kingdom, he is said to know exactly how to cure different ailments.


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    He nodded and began to examine me again, and after a while turned to Adams.


    ¡°This is a miracle! She¡¯s perfectly healed!¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    My smile widened.


    ¡°Doctor, are you sure? I mean, thirty minutes ago when I was here, she was still unconscious.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said this is a miracle. I have never seen anything like this in my thirty-three years as a doctor!¡±


    ¡°See, I just said I¡¯m fine,¡± I grinned again, and he nodded, but I could still see the uncertainty in his eyes.


    I stretched my legs, making him rush towards my side quickly.


    Someone was yelling outside, it was more as though the person was quarreling with some other person.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I frowned and Ronan stood up and walked out of the room. The doctor excused himself as well, and walked out.


    The yelling intensified, making me frown. I noticed Adam¡¯s displeasure as well.


    ¡°What do you think is going on out there?¡± I questioned, in an attempt to make a conversation. It was the longest conversation we had ever had, and this time around, I was doing much of the talking. I assumed that it was because he was surprised at my sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said startling him. He had not replied to me, but instead looked as though he was thinking.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­what are you sorry for? I should be sorry!¡±


    I smiled softly, ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry for everything.¡±


    I had been given a chance at life again but had botched it.


    ¡°Well¡­ I. I don¡¯t know what to say, Lilith, I don¡¯t even know if this is real.¡±


    I said nothing to that. It was all my fault. I had done nothing but push him away over the past month.


    We sat infortable silence. His gaze was averted, but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what all themotion outside was for.


    ¡°They said it was poison.¡±


    I nodded, and then smiled. ¡°At least, they didn¡¯t seed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get whoever is responsible.¡±


    I nodded again, but said nothing.


    I had asked the goddess, but she had said that it was for me to find out. Something about me trusting my instincts and having many foes instead of friends.


    There was a knock on the door. Adams frowned before moving towards it to open it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I heard him asking whoever it was.


    Whoever the person was, Adams didn¡¯t want me to see him, thus he whispered something I couldn¡¯t figure out to him, which made him mutter something abouting back quickly before dashing out.


    I suddenly had the urge to go out and check what was going on, but stayed back instead. I didn¡¯t think Adams was going to be too pleased about me being outside. Plus, I thought it was going to be better to keep my recovery a secret.


    I heard the sound of the door knob turning, and sharply nced in the direction of the door, my heart mming wildly in my chest as I suddenly had a bad feeling. Was the person who poisoned me back to finish up the job? Had the doctor told someone that I was awake? We didn¡¯t tell him to keep it a secret.


    ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness.¡±


    Those blue eyes which twinkled with mischief again! He was smiling. The words of the goddess came back to me. ¡®Friend or foe¡¯


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, stretching my hands to collect the daisies he bought for me.


    ¡°In ck Hound, the daisies are a symbol of good health.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I smiled, ncing at the flowers. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Always, what are friends for anyway?¡±


    I was tempted to ask him how he found out that I was awake so soon, but kept it to myself.


    ¡°The entire mansion was in turmoil when you were in Coma. I never saw myself as a spiritual person, but I never stopped praying for you.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Oh. Thank you. It¡¯s probably why I woke up.¡±


    ¡°My brother is doing so much to catch whoever was responsible. You¡¯re much more important than you think you are.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s all for show right, he doesn¡¯t love me,¡± I studied his reaction.


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not. He hasn¡¯t gotten what he wants from you. It¡¯s probably why he¡¯s arrested his lover. Her father is outside, currently causing amotion¡­¡±


    ¡°His lover? What? Who? Maya?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be talking a lot more than before,¡± he peered into my face.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t just heal physically, you also healed emotionally. That¡¯s interesting,¡± his tone sounded off, it was as though it had another meaning to it.


    ¡°His lover was arrested? Maya?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, Lady Crane was detained earlier today in connection with your poisoning.¡±


    I stood up immediately. I didn¡¯t trust Maya, but the voice I had heard was definitely not hers.

 Happy Moments

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    I figured that since Ben had already seen me awake and wouldn¡¯t keep it a secret, there was no need to be hidden anymore.


    I stepped out of the room with Ben closely behind me.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    I nced up to see one of Adams¡¯ brothers. I couldn¡¯t remember his name and wondered if he hade to the mansion because of what had happened to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re awake now,¡± he said, a small smile on his face, and I nodded.


    ¡°Thank you. Where is the King?¡± The voices sounded very distant and hushed.


    ¡°Oh, he is trying to solve themotion out there. Why are you out now, when you¡¯re supposed to be resting? Didn¡¯t you just wake up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been pretty insistent and wouldn¡¯t even listen to me,¡± Ben said, and I walked ahead of him, towards the mansion gate.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± I called, as soon as I got to the gate. He was in a heated argument with an older man. Ronan was by his side, saying something, as though to calm the king.


    He spun around immediately upon hearing my voice, a look of confusion on his face and when his eyes fell on the person behind me, he frowned and walked towards me, ignoring whatever the older man whom I suspected to be Maya¡¯s father was saying.


    He pulled me into his embrace and, even without seeing him, I figured that he would be ring at Ben.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He murmured and I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness. I¡¯m very fine, but you have to let Maya go. She didn¡¯t do anything and I don¡¯t want you to be in distress because of me.¡±


    ¡°Why is he here? Did he urge you toe convince me? Was that what happened?¡±


    I shook my head rapidly. ¡°No, no! It was nothing like that. When I heard that you were here and that Maya was detained, I came out to rify things.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I could hear each and every one¡¯s voice as they came to check me,¡± I then began to exin each voice I had heard and how they had sounded, purposely omitting the voices I had heard having sex in the room, which I had initially thought to be his and Maya¡¯s.


    ¡°It was my maid. The maid you assigned to me. So please, order the guards to let her go.¡±


    Ronan and Maya¡¯s father were looking at us now, and he grunted in satisfaction.


    ¡°Listen to the Queen, your Highness. She was the victim. If she says my daughter wasn¡¯t the culprit, then it wasn¡¯t!¡±


    I held his hand and looked at his eyes. ¡°I want us to start all over again. We had a rough start, but it doesn¡¯t have to continue that way. I¡¯ve decided to follow my heart and realized that it¡¯s you I love. I don¡¯t want to live in the past anymore.¡±


    He looked like he was just honking about it and I let him as we locked gazes for a while, and then he cleared his throat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t change your maid. In fact, I thought that it was you, and you couldn¡¯t stand being with me. That was why you told her to follow you everywhere. I couldn¡¯t say anything in order to not make you ufortable.¡±


    He turned to Ronan. ¡°Let Maya out of the cell.¡±


    Ronan walked towards the house and the man followed, his steps, depicting how desperate he was. Seeing him brought back memories of me and my father. He loved me like so.


    I made a mental note to apologize properly on Adams¡¯ behalf.


    It was when Ben cleared his throat that I realized that he was still there. I spun around and was about to say something. But Adams beat me to it.


    ¡°You might think you¡¯ve escaped this. But I promise you that you won¡¯t escape what¡¯sing to you.¡±


    I wanted to say something, but Ben chuckled, startling me. I had been expecting him to just deny it.


    ¡°Brother, these are all just threats. Empty ones. If you really want toe for me, make sure youe with proof,¡± with that, he turned around and walked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him! I don¡¯t want you hanging around with him.¡±


    I said nothing, noting that he was probably just caring about me.


    He held my shoulder and walked me back to the house and into my room.


    ¡°You need to rest.¡± He tried to get me toy down, but I sat up.


    ¡°Where is Cara?¡±


    ¡°Was it her voice you heard?¡±


    I shook my head. Cara was the only other person in this mansion that I had taken a liking to, and I wanted to know where she was in order to reinstate her back.


    ¡°Nah, that was Julia. I should¡¯ve suspected it. She was just too¡­nosy and everywhere.¡±


    He was smiling and I frowned. ¡°Is something funny?¡±


    ¡°This is the longest conversation we¡¯ve ever had. I hope it doesn¡¯t be thest.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t. And I¡¯m sorry for everything. I couldn¡¯t just die without being with my husband.¡±


    I paused and then continued. Although I wanted to keep it from him, since this was a fresh start for me, there was no point in keeping any secrets.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for ever suspecting you.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Given all that has happened to you, it¡¯s natural for you to doubt everyone¡¯s intention.¡±


    For some reason, I felt that he was holding back some words. He must have thought that if I suspected everyone, then why didn¡¯t I suspect Ben?


    ¡°But there is really nothing between you and Maya, right?¡±


    He furrowed his brows. ¡°Maya?¡± His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. ¡°You think I¡¯m¡­with Maya?¡±


    ¡°I found a letter and I found some of your behavior suspicious. But now that I think about it, it was probably nted.¡±


    He brought me up, so my line of vision was leveled with his. He held my cheeks with his palms, wanting me to look into his glistening blue eyes.


    ¡°Lilith, listen to me. I love you and only you, and I want you to know that nothing will evere between us, nothing!¡±


    As our gazes locked, it felt as though I was pushed into a strange new world in which only two of us existed.


    I leaned in slowly, closing my eyes and bridging the distance between us. I made to kiss his lips, and he kissed me back, it was gentle and tender and passionate. His mouth was hot against mine, his tongue stroking, delving and teasing.


    Just then, the door opened immediately and we pulled apart immediately. I heard him mutter a string of curses as he walked to the door to check who it was.

 Weird Happenings

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    I had never been happier anticipating breakfast, but I was because I hadn¡¯t seen him since he left my side after the kiss.


    It left me wanting more, so much so I could literally rush down to get breakfast done quickly and have him all to myself again.


    I let my thoughts run wild as I imagined what else could happen if we decided to go beyond the kiss. I shut my eyes and almost screamed out of excitement at the crazy thoughts running through my brain.


    The other maids had been taken for interrogation and I would have been left with one of the maids from the king¡¯s chamber if I hadn¡¯t asked her to wait outside.


    I didn¡¯t need any help at the moment and I also didn¡¯t want her to see me in my over-joyous state.


    On the bed was a flowing white dress, gotten for me by Adam. He had instructed the maid to give it to me, asking me to wear it, iming I would look really beautiful in it.


    It was well crafted with wool, adorned all over with precious stones and diamonds blistering like the sun itself all over it.


    I held it to my neck and walked over to the mirror to look at how I would appear in it. The edges of my lips curved into a smile at the beautiful woman I saw.


    ¡°Is this me?¡± I asked myself. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I could recover from the shock of my past, but here I was in Adam¡¯s house, living the life I didn¡¯t dare dream of.


    It all felt unreal, and I was moved to tears. ¡°Everything will be fine from now on,¡± Lexi assured me as she stirred.


    Putting on the dress, it was even more beautiful than I thought it would be. It hugged my body, showing my curves. Anyone who saw me would look twice to confirm if I was real.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    The diamonds shone brightly, gracing my skin with so much light, I was speechless.


    There was a silver ne and other silver bracelets wrapped neatly in a small piece of clothing.


    While picking up the lipstick, I didn¡¯t notice there was a de in the bag. ¡°Aaash!¡± Only when it cut me did I wince in pain, withdrawing my hand quickly.


    I looked at my hand, to check the spot I had been cut. At first, it felt like I was dreaming, but on a closer look, I realized that I wasn¡¯t.


    The pain I felt had disappeared and there was no cut or mark on the spot where the de had cut me. ¡°How the f*ck is this possible?¡± I asked, staring at my finger.


    If I had not been the one who experienced it, I would have assumed it was a lie. There was no scar or mark or anything that could prove I had just gotten an injury, I no longer even felt any pain there!


    My brows pulled into a frown as I was sure that I had cut my hand.


    I put my hands into the bag again and searched for the de carefully among the other contents in the bag. My fingernded on its sharp edge again after searching for a while, but I was more careful this time so nothing happened.


    My face instantly became white, and I could feel my blood pump backwards at what I saw. On the sharp edges of the de there were traces of thick red blood-my blood.


    I had indeed cut my hand, but somehow, it had either healed up or I was hallucinating.


    I could have stayed in the room all day, wondering and sighing. Or I could have kept staring at the de like a precious object, cooking up different theories to exin what it was that just happened, but I couldn¡¯t.


    The sound of the wall clock reminded me that it was almost time for breakfast and I didn¡¯t want to bete for it.


    I had to hurry down, but there was something I had to do first.


    It felt stupid, but I was going to do it anyway. I cleaned the de on the piece of clothing the ne and bracelets were wrapped earlier, and held it up.


    My hands trembled as I looked from the de to my palm. Slowly, I brought the de forward. Time seemed to stop as the de moved through the air till it got to my palm. It cut through, and I winced at first as the cold de made contact with my skin.


    I screamed after, throwing the de down in the process. It skidded off to somewhere in the room, but I was too shocked to know where. I had knocked the bag off the table in the process also and everything in it was scattered on the ground.


    The de had cut my hands and blood was spewing out of it but, in the space of a second divided into a million ces, the cut had miraculously closed off on its own. My mouth hung open as I watched the skin glue together miraculously.


    I had experienced some strange things and have heard of miracles and magical tricks, but I had never experienced or heard of something this surprising.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± the door opened quickly and the maid, with two heavily armed guards, rushed in. They must¡¯ve heard the bag tter to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said quickly as they rushed to my side. I was panting raggedly, like someone who had just done a marathon. My fingers trembled, and my lips quivered despite how hard topose myself as goosebumps flushed over my skin.


    I simply pointed to the bag. ¡°Just take care of this. I¡¯m going to have breakfast now,¡± and walked out of the room in a hurry, scared that they were going to find out what had happened andbel me as a monster.


    Just before I got to the dining table, I stopped to catch my breath and calm my trembling body. The goosebumps had disappeared, and I was left with a pounding heart.


    When I knew that I was totally calm, I walked into the dining room to meet my husband waiting, all smiles.


    ¡°You look marvelous, my Queen,¡± Adams said, startling me. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t know when I reached the dining table.


    ¡°Are you alright? You look pale,¡± he questioned, peering into my face, and I smiled softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± There was no way I was telling him about what just happened to me, at least, for now.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be convinced, but said nothing as we began to eat.


    He kept shooting asional nces at me, which I pretended not to notice.


    My thought was about what was currently happening to me. I had no idea if it was because of what the goddess had told me or something else.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to see the doctor? You don¡¯t look well, or don¡¯t you like the food?¡± He asked, breaking my chain of thoughts, and I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, my love. The food is delicious.¡±


    He nodded, even though it was visible in his eyes that he didn¡¯t believe me.


    I could almost not eat the food before me as my mind wasn¡¯t at rest. After struggling for a while, I stood up, making him stare at me like he was seeing a ghost.


    ¡°I would like to go to my room now, I¡­ I have some things which require my attention.¡± There was no way I would tell him I needed to get some rest, or I was feeling tired. He would want to know what was wrong, and I didn¡¯t have an answer for that.


    He was sad. It was obvious from the way he squinted his eyes and sighed. He nodded his head slowly and stood up also.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to your room then.¡± He signaled to the maids to clear the table as we both made our way up the stairs.


    As we got to the entrance of my room, I turned to open the door but stopped as his voice reached my ears. ¡°You know you can always talk to me about whatever it is that is bothering you, right?¡±


    I turned back to face him before stretching a little to deliver a light kiss to his lips. With that, I opened the door and went into the room before bolting it from behind.


    As soon as I heard him leave, I looked around for the de but couldn¡¯t find it.


    The room had now been cleaned, and the bag was sitting peacefully on the table.


    I first checked it to know if the maids had found the de and put it in there but was disappointed when I didn¡¯t find it.


    It took a while before I found it lying under the bed, still stained with my blood.


    As I bent to pick it, I heard a voice and straightened up immediately. I made sure to lock the door when I entered the room and there was no way anybody would get in, so who was it?


    ¡°In the months toe, you will discover more about yourself and the power that lies in you.¡±


    The voices suddenly spoke and went silent again.


    ¡°Goddess, is that you?¡± I asked, but there was no response. It was just me, all alone.

 Confirmation

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Cas.¡±


    Her mouth hung open, her eyes boring straight into mine.


    ¡°You..¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t take etiquette sses? You don¡¯t know how to greet?¡±


    Her very full lips, which looked like they¡¯d been imnted with silicon, curled up into an ugly frown.


    ¡°Why are you here and why ¡­ . never mind that. I¡¯ll take it up with my maids.¡±


    She was still in a daze as she stared at me, probably surprised at my sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°How is Raider? Still foolish as always?¡± I nced at the mirror and looked away quickly, a bit disappointed that I couldn¡¯t get to ask the questions I had in mind to ask. She had already gone.


    I had no idea how to contact her if I had anything to ask, but since she had appeared to me via a mirror twice, then it was the way to also summon her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I missed your wedding. It would¡¯ve been nice to see trash getting married to trash,¡± I walked towards the plush sofa and plopped onto it.


    ¡°Why are you here, Cassandra? You couldn¡¯t greet your queen. I should tell the guards to show you how to.¡±


    She gasped with disbelief. ¡°You¡­you¡­you really changed.¡±


    That answered my question. There were spies in the mansion, and they had probably told her that I had been sick and had now woken up as a changed person.


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t. If I had really changed, I¡¯d have ordered the guards to throw you out of here a long time ago.¡±


    Seeing her brought back my pent-up emotions and I clenched my fist tightly. I was going to get my revenge, but for now, I had to y it cool. It¡¯ll only get worse if I act rashly.


    Her lips parted, but no words came out. I could see her struggling toe up with what to say.


    I already had a mental note of whom I wanted vengeance on, and she was a part of them.


    ¡°I came to see you. I heard you were on your deathbed,¡± she finally said, her eyes directed away from mine.


    ¡°Oh, you heard from whom? I¡¯m really curious to know who went to meet my enemy.¡±


    She gasped and chuckled slightly, sitting on the edge of the bed, directly opposite mine.


    ¡°Your enemy? Lilith, you must have really been near death.¡±


    ¡°Lilith,¡± a deep sigh expelled from my lips. I had already made peace that nothing would bring back my parents or change what they had done to me, but there really was no way I was going to let her go like that.


    ¡°Why are you here, Cassandra?¡±


    Her eyes bored into mine. ¡°You might think you¡¯re something because you¡¯re a Queen now. But to me, you will forever be my ve.¡±


    I clenched my fist to my side and swallowed hard. I was breathing heavily now and my fist tightened, and my fingers pressed into my palm and I feared that it was going to draw blood.


    ¡°You will bow before me as your Queen, now!¡±


    There was silence for a while, then she burst outughing.


    ¡°Why did you change so much? It was better when you were so¡­¡±


    ¡°Bow, Cassandra.¡±


    I walked towards the door, not knowing the names of the maids and not wanting to say anything.


    ¡°Get in here,¡± I said to the guards, just as I opened the door.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She stood up, and I could see the fear beneath her expressionless face.


    ¡°Throw her into the dungeons.¡±


    I smiled widely, peering into her face. ¡°A few days in there would help you reflect on your crimes.¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± She screamed, trying to free herself from their grasp.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let me fucking go! Do you think doing this will make me regard you as a queen? Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Take her away. This noise is disturbing!¡± I nced at her sweetly again.


    ¡°Oh, and make sure to feed her well. I heard she came to see me.¡±


    ¡°You think Raider will let this slide? My father will¡­¡± She was still ranting before the guards dragged her away.


    I bolted the door as soon as everyone left and walked quickly to the mirror.


    ¡°Goddess!¡± I said softly and waited for a while. There was no response.


    ¡°Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Please, I want to talk to you.¡±


    There was a knock on the door and I groaned. I really didn¡¯t want to see anyone.


    ¡°goddess!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the person by the door called, and I sighed deeply, taking onest look in a mirror before walking to the door.


    ¡°Ben,¡± I opened the door to allow him entry, a small smile on my face.


    ¡°You were having a nap?¡± His eyes looked as though they were searching for something before sitting on the sofa.


    I sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°What have I missed for the one-week plus that I¡¯ve been away?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Not a lot. The mansion was in turmoil, we were all praying for your quick recovery.¡±


    I studied his features, noting how there was a certain sadness hidden under his smile.


    ¡°I heard that it was a rare type of poison. I wonder why someone would want to poison you.¡±


    ¡°Not a lot of people like me. You know, being an Omega and the fact that my parents werebeled as traitors, a fact I intend to change,¡± I stood up and walked to the window.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have my vengeance and I¡¯m going to prove my parent¡¯s innocence.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ very interesting. Let me help you do that,¡± he offered, and I turned around to look at him sharply.


    ¡°Thank you. But I want to do this on my own. In the meantime, I want you to keep an eye on Maya and the king.¡±


    The goddess had told me that I would be able to differentiate between my friends and my foes. Considering what I had heard from Julia a few weeks ago and the fact that Ben was the one that had nted the idea of them being together with me.


    I hadn¡¯t heard from her since her father came to collect her the day before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, My Queen,¡± he promised, and I smiled. I already had a n, and he had to be a part of it.


    ¡°Oh. I know. I forgot to inform you. I had Cassandra Haines arrested this morning.¡±


    I saw the look of sheer joy on his face before it was reced by a small smile. It was the most real smile I had ever seen on his face.


    ¡°How, you? What happened?¡±


    ¡°She came here and disrespected me. She should be d that I didn¡¯t really punish her.¡± I studied his face.


    There was something I wanted to find out. Adams had told me about the Council¡¯s n to dethrone me but had assured me that he wasn¡¯t going to allow them. Apparently, it was his brother¡¯s n and he suspected Ben.


    Arresting Cassandra was going to definitely cause a stir between both the Green Forest pack and the Silver Crest pack with the ck Hound pack and turmoil between Adams and the Council, as well as an opportunity for the brothers to take the throne.


    I knew that and wanted to get a reaction out of him. Just as I had suspected, he was happy about that fact, knowing its repercussions.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re doing this! You seem like a real Queen now!¡±


    ¡°But Adams spoke about the council trying to dethrone me,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°Nothing will happen, trust me,¡± he grinned widely, his eyes gleaming brightly.


    I smiled, finally confirming everything I needed to know.

 At The Training Ground

    Lilith¡¯s POV;


    Immediately after Ben left my room, I walked out and entered the room just before mine.


    She spun around quickly upon hearing the sound of the door opening.


    ¡°Cassandra.¡±


    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you prefer I throw you in an actual cell?¡± I walked towards the bed and sat there.


    Before she left, the goddess had shown me a vision of Cassandraing here, and just before I sat down, I had told the maids quietly that the guards should not throw her in the dungeon, but instead in the room next door.


    ¡°You bitch!¡±


    I chuckled. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to keep her in the dungeon and create chaos.


    ¡°This is yourst chance, Cass. You¡¯d better be careful.¡± I stood up from the bed and walked to the door, leaving her mouth hanging open.


    As soon as I got to my room, I halted in my tracks upon seeing someone whose back was turned to me.


    The redhead looked familiar, and I squinted my eyes before widening them and rushing towards her, making her notice my presence.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Cara!¡±


    We said simultaneously and without further thought, pulled her into my embrace before pulling away from her after remembering that Ronan said she had been injured.


    ¡°Are you okay now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Your Highness, I¡¯m sorry for leaving you.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I heard what happened to you. Come, sit. Whoever did this to you has to be punished,¡± I led her to the edge of the bed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I peered into her face.


    Her eyes were averted.


    ¡°I was sent on an errand and on my way, I don¡¯t really remember, but thest thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital. They said I had been unconscious for three days.¡±


    I nodded, noting how her tone held how hurt she was.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And who sent you on this errand?¡±


    ¡°Abby, one of the other maids. She said it was the head maid¡¯s order.¡±


    I ced a hand on her shoulder and peered into her face. ¡°I promise you, Cara. I will get vengeance on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Very fine, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Good. I want to reappoint you as my personal maid.¡±


    Her smile widened. ¡°Thank you so much, your highness.¡±


    Later that day, I went out to see Adams, knowing that he must probably be worried about how I had left that morning.


    The guards at his door told me that he was at the training ground and that brought back memories of how I used to train with Raider back at the mansion in Green Forest.


    A few guards and maids walked me to the training ground and I watched as some of the soldiers trained.


    The king was at the far end, sparing with his beta. His arms rippled as he flexed his muscles. His forehead was glistening with sweat.


    I smiled as I watched him, suddenly feeling the urge to train as well. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t dressedfortably as I was wearing a dress.


    As soon as he saw me, his eyes lit up, and he was distracted for a moment, making Ronan win their game. He chuckled and strode to meet me.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯m sorry for leaving the way I did.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I figured you just needed your¡­¡± he was talking, but my eyes were fixed somewhere else.


    I was watching one of the guards spar with another and his skill was superb. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± I pointed at him and he followed my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a new recruit. He¡¯s good, right?¡±


    I nodded. He was perfect and I wanted to meet him.


    ¡°I want to train with him.¡±


    He nced at me sharply. ¡°You want to train?¡±


    Iughed loudly, making some of the soldiers nce at me before looking away.


    ¡°I was going to be a beta, of course, I had to train. I wasn¡¯t just some girl. I was a warrior.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. I just realized that I don¡¯t know a lot about you.¡±


    I began to tell him how Cassandra hade by and how Ben reacted when I told him about her visit.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to slip up pretty soon,¡± he assured me, and I believed him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here to train tomorrow.¡±


    I turned and was just about to leave when strong hands grabbed my arms and I spun around toe face to face with his hard chest, his towering height, making me seem like a dwarf.


    ¡°I love you, Lilith, and I¡¯m going to make sure nothing everes between us.¡± He cupped my cheeks with his hand.


    My eyes were fixed on his lips and Lexi melted just by looking at his eyes. His lips looked inviting and tempting, and I wanted nothing more than to taste his lips.


    He leaned closer and my heart began mming hard against my chest even though we were outside and there were lots of people out there, the only person I could focus on was him, and it felt as though we were the only people in the world.


    His lips were close to my ear, making me shiver in a good way.


    ¡°Will you¡­ move back in?¡±


    I had been expecting him to ask that for a long time now, or I was going to tell him.


    ¡°Too soon?¡± His face fell, and he quickly masked it with a smile.


    A grin broke out of my face. ¡°Yes! Yes! I thought you were never going to ask.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Ronan walked towards us, making us pull away from each other. From his expression, I knew that whatever he had to say was important.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± he bowed as he nced at me and I nodded.


    ¡°I have news from Green Forest.¡± His tone was firm, and I knew that it wasn¡¯t good.


    Had Cassandra said something?


    ¡°Alpha Rivers is dead.¡±


    That was very unexpected news. Alpha Rivers had been very healthy thest time I had seen him at my mating ceremony.


    ¡°Does that mean¡­¡±


    I gasped. This meant that Raider was now an Alpha and Cassandra was a Luna. How interesting.

 Almost

    Adams¡¯ POV


    It was only a matter of time before word spread that the new Luna of Green Forest pack was captured in my pack. Everyone would believe it was my order and would scold me directly, not knowing I didn¡¯t order it.


    But it didn¡¯t matter, I would take my wife¡¯s side any day. It wouldn¡¯t take long before Raider came rushing to challenge me over keeping his wife in custody.


    My gaze met Lilith¡¯s and I could tell from the look on her face that she was shocked- truth is, everyone was.


    ¡°Do you know what caused his death?¡± I shifted my gaze to Ronan, who stood straight.


    ¡°The cause of his death is not known, but considering the state he was in some weeks ago, the whole setup seems suspicious.¡±


    I concentrated my attention on the floor, watching tiny ants move slowly all around me. I raised up my head to say something, but he cut me short, he must have known what I wanted to say.


    ¡°It is best to stay out of issues concerning their pack, my king, considering the strained rtionship the queen has with them.¡±


    I reasoned with what he said and decided to heed his advice. ¡°Release Cassandra, make sure she gets back home safely.¡± It was better having friends than foes.


    Not like Raider being Alpha meant he would be my friend, but avoiding a war over something so small was mandatory. Especially since my brothers were still nning to take over the throne from me.


    I looked at Lilith and couldn¡¯t tell if she was hurt by my decision. She looked at me and smiled, a smile which set my heart aze. I knew she wanted revenge, which was probably why she had Cassandra arrested in the first ce.


    But all that should be put away now, as we were no longer dealing with an Alpha¡¯s son and his wife, we were now dealing with an Alpha and his Luna.


    If the council also got to know about it, it could spark agitations and turn into a blown out war, one I had been trying to avoid as much as possible.


    Although some of the men in the council served me, they were secretly loyal to Alpha Rivers. Now that he was dead, there was every possibility that they¡¯d swear their loyalty to his son.


    I also couldn¡¯t get off the feeling that Ben had a hand in all that was happening. His closeness to Lilith had been rming, at this stage- it was better to be safe than sorry.


    Lilith began to walk into the mansion and I followed behind immediately. I dyed speaking till we got into our room. ¡°You aren¡¯t angry at my decision, are you? I did it s¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand why you did it. I¡¯m not blind to all that is happening. Alpha Rivers death, Raider bing Alpha amidst all¡­ I get it. You are worried and concerned about my safety, but I assure you, I¡¯ll be fine. She held my hands in hers and moved closer to me, bridging the gap that stood between us.


    The truth is, aside from being the Alpha king of the pack, I was just like every other man, except that the love I had for her was a force which made me vulnerable around her.


    I ended up staring into her eyes, so much so, every other thing in the room disappeared.


    ¡°There are two things which can make a person drown. Do you know what they are?¡± I moved my right hand to her face and grazed her cheeks softly with it.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± she gasped, surprised by my question. She was probably wondering what sort of man I was.


    My left hand suddenly developed a mind of its own and held her waist, bringing her closer than before to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ water?¡± Her lips curled up as I felt her hands move around my neck.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know, tell me already and stop the teasing.¡± Her white teeth shone brightly like a diamond exposed to sunlight. The sound of the giggle which escaped her lips filled my heart with joy and I melted inside me.


    ¡°Your eyes, Lilith¡­ your eyes.¡±


    She no longer chuckled as her gaze became serious. I would have thought she hated my words due to how fast she removed her hands from my neck, but smiled when I saw what she did next.


    She covered her cheeks with her hands to hide the blush which settled in her and I smiled inwardly, knowing just how much my words had an effect on her.


    I turned to go, suddenly remembering I had something important as urgent I should get to. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight, my love, at dinner. There are some things which require my urgent attention. Take care of yourself till then.


    I had hardly taken two steps when I felt her hands in mine, stopping me from moving forward. The grip was firm, it was almost impossible to break away from.


    ¡°Do you have to go?¡± She pouted her lips stubbornly, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her expression. I turned slowly and almost burst out inughter at the woman before me.


    She looked like a jealous wife who wouldn¡¯t let her husband go out, fearing he would meet another woman.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t go now, matters could escte more than they are now. I promise to get back early, just for you, my love.¡± I leaned closer and gave her a peck in her cheeks.


    She didn¡¯t flinch or move or refuse, she just stood smiling sheepishly. I turned to go again when she dragged me back. It all happened so fast, the next thing I felt was her lips on mine.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    The heat was so high that I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I had been waiting for her to say yes, to finally give herself to me. Everything about her actions screamed yes right now, and I wouldn¡¯t wait another second to have her- to im her as mine.


    I deepened the kiss, swallowing her lips with mine and before lifting her up to take her to the bed. My wolf danced crazily inside me and was on the verge ofing out when a loud knock on the door interrupted.


    I would have ignored it and continued if not for the voice I heard. It was Ronan¡¯s and it seemed urgent.


    ¡°My lord, your attention is needed in the courtyard at once. We just caught a spy, sneaking out of your office.¡±

 A Surprise For Dinner

    Lilith¡¯s POVC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I hissed, realizing there was no way I could make him stay.


    The news we just heard was more than enough to make him leave the room without batting an eyelid.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go. I¡¯ll make up for this, I promise.¡± He stood up and went towards the door. I sat up on the bed, hearing his footstep and that of Ronan move down the hallway.


    A tingling sensation ran through my skin as my brain reyed his touch and the kiss. My lips shivered as I touched them with my hands, wishing the intimate moment we had never ended.


    It wasn¡¯t my first time. I had done it-all of it before with Raider, when we were still madly in love with each other or rather, when I was still madly in love with him.


    Doing it again with Adam made those feelings and sensations which I kept bottled up all this while feel new to me. How long I sat there thinking of the short interesting moment we just had, I can¡¯t say. But time must have gone quickly, so much so that when Cara came into the room, it was to inform me that dinner was ready.


    I giggled, remembering his words. He said he¡¯d be back by dinner time, which meant that he was already waiting at the dining table. I frowned, feeling betrayed somehow. He should have at leaste to see me when he came back.


    ¡°All that doesn¡¯t matter now, just go downstairs to have dinner with him so that we can get to the main part.¡± Lexi danced crazily inside me, already in a different world.


    A smile crept onto my face as I realized she was right, why get all angry and pissed off when he was just down the stairs, waiting for me. Who knows, he would wee me with open arms the moment he sets his eyes upon me.


    ¡°Cara, what do you think I should wear for dinner today?¡±


    She looked at me with a shock stered all over her face as if she didn¡¯t expect me to make such a request. She became flustered and tried to speak, but the words just didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t k¡­ know your high¡­ highness. What would you like to wear?¡±


    My lips curved into a smile which spread across my face. ¡°Something simple but you know¡­ hot.¡± I winked at her, and she giggled, putting her mind at ease.


    She went to the wardrobe in the room and opened it wide. It was filled with so many dresses, it made me wonder who would wear all this?


    I sat down on the bed, watching patiently as she searched.


    After searching for what seemed like eternity, she found a dress, a beautiful one, which caught my attention. It was a long purple gown which hugged the body from the boobs, down to the hips, revealing the shape of whoever wore it.


    From the hips down to the foot, it swept the floor with its huge ir. She helped me get into the dress and I smiled satisfactorily. It wasn¡¯t tight, but it exerted just the right amount of pressure to make Adam¡¯s thoughts go wild.


    Immediately I finished getting dressed, we went down the stairs. I had hardly reached down when the smile on my face wiped like it had never been there.


    Who I saw took my breath away. But not in a good way, it was rather in a way which made me feel uneasy and ufortable.


    Sitting at the table were his brothers. Not just one or two, all three of them. To make matters worse, he was not there.


    How could I be so stupid! I screamed inwardly. How could I forget that his brothers were around, and we hardly got a minute of privacy at the dining table.


    I had dressed in such a beautiful way to impress him, but him not sitting at the table made me worried, not for myself but for him. Where was he?


    It was toote to turn back. Even if I wanted to, the dress wouldn¡¯t permit me to do so quickly without calling an unwanted attention.


    His brothers¡¯ eyes, all three of themnded on me and I felt like a sheep in the midst of three bad wolves who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shred me to pieces.


    The way they looked at me and feasted their eyes on my body made me feel naked-exposed to not just them, but to the world.


    Their mouths were opened, and their lips failed to seal the crumbs and remains of food in their mouths. They were obviously surprised by how good I looked. I bet they¡¯ve never imagined me this way.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± what a pleasant surprise. You look ravishing, I could almost not recognize you.¡± Ben stood up and walked up to me, holding his hands out. ¡°Please join us for dinner.¡±


    I looked around one more time for any sign of Adam or his beta, Ronin. I could have rejected Ben¡¯s hand and his dinner proposal, but I decided against it. What hurt could dinner with my husband¡¯s brothers do to me?


    So I took his hand and he led me to a chair by his side. He pulled the chair out, and I sat down amidst bows and chants of ¡°your highness,¡± from the other brothers seated.


    I was surprised, as I always thought they addressed me formally, because Adam was always present. Even in his absence, they didn¡¯t call me by my name or acknowledge my presence casually, which made me ask myself again, what if they didn¡¯t hate me that much?


    I settled down on my seat, my heart thumping hard against my chest. It took all the self-control in the world to stay out as I kept having a feeling of being watched.


    Cara came close to me and whispered into my ears. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t hurt you, your highness, none of them will. They would risk the wrath of their brother, the Alpha King.¡±


    Hearing this, I rxed a bit on my seat and proceeded to eat the food before me when one of them asked a question which put me off bnce.


    ¡°So¡­¡± he began. ¡°Just how was a weak and worthless Omega from the Green Forest pack able to seduce the almighty Alpha of this pack-my brother.¡±


    I looked up, to see who spoke and all I saw in the pair of green eyes staring directly into my soul, was hatred.

 The Thief

    Adams¡¯ POV


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± I asked, looking into the face of the tiny man before me.


    He was clothed in a ck catsuit, one which stuck to his body. A pair of ck gloves were present in his hand which were tied to the arm of the chair.


    His eyes were darkened, and his face had no expressions visible on it, almost like he was lifeless, yet living.


    I was certain he heard my question although all he did was look into my eyes with a weird smile on his face.


    Earlier, when he was caught, I ordered him to be brought to the execution room, an undergroundyer beneath the building.


    In his hands were a few documents and papers which, when checked, contained the financial records of the pack and some other legal documentation.


    ¡°Do you think we are here to y a face-game with you? Uhn?¡± Ronan screamed at him, hitting him across the cheek with a plier dangling dangerously in his hands.


    I heard a bone crack, like the man had broken his neck or was it a jaw? I really couldn¡¯t say. His face spun to the side almost immediately and blood spewed out of his mouth.


    He was silent for a while and I thought he was dead. If he died, it would make getting information about who sent him and what his mission was, impossible.


    Suddenly, a smirk appeared on his face and he began tough wildly like a mad wolf as he slowly raised his head up. How hard the hit on his face was, I really can¡¯t say, but his eyelids had burst and blood was streaming down his face.


    His lips were in a worse state than his eyelids. The lower lip was barely hanging down, held by a few strands of tissues, almost detached from the rest of his body.


    I was certain the pain passing through him was unbearable, yet he still managed tough like it was nothing. Just how much was he paid that he was willing toy down his life?


    ¡°Youuuu-aaaall-aaaare- foooools,¡± he said.


    Ronan was on the verge of losing his patience. He moved forward to deliver another hit to the man¡¯s face, but I stopped him just in time.


    If I had not stopped him, the man¡¯s face would be in a worse state than it was and there was no telling if he would survive it.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He retorted to speak instead, but his expression revealed that he wasn¡¯t pleased with the way everything was going. ¡°Mind your words, thief! You are before the Alpha King.¡±


    He spoke with so much hatred that I couldn¡¯t help but think he was taking the matter more personal. I shook the thought off my mind and decided to take a different approach to getting the truth out of this man.


    I have had experiences with others like him and one thing which wasmon among them is the fact that they would never sumb to threats or torture.


    I moved forward and crouched on my knees before him so that I could get a better view of his face while I spoke to him. ¡°There¡¯s no way you can escape this, just name who sent you and I may let you go. There¡¯s no use dying for the sins of another.


    The smirk on his face cleared, and he looked straight into my eyes like he was trying to peer into my soul. I instantly felt weird as my wolf danced crazily inside me.


    Who is this man, and what was he doing to me?


    He stopped looking at me and faced the ground. Ronan just stood curiously behind me, waiting for what it was that would happen next.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked the man.


    ¡°I have no name,¡± he whispered, gasping for air. The hit had finally taken its toll on him, and it wouldn¡¯t take long before he passed out due to the blood he was losing.


    He tried resisting arrest earlier and was beaten mercilessly by some of the guards present there. If there was any chance of him escaping this, it was slim, and I was certain he knew it.


    I wondered what was going through his mind. Whoever it was that hired him toe into my office to steal these documents was trying to clear out any evidence I might have against them.


    Funny thing was, I didn¡¯t have any evidence that pointed to anyone.


    I sighed, realizing this was going to be more difficult than I thought. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say your name, it¡¯s fine. Just tell me who sent you or else I won¡¯t spare you your life.¡±


    ¡°My life¡­ uhn.¡± He brought his face forward and resumed looking at me the way he did before. ¡°What use is my life?


    I was surprised by his question. Did he really not care if he lived or died, or was it just a way to make me stop questioning him?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you value your life?¡± I asked him in a bid to clear the doubts and answer the questions running in my head.


    ¡°There is no value to this life, Alpha king. You may think you have all the power in the world, but in the real sense of things, you are just like a puppet, tossed from side to side between different forces without knowing what it is you truly desire.¡± He rxed back in the seat, watching me as the effects of his words made goosebumps roll all over my skin.


    His words made no sense, and it got me confused.


    ¡°These forces you speak of, did they hire you?¡± I demanded from him.


    ¡°The forces that push me to do the things I do have no hands and legs. They don¡¯t think like men, neither do they behave like gods. They don¡¯t speak like we do, but their will must be obeyed, either we like it or not.¡± He burst into another round ofughter, coughing out blood.


    ¡°Stop speaking in riddles and go straight to the point!¡± Ronan yelled. ¡°Who sent you?¡± He dropped the plier and picked up a hammer from a table not far away.


    He got closer to the man and raised the hammer up before bashing it onto his left foot. I made no effort to stop him this time as the man screamed.


    The hammer not only smashed his foot, it destroyed it, breaking every bone inside it to pieces. The man stopped screaming after a while and began to cry.


    He eventually became quiet and bent his head, closing his eyes.


    ¡°I will ask you one more time, who sent you?¡± He didn¡¯t answer or move. I stood up and pushed his head, and it fell back like a piece of paper.


    ¡°Get me water, now!¡± I ordered Ronan, who was gone and back in a jiffy. I poured water on the man, but he still didn¡¯t move. Putting my fingers on his wrist, I felt his pulse, and it dawned on me, he was dead.

 Dinner Chills

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    His eyes, his voice and everything about him made me almost puke out my intestines in disgust.


    Who was he to question me in such a way? I should have known it was all a pretense, and he didn¡¯t see me any higher than a helpless animal, none of them did.


    I had known since the first day I saw them. From the way they looked at me, to the way they spoke to me and reacted whenever I was around.


    What if the poison attack was from one of them?


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I dropped the spoon of food in my hands and focused on him, well aware that the other brothers, alongside the guards and maids present in the room, were watching me.


    ¡°You heard me Lilith, I am not repeating myself.¡± Whatever Raoul was thinking I didn¡¯t know, but it was definitely not good. He never really liked me from the onset. I always knew it was only a matter of time before he made his true intentions towards me known.


    I knew he was able to speak now that Adam was not around. I instantly decided to leave the dining table and stay there till Adam came back.


    I attempted to stand up when I heard Ben¡¯s voice beside me.


    ¡°Come on brother, give her a break. Your highness, please stay for dinner, forgive my brother.¡± He sent me a quick smile before continuing the food before him. I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore as my appetite was now gone.


    Although, Ben seemed to take my side and thest brother didn¡¯t care much about what was going on, there was no way I could trust any of them, not after remembering that they all wanted the throne my husband sat upon.


    I decided to leave, as sitting down to watch any of them question me in the weirdest of ways would do me no good.


    ¡°As much as I would like to stay, I can¡¯t. Enjoy your dinner, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± I stood up and began to walk to the stairs, followed by Cara.


    ¡°Oh great, you¡¯ve chased her away,¡± I heard Ben say.


    ¡°What do I care,¡± Raoul began. ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong here. Bl**dy opportunist.¡±


    I hurried up the stairs, not looking back for once. The moment I got into the room, I shut the door and rested my back on the door.


    ¡°My queen, please let me in.¡± I heard Cara call from behind the door. I knew she cared, but I just wanted to be alone.


    ¡°Go Cara, I will call you when I need you.¡± I didn¡¯t want her or anybody around me for now.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t touch your food. Should I get you something else? You can eat it in your room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry Cara, really. Just get back to your quarters, I can take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°If you say so mydy,¡± I heard her reply before walking away.


    It began to rain heavily, and I went to the window and looked outside. Droplets, moved by the wind came in at irregr intervals, making my body wet.


    Tears, mixed with the rain, dropped from my face into my mouth. I let it flow as I remembered Raoul¡¯sst word. If only my parents didn¡¯t die, I would never have had to live this life I live now.


    My skin became cold, and I shivered, but I stood still by the window, determined not to move an inch. My mind drifted to Adam and I became worried.


    Where was he? Why wasn¡¯t he back yet? He promised to be back by dinner, but he didn¡¯t show up.


    I walked away from the window and got out of the gown I wore. It was already wet from the raindrops, so I dragged it to the bathroom and left it there.


    Opening the wardrobe, my eyes scanned the length and breadth of it, searching for something suitable to wear. My eyesnded on a free short gown which stopped right above the knee.


    A nce at the clock showed that it was just a few minutes after seven pm. I moved to the bed andy on it-chest down, feeling its smooth texture on my skin.


    My mind drifted to what happened at the dining table, and it made me wonder why his brother would behave like that to me. I was aware they didn¡¯t like me, none of them, but why say such awful things?


    ¡°They were trying to get to you,¡± Lexi spoke, jolting me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked her, curious.


    ¡°At first, they would have made sure to remove you as the queen if you had remained gullible and behaved like a puppet. Realizing that you have changed, they were probably looking for strategies which they could use to get to you and Adam,¡± she replied.


    I remained speechless for a while, thinking of what she had just said.


    ¡°But how?¡± I asked. ¡°How were they nning to get to me?¡± I rolled over on the bed, facing the roof.


    ¡°It would be a crime to speak or disrespect any member of the royal family, things would get even moreplicated in your case because of your background.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ how would it affect Adam then?¡± I sat up, realizing there was more to the agitation from these brothers than I knew.


    ¡°He would support you and wouldn¡¯t want you to get punished. Who knows, he might even forgo the crown just to be with you. He loves you that much.¡± She became silent, leaving me to my thoughts.


    If I had spoken out of line to any of his brothers at the dinner table, they would put it to me as a crime against a royal member of the pack and if the case is presented to the council, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to dethrone me as the queen, especially since they have had it in their agenda before.


    I stood up from the bed and walked to the mirror, hoping to see the goddess again. I was getting fed up with the constant issues before me and I hoped to get a solution from her.


    ¡°Goddess, I need to see you.¡± I waited, watching the mirror, expecting to see her beautiful figure, but all I saw was my own reflection.


    I closed my eyes and tried again, certain she would be there when I opened them. ¡°Goddess, please appear. I need to talk to you.¡± A mighty wind suddenly blew in through the window, knocking down something in the process.


    I smiled, happy that she had answered me, only to open my eyes and see nothing, except a cup and pieces of paper scattered on the ground.


    Exhausted, I walked to my bed and closed my eyes. I had hardly slept for a minute when the door opened.


    I jumped up rmed but became relieved as I saw who it was that came in. It was Adam.


    All my worries disappeared as I was happy to see him but wanted to stay mad at him, just to see his reaction. I jumped off the bed to face him, but something was off about him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you show up for dinner? I waited for you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply and simply ignored me totally like I wasn¡¯t there. I tried to take his hand in mine, to ask him what was wrong, but he flinched, making me stop on my track.


    ¡°Go to your room!¡± He ordered, his voice colder than ice.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

 Too Late For Pleas.

    Adams¡¯ POV


    What made me speak the way I did, I don¡¯t know.


    I regretted it, of course, knowing she had been waiting for me. Yet all I did to reward her patience was a cold greeting, one colder than the wind with the rain outside.


    I continued walking towards the wardrobe, to get a change of clothes as she watched me from behind in silence.


    I wish I could give her the attention she needed right now but various thoughts were swirling around my head like a tornado and my mind wasn¡¯t at rest.


    The face of the dead man whom I had questioned earlier kept popping before me like a holographic screen.


    His final words before he gave up, the ghost continued ringing in my head like a broken siren, giving rise to an unrelenting migraine, sworn to see my end.


    That was not the first time someone died before me. I am the Alpha King, for crying out loud, I¡¯ve seen many deaths. What made this particr one special, so much that it disturbed me, remains a mystery.


    I picked up a long, ck, flowing robe and disappeared into the bathroom, avoiding Lilith¡¯s gaze. I¡¯m not ready for an encounter tonight.


    Not like she would take my odd behavior personal and rant, but it was best to keep the matters at hand to myself, for now.


    I sat in the bathtub and turned the shower on. Cold water sted from it, hitting my body with full force, but it didn¡¯t help my situation.


    I had hoped to wash away my worries with the water but, eventually, I got tired of sitting in the bathtub and got out.


    I cleaned up, wore the ck robe, and opened the bathroom door.


    Immediately I entered the room, I saw Lilith, still standing at the exact spot I left her. She was now staring at me with a concerned look, sketched all over her face.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°You left in the middle of our intimate moment, the first since our wedding. I understood because it had to do with matters concerning the well-being of the pack. You promised toe back before dinner. I waited, but you didn¡¯t show up. I understood because I know you had your reasons. Youe back sad and tired, probably angry. I asked what was wrong, but you insisted I go to my room, ignoring me after it like I didn¡¯t exist. If I didn¡¯t love you or cared for you, I wouldn¡¯t bother about these things. So please Adams, tell me what is wrong. I¡¯m worried about you-and for us.¡±


    She concentrated fully on me and began to walk slowly towards me. Each step she took made my heart beat harder. She was hurt, and I knew it, yet I couldn¡¯t stand the pain in her voice or the tensed feeling around us.


    ¡°There was a time I lost hope and thought I would never smile again, but you gave me a reason to look alive and bring out the best in me. It seemed as though my life would end, but you gave me a reason to keep living.


    If you truly love me as you im to do, then you should be able to tell me what it is that is in your mind. Where is the man that left me a few hours ago? I need him. Talk to me now, my love. Let me lighten the burdens which rest on your shoulders.¡±


    I heard her voice loud and clear, but I wasn¡¯t concentrating on anything she was saying. She was now very close to me with only a few steps standing between us.


    ¡°Leave the room! Now!¡± It came out as a roar, the opposite of what I wanted it to be. Now she would see me as a crazy person and might never trust me again.


    She froze as the words hit her like a million bricks thrown from the sky. Her opened mouth, frozen in time and space, her widened eyes, red with veins clearly visible all around it, her facial expressions said it all.


    A deeper look into her eyes made me realize something was also wrong with her, like she had been crying.


    Shock.


    A sigh.


    Her eyes closed as tears welled around them with her head nodding slowly, before she turned around to go out.


    ¡°Lilith wait¡­¡± I stretched my hands to hold her back, but it was toote. The door mmed into its wooden frame, making dust particles fall from the roof.


    I stood there, angry with myself. She was long gone. How long I was transfixed to the spot I didn¡¯t know, but it sure seemed like a long time.


    Now I knew I was in a lot of trouble, I had just sent away the only person that truly loved and cared for me.


    In haste, I ran after her and went out into the dark passage. I almost couldn¡¯t see anything at first, but my eyesight became clearer due to my wolf abilities even without the help of the dimly lit candles which aligned the surrounding path.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± I yelled her name, but there was no response. I walked slowly till I got to the entrance of her room and froze at who I saw.


    Those pair of green eyes were too familiar to not be recognized even in the dark.


    He was looking through the keyhole of the door to her room as if spying on her, and it got me enraged. Who gave him the right to do so?


    Suddenly, I ran towards him, and sent him a kick under his belly. He fell to the ground and began to cough. He definitely didn¡¯t expect an attack.


    He stood up immediately andunched himself at me, but I was quick, and I threw him with a swing to the back. He was now enraged as I didn¡¯t let him see my face yet and charged towards me with so much strength, but I kicked him in the belly and he fell down.


    He struggled to see, still holding his belly where I had kicked him. The moment he saw my face, he frowned.


    ¡°Adams.¡±


    ¡°Raoul!¡±

 An Unexpected Visitor

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    I woke up the next morning feeling really sad.


    How I had entered my room to sleep, despite the surrounding emotions the night before, I still didn¡¯t understand.


    I remember being heavy-hearted as I cried, walking down the hall. Thest thing I remembered was darkness, then everywhere began to spin, and I just passed out.


    So how did I get here?


    Just then, a soft knock sounded on my door and I stood up to get it.


    ¡°Mydy,¡± Cara greeted, bowing her head. ¡°I was worried about youst night. I¡¯m so d you are okay.¡±


    The genuineness in her voice gave


    ¡°Come in.¡± We walked into the room and I sat down on the bed as she stood before me.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you are hungry, right?¡± she asked, walking closer to me. ¡°I made sure to prepare your favorites myself this morning while the kitchen maids worked on the main course.


    At the mention of food, my stomach grumbled. I touched it as a slight pain passed through it, remembering I had not eaten anything since the previous evening.


    ¡°The Alpha asked to see you this morning, he wanted you to join him for breakfast. He¡¯s waiting at the dining table with¡­¡± she paused.


    ¡°With whom?¡± I demanded from her, knowing she was hiding something from me.


    ¡°Never mind your highness, let me prepare your bath.¡± She turned to go towards the bathroom, but I held her back, dragging her closer to myself.


    ¡°You will give me an answer to my questions, Cara, or this will be thest time you will take my orders.¡± I watched her closely as my words settled in her mind.


    She went on her knees immediately and began to beg. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mydy. I just didn¡¯t want you to reject your meal like you did yesterday because of those he¡¯s eating with.¡±


    Immediately she said those words, I knew who it was or rather, who they were-the people she was speaking of. But I wanted to hear it from her lips.


    ¡°Who is at the dining table with my husband, Cara?¡±


    She faced down, not wanting to see my face when she said their names. ¡°The king eats with his brothers at the dining table.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ okay. I guess that wasn¡¯t so hard to say.¡± She nodded and looked at me in a rather suspicious way. ¡°Cara?¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ yes mydy.¡± Her teeth were chattering like she was suffering from a cold even though it was a little bit after eight am and the sun was already in the sky.


    ¡°Aside from my husband and his brothers, who else is at the dining table?¡± My heart was beginning to beat fast as her expressions scared me greatly.


    ¡°You won¡¯t want to hear it from me mydy, it¡¯s best you found out yours¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to hear from you Cara. Who is it? I was on the verge of losing my temper now as every word I said came out with a force fueled by anger.


    ¡°It¡¯s A¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s who Cara?¡± My heart beat was very fast now as the suspense she was putting me through was overwhelming.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Raider.¡± She let it all out.


    Barely twenty-four hours after his father died, he was already an Alpha of his pack, my former pack.


    My ex-fianceing this early to see my husband could mean so many things. Was it because I held Cassandra in my custody? I released her immediately after.


    Was he here because of matters concerning the pack? I can¡¯t say, especially since I wasn¡¯t dining with them downstairs.


    Or was he here to rub his new title in my face and make me jealous?


    These thoughts and more moved around my head like a roller coaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I blurted out.


    Cara turned to me in surprise, holding my hands immediately in hers.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mydy, you have to eat. The Alpha king would have us hanged if his wife wasn¡¯t fed well. It would be a disgrace to his majesty and to the entire pack as well. You didn¡¯t eat dinner yesterday, and you wouldn¡¯t eat breakfast this morning. How do you expect me to exin these to him?¡±


    ¡°I decided not to eat. You wouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± I tried to assure her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°You just do not understand your highness!¡± She held my legs immediately and began to plead. ¡°Forgive me your highness, I didn¡¯t mean to shout at you.¡±


    I understood her emotions and her feelings. They were servants, after all, with no hope for a better future, always at the mercy of their king or lord to do as they deem fit.


    Each pack had different rules and regtions. Some of the rules in this pack were still strange to me and I couldn¡¯t agree more with her when she said they would be hanged if the Alpha were to find out.


    ¡°Please, let me bring your food for you. I would feed you if need be, get you more food if you want, cook something different if you do not like what is prepared, whatever you want my queen, but please, you need to eat.¡±


    Tears were visible in her eyes now, and I couldn¡¯t help but pity her.


    ¡°Bring the food,¡± I replied in a soft, calm voice. I would eat.


    ¡°Thank you, mydy.¡± She hurried out of the room, beaming with joy as I walked to the window, happy I could have put a smile on her face.


    The sun was shining brightly, spreading golden hues across the garden below. The trees moved along with the gentle morning breeze and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the beauty of nature at its peak.


    I turned, to freshen up and wait for my food, when I heard grunting noises from the ground floor.


    I doubled back and looked down from the window to see a group of soldiers sparring with themselves. An interesting fight was going down between a huge soldier and a smaller one.


    The bigger one seems to have the upper hand but not for long. The smaller soldier dodged a blow from the big soldier and instead,nded a blow on his torso, making the bigger soldier fall to the ground, holding his groin in pain.


    Everyone cheered for the smaller soldier, lifting him up on their shoulders. I smiled happily, watching the soldiers jubte till our eyes met.


    I gasped when I realized who it was they were celebrating. It was the same man I saw the day before at the training ground, but this time I didn¡¯t see a man. I saw something different, like it was a girl, a really beautiful one.

 Stubborn Cara

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    At first, he was smiling. The moment he saw the change of expression on my face, the smile faded away, and he demanded to be dropped by the soldiers carrying him up high.


    No one seemed to understand what had just happened except us and I intended to keep it that way for now.


    Cara came into the room, with two other maids. They all had tes of covered food on the massive trays they carried.


    They set the food down on the bed and left one after the other except Cara, who came to stand by my side, close to the window.


    She must have noticed the change of expression on my face and asked, ¡°is anything the problem, your highness?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want her to discover what I had just seen. It was best to keep my mouth shut till I knew the truth about the female soldier dressed as a man.


    I thought of asking her to invite him upstairs to my room, but there were a lot of spies and people who didn¡¯t mind their business within the mansion walls.


    I wouldn¡¯t like bad things toe upon myself or the soldier. There are no actions without a reason, and I was determined to find out the reason behind this man, or, rather, this girl¡¯s action.


    ¡°Uh¡­ no. I¡¯m okay.¡± I walked over to the bed and opened the tes of food one after the other. My mouth salivated at the aroma and the sight of the food before me.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Each te contained a sufficient amount of different meals, ranging from chicken to vegetables to rice and many more I didn¡¯t recognize.


    I wondered just how much food was cooked that made me entitled to as much food as this.


    ¡°I brought this all for you, mydy. Since you didn¡¯t eatst night, nothing will please me more than seeing you eat your fill.¡± She brought a chair and a table and ced it by the side of the window.


    ¡°You have been standing by the window a lot. I guess you are enjoying the view.¡±


    I was truly enjoying the view, and I was trying to find the person I saw earlier with my eyes.


    Sitting down on the chair, she took an empty te and began to serve different food into it till the food was stacked up high, making me fear for my belly afterward.


    I wanted to tell her that it was too much but knowing Cara, she would insist I eat to be healthy.


    I cut a piece of meat, threw it into my mouth and closed my eyes as its crisp and juicy taste filled my tongue till it slid down my throat, doing justice to the hunger in my belly.


    ¡°Do you like the food, your highness?¡± Cara asked, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± I was too immersed in the food to answer her properly, so I mumbled a reply.


    ¡°Have you eaten Cara?¡± I asked, shifting my face from the food towards her.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, your highness. Your satisfaction is my priority. I¡¯ll eat with the other maids in the kitchen when you are done.¡± She moved from my side towards my bed.


    ¡°Cara.¡± I called her, and she halted the moment she heard her name, turning back abruptly.


    ¡°How may I help your highness?¡±


    ¡°Get a chair and join me. Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    She stretched her hands almost immediately, her palms facing me. ¡°Your highness, I can¡¯t eat with you on the same table. I¡¯m not worthy of such an honor. Besides, if Alpha k¡­¡±


    ¡°It is a crime to me to reject your queen¡¯s request. Even if the Alpha finds out, nothing will happen because I wished for it.¡±


    My words didn¡¯t do much to persuade her, but she didn¡¯t have a choice. If I wanted it, she had to obey.


    One of the reasons I wanted her to have breakfast with me was to get information from her about the things happening in the mansion.


    She was still the only person close to me whom I could trust a bit. Getting her to supply me with essential information spread among the maids and the other servants would keep me up to date and would help me tread with caution.


    ¡°Sit down Cara, you have nothing to worry about.¡±


    She finally sat down, keeping her hands to herself, her eyes in every other ce except mine.¡±


    ¡°Eat Cara.¡±


    She nodded without a word and took a te, helping herself to a good size of the food. We ate for a while in silence till I decided to make my true intentions known to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Cara, and I feel you are the only one I can trust in this ce.¡±


    She stopped eating and looked at me. ¡°Why my queen? Why are you scared?¡± I could tell from the look of her face that she was genuinely concerned about my safety. She had always been that way from the beginning.


    ¡°No one seems to like me as the queen. From the king¡¯s brothers, to the council, to the guards and even the maids¡­¡±


    ¡°Some people like you, my queen.¡± She stopped, realizing what she had just done and knelt down immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you, your highness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not offended, Cara, I am rather interested in what you have to say.¡±


    Her eyes lit up as she realized she wasn¡¯t in trouble, and she sat back up quickly. ¡°There are some people in this mansion who not only like you, your highness, they love you¡­¡±


    Her words made me curious and all I wanted to do was hear more. My mind drifted to the other day when I overheard some maids talking about me, so what suddenly changed?


    ¡°¡­ truly, not all of them like you as some of them¡­¡± she came closer to me. ¡°¡­ prefer to see the Alpha king¡¯s brother, Raoul on the throne.¡±


    ¡°So who are those that like me?¡± I asked, waiting for names.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    The door barged open just as she was about to speak, and he walked in, staring at us.

 An Awkward Invitation

    Adams¡¯ POV


    The moment Ronan informed me that Raider was in my pack, and he wanted to see me urgently, I jumped off my bed with every trace of sleep vanishing from my eyes.


    What exactly did he want?


    As the cold water sshed on my body from the shower, I knew the day was going to be more crazy than normal.


    I walked down the stairs, followed closely by Ronan and another guard, and met Raider sitting by the dining table in a discussion with my brothers.


    Was he here because of Cassandra? She had been released already, and I made sure no harm came to her. For someone whose father just died, didn¡¯t he have a lot of work to do in his pack?


    ¡°Your highness!¡± They all said in unison as they stood up except Raoul, who seemed indifferent.


    Ronan¡¯s hands had curled into a fist, and he was about to walk up to him to scold him when I put my hands on his, making him stop in his tracks.


    Raoul was intentionally looking for trouble, and I wasn¡¯t ready to give him any of that this morning.


    ¡°I heard your father, Alpha Rivers, died yesterday. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t send my Condolences early, I was quite busy.¡± A chair was brought out by Ronan and I sat at the head of the table.


    ¡°I understand my King, being the Alpha king of this pack and every other one is quite tasking. Which is why the mostpetent men are always the ones serving. I believe you arepetent for the job, aren¡¯t you?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    There was this look of sarcasm on his face as he said those words. I caught sight of my brothers chuckling, and it angered me, but I was not going to fall for his trap this morning. That was exactly what they wanted from me.


    Ronan was on the verge of losing it, but I looked at him from the corner of my eye, making him calm down a bit.


    ¡°What brings you to my pack this morning, Raider? It¡¯s not like there are no issues at hand which you need to see to in your pack. What Alpha leaves the affairs of his pack and people and roams about like a stray dog?¡±


    He frowned at my statement and wanted to say something but stopped when he saw the fierce look on my face and on that of Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°I came to give you this.¡± He stood up and handed me something that looked like an invitation card. Rather than collect it from him, I motioned for him to stop.


    ¡°Read the contents of the card to me, Raider, or is it too much work for you to do?¡±


    He was shocked by my statement, but the shock was soon reced by a weird smug.


    ¡°Reading it wouldn¡¯t be necessary, my king, I know what is in¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Read it, word for word, now!¡± This little game of ours was getting interesting, and I was willing to continue with it for as long as possible.


    He gulped, then opened the card. ¡°This is to invite the Alpha king and his Luna Queen and every member of the royal household to the coronation ceremony of Raider Smith as the next Alpha of Green-forest pack, stated to be held in the next three days at midnight under the full moonlight.


    ¡°So you came all the way from your pack to hand me a piece of paper? What sort of jobless Alpha are you?¡± By now I was fuming with anger and there was no telling what I would do to him.


    ¡°You need to calm down brother,¡± Ben¡¯s voice broke through, and I diverted my gaze towards him. ¡°It¡¯s too early in the morning for all these emotions, let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    I wanted tosh at him, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. I may dislike him, but he was my elder brother, and he was right, it was too early to get angry.


    The maids began to serve the food till the long dining table was filled up. I saw Cara passing by, then called her. She was probably going to see Lilith, and it made me realize just how much I had missed my wife.


    ¡°My king.¡± She bowed her head the moment she got to my side and I whispered into her ears.


    ¡°Get the queen down for breakfast.¡±


    After she left, I caught sight of Raoul eating without a care in the world and a sudden anger rushed through me as I remembered what happened between us the night before.


    shback:


    ¡°Why were you spying on my wife through the keyhole of her door? Don¡¯t you know she is your queen?¡±


    ¡°She is not my queen and neither are you my king, Adam. And you said I was spying uhn. You should be grateful to me.¡±


    ¡°Grateful to you? For what?


    ¡°For saving the life of your beloved wife and helping her get to her room safely while you stay in your room being the fake king you are. Who knows what you did to her that made her leave your room in such a way?


    His words cut deep into me and all I wanted to do was hit his head at least seventy times on the wall in seven minutes. He was so confident and didn¡¯t look or feel bothered by my words or the fact that I was losing my patience.


    I closed my eyes and waited for a while to calm down before speaking again. ¡°What happened and why are you here at this time of the night?¡±


    He continued staring at me with his eyes popping out of his eye socket and his veins visible on his neck.


    ¡°I was walking down the hall when I heard the banging sound of the door. That was when I saw her. I could have ignored her since it wasn¡¯t my business, but she was crying, Adam, crying! I stopped and continued watching her till suddenly, she began to move from side to side like a drunk woman, clutching at her chest like she was in severe pain. I got curious and decided to follow her before she passed out. If I was not there, she would be lying on the cold floor, probably with an injury on her head. Yet, you use me of spying on her rather than thank me for saving her, shame on you.¡±

 Drooling

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    ¡°Adams, why would you barge in like that? What if I was in the middle of something personal?¡± I was shocked beyond words by the way he walked into the room. Yes, he was the Alpha king and could do whatever he wanted, but courtesy demanded he knocked first.


    I became furious, and it was evident in my face.


    He didn¡¯t say a word, rather his gaze shifted to Cara, who had sprung up to her feet with hands trembling like she had touched a live wire.


    ¡°I¡­ I would take my leave now, your highness,¡± she stammered, walking to the door with unsteady steps.


    ¡°My lord.¡± She bowed hastily as she got to his side and almost stopped, but continued when he didn¡¯t reply.


    Closing the door silently, she left the room, leaving us alone.


    Seeing his face made me remember the way he spoke to me the night before and all I wanted to do was order him out the same way, but I couldn¡¯t.


    My poor heart couldn¡¯t bear to speak harshly to him as his gaze locked onto mine, making my wolf, Lexi, stir like a possessed wheel inside me.


    ¡°You should stop Lexi,¡± I scolded her. She seemed to obey for a while before breaking into a state of total madness I had not expected.


    ¡°Lilith¡­ I¡­ I wanted to apologize for the way I reactedst night, it was rude of me.¡± His wavering voice danced into my ears, like the notes of an acoustic guitar.


    I struggled to stay in control of myself, to not expose my weaknesses before him, but Lexi wasn¡¯t helping the situation and I couldn¡¯t lie I wanted him too.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    So I broke away from his enchanting blue eyes, which looked like the sky on a bright summer day. It was hard, but I did it anyway. A moment of dy would make it difficult to stay in control of myself any longer.


    He took a step towards me, then another. Each sounded like the crunching of dried leaves on the floor of a park as the sun was high in the sky.


    I pushed the table before me gently and stood up from the chair I sat on, giving me enough space to move freely.


    He was now very close and, before long, all that stood between us was the table and everything on it.


    His scent, a mixture of rain on sand and coconut, strolled into my nostrils like it owned it, taking my brain and everything in my head unawares like a pirate taking an unsuspecting ship.


    My heart beat drummed hard in my chest like a band was ying in there. As if it was a nned work, my brain began to y the tune of a long song I¡¯d heard before.


    It suddenly seemed like I was in a romantic novel where the wind blew, and the rain fell. Then my sweetheart came with an umbre and held my waist.


    But all of these were in my imagination, obviously.


    Although we were meters apart, I could hear his heart beat gently, as he carried himself with so much ease.


    He looked like an angel which had fallen from the skies,nding in my room, causing the wind which blew gently from the window to hold still as everywhere suddenly became hot.


    Some hair strands fell on his face and he moved his hands up to tuck them back in ce when our gaze met again and stars began to twinkle all around us.


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡± he called, and it seemed I would get drunk at the sound of his voice if I heard it one more time.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± I heard it louder, and it snapped me out of the subconscious world where I had let myself fall into, drooling at his magnificent demeanor.


    He was probably wondering what it was that got me lost and had said my name a little louder to bring me back to him because, truth be told, I was slipping away into an endless abyss, tormented by his touch and scent and everything about him that I could never think about.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± I was supposed to be mad at him and not drool over him. What is wrong with me?


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away.¡± I shifted ufortably where I stood and tried to move towards the window when the helm of the shirt gown I wore got stuck in a nail lying in the least expected ce on the foot of the table.


    I lost my bnce and slipped.


    I could have sworn that I saw my life sh before my eyes as I saw the hard floorugh before me, pouting its lips to kiss mine for when I finally came in contact with it.


    Time seemed to stop, and I fell in slow motion, closing my eyes-scared to see the oue.


    Suddenly, it all stopped.


    I was no longer floating in the air, neither were my lips or my head or any part of my body locked up in a romance with the merciless, hard floor.


    Rather, I felt safe- held by strong hands which wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    I opened my eyes and they met his. Sparks suddenly came out from nowhere, shing around us as neither of us looked away, locked in each other¡¯s gaze.


    How he moved swiftly from where he stood to where I was, catching me in time before I made a fool of myself, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°You should be more careful, it¡¯s not like I would bite.¡± He chucked and helped to straighten me up.


    My hands were on his chest while his were still on my waist. He was definitely happy with the way things were going, the smile on his face after the chuckle said it all.


    A blush crept up to my cheeks and I covered it with my hands. There¡¯s no way I was letting him stare at me like this, not when I was still mad at him.


    His lips were very close to mine and I suddenly had the urge to kiss it. He must have sensed my thoughts and came closer till his lips were very close to mine.


    Just when our lips almost made contact, I shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±

 Winning Lilith Back

    Adams¡¯ POV


    Of course, I knew she was mad at me, but I didn¡¯t expect this. I was beyond embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to say when she said stop and removed her lips away from mine.


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡± I gasped. ¡°But I said I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°What if you are sorry? Does that make up for the hurt I felt so easily? Did you know how bad I felt when you sent me out of our room like a street dog?¡± By now she had walked up the window and rested her back on it, facing me.


    I sighed, knowing I was in the wrong. What was I thinking when I tried to kiss her?


    ¡°A few words do not make you sorry. You need to show it.¡± She voiced those words boldly, but I could see through her and I knew she didn¡¯t mean them.


    She clutched her body with her hands and turned to face the wall, avoiding my gaze again.


    ¡°What should I do to prove that I am sorry then?¡± I asked, walking towards her. As I finally got to where she stood, I wanted to hug her from behind and my wolf urged me to go for it.


    But I knew better than to do so, not when she was in this semi-angry state.


    ¡°My love, speak to me.¡± I moved closer to her side and almost wrapped my hands around her when she looked at me. I froze on the spot and gulped a huge amount of spittle down my throat.


    My heartbeat had increased to over a million beats per second and my blood boiled so hot, it could almost melt out my skin.


    She had this ¡°what are you trying to do look¡± in her eyes and I just stood there, speechless.


    I was literally behaving like a baby, seeking its mother¡¯s attention. She must probably be enjoying the torment I was going through because she smiled afterward, turning her back towards me again.


    Damn this woman, she was going to make me lose my senses. Why does she keep turning her back towards me, making me devise a thousand and one more ways to grab her from behind and do all kinds of unimaginable things to her?


    ¡°She wants you to do it, just grab her and let¡¯s get this done with.¡± My wolf wasn¡¯t having any patience, and it seemed like he could burst out at any moment.


    I tried one more time, to grab her waist and feel the warmth of her body on mine, but I still couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I wonder where you were when other men learned how to handle a woman. Here you are shaking like a toddler when she¡¯s shing every possible light there is to sh.¡± Whenever my wolf spikes like this, it always makes me wonder who was the master among us.


    I was about to challenge him-to ask him to do the things he said, but I knew better than that. He would do more than was required.


    We heard voicesing from below the building on the other side of the window.


    She must have heard it too, as we both looked down, towards the direction of the voices and caught some maids giggling at the little love game their Alpha and Luna were ying.


    The shame I felt afterward was beyond anything I had ever felt before. It would not take long before word moved all over the mansion about what was happening. To make matters worse, the maids must have figured out they would be caught so they hid themselves properly, running away just in time.


    She closed the window immediately and walked over to her bed, sitting down on it.


    ¡°There goes our mate,¡± my wolf scolded. I was getting tired of his constantints and nagging.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret saying that,¡± he said before going silent.


    I walked up to her and sat beside her on the bed as silence loomed over us.


    ¡°What happened yesterday?¡± She asked, breaking the silence which stood like a wall around the room.


    ¡°I had a really tough day¡­¡±


    I mean what happened to the thief that was caught sneaking out of your office? What did he want?¡± She interrupted, staring at her feet.


    My expression changed as a certain anger began to grow inside me. I was not angry that she asked, I was only angry that yesterday turned out to be a total waste.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to talk about it, it was quite depressing.¡± I turned to see her face as I spoke, but it remained indifferent, like she didn¡¯t care. Why did she ask then?


    ¡°OK,¡± she replied.


    Silence reigned all over again, and it seemed like it wouldn¡¯t end till she asked another question, one which I wasn¡¯t prepared for. ¡°Why was Raider here this morning?¡±


    I was about to question how she knew he hade but decided not to. The maid must have told her.


    ¡°He invited us to his coronation as the Alpha of the Green Forest pack, as well as every member of the royal family.


    ¡°And you epted to go?¡± She swung her face towards me and looked at me with a gaze so intense, if it were fire I would definitely have gotten burnt.


    ¡°I have not given him an answer yet. It is proper we attend though, as the Alpha King and Luna Queen of the packs.¡±


    She didn¡¯t speak after, but I could tell that she wasn¡¯t pleased.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want us to go, I could¡­ make an exception, send Ronan to go in my ce.¡±


    It seemed as if she was thinking about it. After all she went through in their hands, it was only expected that she reacted that way.


    I still remember how broken and crumpled she looked when I rescued her from Cassandra.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Anyone who didn¡¯t know her past wouldn¡¯t understand. If she decided for us not to go, then we wouldn¡¯t. If it came to pleasing my wife, then I would do anything.


    ¡°We will go.¡± She dered firmly andy down to sleep, but sprang up again.


    ¡°I have a feeling Alpha Rivers¡¯ death wasn¡¯t natural. She began. ¡°There¡¯s more to it than we know.¡±

 Going Out To Spar

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    The rest of the day went by slowly with me staying in my room.


    The air was dry, and it seemed to stand still among the clouds. After Adams left to handle pack matters, I couldn¡¯t bear to be alone, so I called Cara, and we remained together for most of the day.


    I sat on my bed while she sat on a low stool.


    ¡°Cara,¡± I called to her as she cut away the nail on my toes.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± She paused and looked up at me to hear what it was I wanted and give heed to my request.


    ¡°The royal family has been invited to the wedding of Raider and Cassandra, but I do not feel like going.¡±


    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t, your highness, everyone knows how badly they treated you before the Alpha brought you to this pack. They deserve to suffer for all they have done to you, gracing them with your presence is pampering them.¡±


    She continued cutting my toenails as I looked up at the clouds floating in the beautiful sky. She was right, they didn¡¯t deserve my presence. But I already agreed to it and there was no way I could take my words back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go either way, the Alpha is going. Although he did ask for my permission before agreeing to go attend, I didn¡¯t want it to seem like I was jealous of Raider or Cassandra, so I agreed to it.¡±


    I expected to see a surprised look on her face but all she did was smile, not taking her eyes away from her hands as they worked tirelessly to make my feet clean.


    ¡°I guess you have no choice then, mydy, but to attend. Be rest assured that all will be well over there because aside from the numerous guards that would be watching the Alpha and you, the Alpha himself will keep his eyes all over you, he loves you that much.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her words. My husband indeed loved me, and he never hesitates to show it to the world.


    We continued in silence for a while before she spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sure Cassandra will be envious of you just like she did before.¡±


    rmed, I stared at her deeply. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ never mind my queen.¡±


    I suspected she was hiding something from me. ¡°You know¡­¡± I began. ¡°I could easilymand you to speak as your queen or probably involve the Alpha king. You know how he is when ites to issues like this.¡±


    I could see the look of shock on her face as I said those words. I didn¡¯t intend to scare her or make her fear me, she was someone I trusted, and I believe she trusted me too. There was no reason to hide secrets from each other, especially if it was about things affecting me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look scared Cara, I would never do such a thing. You are my friend and I see you as a sister. If you don¡¯t speak about what it is that is bothering you, then it¡¯s fine. I wouldn¡¯t force you to do so. However, I believe we are much closer than that, and you should be able to freely talk to me about whatever it is that bothers you.¡±


    My little talk seemed to go into her head as a faint smile reced the frown that settled on her face before.


    She continued what she was doing in silence and I decided to let her be till she spoke again, breaking the silence for a second time.


    ¡°I¡¯m just scared for you, my queen. I wouldn¡¯t want you to go back to the state of mind you were before because of some bastard who does not deserve a tiny bit of your attention.¡±


    It warned my heart to know that someone loved me this much aside from Adam. Every other person in the mansion seemed to take sides, especially since the brothers were divided.


    I wanted to speak but stopped when I realized that she had not stopped talking.


    ¡°When you first got here, you were a shadow of who people said you were. You may not believe it, but everyone knew your father and knew who you were. You were someone girls like myself looked up to, and we wished to be like. Seeing my idol be shattered and heartbroken because of a man made me realize just how much love you must have given him to hurt like that.¡±


    I instantly remembered the love I once shared with Raider and tears began to drop from my eyes on their own will.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Your Highness, I don¡¯t want you to feel sad or think about him. I¡¯m sure he loved you too but got carried away with things that didn¡¯t matter, letting real beauty and worth slip through his fingers like water.¡±


    She was done with cutting my toenails and was about to grab my fingers to trim them when I moved my hands up and cleaned the tears off my face.


    ¡°I would make them pay for what they did to my parents, sooner orter.¡±


    My father¡¯s words before he died re-echoed in my ears. I can remember him telling me not to take revenge as his death was for the good of the pack. But all that didn¡¯t matter to me, not anymore. I would take my revenge on Raider, Cassandra, and every other person.


    ¡°I¡¯m always with you mydy, any day, anytime,¡± Cara assured me.


    After the emotions swirling around settled, and we no longer talked about my ugly memories, I decided to take a stroll around the mansion, to clear my head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I trained. How about we do something fun?¡±


    I stood up abruptly, making Cara lose her bnce where she sat, and went to my wardrobe, opening it wide to search for appropriate clothes.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± I gasped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Cara had fallen and it was all my fault. There was no way I would ignore her like she was a nobody.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Your Highness, I¡¯m not hurt. ¡± Cara asked, picking herself up from the floor where she fell.


    I sighed, realizing that she was indeed not hurt although a part of me remained guilty. I stood a few meters from where she was, my hands behind my back, my lips formed into a smile at the ideaughing at me in my head.


    I could almost pass for a child who was waiting for her father in his room after he left for work in the morning, promising to get her a new toy.


    ¡°One would think you won a lottery if you kept smiling that way, your highness.¡± Cara chucked and her set of white teeth shed before my eyes.


    ¡°Promise you wouldn¡¯tugh at me if I told you this.¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± She put her right hand on her chest and raised her left hand before bowing slightly, still maintaining that position.


    ¡°I want to spar with some of the soldiers in the training yard. It has been a while since I held a sword or did anything engaging.¡±


    I watched her react to what I just said and wasn¡¯t in the least disappointed. She seemed very happy for me and I couldn¡¯t just stop imagining how blessed I was to have her as a friend.


    ¡°If you want to spar then you are putting on the wrong clothes¡­¡± she sized me with her eyes before looking towards my wardrobe¡­ and you are looking at the wrong ce, all you¡¯ll find in there are dresses and dresses and still dresses.¡±


    ¡°Where then would I find appropriate clothes to fight in?¡± I asked curiously.


    Silence descended around us for a minute and then our eyes met before we both smiled, knowing the same thoughts had crossed our minds.


    ¡°Wait for me,¡± I ordered her before leaving the room.


    In less than a minute, I was back with a pair of shorts and shirts. I had gone to Adam¡¯s room-the very one I shared with him and had checked his wardrobe. He wouldn¡¯t mind if I borrowed them, would he?


    She helped me get dressed before tying my hair into a ponytail behind my head. I had a pair of diator sandals which I had not worn since I came to this pack.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. Tears brimmed in my eyes as I looked at the entirely different person I had be.


    ¡°Even dressed as a fighter, you look beautiful your highness, I can¡¯t wait to see what you do out there.¡±


    I felt moved by her words. It therefore came as a surprise to her when I hugged her unexpectedly.


    Just then, we heard some soundsing from below through the window, and we rushed to see what it was that was happening.


    A smirk found its way to my face as I saw the gathering crowd. ¡°Let¡¯s go show them who is the boss Cara.¡±

 The Fight

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    As we passed by the numerous guards on our way out of the mansion, they all looked at me like they were a peculiar rock from space.


    It wasn¡¯t the same as the maids who whispered to themselves, watching me from every corner. Words definitely flew fast, so fast that almost everyone in the mansion was watching me before I got to the main door.


    I could feel a sea of eyes, glued to my back like an escort, but it didn¡¯t bother me. Rather, I smiled, walking shoulder-high without a care in the world.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The sun beat down on the training grounds, casting a golden glow over the assembled fighters. Among them, two warriors stood out.


    Sparring among the warriors must be amon thing in this pack as they did that with themselves here daily like it was nothing.


    It was something I admired them for, as warriors in the Green Forest pack were always toozy to spar with each other. They would rather drink all day and talk about women till nightfall.


    Due to the way I was dressed, no one recognized me and I blended easily among the crowd. I knew things could get this rough, so I insisted I go alone, despite Cara¡¯s constant pleading and objection.


    I couldn¡¯t risk having her among people who didn¡¯t care much about their life and could injure themselves baldly if need be to prove just how strong they are.


    I caught sight of the men in the middle of the training field, two fierce fighters who were among themanders of the Royal Army.


    One was Kaito. He was huge and had a monstrous stature, which made it difficult to bring him down. He was extremely strong and a blow from his hand was rumored to be so strong, it could bring down a house if well-directed to its foundations and pirs.


    Then there was his opponent, Akira. Akira was a tall, muscr fellow who was extremely skilled in martial arts. I had seen him fight the previous day with the warrior that caught my attention. Speaking of the warrior, where was he?


    ¡°Kill him!¡± I heard a man scream from behind me.


    ¡°Break the bull!¡± Another man yelled, pointing to Kaito.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet my golden sword on Kaito, he¡¯s winning today,¡± a third man spoke, waving a golden sword in the air.


    There was obviously an unspoken rivalry between these two which added a kind of electrifying excitement to the field.


    The entire ce was rowdy and noisy, one would think it was a royal duel that was going on. I wanted to hide in a quiet ce and watch them duel just like a normal soldier, but s, my cover was blown when one of the soldiers recognized me.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± He screamed. I wanted to hush him, but I was toote, everyone had stopped what he or she was doing and the once noisy training ground became so silent, that if a pin were to drop it would be heard louder than a faulty siren.


    ¡°Sht!¡± I covered my face but couldn¡¯t hold it for long as they had all begun to bow.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she the next to be Beta of Green Forest pack?¡± I heard someone ask behind me.


    ¡°Wait, the one whose father betrayed his pack?¡± Another person asked.


    ¡°I heard she was a very good fighter till it all happened. I feel sad for her.¡± A third voice whispered from afar.


    All these and more murmurs continued to trail behind me and my heart began to beat fast with each passing moment.


    I was beginning to regreting out there and wanted to cover my face again in shame, but someone stretched his hands to me.


    ¡°Take my hand, your highness.¡±


    I looked up, and I couldn¡¯t believe who it was I saw. It was the very warrior I was searching for, the one who looked like a girl.


    I looked deeper into his eyes and traced my eyes around his body. I gasped, confirming my suspicions. He is indeed a girl, but how?


    She gave a reassuring smile and I took her hands, not knowing why I did it.


    She led me forward, ignoring the many eyes following us. When we got to the front of the crowd, she did the least thing I could ever have imagined.


    She raised her hands with mine in them. Cheers and roars erupted from the crowd and before long, I found myself in afortable seat on a high tform, as the fightmenced.


    As the fighters circled each other, the air was filled with anticipation. Fellow fighters gathered around, sensing something special was about to unfold.


    Kaito, with his heavy punch, feigned a strike, and Akira countered with a powerful kick. The sh of their movements sent shock waves through the ground.


    The soldiers erupted into cheers as the two fighters exchanged blows, eachnding with so much uracy and force. Kaito¡¯s fists flew like bullets, but Akira¡¯s agility allowed him to dodge and weave with ease.


    Suddenly, Kaito unleashed a devastatingbination of kicks and blows. It was so unbelievable that it sent Akira flying into the air.


    Time seemed to slow down as Akira lingered in the air, his body bent in an arc. Everyone held their collective breaths as if on a cue, sensing the end was near.


    But Akira refused to yield. With a lot of effort, he straightened himself in midair andnded a surprising kick, one which sent Kaito crashing to the ground. The crowd exploded into a frenzy of cheers and chants, urging the fighters on.


    The battle got tougher as each warrior determined to emerge victorious. Sweat dripped from their brows, like rain from pregnant clouds as their movements, a blur, was abination of speed and strength.


    Kaito kept punching and hitting, only for Akira to counter with a powerful throw, mming Kaito into the ground despite his mass.


    The crowd¡¯s excitement reached its peak as fellow fighters shouted encouragement, their voices hoarse from cheering.


    In a crazy disy of agility, Akira leaped into the air, performing a double somersault,nding a devastating kick that sent Kaito stumbling back.


    The crowd erupted into a deafening roar as Akira seized the opportunity, unleashing a rush of strikes that left Kaito staggering still.


    With one final and mighty blow, Akira struck Kaito with a crushing fist, sending him crashing to the ground and that was it.


    Akira stood victorious, his chest heaving with exhaustion.


    The crowd chanted Akira¡¯s name, hailing him as the winner. He walked over to where Kaito was and helped him up as they hugged each other.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I moved with the excitement and all till a loud voice boomed from among the crowd, ¡°Who is next?¡±

 Disturbance At The Border

    Adams¡¯ POV


    Today¡¯s council meeting was one of the most boring among the others I have attended.


    It wasn¡¯t like what was being discussed was not important, but I found it hard to concentrate, especially since I couldn¡¯t take my mind off Lilith.


    The short kiss we shared before I left her made me want her more. She shocked me the most when she whispered softly into my ears just before I left the room, ¡°If you get home early, who knows, I might wear something s*xy.¡±


    My blood had rushed at that moment and I gulped hard with widened eyes.


    All the way to the meeting, I had been imagining and cooking up fantasies of what the evening might hold for me.


    My wolf kept groaning inside me, yearning for her. He had not been at rest ever since she said those words. If it were left to him, I would never have left for this meeting.


    ¡°My lord,¡± one of the elders of the regions under my packmand began to speak. ¡°The only way to increase revenue and secure ie for the general well-being of the members of this pack¡­¡± but I zoned off, diving into a world of my own.


    At first, I thought it was my ears that were deceiving my imagination, but when Ronan tapped me, I jolted out of my fantasy and realized that every one of them were looking at me, waiting for an answer to a question that had been asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ sorry, what did you say again?¡± I asked, trying to keep myposure even though I was crumbling inside due to shame.


    But that didn¡¯t stop me. I was off again to another realm and would have remained there had Ronan not tapped me again. This time, however, it came as a shock to realize that the meeting chamber was almost empty, which meant that the meeting had finished without me.


    ¡°Damn! How long was I gone?¡± I looked up to Ronan for a reply, but he simply shook his head and began to walk towards the door.


    I stood up and ran after him, stopping him just as he put his hands on the door knob. ¡°Ronan, wait.¡± I started tough, and he joined me for a moment before keeping a serious face.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t the Alpha king, I would havended a deafening p across your cheeks. What were you thinking of? You lost it in there.¡± His face had no emotions as he looked straight at me.


    This amused me the more and I keptughing and didn¡¯t stop till my ribs began to hurt. By now, everyone had left the meeting room, leaving just the two of us.


    I got hold of myself but still released muffled chuckles asionally each time I remembered what had just happened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I signaled to him, brushing his hands off the door knob.


    We walked in silence for a while before I decided to tease him again.


    ¡°When you finally find your mate, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll do worse than I do. By then, I¡¯ll make your life a living hell.¡±


    He tried to ignore me, but it wasn¡¯t working, a smirk had found its way to his face before he yanked it off.


    ¡°Where do we go next?¡± I asked, getting serious eventually.


    ¡°We have to check out the construction project going on towards the border.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just skip that and send someone to go on my behalf? I really have to get back to my mate.¡± I winked after, and he sighed before nodding his head.


    ¡°It has to be you. They are getting tired of the job and their supervisors are not making it easy for them. The project is for themunity and the men working on it are doing it for the good of everyone, but their morale is getting low daily.¡±


    ¡°What seems to be the issue with them?¡± I asked. I knew of the project because it was tabled before the council before and funds were released to do it.


    ¡°There have been reports that the men work all day and sometimes at night without getting paid orpensated for their services.¡±


    Angrily, I screamed, ¡°What! Funds were released for the project. Why weren¡¯t they paid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but they believe you are at the top of the chain, and you know all about it.¡±


    I closed my eyes, putting my hands on my forehead. The anger bubbling through me could melt a rock. ¡°Who is in charge of the border region? Why isn¡¯t he taking responsibility for all this?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ that is where the problem is. I¡¯ve tried to reach out to him. But he is extremely adamant.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡± I demanded. My voice was more like a roar.


    ¡°Nathaniel Crane,¡± he replied. The name sounded like a bomb, exploding in my head.


    I had totally forgotten Maya¡¯s father was in charge of the border region. Was he doing this as an act of revenge or did he have other reasons for doing so?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    In less than an hour, we arrived at the border region and met some men in an argument. They might have sensed my presence and didn¡¯t acknowledge it, or maybe they didn¡¯t.


    Some of them, about twenty, were poorly dressed, and I guessed they were the ones working on the project. The others, four, were dressed in more modest clothes, whom I guess were the supervisors, while two guards stood a few distances away from them.


    There was so much rage flying about, it was only a matter of time before a full-blown fight broke out.


    ¡°We have been working all day with nothing to eat, don¡¯t you know we have families to feed?¡± One of the rough-looking men asked.


    The others howled behind him in agreement as they curled their fists towards the well-dressed men as if in a protest.


    ¡°You should shut up your mouth else I will shut it up for you,¡± one of the well-dressed men shouted, putting his hands behind him. I followed his hands with my eyes and was surprised by what I saw.


    By his side was a small knife which could not kill at a stroke but would inflict a lot of injuries.


    The agitated men didn¡¯t seem to agree and everything was about to turn violent when Ronan screamed, and they all trembled at the sound of his voice. ¡°Stop this nonsense, all of you!¡±


    Although he was a beta, he came from a lineage of powerful werewolves who had served as beta¡¯s to the previous Alpha¡¯s.


    They all looked in our direction and gasped in shock, realizing who we were.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Alpha king!¡±


    The rough-looking men bowed down immediately, murmuring among themselves.


    Ronan¡¯s gaze shifted to the supervisors, who seemed indifferent, despite my presence. I also looked at them and recognized them as Nathaniel Crane¡¯s men. I have seen them before.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the Alpha, who are you to stand before his presence?¡± Ronan was beginning to get very angry now, and his aura began to dominate the area.


    The men didn¡¯t reply, but fear settled on their faces as Ronan refused to take his eyes off them. Reluctantly, they bowed and remained there.


    I wanted to snap their heads off their necks, but I couldn¡¯t. They were obviously obeying orders from their master, who was currently not on good terms with me. If I had a business with anyone, it was Nathaniel Crane.


    ¡°Rise,¡± I ordered them, and they all stood up. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡±


    ¡°My king,¡± one of the haggard looking men began. ¡°We love you and serve you because you are a just ruler. We wish to believe you love your people just as we do, but the situation we work in is quite unfavorable.¡±


    ¡°Our wives and children are home, hungry. We work for the crown, but if the crown fails toe to our aid when we need help, we will move our allegiance to another who would care about us,¡± another man spoke from the crowd.


    ¡°These men over here are vipers and terrorists, making us work all day and, at times, night to satisfy their selfish interests. We don¡¯t want them here again,¡± a third man spoke.


    I walked up to the supervisors and looked into their faces, one after the other. I held one by the chin and looked into his eyes. Any normal person would quiver, but this man stood his ground.


    ¡°Who do you work for? I asked him, but he didn¡¯t reply and even had the guts to hiss. He put his hands into his pockets and maintained eye contact with me, something no one dared, not even the Alpha¡¯s of the other four packs.


    ¡°I work for the higher ups.¡± He snorted disrespectfully.


    My eyes suddenly shed a bright orange color, and he screamed, to the surprise of everyone there.


    ¡°Make it stop, please!¡± He pleaded, begging and shouting as he rolled all over the floor.


    I smiled and looked at the next one who had begun to quiver even before I got to him.


    I stretched my hands to hold his neck, but he screamed even before I did so.


    ¡°We work for¡­¡± he suddenly stopped and blood began to drop from his mouth.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Only when I looked down did I realize he had stabbed himself.

 How Possible?

    Adams¡¯ POV:


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, neither could anyone there.


    He kept bleeding from his mouth till he fell on the floor.


    Ronan rushed to my side and hit me away, getting in front of me. He thought we were under attack and had prepared himself to fight.


    ¡°Can someone tell me what is happening!¡± I screamed. Everyone kept looking with a confused look on their respective faces. It was obvious no one understood what was going on.


    We all stood, confused, watching till the man stopped shaking.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Ronan spoke, checking the man¡¯s pulse.


    Everything moved so fast, it all seemed like a dream. The two guards standing on duty had also moved close to us with swords in their hands, anticipating the worst.


    The first supervisor whom I had looked at first was now up on his feet, shedding tears like a baby as he watched his dead colleague.


    ¡°The earlier you all started talking, the faster we would leave here. Who do you work for and what do you think caused this man¡¯s death?¡± I walked towards the men, and they retreated backwards, staring at each other¡¯s faces.


    It seems as though they knew something we all didn¡¯t understand. Were they bound by oath not to talk?


    If they truly worked for Nathaniel Crane, he could be in trouble and their confession was enough to get him kicked out of the council.


    Although he was rich and respected, he couldn¡¯t buy out of thew, especially since I was at the head of it.


    For a man to take his own life to protect his secret, it means that there is more to it than we all know.


    ¡°Round them up, we are taking them to the mansion.¡± I ordered.


    The moment we went in through the mansion gates, I heard shouts and screamsing from behind the mansion but paid less attention to it due to the situation at hand.


    We all walked into the house, but something seemed off. Everywhere was empty, and the house looked like a ce where a ghost lived.


    Except for the few guards standing in strategic positions in the house, there was no one, not even maids.


    ¡°Throw them into the dungeon, I¡¯ll deal with themter.¡± I left to go to Lilith¡¯s room, to check up on her, leaving the men to Ronan.


    I stood at the door and almost barged in, but remembered earlier when she insisted I always knock before entering. I had found the idea to be absurd but if it would make her happy, I was willing to do it.


    So I knocked softly. There was no response, and I knocked again, louder this time. It was the same as before, no answer.


    I ced my ears to the door and heard soundsing from within. I tried to listen, but it wasn¡¯t clear, and it made me wonder if there was really anyone there, or it was just my imagination.


    I put my hands on the door knob and stayed there at first before pushing it downwards. The door opened up, and I was met by an empty room, filled with her scent.


    The sound grew louder, then I immediately knew where they wereing from. Walking towards the window, I looked down directly into the training yard and found almost every warrior in the kingdom, cheering and screaming loudly.


    It seemed as if a sort of contest was going on. I squinted my eyes to get a glimpse of who it was they were cheering.


    I saw a muscr warrior walking in circles around a space left in the middle and another man who had a female¡¯s body standing in the middle.


    I wanted tough at the figure I saw because there was no way that it was possible that it was a woman who was about to fight the muscr man.


    I stood by the window, forgetting the reason I went into the room in the first ce. Suddenly, something moved in my head and I found myself staring at the figure in the middle of the ring.


    Everything about this person looked familiar, from the clothes to the skin to the body shape and size. I creased my brows trying to remember where I had seen him or her before when it suddenly dawned on me.


    I stretched my neck, to get an even better look at who it was that stood in the ring and gasped.


    That was no man or some random woman dressed in a man¡¯s clothes, that was Lilith, my wife and Luna, queen of this pack.


    ¡°Hell no!¡±


    How I got out of the room, till I got to the training ground was a mystery. Now I know why the house was empty when I first got in.


    Everyone was on the training ground, watching my woman about to seal her doom. I rushed, thinking I could stop her from participating in the duel, but it was toote, the fight had begun.


    I wanted to scream, to tell them to stop, but I decided not. She wouldn¡¯t be out here fighting if she didn¡¯t want to, so I let her be. If it gets too difficult, and she can¡¯t handle it, I would step in.


    Swoosh! A sword missed her head and everyone screamed.


    My heart was in my mouth as I saw this and almost stopped the fight when she did something amazing. She ran forward and jumped really high beforending with a smooth kick on her opponent¡¯s face.


    He screamed and held his eyes, staggering backwards till he hit a pole. Shended confidently and stood at the center of the ring, smiling without a care in the world.


    The crowd of screaming soldiers cheered her, and I was proud of my woman and would have gone to hug her, but I stopped as her opponent stood up and charged towards her with so much speed and agility.


    She took a stance, to defend herself against him, but he was fast, and he hit her before she could get bnced.


    She flew in the air andnded heavily on her chest. She tried to stand up immediately but wasn¡¯t fast enough as her opponent had gotten to her, and he held her legs.


    He flung her towards the other side of the ring andunched a kick at her arm, lying weakly on the floor.


    He smashed into her arm and a loud creak came. Her bone had broken and she screamed in pain.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and rushed up to her, kicking the opponent far away from her.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± I rushed up to her as she held her hands. I couldn¡¯t think, I couldn¡¯t breathe. It seemed as though I was the one in her position.


    I wanted to help her stand, but she stopped me. Everyone held their breath and got closer to see her.


    ¡°Is she dead?¡±


    ¡°Would she survive this?¡±


    ¡°Will she be able to use the hand again?¡±


    These and more disturbing sounds buzzed around my ears, but I was too busy trying to know if Lilith was alright to even pay attention to them.


    Suddenly, she smiled and jumped up, to the surprise of everyone. The bigger shock came when she raised up her hand and shook it like nothing had happened to her.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°What the hell!¡±

 After The Duel

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    He kept pacing around like a man whose wife was in abor room.


    I tried to get to him with my eyes, I even coughed to see if I would get his attention but he didn¡¯t bulge. Whatever it was that was bothering him was beyond the situation at hand.


    ¡°Your highness, I have conducted my tests and I must say, this is something I have never seen before in my forty years of working as a doctor. The queen is perfectly fine, she has no broken bones or bruises just like any normal person would, this must be a miracle.¡± The pack doctor kept staring at me like I would disappear into thin air if he took his eyes off me.


    Adams nodded at the doctor¡¯s words.


    He looked at me, then the doctor with the corner of his eye, his mouth was twisted to the side and he tapped his fingers on his arm which was crossed over his chest.


    I wanted tough at how amusing he looked but I didn¡¯t dare do that, not with the pack doctor around.


    He might be an amusing person but no one liked getting disrespected before their subjects, especially an Alpha of his status.


    ¡°You can take your leave now.¡± He ordered.


    The pack doctor bowed slightly and began to pack his tools. ¡°Goodbye my king, rest well my queen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you and have a good day,¡± I replied as he scurried out, leaving us to ourselves in the room.


    Silence hung around the room like a transparent curtain, dividing us as he stood some steps away from me.


    ¡°I will kill that man who had the guts toy his hands on my queen, I¡¯ll make sure he rots in prison.


    Did you see how violently he kept swinging his arms and his sword, what if he cut off your head?¡± He asked, staring at me, cutting through the silence.


    He had this awkward look on his face that expressed his displeasure. That kind of look thates when you eat something that looks delicious but tastes terrible. He had extended his hands before him like he was asking for alms, and his eyes were a little bit red.


    I tried to surprise theughter that bubbled inside me but it was quite stubborn and escaped as a light chuckle, making him look at me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you find this funny.¡± He crossed his arms over his chest again and pouted his lips like a baby whose toy was snatched from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Adams, you don¡¯t need to get yourself all worked up.¡± I said, trying to assure him but he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    Back at the training ground, he had swooped me in his arms himself after my hands were crushed during the duel outside. I remembered the look on his face, it was as though he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Get the pack doctor, now!¡± He screamed while moving me to our room at full speed.


    Hardly had we moved four steps when he stopped again and faced the now quiet soldiers who stood terrified. ¡°Stop this now and send that fighter to the dungeon, he¡¯ll pay for daring to hurt my queen.¡±


    He looked at the man I had spared with and shut him a hard re, one which could make a person see his entire life sh before his eyes before death came to take up his soul.


    I looked from the shivering fighter to him and sighed helplessly. It would take a lot of pleading to save him now as Adams was in a burst of rage.


    Till we got to the room, he said no more words but his silence spoke volumes and I knew it was only a matter of time before he let all that was inside him out.


    ¡°Adams,¡± I called out to him, getting up from the bed I sat on. ¡°You need to rx and calm down. Can¡¯t you see, I am fine.¡± He stopped to look at me and I took it as an opportunity to express myself.


    I shook my hands before him and even went ahead to carry a heavy metal box close to the door but he didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°Sit!¡± He ordered, his voice colder than Ice.


    I obeyed, moving to the bed without giving it much thought.


    ¡°Of all the things in the world that you could do , you chose to go out and spar with those soldiers, why?¡± He shot daggers at me with his gaze and I flinched where I sat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was now a crime for me to engage in something a little bit physical, besides I was bored and¡­¡±


    ¡°And what Lilith? You are a queen for crying out loud, not some soldier or warrior. You have responsibilities and duties as a queen. What do you want people to say about this pack? What do you think I would have done if something more terrible had happened to you.¡±


    His gaze softened as he stared at me. It seemed as though he was staring into my soul, I was enjoying the attention, and didn¡¯t want it to end.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I managed to say, short of words. I bent my back afterwards to avoid looking into his face, getting lost in my thoughts.


    I always knew that he loved me but the way he reacted today when he saw me getting injured was on a whole new level.


    If I were to be just like every other person, I would probably not be able to use my hands again. I suddenly realized I was immune to pain in the ring. If I got injured or broke a bone, I would heal really fast and it would be like nothing ever happened to me.


    But of course, he didn¡¯t know about this strange power and I wasn¡¯t nning to tell him just yet till this happened.


    ¡°It still leaves me curious though¡­¡± he suddenly chipped in, jolting me out of my thoughts before resuming his march around the room.


    ¡°What is it that leaves you curious, my love?¡± I straightened up on the bed and focused on him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen people get hit by smaller men and even in more simr ways just like you did. Now these people aren¡¯t women or children, they were warriors, trained and skilled men. Yet, they didn¡¯t survive those hits. Those that survived could no longer use the affected body part. Just how were you able to survive that?


    ¡°Uh¡­ it was just luck I guess.¡± There was no way he would totally believe I was lucky but That was the only exnation which made sense at the moment.


    Surprisingly, he sighed. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do something like that again Lilith, I was worried sick about you¡­ please.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    He came forward and stood before me. I looked straight into his eyes and as if hypnotized, I couldn¡¯t take mine off it.


    Lexi began to swirl and dance and do crazy things inside me. Next thing I knew, my legs had developed a mind of their own as they stood up and brought my face closer to his.


    His hands moved to the back of my waist and mine moved to the back of his neck.


    ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± I wanted to scream but the words got caught up in my lungs.


    From the ticking of the clock to the whistling of the wind outside, every sound became quiet and all I could hear was the eating of our heart against our chests.


    His eyes, his pointed nose and his juicy lips were all I saw as every other thing in the room became blurry, almost like they didn¡¯t exist.


    I wanted to look away but he brought his hand up to my face and returned it back to his. ¡°Hey¡­¡± he called out, making my heart skip a beat, his voice deep and slow like.


    ¡°¡­ look at me, just me.¡±


    How it all became like this in less than a minute marveled me but I was too stunned to think or speak, I had gotten stuck in the moment and wouldn¡¯t want to snap out of it just yet.


    ¡°The door,¡± I whispered. ¡°It is not locked. What if someone¡­¡±


    ¡°No one woulde in, Lilith, it¡¯s just you and me,¡± he replied in the same thick and slow voice.


    My skin shivered under his touch as he grazed his hands from my shoulder down to my elbow. My heart beat tripled its steps yet it struggled to move along with the time which seems to have left it behind.


    He brought his lips close and was about to kiss me when I stopped him and turned away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do this now.¡±


    With that, I disengaged from his hold and walked to the bed. As Iy on the bed, I couldn¡¯t get off the feeling that he was watching me. After a few minutes, he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

 The Stranger In The Night

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    I had left our room, not long after he did, for mine.


    I didn¡¯t feelfortable staying there all alone, not after the way I ended our intimate moment.


    After I got back to my room, I decided to take a bath. Adam sent ra to call me down for dinner but I declined and decided to stay in my room instead.


    He must probably be wondering what suddenly caused the change of attitude, probably I was angry at him. The truth is I wasn¡¯t angry, I just didn¡¯t feel ready for us to get intimate, at thest minute.


    I also didn¡¯t go for dinner because I was avoiding his face.


    Lexi had scolded me after, calling me a fool for behaving in such an absurd manner to him. She was enjoying the romantic atmosphere  between us earlier and would have loved for it to continue but I just didn¡¯t feel like it was something I wanted yet.


    I had noticed the hurtful look in his eyes before I left him to sleep. He definitely had a lot to say but had decided not to say anything.


    ra brought my dinner and I ate in silence while she watched over me like a mother hen, looking out for her chick.


    She had tried to start a conversation with me but She ended up keeping to herself when I didn¡¯t give her audience.


    A knock came in at the least expected time, when I was about to get some sleep. The window was closed and an energetic fire burned  in the hearth. Its bright yellow and amber color distributed a warm orange glow over my room.


    I had just settled into my bed as my eyelids were heavy due to the events of the day.


    Staring at the wall, I saw that it was just a few minutes past eight pm. So who was it that knocked on the door? Was it Adam? What did he want?


    Who¡¯s there?¡¯ I asked, my voice muffled by the nkets. A gentle voice replied, ¡®It is I, Dale, your highness.¡¯


    ¡°Dale?¡± I whispered. I didn¡¯t know who that was. A part of me was relieved that it wasn¡¯t Adam, how was I supposed to look into his eyes or even stayfortable in his presence?


    Another part of me was more curious than scared as I wondered who the strange visitor was. ¡°How may I be of help to you Dale? Did the Alpha send you?¡±


    ¡°No one sent me your highness, I came because I wanted to see you.¡±


    My curiosity aroused and I threw off the nket on my body and rose from the bed. As much as I wanted to know who it was that was at the door, I couldn¡¯t be so sure as to expose myself to some stranger I might have never met before.


    So I picked up a wooden bat, whichy in a corner of the room. I took one step after another, walking cautiously towards the door. Immediately I got to it, I peeked through a tiny hole and saw a man dressed in a soldier¡¯s uniform.


    I became rxed at first but grew suspicious after. Why would a soldiere looking for me? And of all the time he coulde, he chose toe in the night. Was I safe?


    I didn¡¯t feel safe because I didn¡¯t know who could be trusted.


    As these thoughts lived rent free in my head, I wanted to tell him to leave and that he shoulde back the next day but my curiosity got the better of me and I unlocked the door.


    I took two steps backwards and raised the wooden bat above my shoulders. ¡°Come in.¡± I tightened my grip on the bat¡¯s end as I waited for him to open the door, my heart beating slowly.


    Suddenly, the door swung open and he came in. He closed the door in such a hurry, I almost bashed the bat into his head.


    ¡°My queen, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you sote but I just wanted to be sure you are okay.¡± He bowed and got on one knee, waiting for me to speak. He had an helmet on his head which also hid a major part of his face and he was unarmed


    There was something oddly familiar about this warrior, like I had seen him before. I dropped my hands but still held tightly onto the bat.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Take off your helmet.¡±


    He removed it slowly, revealing his neatly cropped ck hair. His head remained bowed and I still didn¡¯t see his face, driving me even more curious.


    ¡°Let me see your face Dale,¡± I ordered him with a quivering voice. He slowly began to raise his head up and when it was finally raised, I gasped.


    Staring directly at me were the very pair of eyes I saw earlier in the day. It was those same pair of eyes that stared directly into mine when I got to the training ground at first.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Your highness I¡­¡±


    ¡°You are a woman.¡±


    She looked at me for a while before nodding her head slowly.


    I had always known but this changed everything. A woman disguised as a man in a royal army definitely didn¡¯t do it because she felt like or because she was forced to. There was definitely a reason.


    ¡°But¡­ why? Why did you have to disguise yourself?¡±


    ¡°I was left with no choice, my queen.¡± She began to sob and I felt a twist In my heart.


    ¡°Get up and sit beside me, tell me what happened.¡± I held her hands and helped her up before walking towards the bed.


    I kept staring at her as we both sat down.


    ¡°I once lived with my family in a small vige at the southern part of the pack. We didn¡¯t have much but we were happy. My father had a farm he worked on while my mother sold the produce from the farm at the pack¡¯s central market. My brothers, Stev and Austin would assist my father in his farm, plowing the fields and feeding the few livestock we cultivated. I and my elder sister, J, assisted at home and would go with our mother whenever she came to the market. I had always dreamed of a normal life where things would get better for my family and I would be happy till a group of rogues came and destroyed my vige.¡±


    She paused and I could see tears flowing freely from her eyes now. I stood up and fetched her a cup of water from a half filled jug sitting on a table not too far from where we sat.


    She mouthed a thank you before finishing the contents of the water in one gulp.


    ¡°My brothers, alongside my father and the men in the vige tried to fight the rogues off but the rogues were too strong and armed, they killed everyone of them. The rouges raped the women and killed them after, burning the vige thoroughly to the ground. I would have escaped with my mother and sister but they caught up with us just as we were about to. My mother¡¯s words, telling my sister and I to run far away so that we wouldn¡¯t get caught rings daily in my ears. We didn¡¯t want to go- to leave her in the hands of those murderers but she kept on screaming for us to leave her and save ourselves. She tried to fight the rouges off till she was sure we had gone a long way off. We stood on a cliff, watching her kneel on the ground as the rouges stood before her. In a split second, her head was rolling on the floor as her blood spilled all over. I see those scary images everyday of my life since it happened. I screamed my lungs out and would have stayed on the cliff, wailing but my sister dragged me up, urging me to keep running. I wish I listened to her that day¡±


    ¡°Why? What happened to her?¡± I asked her curiously.


    ¡°The rogues caught up with us and would have killed us both but she pushed me into the river whichy beneath the cliff¡­ dying instead.¡±


    The words I heard from her filled me with so much hate and pain, my fingers trembled uncontrobly.


    ¡°But¡­ Why didn¡¯t you start a new life somewhere else? Why did you have to disguise yourself as a man in order to join the army?¡±


    ¡°I joined the army because I want to avenge the death of every member of my family and the destruction of my vige.¡±


    ¡°But the king doesn¡¯t know about this does he?¡±


    ¡°What if he already does?.¡± Her eyes darkened and she clenched her fist behind her. ¡°I overheard themander of the rogues telling one of his henchmen that a member of the royal family paid for the attack.¡±


    ¡°And you think the king is responsible?¡±


    She remained silent for a while before speaking. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, to find out.¡±

 Attempted Assassination

    Adams¡¯ POV


    Dinner was a mess.


    As I walked to the dining table at first, I caught sight of Ben, talking to a man I had never seen before. He had a star-shaped scar on the side of his face and he looked really mean.


    They were a distance away, shielded by numerous pirs, and they spoke in extremely hushed tones.


    I would have ignored them due to the crumbling state of mind that I was in, but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to know what it was they were talking about.


    Fortunately, Ronan wasn¡¯t with me, so it was easy to hide myself. I closed my eyes and activated my werewolf¡¯s super hearing abilities.


    ¡°Did you do what I asked you to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord, I did.¡±


    ¡°Good, you have outdone yourself on this one. They wouldn¡¯t expect the oue.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    After that, they stopped talking.


    I raised my head up to look at where they stood but didn¡¯t find them there any longer. It came as a shock because I didn¡¯t hear them step out, so howe they disappeared into thin air?


    I ran toward the spot they were and spun around abruptly, running from one pir to the other, trying to trace their steps, but there were just no traces of them.


    It made me wonder if I hadn¡¯t imagined them being there in the first ce.


    Getting to the dining table, I couldn¡¯t unwrap my head around what just happened. I was certain my brain wasn¡¯t ying tricks on me and decided to look into the matter.


    Knowing who Ben was, there was every possibility that he was scheming something terrible. Who was the man he was speaking with? Who were they referring to? He mentioned something about some people when he used the word ¡°they.¡±


    These thoughts and more swirled around my head till the dining table came into sight.


    My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened in surprise as I found Ben, seated behind the table alongside Raoul and Bartholomew, watching the maids dish out our dinner.


    They must have noticed my presence as they all looked up at me. They shut me with hard res, one that expressed a suppressed anger and hatred towards me. Ben reced his however, with a smug while the other two concentrated on the food before them.


    ¡°My king.¡± I felt a hand on my shoulder as a voice came from behind me.


    I turned around to find Ronan standing with a straight face. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I patted him on the back before walking to my seat.


    I had hoped to see Lilith, but she didn¡¯t show up. I whispered to a maid to get Cara for me, and she did it in less than a second.


    ¡°My king.¡± Cara knelt the moment she got to my side.


    I motioned for her to get closer and whispered into her ears, ¡°Get the queen down for dinner.¡±


    She stood up immediately and raced up the stairs, moving like her life depended on it.


    I waited a while for Lilith to show up and my eyes brightened up when I saw Carae down the stairs, but it dimmed back when I realized she wasing alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry your highness, she wouldn¡¯t listen to me and even ordered me out of her room.¡± My heart twisted in pain as she whispered those words into my ears.


    ¡°Make sure she eats tonight, take the food up to her room if needs be.¡± I dismissed her with the wave of my hand and started to eat.


    The food tasted sour in my mouth like it had been cooked for days without proper preservation. I spat it out to the amazement of everyone and rinsed my mouth with a cup of water beside me.


    ¡°Who cooked this food?¡±


    The maids all trembled on the spot as they looked at me with terrified faces. My brothers stopped eating and concentrated their attention on me.


    ¡°What is the problem, my King?¡± Ronan asked, his hands on my shoulders as he stood before me.


    I was about to answer him when a voice interrupted.


    ¡°What is all the fuss about, brother?¡±


    I followed the sound of the voice and came face to face with Raoul. The look on his face showed that he was dissatisfied with my actions and could take out his anger on me any minute.


    My mouth remained open as I stared at him in surprise. From the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of Ben, a weird smirk settled on his face.


    Bartholomew seemed indifferent and continued eating his food.


    Immediately, the chief maid walked in, sweating all over. ¡°My lord, you called for me.¡±


    ¡°You cooked this food, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ yes my lord, I did.¡± Her lips trembled beyond control, same with every part of her body, I could literally feel the floor vibrate under her.


    ¡°And did you taste it after cooking it?¡±


    ¡°Yes my lord, I tasted the fo¡­¡±


    I banged my fist on the table and stood up with rage, cutting her short. ¡°Then for what reason does my food taste like it had been cooked three days ago!¡±


    Whimpers could be heard all around the room as everyone looked from me to the food, then to the maid.


    ¡°That is not possible¡­¡± Raoul stood up angrily. ¡°We are all eating the same food, served from the same pot, stop being overly dramatic. If you don¡¯t like the food, you can just say so. Stop ming the cook or anyone over your bad mood, iming that the food is spoiled.¡±


    His words pped so hard on my cheeks. I was angry at myself because all I did was stare like a puppet.


    Ben suddenly burst intoughter, to the amazement of everyone. He stoppedughing and smiled at me through his eyes before continuing to eat.


    Ronan walked towards the table and picked up the te. ¡°I¡¯ll taste the food to know if ¡­¡± he stopped talking and looked at me with the food in his hand.


    ¡°If what, Ronan? To know if I am lying? Damn! You too!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t m¡­¡±


    ¡°Just stop!¡± I raised my hands up, my palms directly before his lips before storming out of the dining room.


    Walking back to my room, I tried to know what exactly was wrong. Why did my food taste odd and others¡¯ didn¡¯t? Why did Ben suddenly begin tough, when the situation at hand was not in any way funny? What exactly happened back there?


    By now I had gotten to the entrance of Lilith¡¯s room. I felt a strong urge to open it, but I remembered we weren¡¯t on speaking terms.


    So I stood by the door, staring at the hand knob as it stared back at me. ¡°Phew! Be confident, Adam,¡± I whispered. I stretched my hand to open the door and turned the knob halfway.


    All that remained was that final click which would be followed by a short creaking sound, one that signified the door was open and I could go in.


    But I stopped and turned back.


    As I moved along the dark passage to my room, my wolf stirred inside me like it was ufortable. I stopped walking and listened for any movement. All I heard was the howling of the wind outside and the movement of feet all around the mansion.


    A long sigh escaped my lips as I continued to walk to my room, but that strange feeling never left.


    A gentle push opened the door to my room and I strolled in. The feeling of being watched was no longer there, and I attributed it to the stress of the day.


    I stripped and got into the shower. The water felt so refreshing, I could have stayed in it all night.


    After taking my bath, I got into a pair of shorts and a flowing dark robe before crashing on my side to sleep. I closed my eyes and drifted off to dreand.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A sound came from the window.


    I opened my eyes but remained on my bed, not moving a bit. Rain had begun to fall, and the wind was blowing mightily outside.


    A nce at the clock from where I was revealed that it was half past midnight. I wanted to stand up, to shut the window as it jammed into its frame, making loud noises, but I justy there because I sensed something else-there was someone in the room with me.


    I closed my eyes, and activated my hearing abilities. That was when I heard him walk up to me. He moved so gently, one would think he hadn¡¯t been stepping on the floor.


    I could hear his breathing, his heartbeat. His scent-a mixture of ginger and alcohol hit my nose hard. I twisted it in disgust.


    As he came closer, his steps became clearer and his scent became stronger. I suddenly noticed a slight increase in his heartbeat as he neared my bed and I opened my eyes,ing face to face with the pointed tip of a knife.


    It was so close to my face, it would have gone right into my skull if I had not rolled away, dodging the de. He stood on the other side of the bed while I stood up quickly.


    He was wearing a mask, so I couldn¡¯t see his face, but his eyes looked familiar. Suddenly, he charged forward towards me and I dodged his attack. Little did I know that he was trying to escape.


    In a split second, he was gone from the window where he hade in through. I tried to catch him, but he was too fast for me, and I was on the floor. My hands caught his mask instead and tore it off his face and I gasped in shock at what I saw.


    There was a star-shaped scar, just like the one I saw earlier, on the face of the man talking to Ben.

 Don鈥檛 Die, Ronan!

    Adams¡¯ POV


    I couldn¡¯t think, I couldn¡¯t breathe. My brain was nk as my eyes looked at the ck mask in my hand.


    I knew my brothers didn¡¯t like me and were extremely desperate to take the throne from me, but to try to kill me in my sleep? That was the height of it.


    ¡°Lilith, Ronan.¡± Those were the first names that rang in my head.


    No theory or words can exin how I got out of my room, but one thing was certain, I definitely didn¡¯t walk or run or fly. I must have disappeared and reappeared outside in the space of a millisecond.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± I yelled, my voice louder than a siren.


    I started running towards his door, but my wolf reminded me of Lilith and I changed my course.


    ¡°Bang!¡± I knocked on her door the moment I got there with trembling hands. Everyone in the mansion was already up, and I could hear various feet running towards my direction, even from outside the building.


    The passage brightened up as up to ten guards appeared holding torches, followed by the maids.


    Lilith opened the door, yawning widely. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and scratched her hair before stretching her hands.


    ¡°Adams¡­¡± she began, surprised. ¡°Why are you up at this time of the night and why did you bang my door that way?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin, we are under attack.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Every trace of sleep in her eyes cleared the moment she heard we were under attack.


    ¡°Why? What is happening Adams, talk to me,¡± she asked,ing close to me. She held my hands and I felt warmth pass through me to every part of my body, calming my distressed soul.


    Bartholomew and Raoul had alsoe out with sleepy eyes alongside the rest of the maids in the building, but Ben was missing, and so was Ronan.


    ¡°My lord, we heard you scream, what happened?¡± One of the guards asked.


    ¡°We are under attack!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°How is that even possible? Who would dare to attack this ce?¡± Bartholomew asked.


    ¡°Someone bold enough to kill me!¡± I yelled at him, with anger and frustrationcing my tone.


    Everyone gasped in shock as they began to murmur among themselves.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, who would want to kill you?¡± Raoul asked this time.


    ¡°Maybe you should tell me. Someone who might want the throne for himself, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°And who do you speak of, uhn? You can¡¯t possibly hold me responsible.¡±


    ¡°Did I say you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Would the both of you just stop it already!¡± We all looked at the person who screamed and saw Lilith panting heavily. ¡°Would you rather scream and me each other all through the night or make efforts at catching whoever it is that is responsible for this?¡±


    Silence descended among us and could have remained for a while when, suddenly, a guard ran in. ¡°My king, two guards on patrol were found unconscious towards the north of the building.¡±


    I looked from him to the other guards and pointed to them. ¡°Five of you, go in search of the culprit. He is dressed in ck, and he has a star-shaped scar on the side of his eye.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± They saluted, rushing out.


    ¡°You two.¡± I pointed to two other guards. ¡°And three of you,¡± I said, pointing to three maids standing together, follow these guards and bring the unconscious men inside the house.¡±


    They bowed and left in a hurry.


    ¡°The two of you.¡± I pointed to two other guards holding torches. ¡°Search for my brother, Ben, and bring him to me. If he resists, arrest him.¡±


    The guards left in a hurry as Bartholomew and Raoul kept looking at me like I was crazy. I didn¡¯t look at them because I didn¡¯t care about what they thought. Ben was guilty, and he was going to pay for his crimes.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ronan?¡± Lilith asked with a concerned look on her face.


    I suddenly realized he had note out, which was quite strange. Ronan never waited to hear the sound of my voice before he came out to meet me anytime. Yet I had yelled his name and he didn¡¯t reply, something was wrong somewhere.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check his room,¡± I suggested. Lilith held on to me like her life depended on it as we walked slowly towards Ronan¡¯s room.


    His room was a few meters away from mine, it had been that way ever since I became the Alpha, and he became my Beta.


    As we got to the entrance of the room, something felt odd. Of course, the night had been strange, filled with different unexpected events, but this felt entirely different.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± I called, whispering gently.


    I could hear Lilith¡¯s heartbeat increase as her breathing became unsteady. A quick nce at her skin revealed goosebumps all over it.


    ¡°Ronan.¡± I called again, a little bit louder.


    No response, no answer.


    I stretched my hands to knock on the door, but it opened just as my hands touched it. This heightened the tension which was beginning to settle around us, so much so, I became scared of the unimaginable.


    ¡°Ronan.¡± I called his name again as we walked into the room. It was dark, but we were able to see through into the room.


    We walked towards the bed and found the sheets on it rumpled, which meant that he had slept on them before getting up. So where did he go to?


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Lilith gasped.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I demanded, facing her.


    ¡°Look at the room, it is a mess.¡±


    I looked around and noticed that the room was indeed a mess. It looked like a serious fight had taken ce as there were pieces of shattered ss and broken wood all over the ce.


    My thoughts became a jumbled mess as they crashed into each other like vehicles without brakes in traffic.


    ¡°What happened here? Where is Ronan? Was there an attack on his life too?¡±


    I suddenly remembered Ben¡¯s words, when he said they wouldn¡¯t expect what woulde. Was he referring to us?


    These thoughts and more lingered in my head but were soon dispersed when I heard muffled breathing. It was faint, and I would have missed it if I didn¡¯t have super hearing abilities.


    As if on a cue, my nose picked up the smell of blood, mixed with Ronan¡¯s scent.


    ¡°Where are you going to Adams?¡± Lilith asked me as I let go of her hand.


    ¡°Ronan is somewhere around here, I can smell him.¡± The scent became stronger as I got close to the bathroom.


    Lilith followed closely behind me, careful not to slip or fall amidst the numerous sharp objects around.


    We got to the bathroom door and I saw droplets of blood as I looked down.


    In one swift leg action, I smashed the door to the bathroom and there he was, covered in a pool of his own blood.


    Lilith stayed outside the bathroom while I ran inside. He was breathing haggardly and could hardly see.


    ¡°Ronan, oh no, who did this to you?¡± I asked, almost crying.


    He began to mumble inaudible words as if he was trying to say something.


    ¡°You need to rx, Ronan, I¡¯ll send for the doctor. Just hold on, please.¡±


    He kept mumbling inaudible words while gasping for breath. Suddenly, he stopped talking and became silent.


    ¡°Get the pack doctor, now!¡±

 Ronan In Coma

    Adams¡¯ POV


    ¡°Get the pack doctor!¡± I screamed.


    My brother and I didn¡¯t love ourselves, but Ronan was more than a brother to me.


    As I stared at his body, which was getting cold, memories of our past came rushing back. Tears streamed down my face as I remembered some of the sacrifices he had made to get me to the throne and even after that.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Please, Ronan¡­ don¡¯t leave me. H¡­ how would I survive without you by my side?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t speak or move. He just remained silent, with his eyes closed, and his lips sealed tight.


    Lilith had run out to get the doctor, so it was just us alone. I crossed my fingers with each other and put my hands on his chest.


    ¡°One¡­ two¡­ three.¡± I applied pressure on his chest, blew some air into his mouth, and repeated the process up to three times, but he didn¡¯t move.


    My ck robe was now stained with his blood, but I didn¡¯t care. All that mattered was bringing him back to life.


    I began pacing around the bathroom anxiously. I was not sure of what to do. As I could not pin my thoughts around anything, I quickly lifted him up in my arms and carried him out of the room.


    Raoul and Bartholomew were still standing on the spot I left them but this time, their faces had fear visible on them.


    Two guards were standing with them as others ran helter-skelter around the house, carrying one thing or another.


    ¡°Where is the pack doctor? Where is Lilith? Open the door? Get warm water, now!¡± I barked so many orders and asked so many questions, running towards my room.


    A guard opened the door to my room for me and I easily went inside with Ronan dangling lifeless from my hands.


    I put him on the bed and stripped his torn shirt away from his body. His belly and chest region had many cuts and bruises, it made my stomach twist.


    A part of his skin was opened, and I could see one of his ribs. Blood was pouring out of the hole, so I got a cloth and put it over it to stop the bleeding.


    Lilith ran in, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. How long she had run I didn¡¯t know, but she had the pack doctor with her.


    He was dressed in a flowing white robe with its buttons open. He must have been sleeping and had just worn the robe in haste when he was called. In his hands was a small box which contained his tools.


    His eyes were wide open but looking deep inside, one could see veins all around them, giving them a red-ish color.


    ¡°Get me warm water, now! I need to dab these wounds and stop the bleeding.¡±


    He put his hands on Ronan¡¯s neck and wrist to feel his pulse. ¡°His pulse is faint, He¡¯s in shock. The pain was so unbearable, he couldn¡¯t stand it so he passed out. He might remain this way for a few days or weeks or months or¡­¡± he shook his head.


    Fear gripped me and my heart skipped a beat. I did not need to ask to know what he meant. A doctor shaking his head with weary eyes and a sad look on his face only meant one thing.


    Almost immediately, Lilith dashed out and returned with the water in a few seconds.


    Then the doctor reached for his box, and took out a clean white cloth which he dipped into the bowl of water, leaving it there to pick up something else from the box, a small bottle.


    After opening the bottle, he let a little of the contents drop into the water. The water bubbled for sometime before bing calm.


    He dipped his hands into the water and took out the cloth. Squeezing it, he dabbed the face of the wound on the opened part and every other ce Ronan was injured.


    ¡°Get me alcohol,¡± he ordered without looking up for once.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you always have that with you as a doctor?¡± I asked him as Lilith turned to run out of the room again.


    I was tired of seeing her go forth and back like amon maid. She didn¡¯t deserve to go through all this stress.


    ¡°If I had any with me, I wouldn¡¯t ask for more, my king. I woke up abruptly from my sleep and came as fast as I could here with the Queen. How did you expect me to grab everything I need at a go when the matter required urgency?¡±


    I sighed, knowing I was wrong to have spoken to him like that. It was a hard time for everyone and he was simply ying a part.


    Lilith looked at me with pity in her eyes. She mouthed, ¡°it¡¯s alright,¡± before squeezing my hand lightly. The next second, she was out of the room and a few minutester, she was back with the alcohol.


    The doctor administered alcohol to the wounds and brought out a needle and thread to stitch Ronan up. He raised his head up afterward and poured a greenish liquid into his mouth.


    He wrapped the wounds with bandages and rubbed the same greenish substance all over his body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope your highness, I believe he will be alright. I¡¯ll be back in the morning to check up on him and change the bandages.¡±


    He bowed after and left the room with his tool box, closing the door after him.


    I walked up to Ronan and stood beside the bed. His breathing was still unsteady, but it was better than before. He had a peaceful smile on his face, one that warmed my heart.


    ¡°He will be fine,¡± Lilith whispered in my ears as she slid her hands into mine.


    My mind went back to how it all happened. From the scene at dinner to the assassination attempt. Why would Ben do something like that to me? Did he want the throne so desperately?


    A sigh escaped my lips as I realized I was indeed in the midst of terrible wolves. First it was Lilith, followed by me, then Ronan. It was only a matter of time before all hell was let loose.


    A knock on the door jolted me out of my thoughts as Lilith and I looked towards it.


    ¡°I will get it,¡± Lilith said, and was walking toward the door when I held her back.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap? Stay here.¡±


    She wanted to protest but stopped when she saw the look on my face. I walked slowly towards the door and put my ears on the door. I heard the sound of multiple heartbeats and asked, ¡°who is it?¡±


    ¡°My lord,¡± came a voice. ¡°We have searched everywhere around the mansion, and we currently have some men searching the streets and every house in the pack for your brother and the culprit, yet there is no trace of them.¡±


    A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I realized it was just the guards I sent to search for my brother and the man who tried to kill me.


    ¡°Keep searching and keep me updated.¡±


    ¡°Yes my lord.¡± With that, they ran off, and I returned to where I sat with Lilith.


    ¡°Who was at the door?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°The guards I sent to go after my brother and the culprit.¡±


    ¡°Have they found him?¡± She demanded curiously.


    ¡°No, they have not, but I told them to keep searching. He can¡¯t run forever.¡±


    She wrapped her hands around me as we stood, watching and waiting. We sat down after, and she drifted off to sleep.


    I could not sleep as my mind was preupied with different thoughts. What if Ben was not the only one in this? What if my other brothers were involved, and yet they pretended like they did not know? Since I was fighting the masked man in my room, who did Ronan fight with? Why was he in his bathtub and not outside in the open? There was no way Ben or the man could have gotten far without being caught. Does that mean they were still in the building?

 Arresting Ben

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    My sight was blurry at first, but then it gradually became clear.


    I roamed my hands around the hard surface I rested on, expecting to be on my bed. My eyes shut open, with every trace of sleep vanishing from them as I realized where I was.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    What happened in the early hours of the morning came back to my memory. It had all seemed like a dream which I didn¡¯t want to believe, but looking towards the bed, I saw Ronan and I realized it had all really happened.


    I raised my head up from Adams¡¯ chest and looked into his eyes. They were crimson red as if it was the origin of blood in his body.


    They were shining dimly, like a bright moon covered with dark clouds. A gasp escaped my lips, and he looked at me.


    ¡°Good morning my love.


    ¡°Adams¡­ you didn¡¯t sleep all night, did you?¡±


    He turned his face away and continued to stare at Ronan on the bed. ¡°Who would watch over him when I sleep? I¡¯m sure he is in this position because he was trying to protect me. Why should I not sacrifice some hours of sleep for him?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what, Lilith? Someone tried to kill you at first, remember? You survived. I was sleeping in my roomst night when that man came in. I can still see his eyes through his mask, how much hatred he had in there. I remember the tip of the knife as it faced me. If I had not dodged it in time, my brains would have been on my bed, and you would probably be mourning my death.


    ¡°The goddess forbids it Adams, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    He stopped talking and stared into space for a while. Water dropped from his eyes, but he cleaned it quickly so that I wouldn¡¯t see his tears. He stood up and walked towards the bed, staring at Ronan¡¯s unconscious body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care much about my life, Lilith, but I do not joke about the lives of others that matter to me. I will get revenge. I will hunt every one of them involved in this, whether they are rted to me by blood or not. I will skin them alive and roast their flesh on an open fire before their eyes. I will collect their blood in jugs and force them to drink it while they feast on their own flesh. They would beg for mercy and I wouldn¡¯t listen. They would wish to die, but I would lock death far away from them, I would make them miserable.¡±


    His eyes began to glister, a blend of orange and amber lights. Dark fur began toe out of his skin and his ws elongated. His bones had begun to creak and twist and turn as he grewrger.


    I was surprised by this transformation because it was during the daytime and the sun was high in the sky. He was no Lycan, so howe he could transform?


    His aura dominated the whole room. It was so much, it made me ufortable. ¡°Adams, snap out of it, please,¡± I tried to beg, but he didn¡¯t listen. His wolf was almost out, and he had be an entirely different being.


    ¡°Stop this at once! Do you want to kill Ronan?¡± A voice rang in.


    At the mention of Ronan¡¯s name, he snapped out of the beast mode. He gained control of himself.


    I looked towards the pack doctor who hade in with his tool box in his hand. He was followed by an assistant who carried an evenrger box, standing beside him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it was possible for you to do what you just did, but I need you to leave the room now, my king. I fear you may have tampered with the medication with that dangerous aura you emitted just now. You should also get some rest. I¡¯m here now.¡±


    Adams stood still like he didn¡¯t hear what the doctor had said. His expression remained indifferent, and his face was as hard as a rock.


    ¡°My king, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not leaving this ce.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either you do your job while I¡¯m here or get reced this instant.¡± He shut the doctor a hard re which must have sent shivers down his spine from the shocking look on his face.


    The doctor looked from me to him and I got the message. I walked to where Adams stood, held his hands, and whispered some words into his ears. ¡°Let us leave the doctor to do his job Adams, he knows best what he is doing.¡±


    ¡°If you want to leave, leave. I will stay here while he does his job. At this stage, I can¡¯t trust anyone, not even myself. Ronan needs me¡­¡±


    ¡°But your pack needs you too. I know this is hard for you to bear, but it has happened and there is little we can do about it. Let the doctor do his thing while you do yours. Ronan is not going anywhere.¡±


    By now, the doctor had begun to remove the bandage he wrapped around the wound. His assistant brought out four pans and put them on the four stands of the bed.


    The doctor brought out some dried nts and put them in the pans before lighting them on fire. The nts burned for a while before going off, reced by thin lines of smoke.


    ¡°What is this for?¡± Adams asked the doctor, his nose twisted in disgust.


    ¡°This is an ancient medicine used in cases like this. It can only be obtained at strategic ces in the highest mountains at the outskirts of the border. Finding it had not been easy, but I was able to get it for a price. As the smoke goes into the body, it heals the wounds from within and keeps the body alive.¡±


    Adams nodded his head in acknowledgment of what the doctor had said. ¡°You will be paid for every service rendered, and I am sorry for the way I spoke earlier. I shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    The doctor bowed slightly and continued his job as we made to leave the room.


    A knock on the door made us stop. ¡°Who is there?¡± Adams asked.


    ¡°We are the guards you sent in search of your brother and the culprit who tried to kill you, my king.¡±


    Adams opened the door to find three men dressed in golden uniforms. ¡°Well¡­¡± He began. ¡°What do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t found them sir. We, alongside every other guard in this mansion, have searched every room in the mansion,bed through every field and checked every house in the pack. Yet, no sign of them.¡±


    ¡°Keep on searching then.¡±


    Hardly had he spoken and finished, did a figure stroll in, without a care in the world. His hands were in his pockets and his head was raised up high.


    ¡°I heard you got attacked little brother, and your beta is in a worse shape than you are. Too bad I missed the show.¡±


    I looked up at the same time as Adams and my eyes widened in surprise at who I saw.


    ¡°You!¡± I heard Adams growl, charging at him at a very dangerous speed. He held him by the neck, but Ben remained indifferent, and didn¡¯t react. Rather, his hands remained in his pockets.


    ¡°You will pay for your crimes, I will make sure of it. Arrest him!¡± Adams ordered, throwing him against a nearby wall.

 The Council Meeting

    Adams¡¯ POV


    It was noon and the sun stood high in the sky, pouring out its glistening heat upon the face of the earth.


    Every member of the council had gathered in the mansion hall after I called for an emergency meeting to decide the fate of my brother.


    He was my brother, a royal. Putting him in a normal prison cell would be seen as inappropriate since his crime had not yet been proved.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    As two guards brought him in, our eyes met. All I saw in them-his eyes, were a silent mockery, it seemed as though he was telling me I was a fool.


    I expected him to look sad and broken, but his hands were in his pockets and he carried himself with an air of superiority.


    My brothers, Raoul and Bartholomew were also present. It added ayer of awkwardness to the setting as I didn¡¯t know what to expect from them, they were definitely not going to be on my side, but hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t do or say anything stupid.


    The council members all murmured among themselves. Soon he was behind the cab reserved for offenders and the meeting began in earnest.


    Since Ronan was not avable, the council members took it as an opportunity to go berserk. He was always the authoritative type, screaming outmands and getting his biddings done.


    ¡°Silence!¡± I growled, and the hall became as silent as a graveyard in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Members of the council, I believe you all heard what happened to me and my Beta in the early hours of the day. For those of you who didn¡¯t hear, an assassination attempt was made on my life while I slept.¡±


    There were murmurs again, and it made me wonder what exactly they had heard?


    ¡°This man here¡­¡± I began, pointing to Ben. ¡°¡­ ims to be my brother, yet he hired an assassin to have me killed.¡±


    Another round of murmuring and whispering erupted, but it died down the moment I raised my hand.


    ¡°Many of you know about the strained rtionship between my brothers and I. Ever since the death of my father, they have all wanted the throne and never hid their intentions from me. But this¡­ this is the height of it. He is a royal, so I can not totally takews into my hands without granting him a fair trial, so here he is before you.¡±


    Ben scoffed. ¡°You call this a fair trial? You hit me and imprisoned me without proof, yet you im to give me a fair tr¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡± I ordered him.


    ¡°My king.¡± A man in his fifties stood up. He was a powerful werewolf and a lord in charge of all the trade affairs in the pack. ¡°I served your father, and now I serve you. It will be best if this matter is settled amicably without any form of violence, because if word were to go out, it could crumple the security of the pack.¡±


    ¡°Let the man speak for himself, my king. Let us hear what he has to say.¡±


    I looked at who spoke and came face to face with Nathaniel Crane, Maya¡¯s father.


    Chants of ¡°yes!¡± came from all around the hall and I raised my hands in the air again to bring order.


    ¡°Fine, let us hear what he has to say for himself.¡±


    All eyes turned to Ben as he cleared his throat to speak. ¡°My brother had always been a difficult man who chose to follow his silly thoughts rather than facts. I have no idea what he is talking about as I wasn¡¯t even around during the attack.


    ¡°Liar!¡± I screamed, getting up furiously. ¡°You sent that man to kill me.¡±


    ¡°And how can you be so sure I did that? Give me one good reason why I would kill you now. You are nothing to me Adams. I don¡¯t even consider you a threat because I would easily squash you.¡±


    Everyone watched as the battle of words went on between us. And when they couldn¡¯t take it anymore, they spoke.


    ¡°Just tell us why we should not charge you for attempted murder on the Alpha¡¯s life, Ben.¡±


    We stopped arguing and Ben cleared his throat. ¡°This man, the very one parading himself as the Alpha king of this pack, is nothing but a shameless and self-centered person.¡±


    Everyone gasped.


    ¡°Yesterday, Raider, the new Alpha of the Green Forest pack came to invite the royal family for his official coronation. I immediately sent word to a friend of mine to get me an expensive gift which I would like to deliver myself to Raider that night. While I spoke to my friend, I caught sight of Adam, eavesdropping on my conversation.¡±


    ¡°Shameful!¡± A voice came from the crowd.


    ¡°What a disgrace to the crown!¡± Another rang in.


    Ben smiled, knowing his words were doing just what he wanted. If I let him continue, I would end up shooting myself in the leg as he had a way of winning people over.


    ¡°That man was no friend of yours, he was an assassin who you paid to do your dirty work. He had a star-shaped scar beside his eyes, meaning he was a fugitive. We all know what a star-shaped mark means-death, one which onlyes when a personmits a very grievous offense like murder.¡± I became short of breath and panted, staring at him with disgust.


    My blood began to boil as my heart raced wildly. All I wanted to do was smash him on the head and make him pay for his crimes.


    ¡°My king¡­¡± one of the men, spoke out. ¡°It is best we let him talk.¡±


    Not wanting to look like a desperate man on the verge of blowing up, I sat down but never took my eyes off him.


    ¡°This friend of mine was no assassin. He is well known around the border for his possession of rare treasures and antiques. He came upon my invite a few minutes before dinner, and we would have talked at great length, or I would have even invited him to join us at the dining table, but I didn¡¯t know how Adams would react, so I bid him goodbye, promising to meet him again. I also had ns to leave for Green Forest packst night so that I could present the gift to Raider as I wouldn¡¯t be attending the coronation because of a business trip up north that I should have left for this morning. Unfortunately, I was grabbed the moment I came into the mansion and thrown into a smelly room.¡±


    His words annoyed me and despite how much I tried to control myself, Ished out at him.¡±You should be d I didn¡¯t put you in the dungeon with other¡­ never mind.¡±


    The council members all whispered among themselves as they tried to make sense out of his story. It sounded convincing as he was a very good actor. Earlier, he had almost cried.


    Everyone definitely sees me as the terrible person now. If only someone saw what I had seen, then maybe I wouldn¡¯t be having a hard time proving myself.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ben,¡± Jairo, themander of my army, stood up, from a seat not too far from where I sat. ¡°We would like to believe you but¡­ it is the Alpha¡¯s words against yours. Probably, if you have a witness who will swear an oath, then maybe you can back up your innocence as you im you are.¡±


    At this stage, there was no way he would get out of the situation he was in.


    It came as a surprise when a sly grin stretched across his face, as he tapped his hands upon the wooden frame he was standing in. ¡°I have a witness.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if I heard right, but I sat up.


    ¡°Okay then, who is he? Bring him in.¡± Themander said as others nodded in approval.


    ¡°Ham,e in,¡± Ben called, and a man walked in.


    All eyes fell on him as he made his way towards the throne. He wore a cap which covered his face, adding ayer of suspense to his personality.


    He stopped before Jairo and bowed his head slightly. ¡°Remove the cap, let us see your face.¡±


    He stood still and moved his hand up slowly as if contemting whether to do it or not. Eventually, he held the tip of the cap and in a swift movement, it was off his head.


    He looked at me with a smirk, making my heart stop and the air in the room seemed as though it would strangle me.


    Staring at me were none other than those eyes on the skull of the man who would have killed me in my sleep.


    ¡°That¡¯s him!¡± I yelled, getting up in a rage. ¡°That¡¯s the man that was sent to kill me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous Adams, didn¡¯t you say he had a star-shaped scar on his face? Where is it now if this is your suspect?¡± Raoul demanded.


    I looked at the man again and, truly, the mark wasn¡¯t there. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± I whispered, observing his face closely. ¡°What happened to the mark?¡±

 Healing Abilities.

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    I sat on the bed, bored to death in my room.


    Adams didn¡¯t sleep, no matter how much I tried to make him. He kept pacing around the room and in the end, he called a meeting of the council and left for it in a hurry.


    I walked to the window at first, staring at the training ground. It was empty and it reminded me of Dale. What was she doing now? Why haven¡¯t I seen her all day?


    Unable to endure the boredom any longer, I decided to step out, to check on Ronan perhaps. I made my way to the room and opened it slowly.


    The doctor was still there with his assistant but his bags were packed, like he was done with what he was doing.


    Barely visible smoke lingered around Ronan¡¯s bed. My legs made soft clicking sounds, bringing the doctor¡¯s attention towards me.


    He bowed slowly and his assistant followed suit. ¡°My Queen, I was just about to send my assistant to get you. I have administered treatments on him and will be back tomorrow to change his bandage.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for everything doctor, what would we have done without you?¡±


    ¡°You tter me my Queen, I am at your service, always.¡± There was this satisfied smile on his face and it ddened my heart.


    ¡°How is he? Do you think he will wake up?¡±


    He scratched the back of his head before answering. ¡°Truthfully my Queen, I am not sure. We can only pray and keep hoping for a speedy recovery.¡±


    I inhaled deeply and coughed as some of the smoke got into my lungs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry your highness, here¡¯s some water.¡± He handed me a small cup half filled with water and I took a sip, soothing my throat and calming my nerves.


    ¡°Thank you sir.¡±


    He smiled, collecting the cup from me. I stared from the pans to the smoke, watching it swirl around Ronan¡¯s bed like a cloud.


    He must have noticed me staring at it as he cleared his throat. ¡°The smoke of Ashara.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, turning to face him.


    ¡°That is its name, the smoke of Ashara, produced by burning Ashara roots. The first time I knew of it was when my father used it for his father when he became unconscious after a fall.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I whispered. ¡°Did he survive it?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. The man was too old and saving him was pointless. My father wanted to try either way. He cried for days after the old man passed away as he was his father¡¯s only male child.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± I whispered softly as his story made me sober.


    ¡°Thank you, my Queen.¡±


    ¡°What about your father, is he well?¡±


    He became quiet after that and it made me wonder if I asked a question I shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I said something I shouldn¡¯t, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine my Queen, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He¡¯s alsote, he died a few years ago at a very old age. He taught me everything I know.¡±


    A sad look settled on his face and I could say it was contagious as I began to feel sad for him also.


    I decided to change the subject, that¡¯s the least I could do after bringing up his ugly memories.


    ¡°So¡­ Do you know how this Ashara smoke came about and why it is scarce?¡±


    His mood brightened up and I saw an enthusiasm to speak about the things he knew.


    ¡°It is believed that the Ashara smoke was first used by the goddess on a certain man when he had a great fall from a mountain. After  he recovered, he gained her trust and she always protected him but he betrayed her by stealing something very priceless which belonged to her. So she cursed him, making him the first Lycan. These roots are also believed to lift a curse if used in a certain way so the goddess uprooted it all and nted it at the very tip of the highest mountain. The nt used to grow everywhere which meant that it could be easily essible. Back then, the Lycan hated his curse and sought to break from it because his wife and children and vigers became scared of him. He set out on a journey to the mountaintop but he never came back.¡±


    I found the story both amazing and intriguing. As a child, different stories had been told to me about the first Lycan, his curse and the goddess but I had never heard this one.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°So what happened to him?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°No one knows, he probably died. The top of the mountain is filled with nothing but ice due to how far away it is from the ground and its closeness to the sky. Many people who went to the top hardly make it back alive so the resources found there are rare and expensive.¡±


    He looked at the clock and gasped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I have to leave now your highness, there are patients I put on hold at the pack hospital. It was great talking to you.¡±


    ¡°It was great talking to you too.¡±


    He bowed and left the room with his small bag while his assistant carried the big one just as before, closing the door behind him.


    I moved closer to Ronan, checking if he would move but hey still. I picked up a chair and sat beside him, waiting for Adam.


    The council meeting would surely be heated and going there would have been nice but I decided against it, remembering his words to not go anywhere close to the hall.


    I sang a song, one my mother would always sing for me whenever I cried as a child. Seeing Ronan In this state made me remember my parents and I cried, realizing how much I missed them.


    I soon stopped singing and picked up a book on a near-by shelf. I read it out loud, casting asional nces at Ronan to see if he would move.


    Tired of reading, I dropped the book and stared at his wounds. A voice whispered in my ears, urging me to touch it.


    I didn¡¯t want to as I wasn¡¯t sure what effects it would have so I stayed put. But the temptation came again and this time, I didn¡¯t resist.


    I ran my fingers from the bruises of his face, down to his heart. It was beating slowly and irregrly like it was hit by an inexperienced drummer.


    Running my hands a little bit further, I came to his bandaged side and ced my hand on it. It was warm and it had patches of blood on it.


    In the space of a millisecond, something strange happened. Light began to shine from my hands and the bandage caught fire.


    I screamed and ran back in fear, watching it burn out from a distance. I looked at my hands, wondering what just happened but I couldn¡¯t find a logical exnation for it.


    After a while, the bandage had burnt offpletely. It came as a shock however when I peeped at the spot of the burn and saw his skin joining together.


    Within a few seconds, every opening as a result of the injuries on his body had closed and his skin was restored to the way it was before.


    Anyone seeing him now wouldn¡¯t know he had just been involved in an attack.


    Then, he sneezed and sat up with a start. It seems as if a massive weight was lifted off my chest as I ran to him.


    ¡°Ronan, are you alright?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me and stared deeply into my eyes. I thought he felt that way because I was too close so I moved back a little but didn¡¯t take my eyes off him.


    ¡°Ronan, can you see me?¡±


    ¡°He tried to speak but couldn¡¯t as no sound came from his mouth. He coughed after and I realized he needed water so I ran and got some for him.


    He drank it speedily and sighed. He looked at me again and opened his mouth to speak. This time, his voice came out but I didn¡¯t expect what I heard.


    ¡°Who are you? Where am I?¡±

 Memory Loss.

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    My eyes darkened as my pupils dted like a dark sky covered with stars.


    A gasp escaped my lips like a whispered secret which must not be heard by another. The surrounding air seemed to vibrate as if reacting to Ronan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ronan, look at me. It is Lilith, don¡¯t you remember me?¡± I tried to touch his hands, but he flinched, stretching away from me. This got me rmed, thinking about what to do.


    ¡°The doctor,¡± I whispered. He would have gotten to the hospital and would most definitely be busy, but the matter at hand was one which required urgency.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Ronan, I need you to stay put. Don¡¯t move till Ie back, please.¡±


    He looked at me, his eyes clouded like a stormy sky. His eyebrows became furrowed and the lines of his forehead deepened. He didn¡¯t speak, but I knew he was confused, so I let him be.


    The next minute, I was out of the room.


    I ran so fast towards the pack hospital, I could literally feel my feet pping the back of my neck. The ground beneath me suddenly didn¡¯t exist, and I felt like I floated in the air-carried by the wind as it rushed through my ears.


    I didn¡¯t stop or pause even till I saw the hospital sign boldly. My heart hammered hard against my chest like a cksmith trying to forge a new sword. Coming to a stop at the reception, my breath seemed to betray me.


    I panted and whizzed and coughed, stretching my hands out for water. A nurse saw me and handed me a bottle filled with water and I drank it in a go.


    Only when thest drop entered into my mouth did I let the bottle drop to the floor. ¡°Where is the doctor?¡±


    The nurse ran inside the room and the next minute, she was out with him.


    ¡°My Queen, what seems to be the problem? Didn¡¯t I just leave you, back at the mansion?¡±


    He was probably surprised and confused at the same time as his expression said it all. He came closer and put his hand on my shoulder, guiding me to a chair.


    The effect of the race I had just engaged in had been reduced as I now panted less and breathed freely.


    ¡°My Queen, what is the problem?¡±


    ¡°R¡­ Ronan. He had woken up,¡± I dropped the news like a bomb.


    There was a way he stared at me. If looks could speak, then I was positive he was saying, ¡°you can not be serious.¡±


    ¡°Believe me doctor, he has woken up. Why would I run all the way from the mansion to this ce if I didn¡¯t have something important to say?¡±


    ¡°But how is that possible? We both saw his condition, he wasn¡¯t supposed to wake up¡­ just yet.¡±


    The doctor left me afterward and ran into his office. He came out some secondster, his bag in his hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, my Queen.¡±


    We ran back into the house, straight to the room and came in contact with Ronan still sitting on the bed. The way I opened the door startled him, and he shifted, staring at us.


    He kept looking at his body, from his hands, down to his chest. If only the injuries were still there, maybe convincing him might have been much easier.


    ¡°H¡­ how?!¡± The doctor eximed.


    He looked at me, his mouth wide open. I didn¡¯t have an answer to his question, so I shook my head from side to side and he looked away.


    ¡°The cuts, the bruises, the blood¡­ all gone, this is a miracle.¡± The doctor began to walk towards him and stretched out his hands, to feel the ces Ronan once had injury.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He screamed, holding his hand. ¡°What did you do that for?¡±


    ¡°Get away from me old man, I don¡¯t know you.¡± Ronan jumped off the bed and pointed his hands towards the doctor. ¡°I would not hesitate to hit you if youe near me.¡±


    The doctor simply scoffed, thinking it was probably an effect of medicine. ¡°Ronan, it is me, I ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time exining who you are to him, he doesn¡¯t remember anything,¡± I cut him short.


    The doctor gasped in shock, observing his face closely. He closed his eyes and breathed before trying again.


    ¡°Your name is Ronan, and we are your family. You hit your head hard on something, and you have been unconscious since yesterday.¡±


    Ronan twitched at his words, which were beginning to sink into his head.


    ¡°I have something for you.¡± The doctor dipped his hand inside his bag and took out a transparent blue liquid in a finger-sized bottle. He stretched it over to him, ¡°I know you don¡¯t remember anything, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just the drugs still working in your system. Drink this, it should bring back your memories in no time.¡±


    Ronan looked at the liquid in the doctor¡¯s hand like he was holding a piece of shit. I didn¡¯t me him, anyone in his right senses would be suspicious too.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t you want to remember us? We are your family. Please.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s words sounded really genuine and tears began to drop from his face.


    Ronan saw those tears and moved a step forward. He obviously didn¡¯t trust us, but there was nothing he could do as he didn¡¯t want to remain in the dark.


    So he grabbed the bottle and drank it. I heaved a sigh of relief, waiting for him to maybe close his eyes and open them back or shake up and down the room, anything, -so long it would bring his memories back.


    Suddenly, he began to shave violently like someone who had a convulsion. At first, I was okay with it, thinking it was all part of the process till he dropped on the bed and didn¡¯t move, like a lifeless body.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± No response. ¡°Ronan!¡± I screamed, this time shaking his body. No movement.


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± I faced the doctor. All he did was stagger backwards till he got to the wall. He crumpled down and sighed, ignoring my question.


    ¡°I am talking to you, answer me!¡±


    His expression remained grim. But when he finally spoke, his voice came out not as a whisper or as a sigh, but as a silent calm of distress. ¡°Send for the Alpha, this is more than we thought.¡±

 Shocking Revelation.

    Adams¡¯ POV


    The hall became silent as all eyes turned to me. Was this what it felt like to be defeated?


    I felt disgraced and ashamed of myself, but there was no way I was letting this slide.


    Ben had a triumphant look in his face, the same as Bartholomew and Raoul. The witness remained unfazed despite the hard re I sent towards him, since they were sure to win this case, he felt safe.


    Different thoughts moved in circles around my head like an angel¡¯s halo. A look at the faces of all the men before me filled me with distress.


    I felt like someone who was cast into a deep well of water, and was sinking to the base of the dark well, before a loud sound brought me back to where I was.


    Murmurs filled the hall as I looked at who came in just in time to save me from disgrace. I had high hopes, but it felt as though they were crumpled the moment I saw Lilith.


    ¡°What is this Omega doing here?¡±


    ¡°What makes her think she can disturb a council meeting?¡±


    ¡°She deserves to be punished for this.¡±


    Different whispers flew around my ear, but I was too distracted to listen, she looked terrified.


    Normally, I should have scolded her for not obeying my orders, but at the moment, hering meant a lot to me, and I was waiting to hear her voice out her purpose for being there.


    I walked towards where she stood, at the entrance of the door and ced my hands on her shoulders. ¡°What is wrong, my love? Why did youe here despite me telling you not to? You know how these people react to things, especially since they don¡¯t li¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ronan, I fear things might have taken a turn for the worst.¡± Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, and a defining silence took the hall captive.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    His name couldn¡¯t stop ringing in my ears after she said it, and I frowned. ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°I need you to go with me now!¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t. I am in the middle of a serious meeting. Wait for me outside.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather pick a meeting with a bunch of traitors who don¡¯t care if you live or die, or show up for your best friend, who had been with you since the beginning of time?¡± She stood, clenching her fist on either side of her body. Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes, it made me feel terrible.


    My heart beat increased as her words cut deep into my heart, making me feel emotionally broken. Unfortunately, the reverse was the case for the members of the council who heard what she said.


    ¡°How dare this woman speak in such a disgraceful manner to us?¡± A man screamed from the crowd.


    ¡°Who does she think she is?¡± Another screamed after him as they all began to grumble loudly.


    ¡°Come with me now Adam, you would want to hear this.¡± She turned around to go, but I held her hand.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    I spun around quickly and spoke to the council members.


    ¡°Members of the council, a serious matter which requires my attention has happened, and I need to leave. I hereby adjourn this meeting till tomorrow.¡±


    Signaling to two guards, I pointed to Ben, ¡°take this man to his room and keep him guarded at all times. If, for any reason, I can¡¯t find him when I need him, I will have your head instead.


    I looked at two other guards and pointed to the witness. ¡°Take this mind and keep him in custody.¡±


    The man wanted to run, but he was grabbed quickly by the guards. ¡°Let me go, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, let me go!¡± He yelled and screamed as everyone watched on.


    Suddenly, he stopped. I looked at him and followed the line of his sight. He was staring at Ben, who nodded his head.


    They both looked suspicious, but I was too distracted, thinking of Ronan to read any meaning to it.


    Amidst the grumbling, I left the room and followed Lilith. Immediately I entered the room, Ronan,  sleeping on the bed with his chest on the bed, caught my attention.


    The doctor was also there, sitting on the bare floor. His eyes were closed, and his hands were on his head as he rested his back on the wall.


    There were also no injuries or bandages on Ronan¡¯s body, and he looked like someone who was not involved in any attack.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± I asked.


    I moved closer to the bed and turned him over. He was breathing fine, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep.


    The doctor looked up and stood. He and Lilith kept staring at me as I observed Ronan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Can someone tell me what is happening? How did he heal up so quickly? Why was he lying face down when I came into the room? And why are you both standing like you havemitted a grievous crime?¡±


    They didn¡¯t reply or move, and it got me annoyed.


    ¡°Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know okay,¡± Lilith said. ¡°I was alone with him in the room, after the doctor had left earlier. I moved closer to him to check the injuries and touched his wound in the process. Suddenly, light began to shine. The bandage burned off and the wound healed. He woke up and¡­¡± she stopped.


    ¡°And what, Lilith? Stop putting me in suspense.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ he didn¡¯t recognize me.¡±


    I became confused as I thought about all she had just said. How was it possible for her to touch him and, all of a sudden, his wounds healed? Then he woke up and didn¡¯t recognize her.


    ¡°What about the doctor? Why is he here?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I called him when I realized he didn¡¯t recognize me, and he gave him a substance which put him to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I fear he might not remember anyone again,¡± the doctor chipped in. ¡°Except you make a trip.¡±

 Finding A Solution

    Adams¡¯ POV


    ¡°What trip?¡± I asked, staring into his eyes.


    He looked down, avoiding my gaze as he drew invisible objects on the floor with his fingers.


    ¡°He must have been hit hard on the head, which had caused forgetfulness. His memories are somewhere in there. All we need to do is bring it out. There is a mysterious dust which can only be found at the edges of the mountain. When sniffed into the nostrils, it puts a person into a deep sleep and unlocks the memories hidden somewhere inside him. The person will see visions of his past and will remember straight away once he wakes up. But¡­¡± he stopped, shutting his eyes.


    ¡°But what? Answer me!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ there are dangers along the way.¡±


    ¡°Dangers? What dangers?¡± I demanded of him.


    The doctor turned his gaze toward the roof. ¡°Wild wolves, rogue werewolves and the cold.¡±


    ¡°The cold? I¡¯m not scared of the cold. I am not scared of rogue werewolves either or wild wolves.¡±


    I could hear Lilith¡¯s heartbeat as I said those words. Each word made her heart skip a beat as her face twisted, and she frowned more, the next deeper than the first. She began to pace around and would not stay still.


    She soon stopped walking about, staring at me with her eyes. I knew she was trying to talk to me, but I didn¡¯t look at her face. I was trying to think and distractions would only make me lose focus.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there another way? I think this is too dangerous.¡± She asked, her voice filled with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, my queen, there is no other way, except by another miracle, he gets his memory back just as he was healed.¡±


    A moment of silence soon followed as tension hung heavily in the room.


    ¡°I would go.¡± I dered, breaking the silence. ¡°I would leave by nightfall and return before it is morning, in time for the council meeting. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to notice my absence.¡±


    She looked at me with widened eyes as though she had seen a ghost. Her heartbeat increased, and it took a lot of discipline to resist smiling.


    ¡°My lord¡­¡± the doctor began excitedly. ¡°¡­ since you are to go, let me rush back to equip you for this trip.¡± He bowed slightly and hurried to the door, leaving us alone.


    ¡°Why would you want to do something like that?¡± She demanded. Her lips quivered, and her fingers trembled against each other. Her skin looked pale and her eyes dim.


    ¡°What do you want me to do, let Ronan remain like this forever? You heard the doctor, there is no other way?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what, Lilith? He is my friend, there¡¯s no way I would let him remain like this. Never! If I were in his shoes, he would do the same for me.¡±


    ¡°I know you need to help Ronan, we are doing all we can. But you heard the dangers involved. How do you want to survive all that? I just got you back¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    Her gaze softened. Now I understood where all this wasing from. She was scared, thinking if I went, I might note back.


    ¡°I would be fine, my love, just let me do this.¡±


    I walked closer to her and drew her closer to me. Her eyes were clouded with tears which could drop anytime soon, so I used a part of my shirt and cleaned her tears with it.


    Seconds turned to minutes, but we stood glued to the spot, stuck in each other¡¯s arms-in silence.


    Suddenly, she broke the silence. ¡°Why not send some guards?¡±


    ¡°No. No guard deserves to die. They might not be able to escape the dangers that may be. I would rather go myself.¡±


    ¡°Take me with you then, don¡¯t leave me here with these people. If you go, I will go too.¡±


    Speechless, I detached myself from her, looking into her eyes as if to read her thoughts. ¡°But if you go, who will stay with Ronan? There is no one I trust, except you.¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to survive? Alone? Everyone here hates me and Ronan is not in the right state to defend us¡­¡±


    ¡°Which is an even more reason why you must stay here with him. I would be fine on my own and I woulde back to you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts Lilith, my answer remains the same. No!¡±


    I stormed out of the room, mming the door shut as I walked through the corridor to an empty balcony. Soon, she was beside me, an apologetic look visible on her face.


    ¡°Do you remember the day I had a duel with one of the soldiers in the army?¡±


    I turned around, curious as to why she would bring that matter up. ¡°I remember. What does it have to do with this though?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, nothing can hurt me. What about the time I was poisoned? And what do you think healed Ronan?¡±


    As she said those words, I stared at her in disbelief. She was right. Ever since she healed from the poison, she has hardly got hurt.


    ¡°Wait for me,¡± she said, running back into the room before I could reply.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    The next minute, she was back, with a knife in her hand.


    ¡°Lilith, what do you think you are doing?¡± I asked, rmed.


    ¡°What does it look like, Adam? Proving myself to you, do course.¡±


    Before I knew what was happening, she took the knife close to her hand, and cut herself with it. Then she screamed in pain while I rushed up to her.


    ¡°Oh no Lilith, what have you done?¡±


    I held her hand as I saw blooding out, staining her dress and my clothes. ¡°Stay here!¡± I ordered her, running back to the room.


    A jug of water was sitting on a table. So I grabbed it and raced back to where she stood. Her back was turned to me as she crouched on the ground.


    ¡°Here, wash your hand, let me get some bandages.¡±


    She didn¡¯t turn to look at me. Instead, she remained silent and I feared for the worst. In haste, I went to stand before her. My mouth opened widely as shock waves moved around my body at what I saw.


    The wound had closed up and there was no longer blooding out from her hand. It seemed as though she had never hurt herself.


    ¡°How is this even possible?¡±


    ¡°It was a gift from the goddess. I am meant to protect you at all times, Adams, because there are dangers hiding in the shadows and I can already feel it.¡±


    She stood up and came closer, sealing the distance between us. ¡°Take me with you Adam, or don¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±

 Going For The Solution

    Adams¡¯ POV


    Nightfall soon came as I stood in my room, waiting for the doctor. I was dressed in an all-ck outfit which stuck to my body. It was me and Ronan¡¯s favorite, one which we liked to wear whenever we had a dangerous mission at hand.


    Lilith had left angrily after our argument and I had not seen her since then. I tried searching for her but soon gave up. She was probably in one of the gardens where she always went.


    Ronan stirred on the bed and soon opened his eyes. He sat up immediately staring at me. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked.


    I didn¡¯t say a word, rather, I kept staring at him. It made my heart bleed to see him this way. Memories of our childhood rushed through my head and I sighed.


    Realizing I hadn¡¯t replied to him, he rested his back on the wall, still sitting on the bed, watching me in silence.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    The door creaked as it opened slowly. The doctor walked in, carrying a small bag. Hardly had he taken three steps when Ronan yelled at him.


    ¡°You! What did you give me to drink?¡±


    He had stood up on his feet, his fists clenched behind him.


    The doctor looked from me to him with a terrified look on his face. I signaled him to ignore Ronan and continue toe towards me.


    Ronan was obviously annoyed by the doctor ignoring him. He moved forward, as if to hit him, but stopped as soon as he heard my voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool Ronan, we are trying to help you.¡±


    His eyes became dim as he looked at me. ¡°And who are you to tell me what to do?¡±


    I felt a pang in my heart, watching him. It felt awkward having him so close to me, yet he didn¡¯t recognize me.


    He stopped walking towards the doctor and faced me. His intentions were clear from the look on his face. We were strangers to him, and he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to fight us if he had the chance to.


    But I didn¡¯t want to fight him.


    ¡°I¡¯m your friend Ronan, your best friend. I know you don¡¯t recognize me now, but I am going to get the cure for you, trust me.¡±


    His gaze softened, and I took it as a chance to get closer to him. I stood up from where I sat and went closer to him. The next second, I had pulled him closer to myself, locking him in a tight embrace.


    Tears dropped from my eyes as I sniffed, my head resting on his shoulders. He froze for a while, but I soon felt his hands behind my back.


    ¡°Stay here till I return, please.¡±


    I detached myself from our embrace and collected the small bag from the doctor¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Inside the bag are the things you will need. A jar to pack the mysterious dust, food to survive if things get a little bit messy, some medicines to use so that you will heal faster in case of injuries or bruises, a liquid in a green bottle that will give you strength and make you feel hot even in the cold. Mind you, it doesn¡¯tst long, and a nket.¡±


    I smiled weirdly, as he mentioned the things in the bag. Food, medicines, a nket? I¡¯m an Alpha king for crying out loud, I didn¡¯t need all those things.


    I collected the bag afterward, not to seem as though I didn¡¯t appreciate his efforts.


    I walked out of the room, avoiding the guards and everyone around. I kept searching for Lilith from the corner of my eyes as I moved, but I couldn¡¯t seem to find her.


    After getting far from the mansion, I closed my eyes and summoned my beast. My bones began to twist and turn as creaking sounds came out of my body. He let out a loud growl as he finally came out, before running at full speed towards the mountain.


    Then he stopped, something felt odd. He looked around but saw nothing except a lonely pathway. He listened but all he heard was the chirping of insects from a distance.


    Since he didn¡¯t see anything, he kept running, not stopping for once.


    After running for over two hours non-stop, he had almost gotten to the border where the mountain was, and it was getting cold.


    Surprisingly, there was no snow or ice as the mountain stilly ahead.


    Suddenly, something flew past him. It moved so fast he didn¡¯t see it. This stopped him in his tracks and he listened to find out if there was anything around, but all he heard was the howling of the wind.


    I suddenly remembered the doctors¡¯ words about rogues, and it made me wonder if they were responsible for what almost killed us.


    The cold had begun to seep in, even in my best form. It seemed like there was a curse around the area, and it had gotten to us.


    He suddenly couldn¡¯t feel his limbs and fell down. Before I knew it, he was in, and I was out again.


    ¡°What just happened to me?¡± I asked, confused.


    I looked around for the bag the doctor gave me and found it lying on the floor, some distance away.


    I rushed to it and opened it in haste.


    I searched frantically for the bottle which held the liquid that would keep me warm. Immediately my hands found it, I poured its contents into my mouth and sat down on the floor.


    The heat soon moved around my body and I felt alive again.


    Then I stood up from the ground to continue my journey, but almost immediately, I felt a hard bang on my head and I fell into darkness.


    On regaining my senses, I saw myself tied to a chair in the center of a little room.


    I could not see the surrounding area clearly because my vision was blurry. Instead, I only heard ringing sounds in my ears. My sight soon cleared, and I looked around, trying to decipher where I was.


    Suddenly, I heard his voice. It was so clear, I couldn¡¯t miss it any day.


    ¡°Where did you think you were going to¡­ brother?¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I gasped as I looked up to see his face. ¡°Raoul.¡±

 Captured In The Mansion

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    The word angry was an understatement to describe how I felt. I was beyond furious.


    Why would he not want me to go with him? Is it because I am a woman, and he thinks I am weak?


    I scoffed, sitting on a low stool in the midst of a beautiful rose garden. The scent of the flowers glided into my nostrils, it was like a soothing balm to my aching heart.


    Their red petals were beginning to close as the day drew near its ending, yet they were beautiful. I couldn¡¯t help but get lost in its beauty.


    I stood up and plucked one, careful not to get pierced by the thorns on the flower stalk. Bringing it closer to my nostrils, I sighed as it hit my senses with great delight.


    My thoughts drifted to Adams once more. What was he doing now? He had been under a lot of pressure and I wanted him to share some of these burdens with me, but he just wouldn¡¯t, and it hurt me so much.


    I am his mate, his wife. If he is not willing to let me help, then who will?


    Earlier, when I went to call him, during the council meeting, I heard his voice as he screamed and shouted, it made my wolf twist inside me with dissatisfaction.


    Even his eyes had this peculiar redness, one that expressed his anger towards the way things had gone.


    Night soon came, and I stood up and walked back into the mansion, back to the balcony we stood earlier. I saw him walking out, in an all-ck outfit, carrying a small bag. His steps were gentle, and he made no sound as he moved.


    A voice whispered excitedly in my head. ¡°Follow him, he wouldn¡¯t even know you are there.¡± It sounded so good, I was tempted to try.


    But another voice spoke calmly in my mind, making me reconsider. ¡°Why do you want to go with him so badly? What about Ronan, his best friend? If you go, who would take care of him? The doctor would go back home, and Ronan would be left alone. Do you think Adam would sing praises to your ears when you failed him in the simplest of things, to stay and take care of his best friend?¡± It became silent after, leaving me to make a decision.


    I thought about earlier in the day when Adam had gone into a crazy state, and would have caused chaos in the room. How it had been almost impossible to calm him down. He did all that for Ronan.


    Tears stung my eyes as I watched him transform from a distance before running at full speed. I had made my decision to stay behind.


    ¡°My Queen,¡± ra called from behind me. I quickly cleared the tears on my face and turned to face her.


    ¡°ra, where have you been all day?¡± I walked up to her and gave her a hug.


    ¡°I have been with the other maids, my Queen. Besides, I wasn¡¯t allowed to see you ore close to your quarters all day.


    I wondered who gave that order but didn¡¯t bother to ask.¡±


    ¡°I have taken your food to your room. You must be starving.¡±


    As she mentioned food, my stomach grumbled as if on a cue and I realized I hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day.


    We got to my room, and she opened the door for me to enter. I sighted the tes of food, presented neatly on the bed. My mouth began to produce saliva in great volumes.


    My stomach grumbled again, and roared like it would tear itself from my body while my legs moved at great speed towards the bed.


    I picked up a spoon to eat but paused when I suddenly remembered Ronan. He must be lonely in the room he was in. Besides, he had also not eaten all day.


    ¡°Cara.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Queen.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind leaving me for a while? I¡¯ll call you when I need you.¡±


    She seemed terrified by the way she was looking at me, maybe she was thinking she had done something wrong, so she quickly knelt down before me, holding her palms as if pleading for forgiveness.


    ¡°My Queen, tell me, what have I done? Have mercy upon me.


    I dropped the spoon and went to where she knelt down. ¡°Stand up Cara, you didn¡¯t do anything. I just want to be alone for now. I promise to send for you soon.¡±


    Her mood brightened up and she stood up. ¡°If you say so my Queen, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    Slowly, she walked to the door and soon disappeared, closing the door gently behind her.


    Sure she had given far enough. I carried the food and walked to Adams¡¯ room where Ronan was, but he wasn¡¯t there.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The shock of finding the bed empty and the room unupied filled me with so much dread, the te fell from my hands; its contents scattering on the floor.


    Fear reced the hunger in my belly and my body trembled beyond control. Where could he have gone? Who came in after we all left?


    These questions and more swirled around my head as confusion crept into my body, in the twinkle of an eye. I wanted to scream and shout. But if I did and everyone rushed into the room, asking what the problem was, what would I say?


    In haste, I opened the door and would have rushed out but stopped when I heard the flushing of the toilet and the creaking of a door.


    ¡°Ronan?¡± I called. He came out of the toilet and that was when it dawned on me that I had overreacted and wasted the food.


    He eyed me from my head to my feet like I was an alien. It wasn¡¯t his fault, I didn¡¯t expect him to trust me since he didn¡¯t remember anything.


    ¡°Is that food?¡± He asked, a terrified look stretched across his face.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± I replied, scratching my head.


    ¡°Why would you waste precious food? He demanded, putting his hands above his head. ¡°I am starving!¡±


    I wanted to yell at him for not staying put, but I refrained myself from doing that. It wasn¡¯t his fault, was it?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll get another fo¡­¡±


    ¡°You had better¡­ stranger.¡±


    Annoyed, I left the room, passing through the dimly lit passage to get some food for Ronan and myself from the kitchen. I had passed by my room and had gotten to Ronan¡¯s original room.


    For some reason which I didn¡¯t know, I stood before the room, staring at the door. It had this queer feeling around it like something or rather¡­ someone was in there.


    My stomach grumbled one more time to remind me of my purpose for leaving the room, but the queer feeling persisted, and I suddenly had a desire to satisfy my curiosity.


    I moved closer and touched the door. To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t closed. I walked in and saw the room, dark- in the state it was when I wasst in it with Adams.


    My nose picked up a scent of blood, but I assumed it was Ronan¡¯s since the room had not been cleaned. It became stronger and it smelt fresh.


    I followed the scent, and it led to the bathroom door just like it did before. Slowly, I stretched my hands and gripped the knob to open it.


    Just as I turned it, the door opened, and I made to step into the bathroom when a strong hand gripped and covered my mouth from behind me. I felt the tip of a de on my neck, pressing tightly onto it. I couldn¡¯t scream or shout, it seemed like my breath had been cut short.


    The deep voice of my captor suddenly spoke into my ears, ¡°Stay still, Omega, you might hurt yourself.¡±

 In Wrong Hands

    Adams¡¯ POV


    The room was dark and I could not see anything around me. There was a dimmp over my head, it was the only source of light.


    Shock waves scattered all around my body as I looked at him from his head to his toes.


    What was he doing here?


    ¡°Raoul, what is the meaning of this?¡± I demanded from him.


    He had this wicked smile on his face, one which mocked me. His eyes were darkened and looked lifeless.


    He swung a sledgehammer dangerously in his hand, as he watched me from a distance.


    ¡°Answer me Raoul, why do you have me tied up in this ce, let me go.¡±


    ¡°Rx brother, the fun is just about to begin.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    All I could see was him standing a few meters away from me, everything else was surrounded by darkness.


    Suddenly, he began to walk away and before long,  he had disappeared into the darkness.


    I tried to activate my wolf vision, to see through the darkness but surprisingly, I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t see anything in here, don¡¯t bother trying,¡± his voice rang out.


    ¡°And why is that so?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Little brother, there are so many things you do not understand, so many powers that exist but you have never heard of.¡±


    His words made me curious. ¡°What powers?¡±


    ¡°Dangerous powers brother- very dangerous ones.¡±


    His tone became deeper and darker, it made my heart skip multiple beats. The darkness around added ayer of awkwardness, it was so frightening.


    ¡°Release me now, I need to go!¡±


    ¡°And why would I do that?¡± He asked, walking out of the shadows. In his hands was blood and a bag. He opened the bag and its contents rolled out, attached to the bag in some way. In it were different weapons, meant to inflict pains..


    ¡°When you arrested Ben, did you release him?¡±


    ¡°Is that what this is about? Ben? Don¡¯t even try to deny it, we both know he hired that ass¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if Ben had truly hired an assassin to kill you, did he seed? That is no way to treat a royal brother.¡±


    For a second, I could see empathy in his eyes. Was he genuinely concerned for our family all of a sudden or it was just a facade?


    ¡°What if he had killed m¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he kill you?¡± He fired back, cutting me short with a straight face.


    We stood in silence for a few seconds before I broke the silence. ¡°On whose side are you on Raoul? My side¡­ or Ben¡¯s side.¡±


    His face switched from a straight face to an amused one. The next second, he broke intoughter, casting asional nces at me amidst theughter.


    ¡°Why would I help Ben get the throne or help you keep it when I can get it for myself?¡±


    He took the bag and all the weapons in it and walked into the darkness again. This time, whening back, he dragged a table along with the weapons on it.


    As it grazed the floor, it made screeching sounds which upset my ears. He looked at me and smiled, pleased at the difort I was going through.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity,¡± He said.


    ¡°A pity that what?¡±


    ¡°A pity Ronan wouldn¡¯t be getting his memories back.¡±


    I clenched my fist In anger, struggling to break free from the rope which held me against my will.


    If I remained here, Ronan wouldn¡¯t get his memory back and that wouldn¡¯t be good for any of us. So I tried harder, to break free. But the harder I tried, the tighter it seemed that the rope became.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fight it, you can¡¯t break free from this.¡± He burst into another round ofughter before kicking a small knife from the lot of weapons on the table.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± he began, staring at me. I had stopped trying to break free from the ropes and  looked at him, not breaking eye contact. ¡°¡­ I have always admired the friendship between you and Ronan, so much- I became jealous of it.¡±


    I scoffed as he said the mast statement. ¡°You punk, jealous? You always made it clear from the onset that you didn¡¯t like any of us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that is what I want you to believe. But deep down in my heart, I wanted something, something special like you guys had but it just didn¡¯t work out, no matter how I tried.¡±


    The look of empathy on his face earlier had appeared back and this time, it lingered there.¡±


    ¡°Who would want to associate with a terrible person like you?¡± I spatted in disgust.


    ¡°You are right Adam, I am indeed a terrible person. I once hired someone to do a terrible job for me but I ended up discarding her away like a useless piece of trash.¡± He bursted intoughter. ¡°The poor girl, she thought  we had a connection.


    I watched him as heughed with so much hatred. If I could snap off this chair, I was definitely going to make sure he didn¡¯t have a voice anymore.


    He stoppedughing and stared at me, with serious, dark eyes. ¡°I always thought Ronan was stronger than he looked. Turned out a nice hit in the head did the trick perfectly, he did try to fight but I did justice to that.


    His lips curved into a smile as my eyes widened in shock at the revtion. Ben didn¡¯t make an attempt to kill my Beta, although I was quite positive he did on me. Turns out Raoul had been in y all this while yet we didn¡¯t catch him even when he was right under our noses.


    ¡°You son of the devil!¡± I yelled, struggling more than ever, ¡°let me go and I¡¯ll show you the stuff I¡¯m made of.


    I wriggled and twisted and turned on the chair but the ropes just proved too strong. I closed my eyes and summoned my wolf but he didn¡¯t move, he was silent, which was strange.


    ¡°How could you do this to him? Why?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I do that to him? How else am I supposed to get to you without first taking out your Beta?


    His question amused me as I realized I am the main reason for all the troubles around.


    His lips stretched across his face as he smiled so widely, one would think he had won a lottery. Since he wanted me, he had me where I had to be.


    ¡°Did you hire the assassin to kill me?¡± I asked, to clear my doubts.


    The smile on his face disappeared, reced by a frown. ¡°Why would I hire an assassin to kill you? Where¡¯s the fun in that? Although, whoever did it might have made this a lot more interesting. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve witnessed as much drama as I had seen since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± I yelled. ¡°Let me go.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me. Rather, he dropped the small knife in his hands and took a plier. He came towards me so fast, I didn¡¯t see himing.


    He swung his arm and the next second, pain shut through my body as blood filled my mouth. I spat it out, panting heavily.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°You just let me out of here, I will destroy you,¡± I threatened, despite the pain in my mouth.


    He walked towards the table and dropped the plier before dipping his hands into his pocket.


    ¡°Guessing from where I found you since I followed from the mansion, I guess you were going to the mountain.¡± He brought out a small transparent jar, inside which was a gray substance which looked like ash. ¡°Good thing I had been there beforeing to the mansion, I had plenty of time to roam its surface. Looking for this?¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck!¡± I eximed, how long had he been nning for this?

 Fighting for Survival

    Lilith¡¯s Point of View


    He had a mask on his face which covered his nose and mouth but revealed his eyes, he wore dark gloves on his hands. His stance showed he was an experienced fighter and the way he held his sword, nobody coulde near him.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I screamed.


    He no longer held me, rather, he threw me to the floor and locked the door.


    ¡°What do you think I want from you?¡± He started toe closer, brandishing his sword dangerously. ¡°I am not interested in you, I am only interested in what you have.¡±


    His words got me confused. What did he mean by what I have? Besides being the Luna of the pack, I was just a useless Omega. Except, he somehow knew about my powers.


    Adam was the only one that knew about them and the goddess. So who was he, and what did he know?


    ¡°I have nothing, and I assume you know me well and already know that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see his expression because of the mask, but it seemed as though he was smiling. I knew it through the upward shift of the muscles around his eyes.


    ¡°Well, I am interested in something that you have, and only you can give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Go straight to the point, and stop dashing around the bush, say what is on your mind. How did you get to me in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, getting worried. Ronan was waiting for me in the room, hungrily. It was only a matter of time before he left the room in search of food and that could expose him to danger.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know that,¡± he replied. ¡°Get up!¡±


    I wanted to prove stubborn and not listen to him, but he didn¡¯t look like he was joking. Reluctantly, I stood up from the floor.


    ¡°Strip off your clothes!¡± He ordered. ¡°And lie on the bed.


    I frowned, realizing that things were beginning to get absurd.


    ¡°Why should I strip off my clothes before you ory on the bed?¡± I asked stubbornly.


    ¡°You will do what I say, when I say it. Now strip off your clothes and climb onto the bed!¡±


    His voice was firm this time, and it carried a lot of danger around it. I decided to y along till I would have the opportunity to run away, so I began to walk slowly to the bed, ignoring the firstmand.


    ¡°I said, strip off your clothes!¡±


    I stopped and stared at him for a while.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Do it, or I¡¯ll do it for you!¡±


    Scared, I began to lose the ropes which held my gown together and soon, it slipped off my shoulders, revealing my naked body. I saw his eyes lit up as he scanned every part of my body.


    ¡°Happy now?¡± I asked.


    He didn¡¯t seem to hear, as all he did was stare at my breast as they stood firmly on my body. ¡°Get on the bed.¡±


    I continued going and raised my legs up to get on it when I heard his voice.


    ¡°No! Not that way.¡±


    Pissed, Ished out at him. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to get to the bed if not this way?¡±


    He stretched the sword before me, extremely close to my face. Even in the dark, its silver de shone -sending cold shivers all around my body. ¡°Get on the bed with your back, don¡¯t stop looking at me.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I scoffed and did as I was told. All through the time, my eyes roamed about the room, looking for a weapon or anything I could use to defend myself, but I found nothing.


    It made me wonder how a warrior like Ronan didn¡¯t have any swords or knives in his room. Did whoever attacked him take them away?


    He coughed, bringing my attention back to him as he must have noticed me looking about the room. ¡°The earlier you do as I say, the earlier I leave with what I came for.¡±


    What he wanted still puzzled me, but I put it at the back of my mind, concentrating on what was happening at the moment.


    ¡°Good girl. Now, turn around slowly.¡±


    I wanted to protest again, but I decided not to and turned, lying face t on the bed.


    My heart skipped multiple beats as he began to walk towards me. I turned back at once, trying to get up, and saw him standing directly before me. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    A p suddenlynded on my left cheek, making me fall back on the bed. I wanted to retaliate, but he gave me another p and hit me across the chest.


    The hit was so hard, blood spilled from my mouth. Tired, Iy on the bed, watching him.


    ¡°When I give you instructions, you do it.¡±


    He turned me over on the bed, making me lie on my chest again as I felt his hard member poking me from behind.


    Imaginations of what he was about to do flooded my mind and in fear, I turned around, despite the pressure I felt. He wanted to p me across the cheeks again, but I screamed, ¡°wait!¡±


    He stopped, his hand hanging in the air.


    ¡°I need you to tell me what you want¡­ please. Who knows, I might be willing to give it to you.¡± I managed to wink, despite the pain I felt.


    My little talk seemed to have gotten into his head as he slowly dropped his hands. Almost immediately, he pulled off his mask, revealing his face.


    Somehow, his face was familiar, but I don¡¯t think I have ever seen him. Was it his nose or his eyes or the sc¡­ wait, he had a star-shaped scar on his face!


    ¡°You!¡± I yelled in surprise.


    ¡°What!¡± He roared. ¡± Do you think anyone could possibly capture me? I am untouchable.¡±


    ¡°B¡­ but how is that possible?¡±


    He let out a growl likeughter and switched back to seriousness in the space of a second.


    ¡°No one can capture me, not even your Alpha king¡­ Lilith.¡±


    I gasped again, realizing he knew my name. ¡°Who the hell are you? Who sent you!¡± I yelled as tears formed around my eyes, threatening to fall.


    ¡°That is none of your business. Do as I say.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I decided not to listen to him any longer and leave the room for good, even if it meant fighting.


    I sighted a knife strapped to his boots, and decided to go for it. I stood up immediately, and he tried to hit me again, but I dodged, this time hitting him with my head.


    I suddenly felt my wolfe alive, and I hit him again with all my strength, but he was too tough for me. He held me and threw me across the room, running to bash into me a second time, but I had a pleasant surprise for him.


    He jumped and stretched his legs midair, aiming for my head, but I turned and jabbed him in the back with all my strength. When I dodged his hit, I had taken the knife and hid it behind my hands.


    He screamed in pain, kneeling on the ground as the knife went through his body. I took it as an opportunity to escape, but he grabbed my legs, stopping me from running.


    I fell to the floor, screaming, let me go you jerk! Guards!¡±


    ¡°No one will hear you, I took care of them before I came for you.¡± He stood up and started to drag me across the floor with one hand holding my foot as the other hand struggled to remove the knife buried deep inside his back.


    As he dragged me on, I kept kicking his hand with my other foot, determined to release myself, but it didn¡¯t affect him as he moved on.


    Suddenly, he stopped dragging me and tried to carry me on the bed, but he screamed in pain instead as my legs hit his wounded side.


    He dropped me hastily and kept screaming. Seeing that he was distracted, I got up in haste and fled to the door. It was unlocked, so I got out and kept running down the passage till I got to a door.


    It seemed safe so I tried to open it. Fortunately, it was unlocked. It was dark, but I entered into it, panting hard as I held my breasts with my hands.


    I closed my eyes and sunk to the floor, still reeling from the shock of what just happened, when I heard a voice.


    ¡°How beautiful it is to get a visit from the Luna queen by this time of the night¡­ naked.¡±


    I froze in shock as I recognized the voice. ¡°Ben.¡±

 Stuck with Ben

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    A me suddenly came on and I saw his face.


    Goosebumps rushed all over my body at once as I got up, trying to hide myself from his prying eyes.


    I wanted to leave the room but stopped as I heard the deep voice of my attacker groaning and cursing outside. He sounded really furious, there was no telling what he would do to me if he caught me.


    Electric shivers ran through my spine as I heard Ben¡¯s feet move behind me. I was so scared and ashamed to turn- to see his face.


    He was now very close and I shut my eyes. It came as a surprise, however, when I felt something move upon my skin. I opened my eyes and saw that he covered me with a cloth before walking back to his bed.


    I felt cold and began to shiver.


    ¡°He won¡¯t stop till he finds you, but he will leave soon because the guards will soon be awake. Stay here till then to protect yourself, but leave if you think you can face him.¡±


    All I did was look at him, so I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°As for Ronan, he can take care of himself, the assassin won¡¯t harm him.¡±


    He stared at me with a knowing look in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.


    ¡°H¡­ how did you know about Ronan? How did you know about the assassin? And why were there no guards guarding your room?¡±


    ¡°Are you here to argue and ask me silly questions or worry about your safety?¡±


    ¡°I am here because I needed somewhere to hide. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll evere here on my own!¡±


    ¡°You should reduce your tone, you wouldn¡¯t want him finding you here, would you?¡±


    I breathed heavily and sank to the floor once more, hugging my legs. Calmly, I decided to ask him my questions again, hopefully he would answer.


    ¡°Why are you helping me, Ben?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I¡¯m not helping you, you came into my room on your own, remember?¡±


    ¡°But you could easily throw me out, as a way of getting back at Adams.¡±


    His eyes darkened as I mentioned Adams¡¯ name. ¡°I have an issue with Adams, not you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that reply, but I felt relieved to hear it from him. We both sat in silence for a while before I popped another question his way. ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Hire the assassin to kill Adams?


    He didn¡¯t reply. Rather, he kept staring at the bed where he sat on.


    ¡°Answer me Ben? Did you do it?¡±


    The surrounding air suddenly became tense as I concentrated on him, waiting for an answer.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Do you think I did it?¡± He replied, staring at me.


    ¡°I am not sure of what to think right now, everything seems messed up, and I can¡¯t even get myself to think straight.¡± I grabbed my head with my hands and shut my eyes, as a lot of confused thoughts ran through it.


    ¡°How was Ronan able to get up on his feet in such a very short period of time? I thought he was seriously injured.¡±


    I raised up my head, staring at him. He was trying to put me in a difficult spot, knowing fully well that I might not be able to defend myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it was probably a miracle. I¡¯m as surprised as you are?¡±


    ¡°Really? Why keep it a secret then?¡±


    His gaze lingered on me as if he was trying to see my thoughts through my eyes. Unable to find a suitable answer to his question, I took my eyes away and faced the ground.


    We both sat in silence as time went by, lost in our thoughts.


    We soon heard the running of feet and we both got up. The guards were up, and the assassin should have left the mansion by now in order not to get caught.


    I proceeded to open the door when Ben stopped me. ¡°Don¡¯t go out¡­ not yet.¡±


    ¡°And why should I stay here any longer? The assassin has gone, and I¡¯m safe now.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, sitting down. ¡°Please yourself. I wonder what the guard outside will think when they see their Lunaing out of the room of Alpha¡¯s brother, who is also his rival and prisoner¡­ naked.¡±


    The severity of his words dawned on me and I moved back as he stood up from the bed to open the door. His body grazed my hands as he stepped out, and I felt a chill settle in my body.


    I heard him speak to the guards, telling them to go a particr way. They moved there in an instant, and he returned into the room.


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone, but you need to hurry.¡±


    Since I would just be going to my room, which was some distance away, what was the hurry for? I ignored him and moved steadily across the passage, careful not to make a sound.


    ¡°I doubt if Adams will return tonight, there¡¯s so much you have to worry about.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks as I heard him say those words. Why would Adams not return? What else do I have to worry about? Before I could turn back to ask him these questions, he had gone back into the room, and he had bolted the door from behind.


    Scared, I ran as fast as possible to my room, to change into something more appropriate. I wore a short gown from the wardrobe and a pair of shorts I found on the bed.


    If Adams was in trouble, I had to go and help him. But, there was something I had to do.


    I ran out of the room after and checked on Ronan. Opening the door, I saw him on the bed, fast asleep. It put my mind at rest as I closed it back and proceeded down the stairs.


    I walked down the long roll of upied cells and got to one which was guarded specially by two guards. The door was made up of thick iron steel so it was impossible to see if someone was inside.


    ¡°I would like to see the prisoner, I told the guards and they let me. As I opened the door, my heartbeat increased. The moment the door swung open, a confused look stretched across my face as I saw the same man who had attacked me earlier, sleeping in the bed.


    He looked from me to the guards, terror visible in his eyes. I walked closer to get a better look at him. It came as a shock, but when some distance away from him, I saw his face-bare. He didn¡¯t have any marks.

 Escape

    Adams¡¯ POV


    He had left, and I was in the dark room alone.


    Themp above my head remained as the source of light, but I could almost feel the darkness creeping up my skin.


    I closed my eyes for a while and opened them, as Miles, my wolf, I had found him eventually, silent -deep down inside.


    Everywhere was no longer dark. Rather, I saw everything around me clearly. The sight before me was gory and disgusting, It almost made me puke all over my body.


    I discovered that I was in arge room, more like a hall of some sort. There was no furniture in the room, except the chair I sat on and the table before me.


    There were no windows or door, as the walls blended together with the door perfectly.


    The walls were red -the exact color of blood. Dead bodies were piled up all around the room, till they made a circle in the center, where I was.


    A rotten smell hit my nose and I twitched in disgust.


    My ears also picked up sounds outside, but it was too faint to make anything out of them.


    Earlier, someone hade to call Raoul before he left, which meant that he didn¡¯t work alone, making escaping harder.


    If I managed to escape, there was no telling how far I would go, because if Raoul didn¡¯t catch me, those who worked for him might.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Get out of this chair first, think of an escapeter,¡± my wolf said.


    Nodding in approval, I jerked my hands up, to cut free from the rope, but it didn¡¯t bulge. I tried again, grunting, while using all my strength and this time I heard a snap, but I was still tied to the chair.


    ¡°Harder!¡± My wolf said, and I pulled so hard, the ropes began to enter my skin, but I didn¡¯t care. For as long as I was free, I would do anything possible.


    Finally, it snapped. It made a violent ¡®whoosh¡¯ around me due to the force it cut with beforeing to a stop.


    I stood up immediately and rolled away the rope on my body so that I could leave the ce in haste.


    After, I activated my wolf vision, searching for lines or clues to an exit, but everything just remained nk, except the air venttor in the ceiling.


    In one leap, I had removed the venttor cover and in the next, I was inside it. I found it difficult to move due to my wolf¡¯s size, so I had to transform back.


    I started moving gently, passing through different rooms till I got to a particr ce where I was hit by the cold. Going further, I discovered I had gotten to the entrance of a little cave, inside the mountain.


    The entrance was well hidden by trees and snow, it couldn¡¯t have been discovered. Excitedly, I ran out and sighed -relieved. It turned out I had been inside the mountain all this while.


    A smile spread across my face as I imagined Raoul¡¯s reaction when he discovered I had escaped. He would be furious and would send his rogues after me, but it would have beente, I would have gotten the dust I needed and would be back in the mansion.


    Remembering I still had to get some of the mysterious dust, I attempted to run up the mountain but remembered Raoul¡¯s words.


    Did he really dispose off all that dust in the sea or was it just a way of making me lose hope and focus?


    I decided to find out, as standing outside there wouldn¡¯t answer my questions.


    I transformed back into my wolf and at full speed, I ran up the mountain, not stopping for once to catch my breath. The higher I went up, the harder it became to breathe. I had lost the bag the doctor gave me and everything inside it, which made things difficult a bit.


    Even if I reached the top of the mountain sessfully, and the dust was there, how would I pack it?


    Frustrated, I groaned and continued going till I got to the top. I became sad and angry and frustrated all at the same time as all that greeted me was emptiness.


    Raoul wasn¡¯t bluffing, and there was no way I would get that mysterious dust except by taking the one he had with him.


    I wanted to leave so badly but couldn¡¯t because of Ronan. I hissed, realizing I would have to go back to the ce I was before. I knew Raoul, he wouldn¡¯t give up easily.


    He would have known I had escaped, and the ce, and everywhere around it, was swarming with rogues who would be on the lookout for me.


    I cracked my neck and made to go back. But not through the passage I had passed through. It would only lead me to my prison or into an army of wild rouges waiting for me. I decided to look for another way, one which would take me directly to Raoul instead.


    I soon got to where I was earlier, asing down the mountain was easier than running up it. I began to sneak around the edge of the mountain till I got to a particr spot.


    It was hidden, perfectly hidden among threes, and snow, and there was a fire burning deep inside. I entered the hole and began to crawl into it.


    It was tight, and I could barely fit in, but I pushed on anyway, determined to see where it would end.


    After moving for some time, I came across arge space and entered into it. My mouth dropped at the beauty of the room I found myself in.


    It was massive and well decorated, it looked as if someone lived there. There was a bed, a table, a chair and a burning torch which gave light to the room. I sighted a door at its far end and walked towards it.


    Opening it, I went out along a dark passage. I was able to see in the darkness due to my wolf abilities. There were several doors on either side of the passage, and it made me curious.


    How long had all these been here? Howe I never knew?


    These questions lingered in my mind as I walked carefully along the passage till I heard voices speaking from one of the closed doors.


    ¡°Do you know how much trouble we could be in?¡± a voice said.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have gone far, the men are searching for him all over the mountains,¡± the other replied. ¡°There¡¯s no way he would leave without the dust he came for, trust me -he will be back.¡±


    Having heard enough, I decided to continue moving when my left foot hit a rock and I fell.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The first man asked, drawing his sword.


    I remained silent and would have stayed that way till I crawled away, but luck was not on my side. They rushed out, and found me on the floor.


    ¡°Look who it is that has shown up again? We¡¯ve got you right where we want you.¡± The first man spoke

 Fighting My Way Out.

    Adams¡¯ POV


    I stood up in haste as they took their stances, swords drawn out.


    The first man looked like he had never gotten beyond a few hours of sleep in his entire life. His eyes were sunken deep into his head and he almost looked like he was blind.


    He was a little bit shorter than I was, dressed in an oversized coat which made me wonder how he intended to fight me.


    The other man, however, was tall and lean, about the same height as I was. He had a fierce look on his face and seemed like someone who could fight.


    He held his sword so dangerously, I would have surrendered to them if I wasn¡¯t an Alpha.


    I raised my hands up as I was unarmed. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to fight any of you, just tell me where Raoul is so that we can all be on our way, unhurt. Who knows, I might spare you all and let you keep staying here.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need your help or permission to stay here, Alpha King, we do not serve you,¡± the first man spoke.


    The other man remained silent, and I guessed he wasn¡¯t much of a talker.


    I looked around me quickly and at the two men before me. If I went one on one with them, I would easily destroy them. I just didn¡¯t feel the need, as it was almost morning and I didn¡¯t know the state of things back at the mansion.


    A stone suddenly fell from behind me and it distracted them. I took it as an opportunity to run -to get out of there.


    In a swift movement, I moved left, then right again. They had fallen for it and moved left also, but I deflected, making them fall on each other.


    I didn¡¯t let my wolf out even though I was beyond tempted to sumb to his pressure. If I did, it would be hard to keep him in control.


    I continued running down the dark passage which didn¡¯t seem to stop. I heard the men¡¯s heavy footsteps behind me. They were almost meeting up with me, and it was only a matter of time before they did.


    I suddenly sighted a door and bashed into it, shattering it in the process. It was another huge rocky hall with torches burning all round it to give light.


    The men stopped, and stood at the door. From the look on their faces, it seemed as though they were scared of something.


    ¡°What! You don¡¯t want me any longer?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°Why should we be so bothered when you walked into your own death yourself,¡± the lean one spoke.


    I became confused at his statement, and tried to say something, but stopped when I heard snarls from behind me.


    Slowly, I turned back and came face to face with dark green eyes which glowed with a fierce intensity.


    On a table not far away was a jar of mountain dust, sittingfortably.


    ¡°You can go chief, I¡¯ll handle this one myself.¡± Raoul¡¯s wolf, Iran, cracked his neck and faced me with his ws extended out of his hands. The men walked away, leaving us to fight against each other.


    ¡°Why are you doing this, Raoul?¡± I asked him with a soft voice.


    ¡°I am not Raoul, I am Iran, and is that a question? You know why I am doing this, Adams.¡±


    My wolf stirred crazily inside me, threatening to burst out any minute. ¡°Let me out Adams, let me put this fool in his ce.¡±


    ¡°Let me speak to him, I¡¯m sure he wille around,¡± I insisted, resisting his attempts toe out.


    ¡°Are you insane? Does that look like Raoul to you? That¡¯s Iran, and all he wants is a fight. Let me handle him¡­ now!¡±


    I eventually sumbed and closed my eyes. The next time I opened them, my wolf, Ted, was out to y.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Dark fur spread across my body as my bones twisted and turned. My ws became very long, and I let out a loud growl which shook the structure.


    ¡®Smack!¡¯ A loud punch hit Ted¡¯s jaw.


    He fell down and rolled away just in time to avoid another punch. Iran swung his ws towards Ted but Ted dodged. Iran tried more, but Ted was like a blur, escaping Iran¡¯s attacks.


    I cheered inside, watching Ted frustrate Iran.


    Ted revealed his ws and grabbed Iran by the neck just as he was about to jump on him. On one swing, he bashed him into the wall, making him scream loudly.


    From where he had fallen, Iran jolted again and pierced Ted in the legs with his ws. Ted screamed and fell to the ground on his knees.


    Even though I only watched and observed from inside him, I felt the pain.


    It seemed as though there was something in Iran¡¯s ws as a certain weakness moved around Ted¡¯s body, making him weak all over.


    I felt it too and could hardly keep my eyes open as we both remained on the floor.


    ¡°Not so strong now¡­ uhn?¡± Iran mocked, staring at him from where he was.


    His statement made Ted very angry. He was so angry, he closed his eyes, and as if under hismand, a strong wind blew, putting off all the burning torches.


    A thick fog suddenly came out of nowhere, filling the entire room.


    Panic gripped Iran as he began to back off. ¡°What is this? What are you doing?¡±


    Ted remained silent as the wind blew more fiercely, and the fog thickened.


    Suddenly, Ted opened his eyes and charged forward, bashing Iran into the wall. He dipped his ws into his chest, stabbing him multiple times before dropping him on the floor.


    The smell of blood soon filled the room as Iran gasped weakly on the floor. Tednded one final kick on Iran¡¯s face and he became silent.


    He closed his eyes again and the wind stopped. The fog also reduced, and the lights came back on.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is done,¡± he whispered as I came out again. The fur all over my body soon disappeared, and I returned to my normal state.


    I saw Raoul lying on the floor, unconscious. It looked like he was dead, because his heart was not beating.


    I became afraid, and ran close to him. ¡°Raoul, stand up.¡± But he didn¡¯t move.


    I nced at the jar on the table and back at him. I became confused about what I should do. Should I help him? Or should I take the jar and hurry back home?

 Blaming Ben

    Adams¡¯ POV


    ¡°Damn!¡± I cursed as I picked him up from the floor.


    His wounds were fatal, so they healed slowly. He was so weak, his breathing was haggard.


    For a second, I almost felt pity for him, but it cleared away as soon as it came. If I had not injured him in this state, he would have killed me.


    With him on my shoulder, I walked over to the floor and picked up the jar which had fallen during the fight.


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t break or crack, else I would have been at a loss and would have fought for nothing.


    I rushed out of the room and summoned Ted to take over me-giving me strength to run the long journey home.


    Having spent a long time in the mountains, I had no idea what the time was, but it was almost morning.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The moon was full and bright in the sky, filling me with an energy I couldn¡¯t wrap my head about.


    I had not taken much thought of it till now, it all dawned on me that something had changed in Ted. He was now faster and stronger and mysteriously powerful. If not for the fog trick and the wind during the fight earlier, I might not have won the fight.


    He could also transform anytime, just like he did, back at the mansion.


    ¡°Ted, do you have any idea what is happening to us?¡± I asked him. He didn¡¯t reply to me and continued running towards home.


    I eventually gave up and concentrated on the road, my heart heavy with the thoughts of how what had just happened could change a lot of things.


    The dark sky began to go as the sun poked its head through the clouds far away. It was almost dawn and the mansion was in sight.


    I decided to go to the hospital instead as going to the mansion could cause uproar, especially since I was with an injured Raoul on my shoulder.


    Taking a twist, I moved towards the hospital. As I got there, I saw the doctor, standing outside. He was very happy to see me as he ran into the hospital and came back with a pair of shorts which he threw to me the moment I got closer and got back to my normal state.


    The happiness on his face was, however, short-lived as he saw Raoul on my shoulders. ¡°My king, what is happening? He asked me with a frown burrowing deep into his face.


    ¡°It is a long story and there is no time for exnations. Take care of him and keep him supervised till all this is over. I¡¯ll send some guards over to make sure he can¡¯t escape.¡±


    Although he had been very close and helpful, I didn¡¯t want to go into details because I still didn¡¯t know if he was someone I could trust, yet.


    He ran into the hospital and almost immediately returned with two nurses and a stretcher. I put Raoul on the stretcher, and he was wheeled back into the hospital by the two nurses while the doctor stayed with me.


    ¡°Did you get the mysterious powder, my king?¡±


    If it was not for how tense and urgent the situation was, I could have messed with his head a little, but I was too concerned about Lilith and Ronan to think about joking.


    ¡°Yes, I got the powder.¡± His eyes brightened up as I showed him. I proceeded to leave but he called me back.


    ¡°My king, you can¡¯t leave like that. If you use it this way, it could do something terrible to him. It has been exposed to the cold for too long, so purifying it is necessary. Give it to me. I¡¯ll join you at the Mansion shortly.


    He stretched his hands out, and I dropped the jar in them reluctantly as his eye brightened up. I could have ignored him but decided to give it to him because he suggested the idea in the first ce and would definitely know how best to make use of it.


    ¡°Meet me as soon as possible.¡± I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, under the semi-dark sky as my wolf fueled me with energy.


    I arrived at the mansion just as the day broke, unnoticed. The first stop was my room, to check how Ronan was doing.


    The door creaked gently as it opened, and I saw him sleeping soundly in the bed. How long I stood there watching him, I couldn¡¯t say.


    But he changed position a few times and snored loudly at times and said some rubbish in his sleep, making me wonder who he was speaking to.


    I changed into a nice outfit, careful not to wake him by opening and closing the wardrobe before stepping out onto the passage to check up on Lilith.


    As I got to her room, I knocked gently. Remembering how we parted the day before, it was only normal to offer her an apology ¨C she might not even want to see me.


    There was no response, so I knocked a little louder, before opening the door. I entered the room, but found the bed empty, and neatly dressed as if no one had slept there all through the night.


    ¡°Where was she at that time of the morning? Why wasn¡¯t she in bed?¡± I muttered.


    I ran out of the room and almost collided with a guard who was running.


    ¡°My king!¡± He bowed down quickly, getting on his knees.


    There was something in the way he spoke which made me feel that something was off.


    ¡°What is the problem? Why are you running in such haste?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear anything during the night, my king? There was an attack on the mansion by the assassin. We have a feeling he was after the queen this time.¡±


    My eyes widened as the air entering my nostrils seemed to choke me. ¡°What did you just say?¡± I asked the guard immediately.


    All he did now was look at me before looking in a particr direction. As simple as that action was, it said a million things which couldn¡¯t be said with words.


    I followed his gaze and anger began to boil within me. ¡°Ben?¡± I whispered, marching towards his room.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Came the sound from the door as I bashed it. Ben woke up with a start, falling from his bed.


    ¡°Are you crazy Adam? Why would you barge into my room like that?¡± He demanded.


    I grabbed a sword from the hands of one of the guards that came in with me and rushed towards Ben where he was on the floor.


    ¡°Only one thing can save you from the tip of this de, Ben. Where-is-my-wife?!¡±

 The Man in the Cell

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    He stared at me¡­ angrily.


    He had this face which ordered me to leave him alone, but I wasn¡¯t going to do that till I got the information I needed from him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He managed to ask, the look on his face still warning me to go back away.


    I turned towards the door still open. A guard had followed me inside to protect me, but right now, I didn¡¯t need any protection. All I wanted was to get this man alone, to ask him what he knew.


    ¡°You can leave us,¡± I muttered to the guard.


    ¡°My Queen, I¡¯m sorry, I can not do that. This man is a dangerous criminal awaiting trial. The Alpha will have my neck if any harm shoulde to you,¡± the guard replied.


    He stood his ground, as if to tell me not to bother persuading him because he wouldn¡¯t listen.


    I sighed and smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s fine, nothing will happen to me. He knows better than to try anything fun. Rest assured I will alert you if needs be.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°But my queen¡­¡± he was saying before I cut him short.


    ¡°No buts, just trust me and do what I say.¡±


    He still stood and wouldn¡¯t move. I had to think really smart to get him to leave the room for us. ¡°¡­ except if you no longer want to have a job, then be my guest.¡±


    I hated doing what I did, but it seemed like the only reasonable thing I could do at the moment. I curved my lips, forming a sarcastic smile.


    Realizing his job was in danger, he began to move back slowly before closing the door behind him. I didn¡¯t hear the clicking sound of the lock, which meant that he didn¡¯t lock it.


    I was satisfied, so long as I got my privacy. My heart banged hard against my chest as I continued walking towards the man.


    He looked innocent and he didn¡¯t have a scar. But the thought of staying in a secluded room with a stranger who could harm me any moment filled me with dread and made my heart race wildly.


    He moved back as I got closer and sat on the bed. I noticed his eyes were swollen, like he had been hit there by someone.


    My hands suddenly had a mind of their own and stretched towards him to touch the swollen spot. He recoiled back, avoiding my touch.


    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Should you be asking that? What do you even want with me?¡± He demanded furiously.


    ¡°I just want to talk¡­ okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you or Ben or anyone. You are all scumbags,¡± he spat out, turning his back to me.


    I understood his reason for being furious even if he didn¡¯t say it. He was innocent, I saw it in his eyes.


    Also, even though he had the same face as the assassin, there was no way he could go out ande into the prison with mean guards like the one outside without getting stopped.


    ¡°I know you are innocent, that is why I havee.¡±


    He turned to look at me and our eyes met. Then he sighed and burst into tears.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that before the council? Why didn¡¯t you say that before the Alpha? Why are you saying that now?¡± Tears streamed across his face so freely, one would think he was a child.


    I felt a pang of guilt in my heart as I looked at him. He must have gone through a lot in the hands of the guards to feel this terrible.


    ¡°The¡­ there was nothing I could do there. You saw the council members, they hate me. And Adam¡­ he was too blinded by fury to even listen to anything I said. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    My pleas danced through the air, into his ears as he cleaned the tears from his face and he turned around fully to sit beside me.


    We sat in silence for a while, lost in our thoughts. ¡°I still wonder how you share the face of that criminal, he¡¯s the reason you are here.¡±


    He looked up at me, sadness visible in his eyes, and looked down. ¡°My mother gave birth to a set of triplets thirty years ago¡­¡±


    I faced him, realizing he was about to tell me the story of his life.


    ¡°¡­ two boys and a girl. ording to what we were told, the second boy died immediately we were born, while the girl died two days after in my mother¡¯s hands. She was very tiny and almost didn¡¯t have life inside her. It seemed as though all the nutrients needed for her to grow while in our mother¡¯s belly were being used up by us. For days and nights, my mother wept, and my father tried his best tofort her. He would tell her not to give up since I was still alive, assuring her that they would be blessed with other children. His words fell on deaf ears, and she died also, a weekter.¡±


    Tears flowed freely from his eyes, down through his cheeks. I was moved to tears also as my eyes welled up.


    ¡°My father became depressed, because he loved my mother. He got a nanny to take care of me and neglected me most of the time because he believed I wasn¡¯t enough to give my mother hope, which was why she died.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cruel,¡± I butted in. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he knew it wasn¡¯t my fault but¡­ all he wanted was an excuse to take away the memories, coupled with numerous bottles of wine.¡±


    ¡°That is so tragic,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°No, my queen,¡± heughed amidst tears. ¡°That is not the tragedy.¡±


    He coughed, and I rushed to the guards to get me water. It was given to me in less than a minute and I gave it to him.


    After calming down a bit, he continued his story while I listened attentively.


    ¡°Ten years ago, one calm night. My father was not drunk, which was an unusual sight. He rested on the balcony, staring at the stars. He called me toe, and we stood in silence for a while before apologizing. He apologized for the awful way he treated me, he apologized for not really ying the role of a father, he apologized for letting me down. That night, I finally felt like my father¡¯s son as he hugged me. Suddenly, someone jumped onto the balcony and said ¡®give me some gold, or I will kill you old man.¡¯ Whatever made me hide behind my father that day, I do not know, but I remained there as my father argued with him. In the end, he stabbed the old man and froze as he saw my face till he was caught.


    ¡°Why did he freeze? Couldn¡¯t he have run away?


    ¡°He could have, but¡­ he didn¡¯t have the mind to run after seeing my face. His mask was yanked off, and I saw no other person but the assassin you are all searching for¡­ my dead brother.¡±


    It was almost day break when I left his cell and couldn¡¯t get his words out of my head. His brother didn¡¯t die when he was little, rather, he was hidden and probably sold off to someone who needed a baby.


    My wolf twisted and turned inside me as the story crumbled myposure. I wanted to go to my room, but my stomach grumbled inside me, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t had anything to eat since the day before.


    I stopped to go to the kitchen, but stopped when I heard shoutsing from afar. I moved closer and recognized the sound as Adams¡¯ voice, he was back.


    Running towards the sound of his voice, I realized I was headed towards Ben¡¯s bedroom, and it made me wonder, what was all the fuss about this time?


    ¡°Where is Lilith? How dare you send your assassin to kill her after trying the same on me but failed?¡± He had a sword in his hand which could cut Ben in two without him realizing it.


    He was in a burst of rage, and it didn¡¯t seem like words could calm him, except maybe my presence.


    ¡°Adams, I¡¯m here.¡± He turned back immediately and his gaze softened, seeing my face.


    ¡°Where were you Lilith, I was worried sick.¡± He moved closer and hugged me so tightly like that would be thest time he would see me. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere? I heard the assassin escaped from prison and tried to hurt you. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°That is not true, Adams. As a matter of fact, Ben is innocent, and you have an innocent man locked up in prison.¡±

 Poison!

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, how do you expect me to believe Ben had no hand in the attempted assassination of my life?¡± Adam asked, his face stered with a frown.


    I sighed, knowing it would be difficult to convince him. Whenever his mind was made up, breaking through a wall with one¡¯s finger was easier than convincing him.


    ¡°I know this sounds awkward, but you need to trust me, okay. Ben is innocent.¡±


    I caught sight of Ben¡¯s eyes, watching every one of us. He had a smirk on his face which was the least expected thing I was hoping to see, considering the severity of the situation.


    ¡°Look at him¡­¡± Adam said, pointing towards him. ¡°¡­ does this look like the face of an innocent person?¡±


    ¡°And how does the face of an innocent person look like brother? I would love to know so that I can pull away this smirk on my face and rece it as soon as possible.¡± Ben¡¯s words must have hurt him as he clutched his fist.


    The sword made a low nking sound as it touched the floor after Adam let it drop before leaving the room in a burst of rage, followed by the guards that came in with him.


    I looked at Ben, and he looked at me, nodding his head. I felt terrible for him and left the room abruptly.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Came the sound of my head as it collided with Adam¡¯s rock hard chest. ¡°What are you doing here? Why haven¡¯t you¡­¡± he put his finger on my lips, making me stop.


    I saw his face and realized he was smiling, the exact opposite of what he did inside Ben¡¯s room. ¡°What the¡­¡± I tried to speak again. But he shut me up with a kiss.


    I felt my limbs weaken and my brain shut down. It felt like there was a button which made me vulnerable, hidden in the most secret ce, but he had managed to turn it on.


    He detached his lips from mine and for a minute, I remained dazed, blushing ¨C short of words. I became aware of my surroundings once more and was embarrassed. He had just kissed me before the guards, and they were staring at us like we stepped out of a romantic movie.


    ¡°Sh*t Adam,¡± I whispered, looking around. ¡°Why would you kiss me here? Everyone is watching.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you my mate, let them look,¡± he replied casually, pulling me in for a hug. ¡°My love, I am very sorry forst night, I had no intention of talking to you the way I did.¡±


    ¡°Adams, it¡¯s alright. I am not angry at you, I was just concerned.¡± He smiled, and hugged me.


    Then, he held my hand gently, and we walked back to the room, hand in hand. It was so beautiful, I wished it wouldn¡¯t end. Then, I remembered why he went out the night before. ¡°Where is the mysterious dust?¡± I asked, stopping.


    ¡°Oh that, I¡­¡± he suddenly sniffled and removed his hands from mine. Tears formed around his eyes and I feared for the worst.


    ¡°You what, Adams? Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ there was nothing on the mountain,¡± he replied, his wordsnding like a bomb.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. I scanned his body in search of any container, probably he was ying a prank on me, but he had nothing on him.


    ¡°What happened on the mountain, Adams?¡±


    He went silent and stared at the floor. Bending a little to get a glimpse of his face, it had this expression which revealed that there was a problem.


    ¡°Adams, I asked you a question before, what happened to you on the mountain?¡± I ced my hand on his shoulder, but he flinched as if he was hurt.


    ¡°It hurts there, don¡¯t touch it.¡± He touched the ce, his face twisted in pain. ¡°I met Raoul at the mountain, and we got into a fight.¡±


    ¡°What? Raoul!!


    ¡°What was he doing on the mountain?¡± I demanded curiously.


    ¡°He was the one who hit Ronan on the head, making him lose his memory so that we would have toe to the mountain to get the mysterious dust. His n was to kill me there, but strangely, I won. He had it all nned out a long time ago.¡±


    As he spoke, my heartbeat increased. ¡°Howe you still did not get the dust since you defeated him?¡±


    ¡°He had taken it all out into the sea so that we wouldn¡¯t have ess to it.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ no,¡± I whispered, holding my head as I sunk to the floor. There was no way Ronan would ever get better, since the dust was no longer avable.


    I was on the verge of tears when I heard a chuckle. I looked up to see Adams, covering his mouth with his hand.


    ¡°Are youughing? Is this fun to you?¡±


    It was as if my question triggered him as he broke out into full-blownughter. Heughed so hard, he almost fell to the floor butported himself so as not to disgrace himself before his guards.


    ¡°I¡­ I am sorry my love, it¡¯s just that your reaction is priceless. Anyone can easily get to you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was dumbfounded.


    He came closer and lifted me up before bursting into another round ofughter. Anger bubbled in me, but I struggled to keep it underneath.


    ¡°It¡¯s a prank, okay¡­ I¡¯m sorry. The doctor is purifying it so that it won¡¯t have any side effects on Ronan due to its exposure to the cold for a long time. I wasn¡¯t joking about Raoul though, he did attack and try to kill me.¡±


    He came closer to hug me. I tried to push him back due to the anger inside me, but he seeded in bringing me closer and whispered into my ears. ¡°I love you baby.¡±


    Those words were all I had to hear to reconsider how I felt. He held my hands afterward, and we walked into the room.


    Ronan must have heard the sound of the door as he shifted on the bed, staring at us.


    ¡°Good morning Ronan, did you sleep well?¡± Adams asked.


    He sat up in the bed and stared at us with a look that could kill. ¡°Keeping me hungry for over 24 hours is surely a way to treat a family member.¡± His gaze finally fell on me and I understood what he meant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ronan, something happened.¡±


    He scoffed andy back on his bed. ¡°Get a maid to clear those tes.¡± He pointed towards the right and I saw three empty tes with food stains on them.


    ¡°Ronan, who served you the food on those tes?¡± I asked, remembering clearly that I couldn¡¯t bring him any food because of the assassin.


    ¡°A maid brought it.¡±


    ¡°A maid?¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Did she say who sent her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No!¡± He dered firmly, covering his head with the duvet on the bed.


    I remember that Ben talked about Ronan. Did he send the maid to bring the food? Why would he even do that? Who was the maid?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I was about to ask Ronan another question when the door burst open and the doctor came in with a gracious expression on his face.


    We all stared at him, including Ronan who was trying to sleep on the bed.


    ¡°What is the problem? Why would you barge in like that?¡± Adams demanded of him.


    ¡°My king, I have tested the dust you gave me, and¡­¡± he paused.


    ¡°And what?¡± Ronan growled at him.


    ¡°It is poison, my king, which would kill Ronan the moment he tries to use it.¡±


    My eyes widened due to the shock of what I heard. ¡°Where is Raoul?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He is in the hospital, my Queen, still unconscious.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital Adams, I have a strange feeling about this.


    ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll be back,¡± Adams whispered, brushing my hands with his.


    ¡°No!¡± I stated firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t be left out again on this one, don¡¯t try to talk me out of it .¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed, holding my hands. Soon, we left the building, Adams, I and the doctor, apanied by some guards.¡±


    As we got to the hospital, we ran into the ward Raoul was supposed to be in and met it empty with a note saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

 A Day With Members of Council

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    My head rang multiple times as I couldn¡¯t believe the sight before me. Did Raoul know he would lose, which was why he nned the poison?


    ¡°My king, should we go after him?¡± A guard asked.


    Adams didn¡¯t hear at first, as he was also lost in thought. ¡°Go after him and bring him to me,¡± he replied, not taking his eyes off the note on the bed.


    ¡°My king,¡± another guard bowed, rushing into the room. ¡°The council members have begun to gather, and they request your presence immediately.¡±


    ¡°The council members?¡± Adams asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to gather in the afternoon? Why now?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, my King, but they said it¡¯s urgent. They want to see you to conclude yesterday¡¯s discussion. It seemed they were preparing to go for something, and they wouldn¡¯t want to bete.¡± The guard replied. He bowed out and left the room to go back to the mansion.


    Something clicked in my head, and I remembered why the council members were in a hurry to meet. It was the day of Raider¡¯s coronation in Green Forest pack, and we had to go.


    ¡°It¡¯s Raider¡¯s coronation today, which is why they are in a hurry to hear your judgment.¡±


    He seemed to think for a while before turning to walk out of the hospital. He had hardly taken two steps when he tripped and almost fell.


    I thought his legs had hit a stone at first, but upon closer observation, I saw that his eyes were almost closed, and his steps were unsteady.


    I quickly ran up to him and held his hands. ¡°Adams, what is the problem?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t get all stressed up.¡± He replied, picking himself up.


    I sighed and held on to his hands as we walked back to the mansion. He soon felt dizzy again and almost fell to the floor if not for a guard who had moved beside him on my signal earlier.


    We had not gone so far from the hospital, so it didn¡¯t take long to get the doctor.


    We helped him back to the hospital and made him sit, amidst arguments for a quick observation.


    ¡°I am fine, let me go. The council members need to see me.¡± He protested.


    ¡°Just sit down for a few minutes, would you? Please.¡± I begged him and he listened. He kept murmuring, but I signaled to the doctor to ignore him and go on with the test.


    ¡°He needs to rest. His heart rate is extremely low, and his blood is not circting around his body,¡± the doctor said after checking him for a while. ¡°If I¡¯m guessing right, you haven¡¯t slept since two days ago, right?¡±


    Adam nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my king, but I can¡¯t allow you to go, we need to help you get your health on track,¡± the doctor said.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Adams sprang up at once, but soon fell back into his seat. He tried to stand up again but couldn¡¯t, due to how weak he was.


    ¡°You need to stop all this Adams!¡± I yelled. ¡°Get some rest, the council members will live on if you lose your life.¡± I was beginning to get angry at the way he handled things. Didn¡¯t he care about his life- about me?


    Adams sighed and settled down finally, his eyes weary. I was about to walk out of the room when he called me back, ¡°Lilith.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. He signaled to me toe closer to him and I did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I will stay to get better. Ronan doesn¡¯t remember anything, and I am too weak to move. Go in my stead and handle the council members. I trust your judgment.¡±


    At first, I didn¡¯t hear what he said clearly. But as it rung in my ears over and over again, I knew he wasn¡¯t joking. The next thing I knew, he pulled a ring off of his finger and put it on mine.


    ¡°This is the official ring of authority. With this, you will have the guards and even the Royal Army under yourmand. I know the council members don¡¯t like you, and will be infuriated by my decision, but none of that matters. I¡¯ll join you shortly after I have rested enough.¡±


    ¡°B¡­ but¡­¡± I stammered.


    ¡°No buts, Lilith, just do what I tell you to do. You all,¡± he pointed to the guards who were with us. ¡°Protect her with your lives.¡±


    ¡°We will, my King,¡± they chorused.


    ¡°You should leave now, you wouldn¡¯t want to keep them waiting.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I left him immediately, followed by the guards he had entrusted me to. I was scared, and every part of me trembled.


    We soon got to the mansion and I took a bath. Sitting under the shower, I thought of what would happen the moment I walked into the meeting hall.


    Everyone of the council members hated me, and they never cared to hide it.


    I soon got out of the shower and dressed in a long flowing robe. The door opened and Cara came in with food, but I was too nervous to eat, so I told her to leave.


    ¡°But my queen, you need to eat.¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Cara will eatter, but not now.¡±


    She wanted to speak again but stopped after I shed her a killer look.


    She soon stepped out of the room with the food, leaving me alone. I had sent for Dale and waited patiently for her toe.


    A knock on the door startled me, but I rxed, seeing who it was.


    ¡°My Queen, I came immediately you sent for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you are here Dale. I would be going to the council meeting and I needed someone who would protect me in case, you know¡­ things got rough.¡±


    She smiled and put her hands on my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you with my life, my queen, ready when you are.¡±


    I pulled her in for a hug, and we lingered there for a while. We stepped out of the room afterward with Dale by my side and the ten guards Adams had told to also protect me.


    We got to the entrance of the room and I stood, scared to go in. Dale touched my shoulder, giving me a nod of approval.


    I closed my eyes and held my breath as the door opened. I opened my eyes and walked into the noisy hall, filled with different men.


    Silence descended heavily on the hall as they all stared at me like they were seeing a ghost. I could feel their gaze piecing my skin as I made my way to the throne.


    Standing before it, my heart beat increased rapidly, but it soon reduced when I remembered Adam¡¯s words, assuring me.


    I caught sight of Dale, who was also getting her own share of the stares but wasn¡¯t moved. Herposure gave me strength and I sat down on the throne to the surprise of everyone seated in the hall.


    ¡°The Alpha is not well, and his Beta is not avable. I would be handling this session in his ce. May we begin?¡±


    A rumble of ¡®what!¡¯ And chats of ¡®never!¡¯ soon filled the hall.


    ¡°We will never let an Omega judge the king¡¯s affairs, to hell with you,¡± one of the members of council said. He soon stood up and began to walk towards the door.


    Every other person stood up also and started to walk toward the door. The situation soon got out of control and I found it hard to make them stop going out.


    Suddenly, a voice boomed from behind me. ¡°Get back to your seats now, or you will taste my de!¡±


    Everyone stopped and turned to see who it was that spoke. I also turned, and my eyes widened in shock at who was so bold to order the council. ¡°Ronan? How?¡±


    He was dressed in an all-ck outfit, and he had his sword in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lilith, I¡¯ve got you covered. I remember¡­ everything.¡±

 Ronan鈥檚 Cure

    Adams¡¯ POV


    At first, it looked like I was being dipped into a pool filled with darkness rather than water before being pulled out multiple times. But soon, my vision became clear, and I saw the white-coated roof above me.


    Guessing from the way I was, I knew I was lying on my back -on what looked like a bed. One might wonder, ¡°what looked like a bed?¡± It didn¡¯t feel like I slept on a bed, rather, it felt like I slept on a floor covered with bedsheets.


    It was hard, and my back hurt.


    The scent of antiseptic and medicines soon filtered into my nostrils, so much so, it didn¡¯t take long to know where I was -a hospital.


    Fragments of what had happened to me began toe together like pieces of a puzzle. A mild headache lived rent-free in my head, but it was the least of my worries, getting home was more important.


    A quick nce around the room revealed that it wasn¡¯t the normal hospital ward a person would be put in on a normal day. Rather, it was big and spacious, almost fit for a king.


    The wall was painted a bright yellow color, which went well with the white ceiling. Besides the bed and the bag of drip attached to my hand with a tiny tube, there were shelves containing medicines which seemed to have been shifted to a corner.


    This room was definitely not a ward, but being the Alpha king came with its own privileges. On a normal day, as a royal, I would be treated in the pce, but due to the situation at the time it urred, a make-shift room was made.


    I watched the drip passing into my body through the tube from the bag to my hand. When I had woken up, it hadpleted its job. In a snap, it was out.


    The blood from my veins poured out in little quantities till it stopped and healed. I raised my body up a little to look through the window. The sun had traveled to the west and would soon get some rest. It¡¯s orange color cast gloomy shadows all over the earth.


    I sat back on the bed and looked at the time before me. It was half past five in the evening.


    ¡°Damn!¡± I cursed, realizing I had slept all day. What had happened to Lilith? How did the council meeting go?


    I sprang up at once and proceeded to leave the bed when the door opened and the doctor walked in.


    ¡°My king, you are awake.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± I whispered in low tones. He walked towards me, alongside two other nurses who hade in with him, each of them carrying two covered tes which I guessed contained food.


    My mouth salivated at the thought of eating again, it made me notice how much I¡¯d missed food.


    ¡°You should settle down back your highness. I know you are in a hurry to get back home but, you need to eat.¡±


    My eyes didn¡¯t leave the te of food as my stomach rumbled in ordance. He dropped it on the bed before running to a corner of the room to take a table which was hidden behind the shelves of medicine.


    Bringing the table closer to the bed, he put the food on it and collected the food with the nurses, one after the other, putting them beside each other on the table also.


    The nurses bowed after that and left the room, leaving me alone with the doctor. The doctor opened the tes of food to reveal its content.


    The smell of roasted chicken covered in spicy pepper sauce found its way into my nostrils as he opened the first two tes before him.


    The other two dishes had rice in them and thest dishes were filled to the brim with sd and pasta each.


    My stomach rumbled again. This one louder than thest -it made the doctor chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry my king, please forgive my manners. I need you to eat what you can and leave the rest. Please, eat enough so that you can regain your strength.¡±


    I wondered what other strength he was talking about because I felt so strong already. There was no way I was rejecting the food though. It looked too good to be left alone.


    He bowed and moved towards the door. The moment he opened it, Lilith came in, looking beautiful in a flowing white robe whichplimented her skin color.


    I was all smiles, waiting for her toe in when another person walked in, his face filled with concern. ¡°Ronan?¡±


    ¡°Adams,¡± he replied. ¡°It feels good to see you again.¡±


    They walked in, and the doctor stepped out, leaving us alone.


    It felt good to see them again, it seemed like forever when Ist saw them, even though it was just this morning.


    Most importantly, it felt good seeing Ronan again. My eyes suddenly teared up and it caught their attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, Adams? Why are you crying?¡± Lilith asked.


    I cleaned my face and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to see you both. If only¡­ Ronan still had his memory intact.¡±


    Lilith and Ronan looked at me, then looked at themselves, so much so -it made me suspicious. ¡°What is going on? Did something happen?¡±


    Ronan smiled and came closer, giving me a hug. ¡°I remember everything, Adam¡­ everything.¡±


    My eyes widened in surprise as I detached myself from him in haste. What was he speaking of? Wasn¡¯t the powder a poison? How was it possible for him to regain his memory just like that?


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, h¡­ how?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡­¡± he began. ¡°¡­ a youngdy dressed as a maid came in and gave me a substance which made me pass out for a while. Remember the maid that brought me food earlier?¡± He asked, facing me.


    ¡°Yea, you mentioned it.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Exactly. She brought me food to eat this morning and passed some dust in a tiny jar to me. I was skeptical, but she told me to shake it then perceive the scent, which I did. I passed out and by the time I woke up, she was nowhere to be found, and I had my memories back.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°What about the council meeting? How did it go?¡±


    ¡°Oh that,¡± Lilith bubbled with excitement. ¡°It was crazy. The council members at first wouldn¡¯t listen to me and started leaving the room, but Ronan came in just in time to check them. I¡­ released Ben and the other prisoner. They weren¡¯t guilty.¡± She faced the floor as she said those words, scared to look at my face.


    I stood up from the bed and walked up to her, raising her head up to look at me. ¡°I already told you I trust your judgment, don¡¯t beat yourself to it. Not like I am happy, I personally believe Ben has numerous skeletons in his cupboard. He will pay for his crimes one way or another, either now orter.¡±


    She smiled, knowing I wasn¡¯t angry with her. Afterward, we all sat down on the bed to eat before leaving for the mansion.


    ¡°Here, your ring,¡± Lilith said, stretching the ring I gave her earlier in the day to me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, collecting it before sliding it back into my finger.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Our eyes got locked in a gaze which couldst forever and soon, our eyes closed, and our lips continued from where our eyes stopped till¡­ a bang on the door broke us apart.


    ¡°My king, it¡¯s Ronan. You should get prepared now, we are going for Raider¡¯s coronation ceremony taking ce tonight at Greenforest Pack.¡±

 To Green Forest Pack

    Adams¡¯ POV.


    We soon arrived at Green Forest Park, just some hours before the start of the event.


    Everywhere was a bustle of joy andughter as torches lighted up the whole ce, making it seem as though it was day.


    As we got there, I noticed a change in Lilith¡¯s demeanor. She no longer had a smile on her face and she kept looking in a particr direction.


    I followed her gaze and saw her staring at an abandoned house. A tear soon came out of her eyes, but she cleaned it up as soon as it did.


    She stood, her eyes still focused on the house and I took it as an opportunity to talk to Ronan. ¡°What¡¯s up with her,¡± I asked.


    ¡°She used to live there with her parents before they were killed.¡±


    My heart twisted in pain after I heard the reason for her sudden sadness. I walked closer to her and slid my fingers into hers. She didn¡¯t move or object, but sighs escaped her lips continuously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, okay, I¡¯m sure they are happy wherever they are,¡± I said, trying tofort her.


    ¡°My father served this pack all his life and what he got was death as a reward. I will take my revenge on everyone involved in the plot, one after the other.¡± She spoke those words with so much bitterness and anger, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    I drew her closer for an embrace, falling her warm skin on mine.


    We arrived at the mansion where the main event was to take ce. Music and the scent of fresh wine mixed with the air gave a delightful wee.


    With Lilith and Ronan at my side and numerous soldiers and maids behind us, it didn¡¯t take long to attract the attention of those already present.


    Shouts of, ¡°It¡¯s the Alpha king,¡± soon resonated with the crowd, and they bowed their heads as all activities stopped.


    ¡°Rise!¡± I waved my free hand, and they all raised their heads. Raider must have heard of my presence as he soon arrived with Cassandra beside him.


    He was dressed in a purple silk robe which was covered with all kinds of precious stones, making him shine like the stars.


    He had an air of superiority around him and an authoritative aura which made everyone around tremble at his presence.


    Cassandra, on the other hand, looked like a lifeless, dull stuffed with makeup. Beneath the mask on her face was pure hatred and jealousy. She was dressed in a purple silk robe, just like Raider and together, they looked like exotic wine bottles which were ced for auction.


    ¡°My King,¡± Raider greeted. ¡°It is with great pleasure I wee you to Green-forest pack.¡±


    ¡°I and my house are honored to be your guest, Raider or should I say¡­ Alpha Raider.¡± We bothughed as we hugged. ¡°Congrattions, and I¡¯m sorry about your father.¡±


    He nodded, all smiles. Who would have known we almost had a fight some days ago at my ce?


    All through the time we talked, my eyes never left Lilith, just as her¡¯s never left Cassandra¡¯s and vice versa. If looks could kill, they would have died as they shot daggers without care at each other.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Raider must have noticed too. He wrapped his hands around Cassandra¡¯s waist and pulled her closer to him. She winced, as if in pain, but it was all fake, she just wanted his pity¡­ To make Lilith jealous.


    ¡°Ouch! My waist, it hurts,¡± she cried. In the space of a second, tears had begun to fall from her eyes, and it made me wonder if she always had it kept there for cases like this.


    Her drama was beginning to attract stares from the people around her, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother her.


    ¡°Oh my goodness Cassandra, are you okay?¡± Raider asked, holding her like she was some prized treasure.


    I rolled my eyes, disgusted at Cassandra for making a fuss out of the situation. Till, I saw Raider wink at her¨C It was all nned.


    Ted twisted with disgust inside me, and I was on the verge of blowing up when a soft hand rested on my shoulder.


    Lilith leaned closer and whispered into my ears, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted Adams, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m feeling too well.¡±


    I nodded and faced the couple who were busy ying fooling themselves. ¡°My queen is tired and would like to rest before the main event. Is a chamber ready for us as we won¡¯t be returning until it¡¯s morning?¡±


    They broke away from each other¡¯s embrace, a flustered look filling their faces.


    ¡°O¡­ Of course my king,e this way.¡± Raider let go of Cassandra and led us into the mansion.


    We went upstairs with golden railings, into a long passage. At the end of the passage, we stopped before a wooden door.


    ¡°My king,¡± Raider began. ¡°This is the room reserved for you and¡­ Lilith.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your queen!¡± Ronan thundered from behind us, startling him in the process. ¡°You will address her as your Queen always, or you¡¯ll be licking your blood off the tip of my sword.¡±


    A satisfied smirk sat itself at the corner of my lips as I saw Raider¡¯s face. It had be pale and almost lifeless.


    He opened his mouth to speak but at the same time, Ronan slid his sword out, a little. Raider gulped hard and kept shut.


    He made a smile to hide his anxiety, but it didn¡¯t seem to work as his fingers trembled on the door knob and goosebumps challenged themselves for a spot on his skin.


    He opened the door and led us in. It was arge room with a king-sized bed which could contain up to ten people. The golden yellow paint of the wall glowed under the influence of the fire burning in the firece.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the maids up with food for the both of you,¡± Raider said, about to leave.


    ¡°What about me? What would I eat? And where would I sleep?¡± Ronan demanded fiercely.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Raider stammered, scratching his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have a ce reserved for me, do I look like amon ve to you?¡± Ronan asked.


    Raider stared at Ronan, short of words. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said with a frown on his face.


    He turned to go back when Ronan called him again. ¡°You know we came in with quite apany right? Get every one of them a nice ce to rest their head. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to mess with me.¡±


    Raider was already fuming despite the fake smile on his face. His face had be red and his fist was clutched behind him.


    He walked out and Ronan went after him, leaving Lilith and I alone in the room.


    ¡°Finally, he¡¯s gone,¡± I sighed. ¡°I thought he would never leave.¡±


    Lilith seemed distant as she sat on the bed, staring at the room. I moved closer and sat beside her, admiring her beauty.


    ¡°Lilith I¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s y a game Adams,¡± she suddenly said as her face brightened up.


    Confused as to the sudden change of expression, I asked, ¡°what game?¡±


    She smiled, and whispered into my ears and my eyes widened at what she said. ¡°No way!¡±

 The Coronation.

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    Once it was midnight, the vows were taken, and the Royal ring that made Raider the alpha of Green Forest pack was put on his finger.


    It was now time for entertainment and music red in the air so loudly I could almost not hear anything.


    ¡°Hurray,¡± screamed the crowd as the huge man hit his opponent, an even bigger man, a saliva-dripping punch in the face.


    A coronation or any special event, excluding burials, without fighting among the strongest men was considered a boring affair in Green-forest pack.


    The fighting also helped to distract me from my thoughts, as sitting on the high table with Raider and Cassandra was enough to make me lose my mind.


    If Adams had not held my hand, rubbing it from time to time while shingforting smiles at me, I might have done something I would end up regretting.


    Each time I saw their faces, all I felt anew was the betrayal and hatred I had towards them in the past.


    Back to the fighting scene, the two middle-aged men before us were throwing punches dangerously at themselves, to the astonishment of the crowd.


    Earlier, when they introduced themselves, the crowd was thrown into a frenzy. Both men had influences of some sort which made the fight even better.


    Since I had lived in the pack almost all my life, I knew them also.


    Adams was smiling so widely, one would think he had won the lottery. I leaned in to tell him about the fighters, as all I needed at the moment was someone to talk to¨C to clear my head.


    ¡°Adams.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Yes my love,¡± he replied, not taking his eyes from the intense battle of strength.


    ¡°Do you see that huge man, the biggest one?¡±


    ¡°Yes I do. What about him? He doesn¡¯t seem to be winning though.¡±


    ¡°Well, what if I told you he isn¡¯t just fighting for entertainment¡¯s sake, he is settling an old dispute.¡±


    I watched his face twitch with curiosity as he turned to face me.


    ¡°Now this has gotten interesting, talk to me.¡±


    I smiled, knowing I had finally gotten his attention. ¡°His name is Adrian, and the other man is Ben.¡±


    ¡°Ben? Why do I feel he is a terrible person, just like my brother?¡± He asked, bewildered.


    A loudughter, which could have attracted the attention of everyone, if not for the sound of the loud music, escaped my mouth.


    My wolf danced inside me as I felt someone watching me. Turning to my side, my eyes met Raider¡¯s gaze and I recoiled immediately, facing Adams.


    He didn¡¯t seem to notice what happened, so I continued talking.


    ¡°Not every Ben is like your brother Adams, they are quite simr in a way though.¡±


    ¡°Aha¡­ I knew it. What did this one do?¡±


    I smiled and adjusted myself well on the seat, facing him directly. ¡°They were both very close friends, the fighters. I¡¯ve known them since I was little. They ate together, yed together, married on the same day. Adrian had three children, a boy and two girls, but Ben had none, till his wife died five years after their wedding. A few years ago, they both went hunting with some of their friends and nned to stay for a month. Ten days into the hunting, Ben suddenly became sick and told the others he would be going home. Everyone prayed for his safety and wished him well. Five dayster, Adrian decided to check on his friend and see his family. He left the hunting ground and hurried back home as fast as he could. Getting back to the pack, he decided to check on his friend first before his family. He walked to his friend¡¯s house and on getting to his doorstep, he heard low moaning sounds.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Adams stopped me. Didn¡¯t you say he was sick?


    ¡°Exactly, this surprised Adrian too.¡±


    A smirk settled on Adams¡¯ face as he looked at the fighters before staring back at me. ¡°So what happened?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Adrian walked into the house, his steps steady. The door was unlocked so it was easy to get ess into the house. He walked in and found clothes all over the floor. He was curious and proceeded towards the door of his friend and knocked. The moaning stopped, and he barged in, but what he saw was beyond shocking. On the bed were his friend Ben and his wife Lydia in an intimate position.


    Adams was beyond shocked by what he just heard. I could see from his eyes that there was disgust attached to it.


    Just as I finished talking, Adrian smashed Ben to the ground, so much so, he couldn¡¯t move any longer. Everyone screamed and the crowd erupted into a frenzy. Even Raider was surprised by the sudden victory and called Adrian up.


    ¡°This man here has proved his strength and has entertained us during this coronation ceremony. Now I dere, if there is anyone in this crowd that can defeat this man, I would appoint him as the new gamma of this pack.¡±


    Silence descended but amidst the silence, whispers were heard. Everyone sighed and whispered among themselves about the attractive reward for defeating Adrian.


    I looked at Adams and asked, ¡°is this allowed?¡±


    ¡°Different packs, different policies, there is nothing I can do about it,¡± he replied.


    Everyone looked around to see who woulde out but no one did. Suddenly, a thick baritone voice spoke out from the crowd, ¡°I will challenge the winner.¡±


    Everyone turned around to see who owned the voice as a tall man came out with a straight face. His eyes were dark, his aura was deadly, it seemed as though he could kill anyone that got in his way and he had a strange smirk on his face.


    ¡°I am Rax, my lord, and I challenge this man for the post of the gamma,¡± he said.


    Everything about him looked familiar. Was it his steps, how he spoke, or the manner of hisposure? I just could not grasp it. I stole a look at him again, maybe I had seen him somewhere, but I couldn¡¯t remember a thing.


    ¡°And where do youe from, Rax?¡± Asked Raider.


    ¡°I am a humble sword-man from this pack, my lord.¡± Rax said. ¡°Trained in the art of the sword, I will defend your majesty with all my life if I am made the gamma of this pack.¡±


    Raider smiled, ¡°very well then, show us what you can do.¡±


    Rax bowed and made his way to the center of the room where Adrian was waiting. Adrian took a stance and straightened his arms out. ¡°Bring it on Rax, there¡¯s no way you are leaving here alive.¡±


    Rax smiled, looking confident. The smile soon disappeared, reced by this killer look on his face. Adrian charged at him and stretched his feet in the air. Just as his feet were about to hit Rax, something surprising happened.


    Rax turned and Adrian missed his shot. Adrian stood up furiously and attempted to charge at Rax again, but Rax stretched his leg andnded Adrian a powerful kick on his face, making him fall back down.


    Silence descended in the room as everyone watched to see if Adrian would get back up on his feet, but he didn¡¯t. Soon, someone went to check on him and eximed, ¡°he¡¯s not breathing!¡±


    The whole crowd erupted in a frenzy as Adams stood up. ¡°Get someone to check him immediately!¡± Adams barked.


    Ronan also stood up and drew a sword, ready to fight if needs be.


    Adrian was soon carried to a room in the mansion and ced on a bed, awaiting the arrival of the pack doctor.


    The party immediately became over and everyone left for their houses. I caught sight of Cassandra walking out of the hall towards a lonely passage. Curious, I followed her, treading carefully in the darkness.


    She kept looking behind her to know if someone was following her. Whatever she was doing and wherever she was going to was a secret she wanted to keep, but fortunately for me, I was in on it.


    We soon came to an open space and I hid behind a pir so as not to be seen by her.


    ¡°Rax¡­ Rax,¡± she called.


    The tall towering figure of the man who had fought Adrian earlier came out of a secluded shadow.


    It got me curious. Why is Cassandra out in the open with this man? Why is she not with Raider? What business does she have with this man?


    Hardly had this thought settled in my mind when something strange happened. She leaned in and kissed him, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, my love. Where have you been?¡±

 Nowhere To Be Found.

    Adam¡¯s POV


    ¡°How could you let something like this happen?¡± I screamed at Raider.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault, how was I supposed to know it would result in something so dangerous?¡± Raider retorted.


    ¡°You are the alpha of this pack, everyone here is under your leadership, everyone here is under yourmand, and everyone here is under your protection. What the hell is wrong with you?¡± I screamed at him.


    He wanted to speak again but caught sight of Ronan holding his sword dangerously.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay, I will make sure the man gets the treatment he deserves.¡± He left the room, leaving me with Ronan.


    Sitting on the giant sized bed, I couldn¡¯t get my head off what just happened earlier. Raider was already the alpha of the pack and there was little or nothing I could do about it.


    Thest time a person was sworn in as the alpha of the pack, I was not born yet. If that was the way things were done here, then stopping it might prove a little too difficult.


    ¡°Where is Lilith?¡± I asked Ronan.


    ¡°I have not seen her since the ceremony, she¡¯s probably somewhere. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll be back. I will make sure of it,¡± Ronan assured.


    He left the room, leaving me alone to my thoughts. The exhaustion of the day¡¯s activity dawned on me and Iid on my back to rest.


    Lilith suddenly walked in, her face all gloomy like she had been in an argument with somebody.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, my love, you don¡¯t look so happy, is something wrong?¡± I asked, sitting up on the bed.


    She didn¡¯t reply. Rather, she pulled off her clothes and got into something morefortable from the suitcase beside the bed.


    ¡°Lilith, talk to me.¡±


    I stood up and walked up to her, and hugged her from behind. She stopped what she was doing for a while, and closed her eyes.


    ¡°I am good, my love, there¡¯s no need for you to be worried, I just need to rest.¡±


    Her attitude betrayed her speech, even the tone of what she said was in protest at how she reacted.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t look fine. Talk to me.¡±


    She turned around and faced me, staring directly into my eyes. ¡°I am fine Adam, and I need you to believe me, I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    Since she wouldn¡¯t talk, I left her be, and sat back on the bed. She changed out of the clothes she had on and wore a semi-transparent night gown which revealed her curves.


    She walked back to bed and pecked me on my forehead before lying down to sleep.


    Her actions were like stimnts, fueling the fire which was burning inside me. One minute she was gloomy, the next she was making wild thoughts live rent-free in my mind.


    I could have gone on and on throughout the night to make her speak, but I decided to let her be. ¡°We go again tomorrow.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Iforted myself with the fact that the long journey was truly exhausting, and she needed her rest.


    ¡°Good night my love.¡± She didn¡¯t reply.


    I thought she ignored me on purpose till I had a loud snore and I knew she had slept off.


    The early morning rays that filtered through the blinds, pierced my eyes, making me open them, but my vision was blurry at first.


    I soon became aware of my surroundings but remained on the spot.


    I stretched my hand to feel the side of the bed where she was the previous night. s, she wasn¡¯t there. I turned, to confirm what my hands felt, it turned out to be true. ¡°Where could she have gone this early in the morning?¡± I asked myself.


    I sat up at once and looked at the room, but there was no trace of her. ¡°Was she safe?


    Knowing we were in Green Forest pack, her former home, all kinds of dangerous things that could have happened to her as a result of her strained rtionship with Raider and Cassandra lingered in my head.


    I got out of bed in haste like a man being chased by death. I ran to the door and would have opened it, but stopped when another door opened behind me and Lilith came out.


    It turned out she was in the toilet all this while and I had been worked up for nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She asked. ¡°You seem like you saw a ghost.¡±


    I was stunned, and couldn¡¯t speak. Instead, I stared at her for almost a minute, before I realized what I was doing. Then, I moved closer and drew her in for a very tight embrace.


    ¡°I was worried for a minute, but I am fine now. Did you sleep well?¡±


    She detached herself from me, looking flustered. ¡°Why were you worried? Did something bad happen?


    ¡°Uh¡­ no, everything is fine. I was just concerned about you, considering the way you came inst night. Where were you though?¡±


    She had a weird smile on her face, before turning back to sit on the bed.


    ¡°I went for a stroll. It had been a while since I was here, and although I hate how things turned out between me and the pack members, it still felt like home. You shouldn¡¯t have gotten yourself all worked up. Does it look like something bad could happen to me? I am a fighter myself, you know, and I can always defend myself.¡±


    I walked closer to the bed and sat beside her, realizing I might have overthought things the night before.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, my love, I¡¯m just d you are okay.¡±


    She rubbed my hands and leaned in closer to kiss me when the door opened and Ronan came in.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you guys were in the middle of¡­ never mind, I¡¯lle backter.¡±


    He turned to go out when I called him back,ughing. ¡°Come in Ronan, the damage has been done. What do you want?¡±


    Lilith looked flustered. She stood up immediately and picked up a gown which was lying on a table not too far from us.


    ¡°I will go and change for the return journey home. You should get dressed too, Adams.¡±


    She walked into the bathroom with the gown, leaving Ronan and I to speak.


    Immediately she walked into the bedroom, I moved closer to Ronan and whispered in his ears. ¡°Did you do what I asked you to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my King. I had been up as early as 5:00 a. m., searching through the fields and through thend and everywhere. I have been to the Royal graveyard and to every nook and cranny of this mansion, but I didn¡¯t find Alpha Rivers graveyard,¡± he whispered back.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I parted him on the back and began to walk back to my bed when he spoke again.


    ¡°I did background research also on the guy that won the fight yesterday,¡± he said.


    ¡°Really? What did you find out about him?¡± I asked.


    Ronan sighed and cleared his throat. ¡°No one knows him, Adams, no one has ever seen his face.¡±

 Raider.

    Lilith¡¯s POV


    It¡¯s been three months since we came back from Raider¡¯s coronation at Green Forest Pack.


    Three months since I saw Cassandra and Rax kissing in the shadows of the Mansion, three months since I overheard Adams and Ronan speak about Raider¡¯s father, Alpha Rivers.


    That day, I entered the bathroom with the intention of changing my clothes when I heard them whispering about Rivers.


    I had purposely remained silent about it, and not asked Adams anything ever since then.


    One might wonder, after seeing Cassandra and Rex, what I did. I moved away quietly, on the tips of my toes, careful not to make a sound till I was far away from them.


    I wanted to tell Adams but decided against it. He could have taken matters to an extreme length, which could have caused issues for me, since I didn¡¯t have proof.


    Going back to the room, I walked through the dark hall, surrounded by disturbing thoughts which lived rent-free in my head.


    Just before I got to the room where I and Adams were lodged, a strong hand gripped me around my waist while the other covered my mouth, dragging me into an empty room some distance away.


    The room was brightly lit as a brilliant fire burned in the firece. It smelled ancient, like it had never been used, as dust, a dry, earthy scent hung around the air, making it feel thick and heavy.


    The dust soon rushed into my nose and I sneezed, releasing mucus from my nostrils onto the hands of my captor.


    ¡°Shet Lilith! Did you have to do that? A tiny male voice said.


    I immediately recognized who it was and turned back as his grip on me loosened. ¡°Raider!¡±


    ¡°It has been a while, Lilith, and from the looks of it¡­¡± He looked at me from my head to my toes. ¡°¡­ You look well.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? I should look haggard? Not everyone treats people as awful as you do,¡± I retorted firmly.


    He chuckled and scoffed as his face formed into a smirk. He started to pace around, his hands in his trouser pockets.


    When Ist saw him during the ceremony, I was just noticing him at a closer range.


    He wore baggy pants and a free white shirt which was unbuttoned at the top, exposing his chest. His hair was wet like he had just had his bath and the water trickled down his face. It felt so nice my senses became disorganized.


    He looked like he had stepped out of a romantic novel where the male lead was a demigod who descended from the sky.


    If it was in the past, I would have thought it was cute but then, I saw him like a dangerous bug which needs to be squashed.


    ¡°You can get angry all you want, Lilith. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you still have feelings for me, either with your alpha or not.¡± he said.


    I scuffed, irritated by his attitude. ¡°Feelings? You sure dream a lot, Raider.¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap Lilith, you are simply jealous of Cassandra and I.¡± He moved closer, with a step in between us. ¡°I know you miss me and want me.¡± He closed the gap and brought his lips closer to mine.


    Various thoughts clouded my mind, making me nervous, but I managed to keep still.


    When I was sure he was close enough, I moved my knees swiftly, backed up by so much speed and strength and felt them strike his flesh.


    His eyes widened as he released a frustrated groan. ¡°Shet!¡± He went down gently till he was lying on the floor, enveloped by pain.


    I stood over him, biting my lips, staring at him with disgust. He deserved whatever pain he was feeling, he earned it.


    ¡°Never try toe close to me again!¡± I yelled.


    I moved towards the door and would have left, but I felt his hands grab me by the heel. ¡°Let me go, you bastard!¡± I yelled, struggling to set myself free. ¡°If Adams finds out about this, you will be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°And who will tell him? I wouldn¡¯t, would you?¡± He asked.


    He released his grip on my heel and stood up, shooting daggers at me with his eyes. ¡°We both have secrets, you know, dirty secrets, Lilith.¡±


    My body trembled at his words, my lips quivered. The air became tense, and a piercing silence moved about us, fumbling with my sanity.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you?¡± He started to work in circles, with me in the middle.


    ¡°Let me go, I am warning you.¡±


    ¡°The door is unlocked, Lilith, you are free to go. I doubt Adams knows about your past and the crazy, nasty things we did.¡±


    His eyes turned golden, and his canines extended dangerously into his mouth. Saliva dropped from it as dark fur shut out the holes in his skin.


    ¡°What are you trying to do, Raider?¡± I asked with a trembling voice.


    ¡°What does it look like I am trying to do?¡± he replied.


    I ran towards the door, but he got there before me. ¡°Get out of my way, or I will scream,¡± I threatened, shaking my fist towards him.


    His wolf was almostpletely out, putting me at a disadvantage the more. ¡°Go ahead Lilith, scream,¡± he replied in a thick voice which made my heart skip multiple beats.


    I looked around for a ce to hide when he finally went wild, but there was nowhere as the room didn¡¯t even have any furniture.


    ¡°Please Raider, this is not the way, let me go.¡± I fell on my knees and pleaded as that was the only sane thing I could do.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Even if I screamed, he could snap my head off my neck with his ws before Adams got to where we were.


    Adams would make sure to punish him for my death, but what was the essence of losing one¡¯s life when there was an alternative?


    He smiled weirdly at me, and began to walk towards me. I tried to move, but my back was already on the door, just after the door, trapping me.


    There was only onest thing to do; scream. Things could get worse, but I didn¡¯t mind for as long as I got justice, and he was dealt with.


    I closed my eyes, covered my ears and opened my mouth to scream out loud when a heavy bang brought the door down.


    ¡°Ah!¡± I heard Raider yell and opened my eyes to see Ronan, standing at the entrance.


    I heaved a sigh of relief as he took my hands and led me out of the room. ¡°Go to sleep, we¡¯ll talk about this in the morning.¡±


    I worked priestly back to the room but stopped and turned back. ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t tell Adams about this, please.¡±


    He had a frown on his face, obviously displeased by my decision, but nodded after what seemed like a minute.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, walking into the room.


    Whatever happened between him and Ronan, I didn¡¯t know. However, he had a huge bruise on his cheek, and covered his face with a shawl to hide it and a ck eye.


    Adams had asked him what was wrong, but he waved the question off and bid us goodbye in a hurry.


    I looked at Ronan, and he looked at me with a straight face void of emotion.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mouthed, and he nodded his head, closing the matter.


    Since we got back home, there had been different training sessions with Dale. She was an excellent fighter, which helped me to quickly make up for the time I had lost.


    After our training session, I walked back into the mansion, to my room. The door was unlocked, which was strange. I never left my room without properly locking my door.


    I walked in and scanned my surroundings but found nothing.


    Suddenly, Adams¡¯ thick voice boomed from behind me, startling me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t train again!¡±


    ¡°Adams¡­ why would you scare me like that and say I shouldn¡¯t train when we both know we are in danger?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t train, just don¡¯t¡­ train with that man any longer.¡±


    ¡°Man?¡± I was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s just Dale and¡­¡± I paused. Dale was a woman, but I was the only one that knew it, since she covered her identity up.


    ¡°And what Lilith?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡± Nevermind.¡±


    I walked to the bed and sat on it, exhausted. He had probably taken my silence as me being annoyed and came to sit beside me.


    ¡°Lilith, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want you to train and be a better fighter, but not with him. Don¡¯t you see the way he touches you and fools around when he¡¯s with you? Okay, here¡¯s how we¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll train you from now on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous Adams, don¡¯t you have things to worry about? What if you are not avable?¡±


    ¡°Then Ronan will do it.¡±


    ¡°And if Ronan isn¡¯t avable? What¡¯s your issue with Dale anyway? Or¡­ Are you jealous?¡±


    He became silent and stared at me deeply like he was trying to read me.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I eximed, bursting intoughter. ¡°You are jealous.¡±

 Chaos at Dinner.

    Adams¡¯ POV.


    Every day, during their training, I would stand at her side window and watch. It always took all the self-control in me to not scream whenever their bodies came into contact with each other.


    Today, while they had their training, Ronan stood with me, watching me twist and turn and sigh in frustration each time Dale held her or touched her in any way.


    ¡°Before your brothers kill you, you will kill yourself with worry,¡± hemented, resting on the wall beside me.


    He had an amused smile which stretched across his face. I saw that smile as a mockery of my situation. Why wasn¡¯t he feeling sad for me? He was my best friend for crying out loud.


    ¡°If you are here to mock me, then you might just leave,¡± I hissed, not taking my eyes off Lilith.


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡± He raised his hands up andughed as we watched on in silence. He soon had to leave, to attend to an urgent business.


    I wasn¡¯t jealous. Why would she think I was? I just wasn¡¯t cool with that guy, Dale or whatever,ing close to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Lilith, I¡¯m not jealous, just¡­ looking out for you. I proceeded to leave the room when she hugged me from behind, wrapping her hands around my waist.


    The suddenness of the hug made me stop as I felt the softness of her breast on my back. ¡°I would always love you Adams. You were there for me, so I¡¯ll be there for you. You never left me, so I¡¯ll never leave you. I will always love you because you have shown me so much love than I deserve.¡±


    After she said those words, I doubted if there was any form of anger left inside me as they melted away like ice.


    A broad smile was present on my face, one which expressed the satisfaction I felt at hearing her say those words.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool yourself now, Adams, don¡¯t let her see that smile,¡± Ted said.


    I reasoned with him and erased the smile on my face so that she wouldn¡¯t see it. Slowly, I touched her hands with the intention of removing them, but I couldn¡¯t as an electrifying sensation passed through our bodies as they made contact.


    ¡°Get it together, will you?¡± Ted growled.


    I immediately broke away from her embrace and walked towards the door.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t annoyed, are you? She asked.


    I turned to reply to her, but pain shot through my body as I felt a sharp twist in my neck. ¡°What did you do that for?¡± I demanded, as Ted took matters personally.


    ¡°You¡¯ll thank meter''¡± he replied, moving my legs against my will till I was outside.


    Nightfall soon came, and we gathered to eat at the dining table. I sat at the head and Lilith, dressed in a free blue gown, sat on my right side with her hair grazing her back.


    Ronan sat on my left, still dressed in his armor. He never took it off except when he wanted to sleep. We had fought over it countless times, but his response remained the same. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like being over prepared, it¡¯s always the right thing because we don¡¯t know what hides in the shadows.¡±


    Since he wouldn¡¯t listen, I didn¡¯t bother him anymore about it.


    At the far end of the table was Ben, directly opposite me. He had this awkward smile on his face as he threw asional nces at Lilith, filling me with so much rage.


    She, on the other hand, ate without care, engrossed in the food like a pregnant woman whose craving was about to be her end.


    Beside Ben sat Bartholomew. He had a mirror in his hand which he used to stare at his face once in a while.


    It made me mad, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Why would anyone bring a mirror to the dining table?


    The dinner would have gone smoothly with every one of us eating silently before retiring to bed for the night when, suddenly, the door to the dining room opened and Raoul walked in with high shoulders.


    Ted danced crazily inside me in a fit of rage. He moved so wildly, I thought he would burst out. I was so pissed, words couldn¡¯t exin how I felt.


    Everyone stopped eating and stared at him like he was a peculiar rock from outer space.


    After the mountain encounter, I sent soldiers to raid the ce and bring everyone back there, but strangely, they didn¡¯t find anything.


    Seeing him now after all those months revived the dead hatred I had for him.


    ¡°What makes you think you can show your face here, uhn?¡± I stood up in haste and shook my fist at him.


    Ronan also stood up, while Lilith, Ben and Bartholomew watched from their seats.


    ¡°This is my father¡¯s house and Ie and go whenever I please,¡± he replied boldly.


    A quick scan on his body revealed that he had no scars. He had probably taken the time out to heal and restrategize. Seeing him now, I wouldn¡¯t spare him if he tried anything funny.


    ¡°Leave right now and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. I am warning you.¡±


    ¡°And what would you do? All you do is make empty threats, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m scared of you.¡±


    His words annoyed me so much, my temperance speedometer raced right to the top. If I were close to him, I would have smacked his head right out of his neck.


    ¡°Guards!¡± I growled. Two guards rushed inside the dining room quickly. ¡± Arrest this man and keep him locked up,¡± I said, pointing to Raoul.


    They made an attempt to move towards him, but he stopped them, ¡°don¡¯te any closer or your heads will roll on the floor.¡±


    They stopped, scared at first and looked at me. I gave them a signal to go on, and they did, but what happened next shocked us all.


    Raoul swung his legs swiftly and the men literally flew across the room. The force from the kick made them hit their backs on the wall, breaking it in the process.


    They passed out due to the pain and remained on the floor like dead bodies.


    Lilith screamed and got up immediately, standing behind me.


    Ben and Bartholomew chuckled at his sudden reaction and began to p, infuriating me the more.


    I marched towards the unconscious men and felt their pulse. They were still breathing, which made me relieved, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it slide. They got hurt under mymand. Getting justice for them was worth my priority.


    I picked up a sword from one of the men¡¯s body and made to move towards Raoul when Ronan stopped me and drew out his sword. ¡°Let me take care of him,¡± he assured, his hands on my shoulder.


    I gave him a nod of approval, and he moved towards Raoul, swinging his sword dangerously.


    Raoul didn¡¯t move or react, he just watched him till he got to where he was.


    Ronan took his sword and almost brought it down in Raoul¡¯s face when Raoul began tough. He stopped, noticing his strange attitude and frowned at him, the sword still in the air. ¡°Death lurks around the corner, yet you make jest of it like a mad man, you are a fool.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Raoul stoppedughing and smiled before shooting a look which could kill, at Ronan. ¡°Death? Nah¡­ not today for me. Maybe for you. I¡¯m sure you know the punishment for killing a royal. Your father did it during his time and received his reward. Since the same blood runs in your veins, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you did the same.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face paled at his words. His father was the previous Beta who killed one of my father¡¯s brothers by mistake. He was dered guilty when tried before the council of elders despite my father¡¯s attempts to preserve his life.


    He was killed, just like my uncle was killed¡­ trampled upon by a horse, while his son was forced to watch.


    The ugly memory haunted Ronan for some years and traumatized him badly, so much so, he never spoke of it.


    Suddenly, a body crashed onto the dining table, scattering all the food on it. We looked at who it was and found an angry Ronan bashing Raoul¡¯s jaws with so much force that if he hadn¡¯t been stopped, Raoul might never speak again.


    Ben and Bartholomew rushed to Raoul¡¯s rescue, holding the enraged Ronan. It took a while to detach him from an already battered Raoul who was breathing haggardly with blood all over his face.


    ¡°Last I checked, thew doesn¡¯t say anything about putting a royal in his ce. Fool.¡± He jerked Ben and Bartholomew away and walked to where I was with Lilith.


    ¡°How could you let this happen?¡± Ben demanded, facing me. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any human feelings left in you?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have a say in this, Ben, you are just a green snake hiding beneath green grass. At least he chose to do his in the open unlike you, hiding like a feeble,¡± I fired back.


    ¡°I swear to the goddess, I will kill you!¡± He screamed, charging towards me.


    I braced myself for his hit, taking a stance and would have delivered a perfectly timed kick to his face if a thick masculine voice had not stopped us.


    ¡°What is all this madness about?¡±


    We all froze in our tracks as the voice rang in our heads. Slowly, we turned towards the door and gasped at the realization of who it was.

 Return of Shane

    Adams¡¯ POV


    ¡°Shane!¡± We all eximed, except Lilith, who looked on, confused.


    Shane, our older brother, is back.


    Our father had five sons, with Shane topping the list and me being the youngest.


    He was strong, powerful, short-tempered, and he had a destructive personality. After Ronan¡¯s father was killed, my father was so heartbroken, he didn¡¯t have the mind to select another Beta.


    He was grieved for a while and the pack matters almost slipped from his hands till Shane took over and turned things around.


    His name was heavy in the mouths of the people as he was a no-nonsense leader. People were scared of him, even we, his brothers, never stood before his presence without trembling.


    A few times, Ben tried to challenge his authority, being the next after him, but he always met his Waterloo.


    Speaking of Ben, his lips quivered as he stared at Shane and, for the first time in a while, he didn¡¯t have that weird smile on his face.


    Raoul had raised himself slightly from the table, resting on his elbows with his blood-covered face.


    Bartholomew was also shocked by Shane¡¯s presence and shivered on the spot despite the facade of calmness he tried to pull up


    Shane looked at every one of us with his blue eyes which glowed brightly whenever his wolf was out.


    He was way older than everyone of us, but he looked the youngest with his muscr features and his smooth face.


    He was the first choice as a king and everyone anticipated his reign after our father. It came as a shock, however, when he suddenly disappeared from the pack after our father¡¯s announcement, only to return now.


    I became worried as different questions swirled around my head. Why was he back after all these years? Did he also want the throne?


    If he was indeed here for the throne, then I stood no chance as he was extremely powerful for me.


    When we were younger, I had so much admiration for him. He doted on me too, shielding me from Ben and the others whenever they picked on me.


    He had once beaten Bartholomew for my sake when he hid a special gift our father bought for me on one of his trips.


    I cried for weeks as everyone searched the mansion but couldn¡¯t find it, only for it to be seen under Bartholomew¡¯s bed one night, as a maid went to drop his food for him.


    Ever since then, my respect for him has tripled, but our rtionship went down the drain when my father announced me as the next Alpha after him.


    On the day he left, it was raining heavily. I ran to him and held his hands, begging him to stay. He had a terrible aura around him as anger lingered in his eyes.


    He had kicked me away and warned me to stay away from him. Before the official announcement, my father called him into his room, and they were there for hours.


    He came out angrily and vetted the anger on everyone that came near him.


    I was pained after he left, and knelt in the rain, crying terribly for hours till some guards dragged me back inside on the orders of my father.


    Seeing him again brought back old memories and I couldn¡¯t help but tear up.


    He moved closer to the table, towards Raoul and stretched his hand to touch his face. Raoul didn¡¯t dare to move, as his face could graduate from the beautifully messy situation it was now to another much worse.


    Shane touched Raoul¡¯s face and examined his jaw amidst whimpers of pain from him.


    ¡°The next time you pick a fight with a man, see to it that it is someone you can defeat. I would kill you myself if what happened here repeats itself.


    Everyone remained silent as we watched him walk around the room, staring at every corner and piece of furniture.


    He got to where Lilith was and stood before her. I could hear her breathing shakily and her heartbeat racing.


    ¡°My queen,¡± he bowed slightly, extending his hand to her for a shake. She epted his hand, he ced a kiss on the back of her palm before letting go of his grip on it. ¡°I am sorry that I was unable to attend your wedding, I just didn¡¯t feel likeing home then. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, you are even more beautiful than I heard.¡±


    I saw Lilith smile as she bowed her head down, her cheeks turning red. If it were any other person that said those words to her, I would have begun to boil, but knowing the kind of person Shane was, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to get angry.


    He left Lilith¡¯s side and moved towards me, maintaining eye contact. I was scared as he finally stood before me, not knowing what to expect.


    Since he had been long gone, I didn¡¯t know the type of person he still was. Standing before me was a totally different man from whom I used to know.


    Who knows if he was still the brother I once adored or someone who was here to contend with me for the throne.


    My heart hammered against my chest as the seconds passed by, each like a nail, drilled into my body, causing me emotional pains.


    It came as a surprise, not just to me, but to everyone, as he pulled me in for a very tight embrace.


    Everyone gasped and whimpered as their faces had all manner of displeased expressions on them.


    ¡°I missed you little brother, I¡¯m sorry I left in the first ce.¡± I heard him sniffle behind my back, his hands tightening the grip on my neck. ¡°Was he crying?¡± I asked myself, surprised by his actions.


    I tried to be strong and not also cry, but my emotions proved to be stronger, and I let it all out, reeling in our memories, inhaling his strong abstract scent.


    He released me and rubbed the back of my head, his eyes still moist from the tears. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up kid, too bad I missed your transition from a boy to the man that you are now.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are here now,¡± I replied with a shaky voice, we have all the time in the world, right?


    He didn¡¯t reply. Rather, sadness descended heavily on his face.


    ¡°Shane¡­ right?¡± I asked again if he hadn¡¯t heard the first time.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t stay, Adams. I only came to deliver dad¡¯sst message to you all before he died. The terrible memories of this ce will continually haunt me. Staying would only make things worse.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change my mind, Adams, it won¡¯t work. I¡¯ve decided, either you like it or not,¡± he said, cutting me off.


    He left me and went to where Ronan stood and extended his hand for a handshake. Ronan took it and he gripped his hands firmly. ¡°Keep protecting my brother, I believe you are up to the task.¡±


    Ronan nodded and bowed slightly.


    ¡°Why have youe, Shane? It couldn¡¯t be just some message you didn¡¯t say all these years,¡± Ben asked. ¡°We all thought you were¡­ dead.¡±


    Shane looked at him and shook his head. ¡°You will never change, Ben, never. Tell me, is that what you all thought or is that what you thought?¡±


    Ben remained silent and didn¡¯t speak anymore. Knowing who Shane was, he picked offense at the slightest things and could cause a lot of damage, depending on his level of anger.


    ¡°In my father¡¯s former room, now! All of you, including Ronan. My queen,¡± Shane said, turning to Lilith, ¡°I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯ll have to borrow your husband for a while, he¡¯ll join you soon.¡±


    She smiled and turned to me. ¡°I¡¯ll be in our room, my love.¡± She began to walk up the stairs, towards the room till she was out of sight.


    Shane left after her, and it remained just the rest of us in the dining room, staring at each other. What exactly did my father tell him? What were we to expect?

 Spying

    Lilith¡¯s POV.


    I kept rolling on the bed, unable to put my mind at ease.


    The time was almost nine pm, and Adam was not yet back. What were they discussing that was taking them so long to conclude?


    I rose up slowly from the bed, and sat up on it, contemting if I should check up on him or not.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a kid, stop worrying already,¡± Lex scolded me. The treacherous animal was angry with me for reasons best known to her.


    That was all she could do though, get angry. I was her master and she had to remain subject to me.


    I stood up from the bed, taking one foot after another, carefully so as not to fall as it was dark, and I had put the fire off.


    I looked at my hand where Shane had kissed me and remembered how I felt. I was terrified and thought I would pass out from the fear, but I didn¡¯t.


    He was a fine man who was probably in his forties, considering the age distance between him and Adams.


    Yet he looked young, even younger than his brothers.


    I sat down on the bed and decided to wait an hour more. If I hadn¡¯t seen Adams, I would have to go check up on him.


    That hour was the longest I had ever waited for. I tried to read a book, but could not concentrate. I tried to sing, but my voice sounded alien in my ears. I tried to sleep, but sleep avoided me like a deadly gue, which could make it lose its power. I tried to think of the beautiful things the universe had to offer, but my mind was thinking of Adams.


    ¡°Shet!¡± I cursed. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± I stood up, looked at the time and realized it was hardly ten minutes into the hour I timed myself, yet I was tired already.


    I opened the door of my room and stared at the empty, dimly lit passage. There were no guards or maids around, so moving without being seen would be a tip of the iceberg.


    I went back to bed and wore a pair of socks I found under the bed. It was dirty, with brown stains all over it, but I wore it anyway.


    I couldn¡¯t find any other and I didn¡¯t want to go out barefoot. If I were to move out without being noticed, wearing footwear was out of it.


    I looked around and sighted a small pocket knife on my dressing table. I strode towards it and picked it up, hiding it in my socks.


    I knew the meeting wouldn¡¯t be violent, but I kept the knife anyway, just in case I ran into unnecessary trouble.


    Fully equipped, I moved out of the room. I moved as silently as a cat, treading cautiously on the tip of my toes.


    I have heard of the room of the former Alpha, Adams¡¯ father, and I¡¯ve passed by it a few times, but I¡¯ve never gotten the chance to go in there because it was always guarded.


    ¡°Please, let there be no guards,¡± I whispered, wishing from the bottom of my heart. I soon got to the bend which would lead to the room and hid behind the wall.


    I peeked and heaved a sigh of relief as I noticed that there were no guards guarding the room. They must have probably sent them away since it was a private discussion.


    I moved as fast as my toes could carry me, careful not to make a sound. The wooden door stood open a little, giving me a chance to see them inside.


    Shane was beside the bed, standing as the other brothers, plus Ronan, circled him. They seemed to be involved in a fierce argument which was getting heated by the second.


    ¡°Never! Not in any way will I let him remain there,¡± Ben screamed. ¡°If you are not interested, then that¡¯s your problem, I will im what is mine.¡±


    He sounded extremely angry. I wondered what they were talking about.


    ¡°You will obey me, Ben. What do you gain by fighting your little brother? You are rich, you are influential in your own way. What else do you want?


    ¡°I want the throne!¡±


    I sighted Adams, staring at the floor in the midst of all the argument going on between his two older brothers.


    He must have noticed my presence as he turned back abruptly, staring at the door. But I was quick to dodge and hide.


    After some time, I looked back and saw Ben, marching angrily towards the door.


    All the blood in my body rushed down my legs. My eyes darted all over the ce as I searched for where to hide.


    I sighted a pir some distance away and ran to it as fast as possible. I moved at a very high speed. Any human who tried to do so would either meet his face on the floor or break a leg.


    Sessfully behind the pir, my heart beat raced to up to 60 miles per hour as I watched Ben leave the room, fuming and breathing heavily.


    Sure he had gone some distance away, I tiptoed back into my room and rushed to bed, covering myself up with a nket.


    I didn¡¯t even remove the socks on my feet, and they were beginning to itch. I stood up and took it out in haste, heart beating in anticipation of Adams¡¯ return.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Having rested a bit, the unsteady beating of my heart calmed down. What exactly was being discussed in the room? What was Shane¡¯s main purpose of visiting?


    The door suddenly opened and Adams walked in. I pretended to sleep and turned to the side, avoiding his gaze.


    I heard him groan and sigh as he removed his clothes. The door of the wardrobe creaked, and I guessed he took something out before closing it back.


    He walked into the bathroom and came out after some minutes and got into bed beside me. I was disappointed. I expected him to kiss me on the lips or peck me on the forehead like he does, but he didn¡¯t.


    So I turned, and wrapped my hand around his body, feeling his warmth. He rubbed my hand softly and brought it up to his lips, kissing it.


    However, my joy was short-lived as he took my hand away from his body and the next minute, he was snoring loudly.

 Meeting With The Rogue King

    Author¡¯s POV:


    ¡°Never!¡± Ben screamed, pacing alone in his room. ¡°I would never let Adams remain as the Alpha of this pack. No one, not even Shane, can stop me.


    He kicked the side of his bed and winced in pain as blood came out of a cut on his flesh.


    He boiled with so much anger, he could literally explode any minute. A soft knock came on the door, jolting him out of his angry, distressed state.


    He squinted his eyes and curled his fist, as if to fight with whoever was at the door.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He asked, screaming at the frail figure of the maid before him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ my Lord, Lord Shane requests your presence at his private chamber,¡± she said, on the edge of bursting into tears.


    She shook before him like a mouse about to be devoured by a cat, after being beaten by a heavy downpour of rain.


    He stared at her with so much hate, one would wonder how she offended him?


    ¡°To hell with Shane,¡± he whispered, closing the door abruptly on her face. She yelped in fright and scurried away, not willing to spend another minute in death¡¯s very own abode.


    Ben stood for a while at the door, contemting if he should heed Ben¡¯s call or not.


    ¡°Go, finish him,¡± his wolf snarled. ¡°If you don¡¯t take him out of the way now, you will never be free to do the things you want to do. He will always defend Adams, and you¡¯ll never be the Alpha.¡±


    Ben chuckled at his wolf¡¯s idea. Could he really kill his brother?


    Of course, he hated him and despised him a lot. But in reality, he was simply jealous of him and would have loved to be as powerful as he was.


    He shook his head at the idea of killing his brother and walked towards the wooden table beside his bed and poured himself a ss of wine from the jar on the table.


    ¡°Crack!¡± Came the sound from the cup as it scattered into pieces. His wolf had grown crazy for a second and shattered the cup in his hand.


    ¡°When I talk, you listen. Except you eat from the crumbs of your little brother, for the rest of your miserable life. I don¡¯t care about you, but I would never sumb to that. I would kill you instead.¡±


    Ben became extremely furious and would have smacked his wolf if it was just a person like him. He curled his hand into a fist but winced in pain, extending his fingers out.


    On his palm were fragments of broken ss, sitting deep. Blood rushed out in moderate quantities and, worst of all, he wasn¡¯t healing.


    ¡°Why am I not healing? What are you doing to me?¡±


    ¡°We havee so far as to give up now, Ben, it is either we continue, or you die here,¡± his wolf growled.


    Ben suddenly began to feel weak in his legs as more blood pumped out of his body. It was indeed strange that such a minor cut shouldn¡¯t result in something so serious. In a split second, he was down and struggling for breath.


    His life shed before his eyes on a holographic screen as he watched his memories y swiftly.


    Is this how it felt to die? He asked himself as tears streamed down his face.


    ¡°Say yes Ben, let¡¯s see to the end of everyone that stands in our way,¡± his wolf whispered.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ben said, closing his eyes.


    He felt his wolf smile and dance inside him before going silent. His strength gradually returned and the wound healed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go kill Shane,¡± his wolf said, but Ben resisted.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± his wolf growled.


    ¡°Because we wouldn¡¯t want to have his blood on our hands, there is no way to survive being attacked by Adams or his armies. Adams still holds a grudge, remember?¡±


    His wolf became silent, its fierce energy and rage, sitting just below the surface. ¡°What should we do then?¡±


    Ben¡¯s face brightened up after thinking for a while. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Augustus, I¡¯m sure he will help us.¡±


    ¡°The rogue King?¡± His wolf asked.


    ¡°Yes. The rogue King,¡± Ben confirmed.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Augustus ck, who used to be an oracle of the goddess, was a terrible man. All his life, he has fought against the royal family of the ck Hound pack, since the time of Adams¡¯ father.


    Ben hurried out of the mansion and was soon out of the pack, heading to an undisclosed location.


    After riding for hours, he got to the mouth of a cave, on the shores of a great river. Lean trees surrounded the mouth of the cave, giving it an eerie feeling.


    He hesitated, wondering if he should go forward, but his curiosity got the better of him. The entrance of the cave was dark, and bats screeched from inside it.


    He went on nevertheless, determined to achieve his aim. He activated his wolf vision and saw clearly where he was going. He was in the passage, and a door was before him.


    Getting to the door, he stretched his hand to open the door knob, but the door mysteriously creaked open.


    At first, his heart skipped a beat. He soonforted himself, knowing the rogue king had a mysterious personality.


    The door mmed shut behind him, and he trembled once more, knowing he hadn¡¯t touched or closed it after getting inside.


    He moved deeper into the mountains but had not gone so far before a huge amount of cobweb wrapped his face.


    He struggled to get them off, falling in the process. ¡°Sh*t!¡± He scoffed. ¡°What is this ce?¡±


    Another door opened inside the wall, revealing a brightly lit room. He jumped up in haste, scared to death this time.


    ¡°Hello, is anyone there? Augustus.¡± No response¡­ no answer.


    He walked into the room, and found out it was empty. On the walls were strange symbols and signs, signs he had never seen before.


    He touched the walls, feeling the symbol engraved on the wall with his fingers. They were unlike anything he had seen before, thick, red and ran deep inside.


    ¡°I have been waiting for you Ben, wee,¡± a loud voice boomed around him, and he ran to a corner, scared.


    He looked around, in search of where the voice came from, but found nothing.


    ¡°Show your face Augustus! I don¡¯t fear you.¡±


    He stood up and moved to the center of the room, his fist curled up, ready for a fight.


    Augustusughed, confusing him the more. ¡°You little runt, did you think you could even dare to defeat me? I am more powerful than you think.¡±


    The walls began to vibrate and dust particles fell from the roof of the cave. Ben tried to run, but he couldn¡¯t.


    His feet were rooted to the ground, and his body suddenly froze. He couldn¡¯t talk, or move, he just remained on the spot, screaming for help with his mind.


    Every where suddenly went dark as pain shot through his body from his head. He fell into the subconscious world, floating in darkness which didn¡¯t seem to end anytime soon.


    ¡°Ssh!¡± The ice-cold water made a loud noise in his face as he woke up. He tried to move but found he was tied to a chair with iron chains.


    ¡°Where am I? He asked, trying to break free from the chain, but stopped when he noticed the huge figure of a man, standing some distance away, his back turned towards him.


    ¡°Augustus?¡± He called.


    ¡°Ben,¡± the man replied. ¡°What brings you here?¡±

 With Augustus

    Author¡¯s POV.


    ¡°Where is this ce?¡± Ben asked, ignoring Augustus¡¯ question. ¡°Why did you tie me to the chair? Let me go!¡±


    Augustus didn¡¯t turn back to look at Ben¡¯s face. He faced the wall and crossed his arms behind his back.


    ¡°Rx Ben, I wouldn¡¯t hurt you. You are more valuable alive to me than dead,¡± he spoke without mincing words.


    Ben stared at him, trying to make a meaning out of his words. ¡°What do you want, Augustus?¡± His face neither brightened up nor looked sad. Rather, it had a frown on it.


    ¡°I want to help you, Ben, I know what it is that you desire.¡± He turned back and for the first time, Ben saw his face.


    Not everyone knew him physically as he was always in a mask, to maintain his mysterious profile.


    He had a scar on the left side of his face which almost destroyed it. It ran down his throat and stopped just below his Adams¡¯ apple.


    Fur grew on the scar, making him look more terrible.


    It was rumored that he had a fight with the goddess by some and others believed that he was cursed instead to remain half werewolf, half beast for the rest of his life.


    What really happened after he turned his back on the oracle, no one knows. But one thing was certain, he was ruthless and only desired revenge.


    ¡°You know nothing Augustus, don¡¯t act like you do.¡± Ben bent his head, avoiding his gaze.


    ¡°Look at me Ben.¡± Augustusmanded in a thick, scary voice. It was so scary, it made Ben¡¯s ferocious beast yelp inside him.


    Ben suddenly felt strange. He was no longer in control of his body or mind as his head raised itself up at Augustus¡¯mand.


    He felt like he was under a spell which was difficult to break from as his gaze locked on the rogue King before him.


    Augustus moved forward, each step making Ben¡¯s heart leap into his mouth and back. A weird smile sketched itself on Augustus¡¯ face, making him look like a viin from a gothic novel who descended from hell.


    He crouched before Ben, staring directly into his eyes. Ben twitched his nose as a rotten smell floated into it.


    A closer study of Augustus¡¯ face revealed tiny organisms, walking around the gradually rotting surface of the scared part of his face.


    Augustus frowned, noticing Ben¡¯s gesture. ¡°If you need my help, you¡¯ll need to start acting like it. I hate it when people show up here with bad attitudes. It wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    Ben felt cheated. He was used to being the oppressor, the bigger person. Now that he was the weaker person, he couldn¡¯t help but frown in disappointment.


    ¡°Fine, I need your help,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Good boooy,¡± Augustus replied in a dragged, deep voice.


    ¡°Get some rest then, we¡¯ll talk in the morning.¡± Augustus stood up and proceeded to walk to the door.


    ¡°Wait! ¡± Ben screamed, making him stop on his track.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Augustus demanded with a fierce tone.


    ¡°We need to discuss it now, please.¡±


    ¡°I was busy before you came in, Ben, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Besides, what¡¯s all the hurry for? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s something amusing at the mansion that you need to attend to, is there?¡± Augustus asked with a wink.


    Ben frowned at his expression and looked away. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, but couldn¡¯t as the chains were ufortable and Augustus kept staring at him. ¡°Can you just let me go from these chains? Please. This is not the proper way to treat your guest.¡±


    ¡°My guest?¡± Augustus burst into loudughter. ¡°You are not my guest Ben, you came for a favor, and you will do what I want, stay how I want you to stay and be what I want you to be. Only then, can you leave here with what you want.


    Ben sighed, frustrated, knowing that there was no way he was leaving his current position. ¡°But¡­¡± he opened his mouth to protest but stopped as the loud bang of the door interrupted him.


    Augustus had left, and the room darkened. Every light went off the moment he closed the door, making it feel like he was the reason they were on in the first ce.


    Ben¡¯s back began to hurt, due to the forward bent structure of the chair he was chained to. It was almost day break when he fell asleep, hanging loose from the chair.


    He had hardly slept for two hours when Augustus came in again and sshed a bowl of hot water on his face.


    ¡°F*ck! It hurts,¡± he screamed from his sleep. Every trace of sleep vanished from his eyes as he struggled to touch his face but couldn¡¯t, since his hands were chained.


    ¡°You have ten minutes to state your business here, Ben, and your time starts now.¡± Augustus sat on a chair which was brought in for him by a masked guard.


    ¡°What did you do that for?¡± Ben protested, his eyes closed, shaking his face violently.


    ¡°You can sit there all day,ining, or you can state your business and leave. Either way, I¡¯m good. You have eight minutes left.¡±


    Ben stopped struggling and opened his eyes. The flesh around his eye region had peeled, but it soon healed back.


    ¡°You are crazy, you know,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Six minutes more,¡±


    ¡°Come on, it isn¡¯t even up to thirty seconds since youst spoke!¡±


    ¡°Four minutes remaining.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll speak, just please stop being awkward.¡±


    Augustus frowned and straightened up his body. ¡°You have two more minutes. Speak!¡±


    Realizing his chances were getting slimmer, as Augustus was dead serious about the time issue, he spilled the beans and made known the main purpose of his visit. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have heard about my brother, Adams. He is the Alpha of my pack, but I want him gone. I believe I am the rightful heir to the throne since my elder brother, Shane, isn¡¯t interested inying im to the throne.¡±


    ¡°What then do you want me to do?¡± Augustus asked, his curiosity piqued.


    ¡°I want you to join forces with me, to take him and his wife, Lilith, down.¡±


    ¡°His wife? What can a woman do?¡± Augustus asked, surprised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate that woman, Augustus, she is the daughter of the former Beta to Alpha Rivers of the Green-forest pack.


    ¡°Wait¡­you mean that Lilith?¡± Augustus asked, rising up to his feet abruptly.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Lilith,¡± Ben confirmed.


    ¡°I thought we wiped out that man¡¯s entire family, he was a pain in the¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Ben interrupted him. ¡°I thought her fathermitted treason. What do you mean by saying you wiped his entire family?¡±


    Augustus remained speechless, sending Ben a hard re.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it is what I¡¯m thinking, you framed him?¡±

 Naked Shane.

    Adams¡¯ POV


    Morning came with gloomy weather as the rain fell non-stop.


    Lilith was still asleep when I woke up. After taking my bath and getting dressed for the day¡¯s activity, I kissed her on the lips as she slept, before stepping out.


    Last night, while my brothers and I were at the meeting, I noticed her presence, long before she even got to the door and peeked.


    I smelt her scent from far away and looked at the faces of others to know if they also did, but found nothing to indicate such in their countenances.


    Ever since the gift of the ancient Lycans, as my brother called it, was activated, I have been able to detect sounds and scents far away.


    I looked at the door when she was there, because I knew someone might see her. Fortunately, she hid and was quick enough to get out before Ben caught her.


    Even though she was the Luna of the pack, there were things which we expected from her.


    Things like being responsible, obedient and able to satisfy her Alpha.


    Failure to do these things could result in serious punishment which I could prevent, but the stigma would linger for a while.


    My heart almost leaped into my mind as Ben left the room angrily. How she managed to run, I wasn¡¯t sure. But, she was quite smart.


    She must have waited for so long and became worried when I didn¡¯t show back up, knowing the kind of brothers I had.


    I found it cute when she pretended to sleep immediately when I entered the room. I purposely didn¡¯t touch her or move closer to her, but went to sleep as soon as possible.


    The night before, Ronan had told me he had an urgent development he wanted to share with me, but I would have to wait till the next morning.


    It was one of the reasons I stood up as soon as it was day break, curious to find out what he had for me.


    I walked to his room and attempted to knock when the door opened, and I knocked on him instead with the ring on my finger.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± He screamed, rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± I tried to apologize but he cut me short. The apologetic part of me died that moment as anger rose within me from the pit of my belly.


    ¡°How d¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh. Do you hear something?¡± He asked, making me stop talking.


    He pointed his hand towards a particr direction and I followed his hands. I was so distracted, I didn¡¯t hear.


    The nking of metal and swift movement of feet caught my attention as we both followed the sound.


    It wasing from my father¡¯s room, making me curious. Was there a thief? What would anyone want to steal from the room?


    ¡°Oh no!¡± I gasped, his golden staff. Its value was priceless and anyone who had ess to it could be rich in an instant.


    We moved swiftly, trying not to bring attention to ourselves in order to catch the thief.


    The door of the room was closed, but we heard the movements louder.


    I looked at him and nodded my head, raising three fingers. He understood and waited as I counted¡­ one¡­ two¡­ three, and ¡°bang!¡± We burst in, to catch the thief.


    We froze the moment we entered the room as we saw what was going on. My brother Shane was shirtless, wearing a pair of underwear which stopped a few inches in hisp, just after his torso.


    He wore a pair of socks and held a broom and a dustpan in his hand. I noticed that the bed was neatly made, and dust was all over the room.


    On the bed was my father¡¯s golden staff, lying undisturbed.


    He had a shocked expression on his face as he stared from me to Ronan. ¡°What are you both doing here? Close the door immediately!¡±


    Ronan rushed to close the door as he turned his back to Shane. I, on the other hand, kept staring at the ground, short of words to say.


    ¡°We¡­ I¡­ em¡­¡±


    ¡°You what boy?¡± He asked, holding the broom to my face. ¡°Do you want your wife or anydy to see me like this, what if I waspletely naked?¡± His face had a grim expression on it, one which made my heart triple its beat nervously.


    ¡°We are sorry big brother, we thought someone broke in,¡± I apologized.


    He looked at me for a while before diverting his attention to Ronan, who remained standing in his position, facing the door.


    ¡°Would you turn around already? Do I look like a woman to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my Lord,¡± he apologized.


    ¡°Just turn around already will you,¡± he said, his face curving into a smirk.


    Ronan turned around and we both stared at him. He had a well sculpted body, which made me envious.


    Despite his age, he still looked twenty-two, which was notmon. Ben was even beginning to have a pot-belly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing? Clean the room, of course, since you have all neglected it.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I sighed. ¡°That exins the um¡­ broom and the dust all over the ce.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I looked at Ronan, and he looked at me as we both smiled at each other.


    ¡°Good morning brother,¡± I greeted him, remembering I had not done so yet. Ronan also greeted him and bowed slightly.


    ¡°Yea¡­ yea. Get out of here, you two. Don¡¯t you have jobs to do?¡±


    We all chuckled as I and Ronan left the room. We walked down the stairs to grab breakfast when something interesting caught my attention.


    Ben¡¯s door was unlocked. It was either he left for somewhere in a hurry or was inside, and didn¡¯t remember to lock the door.


    I signaled to Ronan to wait while I checked it out. I walked past the room, peeking into it. From the little line of the door which revealed the inside of the room, it was empty.


    I activated my wolf hearing but heard nothing. Since he wasn¡¯t around, it was a great time to search his room and find out for anything suspicious hidden there.


    I signaled to Ronan to wait while I checked the room. He nodded, and I went in, scanning everywhere and everything my eyes and hands could touch as fast as possible.


    ¡°What are you doing in my room? Ben¡¯s voice rang through and I froze. Slowly, I turned to find him sitting in a corner I didn¡¯t notice earlier, and met his ming eyes, boring into mine.


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