《Royal shuffle: Vampire鈥檚 mate》


 Chapter One

    ANDREA


    I sat still, holding the cup of hair butter up for my mother as she carefully and lovingly brushed through my waist-length hair. Detangling my mane with a wide tootb.


    We lived quite simple lives in a small 2 bedroom bungalow, with a tiny garden to the side of the house, and a picket fence surrounding it.


    Things haven¡¯t been the same since we lost my father to an ident in the mine where he worked, but my mother and my two sisters have managed to move on from having one of us taken away untimely. There was also the financial repercussions of losing my dad. Now, I had to also work to pick up the ck. We were just keeping our heads out of water.


    I winced a little as my mother pulled at my strands and wrestled my hair into a high ponytail on top of my head.


    ¡°There you go, my love.¡± She said, kissing me loudly on my forehead. ¡°All done.¡±


    I smiled and handed her the hair butter, while I stood and dusted my faded jeans. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    She nodded and left the room.


    I sighed and picked up my bag which had an apple in it and a bottle of water, as well as a change of clothes. Barely enough to take me through the day, but I had to make sure that my sisters had enough to take to school. Besides, I worked in the pce, there was a high chance of me sneaking a little bit of food into my stomach. Standing at 5¡¯7, and having a slightly curvy, petite figure, I knew that I should be eating more to be healthy.


    I waved goodbye to my mother, and mounted my bicycle, beginning the 30-minute ride to the pce.


    At 20, one could say that I¡¯ve seen quite a lot. I witnessed thest war between Vampires, werewolves, and witches over territory. I was 13 at the time and it was so bloody that the poption of the country that it was fought on was reduced to half its original poption. That included humans, witches, werewolves, and vampires. Hence, a treaty was proposed by humans. The treaty proposed that all parties remain in control of thend they own, and be satisfied with it. No one of the other species was allowed to trespass into the other¡¯s territory, death was the punishment, with humans having regional governments to cater to the rights and needs of their dwindling race.


    Surprisingly, they agreed to it and brought an end to a 3-year war. I sighed as I approached the pce, another day of strenuous work, but at least it was worth it. The pay was good enough, and on the plus side, my siblings could attend school for free. It was a win-win situation in my books¡­even though there were several other things I would rather be doing with my life right now.


    For example, searching for my mate. But then again, I was an omega wolf, and the chances of my getting a fated mate were quite rare. So rare that thest time an omega wolf got a fated wolf was during the time of the First World War. So, it was hopeless to look for him. But a girl could only dream.


    I waved to the guards and was grandly ignored, as per the usual. Everyone looked down on omega wolves, even the higher-ranking omega wolves, and that was somewhat funny.


    I parked my bike in the garden, next to the fountain, and headed right for the situation room where the housekeeper would assign chores to every one of us. I changed into the uniform and took note of my task. I was to clean the royal library today. I smiled in excitement, I loved books. It was just sad that the nature of my job didn¡¯t allow me much time or freedom for reading. I particrly loved history, and the royal library was filled with history books.


    I took the necessary equipment and headed for the library, humming an old, jolly tune as I skipped all the way there. I smiled and closed the door securely behind me, quickly going to work. I was almost done with work when a book caught my eye. ¡®The history of werewolves and vampires¡¯ was the name, it looked like an old text.


    I carefully picked up the book, and ced it on the reading table at the window, slowing browsing through the pages. I was so engrossed in the book, that I didn¡¯t hear the door open and close, and so when hands wrapped around my waist, my heart jumped into my chest. I quickly turned around, eyes wide with panic to see that it was the Prince. Shit, I was in trouble.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Prince William,¡± I greeted.


    He shook his head and smiled down at me. ¡°None of that Prince nonsense. Call me Will,¡± he said, with a wry smile on his face.


    Iughed nervously and shook my head. ¡°That would be disrespectful to the crown, sir.¡±


    ¡°I am the crown, Andrea.¡± He ran his index finger across my forehead and down the side of my face. ¡°You look so beautiful, Andrea.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my prince. I need to get to work, sir.¡±


    ¡°A beauty such as yourself shouldn¡¯t be working so hard, let me take care of you.¡±


    He lowered his head, attempting a kiss but I quickly moved my head to the side, the kissnding on my cheek instead.


    I knew very well what he was proposing, his reputation preceded him. Everyone knew the charming, drop-dead-gorgeous prince who had a thing for beautiful women. I refused to be part of his harem.


    ¡°My apologies, my Prince.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize¡­¡± he said.


    I tried wiggling out of his grasp but he only held on tighter, not doing anything else, just holding me and looking down at me. I was very ufortable. This has been going on for a while, but I needed the job, and if I left, the free education was gone.


    The reprieve I was looking for finally presented itself in a bittersweet way when Savannah opened the doors and walked in with a tray containing tea, biscuits, and fruits. She froze when her eyes fell on us, and I didn¡¯t miss the pure hate that was disyed in her fiery orbs when she looked at me.


    I used the distraction as an opportunity to finally escape from his grasp, quickly hurrying to the side, and quickly finishing whatever work I had left.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Prince William said in a somewhat angry tone, walking over to the ratherrge table positioned at the very center of the library and taking a seat.


    Savannah pushed the cart forward with a huge smile on her face. I watched as she began to serve him, bending unnecessarily low when she poured the tea and served the biscuits and fruits. The top buttons of her uniform were undone, giving him an unhindered view of her assets. I scoffed and quickly packed up all my cleaning equipment.


    I hurried down to the situation room, keeping the equipment in the store, I took a few moments to breathe, and think about what happened. I definitely couldn¡¯t report to anyone. The only option was to leave, and it wasn¡¯t a very good one. Another would be to find a mate, but I wasn¡¯t that desperate. I shook my head and headed out of the store.


    ¡°You stupid, fucking bitch!!!¡± Savannah hissed at me.


    I sighed and ran my hand over my face. I didn¡¯t trace the strength for this. ¡°What is it, Savannah?¡±


    ¡°What were you doing with the Prince in the library?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you justing from the library? Why didn¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    I saw her eye twitch and derived some weird satisfaction from it.


    ¡°The prince is mine¡­¡± She stepped closer to me, pointing at her chest. I sighed and folded my hands.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t yours, Savannah. He has a mate somewhere, and even if he doesn¡¯t find her, do you think he would settle for you? For any of us?¡±


    ¡°He is mine,¡± She said again.


    I raised my hands in surrender. ¡°Whatever you say, Savannah.¡±


    She huffed and walked away, her wide hips swaying side to side as she walked.


    Sometimes, I felt like Savannah and I would have been great friends in another life. We bothe from humble backgrounds, although her family wasn¡¯t Omega.


    I sighed and found the housekeeper. She handed me a list of things to get from the store in the next town.


    ¡°Would you like me to get you a driver, or you would like to go on your bicycle?¡±


    ¡°My bicycle,¡± I answered.


    She nodded with a smile and sent me on my way. I was sentimentally attached toy bicycle. It was my father¡¯s, and it felt like it was the only tangible thing I had from him. I don¡¯t have many memories of him as a child. He was away most of the time, and the few times he was home, we didn¡¯t spend much time together. I sighed and began my journey into town.

 Chapter Two

    ANDREA


    I cycled down to the little town that was home to majority of humans. Werewolves only came in here for business, their poption was that small. They were the most affected during the war. There was a forest full of dead trees because of the potency of the magic that was used there.


    I entered the mall and quickly went about my task, shoving all my purchase into the backpack that I had brought with me. I thanked the cashier and exited the small mall, and then the building opposite caught my eye. Why hadn¡¯t I noticed it before?


    Maybe because I didn¡¯t have a life.


    It was a library. I smiled, and without thinking twice about it, crossed the road, and went into the building. The bell above the door rang when I opened it. I stepped in and looked around. The library had an ancient feel to it. Old fashioned, with tables and chairs arranged in an orderly manner. It was the kind of ce to remind you of how your grandma¡¯s house smelt. I took a deep breath and approached the front desk, ringing the bell that was on the table. The middle-aged made looked up at me with a haughty look, which I returned with a smile.


    ¡°Hello, good-day.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°I would like to get a membership, please,¡± I said.


    ¡°No.¡± She replied, and returned her attention to her book.


    I was astonished by the rudeness.  ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    She sighed and looked up at me. ¡°No, that you cannot get a membership.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because this is a private library, sweetheart. Only very particr people are allowed to have that.¡±


    I looked around at the shelves and the books sitting pretty caught my gaze. They were calling me to read them.


    ¡°But I want to read a book. I want to read several of the books here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Go to another library, and read then!!!¡± She swore under her breath. I was taken aback by the outburst.


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re really rude,¡± I said.


    ¡°Leave, if there¡¯s nothing else I can do for you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I just want a book¡­¡±


    She looked up at me again, and was about to say something but stopped, and stood to her feet.


    ¡°Good afternoon, sir,¡± she greeted.


    My brows shot up in shock at the sudden aura of humility and gentility that she embodied.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Lauren. What¡¯s the problem?¡± A man asked.


    Lauren scoffed. ¡°This girl wants a membership.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, and turned around to plead my case with who seemed to be the boss here. My breath stuck in my throat, and my eyes opened wide in wonder as I stared at the magnificent man in front of me. He was tall, almost a foot taller than me, I stand at 5¡¯7 so that was saying something. He had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen, his eye color looked like a cross between bright red and brown. He had a crooked nose, I could tell that he¡¯s been in quite a few fights and have gotten it broken severally.


    He was broad, not wrestler broad, but broad enough to know that he was in the gym at least four out of seven days. I gulped and blinked when I realized that I was staring. But then felt better when I saw that he was staring too. And then I began to feel self-conscious. I hadn¡¯t worn my best dress today.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, trying my best to sound brave.


    ¡°Hey. What seems to be the problem?¡±


    His voice sent shivers down my spine, and my knees instantly began to feel weak. My eyes fell to his lips, and I bit mine when he wetted his lips with his tongue.


    ¡°I would like a membership¡­I just want to read some books¡­¡±


    Before the words could sessfully make it out of my mouth, Lauren had butted in.


    ¡°And I have told her severally, sir, that this isn¡¯t a public library. That I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Give her the membership,¡± Mystery man said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Both I and Lauren said at the same time. The strange man saw the shock on my face and smiled, revealing a set of dimples. Could this man be anymore perfect?


    ¡°Give her the membership, Lauren.¡±


    ¡°But sir¡­¡± Lauren started, her voice rising in protest.


    His eyes shifted from mine and settled on the librarian. The look was so icy and grave that even though it wasn¡¯t directed at me, made my blood run cold. That look was dangerous.


    ¡°Are you questioning me?¡± He asked, the power in his tone eliciting shivers in my spine.


    ¡°No¡­no, sir. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I could hear the trembling in her voice, and the papers as she began to shuffle around. He held out his hand to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m Leonidas. You can call me Leo,¡± he said.


    I took his hand tentatively. ¡°Hello, Leo,¡± I said.


    He smiled, showing off his beautiful dentition. ¡°My name sounds beautifuling out of your mouth.¡±


    I felt color rush to my face. What was happening to me?


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, and I loved the way his hardened, callous skin felt against mine.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Leonidas asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Andrea.¡±


    ¡°Andrea.¡±


    The way he said my name made certain parts of my body respond. It sounded like a prayer.


    ¡°That¡¯s a beautiful name,¡± he said, smiling.


    I blushed again. ¡°Thanks. I was named after my grandmother.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt that she was a beauty such as yourself.¡±


    I threw back my head andughed.


    ¡°She was indeed beautiful,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re werewolf?¡± He asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.


    I couldn¡¯t help it, I threw back my head andughed again.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all?!¡± I asked, surprised that he would ask that.


    Heughed, although I could tell that it wasn¡¯t genuine. Even though this was a predominantly human town, it was surrounded by werewolfmunity. No other creature was allowed here.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Lauren said, holding out a gold ted card with my name written on it in cursive.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, carefully taking the card from her.


    ¡°So, what books would you like to read?¡± Leonidas asked.


    ¡°What would you rmend?¡± I asked.


    Leonidas smiled and gestured for me to follow him. He took me to the third aisle, and waved at the expanse of books that surrounded us.


    ¡°This is my favorite section.¡±


    I nodded, and began to browse through the shelf, and decided that I would be taking three books with me. I held them up to him and he nodded approvingly.


    ¡°Those are good choices,¡± he said, smiling, showing off his damned dimples again.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I smiled back, lost in the beauty that was this man, and then suddenly remembered that I was on an errand.


    ¡°Oh, shit!!!¡± I screamed, my sense of time quickly returning to me.


    rm quickly registered on Leo¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked,


    ¡°I need to get back to the pce immediately. I¡¯m on an errand, and I¡¯ve been gone a while.¡±


    ¡°The pce?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I work there.¡±


    I quickly shoved the books into my bag, and began power walking for the front door.


    ¡°Let me drop you off,¡± he said, dipping his hands into his pocket.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I came with my bicycle.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already say you werete? A bicycle won¡¯t be much help in this situation.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I replied.


    He stood and watched as I got on my bike.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    I stopped mid-pedal, putting a foot on the floor.


    ¡°When am I going to see you again?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Um¡­you want to see me again?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Do you have a number I can call?¡±


    I blushed in embarrassment. What girl my age didn¡¯t have a phone? One who was broke to the tenth degree.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯lle by the library,¡± I replied.


    Before he could say anything else, I pedaled away and as fast as I could back to the pce.


    By the time I got back, thankfully, no one was bothered with my absence. I went about the rest of my day¡¯s work with Leonidas on my mind. Even as I read the books I had taken from the Library, all I could think of was him.


    Deep down, I couldn¡¯t wait till I saw him again.

 Chapter Three

    ANDREA


    Safe to say that I became a regr at the library. Partly for the amazing books that it had in store, but mostly so I could see the magnificent owner of the ce. I guess you could say that I and Leo bonded over books. We would discuss everything I had read, and he would rmend more for me to read. I found out a bit about him too. He has lived in this town all his life, and he just started the library. And sometimes, if he wasn¡¯t busy, we would get a bite and coffee. I don¡¯t think that qualified as a date, but time spent with him was really something. And my heart always felt a flutter when I was with him, my skin felt like tiny electric shocks were traveling through it whenever he touched me. It almost felt as if we were mates.


    Iughed as soon as the thought entered my head. A wolf and a human mated together? Now, that¡¯s even more rare than an omega getting a mate. However, I wouldn¡¯t mind being his girlfriend. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t mind being his wife.


    Meanwhile, things on the work front weren¡¯t so rosy. Prince William was bing more and more a menace, much so that I was seriously considering quitting. But then, that would leave my poor mother to cater for the bills and my sisters¡¯ fees herself. I couldn¡¯t let her go through that.


    I sighed as I rode through the castle gates, not even bothering to greet the guards this time. My spirit had already plummeted, and I wanted to go home, even though I just got here.


    I reported to the situation room as per the usual, and waited for the house keeper to assign tasks to us. As we all sat at the huge wooden table, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how Savannah kept throwing me dirty looks. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I don¡¯t know how to tell this bitch in anguage she would understand. I don¡¯t want the Prince. Matter of fact, if she can manage to get him off my back, I would be very grateful. The house keeper finally entered, and immediately began assigning tasks. She looked around the table, and her eyes turned sober when theynded on me. My brows furrowed in confusion, and she sighed.


    ¡°Andrea, report to the prince¡¯s office. That¡¯s your job for today,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Savannah shouted, banging her hands on the table and flying to her feet. ¡°Why?!¡±


    The housekeeper ignored her outburst. I rolled my eyes and stood up as well.


    ¡°So, I guess I¡¯m cleaning the office. Or I¡¯m on food duty?¡± I asked.


    Her eyes turned sad again, as she looked at me. ¡°None. You just have to report to him,¡± she replied.


    I was confused. Savannah, on the other hand was fuming.


    ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am.¡± I said, and began to leave the room.


    Just as I was about to walk past her, she snuck an object into my arm, and then made a show of wiping dirt on my face, with sorrow on her face.


    ¡°You cheap, fucking slut!!!¡± Savannah screamed at me.


    I sighed, and opened the door. ¡°Look in the mirror and repeat what you said, Savannah.¡±


    I heard her shout as I closed the door, and began my journey to Prince William¡¯s office. I looked at the object in my hand and it was a knife. A  pretty, small pen knife with a wooden handle that had intricate carvings in it. I shrugged, and put it in my pocket. I don¡¯t know why she gave it to me, but I liked it.


    I took a deep breath before raising my hand to the door to knock. Before my hand could touch the door, I heard his voice from inside.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re the one outside, Andrea. You cane in.¡±


    I opened the door, and slowly crept into therge office. What did he need all the space for anyway?


    ¡°Good morning, Prince William.¡±


    He sighed, and closed hisptop and the book he was reading shut.


    ¡°How many times do you want me to tell you to just call me Will?¡± He asked, while reclining in his chair.


    When are you going to take the hint, you fucking bitch?!


    ¡°My apologies, sir,¡± I replied.


    Prince William was attractive, no doubt. Standing at at least 6¡¯0, with bright brown eyes that matched the color of his hair, a skin that shone a tanned color and his lean physique, he was eye candy. Throw his money and influence in the mix, and I can see why Savannah was ready to go to war for him. But, for some reason, he just didn¡¯t do it for me. I didn¡¯t want him. And I think he was having a hard time epting that the person he wants for histest rendezvous doesn¡¯t want him.


    ¡°You asked to see me?¡± I asked.


    He nodded, and reached into his drawer, taking out what appeared to be a ratherrge jeweler¡¯s box. He stood from his chair and walked over to  stand behind me.  I shifted ufortably as he stood rather close to me.  I could feel his breath on my neck.  He held the box in front of me with both hands around me so I was looking directly at the box while he stood behind me. It was rather unnerving,  all I wanted was for him to move a bit.


    ¡°I got this for you earlier this week.¡±


    My brows furrowed in shock, and I craned my neck to look at him. He seemed quite serious.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because when I saw it, it reminded me of your beauty. And I just knew that it would look perfect on you.¡±


    He opened up the box, and my breath caught in my throat. The ne was beautiful¡­and looked expensive. So expensive that it could buy my future. Assuming I had any.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± I said in a soft voice.


    It was a rather simple pendent ne. I reached out my hand tentatively and touched the stones that shone in the light.


    ¡°I know¡­¡± he replied, pride evident in his tone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly ept this¡­¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I beg to differ. Nothing can be too much for a beauty such as yourself.¡±


    He took the ne out of the box with one hand, and threw the box on his table with the other. He unmped the hook, and began to put it on me.


    ¡°It is a Diamond ne, and the pendant is made of ruby. So simple, yet so elegant,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this, sorry.¡±


    I moved out from under his arms as he tried to hook the ne.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, having the audacity to look perplexed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept that,¡± I said firmly, while shaking my head.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why would you buy me a Diamond ne?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re beautiful, and you deserve it,¡± He said, shrugging.


    ¡°Prince William. I¡­I can¡¯t give you what you want¡­¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°And what is it I want?¡± He asked,   walking towards me.


    I took a few steps back with every step he took towards me until my back hit the wall.  He still held the ne in one hand and ce the order on the wall next to me. We were so close that  we were definitely breathing the same air. He leaned down until  our faces aligned, and his eyes were on the same level with mine.


    ¡°What is it I want, love?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°You¡­you want me in your bed¡­¡± k replied.


    Prince William smiled at me, and nodded. ¡°I do. I want you in my bed, here, on the wall, in every room in this fucking pce.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want that,¡± I protested.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    I shook my head hard and fast. ¡°I don¡¯t want any of this.¡±


    His brows drew together, and I could tell that he was offended.


    ¡°Just one kiss¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°I think Savannah would appreciate that kiss, and that ne more.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Savannah,¡± He said firmly.


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want you.¡±


    He bent his head to the side and studied me.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± he said again, as though trying to convince himself.


    Maybe if he said it long enough, it would be true. My eyes opened in fear and panic as he brought his face closer to mine, and forced his lips on mine. I wiggled, trying to get free, but his hand went around my neck. Not enough to choke me, but just the right amount of force to make sure I don¡¯t move my head, while his other hand went around my waist, bring me closer to him.


    Tears spring to my eyes, and I began kicking and screaming. His hand shifted from my waist to my butt and I felt the knife in my pocket move. I decided to stop struggling, and I felt him smile against my lips, his grip on me didn¡¯t lessened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known you like me. You can¡¯t hide it,¡± he said smugly.


    He bit down on my lower lip, and I felt the urge to throw up. I faked a smile at him, and managed to slip my hand into my pocket. He went back to kissing me, his hold now loose. I quickly pulled out the knife, and shed his hand with it. He stepped back immediately, groaning as blood seeped out of the wound. Without waiting to see the damage, I ran out of the room, grabbed my bag, and without any notice whatsoever, I cycled out of the pce. Looking back every few seconds to see if I was being followed.

 Chapter Four

    ANDREA


    I cycled into the small town, heading straight for the library. The second I entered, Lauren gasped loud, holding her hand to her chest. It was then I looked down at my self, and saw that I had blood stains on my uniform. That, and I was still holding on to the bloodied knife.


    ¡°What did you get yourself into, child?!¡± She asked loudly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Leo?¡± My voice came out in a small whisper. I could feel my lips quivering.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡­¡± Leo stepped out from one of the offices, and paused when he saw me.


    His eyes raked my form and I could see rm settle in them. He rushed to me, and ced his hands on my shoulders, turning me around to inspect me.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    He began pulling me towards his office, and then turned to Lauren. ¡°Lauren, please order something for all of us,¡± he said to the stunned older women.


    She nodded, and immediately got on the phone. Leo took my hand and pulled me into his office, and pulled out a seat for me. I sat, breathing in like I was being suffocated. He pulled another chair, and sat opposite me, and took both my hands in his.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± He said. ¡°Now, tell me what happened.¡±


    I took a deep breath, and opened my mouth, amazed at myself at how the words flowed out effortlessly, and with ease. I felt safe here. I told him about the times he would corner me in the library, and how he would make stupid excuses to touch me. I told him how frustrated I felt because there was nothing that could be done except quit, and that wasn¡¯t much of an option seeing that I and my family were low on funds, and quitting a job that more or less paid my sisters¡¯ tuition wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    I told him about how he had bought me a ¡®gift¡¯ today, tried to put it on me. And how he tried to forcefully kiss me. By the time I was done, I felt as though a huge load had been lifted off of my chest. I felt lighter, and I could breathe easier.


    Leo, on the other hand, looked like he was about tomit murder. Even though his outer features seemed calm, and his fingers still rubbed against the back my my hands in slow,forting rhythm. I could see the lines on his face had hardened. His bright eyes looked like they wanted war, like he was hungry for blood. And the way he stared straight ahead made chills run down my spine.


    ¡°Leo?¡±


    He cocked an eyebrow at me. ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.


    He smiled lightly, and nodded. ¡°I am. Are you?¡±


    I shrugged, and smiled. ¡°Not exactly, but I definitely feel better.¡±


    He nodded again. ¡°How did you escape him?¡±


    I showed him the knife that I had stowed away in my pocket. ¡°The housekeeper gave me this this morning, right after she told me the prince demanded my presence. Almost as though she knew what was going to happen¡­¡±


    I took a deep breath, and rxed into the chair, taking deep breaths and enjoying the reprieve I had just gotten.


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what I¡¯m going to do tomorrow,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have to go to work tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Leo said firmly.


    ¡°Yes. I do. I can¡¯t just quit.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°My sisters¡¯ education is being sponsored by the pce. I need the check,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯d employ you. And pay your sisters¡¯ fees,¡± Leo said.


    I stared at him in shock, and then threw back my head andughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You!!!¡± I said, stillughing.


    ¡°And what did I say that turned out to be a joke?¡±


    ¡°That you want to employ me, pay my family bills. That¡¯s something.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why, you don¡¯t think I can do it?¡± He looked offended, and I immediately stoppedughing.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you mean? Do you want to continue working there and face all the harassment from that bastard?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, somberly.


    ¡°Then let me¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. Where am I going to work?¡±


    ¡°Here. You seem to love the ce so much, you might as well.¡±


    I cocked my head at him. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure you¡¯ll be needing the boss¡¯ permission for that.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°Good thing you¡¯re looking at him.¡±


    My eyes opened in surprise. I always knew that he was someone important here; but somehow, my brain just assumed that maybe he was a rtive to the owner or manager or something. I never thought¡­


    ¡°Oh. Okay, then. Am I getting interviewed?¡± I asked.


    He threw back his head andughed. ¡°No. Lauren would show you the ropes.¡±


    He stood from his chair, and gently pulled me to my feet. ¡°Also, let¡¯s get you cleaned up. You¡¯re sitting there with that pig¡¯s blood all over you.¡±


    He led me through a door that was located on the other side of the room, leading us into a bedroom.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I spend time here a lot,¡± He said and walked us to another door in the bedroom that opened to a bathroom.


    ¡°Everything you need to clean up is here, I have some clothes that would fit you. I¡¯ll leave them on the bed.¡±


    I nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Leo.¡±


    His eyes softened, and he nodded and left the bathroom.


    I rinsed my face and looked at my reflection looking back at me. My eyes were red and puffy, dark and sullen. A true reflection of how my life has been for a while¡­since my whole existence on Earth. I sighed and wet a rag and began to clean the blood off myself. I wiped down till I was clean, brushed my hair, disposed my clothes into the basket in the corner, and came out in a towel.


    On the bed we¡¯re some oversized tee shirt and some joggers. They would have to do. I lifted them up to my nose and took a deep breath, they smelt of Leo, and for some reason, that wasforting. I took off the towel, and threw the clothes on, letting my hair fall down to my waist. I sighed and rubbed my elbows. I went back into the office, and the delicious aroma of food hir my nose, my stomach immediately growled in protest.


    ¡°You must be hungry,¡± he said. ¡°Sit, eat.¡±


    I did. I dug into the tasty chicken and properly cooked rice, enjoying the way the vors burst in my mouth. Thinking of the way forward. I wondered if Prince William would decide to take some action against me. Maybe get me arrested for attacking him, or maybe kick my sisters out of school, or maybe get us banished all together. I sighed, and took a drink of the fresh fruit juice.


    Anyway, at least I¡¯ve already gotten another job¡­

 Chapter Five

    ANDREA


    True to my thoughts, Prince William had done something all right. An official letter firing me came in the mail the very next day. That, and my sisters were turned back at the gates of the school on royal orders. And true to Leo¡¯s words, he had gotten them enrolled in a better school on the human territory. Although it was a boarding school, I didn¡¯t like that very much, but the girls did, so I guess a win is a win. I was excited for something else. The annual peace ball wasing up, and I was really excited to go.


    The peace ball is a ball that takes ce every year on different territories, and all creatures are allowed to attend. The vampires, the werewolves, and the humans. The aim was to keep the peace. You have to be at least 20 to attend. And this year, I¡¯m finally old enough. I¡¯ve been thinking about the dress to wear, and what to do with my hair.


    It was the weekend, and Iy on my bed with my mind racing. For some reason, I was quite excited to be attending the ball. The problem was the dress. The door opened, and my mother came into the room with an ancient looking box. I sat up on the bed, cross-legged and looked at her as she closed the door behind her and set the box on the bed. Right in front of me. She stood akimbo and stared at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I askedughing.


    ¡°I have something for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    She smiled mischievously at me, and opened the box, pulling out a beautiful, silk, red dress. My mouth hung open in shock at the beauty.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ll be attending the ball this year. I¡¯ve been saving this for you.¡±


    ¡°My goodness¡­it¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± I whispered, as I slowly got off the bed, and took the dress from very very carefully. I felt if I grabbed it too hard, it would disappear into thin air.


    ¡°It was the dress I wore the night I met your father. It was at the ball too¡­¡±


    Her eyes held sadness, and she had a sad smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you looked very beautiful,¡± I said.


    She waved me off. ¡°Of course, I did. Why do you think your father couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off of me?¡± She said, and we bothughed. ¡°Now let¡¯s see how it looks on you. Go on.¡±


    I nodded, and headed into the tiny portion of the room that was meant to serve as a dressing room. Separated from the rest of the room by a mere curtain. I changed into the dress and quickly rushed to stand before the full length dressing mirror in the room, admiring the beauty in the mirror.


    ¡°My gosh¡­it¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± I said, twirling in front of the mirror.


    And it was. It was a simple red, red silk gown with off-shoulder very, very short sleeve, and an on-shoulder spaghetti strap, as well as a sweetheart neckline. It wasn¡¯t tight, but was form fitting and floor length, and had a little train going on at the back.


    ¡°You look so beautiful, my love¡­¡± my mother said.


    I looked to my mother and smiled, she had tears in her eyes. I had tears in mine too.


    ¡°Thank you, mom.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± She sighed deeply. ¡°You look just like I did in that dress, my love. It¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡±


    She came over and hugged me, and for some reason, we were both crying. My mom probably because seeing me in the dress brought back bittersweet memories of the good old days with my father. Me, because a piece of their history was preserved for me, and I felt like I was participating in it. She pulled back and wiped my eyes, smiling, and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you in this dress, in that very night. Who knows? You might just meet your one true love there. It¡¯s just a pity that us Omegas don¡¯t get mates.¡± She said, and for some reason my mind immediately went to Leo.


    My mother didn¡¯t have to wait long, the night of the ball came, and my mother was bustling with excitement. She was probably more excited about this night than I was, and yet I was the only one attending. My mother had refused to go with me, she hasn¡¯t attended any balls since my father died.


    I sat down in a chair before the mirror, and watched as my mom did my hair high on my head. She always favored high ponytails, but tonight, she decided on a big swoop on my forehead, and a bun high on my head. It framed my face perfectly. And it made my beauty pop.


    I decided to apply a red lipstick, and mascara, and it finished the look off. I smiled in the mirror. My high cheekbones, my small nose, and my full lips, some would say I won the gic lottery. I stood from the seat, and turned around for my mother to see. She nodded her head in approval and smiled.


    ¡°You look beautiful. Now, I see the need for a phone,¡± she said.


    I threw my head back andughed.


    ¡°How would you be getting there?¡± She asked.


    ¡°My bicycle.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any other means of transport.¡±


    And truly, there wasn¡¯t. Us Omegas made up very little of the werewolf poption, and very little consideration was given to us when ns are made. Other wolves of higher hierarchy have the benefit of shifting, are stronger and have higher stamina. So, a thirty minute trek is like a five minute human walk to them. That wasn¡¯t the case for us omegas. We were just a tad bit better than humans.


    Other werewolves couldmunicate with their minds, we couldn¡¯t. It was almost as if we were a sick joke by the moon goddess.


    I got on my bike and cycled to the pce, from a mile away, the sides of the roads were filled with parked cars, and I could hear the faint sound of an orchestra. I scoffed, I guess the royals were a bit old fashioned.


    I got off my bicycle, and rolled it with me as I tried to find a spot where it would be safe. I doubt anyone would try to steal it, I was more concerned about it being thrown out. I finally found the perfect spot between two buildings. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.


    I sighed and smoothed out my dress, I was nervous. I entered the hall, and immediately all eyes fell on me. I could feel my cheeks be hot as I walked through the room, and their eyes followed me. I decided to stand in a corner at the very edge of the room, and watched as more people came in. From what my mother told me, the royals were thest to appear, with the werewolves already being here as this was their pce.


    I turned around and caught eyes with Savannah. She was looking at me with so much anger. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I swore under my breath when I saw her approaching me. I looked around, there was no visible escape route. I sighed and braced myself. She sauntered over to me, and stood ufortable close, with a hand on her waist. Her dress was so tight that if she moved a certain way, her boobs would spill out.


    ¡°You stupid, fucking bitch¡­¡± She hissed at me.


    I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I didn¡¯t think this was in my cards tonight.


    ¡°What do you want, Savannah?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°You really have some guys showing up here tonight,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the ball for everyone to attend?¡± I asked, ready for this conversation to be over.


    ¡°Yes, but not for a filthy trash who tried to kill the prince,¡± She said thest part a little too loudly, garnering a few looks in our direction.


    She smiled sinisterly to herself when she saw heads turn in our direction.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want anyone knowing the truth?¡±


    ¡°You know¡­he¡¯s not going to marry you, Savannah¡­¡± I said. ¡°After all the drama you¡¯re so used to exhibiting. He doesn¡¯t even want to fuck you, maybe you should give it a rest. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself at this point.¡±


    Her eyes bulged and her face turned so red that I felt that steam would begin to rise from her head. I smiled sheepishly at her. She opened her mouth to respond, but was stopped by the sound of the trumpet. The Royals had arrived. Once they came in, the doors would be closed, and no one else would be allowed entry.


    Everyone shuffled a little closer to the red carpet already rolled out for them to get a glimpse of them. I mean, they were a once in a year sighting. And the only chance you could see them without your heading off.


    A voice came through the speakers, announcing their arrival.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, both werewolves, humans and vampires alike. His royal majesty, the ruling monarch of vampires, King Andrew Grayson, and his sons, Prince Leonidas Adonis Grayson, and Prince Leopold Jonathan Grayson.¡±


    Both I and Savannah took a few steps forward, and craned our necks to look at them. My mouth dropped to the ground when I saw who was walking behind the king. It was Leo. He was a vampire prince. He looked in my direction and caught my gaze, then winked at me. Savannah gasped and then began to fan her face. She elbowed me in the ribs rather painfully.


    ¡°Did you see that, bitch? He winked at me¡­¡± She whispered in my ear.


    I don¡¯t think it was you, Savannah. I don¡¯t think it was you.


    The. Werewolf royals were announced next, but I was still reeling in the shock that Leo was in fact the vampire prince.

 Chapter Six

    ANDREA


    The ball was going smooth, even though I still couldn¡¯t get over the shock of seeing Leo. I met a lot of other werewolves and vampires, and danced with them. I met a few who have been here quite a few times, and apparently, the balls tend to always have a retro feel to it. Always ssical music, and a good old orchestra. I went over to the drinks table to get myself a drink, while simultaneously looking for a ce to rest my hide. I¡¯ve been on my feet all day.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Allow me interrupt you,¡± A voice said next to me


    I turned around to see Leo looming over me. He had a slight smile on his face. He wore a pitch ck tuxedo, with a white shirt. His bow tie was knot to perfection, and the immacte leather gloves and shoes were the icing on the cake. Completely shing in style to his everyday look of jeans and a tee shirt.


    ¡°Of course, Le¡­¡± I began to say his name and then stopped. ¡°Your highness.¡± I said instead, bowing my head a little.


    It didn¡¯t escape my notice that a lot of eyes were on us. Or maybe on him, and they were most likely wondering who the rat he was talking to was. It didn¡¯t help that I was a werewolf.


    ¡°Dance with me?¡±


    He held out his hand to me, and I took it. Allowing him to walk me to the center of the room, and pull me closer to him. His hand settled on my waist, and twirled us around to the music.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to be so formal with me, right?¡± He said.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tell you what?¡±


    I cocked my head to the side, and he sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just didn¡¯t feel the need to.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You and me, we¡¯re connected on a level that doesn¡¯t need any titles or anything. When I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m not Prince Leonidas Grayson. I¡¯m just Leo.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Surely, you feel it too,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Feel what?¡± I asked.


    He smirked and pulled me much closer to him. ¡°You don¡¯t feel anything when you¡¯re with me?¡±


    Truth was I did. That feeling had Bene there since the very first day I saw him, but I just concluded it to be a crush. And the thing with crushes, they always go away. So, I shook my head.


    ¡°No.¡± I said haughtily.


    Heughed lightly, revealing his dimples. They looked prettier up close. And his eyes, so magnificent.


    ¡°Your eyes are beautiful,¡± I said, sounding dreamy.


    ¡°Thank you. You look very beautiful. The dress suits you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s my mother¡¯s.¡±


    My eyes wandered around the ballroom, and saw that all eyes were on us still. I looked up and saw Prince William staring daggers into my soul. I gulped, and looked down immediately. Leo¡¯s hold on me tightened immediately.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leo asked.


    I shook my head and forced a smile to my lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I.. I just think that we¡¯ve been dancing for a while now.¡± He smiled. ¡°Is that a problem? Why, you want to dance with somebody else?¡± He said, jokingly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that everyone is staring and I¡¯m not veryfortable.¡±


    His smile dropped, and I instantly felt bad. ¡°I understand.¡±


    He stopped dancing, and pulled back slightly, nodded lightly in my direction and went back up to the pedestal where their chairs had been kept. Soon, everyone was moved out to the pce gardens for dinner. I took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of fresh flowers, and night air. The moon was high up in the sky, calling to all the wolves present. It was the perfect setting seeing as both vampires and wolves take a run in the woods after the party.


    I and other omegas won¡¯t, because well¡­we can¡¯t shift. To me, it felt like some sort of cruel joke.


    Throughout the dinner, I could feel two sets of eyes on me. Three, if I were to count Savannah and her shenanigans. The main two being the Prince William and Leo. One thing was clear, Prince William hadn¡¯t gotten over the incident back at the pce. I swore to myself, I didn¡¯t regret it. And I still had the knife that the housekeeper gave me. I finished my food quickly, and wished that I had brought some stic to take some home with me. There was so much surplus. I wanted to go to the kitchens and find one for myself, but then remembered that I didn¡¯t work here anymore.


    The dinner was over, and then it was time for the run. I went back in and stood at the terrace to watch the shapeshifting. Clothes were taken off bodies, and bones begin to crack and reform. I watched as men bent and turned to wolves in a manner of seconds, howling to the moon.


    Vampires on the other hand, took off their shirts and shoes only, and I could see their fangs and ws extend as they hissed. Their eyes turned a fiery dark red, and they got bulkier. More muscr. It was the first time I had seen a vampire transform. To be fair; the whole time my eyes were on Leo. He looked magnificent. He turned around and looked up, met my eyes and smiled. I smiled back, and he gave me a wink. I couldn¡¯t help but blush. I looked the other way, and a ck wolf was intently looking at me, growling lightly. I didn¡¯t need to be told who that was. I would recognize those eyes anywhere. Prince William. I sighed and looked away, gazing up at the moon. Basking in its warmth.


    I refocused my eyes on Leo, and watched as he sprung forward when the horn was blown. I watched how he and his brother weaved through the crowd of werewolves and vampires and led the charge. I kept my eyes on him till they got to the tree line. And then disappeared into the thick forest.


    Finally, the night was over and I cycled home. It had been such a long day and all I wanted was my bed. My mind strayed to Leo, and Iughed. It will forever be funny to me how he managed to hide that he was a prince from me.

 Chapter Seven

    ANDREA


    I woke up the next day to the most random, and weird message. A letter hade in the mail, and surprisingly it was from the pce.


    ¡°When did it get here?¡± I asked.


    My mother shrugged. ¡°I checked the mail this morning and it was there. And it¡¯s for you.¡±


    She handed the letter to me, and walked off.


    I turned the envelope in my hand over and over, staring at the royal seal that was used. Deep down, I knew that this couldn¡¯t be good, not with the way Prince William looked at mest night. I took a deep breath and carefully opened the envelope so as to not damage the letter inside.


    I took a seat, and began reading. It was an invitation to the pce by the royal family. I stared at it in shock. What would the WHOLE family want with me? I shook my head and read it again, and the words were the same. And they wanted me there within the week. My mother came back into the living room, and saw the shock on my face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked.


    I gave her the letter, and she quickly read through it. She looked at me with rm on her face.


    ¡°Why would they invite you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I said.


    I haven¡¯t told her about what transpired that lead to me leaving the pce. I didn¡¯t want to rm her. All she knows is that I found a better job opportunity and had taken it.


    ¡°When do you want to go there? Do you have ns of honoring the invite?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Of course, I have to go there. I don¡¯t want them to hunt me down here.¡±


    ¡°Okay. When do you want to go there?¡±


    I sighed. I might as well get it done and over with.


    ¡°Today,¡± I said and stood from the chair and headed for my room. ¡°I¡¯ll go get dressed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± She said.


    ¡°No. That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. Maybe they just want me to resume work there.¡±


    My mother nodded, not entirely convinced at my words. I didn¡¯t want her toe with me. Just in case it got out of hand. I want to be the only one to bear the consequences of my actions.


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯m going to help iron your clothes for work tomorrow.¡±


    I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you, mom.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, honey. Take care, okay?¡±


    I nodded. Deciding that the denim jumpsuit I had on was enough and would suit the asion, I cycled to the pce with the letter in hand. I stopped at the gates and showed the letter to the guards. They looked at each other, and one of them escorted me into the building while the other took my bicycle. I was escorted into the building, and into the king¡¯s court.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± The guard said firmly, and excused himself.


    I nodded and stood, waiting. Few minutester, the doors opened again, and the three members of the royal family came in. The king, the prince, and the princess. I bowed my head slightly in respect.


    ¡°Your majesty,¡± I said.


    He waved dismissively at me. Prince William and his sister gave me the evil eye. The king and his children went up the few steps and sat on their borately designed and gold encrusted thrones. They sat and stared at me for a while. Not saying anything.


    The king stared at me like he didn¡¯t know what to do with me. The prince stared at me like he wanted to kill me and feed my corpse to dogs. The princess looked at me like I wasn¡¯t worth the dirt underneath her shoes. I sighed. I just wanted this to be over and done with. The king cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.


    ¡°Andrea,¡± His voice echoed through the room, authority dripping from it like sauce. Imposing.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± He asked,


    I shook my head. ¡°I was asked to be here.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Do you have a wild guess as to why that is?¡±


    I  looked over at the Prince and his arm and shook my head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The king smiled and continued. ¡°You were at the ballst night, no?¡±


    My brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Yes. I was.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to say that you looked quite dashingst night,¡± He looked over at his son. ¡°I can understand the obsession.¡±


    The prince grunted and looked away. The princess scoffed. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± She said, looking at me with such hatred in her eyes.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s aside. Last night, you danced with the vampire prince, yes?¡± The king asked.


    I was getting confused. Is this what I was called here for?


    ¡°Um¡­yes. Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°We watched the interaction between you two. You danced together for quite some time. It seems you two know each other before now.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


    ¡°You best be telling us the truth, Andrea,¡± The king said. His voice hardening. I could feel the presence of his wolf. Very powerful, and coercing the truth out of me.


    ¡°Yes, yes. We do.¡±


    ¡°How exactly?¡± The king asked.


    ¡°I work for him.¡±


    ¡°At the library?¡± He asked.


    I stared at him in shock. How did he know where I worked?


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t look so surprised. My son just wanted to know where you were since you stoppeding in to work,¡± The king said,ughing heartily.


    Just how obsessed was this man?!


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known about the library for a while. We also knew a vampire owned it. But we cannot do anything about it. The treaty says that as long as it¡¯s a human territory, all creatures can have businesses there,¡± He leaned forward in his seat.  ¡°But now we know for certain that the vampire prince is there¡­¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s not just there for fancy. The vampires are nning something. Else, why would their crown Prince be in a small human town surrounded by werewolves?¡± Princess Esmeralda said.


    ¡°True. But we cannot send our people in, that will make them suspect that we¡¯re suspecting them. Anyways, back to you, Andrea,¡± The king said, his eyes boring into my soul.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Prince Leonidas?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°He¡¯s my boss.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s all?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Fucking liar,¡± Prince William said, pure anger and vile escaping his lips.


    I looked at the Prince and looked away. The king sighed.


    ¡°Well, Andrea. The way he looked at youst night said you two were much more.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not¡­¡±


    My eyes widened in panic. I didn¡¯t like where this was going.


    The king sighed. ¡°Shhh¡­don¡¯t interrupt me again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now, you may not know it. But the way he looked at you, if I didn¡¯t know better, I would have said that you were mates,¡± He threw back his head andughed. ¡°But we know you¡¯re not. You¡¯re an Omega for starters, you don¡¯t get mates. And then he¡¯s a vampire. That hasn¡¯t happened in a very, very, very long time.¡±


    ¡°Is there a point to this conversation, sir?¡± I asked.


    He smiled sinisterly, and my heart jumped in my chest.


    ¡°Yes, my dear. As earlier stated, we are aware of the vampires presence so close to werewolf territory, but for diplomatic reasons, we can¡¯t go barfing in. Now, that¡¯s where youe in¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡±I said, shaking my head in confusion.


    ¡°We want you to spy for us,¡±The king said.


    ¡°You will find out everything about what that library is about. You will find out what they¡¯re nning. And you will report everything back to us.¡± Prince William chimed in. My eyes opened wide in shock.


    ¡°But I just work there as a librarian. How am I supposed to do that?!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know and we don¡¯t care,¡± Princess Esmeralda said, shrugging her shoulders for effect. I took deep, calming breaths.


    ¡°And what if I refuse?¡±


    The chorusedughter from all three royals took me off guard.


    ¡°Oh, honey. You¡¯re not in any position to refuse. Didn¡¯t you already lose your father? I would hate for the same unfortunate incident to happen to any other members of your family,¡± The king said, his sinister smile widening.


    My heart was beating rather fast, blood pumping in my ears. My eyes were wide with fear, and tears sprung to my eyes.


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t cry, little one. Just do as we say, and you¡¯ll be okay¡­¡±

 Chapter Eight

    ANDREA


    I returned home with a heavy heart, couldn¡¯t eat and found it difficult drinking anything. The words of the royals are ringing in my head. I looked at my mother, and couldn¡¯t imagine life without her. Then there was also my siblings. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself is anything happened to them. They had threatened my whole family. What¡¯s worse, my sisters weren¡¯t even in close range, I wouldn¡¯t know if anything happened to them. I knew I had to do what they wanted. I didn¡¯t have any protection, and the odds were not in my favor.


    My mother had asked me severally what was wrong, but I smiled and shrugged it off. I knew I was worrying her with the way I wasn¡¯t eating. But I had bigger fish to fry.


    I pulled in to work the next day, ready to begin my royal assignment of espionage. I sighed as I got behind the counter, and sat. Lauren was re-assigned to somewhere else since I took the job. So, it was now always just me and Leo.


    The ce looked quite simple to me. I just felt if the Prince of werewolves was to be nning or hiding something, it would be done in a more organized fashion. This was just a library where rarely anyone came into. I was just opportune to get a job here.


    The days flew by, and I¡¯ve not managed to do anything. If Leo noticed anything off with my behavior, he didn¡¯t say anything. The royals had sent me a parcel in the mail the other day. It was a smartphone. The first, and only message on it was that they were waiting for me to give them updates.


    By the following week, I had already prepared my mind that this was my new reality. Leo had been so good to me, but it was my family¡¯s life on the line. I didn¡¯t doubt for a second that they would hurt my family if I didn¡¯tply.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get something for us to eat. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I nodded, and smiled at him.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Anything particr you want?¡± He asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. Whatever you get is fine.¡±


    He nodded, and left. I waited for a good five minutes before springing out of my seat, and around the count headed right for his office, and slowly opened the door, cringing as the solid wood creaked open. I took a deep breath, and looked around the office, thinking of where to begin. I went around his desk, and began to ransack his drawers, scanning through all the papers, not even knowing what it was I¡¯m searching for.


    I put everything back in ce, and decided to check the attached bedroom. Who decided to have a bedroom attached to their ce of work, anyway? I tried the knob, and was surprised when the door opened. I was expecting it to be locked. I closed it behind me, and began to look around the room. A few minutester, I heard the bell on the front door ding, and then Leo called my name.


    My hand flew over my mouth, and I began to think of what to do. My breaths wereing in short, hard, pants, and I frantically looked around the room. I could hear his footsteps, slow and heavy on the wooden floor, and the door to his office open. I did the one thing that came to mind, and crawled under the bed with both hands over my head, and my face on the ground.


    His bedroom door opened, and then I couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore. After a while, I was beginning to think that maybe he had upped and left. I lifted my head a little in the constricted space, thinking if he left. My mouth let out a scream as I was dug out from under the bed by my legs, and flipped onto my back. His left hand went around my throat, and his right hand raised in the hair, ws drawn and ready to end my life.


    ¡°Andrea?¡±


    ¡°Y¡­yes¡­¡±


    I was shaking like a leaf. His eyes were bright red, and I could see his fangs. Up close, he was more scary than he appeared to be on the night of the ball. He retracted his ws, and his fangs disappeared. He got off of me, and helped me got off the floor, setting me on the bed.


    ¡°What are you doing? I thought an intruder was here. You could have died,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help it, tears pooled in my eyes, my lips quivered and I burst into tears.


    ¡°Shhh¡­tell me what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed that you¡¯ve been acting weird for a while now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!!!¡± I said, more tears rolling down my cheeks.


    He sat beside me on the bed, and pulled me into his arms. Holding me and letting me cry my eyes out. I pulled back when I had managed to get myself under control.


    ¡°Now, tell me what all this is about.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t¡­¡± I said, my voiceing out a cracked mess.


    ¡°And why not?¡± He asked.


    I opened my mouth and closed it.


    ¡°I¡­my mother, my sisters. If I don¡¯t deliver¡­¡± I shook my head sadly, and I could tell by the way his eyes hardened that he understood.


    ¡°Who put you up to this?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Who do you think?¡± I replied.


    He scoffed, and balled his fists. ¡°King Alexander?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I nodded. ¡°And Prince William, and Princess Esmeralda.¡±


    ¡°What did they say to you?¡±


    I took a deep breath and told him everything. In detail. I started from when I was mysteriously summoned, and how they cited the dance we had. Figured out that I worked for him, and then threatened my family with death if I didn¡¯t do as I was told. I also told him about the phone that was delivered to me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a phone?¡± He asked, surprised.


    I shook my head shyly. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t really think it necessary.¡±


    He regarded me for some time, and then he nodded¡­and silence followed. He seemed deep in thought, or maybe he was just very angry with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡±


    He waved it off. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    ¡°You seem angry.¡±


    ¡°I am. It¡¯s just not directed at you,¡± he replied.


    I nodded. Silence reigned for a while and then I spoke again. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± He answered simply.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, holding my hand to my chest. ¡°What do you want to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly what to do with you, but what to tell you,¡± he replied.


    My brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°You want to tell me something?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure out if it¡¯s safe. And you don¡¯t seem to have figured it out yourself, so that might be a good thing.¡±


    At this point I was confused, and curious. Given the expression on his face, I felt what he wanted to say might shake me just as much as this incident. But you know what they say about curiosity¡­it always kills the cat.


    ¡°Please, tell me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to believe it. I doubt that you even feel it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re mates.¡±


    Laughter bubbled in my chest, and then pushed out of my mouth. I couldn¡¯t help it. Iughed long and hard, that has to be one of the bestughs I¡¯ve had in a very long time. I looked over at him, and saw him staring at me with a nk stare. He wasn¡¯tughing back. Matter of fact, there wasn¡¯t a hint of amusement on his face. I stoppedughing. He looked too serious. This wasn¡¯t a joke.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re doneughing?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re not joking?¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re really saying you don¡¯t feel anything? At all? For me?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. ¡°I¡­I find you attractive. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to speed this up. I heard intimate touches help.¡± My


    brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°What do¡­¡±


    No sooner had the words left my mouth that he leaned in and kissed me. My eyes opened in surprise and shock, as his lips moved on mine. He ced his hand behind my head and angled my head for the kiss. I raised my hands to push him away, but instead found that they were wrapping themselves around his shoulders. I sighed, and closed my eyes as my body overwhelmed me. My heart began to beat a funny rhythm, and new feelings overcame me. His tongue prodded my lips, asking for me to open my mouth, and I did. Emotions burst through me, and shivers ran down my spine as our lips tangled.


    Pleasant shocks and shivers emanated from wherever his hands were and spread to every part of my body. By the time he pulled away, we were both gasping for air. His eyes were gazed with lust, and I was struggling to catch my breath.


    ¡°Do you feel anything now?¡± He asked, smiling at me.

 Chapter Nine

    ANDREA


    The dynamics of our rtionship definitely changed after that kiss. I still couldn¡¯t believe it. We were mates, there was no denying it. He sat across from me, watching mee to terms with the shock, and the reality.


    Despite the fact that Omegas ¡®allegedly¡¯ don¡¯t get mates, I had read up severally about mates and how you know you¡¯ve met yours. Everything described in the books were coursing through my being right now. I sighed, and looked at him.


    ¡°How did you know? How long did you know?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged, and held my hand. ¡°For us vampires, it¡¯s immediately. I knew the first time you stepped foot in the library.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged again. ¡°I was shocked myself. Maybe just as shocked as you. Vampires are never mates to werewolves. Matter of fact, it has only happened three times in our history. So, I couldn¡¯t believe it myself. I also wanted to be sure.¡±


    ¡°My goodness. So, what are we going to do now? Are you¡­are you going to mark me?¡± I asked, blushing.


    ¡°No, my darling. At least not now¡­¡± He cupped the side of my face, and I leaned into his hand like a cat. ¡°Not now. There¡¯s too much at stake.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­like what?¡±


    ¡°Like the werewolf royals. Look at what they¡¯re trying to do when they saw that I just danced with you. What do you think will happen if they find out that you¡¯re my mate?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I was heavily disappointed. And some part of me was just a tad bit hurt. All these feeling alerts new, and for some reason, they were terrifying.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°But if we mate right now, they won¡¯t have any power to do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, and we will all be with you on vampire territory!!!¡± I answered excitedly. That excitement evaporated when I saw the sullen look on his face. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you back to mynd now.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You don¡¯t want me there!¡±


    He shook his head vehemently. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± He said quietly.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°My family. My people won¡¯t ept a werewolf as their queen. Or even their princess¡­¡±


    My heart broke. It was funny how if he had said this about an hour ago, I wouldn¡¯t have cared, but now, my heart felt like it was about to stop pumping blood. Just one kiss.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    There was silence in the room for a while. I didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t have anything to say. I didn¡¯t want to say anything.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. I looked away, fighting back tears. The once in a lifetime opportunity to experience love in its purest form, and this was what was happening.


    ¡°We need to talk about what to do about your ¡®assignment¡¯,¡± he said.


    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Since they expect updates, this is what will happen. I will give you something to give to them.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± I got up to my feet. ¡°I think I want to go back to work now.¡±


    He stood with me, and slowly let go of my hand, as we left the bedroom.


    ¡°And um¡­I¡¯m really sorry about this.¡±


    I waved my hand dismissively. He nodded, and I went back to my spot behind the counter. Thinking about how my life has just taken on a whole new meaning because of one kiss. The weeks that followed saw me keeping some sort of safe distance from Leo. Even though all I wanted to do was hug him, and hold him, and never leave him.


    Things seemed tensetely. For me, at least. Prince William has been calling so much that at this point, I would consider it a nuisance. He would call at the most ill opportune time, and ask me for progress. When I say that was none, he would go on to make mockery of me. Saying god awful things like how my father died because he was a weak man. And how my family would die in poverty because we deserved it.


    But I didn¡¯t have a choice, I had to bear with it. The only other option wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted me. The whole drama and weight on my shoulders made me to not pay attention to my birthday.


    My mother woke me up with a birthday song, and a tiny cupcake with a candle in the center. I smiled at her as she sat on the bed, and handed me the cake. Asking me to make a wish. I looked at the cake, and tears came to my eyes. I knew what my wish was. Up until a few weeks ago, I didn¡¯t know what it felt like to be in love. I didn¡¯t even want it. But now, after Leo had somehow activated the bond, he was all that was in my head. I wanted to spend every waking moment with him. I wished that there would at least be a time and ce for us to love each other without barriers, and restrictions. I took a deep breath and blew out the candle. My mother pped excitedly.


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± She asked.


    I smiled faintly at my mother. ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± I said, teasingly.


    She pouted and slumped her shoulders. ¡°But I still want to know.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    I and my mother shared the cupcake, and I went to get ready for work.


    Personally, I didn¡¯t like my birthdays. For me, it was a reminder of yet another year, with no achievement. Another year still the same. Another year, no difference. Another year feeling trapped. I always cried on my birthdays¡­today was no different.


    I cycled to work as per usual. My mother had insisted on doing my hair again today. Since it was my birthday. She had done two braids on my wavy hair. Although simple, I loved it. I got to work and received a shocking surprise.


    Leo standing in the middle of the library, holding a bouquet of flowers.


    ¡°Happy birthday, love,¡± he said, handing me the bouquet of roses.


    I held my hand to my chest and collected the flowers.


    ¡°Thank you. How did you know it was my birthday?¡± I asked.


    He smirked. ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    He walked over to the door, and locked it. Flipping over the sign to ¡®CLOSED¡¯


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Making sure that we don¡¯t have any interruptions,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Why would we need to be interrupted?¡± I asked.


    He held his hand out to me, and I took it. He walked us both into his office. I gasped as I took in the reorganized interior.


    ¡°My goddess¡­¡±


    ¡°This is why we would need to not be interrupted.¡±


    Rose petals scattered the floor of the office, a table was set andden with food, fruits and a cake. I could see presents chilling in the corner, and a boombox off to the side.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He asked.


    I nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    It was small and intimate. I loved it. We sat down at the table, and I immediately dig in, closing my eyes as the vors burst in my tongue. I opened my eyes to see that Leo was looking at me with a small smile on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked shyly.


    He shook his head. ¡°Nothing. You¡¯re just so beautiful.¡±


    I blushed and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    We talked andughed, and relieved the tension of thest few weeks. We danced too, and then we sat on the floor to unbox my presents. I opened up a box, and a brand new phone was in there. I looked at him in shock.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯tfortable with the fact that they gave you a phone they can monitor you by. That, and I just wanted to get one for you.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I opened the next box, and pulled out a dress.


    ¡°What?!!!¡±


    I threw my head back andughed.


    ¡°I um¡­I want to take you out to dinner,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Not this,¡± He said, waving his hand around. ¡°A proper date.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So you¡¯re asking me out on a date?¡± I asked teasingly.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I am,¡± Leo replied.


    I held the dress up to the light and admired it.


    ¡°Be careful. One might think you actually like me.¡±


    Heughed, and gave me a peck on my cheek.


    ¡°I do like you, Andrea. More than that even. I love you. I¡¯ve loved you since the first time I saw my eyes on you.¡±


    I blushed so hard, I could swear that my cheeks had turned a bright red.


    ¡°Oh. When do you want to take me out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°When would you be free?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow night. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anywhere else I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Take the day off tomorrow. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, who would work tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know your boss,¡± he replied and winked at me.


    Iughed again. Loving this side of my mate. It sounded weird to say that, but that was the shocking reality that I was now exposed to.

 Chapter Ten

    ANDREA


    I went back home with lots of excitement, and butterflies in my stomach. My mother had asked where I had gotten the goodies from, and I just told her that my boss got them for me. I wasn¡¯t ready to tell her yet that I had a mate. Especially when the situation was somewhatplicated. I told her that I was going on a date tonight with said boss, and she looked at me skeptical.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why does he want to take you out on a date?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just for my birthday dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh. And that¡¯s all?¡± She asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Be careful¡­¡±


    I smiled and nodded. She left me alone to cater to myself as I got ready. I pulled out the floor-length velvet ck dress and donned it. It was an off-shoulder long sleeve, fitted and had a slit that came up to mid-thigh. It was fitted, and hugged my figure closely. I paired it with a pair of ck heels. I sat down at the mirror, and brushed my hair out. Deciding that I wanted my wavy hair worn down. I did a simple middle parting. And I was ready to go. My phone pinged, and it was a text from Leo telling me that a car was waiting outside to pick me up.


    I smiled, and headed out the door, kissing my mother on my way out.


    I greeted the driver, and got into the car. I enjoyed watching the streets go by, and most especially watching the moon. I was 21, and this was the most serene experience I¡¯ve had in a while. The restaurant was a 5-star Italian restaurant.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, ma¡¯am,¡± The driver said, opening the door for me to step out.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    I got out of the vehicle, and took a few minutes to look around, and I immediately felt insecure. Like I didn¡¯t fit in here. I took a deep breath and entered the restaurant. Going straight to the reception. She smiled at me as I approached.


    ¡°Hello, wee to Be Italia. Reservation?¡±


    I chuckled nervously. ¡°I¡­think so. I¡¯m here with Leonidas Grayson.¡±


    Her eyes opened wide. ¡°Oh. You must be Andrea Patterson.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    She signaled to a waiter standing in the corner. ¡°Take her to the executive lounge please.¡±


    The man nodded at me, and I followed him through the restaurant and up a flight of stairs. The several gazes I got from other patrons didn¡¯t escape my notice, but I kept my gaze straight ahead. We got to the top floor, where there were very few tables, and all with a clear view of the sky. I saw Leo sitting at one of the tables, and he stood up once he saw me.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    He pulled me into his arms and hugged me, giving me a soft kiss on my cheek. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet, musky scent that he had on him.


    ¡°You smell nice,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°Thanks. You look beautiful. The dress looks divine on you.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He pulled out my seat for me, and I sat.


    ¡°So, would you like to order now?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I picked up the menu and scanned it. Looking absolutely flustered at what was there.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I looked up and found Leo looking at me intently. ¡°Nothing. You know what? I¡¯ll just have what you¡¯re having.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He looked down at the menu and then back at me, and nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He turned to the waiter and ordered for us both.


    ¡°Okay, sir. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    ¡°Bring us a bottle of your finest white wine.¡±


    The waiter nodded, and left. He returned a few minutester with a bottle of wine in an ice bucket and two wine sses. He poured wine into each of the sses and left again.


    ¡°You look so beautiful,¡± Leo said.


    I blushed. ¡°Thanks. You said that already.¡±


    ¡°I need to be saying it every few minutes, we have to make sure you don¡¯t forget.¡±


    I chuckled, and picked up my ss. He picked his up as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a toast¡­¡±


    ¡°To what?¡±


    ¡°To you. Happy birthday, and a toast to good health, to peace, and to everything you¡¯ve ever wished for. Cheers.¡±


    ¡°Cheers,¡± I drained my cup in one go. The wine tasted sweet. I ced my cup down on the table to find Leo staring at me in amusement.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head and refilled my ss for me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your alcohol tolerance, sweetheart. But if you keep going, I might have a drunken woman on my hands.¡±


    I  waved him off. ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf, one ss won¡¯t make me drunk.¡±


    He smirked at me. ¡°We shall see¡­¡±


    We talked and joked andughed. He told me about his father and siblings, and how his mother iste. The food finally arrived, and my mouth immediately began to water. He had ordered fried rice, and grilled chicken and colew for me. And Alfredo spaghetti and shrimps for himself. I picked up my cutlery, and immediately dug in. I was aware that Leo was watching me eat, but I was too engrossed at the vors bursting on my tongue.


    ¡°I take it that you¡¯re enjoying your meal?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I love it. Do you like yours?¡±


    He nodded, and we both continued eating. Halfway through my meal, a shadow approached our table. I looked up to see Prince William approaching us. My appetite disappeared, and my heart fell as he stood at our table, a sinister smile in his face.


    ¡°You guys seem to be having fun,¡± He said, looking between the food and me, venom dripping from his voice.  ¡°Prince Leonidas.¡±


    ¡°Prince William.¡±


    Leo¡¯s tone suggested he wasn¡¯t happy with this man¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Hello, Andrea,¡± Prince William said.


    ¡°Hello, sir.¡±


    My voice came out timid. So timid that I hated myself for being so weak.


    ¡°Was there something you wanted exactly?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that, we¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been on our territorytely,¡± Prince William replied.


    ¡°This is not your territory, this is a human territory.¡±


    ¡°And yet you need to travel through my territory to get in.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leo replied. ¡°You should take your job as a future ruler quite seriously. Because if you did, you would know that there is in fact an entrance into the human territory that doesn¡¯t require moving through your territory.¡±


    I could tell by the veins popping out on Prince William¡¯s neck that he didn¡¯t like the way he was just spoken to. The way the two men looked at each other scared me to an extent. It made me want to bow my head in submission. They were in full royal mode, trying to coerce submission from the other. I took a deep breath, and got out of my seat.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Both pair of eyes fell on me.


    ¡°I¡­I need to use the restroom¡­¡±


    Without waiting for any of them to respond, I walked out out and began to find the restroom. I finally found one on the ground floor and rushed in. Leaving them alone together and without interference was probably not the wisest thing to do, but if I had stayed there any minute longer, I would have expired on the spot. I turned on the tap on the sink and wet my hands, and then used them to tap my face. I took deep breaths, and looked at my reflection in the mirror for a while. The door opened, and Prince William came in. He looked very angry. His eyes said he wanted blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the wrong restroom,¡± I said, my voiceing out a bit shaky.


    ¡°You fucking little bitch¡­¡±


    He advanced at me, and I kept moving back till my head hit the wall.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I asked.


    He threw his head back, andughed maniacally. ¡°So, all the while you refused my advances, you were spreading your legs wide open for those smelly bloodsuckers, huh?!¡±


    He towered over me, his hot breath fanning my face.


    ¡°Just leave me alone¡­¡±


    His hand mped around my neck with considerable strength, restricting my air flow. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and my eyes begged him to let go. He held on to my neck fast, seeming to enjoy the pain he was inflicting on me. I began to run out of breath, and my vision was bing hazy. I heard the door open, and then shrill voices of two women.


    ¡°Hey!!!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing? Leave her alone!!!¡±


    Prince William looked from them to me, and growled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you,¡± he hissed in my ear.


    He let go of my neck, and walked out. Leaving me to slump to the ground, gasping for air.

 Chapter Eleven

    ANDREA


    The girls rushed to me as soon as William left the restroom. The sat on the tiled floor with me, and held me as I sobbed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­it¡¯s okay¡­¡± they chorused as they rocked me.


    I nodded, and rxed into their embrace as they rubbed my back.


    ¡°Do we need to call someone for you? A cab maybe?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled. ¡°Thank you so much. I got it.¡±


    I stood on shaky feet, and rinsed my face. I brought my hair forward to cover as much of the damage as I could.  I thanked the girls again, and with blurry eyes, I left the stall. I walked slowly back to where Leo was seated, trying to buy enough time to gather my wits about myself. He looked up, saw me and smiled. I smiled back, and sat down.


    ¡°You took a while¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes. I¡­um, wanted him to leave before I came back,¡± I replied.


    He stared at me intently, like he was trying to look into my soul. Our food was already on the table so I immediately dug into mine. Trying my best to enjoy the meal regardless of the situation.


    ¡°Andrea?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I looked up to see that Leo was still looking at me. This time, with anger in his eyes. His hands reached for my neck, and I pulled back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    He reached out again, but this time I stayed still as he moved my hair away.


    ¡°Did he do this to you, sweetheart?¡± He asked.


    I nodded my head and tears dropped from my eyes. He got up, and walked over to my side, kissed me on the cheek, and began walking out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    I quickly picked up my phone and followed him, running after him as his strides were long and fast. Just as I stepped outside, I watched as he made a beeline for William who was about to enter his SUV. William must have sensed him, because he looked back, and immediately closed the door. He smiled sinisterly as Leo approached him.


    ¡°Leo!!!¡± I called out to him, knowing fully well that he wasn¡¯t approaching him to discuss the weather.


    I watched in horror as Leo took a swipe across his face, blood seeping out of the wounds on William¡¯s face. William growled and the fight began. Clothes were torn, the smell of blood heavy in the air. It didn¡¯t escape my notice that the attention of people had been drawn to the fight, and some had brought out their phones to record. At this point. I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted them to stop fighting before they killed each other.


    ¡°You people should do something!!!¡± I screamed at the security guards that stood around, looking just as perplexed and flustered as I felt.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We can¡¯t¡­they¡¯re¡­you know¡­¡± One of them replied.


    They were royals, the probability ofmoners stepping in to stop the fight was low. Especially as they were super strong, they might die before even trying. Leo lifted William up in the air, and mmed him down on the concrete floor hard. I heard the shocked gasps of the spectators as Leo knelt over his body, and lifted his hand in the air, ws drawn, and ready to take his life. I screamed as loud as I could, so loud that I was sure that I was going to lose my voice.


    ¡°Leo!!!¡±


    He paused, and looked at me. I dropped to my knees and began begging.


    ¡°Please¡­please¡­just leave him alone¡­¡±


    His eyes softened as he looked at me, and then he slowly got off William¡¯s unmoving body. As soon as he took a few steps back, the restaurant¡¯s security immediately rushed in, lifting William off of the floor. Leo walked over to me, lifted me off the floor and into his arms. I wrapped my hands around his neck, and legs around his waist as he walked us to his car. I could see the cameras shing, and all the phones held up, and sighed.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s going to be okay,¡± he said, whispering into my ear.


    I nodded, and closer my eyes. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to tomorrow¡¯s headlines.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen now?¡± I asked as soon as we were both settled in his vehicle.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± He said, shrugging.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®Nothing¡¯? You just beat up the werewolf prince!!¡±


    ¡°Nothing will happen, Andrea. They will be angry for a while, but they¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I was worried about me. What were they going to do to me?


    ¡°What about me?¡± I asked quietly. He paused, and I knew that he was thinking what I was thinking.


    ¡°I will protect you. I swear to you on my mother¡¯s grave, that I will protect you.¡±


    I nodded. Even though that wasn¡¯t enough assurance for me, it will have to do. Needless to say, I was angry. Tonight was supposed to be perfect.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can feel your anger,¡± Leo risked a nce at me, and then returned his eyes to the road.


    ¡°You just had to fight him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Leo groaned.¡± You wanted me to just let him walk?! I could never have done that!!¡±


    ¡°So, risking my life was a better decision?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°For now. I¡¯m fine for now. Did you forget that those people threatened my mother? My sisters?! For all I know, they¡¯re probably following me about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± he said.


    I shook my head, and looked out the window.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    The rest of the car ride was silent. I was angry and afraid, and Leo¡­well, let¡¯s just say he still had that adrenaline bursting through him. As soon as the car pulled up in front of my house, I got out and mmed the door shut.


    ¡°Bye¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. I only looked back at him when I got to the door, and without as much as a goodbye, I mmed it shut. I sighed, and leaned on the door, sliding down on it slowly. I heard footsteps, and my mother emerged from the kitchen, regarding me with a gaze that you would fix an errant child.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom,¡± I apologized.


    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯d ask how your date went, but I¡¯ll take it that it didn¡¯t go well?¡±


    I got off the floor, and took off my shoes.


    ¡°No, not exactly.¡±


    I opened my mouth, and the loudest yawn came out.


    ¡°You look tired. Do you want to talk about what happened?¡± She asked.


    I opened my mouth to say no, but then decided that I wanted to get it off my chest.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Tears gathered in my eyes, and I walked into my mother¡¯s arms. She wrapped her hands around me, and stroked my hair.


    ¡°My darling¡­it¡¯s okay, love. Come on,¡± She pulled me into the kitchen with her, and we sat down at the small dining table. ¡°Tell me everything¡­¡±


    I took a deep breath and told her everything. From the abuse I experienced while working at the pce, to how I attacked the prince, and met Leo. And how I found out we were mates. I told her about the ball, and how I and Leo had danced. I told her how I was being ckmailed by the royal family to find out everything the vampires were up to, and how William had attacked me at the restroom today. I, of course, didn¡¯t leave out how Leo and William fought until Leo almost killed him. By the time I was finished, my mother¡¯s mouth was wide open.


    ¡°What?!¡± She screamed. ¡°Andrea. All of this was happening, and you didn¡¯t think to tell me?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you¡­¡± I said, my voice cracking.


    My lips quivered, and tears began flowing down my cheeks. My mother pulled her chair closer to mine, and hugged me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, honey.¡± She said. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised that you have a mate. We don¡¯t usually get those.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was surprised too.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s his n?¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°You. When am I going to see him? When is he going to mark you? Have you met his parents?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bitplicated. We can¡¯t do any of that for now.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I was d that she didn¡¯t push it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± I said, stood up and kissed my mother on the head. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Sleep tight.¡±


    I went to my room, and took my clothes off, had a quick bath, and went straight to bed. The events of the past few hours still fresh on my mind.

 Chapter Twelve

    ANDREA


    I woke up the sound of heavy knocking on our door. I groggily opened my eyes, heavily irritated, and wondering who would be knocking like that at such early hours. I picked up my phone, and saw that I had several calls from Leo. I sighed and got out of bed as the shouting got louder. I opened the door a crack, and listened.


    ¡°She¡¯s not home!!!¡± My mother screamed.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, move out of the way,¡± a strange voice said.


    I took a step into the doorway, and craned my neck to see what was going on. My mother was at the front door, stopping two royal guards froming in. My eyes widened in panic, and I quickly went back into my room. I picked up the phone, and put a call across to Leo. He didn¡¯t answer the phone. I swore, and sent him a text about the situation, citing that some help would be most appreciated as soon as possible. I took a deep breath, and decided to go to my mother before they resorted to force. As soon as I stepped into the hallway, I heard a gunshot and a dull thud. And then silence¡­


    ¡°Search the house. Bring the girl. Don¡¯t kill her, the prince wants her alive.¡±


    I quickly ran into the kitchen, and looked around frantically for a ce to hide. I scurried under the kitchen counter, facing away from the door and quickly fired another text to Leo. I heard them go into my room, and I could hear things being thrown around. I looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon, and I picked up one of the knives, holding it close to my chest as tears fell from my eyes.


    They shot my mother. My lips quivered, and my hand went over my mouth to muffle the sound of my pain. Fear gripped my body when the kitchen door opened. They just stood at the door for a while, looking around.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone here¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, the ce is quite small. I wonder where she ran to.¡±


    ¡°For all we know, she might have gone to that demon spawn.¡±


    I could hear the anger and venom in the tone. I heard their footsteps begin to fade as they left the kitchen, and hopefully, the house. And then the unexpected happened.


    My phone rang.


    I gasped in shock and quickly ended the call, but it was already toote. The footsteps stopped. I quickly fired another text to Leo to hurry up. This time, he replied saying he¡¯s already on his way. I held the knife closer to my chest, and tears were flowing freely down my eyes.


    ¡°Get her!!!¡±


    I heard one say to the other. The kitchen door was kicked down, and in no time, my hiding spot was discovered.


    ¡°There she is¡­¡± They said mockingly as they drew me out from under the counter by my hair.


    I swung the knife and it shed my captor across the face. He was upset before, but now? Now, he looked like he wanted to kill me and have my body roasted over an open fire. He growled loudly, and swung his fist, my head was knocked into he ground, and I momentarily saw stars.


    ¡°Take that knife from her.¡±


    The second man pulled me to him by my leg, and began to wrestle the knife from me. I bit down on his hand, and as soon as my hand was free, I sent the knife deep into his chest. His eyes widened in shock, and surprise, as he slumped forward. Blood flowing from the side of his mouth. My mouth was open in shock. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had just¡­killed someone.


    ¡°You stupid bitch!!!¡±


    The second came at me with full force, punching and kicking. Several punchesnded on my face, and I instinctively dropped the knife, and raised both hands to protect my face. I curled up the rest of my body, and justy there, screaming and crying as I felt his hands and legs hit all parts of my body. All of a sudden, the punches stopped, and then I heard a dull thud. I waited for a few moments, refusing to open my eyes.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    I opened my eyes, and saw Leo standing over me, the body of the guardying lifeless in the corner. I tried to get up, but I screamed andy back down as the excruciating pain threatened to paralyze me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my love,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°My¡­my mother¡­is she¡­¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The words caught on my throat, my mind refusing to ept the possibility of the obvious. He looked away from me, and slowly shook his head. My heart broke afresh. I had known that she was shot, but a part of me was holding on to hope that she survived the bullet. How do I tell the girls that our mother was dead? And what¡¯s more she died trying to protect me?


    I gasped loudly. The girls!!!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°The girls¡­my sisters!!!¡±


    ¡°Once I got your first text this morning, I sent people to fetch them. They¡¯re on their way to my ce on the vampire territory as we speak,¡± Leo replied.


    I nodded and rxed a bit. Wallowing in the pain in both my body, and my heart.


    ¡°We need to go. There might be more on the way as we speak.¡±


    I nodded, and stretched out a hand to him. I groaned as he gently gathered me into his arms, and lifted me off the floor. I looked down, and saw that Leo had broken the other man¡¯s neck. Broken might be putting it lightly because the head was hanging on to the body by a thread. I looked away quickly, as the image made me want to throw up.


    He walked us out of the kitchen, into the hallway, and finally into the living room where my mothery lifeless. Her eyes open, and a hole in her forehead where the bullet made contact. I broke down in tears afresh. I fought against Leo, andy on the floor, hugging my mother¡¯s body to mine. I cried and screamed, and apologized. If I hadn¡¯t gone on that date, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. If I had maybe given Prince William what he wanted, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. This was all my fault.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mama. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± I whispered to her.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡± I said sternly. I wouldn¡¯t rush my mourning process. ¡°I want to bury my mother.¡±


    ¡°I will have people¡­¡±


    ¡°She will be buried here. Now. In the garden,¡± I said.


    I took off the ne my father had given her, and wore it around my neck. A constant reminder for me that I had failed her as a daughter.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find a shovel in the backyard.¡±


    Leo nodded, and went to work, while I withstood the pain, and went into my mother¡¯s room, bringing out her prettiest dress, and the most colorful nket I could find. As well as a towel, and a small basin of water. The pain in my body as I performed these actions was nothingpared to the pain in my heart and soul. I stripped her down, and wore her her favorite dress, and slowly wiped her down. And then I wrapped her up in the nket, and stayed by her side, crying. Leo eventually came back, his body covered in dirt, and sweat. He had taken his shirt off, and his skin shone with perspiration.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready¡­¡± he said.


    I nodded and struggled to my feet. He moved to help me, but I held out my hand and pointed to my mother. He nodded and sighed, and carefully lifted my mother¡¯s body into his arms. We both walked slowly and solemnly to the backyard, where I saw that he had dug a grave right in the middle of my mother¡¯s rose, tulips and sunflower garden.


    I sat on the muddy floor and watched as he slowly lowered my mother into the dug grave, and began to cover it up. Tears flowed through the whole process, I couldn¡¯t help it. It was as though a floodgate was opened in my soul, and the river wouldn¡¯t stop flowing. He sighed and stabbed the shovel into the Earth when he was done, and then stood, silently watching me. I struggled to my feet, and then began to move around the garden, uprooting flowers, and then rented them over her grave. I lowered my head, and said a little prayer to the moon goddess, asking her to forgive and give her peace and paradise.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°One more thing¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I want you to burn the house down.¡±


    Leo nodded, and set himself to the task. Soon enough, I was watching the mes rise as Leo ran through the woods with me strapped to his back. There I was, uselessly watching the fire consume the only home I had ever known. A sign that everything I had was being left behind, and an uncertain future was whaty ahead for me.

 Chapter Thirteen

    ANDREA


    On the outskirts of the werewolf border, I could see a few SUV¡¯s parked and waiting for us as we burst our through the thick forest.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± They greeted, and bowed their heads a little as we got to them.


    They regarded me with a somewhat uncertain, slightly demeaning look. Leo got into the backseat of one of the SUV¡¯s with me still attached to him.


    ¡°Straight to my house,¡± He said to the driver, and he immediately started the vehicle.


    Just before he closed the door, he whistled at one of the security.


    ¡°I want the doctor at my ce before the time I get there.¡± The man nodded.


    The car moved, and throughout the drive, I couldn¡¯t stop wincing at the pain that the jerking and galloping was causing. I buried my face in Leo¡¯s shirt, and let the pain take me.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    One would think that a werewolf would at least have fast healing qualities, or at least be a bit stronger. Nope. Not me. As an omega, I was almost the same as a human, only difference was my werewolf genes were almost recessive. It was as though the moon goddess wanted to make a joke when she created Omegas. I couldn¡¯t help but gasp in awe as we crossed the borders, and were now on Vampire territory. Leo leaned down and whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Wee to my home¡­¡± Leo said.


    His home was beautiful. It was like a cross between the ancient times and new designs and technology. I couldn¡¯t concentrate on the beautiful architecture because I was currently going through intense pain, and the effort it took to pay attention to my surrounding was adding to it. I buried my face in Leo¡¯s neck again, and sighed in relief when he finally announced that we had arrived.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    The door was opened from outside, and Leo gently stepped out of the car with me in his arms. I could sense the surprise and shockbing from the few people standing around the ce. One had on a white coat, so I assumed he was the doctor. I could sense disbelief too. Disbelief that their prince would bring home a girl looking this battered. What¡¯s worse? She¡¯s werewolf. Fresh tears sprung to my eyes. I would never be epted here.


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Leo whispered in my ear, gently stroking my hair.


    His house on the outside looked like it was taken out of a 1800 magazine. I half expected to go in and see torches lighted in ce of electric bulbs. But it was a perfect contrast to the inside. The interior of the one story building was ultra chic, and beautiful.


    As I entered the modern house, I was struck by the contemporary elegance of the interior. The living room was spacious and airy, withrge windows that let in natural light. The walls were painted a soft, neutral color, which contrasted beautifully with rich, dark hardwood floors.


    The furniture was sleek and modern, with clean lines and minimalist design. It seemed to me like the perfect man cave. We went up a flight of stairs with the doctors hot on our heels. Leo opened the door to what I assumed was the guest room, and gently deposited me on the bed. I caught a glimpse of myself as we walked past a mirror, and fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. I looked a hot mess.


    One of my eyes was so red and swollen that it was a surprise to me that I could still see out of it. I had a split lip and one side of my mouth was swollen. My hair looked like a bird¡¯s nest, and purple, ck and red bruises littered my face and neck.  I groaned as I tried to adjust myself in the softest bed I had everid in. I could already feel my muscles rxing as my body loved the coziness. Plus how the silk sheets felt on me.


    The doctors got to work immediately, touching and prodding while I winced. Leo stood in the corner, and his expression was a mixture of feelings. Anger, fear¡­love? Maybe. I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m going to lift your shirt up, is that okay?¡± The doctor asked.


    I nodded, and he gently lifted up my shirt and began to wipe down the area. He felt around the area gently and began giving me instructions to breathe in and out. When he was done, he stood up straight and sighed.


    ¡°Well. Thankfully, nothing is broken. Just swollen. That¡¯s easy to fix.¡±


    He opened his bag and brought out a bunch of drugs, ointments and bandages. Depositing them on the bedside table. I hated medicine.


    ¡°We just need to see to it that she takes these drugs. I would love the bandage for you to wrap her midriff. I suppose she would want to take a bath before that. Hot water only,¡± the doctor instructed.


    Leo stood to the corner, listening intently and nodding his head as the doctor rattled off instructions. I was in my head. Where were my sisters? I waited till the doctor took his leave before I spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay, my love,¡± Leo said.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Where are my sisters?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re in my condo.¡±


    ¡°How many ces do you have?¡±


    ¡°A couple,¡± He answered,ughing.


    ¡°Are they safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I swear on my mother¡¯s life. They are under very strong supervision, and protection. I will have them brought here when the dust settles, and you¡¯re okay. Except, you want them here now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered sharply. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to answer any questions. Especially not the biggest question. Where our mother was. ¡°I think they should remain there. Are¡­will they resume their education here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I¡¯m working on it. I¡¯m trying to see if they can be absorbed into a school here,¡± Leo relied.


    ¡°You¡¯re the prince,¡± I stated.


    ¡°And they¡¯re werewolves. How do you think other vampires would react to them?¡±


    He had a point. I sighed.


    ¡°So, their education is on hold?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m looking at homeschooling. I have the teachers go there and teach them. No bullying, and other nonsense like that.¡±


    I nodded. I wanted them to resume school, but one thing was certain, they will not be well received. They were werewolves. In addition to the fact that our mother was dead, I didn¡¯t want them to have to face any more mental trauma. It was probably for the best.


    ¡°Come on. You need to take a bath, so we can begin your treatment.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­¡± I started, looking at him skeptically.


    Heughed and shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just going to prepare your bath, and stay right outside, just in case you need anything.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He disappeared in though a door that I assumed to be the bathroom, and I heard the sound of running water. Few minutester, he reappeared and handed me a towel.


    ¡°Change,¡± He said and left the room.


    I quickly changed into the towel. When he came back in, I was sitting in the ratherrge towel.


    ¡°You ready?¡± He asked.


    I nodded, and he hefted me into his arms, and into the bathroom.


    ¡°Wow!!!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. The bathroom was sorge that my whole house could have fit in here. He set me down gently on my feet, and I sat on the edge of therge tub filled with water and bubbles.


    ¡°Can you manage?¡± He asked.


    I smiled at him and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right outside the door if you need me,¡± Leo replied.


    I nodded again, and he left. I took off the towel and swung it over the shower rod, then slowly slid into the tub. I sighed as the heat of the water touched the wounds on my body. I sighed as the water became soothing on my skin. I took a deep breath and rxed in the water, and began washing myself, washing my hair. Watching thether on my skin. I rinsed off and stayed in the water for a few minutes, and then drained the tub. I wore the towel, and dried myself off.


    ¡°Hey!!!¡± I called out to Leo.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I relied.


    Leo came back in, and carried me, taking me back to the bed.


    ¡°Your hair is wet.¡±


    He went back to the bathroom, and brought another towel, tying it around my hair.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He handed me a big tee shirt, and a pair of joggers. He left the room again, and came back a few minutester, when I had dressed myself up.


    ¡°Lay back,¡± he instructed.


    I did. He pulled out the ointments, lifted my shirt, and began to rub the awful-smelling balm into my skin. I winced and held my shirt tighter, as his hands worked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I looked at him and looked away. I didn¡¯t need any sympathy. I lifted my body off of the bed, as he began to roll the bandage on me. He tapped it gently when he was as done.


    ¡°We¡¯re done.¡±


    I nodded andy back on the bed. He went into the bathroom, and fetched a brush. He took out the towel, and brushed out my hair. The action brought tears to my eyes, as it reminded me of my mother.


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡±


    Leo pulled me into his arms and held me while the silent tears flowed. He finished up withbing out my hair, and put it in a single braid at the back of my head.


    ¡°You should rest,¡± He said, after he was done. I nodded, and closed my eyes. Surprisingly, finding sleep in such a critical time wasn¡¯t so difficult.


    I opened my eyes with a loud gasp, and realized that it had all been a dream. I had seen my mother, she was calling out to me, crying. I was trying to run to her, but my feet were stuck in quicksand. I kept sinking and sinking till I was gone below. I wiped my hand across my face, and was surprised that it was wet despite the well air conditioned room. I took several deep breaths to calm myself, and then sat up on the bed. The ointment must be magic because the pain had significantly reduced.


    I got out of the bed, and walked slowly to the door, opening it and stepping into the doorway. I heard loud voicesing from the lobby downstairs. I walked down the short hallway, and held on to the stair bannister, looking down and watching the source of the noises. It was like watching Leo arguing with his older self. The only time I had been in such proximity with the vampire king was at the ball. Now, he looked like he wanted tomit murder.


    ¡°You¡¯re risking peace, and the safety of our people over a stupid girl!!!¡± He screamed.


    I winced at the harsh description I was being given.


    ¡°She¡¯s not just a girl, and she¡¯s not stupid!!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Maybe it¡¯s you then. What were you thinking fighting the werewolf Prince on human soil?! Do you know that this is enough to dere war?!¡±


    ¡°We are more than able to fight them. You¡¯ve always wanted their territory, now you have an excuse to have it,¡± Leo replied.


    ¡°Do you know the ridicule that you have put us through? The crown prince of the vampire kingdom¡­fighting on human soil with a werewolf over a girl!!!¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a powerful queen. She¡¯s not the daughter of a powerful man. Her father was a fucking weakling, and so was her mother too.¡±


    I gasped loud, and both eyes fell on me. I gently stepped away from the bannister, and retraced my steps back into my assigned room.

 Chapter Fourteen

    ANDREA


    I went back to the room, and fell on the bed with my face buried in the pillow, tears flowing from my eyes, and the pillow acting as an absorber for my tears. Hearing my parents, and myself, being described like that opened up a fresh wound. One that wasn¡¯t even halfway healed to begin with. I heard the door open, and gently shut.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave  me alone.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    I felt him sit on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to witness that. When did you wake up?¡± He asked.


    ¡°A few minutes ago,¡± I replied.


    I got up, and sat on the bed, beside him.


    ¡°Come, you need to eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Just then, my body decided to betray me and my stomach growled so loud. Leoughed, and stood up, holding his hand out to me.


    ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ll get you started with fresh fruits,¡± he said.


    I took his hand, and walked with him to the kitchen. He sat me at the dining, and I watched him as he moved deftly around the kitchen, cutting up different fruits into a bowl.


    ¡°Here,¡± He said, dropping the te in front of me.


    He poured me a ss of milk, and then began making me a sandwich.


    Several thoughts were flowing through my head. Mostly, I wanted to know more about the conversation he had with his father.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Leo asked.


    I opened my mouth to speak, and then shut it again, shaking my head.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he urged.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I replied, not entirely ready to divulge my thoughts.


    He sighed, and leaned back in his chair. I was very aware of his gaze on me, trying to pierce my skull and see what I was thinking.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. I want to know what your father was talking about? What does he mean by war?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should know about that now¡­¡±


    ¡°Now sounds like the perfect time to me.¡± I countered.


    Leo sighed, and set both elbows on the dining table. ¡°The wolves might dere war soon. We¡¯re expecting their deration anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± My eyes widened in shock, and I immediately lost all appetite.


    ¡°Yes, and I got reports today that they were mobilizing manpower and weapons,¡± he continued.


    Tears came to my eyes again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯re very capable to respond to any threat from them.¡±


    ¡°But there would be casualties,¡± I said.


    He shrugged lightly.


    ¡°I mean, it is going to be a war. In a wars, casualties are minimized as much as possible. But some¡­well, coteral damage.¡±


    ¡°This is my fault¡­¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡±


    ¡°Yes!!!¡± My breath wasing in short, shaky pants. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening to me¡­I should have just gone with them.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I mean, what¡¯s the worse that would have happened? My mother would still be alive. My sisters and I wouldn¡¯t be hiding in a strangend, surrounded by people that don¡¯t want us.¡±


    ¡°I want you here!!!¡±


    ¡°Then mark me!!!¡±


    He went silent.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    I stabbed the fruits in my te and angrily shoved them into my mouth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that now.¡±


    ¡°And why not? Is there some fancy girl who¡¯s the daughter of a powerful man waiting to marry you?¡± I asked sarcastically, I didn¡¯t expect the nervous look on his face as a response.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°My goddess¡­you¡¯re engaged?!!!¡± My voice rose to a fever high pitch.


    ¡°Andrea, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    My heart felt like it was going to explode. My breaths were short, hanging.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­¡±


    ¡°Love, please calm down¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your love!!!¡±


    I picked the te, and threw it across the kitchen. It hit the wall with a satisfying sound.


    ¡°Wow. You went on and got yourself a vixen.¡±


    We both turned to the sound of the voice, and saw a man standing there. He looked like a younger version of Leo. I looked at Leo and back at him.


    ¡°Andrea, this is Leopold,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Leo for short.¡±


    His father must have a thing for naming his children Leo. It was in that moment that I realized I didn¡¯t know anything about this man. About my mate.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one about to cause a war between two kingdoms? I can¡¯t me my brother here. I definitely see the appeal,¡± Leopold said, wiggling his brows.


    ¡°Now is not the time, Leopold. Wait for me in my office,¡± Leonidas said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Leopold raised his hands in mock surrender, and left the kitchen.


    ¡°Andrea, please sit,¡± Leo implored.


    I kept standing.


    ¡°When were you nning to tell me that you already have¡­that you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on having it dissolved. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t marked you. Know that there¡¯s nothing more I would love to do, my darling.¡±


    ¡°When did you get engaged?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Since I was 16. Our parents made the agreement, drew the contract. It helped that we were really good friends, so they felt it was a perfect match.¡±


    ¡°Well, since you were 16, no one can hold you for that, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s now how it works here.¡±


    ¡°How is she taking the news?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t reached out to her yet.¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°The vampire princess of Australia. The n was to unite our families and make us the most powerful vampire family in the world.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s all about power to daddy dearest, huh?¡± I asked, not surprised by that discovery.


    Leo shrugged. ¡°Andrea. I¡¯m really sorry about all of this.¡±


    ¡°I think that I should leave,¡± I said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°No!!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, think about it. What if I go somewhere like Moro, or Madagascar, or Seychelles. I¡¯ve always wanted to go to Seychelles. And I just disappear for good. There won¡¯t be a war, you can go on with your marriage. And we¡¯ll move on¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t ever be able to move on. I can¡¯t love anyone else.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t even love me.¡±


    I turned and began leaving the kitchen.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡± Leo called out to me with a tired voice.


    ¡°Oh, and please I would like to see my sisters. As soon as I can please.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat more, and take your drugs,¡± he said.


    I went over to the fridge, and took a bottle of water, and went back to my room. Before this whole drama, I had always felt like my future was bleak. Now, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll have a future by the time all this is over.

 Chapter Fifteen

    ANDREA


    I¡¯ve been here for about a week, and everyday I remained indoors. I didn¡¯t want to interact with anybody, not even Leo. And by the end of the week, I was already feeling much better. All my bruises had disappeared, the pains were gone, and I was in much better shape than I arrived in.


    It sat at the back of my mind that I still haven¡¯t seen my sisters. I was putting it off, I was putting off telling them that our mother was dead. How do I look at them knowing that the fault is mine? Leo kept delivering books to my room for entertainment, and even though he wouldn¡¯t hear it from me, I was grateful. The books were the only thing stopping me from running mad.


    I woke up to the dull sound and the mumbling voices from the television. I opened my eyes slowly, and saw Leo standing in front of the television, staring at it intently. I sat up quietly, and watched. Apparently, the events of that night was being aired, with the newscasters asking if a war between werewolves and vampires was booming. What was worse, my pictures were stered all over the television screens.


    ¡°Are the vampires ready to risk a war over a nobody?¡±


    I sighed, and that got Leo¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he said.


    I watched as he came over to me, and sat on the bed, pulling me into his arms.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I rxed into his embrace, and took deep breaths, breathing him in. His scent was calming to me.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Much better. I feel brand new. I think I¡¯m all healed.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness. No pain? Nothing?¡±


    ¡°None at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    There was silence between us for a while, both of us content with being in each other¡¯s arms, despite the fact that there was a lot of questions that are to be asked.


    ¡°Leo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love.¡±


    I smiled sheepishly. Despite everything, I loved it when he called me that. It gave me butterflies.


    ¡°The news¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll have my secretary reach out to them and caution them.¡±


    ¡°My face is everywhere. Things will never remain the same.¡±


    His hand began to stroke my back, and he kissed my head.


    ¡°I will protect you. No one is going to touch you.¡±


    ¡°Your father?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What are the odds that he disinherits you because of this? Because of me?¡±


    He was silent for a while, his silence was all I needed to answer.


    ¡°All I can tell you is this: you won¡¯t need to worry about anyone hurting you or your sisters. Okay?¡±


    I nodded. I had several other questions to ask, but decided that this wasn¡¯t the time for this. I¡¯d rather just enjoy the moment.


    ¡°What are you doing tomorrow night?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe sleeping, eating, watching television, and wallowing in self pity. Why?¡± I answered jokingly.


    Leo moved back a little to look at me, and we bothughed. For the rest of that day, and the next, I didn¡¯t catch a glimpse hurt of Leo. All his domestic workers didn¡¯t know where he was -some didn¡¯t even deem it fit to respond to my inquiry. I was sitting around in my room, watching television, when a knock sounded on my door.


    ¡°Come in¡­¡±


    The door opened and Leopold came in.


    ¡°Hey, sister¡­¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Um, hi¡­¡± I replied, surprised to see him in my room.


    ¡°So, what are you doing?¡± Leopold asked.


    I looked around, and shrugged. ¡°Nothing. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, my brother asked that I take you shopping. I¡¯m sure you must be tired of wearing his oversized clothes.¡±


    ¡°Not really, but it would be nice to have mine.¡±


    ¡°Good. So, get dressed, and let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dressed.¡±


    I got out of bed, and checked myself in the mirror. I had on a rather big tee shirt that came down to mid-thigh, and was wearing one of Leo¡¯s boxers underneath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll like that very much.¡± Leopold said, pointing to my exposed legs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Leopold threw back his head andughed.


    ¡°But what am I going to wear¡­¡± Leopold held up a leather bag, and I was surprised I didn¡¯t notice it when he walked in.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯ll be needing footwear your own size.¡± He pulled out a pair of ck, leather flip flops. ¡°I don¡¯t know your size, but I made a wild guess.¡±


    And surprisingly, the wild guess fit perfectly. And it wasfortable too.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°So, you¡¯re ready?¡±


    I nodded. We walked out of the house, and into a shiny ck Benz.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you guys and ck cars,¡± I asked.


    Leopold shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re just much cooler, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s okay I guess.¡±


    He pulled out of thepound, and I took the opportunity to see the territory. The ce was beautiful. And if the circumstances were different -if I was born a vampire- I would definitely love to live here.


    ¡°Your ce is beautiful,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thanks. Look at it, you¡¯ll be queen to it soon.¡±


    I scoffed, and remained quiet. We soon arrived at our destination. A mall that wasrger than life itself.


    ¡°Wow!!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is the biggest mall across Americas.¡±


    There was a huge fountain of a woman holding a human head on one hand, and a wicked looking sword in the other.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°You like it?¡± Leopold asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    We walked into the mall, and began our shopping. It didn¡¯t escape my notice that eyes were on us, but I just assumed that they were looking at Leopold. I mean, he was a prince after all. And it might also be because he was a piece of eye candy. If I didn¡¯t have eyes for just Leo, I would probably fall at his feet too.


    We started off with clothes. The attendants were not happy to see me. The side eyes, and the once overs didn¡¯t go unnoticed by me. All the stores we went to showcased some sort of silent hostility towards me, and I could swear on my mother that if I hade here without Leopold, I would have been killed.


    Iughed to myself. I wouldn¡¯t even be here if not for Leo. I wouldn¡¯t even have crossed the border. I would have died. After three hours of ufortable shopping, my stomach began to growl in protest.


    ¡°You¡¯re hungry,¡± Leopold stated.


    ¡°You heard that?¡± I asked, embarrassed.


    He nodded.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you some food. I must warn you that the food here might not be to your taste. I mean, we¡¯re vampires. We like blood.¡±


    I was confused at first, but the second I stepped into the food court, I understood. The whole ce reeked of blood.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll eat when we get back,¡± I said, deciding that barely cooked meat wasn¡¯t something I would be trying soon.


    Leopoldughed, and we left.


    All through the ride back, I couldn¡¯t help but think about Leo and I. One thing was certain, we couldn¡¯t mate. I can¡¯t be Queen here. His people would never ept me. That, and this wasn¡¯t the condition I wanted my sisters to grow up in. We couldn¡¯t return home, and I couldn¡¯t live here. The more I thought about it, the more my heart fell.


    It was beginning to look like we had only one option left.

 Chapter Sixteen

    ANDREA


    ¡°Get dressed. We¡¯re going to dinner¡­¡±


    I smiled at the message, and immediately jumped out of bed. I rushed into the closet, and it urred to me that I hadn¡¯t even bothered to ask what sort of date it was. I shrugged, and decided to wing it anyway. I wore a long-sleeved, red romper with a V neckline. Of all the clothes we bought, this was my personal favorite because of the material, and the way it contrasted with my skin. I paired it off with a pair of t, ck sandals, and brushed out my hair. I stood in the mirror, admiring myself when I heard the door open, and Leonidas came in.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. You look tired.¡±


    Heughed wryly. ¡°I am. Are you ready?¡±


    I nodded. He stretched out his hand, and I immediately took it. He pulled me into his arms, and wrapped both hands around me. Burying his nose in my hair, and inhaling. I began to rub the back of his neck in gentle strokes. He finally pulled back, and looked at me.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked.


    He nodded, and kissed my forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go, love.¡±


    He put his hand around my waist, and guided me out of the room, and out of the house. I sighed as my nostrils took in the wonderful night air.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, my love.¡±


    I began walking to his car that was parked, but he diverted us and we began walking towards the backyard.


    ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re going the right way?¡± I asked.


    He didn¡¯t respond. He just smiled. We walked around the backyard of the house, and much deeper into the woods. As the sun began to set over the forest, we walked hand in hand, deeper into the heart of the woods. We walked hand in hand down the small path leading deeper into the forest. The sounds of our footsteps muffled by the soft carpet of leaves beneath our feet.


    We soon came out to a clearing, and I gasped in awe at the sight before me. We were at a pond. A pond right in the middle of the forest. It was beautiful. A table had been set at the water¡¯s edge, draped in white tablecloth, and adorned in flickering candles and roses in shades of pink and red.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes as I saw the spread of food waiting for me, and I just knew that this was going to special evening for us. A memorable one regardless of how we ended.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you like it?¡± Leo asked.


    I pped my hands together, and giggled like a child. ¡°I love it.¡±


    I grabbed his face, and stood on my toes, nting a soft kiss on his nose. Heughed, and kissed me on the side of my lip. Leo walked us to the table, and pulled out my chair for me. I thanked him, and sat as graciously as I could. My mouth watered as the delicious aroma of steak hit my nostrils. There was chicken, and sd, and fruits.


    ¡°Who is all this food for?¡±


    ¡°Us,¡± He answered, and sat in his chair.


    ¡°Between the both of us, I doubt we¡¯ll be able to eat this much.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡±


    He smiled, and poured wine into our sses. In the short time that I had known Leo on a closer level, I have learnt that he can¡¯t be separated from his love for wine.


    He wasn¡¯t an alcoholic, but he loved it.


    I immediately opened up the food trays, and began to help myself. We both ate infortable silence, both is us regarding each other with some sort of new, raw emotion. We ate, we talked, we drank, and weughed. More than happy to forget the responsibilities, and troubles that we¡¯re waiting for us where we were from.


    Tonight wasn¡¯t a night to think about the war, or that my mate was betrothed to someone else, or that my mother was dead. Tonight wasn¡¯t a night to worry about my sisters, and how I still haven¡¯t told them about our mother.


    Tonight, it was just us. In our own little world. It was in this moment that I realized that we were the things holding us back from fully loving. Opinions, and responsibilities. Expectations and anxiety.


    The meal came to an end, and Leo stood from his seat, and came around to assist me out of mine. He pulled me into his arms, and held me lightly around my waist. I ced my hands around his neck, my fingers ying with the nape of his neck. We stayed that way, gently swaying with the breeze. Looking deeply into each other¡¯s eyes, as though trying to imprint this memory into our very brains so we wouldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Leo said.


    I smiled as I watched the words flow from his mouth.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    He smiled, and leaned his head downwards, iming my lips in a soft kiss. I went up on my tip toes to bring myself closer to him. Our lips meshed, and our souls felt the connection. He pulled back and we both smiled.


    ¡°I will protect you. Regardless of any situation. I will love you always. We will get through this, I promise.¡±


    I smiled, and nodded. My eyes getting moist with tears. Such few words yet that was all the reassurance that I needed to hear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Andrea. Please¡­¡±


    I nodded again, and he kissed me again. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to give you something¡­¡±


    He put his hand inside his jacket, and brought out an antique box. He opened the box, and I let out an audible gasp.


    ¡°My goodness¡­it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°It is. It was my mother¡¯s engagement ring. It¡¯s been in my family for generations.¡±


    The ring was a rather simple, antique Diamond encrusted ring.


    ¡°Are you sure I can have this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He picked up my left hand and gently slid the ring on my middle finger. And then he brought me my hand up to his lips and kissed it.


    ¡°I want you to have this ring as a promise of mymitment to you. I love you, and I want you to remember that every time you see this ring.¡± He paused and took a deep breath. ¡°The next few weeks are about to be tough, but we¡¯ll be fine. Before we wade this storm, I want you to know that we¡¯re in this together.¡±


    I nodded, and leaned up to kiss him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°We will. I¡¯m not letting go of the one that was specially gifted to me.¡±


    I smiled, and hugged him again. None of us in a hurry to let go.


    The moment was too serene, we weren¡¯t ready to leave it just yet.

 Chapter Seventeen

    ANDREA


    I stared at myself in the mirror, breathing in and out, trying to gather the strength and courage to talk to my sisters. I had told Leo that I wanted to speak to them today. I couldn¡¯t keep postponing it. The least I could do was tell them the truth, and console them. They needed me. I stopped my mind from thinking how confused they might have been.


    Rushed out of school, and thrown into a strange territory where the residents don¡¯t even like your kind. Seeing their sister¡¯s face stered across screens where she¡¯s screaming her guts out like a banshee. A knock sounded, and the door slowly opened. I already knew who it was.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Leo asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked again.


    I opened my mouth to answer, and then shut it again. He entered the room, and shut the door behind him. He walked over it me, and pulled me into his arms, rubbing his hands up and down my back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be there with you, and for you,¡± he said.


    I nodded again his chest, taking constion in the fact that I wouldn¡¯t be doing this alone. Leo had insisted on going with me to see my sisters, as opposed to having someone drop me off, or maybe have his brother do it.


    Might as well meet my sisters-inw. That was what he had said.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared. What if they hate me?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± He said with conviction. ¡°They love you, and more than anything, I¡¯m sure they would be grateful that they didn¡¯t lose two of the most important people in their lives.¡±


    I nodded. Leo wiped beads of tears from my cheeks. I wasn¡¯t even waste that I was crying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He took me by the hand, and we left. It was a short drive to the ce. The building itself was a multi-story building, and the exterior was ss. The building must have been nothing less that 50 stories. I craned my neck to try seeing the beginning of the building, and almost broke it.


    ¡°Where are my sisters?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Top floor. Penthouse,¡± Leo relied.


    We got out of the car, and he held my hand. We walked right past security, and it didn¡¯t escape my notice that people had more or less stopped what they were doing, and were staring at us. Some had their phones out, and were taking pictures. I simply put my head down, and tried to not let it bother me. I had bigger fish to fry. We got into the elevator, and it took us to the very top floor.


    We stepped out of the elevator into a lush carpeted floor. The lobby of the penthouse apartment was spacious and immactely designed, with gleaming white marble floors and a chandelier that hung from the ceiling. The walls were adorned with tasteful paintings, and for a moment I got carried away with the beauty of the ce. There was a stunning view of the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    I took a few steps forward and entered the living room, which was furnished withfortable sofas and chairs in shades of gray and white. Arge tscreen television hung on the wall opposite the couch where a soap opera was ying. This was definitely something the girls liked, I thought to myself.


    In the distance, I could see the kitchen. It was separated by the living room by a sleek, ck, marble countertop that doubled as a breakfast bar. I smiled. I was pleased.


    ¡°I take it that you like what you see?¡± Leo asked.


    I turned around, and kissed him. ¡°I love it. The girls must definitely love it here.¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± He answered, smiling, and wrapping his hands around my waist.


    ¡°Speaking of which, where are my sisters?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Right here!!!¡±


    I turned around just in time to see my sisters racing to me. I opened my eyes wide as they both jumped on me, throwing us three to the ground.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Leo scolded sternly.


    The girls flinched, and moved closer to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Leo.¡±


    ¡°You just recovered. They¡¯ll hurt you if they keep doing that¡­¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± The twins chorused.


    I smiled at him, and rubbed his leg affectionately. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    The girls wrapped themselves around me.


    ¡°We¡¯ve missed you so much, Andrea,¡± Stacy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much too. So much has happened¡­¡± I replied.


    ¡°We know. We¡¯ve been watching the news. Something about a war¡­and a prince¡­and you¡­¡±


    I sighed, and looked at Leo who was still standing over us, arms folded.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I need to tell you guys. It¡¯s not pretty.¡±


    Their faces immediately filled with worry, and dread calmly settled in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯ll excuse you guys,¡± Leo said, turning away, and heading for the door.


    ¡°No. Stay¡­¡±  I said, not wanting to dk this alone.


    We held eye contact for a while, talking to each other in some sort of secret code. He nodded, and sat on the couch, picked up the remote, and began flipping through the channels.


    ¡°Come on, girls. Take me to your rooms.¡±


    Their eyes lit up again, and they began to talk about their rooms, with each of them trying to talk over the other. We got off the floor, and I let the girls drag me up a flight of stairs.


    ¡°Our rooms are huge!!!¡±


    ¡°We could fit our whole house in there. Mommy would have loved it.¡±


    I swallowed hard, and tried my best to maintain a smile on my face. My eyes opened wide, as we entered their room. The room was painted in a bright pink color that I had no doubt that Leo had it modified for them. The ceilings were very high, and also featured floor to ceiling windows that provided a beautiful view of the skyline. They had arge queen-sized bed that sat at the center of the room,plete with a canopy. I ran my hand on the sheets and could tell that this was high quality silk. Not that I expected anything else.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, right!!!¡±


    Stacy giggled, and plumped down on the bed. Tracy followed suit, taking me down with her. Wey on the bed, holding on to each other, all of us having in mind that serious conversations are to be had, but none of us ready to break the peace.


    ¡°We¡¯ve missed you so much, Andy¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve missed you too. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯te sooner.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Tracy said, kissing my cheek. ¡°You¡¯re here now.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be spending the night here?¡± Stacy asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask her that,¡± Tracy scolded her twin. Drops of saliva dropping on my face as she spoke over me. ¡°When are you going to move in with us?¡±


    ¡°She has a mate, dummy,¡± Stacy replied.


    ¡°Who told you that?¡± Tracy scoffed.


    ¡°A prince wouldn¡¯t fight in the streets for a random WEREWOLF nobody if she wasn¡¯t his mate.¡±


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Stacy blushed. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    At least she had the decency to look contrite.


    ¡°But that¡¯s the truth,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Guys. I have somethings to tell you. It¡¯s not pretty¡­¡± I said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.


    The girls followed suit, sitting in front of me and it¡¯s folded legs.


    I opened my mouth severally to speak, but couldn¡¯t quite find the words. I took several breaths trying to calm my racing heart, but it wasn¡¯t working. The silence was deafening, and the air was filled with so much anticipation.


    ¡°Is this¡­is this about mom?¡± Tracy asked quietly.


    My lips quivered, and tears ran down my cheeks. I slowly nodded my head.


    ¡°What happened to her? Where is she? Is she hurt? When is she¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±


    The words forced themselves out of my mouth. The girls looked at me and with shock registered on their faces. They froze for a while, their brains trying to process the news. The loss.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­it¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± I said quietly.


    Hoping that words were enough. The floodgates opened and the girls began screaming, kicking and crying. I grabbed them both and wrapped my legs around them. Holding them as they screamed their grief.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± I said, whispering to them as the tears flowed.


    After some time, they calmed down enough for me to let go of them. Their eyes were red and puffy, and showed that the pain that they felt was only just beginning. Like a hollow had just formed in their chest.


    I know because that is exactly how I feel.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    I decided against telling them what exactly happened, unless they asked. I didn¡¯t need to add to their pain. I also didn¡¯t want to tell them that our house was burnt down. Or that I had asked Leo to do it.


    ¡°So¡­is that why we¡¯re here? Because mommy is gone?¡± Stacy asked.


    ¡°No, sweetie. The werewolf prince is out for our blood. You¡¯re here because this is where you can be protected,¡± I replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of vampire territory, I¡¯m not sure about protection,¡± Stacy said.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite clear they don¡¯t like us very much,¡± Tracy echoed.


    ¡°You have my word. No one is going to try to harm you.¡±


    ¡°We believe you. I mean, the vampire prince is your mate. Who would go against him?¡± Stacy said


    I smiled at the mild joke. It was a bit of relief given the situation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be okay¡­¡± I smiled at the girls, and wey back down, wrapped around each other.

 Chapter Eighteen

    ANDREA


    I woke up to Leo¡¯s hand gently stroking my face, quietly waking me up. I looked at my sisters to see that they had both slept off, with Stacy snoring silently. They looked so peaceful, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. They had taken the news better than I expected.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Leo whispered.


    ¡°Hi¡­¡± I whispered back.


    He pointed his thumb towards the door, and I looked at my sisters again and nodded. Leo stepped outside the room, while I began gently untangling myself from my sisters. To be fair, I wanted to remain here. It seemed like there weren¡¯t any worries present in this room at all. I sighed in relief when I was finally free, and the girls were still sleeping peacefully. I stepped outside the door to see that Leo was there, leaning on the wall and waiting for me.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± He asked, and without giving me a chance to respond, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me.


    The kiss took me by surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise. My eyes closed of it¡¯s own volition, and my arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, bringing him closer to me. I didn¡¯t know how long the kiss went on for, but I wasn¡¯t happy when it ended.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Leo was smiling down at me, and the way he cocked his brows, urging me to speak.


    ¡°Well what?¡± I asked confused.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± He repeated himself, slowly this time.


    It then clicked that he had asked before the kiss.


    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± I could tell that my face was an unhealthy shade of pink. ¡°Um¡­it went well. Better than I expected, really. The girls were so mature about it.¡±


    ¡°I told you that it¡¯d be okay.¡± He said.


    I smiled at him, and pecked him on the lips. ¡°You did¡­¡±


    ¡°You ready to go back home?¡± He asked.


    Home. I liked the sound of that. He was beginning to sound like home to me. I love it here.


    ¡°No, I was thinking we could spend a few nights here. I¡¯m sure the girls would love it,¡± I said.


    Leo nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°It would also give them a chance to know my mate.¡±


    Leo smiled like a Cheshire Cat that got the cheese, and kissed me again.


    ¡°Are you sure the girls would like me?¡±Leo asked.


    I threw my head back, andughed. He looked like a child asking if his crush liked him back.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m sure they would love you.¡±


    My mouth opened in an involuntary yawn, and Leo scooped me into his arms. I gasped and wrapped my hands around his neck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you to bed. You must be really tired. I have a room here, you could use that.¡±


    Something in his tone told me he didn¡¯t n to stay in the same room with me.


    ¡°And where would you be sleeping?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more room.¡±


    I looked away shyly. ¡°I would like for us to stay in the same room.¡±


    He stopped in his stride, and looked at me.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked.


    I nodded. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re mates after all. If not for certain issues, we would have already popped out a baby by now.¡±


    He threw back his head andughed, then continued walking.


    ¡°True. You would look good with my baby.¡±


    I blushed again. ¡°I would love to carry your baby¡­¡±


    I and Leo had stayed at the penthouse for about a week now. The girls were being homeschooled, and they seemed to like it. Even though it was a contrast to what they were used to. I could see the sadness in them, but I admired the way that they were holding on strong. Now, I regret not telling them sooner. We all became close since I broke the news to them. There is something new between us that wasn¡¯t there prior to my mother¡¯s death. It seemed as though that we were not just sisters bound in blood. We were also bound in pain.


    They loved Leo. They got along so well. It felt like I was watching them with a big brother, or maybe an uncle. I love the dynamics of their rtionship. I enjoyed how he would sit down with them and help them with their homework. The moon goddess truly blessed me, I was hoping that itsted. That our love would make it.


    Going to sleep wrapped around Leo was the therapy I didn¡¯t know I needed. The sleep was peaceful, hearing his voice first thing in the morning did things to me. It awakened ces in my body I didn¡¯t know were even there. It made me want to do things to him. With him. I woke up to see Leo scowling at his phone. I stayed still and studied his features for a few minutes. He was typing furiously on his phone, and with each passing second, he looked like he would explode. And yet, he looked so hot¡­


    ¡°I know you¡¯re awake¡­¡± He said, turned his head to look at me and smiled. ¡°Good morning.¡±


    The scowl disappearing from his face.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I replied.


    He leaned over, and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth.


    ¡°How did you sleep, my love?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Like a baby.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Because you¡¯re my baby.¡±


    He ce his jeans behind my head, and kissed me again. Too quick for my liking. He went back to his phone, scowling again. I watched him for sometime, wondering if it was okay for me to ask.


    ¡°Hey¡­is everything okay?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t sound too sure.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He sighed, and dropped his phone. ¡°Actually, no¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    My heart began beating a little faster. I began thinking of how perfect thest few days has been, and I was praying that nothing damaged it.


    ¡°My father. He wants to have dinner with us tonight.¡±


    I froze, and looked at him. Waiting for him to tell me that this was a joke or something akin to that. When he kept looking at me with a straight face and worried eyes. It dawned on my that he was quite serious.


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    I sat upright on the bed, and began breathing heavily. Considering our first meeting, I already knew that he didn¡¯t like me. Why did he want to see us? To offer me money, and power to leave his son? To ckmail me like the werewolf prince did? Or to threaten to kill me and my sisters if we didn¡¯t leave? I mean, after all that was what they did in movies.


    ¡°Darling¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­calm down¡­¡±


    I looked at him, and fixed him with a re. He sat up as well, and scratched the back of his head. Never in the history of womanhood has any woman calmed down after being told to calm down. Didn¡¯t he know that?!


    ¡°What do you mean?! Why do they want me there?! I know your father doesn¡¯t like me¡­¡±


    Leo sighed, and pulled me into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going to leave your side. Okay?¡±


    I nodded. Even though I knew that if we were on the king¡¯s turf, there¡¯s very little that can be done. I wasn¡¯t scared of physical retribution. Even though I knew that it was hoping against hope, I wanted him to like me¡­

 Chapter Nineteen

    ANDREA


    ¡°Do you think this is okay?¡± I asked Leo, spinning in the mirror for the umpteenth time.


    He sighed and leaned back in his chair. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Andrea. Just like thest five dresses you took off¡­¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not perfect.¡±


    He groaned.


    ¡°I should change.¡±


    ¡°No. Stop,¡± Leo said.


    I turned around to face him. ¡°What? Don¡¯t you want me to look my best?¡±


    ¡°You are looking your best, sweetheart. Trust me, you could sew gold into a dress, and it wouldn¡¯t impress my father. You just have to be yourself.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful, Andrea. You¡¯re always beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful. And if my father doesn¡¯t see that, that¡¯s his problem, and he would have to live with it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I looked in the mirror and surveyed the dress again. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying this dress is okay for a royal dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes, love. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    I twirled in the mirror, watching the ruffles red and gathered at my feet again. And I agree with Leo. The dress was perfect. It was a maroon velvet, floor-length dress with a modest sweetheart neckline and ruffled off-shoulder short sleeves that sagged on my arms. From the waist down we¡¯re ruffles, and the way the deep color of the dress brought out my bright skin tone and shiny ck hair made everything perfect. Leo said he loved my hair when it was worn down, and so that was what I did. Wear my hair down. He was right. The dress was perfect, and so was I. After staining my lips with matte red lipstick andbed myshes out with mascara, It¡¯s wore a pair of transparent heels and took a few steps back to admire the whole fit.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness. Finally¡­¡± Leo groaned, and stood, pulling me into a hug.


    I buried my nose in his shirt and sighed. ¡°You smell amazing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You smell amazing too.¡±


    We stayed that way for a while, enjoying ourpany in solitude before we were thrown into uncertainty.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded silently.


    The girls were already asleep so we decided to just leave quietly. If for any reason we weren¡¯t here by the time they woke up, the security is very capable of giving them our reasons and our blessings. Leo got into the backseat of the SUV with me, and we held hands in silence all through the journey. I watched the city lights of the city. This ce was even more beautiful in the dark. And in my mind, I nned walks and dances under the stars and city lights.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Leo announced as the car pulled through the magnificent entrance of the pce.


    The car came to a stop right in front of the building. Leo squeezed my hands in his and then lifted them to his lips.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked.


    I swallowed nervously and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go,¡± He said and opened the door on his side. ¡°Wait.¡±


    I rxed back in my seat while he went round the vehicle to open the car door for me. He held out his hand to me, and gently helped me as I stepped out.


    I smiled. ¡°I can open car doors, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± He said, smirking. ¡°But I¡¯d rather open them for you.¡±


    I felt color rose on my cheeks and I looked away. I was going to say something but then a voice clearing interrupted my speech. We turned towards the entrance to see his majesty in all his glory standing there looking at us. To his left was Leopold who had a sly smile on his face, and to his right was a very beautiful woman.


    She stood tall and fair, and proud. With hair so silky smooth that it looked like it was handmade and kissed by the goddess herself. She had full plump lips and a svelte hourss figure. Her bleached blond hair with the perfect middle part entuated her high cheekbones and perfect red lips.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The ck gown she wore screamed elegance and the way she looked down at me told me that she thought me to be lesser than the dust underneath her shoes. I and Leo walked up to them and just stood in awkward silence. I looked to Leo, and saw that his eyes were fixated on thedy. Hers was shifting between Leo and I.


    ¡°Good evening, your majesty.¡±


    I did an awkward curtesy, and cleared my throat. The silence afterwards was loud. All eyes were on me, and I could see the amusement on the faces of the king and hisdy friend.


    ¡°Are we going to go in or not?¡± Leo asked.


    My eyes opened in shock, and right there I wanted to ask how he would speak to the king like that. But then I remembered that he was his father. He could definitely do that.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s,¡± the king replied.


    Leo took hold of my hand and walked us into the magnificent pce. I thought Leo¡¯s houses were magnificent. They didn¡¯t hold a candle to the pce of the vampire king. I swallowed my tongue on the things I wanted to say. This definite wasn¡¯t the ce. We were ushered into a cast dinner room, which housed a table that looked like it would be able tofortably fit a wholemunity. What do they even need such a ridiculouslyrge table for?


    ¡°Well, for us¡­it is needed to host important dignitaries, and guests. I guess you could say we¡¯re improvising today,¡± the king said.


    I stared at the king in horror. I had said that out loud!!!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± My voice came out weak, and very timid.


    The beautifuldy next to the king scoffed, and I could swear at this point that she was probably regrettinging here and having to share the same space, share oxygen with her ma skills.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    The waiter stepped forward, and ushered us to our seats. The seating arrangements didn¡¯t escape my notice, and I smile a faint smile to hide my disappointment. The prettydy was seated next to my mate on the right hand side of the King. With Leo seated right next to him. While I was seated next to Leopold, while he was sat next to his father. I didn¡¯t have a problem with sitting with Leopold. I had a problem with NOT sitting with Leo. And of course, there was the micro aggression in that action. It was the King¡¯s way of telling me that I was a stranger here. That I wasn¡¯t wee here. I sighed, and smoothed down my dress.


    I was directly facing the ice Princess, and every time I looked her way, I found that she was looking at me. It looks could kill, I would probably have ten to hundred daggers on my person. Servers filed into the room, and soon the table wasden with food and drinks. It was certain we wouldn¡¯t be able to finish all these. The excesses of royals always bothered me. We didn¡¯t need this much food. Small polite talk was made as we dug into our food. The conversation was mainly between the three of them, and I was just fine with being an observant. With being invincible. I kept my eyes on my te, and ate slowly as the conversation flowed around me.


    I kept my cool knowing that this was going to be one long night.

 Chapter Twenty

    ANDREA


    I looked up to see thedy pouring wine into a ss for Leo. Our eyes met, and she smiled slyly at me. I swallowed the food in my mouth, my throat feeling dry all of a sudden.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± She said. ¡°There¡¯s a random person seated at our table.¡±


    All eyes fell on me, and I took a deep breath. This bitch might be beautiful, but I was sure that I didn¡¯t like her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± The king cleared his throat, and spared a nce at me. ¡°That is Andrea.¡±


    ¡°Why is she here? She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s royal.¡±


    ¡°I will be soon. I see no one told you I¡¯m his mate,¡± I said.


    Her face told me that she knew, the way her fingers held her fork told me that she didn¡¯t like that. That she already hated me before she met me.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, deciding that the suspense wasn¡¯t doing me any good.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Leo shift ufortably in his chair. Leopold giggled lightly. He was enjoying this. I sent a death re his way.


    ¡°I¡¯m Princess Leah. I see Leo didn¡¯t tell you about me. I am his mate.¡±


    ¡°He did tell me about you. About his contract mate¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡± Leo called out my name, drawing it out.


    I looked over at him, and he shook his head slowly. I didn¡¯t do anything. If there was anyone to be cautioned, it should be this Leah. I scoffed, and continued eating. If anyone assumed that I would be the quiet little mouse, they were gravely mistaken.


    ¡°Ladies. There¡¯s no need for the drama. That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here,¡± The king said, trying to ensue peace. As though he wasn¡¯t the one that invited us all here together.


    ¡°Then why are we here, your majesty?¡± Leah asked.


    ¡°To discuss the um¡­situation,¡± He said, and waved his hand toward me.


    I gulped down the wine in my ss, and set the ss down noisily. All eyes settled on my, but my eyes were set on Leo. Leah scoffed, and Leopold shuffled his seat until he was very close to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Pull yourself together. It might get nasty¡­¡± He shuffled his seat back, leaving me puzzled.


    ¡°Leo¡­my son. All of us seated at this table know one thing for certain, this union¡­¡± He pointed at the both of us. ¡°¡­won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°And why won¡¯t it?¡± Leo asked.


    The king and the bitch sighed together.


    ¡°First of all, she¡¯s poor. She¡¯s a nobody. Second, she¡¯s a werewolf.¡± The king eyed me with scorn. ¡°If we can even call her that. I mean, a weak wolf that can¡¯t shift. An Omega?! She can¡¯t be Queen.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything¡­¡± Leonidas continued.


    ¡°It means everything!!!¡± The king mmed his fist on the table. ¡°We cannot seat a werewolf on the throne.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my mate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough basis to make her queen,¡± the king continued, determined to drive his point across.


    I sat there, ying with my food, while I was being discussed like I wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°So, what exactly is it that you want from me?¡± Leo asked.


    The king leaned back, seeming somewhat rxed.


    ¡°You send her back to her territory, and mate Leah as soon as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Leo erupted.


    The king simply shrugged. ¡°It would prevent a war, and make us the most powerful of the two species. Your child would unite the crowns of both kingdoms, and we¡¯ll be unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°Is that all this is to you? You want me to throw away the one thing that had brought me some ounce of joy and peace¡­¡±


    ¡°What peace has she brought? Since she stepped into the scene, it¡¯s been chaos. We have managed peace until her,¡± the king said.


    ¡°I was the one who fought William,¡± Leo said, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°For who?¡± Leah asked. She had been quiet since the exchange but now decided to throw in her two cent. ¡°If you weren¡¯t with her to begin with, we won¡¯t be in this situation.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Leo asked, arching his brow.


    ¡°Yes. We. Or did you forget that our mating ceremony should have been announcedst week?!!¡±


    ¡°I already told you that won¡¯t work. We can¡¯t go through with this!!!¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why?! Because of a stupid,me, weak dog that you rescued?!¡±


    Leo bared his fangs at her, and growled. ¡°Watch your tone.¡±


    ¡°Else what?¡± Leah bared her fangs as well, and leaned closer to Leo.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be sent back to Australia in a body bag.¡±


    Leah scoffed, and spared a nce at me. ¡°You will risk war with two kingdoms for her. Some leader you would make. Your mother will be very disappointed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!!!¡±


    Leah flinched as the king¡¯s handnded heavily on the table, and his voice echoed through the whole room.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, Leah. I and your father may be good friends, but you will not disrespect myte wife!!¡± Leah bowed her head in what I would call mock submission, because her eyes said that she didn¡¯t regret anything she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your majesty. My temper got the better of me,¡± Leah meekly apologized.


    Leo looked ashen. Like blood had drained from his face. And that was saying something for a vampire. There was silence around the table after that outburst. Leo had gone back to tearing into his rare steak, with a death grip on his fork. I could feel the anxietying off Leopold in waves. I signed, and took a sip of wine. We remained silent for a while, until the king broke the silence again.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to find a befitting solution to this mess. Not fight more,¡± the king said calmly.


    ¡°The only befitting solution would be for her to be returned to the werewolves¡­¡± Leah said.


    I stared daggers into her soul.


    ¡°No!!!¡± Leonidas¡¯ voice rang loud and clear through the room.


    I wiped the corners of my mouth with my napkin, and threw it down on the table. I noisily pushed my chair back, and stood up.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said, and without waiting to be excused, I headed for the door.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡± I ignored Leonidas, and left.


    I didn¡¯t know where I was going, but anywhere was better than that toxic environment. The hallways of the pce was brightly lit, and I could see the asional guard on duty as I walked. I looked at the paintings on the walls, and admired the artistry in the strokes of the brush. I could tell that they were ancient works. I wandered until I found myself on the terrace of the house. I took a deep breathe, and looked at the stars in the sky. Enjoying the tranquility that the atmosphere awarded me. I sat in one of the chairs, and sighed, smiling to myself. I didn¡¯t know how long I was there for, or how many thoughts went through my head in that duration, but one thing I was sure of was that I wasn¡¯t happy to be interrupted.


    I heard the terrace door open, and close, and I groaned when I caught the scent of who had interrupted me. She took several steps out, and then began to walk round the perimeter of the terrace. I ignored her, and continued star gazing. Hoping that after she was done with her inspection, she would leave.


    ¡°Beautiful night, isn¡¯t it?¡± Leah asked, deciding to not read the room.


    I guess she wasn¡¯t leaving anytime soon. I spared a nce at Leah, and went back to looking at the stars. I heard herugh lowly, and take the seat opposite me. Now, I couldn¡¯t help not look at her. She was directly in my line of vision. She crossed her legs, and regarded me with poorly concealed hate in her eyes.


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± She asked.


    ¡°For you to leave me the fuck alone, your highness.¡± I said, with a sickly sweet smile on my face.


    The smile dropped from her face momentarily, and was reced with rage. But only for a few seconds, she soon regained herposure.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, and you know it,¡± she continued.


    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do you want with Leo? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my mate. And mates are meant to stick together¡­it¡¯s rather self exnatory if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t ask you!!!¡± She snapped.


    I raised my hands in mock surrender. Her outburst seeming like a small victory to me. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    She took a deep breath, and muttered something unintelligible under her breath.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    I looked at her confused. ¡°How much for what?¡±


    ¡°For you to leave. For you and your sisters to leave.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me!!!¡±


    I sat up straight, my eyes seeing red.


    ¡°Oh, please. Don¡¯t act all modest on me now. Name your price, I will provide it, and you can go rebuild your life somewhere else.¡±


    I looked at her in shock. Surprised at the temerity of the woman seated across from me. What did she think this was?


    ¡°Is that how much you want him? That you¡¯re willing to pay his mate off to have him? Have you no self-respect?¡± I asked.


    She arched her brow at me, and squared her shoulders. ¡°How does 15 million United States dors sound?¡± She continued.


    ¡°What?!!!¡±


    That amount was outrageous, seeing as she just wanted me to disappear. I held back the urge tough.


    ¡°Not enough. Let¡¯s do 20 Million then,¡± she continued, smiling to herself.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. I threw my head back andughed. Iughed so hard that tears began to fall from my eyes, and my stomach began to hurt, my guts wrenched, and I began wheezing. From the look on her face, I could tell that she was taken aback.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± I asked, barely managed to get the words out.


    ¡°Nothing. I don¡¯t like people trespassing on what¡¯s mine. This is my peaceful way of resolving this conflict.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s not yours.¡±


    ¡°He is. He was very fine with our arrangement until you came into the picture, and he has since been looking for ways to call off the marriage.¡±


    I could hear the pain in her voice, and upon further inspection, I could see her lips quiver lightly.


    ¡°You love him.¡± I stated.


    She went mute, but the way she wouldn¡¯t hold eye contact with me anymore told me what I needed to know.


    ¡°You¡¯re in love with my mate.¡±


    She shuffled in her seat, and I could see the lone tear that rolled down her porcin cheeks. I felt bad for her. Unrequited love. To see her outside of anything other than the high and mighty princess was shocking.


    ¡°Whether I¡¯m in love or not is beside the point. What is your price?¡±


    ¡°There is no price. This is a once in a lifetime gift. Vampires hardly ever have their own fated mate. I¡¯m an Omega, we don¡¯t get those too. And yet somehow, some higher power somewhere decided to bind us two together. I¡¯m not letting go of that,¡± I said, hoping to be able to reach through to her.


    She nodded her head slowly. ¡°He is mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are youying im to someone who doesn¡¯t want you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being miserable? Don¡¯t you want to be happy in the union? Don¡¯t you want him to be happy?¡± I asked, genuinely perplexed by the situation.


    ¡°I will make him a good wife, and an great queen. A strong queen.¡±


    I shook my head slowly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    A sinister smile appeared on her lips, and she got up to her feet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand, Andrea¡­¡± She spat my name out with disgust. ¡°I will have Leo. You¡¯re just a tiny obstacle in my way. An obstacle that I will remove.¡±


    Chills ran down my spine. I already knew where this was going.


    ¡°You will leave Leo. You and your sisters will disappear,¡± she said. ¡°You will either do so willingly, or it will be done with a little assistance from me. It would be a pity to lose your sisters so soon after you lost your mother.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat, and fear began to build up inside me. I could feel the hairs at the back of my neck stand on edge, and my body suddenly went cold. Leah looked down at me, and could no doubt see the fear radiating my entire being.


    Leah shrugged. ¡°The choice is yours¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    I jerkily turned my head, and saw Leo standing at the open doors of the Terrace. I had been so absorbed that I didn¡¯t hear it open. I gave Leah onest look, and more or less ran to Leo, and took his hand.


    ¡°Are you ready to leave?¡± Leo asked


    I nodded frantically.

 Chapter Twenty-one

    ANDREA


    ¡°Walk with me.¡± Leo said to me as we alighted the car we hade in.


    We had gone back to Leo¡¯s first residence instead of the penthouse house, and I couldn¡¯t be more grateful. I didn¡¯t need my sisters seeing me like this.


    ¡°To where?¡± I asked calmly. I was a bit tired.


    ¡°I want to show you something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, tugging behind him sluggishly.


    He simply smiled at me, and pulled me with him. We went through the back of the house, and into the woods with the moon and stars casting an illuminating glow on our path through the dense woods. The air was crisp and filled with the sweet scent of Pine needles and earth, and I couldn¡¯t help but take a very deep breath, filling my lungs with the amazing goodness. As we walked, our hands intertwined, the sound of our footsteps and the rustle of leaves were the only sounds in the otherwise quiet forest.


    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± I asked, rubbing my eyes as my body began to tell me that it was time for bed.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, my darling.¡±


    As we turned a corner, a magnificent treehouse came into view. All tiredness fled from my being, and sleep instantly left me as my mouth fell open as I behold the beauty. The tree house was perched high up in a veryrge oak tree and seemed to be made entirely of wood.


    ¡°Is this wheat you wanted to show me?¡± I asked, turning to face Leo.


    He nodded his head, and I kissed him on the lips.


    ¡°This is beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± He asked.


    I nodded, and continued walking to the treehouse.


    ¡°I love it!¡±


    We got to the base of the tree, and Leo steadied the ropedder for me to climb up. My heart was pounding in anticipation. I poked my head in and gasped at the beauty thaty inside. I climbed all the way through, and a few momentster, Leo followed suit, pulling up thedder in his wake.


    ¡°This is beautiful.¡±


    Leo smiled widely. He looked happy with himself at my reaction. The enclosed space had a ratherrge window from where the moonlight came in. And the view of the stars from the treehouse was beyond beautiful. From here, I could see the tops of trees, and hills, with the moon and stars entuating their silhouettes.


    ¡°It is. I and my brother used to y in here as children. My mother built this. It¡¯s one of the few material memories I have of her.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°That ring on your finger would be another one. Passed down generations, wornst by my mother.¡±


    I fingered the ring on my finger, renewed appreciation for the antique jewelry.


    ¡°Come here¡­¡± Leo plumped himself down on the lush cushions, and opened his arms to me, and without hesitation I snuggled up next to him.


    ¡°Today¡­¡± he started.


    I shook my head vehemently, attempting to leave his arms but he held on to me tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°We need to.¡±


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s necessary.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and sighed. ¡°Fine. What about today?¡±


    ¡°If I had known that it would have gone the way it did, I would not have taken you along¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you did. I¡¯m not about to shy away from your family simply because your dad and that bitch do not like me.¡±


    I felt theughter rumble in his chest.


    ¡°You held your own back there. I must say, it was quite impressive. I doubt anyone has ever spoken to Leah like that before,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°Yeah. I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Back to what I was saying. I¡¯m really sorry about today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­what are you going to do about Leah, and the war¡­and me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere. Neither are your sisters,¡± Leo answered.


    ¡°But¡­handing me over¡­would it stop them from attacking?¡± I asked.


    Leo¡¯s silence answered the question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving you up.¡± He answered firmly.


    Tears gathered in my eyes, but I blinked them back.


    ¡°Have they reached out to you about any demands? What about the council? What are they saying about this war?¡±


    Leo sat up with me still in his arms. I moved back a bit so I could see his face as he spoke to me.


    ¡°The council called a meeting some weeks back.¡±


    ¡°When exactly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say about two to three weeks after you had arrived here.¡±


    ¡°That long?¡±


    Leo smiled sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to bother you at the time.¡±


    I waved him off. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°The council had called a meeting with us Vampire royals, and werewolf royals. I had sent Leopold because I wasn¡¯t sure that I wouldn¡¯t smash that mutt¡¯s skull again if I set eyes on him.¡± Leo took a deep breath, his hold on my hand tensing and releasing.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    A small part of me was holding on to hope that a reasonable resolution was made. But even that part knew that the chances were very slim and not in my favor.


    ¡°They are very insistent on the war. They admit to the council that they had in-fact readied their troops, and their weapons, and their soldiers, and we were to expect them very soon. And that they would only be backing down on one condition¡­¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyes lifted and caught mine. Holding it. His eyes telling me things his mouth didn¡¯t want to say. My mind understood but didn¡¯t want to believe. I was still holding on to hope. All wasn¡¯t lost.


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°They want you.¡±


    ¡°And my sisters?¡±


    He shook his head slowly. ¡°They want me to hand you over.¡±


    I slumped back on the cushions, my back hitting the wooden wall behind me. We were silent for a while, both of us thinking about the situation. If I knew anything about the werewolf royals, they have always covered the vampire territory, and here was a chance for them to have it on a tter of gold. I knew for a fact that they were counting on Leo not handing me over so they can unleash havoc andy im to morend.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s best?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I think you should hand me over. My sisters would be protected here¡­¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, Andrea.¡±


    Tears gathers in my eyes again, and this time I let them fall. I har gone through every possible scenario, and this way was the best way for it to happen. This way, I would be the only person to get hurt. My sisters would be safe. From my people, and from Leah too.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He pulled me back to him and held me. Both of us looking into each others eyes.


    ¡°What are we going to do? Everything and everyone is against us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    Leo brought his head down and kissed me. It took me a bit by surprise but soon I gave in. The kiss began slowly at first, and then we moved in a frenzy. Both of us knowing fully well where this was going, and how it was going to end. Leo carried me over, and settled me gently on his crotch, while my legs wrapped around him, making my gown rise and settle around my waist. He pulled my gown down from my shoulders, and ced gentle kisses along the sides of my neck, sucking on the skin at the nape. I gasped and bent my neck to the side, giving him more room to explore. And explore he did. He bit, and licked, and sucked till I was a moaning mess, grinning recklessly on him. He grabbed my derriere and groaned. I could feel his fingers digging almost painfully into my skin, but I liked it.


    ¡°Easy, my love¡­¡±


    His voice came out a raspy bass that seemed to turn me on even more.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    I almost didn¡¯t recognize my voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, my darling¡­¡±


    He pulled down the straps of my dress, leaving my upper body bare. I could feel the light breeze on my body, and could feel my nipples harden as an after effect. Leo groaned, and took a nipple in his mouth. He sucked, and bit and pulled, until I began to beg him to take me right here. Our clothes were quickly discarded, and soon our nakedness was exposed to our eyes. I feasted my eyes on the manly man that was before me, and ran my hands over his body.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not done this before¡­¡±


    I¡¯d never had the time to, or even the opportunity.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­I¡¯ll take care of you¡­¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He flipped us, and then I was under him, and true to his words, he took care of me. So much so that the pain was so much worth it. We bothy in the cushions, the smell of sex heavy in the air, our mating almostpleted, satisfied souls, and a smile of happiness.

 Chapter Twenty-two

    ANDREA


    We were both jerked awake to the sound of very loud sirens and wailing. At first, I thought it was a dream, or maybe Leo was watching a movie,pletely forgetting where we were.


    ¡°Wake up!!!¡± Leo screamed, shaking me awake.


    I woke up with my heart beating a steady rhythm. Fast and hard. It wasn¡¯t a dream. There was something going on.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± I asked, and began frantically putting my clothes on.


    ¡°War.¡± Leo said so calmly, as he buckled his belt, and rolled up his sleeves.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack.¡±


    ¡°From who?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I think we can both take a lucky guess¡­¡±


    The werewolves. My heart began to beat faster knowing that they were here for me.


    ¡°Maybe I should just¡­¡± My voice was shaky.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Up until now, all that was discussed was the possibility. Now, it had be a reality. I don¡¯t like wars. I don¡¯t want a war.


    ¡°The answer¡¯s still no, Andrea.¡±


    Leo sent me a death re that said one thing. I shouldn¡¯t repeat that statement again.


    ¡°Goddess¡­my sisters¡­¡± I whispered, worry seizing my entire being.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be fine. Their security has instructions to send them to the bunker underground the building.¡±


    ¡°What? There¡¯s a ¡­¡±


    My eyes opened in surprise.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s one of the reasons I chose there. That way, I could focus on just you.¡±


    Despite the situation, I stood on my toes, and kissed him. I couldn¡¯t help myself. Leo smiled sadly and kissed me back.


    ¡°I wish this wasn¡¯t happening right now. At least, not afterst night¡­¡± I railed off, letting my words hang in the air,


    I felt heat rise on my cheeks, and I blushed heavily. That seemed to make Leo smile more.


    ¡°Do you feel sore?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Just a little.¡±


    He nodded. Another explosion went off, shaking the treehouse, we barely managed to keep our footing. Leo moved away from me, and looked out the window at the forest. He stood there for a while, and then he came back to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get on my back. I¡¯m running back to the house.¡±


    I nodded, and we both descended from the treehouse, with Leo going first to make sure the coast is clear. As soon as my feet touched the ground, Leo crouched low enough for me to get on his back. I quickly jumped on him, and wrapped my limbs tightly around him. My heart was pounding fast.


    ¡°Hold on tight, okay?¡±


    I nodded, and tightened my fingers on his shirt. When he took off, I had no other choice than to close my eyes. He was so fast, and the wind and leaves and branches were brushing through me with amazing speed. I held on tight and gasped as he cleared through bushes, and jumped over branches. In no time at all, we had scaled the fence of the backyard, and we could see that the house was already surrounded by Vampire soldiers.


    Kitted in armor, and carrying guns that contained silver and wolfs and bullets. I could smell them. They looked deadly. Their eyes were bloodshot red, and they had their fangs elongated. Their gazended on me, and their eyes told me what their mouths couldn¡¯t because I was their leader¡¯s chosen. They med me for disturbing the peace. They med me for causing the first war in ages. And I had no doubt that these people would give me up if given the opportunity. How was I to be princess or queen in such a kingdom? Tears came to my eyes but I quickly blinked them back. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be a crybaby. To be a weakling. I had to be strong.


    Leo set me back down on the floor, and sent a nod of acknowledgment at his soldiers as their bowed their heads and gave their greetings. He took me by the hand, and we hurried into the house, and up to his room. I picked up my phone, and immediately called my sisters but it wouldn¡¯t go through.


    I turned to Leo. Panicking. ¡°I can¡¯t reach them,¡±


    ¡°Perfect. It means they¡¯re already in the bunker. There¡¯s no cell service there. You¡¯ll need a sat phone to phone the number directly. Calm. They¡¯re safe. That¡¯s where we need to get you to.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°What?¡± Leo looked confused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be near them through this. I don¡¯t want them to get hurt.¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°We know that they¡¯re here for me¡­and you too. But I¡¯m an easier target. They don¡¯t really care for my sisters. Putting us together won¡¯t be a good idea.¡±


    Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°You have to be joking¡­¡±


    This man must think I¡¯m crazy, and maybe I am, but I won¡¯t risk their lives by being so close to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Leo¡­¡± My voice broke ¡°I won¡¯t be able to live with myself if anything happens to my sisters because of me. I just won¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Leo pulled me into his arms, and ran his hand through my hair. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡±


    Leo ran his hand through his hair, and despite myself and the situation, I found myself getting wet.


    ¡°First of all. Change. That dress isn¡¯t practical for the situation.¡±


    I nodded and headed for the closet, deciding that a bath right now wasn¡¯t practical either. I quickly changed into a pair of joggers, a sports bra, and arge jacket. I threw my hair up into a rather messy braided pony, wore a pair of ckbat boots, and bounded out of the bathroom to see that Leo was all dressed up in camouge. On the once bare bed were now an assortment of weapons, ranging from big guns to small guns, and knives and grenades. My mouth hung open in surprise.


    ¡°My goodness. You have all these weapons?¡±


    He simply shrugged. ¡°I am amander in the army, and I get to have my own arsenal as the king¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°So¡­you¡¯re fighting with them?¡± I asked, worry seeping into my tone.


    ¡°Andrea. Yes. I have to fight. I can¡¯t send my men and not fight with them. That, and I want a piece of that bastard William.¡±


    William¡¯s name came out of his mouth dripping venom.


    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±


    He gave me a pair of gloves. ¡°Wear them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked as I reluctantly received them and wore them.


    ¡°So you can hold thisfortably.¡±


    He handed me a sheathed dagger, and I eagerly took it, and unsheathed it. It was a silver dagger, and could kill a werewolf.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He nodded, and pointed at my boots.


    ¡°Hide it in your boot.¡±


    I quickly bent down and did that. He handed me another sheathed dagger, and I stuck it in another boot. His phone rang and he answered it. He dropped the phone a few secondster.


    ¡°You know what? Pack a small bag of necessities.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked while simultaneously rushing to the closet to do as he had asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving North America.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°I have a friend on human territory. He will get you to an airport, and on a ne to Moro. You will stay with my cousins there. They¡¯re aware of the arrangement.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry.¡±


    I threw a few clothes, and another pair of shoes, toothbrush, and soap into bag and re-emerged.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Your car is waiting.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s taking me?¡±


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ll drive you to the outskirts of the territory, there¡¯s another set of guards already waiting there for you. And then I¡¯m going to be pce to get briefed.¡±


    ¡°I think you should just go to the pce, and let the guards take me,¡± I said, wanting to be as less of a nuisance as possible.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He picked up his gun and ran took hold of my hand, and we left the room. We stopped by the kitchen, and Leo forced me to stuff some food water in the bag. We got into the car, and Leo insisted I wore my seatbelt.


    ¡°Once we hit the road, keep your eyes shut,¡± Leo instructed.


    I was confused on that directive but I nodded anyway. We hit the road, and I realized why he asked me to keep my eyes shut. The war was in full motion. Vampires were on the defensive. Dead bodies littered everywhere. Fallen buildings, screaming children, and growling warriors. The sounds of howling, and the sounds of gunshots, the smell of silver, and wolfsbane made me shudder.


    ¡°I thought I asked you to close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Look!!!¡±


    A wolf jumped in our path but Leo quickly ran them over with the truck. I could hear the bones break, and I forced my stomach to not empty its contents. Another explosion went off some meters in front of us, and it was apanied by the sound of screaming, and running children. My eyes watered, and guilt settled in. This was my fault, and yet I was safe. Yet, my sisters were safe. But people who had no idea what was going on were suffering the consequences.


    We were nearing the outskirts of the territory. We had cleared the city. Here, the poption was quite small as it was characterized by thick forests on the left and right of the roads. Houses here were quite hard to find. Tears gathered in my eyes, making my vision blurry. I looked in the rear view mirror and gasped as I saw a trucking at us with full speed.


    ¡°Leo!!!¡±


    My warning wasn¡¯t timely enough as the vehicle rammed into us hard, sending the car spiraling till we crashed into the woods. I bumped my head, and thest thing I remember was seeing wolves emerge from the vehicle.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± I whispered as I slid into darkness.

 Chapter Twenty-three

    ANDREA


    ¡°Andrea!!!¡±


    I felt water being sprinkled on my face, and I opened my eyes in panic.


    ¡°Where am¡­¡±


    I gasped and looked out the window to see Leo snap the head of a wolf, and rip it clean off the neck. Once he was done, he looked back at the car.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± He ripped the car door off, and tore out my seatbelt. ¡°How are you, my love?¡±


    I nodded my head. My neck felt sore, but there could have been worse oues.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied.


    Leo wiped my forehead, and I could see blood on his finger.


    ¡°Come on¡­¡± He helped me get out of the car, and held me close to him. ¡°There are definitely more on the way. We need to get you moving.¡±


    I nodded, and took his hand as he began to lead me through the woods. My left leg felt stiff, my knee didn¡¯t have the same range of motion, making us move slow. Carrying me wasn¡¯t an option now.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. We just need to clear this forest, and then you¡¯re safe.¡±


    The words were barely out of his mouth when wolves jumped out of the forest. Four in number, and only one in human form, although he was half shifted.


    ¡°Andrea. You¡¯re such a hard person to pin down,¡± the human said.


    Leo pushed me behind him, and growled at all four of them. We were gravely outnumbered. I knew Leo would try his best to fight them off, but his body would tell the story.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have her.¡±


    The werewolf threw back his head andughed. ¡°We won¡¯t be asking for your permission, your highness.¡±


    He whistled and all three shifted wolves jumped at us at the same time. Forcing I and Leo to separate. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Leo shoot at the first wolf, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on him, as the wolf tore the gun out of his hands. I swallowed saliva, fear oveing my being as one wolf stalked me. From the sheer size, I could tell that this was a female. She growled at me, and approached me slowly. Her eyes hyper focused on me. I kept taking few steps back.


    ¡°Juste with us, Andrea. You know you don¡¯t stand the chance, right.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°No, but the prince will like to. Just imagine, you have two of the most powerful princes in America going to war over you. There must be something,¡± The bastard gasped as though he had forgotten something very important. ¡°Forgive my manners. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Sergio.¡±


    My brows scrunched in confusion. What was I meant to do with that information? I heard a whirring sound, and then a knife got stuck in the neck of the wolf in front of me. She howled in pain, and dropped to the ground. I looked to see that the other two wolves were dead, and it was just Sergio left. I took a deep breath. Leo looked wounded. Sergio looked at the knife embedded in him, and groaned. He took the knife by the handle, and pulled it out. I watched as the skin there began to heal.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that silver?¡±


    ¡°It is actually. But I can¡¯t be out and about revealing the secrets of the pack, now. Can I?¡± Sergio threw the knife at me, and I gasped as it hit the tree right next to my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fucking lucky the prince wants you unharmed,¡± He spat at me with so much venom in his voice.


    ¡°Run, Andrea¡­¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Without thinking, I turned around and did just that. Ignoring the pain in my bones and joints, I ran as fast as my body would allow. I didn¡¯t care that the trees and thorns were brushing me, and drawing blood. All that mattered to me in this instant was for me to get out of there. I knew Leo would get out just fine. Sergio didn¡¯t seem like a good match for Leo.


    I jumped over a fallen tree andnded right in the middle of a muddy puddle. I groaned and dragged myself through the filth, and then used the nearest tree as leverage to get back on my feet. The pain from my leg reverberated through my entire being as I got back on my feet.


    ¡°Fuck!!!¡±


    I began to limp the rest of the way, not even sure of where I was or where I was headed. I just knew that I needed to keep moving.


    ¡°Well, well, well. Look who we have here?¡±


    I froze and slowly turned around. Not believing the voice I heard.


    ¡°Leah¡­¡±


    ¡°In the flesh,¡± she replied.


    She came out of the bushes and stood in front of me. The way she smiled at me made my blood run cold, and sent chills up my spine. This wasn¡¯t going to be good.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Making sure you go back to where you¡¯reing from,¡± She pped her hands, and a wolf emerged from the woods. ¡°You will go with them willingly. I will tell Leo that you had died, and I would be there to tend to his broken heart. In no time, you will be history, and everything would go back to normal.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    I shook my head slowly, tears gathering in my eyes.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Why would you betray your own like this? You¡¯re working with werewolves?¡±


    She simply shrugged, and began to look at her well manicured nails.


    ¡°Well, I guess you could say that desperate problems require desperate solutions. Yes?¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡±


    ¡°Take her, please.¡±


    The wolf lunged at me, hitting my midriff with his big head, and knocked me into the ground. I tried to get up but he bit down on my leg, and pulled me closer. I screamed and began kicking the head with my other leg. He wouldn¡¯t budge. I remembered the knife in my boot, and I quickly pulled it out, and swiped it across his head. The wolf howled in pain, and let go of my leg. He covered his head with his front paws as blood poured out of the sh in buckets. Leah looked at the wolf in disgust, and scoffed.


    ¡°How fucking pathetic. I guess if you want something done, you just have to do it yourself.¡±


    I moved back, as she advanced on me. I crawled back as fast as my injured legs would allow, still clutching my knife to me. Leah grabbed my legs, and pulled me to her rather roughly.


    ¡°Come here, you little bitch¡­¡±


    I swung my hand to strike her with the knife but she caught it midair and bent my wrist. I dropped the knife and screamed in pain as I felt my wrist dislocate.


    ¡°Leo won¡¯t¡­¡± I started.


    She grabbed my neck, and lifted me up until my feet was dangling in the thick forest air. I struggled to breathe.


    ¡°Leo¡­would be just fine without you. You overestimate your importance, little girl.¡±


    She flung me, and I collided with a tree so hard that the air was knocked right out of me. Damn. She was strong. She was very strong. Queen material strong.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on now¡­we shouldn¡¯t keep our guests waiting,¡± she said excitedly.


    She walked over to me, and grabbed my leg again, dragging me behind her with amazing ease. Despite the situation, I was in awe of her strength.


    ¡°And no more shenanigans,¡± She stated firmly.


    She wouldn¡¯t need to worry about that. I doubt that any fight was left in me at this point. Leah dragged me through the woods, and finally into a clearing. I could tell that this was our destination before the attack because I could see the dead bodies of several vampiresying there. Dismembered body parts and blood seeping out of several orifices made me close my eyes, a lone tear sliding out one eye.


    ¡°There you guys are!!!¡± She yelled at the werewolves. ¡°I thought you said you hadpetent soldiers amongst you?¡± She asked mockingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have the girl?¡± Their leader asked,pletely ignoring her jabbing.


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± she replied smugly.


    She flung me at them, and Inded at the feet of their leader with a loud thump, groaning from the pains. ¡°There she is.¡±


    ¡°The king thanks you.¡±


    She waved them off. ¡°There won¡¯t be need for that. He¡¯s also doing me a favor.¡± She smiled sinisterly at me. ¡°Bye, Andrea¡­¡±


    The leader picked me up by my ponytail, and shoved me into the boot of the closest car. He looked at me and shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve caused one hell of a ruckus, girl¡­¡± He scoffed, and mmed the boot shut.


    Darkness enveloped me in the enclosed space, and tears flowed freely from my eyes.


    I could tell that my life was about to get a whole lot worse.

 Chapter Twenty-four

    ANDREA


    ¡°Well, well, well. Look who we have here¡­¡±


    My eyes sprung open, and looked frantically around to identify where I was. I was in a ratherrge, stone walled room, with only a tiny window very close to the roof. The room was bare, with only a mattress ced on the floor at the edge of the room. A toilet was positioned at another edge. And seated by the door was the werewolf prince. I groaned and struggled into a seating position. Every part of my body hurt. I wondered where this was. I have never encountered suck a room cleaning the pce before.


    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± I asked, my voice straining toe out.


    He leaned back in his chair, and smiled. ¡°No, actually. Before, yes, I would have been. Not now, knowing that you¡¯re his mate. Nope. I can do better.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I want his territory. I want everything.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just wait for your own mate? I¡¯m just a fucking omega!!!¡±


    ¡°You will watch your tone with me, Andrea. It seems the short time you spent away from this pce, you lost your manners¡­and you¡¯ve forgotten whom you¡¯re speaking to.¡± He began tapping his fingers on the armrest. ¡°Anyways, to answer your question. My mate is dead¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! You found her?!¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, I did. She was a vampire.¡±


    My eyes and mouth opened in shock. ¡°The moon goddess is out here ying tricks on us, yes. The vampire king found out about her being my mate, and killed her.¡±


    ¡°My goddess¡­¡±


    William threw back his head andughed.


    ¡°Oh, you thought this was all about you?¡± Heughed again. ¡°I¡¯m going to make his son feel the same pain I felt, and then I¡¯ll take his throne from him.¡±


    ¡°The vampires are very strong.¡±


    ¡°So are we, sweetheart. Its going to be like taking candy from a child because, well¡­Leah.¡±


    My blood ran cold.


    ¡°Surely, she isn¡¯t in support of you destroying vampire territory¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, what she knows won¡¯t kill her, would it? To the best of her knowledge, I¡¯m just going to keep up the fight for a week, and then retreat. Leave the vampires to lick their wounds. Leo won¡¯t go to war because daddy dearest won¡¯t send his troops with him. And she gets to be Queen.¡±


    ¡°So, she doesn¡¯t know you n to take it all then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course not. If she did, she wouldn¡¯t have given us the security n to the territory.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    ¡°I really liked you, Andrea,¡± William continued.


    ¡°You really liked all the maids,¡± I countered.


    He nodded. ¡°I did. Each of you had their own spice. But you, sweetheart. You are quite different. I didn¡¯t just want you for the night, I wanted you forever. And the fact that you would reject me for that blood sucking, dirty, little shit¡­how dare you?!¡±


    His eyes had changed color, a sign that his wolf was just as angry and ready to make an appearance.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing. For now. I can smell him on you¡­¡± He scrunched his nose. ¡°You will remain here for now. Till I decide what to do with you¡­¡±


    ¡°When will you let me go?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Never,¡± He got up from his seat, and banged on the metal door. ¡°Enjoy your new lodgings. I understand that it might not be up to the standards of what you¡¯re used to. But I¡¯m sure you can manage¡­¡±


    The door opened and heughed his way out, and I could still hear him even after the door had been closed. I reached for the knife in my boot, and realized that it wasn¡¯t there. Of course, they would take it out. What was I expecting? I sighed, and raised my knees to my chest, and wrapped my hands around mygs. I stayed that way thinking of every possible scenario and all the ways that this could end while tears fell from my eyes. I stayed that way until my room became so dark that I couldn¡¯t see my fingers in front of my face.


    I crawled around the room until I found the mattress, and then Iy on it. The mattress was very hard, but at least it was better than the stone floors. My body still hurt. I would just have to wear the pain out. I reached down and touched my ankle, instantly flinching as the pain reverberated through me. My midriff still hurt from where the wolf had pushed me down, and my head still hurt from the ident. I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep, something told me that I¡¯d be needing all the rest that I could get. But I couldn¡¯t sleep. Images of Leo fighting, and of Leah came unbidden to my head. I worried for him. I wondered if he was okay. If he had vested Sergio in that fight. If he was alive, and well. I wondered if he missed me.


    By now he definitely knew that I didn¡¯t get to the designated location. I wondered if he had begun looking for me. Or if Leah told him that I was dead. Maybe she would say that she had seen me get torn to pieces by the wolves, and my parts swallowed down. Maybe she would try to pint herself as the hero and say that she had tried to save me, but was toote. I wondered if Leo would give in to her. If he would see through her lies. I cried myself to sleep and with my mind filled with events and possibilities. I just want to be happy.


    Judging by the number of times the sun had risen and fallen, I think I¡¯ve been here for about a week. I felt very weak. My body still hurt as there wasn¡¯t any proper care being given to it, and I¡¯ve not had anything to eat or drink. My throat was patched and I felt drained. I heard the door unlock, and looked to see thest person I wanted to see.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Savannah sauntered in, chewing loudly on a piece of gum, and holding a tray of food in her hand.


    The smell of chicken drifted into my nostrils and my stomach growled.


    ¡°Oh, the little bitch is awake!!!¡±


    Her voice was too loud and shrill for my sensitive ears. I sat up on the bed, waiting for her to drop the food.


    ¡°Savannah¡­¡±


    She stood over me, and looked around the room, and then she scoffed.


    ¡°Look where you ended up. You always thought you were better than us. You always felt you were too good to be among us.¡±


    ¡°I never thought that, Savannah.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you did.¡± She bent low and blew a bubble in my face. ¡°Now look where thatnded you, huh. The audacity to think that you could bag a prince. You couldn¡¯t even choose the right prince, you had to go for that¡­¡±


    Her face scrunched in disgust, and she dropped the tray of food carelessly on the floor, causing water to spill out of the cup. Thankfully, the tes of food were wrapped with stic food wrap.


    ¡°Anyways, that¡¯s your food. You¡¯re lucky the prince is a nice person. If it were me, I would make you starve to death!!!¡±


    She took the gum out of her mouth, and stuck it on my tray. My stomach churned, and I would have thrown up if there was anything in my body toe up. I took the stic tes out of the tray, and immediately dug in. I didn¡¯t know when next they nned to feed me so I saved some of the chicken, and wrapped it in some of the stic food wrap, and hid it under my mattress. I would save it for tomorrow.


    Savannah returned and took away the tes, making sure to remind me that I was in a disadvantaged position, and she was fucking the Prince, and was the one calling the shots now. Weeks turned into a month, and then some weeks, and my anxiety only got worse. Fear and worry settled in, and nibbled at my soul. I worried about Leo. Was he safe? Were my sisters safe? Even despite questioning myself, I knew that my sisters were in good hands. He would care for them.


    Iy down and held my grumbling tummy. Food only came in once a week. Sometimes big portions, and I was able to save some to tide me over on other days. Sometimes, very little portions that it was barely beeping to fill me.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I swore, and looked at the stone ceiling, saying a silent prayer to the moon goddess. Begging her to save me from this predicament.


    The door opened, and I sat up as the smell of food hit my nostrils. Prince William came in with a tray bnced on one hand. He stood there and we regarded each other as the door closed and locked behind him. Why was he the one brining the food?


    ¡°Because I am the prince and I can do whatever I want.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I had said that out loud.


    He took slow, purposeful strides towards me, and I instinctively began to move back until my back hit the wall, and I realized how stupid running was. He settled the tray on the floor, and sat on the mattress next to me. His strong cologne hitting my nostrils, making my stomach churn even more.


    ¡°You must be very hungry. Eat,¡± he said.


    I moved closer to the edge of the bed and quickly unwrapped the food. It was a ratherrge portion, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to save any because he was watching me eat. I feared that if he saw me save some, the portions would reduce drastically. I tore into the food, and was done in no time. I gulped down the water, draining every drop, and sighed in satisfaction. William had sat there and watched me eat the whole time, and now he was looking at me with a small smile.


    I shifted ufortably. ¡°What?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡± I was very confused.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He continued staring at me, and I decided toy down on the mattress. My eyes on him. His smile disappeared and was soon reced with a frown. I sat up slowly, and loved to the edge of the mattress.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why am I hearing two heartbeats?!¡± He asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Maybe because we¡¯re two in this room¡­¡±


    I mean, that seemed pretty clear to me.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s from you!!!¡± He moved closer to me, and I moved further back, but he grabbed my leg and pulled me closer to him. ¡°Hold still!!!¡±


    My heart began to beat a fast, unsteady rhythm in my chest. What was wrong with this man? He lowered his head slowly to my tummy, and put his head against my body. He held this position for a few seconds, and then he began growling. I moved away from him as much as his grip on my leg would allow.


    ¡°You fucking bitch!!¡±


    He raised his other hand, and pped me across my face. I screamed, the force of the p sending me into the hard mattress. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant!!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!!!¡± I denied. How could I be? Leo and I¡­


    My eyes widened in shock. Was it possible that our one night or hot passion had resulted in a baby? Still, I didn¡¯t believe it. I mean, the source of this information was William. This man wasn¡¯t normal in the head.


    ¡°You fucked him, didn¡¯t you? You fucking slut!!!¡±


    He stood from the bed, and kicked the tray into the wall. I gently touched my stomach, and felt warmth in my heart. If there was a baby there -which I honestly hoped was false- it would be a child that I and Leo created out of love, and it would be my responsibility to get this child out of here safe and sound. William screamed and growled for almost and hour, and then with onest disdainful look at me, he left.


    It made me wonder, was his obsession with me solely because Leo had killed his mate?

 Chapter Twenty-five

    ANDREA


    Two months turned into three months, and then into four months. There¡¯s a saying that hassted for many generations. It says ¡®Time will tell¡¯. And time really did tell. I started showing after the second month, and by then it was sure that I was in fact pregnant. I haven¡¯t seen William since his outburst a few months ago, and somehow it worried me a little. What was he doing? Something told me his silence wasn¡¯t a good one.


    The door opened, and Savannah came in with my tray of food. Despite being pregnant, my portion of food hadn¡¯t increased, neither had the number of times I was fed. It was still the same portions once a week.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought your meal, you vampire cum bucket!!!¡±


    She announced to the whole world as she dropped my tray on the floor, doing her signature move and sticking her chewing gum on the tray. I remained silent and waited for her to leave. These days, I only had energy to simply exist, and not get into fights.


    As I ate, I wondered about a few things. Like when the baby would be due. I was an omega, and I carried to nine months like a regr human. But Leo was vampire, and not just any vampire but a royal, and vampires babies were already fully developed at five months. I was already at four months, and I was quite swollen. I wondered if it would be a boy or a girl. I wondered if William would take this child away from me if I gave birth here. I wondered if he would kill my baby just for the fun of it. I wondered if I would be getting a midwife at the very least, or if I would be left to tough it out on my own.


    I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, clearing my head. I rubbed my tummy lovingly. I had felt his first movement yesterday. For some reason, I just felt that he was a boy. Iy back on the bed, making sure toy in my side. Every time Iy on my back, I always woke up with the worst type or pain. Savannah returned, and I pretended to be asleep until she left. I didn¡¯t have the energy to cater to her shenanigans. Soon light stoppeding in through the tiny window, and I could tell that it was night.


    The night was unusually quiet, if I didn¡¯t know better, I would say that the guards stationed outside my door had retired for the night. I still remember the night I had attempted to escape. That didn¡¯t end well. The second my hand touched the door, it had opened and I had received a p on my cheek that sent me flying back, and went back to bed. Now, I just waited for some miracle intervention. The night progressed, and yet I couldn¡¯t sleep. I was rested, but sleep wasn¡¯ting. I heard a soft thump outside my door, and almost immediately another one followed. I strained my ears and listened intently, and when I heard no other noise, I rxed. Maybe the guards had dropped a bag or something.


    I heard the unmistakable jingle of keys, and sat up slowly on the bed. I heard the keys get inserted into the several locks and soon my door came open. My heart was filled with dness, unadulterated joy when Leo and Leopold came in through the door.


    ¡°My love¡­¡± Leo whispered as he walked over to me, and hugged me tightly.


    I gasped in pain, and he pulled away immediately.


    ¡°Be careful¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I nodded, and looked down at my tummy. His eyes followed mine, and they opened wide.


    Leopold¡¯s mouth opened in shock. ¡°You¡¯re¡­pregnant¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s mine¡­¡± Leopold said, giggling in excitement.


    Leo leaned down, and kissed me on my lips, his tongue tangling in mine. I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck, and pulled him closer.


    ¡°Um, guys. I¡¯m right here, and we do not have the time for this,¡± Leopold said from the door.


    We broke away breathing out, and a lone tear fell from my eyes. Leo wiped it away.


    ¡°No need for tears, love,¡± Leonidas said.


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you.¡± I looked up at Leopold. ¡°And you too.¡±


    He waved me off, but I could see his cheeks turn a little pink.


    ¡°Come on¡­we need to get you out of here¡­¡±


    I nodded, and Leo helped me get to my feet. I walked silently behind them with both Leo and Leopold leading in the front. We went down a couple of stairs, and everywhere we turned, there was the body of a dead guard with blood pouring out. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. Now wasn¡¯t the time for theatrics. We finally made it out of the pce through the back door, and we¡¯re already at the edge of the forest when we heard a loud, soul-piercing scream.


    ¡°She¡¯s getting away!!!¡± And of course, it was Savannah.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    My heart began to beat faster as panic began to set in.


    ¡°Calm down. A lot of their wolves are dead, they don¡¯t have much here presently toe after us with. There¡¯s a vehicle waiting for us on the other side. We just need to get there, Leopold said.


    We continued into the forest, walking faster and faster. Almost running. I began feeling some pressure in my lower back, and some pain in my lower abdomen, but I was determined to ignore it. We walked for a while, and then we heard the howling of wolves, and thundering of paws, and feet.


    ¡°Fuck!!!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­we need to keep going¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± I whispered, tears gathering in my eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leo asked.


    Another pain hit me in my lower abdomen, and the pressure in my back increased, forcing me to buckle to my knees.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Leo helped me get back up on my feet, and was staring at the floor in shock. Same as Leopold.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    I looked down, and saw blood flowing on the floor. I looked around and saw that it wasing from me. I extended the helm of my joggers, and looked down to see that I was bleeding.


    ¡°Oh my goddess!!!¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± Leonidas hushed me. ¡°I think our baby is on the way, love¡­¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s only being four months.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yet here we are. We need to find a safe ce.¡±


    ¡°I found a cave thest time I came scouting.¡± Leopold said.


    Leonidas nodded, flinging my right hand over his shoulder, and his other hand around my waist.


    ¡°Take us there.¡±


    As we approached the cave in the woods, the entrance of the cave is surrounded by soft, green grasses which seem to the thriving. Long rope like nts covered the mouth of the cave, providing a curtain of sorts. Leopold moved the nts to the side, and we entered the cave. Holding on to the walls so as not to miss our footing. Navigating the darkness wasn¡¯t a difficulty for us as we were already gically equipped to handle vision in the darkness, and we could see that the cave¡¯s interior is unlike any I¡¯ve seen before. I couldn¡¯t believe I had loved all my lives in this territory, and only now discovering the existence of such a beautiful ce.


    I know for a fact that my sisters and I would have enjoyed several adventures here. We moved deeper into the cave, and saw that the floor was covered in a softyer of grasses which provided a cushioned surface. We moved deeper and finally decided that we were safe enough. The air in the cave was cold and fresh, with a hint of earthinessing from the damp soil beneath the grasses.


    ¡°Come on¡­¡±


    I held on to the wall for support as Leo gently lowered me to the floor till I was somewhatfortably seated on the grasses. I couldn¡¯t believe that this child chose now of all times toe. I gasped as another contraction hit me, this one more painful than the other ones.


    ¡°What are we going to do, Leo?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to deliver our baby,¡± Leonidas replied.


    My eyes opened in fear and shock.


    ¡°What?! Where is the doctor?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    ¡°Leo, not is not the time to joke,¡± I could feel my temper rising.


    ¡°He¡¯s not joking. He¡¯s actually a doctor. Stopped practicing some few years ago,¡± Leopold said.


    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡± I whispered to myself.


    Leo simply smiled at my and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be easy, my love. Blood is not a good sign, and this baby ising prematurely. But we need to get this baby out of you now, okay?¡±


    I nodded slowly. I didn¡¯t have a choice. Besides, I trusted this man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll scan the perimeter and make sure to lead them away,¡± Leopold said, moving to the mouth of the cave. ¡°You better make sure that our newest addition makes it here fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay, brother.¡±


    We both watched as Leopold crouched low, and exited the cave, and then Leo returned his attention to me.


    ¡°Babe, we need to get these off.¡±


    He yanked on my joggers. I nodder and lifted my hips as much as my swollen stomach would allow, and let him pull the joggers off. He then ced it under my hips for me to sit on.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t even give you a change of clothes¡­the bastards.¡±


    I was still in the same clothes that I wore when I was kidnapped and brought here.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I reassured Leo.


    It wasn¡¯t actually okay, but right now we had bigger fish to fry, and that was a baby trying to push itself out of my vagina. Leo spread my legs and swore.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This is going to be a tricky birth. Shit, why didn¡¯t I think of this?¡± He muttered to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re omega, and I¡¯m a royal vampire.¡±


    ¡°I am quite aware of that.¡±


    ¡°Your body. It¡¯s not strong enough for you to push this child out. This child is already feeding on your life force. He¡¯s going to use up more of it toe out.¡±


    My heart fell into my stomach.


    ¡°What can be done?¡±


    I groaned as the strongest contraction hit me, and I instinctively began pushing the baby out. I was gasping and sweating and gnashing my teeth, and it was just the first push.


    ¡°Come on, you can do it¡­¡± Leo whispered, his head between my legs, and his hands ready to receive our child.


    At some point, it seemed that I had been pushing for hours, and the child wasn¡¯t forting. I was tired. I was exhausted, and I couldn¡¯t do it anymore.


    ¡°Leo, I can¡¯t¡­¡± I whispered to him, shaking my head and tears rolling freely down my cheeks.


    ¡°You can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    He took a deep breath, and said something under his breath.


    ¡°I need to bite you.¡±


    ¡°Mark me?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Okay. Do it.¡±


    ¡°It has its own dangers.¡±


    ¡°Like what?! What could be more dangerous than this?¡±


    ¡°You could actually die.¡±


    I scoffed, and rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not looking like I¡¯m going to survive this one!!!¡±


    With the way I was screaming, I was surprised that no one hade in here yet. Leopold must be really doing a good job.


    ¡°No. One of the reasons I hadn¡¯t marked you before was Leah,¡± Leo said.


    That bitch.


    ¡°The second was that my venom could kill you. You¡¯re an Omega, your body isn¡¯t, well¡­It might go the wrong way. And coupled with this¡­¡±


    ¡°If you mark me, is there a chance of this babying out?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then do it,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°I fucking said you should do it!!!¡± I screamed as another painful contraction hit me.


    Leo sighed, and came closer to me till we both shared the same breath. In the darkness, I could see his fangs elongated, and his eyes that shone in the dark. He gave me a soft kiss on my cheek, and began kissing my neck. He ced soft, light kisses from the back of my ear, down until he got to the middle, and then without any preamble, he bit down on my neck. I was caught between shock and pain, and I just sat there, scratching Leo¡¯s back, confused at what I was feeling. It was a near orgasmic experience, and at the same time it was too painful to be pleasurable, I could feel his venom course through me, and I groaned as it felt as though hot lead was melted into my bloodstreams. It became a struggle to stay awake.


    ¡°Hey¡­stay with me. It¡¯s okay,¡± Leo said, gently tapping my face to stop me from passing out. Thebined pain was too much.


    I began to take deep, calming breaths, and it took a while but my body adjusted. By the time I opened my eyes, my vision had sharpened, and I felt stronger. There was renewed energy in me.


    ¡°You feel it, huh?¡± He asked.


    I smiled and nodded. ¡°Andrea!!!¡±


    A loud scream tore through the forest. And it was William. I gasped and fear filled me. What were we going to do?


    ¡°I can smell you¡­and that little brat you¡¯re about to bring into this world!!!¡±


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, Leopold would take care of him.¡±


    William was silent for a while, and just when another contraction hit, we saw his silhouette at the mouth of the cave.


    ¡°Gotcha!!!¡±


    Fuck!!!

 Chapter Twenty-six

    ANDREA


    William took a few steps into the cave and was tackled to the ground by a bloodied Leopold. I screamed as another contraction hit me. But this time, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just pushing the baby that was making me scream. Or if it was abination of the baby and my frustration at the entire situation.


    ¡°Come on, baby¡­¡±


    ¡°But Leopold¡­¡±


    I said between pants.


    ¡°He¡¯s a big boy, he can take care of himself. Now push!!!¡±


    I took a deep breath; and have one strong push, and was finally rewarded with the loud cry of a baby. He slid right out of me, and into his father¡¯s arms. Leo sighed, and began tough.


    ¡°We have a boy¡­¡±


    I smiled, and nodded. Tears of anguish and joy dropping from my eyes.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± I said as my eyes drifted close, and all strength left me.


    As I slipped into a peaceful sleep, I could hear Leo¡¯s voice calling me toe back.


    I woke up to a warm body next to mine, and soft kisses being ced on my cheeks, and forehead. I subconsciously shifted closer to the warm body, and sighed.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± I smiled and lifted my head.


    ¡°Hi¡­¡±


    Leo leaned his head down and kissed me. We were interrupted by the sound of our baby crying, and Leo immediately jumped from the bed, and hurried to the crib that was in the corner of the room. I looked around the room and everything looked strange to me. I tried getting out of the bed, but Leo stopped me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of this bed. Doctor¡¯s orders.¡± I sighed and fell back down on the bed.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked Leo as he settled our son into my arms.


    I pulled out my breast, and I smiled as he immediatelytched on to my nipple. It all seemed so natural to me.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the pce. I brought you back here after that night,¡± Leo replied.


    My eyes opened wide in fear and panic. ¡°Why? You know your father hates me¡­and what do you mean by ¡®that night¡¯? How long have I been here?¡± Leo shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out for about a week.¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    My scream seemed to startle my baby, as he utched his Louth from my nipple and began to cry. I hushed him, and rocked him till he calmed down enough to return to feeding.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My father understands. In fact, he wants to meet you again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± I was genuinely confused.


    ¡°He wanted to carry his grandchild, and I told him he cannot do that if he isn¡¯t at peace with the mother,¡± Leo said.


    ¡°What? He no longer wants Leah?!¡± I gasped as I remembered Leah. ¡°Oh my goodness, she¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out what had happened when I got to there and she was the only one standing, but all the strongest men were dead. Not a single scratch.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°But I kind of see why your father wanted her as queen though. She is quite strong.¡±


    Leo shrugged. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    ¡°What does matter to you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You. Our baby. Us. The second I found that you were captured by the wolves, I discovered that I would give up my crown of it came to it.¡±


    I looked at him. Truly looked at him, searching his eyes to see if he was telling the truth, and I blushed when I saw that he was in fact truthful.


    My cheeks heated up with his deration of love. ¡°Stop¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. And I want you to know that now. If it came to it, it¡¯s not going to be apetition. I will always choose you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice to know.¡±


    We sat in quietness for a while, both of us basking in the warmth of having overcame one of the most difficult moments of our love story. And then William came to mind.


    ¡°William?¡±


    ¡°Leopold took care of him. I told you he was a big boy.¡±


    I could easily pick up the pride in his voice.


    ¡°Is he¡­did he kill him?¡±


    ¡°Nope. That would have been an easy way out for all the trouble he has caused us.¡±


    I remained quiet, waiting for him to continue. I sighed in frustration when I had to urge him to continue going.


    ¡°And?!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and he¡¯s currently in the dungeons, reliving the same treatment that he had given to you, even in your pregnant state.¡±


    ¡°I like that¡­and Leah?¡±


    ¡°She has been shipped back to her family in Australia. She is banned from setting foot here, and the best part? The contract is annulled,¡± Leo said.


    I smiled widely. Even though I didn¡¯t understand it, I was happy that the contract no longer existed.


    ¡°I love that¡­¡±


    We bothughed at the misfortune of our enemies, and the happiness that the news was giving us. And then I remembered what William told me.


    ¡°Did you kill William¡¯s mate?¡±


    Leo froze, and his eyes widened in shock. He stared at me for a while, not doing anything, and then he cleared his throat and moved away from me.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t named our baby yet, you know,¡± Leo said.


    I scoffed at hisme attempt to digress.


    ¡°Yes, I am aware of that. But that wasn¡¯t what I asked you. We cane back to thatter. Did you kill William¡¯s mate?¡±


    He sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. He has grown a beard in the one week that I was cked out, and j couldn¡¯t even lie. It was one helluva distraction.


    ¡°Yes. I did. But it isn¡¯t how you¡¯re thinking it.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not thinking anything. I just want to hear your side of the story.¡±


    He sighed again, and ran his hands though his hair again. ¡°Her name was Celine. She was a vampire.¡±


    ¡°He told me that much,¡± I replied.


    He gave me a look, and I pinned my lips with my fingers.


    ¡°Sorry¡­carry on¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, she was a vampire, and somehow she and William met and found they were mates. She didn¡¯t tell us, despite the fact that we were more or less family to her. My father raised her as his own, and we grew up with her ying with us.¡±


    He was quiet for a while his eyes telling me that his mind had left his body. He was staring into space. Looking but now focusing.


    ¡°And what happened?¡± I asked softly, and began ying with the hairs at the male of his neck.


    He sighed, and leaned into my touch. ¡°She started avoiding us somewhat. Hidden calls. Hidden texts. She started spending more time outside than inside. I and Leopold were worried for her. We suspected that there was a man behind the behavior, we just didn¡¯t think that that man was William.¡±


    He took our son from me, and gently cradled him in his arms. I smiled as our baby cooed, and closed his eyes. He was so gentle with him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The secrecy was bing too much, and it got to a point that she was almost bing paranoid. I and Leopold decided that we needed to intervene. We searched her room, and nothing prepared us for what we saw.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± My curiosity piqued.


    ¡°Cocaine.¡±


    ¡°But that couldn¡¯t have hurt her. She¡¯s a¡­¡±


    ¡°Mixed with silver and wolfsbane.¡± Leo deadpanned.


    I gaped, my hand going over my mouth. ¡°Was it William that gave it to her?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He confessed to it at the time. He wasn¡¯t remorseful, and that was what hurt me. Have you ever had to watch the one you love turn into a shadow of themselves and not being able to do anything about it because they chose the path themselves?¡± He asked.


    I nodded, even though I haven¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want him to feel alone.


    ¡°She was imbibing¡­substances. We were trying our best to keep the news away from our father, and see how we could pull her out. She wasn¡¯t listening to reason. We kept an eye on her. Shit got out of hand the day she tried to kill us all.¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡± I sat upright on the bed. ¡°Is the mate bond that strong?¡±


    Leo cocked an eyebrow and looked at me. I blushed, and nodded.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°It is¡­noted.¡± I replied.


    He chuckled, and continued his story.


    ¡°She came down to dinner one night armed with guns. She fired at everyone. Thankfully, she¡¯s got terrible aim so the bullets hit our arms, legs, and no vitals. The guards heard it and came in. One managed to get behind her and snap her neck.¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­how did you find out he asked her to do it?¡±


    ¡°We searched her phone after the incident, and found chats of them nning to kill us and all that. It was meant to be a simple n. She walks in with guns. We would be sitting ducks. We would die. They attack and take the territory.¡±


    I was shocked. These people have wanted theirnds for a long while. All that nning and plotting for all those years. They saw an opportunity in me and took it.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s  how she died,¡± I said. ¡°But you didn¡¯t kill her.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. But it feels like I did. If only I had¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­no. All of us here know that nothing could have been done at that point. She had chosen her path, and she had walked it to the end.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how mates are so rare, and yet when we get them, there¡¯s always so much drama and fighting,¡± I said.


    Leo smiled sadly, and pulled me closer to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s really sad.¡±


    ¡°What about the war?¡± I asked.


    Leoughed. ¡°That¡¯s up to his father. We already sent word to him to withdraw his troops and show up at the council next meeting, or we won¡¯t have any choice but to send his son¡¯s corpse to him.¡±


    I leaned in and kissed him. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, my darling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too. You have no idea.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-seven

    ANDREA


    Time seemed to fly by here, or maybe it was just because I was a nursing mother on bed rest. But the best news I got all month was when we got word from the werewolf pce that they were withdrawing their troops and ending the war, on the condition that William is returned. Leo was all too happy to oblige. Seems he had had his fill of torturing and starving William. I watched from my spot on the window as William was forced into the backseat of a vehicle looking like a malnourished teenager. Even though the sight was a bit disturbing, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. He looked so tiny. So helpless. Iughed so hard that tears began to fall from my eyes.


    I looked to the door as it opened, and smiled widely when Leo stepped through with my sisters in tow. They more or less jumped on me when they saw me, and we all fell to the ground. I didn¡¯t mind it. I was just as happy to see them.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you¡­¡± Stacy muttered against my ear, and I could feel her wet face in mine, telling me that she had been crying.


    ¡°C¡¯mon girls. Let thedy up,¡± Leo said.


    They got off me, and pulled me to my feet, and then hugged me again.


    ¡°We were so afraid, Andrea¡­¡± Tracy piped.


    Sobs racking her body. I gently rubbed their backs, trying tofort them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m here now. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    They both nodded. We remained in that position for a while, and then finally the girls pulled away, and ran to Leovanni¡¯s crib.


    Yes. We had named him Leo as well. I find that I liked the idea of all first sons answering the same name, or variations of it, and I wanted to make it a tradition. And so we had named him Leovanni Greg Grayson. But we just called him Vanni. There were enough Leo¡¯s running around already. I sat on the bed, and watched as my Stacy gently lifted him from his crib, and rocked him. Although he was asleep, and I would most likely appreciate they leave him alone, it was a precious sight to see. Leo sat on the bed next to me, and nuzzled his head in my neck.


    ¡°How are you, my love?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°Happy,¡± I replied.


    And truly, I was happy.


    ¡°I have news for you¡­¡±


    I turned my head around to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You might not like it¡­¡±


    I gave him a resigned look. He shook his head and kissed me.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°But I would love for you to give it a chance. It would really mean a lot to me.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Leo sighed. ¡°My father wants to meet you¡­and the baby¡­¡±


    I moved away from him. Maybe it¡¯s childish of me, but I was still carrying grudges from thest time we met. I haven¡¯t forgotten how I was treated.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Babe¡­¡±


    ¡°So, now he wants to meet me because he now has a grandchild?¡±


    Leo opened his mouth to speak, and then seeing as there was no sensible defense for his father, he closed it and sighed.


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be like thest time, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t. There¡¯s no Leah to try and rece me.¡±


    Leo chuckled, and wrapped his hands around me, pulling me to him. ¡°I  know. She¡¯s far away now¡­which is why I¡¯m saying it won¡¯t be like thest time. If he makes any snide remarks, we leave. If he acts out of turn, we leave.¡±


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°Thing is we would still need to see him, about our marking ceremony¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already marked me,¡± I answered defensively.


    ¡°Yes, but you haven¡¯t marked me. And that wasn¡¯t the proper way to do it,¡± He kissed the mark on my neck, and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t look very pretty¡­¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Hey!!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­sorry¡­my goodness¡­¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him.


    ¡°Please, Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°You should go and see him¡­¡±


    I looked up to see that Stacy was the one who spoke. I had almost forgotten they were there.


    ¡°He¡¯s a really nice man,¡± Tracy added.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked with raised brow. The girls nodded and continued. ¡°And how do you guys know that?¡±


    Tracy smiled brightly. ¡°He takes us shopping.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and he took us to the amusement park, and the museum. And so many fun ces,¡± Stacy added.


    ¡°So, you two are trading me in for a fun time?¡±


    They both nodded, and looked away.


    I fake gasped, and held my hand to my chest. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡±


    Leoughed. ¡°C¡¯mon, darling.¡±


    I sighed, and nodded. ¡°When does he want to see me?¡±


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± he replied.


    ¡°What are we going to do about Leovanni?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Bring him with us. My father has already put together a small group of five nannies for him.¡±


    My eyes opened wide in shock.


    ¡°Yes. That was my expression too. But I refused their services for now. You¡¯d dictate how this  will go. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Leo kissed me. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell him. Thank you. Very much.¡±


    He left the room and I fell back on the bed. Leovanni had woken up and my sisters sat on the floor, blowing raspberries at him as he sat in theirp.


    ¡°So, you guys are saying that he¡¯s a nice man?¡± I asked.


    They both smiled widely at me and nodded. Lucky them, they didn¡¯t get to meet the bitch king that I had met. I sighed and rolled over to my side, facing away from my sisters, and staring at the open window.


    I hope that this goes well.


    I got dressed in a simple jeans, and a satin button down shirt, and threw my hair into a bun. I wasn¡¯t dressing to impress, and honestly I didn¡¯t care if he liked me or not. I¡¯ve been through too much to care about that. Leo held our son in his hands, and led the way to his fathers chambers where we were having dinner. My mouth opened in awe as we stepped into the grandeur that was his reception room. The room was decorated with fine tapestries, exquisite and antique paintings and sculptures. It was like the perfect cross between medieval and modern.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°I see you like it.¡±


    I heard the door open and the king emerged from what I can only assume to be his private chambers.


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely,¡± I replied.


    The king smiled, the lines around his eyes crinkling. ¡°Thank you. Leo¡¯s mother did the decorations. She always had an eye for beautiful things.¡±


    He walked to us, and stood in front of me. Leovanni cooed in his father¡¯s arms, and I watched the king as his gaze fell on my son and softened. It made me smile a little.


    ¡°You can hold him if you want¡­¡± I said.


    Two pairs of shocked stares fell on me, and it was then I realized I was the one who spoke. I swallowed and smiled. I mean, what could it hurt? It wouldn¡¯t be fare to allow my grievances be in the middle of this.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s your grandson.¡±


    He smiled widely, and I watched as my son was carefully transferred from father to grandfather. Leovanni cooed again, and his grandfather smiled. It took my son just a few seconds to wrap the powerful vampire king around his fingers.


    ¡°Come. Sit,¡±


    He said, while his eyes stayed glued to his grandchild. We walked to what seemed to be a dining section. We settled, and once the food was dishes, the staff were asked to return in thirty minutes. That seemed like an odd request to me, because we definitely weren¡¯t going to be done in thirty minutes. The clinking of silverware filled the room as we all enjoyed our meal, and the good wine. There was a certain tension in the air, but everyone carried on like there wasn¡¯t. Leovanni had been ced in a ratherrge crib that was positioned in a he corner of the reception. He seemed content to kick his feet andugh at himself. Finally, his majesty decided to bring everyone out of their misery, and cleared his throat. Both I and Leo stopped eating to look at him. He took a deep breath and released this slowly. I could tell that this -making peace- wasn¡¯t his forte.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    My heart skipped a beat when he called my name. I have been waiting for this moment. Now, it was here, and my tongue was tied.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I answered.


    ¡°I owe you an apology for the way I treated you when you first arrived on my territory. I said a lot of things about you and acted in ways that were meant to ridicule you. These are actions that I have nowe to regret,¡± the king said.


    I gently ced my fork down on my te, and intertwined my fingers. This moment felt a bit too solemn than I would have liked.


    ¡°I know I haven¡¯t been the easiest person around, and I want to let you know that I am deeply sorry about that,¡± the king continued.


    For some odd reason, tears gathered in my eyes. Beforeing here, I had wanted to have a good impression on him. But he already had his mind made up about me before he even saw me. Hearing him apologize felt surreal. Like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.


    I nodded slightly. ¡°I appreciate that, your majesty,¡± I answered.


    He smiled. ¡°And I would love to be a grandfather to your son¡­and if it pleases you, a father to you too.¡±


    I smiled widely, I couldn¡¯t help it. He smiled too.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, your majesty.¡±


    We both smiled at each other, and I felt an immense warmth and relief spread through me. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to repair the damage that has been done but at least now we could start afresh. And that was a step in the right direction. One that was needed for Leovanni to grow in a conducive family unit.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not enough, but I would love to make it up to you. I have a gift for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really necessary¡­¡±


    I began to protest. It he waved me off.


    ¡°It is,¡± he answered simply.


    He put his hand in his robe, and pulled out a jeweler¡¯s box, handing it over to me.


    ¡°It was my wife¡¯s favorite jewelry. And I know for a fact that she would want you to have it¡­¡± He said.


    I gently opened the box. Insidey one of the most simple, and yet exquisitely beautiful ne that I have ever seen. It was an emerald and Diamond ne that seemed to match the ring that Leo had given me.


    ¡°I saw that Leo had already given you the ring, and thought toplete the set,¡± the king said.


    I smiled at him, tears flowing freely from my eyes now. ¡°Thank you so much¡­¡±


    He nodded, and smiled widely at me. The rest of the night went so beautifully that I couldn¡¯t believe k had thought about not epting his invitation.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.

 Chapter Twenty-eight

    ANDREA


    ¡°Thank you so much foring.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as yet another dignitary hade to me to make their presence known. How had I gotten myself into this mess? His majesty had insisted that his grandson must have a befitting naming ceremony, and had proceeded to throw the most extravagant party in the history of parties. He wanted the same thing done for my marking ceremony but I had managed to convince him to let I and Leo do that for ourselves. After all, I was already marked.


    Leovanni was in the able arms of one of his nannies. At this point, it was as if his majesty was more excited to be a grandfather than I and Leo were to be parents. If his nanny wasn¡¯t carry him, he was. And he wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch him. Thankfully. He was already fiercely protective of the boy. My sisters were off to the side flirting heavily with the guests, and having the time of their lives. I wanted to scold them about their behavior and decided against it. It was a one time thing, let them enjoy themselves.


    This must seem like a dream to them. After all, there was a time when they were kept under wraps in a penthouse, and had to be homeschooled because we feared the reaction of vampires to our presence on our territory. With the arrival of Leovanni, I see that a lot of things have changed. Feeling suffocated in the hall, I sneakily took my exit, weaving my way through the giant halls of the pce until I found a terrace.


    I sighed in relief as the cool evening air hit my face. I walked to the edge, and tested my hands on the stone railings, enjoying the view of the garden below. I heard the terrace door open, and close and I didn¡¯t need to look back to know that it was Leo. I smiled and leaned back against him when he wrapped his arms around me from behind.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    He nuzzled his face in my neck.


    ¡°Hi¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you enjoying the party?¡± Leo asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s somewhat overwhelming.¡±


    Leo nodded, and sighed. ¡°It is. You look tired.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I am. Where is Leovanni?¡±


    ¡°Protected and cradled in the arms of his grandfather.¡±


    We bothughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s more happy about being a grandparent than we are about being parents,¡± I said.


    Leo nodded. ¡°That cannot be denied.¡±


    We stayed on the terrace until the party was over, we talked about everything. And then we just resorted to silence. Nothing needed to be said, we understood each other perfectly in the silence.


    My eyes closed, and I was chased to dreand as soon as my head hit the pillow, and when I opened them again, I was lying in arge field. An endless stretch of greennd. I got up to my feet, and looked around, confused as to why and how I got here. I turned around severally, trying to figure out a way out of this ce.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    I turned and saw my mothering towards me. My confusion grew. Where did shee from? Wasn¡¯t she dead?


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    She shook her head, and smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯m not your mother.¡±


    My brows furrowed in confusion. Was she angry at me?


    ¡°She is¡­¡± She continued, and pointed behind me.


    I turned around and saw a woman with waist length, long, ck, wavy hair. As she got closer, I saw that we shared so many simr features. It felt like I was staring at an older version of myself. I turned back to my mother.


    ¡°Mother, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    My mother simply smiled at me, and extended her hand to me.


    ¡°You are the next Queen of the wolves.¡± She said smiling.


    I threw back my head andughed. I couldn¡¯t help it. But she looked dead intent on what she had said.


    ¡°No, mother. I am not. William is next in line to the throne¡­and then there¡¯s Esmeralda. I¡¯m not even a royal¡­how did youe to that conclusion?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a royal,¡± The other woman chimed in. ¡°I gave birth to you. I am your mother.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°And who exactly are you?¡±


    The woman smiled, and stretched her hand out to me. I looked down and saw that she was holding a ne.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.


    Thedy shrugged. ¡°A piece of me for you to hold on to.¡±


    I gently took it, and examined the antique beauty. It was arge gold jewelry with a simple gold chain. It had a sapphire pendant that was surrounded by gold, and had four Diamond stones as cardinal points.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to the pce¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°The werewolf pce?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Go down to the dungeons. Under the dungeons, there¡¯s a basement, and in there you will find everything that you¡¯re looking for. All the answers you need. It¡¯s time, my child. Time for you to im your birthright.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­what?¡±


    They both began to fade away. I opened my eyes to see that it was just a dream. I could feel beads of sweat rolling down my face, and my breaths wereing in short, hard pants. I felt Leo store beside me, and then he rolled over, and was looking at me.


    ¡°Bad dream?¡± He askedZ


    I raised my hand to wipe my forehead, and realized that I was holding something in my hand. I looked and it was the same ne that my ¡®mother¡¯ had given me.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± I sat up abruptly, and Leo followed suit.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked.


    I showed him the ne in my hand, and he looked even more confused.


    ¡°You slept with your jewelry?¡±


    ¡°No. It was given to me just now¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Leo looked around the room, but everywhere was sealed tight. I took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him in detail everything that happened in my dream. By the time I was done, he was just as dumbfounded as I was.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I thought too.¡±


    I sighed, and leaned back against the headboard.


    ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± Leo asked.


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m going to find the documents my mothers were talking about.¡± Leo looked at me like I had just grown another head.


    ¡°What do you mean by going to find them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to go on werewolf territory, and find them,¡± I replied.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°These documents are in the pce, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you want to go back on werewolf territory, and get them. Go to the werewolf pce and get them. Have you forgotten that you almost died thest time?!¡±


    Leo¡¯s voice raised, and our baby stirred in his crib, and began to cry. I looked at Leo usingly, and he muttered an apology, went to carry Leovanni, and brought him back to the bed, handing him over to me to feed.


    ¡°I know what happened. But I need to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I countered.


    ¡°No. You. Don¡¯t. Why do you need to?¡±


    ¡°This could stop wars forever?¡±


    ¡°There is no more war.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your grandfather thought the same thing when thest one ended.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡±


    ¡°It is. If this were to be true, and I am the true heiress, the werewolf and vampire thrones would bebined in our son. Not only are we going to stop the wars between our territories, it will set the pace for more werewolf-vampire rtions. Positive rtions.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    ¡°No? You understand that if there were better rtions, we wouldn¡¯t have gone through half of what we went through, right?¡± I asked.


    He sighed, and shook his head vehemently. Heavily opposed to the idea.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going. That¡¯s it.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for your permission.¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°I am going. With or without you.¡±


    I handed Leovanni back to him, andy back on the bed. Laying on my side and away from him, closing my eyes, and praying sleep takes me. She seems to have deserted me at this point where I needed her the most.

 Chapter Twenty-nine

    ANDREA


    The next few days that followed saw some sort of strain in I and Leo¡¯s rtionship. We didn¡¯t talk like we used to. The few times we spoke, it always ended up in a fight. I was adamant on going back to werewolf territory, and he was hellbent on not letting me leave. I sighed, and lowered Leovanni into his swing and strapped him in. He was super energetic today, and had managed to wear me out. I yawned as tiredness made my body feel sore.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Leo said, as he came into the room bearing flowers.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    He walked over to me, and we both just stood there, looking at each other. As though confused on how to begin the conversation.


    ¡°Are those for me?¡± I asked, pointing at the flowers.


    He handed the flowers to me. ¡°Yes, they are. Sorry¡­¡±


    I smiled.  ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I lifted the flowers to my nose, and sniffed them. ¡°They smell so amazing¡­¡±


    Leo smiled. ¡°Thanks. I picked them from the garden myself.¡±


    He seemed proud of his achievement with the way he smiled, and the way his chest puffed out just a little bit. I leaned up and kissed him on the lips. The highest form of intimacy we¡¯ve had in days.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. I love them,¡± I said, holding the flowers to my chest.


    He leaned down and kissed me, gathering me into his arms, and deepening the kiss. Our tongues met and fought. Our breaths mingled and almost became one, and the gentle and not so gentle bites we gave each other adding to the heat of the moment. We finally pulled away and smiled at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± Leo took a deep breath, and swore. ¡°If you¡¯re going back to that ce, you¡¯ll need all the help you can get.¡±


    My eyes lit up. Was he saying what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you. I and Leopold.¡±


    I screamed, and jumped into his arms, wrapping my hands right around his neck.


    I kissed him again. ¡°Thank you!!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± He gently ced me down on my feet. ¡°We still have the blueprint from when we came to get you. We¡¯ll leave our son in the hands of my father.¡±


    ¡°So, when do we leave?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Must youe along?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You know we can just go and get those things for you.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I want to be there.¡±


    Leo swore and sighed. ¡°Fine. I and Leopold already made the ns. We¡¯ll leave in three days.¡±


    He rubbed his forehead, leaning down to kiss our son on his head. I smiled as our baby cooed, and reached out his hands to his father.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He smiled and kissed me again, and headed for the door. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    I smiled and watched him walk away, happy with the new development. The day came, and I thought to myself how I didn¡¯t miss maneuvering the forest.


    ¡°Watch your step¡­¡± Leo whispered to me as we maneuvered the rough terrain of the forest.


    We had masked our scents with various herbs and coffee so as to not attract attention as we waded through the woods. There was a team stealthily waiting for us at the very end of the forest should things go south. I hope it doesn¡¯t. I was tired of wars at this point. I was even more tired of causing the wars. Leopold led the way, while Leo held on to my hand and guided me through the forest.


    ¡°How are we going to scale the pce walls?¡± I whispered to Leo as we neared the back fence of the pce.


    ¡°Sshhh¡­¡±


    I could see only one wolf at the back fence, and I frowned. This was quite careless, and I wasn¡¯t even a security expert. Who leaves one wolf on guard for a whole pce. I shook my head.


    ¡°Stay here¡­¡± Leopold whispered to us as he left the cover of the woods, and began to creep up on the wolf from behind.


    My brows furrowed as I watched in concentration, thinking that he was just going to knock him over the head.  The wolf sensed his presence but wasn¡¯t quick enough to stop him. In no time, he was dead, bleeding from the neck, and his body hidden under bushes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Leo held on to my hand really tight as we crept up to the fence. Leonard opened the gate and we ran across the backyard until we got to the other side where there was a door in the floor. Leopold picked the lock, and we were in. The ce was dark and smelt of mold, but our eyes were built to adapt to the darkness. This ce smelt of rotted bodies, and death.


    ¡°What are we looking for?¡± Leopold asked.


    ¡°A basement under the dungeons¡­¡± I replied.


    They both looked at me in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what she said.¡±


    They looked at each other, and sighed. ¡°Fine. This ce you¡¯re talking about isn¡¯t on the blueprint.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be if they¡¯re trying to hide it.¡±


    We began to journey and navigate the narrow passageways, the low hanging ceilings adding to the ustrophobic feel of the ce.


    ¡°Who keeps a dungeon in a pce?¡± I muttered to myself.


    Shivers ran down my spine as we walked down the dreary walkway. We got to the end of the hallway with no basement in sight. We began to look around for a means to get down.


    ¡°Found something,¡± Leopold said.


    He went down on his knees, and pulled up the handle of a door on the floor. We all gathered the square opening and looked in.


    ¡°There¡¯s adder,¡± he dered after investigating. ¡°Who¡¯s going in first?¡±


    Leo signed, and went down thedder first. We waited while he surveyed the room, and waited for him to give us the clear before we went down. As soon as my feet touched thedder, Leo grabbed me by the waist, and carried me down.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    I turned around and my breath caught in my throat as my eyes consumed what was in front of me. Portraits. There were a lot ofrge portraits of my supposed mother. The woman I had seen in my dreams, and in some of those portraits, my mother -the woman I knew from birth- was standing behind her.


    ¡°My goodness¡­¡±


    I walked around therge expanse surveying it¡¯s contents. I traced my hands across the dust gathered painting of her, and lingered on the paintings from when she was much younger. It felt like I was looking at myself. There was no doubt that she indeed birthed me. One of the painting stood out the most to me. She was wearing the same ne that she had given to me in my dream. She looked so beautiful. So regal. So royal.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t the only one in shock. I took a deep breath, and blinked severally, trying to reconnect to reality.


    I turned to the men. ¡°Search everywhere.¡±


    ¡°What are we looking for?¡±


    I shrugged. I wasn¡¯t sure myself. ¡°Documents. Marriage documents, birth certificates, that sort of thing.¡±


    We began opening and closing drawers, opening up boxes, and rummaging through them. We found boxes of jewelry, we could only assume that they belonged to my mother. We found her dresses, her shoes. Basically, everything that belonged to her. We found her birth certificate. Mirabelle¡­even her name sounded royal.


    And then we found something peculiar. We found her wedding photograph, and all our mouths fell open. She had married King Jacob Brown. The king before King Alexander Brown; William¡¯s father. King Jacob was King Alexander¡¯s brother. His reign was short, and he had died a mysterious death. It was the belief of everyone that he didn¡¯t leave behind an heir, and so his brother -the present king- took the throne. That was until now¡­until me. If I was their child, I¡¯m next in line to be Queen.


    ¡°My goodness¡­¡± I swallowed heavily. ¡°How did I end up with¡­what exactly happened?¡±


    That was the million dor question.


    ¡°We have to keep looking. There could be more,¡± I dered, and continued my search.


    We turned the ¡®basement¡¯ upside down, and found more jaw dropping information. Their birth certificates. MY birth certificate. My baby pictures, a family picture from when I was a newborn. Tears gathered in my eyes, and I let them drop freely.


    ¡°Babe¡­¡±


    ¡°I wondered if they knew about me¡­¡± I thought to myself.


    ¡°I doubt it. They would have killed you,¡± Leo said, and Leopold nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We have to leave. We¡¯ve been here for a while,¡± Leopold added.


    I nodded, and began to gather the things that we would need. Thankfully, Leopold and Leo had the good sense to bring backpacks. I just stood there processing the information, and what it could mean for our future. For the future of my son.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, after making sure I gathered all important documents.


    We sneakily made our way back to the backyard, and sessfully made our way to the group waiting for us at the edge of the forest. I jumped into the SUV, and throughout the ride home, my mind was filled with possibilities. And hope. Possibilities of wars ended forever, of no one afraid of the other. If this worked, it would mean that my son would be the first ever to have a joint territory. Where no one is afraid of the other. Where he and any other child we may have will flourish.


    I smiled. The future seemed bright.

 Chapter Thirty

    ANDREA


    ¡°Why did you let me go?¡± I asked my mothers as I sat on the same field with them just as I did thest time.


    They both looked at each other and smiled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let you go, child¡­it was either that or let them kill you¡­¡± She answered solemnly.


    ¡°I¡¯m a royal¡­¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why you have a mate, my child.¡±


    I smiled sadly. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    It was the one thing I was happy for in the midst of all these. I closed my eyes, and rested my head in theps of my birth mother, my legs in theps of my adopted mother. I sighed as they began to massage my feet and my hair.


    ¡°I need you to tell me everything¡­¡± I said.


    Her hands faltered in my hair, and I heard her sharp intake of breath. ¡°I and Jacob met at a river, and you could say that it was love at first sight. I didn¡¯t know who he was at the time, he thought it was cute to not tell me.¡± She chuckled slightly, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°We eventually got married. Small wedding. No press. Only family. And that was when the problems began¡­¡±


    I could hear the bitterness, anger and sorrow in her voice. I gently got into a sitting position, and waited for her to continue.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I urged her on.


    ¡°Attempts on your father¡¯s life¡­several on mine. They seeded in killing your father. HE seeded. His own brother¡­and then he came after me. I was pregnant at the time, and I knew that you weren¡¯t safe. He wanted that throne, and he would have done whatever to get it. So I snuck out of the pce before I began to show, and hid till I gave birth,¡± She paused, and took a deep breath, her lips quivering as she let the air out. ¡°Annalise here, was mydy¡¯s maid at the time¡­and she was with me in the Labour room. It wasn¡¯t a smooth Labour, and it was clear that I wasn¡¯t going to survive. So, she promised to take care of you like her own. To protect you.¡±


    ¡°And she did¡­¡± I answered, smiling.


    ¡°Now is the time to take back what rightfully belongs to you. His reign has gone on long enough. It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°How?!¡±


    ¡°You have to challenge him to a duel,¡± she answered.


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    She nodded her head slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter. I can¡¯t even fight. I can¡¯t even shift.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can. You¡¯re a royal. You have a mate, and you can surely shift,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never shifted for once in my whole life!!!¡±


    I was getting hysterical.


    ¡°That¡¯s immaterial. Your wolf wille to you when you need her the most. You have to challenge him and kill him.¡±


    ¡°There has to be another way!!!¡± I countered, not entirely on board with the n.


    She shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Now, go.¡±


    I gasped and woke up with a start. It was all a dream. I could feel the goosebumps on my skin, and the beads of sweat that gathered on my head and were beginning to roll down. I could feel my sweat on my pillow where it had umted quite a lot. Leo grabbed my hand in the dark and began to rubforting circles on it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Another dream?¡± Leo asked.


    I nodded and moved closer to him, allowing him to pull my into him, sweat and all.


    ¡°Was it your mother?¡± He asked again.


    I nodded. ¡°She told me everything.¡±


    He didn¡¯t question me this time. She was definitely speaking to me. There wasn¡¯t any doubt about that.


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Leo asked.


    I took a deep breath and narrated everything to him, word for word. He was calm and receptive of the narration until we got to the part what she said I would have to fight a duel.


    ¡°That is not happening,¡± He said through his teeth, his hold on my hand tightening.


    ¡°But Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Please, don¡¯t tell me you were considering this absurdity?¡±


    ¡°I¡­umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡± He groaned, and say up on the bed.


    I immediately followed suit. ¡°I have to do this¡­¡±


    ¡°No. You do not. You want to fight that bastard? He¡¯s an alpha. He¡¯s a royal alpha¡­¡±


    ¡°I am royal too. That would exin why I have a mate.¡±


    ¡°Your mother told you this in your dream again?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I just need to train. And you can teach me better than anyone how to fight him¡­and win¡­¡±


    ¡°He has a wolf. He is way too strong for you.¡±


    ¡°I have to do this.¡±


    Leo got out of the bed, and left the room. My heart fell as I watched him leave. I didn¡¯t think it was going to be easy, and I understood how this was a rollercoaster for him. It was as though when everything was going well, something always came up to spoil the small peace we have. I signed, andid back on the bed, closing my eyes. Even though sleep refused toe.


    The days that followed were filled with mini fights and cold wars. Leo was adamant that I not challenge him, while I was insistent that I did. I needed to do this. I decided that I needed to start training, but no one would go against the crown Prince and agree to train me, not even his brother. So I resorted to training myself. I dedicated myself to running miles everyday, and lifting weights, and the best part was that all I needed was in the pce. I didn¡¯t need to leave.. Although something in the back of my mind that doing all that and punching unmoving bags wasn¡¯t going to help me defeat that man. But I would be damned if I didn¡¯t try.


    I sat on the floor breathing heavily, and looking at myself in the mirror, watching as sweat poured down from me and drenched my clothes. The door opened and Leo stepping in, I turned around still sitting and gave him a stare. I didn¡¯t need that fight today.


    ¡°You really want to do this¡­¡±


    I groaned and rolled my eyes. ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. Fight him. But I train you. And you do what I say, and follow my every instruction.¡±


    I sat there looking at him dumbfounded, too stunned to speak. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He nodded. I got off the floor and ran into his arms, mming my sweaty body on his. I kissed him full on the lips, and sighed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, I still don¡¯t like this.¡±


    I smiled, and nodded.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should get some rest, we¡¯ll begin tomorrow.

 Chapter Thirty-one

    ANDREA


    The days went by, and ran into weeks, and I found that Leo was indeed a ve driver. It made sense why he would want to train me himself. I run triple the number of times I did before, I had begun lifting heavier, and have learnt how to dodge punches faster than the speed of light.


    On several asions, I¡¯ve had guest sses with the king, Leopold, their head warrior, their strongest vampire, and I could indeed feel myself getting stronger. I felt like I was almost there. I just didn¡¯t have a wolf. I was hanging on to what my mother said about my wolf appearing when I needed her the most. I was a royal, why haven¡¯t I ever shifted? Not even once. The doctors had answered that question for me, but I would still ask it.


    Apparently, I had been given hormone suppressing drugs in the early stages of my life, so I more or less lived like an omega while being an alpha the whole time. I scoffed and picked up the pace as I ran around the field. I was still getting used to this. It made me look at everyone differently, I didn¡¯t feel the need to be so¡­humble¡­anymore.


    I sighed, and came to a stop before the king who was carrying my son. He was probably the happiest of everybody in all of this. There has been a Permanent smile on Leovanni¡¯s face as he witnessed the whole activities. Apparently, this was way more fun for him to watch than some cartoon his mates preferred watching.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    He cooed, and reached out his hands to me. I kissed his tiny fingers, and went up to I and Leo¡¯s room, and jumped in the shower. I stood under the st of liquid, and sighed as the hot water massaged the knots in my shoulders, and my legs. I sighed in relief as I felt all the grime and sweat begin to wash off of me. I heard the bathroom door open, and blushed as Leo stepped in in all his naked glory. I couldn¡¯t help but blush, no matter how many times we were intimate, I would never get over the sight of seeing him naked. He chuckled as he slid open the shower slide, and got into the space with me.


    I smiled at him. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hi¡­¡± He wrapped his arms around me, and buried his nose in my neck. ¡°Do you feel sore?¡±


    I surveyed my body, and shook my head.


    ¡°Good. Because you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ready to fight your uncle.¡±


    I cringed when he called him that. I never thought of that man as a rtive, not even when I have confirmed that I am in fact his rtive. I¡¯d rather chew stone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Leo chuckled. ¡°When do you want I do this?¡±


    I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. I don¡¯t think I could ever be ready for this. But this was just something that needed to be done. It was for the greater good.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in five days.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. I promise,¡± Leo said and pulled me closer to him.


    I nodded, and leaned back against him. ¡°What is the next step?¡±


    ¡°You said five days. I would call for a council meeting after this shower, and we¡¯ll meet in three days. Unfortunately, he cannot be challenged just like that,¡± Leo said, snapping his fingers.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We have to convince the council that the duel is needed.¡±


    ¡°What if they disagree?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There are two options. One, retreat and let that bastard keep the throne forever. Two, go to war with the wolves and wipe out the royal family.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wow. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Now you do. You will need to be present at the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± I was shocked.


    I didn¡¯t n to be anywhere near him until it was time to fight.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one dueling for the throne. You have to be at the meeting.¡±


    ¡°But why must they be consulted?¡±


    ¡°One of the roles of the council is to maintain peace. If we disrupt that peace by challenging without consulting them, we can be found guilty of trying to disrupt that peace and they will send an army after us. Wolves, vampires and humans. We don¡¯t want that,¡± Leo stated.


    I rolled my eyes and sighed. I was about to fight the king of wolves; what was one stupid meeting that I couldn¡¯t handle? Besides, it¡¯s a gathering of old people, how bad could it be?


    ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to tell us that he isn¡¯t the rightful owner of the throne?¡± A councilman said, pointing towards the werewolf King where he sat on the other side of the ratherrge and round conference table.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°And how do you know this?¡±


    ¡°My mother told me.¡±


    My hands balled into fists asughter bubbled from Prince William.


    ¡°Your mother was a lowly peasant and is dead. How did she get the information to give to you?¡±


    ¡°My adopted mother was the one who raised me. My birth mother is Queen Mirabelle Brown.¡±


    The werewolf king sat up in his chair, how eyes widened with surprise. I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead. She didn¡¯t have a child with my brother,¡± the king answered.


    ¡°No. You simply didn¡¯t know they had a child.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no proof of that!!!¡± King Alexander mmed his hands on the table.


    ¡°There is¡­¡± Leo said, pulling out all the documents that we hade with, and sliding them across the table to the councilors.


    They flipped through the pages and their eyes opened in shock.


    ¡°In addition to that¡­¡±


    I pulled out the ne that my birth mother had given to me in the dream, and held it up. I had found out that it wasn¡¯t just any jewelry but the royal jewel. It was passed down from Queen to Queen. It wasn¡¯t just any piece of jewelry, and everyone in the room knew it.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± King Alexander asked in a shushed tone.


    ¡°Oh, this¡­¡± Iughed, and wore the ne round my neck, turning around for Leo to fasten the sp.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re my brother¡¯s child, you can¡¯t take the throne. I am already seated on it, and I have heirs,¡± He said smugly.


    ¡°Yes. But I think we¡¯re forgetting one criticalw that is almost as old as us wolves.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°I wish to challenge you, King Alexander to a duel for the throne of my father.¡±


    Silence greeted my deration, and then almost at once, the room erupted inughter. The humans, King Alexander and his wolves that had apanied him. They doubled over, andughed to their hearts content.


    ¡°Child¡­¡± King Alexander drawled. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. I¡¯ll crush you before you can call for mommy.¡±


    He threw his head back andughed again.


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to worry about. Do you ept the challenge?¡±


    King Alexander sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. ¡°Why would I ept it? Why would I waste my precious time fighting a little brat? It¡¯s unbing or a king.¡±


    ¡°Well, that means you¡¯re afraid of a little girl. What will your subjects think? They¡¯ll call you a coward. One who hides in the face of battle. You¡¯ll bebeled as a scaredy-cat cat that couldn¡¯t even grow the balls to fight the daughter of his brother whom he murdered in cold blood.¡±


    I could see the anger in his face, and I smiled. I could tell this his pride was bruised. That was exactly what I was hoping for. Alpha males were very prideful creatures. This confirmed it.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll agree to this ruse that you want us to y. I¡¯ll try not to end you too quickly. You won¡¯t win,¡± He dered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see, your majesty.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-two

    ANDREA


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Leo asked, as he helped massage my knuckles.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered, nodding my head firmly.


    Deep down, fear was settling in my gut. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, listening to the chirping of the birds, and the whirling of the winds, and the rustling of the leaves, and I immediately found some sort of calm.


    The council had decided that the fuel would be held in the middle of the forest, surrounded by thick forestry, and a few witnesses from both sides, and a member of the council. Prince William and Princess Esmeralda stood at the other side of the circle, looking smug, and sending condescending looks my way. The councilor liked worried, a look that was mirrored by Leo, and Leopold.


    I flexed my body onest time, grateful for the stretch tank top and leggings that I had opted for. Very flexible.


    ¡°If both sides are ready, kindly step into the circle,¡±The councilor said, his voice ringing loud and clear.


    I pulled Leo¡¯s head down and kissed him. He leaned his head on mine, and hugged me tight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I promise¡­¡±


    He nodded, and slowly let his hands fall from my waist. I stepped into therge circle that had been painted with red paint. King Alexander was already in the circle wearing just a pair of shorts. His chest was littered with several scars. Most of which were w marks. He was wearing his battle scars on him. As though he was trying to pass a message. That I couldn¡¯t defeat him¡­that he was stronger than I was.


    The councilor stepped into the circle with us, and looked from one end to the other. As though waiting to see if someone would stop the fight. When he saw no one was stepping forward, he lowered his head and sighed.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get on with it then,¡± He sped his hands together. ¡°Here are the rules of this fight. No external weapons are allowed at any point; no stepping out of the circle, and you are allowed to change into your wolf at any time. Those are the only rules. If you break them, you¡¯re disqualified, and everyone goes back to their former lives. Do you understand?¡±


    I nodded my head. I had thought there would be stricter rules. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.


    ¡°Well then. Wait for the horn, and fight to the death.¡± He stepped out of the circle, and blew the horn.


    I and King Alexander faced each other in a tense stand-off, I could tell he as determined to keep his blood throne, and I was determined to take it from him. We circled each other for a while, walking slowly around the circle, and then suddenly, without warning and with a speed that was almost akin to that of Barry Allen, he charged at me with his ws drawn. I charged back at him, dodging his several shes and punches, and managing tond some of my own.


    Our sh echoed through the forest, anticipation and worry hung heavy in the air. From the corner of my eye, I could see Leo, and drew strength from him. Determination was coursing through me, and I dodged every punch, and every swipe that he took at me. Moving away from his ferocious lunge. I could tell that he was bing agitated, and I smiled. Finally, I saw a chance, an opening and I took it. He threw a punch and left his right side open. Without hesitation, Inded a series of blows to his side and his face, moving with the rapid speed that I had learnt. King Alexander staggered under the force of my blows and fell back, looking at me with fury burning in his eyes. I lifted my fists and braced myself.


    His eyes changed color, and his gang elongated. Hairs appeared on his face and chest. He was half shifted. I swore under my breath, and prepared for impact. The fight was about to start. Roaring with fury, heunched a barrage of shing attacks, his ws mostly aimed for my throat and head. I deflected as much as I could with several of themnded on my arms and chest. I could feel the blood seeping out of the cuts, and my movements were increasing the pain. He delivered a kick to my chest sending me flying back, almost out of the circle. I heard the audible gasps of Leopold and Leo and immediately collected myself, getting back on my feet.


    Heunched several attacks on me again, and I deflected as much as I could with skill and agility. Proud of myself despite the beating I was receiving. With fluid and precise movements, I delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen, aiming for his organs. Just as Leo had said. I let out a satisfied sigh when he stumbled back, and roared in anger and frustration.


    ¡°You seem upset. Not expecting me tost this long?¡± I asked smugly.


    He didn¡¯t seem to like my tone. I heard the cracking of bones, and my eyes widened. He was shifting. I took a few steps back and looked at Leo. I could see the panic in his eyes. I could smell the fear, but we both know what we signed up for. I took a deep breath and tried to quench the fear.  He bared his teeth at me, and attacked. Before I could blink, I was being tossed all over the circle like a rag doll. He was much bigger in his wolf form. His paws were bigger, his swipes faster and stronger. I was almost defenseless.


    King Alexander bit down on my ankle and swung his big head, sending me across the circle, Inded on my side, and heard a sickening crunch in my shoulder. That wasn¡¯t good. I tried getting up but the reverberating pain in my midriff sent me back to the ground. I looked down to see blood pouring out from my side. I couldn¡¯t even recall when that had happened. I stayed on the floor and epted my fate. I looked into the dark eyes of the wolf that slowly made its way to me. He knew he had won. He didn¡¯t see the need to continue fighting. He would finish me off slowly. Most likely for the viewing pleasure of my mate.


    A single tear fell from my eye. My mate. My son. Why did my mother think that I could defeat a whole adult, alpha werewolf in a duel? At this point, I was beginning to question my sanity. My clothes were torn, and with each breath I took I could feel all the wounds all over my body. If this fight didn¡¯t kill me, the wounds will. I looked up at the sky, looking for any sign of help.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    As I clutched my side, a searing pain went though my person, causing me to cry out. I felt an unexpected burst of energy surging through me, as though liquid fire was flowing through my veins. I cried out again, and looked down at my body. I could see my wounds healing, closing up, and my eyes widened in surprise. What was happening to me?!


    I gasped, my eyes widening even more in both fear and wonder as my body began to convulse. Even in this state, I kept an eye on Alexander. His head was bent to the side, and he stared at me in confusion. I began to pray that he remain confused until this was over. Whatever it was. My muscles strained and my bones began to shift beneath my skin, contorting my figure into a new shape. A fresh wave of confusion hit me, and then I gasped when my brain registered what was happening to me.


    I was shifting.


    My body twisted until I was on all fours, and then my body began to change with agonizing transformations. My skin was made way for ck fur, and my fingers turned to ws. I could see my nose elongate in front of my face until it became a snout. My vision was much sharper, and every smell heightened. The fear that filled my body was gone and reced with a primal intensity. The shift was finally over and I stood on all fours, and howled into the night sky. I looked around the gathering and saw that everyone was just as shocked as I was with their mouths hanging open. Leo had a smile on his face and was looking at me in admiration. King Alexander was too stunned.


    widened my stance, and barked at him. Baring my teeth. Reminding him that this fight wasn¡¯t over. He snapped out of his trance and charged at me full force. My sight was enhanced, my sense of smell, I could feel the strength coursing through my body. I guess my mother hadn¡¯t lied after all. My wolf came when I needed her the most. I dodged his bite, and sunk my teeth into his side, enjoying his howl of pain and his blood in my mouth. It felt good. I wanted more.


    A low growl emanated from my uncle¡¯s throat and he lunged forward,unching himself at me. His fangs gleamed and his ws were ready to rend and tear. But I was equally prepared and met his attack head on. Our bodies collided with a bone jarring impact, snarls of fury echoing through the forest. The sun was beginning to set, and give way for the moon to rise. Only then did it register in my mind how long we have been at this.


    His strength seemed unmatched even with the bleeding wound in his side. Taking him down was never going to be easy, his scars told me so. I wondered how I was going to defeat him. Even with my wolf, he was still too strong for me.


    I dodged his attacked as much as I could, but still took a few hits in between. I could feel my fur bing matted as the blood dried up and the damp forest soil stuck to me wasn¡¯t doing much for my mood.


    ¡°Allow your wolf full control¡­¡± I heard my mother¡¯s voice.


    I looked around and didn¡¯t see her. In my moment of distraction, my uncle struck his paw to the side of my face, sending me to the ground. I quickly got back up, and we began to circle each other. Study each other.


    ¡°Andrea¡­allow your wolf full control. She knows what to do¡­¡± my mother said gain.


    I sighed. Was she in my head? How was I supposed to do that?


    ¡°Take a deep breath and let her take control. She knows what to do.¡±


    I might as well try. I took a deep breath, and in a matter of seconds, I felt myself being pushed to the back of my own mind, and I felt a strange powering to the forefront. I was a spectator in my own body. I watched as my wolf fought with an intensity that was borne from anger and resentment. As though she had scores to settle. Which she did. Each move was calcted and precise, and very agile. She dodged his several hits, running circles around him.


    Despite the king¡¯s superior strength, he began to slow down, his breathing becamebored. My wolf noticed this, and in a final disy of cunning, she feigned vulnerability, luring him in for a deadly strike. As he lunged forward, she sidestepped us and mped her jaws around his throat in a vice like grip. Holding on very tight, sinking teeth deeper into flesh.


    She could have easily snapped his neck and be done with it, but she wanted to make him suffer. She held him in that position, enjoying the sight of him trying to wriggle his way out of his jaws, while dying slowly. When she finally released him, he fell to the ground bleeding, struggling to drag air into his lungs. My wolf licked the blood on her paws, enjoying the sweet taste of victory.


    I raised my paw to finish the job and then¡­


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him!!!¡±


    All eyes turned andnded on Esmeralda who had now fallen to her knees with tears rolling down her cheeks.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± She begged in a defeated tone.


    I winced as my bones began to crack and reform, and soon I wasying on the floor, naked, sweaty and bloodied. Leo was next to me in an instant, wrapping arge bedspread around me and supporting me to my feet. I looked around and it was clear that everyone could see that I was winner. I smiled, and my gaze fell on Esmerelda and William.


    ¡°Why should I let him live?¡± I asked, ¡°why should I let any of you live?¡±


    ¡°We know we don¡¯t deserve mercy; especially not from you. But please¡­let your judgement be merciful-¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered me. Why should I let you love?!¡± I roared, feeling my wolf itching toe out.


    I wanted to tear them to shreds and make them beg for their lives. To make them suffer for all their crimes. To make them beg for my mothers¡¯s forgiveness. I wanted to see them grovel, and roll in their own vomit.


    ¡°I would be very frank with you, Andrea-¡± William began.


    ¡°Alpha. I am your alpha.¡±


    William raised his head up, I growled at him and he immediately lowered his eyes, he nodded and continued.


    ¡°Alpha¡­truly we don¡¯t deserve your mercy,¡±


    ¡°So, kill you then?¡± I replied.


    ¡°But then, you will be no different from my father. Is that a legacy that you want to leave for your kids?¡± William asked.


    My breath caught in my throat, and I sighed. I looked at Leo and he shrugged; the ball was in my court.


    ¡°Have all of them locked up. I¡¯ll attend to themter.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-three

    ANDREA


    It¡¯s been ten years and everyone has fully adjusted to the decision that happened ten years ago. I looked down from my I looked down from my window at the werewolf, vampire and human children ying around and smiled. That fight almost took my life, but it had proved to be worth it in the long run.  I guess it¡¯s true what they say. What doesn¡¯t kill you only makes you stronger. I watched andughed as my daughter pushed her Leovanni immediately leading into a wild chase around the pce grounds.


    Sometimes, I wonder what happened to William and Esmeralda. I wonder where they were, and what they were doing. I wonder if they regret their actions, and how their father handled his people. I had forgiven them, but unfortunately, their father had died of his battle wounds.


    I left my room and took a stroll around the pce. A lot of things had changed over the years. From me being a maid here to being the Queen of two kingdoms, and a mother to two beautiful children. I had also taken down the portraits of the old royal family, and the hallways were littered with the paintings of my biological parents. I like to think to myself that they were watching their grandchildren run and y in these halls.


    There was peace. There was stability. There was unity. This was more than all species could ask for. And for the longest, the threat of war wasn¡¯t hanging over our heads anymore. There was calm. The pce was filled with activities. It was the turn of the wolves to host this year¡¯s peace ball, and so preparations were in ce. I smiled at the workers hanging up the decorations and took a deep breath of the cakes I could smell.


    ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡±


    I turned around and smiled when I saw Leopold walking towards me with a bouquet of flowers and my daughter, Ad attached to his hip with a teddy bear in one hand and a cookie in the other.


    I hugged him, and kissed my daughter on the cheek. ¡°Leopold, when did you get here?¡±


    ¡°About ten minutes ago,¡± he answered.


    ¡°I saw you brought goodies for your niece.¡±


    He waved me off and smiled. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s more. The rest have been sent up to her room. Same with Leovanni. And this is for you¡­from your husband¡­¡±


    I smiled and collected the flowers from him, raising the red roses, sunflowers and white lilies to my nose and smelling them.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon. Rounding some things up with our father.¡±


    I missed the old man. We didn¡¯t get off to a good start but he had been more than a pir of support over the years, and an excellent grandfather to my babies. I inspected everything, making sure that it was just in ce for tonight. I paused when I saw Savannah and waited for her to walk past me with her head lowered. I loved when she did that. Some sadistic part of me was satisfied to keep her here and make her worship me. I had promoted her to the position of housekeeper after the old one retired. It was a pain to see her go, but I wanted her to live her best life. I still had the knife she had given to me the day I shed William. Now, it holds a fond memory for me.


    I sighed, tired and sleepy, retiring to my chambers, and saw a figure seated on my bed.


    Leo smiled at me and waved me over to him. ¡°Hello, love,¡±


    I sighed, and ran to him, jumping into his arms and pushing us both down to the bed.


    Iy my head on his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± he replied, kissing me on the lips.


    ¡°You look so tired.¡±


    He nodded, andy in the middle of the bed, pulling me with him and adjusting us into a morefortable position under the nket. I sighed and threw my leg over his waist, content to justy there with my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat, and his voice reverberate from his chest.


    ¡°I am¡­it¡¯s been a tough few weeks. There¡¯s something happening¡­¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain. But misfortune is on its way. I don¡¯t know what it is, and I¡¯m afraid we might be ill-prepared for it.¡±


    I raised my head from his chest in rm. Leo¡¯s view over the years had be optimistic, and knowing that, it bothered me that his intuition might be right.


    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing. We wait, and we deal with that situation as best as we can,¡± Leo replied and kissed me on the lips. ¡°Let¡¯s rest. We need our energy for tonight.¡±


    I nodded, and closed my eyes, begging sleep to take me for an hour but my request was denied. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Leo said. I wondered what could be happening or about to happen. Paranoia settled in my chest, forcing my heart to constrict. My mind went to my children and I immediately shook my head. I refused to think of anything happening to them. They were too precious to me to even let my mind go in that direction.


    Finally, it was time for the ball. I stood on the raised floor in the ballroom, watching and smiling as my father-inw walked towards me with Leopold and my husband walking behind him. Their father was still alive and well, so he can¡¯t im the title of king even though he was married to a queen.


    I smiled and nodded as they joined me and took their seats. The human dignitaries were next, and then we were set to begin. Just as the pce doors were about to be closed, murmurs rang out from the crowd. I stopped and strained my neck to see what themotion was about, but the people had crowded the situation and were slowly making way for someone in the middle toe through¡­and thest person we ever guessed stepped through the crowd and I gasped when William stepped forward and knelt before us, bending his head until it touched the ground. The hall was deathly silent. So silent that if a pin dropped, the whole pce would have heard it. I looked behind him and toward the closed doors and was expecting Esmeralda to step through the doors for some reason.


    I looked at Leo, and he looked just as confused as I was. Leopold looked like he was about tomit murder, his fangs were protruding, and his eyes had turned a bloodshot red. I couldn¡¯t say that I me him. We all had good reason to behead the bastard. The vampire king on the other hand, sat unfazed and rubbing his beard. He was probably the most rxed of everyone in the hall. Our eyes met and he shrugged.


    ¡°You were banished. What are you doing here? Who let you through the border?¡± I asked William.


    He raised his head to look at me, and then lowered it back to the ground. ¡°I let myself in,¡± William replied.


    ¡°How?¡±


    William smiled and looked over at Leo, ¡°There are a quite a few ways to get in unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°And what do you want with us? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I bring you news.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    William looked around the hall at the expectant faces of all the creatures in the crowd. I spotted Savannah in the crowd, she looked just as confused as the rest. Leopold signaled to the guards, and they immediately stepped forward and grabbed William.


    ¡°Take him to the cells. Hold him there until after the ceremony,¡± Leopold ordered them.


    They nodded, and bundled William out of the ballroom. The atmosphere significantly changed. His presence was on the lips of everyone for the rest of the night. After the run, I and Leo immediately went to the holding cells where William sat with his hands cuffed to the table. The red lines that marked his wrists were all the indication I needed to see that the cuffs wereced with sliver, and probably wolfsbane. He was beginning to break a sweat. The silver must have slipped into his bloodstream.


    I and Leo sat on one side of the table, staring at the same man that had almost killed us and our child about a decade ago.


    ¡°Why are you here, William?¡± Leo asked.


    ¡°I came to warn you.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°About what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There are people¡­a rebellion.¡±


    ¡°What people? Led by who?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Witches,¡± William replied.


    I sighed and rolled my eyes, ¡°There are no witches left. They were executed during the war by the council led by your father.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­yes. However, it would seem that there are still some hiding in some ces.¡±


    ¡°And you knew this how?¡± Leo asked him.


    William shrugged and smiled. ¡°I was banished if you recall, I¡¯ve had the opportunity to be around.¡±


    ¡°Where is Esmeralda?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± William replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken or seen her in six years.¡±


    Leo looked over at me, stood up and took my hand and stood up. I followed suit.


    ¡°It would seem that you don¡¯t have any useful information to give us.¡±


    Williamughed at us as we began to leave. ¡°You¡¯ll be back. You¡¯ll see. The first death would happen soon. Who knows who it might be?¡±


    I looked back at him once, and left the room.

 Chapter Thirty-four

    ANDREA


    The first body popped up at the pce, dismembered, chopped up onto little pieces save for the head, packed into a box, wrapped up like a gift, and deposited at the pce gates to be discovered. It was a child, and in the dismembered hand of the boy, it held a wooden toy with a dismembered head. The toy wore a tee shirt that said ¡®Leovanni¡¯.


    My heart skipped several beats as I held the toy in my hands. This was a clear message. Someone was out for my boy. I looked up and saw Leo looking at me, and for the first time since that night ten years ago, I saw fear in my husband¡¯s eye. I looked at the guard who had discovered the package.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Where did you see this?¡±


    ¡°Inside the pce, your majesty. In the cer.¡±


    ¡°How did it get there? How did it get past all the security?¡±


    The guard lowered his gaze, and bared his neck, ¡°I cannot say, your majesty.¡±


    I turned around and ran up to my son¡¯s room, happy and relieved to see him sleeping peacefully on his bed. I sighed and creeped into his room, and opened the adjoining door that led to Ad¡¯s room. I rolled my eyes and entered her room when I saw that she was halfway off her bed. I readjusted her and was about to leave when my son called me back.


    ¡°Mom, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby. You¡¯re awake?¡± I said, walking over to him and sitting next to him on his bed.


    ¡°Yes. I heard you moving around,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Your hearing is amazing. I was being very quiet.¡±


    He rolled his eyes at me, ¡°I am a werewolf, Mom.¡±


    There was also the issue of that. If he would be a werewolf or a vampire. Or if he would be both. We wouldn¡¯t know until he clocked the age of 12, but he always ims he¡¯s a werewolf.


    ¡°Did you forget something here again?¡±


    I furrowed my brows in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you forgot something here. This is your second time here today.¡±


    I looked at him, praying that the panic I felt wasn¡¯t showing on my face.


    ¡°Really? I must be getting old. What time did Ie here today?¡±


    Leovanni lowered bow head for a moment, and thought back to said time, ¡°The clock read¡­some minutes past the hour of two.¡±


    Iughed nervously, and stood from his bed. I wasn¡¯t here at that time. I was in my  ed, sound asleep. I walked over to his window and looked down the walls of the pce, trying to see if I¡¯ll see any signs of someone scaling the walls. There was none.


    ¡°Are you sure, love?¡±


    ¡°Do you now sleepwalk that you don¡¯t remember being here?¡±


    ¡°Check that tone,¡± I warned him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom.¡±


    I closed his windows and locked them. ¡°Listen sweetheart, you don¡¯t open this windows. Ever.¡±


    He smiled at me and nodded. I kissed him on the forehead, checked up on Ad onest time. I looked around both their rooms, wondering how whoever got in here was able to. Their chambers was on the same floor as ours. I had insisted, how was the person able to get in here?


    More bodies began to pop up all over the pce. Most were children. Human children. All of them holding the same doll in their hands with my son¡¯s name written on them.


    ¡°Ten bodies, Leo. Ten bodies.¡±


    ¡°I just feel someone is trying to scare us.¡±


    ¡°Well, their n is working. I¡¯m scared for my boy.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be too sure that they want Vanni,¡± he replied.


    I gave him a look that implied that he couldn¡¯t be serious and he held up his hands in mock surrender.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him leaving my sight for any reason. If he isn¡¯t with me, he¡¯s with you, or his grandfather or his uncle and aunties.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re pushing this a little too far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather push it than have anything happen to my children.¡±


    Leo hated the new arrangement. He has always enjoyed going outside the pce and ying with other children of all species, but thankfully he understood that it was for his own safety, andplied. But even at that, my mind wasn¡¯t settled. The pce security and the secret service weren¡¯ting up with anything. They haven¡¯t been able to find out who was killing these children and how they were able to get into the pce.


    I gasped and woke up from my slumber, startled by whispers in my room. I looked over at Leo to see that he was sleeping soundly and snoring lightly. I heard the whispers again, I turned my head to see that my room was covered in smoke. Red and green smoke. I swore under my breath and tried to get up only to see that I was stuck. I looked down at my body and saw that I wasn¡¯t bound. My body was free, so what was the problem? I looked up and saw three people in my room. They wrote thick robes that were as dark as midnight, and the hood covered their faces such that only their lips shouted. And their robes had a rather weird diagram on it. A star attached to the top of a cross. They were walking around in circles, holding candles and chanting something under their breathe. I looked over at Leo again, how could he be sleeping amidst all these. Was I dreaming?


    I looked at the trio again, and saw that they had stopped and were smiling at me. But something about their smile screamed malevolence. I began breathing hard and fast as they began to walk closer to me. I opened my mouth to scream only to find that my mouth alongside the rest of my body couldn¡¯t be used.


    The one in front brought out a knife from under her sleeve, and raised it above her head. I closed my eyes and waited for impact, my breathinging in short, hard pants. I opened my eyes when I didn¡¯t feel anything, only for me to open my eyes and see the knifee down on me. I let out a high pitched scream as the knife seared through my skin and impaled on my body. I writhed around in my bed as they held on to the knife and pushed it in till the hilt. Suddenly, I could move.


    Leo jumped from the bed, alert, aware and ready to blood. He turned to me and immediately rushed to my side of the bed. I closed my eyes in pain, and felt tears roll down my cheeks.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. They tried to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Who?!¡± He asked.


    I looked around the room and saw that it was just the two of us again, and I was the one holding the knife with both hands.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Leo scoops me in his arms, knife still stuck in and blood dropping all over the expensive carpet, and ran out of our room to the hospital located within the pce. I wanted to tell him about the people in our room but he wasn¡¯t listening to me. I could hear his heart rate increase with every step he took, adrenaline was pumping through him.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak, love¡­¡±


    I heard gasps and curses as Leo burst into the small hospital. The once quite ce suddenly became a buzz of activities. I could feel the sweat break out on my forehead, and my vision was getting blurry. The sounds and sights of everyone was fading, and I knew I didn¡¯t have long. I tried focusing on Le¡¯s face but it wasn¡¯t doing much good. I closed my eyes and sighed.


    ¡°Open your eyes, love. Stay with me, please¡­¡±


    I opened them slowly to find Leo¡¯s worried eyes on me. ¡°I need to tell you something¡­¡± My voice was coarse and fading.


    ¡°Shh¡­don¡¯t speak. You¡¯ll tell me everything when you¡¯re better.¡±


    I felt myself slowly lowered down to a soft mattress, and a lot of people instantly surrounded me. Leo was pushed back, and I immediately reached out my hand to him.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, my love¡­¡± he replied.


    ¡°I need you to vacate the room, your majesty,¡± I heard the doctor say.


    Thest thing I heard was the doctor screaming at the nurses to get blood and begin the process, and Leo asking if I was going to be okay.

 Chapter Thirty-five

    ANDREA


    I opened my eyes and immediately shut them, the bright light in the room blinded my vision. I opened them again, slowly this time and allowed my eyes to adjust to my surroundings. There was a constant beeping sounding from the machine beside me. I tried getting up and immediately copsed back on the bed from the pain. I heard a whisper, and craned my head to look around my room, not seeing anyone. I couldn¡¯t make out what the voice was saying.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    The whisper came again, louder this time and I heard my name clearly. I looked around my room again, wondering where the voice wasing from. If there was a device in my room ying. But there wasn¡¯t. My room was all white wall and devices. But that voice¡­it felt very familiar.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough¡­¡± the voice replied, andughed.


    ¡°Was it you in my roomst night?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    The voice was silent for a while as though thinking of what to reply, ¡°What I want?? I want to take everything from you the way you took everything from me-¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? When did I do that?¡±


    ¡°I will take everything from you,¡± the voice continued, ¡°beginning with your son.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head violently, tears falling down my cheeks.


    ¡°The brat dies tonight.¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡± I began kicking and screaming, crying uncontrobly. ¡°Just take me instead. Please!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will. Be patient. I want you to be alive to watch me take everything from you, then I will give you the most painful death known to all man, wolf and vampire in existence.¡± The voice said, venom dripping from their voice.


    ¡°What did I do to you? What did I do to deserve this?!¡±


    ¡°You will know soon enough¡­¡± the voice said, her voice fading away.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Whatever it is I did to you, I¡¯m so sorry!!!¡±


    I tried to sit up on my bed again and failed, the pain was overbearing. I took several deep breaths and looked at my hands. I began to unhook the machines and the tubes, including the one giving me blood. I struggled to sit up, and then slowly got out of the bed, ignoring the pain in every part of my being. My vision blurred and my steps faltered, but I managed to make it to the door. I opened it, and makes it down the hallway to the reception, and was surprised to not see anybody there.


    I made it to the front door without intervention, something I was grateful and worried for. Where was everybody? I made into the pce, and up the stairs to my floor where my kid¡¯s chambers were located. I passed by our room, and heard Leo snoring away lightly. I took a deep breathe and crept across, using the wall for support and praying that Leo doesn¡¯t wake up.


    I took a deep breathe when I got to Leovanni¡¯s door and turned the handle, carefully opening the door, and closing it behind me. I turned around and gasped. Leovanni was standing next to his bed with his eyes bright red. The moonlighting in and illuminating him only making the red of his eyes appear even brighter.


    ¡°Leovanni?¡±


    ¡°Mommy. It¡¯s okay, mommy,¡± he replies, climbing on the window sill of the ratherrge window.


    I took slow steps towards him, forcing my body to move against the pain, ¡°Come down, baby¡­¡±


    Tears flowed down my eyes endlessly. He shook his head and smiled at me. My baby. I was so close to him now. Maybe I would be able to save him after all. I smiled at him and stretched my hands out to him.


    ¡°Come to me, my darling¡­¡± I whispered to him, not wanting my voice to scare him off the window sill.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mommy¡­¡±


    My fingers brushed his pajamas and he jumped off the sill. My mouth opened in a shrill, high scream. My voice broke from the effort it took to let out a scream that loud. I held on to the window sill, and watched as Leovanni fell into the concrete floors headfirst. I watched as he made impact and his skull shattered with a dull crack.


    I closed my eyes and memories of him and me. Memories from the moment he was born, to his first injury, to his first step, his first injury. Everything about him. I held on to my chest, trying to physically force my heart to stop beating too fast. I squeezed even harder, hoping to stun myself awake with the pain. I was hoping that I was dreaming. That this was a joke. That I would pinch myself so hard that I would wake up and see my boy sleeping peacefully on his bed, covered with his favorite Avengers nket.


    My pain turned to shock and then to panic when I heard a little voice sob in the corner of the room. I turned my head slowly to find Ad looking at me with wide eyes of confusion and tears flowing down her cheeks. I realized that she might have just watched her brother whom she loves so much jump off to his death.


    ¡°My goodness, sweetheart¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Vanni, mommy?¡± Ad asked, her sweet voice making my heart break further.


    ¡°How long have you been standing there, love?¡±


    ¡°Why did you push him, mommy? Didn¡¯t you love him?¡±


    A lot of emotions were moving through me, topping the list at that moment would be confusion. What did she mean? And then it clicked. I had been so focused on Leo, I forgot that a thin door separated both of them. She must havee in when she heard voices, and seen Leovanni jump when my fingers brushed him. She thinks I pushed him. I gasped and began to struggle to my feet.


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s not what you think, I promise¡­¡±


    I managed to make it to my feet and began to slowly move towards her, using Leovanni¡¯s nightstand, bed, and whatever I could touch to support myself. I take a few steps closer to her and my heart breaks when she takes a few steps back. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. I refuse to believe that this was happening.


    ¡°Don¡¯te close to me,¡± Ad said, fear dripping from every word.


    I just wanted tofort her, and exin things to her. I take a few steps more, and she lets out an ear piercing scream. She screamed so loud that I just knew the whole pce would wake up. If I didn¡¯t already wake them up with mine.


    ¡°No, baby, don¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    She moved even further away from me until her back hit the wall. She went from sobbing to fully crying, her eyes wide and red with fear and sadness, and tears rolling down her cheeks.


    What the hell was happening?!


    Just like clockwork, the door was kicked open, I partly expected to see the guards, but it was even worse. Leo stepped in, eyes red, fangs and ws out, ready for war. Ready to draw blood. His eyes settled on me, and ten on Ad, and then on Leo¡¯s bed. He looked around the room and then his eyes fell on me. I could see the questions. I could hear his questions, and he didn¡¯t have to say a word. His fangs retract, his eyes clear and he sheathed his ws seeing as there wasn¡¯t a threat in the rooms.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What are you doing here, love? Where is Vanni?¡± Leo asked.


    At the mention of her brother¡¯s name, she began crying loudly, and ran to her father. Leo picked her up without hassle, and she wrapped her hands and legs around him and buried her face in his neck. My heart broke even more. What have I done?


    ¡°What is happening, Andrea?!¡±


    I winced when he called me by my name, more tears rolled down my cheeks. At this point, I should be able to make a saltke of my own soon. Leopold stepped into the room, breathing heavily. He did a survey of the room. First he looked at me seated on the floor in confusion, then to Ad who was still crying in her father¡¯s arms, to Leovanni¡¯s bed and his eyes widened in panic.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Leovanni?¡± Leopold asked.


    Ad raised her head and pointed to the window and then at me, ¡°Mommy pushed him!!!¡±


    We heard several gasps from right outside the door, and it was then I knew that my husband and his brother were not the only people the screams woke up. The domestic staff was awake as well and hade to investigate. Leopold was stunned for a moment, and then he sent them all back to their quarters. Both he and Leo walked over to the window, and then slowly put their head through it. I lowered my head to the ground and cried even harder. This couldn¡¯t be happening to me.


    Leo screamed hard and handed Ad over to Leopold, and jumped out of the window. I crawled over to the window, and looked out, supporting myself on the same window sill my son had jumped out of. I watched as Leo gathered his son in his hands and hugged him to his chest; blood, brain matter and all. I heard his scream of anger and pain all the way from down there. I watched as he lifted his body, and brought it in with him.


    ¡°Andrea, please tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Leopold asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°Please take Ad to her room. Stay with her. Don¡¯t bring her out no matter what you hear.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, Leopold. Now is not the time.¡±


    Leopold regarded me for a while and then nodded. He went through the adjoining door into Ad¡¯s room. I heard the key turn in the lock, and my heart broke a bit more. Leo opened the door with Leovanni¡¯s body in his arms, he barely spared me a look as he deposited my son¡¯s body on the bed, and wrapped him up with his nket and duvet. There was silence in the room. In the pce even. So silent that if a pin dropped, it would echo through out the whole pce.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at the hospital? How did you get past the doctors and nurses?¡±


    ¡°They¡­they weren¡¯t there. There was no one there.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯te to see my children?¡±


    ¡°You know very well what the fuck I mean, Andrea. Do not y games with me!¡± Leo replied, tears rolling down his cheeks. His eyes zing with red hot anger.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me¡­¡± I replied, lowering my head to the ground again.


    Leo took a deep breathe and swore under his breath. He came over the me, and I had the urge to move backwards but I held still. I wrapped my hands around my legs and rested my forehead on my knees.


    ¡°Try me.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-six

    ANDREA


    I spent the better part of an hour exining to Leo everything that transpired from the stabbing to the voices, to the fact that I saw nobody all the way from the hospital to Leo¡¯s room. I also tried to tell him about the ¡®person¡¯ Leovanni saw and thought was me. I told him about Leovanni¡¯s red eyes, and tried to exin to him that that wasn¡¯t normal. I tried to tell him that there was a force present in the pce and it was out for blood.


    From the way he was looking at me, he didn¡¯t believe a word I said. He simply kissed me on the head, and asked me not to leave the room. Soon enough, a team of doctors hade to take me back to the hospital, and upon entering I could see that my door had new locks.


    It¡¯s been a few days, word had gotten round about what had happened, and that the heir to the joint throne was dead. Word had also gotten round that I was a prime suspect in the murder of my son. I was being treated differently. With less respect. With less dignity. I saw the dirty look, the poorly hidden disgust. I heard the gossips¡­they wanted me to hear the gossips. Everyone had concluded that I was crazy. No one would believe me. Not even my husband, and his attitude hurt me the most.


    Why would he think I would kill my own child? After all that we have been through together?


    I raised my head, and smiled when I saw Leo walk in through the door, with Leopold and Ad. That smile quickly vanished when Ad hid behind her uncle¡¯s legs when she saw me, and began to cry. I felt my lips quiver and I bit down on it. Leo whispered to his brother to take her outside.


    ¡°Hi¡­¡±


    He smiled lightly at me, ¡°Hello¡­¡±


    ¡°You look like you haven¡¯t had much sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he drew the only seat closer to my bed and sat. ¡°I¡¯ve been nning his burial.¡±


    Silence reigned after he said that. Both of us knew who the ¡®his¡¯ was. I felt like I had a lot to say and at the same time nothing to say at all.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡± I started.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°I promise you¡­I didn¡¯t do it¡­¡± I said.


    He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He had dark circles and bags around his eyes, there was a lone vein on his forehead pulsing. He looked like he hadn¡¯t had a good sleep in a few days.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through so much together. Why would I kill my own son?! Why won¡¯t you believe me?! He jumped!!!¡± I screamed at him. Maybe if I screamed loud enough, he would hear me, and maybe understand me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do this now,¡± he said, sitting up in his chair and resting his hands on his knees. ¡°I¡¯ve been in contact with someone-¡±


    ¡°Who?!¡± I asked skeptically.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Someone. She might be able to help us. She will help you.¡±


    It took me a moment to understand what he meant, and then it clicked. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy, Leo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you are-¡±


    ¡°So what is their person meant to do?!¡±


    ¡°Help-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been through so much together, Leo. The least you can do is not treat me like a fool. You, at the very least, can ord me that courtesy.¡±


    Leo took a deep breath, ¡°Whatever is happening to you isn¡¯t normal, Andrea. You¡¯ve been through so much, and maybe, just maybe we might have overlooked how much damage it caused you.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you, Andrea. I have loved you from the moment I saw you. I want to help you.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then start by believing me,¡± I said, fresh tears rolling down my cheeks.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    ¡°You think this is easy for me? I¡¯m seeing things¡­people are harming me, but my own lover wouldn¡¯t even give it a thought. My own daughter is scared of me.¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone thinks¡­¡± my voice broke. ¡°Everyone thinks I killed my son.¡±


    ¡°His burial is today,¡± he blurted out.


    ¡°What? What time?¡±


    ¡°In about thirty minutes,¡± he had a guilty look on his face.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t going to tell me, were you? You were just going to go on and bury him like I don¡¯t matter? Like I didn¡¯t love him? Like he wasn¡¯t my son?¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡± he said.


    I bit down on my lip hard, so hard that I felt my skin break and bloode through. At least he had the decency to look ashamed. He lowered his head and scratched his jaw. I took several deep breaths, and was about to raise my legs off the bed when I realized that I couldn¡¯t. I moved the nket away only to see that my right foot was chained to the bed. I looked at Leo and he looked away.


    ¡°You asked them to chain me up?¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­it was for the best.¡±


    ¡°Call the doctor and have them unchain me. Now. I want to attend my son¡¯s burial.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can. And if at any point in your life you ever loved me, you would,¡± I responded firmly.


    He looked defeated. I watched as he stood from the chair and walked to the door, my eyes burning a hole in his back. He returned with a guard in tow, and I didn¡¯t miss the look the guard gave me; it was condescending look. It was insulting just how much I had been degraded. The guard left the room, and the doctor came in next. He carefully unhooked me from the machines and left as well. I sat for a while to get my bearings and then attempted to get off the bed. Leo offered his arm but it was with great pleasure that I ignored it.


    I walked from the hospital back to the pce, ignoring the looks I got from the pce workers. I passed by Savannah, and she stopped to look at me. She must be feeling smug. I saw bags at the entrance, and looked back at Leo.


    ¡°She would be staying in the pce,¡± he said.


    I rolled my eyes and kept on going. I made it to our room, and went straight into the bathroom. I haven¡¯t had the luxury of a bath since the stabbing, and I sighed in pure bliss as I slid into the cold water. Leovanni loved baths too. That took away the pleasure of it. I quickly washed off, and got out of the shower. I stepped out of the bathroom, and Leo¡¯s eyes settled on me. I felt his eyes rove up and down my body, and felt a little satisfaction at the fact that he still found my attractive.


    I went into our closet, and donned the first ck gown that I saw. I brushed out my wet hair, and put it in a single braid that came down to my waist. I wore a pair of t, ck shoes and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like a ghost, like a shadow of myself. I almost didn¡¯t recognize who I was staring at in the mirror. My eyes were hollow. I had eye bags and very dark circles around my eyes. The past few weeks had taken a toll on me. I took a deep breathe and tried to hold back the tears. I still haven¡¯te to terms with the fact that my son was dead, that I was currently preparing to attend his funeral.


    Leo knocked on the door and opened the door, poking his head in.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked. I gave him a death stare and rolled my eyes. ¡°I guess not¡­we¡¯re going to bete.¡±


    I nodded and exited the closet, pushing Leo out of the way lightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Lead the way,¡± I said, avoiding e contact with him.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    His voice felt like a gentle caress on my mind, on my soul. I felt fresh tears roll down my cheeks and I turned my head away to try and hide it. Leo sighed and hugged me, wrapped his hands tightly around me, and buried his nose in my hair. I tried pushing him away but he only held on tighter. I eventually gave in and hugged him back, burying my face in his chest.


    ¡°I love you, Andrea.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± And I meant it. It¡¯s been a trying period but of that I was sure.


    We remained that way for a while, holding on to each other and finding sce in the confusion however we could. We were interrupted by Leopolding into the room. He regarded us for a while, and then waved at me. I smiled and waved back.


    ¡°The procession is done. They¡¯re ready to lower the body into the ground.¡±


    Leo nodded. ¡°We¡¯re on our way.¡±


    Leopold nodded and left, leaving us alone again.


    ¡°We should be on our way,¡± Leo said, and I nodded.


    He took hold of my hand and we began the journey to the royal graveyard that was located in the woods behind the pce. It was a clearing of a few acres ofnd, and fenced off from the rest of the woods with a high, spiked fence. As we neared the gathering, I saw the small, white coffin that held my boy¡¯s remains, and fresh tears began to roll down my cheeks.


    I heard the murmurs around me, the scoffs. I heard them say how they think that I killed my son. I heard someone say that I killed my mother. I closed my eyes and forced the voices to the back of my head, deciding to focus only on my boy¡¯s body. I took the avable seat at the front row, and watched as though I was in a trance as his coffin was lowered into the ground. I wanted to badly fall on his coffin and shake him awake. I wanted to open it up and tell him how much I love him. How much I feel for him.


    I sat there; totally immersed in thoughts and memories of my boy that we shared. I watched as his coffin was lowered into the ground, and I honestly didn¡¯t have any strength left in me to cry. I was tired of crying. It seemed like a cycle that didn¡¯t want to end. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and heard the voice. That damned voice again.


    ¡°Your majesty¡­¡±


    I whipped my head around, and saw Esmeralda standing there, looking like the innocentmb that I knew she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You¡­it was you the whole time?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Esmeralda said.


    I turned to Leo, ¡°What the fuck is she doing here?!¡±


    Leo scratched the back of his head, ¡°She¡¯s the one who I told you about. The person that is to help you.¡±


    ¡°Is that a joke? Of all the people in the world, you brought HER?! The same person that tried to kill me?!¡±


    ¡°That was my father,¡± Esmeralda said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act dense, you stupid bitch. You were the one who killed my son!¡±


    ¡°Andrea!!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Esmeralda turned to Leo, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this might be worse that I initially thought. We will need to begin immediately.¡±


    Leo nodded and looked at me, ¡°You need to go with her.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Andrea, please.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not going anywhere with that witch,¡± I replied, pointing at Esmeralda.


    They both looked at each other, and then at me, and then Esmeralda stepped forward. Thest thing I remember is the witch waving her hands in front of my face.

 Chapter Thirty-seven

    ANDREA


    I woke up in a different room. I groaned as I opened my eyes, and almost immediately, the events of my son¡¯s burial hit me. My eyes widened in horror and I tried to get out of the bed only to see that my hands and feet were chained to the bed. I struggled against them for a while before I noticed a presence seated in the far corner of the room. I looked around the full gray room, and squinted my eyes, trying to see who it was.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.


    The figure stood and came into the light, and I began struggling with the chains again. Esmeralda smirked at me as she sashayed over to me. I remembered that she had done something to me at Leovanni¡¯s burial.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I asked.


    She shrugged. ¡°Nothing serious. Nothingpared to what I am going to do to you.¡±


    ¡°It was you the whole time, wasn¡¯t it? The voice, Leo, stabbing me¡­it was you the whole time?!¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Oops. I see you¡¯ve figured me out.¡±


    ¡°You will not get away with this,¡± I replied through gritted teeth, the chains digging into my wrists and ankles from how hard I was pulling at the chains. ¡°Leo will¡­¡±


    She threw back her head andughed, ¡°I have him wrapped around my little finger. He¡¯s not doing anything. I¡¯m in control now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? What do you mean?!¡±


    ¡°I meant what I said. Leo will do exactly as I say when I say it. He¡¯s mine now. Same thing goes for your little Princess¡­¡±


    I struggled even harder against the chains, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch my child!!!¡±


    ¡°Or else?¡± She walked over to my side of the bed, and wrapped her hand around my throat, ¡°Or else what?¡±


    She held my neck tighter, making sure to dig her sharp w-like nails into my neck. I groaned as I felt her nails break skin, and blood seep through. Sheughed and withdrew her hand and looked at the blood rolling down her fingers. She raised her hand to her lips and licked the blood clean off of her fingers.


    ¡°What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Why? There are few reasons but we¡¯ll start with the obvious. You killed my father, and destroyed my world as I knew it.¡±


    ¡°Your father¡­¡±


    Esmeralda raised her index finger to her lips, and suddenly I lift the urge to speak. I could open my mouth but my vocal cords just refused to cooperate. I looked at her. Really looked at her, and wondered how she went from being an ordinary spoiled, werewolf princess to being such a powerful witch.


    ¡°My father was a good man. My brother was a good man. Such a good man, he yed his part well.¡±


    ¡°What part?¡±


    ¡°The bodies.¡±


    ¡°You killed those children,¡± I said in disbelief.


    She shrugged, ¡°They were to serve a purpose.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple actually. I want to take everything from you; the same way you took everything from me. I will take your husband, your daughter, your crown, your kingdoms, and then when I¡¯m done, I will take your life. And the best part is that there is nothing you can do to stop me.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen, you won¡¯t seed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, darling. Watch me,¡± she said,ughing.¡±By the way, your treatment begins today. Brace yourself.¡±


    I watched as she walked out of the room, the heavy, metal door sliding shut, and then I was left alone to wallow in my misery and wonder what I was going to do with my life. How I was going to get out of here. The door opened again after a few hours, and Esmeralda came back in. This time she wasn¡¯t alone. Savannah was with her, pushing in a trolley filled with potions and a bowl of water.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked, and was graciously ignored.


    I looked at Savannah, and she avoided my gaze. Deep down I knew that she was going to enjoy this. She never liked me anyways. I watched as Esmeralda began to hum atune, it sounded like a nursery rhyme. It felt like a luby except that there was nothing rxing about it. I tried pulling at the chains but found that I could not. The more she bummed, the weaker I got until the only part of my body functioning was my eyes.


    ¡°You can leave us now.¡± Esmeralda said, waving her hand dismissively at Savannah.


    Savannah took a good look at me and exited the room. Esmeralda waited for her to leave, she had a wide smile on her face that sent chills down my spine.


    ¡°I promise that we¡¯re going to have a lot of fun together.¡±


    I watched as she stripped me down to my birthday suit. I felt humiliated at beingid bare before her; being at her mercy. I felt  a lone tear escape from my eye, it was bing a norm to cry on a daily basis.


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t cry. We¡¯re going to have fun.¡± She threw back her head, andughed maniacally.


    I watched as she pulled something from the table. It was a cross. With a star attached to the very top of it. The same as the symbol I saw the night I was stabbed. She raised it above her head, and began to chant a spell. She repeated the spell over and over. The room fell into darkness, and I was only able to make out her figure in the calm chaos.


    ¡°What are you-¡±


    My mouth opened up in silent shock as sharp pains shot through every fiber of my being. My back arched off the bed and I could feel my eyes roll to the back of my head.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    That day marked the beginning of intense suffering. And every time she stepped into my room, I looked at her and wondered how she became a witch, and how she became as powerful as she was. And what her end goal was.


    Fine, she wants to kill off my family, take back her father¡¯s throne, and avenge her father¡¯s death. But does it end there? What if she decides that dominating vampires and the humans were the next step for her? What if she decided that she wanted to expand her empire outside of North America to America and other parts of the world?


    I opened my eyes slowly, my breathing inbored pants. I could feel the sweat gathered on my forehead, and felt it roll down the sides as I loved my head. I hadn¡¯t had much food in the past week. One meal a day, and that one meal would hardly be enough for Ad. I groaned when the door opened again Esmeralda walked in. She really doesn¡¯t get tired.


    ¡°Hello, pumpkin. Did you miss me?¡±


    I rolled my eyes as she stood next to my bed and watched as Savannah carried a tray in behind her.


    ¡°ce it right there,¡± she said to Savannah, pointing at the table.


    Savannah dropped it on the table and spared me a look. I could have sworn I saw sympathy in there. I looked back at Esmeralda and my eyes immediately fixated to the bright red mark that sat on her slender neck. Who was the fool stupid enough to go between her legs? Unlucky fellow. She caught me staring at her hickey, andughed. Her shrill, annoying voice disturbing the tranquility of my torture chamber.


    ¡°You want to know how I go that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Your husband gave it to me. He¡¯s such a good kisser. I would like to see more¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me the first time?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Just begin and let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to try something different today,¡± she said and walked over to the other side of my bed where the table was located.


    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± I asked.


    Esmeralda looked back at me and smiled. I watched as she lifted I watched as she lifted a syringe from the tray, and walked over to me. That was new. She had always used potions and spells. What was she holding?


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± she said, making me realize I must have voiced that out loud.


    ¡°What is that for?¡±


    She smiled at me, ¡°it¡¯s a gift for my brother. Ast gift.¡±


    That made me very uneasy. What does William have to do with this? Where was Leo? I looked helplessly as she walked over to me and injected me with the contents of the syringe. I closed my eyes and felt the liquid enter my bloodstream. Too tired to speak, too tired to fight back. There was nothing to do. I was still chained to the bed. Only unchained to use the toilet.


    ¡°Enjoy.¡±


    I watched as Esmeraldaughed her way out of my room. I was worried. What gift? I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, deciding that I¡¯ll take whatever happens as ites. I sighed and fell into a dreamless slumber.


    I woke up with a burning fever, my breaths wereing in hard, and very hot pants. I sat up on the bed as much as the constraints would allow, and looked down at my body. Sweats were pouring in buckets and my simple gown was soaked.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡±


    I felt very irritated. Everything irritated me. My clothes felt itchy, and my skin felt prickly and overtly sensitive. I looked down at my body again, and saw that my nipples were protruding.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked myself.


    I looked up and watched as the door opened and thest person I expected to see walked in. He had a wide smile on his face that immediately made me uneasy, and i reclined into the bed as much as I could, and looked on in confusion. He entered into my room, and shut the door behind him, locking it.


    ¡°What are you doing here, William?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    I watched as he touched my leg, and slid his hand upwards towards my thigh. I felt shivers run down my spine and my toes curled in pleasure. My brows furrowed in confusion. What was happening? He continued rubbing my legs, not doing anything else, while looking at me, as though waiting for something to click in my head.


    ¡°Do you feel that, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    William threw back his head, andughed. ¡°You haven¡¯t figured it out yet?¡±


    He wrapped his hand around my throat and forced me to look at him, while his other hand rolled a nipple between his two fingers. I expected disgust but instead tiny bursts of pleasure shot through me. I moaned when he pinched my nipple and pulled it.


    And then it clicked. I had gone into forced heat. The fever, the sweat, the heightened arousal. I gasped when I remembered what Esmeralda had said earlier. She had given me a shot to force me into hear for her brother.


    ¡°Ah, I see you finally understand. Took you long enough,¡± William said, and lowered his head to kiss me.


    I shook my head side to side trying to avoid his kiss, begging him with my eyes not to proceed with this, even though my body was saying somethingpletely different.


    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t do this¡­¡±


    He smiled again and ced his lips on mine. I tightened my lips, trying to evade his insistent tongue. He pulled back from me, and I could see the anger dancing in his eyes. Just like all those years ago, he still can¡¯t take a rejection.


    ¡°You want this. I want this. What is your problem?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked, smiling smugly and pointing at my nipples.


    I looked down and saw that my nipples were rock hard and protruding through the thin, white cotton gown that I had on. To make matters worse, the gown was drenched with my sweat, and the dress was see through. I was more or less naked. William raised his nose in the air, and moaned.


    ¡°I can smell your arousal, Andrea. You¡¯re wet for me,¡± he said, moaning again.


    I closed my eyes as the sound of his voice reverberated through my being, cing ideas in my head about what he could do to my body. I felt a fresh wave of heat flow down to my core, and I tried to close my legs against the current. That only made it worse as I let out an involuntary moan at the friction my thighs provided against my most intimate part.


    William looked at me in surprise andughed at my reaction. He grabbed my dress by the cor, and yanked it, ripping my dress clean of my body, and leaving me naked on the bed. He whistled, and allowed his eyes feast on my body. I watched as his eyes darkened as they settled on my breasts, and I saw a little saliva drop from the side of his mouth. I spread my legs just a bit wider as his eyes came down to my mound. For some reason, his gaze on my nakedness turned me on even more. I spread them even further even though I haven¡¯t shaved in about a month, and my pubic mound looked like a forest.


    ¡°I do love a little adventure,¡± William said, reaching his hands out and sent his two middle fingers right into my cunt.


    I moaned and moved my hips against his fingers. I was a bit disappointed when he pulled it out, but I was blessed with the sight of him putting it into his mouth. I bit my lip and held eye contact with him as he sucked them clean of my juices.


    ¡°Such delicious vor,¡± he said, bending over to pick a nipple with his mouth.


    I gasped and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as he bit down on my nipple, and sucked it into his mouth. He rolled the other nipple in his fingers, eliciting several moans  from me. I was deeply conflicted in mind and body.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want this. You don¡¯t want this.¡± I kept chanting in my head, but it became faded music in my ears the more he touched me. I hated this man. I hated this. But at this point, it was beginning to seem like I just wanted to convince myself.


    ¡°You taste so wonderful, Andrea. Your body is truly a work of art. So responsive,¡± he said, trailing kisses up my chest until he got it my neck, right where my mark was located.


    ¡°I hate you¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked as he ran his tongue Leo¡¯s mark on my neck.


    I winced as his tongue produced a slight sting.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I whispered, pleasure reced with shame when I remembered Leo.


    ¡°Stop what?¡± He whispered into my ear, as he stuck two fingers into my cunt.


    I gasped and spread my legs wider as he curved his fingers upward, and began rubbing that spot very gently. At this point, all thoughts of Leo and family flew from my mind, and all I could concentrate on was reaching the pinnacle that William was taking me to. I rolled my hips against his hand, moaning and groaning with my head rolled back, and my hands holding on to my chains for dear life.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re a hungry little thing. Let¡¯s give my vixen what she wants,¡± he said, and smashed his lips on mine.


    This time I didn¡¯t fight him. I opened my mouth and let his tongue explore every part of my mouth. I moaned when he bit down on my lip, and then sucked on my tongue. He began to move his fingers in an upward-downward motion. Slowly at first, and then faster. Harder. I couldn¡¯t control myself. I could feel my climax building.


    ¡°William¡­¡± I tried to warn him.


    ¡°Shh,¡± he replied, smiling into my mouth. ¡± I know honey¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­I want to pee¡­¡± I whispered.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t, love.¡±


    ¡°William,¡±


    At this point, my body was no longer mine. I could feel some pressure on my dder, followed by the insane urge to pee. I rolled my hips, and let out a guttural moan.


    ¡°I want to pee¡­¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Shh, let go.¡±


    My eyes rolled to the back of my head as my orgasm hit me. I closed my legs around his hands and rode out my orgasm, my body heavily sated. I took deep breaths as I climbed down from my high. I watched helplessly as William dig out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the chains on my feet. I wiggled my ankles as the chains fell, and sighed.


    He threw the keys down to the floor, and began taking off his clothes. My foggy brain couldn¡¯t quiteprehend what was happening.


    ¡°Why are yoI taking your clothes off?¡±


    ¡°Did you think I was done with you?¡±


    Shit.

 Chapter Thirty-eight

    ANDREA


    My legs felt like jelly as William grabbed my legs and pulled my down until I was t on my back. I watched helplessly as he spread my legs until my insides were visible to him. He knelt between my legs on the bed, his erect member standing proudly and pointing to the ceiling. It was then I realized. I¡¯ve never had anyone asides my husband.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I swore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get there.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt a hot, burning sensation in my neck, as though a hot knife was ced on my mark. William threw back his head andughed.


    ¡°What is funny?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, do you?¡± He asked, leaning down to my mark, and kissing it lightly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What does it mean when your mark begins to burn, Andrea?¡±


    It took me a while, but I eventually got it. Leo was fucking someone else. I gasped and that only made Williamugh even harder. I wondered who he was with. I wondered if his mark has been burning all the while I was here with William.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that she would go through with it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Esmeralda.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to offer any further exnations after that. It all made sense. That was why she had given me that shot, and had sent William in here. Does Leo think I willingly cheated on him? Why would he cheat on me?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love. I¡¯ll make you feel really good. So good that you¡¯ll forget that bastard.¡±


    Tears flowed down my cheeks, and I looked away. Partly in shame, and partly in anger. Shame that I had given this man so much power over me, and anger that I had given him that much power over me. The mark began to burn harder and I gritted my teeth against the pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make you feel so much better.¡±


    William lifted a leg over his shoulder, and positioned himself at my entrance. I closed my eyes and turned my face away.


    ¡°Look at me while I fuck you.¡±


    I still kept my face turned away. I gasped when I felt him slip the tip in and the withdraw. He wrapped his hand around my neck, and forced my to face him. My eyes opened in shock as I felt him slide in to the hilt.


    My eyes zed over as he began to move, my mark zing hot as his dick stroked and stretched my insides. I moaned and swore at the same time. Pleasure from the dick inside me, pain from the dick I mated. William growled in my ear and began to move harder. I could tell he was close, and I was right there with him. I gasped when I felt him swell inside me.


    ¡°Don¡¯te inside me!!!¡± I didn¡¯t want this man¡¯s baby.


    William lifted himself up to his elbows, and smiled mischievously at me. That smile told me all that  needed to know. I shook my head vehemently even as I ground my hips harder against him, I was really close.


    ¡°Come for me, love,¡± William whispered in my ear.


    My body responded immediately, as though recognizing him as Alpha. My leg tightened around his waist as my orgasm washed through me. As I came down from my high and back to reality, I felt William pull out of me with a sigh. I turned my head away, the pain from my mark was now nothing but a dull ache.


    I watched William from hooded eyes as he got out of my bed, and put his clothes back on. He picked up the key that he had thrown down on the floor, and unlocked the chains on my hands. My hands fell limply to my sides. Now would have been a perfect chance to try and escape but I was too sated and too hurt to attempt anything. I rolled myself into a ball, and faced the wall, waiting for William to exit my room.


    ¡°Goodbye, love.¡±


    I listened as he left the room, and locked the door behind him. It was funny to my how fast my life had taken a turn for the worse. I wondered who Leo had slept with. Why? Was he tired of me. In the same breathe, I couldn¡¯t really say anything, I had just let William fuck me, and what was worse, I enjoyed it. I just felt I didn¡¯t have the right to be speaking about his infidelity.


    I spent the night sulking, and woke up to thest person I expected to see. Esmeralda. I sat up in my bed and watched as she sauntered into the room like she owned the ce. All weakness fled from my body, and anger took hold.


    I growled at her, ¡°You fucking bitch!!!¡±


    I could feel my wolf rising but she couldn¡¯t be bothered. Sheughed and waved me off. It didn¡¯t escape my notice that she had on my husband¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°I guess you had fun with my brotherst night?¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    She shrugged and walked over stand next to me on the bed. I knelt on my bed, sitting on my knees so I could stare her down. She smiled up at me and that was when I noticed the marks on her neck. They were hickeys. She noticed me looking at them, and angled her head to give me a better look.


    ¡°You like them? Your husband gave them to me,¡± she answered smugly.


    ¡°What? You¡­¡±


    Esmeralda smiled up at me, and that was when I lost it. I screamed and grabbed her by the neck and tossed her across the room. Anger coursed through my being, and all that was in my head was that I wanted her dead. I jumped down from the bed, and walked over to her. She sat up on the floor, coughing, and I saw a hint of blood at the side of her mouth.


    ¡°How dare you, you fucking bitch!!!¡±


    I pushed her back to the floor and straddled her. For some reason, she found this amusing, and that only angered me more. I grabbed her neck and smashed her head into the floor. I kept hitting her head against the floor until I heard a sickening crack. I smiled as I dropped her lifeless body on the floor, and stood to my feet. I hear noises outside my door and soon enough, it is pushed open and guards gather around the body, and thest person I wanted to see walks through the door.


    ¡°Andrea, what have you done?¡± Leo asked, taking small, careful steps into the room.


    ¡°I should be asking you. Who the fuck did you fuckst night, you bitch?!!¡±


    His countenance changed and his face fell. At least, he had the good grace to lower his head. He raised his head and ran his hand over his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Who was she?!¡±


    Just then, Esmeralda walked through the doors, and I took a few steps back in shock. I looked back towards the lifeless body, and all the blood drained from my face. I looked at Esmeralda again, and then at the lifeless body, and my sister , Tracy was the oneying on the floor. Dead.


    ¡°Tracy¡­¡±


    I knelt on the floor, and pushed the guards away to get closer to my sister. I gathered her into my arms and shook her gently, hoping against hope that she would wake up, and all would be well. With each second that passed by, she stilly lifeless in my arms, and that was when the floodgates opened. I screamed so loud that my throat immediately began to hurt. I wondered how this had happened. It was Esmeralda who had stood there some time ago.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I looked up and there the bitch was. Our eyes met, and a smirk tugged at her lips. She had orchestrated this. Pure rage bubbled up inside me again. I wanted to kill her, I wanted to sink my ws into her throat slowly, and watch as life slowly left her. She walked over to Leo and stood next to him.


    ¡°I told you that she isn¡¯t mentally stable. She¡¯s too far gone,¡± She said to Leo.


    How dare she?! I growled and lunged at her, but was pulled back by the guards and my hands were forced behind me. I growled and struggled against the powerful hands that served as restraints.


    ¡°You fucking bitch! You did this!¡±


    ¡°Take her to the bed, and tie her down. She¡¯s unstable.¡±


    I growled at the guards, ¡°You better not. I am your queen!!!¡±


    They ignored me and dragged me to the bed, and was tied down using the bed restraints. Esmeralda walked over to me with Leo standing a few feet behind her. She bent and tilted her neck so the marks on her neck were visible. They were red, angry marks. Marks given in the throes of hot passion. And then it clicked. It was her. She was the one Leo fuckedst night. It didn¡¯t make sense. They hated vampires. All the anger in me boiled down to pain and disappointment. I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening to me.


    ¡°How could you do this to me, Leo?¡±I asked, Pain heavy in my voice.


    Leo opened his mouth as though to speak, and then closed it. There was some conflict in his eyes, and I just knew that he could see the betrayal in mine.


    ¡°You did it to me first, Andrea.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. She did it all!!!¡± I struggled against the restraints.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Esmeralda chuckled and sashayed over to my mate, standing annoyingly close to him. I watched helplessly as she raised her hand to his chest, and rubbed it gently.


    ¡°You know what you felt¡­¡± she said, stepping even closer to him. ¡°Don¡¯t let her gaslight you.¡±


    I screamed, ¡°How dare you?! Tell him what you did!!¡±


    I watched in horror as Esmeralda stood on her toes and kissed my mate, right in front of me. I watched as Leo¡¯s eyes fluttered close as though in a spell, and I could distinctly feel my mark begin to re. I watched through eyes blurred with tears as Leo wrapped his hands around her and pulled her in even more. I watched as he sighed and rxed into the kiss. In the corner of my mind, I could hear someone screaming, it turned out to be me.

 Chapter Thirty-nine

    ANDREA


    I woke up with a severe headache and blurry vision. I blinked and swallowed. Every part of my body felt sore. My throat, my eyes, my heart. Everywhere. I sighed and tried sitting up in my to realize that I was still restrained to the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I turned my head sharply to the direction of the voice, having to squint my eyes to clear my vision and see who was seated to my far right.


    ¡°Leo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hi¡­¡±


    I looked away, and heard him sigh. He got out of bed and walked over to me, each step closer meant less air for me. I was already beginning to breathe harder.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I wanted to apologize.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°For what exactly? For treating me like amon animal? For disbelieving me when I needed your trust? For believing that I killed my own son?¡±


    ¡°Andrea-¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°For belittling me before my own kingdom and reducing me to¡­to this?!¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Or are you sorry for fucking Esmeralda?! What exactly is the apology for?¡±


    Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks and I immediately looked away. He didn¡¯t need to see them. I tried to clean my tears forgetting that I was still bound, that led to fresh bouts of frustration for me, and I began to wrestle the bonds.


    ¡°Allow me,¡± Leo said, and proceeded to rip the restraints with his ws. ¡°There you are.¡±


    I sat up on bed, massaging my wrists and rolling my ankles. I sighed as blood began to flow to all the bound regions.


    ¡°What about Stacy? How is she?¡±


    Leo shrugged, ¡°She¡¯s okay. She¡¯s¡­um¡­taking it all in.¡±


    ¡°And Ad? Does she still hate me?¡±


    Leo hesitated, and that was all the answer I needed. No one would believe me. Hell, sometimes I didn¡¯t believe myself. How Esmeralda managed to sneak herself back into our lives is still a think of mystery¡­and witchcraft. I should have had them all executed after that fight. My mercy hase back to bite me in the ass.


    ¡°I want to tell you something. You won¡¯t believe me, but I need you to listen to me.¡±


    Leo dragged the stic chair in the corner to the side of my bed, and sat. He crossed his legs, and folded his arms across his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°I know you won¡¯t believe me, but¡­Esmeralda¡­¡±


    Leo groaned, ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen. I know it won¡¯t make sense to you, but I just need you to listen. It will make sense. Maybe not now but it willter. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    I took a deep breath and began narrating everything that has happened since the night of the stabbing. I told him how there were people in my room, and I hadn¡¯t been the one to stab myself. I told him how she wants to take everything from me, and how she had done something to Leovanni to make him jump. I told him how she had injected me with something that had forced me into heat, and sent William to have sex with me. I watched as Leo listened to me with doubt and disbelief on his face. By the time I was done, silence reigned supreme.


    Leo sighed, ¡°You fucked William. Of all the men, it was William, and you¡¯re trying to justify your act by ming his Esmeralda?!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    That felt like a p on the chin, I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Look, believe me or not, I¡¯ve said my truth. All I need you to do is protect Ad.¡±


    When you think of the devil, she appears. The door opens and Esmeralda walks in, all smiles and with arge, brown envelope in her hand.


    ¡°There you are. I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    She barely nced at me, and sauntered straight to Leo waving the envelope in her hand.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    She smirked, ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    ¡°What-¡±


    ¡°The verdict from the council is in.¡±


    ¡°Council?¡± I asked.


    It didn¡¯t miss my attention that Leo sat up straighter, and immediately had a stressed look in his face. Whatever was in that envelope was beginning to seem a little to important. I watched as he tore open the envelope and began to read the contents of the two page letter. The more he read, the more I could tell that the contents weren¡¯t good.


    ¡°Leo, what is going on?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me and shook his head vehemently. He stood from his chair forcefully and walked around the room, running his hands through his hair and pulling at the strands.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?!¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to tell her?¡± Esmeralda asked, walking over to where Leo now stood in the middle of the room, and began running her hands up and down his back.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking her off and walking over to me. ¡°I need to tell you something.¡±


    Esmeralda giggled, ¡°Oh, this would be interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Esmeralda flinched and exited the room, grunting and murmuring on her way out. I derived a bit of satisfaction from her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­somehow the news of the stabbing and Leo¡¯s death got to the ears of the council, and have been holding meetings for a verdict on what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Why would they get involved? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°ording to them, you hold a very powerful position as queen of two kingdoms. They can¡¯t risk for you to be mentally unstable.¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t make any sense. What are you not telling me, Leo?¡±


    Leo sighed, ¡°Their ¡®informant¡¯ has also told them that you intend to start another war to extend territory to the humans.¡±


    I threw my head back andughed, I couldn¡¯t help it. One of the reasons I had challenged my uncle for the throne was so that there would be no more wars between species. And we have lived in peace for the past ten years and have fostered rtionships that no one believed could happen. I knew exactly who their informant was, and from the way Leo looked at me, he looked like he knew exactly what I was thinking.


    ¡°So, what is their verdict?¡±


    ¡°Banishment.¡±


    ¡°Is that a joke?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Andrea. I tried¡­they wanted your head¡­¡±


    How dare these people?! Who did they think they were to banish me from my own kingdom?! Tears sprung to my eyes, and I immediately blinked them back. I¡¯ve done enough crying tost a lifetime. Perhaps it was better to just leave, I wasn¡¯t of much help locked up in here.


    I nodded, ¡°Fine. When am I to leave? Where do they want me to go?¡±


    ¡°They want you to live amongst humans. You can go anywhere as long as it¡¯s a human territory. You can¡¯t shift there.¡±


    ¡°But my wolf¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the n, Andrea. They want to make you weak. They want your wolf¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to finish his sentence. They want my wolf to be weak, so weak that if I ever dared toe back, I would be very easily dealt with. This felt like the end.


    ¡°I want to see my daughter before I leave.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have prepared the truck for you, and in the truck, you will find debit cards heavily loaded with funds.¡±


    ¡°So, this is how we end?¡±


    Leo looked away and ran his hand through his hair. I swung my legs over the bed, and stretched.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get my things¡­¡±


    I walked out of that hellhole for the first time in ages, happy to finally take deep breaths of fresh air. I didn¡¯t miss the looks of the nurses, doctors and other patients as I walked out of the hospital. It was filled with disdain and mockery. I didn¡¯t miss the way they whispered into each other¡¯s ears as I walked past and giggled to themselves. Esmeralda had really done damage. I stepped into the sunlight and sighed. It felt good to feel the rays of the sun on my skin, and to be able to smell the flowers and forestry in the air. I rolled my shoulders and began my short walk to the pce, vaguely aware of Leo walking a few steps behind me.


    I stepped into the pce, and stood in the lobby, looking around. Redecorations had taken ce, and my human-sized portrait was being taken down. I looked back towards Leo, and he shrugged.


    ¡°We thought we would begin early,¡± he said.


    ¡°You thought? Or Esmeralda thought?¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    I waved him off, ¡°One day, the scales will fall from your eyes, her spell would go away from you and you will see the truth. Until then there¡¯s nothing I can do. All I can do is pray that when that timees, all isn¡¯t lost and that it isn¡¯t toote.¡±


    I walked up to my room, and began throwing my clothes and jewelry in a box, not really caring to fold them. I came across my mother¡¯s ne, the very one she had given me in the dream before the fight. I turned and handed it to Leo.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ad¡¯s birthday next week. Give that to her, tell her it¡¯s a present from me. I won¡¯t be here to give it to her myself.¡±


    Leo nodded and took the ne from me. I turned around and finished my packing. I dragged my back into the room and looked around the ce I have slept on for the past ten years. A lot of memories were made here. I took a deep breath. It was time to let go. The door opened, and Stacy walked in. Her eyes were puffy and she looked like she had lost weight. I wondered if she hated me. Does she me me for our sister¡¯s death.


    ¡°Stacy¡­¡±


    Stacy rushed towards me, and I braced myself for an attack, but instead she wrapped her hands around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said, her voice breaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Stacy¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s all over now. We¡¯re going to go somewhere where we would be just fine.¡±


    I pulled back from the hug, ¡°We?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes. You thought I was going to let you go alone?¡±


    Tears sprung to my eyes. Happy tears. I smiled and hugged Stacy again, holding her so tight that it was bing difficult to breathe.


    ¡°I have already packed my bags. I¡¯m ready to leave too.¡±


    ¡°Help us with our bags,¡± I said to Leo, taking my sister by the hand and walked out of my room, drove out of the pce and into our new lives.

 Chapter Forty

    ANDREA


    I flushed the toilet after emptying the contents of my bowels. This was bing a regr urrence. I looked in the mirror and gasped at my reflection. My hair looked like a bird¡¯s nest. My eyes were swollen, that wasn¡¯t surprising, I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in a long while. I sighed and headed back to bed, the symptoms were very familiar, but I didn¡¯t want to believe it to be true.


    I waited for Stacy to drive to work before driving to the hospital farthest from where I lived on Staten Ind. The ten minutes I spent waiting for the result turned out to be the longest I¡¯ve ever waited. I got home and the first thing I did was tear the result open, surprised that I was patient enough to wait that long.


    My heart fell into my stomach as I read the contents of the result. I was indeed pregnant. And I knew who the father was. It wasn¡¯t Leo. I sat on the floor of my living room crying. Wondering on my next course of action and lost in thought. I was brought back to reality by Stacy opening the door and bounding in with smiles all over her face.


    ¡°Andrea, I have the best news!!!¡± She yells.


    Her eyes fall on me and her smile disappears. I faked a smile but I barely had the energy to force my face to make that action.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked and sat next to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking lie to me. You don¡¯t look fine at all. What happened?¡±


    ¡°I promise, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea!!!¡±


    I looked at her and could see the panic and fear in her eyes. I sighed andy my head on her thighs, and closed my eyes at the feeling of her running her hands through my hair, and massaging my scalp.


    ¡°Please tell me what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    I took a deep breath and sat up, wiping my face with my hands, and wrapped my hair up into a messy bun.


    ¡°You really want to know what happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    I nodded and reached for the paper on my far left and handed it to Stacy. I watched her face as a million expressions ran through it. First, confusion, then realization, further confusion, surprise, shock, and then finally anger. When she looked at me, her brows were drawn in.


    ¡°That fucking bastard. Fucking you while you rotted in that ce?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Leo¡¯s.¡±


    Stacy gasped, ¡°Whose is it then?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°You won¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± she said and sat up straighter.


    I sighed, ¡°It belongs to William.¡±


    Silence reigned in the room. I could see the wheels turning, her brain was trying to understand and digest the information given to her. I watched as her eyes moved from side to side, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start at the beginning. Pay attention.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± she replied.


    I told her everything. From the night of the stabbing, to how Leo died, to how I had killed out sister. I told her all about Esmeralda, and how she had a death grip on everybody using dark magic. I told her how she had drugged me to induce heat and had sent William to me. I told her how I had felt Leo with someone else that same night and found out that he did Esmeralda. By the time I was done, Stacy had her mouth hanging open.


    ¡°I know about Esmeralda. Her witchcraft.¡±


    ¡°How? Did you do something to you?¡±


    ¡°No. But a lot of things didn¡¯t make sense. They didn¡¯t add up. I mean, no way Leo would allow her have that much leverage in the pce, or make decisions. She was more or less running shit.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­I still can¡¯t believe how she was able to learn ck magic. Witches have been extinct for decades.¡±


    ¡°They might be dead, but their books aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That might be true.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is true. Like I said, I¡¯m aware of Esmeralda¡¯s witchcraft. I confirmed it myself,¡± she said, smiling.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I did a little digging around her room, and found a few books.¡±


    ¡°Books?¡± I asked.


    She nodded. ¡°Books. Books about witchcraft. Dark powers. Dark magic. So, I began doing a little of my own research, looking into a few things. Like how to counter and reverse spells.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by ¡®looking into¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± she said, and ran to her room, returning with arge carton box.


    ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡±


    ¡°Books,¡± she deadpanned.


    I watched as she pulled out several books. Just looking at them gave me the chills. There were seven books in total, all about witchcraft and the likes, I looked at Stacy, and she simply shrugged, as though carrying about these books were the most normal thing in paranormal America.


    ¡°Where did you get these, Stacy?¡±


    ¡°Some were from the libraries across town. I don¡¯t have a job, Andrea. I¡¯ve devoted my time to this.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°And the others?¡±


    Stacy looked away.


    ¡°Stacy, and the others?!¡±


    She cleared her throat. ¡°I got them from¡­Esmeralda¡¯s chambers.¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡±


    I sprung to my feet and began pacing my living room. Why was was the child thinking? I doubt anything was going through her head when she thought it would be a good idea to go into Esmeralda¡¯s chambers and take her books.


    ¡°Listen. I was very careful. I doubt she even knows they¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°You were locked in there for months, Andrea. She would have known by now, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What were you thinking? This is Esmeralda we¡¯re talking about here!!!¡±


    ¡°I know!!!¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I cannot lose you too, Stacy¡­it would¡­it would break me.¡±


    Stacy wrapped her hands around me, ¡°I¡¯m being careful, I promise. I¡¯ve been able to learn a few things. We need to break her spell. If not for anything else, for Ad.¡±


    ¡°And what have you learnt?¡±


    ¡°The books contain a lot of ancient text, some of which were tranted. They are really powerful books. If she had studied these for the past ten years, it only makes sense how she was able to be that powerful.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re learning dark magic. That¡¯s going to make you a witch.¡±


    Stacy shrugged. ¡°A good witch that is going to save her niece and help her sister get back everything that she had lost. A win is a win, I guess. Besides, why do you n to do with the baby?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have him. I¡¯ll raise this child, and I¡¯ll love him.¡±


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a boy?¡±


    ¡°I just know.¡±

 Chapter Forty-one

    ANDREA


    I woke up to the insistent ringing of my phone. I groaned and rolled to the side of the bed, reaching my hand out for my phone thaty on my bed stand. I looked at the caller ID and sighed. What did Stacy want?This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hi. Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, sorry about that. This is important.¡±


    ¡°Really? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need you toe down to Sundown¡¯s cafe. There¡¯s someone you need to meet,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll see her in person. Just hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    Izily rolled out of bed and got dressed. I sighed as I put my hair up into a messy bun, and looked at my reflection. She was tired, and she just wanted to be in bed. I decided to walk down to the cafe as it was close and I needed the exercise. I opened the door, and the sweet smell of pastry and tea hit my nostrils. I took a deep breath and smiled. I looked around the cafe and saw Stacy waving at me from the farthest table in the small cafe. I smiled and made my way over to her. I got to their table, and had the surprise of my life. Savannah.


    ¡°Stacy, what is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°You should sit first.¡±


    ¡°Stacy-¡±


    ¡°Please, just sit.¡±


    I took a deep breath and sat beside Stacy. Savannah smiled faintly at me and I rolled my eyes. She shifted nervously in her and cleared her throat.


    ¡°Well, go on. What is she doing here?¡±


    ¡°First of all, I would like to apologize for just springing this up on you, Andrea. But the truth is I needed eyes and ears in the pce after we had left, and that¡¯s where Savannah came in.¡±


    ¡°And you trust her?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll, yes-¡±


    ¡°You,¡± I said, turning to Savannah. ¡°What is it you really want? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m just trying to help,¡± Savannah replied.


    ¡°Oh, please. You don¡¯t like me, you¡¯ve never liked me. From the days of when we were both maids at the pce to when I became queen. You¡¯ve never liked me.¡±


    Savannah shrugged. ¡°That may be true. But you also want to know what else is true?¡±


    ¡°Please. Indulge me,¡± I folded my hands and leaned back in my seat.


    ¡°One, I owe you an apology for how I treated you all those years ago. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know better. Two, this is a way to pay you back for not taking me out of a job when you became queen. Instead, you promoted me and doubled my pay.¡±


    ¡°And that is all the reason why you¡¯re here?¡± I asked.


    She nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    I looked over at Stacy and she shrugged, and began sipping on her tea. Savannah looked to her as though passing some sort of secret message that I as trying to decipher.


    ¡°Well, are we going to get to the point?!¡± I asked.


    ¡°Look. I have news. We have news. But before that¡­¡± Savannah dug her hand into her bag and produced an envelope. ¡°Take.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out,¡± she replied.


    I took the envelope from her and opened it. My breath caught in my throat and tears sprung to my eyes when I saw the content. It didn¡¯t help that k was pregnant and my hormones were already haywire.


    ¡°I just thought you would like to see it. They were taken on her birthday,¡± Savannah said.


    I looked at the pictures of Ad¡¯s birthday party and I smiled widely. She looks so happy, so beautiful. I went through all the pictures and my smile widened when I saw my ne on Ad¡¯s neck. Leo had kept his word, although it was sad that it had to be this way. That I had missed my own daughter¡¯s birthday party.


    ¡°He kept his promise¡­¡± I whispered to myself.


    ¡°What promise?¡± Stacy asked.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    Stacy looked at me and opened her mouth to say something but I gave her a look that said I didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and thankfully she backed down.


    ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve cleared the elephant in the room. I¡¯ll get to the real reason I called you here. I have found out the spell Esmeralda has in Leo.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°Is he under a spell or does he not love me anymore?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll, we¡¯re going to find out after the spell is broken,¡± Stacy replied.


    ¡°And let me guess, the council is also under a spell.¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. The head of the council is being ckmailed,¡± Savannah replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, shocked. ¡°What could she possibly have on him?¡±


    ¡°Murder,¡± Savannah replied.


    ¡°And rape.¡± Stacy said.


    ¡°Murder and rape. Of who?¡±


    ¡°His fated mate, and their daughter,¡± Savannah said.


    My hands flew over my mouth. ¡°What?! So she didn¡¯t die of a sickness.¡±


    ¡°Well, back to the matter on ground. The spell breaking,¡± Stacy said, draining her cup of tea.


    ¡°Yes. Back to that. How do you n to do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her,¡± Stacy said and shrugged, as though that was the easiest thing in the world.


    ¡°You really think it would be that easy to kill Esmeralda? You just found some books and you think you can kill her?¡±


    Stacy shakes her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t just find the books. I¡¯ve been reading them since Esmeralda came into the pce. I came across them by chance.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. Walk me through.¡±


    ¡°You see,¡± Stacy began. ¡°Esmeralda isn¡¯t powerful on her own.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°She shares her body with an ancient spirit. Sure, she might be able to cast a few spells here and there, but individually, she isn¡¯t powerful. And that¡¯s a good thing, because it reduces our workload by half.¡±


    ¡°Can you hear yourself, Stacy?¡± I scoffed. ¡°If she has a powerful being in her, that only makes her more difficult to kill.¡±


    Stacy nods, ¡°You are correct. But, that just means that all we have to do is separate rhe being from her.¡±


    ¡°So, an exorcism.¡±


    Stacy snapped her fingers, ¡°Well, yes. I guess you could call it that.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°The spell is quite simple. But she has to be tied down and in a vegetative state,¡± Stacy said. ¡°That¡¯s where Savannahes in.¡±


    I turned to Savannah. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to drug her,¡± Savannah answered simply


    Stacy cleared her throat. ¡°I have prepared a very strong potion capable of knocking down an elephant. She won¡¯t be able to fight back until after the exorcism isplete.¡±


    ¡°If this potion is capable of knocking her down, why don¡¯t we just kill her from there?¡±


    ¡°Because this being in her would simply bring her back. Her body is immortal as long as the being lives in her.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± It all made sense now.


    ¡°Yes. And once the being has been removed, she would be very weak to pass spells of her own on anybody leaving her vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°I think there is another elephant in the room.¡± I said.


    Stacy rolled her eyes, ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°How are we going to get into the territory?¡±


    Stacy blushed and looked away. My eyes widened in surprise. There was definitely something going on. My Stacy doesn¡¯t blush. She was hiding something.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. It has already been figured out.¡±


    ¡°By who?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± Stacy replied.


    ¡°Is there something you aren¡¯t telling me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But you¡¯ll find out soon.¡±

 Chapter Forty-two

    ANDREA


    My eyes were wide awake as my rm red. Not that I had gotten much sleep. I sighed and rolled out of bed. Today was the day. The day that I finally took my life back from that bitch. New determination flowed through me, and for the first time in a very long while, I found motivation to get out of bed. I jumped in the shower, and said a small prayer as I washed. I heard Stacy moving around as I got dressed.


    I stared at my naked reflection in the mirror and thought of all the ways that this could go wrong. We could get caught as soon as we approached the border. The spell might not work, and Esmeralda kills us all. There were so many possibilities. I pulled out a box from under my bed and pulled out the weapons I had acquired some months back. I wore gloves and began loading the gun with silver bullets, and wrapping the silver-de dagger in his sheath.


    I got dressed in dark pants and a reallyrge ck tee-shirt. Stacy knocked once and opened my door, popping her head in.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said, closing the door behind her, and came to sit on my bed.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied, sitting next to her.


    ¡°Today¡¯s the day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re dressed early.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I smiled. ¡°Everyone knows you¡¯re neverte on your big day?¡±


    Stacy frowned, ¡°You¡¯re noting,¡± she said tly.


    ¡°Why not? You think I¡¯m letting you do this alone?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re noting.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    She looked down at my stomach and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. In case you forgot,¡± she said.


    ¡°And? How does that stop me?¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming with you. There¡¯s nothing you will say or do that will convince me otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Andrea-¡±


    ¡°Shh. Now tell me, how ready are you?¡±


    ¡°As ready as can be. I¡¯ve given Savannah the potion. She would put it in her evening tea, and she would be knocked out by nighttime. And that¡¯s when we strike, under the cover of night.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Seems you already have everything nned.¡±


    Stacy nodded, ¡°I do. You should get some rest, we¡¯re not ready to leave for another few hours. It¡¯s going to be a long day.¡±


    I nodded, andy on my bed. I smiled as Stacyid beside me, and wrapped herself around me. We justy there, lost in our own thoughts. There was so many ways that this could go wrong, and I was hoping that the odds were in our favor. I sighed and thought about my daughter, it would be nice to hug and kiss her again. I¡¯ve missed her.


    I thought about the baby in my womb. I was afraid that William might find out he¡¯s the father and¡­well, decide that he wants his baby. Or even worse, decide that he wants to be in his life. I took a few breath and cleared my thoughts. I needed sleep.


    I rolled down the windows as Stacy drove through the town, enjoying the cool night breeze as it caressed my face and hair. I sighed and leaned back in my seat, my eyes fixated on the moon as it smiled at us. But somewhere in my gut, I could feel something dark¡­like there was something waiting for us. I sat up when Stacy steered off the road into a bush path in the woods.


    ¡°Is this where we¡¯re going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not really. We¡¯re meeting the person who¡¯s to take us into the territory and into the pce.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Oh. Who is this person?¡±


    Stacy blushed, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Stacy¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°What are you not telling me?¡±


    ¡°A lot. But I will once all this is over. I promise.¡±


    I nodded and smiled, even though I wasn¡¯t settled about it. No matter how old she gets, she would always be my baby. She took onest turn and we drove into a clearing in the middle of the woods, and in the middle of the clearing parked a very familiar car. I squinted my eyes in an effort to see who was in it, but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Stacy announced and killed the car engine.


    We both exited the car and Stacy excitedly ran to the other car just as the driver¡¯s side opened and Leopold alighted. My mouth dropped in shock as he lifted her into his arms and began to lock lips.


    ¡°Why the fuck?!!¡±


    They immediately separated and walked over to me hand-in-hand. Stacy giggled like a school girl and Leopold had a guilty expression on his face.


    ¡°Leopold, Stacy?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. That¡¯s what I have been hiding¡­who I have been hiding.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡±


    ¡°No. We love each other,¡± Stacy said, holding in to Leopold¡¯s hand tighter.


    ¡°He has a mate somewhere. What are you going to do when he finds her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, y¡¯know,¡± Leopold said, scratching the back of his head.


    ¡°Oh, I know. I can see you. What do you think you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re going to hurt her!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise.¡±


    ¡°And your mate? Will you reject her when you find her? Or will you discard my sister like a used rag?!¡±


    Leopold scratched the back of his head and groaned. I couldn¡¯t believe this was happening. I didn¡¯t want to believe. I was hoping that anytime soon, one of them would tell me this was a prank.


    ¡°I love your sister.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer any of my questions.¡±


    Stacy sighed. ¡°I think we should just get this done. We can all talk about thister.¡±


    Leopold nodded, and headed back to his car. Stacy turned to me with tears in her eyes. I shook my head, I thought she would know better.


    ¡°I thought you would support me,¡± she said.


    ¡°No. Not on this one. You¡¯re going to get hurt. He¡¯s going to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not your mate that threw you to the wolves.¡±


    ¡°No. But he has a mate that he would most likely not reject for you.¡±


    Leo returned and handed clothes to us.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to change into those. They are maid uniforms. It would be easier to sneak you in.¡±


    I grabbed the uniform from him and went behind my car to change, making sure that my knife and gun were well hidden underneath the gown. By the time I came out, Stacy was dressed and in a warm embrace with Leopold.


    ¡°Are we going to do this or not?¡±


    We both got into the backseat of Leo¡¯s car and began the journey to the pce. The silence that filled the car was quite loud and suffocating, more like we were all ignoring the elephant in the car. Leo drove into the pce and around it, parking his car in the backyard. We alighted the vehicle and in the distance, I could make out the silhouette of Savannah.


    ¡°Is she ready?¡± Stacy asked as we walked up to her.


    Savannah nods, ¡°Yes, she is. The potion worked, she¡¯s out like a light. C¡¯mon, be sure to keep your head down.¡±


    ¡°This is where I leave you guys,¡± Leo said, ¡°You girls should be careful.¡±


    I watch as he kisses Stacy on the cheek, and leaves. Savannah mutters something under her breath and unlocks the back door, leading us inside. We walked through the pce, keeping our heads down whenever a pce staff walked past us.


    It didn¡¯t escape my notice that Esmeralda¡¯s pictures and portraits now graced the walls of the pce, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bitter and wonder in what capacity. Savannah leads up flights of stairs, and up to my floor¡­well, Leo¡¯s floor, leading to my momentary confusion.


    ¡°Why are we here?¡± I whispered.


    Two pairs of eyes looked at me confused.


    ¡°To kill Esmeralda.¡± Savannah replied.


    ¡°Oh, I know. That wasn¡¯t what I meant. I mean why are we here? On this particr floor?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­Esmeralda moved in with Leo after your banishment.¡±


    My heart fell into my stomach, and I quickly blinked tears away from my eyes. It wasn¡¯t supposed to hurt, but it did. I like to tell myself that I have gotten over it, but apparently I haven¡¯t.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stacy asks.


    I smile at her, my cheeks aching from the effort, ¡°Yes. Just confused, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Stacy nods and we continue the journey. We stop right in front of my chambers¡­well, Leo and Esmeralda¡¯s chambers, and Savannah bring out a bunch of keys from her pocket.


    ¡°Here we go.¡±


    Savannah unlocked the door and walked us into the parlor. All traces of me had been erased. My pictures, my decor, everything. Everything that was remotely mine and as removed. That stung. Savannah unlocked the door to the bedroom, and led us into the room, and there sheid. The little bitch. She slept so peacefully all dressed up in Leo¡¯s clothes.


    A little too peacefully for someone who has been responsible for the destruction that had befallen me.


    I clenched my fist beside me, the insane urge to wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze the life out of her. I wanted to stab her repeatedly, and enjoy watching as life left her eyes.


    ¡°Andrea¡­are you okay?¡± Stacy asked, taking my hand in hers.


    I smiled at her. ¡°Yes. Let us begin.¡±


    Stacy brought out arge book from her backpack, and opened it. She began to chant some words in a strange tongue and I watched as her eyes changes to red. The dark room darkened even further, and dark smoke swirled in a circle at the top of the ceiling. I watched as Savannah ced a ratherrge and wine shaped crystal ss on the nightstand next to the bed and uncorked it.


    ¡°What is that for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Savannah walked over to stand next to me, ¡°For her to send the spirit into.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡±


    We both stood in the corner of the room and watched Stacy. Her voice had gotten considerably deeper, and her eyes had taken on a deep red color. Esmeralda¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped open, and her eyeballs were a light purple color.


    ¡°Was she supposed to do that?¡± I asked.


    I didn¡¯t get a response and Stacy began to chant even harder and sweat was gathering at her forehead and rolling down her face, her voice had gotten much louder, and even deeper. I slid my hand under my shirt, and held on to my gun, ready to use it if necessary.


    ¡°Is this supposed to be happening, Stacy?!¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond. Esmeralda sat up on the bed, and Stacy fell to the ground, panting and gasping. She turned her head to Stacy, and beganughing.


    ¡°You stupid fool, you really thought this would work?¡±


    She looked over at Savannah and smiled. We both took several steps back as Esmeralda stood from the bed, and began to walk towards us. She smiled as she closed in on us, her gaze on Savannah.


    ¡°You dared to poison me?¡±


    She grabbed Savannah by the neck and lifted her up. I gasped and took several steps back, surprised by her strength. Esmeralda¡¯s eyes were still a light purple color. I walked along the walls of the room to Stacy¡¯s side, and squatted next to her, checking her pulse.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, wake up¡­¡± I whispered and shook her gently. ¡°We still have work to do¡­¡±


    I could hear Savannah choking from Esmeralda¡¯s hold in the background and it broke my heart that there was nothing I could do. I could shoot her, but the being was still there, so she would juste back and that would put all our lives in even more danger. I shook Stacy even harder, and sighed when she opened her eyes. They were nk and unfocused but as soon as they focused on me, she gasped and tried to get up but fell back down holding her head. I heard Savannah begin to cry and I peeked over the side of the bed to see that Esmeralda was digging her other hand into her chest. My eyes opened wide in shock and disgust as Esmeralda pulled out what appeared to be her liver, and began to eat it.


    ¡°Stacy? I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have much time. Savannah¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Stacy said and handed me the book. ¡°I¡¯m going to continue. Your job is to go to the farthest part of the room and follow my words-¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°In case I go down again, you will need to finish the ritual,¡± she replied


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Look at her eye. The being is already up on the surface, if we stop now we might never be able to do this again,¡± Stacy replied and got back on her feet.


    Stacy stood a few feet behind Esmeralda and began chanting again. Esmeralda dropped an almost lifeless Savannah to the ground, and turned around to face Stacy. She slowly advanced on Stacy with a menacing smile on her face. She let out a high screech and lunges at Stacy who dodged out of the way, still chanting.


    Stacy makes a eye contact with me, and I go back to following the words in the book as she chants. Esmeralda screams and grabs her by the throat, throwing her across the room. I gasped as shended with a sickening crack on the floor. Esmeralda turned to me, her eyes burning a bright, angry red, and her breatheing in hot pants. I looked down at the book, and continued the reading the spell, refusing to let all of our efforts here be in vain.


    There were just ten lines left, I just needed to survive her. I tore the page out of therge book, and pulled out my knife. I continued the spell and she began to screech. Her eyes refocused on me and she advanced towards me. I gripped the knife harder and waited for her to get close enough to me.


    I stayed still as Esmeralda tried to grab me by the neck, and I went underneath her arms and sent the knife into her abdomen, twisting it until she fell to her knees in pain before pulling it out. I read out thest line of the spell, and Esmeralda let out a scream so loud that her lungs must have hurt. She fell to her knees and I watched as arge ck smokee out of her mouth, and enters right into the bottle, and Esmeralda fell to the ground.


    It was done.

 Chapter Forty-three

    ANDREA


    I walked back to my throne room where my council sat waiting for me. My first order of business as soon as I resumed was to see to Esmeralda¡¯s death once and for all. Killing her wasn¡¯t enough, so I decided to have her burnt. I had sent out a search for William, I needed him to have the same treatment for my mind to be at ease.


    I still haven¡¯t heard from Leo since the incident. He and Ad had moved to the vampire territory, and I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to fetch my child just yet. What if she still hated me? What if she still thought that I killed her brother? I looked up at the life sized portrait of Leo that was hung right outside the throne room and choked back tears. Mercy had cost me my child. Mercy had cost me my sister.


    I entered into the throne room, and regarded all the council members with disdain. They kept their gazes lowered to the ground. I took my ce at the head of the table and looked at them, remembering how these same people treated me when Esmeralda¡­


    ¡°Shall we begin, your majesty?¡±


    I looked over at the councilman that asked, and shook my head.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re expecting people.¡±


    And as if on cue, the doors opened to Stacy and Savannah. I smiled widely at the power suits they wore, and their stilettos muted by the lush rug.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡±


    ¡°They are the new council members?¡± I replied.


    Murmurs sprang up amongst those who sat at the table and Iughed.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°Your services are no longer needed as members of my council.¡±


    ¡°But your majesty,¡± councilman Peter said, ¡°We were elected by our constituents, you can¡¯t just remove us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I can. As I speak to you, elections are ongoing in all your constituencies. Your position would be reced soon enough. As for these two,¡± I said, pointing to Stacy and Savannah. ¡°They are the Queen¡¯s elects.¡±


    I turned around and left the council meeting, deciding that I didn¡¯t have the strength for it today. I felt a light kick in my lower abdomen and I gasped, smiling at the baby growing inside me. Stacy and Savannah thought I was crazy for wanting to keep him, but I thought that this was the moon goddess¡¯ apology for the hardship I went through. I knew this was my second chance to be better. A better mother, a better queen. He wasn¡¯t Leo¡¯s recement, but he was my child nheless.


    I walked the length and breadth of the pce, circling the grounds. I still hear the whispers, the mutterings. Many still believed that I killed my son, and that my sister¡¯s death was purposeful. Apparently, many doctors and nurses had heard I and William that might, and now I was also called a cheap whore. I knew that nothing could be done about that. Esmeralda¡¯s hold on my pce might have lifted, but there were still people that were brainwashed by her lies and charms. That, I could do nothing about.


    I walked to the back of the pce and into the graveyard in the forests. I walked past the graves of past kings and queens, and arrived at the grave of the only prince. My son. I couldn¡¯t hold back the tears. They flowed freely down my cheeks in buckets. There were a lot of things I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, how I wished I had handled the situation better, how I wished I had been there on time. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me, how much I loved him. I wanted to tell him how much his death broke me¡­broke everybody.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my baby¡­¡± I said, falling to my knees on the dry ground, mourning the child that had opened my womb.


    I ran my hands against his gravestone, and cried even harder. If only I had been on time, I would be holding my child and not crying at his grace.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    My blood ran cold, and anger bubbles up inside me as soon as my brain      registered and recognized the voice. I turned my head slowly to see Leonidas standing there with a hat on his hand. He shifted ufortably from foot to foot and fixed his eyes on our son¡¯s tombstone.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± I asked, rising to my feet and brushing the dead grass off of my dress.


    ¡°Um¡­I came for us to talk about some things,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Ad. I¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened to her? Have you sat back and watched someone else kill our only surviving child?! Again?!!¡± I screamed.


    I saw him visibly flinch at my words and derived some satisfaction from it. It wasn¡¯t fair that I got to live in misery and agony and guilt and pain everyday and he¡¯s not. Why does it have to be only me?!


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about Leo. I admit that I could have done more, been more¡­¡± he started.


    Iughed, cutting him off. ¡°Now you think you should have done more, which I think is weird because all you had to do at the time was believe me. All you had to do was listen to me, fucking take me seriously! But what did you do?!¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°You thought I was crazy¡­¡± my voice cracked and fresh tears ran down my cheeks. ¡°You thought that I would¡­you thought I¡­you thought I killed my son¡­my own child¡­¡±


    Memories of my son¡¯sst smile at me before jumping off shed through my eyes, memories of his skull cracked open, and his dead body brought back to his bed¡­memories of Ad. My Ad.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Andrea. I know that nothing can ever make up for the pain we suffered¡­¡±


    ¡°We?¡± I scoffed. ¡°You didn¡¯t suffer, Leo. I did. My daughter hates me. She¡¯s afraid of me. She thinks I killed her brother. Does your daughter hate you, Leo?¡± I asked.


    Leo lowered his head in shame and sighed. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Does she think you¡¯re a murderer, Leo?¡±


    He shook his head again. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is Ad afraid of you, Leo?¡±


    ¡°Look, I see where you¡¯re going with this and¡­¡±


    ¡°Is she fucking afraid of you, you fucking bastard?!¡± I yelled, my blood boiling with rage.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Do your people look at you and talk behind your back? Do they gossip? Have they lost respect for you? I bet they look at you as their hero, getting rid of the bitch that killed her son, their heir¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea. I know that no manner of apology will do¡­¡±


    ¡°Then maybe you should stop then. On second thought, there¡¯s something you can do for me to forgive you,¡± I said, smiling.


    Leo raised his head, hope shining in his eyes. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Die.¡±


    I smiled wider as I watched the hope die, and the light extinguish from his eyes. Was I being vengeful? Yes. And I had every right to be. None of this would have happened if he had paid attention. None of this would have happened if he hadn¡¯t been stupid enough to think I¡¯d stab myself. None of this would have happened if he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that the daughter of a man who¡¯s father I almost killed hade back to ¡®help¡¯. I watched as Leo¡¯s e he s fell on my bump and all the blood left his face. I rubbed my stomach affectionately, feeling my baby kick against my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡± he whispered.


    I smiled, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t waste any time, did you?¡± He asked, bitterness oozing from his tone.


    I shook my head, ¡°Oh no, I didn¡¯t. Remember when you had me locked up like amon dog. Yeah, that¡¯s when it happened. You wan to know who the father is?¡±


    Leo nodded his head, defeated.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°William.¡±


    His head shot up, and his eyes turned red. I smiled as tears pooled in his eyes. He quickly turned away, but I wasn¡¯t quite done yet. I enjoyed seeing him in pain, and I wasn¡¯t quite satisfied yet. I turned with him until I was standing right in front of him again.


    ¡°Do you want to know how he did it?¡± I asked.


    Silence.


    I smiled bitterly as the memories came rushing back. The bittersweet memories. I remembered how Esmeralda had induced my heat and how William had felt inside me. I remember how I tightened my legs around his waist and begged him for me. I sighed when I remember how he had tuned my body to the frequency he wanted and taken me to heights. I realized that the very idea of having a foreign dick inside me had turned me on more than I would have liked to admit. But now, I didn¡¯t care about Leo.


    ¡°He fucked me really hard. Better than you ever had. He made mee so hard, I think my pussy mped him down for a while.¡±


    Leo looked down and away but not before I caught the tear roll down his cheek. I smiled even wider. I enjoyed knowing that I was still capable of causing him so much pain. It was not nearly enough for the ones he caused me, but it was honest work.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry, Andrea. How many times do you want me to say it?¡± Leo said, exasperated.


    ¡°As many times as I long to hear it. Until you mean it.¡±


    ¡°But I do¡­¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. If Esmeralda was still here, only the goddess knows what you would have done to me. Maybe you would have asked for my head.¡±


    Leo ran his hand through his hair and sighed. ¡°Listen. I came here because I wanted to apologize for the things I did. I understand that I could have done better, been a better partner to you, and I failed. I¡¯m also here because¡­¡±


    ¡°Hi, mom¡­¡±

 Chapter Forty-four

    ANDREA


    I stared in disbelief at my daughter, and fresh tears formed in my eyes. She looked bigger. A lump formed in my throat as I looked at her. She looked the same but different. Her body looked her age but her sunken eyes said that recent events had gotten to her as well.


    ¡°Ad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s who I came here for. I just thought that¡­¡± Leo said. ¡°Well, here she is.¡±


    He turned and began walking away, leaving me with Ad.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I think you two need some time together. Besides, you don¡¯t want me here,¡± Leo said, and walked away, defeated.


    I looked to my daughter and a lump of emotion formed in my chest. I took a step towards her and stopped, it would break my heart should she take steps away from me¡­like she had that night. She wasn¡¯t the child I had left back at the pce, she was a different person. She was wiser. She had seen quite a few things. I gave her a once over and smiled at the ne she wore around her throat.


    ¡°You¡­like your ne?¡± I asked, pointing to her neck, itching for conversation.


    Ad nods, ¡°Yeah. I love it. The olddy says that it¡¯s amazing,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Whatdy?¡± I asked.


    Ad waved me off. ¡°Never mind. Thank you for the ne. It¡¯s lovely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a family heirloom,¡± I said, smiling. d that she loved it.


    Silence reigned again the only sounds that could be heard at the graveyard was¡­well¡­silence. Both of us staring at the other, wondering what to do. What to say.


    ¡°Ad¡­¡±


    I called her name again, like music, like a spell, hoping that hearing her name from my mouth would melt away all the ice and we would go back to being the mother and daughter before Esmeralda. Before Leovanni. I took a deep breath and decided that taking the bull by the horn was the only way forward.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Vanni,¡± I said.


    Ad nodded, ¡°I know. It was stupid at the time to think that you would kill him. I mean, he¡¯s your son¡­and you love him.¡±


    ¡°So¡­you no longer think that I¡­that I killed your brother?¡±


    She shook her head, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, my legs felt weak and could no longer support me. I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands. All of the guilt, all of the pain. I heard tiny footsteps running towards me, and I raised my head in time to see Ad m herself into me, sobbing.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, mom,¡± she said, her voice cracked as she held on to me and cried into my shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, my love. I promise that there¡¯s nothing to be sorry for. I should be apologizing to you. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there when things were extremely difficult, I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t there to protect you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mommy,¡± Ad said, and wiped my cheeks with the back of her hand.


    Her hand reached down and touched my stomach. She gasped loudly and retracted her hand when the baby inside me kicked against her hand, as though recognizing that she was their sibling.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant,¡± she said, her eyes wide with disbelief and excitement.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I relied, smiling.


    ¡°What are you going to name them?¡± She asked, her eyes twinkling with childish excitement.


    I shrugged, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided.¡±


    ¡°I know!!!¡±


    ¡°You do? What would you like to name them?¡±


    ¡°Leovanni,¡± she replied, smiling widely.


    ¡°And what if it¡¯s a girl?¡± I asked.


    Ad lowered her head and thought for a while. ¡°Also Leovanni.¡±


    I smiled at her, and pulled her closer to me . Happy to have one child hale, hearty and safe. Happy to know that my daughter didn¡¯t think the worst of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, my love.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too, mom. And Aunt Stacy too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Ad nods, her eyes clouded with sadness.


    ¡°We¡¯ll, good for you, she¡¯s here also. Let¡¯s go see her.¡±


    Ad jumped off my body in excitement and we began the walk back to the pce, I looked back at my son¡¯s grave and smiled sadly. It was all over, and it left a heavy wound on my soul that my son had paid the ultimate price. My pain turned to disgust at the sight waiting for me at the pce. Right in front of the pce, standing next to Leopold¡¯s sports car and locked in a hot embrace with its owner was Stacy.


    ¡°Ew!!!¡± Ad eximed, holding her hands over her eyes.


    Leopold and Stacy broke away from their kiss, breathing deeply, trying to catch their breath and deeply flustered. Stacy¡¯s eyes fell on Ad and she gasped loudly and held her hands open to the child.


    ¡°Ad! Come here!!!¡±


    I smiled as Ad ran into her aunt¡¯s embrace and a lone tear escaped and rolled down Stacy¡¯s cheeks. It reminded me that I wasn¡¯t the only survivor of Esmeralda. I looked at Leopold and that emotion quickly changed to disgust. Severally, I had tried to make him see that his rtionship with my sister was headed for the rocks and severally I had failed. Adele held her aunt by the hand and led her i away from us. I couldn¡¯t hear what was said, I wasser focused on Leopold. A selfish bastard¡­just like his brother.


    ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t right, right?¡± I asked.


    Leopold grained and ran his hand through his hair. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just let us be, Andrea?¡±


    ¡°Because you know your mate is out there and¡­¡±


    ¡°And so what if she is?¡± He asked, his eyes zing with anger. ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t get to be happy?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit about you, we both know that. I care about my sister. You¡¯re ying her, you know fully well that you have a mate out there waiting for you. And the second you find her, you¡¯re going to leave my sister.¡±


    Leopold sighed. ¡°You know your sister isn¡¯t a wolf, Ad.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am fully aware of the fact.¡±


    ¡°Neither is she a vampire¡­¡± he continued.


    ¡°Where are you going with this?¡± I asked, exasperated.


    ¡°You¡¯re right that I have a mate somewhere¡­but that doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t have fun now. I love your sister, and I love what we have.¡±


    ¡°You have to stop.¡±


    Leopold smiled devilishly, ¡°Stop us then. Oh yes, there¡¯s nothing you can do about the situation. I strongly suggest that you face your own problems¡±


    ¡°You fucking¡­¡±


    ¡°Just because your mate doesn¡¯t love you doesn¡¯t mean other people are unlovable,¡± he said.


    My breath caught in my throat, his words had hit me like a truck and I could do nothing but stand there and watch him get into his car and drive away. I looked down at my hands and held them together to stop the quivering. I only just realized that I had never confronted the issue of my rtionship with my ex-mate.


    I cleared my throat and tapped my cheeks. Now wasn¡¯t the time either.

 Chapter Forty-five

    ANDREA


    It had been five long years since the tumultuous events with Esmeralda, the pain still lingering in every crevice of my being. The weight of my past pressed heavily on my shoulders, a constant reminder of loss and resilience.


    Ad, now twelve, stood at the threshold of her dual heritage, the air charged with anticipation. The whispers from Leo¡¯s pce reached me, carrying echoes of Leopold finding his mate and marking her. Stacy, my dear sister, was not handling the news well.


    I sighed and knocked gently on Stacy¡¯s door, a hesitant precursor to the storm within. Silence enveloped the room. With each unanswered knock, my worry deepened. Fumbling with the spare key, I entered, revealing a scene of disarray, bottles, and shadows casting darkness upon Stacy¡¯s struggles.


    The curtains parted, allowing a sliver of light to expose the wreckage. Several empty bottles of alcohol littered the room, and apanying it were several sticks of cigarette.


    ¡°When did you start smoking?¡± I inquired, unleashing a torrent of emotions.


    Stacy, beneath the covers, groaned. ¡°Close it¡­¡±


    ¡°No, enough of this rubbish,¡± I asserted, refusing to let the shadows dictate the narrative. In the newfound light, the room¡¯s chaos became painfully evident-emptied bottles, discarded cigarettes-a symphony of self-destruction.


    I confronted Stacy, a mix of frustration and empathy in my voice. ¡°Stacy, I warned you about Leopold. We both knew this path was fraught with challenges. You¡¯re human; he¡¯s destined to find his vampire mate. It was inevitable.¡±


    Her tear-strained eyes met mine, a painful acknowledgment of the truth she had tried to escape. ¡°I loved him, Andrea. I thought we could defy the odds.¡±


    I sat beside her, the weight of shared burdens hanging heavily in the air. ¡°Stacy, you are strong, and you deserve more than a love that defies your essence. Leopold has found his path; you must find yours.¡±


    In the lingering silence, the room pulsated with emotions. Finally, Stacy spoke, her voice trembling with vulnerability. ¡°What if I¡¯m not enough, Andrea? What if being human is a w he can¡¯t overlook?¡±


    My heart ached for her, the rawness of her insecuritiesid bare. ¡°Stacy, being human isn¡¯t a w. It¡¯s your strength, your uniqueness. If Leopold can¡¯t see that, then he¡¯s not worthy of the love you¡¯re capable of giving.¡±


    Tears glistened in her eyes as she grappled with the painful truth. ¡°I just wanted to be enough for him.¡±


    ¡°Stacy, you are more than enough. You deserve a love that embraces every part of you, human ws and all.¡±


    As our conversation reached an impasse, a maid opened Stacy¡¯s door in a frenzy, gasping in relief when she saw me seated next to Stacy. She smiled and began taking deep breaths in an attempt to force air into her lungs.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You majesty, your attention is needed,¡± she said, her hand wrapped tightly around her midsection.


    ¡°Well, yes¡­and no. Ad got into fight with another child. And um¡­she almost killed the child.¡±


    I sprung up my my ce on the bed, i and Stacy looking at each other, befuddled. Her present predicament now a thing of the past.


    ¡°What do you mean she almost killed the child?¡± Stacy asked, standing from her bed.


    ¡°I think you bettere see for yourself. They¡¯re at the hospital.¡±


    I ran out with Stacy hot on my heels. Several questions running through my head. How was it that she was able to do that? Was it true? I burst through the doors of the clinic, frantically looking around. Ad sat alone at a corner with her head down.


    ¡°Ad?¡±


    She raised her head to look at me and lowered it again. I took deep breaths as I walked to her, trying to recover from the exhaustion. I sat next to her, and put my hands around her shoulder. Stacy sat on the other side of Ad, sandwiching her between us.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, love?¡± I asked.


    Ad looked from me to Stacy and lowered her head once again¡­but not before I caught the tear that dropped from her eye.


    ¡°Tell me what happened? What they¡¯re telling me¡­is it true?¡± I asked again, moving even closer to her.


    Ad solemnly nodded her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, I promise¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. What is it you did exactly?¡± I asked, not wanting to believe the report I was hearing.


    ¡°I¡­I umm¡­I punched her in the head,¡± she replied.


    I looked up at Stacy, her face mirroring my perplexed look. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    Ad nodded.


    ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    ¡°I heard a crack and she fell down.¡±


    ¡°But what happened? Why did you hit her?¡± I asked.


    I watched as Ad¡¯s disposition changed. Her hands clenched and her eyes darkened.


    ¡°She called Will a bastard, and called you a whore. She wouldn¡¯t shut up, and I eventually let her have it.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Will was my son. Short for William. Not many people had received his birth too well. I opened my mouth to reply but was interrupted by the doctor.


    ¡°Your majesty, may I speak to you for a moment?¡± She said, pointing towards the hallway.


    I nodded. ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    I followed the doctor down the short hallway to a ward, we stopped right outside the ward where a child was admitted. She was surrounded by people, and her head was severely bandaged.


    ¡°My goodness, is that the child?¡± I asked.


    The doctor nodded and pulled me to the side, away from the door. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the child.¡±


    ¡°My goodness¡­¡±


    ¡°I want you to look at the bigger picture actually¡­¡± the doctor said, smiling.


    I frowned in confusion. ¡°The bigger picture is that there¡¯s a child on the bed fighting for her life because my child hit her. I don¡¯t think there can be any picture bigger than that at this time, doctor.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°I meant the bigger picture for your child.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Very few children are this strong at their age,¡±


    ¡°She just turned twelve, it¡¯s expected that she would get her abilities by this age. That¡¯s very normal. I just didn¡¯t expect her to be this strong.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± The doctor eximed. ¡°Your daughter isn¡¯t just werewolf. She¡¯s vampire too.¡±


    My eyes widened in shock and I wrapped my hands around my neck. ¡°What?! But that¡¯s rare. That hasn¡¯t happened in¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. I was surprised too.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± I asked the doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯d say train her to harness her powers as both a vampire and a werewolf. As it stands, your daughter is the strongest being in all the kingdoms.¡± The doctor said excitedly.


    The strongest being in all the kingdoms. That wasn¡¯t going to go well. Been the strongest meant that people would want to kill her. People would want to marry her into their families. It would bring undue scrutiny to her and to the cute little bubble that I had created for myself. Above all, acknowledging this would also mean having to reach out to Leonidas for his help. I shook my head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± The doctor asked, confused.


    ¡°No. This thing stays between us both. No one else hears about it. Do we understand each other?¡±


    The doctor nodded her head disappointingly and sighed.


    ¡°If you need my help for anything¡­¡±


    ¡°I just need you to tell me how the poor child is doing.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She should be out of here in two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    I marched out of the hospital, not bothering to check with Stacy and Ad. The moon goddess sure had an odd sense of humor. It wasn¡¯t enough that I had almost lost everything, that I had gone through hell. Now, she wanted to see to it that my daughter faced the same fate.


    ¡°Fuck!!!¡±

 Chapter Forty-six

    ANDREA


    ¡°Are you angry with me, mom?¡±


    Of all the things to wake up to after a well deserved rest, a question such as that didn¡¯t make the list. I cracked my eyes open and groaned when I saw Ad standing on my bed right above me, still dressed in her pajamas and puffy eyes. I sat up swiftly, and patted the spot next to me.


    ¡°Why do you think that, my darling?¡± I asked, as she settled next to me and crossed her legs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A lot has happened. First, I used you of killing¡­¡±


    ¡°I can never me you for that, and I can never be angry with you for something your young mind tricked you to believe,¡± I replied.


    ¡°But then the girl I almost killed¡­¡±


    ¡°You had just gotten your powers and didn¡¯t know your own strength¡­¡±


    ¡°So what is my strength? I hear people whispering but¡­¡± She lowered her head shrugged.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Whispering? What are the whispers saying?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re calling me a freak. They say I¡¯m not like the rest,¡± Ad replied, tears pooling in her eyes.


    ¡°Baby¡­¡± I tried pulling her into my arms but she pulled away from me and moved to the far end of the bed.


    ¡°I need you to tell me what¡¯s happening? Is there something going on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop lying to me¡­please¡­¡±


    Ad¡¯s voice broke at the end and tugged at my heartstrings, I balled my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching for her again.


    ¡°There¡¯s something going on¡­with you¡­¡± I started.


    Ad sat up straight and pulled in closer.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and shining with bushes tears.


    ¡°You¡¯re not just werewolf. You¡¯re vampire also. You¡¯re a nightshade hybrid.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. Your father and I¡­our union, it rarely happens. And the few times it has happened, the offsprings are either vampires or werewolves. But you¡­you my darling are both. You embody both vampire and werewolf. You¡¯re rare.¡±


    Ad¡¯s brows were furrowed in confusion, a wee improvement from her teary eyes.


    ¡°Really?¡± She asked, moving closer to me.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re strong. You¡¯re the strongest being there ever was, and it¡¯s possible that you just might be thest. You didn¡¯t mean to severely harm that other girl, it¡¯s just you don¡¯t know your strength.¡±


    Ad nodded her head slowly. I smiled at her furrowed brows and her twiddling fingers. From my post  to on on the bed, I could see the gears moving in her head.


    ¡°So, what does this mean for me?¡± She asked.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°A lot of things, my love. It means that your trainings won¡¯t be regr like that of the other kids whoe of age. It means that you cannot tell anyone about this because your life will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m here. I will protect you. It¡¯s exactly why the best warriors are training you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What about vampire trainings? I need those, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do¡­¡±


    ¡°So when is dading to help me train?¡±


    And just like that, the tables had turned and it was my turn to hide my tears. I lowered my head in shame and sighed. All these years, and the mention and thought of Leo was still able to wreck my emotions. But she needed him. How the arrangement would be made, I wasn¡¯t sure. But he needed to be aware of what was happening. He needed to know so I could better protect her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know before the end of today. We¡¯ll work something out for you, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Ad smiled brightly and lunged herself at me. I wrapped my hands around her and stroked her hair, realizing I needed the hug more than she did.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, mom.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked, watching as she stood from my bed and headed for the door.


    ¡°For everything. And for dad. I¡¯ve missed him¡­¡±


    And with that, she smiled and happily skipped out of my room, humming a happy tune. I slumped back on my bed as soon as the door closed. This was going to be harder than I thought. I picked my phone and fired a text to Leo telling him to make himself avable as soon as possible.


    Even though I had told my ex that it was an emergency and to make himself avable as soon as possible, I still didn¡¯t expect him to show up at my office out of breath and with panic in his eyes.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ad? Did something happen to her?¡± He asked, mming his hands down on my desk.


    I looked over at my secretary whose eyes were wide open with rm.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am. He just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go,¡± I said, smiling.


    She threw a disapproving look at Leonidas and waltzed out of my office, still huffing and puffing. I waited until the door closed behind her and I could no longer hear her before speaking. I wasn¡¯t taking chances.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You said this was an emergency!¡± Leo said, his eyes roaming frantically.


    ¡°It is. You should sit. This might be a long conversation.¡±


    Leonidas slowly lowered himself into the leather seat on the other side of my table and leaned back into it. I kept my eyes on myptop, pretending to be busy to avoid having to look at him.


    ¡°Did something happen to Ad?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Stop been cryptic, Andrea. What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    I sighed and shut down my APC, running my hand over the somewhat smooth exterior of the MacBook, and summoning courage to look at him. I raised my eyes and immediately met with the intense eyes of Leonidas.


    ¡°Ad has gotten her powers,¡± I said. It was my turn to be confused when there was no reaction from him. ¡°Wait, you knew?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Andrea. Ad getting her abilities at the ripe age of twelve isn¡¯t need to anybody. Is this what this was about?¡± Leo asked, standing to his feet and ready to leave.


    ¡°You really cannot bring yourself to be in my presence for a few minutes, can you?¡± I asked, shocking myself. Where that hade from, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    Leo sighed, and ran his hands through his hair. He lowered himself back into his seat, and folded his hands across his chest. I looked at him¡­truly looked at him. A lot of things could definitely happen in a few years. He had specks of gray littered all over his hair. His once bright and vibrant eyes were now dead pools of bright brown. His once lean muscr build was now bulky, it would seem he had taken the gym seriously.


    ¡°Are you done checking me out?¡± He asked.


    Color rushed to my cheeks at getting caught ogling your ex. My heart turned sour as it remembered why he was my ex. I sighed and leaned back in my chair.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t checking you out,¡± I replied.


    Leonidas smirked. ¡°Sure you weren¡¯t,¡±


    ¡°Back to the situation at hand. Our daughter is a nightshade hybrid.¡±

 Chapter Forty-seven

    ANDREA


    Leonidas sat there staring at me in shock as though I had just said the moon had fallen.


    ¡°What? How did you know this?¡±


    I took a deep breath and told him about the fight she had with another child, carefully editing the story to leave out details of what caused the fight, and of course, leaving out Will. His face disyed several emotions in the span of a minute. I watched his face contort from shock to surprise to anger and then to pity. Which was thest thing I wanted for Ad. She didn¡¯t need to be pitied.


    ¡°Wow¡­there hasn¡¯t been a nightshade since the dark ages,¡± Leo said, rubbing his chin.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. But that isn¡¯t the whole reason why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Leonidas¡¯s gaze refocused and he slid forward on his seat. ¡°There¡¯s something else? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not as serious as her being a nightshade hybrid¡­and besides, it¡¯s merely a suggestion,¡± I said, ying with my pen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what this means for her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um¡­it means that she¡¯s the strongest being alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, true. And that would mean she needs to train more than other children. She has t be trained both as a vampire and as a werewolf,¡± I replied.


    ¡°True. I hear you¡¯ve already began on the werewolf part. I¡¯ll see to her training as a vampire,¡± Leonidas said, rubbing his hands together.


    I took a deep breath, d that the issue of her training was out of the way. Now, on to more important things.


    ¡°Do you also know what this also means for her?¡± I asked.


    Leonidas shrugged. ¡°Um¡­that her life as a blooming teenager is changed forever?¡±


    I sighed. What a simpleton.


    ¡°No, Leo. It also means that people would want to get her.¡±¡­get rid of her.¡±


    Leo frowned. ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°For starters, she¡¯s the heir to the joint throne of


    ¡°For starters, she¡¯s the heir to our joint thrones. Secondly, she¡¯s the strongest being. They¡¯re either going to try and marry her, kidnap her and keep her until she¡¯s old enough, and then pop out with her pregnant and married¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡± Leo said, rubbing his brows in exasperation.


    I couldn¡¯t stop. The ideas not popping into my head made my mind run agog with imagination.


    ¡°Or¡­or maybe they¡¯d cast a spell on her, make her do whatever they want¡­¡±


    Leonidas sighed and screamed at me. ¡°Andrea!!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I screamed back. ¡°You don¡¯t think that it¡¯s possible?!¡±


    ¡°I think that you¡¯re overreacting. Maybe you need to calm down a bit¡­¡± Leo said, rubbing his temples.


    I threw back my head andughed. Nothing was funny but Iughed anyway. One thing I always wondered about Leonidas was his insane ability to not see danger when it was staring him in the face. But now me, I wouldn¡¯t be ying that game with my children. Not anymore. Tears gathered in my eyes as I remembered Vanni. I smiled ruefully, his memory always felt like a fresh, open wound.


    ¡°Overreacting? You think I¡¯m overreacting?¡±


    ¡°Andrea,e on¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to also know when you thought I was overreacting?!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°When I told you Leovanni was in danger. Did you believe me?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Andrea¡­¡±


    I angrily wiped away the lone tear that rolled down my cheek, angry that k had let this man rule me up yet again.


    ¡°Andrea, I¡¯m sorry that¡­¡±


    Leonidas didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence as Will burst into my office covered in mud from head to toe and holding up a dead rabbit like a prize. I could hear Savannah from down the hallway and I smiled again. A little track star, this one.


    ¡°Mommy, look what I did!!!¡± Will eximed, jumping up and down. His muddy self stringing my marble floors and the blood of the animal dripping onto the floor.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I cooed at my adventurous four-year-old son.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rabbit,¡± he answered excitedly. ¡°I hunted it!!!¡±


    I smiled. Even at his young age, he has shown exceptional hunting skills and his senses were quite sharp. I know that it was expected, he was of royal bloodline, but it still shocked me whenever he did things like this: hunt for food or be able to tell when someone is a few miles away and who just by smell.


    Savannah rushed into my office, her chest heaving from the small marathon she had just done. Her eyesnded on Will and they squinted in anger. Her eyes shifted to the mess he had made and she grasped her invincible pearls and gasped loudly.


    ¡°What have you done?!¡± She wailed. ¡°I just had this office deep cleaned!!¡±


    Will recognizing that he was in trouble, dropped the rabbit to the floor -blood, dangling head and all- and rushed under the table to hide away, inevitably staining me as well with blood and mud. Iughed even harder as he held on to my head and mouthed not to let her get him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Savannah,¡± I apologized to my once-nemesis.


    It¡¯s quite surprising just how much time could heal. One moment she hated my guts because it Will¡¯s father. Yearster, she was instrumental in the recovery of my legacy. And now here she was¡­caring for my son with so much love. Her presence made me believe in second chances.


    ¡°Come on, go with Savannah. Let her get you cleaned up,¡± I said, looking down at Will.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°And no more dead rabbits or any animal into the pce.¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Okay, mommy¡­¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Will slid out from under my table with a defeated look on his face. He picked up his rabbit, and headed for Savannah, giving her puppy eyes in the hopes of cating the irate housekeeper.


    ¡°And no more muddy people in here!¡±


    ¡°Okay, mommy!!!¡±


    I looked over at Leonidas to see him staring at the door that Will and Savannah had just passed through. When he looked back at me, his eyes held some sort of emotion. I couldn¡¯t ce him, something between longing and jealousy¡­and then also hidden in those depths¡­anger.


    I cocked my brows, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked.


    Leonidas hesitated, shook his head and looked back at the door.


    ¡°He looks so much like him, you know? William. It¡¯s fitting that you would name him Will.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t so distracted or out of touch with Leonidas not to notice the tone of his voice. Any other person would have missed it. Very much like his eyes, his voice reflected anger, longing and jealousy.


    ¡°What did you want me to name him? Leo?¡±


    Leonidas snickered, ¡°You still got jokes¡­but no. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to name him Will. Matter of fact, I¡­¡±


    Leonidas took a deep breath and rubbed his temples again.


    ¡°You what, Leo?¡± I probed, wanting him to finish that sentence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would keep the child¡­¡± he finished painfully.


    ¡°And what is it to you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It hurt me when I saw you and¡­and you were pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied. ¡°Now you can only imagine how I felt to be thrown into prison and be treated like amon criminal. Now you know how it felt to watch my son die and be called a murderer.¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­please¡­¡±


    ¡°Now you know how it felt to feel you fuck the woman trying to kill me!!!¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting so fucking innocent?! You fucked William too!!!¡±


    My hands balled into fists that am badly wanted to be driven into his face. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re here for Ad. Let¡¯s stick to that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do that,¡± Leo replied, and lowered his head.


    ¡°As for her werewolf training, she has already begun training with the head warrior. How do you suggest we schedule her vampire trainings?¡±


    ¡°How about shees over to the vampire territory for a month. We interchange it every month.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Perfect. That¡¯d be all, I guess.¡±


    I stood and headed for the door, eager to wash off the mud and blood stains on me as well as see to the cleaning of my office.


    ¡°Leo?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do not make the mistake of thinking that I¡¯d let that event repeat itself. No matter the cost, I will protect my children.¡±

 Chapter Forty-eight

    ANDREA


    A lot has been achieved since myst meeting with Leonidas. Ad has gotten so much stronger and faster. She was almost as strong as our head warrior and that in itself was saying something as he was a hulk of a man. Everything was going smoothly, no one knew about my child¡¯s newly found status, there wasn¡¯t any threat. People finally seemed to have gotten over the incident of five years ago. Everything had finally fallen into ce, and yet my mind couldn¡¯t be at ease.


    From experience, whenever everything was going smooth in my life, whenever I think that I found peace, pure and utter chaos always seemed to spring out of nowhere. And so here I was¡­waiting for that chaos.


    And it didn¡¯t disappoint¡­


    I was rudely awakened from my slumber by the incessant screaminging from the woods. I sat up rapidly on the bed and attempted to gather my bearings, cursing at the insufferable noise the kids won¡¯t stop making. Just as I stood up from the bed, Savannah rushed into my office covered in blood. The side of her face and neck covered in angry red w marks.


    ¡°What the hell happened to you?!¡± I asked.


    She ran to me and began pulling me with her, her eyes were wide with panic and fear.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time. You have toe with me¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Why? Did something happen?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond. Savannah kept pulling me until we got to the clinic on pce grounds.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, dear creeping into my tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s Will¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s been taken¡­¡±


    ¡°Taken? What do you mean? By who? To where?¡±


    ¡°Ad is in a better position to answer those questions,¡± she replied, dragging me into a ward.


    ¡°What has Ad got to do with this?¡± I asked.


    I stepped into the room and therey my answer. Ady on the bed with the doctor hovering over her and hooking her to a drip.


    ¡°My goodness, what happened?!¡± I asked, rushing to her side.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing okay,¡± the doctor said, shoving his hands into in¡¯s coat pockets and moving out of the way.


    ¡°But what happened?¡± I asked.


    My eyes roamed from Savannah to the doctor to the Ad who looked away immediately.


    ¡°Would somebody mind telling me what just happened?! Where is Will?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom. I couldn¡¯t stop them¡­I failed¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ad said.


    ¡°What are you talking about, my darling. What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They took him,¡± Ad said, her voice cracking and a single tear rolled down her cheek. ¡°They took him away.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise, fear rising inside me.


    ¡°Savannah, tell me everything.¡±


    Savanah took a deep breath and nodded.


    ¡°Will ran off into the woods¡­said he could hear his father calling him, I told him no one was called his name, and his father wasn¡¯t in the woods. He didn¡¯t listen. He took off anyways. I um¡­I heard him scream and both I and Ad ran after him,¡± Savannah paused and took a deep breath. ¡°The kids are faster then I am and by the time I got to there, I couldn¡¯t see either of them. I remember hearing Will scream and when I got to the scene. I did what I could but¡­it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    My brows burrowed in confusion. My mind went agog with possibilities of why anyone would want to kidnap Will. Was William back? Was he responsible for this?


    ¡°The people who took him, did they say what they wanted?¡±


    Savannah shrugged. ¡°Not really. I did hear them say something about a ritual and a powerful being¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t they take Ad?¡±


    ¡°They tried. I heard my name too, and ran after Will,¡± she said, wrapping her hand around the ne on her neck. ¡°But the ne¡­I get vibrations off of it. It felt like warning vibrations. It got stronger as I trailed Will.¡±


    The ne¡­the same one my mother had given to me in my dream, the same one I had gifted her on her birthday.


    ¡°So, they¡­couldn¡¯t take you?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°They tried. They cast the first spell, it didn¡¯t work. And then they tried to physically grab me, but there was some form of force around me. They couldn¡¯t touch me,¡± Ad said.


    My eyes opened in shock, my mind just opening up to how powerful that ne was. The shock onlysted for a while, and then it was reced by anger and worry. Someone knew who my daughter was¡­what she was. And now they wanted to use her for some sort of ritual¡­but why Will? What did they need him for?


    I forced a smile to my lips and held Ad¡¯s hand in mine, hoping that my face reflected the hope and strength that she needed to see and not the fear and panic that was bubbling inside me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, love,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll find Will. I promise.¡±


    Ad nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­there¡¯s nothing to be sorry for. You did great today. You did really well. Get better, okay?¡±


    Ad nodded. I kissed her on the forehead and walked out of the hospital as calmly as I could, my feet felt both heavy and light at the same time. I rushed back to my office and mmed the door shut, my mind working at the fast pace of a sports car. Where could he be? Who could have taken him? My mind went back to William again. Had he somehow managed to sneak into the territory and kidnap him? Maybe he wanted his son back? But Ad mentioned magic, William didn¡¯t do magic. Esmeralda didn¡¯t either until she did. Anger bubbled inside me.


    I needed to find William.

 Chapter Forty-nine

    ANDREA


    Days ran into weeks and weeks into months, and yet no sign of my son¡­or William. Search parties had been sent out, and Al had returned with the same story. No will, no William.


    I stared deftly at the picture frames in my hands. On my left was a picture of Will when he was just just a baby, and in the other hand a picture of him ying in the sand with Ad. I smiled at both pictures, and tears rolled down my eyes for the umpteenth time.


    No one had reached out to us with demands. Not a word had been said. Stacy hade out of her dilemma and gone back to studying magic to figure it out. I heard a knock on my bedroom door, and I kept silent on the hopes that whoever it was would go away. But no, I couldn¡¯t be so lucky. The door opened slightly and Savannah poked her head into my room and smiled.


    ¡°Hi¡­¡± she said, slowly progressing into my room.


    I sighed andy back down in my bed and hugged the picture frames to my chest, hoping she¡¯d get the hint and leave. She didn¡¯t. She pulled in a trolley behind herden with food. The aroma hit my nostrils, making my stomach churn.


    ¡°Go away, Savannah¡­¡± I said.


    She didn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, spreading open my curtains. ¡°You need to get up. You can¡¯t continue to live like this.¡±


    I certainly can. I said to myself, closing my eyes against the sudden burst of light that threatened to make me go blind.


    ¡°Leave me alone, Savannah.¡±


    She pulled the trolley close to the bed, and saw beside me. Her shadow providing temporary relief from the onught of lighting from my window. I made a mental note to seal the window up as soon as this was over.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that. You need to get up, you need to eat something. You¡¯ve been locked up in here for days¡­¡±


    ¡°Savannah¡­¡±


    ¡°I brought you some fruits. And I also brought you some Mac and cheese¡­¡±


    ¡°That was Will¡¯s favorite food too. He loved it.¡±


    Images of how he would gobble it down whenever it was ced in front of him shed through my eyes. He loved it more when Savannah made it. I smiled sadly at her and sat up to eat. She ced arge serving in front of me and handed me a spoon; knowing how I hated to use a fork. I shoved a spoonful into my mouth, the normally sweet taste somehow transformed to sand in my mouth. I swallowed painfully and immediately followed it with a cup of water.


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t finish it,¡± Savannah started. ¡°But you need to eat a sizable quantity.¡±


    I nodded and dug in, knowing she was right. I was of no use to my son in this pitiful state. I needed to leave this room. I needed to show my people that I was strong enough to get through this. Most importantly, I needed to be three for Ad. She needed me. Savannah stood over me inspecting my spoon as it took trips between my mouth and the te, wringing her hands together¡­as though waiting to deliver some sort of news.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Savannah?¡± I asked.


    Savannah looked startled and shook her head vehemently.


    ¡°No,¡± she said,ughing uneasily. ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re acting like has happened¡­or is happening. I know you, Savannah. What is it?¡±


    It was my turn to watch her closely as I ate, and I didn¡¯t miss the bead of sweat that rolled down her forehead. I shoved arge spoonful of food into my mouth, my appetite opening up and my taste buds returning for business.


    ¡°Finish your food and your fruits and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± she said.


    The spoon stopped midair and my eyes fixated on Savannah¡¯s¡­my mind running agog with possibilities. Had worse happened? Had Will been found? Had there been any leads in my absence?


    ¡°Has something happened?¡± I asked, anxiety building rapidly in my soul.


    A smug smile spread across her lips. ¡°Eat up. Eat everything, and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me anyway,¡± I replied.


    ¡°True. But you can¡¯t force me. I can decide to tell you next year. And seeing as you still have a long way to go, it¡¯s looking like that.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    I looked down at my te that was cleared halfway, and the bowl of fruits chicken that still sat on the trolley.


    I nodded. ¡°Fine, Savannah. You win this round.¡±


    By the time I was done, words couldn¡¯t describe how my body felt. Besides, who knew that a good bath and a brush ran through your hair can be therapeutic for your soul. I had just eaten enough to knock out an elephant but I was driven by pure anxiety to see what it was Savannah wanted to show me. I walked briskly ahead of her to my office where she said a surprise was waiting. I pushed open the door and was surprised indeed. My service chiefs, Stacy¡­and Leo¡­


    I screamed so loud, I could feel my lungs contract in protest. ¡°What the fuck is going on here?!¡±


    Everyone stopped and stood straight. The air in the room became charged with anger. My anger. And all eyes in the room fell on Leo for an exnation. Including mine¡­


    My eyes moved from the faces of each service chiefs and then to Stacy, at least they had the decency and good grace to look embarrassed and chastised. But not Leo, he met my gaze and held it. His eyes were nk, nothing was present within. No pain, no love, no regret. Nothing.


    ¡°Are you dead? What is happening here?¡± I asked, turning to Savannah who was conveniently sneaking out of the room.


    ¡°Ummm,¡± she started, opening the door. ¡°It was all his idea.¡±


    Leo lowered his head and sighed.


    ¡°Everyone excuse us,¡± he said, and just like dogs following amand, they all left.


    Stacy included. How dare he?!


    ¡°Oh, so now you givemands in my absence?!¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck told you that you could do that?!¡±


    Leo sighed, ¡°I just wanted to help, Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that really all you wanted to do?! Or did you want to take everything away from my the same way you did thest time?!¡±


    Leo swore loudly and ran his hand through his hair. He marched over to me and the bags under his eyes told me he hadn¡¯t gotten a good sleep in a while.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this as many times as it would take you to get it. I¡¯m sorry for what happened with our son. I was stupid, I was careless, I should have done better, I hurt you. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°But sorry doesn¡¯t cut it, does it?! Sorry wouldn¡¯t raise my baby from the grace, would it?¡±


    Leo shook his head. ¡°No. It won¡¯t. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m here now¡­¡±


    ¡°Here to do what? To make sure Will isn¡¯t found?¡±


    Leo sighed in exasperation. ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°I want to help you find Will.¡±


    ¡°Why?!!¡±


    ¡°Fuck it, because I love you!!!¡±


    Deafening silence followed his promation of love. Of all the things I had expected to hear, his confession of love didn¡¯t make the list. I stared at him, not sure the emotions to feel. They all danced together like a hurricane inside me, each emotion trying to ovee the others.


    Leo sighed, and massaged his temples. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I probably shouldn¡¯t have said that¡­but I¡¯m trying to make it up to you¡­¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s not your son. Why would you want to save the son of a man you have always hated?¡±


    ¡°One, he¡¯s a child. Two, I love his mother, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason stronger than that.¡±


    I stared into his eyes, trying to read his soul. I nodded my head in surrender when I couldn¡¯t find anything.


    ¡°Fine. What have you found so far?¡±

 Chapter Fifty

    ANDREA


    To say that my rtions with Leo was awkward would be making light of the situation. He had moved into the pce temporarily and immersed himself on the search for Will, and inforting and training Ad. However, there hasn¡¯t been any progress finding Will. The tension in the pce was bing unbearable and in all of it, I worried for Ad. She wasn¡¯t taking it very well.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    I and Leo look up to see Ad standing at the door with fear in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, love?¡± Leo asks, waving her into the office.


    She took slow, unsure steps in, her gaze wavering, and even from the distance I could see the wheels turning in her head.


    ¡°They¡¯re in my head¡­¡± she said and sat cross-legged on the floor.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, moving to sit next to her on the floor.


    ¡°The people who took Will¡­¡± she replied. She gasped and tears flowed down her cheek. ¡°They¡¯re hurting him¡­¡±


    Her voice cracked and her eyes widened even further. Panic and fear rose inside me. I thanked providence as Stacy walked into my office at that moment.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, looking at the unlikely scene in my office.


    ¡°They¡¯re hurting him¡­¡± Ad said, chanting the statement over and over and over again.


    ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± Leo asked, and sat on the other side of her.


    Ad shook her head. Stacy, realizing what was going on, moved to sit right in front of her.


    ¡°Can you see their faces?¡± Stacy asked, cing her index fingers on Ad¡¯s temples.


    Ad shook her head.


    ¡°Have they said what they want?¡± I asked, hoping at this point for some sort of breakthrough.


    ¡°Me¡­they want me¡­¡±


    Deafening silence permeated the room and for a moment I forgot to breathe. I looked over at Leo and caught the fear that was hidden in his eyes.


    ¡°Stacy, send a message to the head warrior. Tell him to beef up security. No one is allowed in or out of  the territory, and double the guards around the pce.¡±


    Stacy nodded and raced out of the room to carry out my orders. I pulled Ad closer to me, and hugged her to my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my love,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t let them take you from me¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re hurting him so much¡­he¡¯s in pain¡­¡± she said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s strong¡­we¡¯ll get him, and then we¡¯ll make them pay. Okay?¡±


    Ad looked at me with doubt and fear contorting her normally rxed facial features. She sighed and nodded, standing to her feet.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Back to my room¡­I want to be alone¡­¡±


    Both I and Leo stood to our feet¡¯s and watched our child walk out of the room with her head hanging low and her shoulders fallen. I waited till she was out of earshot to have a breakdown of my own.


    ¡°Oh, Leo¡­what are we going to do?!¡± I asked, covering my eyes with my hands as sobs wracked my body.


    Leo pulled me closer and wrapped his hands around me. It felt safe, it felt pure¡­it felt familiar. I leaned in to his embrace and buried my nose in his chart, breathing in the scent that was all him and immediately feeling some sense of calm. That made me remember that our mate bond was still very much alive¡­and rejection more or less meant death for us. I attempted to pull away from him but he only held me tighter and buried his nose in my hair.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± he said firmly, breathing in deeply the sweet Aloe Vera smell of my hair.


    I looked up at him and felt some sort of strange pull to him, and as though my hands had a mind of its own, they reached up and my fingers traced his face. From the soft lines that curved around his lips to the harder lines beside his eyes and on his forehead.


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    The way he called my name sounded like a caress and took me back to the time we had just met, to the times when things were simpler. His head leaned in and his lips parted, and in a split second I found myself osted with a decision. Stop or cross the boundary. And as though if it¡¯s own will, my eyes fluttered close, and I leaned up into the kiss. Just as our lips met, Savannah burst through the door, her noisy entrance forcing us apart.


    Savannah gasped loudly, and turned around to leave the office. ¡°I¡¯lle backter.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said, waving her in. ¡°Come in.¡±


    I could feel Leo¡¯s gaze burning a hole in my back but I simply avoided his gaze and sat on my table.


    ¡°You came to tell me something?¡± I asked.


    Savannah¡¯s curious eyes wandered from me to Leo and ten finally settled on me.


    ¡°Um¡­yes¡­you won¡¯t believe what just happened¡­¡± Savannah said, excitedly.


    ¡°What? Will has been found?¡± I asked, springing up from my ce on the table.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, disappointment heavy in my voice.


    ¡°William is at reception. He wants an audience with you,¡± Savannah said.


    ¡°William?!¡±


    Both I and Leo shouted simultaneously, our jaws dropping in shock. My shock soon gave way for anger as I wondered what he wanted.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°The guards are holding him at the security posts. They¡¯re waiting for your order on what to do with him,¡± Savannah replied.


    I barely spared a nce at Leo and marched out of my office and headed for the cells, vaguely aware of Leo and Savannah following behind me. It seemed that news of William¡¯s return had already spread through the pce because with every turn I made, whispers and murmurs followed. I ran through the gates of the security outpost located a good distance behind the pce and barricaded by a tall concrete wall and heavy steel gates. A guard on the other side opened the steel door and bowed his head as I walked into the cold air of the building.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I asked.


    A young wolf sprung into action and led me down a hallway into an office that served as a makeshift holding cell for my son¡¯s father. William smiled as I entered the room, seeming somewhat happy to see me. He bruised and somewhat battered face told me that he had already been showed that he wasn¡¯t weed here, and that he had already been pressed for information. His hands and feet were chained to the chair and the chair chained to the window.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked.


    William smiled, exposing a bloodied mouth. ¡°Not even a good morning first?¡±


    His question was immediately followed by two harsh blows to his face.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my son?!¡± I asked.


    William cocked his brow. ¡°You mean ¡®our son¡¯?¡± He replied.


    ¡°Listen very carefully. I¡¯m not here to y games with you. You will either answer my questions or this is where you die,¡± Leo said, entering the conversation.


    William scoffed, and turned his eyes back to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help find him. Will.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s my son,¡± he replied rather simply, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world.


    ¡°And you¡¯re justing to that realization after four years?¡± I asked, moving closer to William. ¡°Did you take him?¡±


    William shook his head. ¡°No. But I have a good idea of the people who did. Or at least, of who is leading the operation.¡±


    Hope sprung up inside me. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    William shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    My shoulders slumped in defeat and o turned to leave.


    ¡°But Leo does,¡± he continued.


    All eyes turned to Leo, including those of the security personnel.


    ¡°Oh, not this Leo,¡± William continued. ¡°The other one.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-one

    ANDREA


    The room fell into a stunned silence as William¡¯s usation hung in the air. Leonidas stood frozen on the spot, his expression a mixture of disbelief and indignation. William fixed his gaze on Leonidas with a smug expression on his face. Something that seemed to anger Leonidas more.


    Leo scoffed. ¡°I cannot believe that you would dare open your mouth and use my brother of kidnapping your son.¡±


    ¡°Well, I did,¡± William replied, shrugging. As though that was the normal thing to say given the circumstances and the weight of the usation he had just made.


    ¡°He loves Ad and Will, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt them,¡± Leo countered.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    A smirk spread across William¡¯s face, a smirk that quickly graduated to augh. I shared a look with Leo, telling him with my eyes to not let William rile him up.


    ¡°He loves them alright. But he loves power more. While you were here finding the ¡®kidnapper¡¯, your brother was busy scheming how to use Will to lure Ad out. Assuming he hasn¡¯t done it already,¡± Wim said, shrugging his shoulders as much as his restraints would let him.


    Leonidas, his patience wearing thin, stepped forward with eyes that told how he wanted his hands around William¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind if you think Leopold would do something like this. We need answers not baseless usations!¡±


    An exchange between William  and Leonidas ensued and soon turned into a verbal sh, each word carrying the weight of their emotions. I struggled toprehend the words that had been said and the possible truth that could be staring me in the face. What if he was right? No one has seen or heard of him since Will went missing. Could it be¡­no. He loved those children. I refused to entertain those thoughts.


    But what if¡­


    I turned to William. ¡°Where is he holding them?¡±


    Leo looked at me in shock, ¡°You don¡¯t possibly believe him, do you?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe. What I know is that I¡¯m desperate to find my child,¡± I replied and reverted my attention back to William. ¡°Where is he holding him?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an old castle up in the mountains. It¡¯s been there for decades. Remnants from the eradication of the witches and imed by the vampires,¡± William replied, nodding towards Leo.


    Leo threw back his head andughed, his eyes saying that he was far from amused.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any property in the mountains. And I know ALL of the properties we own.¡±


    William shrugged. ¡°Then you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Leo¡¯s hands balled into fists and his eye twitched, he was seconds away from getting physical on William. I couldn¡¯t have that, not just yet. I stepped between Leo and William.


    ¡°How sure are you about what you¡¯re saying?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Very sure,¡± William replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume that you¡¯re right, and my brother is holding your son,¡± Leo said. ¡°Why would he do that? What would be his motive?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. My best guess would be that he wants the throne,¡± William replied.


    The revtion sent a chill through the room. My mind raced, torn between the loyalty I felt toward Leopold and the need to find my son.


    Savannah, who had been quietly observing, trailed behind as we exited the cell. Returning to my office, the atmosphere remained charged with unresolved conflict.


    Once there, the argument reignited. Leonidas, vehement in his defense of his brother, stated, ¡°This is impossible. I know every estate and property we own. Leopold wouldn¡¯t be involved in something like this.¡±


    I, grappling with doubt, countered, ¡°What if we¡¯ve been blind to something? What if Leopold isn¡¯t as innocent as we thought?¡±


    The room echoed with the weight of uncertainty as the truth dangled just out of reach. The unresolved tension left us at a crossroads, the path forward uncertain, and the shadows of doubt looming over the bond that once held us all together.


    The heated discussion in my office stretched into the evening, and continued in the morning with renewed vigor from our night¡¯s rest. Words were exchanged like arrows, each one piercing the fragile trust that had united us. Savannah, torn between loyalty and uncertainty, observed the turmoil, her presence adding an undercurrent of tension to the room.


    Despite Leonidas¡¯ impassioned defense of his brother, William stood firm in his usations.


    ¡°I know the castle, Andrea,¡± he asserted.  ¡°I¡¯ve been there.¡± His eyes carrying the weight of a haunted past.


    Caught in the middle of the verbal warfare, I struggled to reconcile the conflicting images of the man I loved and the possibility he was involved in such darkness.


    ¡°Leopold would never¡­¡± I began, but my voice wavered.


    Leonidas, his frustration boiling over, mmed his hand on my desk. ¡°This is madness! We¡¯re chasing shadows. William has no proof, just wild usations. Do you think that it¡¯s just pure coincidence that he just shows up after years of searching for him?! iming to know where exactly Will is being held?!¡±


    The vein on Leo¡¯s forehead pulsed, and I wondered how much more of this he could take before snapping¡­or cutting off William¡¯s head. I sighed, and found the nearest seat in the holding cell.


    ¡°Because I look where no one else would, that¡¯s why¡­¡± William countered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    William turned to me. His eyes pleading, ¡°I have a map. I¡¯ll show you where it is. If you don¡¯t find anything there, you cane back and kill me. I¡¯d die happily.¡±


    I looked over at Leo who seemed somewhat shocked at the deration and then back at William who kept looking at me with a straight face. I massaged my temples, trying to push away the headache that I could feel forming.


    ¡°This is what we¡¯re going to do,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll go up to the mountains and check this mystery castle out. If there¡¯s nothing there, Leo gets the pleasure of taking your head.¡±


    Leo smirked at my deration, still very certain that there was nothing up in the mountains.


    ¡°I promise that you won¡¯t find anything up there,¡± he dered.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping that we don¡¯t find anything up there either.¡±


    We both smiled at each other, some sort of understanding passing between us. Leo insisted that Leopold would never do anything like that. And deep down, I believe him too. But it¡¯s been months, and I¡¯m getting desperate. I would travel to hell if there happened to be a slight chance that he was being held there.


    My mouth opened in a wide yawn, the stress and tiredness of the  situation pushing my body to its limits.


    ¡°When was thest time you slept?¡± Leo asked, stretching his hand out to me.


    I slipped my hands into his, enjoying the warmth of his hands. ¡°Not in a long while¡­¡±


    ¡°And food? When was thest time you ate?¡±


    My stomach rumbled embarrassingly, and I felt a slight blush stain my cheeks. Leoughed, and began to lead us to the kitchen. Just as he settled mefortably into a seat at the counter, Savannah ran into the kitchen, flustered and out of breath. Her cheeks puffing in and out from her fast and hard breaths.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, slipping out of my seat.


    Savannah¡¯s wide eyes moved from Leo to me, back and forth and finally settled on me.


    ¡°Ad is gone.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-two

    ANDREA


    The blood drained from my face and I immediately felt lightheaded as I stared disbelievingly at the note in my hand.


    ¡°When did you see this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just now¡­I can¡¯t say for certain how long that it¡¯s been there for.¡±


    I stared at the note again, hoping against hope that it wasn¡¯t real. But it was, the note was written in the intricate and yet careless handwriting of Ad.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Leo asked, snatching the note from my shaking hands.


    ¡°What are we going to do? She¡¯s gone to them,¡± Savannah asked.


    I found my way to the nearest chair and sat, not trusting my legs to be capable of holding me up for much longer.


    ¡°We¡¯ll simply go after them,¡± Leo replied, as though it was the most obvious option.


    ¡°Go after her?!¡± I scoffed. ¡°Do you know where she went?!¡±


    Leo shook his head slowly and sighed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. But at least we know where to start.¡±


    ¡°And where is that?¡± I asked, cocking my brow.


    ¡°This pce that Williams keeps speaking about.¡±


    I threw my head back andughed. Not out of amusement or mockery but just at the sheer irony of it all.


    ¡°Oh, so now you think your brother is capable of kidnap?!¡± I asked, screaming the question with all the power in my lungs.


    Leo shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. But let¡¯s start from there.¡±


    Leo balled the paper in his fist and started for the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked, marching after him.


    ¡°To get our unwanted guest ready,¡± he relied.


    I and Savannah shared a confused nce and walked after him, running to keep up with his long strides.


    ¡°Ready for what?¡± I asked, and followed him out of the building, into the forest and straight for the holding cells.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking us to where they¡¯re holding Will and Ad.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Savannah asked, still stunned.


    ¡°Yes. We would have the element of surprise,¡± Leo replied.


    Leo motioned to the guard standing in the corner, ¡°You. Get William ready. He¡¯sing with us.¡±


    The guard nodded and left to do his bidding. Leo pointed to another guard and asked him to get the head warrior.


    In all of this I watched him, watched how Al of a sudden he was eager to get my children, and with the sudden realization of the situation, my heart broke. He didn¡¯t want to believe that his brother could do something as hideous as kidnapping a child until it was his child.


    ¡°You look pale,¡± Leo asked. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    You. I almost said. I shook my head and took a few steps away from him.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Everything is fine.¡±


    The head warrior walked through the door with urgency, conveniently stopping Leo from asking me any more questions. I spared a look up at him and found him looking at me, his eyes told me that he wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°I was sent for,¡± he said.


    ¡°We need you to put together a small team of your strongest soldiers.¡±


    The old man¡¯s brows furrowed together and he spared a nce at me.


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked.


    Leo looked at me before responding, ¡°We might know the location where Will is being held¡­and also, the Princess¡­is also with them.¡±


    ¡°Princess Ad?!¡±


    We both nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to work immediately. Where is the ce?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the mountains. Some castle nestled up there. William would take us there,¡± Leo replied.


    ¡°The former Prince William? The prisoner?¡± He asked again, his brows of gray pulled down over his eyes.


    The light bouncing off of his bald head made him seem like a cartoon character.


    ¡°Yes. That William.¡± I said.


    ¡°Can he be trusted? What is it¡¯s a trap? An ambush?¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± Leo replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re asking you for your best soldiers.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°When do you want them?¡±


    ¡°Today. As soon as you can assemble them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one ready for you in an hour.¡±


    We both watched as he walked out, and as though reading each other¡¯s minds headed for William¡¯s cell. We entered to see him being fed.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± he said, munching noisily on chicken bone. ¡°At some point, I was wondering if the n was to starve me to death.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, we leave soon.¡± I said.


    William stopped chewing, and looked at me in confusion.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He asked, his eyes widening in panic. ¡°Is this myst meal?!¡±


    ¡°It might as well be if we don¡¯t find Ad and Will at that castle you speak of.¡±


    William stopped and stared at us with wary eyes, a smile slowly spread across his lips an s graduated toughter.


    ¡°So you finally believe me then? I was beginning to wonder how much you wanted to find out son,¡± he said. ¡°And I suppose you want me to take you to the ce?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It would be much easier to dispose of you there if we don¡¯t find the kids up there.¡± Leo added.


    ¡°Kids?¡± William asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°Yes. They have my daughter,¡± I said.


    William nodded, shoved thest piece of fried chicken into his mouth and spat out tiny pieces of bones into the now clean te. He wiped his hands on his dirty trousers, and stood as much as his chained legs would allow.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± He proimed. ¡°Let¡¯s go get back our children!!¡±


    I nodded and began my journey back to the pce, vaguely aware of Leo and Savannah walking behind me. I headed for my office and pulled a small lever to reveal arge wall of weapons and armory. I pulled out silver knives and loaded my guns with silver bullets.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leo asked, entering my room and closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Getting ready. What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡±


    ¡°Ready for what?¡±


    ¡°To go get my children,¡± I relied.


    It was almost as if that was obvious enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting with us, Andrea.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± Leo replied.


    I scoffed, stripped out of my clothes and changed into n tees and a fitted tee shirt and a pair of jeans.


    ¡°And you think that I¡¯m going to leave the fate of my babies in your hands?¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t trust me?¡± Leo countered.


    ¡°Not as far as I can throw you,¡± I replied and attempted to sidestep him, but he grabbed my elbow and pulled me into him.


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem bothered to find Will until Ad went missing. You didn¡¯t think that your dear brother was ever capable of hurting a fly until your blood was affected¡­¡±


    Leo frowned. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    I scoffed and kept silent, watching the expression on his face change from anger to confusion to hurt. He slowly released my elbow and moved a few steps back.


    ¡°Is that what you really think? That I didn¡¯t want to find Will?¡± He asked.


    I shrugged. ¡°It would be convenient for us toe back together if the child I had by the man you hate didn¡¯t exist.¡±


    Leo nodded. ¡°I love you. And yes, I would love for us to get back together, but not at the expense of a child.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Just as he was about to respond, the door opened and Savannah poked her head in.


    ¡°Hi. They¡¯re ready for you.¡±


    I and Leo shared onest nce and headed for the door.

 Chapter Fifty-three

    ANDREA


    The ck, tinted minibus pulled to a stop at the foot of the mountain. William smiled eerily as the door pulled open, immediately causing my hackles to rise.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!!!¡± William eximed, jumping out of the vehicle with his bound hands.


    ¡°Where is this ce?¡± The head warrior asked, surveying the mountains.


    ¡°There¡¯s a stairway that way,¡± William said, pointing to the side of the mountain. ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re taking.¡±


    I and Leo shared a nce and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The head warrior stopped us, looking wary of our location. ¡°Are you sure he can be trusted? What if this is a trap?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I guess we¡¯re about to find out.¡±


    I turned to William, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    William did a bow and smiled. ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    He led us around the side and we began the treacherous climb up the slippery stairs. The stone seps looked like it had been bathed in oil recently. There had been no rain. I looked up at the sun, taking the risk of getting blinded by the scorching sun, and saw a shadow at the top of the mountain. I blinked hard against the invading light and the shadow was gone. The tiny hairs at the back of my head stood on end, and I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked over at William who was humming a happy tune. He seemed a little too happy. Leo looked back at me, his eyes telling me he shared my premonition.


    We were walking into a trap.


    ¡°For a ce that¡¯s supposed to hold a nightshade hybrid, there doesn¡¯t seem to be much security,¡± the head warrior said.


    ¡°William, how did you say you knew about this ce?¡± I asked, halting our advance by stopping in my tracks.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± William asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.


    I gripped my gun tighter and continued on the slippery stairs, with Leo leading the charge and William right behind me. The stairs seemed to go on forever and I took a deep breath as I took thest on to a leveled mountain top. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the magnificent castle that stood on the leveled ground. The rest of the mountain still surrounded the edifice.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± William announced as he cleared thest step. ¡°And now we can finally begin!!¡±


    I turned to him. ¡°Begin what?¡±


    The sound of gunshots and explosives disturbed the peace of the pce. Followed by the sound of grenades. I held my gun in a death grip and looked around hopelessly as everyone began falling like flies. Soon, the air was filled with smoke from the grenades, and silence filled the air. The only sound to be heard was that of my heavy breathing.


    ¡°Leo?¡± I called out softly.


    I heard a responding groaning towards the entrance to the castle and followed the sound.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    I gasped and knelt next to him. Blood gushed out of an open wound on his head, and his leg seemed a bit bent out of shape.


    ¡°Leo¡­can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Of course he can,¡± William replied. ¡°He¡¯s just not avable to answer you.¡±


    I looked up at him, ¡°You bastard, what have you done?!¡±


    William smiled even wider. ¡°You¡¯re about to find out.¡±


    I felt a prick on my neck and thest thing I remember is seeing the very familiar shadow of a man walk up behind William.


    It felt like a dream. I heard the soft voice of my children calling out to me, I looked beyond and could see them in the distance crying for me¡­crying for their mother. I gasped and jumped awake and looked frantically around me. I tried moving but didn¡¯t have any feeing in my limbs.


    I looked around the room. It wasrge, and the interior seemed like something that stepped out of 14th century Ennd. It was arge stone room, bare except for the single chair I was strapped to and arge medieval wooden table that sat in the middle and had chains attached to its legs.


    ¡°Hello. I see you¡¯re awake.¡±


    I turned towards the annoying voice and growled at William.


    He threw back his head andughed, ¡°Oh, save it. You¡¯d have enough time to be angry.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked. ¡°Will¡¯s your son too.¡±


    William scowled. ¡°That bastard can never be my son.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ad? What have you done with her?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. She¡¯s just getting ready.¡±


    ¡°Ready for what?!¡± I screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my daughter!!!¡±


    ¡°Again, save the theatrics. You¡¯d have enough time for that soon enough.¡±


    He walked around me, the stench of blood and sweat wafted up my nostrils, and I held my breath until he moved away.


    ¡°So, you lied about Leopold? Why would you do that?¡± I asked.


    Williamughed again. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t lie. Leopold is here. He¡¯s in on it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Just as the question left my mouth, the heavy door opened and Leopold walked in, smirking as his eyes fell on me.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Hello, Andrea. It¡¯s been a while,¡± Leopold said.


    ¡°Why would you do this? How could you? Those kids love you!!!¡±


    Leopold shrugged. ¡°The things we do for love.¡±


    My brows furrowed in confusion, and then my eyes widened in shock as Leopold walked over to William and ced a wet kiss on his lips. I watched as the kiss gained passion and momentum and they began groping each other.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡±


    They broke apart and stared at me. Leopold¡¯s eyes holding resentment for me that I had somehow managed to kiss all these years.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­how are you¡­and you¡­but Stacy?! You have a mate!!¡±


    My mind was in shambles. I couldn¡¯t decipher what was going on.


    ¡°What about Stacy?¡± Leopold asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Stacy¡­well, she was a distraction of sorts. A way to make sure nobody batted an eyelid,¡± Leopold replied, shrugging like that was the most normal statement in the world.


    ¡°And also¡­¡± he continued. ¡°It was payback to you as well.¡±


    ¡°But what did I do?¡± I asked, still wondering how I and my children ended up in this mix.


    ¡°You married my brother, that¡¯s what. If you hadn¡¯t married him, this would have been much easier!!!¡±


    His eyes widened and his voice rose several octaves higher. I watched in utter confusion as William rubbed his back lovingly in an attempt to calm him down. What the fuck was happening?!


    ¡°You¡­you didn¡¯t want your brother to find his mate?¡± I asked.


    Leopold shook his head. ¡°No. This would have been easier.¡±


    ¡°Easier for who?¡±


    ¡°For me. It would have been easier for me to kill him and ascend the throne. The n was for the werewolves and the vampires to continue to be at war. I could have killed him and ced it on the werewolves.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°And we both kill our fathers and take the throne as the rightful heirs.¡±


    ¡°What about your mate?¡± I asked, the situation still not making sense to me.


    ¡°This is my mate,¡± Leopold replied, wrapping his hands around William¡¯s waist. ¡°We found out we were mates that night you gave birth to Leovanni. We just couldn¡¯t bring ourselves to kill each other.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean the vampire girl you mated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we never mated. She was just for appearances. There¡¯s nothing month can¡¯t buy.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°What do you need my children for?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need Will. The call was for Ad but somehow Will heard it and ran to us. We couldn¡¯t risk getting discovered as their nanny was with them. So, we took him and left,¡± William replied.


    ¡°And Ad¡­¡±


    Leopold smirked. ¡°I believe William already told you what we n. A ritual with her blood¡­the blood of a nightshade hybrid will make us the most powerful in all nations. So, when we take that throne, no one would challenge us.¡±


    ¡°But if you both climb the throne after killing us, you still would be the most powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°Nobody likes gays. They would plot, and scheme until we¡¯re out. And we can¡¯t leave your children alive. They¡¯lle back,¡± Leopold looked at William and then back at me. ¡°We would own the council. Everyone would bow at our feet. We would make history!!!¡±


    ¡°What about your brother? What have you done to him.¡±


    Leopold shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    My chest became tight and I felt my heart break. Memories of him and all the time we spent together came rushing back. Our bond hadn¡¯t been the easiest and had been riddled with pain, mistrust and struggle but I had loved him¡­and the thought of not seeing him again, never fighting him again, made tearse to my eyes. My heart felt like a part of it had been ripped out and had left an open, bleeding wound. I blinked and the tears rolled down my cheeks.


    ¡°Aww, don¡¯t cry. You¡¯ll join him soon enough,¡± William said andughed.


    The door opened and two men dressed in all ck entered.


    ¡°Can you not see that we¡¯re busy with guests?!!¡± William asked, gesturing towards me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master. But everything is ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yes. It¡¯s time,¡± he pointed at me. ¡°Bring her.¡±


    Each man took a chair handle and carried me out of the castle. I struggled against the ropes but the only dig deeper into my skin. I sighed and gave up, hoping for some sort of miracle at this critical time.


    I was carried out through the front door of the castle and my breath caught in my throat at the bodies of the soldiers we hade with. Leoy amongst them, covered in dust and dried blood. Tears spring to my eyes again, closely apanied by anger. Then and there I swore to kill these two¡­even if it was thest thing I did. We went around the side of the castle where an elevator stood ready for descent. Leo and William went in first, and we waited until it came back up.


    Despite myself, I couldn¡¯t help but admire the terrain as we rode the elevator. It was truly beautiful. The elevator came to a halt and I was carried out of it. Leopold and William led the way on to what was a wide expanse of barrennd. Fruitless, dried trees stood proudly, and the dried grass made crunching sounds under the feet of the men.


    In the middle of the field stood arge table, and on the table, chained¡­my Ad.

 Chapter Fifty-four

    ANDREAThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Fresh tears came to my eyes again, and I began to struggle against the binds. I felt the ropes cut into my skin, I felt my skin break, and I felt blood trickle down my palms. But that didn¡¯t matter, what mattered most was saving my child from the looming disaster.


    ¡°You should stop. You¡¯d only hurt yourself more,¡± William said.


    ¡°What have you done to her?!!¡±


    Leopold looked over at the table where my daughter was sprawled. ¡°Oh, nothing yet. That¡¯s why you¡¯re here. To witness what I am going to do to her.¡±


    ¡°No¡­Leopold, please¡­¡±


    I watched helplessly as Leopold pulled out an intricately designed dagger from his pocket and cut across his palm. Heughed as he watched his blood dripped out of the open wound and on the table where Ady unconscious. William stood behind him keenly watching the whole process unfold. I wondered where Will was, I wondered what they had done to my precious boy.


    I heard a gasp next to me, and watched in shock as both guards turned slowly to me, slowly dropped on their knees and then began to undo the ropes that held me captive. Their eyes had changed to white. They untied me and stood straight¡­as though awaiting further instructions. I watched as they both turned around and walked away. I stared after then in disbelief, not entirely sure what was going on. I kept my hands behind me, pretending to still be bound while my kind worked overtime for a n.


    Movement among the dead trees caught my attention and I looked past the ritual to the stealthily moving body. I held back a gasp as I realized who it was. Stacy. Stacy holding a gun¡­a gun aimed at William. I closed my eyes and said a prayer to whoever was listening that she didn¡¯t miss the shot. And she didn¡¯t.


    The sound of the gun discharging a bullet cracked through the charged air pushing everyone into a state of shock. Leopold looked around, not seeing who had taken the shot. William¡¯s body dropped to the ground, dead. Leopold gasped and knelt next to his lover, tears flowing from his eyes.


    Leopold¡¯s eyes met mine. ¡°What have you done, you fucking bitch?!¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied. ¡°I was just sitting here.¡±


    Leopold smirked, picked up his dagger and came to kneel behind me. He raised the dagger to my throat and pressed it against my skin. I felt the cold metal break my skin and felt my blood trickle down.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± He asked, whispering in my ear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied.


    Ad stirred on the table, and her eyes fluttered open. A loud gasp escaped my lips and I leaned forward on my chair. She began to struggle against the chains, and then stopped when she realized it was fruitless.


    She turned her head towards me and gasped.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Hi, baby¡­¡±


    Her eyes moved behind me and she began to growl.


    ¡°You better behave yourself, you rat. Else, mother dearest dies.¡±


    I smiled to myself. I could hear the fear and panic in Leopold¡¯s voice. The odds weren¡¯t in his favor. Ad began to growl again, louder this time. I stared at her in confusion as her eyes changed color to ck. I heard the first crack, and then another. I gasped when I came to the realization that she was shifting. Not just me. I and Leopold watched in shock and surprise as fur reced skin, and her clothes ripped off her body exposing more blood red fur. I could see Stacy hiding behind a tree, also watching the scene unfold.


    Ad called out to me in pain, her eyes fluttered and sweat broke out on her forehead. Her shiftingpleted, and where my 12-year-old onceid, arge red, ck-eyed wolf the size of an adult stood. A nightshade hybrid in all her glory. I gleaned at her in pride, albeit shocked at how quick her shifting was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy,¡± Leopold said. ¡°You both would be dead soon.¡±


    Ad didn¡¯t seem to like what he said¡­or his tone¡­or the fact that he had a dagger at her throat. Her gaze fixated on him, she hated her teeth and growled at him. Without thinking, I shimmied out of the already loosened ropes, and sent my elbow into Leopold¡¯s nose. The knife dropped from his hand and he swore loudly. As soon as I spring out of the chair, another gunshot rang through the air. I gasped and turned around to see Leopold drop to the floor, lifeless.


    I paid him no mind and ran the short distance to my daughter. She jumped down from table and nudged me under my chin. I rubbed herrge head and neck, her thick, red fur catching on my fingers and nails.


    ¡°Look at you¡­¡±


    Ad circled me, wagging her tail and nudging me. Stacy walked towards us, a smile on her face and holding a shotgun over her shoulder. She ran to me and hugged me.


    ¡°Thank you, Stacy,¡± I said to her, once again in her debt.


    Stacy shook her head. ¡°No. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. I¡¯ll always be here for you.¡±


    I smiled sourly. Knowing that this was true. Knowing that she had been there at the most difficult, and will always be there.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing we need to do,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± Stacy asked.


    ¡°Will. I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    Stacy waved me off. ¡°Savannah has him. We followed behind you guys. We thought that something wasn¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°And we didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Stacy smirked. ¡°And you didn¡¯t know. They¡¯re on their way back to the pce. We should join them.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We should.¡±


    It all happened in a split second. I heard the sound of an object slicing through the air, and I gasped as I felt Leopold¡¯s dagger lodge itself between my ribs. Stacy screamed my name, as though to vocally dislodge the de and Ad ran to her uncle and ripped his head clean off of his shoulders. Tears came to my eyes as Stacy wrapped her hands around me and lowered us to the ground. I stretched my right hand towards Ad and she came toy next to me, nudging my hand with her about. Even though the ck of her eyes, I could see the sadness¡­feel the pain she felt of having to be the one to bring justice to her family.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby¡­¡± I said to her. ¡°He was a bad man. You did what had to be done.¡±


    She whined and began to lick at the wound in my side, her coarse tongue doing more harm than good. I softly nudged her head away. I knew this was it. This was the end.


    Stacy¡¯s breath wasing in rough, hard pants. ¡°I need to call for help. We have to get you to a hospital!!!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. This is where it ends.¡±


    Stacy shook her head, tears flowing freely. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Stacy¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡­¡± I wiped the tears on her cheeks, leaving a residue of dirt. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I love you¡­¡±


    ¡°I love you too¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been the best sister, the best support. You¡¯ve been there through everything¡­and I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± my voice caught in my throat and fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that your whole life was altered because of choices I made. I¡¯m sorry that you weren¡¯t able to live. I¡¯m sorry about Tracy¡­¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fault!!!¡±


    ¡°Take care of Ad and Will. Tell Savannah I love her. Tell her I said I¡¯m grateful for everything. Tell her that I wish we had started off on a better note¡­¡±


    ¡°Andrea¡­¡±


    ¡°You know where all my documents are¡­¡± I turned to Ad. ¡°You¡¯re strong. You¡¯ll be fine. You have the women before you¡­they¡¯ll guide you when you need guidance; the same way they guided me.¡±


    Ad whined again and licked my face.


    I looked towards the elevator. ¡°Take me up. I want to be with my mate¡­¡±


    Stacy nodded, and lifted me to my feet. I stood, supported on both sides by Ad and Stacy. We squeezed ourselves into the elevator and journeyed the short trip to the castle. We stepped out of the elevator, and I choked back fresh tears seeing the dead people that hade out to retrieve their prince and princess. An immense amount of guilt consumed me, and I thought to myself if it was all worth it.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stacy asked.


    No.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    We walked over to where Leonidasy, and Stacy carefully deposited me on the floor next to him. I moved closer to him until our bodies touched and I wiped the dust away from his handsome face.


    The tears came, and I let it flow. So much had been lost. Too much time, so much pain, so much uncertainty and so much love. I traced his nose with my fingers and I hoped and prayed that he found peace in the great beyond. Because there certainly wasn¡¯t any peace for us here.


    I loved him. In all the ways mates could love each other. I wished that our love had been different¡­easier.


    I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling the life leave me, the sound of my daughter¡¯s powerful howls a befitting escort to the great beyond.


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