Chapter 116


    idental Surrogate for Alpha by Caroline Above Story Chapter 116


    Chapter 116 – Reeling


    E


    Hugo, Sinir and I are all staring at the television with wide eyes and ck jaws, unable to process


    the images flitting across the screen. It seems like every time we manage to take a few steps forward,


    Lydia and the Prince find a way to send us reeling back – and this is no exception.


    “This doesn’t make any sense.” Hugo expresses, obviously overwhelmed. “Why would he risk losing


    the pack’s sympathy by parading around another woman so soon after his wife’s death?”


    “Trust me, Hugo – Damon isn’t the one calling the shots here. This is all Lydia.” Sinir states gruffly.


    “She’s going to force her way onto the throne one way or another. Right now she’s ying the doting


    friend, but mark my words, by the time the election ends she’ll be in his bed.”


    “How bad is this?’ I ask, looking up at Sinir’s handsome face, “Does she have information that could


    hurt you?”


    Sinir squeezes my shoulders, “She knows some secrets.” He rtes, “but luckily nothing I could


    imagine as a smoking gun. In fact most of what she knows would be more harmful to the Prince –


    things like my father’s attack. Things the public believes were idents but our private investigators


    proved malicious.” His mouth ttens into a hard line. “The real danger is that she knows how we think,


    how we operate. Not to mention that the Prince doesn’t have more than two brain cells to rub together,


    but Lydia has plenty.”


    “So what do we do?” I ask anxiously, my head reying the news reel over and over again. “My bed


    rest isn’tmon knowledge, and they’re making it sound like my absence from the public eye is


    suspicious. Do we tell everyone about my condition? Or do we make an appearance?”


    “I’m afraid making an appearance might y right into their hands. This could be some sort of attempt


    to lure us out of hiding.” Hugo advises, looking very grim indeed.


    In the distance I hear the front door open and close – a fact whiches as quite a surprise, since my


    hearing has never been so sharp before. Wheels roll over the door jam, and then Henry’s voice floats


    up toward us, “Good Morning!”


    “Henry!” I exim, both taken aback yet unsurprised we stayed in bed so long. Sinir’s father has


    beening over almost every day since we agreed to be invalids together, and he’s been an


    invaluable help since I learned my true identity.


    I grab some loungewear and disappear into the restroom to change. I might be a wolf, but my human


    modesty is too deeply ingrained to allow me to strut around nude the way Sinir does – and I’m


    definitely not changing in front of Hugo. When I emerge, Sinir is also dressed, though much more


    formally than I am.


    We go downstairs together, Sinir carrying me despite my protests. My blood pressure is improving


    more and more every day, but it isn’t enough to free me of bed rest yet. We all gather around the


    breakfast table, the men analyzing these recent developments in low, serious voices, and me feeling


    like an outsider eavesdropping on matters I can’t begin to understand. It’s not that they exclude me, I


    just feel so out of my depth.


    “What do you think, E?” Sinir asks, turning his zing emerald eyes to me. They’ve been going


    around in circles for more than half an hour, debating how we should respond to this crisis.


    I gnaw on my lower lip thoughtfully, trying to ignore the sh of emotion in Sinir’s eye as he observes


    the nervous habit. Releasing my swollen lip, I sigh, “Do we ever know what happened with Lydia’s


    husband? I mean the Princess is dead, but Lydia’s still married to some other Alpha, right?” I rify.


    When the men nod, I continue. “Where is he in all this? Even if he doesn’t want her anymore, it must


    make him look bad for her to be gallivanting around another territory with another Alpha.”


    “That’s a good point.” Henry praises, maintaining a straight-faced expression which rea*sures me that


    he’s not giving out falsepliments. “Maybe we’ve been going about this the wrong way. Instead of


    trying to understand their motivations, we can simply leave it at knowing they’re corrupt and respond


    without ying into their hands. After all, they’ll be expecting some sort of countermove to challenge


    the media’s narrative, but we might be able to spin ourselves out of the hot seat and refocus the


    attention onto them – where it belongs.”


    “Keep them busy and distract the pack by rustling up her husband and causing drama.” Hugo nods


    approvingly. “Good idea, E.”


    Sinir squeezes my hand in support, but when I look over, his features are still drawn with worry. “I


    still don’t like it. I think it’s the best hope we have, but something about this entire situation just doesn’t


    seem right.”


    “Well of course not.” Hugo scoffs, “You don’t need to convene a blue-ribbonmittee to tell you this is


    all fucked six ways to Sunday.”


    “No, I mean, I feel like I’m missing something.” Sinir replies drying. “There’s something bothering me


    and I just can’t put my finger on it.”


    “Well, you’ve been saying from the beginning that Princess Angeline’s death felt off – like a political


    scheme.” I contribute softly.


    “Right, but one the Prince is too unimaginative to have orchestrated.” Hugo confirms.


    Sinir’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly, and then he clenches them shut, closing his hand into a fist


    and swearing up a storm. “What?”


    “You know who isn’t too unimaginative?” Sinir growls, scanning our concerned faces.


    “Lydia.” Henry supplies easily. “And while Prince Damon might have seen his mate as little more than a


    trophy, he’s not the type to impulsively destroy one of his prized possessions. But Lydia wouldn’t have


    any reservations about getting the Princess out of the way.”


    “Are you saying what I think you are?” I gape, both certain I’ve understood and yet unable to believe


    my ears..


    “As crazy as it seems, what other exnation do we have?” Sinir inquires, rising to his feet and


    pacing back and forth behind the dining table. “If the Prince had lost his temper and beat her to death, I


    wouldn’t question it. And if there was some sort of violent attack, you could make the case for rogues or


    vengeance for some slightmitted by Damon. But poison? That’s a woman’s weapon.”


    “True, and if it was a political scheme you would think the royal family would have staged her death and


    spun the details in a way that benefitted the campaign beyond Damon looking sympathetic.” Henry


    agrees. “Instead it just seems… odd.”


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    “Exactly.” Sinir confirms. “If it was nned, then why haven’t they jumped on the golden opportunity


    toy me and cast aspersions? Why haven’t the Prince and his son been parading their grief around


    Moon Valley for all to see?” He gestictes, getting more and more enthused now. “I don’t think


    anyone in the pce knew this wasing. I think Lydia got rid of herpetition and slid into the role


    of ‘concerned friend’ in order to ingratiate herself to the Prince.”


    “You really think Lydia would go to that length?” Hugo asks skeptically.


    “Don’t forget the way she yed my sons for so many years.” Henry cuts in, his low voice as harsh as


    I’ve ever heard it. “Lydia is a cunning she-wolf who proved herself willing to do anything for power. And


    if she can ruin her fated mate’s life without a shred of remorse, I guarantee she won’t have qualms


    about ruining others.”


    Sinir looks ready to argue with the idea that his life is ruined, but this isn’t the time. “Okay, so let’s


    say all this is true,” I suggest, trying and failing to wrap my brain around the idea that anyone could be


    so calcting and cruel. “What does it mean for the campaign?”


    “It means that we have some decent ammunition to use against the Prince and Lydia.” Hugo a*sesses


    simply.


    “But surely we have to be careful about using it?” I question. “I mean they need to look like they’re in


    this together, otherwise the story bes ‘heartless bitch takes advantage of grieving widower.’ If we


    y this wrong the Prince could end up looking even more sympathetic than before.”


    “That’s a good point.” Sinir acknowledges, the corner of his mouth twitching at my made-up


    headline. “And you’d better believe that Lydia is going to have plenty of dirty tricks up her sleeve. We


    might have figured a few things out, but if we’re right it means things are even moreplicated than


    before.”


    “So what’s our move?” Henry presses, watching his son with the expression of a proud father wolf who


    knows his pup already has the answer.


    “First things first, we track down Lydia’s husband and encourage him to remind the realm that she isn’t


    the concerned citizen she seems.” Sinir decides firmly. “Second, we quietly get proof that she was


    behind the Princess’s death, even if we don’t n to use it, we need to know for sure. Finally, we make


    sure the pack remembers exactly what kind of mate the Prince was to his wife. He might not be guilty


    of her murder, but he’s certainly guilty of other crimes against her and the people need to see what he


    calls protection and caring.”


    “And us?” I ask anxiously, looking up at my mate.


    Sinir offers me a grim smile, “We sit tight, focus on keeping our pup and your wolf safe inside you,


    and hope we don’t have to do anything desperate ourselves.”