14 Drafting
~Josephine~
I wasn''t particrly enthusiastic about going to Mountain at first, until my father informed us that
one of us would be assisting Justin in investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding Mike
Maguire. I had briefly met the man during a visit to Lady Stephanie and her husband in Grizlo, but I
hadn''t paid much attention to him. Apart from his daughter''s close rtionship with Liam, he was
just an ordinary person to me. However, upon discovering that he hadmitted Familicide and
disappeared, I wouldn''t be honest if I said I wasn''t intrigued.
A few months had passed since our graduation, and we hadn''t encountered any significant
challenges. I was certain that this opportunity would be enjoyable. Moreover, I eagerly anticipated
working alongside Justin on this case. He was a fun and cool person to be around. Unlike others,
he didn''t be ufortable in my presence, which made our interactions much smoother. He
disyed a protective nature, akin to that of a brother, despite us not being rted. I hoped they
would choose me to assist Justin in the investigation in Grizlo, as working with him promised to be
an enjoyable experience.
During the dinner held at Albert''s mansion, I couldn''t help but notice Liam''s difort as he
continuously nced in my direction. I was aware that the situation involving Sophia had affected
him, but I never anticipated it would make him lose control the way he did. Throughout the meal, he
seemed almost entranced, drifting off during conversations with Luis and stealing asional
nces at me. It was as if he didn''t want me to interact with his cousin. Regardless of Justin''s
rtion to him, I believed I had the right to engage with anyone. I hadn''t done anything to warrant
his behaviour, making itpletely unwarranted.
Interestingly enough, Liam even forgot that we had graduated until Luis reminded him, despite
being supposedly close family friends. It made me question whether the Volkovs truly believed the
world revolved around them. I couldn''t help but wonder what challengesy ahead when Liam
ascended to the throne. While Sebastien, Noah, and Ethan might not face any issues since their
father is Liam''s uncle, and they are technically his cousins, I doubted that I would be warmly
embraced within that circle, particrly as the one he hadbelled as the "weirdo."
After dinner, I made an attempt to talk to Liam about the mission. I knew he was the one who had
caught the King''s interest in the matter. It was evident that Sophia yed a significant role, and
although I found it biased, I understood her importance as the crown prince''s friend.
To my surprise, I discovered that Liam and Sophia weren''t dating yet. I had nothing against Sophia
personally, but their potential romantic pairing didn''t quite feel right to me. In my opinion, Liam and
Sophia were better off as friends, but who was I to judge?
"It still isn''t," Onyx, my wolf, remarked within my thoughts. She had been acting strangely since we
entered the dining room, and even she couldn''t exin why.
I settled onto the couch, observing everyone''sughter and enjoyment. Marvin and Miles were
engaged in conversation with the Corrigan sisters, while ine seemed engrossed in her
discussion with Oliver. Luis, on the other hand, was talking to Harper and Lilly, and I suspected
Eleanor Sidorov was the topic of conversation. My brother had an infatuation with her. Just because
our parents were close didn''t mean we had to be together, but it seemed like fate might have
different ns in store.
Charlotte, as usual, was chatting with her sisters, while Justin kept thempany. I should have
been part of that circle, but I couldn''t shake off the tingling sensation that lingered after Liam''s hand
briefly touched mine as we made our way to the living room. Moreover, he had asked me a peculiar
question about dill, which struck me as odd.
Despite Liam being eighteen, I was not yet of the same age, which meant there couldn''t be any
mate pull between us. In fact, I highly doubted that the moon would ever connect us. We had
absolutely nothing inmon, and Liam''s intense focus on Sophia made it clear that they were
destined to be mates in the future. Furthermore, I knew deep down that I wasn''t his type. I learned
that in a rather harsh way, and it stung a bit because I used to have a crush on him.
To be honest, that crush hadn''tpletely faded away. Liam was undeniably handsome, gentle,
driven, and physically strong. However, he had never spared me a second nce. ine used to
believe that sparks would fly between us, but it never materialised. As things grew more serious
between Liam and Sophia, I chose to step back and let their rtionship take its course.
Sitting on the couch, observing the lively atmosphere around me, I couldn''t help but chuckle at my
past self and the near-miss from two years ago. It was a memory that brought a mixture of pain and
relief.
I had been just fifteen years old at the time, foolishly contemting asking Liam out. Looking back,
it was an embarrassing and naive notion. It had only been two years, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
We were all gathered at the Volkov estate, and it was ine who had encouraged me to approach
Liam and confess my feelings. Reflecting on it now, I realised how foolish I had been. Liam was in
thepany of Marvin, Oliver, and Miles that day, and I wanted to seize the opportunity to
approach him and request a private conversation. Even though Sophia was present as well, I
stubbornly believed that I could somehowpete for his attention.
I pondered on the source of my courage back then, and I attributed it to Onyx, my newfound
companion, as it was around that time that I had just acquired my wolf.
As I neared their conversation, I overheard Liam voicing his grievances about me. He had taken
issue with my attitude, my choice of clothing, and evenbeled me as arrogant. The sound of their
laughter only intensified the negative emotions welling up inside me.
Miles even made a joke about my hair and eyeliner, and it stung deeply. I couldn''t help but feel self-
conscious about my eyes, which often appeared almost blind. Though they didn''t explicitly mention
it, I had a sinking feeling that I had missed a significant portion of their conversation. I had never
realised they saw me in such a light until that moment.
In that instant, I made a swift decision to forget about the crush. Upon returning to Gad, I made it a
point to trouble my mother about getting me contacts, feigning the excuse of poor eyesight. The
optometrist saw through my ruse but kindly obliged, prescribing me contact lenses. Everyone
assumed they were for medical purposes, but in reality, they were purely a fashion choice—a way to
give people one less thing to gossip about.
I loved the boldness of my heavy eyeliner; it made my eyes stand out, and I could never bring
myself to regret it. I refused to apologise for being intelligent or foring across as unfriendly.
Whether or not they wereughing about me, I didn''t bother to find out. I retreated into myself,
focusing on my own journey, and let go of that foolish crush.
"Hey, I noticed you were talking to Liam earlier. Why did he refuse to join us?" Jewels asked as she
sat beside me.
I reminded her of the situation with Sophia and how Liam was struggling to cope. She nodded in
understanding.
"Yeah, he''s really going through a tough time. He hasn''t taken it well at all. You should have seen
him that day; he was absolutely devastated. He''s convinced that she''s being held captive on some
remote ind. Hopefully, our investigation in Grizlo will shed some light on the situation," she said
with a hopeful smile, and I couldn''t help but reciprocate.
"I thought maybe he got upset and left because he seemed so fixated on you during dinner," she
said, her curiosity evident in her gaze. I hoped she wasn’t trying to insinuate something because I
was sure I wasn’t Liam’s type.
"I guess my eyeliner captured his attention," I teased, and we shared augh.
"Everyone finds it fascinating, and you really know how to rock it," sheplimented my artistic
skills.
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"It does look even better with your natural eye colour, though. I wish you didn''t have to wear those
lenses. You look just as beautiful as Aunty Amelia," she added, causing a slight blush to tint my
cheeks. I never saw myself in that light, so herpliment was truly heartwarming.
"By the way, congrattions," she said to me, and I nodded. Our graduation had been rtively
low-key due to the specialised sses we attended.
"Thank you, Jewels. So, what are your ns now?" I asked her, genuinely curious. She shrugged in
response.
"I''m thinking of starting a business and maybe finding Mr Right to settle down with," she replied with
a hint of yfulness, causing me tough.
"And what about you?" she inquired, turning the question back to me.
"I''ll likely join my father''s ranks," I responded, and she gasped in surprise.
"But you''re royalty!" she eximed, and I chuckled.
"So are you," I replied, reminding her of her own noble lineage. She nodded in acknowledgement.
"Well, let''s see how our work in Grizlo unfolds. Who knows, maybe you''ll find your fated mate or
meet someone along the way, settle down, and explore other possibilities," she teased, and I
nodded, considering the possibilities.
Suddenly, I remembered the questions I had about Mike. Since Liam wasn''t present, I figured I
could approach Marvin, who was engrossed in a conversation with La. However, seeing their
deep engagement, I realised it would be impolite to interrupt. I looked around, hoping to find
someone else to talk to, but aside from Jewels, who seemed uninformed, there wasn''t anyone
readily avable. I would likely have to wait until tomorrow to speak with Liam about Sophia and
Mike.
Sebastien''s announcement caught my attention, drawing me back to the present. It seemed we had
been summoned to the lounge, likely concerning the Grizlo assignment since it appeared that most
of us would be involved in it.
We all paused our activities and made our way to the lounge as a group. I followed behind, taking
my ce as thest person to arrive. Liam was already present, and there was an air of tension in
the room that I couldn''t quiteprehend. Uncle Leo appeared displeased, which only added to my
confusion.
"I''m sure you''re all aware of the Maguire case," Uncle Leo began, his voice carrying authority. "The
incident involving the man whomitted Familicide," he rified, and several of us nodded in
recognition.
"Well, Prince Liam is determined to save his girlfriend, Sophia. He believes that she and her mother
are being held captive by dangerous individuals who are using them as leverage to manipte
Mike. It may sound farfetched, but it''s a usible theory. While this isn''t directly our business, Liam
has made it our concern. In times of need, we stand united. And as your parents, we hope that you
will do the same."
Uncle Leo''s words resonated, and I realised that there was a select group being chosen to work on
this case. While all of us might end up going to Grizlo, as it was likely the destination, only those
directly involved in the investigation would have an active role.
The prospect of being excluded weighed on me, knowing that Liam would likely prefer to have Luis
or ine join him rather than me. I had been eagerly looking forward to going to Grizlo and being
part of the investigation, but if the decisiony with Liam, I knew he wouldn''t choose me.
Lord Vino interrupted the silence by clearing his throat andmanding our attention. He spoke
with a measured tone.
"When you go to Grizlo, your primary task is to investigate and observe. If the situation esctes to
confrontation, you are not to engage. Instead, report back to us, and we will take it from there. While
we would like to assist Liam in rescuing his friend and her mother, we are not willing to put our
children in harm''s way."
His words hung in the air, and my gaze instinctively turned to Liam, searching for any sign or
reaction.
Liam appeared visibly uneasy, and I empathised with his position. If anything were to go wrong, he
would likely shoulder the me. However, our families were tightly connected, and it was
inconceivable to leave the Volkovs to tackle this alone. Our bond required us to stand together,
regardless of the risks involved.
My attention shifted to Queen Tamia, and her distress was evident. The weight of the situation,
combined with the uncertainty surrounding it, made it even more challenging. If there was a way for
our parents to handle it themselves, they would have done so. Unfortunately, their roles and
positions didn''t allow for such direct intervention.
"My beta will dispatch his team tomorrow to check the ports of Kaizen and Braile, conducting
inquiries discreetly. We cannot simply storm into people''s homes and conduct searches unless
there is a clear and urgent need or a state of emergency is dered on those inds. At present,
the best approach will be to circte their pictures and offer rewards for any valuable information,"
Uncle Leo exined. His pragmatic approach acknowledged the limitations they faced, and it
seemed like the most suitable course of action for the time being.
"The active team in Grizlo will consist of," Lord David began, capturing our full attention.
"Justin, as the temporary Alpha, Liam as the temporary Beta, Marvin as the temporary Gamma,
Oliver as the temporary Delta, and Noah as the Epsilon. Josephine, Sebastien, and Charlotte, the
three of you will work closely with them and assist in the investigation. The rest of you will join them
in Grizlo after four months once they have settled into their respective roles. It''s essential that all of
you coborate closely and uncover the truth behind what went wrong. Head Alpha Christian
Zakharov has provided some documents for you to review."
As Lord David spoke, his gaze settled on me, and I felt a surge of both pride and pressure.
"Josephine, you possess exceptional intellect, and thus, you will lead the investigation. I would like
you, Noah, and Sebastien to employ your brilliant minds to analyse the documents provided by the
Alpha and develop theories. Report your findings to your respective Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta,
and Epsilon. In more serious cases, report directly to me," he instructed, and I nodded in
acknowledgement.
ncing towards my parents, I could sense their approval of the assigned roles. I couldn''t help but
feel a mix of excitement and anticipation, particrly knowing that Uncle Max and his family would
be visiting soon. I hoped we wouldn''t be required to depart before their arrival.
As I shifted my gaze towards Liam, it became clear that he was visibly ufortable with the fact
that I was assigned to his team. I could sense his disapproval, but something within me urged me
not to let it affect me. Regardless of his feelings, I knew that I had a role to fulfill and that I was
capable of contributing to the investigation. It was unfortunate for him if he didn''t like the
arrangement, but he would simply have toe to terms with it.