With that conversation, finally, everything was settled. Even though Nichs badly wished Sophie would stay, he couldn''t. He lost the right to influence her decision when he left. So, he could only stand on the sideline and support her in any way he could.


    He left Sophie with a heavy heart. Raising three babies and two young sons. Sophie had so much to take.


    ***


    Sophie was very active. She worked together with Max and her builder and designer to prepare her tavern. She badly wanted to finish everything before one month was over so she could immediately settle down with her children in their new home.


    Nichs, his mother, and the children suspected that she worked so hard because she wanted to numb her feelings from pain after everything that happened. They all felt sorry for her but knew there was nothing they could do but be there for her.


    Luciel and Jan became the best boys ever. They understood that they should not give their mother a headache because Sophie had suffered so much and was currently dealing with her own pain. They were well-behaved, and they took care of Jack and Anne when their mother needed their help.


    The court people were so used to seeing the two boys ying with their little wolves siblings in the royal garden. Sometimes, Nichs would take his sons and Jack go hunting just the four of them in the forest near the royal vi, not far from the manor where they used to live.


    When they did that, the boys would make time to visit their old home and y with Lucas, Duncan, and the others. They were always weed in the pack, even though they were no longer members of the Blood River Pack after Sophie left.


    Slowly, Jack''s displeasure toward Nichs dissipated because the stranger uncle spent so much time with him and his brothers, and stayed away from his mother.


    Sophie didn''t keep in touch with the pack because she was still hurt by the experience. She only came there once during Lucas'' and Lily''s wedding because she was invited. She went there with Nichs.


    Lily understood when Sophie said she would note there again. She knew it must feel weird to visit the ce she used to call home and be a stranger there, seeing other people now own it.


    "I will have my own home soon," said Sophie at the wedding. "I bought a shophouse in Lievstad. I will use the second floor as our home, and the first floor for my tavern business."


    "I have heard of that from Max," said Lily with a smile. "Congrattions! I will try toe and visit sometime. It gets boring to stay here all the time."


    Sophie and Lily were on good terms and it made some people in the pack who disliked her from the beginning feel unhappy. She could still hear whispers of people who talked badly about her and it made her feel upset.


    "I should go home, the kids are waiting for me," said Sophie after a while. "Congrattions on your union with Lucas. I hope the moon goddess will immediately bless you both with children."


    "Aaw... should you go so early?" Lily looked sad. "Lucas ns to bring the pack back to Hastings because our base there is bigger. We will only leave some people here. I hate that I can''t see you often, especially the children."


    "Oh, you''re moving away?" Sophie asked Lily.


    The new Luna nodded. "Yeah. This manor here has always been a temporary base. Lucas actually feels really sad after Lnd left. He only came to Riga because of Lnd. Most of his family is still in Frisia. He actually thought of bringing everyone back to Frisia, but I asked him not to do it so soon. Riga is my hometown and I wish to stay here a bit longer."


    She added, "So, hepromised. We will stay in Hastings, which is closer to my hometown, and see if we can make it our new base, if I like it there and such. He will also take me to Frisia and we will see if it might be the better option. We''ll find out."


    "Oh..." Sophie remembered that the Blood River Pack was originally based in Frisia after the great war in the past and they were kicked out of Riga by the soldiers of the Riga kingdom.


    Lnd came here ten years ago because he wanted to attack Riga and topple the government. Now, it was no longer needed because their pack had been at peace with the royal family.


    "Have you... heard anything about Lnd?" Sophie couldn''t help but ask Lily. Even though Lnd had openly cut ties with her and her children, deep inside she still wanted to know how he was doing.


    She couldn''t get any info because she had no contact, but maybe Lily and Lucas, being lycans and the leader of this pack, knew something?


    Lily looked at Sophie with aplicated expression. How could she have the heart to tell Sophie about the news she picked upst week?


    "Lily...?" Sophie asked again. "I just... wanted to know. I want to know if he is fine."


    "I am sorry, I didn''t hear anything about him," said Lily, lying. She faked a smile and waved at a servant to bring her a jug of wine. "Get me more wine, please."


    When the servant came and got ready to pour wine into two cups, Sophie immediately refused.


    "Uhm, I am not drinking. Thank you."


    Her response made Lily feel surprised. She tilted her head to look at Sophie better and then she looked at her stomach. Suddenly, it dawned on her.


    "Your Grace, are you... pregnant?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sophie could only smile faintly and nod. She couldn''t say anything. Lily hugged her and congratted her. However, she immediately became awkward.


    "What is it, Lily?" Sophie asked Lily. She thought the she-wolf must be hiding something. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling. "Tell me..."


    Lily looked at Sophie with pity. She lowered her head and said weakly. "Lnd and Eloise are expecting a child too. Our spies got word that Lnd and Eloise decided to go back to her hometown to give birth to her baby there. It was the witch tradition or something...."


    "What?" Sophie''s body staggered and she almost lost her bnce when she heard Lily''s exnation. She felt like her world came crumbling down. She thought when Lnd broke up with her in public, it was the most painful day of her life.


    However, she was wrong.


    So, Lnd and Eloise were together... Did they mate when Lnd was under Eloise''s care and that''s when he realized that he loved her?


    No wonder he came home just to renounce his rtionship with Sophie and he came back to Eloise. All Sophie''s suspicions were now proven true. The man she thought loved her didn''t truly love her.


    He didn''t even wait. And now he and Eloise were expecting a child together.


    And Sophie''s youngest would never know their father.


    Sophie had thought of trying to look for Lnd and told him about her pregnancy and see if he would change his mind. Now she knew it was futile.


    Tears slowly dripped down her face and Sophie couldn''t hold back her sadness anymore. She broke down on the floor and cried silently. Lily was shocked and immediately crouched down by her side to hug her.


    "I''m so sorry... I didn''t mean to make you sad..." she said over and over.


    Sophie shook her head. She wanted to say that it was not Lily''s fault, but she had no strength left to say anything. Her heart was shattered into a million little pieces. The man she loved with all her heart had betrayed her so badly.


    All her effort to numb her pain by keeping herself busy failed and she was now crying uncontrobly. Even though she tried to not make a sound, some people nearby could see her body shaking and she was sobbing quietly.


    "What happened to her? Why is she crying?"


    "I am not sure, maybe she just heard that Alpha Lnd is expecting a child with his new mate..."


    "Oh, I will be devastated too if it was me," said the other.


    The servant who served Lily wine just now suddenly chimed it. "No, I think it''s because Lady Sophie is pregnant. Her emotions are all over the ce."


    "What? Pregnant? She doesn''t look pregnant to me. How many months in?"


    "I am not sure. I only overheard their conversation when I was serving Luna wine. Lady Sophie didn''t drink because she is pregnant," the servant said.


    "Pregnant?" The women around the servant exchanged nces. "Whose child?"


    "It''s been almost four months since she wasst together with the Alpha. If she was pregnant with his child, the baby would be born the next month. Her stomach should not be that small," said one woman. "She doesn''t have the bulge yet. Probably it''s less than two months in."


    "Ohhh....." Suddenly all the women bulged their eyes.


    "Do you think it''s another man''s child?"


    The women narrowed their eyes and looked at Sophie who was still crying in Lily''s embrace. They looked at each other again and whispered their assumptions. This was such scandalous news!


    The former Alpha of the Blood River Pack left his mate for another woman and was now expecting a child together with the witch. And his former mate immediately snagged another male and was now pregnant by him.


    This was such a bad precedent for the lycanmunity which was known for being fiercely loyal to their family and mates. Perhaps, this was what happened if they mingled with humans.


    If only Lnd didn''t take that human as his mate, he might have kept their tradition sacred.