《His Sweet Little Mate》 Chapter 1 THE PARTY FOR THE KING ¡°Never step out of this room, understand?!¡± Beta Ryan mmed the door shut after dragging his own daughter into a warehouse behind the pack house. He was furious when he found Abby roaming around the premises where the weing party for the King was being held. Abby nodded profusely. She trembled in fear when she saw how angry her father was. She wanted him to leave, so she agreed to whatever he said and epted all the insults that were hurled toward her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see your ugly face! Don¡¯t ever let anyone see you or let them learn I have a daughter like you! You will ruin the chances for your sister!¡± ¡°Y- yes, father¡­¡± Abby held back her tears. She bit her lip and stared at the dust filled and dirty floor beneath her feet. Her heart ached so badly. This was not the first time for her father to treat her like she was some trash, but of course, this wouldn¡¯t be thest either. ¡°If you dare to show your ugly face and your scar again in front of everyone and embarrass your sister, I am going to beat you up and chain your legs, so you will not be able to walk out of this room again!¡± ¡°Yes, father. I understand.¡± Fat tears escaped her eyes, but Abby tried so hard not to let out a single sob, at least, until her father left her alone. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Today, the new werewolf king was visiting their pack as part of his duty as the new sovereign of this realm. Their pack was the ninth pack that the King visited, which meant it was thest one. But, the purpose of this visit was not only to see his subjects, but also to find his mate. Yes, the new king was twenty nine and he had not found his mate yet. This was hisst attempt at finding her before he would resort to getting a chosen mate and decide one woman to be the Queen by his side. That was why, all the women in the packs were going crazy, thinking even if they were not the King¡¯s destined mate, the King would pick one of them if they left a great impression on him, including Abby¡¯s little sister, Hanna. Hanna was very beautiful, she was the beauty of this pack and there were many men smitten with her, yet, even though she had reached the age of twenty, she had not yet found her mate. That was why their father put all of his bets on this. He wanted everything to be perfect, and Abby would always be a scourge in his eyes. ¡°Take a step out of this room and I will break your legs, so you will not be able to walk again!¡± Abby nodded until her neck hurt so badly. She didn¡¯t dare to register the disgusting look on her father¡¯s face. Even after years of being treated unfairly like this, she still couldn¡¯t get used to it. After hurling a few more insults, Beta Ryan finally spared his daughter by leaving her alone. He mmed the door shut very harshly, until the debris and dust fell from the roof. And once she was really alone, Abby slumped to the floor. She hugged herself and cried her heart out. No one would be able to hear her. The loud music out there would drown out the lonely sound of her sorrows. Her dress was ruined and her hair was unkempt, but she couldn¡¯t care less about that. No one would think she was beautiful with the ugly scar on her face no matter what she wore and no matter how immactely she got her hair done. Abby cried herself to sleep, something that she got used to. She had lost count of how many times she did this. She couldn¡¯t even remember thest time she fell asleep with a light heart and a smile on her face. And when she woke up because the ground was too cold and the chilly wind breezed through the gaps in the wooden walls, she heard the loud music was still in full swing in the distance, while her surroundings were very dark. No one cared enough to light up the firece in the warehouse. ¡°I am hungry¡­¡± Abby held her stomach. She had not eaten anything since this morning, because she was excited about the party thinking she could attend it. After all, this party was for all the pack members and if she was lucky enough, she hoped that she could get a glimpse of the King. She wanted to see the man that everyone had been fussing about. ¡°I want to drink something¡­¡± Abby felt her throat was very sore while her voice cracked at every syble. However, a knock on the door startled her. Abby held her breath when she realized there was someone else here, yet, the only person who knew she was here was her father and he must have long forgotten about her, since he would be very busy helping Hanna. ¡°Is there someone inside?¡± Abby had never heard this unique voice and when she sniffed the air, she couldn¡¯t recognize this person¡¯s scent at all. Maybe because her wolf was very weak to begin with. Since the incident that happened ten years ago, she lost some of her abilities as a werewolf. But, for some reason, she became a little restless. ¡°I know you are in there, open the door.¡± His voice was demanding and this made Abby be even more anxious. She couldn¡¯t go out, her father had clearly warned her about it. He would really beat her up and break her legs if she took a step out of this ce. ¡°Open the door now or I will tear it down.¡± There was a vicious edge to his voice, as he growled impatiently. ¡°Wh- who are you? I can¡¯t go out. Please leave!¡± Abby stuttered a little bit. Chapter 2 THE PARTY FOR THE KING ¡°Never step out of this room, understand?!¡± Beta Ryan mmed the door shut after dragging his own daughter into a warehouse behind the pack house. He was furious when he found Abby roaming around the premises where the weing party for the King was being held. Abby nodded profusely. She trembled in fear when she saw how angry her father was. She wanted him to leave, so she agreed to whatever he said and epted all the insults that were hurled toward her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see your ugly face! Don¡¯t ever let anyone see you or let them learn I have a daughter like you! You will ruin the chances for your sister!¡± ¡°Y- yes, father¡­¡± Abby held back her tears. She bit her lip and stared at the dust filled and dirty floor beneath her feet. Her heart ached so badly. This was not the first time for her father to treat her like she was some trash, but of course, this wouldn¡¯t be thest either. ¡°If you dare to show your ugly face and your scar again in front of everyone and embarrass your sister, I am going to beat you up and chain your legs, so you will not be able to walk out of this room again!¡± ¡°Yes, father. I understand.¡± Fat tears escaped her eyes, but Abby tried so hard not to let out a single sob, at least, until her father left her alone. Today, the new werewolf king was visiting their pack as part of his duty as the new sovereign of this realm. Their pack was the ninth pack that the King visited, which meant it was thest one. But, the purpose of this visit was not only to see his subjects, but also to find his mate. Yes, the new king was twenty nine and he had not found his mate yet. This was hisst attempt at finding her before he would resort to getting a chosen mate and decide one woman to be the Queen by his side. That was why, all the women in the packs were going crazy, thinking even if they were not the King¡¯s destined mate, the King would pick one of them if they left a great impression on him, including Abby¡¯s little sister, Hanna. Hanna was very beautiful, she was the beauty of this pack and there were many men smitten with her, yet, even though she had reached the age of twenty, she had not yet found her mate. That was why their father put all of his bets on this. He wanted everything to be perfect, and Abby would always be a scourge in his eyes. ¡°Take a step out of this room and I will break your legs, so you will not be able to walk again!¡± Abby nodded until her neck hurt so badly. She didn¡¯t dare to register the disgusting look on her father¡¯s face. Even after years of being treated unfairly like this, she still couldn¡¯t get used to it. After hurling a few more insults, BetaAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Ryan finally spared his daughter by leaving her alone. He mmed the door shut very harshly, until the debris and dust fell from the roof. And once she was really alone, Abby slumped to the floor. She hugged herself and cried her heart out. No one would be able to hear her. The loud music out there would drown out the lonely sound of her sorrows. Her dress was ruined and her hair was unkempt, but she couldn¡¯t care less about that. No one would think she was beautiful with the ugly scar on her face no matter what she wore and no matter how immactely she got her hair done. Abby cried herself to sleep, something that she got used to. She had lost count of how many times she did this. She couldn¡¯t even remember thest time she fell asleep with a light heart and a smile on her face. And when she woke up because the ground was too cold and the chilly wind breezed through the gaps in the wooden walls, she heard the loud music was still in full swing in the distance, while her surroundings were very dark. No one cared enough to light up the firece in the warehouse. ¡°I am hungry¡­¡± Abby held her stomach. She had not eaten anything since this morning, because she was excited about the party thinking she could attend it. After all, this party was for all the pack members and if she was lucky enough, she hoped that she could get a glimpse of the King. She wanted to see the man that everyone had been fussing about. ¡°I want to drink something¡­¡± Abby felt her throat was very sore while her voice cracked at every syble. However, a knock on the door startled her. Abby held her breath when she realized there was someone else here, yet, the only person who knew she was here was her father and he must have long forgotten about her, since he would be very busy helping Hanna. ¡°Is there someone inside?¡± Abby had never heard this unique voice and when she sniffed the air, she couldn¡¯t recognize this person¡¯s scent at all. Maybe because her wolf was very weak to begin with. Since the incident that happened ten years ago, she lost some of her abilities as a werewolf. But, for some reason, she became a little restless. ¡°I know you are in there, open the door.¡± His voice was demanding and this made Abby be even more anxious. She couldn¡¯t go out, her father had clearly warned her about it. He would really beat her up and break her legs if she took a step out of this ce. ¡°Open the door now or I will tear it down.¡± There was a vicious edge to his voice, as he growled impatiently. ¡°Wh- who are you? I can¡¯t go out. Please leave!¡± Abby stuttered a little bit. Chapter 3 Whoever this man was, he must not be a member of their pack, because it was an open secret that the only person who would be locked inside the warehouse was her. Some of the pack members, who took pity on Abby, would asionally give her food and water behind her father¡¯s back, but they couldn¡¯t do more than that, because unless the Alpha did something about it, nothing could be different. Beta Ryan held the highest authority in the pack for his status as the Beta after him.. Unfortunately, Alpha James closed his eyes rted to this matter and let this happen for years. He didn¡¯t bother to make things right for Abby, because this was not something that was rted to him as it didn¡¯t affect him in any way. More so, Abby was not part of his family and he didn¡¯t want to mind how his beta handled his own family. That was what Alpha James said to himself and the others to justify his own actions. ¡°No, don¡¯te!¡± Abby said hastily. She was afraid someone else would find her in this condition, not to mention if this man was not part of her pack, she would be embarrassed to be seen in this way. Her father wouldn¡¯t let her off with just a few beatings, Abby would get more than that. Yet, it was toote, because that person had torn down the door very easily, as if that door was only an essory there, something that you could take down easily. Because of the darkness and the only source of light in the warehouse area came from the moonlight, Abby could only see his silhouette. He was very tall and his body was so big, bigger than the Alpha, which made her feel anxious. Who was this man? Abby was sure he was not a member of her pack. Was he part of the King¡¯s entourage? The King¡¯s warrior? What was he doing here? That man moved closer toward her, but still, because of the darkness, Abby couldn¡¯t see his face. clearly. ¡°Wh- who are you? What are you doing here?¡± Abby tried to move away from him. ¡°Please, leave me alone¡­¡± She was genuinely afraid. Her whole body was trembling. This man was very intimidating. Such intimidating air could onlye from people like an alpha or a beta. But who was this man? He was very intimidating. Were all the King¡¯s warriors this scary? you just The man suddenly halted his steps when he heard what Abby was saying ¡°Who am I? Did ask, who I am?¡± His voice was slightly darker, which sent shivers down Abby¡¯s spine. She already felt so cold to begin with, thus facing this man didn¡¯t help with her situation at all. ¡°Please¡­ leave. Leave me alone¡­¡± Abby whimpered, she moved deeper into the inner part of the warehouse. 14 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar 8) ¡°Leave you alone? In this trashy ce?!¡± 65% This mysterious man was literally growling at Abby now and she didn¡¯t understand what she had done wrong until she offended him. She had never even met with him. ¡°I will not let you stay for a second in this ce. I will be doomed if I have to leave you alone,¡± he said darkly, which made Abby widen her eyes when he moved quickly toward her and picked her up easily in his arms. They were very close, she had never been so close to a man before and his manly scent made her stomach do summersaults, but her fear gripped her heart even stronger than any feeling that hit her senses, because she feared what her father would do to her. ¡°No! No! Put me down!¡± Abby struggled to get away from this man. She couldn¡¯t leave this ce. without her father¡¯s permission. She had to stay here until her father said otherwise! ¡°Please, please! Leave me alone! Let me go!¡± Abby started to cry when the man stepped out of the warehouse and his grip on her body only tightened. She was so scared her father would find her and beat her up. Not to mention there was a high chance this man was part of the King¡¯s entourage, the very people she wasn¡¯t allowed to meet no matter what. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Calm down, little one. I am not going to hurt you.¡± Micah¡¯s heart ached to see how badly his mate was crying. This was not the encounter he imagined. He didn¡¯t think he would find her inside a dark warehouse, covered in dirt and scared shitless. She didn¡¯t even recognize him. How could that happen? Weren¡¯t mates supposed to recognize each other the moment they were close enough to one another? But, even now, this girl didn¡¯t seem to notice that. Yet, what Micah felt right now couldn¡¯t be wrong. She was his mate, there was no doubt about that fact. ¡°Calm down. I will not hurt you.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Abby whimpered, she struggled to get away from his arms, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°No¡­. he is going to beat me, please put me down, I need to stay inside¡­¡± Micah¡¯s eyes darkened when he heard herst few words. ¡°What?!¡± He snarled so loudly, the sound. of it startled Abby, as she stopped struggling and curled her body in and covered her face. She was very afraid to offend someone. ¡°What did you say ¡°I am sorry¡­ I am sorry¡­¡± Abby didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong, but apologizing was the first thing that came to her mind, so the other person wouldn¡¯t be more angry than this. ¡°I am sorry¡­ I am sorry¡­¡± However, Micah didn¡¯t want to hear that. What was she sorry for? ¡°Say it again. Who is going to beat you?!¡± Micah¡¯s jaw tightened. He couldn¡¯t believe someone had beenying their hands on his mate to make her this scared. And now, when he thought about it again, it made sense why she was inside the locked warehouse¡­. 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar D. Chapter Someone had locked her inside. Chapter 4 Someone had locked her inside and threatened to beat her if she walked out of that nasty ce. This realization hit Micah so hard. He was trembling in anger, his whole body emanating killing intention, which could be sensed by Abby. She misunderstood this as the man being angry with herself, so she bit her lip and stopped herself from crying. Her father would get even angrier whenever she cried out loud. She even stopped talking altogether. Usually, this would make her father leave her alone pretty quickly with only a few beatings. However, her silence didn¡¯t sit well with Micah, she kept covering her face while curling her body in his arms. The sight of her was very devastating. Now under the moonlight, he could see how poor her condition was. He was not sure what she had gone through, but those horrendous things had taken a toll on her, it had left her broken. ¡°I asked you a question! Who is going to beat you!?¡± Micah rarely lost his temper, but he couldn¡¯t hold himself back this time. Abby wanted him to stop shouting at her. It made her feel sick in the stomach, but then she felt him nuzzling against her neck, which made her whimper softly. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Micah whispered into her ear. His voice was helpless now and this confused Abby. Just a moment ago, he was full of rage, but a secondter, he sounded very sad and hurl However, before Abby could understand what she felt, she heard someoneing. ¡°What are you doing here? The party is about to end and you have to say something.. who is that?¡± n asked, as he approached Micah. He could only see his back, but he was sure he was carrying a woman, her hair cascaded down his shoulder. ¡°What are you doing to her?¡± n hastened his steps and came closer to see how angry the King was, as he hugged the woman tightly and nuzzled her neck. ¡°Call a healer. I want the healer ready in my room once I am there,¡± Micah growled an order out. ¡°What? You are going to take her to your room? But, what about the party¡­ you should be there¡­¡± n widened his eyes when it finally struck him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me no¡­ you found her?!¡± He widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Is it her?!¡± ¨C ¡°If the healer is not in my room before I reach, I will find another beta once we arrive in the pce.¡± n had a thousand questions in his mind, but Micah¡¯s threat was enough to shut him him to move. He immediately scrambled away from him to find the royal healer who came with them. up and get Meanwhile, Abby couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, her ears rang painfully, because of how scared she was. She couldn¡¯t make out the details of their conversation and only recognized there was someone else with them and this man would take her somewhere. She would be doomed. She was going to be beaten up by her father. He would break her legs like he promised her. Abby could start imagining the pain she had to go through. She wanted to plead with him again to let her go, so she could stay inside the warehouse. Her father couldn¡¯t find out about this. ¡°Shush, little one. No one is going to hurt you. I will not let anyone hurt you.¡± Micah nuzzled her neck again, but it didn¡¯t help to calm her down. He walked toward the pack house, where he needed the healer to check on his mate at once. However, before he could reach there, he bumped into Hanna, or whatever her name was, since she was not important enough for him to upy his memory. ¡°My King, what are you doing here? Everyone is looking for you. Who is.¡± Hanna gasped. She covered her mouth when she recognized the woman in the King¡¯s arms. Even though she couldn¡¯t see Abby¡¯s face because she covered it with her palms and her unkempt hair, there was no way she couldn¡¯t recognize her own sister. ¡°What she is doing¡­ what is happening?¡± ¡°Do you know her?¡± Micah asked through his gritted teeth. Rage filled his eyes. ¡°My King¡­ she is¡­¡± Hanna didn¡¯t know what to say. How should she answer that question? She couldn¡¯t let the King know this shameful girl was her sister. ¡°My King¡­ she is a servant¡­. ¡°A servant?¡± Micah narrowed his eyes. He could see through her lies. ¡°While you are here, call your alpha to meet me in my chamber now.¡± Even if she was a servant, it didn¡¯t matter to Micah. He wanted to know what kind of treatment his mate had to go through, until she was like this. the Hanna was trembling in fear, but she couldn¡¯t let the King leave with Abby. She didn¡¯t slightest idea how the King found her, but it didn¡¯t matter now. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. t have t ¡°My King¡­ please put her down, she will dirty your clothes. It is not necessary to carry her like that.¡± Hanna nced at her sister, who seemingly shut herself down, something that she did whenever she felt this extreme anxiety and fear in her heart. Whenever she was in a situation where she was overwhelmed, Abby would tune out her surroundings. ¡°You have a direct order from me.¡± That was all Micah said before he continued to walk toward the pack house with Abby in his arms, leaving Hanna alone there. For a moment, she stayed frozen in her ce, too shocked to make a move, but then Hanna immediately rushed toward the party and informed her father about what happened. ¡°What?!¡± Beta Ryan clenched his fists. He had told that defected girl not to go out, but she actually met with the King?! She really needed to learn her lesson! Chapter 5 ¡°She is under a spell, My King. I need to put her to sleep because she is too tense.¡± Nadia, the royal healer, checked on Abby. She looked so young to be a royal healer, but she was the best healer this continent had. She stretched out her hand to push away the few locks of hair covering Abby¡¯s face and grimaced at the sight of the scar on her face. ¡°My King.¡± Nadia lifted her head to gauge the King¡¯s reaction. ¡°Are you sure she is your mar The burn scar didn¡¯t look good on Abby. It spanned from her neck to her shoulder and probably more if you opened her clothes. Her face was fine, but you could see a little scar on her left check. Without the scar, she would be a beauty, but then¡­ how could the King have someone like her as his queen? This was not the Queen the people expected or imagined. ¡°Without a doubt.¡± Micah¡¯s eyes turned very dark when his gazended on the burn scars on her neck. He didn¡¯t realize it before because the other side of her neck was fine. ¡°My King¡­ you don¡¯t need to announce this immediately. You need to think about it carefully.¡± Nadia didn¡¯t mention what she actually meant, but Micah could understand what she was going to say. How could someone like her be the King¡¯s mate? Micah could reject her and go back to the original n, Choose a mate since he couldn¡¯t find his destined mate. No one needed to know about this and he would be saved from the humiliation of having a mate like this. n stared at Micah, he wanted to voice his opinion, but a warrior had knocked on the door and informed them the Alpha and the Beta were there to meet with the King. ¡°Micah, what are you going to do?¡± n stopped Micah from leaving the room. They really needed to talk before he made a rushed and impulsive decision. Micah should have known his options but the fact he didn¡¯t immediately reject his mate, meant, he was weighing the other option. ¡°Back off, beta.¡± n was startled to see the animosity in Micah¡¯s eyes, he had never seen him lose control like this. He was someone always calm and collected, thus to see him in such a dark mood scared him. n followed Micah to meet with Alpha James and Beta Ryan. He needed to know what kind of decision the King would make. He had never seen Micah so mad like this before. ¡°My King.¡± ¡°My King.¡± Both the Alpha and his beta looked ufortable when they saw the King enter the room and take 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar @D a seat. However, before they were given permission to sit down, they needed to stay standing up. That was the rule and based on that, they couldn¡¯t sit until told otherwise, while the King didn¡¯t say anything and only threw them a dagger look. ¡°My King, my apologies for this inconvenience.¡± It was Beta Ryan who started to speak first. He was so mad when he learned what happened from Hanna, but he needed to mask it well and think of a way to get less punishment for what Abby had done. ¡°borate on the said inconvenience.¡± Micah leaned his back against the sofa and crossed his arms, as he stared at the two of them. Unadulterated rage rolled off his body and this made the Alpha and Beta before his eyes shiver in fear, trying to figure out how to get out of this ordeal. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to meet with her, My King.¡± Beta Ryan tried to exin the problem hastily, he was still trying to weigh his options over how he would address Abby. Who she was and why she was there. He was thinking about lying, but Alpha James was against it, because lying to the King would bring a whole new set of problems for them. ¡°And why not?¡± Micah clenched his jaw. His expression was unreadable. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°She is¡­ my daughter, My King.¡± Beta Ryan felt like he just swallowed sand when he called Abby as his daughter. It had been more than ten years since he thought of her as his daughter. Micah raised his brows. ¡°But your other daughter said she is a servant.¡± He knew Abby must not be someone with a lower status. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. n shifted behind Micah, he was standing behind the King. He frowned when he heard that. He thought the Beta only had one daughter. ¡°I am sorry about what my other daughter said, but she must have panicked at that time. Because we don¡¯t think a monster like her is part of our family.¡± ¡°A monster?¡± Micah balled his fists tightly when he heard the way this man addressed his own daughter. ¡°You call her a monster because she has that burn scar?¡± ¡°My King, please, give me back my daughter. I will teach her a lesson for bothering you. You don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡± Beta Ryan lifted his head and braced himself to look the King in the eyes, so he would know how remorseful he was for letting Abby bother him. ¡°I will take care of her. I am for the inconvenience. You are too kind to her.¡± sorry Inconvenience. So, this was what he meant by inconvenience¡­ he felt embarrassed to let other people know that she was his daughter. And even now, Micah did not yet know his mate¡¯s name. However, a secondter, something clicked in his head and he abruptly stood up, which forced the Alpha and the Beta to take two steps back because of how intimidating the King was. 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar (8) OD ¡°Teach her a lesson? Did you beat her? You were the one who had beaten her and locked her inside the warehouse.¡± That was not even a question, but a statement. ¡°Yes.¡± Beta Ryan nodded. ¡°She is quite dull and often needs to be taught a lesson or two.¡± É« Chapter 6 Probably beta Ryan couldn¡¯t read the situation, but alpha James could see there was something wrong with the way king Micah reacted. He could feel anger rolled of his body and the king looked even more intimidating to say the least. ¡°King Micah,¡± alpha James tried to smooth out the situation. He needed to taste the water first about where the king was standing in this matter. If this was something trivial, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered. to call them here, right? ¡°What my beta meant is¡­ Abby is quite a handful child. She used to create because trouble, therefore, as a single father of two daughters, beta Ryan needs to be stern with her, often time, Abby needed to be disciplined.¡± ¡°What do you mean by disciplining her? Beating her up and locking her inside the warehouse? Is that your method to discipline your children? Did you do the same to your other daughter?¡± Micah shot a dagger look at the alpha and the beta. Beta Ryan lowered his head when he received such intense look. He seemed to grasp the situation, but he still couldn¡¯t understand with the king¡¯s interest toward Abby. ¡°My other daughter, Hanna, is a sweet girl, she is very obedient and know how to carry herself. She is beautiful and kind, the two of them are a pr opposite,¡± beta Ryan praised his older daughter. ¡°I am very sorry for this inconvenient, but I will take care of this.¡± Beta Ryan raised his head, but he still couldn¡¯t see the king right in his eyes, those eyes were very terrifying. He didn¡¯t have any idea why he was very angry. ¡°Can I see my daughter? I will take her home and I will not bother you again, my king¡± Micah balled his fist. He was on the verge o giving a punishment right there and then, but he couldn¡¯t let his impulsiveness to get the best out of him. His mate might not agree with his decision. He didn¡¯t want to give a bad impression in the first time they met. Not to mention the way they met was a little bit tensed up. ¡°You can¡¯t bring her back with you. You will not meet her again in the near future.¡± Micah stood up and walked toward the door. ¡°What is that mean my king? Are you going to punish her on your own?¡± What the king said puzzled him. ¡°I am going to take her to the pce, the ce where she belongs to.¡± n opened the door for the king, the beta¡¯s expression lookedplicated, he knew what Micah would do, but in his opinion, it was too fast, he was being very impulsive, because they really needed to discuss in deep conversation about what they were going to do with Abby and what the reason she was being abused like that. ¡°What?¡± Beta Ryan blinked his eyes, he couldn¡¯t understand what he just heard. ¡°What is that meant with that my king? Why did you take my daughter away?¡± Micah stopped walking and nced at the beta over is shoulder, his eyes filled with menace. ¡°Because she is my mate and it is only right for her to go to the pce where she needs to do her role as the sovereign alongside me.¡± 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar D The look on beta Ryan and alpha James¡® face were priceless when the information was dropped. before them, their jaws dropped and for a moment, they looked like someone, who lost their ability to speak. Even though they opened their mouth, but there was no word that came out of their lips. However, before they could say anything, king Micah had left the room to see his mate, who was still sleeping. ¡°You can leave.¡± Micah waved his hand at n, who looked like he was going to say something. ¡°Whatever you want to say, save it for tomorrow. This is a long day. I am tired.¡± n nodded, because this was not the right timing if he was going to criticize Micah for what he had said to the alpha and the beta earlier, more so, the more you pressured him the more stubborn he would be and the royal beta knew his king that much. ¡°Do you want me to ask someone to bring her to another room?¡± n asked. ¡°You used not to like if there is someone else on your bed.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°No. I like her.¡± Micah waved his hand impatiently right now, as if he wanted to shoo away an annoying insect from his sight. ¡°Okay, okay, I am leaving. n raised his hand and then walked away from inside the room quickly, just in case Micah really ran out of his patient and kicked him out Once it was him alone with his mate, Micah went to the bed and stared at Abby¡¯s sleeping face. Her scar peeked from the cor of her dress. People, who had changed her clothes, must be choose the dress that wouldn¡¯t show her scars, that was why they used this high cor for her to sleep, from the look of it alone, it was notfortable. However, Micah couldn¡¯t change her dress back. He didn¡¯t want to make her ufortable with people stared at her scars. ¡°What you have gone through, sweety?¡± Micah stretched out his hand and caressed her cheek. He was not sure how bad the scar was, but he knew the road ahead wouldn¡¯t be easy. n was right in a way that it would be easier for him to choose another woman to be his mate, someone with lessplicated background, not to mention with the aftermath of her abused, it would leave trauma, where it would make things difficult for both of them. However, what kind of king, who would choose the easy route when it was convenient for them? Surely, Micah wouldn¡¯t be that kind of king. Çú Chapter 7 Abby startled the moment she regained her consciousness because thest thing she remembered was when she was being carried by the king. She was very scared because at the same time, she was being reminded of what her father had told her. He was going to cripple her and beat her up if she dared to meet with the king. However, who would have thought, it was the king who came to her. What he was doing in the warehouse? Abby became even more dreadful when she saw the king was sitting on the chair with his eyes. closed, he almost screamed, but of course, it was a stupid thing to do, so she covered her mouth with both of her palms and tried to calm herself down. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe a little bit louder, just in case, she bothered the king, who seemingly was sleeping. Why he was sleeping there? Was this inappropriate for her to sleep on the bed, while the king was sitting down on the chair? Didn¡¯t know what to do, Abby tried to get off the bed, so she could be away from this room, before the king was awake. Yet, the lucky star was not on her side at this moment, because when she pulled away the nket, the king suddenly opened his eyes, those eyes were very beautiful. She had never seen such deep and dark eyes before, they were very captivating, amazed her to the core, as if they absorbed all of her attention. ¡°You are awake,¡± Micah said. His voice was as deep as his gaze, he looked sleepy and rx, but Abby couldn¡¯t feel the same. Immediately, Abby got off the bed and knelt before the king, which made Micah shocked to see what she was doing. ¡°Get up, what arc you doing?!¡± Micah immediately knelt down too, but Abby lowered her body even more and pressed her forehead against the floor, which left the king speechless. This sight didn¡¯t sit well with him, especially when Abby started to apologize with him. ¡°My apologize my king, please forgive me, I didn¡¯t know why I slept in your bed. I am sorry.¡± Not even her voice that was trembling, but her whole body too, she was scared. ¡°Get up, Abby. We can¡¯t talk if you are like this.¡± Abby shook her head, she still pressed her forehead against the floor, which was something that someone like her shouldn¡¯t do. Let alone a future queen of this continent, even a mere pack member shouldn¡¯t lower themselves to this extent for the mistake that they didn¡¯t do. If at first Micah thought things would beplicated in the future and it was not an easy road, right now he thought, it waspletely a challenge. He didn¡¯t even have any idea where to start with her. 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar D ¡°Get up, Abby, this is an order from your king.¡± Micah didn¡¯t want to use this method, but there was no other way, since she didn¡¯t want to listen. Slowly, Abby raised her head and then looked at Micah, she was fidgeting and squeezed her hands nervously. She startled when Micah touched her hand and pulled back, afraid for his touch. ¡°Why are you so scared of me?¡± Micah asked, he couldn¡¯tprehend her fear. He didn¡¯t do anything, he didn¡¯t even raise his voice, neither he threatened her. ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± Abby blinked her eyes and nodded subtly, this surprised Micah. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Tell me, what do you know had happened?¡± Abby bit her lips, she spoke with her head hung so low, until her chin touched her chest. ¡°You found me in the warehouse and took me here¡­ I am sorry, I have be a trouble for you Micah blinked his eyes, confusion creased his brows. ¡°You didn¡¯t feel it?¡± ¡°Hm? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Abby tried to think what the king meant by her didn¡¯t feel it. What she supposed to feel? ¡°Lift your head,¡± Micah ordered her. He was still in disbelieve, the feeling was very strong for him, but how could she didn¡¯t feel anything about it? She supposed to feel the same thing with him the moment she saw him, but apparently, it was not the case with her. Abby was too afraid, thus she kept lowering her head. ¡°Raise your head. This time, Micah¡¯s voice was a little bit firm and stern and he could see how she flinched, he felt bad for her to get such reaction. He didn¡¯t mean to scare her even more than this. This time, Abby listened to his order and raised her head, but she looked at everywhere, but him, she was afraid of the intimidating aura from the king. And when Micah stretched out his hand, Abby closed her eyes and curled her body, as if she was waiting for him to hit her. This didn¡¯t sit well with Micah. What kind of abuse she had gone through, until she had this kind of reaction for even a small gesture? Micah tucked strand of her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with his thumb. He waited. for Abby to open her eyes, so they could talk more freely. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± Micah asked the same question again, he could feel the tingles on the tip of his fingers when he touched her face, this sensation was not something that you could feel with anyone. This was the sign that you touched your own mate, someone who you would spend the rest of your life with. Abby opened her eyes, she gulped down with difficulty. The king was very big, his hand was coarse and big too, she couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen to her if he really hit her. ¡°Wh- what? I- I didn¡¯t know what should I feel¡­Abby stuttered, she nced at the king, but lowered her gaze again. ¡°You are my mate, Abby.¡± 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar D¡¤ Chapter 8 0 Among all the things that Abby ever heard, this must be the most absurd news that she learned. She even thought she had heard it wrongly. How else, she would be able to exin it? ¡°You are my mate, Abby.¡± Micah watched her reaction and for the first time, she was brave enough to look at him in the eyes, this must be because of her surprised she was able to ovee her fear for him. ¡°You are my mate.¡± Micah asserted the words again. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Abby ¡°There must be a mistake, my king¡­ there is no way¡­ there is no way I am your mate¡­¡± frowned. She opened her mouth, but she closed it again, thinking of a way to process the information, but in the end, she only repeated the same thing. ¡°There mus king..¡± be a mistake, my ¡°Do you want to say that I make a mistake?¡± Micah watched how she startled and lowered her head again. She apologized profusely, as if that was the onlynguage, she was proficient of. Stammering, Abby shook her head again and was about to hit her head against the floor, but Micah stopped her, by holding back her shoulders. ¡°N¨Cno, my king¡­ no, I didn¡¯t mean to say that¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to say that you are wrong. I am sorry.¡± ¡°Stop apologizing, you have apologized more than enough.¡± ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± Abby said in small voice, which made Micah had to close his eyes to control hist emotions. He knew that he needed to be extra patient with her. ¡°Come, stand up. Sit on the chair.¡± Micah stood up and helped Abby to do so, even though, she looked ufortable with the way he treated her, but she couldn¡¯t care less about that. ¡°This¡­ this is not appropriate for me to sit on the same level with you, my king¡­¡± Abby tried to refuse to sit on the same scat like Micah, but the king didn¡¯t ept a rejection for that. ¡°You are my mate, my equal, let¡¯s start from there.¡± Abby was having a hard time to grasp that information and Micah could see that, ¡°Fine. It seems you need some time. I will ask someone to bring you your breakfast. Let¡¯s talk about this after you ate something.¡± Abby wanted to stop the king from leaving, if there was anyone, who should leave, it must be her, not him, but then she didn¡¯t have the courage to do so, therefore, the only thing she could do was to stand still in her please, holding her breathe until the king left the room. Abby still couldn¡¯t believe what the king said that she was his mate. How could someone like her mated to someone like him? If it was Hanna, that fact was easier to ept. More so, she wondered, whether her father had already learned about this or not and what his reaction when she was not in the warehouse and met with the king instead. Cold shiver ran down her spine when she was reminded about that. What her father was doing right now? ¡°There is no way it happened! There is no way that monster is the king¡¯s mate! There must be a 18:05 Wed, 6 Mar D ¡¤ mistake somewhere!¡± Hanna threw a temper tantrum, she threw everything, anything that she could reach and ruin a lot of furniture. ¡°Enough, Hanna! Stop this!¡± Ryan roared and this startled Hanna, because her father had never raised his voice toward her. This must be the first time, her father was very frustrated and extremely angry with the situation. ¡°Do you want to burry the whole house?!¡± Hanna took a step back and cried when her father snapped at her, which made Ryan felt guilty because he had hurt his daughter. ¡°Hanna¡­. you know what I meant¡­¡± Ryan sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to snap at you.¡± He came toward his daughter and hugged her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry ¡°How can¡¯t I cry? That monster has taken the king to her side, she must have told the king about everything bad about our family, she must have badmouthed us to the king, what we should do? What can we do? The king will punish us.¡± Hanna cried, she was scared to face the wrath of the king, one could say that king Micah was someone that you didn¡¯t want to cross, because he was a very stem man, even when he was still a prince, he was very dominating and would give a harsh punishment to those people that deserved 1. it. What he would do if he learned they had harmed his mate? The future queen? Hanna kept bbering about that and this made Ryan felt unwell. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that, the king has not yet announced Abby as his mate publicly. There must be people, who doesn¡¯t agree with his decision to take her as the future queen. Don¡¯t worry, Father will discuss this ma with alpha James.¡± ¡°What alpha James can do in this matter, father?¡± Hanna looked upset, she hugged her father tightly and buried her face against his chest, feeling upset and unsettling. ¡°He is the king, what he says goes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s think about this matter slowly, I am sure alpha James can find a solution about this.¡± ¡°What kind of solution?¡± Hanna was helpless, she didn¡¯t think there was a way out of this matter. ¡°The king must have learned about what we have done to her, that monster will take this opportunity to tell him everything, there is no way she will not badmouth us to the king. She must have sought for revenge.¡± Ryan hugged his daughter a little bit tighter. ¡°If that¡¯s what happened, the king must have been here, but there is nothing happened.¡± This was the only thing thatfort Ryan. ¡°I will find a way to talk with Abby.¡± ¡°Why do you want to talk with her?¡± Chapter 9 ¡°How are yo you feeling right now, Abby?¡± Nadia asked, she was the healer that Abby met the previous night before she fell asleep, because she was very tired, she didn¡¯t pay close attention to her surroundings and only realized she was in the king¡¯s bedroom. ¡°1-1 am fine.¡± Abby said, she stared at the beautiful healer sheepishly. ¡°Can I go back to my home?¡± Nadia smiled helplessly. ¡°About that, I can¡¯t decide, because we need the king¡¯s permission if you want to leave this room.¡± Even Nadia was having a hard time toe closer to this room, somehow, the king was very angry and became overly protective. He didn¡¯t allow anyone toe near this arca Probably, this sounded ridiculous, but if you saw the nature of the shifters, especially someone with the highest status in this continent, you would understand how important their mate was and how overprotective they were to their people. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Abby lowered her head again. Someone had brought a tray full of food, she had never seen so many food for her in the past ten years. She had seen how Hanna would get all the best food and as many as she wanted, but what was for her was only scraps. Abby would already be grateful if she was being fed and her father didn¡¯t forget to leave something for her to cal. ¡°You will be fine after some rest and then cat properly. I don¡¯t think there is something that need to be worried about.¡± Nadia smiled, she nced at Abby¡¯s neck, the area where her scars were. She wanted to say something, but she held back her tongue, thinking this was not the right timing to bring up the problem. ¡°I will take my leave.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Abby stood up as well, she stretched out her hand to hold Nadia back out of instinct, but she retracted her hand again. People always hated it when she touched them, thus she shouldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Yes?¡± Nadia smile sweetly when she saw how Abby looked ufortable. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Abby shook her head, she looked hesitant when she wanted to speak, but then she was afraid, she would waste her time if she was like this for long time. ¡°That¡­ the thing is¡­ the king said that I am his mate¡­ I am sorry, but¡­ I am confused.¡± Nadia sighed deeply. So, the king was really adamant to take her to the pce apparently, he even had told her about it, at this point, there was no going back. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the capacity to answer your question, from what I heard, the king will meet youter after he finished his business with alpha James. I believe, he will exin everything to you.¡± Nadia patted her shoulder. ¡°I will leave now, okay. You need to rest.¡± Abby didn¡¯t want to rest, she wanted an answer, but she couldn¡¯t be greedy. In the end, she was left alone in this flourish room that she had never been inside. This room was 18.06 wed, b Mar the main guest room, only an important people was allowed to be here. So important, she was forbidden to step in. 647M But right now, she was here, doing nothing, thinking about what would happen with herter, until someone opened the door. ¡°The king just left.¡± Alpha James kneaded his temple, he seemed to be in foul mood and the arrival of his beta didn¡¯t make him feel better. ¡°If you asked me what the punishment your family will get, I don¡¯t know. The king only said, you will get the punishment you deserved after he asked more about what you have done to his mate.¡± Ryan balled his fists, he gritted his teeth. This was not the oue that he expected. He couldn¡¯t believe such miracle could happen. His second daughter, the monster, was actually the king¡¯s mate, not Hanna or any other normal girls. But, what more surprising for him was the fact that the king actually epted her. ¡°Are you sure there is nothing you can do about this, alpha?¡± Ryan sat down across from alpha James and his alpha gave him a nasty look. ¡°How could you treat your daughter like that? All the people here know what happened ten years ago and it¡¯s obviously not her fault.¡± Ten years ago, there was fire that burned down the beta¡¯s house, but not only that, it killed his mate too, while his second daughter sustained that ugly scar on her left body. That was the reason why she was called as monster. ¡°What we should do now?¡± ¡°You should pray that your daughter will not let the king to know what you have done to her all this time. Probably, your crime will be pardoned.¡± The alpha acted like there was nothing wrong with the whole situation, as if he was not involved in this matter, Technically, he didn¡¯t abuse Abby, yes, but he didn¡¯t do anything either as the leader of the pack. He turned blind eyes with the way Abby was treated. However, Ryan couldn¡¯tin about that. ¡°I think it will be better if you saw your daughter first before the alpha have a conversation with her.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°I am not allowed to meet with her.¡± Ryan had tried, but the royal guards turned him away. Without the permission from the king, he was not allowed toe near the room. Alpha James sighed deeply, he shook his head regretfully. ¡°There is nothing I can do.¡± There was silence between them until Ryan asked the alpha again. ¡°You told me the king was just here a moment ago, what he wanted?¡± ¡°He wanted to take Abby to the capital city right away, therefore, the meeting about the pack needs 33 Wed, 6 to be done this evening, so tomorrow, they can leave.¡± ¡°That fast?! They will leave tomorrow?!¡± Ryan didn¡¯t believe what he heard. É« Chapter 10 Abby¡¯s entire body went stiff when she heard someone opened the door and watched the king stepped inside. His aura and his presence were really intimidating, it made this room felt so tiny and narrow. Abby lowered her head, she was trying to make herself small, as though by doing so, she could make the king not be able to see her. Of course, that was a crazy idea if something like that could actually happen. ¡°Are you eating well? Micah asked, he nced at the tray, but there were still a lot of leftover. ¡°You don¡¯t like the food?¡± Abby shook her head and quickly exined. ¡°I already ate a lot. The food that was given to me was too much. I can¡¯t finish all.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t finish that all?¡± Micah narrowed his eyes at the tray of food. He couldn¡¯t believe she ate very little, because that portion was the same portion for him, some time, he would eat more. ¡°That¡¯s not a lot.¡± Abby gave disapproving look, but she lowered her head again, afraid she would make a mistake by giving the king such look. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Abby said timidly. Micah closed his eyes. He sighed deeply before he knelt down in front of her and made Abby freaked out, since it considered very rude to sit higher than the king, more so, how she could let the king knelt down in front of her? She could be killed for this rude behavior. However, Micah put his hands around her hips, steadied her so she wouldn¡¯t be able to move. ¡°Still. No. Still, Abby. Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Bu ¡°Can you please rx? You are very nervous around me. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be sorry to me, Abby.¡± Micah pressed her body down when she tried to struggle again, until she sat still, but it was clear to see that she was very ufortable in this position. ¡°I have never heard someone apologized so much in such short period of time we meet.¡± ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± Micah gave her a stern look and Abby immediately realized her mistake, she mped her mouth. when she was about to apologize again. ¡°I think there are a lot of things that we need to do with you, Abby.¡± Obviously, this kind of personality wouldn¡¯t suit the life that she would live in the pce, she was so far from being the proper queen in all sense, aside from being his destined mate. 13 64 Moon goddess must have her own n to mate the two of them, to put the sacred bond for the king and her, but Micah still couldn¡¯t figure out what was that. The road ahead from them would be more difficult andplicated than his worst imagination. ¡°Abby, first thing first.¡± Micah¡¯s voice was gentle, but there was a tinge of helplessness too, as he had never been in this kind of situation, not even in his wildest imagination. ¡°You need to ept that you are my mate.¡± ¡°H¨Chow? But, how can I¡­? That¡¯s so rude¡­ there is no way a king will mate with someone like me..¡± Abby replied carefully, because she was afraid, she would answer it wrongly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the moon goddess chose you to be my mate. I don¡¯t have the answer for that. But, you must be the best woman for me to have this sacred bond with.¡± Abby was trying to denial it again. ¡°No¡­ there must be a mistake, you can¡¯t have me as your mate, my king¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Micah put his finger under her chin to lift her head, so she could meet his cycs. ¡°Why not, Abby?¡± He repeated the same question. ¡°My king, maybe you are not aware of this, but you should know what people in this pack called me¡­¡± ¡°Monster.¡± Micah didn¡¯t need for her to say the word, he had his be dug more information about Abby and what the reason of her scar. He had not yet received a full report for that, but he knew a thing or two about how the people in this pack had been treating her. It saved to say that tiny bit of information was already boiled his blood with anger, he didn¡¯t know what to do if he received full information about what he needed to know about her. On the other hand, Abby gasped when the king said it, she felt embarrassed, humiliated and wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. She needed to hold back her tears like she used to. ¡°There is nothing wrong with you. It¡¯s them, not you. It¡¯s fuck up for them to treat you like that when you are part of this pack too.¡± Abby flinched when she heard the king cursed, because her father used to use such fault words whenever he talked with her. This subtle reaction didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Micah. It seemed, started from now, he needed to watch the words he said. He didn¡¯t use to curse, but somehow, this situation made him frustrated. ¡°I will take care of the rest. We will go to your home now and you can gather your belongings.¡± Micah caressed her cheek. He wanted to kiss her lips so badly, but he needed to hold himself back, because it was apparent that his mate was still scared of him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I will take you to the capital city tomorrow morning.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. 33 Abby widened her eyes in disbelieve and Micah had to say how adorable she was right now when she was this shock. She was beautiful, even with her scars, she was beautiful. She was like a fragile ss that had a lot of crack, a little bit pressure would break her, but somehow, those cracks made her beautiful. ¡°B- but Micah stood up, he took her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we will go to your house. I want to see your father too.¡± Çú Chapter 11 ¡°I want to see your father, too.¡± As soon as Micah mentioned meeting her father, Abby¡¯s face turned unusually pale. Her body switched to the fight or flight mode, only she didn¡¯t have anywhere to escape when the King insisted on keeping her still. He was still holding on to her waist, rendering her unable to move. However, Micah could clearly feel how her body stiffened even more. The King couldn¡¯t help clenching his jaw, sensing the visible fear in his mate¡¯s system. He had to learn what happened to her until she was like this. What did they do to her? Meanwhile, Abby didn¡¯t even have enough courage to refuse the King¡¯s hand when he stood up and wanted to pull her out of this guest bedroom. She dragged her feet behind while the King. pretended not to see her obvious resistance. He didn¡¯t want her to stay here longer than necessary. Meaning, he had to rush through things, so he could get her out of here as soon as possible. ¡°The King is here,¡± a warrior rushed inside to inform Beta Ryan. In the next moment, Beta Ryan and Hanna could see Micah entering their house with Abby in his tow. Both Ryan and his elder daughter were visibly shocked to see the ambient air around the two. Somehow, seeing them like this only made them feel even more ufortable. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Behind them, they could see several personal warriors of the King. One might think Micah was there for a fight, instead of simply taking his mate away. Maybe they were not wrong. Because, if you looked into the King¡¯s eyes carefully, you would be able to sense the brewing storm in his heart. ¡°My King,¡± both Ryan and Hanna greeted him quickly. Beta Ryan didn¡¯t have any problem bowing to the King, but Hanna felt reluctant seeing Abby beside Micah. What right did this monster have to be chosen as his fated mate? Hanna couldn¡¯t ept this. However, she could only swallow her grievances and show her respect to the King. It didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Micah, though he chose to pretend that he didn¡¯t see it and nodded in response. And before he could say why he was here, Beta Ryan feigned surprise and started talking about Abby. ¡°Oh, Abby is here as well. Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep, daughter?¡± Ryan tried hard to sound as normal as he could, only he couldn¡¯t pull it off out of nervousness or something else, as his voice came out gruffy and he sessfully scared Abby. The king¡¯s new found mate gaped at her own father in shock, not knowing how to deal with this situation. She came here fully believing she would be reprimanded and beaten up for not following her father¡¯s order. Any other time, her father wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to thrash her until she didn¡¯t even have enough energy to plead for himself to spare her.. But now, he was asking if she had a good night¡¯s sleep? And was that a smile on his lips. She never saw her father smiling at herself after what happened ten years ago. He looked even more scary than when he was grinding his teeth at her. Yes, Ryan was trying to smile at Abby, only he couldn¡¯t seed in his attempt as it had been a long 1/2 18:06 Wed, 6 Mar ADD ¡¤ ½ð64% time since he found her pleasing to the eye. Micah didn¡¯t say anything. He just observed silently from the side. What was this beta nning? Was he trying to make himself look good in the King¡¯s eyes to escape his wrath? Seeing that her father was about to give away himself, Hanna decided to take things into her own hands. She actually dared to go near both Micah and Abby before starting to get all chummy with her sister. ¡°Abby, where did you go? Father has been worried about you all night.¡± She didn¡¯t forget to steal a nce at the King, after all, whatever she was doing was to make him believe them. On the other hand, Abby was even more shocked to see Hanna act like this, She visibly flinched when Hanna proceeded to hug her hand as if they were some sort of best friends. What was wrong with her sister? Why was she suddenly being like this? Micah gently pulled her to his side, noticing her difort. But he didn¡¯t do anything to stop the woman from touching his mate. He had to make them believe that he was buying their lies. Only then would he be able to make them lower their guard. Instead, he spoke to Abby in a soft voice. ¡°Where is your room?¡± However, it was Hanna who volunteered to show the King the way. She cunningly tagged along. saying she would help Abby pack her belongings. In her haste to send them both away as soon as possible, she forgot the problem at hand. The room upied by Abby. Or if one could say, the room they all made Abby upy. By now, Micah got a brief understanding of his mate¡¯s behaviour. She tended to be slow and always fearful of everything. So, when she didn¡¯t say anything, he didn¡¯t fixate on it and followed this hanna girl further into the house. Only the more they walked, the more his eyes hardened. It was clear as day that the bedrooms were on the second storey of this building. But they ended up in the servant quarters in the back of this house. What was even more mortifying was the shabby state of this part of the house. And to make things worse, there were not one but three locks to her door. What was with this arrangement? Did they usually lock her inside like they did in the warehouse where he found her? And the moment Hanna opened the door, Micah almost growled. This should not be called a room. It was so small it looked like a section in a shabby horse stable. There wasn¡¯t even a bed here. Only a sorry excuse for a small closet. Even a venttor would berger than that window like looking thing in the far back. 2/2 É« 0 Chapter 12 Hanna waspletely focused on Abby, thinking about ways to make her sister tell her if she comined about them to the King. However, her intuition told her that there was something wrong with the King when she heard a low rumble reverberate in his chest. ¡°This is where you sleep?¡± After a long moment of silence, that was what Micah could voice, but he couldn¡¯t get any response from his own mate. Seeing this. Micah turned to pin Hanna with a harsh re. The werewolf king seemed livid. Hanna felt shivers run down her spine when she realized that the King was angry after seeing Abby¡¯s bedroom. Her mind raced, trying toe up with believable excuses to make this arrangement look justifiable, only she couldn¡¯t think of any ways to justify their own actions. Damn it! This monsternded me in big trouble. Hanna cursed under her breath. ¡°This. My King- ¡°My King. I have something to talk to you about. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Just when Hanna thought the King would rip her head off her shoulders, Beta Ryan came to her rescue and diverted Micah¡¯s attention. The woman immediately took a deep breath. King Micah could be so scary. On the other hand. Micah also weed the diversion as he didn¡¯t want to lose his cool before he achieved his goal. He closed his eyes for a second before turning around to face Beta Ryan, who seemed to haveposed himself a bit. ¡°What do you wish to say to me?¡± Hearing Micah¡¯s question, Beta Ryan didn¡¯t hesitate to set his n in motion. He had to talk to the King and salvage their situation as much as he could. Thinking to this point. Ryan upped his game. ¡°It is about my second daughter, Abby. Mentioning Abby¡¯s name worked in his favor as he had sessfully gained all of Micah¡¯s attention. ¡°What about her?¡± Micah immediately asked him. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± Ryan pushed his luck, knowing fully well that the King wouldn¡¯t directly turn him down. Meanwhile, Micah was a little bit hesitant. He turned to look at Abby who had her head lowered. She looked a bit tense again. Abby didn¡¯t make a single peep since she entered this house with him earlier. Yes, he could conclude that she didn¡¯t talk much usually. But she fellpletely silent after Micah said he wanted to meet her father. Her reaction to that statement alone was enough to make Micah want to dig more into what happened to her. ¡°It¡¯s about what happened ten years ago,¡± Ryan said to the King atst. What happened ten years ago¡­.. how Abby got her scars¡­ Did Ryan mean that incident? This efficiently picked his interest. Micah understood he had to have this conversation with him. though he felt reluctant to part with his mate even for a few minutes. 18-06 Wed, b Mar He turned to Abby and said, ¡°Can you finish packing your things while I talk to your father?¡± Even then, Abby didn¡¯t say anything. But it was Hanna who answered the King again, reassuring him that they would be finished in no time and told him to take his time talking with their father. Not even once did Micah look in her direction,pletely focusing on his own mate who wouldn¡¯t open her mouth to say something to himself. Instead, the fragile woman started to fuss with her things. She silently started packing her things, taking Micah¡¯s request as an indirect order. It seemed Abby didn¡¯t want to give any reason for the King to change his mind and leave her behind. Taking this as his chance, Ryan urged Micah to leave with him while subtly hinting at his daughter to make Abby talk about what she said to the King. The Beta swiftly showed him the way to his own study in the house, which was on the second floor. [Keep an eye on her.] Micah mind linked one of his trusted warriors before following the Beta out. As soon as Micah was out of her sight and it was just the two of them there, Hanna¡¯s whole demeanor changed as her eyes filled with malice. Her hatred which she hid from the King thus far burst from her heart as she grabbed Abby, who waspletely oblivious to her thoughts, by hair and yanked hard until she tore a few strands. ¡°You monster, what did you tell the King? Did you make up stories andin to him about us?¡± Hanna didn¡¯t hold back at all while Abby didn¡¯t even dare to scream even though she felt like her scalp was on fire. Abby whimpered as tears streamed down her cheeks. It hurt so much Abby had a hard time denying her ims. ¡°I- I di- didn¡¯t say any¡­ anything.¡± Hanna wasn¡¯t ready to believe her as she tightened her hold on her hair and made Abby cry even more. However, before Abby could break into high pitched sobs, the vile woman dropped a bomb on her which shut her up immediately. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me everything right at this instant, I will make sure you will never see your beloved pet again,¡± Hanna said in a voice s¨® eerie it made gooseflesh erupt on Abby¡¯s skin. Abby felt her throat clogging in when she heard her heartless threat, as she had a hard time breathing. This was not the first time for Hanna to get handsy with Abby. She would always find ways to hurt her, both physically and mentally. But she was wise enough to never leave a mark. She would never p or pinch her hard enough. This time though, her envy got the best of her and she couldn¡¯t control her strength. Her jealousy and hatred ruled her heart as she kept spouting threat after threat about how she would kill the poor animal. Her pet was a small kitten she found a month ago. Abby rescued the poor animal in the forest. behind the warehouses. It was injured badly and Abby nursed it back to health slowly. Would Hanna really kill her kitten? Chapter 13 Beta Ryan brought Micah to his study room which was on the far end of this long corridor on the second floor. It was quite clear to see that he was buying time for himself, and Micah could tell as much. He just yed along to see what these father and daughter duo was trying to achieve. Ryan offered his own chair to the King before he walked to another chair at his study table. But Micah didn¡¯t take his chair as he chose to stand near a bookshelf behind the table. ¡°Now, can you start talking?¡± Micah tried to sound casual as he took in the study room with an indifferent look on his face. This gave Run the impression that he wasn¡¯t really interested about what happened all those years ago. Coupled with the fact that they weren¡¯t summoned to the King yet for treating his destined mate with unkindness, Ryan perceived this as Micah wasn¡¯t really being serious about Abby. Maybe he could turn the tables in their own favor. Boosted by these thoughts, Ryan continued to stand as well before he started talking. ¡°Ten years ago, Abby caused a huge fire which burned down our then house, in which, my destined mate who was my daughters¡® mother lost her life,¡± Ryan then proceeded to tell Micah how insensible Abby was as a child when she yed with fire, something she shouldn¡¯t joke with as a nine year old girl. Yes, Abby was just a nine year old girl when that horrible event happened and she sustained severe burns. That incident was also why she still had those scars on her otherwise supposed to be clear skin. ording to him, the scars on her back which extended from her neck to her shoulder were a lighter punishment when he thought how she was a bringer of bad luck. It was also since then that they started to treat her as a monster who would bring only bad luck to the people around her. On the other hand, Micah felt like knocking all of Beta Ryan¡¯s teeth when he didn¡¯t hesitate to wish bad things upon his own child while not being able to show her any kindness. How could a father me a nine year old girl for a thing so huge as a house being burned down and even the death of her own mother? Micah didn¡¯t believe for one second that Abby would be that insensible as a child. However, he never once spoke while the opposite person kept rambling this and that, trying beyond possibilities to paint Abby as someone unworthy of himself. Yes, Ryan didn¡¯t directly say anything like how he felt Abby wasn¡¯t really suited to him, but he wouldn¡¯t stop hinting at how bad Abby was until he had to discipline her on a daily basis. He didn¡¯t think twice before badmouthing his own daughter, just so he could avoid taking responsibility for what he had done. Micah listened to what the Beta had to say without interrupting him even for once while Ryan kept bullshitting his way out of the mess he created for himself until the King couldn¡¯t take it anymore and asked him a question atst. ¡°You beat her up and lock her up because of that incident from ten years back?¡± 18:06 Wed, 6 Mar D. 64% Micah controlled his voice as much as he could, so that he wouldn¡¯t give himself away. But he was enraged beyond possibilities that he sounded as if he was growling. Even his beast was restless upon hearing how their mate had been suffering in her own father¡¯s hands for thest ten years. However, Ryan, who was preupied with his storytelling, didn¡¯t realize the change in the King¡¯s tone as he subconsciously thought the King was just asking a normal question. ¡°Yes, she is insensible and a monster, who only brings bad luck.¡± Ryan blurted out, still thinking the King was very cool about everything he said thus far. There was another reason for Ryan¡¯s ignorance regarding this matter¡­. He already nned with Hanna and asked her to deal with Abby. Hanna said she would mind¨Clink him as soon as she got information out of Abby¡¯s mouth. As he didn¡¯t get any updates from his obedient elder daughter, Ryan believed they almost escaped this problem unscathed. They just had to make sure that Abby wouldn¡¯t spoil their n and bring them trouble again¡­ Before that, he had to make the King believe his actions were justifiable. But how? Ryan immediately thought of projecting Hanna in a good light. If he could change Micah¡¯s mind and convince him to take Hanna as his chosen mate and reject Abby, all his problems would be solved with a single move. ¡°My elder daughter is just a year older than her, but she is very different from Abby Ryan immediately started paising Hanna to the moon and back, saying Hanna was everything that Abby could never dream of bing. She was both sensible and beautiful with a heart of gold. A perfect mate any male shifter could ask for. He even dared to suggest how good of a queen she would be if only she were the King¡¯s actual destined mate. And then proceeded to sigh in disappointment that Micah actually got Abby as his male. Micah was on the verge of losing his control when he heard this beta tried to push his own daughter into his arms while discrediting his other daughter. It was truly a disgusting sight. very Fortunately for Ryan, one of Micah¡¯s personal warriors chose to interrupt them at that moment. He was one of the few warriors who followed him to the Beta¡¯s study room. The warrior hastily walked toward Micah before whispering something into his ear. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. As soon as the warrior finished speaking. Ryan could see how the air around Micah changed so much until he looked unapproachable. Only Ryan couldn¡¯t ce the reason why the King looked like he was ready to tear apart anything that carne in his way at that instant as he stormed out of this room. Çú Chapter 14 89.64%) Abby was so scared for her pet she couldn¡¯t even muster any courage to answer Hanna who wouldn¡¯t stop threatening her while still abusing her hair. She could clearly feel a few strands of her hair giving away at the roots with the strength Hanna was using to pull her hair. Meanwhile, Hanna had this sinister smile on her face as her eyes turned manic when she saw Abby hurting so much that she had to bite her lips to stop herself from crying out loud. It was very clear to see that she got high from abusing her sister. ¡°Open your mouth and answer me,¡± Hanna got so carried away that she didn¡¯t realize someone else had entered the room, who then immediately grabbed her hand. The man exerted force before pinning Hanna with a look which he then directed toward her hand, clearly indicating that Hanna had to let Abby go immediately. Only Hanna couldn¡¯t take the hint and chose to be stubborn as she shouted in his face, ¡°Who are you?¡± However, her stubbornness only brought more pain to herself when the man didn¡¯t let up and instead pinched her wrist even more. Hanna shrieked when the other person didn¡¯t hold back his strength at all as he almost crushed her hand and out of instinct, she finally let go of Abby¡¯s hair. Hanna couldn¡¯t endure the pain at all and turned to her attacker with her ws emerged as she bellowed, ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Hanna couldn¡¯t ce the man in front of her. She had never seen him before. Who is this man? How dare he stop me in my own house? That was what Hanna thought, not bothering to use her precious mind for a second to recall that there were several others in their house right now. If she stopped and thought for even a second, she would have recognized him as one of the King¡¯s personal warriors. ¡°Let go at this instant,¡± Hanna ordered him, feeling enraged at this point. Meanwhile, the said warrior didn¡¯t bother to exin himself as he concentrated on an even more important thing. He quickly mind¨Clinked one of his fellow warriors to inform the King about the situation in this room.. Yes, he was the very warrior who was ordered by Micah himself to keep an eye on this woman and his mate. When he didn¡¯t say anything while still ring down at her, only then Hanna finally came to her senses and realized why he was bold enough to assault her in her own home. Damn it! She got carried away. This man was clearly part of the King¡¯s entourage judging by his aura and the attire he wore. Hanna immediately turned to re at Abby. This was all because of this monster. Hanna couldn¡¯t help but me Abby again, cursing in her heart that Abby brought her bad luck again. What should 18:06 Wed. 6 Mar RO she do now? Hanna¡¯s mind raced while there was no reaction whatsoever from Abby. 649 The moment her hair was free, Abby fell to the ground with her head in her hands. Still there was no sound that could be heard from her lips. It was clear to see that she had cried a river that the front of her tattered dress was all but drenched, even so, there wasn¡¯t even a single sob from her. Right when Hanna was about toe up with a story to convince the warrior that there wasn¡¯t anything wrong here, they heard a loud crashing sound. Hearing the noise, the warrior immediately let go of Hanna¡¯s hand as he stepped back to reveal the person who just rushed there. They all saw Micah entering the now doorless room with a thunderous expression on his face. Apparently, Micah had ripped the door away from its hinges and threw it across the corridor until it hit a wall. Hanna¡¯s heart almost dropped when she saw the look on Micah¡¯s face. Fuck, she was doomed. Behind the King, Ryan had an expression mirroring his elder daughter¡¯s. The Beta didn¡¯t expect the situation to turn around like this and bite them in the asses. Hanna actually got caught. How could he help her now? ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Micah gritted the words out as he directed the question at his warrior, knowing fully well his mate won¡¯t make a peep yet again. The warrior immediately exined what he saw and how Hanna yanked Abby¡¯s hair until he had no choice but to interrupt them. Micah was only told that he was quickly needed in Abby¡¯s room. He wasn¡¯t informed that his mate was being assaulted right under his nose. This Hanna girl was really bold, probably because of her father¡¯s unconditional support. Meanwhile, Hanna didn¡¯t even hesitate to deny the warrior¡¯s ims before saying that he just misunderstood the whole situation. ¡°Why would I hurt my sister? My King, it was not like that. He just saw me tousling her hair and misread the situation.¡± Even Hanna could feel how ridiculous her narration seemed, but she couldn¡¯t back down anymore since she had already said it. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°It seems he really misunderstood the situation, then.¡± Beta Ryan shamelessly sang the same tune as his daughter. He didn¡¯t care if what they said made sense or not, as long as Abby didn¡¯t say anything, discrediting a mere warrior was just a piece of cake. On the other hand, just as he expected, Abby waspletely silent. Everything was still under their control, they could still turn the tables around. Micah also nced at his mate and saw that she had silently finished packing her remaining stuff while this father and daughter kept spouting everything to escape this situation. ¡°My King, it isn¡¯t really a big issue,¡± Ryan continued to downy the situation as if he suddenly went blind and couldn¡¯t see Abby¡¯s tear streaked face. ¡°Can tousling someone¡¯s hair result in this?¡± Micah pointed at Hanna¡¯s hand where you could see several strands of hair, which she clearly pulled out of Abby¡¯s hair while hurting her. Hearing the King, both Ryan and Hanna¡¯s faces fell immediate;y. Chapter 15 When the warrior came running to inform him that he was needed in Abby¡¯s room, this wasn¡¯t what Micah expected to find here. His trusted warrior was just a second away from crushing Hanna¡¯s hand while his mate was too detached from her own surroundings. Micah couldn¡¯t ce his own emotions when his warrior reiterated what transpired in this room while he was away. Meanwhile, Abby waspletely silent. Her eyes were lowered as she mechanically continued to pack the few things she owned. But it was clear that she had been crying badly from the tremors in her body. And when this shameless father and daughter duo tried to talk their way out of this situation, Micali couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Can tousling someone¡¯s hair result in this?¡± Micah pointed at the hair strands in Hanna¡¯s hand. Both Ryan and Hanna¡¯s faces paled when Micah said that. Hamma was too stunned to speak. She didn¡¯t realize she had actually yanked Abby¡¯s hair really hard until she tore a few hair strands ofl¡¯up until then. Damn it! The one time she was careless just had to be today, when the King was here to back this monster up. She had always made sure to never leave any evidence when she abused Abby. And hurting Abby was almost a daily activity for her. It was a part of her daily routine. She reveled in her sister¡¯s pain. Her luck was really bad today. What should she say to get out of this mess now? ¡°This. My King- it wasn¡¯t because I pulled her hair to hurt her. It was¡­ it was¡­¡± Hanna couldn¡¯te up with any reasonable exnation, looking all the more guilty with each second that passed. However, it was Ryan who answered the King. ¡°I think she wasn¡¯t really paying attention and her ws seemed to have cut some of Abby¡¯s hair.¡± Ryan immediately signaled for Hanna to y along with him. ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t what it looks like.¡± Ryan continued to say a few more things about how Hanna should have been careful and such. ¡°Hanna, you should pay more attention to your ws. See, now your sister is almost hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, father. I have been careless. I¡¯ll pay attention now onward.¡± ¡°Abby, those few strands will grow back in no time. Forgive your sister this one time.¡± Ryan didn¡¯t forget to pull Abby into his web of lies as well, silently warning her to keep mum until the end. Micah almost growled at Ryan¡¯s words. What few strands? Hanna almost pulled a tuft of Abby¡¯s hair, Micah doubted if she left any bald spots on her head. But Ryan had the audacity to brush it off just like that? Both Ryan and Hanna were cunning enough. They were banking on the fact that Abby wouldn¡¯t say anything even if she had been hurt even more badly. Seeing their hypocritical acting, Micah couldn¡¯t help but ball his fists. He immediately walked G 63 toward his mate, wanting to personally check on her for injuries. However, Abby almost flinched when he approached her so suddenly with this murderous aura emanating from him in waves. The King felt helpless seeing her reaction. He decided he had to quickly work on making Abby feel morefortable with him. That would be on the top of his priorities now. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t expect for Micah to approach her all of a sudden and coupled with the fact that he didn¡¯t look amiable, it made her want to put some distance between them. Only she couldn¡¯t do anything about it physically as she didn¡¯t want to upset the King even further. ¡°Let me see if you are hurt,¡± Micah finally said as he didn¡¯t want her to feel afraid of himself. Even though he asked for permission, the King didn¡¯t really have the patience to wait for Abby¡¯s approval. He swiftly turned her around and lifted her hair to look at the back of her neck when he couldn¡¯t find any visible marks on her skin. Abby stiffened and closed her eyes when the King manhandled her. She actually felt really awkward around him while Micah acted with familiarity with her. He was a natural. He was gentle with her. whatever coldness he showed to the Beta and his elder daughter was nowhere to be seen when he was dealing with Abby. On the other hand, Micah almost cursed when he couldn¡¯t find any proof to back his own warrior¡¯s ims. Except for her tears, there wasn¡¯t any obvious sign that Hanna really hurt Abby. And when Ryan saw this scene, he didn¡¯t hesitate to stress his own words, brushing it off as just a misunderstanding. ¡°See, Abby wasn¡¯t hurt.¡± Micah clenched his fists. ¡°What about her tears then?¡± ¡°She was probably sad that she was about to leave our pack and us, after all, she has to follow you to an unknown ce, while she had never gone anywhere,¡± Hanna immediately made up another excuse. She praised herself for being able toe up with that, and as expected, Ryan followed her cue. ¡°Yes, that must be it. You see, My King, Abby is just sad that she will miss us all badly,¡± Ryan backed his elder daughter up. Micah looked at the warrior who subtly shook his head, emphasizing that that wasn¡¯t the case. But Micah also knew he didn¡¯t have any proof other than his warrior¡¯s ims. Meanwhile, seeing the King go silent, both Ryan and Hanna could finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, their happiness didn¡¯tst long when the King turned to Abby again and asked her what actually happened. ¡°Abby, is what your sister said true? She didn¡¯t really hurt you?¡± Micah was especially patient with Abby, he spoke to her gently and didn¡¯t rush her when she didn¡¯t give him an answer immediately. Meanwhile, Abby didn¡¯t exe to be dragged into the middle of this. She quickly stole a nce at her father, who wouldn¡¯t stop ring daggers at her. ¡°I- I a- am sorry,¡± Abby finally said.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 16 The King tomed to Abby and asked her what actually happened. ¡°Abby, is what your sister said. true? She didn¡¯t really hurt you?¡± Even though the King, tried his best to sound approachable, Abby couldn¡¯t forget his drammatic entrance from earlier or the way he had been gushing his teeth the whole time Ryan and Hanna were busy telling tales and putting on their one sided loving family act. Yes, she indeed seemed indifferent and oblivious to her surroundings, but she had been paying close attention to her self proimed mate And when the King asked her this question all of a sudden, her system couldn¡¯tprehend the right response as her automated response made an appearance. ¡°I Fa- am sorry.¡± Abby hastily said, as she rubbed her cheeks while closing her eyes. She didn¡¯t know how to escape this situation without upsetting either of the two men who were now looking at her intensely. One was her own father, silently warning her to y along with him. The other was Micah, who wanted her to say something she wasn¡¯t courageous enough to admit. She just wanted this to end and leave here quickly. ¡°I am sorry¡± She repented, hoping Micah would drop this matter. In Abby¡¯s mind, all this ruckus was caused because of her, Had she answered Hamma immediately, the situation wouldn¡¯t havee to this. Now, her father was mad at her again. He wouldn¡¯t stop giving her death stares, Abby didn¡¯t know if what she did was the correct thing or not, but when she saw her father¡¯s eyes turma but softer, she could breathe a little easier again. Only Micah¡¯s reaction caught her off guard. in the next second.. Micals audibly growled when he heard her apologize again for something she wasn¡¯t even responsible for. However, when Abby visibly flinched hearing his response, he told himself to calm down first. The King could see that she was afraid enough, he should try to make her feel safe with himself, not scare her even further. Having decided that, Mical closed his eyes for a second. He needed to get rid of his growing frustration first, though. ¡°Abby, Sweety, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You don¡¯t have to apologize,¡± Micah started with calming her down first. ¡°I just want to know if you are really not hurt, okay?¡± He rubbed her cheeks gently with his thumbs while looking into her eyes, silently trying to tell her that he was on her side and she didn¡¯t need to be afraid., Just as Abby nodded her head in response to Mical¡¯s reassurance, Beta Ryan tried to remind her that he was still watching his daughter. ¡°My King, Abby is just sad¡­¡± Beta Ryan stopped mid sentence when the King threw him a dagger look. Meanwhile, seeing how protective Micah was of Abby, Hanna couldn¡¯t help but burn with jealousy. This all should have been hers. The King, his affection, his protection and everything. What right did this monster have to have the King wrapped around her fingers? 18:07 Wed, 6 Mar D. However, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it but wallow silently. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel wronged when her father insisted on not acknowledging that she was really hurt. He was once again denying what actually happened while trying to turn blind eye to her predicament. Fresh tears welled up in Abby¡¯s eyes when she couldn¡¯t help but recall all the times her father and sister treated her unfairly and turned blind eyes to her pain. Yet, she didn¡¯t dare to make a peep as she continued to cry silently in Micah¡¯s arms. Seeing her suppress her sadness like this made unadulterated rage bubble in Micah¡¯s heart. She was so fragile Micah felt a pang in his heart just at the sight of herself being all vulnerable. Her nose and at cheeks were unhealthily red from all the crying, and Micah wanted to hug her tightly and never let This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. 1. go. ¡°Abby, just tell me the truth, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Micah finally whispered when Abby wouldn¡¯t stop crying. He doubted the girl would faint from all the feelings that currently seemed to overwhelm her. And Micah wasn¡¯t really wrong as Abby could feel her head throb painfully as if there was a really heavy rock resting on the top of her head. Maybe because she cried a lot, Abby could feel her head ache painfully. In the face of the persistent persuading from Micah, Abby couldn¡¯t help but finally give up as she admitted that she was hurt by Hanna. ¡°Y¨Cyes,¡­ H- Hanna pulled m- my hair.¡± Her voice sounded so small, Hanna and Ryan almost missed what she said. But that wasn¡¯t the case with the King who was paying really close attention to his mate. And the moment she admitted that what the warrior said was true, Micah felt his blood boil with anger. But he didn¡¯t forget to take her close beforepletely losing his control. Oh how he wished he could run rampant and kill these two with his own hands right at this instant! But he couldn¡¯t do that, if he did, he would only scare Abby even more Micah was not a kid, he could say that Hanna didn¡¯t simply pull her hair¡­ this nasty woman definitely did something more or else Abby wouldn¡¯t have closed herself off like she did when he returned from Ryan¡¯s study room earlier. The King left his warrior to keep an eye here, only he knew how he wished he were wrong and Abby didn¡¯t get hurt again. Right under his nose no less. The air around him suddenly changed as it crackled with tension and the moment his enraged eyes fell on Hanna, both Ryan and Hanna realized they were doomed. ¡°What do you say about this, Beta Ryan?¡± Micah looked ready to tear apart this father and daughter duo. ¡°I still think it is just a misunderstanding- Hanna didn¡¯t pay attention to her ws¡­¡± Ryan trailed off when he realized he couldn¡¯t talk his way out of this anymore. Both Ryan and Hanna couldn¡¯t help but curse at Abby fornding them in this situation. This monster only knew how to bring bad luck to them. 24 Wed, 6 Mar R Micah couldn¡¯t help but sneer when Beta Ryan still didn¡¯t give up. He decided he couldn¡¯t bother with these people anymore as he immediately ordered for Alpha James toe there before he made his personal warriors drag both Ryan and Hanna out of the house. ¡°Drag these two out at this instant!¡± Micah barked at his warriors. ¡°My King, please show mercy. Hanna was just being willful. She didn¡¯t really mean any harm,¡± Beta Ryan changed his tune when he saw that the King was beyond enraged. This was all because of this monster. Had she not opened her mouth, this would have ended right away. Still Ryan felt that the problemy with Abby when it was them who never bothered to exercise kindness and sympathy. On the other hand, Hanna couldn¡¯t believe this monster had actually sold her off. Did she feel emboldened with the King backing her up? She really dared tond her in trouble. This pathetic worm! ¡°Mercy?¡± Micah scoffed out the word. Did this beta really use that word with him just now? Did he even know the meaning when he couldn¡¯t even sympathize with his own daughter? Ryan felt his throat clogging in, sensing the fury of the King when he uttered that single word. However, he couldn¡¯t let his beloved daughter be punished just because shended her hands on that monster. ¡°My King, Hanna has always been an obedient child. I don¡¯t believe she intentionally hurt her sister¡­¡± However, Micah was not ready to even spare him another nce as the King¡¯s personal warriors rushed into the house to carry out their sovereign¡¯s orders. ¡°No, listen.. It was really a misunderstanding. Hanna finally found her voice, only there was no one ready to hear her pleas. About four wariors restrained Ryan while two were more than enough to subdue Hanna, as they didn¡¯t stand any chance at all in the face of the King¡¯s warriors¡® might. On the other hand, Abby, the person responsible for all of this, was shocked beyond possibilities. She couldn¡¯t believe that the situation had escted so fast. Her father and sister were still spouting nonsense until a moment ago, now they were being dragged out like rabid dogs as they begged for mercy. Yes, when the Beta and his daughter realized Micah wouldn¡¯t listen to them anymore, they reverted back to begging for mercy. Only Micah wouldn¡¯t pay them any attention as he focused on taking care of his mates feelings. They were all out in the open in no time and as the father and daughter duo wouldn¡¯t stop shouting at the top of their lungs to be spared, it garnered a lot of attention from the pack members. Even before the Alpha of this pack could follow the King¡¯s order and attend his audience, more than half of the pack gathered before the Beta¡¯s house. When Alpha James rushed here, this was the scene that greeted him. He was about to order the warriors to release his Beta out of habit when he realized they were the King¡¯s personal warriors. And sure enough, he could see Micah standing not too far from them with an arm around Abby¡¯s Mar a D Just when the people were all wondering why Abby was standing next to Micah. the King made a shocking statement in response to Ryan and Hanna¡¯s pleas. ¡°You should be asking for forgiveness from Abby instead.¡± Chapter 17 Ryan thought he had the King all figured out, it was why he was bold enough to try and push his elder daughter onto Micah. Even Hanna thought the same as she believed the King would definitely choose herself over her monster sister. After all, who would want a freak like Abby? However, all their fantasies came crashing down when the King didn¡¯t even hesitate to order for themselves to be captured like some kind of rogue shifters in their very own home after Abby admitted that Hanna hurt her for real. Even before they could get a chance to plead for some mercy, they found themselves kneeling in front of that freak. Abby. No less in front of their own house and more than half of the pack members. Beta Ryan felt utterly humiliated and enraged at Abby, but his fear for Micah overruled every other emotion as he didn¡¯t even dare to fight back, while Hanna couldn¡¯t even breathe properly with all the fear consuming her heart. Meanwhile, everything after her confirmation seemed like a blur to Abby, as she was beyond shocked to see Micah react so coldly and heartlessly. Abby couldn¡¯t even bring herself to watch on as they begged to be spared endlessly. ¡°It was a one time thing¡­ Hanna isn¡¯t really in her right mind.¡± Ryan still didn¡¯t give up as he continued to plead with Micah. ¡°My King, I¡¯ll never do it again.¡± Hanna didn¡¯t even dare to deny it anymore as she indirectly. admitted to her mistake. Hanna couldn¡¯t care less about the people who were watching themselves being treated like war prisoners. She just wanted to escape the King¡¯s wrath in any way possible. Ryan had the thought as he lost all dignity since half of the pack already saw them like this. Sume Meanwhile, the pack members that gathered around couldn¡¯t make heads and tails of this situation. What was with this situation? Why were Beta Ryan and Hanna being subdued? While Abby was standing with the King? And when Micah tightened his arm around her hips and implied for Ryan and Hanna to apologize to herself, Abby felt the air almost get knocked out of her lungs. ¡°You should be asking for forgiveness from Abby instead.¡± As soon as the King uttered those few words firmly, everyone gathered there sucked in a shocked gasp before falling utterly silent. On the other hand, Abby, who was trying to make herself look as small as possible until then, nearly copsed when she heard Micah. Even Alpha James who just rushed there upon the King¡¯s order was stunned speechless. ¡°Apologize to that monster?¡± Hanna couldn¡¯t control her mouth when she subconsciously blurted out this. Begging the King for mercy was one thing, but to lower her head in front of this freak was completely uneptable. Micah would have ripped her head off her shoulders, woman or not, hadn¡¯t Abby been already. 18:07 Wed, 6 Mar D¡¤ shaking in his arms. -? Meanwhile, Abby didn¡¯t know how to react when she had never seen her father get humiliated like this. A good father to her or not, Ryan had always been a proud shifter. Moreover, they were her only family. Micah could see that she was feeling bad for them. Sure enough, the next thing that came out of her lips was something that made the King almost growl out of frustration. ¡°They don¡¯t have to, I¡¯m fine. Really,¡± Abby didn¡¯t feel fine with this situation at all. If anything, she felt ufortable. Especially with so many people staring at her so intensely. Out of curiosity or not, she simply couldn¡¯t take it. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Abby¡­¡± Micah started, wanting to make her understand that everything would be alright. Only Abby cut him off mid sentence. ¡°But¡­¡± Only Abby didn¡¯t know how to make Micah understand that she couldn¡¯t see them like this. She struggled to find it in herself to plead on their behalf when her decade long grievances wouldn¡¯t stop resurfacing at the back of her mind, reminding her how badly they hurt her all these years. Micah understood Abby¡¯s struggle and his heart melted even more for his broken mate. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve your kindness.¡± Atst, Micah decided for her and chose to keep her out of this. If she couldn¡¯t even bear to see them kneel for her, he couldn¡¯t imagine how she would feel if he insisted on punishing them for her. However, that didn¡¯t mean he would spare them: Not a chance even in hell. He would make them regret it. Everything and every time they ld hands on his sweet mate. ¡°Okay,¡± Micah said out of the blue. And this one word was so confusing, the people there didn¡¯t know what to make out of it. On the other hand, both Ryan and Hanna felt hopeful. This monster did something good for once. Hanna immediately thought she would be spared. If only they knew what the King was nning, they wouldn¡¯t have let their hopes up. Both Ryan and Hanna almost asked the warriors restraining themselves to release them when they heard the King bellow at someone. ¡°Alpha James, your impudence knows no bounds!¡± Everyone¡¯s jaw dropped when they heard him shout at their alpha out of the blue. And before anyone could collect their bearings, Alpha James found himself kneeling before Micah and Abby. Earlier it was their pack¡¯s beta and his daughter, now it was their alpha. The pack members were bbergasted to witness this sudden turn of events. Even Alpha James was clueless as to how he angered the King. His legs gave away when the King suppressed his beast with his superior alpha voice and here he was, kneeling not too far from his 18:07 Wed, 6 Mar own beta. But he was wise enough to quickly realize his mistake when he thought back a little. He immediately apologized for forgetting the custom and not showing courtesy to the King earlier. Only the King¡¯s aim waspletely different from just demanding respect from his subjects. ¡°I¡¯m stripping Beta Ryan from his position,¡± Micah announced with authority. Çú 0 Chapter 18 Impudence? Alpha James didn¡¯t understand why the King was suddenly furious at himself. However, when he recalled that he had been standing there like a statue from the moment he arrived at the scene without greeting the king and showing him the respect he deserved, the Alpha immediately. apologized. ¡°My King, I was careless just now. I would never disrespect you on purpose. I was only shocked.¡± Alpha James couldn¡¯t continue anymore when the King wouldn¡¯t stop suppressing his beast. Alpha James gathered that the King was real mad then, only he didn¡¯t know whom to me for this. But Micah didn¡¯t leave him in suspense for long. ¡°Alpha James, beforeing here, I didn¡¯t take you for someone so ipetent,¡± Micah said word by word. Alpha James was petrified at his words, he couldn¡¯t understand this turn of events at all. But he wasn¡¯t one to escte a situation which was unfavorable to himself and increase problems. So, he immediately said, ¡°My King, I humbly request you to please let your humble subject know his misgivings. I¡¯ll definitely correct myself and make it up to you.¡± ¡°Do you really not know?¡± Micah didn¡¯t feel the need to exin things to this ignorant alpha. He was so ignorant he let a pack member, a woman at that, be abused for so long. And when he remembered that Abby had been suffering from a young age of nine, Micah couldn¡¯t help the urge to exact revenge. Alpha James immediately felt like he missed something. He fell silent as he pondered over the King¡¯s words. And it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize the crux of the issue. His beta¡­ The Alpha knew how meticulous he had been from the moment the King arrived to their pack. He made sure everything was up to if not over the standard, so that the sovereign wouldn¡¯t be offended at any point. The only thing the King could possibly be angry about should be Abby, his newly found mate¡¯s life here. When the King asked him about his mate, he was really calm that the Alpha didn¡¯t think Micah would have such a strong reaction like this, though he wasn¡¯tpletely ignorant like his stupid beta, as he thought Micah would react in some way. Shifters are protective in nature, possessive even. Had he been in the King¡¯s shoes, he wouldn¡¯t have been so calm, for mates were really important to shifters. So, he could only imagine how angry the King was to find his mate after so long only to learn how wrongly she had been treated all her life. Yes, he knew what was happening and never stopped Ryan. But he couldn¡¯t be calm anymore when the King made this his problem until he didn¡¯t hesitate to humiliate his beta like this. And now, even Alpha james was implicated until he was being held ountable for Ryan¡¯s wrong doings ¡°My King, my beta is insensible,¡± Alpha James started, testing the waters. Sure enough, Micah¡¯s eyes hardened as his grip around Abby¡¯s waist tightened a tiny bit. ¡°He should have been¡­¡± 18:07 Wed, 6 Mar D. However, his voice trailed off when the king interrupted him, ¡°And you let him run rampant until his insensitivity implicated others and now he is uncontroble¡± Alpha James didn¡¯t need any confirmation anymore, this was indeed about Abby, but he wasn¡¯t stupid to not understand the King¡¯s stance here. The King stopped him before he could mention Abby¡¯s name. He was clearly being protective of her. So, he too wisely shut up and yed along with the King. ¡°My King, I should have been more careful. I ept any kind of punishment for not keeping my beta in check.¡± Alpha James was not an alpha for no reason. He understood the gravity of the situation and was cunning enough to extricate himself from this was d that the Alpha was wise enough to read the situation. James understood where the King stood in this matter. But, it didn¡¯t mean Micah would forgive him that easily. ¡°Alpha James, one¡¯s ignorance could lead not only himself to his own demise, but also the people. around him.¡± It was a clear warning. Micah clearly implied that the Alpha was ipetent once again. Even though the Alpha never actively hurt Abby, he never tried to sympathize with her either. He let the abuse happen until Abby became what she was now. So, Micah didn¡¯t hesitate to humiliate the Alpha in front of his own people. This should be enough. of a punishment for him. ¡°As for your Beta, he will be stripped from his position right at this instant.¡± The authority in the King¡¯s voice made the Beta in question shudder in fear. Ryan immediately wailed, pleading for mercy. ¡°My King, I was wrong. Spare this lowly subject of yours onest time. I¡¯ll definitely straighten my ways.¡± He promised all kinds of things, even going as far as saying he would ept any kind of punishment. However, just one look from Micah was enough to shut him up again. Forget his position, the look on the King¡¯s face at that instant made him fear for his own life. Meanwhile, Abby couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard, and before she could ask Micah to stop, King made another statement. ¡°Whip Ryan and Hanna a hundred times.¡± the By now, everyone present could tell why Beta Ryan was being punished, only they couldn¡¯t understand why the King was standing up for her. And why the girl was pressed so close to the King¡¯s side. The fact that Abby was King¡¯s destined mate hadn¡¯t yet been made public, so they were still clueless about this connection. On the other hand, Hanna and Ryan immediately started apologizing to Abby, understanding that the King wouldn¡¯t listen to them anymore. ¡°Abby, my good daughter. Father was wrong. Forgive me, will you?¡± He was so desperate that it sounded like he was ordering her instead of pleading with her. ¡°Abby, please, don¡¯t let thiyhappen to me,¡± Hanna also shed all pretenses as she too started pleading with Abby. 18:07 Wed, 6 Mar D. 63% Even until a few moments carlier, it never crossed either of Ryan and Hanna¡¯s mind that they would be punished so severely like this. This was simply unbelievable. Now, they didn¡¯t have any other option left but to beg Abby, the very person they stepped on until the day before. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. They never thought there woulde a day, where their Gates would fall in that monster¡¯s to be decided upon. Being whipped a hundred times meant, to be beaten to an inch of one¡¯s life, if not sure death. Not to mention the fact that Ryan should kiss goodbye to his beta position. Meanwhile, Hanna was so scared she started shaking from head to toe while crying her eyes out and begging Abby to save herself. ¡°Abby, please save me, I¡¯ll never mistreat you again,¡± Hanna wailed at the top of her lungs. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t stomach either their predicament or their terrified pleas to be saved. Her heart constricted to see Ryan and Hanna treated so harshly. ¡°My King, please don¡¯t beat them,¡± Abby finally whispered to him when she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was so ufortable seeing them like this that Abby had to avert her eyes a few times, just to will away the images of the desperate looks on their faces. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see them get beaten up.¡± When Micah heard her, he wanted to make her see that their punishment was well warranted, even though it camete. However, he couldn¡¯t be stern with her and assert his iron fist when she looked. so vulnerable while crying for her decade long abusers, pleading with himself to spare them. ¡°Please, think of another punishment.¡± Abby requested him with sincerity. She was so soft hearted and vulnerable, he didn¡¯t have the heart to deny her first request to himself. But he couldn¡¯t let them off that easily either. ¡°Do you want them dead at once?¡± Micah said, shocking Abby along with the other people. The situation escted so fast, Abby felt her head spin at his words. ¡°No,¡± she almost shouted. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt them,¡± Abby finally said, still sounding so unsure about what to feel about this whole situation. It was Micah¡¯s turn to be speechless, but he was, at least, d that Abby didn¡¯t readily forgive them. She only asked to change the punishment and for it to not hurt. It seemed like even his mate understood that he had to punish them for his own piece of mind, and even though she wasn¡¯tpletely sure about himself being her mate, she chose to lean onto himself and gave him the right to be protective of her. As for the mate thing, he swore to solve the mystery why she couldn¡¯t recognize him as her mate immediately. ¡°Okay, leave it to me,¡± Micah told her atst before turning to the Beta and his alpha. ¡°Both Ryan and his elder daughter are to be exiled from this kingdom,¡± Micah finally announced before the still bbergasted pack members. With that said, Micah didn¡¯t wait a second longer there as he left with Abby close to him, letting Wed, 6 Mar BOD. Alpha James deal with the father and daughter duo. And before James could suck in a breath of relief, he was summoned by the King again, where he was ordered to appoint apetent beta for his own pack with immediate effect. Alpha James almost shivered when he heard the wordpetent, as he felt like he just received a second warning. Çú Chapter 19 Micah brought a still shaking Abby to the guest bedroom prepared for himself in this pack house. The girl was rattled to say the least and the King couldn¡¯t help but hug her gently. Abby felt just right in his arms and the urge to never let her go intensified in his heart. Only he couldn¡¯t act on it right now, as he had to deal with one more thing before they could leave for the capital city tomorrow. Even though Micah really wanted to leave as soon as possible, he wanted for Abby to regain her bearings a bit first. And after seeing the way she cried almost all day, Micah felt leaving after letting her sleep for the night would be a more wise choice. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in no time, rest your head while I¡¯m gone, hmm?¡± The King said to Abby after releasing her from his embrace. He wiped her tears and kissed her forehead when she didn¡¯t say anything but just nodded her head in response. He took her hand and pulled her to the bed, before gentlyying her down and covering herself with the nket. With that, he left to attend his matters. select apetent shifter to be your next beta. I reckon you won¡¯t repeat your past mistake of failing to discipline your own beta.¡± Alpha James received the order from the King, feeling dreadful with every word that left his lips. Gone was the patient king who spoke so gently to Abby, as he reverted back to his cold self when dealing with people like James. ¡°Yes, My King. I¡¯ll finish the task by the end of the day and the chosen one will apany me to send your highness off tomorrow morning,¡± James immediately promised the king. Only when the King left the pack meeting room, could the Alpha finally be able to sigh in relief, for he believed he escaped death by a really thin whisker. By the time Micah returned, it was well into the night. He thought Abby would be fast asleep, considering how tired she must be both physically and mentally. But he found his mate staring out the window the moment he opened the door to the guest bedroom. He could see that she changed into the dress he prepared for herself. It was a simple white ankle length gown with a bow in the front and it looked lovely on her. Actually, he wanted her to do this as soon as they returned to their room, but she was so out of sorts at that time, he just wanted her to rest her head before anything. Only she didn¡¯t seem to have the same thought as it was clear that she didn¡¯t rest at all after returning. He could say as much just by looking at the bed where heid her down. ¡°You are not so obedient, after all,¡± Micah said so suddenly that Abby, whose mind had wandered off into the distance, got startled. The girl immediately turned around and lowered her head right after confirming it was just Micah as she didn¡¯t know what to say in response. 18:07 Wed, 6 Mar D Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Was he mad at her? Abby didn¡¯t know if she should ask him directly. Seeing her adorable reaction, Micah could only smile to himself, feeling helpless. He slowly approached her after closing the door behind him and dismissing his warriors. The warriors would start guarding them in turns now as they had to catch a little bit of sleep each, after all, they had a long journey tomorrow. Micah walked to Abby who was still silent and could sense the way the girl tried not to squirm with every step that he walked closer to herself. ¡°How are you feeling, little one?¡± Micah asked her the moment he stopped a step away from her. When she didn¡¯t answer him immediately, Micah lifted her head to make her look at himself. However, he didn¡¯t say anything as he waited for her, silently trying to make her understand that she was safe with him. Sometimes, you just have to give people time to make themfortable enough. And Micah could be patient with her however long she needed him to be. Sure enough, his gentle approach proved to be sessful as Abby opened her mouth about five minutester. All that time, the King remained silent as he looked into her eyes. ¡°I feel a little bad,¡± Abby whispered softly. ¡°For your father and sister?¡± Micah asked her knowingly. ¡°Yes?¡± Abby answered him doubtfully, because she couldn¡¯t guess how he would react to her answer. After all, he was very angry at them earlier, even though she could tell he was only furious on her behalf. Micah expected as much, after all, no matter what, they were still her family. She was so timid. herself but still tried to speak to himself on their behalf earlier. He could see that she cared for them even though they didn¡¯t deserve her kindness after what they had done to her. ¡°Little one, Ryan told me what happened,¡± Micah finally said after thinking for a moment. Hearing that, Abby immediately stiffend and Micah could see how the air around her changed. again, ¡°Do you mean..?¡± Her voice trailed off, seemingly unable to form the words when uncertainty overwhelmed her senses. ¡°Yes, he told me about that incident from ten years back,¡± Micah filled in for her and saw how she trembled at his admittance. ¡°Everything?¡± Abby asked him in an almost inaudible voice, as she felt her throat clogging in at the mention of that horrible incident. Now, Abby dreaded his answer. Did he find out everything? Would he also see her as a monster now? A bringer of bad luck? Abby couldn¡¯t breath as she felt the air leave her lungs too rapidly, she started hyperventting. ¡°Little one, what happened?¡± Micah was at a loss when he saw her like this. 8:08 Wed, 6 Mar RD ¡¤ ¡°I¡¯m really a monster, right? I killed her.. I killed my mother.¡± É« Chapter 20 ¡°I¡¯m really a monster, right?¡± Abby uttered, her face a mirror of horror as she continued, ¡°I killed her¡­ I killed my mother¡­¡± Her voice broke toward the end of her sentence. She was ming herself for that incident, or more precisely, her father and sister abused her so much that Abby couldn¡¯t even recall how she herself was clearly a victim of that fire ident. ¡°No, Abby. It was just an ident. Wrong time, wrong person, wrong ce and wrong everything else,¡± Micah stressed each and every word, but Abby was so lost in her own misery and self ming parade that she wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. ¡°No, My King, it was because I am a bringer of bad luck,¡± Abby was so caught up in her own fear of being abandoned by the one person who stood up for her in so long she couldn¡¯t think straight at all. ¡°No, my sweet little one, you were not at fault. You were a victim yourself,¡± Micah didn¡¯t have any other choice but to hold her face with both of his hands so she would only look at himself when he told her that. She was a victim but her cunt of a father made her believe otherwise. She suffered at least a few third degree burns from her neck to her left shoulder for crying out loud. At the tender age of nine no less. And it left a huge fucking scar when she was a shifter. While shifters were known for their remarkable healing abilities. ¡°But I killed my mother¡­¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but cry. Her father and sister told her that she killed her mother for ten years almost on a daily basis that it engraved deeply in her mind. ¡°Yes, she died. But it was not because of you¡­. even if it was, it wasn¡¯t enough of an excuse for your father and sister to hurt you. For ten years at that,¡± Micah patiently coaxed Abby to make her understand that what Ryan did was uneptable. As her father and only living parent, Ryan should have taken her into his arms when she lost her mother. Instead, he chose to pin the me on herself until she lost her other parent as well. ¡°He only lost his mate, Abby. But you lost your whole family on that day,¡± Micah said, wiping her tears. ¡°His punishment was nowhere equal to the amount of abuse he forced upon you. The same goes for your sister.¡± Micah was so patient with her, Abby couldn¡¯t help but lean into his touch as she basked in the warmth he provided her. He was nothing but gentle and warm to her from the moment they metst night. Micah could sigh in relief when Abby gradually stopped self ming herself and whatnot as her inaudible sobs died down simultaneously, He could see that she was really tired, but she stubbornly waited for him to return so that she could talk with him. Only the topic of conversation was not something appealing to the King, though he was d that some weight on Abby¡¯s shoulders would be eased after this conversation. Meanwhile, Abby was really sleepy and almost dozed off, feeling oddlyfortable in his presence when Micah said something and her body stiffened slightly. wed, b Mar 0 63% ¡°Sleep early, little one, we have a long journey tomorrow,¡± Micah was now holding her hand with one hand while his other hand was still caressing her cheek in soft circles. ¡°What happened?¡± Micah asked her when she looked like a deer in headlights, saying nothing. Again, instead of answering him, Abby searched his eyes and Micah didn¡¯t have a choice but to repeat his question one more time before falling silent to wait for her answer. ¡°We..?¡± Abby just said that single word as if she heard it for the first time in her life. And Micah. immediately understood what was wrong. ¡°We are mates, Abby. So we will stay together. For that, you will follow me to my home tomorrow,¡± Micah said, understanding her dilemma. Even though she followed him around like a lost puppy today, it was only because of her special situation. Abby could ept him as her savior because he stood up for her and took care of both her and her feelings. But she still couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond between them. And she couldn¡¯t readily believe him even though he continuously proimed to be her destined mate. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel anything. Maybe you are wrong. Abby finally admitted. ¡°No, little one, I¡¯m a hundred percent sure about it. You are my mate, someone I¡¯m going to spend my life with.¡± Micah could see that she was scared. But she didn¡¯t have to be. He meant every single word he said. His beast could vouch for him. Abby felt touched hearing his words, but then her expression fell again. She felt self conscious as she remembered her scars as she couldn¡¯t help but touch them. Her scars were so horrible to look at until people really saw her as a freak. She didn¡¯t believe Micah would feel otherwise. wever, Micah beat her to it when he dropped his hand from her cheek to her neck and continued in a love filled voice, ¡°You are someone I want to cherish.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. His solemn promise was so sincere, Abby felt herself nodding, even though she was only half convinced by him. Micah understood that it was hard for her to believe himself whom she met only for one day. So he decided to give her the night to sleep on it. He was sure she would eventuallye around. With that thought, he proceeded to pull her to the bed. ¡°Can you sleep now?¡± Micah changed the topic and Abby felt relieved that he didn¡¯t call her on her uncertainty. ¡°Yes,¡± Abby started, but she got a doubt halfway to the bed. ¡°Where will you sleep?¡± Abby doubted if the King would want to sleep with her, since he believed she was his mate. What should she do then? Abby couldn¡¯t help biting her lips at that thought. Moreover, this room was actually prepared for him. Micah could see how awkward she sounded when she asked him that question as her face started Chapar 200 Mai DOD heating up wals the blood rushing to her checks. Micah mmediately felt an unge to kiss her, only The resorted to teasing her as a sudden unge to make her saquem in ce but his thoughts so hard ¡°I was actually nning to sleep in the adjacent room. But if you want, I can keep youpany. here Mial said, paying close attention to Alday¡¯s Lace Abby This Alley was tonguened ¡°We are mates, so we can sleep on the same boil; ¡°Bar Abby feltiin ted about how to convey her dilemma They were by the side of thest when Micah gently Lind her down and saw Abby closing her eyes hard. Only he covered her will banket Good night, Indle one¡± He gave her on the tonehead And then walled toward the doo olus urge and kissed Abby, who was still thinking of ways to push the Kung away, didn¡¯t realize the man was already by the door, ready to leave when she realized he was not touching her anymore. She opened her eyes and saw him opening the door. ¡°You are leaving?¡± ¡°Why? Want me to put you to sleep¡± Micali raised a brow, only then she realized the King was just teasing her And her response of burrowing further into the nket made Micali ckle as he closed the door behind him, shaking his head His mate is adorable. Period; However, when he thought about the people back from the pce, Micah¡¯s expression hardened again. It would be hard for his timid mate to survive there. They would haveints to ept her as the Queen. Not to mention her scars. Abby could really use a good night¡¯s sleep. The next morning. Abby woke up to the gentle knocking on the door and in the next moment, she saw Nadia, the royal healer, enter the guest bedroom. ¡°Good morning, Lady Abby,¡± Nadia greeted her as she walked up to the bed before proceeding to check on her. She was here to make sure Abby was fine for the long journey ahead as it would take about two weeks to reach the capital city. ¡°I¡¯m here to check on you.¡± Nadia told her gently while Abby nodded at her in response to her and Jet Nadia do her job. But her eyes wandered to the door. ¡°The King is waiting for you in his room,¡± Nadia supplied from the side Abby immediately lowered her eyes, seeing this, Nadia similed and fell silent. And an hourter, Abby was all set to leave. She could see Micah waiting for her right outside the door Together, Micah and Abby walked out of the pack house toward the waiting entourage. Abby could. 18:08 Wed, 6 Mar @ D ..90 see the streets filled with the pack members.. Apparently, they all came to send the King off. Under everyone¡¯s gazes, Abby was walking behind the King with her head lowered when she heard someone address her. ¡°My child, Abby. I am wrong for turning a blind eye to your suffering all these years.¡± Abby heard Alpha James¡® voice, and immediately stopped in her tracks. However, she resumed walking in the next second, as if she didn¡¯t hear anything. Seeing this. James wanted to stop her again, only he was greeted with the King¡¯s angry re, which sessfully halted him in his tracks. And when the pack members tried to approach Abby, the royal warriors stepped forward to prevent them from bothering their future queen. Chapter 21 The King helped his mate into the carriage and Abby saw Alpha James bowing along with all the pack members to Micah and herself as their carriage started moving. She remained silent even when she saw them keep bowing until she couldn¡¯t see them at all. Micah didn¡¯t talk either, letting her dive deeper into her own thoughts. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Micah suddenly said, mountain the least with huge clouds almost touching the top of e highest mountain there. range. It was breathtaking to sing Abby, whose attention was captured by a Abby, who was in awe, turned to Micah with a small smile on her lips and the King felt his heart thud rapidly. This was the first time for Abby to smile, albeit a small one, since they met. ¡°Yes,¡± Abby answered genuinely and Micah spent all their journey showing and exining the scenic beauty of the way from her former pack to the capital city. Abby was literally glued to her window the whole time as this was the first time for her to go out of her pack. Micah had already sent a letter to the capital, announcing that he found his destined mate and he would be returning to the capital city with their future queen. And so, several people, high ranked and commoners alike, gathered in front of the pce gates as they looked forward to seeing their king¡¯s mate. The King had been searching for her for so long, they were all really curious about her. And this was what greeted Abby the moment Micah offered his hand for her to take and get down from the carriage. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she saw everyone bowing to her, and she felt so self conscious of herself she couldn¡¯t help but cover herself with the outer robe Micah put around her shoulders. Micah, who noticed that she was ufortable, swiftly escorted her to his own bedroom after dismissing everyone. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Micah checked on Abby right after closing the door behind him. ¡°Hmm,¡± Abby just made a sound of affirmation as the tension slowly started to leave her body when Micah started to rub soothing circles on the backs of her hands. Only when she felt calm enough did Abby slowly register the room they were in. ¡°My former room.¡± Micah told her in a soft voice. And when Abby looked confused as to why he brought her to this room, Micah simply whispered, ¡°It¡¯s our room now.¡± 18:08 Wed. 6 Mar D¡¤ Apparently. Abby had to stay with him in the same room as they were destined mates. It was a rule. And it was clear that the King intentionally kept this from her. ¡°Our room?¡± Abby asked, shocked. She roamed her eyes around the room once again before looking back at Micah, her heart thudding rapidly. Abby felt the sudden shift in the air as Micah ran the back of his right hand up her left one before the longing look in his eyes registered in her chaotic mind. Gooseflesh erupted all over her skin when he gently cupped her cheek before rubbing her lower lip with his thumb. Abby didn¡¯t even realize when the man leaned so close she could feel his breath on her own lips. The intensity in his eyes captivated her instantly as she stood rooted to the ground. Micah had been holding back the urge to kiss her from the moment they met. Even his beast was restless that they hadn¡¯t imed their mate yet. The need to be one with her was so overwhelming Micah couldn¡¯t think straight. Only he knew that he was on the verge of losing his sanity over the mere thought of tasting her essence. Only the thought of Abby being scared away from him was stopping him from closing those fewst inches between their lips. ¡°I should probably stop,¡± Micah almost backed away from her when Abby did something really unexpected. The girl actually darted her tongue out as she innocently licked Micah¡¯s thumb that was about to leave her lips. Micah groaned at that single touch so loud, he himself feared he would go feral if he didn¡¯t kiss her at that very instant. And kissing her was what he did. Meanwhile, Abby didn¡¯t know what came over her to actually do something so obscene, but she couldn¡¯t care about it anymore when the King chased her escaping tongue into her mouth and intertwined his own with it, pushing them both into a frenzy of lust and need. Micah felt his world tilt from its axis at the sweetness he tasted in her mouth while her body responded to his touches as she tried to keep up with the kiss. Her not resisting him and immediately submitting to him was just another delicious treat. And her almost inaudible whimpers and moans were to die for. He wanted to hear more. He wanted to fucking make her scream his name. A kiss was simply not enough. All gentleness and thoughtfulness were thrown out of the window when the King almost ripped her dress, wanting to kiss all over her body. Only Abby stiffened so fast he thought he hurt her. He immediately released her lips and searched her face frantically. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± He asked her when he couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. Abby shook her head, panting hard. The girl¡¯s face was so red while her lips were all swollen. In his haste to taste her, he seemed to have forgotten to be gentle and nipped and bit her lips a bit too hard. And she looked even more enticing now. Their first kiss ended too early. Micah wanted to dive in for seconds when Abby averted her face. The King groaned in frustration when he couldn¡¯t taste more of her sweetness. But the haze of lust disappeared when he realized that Abby had started to close herself off again. Damn it! He lost control. Only he didn¡¯t know him losing control had nothing to do with Abby feeling ufortable. Even though she still couldn¡¯t see any obvious signs one would feel finding their mates looking at Micah, she didn¡¯t actually hate him touching her. If she had to be honest, she actually quite liked the way he touched her like she was something so precious to him. Only the thought of exposing herself to him overruled every other feeling as she couldn¡¯t help but be self conscious about her scars when he wanted to undress her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one, I was too impatient just now,¡± Micah said, hugging her before pressing her head to his chest. They both had to calm down. ¡°I am okay.¡± Abby said hurriedly, not knowing how to clear the misunderstanding. Only Micah brushed her quick reply off as one of her automated responses. However, it didn¡¯t mean he could give her space like he didst night and sleep in a different room. As such, Micah pulled her to the bed and hugged her to sleep, not giving her a chance to do otherwise. The next day Abby woke up to an empty bed, but Micah¡¯s scent was rubbed onto herself so much, she couldn¡¯t tell when he left her here alone in the bed. Having a confirmation or not, both his presence and scent were so calming, Abby couldn¡¯t help filling her nostrils with more of his scent greedily. She couldn¡¯t help recalling the way Micah kissed herst night and her cheeks flushed red in no time. Only she was woken up from her day dream when someone suddenly opened the door and stepped in were two women. Judging by their attire, Abby associated them with the maids she saw the day before in the pce. And she was proven right when they introduced themselves. ¡°Good morning, mydy,¡± one of the maids, named Alyssa, greeted a confused Abby. ¡°We are your personal maids, the other one called Reyna followed her fellow sister¡¯s cue. ¡°Personal maids?¡± Abby didn¡¯t like the idea at all. ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­¡± she was about to refuse them. when Alyssa beat her to it and brought the King up. ¡°We are here under King Micah¡¯s order, Lady Abby,¡± Alyssa informed her. She was polite but to the point And when Abby tried to refuse their help a second time, it was Reyna who insisted they wanted to serve her. Abby could only swallow her protests in the face of their polite working attitude. ¡°Lady Abby, it¡¯s time for you to take a bath.¡± Reyna almost dragged Abby into the connecting bathroom when the girl hemmed and hawed for too long. However, not even ten minutes had passed after Abby gave in and followed them into the 18:08 Wed, 6 Mar D This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. bathroom, twin screams erupted from the room startling the King who just returned from a meeting with the Council of Elders. 63% Micah immediately dashed into the bathroom, only to find mirrored horrified expressions on the maids faces while Abby was trembling from head to toe. Micah immediately understood what happened. He couldn¡¯t help ming himself for forgetting to warn them about his mate¡¯s special condition. Now she was embarrassed in front of her future subjects. He should have been careful when he knew how Abby felt about her scars. ¡°We are sorry, Lady Abby,¡± both Alyssa and Reyna were apologizing to Abby profusely when they saw the King enter the room and their hearts dropped. They didn¡¯t mean to react so strongly after seeing the scars on her back, it was so sudden their reaction waspletely involuntary. ¡°This¡­ My King¡­¡± Alyssa couldn¡¯t find her voice when Micah dismissed them both harshly. ¡°You both get out,¡± Micah gritted out before slowly walking to the still shaking Abby. Çú Chapter 22 Shifters were born with remarkable healing abilities, it was almost impossible for them to bear marks left by wounds, let alone scars. While the scars on Abby¡¯s body actually extended from the left side of her neck to her left shoulder, further spanning to her back, covering arge amount of skin on her back. Any shifter who saw it could only imagine the severity of her wounds until it left such a huge mark. Abby¡¯s scars had always been a sour spot for her. That was also why she didn¡¯t want the maids sent by Micah to serve her on a personal level. Only they wouldn¡¯t listen to her no matter what she said and here she was, trembling out of embarrassment at their reactions seeing her scars¡­ ¡°We are really sorry, we were just startled for a sec¡­.¡± Alyssa started right after a terrified scream left her lips. Reyna recovered almost immediately as well¡­ But the damage was already done. Abby couldn¡¯t help but recall all those times people saw her as a freak, a monster, for bearing these scars. Their words, their faces, some filled with horror while others with disgust, all hit her so hard. the girl started shaking. Her head started to hurt really badly while the two maids continued to apologize to her profusely. However, not even two minutester, she heard them stutter before one of them addressed the King. Abby immediately stiffened. Tension rolled off her body as tears streamed down her face when Micah finally approached her and rearranged her clothes. ¡°It¡¯s okay, little one,¡± Micah said in an apologetic tone. He was genuinely concerned about her. However, Abby could only hear his sympathy for her and her heart broke even more as she sobbed softly. She wasn¡¯t ready for him to see her like this. She knew she couldn¡¯t hide it forever, but she wanted to, at least, mentally prepare herself first¡­ This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°You saw everything?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t stop the question, knowing fully well it was a stupid one. Of course, he saw her. In broad daylight. And the way she asked the question was so heart wrenching, Micah immediately felt rage bubbling inside his chest. Only it was directed at himself, as he had been too careless. ¡°Little one¡­¡± Micah started when he saw her crying hard as she shook in his arms. She was sobbing so much he feared she would start huping after choking on her own tears. She was beyond inconsble and Micah felt his heart squeeze at the sight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t think this through first,¡± Micah said, pressing his lips to her forehead before bending down to carry her out of the bathroom. Abby immediately hugged his neck and snuggled closer to him as she buried her face in his shoulder. 18:08 Wed, 6 Mar 8 D. The girl couldn¡¯t help remembering the fact how her life had been turned upside down in just twenty four hours until she found herself in this strange ce, far away from her pack, the only ce she had ever known in her life. Now, she was all alone here, surrounded by strangers. Micah carried her to the bed and gentlyid her down before joining her, trying to console her by hugging her tightly. Meanwhile, Abby couldn¡¯t stop crying for a long time, until she ended up crying herself to sleep in Micah¡¯s arms. All that time, Micah patiently patted her back while whispering how he didn¡¯t find her scars bothering at all. But it was impossible to rece a decade long pain with a few words of reassurance. Micah knew that too, thus he decided to prove it to her through his actions. By the time Abby woke up with a splitting headache, it was alreadyte in the evening. She couldn¡¯t find Micah anywhere in their room, but was greeted with two new maids who were standing just beside the door holding a tray each. ¡°Good evening, Lady Abby,¡± both of them said in unison before one of them continued to talk further. ¡°We brought food and drinks,¡± the woman said before fallingpletely silent to wait for Abby¡¯s answer. Meanwhile, Abby, who was still disoriented from sleep, took a really long time to process their words. But then, where were Alyssa and Reyna? Abby once again waited for Micah to return, forcing herself to stay awake. But the King had to deal with so many things, he could only return really well into the night. ¡°You are still awake?¡± Micah asked her, frowning. The girl was tired but wouldn¡¯t rest on time. He didn¡¯t like this at all. She might worsen her health. Abby, who was struggling not to doze off, immediately stood upright seeing him enter this room. Their room. ¡°I am waiting for you,¡± Abby answered in a voice so soft, Micah doubted if she was even fully awake. However, a momentter, when Abby¡¯s answer finally registered in his mind, Micah couldn¡¯t help but smile. Having someone to wait for yourself toe back was an all consuming feeling after all. He walked over to her and grabbed her hand to pull her to the bed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for me to come. I would prefer you to sleep more. You look tired,¡± Micah told her, gently pushing her to the bed until she sat on the side of the bed. ¡°I wanted to,¡± Abby blurted out as the King settled beside her on the bed. É« 18-08 wed, 6 Mar And the girl was rewarded with a beautiful smile from the King, only it dropped a tad too fast. Abby felt disappointed she didn¡¯t look more clearly just now. ¡°I have something to say to you,¡± Micah said, seemingly remembering something in the next second. ¡°Okay, Abby immediately perked up her ears to listen to him carefully. But what the King said in the next moment left her so shocked she didn¡¯t even dare breathe too loudly. ¡°They decided it was best for us to have our mating ceremony as soon as possible,¡± Micah said. 0 Chapter 23 ¡°I wanted to.¡± Abby¡¯s simple admission made the King smile and he couldn¡¯t help but tousle her hair. But before the King could say something, Abby beat him to it with a confused expression on her This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. face. ¡°Where are Alyssa and Reyna?¡± Abby waited all evening, but the two were nowhere to be seen. At the mention of their names, Micah¡¯s almost smiling face fell so fast, Abby regretted saying something and ruining the moment. But then she saw his face harden and realized something was really wrong. ¡°What happened?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help asking when Micah didn¡¯t say anything for a really long. moment. Under her probing gaze, the King let her know that they were sent away. ¡°I sent them to theundry. room. Laundry room? It was a hard ce to work at. Especially for maids like them. ¡°Why?¡± Abby asked immediately but all she got was a narrowed look from the King. Abby realized she didn¡¯t need to ask anymore. They were sent away because of the incident in the morning. She immediately felt bad as she could tell they were being punished for something that they did unintentionally. She didn¡¯t hesitate to ask them to be released, saying she wanted them back. ¡°But,¡± Micah started, but Abby cut him off saying they were just caught off guard and the King couldn¡¯t refuse her when she asserted her stance on this matter. ¡°Alright,¡± he agreed to her request so fast Abby couldn¡¯t believe it. However, her happiness was short¨Clived as the King had something important to say to her. ¡°A mating ceremony?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but stiffen. His meeting with the Elders in the morning was actually about this, where they emphasized how the people were all very eager to see their future queen. Micah felt bad for her. He knew she needed time, but his hands were tied in this matter when they wouldn¡¯t listen to him no matter what. And so here Micah was, informing Abby the one thing he thought about all day, knowing fully well she wasn¡¯t ready yet. ¡°Yes, where you would be introduced to the people,¡± Micah told her softly. Hearing this, Abby was even more dumbfounded¡­ introduced¡­ to¡­ people¡­¡± 18-09 Wed, 6 Mar 8 D. Micah could hear the fear in her voice when every word she said came out as a question. 63% ¡°As their future queen,¡± Micah continued even though he could tell how frightened she was about this whole fiasco. She wasn¡¯t ready at all. She didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Future queen?¡± she repeated robotically, And when she asked when the ceremony would be held, the King¡¯s reply was actually vague. ¡°As soon as possible.¡± On the other hand, Abby realized it was no use knowing when it would be held, no matter when, she wouldn¡¯t be ready. However, before Abby could let any intrusive thoughts enter her mind, Micah changed the subject. ¡°The royal seamstress will take your measurements in two days¡® time,¡± he said, wanting to divert her attention. ¡°You need more clothes and also a dress for the ceremony.¡± Meanwhile, Abby weed the topic change as she didn¡¯t want to think about the mating ceremony right now. She would think about itter, when she was much calmer and stopped feeling the urge to run to the mountains just at the thought of meeting his subjects as his mate. His future queen no less. And she really needed more clothes. Her old clothes were all passed down from her sister, Hanna. Or to be more precise, the clothes she didn¡¯t want and threw to her as some charity. Meaning, they didn¡¯t suit her at all. ¡°Okay,¡± she said, not making anyments on the arrangements. On the other hand, even though Micah was unhappy about her previous clothes, he could pretty much guess whose handiwork it was and he couldn¡¯t let his future queen suffer any grievances. As such, it was decided that Abby would meet the seamstress the next day. The next day, Abby woke up to the happy chit chattering of two women and when she opened her eyes, she saw both Alysaa and Reyna beaming at her with lights in their eyes. ¡°Good morning, Lady Abby,¡± they both chirped. ¡°Thank you for forgiving us,¡± Reyna immediately said, as she avoided mentioning the cause of their punishment. ¡°Yes, we are really happy you spoke up for us,¡± Alyssa followed her cue. Abby couldn¡¯t feel any resentment whatsoever from them and felt happy for being right about them. These two girls were really nice with no ill intentions toward herself. On the other hand, forget about resentment, they didn¡¯t even feel unfair for being punished for their unintentional actions. When they realized that they made her feel ufortable in a ce she was new to, they felt shameful in fact. They crossed a line as servants. Their master got hurt. because of them And they couldn¡¯t believe that Abby actually forgiven them when the guards came to theundry 2/4 09 Wed, 6 Mar D room to fetch themselves back. They couldn¡¯t be more grateful when they learned Abby wanted them back as her personal maids. The future queen was really kind and they were more than happy to serve her. ¡°Mydy, you have a long day ahead.¡± Reyna spoke mysteriously as she ushered Abby into the washroom with Alyssa. only they didn¡¯t follow her into the room. They would take one step at a time, they decided to wait for Abby to befortable with them first. An hourter, after eating her breakfast Alyssa and Reyna prepared for her. Abby found herself waiting to meet the royal seamstress. After a soft knock. E, the seamstress, walked into the King¡¯s room. ¡°Good morning, mydy.¡± E greeted her politely. Her expression was perfectly schooled and Abby nodded in response. E asked her own assistant to set the tools and things she needed before sending the person away. Now it was only Abby, her two maids and E in the room and Abby didn¡¯t feel that tense. Abby realized the seamstress was already aware of her scars, apparently Micah had informed her about it. Yes, Micah told E everything and also the things she needed to pay attention to while she worked on her dresses. ¡°Mydy, do you have any particr requests for your dresses?¡± E asked, still sounding polite. She meant the style and such and when Abby said she didn¡¯t mind her opinions, E told her what. dresses she nned to make for her. ¡°Then, please step out of your dress when you are ready. I¡¯m ready to take your measurements.¡± E informed Abby after they finalized the styles and colors Abby wanted her dresses in. Even though she could tell that the seamstress was warned of her situation, Abby couldn¡¯t help. feeling self conscious to open her dress. She only came around after Alyssa and Reyna kept giving her reassuring nces and finally opened her dress. And E finished measuring her in no time. Even though she didn¡¯t do anything that warranted Abby¡¯s now frowning face as she watched her leave with her things and maids, she felt something was amiss. Only she couldn¡¯t point out what it was, E was too polite and worked mechanically, there was not even some small talk save for the greeting she offered Abby the moment she entered her room. On the other hand, E stepped out of the King¡¯s bedroom to leave for her own tower with no expression whatsoever on her face. 18:09 Wed, 6 Mar D 63% However, the disapproved look in her eyes was something her close servants couldn¡¯t mistake. But it was only momentary as her eyes turned nk in the next second. When the King summoned herself to talk about the dresses Abby would need for the ceremony, E didn¡¯t expect him to list so many things she needed to take care of. Things she clearly deemed the future queen of this kingdom shouldn¡¯t be associated with. And when she saw the scars with her own eyes, E¡¯s dissatisfaction with Abby only grew, but she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to voice those things or disy her feelings. Back in the room, after Abby wore her dress back, this time with the help of Alyssa and Reyna, she was pulled out of her room by her enthusiastic maids who wanted to give her a personal tour. And a few minutester, Abby found herself walking through the back garden of the pce, as her maids took it upon themselves to give her a brief tour around the pce. It was a beautiful garden filled with yellow flowers and Abby immediately fell in love with the ce. One ce at a time, they showed her the important ces until they ended up at the training ground and Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel awed by the number of warriors going through training there. Some were fighting in human form and the others circled each other in their beast form. Even young warriors were so invested in training, Abby couldn¡¯t help but admire their tenacity. And when the warriors saw Abby, they greeted her politely. But when they saw how timid she was they couldn¡¯t help wondering if she could be a good queen for them. Moreover, Abby was wearing a in dress without any essories, looking oh so simple, they couldn¡¯t imagine herself as the Queen. If not for the news about herself being Micah¡¯s mate hadn¡¯t been spread already, they wouldn¡¯t even associate her with the King. Meanwhile, feeling their curious gazes on her, Abby felt even more self conscious. ¡°Do you know where the King is?¡± She finally asked Alyssa when she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Since it¡¯s afternoon, he should be in a meeting with the elders.¡± It was Reyna who answered her. Çú Chapter 24 he should be in a meeting with the elders.¡± With the elders? Then he must be talking about the ceremony as well along with all other things. As this thought shed in Abby¡¯s mind, she saw Alyssa smiling at her mischievously. Abby. immediately felt this servant of hers was nning something. And sure enough, Alyssa didn¡¯t disappoint her. ¡°How about you pay him a surprise visit?¡± Alyssa almost wiggled her eyebrows as Reyna¡¯s face lit up. ¡°You should definitely do it.¡± The girl nearly jumped as she persuaded Abby together with Alyssa. And fifteen minutester, Abby found herself walking toward the great hall where the King was discussing the affairs of his kingdom with the Council of Elders. She didn¡¯t know how to refuse someone at all. Micah was about to say something to his royal beta when he caught his mate¡¯s scent, which made. him change what he was about to say to ordering n to finish the meeting in his stead. ¡°Royal Beta n will take over from here,¡± Micah pushed n to the elders, not even hesitating for a second. He dashed to the door and immediately saw his mate timidly following her two maids all confused. and adorable looking. And the way her eyes widened when she saw himself walking toward her made his own eyes soften. ¡°Touring around the pce?¡± He asked, taking her hand as she nodded like a kid caught stealing sugary goodies. On the side, the two culprits, who pushed Abby into this situation, were grinning like two naughty. kids. Their faces gave away that this was their idea and the King didn¡¯t mind it one bit. ¡°Had lunch?¡± Micah asked her and saw how the faces of her maids paled in the next second. Heavens! Theypletely forgot about it. They actually dragged Abby around the pce with an empty stomach. Would they be reprimanded again? Abby felt Micah¡¯s grip on her hand tighten at their reaction. ¡°I think it just slipped their minds,¡± she involuntarily defended them. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m not hungry yet.¡± She whispered to him, grabbing his hand that was holding hers with both hands while looking at him in all seriousness. Micah, who was about tosh at them, softened when she heard her. ¡°Don¡¯t repeat it,¡± he said while the two girls bowed their heads, nodding profusely. 18:09 Wed, 6 Mar D ¡°This will be thest time.¡± They swore as Abby rxed on Micah¡¯s side. Only he said something in the next moment, catching Abbypletely off guard. ¡°You can leave now. Abby¡¯s heart nearly dropped when she realized Micah was actually looking at Alyssa and Reyna. She thought he was dismissing her. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. However, in the next second, she couldn¡¯t help but dread what the King had in mind. ¡°I wil..¡± Abby was about to say she too wanted to leave when she saw the culprits of her predicament running away like someone chasing them. How could they not run when they just dodged a bullet? Abby couldn¡¯t possibly me them when she herself was also thinking about running away from him just a few seconds ago. ¡°Have lunch with me?¡± Micah said, as he saw her giving in to him. He could understand her fears, that was why he would be the one to dislodge them all. Slowly but surely. Abby, as usual, couldn¡¯t refuse the man and let him pull her toward the back of the pce, from where they walked toward the rows of trees lining the back garden. ¡°This¡­¡± Abby started, noticing what was awaiting her behind the densely packed trees. ¡°My king. this ce is beautiful.¡± Micah smiled when he saw the pleasant surprise in her eyes. He knew she would like it. He brought her to theke behind the pce where he already arranged for someone to set a table under the biggest tree there. He mindlinked his warriors the moment he dismissed Alyssa and Reyna. When Abby saw the table with two chairs by thekeside with no one around, she immediately rxed. He was really thoughtful and prepared. She couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful. ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Micah said, pushing her to sit on one chair before settling on the other. Abby was presented with a three course meal enriched with a few meat dishes. ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± Abby said innocently, which made him smile at her cuteness. The sun wasn¡¯t really harsh this particr afternoon, as the girl started enjoying a pleasant meal under the shadow, feeling the asional afternoon breeze caressing her face. This ce was both beautiful and peaceful.. ¡°So, how did your appointment with E go?¡± Micah asked as he proceeded to pour a bit more soup into her bowl as she seemed to like it more than the rest of the dishes. ¡°Did you finalize your dress for the ceremony?¡± When Abby was about to answer him, she saw someone approaching them from the corner of her eyes. 18:09 Wed, 6 Mar DD ¡¤ It was a young woman looking elegant and poised in her navy blue ankle length dress that entuated her curves. At one nce, Abby could tell she was someone with high status. 63% ¡°My king,¡± the woman called Micah, her voice dripping with familiarity as she flowed to the table with her maids trailing behind her. Her name was Ruby. She was the daughter of the former royal beta. She had been friends with Micah since they were kids as they basically grew up together. ¡°Ruby.¡± Micah acknowledged her presence, which prompted her to walk nearer to the table. Only her movements looked well practiced when she stopped on his left side, just short of touching him and Abby couldn¡¯t help wondering who she was and what his rtionship with her was. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Ruby exchanged pleasantries with Micah before her eyesnded on Abby, who was subtly observing their interaction while chewing her food. ¡°Oh, this is?¡± Abby lifted her head when the girl mentioned herself, and saw Ruby throwing a business smile at her. É« Chapter 25 ¡°She is my mate.¡± Micah answered Ruby¡¯s question politely. Even though she wouldn¡¯t stop trying to step even closer to the King by each second that passed, Micah only talked to her when necessary, always keeping his responses short and direct. ¡°She is?¡± Ruby said, trying to sound polite. She then turned around to face Abbypletely before giving her a onceover. When she walked over to Micah earlier, Ruby noticed Abby, but she didn¡¯t think much of her. The girl was so in she didn¡¯t catch her eye at all. Her clothes, essories or even the air around her was so simple. So, the moment Micah said she was his mate, her eyes immediately widened as her face was filled. with surprise. Apparently, the rumors she heard were true. Micah, her childhood friend, did find his mate. And it was this timid woman in front of her. Abby frowned when she heard her response. She couldn¡¯t tell what she meant by that, coupled with her appalled face. Only Ruby recovered too quickly as she smiled broadly. ¡°So you really found her atst.¡± She sounded too casual talking to the King of this kingdom. Apart from calling his name, she didn¡¯t try to refrain from following any other custom. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ruby. it¡¯s nice meeting you.¡± She sounded extra cheerful too, while her words came out too forceful. Abby could only nod in the face of her greeting. For some reason, she didn¡¯t like this Ruby girl at all. ¡°We would make great friends.¡± Ruby said, not bothering with the way Abby tried to refuse her when she skipped over to herself and tried holding her hand. Definitely don¡¯t like her. Abby thought as she looked at her evil ws with her difort clearly written all over face. ¡°I think you should go about your day first. Seeing that Abby was ufortable around Ruby, Micah stepped in to save the situation. ¡°Why my king, I haven¡¯t had lunch yet either. And it¡¯s been a long time since we met. We could catch up now,¡± Ruby said with enthusiasm, not bothering to register how ufortable Abby was feeling for being touched by her. ¡°We can find timeter,¡± Micah said dismissively. It was clear that that time would nevere from his tone. However, Ruby acted as if she couldn¡¯t take the hint at all as she continued, ¡°Well, Abby might be busy then. Since we decided to be friends, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we start being the same 18:09 Wed, 6 Mar @D. today?¡± 63 Meanwhile, Abby couldn¡¯t believe the audacity of this woman. She never agreed to be friends with this girl. ¡°But there are only two chairs here,¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but point it out, trying to save the hypocritical woman¡¯s face, only she wasn¡¯t easy to get rid of. ¡°Oh that¡¯s not a problem at all.¡± Ruby said to Micah before turning around to face her servants. ¡°Fetch me a chair,¡± she ordered and turned around to talk with Abby again. ¡°Abby, don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s go to town tomorrow. I will introduce all my friends to you. You will be well acquainted by the end of this week,¡± Ruby went ahead and made ns with Abby, without even looking at Micah now. She was being unusually enthusiastic that Abby felt a whish with every sentence that left her lips. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. She is not in a rush. Micah refused her again, unable to keep his cool anymore. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Since he already refused the idea of having lunch with her, her servants didn¡¯t dare to follow her order and fetch a chair. Even then, Ruby wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°How could she not be?¡± Ruby actually dared to sound disapproving of Micah¡¯s words. ¡°She has no support here, my king, making new friends and connections with important people is necessary.¡± Micah¡¯s expression hardened even more hearing what she was trying to imply. He looked at Abby and sure enough, her face fell. The frown on her face from earlier was reced with a distraught expression. On the other hand, Ruby still seemed to have something to tell. And when Micah looked down coldly, not saying anything, Ruby took it as himself thinking over her words. ¡°You know that too. Her background is weak and if she wants to survive in the pce, she could resort to this method.¡± Weak is a mild word to describe Abby¡¯s situation. She was basically an orphan with her namesake father being exiled from this kingdom. The unease Abby felt only intensified as Ruby kept implying how she would be seen as an unsuitable candidate for the position of the Queen of this kingdom. ¡°Ruby,¡± Micah sounded so harsh, even Abby felt her heart drop for a second. ¡°You should leave right at this instant.¡± Hearing him speak so sternly to herself, Ruby finally realized she had crossed a line. ¡°I only mean well¡­¡± Ruby trailed off when the King cut her a death re. ¡°Now,¡± Micah spoke. His voice was filled with so much authority, Ruby couldn¡¯t stay there anymore. Micah might use his superior alpha dominance on her if she agitated him further and Ruby knew it wouldn¡¯t be pretty anymore. 63% He was genuinely angry and pushing him only meant wishing for early death. Huffing a bit, Ruby turned around and left with her small group ¡°Are you okay?¡± Micah asked Abby as soon as that annoying fly left his view. Abby only shook her head in response. They finished their meal in silence as each sumbed to their own trains of thoughts. After that, micah sent her to their bedroom before going out to go on about his meetings. ¡°Here you are.¡± Abby turned around when she felt like she heard this voice somewhere before. And the person she saw was thest person she wanted to see any day. ¡°Miss Ruby,¡± Abby nodded her head in a greeting. ¡°Abby, you didn¡¯t forget our appointment, did you?¡± Ruby asked, her eyes filled with strange light.. ¡°But I didn¡¯t agree to it,¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. COMMENT 0 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°What do you want to have for lunchter, mydy?¡± Reyna asked Abby as they strolled around the garden with yellow flowers Abby found pleasing the day before. However, before Abby could answer her, they heard someone talking and when they turned around to see who it was, they saw Ruby walking toward them. Abby immediately felt like escaping to the safety of her bedroom when she mentioned the ns they made yesterday. ¡°What appointment?¡± Abby asked, frowning a little. ¡°Ohe on. How could you be so forgetful? Didn¡¯t I say I would take you to the town to meet my friends?¡± Ruby smiled effortlessly. ¡°Remember now?¡± She asked, searching Abby¡¯s face. ¡°You did¡­¡± Abby started, but Ruby cut her off mid sentence as she proceeded to hug Abby¡¯s arm like the day before. ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s go now,¡± Ruby chirped. Only Abby didn¡¯t give her a chance to molest her arm again as she stepped back a little. ¡°But I didn¡¯t agree to it,¡± Abby blurted out. Ruby¡¯s smile faltered a little when she felt the resistance from Abby. This was not how she expected this exchange to y out. ¡°But you didn¡¯t reject me either,¡± Ruby tried to soundposed, only her eyes wouldn¡¯t stop. narrowing in annoyance. Abby didn¡¯t know what to say to herment. She didn¡¯t get a chance to reject her then at all. ¡°I¡¯m saying that I don¡¯t want to go with you now,¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but say in the face of her insistent persuading. She didn¡¯t want to go with this woman anywhere. Even Micah said it was fine for her not to go if she didn¡¯t want to. That was why Abby could assert her stance a little and reject her readily. ¡°Ohe on, I have already informed them that I would bring you to meet them today,¡± Ruby didn¡¯t back down as she came up with all kinds of excuses. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow me to the town, they will all think I¡¯m lying to them.¡± Abby wanted to say that it was her problem to deal with, but she refrained herself when she remembered it was Micah¡¯s childhood friend she was talking with. Even though the King hadn¡¯t acted close with her the day before, he didn¡¯t deny that they knew each other for years either. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t possibly embarrass Ruby by being so defensive with her when the woman had been nothing but polite toward her. ¡°But¡­ Abby almost started squirming with difort, not knowing how to refuse this woman¡¯s goodwill. Seeing that Abby was being pressured indirectly until she started to struggle to find the words to 15:02 Fri, 8 Mar DB- Chapter 26 reject Ruby, Alyssa jumped in to talk on her master¡¯s behalf. 66% ¡°Miss Ruby, Lady Abby has ces to go.¡± Alyssa made up a random excuse as she couldn¡¯t see Abby struggle. ¡°Yes, miss, Lady Abby¡­¡± Reyna started, wanting to back up Alyssa¡¯s ims. However, Ruby was having none of it. She came here with a purpose, she was going to see to the end of it. ¡°I¡¯m talking to my new friend and your master,¡± Ruby narrowed her eyes at the two women who came to their master¡¯s rescue, effectively shutting them both up by making them remember their status. ¡°Know your ce and keep your behavior in check.¡±¡± On the other hand, Ruby¡¯s words sounded very rude in Abby¡¯s ears. She wanted to defend them when Ruby beat her to it. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to make a scene out of this. Now, even your se rvants are trying to dismiss me,¡± Ruby sounded offended, as she changed her tactics. ¡°They just wanted to help me. Don¡¯t misunderstand their interference.¡± Abby frowned as she couldn¡¯t think of a way to get out of this mess. ¡°I don¡¯t have to misunderstand anyone if you didn¡¯t change your mind about going out with me,¡± Ruby said. ¡°I didn¡¯t change my mind¡­¡± Abby tried to defend herself but was cut off by Ruby again. ¡°So you don¡¯t have a problem with going out with me?¡± Ruby looked so excited yetmanding at the same time, Abby didn¡¯t know how to respond to her at all. ¡°This¡­¡± Abby could¡¯t refuse her atst. Ruby smiled happily when she saw the defeated look on Abby¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to be fun. Just trust me on this,¡± Ruby reassured her as she grabbed Abby¡¯s hand to pull her with her. Abby could only follow her silently after exchanging a helpless look with her maids. ¡°Why are you bothing?¡± Ruby suddenly stopped and turned around to face Alyssa and Reyna. ¡°We are following Lady Abby,¡± Alyssa said, frowning. ¡°Just one is enough,¡± Ruby said, pinning Abby with a look. ¡°Why can¡¯t they both follow?¡± Abby asked Ruby. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious actually. Everyone else will only bring one maid with them,¡± Ruby said in a dismissive tone. ¡°Is that so?¡± Abby felt this so-called meeting new friends was soplicated with all kinds of weird. rules and immediately regretted agreeing to go with Ruby. This started to sound like a recipe for disaster. But, she couldn¡¯t back away anymore. 15:02 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 26 In the end, she chose Reyna to go with her. ¡°Alyssa, go back and rest.¡± Reyna and Alyssa, who almost prepared to have an altercation with Ruby for stopping themselves from following Abby, could only heed their master¡¯s order. They felt Ruby was being uncharacteristically excited. With that being said, Ruby pulled Abby with her while her own maid and Reyna followed them closely. Alyssa exchanged a look with Reyna as she bade goodbye to Abby. [This whole thing seems fishy, I¡¯ll go and report this to the King.] She mindlinked Reyna as she turned around to leave the garden. However, the moment she couldn¡¯t see Abby and Reyna anymore, she found herself being stopped by Ruby¡¯s maids. ¡°Not so fast,¡± a girl said as she blocked her path while the others backed her up. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Alyssa almost screamed in their faces. Çú N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 27 Ruby pulled Abby to the main gates of the pce, where Abby could see two carriages waiting for them. One was luxurious while the other was ordinary. ¡°You guys are finally here.¡± A female voice came from their right as soon as they stepped out of the pce gates. Abby turned around and saw a group of three women. The three were donned in long party dresses, clearly daughters of influential families of this capital city. Apparently, these were the friends Ruby wanted to introduce to her. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Another girl asked, clearly sounding impatient. ¡°Oh, stop sulking. We are here now, aren¡¯t we?¡± Ruby gave her a look and the woman immediately shut up. Ruby then turned to face Abby and introduced her. ¡°Here, these are my good friends. Le, Gissele and Tia. And this is Abby, our king¡¯s mate.¡± Tia, who was just about to ask her where the infamous girl was, immediately bit her tongue. Even Le and Gissele looked like they couldn¡¯t believe their ears. They all exchanged a look, while Abby felt even more ufortable. The three women genuinely didn¡¯t pay attention to her until then. To be honest, they were all expecting someonepletely different. Both in temperament and aura. This Abby girl didn¡¯t look the part at all. ¡°She¡­¡± Le, who talked first earlier, was cut off when Ruby interrupted her. ¡°Since we are all here, let¡¯s not waste time anymore. We have to reach the restaurant in time for our appointment. I reserved a private room for us.¡± Ruby pinned each of them with a look and all their questions were pushed to the backs of their minds immediately. The three silently got into the carriage. ¡°Come on, Abby,¡± Ruby nudged her arm when the girl wouldn¡¯t budge from her ce, while staring at Reyna. ¡°She will follow us on the other one,¡± Ruby said as she pulled her into the carriage. Abby could only get into the carriage. She sat by the window, beside Ruby, while the other three settled on the other side. ¡°So, Abby? Which pack did you hail from?¡± Le asked Abby who was staring out of the window. ¡°I¡¯m from the Silver Moon/pack,¡± Abby answered her. ¡°Your father is?¡± Gissele, who was busy talking with Tia, turned to look at Abby, promptingeveryone else to look at her. ¡°He is the Beta of the pack.¡± Abby¡¯s answer was once again short. ¡°You dress so simply for a daughter of the Beta of a pack.¡± Le said, her eyes quickly scanning Abby¡¯s attire. ¡°Oh! She must be so down to earth.¡± Tia observed, referring to her choice of clothes and the way she didn¡¯t use a single piece of jewellery on her. Both their gazes and words were polite, so even though Abby felt something was amiss, she couldn¡¯t point out what was wrong. So Abby only smiled, striking it off as girl-talk. For a trip to the town, Abby was actually considered underdressed. But she couldn¡¯t be med for this as she didn¡¯t n to follow Ruby and her high maintenance friends to the town today at all. She just came out to the garden after having her breakfast for a walk and fell into Ruby¡¯s hands. ¡°Tell me about your pack,¡± Tia asked her when she didn¡¯tment on her own dressing style. But Abby didn¡¯t feel like entertaining them anymore as she just nodded or shook her head whenever they asked something after saying she had an older sister. These three girls were so gossipy they talked about all kinds of things. asionally, they would even praise Ruby saying she came from the former royal beta¡¯s family and such. ¡°Ruby, no one can match your elegance in this capital city,¡± Gissele said as they gushed over their friend. ¡°No, there is actually one who can rival it,¡± Le said with a knowing smile. She sounded so mysterious until all of them couldn¡¯t help but give her their full attention. Only Tia seemed to understand her line of thought as she smiled at her friend. ¡°Who?¡± Gissele asked, feeling curious when both Le and Tia shared a smile. Meanwhile, Abby had long tuned out all their gossiping as she resumed watching out of the window. She couldn¡¯t follow half of the things they were talking about as they talked about various things that happened in this capital city. She couldn¡¯t contribute to a conversation she could not understand, so she chose to enjoy the view of the town. Only Tia¡¯s answer grabbed her attention again as the conversation from there turned really awkward for her to eavesdrop on. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s King Micah,¡± Tia supplied from the side. ¡°Right?¡± Le said while Ruby brushed them off simply, ¡°Don¡¯tpare me with him. His charms are iparable,¡± Ruby said, smiling a little. She sounded as if she couldn¡¯t bother about such sillyparisons when she wouldn¡¯t stop smiling. Abby looked at Ruby and saw a hint of red on her cheeks. Her words and her reaction didn¡¯t matchat all. Seeing this, Abby felt her difort from earlier resurface with double force. ¡°Speaking of charms, I saw him earlier, apparently going to the morning court. He looked so fine,¡± Gissele gushed, not even bothering to control the hearts in her eyes. ¡°He is of noble birth and it is visible in everything he does,¡± said Tia from the side. Abby couldn¡¯t help but frown as they went on and on about how the King could make a perfect. mate. And how he was an ideal mate for almost every girl in this capital. They went as far as pointing out how mateless women always tried to catch his eye whenever he went somewhe On the other side, with every word that left their l*ps, Abby only felt much smaller and smaller as she felt extremely ufortable. However, she didn¡¯t feelfortable expressing her displeasure either. Meanwhile, apart from her earlierment, Ruby made no attempts whatsoever to stop them again.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. As such, Abby could only swallow her displeasure until the carriage reached their destination, which was apparently a fancy restaurant. Chapter 28 It wasn¡¯t too long before the carriages arrived at the restaurant, but Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was several hours before she could escape that small box of gossip called luxurious carriage. Abby even considered stopping the carriage in the middle, and leaving with Reyna. To hell with this lunch date with Ruby and her friends. If meeting new friends was this troublesome, she didn¡¯t need it. Even traveling in the ordinary carriage with the maid ser vants would be a hundred times better than this. ¡°We have arrived,¡± the coachmen announced and Abby couldn¡¯t feel happier. As soon as they got down, Reyna rushed to her and checked on her. ¡°Laby Abby, are you alright?¡± Abby only shook her head in response as she followed the rest into the private room, hoping to get. done with this lunch as soon as possible. And just like what Ruby said, they were soon ushered into a private room, where they settled down around arge table, which could easily amodate ten people. ¡°Abby, I¡¯ll let you choose our food today,¡± Ruby said, as she handed over the menu to Abby, who just sat down on her chair at this humongous table. ¡°But, I don¡¯t know what is good here,¡± Abby deflected in a soft voice. ¡°Oh, right, how could I forget? I¡¯m sorry, Abby. It sl*pped my mind that this is all new to you,¡± Ruby said, looking apologetic. Meanwhile, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was implying something else entirely. However, before she could delve deeper into that thought, Ruby quickly ordered a table full of food,prising several meat dishes and desserts. They all looked expensive and came in evenrger portions. Abby could understand that the shifters had huge appetites but this was simply a waste of food, while the maids who came with them were sitting at a smaller table in the same private room and ordered food separately. Abby couldn¡¯t stomach the food as the girls resumed gushing over the King. Initially, her mood was not good, now it plummeted again as these girls couldn¡¯t find another topic other than Micah, and it became unbearable for Abby. She couldn¡¯t join their gossiping/marathon either. ¡°¡­oh, right. Ruby, how long have you known the King for?¡± Tia asked Ruby suddenly, as they talked. about several things before circling back to Micah once again. And before Ruby could answer her, Le beat her to it. ¡°She knew him all her life. They basically grew up together. Just like (wo peas in a pod.¡± The girl punctuated her words with a smile. ¡°Oh,e on, Le. It¡¯s not that exaggerated.¡± Ruby immediately denied her words, blushing alittle. ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating anything. Did you guys not grow up together? Or did you guys not train together?¡± Le quickly asked her back, shing her a knowing smile. ¡°Everyone in the capital knows how close you two are,¡± Tia added, going as far as wiggling her eyebrows at her. ¡°Exactly. You are the former royal beta¡¯s daughter, while he is the previous king¡¯s son. You two have so much inmon as well.¡± Gissele noted you loud.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah, they were taught together since they both were really young. You guys are really the true definition of childhood sweethearts,¡± Tia said, and Abby almost choked on her food. But the other three women were so engrossed in this conversation, they didn¡¯t notice how she grew ufortable by each second that passed. Or they simply chose to ignore herpletely, Abby couldn¡¯t help but realize this nagging feeling at the back of her mind. On the other hand, Ruby blushed even more as she denied their words again. ¡°I am not denying that we were friends from our childhood. But childhood sweethearts is a very big word, Tia.¡± ¡°Ohe on, can you say that even your parents never had that thought? Or nothing ever happened between you two?¡± Le asked and Ruby fell silent. ¡°A small k*ss on cheek when we were little couldn¡¯t be counted guys,¡± Ruby said a momentter. If Abby wasn¡¯t sure before, she was now. These three were intentionally trying to make her feel ufortable. Only she couldn¡¯t understand what they could get by doing so. ¡°But what about your parents? I heard that they actually hoped for you two to get together after you grow up. Especially our previous king.¡± Gissele said. Abby couldn¡¯t tell if everything they said was true or not, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling that they were all trying to imply something really important. ¡°Not just getting together, they even thought these two would end up as each other¡¯s destined mates at one point of time,¡± Tia sounded too carried away, as her voice came out beyond excited. ¡°Too bad, it was not the case.¡± ¡°Now, she can¡¯t even get the man by bing his chosen mate anymore,¡± Gissele said, sounding apologetic for Ruby. Meanwhile, Ruby had this nostalgic expression on her face as if she was being forced to do something she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Ruby started, as she wrenched her hands. But before she could continue, they all heard an audible ng from Abby¡¯s direction. The table fell utterly silent as they all turned around to look at Abby, who had long turned speechless. They had invited her to this lunch and now they were all acting as if they hadpletely forgotten about her until that moment. Abby was genuinely shocked hearing their endless nonsense. These three girls made it sound like she came in between the real couple that was the King and this Ruby girl And Abby couldn¡¯t help but remember the fact that she couldn¡¯t feel anything mates rted toward the King again. Seeing that Abby was really ufortable, Reyna walked over to their table and tried to make an excuse so that Abby could leave this ce ¡°Miss Ruby, Lady Abby seems unwell. I want to take her back to the pce.¡± Reyna boweil talking ¡°Don¡¯t you know how inappropriate it is for maids to interrupt their masters?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°Don¡¯t you know how inappropriate it is for maids to interrupt their masters?¡± Le beat Ruby to scold Abby¡¯s maid, Reyna, who couldn¡¯t say anything anymore after that. When Ruby showed her displeasure earlier when Reyna and Alysa tried to refuse herself on Abby¡¯s behalf, she was both soft and subtle. But that was not the case with Le as she went full to full master mode on Reyna. Le even narrowed her eyes at Reyna, showing how angry she was on Ruby¡¯s behalf. While the girl in question stayed silent herself. Abby widened her eyes, seeing this girl going mad at her own maid while she didn¡¯t know how to defend Reyna. This group of girls were haughty in their own nature. ¡°Easy, Le. She was just looking out for her master,¡± Ruby said, trying to calm down Le. The girl then turned around to Abby and checked on her. ¡°What is it, Abby? You really want to leave so early?¡± Faced with Ruby¡¯s question, Abby couldn¡¯t help but nod her head in denial. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine.¡± Abby told Reyna and her maid could only resign herself and go back to the other maid ser vants. After that, Abbypletely tuned them out as she waited for this lunch date to be over. ¡°Want to explore this ce?¡± Tia suggested to Abby, as the others stood beside her with harmless smiles etched on their faces. And half an hourter, Abby found herself roaming around this ce as her new friends walked her in the streets. Ruby ordered their maids to wait at the carriage itself saying it would be too inconvenient to move in large groups. After all, walking in a group of five was already attention grabbing. Abby couldn¡¯t imagine walking in a group of ten, let alone bringing any warriors along for protection. Like Micah went everywhere. A king would be protected all the time and Abby thought how attention gripping it would be. However, soon her thoughts were consumed by the various sights of this ce. ¡°We five can manage this small walk, right?¡± Ruby sounded a bit cheerful and Abby couldn¡¯t help agreeing. There were five of them, so nothing would go wrong. Right? Abby, who had never been allowed to step out of their own pack, was fascinated by the rowdiness in the street markets. She saw people selling this and that and felt awed by the ingenuity of the sellers. An hour into this whole exploring the town thing, they saw somemotion and Ruby 15:03 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 29 immediately said, ¡°Right, today is the Fire festival. Come, Abby, this is going to be fun.¡± 66% * Ruby didn¡¯t sound like she just remembered it at all. But Abby couldn¡¯t catch that slip on her part when an activity caught her attention. ¡°How did he do that?¡± She blurted out when someone literally spewed fire from his mouth. She could clearly see that he was a shifter, so how could he do that? She never saw someone doing that. ¡°He is presenting the act of fire breathing.¡± Ruby then patiently exined to Abby how it worked. The person doing the act would hold a bit of any kind of fuel in his mouth and bring a bit of fire to his mouth and when he blew the fuel around the fire, mes would erupt. Based on the fuel used, the mes could be produced in different colors, too. The more she listened, the more fascinated Abby felt ¡°Oh, this is the first time you watched the act of fire breathing?¡± Tia sounded surprised from the side. Hearing her question, Abby felt a little self-conscious. When she didn¡¯t say anything for a long time, Ruby jumped in to save the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. You are making her feel ufortable,¡± Ruby chided Tia softly. After that, Abby went silent as she observed the remaining festivities. It was really crowded around there, probably because of the fire festival. ¡°Look, the fight is going to start soon,¡± Le said, pointing to what seemed to be a group of people gathered around some fighting ring. When Abby looked confused as to why they were going to fight in a festival, Gissele took it upon herself to exin it to her. ¡°It¡¯s not a serious fight, silly. They will fight like professionals, only much crude and brutal.¡± ¡°Crude and brutal?¡± Abby repeated, feeling rmed. ¡°They will not kill each other,¡± Le supplied. ¡°At least, try not to kill each other,¡± Tia said, smiling a bit. And true to their words, the fighters fought like there was no tomorrow. ¡°It¡¯s fun, right?¡± Ruby nudged a speechless Abby, as she pulled her to watch the next act of entertainment. However, the deeper they walked, toward the center of the festival activities, the more crowded the ce seemed. Abby had never been to a festival, so all her attention was on the various acts that were happening 2/3 15:03 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 29 along the path they took. In no time, the sky turned darker as the fire acts took an even more thrilling turn. There was even amp show, where they let loose some kind of flyingmps into the air. And against the dark night sky, thesemps looked like stars. 662 Abby was so fascinated by the beauty of that sight, she didn¡¯t notice herself getting separated from her new friends.. One second, her hand was in Ruby¡¯s as she nced up to admire the flyingmps, and in the nextN?velDrama.Org holds ? this. second, she looked down only to find herself alone but surrounded byplete strangers. She looked around to try and search for Ruby and the others, but to no avail. Abby felt so scared, as she couldn¡¯t remember the back to the pce. at they took to get here. Let alone the way Reyna was pacing in front of the carriage, waiting for Abby to return. With every second that passed, she couldn¡¯t help but feel this bad feeling creeping into her heart. She felt like she shouldn¡¯t have stayed back, she should have followed her master. And her heart nearly dropped when Ruby returned with the others with no Abby in sight, saying, ¡°We lost Abby in the crowd, we need to go back immediately and report this to the King.¡± 3/3 É« Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Æø:66%³ö By the time Alyssa could get rid of Ruby¡¯s maids, it was well past the afternoon tea time. As soon as she gor rid of them, she immediately ryed the information to a warrior so that he could inform Micah, since her rank wouldn¡¯t allow her to go to the King directly. Micah was about to go to his own study after dismissing some high ranked pack members in the evening when a warrior came to ry a piece of news about Abby. ¡°My King, Lady Abby has been invited to a lunch date with Miss Ruby and her friends. She left right before lunch in the afternoon,¡± the warrior said after bowing to the king. When Micah received this news, he didn¡¯t think much of it. He already told Abby that she could do whatever she wanted. He too thought Abby could make some friends if she wanted to. He would respect her wishes even if she didn¡¯t like Ruby and her lot whatsoever. He just wanted her to feelfortable staying here, while he could be away almost all day and most of the night. And if making new friends could help her adjust to her life here quickly, it would turn out to be a good thing. ¡°Okay, you can leave now,¡± Micah dismissed the warrior, thinking up to this point. But he didn¡¯t forget to send two warriors to check on the situation when he remembered about the Fire festival. Micah didn¡¯t think of summoning her back to the pce when he recalled Abby would enjoy the festivities as she never had the chance to go to one. The girl had been kept from all kinds of good things for a decade because of her father¡¯spse of judgement. And since Abby was with several of Ruby¡¯s friends from what he heard from the warrior, he thought of letting her enjoy a nice evening. It would be refreshing to explore the town on her own as well. She would be surrounded by an ample number of warriors anyway since she went with Ruby and her friends who were the precious daughters from the influential families of the capital city. They could manage this on their own. However, just one hour into reading the reports he received from his warriors in the study, he saw another warrior rushing into the study and realized how wrong a simple thing could go. My King, they say Lady Abby got lost in the crowd during the festival,¡± the warrior was half panting and half speaking until Micah couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. But he heard the words lost and Abby and he felt his blood run cold. Apparently, the warrior seemed to havee running back to the pce all the way from the festival, until he was panting. But Micah didn¡¯t have the patience to let him catch his breath first. ¡°What did you just say?¡± He was literally shaking, thinking how careless he had been. And a momentter, the warrior repeated what he said earlier, albeit panting again, but Micah paid close attention to his words and his eyes turned sharper by each word he heard. How furious he got after he got the gist of this piece of news was inexplicable. ¡°How the hell did it happen?¡± He fumed as he stormed out of the room. 1/3 15:03 Fri, 8 Mar ¨C 1 Chapter 30 Once outside, he saw n and barked an order at him. ¡°n, follow me.¡± bb% n, who had just returned from some mission to report to the King, was dumbfounded by the look on Micah¡¯s face. But he followed him anyway when he knew it would not end well for himself if he stopped Micah right then just to satisfy his curiosity. ¡°And you, what got your tongue? Speak now!¡± The King demanded as he midlinked almost all the warriors from the pce to gather in the front yard.. The warrior, who reported Abby¡¯s missing news, felt weak in the knees but he could only swallow it as he didn¡¯t want Micah to direct his anger at himself. ¡°They said it was too crowded,¡± the warrior couldn¡¯t finish the rest of his sentence when the king almost stopped walking and made everyone behind him, trip over their own feet. Micah was really furious that the warrior didn¡¯t have the courage to continue what he was saying anymore. ¡°They didn¡¯t bring any guards with them?¡± It was n, who asked the warrior, who couldn¡¯t form any words, being scared to death by Micah¡¯s death re. ¡°They did¡­.¡± the other warrior, who was sent along with the first warrior to check on Abby, wanted to answer for his fellow warrior when thetter looked like he was about to faint from fear. ¡°Then why did it turn out like this?¡± Micah almost roared and the second warrior was also scared. out of his wits. How could anyone lose a grown person with their heightened abilities and everything else? n could understand Micah¡¯s feelings. Abby waspletely new here and knew nothing about this ce. He simply couldn¡¯t imagine how she was now. Let alone how she was feeling now. Micah could swear on his life and say Abby would be scared to hell and back now. He felt rage so potent he was scared he wouldbust on the spot. However, before either of the two warriors could muster their non-existent courage, they reached the front yard, where they saw Ruby and her friends waiting together. As soon as one of the four girls saw Micah, they alerted Ruby and the girl immediately ran toward Micah, followed by her minions. Apparently, to report about the situation, they were waiting for the King to show up. Only before she could say anything, they all watched on with widened eyes and cked jaws, as hundreds of warriors filled the front yard. ¡°My King.¡± Ruby¡¯s words stuck in her throat as she saw all those warriors falling in order in a disciplined manner before waiting for the King¡¯s order. Ruby couldn¡¯t believe her own eyes. 15:03 Fri, 3 Mar BBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 66% ¡°My King¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s words stuck in her throat when she saw all those warriors falling in order in a disciplined manner before waiting for the King¡¯s order. She couldn¡¯t believe her own eyes. She shared a look with her friends and saw how the three of them were scared out of their wits. However, she quickly recovered as she continued approaching him. Only Micah wasn¡¯t able to control his anger when he remembered how Abby didn¡¯t feelfortable with Ruby at all the day. before. ¡°What the hell actually happened?¡± He roared at Ruby the moment she stopped in front of himself. The thought of Abby roaming around a cepletely foreign to her, all alone and scared, wasn¡¯t allowing him to think of anything else. ¡°Why do they say you lost my mate in the town?¡± He bit out each and every word as if they were dipped in venom. His voice was so intimidating, coupled with the cold look in his eyes, he looked anything but cool at this moment. Ruby felt her heart shaking with fear, but she still stood her ground. ¡°I- i didn¡¯t lose her, My King.¡± Ruby almost stuttered, but she recovered in the next second. ¡°Abby wandered off on her own.¡± Micah frowned at her choice of words. ¡°Why would she do that when she knew nothing about this ce?¡± n, who was beside the King, asked her when the girl wouldn¡¯t borate further. Ruby looked conflicted as if she didn¡¯t know how to answer n¡¯s question. Then the girl sighed in defeat as she revealed in a soft voice. ¡°A bard caught her eye and she followed him even though I tried to stop her.¡± Ruby felt proud of herself when she could still talk without faltering given the situation she was in. She just had to hold on a little longer, everything was still under her control. On the other hand, n and Micah couldn¡¯t help narrowing their eyes at Ruby. A what? Bard? Even n found it ridiculous. Let alone Micah. He didn¡¯t believe Abby was that stu pid to follow a random person, let alone who made a living out of telling stories in the streets. He couldn¡¯t help feeling even more enraged at her words. ¡°What did you just say?¡± He almost barked at her. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, My King,¡± Ruby said, as she took his anger as a positive sign for herself to continue. She believed the King was furious at Abby. How could he not be mad when his mate left him? For a wanderer no less? The girl didn¡¯t leave him, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to return in time to save her own position, 1/3 5:03 Fri, 8 Mar Chapter 31 66% +6 Ruby had nned everything already. The moment she saw Abby at theke, she could tell how timid she was. And from the way she behaved today, it was obvious the girl led a sheltered life. since the only other option was leading a prisoner life. Abby would have a hard time finding her way inside the pce gates again. ¡°She said she was not happy here, and that life here was too troublesome. She didn¡¯t like it.¡± Ruby said what she practiced in the carriage along with her friends while on their way back to the pce. She then proceeded to exin how Abby expressed her difort about several trivial things and how she wanted to leave this life at any cost. She just came up with anything that would support her own ims, trying to make use of the King¡¯s rage in her own favor. If the King didn¡¯t believe her, she had the girls to vouch for her and she didn¡¯t believe Micah would still take Abby back when she did find her way back here by somest minute luck. Her n was fool proof. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. However, the King was having none of her nonsense. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense,¡± Micah enunciated each word of his that Ruby and the other three shuddered at the power in his voice. ¡°My King?¡± Ruby felt her heart beating in her throat. All she got in response was his ragged breathing as he red daggers at her. She couldn¡¯t look at his face anymore as she blurted out. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± n, who had been silent all this time, pinned her with a look as he asked her in an even tone. Ruby didn¡¯t understand where she went wrong in her calctions, but she knew she couldn¡¯t back down, now of all times. ¡°She really said¡­¡± Ruby chose to deny to the end but Micah cut her off mid sentence. ¡°Enough,¡± he shouted and Ruby couldn¡¯t help but shut her own mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this matter myself. But before that, pray to whatever g od that nothing happens to my mate. Or else, even I don¡¯t know what I would do. I¡¯ll hold you ountable for it and you wouldn¡¯t like the oue at all. Even your family won¡¯t be able to escape my wrath then,¡± Micah promised her. It was clear that he didn¡¯t believe a single thing she said. On the other hand, Ruby¡¯s friends, who were about to chime in with Ruby and exaggerate what Abby did, just like they nned, couldn¡¯t follow through the n anymore. They really thought getting rid of that timid girl was a walk in the park. But Micah¡¯s reaction let them know how wrong they had been. The King was a man of his word. If he said something, he would definitely see to the end of it.. At first, they believed the King would definitely take Ruby¡¯s word for it and immediately get rid of 2/3 15:03 Fri, 8 Mar DB Chapter 31 Abby. Only Micah had a different thought in his mind. 66% Against Ruby¡¯s words, whom he knew for decades, he believed his own mate, who he met just less than a week back. Maybe four days back at most. They then saw with helpless looks on their faces as Micah sent groups after groups of searching parties tob through the town they went to have their lunch date. # Chapter 32 Chapter 32 The moment he heard Ruby say that Abby followed a random man and refused toe back with herself and her friends, Micah felt she was being dishonest. She was hiding something. But he didn¡¯t have enough time to interrogate her at this moment. He needed to find Abby as soon as possible first. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time when anything could happen to his mate out there. ¡°n,e with me,¡± Micah called his royal beta to follow himself. He didn¡¯t even bother to ask Ruby anymore details that could be used as leads while searching for Abby. ¡°You,e here,¡± Mich pointed to one of the two warriors whom he sent to check on Abby earlier that evening. ¡°Tell me, where exactly did my mate go missing?¡± ¡°My King, it seems to be near the grand square.¡± The warriors then informed everything they learned about Abby¡¯s missing incident. In no time, several hundreds of warriors were dispatched under Micah¡¯smand to search for Abby. The King swore to himself that he would search every alley until he found his mate. The moment Abby realized she got separated from Ruby and the rest, she tried searching for them in her capacity. She tried not to let the panic set in as she quickly tried to back track her steps. But when even after searching for half an hour, she couldn¡¯t see even a trace of them, Abby finally let the depth of her situation sink in as fear gripped her heart with the thought she knew no one there surfaced in the back of her mind. Not even a single person. And she was surrounded by arge number of people. What should she do? Abby felt like crying as she bit onto her nails, her habit whenever she was nervous. She was beyond anxious as she looked around her with frightened eyes. Meanwhile, the further the sky darkened, the more intense themotion around her became with the numerous fire acts the people were presenting in the festival for their audiences. And the bigger the crowd around her grew, until she could only see people in every street and alley alike. This was the first time for her to be surrounded by such arge number of people, no less in a ce so foreign to her. ¡°Maybe I should go to the ce where we left the carriages earlier,¡± Abby thought aloud, as if talking to herself in a loud voice would help her stave off her fears. If she could make it back to the carriages, where they might be still waiting for her, she could rejoin them. And she would get out of this trouble. Even if they left after waiting for her a bit, someone might stay behind or return. At least, she could- 15:04 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 32 still count on Reyna, right? 66% * ¦° Her personal maid was kind and from their interactions, she could tell the girl cared about herself. Thinking up to this point, Abby felt a bit encouraged again and immediately set her n in motion. ¡°To do so, I need to start from myst point,¡± Abby quickly walked back to the ce she believed to be the ce she got separated from Ruby and the rest. If she could sessfully take the path back to the carriages, almost half of her n would be executed with no fail. Backtracking from themp show might help her efficiently. With a more clear mind now. ¡°What did we see before stopping at themp show?¡± Abby tried to rack her brains. ¡°Right, the fireworks.¡± Abby quickly looked around herself, but her face fell immediately. The entire sky was filled with different types of firework shows, whereas only one was active carlier. And much to her chagrin, every alley and street looked the same under this chaos filled night sky. ¡°Okay, this won¡¯t do.¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel discouraged. Maybe she could ask the people if she could remember the exact ce they stopped the carriages. Only she couldn¡¯t remember the spot they stopped the carriages. She did recall seeing some outlets. after getting down from the carriage. But, since she didn¡¯t know the actual names of the ces. around here, she couldn¡¯t even map the exact spot in her brain, let alone exin that ce to these festival crazed people. It would be another challenge entirely. Abby didn¡¯t realize it when walking earlier, being amazed by all the lively festivities, but they really seemed to havee very far from their starting point. She couldn¡¯t even recognize the allies around her anymore. ¡°How could I be so careless?¡± Abby felt like knocking her own head for her stu pidity. She had been disturbed the whole time on their way to the restaurant from the pce, as those gossiping girls wouldn¡¯t stop drooling over Micah, not even bothering to hide the lust in their words. They were really shameless and her head was so full, she didn¡¯t even bother to register the restaurant¡¯s name. Had she been a bit alert and at least read the restaurant¡¯s name, maybe she could have asked the people about it to go there right now. In the end, as nothing she could think of resulted in a favorable oue, the girl stopped at a less crowded ce. And that happened to be a small tavern. Because of walking too much, Abby felt like her feet were killing her. The tears that she had been trying to hold back all this time couldn¡¯t be stopped anymore when one of them escaped her right eye, and from there it was a downpour. Immediately, her cheeks. were drenched as she sobbed without a peep. She stood there like a lost child, while her hands wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. To stop them, she bit her nails until they hurt while her anxiety wouldn¡¯t go anywhere, 15:04 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 32 Seh really felt lost now, 66% # ¡°What happened, my child?¡± A soft voice came from the side when Abby almost bit her fingers and drew her own blood. 3/3 É« Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¡°What happened, my child?¡± Abby was startled when she heard a soothing voiceing from the side while she sobbed soundlessly. She turned around to see that it was an elderly woman with a gentle air to her. She seemed like a local and had this soft smile on her face. ¡°Are you new around here?¡± The woman asked Abby, to which she nodded. ¡°Did you get you get lost in the crowd?¡± The old woman asked Abby when she wouldn¡¯t say anything but kept looking at her with tears in her eyes. Abby felt a little awkward hearing the old woman¡¯s question. What grown up would get lost in a crowd? But then again she couldn¡¯t me the old woman for taking herself to be someone underage when she didn¡¯t look like a grown up at all. Her father¡¯s negligence of herself yed a big part in this. But Abby couldn¡¯t afford to wander to her father right now. As if she could sense Abby¡¯s difort at the question, the older woman changed the topic. ¡°Here, drink some water. You look like you need to soothe your throat,¡± the woman said, offering her own water skin to Abby. Abby felt so grateful at the first sip she took, she didn¡¯t realize it, but her throat had been parched. The woman didn¡¯t take her water skin back until Abby drank to her heart¡¯s content and then made her wash her face. In her motherly presence, Abby rxed a tad too fast. But her next question made Abby start crying again. ¡°So where is your home or where are you from?¡± The woman asked, seemingly wanting to help a helpless teenager. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Home? Did she ever have one? After listening to Ruby¡¯s friends¡¯ endless gushing over Micah, Ruby and how the both of theni would make a perfect couple, Abby couldn¡¯t help second guessing everything. Micah did say she was his destined mate and that he wanted her clearly. But she couldn¡¯t feel anything this was all reallyplicated. When she didn¡¯t answer for a long time again, the old woman changed her question. ¡°Or how about where you are staying in the capital? Or who were the people you came here to visit?¡± 15:04 Fri, 8 Mar 2 Chapter 33 G ¡¤ As soon as Abby heard these questions, her eyes immediately lit up. She thought all ways to go back were closed. But how stu pid of her. 66% She didn¡¯t think of finding a way to the pce directly. Had she thought of that earlier, she would have been halfway to the pce by now. At this thought, Abby immediately perked up and smiled at the older woman who looked confused at her reaction. When the woman asked her so many questions, and didn¡¯t get a proper answer for a single one, she felt dejected a bit in her need to help Abby. And when she smiled at herself, she couldn¡¯t help feeling confused as to how she made her look like that. ¡°I need to go back to the pce,¡± Abby told her, beaming from ear to ear, The woman looked like she was from around this ce, and Abby didn¡¯t think there would be someone living around this area that wouldn¡¯t know about the pce. ¡°Which pce?¡± The elderly woman was dumbfounded by her question. This girl didn¡¯t say a single word from earlier but she wanted to know how to go to the pce now. Did she hear her wrong? ¡°The King¡¯s pce.¡± Abby affirmed her answer and this only made the older feel even more curious of her identity. ¡°Why?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask, only Abby seemed to have found her lost brain cells as she deflected answering her with the truth. ¡°I know someone from there.¡± The girl¡¯s answer cut off the older woman¡¯s train of thought as she exined to her the biggest. landmarks Abby needed to take note of while going to the King¡¯s pce from this town. Abby listened to her carefully before thanking her profusely. ¡°Don¡¯t get lost again. Ask the people along the way in case you need to confirm the roads you are taking,¡± the woman advised her and Abby could only smile at her sheepishly. After thanking her onest time, Abby finally started walking to the pce. However, the deeper the night became, the colder the air around her felt once she got out of the crowd. Only then she realized she left her outer robe in the carriage. And a few momentster, she felt her stomach protesting in hunger. I think I digested whatever little I ate at the restaurant long back, Abbymented as she continued. walking slowly. In her panic earlier, she didn¡¯t feel any hunger, but once she found a solution to her problem, her stomach too chose to make a protest. Even her throat seemed to have dried up again. What could she do? She didn¡¯t have any other. 23 Fr. 8 Mar Chapter 33 option than to move forward. 66% The only ce she could go back to now was where Micah would be. Which was none other than the pce. Moving forward step by step. Abby didn¡¯t forget to follow the old woman¡¯s advice. She asked, people for directions whenever she felt like she took the wrong road and corrected herself immediately. She didn¡¯t even want to think about the number of times she did that. She was hungry and tired beyond possibilities, as she dragged her feet one after another. Her face ace was full of dirt and her clothes were all disheveled by the time she could take thest turn. and enter the main street that would directly lead her to the pce gates. ¡°Only a few more minutes to go.¡± Abby told herself as she continued her journey. And the moment she saw the pce gates, the happiness she felt couldn¡¯t be exined in words. She was so relieved she wanted to jump at her own sess. Only that emotion didn¡¯tst long as the guards there refused to let her in. ¡°Who are you?¡± BB Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡°What was themotion earlier?¡± Abby heard a guard asking his fellow warrior when she was about to go to them and ask them to open the gates for her. However, the guard, who saw her first, immediately walked to her and stopped her from going near the pce gates. Who are you?¡± The guard questioned her, but before waiting for her answer, he asked her to leave immediately. ¡°Not anyone can enter the pce gates. I suggest you leave immediately.¡± The guard was ready to push her back if she insisted on not listening to his advice. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t know how to make this guard listen to herself at all. Micah went to the grand square, ording to the warrior¡¯s directions, with half of his warriors. He sent a few warriors to search from the outskirts of the town, while the remaining were sent to search at the ce the carriages had been parked when the girls left to explore the town on their own. As soon as Micah reached the ce, the ongoing festival immediately stopped as they were all dumbfounded by the scenario in front of them. The King personally came to the festival, only he brought an astonishing number of warriors with him as if was going to counter a massive attack by their enemies. Every single activity was cut short as the warriors startedbing through the crowd with the little clues they had to look for Abby. ¡°Have you seen a girl around twenty years, wearing a cream colored ankle length evening gown?¡± From this question, people gathered that they were looking for a woman. And she was around twenty years old. Only they couldn¡¯t understand why the King himself had toe in person to search for this young girl. Who was that girl? Everyone could only wonder in their hearts as they watched how the royal warriors ran here and there asking that single question. This situation was really bbergasting. Why were they repeating the same question? Didn¡¯t they have any more details? These questions nibbled on their backs of minds as the people talked about this among themselves. On the other hand, no one in the guards basically never saw Abby, as she spent most of her time in 15-04 Chapter 341 their bedroom in thest few days, after Micah brought her to the capital. And searching for someone with next to none clues proved to be highly impossible when no one could provide them with a useful lead. So, no matter how hard he searched, Micah couldn¡¯t locate Abby. Or where she had getting separated from Ruby and her friends. gone after With each second that passed, Micah felt like his rage spiraling out of control. ¡°Bring the four of them here,¡± He ordered his warriors, who looked clueless. ¡°Drag them here from the pce if you have to.¡± His order came out as a roar as the people around him shuddered. When the warriors looked at each other¡¯s faces, feeling scared for their own lives to interrupt the King¡¯s line of thought to ask what he meant, n jumped in to save the situation. ¡°Go and bring Miss Ruby and her friends here,¡± n supplied and a few warriors immediately rushed back to the pce to bring the said women right away. They didn¡¯t want to let anything ruffle the King further, when he looked like he was ready to tear apart anyone who breathed in a remotely wrong way right now. They didn¡¯t know why the King wanted those four women to be brought here, but they didn¡¯t dare to even think about seeking an answer for their questions right now. On the other hand, n could vaguely understand Micah¡¯s rage. The royal beta could guess what the King was nning. Micah couldn¡¯t think of anything else but finding his mate now. If he had to make those four girls scour this entire town along with his warriors, that was what he would do. However, n saw the King stop walking when an elderly woman approached him. She looked gentle. Everyone around them held their breaths when the King looked like he was going to lose it any moment now. If he spiraled out of control, the older woman wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand his outburst. However, the words the older woman said immediately made every warrior around them feel alert. ¡°My King, were you looking for a young girl?¡± The older woman asked Micah directly. There was no fear whatsoever when she approached the King. She even smiled at Micah, who was still shooting daggers from his eyes. And they all listened in astonishment, as the woman said how she directed a young girl toward the pce just a while back. n immediately approached them and fired some questions at her in rapid session as he tried to confirm whether the woman was really talking about Abby and no one else. ording to her, she saw a girl crying in front of a restaurant when she was about to head to the festival. 66% Chapter 34 ¦° ¡°The girl didn¡¯t say anything but only wanted to know the way to the pce and she looked really lost.¡± The woman¡¯s face pinched in sadness as she recalled her encounter with the young girl. With every thing that the woman said, Micah felt his angering back in double force. His mate suffered right under his nose. And when he heard that she actually walked back to the pce, Micah felt even more enraged. He immediately turned back to run toward the pce after throwing onest order at his warriors. ¡°Continue searching around the town, just in case she was still around here.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I have to see the king. Let me pass through the gates,¡± Abby said in a small voice, when faced with this frowning warrior. When the guard saw that the homeless looking girl actually wanted to meet the King, heughed. out loud. ¡°You want to see the King? Looking like this?¡± His words were so demeaning as he narrowed his eyes at abby. Abby felt self conscious at his words. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 As Abby had spent most of her time after Micah brought her to the capital in their bedroom or the garden in thest two days, only a few knew how she looked.. Many of the guards heard that the King had found his mate and brought her with him. But only a few of them saw Abby in person. Moreover, Abby looked so unkempt with all the dirt on her face and her hairpletely disheveled, while her clothes were too shabby. ¡°You want to meet the King? Looking like this?¡± The guard asked Abby, his face mirroring the disgust he was feeling just by taking in the way Abby looked right now. This girl didn¡¯t even bother to look at herself beforeing here to seduce the King with her ugly looks and stick like bones. He himself wouldn¡¯t spare a second nce at her, let alone the King of the werewolves, ruling this whole kingdom. The smirk on his face was so derisive the girl felt self conscious. Abby looked down at herself and immediately hugged herself tightly. Walking all the way from the town to reach the pce had a very big impact on her. She didn¡¯t even have enough strength to convince this guard otherwise. ¡°L¡­¡± Abby mustered whatever that was left of her energy and courage to tell him that he was Micah¡¯s mate. Only that sentence took a lot of effort on her part toe out. ¡°I¡¯m King Micah¡¯s mate,¡± she finally blurted out. The guardughed in her face. ¡°Preposterous! How delusional can someone be?¡± He sneered at her. ¡°Don¡¯t make me kick you out myself. Get lost at this instant.¡± Abby didn¡¯t know how to make him understand her plight and that she was telling the truth. ¡°I¡¯m telling- ¡°I¡¯ve seen so many shameless women who wanted to crawl into the King¡¯s bed, but no one ever dared to im that they were his highness¡¯ mate.¡± The guard wouldn¡¯t give her a chance to exin herself while spouting all kinds of curses at her, calling her names and some. Abby couldn¡¯t stop the way her heart shook at his choice of words. ¡°No, listen to me,¡± she tried to talk to him again when the shifter lost his patience and took it upon himself to drag her away from there. ¡°If you just inform King Micah¡­¡± ¡°You are one stubborn b itch,¡± he almost roared in her face as he grabbed her by the shoulder, intending to make her leave by force. But he didn¡¯t bother to retract his wspletely and ripped her high cored dress at the neck. Immediately, the scar on her left shoulder peeked out from the w holes in her dress. In the next second, they heard a collective gasp from his fellow guards. The first guard followed his friend¡¯s line of view and his face immediately scrunched up in disgust. 15:04 Fri, 8 Mar DB Chapter 35. ¡°How disgusting!¡± He spat as he retracted his hand that was holding Abby¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are a freak,¡± he threw out, his voice full of loathing. 66%È« His words along with the chilly breeze pric kled her skin with awareness as Abby tried to cover her scars frantically. But it was proven to be a futile attempt as the guards around there already got a glimpse of the scars. ¡°She is a monster,¡± one guard whispered to the shifter beside him and the rest immediately looked. alert. They looked like they just encountered a dangerous beast and mored among themselves to get rid of her as soon as possible. ¡°Get lost now,¡± the first guard pushed her back and Abby almost fell to the ground. ¡°No, just listen to me once. The King¡­ Abby felt so helpless when the guard wouldn¡¯t heed her words at all. ¡°He will definitely recognize me,¡± she said when nothing seemed to enter their heads. ¡°You won¡¯t listen like this,¡± the guard spat at her as he pushed her harder this time until she fell to the ground with an audible thud. As air knocked out of her lungs, her scream came out mu ffled. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Abby didn¡¯t have enough time to recover from this when she saw a foot, apparently the guard¡¯s,ing down onto her stomach full force. ¡°Die, you monster,¡± the guard cried out, his leg high in the air, ready to break her ribcage. Abby immediately closed her eyes, while her lips were unable to let out the three words she desperately wanted to scream out at the top of her lungs. *Someone, help me, Abby screamed in her mind as she awaited the impending agony. Everything went still for her as her body trembled in fear. She couldn¡¯t even hear her assaulter¡¯s curses. However, the anticipated pain didn¡¯t reach her senses even when she stayed like that for a moment. too long. But when she finally opened her eyes, what greeted her eyes was a sight so gruesome it actually took her a few seconds to even register in her mind as the shock she received with it dominated every other feeling. Hovering on top of her was a giant beast with her almost assaulter¡¯s head in its mouth while sticky blood dripped onto herself. Blood? Only then Abby realized that the guard¡¯s body was not attached to his now bleeding head anymore. One by one, her senses came back to her and she realized her face was drenched. In the guard¡¯s. blood. Abby was so scared she didn¡¯t even move from under the ferocious beast as she froze in her position on the ground. ked feral and crazed. Just as Micah reached the main street leading to his pce, he saw Abby talking to the guards and he felt relieved to finally find her. But in the next second he saw the guard pushing her to the ground before lifting his leg high to stomp on her, and his rage spiraled out of control. His only thought was not to let Abby get hurt and eliminating her attacker seemed to be the only thing he could think of. And so he shifted into his beast and ripped his own subject¡¯s head apart from his body. COMMENT 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Screams erupted around the pce gates, just as n reached the main street. He could recognize their voices. They belonged to Ruby and her friends. ¡°Were those guards really dragging them to the town?¡± He wondered out loud as he dashed, forward, and the scene greeted his eyes stumped him speechless. He was right behind the King but he realized howte he had been after witnessing the bloodbath: Micah unleashed only after really arriving at the pce gates. Micah, the King of werewolves, was in his mighty beast form, while blood was dripping from his mouth to the fur on his front. ¡°What the hell?¡± The Royal Beta was dumbfounded by the scene in front of him. Did he hurt those women and that was why they were screaming? But they were not even anywhere near the King who stood before the pce gates in all his glory, while hugging each other and crying in fear now. But what caught his eye next made n forget breathing- Abby was covered in blood while Micah was hovering right above her. ¡°Blood?¡± n almost shouted. Who hurt Abby? He didn¡¯t think Micah was the one who hurt her. The King was literally whipped. with her from the moment he met her, there was no way Micah would hurt her. Only then did he see a headless dead body lying not too far from them. The head was still locked in between Micah¡¯s teeth. It was truly a gruesome scene. But nothing new. to him. Only the dead person seemed a little familiar. n shook at the realization. He was one of their guards. Micah killed him? Their own guard? He knew Micah had been trying to control his beast since that evening he heard Abby went missing. ¡°I think he finally lost the battle, but what prompted this?¡± n pondered, but then he saw Abby shaking beneath Micah¡¯s beast. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Da mn! The girl seemed to be scared out of her wits. Meanwhile, Micah was still shaking from rage. His beast was already beyond restless that they couldn¡¯t im their mate the moment they had finally found her. 66% # Chapter 36 And when he saw his own guard disrespecting his precious mate, Micah couldn¡¯t stop his beast from taking control of himself anymore and the result was the death of his subject in his own. hands. Even though n couldn¡¯tprehend what had happened until Micah lost control and killed his own shifter, he knew he should calm Micah first. Abby needed immediate attention. The girl had literally stopped breathing while the King looked like he was just getting started. He couldn¡¯t care about how these shifters angered the King anymore as he shifted into his own. beast and rushed over to stop the King. [My King, King Micah,] n screamed through mindlink while running to Micah, only hist recipient wasn¡¯t willing to respond to him at all. It seemed Micah couldn¡¯t sense anything anymore because his anger wasn¡¯t fully appeased yet. [Da mn it,] n cursed to himself as he nted himself between the King and the guards who were shaking from fear. He could see how they were being suppressed by Micah, who was using his superior alpha dominance. Micah didn¡¯t make a sound when he pounced on his subject earlier, not even a warning roar before sealing that shifter¡¯s death sentence. It was the same case now as he stalked toward the trembling guards, who didn¡¯t know why they were being literally hunted down by their own King, as if he was trying to lock his next target. [King Micah, you need to stop,] n tried to reach Micah again, but to no avail. n knew he had to do something before this escted further and reached a point Micah would regretter. But what should he do? No matter how hard he screamed to reach Micah through the mindlink, the King was just ignoring his attempts to breach his me ntal defenses. He wouldn¡¯t let him in. Meanwhile, his beast was on the verge of going rampant. And then n resorted to his final option. [Micah, Abby needs you,] he shouted repeatedly and didn¡¯t bother about customs anymore as he stood in front of a beast who was ready to tear apart anything in his wake. And after he shouted for three times, Micah finally heeded his beta¡¯s words as he turned around to look at Abby who was literally shaking from head to toe, On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t really breathe anymore. This was the most horrifying thing she ever saw and the shock she received was so great, no matter how hard her brainined at herself to get up and run as far as possible from this sight, her limbs wouldn¡¯t cooperate. 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar Chapter 36/ Forget about limbs, even her fingers seemed to have abandoned her as she couldn¡¯t even close. them into fists. But then she saw the King¡¯s beast stop and stare at her. Abby felt her lungs giving up as she shuddered in pure horror. Her fear didn¡¯t recede even after Micah shifted back into his human form. Instead, her body flinched really hard just as Micah bent down with his hand outstretched. Immediately, Abby closed her eyes as she tried to go still again. Her body was acting on instinct while fear ruled her system. She was too shaken up to let her body understand that it was the King, the very person she wanted to go back to after herself going missing in the town. ¡°Abby, little one? Are you okay?¡± Micah asked her as he pulled her to her feet. But Abby didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment, meanwhile her body started to tremble again. ¡°Let me look at you, hmm?¡± Micah spoke but saw her flinching again. And this confused the King who was still trying to calm his own beast. ¡°My King, let me escort Lady Abby to your bedroom first,¡± n came forward, when he saw Abby struggling. ¡°Why?¡± The question was on the tip of his tongue, but then Micah realized something. Was his mate scared of himself? 3/3 É« Chapter 37 Chapter 37 The ck beast, who was none other than the King, felt an immeasurable bloodlust that couldn¡¯t be tamed by his human side anymore. How dare a mere guard try to hurt my mate? That was the only thought in its mind and nothing but a bloodbath could appease his rage. But when Micah finally got back to his senses after getting the reminder from his royal beta, his beast forgot all about running rampant and just wanted to bask in their mate¡¯s warm embrace. Only Micah didn¡¯t realize how impactful his actions were on Abby, who was now shaking like a leaf in his arms, until it was toote. And thanks to all the blood on her face, Micah couldn¡¯t clearly see her expression which was mirroring one of pure horror now. Had he looked into her eyes, even for a moment, the King would have realized that there was something with his mate right now. ¡°Let me see if you are hurt, hmm?¡± He asked the girl when she didn¡¯t heed his earlier request of letting himself look at her. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t form any words to answer the King as her mind wouldn¡¯t let her forget the gruesome scene from earlier. This was the first time she saw someone dying from their head being severed from their body. The image of Micah¡¯s ck beast with a severed head locked in his jaw was all she could see whenever she looked at Micah, as her brain went back to that very image every other second. ¡°I¡­¡± Abby started but couldn¡¯t even hear her own voice. Her throat was clogged from fear and Micah couldn¡¯t realize what was going on in her mind as he battled his beast for control. His beast was restless, so was his human mind. Micah couldn¡¯t conclude if he was toote and whether that dead guard had done anything more harmful to Abby before he could reach the pce gates. ¡°What is it?¡± Micah asked but still there was no response from Abby. Her heart trembled every time she felt like the sound of the dead guard¡¯s lifeless body falling to the ground reverberated in her ears. He fell just a couple of feet from where she was lying earlier. She tried to clear her mind of these thoughts, but to no avail. In the end, all she could do was try not to let the panic overwhelm her even more. Which proved to be a very difficult task as her emotions were all over the ce now. ¡°My King, let me escort Lady Abby to your bedroom first,¡± n came forward, when he saw Abby struggling. n could see how shook the girl was. If Micah hadn¡¯t been clouded by anger and fear, he wouldn¡¯t 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar DG Chapter 37 have gone for the guard first. No, making sure if Abby was fine would have been his first thought. Just like how he would always deal with a situation, calm and collected. 66%* However, the King had been high strung with fury and rage all evening while searching for his lost mate that his outburst wouldn¡¯t give way to let him see what was right or wrong anymore. His mate¡¯s safety stole the spot of the top most priority in his heart, especially the part that was under the beast¡¯s control, that all reasoning was thrown out of the window the moment he saw Abby was in danger. But now, after the haze of anger cleared, Micah could finally see how his actions had affected Abby. Why his mate couldn¡¯t talk, or make a sound while her eyes were wide open, as if she forgot how to close them¡­. His mate was scared. Really scared. Of himself. Not the person he just killed or not because she was in pain. This realization made him drop his hand holding hers. It didn¡¯t let him object to n when he gently pulled Abby toward the pce. ¡°Lady Abby, it¡¯s okay. Just breathe a little,¡± n spoke to Abby in a gentle voice as he walked the girl across the front yard. He turned around to look at Micah and nod at him onest time, to which Micah could only nod back in response. However, before n could reach the main doors, he saw both Alyssa and Reynae running toward them. ¡°Oh my goodness, Lady Abby¡­¡± Alyssa almost shrieked seeing the way Abby looked at the moment. ¡°Heavens, how in the world¡­¡± Reyna joined her. Only a leveled look from the Royal Beta made them trail off as they immediately shut up. ¡°Please, take care of Lady Abby,¡± n ordered the two girls who were shocked speechless at Abby¡¯s. condition. n then told them that he would send the royal healer as soon as possible. ¡°Nadia will be there shortly to take a look at her.¡± ¡°Yes, Royal Beta n,¡± they both nodded as they hurriedly ushered Abby into the King¡¯s tower, so she could get treated as soon as possible. Having said that, n nodded at the two of them before bidding Abby a good bye. As they turned to leave, Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth as she caught a glimpse of Ruby with her friends trembling from head to toe as they slowly slipped out of the pce gates, seeing that no 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar DG ¡¤ Chapter 37 one was paying attention to them. Abby was so rattled that her maids couldn¡¯t help but feel scared for their master. From the front yard, where they met her, to the bedroom and then the bathroom, where they tried to shake Abby out of her state, every attempt had been proven fruitless. No matter how many times they asked Abby if she was hurt anywhere, the girl wouldn¡¯t respond in any manner until they had to take it upon themselves to check on her. Save for a few scraps on her palms and elbows, there weren¡¯t any other injuries on her body. The only problem was, Abby had closed herself off. The girl didn¡¯t even stop themselves from helping herself to remove her clothes and then into the bathtub where they cleaned her off all the blood. As soon as they came out of the bathroom, they saw the royal healer waiting in the bedroom ¡°Lady Abby¡­¡± Nadia wanted to greet her, but her voice trailed off when she noticed the vacant gaze in the girl¡¯s eyes. She looked at Alyssa and Reyna, who shook their heads. When she checked on Abby, she couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with her physically, save for the few scraps on her palms and elbows. They were nothing major. But what disturbed Nadia was the way Abby sat motionless throughout the whole time she applied some medicine to her wounds. ¡°What happened?¡¯ The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she didn¡¯t know if it was the right. thing to ask and trigger Abby even more. Nadia wasn¡¯t aware of what happened at the pce gates, save for the part she got lost in the town. In the end, she gave some medicine to calm her down and waited until Abby fell asleep. ¡°She needs to rest as much as possible,¡± she instructed her maids and then left. However, even before a full hour could pass, they saw Abby trembling in her sleep. Mumbling with no sound, the girl shook her head continuously, She was having nightmares. Alyssa and Reyna tried to calm her down as much as possible, but to no avail. They immediately sent for Nadia who sent some more potent sleeping potions for Abby. It was Dax, the royal ga mma, who brought the medicine to her. 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar DG. Chapter 37 66% # ¡°Lady Abby, I¡¯m Dax,¡± Dax introduced himself to Abby, with a bright smile on his face, but then he realized she wouldn¡¯t respond to him right now. Reyna gave him a look, hinting at him that he shouldn¡¯t try too hard. She could see what this goofy ga mma was nning but Abby was simply out of reach for them, m tally. Dax could only give up and leave. The same continued in the following days, while Alyssa and Reyna took turns to watch over Abby. The girls would always cover herself with a nket from head to toe and sleep away most of the day. On the third day, when she still couldn¡¯t stomach anything, Reyna suggested changing her diet to liquid foodspletely. Abby didn¡¯t say a word since she was found back as if she turned mute. Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but worry even more as Abby closed herself offpletely where she wouldn¡¯t respond no matter what. Reyna shared the same emotion as she bit her lips to stop herself from crying ¡°My King.¡± Alyssa almost stumbled on her feet when she saw Micah waiting in front of the bedroom. She was preupied with the thoughts ofing up with ways to cheer up Abby, so she didn¡¯t notice the King until she almost bumped into him. ¡°How is she?¡± Micah asked her and the maid saw how his hand balled into a fist by his side. Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for the King. It had been a week since Abby closed herself off from the world, Micah wasn¡¯t an exception either. The girl had actually hidden herself in the nket even more the first few times Micah tried to approach her. And her reaction broke the King¡¯s heart a little every night until he stopped entering his former room entirely. Now, he would always wait in front of their bedroom, every night, until the sun rose in the east. ¡°Still the same,¡± Alyssa divulged with a heavy heart. It had been a week, but her nightmares wouldn¡¯t go away while she wouldn¡¯t utter a single word. This was really worrying.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¡°Still the same,¡± Alyssa divulged with a heavy heart as she couldn¡¯t help but feel bad when she remembered how the King had been suffering along with his mate, who wouldn¡¯te out of this bedroom, confining herself to these four walls. Abby had been frightened to death on the day Micah lost control and killed that guard. Since that day, she had refused to even meet anyone. ¡°Did shee out of this room at least?¡± Micah asked, but his voice was so soft, as if he already knew the answer to his own question. Alyssa could only shake her head at that, ¡°So no progress at all?¡± Micah¡¯s voice almost broke at the end. ¡°No, my king,¡± Alyssa said, in an even smaller voice. Forget about any progress, the people she even remotely interacted with could be counted on one hand, if her looking at them could be considered as interaction in the first ce. However, Micah couldn¡¯t be included even in that list as she was adamant about avoiding the King¡¯s eyes at all costs. She would actually burrow further into her nket, which had been her thirdyer of clothing for the past week, if she simply heard Micah¡¯s name. In a nutshell, only five people saw her after she returned to her bedroom that night. This was worrying beyond possibilities. Alyssa and Reyna could only pray to the moon goddess that this would pass soon, as they couldn¡¯t stomach the sight of these two mates suffering so much. ¡°My king, do you wish me to tell her anything?¡± Alyssa asked the King, when Micah didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Hearing her question, Micah just handed her a single stalk of yellow flowers. ¡°Give her this,¡± the King said vaguely, but Alyssa was wise enough to understand his intention. After her panic attack on that first night, no one ever mentioned Micah¡¯s name in front of her again, under the King¡¯s own orders. So, she couldn¡¯t let Abby know from whom these flowers were either. ¡°Lady Abby really loved these flowers,¡± the maid said wisely, and then bowed to the King as she went inside to keep Abbypany, so that Reyna could retire for the evening and take rest. Alyssa could only hope seeing these flowers could finally cheer Abby up a little. Fri, 8 Mar DB Chapter 38 66% * ¡°My King, you have been summoned to the old tower for an audience,¡± a guard bowed to Micah, as he read the summons from the former king, Arthur, out loud. Micah, who was reading a report, stopped what he was doing and looked at n, in response to which, the royal beta could only shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before the sun goes down,¡± Micah said to n, as he had to entertain the elderster that evening again. ¡°It came almost a weekte,¡± n mumbled under his breath as he watched Micah leave his study room to go meet his father. ¡°Father,¡± Micah greeted Arthur, the former king of werewolves. Arthur was waiting for him in the front yard, as if he wanted to meet his son as soon as possible. Right now, as soon as he entered his sight. And the moment he looked into Arthur¡¯s eyes, Micah could tell why he was summoned there. He anticipated this but his father took his time before getting involved in this matter. ¡°You are here,¡± Arthur nodded at Micah as he watched him walk over to himself. ¡°Have a seat.¡± The former king pointed to the only other chair at the table he was sitting at. ¡°Why did I hear that you punished Ruby? Out of nowhere at that,¡± Arthur shot point nk, as he sipped on his afternoon tea, after inquiring a little about how Micah was doing and how the kingdom was. It seemed the former royal beta, Leon, had reached out to the former king about his daughter¡¯s punishment. The very punishment Micah pped her with the same night she sneakily escaped from the pce. with her three friends. Just thinking about that night made Micah feel the urge to break the table, but he still controlled his emotions. ¡°It wasn¡¯t out of nowhere,¡± Micah answered his father with a levelled tone after a short moment of silence. ¡°But she didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Arthur stressed when Micah didn¡¯t borate his answer. There was a frown on his face, which clearly indicated that he didn¡¯t approve of Micah¡¯s decision on this matter at all. ¡°What she did, put my mate¡¯s life in danger,¡± the King told his father. ¡°All she did was take that girl out for some fun,¡± Arthur, who believed Leon¡¯s narration, took hist side. ¡°One month of house arrest was too much for a moment of carelessness.¡±¡± The casual tone in Arthur¡¯s tone made Micah go silent for a second. ¡°That moment of carelessness could have cost me my mate¡¯s life,¡± Mical pointed out, 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar DG. Chapter 38 Micah still felt this immense rage whenever he thought what would have happened to Abby if he had been even a few minuteste. But then, Micah couldn¡¯t really me Arthur, when all he had was a hunch about this matter. Even though he learned how Ruby literally forced Abby to go with herself from Alyssa and Reynater, it wasn¡¯t enough evidence to prove that Ruby actually nned for Abby to go missing. Everything sort of seemed like a bunch of coincidences. Call it overprotectiveness or whatsoever, but Micah really felt that Ruby nned all of that. Not to mention how she narrated a twisted story of Abby following a stranger. ¡°She was careless but not at fault,¡± Arthur pushed when Micah didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I still have to investigate that,¡± Micah didn¡¯t budge in the face of his father¡¯s continuous persuasion. Seeing his son¡¯s stubborn attitude, Arthur felt frustrated. ¡°Micah, even though Abby got lost, she is. not a three year old kid who is unable to protect herself.¡± Micah could see what Arthur was thinking. As shifters, of course, they were gifted with several abilities and were naturally strong, both physically and me ntally. However, Abby was different. She never got to train like others, nor was she strong enough to protect herself, while her timid nature would only drag her down in really dangerous situations like the one she faced with that headstrong guard. But since he hadn¡¯t met her yet, Arthur didn¡¯t know about this. This was because Micah thought of giving her as much time as possible to adjust to her life here before pushing her to ept her responsibilities. So he pushed back letting Abby meet Arthur a little too much. She was not supposed to meet anyone for at least another three days when Ruby barged into the pce and met her at theke side. To top it off, she dragged Abby to the town where she lost her the next day. ¡°But she still got hurt, that is all that matters to me,¡± Micah asserted with conviction, thinking at month of house arrest was too little as a punishment when he remembered how Abby had been living soullessly for the past few days. He should have let her rot in the dungeons for a month along with her friends, who only got a punishment of being forbidden from entering the pce for a year. ¡°All that guard did was push her to the ground, what could that possibly do to her?¡± Arthur almost shouted at Micah. ¡°And you killed that guard already for disrespecting Abby. There isn¡¯t a need for you to punish Ruby and her friends as well. It was all just a misunderstanding on your part.¡± ¡°It was not,¡± Micah almost gritted the three words out, as the discussion heated up by the second. ¡°Listen Micah, you are just letting your emotions cloud your judgment. You know Ruby for so many years. She is not someone to hurt a person without a reason,¡± Arthur frowned, as he 15:05 Fri, 8 Mar DB ¡¤ Chapter 38 narrowed his eyes at Micah.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Micah almost scoffed at his father¡¯s words. It was precisely because he knew Ruby from a long time that Micah could tell she was lying about losing Abby at the festival. He knew her personality, after all, they were childhood friends. Only theck of substantial proof to support his own ims was stopping himself from going for their blood. ¡°Just stop for a moment and think clearly, you will immediately realize this was all a misunderstanding,¡± Arthur said with confidence, still talking in that casual tone. He didn¡¯t really think that Abby could be seriously hurt by all of that that transpired on that day, because he didn¡¯t know the life she lived in her former pack. But this was not the right time to let his father know that. ¡°So just revoke the punishment and apologize to Ruby for punishing her unnecessarily,¡± Arthur continued his monologue as he exined how he shouldn¡¯t let his emotions get the better of him when Micahughed suddenly. ¡°Apologize? Why? There is nothing wrong with my decision to punish them,¡± Micah said word by word while Arthur looked like he would flip the table. ¡°Nothing wrong?¡± Arthur gritted the words out. ¡°Their punishment is justified and necessary.¡± Micah dered, ¡°Moreover, a king wouldn¡¯t apologize so easily.¡± ¡°Justified and necessary?¡± Arthur narrowed his eyes at his son. ¡°And you are telling me what a king should and shouldn¡¯t do? Did you forget that I was a king before?¡± ¡°Exactly. You were the King before me. But not anymore.¡± Micah¡¯s voice was even. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you, Micah. Are you doing this to please your mate? Was she dissatisfied with something? I¡¯ll talk to her and she will understand.¡± # Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Exactly. You were the King before me. But not anymore.¡± Micah¡¯s voice was even as he tried to control his anger. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arthur¡¯s voice hardened even more. ¡°I mean exactly what I said. You are not the King anymore.¡± Micah didn¡¯t back down. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you, Micah. Are you doing this to please your mate? Was she dissatisfied with something?¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t ept the way his own son just talked to him. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her and she will understand.¡± Arthur¡¯s suggestion made Micah go alert, as his body stiffened a bit. Abby wasn¡¯t ready to meet anyone. ¡°Moreover, I still haven¡¯t met her,¡± the former king continued as he looked thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s time I met her, after all, the ceremony was just around the corner.¡± The ceremony was scheduled to be held in the following week, but the King¡¯s father hadn¡¯t even met her yet. He wondered whether at least the elders got a chance to meet the future queen of this kingdom. Maybe they could all meet her at once. However, Micah didn¡¯t think so. ¡°This has nothing to do with her. You don¡¯t have to meet her for this in particr,¡± Micah deflected in a heartbeat, sounding almost threatening. Arthur was surprised by his choice of words, but why would Micah threaten him over nothing? But then what was his son saying? ¡°How is it not rted to Abby when you yourself said Ruby is being punished for failing to take proper care of your mate?¡± Arthur asked the King, exasperated at his logic. ¡°Because punishing Ruby was my decision alone,¡± Micah said as he folded his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Ruby needs to learn from her mistake.¡± Even if Micah couldn¡¯t find any evidence to prove Ruby did it intentionally, the fact that Ruby¡¯s carelessness escted the situation that night until a guard was killed couldn¡¯t be stricken off easily. And that was what he pointed out to his father. However, Arthur still couldn¡¯te to terms with it. ¡°How would she have expected for that guard to attack Abby of all people?¡± ¡°She couldn¡¯t have. That was why she should have been careful enough,¡± Micah stressed. ¡°But you saved Abby in time, there is no need to vent your anger on those innocent girls,¡± Arthur pointed out, 15:06 Fri, 8 Mar DB ¡¤ Chapter 39 ¡°What if I had beente?¡± Micah almost lost his control just at the thought of this ¡®what if once again. Arthur could see how Micah felt about the possibility of his mate getting hurt. And he could understand his son, but he didn¡¯t approve of his decision. ¡°This isn¡¯t the way to deal with this situation, though,¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t help but criticize his son. He believed that Micah¡¯s actions were being influenced by his emotions. And he didn¡¯t miss the way Micah steered him away from the topic of himself meeting Abby. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, father.¡± Micah¡¯s response only enraged the already frustrated former king. ¡°So you won¡¯t revoke the punishment?¡± Arthur stood up, almost toppling his chair backward. Micah also stood up, out of respect for his father, of course. And the way his eyes hardened at his question let Arthur know his answer. ¡°It would be best if you don¡¯t get involved in the court matters too much. I am perfectly capable of running the court,¡± Micah said as he pinned Arthur with a look. ¡°If you feel you are not busy enough, maybe you should think about going on a vacation.¡± Arthur was taken aback by the hidden meaning behind Micah¡¯s words. His son just told him to remember his own ce. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arthur shouted, feeling offended. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the kingdom anymore, it¡¯s my job now. After all, I am the King.¡± Micah borated. His tone was a bit harsh, as he didn¡¯t want his father to take his words lightly. He was adamant on not letting Ruby off easily after what she tried to pull. His father should be d that he couldn¡¯t find the evidence or else those four women would be counting the iron bars in the dungeons now. No one would be spared if they tried to harm his mate. On the other hand, Arthur was stumped by Micah¡¯s words that he couldn¡¯t say anything when Micah turned to leave after a nod in his direction. ¡°Now, if you will excuse me.¡± Micah threw over his shoulder. He didn¡¯t feel the need to continue this conversation when he was done saying what he wanted to say. It would be better if his father coulde to terms with his way of dealing things quickly. Only the former king was not done talking with him yet. Arthur almost ran after his stubborn son, but held back at thest moment. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head as he watched Micah leave calmly. Just as Abby opened her eyes this morning, she saw a bunch of yellow flowers ced in a vase on the table beside her bed. 2/5 15:06 Fri, 8 Mar DB Chapter 39 66% This was her third time finding these flowers in that vase since she noticed Alyssa bringing a single stalk of flowers a week back. These were the same flowers she saw in the back garden of this pce. That garden was filled with these flowers until it looked like a bright yellow mat. No. A sea of yellow would be a betterparison. The very first time Alyssa and Reyna took her there, Abby fell in love with that ce. She told the same to Micah that very night.. She remembered Micah looking at her with this gentle smile on his face when she told him how she wanted to spend her following morning in that garden. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Thinking about it until that point, Abby realized how badly she missed Micah in the past fortnight. But every time she thought of Micah, the image of his ck beast with blood dripping from his fangs assaulted her senses as well. And she couldn¡¯t help but nip her urge to meet Micah in the bud for the umpteenth time every time she recalled that gruesome sight. Her nightmares wouldn¡¯t go away either, but these flowers made her breath a little easier in the past week. ¡°Thank you for these,¡± Abby told Alyssa in a soft voice the moment the maid returned from the kitchen after taking away the cutlery Abby used while having her breakfast. Alyssa looked a little confused at her words. Abby pointed to the vase of flowers with a small lift to the corners of her lips. This was the first time Abby did anything remotely simr to smiling after that night and Alyssa. couldn¡¯t help but smile at this progress. ¡°These? It wasn¡¯t my idea,¡± Alyssa said while looking at Reyna with a happy smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s not my idea, either,¡± Reyna immediately denied the silent question shing in Abby¡¯s searching eyes when they fell on herself. ¡°It wasn¡¯t either of you? Then¡­¡± Abby was genuinely confused for a moment as she couldn¡¯t connect the dots. Only these two people had been here save for the few times Dax came to visit her. But he always came when she was awake and never had these flowers with him. The royal gam ma had a cheerful personality and in a way, his goofiness that rubbed on herself until she started to talk with them again. If neither of these three were the person behind this, that would leave her with the only other option. Micah. 15:06 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 39 66% Only he knew how excited she was about going to the back garden where she could be drowned in these flowers¡¯ beauty. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the King, who sends these flowers for you everyday,¡± Reyna said excitedly when she saw the realization dawn upon Abby. ¡°Yes, mydy, he has been waiting for you outside the door everyday,¡± Alyssa supplied, wanting to make Abby understand the King¡¯s plight. Only Abby immediately closed off and stopped talking altogether at the mention of the King. Abby couldn¡¯t say she wasn¡¯t touched by his gesture or deny the fact that she too missed him. But she still didn¡¯t know how to look at Micah without the shadow of his beast¡¯s cruel act guing her mind. The scare she got that day was too huge, Abby didn¡¯t know how to look at Micah with the same eyes. she used to. ¡°So you want to postpone the ceremony?¡± n, the royal beta, asked Micah. He didn¡¯t sound interrogative, as he just wanted to confirm if he had indeed heard what the King just said correctly. Micah only nodded at his royal beta, who could only lower his head in contemtion. He wondered if Micah caught wind of the rumors circting in the town, surrounding his attempts to search for a girl two weeks back. People were gossiping like crazy as they were dying to know the identity of the girl who made the King himself step down into the field toe look for her in person. Some spected that the missing girl was the future queen but they couldn¡¯t confirm it when there had not been any official statement from the pce yet. Only the important figures of the capital city had received the news that the King finally found his mate, while themoners were still in the dark. The authenticity of the rumor couldn¡¯t be proved when no one could gain information on Abby. The people will be curious, My King.¡± n said when he thought about all of this. ¡°But she wasn¡¯t ready yet,¡± Micah said with finality. However, n still felt like pushing his luck. ¡°They had been waiting for years just to listen to the news of you meeting your mate¡­¡± D 15:06 Fri, 8 Mar DG Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¡°They had been waiting for years just to listen to the news of you meeting your mate.¡± n¡¯s voice sounded a bit louder than earlier, as he wanted to make Micah understand where he was coming from. The whole kingdom had been anxious for their king to find his mate as he had been crowned for so many years. Now that they had been shown some hope, even through the rumors, they were bound to raise hands. The people were restless with the rumors circting among them full force. It would have been fine if they didn¡¯t get their hopes up after that rumor of their king searching for his missing future queen started circting around. But most of them were sure with the way the King almost turned an entire town upside down when he brought hundreds of warriors tob through the streets for a girl. ¡°Even the elders are urging you to let them meet her.¡± n reminded Micah when he did not say anything for a long moment. Dealing with the people was one thing, since they didn¡¯t know anything for sure, Micah didn¡¯t have to bother about answering their unspoken questions¡­ But the elders¡¯ pestering was apletely different thing. They were clearly aware that their future queen had been found. But the King was hiding her. He wouldn¡¯t let them meet her no matter what they said to him. ¡°I will talk to them,¡± Micah said in a matter of fact tone. ¡°But, how long can you stop them? They would get frustrated if this continued and might do something stup id.¡± n couldn¡¯t help but remind the King. ¡°As long as I can,¡± Micah said in a determined tone. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to end well with their recent displeasure over your decision to punish Ruby,¡± n said, feeling the need to warn Micah. The former royal beta, his predecessor, Leon, had been spreading stories that the King was punishing his daughter over a small misunderstanding. He didn¡¯t forget to imply that Micah had always been level headed before Abby came along. However, he was cun ning enough to be subtle about it. He didn¡¯t bring up Abby¡¯s role in Micah¡¯s behavioral change. He simply said Micah was doing things out of the norm. So when people from the court thought about it a bit hard, they were automatically reminded of the fact that Abby was the center of all these conflicts. 1/3 Fri, 8 Mar 15:06 Chapter 40 Leon was trying to pressure him, using public opinion against his mate to make the King let his own daughter off the h ook. 66% ¡°Leon was being backed up by the fathers of those three women. Now, everyone is taking his side,¡± n continued when Micah didn¡¯t say anything about his earlier statement. If it had been Leon alone, he couldn¡¯t have stirred the people too much. But Ruby¡¯s three friends also came from influential families of this capital city. And their fathers were not happy that their precious daughters had been banned from entering the pce for a whole year. So, they were all singing the same tune and the court was restless¡­ ¡°They won¡¯t be able to do much,¡± Micah dismissed n¡¯s concerns. ¡°I got this. I can handle them.¡± ¡°But, the elders¡¯ target is not making things difficult for yourself. Whatever Leon was telling them was only making them want to meet Abby even more,¡± n could only point it out to Micah. ¡°I will not rush her. She won¡¯t be able to handle it,¡± Micah said with finality. ¡°But they have been waiting for weeks now¡­¡± n almost shouted. Even though it had been more than two weeks since Micah brought Abby here, he never allowedBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. anyone to approach her. And the incident literally made him hide her from all of them. Coupled with their restlessness, it would onlyplicate the situation for Micah. ¡°They might really do something st upid, if you resist them this much¡­ ¡°n couldn¡¯t help but warn Micah in the end. Only Micah¡¯s harsh voice cut n¡¯s sentence in the middle. ¡°I¡¯ll see what they can do.¡± Micah didn¡¯t seem ruffled by this whole affair. ¡°They can wait a few more weeks to meet her.¡± n could only stop talking when he understood that the King wouldn¡¯t budge on this matter. But the frown on his face mirrored his feelings over this turn of events. ¡°Sir, only you can do something about this. You know how unyielding King Micah could be,¡± Leon said, as he almost knelt in front of Arthur. Arthur felt a headacheing when he listened to Leon¡¯s continuous ramblings. This was the fourth time he came to meet him this week, just to plead for his daughter¡¯s innocence. *Since you already know, how do you expect him to listen to me?¡¯ This was on the tip of Arthur¡¯s tongue, but he didn¡¯t have it in himself to say this. Just a few years back, everything was still under his control. But now, not even his own son was willing to listen to him. 15:06 Fri, 8 Mar DB. Chapter 40 66%% He couldn¡¯t stomach this fact. Even though Micah was the King now, he was still his son and Arthur wasn¡¯t happy with the way he talked to himself about this matter. When he only wanted to make his son understand that he was being controlled by his emotions. A good sovereign shouldn¡¯t let his emotions run amok. ¡°He is confident that Ruby is involved somehow,¡± Arthur could only say this when the former royal beta wouldn¡¯t stop whining. ¡°It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, just talk to him once again. My poor daughter has been confined to her bedroom for the past two weeks.¡± Leon repeated the same thing again and Arthur couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do about it. Just leave for now.¡± Arthur¡¯s voice came out strained, showing his displeasure clearly. However, Leon simply chose to ignore it as he strode out happily. On the other hand, Arthur knew he couldn¡¯t change Micah¡¯s decision. But ording to Leon, everyone else in the court was unhappy as well. ¡°Maybe I should directly meet his mate, the center of all this,¡± Arthur thought out loud atst. COMMENT Chapter 41 ¡°Lady Abby, do you want to go to the garden for a walkter?¡± Dax, the Royal Gamma, asked. happily, just short of skipping into the bedroom as he bounced toward Abby who just finished eating her first meal of the day. The only person who Abby responded to positively was Dax. Of course, other than Alyssa ami Reyna. While Nadia couldn¡¯t visit her too often as she had many other things to deal with since she was the royal healer of the pce. She couldn¡¯t be here everyday when Abby had almost recovered, at least, physically. And Dax took the responsibility of cheering Abby up along with Alyssa and Reyna. ¡°The back garden is so beautiful today¡± Reyna supplied from the side as she gave Alyssa a look. ¡°It was like a sea of golden hues with all those yellow flowers in full bloom.¡± Reyna was standing behind Abby, so she didn¡¯t notice how the maid winked at her fellow maid discreetly. ¡°Yes, mydy, it would be a perfect day to go for a pic and bask in the morning sun,¡± Alyssa joined them as she said whatever that could back up Reyna¡¯s words. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Dax geared up his goofiness when Alyssa and Reyna took his hint and cooperated with him. ¡°Believe me, you don¡¯t want to miss out on this. The view was spectacr. I wanted to stay there all day, but then I remembered you like those flowers as well. So here I am,¡± Dax chirped away with animated hands as he smiled broadly. This had be their daily routine in the past few days. One of the three would raise a topic and all three of them would talk about it excitedly, just to make Abby feel interested in something that wouldpel her to finally step out of this room And their efforts weren¡¯tpletely in vain as Abby slowly started to invest in their conversations a little. Before she didn¡¯t respond no matter what, but somewhere in the middle of the royal gamma bantering with the maids, they noticed her smiling. Now, she was even engaging in conversations with them. It was a good thing indeed. But it was not enough. Especially when they thought about the King. Abby still avoided talking about him. She would sink deeper into her own thoughts whenever they tried to plead on behalf of Micah. Dax couldn¡¯t sit still when he saw how miserable the King had been during this period of time. They had never seen him like this. He looked dispirited with each day that passed. Now, they were desperate as it had been three weeks since Abby dared to step out of this room. while the King would not step inside, just to give her some space. He would always wait outside, standing beside the door all night. And it was heart wrenching to say the least. They understood the importance of this space Micah was giving to her, but, if no one did anything. 13 16:14 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. there would be no progress whatsoever. °×ÓÃ60%¡£ ¡°Yes, mydy, the sun was not too bright today,¡± Alyssa said, sounding a bit more than enthusiastic. However, Abby didn¡¯t say anything as if she didn¡¯t listen to what they all three said. When she didn¡¯t respond to them after a few more minutes of persuasion, they could only give up. Dax shared a look with the two maids as he bade them goodbye. ¡°The King is waiting for me)¡®ll take my leave now,¡± he said to them before sliding his gaze once again toward Abby, who didn¡¯t seem to catch his words. Alyssa and Reyna could only nod at him, as if it was just another failed attempt of forcing Abby from crossing the door and leave these four walls even for a couple of minutes. The two maids sighed when they remembered all the times Dax tried to bring up King Micah, where he would exin how the King had been suffering along with his mate after Alyssa dared to reveal that it was actually Micah who had been sending flowers for her everyday. ¡°I have never seen him act like he had no life in his eyes. He regrets scaring you that night, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Dax said two days back, when he brought the nutritious potions from Nadia. Nadia was instructed by Micah to prepare some herbal potions to help Abby hasten her recovery, and Dax took the responsibility of sending them to Abby in person. ¡°It¡¯s obvious from the way he keeps waiting to meet you and makes sure you are alright all the time,¡± Dax continued even though he didn¡¯t receive any response from her yet again. It was as if Abby would fall into a trance the moment she heard Micah¡¯s name, and the maids and the royal gamma couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless everytime she chose to avoid talking about Micah. However, she didn¡¯t show any extreme reactions like trembling from head to toe just at the mention of the King¡¯s name anymore, so that could be considered as some progress. Thinking to this point, Dax had this smile on his face when he walked toward Micah, who was waiting in the study room. Dax didn¡¯t lie when he said the King was waiting for him, only he didn¡¯t say it was because he was waiting for an update on Abby. ¡°She ate well this morning, and she looks a bit happier than yesterday,¡± Dax said, smiling from ear to ear, as if he aplished some secret mission. Hearing him, Micah felt a bit relieved. ¡°Lady Abby, would you like to take a nap?¡± Alyssa asked her as she handed Abby a small tter of fruit pieces when she saw that Abby looked a little bored as if she couldn¡¯t think of what to do. But the maid didn¡¯t get any response from her, which was a little odd. She didn¡¯t even look at the fruit tter which was literally in her face right now. Alyssa looked at Reyna, who looked confused as well. 215 16:14 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. Abby almost reverted back to how she had been the first time they met her, she had been smiling more frequently and also talking about everything with them. But she had been very silent after they mentioned going for a pic this morning. Didn¡¯t she like those flowers? Why was she like this? They didn¡¯t have an answer to these questions, however, Abby chose this moment to drop a bomb that almost made them explode with joy. ¡°Do you know where King Mical is? I want to see him,¡± Abby said in a soft voice as she looked back and forth between her two personal maids. Reyna almost jumped when she heard Abby. ¡°Lady Abby, did I hear correctly?¡± She almost screamed in happiness which nearly frightened Abby. Alyssa immediately chided Reyna for her inappropriate behaviour when she saw Abby¡¯s flustered expression. Then she turned to Abby and exined Reyna¡¯s reaction. ¡°She is just happy that you are finally willing to step out of here and meet the King¡± The two girls took turns expressing their happiness over Abby¡¯s decision as they fussed over Abby to dress her up for the asion. ¡°Just a simple dress would do,¡± Abby frowned when Reyna brought out an evening gown embellished in sparkly stones. It was one of the party dresses E, the royal seamstress, sent to her a few days back. Reyna smiled sheepishly as she apologised for being hyper joyed. Abby could only smile at her childlike innocence. In no time, Abby was all set to go out and meet Micah. Alyssa and Reyna were smiling from ear to ear as they ushered Abby out of the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go, mydy, I just got news where King Micah is now,¡± Alyssa said, cutting the mind link from a warrior. However, just as they opened the door to leave, Abby came face to face with a man she had never seen before. Abby was startled for a moment, as she almost stumbled back on her foot when she saw this visitor. of hers sporting a steely gaze in his sharp eyes. ¡°Sir,¡± Alyssa and Reyna bowed when they recognized the man, prompting Abby to pay him her respects as well. Abby bowed her head a little as she stared at him with confusion. It was none other than Arthur, the former king and Micah¡¯s father, as he stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Abby from head to toe. ¡°I believe we haven¡¯t met yet. I am Arthur, Micah¡¯s father,¡± Arthur aid, introducing himself to a frozen Abby, who wentpletely still at his words, making himself frown. 16:14 Fri, 8 Ma Alyssa and Reyna looked at each other for the hundredth time as they followed behind this small entourage Arthur brought with him. They wanted to walk along with Abby to lessen her tension but somehow, they found themselves walking in the far end of this group of people while Abby could be seen walking a step behind the former king. Her shoulders were hunched and it was obvious she was ufortable with this whole turn of events. She had mustered up enough courage to finally meet Micah, but Sir Arthur beat them to it when he decided to have a conversation with Abby in person. They couldn¡¯t help but worry about Abby as they could see that she had a difficult past. On the other hand, Abby could only suppress her urge to turn back around with every step she took as she followed Arthur with barely erect posture. Everything about Arthur gave off an intimidating air, be it his words or his gaze, even his gait was daunting as he moved forward with determined steps. ¡°How are you now?¡± Arthur asked Abby as he walked, staring ahead. ¡°I- i am fine, n- now,¡± Abby stuttered as she uttered her answer. She was clearly terrified of this situation as she didn¡¯t know where to keep her hands. She felt anxious to her core and the urge to bite her nails was overwhelming, a habit of hers whenever she felt out of sorts. Only her fear of looking even more unpresentable than she was already feeling was stopping her from giving into her urge. Meanwhile, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but frown at her timid behaviour. He had been observing her from earlier, from the very moment he introduced himself to her. She went still the second she learned who he was and her eyes shook with terror. Her maids had to prompt her to do the things she needed to follow when faced with a situation. She clearlycked a proper upbringing. And the way her fingers kept twitching by her sides was a clear sign she was easily scared. Arthur couldn¡¯t help but feel some displeasure at the way she carried herself. And then he was reminded of another thing. ¡®Did she really refuse to meet Micah after that night?¡® He heard the guards gossiping about this, when he asked them, they said Abby didn¡¯t let Micah enter his own room for the past three weeks. He just dismissed their words as some exaggerated version of what actually happened. But looking 16:14 Fr, B. Mar G 60% at Abby right now, he felt otherwise. What kind of shifter would need space from their own mate? And that too because he killed someone who wanted to harm herself by severing his head? Not a hundred or more, but for a single death? She was too weak and fainthearted if she couldn¡¯t handle seeing a single guard dying in cold blood. Moreover, why would she distance herself from her own mate? This type of mentality didn¡¯t suit a sovereign, who was supposed to rule a kingdom. Not to mention, by his son¡¯s side as a queen. His son was ruling thergest kingdom, the werewolves kingdom, in this realm. Battles and deaths were daily urrences for him. If his queen couldn¡¯t help him have his thoughts together and instead needed himself to cajole her, Micah wouldn¡¯t be able to rule the werewolves efficiently. Who he needed was an equal in everything, not a burden. 5/5 Çú COMMENT 16:14 Fri, 8 Mar RGB- Chapter 42 Recently, the guards at the borders had been continuously reporting about the frequent attacks by the rogues. The frequency of the attacks had escted by so many fold than usual, it gave rise to a constant headache at the back of the King¡¯s mind. Rogues were shifters that either left their packs on their own to lead an independent life, or shifters who had lost everyone rted to them. Only in rare cases, it would be shifters who were banished from packs or abandoned by their close ones. And, they would be hard to control as they wouldn¡¯t have an alpha that could keep them in check. They would do as they please and mostly wander alone. It was rare for them to form groups and attack a well protected ce like the capital city of this kingdom, which would be literally swarmed by the royal warriors, even though it was surrounded by a dense forest. So, here was Micah, discussing the anomaly of this situation with n first thing this morning. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem to be that simple,¡± n said, looking thoughtful. ¡°There is something fishy about this whole situation.¡± ¡°Even though they seem to be like a bunch of random attacks, I¡¯m sure they were following at certain pattern,¡± Micah said, as he pointed out the ces the rogues tried to breach in the past few days. These ces seemed to have something inmon that they were currently unable to connect with the attacks. ¡°But we still have to figure that out,¡± n felt a little frustrated. At first nce, these attacks did seem random, but the frequency at which they were happening was too strange to be dismissed as simple attacks for food or necessities. They were missing something really important and that might be proven to be fatal if they didn¡¯t solve this as soon as possible and the attacks were really prenned. ¡°If we waste our time trying to figure out why they were attacking us, we may lose more than we could afford,¡± n said, determination glinting in his eyes. ¡°What do you suggest, n?¡± Micah asked n, even though he looked like he knew the answer to his own question. ¡°Let¡¯s increase security around the borders and fight them,¡± n replied, certainty evident in hist voice. ¡°Let¡¯s not give them a chance to catch us off guard next time.¡± ¡°Be on it,¡± Micah permitted him, as he picked up the next report to look at. n nodded to Micah as he picked up his things to leave for the training ground. ¡°I¡¯ll dispatch a few groups of warriors first. After observing the situation a little, we cane up with our next 1/5 16:14 Fri, 8 Mar R G G step,¡± he said as he gathered the reports he had to look through. Just then, they heard a rhythmic knock on the door, before the other person opened the door from the outside to let himself in. And Dax entered the King¡¯s study room with a bounce to his step. n, who was about to remind Micah about his next appointment, saw Dax entering the rooth and stopped in his tracks, suspecting what he did this time. This chatterbox of a royal gamma had been on a self assigned mission where he swore to help Abby fight her fear toward Micah. And every time he returned after paying her a visit, it would be a long monologue on his part, where he would report the progress he achieved in that so¨Ccalled mission. He took this so seriously, n swore Micah could clearly picture everything that had happened. whenever Dax visited Abby. His narrations would always be very vivid. He would even go as far as mimicking Abby¡¯s actions, like her smile or the way she furrowed her forehead and so on, just so Micah could feel a bit better, knowing Abby was doing just fine. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. n never thought there woulde a day, where Micah would eagerly wait to listen to Dax¡¯s endless ramblings. After all the King loved his peace of mind very much. ¡°Yo, n. It¡¯s a good day,¡± Dax skipped to n as he patted the royal beta on his shoulder. The royal gamma was sporting his go to wide smile as he didn¡¯t bother to wait for n to respond to his own greeting as he continued to walk toward the King. ¡°King Micah, do you know why it¡¯s a good day today?¡± Dax bowed to Micah to show his courtesy before continuing to indulge in his goofy behavior. He was just short of wiggling his eyebrows at him. It seemed like he still remembered his own ce, and knew the King was only tolerating his behavior for his mate. n couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the antics of this royal gamma, who looked like a puppy wagging its tail at its master for treats after pulling off some really excellent feat. ¡°Did she smile wider than yesterday?¡± n couldn¡¯t help but jab from behind as he raised his eyebrows at the royal gamma. ¡°Or did she say three more words than you expected?¡± Dax couldn¡¯t me n when his silly reports over Abby¡¯s reports didn¡¯t sum up to nothing more than his two questions just now.. ¡°That¡¯s a given when the person trying to soften her up was someone like me,¡± Dax said, his voice full of smugness. ¡°If we had to rely on you, we could forget about any progress whatsoever.¡± Dax threw back at n before proceeding to smile broadly at the King as he didn¡¯t bother to with the royal beta anymore. bicker ¡°She ate well this morning, and she looks a bit happier than yesterday,¡± Dax said, smiling from ear 9/5 60%ºÚ to ear, as if he aplished some secret mission. Hearing the royal gamma, Micah immediately felt relieved as he looked a bit more rxed than earlier. ¡°Is it anything different from what I said?¡± n couldn¡¯t help but point out in retaliation to Dax¡¯s words earlier. Only the royal gamma still didn¡¯t feel the need to bother about n¡¯s jabs as he continued to recite what he wanted to report. ¡°I¡¯m pretty much sure she is all ready to forget about that incident.¡± -What makes you think so?¡± n raised his brows at Dax. ¡°I just know it. If my guess is correct, she would agree to meet with the King today or tomorrow,¡± Dax said, feeling proud of himself forpleting this self assigned mission. Dax really had a good feeling about this. Abby wasn¡¯t that scared of Micah anymore. Before, he had to watch his words carefully, afraid Abby would cower away the moment Micah was brought up. However, in the past three days, he noticed her paying extra attention whenever he said something about Micah. That was how he came to that conclusion. ¡°So, my king, don¡¯t you think I deserve some appreciation for my hard work?¡± Dax asked Micah as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. n couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the royal gamma¡¯s shamelessness. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you just wanted to help? Why are you asking for rewards now?¡± n pointed out while the royal gamma ignored him as if he couldn¡¯t hear a thing he said. ¡°I- i am fine, n- now,¡± Abby stuttered as she uttered her answer to Arthur¡¯s question where he asked her how she was feeling now. The former king couldn¡¯t help but frown at her flustered self. It was a simple question and he only asked it out of politeness. Her reaction was so out of ce, as if he had just asked her to sacrifice her life. What was she frightened about here? But then, he dismissed it as her being nervous over meeting himself for the first time, even though he thought it still shouldn¡¯t rattle her so much. ¡°So you are the daughter of the beta of your pack?¡± Arthur asked her as he recalled this piece of information about her. ¡°Yes, Sir, Abby answered him without stuttering this time, but her voice almost broke, uttering the word ¡®sir.¡± Arthur turned to her and looked at her once again. She didn¡¯t look like she came from an affluent family of a pack at all. 60% # The Beta of a pack would be the second most powerful person in their territory, so obviously, he would be well off as well. But when one looked at Abby¡¯s simple style, they wouldn¡¯t be able to associate herself with a wealthy family at all. ¡°Abby, can you tell me about your life in your pack?¡± Arthur asked the girl when he thought about something. ¡°Since you are the daughter of the beta, surely you would have handled some tasks that could help your pack, right?¡± Her rank was quite high, so she should have been trained by her father well. This was what Arthur had in mind when he asked her this question. If she went through that training, she would be able to get a grip over her responsibilities as a queen by Micah¡¯s side quickly as well. However, Arthur could only stop walking when he couldn¡¯t feel Abby following himself anymore. And when he turned around, he saw her fidgeting a little. ¡°You were not interested in the pack things?¡± Arthur frowned when Abby didn¡¯t answer this question of him as well. She just nodded her head in denial and the former king couldn¡¯t help but notice how her fingers clutched her dress tightly. Was he that intimidating? Following that, no matter what he asked, Abby¡¯s answers would either be really short or just a shake of her head. The former king couldn¡¯t help but feel impatient with her timid behavior. He couldn¡¯t understand. this girl at all. ¡°What about your father and sister?¡± Arthur finally asked when the girl wouldn¡¯t say anything about other things. She would at least talk about her family, right? However, Abby stiffened even more when Arthur brought up Ryan and Hanna. She started biting her nails as she fidgeted from one foot to another. What was with this situation? This didn¡¯t fall in line with a prospective queen¡¯s behavior at all. Why was she getting anxious over every single thing he asked? Only then he remembered the guards talking about how she refused to meet Micah after that night. How would she rule a kingdom being so weak herself? Meanwhile, Abby couldn¡¯t control her trembling heart anymore as she kept biting her nails even more. ¡°Can you stop being so anxious?¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t help but chide, as he pointed a finger at her shuffling feet. And the reaction he got from Abby left him speechlesspletely. ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry.¡± Abby apologized immediately, feeling even more anxious. Is not She looked like she would cry her eyes out if he said one more thing to her. And he waspletely wrong. Abby really felt like crying when he pried about her life in the pack. She didn¡¯t want to relive the details of her miserable life back in her pack, let alone tell anyone here how her own father had treated her so poorly all her life. And when he felt impatient with herself, her habit of apologizing made an appearance again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Abby repeated while biting her nails again. This left Arthur speechless as he couldn¡¯t help but think how different Micah and his mate were from each other. Micah said to himself that a king wouldn¡¯t say sorry so easily and he wouldn¡¯t apologize for something he didn¡¯t do. But here was Abby, his destined mate, apologizing so easily for even little things. He didn¡¯t like her at all. She didn¡¯t have character and wasn¡¯t suitable to be Micah¡¯s mate, more precisely, the future queen of this kingdom. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are capable enough to take the responsibility of the future queen of this kingdom,¡± Arthur said bluntly when he thought about all the things he observed in her. Coupled with what he heard from others, his opinion of hers only worsened as he couldn¡¯t help but frown even more. 5/5 Chapter 43 ¡°I don¡¯t think you are capable enough to take responsibility as the future queen of this kingdom,¡± Arthur said bluntly when he thought about all the things he observed about her. The former king couldn¡¯t imagine someone as timid and weak as Abby as the future sovereign of this kingdom at all. She couldn¡¯t even face Micah, her own mate, since that night he killed someone, at her own expense. To avenge her. No, before going there, she couldn¡¯t even answer a few of the simple questions he threw at her in al perfectly amicable setting. If she couldn¡¯t even stand up to him, would she be able to stand against all those cunning high ranked shifters from the court? Arthur didn¡¯t even need to think twice about the answer to this question. The answer was clearly shing in front of him, trembling from head to toe like a girl sized leaf shaking in the wind. In a situation where she needed to assert her stance, she would crumble before a house of cards could under the light breeze on any given day. When dealing with the elders, she would be eaten up before she could even blink an eye. She was so weak, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but point it out to her face. ¡°Someone as weak as you isn¡¯t even meant for ces like the court, let alone the Crown or the throne,¡± Arthur continued, not wanting to hold back at all when he thought about the pressure Abby would have to face if she went ahead with Micah¡¯s ns. Speaking about Micah¡¯s ns, Arthur felt happy that the ceremony had been postponed until further notice. He heard that Micah was nning to push it back as much as possible. He was aiming to postpone it for at least six months. It was not toote¡­ ¡°Abby, I suggest you don¡¯t go through with the ceremony. The shoes of a queen are too big for a small girl like you to fill in,¡± Arthur was now ordering Abby around. On the other hand, Abby felt her head spinning with every thought that racked her brain. And even though she felt like she needed to say something to defend herself, every word that came out of the former king¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t give her a chance at all, as each of them pierced through her heart like a serrated knife.. However, Arthur wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°It would be better if you leave this ce before it¡¯s toote,¡± he advised her, looking really serious. The moment these words left Arthur¡¯s lips, Abby could literally see her world crumbling beneath 1/5 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar her feet. 60%Äê Even though Arthur was only talking about herself being unsuitable for the role of the queen of this kingdom, Abby could clearly hear what he wasn¡¯t saying out loud. He had concluded that she wasn¡¯t suitable for Micah. ¡®Do not go through with the ceremony,¡® he said. In other words, he was saying for herself not to complete her mate bond with Micah. And Arthur¡¯s next words implied what he didn¡¯t say until then even more clearly. ¡°Life in the pce doesn¡¯t suit someone like you. If you are wise enough, you would figure out a way to get out of here before things get tooplicated.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t hold back when he literally forced his opinion on Abby, as he thought what he was doing was the right thing. Since she couldn¡¯t shoulder such a huge responsibility, the only sensible thing she could do was leave Micah alone. If she didn¡¯t realize how this would all turn out to be a disaster, she wouldn¡¯t be able to face the consequences of her own actionster either. No matter what she did, she would never be able to be someone worthy of his son or the position of the queen of this mighty kingdom. On the other hand, Abby felt even more devastated for being told to leave Micah by his own father. The tears she had been holding back couldn¡¯t be stopped anymore as they formed twin streams down her cheeks. But she didn¡¯t make a sound as usual as she stood there like a child being scolded for something she couldn¡¯tprehend, breaking down in tears pitifully but not daring to let out a single sob. She was heartbroken. How could she not? If she didn¡¯tplete her bond with Micah and left the pce, she would literally have nowhere else to go. She would be on her own, all alone in this world. On the other hand, the more Abby couldn¡¯t say anything to retort any of his ims, the more Arthur believed this was the right thing to do. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to endure life in the pce.¡± Arthur continued to persuade Abby. He didn¡¯t bother to stop and see what kind of effect his words had had on Abby anymore. In his eyes, an easily frightened girl like her was nowhere equal to his own formidable son. On the other hand, Abby could see the disapproval in the former king¡¯s eyes and her anxiousness increased by each second that passed. What she was afraid of happening had happened. 2/5 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. 60% First, it was Ruby and her friends. They knew she was Micah¡¯s mate, but they all felt Ruby suited. him more than herself. Even so, they hadn¡¯t been too direct about their displeasure over her stealing Ruby¡¯s childhood sweetheart. Then it was the guard. Yes, he didn¡¯t know she was Micah¡¯s mate, but him being unable to picture herself as the King¡¯s other half had what pushed her away from Micah for three weeks. Her heart couldn¡¯t take the disgust he showed when she imed to be Micah¡¯s mate, not to mention the humiliation that followed. Now, it was the former king, Micah¡¯s own father. Everyone had the same thought, she wasn¡¯t suitable for Micah. The guards¡® derisiveughter at herself iming to be the mate of the King of werewolves at the pce gates that night reverberated in her ears as she realized how out of her league Micah looked in everyone else¡¯s eyes here. And this thought plunged her mood even more, as she cried even harder, which only irritated Arthur as he changed gears and attacked her actively, forgetting all about passive approach. ¡°You are not suitable for Micah and when he finally realizes it, he will abandon you without a second thought,¡± Arthur said, his voiceing out even. But if one looked at his closed fist behind his back, they could tell the former king was trying to control his temper. Even though he believed he should let her understand the severity of this situation, he still knew being too aggressive would only make this fragile girl feel even more flustered. She was crying so much, he doubted if she would faint on the spot from all the dehydration. A shifter getting dehydrated from crying too much. He never thought it could happen, but her thin frame, Arthur didn¡¯t doubt he might witness such a scene this evening. seeing She was too fragile and weak, both physically and mentally, to be even considered as an extremely weak shifter. ¡°But we are mates,¡± Abby finally muttered, her voice inaudible as she herself didn¡¯t really believe if what she said just now was true. She still couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond between herself and Micah, the very thing that forced her into this life in the first ce. But, Micah was sure they were mates. So, he couldn¡¯t abandon her, Right? ¡°How long do you think the mate bond can keep two persons with differences in every aspect possible together?¡± Arthur dismissed her barely audible retort. He could have missed her words, if he hadn¡¯t been a shifter with excellent hearing abilities. A bee would make a louder buzz than her almost mouthed words earlier. 3/5 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. This was why she was not suitable for the throne or his son. ¡°It would be naive of you to think that a mate bond alone is enough to make two persons stay together for life, Arthur continued, his voice patronising. Sure, a mate bond would bring two persons together, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make up for every shoring one might find in their partner. Especially where interests of a whole kingdom were in the picture. 60%%% Sooner orter, the mate bond would fade away with all the sacrifices one person had to make just to amodate his mate, but then what? ¡°Once it fades away, and Micah realizes you are nothing but a burden, what will he do?¡± Arthur wasn¡¯t really loud, but his words weren¡¯t soft either. There were so many things a sovereign needed to take care of. It would be a constant battleground once a person ascended a throne and wore a crown. It wasn¡¯t for faint hearted, like Abby, in a nutshell. So, he decided to present her with the harsh truth before things were toote, and everyone involved either got hurt or ended up with regrets. ¡°He would regret the very day he found you and there will be only more pain to endure than now, when everything is still simple and uplicated.¡± Arthur¡¯s voice was even as he pinned Abby with a look. The girl was still crying without making any sound. He never saw someone even afraid of crying out loud. He couldn¡¯t help but doubt what kind of life she had beforeing to the pce¡­ Had she suffered so much until she didn¡¯t dare express her grievances¡­ or had she lived an insanely pampered life where she never had to face any kind of harsh situations until she was this spoiled? He couldn¡¯t tell anymore. But the frightened yet heartbroken look in her eyes coupled with her soundless cries were enough reason for him to justify his own actions, ¡°Remember what I said and make a wise decision. Leave the pce as soon as possible,¡± Arthur finally said as he turned around to walk away with his guards and servants after one final look at Abby. If she was wise enough, she would understand that the pce was not a ce for someone like her. On the other hand, Alyssa and Reyna rushed to Abby the moment the former king called his entourage to leave. ¡°Lady Abby, your eyes are swollen really badly, what happened?¡± Reyna asked when she noticed how sad Abby looked. ¡°Does it hurt anywhere?¡± Alyssa asked after a long moment when tears kept streaming down Abby¡¯s face while the girl wouldn¡¯t say anything. 4/5 60%ËÙ ¡°Lady Abby, where are you going?¡± Alyssa and Reyna almost felt their hearts breaking as they watched Abby slowly walk back to her bedroom while hugging herself. The personal maids looked at each other, not understanding the situation at all. Abby looked devastated to say the least, and they felt it had something to do with her meeting with the former king. But as they were pushed to the far end of the entourage, they couldn¡¯t hear a thing Arthur said to Abby. As such, with confused minds, the maids followed Abby to her bedroom while asking her a few more times why she was crying. However, they didn¡¯t have any other choice but to give up after a few failed attempts and keep Abby company in silence when the girl would do nothing but cry her eyes out as she leaned onto the headboard of the bed inside her bedroom. Seeing her like this. Alyssa and Reyna felt their heart¡¯s bleeding for her. In no time, dinner time came and went, but Abby didn¡¯t touch her food. She stopped crying at some point, but she didn¡¯t move from her position on the bed as she kept staring straight ahead. At nothing in particr. She stayed still for three hours as if she fell deep into her own thoughts. And when the maids started contemting how they should let Micah know this, Abby said something unexpected. ¡°Can you find out where King Micah is?¡± Abby asked, rubbing her cheeks before looking back and forth between Alyssa and Reyna. 5.5This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 44 ¡°Can you find out where King Micah is?¡± Abby got down from the bed while wiping her cheeks. Her voice came out a little too raspy, only then did she realize how parched her throat was. Alyssa immediately thrusted a ss of water into her hands while Reyna looked at her with her. mouth agape. They couldn¡¯t believe their ears. Both Alyssa and Reyna were still contemting until a moment ago what kind of affect Arthur¡¯s words would leave on Abby. They knew the girl was unusually sensitive for a shifter and from the way she had cried her heart. out for an hour earlier after reaching the bedroom made them lose their hopes on any progress Abby made in her fight against her fear toward Micah. In Dax¡¯s words. Reyna kept asking Alyssa to let the King know while her fellow maid kept refusing to follow her idea as they didn¡¯t know how Abby would react if Micah were toe find her about this. That was why they couldn¡¯t do anything about it for thest three hours while Abby stayed silent, just like she did until a week back after the incident that night. So Alyssa and Reyna couldn¡¯t believe what they heard when Abby asked for themselves to find out where the King was now. In their shock, neither of them gave her an answer. On the other hand, Abby felt her throat hurting a little when drinking the water but she couldn¡¯t care less about it as she thought Alyssa and Reyna didn¡¯t get her question because her voice didn¡¯te out right. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. She quickly gulped down her drink and asked the maids the same question. ¡°Can you find out where King Micah is?¡± ¡°Right away,¡± Alyssa replied to Abby, as she immediately rushed out to gather the information. And fifteen minutester, Alyssa and Reyna followed Abby, who looked deep in her thoughts, as they guided her to the main hall where the King was apparently having a meeting with n and the others. ¡°n, what is the situation at the border?¡± Micah asked n, who just entered the main hall with. the royal gamma in his tow. ¡°My King, there had been two more attempts to breach the border this afternoon,¡± n reported, handing Over a bunch of reports to the King so that he could take a look at them. Two new ces, right?¡± Micah asked his royal beta, as he received the reports. 1/5 15:15 Fri, 8 Mar ¡°Yes, my king.¡± Dax beat n to it, looking all serious as well. Gone was his yful behavior, as the warrior in him made an appearance. ¡°As expected,¡± Micah eximed. Even though the frequency of these random attacks increasedtely, they remained honestly, random. They were not attacking the same ce twice. It would always be a new ce. It was as if they were searching for something. On the other hand, defending against these proved to be challenging when the capital city was obviously huge and it had only three official entry points, where the security would be high profile. And due its vast span, it was impossible to fortify an entire city, let alone a city as big as their capital. The so¨Ccalled borders were just geographical limits around a huge area. And so the possibility of breaches became easy as it was impossible to post that many guards just to guard around the border. ¡°But there were no casualties among themon people?¡± Micah asked again as he flipped through the first report. He couldn¡¯t understand why the attacks were happening. There was no At this point, it seemed like they were trying to enter the capital city just to tour around a little. ¡°No, my king,¡± n said as he too couldn¡¯t understand why the rogues weren¡¯t going berserk. They weren¡¯t supposed to be able to sport such control at all. This alone was proof enough that these attacks were not something ordinary at all. Micah fell deep in thought while n and Dax waited for his input on what they needed to do next. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡± Micah started but stopped right after uttering his first word when an unexpected scent breached his thought process as he stood up immediately. He rushed to the huge doors of this main hall,pletely forgetting about his next inmands. and the problems of rogues, with urgency evident in his steps. Micah almost knocked down the door in his haste to reach the other side and the sight of the other person waiting right outside the door left him breathless. In front of him was Abby, sporting an identical expression to the frightened look she gave him thest few times he tried to approach her. And then he noticed herplexion. Redness spread all over her face. Her eyes, her nose and even her cheeks. Micah felt his heart thudding painfully at the sight. She had been crying¡­ Why? 2/5 16.15 Fri, 8 Mar RGD. Micah almost lost his temper again seeing her like this. The thought of herself getting hurt sent violence pulsing through his frame. However, the amount of regret that wrecked his heart for the past three weeks for scaring her that night helped him clear the angry haze and see that she was scared by him again. Damn! He needed to cool down first. Meanwhile, Abby, who just reached the main hall, didn¡¯t expect Micah to suddenly stumble into. her vision at all. She was busy with her thoughts, that was why she didn¡¯t talk a syble to either Alyssa or Reyna after asking for themselves to take herself to Micah. There were so many things in her mind right now,pletely jumbled up, so she wanted to make use of her time on her way here to rearrange her thoughts. The discussion she wanted to have with the King was very important. But his sudden appearance sent all her thoughts scattering again as she stood frozen before the man with her eyes wide open, like a deer in front of its predator. It had been three weeks since she saw him without fear clouding her senses and she couldn¡¯t help but stare at him, which forced the King to stay silent as well. And this was what greeted n and Dax, who were waiting for his input until a moment ago, were speechless with his sudden actions and followed him to the door. but Dax was about to shout in triumph and say that he seeded in his mission when n noticed Abby¡¯s eyes and shut down the royal gamma, n signalled for Dax to look at Abby carefully before pulling him away from the King and his mate. On the other hand, Alyssa and Reyna, who saw the King¡¯s next inmands leave immediately while silently prompting the other warriors to leave as well, followed suit and left Abby alone with Micah. The warriors around the main hall didn¡¯t understand why n was rushing them to leave, but they didn¡¯t dare to disobey him. So, despite their curiosity over this sudden turn of events, they still dragged their feet away from the King and his mate, but they wouldn¡¯t stop to turn around and look at the King every other step. And Abby, who was the actual focus of their gazes, felt ufortable and cowered a little at having so many scrutinising gazes directed at herself. Seeing this, Micah dragged her to a small room inside the main hall, so she could feel a little secure, away from prying gazes. Abby, who was suddenly pulled inside, almost resisted him immediately, but the next moment, her 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. body rxed a bit as she realized Micah was just trying to provide her a more private setting. Once inside the room, Micah immediately released her hand before stepping a little away from her, even though it took every ounce of his energy to curb his need to keep touching her. Instead, he turned back to close the door behind them. Micah didn¡¯t fail to notice the way her body protested a tiny bit earlier, so he immediately apologized for scaring her the moment he turned around to face her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one, I just wanted to make you feel less ufortable,¡± Micah said in a soft voice, not forgetting to gauge her reaction to his actions. He remained close to the door, even though his body involuntarily leaned toward Abby, being overwhelmed by the urge to touch her again. However, he already used all his strength to release her hand earlier, so if he touched her again he wouldn¡¯t be able to let her go for a long time. So he could only suppress the urge. He couldn¡¯t afford to scare Abby even more. He needed his mate and being able to look at her in a close proximity was more than enough, for TOW. On the other hand, hearing his apology, Abby didn¡¯t know what to say while tears pooled in her eyes again. She was sad and the King felt his heart bleeding. Micah had to physically stop himself from not eating up the distance between them and pull her into his arms when she looked so dejected.. It was clear that Abby hade to find himself to talk about something. So he focused on that part. not wanting to pressure her more than she already looked before she could say what she wanted to. And it helped him to stay rooted to his ce as he waited for her to open her mouth. Meanwhile, Abby had so much to say to him, but when she finally saw him, her grievances overwhelmed her so much she started crying again the moment she opened her mouth. Just as Micah wanted to ask what was wrong and why she had been crying, he saw Abby crying without a sound again. The sight was heartbreaking- Watching her tear up with a pitiful look on her face, Micah couldn¡¯t refrain anymore as he reached for her and pulled her into his arms. She was so small and soft in his arms, Micah felt his entire body thrum in satisfaction just at the feel of her against his frame. Only he knew how much he missed her. He tried to pat her head and calm her down. But the girl was inconsble as she cried even harder, and in no time, the front of his shirt was drenched in her tears. ¡°What happened, little one? Tell me and I¡¯ll make it right,¡± Micah could only say this when he couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless as to how to console her. 4/5 3/5 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar R G G¡¤ 9 60% # Only Abby wouldn¡¯t show him any mercy as she kept crying pitifully in his arms even though he asked her the reason repeatedly. Finally, Micah couldn¡¯t think of anything else to make her talk and apologized for scaring her again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you that night,¡± the King whispered softly into the ear of the girl trembling in his arms. Abby immediately shook her head against his chest and this left Micah confusing. Seeing her cry this hard without saying anything. Micah thought she was still ufortable about that incident at the pce gates.. So when she shook her head, Micah couldn¡¯t help pulling a bit away from her as he held her face with one hand to look into her tear filled eyes while holding her waist with the other. ¡°It¡¯s not about that?¡± Micah thought out loud, but Abby didn¡¯t say anything and just leaned into his hand further, seeking his touch. But he couldn¡¯t enjoy this change in her right now. Even though there were still tears streaming down her face, he could no longer feel any fear toward himself in her system. However, there was a new fear in the depths of her eyes and her next words left him stunned for a moment. ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me,¡± Abby cried, pleading with him pitifully while her hands behind his back gripped the back of his shirt tighter. Chapter 45 ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me,¡± Abby cried, pleading with the King while gripping the back of his shirt tightly. The words Arthur said to her had been reverberating in her ears for thest few hours, the girl couldn¡¯t help but break down in tears even harder when Micah pulled her into his arms to console her. The thought of being abandoned by Micah didn¡¯t sit well with her as she repeated the same thing over and over. She buried her face in his chest once again as a fresh set of tears streamed down her cheeks, drenching his chest further. On the other hand, the King was stunned by her pleas as he didn¡¯t understand from where she got that idea. ¡°Little one, calm down. Look at me, please,¡± Micah literally requested her as he waited for a beat before holding her face in his palms again to look into her eyes carefully. The sight that greeted him left him heartbroken as the girl looked like she would choke on her own tears if this continued for a while more. ¡°Abby, my sweet little one, what happened? Why would you think that I would leave you?¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help probing her when the sadness in the girl¡¯s eyes only increased at the gentle care he showed her. Micah was particrly careful while handling her, just to avoid hurting her by ident. But it only made Abby cry harder which left the King speechless. ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry. Just tell me what happened. I¡¯ll make it right immediately,¡± Micah promised her, feeling his heart bleed for her. All kinds of thoughts racked his brain, thinking of the various scenarios that could have hurt hist mate. But he still couldn¡¯t settle on any. So the only option he had was to wait for Abby to calm down. enough and tell him on her own. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t know how to bring up the matter as her thoughts were still scattered with the emotions that were wrecking her frame. She chose to burrow her head into his chest again and this time Micah realized he needed to give. her enough time to calm down first. It took her a while to rearrange her thoughts but Micah didn¡¯t lose patience with her as he kept. rubbing the back of her head or her neck to soothe her sadness while still holding her close to him with his other hand by her waist. Abby felt so safe and peaceful in his arms, she slowly started to calm down a little. The intensity of her tears decreased under his genteel consoling and she finally felt ready to talk. 1/5 60% ¡°I- I,¡± Abby started to talk, but felt her throat was clogged. She cleared her throat a little and backed away from his arms to look at him on her own. She stared at him and bit her lips, fretting over how to bring up her concerns to his notice. But then she knew there was no other way to do this than telling him directly about what actually happened. On the other hand, Micah exercised patience as he silently encouraged his mate to continue talking as he rubbed soothing circles on her cheeks with his thumbs. ¡°Si- Sir Arthur came to meet me,¡± Abby started and saw how Micah looked confused at her confession. ¡°Sir Arthur?¡± Micah asked her in disbelief, to which she nodded her head in response. ¡°Yes,¡± Abby answered him truthfully and waited for the King to connect two and two together. ¡°He told you I would leave you?¡± Micah growled out the words. ¡°Why in the world¡­¡± Why would he do that when he told him not to think about disturbing his mate for the meantime? Did he not get the hint when he warned him at all? Father or not, how could he tell his son¡¯s mate to leave his son? Micah almost cursed at his father but stopped mid sentence when he saw sadness dulling Abby¡¯s features further. This time, she didn¡¯t wait for his prompt to answer his half spoken question. Even though tears threatened to fall from her eyes again, she steeled her heart to continue talking. ¡°He thinks you will soon realize how bad of a choice I am for the future queen.¡± Abby then told him what else the former king told her. ording to him, it was only a matter of time before Micah would realize she could do nothing useful to help him rule their kingdom.. She was weak and fragile, and constantly needed cajoling. That was what he determined and in his opinion, if she stayed, she was bound to let her heart get broken by her own mate. ¡ª This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. That you will abandon me when the mate bond finally fades away and you are not swayed by emotions anymore.¡± Abby had to suppress her grievances really hard topletely tell what really transpired on her walk with the former king. ¡°I¡¯m really afraid that you will leave me one day, Abby blurted out in the end. She had to bite her lips to stop herself from sobbing louder now. On the other hand, Micah was devastated to see her like this. He couldn¡¯t believe his father told her to leave the pce just because he thought she was not suitable for himself when it wasn¡¯t even his ce to decide it.. But getting angry at his father could wait, as he knew his mate needed him more now. ¡°Abby, little one. I will not do such a thing to you,¡± Micah started but Abby shook her head. immediately. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± Abby bit her lip, trying to find the right words to make him understand what she was really afraid of. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I need to understand. It¡¯s Father that has to understand our bond and respect our union which was decided by the moon goddess,¡± Micah bit out in his haste to clear her fears. He felt gutted that she would even have to doubt himself over it. And her next words only left him speechless again. ¡°What if you made a mistake?¡± Abby said finally, leaving Micah bbergasted. She had this shattered look in her eyes, as if she dreaded the possibility of her own words turning into truth. ¡°Mistake?¡± Micah repeated after her when he realized she was genuinely afraid, only he could not understand where she wasing from. ¡°No one thinks I¡¯m suitable for you¡­¡± The girl trailed off when a dangerous growl erupted deep from his chest. Micah wanted to scream who else dared to say such things, but Abby grabbed his cheek to divert him and her touch immediately calmed him. ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. Even I doubt if I¡¯m really suitable for you. I don¡¯t understand why I can¡¯t feel the mate bond between us.¡± Abby continued, finally letting out what was really scaring her out of her wits. She was afraid, really afraid, that the King made a mistake and thought of her as his mate. One day, if he realized his mistake and wanted to abandon her, she would be truly alone in this world. She had no one to turn to. Going to her father and Hanna was not even an option when they were still in this kingdom. She couldn¡¯t even go back to her pack if he really abandoned her. How could she return to her pack where no one ever actually cared about her? Even though her father and sister had been banned and no one back at her pack would want to hurt her, she would have no face to return there. After all, she left with the King as his destined mate in a very high profile manner. But if she went back now, it would be only a matter of time before everyone found out the reason. Then her life would turn even thore miserable than when she was being tortured by her father and sister. She thought about it long and hard. Her only chance at a good life, even though that life would be filled with challenges and hard things, was by staying beside Micah. She literally had no one else to rely on except for the King who was the only person that ever treated her this kindly after her mother¡¯s death. 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar G She finally had some hope for a good life after a decade and she didn¡¯t want to lose this chance. No matter what. On the other hand, Micah could see how hard it was for her. Whatever or whoever she had faced here so far had only left deep scars on her self esteem and he couldn¡¯t help but me himself for not protecting her well enough. He let things escte until she was pushed to feel insecure. The anger he felt at his inability to be a safe ce for his own mate made him grit his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t thought it through and gave people a chance to hurt y sincerely. Micah apologized ¡°No, what others think about me has nothing to do with you. If I was good, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten a chance to point fingers at me,¡± Abby retorted in a beat. But Micah didn¡¯t let her continue when he disagreed with herpletely. ¡°You are perfect as you are, little one,¡± Micah dered, determination evident in his voice. However, his mate shook her head again. ¡°You feel so because of the mate bond,¡± she looked into his eyes as she uttered each and every word. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to let others¡® wordse true.¡± Micah looked a little confused at her words. He wanted to retort again and say the mate bond could only influence one¡¯s actions so much. Only Abby beat him to it as she pressed a finger to his lips to stop him from talking. She seemed to have made a decision and Micah felt his heart thump wildly, looking at her still red eyes shining with held back tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to wake up one day and think you have made a mistake. I know I¡¯mcking in many things,¡± Abby started and when Micah started shaking his head, wanting to interrupt her, she held his face with both of her palms and tiptoed a little to press a small kiss to his cheek. ¡°I want to learn and be someone you would be proud to have as your mate,¡± she solemnly promised against his cheek. On any given day, she wouldn¡¯t be this daring to initiate anything remotely intimate, but she was desperate. The love he showed to her made her greedy for more. She didn¡¯t want to lose him at any cost. Also, she wanted Micah to understand how serious she was about himself and her life here. ¡°Maybe it will take a long time, but I will try my best to be someone who is worthy by your side. Please, be patient with me¡­ please, don¡¯t give up on me yet. I promise, I will try my hardest to fight for you On the other hand, Micah couldn¡¯t help but feel moved by her deration. Even though he wanted to say that she didn¡¯t need to do anything and he was more than capable enough to fight for both of them, he could understand where she wasing from. 4/5 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. And he believed she needed to be strong in order to not let anything like this make her feel insecure about her position again. Micah didn¡¯t have any words to say as he nodded to every sentence that left her lips. ¡°Just don¡¯t get impatient with me before I can even start to understand what I have to do as your mate,¡± Abby pleaded with her mate, as she let her fears surface to her face again. ¡°Me getting impatient with you is simply impossible, little one,¡± Micah proimed, his eyes filled with love and gentleness exclusive to Abby alone as he pressed his lips to hers. Abby weed his kiss as she tiptoed while the King bent down to amodate her. 5/5 Çú Chapter 46 60%* The past three weeks of not being able to see her or talk to her had been literal hell for the King. He felt so restless with the very thought his own actions had pushed Abby away from himself. Only he knew how he prayed to the Moon Goddess. He never regretted anything like he did killing that guard out of impulse in his entire life when Abby couldn¡¯t even bear to hear his name. But that same girl hade to him today saying she wanted to fight for him. For them both. Even though the entire world hurt her, belittling her by implying she was not suitable for him. The King felt so proud of her as his love toward her only doubled at the determination she disyed while deciding to learn and be someone worthy of her. Worthy, she said. No one other than her was worthy of being his mate. The moment heid his eyes on her, he knew with every single cell in his body that she was the perfect mate for him. So when she asked for himself to be patient with her, so she could fulfill her promise to him, Micah couldn¡¯t control himself anymore as he immediately captured her lips with his own, wanting to express the love he felt toward his sweet but fragile mate. She was so soft and small in his arms, he wished he could hide her from everything that was possibly dangerous. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. And the feel of her soft and sweet lips against his own felt so right, Micah couldn¡¯t help but linger for a moment longer, even though he didn¡¯t want to make her ufortable with this sudden intimacy from him. He just wanted to feel how her lips would feel against his own after not being able to go near her for three weeks. He couldn¡¯t resist the temptation when his sweet mate turned all the more adorable while expressing her fears of losing himself. She was afraid he would leave her, even though she still couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond between them both. She trusted him enough to take care of her anyway and chose to believe him. However, the longing he felt for his mate made it hard for him to part from her sweetness. And when she weed his closeness and pressed her body against his own frame, he couldn¡¯t help but deepen the kiss as his right hand moved up to hold her head in ce while he pulled her even closer with his other hand. However, he still didn¡¯t feel it was enough. He wanted to be even closer to her; it left him frustrated with the desire he felt for her. Her taste, her scent, and the way she opened up to him, everything drove him crazy while the girl melted under his sweet assault. Micah gave up the thought of keeping the kiss innocent when she didn¡¯t resist him and opened her lips to suck his tongue into her sweet mouth the moment he licked her lips a little. But simply tasting her lips wasn¡¯t enough anymore when he wanted to fucking devour her. The urge was so great Micah couldn¡¯t think straight anymore. 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. He wanted to feel more of her, but his hands were busy holding her. To rectify the situation, he hastily pinned her to the wall beside the door with his hips and started squeezing her left breast through the fabric of her long gown while kissing her wildly. Immediately, he heard her moan almost inaudibly and Micah had to curb the growl that nearly escaped his chest, wanting to demand herself to let out her voice. 60%ì¶ On the other hand, as soon as Micah pinned her to the wall, the almost breathless Abby gasped at the sudden sensations vibrating through her frame when Micah pinched her nipple with the right amount of pressure, making wetness pool between her legs. But the sweet torture took an intense turn when Micah decided to pay equal attention to her twin globes as he started pinching nad pressing them with both hands, leaving her breathless. Abby couldn¡¯t suppress her voice even if she tried as she moaned into his mouth, her tongue still. dueling with the King¡¯s relentless one. The girl started squirming, panting hard while trying her best to keep up with Micah¡¯s ministrations, but when Micah tried to open her dress, she immediately stiffened. Sensing this, Micah stopped in an instant and released her lips to look at her. When he saw the hint of panic on her face, he immediately understood what was wrong. But he didn¡¯t get impatient, instead he said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, little one. Just rx.¡± Abby nodded her head in answer like an obedient child. She didn¡¯t mean to freeze like that, after all, Micah already saw her scars to the full extent. However, her body seemed to have its own thoughts as it wouldn¡¯t listen to her and rx. And when Abby thought Micah would get angry at her, the King actually smiled at her and dropped to nibbling her lips lightly. The man shifted gears and released her breasts before pulling them both away from the wall. He walked them both to the sofa in the middle of the room and sat down, pulling her down to sit astride hisp, all the while smooching her lips as he panted in rhythm with her. Micah waited until she calmed down and started breathing evenly before finally releasing her lips. He then proceeded to cuddle Abby on the sofa. He cherished her so much and Abby could feel it when he understood her fears withoutining. This brought a smile to her lips as she couldn¡¯t help but secretly press a kiss to her mate¡¯s chest. She didn¡¯t think he would notice it, but the way his arms tightened around her in the next second made her think otherwise. But when Micah didn¡¯t say or do anything in reaction to her bold move, Abby rxed again as the King continued to rub soothing circles on her waist and neck. This raised a doubt in her. Had she been able to feel the mate bond between them, she would have been able to feel the spark Micah was probably feeling while touching her, right? ¡°My King, why do you think I can¡¯t feel the mate bond?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but wonder out loud, 16-15. Fri, 8 Mar only her voice came out very soft until even the girl couldn¡¯t hear herself clearly. BON 60%* Abby almost fell asleep in his warm embrace when she thought the King didn¡¯t hear her question as well. But Micah¡¯s voice sobered her up in the next second. ¡°Even I find it strange, little one. I have never heard of anything simr to our situation,¡± Micah answered her truthfully, sounding deep in his thoughts. He thought about it hard, but couldn¡¯te up with any logical exnation to exin their situation. ¡°Maybe you will, after weplete the bond,¡± Micah said atst, still sounding doubtful. ¡°What if I could never feel it?¡± Abby sounded afraid again, any hint of sleepiness had vanished from her voir OL Micah, who heard the uncertainty in her voice, fell deep in thought once again. To be honest, it was really strange for her to be unable to feel it while he could feel it so potently, he couldn¡¯t find words to describe it. What could possibly be the reason for this situation? On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t dare to ask what would happen to her, if she could never feel it. So she just waited for Micah to say something with bated breath. ¡°Don¡¯t over think, little one. Nothing like that will happen,¡± Micah reassured her, to which the girl didn¡¯t respond. How could she not over think, when no one believed she was Micah¡¯s mate? After her conversation with Arthur, where he said Abby was not at all suitable for Micah, and that he was only blinded by the mate bond for the time being, she was even more conflicted. She couldn¡¯t even feel the mate bond, what if Micah actually made a mistake? She didn¡¯t even dare to think what would happen to her. On the other hand, Micah could feel how her body stiffened further by the second. He couldn¡¯t help but tighten his grip around her as he kissed her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s do one thing. If you seek help from the witches of the Red River pack, we may be able to solve this mystery,¡± Micah said when he remembered the witches. Hearing this, Abby immediately raised her head and looked at him. ¡°Meeting a witch?¡± In her haste, the girl didn¡¯t pay attention to her current position; she would have fallen off if not for the King¡¯s hands, wrapped around her waist. Micah steadied her position on hisp, not wanting to let her go yet. ¡°Yes, they might be able to do something about it,¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°When?¡± Abby asked him, as the thought of the postponed ceremony crossed her mind. 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar R 60%ÖÊ The ceremony was actually scheduled to be held a week ago, but because of her indecisiveness to meet Micah, it had been postponed. But she didn¡¯t know for how long. So if they were to set out to the Red River pack which would take about more than a week of round¨C trip, when would the ceremony be held? ¡°As soon as possible,¡± Micah answered her, as he thought the sooner this problem was solved and pushed to the backs of their minds, the sooner Abby could find peace and start working on herself. ¡°What about the ceremony?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but blurt out her thoughts. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the ceremony for now.¡± Micah said to her vaguely. He already took care of it. He talked to the elders and decided to postpone the ceremony. He knew Abby was nowhere ready to take upon such a huge responsibility yet. So before she could ask him to postpone it, he already took care of everything. ¡°Why?¡± Abby almost asked him when the King continued his words. ¡°I have already taken care of it,¡± Micah said, as he smiled at her while tucking the few strands of stray hair, that fell free from her bun, behind her car.. The King then exined to her how he had convinced everyone to leave her alone for the next six months while she adjusted to her new life as the next queen of this kingdom. Even though they all felt six months was an unreasonably long time, they couldn¡¯t object to the King¡¯s word so directly. Now that Abby said she wanted to learn, they wouldn¡¯t be able to wag their tongues at her anymore. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. She was happy that he wanted to give her enough time, so that she would be able to adjust and learn. But if the ceremony was postponed, would the other things be postponed as well? ¡°What about marking?¡± Abby¡¯s voice was so low, she herself didn¡¯t know if she talked or mouthed her words. ¡°Marking?¡± Micah repeated after her, feeling confused why she was talking about marking now. ¡°I want you to mark me,¡± Abby dered, while Micah was still thinking about what made her talk. about marking. And how stunned he was at her request. ¡°What?¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but ask, his voice turning heavy with desire. On the other hand, Abby could feel the change in the King and even though she knew she was being selfish for asking him to mark her, she didn¡¯t cower this time. 5/5 16:15 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. 60% She wanted them to bond as soon as possible. If Micah marked her, she wouldn¡¯t be chased out so easilyter on. So even though she knew it was a low blow for trying to tie him down to herself, Abby could only go forward and try to convince Micah to mark herself. With this in mind, Abby rose on her knees, still astride Micah¡¯sp, and pressed her lips to the King¡¯s. ¡°I want you to mark me,¡± she murmured against his lips. Chapter 47 ¡°I want you to mark me.¡± Abby murmured against his lips, wanting to convince the King at any cost. She knew she was being selfish for asking him to mark her out of the blue like this and trying to tie himself to her. But the thought of everything turning upside down if an unknown variable came along and Micah was pushed into a situation where he had to chase her out outweighed everything else. She didn¡¯t want to find herself living a miserable life again. She didn¡¯t think she could endure what she had right now being taken away from her. And a miserable life was what would await her if her worst fears were toe true and Micah ended up thinking he made a mistake of believing in herself to be someone suitable to stand beside him and rule this kingdom before she could even get a proper chance to try and prove she was worthy of the King. If one didn¡¯t taste sweetness, they wouldn¡¯t crave for it. Abby¡¯s situation was no different from this. After experiencing Micah¡¯s love and kindness, no less post to a decade of suffering under the hands of the very people who were supposed to love her no matter what, the girl found herself craving it all the more like an addict. She didn¡¯t dare imagine how to cope up if she was really deprived of his affection one day, since he was the only person she could rely on in this whole world right now. Just the thought of him abandoning her was enough to make her forget her reservations as she clumsily kissed the King while pulling him closer to herself. The girl even didn¡¯t hesitate to press herself against the King, until her heated core was flushed against his length. However, the size of his member sent her heart beat rotcheting, as it grew hard against her thigh. Only she didn¡¯t let it intimidate her as she tentatively bit Micah¡¯s lips, making him growl dangerously. She had only one thing on her mind right now, and her fears wouldn¡¯t let her deviate from achieving her goal tonight. Meanwhile, Micah, who was stupefied by her sudden boldness and active seducing, felt his hard. earned self control crumbling in an instant. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew where Abby wasing from. So even though he was having a hard time controlling his ring desire for his mate, he willed his hardness to go down as he tried to detach his lips from hers first. ¡°Abby, little one, Micah nearly growled her name when the girl was almost in a trance until she couldn¡¯t remember her surroundings anymore, with only bing one with him kept racking her mind. To top it off, Abby actually whined when Micah was struggling to pull away from her sweet 145 16:16 Fri, 8 Mar RGB temptation. She wasn¡¯t loud enough, but to his extra sensitive ears right now, it felt like a siren call and Micah almost glued his lips to hers once again. Only the realization that Abby was only being like this because of her fears stopped the King from ripping her dress apart and ravaging her like he intended to from the first time he tasted her sweet lips on their first evening in their current bedroom which was also his former bedroom. He thought refraining from touching her for the past three weeks was the hardest thing he had ever done. Only at this moment did he realize how wrong he had been. The agony he felt pulling himself away from her was simply iparable. Her lips were the sweetest thing he had ever got a chance to taste, while the spark that followed everysh of her tongue against his firmly closed lips was easily the next thing he wanted to live for. And to make things worse, her sweet arousal, even though faintpared to his own raging desire for her, chose this moment to hit his senses and drove him insane further. This was pure hell. The King couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath. But he couldn¡¯t afford to hurt her. He needed to stop her right now. Her body was in no condition to go through the marking process with him for now, especially when she was this distressed. However, his little mate didn¡¯t seem to have any survival instincts at all as she continued to y with fire. Literally ¡°Please, mark me,¡± Abby pleaded with him, her voice almost inaudible from the embarrassment she was trying to suppress. If she stopped even for a second, it would catch up to her and her momentary courage would end up going up in smoke. Meanwhile, the King didn¡¯t know how to calm her down when he couldn¡¯t even control himself. She was clearly inexperienced and awkward, but it only added to her innocently adorable charm and the King swore she was going to be the death of him. On the one hand, only he knew how badly he wanted to im her from the moment heid his eyes on her. Of course, apart from his beast that would constantly whine for himself to mark Abby and make her his. On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t give into the temptation and mark her. She was only fuelled by her fears of being abandoned by him and living a lifepletely alone. Not to mention the King didn¡¯t know how to avoid hurting her if she thought he didn¡¯t want her if he pushed her away actively. So he held her head with both palms as he kissed her forehead to help her calm down first. ¡°Little one, listen to me first,¡± Micah¡¯s voice came out strained as he spoke against her skin. Even though sitting separately would help him keep control of his desire more efficiently, his need to hold her close wouldn¡¯t let him stop touching her. 2/5 10.10 So he endured the sweet agony while talking to Abby. ¡°Nothing you are afraid of is going to happen,¡± Micah started, hitting right on the head of the nail of her fears and leaving her stunned. Abby stiffened a bit at his words while the King let her digest his words for a second. ¡°Don¡¯t let your fears cloud your judgment and make you act rashly.¡± Micah inhaled deeply once, filling his nostrils with her sweet scent and then spoke to her in a gentle voice as he pressed her head to his chest before proceeding to rub her neck with one hand while holding her close to him by her shoulders. He could understand she was only acting out of impulse, so he chose to help her clear her head while trying to make her understand this was not the right time. ¡°Moreover, you are not ready yet, Micah continued as he started exining why it was a bad decision right now. ¡°The process of marking is very dangerous and the changes it brings to your body are no joke.¡± The King continued in a soft voice as he told her that he understood her fears. And that there was nothing she needed to be worried about. Only the more Micah talked, the more Abby stiffened. But the King didn¡¯t let her over think when he lifted her head to look into her eyes directly. His eyes were filled with love when he solemnly dered. ¡°I am more than happy to wait until you are truly ready.¡± Even though he repeatedly told her that his patience for her had no end, Abby couldn¡¯t help but give space to the fear that one day he would be really fed up with her just like Arthur said. His words were also what made Abby think Micah could easily walk away from her if they didn¡¯t complete the bond as soon as possible until she had resorted to forcing Micah to mark herself. ¡°Let¡¯s take things slow, my sweet little one,¡± the King finally said when he saw that his mate had calmed down considerably. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t say anything anymore when he put it that way, despite her worries still kept eating away at her. She couldn¡¯t push him in fear it would annoy him, when she had already offered herself to him despite her insecurities about her own body. She tried her best to not let the fact that he didn¡¯t mark her right away influence her emotions as she nodded yes to his request. Right at that moment, her stomach growled and Micah couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°You missed dinner.¡± Micah¡¯s question came out as a statement while Abby lowered her head, embarrassed a little. The King didn¡¯t even need to question her why as he pulled himself to his feet with Abby in his arms. 16:16 F, B Mar R It was nearly midnight and she was very weak to begin with. Moreover, she exhausted herself so much tonight on an empty stomach. But he didn¡¯t say a word to her as he carried the girl to their bedroom, where she saw a big tter of fruits waiting for her. Apparently, the King mind linked someone to send some food to their room. Micah walked them both to the bed directly and sat her down after stacking a few pillows behind her back against the headboard. The King then fed his mate who didn¡¯t say anything, maybe out of embarrassment after what she tried to pull earlier, while Micah chose to not talk about it lest it would make her ufortable. He then proceeded to hug her to sleep, where the girl fell asleep in no time. ¡°Good night, little one, you have had a long day,¡± Micah murmured against her cheek as he inhaled her sweet scent and fell asleep with her, By the time Abby woke up the next day, Micah was long gone. Instead, what greeted her still sleepy was her maids¡® twin smiling faces, as they smiled from ear to ear. ¡°Good morning, Lady Abby.¡± Both Alyssa and Reyna wished her as soon as she opened her eyes, Abby felt a little disoriented after waking up, she couldn¡¯t respond to her maids immediately. The emotional roller coaster she experienced the day before seemed to have taken a toll on her until she needed to gather how she fell asleepst night. Then she remembered hering trip with Micah to the Red River pack, and a beautiful smile blossomed on her lips. She was excited about this trip, as it would be her first time going out of the pce after literally being cooped up in this room for almost a month. Micah said they would leave as soon as possible and Abby couldn¡¯t wait to explore one more new ce. Seeing her smile so happily the first thing she woke up, made a simr smile appear on both Alyssa and Reyna¡¯s countenances. ¡°Lady Abby, did something good happen?¡± Reyna couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity, looking at Abby¡¯s smiling face. Abby looked at Alyssa and Reyna with excitement evident in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just happy that I¡¯m going on a trip soon.¡± Abby told them vaguely as she didn¡¯t reveal the main reason for their departure. sa It was a tacit understanding between herself and Micah to not talk about this to anyone. The less people knew about this strange situation, the less troubles they would have to face. After all, if people found out about this, there was a high possibility of them thinking that the King. was being cheated out of his feelings, or otherplicated stuff. So it was better to keep this piece. of information in between them. On the other hand, her maids didn¡¯t find anything odd with her vague answer as they thought the King was simply being romantic and wanting to spend quality time with his mate. The two of them were very happy that the King was finally spared by Abby andughed with Abby. as they shared what little they knew about the Red River pack. Çú Chapter 48 Arthur was just about to go back to his room for breakfast after having his morning tea in his courtyard when he saw someone walking toward the old tower. This morning he didn¡¯t let anyone disturb his morning routine, wanting to enjoy some quiet time after being literally chased by the former royal beta, Leon, for the past few days. So he was quite surprised when he saw that it was actually Micah who chose to grace him with his presence. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He was about to greet him with a smile when he noticed how cold his son¡¯s eyes were. Arthur was. confused as to why his son looked like he came looking for a fight ¡°Father, didn¡¯t I tell you not to disturb my mate?¡± Micah didn¡¯t bother about greetings and respect when he was fuming mad at his own father for wh he said to Abby. He couldn¡¯t imagine what he would have done if she really heeded his father¡¯s advice and thought leaving him was the right thing to do. Just the thought alone was making him want to go feral. ¡°Micah, my son,¡± Arthur started, wanting to say that he just did what he thought was the right thing to do. ¡°Stop it, father,¡± Micah cut off Arthur, knowing fully well Arthur was still thinking there was nothing wrong with what he said to Abby. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear what you want to say. I¡¯m here to warn you onest time.¡± ¡°Warn me?¡± The former king repeated after him, not believing his son just used that word with him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m warning you. Never try to meet her without my knowledge again.¡± Micah stressed every word of his, as if he wanted to make it clear to Arthur that his son was really warning him, with his very own words unlikest time. ¡®Or else?¡® This was on the tip of Arthur¡¯s tongue when Micah beat him to it as if he could guess what he was going to say as he answered his unspoken question. ¡°You know me very well, Father,¡± Micah said, leveling Arthur with a look. And the former king immediately understood where his son stood in this matter. His son just implied that he wouldn¡¯t be polite anymore toward himself if he couldn¡¯t control his newly acquired prying nature. And before he could retort or defend himself, Micah turned around to leave. The former king could only stare after his son¡¯s leaving silhouette, unable to stop him even though he felt his son went too far for warning himself over a small matter. 1/3 FIL Micah decided to leave for the Red river pack after three days and let Abby know the same, so she could prepare herself for the departure. Even though he wanted to leave as soon as possible, so that he could help Abby find out why she couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond between them, the looming problem of the increased rogue attacks. didn¡¯t allow him to do as he pleased. Moreover, even his echelon decided that dealing with the rogues couldn¡¯t be dyed anymore. So only three dayster, after finally devising a new n to deal with the recently escting rogue situation, Micah could finally lead a few warriors to the Red River pack. It was a two day long journey to their destination and he only brought just enough warriors, so as not to attract any attention to themselves. Not to mention the random attacks by the rogues hadn¡¯t been stopped yet. He ordered for his royal beta, n, to stay behind while Dax, the royal gamma tagged along with them on this journey. The entourage was not really huge as it consisted of only two carriages. Micah didn¡¯t go for the royal carriages either, which would only blow up their cover in an instant. ¡°Get on, little one,¡± Micah said, pulling Abby into the carriage while the girl looked a bit confused that there were only a few peopleing with them. The first time she traveled with the King, the entourage alone was big enough to obscure the path they took. So it was a little surprising to her that the King was actually keeping it so low profile this time around. However, once the carriages started moving, which was almost immediately, Abby seemed to have forgotten about the oddness as she couldn¡¯t stop smiling with the excitement she was feeling. The amount of times she traveled to a new ce could be counted on one hand. Her life before her mother died was almost like something out of her imagination as she spent the past decade trying to avoid being noticed by her own father. She couldn¡¯t remember most of it anyway. On the other hand, even though she didn¡¯t enjoy thest time she went to the town with Ruby and the others, that one experience couldn¡¯t diminish her excitement for this trip with the King at all. Not to mention, she felt like she could breathe freely again after a long time as the pce felt very suffocating to her. The people there, their words, even their looks always made her feel ufortable. Not to mention the judgmental behavior of a few of them. So finally being able to get away from the pce, even for a few days, left her reeling with excitement. Along the way, she kept asking the King the ces they touched upon happily while Micah was more than happy to amodate her. Their journey mostly went uneventful until they were just a few hours away from their destination. 2/3 It was the second day of the journey and they just restarted after taking a small break. Since they just ate, Abby felt a little sleepy while the King was busy reading some reports. However, half an hourter, just as Abby was about to fall asleep, the girl felt her sleepiness flying out of the carriage¡¯s window as she heard loud growls right outside the carriage, while Micah beside her stiffened visibly. ¡°ROGUES!¡± One of the warriors shouted from the outside and Abby felt her heart stop beating. É« COMMENT Chapter 49 ¡°ROGUES!¡± One of the warriors shouted from the outside and Abby felt her heart stop beating. She watched as Micah went into his full alert mode before he held both of her shoulders with and frame. tension evident in his express is f ¡°Little one?¡± Micah called her and Abby could only hear it echo over the ringing in her ears. Loud growls filled the air as a battle ensued right outside the carriage. The royal warriors in commoners¡® disguise started fighting off the rogues, and from the sounds that reached inside the carriage, Micah could tell it was going to be a fierce fight. ¡°I need to go out,¡± Micah told his still frozen mate, as he proceeded to push her to sit in the farmost corner of the carriage. ¡°Just stay where you are. I¡¯ll get back to you in no time.¡± The King promised Abby in a haste before jumping out of the carriage in his mighty ck beast. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Once outside, he saw how this small entourage was surrounded by several rogues, who looked like they didn¡¯t need to think about consequences or whatsoever. The ck beast saw more than five rogues surrounding a rtivelyrger dun coloured beast, which was none other than his royal gamma, and dashed in his direction while mind linking it. [Dax, finish off the smallest rogue to your left first.] The King¡¯s beast roared as he leaped forward andnded before his royal gamma, who just ripped the small gray wolf¡¯s head apart from its body. Then the ck beast subdued three beasts in one go, leaving thest one to his third inmand to deal with. [Gamma, the carriage.] As soon as the five rogues were dealt with, Micah shared a look with Dax and the dun¨Ccolored beast immediately rushed toward the carriage to safeguard it. The fight with these rogues, who looked to be almost on the verge of going berserk, went on for a while, as they outnumbered each of the royal warriors greatly. Each one of them had to take on at least three of the rogues and by the time theypletely subdued them, even though there weren¡¯t any casualties on their side, there were quite a number of them who suffered various degrees of injuries. Only the King¡¯s ck beast and the royal gamma¡¯s dun¨Ccolored beast managed to avoid suffering any injuries, as the others at least got a scratch or two by the stray ws. Nheless, it was a dominating victory since none of them had to breathe theirst during this. prepared but unexpected fight. On the other side, more than half of the rogues that came to surround the King¡¯s humble. entourage lost their lives, while the rest looked like they couldn¡¯t keep their own for long. Once the battle ended, Micah shifted back into his human form and walked toward the beast of his. 1/4 15:16 FM, & Mar third inmand, which was about to jump onto the remaining rogues. There was only one thought in Dax¡¯s mind; wipe them all out. 60% ¡°Stop, Dax!¡± Micahmanded his royal gamma¡¯s beast and Dax immediately halted in his steps. The royal gamma swiftly shifted back into his human form as well, but before he could voice out his doubts, he heard the King continue shouting his next order. ¡°I want them alive. Capture them and bring them to the Red River pack with us,¡± Micah said as he fixed his eyes on the half dead rogues, his gaze hard. Immediately, Dax understood why the King chose to spare these lowlifes¡® lives. The royal gamma was too hot headed just now, nothing but drawing their blood til thest drop had his focus. These pests had been troubling them long enough. So getting rid of these pests was what he wanted to do the most at that moment. But, the King was still able to control his rage and think about the bigger picture. As they already concluded that the recent rogue attacks were anything but unnned, even though they seemed quite random, interrogating them had to be their top most priority now that they had finally got their hands on some of them. Even though they had been subdued time and again, capturing even one alive hadn¡¯t been possible until now. Maybe because they had to fight both the King and the Royal gamma, the rogues that attacked them this evening ended up either dead or half dead. Thinking up until this, the royal gamma immediately bowed to the King. ¡°Yes, my king,¡± he almost shouted, before turning around to face the still standing royal warriors. ¡°You heard our sovereign.¡± Dax pped his hands twice. ¡°Quick, ¡®prepare the goods¡® properly.¡± The royal warriors immediately crushed some Rottingbane leaves and made the rogues eat them. so they couldn¡¯t shift into their beasts even if they gathered back their energy Micah, who saw that the rogues were dealt with for now, immediately rushed to the carriage and swiftly opened it, only to find a shivering bundle in the far corner of the coach. ¡°Little one?¡± The King called out to his mate softly, not wanting to scare her suddenly. But then, she didn¡¯t respond to His voice even after a couple of times of him calling her name. The King didn¡¯t have another choice but to step into the carriage as slowly as possible when he saw how scared his little mate was. The girl was literally crushing her head to her knees while closing her ears with both hands, shaking like a leaf. It was heartbreaking to say the least. He knelt down on knee beside her and called her once again as he rubbed the back of her head. ×Ô¿í:60% And the girl stopped shaking this time as her body stiffened a little. ¡°It¡¯s just me, little one,¡± Micah said to her before slowly pulling her hands away from ears and then gently yanking her into hisp so he could calm her down. However, the moment the girl registered who he was, she started crying her eyes out instead of what Micah expected and this left the King stunned. 3/3 É« Chapter 50 The moment Mical left the carriage, Abby felt her surroundings closing in on her as the vicious growls reverberated in the fight that was happening right outside this carriage echoed through the walls of this and the sounds reminded her of the moment the King killed that guard. The same moment she opened her eyes only to find a severed head mped between Micah¡¯s ck beast¡¯s canines as blood dripped down the fur on his front, as he growled low under his breath. When the horrifying images from that night reyed in her mind without her interference, the girl couldn¡¯t help but cower into a corner and hug herself tightly, Abby didn¡¯t know how to stop the images from racking her consciousness when the growls and shouts of killing each other out there kept ringing in her mind. Moreover, this was the first time she had ever heard how rogues fought, with no restraint and care while the sound of beasts tearing flesh and limbs apart from body¡¯s so vivid in the clear evening wind, her whole body started shaking. She curled herself into a fetal position and closed both of her cars with her palms as hard as she could, wanting to block out those horrifying sounds, but there was no use. And this was the same position the King found his mate in, the moment he hurried back to the carriage to check on her. Only Micah knew how surprised he was when his mate broke into silent sobs as twin streams of tears flowed down her eyes the moment he tried to get her attention to tell her that the threat had been removed. ¡°Abby, little one,¡± Micah called her as he pulled her into hisp just as he settled beside her. Only the girl was inconsble as she wouldn¡¯t stop crying her eyes out. And this left the King helpless. ¡°Little one, did you get hurt somewhere?¡± He asked her softly as he rubbed her head and back while hugging her close. He knew there wasn¡¯t a chance for her to get hurt. Dax literally guarded the coach like a watchdog to ensure his future queen¡¯s safety, not to mention it was a direct order from his king. However, in response to his question, the only thing he got was a subtle head shake from the shivering mess in his hands. Had her head not been pressed to his chest, he would have missed her answer. But learning she didn¡¯t get hurt wasn¡¯t enough for his worries to disappear, while the girl would say nothing but hug him tighter with each second that passed. Maybe because she was frightened by the fierce battle just now, she was having a breakdown like. this. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t know how to answer his questions while the urge to crush herself to 16:16 Fri, 8 Mar RGB him only intensified with every breath she took. How could she not hug him closer when the thoughts of losing him kept racking her mind? Yes, Abby was scared that she would lose Micah. 60% She saw how he was strong enough to kill a warrior in one swift move. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t the King of this Kingdom for namesake. He was both able and capable. However, the stories she heard about the rogues killing people with no rhyme and reason if they turned feral took the major seat on her fears and the thought they might kill Micah wouldn¡¯t let her wait in peace just like the King expected her to. He was the only person she had left in this world, and if he too left, her life would only be more miserable. On the other hand, Micah could only try to calm her down when he didn¡¯t have any idea why she was crying hysterically until she felt short of breath. It took a while for Abby to calm down, but when the king tried to ask her what happened or sit her beside him, she clung to him like a baby ko and Micah could onlyugh at her sudden protectiveness. Hugging him like that, she fell asleep once her tears dried up, not willing to loosen her arms around his waist even in her sleep. Like he would disappear from her sight if she didn¡¯t hold him. tight enough. Disappear? Micah looked at the sleeping girl in his arms, only then did he understand why she was this afraid; it was not because she got hurt or that she had been frightened by the fight out there. It was because she thought she might never see him again. She cried for him. The King felt this warm and fuzzy feeling tickling his heart when he thought back to the moment she started crying. It was out of relief, even though it seemed a little silly. However, Micah couldn¡¯t deny one thing. No matter who, no one ever felt this scared to lose himself. And this thought made him smile as he kissed her forehead before mindlinking Dax that they were ready to go. Because of the rogue attack, they could only reach the premises of the Red River pack just before the sun rose on the third day since they started from the pce. However, Alpha Samuel, the Alpha of the Red River pack, who received a secret missive that the sovereign had nned to drop by his pack beforehand, came down to the borders of his pack¡¯s territory to wee the King and his entourage when he learned that the sovereign got dyed on 2/5 16:16 Fri, 8 Mar his way here. ¡°My king.¡± Alpha Samuel knelt before the King¡¯s coach as the few warriors he brought with him. followed his cue and showed the courtesy the King deserved. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry that you have to experience this kind of thing while you were on your way to our pack,¡± Alpha Samuel, along with his warriors, kowtowed to the King as he apologized profusely. Micah didn¡¯t bother to greet the Alpha in return as several other things upied his mind right now. He just nodded his head once before joining Abby who just woke up only to find so many warriors kneeling in front of their carriage. When they all greeted her, addressing her as ady, Abby almost cowered back again. But her promise to Micah kept her frompletely giving away herself as she managed to nod at them a little. Before she could even think of asking them to get up. Dax beat her to it as he narrowed his eyes at the Alpha. ¡°Instead of wasting time like this, why don¡¯t you show the way to your pack house so that we can interrogate those pieces of trash?¡± Dax had this sinister smile on his face and the Alpha couldn¡¯t help but tremble at the viciousness in the royal gamma¡¯s voice. This interrogation was going to be very creative. Once they reached the pack house, Micah told Abby to stay put in the guest bedroom prepared for them. Her maids would keep herpany while the King had to go away to deal with something. Even though Micah didn¡¯t let up anything, so as not to worry her, Abby could still put two and twor together. Micah was going to interrogate those rogues himself. Screams and growls filled this dark dungeon as the rogues alternated between pleading for mercy and threatening to kill their torturers who wanted to make them talk. They were stubborn enough not to submit even when they were beaten to an inch of their lives. Watching from the side, Dax couldn¡¯t help but admire their resolve since it was something rare to be seen in rogues. Rogues were generally uncontroble, yes, but they were not suicidal. And the rogues that had been. attacking the capital city for the past few days had been nothing but suicidal. Moreover, these few were so different from the rogues they encountered usually in several other factors. They were organized, moved ording to a n, the most important anomaly of all, they were coordinating in groups while cooperating with each other. Rogues couldn¡¯t do any of these things. 16:16 Fri, 8 Mar R G B The more he thought, the more he felt how odd this situation was. And such variation must definitely be dealt in an equally cruel way. Usual torturing techniques. brough no fear out of them. The royal gamma felt the need to take the things into his own hands. 60% However, just as Dax was about to step forward, he saw Micah walking into the dungeon with Alpha Samuel in his tow. Now, this is going to be interesting. ¡°Did they say anything?¡± the King asked his royal gamma, his eyes hard and fixed on the rogues that were snarling with reddened eyes. ¡°Not yet.¡± Dax said with a knowing smile. ¡°Maybe they need a touch of royal treatment,¡± he smirked. The King looked at his royal gamma, but thetter just shrugged. He even opened his hand as if to offer the stage to the sovereign. On the other hand, Micah was more than happy to extract information from these bastards. Everything about these rogues was out of norm, while there was nothing ordinary to this situation. Moreover, how did they end up attacking an ordinary looking carriage that took that routest night of all ces? Not to mention it was around two days of journey from the capital, where they were attacking the most recently. Since their trip was supposed to bepletely confidential, how did the rogues end up attacking them so urately? Was it purely coincidence? Or did they have prior information! These few questions had been circling his mind since the attack and his blood would boil everytime he went back to the thought Abby would have been implicated or even injured, had they seeded and got to her. He had been holding back from exploding from the fury he had been bottling up as he still had to take care of Abby. But the girl was now secure and he didn¡¯t have to refrain from doing what he wanted to do. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly feeling patient right now. So, what else should being out of your mouths other than mindless garbling?¡± Micah¡¯s voice was even, but his words were enough to make the rogues shudder a little, as the aura around the King¡¯s frame turned particrly dangerous at this moment. He walked to the rogue with the least wounds among them as his beast emerged to the surface. before razor sharp ws elongated from the tips of the fingers of his half shifted hand. ¡°So, were you guys aware I was in that carriage?¡± Micah said, but before he hadpletely uttered the last word, the other rogues watched as he crushed the head of the rogue before his feet swiftly. 4/5 5/5 Blood sttered everywhere while the other rogues kept snarling at the king. Because they were made to eat the crushed Rottingbane leaves, they couldn¡¯t shift and could only fight in their much weaker human bodies. On the other hand Micah waspletely calm as he shook off the gray matter from his ws as he proceeded to lock on his next target. This time, he swiftly cut off two rogues¡® heads before turning to the others. ¡°Still no one wants to speak?¡± Micah casually dropped this question as he drove his ws into his next target¡¯s eyes, finishing him off in an instant. Dax almost bumped his fist into the air when he saw how the remaining rogues dropped their jaws while their eyes widened at the King¡¯s disy of strength. ¡°They finally understood whom they were dealing with,¡± Dax smirked as he whispered to Alpha Samuel excitedly, while thetter remained silent.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. In a matter of few seconds, nearly five of the rogues were killed in the most brutally possible ways until only four left. As such Micah¡¯s approach didn¡¯t take long to yield results as the smallest of them all finally caved in. ¡°W¨Cwe we¨Cwere aware,¡± he said, his voice almost inaudible. Chapter 51 Micah didn¡¯t really hesitate while ending the rogues¡® lives one after the other when they weren¡¯t really cooperating with his warriors and providing the information he wanted to find out. Moreover, he felt that he had captured more than necessary to be interrogated when they were just pawns in someone else¡¯s scheme. Even though they didn¡¯t have anyone above them to control their beast side, they were quite organized in their attacks that seemed simply random at a first nce. Since they brought them in excess, why don¡¯t he just use a few of their lives to achieve his goal? Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Even if he kept them all alive, it would be simply a waste of space and the other things they may use on them. Micah looked around this cell and saw how the floor was literally flooded with their blood while the air was filled with the thick smell of burnt flesh. His warriors seemed to have used everything from hot rods, spiked whips to several knives in different shapes and as a cherry on the top, their captives were even sshed with salt mixed water after their wounds were covered in chilly powder. Only they didn¡¯t yield any results as if the rogues were prepared for everything that came their way. But the King didn¡¯t have all the time in the world for their antics. So he chose to do this his way and instilled the required fear in them. His warriors tried to focus on the weaker ones and tortured them more, since they were easy to break. Even Micah thought the same, only he decided to break them mentally. So he killed the strongest looking among them first, then the next stronger one and so on. No matter how strong a shifter¡¯s resolve was, if one was pushed to imagine his own death in the most brutal way, while watching hisrades die equally brutal deaths, he would crumble in no time. And that was what happened when a small voice finally reached Micah¡¯s ears just as he finished the fifth captive¡¯s life. ere aware.¡± ¡°W- we we¨Cwere The voice was so small but thanks to their heightened abilities, every one of them heard it quite clearly. Dax almost screamed hooray while the other three rogues growled at the one who spoke out. On the other hand, Micah felt even more furious hearing the answer from him. Even though this was something he expected, hearing it so clearly only confirmed what he suspected was really true. 144 16.16 FM, 8 Mar 61% This trip was supposed to be highly confidential, only few knew he was going out of the pce, but now, he was attacked. Not to mention his little one was with him. So didn¡¯t this mean there was a mole in his close circle, most probably the court, that leaked this secret out. They tried to y dirty with him and this left him fuming. He couldn¡¯t imagine what he would. have done had something really happened to Abby. Abby¡­ did they know Abby was with him as well? If this piece of information was leaked, it was no feat to discover his mate would also be traveling with him. Even thinking someone might have wanted to hurt Abby made him want to destroy everything within his sight and beyond. He saw red. He wanted to kill the remaining four immediately, even his beast started nagging at the back of his mind. He wanted to take overpletely and kill them four to vent his anger. But he knew he couldn¡¯t do that, even though they were only pawns, they still may know more information and he needed to extract as much as he could. ¡°Who is it?¡± Micah bit out the words from between his gritted teeth, it came out terrifying than his roar. The four rogues shuddered in the next moment as they gulped hard. The King looked like the devil himself and they couldn¡¯t help but cower under his hard gaze. ¡°I ASKED, WHO THE HELL LEAKED MY WHEREABOUTS!¡± Micah roared when he didn¡¯t get an answer immediately. The murderous aura emanated from him coupled with his superior alpha dominance suppressed them so hard they couldn¡¯t even breathe without feeling this burning sensation in their lungs. This made the rogues tremble as they opened their mouths finally. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± However, before they could utter the word ¡®else, Micah lost what was left of his hair thin patience and another head rolled down the floor. Dax, who saw that the King was about to lose it, stepped forward when Micah wanted to end the remaining three there and then. ¡°My King, we still need them,¡± Dax said, in a soft voice, while mind linking the King at the same time. The royal gamma could understand why the King couldn¡¯t control his anger. From the moment he met Abby, he had been very protective of her. So the rogues were only signing up for a death sentence when they actually dared to try and attack the carriage Micah was traveling in with Abby. On the other hand, hearing his third inmand¡¯s voice amidst his raging fury, Micah had to physically stop himself from giving into his urge to continue this massacre. The King took a deep breath as his hands shifted back to his human hands. He had to bear with it. And when he finally regained a little calmness, he turned his still red eyes to look at his royal gamma, as if asking him to continue talking. If he didn¡¯t distract himself now, he couldn¡¯t guarantee if he could exercise any patience in this session of interrogation anymore. ¡°I think Alpha Samuel can take over from here,¡± Dax said as he pushed the said Alpha toward the rogues. ¡°Alpha Samuel, why don¡¯t you share your king¡¯s burden a little?¡± The royal gamma was too casual about it; the Alpha didn¡¯t know what face to make. Dax then walked toward the King and pulled him away from the mess. ¡°Don¡¯t stand there and look at me, show me how creative you can get,¡± Dax threw over his shoulder, as he pinned Samuel with a look. His intention was clear, the Alpha could do whatever he wanted to make them talk but the rogues shouldn¡¯t die so easily. Since he knew his king very well, he knew what he wanted to do now. Kill them in cold blood. Dax¡¯s opinion was no different from Micah¡¯s. Even he wanted the same thing to do. However, the possibility of these rogues knowing something useful to themselves made him stop the King. But they didn¡¯t have to go easy on them. Since it was inevitable they were going to die today, whether they talked or not, he didn¡¯t mind making it painful for them. Even agonizing. On the other hand, Alpha Samuel didn¡¯t seem to have any intentions to let down the King or the royal gamma as he didn¡¯t hold back at all. As such another round of torture started in this dark cell this morning. Since there were only three rogues to concentrate, the Alpha could easily navigate among them. while his warriors assisted him. However, no matter how many tools they used, the only thing that came out of their mouths was ¡®they didn¡¯t know who leaked the information.¡± ¡°Then who sent you to attack the carriagest night?¡± When they wouldn¡¯t say anything about the traitor, Alpha Samuel asked about the mastermind as he realized they weren¡¯t really connected to the people from the pce on a personal level. So he decided to ask about the perpetrator directly as he drove a freshly heated hot rod into one of their captives¡® legs, which was already riddled several times until his skin looked like a sieve now. 3/4 16:16 Fri, 8 Mar Chapter 51. B 61% k The other two weren¡¯t really faring well either, one of them lost his leg while the other lost both of his hands. Of course, this was all after all their ws had been pulled out of their fingers and toes. ¡°We don¡¯t know who it was either,¡± one of them said as he coughed out the cold water that he had just sshed with. However, before the Alpha could lose it like the King earlier, another one opened his mouth. ¡°He just sends a man with a mask every time.¡± They never saw the main perpetrator, even the one who usually came to gather them had a mask on his face every time. ¡°He wears a mask?¡± It was actually Dax who asked this question from beside the King. ¡°Yes, he does. Every single time. We don¡¯t even know if he is a shifter,¡± the third one said, revealing he couldn¡¯t even tell what kind of a creature the person who came to them was. Micah, who heard this, couldn¡¯t help but frown at this turn of events. And when Alpha Samuel tried to press them further, the three rogues just shook their heads that they didn¡¯t know anything else. They didn¡¯t say anything more even though they were literally tortured to death, while the King kept fisting and unfisting his hands. They only murmured a name vaguely before breathing theirst. Calpin. But he never heard of it. Who was this mysterious man? Why did he target himself? What was his main goal? This turned out to be moreplicated than he thought. First, there was a traitor, now there was an unknown enemy and he knew they were here, a much less protected cepared to the pce. ¡°Strengthen the protection around Abby and our bedroom here, for now,¡± Micah ordered Dax as he swiftly left to clean himself up so he could get back to his mate. He needed to be with her. All the time. At least while they were here. Because anything could happen! happen! Chapter 52 ? 61% When the King left Abby with her maids in this guest bedroom prepared for them, the sun was just peeking out of the clouds on the horizon. Since she couldn¡¯t sleep the whole nightfortably, Micah told her to fall back asleep,! wouldn¡¯t be too tired when they went to meet the witch before noon. she However, Abby couldn¡¯t fall asleep when her anxiety fromst night returned in full force once she woke up as the feeling then was too strong to go away so easily. So she justy on the bed while hugging a smaller pillow tightly. Even though she fell asleep in Micah¡¯s arms in the carriage, it was because of the gentle care he showed her the whole night. Now that he was away again and she could say where he went, her mind wouldn¡¯t stay silent as it kept reying the vicious growls along with the fight that broke out right outside the carriage she was in the moment she closed her eyes. Whatever that transpiredst night had unlocked a new fear in her and the thought of Micah going to the dungeon to interrogate the rogues wouldn¡¯t let her sleep in peace. She remembered how they fought the royal warriors and Micah without abandon and immediately felt her body turn cold as she shuddered a little. ¡°Lady Abby, are you cold?¡± Alyssa, who noticed her master feeling ufortable, immediately walked over to her with a nket she retrieved from the closet. However, Abby didn¡¯t respond to her in fear that she might give herself away if she opened her mouth and talked to her attentive maid. Both Alyssa and Reyna stayed with her since the King left for the dungeon. They kept herpany for a while, but she couldn¡¯t keep her cool with the emotions that started racking her frame once she couldn¡¯t see Micah anymore. So she said she would fall asleep and told them to sleep as well. Only they were more stubborn than her and chose to safeguard her closely. As such, she could only pretend to sleep, not wanting to worry them both over nothing. The girl just kept her eyes closed as she told herself that the rogues had been subdued and were given Rottingbane leaves. On the other hand, when Alyssa didn¡¯t get any response from Abby, she thought her master was just deep asleep. Since she didn¡¯t want to disturb her sleep, she simply covered the girl with the nket and walked back to Reyna, who was slightly dozing off on the sofa. After the attack in the middle of the night, they couldn¡¯t fall asleep either. 16:17 Fri, 8 Mar 61% Once he came out of the dungeon, the King swiftly made sure that there wasn¡¯t anything out of ce with himself. He was careful enough not to let any blood ssh onto him while killing those rogues. Even so, he felt the need to clean his ws and hands thoroughly until there was no scent of blood on him. He didn¡¯t want to make his little one worry over some dead rogues. Moreover, she was clearly rattled after the fightst night, where she had to cry herself to sleep in his arms. That was why he didn¡¯t tell her he was going to interrogate those rogues himself even though he doubted Abby couldn¡¯t put two and two together. After all, she was very observant. Only almost three hourster did the Kinge back to the guest bedroom prepared for him and his mate, and with the way the room was so silent, he thought his mate had actually fallen asleep like she was told for once. He entered the room without making any noise and immediately dismissed the half dozing Alyssa who swiftly left with Reyna after waking her up. He didn¡¯t even let them bow to him fully, not wanting them to make any sound that could disturb Abby. Once they left, he slowly walked toward the big bundle of nket on the bed in the middle of this room and immediately knew his mate was just pretending to be asleep. He cleared his throat, wanting to catch her red handed, and the girl didn¡¯t disappoint him. Even though it was very subtle, she actually stiffened a little hearing his voice. This girl learned how to act now! The King couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at herme attempt of pretending not to notice hist presence when her whole body was giving her away as it leaned a tiny bit toward his voice. This time, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You made progress, now you are pretending to be asleep when you are clearly wide awake,¡± Micah said teasingly, his smile evident in his light voice as he watched how her face turned red immediately. However, the girl wasn¡¯t ready to give up yet, only her mate didn¡¯t think so as he swiftly pulled away the nket making her roll to the other side of the bed. Abby, who wasn¡¯t prepared for him to be so persistent, yelped a little when she thought she would directly fall off the bed. Her breath quickened as she awaited the inevitable fall that didn¡¯t happen, but she heard him. chuckle again. She was caught! ¡°Still want to pretend?¡± The King asked his adorable mate, throwing the nket onto the sofa a few feet away from the bed urately. Since her cover had been blown, Abby couldn¡¯t continue to avoid Micah anymore as she slowly 16:17 Fri, 8 Mar RGB- 61%Ô­ opened her eyes. Only her mate¡¯s smiling face made her blush even more as she had to hide her face from him with her palms. Surprisingly, once the King was back, all her fears took the back seat, as she felt like she could breathe with ease again. On the other hand, Micah felt his heart burst with love looking at the cuteness that was only possible to his little one. He shook his head as he went to her before pulling her hands from her face. He then grabbed her shoulders to make her sit on the bed before settling beside her. ¡°Couldn¡¯t fall back asleep?¡± Micah asked once the girl was calm enough to finally look at him. Abby just shook her head as she didn¡¯t want Micah to worry anymore. He already had a lot on hist te. ¡°Hungry?¡± Micah asked when she seemed to be doing quite wellpared to thest night when she broke down out of fear. However, Abby still didn¡¯t say anything as she looked at him with a small frown on her face, as if she had something she wanted to ask him. ¡°What is it, little one?¡± The King asked her when he saw her biting her lip in the next second. He lifted his hand and rubbed her right cheek with his thumb. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°What did those rogues say?¡± Abby finally asked when she couldn¡¯t find a better way to open this conversation she was thinking about having with Micah since he left to interrogate them. ¡°Did yo¡­ Did Dax find anything useful?¡± She actually wanted to ask how the interrogation went, but because Micah didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to let her know he was involved in the interrogation, she changed her second question at thest second. And Micah immediately understood she did realize that he was involved in the interrogation. His little mate was quite observant. Micah noted. On the other hand, Abby felt the need to know why they were actually attacked. So even though she was still a bit afraid to think about those rogues, who reminded her of the horrible fightst night, she chose to ask him about it directly. She focused on Micah instead, pushing her fears to the back of her mind. And Micah could see that she really wanted to know what happened. ¡°Most of them died by the time I went down there Alpha Samuel got one of them to talk atst.¡± Micah started when he saw the determined look in his mates eyes. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The King omitted all the gory details that might disturb Abby and told the gist of their findings. Fri, 8 Mar 61% How Dax said the rogues didn¡¯t know who the actual perpetrator was. And how ording to them, they were always contacted by a masked person who called himself Calpin. And also how he was suspecting one of the high ranked shifters from the court. ¡°From the court? Aren¡¯t they your people?¡± Abby asked, feeling a little bit lost. ¡°They are indeed my people. But one¡¯s mind is fickle. It can change at the strangest of possiblities,¡± the King said vaguely, as he didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her with the inside politics of the court. Even though he was telling her all this information because she said she wanted to learn to be a good queen for his people, he believed the court politics could wait until she gained a bit of confidence in herself. On the other hand, Abby fell deep in thought as she could understand Micah wasn¡¯t really telling her the entire truth about why he suspected his own people. But then she remembered how people were greedy for power. And it was not hard to put two and two together. As she was busy with her own thoughts, she didn¡¯t notice how Micah¡¯s face turned a little serious when he held her face with both hands as he made her look at himself. ¡°Little one, I don¡¯t think it is safe for you to go out without any protection from now on,¡± he said to her solemnly atst. É« 0 Chapter 53 ¡°Little one, I don¡¯t think it is safe for you to go out without any protection from now on,¡± Micah said to her solemnly. ¡°Protection?¡± Abby asked him, looking genuinely dumbfounded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m nning to make a few warriors follow you when you go out,¡± the King told her truthfully and immediately, Abby¡¯s face paled. The memory of a few guardsughing at he mate was still deeply etched in her mind. in pure mockery when she imed to be the King¡¯s They indeed didn¡¯t know who she was then, but that wasn¡¯t enough to overshadow the hurt and humiliation she had been put through that night. Not to mention how all of them whispered to each other about her being a monster, noticing the scar on her neck, just like her family and a majority of her previous pack members did, while the remaining few simply didn¡¯t care if she lived or not. Moreover, she would most likely stay inside her bedroom at least until the problem with the rogues was solved. Even if she had to leave, Alyssa and Reyna, her two personal maids, would always be with her. So she said the same thing to the King. ¡°Warriors? You don¡¯t need to. Alyssa and Reyna will always be with me whenever you are away.¡± Abyy immediately rejected the idea, as the thought of being surrounded by those guards made her feel a little ufortable. Not really just a little if she could be honest. On the other hand, Micah could see what was running through her mind when the frown between her brows became even bigger. ¡°Alyssa and Reyna aren¡¯t trained warriors, little one,¡± Micah said, caressing her cheek with featherlight touches. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Just trust me on this.¡± Micah also knew she would be ufortable with the warriors, who were practically strangers to herself, following her around. But he couldn¡¯t risk her safety. At any cost. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°It is necessary, little one.¡± Micah then proceeded to exin why he thought this arrangement was necessary. With unknown enemies targeting himself, he didn¡¯t want Abby to suffer the coteral damage. Being extra cautious would do no one any harm. ¡°I want to make sure that: will always stay protected.¡± The King sounded really determined, indicating how serious he was about this whole thing. And when Micah put it like that, Abby couldn¡¯t say anything anymore. If she had to, she would just avoid going out as much as possible. Meanwhile, Micah changed the topic when he thought it was better to not let her overthink this matter. 1/4 16 17 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. 861% # ¡°Alpha Samuel said the witch is waiting for us,¡± the King said before grabbing her hand and pulling her up as he stood up as well. ¡°Go and freshen up, now that you are wide awake. We will leave right after having breakfast.¡± He turned her toward the door that would lead to the washroom connected to this bedroom. Having been reminded of their purpose toe here in the first ce, all thoughts of the extra security flew out of her mind as Abby quickly got ready for the day. Heavens be with her and help her solve this mystery surrounding their mate bond! But then again, what could possibly mask something like a mate bond created by the Moon Goddess herself!? It was nearly afternoon by the time the King came out of the guest bedroom to leave for the witch¡¯s ce with his mate, where they saw Alpha Samuel waiting for them with a small entourage. He prepared about ten of his best warriors, apart from the few royal warriors that were already waiting outside, to follow the King into the small forest that was situated in the south of this Red River pack where the witch Micah wanted Abby to meet was living. They all bowed to the King and Abby before Micah asked the Alpha if everything was prepared. ¡°We are all set to leave, my king.¡± Alpha Samuel immediately said as he led the King and his mate to the carriage waiting for them.. And as soon as Micah gave his nod, this small group started their short journey. About half an hourter, they reached a ce with this serene air where nothing but the warrior¡¯s footsteps alone echoed softly around them. Abby couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the lovely sight that greeted her eyes as soon as she stepped out of the carriage with the King¡¯s help. The witch lived in a single but cozy hut in the middle of this otherwise people¨Cless forest even though the forest was just behind the pack house. The considerablyrge hut was surrounded by a wooden fence that had almost be invisible by all kinds of beautiful climbing nts that covered every inch of it giving it a natural feel. It was as if the fence actually grew out naturally around her little hut, coupled with the random. types of flowers that bloomed here and there without following any pattern. Abby was simply fascinated by it, Only small chirping birds were missing. Otherwise, the view would be even more breathtaking. While she was admiring the beautiful view, she saw the small gate of the fence in the forefront slowly opening by itself, and Abby was startled for a moment. But then she saw a woman who looked to be in herte twenties standing in the doorway of this hut as she slightly bowed to the King, in response to which Micah just responded with a simple nod as his acknowledgement. Only Abby couldn¡¯t find her dropped jaw in time to respond as she stood there with her eyes wide open. The woman who just bowed to them was graceful yet attractive in an unexinable way, especially her beautiful blue eyes. Abby would give her that. Only she was wearing an almost transparent robe over her equally revealing ankle length gown, it actually hid everything while not really hiding anything. Abby had never seen someone dress so scandalous in her life, she didn¡¯t know how to react for a moment. Her dress looked like a very enticing nightgown strictly used for really private moments. Abby was bbergasted by her own thoughts. But she forced herself to recover herposure when she realized she had been staring at her literally. After all, it was simply rude to stare at someone no matter what the reason was. She then saw Alpha Samuel first walking into the front yard, after which he started talking to the witch. Abby could vaguely hear their conversation. ¡°Is it her?¡± The woman opened her mouth and addressed the Alpha who looked to the King before answering her. ¡°She is, Mire, Samuel said to her after Micah nodded to him. Even though the Alpha didn¡¯t understand why Mire was talking about Abby when it was the King who wanted to meet with the witch, he didn¡¯t let his curiosity get the better of him as he yed his role of the middleman to the T. On the other hand, Mire already knew it was the King¡¯s mate who actually wanted to meet with her, even though she didn¡¯t know the full reason yet. The King only sent a short missive that his mate had something she could use a witch¡¯s advice on and nothing else. ¡°Is she ready for the afternoon?¡± Mire asked as she eyed Abby with a weird look in her eyes. Even though it was subtle, Abby could feel this strange feeling of being assessed by her. Only her eyes turned nk in the next moment as Micah answered her this time. ¡°We are ready.¡± But then the witch shook her head. ¡°No, my king. It will be just her¡± Hearing her answer, Micah frowned a little. But then he thought that it was actually Abby that needed to solve this riddle as she was the one who couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond between them. So not wanting toplicate things without a valid reason, the King turned to his mate. Only he didn¡¯t forget to warn the witch, even though he did it discreetly. ¡°Go on, little one, it¡¯ll be alright,¡± he said to his mate before his eyes shifted to Mire. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here The witch didn¡¯t seem to mind the underlying warning as she turned around to walk into her small hut after throwing a quick nce at Abby, silently asking her to follow her in. Abby looked at Micah onest time where the King reassured her that everything would be alright. Çú At that, Abby walked toward the hut while Alpha Samuel returned to the King¡¯s side. However, even before fifteen minutes could pass, they heard a shrill scream echoing from inside the hut and immediately, the King dashed to the hut¡¯s door as he realized it was simr to Abby¡¯s voice. The first scream was followed by an equally loud second one by the time Micah made it to the door, which made him bang his hands on the door, as he demanded to be let into the hut. This time, the sovereign had no doubt that it was actually Abby who was screaming. Immediately, his ws emerged from the tips of his half shifted fingers. However, another voice traveled outside just as the King could lose it and tear down the door from its hinges. ¡°Don¡¯te inside.¡± It was the witch¡¯s voice and the King felt torn between running to his mate and stopping himself from ruining whatever this witch was doing to find out why Abby couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond. Chapter 54 When Abby followed the woman named Mire, apparently the very witch she came to the Red River pack to meet with, into her dwelling, she wasn¡¯t expecting to see what her eyes were greeted with the further she walked into this seemingly remote yet small hut. Even though it seemed small from the outside, it looked spacious enough with different racks that were filled with all kinds of herbs and potion bottles erected along the walls of this hut. But there were no doors that could lead them to any other rooms. There wasn¡¯t any sort niture either. of To her knowledge, the witch lived here alone. So Abby couldn¡¯t help but wonder about where Mire would cook or sleep. However, her line of thought was disrupted when she heard the witch¡¯s siren¨Clike voice clearly for the first time. ¡°Follow me,dy?¡± Mire turned to her as she raised her eyebrows in question, as if asking for her name. ¡°A¨CAbby,¡± Abby immediately answered the witch. She then saw her walk toward thergest shelf in the far back of this hut. ¡°Okay,¡± the witch nodded her head, acknowledging her answer. ¡°Lady Abby, why don¡¯t you take a seat first?¡± Mire told a dumbfounded Abby gesturing to her left with her hand. The girl was stupefied when the witch told her to sit, because there were no chairs or tables to at least perch on here. Not even a bed but Mire actually asked her to sit. However, Abby couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she followed the witch¡¯s hand and saw a small table along with two chairs in the corner. Didn¡¯t she just scour the entire hut, how did she miss this table?! Not knowing how to react, Abby just picked up her jaw from the floor for the second time this noon as she walked toward the small table to sit down as she was told. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡± Mire didn¡¯t waste any time when she cut to the chase as she approached Abby, her steps featherlight and graceful. Abby didn¡¯t know where to start when she asked her directly like this. She felt conflicted to talk about her weird situation out loud and discuss it with this witch when the look she directed toward herself was so scrutinizing. It was as if the witch didn¡¯t think Abby was suitable to be Micah¡¯s mate. Just like everyone else who learned she was the one. All of a sudden, Abby felt scared that the King was actually so wrong and by the time she left this hut, she would have solid proof why she couldn¡® feel the mate bond in the first ce. Because she wasn¡¯t his mate at all. This thought scared her so much Abby literally started sweating under Mire¡¯s unforgiving gaze, On the other hand, Mire didn¡¯t seem to notice the change in Abby at all as she continued to 1/5 speak in her monotonous voice. ¡°King Micah already told me that you weren¡¯t sure about the mate bond between you two¡­ Mire trailed off, making Abby sweat even more. Abby¡¯s insecurities chose to make an appearance at the worst possible situation as she regretted agreeing toe to this witch when the look in Mire¡¯s blue eyes turned even more weird in the next second. Was she really not Micah¡¯s mate? Was that why the witch was looking at her strangely? ¡°Wh¨Cwhat happened?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but stutter as she felt her confidence crumble even more. And the witch¡¯s response was something that would have never crossed Abby¡¯s wildest dreams. Because what Mire did was actually pull Abby to her feet, holding her right hand and before the girl even had time to react, the former did something even more bbergasting. She actually tore her dress apart, exposing her left shoulder so violently, the yelp that was about to escape her lips turned into a shrill scream in the next second. However, the assault didn¡¯t stop at that as the witch wasn¡¯t done ruining her dress yet. The first time she could only rip her dress along her left sleeve, but this time, she turned her around and gave her half tattered dress another harsh tug at the neck, which tore the back of her dress until her back was fully exposed. And that action also pulled out another scream from Abby which was followed by loud banging from the door. Abby realized it was Micah and immediately wanted to scream for help, but Mire beat her to it as she denied the King any entry. ¡°Don¡¯te inside,¡± Mire said coolly and then proceeded to release her hand which immediately prompted Abby to cover her bosom from beingpletely exposed now that even her undergarments were torn in the back. The girl struggled to hold the front of her dress as she tried to scramble to the wall to her left. wanting to hide her nudity. Only she couldn¡¯t move an inch after the first step she took, as if her body forgot how lotion actually worked. She then watched with bulging eyes how the witch actually took her time to walk to her left before she started studying her scars. The very scars that always made her feel so small and less as a shifter. Abby couldn¡¯t understand why this witch was humiliating her to this extent when she had never even met her before. Not even Hanna, her older sister, ever treated her this harshly, big drops of tears immediately started falling from Abby¡¯s reddened eyes. On the other hand, Mire didn¡¯t stop at her shoulder as she continued to scan her back as well, 2/5 making Abby cry even harder as she started huping badly. Hearing her cry so miserably, Mire actually chided her in the next second. ¡°Stop acting like a child.¡± And Abby felt her heart drop at the coldness in her voice. 61% # On the other hand, Micah¡¯s hands shook with the indecisiveness that started racking his frame when the witch didn¡¯t allow him to enter her hut. However, even before a full minute could pass, the King felt his rage going out of control as he could hear Abby huping pitifully His mate was crying. What in the world did this witch do to her until Abby was crying her grievances out like that? Abby would rarely let out her sobs, so if she was crying this hard, something serious must have happened. Thinking up to this, Micah¡¯s body started shaking as his beast began fighting him for control. ¡°My King, calm down,¡± Alpha Samuel, who saw that the King was so enraged until his eyes looked like he wanted to set this entire forest on fire, couldn¡¯t help but step in to stop the King. However, Micah wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to anyone. ¡°Back off.¡± That was the only thing he said to the Alpha who realized there was nothing he could do now. Immediately, he stepped back from the door and the angry king, who shifted into his mighty ck wolf in the next second. As soon as he shifted, the ck wolf didn¡¯t hesitate to start wing at the wooden door while roaring in fury. Only, the door wouldn¡¯t budge at all as if it was made out of the strongest material in this realm instead of normal wood. This only fueled Micah¡¯s anger further as he roared even louder while trying to take down this damn door that was stopping himself from rushing to his distressed mate. Mire was taking her time to analyze the scars on Abby¡¯s body when they heard loud roars from the outside which were followed by sounds of ws scratching at the door. Abby, who couldn¡¯t even move her head, could only cry silently while her eyes tried to move to the door which seemed close yet so far at this moment. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he listen?¡± Abby heard Mire whisper in the same annoying tone she chided her with and in the next second, the hut fellpletely silent. TI, & Ma The girl didn¡¯t understand what happened for a second, but then she remembered she was dealing with a witch. She actually put a spell around this hut to block out the sounds? Or did she actually make it hard for the King to enter the room as well? She could easily put a restriction spell and Micah might not be able to take it down, no matter how strong a shifter he was. Both thoughts were equally terrifying to her Because if it was the first case, there would be no way for her to keep an ear on the outside and anticipate the King¡¯s break in to save her. However, if the second possibility was true, Abby didn¡¯t dare imagine what more this witch would do to her before Micah could reach her. This made her cry even harder but she didn¡¯t dare make any noise, not wanting to provoke this crazy witch any further. But the witch didn¡¯t let her stew in this inner turmoil of hers long as she opened her mouth again, only her voice was thoughtful this time. ¡°How did you get this scar?¡± Mire was just short of touching her skin directly as Abby could feel her fingers hovering just inches from her scars. ¡°Wh- what?¡± Abby had to gulp a few times to let out this single worded question as she frowned at the witch¡¯s question. She couldn¡¯t hear her past the ringing that started in her ears from all the crying. ¡°This scar, from your shoulder to the back, how did you get it?¡± The witch repeated in a slightly irritated tone, as if her thought process was interrupted by Abby¡¯s voice. ¡°My scar?¡± Abby repeated after her, sounding dumbfounded. This only made the witch lose her patience even more. ¡°Did I stutter?¡± Mire sounded annoyed. again, leaving Abby stupefied. Why was she so interested in her scars? She wanted to ask the witch the same question, but then she decided against it when she remembered she couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. After weighing her options, Abby concluded that there was no way out of this situation other than coming clean. Only the thought of that very day made her grieve again as she recalled whatever she could about the incident that took her mother away from her before turning her into a monster in her father¡¯s eyes. ¡°When I was nine years old, a fire broke out in our old pack house¡­¡± Abby started, her voice soft as she pushed herself to recount what happened that day. 4/5 61% She told Mire how she had been ignorant enough to y with fire literally, and that she couldn¡¯t really remember what happened very vividly. o soon as it She went to the firece to throw some fire wood in, so the fire wouldn¡¯t die out so looked really small in her eyes and she wanted a big fire. However, Abby felt impatient to wait for all the wood to burn, so she wanted to pour some oil into the fire. But since she wasn¡¯t careful enough and the oil skin was quite slippery, she spilled all the oil in front of the firece until it caused the fire to spread to the carpet and then other furniture. In no time, the entire room was in mes as everything in it started being engulfed by the fire. Then her clothes caught fire as well, feeling the pain, Abby cried her lungs out. ¡°Hearing my cries, my mother came to rescue me, but ended up losing her life.¡± When Abby came to this part, her voice shook a little as she trailed off. But the witch didn¡¯t seem to catch it as if she was deep in thought. And then Abby told her how she fell unconscious for a few days after. Finished with her monologue, Abby fell silent as the witch continued to stare at her. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Are you sure your mother is a shifter?¡± The witch asked her atst. Chapter 55 By the time Abby finished her story, Mire walked forward from behind her and stood in front of her with this strange look in her eyes. Abby didn¡¯t understand what made this witch look unapproachable again. Did she say something she found inconceivable? And how surprised she was when the witch actually asked her something she didn¡¯t expect at all. Yet again. you sure your mother is a shifter?¡± The witch asked her, her expressionpletely iprehensible to Abby. ¡°What?¡± The girl asked her back, not understanding why she felt the need to doubt her mother¡¯s origins. ¡°Do people always have to repeat what they say to you three or four times for you to understand their words?¡± Mire sounded a little too impatient and Abby was left speechless. ¡°No, I was just surprised by your random questions.¡± Abby admitted truthfully, almost forgetting about her tears in the face of this witch¡¯s extreme mood swings. ¡°So?¡± The witch asked as she stepped back to sit on the chair at the table before waving her hand a linde. Abby then saw how her dress got mended in the next second and looked at Mire with wide eyes as she couldn¡¯tprehend her actions at all. The witch simply gave her a look before swinging her eyes between Abby and the chair across the same table she was sitting at. Taking the hint, a dumbfounded Abby found herself walking to the table and then flopping onto the chair across from the witch¡¯s. She rested her hands in herp when she didn¡¯t know where to PUL put them. What in the world was happening here? Why rip her dress then mend it again as if there was nothing wrong in doing so? Abby even felt like everything that happened after she stepped into this room was just her imagination when she looked at the nk look in Mire¡¯s eyes. But her still wet cheeks were enough proof that she wasn¡¯t imagining things. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for your answer,¡± Mire said when Abby just stared at her, not being able to comprehend her actions or words. ¡°I¡¯m sure she is a shifter,¡± Abby could only answer her with what she believed to be true all her life.. She had seen her mother shift into her beast with her own eyes. 1/5 Fri, 8 Mar @ $61%# Even though it had been a decade since it happened, because of the limited memories she had with her mother, it was impossible for her to mix up a thing this big when her own father made sure she would never forget a thing about her mother by ming her for killing his mate for years. ¡°Tsk!¡± Mire made a sound of disapproval in response to her ims and once again, Abby found herself frowning at the witch. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. Abby couldn¡¯t help but stress this point when all this witch did confuse her while not helping her like they expected her to. ¡°Really? Why don¡¯t you think a little harder?¡± Mire pinned her with an even weirder look this time. ¡°Think hard?¡± Abby asked her as she thought the witch was just saying whatever she wanted without a rhyme or reason. Even so, she tried to heed her words, but the result was the same. Her mother was a shifter. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Abby started, wanting to make Mire understand that she was just mistaken about her mother, as the memory in her head was so vivid. There was no way she remembered it wrongly. But she trailed off after uttering her third word as she felt her head starting to hurt the more she tried to think about that particr memory of hers, where she saw her mother shifting into her small but beautiful silver white wolf. Abby couldn¡¯t help but grab her head as the pain intensified with each second that passed until it got so unbearable she had to close her eyes. ¡°Wh- what are y- you doing to me?¡± The girl almost screamed when Mire sat there with this calm. look on her face.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Helping you to think better.¡± This was what Abby heard before her head felt like it would explode any second now. She almost cursed when she suddenly felt all her memories swirl in her mind, just like the saying how one¡¯s entire life would sh before their eyes right before they realized they were going to die. ¡°The hell is wrong with you?¡® Abby screamed at the top of her lungs but she couldn¡¯t hear her own voice when her memories took her to the very day her mother died by her hands. Only this didn¡¯t seem like any run down one¡¯s memoryne as she could see the young Abby, who was just nine years old, standing in front of the very firece that haunted her for the past ten years. Abby couldn¡¯t believe her eyes as she watched everything that happened on that fateful day in their old pack house sh before eyes vividly once more. How the fire actually broke, out, how she got this huge and ugly scar of hers. Everything When the voices from the inside suddenly stopped, Micah actually thought that the witch was wise enough not to continue provoking him. He believed Abby woulde running to him now that she stopped crying. So he calmed down on his own, not wanting to startle his little one with his rage filled face. Even Alpha Samuel thought that Mire finally came to her senses. So when the King looked approachable again, he walked back to him and stood beside him silently. However, no matter how long they waited, there was no sign of peopleing out of this hut.. They couldn¡¯t even sense them for that matter. Only then did the King realize that the witch had actually put a restriction spell around her ce, blocking out everything from inside and vice versa. Immediately, he felt his rationale going up in mes as he couldn¡¯t know what condition Abby was in anymore. Alpha Samuel felt his heart drop with this sudden turn of events. This was turning weirder the longer Abby stayed with Mire. But the worst was yet toe. Just when the King looked like he would annihte every one of his pack members, a faint sound of someone saying ¡®no, no,¡® followed by a few heartfelt apologies reached their cars again. It seemed like Lady Abby¡¯s voice. When this thought got registered in his mind, Alpha Samuel felt his soul leaving his body. He immediately dashed to the King whose eyes turned so red, they looked like they could shoot fire out of them in the next second. ¡°My king, calm down, please,¡± Alpha Samuel pleaded with the King. It was no different from risking his own life. ¡°HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN WHEN MY MATE IS SCREAMING IN DISTRESS!!¡± Micah didn¡¯t hold back at all as he barked at the poor alpha who only wanted to save his own pack. Because the reaction he got from the King was so violent, Alpha Samuel felt his breath turning short from all the superior alpha dominance Micah was using on him. ¡°IL¡± Alpha Samuel found himself stuttering when the King looked like he did not mind tearing the Alpha apart before getting to the door. ¡°This.. The Alpha wanted to say that there was somethingpletely wrong with this situation, but no matter how hard he tried, his voice wouldn¡¯te out. Tell me what the hell is happening here!¡± While he was still trying to find his own voice, he heard Micah ask him questions one after another. ¡°Is this witch even legit?¡± Alpha Samuel nodded his head vigorously as he couldn¡¯t trust his own voice at this point. This was actually embarrassing, as his warriors were watching him, but it was the King of the werewolves he was facing. So he could only bite his tongue and try not to provoke him even further. What was that headstrong witch doing defying the King like this? Didn¡¯t she love her life anymore? On the other hand. Micah felt even more infuriated when Samuel wouldn¡¯t say anything. He wanted to hear him say it, so he could keep his beast at the bay and stop himself from wreaking havoc. Abby was still inside, the witch could do anything to her if she felt threatened by him Only this thought was stopping the sovereign from letting his wolf run rampant like it wanted. What caught your tongue?¡± Micah roared at the Alpha when he wouldn¡¯t say anything to support his silent ims. ¡°She is more legit than anyone we can find in this kingdom,¡± Alpha Samuel said in a rush. But in his haste, he sounded purely patronising. Only when Micah narrowed his eyes at him, did Alpha Samuel gulp hard before answering the King again. ¡°I mean. I think she is because even though she looks quite young, she is actually more than a hundred years old.¡± Alpha Samuel chose his words wisely this time. Under Micah¡¯s oppressive gaze, he exined how it was rare to find witches in this part of the realm. So someone as old as Mire was definitely someone they could rely on. After all, it was not everyday one could meet a witch here. ¡°I agree it seems a little weird,¡± Alpha Samuel said slowly, even though it was not just a little weird. ¦© But then the hut fell silent again, attracting Micah¡¯s attention and prompting Alpha Samuel to stop talking. Around an hourter, the door of the hut opened on its own and Abby walked out from inside. COMMENT Chapter 56 Abby couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she found herself staring at her younger self from ten years back. The shock she felt was inexplicable when she was actually brought back to the very ry day her whole life changed no less. With her eyes impossibly wide, Abby saw her nine year old self actually walking to the firece with this strange expression on her face. Abby couldn¡¯t understand why her younger self was looking like she was actually excited to go near the fire and y with it. No, if she had to be honest, the tween actually looked like she was longing to ouch the fire with her bare hand, This was so different from the memories at the back of her mind. She remembered how she caused the fire clearly, but this tween self of herself didn¡¯t move from the firece for a long time while her eyes kept darting to the door every five seconds. It was as if she had ulterior motives other than simply wanting to see a big fire erupt like her own memory indicated. Moreover, the tween in front of her looked more mature for her age with clear eyes and all, nothing like the timid girl like her current older self. Abby was bbergasted. It was like she was staring at someone elsepletely, who just looked impossibly simr to herself. After all, how was it possible for someone to actually experience this kind of thing? Was this witch trying to pull another trick on her? She was so bizarre, Abby couldn¡¯t make heads and tails of any of her actions. But then the pack house, the room, even the firece was so familiar to her, Abby couldn¡¯t deny the tween in front of her was her own younger self. This was all so confusing, coupled with the way her head was throbbing, Abby wanted to just up and leave this memoryne and the witch¡¯s hut in an instant. However, Abby felt her soul leave her body when she saw the younger Abby do something even more oundish from the corner of her eyes. The small girl¡¯s hand was in mes, while she just stood there without doing anything to put out the fire. Abby wanted to scream at the top of her lungs to make the tween understand fire could be dangerous and she could get hurt. ¡°Get away from there!¡± Abby shouted. However, no matter how loud she screeched, the small girl couldn¡¯t hear her. Abby felt her whole frame shaking with fear for the girl, who was none other than her younger self, she actually forgot she was currently looking back into a possible memory and not at something that was happening 1/5 currently.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She even hoped for someone toe and rescue the small girl from her own stupidity. if the Moon Goddess heard her prayers, someone did push open therge door behind the girl in the ne second, making Abby sigh in relief. But the person stepped into the room was someone she didn¡¯t expect at all and the sigh that was about to leave her lips got stuck in her throat as she choked on pure air. It was none other than her mother, just like she remembered, beautiful yet elegant with her long ck hair flowing past her waist. Abby couldn¡¯t help tearing up looking at her lovely mother¡¯s face as she felt like running into her arms and crying her heart out. She wanted to tell her how much she missed her, but then she found that she couldn¡¯t move an inch. And she saw her mother¡¯s always smiling face was now marred with a deep frown as she quickly kicked the door closed behind her as she rushed into the room. ¡°Abby, my little girl, what were you doing just now?¡± Her mother asked as her fists settled on her own hips. She sounded a little angry. Abby immediately shook her head, wanting to say that she didn¡¯t do anything when she realized her mother was actually talking to her younger self. Only then did she remember that little Abby¡¯s hand was about to burn, but when she turned around, there was no trace of fire on her hand or body. Even the full sleeve of her dress looked all shiny and new, even though she clearly saw how it was engulfed in mes just a moment ago. ¡°Nothing, mother,¡± little Abby said, smiling innocently. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, little girl,¡± Abby¡¯s mother chided her daughter softly, almost giving up the thought of scolding her when the little girl¡¯s cuteness made her smile involuntarily. ¡°Did you y with fire again?¡± Faced with her mother¡¯s unforgiving gaze, the tween didn¡¯t falter as she lied through her teeth. ¡°No, mother. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± However, Abby¡¯s mother didn¡¯t let her off as she narrowed her eyes at her. Little Abby, feeling the need to defend herself, continued sticking to her lies. ¡°No, mother, I didn¡¯t do this.¡± In the next second, a small me burned at the tip of her finger as she looked at her mother with gave her big eyes wide open. Only by doing so, she herself away. ¡°How did you know this trick?¡± Abby¡¯s mother asked her immediately. Oh, no! Mother caught her, Not being able to smooth her way out of this anymore, the small girl lowered her head as she put out the me immediately. 16:18 F, 8 Mar RGD ¡°You have been ying with fire while I¡¯m not aware.¡± Riley, Abby¡¯s mother, answered her own. question as she walked toward her daughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother,¡± little Abby immediately apologized. ¡°It was fun, so I just wanted to learn more about this.¡± ¡°But, didn¡¯t I tell you that you shouldn¡¯t create your own fire no matter what?¡± Abby¡¯s mother told her off sternly this time while the girl looked like she was about to cry. Seeing this, Abby¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. So she took the tween into her arms. as she tried to reason with her, while holding her little shoulders and looking into her eyes softly. ¡°My sweet baby, it¡¯s not safe to let anyone know that you could use magic.¡± Little Abby didn¡¯t seem to agree with her mother as she pulled back a little from her mother and stared up at her. ¡°But I could control it just fine,¡± little Abby frowned, wanting to y with her power as she liked it very much. She also wanted to show everyone how she could produce fire out of nothing. Literally. But her mother strongly told her it was very dangerous. So even though she didn¡¯t want to hide it, little Abby obeyed her mother and only yed when she was alone. But then her mother was saying she couldn¡¯t do that either, which only made her feel aggrieved, since she couldn¡¯t understand what could go wrong if slie just yed a little. As such, she decided to make her mother understand that it would all be fine if she only yed a little. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, mother,¡± little Abby pouted her lips. ¡°See and you will know it immediately.¡± Saying this, little Abby started showing her mother how good she got at controlling her fire. She even made the me at the tip of her finger bigger and then again smaller, giggling happily at her own progress. ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± Abby¡¯s mother nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips slightly. making Abby feel ted. ¡°But it¡¯s not about your inability to control your powers and harm others. my daughter. And you know that,¡± she continued, immediately causing Abby¡¯s own smile to falter. ¡°No one should know about my powers,¡± little Abby finished for her mother, only her voice sounded a little aggravating. She couldn¡¯t understand why her mother was adamant about this so much, until she wasn¡¯t even allowed to talk about this with her friends. Forget about her friends, even her older sister, Hanna didn¡¯t know about this. And keeping this big of a secret was so difficult for a small girl like herself. Little Abby wanted to pretend that she understood where her mother wasing from even though she didn¡¯t have any idea why. However, wallowing in her inner turmoil, shepletely forgot about the fire that was still dancing at the tips of her fingers and the next thing that happened was something neither she nor her mother had expected. The little fire turned intorge mes right under her watch as she looked at her mother who was equally shocked. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this,¡± she immediately told her mother, who nodded her head as she tried to put out the fire using her own magic.. Abby didn¡¯t understand how everything escted so fast as everything that was around them. caught fire, quickly burning to ashes in the next second. ¡°Oh my god, your power just shed.¡± Abby heard her mother almost scream in the midst of her own panic. Little Abby started crying at her words, even though she didn¡¯t understand what her mother just said, as she sounded so horrified. And everything that happened after that went past in a blur for her when all the smoke made her choke while her lungs started burning as if they were on fire. And then the little girl fainted from all the pain. Meanwhile, watching and hearing everything that unfolded in this memory, Abby felt her insides fold in shock. She looked at her own hands and then remembered little Abby¡¯s little hands that were smooth with no scars even after she literally let her entire palm get engulfed by the fire. If this memory was true, then she could use magic? Tha was also the reason why she couldn¡¯t feel her beast even after all these years? She always thought she couldn¡¯t shift because she became too weak after the fire ident that day ten years back. But what did she hear just now? She could use magic? Abby couldn¡¯t believe this. However, Abby just remembered the memory didn¡¯t end yet. Just as little Abby fainted, the mes got even bigger, unable to find a medium for this power to channel through. If this wasn¡¯t controlled immediately, the whole building would copse, killing several pack members and omegas that were working in around the pack right now. ¡°No!¡± Abby screamed, realizing what would happen next. However, her voice couldn¡¯t reach Riley, who immediately made a swift decision as she stood up and spread her arms wide open, before bringing them together while chanting something in at foreign language. Right before the fire could spread to other rooms, it was extinguished by whatever she did but Abby¡¯s mother staggered from the over usage. of her power. 16:18 Fri, 8 Mar R G 61%# ¦° ¡°No, no.¡± Abby watched how her mother used what was left of her little power and energy to seal her powers which left this huge scar on her left shoulder that extended to her back. Abby then saw her mother faint from exhaustion in the next second, unable to do anything but cry. She really caused her mother¡¯s death, didn¡¯t she? Her father wasn¡¯tpletely wrong for ming her for her mother¡¯s death. If all this was really true, Abby could use magic. And her mother was a magic user, not a shifter. Abby recalled how her mother never asked her to hide her own powers from Ryan, her father, even though she didn¡¯t let Hanna find out. So her father knew she could use magic¡­. Not only did he know about it, he even made the connection between her power and his mate¡¯s death, which was also why she became a monster in his eyes. Thinking all of this, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her own mother. She sacrificed her own life to save her disobedient daughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother,¡± Abby cried, regretting not listening to her mother. Had she listened and didn¡¯t throw a tantrum, her mother would still be living with them happily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Abby apologized continuously. 5/5 Chapter 57 ¡°I¡¯ve unlocked your sealed memories,¡± Mire told her, as if Abby shouldn¡¯t bother about her violent behavior earlier since she only did it to help her. But Abby didn¡¯t respond to her even then, her initial expression of disbelief all but gone as several other memories rushed to the forefront of her mind. They were all about the events rted to her using magic before her mother sealed her memory. She didn¡¯t know Riley was also a magic user then. But after seeing how her mother used her own magic to stop Abby¡¯s power from shing until it could destroy an entire pack house before killing herself, Abby could put two and two together. She remembered her mother telling her how there were really bad people who wanted all the power to themselves but it was very vague as she only talked about such things while putting her to bed¡­ Like a luby or some bedtime story¡­. However, what made her stop in her tracks was this one name her mother always stressed in her stories. Calpin. The bad guy in those lubies and bedtime stories would always be Calpin. Where did she hear that name again? Abby felt like she heard it just recently. She was sure of it. So the girl quickly surfed through her memories as she frowned hard. But as both her body and mind were equally exhausted, she couldn¡¯t ce the memory right then. It left her a little frustrated. She felt it was important, so when she couldn¡¯t recall the event where she heard the name Calpin, she felt a little frustrated with herself. However, before she could strain her almost dying brain cells, she heard a viscous growl from outside the door. Abby was immediately brought back to her senses when she remembered how Micah had been banging on the door of this hut before this crazy witch decided to cut herself from the outside world. Abby was sure it was the King who was growling as she couldn¡¯t mistake his rage filled growls when it got so deeply engraved in her mind after that night outside the pce gates. She actually heard it ringing in her ears for three weeks straight, she could immediately tell it was Micah outside the door right now. He must have shifted into his beast to tear down the door of this hut when he couldn¡¯t enter it no matter what. Thinking up to this, Abby immediately rushed to the door and opened it hastily, only to find Micah¡¯s ck beast getting ready to ram into the door head first. However, once the beast¡¯s eyes fell on Abby who just walked out of the door, all the growling and snarling were long forgotten as the King immediately shifted back into his human form. Micah thought Abby would hesitate to go to him, seeing him almost lose his control, so when she rushed into his arms the second he shifted back, he was stunned for a moment. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help running to the King as she could finally feel at ease after seeing the love that overflowed in his eyes just at the sight of her. She wanted to tell so much to him, however, the moment the King his arms around her hips, she fainted. Seeing this, Micah was shaken to his core. He called her name several times, but the girl wouldn¡¯t respond no matter what. The only proof that she was still alive was the way her heart kept beating rhythmically against his own chest while she wouldn¡¯t let go of her arms around his waist. The relief he felt seeing her walk outside safe and sound was short lived as he couldn¡¯t wake her up no matter what. There wasn¡¯t a single scratch on her body that indicated she had been harmed, at least, physically. Except for her tear streaked face, not even a single hair on her head or a single thread of the dress she was wearing was out of ce. So what happened to his little one? N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Çú Chapter 58 The sun was just peeking from behind the horizon as the cool morning breeze swirled into the room through the slightly opened window of this guest bedroom. Even though it wasn¡¯t particrly chilly, Abby felt this need to snuggle closer into the warmth that surrounded her frame as she sleptfortably on this big bed. Bed? She didn¡¯t remember falling asleep on any bed. Just when this thought struck her. subconsciousness, Abby felt thisforting scent filling her lungs, making her feel especially good. What was about this scent? It was so calming and refreshing, the girl couldn¡¯t help but smile int content. However, this pleasant confusion didn¡¯t end there. Her skin started erupting in sudden but blissful goosebumps which actually made her want to hum in delight, as the awareness started prickling her senses. On the other hand, feeling his mate slowlye to herself in his arms, as she snuggled closer to him with each second that passed until it was impossible for anything toe in between them, including the air, the King couldn¡¯t help but press his lips to her forehead as a silent sigh of relief escaped his chest. Only he knew how confused and frightened he was when he saw her copse in his arms within. seconds of feeling relieved to be able to hold her again after the emotional roller coaster that strange witch put him through. Recalling that moment still made him shudder and he couldn¡¯t help but nuzzle her cheek to wake her uppletely, so that he could really breathe with ease. And when the girl finally opened her eyes with this adorable yet confused expression on her face, the King felt this sudden urge to kiss her all over her face. ¡°Good morning, little one,¡± he said, his voice hoarse when he had to suppress his sudden desire for his mate. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡± The sincerity in his voice was so raw, Abby felt her heart melt. Literally. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but then her voice wouldn¡¯te out as her throat waspletely dry. Realizing her difort, Micah immediately reached out to the small tumbler of water on the bedside table before pulling himself into a sitting position while leaning against the headboard. He then swiftly yet gently pulled Abby up and into his arms again until she could rest her head on his shoulder so that she could drink the waterfortably. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The King asked the girl once she looked a little better as color slowly started returning to her pale cheeks. Abby shook her head, indicating she was fine and when she tried to pull back from him, Micah actually tightened his arms around her, as if he did not want to let her go for even a second. 1/5 61% Seeing this, Abby wanted to tell him that she just wanted to look at his face but the King beat her to it as he inhaled sharply. ¡°Just a moment. Don¡¯t move.¡± His voice left no room for negotiation. Abby was shocked to hear his desperate tone and before she could wonder what made him sound so out of character, the King continued his plea. ¡°Just stay like this for a moment. You don¡¯t know how scared I was when you didn¡¯t wake up no matter what I did yesterday.¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but hug her even tighter, as if he would mend her into himself if he could as he told her how helpless he felt once she fell unconscious. Not just helplessness and fear, he also felt this all consuming rage. If not for the fact that his little one was still clinging onto him, despite being unconscious, he would have barged into the hut to drag that witch out himself to demand an exnation. No. If he thought back to that point, Micah was sure he didn¡¯t have a big enough heart or a patient enough mind to spare the witch when he recalled how Abby screamed, cried and then apologized in a broken voice in less than two hours while he could do nothing to stop it. He would have killed her with bare hands, woman or not. Consequences could be damned for all he cared! He wouldn¡¯t even have given a f*ck before snuffing the life out of her. However, before he could really go berserk and ordered for this hut to be burnt to ashes with the witch in it, he saw Mire actually walk out of the hut with a cool expression on her face. The woman even had the audacity to look directly into the eyes of the King when she softly briefed him with what happened to his mate, seeing the unspoken question in Micah¡¯s eyes which were now shing between rage and fear. Rage at the witch fornding his mate in this situation, while fear that Abby was hurt in any way. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again,¡± Micah literally pleaded Abby, his eyes mirroring the emotions he was feeling afresh. Every time he recalled her fainting like a lifeless doll, Micah felt like destroying something. On the other hand, the raw fear in his voice made Abby¡¯s heart thump faster as she could feel his sadness like her own. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to faint like that,¡± Abby said truthfully, not understanding how to respond to his genuine confession. Hearing her, the King couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her cuteness. ¡°I know, little one. You were just exhausted.¡± Micah said as he shifted Abby until she was straddling hisp. For some reason, hugging her like this was something the King enjoyed a lot even though his lower body couldn¡¯t help but disagree with him. It was pure torture to suppress his desire for his mate while hugging her this intimately. So to divert himself, the King lunged back to the current topic of their conversation. ¡°She told me a part of your memories had been sealed.¡± The witch didn¡¯t hold back at all once the King was calm enough to hear her out. She told him how she noticed Abby¡¯s scar was a bit unusual and made connection with the little details he provided in the secret missive he sent her. Apparently, that sealing of memories also caused Abby to be unable to feel the mate bond between them. But she didn¡¯t explicitly point out her findings in front of all the warriors waiting outside. She was actually wise enough to put a small but invisible barrier around them three to keep this conversation confidential, showing how shrewd she could be. Since the King wasn¡¯t patient enough to follow her into her hut or somewhere far from the others. even to have this conversation, she was quick witted to think of a solution for this problem. The King would give her that. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but nod her head against his chest. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s still a little unbelievable.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Micah said honestly, remembering what else the witch told him. His mate was actually a magic user, who awakened her powers at a very young age. This was really unbelievable and the King was genuinely surprised that Abby actually had the blood of a magic user. Because Riley, Abby¡¯s mother, was a magic user. This turn of events was something he didn¡¯t expect at all. And he couldn¡¯t decide whether this was a good thing or the opposite. Riley didn¡¯t just seal Abby¡¯s memories, she also sealed Abby¡¯s powers at the cost of her own life even though she managed to save Abby¡¯s life due to her own power sh. What could havepelled her to take that step? Micah couldn¡¯t brush this thought off so easily when Riley¡¯s actions implied this matter was too complicated. However, for now, he didn¡¯t have any leads to gather information on Abby¡¯s mother, Riley, who was apparently a magic user in hiding. So the King decided to push this matter to the back of his mind as he focused on his mate. 3/5 16:19 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Micah asked her again while Abby couldn¡¯t understand why he asked a question he already had an answer to, Even so she decided to humor him as she put her silent answer from earlier into words. ¡°I feel good.¡± 61% # She couldn¡¯t help remember the sweet warmth she woke up surrounded by in the morning as she snuggled closer to him. On the other hand, the King fell silent as he hesitated a little before saying what was on his mind. next. He wanted to know if she was able to feel the mate bond between them now that the seal had been removed by Mire, But then he couldn¡¯t help but think that Abby was really exhausted right now to have that conversation. These two thoughts warred in his mind for a moment before he decided to give it a bit more time. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. The only problem was his need to get closer to her. It was overwhelming. He had to distract himself. Micah rubbed her neck absentmindedly, wanting to touch her skin as he plunged deep into his thoughts. However, he didn¡¯t notice how Abby almost gasped at their skin contact. When Micah continued to touch her neck, Abby felt her skin erupt in goosebumps again and she immediately recalled she felt the same before waking up. When the King kissed her forehead, the feeling was even more intense. Abby, who was silently enjoying the love the King was showering her with, immediately started touching his bare chest as if she was trying to find out something. And as soon as her bare hand touched the man¡¯s hot skin, Abby shivered at the sudden spark. Abby couldn¡¯t believe this. Not to mention that pleasant scent. Even though she wasn¡¯t a full shifter and couldn¡¯t have exceptionally good sensory abilities, her senses were still sharp enough thanks to her father¡¯s werewolf blood. But she could tell that pleasant scent wasn¡¯t something unfamiliar to her. From the moment she met Micah, everything about him grabbed her attention. Even his scent, which slowly but surely became one of her favorites. What changed was the intensity with which everything about him affected her this morning. It was overwhelming as well as all consuming, not to mentionforting. 4/5 Mar This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. 61%# Abby realized how her need to get closer to Micah had taken a different direction from wanting to be loved by him just because he was someone who stood up for her in a long time. This feeling waspletely different. His presence, no, thoughts of him alone were enough to make her feel giddy. As if she was suddenly love struck, this delicious feeling thrummed through her entire body whenever the King¡¯s skin met hers. And she was well aware of what that meant. This was all because of the mate bond. She could finally feel it. And it was exhrating beyond possibilities. ¡°Micah,¡± Abby called suddenly, pulling the King out of his thoughts. rown On the other hand, Micah couldn¡¯t help but groan when Abby actually called his name on her own. ord. Not to mention her soft and enchanting voice. Meanwhile, his groan sent a shiver through her spine. Even his voice became more pleasant to her ears. Abby noted. ¡°Yes, little one,¡± the King answered his mate, his voice carrying a hint of indulgence as he paid her full attention. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t have any doubts about their bond anymore as she smiled at Micah before touching his cheek. Both of them shuddered at the delicious spark that erupted at the slightest caress. So this was how Micah felt when he realized she was his mate? Abby felt she had the answer to that question. So when she lifted her head this time to look closely into Micah¡¯s eyes, the King could see something change in her. ¡°I want you to mark me, I mean it.¡± 5/5 É« Chapter 59 ¡°Yes, little one,¡± Mical answered her in a low voice when she called him by his name for the first time on her own ord. Before this, no matter how many times the King asked her not to address him like everyone else, she would just stay silent or change the topic entirely. So when she called him ¡®Micah¡® with this determined look in her eyes, the King couldn¡¯t help but hold his breath. Micah could somehow tell what she was going to talk about, even though it was something he anticipated with all of his heart. However, what Abby decided to say next still managed to make the King¡¯s throat go dry. ¡°I want you to mark me.¡± The moment these words left Abby¡¯s mouth, her voice full of unconcealed determination, the King felt his heartbeat turn even more erratic, Did this girl even know how hard it had been for him to stop himself the first time she asked him the same? The first time, she asked him to mark herself out of her insecurity. But now, there was a high chance that she could feel their mate bond, which meant she could be reassured of her position. So there was no reason for her to urge him to mark herself. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Or was it because she still couldn¡¯t feel the bond? No, Micah didn¡¯t even want to entertain that thought. After all, that was simply impossible. He refused to believe he would make a mistake in a serious matter like recognizing his own mate. Not to mention all the signs. So when the girl stared at him without averting her eyes, Micah could only ask for confirmation. ¡°What?¡± He whispered looking at her face, as if searching for the answers to all his questions. ¡°I mean it. I want you toplete our bond,¡± Abby stressed and Micah gulped audibly. He looked back and forth between her eyes. And the look in her eyes reminded him of himself. She looked at him with the same adoration he would always look at her and this was enough confirmation for the King that his mate could finally feel this connection between them. ¡°You could feel it?¡± He still asked/her and when she nodded her head, the King almost crushed herself to him. However, her request was still so sudden. ¡°But marking?¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but ask when he recalled how she had over exhausted herself the day before until she lost consciousness for a whole evening and night. ¡°So soon?¡± On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t feel the same at all. 1/5 16:19 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. 61% ¡°We have known each other for more than a month now,¡± Abby pointed out and the King couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°You know what I mean, little one,¡± Micah pinched her ear as if to punish her for ying cheeky with him. She sure changed so much after her sealed memories were unlocked. She wasn¡¯t really that timid anymore and the King couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the little transformation. He wondered if his little one even noticed this change in herself. On the other hand, Abby just leveled him with a look as she said, ¡°I know what I want.¡± And as if understanding the King¡¯s need to hear her say it, Abby opened her mouth again in the next second, sending Micah¡¯s love for her into overdrive. ¡°I finally understand why you are so special.¡± Abby looked into Micah¡¯s eyes as she smiled softly, her eyes full of admiration. This girl was going to be the death of him. Micah cursed under his breath. His hands slid to her waist where they balled into fists as Micah tried to control his raging desire that threatened to spiral out of control at the sweet temptation Abby presented him with. His brain said she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the marking process, but his body couldn¡¯t get the signal at all. Not to mention his beast, which was readily roaring at him for him to im her right at this instant. Sitting on his tense thighs, Abby could feel how Micah struggled to keep his hands to himself. The girl could see why the King was hesitant, so she decided to take the things into her own hands as she pulled him even closer before whispering. ¡°I can handle it.¡± The words ¡®are you sure?¡® got struck in his throat when he saw that she really wanted it, When she put it like that, Micah could only give into her. ¡°Okay, try to be still,¡± Micah told her, and Abby nodded her head in agreement. In the next second, Abby saw Micah leaning his head into the crook of her neck and she let her own head fall to the side to give him more ess. She waited with bated breath as the King nuzzled her skin with his nose, teasing her to no end. And when the man brushed his lips on her corbone, the girl felt little sparks setting her veins on fire. She fisted her hands into the material of his sleeping robe while panting lightly, which the King to nibble on her neck. Abb prompted almost moaned loudly when the man peppered the skin from her neck to her jaw and then her lips with open mouthed kisses. The more she responded, the longer Micah wanted to tease her, until the girl lost herself in her desire for her mate. 16:19 Fri, 8 Mar The level of intimacy this time around was so intense Abby had a hard time catching up with Micah¡¯s hands that slowly slipped into her dress before fondling her breasts. Every sense of hers was literally surrounded by each of the King¡¯s own intense ones, Abby started whining softly by the time Micah reached her lips to suck on them as he pleased. Abby felt hot all over her body with his little ministrations working up her entirely, but the moment he shoved his tongue between her lips, she felt her skin go aze. Abby felt like pushing Micah¡¯s head back into the crook of her neck and demanding him to mark her right then and there. However, just as she raised her hands to take hold of his head, the King grabbed both of her hands. and held them at her back with one hand, pushing her breasts into his own chest further. ¡°If you want this, it will be on my terms. Abby could literally read this sentence in the King¡¯s eyes before he slowly bent down to lick her neck which sent a shiver down her frame. Micah wanted to keep both her mind and body so upied until she wouldn¡¯t be able to register the pain when his teeth finally pierced the skin around her neck in the process of him marking her. Only he didn¡¯t expect it to backfire in literal sense in the next moment. Just as he prepared to bite her neck, as he felt her thoughts were fully consumed by himself, Micah noticed the edge of the bed in front of him alight in mes. What the hell?! How the hell did their bed catch fire? As if answering his question, Micah saw little sparks fly out of Abby¡¯s h her back with one of his hands. which were held behind ¡°Abby, little one, stop your fire,¡± Micah said, as he pulled her arms to her front, not even bothering that her fire might hurt himself. Fortunately, the sparks stopped appearing once Micah showed Abby what she had been doing unconsciously. On the other hand, Abby gasped noticing the fire. She looked at her hands in disbelief as the King quickly jumped to his feet with his little mate in his arms. He swiftly checked on her and could only sigh in relief when he confirmed she didn¡¯t burn herself, Abby needed a moment to process what happened in thest few seconds. What in the world made her set their bed on fire? She just thought how much she wanted to touch him and feel how hot his skin was when he wouldn¡¯t let her touch himself. But she didn¡¯t think of setting anything on fire. However, the King was too busy to notice Abby¡¯s dilemma. Seeing the mes engulf the bedsheet in no time, he knew he needed to get her away as soon as possible before ordering someone to 16-19 Fri, 8 Mar B control the fire, lest it destroy more of the pack house¡­ 61% Just as he dashed to the door, away from the bed, mes spread to the entire bed as smoke started filling this guest bedroom. ¡°We should call someone to put this fire out quickly,¡± Micah uttered, to no one in particr, as he scrambled to the door so that he could bring Abby away from this dangerous ce. As he opened the door, he mindlinked Dax to gather a few warriors to help control the fire to this room alone. [Dax,] Micah had to roar at his royal gamma, who couldn¡¯t understand how the King¡¯s bed ended up in mes. However, Micah couldn¡¯t be bothered to heed the royal gamma¡¯s surprise as he asked the King where the fire came from when he heard Abby talk suddenly. ¡°Wait, Micah,¡± Abby whisper¨Cshouted at her mate, but the King was in too much hurry right now. He didn¡¯t stop to realize that she wanted to say something more to him. ¡°No, little one, it is toote.¡± ¡°No, just listen to me first. Abby insisted. The King, who was almost out of the door, stopped in his tracks when he heard her. Abby then wriggled in his arms until he dropped her to her feet. Even though the Kingplied and let her jump out of his arms, he stayed alert enough to grab Abby and escape from here if the fire went out of control as he stood closer to her, almost gluing himself to her back when the girl turned around to face the bed. He couldn¡¯t understand what she was thinking but when she moved forward as if she wanted to approach the bed, which was literally in mes as the entire bedsheet was burning, he saw her raise a hand, which she closed into a fist in the next second. In the next second, the fire immediately died out and Micah released the breath he was holding down without him realizing it. On the other hand, Abby beamed when she sessfully put the fire out. Even she wasn¡¯t sure that she could do it. But she tried anyway, thinking trying for a quick second wouldn¡¯t do the already half burnt nket any harm. Even though she didn¡¯t realize how she set the nket on fire earlier, she remembered how she created fire when she was little from her memories. She used the same memories to recreate the feeling her younger self relied on when she tried to control the fire on her fingertips where its mes danced ording to her thoughts. So when she sessfully executed her little thought to stop the fire, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel a little proud of herself. However, she remembered the King, her mate, still standing behind her in a protective stance and immediately turned around to look at him. The man was already looking at her. They stared at each other for a moment and then broke out in laughter, as if they couldn¡¯t help but rey the sudden turn of events. However, a sudden whistle interrupted their moment as Abby got startled realizing the state she was in. Micah turned around and saw Dax smiling suggestively with this cheeky expression evident on his face, while Abby could see Alpha Samuel and a few other warriors standing behind him with rmed expressions on their countenances. Micah felt like face palming himself when he saw the look on Dax¡¯s face. He forgot he summoned this trouble maker earlier. ¡°The two of you are really on fire,¡± the royal gammamented, eliciting a deep growl from the King 5/5 Öæ Chapter 60 ¡°The two of you are really on fire,¡± the royal gammamented, eliciting a deep growl from the King. Abby felt so embarrassed, her cheeks immediately turned pink at hisment. Even though she was still fully clothed, her dress was beyond disheveled from their almost rendezvous earlier and coupled with her messy bed hair and reddened cheeks, she looked far from presentable. Micah¡¯s state wasn¡¯t any different from hers. To be honest, he was actually shirtless, as he tossed the sleeping robe aside in the heat of the moment earlier, leaving him in a pair offortable pants. One look at them, and the royal gamma could immediately tell what happened until a moment before the King called him to put out the so¨Ccalled fire. Abby felt like crying when she realized how embarrassing it was to be caught red handed like this. She immediately cowered behind the King as Micah stepped in front of her, so that she could rearrange her dress. He didn¡¯t have time to think about their appearances when he called for his royal gamma toe, as all he had in mind was to take Abby to safety, away from the fire his mate created herself unconsciously, as soon as possible. On the other hand, Dax¡¯s face was full of mischief as he turned around to throw a look at the Alpha behind him, as he wriggled his brows for no reason, while thetter stood there with a neutral expression on his face. Micah could hear Dax¡¯s thoughts from a mile. This trouble maker of a royal gamma didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to stop after a whistle and a suggestivement. But he couldn¡¯t let him open his mouth one more time when his little one was about to fold into herself. So when the royal gamma turned around to face the King, wanting to walk into their bedroom, Micah stepped back a little and shut the door in Dax¡¯s face before shouting, ¡°Scram!¡± Dax, who got a door shut in his face, was stunned for a short second before breaking into peals of laughter. Micah heard him say something along the lines, ¡®I really didn¡¯t see anything. It was followed by his laughter which echoed in the corridor outside. Micah could only shake his head at this turn of events as he turned to Abby, ¡°Little one, would you like to change your dress first?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t understand why he asked her this all of a sudden, so when she looked confused the 1/5 16:43 FM, B Mar King borated further. ¡°Let¡¯s shift to another room.¡± Immediately, Abby scrambled to the bathroom as if the hem of her dress was on fire. Micah chuckled at her reaction as he shouted after her, ¡°You forgot your dress, little one.¡± And then he continued tough when the girl slipped out of the bathroom in a sh to get her dress before hurrying back into the bathroom. Micah had to take care of something after he took Abby to their new room where he left her with her personal maids. But it took him an entire day, and by the time he returned to their new room in the evening, the sky was completely dark as the sun was long gone. He dismissed the maids at the door itself, wanting to make sure Abby was alright first. However, the girl was nowhere to be seen. But then her scent told him that she was really nearby. Following her scent, he realized she was in the room adjacent to the connecting bathroom, where they could dress up after bathing, but there was no movement from inside. ¡°Little one, can Ie inside?¡± Even though he didn¡¯t need to be so conscious like this, the King still asked for her permission, not wanting to startle her out of the blue. Only Abby didn¡¯t answer him immediately with a yes or no like he expected her to. Being left with no other choice, Micah entered the room, but the girl still didn¡¯t notice him. ¡°Little one,¡± the King called out softly, when he saw her standing still in front of the mirror. As soon as he saw her standing still like that, the King thought that she was still embarrassed about the fire in the morning and was hiding even from her maids. But, when Abby finally turned around to face himself, hearing his voice, he noticed that she actually looked thoughtful. ¡°Micah, you came just in time!¡± Abby eximed and the King couldn¡¯t help but smile at her happy face the moment she realized he was back. Coming back to their room for this kind of wee from her was something he could get u used to. 16:43 Fri, 8 Mar R G G 73%# ¡°What happened, little one?¡± Micah asked her as he walked closer to her until he was just an arm¡¯s length away from her. ¡°I just recalled something.¡± Abby said, before pulling the King back to the sleeping space in this room. Micah followed his little mate as she pushed him to sit on the bed and then proceeded to sit next to him. ¡°You recalled something?¡± The King promoted Abby as soon as she sat and saw how the girl nodded her head. ¡°My mother told me about a bad guy when I was younger,¡± Abby started and saw Micah frowning his brows. ¡°A bad guy?¡± Micah felt like pinching her cheeks when Abby put it like that. She was talking like a ten year old. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t find anything wrong with her way of talking as she focused on recalling the exact words her mother told her. ¡°Yes,¡± the girl answered seriously as she proceeded to tell the King about the bad guy Riley told her about through lubies and some bedtime stories. Yes, Riley didn¡¯t tell little Abby directly about that man anything. She only told her some things. about this bad guy and how he wouldn¡¯t stop at nothing to gain what he wanted through some lubies. Power. He wanted to be the most powerful being in this realm and did all kinds of bad things. Even though Abby knew all mothers told their children some stories to teach them fear and whatnot, what made Abby tell this to Micah was the name of that man. ¡°Calpin,¡± Abby told Micah with this serious look in her eyes. ¡°Calpin?¡± The King couldn¡¯t help but repeat after her. However, Abby realized he didn¡¯t make the connection. ¡°Don¡¯t you think he has the same name as the person who is using those rogues?¡± Abby could only point out directly. When Mire helped unlock her sealed memories, Abby remembered all the times Riley subtly warned her about bad people. How one¡¯s greed for power could make them do things deemed unthinkable by most of the others. Even though Riley made them sound like some bedtime stories, Abby couldn¡¯t help but notice how 35 73% M the bad guy¡¯s name in every story of hers would always be Calpin. When Abby gathered all the memories of her mother with Mire¡¯s aid in her hut the day before, she felt she heard the name Calpin before. But because she was too exhausted at that time, she didn¡¯t have the energy to strain her brain and think about the things Micah told her after interrogating the rogues they captured on their journey to the Red River pack. However, amidst her small talk with Alyssa and Reyna before dinner earlier, she came to learn that the rogues had been dealt with. The girls didn¡¯t go into the details but said what they heard the warriors had been talking about the captured rogues. And when she was reminded of those rogues, Abby suddenly felt like she forgot something important. Only when she came to wash her face after dinner, so that she could wait for Micah toe back. did she make the connection finally. Calpin. Wasn¡¯t it the name of the person who was directing the rogues? Micah told her when she asked him. So when she finally made that connection, she tried to recall everything her mother told her about this Calpin guy. ¡°My mother told me that he used dark magic to enhance his powers,¡± Abby said, shuddering a little at the possibility of someone from a story being real. On the other hand, Micah didn¡¯t interrupt Abby once she started reiterating whatever she could remember. Apparently, Calpin waspletely blind by his greed for power, he resorted to using even dark magic. But then, a powerful witch stepped into the picture and confined him to a cave in a deserted ce after fighting him about a thousand years ago. That powerful witch sealed the cave and started this custom of guarding that cave so that the immured dark magic user couldn¡¯t escape. After her, the duty of guarding that cave had been passed down through generations after generations of her family. ¡°He seemed like a really bad guy,¡± Abby concluded, as she stared into Micah¡¯s eyes seriously. ¡°Yeah,¡± Micah agreed with her, but he didn¡¯t think it was the same person. O 575 ?? This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. 16:43 Fri, 8 Mar RGB It seemed like aplete coincidence. They both happened to have simr names and were bad guys. With this thought, Micah told her not to worry too much. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± However, before he could end this conversation and put her to sleep as it was reallyte, he heard heavy footsteps approaching their bedroom. After a few seconds, Dax¡¯s voice could be heard from outside as he knocked on their current bedroom door. ¡°My King, there is another attack by the rogues!¡± The Royal Gamma shouted as he wanted to inform his King as soon as possible. O 0 Chapter 61 ¡°My King, there is another attack by the rogues!¡± The Royal Gamma shouted as he wanted to inform his King as soon as possible. Hearing the royal gamma¡¯s hurried voice, Micah immediately rushed to the door before throwing a look at Abby. Abby followed the King to the door and as soon as the door was opened, she could Dax closing his eyes with both hands. Only he was peeking through the gaps between his fingers. This royal gamma could turn any situation to his favor and behave mischievously! Abby couldn¡¯t help but grumble inwardly, noting that Dax was only being like this because the King shut the door in his face that morning. On the other hand, Micah couldn¡¯t be bothered with his antics as he brushed the royal gamma¡¯s hands off his own face as he posed a question to him. ¡°What did you say?¡± The King asked, leaving no room for tardiness. ¡°Right, there was another attack by the rogues,¡± Dax said, turningpletely serious in the face of his sovereign¡¯s no nonsense attitude. ¡°Where?¡± Micah asked and then proceeded to listen to Dax¡¯s report, where the royal gamma recited what he learned from their warriors word to word. Apparently, there had been another attack by the rogues, but this time they targeted a neighbouring pack of this Red River pack and were even more brazen than the few times they tried. to make noise thus far. There were actually several civilians who lost their lives this time, which deviated from their modus operandi until now. They never imed any lives, but it changed with the attack this time. Hearing the report, Micah couldn¡¯t help but ball his hands. These pests were getting hard to control. After contemting for a quick second, Micah left with Dax to gather his own warriors along with a few warriors under Alpha Samuel to go to the scene, where the attack happened that night. Even though it was just after midnight, Micah didn¡¯t hesitate to leave right away. He couldn¡¯t care less about sleep and rest when those rogues started running rampant under someone¡¯smand. 13 73% # Calpin. He needed to find more about this man. What was his motive to make these rogues attack several ces in his kingdom? What did he want? He needed to find out answers to all these questions to stop him. After all, stopping him became necessary to him when he started losing the lives of his own people, However, Micah didn¡¯t want to go as the King of the werewolves, which could alert the enemy and lead to them escaping. ¡°We are going incognito, Micah decided, and the royal gamma grinned at his idea. Before leaving, Micah went back to inform Abby of his n, but the girl was a little afraid after hearing that he would only bring a few warriors with him. ¡°It¡¯s not ideal to bring too many people with me, little one,¡± the King could only convince his little mate. Once his little one understood how moving inrge groups might not be beneficial for them as it would give away their disguise, the King left with Dax and a few warriors to the ck w pack. §°§á On the other hand, Abby knew Micah could protect himself and all his people, but she still didn¡¯t. like this idea of his, because the ck w pack in question was more than six hours away from this Red River pack. It would be toote to know about anything that happened there, and even morete to send reinforcements¡­. ¡°My King, there are a few rogues around the small square two streets away from here,¡± one of the guards informed Micah as soon as he was done patrolling in this pack. They just got here after running for six hours straight, but the King didn¡¯t let them barge into the pack without any n. As such, this small group of fifteen was waiting near the southern border of this pack while Dax went inside with two warriors to scout around the area. In the early morning fog, Micah could be seen wearing amon man¡¯s attire while his face was covered with a cloth. Meanwhile, the warriors that came with him wore casual clothes with no masks on, as they weren¡¯t as noticeable as the King of this kingdom. ¡°And they seemed to be nning to attack another part of this pack,¡± the second guardpleted. their report, before waiting for the King¡¯s further instructions. Micah gritted his teeth when he learned how those rogues were nning to attack the daily market O the moment the sun rose above the horizon. He quickly made a decision and ordered three of his men to stay behind at the border an they could ry information to his warriors if something happened while they were inside. However, just as they dispersed to mingle with the crowd, the royal gamma could be seen working to the King in a leisurely manner. Micah almost pped him on the head when his mischievous third inmand walked toward him with a grin on his face, while his disguise was nowhere to be seen. ¡°What the Before the King could reprimand the royal gamma for being so careless and exposing himself, Dex actually mind linked him. [] have a surprise,] the royal gamma didn¡¯t even hesitate to drag the King away from the market, where the attack was going to happen. Abby couldn¡¯t sleep all night as she tossed from one side to the other side on thisrge bed while counting the threads in her woolen nket. ¡°Lady Abby, when did you wake up? Alyssa, who just entered the room to wake herdy up, was startled to see Abby leaning against the headboard with this frown evident between her eyebrows. ¡°Just now,¡± Abby immediately lied, not wanting to hear her maid nag at her. Hearing her answer. Alyssa didn¡¯t suspect anything and helped her to get ready for the day. ¡°Reyna is taking care of your breakfast,¡± Alyssa told Abby when she asked where the girl was. As if the girl heard her, Reyna could be seen stepping into the room a momentter with a tray in her hands. en while eating. Abby¡¯s whole mind was on Micah and how they were faring. After two hours of doing nothing but staring out of the window, Abby suddenly jumped to her teet standing both Alyssa and Reyna ¡°What happened, mydy?¡± The guls immediately nulied to her and checked on Abby ¡°Tutung Im going out, Abby told them as she hastily searched for a suitable yetfortable car el broer pping on her shoes. Both Alyssa and Keyta looked at each other, bewildered, when theirdy wouldn¡¯t bumaie ou 16:43 Fr. 8 Mar ¡°You don¡¯t have to strain yourself, mydy. Both of us can bring whatever you need to your feet,¡± Reyna said. ¡°I want to talk to Mire,¡± the girl told her maids, leaving them stunned. Yes, she wanted to go and meet Mire to talk about a lot of things, like her magic and how to control it better. Also about Calpin. For some reason, she felt it was too important to focus on this man her mother told her about.. She could tell Micah didn¡¯t really think too much when she told him how her mother repeatedly warned her about this Calpin guy. Albeit through lubies. She felt this nagging feeling at the back of her mind that this wasn¡¯t really a simple coincidence of names. So she decided it was better to go and talk with Mire about it since she was a witch as well, who could use magic, just like her mother and herself. On the other hand, Alyssa and Reyna didn¡¯t know how to react as they gaped at Abby. Mire? That witch? Her maids couldn¡¯t help but look at each other when Abby said she wanted to meet with the witch. They didn¡¯t know what kind of a person she was. Moreover, letting their master go on her own waspletely out of the question. So Alyssa and Reyna immediately ran after Abby. ¡°Let us take a carriage, it will be faster and morefortable,¡± Reyna said as Alyssa quickly arranged for a coachman to escort them. Abby weed their aid as she boarded the carriage before her maids. Just like thest time, it took around half an hour to reach the witch¡¯s hut. Once they arrived, Abby ordered for both Alyssa and Reyna to stay outside as she went to knock on the door before calling the witch. ¡°Mire, are you there?¡± However, even before her knuckles could touch the door, it was opened from the inside on its own. Immediately, Abby could hear Mire¡¯s voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Abby was surprised a little when the witch sounded like she was expecting for herself toe here. Micah looked at the rogue, whose legs and hands were tied behind his back while his mouth was 4/5 O 16:44 Fri, 8 Mar B 73% This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. stuffed with some cloth. He was unconscious. He turned to his royal gamma, who wouldn¡¯t stop grinning at him before pointing back at the subdued rogue. ¡°That¡¯s where my disguise went,¡± Dax revealed, nodding at the cloth inside the rogue¡¯s moutly He then answered the King¡¯s actual question. Apparently, this one rogue was wandering alone, while scouting secretly, but was noticed by Dax, unlike the others who were moving in two or three groups. ¡°Guess what I found.¡± The Royal Gamma¡¯s grin widened further when he saw Micah wasn¡¯t angry with him anymore. ¡°He said the mastermind behind today¡¯s n is Calpin.¡± Çú Chapter 62 Just as Abby lifted her hand to knock on the door, Mire¡¯s clear voice reached her ears as the door swung open from inside, leaving her stunned for a moment. ¡°You didn¡¯t disappoint me,¡± the witch uttered, sounding too casual as if she had long expected her visit. The moment the door fully opened, Abby could see her sitting at the same table they sat at the day Abby came to consult her for the first time. The girl took long strides to the said table as she dropped into the chair across from the witch. ¡°I know you have some questions,¡± Mire prompted when Abby didn¡¯t say anything even after she entered the hut as the door closed behind her. Hearing this, Abby didn¡¯t have any doubts that Mire had been indeed waiting for her. Without wasting any more time, the girl immediately dived into the topic that was bothering her the most. ¡°Do you know anyone named Calpin?¡± ¡°Calpin?¡± Mire repeated after Abby as she raised a brow at her. ¡°My mother told me about him,¡± she borated a little, trying to make Mire understand why she was hung up on this bedtime story her mother told her. She exined how Riley implicitly warned her about this man time and again. After she was done talking, Abby didn¡¯t notice how she held her own breath as Mire wouldn¡¯t say anything but kept staring at her. ¡°So?¡± Abby started slowly. ¡°Was it just a luby with no particr meaning?¡± She asked Mire out loud when she couldn¡¯t tolerate the suspense anymore. And how surprised she was when the witch finally opened her mouth. ¡°The man in your mother¡¯s bedtime stories is a real person.¡± ¡°A real person?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but repeat after her. She thought about it a lot and was mentally prepared for both possible oues. One being Riley, Abby¡¯s mother, just choosing a random yet single name for the bad guy in all her lubies. The second being her mother was talking about a real dark wizard who stopped at nothing to fulfill his own greed for power. Still, when the witch confirmed that the person named Calpin was real, she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes. On the other hand, the witch still had this nonchnt expression on her face as she proceeded to 0 ×Ô73%¶È¡¢ answer Abby¡¯s earlier question. ¡°Yes, he is a dark wizard.¡± ¡°A dark wizard?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but gasp out loud as Mire began to clear her doubts about Calpin one by one. Apparently, what her mother told was true and not some just made up story like she half expected it to be. There was indeed someone named Calpin in the past. He was a magic user, no, a dark magic user to be precise. He resorted to all kinds of evil things just to be the most powerful being in this realm. More or less, the same as what her mother warned her of. Only Mire didn¡¯t feel the need to hold back anything at all like Riley as she poured out everything she knew about him when Abby asked her to. ¡°So what happened to him?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask this when she thought about the person who was instigating those rogues to attack in different parts of this kingdom. Her mother told her he was subdued by a witch before she trapped him inside a cave and started guarding it, so he wouldn¡¯t be able toe outside. It was a perfect bedtime story and seemed as if her mother changed some parts to amodate a ten year old kid like her. But she felt the need to confirm every single part she remembered about that dark magic user. With this thought, Abby exined the rest of the things she could recall about Calpin from her mother¡¯s stories to Mire. ¡°The part of him being locked up in a cave wasn¡¯t made up either,¡± the witch dered, sounding nonchnt yet again. The more Abby listened, the more she could confirm that the person Riley talked about was real and dangerous even. That man literally stopped at nothing to get what he wanted until he had to be detained in a cave like a wild beast. He seemed really dangerous and Abby couldn¡¯t help but think about the unknown enemy Micah was fighting right now. But she couldn¡¯t decide if she should divulge the things Micah found out from his investigation about the other Calpin in front of Mire when she sounded too casual like this. After all, that piece of information seemed a little confidential and she couldn¡¯t reveal it just like that O 16:44 Fri, 8 Mar However, Mire wasn¡¯t done telling her part as she continued to recount everything she knew about Calpin. ¡°Not many people knew about this dark magic user,¡± the witch said, grabbing Abby¡¯s wandering off attention again. Because magic users were not reallymon in this realm until one could only find one or two witches in this whole kingdom, not many people knew how Calpin wreaked havoc in his huns for power. Chancing upon even one witch in one¡¯s lifetime was very rare. Hearing this, Abby recalled that her mother also told her this part. She also said only witches knew about Calpin as the legend was only passed down to people in their circle, who were none other than witches. Just like the tradition of guarding Calpin¡¯s cave was the sole responsibility of the Iches from the next generations of the witch who subdued that dark magic user. Which was also why Hanna, her older sister, didn¡¯t know anything about it. After hearing the story, Abby fell into a dilemma. If both were the same person, then it was impossible for this dark magic user to pull strings from inside the cave¡­ Abby couldn¡¯t believe she spent the whole day at the witch¡¯s hut talking about this and that. ve sent a So when her maids knocked on the door and informed her that it was already evening and she missed lunch, the girl immediately bade farewell to Mire, hoping that Micah would word to her by now. Thest time the rogues attacked them, while they were on their way to the Red River pack, it didn¡¯t take the King and his warriors too long to subdue them.. Thinking up to this, Abby urged Alyssa and Reyna to rush the coachman to move the carriage faster and before twenty minutes could pass, she found herself running to their new guest room. But there was no news from the ck w pack yet, even so Abby didn¡¯t let it get to her head. Since the distance between the two packs was too huge, even though they were practically neighboring territories, they were facing some problemsmunicating with each other effectively. Not to mention they had gone incognito right now and had fewer people to spare, just to pass casual news. She stayed awake until midnight for any possible news, but after that, because ofck of sleep the previous night, she fell asleep shortly after Reyna left to sleep while Alyssa stayed behind to keep her company 16:44 Fri, 8 Mar RGB. 73% However, her sleep wasn¡¯t peaceful as she tossed and turned on the bed all night. And when a soft yet rhythmic knocking reached her ears early in the morning, she woke up in an instant. She dashed to the door in hopes Micah was back. Only she couldn¡¯t see Micah, safe and well, while a royal warrior could be seen waiting for her outside their room. ¡°Mydy, the King sent a word for you,¡± the warrior said before presenting her a small letter. After dropping the letter in Reyna¡¯s hands, who seemed to have reced Alyssa early in the morning, the guard left swiftly, but not before bowing to his future queen once again. Once Abby stepped back into the room, she immediately grabbed the missive from Reyna¡¯s and skimmed through it in seconds. It seemed Micah couldn¡¯t solve the problem in the ck w pack yet. In the letter, he told her he would be back in a day or two. Reading it, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit worried. The problem they thought would be resolved in one day extended to two days¡­. Now, Micah said it would take one or two more days¡­. Abby had a bad feeling about this¡­. Just how huge was the attack this time that they were being held back for days like this? gor Abby got a vague idea the next day when there was still no news from the King or his warriors¡­ And when they did receive another piece of news, it was anything but good. She was taking a stroll in the back garden when she saw a couple of warriors rushing to the Alpha¡¯s room, looking like they had important news to deliver. Abby followed them to the Alpha¡¯s study with her maids in tow and the words that left the warrior¡¯s lips knocked the air out of her lungs. On the third day of Micah¡¯s impromptu departure, Alpha Samuel received a missive which read the pack Micah in right now was under attack for the third consecutive day. Even though there were several attacks during the past two days, there hadn¡¯t been any news of the royal warriors dying in the fights. But this evening, they said two royal warriors lost their lives during the fight with the rogues while trying to save the normal yet innocent pack members of the ck w pack. The pack was being literally swarmed by the rogues¡­ Meaning, the King¡¯s location would be compromised in no time if they hadn¡¯t already discovered it. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. O Chapter 63 ¡°Two of the royal warriors had been killed during the light earlier today,¡± one warrior said, almost running out of breath, while the others behind him looked a bit tense as well. Alpha Samuel looked taken aback at this report. Before leaving to the ck w pack, Micah told him to wait for any orders if the situation with the rogue¡¯s attack spiraled out of control. Even though it had already been three days since the sovereign left to the: pack to see this issue. to the end, he didn¡¯t send any reinforcements, not wanting to disrupt whatever Micah had nned. However, the situation was beyond out of control now, ¡°They say the whole pack is under siege, countless rogues are attacking them from all directions,¡± another warrior filled in when the first one couldn¡¯t continue the report. Their King was out there, in the middle of literal chaos, with insufficient protective measures, while they still didn¡¯t know how to stop those rogues from running rumpant. Alpha Samuel didn¡¯t even have enough time to think ande up with a strategy to tackle this situation, so he did the only thing he could do. ¡°Gather our warriors, inform all the royal warriors as well. We are going to the ck w pack to assist the King.¡± Alpha Samuel ordered swiftly as soon as he made a decision. However, just as he stood up to walk out of his study, he saw Abby standing right outside the door with a terrified expression on her face. ¡°Mydy.¡± Alpha Samuel bowed to her and proceeded to walk past her. Only the girl wasn¡¯t having any of it as she blocked his path. ¡°I¡¯ming with you,¡± Abby proimed as the Alpha frowned at her words. ¡°It will be very dangerous,¡± he said, trying to dissuade her, knowing fully well that if something were to happen to her, Micah would have his head once he was back. Mates were very important to shifters like them. Moreover, he saw how Micah treated Abby like hist most precious treasure from the moment they came down to their pack. to a c Not to mention, they were going where the rogues were wreaking havoc. He said the same thing to her, hoping she would change her mind, only he didn¡¯t expect her to be so stubborn. ¡°All the more reason for me to go there,¡± Abby insisted, not backing down even in the face of imminent danger. 13 O H Mar A Meanwhile, the Alpha couldn¡¯t do anything when the girl chose to stick to her decision toe along with them.. Not to mention they were running out of time while it would take at least six hours to reach the ck w pack. Every second they wasted here would only bring them closer to the worst possible situation. Having no other choice, Alpha Samuel had to agree to let Abby tag along with them to the ck w pack. Since Abby couldn¡¯t run to the ck w pack like the warriors, Alpha Samuel arranged a carriage for her. Alyssa went with her while Reyna stayed behind in the Red River pack. Abby couldn¡¯t thank Alpha Samuel enough when Mire joined her in the carriage. They could use whatever assistance they could get right now. Micah was in danger. The threat didn¡¯t juste from those rogues but the actual mastermind behind them. Calpin. That mysterious yet calctive man. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Since her conversation with the witch two days ago, Abby had been trying to think of the possibility of the Calpin behind the rogues being the dark magic user Riley talked about through lubies. Even though Mire didn¡¯t say anything about the dark magic user escaping from that cave he was Supposed to be locked in, Abby couldn¡¯tpletely strike off the possibility of him escaping and now wreaking havoc in this realm once again. Call her an over¨Cthinker, but if this wasn¡¯t just a coincidence and Micah was really dealing with at dark magic user, he could lose his life. Abby didn¡¯te to this conclusion just randomly. Even though she couldn¡¯t clearly remember everything her mother told her about Calpin, she could still remember how her mother always looked a bit fearful while talking about him. She believed him to be a dangerous man who could do anything to gain power¡­. And when Abby thought back to all the attacks done by the rogues thus far, themon always been Micah. All the attacks that had happened thus far had happened near the King¡­. point had Whoever this Calpin was, he might be targeting Micah, the King of werewolves, to achieve hist O 16:44 Fn, 8 Mar GG. ultimate goal. 973%·¿ If he was the same dark magic user, who was greedy for power, wanting to im the King¡¯s life didn¡¯t seem far¨Cfetched in the grand scheme of things. All the witches, including Mire and Riley, knew how the Calpin in Abby¡¯s mother¡¯s lubies wanted more and more power. The moment she heard the ck w pack was under siege, Abby realized that these attacks must be nned to harm Micah. ¡°There is still no news?¡± Abby asked Alyssa, who shook her head in response. Abby had been literally pestering Alyssa to mind link one of the warriors running out there, toward the ck w pack, to ask for any new information they got on the King¡¯s situation. Only it wasn¡¯t that easy to send or receive a word when the ce was being turned upside down by those rogues. The six hour long journey to this neighboring pack of the Red River pack felt like more than six days to the king¡¯s mate as her anxiety left her shifting in her seat interminably. Alyssa reassured her time and again that the King would be fine, while the witch, Mire, sat through the entire journey in silence. And when they finally arrived at the ck w pack, Abby felt her heart thumping in her throat. In front of her, she saw a whole pack being burned down to the ground. Chapter 64 It was nearly dusk by the time Alpha Samuel reached the border of the ck w pack with his warriors, following the royal warriors. The carriage Abby and the others took was just behind them with a bunch of royal warriors escorting them safely here. However, before they could breathe a sigh of relief, they entered the inhabited territory of this pack and all of them felt their souls leave their bodies at the sight before their eyes. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The fortress was on fire. Literally. Thick clouds of ck smoke swirled in the slowly darkening sky as they engulfed what was left of the little evening light, plunging them in darkness before the sun could even escape to the other side of the realm, unable to behold the madness that was being unfolded in this pack. Countless pack members could be seen standing just outside the pack house, watching helplessly as the fire slowly but surely spread to every part of their fortress. Some were crying for help, some were searching for their family members, even though they looked like they didn¡¯t dare to hope for a positive oue. There were a few who couldn¡¯t even stomach the sight before their eyes, as they stood rooted to the ground, frozen, in shock. The scene was so devastating, it was obvious the rogues imed too many lives this time around. The amount of havoc they had wreaked was unfathomable when they became the reason for the anguish that resonated in the countless hearts of the pack members of the ck w pack. Abby couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when this sight greeted her. This was even worse than the worst possible scenario she imagined. This was a hundred times. worse if she had to be honest. Why the hell would someone burn an entire pack? Even the air smelled like death, the girl felt suffocated just at the sight of this atrocity. Micah. She needed to find him. At this thought, Abby jumped out of the carriage once it stopped behind the stunned royal warriors and Alpha Samuel¡¯s troupe. ¡°Find the King,¡± she prompted and immediately every warrior standing before her came to their senses as they startedbing through the pack members standing in front of their burning 1/3 15:45 Fri, 8 Mar fortress. However, even after waiting for more than ten minutes, none returned with a promising report. ¡°Negative,¡± thest group of warriors announced after they bowed down to their future queen. Not just the King, even the rest of the ten or so members along with the royal gamma couldn¡¯t be found among the crowd there. They even tried asking the pack members who were calm enough to answer a question or two. results that could be considered positive. ly it didn¡¯t yield any No matter how many times they asked, the only answer they got was they didn¡¯t even see anyone remotely simr to the person they were describing. Since Micah came in secret, wearing a disguise, no one there knew the King had actuallye down to their pack to fend off the rogues. On the other hand, Abby felt frustrated with every ¡®couldn¡¯t find¡® and ¡®couldn¡¯t see¡® answers from the warriors. After seeing the state this pack was in, she couldn¡¯t help but fear the situation Micah was dealing with now. However, she didn¡¯t lose hope as she urged them to search one more time. There must be at least one person who knew about something or saw something or someone. And so began a secondbing, while Abby stood with Mire and Alyssa near the carriage, watching the warriors fruitless scouring through the wailing pack members. Abby didn¡¯t think something bad had happened to the King, at least, not yet. The mate bond she newly discovered after Mire unlocked her memories was proof enough that Micah didn¡¯t encounter something fatal yet. Even though they hadn¡¯tpleted the bond yet, it was still possible for them to feel each other through the recognized bond. So, the king¡¯s mate was able to breathe a little easier with the thought she could feel it if something did happen to Micah. However, the longer she couldn¡¯t find him, the harder it was for her to bear the thought of him. struggling with inadequate aid to get through this hurdle. Her heart ached for her mate as she felt like going and searching for Micah herself when the warriors returned with the same answer of not being able to find the King or any of the people that followed him to the ck w pack three days prior. 2/3 16:45 Fri, 8 Mar R G G She could see how Alpha Samuel and his warriors along with the royal warriors slowly started to lose hope as their countenances filled with distress with each second that passed. Abby felt like shouting at the top of her lungs, this estrangement from her mate had left her so rattled, she didn¡¯t think she could breathe normally till she could see Micah safe and sound with her own eyes. Only her hopes were dashed once again when Alpha Samuel and others returned with empty? hands. Just where are you, Micah? Just as Abby lifted her leg to go andb through the crowd herself, she saw an old man. approaching one of the warriors before he said something to the warrior. The warrior immediately ran to Alpha Samuel and Abby. ¡°Alpha, mydy, he says there were people still fighting near the dungeon.¡± The warrior rushed out his words as he looked hopeful at the news, which was reflected equally if not a tenfold in Alpha Samuel and Abby¡¯s eyes. ¡°I think the King is still fighting with those pests,¡± Samuel spit out, his voice dripping with animosity. ¡°But, the whole fortress is engulfed in mes, how will we enter it and provide him any assistance?¡± One of the warriors pointed out. Alpha Samuel¡¯s face fell when he realized that part. However, before he coulde up with a n, he saw Abby walking toward the burning gates with determined steps. 0 GIFT Chapter 65 The moment the warrior conveyed what the old man said, Alpha Samuel felt his dying hope revive. in an instant. However, the burning fortress struck his vision again in the next moment, and his heart started to tremble anew. ¡°Did you see them clearly?¡± Alpha Samuel immediately asked the old man for more details. Only he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart tighten when the other person couldn¡¯t provide any more information on the situation inside. The people fighting inside were all in their beast forms and it was super chaotic with all the fire and people running here and there to save themselves. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Amidst such chaos, it was already a great thing that this old man saw something useful to them. Now the only question was; how to enter the fortress when the mes were soaring so high as if they wouldn¡¯t die down until the whole structure burned to ashes. Not to mention, they didn¡¯t know what kind of situation the King was in there. He was in a dilemma. However, before he coulde up with any n, he heard people gasping in unison. When he lifted his head up, he felt his heart drop to his stomach. Lady Abby, the king¡¯s mate and this kingdom¡¯s future queen, was actually rushing toward the fortress with determined steps. On the other hand, as soon as Abby heard there were people still fighting inside, she believed with all her heart that Micah would be one of them. So with the new found hope, she didn¡¯t think of dilly dallying anymore even in the face of the fire before her eyes. Meanwhile, Alyssa almost lost her soul when she saw her master walking into the fire like she couldn¡¯t see how dangerous it was. ¡°Lady Abby, don¡¯t be so rash!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs to stop herdy from doing something stupid. Following her lead, all the people there along with royal warriors also shouted for her to stop. Only Mire seemed to be calm enough as she slowly walked toward the fortress as well. Then, under the shocked gazes of everyone, Abby walked through a wall of fire as if she couldn¡¯t feel the heat at all. 1/3 O 73% * Seeing this, the people there were even more shocked. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t think much of the fire when she wanted to get to the King quickly. She believed, with her unsealed memories, she could control the fire just fine. And how surprised she was when she could actually walk through it unharmed. Once she sessfully entered the fortress, through the burning gates, she didn¡¯t waste even a second to search for the King. To her surprise, even Mire could control fire. Together, it wasn¡¯t really that hard to find the King and the others, fighting in their beast forms, as the huge battle cries and growls lead them to the heart of the fight just fine. ¡°There they are,¡± Mire said, as she took a fighting stance, noticing the severity of the situation. Just like the old man said, they were still fighting. And they could see why. The number of beasts joining the fight only amplified with each second. that passed no matter how many beasts the King and his royal gamma killed. Even now, they were surrounded by a dozen beasts each as they fought relentlessly. The rogues¡® scent hit her senses the moment Abbyid her eyes on the fight. Micah and Dex were fighting rogues, who seem to have nothing but reaching the goal in their minds. Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel her hunch was correct. But she wouldn¡¯t let anyone take Micah away from her. So, after watching Mire fighting the rogues for a second, Abby too joined the fight, surprising Micah, who just noticed his mate when a rogue flew off his back because of a fireball. ¡°Little one,¡± the King called out, wanting to tell her to get back to safety, only he couldn¡¯t when another rogue jumped in front of him, cutting off his line of thought. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t stop when Micah called her. She knew he didn¡¯t want her to get hurt. But it was the same case with her. She didn¡¯t want him to get hurt either. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t stand on the sidelines when she could help in any way. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Alpha Samuel and the others joining the fight as well. Apparently, Mire took care of the fire near the entrance gates, enough for the warriors to pass ||| 0 33 ×Ô73%³ö through and reach the dungeon where the fight was happening. With their assistance, it became a little easy to fend off the rogues who wouldn¡¯t stoping at them incessantly. It was like being swarmed by countless annoying yet undying bees that wouldn¡¯t stop buzzing in your cars. On the other hand, Micah and Dex were surprised by Abby¡¯s move to fight the rogues with her powers. Even though she couldn¡¯t control the fire really well, the girl seemed to have started getting the hang of it around fifteen minutes into the fight. Not to mention, Mire literally had her back whenever it got too overwhelming for her. It almost took them an hour to bring the situation under their control¡­ And when Abby thought of running to Micah¡¯s ck beast while the others took care of the aftermath, something caught her eye. She saw someone standing on one of the burning buildings not too far from them, not even bothering about the mes licking his clothes. The sight made her gasp and immediately Micah, who was looking at his mate, also turned toward the direction she was looking at He noticed the same masked man, and before he could run to the building and see who it was for himself, both Abby and he saw the man actually disappear into thin air. Witnessing this, they turned around to look at each other. Only one thought resonated in their heads. Was it Calpin just now? Çú 0 0 Chapter 66 Right when they thought the situation could be brought under control, they encountered another problem. Abby was just about to go to Micah¡¯s ck beast to check on him when she saw this masked man standing on a building not too far from them. Only he disappeared in the next moment, where the mes licking his clothes and body lit o his entire frame and the next second, they couldn¡¯t see anyone in his spot. However, the King couldn¡¯t leave it at that. He quickly ran to his mate, still in his beast form. And after giving her a quick once over, he pushed her back a little with his head as he turned around to go to the very spot where the masked man disappeared. ¡®Stay right here.¡¯ He nodded at Abby once before he sprinted up the building, but couldn¡¯t find anyone there. They did see him disappearing, basically being engulfed by the fire, but Micah strongly believed he wouldn¡¯t leave so easily like that. He was doing all of this for a purpose. And the King could also tell it had something to do with himself. So with his prize right before his eyes, it was impossible for him to give up so readily. He looked over the nearby buildings as well before looking down from top of the building, where Abby could be seen worrying as she stood there wringing her hands a little. The girl was clearly distressed as she gave up waiting and immediately ran toward this building. Seeing this, Micah swiftly shifted into his human form. ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± He shouted, but it was already toote as the girl disappeared under the porch in the next second. (+5) Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. It was just a two storied building, so even before Micah could run across the roof and down the stairs to bring the girl back down, not wanting to put her in any unknown danger, Abby was already climbing the stairs between the second storey and the roof. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay where you are?!¡± The King couldn¡¯t help but reprimand Abby as soon as she stopped in front of him. But the girl wasn¡¯t having it. She just hugged him without saying anything and her mate couldn¡¯t even stay angry at her. It had been days since hest saw her and having her in his arms again was surreal. Only he couldn¡¯t enjoy the moment as the girl immediately stepped back from his embrace even before he could wrap his arms around her frame. ¡°Something is happening,¡± Abby said as she looked around her frantically. Below the building, more and more rogues were still joining the fight, but it wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as when the King had to fight them with just Dax and ten or so warriors on his side. So Micah couldn¡¯t understand her words at all, however, before he could grab her and ask her what she meant by that, or why she felt that, he could see the answer with his own eyes. Suddenly, there was this huge wall of fire that surrounded this building and the King¡¯s mate couldn¡¯t help but gasp as the sovereign tried to reach for her and pull her closer to himself. They could see nothing past this wall of fire, but still could hear Dax and the others. They were trying to get to them while asking if their king and future queen were safe. ¡°We are fine,¡± Micah shouted back as he looked around the fire soaring high in the sky. The words ¡®for now¡® were at the tip of his tongue. Only the thought of not wanting to scare his mate right now stopped him from thinking in that direction. On the other hand, Dax immediately approached Mire and asked her to do something about the fire. After all only this witch was capable of walking through the fire earlier, other than Abby. ¡°I n to do so,¡± Mire threw back at the worrying royal gamma and Alpha Samuel. Mire tried to take down the wall of fire with her magic, but it didn¡¯t seem like anything she had ever encountered as it wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how strong of a spell she used on 1. it. She even created fireballs from thin air and then threw them at this wall, and to her surprise, every time she did that, that wall only seemed to get stronger as if it was absorbing the power from every spell that she used. The witch couldn¡¯t help but gasp at this realization. Just what kind of spell was this¡­ Whoever created this wall of fire was too strong, she wasn¡¯t a match at all. Even so she didn¡¯t lose hope as she tried even harder to break the wall. Seeing this, Dax, Alpha Samuel and the others started to feel restless. They couldn¡¯t see what was happening to Micah or Abby, even though they were literally a few tens of feet apart. Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Abby also tried to use whatever means she could recall to breach this wall for them to go out of it, but to no avail. She just learned she had this kind of ability and still had a long way to go and understand how it actually worked. Right when she was in a dilemma as to how to save herself and her mate from this predicament, the masked man reappeared before them. ¡°Little one!¡± the King almost shouted as he ran toward her. Micah quickly pulled her into his arms, wanting to protect her as he faced the masked man, who was now staring at them with this strange look in his eyes. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel she saw this man before. He seemed so familiar as if she saw him somewhere really important. She raked her brains, trying to refresh her newly unlocked memories as much as she could. And how shocked she was when she realized where she saw him¡­ After all, it was on the day her mother died! Chatper 67 Abby¡¯s memories, even though unlocked by Mire, still needed to be sorted through by the girl herself. Moreover, a few memories came in bits and glimpses, it was like getting visions over being triggered by something. Just like this moment, when she saw this masked man. The moment she saw him amidst the mes on this building earlier, she froze with this familiar feeling of dread. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Yes, it was dread that gripped her heart when she noticed his presence for the first time. Because she felt like she saw the same thing in the past, more precisely, in her old but newly unlocked memories. In that memory as well, there was fire everywhere, including the mes licking a man¡¯s clothes and hands. And there was only one event in her memories that spelled letter to letter with this situation¡­ The very day her power exploded and fire engulfed their old pack house, killing her mother! On the other hand, the masked man seemed to have recognized Abby as he started approaching her the moment he reappeared, inside this wall of fire, prompting Micah to turn defensive. ¡°Long time no see, Abby,¡± the masked man uttered, his voice just a raspy whisper from behind his mask, but the animosity in his tone couldn¡¯t be mistaken. ¡°Or should I say the future queen of this kingdom?¡± Following his words was a derisive smile. Abby stiffened as soon as the man uttered her name as the King pulled his mate behind him. This entire situation felt so wrong to him for some reason. 1/4 Dreame O 2/4 15:15 Mon, 11 Mar OD He was missing something, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint it right now. 53% +5 Meanwhile, the masked man didn¡¯t stop approaching them even after seeing how the King looked like he would rip him apart limb to limb if he dared toy a finger on his mate¡¯s hair. Instead, he calmly removed his mask as he smirked at them both with the same strange look he had in his eyes the moment he reappeared earlier. Abby gasped at the sight of his face, he was the same man she saw at the fire that caused her mother¡¯s death. No wonder she felt his frame looked simr to that person her mother always talked about. Calpin. Her mother shouted the same name as soon as she noticed him that day. ¡°Calpin!¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but mutter, as each bit of her memory rted to him pieced together gradually. ¡°So, little Abby knows who I am.¡± Hearing Calpin¡¯s words, Micah finally understood why he felt off about him. It seemed Abby¡¯s hunch was correct all along. The bad man in Riley¡¯s bedtime stories and the one causing chaos in his kingdom were the same. Calpin! On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t bother with his snide remarks as she had more important things to talk about. Like why he appeared on that day. It didn¡¯t seem like a coincidence at all. So that was what she asked him. ¡°Why did you appear on that day?¡± Abby looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t realize how she held her breath unconsciously. For some reason, she felt like she knew the reason. D Dreame 15:15 Mon, 11 Mar OD Only Calpin didn¡¯t cooperate and answer her questions immediately. +5 ¡°What do you think?¡± He smirked as if Abby was asking a question she already had an answer for. ¡°It was because she was a guardian.¡± Abby was shocked at his words! Her mother was a guardian? That was why she always talked about him, to an extent she sounded like she was obsessed with his story? But then, why was he creating chaos here after all this time? He had been silent for a decade after that day¡­ At least, she didn¡¯t hear anything rted to him after that. Only her question was immediately answered when the man raised his hands that were covered in mes as he took a fighting stance. ¡°It¡¯s time you join her in the afterworld.¡± Calpin sounded sinister as the fire on his hands raged harder as if he just poured some oil on it. Calpin¡¯s initial goal was simple. In his pursuit of more power, he decided to take down the sovereign of this kingdom. As a part of this scheme, he wanted to trap Micah by using those mindless rogues, through whom he sessfully captured his prey¡¯s attention. However, while he was busy manipting those rogues to make them dance to his tune and nning his next course of action, he learned that Micah took Abby under his wings. And how surprised he was when he actually found that the girl was his destined mate along with the information that she was Riley¡¯s daughter! He thought she had died on that day! But that cu nning bi tch, Riley, had apparently sealed her memories and powers, leaving him to think she had died. However, he wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again! After all, Abby, as the daughter and descendant of the guardians, would be counted 3/4 Dreame O 4/4 15:15 Mon, 11 Mar as a guardian as well¡­ He was wondering why he had been finding it was difficult to use some of his powers. 53% +5 It was because there were still descendants in that bl oody guardian¡¯s family and he needed to end every single one of them to be free from all his shackles. That was what he was going to do today! After all, he only intensified the rogue¡¯s attacks to lure the King out of the pce. To his benefit, Abby too rushed here to hand herself over to him. This was really a great opportunity! He could kill two birds with one stone! As such, he prepared to attack Abby without wasting any more time. However, before he could let the fire balls, dancing on his hands atmand, fly into the air and strike the girl, Micah leaped forward andnded on all fours in his beast form. He roared as he dashed toward the dark wizard, sessfully distracting him from attacking his mate. Only pin was prepared beyond his wildest imaginations. With just a flick of his sleeve, he was able to make the ck beast freeze in his ce! Chatper 68 Micah didn¡¯t hesitate to shift into his beast when he saw that Calpin was actually nning to kill his mate. He gathered that he was the same man about whom Abby told him from the little interaction that bastard just had with his mate. A dark wizard. And it wasn¡¯t hard to put two and two together and deduce why he did all of this. He also noticed how the rogue attacks intensified after he brought Abby to the capital. He should have realized this anomaly, but he made a mistake. However, Calpin would bepletely wrong if he believed he would let him have his way from now on. He was more than happy to let him experience how it would feel to have his body ripped apart while he was still alive! Only he didn¡¯t expect his opponent to be so strong! After all, it was a dark wizard they were dealing with. So as soon as Calpin flicked his sleeve, Micah, who was about to jump onto him in his beast form, froze in his spot, as if his body wasn¡¯t in his control anymore. The King couldn¡¯t even move his eyes or fingers, let alone his head or other body parts. Sweat started to roll down his head, drenching his fur, as the heat from the fire surrounding them started to bother him more and more with him being unable to concentrate on anything else. However, it didn¡¯t end there. The worst was yet toe. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The dark wizard snapped his fingers in the next second, making Micah grunt in pain as heat radiated throughout his entire body. It was as if Calpin lit his body on fire, only this was really unbearable to him as the fire was actually ignited inside his body, burning him from within. The ck beast started to whimper really hard as vapor escaped through his mouth and nose, while his body began to shake uncontrobly. O r 65% On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t understand what was happening to her mate until he wasn¡¯t able to move or say something other than grunting non stop. ¡°Micah!¡± She called him and watched in horror as Micah was forced to shift back into his human form, before he copsed to his knees. ¡°MICAH!!!¡± Abby shouted and ran toward her mate when she finally realized what Calpin was doing to Micah. That dark magic user had cast a dark spell on her mate. The girl heard him grunt even more loudly as if he was asking her not to approach him when he heard her running. However, how could she stop from going to her mate when he was going through something so horrible like this? Micah¡¯s skin had turned so red, leaving burning scars as it started king out in a matter of a few seconds. She was so freaked out at the sight, she didn¡¯t even dare to touch her mate¡¯s wounds, which only became bigger and bigger with each second that passed, sending her heart into a shock. Literally. ¡°Oh my god! What should I do? What should I do?¡± Abby¡¯s heart jumped in her ribcage violently as she cried in panic. No matter where she turned, the only thing that greeted her eyes was fire, which looked like it was actually raging even more with the distress that enveloped her heart. Even though she could tolerate all the heat, it was clear Micah wouldn¡¯t be able tost for long if this continued like this. She immediately tried to use whatever magic she remembered using in her childhood under her mother¡¯s supervision after they discovered her powers as a fire magic user. However, her memories weren¡¯t reallyplete, while she didn¡¯t learn too many things a decade back as her mother severely restricted her from using magic too much. She felt she knew how to make it less painful for Micah, but when she tried to put it into action, no major change could be seen in the King¡¯s situation. Abby started to panic even more when she felt this unsure feeling as to how to III O < help her suffering mate. Calpin was too strong while she was still trying to figure out what to do with her powers. In a nutshell, she had nothing against Calpin to fight him off! On the one hand, her power wasn¡¯t enough to repel the spell this dark wizard cast on Micah. On the other hand, she couldn¡¯t even seek help from the others, being surrounded by this wall of fire and getting separated from the others. At least, if Mire had been here instead of Abby, that witch could have done something to help Micah. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on what¨Cifs. Whatever had to be done, it had to be done by her. She had to rely on herself! Even though it was hard and beyond impossible, this was the only way now. So, that was what she did. She tried every single thing she could remember from her unlocked memories, at least, wanting to free him from that spell. If she could just undo that spell, it was more than enough for now. However, it turned out to be a difficult task when she ended continuously regardless of whatever she tried. up failing After countless fruitless attempts, Abby decided to attack Calpin instead. If she couldn¡¯t undo the spell, she could at least stop Calpin from attacking Micah. She was going to fight him with her own fire. She was ready to die if that was what it took to stop him. The King could read his mate so well. So when the girl suddenly stopped trying to save himself and turned around to face the dark wizard, he stiffened. He wanted to stop her. After all, she never had any battle experience, while their opponent seemed to be a hard nut to crack. Only the pain radiating through his body was so unbearable, he couldn¡¯t do anything to stop Abby from doing something rash and getting hurt. Chapter 69 +5 After trying without any sess to undo Calpin¡¯s spell on Micah, Abby shifted her focus and decided to attack Calpin instead. First, she threw fireballs at him. She repeated what she did while fighting those rogues earlier, but increased their intensity to her fullest capability. The girl didn¡¯t stop or take a breather before she hurled at least fifteen huge fireballs at the dark wizard, not caring about the amount of energy she lost every time she doubled the power behind her attacks. However, her fireballs couldn¡¯t do him any harm at all. The man simply deflected them with just a blink of his eyes as heughed at her messy attempts to take him down. It was even less than a child¡¯s y to him. However, the girl didn¡¯t back down at all as she tried to make use of the fire surrounding them, wanting to turn his own power against him next. own/ She was a fire magic user after all, so controlling fire was one of the few things Riley teached her after she discovered her powers all those years ago. Only the actual execution wasn¡¯t as simple as a thought springing into her consciousness. Not to mention, she was basically an amateur and whatnot. Compared to Calpin in using spells The fire surrounding them waspletely, the dar was blowing life into it with his own breaths. control, as if he The girl felt helpless when she realized nothing was working against the wall of fire, while Calpin seemed too rxed in the face of this whole situation. She even tried to remember any spell her mother taught her, but her grip over her own skills was too friable while her memory failed to serve her. But she couldn¡¯t give up. To be more precise, she couldn¡¯t afford to give up. ¡°D mn it!¡± Abby cursed/under her breath, as her frustration only grew further when the dark magic user didn¡¯t budge even after she used everything she knew about her powers. She couldn¡¯t even touch a single hair on his head while Micah looked like he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. +5 And the same was proved in the next second as a blood curdling howl reverberated from the King¡¯s lungs, forcing her to freeze in her spot. Just hearing his howl made sweat roll down her spine as she too whimpered, feeling her heart ache for Micah. The girl didn¡¯t even dare to turn around and look at her mate, afraid she would copse at the sight of him. However, Calpin didn¡¯t seem to have the thought of sparing her little heart at all, as he chanted a small incantation while moving his hands in sync. What the hell! Abby didn¡¯t even get a chance to process what was happening when she heard another painful roar from Micah, and the sound twisted her heart so much. She could feel his pain through the newly recognized mate bond between them, she felt her ears start ringing. ¡°What do you think about my greeting gift?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Abby heard Calpin talk above the ringing in her ears and at that moment, she felt something snap inside her. Her eyes turned unusually red as the fire covering her hands started to go haywire as it danced wildly, matching the wall of fire surrounding them. In the next moment, the air around them changed as Calpin took a step back at the sight of the mes getting out of his control. The dark wizard couldn¡¯t believe what was happening before his eyes¡­ Abby was having a bacsh! Her power exploded out of nowhere, as fire started spreading to every inch of her body. Just like when her power shed ten years ago, in that old pack house, where her mother sacrificed her own life to save Abby¡¯s. Now it was happening again¡­ Her power was having a severe bacsh, where fire burst out of her body! The girl looked like a human sized angry zing inferno, ready to burn everything in her wake, with all the fire covering her from head to toe. ¡°F uck!¡± Calpin couldn¡¯t help but curse when the fire around them burst even more and began melting everything around them. He quickly chanted a spell, trying to stop the girl¡¯s sudden outburst, but only made it worse for himself as the spell backfired and burnt his own hand. ¡°Mother f ucker!¡± He cussed seeing his hand turn ck in an instant. Calpin realized the situation had gotten out of his control when he couldn¡¯t ward off the effects of Abby¡¯s outburst on himself. So the dark magic user immediately tried to create a protection barrier around him, which proved to be of no use as well. Not just one, even ten such shields couldn¡¯t keep him safe now, because even Abby couldn¡¯t control her power anymore. When her power shed ten years ago, the fire burned everything around her, too. It took a lot of effort from Riley, Abby¡¯s mother, to stop it from escting even further, as she wanted to save everyone from it, including Abby, her daughter. However, the outburst this time seemed even more profound while Calpin couldn¡¯t find a way to stop it or even protect himself. As ast resort, the man tried to contain her power, which required a lot of his effort and attention. As a result, his grip on Micah loosened and the King started to feel the burning feeling that almost killed him dissipate slowly. The Hu Micah dropped to the ground the moment he could control his body again as he coughed hard. He felt like his guts would spill out of his mouth with the intensity he was coughing. However, he could care less about himself when he wanted to make sure Abby was fine first. He frantically lifted his head, still coughing his lungs out, and searched for his mate. The King¡¯s heart dropped when he couldn¡¯t see anything but fire around him. It took him about two times of scouring his eyes around himself to realize what was actually happening. Both Abby and Calpin were covered from head to toe in fire. It was as if he was looking at twin mes, only in the sizes of humans. ¡°What the f uck?!¡± Micah cursed under his breath, as his throat forgot all about the difort it was feeling at the shock he received. His coughing fit ceased in a moment, as he stared at the fire burning his mate, dumbfounded. Micah felt his heart drop to his stomach when he realized the fire surrounding his mate looked the same as the one he felt surrounded by during the few minutes he was under pin¡¯s spell. Those few moments were literal hell for him, and he couldn¡¯t even imagine what Abby was going through right now, as the fire engulfed her looked even more vicious, if not excruciating. away from He swiftly picked himself up as he wanted to rush to Abby and pull her the dark wizard, but the fire around her was so profound he couldn¡¯t even step within a ten foot radius around her. Realizing this, Micah tried to call her. In hopes, at least, if his voice could reach her, he would be able to know what was happening if she responded. ¡°ABBY, LITTLE ONE!¡± The King cried out at the top of his lungs, but there was no response from the girl. He could see her face which was now devoid of any expression as she stared ahead, nothing being able to capture her attention enough. It was as if she couldn¡¯t see, hear or feel anything around her, and this left the King frightened as he didn¡¯t know how to bring her back. Just as he braved it out and decided to take a step forward, even though he felt like the heat could melt his flesh, he witnessed another burst of power from Abby. Micah couldn¡¯t help but look away at the blinding light that burst out of her frame for a second even though he didn¡¯t want to. By the time he turned back and lifted his head, he could see the wall of fire surrounding them slowly disappear as the structures of the dungeon and the other buildings in this part of the ck w pack started toe into his view again. But the most unexpected thing was, there was only one me before his eyes now¡­ Calpin was nowhere to be seen! However, Micah couldn¡¯t afford to think where he had escaped right now. After all, Abby was still burning in her fire. ¡°Little one, little one, can you hear me?¡± He called her again, but the result was still the same. The fire around her only seemed to intensify with each second that passed while the girl didn¡¯t show any sign of life at all. The sight left him terrified. Then he heard a voice from behind him, only it sounded too distant. ¡°My King,¡± Mire shouted, as she could be seen running to him even before the fire couldpletely dissipate. Mire, as a fire magic user, apparently, was able to jump into the fire the moment it wasn¡¯t raging as strongly as before. ¡°Where is Abby?¡± Mire asked the King when the man didn¡¯t respond to her words even after she was done checking on him for major injuries. She took a quick look around when Micah wouldn¡¯t answer her even after her asking him the same question a thousand times. And how surprised she was when she finally saw the huge zing inferno in the middle of this slowly disappearing wall of fire. Chatper 70 Once they were done dealing with most of the rogues, Dex and Alpha Samuel along with a few others came to Mire¡¯s side, intending to rush to the King the minute she had seeded in taking the fire down. However, when the time came, only Mire, who had been trying to take down this wall of fire for the past twenty minutes, could swiftly dash toward the building Micah and Abby had gone to before they were trapped inside this wall of fire once it started to disintegrate slowly but surely. As she had been fully focused on this alone, once she found a way to rush in, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all to jump into the fire. Only the others couldn¡¯t follow her lead as they had earlier because the fire this time was too intense for them to brave it out. They could only stand outside the wall of fire, which seemed to give away for a second before it raged again and stood firmly in ce. However, all of them witnessed something even more astonishing for the split second the fire started to disappear and they could finally see what was happening on the rooftop before their eyes. A blinding white light erupted in the middle of the rune formed by the wall of fire! But that wasn¡¯t the thing that left them ck jawed. It was the source from which the light erupted. Only it was not just light. Because they could all see what burst out of what seemed to be a living person was fire. And that person was Abby! Did they just see fire burst out of a living creature? None other than their future queen? They could clearly see it unlike earlier when the fire erupted all of a sudden trapping just Micah and Abby inside. While the wall of fire earlier blocked everything except sound from earlier, the one that formedter only stopped them from going near to it as they could see and hear everything that was going on inside. Meaning, the two fires weren¡¯t created by the same person¡­ And the fire this time was definitely their future queen¡¯s work! ¡°What the hell?¡± Dex couldn¡¯t help but curse when he didn¡¯t understand what was happening inside while the others had the same bewildered expressions as him. No one knew Abby was a fire magic user until she started walking through file all of a sudden earlier before helping them in fighting off those rogues, following the lead of Mire, who seemed to be a fire magic user as well. In fact, only after seeing Mire using fire magic to fight off those rogues did they conclude that fire magic was a thing. Even before they could digest that bit of information, Abby too started to fight off using the same fire magic, leaving them all dumbfounded. After all, finding one witch was already a very big thing in this part of the continent, while they had just seen two of them at the same time. Then came this wall of fire, clearly a work of another and third magic user, who was obviously working against them. Simply put, their enemy. But as if all of these things weren¡¯t enough, now, fire was bursting out of Lady Abby, their future queen. What the hell was happening here?! ** As soon as Mire ran to the top of the building, she could see Micah standing frozen in his ce as he stared straight ahead at something, apparently a huge me, with this shocked expression on his face. And when she finally learned the reason behind his shock, albeit without his help, her heart trembled at the revtion. Within moments of her sessful invading into this dissipating trap of fire, she witnessed with her own eyes as it restructured into ce as a fire even more vicious burst out of Abby. Holy hell! Mire immediately understood what was happening. Abby¡¯s power was shing again. After ten whole years. And within days of practically reawakening her powers. Only the witch didn¡¯t know what led to this situation. She had gathered that the earlier wall of fire was because of their enemy. Even though she still didn¡¯t have any idea who it was, it was obvious that it was the work of a magic user. If her hunch was correct, it must be a dark magic user. But, she couldn¡¯t find anyone other than Micah and Abby on the rooftop of this building right now. Initially, she thought Abby had somehow taken down the other person, this unknown enemy, and the fire was brought down. But, she only realized how wrong she had been after understanding what was actually going on here right now. Apparently, the fire burst out of Abby dominated the fire around her, crushing it with its uncontroble power, forcing it to disintegrate in an instant before Abby¡¯s own fire took over, prompting another yet even more powerful wall of fire to take shape in its ce. The bacsh that Abby was now having was so immense, it actually influenced the wall of fire, which was going to disappear earlier, to reform and trap the three of them in again! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Mire couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. This was not going to end well, She tried to walk toward the source, that was Abby, but it wasn¡¯t an easy feat to walk into the center of a raging volcano, and a volcano was what Abby looked like right now. ¡°My King,¡± the witch called Micah, who was still in a trance as he stared at his mate, who was standing still like a statue with her facepletely nk. It seemed the girl couldn¡¯t feel the fire licking her skin at all, as she stared ahead like a lifeless mannequin. ¡°Huh?!¡± Micah only responded with this one word after the witch called him several times, not being able to process what was going on around him. ¡°We need to stop Abby,¡± Mire emphasized each and every word of hers as she looked like she wanted to p life into the King¡¯s slowly dying hopes. The sovereign was clearly discouraged! It was inevitable. After all, how could a mate bear to watch his other half suffer like this?! This seemed like a personalized nightmare for him. Like his worst fears materialized into reality, taking away the one thing he had been searching for years. He just got her for a few days and didn¡¯t even get to spend some quality time with her once because of all the meetings about the things rted to the kingdom and also those incessant rogue attacks. His mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts as he stared helplessly at the huge me, that was none other than his burning mate. He knew how harsh the fire was when Calpin burned him from inside. And he couldn¡¯t imagine what Abby was going through right now. The longer he looked at her, the more regrets he felt. Meanwhile, Mire could see what was going through the King¡¯s mind right now, but this wasn¡¯t the time to crumble and give into his fears. He needed to pull himself together first, or else, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help Abby. She knew she was not strong enough to stop the bacsh when she couldn¡¯t even nick a scratch on the fire she faced before, while the one created from Abby¡¯s bacsh clearly looked twice as powerful and intense. They needed to make a quick call! Or else, the consequences would be unimaginable. ¡°MICAH!¡± Mire couldn¡¯t care less about formalities and courtesies when her main focus was to protect Abby at all costs. ¡°MICAH!¡± She shouted, as if her life depended on.it and right as the King turned to finally look at her, she exined what would happen if they didn¡¯t stop Abby soon. ¡°Her bacsh is getting out of control. If we don¡¯t stop her right now, she will burn everything around her,¡± the witch literally shouted in the King¡¯s face. ¡°Including herself.¡± Yes, the fire that burst out of her was nothing like she had ever encountered before. J ¡°What?¡± The King couldn¡¯t help but ask, not because he didn¡¯t understand what she said the first time, but because he couldn¡¯t believe his own ears. And Mire could understand the meaning behind his question. ¡°Yes, you heard me right. If this continues, there is a high chance Abby might burn this whole ce down,¡± the witch exined hurriedly. Not only would the girl burn everything down, she might even lose herself in the process, that was if she did survive this whole ordeal. She wasn¡¯t only dangerous for the others around her, but also detrimental to herself. In the worst case scenario, she would be killed as well in the process. All those years ago, Riley, Abby¡¯s mother, knew what would have happened if she hadn¡¯t stopped the power bacsh in time. However, the problem now was; Mire was clearly not as powerful or daring as Riley to take responsibility for bringing back Abby this time. She was afraid she might worsen the situation and escte the inevitable with her messy attempts. She saw how the wall of fire created by their enemy literally absorbed power from every attack she launched at it earlier. It literally swallowed all the fireballs she threw at it! Not to mention, the one this time looked even more scary. As such, she was forced to second guess every action of hers while questioning her own powers and abilities. She exined the same to Micah. ¡°Which is also why I don¡¯t think it is wise for me to use any fire magic on her right now,¡± Mire ended her long speech, her face twisting with worry as she looked at Abby. After all, it wasn¡¯t wise to add more fuel to the fire when it was already beyond control. On the other hand, the King, who had been listening to her, couldn¡¯t help but tighten his fists at the realization that they basically had no way out of this. Mire couldn¡¯t counter the fire while Abby wasn¡¯t in a state to control her own fire. ¡®She wasn¡¯t herself right now!¡® This was what Mire told him, as the girl couldn¡¯t see, hear or feel anything. And the King could also see it clearly. It was like they were at a dead end! However, he needed to try until thest second. Suddenly, Micah got an unprecedented thought. ¡°What if shees back to her senses?¡± he asked the witch, who looked at him like he just lost his mind. ¡®Did you not listen to anything I said for the past ten minutes?¡® The question was on the tip of Mire¡¯s tongue when she saw the King brace himself to walk toward the fire in the next second. Was he nning to shake Abby until she came to her senses? That would be pure madness! And that was what she told the King. ¡°Are you mad? Going in there now is equal tomitting suicide!¡± Mire tried to reach for Micah who didn¡¯t budge at all in the face of her disrespecting attitude. Any other time, the witch would have been beheaded for her words alone. But neither of them could care less about such things when they had more important things to concentrate on. That was Abby! Saving others and herself from Abby took the top priority now. So the King didn¡¯t bother answering Mire, as just the execution of the idea in his mind weighed heavily on his actions. On the other hand, Mire didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do. ¡°Micah! Let¡¯s think of another way,¡± the witch said all kinds of things, but Micah wasn¡¯t ready to hear any of it. He thought long and hard, but couldn¡¯te up with anything that could help Abby except one thing. What if he marked her?! All other ways were already closed, and the King could only resort to this method. Chatper 71 With every method and ath being proved to be ineffective, the King could only resort to something really unprecedented to save his mate. He thought long and hard, but nothing seemed useful except for this impulsive thought of his. He needed to mark her! ¡®I want you to mark me.¡¯ He could still clearly hear how Abby asked him to mark herself a few days ago. At that time, she looked very desperate to have some kind of connection with himself when she thought her position was not secure until she resorted to seducing him, albeit clumsily. Because she couldn¡¯t feel the mate bond between them, while the thought of himself being wrong about recognizing her as his mate, the girl literally threw herself at him, in hopes he would mark her that night. 14 While he was more than eager to mark her and make herpletely his, too. Only the fact that she was so fragile, both me ntally and physically, made the King back down at that time. After all, the pain she had to endure during the marking process would be something unimaginable and the King wasn¡¯t willing to put her through it yet. Moreover, he didn¡¯t think for once that he had made a mistake. And his gut feeling was proved to be correct when the girl¡¯s memories had been unlocked and she could finally feel the mate bond between them. Once she discovered it, she asked him to mark her again. That time, he too wanted to fulfil her wish, even though he still felt she wasn¡¯t strong enough, to go through the excruciating mating process, which was also one of the reasons for him to turn her down the first time, along with all the other reasons. Only the situation got out of their control real quick when Abby felt overwhelmed with their intimacy and identally set fire to their bed. 1/7 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) A 10:39 Mon, 18 Mar G. 72% But at this moment, the only thing that had anything seemed effective enough to bring Abby back to her senses was their mate bond. As a shifter, he knew a mate bond could work wonders between two mates. It was a sacred connection and if he seeded inpleting their bond, he would be able to stop this. And stopping this whole ordeal was what he had in his mind right now. However, he couldn¡¯t make the mistake of wasting anymore time by exining this to the witch who was now behind him, trying to stop him or p some sense into his brain. Even if he tried, she might not understand where he wasing from. The timing wasn¡¯t right for one thing, while the possibility of Mire not understanding his n also made the King seal his lips as he got prepared to walk toward his mate. He was just ten steps away from his mate, if he could close this distance, marking her would be his next and final move! On a normal day, walking ten steps wouldn¡¯t even amount to doing a small leap by him, costing him nothing less than the energy required to crush a tea leaf. However, it wasn¡¯t anything like a walk in the park when he had to walk on a floor which was quickly melting by Abby¡¯s fire. He knew it was only a matter of time before this building copsed, burying all of the three of them in ruins, followed by gobbling up the surrounding buildings and the others as well. So whatever he wanted to do, he had to do it before it was toote! ***** The Royal Ga mma, who was closely looking into the wall of fire with his eyes wide open, shrieked when Mire shouted for the King to stop. ¡°Oh my go d!¡± He had been walking back and forth since Mire jumped into the fire, trying to 2/7 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) A 10:39 Mon, 18 Mar G. find a way to walk into the fire just to reach the King who looked like he lost his soul seeing fire literally burst out his mate. 72% He knew how much Micah loved his mate, putting her above everything else, until he didn¡¯t even heed the words of the elders, who wanted him to be done with the mating ceremony from the moment he let them know that he had found his mate. So, the royal ga mma had been fearing the King might do something impulsive, not being able to stay put when Abby was going through something so horrible like being burned alive. They weren¡¯t aware of the concept of power bacshing in magic users, so it looked like Abby was being burned alive with all the fire engulfing every inch of her skin. And when he saw his king run toward his mate, not caring about the fire at all, it looked like he had chosen to die with Abby in this fire, giving up all hope. ¡°My King!¡± Dex shouted at the top of his lungs, when he thought the King was just being rash. But the man wasn¡¯t in a position to hear anyone. So his royal ga mma could only turn to the witch for help, who was the only person that could stop him physically. ¡°Mire, do something and stop him!¡± Dex bellowed at Mire, who gave him a side eye as if nothing was in her hands now. Understanding her look, Dex felt helpless. Even n, the Royal Beta, and himbined wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the King if he was hell bent on doing something, let alone one witch who didn¡¯t excel in the department of brawn at all. However, he couldn¡¯t stand on the sidelines and watch his king die like this. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. So he tried to walk into the fire once again, only the fire was so unkind to him as it immediately left a muscle-deep burn on his leg. ¡°F ucking Hell!!!¡± The Royal Ga mma shrieked, when he felt the pain in his soul The others immediately pulled him back, without having any choice since it was beyond impossible for them to cross this fire. Even with their exceptional healing abilities, it was like squeezing blood out of a stone. 3/7 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) 7 10:39 Mon, 18 Mar E 0 ??? 72%2 He couldn¡¯t endure a single burn wound, while the King looked like he wouldn¡¯t budge even if ayer of his skin got peeled in the process of reaching his mate. ¡°Micah!¡± He yelled atst, even though he knew it was beyond impossible to stop- the King, who was now just an arm¡¯s length away from his mate. ********* Just like Dex, Mire also tried to go after the King to stop him, only she was lucky enough not to sustain any severe damage like the royal ga mma did, thanks to her own fire magic. However, the same fire magic power of hers wasn¡¯t able to help her walk orward in Abby¡¯s fire, which only seemed to rage even harshly with each second that passed. Mire had never encountered a fire like this before! Not even the wall of fire created by Calpin could match up to this one. And so after a few failed attempts, the witch could only give up changing the King¡¯s mind as she focused back on her main goal. Saving Abby. After all, getting Abby back was more important than anything right now. So, if the King had some method to make it happen, she would dly encourage him to try it. But it wasn¡¯t the same case with Dex and the others. Even though Abby was important, their sovereign¡¯s safety would always outweigh every other thing in their hearts. As such, they all kept shouting for Micah to stop. ¡°My King!!! Please, stop!¡± Everyone shouted in unison the same thing again and again. Only, Micah didn¡¯t bother to listen to any of their pleas as he focused on getting to Abby at any cost. He didn¡¯t give any room for hesitation in his heart as he gritted his teeth while taking one step at a time, closer to Abby, even though it felt like his blood was boiling for real. Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) However, he knew he couldn¡¯t back down no matter what. He was on a mission and he was hell bent on finishing it! However, one¡¯s willpower could only help him go so far when the adversities he needed to face proved to be incessant. Even though it was only ten steps that he had to walk to cross the distance between him and Abby, it took every ounce of his strength just to even lift his leg and move closer to the fire. Not to mention he had to walk across the fire to reach his mate. A fire even more savage than the one that made him feel like dying was better than enduring it just until a few moments ago. Behind him, he could hear how Dex almost lost his soul just for trying to breach the outer barrier of Abby¡¯s fire. So he could only imagine how harsh the fire around his mate would be. It the But he didn¡¯t think twice about how he was going to survive the fire as he focused on his main goal. The royal blood in his veins helped him a lot as his healing abilities proved to be exceptionalpared to that of the royal ga mma¡¯s. Even his endurance and tolerance to pain were a few notches higher than the other shifters, aiding the King to reach his mate. Even with all these things, the pain he felt was still very excruciating, as it only doubled with each second that passed, making him feel like dying each second. Even the pain he felt when he was under Calpin¡¯s spell seemed like nothing in the face of this agony in his muscles, which repeatedly got burnt and healed with every step that he took. And by the time he reached her, he felt like he almost died. Almost all of his skin was burned, even though it was quickly healed and reced by new skin as quickly as his royal shifter blood could support. Meanwhile, his muscles seemed to have received third degree burns, which the King didn¡¯t care about at all. 5/7 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) A 10:39 Mon, 18 Mar G ×Ô¼Ò72%ºÏ Even standing upright seemed like a heavy task, let alone coordinating all of his body parts to do what he intended to do. 0 Even so, Micah couldn¡¯t care less about everything else as he tried once again. reach Abby ¡°Abby, little one!¡± He shouted in her face, albeit enduring all the agony coursing through his veins. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± He almost felt like his throat would stop producing sound altogether from how rough the voiceing out of his own mouth felt to his ears. However, there was no response from the girl. She just stared ahead with this nk expression on her face, her eyes a mirror of emptiness. Even when the King was literally holding her head, trying to make her look at himself, there was still no reaction from Abby. She just stood there frozen, not even aware of her own state right now. The fire burned a few patches into her dress while her long hair also caught fire. Even so, she wasn¡¯t even making a sound, as if she couldn¡¯t feel any of the things that were happening to herself right now. Seeing this, Micah¡¯s intention to mark her only strengthened as he hoped his impulsive idea to complete the bond between them would yield some positive results. ¡°Abby! Little one!¡± He called her onest time as if he wanted to warn the girl that he was going to mark her and sunk his teeth in her neck. And there was finally a reaction from the girl! As soon as Micah started marking Abby, the girl let out a shrill scream, not being able to endure the sudden but fierce pain that surged through her veins. In the next second, the girl tried to push him away, only the King didn¡¯t have intention to budge from his position before he achieved his goal. He needed to bring her back! At any cost! Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) That was what he was trying to do. He just prayed that his impulsive method would work. Chapter 72 Even though Micah was half burned to death, with burn wounds littering both his skin and muscles, he still wanted to try onest time to reach her using his voice alone, The girl indeed asked him to mark herself several times. But now, she was definitely not herself. And even though he only decided to mark her at this moment to save herself from her, there was still this nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he was doing it while she wasn¡¯t aware of him doing it. However, when the girl didn¡¯t respond even after him literally shaking her body while yelling into her face, the King could only go through his initial n. For one thing, she couldn¡¯t even feel herself getting burned by the fire around her, even though it was created by herself, while he wasn¡¯t in a position to waste too much time trying things that wouldn¡¯t help her in any way. After all, he didn¡¯t know if her power would burst even more profoundly, which would only cause her and the others more harm. So after calling her onest time, he bit her neck with no hesitation, causing the girl to shriek hysterically. *** **** The moment Micah¡¯s teeth sunk into her neck, an ear piercing scream left Abby¡¯s lips as she tried to push the King from her as quickly as possible. The pain she felt was too immeasurable for her while her mate wouldn¡¯t let matter what. up no As if mirroring her agony, the fire around her raved even harder, leaving even Mire to suffer the brunt as the witch couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was being tossed around in a frying pan. Literally. The harder the girl screamed, the harsher her mes burned. After all, the pain shot through her veins like a powerful impulse, as if lightning struck her nerve endings, causing her to let out shrill screams that left Micah¡¯s ears ringing. Not only Micah, even Mire and the others felt like their ears would start T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. TOX Tue, 19 Mar bleeding as the girl kept screaming at the top of her lungs, all the while pushing the King away from her neck. The agony she was feeling was so acute, she could cross her heart and swear that she had never felt something like it. But it didn¡¯t end there, as all her memories resurfaced to the forefront of her consciousness, bad ones dominating every other memory. It was as if pouring salt on her wounds. Somehow, her brain decided to torment adding me ntal stress to her te, that was already overflowing with pain filled physical her as well, as it reyed every little grievance she ever had in her life Orment stress. The memories from when she was a child, the way herpe when she was just nine years old, to every abuse her fat 59% +5 died because of her ever inflicted on her¡­ Everything shed before eyes while still struggling s she suddenly started in Micah¡¯s arms. Her body became a vessel of negative emotions, as fear, loneliness, hatred and also longing surged through her veins, leaving her to wheeze for breath. Fear for her own situation¡­ Loneliness that stemmed from being abandoned by her own father and being abused by her only sister. Hatred, as she hated herself for causing her mother to die¡­ Longing for love she wasn¡¯t able to feel for ten years after her mother died¡­ And several other simr emotions suffocated by everyt around hered her already battered mind as she felt Middle And because the King was in the marking her, even he could clearly feel mate¡¯s body and the experience was all the emotions coursing through his f something he would never wish on someone else. No mate should be put through this kind of agony, because the guilt of not finding her and removing all her problems much sooner was something unimaginable. Only he knew how many times he thought how he had been toote to find her. He indeed nipped her every other problem once he found her, but he was stillte. Not just one or two, but ten years! < 10156 Tue, 19 Mar ×Ô¼Ò59%È« His mate suffered for ten years and the King couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. +5 Thinking all of this, the man couldn¡¯t help but pull his mate closer to himself as he realized that the fire had finally started to subside around him just as Abby¡¯s shrill screams started to tone down as they gradually turned to harsh groans before finally changing to soft whimpers. *** Dex and the others couldn¡¯t believe that the King had actually marked his mate forcefully. They couldn¡¯t help but gasp as they held their breaths, waiting to see what would happen. For a moment, nothing happened. Then they noticed how a change in the wall of fire could finally be seen as it went wild onest time just as Abby started screaming at the top of her lungs. For a moment, everyone feared the situation was going to turn even more worse as the mes danced like hell fire, leaving them to pray for the King and themselves. However, it didn¡¯t take long for Abby to stop screaming as it soon started to fade away until they couldn¡¯t hear it anymore. In unison with her voice, they saw how the fire started to turn docile as it spitted. thick ck smoke into the air which left them all blind for a second. However, before they could start to feel suffocated by coughing their lungs out from thebined difort of being subjected to extreme heat and ck smoke, Mire came to their aid as she read a spell quickly, making the smoke disappear swiftly. ¡°The King!¡± Dex was the first toe to his senses as he rushed to Micah, who was now holding an unconscious Abby tightly in his arms. And how frightened was the royal ga mma when he finally got a better look at the King¡¯s face, which was now filled with immeasurable rage. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 198 Once Mire took care of the ck smoke that almost blinded everyone in their group, Dex rushed to the King to check on him first. ¡°My King!¡± The royal ga mma called out as he ran past Mire, who looked at him like he was an idiot actively seeking his own death. However, Dex didn¡¯t mind her gaze as he ignored the witch, who didn¡¯t try to stop him physically. The King was sitting on the ground with Abby¡¯s head buried in his chest, as he faced away from them, so the royal gam ma didn¡¯t realize what kind of expression the King was sporting now. Only when he walked around them and stood about two steps away from the sovereign did the royal ga mma finally understand why the witch fixed him with that look earlier. Micah looked like he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to crush anyone to death if he was to be disturbed at this moment. The rage in his reddened eyes frightened the royal ga mma so much, he choked on the words that were about to leave his lips. He struggled to cough it off silently as he backed away from Micah, who was fuming like the King of hell, as he held Abby close to his chest. Dex couldn¡¯t help but look at the witch, who just shrugged her shoulders, as if saying she didn¡¯t need to warn him vocally, when his instinct to survive would be triggered right in time. And there was no doubt that his instinct alone had saved him today! Alpha Samuel and his warriors, along with the royal warriors, who were just behind the royal gam ma, didn¡¯t understand why the man suddenly stopped approaching the King. However, before the Alpha or anyone could go forward to disturb Micah¡¯s line of thought or ask himself why he wasn¡¯t going near the King, Dex subtly shook his head, indicating for them all to keep silent. As such, silence descended in the yard before the dungeons of this ck w Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 73 pack once again as they all stood with their heads down, not knowing if it was a good idea to approach the King right now. 66% Even the back of the King, which was littered in wounds, looked so intimidating, they dared not make even a peep. From the looks of it, Lady Abby had fallen unconscious, and was now lying motionless in the King¡¯sp. Only her legs were visible to them, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel their hearts cl¨¨nch, seeing how badly injured her feet were. Even her dress that was covering her legs was littered with holes burned it into by the fire. Her condition seemed really serious, while her healing ability as a shifter¡¯s daughter seemed a little too slow. Maybe because she was a witch that she couldn¡¯t show any progress in self healing like the King could. +5 They could even see Mire feeling a little impatient to check on either of them, even though she didn¡¯t dare to disrupt the King and Abby at all, as she stood to the side, repeatedly clenching and unclenching her hands. About half of an hourter, when the wounds on his skin hadpletely healed, Dex finally saw some movement from Micah. ¡°Get ready to leave,¡± the King ordered as he stood up, holding Abby securely in his arms. ¡°Head to the Red River pack.¡± As soon as these words left the King¡¯s lips, everyone scrambled to fall into position as they started marching away from the dungeons. Mire, who said nothing until now, approached the King the moment he stood up after removing her outer robe, which she deftly draped around Abby, who was snuggling into her mate¡¯s embrace. The King nodded at Mire once before he quickly carried Abby to the carriage she came in. And once he settled her in, the entourage left the ck w pack immediately. 2/4 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 73 ** **** 66% +5 ¡°How is she now?¡± Dex asked Alyssa who just came out of the guest bedroom, where Abby was being treated by the pack¡¯s healer as well as Mire since they reached the Red River pack an hour earlier. Hearing his question, the maid ser vant only shook her head, not knowing what to say. Both the healer and the witch were trying to find out what actually went down with Abby¡¯s condition since the moment she was brought back to the pack house of the Red River pack, with Mire already trying to use her magic on Abby from the moment she was brought back to the carriage in the ck w pack. Yet, there was no change in the result at all. The girlid there unconscious while they couldn¡¯t figure out how to help her regain consciousness. The King had forbidden everyone, other than Mire and Gloria, the head healer of Alpha Samuel¡¯s pack from evening near to this guest bedroom, while he himself didn¡¯t leave Abby¡¯s side for even one second. Alyssa could only go in there since Micah didn¡¯t want Abby to feel unhappy after she woke up and learned someone else dressed her up, as she took considerable time to even let Alyssa and Reyna take care of her. On the other hand, no matter how hard they tried, Mire and Gloria couldn¡¯t determine what was wrong with Abby. They were really clueless and could only wait for her to show some kind of reaction. Only the girl wouldn¡¯t respond to any type of treatment no matter what. Be it herbs, bitter potions or even Mire¡¯s spells, nothing could elicit a change in her system. Moreover, the mark on her neck remained unhealed, even though other wounds on her body showed some progress like, scabbing and as such. This entire situation was so weird. Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) 4/4 11:17 Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 73 It took about seven days for Abby to finally show some signs of waking up. Seven full nights and days! 66% +5 Alyssa was by her side, and before the girl could run out and inform anyone about it, an earth shattering scream left Abby¡¯s lips, even though she had yet toe to herself.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 66% sac some On the eighth day after returning to the Red River pack, Alyssa finally movement from her master, who first started to whimper softly as if she was about to wake up. Seeing this, Alyssa almost jumped with joy. However, just as she was about to rush out of the room to send someone to call Mire and Gloria over, Abby actually started screaming, leaving her stunned for a moment. P By the time she recovered, she saw Gloria rushing into the room and to Abby, who was now twisting around on the bed out of pain, scratching around the King¡¯s mark on her neck. Mire was next, looking like she jumped out of the bed just to rush here. ¡°Do something,¡± Alyssa pleaded with them both as she cried her eyes out. ¡°Try one of your spells,¡± Gloria prompted Mire, knowing fully well the girl¡¯s wounds weren¡¯t responding to medicines at all. That was also one of the reasons her body was still littered with wounds. Mire raked her brains while trying one or two spells she thought would work, but nothing worked, leaving her to sigh in exasperation. ¡°Let¡¯s try together,¡± Mire called the healer over, indicating for her to cast her healing power over Abby while she tried her own fire magic, but the result was still the same. No matter how hard or which method the witch and the healer tried to help Abby, there was no change in the girl¡¯s condition. The girl kept screaming and the sight was devastating to say the least, while tears kept streaming down her face. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. In addition to the wounds that were inflicted on her body during the bacsh, there was even that mark from the King which was literally forced on her when she wasn¡¯t aware of it. Moreover, the mark showed no sign of healing as it still remained open, without even scabbing after seven days of time. 1/4 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) 11:17 Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 74 66% +5 And from the way, Abby was trying to w at her own neck, albeit unconsciously, it was evident that the pain from the forceful mark was dominating every other feeling in her system. ¡°I think it would be for the best if we put her back to sleep.¡± It was Mire, who finally suggested this, while tears kept flowing from Abby¡¯s still closed eyes. Even Gloria felt the witch¡¯s idea was the perfect solution for this situation. So asked Alyssa to help her hold Abby down while Mire performed her fire magic to put Abby to sleep. But then the door to this guest bedroom was pushed open from the outside suddenly. ¡°Where did Calpin go?¡± Following the question was a heart wrenching scream by the rogue under Dex¡¯s foot, struggling to get away from the broken ss he was being pressed into. This dungeon¡¯s floor was overflowing with the blood of the rogues Alpha Samuel and Dex torturing to get information on Calpin. That ba sta rd dark magic user. Meanwhile, Micah was standing not too far from them in this cell, as he watched over the interrogation process. After returning to the Red River pack, Micah hardly had a wink of sleep. He would either spend his time watching over the unconscious Abby, waiting for her to wake up while praying for her to recover quickly, or in the dungeons, interrogating the rogues Alpha Samuel managed to capture along with his own warriors and of course, the royal ga mma and the royal warriors. Only the girl wouldn¡¯t show any signs of waking up no matter how desperately he waited, while the rogues wouldn¡¯t provide any new information on that ba st ard dark magic user, Calpin, who slipped away while Abby was having a severe bacsh. Seven nights and days had passed withpletely no change in his routine. 2/4 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) 11:17 Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 74 On this day as well, Micah was out in the dungeons of this Red River pack, questioning the rogues and venting his frustration on them when he heard this blood curdling scream. ¡°ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± 66% +5 The King felt his soul leave his body the moment the voice registered in his mind. The dungeons in this pack weren¡¯t really far from the pack house, where Abby was right now, getting treated in a guest bedroom. It was just about two buildings over from there. Even so, for her scream to reach the basement of this dungeon, with a sharpness that twisted his heart, Micah couldn¡¯t imagine the amount of pain his mate was dealing with the moment she woke up. Without a second thought, he dashed out of the basement before rushing to the pack house. And the sight that greeted him the moment he opened the door to their guest bedroom left him reeling back with shock, as he almost stumbled back on his feet. In the middle of the room, on the bed, Abby was being held down by Alyssa and the healer of the ck w pack as she kept screaming at the top of her lungs, clearly unable to withstand the pain. The sight was heart wrenching when he realized that she didn¡¯t even regain her bearingspletely, as her eyes were still tightly shut. ¡°Little one,¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but whisper, while every other possible reaction evaded his wits. ¡°We need to put her back to sleep,¡± Mire said to a still stunned King, and without waiting for a response from him, she proceeded to read her spell. Seeing this, Micah finally came to his senses as he walked to the bed to soothe Abby by himself. Alyssa and Gloria gave way for the King, as he pulled his mate into his arms. He had to hold her hands down so that she wouldn¡¯t scratch at her neck as Mire produced a little me on the tip of her finger, which she brought close to Abby¡¯s face. 2/4 Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now) 66% 11:17 Wed, 20 Mar Chapter 74 Then, with her other hand, she put it out swiftly. Within seconds, the girl stopped struggling as she fell back into a deep slumber. Micah then wiped the tears off her cheeks as he hugged her closer. Çú Chapter 75 Micah couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth as he looked at Abby¡¯s sleeping face, albeit still pinched a little, as he thought about the way she struggled to cope up with the pain caused by the mark earlier. The pain he caused her! He knew she would suffer if he marked her forcefully, but at that moment, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else to stop the girl from hurting herself. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. However, he didn¡¯t regret his actions. It was necessary to stop her from burning everything, including herself. The only thing he was worried about now was how to deal with this aftermath. He thought long and hard before calling Dex into the room, while the three women stood to the side. ¡°My King, I¡¯m here,¡± Dex announced his presence as he knocked on the door once before pushing it open to enter the room. ¡°Summon the head healer from the pce right away!¡± Micah ordered as soon as his royal gam ma came into his line of sight, not even giving him any chance to bow or ask about Abby¡¯s condition. And once Dex heard the King, he realized he didn¡¯t need to voice his question anymore, as he understood the gravity of the situation in an instant. ¡°Right away!¡± Micah felt relieved a bit when his royal gamm a didn¡¯t push himself for a discussion over this matter, even though he noticed the slight change in Dex¡¯s eyes the moment his order left his lips. However, he was done trying to keep this news from the pce. He could deal with themter. ¡°Bring me a fresh wash cloth to wipe her face,¡± he told Alyssa once the royal ga ma left the room. ¡°Make sure it is warm enough.¡± When the maid serv ant brought the wet yet warm cloth, the King carefully wiped his mate¡¯s face and around her neck before lying next to her. Then he spent the next hour holding Abby close while rubbing soothing circles into her back, until the frown between her brows disappeared and she slipped into a peaceful slumber./ ||| O < 11:17 Thu, 21 Mar G G Micah wanted to keep his mind off the things rted to the things back from the pce, so after apanying a sleeping Abby for another hour this morning, until the frown between her brows slowly but surely smoothened out yet again, he left to interrogate the rogues in the dungeons. ¡°Inform your alpha to drag every single one of those pests to the basement in the south dungeon,¡± the King spat with venom dripping from his words. His voice wasn¡¯t really loud but it was so deep, Ron felt shivers run down his spine. ¡°Yes, My King!¡± Noticing the werewolf king¡¯s mood wasn¡¯t really good right now, Ron, Samuel¡¯s Beta, scrambled away while mindlinking their gam ma to immediately notify Alpha Samuel. In a matter of few minutes, the basement of this southern dungeon was filled with shouts and roars of the rogues, who looked like they couldn¡¯t wait to jump onto the King and his men and kill them off, even though they couldn¡¯t shift into their beasts as they were forced to take the Rottingbane leaves. On the other hand, Micah went to the dungeon with a single agenda; killing them all regardless of the information they could provide him on Calpin. He didn¡¯t have the thought of sparing them at all after how they actually wreaked havoc in the ck w pack. They would only be reused by that man even if he spared them anyway. And his n was simple. There were about thirty of those rogues that were still alive even after being tortured for ten days. He would kill the twenty men right away in front of the remaining ten female rogues and let the survivors decide if they too wanted a painful death like those male rogues by refusing to give him answers or die a painless death choosing the only and other option. But after killing the men, what he heard wasn¡¯t information about Calpin but a single voice of utter desperation. ¡°Please, spare me,¡± one of the women said as she lunged forward as if she wanted to fall on the King¡¯s legs for mercy. Seeing this, Micah was about to order for the women to be ug htered as well, thinking these rogues could be so stubborn. However, the same desperate voice beat him to it once again as the woman shrieked in distress. ¡°My King, it¡¯s me, Hanna, Abby¡¯s sister.¡± Micah took a double take when he heard her say his mate¡¯s name. And after a second, he realized she was telling the truth. But he couldn¡¯t understand how she ended up in this group of rogues. However, the woman clearly wasn¡¯t in a state to answer any of his questions, being beaten to an inch of her life. Since he only focused on the male rogues and let the warriors starve the female rogues, he didn¡¯t come across Hanna until now. On the other hand, no one believed Hanna even though she screamed at the top of her lungs to let her meet the King. Only today did she get a chance, but not before getting beaten brutally with the others the moment they were brought to this basement. ¡°Take her out of the basement,¡± he ordered one of the warriors standing close to him, as he sent for a healer to treat her wounds. However, he didn¡¯t have the idea of setting her free in his mind, nor did he have the thought to give her any special treatment as he made them shift her to a single cell in the same dungeon. He just didn¡¯t want his mate¡¯s older sister to suffer any further. But, ten days of starvation and today¡¯s beating left her with only skin and bones. Even though she was a rogue, who had to be med along with all other rogues under Calpin¡¯s command for killing countless innocent people, she was still Abby¡¯s sister. He would let Abby decide what to do with her. If the girl told him to throw her out, he would do it for her, but he wasn¡¯t willing to hurt someone dear to Abby directly. He saw Abby¡¯s memories and knew how she felt about her sister, so he wouldn¡¯t Chapart 73 make a decision for her this time. Micah was reading a report in another guest bedroom, adjacent to the one Abby was in right now when the royal gam ma came. ¡°Rise, Dex,¡± Micah told the royal ga mma, when he bowed to him from across the table. Maybe because ofck of sleep, the King found it hard to concentrate on the reports that were now lying littered on this big table, in addition to the worries and emotions that had been guing his mind for the past ten days. Dex and the others had been trying to persuade him to sleep even for an hour a day, but sleep evaded him when his mate¡¯s distressed screams kept ringing in his ears everytime he closed his eyes. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t be able to find peace with it even after the girl woke up. He knew it would definitely take him time to even push everything about these ten days to the back of his mind. However, he could still stand on his feet, not to mention Abby would need him all the more when she finally woke up. At least for her, he would endure this little difort and continue dealing with things that needed to be dealt with. Just like the interrogation of the rogues. Calpin needed to be brought down. It was clear he wouldn¡¯t stop before he killed Abby just to free himselfpletely from their conversation that day. He woulde back again and Micah was more worried that the dark magic user¡¯s target was not just him but his mate as well. So even if it took him everything and beyond his capabilities, he would take him down! ¡°Anything new?¡± He asked Dex, who stayed silent as if he needed to learn how to speak again, even though it had been five whole minutes since be entered the room. O L Chastity 73 ¡°This¡­ My King¡­¡± the royal gam ma hesitated a bit, feeling really unsure about the report he brought. ¡°Just say it and get done with it,¡± Micah almost got irked when the man hemmed and hawed for another minute. ¡°We just received a missive saying that the former King was also arriving,¡± the royal gam ma had a funny expression on his face, as if he didn¡¯t know how to make heads and tails of this situation, when it was the King who couldn¡¯t understand his garbling. ¡°Father?¡± He asked when Dex repeated his report, this time slowly. ¡°Yes, they are just a few minutes away from here,¡± the royal ga mma said. Apparently, Arthur had tagged along with the healers after learning about the situation here. ¡°I have been wondering why the healers aren¡¯t here even though it has been more than forty hours since they received my order. It¡¯s because Father is with them,¡± Micah contemted out loud. It seemed he couldn¡¯t dy dealing with the people from the pce for much longer. ** Arthur learned about Abby¡¯s condition when he saw the healers moring to leave the pce in a hurry after receiving a missive with Micah¡¯s seal on it. However, the missive was too short and didn¡¯t provide any details. It just said that the healers were summoned to treat Abby. ¡°Weren¡¯t there any healers in the Red River pack?!¡± He couldn¡¯t help butment, thinking the girl was either just acting too spoiled to make Micah mobilize the royal healers for her or just too weak until she couldn¡¯t be healed by that pack¡¯s healer. If it was the first case, she needed to be disciplined and taught some proper etiquette. If it was thetter, it could be even worse than the first one! Being a shifter, and the daughter of a beta, how could she be so weak?! L w ||| O But then he remembered how timid the girl was when he went to meet her, being unable to deal with Leon¡¯s, the former royal beta, constant nagging over his daughter¡¯s one month house arrest by Micah because his mate got hurt by some once in a million coincidence when Ruby took her out. Timid and weak! Arthur couldn¡¯t imagine how she would deal with serious problems by Micah¡¯s side as the Queen of this kingdom in the future. Just thinking about it gave him a headache and he immediately decided to follow the royal healers to the Red River pack. He would know why she needed them if he went there himself and if it was really proved that she was just going to be a burden to his son, then he would persuade his son it wasn¡¯t toote to just reject her directly! *** Micah was by Abby¡¯s side by the time the healers from the pce arrived at the Red River pack along with the former king. ¡°Micah, my son,¡± Arthur went forward to stand beside the King while the healers treated Abby. However, Micah didn¡¯t give him that chance as he walked out of the room before Arthur could even come near the threshold. And once he was out of the door, he/shut the door behind him as he pinned his father with a look, as if asking why he came here. Only Arthur acted like he couldn¡¯t read the hint at all as he questioned Micah immediately. ¡°What happened to her?¡± He tried to sound concerned, just to humor Micah, but the King wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to interfere in my mate¡¯s matters anymore?¡± He voiced his earlier non verbal question, leaving the former king with no other choice but drop the facade as well. Micah could immediately guess what his father was going to say, so he shut him up first. ¡°I don¡¯t need your advice. It would be wise of you to stay out of this,¡± Micah warned, indicating he didn¡¯t like Arthuring here at all. Chapter 76 Before Micah could close the door behind himself, trying to lock him out of this guest bedroom, Arthur caught a glimpse of Abby¡¯s face. And it was really haggard. The girl looked like she was on the death bed! ¡®She is so weak, Micah had to summon healers back from the pce!¡¯ How did the Moon Goddess bestow his son with such a fragile mate? The disappointment that flooded the former king¡¯s heart was unfathomable, imagining a queen as weak and timid as Abby ruling this kingdom along with his son, who had long forgotten how it would feel to be weak in any situation. They were pr opposites with nothing inmon, and she couldn¡¯t bring him any benefits whatsoever. She wasn¡¯t just a burden, she was a dead weight on Micah¡¯s shoulders. So when Micah told him off about himself interfering with Abby¡¯s matters, Arthur felt even more furious as he lost hisposure. ¡°Do you even understand how you are talking to your father?¡± He hollered at the King in his anger. They were in a corridor opposite from the wing Abby was being treated right now, while the guards left to give them space. However, Micah couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°I do. That is why I¡¯m being polite enough,¡± the King shot back. Arthur could understand what Micah meant by that. If it had been someone else, Micah would have let his ws do the talking for constantly pressuring himself to leave his destined mate. But it wasn¡¯t like the former king didn¡¯t know or understand how important a destined mate was to one. The problem here was; Micah had certain responsibilities and he would need someone who could share his burden, not add to his te. 1/7 ||| A And adding to his te was what Abby had been doing from the moment she came into his life! ¡°You understand nothing! Just open your eyes and look at her. She isn¡¯t suitable for you,¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t help but exim when his son remained adamant on deceiving himself to choose Abby blindly just because she was his mate. ¡°It isn¡¯t toote to reject her, you haven¡¯t even marked her yet, right? Deep down, you too knew she wasn¡¯t even strong enough to go through the marking process!¡± Arthur hit the nail on the head, but he was wrong about one thing. ¡°I have already marked her.¡± The King chose this moment to reveal it. ¡°And she is going to be my queen, whether you approve or not.¡± ¡°You did what?¡± Arthur was visibly shocked, but then he recovered quite quickly as he shot back. ¡°That is why she is lying in there? Falling beyond sick?¡± Hearing this, Micah couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. However, he didn¡¯t try to correct him. Instead he kept silent, letting hime up with his own stories. On the other hand, Arthur couldn¡¯t believe his son. How could he still indulge Abby when it was as clear as a day that she wasn¡¯t suitable for him? He even mobilized pce healers for her this time, he couldn¡¯t imagine what else he would do for her! Was he going to make people babysit her for their entire life? Micah could hear the wheels turning in his father¡¯s head, he was over worrying right now. But he still didn¡¯t make things clear with him. In fact, he wanted to anger Arthur so much, his father would just up and return to the pce. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Apart from not wanting to move Abby around too much while she was hurting so much, as it would take more than two days to reach the capital city from the Red River pack, Micah didn¡¯t want people from the pce to know how weak Abby was right now. Not because they would view her as someone weak, but because he didn¡¯t want any kind of information to reach Calpin. From the way things unfolded thus far, it was clear that there was a spy in the 2/7 ? A polse Sun the Je ws The Turber on anyone from the pale knew, the better. Moreover, once his further found we allow the rogues and Calpin, he would want to get inredved, which would only derail his own ne He couldn¡¯t afford to let that happen. ¡°It isn¡¯t as bad as it looks. I only called Nadia here, so that Abby could recover soon and we can get back early, Micah brushed Arthur off again. ¡°Not as bad as it looks? Then why did you stop me from greeting her?¡± Arthur jabbed, clearly not believing his son. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to disturb her,¡± Micah dismissed his father again. ¡°It is a wasted trip for you, you should leave.¡± After saying his peace, Micah mindlinked a royal warrior nearby to arrange for his father to return to the pce. ¡°I¡¯ve made arrangements, the carriage will be ready in fifteen minutes.¡± Saying this, the King gestured for the former king to leave. In the next second, Arthur could see a warrior rushing toward them to escort him outside. Arthur wanted to tell Micah that he would go nowhere until he found out why Abby couldn¡¯t heal his mark. However, the King didn¡¯t give him that chance as he started walking away first, but not before throwing a parting sentence over his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t think about any detours. And, Safe journey!¡± Arthur could only grit his teeth in frustration, watching Micah¡¯s back that disappeared around the corner. ¡°The situation doesn¡¯t look so good,¡± Nadia, the pce¡¯s head healer, couldn¡¯t help but point out the moment she noticed the raw bite mark on Abby¡¯s neck. Even though it was clear that it looked like a wound that was several days old, it 3/7 111 10:49 Sat, 23 Mar still didn¡¯t start to close. If anything, it looked like it was actually getting worse. It was swollen so much, she couldn¡¯t tell what caused the wound. Moreover, the other wounds on her body only made it seem like the girl had rolled down a mountain. ¡°What actually happened?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask when the girl looked like she would lose her life any moment now. ¡°How did she end up like this?¡± Nadia¡¯s voice broke at the end as she hurriedly checked on the girl, who was now lying motionless on the bed. The witch then gave her a brief rundown on the events that unfolded ten days ago, however, she didn¡¯t reveal too much. Even though Nadia could make use of all those details for Abby¡¯s treatment, she didn¡¯t think it was necessary to tell her everything. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t even her story to tell, while the King disappeared with the former king leaving his mate in her care. On the other hand, Nadia couldn¡¯t believe her ears when Mire said how they were attacked by a dark magic user. ¡°He used rogues to lure the King, and attacked Abby the moment he found a chance,¡± the witch passed Abby¡¯s burn wounds as Calpin¡¯s doing while Alyssa and Gloria, who didn¡¯t know the inside story couldn¡¯t discredit her. ¡°The King had to mark her in order to break the spell Calpin cast on her,¡± Mire said, making up yet another backstory for the forceful mark on the girl¡¯s neck, making the head healer gasp. ¡°He marked her forcefully?¡± Nadia repeated as she took a closer look at the gaping yet gory wound on Abby¡¯s neck. ¡°Yes, it just won¡¯t heal on top of all those burn wounds,¡± Mire finished, before turning to look at Abby. Even though Mire managed to put her to sleep two days back, just so Abby could avoid enduring all the pain, it was only turned out to be half sessful as the girl kept sweating profusely at times as if her body fighting Micah¡¯s mark because of the immense pain it continued to inflict on her body. 4/7 Meanwhile, the wounds she got from being burned by her own fire weren¡¯t to be taken lightly at all, as the girl wouldn¡¯t respond to any kind of treatment. Be it Gloria¡¯s healing power or Mire¡¯s fire magic, they had no effect on her. Their efforts weren¡¯t sufficient to alleviate the pain caused by the forceful mark Micah gave her, while the burn wounds only weakened her further until she couldn¡¯t even regain consciousness without feeling like her life was being sucked right out of her. On the other hand, the more details she heard, the harder Nadia¡¯s heart thumped as she couldn¡¯t even imagine what the girl had gone through. ¡°I¡¯ll try to close the wound first,¡± she said, as she cast her white healing light on Abby¡¯s neck. Her heart ached for Abby as she remembered how the girl had suffered severe burn wounds at a tender age of nine, which scarred her back pretty badly. That scar, which started from her neck, spanning over her left shoulder and covering most of her back, left Nadia gobsmacked the first time she saw it. Now she was involved in another fire, which turned her so weak, even the smallest scratch didn¡¯t heal even though it had been ten days since the incident. Nadia swore she wouldn¡¯t let any more of Abby¡¯s skin scar this time. Only she didn¡¯t expect to find it impossible to help close the wound on Abby¡¯s neck. She tried a second, third and fourth time, but the wound would just not close. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Nadia was shocked. Seeing this, Mire fell into a deep thought. ¡°Maybe because her system didn¡¯t realize it was a mark from the King at all.¡± Hearing this, the head healer felt it was possible. Abby was just concentrating on pain right now. So she didn¡¯t realize Micah had marked her, so her body didn¡¯t ept it yet. Moreover, because of excessive pain, Abby couldn¡¯t even regain her bearingspletely. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on reducing her pain first,¡± Gloria said, as she gestured for Mire toe closer as well. ¡°We will all cast our powers at once, it may have a positive effect.¡± With Nadia¡¯s aid, this time they were able to alleviate Abby¡¯s pain considerably, and immediately the girl stopped frowning in her sleep. ¡°This is at least some progress,¡± Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. And it was indeed progress, because Mire didn¡¯t have to make Abby stay unconscious with her fire magic anymore. Even though they didn¡¯tpletely remove her pain, at least it would be at a level that Abby could endure in the state she was in right now. And it would only be a matter of time before she would wake up! ****************** After Micah left him in the corridor, warning him to leave, Arthur didn¡¯t readily follow his son¡¯s arrangements. Instead, he silenced the warrior that came to pick him up with his authority and made the same guard call Alpha Samuel over right away. So here was the Alpha, standing in front of the former king with this troubled expression on his face, not knowing how to answer his questions. ¡°I don¡¯t really know anything,¡± Alpha Samuel said, choosing to liepletely. He didn¡¯t really understand why the King chose to keep Arthur in the dark about the rogues, until he came to him and asked him how Abby ended up in this situation. But, he knew it wasn¡¯t his ce to talk about the future queen. He wasn¡¯t the type of person to gossip either. Only the former king wasn¡¯t ready to let go of the matter no matter what. So after Arthur asked him for a third time, Alpha Samuel couldn¡¯t reject him anymore and told him everything that he knew. ¡°She had a power backsh while trying to save the King¡­¡± However, Arthur stopped him before he could continue. ¡°Her power backshed? How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how things work with magic users,¡± Alpha Samuel said, genuinely unsure of it. ¡°Magic user? Abby is a magic user?¡± Arthur¡¯s voice was a mirror of genuine surprise, but then his expression turned even sour. Witches were rare in this kingdom for a reason. They weren¡¯t weed here. At all! Chapter 77 After dismissing his father and making arrangements for him to return to the pce, Micah rushed to the guest bedroom, where Abby was being treated. Even though he tried hard to cut his conversation with Arthur short, it still extended more than he liked and Micah felt annoyed for not being able to stay beside Abby while she needed him. Even while talking with his father, all he could think about was Abby. Since her mark hadn¡¯t started healing, their bond was still fragile even though it had been ten days since he marked her. He could only sense her emotions very vaguely, until her excruciating pain only amounted to an utterly slight difort in his chest. So, he wasn¡¯t really sure what was happening with her and it didn¡¯t sit well with him. However, only when he hurried to her side did he realize that summoning Nadia was a better call. ¡®How did it go?¡± Micah questioned the healer as he could see there was no frown on Abby¡¯s face anymore. ¡°We managed to reduce the pain, but the wound won¡¯t close¡­¡± Nadia was hesitant to continue. ¡°She hadn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± MIcah finished for her as he sat on the chair ced right beside the bed, holding Abby¡¯s hand. ¡°Anything serious with the mark?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure yet. But once Abby wakes up, we are assuming it will start to heal.¡± It was Mire, who answered the King this time. And Micah understood what she wasn¡¯t actually saying. Even he had that theory. Maybe Abby didn¡¯t even r¨¦alize she was marked, because of how weak her body was now, coupled with the muscle burning pain his forceful mark inflicted on her. At least, it didn¡¯t get infected like they feared. So after receiving a brief rundown on her condition, he dismissed the four women before heid beside his mate. O After ten days, Micah was finally able to breathe a little easier. Abby would wake up without feeling like drowning in pain and agony this time. And once she woke up, he hoped her healing process would improve. ********** Micah didn¡¯t know when he fell asleep, but by the time he came to himself, he realized he was being hugged tightly by someone. They were holding onto him as if he was their lifeline, but he didn¡¯t feel any difort from their touch. If anything, he enjoyed their hands on him. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. And when he finally opened his eyes, he could see Abby hugging him firmly, as she mumbled about in her sleep. Her voice was so raspy, maybe because it had been a while since she had actually spoken, other than screaming in pain. On a second thought, her throat might have be ufortable after screaming incessantly. So, it took him more than a minute to understand what she was mumbling. ¡°Mi¡­. cah¡­ whe¡­ re¡­ are¡­. you¡­?¡± The king felt like chuckling after understanding her words. She was searching for him, while holding onto him. But then he remembered her wounds and tried to unsp her hands from around his waist, but Abby wouldn¡¯t cooperate. ¡°D- don¡¯t¡­ go, Mi¡­ cah.¡± Hearing her, Micah didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. It was clear she wasn¡¯t fully awake yet, and her pain was greatly reduced if she could ignore her wounds and hug him like this, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be wise enough to aggravate her wounds. So, Micah could only resort to talking to a half asleep Abby. ¡°Abby, little one, let up. I¡¯m not going anywhere!¡± He whispered to her as he rubbed her hair, which was now cut into half of its original length. Her hair caught fire during her power bacsh, and Micah didn¡¯t have another choice but to snip off the damaged hair, until it was only half of her actual length. ||| O < Abby was going to have it with him after she realized what happened to her beautiful long hair. Meanwhile, it seemed Abby could hear his words as she nodded her head, which was on his chest, but then she hissed hard. Micah could feel blood seeping into his shirt the next moment and immediately realized she aggravated the mark. ¡°Little one, don¡¯t t aggravate your mark further,¡± Micah whisper-shouted, as he reached out to hold Abby¡¯s hand that was about to seek her neck as if the girl wanted to swat away the difort she felt there. Immediately, the girl gasped. ¡°Mark?¡± Abby tried to shout, but it came out muffled, as a result of her mouth being pressed into Micah¡¯s upper arm. So she pulled her head back a little, even though her eyes were still closed, as she asked the same question again. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve marked you,¡± the King revealed, thinking this wouldn¡¯t register in the girl¡¯s mind as she was still half asleep. He even proceeded to recall why he did what he did ten days back out loud, recounting every little detail, starting from Calpin¡¯s attack to her power bacsh, then to him marking her. He didn¡¯t bother to think about how much of their conversation she would remember when she woke up, or if she would forget it altogether. He just didn¡¯t want her to aggravate her condition, and if talking to her was giving her the reassurance that he wouldn¡¯t go anywhere, then talking was what he would do. No matter how long. However, he didn¡¯t realize how Abby was humming softly after each sentence of his, or how she didn¡¯t interrupt him even once. And as if she could really understand his exnation, Micah felt her loosen her hands around his waist, which made him suspect if she regained her consciousness. ¡°Abby, little one, you can hear me?¡± Micah asked the girl, even though his question didn¡¯t make any sense even to himself. However, there was no more response from the girl as she didn¡¯t even hum after him. ||| < He couldn¡¯t detect any resistance from her when he slipped out of her arms and the bed either. ¡°Maybe she fell asleep again..¡± Micah didn¡¯t have any other theory to describe what actually happened just now. However, before he could think of shaking the girl awake, someone knocked on the door. In the next second, a guard¡¯s voice traveled into the room. ¡°My King, I have something to deliver to you.¡± Micah hesitated for a moment before walking toward the door and opened it to receive the report. ¡°Proceed,¡± he allowed the guard to talk from across the threshold as he stood in the door. ¡°We just received a few reports to be delivered to you,¡± the guard said, looking at the missives in his hands. The King could only walk the guard away from this room as he entered the room adjacent to deal with the reports first. Abby had slipped back into slumber anyway, even if she woke up, he wouldn¡¯t be too far to reach her later. However, he didn¡¯t know he would rush back to the guest bedroom for an entirely different reason two hourster. And when he dide back, he couldn¡¯t help but curse at himself for not thinking through his decision to mark her hastily. Because of it, now Abby had gone into heat! Chapter 78 ¡°I¡¯ve marked you.¡± 4 Ê¢ 72% 11:35 +5 A familiar voice rang`in Abby¡¯s ears, even though it sounded too faint as if her ears were stuffed with cotton. ¡°You had a power bacsh¡­¡± The same voice reverberated while she contemted over the words her mind kept reying every other second. She didn¡¯t know how long it took her to ce the voice, but the realization hit her suddenly and she couldn¡¯t help but smile when she finally had an answer. It was Micah¡¯s voice. Her mate. ¡°I had to cut your hair¡­¡± ¡®What???¡¯ Abby wanted to scream, but she couldn¡¯t find her voice. What did he say he had done? ¡°Calpin attacked me after trapping us both in fire¡­¡± ¡®Calpin Abby felt like she heard this name somewhere¡­ But where? ¡°That bas tar d dark magic user escaped while your power got out of control¡­¡± Calpin? Dark magic user? ¡°I had to mark you to stop you¡­¡± ¡°To stop me?¡¯ Why? ¡°You were about to burn everything¡­¡± Burn everything¡­ Fire¡­ In the next moment, Abby felt like her head would explode with the speed the memories flooded her mind. All she could see was fire, as pain circuited through her nerves¡­ The pain was so intense she could still feel it in her bones. All she could remember was pain while ? ? M tuna MMB BBBB what had transpired around her evaded her grasp $ 72% 11:35 But then something even more annihtive hit her neck so hard and so fast, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it had broken. The pain that she suffered being surrounded by fire as it burned wounds into her body was nothing compared to this sharp convulsion in her neck. It left her overwhelmed until she lost all senses and then nothing¡­ It was all nk. Maybe she had fainted? And by the time the memories slowed down shing before eyes, the voice near her ears disappeared somehow. Thefortable feeling she had when his words echoed in her ears disappeared as well, as it was soon reced with this strange yet disorienting feeling. Was it because of the wounds from the fire? Speaking of wounds, she could feel the right side of her neck throbbing a little, like a dull ache. Was it really the mark? Like Micah¡¯s voice said¡­ T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Not some lethal attack by that Calpin? Or did she just imagine half of the things because of her muddled mind space..? Abby didn¡¯t know¡­ She wanted to reach out and check the wound, but her body wasn¡¯t really under her control, while her difort only sp iked further as she started feeling really hot. ¡°So hot¡­¡± Abby couldn¡¯t put a finger on what was happening to her. She suddenly developed this need to fill this void which appeared out of nowhere. It started as a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. But now, it was so intense, the girl started sweating buckets. What was happening to her? Arthur couldn¡¯t believe his son¡¯s luck at all. Out of all people in this realm, if not this kingdom, he was actually bestowed with a mate so weak 172% 11:36 even the pack children would seem stronger than her. And to top it off, she wasn¡¯t even aplete shifter. From what Alpha Samuel told him, She could use fire magic, even though not as skillfully as Mire, another witch from the Red River pack. So she was a magic user, albeit an amateur! But only magic users could give birth to one. Meanwhile, Beta Ryan was clearly a shifter. So her mother was a witch? Meaning, the girl was actually half a witch! And this exined a lot why she was so weak. If she were to mother Micah¡¯s children, the heirs of this kingdom¡¯s royal lineage, they would be even weaker! What rotten luck was this?! ** **** After sending the guard away, Micah sat with the reports to deal with them, so he could go back and apany Abby as soon as possible. But he didn¡¯t realize he would spend more time than he expected as there were many reports from n, his royal beta, alone. He was asking him when they would return as there were many people showing impatience that the King disappeared soon after he came back, along with his mate. First, Micah went on a visiting spree as he went to every pack in his kingdom just so he could find his mate. They were all happy that the King had finally found his destined mate, which only meant his reign. would be stable. However, he left after just a few days again, without even discussing with the elders or his council first, while the rogues were still wreaking havoc in several parts of the capital city. They weren¡¯t happy about it at all! It seemed like Micah had actually be irresponsible after getting a mate! Because they learned the trip was somehow rted to Abby and now the girl had even fallen sick! Such a bad luck bringer! So n felt it would be for the best if Micah could return as soon as possible, so that Abby wouldn¡¯t ignite the ire of the elders or his council. Reading his letter, Micah couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. + 72% 11:36 +5 How did the truth behind his trip to the Red River pack get out? But then he didn¡¯t have enough time to worry about the news leak as he picked up a paper to write back to n. However, before he could dip the quill in the ink to write that they would set out as soon as Abby woke up, a sweet smell reached his senses distracting his thoughts. It was Abby¡¯s scent, only a bit too strong. So, he didn¡¯t think much about it even though his body reacted without his knowledge. But then, the scent only intensified with each second that passed and Micah started to feel his body reacting to it the longer he inhaled her scent that suddenly became beyond pleasant. Then it hit him. But he didn¡¯t dare to think in that direction. Because the timing couldn¡¯t be worse than this. However, her fragrant scent only turned even more delicious, leaving the King with no other choice but to ept the reality. He immediately rushed to their bedroom and the scene before his eyes made him curse under his breath. The girl was twisting and turning on the bed while pulling at her clothes restlessly. Half of her body was already out of her dress, revealing so much skin the King felt his own body heat up. So he quickly shut the door behind him with a bang and locked it. ¡°Da mn it!¡± He cursed under his breath as her scent was even more strong, being this close. Why wouldn¡¯t it be? She was having her first heat and in a state where she wasn¡¯t even aware of her surroundings, which was clear from the way she couldn¡¯t even acknowledge the loud bang of the door. She didn¡¯t even regain her consciousnesspletely, and now this¡­ And to make things worse, neither his mind nor his body were strong enough to ignore such temptation from his mate right now. But he knew he couldn¡¯t give into it, because Abby¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. ¹þ 72% 11:36 +5 So he willed his body to calm down as he turned around to go and help Abby rearrange her clothes, so he could call over the witch and the healers to help her. If they could just do something to stop Abby from feeling ufortable first, then put her back to sleep, it would pass and Abby would be able to recover without any dy. What he didn¡¯t expect was for the girl to actually remove all her outer garments as shey there just in her undergarments by the time he closed the door and turned back around to go to her¡­ Micah immediately ran to the bed as he collected her clothes that she threw away aimlessly and tried to put them on her, but to no avail. Instead, the girl kept pushing away the robes the moment Micah tried to cover her up. ¡°Little one, just calm down for a second,¡± the King told her as he tried again, this time wanting to at least cover her with the nket. ¡°No, it¡¯s too hot,¡± Abby mumbled under her breath as she kicked away the nket this time. ¡°Abby, little one, stop moving for a second!¡± Micah almost shouted when the girl twisted too hard a wound on her thigh reopened and blood seeped into the sheets beneath her. Only the girl wasn¡¯t in a state to understand his words or worries at all. In fact, the girl chose to do something bold just when the King contemted whether he should just call Mire and the others over, as they had already seen the scars on her back. ¡°Help me, please,¡± Abby said as she pulled the small string tied to the side of her undergarment, revealing her breasts to the King¡¯s eyes. Micah scrambled to stop Abby from doing something even more bold, as he grabbed both of her hands and pinned them high above her head, but then he found himself straddling across her waist where he hovered above her. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I had in mind at all!¡± However, he couldn¡¯t find a better way to hold her down while dressing her up at this moment. What he didn¡¯t expect was for the girl to find another way to torture him as she started to struggle beneath him, which only caused the material around her upper body toe loosepletely as her already pebbled cherry pink nipples came into his line of sight. ¡°Da mn my life!¡± The King cursed as he mbered to retie the undergarment around her body, only the girl didn¡¯t give him that chance as she actually lifted her upper body to rub against his own hard one. It instantly made him shudder in pleasure, as the soft curves of her body teased him to no end. And he made his umpteenth mistake sinceing into this room following her sweet smell a few minutes back. 72% 11:36 He looked at her face! +5 Up until now, he refrained from doing so because he knew he couldn¡¯t trust himself with her after looking at her face. Her expressions, feelings and emotions could talk to his soul, mind and body in a way he couldn¡¯t deny any of her requests from the very moment they met. So he wisely chose to avoid looking at her face, but now, his eyes strayed to her face without his control and he knew he was doomed. The pure want for him on her face, even though it was because of the heat, undid him in just a matter of a few nanoseconds and the King couldn¡¯t help but groan loudly. ¡°I knew you were going to be the death of me the moment I met you.¡± Her face was so red from her heat while her eyes were moist with unshed tears as she smiled in content while seeking the coolness of his body. The sight left him frustrated beyond possibilities as he realized he might not be able to keep his grip over himself. He underestimated the intensity with which her heat hit her! And then as if a butterfly pulling the whiskers of a lion, as if it didn¡¯t know the meaning of fear, Abby started to moan in delight and Micah could swear it was the sweetest symphony he ever heard. ¡°You are killing me, little one,¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but utter as he realized it was toote now. Abby wouldn¡¯t be able to wait much longer before she lost herself in the heat. But he was really reluctant to give into his own needs after these ten days that he carried the guilt of marking her forcefully around. Not to mention she was not in her right mind space at this moment. The King felt doing anything right now would only be seen as him taking advantage of her. And he didn¡¯t want that! Chapter 79 * D94% 12:32 +5 Watching her suffer from his forceful mark these ten days firsthand was something Micah never wanted a repeat of. Her blood curdling screams when she first gained some of her consciousness two days ago would forever haunt him. Even now, when he thought about the way Alyssa and Gloria had to hold down Abby just so Mire could put her back to sleep because she was hurting too much, the King couldn¡¯t help but feel like punching himself. Calpin was originally aiming for him, but instead of taking enough precautions to deal with the dark magic user first, he actually underestimated his enemy just like that bas ta rd dark magic user wanted and walked straight into his trap. He should have expected her to follow him and must have made arrangements ordingly. That one miscalcted step from himselfnded both of them in that situation. And to save himself, this foolish girl threw herself before him, until she ended up like this. So the King was really hesitant to touch her right now. Abby was clouded by the desire bloomed from the heat, which was also a result of his mark. He didn¡¯t think it was right to do something so precious like iming her for the first time in the heat of the moment. She was very weak right now, if he gave in to her, he couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen. That was why he wanted to take the witch and the healer¡¯s help. But he couldn¡¯t rely on that idea anymore, when Abby looked like,she was beyond lost in the heat right now. ¡°Little one, just endure it for a while. It will pass soon,¡± Micah said, sounding hopeful yet doubtful at the same time. Hopeful because she looked a little calm after heid beside her and let her hold him. 1/5 X * D94% 12:32 +5 Doubtful because he knew just hugging wouldn¡¯t soothe her need. So he tried to help her by holding her waist while kissing her gently. But the girl actually became restless again, leaving the King speechless. Why did it seem like he actually made the situation worse? The King felt like face palming himself for trying something so detrimental. So he stopped and tried to hold her again, which only seemed to aggravate her as she started to struggle, albeit weakly, as she moaned in pain ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It seemed he took too long to realize Abby¡¯s heat was unusually intense, even though it was her first time, the King had no other choice but to sumb in the end as Abby started to cry from pain. ¡°P- pain¡­¡± the girl moaned in agony as her voice dropped into a wheezing noise. ¡°Little one, what happened? Where are you hurting?¡± The King asked her immediately, feeling flustered at her words. ¡°S- so p- pain¡­ ful¡­¡± Saying these two words, Abby started tearing up, as tears streamed down her face while her already red face flushed even more. ¡°Little one, where are you hurting?!¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but exim, scared she might have aggravated any wounds as he swiftly checked on her body. Only he couldn¡¯t find anything like that happening, while he couldn¡¯t detect any scent of her blood permeating into the air around them. But the girl wouldn¡¯t stop crying as her voice turned even more pitiful as she kept twisting in his arms. Only then did the King realize that he had dealt with her heatpletely in the wrong way. She was hurting because of the heat. 2/5 X How could her first heat be so powerful that she was hurting this much? Maybe because she was still recovering?! The King didn¡¯t know anymore¡­ On the other hand, Abby¡¯s breathing started to bebored as her body heated up even more. +5 Arthur thought of talking to Micah about his decision to make Abby the future queen once again. However, his son¡¯s words kept reverberating at the back of his mind. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡®She would be my queen, with or without you approval.¡¯ Coupled with this, he couldn¡¯t stomach the way Micah talked to him at all. ¡°If he didn¡¯t even try to listen to me the first or second time, would there be any change the third time he tried?¡± The former king couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists when he knew the exact answer to this dilemma. His son was stubborn to a fault and he knew exactly how to deal with him. He was going to involve the elders and the pce council in this matter. He was pretty confident that Micah would have no other choice but to give in to them all, once he realized how he couldn¡¯t see the bigger picture blinded by love. ¡°He didn¡¯t even hesitate to hide the fact that he has been attacked,¡± Arthur thought out loud, as he pinned Alpha Samuel with a hard gaze. From Arthur¡¯s perspective, it looked like the enemy escaped because Micah was distracted by his compulsion to save Abby. He actually marked her to save her. And to top it off, Micah lost the enemy, who actually made hundreds of rogues terrorize the people of the capital city and killed hundreds of pack members of the ck w pack. 3/5 Emergency calls only M ¡°This is not eptable at all!¡± 12:32 094% +5 He needed to put his idea into action as soon as possible if wanted to stop his son¡¯s madness¡­ Once the elders and the pce council talked to him, he would have no other choice but to leave her. With his next step carefully calcted, Arthur immediately set off from the Red River pack. However, before he left he didn¡¯t forget to warn the Alpha. He knew his son very well. If he had any kind of heads up, he was capable of turning the tables into his own favor. So he was actually forced to do something so lowly like ckmailing the Alpha of a small pack. He didn¡¯t know how many struggles he had to face and how low he would have to go to save his son and this kingdom from falling into the hands of an incapable queen! All the hesitation he felt to touch her flew out of the window once Micah realized there was only one way to help Abby. The girl was in so much pain, she couldn¡¯t help but cry out of frustration when she couldn¡¯t even understand why she was hurting to the point of hyperventting. The King couldn¡¯t bear to see her hurting, so he could onlye to grips with the fact that he had to give her what he wanted if he did not want to let her condition worsen further. He swiftly made up his mind as he got rid of his own clothes, and then her undergarments before he started kissing her. This time a little roughly, not wanting to aggravate her by making her feel less satisfied, but his hands were gentle as he pleasured the girl. He was really careful during the whole ordeal, letting her take the lead by guiding her to keep her more comfortable. However, the King couldn¡¯t help but worry when her heat wouldn¡¯t pass even though it had been hours since it started. 4/5 X Instead, Abby passed out when the sun was about to rise, giving the King a scare. Chapter 80 Even before the sun could rise, both Nadia and Mire were summoned to this guest bedroom provided for Micah and Abby, where they could see them both wearing only a pair of sleeping robes each. Micah dressed them both with whatever he could grab when he mind¨Clinked the warriors to call the healer and the witch over. ¡°She¡­¡± Micah hesitated for a moment, but then waking Abby up seemed much more important than how they viewed his actions when his mate was clearly battered. But then, it seemed he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the fact he did it with Abby when the evidence was so strong in the air even if he wanted to. Not to mention the state they were both in right now. ¡°She went into heatst night¡­¡± Micah started and saw no surprise on their faces. However, when the King said that Abby passed out after their deed, Nadia immediately rushed to check on the girl, only to be surprised to find her just sleeping peacefully. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°My King, she is just sleeping,¡± the healer immediately told him, but the man only asked her to diagnose Abby again. ¡°I don¡¯t think she is hurt.¡± Even Mire confirmed the same thing, but the King didn¡¯t look convinced at all. Nadia could understand why Micah insisted on not believing them. ¡°My King, she is just exhausted,¡± Nadia said, looking like she could be patient enough to exin to the King that in no way he contributed to worsening her condition no matter how many times. On the other hand, Mire looked like she couldn¡¯t even repeat her sentences more than once when faced with this over worried man.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But then, Micah couldn¡¯t be med for reacting over the top. He was already feeling guilty for marking her forcefully, even though he did it to save herself. At the back of his mind, he knew he had been more than careful when touching her. But with his guilt already ruling his heart, the King was afraid he had done something to hurt Abby again, unconsciously, until she passed out. ¡°King Micah, your mate is just sleeping after a strenuous exercise since she had been low on energy for the past. few days,¡± Mire said, word to word, as if gathering everyst bit of her energy. Only then did the King stop for a moment and try to calm himself down first. And after asking to reconfirm their diagnosis of Abby that she didn¡¯t get any new wounds, Micah sent them away as he stayed with Abby to apany her. [Don¡¯t disturb me no matter what happens,] Micah mindlinked Dex after they left when he asked the King what happened. The royal gamma immediately understood what the King meant, and left to deal with the less important reports himself first. It took Abby more than twenty four hours to wake up while Micah spent staring at her, letting her sleep it off just like Mire and Nadia told him. It was nearly afternoon the next day Abby finally woke up and Micah dreaded the very first words that would leave her lips. But then, he doubted she might scream even more harder than thest time the moment she showed some signs of waking up. However, nothing like that happened as the girl simply searched the room she was in until her eyes fell on him after opening her eyes. Immediately, she opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, but then she choked on air as her throat was so dry. Even before her eyes could search for water, Micah was there by her side with a ss of water. Abby was about to reach for the ss when Micah held out a hand as if to gesture for herself to stop for a moment. ¡°Little one, let me help you.¡± The King readjusted the pillows behind her before bringing the ss to her lips, so that she wouldn¡¯t choke on the water. Abby felt like her soul just re¨Cmmed into her body the moment the first yet tentative sip hit her throat, moistening it sweetly. She greedily gulped down the entire ss, until she started panting for breath. ¡°Easy, little one,¡± Micah said as he put the ss on the bedside table. By the time he turned around to face her again, he could see Abby staring at himzily. Micah sat on the edge of the bed as he leaned forward to look closely at her face. It was clear she was still low on energy, but she didn¡¯t look like she was in any pain. ¡°How are you feeling, little one?¡± Micah asked hesitantly, still half believing that Abby would start crying that she was in pain any moment now. ¡°A lot better,¡± Abby told him in a soft voice, but the King couldn¡¯t take her words for what they were. ¡°Are you hurting anywhere? I can call the healer right away,¡± Micah said, as he turned toward the door to holler for the guards outside to summon Nadia and Mire. However, Abby reached out her hand to hold his hand and stopped him while saying she wasn¡¯t hurt anywhere. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Micah,¡± she said, looking straight into his eyes which were filled with worry. But then as if remembering something, she sought the right side of her neck, where his mark was. Seeing this, Micah was immediately rmed. ¡°Did it get bad?¡± The King felt his heart thud in his chest when he thought the mark hadn¡¯t healed yet and got worse instead. ¡°No, I¡¯m just checking it,¡± Abby said as she caressed the edges of the wound, but then hissed a little. ¡°I¡¯ll call Nadia,¡± Micah announced, as he stood up to run for the door. ¡°Nadia?! The pce healer?¡± Abby was shocked. ¡°Yes, the royal healer,¡± Micah confirmed. However, before he could get uppletely from bed, Abby pulled him back to herself, which almost made the King crash into her. Thank heavens, he got quick reflexes as he was able to stop himself from falling on top of her, as he quickly supported his body with his own hands on either side of her body. ¡°What are you doing, little one?!¡± Micah almost shouted, deeming Abby didn¡¯t have any survival instincts at all. She was already weak and hurting, but still had no fear. However, before he could panic even more about how himself falling on her would have hurt her yet again, Abby silenced him with her words. ¡°I just touched the mark wrongly, it isn¡¯t hurting. I¡¯m really fine, okay?¡± Abby felt like she would spend what was left of her meager energy on convincing Micah to believe that she was really fine. ¡°I¡¯m not making it up, Micah.¡± The girl could only emphasize it when she noticed the doubtful look in his eyes. Even though she couldn¡¯t remember everything after she fell unconscious, his words that kept ringing in her ears before her body started feeling hot made her realize how guilty Micah was feeling for marking her forcefully. And she could remember what happened between themst night, even though not to thest detail. She remembered the way he touched her carefully like she was a porcin doll and couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for scaring him so much. ¡°Really?¡± He asked her again, and only sat back down beside her when she nodded her head in reassurance. ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Abby started, teasing the King for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m really hungry right now.¡± Micah felt like face¨Cpalming himself when he heard her stomach growl, seconding her im. ¡°Just a second,¡± Micah said, as he stood up to retrieve the soup he made them prepare for her in the morning. Micah could finally sleep with a piece of mind this night. Over turning all their expectations, especially his own fears, Abby actually started looking better after their mating. Even though he had his doubts, the girl didn¡¯t oncein that she was in pain even after it had been a day since she woke up¡­ Even her mark started to heal, leaving Nadia and the others dumbfounded. Her sickly pale face started to show some color after he made her drink soup with medicines every two hours without fail. Abby felt like falling unconscious again when the King took care of her in person, that too following a strict routine. Even if she fell asleep, he would wake her up and pour the bitter soup down her throat. ¡°Micah, I can¡¯t drink it anymore,¡± Abby pleaded with him, tears hanging to hershes. The medicine was so bitter, she felt like throwing up, but her mate wouldn¡¯t concede. Without any other choice, Abby had to pinch her nose and gulp it down quickly. However, this time, Micah actually stuffed a sweet candy in her mouth the moment the bowl left her lips. The King had Gloria prepare them after hearing his matein about the bitter medicine every other minute. Abby felt so grateful for the sweetness that exploded in her mouth, she felt like kissing her mate, only she wasn¡¯t given a chance as Micah looked like he had something important to tell her. ¡°What is it?¡± Abby asked Micah, as she chewed on her candy. The King waited until she could drink a ss of water after finishing her candy as he took her right hand into his own hands. He didn¡¯t know if it was the right time to divulge this news to her, but the thing he wanted to tell her couldn¡¯t wait anymore because he wanted for them to leave as soon as possible. And it should be dealt with before they leave here. Chapter 81 ¡°Hanna is here,¡± Micah finally said after contemting for a whole minute. He was nning for them to leave the Red River pack and go back to the pce once Abby was cleared to set out on that long and arduous journey. After all, it would take at least two days to reach the capital city and he didn¡¯t want to make Abby suffer through it. So he dyed it until she could recover enough to embark on that journey. Meanwhile, Hanna¡¯s matter couldn¡¯t be dyed any more because the decision had to be made by Abby. He could have let the woman follow them to the capital, but he wasn¡¯t sure if that was what Abby wanted. Even though he knew how she loved her older sister when they were kids after seeing her memories while marking her, he couldn¡¯tprehend her emotions after all the abuse the woman put her through all these years. Abby craved love from her and Beta Ryan, their father, for ten years, but was turned away every single time. She was pushed away by them until she couldn¡¯t even decide to continue to hate them or save them when Micah decided to exile them from his kingdom. She stayed silent then, but he wanted to let her decide what she wanted to do with her own sister this time. On the other hand, Abby was stumped for a moment when Micah suddenly mentioned her sister¡¯s name. ¡°Hanna? My¡­¡± She stopped half way through her question and Micah could see the turmoil in her eyes. Abby couldn¡¯t even say the word sister because every time she addressed Hanna with that rtion, she would always end up punishing her twice as hard. Her rebuttal would always be the same as well. ¡°I¡¯m no sister to a monster like you.¡± Her voice would always be so menacing, Abby remembered screaming ¡®you are the real monsterl¡¯ in her sister¡¯s face once. But the consequences were so dire, where Hanna made her beg for forgiveness by kowtowing to her until she passed out. Only she didn¡¯t let her go even then, as she was forced to continue kowtowing to Hanna right after she regained consciousness. Abby felt her eyes tear up at the memory and through their mate bond, Micah could vaguely hear her thoughts. He couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists when he realized the exact moment she was thinking about. However, before he could let his urge to punch the woman to death overwhelm his senses, he heard Abby asking him something. ¡°How?¡± Just a single word question! Abby didn¡¯t understand how her sister ended up in this Red River pack when both her and their father were banned from this kingdom. Micah immediately exined to her the events that transpired after she fell unconscious and how they couldn¡¯t find a single clue on Calpin¡¯s whereabouts. Up until now, they didn¡¯t talk about what happened before she woke up. So the King took this chance to update her briefly. ¡°She is one of the rogues we captured¡­¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but search Abby¡¯s face when he told her this slowly. And when Abby understood what he meant, she couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the realization. What were the odds? ¡°So, do you want to meet her?¡± The King asked her finally when she didn¡¯t say anything after learning Hanna fell into Calpin¡¯s hands. From what Micah said, all the other rogues were killed. Only Hanna was spared because she was her older sister. He didn¡¯t shift her to the pack house and was still keeping her in the dungeon. But the question was; did she want to meet her? What would she do after that? Talk to her? About what? She didn¡¯t even know how she felt about meeting Hanna. So she told him the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Abby said atst. Micah could understand her. So he told her to think it over. ¡°We will most likely leave in three days. So you can take your time,¡± the King said, k*ssing her forehead as heid her on the bed, so she could take a small nap before dinner. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t fall asleep after learning about this sudden turn of events. Moreover, if Hanna had be Calpin¡¯s puppet? Where was Ryan, their father? Was he also under Calpin¡¯s influence? If he was? Did he die in the battle? Or was he still with Calpin? If he wasn¡¯t? What happened to him? All kinds of thoughts gued Abby¡¯s mind, and Micah could hear half of them. However, he didn¡¯t try to interrupt her thoughts and waited until she fell asleep and then went to the room next door where his royal ga mma was waiting for him to report something. ¡°My King, something big happened in the capital,¡± Dex told the King as soon as he closed the door behind him ¡°Be specific,¡± Micah said to his royal ga mma who looked beyond flustered. ¡°The elders and the royal council sent a missive¡­¡± Micah was confused for a moment when Dex said that the elders and the royal council were urging him to return to the capital as soon as possible. ¡°They found out about the attack,¡± Micah said, after taking a look at all the missives he received from the capital. Micah was so livid he couldn¡¯t help but m the table hard, right where the missives were ced, sending them all flying into the air. He warned his father not to take detours but he seemed to have done the exact opposite. Who did he target for his answers? But then, he was talking about the former king of this kingdom. It was a no brainer he would have one or two tricks up his sleeve to get what he wanted. He underestimated his father¡¯s tendency to poke his head into things he wasn¡¯t supposed to worry about. Now he instigated the entire pce against him. All of this was going to turn into an epic of epic cluster f ucks¡­ Arthur believed with all of his heart that he was doing the right thing. Abby was neither correct for his son, Micah, nor for the position of the queen of this kingdom.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Someone so weak as her would be thest candidate to be entrusted with such high responsibilities. But when his son couldn¡¯t see it, nor was he ready to understand where his own father wasing from in this matter, until he was asking himself to reject his own mate, Arthur decided to involve people who could make Micah bend his will. And he didn¡¯t hesitate to set his n into motion the moment he returned to the pce. However, he let someone else do the dirty work for him. Someone who hated Abby more than himself and would be the first person to celebrate if Micah threw her away. ¡°How could he hide something this big from us?¡± Mark, one of the elders, looked really disappointed when Leon,the former royal beta, finished reporting ¡®his findings¡¯ to the elders as per Arthur¡¯s instructions. ¡°He even marked that Abby girl in a rush and kept it a secret¡­¡± Gavin, another elder, said, rubbing his chin. They couldn¡¯t understand Micah¡¯s reasons for keeping something so important like marking his mate or dealing with a powerful enemy, who seemed to have escaped. ¡°Beats me. He never went out of his way or forgot his responsibilities in the past,¡± Leon supplied, cu nningly directing their lines of thought. And just as he predicted, the elders¡¯ faces turned hard when they realized what changed in Micah¡¯s life. His mate came into it! Just as they connected the incidents to Abby¡¯s arrival like he wanted, Leon dropped another bomb on them. ¡°They say she is half a witch, born to a witch mother and shifter father,¡± the former royal beta said, and saw how their expressions twisted even more with the reveal. Once he was done doing his part, he left the meeting hall with this cu nning smirk on his face. He had already instigated the royal council until they couldn¡¯t wait to chew the head of the King out and make him leave that Abby. How dare she be an inconvenience in his daughter¡¯s life? The King actually punished his daughter for something she wasn¡¯t responsible for just because Abby got lost while Ruby was with her. Arthur chose Leon for this job for this exact reason. He didn¡¯t think he himself could be as cu nning as that old fox of his former royal beta when executing such jobs like provoking people, Leon had always been well versed in such things. He knew exactly what to say and now, the entire pce would be on his side with no doubt. He would see how his son was going to shut them all up like he did his own father. When the time came, he would be the one to stay silent for not having suitable reasons for his actions. He actually let a dangerous enemy escape because of his mate, which was utterly uneptable for a ruler when he was supposed to look at the bigger picture and act ordingly. ¡°My King, what should we do now?¡± Alpha Samuel asked Micah as he looked at the new information they received on the impending rogue attack. Just as Micah called the Alpha to arrange for his departure as soon as possible, they received a report stating that there was going to be another rogue attack. Now they fell into a dilemma, as they had to make a hard decision over whether the King should leave to calm down the people from the pce or stay behind to deal with the rogues. Chapter 82 Abby woke up with a start and realized she was all alone in the bedroom. She remembered Micah saying he would join her for dinner and how she begged him that she wanted to have her dinner in the dining hall. The girl had been literally cooped up in this room for almost fifteen days, albeit she only remembered spending three of those confined in here, she couldn¡¯t help but feel suffocated a little. On the other hand, she didn''t want to drink that bitter soup alone for her meals anymore. So she used up all of her energy trying to convince the King. But he didn¡¯t buy it at all, he even caught her lie. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can avoid taking medicine if you start having normal meals,¡± the King teased her, hittin nail on the head and Abby could only deny to the end that she was just aiming for getting some fresh air. ¡°I didn¡¯t know dining halls provide the purest air,¡± Micah quipped, but his mate wasn¡¯t ready to back down at all. ¡°I¡¯ll take the corridor adjacent to the garden on my way there,¡± Abby countered, effectively leaving the King speechless. He narrowed his eyes at her cheeky behavior, feeling tongue tied because he knew she would say she wanted to take a walk right after having dinner. However, he didn¡¯t think it was wise enough to roam around before she recovered at least half of her energy. She had to promise him that she would be extra careful and let him know if she felt any difort right away. Only after a lot of promises and cajoling did he finally ept her request. Thinking about all of that now, she felt like she overdid it. ¡°Micah had definitely caught her lie.¡± But since he didn¡¯t point it out, nor had he denied her request, Abby brushed it off as well and called Alyssa over to help herself dress for dinner. ¡°Mydy, I think it will be better if we wait for the King here,¡± Alyssa said, trying to persuade Abby onest timethat this wasn¡¯t a good idea as she helped her tie the threads behind her dress. ¡°We already made ns to meet in the dining hall,¡± Abby told her maid. Even her maid was over worried like her mate, always pointing out that she was still a patient. ¡°But¡­¡± Alyssa started again, only Abby didn¡¯t give her a chance to dampen her high spirits. ¡°No buts, Micah might have arrived already. Don¡¯t dy me anymore.¡± When Abby put it like that, Alyssa could only set her worries aside and follow her master silently. However, after reaching the dining hall with Alyssa by her side, it wasn¡¯t Micah who Abby saw waiting for her but two royal warriors. ¡°Lady Abby, King Micah said he would bete for dinner,¡± one of them said, while rising to his feet after bowing to her. Abby nodded her head in response to the greeting, but her face fell hearing his report. But then, she couldn¡¯tin knowing he had been literally cooped up with her in their room while she was unconscious, even though he would have lots of things to deal with. It was only natural that he was caught up with something. ¡°Maybe tell him I¡¯ll wait for him here?¡± Abby said after she gave it a thought. However, the second guard shook his head in the next second. ¡°The King said that he might be held up until toote.¡± He then exined how the King was having an urgent meeting with Alpha Samuel and Dex, the royal ga mma, in the meeting hall of this pack house. It seemed something big had happened but they didn¡¯t have ess to news of such high importance and could only convey how busy they all looked. ¡°The King said he would be back before you go to sleep,¡± the guard finished. Abby understood what he meant. Micah wanted her to have her dinner on time. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the effort to send people to let her know that he would bete. After all, she was still recovering and needed to take her dinner and medicines on time. ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll take my dinner,¡± Abby said, but they didn¡¯t leave right away. She immediately understood they were not only sent to deliver a message, but also to report back to the King. It was almost midnight by the time Micah could go back to their bedroom and found the girl dozing off on a chair at the small table near the window. The soft glow from the moon fell on her face, and the King didn¡¯t know whether he had tough or cry at Abby¡¯s stubbornness. She was still a patient yet she wasn¡¯t lying in the bed like he expected her to. ¡°She insisted on waiting for you, King Micah. I wasn¡¯t able to dissuade her.¡± Alyssa reported from behind him in a soft voice and Micah could only shake his head. This girl! Doesn¡¯t she remember she was still recovering? ¡°You can leave now,¡± Micah dismissed her before slowly walking toward his mate. He bent down and picked her up gently, not wanting to disturb her sleep, but the moment he touched her skin, the girl woke up. ¡°Micah?¡± Abby asked. ¡°Hm, go back to sleep,¡± the King coaxed her, but the girl surprised him again as she opened her eyespletely just as his voice reached her ears. ¡°I saved dinner for you!¡± Abby announced as she squirmed a little, and the King immediately let her down as he didn¡¯t want her to get hurt. But didn¡¯t she need to ask if had eaten or not first? ¡°How did you know that I didn¡¯t have dinner?¡± The King couldn¡¯t help but ask and the only answer he got was a cheeky smile from his mate. ¡°I have my ways,¡± Abby answered him mischievously. Actually, she just guessed that he would sk ip dinner and Micah confirmed her guess when he asked her that question. The King then let her drag him back to the table and make him sit on the chair across from the one she sat on earlier. Sure enough, there was a tray of food covered with a lid there. Abby removed the huge lid and grabbed the fork to urge the King to have his dinner. Micah took the fork but he didn¡¯t start eating right away. ¡°Did you take your medicine?¡± He asked her. ¡°I did, now eat.¡± Abby pushed the te of meat closer to him, but the King didn¡¯t fall for it. ¡°I¡¯m asking about the soup you need to take before sleeping,¡± Micah said, narrowing his eyes at her. ¡°Alyssa can vouch for me,¡± Abby reassured him and only then did her mate actually look at the food she had them prepare in the kitchen. After sending the guards Micah sent to supervise her dinner time away, but not before taking her medicine right in front of them, she asked the omegas in the kitchen to send a few dishes to her room. At first, they didn¡¯t want to do it because they thought she was asking them for herself. They were clearly instructed by Beta Ron that only light food should be given to her since she was still recovering. They knew she was the mate of their King and their future queen, so obviously, they couldn¡¯t afford to do something that might hurt her in any way. Only when Abby repeatedly reassured them that the food was for the King, did they relent and help her prepare it. Abby couldn¡¯t help but smile at the amount of effort Micah was putting in taking care of herself. He thought of everything and made sure she didn¡¯t feel ufortable at any point during her dinner. However, her smile faltered when she realized her mate was being absent minded while having his dinner.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. There was also this small frown that he was struggling to smoothen out with conscious effort, only it wouldn¡¯t listen to him as it took a leisure seat on his forehead. ¡°Something¡¯s bothering you?¡± Abby asked the King suddenly, startling the man. ¡°Huh? No,¡± Micah denied out of habit and Abby could see it clearly as she pointed it out immediately. ¡°You are lying,¡± she said. ¡°Worry is written all over your face.¡± Micah fell deep in thought for a second. Initially, he didn¡¯t have the thought to share the things he found out with. her. At least, not yet. Because he wanted her to recover with a peaceful mind as it could affect her health again. But, on second thought, he didn¡¯t feel it was right to keep things she was centred on from herself. At the end, the fact washappening und her won the debate and how important her to know what the King finally opened his mouth. ¡°We got information that there will be another rogue attack,¡± Micah started with thetest update. Hearing this, Abby couldn¡¯t help but recall thest rogue attack.. ¡°Where?¡± She immediately asked. ¡°We are guessing it would be around somewhere here,¡± Micah told her truthfully. It was only logical to think that way, because both of Calpin¡¯s targets, none other than Micah and Abby, were still here. So he would definitely try to n another ambush. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Abby asked the King when he looked like he wasn¡¯t done talking. ¡°The elders and the royal council want us back as soon as possible,¡± Micah said. His voice turned a little harsh at the end of the sentence and it didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Abby. ¡°Did something happen in the capital?¡± The girl asked him. ¡°My father came along with Nadia and the others¡­¡± Micah then told her how he tried to divert his father but failed. ¡°I was busy discussing our strategies with Samuel and Dex about these until earlier,¡± Micah told her everything. He even told her how Arthur went out of his way to pressure Alpha Samuel until he told him everything about Calpin and the rogue attacks. ¡°He pressured Alpha Samuel?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t believe this. Just how hard did he hate her until he had to resort to such methods? ¡°Yeah, I just found out about it too. Samuel came clean to me during our discussion earlier,¡± Micah continued. He remembered how the Alpha apologized for not warning him about this beforehand. But then Micah guessed that his father might have ckmailed him to keep his mouth shut to catch his own son off guard. Moreover, before they started answering to him, they all obeyed his father. So he could understand that Samuel couldn¡¯t have refused Arthur even if he tried. After all, his father had the royal blood in him which could automatically make them submit to himself. ¡°So he couldn¡¯t refuse his former king and told him everything he knew.¡± Micah suddenly paused, as if trying to find the right words to break the next problem to her. But then, he knew there was no way for him to sugarcoat the situation. ¡°He found out your origin as a magic user,¡± Micah finally said, gauging her reaction carefully. And as expected, Abby¡¯s face paled at his words. It only meant one thing, his father found yet another irredeemable quality in her. He already had a bad impression of her. Now it turned into the worst one possible. But then, didn¡¯t Micah say the elders and the royal council were urging him to return without any dy? Now she understood why he was troubled so much. They were urging him to return to discuss her! Arthur really went out of his way to dig dirt on her and he even involved the elders and the royal council. By now, they all must have found out about the witch¡¯s blood in her veins. No way in the world would they support her to take the position of the queen of this kingdom. They all look down on witches, not to mention she was half a witch. They would definitely pressure Micah to leave her. Chapter 83 055% 11:05 +5 Arthur took a really hard route to pressure Micah to leave Abby, as he didn¡¯t even hesitate to involve the entire pce, even though he would have the basic idea of the consequences of his own actions. From what Micah told her, the former king believed her to be aplete burden for his son, influencing all his decisions, until at a crucial moment, he actually forewent his duty as the ruler of this kingdom and let an enemy escape. He already deemed her as someone so weak and timid, even though he wasn¡¯t wrong about these qualities of her. She was indeed very weak and timid, be it before she met her mate or after the incident of nearly losing thest good thing in her life, none other than Micah, when Ruby took her to the town. She could still feel the shivers run down her spine at the memory of that day, roaming around on the streets until her footwear wore off just to catch a glimpse of the few familiar faces she came to know aftering to the capital. Only she knew how desperate she had been to return to the pce and reunite with Micah, who imed to be her mate and promised to love and protect her with his own life, only to be kicked down by those pce guards who called her a monster again. She thought she could outlive that dark part of her life when Micah took her under his wings. Only on that day did she realize how naive she had been. And she was once again pushed back into the rabbit hole made of her insecurities, fears and longing. So when Arthur came to meet her, she was in her worst condition possible with the thought Micah might realize he made a mistake by recognizing someone so weak as his mate, someone who was branded as a monster and killer by her own family, not to mention she herself wasn¡¯t able to feel any connection between Micah and herself. At that time, he told herself to leave the pce since Micah didn¡¯tplete the bond between them before her crowning ceremony where he was supposed to mark her in front of the elders and his royal council. He didn¡¯t even consider that they were mates for one second or giving her some time to adjust to her life here as 1/6 Emergency calls only he was eager to chase her out of his son¡¯s life. 055% 11:05 And now, he actually turned the entire pce against Micah, even though his son told him he marked her already. If her weak and timid nature alone couldn¡¯t be overlooked by him then, it wasn¡¯t surprising for him to be even more dissatisfied with her after learning her origin. On the other hand, if she stopped and thought for a second, she couldn¡¯t me himpletely. +5 Apart from being Micah¡¯s destined mate, she didn¡¯t have any merits to rely on to fight for her own ce beside her mate. In another scenario, where Micah was an ordinary shifter, it wouldn¡¯t even be a problem if she couldn¡¯t have any other criteria. It wouldn¡¯t matter even if she was a runt. But, the problem was; Micah was the King of the werewolves. He was a ruler with zero weaknesses until now. And she knew how all the people looked forward to the very moment when he would find his mate, when he kept searching for his destined for so many years. Now with Arthur¡¯s instigating, the entire pce would be disappointed in her as well. They all would have the same concerns as him, if not more. Even she couldn¡¯t help but agree with them on this matter; she wasn¡¯t suitable for the position of the queen of this kingdom. Be it her nature or her origin, everything about her made her unworthy of that position, which was none other the second most highest in this kingdom after the king himself. With all her shorings swirling in her mind, Abby felt like her head would explode. ¡°I think he is right,¡± she said atst, startling the King, who fell into a deep thought after telling her how he suspected that his father was behind the unrest among the elders and the royal council back in the pce. ¡°Huh?¡± Micah was genuinely confused with her sudden deration, while the girl had her head hung so low he couldn¡¯t look at her expression clearly. 2/6 Emergency calls onlyDO ¡°I¡¯m not suitable to be your queen,¡± Abby said, her voice breaking at the end of her sentence. ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± Micah was shocked now. @ a 55% 11:05 However, there was no response from his mate, who still had her chin almost digging into her chest. The King could only take her face into his hands, and his heart skipped a beat when he could feel moisture coating her cheeks. ¡°What¡­¡± Micah started only to be interrupted by Abby¡¯s soft voice. ¡°All your problems would be solved if you leave me like your father says,¡± the girl said, even though her tears wouldn¡¯t stop flowing. Then she continued to point out all the inconvenience she caused her since the moment he met her. +5 As if she couldn¡¯t gather the courage to suggest the same thing a second time, she tried to recount how the people from the pce would be so angry right now at him for all the things he had done for someone unworthy like her. ¡°I only bring troubles to you,¡± Abby said, all the while silent sobs left her lips as she looked like she would start hyperventting any second now. Seeing this Micah tried to interrupt her. ¡°Little one, it¡¯s not¡­¡± However, Abby didn¡¯t give him any chance as she cried even harder while stopping him by covering his mouth. ¡°Please, don¡¯t interrupt. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t muster this much courage to talk about this from both sides thi clearly a second time.¡± This effectively shut him up, even though it killed him inside to see her this heartbroken, while she still tried to put others before herself. She brought her right hand to his face as she traced his features lovingly, as if this would be thest time she would get a chance to do this and this broke the King¡¯s heart. He was hurting her again, even though not directly. With her left hand, she tried to wipe her tears, but to no avail. Her heart was aching so much to ask Micah to leave herself, to take away the only warmth she got after ten years of suffering with her own mouth, her eyes couldn¡¯t take the memo that they shouldn¡¯t distract herself from her thoughts. 3/6 Emergency calls only Her face reddened with each second that passed as she started to hup. 055% 11:05 +5 However, she didn¡¯t have the thought to stop. She knew she could only do this once. She wasn¡¯t that selfless to sacrifice something so precious to herself time and again. And Micah¡¯s love was something that meant more than precious to her. ¡°So many people are angry at you, Micah,¡± Abby said as she searched his eyes, which looked at her with so much love, the girl felt she would sumb and plead with him to forget all what she said just now. But then, she hardened her heart and uttered onest sentence. ¡°Everything will go back to normal if you just listen to them.¡± On the other hand, Micah felt rage filling his heart with each word that left her lips, not at her, but at Arthur for making the situation so big until his own mate thought it was all her fault. ¡°Over my dead body,¡± Micah spat with such venom, Abby stopped crying for a second. ¡°No one can tell me whom to choose as my queen.¡± Abby was shocked by the anger that rolled off the King, but then she was even more bbergasted when her mate punished her with a rough kiss. ¡°Not even you.¡± He said in between their kiss as he bit her lips for saying something so stupid as leaving herself. ¡°Micah,¡± Abby tried to protest, pushing his body away, but the King wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°No, I heard all your silly ramblings. Now it¡¯s time you hear my decision.¡± Micah refused to stop as he kissed her until her lips turned even redder than her face. In no time, Abby turned soft in his arms as her legs gave away when he didn¡¯t show mercy on her while stealing all her breath. Soon, Abby felt like she would pass out fromck of air, only then did the King leave her lips, but he wasn¡¯t done venting his frustration. He attacked her neck then, where her scar from years ago was, as he nibbled on it until he deemed it was time to kiss her again before he returned to sucking her tongue again. If she hadn¡¯t been still recovering, he would have resorted to a different kind of punishment, one that would 4/6 Emergency calls onlyO leave her panting and thrashing on the bed under him. 055% 11:05 +5 He would have shown her just how much he wanted her with his body, mind and soul until she couldn¡¯t think of asking him to sacrifice herself for others sake ever. How could she think that he would be able to live without her? From the moment heid his eyes on her, she was his. No one could say otherwise. Not his father, or the elders or anyone else. Not even her. Soon, all her tears were forgotten as Abby struggled to keep up with her man. At some point, his kisses turned a little less punishing, but the love he expressed was still strong as ever, overwhelming the girl as she couldn¡¯t help but feel touched. Micah only stopped when he felt he punished her enough. ¡°Listen to me carefully. I only want you as my queen. I don¡¯t care about others¡® problems. They can try all they want. But I¡¯ll not let anything or anyone take you away from me. I¡¯ll do anything to keep you by my side,¡± Micah swore and a fresh set of tears brimmed from Abby¡¯s eyes. When she didn¡¯t say anything for a long moment, while tears hung onto her eyshes, the King proceeded to nip at his mark on her neck, making her hiss a little. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± Abby could only nod obediently in the face of his love. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away.¡± Micah looked a little apologetic when he noticed her swollen lips and hugged her closer. How could she not be selfish and wish for his care and affection when he loved her like this? It had been years, precisely a decade, since someone showed her anything remotely considered care after her mother died. Before her mother died, her family was very happy. Her father loved both Hanna and her equally, next only to their mother. But, everything came crashing down with her mother¡¯s death and she was deprived of love. Her own family never hesitated to hurt her, while the others in the pack didn¡¯t dare to go against the Beta, who had the backing of the Alpha. 5/6 Emergency calls onlyDO 055% 11:05 +5 But Micah, even though she doubted their bond because she couldn¡¯t recognize it at first, had always been patient with her, showing only love and taking care of her. He even avenged her by actually exiling her father and sister, and then by punishing his friend since childhood. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Thinking all of this, Abby hugged Micah tightly as he kissed her forehead. She shouldn¡¯t think of the easy way out like this when Micah was doing so much for her. Abby thought long and hard and promised to herself that she would be a proper queen for him. Yes, this was the right thing to do. She would take her etiquette lessons seriously once they were back in the pce and keep up with everything as much as possible. She was determined to learn everything that could help her be equal with Micah. Someone worthy of him. S ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry for suggesting something so silly,¡± Abby admitted truthfully as her eyes moistened once again. Chapter 84 054% 11.06 All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. +5 The area around her mark was still quite sensitive, so when Micah nipped at it, Abby shivered a little too hard and the King couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away.¡± Her face was still red, but after his incessant kissing, her lips were so swollen, it hurt just to look at them. He let his anger get to him. So, he hugged her as he tried to calm himself down, as he pushed all her stupid ramblings to the back of his mind. But then he heard her apologize to him in this sad voice. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry for suggesting something so silly.¡± And her mate could feel her sincerity in her almost cracked voice. He took her face into his hands again as he kissed her forehead, trying to pour all his affection into this one gesture as he promised her. ¡°It¡¯s okay to feel afraid, little one. But never forget that I¡¯ll always be with you.¡± Micah could understand her fears, and he was more than ready to help her ovee everything. Abby felt her heart melt at both his promise and kiss as the girl couldn¡¯t help but smile and dive into his embrace once again, which was weed by her mate sweetly. The King ran his fingers through her hair with one hand while pressing their bodies closer with the other, all the while being careful enough, not wanting to put pressure on any of her wounds. They stayed like that for a moment, and Abby felt like she could do anything to keep his love for herself. The way he cherished her was an inspiration to her and she would use it to motivate herself to be a queen suitable for both him and this kingdom just like she promised to herself. But then she suddenly backed away from his embrace as she remembered something. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Abby dreaded his answer, even though she hid it well. Neither fighting those rogues, nor returning to the pce to appease those people seemed appealing to her 1/7 Emergency calls only right now. But she didn¡¯t want to let her fears get to her anymore. Whatever he chose, she would face it with him. D 54% 11:06 +5 ¡°We will return to the pce,¡± Micah said, as he walked her to the bed. ¡°Most probably the day after tomorrow.¡± The King then fell silent, wanting to let her digest this decision of his first. He thought she would say something along the lines like she was not yet ready to go back to the pce, but was surprised when he heard her answer to his unspoken question. ¡°Okay, deal with it first! Then what about the situation with the rogues?¡± Abby sounded totally okay about them returning to the pce. So the King could only drop it and answer her question. Even if she wasn¡¯t ready, it would make no difference. Because anything or anyone would have to go through him first to reach her. And he was more than capable of dealing with them all. ¡°I¡¯ll let Alpha Samuel gather more information on this, then we can make the right decision about it,¡± Micah said, and it didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Abby that he said ¡®we¡®, instead of ¡®I¡®. However, she didn¡¯t point it out and allowed him to tuck her in the bed like a small child, before lying with her to hug her to sleep. Abby was walking down this dark corridor with Micah by her side. Her mate looked a little worried about her decision toe here, but she could only reassure him by squeezing his hand, which was holding hers, a little, as she stopped in front of a metal door, She held out her free hand, so that Micah could give her the key to open this door, but the King looked a bit reluctant to let her do this alone. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Micah pulled her back a little. ¡°At least, not yet.¡± 2/7 Emergency calls onlyDO 054% 11:06 ¡°No, Micah. I already told you that I want to do it. And I won¡¯t run away from my problems anymore.¡± Abby dered, but Micah couldn¡¯t help but worry. He knew how she was still caring about her sister. So he was afraid this confrontation with Hanna would only hurt her right now. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she told him in her soft voice as she smiled at him reassuringly. Only then did the king relent, but he opened the door himself as he said onest time. ¡°I¡¯ll be right outside.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Abby understood the memo. +5 If she couldn¡¯t deal with it, she could just call for him, and he would immediately bring her away, like he detailed her a million times since she told him that she wanted to meet with her older sister Hanna. Yes, that was who was on the other side of this door. Micah told her he didn¡¯t find it in himself to leave her to fend in the dungeons with all her wounds once he found out she was one of the rogues, since she was his mate¡¯s older sister. Moreover, deep down, he knew how much Abby cared for her. So he made them shift her to another single yet aparably bearable room and got a healer to treat her wounds. Abby thought long and hard before deciding to meet Hanna. But, atst, she decided it would be for the best if she could get closure over this matter and put it behind them. So here she was, about to face her ten year long tormentor, also her older sister in name. Abby closed her eyes for a moment to gather her emotions and then entered the room. Hanna seemed to be sleeping in the bed. She closed the door behind her and then turned around to find the room to be quite small with minimal furniture. There was only a small bed in one corner and a barstool where they ced a pot of water along with a small tumbler. 3/7 Emergency calls onlyDO There was nothing else. 054% 11:06 It didn¡¯t even take her ten seconds to scour her eyes through this small room, even though itcked the perceivable light, maybe because there was only a small window at the back, which seemed to be the only source of light here. It was quite dim in here, and Abby felt bad for Hanna a little. Only a little. Because, Hanna made her stay in ces much nastier than this. But then she couldn¡¯t help but feel it was wrong to think like that, and shook her head. ¡°Came to enjoy my miserable state?¡± +5 A sudden voice reached her ears, startling her out of her thoughts as she turned around to look at the source of the sound, only to find Hanna sitting in the bed with this angry expression on her face. ¡°Enjoy your miserable state?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask when Hanna started to use her of things she wasn¡¯t capable of, as usual. ¡°Yes. isn¡¯t that what you are doing now?¡± Hanna said, as she waved her hand around. Abby immediately understood what Hanna meant. ¡°No, why would I¡­¡± Abby wanted to defend herself but was cut off by Hanna quite harshly. ¡°Quit acting, don¡¯t think I can¡¯t tell what was running through that nasty mind of yours.¡± Hanna was still the same as ever, letting her hatred toward Abby get the better of herself. Her words were full of venom and Abby had to ept the harsh reality that Hanna could never see past her bad reputation as their mother¡¯s murderer. ¡°You must be rejoicing that I ended up like this in your heart,¡± Hanna spat, springing to her feet. ¡°Look, look all you want. This is what you came for, right? Hanna turned hysterical as she lifted her dress and showed all her wounds to Abby. 4/7 Emergency calls only @ 54% 11:06 She sensed someone opening the door earlier, and by their scent, she immediately realized it was Abby. She waited for her to say why she came to see her. +5 She mistook the way Abby looked around the room. In her eyes, it looked like Abby was being haughty right now because she had the King behind her. So coupled with the way she let Micah throw their father and herself out of the kingdom, Hanna felt that Abby was showing her true colors finally. ¡°You are a murderer who killed her own mother. So you are capable of anything, especially things like tormenting people,¡± Hanna went on like a mad woman and Abby couldn¡¯t tolerate it when she jumped to conclusions like that. ¡°Hanna, can you hear yourself?¡± Abby said in an even voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are talking about yourself?¡± Hearing her counter, Hanna was left tongue tied for a moment. Only for a moment though. ¡°What did you just say, you monster?!¡± Had it not been for the fact that she could smell that Micah was right outside the door, and her current inability to shift into her wolf, Hanna wouldn¡¯t be talking even this calmly to this monster. They made sure to force herself to drink those nasty Rottingbane leaves until she couldn¡¯t even feel her wolf. Her beast was suppressed so much, it was pushed to the far end of her mind. Coupled with her wounds, she was very weak right now. Or else, she would have taught this monster a lesson for acting haughty just because she was at her lowest right now. On the other hand, Abby was frozen for a moment after hearing the same usation yet again! Monster! She had tormented her for ten years in the name of her own love toward their mother. On several asions, she beat her to within an inch of her life while her father turned a blind eye to her suffering. Hanna never missed a chance to rub the fact that she was a murderer of her own mother in her face either. For ten years, she beat her, insulted her, called her names, contributing to her torment both physically and 5/7 Emergency calls only mentally. And she was calling her a monster! @ 54% 11:06 No, not anymore. She wouldn¡¯t let her put herself down anymore. Even though she was once an older sister to Abby and she loved her dearly. But then, even Hanna loved her until her mother started focusing a little more than usual on Abby, so that she wouldn¡¯t feel lost after discovering she could use magic. So, was there anything wrong with what she said? ¡°You heard me clearly, Hanna! You know best who is the real monster between us two!¡± +5 Abby felt she had enough of Hanna¡¯s bullshit. She never tried to understand her own sister and wouldn¡¯t start it afresh. ¡°I ept I caused our mother¡¯s death, and I¡¯ll not say anything no matter how much you hate me for it. Because I deserve it. I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t listen to her and she had to pay the price for my ignorance with her life,¡± Abby said, word to word, her voice even as she pinned Hanna with a hard look. ¡°But that was it. I agree it was a mistake so big, warranting punishment. But wasn¡¯t losing the most important person in my life huge enough of a price already?¡± ¸Ð Riley was her mother as well and not Hanna¡¯s alone. She loved her with all her heart too. Only Hanna and Ryan let their hatred consume their hearts until they couldn¡¯t see that Abby was just a child of nine years old. For a child her age, who would be more important than their mother? ¡°And the huge scar on my back was proof enough that I also had a close call that day. I was unconscious for several days straight. But you didn¡¯t feel it was enough!¡± Both her father and Hanna focused on their loss and heartache alone and deemed her as a heartless creature that could kill its own kin. ¡°So, you opted to punish me in your own way through insulting words and inflicting pain from the moment I woke up up with no memory of that day.¡± Her voice never once crack, even though she felt her emotions choking her. Chapter 85 064% 12:19 Both Ryan and Hanna manipted, through torture, her into believing she was a real monster who killed her own mother in cold blood. +5 She didn¡¯t remember a single thing that happened that day and her father never let anyone find out the truth that she could use magic. Only after seeing her memories, did she realize it was really an ident. And she came here to tell Hanna everything if things smoothened out between them. Even though it wouldn¡¯t right her mistake, she wanted to make Hanna understand the real reason. And the fact that Abby didn¡¯t deserve such treatment from them. But there was no chance for it now! ¡°Don¡¯t you think what you have put me through is something unforgivable, Hanna!?!?!¡± Abby shouted this in a stupified Hanna¡¯s face. ¡°For ten years, you tortured me for ten years, your younger sister, and you call me a monster?!?!¡± Abby continued when Hanna didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. Abby had enough of Hanna¡¯s self righteous bulls hit! ¡°You made my life a living hell, Hanna!¡± Abby couldn¡¯t hold back the words once she started. She let out all her grievances, but she didn¡¯t cry. Her eyes moistened as if she would start crying at any moment now, but not even a single tear made it past hershes as she willed them back. Hanna loved seeing her cry. She told her that on several asions. Her sister would always have this glint in her eyes when making her suffer, Abby could even recall having nightmares about it. ¡°I longed for your love and affection, but all I got was insults and more pain,¡± Abby blurted out, remembering the times Hanna insulted her just because Abby called her sister. ¡°While father turned a blind eye to all of my suffering.¡± 1/8 Emergency calls onlyML ¡­ @ 64% 12:19 +5 T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Hanna genuinely didn¡¯t have aeback profound enough to retort Abby when she put it like that. Seeing her fall silent even after she said so much, Abby could only shake her head. Since Hanna couldn¡¯t think past her hatred, there was no use in herself trying to talk to her about it. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not here to debate over who is right and wrong,¡± Abby said, wanting to change the topic. ¡°What happened to Father? Where is he?¡± Yen she Even though she intended to smooth things over with her older sister before entering this room, everything changed after realizing Hanna would never be able to see herself as a sister again. So the girl killed the tiny bit of hope that budded from this unexpected reunion in her heart, when it was clear Hanna wanted nothing to do with her. On the other hand, Hanna gritted her teeth at her question. ¡°What do you think?¡± Abby looked a little confused at her words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. So where could he be?¡± Hanna said. Abby couldn¡¯t help but hold her breath, ¡°. you make him join the rogues too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the other way around.¡± Hanna clenched her hands as she spat out, ¡°He was the one who suggested it.¡± Abby gasped at her answer. ¡°After your mate ordered for us to leave this kingdom, I don¡¯t know what made him do it, but he went and joined the rogues. I followed in his footste and here I am,¡± Hanna recounted, as if to me this on Abby well. as ¡°Where is he?¡± Abby asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hanna answered, sounding thful. Abby never expected them both to end up like this. She thought if she closed her eyes and ears while Micah exiled them, that would be the end of it. They would leave the kingdom and they never had to see each other again. 2/8 Emergency calls only MU 064% 12:19 +5 She could go on with her life thinking her family was just living somewhere really far away. But her father¡¯s decision to join those rogues overthrew all her thoughts. ¡°Did hee to the battle with you?¡± Abby asked as she searched Hanna¡¯a face for any lies. ¡°Even I didn¡¯t know I wasing to this battle myself,¡± Hanna said. This answer made Abby fall deep in thought. She tried asking a few more things and none of her answers gave her an idea how she ended up attacking a pack and killing so many of those people. Abby could only drop the subject when Hanna started getting impatient. guld ¡°Are you here to interrogate me?¡± Hanna narrowed her eyes and Abby didn¡¯t know what to say to her. ¡°I really know nothing that could be useful to you,¡± Hanna fin disappointment. said and Abby could only turn back in ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± Hanna asked when Abby was almost out of the door. ¡°Why would I do anything to you?¡± Abby asked back, without turning around. ¡°Every single one of the rogues brought here were killed¡­¡± Hanna trailed off, her tone full of genuine fear. ¡°You definitely don¡¯t have positive feelings about me.¡± Abby immediately understood what she meant. Hanna was implying that she got a chance to finally take revenge on her for all the pain she caused her. ¡°Hanna, I want to put everything with you and father behind me,¡± Abby could only say this, but Hanna still looked at her doubtfully. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havee to talk to you if I wanted to take your life,¡± Abby threw over her shoulder. ¡°I hope this will be thest time we see each other, though.¡± The detachment in her voice bothered Hanna a little, but she didn¡¯t dwell on it as she chose to ignore it. ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± 3/8 Emergency calls only MU ¡­ And then she saw Abby walk out of the room without a single word as a reply. 064% 12:19 +5 ¡°Are you alright?¡± Micah rushed to Abby as soon as she shut the door behind her. Abby only shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s leave first.¡± Micah could feel the way her emotions fluctuated violently. He immediately walked them back to their room. Once inside, Abby hugged Micah tightly as she felt a little sad. Micah could feel her emotions through their bond and realized Abby was trying to suppress her feelings. However, since she said she was fine, he could only let her sleep it off. ¡°How about you sleep first? We are leaving tomorrow, after all,¡± Micah suggested. Abby took her time to prepare herself for her chat with Hanna, so she procrastinated until the night before their. departure. So as to speak, they would be leaving for the capital the following day, where several people were waiting for an exnation from Micah. ¡°Hmm. What about you?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask as she felt bad that Micah didn¡¯t get a proper chance to rest since the day of the attack. Even he was injured that day, but he silently endured it all, making all the healers and Mire focus on herself while spending sleepless nights beside her, waiting for her to wake up. Whenever she asked if he was really fine, he would just say one thing. ¡°The royal blood flowing in my veins is no joke.¡± But still Abby was worried about him when he couldn¡¯t get to rest for even one day. ¡°I¡¯ll join you shortly,¡± Micah told her as he coaxed her to sleep. 4/8 Emergency calls onlyM Abby knew she would only be wasting his time, if she insisted for him to take a rest with her. 064% 12:19 +5 Because, he would only wait until she fell asleep to go and attend whatever needed his attention, cutting own sleep. So she had no choice but to shut up and go to bed, so that Micah could return early and get as much sleep could. on his as he Two dayster, before the sun could be seen gracing the h orizon, several royal warriors could be seen running toward the pce gates. Following them were a few carriages. ¡°Little one, we are here,¡± Micah whispered in her ear, as he coaxed her to wake up. Abby immediately jumped to feet. If it were not for the King¡¯s good reflexes, she would have bumped her head into the roof of the carriage. Micah chuckled at her reaction. She didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep, because she felt so nervous throughout the whole journey back. But it seemed, sleep imed her consciousness at some point after midnight and they were already entering the pce gates. Once they reached the King¡¯s tower, they could see Arthur waiting for them. It wasn¡¯t even dawn, but he was already up and excited. It seemed he couldn¡¯t wait to chase her away anymore. But that wasn¡¯t the most surprising thing. There were two more people with him. One woman and one man. The man looked like he held some important position in the pce. On the other hand, the woman was someone Abby knew; Ruby, Micah¡¯s childhood friend. Ruby bowed to Micah and the man beside her nodded his head just like Arthur as the three greeted the King, 5/8 Emergency calls onlyMU¡­ whilepletely ignoring Abby. And this didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Micah. 064% 12:19 +5 First, his father was eager to separate his son from his own mate, now he was even expressing his stance in front of all the royal warriors that came back with them and the ones guarding around the pce. He was already furious at them for wanting to break him and Abby apart, now he was beyond livid! He felt like flipping the very carriage he came in on top of them when they dared to disrespect his mate so tantly. Abby sensed the way Micah¡¯s anger hit the roof and immediately squeezed his hand to stop him from doing something that could project them both in bad light. If he did something to protect her, his ipetent mate, ording to Arthur, again, it would only give them more ammunition, which they could use against them. She didn¡¯t want it. She wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Micah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Abby whispered to him softly. ¡°Please, calm down.¡± Micah had to put conscious effort, so that he wouldn¡¯t pummel Leon to death when he looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to push his own daughter into his arms. He could see right through him! Why else would he bring his daughter along? And this disgusted him so much he felt repulsive just at the sight of him and his cu nning smile. He didn¡¯t even spare either of them a second nce as he turned around to talk to his mate, who pulled his hand for his attention. ¡°I want to go and rest,¡± she said, choosing to leave immediately. Micah could understand why she said that. So he didn¡¯t object to it. ¡°Okay, leave with Alyssa first,¡± Micah said, nodding to his left, where Abby¡¯s personal maid was already waiting. 6/8 Emergency calls only MU 064% 12.20 ¡°Go back to sleep and I¡¯ll be back in no time.¡± However, Abby couldn¡¯t help but search his eyes, as if wanting to remind him that he couldn¡¯t lose it before everyone. +5 ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Micah reassured her, giving her a small smile, albeit a tight one, to wash away her worries. He nudged her toward Alyssa and then waited there until she disappeared into the corridor leading to their bedroom on the second floor, their floor. Only then did he turn around to face the three who were still waiting for him in the main hall. His face immediately turned nk and cold, as if the semnce of gentleness they saw earlier was all their imagination. And when he walked toward them, he rushed in with such force, both Leon and Ruby doubted he was coming to attack them instead. ¡°My King¡­¡± They called, terrified as they stumbled back unconsciously. Even then, they couldn¡¯t grab his attention as he swooped in real quick toward his father and then whispered something in his ear. They could only hear bits and pieces. ¡°We need to talk, butter,¡± Micah said atst, before standing upright just as n swooped in to fall in line behind him. ¡°Call for an urgent meeting.¡± He told his royal beta. ¡°In fifteen.¡± His voice was so menacing while the look in his eyes was beyond unforgiving, Leon felt shivers run down his spine. Chapter 86 ¡°We need to talk, butter,¡± Micah spat with such venom, even the former king didn¡¯t know how to react, let alone Leon and his daughter. From the looks of it, he didn¡¯t seem to havee to terms with the fact that he had to leave his mate yet. However, he wouldn¡¯t have any choice but to sumb to the pressure when the entire pce exined just where he went wrong. 4 14 1 What they didn¡¯t expect was for him to order n to wake up the entire pce, in no more than fifteen minutes at that. After announcing that, in an ice cold voice no less, Micah didn¡¯t even wait for another second as he swiftly walked away from there, prompting n to run along to keep up with him. ¡°Sir Arthur, this¡­¡± Leon, the former royal beta, went to his former king, but before he could say anything, Arthur held up a fisted hand, shutting him up effectively. The former king felt incensed that his son disrespected him for that half witch yet again, in front of others no less. His eyes hardened as he watched his son disappear around the corner leading to his study on the first floor. n couldn¡¯t help but ask the King what he was going to talk to those angry people about, as they walked toward the great hall. ¡°What are you nning to tell them?¡± n asked as he looked at Micah¡¯s face, which only hardened further at his question. ¡°Truth,¡± Micah gave him a one word answer as he pushed open the doors to the great hall with such force, everyone assembled inside immediately fell silent. 1/7 Emergency calls only 078% 11.22 +5 Seated on either side of the huge red carpet leading to the throne were the eleven members of the royal council and the representatives from the nine packs. His father was present along with his former royal beta, Leon, and royal ga mma, Emile. Everyone was waiting with these mixed expressions on their faces, as they stayed silent until their sovereign could walk across the room to his throne and sat on it, while n stood to the left side of the throne. ¡°Long live, the werewolf king!¡± Except for Arthur, who nodded at Micah as a greeting, everyone else stood up and bowed to the king. Micah only grunted in response, while it was n who told all of them to rise and take their seats. Even though it S the the of the top Micah who summoned them all here, he didn¡¯t say anything after joining them. Instead, he remainedpletely silent as if he was waiting for them all to speak first. Only they didn¡¯t feel it was an easy feat. They could see how disgruntled their king was as they could feel the anger and authority rolling off of his entire being, while his eyes remained sharp, and felt intimidated. All of them looked at each other as if to tell one another to raise their concerns. Atst it was Gavin, one of the elders, who opened his voice. ¡°My King, we all have some concerns.¡± Micah didn¡¯t interrupt him even once as he listed out ¡®a series of rumors they happened to hear¡¯, letting him talk away, which encouraged the others to find their voices again as they too started expressing dissatisfaction over the recent events. ¡°How could you keep the situation with rogues from us?¡± ¡°Or that you were attacked by a dark mage?¡± ¡°You marked Abby?¡± ¡°She is weak and not suitable for you.¡± ¡°We heard she is a witch, is it true?¡± ¡°No, she seems to be a half witch, which exins why she is so weak.¡± ¡°She even caused an enemy to escape.¡± Also a few more usations and dissatisfactory statements about Abby as they all sang the same tune. At some point, they even shouted for him to reject her immediately. Micah couldn¡¯t help but turn to his right and look at his father, who had this encouraging smile on his face. It was as if he was asking him to concede to these people. It seemed he still didn¡¯t realize Micah had no such thoughts. ¡°Are you done?¡± Micah finally said, his voice even as he looked at each and everyone of them, slowly and purposefully. This made them all trail off as they turned to look at the King and Arthur in turns. ¡°If you are done, I will start talking,¡± Micah said when he confirmed no one had anything more to say. ¡°What you heard was all true, including the fact that Abby, my mate and your future queen, is a half witch,¡± Micah said, word to word, in a voice so clear it ensued a pin drop silence in this great hall. They were all shocked Micah actually chose to talk about this particr ¡®rumor¡¯ about his mate as they all silently deemed he would definitely avoid going there at any cost. Abby was just about to take a bath when she heard amotion outside. Reyna prepared her bath after receiving her outside the King¡¯s room. Both Alyssa and Reyna wanted to help her, but she refused. ¡°I want to be alone,¡± Abby said, and her maids could only leave and wait outside. However, even before she could reach the bathtub, she heard their voices rising more than usual. She could hear Alyssa and Reyna talking to someone. They were saying thing along the lines, ¡®it¡¯s not possible¡¯, ¡®please, leave,¡¯ ¡®she is resting, and some more. It seemed someone hade to meet her. She immediately stopped removing her clothes and went to take a look, and how surprised she was to find Ruby having an altercation with her maids, who were stopping the king¡¯s childhood friend from entering the King¡¯s room. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your ce,¡± Ruby said, throwing her weight around and Abby felt it was enough. It was clear the woman would only bully her maids if she didn¡¯t interfere soon. ¡°Alyssa, Reyna, you can rx,¡± Abby said, as if she was calming her personal security instead of her maids. ¡°But¡­¡± Reyna wanted to protest but Abby stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Abby said as she walked to the door, where her maids had been blocking Ruby. Alyssa and Reyna could only step aside a little to let her talk to the unwanted guest, even though they didn¡¯t back away from the door, nking Abby on either side instead. They didn¡¯t like this woman one bit. She caused Abby to fall sick, not one or two, but for fifteen days. Their master didn¡¯t even dare to step out of her room or even look at the King¡¯s face after what transpired that day for a fortnight. Even though she looked like a puredy, her way of forcing Abby to join her on the lunch date with her own friends made them suspect she had a hand in Abby¡¯s misfortune that day. The problem was; they only had suspicions and no proof. On the other hand, once Abby could take a clear look at Ruby¡¯s face, she understood this girl didn¡¯t 4/7 Emergency calls only u She even doubted that this Ruby girl had some problem with her. D78% 11:22 The hatred in her eyes was unmaskable, even though she tried to keep her expression nk. And Abby had a vague idea why. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked Ruby when the girl wouldn¡¯t say anything but just stared at her. Meanwhile, Ruby came here on a whim when Micah didn¡¯t even spare her a second nce and left without saying a single word to her. She expected him to get angry to see her there, but himpletely ignoring her was out of her expectations. If he was angry, he would still talk to her and demand an exnation for herself trying to help Arthur achieve his goals. +5 But from the way he couldn¡¯t even bother to look at her twice, it was obvious that he didn¡¯t care about. her at all and it hurt her the most. How could he forget his friend from childhood and even punish her for that Abby, who was a lowly half witch? She couldn¡¯t ept this, but she had nowhere to vent her frustrations since Micah wouldn¡¯t even give her the time of day, so here she was. On the other hand, Abby knew she couldn¡¯t avoid Ruby forever, so she thought it was better to face her directly and get done with it once and for all. She could see the way Ruby¡¯s face changed colors continuously as she red daggers at her. Abby felt like shaking the woman out of her stupor, but then she heard her talk finally. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you packing yet?¡± Ruby said in a haughty voice, all her previous amicable nature thrown out of the window. 5/7 Emergency calls only ¡°What?¡± Abby was stunned at her sudden question. ¡°What?! Didn¡¯t Micah tell you to leave yet?¡± ¡°Why would he?¡± Abby was genuinely confused at her words. ¡°Because you are just a nuisance for him,¡± Ruby pronounced, which irritated Abby to no end. ¡°What? You think someone like you deserves him?¡± Abby just stared at her when the woman came and rambled on how she would be thrown away by Micah randomly. ¡°He was just confused for a moment, once his head clears up, he wouldn¡¯t even spare you a second nce. Save the heartache and do yourself a favor,¡± she went on when Abby didn¡¯t retort her. ¡°Once his head clears up?!¡± Abby repeated her words, not understanding from where Ruby got that impression ¡°Yes, he was only tolerating you because of that stu pid mate bond, once he realizes you aren¡¯t a suitable partner for him, he would definitely discard you and choose a woman who suits him the best,¡± Ruby said, implying she was nat perfect candidate without saying it directly. Abby was dumbfounded at her audacity. And Ruby mistook her silence forpliance as she continued to demean her further. ¡°What kind of a queen only knows I incapable, your ipete to bring troubles for her king and her people? You are so incapable, your ipetence stirred hatred from the people of this pce against their own king.¡± Ruby sounded contemptible, using only derogatory terms to describe Abby. However, even after she said so much, when there was no reaction from the opposite person, she didn¡¯t feel satisfied at all. It felt like punching a cotton pillow. So she took it a step further. ¡°Do you know where Micah is right now? In a meeting with the elders and the royal council,¡± Ruby said and immediately saw how Abby frowned. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, they would be questioning him right now. I can even let you in on the things they will say to him, only because they couldn¡¯t ept the fact you are his mate,¡± Ruby said, her eyes glinting weirdly and Abby knew that glint all too well. She had often seen it in Hanna¡¯s eyes, whenever she made Abby cry for her own peace of mind. Meanwhile, Ruby still wasn¡¯t done with her monologue yet, as she went at it like she was on a mission. And that mission was crystal clear to Abby, to break her heart. ¡°When he realizes keeping you would only make his own people suffer, do you think he will still hold onto you?¡± Ruby asked her confidently. But then she answered her own question. ¡°I reckon you know the answer. Micah loves this kingdom so much. So who do you think he will choose?¡± Ruby smiled at her evilly. ¡°The answer is as clear as day, sacrificing you would solve a lot of his problems, no?¡±T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you done?¡± Abby, who had been listening to her prattle away like a mad woman, couldn¡¯t tolerate her shi tty attitude toward herself anymore and raised her brows at her. And when Ruby finally fell silent, she pulled her high cor down enough as she pointed at the mark, Micah¡¯s mark, on her neck. ¡°Can you see this? Do I need any more reasons not to doubt his ¡®intentions¡¯ concerning me?¡± Abby asked in a soft yet calm voice, making Ruby grit her teeth in hatred. Chapter 87 On the very first day Abby saw Ruby on that riverbank, where she was having lunch with Micah, she felt this weird vibe from her. She actively tried to imply that she knew Micah more than any tonic friend from one¡¯s childhood should. Even though the King didn¡¯t give Abby any chance to feel insecure, the woman still tried to imnt ideas about herself and Micah in her mind during that so¨Ccalled lunch date she took her to, where she made her friends talk nonsense. At first, Abby also thought Ruby was better than her. But then, when she thought back to all those vents, coupled with the way she disyed her true colors Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. by trying to grab this chance to make her leave manipte her into thinking that she was not cah Abby finally realized how the girl tried to, for Micah. That day, she still tried to maintain a properdy behavior, as she let those three women gaslight her, but today, she somehow decided not to act anymore as she came to confront her face to face. On second thought, Ruby struggled that day to hide her true intentions toward Micah as well, let alone now, when the entire pce was against Abby being together with her mate. So here she was, trying to intimidate her with her proper education and so¨Ccalled insider information. Abby only tolerated her because she was Micah¡¯s friend, be it that day or today, she had only given her the time of the day for Micah¡¯s sake. Even wanting to build her social circle, Abby only tried it for Micah. But, Ruby seemed to have gotten the wrong memo that she cared about what Ruby or others thought about her. Being ostracized by people was nothing new to Abby. It was only Micah that she cared about. 1/6 +5 And her mate¡¯s love was something she wouldn¡¯t sacrifice for anyone. So when Ruby went on and on about how Micah wouldn¡¯t hesitate to discard her once he realized how she would only bring himself troubles, Abby couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore and chose to shut her up in the most effective way possible. ¡°Can you see this? Do I need any more reasons not to doubt his ¡®intentions¡® concerning me?¡± Abby asked Ruby as she pointed at Micah¡¯s mark on her neck. ¡°If he had any doubts about our bond, he wouldn¡¯t have taken a step this big. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± She continued when Ruby just gritted her teeth without saying anything. The woman red daggers at her mark as envy filled her face and Abby didn¡¯t need anymore proof that who prayed Micah couldn¡¯t find his destined mate so that they could get Ruby was one of those ¡± a chance to be his chosen mate at least. And the woman seemed to ¡°gly believe that she could easily rece her as she never felt the need to show her the respect sheed as Micah¡¯s mate. So, Abby also didn¡¯t think it was necessary to coddle her anymore when she thought Ruby crossed so many lines she shouldn¡¯t. ¡°I don¡¯t think you don¡¯t know what a mark signifies between mates,¡± Abby said, plunging another sharp dagger into Ruby¡¯s heart. Abby pointed out the most important thing they were all forgetting. She and Micah were mates, destined to each other with the blessings of the Moon Goddess herself. Moreover, Micah had already marked her, which only solidified their bond further. There was no point in Rubying here and trying to provoke Abby, because she never cared about power or eptance of people who didn¡¯t matter to her. And her thoughts were crystal clear on her expressive face and Ruby felt annoyed all the more. 2/6 The confident smile on Abby¡¯s face taunted her to no end. +5 ¡°So, what if he marked you? He can still reject you,¡± Ruby retorted as she didn¡¯t like the look of surety in Abby¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t forget how different both of you are! You and him are from twopletely different worlds.¡± Hearing her, Abby only shook her head at her as if she was dealing with a small child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Rejecting one¡¯s mate after marking and mating?¡± Abbyughed in Ruby¡¯s face. ¡°Sorry for myck of ¡®etiquette,¡® but don¡¯t you know how detrimental it is to reject your destined?¡± Immediately, Ruby¡¯s face turned red as she felt ashamed for saying something like that outloud. Not only did it portray herself as someone crass and scheming for hoping Micah to reject his own mate, but it also implied she was stupid. After all, rejecting an iplete bond between mates would already be counterproductive ande with several repercussions, but she actually mentioned rejecting aplete bond. Not to mention Micah bore the royal bloodline. If a destined mate wasn¡¯t so important to the heirs of the royal bloodline ascending the throne, would they all have waited this long along with Micah for him to find his mate? ¡°Seems like you know the answer well. As per the differences between us, we could always work things out. And I¡¯m more than ready to understand and adapt to his world,¡± Abby came on strong. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you follow your own advice?¡± Ruby was confused at her words and it was obvious on her face. ¡°Do yourself a favor and stop worrying about your childhood friend, because as his mate, I am more qualified to do things like that. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Abby said and saw how Ruby¡¯s face turned even more red with anger. ¡°You¡­¡± the woman repeated this single word several times, but nothing else came out when Abby threw her own words back at her and humiliated her in front of her personal maids, who were now 3/6 trying hard to hold back theirughter. +5 When faced with theirints and dissatisfaction, Micah didn¡¯t show any change in his expression as he noted down every single one of them mentally. Once they were done shouting over each other¡¯s voices, he answered all of their concerns one by one. ¡°Everything that you have heard is true.¡± He started, keeping his voice even as he addressed everyone.¡± ¡°There had been several rogue attacks in the past couple of months. When we realized the unusuality of them, we investigated a little deeper and found out they were all orchestrated.¡± Micah said, effectively gaining all of their attention. ¡°It was the doing of a man called Calpin,¡± the King revealed and saw the confusion on their faces. ¡°He was the dark magic user who attacked me a fortnight back¡­¡± He then told them everything that happened that day. Including how Abby didn¡¯t hesitate to jump in front of the enemy, who was trying to burn himself from inside, to save her mate bravely even though she was still figuring out how to use her own powers. He didn¡¯t mention anything about her power bacsh, because they would only use it against her. Again. Instead, he followed up with his father¡¯s version of the events. ¡°When she tried to save me, he attacked her, which gave me ample time to recover. However, he realized it and fled immediately while leaving her to burn to death,¡± Micah continued, giving himself a way out of the whole marking her without anyone¡¯s knowledge fiasco. He knew it was a big deal for everyone, so he had to make them believe that it waspletely done for the right reasons and didn¡¯t involve any schemes like they were all made to believe. ¡°And I see no mistake in just doing something ahead of time,¡± Micah said, emphasizing how he would eventually mark her. 4/6 Dreame +5 Immediately, he could see how they all looked restless. ¡°She is my mate, who else would I mark if not her?¡± The King asked, his voice turning a little deep through the end. ¡°But she is very weak and also her origins are unsatisfactory,¡± Pedro, one of the members of the royal council, pointed out, openly showing his displeasure over the matter. ¡°She¡¯s brave enough to fight the enemies for me, I don¡¯t see any weakness in her. As for her origins, what does her ability to use magic change?¡± Micah didn¡¯t have the idea to dodge this bullet at all. Immediately, he could hear a mor among his subjects. Everyone gasped at his words audibly. They ali thought Micah would find it hard to broach this topic. After all, they were talking about her lowly birth as a witch. No, half a witch! ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact that we are mates or that I only want her as my queen,¡± Micah continued, knowing fully well they would react strongly to his deration. But he didn¡¯t intend to hide this at all. If he didn¡¯t make his stance clear, what happened upon his arrival today would only repeat again and again. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate any disrespect toward his mate and future queen. So he deemed it necessary to imnt his decision in their minds. ¡°Yes, like I said, every rumor you heard is true, and my mate and future queen is a half witch,¡± Micah told them all. ¡°Future queen? How could you take someone like her as your queen?¡± Kesler, another councilor, couldn¡¯t help but blurt out and immediately received the King¡¯s wrath. ¡°Watch what you say about my mate, Kesler!¡± 5/6 ¡°Why? He didn¡¯t say anything wrong,¡± Fabron, another elder, chose to speak at this moment. +5 ¡°He said something punishable, because she is going to be the queen of this kingdom soon,¡± Micah pinned Fabron with a look and then everyone present as he made an announcement. ¡°Soon, as in next week, when I hold the ceremony to crown her.¡± This prompted an uproar from all of them. Chapter 88 When Micah readily talked about Abby¡¯s origin as a half witch, along with Arthur everyone present were really shocked. Micah didn¡¯t hold back anything as he told them everything except the details of her power bacsh, which urred twice in her life thus far. Or how Calpin was also aiming to kill Abby, so that he could get rid of the remnants of shackles her great grandmother had put on him. Î÷ If they found out she had some connection with Calpin, their focus would be on it and it would only ¡°To achieve his goal to be the most powerful person in this realm, he wants to kill me.¡± This was what he told them when they expressed their confusion over how Micah became a target to that dark magic user, which was not a lie. After telling them how she fought with that dark magic user to save himself, he continued to tell that she only discovered her powers recently. In a way, he didn¡¯t lie, yet again. It was just that Abby rediscovered her powers, which were locked by her witch¡® mother, Riley, after she countered her power bacsh a decade ago. However, he needed to make an impromptu decision to announce his next step when they couldn¡¯t even ept the fact that he already marked her. He wanted to announce it separately at first, but since they were hell bent on pressuring him to leave her, he could only make it clear for them once and for all. ¡°I will hold her crowning ceremony in the next week,¡± Micah said, not giving them any chance to object. ¡°If anyone has any objections, keep them to yourself.¡± Immediately, everyone, be it the elders or the councilors, broke into an uproar, as their shock turned into disagreement real quick. 1/7 +5 ¡°What do you mean you will hold a ceremony in the next week, when we don¡¯t even ept her as your mate?¡± It was Arthur who finally spoke after breaking out of his stupor. How could his son be this stubborn? So what if she tried to fight that Calpin guy to save him? Did she seed? If she had seeded, there wouldn¡¯t have been any discussion over her capabilities in the first ce. In the end, she still couldn¡¯t help Micah in catching that dark magic user who had been wreaking havoc in and around the capital city. Could her one act of false bravery outshine all her demerits? The answer was clearly a ¡®no.¡¯ On the other hand, when they all saw the former king take the lead to oppose his son¡¯s words, the ¡°Moreover, how could you think of pampering your mate when the situation with the rogues hasn¡¯t yet been dealt with?¡± Leon opened his mouth too, when he realized he remembered a very important detail. From Micah¡¯s words, it was obvious that the enemy targeting his life was a very powerful dark magic user. * When such people ced a target on someone, they wouldn¡¯t back down so easily. So it was inevitable that he woulde back. Be it for gaining more power or to take revenge for failing in hisst attempt. ¡°We don¡¯t know what the enemy will do next. He targeted our entire packst time, it could be any of the remaining eight packs next. He will not stop until he gets what he wants,¡± the representative from the ck w pack said, with fear evident in his voice. 2/7 ? Hearing him, everyone nodded their heads as if they were agreeing with him. +5 ¡°My King, we need to eliminate this dark magic user first. Even if not for yourself, shouldn¡¯t you be in a hurry to focus on this matter first, so that you could save your people?¡± Gavin asked as he prompted his this matter. fellow elders to persuade the King W Peoples¡® lives were at stake here, so Micah should definitely annul his decision to crown Abby as his queen as soon as possible. That was what they all thought when they all looked at the King for an answer, but what Micah said next, prompted another round ofmotion in this great hall. ¡°I have a way to deal with the rogues, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± Micah said, sounding too casual about this whole scenario. ¡°Just because someone is against me, I don¡¯t need to dy things that need to be done.¡± His second sentence left them all dumbfounded as it could be applied to Calpin and all of them at the same time. They were also against the King right now, even though they weren¡¯t nning to usurp the throne like that Calpin guy. Granted, they were only disagreeing with himself wanting to make Abby his queen, they were still opposing his authority. Moreover, what did he mean by this nonchnt attitude while addressing such an important issue? Leon¡¯s words when he said ¡®the King was focusing on pampering his mate instead of more important things,¡® woulde true soon at this rate. *Micah was behaving like a henpecked husband would around his wife, always thinking about Abby. First, he took her on a vacation, leaving the pce in n¡¯s hands even though he knew there was an enemy out there, trying to wreak havoc in his kingdom, using those rogues. Next, he marked her to save her, granted she tried to save him first with her life. Now, he was setting aside his duty as the King of werewolves and nning to make her his queen, instead of thinking about ways to prevent another possible rogue attack that could im even more 3/7 lives. They didn¡¯t know what to say as they all turned to look at Arthur, who also had this hardened expression. ¡°This is not the right time for it, Micah,¡± Arthur said, voicing what was on everyone else¡¯s mind. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Micah told the former king without even turning to look at him. ¡°How can you do this when there are so many of us against it?¡± Mark, one of the elders, asked as he tried to use numbers against the King. ¡°I¡¯m the King of this kingdom, my decision alone equals and amounts more than all of yours¡® +5 ¡°Even a king needs to listen to his advisors,¡± Fabron, another elder, proimed, feeling displeased with the King¡¯s attitude. ¡°Yes, but only when he needs it,¡± Micah countered back and stood up. It was obvious he was done with this meeting. ¡°That will be all!¡± Once he said that, he didn¡¯t bother about the voices that started buzzing, as they whispered among themselves how they couldn¡¯t believe Micah was doing something like this, and left the great hall with his royal beta. Little did they know, it was all done on purpose. The more they believed he was off guard about the situation with the rogues, the better. Just like he said earlier, he had an idea to deal with those nasty puppets of that dark mage. He was nning to lure them out using this ceremony as bait. If his guess was correct, the spy in the pce would leak this update to Calpin soon. So instead of attacking another pack or the borders of the capital city, like he always did, Calpin would n his next attack on the pce. 4/7 So this was like killing two birds with one stone. +5 ¡°Yes, Ruby, what about me?¡± Abby asked the woman when she kept repeating the word ¡®you¡®, while pointing a finger at her and her maids in turns. ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line!¡± Ruby shouted atst as she felt humiliated for being treated like someone below her. ¡°I crossed a line!?¡± Abby¡¯s face was a mirror of surprise, as her eyes crinkled with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s recount what you did from the moment we met and you will have the answer as to who crossed the line here.¡± Ruby felt her cheek burn so badly with this verbal p, she ground her teeth as a low growl escaped her chest as if she would shift anytime now. Ruby really felt like wing that half yet deprecating smile off of Abby¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, you will regret it,¡± Ruby said, her ws threatening to extend as she tried to reign in her anger. She couldn¡¯t afford to do anything to Abby right now. If she did, Micah would only distance himself further from her. She was already afraid that he didn¡¯t care about her anymore: And if he were to learn that she harmed this half witch, he might never see her face again. He hated people who schemed against others. Not to mention, he already deemed her cunning after the incident of letting Abby get lost in the town last time. Thinking all of this, Ruby felt her head would explode from the anger she was suppressing. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t even bother to look at her face anymore as she felt like she talked enough with her. 5/7 She had nothing to say good about her anyway. It wasn¡¯t like she often heard people saying good things about her, though. In fact, she couldn¡¯t remember thest time someone just appreciated her for doing something good. It was always the opposite. And the same was happening yet again. The entire pce was about to turn against Micah, because they all considered her as a wastrel, someone who could offer nothing good but only knew how to be a burden to the other person. Even though she tried really hard, it was not an easy feat to ignore people who had only bad things to say about you. It was one thing if they talked bad about you among themselves, or spread rumors as such, at least, then you wouldn¡¯t have to hear or see the hatred they felt toward you. But when someone came and scolded you in your face, being nonchnt about it would be very N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. difficult. +5 Just like her current situation with Ruby. Abby knew all the elders were unhappy with her. And she couldn¡¯t imagine what Micah was going through just to defend her in front of them. *And Ruby came to make things difficult for her when she was already having a hard time worrying over the discussion Micah was having with the elders in the great hall. At this thought, Abby felt her patience run thin as she red at Ruby. ¡°Please, don¡¯t joke around. It has always been you who had that privilege.¡± Abby shot back. ¡°But don¡¯t you think I¡¯ll tolerate it from now on.¡± ¡°What can you do?¡± Ruby scoffed when Abby actually changednes and dared to warn her. 6/7 +5 ¡°What a queen can do to her subjects when she feels they went too far. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do to you,¡± Abby twisting her face. answered, with¡± is when sheets they weRY COUNTER UN a 4 ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Ruby screamed, her face pinching in anger. ¡°You will see what I can and can¡¯t the next time you don¡¯t show the respect I deserve as the future queen of this kingdom,¡± Abby replied calmly, even though her body started to tremble with all the mixed emotions racking her nerves. Ruby immediately understood what Abby meant. She never bowed to Abby. On the first day they met, she didn¡¯t know Abby was Micah¡¯s mate. But during that encounter as well, she had this thought that Abby was someone whom she could push around as she pleased. And once she found out she was a witch, Abby¡¯s value in her eyes plunged so drastically, it went negative. So, obviously, she didn¡¯t feel like bowing to her, or showing the respect she deserved. On the other hand, after telling Ruby to back off, Abby felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Prepare the bath again while I take a walk in the garden,¡± Abby told her maids as she walked past Ruby. ¡°The air in here feels too stuffy.¡± After saying her piece, Abby didn¡¯t wait for another second as she half jogged toward the back garden, not stopping even though she could hear Alyssa calling after her. Chapter 89 The myriad of emotions coursing through her body left Abby trembling, so she could only hurry to leave there, not wanting to show Ruby how much this encounter with her affected her. ¡°Prepare the bath again while I take a walk in the garden,¡± Abby told her maid¡¯s as she walked past Ruby. ¡°The air in here feels too stuffy.¡± Saying this, she didn¡¯t give any chance to either her maids or Ruby to react as she lifted her long frock, and sped away from there. Meanwhile, Ruby was frozen to her spot after listening to Abby¡¯s warnings and she only came to her senses when that half witch said the air there felt stuffy. What did she mean? She was humiliating her again, wasn¡¯t she? The nerve of hers! She would remember this and wouldn¡¯t spare her! ¡°Miss Ruby,¡± Alyssa called to her. ¡°What?¡± Ruby barked back. And when that lowly half witch¡¯s maid asked her to step aside so she could run after her master, Ruby felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. Even a maid was not afraid of her. In truth, Alyssa didn¡¯t mean any disrespect but to her already overheated mind, everything just seemed vexing. Abby couldn¡¯t point out the exact reason, but once she ran far enough, she found her whole body trembling as she slowed down to walk. She looked at her shaking hands which were drenched with sweat and saw crescent shaped impressions across both her palms. During the whole time she was talking with Ruby, her nails constantly found themselves digging into her palms, out of nervousness. Talking about nervousness, it wasn¡¯t the only thing she felt right now. Along with anger, a bit of fear and traces of self doubt, there was another emotion wrecking her heart. right now, and it was ¡®thrill¡®. Yes, she was so happy she could stand up for herself, she felt the satisfaction deep in her bones. She never gave a thought if she would be able to confront Ruby before this, or anyone for that matter. So the whole encounter with herselfing out as the victor, left her blood thrumming in her ears. She was thrilled, period! However, just as she reached the corridor leading to the back garden, an absent minded Abby bumped into someone and it was a young man who seemed to be three to four years older than herself. ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t looking where I¡¯m going,¡± she immediately apologized as she stepped back until she was at least two feet away from the young man who didn¡¯t seem to have received any damage from their collision. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a corner, it happens,¡± the man said, sounding amicable. ¡°Moreover, you seem to be in a hurry, just like me.¡± *He smiled at her lightly and Abby was surprised that the man casually talked to her as if he couldn¡¯t recognize her. But then, not many people knew what the king¡¯s mate looked like, since she spent very little time interacting with people before she fell sick and then left for the Red River pack to meet Mire. On the other hand, Abby was sure she had never seen this man before. However, from the way he was dressed and carried himself, it was clear he came from an influential family in this capital. He looked tall enough but not as tall as Micah. Her mate would easily have more than a couple of inches on him, but he looked buff enough. Like a trained warrior. But then he was a shifter, so muscles were something they were blessed with birth. They both stood in awkward silence when Abby didn¡¯t know what to say to him while the young man let his eyes roam around the corridor behind her as if he was searching for something. For what was beyond Abby¡¯s knowledge, nor did she have the interest to know. She nodded at him as a parting greeting when she tried to walk around him, but was stopped by the man. ¡°Hmm, excuse me, pardon me for dying you, but have you seen a young woman in her early twenties?¡± Even though the man couldn¡¯t recognize her, he didn¡¯t jump to conclusions just like others after looking at her attire which screamed simplicity and mediocre, not at all rivaling the status of a youngdy from an influential family like Ruby. He even apologized for wasting her time by prolonging this unexpected encounter. This left a nice impression on her. So Abby decided to aid him in his search for this woman. ¡°A young woman in her early twenties?¡± Abby asked. ¡°Yes, she is my younger sister. I came here to meet her,¡± the man said. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. So it was his younger sister! But then she couldn¡¯t really help him with such little information. ¡°Can I know her name?¡± If she knew her, she would help him directly, even though it was highly impossible given her almost non existent social circle. Maybe she could ask Alyssa or Reyna to assist him. Only she didn¡¯t expect him to say a name so familiar to her. 3/8 ¦Ô¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ¦É¦Ò¦É ¦Ò ¡°Ruby! Her name is Ruby,¡± the young man said and Abby was stunned for a moment. But then she thought it could be a coincidence. ¡°Ruby?!¡± Her surprise was evident in her voice. ¡°Yeah, you might know her. The former royal beta is our father,¡± the young man said. ¡°Oh! I forgot to introduce myself! I¡¯m Ezgar.¡± Abby was taken aback and could only nod in response. ¡°So did you see her this morning?¡± Ezgar asked her, as if he had been searching for his younger sister for quite some time now. He didn¡¯t seem to mind that Abby didn¡¯t return the favor and let him know her name. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she went, and now I¡¯m having a hard time finding her.¡± It seemed he was really in a hurry to meet Ruby. ¡°I saw her going to the second floor earlier,¡± Abby blurted out unconsciously and immediately saw gratefulness on his face. ¡°Thank you, you are a life savior!¡± Ezgar eximed as he excused himself immediately. Abby couldn¡¯t help but notice the stark contrast between Ruby and Ezgar, even though they were brother and sister. Arthur went to his son¡¯s study, unable toprehend his actions. How could he hold his own mate¡¯s wishes above the welfare of his people? How could a king put anything before his people? Even before trying to learn the truth, he came to the conclusion that Abby must be the one to ask the King to crown her immediately. She must be scared that her position would be taken away from her, so she was pressuring Micah to hold the ceremony as soon as possible. And Micah should tell her off and keep her in line, instead of giving into her all the time. If he didn¡¯t control her, he would only bring troubles to himself. His actions could guarantee a revolt from the people if they were to find out he actually neglected his duties to appease his own mate. This madness shouldn¡¯t be encouraged anymore. He didn¡¯t even knock on the door before pushing them open with a bang. ¡°Micah, do you even know what you are doing!?¡± The former king almost shouted as he looked at his son who didn¡¯t even bother to lift his head upon his intrusion. He was immersed in the reports before him as he leaned over his table with this cold expression on his face, listening to his royal beta when Arthur rushed inside without warning. Seeing that the former king had thrown out all the amicability, n could only excuse himself from the study, even though he was in the middle of discussing the information rted to the impending rogue attack. ¡°Why did you get that doubt?¡± Micah asked his father, his eyes still glued to the reports in his hands. This was tant disrespect! Just because he was against his wastrel mate, his son was treating him like this. ¡°Doubt? It¡¯s not a doubt. It¡¯s an usation.¡± Arthur corrected his son, sounding exasperated. *And why is that?¡± Micah asked, . avoiding looking at his father. ¡°Because, as the king of this kingdom, you have some responsibilities. But you just can¡¯t look past your mate¡¯s needs,¡± The former king his son. Only then did Micah lift his head, his eyes full of coldness, as he pinned Arthur with this hard look so unforgiving Arthur felt the hair on his neck raise. His son was actually exuding hostility toward him. ¡°I¡¯m the King of this kingdom,¡± Micah said, which sounded like a question instead, with his eyes narrowed into slits. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Arthur was genuinely confused with the way Micah phrased his question sh statement. ¡°Exactly what I said. If you guys still remembered I am the king, you wouldn¡¯t have entertained any usations or such,¡± Micah proimed, which left Arthur dumbfounded. ¡°You would have had faith in me.¡°. Arthur was left tongue tied at his son¡¯s words. ¡°Instead you still try to act like the king of this kingdom, trying to pressure me using numbers,¡± Micah exposed his father¡¯s thoughts, which made Arthur feel annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you have already handed over the reign to me, Father.¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists when his son implied that he was trying to control him. ¡°It would be for the best if youe to terms with the fact that I¡¯m the king now. And respect my ideas and decisions,¡± Micah said, emphasizing each and every word. ¡°And if you are at least done using me right now, you shake you leave. I need to arrange so many things for what I have in mind for next week¡¯s ceremony.¡± Micah still didn¡¯t tell Arthur how he was trying to lure the rogues to attack the pce with this * ceremony. And before Arthur could protest anymore, n could be seen entering the King¡¯s study with several other guards behind him. It was obvious he mind linked them to have some sort of meeting. Knowing it wouldn¡¯t be pretty if he tried to have an altercation with his son in front of all them, Arthur could only grit his teeth and leave the study. Micah made it back in time to have dinner with Abby on the first day of their return to the capital city. Abby was still under medication and Micah made sure she took her medicines like every time after the dinner. He was about to leave for a meeting with his royal gamma, Dex, when Abby remembered her encounter with Ezgar. Ruby¡¯s brother. She told Micah everything about that chance encounter from this early morning before asking why he seemed so different from his sister. ¡°Ezgar is a good man, you don¡¯t need to overthink this encounter with him,¡± Micah reassured his mate when he realized her concerns. Only then she felt relieved. She just wanted to confirm if she should keep her guard up with him. But since Micah said he was fine, then he was fine. They walked to the sofa while talking and Abby thought Micah would kiss her on the forehead when he proceeded to sit on the sofa beside them. ¡°Little one, there is something I need to tell you,¡± Micah said after sitting down on the sofa as he pulled her into hisp. ¡°Okay,¡± Abby said, falling into his embrace, when she noticed how serious he was, judging by his tone. ¡°I am nning to hold our ceremony soon,¡± he said and waited for her to react first. ¡°Okay, how soon?¡± Abby asked, trying to sound calm even though she was quite shocked at this sudden news. ¡°Within two weeks,¡± her mate said slowly, as if gauging her reaction, since he knew how scared she was the first time they nned to hold it within one week he first brought her to the capital with him. ¦Ð¦Á¦Ñ¦Å¦É ¦Ï¦É However, Abby didn¡¯t n to hide from things like her responsibilities anymore. She promised to herself she would stay on his side in everything. So that was what she would do. ¡°Okay,¡± Abby said softly yet surely, putting on a brave face. Chapter 90 Micah became so busy aftering back to the capital city, he returned to their room only after dinner most of the nights. Even if he came earlier at times, his mind would always be busy nning his next steps carefully even while having his dinner. However, he never forgot to make sure she took her medicines as per Nadia¡¯s instructions. He wouldn¡¯t listen even when Abby continuously reassured him that she was fine now. ¡°We can¡¯t afford for you to fall sick at such a crucial moment.¡± And when her mate put it like that, Abby could only do as she was told, so as not to add to his worries. Only her heart wouldn¡¯t calm down no matter what she did. She knew how important their uing mating ceremony was and it plunged her into a constant restless mode. Not to mention the fact that all the arrangements should be overseen by herself because the ceremony was being conducted for herself. It was a custom of this kingdom; the queen had to make arrangements for everything rted to the ceremony. From her dress to what kind of flowers and decoration to be used in the great hall during the event, then the food to be served to the guests, who woulde to bear witness to the event of herself iming the position of the queen of this kingdom. Everything, everything should be decided by Abby. And if someone asked her, Abby would say ¡®overwhelmed¡® wasn¡¯t a word strong enough to describe her current mindset. To make things worse, she still needed to learn a lot of things. 1/7 +5 Like how to talk,ugh, and even breathe like a properdy. And Abby could feel her head heating up just at the way her tutor would just frown at everything she did with no reprieve. Just as she decided, Abby made arrangements to start her etiquette sses with the help of her personal maids since Micah was caught up with all his ns to handle the impending rogue attack along with all his other duties as the king of the werewolves. Only she didn¡¯t think her tutor would spend about a whole day just teaching her how to stand properly. ¡°You have to straighten both of your knees,¡± Sherianne, her tutor, said, her voicecking emotion as she spoke like a machine. ¡°Make sure to always keep your shoulders squared.¡± After half a day of lesson, when Abby couldn¡¯t keep her posture straight as she expected her to, her tutor made her stand still like a doll to teach her. ¡°Don¡¯t let your gaze drop too low. If it helps, concentrate on the forehead of whoever stands before you instead of their eyes or face,¡± her tutor reminded her, lifting her chin a bit again when it almost dropped to her chest out of habit. Abby knew she had to change a lot of things about her, but only after meeting Sherianne did she understand the real meaning of transformation. If she seeded in pulling off every trick her tutor taught her, Abby was sure she would be someone really different from her current self. Only there were so many things to learn and remember. She couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed with the thought she might do something to upset those already nitpicking elders. Yet, this was just one of the few things she was suffering in the name of preparation for the ceremony. She didn¡¯t even want to get started on her appointment with the royal seamstress. She was a different creature from her tutor altogether. While Sherianne had so many objections over her way of doing things, E, the royal seamstress, wouldn¡¯t even say a single word to her during their whole session of deciding dresses for herself. This time, Abby visited E in her room which was located in the north tower of the pce. 2/7 +5 ¡°Lady Abby,¡± E greeted as she invited her and her maids into her room, where her assistant had already arranged everything required for their appointment. ¡°Lady Abby, Miss E prepared a variety of fabrics as per your preferences from thest time,¡± Mabel, E¡¯s assistant, said as her superior got busy with her measuring tape. Abby didn¡¯t know what to make of her attitude yet again. She was neither hot, nor cold toward her. But then she wasn¡¯t ignoring herpletely either. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Only there weren¡¯t any words. Just like the first time they met, she took her measurements with this nk expression on her face. She didn¡¯t say anything even when Abby talked a lot about the few dresses she wanted E to prepare for her along with the o for the ceremony. It was always Mable who answered any of her queries while E remained aloof and indifferent throughout the three hours she spent there. ¡°Do you guys think E has something against me?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask Alyssa and Reyna after they returned to the King¡¯s tower. But they didn¡¯t go to the King¡¯s room. Abby led them to the back garden, as she felt she needed to cool her head a little before her next appointment. Abby had to go and meet with Sherianne after her appointment with E, where her tutor would oversee her preparation of the speech, which would basically cover what she should and shouldn¡¯t say. Abby couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought of talking in front of all those people, who would be watching her with hawkeyes. ¡°No, Lady Abby. Miss E is just aloof, always focusing onpleting her work alone. She is like that with everyone else as well,¡± Alyssa said, with a soft smile on her face. But Abby didn¡¯t think so. me her worry¨Cwart¨Cself, but the girl felt E was being extra distant. However, she didn¡¯t have extra time to dwell too much on E¡¯s behavior toward her right now as she 3/7 had to rush back to her next lesson with Sherianne. +5 It had already been more than a week since Abby got a proper chance to talk with Micah. Between her lessons and preparation for the ceremony, she started to feel this lonely feeling creep into her heart whenever she found time to rest her mind for a couple of minutes. It was beyond overwhelming for her when so many important tasks were shoved into her face so suddenly. It got too much whenever she let her mind wander too far and the thoughts of doing so much on her own started to gue her heart. Even though she knew Micah couldn¡¯t do too much to help her with the preparation, because it was a custom for the queen to prepare everything on her own for the ceremony, she still couldn¡¯t help but crave his time. And time was what Micah didn¡¯t have enough with everything that was going on. Micah had been so busy, always spending his days nning and nning until he started skipping his dinner every other day. Even when Abby tried to convince him to have his dinner, he would only have a few bites before returning to his work and meetings. Abby also couldn¡¯t force him too much, when she knew it would only make Micah feel bad if he realized she was feeling a little ignored. ¡®Ignored¡® would be a word too strong, but Abby didn¡¯t know how to describe this lonely feeling that kept creeping back into her heart whenever she thought Micah was too busy right now. He wouldn¡¯t even return to their room sometimes, making her sleep alone. On such nights, Abby would find herself giving into her fears as she would stay awake until toote and the next day, Sherianne wouldn¡¯t miss to chew her head out, always noticing the unusual redness in her 4/7 eyes fromck of sleep. +5 ¡°Lady Abby, how could you deprive yourself of sleep? Did you not look into the mirror after such a sleepless night?¡± Sherianne demanded the second time she noticed her lethargic eyes. ¡°See, is this how a queen should look while greeting her subjects for the first time?¡± Abby could only smile at her sheepishly, when she didn¡¯t have a proper answer to defend herself. ¡°I know all of this could get a little overwhelming, but try not to let it get to you. You should be your best self for the ceremony, if not more,¡± Sherianne could only encourage her. But only Abby knew how hard it was to follow her advice. Abby remembered how she could only nod to everything Sherianne said. Abby¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Alyssa came to her. ¡°Lady Abby, you said you wanted to go to the kitchen.¡± Alyssa was reminding her of this because Abby asked them to gather all the cooks in the kitchen this evening. It seemed it was time she had to go and get busy with her arrangements yet again. She needed to finalize the dishes that were supposed to be served to the people that came to witness their king and queen getting crowned. Abby couldn¡¯t believe that she actually had to decide on three entirely different menus for the asion. One for the royals and the councilors, second for the distinguished guests and the third for the commoners and omegas. She had to brush up on her knowledge on the history of this kingdom a little, coupled with the famous delicacies from all the nine packs, to pick the suitable dishes and desserts. And the struggle while deciding every particr dish was real. Atst, she decided on a few dishes by hook or crook and now she was going to the kitchen to test if the 5/7 dishes she set went along with one another. +5 She could only pray that, at least, this one thing would be done and dealt with today, so that she could focus on what flowers she wanted for the ceremonyter. She still didn¡¯t decide on what theme she wanted the great hall to be decorated either. God help her, all these preparations would be the death of her! ¡°Lady Abby, this is not going to do it,¡± Sherianne said, shaking her head as disappointment marred her features. She held a paper between her thumb and index finger of her left hand, while she flicked it with the other. She pulled her lips into her mouth and then let out a long sigh, reading it once again. Abby had been trying toe up with her speech for thest two hours but nothing she wrote could gain anything remotely simr to a nod of approval from her ever demanding tutor. No matter what she wrote, Sherianne would just say it wascking something. The first couple of times, it was about the feel. In her opinion, Abby¡¯s words were too nd with no emotion. ¡°Your speechcks sincerity, Lady Abby,¡± her tutor pointed out atst. ¡°It¡¯s hard,¡± Abby said, as for what was hard, she didn¡¯t specify. ¡°Okay, how about you return for the day and sleep on it tonight. Maybe you will be able to find it easy tomorrow.¡± Abby didn¡¯t know what Sherianne understood from her words, but she was grateful that she didn¡¯t criticize her too harshly like she did about everything else. After bowing to her as a parting greeting, Sherianne left for the day. 6/7 Abby took a deep breath and then stuffed the papers that contained her speech in her sleeve as she stood up to leave as well. ¡°Lady Abby, back to the room?¡± Alyssa ran to her, seeing here out of the tutoring hall after Sherianne. However, her master wasn¡¯t in the mood to respond, so she could only follow her silently. The girl was so down, she didn¡¯t realize she walked toward the back garden once again. But then, this was nice, too. She could let the cool air here refresh herself. With this thought, she settled on a bench far back as she tried to rx her racing mind, even for one second, before she closed her eyes. ¡°We meet again,¡± a voice reached her ears a couple of minutester. Abby turned back swiftly and found Ezgar walking toward her. Chapter 91 Abby couldn¡¯t help but worry when whatever she tried to do only showed unsatisfactory results. Not to mention there were only five more days until the ceremony. Apart from her dress that had been finalized, everything else had been giving her a headache while Micah was still busy with his own things. She had no one to openly discuss her worries or even troubles as she didn¡¯t feel that close to anyone else but her mate, who couldn¡¯t even find enough time to sleep, let alone eat properly or have a small talk with her. Even the food arrangements, she thought would be dealt with the other day, posed a new challenge as the desserts and drinks she selected didn¡¯tpliment the main course at all. The selection of flowers and the theme of decoration were another recipe for her headache, that wouldn¡¯t go away no matter what. Now, to all of them, she could add this speech, that wouldn¡¯t be finished no matter how hard she tried. She knew nothing about ruling a kingdom, or considering everyone while thinking about something, so obviously, her words wouldck the sincerity Sherianne was aiming for. Thinking all of this only worsened her headache, as her racing mind kept adding to her difort. So when she found herself in the middle of this back garden, albeit, unintentionally, Abby sumbed to her need to cool her head off as she bee lined to the small bench at the far end of the back yard. The evening summer air was crisp and refreshing, it prompted her to close her eyes as she enjoyed the sweet fragrance of the flowers carried over by the evening air. The sun was almost up and there were not many people around, while her maid seemed to have realized she wanted to be alone, she didn¡¯t disturb her as she stood to the side silently. However, just as she closed her eyes to bask in the serenity which was usually so rare in this pce, 1/6 especially now with all the hasty preparations for their crowning ceremony, she heard a voice reach her ears. ¡°We meet again,¡± a man said from her left and she immediately turned around to find it was Ezgar. But this time he bowed to her respectfully which prompted her to nod in response. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t recognize your highness thest time,¡± Ezgar said as he stopped about five feet from the bench she was sitting on. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Abby said when she remembered Micah saying Ezgar was a good man. She felt like correcting him that she was yet to be crowned to be worthy of the title ¡®your highness¡®. Only she refrained from saying so when she remembered that he was actually Ruby¡¯s brother. However, his next words surprised her. ¡°And I also want to use this opportunity to apologize for my little sister¡¯s behavior the other day.¡± Ezgar sounded so sincere and business¨Clike, Abby felt embarrassed for thinking he would take his own sister¡¯s side in this matter. After all, she was his beloved younger sister, she could tell from the way his gaze was a blend of love and worry while searching for her the other day. ¡°It¡¯s okay, moreover it is not your fault that your sister¡­¡± Abby trailed off as she couldn¡¯t decide if she should discuss this with Ezgar. No matter what, Ruby was his sister. On the other hand, Ezgar chuckled when she felt awkward talking bad about his sister. From the look on her face, she couldn¡¯t tell to what extent he knew about the issue between her and his sister. ¡°Still, she did something she shouldn¡¯t. She is in no position to try and make things difficult for you,¡± Ezgar said, leaving her dumbfounded yet again. He was really made differently from his sister. 2/6 Ezgar smiled when she didn¡¯t say anything with her eyes wide open. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He chose to drop the matter, when he realized it must be awkward for her to talk about his sister with him. +5 ¡°Is it okay if I sit with you?¡± Ezgar asked, trying to change the topic. ¡°This is such a nice spot, it would be a shame just to walk away without indulging in it.¡± Abby weed his thought of wanting to change the topic, since she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to force herself to talk openly about the whole ordeal with Ruby, no matter who the other person was. In fact, she didn¡¯t even talk to Micah about it, even though her mate being a bit too preupied with several other things was the main reason for it. But then, she didn¡¯t think it was an incident huge enough to be brought to Micah¡¯s attention when she could deal with it just fine. ¡°Yeah, this is a nice ce,¡± Abby said, agreeing with him while moving to one side of the bench and then gesturing for him to take the other side. ¡°And I really didn¡¯t expect to bump into you so casually like that,¡± Ezgar said as soon as he sat down. What he meant was nothing about her was mboyant enough to make him recognize her as the future queen. Abby didn¡¯t say anything in response to his words. So it was Ezgar who spoke again to continue the conversation. ¡°I still didn¡¯t know your name, miss.¡± Ezgar felt awkward to sit silently when Abby talked too choosingly, so even though he heard her name from his sister and the others, he still asked her. And Abby could also tell that he was asking that question only to kill the awkward air that settled over her silence. So she told her name and that was how their small talk went. ?? Him talking or asking little details like how the capital was treating her and as such. Abby soon found herselffortable talking to him. The man always had this small yet encouraging smile on his face, as if he was talking to a small child instead of someone who had a serious altercation with his beloved younger sister. He had a bright personality, and this rubbed off on her as she too smiled from her heart. Soon their conversation delved into topics about the ceremony and Ezgar could immediately notice the small frown on her face. ¡°So how are the arrangements for the ceremony going?¡± Ezgar asked, and saw how Abby¡¯s expression twisted into one of worry. On the other hand, being reminded about the arrangements that had been the reason for her constant headache for the past ten days, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel her head throb in protest. She didn¡¯t know what to say and a sigh escaped her without her realizing it. ¡°What is bothering you?¡± Ezgar couldn¡¯t help but ask when he noticed how the smile on her vanished slowly but surely as a frown shadowed her features. The same exact frown that almost disappeared when he noticed her sitting on this bench earlier. In fact, that was what prompted him to walk toward her, even though he wanted to apologize to her for not recognizing her and also about his sister. Only now did he realize the reason for her frown. So the arrangements for the ceremony were taking a toll on her. But then it was understandable when it was obvious how important the event was. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t know if she could talk to him about the ceremony or her worries over the difficulties she had been facing while trying to arrange everything on her own. But then a strong gust of wind made her hair go wild and when she lifted her hand to readjust her hair, 4/6 something fell down from her sleeve andnded near Ezgar feet. It was the papers she stuffed in her sleeve after her lesson with Sherianne. Ezgar picked up the papers and Abby couldn¡¯t stop him fast enough as he unfolded the papers and read her mediocre speech. ¡°Is this a draft for your speech for the ceremony?¡± Ezgar asked her, once he lifted his head from the papers. Since it was already obvious, Abby could only resign herself and nod her head. Judging from herckluster expression, Ezgar could guess this was one of the things bothering her. ¡°This is not bad?¡± Ezgar actually wanted to say it as a statement of encouragement, but it came out as a question. ¡°Thank you, but I know it¡¯s not up to the mark.¡± Abby smiled at him. But it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°How about I help you?¡± Ezgar said when he realized how much it was bothering her. ¡°Help me?¡± Abby asked, confused. ¡°Yes, with the speech, two minds is better than one. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Ezgar asked, his signature smile brightening his face immediately. ¡°Moreover, I know a lot about this kingdom and people, I know what would reach their ears, at least, if not their hearts.¡± Abby could tell he was sincere with his suggestion when he took effort to sell his pluspoints in herself taking his helping hand about this matter. And his earnest expression was something she found hard to turn away from, and so she ended up agreeing to take his help. ¡°I think it¡¯s better we continue this next time, it is already sote,¡± Ezgar said when he noticed it was already dinner time. ¡°How about the same ce and time tomorrow?¡± 5/6 6/6 C Ezgar suggested when Abby¡¯s stomach growled following his first sentence. After deciding upon meeting the next day, Ezgar took his leave. Abby returned to their room and once again had her dinner all by herself. Even when it was way past her sleeping time, Micah was still nowhere to be found and this made her heart hurt a little in sadness. Chapter 92 Just as they agreed, Abby went to meet with Ezgar in the same garden the next evening. However, she was running a littlete, and by the time Abby reached the backyard, she could see Ezgar already waiting for her. She immediately apologized for making him wait. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was caught up with the decoration finalization and made you wait,¡± Abby said as soon as she was within earshot of Ezgar. She really thought it wouldn¡¯t take too much time when Alyssa reminded her she still needed to decide upon a few things about the decoration after her lunch. She spent all the morning choosing flowers and then decoration, and almost came up with a few suitable ideas. She thought it wouldn¡¯t take too much of her time to finalize since she already settled on an idea. But she didn¡¯t expect it would take the entire afternoon, even though she was just ¡®tying up the loose ends¡¯ in her ideas for the decorations. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s only been a few minutes since I came,¡± the man said, smiling at her. Abby could tell he was just being polite and then sat on the bench when Ezgar urged her to rx her feet. ¡°Come sit, so that you could rest your feet as well, while taking a breather first,¡± Ezgar said. And Abby noticed how thoughtful he was. He knew she was running here and there, taking care of a lot of things, so he was asking her to rx first. ¡°Thank you,¡± Abby said, feeling genuinely grateful. ¡°But we can start right away.¡± Abby knew she couldn¡¯t hog his time just because he was the one to suggest helping her. He was the son of the former royal beta, so of course, it would be a tant lie if he were to say he didn¡¯t have things way more important than helping a stranger whom he met just recently. So she decided it wouldn¡¯t be polite to take up too much of his time. 1/4 e Dreame Dreame ¡°Are you sure? You look really tired,¡± Ezgar said, pointing at her dark circles that looked more obvious than yesterday. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I just had a bad night, I¡¯m okay,¡± Abby said. Ezgar didn¡¯t probe when she put it like that, for which Abby felt grateful yet again. He had this sun-shine personality with the perks of easy going nature and reading the air. Abby didn¡¯t find it hard to talk to him as they soon fell into afortable chat. But then when they started topose the speech, they couldn¡¯t settle on a single idea. It was too hard when they had to consider so many things. ¡°No, this doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Edgar couldn¡¯t help but shake his head when the idea he came up with didn¡¯t suit Abby at all. Abby felt discouraged when nothing seemed to work for her speech. They spent more than two hours but it wasn¡¯t productive. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it would be this hard to string a few sentences together,¡± Ezgar said, making light of the situation when he noticed how the light in Abby¡¯s eyes died out slowly but surely. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we wille up with something, don¡¯t worry,¡± Ezgar encouraged her again. Seeing him like this, Abby felt her spirits lift up again. But she couldn¡¯t help but think how good it would have been if it was Micah helping her instead. But then, Ezgar smiled at her again and she couldn¡¯t help but see an older brother she never had. She didn¡¯t have a reason to envy Ruby until now. But she wouldn¡¯t deny it if she was asked right now. Ruby got a really good brother. ¡°We got this,¡± Ezgar told her again, when she just stared at him with this nk look as if she couldn¡¯t take this set back. But he was surprised when she smiled suddenly. ¡°Yeah, we got this,¡± Abby said. Ezgar let out a sigh of relief when she finally got out of her bad mood. ¡°I reckon we have to wrap up for today,¡± he said, as he stood up to leave ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s already dinner time,¡± Abby said and stood up as well Ezgar then bade her goodbye before saying he would spend his night thinking of more ideas for her speech. Abby came back to an empty room yet again. Micah wasn¡¯t back to dinner tonight either. She thought of having the kitchen prepare a meal for him, but then discarded that idea when she thought it would only disrupt his ns for the night. However, her thoughts were disrupted when both Alyssa and Reyna came to talk to her. ¡°What is it?¡± Abby asked them when they stood looking at each other¡¯s faces instead of saying what was on their minds. ¡°Lady Abby, we don¡¯t think it is wise enough for you to meet Mr. Ezgar so often,¡± Alyssa said after hemming and hawing for a while. ¡°Yes, Lady Abby, it might give rise to rumors which would be hard to deal withter,¡± Reyna took her fellow maid¡¯s cue. When they put it like that, it made Abby fall into a deep thought. She fell silent, prompting her maids to keep quiet as well. What they said was true. She didn¡¯t think much when Ezgar suggested he provide his help. She just felt it was nice to finally have someone to talk to, other than Alyssa and Reyna, who weren¡¯t her friends. While Micah always camete and left early in the morning. She didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to. But then, within two days, Abby started seeing Ezgar as a brotherly figure she never had. Even her only sister, Hanna, had never given the warmth she got from Ezgar in their two short meetings. Now, after listening to Alyssa and Reyna, she couldn¡¯t help but think it wasn¡¯t really appropriate to meet Ezgar like that. However, the problem was; she had promised to meet with him the next day again. Even though he suggested helping her, it wouldn¡¯t be pretty if she bailed out on him after making ns. What should she do? Chapter 93 Abby gave Alyssa and Reyna¡¯s advice a really long thought. And after thinking all night, the girl decided it would only be detrimental to herself if new rumors started to circte just days before the ceremony. The elders were already unhappy with her. They wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to point their fingers at her yet again if she slipped up. Not to mention, she couldn¡¯t afford to anger the people as well. So Abby chose not to meet with Ezgar. However, she knew it would be beyond rude to let him wait for her, because she knew he would do just that. ¡°Can you let Ezgar know that I¡¯m busy today and can¡¯t make it to the meet up She asked Alyssa, who immediately agreed. Abby just hoped Ezgar wouldn¡¯t feel upset with her for chickening out. She didn¡¯t forget to teach her maid the excuse for her absence, though. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m caught up with the preparations and since the ceremony was only days away, I couldn¡¯t make it,¡± Abby said after thinking hard. Even though it sounded some, she couldn¡¯te up with a better excuse than this. However, she didn¡¯t forget to remind Alyssa to convey her sincere apologies as he had to make a wasted trip. Alyssa returned even before half an hour could pass and Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask how he received the news. ¡°Mr. Ezgar didn¡¯t look mad,¡± Alyssa told Abby. ¡°He understood that you are busy with all the preparation.¡± Abby felt a little relieved hearing Alysaa¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t think Ezgar wouldn¡¯t be able to realize what was going on. It was so obvious when she sent a maid to deliver the news. However, instead of getting upset over being turned down in this way, he chose to 1/4 X Ox Dreame Installed Open understand where she wasing from. Abby¡¯s impression of him soared even more now. He was really a gentleman. Nothing like his maniptive sister, just like Micah said. ¡°You can leave now, I don¡¯t have any ns to leave the room today,¡± Abby said, pointing at the papers in her hands. After sending her away, Abby sat at the table near the window and started toe up with ideas for the speech herself. The ceremony was only three days away and she still didn¡¯t prepare her speech. But she had to rectify it by h o o k or crook. However, nothing seemed suitable yet again and Abby felt like crying. This was going nowhere. It was clear the speech was an important segment in their ceremony. Moreover, the entire capital would be there to bear witness for the ceremony, not to mention the guests that would arrive from all the nine packs, including her own pack. What could possibly be deemed suitable for her to talk about in the ceremony? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t settle on an idea or thought and this made her head hurt again. What should she do to ovee this hurdle? **** **** After trying for the entire morning, Abby gave up and decided to wait until Micah toe back. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. She reckoned it was better to ask for her mate¡¯s help on this, rather than relying on herself or the others. So she focused on other things like her body posture, walking style for the rest of the day. She practiced until she felt she did just how Sherianne taught her. Even though it wasn¡¯t really easy, she could feel she was getting the hang of it once she put all of her focus on it., 2/4 Later that evening, she took her dinner early and then had the kitchen prepare a light meal for the King. Only the man didn¡¯te until it was toote. Even so she waited for him toe without going to bed. Even if she went to bed, she would just be tossing and turning on it anyway until Micah came. So she thought it would be better if she just waited for him on the sofa. Her n was simple. She would ask him directly without overthinking and once he exined his idea, she would immediately stop bothering him. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to return so well into the night or look so tired, she could feel his exhaustion hit her. ¡°Micah¡­¡± Abby felt her throat clogging in seeing him like that. On the other hand, Micah couldn¡¯t really spare any time on things like even dinner when the reports he kept receiving from Alpha Samuel ended up taking most of his free time after his day-long meetings. He was keeping in touch with Alpha Samuel just like they had agreed on before he left for the Capital with Abby almost a fortnight back. He needed to be meticulous about every detail and if there was a new update on the rogues¡¯ situation, he couldn¡¯t miss it. Because it would only disrupt all his ns. So coordinating with Alpha Samuel was on top among all the other things. That was why he had been cutting back on his sleep time and the rest as well. ¡°I¡¯m alright, little one,¡± Micah reassured Abby. ¡°But why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± He tousled her hair as he asked her. ¡°I want to make sure you have something before going to bed,¡± Abby changed the topic as she led him to the table where a te of dinner was waiting for him. But it turned cold long back. ¡°Let me reheat it for you! Abby told him. ¡°It will be ready by the time you freshen up.¡± 3/4 16:33 Thu, 11 Apr ¡°I¡¯ll take a bath before leaving in the morning, little one,¡± Micah pulled her back. ¡°I don¡¯t mind eating cold food. Go to bed first.¡± He sounded tired, so Abby didn¡¯t argue and just looked at him as if saying for him to eat first. Micah gave in and ate before he hugged her to sleep. However, Abby couldn¡¯t sleep even though she was in Micah¡¯s warm embrace. There were only two more days before the ceremony. It seemed only a miracle could get her out of this mess now. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 All night, the thoughts of her inability toe up with an idea suitable for her speech kept Abby awake. She tried so hard, but sleep just wouldn¡¯te to her when the thought of failing Micah in front of so many people gued her mind, leaving her anxious and fidgeting. But she couldn¡¯t even toss and turn in the bed, being locked in Micah¡¯s embrace, who hugged her to sleep after a hectic day filled with meetings, running here and there without reprieve. Her mate was fast asleep right now, yes, but he would wake up if she were to breathe a little too hard. After all, his senses as the King of the werewolves were no joke. Even in sleep, he would be so alert he could wake up in an instant if he heard the air blow in the wrong direction. As such, both her worries and the fear of disturbing his sleep resulted in a sleepless night for herself. But then, Abby didn¡¯t need to act too long when the King woke up about three hourster to leave for the day again. Abby didn¡¯t know what prompted her but she continued her act until Micah left and opened her eyes only when it was at least half an hourter. A long sigh escaped her lips before she chewed on them, thinking of a way to solve this problem, but ended up staring at the chandelier above her head until the remnants of the darkness were chased away by the bright sun. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t think of anything else but asking for Ezgar¡¯s help again as she didn¡¯t know whom she could trust with such an important task. She couldn¡¯t ask Micah, even though she failed without even trying, while her maids weren¡¯t suitable for the task. The only person she wasfortable around other than these three before she met Ezgar was Dex, the royal g a m m a, who disappeared after they returned to the capital. Another long sigh escaped her when Abby remembered that there were so many things she needed to take care of, with the speech she was going to give on that day being the most troublesome issue on her te now. Chapter 94 With all these thoughts swirling in her mind, Abby ended up staying awake the whole night. Sherianne would kick a fuss up if she were to see her right now. Her face would have paled even more, thanks to her never ending worries and sleepless nights. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work,¡± Abby huffed, as she jumped out of the bed. She quickly got ready for the day and by the time her personal maids, Alyssa and Reyna, came to wake her up, carrying her breakfast, Abby was all set to go out, but not before taking her morning meal and medicines. ¡°Alyssa,e with me,¡± she told the girl, who immediately followed her master as they hurried to the garden. Even though it was a long shot, Abby couldn¡¯t find a way better than this to achieve her current goal; that was to seek Ezgar¡¯s help. After thinking all night, Abby concluded her only chance at finishing the speech was highly dependent on Ezgar¡¯s help. She noticed how he came to the garden everyday around breakfast time and before the sunset. So, here she was, hoping for Ezgar to visit the pce and then pass by the garden. This time, she would ask for his help and hope he would not turn her down. And fortunately, the man turned up around fifteen minutester. From the looks of it, he was taking a walk in the garden after having his breakfast. ¡°Sir Ezgar,¡± Abby immediately called him, as she approached him with hurried steps. ¡°Lady Abby, how are you doing today?¡± Ezgar bowed to her as a greeting before asking about her well being in a voice so calm, Abby couldn¡¯t believe her ears. After all, she thought the man would definitely not be so nice to her after she stood him up the day before, if he didn¡¯t start scolding her the moment he saw her. But the man was actually asking her how she was doing, while all the hostile feelings Abby thought he would harbor were nowhere to be seen, as if her disrespecting him by refusing his helping hand didn¡¯tBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. bother him at all. In fact, Abby could see his face lighting up with the same bright smile that bloomed on his face the few times he met her before, giving off the older brother vibe. It was as if nothing had happened before. ¡°Lady Abby?¡± Ezgar had to call her name twice because the girl went into a stupor calling his own name. after ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. What about you?¡± A still bewildered Abby asked back, as she pulled her lips into a small smile. 16.33 Thu, 11 Apr Chapter 94 Abby couldn¡¯t believe her luck when Ezgar agreed to help her readily and told her to meet him in the tutoring hall, where she had her lessons with Sherianne, after having her lunch. The girl couldn¡¯t thank him enough as she left to deal with other things that might need her attention so that she could go and prepare the speech with Ezgar¡¯s helpter peacefully. And here she was, waiting for the man to appear, with all the papers and ink ready. It was Alyssa, who apanied her again, but she didn¡¯t ask Abby why she was meeting Ezgar again. On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t have enough time to worry over rumors and such when she had more important things to deal with first. A knock on the door prompted Abby to hit brakes on her thoughts as she could see Ezgar walking into the room after Alyssa went to open it for him. ¡°Did I make you wait too long?¡± Ezgar asked as he settled on the chair across from Abby. ¡°No, I just came as well,¡± Abby brushed it off as she immediately delved into the work. ¡°Did youe up with any ideas?¡± What Abby meant was Ezgar¡¯s words from the other day, where he promised to think of more ideas for her speech. The man could tell the same as he nodded his head. Abby offered Ezgar afternoon tea as they discussed his ideas. ¡°Why don¡¯t we add a few lines about your life back in your pack?¡± Ezgar suddenly said, catching Abby off guard as she paled a little. But because she had always been out of spirits when Ezgar met her, the man couldn¡¯t tell the difference, while Abby fellpletely silent. ¡°Since you are the beta¡¯s daughter, you can even add one or two points about how you helped your father before,¡± Ezgar said again, assuming Abby would have been involved in the pack matters, at least, to a tiny extent. Being the son of the former royal beta himself, he knew how things in influential families work. ¡°My father never took my help,¡± Abby whispered. Her throat tightened remembering the reason he never even talked to her like a father should. ¡°Oh, then we can¡¯t use it for your speech, being honest is more important, no?¡± Ezgar Chapter 94 made light of the situation again as he thought Abby¡¯s father was just a typical man of power, not listening to his mate or daughters, He mistook her silence for her being sad over her father¡¯s narcissism, but Abby didn¡¯t dare to correct him at all. ¡°I¡¯m suddenly curious about your mother,¡± Ezgar said, maybe because he wanted to change the topic. ¡°She left me ten years back,¡± Abby blurted out, and Ezgar was confused for a moment before she finished her sentence. ¡°And this world.¡± Ezgar felt his throat tighten with sadness seeing Abby¡¯s face wither further in seconds. He wanted to bring back the smile he wiped out mentioning her father, but ended up making her tear up. So he decided to avoid topics rted to her pack as they continued to work. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Abby told Ezgar, as she saw him out of the tutoring hall. ¡°Pleasure is mine. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Ezgar said, as he took his leave since it was already so late. It took them a whole day to finish the speech, but atst, they were able to agree on an idea and then worked around it to finallyplete the task. Abby could finally breathe out a sigh of relief. With this speech finished, everything was back on track. She left the tutoring hall with a small smile as she enjoyed her walk to their bedroom, however, her peace didn¡¯tst long as the thought of talking in front of so many people brought a frown to her face. Moreover, Micah was not back for dinner tonight as well. Seeing the empty room, Abby couldn¡¯t help but recall how she had fidgeted in difort when Ezgar asked her if she did not ask for her mate¡¯s help. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask for King Micah¡¯s help?¡± Ezgar asked, looking genuinely confused. Abby felt sad when she couldn¡¯t even get a chance to look at his face properly for the past two weeks, let alone have enough time to chat about the preparations under her responsibility. Chapter 94 She forced a small smile as she told him the truth. ¡°Micha has been busy with the ceremony as well and always returns exhausted. I don¡¯t want to overwork him by sharing my worries.¡± Hearing her answer, the man fell silent and didn¡¯t bring Micah up again. Even when he asked about her friends, Abby could only resort to changing topics, yet again, not wanting to talk too much about her life from before. Chapter 95 Holding open the paper that had the speech she prepared with Ezgar¡¯s help, Abby stood in front of the mirror in the cloakroom. In hopes to practice delivering the speech, she dismissed her maids¡¯ help when they asked her if she needed anything else for the night when she slipped into the cloakroom adjoining their bedroom. However, not a single word would make it past her lips, as she could feel her throat drying at the very thought of memorizing every word and presenting it with no mistakes in front of thousands of people during the ceremony. And, she couldn¡¯t s k i p it no matter what. If she couldn¡¯t even speak a few lines about the kingdom she was going to rule alongside Micah, how would she be able to convince them all that she was up for any challenge at all? She needed to act brave even if she had forgotten the meaning of that word, not because she was afraid that they would find fault with her, but because her failure might cause Micah more problems. Just like Ruby said and hoped for, she couldn¡¯t continue being a burden for her mate, who was doing so much for themselves to stay together, where he didn¡¯t even hesitate to start an internal war with his own royal council. But the pressure she was trying to ignore was real as she could feel her whole body shivering just at the thought of facing so many people, including royal councilors like Arthur and the others who hated her with guts. She looked upward as she closed her eyes which started to get blurry with tears of frustration at the thought of Arthur¡¯s actions from the moment they met regarding that maniptive b i t c h, Ruby¡¯s, house arrest by Micah. ¡°Stop thinking about all of them, silly girl. You need to focus.¡± Abby had to pep talk herself when the pressure started overwhelming her as it had been two hours since she locked herself in this cloakroom, wanting to practice delivering her speech. She only opened her eyes when she was sure that she willed her tears back, as she looked at the contents of the speech with determination. She had to see the end of this. ¡°T- this K-kingdom¡­¡± But, it wasn¡¯t as easy as a random thought of wanting to do something correctly slipping into your mind. It required more than courage and determination to pull off something you never did. Or something Abby never even dreamed of trying. It was really pathetic when she thought back to the last time she actually tried to have a normal conversation with people from her pack. In fact, she couldn¡¯t even remember ever talking to any of them after her own father and older sister branded her as a monster who killed her own mother. No one would want to be acquainted with a person who was hated by their one family, when werewolves were known to live in groups,rge ones to be precise, with a perfect hierarchical system in ce. And this hierarchical system also ounted for her destion in a pack as big as theirs, as everyone was afraid to cross the beta of the pack and her father, Ryan, who had the backing of the Alpha James. But then she could count the few times she was allowed to go out of the dark room, Hanna enjoyed confining her to, on one hand when someone was actually around. Even though a few pack members tried to help her behind her father¡¯s back, by giving her food, they never dared to linger too long for her to actually say a word to them. But now, she had to deliver a speech as the queen of this kingdom before thousands of people, who also had been waiting for Micah to find his destined mate for years. Abby felt her forehead drench with sweat just at the thought of all those probing eyes that would be fixed on her among the thousands of curious eyes. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. If she were to stutter like this, it would be the end of her! But what could Abby do when she was so nervous? After all, it left her anxious and stuttering whenever she tried to read the speech out loud. ¡°G o d! How do I ovee this?¡± Abby could feel her knees going weak the longer she looked into the mirror. She didn¡¯t even have enough courage to talk to herself, let alone before a crowd. This is simply nuts! She felt like crushing the paper and then throwing it far away before falling to her knees and crying her heart out. She felt suffocated at the need to act her part well and reach the expectations of all the people of this kingdom. She couldn¡¯t help but read the page long speech written by Ezgar again and again, but the moment she looked up and faced her own reflection in the mirror, every word she ever learnt failed her. But then she couldn¡¯t give up and let her nerves get the better of her, so she could only force herself to practice and practice. She had to ignore the fear that kept wing up her throat, trying to block the words from leaving her lips, if she didn¡¯t want to embarrass both herself and Micah in front of the whole kingdom. *********** Abby didn¡¯t know how long she locked herself in the cloakroom, but around midnight, someone knocked on the door of her bedroom and she finally went out of the cloakroom. She had been waiting for Micah toe, so when she heard the knock, she thought it was her mate. ¡°But why would Micah knock on the door?¡± Abby whispered to herself as she crossed the sleeping area and walked up to the sofa. Reyna, who seemed to have been waiting for Abby toe out of the cloakroom since. dinner time, so that she could apany her master until she slipped into slumber, went to get the door. She then heard her maid talk to whoever came before stepping back into the room and closing the door behind her. So it was clear it wasn¡¯t Micha who hade. ¡°Lady Abby, King Micah sent this for you,¡± Reyna called after her when Abby turned around to go to her bed, wanting to wait for Micah there. ¡°What did he send?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask as she turned around so quickly, and stumbled a little. ¡°Careful, Lady Abby. You can get hurt!¡± Reyna almost shouted as she threw her arms to support Abby. If her maid hadn¡¯t been quick enough to break her fall and then steady her on her own feat, she would be sporting a sprained ankle during the ceremony. ¡°Thank you, Reyna,¡± Abby thanked her maid as she asked for the things Micah sent her. This was the first letter he wrote to her, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited. However, her excitement dwindled quite fast when her maid presented her with a single flower and a small letter. Abby quickly opened the letter and the contents of the letter were just what she had expected. ¡®I am caught up with something, go to bed early.¡¯ He just wrote two short phrases and reading them, Abby felt her spirits plunging even more. She had been down all evening, and when she thought Micah woulde back and provide her the warmth and the support she had been so dearly craving, she was only left with disappointment. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and she struggled to keep them at bay, just like she had been doing all evening. Even though she felt like crying, she couldn¡¯t give into that urge right now, because she was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop once she started letting them out. She looked behind her, at the bed. It suddenly felt so cold and empty, Abby felt her heart shrivel with sadness. She had been waiting for him all evening, but he didn¡¯t even return tonight. Even though he had been busy for thest two weeks, he would at least find time toe bid her good night. And it always helped to lift her ever dampening spirits. But when she wanted his presence more than anything, he couldn¡¯t make it to her. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she felt this desperate for something. She suddenly felt like running to Micah and seekingfort in his embrace, because only he could make her feel better right now. But she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. She didn¡¯t want to bother him while he was busy with his ns for the ceremony. She couldn¡¯t be that ignorant, only caring about herself and her own emotions. However, she couldn¡¯t even bear to look at the empty bed, let alone lie on it all night, alone, feeling cold and deste. ¡°Lady Abby,¡± Reyna called when she noticed how Abby looked like she was going to cry any minute now. On the other hand, Abby/immediately folded the letter in her hands as she looked at 16:34 Thu, 11 Apr the yellow flower Micah sent her. ¡°I want to take a walk,¡± Abby suddenly decided, as she quickly draped an outer robe over her shoulders. Reyna was still stupefied in her ce, when Abby already walked out of the King¡¯s bedroom, but then she came to her senses as she ran after her master. But Abby prevented her from following her. ** Abby was walking toward the bench in the garden that had been her sanctuary for the past few days when she saw someone walking toward the garden. Upon a closer look, she realized it was Ezgar. She immediately turned around to leave but the man noticed her already. Lady Abby!!!¡± bby heard him exim her name in the next moment. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 The flower Micah sent her was the same yellow flower she came to love aftering to the capital city. Abby could still remember how she found the garden surprisingly pleasant in the entire pce just because it was filled with these small yet beautiful flowers. She used to spend her time in the garden before the incident with Ruby and her friends happened, after which she fell sick and couldn¡¯t go to the garden to enjoy them again. But then Micah noticed that she liked them and started sending her these flowers. Now, he sent her the same flower and looking at it brought back all those memories, which in turn triggered the memory of what Ruby said to her in the very bedroom after their return to the capital, being summoned by the royal council. Suddenly, the air around her felt suffocating as she felt the walls closing in on her. She needed to get away from here, or else, her longing for Micah¡¯s embrace would only worsen and she would really run to him forfort like she wanted to since dinner this evening. ¡°I want to take a walk,¡± Abby decided, as she threw the letter and flower from Micah on the table behind the sofa before sprinting out of the bedroom. She even prevented Reyna from following her, because she wanted to be alone right now. Abby felt she did the right thing bying here when she saw the half moon hanging beautifully in the star studded night sky. Even the night air was refreshingly cool. And a smile, albeit a small one, finally formed on her lips after more than five hours. However, her luck wasn¡¯t really that great as her wishes weren¡¯t heard by the Moon Goddess at all when she finally reached the garden. Just when she was about to walk toward the bench she had been monopolizing for the past few days, she actually saw Ezgar walking toward the garden. ¡°There goes my alone time,¡± Abby whispered to herself, dejected. She usually liked hispany, but tonight, she really wanted to be alone. Even if she told him the same, with his personality, Ezgar would only try to stay behind and cheer her up. So she wanted to slip away before he could see her. But it seemed her luck had 1/5 Chapter 96 abandoned her since the moment she finished writing that speech, literally nothing went as she wished. Because the moment she turned around to make a beeline back to her bedroom in the exact way she ran toward this garden, she could hear his voice calling to her. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Lady Abby!!!¡± Ezgar shouted as he approached her immediately, when he saw her walking in the garden, with his signature blinding smile in ce. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you at this hour. Seems like you really love walking in this garden.¡± Ezgar bbered, looking around the almost dark garden, save for the little light that was being cast by the half moon high above their heads. The night sky was littered with stars as the clouds seemed to have gone on a vacation, leaving the view so clear, it was picturesque like a perfect spot for stargazing. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but recall Alyssa and Reyna¡¯s warning about how nors would fly if she met Ezgar too often. Her own maids didn¡¯t hesitate to point out how odd it was for her to meet a man in the broad daylight. If someone were to see them in the dead of the night, how would it look in their eyes? Abby didn¡¯t even want to go there. So she wanted to bid good night to the man immediately. She knew it was the right thing to do, if she didn¡¯t want additional problems. ¡°I just came for fresh air. I was about to leave when you came,¡± Abby said, wanting to leave without any awkward scenarios. ¡°Good night, Mr. Ezgar!¡± However, Ezgar seemed to have a different thought as he actually walked toward the bench at the far end of this garden. ¡°I thought you would, at least, talk a little since we already met,¡± Ezgar said, stopping right in front of the bench. It was clear he was inviting her for a short conversation, although he didn¡¯t directly pressure her to stay. ¡°I would have, if only it wasn¡¯t sote,¡± Abby said, still standing in her spot. ¡°It¡¯s as you said, it was alreadyte. Just a few more minutes won¡¯t make much difference,¡± Ezgar said, as he settled on the far right end of the bench while gesturing to the other end for her to take it. 2/5 Chapter 96 His eyes were dancing with mischief as if he was asking her to stay upte together like an older brother would with her sister when they wanted to y without their parents knowledge. ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous,¡± Abby said, staring at her hands, which she rested in her ownp. She tried so hard but they wouldn¡¯t stop shaking, until she had to wring them. But Ezgar noticed her difort and when he asked, she could only tell him the truth, even though she had toned down her actual situation a lot. ¡°This is not little, Lady Abby,¡± Ezgar said, as he pointed at her hands, which turned red from all the abuse she inflicted on them. Even though Abby tried to leave, Ezgar convinced her it was a good idea to stay behind and talk when he noticed that she looked a little sad. So here she was, trying not to let out everything in front of Ezgar, who had be a brotherly figure in her mind. She knew howfortable she would get everytime they shared a conversation and the same happened now, making her stay rooted to her seat. ¡°What is bothering you?¡± Ezgar asked when she didn¡¯t reply for a long time. Abby shook her head a little, wanting to avoid the question, but Ezgar wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°You clearly look anxious, is it about the ceremony?¡± Ezgar hit the nail on the head, leaving Abby speechless as she looked a little conflicted. She was afraid that she would look weak if she admitted how terrified she was about making some mistake. But then, Ezgar was not a person to jump to conclusions just like that. He didn¡¯t judge her even once even though she gave him a lot of reasons to. Be it refusing his help or not being able to contribute much to the speech she had to deliver in her own ceremony., Not once did he look at her differently, as the smile on his face always remained bright. Suddenly, Abby felt silly for overthinking when she was talking with Ezgar. ¡°Yes, I tried practicing the speech, but I can¡¯t get a hang of it,¡± Abby admitted as she Chapter 96 fisted her hands in herp, preventing them from shaking. She then exined how she never did something like talking in front of so many people, how she was afraid of embarrassing herself in front of thousands. Ezgar stayedpletely silent until Abby was done with her monologue, only when it seemed like she didn¡¯t have anything more to add, did the man open his mouth again. So the thought of their eyes on you was the main problem here, right?¡± Ezgar summarized as he fell into a deep thought, while Abby hummed in response. ¡°Why don¡¯t you imagine them as flowers instead?¡± Ezgar suddenly said when his eyes fell on the flowers in front of them. **** Talking with Ezgar really helped push down her fears a lot as Abby could feel a bounce her step while on her way back to her bedroom. However, the moment she opened the doors, she could see both Alyssa and Reyna waiting for her, and the girl¡¯s smile faltered a little. They seemed anxious and when Alyssa opened her mouth, she understood why. ¡°Lady Abby, how could you go out alone at this hour?¡± Alyssa asked and Abby couldn¡¯t help but scold Reyna in her heart for snitching on her. Even though she was their master, sometimes, Alyssa could be so protective like a mother hen when it came to her safety. And right now, her maid was in her mother hen mode. Abby couldn¡¯t find her voice in the face of her worried expression, but her next question left her tongue tied for real. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Alyssa asked her. ¡°What would we tell the King if something were to happen to you?¡± ¡°Nothing happened to me, right?¡± Abby only responded to her second question, wanting to dodge the first one, However, Reyna wouldn¡¯t leave it alone. ¡°Where were you, Lady Abby? I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere so I had to call Alyssa for help.¡± From the looks of it, her maid seemed to have searched for her but couldn¡¯t find her. Chapter 96 Even though you could see the entire back yard from the bench Abby and Ezgar sat on, it wasn¡¯t easy to spot if someone were using it from a distance, especially at night. ¡°I just took a walk, like I said,¡± Abby said before hurriedly walking to her bed. Abby didn¡¯t know what came over her, but she didn¡¯t think telling either Alyssa or Reyna about her meeting with Ezgar was a good idea. For one thing they would ¡®scold¡¯ her since they would see it as a s t u p i thing for herself to do before the ceremony. And then they would overthink until it would leave herself second guessing everything and she didn¡¯t want to go there, because it would only mean an extra headache for her. Chapter 97 Just like what he wrote in the letter to her, Micah didn¡¯t show any signs of returning for the night even when Abbyy awake in the bed for another hour after sending her maids away to rest. Alyssa and Reyna repeatedly expressed their concern over her disappearance in the middle of the night when she didn¡¯t reveal her impromptu meeting with Ezgar, until Abby couldn¡¯t take it. Abby had to literally push the girls out of her room when they refused to leave, insisting on apanying her since the King made it clear he wouldn¡¯t return tonight. Not to mention, their master¡¯s little stunt in the middle of the night. ¡°Lady Abby, one of us is supposed to keep youpany while the King is away,¡± Alyssa stressed as Reyna nodded her head in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m in the bedroom, with guards right outside the door,¡± Abby countered. ¡°And I really want to be alone.¡± Only when Abby asserted her stance did the two girls finally leave, even though they looked like they had more to say to her. Now, she was back to staring at the chandelier high above her head, thinking about Ezgar¡¯s idea. He actually told her to imagine the attendees as flowers while delivering the speech. ¡°Even though the entire capital city would be at the pce on that day, you wouldn¡¯t really be able to look at their faces clearly, they will appear just like this ocean of flowers before you, small and crowded,¡± Ezgar said, seconding his idea. Abby remembered how she couldn¡¯t help but point out the loophole in his n. ¡°But what about the elders who would be literally in my face?¡± Ezgarughed at her words. ¡°Then think of them as statues.¡± He blurted out after giving it a thought. Abby had to cover her mouth when an embarrassingly loud chuckle left her lips at his silly ideas, but when Ezgar exined how her fear was all in her mind and that she was giving herself too much pressure by overthinking things, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel how true his words were. Thinking back to it, Ezgar¡¯s advice wasn¡¯t really that bad. Just like he said, she couldn¡¯t really look at their faces clearly from such a distance. Not to mention her senses weren¡¯t as sharp as the shifters. ¡°What you can¡¯t see and hear won¡¯t be able to affect you,¡± Abby repeated Ezgar¡¯s conclusion out loud as she couldn¡¯t help but think how true his words were. ¡°His idea is not really bad,¡± Abby whispered to herself as she finally slipped into a light yet peaceful slumber even though Micah wasn¡¯t by her side tonight. ¡°Lady Abby, King Micah sent another letter this morning,¡± Reyna informed her the moment her master finished her breakfast, and saw how Abby¡¯s face fell a little. She could tell the girl was hoping to see the King this morning, but now it was obvious that Micah was still caught up with whatever he was dealing with until he couldn¡¯t even take a moment to make a quick trip back to his own bedroom. Even though they didn¡¯t read the contents of the letters King Micah sent to Abby, it was not really that hard to guess what kind of message she got once you took a closer look at her face upon reading it. ¡°Where is it?¡± Abby asked calmly as if she expected it. ¡°Here,¡± Reyna dropped the letter and the flower in Abby¡¯s hand as she stepped back a little to give her space. She remembered how Abby got upset receiving a simr letter from Micahst night, so she wanted to be prepared this time. If her master decided to take a walk again, she would apany her today. On the other hand, after receiving the letter and flower, Abby simply picked up her speech with her other hand, as she got ready to leave the bedroom. However, after taking two steps, she stopped and turned around to look at her maid, who seemed confused as to what to do. ¡°What are you doing there, spacing out? Won¡¯t you apany me to the tutoring hall?¡± Abby tilted her head as she blinked her eyes at her maid. She then saw Reyna scrambling to follow her as she proceeded to leave without her after shrugging her shoulders. Abby looked at the three letters along with three yellow flowers as she sat at the small table near the window in her room after Alyssa took away her dinner te. The first set of the letter and flower were fromst night, the second being from this morning, while the seal of the third letter was yet to be opened. She just finished eating when a royal warrior came to deliver a third message and Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit bitter at Micah for not returning on the second night in a row. Even though she hadn¡¯t read his letter yet, she could pretty much guess what was written in there. After all, she had the experience of reading two such letters in the span of less than twelve hours. And when she finally opened it, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh in disappointment, yet again. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Little one, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t apany you tonight. Sleep early,¡± It was pretty much the same as what he wrote the previous two times, save for the third and extra line, where he wrote how much he loved her and how much he wanted to be with her. But it wasn¡¯t enough to wash away the sadness that flooded her heart reading the first two lines of his message, which had been his only words to her for the past two days, even though not vocal. After receiving the second letter this morning, Abby spent her day overseeing the preparations for the ceremony to keep herself busy. She even practiced her speech, just like Ezgar suggested and only returned to their bedroom before dinner. She thought Micah would definitely make time for her tonight, knowing fully well how important the next day was for both of them. However, she was once again left miffed with his absence. The girl couldn¡¯t help but feel her spirits dampen as she felt so down. She didn¡¯t want to let it discourage her, but she was attuned to his presence so much, she couldn¡¯t help but crave him physically. She could actually feel herself caving in from the pain and sadness over it. The entire pce was bustling with people this morning as they all came to attend the crowning ceremony of their future queen. People from all over the kingdom arrived in the capital city particrly for this asion, even though it was being held on such a short notice. Not to mention, it had been canceled once almost two months back. Whatever the reason for either of the changes in the schedule, they were all ecstatic that the King was finally iming his destined mate officially, giving them their future queen. And today was also the day, they were all going to see their future queen for the first time, as Micah had literally hidden Abby until now, which made their spirits soar high and they all gathered in front of the pce even before the sun could make an appearance on the horizon. However, the scenario inside the King¡¯s bedroom waspletely opposite to the lively atmosphere outside the pce gates, as Abby felt like the walls were closing in on her and she felt like crying. ¡°Where is the King?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask Alyssa and Reyna for the umpteenth time since she woke up. And the answer she got didn¡¯t have any changes, yet again. ¡°King Micah sent word that he would be here shortly.¡± They said the same thing for god knows how many times. Abby felt sick to the stomach just at the thought of meeting anyone. If she could, she wanted to hide in her bedroom and avoid this ceremony altogether. Her hands were shaking badly while her legs didn¡¯t have any strength in them. Huge sweat drops rolled down her back drenching the beautiful gown E made for her. Her maids dressed her up prettily in the pale yellow gown that flowed past her ankles, covering her from neck to toe, while a bunch of ornaments that seemed to be antique jewelry, passed down in the royal family of this kingdom, were lying in several boxes in front of her. ¡°Lady Abby, you need to choose a few to go with this dress,¡± Alyssa said, as she tried to distract Abby who looked like she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to flee from the pce if a chance were given. And she wasn¡¯t mistaken at all, Abby felt exactly the same. Only she knew she couldn¡¯t achieve that feat no matter what. So, even though she felt like she wanted to be anywhere but here, she had to swallow it and look at the jewelry carefully, so as not to make a mistake, yet again. ¡°Take this out,¡± Abby settled on a flowery bracelet that was endowed in diamonds after looking at the opened boxes for fifteen minutes when she heard a knock on the door. Abby would have run to the door if she hadn¡¯t been feeling like she would melt to the floor at any given moment from tension and anxiety. However, her face fell, yet again, when the person who followed behind Reyna into the room wasn¡¯t her mate like she had expected but a woman who seemed to be in her mid fifties with a small yet beautiful smile on her face. On the other hand, everyone in the room, except for Abby of course, bowed to the woman solemnly. ¡°Long live, former queen!¡± Chapter 98 The small idea of luring the rogues to attack the pce instead of any other pack or somewhere in the capital turned out to be a total sess as Micah had been receiving several missives from Alpha Samuel confirming the same. ¡°The activity of the rogues increased near the borders of the capitalpared to thest few times they attacked,¡± n reported as he folded his arms across his chest, deep in thought. Even though the rogues hadn¡¯t made an appearance, attacking the people or terrorizing anyone for the past few days, the royal warriors could still find one or two rogues patrolling near the borders recently. Just like those pests did all those times they attacked the areas near the capital city, even though they never harmed a single soul, solely focusing on inflicting fear in the citizens¡® hearts. The royal warriors had been sending reports how they detected rogues from all around the capital city. ¡°Tell our warriors to exercise patience and not alert the enemies,¡± Micah said the same thing he had been ordering them to follow since the announcement of the ceremony in the great hall. Even the missives from Alpha Samuel all contained only information on how they could detect rogues mobilizing from every part of the kingdom and without even investigating further, Micah could cross his heart and swear that they were all heading to the capital city. Just as he expected, their enemy had reacted strongly upon his decision. The ceremony wouldn¡¯t be so peaceful! The flow of missives increased even more after the confirmation of the ceremony when he announced the fixed date to the public, keeping him preupied more than he imagined, and confining him to meetings all day long. He could barely find time to get a shut eye, let alone have a peaceful meal or find Abby in their bedroom to seek thefort only she could give him. To make things worse, his royal council wouldn¡¯t stop pressuring him that the time was not right for holding the ceremony so abruptly, when they didn¡¯t even approve Abby as the future queen of this kingdom. In their hearts, they were all convinced that he was only doing all this to appease his unreasonable mate, for whom also their king had even neglected the safety and well being of the people of this kingdom. Arthur, the former king and his father, filled those thoughts in their minds and they couldn¡¯t stop for a second and think even when Micah tried to exin that his decision to conduct the ceremony had nothing to do with her. Instead, they had been trying to corner him whenever they could find him, giving all the reasons why he shouldn¡¯t indulge Abby, who couldn¡¯t think of anything else but her own selfish desires. Upon trying two or three times to stress that even Abby didn¡¯t know about the ceremony until he went back to their room after announcing about it in the great hall, Micah gave up and instead started focusing on his preparations to fight those rogues. However, even on the day of the ceremony, when he was preparing to finally go and collect his mate so that they could go to the great hall together, Micah found out Arthur actually resorted to a new move to make things difficult for him. ¡°Father, how could you let mother leave her chambers when she had to recuperate properly?¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but ask Arthur, whom he hade to meet just before going to pick Abby up. ¡°How can you say that, son? Don¡¯t you think she would want to get involved in her own son¡¯s ceremony?¡± Arthur told Micah, his gaze and face nk, as if he couldn¡¯t tell his son didn¡¯t like his idea at all. ¡°But she is still recovering,¡± Micah pointed out. Even though his mother was living just a building away from the king¡¯s tower with his father, Micah didn¡¯t think of letting Abby meet her yet, because she was in poor health. Even when Arthur mentioned about his own mate formally meeting their son¡¯s destined mate, the King didn¡¯t think it was a good idea. He only mentioned her mother in passing to Abby as well. Thinking about how his mother had been recuperating in the old tower for the past few years, Micah refused Arthur when he suggested letting his mother get involved in the ceremonial preparations, as it was a public event which was being held on a very huge scale. However, Arthur couldn¡¯t be bothered with any of his concerns as he came with a certain agenda in his mind. ¡°I understand why you are concerned. But today is such a big day in your life, a milestone if you ask me, so it is only right for her to attend the ceremony,¡± Arthur backed his own actions. On the other hand, Micah couldn¡¯t help but feel his already killing headache worsen even more at his father¡¯s persistence to separate him and Abby. As if he did not create enough trouble for him by instigating the entire pce against his mate, following which he and his fellow councilors had tried all kinds of methods to persuade him to drop Abby as his queen for thest fifteen days, he actually came up with a new move.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Since nothing was working in their favor, his father seemed to have decided to be ruthless until the end, not even considering the fact that the former queen¡¯s health condition wasn¡¯t really good. ¡°It¡¯s not as important as her health,¡± the King bit out at the end, his hands balling into fists. ¡°No, my son. Meeting your mate is equally important and you have already dyed it enough,¡± Arthur said, knowing fully well Micah couldn¡¯t refute him on this. Yes, he had been dying their encounter, because he wanted them to meet when everything had calmed down and Abby had adjusted to her life by his side. However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why he was reluctant to let them meet. After all, there was a small problem with his mother. Chapter 99 ¡°Former queen!¡± Everyone around her bowed to the woman solemnly, leaving Abby shocked as she didn¡¯t know how to react for a second, not to mention how tense she was already. She was also a bit disappointed that it wasn¡¯t who she was expecting. She thought Micah had finally arrived to pick her up for the ceremony. But, when Reyna opened the door for the guest, it wasn¡¯t her mate but his mother, whom she never met but only heard of in passing. Abby never thought of asking Micah too many details and just assumed he would find an appropriate time to introduce them both formally after learning about her health condition. So she was stunned for a moment too long when she saw the former queen standing in the door instead of her mate. And calling it something unexpected would be really down ying the situation, since Abby wasn¡¯t ready to meet anyone right now. However, she knew she couldn¡¯t disrespect Micah¡¯s mother just like that, so the girl forced herself to smile at the woman, who was none other than her mate¡¯s mother, as she bowed to her quickly. ¡°Greetings, former queen!¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but thank God when she didn¡¯t stutter, which would have been even more awkward since she took her sweet time to greet her elder. ¡°Can Ie inside and watch the preparations?¡± The former queen asked in a soft voice, after acknowledging Abby¡¯s clumsy greeting with a subtle yet graceful nod. ¡°Of course!¡± Abby almost shouted, out of nervousness, where she couldn¡¯t help but chide herself internally. ¡®Don¡¯t lose it! Now, of all times, Abby!¡® Taking a deep breath, Abby walked forward and weed her into her room, trying not to let her clumsiness mess up this impromptu meeting even more. On the other hand, Micah¡¯s mother didn¡¯t seem to mind her clumsiness as she smiled a little more at his son¡¯s mate before she proceeded to take in the preparations they were all fussing about. She walked around the room a little before settling on the sofa near the window as she invited Abby to sit along with her. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Thank you, former queen!¡± Abby thanked her, walking toward the single sofa opposite from hers when the woman stopped her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit beside me and let me take a good look at you?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Abby hesitated a little, thinking it wouldn¡¯t look good on herself if Micah¡¯s mother realized how nervous she became just after meeting her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to be so distant with me,¡± she reassured her, and watched Abby slowly change directions and then settle beside her. Silence descended upon them when neither of them talked anything for a while, plunging into an awkward situation, when the former queen finally opened her mouth. ¡°Call me Neesha, you are being too serious using titles and all.¡± ¡°What?¡± Abby asked out of reflex, not expecting the former queen to be so amicable. She was very different from Arthur, who could only find negative things about her, until it became an obsession to him and he swore to separate his son from his own mate. And Abby thought, as his mate, of course, Neesha would also share the same sentiments about her. So when she came just now, her nervousness kept skyrocketing as she couldn¡¯t help but anticipate a severe scolding from her, following in her mate¡¯s steps. ¡°You seem quite nervous,¡± she pointed out and saw how the girl before her turned even more anxious. ¡°Abby, you don¡¯t have to be so nervous, it¡¯s just a small ceremony.¡± On the other hand, Abby didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at her words. She could tell Neesha was just trying to cheer her up, but only she knew how hard it was not to focus on her fears right now. However, the patience Neesha exercised was no joke, as she softly yet elegantly navigated the conversation as she opted to praise Abby for her thoughtfulness in every arrangement she made for the ceremony. ¡°Your dress is pale yellow, I guess it is topliment the yellow flowers you chose for the ceremony, am I correct?¡± The former queen didn¡¯t holdback while admiring every small detail Abby put thought into and in no time, Abby rxed around Micah¡¯s mother. However, she failed to notice how everyone in the room fellpletely silent after greeting the former queen earlier or how they were all a little flustered as if they were looking at a ticking time bomb instead of their former queen. If only Abby could put her focus on the people around her, she would have noticed how they were getting anxious with each second that passed or how a maid slipped out shortly after Neesha¡¯s arrival. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but get used to Neesha¡¯s presence even more when the woman took the initiative to pick suitable jewelry for Abby to wear with her dress personally. ¡°The bracelet you were looking at before I came was very good, but it¡¯s too simple for an asion as big as this,¡± Neesha said, as she looked at the jewelry boxes, before her eyes lit up with genuine joy. Abby could see that the former queen was really enjoying overseeing the preparations with her, almost like supporting her silently, when Neesha held out a flowery bangle that she deemed the perfect match for her beautiful dress today. ¡°See, this bangle is neither simple nor ostentatious, instead it is bnced, making it look more elegant,¡± Neesha said as she urged the maid servants around them to quickly help Abby wear the ornaments she chose carefully and meticulously. Abby, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but agree that Neesha¡¯s sense of things like this was top notch after they were all finally done fussing over her. However, before she could take a look at her final appearance, they heard a littlemotion outside the room before someone came in bursting open the door without knocking first. Abby was shocked to see it was actually Micah, her mate! Chapter 100 ¡°No, my son. Meeting your mate is equally important and you have already dyed it enough,¡± Arthur said, knowing fully well Micah couldn¡¯t refute him on this. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Father, you better bring mother back first or else, her health might deteriorate further.¡± Micah said, trying not tosh out at Arthur right now. The pce had weed revered people from all over the kingdom to witness himself iming Abby as his queen tonight, not to mention the rogue¡¯s situation. He needed to tread carefully right now, or else, it would be a recipe for another disaster. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t afford to push Abby into the limelight by arguing with Arthur over what would look like a trivial matter of letting her meet Micah¡¯s mother in other people¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think walking around the pce and greeting some guests could do any harm to a shifter, no matter how sick they are,¡± Arthur countered, not willing to take the hint or showing any hints to back down. ¡°On the other hand, I reckon she may find it hard to ept your mate if she finds out her origin¡­¡± Arthur trailed off and Micah couldn¡¯t help but fist his hands, realizing what his father meant by saying such words. And as if to clear any doubts over his intentions, Arthur waited a beat before finally saying what he actually came to say. ¡°Micah, you should tell your mother about Abby, everything. And you will understand why I¡¯m adamant for you to reject her,¡± his father said, slowly yet clearly, as he kept his face nk, betraying no emotion. ¡°Once you see how she reacts, you can reconsider your decision to hold this ceremony.¡± It wasn¡¯t out of Micah¡¯s expectation, but hearing his father threaten him directly still didn¡¯t sit well with the King. However, before Micah could respond to his father¡¯s words, someone knocked on the door of his father¡¯s study in the old tower, and the air carried over an urgent voice into the room. ¡°King Micah, sorry for interrupting you, but Madam Neesha hase to meet Lady Abby, and they are currently talking in your royal chambers,¡± a maid said in hurry, making Micah jump to his feet in the next second as he dashed out, leaving the old tower promptly. On the other hand, Arthur calmly followed his son with a light smirk on his face, knowing his son couldn¡¯t escape the trap his set, but he maintained a safe distance so as not to let Micah find out he was following him. Once he got close enough to the door to Abby¡¯s bedchamber, where she was preparing for the ceremony, Micah couldn¡¯t help but hush all the guards who mmered to greet him as they bowed to him. +5 He then perked his ears to listen to what was going on inside, and couldn¡¯t help but realize how the two women were talking so harmoniously, as his mother fussed over her mate while helping her pick up the jewelry. It made him wish this serenity wouldst forever. But when he remembered his father¡¯s words, the king couldn¡¯t help but snap back to reality as he too dreaded how his mother would react upon learning everything about Abby. Knowing fully well he couldn¡¯t let this go on any longer, he could only barge into the room, which left everyone inside quite shocked. ¡°Micah!¡± Abby was startled for a second when she saw that it was actually her mate, who hade. Micah didn¡¯t say anything for a second, but then he saw his mate slowly walking toward him, her face lit up with a smile. He remembered how he wasn¡¯t able to see anything but a frown or forced smiles on her face for the past few days and felt a pang in his chest. ¡°Micah, Neesha helped me with the jewelry, she is so sweet,¡± Abby told Micah sheepishly, once she was close enough to touch him as her mate took her into his arms. ¡°Yeah, you look beautiful,¡± Micah told her as he held her hands, his face a mixture of worry and pity, leaving Abby confused with his perfunctory reply. He looked so distracted as if his beast was restless for some unknown reason. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°What happened?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask when the King shook his head and then pulled her behind him as he walked further into the room. He didn¡¯t stop until he was three steps away from Neesha, his mother, before his face turned serious all of a sudden when he ordered everyone to leave immediately. ¡°Everyone can leave.¡± Only then did Abby notice how odd this entire situation was, as she realized everything was so silent since the former queen graced them with her presence. Even when Micah came bursting open the door earlier, no one bowed to him, as if they were all too shocked to do it. But when their king asked them to leave, they ran out of the room like their tails were on fire and Abby couldn¡¯t understand why they were having such a strong reaction. Moreover, why did Alyssa and Reyna look so tense when they told her they would wait outside for her? What was going on? She searched Micah¡¯s face, but couldn¡¯t find any answers as his face waspletely nk, as if he was going to face something so dreadful. Within no time, only the three of them were left in the room, but neither of them spoke while she could only look at them in turns as the air turned a little weird over this silence, And how shocked she was when Micah finally opened his mouth and uttered something so unexpected. ¡°Mother, please leave and go back to your room,¡± the king said, as his grip on his mate¡¯s hand tightened a little. ¡°Micah, what are you saying?¡± Abby was so confused with this sudden turn of events she couldn¡¯t help but whisper to him softly, her eyes wide. Chapter 101 ¡°Micah, what are you saying?!¡± Abby almost gasped when her mate actually asked his own mother to leave, since she found the woman more amicable than anyone she had ever met in her entire life. On the other hand, Micah didn¡¯t say anything even though he could hear her perfectly fine, making her frown. Her confusion got worse when the King kept staring at Neesha, his jaw taut with tension. ¡°Micah?¡± She tried to tug at his sleeve, but when it failed to grab his attention, she could only try to step around from behind him, only to be yanked back with such force, Abby forgot her own worries and fears for a second. ¡°Stay put, I¡¯ll exinter,¡± Micah said as he stood his ground. He then regarded Neesha again. ¡°Mother, you aren¡¯t feeling well, so please listen to me and get back to your room.¡± ¡°What happened, Micah?¡± Neesha finally opened her mouth when she realized her son wasn¡¯t joking when he asked her to leave. ¡°Why do you look so tense?¡± ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just concerned about your weak health,¡± the king said, trying not to sound perfunctory, but even Abby could tell how insincere he sounded. The King didn¡¯t really know how to exin to Abby why he didn¡¯t want Neesha in their room, no, near herself, when his mother was right in front of them. Not to mention, this wasn¡¯t the right situation, nor was the time for such a discussion at all. He really had to agree that his father came up with an idea so good. With the ceremony set to begin in less than two hours, Micah didn¡¯t have another choice but to brush off both the women who looked confused beyond words with his actions. Neesha didn¡¯t really think Micah would be happy with her reckless decision to attend this ceremony, but then she didn¡¯t actually expect her son to be this unreasonable when this was the first time in decades since she stepped out of the old tower. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, son. I could hold my own for a few hours,¡± the former queen said with a frown, not wanting to ept that she was that weak. To be viewed as a fragile woman, Neesha couldn¡¯t stomach it given her origin as a shifter, a creature known for its extraordinary abilities. 1 ¡°Still, it would be better for you not to take this risk,¡± Micah said in a soft voice, but it came out even more patronizing until even Neesha could tell that her health was just an excuse for her son to make her leave right now. +5 She couldn¡¯t help but frown at Micah¡¯s choice of words. What risk was he talking about? They were in the pce for God¡¯s sake. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Even Abby couldn¡¯t help but look at Micah weirdly, when she heard him being so adamant for Neesha to leave. She couldn¡¯tprehend why the King was insisting for Neesha to return to her room directly. He wasn¡¯t even allowing her to attend the ceremony, as if something was terribly wrong with the very idea. But then she knew her mate never acted without thinking thoroughly, so she couldn¡¯t really say anything more to persuade him otherwise when Micah left her to grab Neesha¡¯s hand to escort her out personally. On the other hand, even though Neesha didn¡¯t feel happy with Micah¡¯s behavior, she didn¡¯t feel like creating a scene right now, brushing it off with the thought her son just might have too much going on right now. She let him pull her toward the door, but not before congratting Abby on her big day. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Abby could only nod at her sweet gesture before she lowered her head, stashing aside the questions that were guing her mind right now. However, just as she was contemting whether she should follow Micah and Neesha to the door, so she could send the former queen off, she heard Arthur¡¯s voice. ¡°Why are you hesitating to tell your mother the truth?¡± The former king sounded righteous as if Micah wronged his own mother in ways impossible. He stood right in front of the door, blocking the way out, while all the warriors and the servant maids stood far from the door, clearly being suppressed by Arthur. After all, he was the former king, so none of them dared to stop him even though Micah told them not to allow anyone near this room. ¡°Father, this is not the right time,¡± the King couldn¡¯t help but grit out, realizing that his father had followed him here toote. ¡°When is the right time in your books, Micah?¡± Arthur countered as he pinned his son with a disgruntled look. Neither Neesha, nor Abby could follow their conversation when both men talked in riddles, leaving them to stare at them in turns. ¡°I¡¯m taking Mother to rest first, we can talk after I¡¯m back,¡± Micah said, narrowing his eyes at the former king. However, Arthur didn¡¯t feel discouraged when Micah didn¡¯t y along with him and tried to actually brush him off without regard. Instead, he decided to take things a bit further. +5 ¡°She needs to know the truth, son,¡± Arthur dered, shaking his head as if Micah couldn¡¯t understand something so simple. ¡°How long do you n to hide it from her?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Neesha finally asked when Micah wouldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°The girl behind you is a witch, Neesha,¡± the former king blurted out, as if he could finally let out a grave secret. ¡°No, she is a half witch, born to a witch mother and shifter father.¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but feel a cold shiver run down his spine when he heard his father actually say it, while Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned, not knowing why Arthur was making such a ¡®grand introduction.¡® However, her thoughts got further scattered when she heard an ear piercing scream crack from Neesha, who fell silent for a short moment after Arthur¡¯s random deration. Chapter 102 ¡°The girl behind you is a witch.¡± Arthur sounded so callous and Micah could immediately feel his mother tensing up. The King felt like cursing at his father, forgetting about all decorum, when his father continued in a deadly voice. ¡°No, she is a half witch.¡± Once the words slipped out of Arthur¡¯s lips, his son felt the hair on his neck rise, as his skin broke into goose flesh, a result of his mother gripping his hand so tight, he could feel her tension reverberate in his entire hand. He tried so hard not to let the situation spiral out of his control, going as far as hurting his mother by asking her to leave so tantly, but his father ruined everything by saying just a few words. Damn it! All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go to your room first, okay?¡± Micah tried to stay calm so as not to startle the woman when she froze in her spot. He took her hand, wanting to pull Neesha away from Abby, but felt her turn even more rigid, and things turned south when Neesh suddenly bent her body while crushing her cars to her skull. He didn¡¯t even have the time to decide if he needed to usher his mother out or calm her down first when an ear splitting scream cracked against walls, as he could immediately feel Abby flinching behind him. The girl looked on in horror as Micah immediately hugged Neesha from behind, trying to calm the woman, who had literally turned insane when Arthur told her Abby was a half witch. The former queen turnedpletely uncontroble within seconds as she tried to do everything to shake off the King who was now hugging his mother while holding her hands, when he realized she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to w him just to get away from him. ¡°Oh my God.¡± Abby whispered, looking at the woman, who carried herself so elegantly and beautifully until just a few moments ago, but now forgot herself and her surroundings, as she kept screaming. at the top of her lungs, forcing the king¡¯s mate to close her own ears and eyes. But before she could close her eyes, they widened in horror, catching the way Arthur smirked from the corner of her eye. This was all nned by him! She thought something was really off when Micah kept urging for Neesha to leave earlier, but she didn¡¯t expect it had everything to do with her origin. 09:56 Mon, 22 Apr If Micah didn¡¯t support the idea of letting them meet before for the sake of Neesha¡¯s weak health, he must have been adamant about keeping them strangers after learning her origin. Too bad Abby had to learn it this way. ¡°Guards!¡± Micah roared when he realized it would be impossible to restrain Neesha without hurting her. He could have asked Arthur to take her away if his father didn¡¯t stay put, watching everything unfold with a secretive smirk on his face, not trying to calm his mate at all. Micah couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth when Arthur didn¡¯t take the initiative to escort Neesha out and just stood on the sidelines, showing no sign of stopping this mess. And once the men rushed in, Micah immediately handed Neesha over to them. ¡°Take mother back to her room. Now.¡± ¡°Yes, my king,¡± the few warriors answered as they immediately walked toward their former queen. Two men held each of her hands, as the others got ready to leave the room when Arthur raised his voice. ¡°Leave her alone!¡± Arthur shouted at the two guards holding Neesha, whose eyes had turned so red, she looked beyond insane. ¡°I¡¯ll escort her out myself.¡± Immediately, the small group of guards stepped back from Neesha, save for the two warriors holding her in ce, not daring enough to stand up to the former king, who was now ring daggers at them. ¡°Father, enough is enough!¡± Micah gritted out, his countenance a mirror of rage. ¡°Stop making things worse.¡± ¡°Did I turn your mate into a half witch?¡± Arthur barked back, no hint of remorse could be seen on his face. He took his time walking toward Neesha before pulling her into his arms, not bothering with the way Micah kept ring daggers at him. ¡°No, you disregarded your mate¡¯s health for your own selfish reasons,¡± Micah shot back. ¡°You disappointed me enough, so please leave immediately.¡± It was Arthur¡¯s turn to grit his teeth now. He couldn¡¯t understand why his son was unable to see where he wasing from. Even when things turned out like this, he was still on the side of his useless mate, even going as far as disrespecting his father in front of guards and their people alike. But then, before he could express his unhappiness toward his son, Neesha did something unthinkable that left all of them nonplussed. ¡°I¡¯m Gonna Kill You! YOU BLOODY WITCH!!!¡± Neesha roared as she lunged at Abby, who 09:56 Mon, 22 Apr 19 was still standing near the sofa, watching everything that unfolded with fear evident on her face. ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± Abby screamed when she saw the woman actually grabbed a long yet sharp hair pin from a jewelry box ced on the small table before the sofa. Abby couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Just a few minutes ago, Neesha was still excited like a little girl, helping her choose the jewelry thatplimented her ceremony dress. But now, the same woman was attacking her with the very jewelry they perused. The girl immediately closed her eyes, wanting to duck the hair pin, but she stumbled into the sofa behind her, being locked in her position, unable to retreat in time. How could things go so wrong? She was going to die at Neesha¡¯s hands! But then she heard Arthur¡¯s roar. ¡°Micah!!!¡± Only then did she notice actually being hugged by her mate, who took the stab for her, and it was her turn to scream her mate¡¯s name. ¡°Micah! Oh my God!¡± Abby tried to scream, but her throat was clogged in fear when she saw the hair pin lodged deeply in Micah¡¯s arm. Chapter 103 ¡°Micah!!!¡± Arthur shouted when he saw his son actually took a stab for that burden of a mate of his, while Neesha was stunned for a moment, as she stood there frozen as if she couldn¡¯t process what just happened for a moment. On the other hand, Abby who was still covering her eyes, waiting for the inevitable, was jolted out of her fear when she heard such a distressed scream from the former king. She immediately opened her eyes and what greeted her eyes was the sturdy chest of the King d in the regal attire. Micah was hugging her. ¡°Oh my God! Micah!¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but grate out in an almost inaudible voice that was clogged by fear when she realized Micah blocked Neesha¡¯s attack and now that he was bleeding from a deep wound on his arm. Abby felt her head spin at the sight, not to mention how the blood was sttered, literally everywhere. Her face, her hands, the floor, and of course her pale yellow dress. Her dress couldn¡¯t be used for the procession now. But then the horror didn¡¯t end there as Micah actually pulled the hair pin so callously, as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain at all, it almost made her faint at the spot. Micah, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t feel anything but rage, pure and unadulterated fury, as he flicked the hair pin away before facing his father, as if to challenge him if he had enough drama. When he saw his mother grab the hair pin before pouncing on Abby, who turned defenseless from her fear, he didn¡¯t think twice to jump before his mate and hug her. As a result, Neesha actually stabbed his arm instead of Abby¡¯s face like she intended to. On the other hand, Neesha couldn¡¯t see what she had done, she only thought that she missed her target; that bloody witch and this didn¡¯t sit well with her. She immediately turned to the small table beside her, where the jewelry boxes were still scattered, and tried to grab another sharp ornament when Arthur finally came to his senses and rushed forward to stop her. ¡°Get the royal healer here!!!¡± Arthur hollered when he saw how the long hair pin that was lodged deeply in his arm was pulled out recklessly by Micah, making more blood drip out of his deep wound. Within no time, the room was filled with the smell of his blood and Arthur felt sick to the stomach. It was that girl¡¯s blood that should have been shed tonight, but his stubborn son had to interfere and get himself hurt. He didn¡¯t expect for this to happen at all, it caught himpletely off guard and he ended up cursing Abby in his heart. She was truly a bad luck bringer! 09:56 Mon, 22 Apr He wouldn¡¯t have any regrets even if Neesha ended up killing Abby ¡®identally,¡® but he didn¡¯t intend for Micah to get hurt. He didn¡¯t even anticipate him getting involved. Now this is aplete mess! Nadia didn¡¯t take long to arrive but Arthur couldn¡¯t stay until Micah was treated because only God knows what else Neesha might do if she were to be kept here a moment longer. So before the royal healer could make her way here, the former king finally left with a still agitated Neesha in his arms, who kept struggling to get her mate away from her. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t stop the tears that kept flowing down her cheeks as she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of dread from just now and also how Neesha hurt Micah until blood sshed everywhere. She was inconsble. She couldn¡¯t ept the fact Arthur actually could be so cruel like that. When Arthur barged in earlier demanding Micah to reveal the truth to Neesha, Abby didn¡¯t think too much. But when Neesha lost control just after hearing him say a few words, Abby finally understood how calctive Arthur could get if he wanted something. Just to make Micah leave her, the man actually resorted to instigate his own mate until she practically turned insane and didn¡¯t hold back from trying to attack someone in broad daylight The crazy look on Neesha¡¯s face when she suddenly lifted her head to look at her right before she lunged at her would haunt her forever. Just thinking about it was still sending shivers down her spine, she couldn¡¯t help but tremble like a leaf in a heavy storm. Looking at her, Micah felt so worried, he tried to calm her down but to no avail. ¡°It¡¯s okay, little one, she¡¯s gone now.¡± All his rage and disgruntlement disappeared in the face of his mate¡¯s tears as he spoke to her in a soft voice, not wanting to frighten her further. On the other hand, the girl was scared out of her wits until her throat couldn¡¯t produce any sound when she tried to speak to her mate as she wanted to ask him how his wound was. But then Micah understood her silent question when she kept looking at his wound and then searching his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just a small wound. It will heal in no time,¡± the king said, his voice still gentle as he helped her to sit properly on the sofa, before settling beside her. Even though Micah tried to y it down, he still couldn¡¯t convince the girl to calm down or stop crying when the blood kept soaking his arm, before dripping onto the floor in a steady rhythm. Abby scowled, forgetting about her own dread for a second as she looked at Micah, as if 09:56 Mon, 22 Apr asking how in the world he could call that a small wound. Before the king could cate his little mate a bit more, however, Nadia announced her presence, following her came Ezgar. They hurriedly bowed to the king and then Nadia inquired what happened when she sensed the thick smell of blood in the room. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My King!¡± She bowed to the King, and immediately scoured her eyes over Abby, with worry evident in her voice, because she thought it was actually the girl who got hurt, when she looked so inconsble while the King tried to coax her in a soft voice. ¡°What happened to her? Why is there so much blood?¡± However, the royal healer soon realized that it was their king that got hurt and she couldn¡¯t voice her doubts as to who would be daring enough to hurt Micah in the pce. On the other hand, even though she was still so frightened until she could feel her legs shake, as there was no strength left in them, Abby still pushed herself to urge Micah to get treated first as she gestured for Nadia to take her ce. Micah wanted to refuse, because he didn¡¯t think it was a serious wound, but then he stayed silent as he didn¡¯t want to worry Abby further. ¡°Lady Abby, let me help you to the chair,¡± Ezgar, who had been silent until now, told her. He offered his arm to her as he carefully led her to the chair at the table behind the sofa, before, offering her a ss of water. Micah couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw Abby being surprisingly close to Ezgar. # Chapter 104 Abby looked at her hands that were still shaking as she stood in front of the basin in the adjoining bathroom, trying to curb the urge to wring them until her fingers broke. She felt like she could still see the blood, Micah¡¯s blood, on her palms, even though she had rinsed them for the hundredth time since Alyssa and Reyna ushered her into the cloak room so she could change out of the ceremonial dress which was ruined now. She remembered vaguely hearing Micah order her personal maids to assist her, following which was a blur again, until she found herself alone in the bathroom. ¡®Can I do this?¡® Abby couldn¡¯t help but ask herself when her body wouldn¡¯t stop shaking as Alyssa and Reyna helped her change into the spare dress E prepared, just in case something went wrong. And Abby didn¡¯t want to get started on how horribly things had turned out until she had to redo everything in less than an hour, just to make it in time for the ceremony. A ceremony she didn¡¯t think she would be able to go through until the end without passing out first. ¡®Breathe¡­ I need to breathe.¡¯ The girl had to remind herself every other minute, as her lungs refused to pull in air as if the adrenaline coursing through her veins was enough to keep her heart beating. At least, her maids seemed to have taken pity on her as they didn¡¯t say anything, even words.of comfort, as they ran here and there, bringing her dress from E¡¯s ce, then settling on the jewelry by themselves. They didn¡¯t even disturb her out of her thoughts when they were done finalizing her look in less than forty five minutes. And Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful for their thoughtfulness. She clearly knew that even if she forced herself to the extreme, she just wouldn¡¯t be able to bring herself to try and make herself presentable for the asion. However, Abby didn¡¯t dare to look at herself in the mirror once Alyssa and Reyna stepped back from her after leading her to the floor length mirror. She was afraid she would only see a frightened little girl, who was wrecked inside beyond imagination, even though the made up look they worked hard on would make her look otherwise. 1/6 *** 90% +5 It was a miracle her maids managed to pull off the feat of redoing everything in time, even though it would be underrated to describe it as ast minute crisis. Abby was all set to go, save for some courage to leave this bedroom, but the King was nowhere to be found by the time she stepped back into the bedroom, and this only added to her soaring incredulity. ¡°The King also left to change his clothes, mydy,¡± one of the warriors posted outside the bedroom informed her duly when she kept looking at the door for her mate to appear with a visible distressed expression on her face. Right, blood sttered everywhere and Micah¡¯s robe was not an exception. Abby could only wait silently, but her mind was anything but silent with all the thoughts that had been running through it without reprieve since Neesha¡¯s murder attempt on her. xdwell on Yes, Neesha tried to kill her and she, the very victim who escaped death by an inch, was sitting in the same spot. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on her, but she couldn¡¯t afford to that fact when she settled into a chair at the table behind the sofa, knowing it would only lead to a mental copse. ad to a mental copse She was on the edge right now, and a simple nudge could push her down a rabbit hole so deep, just the thought of it made fresh tears swirl in her eyes. ¡°Lady Abby!¡± Abby suddenly heard someone call her name and when she lifted her head, she could see that it was a man, but because her eyes were all blurry from tears, she had to dab at her eyes, not wanting to ruin her remade face. If she had to sit through a third round of makeup, her body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it at all. Once she carefully wiped her tears with a handkerchief, she was finally able to look at her visitor and she was quite surprised when she realized who it was. ¡°Does that look mean why I¡¯m still here?¡± Ezgar asked with his signature smile in ce when Abby continued to stare at him without saying anything. ¡°I just felt you could use somepany.¡± Hearing his words, Abby felt her eyes moisten again. Even though Ezgar tried not to show it, it was obvious that the state he found her earlier was anything but pleasant. He even ignored the elephant in the room, the mind twister how Micah got hurt in his own room in this pce. 2/6 But then, even if Ezgar asked her, Abby didn¡¯t think she would know how to open that can of worms. Would she exin how Micah had to block an attack for her because the former queen- wanted to kill her son¡¯s mate for god knows what reason? Or should she recount how hard Arthur had been trying to force Micah to leave her, resorting to everything possible in and out of the books? However, Abby couldn¡¯t strike off the possibility of Ezgar guessing the better part of everything since it was an open secret that Abby couldn¡¯t gain approval from anyone in the pce. Abby felt tired just thinking about all that mess again. Her head started to throb so harshly she felt like knocking her head on the table in front of her, just so she could concentrate on a different kind of pain. At this point, physical pain seemed a lot better than all this misery her mind was being frazzled with. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do this¡­¡± Abby whispered, as her eyes fell on her hands again, only now she was wringing them with full force, finally giving into her anxiety. ¡°What?¡± Ezgar ?sked, when he couldn¡¯t quite grasp what Abby said. Her voice came out so tired, it barely made a sound. If the man hadn¡¯t been looking at her with hisplete attention, he would have missed that she had even talked. But by the movement of her lips, he could gather a single word, ¡®can¡¯t.¡® T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t even muster enough energy or courage to repeat what she just said. Whatever pep talk she did to encourage herself to endure this evening seemed to have lost all its magic once she realized she couldn¡¯t hide her true emotions at all. Her almost reddened hands were proof enough for the same. ¡°Are you talking about the ceremony?¡± Ezgar asked her suddenly, his eyes fixed on the very hands she was looking at. He had figured it out, after all, what was so hard about it? Abby could swear how clearly fear was written all over her face right now. Coupled with theirst few conversations, where she shared her worries over several things that she needed to prepare for the procession, it didn¡¯t take a genius to 3/6 understand Abby was talking about the ceremony yet again. So, with the cat out of the bag, Abby could only nod her head, even though she didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about it? If you feel you aren¡¯t ready, you could just ask King Micah to cancel it,¡± Ezgar said, sounding so casual but Abby felt her heart thump in her ears at his words. ¡°Cancel the ceremony?¡± Abby repeated after him, looking at him dumbstruck, as if he just grew two more heads on his neck. ¡°Yeah, if you, the main character, think you can¡¯t do it, then just tell the same to the King, he will understand,¡± he said, still smiling brightly. ¡°What about everyone who is waiting in the great hall and around the pce?¡± ¡°If Micah sets on something, who would object?¡± Ezgar asked back. ¡°But he wouldn¡¯t agree so easily¡­¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but point out. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, he loves you enough to amodate such a small thing for once,¡± he spected, thoughtfully. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No, buts. You won¡¯t know if you don¡¯t try. Just ask him first, then you will know,¡± Ezgar cut her off. However, Abby didn¡¯t think it was that simple. No matter how little she managed to learn over the years, she was still able to discern when something was really important. And crowning the future queen of this kingdom was not something people could hold or call off on a whim. But then, she couldn¡¯t help but entertain the thought that Micah would reconsider given the day she had. ¡°I think you are right¡­¡± Abby trailed off, still fearing what Micah would say. ¡°I¡¯m always right,¡± Ezgar smiled, almost mming the table. However, their little bubble burst when someone clearing their voice interrupted their thoughts. 4/6 23 Ap Abby lifted her head and saw Micah standing behind Ezgar, who was still smiling encouragingly at her. ¡°Everyone, leave,¡± Micah ordered in a firm voice, before Abby could rearrange her thoughts and say hello to him. Within no time, the room full of people rushed out, leaving only the two of them. Ezgar mouthed the words ¡®you can do it,¡¯ before he took his leave as well. ****** As soon as Micah returned, he could hear Abby talking with someone¡­ Even though she wasn¡¯t talking animatedly like she would when she found something interesting, she stopped crying and worrying about the ceremony. He thought it was a good thing. But then he finally stepped into the room, and once he saw the person she was talking with, Micah¡¯s mood immediately turned sour, especially when he saw howfortable Abby was around Ezgar. Coupled with the way Ezgar took initiative to cheer Abby up earlier, Micah found the sight a little unpleasant. ¡°Everyone, leave,¡± he said, wanting to be with Abby alone and saw how Ezgar proceeded to bid farewell before leaving. On the other hand, even though a little confused, Abby felt like an opportunity presented itself and she needed to make use of it. ¡°Micah, I have something to talk to you,¡± Abby said, mustering the little bit of courage Ezgar helped her pick up. ¡°What is it?¡± The King asked her and then saw her walk toward him slowly. ¡°I know it is not eptable to request you this,¡± Abby started, feeling her heart in her throat. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Go on,¡± Micah encouraged his mate when he saw how flustered she was. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do this,¡± Abby said, closing her eyes. ¡°The ceremony I mean¡­ AfAfter what happened earlier¡­¡± Once she started, it was a never ending flow as she poured her heart out about all her grievances. From the preparations to the expectations of all people. From Arthur¡¯s 5/6 conspiracies to Neesha¡¯s attack. By the time she was finished, Abby was a blubbering mess as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall any moment now. She couldn¡¯t help but beg Micah that she wasn¡¯t ready to face so many people in the name of a ceremony right after escaping death by a narrow chance. ¡°There would be so many people, half of them trying to get rid of me in whatever way possible,¡± Abby continued, her voice breaking all over with each word she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be nonchnt about what happened earlier either¡­ ¡°My head is a mess, Micah, it has been for two weeks now. Now it reached its limit,¡± she admitted, as she burrowed into his arms, finally being able to hug him in days. ?? However, the rigidness in his muscles didn¡¯t provide the usual warmth she got from him. ¡°You know it¡¯s not possible, little one,¡± Micah broke it to her. ¡°I can¡¯t cancel it.¡± Abby stiffened in his arms before leaning back a little to look into Micah¡¯s eyes when she heard his hard voice. Her eyes were a mirror of disbelief and hurt as she couldn¡¯t fathom his unrelenting attitude in the face of her desperate begging, which was a result of a near death experience. How could he expect her to go through this ceremony like nothing happened? Chapter 105 ¡°You know it¡¯s not possible, little one,¡± Micah broke it to her. ¡°I can¡¯t cancel it.¡± ¡°What?¡± The word left Abby¡¯s lips as a soundless gasp as she stared at him in utter disbelief and hurt. ¡®Shocked¡® would be too weak a word to describe her expression as she searched Micah¡¯s eyes, which looked a little hard, a look that had never been directed at her. After exining, or more preciselyining for half a day, how she had been struggling about the ceremony, how could he reject her without a second thought? ¡°We can¡¯t cancel it a second time, little one,¡± Micah said, when he saw the tears she had been holding back finally make their way down her cheeks. ¡°Everyone is already here, just waiting for us to appear.¡± Hearing him, Abby¡¯s hands that were still clinging onto him until now fell to her sides as she couldn¡¯t help but lower head in disappointment and hurt. She wanted to wring her hands again, but managed to curb it down as she clutched her dress hard enough. She needed a minute, long enough for her to go through her thoughts, to process what just happened. But then she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to calm herself even if she had days allocated to the same task. ¡°But I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Abby blurted out. ¡°After what happened earlier, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to go through this ceremony.¡± ¡°Nothing like that will happen ever again, little one,¡± Micah told her in a gentle voice when he noticed how rattled she was getting just at the mere idea of talking about the incident from earlier. He could see how hard it was for her to admit her fears after holding everything in for so long, but just crowning her as the queen of this kingdom wasn¡¯t the only purpose of this procession tonight. His other n to lure those rogues to the capital city also needed to be considered when he was thinking about the ceremony. It wasn¡¯t easy to deceive every single person in the pce, who ceremoniously included that lowlife of a spy who was clearly working for Calpin while hiding in in sight, that he was totally upied with the ceremony and making his newly found mate happy. He might be able to get another chance to deal with them, yes, but he didn¡¯t want to let all the effort everyone put into making this n go well into waste just because his father couldn¡¯t be sensible enough to leave a pair of mates alone. Everything was already set in motion, he couldn¡¯t afford to let a single misstep of letting his father grasp a chance to hurt Abby ruin everything. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ll be right next to you at every single step during the procession. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. Just trust me,¡± Micah exined to her softly. He took both of her hands that were clutching her dress tightly and rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles, looking into her eyes with this gentle yet reassuring expression on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s not give my father and others any more reasons to point fingers at us, hmm?¡± Hearing his words, more tears flowed down her cheeks which were then wiped by the King who kissed her forehead next. He hugged her close to him as he let her calm down a bit. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but notice how instead of saying you, he said ¡®us¡®, and Abby finally realized she was focusing on the wrong thingpletely. How could she forget such an important thing? She had been working her ass off for thest two weeks, just so she wouldn¡¯t let anything go wrong and attract negative attention to herself. Indeed, she was attacked and would have lost her life if Neesha had been sessful¡­ no, she should say if Arthur had been sessful in inciting his mate today. But wasn¡¯t she fine and the attack was nowhere near as brutal as the one Calpin put her through? Her mate kept his word and didn¡¯t let any harm befell on her, but she was actually rattled by Arthur¡¯s scheme, and letting him achieve his goal tonight. After everything Micah did, if she just crumbled like that after facing a single hardship which she escaped unscathed, how could she stay by his side as the queen of this kingdom, where she would need to face thousands of such scheming people? Wasn¡¯t she just letting what Arthur said to here true? ¡°You are not suitable to stay beside him.¡± He dered when he pointed out how she was very weak by always letting Micah take care of her. This kingdom needed a queen who could put its people and their welfare above everything, someone tough enough to stand their ground in the face of adversities, not someone who would need constant supervision like a child. Abby let her intrusive thoughts get the better of her and her fears cloud her initial determination to change for Micah, to toughen up herself and be someone suitable for the King. ¨C But after calming down a bit, she could finally think clearly and look at the bigger picture. Didn¡¯t she promise to stand by his side? So why was she backing down at the first obstacle that was thrown into her path? She needed to learn to be hard on herself, or else she would only make Arthur and his supporters¡® beliefse true¡­ ¡°Okay¡­¡± Abby finally gave in. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time.¡± All the way to the great hall, Abby clutched onto Micah¡¯s hand as if her life depended on it, while using her other hand to lift the front of her dress a little to prevent herself from tripping on her own feet. ¡°We will go in once you feel ready,¡± Micah told her as he stopped them right before the humongous doors of the great hall, patting her hand to provide her somefort. Abby closed her eyes for a moment before nodding her head to let Micah know that she was re ¡°Let¡¯s get it done and over with.¡± She pulled her hand out of Micaly¡¯s as she stood straight, so as not to look too weak in front of everyone. She schooled her expression, trying to keep it nk as her mate led her into the great ball. ¡°Bow to the werewolf king!¡± Someone shouted as the guards pushed open the huge doors, and immediately everyone bowed to their King solemnly. ¡°Greet the future queen!¡± The same voice hollered next, making them bow to her as well. Receiving their respect, Micah nodded gracefully. ¡°All of you can raise!¡± Following his lead, Abby too bowed her head a little in response as she walked beside him with her head held high. From the doors to the throne, she made themy a moss green carpet, she especially made them prepare for the ceremony, toplement the flower decor she chose as the theme. She even made them change the tapestries that hung high from the ceiling to pale yellow ones to bring in a subtle yet festive look for the ceremony. Around five needlewomen were employed to embroider the royal insignia onto a few of these drapes, indicating how hard Abby worked to incorporate all the little details she could into the arrangements. No one would be able to find fault with any of these, however, Abby couldn¡¯t pride herself over her aplishments while walking to the high throne, nor could she dare to stray her eyes over to the guests that were now standing on either side of the carpet. She didn¡¯t think she could take it if people had any disapproving looks in their eyes. Even though she promised herself she wouldn¡¯t let her fears get the best of her again, it was obvious she couldn¡¯t control her emotions that well when she could feel her hands get drenched from sweat just taking the few steps toward the high tform where the majestic throne sat, looking all profound. Abby couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the intimidating sight. Even though she had practically lived in this room while preparing for the ceremony, looking at the throne all the time, still, walking toward it with Micah by her side today waspletely different. Not to mention how her emotions were all over the ce for thest few hours. But she still gritted her teeth and turned around to face their audience along with Micah as she could see Arthur walking forward from his seat with his former third inmand, Emile in his tow. Abby didn¡¯t dare stray her eyes when Arthur got ready to address the audience, as she stared ahead while praying to the Moon Goddess repeatedly. Wed, 24 Apr She had enough for one day, she didn¡¯t think either her heart or body could take it if one more trouble came her way, so when Arthur spoke in a clear voice, greeting the people on behalf of Micah and Abby, as the officiant, the girl couldn¡¯t help but thank him in her heart, for at least letting her have some room to breathe. 84% As the former king of this kingdom, the responsibility of overseeing this procession and acting as its officiant fell on Arthur. Maybe because he needed to keep his front here, he didn¡¯t let his hostility seep into his words. ¡°Now the King and Lady Abby will bow to the Moon Goddess, and pray for peace and prosperity in our kingdom.¡± However, she didn¡¯t indulge in this little reprieve too much as she went through the motions with Micah¡¯s aid. Micah turned toward the window through which they could see the moon, which was now at most a crescent in the sky, and then bowed low along with Abby. And once they were back to standing straight, Arthur made them face each other. ¡°King Micah, mark your destined in front of everyone.¡± Since Abby was already marked by Micah, he just bit on the same spot which almost healed by now. Abby felt her nerves sing when his teeth sank into her skin, drawing enough blood before he licked over the wound, to stop the bleeding. ¡°Now the King will carry out the coronation,¡± Arthur announced, his voice taking an almost unnoticeable edge at this point. Even though he felt like he wanted to be anywhere but here right now, he couldn¡¯t do anything anymore to stop the inevitable. He tried everything in and out of books, but still couldn¡¯t get his son to think clearly. He was clearly disgruntled, but still needed to act like he didn¡¯t find the girl in front of him an eyesore. Instead, he had to smile when Micah proceeded to pick the crown with both hands to ce it on Abby, that burden of a girl¡¯s head. The rest of the royal council behind him didn¡¯t feel otherwise as well, as they put on practiced smiles when Micah picked up the crown studded with various gemstones along the band, while arge diamond glinted off light right in the front of it. Their hearts were filled with discontentment, but they could only grit their teeth secretly and watch as Micah crowned a woman they could all find problems with. Abby could feel all their hateful gazes on her. Even though they all tried their best to conceal them, even with experience, hatred wasn¡¯t something you could mask so easily. But the thought of giving the speech she prepared sooner rather thanter overwhelmed her five senses as she couldn¡¯t care about anything else. ¡°I pledge to honor you, love you and cherish you for the rest of our lives,¡± Micah promised to her solemnly as he ced the crown on her head. Now it was her turn to finally open her voice and address the whole kingdom where she needed to 3 convey how she was going to strive for the prosperity of this kingdom. But the only problem was, Abby couldn¡¯t find her voice at all. No matter how hard she tried, her scattered brain couldn¡¯t let her string the few words she worked hard to write into a meaningful sentence in front of the anticipating audience. I¡¯m going to ruin everything, oh my god, what should I do? Abby almost let her tears fall down her cheeks when something really unexpected happened as vicious growls erupted in the otherwise silent great hall. Chapter 106 ¡°Now Queen Abby will say a few words, addressing the kingdom and our people,¡± the former king, Arthur, announced the moment Micah finished uttering his promise to her and stepped back to resume his position beside her after cing the crown on her head. Only the girl didn¡¯t feel ready no matter how hard she tried as she kept rubbing her palms on her hands, out of others sight, trying to dry the sweat that kept pooling between her fingers. If she could, she would have preferred to wring her hands, so as to keep them from getting cold from anxiety. She wanted to seek Micah¡¯s hand subtly so as to draw somefort into her own being, to slow down her adrenaline fueled heartbeat, but her mate was o distracted to notice her silent plea. I¡¯m going to ruin everything¡­ Oh my g od, what should I do? ¡°I¡­¡± She opened her mouth, but even she couldn¡¯t hear her Voice. Abby felt like crying the hundreth time in the for right where she was standing when her attempt to speak f¡­ wn span of thirty seconds. ¡°Queen Abby, is there any problem?¡± Arthur asked finally, his voice taking an almost unnoticeable hard edge and Abby felt her throat burn from how dry it became in the next second. Micah finally seemed to have realized something was wrong with his mate as he turned to her, but before he could voice his question, Abby found herself shaken to her core when she saw how his expression changed from concerned to absolute rage as he bared his canines right before turning away from her. Abby couldn¡¯t process what was happening when a vicious snarl left Micah¡¯s lips as he looked around the great hall, looking like he was getting ready to jump at someone among the guests. ¡°Micah,¡± Abby called to him, her voice just a wisp of vapor behind him as she grabbed his arm, but her hold on him loosened immediately when a voice reverberated in this huge room. ¡°Rogues!¡± Someone hollered at the top of their lungs as bestial growls filled the air as if you could locate a different growl from each corner of this room. With horror filled eyes, Abby saw how rogues jump at the people in the room with intention to tear them apart. Only that wasn¡¯t the most shocking revtion to her. Because every she could see guards immediately surrounding all the important people that came to attend 1/3 the ceremony, before deftly escorting them out of the room while the royal warriors d in battle gear started fighting the enemies. But then she saw Ezgar run toward them in a rush with several warriors in his tow before bowing to Micah, while a few warriors stood around this small group as a human barricade, preventing the rogues from jumping at Abby and Micah. ¡°My King, we have an opening to escort Queen Abby out safely,¡± Ezgar informed the king and Abby couldn¡¯t believe her ears when Micah turned to her. ¡°Leave with them, and wait for me,¡± the King told Abby as he pushed her toward Ezgar, whose signature smile was nowhere in sight, indicating how serious the situation was. ¡°No, Micah, you should leave with me,¡± Abby pleaded with her mate as she tightened her hold on his hand, only her strength couldn¡¯tpare to that of the king who shook off her hand easily. ¡°Just listen and go,¡± Micah said, still sounding gentle and after exchanging a look with Ezgar, he swiftly signaled his warriors to make way for him to join the battle and he disappeared into the rogues that kept swarming the royal warriors. ¡°Lady Abby, let¡¯s go.¡± On the other hand, the rogues were quite surprised that the king was prepared for this well nned ambush, no matter whom they tried to target, given all guests that arrived in the capital were quite prominent in this kingdom, hailing from formidable backgrounds, all they met with was failure. They couldn¡¯t harm a single person here while their fellow rogues started to fall, losing lives at the hands of the royal warriors who didn¡¯t seem to have anything but killing rogues in their minds. The air was filled with the smell of blood and death cries of the rogues. The ambush they nned had now turned into a trap for themselves! Even when they tried to go after the warriors that were deftly escorting the elders and other important figures out of the great hall, they couldn¡¯t go more than fifteen feet from this ce beingpletely dominated by their enemies. Abby saw how Ezgar shed two rogues until their heads rolled to the ground with his bare ws, and felt her knees go weak with fear. This is pure madness! T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. No matter where you looked, all you could see was blood and severed limbs. Abby felt her stomach churn at the memory when the death cries kept echoing in her ears even when they managed to escort her to the safece without a single scratch on her body or a tiny stain of 2/3 blood on her dress. ¡°Lady Abby, I¡¯ll get someone to attend to you while you are here, please wait here,¡± Ezgar told her, and after making sure she nodded her head, agreeing to stay where she was, the man left in quick strides. Abby lifted her head and saw how this underground basement was filled with the very guests she dared not to meet in the eyes during the ceremony and the irony wasn¡¯t lost on her. In her mind, fighting those rogues with her iplete memories over her fire magic powers would be far better than being locked up with all these people whose prying eyes wouldn¡¯t stop making her feel ufortable. To make things worse, they kept whispering to each other, even though all she could hear was them wondering about the attack out there, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like they were talking about her and it left her restless. She could only divert herself from those thoughts by thinking what was happening with Micah and the others. And the king couldn¡¯t help but feel something was totally off with this attack when the rogues looked to be at a disadvantage even though their numbers were nothing but intimidating. Their usual ferocity was nowhere in sight. Even though he was well prepared to crush them, these rogues seemed too weak to attack on the pce. What was he missing?! Chapter 107 The few times rogues attacked before, those beasts had always been savage. Be it the times they imed countless lives in the ck w pack or when they left the people of the capital city terrified since they started attacking around the borders of the capital city. However, they seemed too different this time around. They weren¡¯t as fierce as they were all those times. If anything, they fought too weakly,pared to before. Micah couldn¡¯t help but feel this whole attack was a distraction, because his n went too smoothly as he was able to subdue the enemies too easily, despite how meticulously he had set the trap. After all, rogues were known for their viciousness and mindless ruthlessness. This is totally weird! But all the king could do was try and quickly bring the situation under control for now. Looking The huge underground basement, Abby could see how the guests got increasingly annoyed by each second that passed, as they couldn¡¯t know what was happening outside when the royal warriors literally shut even out whenever someone demanded an exnation over this predicament. No matter what kind of questions they posted, the only answer they got wasplete silence or a few perfunctory words that couldn¡¯t abate their worries at all. After all, an attack on the pce which was in the heart of this capital city with the most formidable defense line, who were none other than the elite royal warriors, was not an ordinary urrence. And this peculiarity made people hash over the situation as they sat in groups to whisper among themselves. ¡°This is the first time I saw someone attack the pce so brazenly.¡± ¡°And those rogues sprang up like mushrooms, out of nowhere, with all the intention to kill.¡± ¡°What could be their agenda?¡± 1/6 ¡°Beats me, but there¡¯s a rumor that the King had been attacked before as well¡­¡± ¡°Right, it just happened twenty or so days back¡­¡± ¡°Do you think the King was being targeted?¡± Naturally, all of them couldn¡¯t help but specte as Abby stood to a side and listened to them all silently. +5 No one approached her, so she didn¡¯t feel the need to approach anyone for a small talk either, even though there were a few women among the guests. She simply waited for Ezgar to send someone to fetch either Alyssa or Reyna. She found a small table in a quiet corner and sat down, facing away from the hall, when a gruff voice reached her and when she turned around, she saw the former king looking at her with unconceble animosity in his *******t, standing with a hand clenched behind his back a couple of feet away from her. He didn¡¯t ¡°Abby,¡± Arthur even address her as the queen, indicating that he couldn¡¯t ept the coronation at all. mmediately stood Abby up when she could tell the former king hade to give her a hard time yet again. ¡°What is it, Sir Arthur?¡± at least for the sake of Since Arthur couldn¡¯t bother to inject any respect or dubious affection into his voi appearances, Abby also decided to sound as cold as possible. The man didn¡¯t deserve her respect anyway. but grit his teeth. ¡°How could you be so insensible even after Seeing her attitude, the former king couldn¡¯t help but things turned so chaotic?¡± Abby was dumbfounded for a moment when she couldn¡¯t understand on what grounds Arthur came to find fault with her. Yet, somehow she managed to find her voice. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If Micah hadn¡¯t been so blinded by that mate bond between you two, he wouldn¡¯t have let this happen. Yet, here you are, feeling no remorse whatsoever.¡± ¡°Remorse?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but repeat after him, feeling incredulous and it was clear in her expression. ¡°Are you that dense that you couldn¡¯t even acknowledge your part in this whole incident?¡± The former king couldn¡¯t help but feel even more displeased with her. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for pleasing you, he wouldn¡¯t have rushed the ceremony and let his guard down.¡± 2/6 Abby was genuinely surprised now. Just how in the world he concluded that Micah only wanted to hold the ceremony to please her? +5 ¡°Why are you so shocked? Don¡¯t think people are blind to see how insecure you are with all your shorings dancing right on your forehead.¡± Arthur continued to use her when Abby didn¡¯t say anything in response to his words. In his eyes, her silence only strengthened his beliefs. ¡°You knew everyone out there was against you and pestered him to hold the ceremony. How shameless can someone be?¡± The former king couldn¡¯t help but talk down to her when he believed Abby was a selfish woman who put herself above this kingdom and its welfare. ¡°Someone as weak and selfish as you isn¡¯t suitable to be the queen of this kingdom. You couldn¡¯t even protect yourself and need constant surveince. Is Micah supposed to babysit you all his life?¡± Arthur was fuming now. He was talking in a low voice to her, trying to control his rage as much as possible, but his whole being was vibrating right now. ¡°Weak and selfish?¡± Abby began, wanting to exin that she had no part in Micah deciding to hold the ceremony in a hur but Arthur was far too gone to let her talk right now. ¡°You made Micah almost lose his life in the fight with that dark sorcerer, so if you aren¡¯t weak, then what are you? Had it not been for you, Micah would have caught that dark sorcerer and this attack wouldn¡¯t have happened today¡­ ¡°You are nothing but a hindrance to Micah, he could have eliminated Calpin that day, but you let that dark sorcerer gain upper hand by falling victim to his to wreak havoc in this city.¡± Cell. Now he bounced back with thousands of rogues in his tow Arthur just came to know the rogue attacks were all premeditated and the dark sorcerer, who attacked Micah in the ck w pack, was the mastermind behind the scenes. He actually turned so many rogues into his puppets and had been wreaking havoc in different parts of the kingdom for thest few months, but Micah kept this from everyone. Today, he came to attack again, and he brought almost all the rogues in and around this kingdom. It was clear his target was to finish what he started in the ck w pack. 3/6 Yet, Micah was so whipped by this useless mate of his, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else but pleasing her and fulfilling her mindless wishes. She was someone so weak, until she couldn¡¯t even find her voice and say a few words about this kingdom she was going to rule and protect during the ceremony. It only worsened his opinion on her. +5 And when he thought how Micah might be covering up the fact that Calpin was behind every rogue attack until now, so as not to implicate Abby, because of whom he let Calpin get awayst time, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but think everything was Abby¡¯s fault. ¡°It¡¯s your fault that he let him escape, he neglected his duty as the king of this kingdom, while cajoling you because you are so weak to help him assist in fighting the enemies. You are nothing but a burden¡­ ¡°But you still don¡¯t understand where you went wrong. I can¡¯t understand why Micah couldn¡¯t see you for what you are. A weak and useless mate, just dragging him down endlessly.¡± On the other hand, the more Abby listened,the more angry she felt. Arthur knew nothing but simply came to throw mud on her. ¡°Enough, you know nothing. Arthur was startled when Abby looked so cold, as she shed her palm to him as a gesture to stop talking. ¡°Let me make a few things clear real quick,¡± the girl spoke word to word, when the former king fell silent at her order. She had enough of his disapproval and his displeasure over her ascending the throne. She couldn¡¯t help but speak coldly recalling all the times he openly discredited her, both in front of others and herself alike. Since he couldn¡¯t bother about understanding her efforts, there was no need to cajole him and let him think he was someone important to her. The only person she cared about was Micah. So that was what she told him. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think about me. I¡¯m long past that phase. I¡¯m only here for my mate¡¯s sake. And this ceremony has nothing to do with me. But it is clear that you won¡¯t believe it even if the Moon Goddess were toe here to be my witness¡­ ¡°So I¡¯ll just let you think whatever you want. But you need to know that if it hadn¡¯t been for me, Micah wouldn¡¯t be breathing today¡­ 4/6 §º§µ27% 10:58 ¡°Impudence! How dare you curse the King?¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t believe his ears. +5 ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty to put words in my mouth.¡± Abby shook her head as she felt like Arthur couldn¡¯t find a single good thing about her. ¡°What you think happened in the ck w pack was not everything.¡± ¡°Not everything? Didn¡¯t Micah let Calpin escape because he rushed to save your life?¡± Arthur pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s the other way around. I, a weak and selfish woman, stood between Micah and Calpin that day, when that dark sorcerer tried to burn my mate from within¡­¡± Even now, talking about it made Abby tremble at the thought of the fear that gripped her heart when she thought she would lose the only person that showed kindness to her. ¡°I am the only person who could shield Calpin that day. So you should be thanking me for saving Micah when he fought that sorcerer¡­¡± After saying her piece, Abby strode away from there. She wanted to find a warrior to call Ezgar who left to fetch her personal maids. But then she saw the man being surrounded by a few warriors just on the other side of the hall, almost near the door. During her lessons with Sherianne, Abby learned there were three ranks among the warriors serving the royal family. The third rank being the royal guards, while the second were the royal warriors. There was another group of warriors that were hand picked by the generals to be trained into elite soldiers and the same were now talking to Ezgar. Judging by the way they bowed to them, Abby felt like he was someone highly ranked in the pce. And the girl wasn¡¯t wrong, because Ezgar was the one of the leaders for the group of elite royal warriors serving the royal family. And currently, a few warriors belonging to the elite rank and were being led by him came to him for further instructions. ¡°Chief, don¡¯t we need to join the battle?¡± One of them asked Ezgar, because he couldn¡¯t understand why there were almost one fourth of the elite warriors babysitting these guests when they should be fighting in the frontlines, given the severity of the situation. 5/6 +5 ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless and give into your impatience. You were clearly instructed to protect the guests until the procession ends.¡± Another soldier chided him. Abby was a bit surprised at this revtion. Earlier when she saw the guests being protected even before the rogues surrounded the great hall, Abby found it very odd. ¡°They were already in the safe ce.¡± The first soldier retorted. ¡°I just can¡¯t understand, we could have captured the rogues before they entered the pce. But the King insisted that we let them enter first.¡± Micah insisted on what? Abby felt her brain explode at his words. ¡°You have to trust the King, he has been nning for this ambush for a fortnight. He knows what to do.¡± A third soldier chimed in, prompting others to nod their heads. He has been nning for a fortnight? So he knew there would be an attempt on his life, no, their lives, before he announced the coronation? aa Chapter 108 ¡°You have to trust the King, he has been nning for this ambush for a fortnight. He knows what to do.¡± Another soldier chimed in, prompting others to nod their heads. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He has been nning for a fortnight? Abby couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Micah only told her how the rogues¡® activity had increased again before they left the Red River pack for the capital city when the news of the royal council being unhappy about her origins and her incapability to rule this kingdom by Micah¡¯s side reached them. But he didn¡¯t mention anything to her how he was anticipating this attack he had supposedly been preparing for the past fortnight even once. In the middle of her shock, she heard Ezgar talk to the elite warriors in a low voice. Since he was facing away from her, with all the warriors leaning close to talk in hush voices, the men didn¡¯t know she was eavesdropping on their conversation, openly. he didn¡¯t let all those in and out of the pce think he was busy preparing for the ceremony for nothing.¡± Ezgar told his warriors as he looked thoughtful. ¡°Even when he demanded for all the warriors to be well in shape for the ceremony, I didn¡¯t think it was for this purpose at all.¡± The King really nned everything very well, he took note of everything as he prepared every possible way out if the situation turned south at thest minute. Fortunately, they were prepared for this ambush and thus far, everything went smoothly. After all, they had sessfully evacuated the great hall and escorted almost all the important guests to this safe ce they had prepared beforehand along with the queen On the other hand, the more Abby listened, the more resentment she felt in her heart. She couldn¡¯t believe Micah could do this to her. If he knew there was going to be an attack on the pce, what was the need to even make her go through all of that? He clearly knew all her arrangements would only be for naught since the rogues would eventually destroy everything, even her ceremony. Yet, he let her go through so much stress, both physical and mental, until she melted into tears right in front of him from fear and tension. Even then, he didn¡¯t feel the need to let her know. Even when she begged him to cancel the ceremony just two hours before the procession after he saw how she had escaped death just by hair¡¯s breadth, he didn¡¯t yield. At that time, she didn¡¯t understand why he was being so adamant about the ceremony being held as it is. But she seemed to have gotten an answer to all of her doubts right now. ¡°He didn¡¯t cancel the ceremony because he didn¡¯t want to ruin the stage he prepared so meticulously to trap them.¡± Everything about today was premeditated, from their appearance in the great hall to him crowning her. It was all to achieve. his actual goal to capture those rogues and Abby couldn¡¯t shake off this feeling of betrayal that crept into her heart the more she thought about all her grievances. They were endless and if she had to list them all out, she didn¡¯t even know where to start. Should she talk about all those sleepless nights? Or herself running here and there constantly for this and that? She had to prepare so much, because they said it was a custom for the future queen to arrange every little thing meant for the coronation. 1/4 She pushed all her reservations and worries to the back of her mind as she took care of every little thing, from food to the way of her behavior. What about all those etiquette sses she crammed in between her arrangements? She had to change everything about herself, the way she walked, the way she talked. Even how to laugh gracefully, Sherianne took a long lecture. Abbh couldn¡¯t forget how she had suffered an entire afternoon just to correct her standing posture. ¡°And that speech I couldn¡¯t even deliver earlier.¡± Just thinking about it made Abby¡¯s heart ache to no end. She prepared so much, but for what? Even after seeing Neesha go crazy to kill her, she had to suck everything up and attend the procession. Thinking all of this hurt her head and she felt the bitter taste of betrayal on her tongue. She couldn¡¯t believe Micah didn¡¯t say a word even after she poured her heart in front of him when she asked him to cancel the ceremony. ¡°I almost lost my life today¡­¡± The words left Abby¡¯s lips involuntarily, a bit too loud, and this finally grabbed Ezgar¡¯s attention, who immediately rushed toward her. ¡°Your excellency, why did youe out?¡± The man was smiling at her again, but Abby wasn¡¯t able to feel the warmth she always felt talking to him right now. ¡°What happened, why do you look so pale? Did something happen again?¡± Ezgar asked her when he noticed how sad she looked. Her eyes were reddened while all the color left her face, she looked ghostly pale. Not to mention how she kept clenching and then unclenching her fists by her sides. Ezgar¡¯s first thought after seeing her like this was she got hurt while being escorted by them to the safe ce. But then they were more than careful while walking her here, it was beyond impossible for any rogues to get to her. And he was sure Micah wouldn¡¯t have let her get hurt during the short span of two hours while the procession took ce. So Ezgar was really confused when he saw her deted again, the little life she pumped into herself before the ceremony after talking to the King was nowhere to be seen. Even though she looked a little nervous during the procession, she hadn¡¯t been this pale at any point of time either. ¡°You need to tell me what happened so that I can help you sooner,¡± Ezgar said, feeling a little anxious since Micah entrusted her to him. He just left her for twenty minutes and she looked like she lost half of her life. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Chief Ezgar.¡± Abby finally opened her mouth and Exgar could tell she was behaving differently just hearing the way she addressed him. On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel distant from Ezgar when she thought how he stood on the sidelines as well after she shared her fears with him. Both him and Micah had so many chances to warn her about this impending attack, yet, they chose to keep silent until the end. She still couldn¡¯t understand how Micah didn¡¯t feel the need to let her know about his ns at all.. 2/4 Only now she understood why he couldn¡¯t return to their bedroom even when it was past midnight every night, not to mention how he would skip his meals almost every day. He kept everything to himself. Did he not trust her enough to share his thoughts and ns? He said he saw her as his equal, but then he turned away from her when he encountered something so important. He had been nning such a big thing for fifteen days, but couldn¡¯t stop for a second and think how this was all going to affect her. The entire royal council had been against her ascending the throne, and now, a rogue attack so huge happened right after Micah crowned her. This would only make more tongues wag at her. Along with the royal council, at least few of the guests attending the ceremony today would be thinking that the attack only happened because she became their queen, just like Arthur. Did he even understand what situation he had pushed her into? If he had at least let her sense even a wisp of warning, she wouldn¡¯t have put herself through all of that. Now it just looked like she did everything in vain. Maybe not in vain, she did everything to gain new haters. Abby couldn¡¯t help butugh at herself realizing how ironic this entire situation was. ¡°My queen, you look unusually pale,¡± Ezgar pointed out when he saw how the girl before him withered¨C with each second. that passed. ¡°You can trust me with your worries. Ezgar smiled at her, trying to let her see that he was harmless, but it vanished the moment Abby opened her mouth again. ¡°But you never thought of returning the courtesy.¡± ¡°What didn¡¯t I return?¡± ¡°You never trusted me, not just you, no one did, even Micah,¡± Abby said, but it only confused the man further. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Because, neither of you bothered to warn me about the attack today,¡± Abby blurted out, her voice cracking at the end. ¡°You. both saw how much I suffered while preparing so much for a ceremony which was nothing but a stage to your king, yet you kept silent until the very end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, my queen,¡± Ezgar tried to defend himself, but Abby was having none of it. ¡°Then, why did you guys not tell me anything, especially you, you even helped me prepare the speech when you know I won¡¯t get a chance to talk at all.¡± Hearing the hurt and sadness in her voice, Ezgar didn¡¯t know how to exin things to her. ¡°No, trust me. I didn¡¯t know there would be an attack untilst night. Abby looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Your warriors just said how the king had been nning for a fortnight.¡± ¡°It is true, but he only asked us, the chiefs, to intensify their training. He said nothing about the attack untilst night,¡± Ezgar stressed. Chapter 109 When Ezgar noticed how she looked so unwell with all the blood drained from her countenance, he immediately dispersed the elite warriors talking to him and approached Abby to inquire what happened to her. However, he wouldn¡¯t have expected the reason for her sadness to be theirck of thoughtfulness to let her know about this rogue attack beforehand. But the only problem was; it was a confidential task for the royal army and he wasn¡¯t supposed to talk about it to anyone else, especially after the king emphasized how they were not to breathe a word about it. ¡°No, trust me, I really didn¡¯t know about the attack untilst night,¡± he told her truthfully as he wanted to clear the misunderstanding. He really didn¡¯t know about the attack because Micah didn¡¯t really talk to them about it explicitly. In fact, the king only said that he needed the chiefs like Ezgar to make the training of everyone from the elite warriors more intense than usual the night he announced he was going to hold a ceremony in less than two weeks. Since, the time was of essence, it didn¡¯t raise doubts among them as to why he would ask them to train intensely all of a sudden. Everyone thought that with the increasing rogue attacks for the past couple of months, the King was just being cautious but no one would have thought he was only pressuring them to be well in shape for a real attack. Evenst night, Micah only mentioned in passing how they couldn¡¯t let their guard down during the ceremony as there would be so many guests arriving from all over the kingdom. But since they were words uttered by their sovereign, of course, no warrior thought of cking off. Moreover, if their security was reallypromised during a visit to the capital, how in the world would they believe the king to protect his people that scattered all over this huge empire of werewolves? So they didn¡¯t leave any room forziness as they diligently followed the regimen set by the king himself. But looking back now, even though it appeared to be somest minute contingency n, no one in the royal army was naive enough to think that the King was just being cautious and told them to be prepared just in case. That was why his warriors were a little excited over how the King could execute his n without letting others doubt his intentions. In their perspective, their king proved himself to be an excellent strategist by nning every little detail to tackle the attack this time around. The only inconvenience for the elite royal warriors that were ordered to escort and protect the guests was, they couldn¡¯t contribute much in this situation. They were all trained especially to put down enemies whenever they were facing a crisis of battle, but now they were restricted to babysitting these people who were gossiping to no end. After all, they couldn¡¯t understand what was going on with the attack and the sessive rescue. FES ORAThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. On the one hand, they couldn¡¯t answer their queries, since Micah didn¡¯t allow them to talk about his n with the guests or anyone for that matter. On the other hand, they felt impatient to sit around while a huge battle was going on just a few feet away from them. ¡°They were a little disappointed that they couldn¡¯t fight in the frontlines today,¡± Ezgar continued his exnation when Abby still looked suspicious even after he told her how Micah just told them to intensify their training but nothing about the 1/4 attack until thest minute. He then exined how he was genuinely surprised when the attack really happened. But he didn¡¯t voice how surprised he was to hear that even Abby didn¡¯t know about the attack until thest moment. But then, this was the style of their king, he never did things that wouldplicate his ns. ¡°Everyone was a bit extra alert just in case, and we are no different, but there was this nagging feeling at the back of our minds that the King wouldn¡¯t do or say anything just for the sake of it,¡± Ezgar told their queen and saw how she gradually calmed down. Abby looked deep in thought for a moment, as if digesting how Micah nned everything so secretly, but then she couldn¡¯t help but realize how he had been carrying such a huge burden on his shoulders without really seeking help from anyone. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Abby finally said, unable to overlook that point. Even though she wouldn¡¯t be able toe up with mind boggling strategies to tackle this situation, she would have at least shared his burden with him. Why couldn¡¯t he trust her enough? This was the only thing that kept haunting her. On the other hand, Ezgar could see how overwhelming it would be for her with everything that she had been through for the past two weeks. He personally witnessed her struggle with several things, so he felt sorry for her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what reasons he had for doing so, but it will be for the best if you talk to him about it instead of overthinking,¡± Ezgar said, looking thoughtful. But then he apologized for not being able to warn her about the attack. ¡°I definitely would have let it slip in one way or the other if I had a confirmation, but the king didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to doubt his actual goal for tonight. My hands were tied.¡± On the other hand, Abby couldn¡¯t help but think why Micah felt the need to watch his own words and actions so closely regarding this matter, but to no avail. The King had all the reasons to be this discreet with everything he had done for the past fifteen days. He didn¡¯t even let anyone read the secret missives from Alpha Samuel for nothing. No one realized how among the several reports he had been receiving, missives about the rogues took the top priority. And the reason was simple yet disturbing, he had a spy in his pce, the very person rying everything that happened here to Calpin In order to execute his n well, he realized he couldn¡¯t afford to give away what he was actually nning by holding the ceremony so abruptly. Since, it was a custom for the elite royal warriors to wee the new queen regally, no one doubted when he oversaw their training during the past fifteen days either. He let everyone think that he was giving too much importance to the ceremony to please his mate when his own father came to him to use him of the same. It worked well for him and the rogues were lured here, thinking they could catch the King off guard. However, he couldn¡¯t help this nagging feeling that something was off when his warriors managed to put down most of the enemies with no noticeable casualties on their side in no time. It was almost midnight now, and the fight ended in less than six hours, which was really suspicious since they couldn¡¯t stop the rogues even after fighting for a whole day thest time Calpin made them wreak havoc in the ck w pack. 2/4 From the corner of his eyes, he could see n and Dex frowning as well and realized things were not so simple. He is missing something, but what is it? ¡°My king,¡± the royal beta called out to him as he approached him, prompting Dex to rush toward them as well. ¡°You seem.a¡­ lile conflicted.¡± ¡°There is something off with these rogues,¡± Micah voiced and saw that they weren¡¯t surprised by his comment. ¡°Yes, they seem too different from thest few times,¡± Dex said, tilting his head to the side. ¡°They weren¡¯t as aggressive, but I can¡¯t ce why,¡± Micah told them and n¡¯s expression immediately hardened. ¡°You think this ambush is a distraction?¡± n asked immediately. ¡°If your hunch is correct, what might be their main goal?¡± Dex pointed out. ¡°Queen Abby¡­¡± n blurted out when he realized how Calpin tried to attack the king¡¯s mate in the ck w pack. ¡°King Micah. I think you should hurry and find Queen Abby to check on her immediately.¡± Micah immediately cursed himself for not thinking this beforehand. How could he overlook the threat Calpin posed to Abby? ¡°Right! Only Queen Abby could shield his magicst time, so he could be using these mediocre rogues to distract us to harm her instead,¡± Dex said. ¡°If there was a spy in the royal council or pce, he or she would be with Abby in the basement right now.¡± Hearing this. Micah felt his heart race with fear. He calcted his every move with the spy in his mind, but he didn¡¯t realize how close this¨Cspy was to harmming either of them if a chance presented itself. Calpin made it clear that he wanted to kill Abby thest time he tried to burn her with his magic, but failed only because her power backshed when he used his spell on her. Micah felt stupid for forgetting something so important in his haste to lure those pests to the pce in the name of the ceremony. He couldn¡¯t believe he got blinded by his need to exact revenge. ¡°Take care of the rest, I¡¯ll check on her first,¡± Micah ordered them in a hurry as he broke into a run. He raced to the underground basement which was the safe ce he arranged for the guests to take shelter while he captured the enemies before n or Dex could respond again. ¡°King Micah,¡± someone called him as soon as he entered the basement, but he didn¡¯t bother to stop and respond to them as he quickly scoured his eyes around this huge hall to find his mate. His heart skipped a beat for a second when he couldn¡¯t locate her immediately, but then he caught a glimpse of a pale yellow dress on his far right end and immediately dashed there. He could see Abby sitting at a table with her back toward him, but she wasn¡¯t alone. Ezgar was sitting with her, but they werepletely silent while Abby¡¯s dropped shoulders gave off this lonely and sad feeling. *Little one,¡± he called to her and when she finally turned around to look at him, he could see there was something really off about her expression. She seemed deste Seeing her too pale and hurt, his immediate thought was, she got injured while they brought her here. Just like Ezgar. But when she didn¡¯t smile at him after realizing he hade to fetch her, he realized it wasn¡¯t a physical wound as he couldn¡¯t sense any blood on her. With a quick once over of her frame, Micah was sure she wasn¡¯t hurt anywhere, so why did 3/4 she look like she was in pain? O ¡°What happened little one?¡± He asked her when she just stared at him, saying nothing. His eyes then strayed to Ezgar, who immediately stood erect to bow to him. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my leave, my king.¡± Ezgar bowed to both of them, when Micah threw a look at him. He definitely couldn¡¯t meddle in their affairs. Once it was only the two of them at this table, as everyone else stepped back to give them privacy upon noticing this weird vibe around them, Micah approached Abby. He tried to grab her hand, but Abby evaded his touch as she turned away from: him a little. ¡°Little one,¡± Micah started but then saw tears flowing down her checks, which left him helpless, because he couldn¡¯t understand what went wrong for her to feel this dejected when she broke into uncontroble sobs. ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± Abby said in between her silent sobs. ¡°It hurts Micah. You don¡¯t trust me.¡± Chapter 110 ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± Abby said in between her silent sobs. ¡°It hurts Micah. You don¡¯t trust me.¡± Abby could feel her heart bleeding while admitting how hurt she was by his actions, and the king could feel his heart break seeing her fall apart as emotions whacked her body. ¡°What do you mean, little one?¡± Micah was visibly shook at her words. ¡°Please, talk to me.¡± The king couldn¡¯t help but plead with his mate when the girl wouldn¡¯t even look at him, while her tears burned holes in his heart and soul. He could see she was really hurt, and from her words earlier, it was clear it had something to do with him, however, he couldn¡¯t quiteprehend just where she got the idea that he didn¡¯t trust her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her worries and doubts away, but the inquisitive gazes from the people behind him made him think twice as he realized it would be meddlesome if Abby rejected his touch again. It would cause a stir and put her in unnecessary limelight, so he immediately mindlinked his warriors to escort everyone to their respective guest rooms since the threat had been removed for now, Even if another fight broke out, he already gave enough instructions to his royal beta and royal gamma as to what they needed to do, Since they believed it would be wise for Micah to stay with Abby, they couldn¡¯t really find fault with this arrangement. The only problem was, Abby wasn¡¯t even willing to let him touch her now. How in the world should he cooperate with her if Calpin or anyone else did try something to hurt either of them? ¡°Little one, what upset you?¡± Micah finally asked when everyone left them alone in this huge basement. Even though he didn¡¯t let up, they could still tell how tense the air between them was. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But he couldn¡¯t care less about what everyone thought when Abby opened her mouth the second time since he rushed here to check on her. ¡°You¡± ¡°What?¡± Micah was genuinely dumbfounded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m upset because of you.¡± Abby would have shouted if not for the way her heartbeat pounded in her temples. Her head. is aching so badly, she didn¡¯t dare to raise her voice and cause more pain to herself. ¡°Me?!¡± Micah asked, frowning out of surprise. ¡°Yes, but hurt would be a better word, I¡¯m hurt because of you, Micah. Yourck of trust and your lies¡­ Abby broke downpletely as she then reiterated everything she had gone through since Micah decided on his own to hold this ceremony which couldn¡¯t even see a proper finishing ¡°I thought you were being genuine when you said you saw me as your equal, but it was all a lie. You didn¡¯t even pause to think how all of this is going to affect me, let alone how I have a right to know what was going to happen during my own. coronation.¡± Abby talked in a rush as if she wouldn¡¯t be able to repeat her concerns a second time even if she forced herself to death. She even felt like flinging the crown on her head since it all felt like a big joke to her. On the other hand, Micah looked like he was just sucker punched in the gut, really hard, when he finally realized he messed up big time. However, Abby wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Did you even realize how hard it had been for me to learn everything in such a short time? 1/44 O I¡¯m not saying you hadn¡¯t had a hard time nning this great counter attack to achieve your goal of capturing Calpin sooner. I¡¯m not insensitive enough to not understand you did whatever you did only to protect both of us either..¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t understand why you can¡¯t trust me enough to warn me even once.¡± ¡°No, little one. It isn¡¯t like that.. Micah tried to exin, but the girl wasn¡¯t in a state to listen to anything he had to say now. ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you?¡± Abby asked, her voice almost cracking while her eyes full of usation. ¡°You had plenty of opportunities yet, you didn¡¯t even consider sharing your burdens with me¡­¡± Micah didn¡¯t have a good enough retort to defend himself, because it really didn¡¯t ur to him to share this matter with her. So when Abby continued to pour her feelings out, Micah could only stand there, staring at her with this sadness reflecting in his whole being. He just thought it would be better to solve this problem as soon as possible when he saw that a chance was presenting itself ording to Alpha Samuel¡¯s reports about the increased rogue activity all around the kingdom. Calpin was not an ordinary enemy, so he was impatient to eliminate him before he could hurt him or his precious mate, but he didn¡¯t expect to hurt her first. The more Abby talked, the more remorse Micah felt. He really underestimated the pressure she had to face while preparing for the ceremony. He thought letting her ess to people and resources would be enough to solve her worries, but looking back, he realized he acted really inconsiderately. He forgot why he canceled the ceremony the first time around as well. But with the rogues on his mind, his initial hesitancy to thrust her into royal politics took a back seat. He understood better than anyone else how she didn¡¯t get a proper chance to adjust herself to his ce and its people yet, still, he couldn¡¯t remember any of that while he spent his days nning how to utilize the ceremony she worked hard to arrange as his stage to defeat those pests. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one.¡± Micah blurted out amidst her breakdown, but Abby just chuckled. ¡°No¡­ a single sorry is not going to erase the pain you put me through for the past two weeks, Micah¡­¡± Abby rejected his apology in an instant and it was another blow to Mical ¡°How could you not reconsider your choices even after your mother tried to kill me?¡± Abby¡¯s words shot out like poison coated daggers and the King could feel the blow in his heart. He was really stupid, wasn¡¯t he? Him having more than he could handle on his te wasn¡¯t a good enough reason to plead mercy from her either. Abby wasn¡¯t hurt because he didn¡¯t include her in his ns, she was hurt because he didn¡¯t bother to share his burdens with her. On the contrary, he had a chance to help her avoid all that effort she fruitlessly put into the preparations. But it was toote to realize his mistake glow, he was the reason for her endless suffering for the past few days. Not only did he manage to overwork himself, he also made her work hard for nothing. ¡°Little one, don¡¯t be like this. Give me a chance to make it up to you,¡± Micah said, not being able to convince Abby how much he regretted his actions. 2/4 Just like she said, he would have lost nothing if he just warned her a little, but he was stupid enough to want to keep her in the dark ¡°I don¡¯t know, Micah.¡± Abby confessed, her face contorting with pain. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything but how you can¡¯t trust me¡­¡± And Micah felt like beating himself up for causing her such agony. If before, he could still think he never did anything to hurt her directly, but this time, he managed to achieve that. She was hurt because of him. His actions. His thoughtless decisions. Whatnot. So when the girl said she wanted to rest now, Micah could only abide and let her some room to calm herself down first. ¡°Okay, but let me take you to our room at least?¡± Micah¡¯s words came out as a question instead. ¡°No, I want to sleep in a different room tonight,¡± Abby said, looking at her fingers that she folded together in front of her, as if she was just a moment away from resuming wringing her hands. And Micah heard what she didn¡¯t say loud and clear. She was asking for space from him. She didn¡¯t think she would find his embrace safe enough and wanted time away from him. It didn¡¯t sit well with Micah, and he wanted to argue but the girl didn¡¯t give him a chance. ¡°Find me a vacant room, I¡¯m fine with anywhere. I just want to sleep now,¡± Abby said, cutting off Micah before he could even protest against her decision. Abby felt a little heartless for not giving him a chance to exin his reasons properly, especially when she told him she wanted space from him. The painful look that crossed his eyes almost made her falter. But then, she couldn¡¯t forget her own pain so quickly either. Staying out of each other¡¯s hair was the best course of action for both of them to calm down for now. ¡°No, if you want time to rest your head, our bedroom is the most suitable room now,¡± Micah said, but when she tried to refuse, he held out his hand for her to stop for a second. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in another room.¡± His voice left no room for negotiation even though he didn¡¯t sound overbearing, and Abby didn¡¯t have any strength to continue haggling with him. Her head was killing her and she just wanted to rest. On the other hand, Micah felt only their bedroom was safe for her right now, as he couldn¡¯t shake off this bad feeling after he realized his n had beenpromised. Moreover, Abby was more familiar with their bedroom than any other ce in this pce. Only he felt this knot in his heart when she finally agreed to let him escort her to their bedroom after much persuasion. He couldn¡¯t help but recall how she sobbed when she exined how much she missed him because he couldn¡¯t make it to hug her to sleep even at nights, being busy nning for today¡¯s showdown. He still couldn¡¯t understand how he could be so blind until he couldn¡¯t even notice she was suffering so much until she became sleep deprived. ¡°Little one,¡± Micah called out when the girl almost stumbled on her own feet, as she stepped on her dress. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Abby said, as she held onto the chair behind her, rejecting his helping hand. Micah could only walk behind her stubborn self as the girl slowly dragged her feet to their bedroom. 3/4 ¡°You can leave now,¡± Abby told him as soon as she crossed the threshold of their bedroom. ¡°My queen, what happened to you?¡± Alyssa, who had been waiting anxiously for her, immediately approached the girl when she saw her finally returning. They were escorted back to their own rooms the moment they noticed rogues and had onlye here when a guard rushed to ry that they had been summoned to serve the queen. Micah seemed to have mindlinked someone to call them over. Abby let her grab her hand, which made the maid realize how cold her body was, as if she didn¡¯t have any energy left. Alyssa quickly helped her to lie on the bed as she called Reyna to help rub her palms and feet. But then they saw how the king stopped at the door itself. ¡°Take good care of her.¡± With that, he swiftly left. But he woulde back early tomorrow morning and apologize to her properly. It was not only her who couldn¡¯t sleep when he wasn¡¯t around, the same applied to him as well. He couldn¡¯t be at ease when he was away from her. But he knew he needed to let her calm down a bit first. Otherwise, he would have insisted on refusing her request outright. Only he realized he made another mistake by not refusing her the next morning, because when he came back to her after a sleepless night, he found their bedroom empty. Chapter 111 ¡°You can leave now,¡± Abby said, her voice not a decibel more than a whisper. Even though she asked to sleep in a different room, and even managed to drag her feet until their bedroom without help, ignoring the way her every limb protested for exhausting thest bit of energy her body was running on, she feared her vulnerability would make an forced appearance if her mate said one more word of apology to her. It was also for this reason she didn¡¯t dare to let Micah apologize to her again after his first attempt, becasue she knew she would crumble if she were to hear his voice break with sadness one more time. ¡®Give me a chance to make it up to you,¡¯ he said, but she couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that he couldn¡¯t make good of all the oppurtunities he had to avoid hurting her this badly. Moreover, Abby didn¡¯t like the way she copsed several times in the span of just twelve hours, be it when Micah insisted on proceeding to hold the ceremony earlier or when her mate didn¡¯t think it was important enough for her to know what he was thinking, or what was making him restless and sleepless. Her encounter with Arthur was thest straw for her to break down the way she did when Micah came searching for her in that safe ce. He said she was not even suitable to stand beside Micah, let alone rule this kingdom as its queen and his destined mate. Now Micah¡¯s actions made her nose dive in her insecurities again and the result was; she couldn¡¯t even look at his face without feeling this inferiority that always prevented her from talking back to others when they bullied her. All these thoughts whacked her brains, leaving her aching and once Alyssa reached for her, she immediately melted down. She let them take care of her as they fussed over her, trying to rub some heat into her cold body, which had long turned numb from overexhaustion. Probably, if Micah insisted on refusing her request, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to stop him, but she didn¡¯t expect the regret that hit her as soon as the man finally turned back and left, after leaving a small order to her personal maids. 1/6 +5 ¡°Take good care of her,¡± Micah said, not letting too much emotion seep into his voice, but somehow, Abby could feel the amount of remorse her mate tried to conceal and this made her eyes moisten again. Even then she stubbornly stood by her word and didn¡¯t try to stop him, though she knew she wouldn¡¯t get even a wink of sleep when he was not hugging her. Only three hourster, Abby found herself still staring at the high chandelier above her head, unable to sleep, just like the few nights Micah couldn¡¯t apany her and the girl felt like beating herself up for acting so immaturely earlier. ¡°I should have forgiven him when he apologized,¡± she mumbled to herself as she couldn¡¯t even cry anymore at her own stupidity. Around an hour after he left, the adrenaline rush that made her act like a crazy woman finally evaporated into thin air and she was finally able to calm down a bit. But with calm came rity about what she actually did to herself and how she forgot what was important to her. How did she even think shunning him away would solve her problems? She just didn¡¯t know when to stop! ¡°You are in stupid, that is why Arthur could always find faults with you¡­¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but knock her head, but it only made her headache worse. She reached for the ss of water on the bedside table and saw the tray of food Micah sent for her. ¡°Queen Abby, you didn¡¯t eat anything all day, please have something to fill your stomach,¡± Alyssa and Reyna pleaded with her earlier, but she didn¡¯t listen and now she was suffering. Her stomach growled, but the food would have turned cold long back. But to her surprise, she saw a small pouch of candied fruits on the table and she immediately on them while sipping on the water from the ss. With every piece that made its way down her throat, Abby could feel her heart bing heavy for hurting Micah with her words and actions, just because she was hurt by him. Looking back, even she could tell the king didn¡¯t do it intentionally. Her reaction was a bit too over the top, given the way he took care of her from the moment they met. He had always been thoughtful and patient enough when it came to her, but she couldn¡¯t return the courtesy when he slipped up for the first time. 2/6 +5 Just because she was his mate, he had even angered so many people¡­ ¡°He had done so much for me, yet I¡¯m being an ungrateful brat, What if he gets tired of me¡­? Thinking so much was never a good thing, and it was proved once again when Abby let her abandonment issue dominate her every other truth. She couldn¡¯t be med though, her own father and older sister abandoned her emotionally for a decade, not even pitying her for defeating death with war scars. Instead, they called her a monster, pointing at the huge burn scar that extended from the left side of her neck, down to her left shoulder, covering a huge portion of her back. It only needed a single one of their own reasons to abandon and abuse her, reasons she didn¡¯t actively take part in, meanwhile, she was giving reasons to Micah herself now. ¡°If he gets tired, he may think what his father and the others had been preaching to him was indeed correct¡­¡± Abby felt her throat be dry just at the possibility. ¡°Then he might send me away¡­¡± Abby almost dropped the candy pouch when she stood up so abruptly, she was surprised she didn¡¯t trip over nothing. She immediately tied the pouch back and clutched it to her heart. Alyssa and Reyna helped her change into afortable dress after wiping her face and hands with hot water earlier and she couldn¡¯t be grateful enough to them. Because, if she were to run around in that grand ceremonial dress, even though it was a spare one, in search of her mate, it would be quite cumbersome. Yes, she didn¡¯t want to wait until morning to talk to Micah, because she feared he wouldn¡¯t have time for her once he was dragged away to investigate the captured rogues to dig information on Calpin. If she apologized to him quickly, she might be able to evade any disaster that maye her way, disasters like being abandoned by her own mate. ¡°Yes, apologize to him and make up with him,¡± Abby decided. 3/6 +5 She didn¡¯t wait another second, because in less than an hour, the sun would hit the horizon, and Micah would be hoarded by his responsibilities again. In order to achieve her goal of not alerting anyone, Abby moved as quietl possible, because she was afraid someone would stop her, saying it was dangerous to wander around with the issue of rogues still heating up the entire pce. ¡°Now I can move freely,¡± Abby thought aloud, as she turned at the corner that would lead her to the king¡¯s study. It was still dark in this corridor, but thenterns along the walls were bright enough to at least illuminate her path. However, when she was just a few steps away from the door to the study, where she could see a few warriors watching guard, someone closed her mouth from behind and dragged her away in the opposite direction. Because ofck of energy, she couldn¡¯t put up a fight, but when she tried to bite her attacker¡¯s hand, that person knocked her out and everything went ck. Leaving Abby in someone else¡¯s care when she was angry at himself didn¡¯t sit well with Micah at all. But he felt it was the right thing to let her calm down first, because she was too emotional to ept that even. someone like him could slip up sometimes. He swore he would run to her side before the sun rose in the morning, but his heart couldn¡¯t calm down no matter what. He was afraid he would only see her tear filled face, that was contorted in hurt, pain caused by him, the moment he closed his eyes. Because, even looking at the reports made that image rerun in his e Her silent sobs kept haunting him, and he spent the whole night pacing back and forth in his study. ¡°What if she wouldn¡¯t give me a chance to repent?¡± No matter whom you took in her life, everyone only caused her endless heartache. On the day he met her, he swore he would spare her even the slightest grievance, but he didn¡¯t expect to cause only pain and harm to her. Micah wouldn¡¯t be able to live with it if his precious mate thought he was just like everyone else in her life. He 4/6 wasn¡¯t and he was going to prove it to her regardless of whatever it took. He needed to make her understand that he was different from Ryan, her father and Hanna, her older sister, or anyone else for that matter. ¡°I¡¯ll make things straight with her,¡± Micah promised to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll do her right.¡± +5 If need be, he would apologize until her sweet heart gave into him, because he couldn¡¯t stay away from her for. another minute. These few hours already felt like hell, he didn¡¯t want a repeat of it. He knew his mistake and he would correct it. With his priorities set, Micah dashed out of his study as soon as some light seeped into the room through the opened window, indicating the sun was about to rise. ¡°Little one?¡± He called out from outside of the door the moment he reached her room, but he didn¡¯t get any response from inside which prompted him to push the door open himself. However, the room was empty, not even her personal maids could be seen. ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± He growled, making the people that stood guard outside their room tremble in fear. ¡°Where is your queen and her maids?¡± Even though Micah panicked a little at first, the thought that the girl might have gone on a walk made him ask them the second question, only the answer he got was something he didn¡¯t hope to hear at this moment. No one knew where Abby was and the personal maids that came running a few minutester didn¡¯t have a positive answer to him either. ¡°Queen Abby said she wanted to be alonest night,¡± Alyssa reported and real panic hit Micah hard. He frantically searched all over the pce, with assistance from the few guards, but to no avail. ¡°This is nuts!!¡± He roared and the aura that emanated from him screamed danger, making them all cower in fear. ¡°Get the royal beta and royal gamma here.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe Abby was abducted right in his pce, where he thought was the safest for her, and this made him go crazy. 5/6 -5 He seeked the mate bond between them, and the amount of relief he felt when he realized it was still intact was iparable. It took him less than fifteen minutes to assemble every warrior, both elite and the second. ranked warriors, front of the pce, as he prepared to march into the capital city to scour for her. in No matter how hard they tried, they wouldn¡¯t have gone far from the pce since they needed to act with caution while evading the royal warriors that patrolled the city. However, just before he could dispatch the soldiers, Arthur, his father and the former king, rushed over to block him. ¡°What are you even thinking, neglecting your responsibilities again for a useless woman like her?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 112 ¡°Split into three groups andb through the city,¡± Micah ordered, prompting one group to follow himself while the royal beta and the royal gamma were to lead the other two groups. ¡°Find the queen no matter what.¡± His voice gave no room to tardiness when he roamed his gaze over the royal warriors who gathered in front of the pce gates. He was determined to find Abby at all costs. He was just about to shift into his beast when a familiar yet unweing voice reached his ears. ¡°Micah, what do you think you are doing?¡± Arthur called to him as he pinned him with this disappointing gaze. ¡°Did you forget how frenzied the whole pce was less than ten hours back?¡± Word sure traveled fast in this pce, even though it didn¡¯t take him more than fifteen minutes to gather his warriors, his father still managed to rush over from the old tower to stop him. But if the former king thought Micah could be fazed by his opinion of him, there was another thinging for him to worry about. ¡°Step back, father. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Micah dismissed the former king immediately as he beckoned the warriors to get ready to leave. ¡°You have gone crazy. How could you prioritize a woman over your kingdom?¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t hide his dissatisfaction at all. Since no one knew it was Micah¡¯s n all along to lure those rogues to the capital city, it was really chaotic in the pce, as they couldn¡¯t help but dread the possibility of this city bing another ck w pack after the rogues invasion. On the other hand, the king didn¡¯t like the way Arthur talked so demeaningly about his mate. ¡°She is not some random ¡®woman,¡± Micah started, almost growling out the word ¡®woman: ¡°She is the queen of this kingdom. Give her respect.¡± Arthur blew his top when he saw Micah disrespecting him in front of so many warriors and he exploded finally. ¡°Some queen she is. Always holding you back, now isn¡¯t any different. Arthur seethed, not bothering to hide his hatred toward Abby. ¡°What are you even thinking, neglecting your responsibilities again for a useless woman like her?¡± Those rogues ran rampant in the pce, a ce that was supposed to be the safest in the entire kingdom, yet his son was hurrying to find his burden of a mate who knew nothing but causing trouble for Micah. He knew someday that girl would turn Micah crazy, given how muddle¨Cheaded he became after meeting her and Arthur really couldn¡¯t grasp what was going through his son¡¯s mind anymore. ¡°Get your shit together and focus on the important things,¡± Arthur reprimanded Micah, not at all holding back his fury as he stood in the king¡¯s path, blocking him with both words and physically. He would like to see how he was going to ignore his words today. ¡°Holy Crap!¡± Abby groaned as she rubbed her neck that felt too sore, until it overshadowed the pain in her already aching head, as she came to herself only to find she wasn¡¯t in their bed. It was way too hard, making her muscles protest just at the smallest movement. But it realize that it was not only the bed that was different. Upon a brief look at her surroundings, idn¡¯t take her too long to she noticed she wasn¡¯t in their bedroom at all. This his room was too dark, but she could stillsee how ainal it was there was a small window through which she could see light seeping into this room. 1/3 +5 Even though the air around her wasn¡¯t too stale, it wasn¡¯t really pleasant either. This space looked simr to the room in which she met Hanna back in the Red River pack. How did she get here? Abby needed a really long moment to rearrange her thoughts. ¡°I went in search of Micah to apologize but then someone dragged me away¡­¡± ¡°After that, nothing¡­¡± She poked the aching muscle in the right side of her neck a little and immediately hissed in pain. ¡°Did that person knock me out?¡± Given the gap in her memories, that was likely to be the case. She quickly jumped out of the hard bed and dashed for the door which was no less than three feet from the foot of this small bed, but it was locked from the outside. No matter how much she pulled, it wouldn¡¯t budge. When her attempts failed, she tried calling for help, in hopes, someone passing by could hear her. ¡°Is there anyone out there?¡± However, no matter how much she tried to shout for someone to open it, all she received was silence as a response. ¡°Just where the hell am I?¡± Abby mumbled to herself as she felt her heart pick up rhythm. She couldn¡¯t help but pray to the Moon Goddess that her attacker didn¡¯t drag her too far from the pce. But then from the corner of her eyes, she saw a bar stool, where they ced a pot, maybe filled with water, and an idea appeared in her mind. She immediately ran to the stool and carefully removed the pot and ced it on the ground, then she dragged the stool toward the small but high window. From the cement, the window looked more like a venttor than a window. But Abby couldn¡¯t care less about it as she carefully mounted the stool to look out of the window, which was open with no doors whatsoever. But it was barred, and from the gaps between the bottom most two bars, Abby could see the King¡¯s tower right in front of her. It was the ce where Micah lived. So she was still around the pce? ¡°Or in the pce?¡± Abby mused out loud, as she stepped down from the stool. Upon a moment of contemting, Abby was sure she was still within the pce area, because from her memory, there were no high buildings outside the pce, while there were too many within the pce gates, and she was clearly in a tower. She just couldn¡¯t figure out which tower she was in right now. But who brought her here in the first ce? This thought made her panic a little and Abby had to take deep breaths to calm herself down. ¡°Now is not the time to panic, Abby!¡± She resisted the urge to wring her hands, her habit whenever she was anxious. After a minute or so, she could finally calm down as the thought Micah would be searching for her struck her consciousness. Instead of giving into her fear, she focused on her options and tried to figure out just what kind of situation she was in. How long had she been sleeping? She couldn¡¯t tell because she couldn¡¯t see the sun earlier, even though she could tell that it was daytime. 2/3 Who wanted to harm her was her next line of thought.. If she had to list out the number of people who wanted her dead, she didn¡¯t think she needed too long or hard, because there was only one person and he was that dark sorcerer, Calpin. +5 But if she was talking about the people that wanted to get rid of her, the list may never end. Starting from the royal council to her own family, no one was happy about her bing the queen. It could be anyone! Her analysis of the situation only made it worse, since it looked like she had very limited options to escape from whoever dared to abduct her right in the king¡¯s pce. ¡°If I could just break that door.¡± She stood in the middle of this small room as she looked around, but she couldn¡¯t find anything useful or strong enough to knock down the door. Abby was tempted to give it a try even though the stool looked like it would give away and break into pieces, then hurt her hands, the moment it collided with the door too hard. But then she heard the tell tale sound of a lock turning, and when she turned around, she could see the door being pushed open from the outside. Her abductor finally chose to appear. Sure enough it was someone from the pce. Standing less than five feet from her was Leon, Ruby¡¯s father and the former royal beta of this kingdom. His face was twisted with this cold look, as if he was trying to freeze her to death just by looking at her. But that wasn¡¯t what made her take a step back from him, it was because of this stench that reached her nose when he opened the door toe inside. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. It belonged to the rogues! She was sure, because she remembered it by heart when she fought with them, even though her senses weren¡¯t really that sharppared to your regr shifter. Even if Leon fought with those rogues, he wouldn¡¯t reek of them this badly, but then he never got a chance to face them. So there was only one possibility for this situation. He must be working with them! Didn¡¯t Micah say there was a spy in the royal council? Leon fit every category, but it was still unclear whether he was alone, or among the few other spies, or he was pulled into the messter. Whatever the turn of events may be, he was now a traitor and this revtion didn¡¯t sit well with her. Her gaze hardened with every second she tried to ce what part Leon yed during all those rogue attacks and the former royal beta couldn¡¯t help but feel a little impressed when he saw her regarding him equally coldly. ¡°You got some nerve,¡± he spat, his lips twitching into a disdainful smirk Chapter 113 ¡°You got some nerve.¡± Leon pinned her with this hatred filled gaze as he stepped forward, making Abby scrunch her nose in disgust. ¡°To think you could rece my daughter, tsk, what happened now? All you got was a ruined coronation.¡± His lips parted into a viscous snarl when he thought how much his precious daughter suffered because of this heathenish woman. His blood boiled in fury just at the sight of her. On the other hand, Abby was genuinely shocked by his taunt. ¡°I reced your daughter?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Where did he get that idea from? She was Micah¡¯s destined mate, alright? ¡°If you had just died in whatever ditch you crawled out from, my daughter would have be the queen of this kingdom long back,¡± Leon said, looking almost manic. Everyone in the entire capital city thought Micah would take Ruby as his chosen mate if he couldn¡¯t find his mate. Moreover, Ruby was revered highly by everyone, be it how meticulously he raised her or her birth origins. She was the perfect woman to stand by Micah¡¯s side, more so, to sit on the throne beside him as the queen, but at thest minute, this wild girl popped out of nowhere with herughable origins and uncivilized nature, wrapping the king to her little finger just because she was his destined mate. ¡°First you dared to steal her position, then you made Micah punish her, don¡¯t think no one can see through your insecurities,¡± the former royal beta growled out each and every word when he recalled how Ruby had to stay confined to their house for an entire month, just because this girl was jealous of her. His daughter only wanted to give her childhood friend some face and help his wild mate find some friends in the capital, but she didn¡¯t know what was good for her. ¡°You schemed against my daughter when you saw she was better than you in all aspects and felt threatened, after all, you too knew you could offer nothing to Micah,¡± Leon said righteously when Abby just looked at him, shocked. In his eyes, it looked like she was incredulous because she was exposed by him. He believed his daughter to be noble, so it must be Abby who couldn¡¯t digest the amicable rtionship between the King and Ruby. Anyone with a brain could tell she was just trying to control Micah 1/3 +5 ¡°And the same was proved again when you made a fool out of yourself in front of everyone yesterday,¡± Leonughed derisively. ¡°You think just anyone can be a queen? Your failed coronation speaks volumes of your inability.¡± Faced with his continuous taunts, Abby remained unfazed as only her gaze hardened with each word that escaped his mouth. But when he repeatedly pointed out that the ceremony was ruined because of her, she couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore. ¡°Failed or not, I¡¯ve already been crowned by the King and I¡¯m your queen now, whether you and that pretentious daughter of yours can ept it or not, that is your truth now.¡± When Abby realized why he was doing what he was doing, she didn¡¯t really n on wasting her breath talking to him, but Micah told her not to tolerate disrespect toward herself and she didn¡¯t want to let him down. She wasn¡¯t going to crumble because of some small taunts anymore. On the other hand, Leon felt like she was disying false bravado and he wished he could just snuff out her life like he would an insect that irritated him. But then, he remembered it was only a matter of time before this girl would disappear and this made a smirk appear on his face again. ¡°I¡¯ll see how long you are going to hold that position.¡± When Abby looked at him in confusion, he revealed a menacing re. ¡°Now that I havee this far, do you think you could escape death? In your dreams!¡± He then turned and walked toward the door, but before he closed the door behind him, he threw a few words over his shoulder that left Abby dreading the next few hours in this crappy room. ¡°I¡¯ve already alerted the rogues, someone will be here shortly to escort her dear highness to her death bed, until then, cry in your misery.¡± ¡°How dare she think she could live happily after what she had put his daughter through? Once those savages got a handle of her, only then this stupid half witch would learn her ce. ¡°Step aside, Father, I won¡¯t ask for a third time.¡± Micah red at Arthur, who stubbornly tried to block his path. ¡°It isn¡¯t me who needed to step back, but you. You should actually turn around and go to the dungeons to 2/3 interrogate those rogues,¡± Arthur stood his ground. No matter what happened today, he was going to make Micah understand his mistakes. ¡°Your priority is the rogues and gathering information on that dark sorcerer, before it is toote and they wreak havoc in the capital city again.¡± ¡°I know my priorities well enough¡­¡± +5 Arthur cut his son off in the middle as he got disgruntled at him. ¡°Then you would finish what you have started, not take a detour to find that useless mate of yours who only knows how to cause trouble for you.¡± ¡°One more word about her and you will see what more I can do for her,¡± Micah threatened Arthur openly, when his father insisted on ming Abby for something she wasn¡¯t responsible for. ¡°Now you are threatening me? How could you stoop so low for that half witch?¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t believe his own son was having a full blown fall out with him for that woman. Just what kind of spell did she cast on him until he couldn¡¯t decipher between what was good and bad for him? ¡°Enough!¡± Micah roared, feeling his patience for his father run thin. ¡°Guards! Escort the former king back to his room and watch him closely! He needs to rest because of old age, just like the former queen.¡± Chapter 114 An earth shattering roar reverberated along the streets of this capital city, making everyone around feel their hearts tremble, as Micah ran through the streets in his beast form with his warriors in tow to no avail. Even though he had scoured through the entire city two times by afternoon, which was no more than a few pitiful hours, he still couldn¡¯t find a single trace of her. It was as if she vanished into thin air, and the man took it hard. He couldn¡¯t think straight anymore.. Meanwhile, the people who saw this let their imaginations run wild as the king looked like he had gone insane,¡® and Micah wasn¡¯t too far from it. All kinds of thoughts gued his mind, especially the ones indicating something really bad might have happened to Abby, the moment he stopped to take a breather. [n, did you find anything?] He mindlinked his royal beta, who was on the other side of this capital. [Did the Hunters find anything?] All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. The Hunters were the hounds, especially gifted in tracing people, through scent or other belonging of the target, and Micah didn¡¯t think twice when he ordered everyone avable to join this huge search party. eace. But no matter what he tried, the only oue was Abby had disappeared without a trace. And the same was reported by n again, making the King explode in rage. [No, my king.] Micah felt like going crazy with every second that passed, as the question of what his mate might be going through right now left his beast restless and feral. Just where the hell did they take you? He wouldn¡¯t be able to live with himself if something happened to her again. [Keep searching!] Even through the mindlink, both n and Dex could hear how the king was on the verge of losing it. They wanted to ask him to stop, since he had been running non stop since morning, but they could only refrain themselves when they knew it would only be wasted effort. Micah wasn¡¯t in a mood to listen to anyone right now, even the former king couldn¡¯t persuade him, even thoug 1/5 Emergency his approach to the matter was really finger pointing. But then, the king didn¡¯t hesitate to lock his own father up, even though he put it nicely for others¡® ears saying the man just needed rest, but being told to be old was an insult in itself for Arthur, because it implied that he was no different from his mate, the former queen, who was recuperating. They couldn¡¯t help but worry over what else he might do, or be, if he couldn¡¯t find Abby soon. Things didn¡¯t look promising with this sudden turn of events¡­ God help them! Abby tried to run after the man, but Leon seemed to have anticipated this involuntary reaction from her, because he didn¡¯t hedge for even a second before he locked the door behind him securely again once he stepped out of this small room. ¡°Damned Bastard!¡± Abby shouted at the door, but there was no response whatsoever from him. This room has an opened window, there was no way it was soundproofed, but she couldn¡¯t hear a single sound from outside whatsoever. This was totally weird, because Abby didn¡¯t understand how Leon pulled it off. But then, she had screamed for someone to help her for a good fifteen minutes before Leon came to grace her with his presence, and no one seemed to have heard her at all then either. The girl could only give up on the thought of screaming at the top of her lungs, because it was of no use, and would only exhaust the little energy she had now. She tried to think of escaping his clutches, but it wasn¡¯t that easy. ¡°Once he hands me over to the rogues, I¡¯ll be outnumbered and done for¡­¡± On the other hand, her body protested because she didn¡¯t eat anything other than those few pieces of candied fruit more than twenty four hours ago. ¡°This is absurd!¡± Abby officially regretted all her decisions fromst night, when she felt like she would just mak it easy for those rogues to carry her away when she fainted fromck of energy. 2/5 Aside from water, which didn¡¯t seem safe at all to drink, Leon didn¡¯t bother to give her any food to keep her alive. Maybe he thought she did not need to eat since she was going to die anyway. ¡°He really was determined to end my life, wasn¡¯t he?!¡± Abby felt her eyes spinning from thinking about anything and everything, just to stay awake when she finally heard the lock being turned again. And came Leon with four men in his tow when the sky turned really dark, making Abby feel the adrenaline rush into her veins just at the sight of his callous and cold face. However, it wasn¡¯t the adrenaline that woke her uppletely, but the recognition that dawned on her when this distinctive scent hit her nostrils. ¡°You brought rogues here!¡± Abby eximed, unable to believe that Leon dared to let them run amok in the pce. ¡°Why are you so shocked? I already told you that you are going to spend yourst moments with them,¡± the former royal beta snickered, making the girl scrunch her nose in disgust. Leon didn¡¯t even try to act polite, as he talked so disrespectfully toward her. ¡°Take good care of the queen, boys.¡± He nodded at the rogues, prompting them to take her away. ¡°Show her a good time.¡± The implication of his words was so demeaning, Abby felt her blood boil with rage. She red at them hatefully when Leon stepped aside to let the rogues enter, where they tried to jump onto her the next second. ¡°Touch me, and you will die!¡± She promised, looking exceptionally calm in the next second. Abby clenched and unclenched her hands repeatedly, as if she was holding back from doing what she actually wanted to. The screams and pleading Leon expected to hear from her were nowhere to be seen, after all, he witnessed firsthand how weak this girl was. For a second, they were all confused why she was acting totally out of the books, but then they brushed it off as 3/5 her throwing empty threats. +5 ¡°She is just a paper lion,¡± Leon mocked her from behind them, believing with all his heart Abby was just a good for nothing half witch. ¡°Stop dilly dallying and knock her out at once.¡± ¡°Back off, or I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Abby meant every word she said, but her opponents couldn¡¯t get the memo at all. If anything, the former royal beta looked proud of his own suggestion, maybe because he couldn¡¯t help but recall how he managed to abduct her early this morning. After all, he didn¡¯t even infuse much strength into the blow when he was dragging her away, and she fell unconscious just like that. She was too weak to back her own threats up, which was beyondughable in his eyes. But he didn¡¯t realize he hadpletely underestimated her, and the next second, he saw one of the rogues clutching his hand to his chest groaning like a kicked puppy. He couldn¡¯t process what just happened, but there was this burning smell of skin in the room. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Abby and the wailing rogue in turns, while the other rogues weren¡¯t any different. But in the next second, they all saw how Abby created fire out of thin air, which danced as twin mes on both her upturned palms. Yes, Abby burned the rogue¡¯s hand when he tried to grab her arm, after all she had promised to give them hell if they dared to mess with her. ¡°See, I can make good of my promises just fine, an admirable quality for a queen,¡± Abby jibed, her eyes no longer shaking with fear of uncertainty. If anything, the girl oozed confidence and self assurance when she made another rogue fall to his knees just with a flick of her finger. ¡°I learned something really interesting from myst encounter with your friend,¡± Abby smiled at Leon, as the second rogue started writhing in pain even though they couldn¡¯t see any fire on him. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just burning him from within.¡± Yes, she figured out how to alight one from within, even though it wasn¡¯t as detrimental as the spell Calpin cast on her or Micah. 4/5 Calpin seemed to have used forbidden dark spells to torture them that day, but Abby just tried to experiment and see if she could make her fire flow through his veins. +5 Even though it was just a thought and wasn¡¯t really deadly, since she couldn¡¯t really set his body on fire and only able to heat up his organs a little, it was enough to bring the rogue to his knees and instill fear in the rest. And when Leon finally connected the dots, his eyes widened in horror. She was supposed to be a half witch with pitiful magic powers, how could she control her fire so well? He saw this disdainful smirk on the corner of her lips, as if she was saying; ¡®you won¡¯t know how to stop until someone makes you.¡± This side of her was something Leon didn¡¯t expect at all, and it was really terrifying. Without him knowing, he started backing away from the room, but it was already toote. After much persuasion from n and Dex, who collectively promise to figure out a way to find Abby, Micah dragged his feet back to the pce, only to find one of the towers inside the fortress engulfed in mes. Chapter 115 Abby felt really good when she went through her warning and showed these few rogues she wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with as they pleased. The look of dread that crossed the remaining two rogues coupled with the way Leon terrified involuntary submission to her rebellion against his power disy made her feel more alive than ever. ¡°Where do you think you are going, former royal beta Leon, didn¡¯t you want to show me a good time? But now that I¡¯m having fun, you aren¡¯t even happy for me!¡± Abby clicked her tongue, her every word a sharp jab that poked more fear into Leon¡¯s heart, who realized he just stumbled back out of fear toward this scaredy cat that couldn¡¯t even look people in the eyes during her own ceremony. When he said he would hand her over to the rogues, she was indeed terrified that she would lose her life tonight. But it didn¡¯t take her long to realize she was strong too, when she relieved all her memories with Micah. She fought with Calpin for god¡¯s sake, just to save her mate, and she came out as a victor of that battle, so why was she letting fear and unnecessary insecurities control her so greatly until she was sweating just at the mention of a few rogues by that hateful former royal beta? After fighting that dark magic user, who created these puppets, why did she need to doubt herself whether she could deal a bunch of rogues or not, when she dragged countless of them through the mud back in the ck w pack? She was giving way too much space for bad memories in her thoughts and now someone even thought he could scare her by using those pests. This did not really leave a pleasant taste in her mouth and Abby decided it was time for her to fight against her own demons. She was determined to make a statement that she wouldn¡¯t let her trauma control her any longer and they were just the right people to get her message across urately. ¡®And she would definitely have fun doing it! Abby casually yed with the fire balls on her palms as she pinned the men with this menacing gaze, as she took a step past the two rogues she had already dealt with. ¡°I thought long and hard while you went away to bring these pests for me to y with, and decided I couldn¡¯t not return your courtesy,¡± Abby said, looking really thoughtful as she burned the first rogue that tried to grab her earlier, sensing him lunge to his feet behind her. 1/3 This time though, the rogue¡¯s whole body was on fire and Abby looked like the goddess of death with mes zing behind her, which left the other two remaining rogues shuddering at the sight. ¡°Sneaking an attack¡­ tch tch.¡± Abby shook her head, as she really despised such a cowardly act. Leon paled as if he just saw a ghost, as his heart shook with the charring smell of flesh that left his stomach in knots. ¡°Get her you idiots, what are you doing standing frozen like wooden dolls?¡± Well, he wasn¡¯t wrong about thest part though, they were indeed wooden dolls aka puppets in that bastard dark magic user¡¯s hands. +5 The men exchanged a look, it wasn¡¯t clear what they thought, but in the next second, they growled viciously, as if they didn¡¯t just see their fellow rogues fall to their death right in front of them, and immediately shifted into their beasts, making this small room feel even more cramped. But before they could throw their paws at her, Abby actually seemed to get bored of this game as she set this entire floor on fire, swiftly burning the remaining rogues in her fire as well. She should have done this earlier, because once Micah saw her fire, escaping the fate Leon wanted for her would only be a matter of a few minutes and she would have returned to her mate¡¯s side within no time: Only she wanted Leon to fall into her trap, feeling that getting rid of him was much more important than herself escaping first. It was clear he was working with Calpin and that reason alone was enough for her to want him dead This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. However, among the cries of agony that reached her ears, she couldn¡¯t find any that belonged to the former royal beta. Did he just fall to his death or had he escaped? She couldn¡¯t tell, but she could hear the entire pce break into an uproar as they gathered around this building which caught fire out of nowhere. At least, Micah would be able to notice the anomaly in the fire and realize it was her, and she wasn¡¯t wrong, because the moment Micah reached the pce gates, he could see how fire was bursting from a building near his king¡¯s tower and immediately dashed there. ¡°Abby¡­¡± Her name escaped his lips both in relief and fear. He was sure this fire belonged to his mate, because he saw it explode out of her when she fought with Calpin and had her power backshed so badly. It was still vivid in his eyes, because it became the source of his nightmares for the next fifteen days when he med himself that Abby slipped into aa. +5 Every step closer to the tower made his heart thud harder as he couldn¡¯t help but dread what led her to burn the whole building. The moment he reached the burning tower, he could see several pce maids and servants doing everything they could to extinguish the fire, but the opposite happened as the mes soared even higher with each attempt. ¡°My King! Don¡¯t go in, it is dangerous!¡± People shouted after Micah when he didn¡¯t hesitate to rush into the building, the very building from where several of them ran out with their lives in their hands when the fire¡® broke out. Chapter 116 ¡°Abby¡­¡± n and Dax exchanged a look when they saw the recognition that dawned on the king¡¯s face with just a single nce at the building that was on fire in the pce, and both of them saw a look of incredulity crossing the other person¡¯s face when Micah made a beeline for the said building without a hint of hesitation. ¡°My King!¡± They immediately ran after him, and somehow managed to catch up to him just as he stopped behind the throng of people that gathered around the burning tower to put out the fire before it spread to the buildings nearby. However, their hearts almost skidded to a screeching halt when they saw the king actually made the servants make way for him so that he could run up the building.. Right now, the fire had already spread to almost all the floors of this tower, leaving only the lower most storey, but it wouldn¡¯t be too long before the entire tower got engulfed by mes. ¡°King Micah, I don¡¯t think Queen Abby is in there, so please don¡¯t rush in without confirming it first.¡± n rushed to Micah¡¯s side with Dax in his tow, who nodded his head in agreement. However, the king couldn¡¯t give a shit about his own safety right now, but then¡­ ¡°Confirm what? Whether she is being burned alive in there or not?!¡± The fury that exploded out of his being at the thought of it alone was intense enough to make n feel ufortable, because Micah unconsciously suppressed his beast for suggesting something like that. But it disappeared in the next second as they all saw Micah break into a run, ignoring all the worried warnings from his people. ¡°My King, don¡¯t go in, it is dangerous!¡± No matter how hard they screamed for the king to stop, all their worries fell on deaf ears, as they saw the man disappear into the building with dropped jaws. ¡°Damn it! Why didn¡¯t you stop him?!¡± n pinned Dax with a re, but the royal gamma held his palms up, saying there was nothing he could do when even n couldn¡¯t achieve that feat. ¡°Quick, follow the King and make sure he is safe!¡± n barked at the warriors behind him, as he led them into the burning building, ignoring his difort. Micah could be cruel to anyone if he wanted to. He couldn¡¯t me him, though. They all witnessed how crazily Micah searched for Abby through the entire capital city, Even though they didn¡¯t understand why he thought Abby would definitely be up there, they couldn¡¯t just sit around and watch the man hurt himself. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The only problem was, they couldn¡¯t see Micah in the untouched ground floor at all, because their king was currently running up three stairs at a time while trying to catch whiff of Abby¡¯s scent amidst this suffocating smoke. ¡°Abby, little one!!!¡± He screamed repeatedly as he quickly browsed through every room while kicking down every door that came in his way. He didn¡¯t stop even when fire caught his clothes, and burned his skin here and there, as he believed his mate was definitely in here somewhere. 1/2 +5 He just had to endure this little pain, even though it barely got registered in his mind, as his healing ability shifted gears to amodate him in his search. This building was high, but not high enough. There were about seven floors and when he reached the fourth floor, Micah realized the mes around the sixth floor were much stronger and without wasting another second, he flew up the two storeys and finally he could sense her nearby. Amidst the burning smell of flesh, there was this sweet smell that could make his nerves sing in pleasure with just a faint fraction. It came from his right side and he made a dash for it. Before fifteen seconds could pass, he reached an opened door, where he could see two bodies of beasts on fire. From the smell, he could tell that they belonged to rogues. How did they get here? It was gruesome to say the least because he could see flesh rapidly melting off their bones, but her scent got more intense. Micah didn¡¯t know what dominated his heart now. Fear or relief. But he still hardened his heart and blindly dashed into the room, jumping over the threshold where the bodies were. ¡°Micah?!¡± The king felt he was hallucinating for a moment when he saw her beautiful face amidst the fire. She sat on a bed which didn¡¯t catch fire for some odd reason, and looked at him with widened eyes. On the other hand, Abby was shocked to her core, because even though she expected him to recognize her fire ande to her rescue, she still couldn¡¯t believe he would make it here this quickly. But she came out of her stupor when she saw his clothes catching fire from the corner of her eyes and immediately put out the fire in this room. The rogues were long dead, so she didn¡¯t need to let her fire flow and waste her energy. The moment the fire disappeared, Abby found herself being engulfed in a breath knocking embrace as the king crushed her to his torso. ¡°Ouch!¡± Abby squeaked and Micah immediately let her go, thinking he aggravated any wounds on her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± The girl chuckled when Micah frantically searched for the wounds he supposedly reopened with his bear hug and jumped into his arms, catching him off guard this time. ¡°I¡¯ll hurt you,¡± Micah protested, but there was no strength in him enough to push her away, as he greedily filled his nose with her scent. His mate could feel his arms hanging in the air behind her and pressed herself closer to him. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, Micah! You just checked,¡± Abby reassured him as she kissed his chest and felt Micah slowly rx, tension finally leaving his body and then he wrapped his arms around her waist again, more gently this time, Chapter 117 Abby¡¯s aim to alight this entire floor had been quite simple. She wanted to trap Leon with fire, and then wait for people to notice it and notify the king. The n before her was simple, if she just went with it, she wouldn¡¯t be a burden to Micah again. Leon promised her death, but he didn¡¯t kill her right away even though he had ample time to go for her life after kidnapping her. Instead, he wanted to hand her over to those rogues, which meant there was more to this entire situation. If she let them take her away just like this, she might be a pawn in Calpin¡¯s game and she wouldn¡¯t let that happen. So she didn¡¯t hesitate to burn the rogues when they tried to get her. Once Micah found out there had been a fire in a tower inside the pce gates, and came to take a look, he would be able to guess that it was her fire and she would achieve her goal. For this reason as well, she let the fire wreak havoc in this building, though she didn¡¯t let it go out of her control and spread to other buildings. After that, she kept watch of the rogues¡® bodies that were burning right now. She needed them as evidence to pin Leon with treason. However, she didn¡¯t take into ount that Micah had no means to contact her. She was not a shifter, so they couldn¡¯t use the mind link even though they were mated. She didn¡¯t expect Micah to rush up here to find her, which had in turn made many warriors suffer. ¡°Royal Beta n, it was too hot in here,¡± one of the warriors said just as they reached the third storey after much struggle. The fire was so intense that they could see various furniture melting around them from the high heat and they couldn¡¯t help but be amazed how the king didn¡¯t bother to stop even for a second when he ran up floor after floor in search of his mate. L Of course, he wanted to find her as soon as possible and now she was finally in his arms after almost twenty hours since he realized he hurt her for stupid reasons. Only he knew how much he regretted falling into his old ways of doing everything by himself. The look of hurt that twisted her face when she used him of untrusting herself would forever haunt him. If he could, he would turn time back just to avoid giving her that impression. However, he knew it was something beyond impossible, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t repent. He was man enough to own his mistakes, so that was what he did. ¡°Please forgive me, little one,¡± Micah said, pulling slightly away from her, so that he could take her face into his palms and let her see how remorseful he was for hurting her, even though it hadn¡¯t been his intention at all to make her feel useless. When she pointed out how he could at least seekfort from her when she might not be able to help him bying up with deadly strategies or grand revenge ns, Micah realized how his actions might have led her to thinking that he was leaning toward other¡¯s opinion about her. ¡°I never thought of you any less than my equal. I mean it, I just wanted to keep you safe, at any cost,¡± he divulged, pouring all his sincerity into his words and could feel her own eyes moisten when she saw how red his eyes were. ¡°Micah¡­¡± Abby wanted to say that she just overreacted and acted childishly but her mate cut her off first. ¡°No, little one, let me finish.¡± Micah pressed his lips to her forehead, while Abby held his hands that cupped her cheeks. ¡°I 1/4 +5 shouldn¡¯t have neglected your feelings the way I did. I was inconsiderate of your suffering for no reason.¡± He still couldn¡¯t understand how it never crossed his mind that he had actually asked her to work hard for something he was going to ruin with bare hands. And how he missed her struggles as she suffered silently because he was too busy in the name of protecting her. But after giving it a short rational thought, he realized the severity of his mistake. He had a chance to spare her the grievances, but he acted like he was possessed and didn¡¯t bother to think about anything else but how to execute his own n sessfully. ¡°No, Micah. It¡¯s alright. In fact, I feel I have to apologize to you for behaving so childishly,¡± Abby confessed, letting her tears fall freely. ¡°I should have been more understanding.¡± Micah felt even more bad for his sweet mate. ¡°You have every right to react the way you did.¡± He then asked for her forgiveness again. ¡°I wanted to apologize to you first thing this morning. I should have never left your side.¡± He couldn¡¯t put into words how much he regretted refusing her request to sleep alone. He should have stayed somewhere near their bedroom, instead of wasting time in his study pacing around the room all night. He could have prevented this from happening, but he thought too highly of his pce¡¯s protection even after he was sure there was a spy in the royal council. He slipped up and his enemy didn¡¯t hedge to utilize the turn of events to his favor. Abby could hear the rage in his voice and she immediately confessed how she ran to his study when it was still dark. ¡°But someone nabbed me when I was just a few feet away¡­ and it was Leon.¡± ¡°The former royal beta?¡± Micah asked her, his voice taking a hard edge. ¡°But why would you leave your room in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°I thought you would abandon me for creating a scenest night, so I rushed to apologize to you. I didn¡¯t want to get kicked out of the kingdom. The way her voice trembled with every word she said let him know how strongly she believed her fears woulde true. Her breath came out short as she tried to swallow her silent sobs, but it was a futile attempt, because her flowing tears gave away how terrified she had been just at the notion. ¡°Little one, no matter what you did, there would nevere a day I would do such a thing.¡± Micah hugged her as he pressed her face against his chest until the girl could calm down, he didn¡¯t try to wipe her tears though. He let her cry her grievances out all she wanted and this time, he didn¡¯t ignore them any more. But before she couldpletely calm down, she remembered something. ¡°Did you see Leon?¡± ¡°He was here?¡± Micah asked and then expressed how he didn¡¯t see anyone on his way here. Abby frowned a little, how did he manage it? ¡°What actually happened, little one?¡± Micah then heard her exin how Leon used her of stealing his daughter¡¯s ce and how he would make her suffer for it. Hearing it, the king immediately swore that everything was just him being delusional. ¡°I never thought of taking a chosen mate.¡± Abby knew how he waited for her, his destined mate, to appear. Alyssa and Reyna told her so many stories how he never let anyone have a say in that matter. So instead of dwelling on it, she continued to reiterate what happened after pressing her lips to his. She exined how he had colluded with the rogues to get rid of her, and how she believed he might be the traitor in the royal council. If her 2/4 deduction was correct, Leon had been the one whomitted treason by leaking confidential information about Micah¡¯s whereabouts to Calpin as well. and then, he said he was going to hand me over to these rogues, and that I will never return here again¡­¡± Abby¡¯s voice broke at the end of her sentence. Her hands clutched his shirt tighter, she really thought she would fall prey to his scheme at that moment. ¡°Bastard!¡± Micah cursed, his voice sounding more like a growl. ¡°I¡¯ll make him pay for every little thing he did to you.¡± But before Abby could say anything else, she saw Micah¡¯s eyes going unfocused and realized someone was talking to him through mindlink. How convenient! She was a little envious, because if she had the privilege to mindlink Micah, she would have alerted him the moment Leon attacked her. ¡°It¡¯s n, he is worried¡­¡± Micah told her. Even though she tried to look nonchnt, as if he was having a confidential conversation, he knew she would be curious. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to hide anything from her, no matter how small or trivial the issue was, not anymore. So he exined how the royal beta wasining that they couldn¡¯t run up past the fourth floor as it was too hot for them. Even getting to the fourth storey had drained half of their lives and if this continued, even their exceptional healing ability wouldn¡¯t be able to fight their inevitable death. +5 ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back,¡± Abby urged him, because she knew her fire could be detrimental. She didn¡¯t want to kill so many warriors that this kingdom painstakingly trained just for no reason. ¡°I¡¯ve already told them to head back, we can take our time,¡± Micah said, looking tooid back, as if he couldn¡¯t really feel like he was in a hot pan right now. After all, the entire building was on fire, there was no way the heat wasn¡¯t making him ufortable, unlike Abby, on whom this fire had no effect at all. She was immune to her fire. Which was a good thing ording to Micah. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. But he wasn¡¯t immune to it, he was just not letting it show. So when they came down the building, Abby protected him from the fire. She didn¡¯t let a single thread of his robe go out of ce and Micah enjoyed her treatment. Outside, the people were still trying to bring down the fire as they continued to fetch buckets after buckets of water; when it didn¡¯t work, they even opted to throw sand into the fire. However, everyone stopped what they were doing as their jaws dropped when they saw the king and queen ¡®escaping¡® the fire unscathed. They looked at the warriors, elite and normal alike, who were sporting minor to moderate burn wounds and now healing slowly on the side, and then at their queen in King Micah¡¯s arms, walking down without a single hair on her head out of ce. How could this be possible? They started whispering to each other about the strangeness of this situation. Only the royal beta looked calm about the whole scenario, but he too was rattled when Micah opened his mouth a momentter. ¡°Capture Leon for hemitted treason.¡± His every word was crisp and clear, because he didn¡¯t want to give any chance for confusion or doubt. Pin drop silence descended when this order left Micah¡¯s lips, before a few warriors, who had almost healed, scrambled to their feet as they rushed to carry-out the king¡¯s order. 3/4 [Is it really Leon?] n mindlinked Micah, because treason was a very serious crime, but Micah didn¡¯t have the time or patience to exin things to him. ¡°Why don¡¯t I send you back first?¡± Micah turned to Abby, because he could tell she was too low on energy. +5 Not to mention she had over used her power to set this building on fire. He looked behind him and the fire was still going st at full st. But then, Abby waved her hand a little, in front of the still dazed people, and immediately the fire disappeared, leaving only this acrid smell in the air. A collective gasp until no trace of it was left. But this also made them frown.. left the people around them, as they watched in fascination how the fire receded slowly but s Chapter 118 There was a big announcement just two days after the ruined ceremony in the pce. Guards started beating the huge gongs early in the morning, even before the sun could hit the horizon, and the sound echoed for exactly seven times throughout the entire capital city. It indicated there would be an execution in seven days¡® time. Punishing a person in such a high profile manner would only happen when the crime theymitted was far too iprehensible, so the people couldn¡¯t help but wonder what actually had that person done to deserve it. However, they didn¡¯t need to beat themselves up about the details of the culprit or his crime for too long, because the royal warriors and guards did a good job updating every single person in the city. Even before the sun could reach high above their heads, no matter if it was a high ranking shifter or the common man, the only news on their lips was how someone from the royal councilmitted treason. There wouldn¡¯t even be any investigation for such a crime and usually the culprit would be executed publicly at the gallows in a week after they were found to be a traitor, tied to an execution pole on a high tform, where they could be seen by everyone clearly. Naturally, there was an uproar among the people both because it had been quite some time since they saw someone getting punished in the gallows and also, it was soon revealed that the attack by the rogues on the pce during the coronation of their new queen was actually instigated by this person. ¡°They say he did such a thing because King Micah didn¡¯t reject his own mate and take his daughter, Ruby, as hi chosen mate.¡± ¡°Someone said he sneaked in a few rogues to abduct the new queen because he failed the first time¡­¡± ¡°Fortunately, there was a fire, which caused them to fail again and get caught.¡± Along with this, a few other versions of the turn of events circted among themon people as they couldn¡¯t help but feel that the traitor should be punished harshly, which yed out in Micah¡¯s favor. After all, half of what people believed to have happened was ¡®unintentionally¡® let out by him. Even though Leon made it easy for the rogues to enter the pce and wreak havoc on the day of the ceremony, 1/3 the attack wasn¡¯t nned by him at all. +5 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Micah was well aware that the actual mastermind was Calpin, but he spun the story this way because it would help what he nned out for the near future and also to get rid of Leon cleanly. No matter what, he had once served this kingdom as the royal beta, next only to Arthur, the then King, in power and of course, had plenty of connections. His circle of influence might help him escape if the crimes pinned against him were too weak. But now, along with trying to harm the queen, Micah also made sure he was held ountable for harming the entire kingdom by trying to kill the king and all the important people of this kingdom. In a nutshell, it looked like he tried to usurp the throne, which would leave him no way out now. Not only him, his entire family was nowbeled as traitors and were waiting for their punishment. ¡°King Micah, killing my entire family wouldn¡¯t end so well for yourself,¡± Leon rasped, looking more than lethargic in the middle of this cold dungeon cell. In the dead of the night, the former beta was captured when he was trying to flee his pursuers. He was then locked up in the dungeon, not too far from the rogues that were being tortured now. They fed him the rottingbane leaves to prevent himself from shifting into his beast. Even though he was an elder they respected untilst night, the elite warriors only answered to Micah and Leon couldn¡¯t escape the special treatment one would get when they were brought to the dungeons. In fact, the former royal beta was beaten to an inch of his life several times, under the king¡¯s special orders, until the man looked like he aged more than ten years overnight, his usual vigor as a high ranking shifter in the pce nowhere to be seen. Micah came to interrogate him as part of his today¡¯s schedule, however, no matter how much they tortured him, Leon didn¡¯t budge at all. ¡°I know nothing¡­ I have never met him.¡± It was his only response whenever they asked him what he knew about Calpin. However, he did say that he knew there would be an attack on the pce. ¡°I was in contact with a few rogues who told me how they would storm the pce. So I nned to take advantage of the chaos and abduct the queen.¡± ¡°Why did you try to take her away?¡± Micah asked, his face nk but the way his eyes shed with malice gave away how angry he was. 2/3 ¡°I don¡¯t know why they want her, those rogues were sent to me and I¡¯m supposed to hand over your mate to them,¡± Leon said, sounding more than convincing. But Micah knew it was not that simple. Calpin simply ordered for a woman he wanted dead to be kidnapped and sent to him? No way. Just like Abby suspected and exined to him, this whole situation had more to it. They knew what Calpin wanted better. This matter was anything but simple. ¡°Leon, are you positive that you aren¡¯t holding any more useful information?¡± Micah asked him one final time, but when the man only stared at him while saying nothing, the king walked away from his cell. It wasn¡¯t clear what he was thinking, but the guard around Leon¡¯s c¨¨ll loosened a little, giving him a little room to breathe in the following days. ¡°He says he doesn¡¯t know why the rogues had to take you away.¡± Micah said to Abby after returning to their roomte at night, but his voice had this hard edge, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Abby. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Micah couldn¡¯t help but feel his blood boil with rage every time the thought of what would have happened to Abby, if she hadn¡¯t been able to talk herself out of her trauma the way she did to capture Leon just so she could help her mate catch a damned traitor, crossed his mind. He tried to cool off before going back to their bedroom where his little one would be waiting for him. After much persuasion, she agreed to have her dinner alone because he had to take care of a few things after talking to Leon. But he still couldn¡¯t keep his cool when he reiterated his conversation with that bastard traitor, as Abby listened to him calmly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay now that we smoked out the rat, so don¡¯t let your anger influence your judgment,¡± Abby said, once Micah finished his monologue where he exined how Leon insisted he didn¡¯t know anything about Capin or what he intended to do with her in his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t stay calm when they try to target you,¡± Micah confessed, as he hugged her tightly. He was protective of her and would do anything to ensure her safety. Abby hugged her unhappy mate¡¯s hands as she rested her head on his left shoulder, where they were sitting on the sofa right now. As soon as Micah came back, he pulled her to settle on the couch, where he made her sit on hisp, her back to his front. The girl tilted her head a little to the side to look her mate in the eyes as she asked, ¡°So, Leon turned out to be a dead end?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say that.¡± Micah could see his mark on her neck from this position, even though his eyes were constantly pulled to her lovely face, as she had her guardpletely down around him. She was rxed because she felt the safest in his arms. Moreover, she felt a little happy because her mate was caring enough to respect her reasonable wishes as he tried to keep her updated with his ns and thoughts as much as possible, just like right now. She didn¡¯t even ask him about the progress with Leon¡¯s situation, but Micah took the initiative to let her know what he found while interrogating him. But the only problem was, Leon wasn¡¯t letting up anything. That sneaky bastard! She moved around a bit on hisp to find afortable position to continue staring at her mate, as her neck felt a little stiff to look up at him from this angle, but identally woke his little brother up and heard a groan rumble deep in his chest. ¡°Uh oh!¡± Abby immediately jumped to her feet, forgetting that she was still sitting in hisp with his arms around her stomach. As a result, she fell right back and this time, she felt like crying because it seemed she did it on purpose. ¡°Um¡­ sorry,¡± Abby apologized shyly, feeling embarrassed out of her mind. Her cheeks turned red immediately when Micah stared at her with heated eyes. ¡°Um, I think we should go to bed.¡± ¡°To the bed?¡± Micah breathed out the words while looking at her and the bed in turns, and only then Abby realized her choice of words was total nuts. She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head, as if chiding herself. She immediately wanted to say she meant they go to sleep but Micah suddenly lurched to his feet, making her hold onto him for dear life as she thought she would definitely fall. The girl didn''t know what happened, but the fall she imagined never came, instead she felt herself floating in the air. When she opened her eyes, Micah was carrying her to the bed. She was still processing how her mate achieved this feat, when Micahid her on the bed. ¡°Now what?¡± Hearing Micah¡¯s question, Abby was dumbfounded. ¡°Wh- what what?¡± She stuttered with her eyes widened. Micah gave her a look, as if saying she was the one who wanted to ¡®go to bed¡¯. Abby really felt like crying, because she couldn¡¯t tell if Micah was serious or just teasing her right now. His face gave away nothing. ¡°A good night kiss?¡± She tried her luck, giving him her best innocent eyes. If he didn¡¯t mean ¡®that¡¯, and she took the initiative only to get corrected, it would be too embarrassing, no? ¡°Where?¡± Micah asked, stillposed. Did he mean where she wanted a kiss? ¡°Here?¡± Abby said, pointing to her forehead, because that was how he always wished her goodnight. Micah pressed her lips to her forehead in the next second, however, his wish didn''te, instead she felt him drag his lips down to her right eye, forcing her to keep her eyes closed. He spent a good five seconds on each eye, with only his lips touching her skin, and suddenly, Abby felt this unsatisfied feeling low in her stomach. The anticipation made her heart beat go rocketing high, when she was teased without her knowing it. Slowly but surely, Micah finally kissed her on the lips, but not before pecking her nose and cute yet small chin. Somewhere in between, he got onto the bed, and now he was hovering above her, as he kissed her deeper and harder. But when he trailed down further and kissed his mark on her neck, while touching her breasts, she came undone, prompting Micah to chuckle. Abby was still panting hard from her release, but she didn¡¯t feel spent when Micah swiftly removed her dress to finally reveal his evileback for ¡®provoking him¡¯ earlier. However, Micah didn¡¯t give her a chance to protest about it as he apologized to her with his body over and over until she begged to be spared. *************************** Abby woke up with a bright smile on her face even though she couldn¡¯t see Micah by her side when she came to herself the next morning. ¡°The King asked us not to disturb you,¡± Alyssa informed her, after bowing to her while Reyna nodded her head. They didn¡¯t find it odd because Micah had been doing the same for the past few days, saying Abby needed rest after what she went through. On the other hand, Abby couldn''t help but grimace inwardly when she thought the reason for her tiredness this time was Micah himself. ¡°Do you need anything else for breakfast, My Queen?¡± Reyna asked, pulling Abby out of her thoughts as she handed her a spoon. Abby didn''t feel like moving around too much, so she just asked them to bring over whatever they had in the kitchen so that she could eat it peacefully on the bed. Even so, Reyna overdid it and brought too many things, now she was asking if she wanted anything more. ¡°Do I look that thin?¡± Abby asked them, but shut her trap and drank her soup when they just stared at her. Okay, she was malnourished, she would ept it. Ten years of abuse could do that to you. But she had to admit that she started to gain a little weight under Alyssa''s strict diet supervision aftering to the capital. ¡°What is it?¡± The girl asked when Reyna kept staring at her, as if she had something to say to her. ¡°This¡­ My Queen¡­¡± Reyna stuttered at first, but it was Alyssa who talked to Abby. ¡°It was like this, My Queen. The news about you putting out the fire spread like wildfire in the capital and everyone is talking about it.¡± Abby then listened on as her maids filled her in on the rumors about her being a witch that were now causing a little stir in the capital. But she didn''t say anything about it, because she did use her power in front of so many people on that day. After all, it wasn''t something that she could hide. Sooner orter, it would be public knowledge that the queen of this kingdom was actually a half witch. ¡°Maybe I shouldy low for a couple of days,¡± Abby mumbled to herself as she dug into her breakfast. However, the heavens just couldn''t let her enjoy peace for even a few days, because trouble came knocking on her door before a couple of days could pass. Abby just had her first meal of the day and felt like going back to sleep, in hopes to replenish her energy that Micah drainedst night yet again, when she heard thismotion outside her door. ¡°What now?!¡± She mumbled, feeling a little irritated. ¡°Miss Ruby''s friends are here to see you,¡± Alyssa said, being notified through the mind-link by one of the guards outside. ¡°Ruby''s friends?¡± Abby mused out loud. Were they here because they wanted to plead on behalf of Ruby, who was soon going to be executed on the grounds of supporting her father behind the scenes along with her mother? But she couldn''t do anything about this matter, because Micah had the final say in it, after all they were talking about treason, not some itty bitty squabble between women. Moreover, it had been almost two months since she heard anything about these three women, because they had been banned from entering the pce. It caused quite a stir back then, but now they were here? Who let them in? But before she could think hard about it, one of them started banging on the door, leaving her speechless. Thesedies were so self entitled. They didn''t even acknowledge they were in the king''s pce, causing nuisance in front of their queen. If this wasn''t being disrespectful to the crown, Abby didn''t know what¡­ But if she didn''t give them time, it would look like she wasn''t giving their families any face. So she could only spare them a few minutes of her time. ¡°Let them in.¡± At most, she would just have to listen to themin for a while before presenting them with the harsh truth that she couldn''t do anything to help. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Le, Tia and Giselle were standing a few feet from her, staring at her in silence, as she sat at the table near the window and behind the sofa, having her morning tea. Abby gave them a pointed look when they looked at each other as if deciding who should talk first. Atst, it was Tia who opened her mouth. ¡°Can you let Ruby go?¡± There was no bowing or wishing their queen well, just outright using her. Abby was a little dumbfounded at her choice of words when Le took over. ¡°She meant, if you can talk to the King about her punishment.¡± The woman even pulled her friend¡¯s hand as they took a united front while exining how Ruby didn''t do anyone any harm in turns. Giselle nodded her head as she joined the fray. ¡°We are not saying that Sir Leon didn''tmit a crime. But Ruby is innocent, moreover she is just a woman.¡± Abby heard them go on about how Ruby never even harmed an ant and almost burst outughing. Yeah, yeah, she only harms the people in her way. Abby couldn''t believe the audacity of these three women. They didn''t bother to show her respect when she was their queen, but called that bastard of a traitor ¡®sir¡¯. Just for that matter, she should throw them out of her room. But she still showed some patience. ¡°You should know that this matter is out of my capability.¡± ¡°How could you say that, you are the Queen, be the bigger person and talk to the King.¡± Tia was actually ordering her, the supposed queen, now, and Abby finally lost it. But she didn''t make a big fuss like these well mannered and educateddies from the capital. ¡°So, you still know I''m your queen? From the way you talk, they would think I''m the personal maid of your lot.¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 ¡°So, you still know I''m your queen? From the way you talk, they would think I''m the personal maid of your lot.¡± Abby tried to be a bigger person and didn¡¯t throw them out of the pce directly even when she had several reasons to do so. For instance, they defied Micah¡¯s ban, talked to her rudely and even tried to speak for an alleged culprit. And all these were done just in one day, if she had to count the first time they met, the list would go on. She overlooked everything because she thought they were scared for their friend¡¯s life, but that didn¡¯t mean she would let them order her around. Even if they had everything brought to their feet with just a single order all their lives, they should know that one shouldn¡¯t take a mile when they were given an inch. And Le could see that Abby wasn¡¯t a pushover in any sense, so she immediately tried to smooth out the situation. ¡°Queen Abby, she was just worried about Ruby, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± On the surface, it looked like she was talking politely, but if heard closely, you would be able to sense the hint of unwillingness in her voice when she called her Queen. These three were really reluctant to ept her, but came to ask for a favor. Abby really felt they were pitiful, toe and beg someone they looked down on so much should have been quite depressing. But then, could she still call it begging when she didn¡¯t hear the word ¡®please¡¯ even once? She never saw someone so arrogant in her life. She didn¡¯t think she could be so patient if she had to watch them ¡®struggle¡¯ any longer. ¡°If you really want to save her, you should go to Micah, not me.¡± On the other hand, the three women trembled just at the idea of seeking Micah. They knew it was next to impossible, that was why they were here, ignoring the difort in their hearts and ¡®pleading¡¯ this half witch. ¡°You are just jealous of her, and can¡¯t wait to get rid of her, right?¡± Tia burst out, leaving everyone speechless there. ¡°I¡¯m jealous of her?¡± Abby was genuinely puzzled by this girl. Is she delusional? ¡°What do Ick whenpared to her?¡± ¡°Queen Abby, she spoke without thinking¡­¡± Le tried to be a middleman again when she saw Abby turning red from anger, however, the girl cut her off immediately. ¡°Did I ask her to keep her father¡¯s evil intentions to harm me, my mate and this kingdom, a secret? She did it of her own ord and now she is going to reap what she sow. I didn¡¯t have a hand in what¡¯s going to happen to her, but if you don¡¯t correct your ways, I¡¯m more than happy to put you in your ce personally.¡± Abby¡¯s eyes were filled with obvious warning, making a chill run down their spines. Moreover, the women could tell she wasn¡¯t joking about her promise sh threat when they recalled the rumors of her being a powerful witch that could control fire at will. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far¡­¡± Giselle tried to act brave, but Abby had enough of this drama. ¡°Have them thrown out of the pce gates and ask for an exnation from their families,¡± she told Alyssa and saw their faces paling immediately. ¡°Even this isn¡¯t going too far in my books. You guys would be better off if you never find out, though.¡± Before they could cause a ruckus or protest at Abby, they were dragged out of her room by the guards, as if Alyssa and Reyna had long called the men for this possible turn of events. Their queen was quite impressed by their efficiency and didn¡¯t even bother to react when the three women kept shouting how heartless she was. They didn¡¯t know what they were talking about. If she wanted to be heartless, she would have burnt their hair and faces before throwing them out. ******************* It was just two more days until the public execution of Leon¡¯s family and the ¡®buzz¡¯ about it was still in full swing around the capital city. Abby was just about to forget the incident with Ruby¡¯s friends, but she didn¡¯t expect someone else toe to her about a simr issue, and it was a person she found it hard saying no to. This evening she felt like taking a walk in the back garden after so many days and she unconsciously ended up walking to the bench that became her safe haven during the two weeks before her ceremony. The air here was filled with the scent of both the flowers as well as the river flowing behind the pce, making her feel especially calm. Micah sent word that he would returnte to their bedroom, so she decided to stay here for a while and sent her maids away. But an hourter, she heard someone approaching her. ¡°Queen Abby, can I talk to you for a moment?¡± Abby was surprised to find Ezgar standing a few feet away from her, with this troubled expression on his face. The usual bright smile on his face was nowhere to be seen, and Abby didn''t know how to react to his request. Because of his contribution to the kingdom during Micah¡¯s reign, Ezgar was the only person that was pardoned by the King. He was clear of any charges while Ruby and her mother would follow Leon to the gallows, because it had been proven that they had nned together to revolt. She could tell what he was going to talk about, and hesitated for a moment what she should do, when the man opened his mouth again. ¡°Just a couple of minutes and I''ll be gone before you know it.¡± The desperation in his voice finally made Abby nod her head, but what left his lips next left her bbergasted. ¡°Please persuade King Micah to spare my family.¡± Ezgar hurried to exin when he saw how the girl widened her eyes in shock. ¡°I''m not asking you to make him revoke their punishment, just changing it to anything other than the death sentence will do¡­ ¡°Like banishment, he can exile them and ban them never to return, just ask him to spare their lives.¡± Ezgar had tears in his eyes when he pleaded with her earnestly and Abby felt a hard time refusing to help him. ¡°Chief Ezgar, you should know that there is nothing in my hands, no one can persuade the King once he sets his mind on something.¡± Abby could immediately see the hope dying in his eyes, and felt bad for him. She knew what it would feel like having to lose your whole family in a single day. She too lost her whole family when her mother died while saving her, and the ache was ever present whenever she looked at the burn scar on her neck and back. However, she really couldn''t do anything to help him in this case, because treason was a very serious crime. Moreover, Micah was determined to make an example out of this. So she could only wash her hands off this matter, even though seeing Ezgar so withered like this broke her heart. After all, she started seeing him as an older brother because of all their interactions. ¡°Then how about my sister? She is still young and knows nothing. She just did what father told her without giving it much thought.¡± Ezgar could see Abby was conflicted now. ¡°I know there was bad blood between you guys, but she wasn''t in the right headspace during yourst few encounters¡­ ¡°Please, be a bigger person and understand that whatever she did was just out of love for King Micah and her stupidity¡­ Please be magnanimous, after all, this is a matter of life and death¡­ ¡°You just try to save her life and ask the King to exile her, I''ll send her away immediately. You will never see her again.¡± It wasn''t clear if it was out of desperation but Ezgar¡¯s words sounded like Abby was the one who insisted on punishing Ruby and this made her ufortable. ¡°What do you mean, Ezgar?¡± Abby asked, her difort evident in her voice and Ezgar immediately pped himself, as he apologized for saying something wrong. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Queen Abby. I''m just saying my sister will never have a chance to disturb you again, I''ll make sure of it. Just let her live, that''s all I ask for.¡± The man looked like he would kneel the next moment and Abby couldn''t help but feel like she was being coerced. But then, it was Ezgar before her, a person who always helped her. After thinking for a moment, Abby finally decided to consider this as repaying him for helping her all those times. ¡°I can''t promise you anything, but I''ll try to broach the subject before the King,¡± Abby said, still feeling it was an impossible feat to achieve. Meanwhile, a small smile finally appeared on Ezgar¡¯s face for the first time this evening. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± Abby could only nod at him while the man bade his goodbye before running away from her. ¡°Then I''ll leave you to it and wait for the good news!¡± That feeling again, like she was being manipted, but Abby shook her head to clear any negative things as she started toward her bedroom, thinking about ways to bring up Ruby in front of Micah. ¡°This is going to be tricky¡­¡± ******************** Abby thought long and hard, but she couldn''te up with any good ideas even though she spent her time after dinner tossing and turning in their bed until Micah returned. What if he loses it the moment she brings it up? ¡°Why are you so restless?¡± The King approached his distracted mate, who was visibly startled upon hearing his voice. ¡°When did youe?¡± Abby fidgeted a little as the King sat on the edge of the bed and this made the man raise a brow at her. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°You were thinking about me?¡± Micah found it oddly surprising when Abby answered like that. ¡°Like what? Were you missing me?¡± ¡°Yes, but more than that¡­¡± the girl gave a dramatic pause as she pulled herself against the headboard into a sitting position, but she did it painfully slowly, trying to be as seductive as possible. On a whim, she thought it would be easy to talk to Micah after doing the deed with him, so to execute her n, she was acting all coquettish now. Only she looked cute instead of sexy. However, her n worked out well when Micah automatically moved in sync with her and now, he was hovering above her with dark eyes. It was too rare for her to take the initiative and the man found it hard to control himself when Abby was being this proactive all of a sudden. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. As a final blow, Abby pressed herself against him and kissed him clumsily, and somehow, she seduced him sessfully. ***************** In the wee hours, someone could be seen walking along this dark corridor in the dungeon before he stopped in front of a cell. Sitting in a corner was Leon, who immediately approached the barred door upon realizing who his visitor was. ¡°You are finally here.¡± The man had this excitement in his eyes as he talked animatedly but quietly with his ¡®guest.¡¯ ¡°Father, sorry, I''mte,¡± Ezgar¡¯s voice broke with every word, but his father just brushed it off saying it was fine. Leon and Ezgar then talked for a while, before Ezgar had to leave because he hade in between the shifts of the guards. The next group would usually take over in twenty minutes after the previous group left, so they kept it short and quiet. Before the next group of guards reached their posts, where some of them came over to check the dungeons, Ezgar was already out and on his way back. It wasn''t clear what he talked to Leon, but you could see his eyes shing with malice as he sneaked out of the pce. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Around midnight, when her mate finally decided he should give her a break from all the intense pleasure he showered her with until her toes curled and her breath came out short, Abby finally got a chance to execute her little n. The only problem was; her voice was too hoarse from all the begging while she just felt like falling asleep, because the king had worn her out so much, she could still feel her legs shaking even though it had been more than fifteen minutes since he cleaned her up down there. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t even have enough strength toin that she was too sore, and she only felt a little better when her mate pitied her and wiped her down with a hand towel dipped in warm water, and finally joined her on the bed before pulling her into his arms until she was resting her head against his torso as he yed with her hair. Abby couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, she felt like she was just run over by a carriage, but the man didn¡¯t look like he exerted much energy, even though she had been the receiving one, since the king did all the ¡®hard work.¡¯ But his astounding physical strength wasn¡¯t what caught her off guard the most, but the words that left the king¡¯s lips when he noticed her fidgeting. ¡°Will you tell me what you want to ask me now?¡± Abby immediately lifted her head and looked up at him. ¡°How do you know I have something to ask from you?¡± On the other hand, the king just chuckled at her reaction, where after he tweaked her now reddened nose a little. ¡°Your face gave it away.¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but agree with him, be it the moment he was back or after they did it, she was a ball of nerves, and her face mirrored the exact. Moreover, Micah could tell that his little mate had something on her mind when she tried to seduce him all of a sudden, but he still yed along as it was really hard for him to resist her. The only thing that wasn¡¯t adding up was the reason that had made her resort to such an extreme method. She was usually too shy and slow at such things, so it was quite astounding that she went with such a bold yet effective method. ¡°I do have something to ask you, but I still don¡¯t know how to say it,¡± Abby admitted, knowing fully well there was no backing from it now since it already came to this. ¡°You can say anything you want,¡± Micah said, feeling she did have that freedom with him. ¡°Well, I want to know your thoughts on extending punishment to Leon¡¯s family, after all, Ruby and her mother were just following Leon¡¯s wishes¡­¡± Since there was no better way to put it into words, Abby could only be upfront about this, and she could see her mate frowning immediately ¡°I feel maybe you should spare their lives and punish them with a lighter sentence¡­¡± Abby actually went ahead and asked him to reconsider their punishment when Micah didn¡¯t say anything and just listened to her. On the other hand, Micah really didn¡¯t expect this turn of events, of all the things that should be bothering her, Abby was actually thinking about someone who was not important to her at all. ¡°Why did you remember them all of a sudden?¡± Micah¡¯s question left Abby speechless, because she never once actively seeked him over this matter. She really thought it had nothing to do with her, so she didn¡¯t get involved then, and Micah understood her stance. But if she was talking about them now, and even asking him to reconsider their punishment, someone must have asked for a favor from her¡­ who could it be? ¡°I just thought they were women with no power against Leon¡­¡± Abby didn¡¯t know why she hesitated to rat out Ezgar, since he was the one who had made her ask Micah about this, but she still faltered when the king gave her a look, as if saying he could smell her lies. ¡°Little one, who made you do it?¡± Micah cut to the chase, leaving Abby tongue tied. For some unknown reason, she didn¡¯t want to say Ezgar¡¯s name, but her man had all the patience in the world for her. ¡°Little one, do you think it is good to have any secrets between us?¡± Micah wasn¡¯t angry or surprised, but he wouldn¡¯t leave this matter until she divulged the entire truth, because he didn¡¯t want there to be anything that could lead to any misunderstandings between them. When he put it like that, Abby couldn¡¯t help but recall how she made a scene when Micah didn¡¯t tell her about his ns to use her ceremony as a stage to lure those rogues to the capital, so he could stop them from attacking another pack like they did to the ck w pack. If she did the same thing now, it wouldn¡¯t be fair for him, so the girl finally relented, but Micah didn¡¯t give any reaction then either. ¡°He sought me when I was in the garden, and asked for a favor. I thought what he said made sense, so I wanted to ask you about it, but I didn¡¯t promise him anything¡­ ¡°He also said that he just needs me to bring this matter up in front of you, and ask you to reconsider if Ruby could be spared.¡± ¡°When did he talk to you?¡± Micah only had this one question when Abby was finally done with her exnation. ¡°Earlier this evening, why?¡± Abby found it odd for Micah to focus on that part alone. ¡°Nothing.¡± Micah shook his head as he fell deep in thought, before Abby¡¯s voice pulled him out again. ¡°So, will you spare Ruby?¡± Abby looked at him, she didn¡¯t know what she was expecting his answer to be. But the only answer she got was silence for an entire minute before Micah said she shouldn¡¯t think too much about this. ¡°I have to consider so many things to make a decision, little one.¡± Neither his words, nor his face gave away whether he would go through their punishment, or revoke it. ¡°As for Ezgar, I¡¯ll talk to him,¡± Micah said, pressing her head to his chest again, effectively closing the topic, and Abby could only drop it when Micah looked like he was done talking about it. ¡°Sleep, little one, your head will ache from too much thinking,¡± the king teased her a little as he pressed his lips to her forehead, slowly coaxing her to sleep when she kept staring into space. ***************** The first thing he woke up the next day, Micah sent someone to summon Ezgar to his study, and by the time he left his bedroom, he got news that the man was already waiting for him. ¡°My King,¡± Ezgar bowed to Micah as soon as he saw him, but the king didn¡¯t acknowledge his courtesy as he ignored him until he walked over to the chair behind the table where various reports lay waiting for him to be read. Only then he pinned his subject with this nk look. ¡°Do you know why you are called here?¡± ¡°I think I can take a guess, my king,¡± Ezgar answered Micah, not betraying what he was feeling either. ¡°Then do you think I appreciate the reason for this?¡± Ezgar lowered his head for a moment, as he bowed to the king with an arm crossed over his chest, pressing his fist against his heart with an audible thud. ¡°I apologize for seeking the queen without your knowledge, but I didn¡¯t have a better idea to save my sister and mother. I have only done it out of desperation. Please, show mercy, your highness.¡± Micah recalled what Abby told him, how Ruby and her mother might not be aware of all the things Leon did, because men like him wouldn¡¯t let women get involved in too many things. But he still didn¡¯t say anything when Ezgar continued to plead that only his father was in the wrong and his sister and mother were innocent. ¡°Just because my father operated from my house, both those innocent women were dragged into this, moreover, my sister is still young, she doesn¡¯t know anything. She doesn¡¯t even understand how politics work, so I hope you could spare her,¡± Ezgar pleaded with Micah earnestly when he didn¡¯t say anything for a while. It wasn¡¯t clear what he was thinking as he still had this closed off expression on his face, while Ezgar continued to bow to the king. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll think about it, you can leave now,¡± Micah finally said, and saw how Ezgar thanked himself profusely. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll not disturb you anymore!¡± Ezgar bowed until he bent half of his body, however, before he could stand upright again, he heard Micah speak again. ¡°You shall not disturb the queen again.¡± ¡°Pardon, your highness?¡± Ezgar asked out of instinct, but this time Micah was clear about what he wanted to say to him. ¡°Stay away from the queen, chief.¡± Micah gave him a pointed look, warning the man to steer clear off his mate. ¡°Yes, My King, I¡¯ll not cross the line again,¡± Ezgar promised in an instant, knowing fully well what the king meant. Micah looked the man in the eyes for a moment longer before nodding at him to leave. Ezgar bowed to the king once again, and thanked him before turning around to leave the study. However, the hand he fisted to salute the king earlier only tightened further once he was out of other¡¯s sight as his expression hardened all of a sudden. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 One week passed in a giffy, and finally it was the day of the public execution of the traitor who betrayed his kingdom and harmed his king. People flocked to the gallows to witness the fate of the family of an elder who had also served as the royal beta of the former king. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It had been tens of years since someonemitted a crime as abysmal as treason, but it wasn¡¯t what left the civilians of the capital city surprised but the high rank of the culprit thatmitted this crime. People who were supposed to protect them turned their backs and tried to harm them in the name of power struggle and this made all of them spat at the culprit as the guards dragged him to the execution pole. ¡°But why is he alone? Where is his family?¡± Someone from the crowd couldn¡¯t help but notice this, which soon turned into full blown but whispered conversations among the spectators. Yes, Leon was all alone, and almost half of the man he used to be, probably because of the special treatment he received during his stay in the dungeon, while his family was nowhere to be seen. The guards focused on their job, though and just like that they watched the traitor being whipped by a spiked cane until every drop of his blood was drained from his body, before he was beheaded. They didn¡¯t dy or hesitate to deliver the punishment, even though the man they were torturing in front of the crowd had been still someone revered highly by them all until a few days ago, and this made the people there feel both admiration and fear for the king. Admiration because King Micah didn¡¯t sumb to any invisible pressure and punished the wrong justly, but terror because the punishment for the traitors was so unmerciful it really served as an example for people out there as a reminder why they shouldn¡¯t try to mess with the king. ************************** Word spread in the capital city that Leon¡¯s family rank had been reduced and they were no more than omegas that served in the royal kitchen of the pce. After a little reconsideration, Micah finally agreed to spare the lives of the mother and daughter, but now they fell to the lowest rank among the shifters, in fact, they were even lower than omegas, because they weren¡¯t allowed to go anywhere near the pce gates, let alone serve as servants in the pce. ¡°It would be impossible for them to enter the pce as they pleased now,¡± Alyssa reiterated to Abby as she helped her take a bath this morning. Abby decided against going and watching the public execution so it was only Alyssa who went there, as Reyna stayed behind to keep her masterpany. And now she was listening to her as she washed her hair, while Reyna went away to oversee her brunch preparations. Because of the execution, Abby couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully, as the thoughts of what Micah would decide for Ruby and her mother¡¯s fates kept guing her mind. Micah didn¡¯t give her any indication that he was going to revoke their punishment, and it made her restless a little. Even though she told Ezgar that she couldn¡¯t be of any help in saving Ruby, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for the man. After all, he would have to watch his entire family breathing theirst without being able to stop it and Abby felt it was a little unfair. Such a good person he was, always smiling brightly and cheering everyone up but he had to go through something so devastating like this. Abby wondered how many years it would take for him toe out of it, because she still couldn¡¯t help but long for her father, even though she wasn¡¯t brave enough to admit it to anyone. No matter what, it was her father¡­ From their few interactions, Abby could tell that Ezgar seemed to love his family very much, so when she finally heard that Ruby and their mother were spared, she felt happy for him. However, she didn¡¯t expect there was more to the revokement of their punishment until her other maid returned from the royal kitchen. ¡°My Queen!¡± Reyna rushed into the room as she shouted for her master. Alyssa was brushing Abby¡¯s hair, after she towel dried it for her as their queen sat in front of the mirror in the bedroom. ¡°Easy, Reyna! Why are you in a rush?¡± Alyssa chided her fellow maid, because she was being too casual for a maid serving the queen. ¡°It¡¯s a big matter, they say Chief Ezgar was stripped off of his rank as well,¡± Reyna revealed, but there was no reaction from either Abby or Alyssa. ¡°Yeah, they were now omegas, and I already told Queen Abby about it,¡± Alyssa brushed her off. ¡°No, he has now been reduced to serving as a pce guard,¡± Reyna hurriedly exined, because she couldn¡¯t understand why Ezgar was implicated all of a sudden. He wasn¡¯t even reprimanded when they first discovered who the traitor was, but all of a sudden he was ordered to step down from his position as one of the chiefs of the elite guards and it was definitely going to cause quite a stir. On the other hand, Abby was dumbfounded to learn this turn of events, howe he got implicated all of a sudden? It weighed on her mind all day, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask Micah, what led him to make such a decision the moment they finished dinnerter that night. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it proved that he didn¡¯t have any part in his father¡¯s ns? So why was he punished anyway?¡± Abby was genuinely confused, because she believed Ezgar wouldn¡¯t have done anything to deserve such a harsh penalty. On the other hand, Micah didn¡¯t answer her immediately but stared at her with this unreadable look in his eyes. ¡°What? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Abby asked her mate, as she sat straight in her chair, which was across from his, at the table, where they just had their dinner. ¡°Were you distracted while eating because of this?¡± Micah asked her a momentter. His tone was too steady, Abby didn¡¯t sense anything wrong with it. ¡°I was?¡± Abby asked, because she didn¡¯t know she was being obvious about her concern for a man she saw as an older brother she never had. But then she really couldn¡¯t hide anything from her ever observant mate, even if she tried. ¡°Yes, little one. As for your question, did he really not do anything wrong?¡± Micah asked her back, confusing her even more. ¡°What did he do?¡± She asked, not being aware of the small frown on her forehead, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the king. ¡°He crossed a line and tried to manipte you, by guilt tripping you, his queen.¡± Micah listed out one by one and Abby didn¡¯t know whether she should agree with him or defend Ezgar. Ezgar had been nothing but pitiful when he came to ask for her help, and she also felt there was truth to his argument, but then she did feel ufortable when he phrased his words in a certain way, but since he was worried about his family, she brushed it off as herself overthinking things. But now hearing Micah exin it from his point of view, she felt like he was right. Moreover, the man knew the decisiony in Micah¡¯s hands, so what was the meaning when he came to beg Abby, Micah¡¯s mate, to persuade to change his decision? ¡°He forgot his boundaries and had the audacity to demand something from his queen,¡± Micah said, his tone was still neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°So I punished him to make him realize his ce.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a little harsh?¡± Abby asked in a small voice. ¡°Harsh you say.¡± Micah brought his hands onto the table where he intertwined his fingers. ¡°Let me put it this way, little one. No matter who it is, you don¡¯t deserve any disrespect and what he did was trying to walk all over you¡­ ¡°Even if he had several valid reasons to plead mercy for his family, he should havee to me, but he made an effort to find you alone, and exploit your kindness, because he knows you are softhearted¡­¡± Micah¡¯s tone took a hard edge, going up from his even tone as he exined why Ezgar deserved the punishment. ¡°If you let people walk all over you once, they will do it a second time, then a third time, until they forget who needs whose grace. So never ept any kind of disrespect from anyone, or forget to put them in their ce the first time they crossed a line they shouldn¡¯t.¡± On the other hand, the more Abby listened, the more inclined she felt toward the possibility of Ezgar actually exploiting and manipting her, but then there was this nagging feeling that he did whatever he could to save his family. It was quite conflicting, but her soft heart finally leaned toward how scared he must be at the thought of losing his entire family for one person¡¯s mistake, and felt bad that he had to go through this punishment for fighting for his family. Meanwhile, there was another reason for the king to punish Ezgar so harshly, which he didn¡¯t want to dwell on so much, because the very thought of someone getting too close to his mate until they could manipte her to take their side didn¡¯t sit well with him at all. Ezgar should be d that he didn¡¯t w his face and whip him a hundred times, so that he would think twice before ever trying to approach his mate! Chapter 123 Chapter 123 ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to eat anything, My Queen?¡± Alyssa had this concerned look in her eyes as she asked Abby, who stood up from her chair, ready to set off. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her master rejected, her voice had this subtle tremble to it. ¡°Did you notify the King that I¡¯m good to go?¡± ¡°Yes, My Queen. He would be here any second now.¡± Reyna answered her, and saw how Abby checked herself in the mirror once again. Just as she nodded her head in response to her answer, Abby heard guards bowing to the king, and when she turned around, she could see her mate standing on the threshold of their door. ¡°Ready?¡± Micah asked her and beckoned her closer when she nodded her yes. ¡°Everyone has arrived?¡± Abby asked the man as he led her through the long corridors of this pce, toward the great hall, where the elders were waiting for them. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, it will be over in no time,¡± Micah reassured her as he caressed her cheek once they arrived at the huge doors. ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Abby said, as she squeezed his hand that was holding hers, as if saying Micah¡¯s presence was enough to calm her down. She then took a deep breath before nodding at the king, who then signaled for the guards there to open the doors and announce their presence, before walking her to their throne at the far end of this great hall. It had been around two weeks since the ruined ceremony, and walking along the red carpet behind Micah again brought back all the nervousness she struggled to hide that day. This time as well, she didn¡¯t let her eyes stray around as she looked forward until they reached the throne, where after, they turned around to face the royal council, who were now bowing to them. ¡°I¡¯m taking this opportunity to reintroduce my mate and the queen of this kingdom today,¡± Micah started once he told them to take their seats, after he received their courtesy. ¡°It was unfortunate that we had a traitor that targeted your queen and ruined such an important day for his selfish reasons, but now that we have sorted it out, I expect everyone to wee Queen Abby with open hearts.¡± When Micah told her that he wanted to give her a choice to hold another ceremony, Abby readily refused it. She didn¡¯t think she would be able to handle the stress of such a degree again. Just at the thought of all those sleepless nights were enough to make her feel disgruntled by the very idea of conducting the ceremony, not to mention the preparations she would have to take care of from scratch. ¡°I¡¯m really fine with how things are now.¡± This was Abby¡¯s answer to his question. However, Micah didn¡¯t think so, he was the reason all her hard work went up in smoke, and his mate didn¡¯t get to enjoy the biggest day of her life yet. But Abby just wasn¡¯t ready to forget it, so Micah suggested if she would be okay if he reintroduced her to the royal council, because it was a custom for her to meet them properly. After giving it a little thought, Abby finally agreed with Micah, but she had some conditions. ¡°The gathering shouldn¡¯t be high profile in any way, I don¡¯t want to waste anyone''s time.¡± Micah understood what she meant, since they didn¡¯t have a good opinion of her, and she wasn¡¯t inclined to impress them, this asion didn¡¯t need to be grandiose and get in anyone¡¯s way, lest he attracted more unwanted attention for herself. So here they were, standing in front of them again fifteen days after the ceremony and just days after the execution of Leon, the former royal beta and one of the elders. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Abby, as if they were waiting for her to say something, but Micah had other ns, as he swiftly pulled her toward the door. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡± Again, everyone stood up to bow to the king and queen. Not one voice rose this time, not even a single whisper orint reverberated in this hall this time, as even Arthur kept his thoughts to himself. ¡°It¡¯s really over in no time,¡± Abby whispered behind Micah, as she hurried after him, finally realizing the odd air in the great hall. She really didn¡¯t expect for those annoying old men to keep their cool all throughout this simple ordeal, but then, no one would be able to even look at her in the wrong way after they witnessed what happened to that traitor and their fellow elder, Leon. His involvement with the rouges really worked in her favor. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ******************** ¡°You guys need to go away again?¡± n, the royal beta asked Dax, his expression indiscernible as he looked at the royal gamma with pursed lips. ¡°It seems to be the case, the witch from the Red River pack sent word that she had important leads on Calpin¡¯s whereabouts,¡± Dax said, his lips breaking into a wide grin. They were now walking to the king¡¯s study, to where Micah summoned n, so that he could let him know that he had to oversee the things in the pce and capital while he went away. ¡°Mire?¡± n asked Dax, for which the man simply nodded his head. ¡°We just got the missive, it¡¯s highly likely we¡¯ll leave in the next few days,¡± Dax said as he knocked on the study¡¯s door and entered when Micah allowed them to go in. ¡°Dax filled you in, right?¡± Micah looked in between them. ¡°We will leave in three days.¡± After saying that, he gave him a few instructions and dismissed them. As soon as they were out of the study, Dax patted n''s shoulder. ¡°The king knows what suits you best, so don¡¯t sulk too much.¡± Dax couldn¡¯t mask his gloating tone, when n looked like he wanted toin about having to take care of all the tasks here back in the capital city. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll shut up now.¡± Dax zipped his lips when n narrowed his eyes at him. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 As Micah ordered, n stayed behind to take care of the pce and the royal council, while Dax followed his king and queen to the Red River pack three dayster. It took two days to reach that pack from the capital city, and Alpha Samuel was waiting for them at the borders for their carriage just like thest time to greet Micah and the rest. However, there was no rogue attack this time and once they received them, Micah immediately called for an audience from Mire, the witch. ¡°Alpha Samuel, summon the witch immediately,¡± Micah said, following the alpha into the strategy room of this Red River pack. ¡°On it, My King!¡± The alpha bowed to the king as he opened the door for his king and queen so that they could enter the strategy room. ¡°Little one, do you want to rest some more?¡± Micah asked Abby once they were settled at the table, to wait for the witch. They were on the road for two days straight, but Abby insisted that she would also sit through this meeting. Even though Abby felt a little lethargic from all the journey, she still stood by her word from earlier. ¡°We can rest once we learn the new leads.¡± Abby knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep even if she wanted with the thoughts of what Mire might have found about Calpin¡¯s whereabouts guing her mind. So wasn¡¯t it better to just wait a little more? Micah, obviously, knew what was running through her little mind, so he didn¡¯t try to persuade her again, but he called Alyssa over. ¡°Go to the kitchen and instruct them to prepare a few light dishes.¡± ¡°Yes, My King!¡± Alyssa immediately left to get the work done so that she could go and check what else Abby might need in the guest bedroom the king and queen would stay in while they were here. It didn''t take long for Alpha Samuel and Mire to arrive, but Abby didn¡¯t expect she was in for a shock. ¡°Long live, the King and the Queen!¡± The witch bowed to them solemnly once she stepped into the room along with the alpha. When she stood back up, Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel there was something off with the way Mire looked at her. It was only for a brief second, but Abby felt the witch definitely seemed a bit different today. Micah too noticed it, but asked for the witch and Alpha Samuel to sit down with them first. ¡°Your missive about information on Calpin, what exactly are your leads?¡± ¡°Word reached our ears that ck magic appeared in a pack nearby,¡± Mire started, but from her tone, both Micah and Abby could tell it wasn¡¯t a case of ordinary ck magic. So Abby asked the obvious. ¡°What sets it apart from the other such incidents?¡± ¡°There were two peculiar things about this,¡± Mire started. ¡°One is the ce where it urred and the other is the strangeness of its effect.¡± ¡°borate!¡± Micah ordered, while Abby felt an increasingly bad feeling about this. ¡°It is like this, someone, a warrior in particr, died a few days ago in this certain pack,¡± the witch exined to them slowly. ¡°The cause of the death was quite strange. His skin, every single inch of it, charred until he looked darker than the sky on a new moon¡¯s night, but there was no poison detected in his system.¡± At the visual that came to her mind, Abby gasped audibly because she didn¡¯t want what she was thinking to be the actual reason for this death, however, she couldn¡¯t be more right. ¡°The healers from several neighbouring packs checked on the body and dered he died of excessive internal heat.¡± Mire looked at Abby again and nodded at her, as if seconding her unspoken conclusion. ¡°He was burned from within?¡± Micah asked, but Mire¡¯s answer shocked him as well. ¡°Yes, but without fire. Not a single trace of me, and he died right in front of the pack house, in broad daylight, his skin darkening in less than half an hour.¡± ¡°How is it possible?¡± Abby asked, not because she couldn''t tell but because her mind couldn¡¯t comprehend the idea at all. There was no fire, but his skin charred until it looked like ck coal? Just what kind of absurdity was this? ¡°In what pack did it ur?¡± Micah was more concerned about this answer, and he again saw Mire looking at Abby with this odd look in her eyes, and when the queen looked back at her, the witch finally opened her mouth. ¡°The Silver Moon Pack!¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What?!!¡± Abby couldn¡¯t believe her ears, but she finally understood why the witch kept giving her those weird eyes since she came earlier. ¡°Yes, your old pack, that¡¯s where it happened, and people are terrified out of their minds now.¡± Of course, they would be terrified. After all, they had never encountered such powerful dark magic before. No wonder, Mire connected those dots back to Calpin, because she knew how that bastard tried to burn both Micah and Abby from within as well. This was going to be such a huge mess! ¡°We are going to your old pack!¡± Micah suddenly said, leaving Abby even more bbergasted, but she didn¡¯t voice out her opinion on this, knowing the severity of the situation. ¡°Early tomorrow morning. Pack your stuff, Mire.¡± Just like that, everything was all set for them to go to the Silver Moon pack, and Abby didn¡¯t know how she walked to the guest bedroom arranged for them, because Micah had to discuss a few other things with Alpha Samuel and Mire and also about their journey. Later that night, when the king finally returned to their room, he could tell the girl in his arms was restless for some reason, but it wasn¡¯t that obvious. However, when he asked, Abby only told him she was tired. She didn¡¯t tell him the fact that she didn¡¯t want to go back to her old pack. She had too many bad memories in that ce, going back would only bring them all back. But she couldn¡¯t say anything about it to him, now of all times. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Thinking about her pack only made her feel sad and Abby couldn¡¯t help but realize how pathetic that was. She lived almost twenty years in that pack, but all she could remember was tears and pain, there was not a single moment in thest ten years to reminisce or feel happy about. Abby couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It was really pathetic! ¡°Take this away!¡± Abby told Alyssa to bring the food tray away after finishing her dinner, as she felt like falling asleep. She was really exhausted because of the journey thest two days. She could use some shut eye. The girl walked to the bed, but before she could reach it, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°Right!¡± ¡°What is it, My Queen?¡± Alyssa immediately stopped what she was doing as she rushed to her master¡¯s side and checked on her profusely. ¡°Come somewhere with me!¡± Abby pulled the girl all of a sudden, not stopping even when the girl said she still didn¡¯t return the food tray to the kitchen. Abby didn¡¯t stop until she reached this small room in the dungeon, where she met with Hannast time. She just hoped her older sister was still here, because in her haste, she didn¡¯t stop to check with anyone what happened to the only rogue who was spared almost a month ago. ¡°Is that woman still here?¡± Abby asked the guard at the far end of the corridor, who had rushed here seeing the queen hade here. ¡°Yes, My Queen!¡± The guard bowed to Abby, before answering her question and Abby immediately made him open the locked door for her. ¡°How is she doing?¡± Abby asked, for which the guard replied that she was recovering slowly. As soon as the lock was opened and Abby was about to step past the threshold of this room, Alyssa stopped her. ¡°My Queen, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to go inside like this!¡± She was worried because she could smell that there was a rogue inside, but Abby¡¯s next words left her beyond dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Alyssa, she is my sister,¡± Abby said before ordering her maid to stay outside for her. With that, under Alyssa''s confused yet shocked gaze, Abby finally entered the room, which reminded her of the small room she was confined in days ago by Leon. There was pretty much no difference between the two rooms, except for the water pot Leon left for her. Just like thest time, Abby could see Hanna sleeping on the small bed that was pushed to a corner with her back facing the door. ¡°Hanna?¡± Abby called, and saw her turning around for a second, before turning back around. ¡°It¡¯s me, Abby.¡± ¡°Are you here to check if I¡¯m still alive?¡± Hanna jabbed, still facing the wall before her. ¡°No, why would you think that?¡± Abby was genuinely dumbfounded by her words. ¡°Hanna, say something! How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still alive, much to your disappointment!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Abby wanted to shake her sister. ¡°I never hoped for you to die.¡± ¡°Talking is the problem here, isn''t it? Had I known it was you earlier, I wouldn''t even have bothered to wake up!¡± Had she known it was me? What does she mean? ¡°Did she not sense my presence earlier?¡± Abby mumbled to herself. But then, Hanna was badly injured until she was on the brink of death and was then fed rottingbane leaves before being tortured during the interrogation with the other rogues. Obviously, her wolf would be in a bad condition. Abby felt a little bad for her, but only a bit though. This was nothingpared to what her older sister put her through for ten years. But it wouldn¡¯t do if she refused to talk to her, though, because Abby came searching for her in hopes she could talk about an important matter with her. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk to me, but I need something from you,¡± Abby started, after thinking for a moment. She didn¡¯t know what kind of mind space Hanna was in right now. She didn¡¯t want to trigger her unnecessarily, because rogues were prone to act on impulse and without thinking much. Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to hurt Hanna unless it was absolutely necessary, so the only option left was to talk to her from a distance, without approaching her. ¡°I¡¯m here because I want to ask if you remember anything about Father,¡± Abby asked her when Hanna showed no indication of responding to her again. Yes, she was here because she was worried about Ryan. From theirst conversion, she confirmed that Ryan had also joined the rogues, along with Hanna. But her older sister said she knew nothing as to where their father went, or how she ended up storming the ck w pack along with all those rogues, who were turned into puppets by Calpin. In fact, she didn¡¯t even know she had been turned into a puppet and taken so many lives like a beast that went berserk until she was given a second chance to heal in the Red River pack. She was to leave once she recovered, but apparently, she was still here. ¡°Hanna, say something!¡± Abby asked once again. She didn¡¯t know what happened, but her older sister straight up ignored her once she mentioned their father. Abby tried a few more times, but only silence greeted her, forcing her to finally turn away and leave the room. ¡°I thought I could find something about Father, but it was all just in vain!¡± Abby could only think to herself as she returned to her bedroom with a heavy heart. It had been almost three months now, but there was no word as to what happened to their father. And it was all because of that dark sorcerer. In fact, Abby didn¡¯t know why she just ran here when she recalled that Hanna might be here, maybe she wanted to see someone that was rted to her past? She didn¡¯t know, because she and Hanna stopped being sisters a long time ago. They couldn¡¯t even be counted as acquaintances anymore! However, when Micah returned and asked why she seemed low, she couldn¡¯t tell him anything. She didn¡¯t feel it was worthy enough to be brought to his attention with the situation they were in. She was just a little unhappy about going back to a ce she used to think of as her home, even though she had no family or friends there. Not a big deal! *********************** Just as Micah said, the next morning, their little entourage returned to the road, so that they could go to the Silver Moon pack as soon as possible. The only difference was, there were a few more additions to their group. ¡°You can rest assured, Alpha. I¡¯ll take care of our pack until you return!¡± Ron, the beta of the Red River pack, promised his alpha, as he came to send off this not so small entourage on their journey. With that, Alpha Samuel too joined Micah and his group along with the best warriors from his pack. They would run along with the royal warriors behind the royal carriage, while another carriage was arranged for Mire and a few other maids, which included Alyssa. ¡°Little one, go back to sleep, we still have a long way to go,¡± Micah coaxed his mate back in their carriage, noticing how she looked a little tired. She traveled two days straight with insufficient rest, and evenst night, she had a restless night, so the king wanted her to rest her eyes at least now. On the other hand, Abby still couldn¡¯t decide how she should feel about going back to her old pack. ¡°Will you tell me what¡¯s bothering you at least now?¡± Micah asked her for the thousandth time since last night when he saw her hesitating about getting some shut eye. But the girl¡¯s response was still the same. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m just tired from the long journey!¡± ¡°Okay, then! Come here,¡± Micah called her, as he pulled her into hisp. ¡°I¡¯ll take it upon myself to put you to sleep today.¡± He then made her sit astride his legs, with her front to his front, while he sat in the middle of the seat. Abby let him press her head against his shoulder, where he started to massage it with one hand while caressing her neck with the other. Only then did she finally fall asleep. With Micah by her side, she wouldn¡¯t find this trip back to her pack so exhausting, right? But she was proven wrong when she finally reached the Silver Moon pack. Because before the bad memories could hit her, the pack members¡¯ smiling faces pped her hard across the cheek. Abby had a severe whish looking at their weing and happy faces upon seeing her return, she forgot about all the trauma for a second. These were the same people outcasted her because Hanna spread rumors about her, saying she was a monster with a huge scar on her body. Because it was next to impossible for shifters to sport any scars, thanks to their exceptional healing abilities. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Being the daughter of the pack¡¯s beta, Abby was famous for the scar that spanned from her neck down to her back and hailed as a monster throughout the pack. ¡°All hail King Micah and Queen Abby!¡± It was Alpha James, prompting others to bow and kneel to their rulers, right at the entrance gates to the pack, and Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 At least half of their pack members could be seen kneeling at the entrance gates of the Silver Moon pack as they weed the king¡¯s entourage. ¡°All hail the King and Queen!!!¡± If he was given a chance, Alpha James would have even arranged a carnival, but the gloomy situation with deaths looming over their heads seemed to be the only reason that stopped him from exaggerating this visit from Micah and Abby this time around. Even so, the pack members were dressed to the nines, as if this was the most joyful asion since they were born and the happy smiles upon seeing their queen, who was none other than a monster until a few months back in their eyes, was a sight to behold. Abby felt annoyed just seeing her old pack members being overly enthusiastic as they escorted them from the entrance till the pack house. If two more people hadn''t lost their lives while she and Micah were on their way here, would they have been even more brazen? Weren¡¯t they trying too hard to please her, just because she turned out to be the king¡¯s mate? But it actually had the opposite effect on her to see them being this nice to her all of a sudden. Some even went as far as asking about her well-being, while some cried fake tears saying they missed her, of course, they didn¡¯t cry in her face. They just talked to each other, ¡®quietly¡¯, right beside the carriage. Even she could hear their so-called whispers, so how was it not possible for Micah and others, who were shifters, not to hear it. And the gist was that, wasn¡¯t it? To make the king and others believe that Abby had a good life here! Because, they clearly knew the girl had felt anything but good living here. Abby was simply disgusted by their actions. Currying favor with people that had power over you was one thing, but this was on a whole new other level! How could they act like Abby hung the moon in the sky all of a sudden? Abby counted seconds until the carriage reached the pack house, Micah didn¡¯t say anything, so she didn¡¯t either! But she tried to mask her thoughts as much as possible, as she kept her eyes down the whole time they took to escort them to their amodation. ¡°My King, My Queen, I¡¯ve arranged the most exquisite guest room for you,¡± Alpha James said, as he bowed once again when he saw Micah and Abby alighting the carriage. ¡°And I¡¯ve already changed everything to new in there.¡± He hurriedly led them into the pack house, and Abby couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that she didn¡¯t need to live in that nightmare of an old house of hers. Only after listening to his next sentence did she learn that no one was living in their old house. ¡°I would have prepared your old house, Queen Abby, but it isn¡¯t in a good condition.¡± And then he went on about how they would feel morefortable in the pack house, because he arranged everything they would need here. The more James talked, the more irritated Abby felt, because the man had only one thing in his mind; pleasing her, with things she didn¡¯t care about. He didn¡¯t hesitate to overdo it at all, because he even pestered the royal gamma, saying he got everything covered for their stay here and how they didn¡¯t have to feel troubled to ask for anything. ¡°Alpha James, we are here to investigate the unusual deaths, not for a vacation!¡± Dax, who was walking behind with Samuel and Mire, pointed out the absurdity of his behavior. ¡°Right, right, but you all have traveled so long, you need to rest properly before you could dive into investigation and all, even if it is for just a while.¡± ¡°Then, stop pestering us and let us rest until dinner!¡± Dax didn¡¯t bother to feign any respect as he openly dismissed the alpha. Only then the man stopped harassing them and finally turned around to leave, but not before throwing the words ¡®let me know if you need anything, no matter how small it is.¡¯ ¡°Can he be any more obvious or shameless?¡± Abby mumbled, so quietly, it was as if she just moved her lips, as she let Alyssa close the door behind her. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Micah asked her, because he saw her lips moving from the corner of his eyes. ¡°No, I didn''t!¡± Her answer came too fast to sound convincing. When Micah kept staring at her, Abby just brushed him off saying she was too hungry to say anything out loud at this moment. ¡°I wonder when the dinner will be ready.¡± Alyssa immediately excused herself and went over to the kitchen to personally oversee the dinner preparations, which was one of her responsibilities be it while they were still back in the pce or any other ce they went to, which she shared with Reyna. Since there was still one more hour for dinner, Abby decided to sleep off her resentment and annoyance. ¡°Apany me for a nap?¡± On the other hand, Micah could feel how the air around her changed even weirder after they arrived here. But he couldn¡¯t read her at this moment at all. So after contemting for a moment, he settled on the bed, in a sitting position against the headboard, while Abby put her head on hisp to take her so-called nap. He let her sleep while reading the reports he received from n. When it was finally dinner time, Alpha James personally came to fetch them to the dining hall, where he had them prepare a feast. ¡°I¡¯ve had them prepare every delicacy for you to enjoy,¡± the man said, as soon as he led them to the far end of the dining hall, where he had them ce a special table just for them. The table was big enough for ten people to eat at once and was filled with various dishes and drinks until no inch of the linen beneath them could be seen. He even personally pulled Abby¡¯s chair for her, and then proceeded to introduce a few dishes to her. ¡°King Micah, Queen Abby, this side is filled with meat dishes and that tter is seafood based, then these are some light dishes, hope they are to your liking.¡± The alpha even showed enthusiasm to put food onto their tes when Micah finally stopped him. ¡°We have maids for this, you should have your dinner instead,¡± the king said, making the man finally drop into his own seat. But then Micah stopped the maid from serving him as he took it upon himself to fill two tes for Abby and himself. Seeing all this was already a big eye opener for Abby, but she kept enduring it, because she thought there were more important matters for both of them to think about. However, the mind is a weird ce.When you try to avoid thinking about something, it will solely present you with the thoughts of the things you are dying to turn away from. Abby¡¯s mind was no exception, because she couldn¡¯t help but think how it had been ten years since she was even allowed to step anywhere near the dining hall. ¡°Do monsters need to eat normal food like the rest of us?¡± Hanna said one time, her face all scrunched in disgust, before she feigned fear as she prompted everyone to back away from her. Different kinds of rumors started to spread since then, saying she would eat nasty insects, or snakes and so on. Hanna let them spin stories until they all settled on blood, not any random animal¡¯s blood but small babies¡¯ blood. Even though it was a beyond ridiculous rumor, strength often influenced the weight of the truth, so the more people talked about it, the more they believed it to be true. Moreover, Hanna never wasted an opportunity to fuel the mes when she saw it was going to burn Abby. And Alpha James and her father, just like every time, turned a blind eye to this as well, until she was ostracized by even omegas in the kitchen, where they refused to give her food if she came to the kitchen. Abby was only able to eat when there was no one in the dining hall, which was practically never. But now, looking at thevish spread, sitting among people who turned blind eye to her suffering for ten years, Abby felt her stomach twist painfully, while every bite of meat she pushed past her lips refused to glide down her throat as if it was clogged until even air couldn''t make way down her windpipes. Abby had to wash down the food after chewing it around in her mouth for a long time, but she could only manage two bites before she decided she needed to be out of here, because she was scared she would set this ce ame, just to make them all stopughing. Their smiles and happy faces only reminded her of the days they pinned her with disgusted looks. ¡°I want to take a walk,¡± Abby announced, as she stood up all of a sudden, startling everyone at their table as well as the rest of the room. ¡°I ate too much just now.¡± Aside from Micah, no one noticed how Abby drew circles in her te until now, so they didn¡¯t find it odd at all. But when the king asked that he wanted to join her, Abby chose to refuse him gently. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°You should continue talking, I¡¯ll take Alyssa with me.¡± She gave no room for Micah to follow her as she swiftly walked out of the dining hall. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 ¡°You want to go on a walk now?¡± Micah looked at his mate, who just nodded her head in response. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± But Abby was quick to refuse him with the excuse that he should continue his conversation with James, not to mention there were Samuel and Mire as well at the table, which made her mate contemte. Seeing him frown, Abby swiftly added, ¡°I¡¯ll take Alyssa with me!¡± The king had no choice but to let her have her way, as he understood what she wasn¡¯t saying out loud. She wanted to be alone, which was proven right when she darted out of the kitchen as if her hair was on fire, making her personal maid run behind her as well. [Send two men to keep watch on her,] Micah immediately mindlinked his royal gamma, and only dived back into the conversation with the people at their table after catching two guards rushing in the direction Abby just left in from the corner of his eye. Meanwhile, Alyssa had this worried look on her face as she followed her master to this rather dpidated ce behind the pack house, where you could see a bunch of warehouses standing in a row. This ce was quite dark and gave a spooky vibe, while the air around them was disturbingly quiet. It made the maid feel worried for her queen. The girl couldn¡¯t understand what had gotten into Abby all of a sudden, but the queen chose to come here instead of going to a more pleasant ce. After all, didn¡¯t her mastere out for some fresh air? So what was she doing standing in front of that almost copsing building, as if she was thinking about something really important? Little did she know, calling that ce important would be an understatement in Abby¡¯s ears. Because she was looking at the very ce where she first met Micah, her destined mate and her eyes moistened at the fact how her life hadpletely changed after that. She didn¡¯t know how long she stood there, but when she did move again, the air surrounding her wasn¡¯t that depressing anymore. ************************ Abby didn¡¯t remember when she returned to the guest bedroom, but the moment her head hit the pillow, she fell fast asleep, and of course, the king was there to hug her to sleep. However, it was Mire who greeted her eyes the moment she woke up alone in the bed the next morning. ¡°Right, we have to check on the dead warriors.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you aren¡¯t as disoriented as I expected you to be, Queen Abby,¡± the witch said, making the girl on the bed frown a little. ¡°I guessed you would be tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve rested enough, I¡¯m good to go through our schedule today,¡± the girl assured her, but the witch gave her a questioning look. Mire only looked convinced when Abby emphasized she was really fine and not travel worn anymore, at which the former pped her hands once as she stood up. ¡°I advise we leave now, on empty stomachs.¡± ¡°Let me wash my face,¡± Abby said, knowing fully well why Mire suggested starting this early. She didn¡¯t think any food would stay in their stomachs after taking a look at those dead bodies either. Even imagining the way those few warriors died made bile rise in her stomach. They couldn¡¯t be more right because, half an hourter, in the underground basement of the Silver Moon pack¡¯s dungeon, Abby felt her skin crawling just at the sight of the bodies of the three warriors that died in the past week. ¡°I thought the report was exaggerated,¡± Abby expressed her shock as she pointed to the deeply charred skin of a warrior. ¡°That makes one of us!¡± Mire didn¡¯t look as surprised as Abby, as she took her time examining each and every body. She seemed to be confident enough about her sources. From head to toe, the skin of each warrior had turned so dark, as if they were painted in ck, or should she say shrouded in darkness? Because that was what Abby felt looking at them, while the witch continued to check for anything striking other than their ckened skin. ¡°This is definitely ck magic, but the question was; how did theye into contact with it?¡± Abby too followed in Mire¡¯s footsteps and started to look for any traces of dark magic. ¡°They must have encountered the instigator directly.¡± The way their skin ckened until it was darker than coal was proof enough that someone casted a powerful spell on them, one that needed to be done in person. ¡°I feel the same,¡± the witch agreed with the queen. But that only gave rise to a flurry of other unanswered questions. If they were right, which was most likely to be the case, how did theye into contact with them? They needed to focus on that part, also about when their enemy got a chance to attack these warriors without alerting anyone around them. However, when they called over the families of the deceased for interrogation, all they got was; they didn¡¯t detect any unusual movement from anyone around this pack for thest few days when the deaths urred, which was weird enough. Abby and Mire felt a headacheing when their theories didn¡¯t yield any positive leads, while Abby got increasingly annoyed when walking around the pack house for the investigation. The girl couldn¡¯t keep her cool because the pack members kept trying to butter up to her. She avoided talking altogether when it felt unbearable, and only nodded curtly to their overly friendly greetings with a cold gaze, letting Mire take over in the conversations with them. Them suddenly deciding to be nice to her had nothing to do with her, they could try all they wanted. She didn¡¯t have any weird ideas like weing them with open heart just because it was expected of her to care for her subjects since she was their queen right now. However, their investigation came to a sudden halt when Alyssa came running to her queen. ¡°My Queen, you should have your meal.¡± Feeding their master healthily was one of the daily goals for Alyssa and Reyna, since thetter didn¡¯t tag along with them, Alyssa took it upon herself to persuade the girl. ¡°Yes, My Queen, we have already skipped breakfast,¡± the witch said, as she suddenly realized this. Abby skipped breakfast and spent all her morning investigating the unusual deaths alongside Mire, so the witch and Alyssa forced her to have early lunch. ¡°My Queen, you didn''t eat muchst night either,¡± Abby¡¯s maid pointed out, when the girl tried to refuse. ¡°I want to have lunch with the King,¡± Abby tried to dodge her insufferable maid. ¡°You know he will be busy tillte at night, investigating the rogue activity.¡± Mire folded her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break for now.¡± Micah left a note this morning saying he needed to trace out any rogue activity near this pack, hoping to find more leads. But the queen didn''t feel like going to the kitchen, nor could she convince her maid to let her off. In the end, she asked them to arrange a small table by the garden, where there was this huge tree, feeling she needed some food in her system to keep going. However, her methods to avoid people she hated didn''t turn out to be fruitful as Alpha James came running along with the omegas, who were helping Alyssa arrange this outdoor lunch for her master. ¡°My Queen, you should have summoned me instead,¡± James said, looking at the half eaten food tes before Abby and the witch. ¡°I would have made them prepare something more delicious.¡± Alpha James curled his lip in distaste at the in dishes on the table. Abby couldn''tprehend why he was hovering around her since she came to the pack, for the life of her. But then a thought urred to her. ¡°Alpha James, do you need something from me?¡± ¡°This¡­ My Queen¡­¡± Abby immediately understood when she saw him gulp in the empty air. Since she was almost done with her lunch, she decided to humor him. She couldn''t stay here peacefully with him always seeking her like this, with forced sweet smiles and words that could make her skin crawl anyway. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Abby asked as soon as they were out of everyone else''s earshot. ¡°Your highness, is there any progress with the investigation?¡± Alpha James said, his tone t, which made Abby understand that the alpha¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t on the case at all. ¡°We just started investigating this morning.¡± Abby gave him a look. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Alpha James nodded his head, not knowing how to direct the conversation further. ¡°What do you actually want to say? It has nothing to do with the deaths, because we don¡¯t need to step aside for that conversation.¡± ¡°My Queen, before anything, let me apologize for my mistakes¡­¡± Alpha James conjured the sincerest expression as he began to beg for forgiveness from her all of a sudden. ¡°I hadmitted grave sins against you, but please find it in yourself to look past my actions¡­¡± However, his speech was cut short when the queen shook her head in disappointment. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything about it, so do yourself a favor and stop trying.¡± Abby would have let him go about it if she did not have to go back to Mire so that they could continue their investigation, because that was the most important thing right now. On the other hand, being shot down so harshly, Alpha James couldn¡¯t help but fist his hands. His sweet words didn''t have any effect on her. Moreover, Abby didn''t sound amicable when she opened her mouth again. ¡°Cut down on the nonsense and get to what you actually want to say to me.¡± Every second she spent hearing his bullshit, about how he regretted not being able to help her when he could, only sent her emotions haywire. The girl knew all too well, none of his words came from his heart.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. It was tiring for both parties to pretend for too long, but Abby wanted to be the first to drop her act, so that she could spare herself this annoyance. Even if they weren¡¯t tired, she felt less and less energetic trying to tolerate them. She didn¡¯t think she would be able to tolerate it if he talked sweetly like this for one more second, which seemed to have finally registered in the man''s mind as he finally gave up trying. ¡°A few days back, I''ve received a letter,¡± James started, his eyes focused on Abby. ¡°It was directed to you, your highness.¡± ¡°To me?¡± Abby was frowning to hear that. ¡°Yes, My Queen. It was addressed to you.¡± Saying that, he produced an almost crumpled paper in his hands, which he pulled out from his robe, but Abby didn''t reach for it immediately. ¡°This is the letter and the deaths started two dayster,¡± Alpha James went on, not realizing Abby¡¯s face twisting in anger with each second that passed. Her gaze on the paper especially was beyond cold. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say this letter was for me?¡± Abby suddenly asked the man, her voice gritty as she finally pulled the letter out of his hands with her thumb and index finger. Since she was holding a corner of the paper, when she shook it, it unraveled easily. ¡°You opened a letter that was addressed to me, your queen, good for you,¡± Abby nced up at the alpha, whose face quickly lost all its color. He read a letter that was meant for his queen, without permission, and dared to unt it to her face. ¡°Your words and actions do not match at all. But then I never expected much from you.¡± From the moment she came down here, James only had sweet words for her, but the same didn¡¯t reflect in his actions! Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡°Your words and actions do not match at all. But then, I never expected much from you.¡± Abby¡¯s face was eerily calm, though her gaze was anything but mellow. In fact, her eyes looked colder than the ciers as they pierced Alpha James¡¯ non existent conscience. ¡°It is not what you think, My Queen. Let me exin!¡± The alpha tried to smooth his way out of this mess when he realized the girl before him was emanating unadulterated fury. After all, by opening and reading a letter meant for his queen, what he did was showing tant disrespect, and it couldnd him in serious trouble. ¡°Then what does it look like, Alpha?¡± Abby waved the letter, which she was still holding between her thumb and index finger, in his face. It was so crumpled that it looked like it would tear in half, if she handled it too carelessly. ¡°Please forgive me, My Queen, I didn''t mean to offend you.¡± James scrambled to apologize as he fired off whatever came to his mouth, without thinking first. ¡°I just wanted to see if it was really for you, so I opened it to take a single harmless nce.¡± ¡°Then why does the paper look like it was hanging on itsst thread?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Did this man think she would eat up just whatever bullshit he fed her? ¡°Should I spell the reason for you? Because, you couldn¡¯t bother to give a damn since it was just written to me, someone you never put in your eyes.¡± ¡°No, no, My Queen. You misunderstood me. It wasn¡¯t my intention at all,¡± James denied it with all his might. He just looked short of pping his chest to prove he didn¡¯t have any thoughts to disrespect her. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you apologize before I realized what you actually did?¡± Abby snarked, her eyes still ring at him. He had a good six inches on her, which made him lower his head to look into her eyes but the air around them was so tense that he found himself struggling to hold her gaze. It was always her who had it difficult to stand tall in front of anyone in this pack, no matter the rank they held. Be it a random warrior or even an omega, no one ever thought there woulde a day they had to tamper down their ego in front of someone they treated even less than air for ten years straight, let alone the alpha of this pack. Even when he felt his beta went too far, he didn¡¯t bother to get down from his high horse and say something to stop him, always turning an blind eye to her suffering and pleading. ¡°Tell me, Alpha,¡± Abby probed when he remained silent, looking anywhere but her eyes. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have started this conversation with an apology over something you did recently? Like opening and reading a letter that was meant for your queen?¡± ¡°It just slipped my mind, Queen Abby,¡± James almost retorted, as he struggled to keep his voice low. Because he didn¡¯t dare to raise his voice at Abby, who looked like she was ready to take note of every slip up he made and make him suffer for it. ¡°Which one?¡± Abby asked him suddenly. ¡°What?¡± James was confused for a moment. ¡°Which fact slipped your mind, Alpha James?¡± The queen folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing at the man before her. ¡°Did you forget that I''m your queen? Or that you should¡¯ve apologized first?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Alpha James was visibly startled by her questions, as he gulped hard which only made him aware how dry his throat was facing her like this. Why did he find that it was actually so hard to talk to this girl only today? He really didn¡¯t think much when he read that letter. In fact, it would be justified to think that he didn¡¯t think of her as the queen either. Even until he received the king and queen the day before, he was still holding onto the thought that Abby was someone he looked down on before. But after seeing the way King Micah treated her as the apple of his eye, he had to change his tune as well. He would have even forgotten about the letter, if not for the content he read in it. But he couldn¡¯t admit to her what actually led to this clusterfuck. So he could only resort to sweet talking again. ¡°My Queen, I was really worried about you,¡± Alpha James started, but he didn¡¯t expect Abby to pull him from under his feet again. ¡°You were so worried about me that you couldn¡¯t stop to think why you shouldn¡¯t poke your head wherever you pleased,¡± Abby scoffed, almost making the alpha squirm on his feet. But the man stopped himself at thest minute. No matter what, he was an alpha. He felt like that the more he talked the worse his exnation seemed. Only Abby wasn¡¯t done with him yet, because she continued to rip him a new one with every sentence that left her lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t feel anything wrong with your actions until someone pointed it out for you,¡± Abby bit out. ¡°It shows how aware you are of your surroundings, and also how little you think of me. Say, did you really forget that I''m your queen?¡± ¡°Or you just thought I don¡¯t have a functioning mind to not see what you actually did?¡± Abby¡¯s questions left the alpha tongue tied. He opened and closed his mouth several times, wanting toe up with an excuse but he failed to do so. So it was again Abby who spoke. ¡°See, apologizing isn¡¯t really easy. Especially when you need the other person¡¯s forgiveness at any cost, saying a half assed apology will not be enough.¡± After saying that, Abby finally looked at the letter, but she only realized it should be called a note instead when she skimmed her eyes through it, because there were barely thirty words there, amounting up to mere three lines. However, she recognized the handwriting of the sender with just a single nce and her heart skipped a beat at the face that shed behind her eyes in the next second. Because it belonged to her father, Beta Ryan, and the same was confirmed when she found the words ¡®your loving father¡¯ at the end of the note. ¡°Why did he write a letter for me?¡± Abby mumbled to herself as she quickly read the three sentences. A frown appeared on her face as she dived into the letter to read it a second time, as she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She even rubbed them before the third time, but the words stayed the same, leaving her utterly confused. ¡®My daughter, I¡¯ve been captured by the rogues and they are torturing me. Pleasee and save your father from this hell, I can¡¯t take the abuse anymore.¡¯ Seeing the word abuse, Abby couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Did he even know what he had written? Or whom he addressed this half hearted letter to? Didn¡¯t he feel any irony writing to her, if he did write this with his mind perfectly working? He didn¡¯t even know the depth of that word, because it had always been her at the receiving end of her father¡¯s abuse. He was an abuser, a torturer, who put his own daughter through ten years of unmerciful suffering, so where did he get the spine to act as a victim through a letter right now? Moreover, didn¡¯t he read it before sending it? Because reading it even once would have made him realize how insincere his attempt to ask for help seemed. He could have written two more sentences at least to sound more convincing, but he couldn¡¯t even exert that much effort and he expected her to believe this phony shit just like that? He sounded too cold and callous for someone who desperately needed to be saved by his daughter, whom he abused for years. Maybe it would have sounded more convincing if he just remembered how his own daughter pleaded to be spared by him until three months ago. Instead, his letter looked like he would be doing Abby a great favor by letting him save her. But then she noticed something on the backside, and when she flipped the page around, she couldn¡¯t help but scoff. Look at this, he didn¡¯t bother to borate on how he was faring in the hell, but he gave detailed information of the said hell, as if he was luring a clueless mouse into his trap using cheese. Even from miles away, she could have guessed that it was a trap to get to her, more so when she already knew he himself joined the rogues along with Hanna. Why would they torture him when he was already a part of them? He stooped so low that Abby felt disgusted just at the thought of his hatred toward her. Even when he knew all too well that her mother¡¯s death was purely an ident, he was still holding it over her head, this situation was one more example to it. On the other hand, Alpha James couldn¡¯tprehend why the queenughed after reading the letter. He didn¡¯t get a chance to ask her either when the queen rushed away from there before throwing a re in his direction, hearing him call for her. Abby quickly folded the letter and pushed it into her sleeve, as she joined Mire and Alyssa back under the huge tree in the garden. She needed to talk to Micah about it, but he wouldn¡¯t be avable untilte at night, so she decided to continue with the investigation for now. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°You got a letter from where?¡± A distinct frown could be seen on Micah¡¯s face when he asked Abby this question. ¡°My father,¡± Abby said, as she shrugged her shoulders with an expression that portrayed ¡®I know, right?.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m positive that it is his own handwriting.¡± The girl handed over the said letter to her mate, who didn¡¯t waste another second before scanning the few words that were scribbled on either side of the cheap excuse of a paper. As soon as Micah returned to their guest bedroom, where his mate was waiting to have dinner with him, Abby dropped this news on him. ¡°Before anything, I need to tell you something really important,¡± Abby said to the king, when Micah told her that their dinner would be brought to their room, even though his mate didn¡¯t make any requests that might involve herself avoiding the kitchen again. The girl didn¡¯t know why Micah suggested eating inside, but it worked well in her favor, only Abby wasn¡¯t really thinking about how to avoid people from her pack tonight. Like she said to herself, there were far more important things to take care of before wallowing in her resentment and annoyance. So she presented her mate with the truth immediately, because she still couldn¡¯t decide if she should ignore this letter altogether or not. On the other hand, the king couldn¡¯t help himself as he scoffed at the three sentences that screamed that it was all just a trap, a very poor one at that. ¡°It stinks like a trap.¡± ¡°I too think so, because Hanna said they both willingly joined the rogues,¡± Abby recalled. ¡°There was no way they were torturing him three monthster, like they just discovered who he was.¡± ¡°You think he was working for them?¡± The king asked his mate when he noticed this deep frown between her brows. ¡°Or with them,¡± Abby breathed out, her shoulders sagging in the next second. She didn¡¯t want to guess what led to what at this moment, and seeing her dete, Micah pulled her into a hug. ¡°What do you think we should do about this?¡± Abby asked him a whileter. ¡°I need to think about it a bit,¡± Micah said, because no matter what Ryan was still her father, even though he was the very person who made his daughter live in misery. He exiled them in hopes he could cut them out of her lifepletely, but they still managed to worm back into her thoughts. He needed to make sure the problem with them was dealt with with no negative setbacks this time around, so he decided to think really hard about it. ¡°Okay, you do the thinking,¡± Abby said, as she tightened her arms around his waist. She really didn¡¯t have the energy right now to spare any for her father. But then, she frowned when the king pulled back a little before holding her at arm¡¯s length. ¡°What hap¡­¡± Micah didn¡¯t let her finish her question as he leaned in for a sudden kiss that confused her even further. Because this kiss was so different from all the times he pressed his lips to hers. He was being exceptionally gentle, even though he was nothing but gentle with her before. He only parted with her lips when he felt her rxpletely, where her strained neck muscles gradually loosened under his tender caressing. But the look that he gave her afterward was unnerving, as if he could see right through her, and the words that left his lips next proved the same. ¡°Little one, you are keeping something from me.¡± Micah was holding her head with both palms now, as he looked her in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Abby denied immediately, even though she stiffened a little as soon as he blurted out his thoughts. It was really a subtle reaction, but only proved Micah was right. And with him holding her so closely, it was impossible for him not to notice it. ¡°Little one, don¡¯t do this. Did you forget that we should be open with each other no matter what?¡± Micah wasn¡¯t angry or annoyed that Abby tried to lie, he was just worried. So he was very patient with her as he pressed his lips to her mouth that kept opening and closing, as the girl debated over her thoughts internally. ¡°There is really nothing,¡± Abby said and saw how Micah sighed in the next moment. But he was already used to this. When did his mate cave in without making him persuade her at lengths? And if there was someone who could never run his patience thin, it was this girl alone. He could never lose his cool with her, so he resigned to his fate and pulled her into hisp as he plopped on the sofa. He had already mindlinked someone to notify Alyssa that they would eat a littleter, so no one would be disturbing them until he said otherwise. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Micah said as he yed with the ends of her hair strands. It was only half of what it used to be, because he had to cut off the burnt hair after her face off with Calpin. He half expected her to chew his head off for snipping her hair just like that, but she actually surprised him by embracing the reason behind his actions. That was how he knew any reaction from her would ever be without cause, even though she would let her trauma get to her at times. ¡°Then how about you tell me what you are feeling about returning to your old pack?¡± Micah wasn¡¯t blind or slow. He had been observing since the moment Mire suggesteding down to the Silver Moon pack. So he knew the frown that had taken a constant shelter between her eyebrows recently wasn¡¯t just because of the weird deaths or getting a letter from her failure of a father. And sure enough, the girl in his arms stiffened again, but this time it was more obvious, making the king realize he was on the right track in this conversation. ¡°I¡­ this pack¡­¡± Abby couldn¡¯t form words at his question. She could still evade if he had been any less observant, but she knew she couldn¡¯t dodge this matter any longer. She had already dragged this conversation for far too long, Micah had been asking her why she had been off since they left the Red River pack a few days ago. ¡°You can be honest with me, little one.¡± Micah patted her shoulder as a gesture of encouragement, knowing how she always tried to keep everything in. And the king could tell that the girl finally caved in when she sighed in resignation, but he made no attempt to urge her. ¡°This pack represents bad memories to me, Micah,¡± Abby started, even though it took her quite a while to gather her thoughts. ¡°Whenever I think about this pack, all I can remember is pain and tears.¡± As she talked, her mate could feel the subtle tremors that quaked her body in his arms, and he felt his heart ache for her afresh. He didn¡¯t realize until now, but Abby never talked about her pack after following him to the capital all those months ago. But with every word that slipped past her lips, Micah understood why she never bothered to bring this pack or her family up. ¡°What you saw when you found me that night couldn¡¯tpare to what I have gone through for ten years.¡± Abby shuddered, as if she could still feel the hungry days and bone chilling nights she was left to tend to herself. ¡°They had been silent for ten years, ten fucking whole years¡­¡± Abby didn¡¯t borate who the ¡®they¡¯ she was referring to, but Micah could understand all the same. The pack members. ¡°But did you see how they have been behaving since we came back? I feel disgusted.¡± Abby fisted his shirt as she tried to control herself, but her mate could hear the resentment in her words. ¡°It was as if they didn¡¯t make me an outcast, just because my father was the beta, someone who held more power than them. Now I¡¯m holding the position of the queen, and they all suddenly wanted to be regarded as my acquaintances.¡± She didn¡¯t crave the position above everyone else in this kingdom, nor did she resent it, but their fake faces made her feel pretty resentful about her life. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything, little one?¡± Micah felt his heart breaking for her, because she was always trying to fight her demons alone. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do about it, so I thought to spare myself the emotional distress when I think about it all.¡± Abby shrugged her shoulders again, as if she felt defeated. ¡°We need to focus on more important things, things like why we came here.¡± ¡°But you can at least avoid it if you just decide to go back to the pce,¡± Micah said, knowing fully well what she meant. ¡°It¡¯s still notte, I can have Dax send you back¡­¡± His words were cut short when Abby suddenly leaned back and refused the idea. ¡°No, I won¡¯t go back. We have to see this farce with Calpin until the end, together.¡± Even though she would give anything to leave this pack, never to return again, she knew how important it was to get rid of that dark magic user, because only she could shield him and his deathly spells. Not to mention the weird deaths in this pack. ¡°We will leave together, once we deal with the problem in the pack and Calpin.¡± She was determined! Chapter 130 Chapter 130 ¡°I think I should go and meet my father.¡± Abby looked serious as Micah stopped what he was doing to give her his full attention. He was in the strategy room in the pack house of the Silver Moon pack, discussing the sudden yet complete decline of the rogue activity all around the kingdom with Alpha Samuel and Dax this afternoon when Abby came seeking him. Her gaze was clear with an unfaltering stance when she interrupted their meeting that the alpha didn¡¯t hesitate to leave the two of them alone since the royal gamma had long made a wise escape just as Abby stepped into the strategy room. Alpha James wasn¡¯t included in this meeting, but Abby didn¡¯t have time to dwell on insignificant things like that. ¡°But you are still investigating the strange deaths in this ce,¡± Micah pointed out. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m. But it¡¯s going nowhere, while we have a new lead in the form of his letter.¡± ¡°But he insisted for you toe alone, and if I¡¯m correct, you need to leave shortly to make it in time.¡± On the back of the note Ryan sent her, there was both where and when he wanted to meet her. And it just so happened to be today, but the ce was quite far away. It would take at least three hours by carriage and then one more hour of hiking because it was a fucking steep cliff in the middle of the mountains. His father actually wanted her to retrieve him from out of nowhere literally. Abby couldn¡¯t help but sigh and when Micah stood up to approach her, she met him halfway across the room, before they settled side by side on the small couch to the right of this long table. Then she faced him. ¡°Yeah, I know. I want to take this chance and see if we can find anything about Calpin.¡± Abby was sure about one thing. ¡°And I know you are nning to go there by yourself.¡± Micah couldn¡¯t deny her ims, because that was what he was thinking. So he admitted it to her as he drummed his fingers on his thigh. ¡°Yeah, I want to capture him.¡± Just like she said, Ryan could provide them with more details on Calpin or his whereabouts, so he didn¡¯t want to miss this chance as well. ¡°But if you go there directly, he will just slip away.¡± Abby folded her arms across her chest. ¡°If it is I who goes there instead, we might be able to catch him off guard and execute your n wlessly.¡± ¡°So you want to make them believe that you fell for their trap?¡± Micah could read between the lines. ¡°But it will be risky, little one.¡± ¡°I can protect myself just fine,¡± Abby stated, as she tapped her finger on her elbow. She could control her fire a lot better now, but her father wasn¡¯t aware of it. But then she wouldn¡¯t underestimate his hatred toward her. Micah reminded her the same, because he could still remember how Ryan talked about Abby when he misunderstood she somehow made the king angry by bumping into him when he told her to stay put in that horrible warehouse. ¡°He had nopassion for you, and might not hesitate to hurt you.¡± Micah also had this idea at first, but thought better of itter, because the advantage and disadvantage of using Abby as the bait weighed equally and he felt it was not worth it. But with Abby volunteering to do this strongly, he could only mold his ns ording to the changes again. ¡°Are you sure you can take him on if he loses it?¡± No matter what, he was her father and even though Micah was positive that he wouldn¡¯t let him hurt her, the few times he miscalcted with Calpin and the rogues made him check in with her first. She might be feeling brave right now, but facing your abuser was no joke, when the person was someone who gave birth to you. On the other hand, the girl felt a little sad that they had to discuss her father as if he was their enemy, but then it was Ryan who was doing this to himself in his vengeful blindness. ¡°If we don¡¯t try to stop him today, he will try something else in the future.¡± And she didn¡¯t want to be controlled by her fears anymore. Abby was determined to fight her trauma and facing her father seemed just the right start to it. She thought long and hard all day after waking up today and decided she had to make big on the promises she made to herself. She vowed she would stand by his side no matter what, not to mention it was her problem to begin with. She exined the same to him. ¡°He would stille for life, even if you haven¡¯te into life, little one,¡± Micah stated, pointing out that he wanted them both dead. ¡°But Ryan is trying to get me for real, not just because Calpin instigated him to do so.¡± ¡°Okay, then we will do it my way.¡± Micah could only relent when it was clear that Abby had already decided. Since it would be impossible for her to go there all by herself, which was also obvious to everyone given her weakposition, Abby took a carriage until the foot of the mountain. ¡°We should make it look foolproof,¡± Dax said, as he prepared the carriage for her. A regr warrior sent her there, but stopped at the bottom itself, from where Abby had to climb the mountain alone. It was already dark by the time she reached the cliff, but there was no sign of life around here except for the eerie cricket sounds that echoed throughout the valley below here. Wind breezed past harsh enough to knock the waist length nts around her sideways, but apart from that Abby didn¡¯t find it hard to wait for her father who took his sweet time to appear an entire hourter she reached the meeting point. ¡°You look¡­ just fine, father,¡± Abby pointed out the obvious as she jumped to her feet from the small boulder she perched on to rest her aching feet. Climbing cliffs is no joke. She was not surprised to not find a single scratch on him though, since it had been long clear that it was just a sham. Her father just yed a victim card to trick his naive daughter. ¡°You could have at least acted your part,¡± Abby said, shaking her head when her father didn¡¯t even fake limp as he strode toward her until he was just a few feet from her. Apart from the offensive smell that was distinct to rogues, Abby couldn¡¯t find any difference from the last time she saw him either. ¡°You look too put together even for a rogue, let alone the victim of the rogue¡¯s abuse.¡± But then what did she expect? That they were all really wrong and Ryan genuinely contacted her for help? He didn¡¯t even see her as his daughter, so even if he wrote to someone in such conditions, he would have thought of Hanna, not her. Ryan could see how Abby¡¯s eyes turned colder and colder with each word that left her lips, but he still remained silent as if he had all the time in this world. If Abby had any doubts that his wounds were internal, she could strike it off now, because her father didn¡¯t seem desperate to be rescued at all. ¡°So why did you lure me here?¡± Abby asked directly when the man just kept staring at her. ¡°I want you toe with me.¡± After what felt like an eternity, Ryan finally opened his mouth, but it only made his younger daughterugh out loud. ¡°After what you have pulled, you think I¡¯ll follow you?¡± Abby shook her head. He really thought she would always stay naive and timid. ¡°You work for Calpin, right?¡± The man didn¡¯t find it odd that the girl could smell his bullshit either. It was in as day why he wrote that letter to her. So he just admitted. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why did you agree to scheme against me, father?¡± Abby questioned, as if she couldn¡¯t comprehend his actions suddenly even though she knew a very long answer. A ten year long suffering, it was verbatim to her now. But when her father didn¡¯t answer her immediately, Abby continued her monologue. ¡°You want the person who killed your mate to suffer the same fate. Isn¡¯t that the reason?¡± ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you dare go there!!!¡± Ryan was trembling just at the mention of her. It was a can of worms he never let anyone open all these years. It was a nasty gash across his heart, no powerful healing ability could make it go away. ¡°But you never came out of it!!!¡± Abby wasn¡¯t shouting, but the authority that rolled off her tongue was enough to make her voice echo in his ears. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to talk about it!¡± Ryan roared, as if he was about to attack her. ¡°I¡¯m well aware your anger is certifiable,¡± Abby started slowly, as if she couldn¡¯t see the way her father was on the verge of losing it. ¡°But you are directing it at the wrong person.¡± ¡°What??!!¡± ¡°Yes, I am responsible for my mother''s death, but only partially,¡± Abby took her stand. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡± ¡°It is the truth, father. I had to tell you because now you are helping her real murderer.¡± Abby was calm enough that Ryan stopped breathing for a second. ¡°Yes, it was Calpin who killed her.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°What?¡± The man looked confused. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°Yes, I am responsible for my mother''s death, but only partially.¡± Abby took her stand. Even though she didn¡¯t know what she was expecting from Ryan by telling him this truth, she still ignored the small voice at the back of her head that was sure he wouldn¡¯t believe her. ¡°What??!!¡± Ryan shouted, clearly out of exasperation, because he couldn¡¯t believe the audacity of his daughter. ¡°It¡¯s the truth, father. It was someone else who took her life that day¡­¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡± Ryan genuinely believed Abby was trying to lie her way through this, and he couldn¡¯t help the rage that clouded his eyes. His emotions often spiraled out of control after joining the rogues, but this time he felt his reaction wasn¡¯t uncalled for. ¡°No, father, you are being deceived by your memories, just like me,¡± the girl continued, feeling it was necessary to let him know the truth. She didn¡¯t know if she would get a chance to talk to him like this again. ¡°Memories? Now, you are bullshitting me.¡± Her father wasn¡¯t ready to hear her out. ¡°If you just stop for one second and listen to me¡­¡± Now Abby was exasperated until she felt like setting this entire mountain on fire. ¡°Do you even know you are helping the very person who took your mate from you?¡± Her outburst was something that was so unexpected, Ryan had never seen her expressing anything but sadness and tears, and he felt stunned for a second. ¡°Yes, you are helping the very person who murdered her.¡± Abby couldn¡¯t fathom why her father would join hands with someone like Calpin, but she felt the need to let him know what he was setting himself up for. Regret and endless suffering, if he made it alive out of this whole farce. ¡°Calpin is the reason my mother died.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Ryan was on autopilot, because he couldn¡¯t process or digest the news Abby just told him. Denying it was much easier than epting the truth that he had been holding onto a lie for a whole decade. ¡°But it is the truth¡­¡± ¡°Then why didn''t you say anything all these years?!¡± Ryan cut her off in the middle. ¡°Because you killed her, there is no other truth!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t remember¡­ no, it¡¯s not right. I remembered it wrongly, my mind locked the memories of that day, that was why.¡± Abby then took it upon herself to exin how she lost around two years worth of memories along with that day which was why she couldn¡¯t remember about her own power awakening either. ¡°On that day my power got backshed¡­ and mother tried to contain it for me, which wounded her, but then Calpin appeared and took advantage of the situation.¡± Hearing this, there was this look of realization on Ryan¡¯s face, and for a second, Abby thought her father would finallye around, but the words that left his lips next crushed that budding hope with lighting speed until it gave her a whish. ¡°You remembered it wrongly? You killed your mother but remembered it wrongly?¡± Ryan was shaking now. ¡°Maybe you conjured up Calpin into the events that day as well. I know you are an ungrateful monster, so I wouldn¡¯t put spinning stories beneath you, you are capable of anything!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wha¡­¡± But Ryan couldn¡¯t care less about what she had to say. The more he listened to her, the more furious he felt. ¡°You are just trying to trick me to achieve your own goals! But I won¡¯t give you that chance, I¡¯llplete my task today no matter what!¡± ¡°He is only using you!!!¡± Abby felt her own ears ringing when she shouted with such intensity, but it only made the beast inside Ryan go feral, as he suddenly snapped. ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± He roared, his ws elongating from the tips of his fingers. He was on the verge of shifting, however, the girl before him didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You fucking monster!¡± Only monsters knew no fear! And Abby looked like a monster to him right now, with her horrifying composed demeanor mocking him for losing control several times in the span of just ten minutes. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow me willingly, you will suffer, Abby!¡± Ryan warned. ¡°I¡¯ll take you away, no matter what, screaming and kicking if that is what ites to.¡± He half expected her to crack instantly and start crying for mercy, that was her sole reaction whenever he reddened his eyes and raised his voice at her, even though it was a miracle she held her own this long. But the begging he had grown ustomed to for ten years didn¡¯te from her, instead she looked like she was a bit disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you,¡± Abby lifted her chin defiantly. She said she wouldn¡¯t cower anymore, so that was what she kept doing until Ryan lost it and lunged at her. ¡°I warn you to keep your hands to yourself, if you still love your limbs.¡± Ryan growled like a crazed animal when he realized that his daughter was agile enough to dodge his attack. ¡°Fine then! Come at me!¡± This time, he elongated his ws that had retracted back into his fingers again, as he tried to swipe at her face. She wouldn¡¯t know her ce until he put her back into it. However, before he could leap at her again, something dark and hugended between him and his daughter, snarling so viciously he shuddered just at the sound. It was a huge ck beast, and the realization that hit him made him step back a little. ¡°King Micah.¡± Ryan tried to look around the beast that was now prowling in its ce, as if it was getting ready to attack him, but he couldn¡¯t see his daughter at all, but he could see aparatively small beast walking out of the darkness. Then the two beasts shifted and took their human forms. Immediately, Dax walked back only to stop at a step behind his queen, while Micah snarled at Ryan again. ¡°Back the fuck up!¡± It was really an eye opener for Ryan today. He neither expected Abby to rebel suddenly, nor did he expect her to bring the king with her actually. Even though he expected her to call his bluff, he didn¡¯t think Micah would get involved in this mess for a monster like Abby. But then his daughter''s weird behavior must be a result of herself counting the backing she had, evil woman! ¡°Hah!¡± Ryan scoffed all of a sudden, because he wasn¡¯t alone either. He pped three times rhythmically and immediately several rogues flooded this cliff, surrounding the three people without a way out. ¡°You have underestimated me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Micah raised a brow at him. Thundering footsteps could be heard immediately, as the royal warriors surrounded the rogues, making the royal gamma whistle at the sight. ¡°Back at you Beta Ryan, you have underestimated my king,¡± Dax said, sneering in return. ¡°Oops, I should call you ex beta, my bad!¡± The moment he learned about that phony letter from Ryan, Micah summoned every royal warrior avable near to the Silver Moon pack. Some were still on their way here, but with the numbers on his hands, dealing with this rogue turned ex beta would be a walk in the park. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Thankfully, he was well prepared for this situation. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even have agreed to let Abby risking here in the first ce. ¡°Watch your mouth, you mutt!¡± Ryan felt his blood boil in anger at his slur, butpared to his hatred toward his daughter, it was pitiful. He was in this situation because of her. She didn¡¯t own up to her mistakes, instead she instigated the king to exile himself and his precious older daughter, because she just couldn¡¯t be happy after destroying his whole world by killing Riley, her own mother all those years ago. But he wasn¡¯t here to debate on who did the wrong and who had the major responsibility over what happened, he was sent here on a mission and he would aplish it. ¡°And you, Micah, why are you risking so many lives to save someone like her?¡± Ryan spat, his tone venomous. ¡°She is a monster who killed her own mother, don¡¯t let her pitiful eyes fool you.¡± Since the king exiled him and he joined the rogues, coupled with the powerful life he led until three months ago, all you could see was arrogance in Ryan¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t bother to fear the king because he was answering a different master now. And his master gave him an important task, to get rid of this evil creature. ¡°She even instigated you to kill her own father and older sister, someone like her doesn''t deserve protection from anyone! I don¡¯t even know where Hanna is now¡± Micah and Abby had expected him to lose it, but Ryan managed to exceed all their expectations. He made it sound like Abby forced them to join the rogues, when it was purely their own choice. ¡°What if I say that your other daughter is still alive?¡± Micah said suddenly, even though he doubted Ryan could find it in himself to care for someone else, being this brainwashed. He was just like a puppet, repeating the same tune again and again, not bothering to understand what the other people were saying, but he still gave it a try. ¡°If you care for Hanna, you can still turn around. We could put this behind us all!¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Ryan expected Abby to see through his n ande prepared, but he didn¡¯t expect for the rumors out there to be true and the King really cared for that monster daughter of his. But what was he saying now? Did he just say Hanna was ¡®alive?¡¯ ¡°What did you just say?¡± He gritted his teeth, hoping he just heard him wrong, or he was just bluffing him. ¡°Hanna is alive and you can meet her¡­¡± ¡°You have captured her?!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± This one word was enough for Ryan to see red, as he lunged at the king while shifting midair. He roared as he threw his paw at Micah, but thetter was alert for such reactions and immediately stepped aside. ¡°RYAN!!!¡± Abby screamed, feeling mortified that he dared to attack her mate, because he was no match for him. But Micah didn¡¯t feel any need to end his life as he still tried to talk to him. ¡°Shift back, now!¡± He would endure it until the end if it meant Abby wouldn¡¯t get hurt in the process. Even though she resented them, Abby never wished them any harm, let alone a cruel demise. Deep down, she still cared for them, just like he thought she would, that was why he didn¡¯t carved death sentences across their foreheads and just exiled them. Knowing they were alive and their blood wasn¡¯t on her hands, she could breathe easily, but Ryan didn¡¯t know any better, because a secondter, he actually roared even louder as he prompted his rogue army to attack the king and his group. Vicious roars filled the air as the royal warriors engaged in a bloody battle with the rogues, while Dax guided Abby to stand beside a considerablyrge boulder. On the other hand, Micah joined the battle as well, but not before trying to stop Ryan onest time. ¡°You are going to regret this, so stop before it is toote.¡± The answer he got was an equally vicious roar, as he lunged at the king again, but this time Micah didn¡¯t dodge him, instead he leapt high and shifted midair before colliding with Ryan¡¯s beast. And the result was bloody, because Ryan rebounded from the impact as he felt himself flying backward before hitting a boulder where his jaw cracked and blood immediately flowed down his muzzle until he whimpered. Abby almost rushed to his side, but Dax stopped her. ¡°King Micah has it under control,¡± the royal gamma said, upon which Abby could see a few warriors forming a circle around them, giving her a twoyer protection. ¡°Would he kill him?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but hold her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, he wants to capture him alive,¡± Dax said, not really bothering about the fate Ryan would face tonight. If they could capture him along with a few other rogues, they could be useful for their investigation, if not, they could wait for another chance. It was not like Calpin was an ordinary enemy that could be dealt with so easily, they needed to bide their time and not rush blindly. ¡°I think it is over before it even started,¡± Dax said, as he whistled to look at Ryan who couldn¡¯t get back on his limbs after Micah threw his paw at him for the fourth time. ¡°He was no match for him.¡± Around them, they could see how half of the rogues were lying dead, while the other half were in the hold of the royal warriors. ¡°Shift back!¡± Micah infused his superior alpha dominance into his voice, as he forced them all to shift back and Abby only stepped forward when everyone was fed with Rottingbane, which would prevent them from shifting into their beasts again. ¡°Father, shift back,¡± Abby said, because Ryan¡¯s beast kept whimpering, not obeying the king¡¯s order. But he couldn¡¯t move either, he was allowing the few bones that broke earlier in the fight to realign. But Micah didn¡¯t have all the time in the world, so he made the warriors feed Ryan Rottingbane leaves forcefully. ¡°Why did you attack?!¡± Abby looked down at her father, who was forced to such a pitiful state. The way she was looking at him didn¡¯t sit well with him, he had always been a prideful person. So he mustered his energy and with the support of the boulder behind him, he slowly rose to his feet ¡°Ho- how could I not wh- when you have been tor¡­ turing your ol- older sister? She ne- never wished any harm up- upon you, but you co- couldn¡¯t hide your ug- ugly nature the mo- moment you fo- found a chance¡­¡± Ryan rambled on some more, even though most of his words were incoherent and he needed a lot of time to voice anything on his mind. ¡°She was captured as a rogue that attacked and took the lives of several civilians. She was punished for the same, but Queen Abby didn¡¯t know she was captured until thest minute.¡± It was Dax, who exined this little misunderstanding to Ryan, when Abby and Micah stood there silently, Abby losing all hope in his father while Micah didn¡¯t give a fuck why he did what he did. ¡°But keeping it aside, you think your older daughter is a saint? She is even more ruthlesspared to you.¡± Dax¡¯s face scrunched up in contempt. ¡°Instead of trying to protect her little sister, she fueled the mes and instigated you and your pack members to hurt her.¡± Even though Abby never confessed what Hanna had done to anybody other than Micah, Dax did his own digging during his stay in the Silver Moon pack, and the pack members, who wanted to curry favor with Abby, now that she was the queen, didn¡¯t have any qualms to throw Ryan and Hanna to the wolves. In fact, some even showed over enthusiasm to sell this father and daughter down the river. ¡°I don¡¯t believe someone like her didn¡¯t abuse her little sister when no one was around, you need to open your eyes and see who is the real monster here.¡± ¡°Shut up, you don¡¯t know anything!! You were all bewitched by her.¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to hear it. His precious daughter¡¯s name was being dragged through the mud. And when he thought who was the reason for all this, his eyes turned cold again. ¡°Yes, you did all of this. I need to get rid of you¡­¡± Ryan mumbled so low, the blowing wind couldn¡¯t carry his voice over. ¡°Ryan, ept the reality,¡± Micah said, when the man behaved like he was deranged as he kept talking to himself. ¡°Micah, Dax, enough. Let¡¯s head back.¡± Abby didn¡¯t want to waste her time anymore, however, she didn¡¯t expect her words to trigger Ryan somehow, because now the man was shaking again. ¡°You are going to let them torture me like you did with your sister?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t need to go through any torture if you reveal what you know, it is as simple as it gets,¡± Dax supplied from the side, feeling the ex beta was scared to lose his life. His fear was not uncalled for because, aside from Hanna, no other rogue they captured managed to keep their life in the past few months. But then they kept Hanna alive, so it was highly likely Ryan could keep his life as well. But there were certain conditions like he said. He needed to tell them everything he knew, just like Hanna did. Dax felt he sounded quite reassuring, but the reaction he got from Ryan made him bite his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you, you are going to kill me.¡± Ryan waspletely unstable and the next thing he did was something so unexpected, they all felt their hearts drop to their stomachs. With every ounce of energy left in his body, he attacked Abby, who was to his right, and wrapped his hands around her throat. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. However, he didn¡¯t have much strength, making it easy for the girl to pry his hands from her throat. ¡°Don¡¯t make me burn you, father.¡± Abby warned, as she nodded her head at Micah, asking him to stay where he was, because she felt she had it under control. But she couldn¡¯t be more wrong because in the next second, Ryan swatted her hands, and she lost her bnce, and out of instinct she set his hands on fire, which managed to alight the scruff on his face as well. And in his panic at seeing the very fire that took his mate¡¯s life, the man pushed his daughter, and watched in horror as she fell backward and down the cliff, the pain from his burnspletely forgotten. ¡°Hepleted his task!¡± A rogue suddenly shouted from the bunch that were kneeling a bit behind before the royal warriors that were equally stunned by the sudden turn of events. Because, in the next second, they could see their king diving down the cliff, as he shifted into his beast. ¡°Abby!!¡± Micah roared before dashing in his beast form, in the process knocking Ryan, who was still frozen in his ce, aside. Only when he fell face first into the dirt on the ground did Ryan realize what he had done. As that rogue said, he was ordered to push Abby down the cliff, but he didn¡¯t mean to do it. No matter what, Abby was still his daughter. He thought of taking her back with him instead, because falling down this cliff meant losing one¡¯s life. But now, he pushed his own daughter to death. ¡°What have I done?¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡°What happened?¡± Mire asked the warrior as he brought an unconscious Ryan down the mountain in the wee hours of the next day. ¡°Where is the Queen and the others?¡± She was waiting at the foot of the mountain, under Abby¡¯s request, with several warriors from the Silver Moon pack. ¡°If things went out of control, you should step in as our back up n,¡± she said, before setting off the day before, but from the looks of it, they seemed to have dealt with the situation by themselves. She could see a few other warriors dragging along a bunch of rogues, who were in a rather bad shape, but none were in a condition as horrible as the ex beta of the Silver Moon pack. A side of his face was burnt so badly, his healing power didn¡¯t seem to be able to quite catch up to the damage he received, not to mention the charred skin on his hands. ¡°Queen Abby burnt him?¡± She asked when the warrior just fidgeted in his ce, not answering her earlier questions. Finally, the warrior opened his mouth. ¡°Yes, it was the Queen¡¯s doing.¡± Mire could breathe a little easier upon confirming that Calpin didn¡¯t appear. If that dark wizard had been there, it would be a lot more difficult. ¡°So you sessfully captured him, but why don¡¯t I see the King and Queen with you?¡± The witch had this ominous feeling when the warrior tightened his jaw. ¡°This rogue pushed Queen Abby down the mountain¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Mire couldn¡¯t believe her ears when the warrior exined what transpired on the cliff and how the king jumped down the cliff after the queen. This smells like a recipe for chaos! From his words, she gathered Dax, the royal gamma had already startedbing through the valley. ¡°The royal gamma wants these rogues locked up in the dungeons until they can find the King and Queen,¡± another warrior chimed in. It was obvious they were not happy with this arrangement, because they wanted to help with the search too. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going up to help search for them,¡± Mire decided on the spot. ¡°Do one thing for me!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. She swiftly wrote something on a paper and asked the warrior to bring the letter to Alpha Samuel. ¡°Not a single soul should know that the king and the queen went missing.¡± With that, she sent the warriors off, because Ryan really needed immediate medical attention. The burns he received were not ordinary, because it was Abby¡¯s fire that caused them. ¡°It was burnt pretty badly,¡± the healer of the Silver Moon pack said as she looked at Ryan¡¯s face. She felt a little perplexed that his own healing ability couldn¡¯t help him heal it much, because ording to the royal warriors that brought him back, it had been about a quarter day since he was hurt, but it still looked horrible to say the least. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee my healing power will be able to do much,¡± she said after taking a good look at his hands. She had never seen this kind of wound, of course apart from the warriors that died out of nowhere with their skin charred all over until people couldn¡¯t make out even their features. But she could tell what Ryan faced was different, and there was definitely fire involved unlike those warriors whose lives ended rather abruptly. She was curious about the cause of Ryan¡¯s wounds, but the warrior shot her down in an instant when she asked about it. He indirectly told her to mind her own business and not to poke her head wherever she pleased. But she decided to let him understand the gravity of the situation. ¡°He may not heal properly.¡± ¡°Do whatever you can.¡± That was all she got, before he left her with a whimpering mess of Ryan, who kept crying how painful it was. ¡°It¡¯s ruined, right?¡± Ryan suddenly asked, but the woman didn¡¯t answer him, even though the man was someone who wielded so much power until three months ago. She didn¡¯t have the heart to crush him further byying out the truth to him, because she felt that the chances his face could be healed were pretty slim. It was highly likely that he would have to live with a ruined face for eternity! ******************************* All she could feel was air, whooshing past her ears loudly as she fell off the cliff when her father pushed her down, making her still unstable legs give awaypletely. But the almost inaudible scream she let escape her lungs was reced by a shrill plea when she saw something huge and dark following her trajectory down the valley. ¡°Micah, no!¡± Abby felt her throat clogging in, but it was pitifullyte, because secondster, his huge limbs engulfed her and by some miracle, he turned them mid air. ¡°NO, NO!¡± Abby shook her head against his muzzle, realizing what he was doing, but it didn¡¯t change anything, because a minuteter, they collided into something really hard and their descent ended abruptly. ************************* The sky, which had started brightening up slowly but surely, was going back to dark again, but still there was no sign of the King and Queen. ¡°We will find them!¡± This was the only response Dax gave anyone when they showed a little bit of discouragement. Mire joined them before the sun could peek over the horizon, rushing up the mountain, and had been aiding in the search along with the Silver Moon pack warriors. But with each minute that passed, the royal gamma felt himself getting frantic, because this was not something they could hide. And if this thing blew up, he couldn¡¯t imagine the chaos that would break out in the entire kingdom. Thankfully, Mire wrote to Alpha Samuel, and he would be here any minute with the Red River pack warriors. Dax looked down the valley, and couldn¡¯t help but dread how deep this valley was. They were losing the sun and it would get even more tricky at night. Just where were the both of them? Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡°Micah, Micah!¡± Abby called out tentatively, but there was no response from the beast beneath her. She was still protectively wrapped up in his limbs, but she could lift her head just fine. The only problem was; she couldn''t move much, being locked up in his arms, while his muzzle was too big to look at his head clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me, Micah!¡± She pleaded, but when there was still no reaction that she could detect, Abby had toe to terms with the fact that Micah had lost his consciousness. Did his head knock really hard into whatever, most probably a boulder?!, when he fell with her in his arms? ¡°Heavens!¡± She wanted to curse. Of all the things Abby thought might happen tonight, being pushed by her father down this cliff was thest thing. To be honest, she didn¡¯t even think it was a possibility. They were prepared for a battle, yes, that was why Micah chose to summon the royal warriors, leaving out the two packs¡¯ warriors as back up ns. But now, looking around the valley she was stuck in with an unconscious Micah, Abby felt like no amount of nning could have prepared them for this. No matter where she turned, with the minimal room she had, all she could see was darkness. Did they fall into some kind of ditch? She couldn¡¯t tell if that was the case, because there wasn¡¯t even a hint of light around here. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. But high above their heads, all kinds of mountain trees surrounded them, covering the view completely, until she couldn¡¯t see the night sky at all. The sparse moonlight that illuminated the cliff up there waspletely blocked out by the thick canopies, until all she could make out was outlines of things, not being able to say for sure. ¡°Just what kind of ce is this?¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but mutter as she wiggled her body, and when she expended almost all her energy, she could finally free herself, as his limbs weakly fell to the sides. However, the moment she snapped her finger, and there was this little me at the tip of her finger, almost looking like a candle, all she could see was this hard surface surrounding them. Was that a rock? Abby didn''t know if she shouldugh or cry, because it seemed they had fallen into a gap between two rocks. Her breath hitched when she took a good look at his head, which was now covered in blood, because of the fur, if you weren¡¯t paying full attention, you wouldn¡¯t be able to realize he was bleeding a lot. ¡°Why are you bleeding so much?¡± Abby felt her stomach twist painfully as she knelt beside his head. She realized his healing ability seemed to havepromised a little. She tried to seek his wound with her free hand, and sighed a little when she couldn¡¯t find an open wound. At least his wounds seemed to have closed. She didn¡¯t dare to think how horrible his situation would be if he kept bleeding. But then she noticed how the air around them was rather chilly, while the ground beneath her knees felt a little damp. It gave an extra ominous vibe to this ce. She tried to shake her mate awake, but to no avail. ¡°What should I do?¡± Abby was frantic now, because no matter how hard she tried, Micah¡¯s beast wouldn¡¯t budge from its ce, nor would he open his eyes. He also lost so much blood. But then the air seemed to have be a bit colder again, and she decided she needed to keep them both warm enough first. She quickly let her fire flow, but only a little, so that it could ward off cold air. But she didn¡¯t dare to create arge fire, because she didn¡¯t want to lure any wild animals, much worse, the stray rogues that might be lurking around. ¡°Micah, hang in there! I¡¯m sure Dax and the others are searching for us now.¡± The girl pleaded before she settled beside his motionless frame, and pulled his head onto herp, as she kept running her fingers through his fur. ¡°How could you be so stupid?¡± Abby felt her heart caving in every time she recalled how his beast surrounded her frame midair, just so he could cushion her fall, and ended up taking the brunt of it. She didn¡¯t know how long she tried to keep her fire flowing, just enough to keep the air around them warm, but she must have fallen asleep at some point, because of exhaustion and stress, and when she woke up again, it was because she was startled by her nightmare. One that unceremoniously constituted the events ofst night ¡°Micah!¡± Abby sat up abruptly, but almost ended up falling back before she used her hands to support herself behind her, while her legs were utterly numb. Micah''s head was not on herp anymore, but he had shifted back into his human form. Did he wake up after I fell asleep? But her hopes were dashed when she realized his body was actually turning colder by the minute, not to mention the wounds on his body. Noticing all this, she couldn¡¯t help but heave in agony. It was pretty brutal, blood was everywhere, his face, his arms and legs, everywhere. Moreover, he was in his beast form when he saved her. But now he was in his human form. Abby couldn¡¯t help but dread the reason. He was forced to shift back from the intense pain, while he was unconscious like this. The sight left her trembling with fear, especially when his breathing was too faint, which was also an indication that he was still alive. Abby wanted to cry, but she couldn¡¯t. She had to be strong for both of them, and take care of him until someone found them, because she couldn¡¯t possibly lug his huge body around even if she, by some miracle, found a way back to the Silver Moon pack. ¡°You will be fine, I will make sure of it,¡± she promised as she pressed her lips to his bloody forehead. All she could do was pray with all her heart for Dax or someone to find them as soon as possible, because if Micah didn¡¯t get help, his condition would worsen. However, the longer she stayed there, the harder her heart thumped, when she looked at her surroundings in the daylight. She didn¡¯t know what time it was, but from the bright light filtering into the cave, through the leaves high above them, she reckoned it must be around afternoon. She must have slept around five or six hours then, but Micah was unconscious for almost half a day. Not to mention this ominous feeling that kept nagging at the back of her head, looking at the rocky structure she found herself with Micah. It seemed like a pathway, to God knows where, yet so narrow at the same time. She stood up and realized she could only take two ways, either forward or backward. The light along this way was strange as well, it dimmed progressively toward the far end in front of her. Moreover, the space ahead of her thrummed with this dark energy she felt her breath stifling just thinking about walking past it. ¡°I don¡¯t feelfortable about going there,¡± Abby decided, but she still let a tiny fireball float across a small distance and gasped when it blew up against thin air after traveling a few feet. ¡°Gosh, definitely doesn''t seem like an ideal ce to snoop around.¡± It was as if there was a barrier sort of thing, that prevented her little fireball from going further, even though the path seemed to have ended much further than where her fireball exploded. Moreover, Abby swore she caught a glimpse of something like rusty gates, at the far end, and just thinking about this strange setting, left her uneasy. It seemed the creepiness of this ce was not uncalled for. It would be better if she didn¡¯t snoop around in such a ce. And that choice left her with only one another option. So she turned to the other side and walked a bit, and within no time she was out of this pathway. Interesting! Abby couldn''t help but note, but then, suddenly, she heard this peculiar sound of steady streaming, and her ears perked up. ¡°Water!¡± She didn¡¯t hesitate to run to the source of the sound, but she didn¡¯t forget to keep an eye out for animals or rogues. ¡°Thank heavens!¡± The girl eximed when she saw that the sound was really because of water, a rivulet to be precise and quickly came up with an idea. The water looked clean enough and when she took a tentative sip, she felt half of her problems had been solved. She immediately started scouring her eyes around the space filled with trees behind her, in need of something to bring some water back to Micah. Her eyes lit up when she saw this nt with huge leaves that looked like sacs and immediately plucked one leaf before running to the water. She cleaned it thoroughly in the water before walking up the stream a little. Then, holding the leaf carefully, she collected some water. Her feet forgot about all the numbness and soreness, as she skipped back to where she left Micah, and quickly fed him some water. ¡°I''ll clean you up a bit.¡± Abby said to no one in particr when she returned with some more water before slowly cleaning the blood off his body. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 As they hoped, when the sun almost disappeared, Alpha Samuel joined the searching party led jointly by Dax and Mire when they were about half way down this deep valley, the bottom of which was still out of their sight. Seeing the alpha arrive with his warriors, Dax immediately shifted back to his human form and filled him in on the situation along with the witch. ¡°Because of the dense vegetation around here, it is quite hard to pick their scents.¡± The royal gamma was clearly frustrated when he expressed that he couldn¡¯t reach Micah at all. ¡°I don''t know how, but I can¡¯t contact him through the mindlink, either.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not give chance for anything to discourage us, we will find them.¡± Alpha Samuel reassured him. The royal gamma¡¯s fear was not something unwarranted, because it was almost a day since Micah and Abby went missing at a time like this, when a dark sorcerer like Calpin was running rampant with the rogues no more than puppets in his hands. ¡°We can not let them fall into the enemies¡¯ hands!¡± Just like protecting the kingdom and its people¡¯s welfare was the King¡¯s duty, protecting their sovereign was the topmost priority of the royal warriors. Everyone has their own role to fulfill! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Only Dax couldn¡¯t help but dread the thought of what would happen if they failed like thest time, where Calpin managed to corner the king anddy Abby right in front of their eyes before hurting them gravely¡­ ¡°This is driving me crazy,¡± Dax admitted. ¡°But I won''t stop until I bring them both back safely.¡± He was normally a carefree soul, with easy going nature and a goofy personality, but once he set his mind on something, it was hard for anyone to change his mind. ¡°And we will make sure you do!¡± The alpha squeezed Dax¡¯s shoulder, silently telling him that they shared the same goal. The witch was silent as the royal gamma exined further to Samuel how they couldn¡¯t find a single trace of them along their way down here. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to confirm where exactly they fell, so we are searching every inch down their possible trajectory.¡± ¡°Mire, do you have any way to locate them?¡± Alpha Samuel looked at the witch, pulling her out of her thoughts. ¡°Yes, I do and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to trace them immediately if it works,¡± Mire said, folding her hands across her chest. Since the shifters couldn¡¯t trace their scents, she came up with an idea to locate them, but it was not as simple as she stated. ¡°Queen Abby is the focal point of this method.¡± Mire didn¡¯t know if they could understand her words. But she went ahead and exined her idea to them briefly anyway. ¡°She has to use her fire magic.¡± She then exined how magic would always leave traces behind, no matter how small, and Dax and Samuel didn¡¯t know if it would be a good thing or bad thing for Abby to use magic. ¡°She would use it if only a special circumstance arises!¡± Dax tightened his jaw. ¡°But it will lead me to her equally quickly,¡± Mire pointed out, even though she understood why they didn¡¯t feel this method was ideal. If Abby used her magic, it meant she and the king were in danger. This was all very frustrating. ¡°We have limited options, let¡¯s just keep our eyes and ears open for every possibility,¡± Alpha Samuel said, hoping things wouldn¡¯t turn even moreplicated than they already were. ¡°But she didn¡¯t use her magic until now, so it means they were fine, but just stranded somewhere on this mountain, right?¡± Dax suddenly blurted out. ¡°You can say so,¡± Mire nodded her head, hoping he was right. Because they could also be in a position where they couldn¡¯t do anything. But she didn¡¯t open her mouth, lest her spection dampened their spirits. ¡°We just have to intensify our search then.¡± Dax felt reinvigorated. ********************** On her first attempt, Abby couldn¡¯t really make Micah gulp any water down. With him being unconscious, it was pretty hard to pour water down his throat, but she didn¡¯t give up. He already lost so much blood, and with the chilly air around, if he got dehydrated as well, his condition might worsen even further, not to mention, she couldn¡¯t make him take food even if she seeded in finding some fruits. So she concentrated on keeping his throat from going drypletely, as she let drop after drop into his slightly ajar lips. She hoped if he drank some water, out of instinct, when his body subconsciously craved water, her efforts would be paid. ¡°Thank Heavens!¡± Abby couldn¡¯t help but pat her chest in relief, when she saw his throat work, even though quite minimally, finally letting some water into his system. When she looked at his bloody face and arms, she decided it would be better to put this water to some other use, as she rushed back to the stream and brought more water. After that, she stayed where she was, guarding her sleeping mate, not wanting to try her luck too much. Even though she felt quite exhausted, apart from silently pleading for Micah to stay with her, she wasn¡¯t interested in anything. She wanted to save her energy in case they encountered any wild beasts or rogues, since energy was what she needed to fight those off. She still expended some of thest bit of her energy to keep Micah warm, though, or when she needed to make trips for more water. However, when the night had fallen again and there were still no signs of her mate waking up, Abby felt her whole body turning numb from the emotional wreckage that kept challenging her system. Only she knew how many times she roughly wiped at her tears, which kept spilling from her eyes every now and then, even though she tried hard to will them back. Seeing him lying motionless like this, in this dark and depressing ce, was taking a toll on her. But she seemed to have fallen asleep at some point of the night, because, the next thing she knew, paws thumping heavily on the ground startled her awake. Judging by the brightness around them, it seemed almost noon again, as leaves rustled in the wind that carried over the sound from far away. Her senses were already meagerpared to an average shifter, not to mention her weak composition, coupled with her exhaustion, she couldn¡¯t really guess who was making their way here and her heart thudded painfully in her ribcage at the endless possibilities. It could be anyone, rogues or the royal warriors, or even a false rm by the wild animals. ¡°Please, don¡¯t let it be rogues, don¡¯t let it be rogues!¡± Abby chanted in her heart repeatedly as she kept looking across the path and then above her head, willing the worst possibilities from noting true. In her current condition, she didn¡¯t think she would be able to fend off too many rogues, because they always attacked in groups, but wild animals would at least find her fire scary. And when she saw a huge head appearing high over the rocky structure to her right, looking scarily simr to a wolf¡¯s head, her heart almost skidded to a screeching halt¡­ She immediately got ready to hurl her fireballs at it, deciding to go all out. But at thest second, she stopped and snuffed her fire, because she saw another yet familiar wolf looking down the rock, followed by a lithe figure of a woman. ¡°Dax?! Mire?!¡± Immediately, Dax¡¯s wolf jumped down a few feet from her and Abby almost copsed from relief. But she still staggered back, prompting the royal gamma to shift back as he hurried to her side. ¡°Queen Abby, the King¡­¡± Dax¡¯s voice trailed off, and with one look at him, she could see that he could tell how bad his king¡¯s situation was. ¡°He has been unconscious for two days¡­¡± Abby sobbed silently as hups raked her body, while more warriors jumped down into the pathway before they shifted back as well. Dax seemed to have mindlinked them, because, as the warriors carried Micah out of the rocky structure with the royal gamma leading the queen, she could see several more beasts rushing there. ¡°We are going back now.¡± Dax informed Alpha Samuel, behind him were the group of Red River pack warriors that followed him. ¡°I understand,¡± the alpha nodded, as he immediately called his pack¡¯s warriors, so that they could leave ahead. ¡°I¡¯m leaving first, be careful on the way back.¡± Since he came incognito, it would be best for him to return first, just to avoid trouble. They could also eliminate any obstacles on their way back, which would make the transfer of the king easy. But Mire stayed behind after sending the Silver Moon pack warriors away, before she hurriedly checked on the queen. ¡°I¡¯m fine, exhausted but still in one piece!¡± Abby reassured the witch. She then asked her why it took them so long to find them. ¡°This ce is quite strange, those shifters can¡¯t detect your scent at all. Only when I traced the magic you used, we were able to find you both.¡± ¡°You used your fire so sparingly, so it took me time. But I¡¯m d you weren¡¯t forced to use your magic inrge amounts!¡± Abby was d she didn¡¯t use up all her luck as well. ********************* No one back in the Silver Moon pack knew that Micah and Abby had gone missing, even Alpha Samuel left with his warriors saying he had a new task from the king. But when they finally returned to the pack, two dayster, in the dead of the night, the royal healer was waiting for them anxiously. ¡°You need to leave for the Silver Moon pack right away.¡± n told her two days ago, and she immediately packed and rushed here, thinking something bad had happened to Abby, as the royal beta remained tight-lipped as to why she needed to travel so far suddenly. What could n do when the issue was so serious like this, where they didn¡¯t know what kind of news that they had to wait for? He suddenly received a letter from the royal gamma, which carried news that could shake the entire kingdom, and put so many shifters'' lives in jeopardy, so he did what he thought was rational to do at that time. Sending help in any way possible! Like more royal warriors and of course healers, just in case they needed them. And Nadia was definitely needed there when they were finally found because Micah didn¡¯t gain consciousness all the way back to the pack. ¡°It will be forty eight hours soon!¡± Abby said in a trembling voice, when the royal healer asked her since when the king was unconscious. She didn¡¯t look any better, but she insisted that Micah be treated first. ¡°He fell unconscious right after you guys went missing?¡± It was Dax who blew his top at her confession, but then it made sense, because, had Micah been conscious enough, he wouldn¡¯t have let Abby stay in that creepy ce for two days. He wondered why he couldn¡¯t reach Micah through mindlink even once since they fell down, only now he got an answer. Because his king was dead to the world. But then he saw Abby copsing to the floor from overexertion, prompting him to catch her before she hurt herself. Seeing all this, Nadia finally understood why the royal beta didn¡¯t reveal anything to her about the king going missing. This would cause a huge uproar if news went out. However, n had more reasons. Because he couldn¡¯t afford to let anyone from the royal council catch wind of this news. Their hearts were already filled to the brim with negative emotions toward the queen, and if they learned that Abby had caused Micah to suffer another misfortune, he couldn¡¯t imagine the impact. Nothing good woulde out of it, since the former king was waiting for a chance to pave his way back onto the throne. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¡°Queen Abby!!!¡± Nadia¡¯s heart almost stopped beating when she saw the girl faint all of a sudden, but thanks to the royal gamma, she didn¡¯t end up falling face first. ¡°Royal gamma Dax, quick,y her on the bed!¡± Alpha Samuel urged Dax as he recovered from the shock finally. Immediately, the royal healer and the others busied themselves with diagnosis of Micah and Abby. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Royal healer Nadia, I¡¯ll check on the Queen, you should focus on the King,¡± Gloria, the head healer of the Red River pack, told Nadia as she walked over to Abby¡¯s side. Along with Nadia, there was also the healer of the red river pack. Alpha Samuel thought the same as n and urged his own pack¡¯s healer to make a trip down to this pack. But the healer of the Silver Moon pack wasn¡¯t summoned. Even Alpha James still didn¡¯t know that the king and queen actually went missing. Just because they managed to bring them back, neither Dax nor Samuel were naive enough to let their guards down. Every little slip up on their part might cost them dearly, and none of them were ready to bear consequences if things went south again. They already had enough on their tes. ¡°What happened to the King?¡± Dax asked Nadia as soon as she stood up with this deep frown on her face. ¡°His healing ability has slowed down for some reason. I¡¯ll treat him for the blood loss first,¡± Nadia decided, feeling she would be able to tell the problem once the main issue, which seemed to be the cause of the unusual paleplexion of the king, had been dealt with. ¡°What about Queen Abby?¡± Samuel asked Gloria, when he saw his pack¡¯s healer taking too long. ¡°She seemed to have over exhausted herself again, but it wasn¡¯t as serious as thest time,¡± Gloria replied, as she proceeded to take her pulse next. Thest time she meant, was when Calpin drove her to the point where her power backshed, and she fell unconscious for several days in a row. ¡°At least, she wasn''t seriously injured¡­¡± Alpha Samuel caught himself when he saw this shocked expression on the head healer¡¯s face. ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Gloria looked at Nadia. ¡°She is pregnant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good news, what¡¯s bad about it?¡± The royal gamma didn¡¯t understand her words at all, while Nadia looked equally mortified as Gloria. The royal healer swiftly rounded the bed to check on the queen. ¡°She is indeed expecting.¡± Even Alpha Samuel was confused by their reactions now, but then their expressions turned grim when the healers took turns to exin how the queen¡¯s current condition might not be ideal for the growing baby in her stomach. ¡°So you are saying that her body is too weak, and the pregnancy might be unstable?¡± Dax¡¯s stomach sank. But then Nadia seemed to have remembered something. ¡°But the fetus has the royal bloodline, so the baby would be okay as long as the queen recovers fast enough.¡± Hearing this, the tense people that were holding their breaths seemed to have found a small reprieve. ¡°It still depends on her waking up quickly, then?¡± Daxmented as his eyesnded on Micah then. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be disturbed while recuperating.¡± Nadia nodded her head in agreement. ¡°But we can¡¯t move them recklessly now.¡± ¡°I know, but it will be hard to keep the matter of them getting injured under wraps for too long.¡± The royal gamma didn¡¯t dare to imagine the ruckus it would cause in the capital city. ¡°It¡¯s no use bringing the unconscious king back to the capital, royal gamma.¡± The alpha reminded Dax. So that left them with only one best course of action. Dax and Samuel seemed to havee to a tacit understanding about this matter before the royal gamma spoke again. ¡°No one should know about the pregnancy.¡± Apart from them both, only Nadia and Gloria were present in this room, even Alyssa was stopped outside the door by the guards when she came running after learning that Abby was back. And upon understanding the gravity of the situation, the two healers immediately gave their word to be quiet about the whole situation. ¡°No matter what you need, just let one of us know, you will have everything you need to save their lives.¡± Three lives were at stake now, none of them willing to gamble their luck in such a situation. And after thinking it through, they decided it would be better to keep Micah and Abby in two different rooms to help their healing process. Only after Abby was shifted to the room next door was her personal maid finally able to go and tend to her now unconscious master. ¡°Alyssa, during these days, you should always be alert,¡± Gloria told her as she handed her a small bowl of medicinal herbs, so that the girl could feed her queen. She treated Abby along with Nadiast time in the Red River pack, so she was more or less capable of taking care of the queen alone, while Dax thought it would be best for the royal healer to concentrate on Micah. That way both of them could be well taken care of at the same time. ¡°This smells a bit different from the one you gave her before.¡± Alyssa¡¯s sharp nose detected this small difference. ¡°I just added more effective herbs, there is nothing wrong with your master.¡± Since they agreed to keep the news about her pregnancy among just the four of them, Gloria didn¡¯t tell Alyssa either, but she still could see how much she cared for her master. The girl was scared that Abby¡¯s condition was way worse than they were letting on when she realized the medicine seemed different. Only with the healer¡¯s reassurance, she could finally concentrate on her job properly again. ***************** Two days passed since they were brought back, meaning it had been four days since they went missing and also Micah lost consciousness. Just when Dax felt like going crazy evading everyone at the pack that kept pestering about the king¡¯s current condition, there was finally some significant improvement in Micah¡¯s condition. ¡°He will probably wake up by tomorrow evening!¡± Nadia dered on the third day morning. ¡°Has his healing ability recovered?¡± Dax looked hopeful for the first time in days, and her answer was akin to pouring honey in his ears. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank heavens! It¡¯s high time he is back on his feet!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s time you rest a bit.¡± Nadia pointed at his haggard face. ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping enough. Why would I lose sleep when you are here to save the situation?¡± But Nadia cut him off. ¡°Peacefully.¡± When she put it like that Dax couldn¡¯t say anything, because thest few days, sleep meant just closing his eyes, as he found it difficult to properly rest with Micah and Abby unconscious like this. Along with the healers, he had been too alert just in case their conditions worsened. But he wouldn¡¯t admit he was overly worried about things. That was not his style at all. ¡°Okay, you win, but I¡¯m crashing on the couch right here, you can¡¯t make me leave him alone.¡± Dax could only shrug his shoulders when the only response he got was an indescribable re, as if the healer couldn¡¯t bother with his drama. That couch had been his temporary residence since she started treating Micah in this room. However, the gamma didn¡¯t realize how exhausted he was until he shut his eyes, finally letting the peace Nadia mentioned seep into his thoughts, because he was out cold by the time he could let his face fully rx from his huge grin. About ten hourster, the royal gamma stretched on the couch, which squeaked under his weight. He looked at his surroundings, but he was alone. Maybe he could sleep some more¡­ Wait, why am I alone? Where is Micah? ¡°Micah, Micah!¡± He slipped up, and didn¡¯t use his title, just calling out his name rudely as he leaped to the bed which was now in a disarray. ¡°Royal gamma?¡± Dax almost jumped out of his skin when he heard someone call his name, in his panic, the voice sounded rather eerie. But he couldn¡¯t help scowling when he saw that it was just a warrior. ¡°Where is the King?¡± He stomped to the door where the warrior was standing, looking at him a little puzzled. ¡°He is next door,¡± the warrior answered, and before he could deliver the message, the gamma ran out. ¡°Alpha Samuel called you¡­¡± The warrior''s voice trailed off when he saw that the gamma actually went next door, where the king was. So he just returned to his post. He was a warrior of the Red River pack. Alpha Samuel mindlinked him to call him over. On the other hand, the royal gamma was huffing and puffing when he opened the door to the guest bedroom, where they were treating Abby. ¡°King Micah!¡± The king had his back to the door, while the others were standing to the side, they seemed to be persuading him over something. Both the healers, Alyssa and the alpha were inside the room, while Micah sat on the edge of the bed, beside Abby. ¡°My King, it will take a few more days for the Queen to wake up,¡± Nadia said, even though she looked like she was having a hard time speaking. ¡°I''m gonna stay with her¡­¡± Micah said, word to word, his voice a bit gruff, maybe because it had been almost five days since he had talked. Immediately, Dax understood the situation. And what Nadia spoke next only confirmed his thoughts. ¡°But you are still recovering too. It will have a negative effect on your own health.¡± The healer''s voice turned smaller and smaller to the end of her sentence. ¡°All of you, leave, I''ll talk to the King.¡± Dax finally stepped into the room, as the other four went out. But before going out, Alpha Samuel gave him a look while shaking his head, indicating Micah still didn''t find out about Abby¡¯s pregnancy. Micah¡¯s face didn''t look good at all, and the royal gamma could tell why. Because it was the same devastated look Abby had when Micah was unconscious. ¡°Micah, she''ll be fine.¡± Both Dax and n were close enough to the king to address him by his name, but they would only do it in private. ¡°She just needed to rest. The healers filled you in, right? She was just over exhausted.¡± ¡°You don''t get to decide what I need to do.¡± Meanwhile, Micah seemed to have gotten fed up with the healers nagging for him to rest more and not run around. So he dismissed the royal gamma the moment he sang the same tune. ¡°But you both need rest. Lots and lots of rest. Just listen to the healers.¡± ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Micah suddenly looked up, wrenching his eyes from his little one. ¡°What is it? Did she get hurt badly?¡± He protected her well during the fall, but then, he went ahead and lost consciousness, so couldn''t say for sure what happened before they were brought back. Alpha Samuel had been very brief with him; he had been unconscious for almost five days, and Abby fainted aftering back here. No one knew what happened during the time Abby had to take care of him alone in the woods. And when he asked about her condition, all they told him was that she was just sleeping. It was getting on his nerves. On the other hand, Dax could only give up ande clean in front of the king, when he was reading the situation in the wrong way. ¡°No, nothing happened to her highness.¡± Dax reassured his king. ¡°She is pregnant.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Micah was clearly shocked. ¡°She is pregnant, Micah. That isis why she needs uninterrupted rest.¡± Micah also needed to rest now, that was probably why the healers didn''t tell him right away. Because Micah wouldn¡¯t agree to stay away from Abby after knowing the truth. and insist on apanying Abby, like the time he did when she fell unconscious for several days after her battle with Calpin. He would neglect his own recovery, and insist on apanying Abby, just like when he did thest time she fell unconscious for several days after her battle with Calpin. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 As they expected, it proved to be next to impossible to persuade the king to leave his mate¡¯s side once he found out about Abby¡¯s pregnancy. ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t get to decide what I can or can¡¯t do.¡± The severity in his tone was something none of them could ignore, no matter how worried they were about the king¡¯ health. Having realized there was nothing they could do to make the budge from his stance, Dax and the others could only give up. ¡°But, you should let Nadia and Gloria continue to take care of you both,¡± the royal gamma insisted, braving to throw a tantrum, fearing that Micah would ask to be ignored, so that they could treat his mate instead. ¡°Your health is equally important, my king.¡± Alpha Samuel supported the royal gamma. Since the evening he woke up, Micah had been rooted to his spot beside Abby, sitting still on the edge of the bed, while urging healers to take care of Abby. ¡°Since she is pregnant, you should wake her up as soon as possible first.¡± Only after endless persuasion, did Micah finally agree to let them help himself as well, but not before hinting at them to focus on Abby more. ¡°I¡¯m much stronger than her.¡± His argument wasn¡¯t based on nothing, Abby indeed had a weak constitution whenpared to himself, but the healers were already relieved that the king didn¡¯t stubbornly refuse to be treated until Abby woke up. Despite suffering great injuries from falling down the cliff, with his remarkable healing ability and the extra boost of his royal bloodline, he began recovering miraculously faster after regaining consciousness under Nadia¡¯s care. ¡°But you lost so much blood until you were knocked out cold for four days straight,¡± Dax reminded him. Because the damage he sustained was truly great, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have lost consciousness like that, for several days in a row at that. Even though there had been great progress in his recovery rate, he wasn¡¯t back to hispletely healthy self yet. He wasn¡¯t properly healed yet, but he was already running around, insisting that he wanted to take care of his mate himself, instead of recuperating responsibly. He just wouldn''t listen to them and their concerns only increased when the girl slept through another full day, without showing any progress in recovering whatsoever. The king looked like he was going to go crazy when Abby didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up even after he sat by her side day and night It had been almost two days since he woke up, which also meant it was four days since she fell unconscious. After dropping the news of her pregnancy, Dax gave him a detailed report of how he found her in a creepy cave-like ce. ¡°She must have been scared silly when I didn¡¯t wake up in the woods, just like me right now,¡± Micah mumbled to himself as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Just like he imed, he was much stronger. His recovery rate spiked once he regained his consciousness, and color returned to his paleplexion gradually. It had been four days since he woke up already, but the girl in his arms was still sleeping without any intention of relieving him from this misery. ¡°Wake up, little one, I miss you,¡± Micah sighed across her skin, which was still devoid of the sweet flush whenever she was near him. Just looking at her was enough to make his heart clench painfully. From the moment he found out that he was going to have his firstborn, Micah didn¡¯t leave her side. From feeding medicine to his mate and giving her a sponge bath to changing her dress, everything was being done by him. Probably, his silent prayers seemed to have reached the heavens, because the next moment, there was finally a slight movement from the girl in his arms. His little mate just tightened her hold on the front of his shirt. It was almost midnight, so the king had already dismissed everyone. On the grounds that they should be on standby, though, lest he needed them for something. He and Abby were the only people in this room right now. ¡°Little one?¡± Micah called, his voice full of hope. ¡°Little one?¡± He looked at her face for quite a while intently, but apart from clutching his shirt, which he wasn¡¯t sure what to make out of, there was no other response from her. But his heart finally started beating a bit less painfully, because her action indicated she would wake up soon. *************************** Micah felt this sweet tingling sensation across his forehead, as if he was being teased by a feather. The touch was light and fleeting, but electric all the same. ¡°Little one, behave,¡± he sighed as he crushed the woman in his arms to his chest after grabbing his mate¡¯s wandering hand. He then rubbed his face on her hair, before finding a morefortable position to continue sleeping. ¡°Micah,¡± Abby chuckled, her voice hoarse, as she wriggled a little in his arms. This voice seemed to have finally registered in his subconscious because the king opened his eyes in the next second. He didn¡¯t know when he fell asleepst night, maybe because he didn¡¯t sleep well the previous few nights, his eyes seemed to have drooped eventually, not to mention he was still taking medicines to replenish his blood. He thought he was dreaming, only after opening his eyes, did he realize he wasn¡¯t. And Abby could tell that, which was why she moved around in his arms until he woke up fully. ¡°You are awake!¡± He breathed, his face a little relieved, the little frown Abby tried to smooth earlier was less distinct now. She could tell he was worried sick while she slept day after day apparently. ¡°Seems so,¡± the girl said in her still hoarse voice, which prompted the king to spring into action. While mindlinking someone to call the healers he quickly grabbed her a ss of water from the night stand and helped her to drink it. Abby couldn¡¯t help but frown when Nadia and Gloria fussed over her while asking her weird questions, once they took turns to check on her. ¡°Are you feeling any nausea?¡± Nadia asked. ¡°Or morning sickness?¡± Gloria parroted from the other side. It was weird because, thest time she was sick like this, they never posted these types of questions to her. Not to mention they were being super cautious when they examined her earlier, going as far as repeating everything they did at least once more, until they both checked even her pulse four times. ¡°What is going on?¡± She looked at them, but the only response she got was them turning to look at Micah instead. ¡°If there is nothing for me to worry about for now, you can leave,¡± Micah addressed the healers and dismissed them once they gave a positive signal that Abby recovered almost half of her energy. ¡°Micah?¡± Abby called out as she tried to pull herself into a sitting position, prompting her mate to adjust the pillows behind her back. ¡°I was so scared seeing you sleep for days like that.¡± Micah didn¡¯t gloss over his own emotions as heid out everything bare for her to see as he exined how he waited for her to wake up. What he didn¡¯t tell her was the fact how the incident this time made him relive her losing consciousness after her power bacsh during her fight with Calpin. But he still asked her what happened after the time they fell down and before Dax found them. ¡°Nothing much happened really, Micah,¡± Abby reassured him, before proceeding to exin that she was just exhausted from using too much energy, not to mention the stress she endured in that grove. ¡°I didn''t really suffer any injuries, but I don''t understand their questions just now.¡± Hearing that she didn''t encounter anything dangerous while he was knocked out cold, Micah was finally able to breathe in relief. As for her dilemma¡­ ¡°Thank you, little one,¡± the king began, confusing the girl even more. But then her heart almost skipped a beat as she gasped when he crouched beside her bed, on the ground, and kissed her belly. ¡°This is an unexpected gift.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Abby held her breath, afraid she was reading too much into his actions. Just from the healers¡¯ questions, she had a vague idea, and when Micah confirmed her line of thought was correct, an audible gasp left her lips. ¡°You are pregnant, honey, and I can¡¯t exin how happy I am,¡± Micah smiled, mirth danced in his eyes. The thrill thrumming in his whole body echoed in his mate as well, because he could see her eyes well up with happy tears. ¡°We are having a baby.¡± Her voice barely a whisper, as she caressed her stomach lovingly, as if she wanted to feel her baby moving around already. This was definitely a gift, especially to her. She always craved this sense of belonging, to be a part of a family, now with the addition of a little life in their lives, her dream would be finally fulfilled. And her joy knew no bounds. ¡°Careful, little one.¡± The king hurried to sit facing her, on the edge of this bed as his mate pulled him in for a hug. ¡°Of course, I will be careful.¡± Abby swore solemnly, with a smile evident in her voice. She was smiling ear to ear, which was a first for her in a long time, and Micah¡¯s eyes reflected her emotions equally. ¡°Moreover, I also have you to protect me and our baby.¡± ¡°You can definitely count on me.¡± Micah was not joking at all. In fact, he had already started taking measures in that direction since the moment Dax revealed the news to him. With her identity as the queen of this kingdom in their minds, Dax and Alpha Samuel didn¡¯t dare to let the news of Abby conceiving their king¡¯s firstborn go beyond the four walls of the guest bedroom without Micah¡¯s permission. Not to mention neither Abby nor the king was in any condition to guide them. They weren¡¯t wrong though, even after waking up, Micah didn¡¯t feel the need to make this news public any time soon. ¡°You are just six weeks along now, so I forbade the news from spreading out!¡± Micah told her genuinely. ¡°Right now, all you need to do is focus on taking care of yourself well, that way you can keep the baby healthy.¡± He didn¡¯t say it explicitly, but Abby understood his intention. She was weak to begin with, so they needed to take all the precautions they could. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Drawing unnecessary attention to yourself is not something I want you to deal with right now,¡± the king said, confirming her thoughts. ¡°I understand.¡± Abby agreed, feeling it wasn¡¯t worth it to alert anyone while she was still recovering like this. If they announced the pregnancy now, it might put both her and the baby at risk. But then, she recalled his words from earlier. ¡°Six weeks! Can you hear the baby¡¯s heartbeat then?¡± Abby suddenly asked, remembering reading it somewhere. ¡°Yes, I can hear it, little one,¡± Micah told her, understanding her excitement. ¡°Trust me when I say it is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.¡± Saying this, Micah pressed his lips to hers, kissing her lovingly, conveying all the emotions he felt when he first pressed his ear to her stomach. ************************ ¡°What did you say?¡± Micah¡¯s voice was ice cold. ¡°We didn''t know how, but the news reached the pce, my king.¡± Dax gritted his teeth. ¡°n wrote that the capital is now abuzz with the news of the impending arrival of your firstborn.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even two weeks since I ordered you that not even n should find out about this matter, but it still made it back somehow?¡± Micah couldn''t believe his ears. ¡°Ask n to investigate who started the rumors.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 After Micah discussed with Abby, they both decided to keep the news about her pregnancy a secret from everyone else. Even though they both understood how important a piece of news this was to the whole kingdom, especially since all of their people had been waiting for the king¡¯s firstborn, who was going to inherit the throne next, for quite a while now. This was in no way a small or trivial matter, but Micah still felt it wasn¡¯t as serious as protecting Abby and their yet to be born baby. With that matter pushed to the backs of their minds, Micah urged the healers to help Abby recover as soon as possible. Surprisingly, even his little stubborn mate, who would alwaysin about taking bitter medicine, didn¡¯t make a fuss and focused on recuperating as soon as possible. ¡°You have changed so much.¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help but grimace one evening, when he saw her almost choking on the bitter medicine. She quickly stuffed the candied fruit Micah prepared for her before turning her eyes to her mate. She had been actively asking for her meals and medicines to be taken care of timely, which was truly unlike her. ¡°Yes, because I want to regain my previous vigor and more,¡± Abby said, her eyes shed with this sudden look of determination. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I know what you are thinking, but you really don¡¯t have to get involved anymore¡­¡± Micah¡¯s voice trailed off when his little one red at him. Even though she was concerned about the baby and came forward to cultivate her health, she was also focusing on things he believed he could handle alone just fine. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°We already talked about this.¡± Her tone conveyed that she wouldn¡¯t back down from her decision. ¡°And, we decided we would do this together, long back.¡± ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t think you need to exert yourself, especially given your current condition.¡± The King still tried to persuade her. ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested that I will work remotely,¡± Abby asserted, wiping her lips, feeling a little repulsed by the strong taste in her mouth. ¡°So I won¡¯t need to go anywhere.¡± ¡°Sending Mire to investigate on your behalf was indeed effective, but do you need to rush so much like this?¡± The king should agree, his little mate was even more stubborn than himself. ¡°Yes, because no one will wait for us to prepare fully before attacking us.¡± Abby was adamant, and the king could only give up. They had been having this conversation almost every other two hours since Abby woke up, and the answer he got was always the same. But he still tried onest time to talk her out of it. ¡°Why do you need to investigate that groove anyway?¡± Micah couldn¡¯t understand this part. ¡°You said that ce spooked you out.¡± Abby told him the strangeness of that ce. But he didn¡¯t understand why she thought it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as them identallynding there. ¡°Precisely because of that,¡± Abby said, but then she didn¡¯t know how to exin her actual reasons. ¡°That ce reeked of something really strange, there was both dark and normal magic there.¡± But it didn¡¯t make any sense to even herself, let alone to Micah, who wasn¡¯t really knowledgeable about magic. Both normal magic and dark magic at the same ce? Was it even possible? ¡°Once Mire returns, she will borate on the situation.¡± Abby sounded sure. In fact, she regretted why she didn¡¯t think of asking Mire to take a look when she found Abby and Micah with the assistance of the royal gamma and the others there. She was too upied then, her mind was filled with getting Micah medical help as soon as possible, and those ominous rusty gates slipped from her mind. Only after deciding to restart investigating the strange deaths in the Silver Moon pack did she remember that groove again. And she immediately asked Mire for this favor. ¡°Then at least rx until she does,¡± Micah coaxed her, but he was in for a disappointment because Abby¡¯s next statement stressed that she had other ns, those that didn¡¯t include rest or sleep. ¡°No, I will continue assisting you in gathering information on Calpin.¡± That crazy fucker was still on the lose, while they had already been silent for around two weeks already. She didn¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t realize what transpired during her so-called reunion with her father. ¡°Ryan not going back to report would be suspicious enough to him, he will strike soon.¡± She wasn¡¯t making up these from thin air, but after observing his attack patterns. ¡°He always tries to attack after baiting us with a distraction. So we must be prepared and do everything to prevent him from seeding.¡± ¡°Will you be at ease if I say I already get enough assistance from Dax and Alpha Samuel?¡± Micah probed onest time. ¡°They don¡¯t understand how magic works, Micah.¡± This was enough to stop him froming up with excuses for Abby to continue resting. He could only sigh. ¡°Okay, you are not to leave this study until I give a pass, though.¡± The guest bedroom where she was treated had been turned into a study, so that she could summon various pack members for investigation. With Mire away, it was Dax who was assisting her for the time being. ¡°Micah, Abby!¡± Dax arrived just as they finished talking. ¡°I think that¡¯s my cue to dive into work.¡± Abby almost pped her hands, but her brow furrowed when she realized the royal gamma came alone. Then she saw the two men exchange a nce, before Micah turned toward her. ¡°Little one, Dax wants to talk about something, wait for me while I see what he needs, okay?¡± Micah only stepped out of the room after his queen nodded her assent for him to leave, even though she felt something was off with that chatterbox called Dax. He was too quiet just now. ********************* When Dax requested a private audience with Micah, the king didn¡¯t imagine that the news awaiting him would be something that could make his blood boil with rage. He and his gamma shifted to the strategy room of this pack house to have this conversation, and now the king was leaning on the long table while his gamma was standing before him. ¡°It¡¯s not even two weeks since I ordered you that not even n should find out about this matter, but it still made it back all the way to the capital somehow?¡± Micah couldn''t believe his ears, as he gripped the edge of the table ¡°Yes, Micah!¡± Dax was also furious, this would bring so many changes to their ns. ¡°This bastard is someone really sneaky.¡± ¡°What is the actual situation there?¡± Micah couldn¡¯t help asking, because Dax¡¯s tone indicated that the matter was not as simple as just leaking news about the queen¡¯s pregnancy. ¡°Actually, the whole capital was filled with a festive mood at first, but then some other rumors started flying around randomly¡­¡± ¡°What rumors?¡± Micah felt a little uneasy at the word. ¡°This¡­¡± Dax hesitated a bit before deciding it was best to let him read the missive himself. ¡°Here, I think you should read it yourself.¡± Micah didn¡¯t waste a second to go through the missive, but the longer he read, the redder his eyes became. ¡°How dare they!¡± Micah roared as he mmed the small paper on the table behind him, almost breaking it in half in his rage. ¡°Calm down, Micah!¡± Dax tried to calm him down. ¡°You read what they were saying and you are asking me to calm down?¡± Micah roared, as he breathed harshly. ¡°Ask n to investigate who started the rumors. I want all the names, Dax.¡± ¡°Yes, my king!¡± Dax bowed to take the order before Micah dismissed him saying he wanted to be alone for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t seek the Queen, I need to talk to her first.¡± Micah tried to reign in his temper, but the letter seemed like a nasty scourge in his eyes, fueling his anger further until he felt like ripping it into shreds. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone, who dared to nder her, off.¡± He promised to himself, almost crushing the cheap excuse of a paper. Later that evening, just when Abby started to contemte whether she should go searching for Micah and Dax herself, her mate finally returned to her side. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Abby asked him impatiently, but when she looked behind him, she couldn¡¯t find Dax this time. ¡°It is already getting dark, we still need to talk to a few people, where is Dax?¡± ¡°Little one,e here and read this,¡± Micah suddenly called her out, and his voice told her that he was conflicted about something. ¡°What is it?¡± Abby skipped to him but her entire demeanor changed after reading the first few lines. ¡°How did the news get out there?¡± ¡°Continue reading¡­¡± Micah had a hard time saying these two words, he knew she would be heartbroken but he promised he would never hide anything from her again. ¡°T- this¡­ this is absurd.¡± Abby felt her legs give away as she copsed onto the sofa behind her. ¡°No, no.. this is not true¡­ how could they say those things about me?¡± ¡°Little one,¡± Micah tried to reach her, when he saw that she was spiraling from the shock. She kept shaking her head while repeating the same thing over and over again. ¡°Micah, say you don¡¯t believe this. You don¡¯t believe it, right?¡± Abby¡¯s eyes were filled with unshed stubborn tears to the brim, as she looked like a puppy that had just been kicked hard. ¡°No, you mustn¡¯t believe anything in this. I wouldn¡¯t do that to you.¡± She almost flinched when Micah reached over to pull her into hisp. ¡°It¡¯s just me, little one, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Abby felt like she was back to those days in her dark past, where people always found fault with her no matter what she did. It was always fun for them to make false usations on her and bully her, with her older sister¡¯s support. Now the letter seemed like a portal to another such type of situation, where the entire capital was boiling over the rumors that she hadmitted adultery. ¡°No, Micah, it¡¯s not true¡­¡± Abby started shaking again, but this time Micah gently kissed her to stop her from overthinking, because he knew his mate really well. ¡°I believe you, so rx first.¡± Micah said, when he finally sensed that the girl was calm enough to realize that he wasn¡¯t here to me her. And immediately, the tears she had been holding back started flowing down her cheeks. ¡°I really don''t have anything to do with him, I sincerely treated him as my brother, but they created such nasty rumors. I feel disgusted.¡± Micah¡¯s arms tightened around her waist. ¡°You were just not cunning enough.¡± Had she been cunning enough, the situation wouldn¡¯t have escted to this point. Now, the entire capital was roaring that she cuckolded the king with Ezgar, as there were quite a few people who imed that they spotted the queen with the cheater several times, alone. All those times she seeked warmth from a brother like person looked like stages of a ndestine affair, and it didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Micah, I¡¯m carrying your baby, you shouldn¡¯t sway with their words.¡± The king felt his blood boil with rage, when he heard her words. They were actually saying the baby wasn¡¯t his. He didn¡¯t know how the word got out, but they didn¡¯t spare Abby any mercy at all, because now they were connecting the exemption of Leon¡¯s family to Abby. The rumors of Abby begging the king to spare Ezgar¡¯s mother and sister joined this fray, acting as fuel to support the rumors of their affair. It was truly a mess now, and the people who started this couldn¡¯t even imagine what hit them when Micah finally took action. He would show them hell, he swore on his life! Chapter 139 Chapter 139 It took two weeks for the news of Abby conceiving the king¡¯s firstborn to reach the capital, but less than twenty four hours after that, rumors spread like wildfire back in the Silver Moon pack. ¡°It¡¯s as if this is all premeditated, to create pressure on both you and the Queen.¡± Dax clicked his tongue, feeling disgusted with their dirty tricks. ¡°What are they even trying to do?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand the motive of the person who nned all this crap. They had their doubts and some people didn¡¯t fit the roles at all. ¡°Were they being used blindly?¡± The royal gamma thought of a lot of things, but he still couldn¡¯t solve this mystery. ¡°What if they were finally letting the power hunger consume them violently?¡± Micah looked deep in thought. ¡°Eventually it was all working in that dark sorcerer¡¯s favor,¡± Dax provided his insight, his expression a mixture of scowl and chagrin. Even a blind person could understand this, but dwelling on it was of no use. ¡°Is there any news from Mire?¡± ¡°She must be back soon, she said she needs a few days at least to investigate that ce thoroughly before leaving,¡± the royal gamma told Micah what the witch told him. ¡°How is Abby doing?¡± ¡°She still has a long way to go.¡± The king was being evasive, but how could his gamma not understand what he wasn¡¯t saying? ¡°Give her time, she wille around.¡± Dax didn¡¯t look that bothered. ¡°She is stronger than she lets on.¡± ¡°That she is,¡± Micah agreed. They both saw how the girl immersed herself in the investigation to reduce the effect of those rumors circting left and right out there on herself. ¡°It will help get my mind off of it,¡± she said, when he asked her to just give it a rest for a few days. However, it wasn¡¯t easy for her even then, because no matter what she did, Abby felt like people around her were pinning her with this strange gaze. Some at least faked decorum, but the majority of the boot lickers she umted since her return to her so called old pack had been evading her. ¡°People¡¯s hearts are even stranger than their minds.¡± Abby thought to herself as she couldn¡¯t help but shake the image of the few maid servants that were just whispering until they were going to bite each other¡¯s ears off. ¡°Stop, Alyssa.¡± Abby grabbed her maid¡¯s hand, because the girl looked like she would blow her top any second now. Abby¡¯s hearing might be normal but Alyssa¡¯s was exceptional. Even though those three omegas behind them were talking in really low voices, until Abby couldn¡¯t hear, Alyssa could hear most of their words and the girl was feeling indignant at them. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it, let¡¯s get on with our work,¡± the queen told her maid, who was apanying Abby in this investigation since Dax was a bit busy right now. ¡°What are you gossiping about all day long?¡± A stern voice echoed behind her and immediately, Abby could see those maids jump out of their skins. ¡°No- nothing, nothing.¡± The omegas parroted, clearly scared that they were caught in the act. ¡°Oh, we still have something to do in the kitchen, pardon us, Lady.¡± ¡°A bunch of scaredy cats,¡± the woman spat at them, before she turned around and floated to Abby¡¯s side. ¡°Don¡¯t let anything get to you, Abby.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, Mire. Thank you for just now.¡± The girl was genuinely grateful, because she was feeling a bit ufortable until a few minutes ago. ¡°Next time thank yourself after teaching them a lesson,¡± Mire clicked her tongue, feeling Abby was too softhearted. ¡°You are the Queen, you don¡¯t have to tolerate anyone.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Abby smiled at the witch. ¡°So I reckon you just got back from the woods?¡± ¡°Yes, give me like¡­¡± Mire thought for a moment, as if debating something before her green eyes shed. ¡°Twenty minutes. I need a nice, long and hot bath after wandering in the woods for days.¡± Abby chuckled at her expression and after deciding on the ce, she hurriedly called over Alyssa. ¡°Get the kitchen to prepare something sumptuous for Mire.¡± Twenty minutester, Mire finally made an appearance in the now makeshift study of Abby, where she could see a mini spread of delicious food on the table. ¡°Wonderful, join me.¡± Mire pulled Abby to the table, where she had her first proper meal in days. Seeing her eat with gusto, Abby also felt her recently dulled appetite improve again. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I expected by asking you to go there, but if you did find anything strange, we can analyze our theories now.¡± Abby was being genuine with the witch, when thetter asked what made her feel the urge to investigate that groove. ¡°That groove is the strangest ce I have ever seen in my life,¡± Mire began after finally pushing her te away. ¡°There are traces of both magic and dark energy there. It¡¯s no wonder you were creeped out by those gates, though.¡± ¡°What else did you find out?¡± Abby was a little bit excited now. She already sensed what Mire had to say, she just wanted to find out why her instinct told her to be extremely careful around there. ¡°Something very interesting.¡± Mire¡¯s eyes shed again. ¡°If my hunch is correct, a great battle seemed to have taken ce in that ce.¡± ¡°Between a magic user and a dark mage?¡± Abby almost guessed the good part, and then chatted away with the witch. Apparently, that ce was no ordinary ce after all, because Mire found a substantial amount of evidence to connect it to the ce where Calpin was confined by that great witch all those years ago. ¡°And another fun part is, the pathway was created during that battle, that was why the air there is a bit strange.¡± Mire¡¯s voice was brimming with excitement. ¡°If you believe that ce was where that great witch had confined Calpin, then the cave should be behind those rusty gates, right? So the cave was also created by magic?¡± Abby found the whole thing very fascinating, if this was the case, to be able to wield such powerful magic, the great witch indeed lived up to her reputation, and Abby felt her admiration for her ancestor sky rocket. ¡°Those rusty gates and the invisible barrier before it seems to serve as some sort ofyered constraining spell.¡± Mire revealed her findings and Abby couldn¡¯t believe her ears. This was too weird to be coincidental, at the same time, incredibly fascinating. ¡°So, you believe your theory is wless? And Calpin¡¯s prison was there?¡± Abby asked the witch. ¡°Yes, because, I felt the traces of dark energy suffused into the air around there suspiciously simr to Calpin¡¯s dark magic.¡± Mire was a hundred percent sure after realizing this part. ¡°And don¡¯t you find something else is strange?¡± ¡°What?¡± Abby was still reeling with all this information. She didn¡¯t believe they would discover such a ce just because she felt there was something off with that ce. ¡°It¡¯s just five hours away from the Silver Moon pack.¡± Mire folded her arms across her chest. ¡°The pack where my mother used to live¡­¡± Abby immediately understood the witch¡¯s words. ¡°Did she end up here to keep an eye out on that cave?¡± ¡°This only solidifies my conjecture.¡± Mire knew the legend of the great witch and dark mage by heart, so it was only normal for the descendants of the great witch, who were now turned into guardians of that cave, to live nearby that cave. After discussing a few more things, Milessa retired to her guest bedroom, reminding Abby to convey her findings to the king. ¡°Okay, go and rest for now.¡± Abby sent Alyssa to send off the witch. ¡°On your way back, make a trip down to the healer and get my medicine.¡± Later that night, after they had their dinner, Micah stuffed a candied fruit into his mate¡¯s mouth, when he saw her grimacing really hard to swallow her medicine. ¡°Pregnancy is no joke,¡± Abby muttered to herself, making the king chuckle. After the heavy conversation they had about that groove and the rogues¡¯ activities, it was pleasant to see himThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. carefree like this. ¡°But you are finally putting on a little weight,¡± Micah remarked, wanting to remind her that it had some perks. Abby couldn¡¯t help sigh, because her mate was correct. She was indeed too skinny, not at all suitable for carrying a baby. So she didn¡¯t dare toin even in her heart, while taking her medicines diligently. She was going to give birth to the king¡¯s firstborn, so she was going to give her all in. But then she pouted a little. Did he mean he didn¡¯t like her body before? But he did it with her, so he should like it, right? ¡°What are you thinking with that pretty little head of yours?¡± ¡°Oh nothing,¡± Abby blushed a little, feeling embarrassed for thinking about the baby making process all of a sudden. It made her body a little hot. However, her sudden arousal hit the king and he felt his mouth go dry. ¡°Your scent betrayed your thoughts, little one.¡± While Abby was still struggling to push those thoughts to the back of her mind, she suddenly heard Micah¡¯s voice in her ear, and her face flushed crimson immediately. She wanted to duck, but the king was swift when he snatched her around the waist and brought their bodies impossibly closer. ¡°Do you want it?¡± The king was teasing her now and the girl in his arms looked like she wanted to dig a hole to hide in. Seeing her being so adorable, Micah couldn¡¯t resist her anymore as he crushed her lips with his. But Abby could feel how gentle he was being with her while they were entangled on the bed. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 n had this grim look on his face as he listened to the report from a trusted warrior, whom he sent to ask around the pce to find out who started to spread the rumors. After a simple investigation, they found out that the people out there had actually heard the gossip from trusted sources in the pce, which prompted him to focus on the royals and the elders. With this revtion, it was obvious that Leon alone wasn¡¯t the spy that had worked for Calpin. There were more people who wanted to stir trouble for the king. ¡°Those usations were not light, but at the same time, the person surrounded by them was not ordinary either, so it was easy for them to spread like wildfire in a really short time¡­ ¡°The King noting forth to announce the news only served to turn them to believe that there was some truth to the rumors.¡± The warrior couldn¡¯t help but frown as he recounted what he heard people talking in and out of the pce. It was just like the saying, no smoke without fire. Especially when the rumor was started by the people belonging to someone who had the most power among the royal councilors. ¡°Okay, I understand, you can go now.¡± ********************** ¡°I''m sorry, my queen, I can''t apany you today.¡± Alyssa looked a little apologetic when she told Abby that she couldn¡¯t follow her around the pack house today. ¡°That¡¯s what you usually do, Alyssa,¡± Abby said, looking a little puzzled. ¡°Or are you feeling unwell?¡± But her maid shook her head. ¡°Then why?¡± Did someone bully her for being Abby¡¯s personal maid? She wouldn¡¯t put it above her disgusting former pack members. However, she was just over thinking, because the next second she could see her little follower smile like a Cheshire cat. ¡°Because someone else wants to do it today.¡± Alyssa was beaming from ear to ear now. ¡°Huh?¡± When she was still trying to make heads and tails of her behavior, she heard someone call for her. ¡°Little one, you ready?¡± Micah approached his dumbfounded little mate. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Yeah, it''s me,¡± Micah answered out of habit and then saw Alyssa covering her face to hide her smile. It seemed his little one found out about this just now. ¡°Get used to it, I''m going to apany you today,¡± Micah said, as he pulled Abby, who still couldn''t believe her mate was doing this for her. Because during the three hours she spent running around the pack, he was there with her, silently supporting her morale, which took a nosedive after those nasty rumors hit the Silver Moon pack. And with him beside her, no one even dared to look at her in the wrong way, let alone gossip behind her back. Just like that, the king followed his queen every other day, protecting both her and her feelings, which made the pack members slowly realize how stupid those rumors were. ¡°He clearly loves her, if she is pregnant with another man''s child, why would he do so much for her?¡± ¡°I know right, just because she was spotted talking with someone, people did her dirty.¡± Voices like these rose here and there when they saw how affectionate Micah was with Abby whenever they went out together. This also made them remember how he held her on the high pedestal since they started staying in the Silver Moon pack so they could investigate those unusual deaths. Those displeased voices got suppressed without them realizing it slowly. ************************ ¡°n is quite efficient.¡± Dax looked at the unopened missive on the table in front of the king. But when Micah didn¡¯t say anything, it was Alpha Samuel who took the lead to walk out of this strategy room, even though he was here to report something to the king first. ¡°You can go first, royal gamma, I¡¯ll wait outside!¡± Dax patted his shoulder as the alpha passed by him and closed the door behind him, only then did Micah finally open the folded paper. ¡°There¡¯s no surprise here.¡± The king slid the paper toward Dax, who had the opposite reaction. While the king looked like he had already guessed the name, the royal gamma was a bit shocked to find out that Micah¡¯s hunch came true. ¡°Just because he is your father, he didn¡¯t even bother and try to be covert, huh?¡± Dax was amazed by the former king¡¯s boldness. ¡°He actually started the rumor from his old tower.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Yes, it was Arthur, who started this mess. He let the servants and guards from his old tower gossip with the rest of the people in the pce and then it spread to the entire capital city. ¡°What will you do now?¡± The gamma looked at the king, who looked deep in thought, when in fact, he thought he would shake with anger like thest time. ¡°Send this to n.¡± Micah handed Dax a paper. ¡°He¡¯ll know what to do.¡± The content of the missive was simple. Micah just ordered n to keep an eye on Arthur. And this confused the gamma even more, he couldn¡¯t understand his actions at all. ¡°Call Alpha Samuel in, he seemed to have some news on the rogues,¡± Micah said next, forcing Dax¡¯s question down his throat, as he nodded inpliance. He stuffed the missive away, before calling the alpha in. ********************** ¡°So, what''s the n, Alpha?¡± Dax walked to where the alpha was talking to Mire after he got permission from Micah to go on this impromptu mission. ¡°Quite simple, we''ll follow her lead and the witch will take care of the rest,¡± Alpha Samuel said, looking quite confident in Mire. ¡°Do you think this will work?¡± The royal gamma looked a bit skeptical. ¡°Not to mention we are going incognito.¡± Alpha James still wasn''t aware where they were going or what the king was nning to do next. But he didn''t dare toin and just focused on being content with the fact that the king came down to his pack to help. ¡°This is just a theory. We don''t need to be high profile while trying our luck. Let''s just see how this turns out,¡± Mire exined to the gamma patiently. ¡°Yeah, let''s just hope that dark sorcerer used his magic somewhere nearby.¡± Mire looked at Alpha Samuel at Dax¡¯s words, after all, this was his idea. ¡°If he wants to attack, he is probably somewhere nearby...¡± ¡°Okay, let''s make a move first.¡± Mire took the lead, prompting both of them to follow her. However, once they set off, neither Samuel nor Dax opened their mouths again, so that the witch could concentrate on her thing. Alpha Samuel thought there must be a magic user with the rogues to make their movements easier and Micah immediately summoned the witch to hear her view on this. Mire immediately sorted her thoughts out. ¡°If there is indeed one, I think I can trace them back¡­¡± As such, they set off on this journey. However, they couldn¡¯t believe they would seed with this little n and really locate some rogues. ¡°Let¡¯s observe them for a moment.¡± Mire pulled back Dax when he was about to rush over seeing that there weren''t many people there. ¡°Why does he look familiar?¡± Alpha Samuel pointed at a man, and Dax¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets upon realization. Because before him, when the rogues made way for someone, he could see Ezgar, a former chief of the elite royal warriors and the son of that traitor Leon. Behind him was his sister, Ruby! ¡°What the fuck?!?!¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 "You saw who?" Abby couldn''t believe her ears, which started ringing the moment Dax disclosed the results of their mission. "Yeah, it was him, and he didn''t look like he was under any spell," the royal gamma said, conviction evident in his voice. "Even his sister was there, so what do you think this is?" Treason... But Abby didn''t dare to think in that direction, because the man she interacted with for half a month and the person Dax described now were nowhere simr to each other. She still remembered the warmth he provided her just by apanying her and helping her go through those stressful days when she was struggling to prepare for her ceremony. Seeing that she didn''t look good, Micah dismissed the gamma first. "We will take care of thister."N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Dax understood why Abby felt bad upon this revtion, so he chose to give them some space to talk this out. On the other hand, Abby was really worried right now. Her hands felt mmy when she recalled the rumors that had been wreaking havoc both in the kingdom and her heart for the past few days. "Do you think he has a hand in the recent riots?" Abby looked at Micah beside her and just a single nce at her mate, she could tell the king was inclining toward that possibility as well. "You need to understand that people can do anything when certain interests are involved, little one." Micah could see that she was ming herself for letting Ezgar get close to herself. "But, I''ll check it and we will see how much he has contributed to everything that has gone wrong since he approached you." This is so messed up! She even pleaded with her mate on his behalf, believing in his crocodile tears when he came and asked for herself to spare Ruby and their mother''s lives. "I''ve been careless." Abby shook her head, as she clutched her hands really tightly until they turned white. Micah noticed her inner turmoil and immediately covered her hands with his own as he pulled them apart before holding them gently. "You are just gullible." Abby had to agree with him, just because Ezgar acted sincere in front of her, she didn''t even stop to consider he was the brother of the woman who actively tried to find trouble with her. To think that she even envied Ruby for having such a caring brother! Ezgar really wasn''t a simple man. He even came to find her only when Micah was extremely busy, which was thought provoking as well. There were so many signs, but she ignored them all. "But you also trusted him, and thought he was an upright man." Abby could immediately see regret shing in his eyes, it was very subtle, but it was there. "I miscalcted," Micah grunted, unable to believe that things had turned out like this. "I had some doubts when he approached you without my knowledge, but thought I was just overthinking." Abby recalled how he told her to stay away from the man when she told him Ezgar approached her before the execution of his family. She didn''t understand why he went as far as punishing Ezgar so harshly by removing him from his position as the chief of elite royal warriors and made him a normal guard instead. But now she felt his actions weren''t unwarranted. "Who knew he would go as far as burning bridges so boldly?" Abby couldn''t help but mutter and Micah just smiled at her. But that didn''t reach his eyes, which were cold with fury. "There are so many unimaginable things people do when they stop fearing death." His words implied that only death was awaiting Ezgar now that he dared to betray him and Abby didn''t know how to feel about this. Did Ezgar really have only using herself in his mind? He had always treated her so warmly, and all of that was acting? But the evidence was right in front of her face. Abby didn''t know what was right and what was wrong anymore. Micah could see the conflicting emotions shing past her countenance, but he didn''t change his stance. She needed to understand that people wouldn''t always be what they tried to portray themselves to be. Perhaps, this whole fiasco would help Abby finally realize that she couldn''t ever let her guard down with her current position as the queen of this kingdom. This is good in a way! This afternoon, Abby finally decided to walk around the pack and try her luck in tracing the magic like Mire had been doing to locate people. Her mind was a mess since she found out about the possible involvement of Ezgar in her misery after she met him and Mire, who had been given a brief rundown on things by the nosy royal gamma, thought of sharing her expertise over this skill to rejuvenate her spirits. Only Abby didn''t expect to find herself in front of her old house after trying to follow Mire''s instructions over how to trace the magic, which were quite simpler than she thought. "Let your instinct lead you when you find the difference in the air around you, magic always leaves traces behind and if you focus enough you can feel them in your heart." Mire snapped her fingers to let her fire flow out of her body first. She then asked Abby to feel the air around her, while letting her own fire flow out of her body. Abby was fascinated when she felt mes floating around Mire when her own fire met hers in the air. "This is incredible," Abby eximed and Mire couldn''t help but grin seeing her so excited. Abby grasped the feeling with both hands and tried to practice it several times, upon trying a few times, she felt this pull toward a certain direction, which led her to her old house and Abby felt conflicted just looking at this ce. A few months after Ryan started abusing her, he rarely let her out of her own room. "I only see your mother''s lifeless body when I look at you. Don''t appear in front of me." His words would be even more harsh whenever she tried to sneak out, unable to endure the forced solitude at such a young age. "Who are you trying to kill by wandering around now?" These were just some of the few outbursts of his when he got triggered by her disobedience. And when he thought he had been too lenient toward her, he would drag her to the dpidated warehouses behind the pack house to lock her up, and then forget about her for days, if not weeks. If she had to be honest, she had spent more time locked up in the warehouse than in her own house in the past ten years. Maybe a few months in total? She wanted to turn around immediately, but apart from the pack house which also gave the same feeling like the groove to he because she could feel magic and dark energy there, only her old house had intense traces of magie. After alb her mother used to teach her about magic here. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org On the other hand, the day her mother died, the pack house was flooded with magic as her mother used her own magic to shield her from Abby''s power bacsh before Calpin appeared to kill her. His dark energy was too faint there, though, maybe because he didn''t use too much energy to kill her mother? After all, she was gravely injured by then trying to save Abby in her memories. "My queen..." Alyssa, who had been right behind her since Abby left the pack house, felt perplexed when she saw the girl suddenly losing the bright light in her eyes. When she started in her study, Abby looked quite energetic, but now, she looked so deted until her shoulders dropped really low. Abby felt two feet tall with the emotions coursing through her veins, but she still showed a false front. "I''m fine, it''s just this ce..." She didn''t know how to put her thoughts about this house into words, and she almost choked when she saw her maid looking at her with worry and concern. For her to look at her with such strong emotion, Abby must look really crushed. But that word alone couldn''t describe what she felt at this moment. The queen took a deep breath before facing her maid. "This is my old house." Yes, this was just her old house, because it stopped being a home to her long back. Then she turned back to look at the two storey building in front of her. "It''s bittersweet to finally stand here again." Abby sighed as she walked into the house, stopping Alyssa from following her inside. The girl could only refrain from stepping out of line, even though her master didn''t look too happy to return to her old house. Abby needed to be alone when going inside, otherwise she would feel suffocated with another person beside her while her chaotic emotions kept smothering her. "The inside looks worse than outside." Abby could see how the house was full of dust and cobwebs just a few months after people stopped taking care of it. Everything was left where it was, it seemed her father and older sister were forced to leave the pack with just the clothes and the things on their bodies, and not even allowed to pack anything with them. Since this was a house of someone exiled from the kingdom, her old pack members didn''t dare to step into the house again. "This is really lonely here." Abby hugged herself as she walked from room after room until she reached her parents room. She spent less time in this house after her mother died, but she didn''t even step into her parents'' room when she regained consciousness after the incident. She wasn''t allowed to enter, because her father forbade her. Even now, with her father clearly locked up in the dungeon, she could feel herself unable to push the door open to this room, but then when she thought of her mother''s lovely face that had been slowly fading away from her memories, she hardened her resolve to enter the bedroom. Much to her dismay, though, she was set up for disappointment because she couldn''t find any portraits of her mother no matter how hard she rummaged through the shelves and closet here. "This is really pathetic!" Abby wanted to shout, but she felt too exhausted to even cry her grievances out. She looked around the room, and felt dike breaking down when the thought she couldn''t find a single thing of her mother to use as keepsake hit her hard. "I really miss her." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Did her father throw out all her things? But her father loved her so much, he couldn''t really bear to throw her things right? "Maybe he hid them somewhere?" Abby forced herself to calm down as she thought of the possible ces he could stash away her things and then remembered the attic where no one was allowed to go. She immediately rushed up the attic and there, she finally found a huge box. It was filled with every single thing belonging to her mother, from clothes to essories. Only when she dug really deeper did she manage to find a small book, upon closer look, she realized it was a diary. "Mother''s diary?" She had a vague impression of her mother recording several things in this, so she immediately opened it to go through it. And the tears she managed to hold back until now fell freely the longer she scoured through the almost yellow pages, where her mother wrote how much she loved both her daughters and her mate. But when she reached the end of the book, pure air caught in her thought at the things written in there. "I need to see Father immediately." This was the only thought in her mind as she hugged the book to her chest and got up to rush to the dungeons. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 If Abby could swear on her life to vouch for her father about something, that would be the unconditional love he had toward her mother, Riley. Ryan loved Riley dearly, more than anything in his life, until he spent his life wallowing in despair after she lost her life all those years ago. It was also because of this love of his toward her mate that he started abusing his younger daughter whom he believed to be the cause of Riley''s death afterward. Abby could also see how intensely Riley loved her family from what she wrote in her diary. Every page was a record of the beautiful moments she spent with the three of them and reading them brought back all those memories to the forefront of her mind, making herugh and cry at the same time. Riley shared her love and affection equally between her mate and her two daughters, whom she adored the most in the world. She also wrote how she enjoyed training Abby once she awakened her powers of a magic user at the tender age of eight, and how her father worried about the mother and daughter''s special identities. After all, witches weren''t really weed in this kingdom, but he never cared about those things. Riley expressed how she was blessed to find a mate like Ryan several times in the book. Even Abby remembered how Ryan loved both his daughters equally, next only to his mate, though he took it away from herter. And the more she read her mother''s words, the more pathetic she felt for the cruel hand fate dealt her by taking away Riley, who was clearly the center of their family, forcing them three to fall apart violently. Abby had to wipe her eyes several times to be able to continue reading, because tears kept obscuring her vision, as they gushed out nonstop. Just like that, she almost finished the small book, but she couldn''t help gasping loudly when she saw Calpin''s name appear in one of the pages toward the end of the book. "She even wrote about Calpin here?" She was confused for a moment and then looked at the huge box her father stuffed with her mother''s belongings, feeling her head spinning for a moment. But then she threw herself back into the book and before she could finish reading it, she staggered to her feet and ran out of the house to find her father. ¡°My queen, what happened?" Alyssa rushed to Abby''s side when she saw the disheveled state of the girl. "Don''t ask anything." Abby left these words as she made a beeline for the dungeons, while Alyssa was still stunned. Only when she reached the underground basement, did she realize she didn''t know where exactly they kept Ryan and she almost growled in irritation. A guard approached Abby when he saw someone had run to the dungeon crazily. However, he bowed to her immediately when he realized who she was. "My Queen, do you need something?" The girl looked quite different from the few times he saw her interacting with the pack memebers the past few days. Her hair flew in all directions while her face was streaked with tears,pletely different from the impable image she maintained upon her return to the pack. "Take me to Ryan." Ryan? Her father? But there were clear orders he wasn''t allowed to meet anyone. "But the King..." "Don''t forget you are talking to the Queen." Her voice was quite harsh, immediately making the guard swallow his little objection. Micah seemed to have prevented anyone from approaching Ryan, because he didn''t want any kind of help to reach the ex beta of this pack, after all, he had quite an influence around the pack in his days. But the matter at hand was really important, and Abby was thest person that would want to help Ryan after everything he did to her. Yes, he had been the best father she could ever ask for during the first nine years of her life, but he didn''t fail to make her wish for a quick death every day the following ten years either. So yeah, her helping him? Fat chance! The guard only hesitated for a second before leading the way for the girl, who looked like she would really lose it if he even dared to breathe wrongly in her direction. Within no time, Abby was standing before this dark cell, iron bars of which were locked securely. Abby dismissed the warrior with a silent wave, but then she felt at a loss, not knowing how to start a conversation with Ryan so suddenly. But the book in her hands felt like a hot potato right now. She had several questions and only Ryan had the answers. With this in mind, Abby gritted her teeth and called her father. ¡°Father." Immediately she could hear the chains rattling inside the cell, before a hoarse voice made it to her ears. "Is that you Abby?" Abby felt puzzled when her father didn''t start going crazy hearing her voice like he did on the cliffst time they met. "Yes, it''s me, I need to ask you something, can youe near the bars?" It was quite dark in his cell, and her weak human-like abilities didn''t do her any favor when she tried to squint and look at her father. But her father didn''t seem to find the idea appeasing at all, as he refused to let her see himself. "Say what you want, I can hear you just fine." She didn''t understand his actions at all, but she didn''t dwell on it. "I found my mother''s diary..." "So?" Abby could hear the confusion in his voice. "Do you know what she wrote in it?" "What did she write?" From his tone and words, Abby concluded that her father never read it. But that wasn''t the problem here. "She wrote about our family, how much she loved us. But also about something else." Abby didn''t know if she was being paranoid, but she felt like Ryan was retreating from this conversation. So she continued to speak into the darkness before her. "You knew about Calpin long back, right?" As expected, there was no answer from her father, but she could hear his breathing turn harsher than earlier. And a momentter, he started asking her to go away. "Leave, I don''t want to talk to you anymore." "Why?" Abby asked, looking colder than Micah when he was livid. "So that you could still feel justified for your own twisted actions toward your daughter?" ¡°There is nothing wrong in me punishing you for being the monster you are..." Ryan sounded agitated now. "Everyone in this pack knows the atrocities youmitted." "You punished me for being a monster?" Abby scoffed at the same expletives her father threw at her. She would have crumbled if it was in the past. But not anymore. Not after she learned her father''s knowledge of a few things. "You know best who is the real monster. Yet you chose to blindly side with that very monster who had killed your mate." She thought he would retort by saying she had killed her mother, but his silence was even more confusing now. "You knew, right? Oh my god, you knew the truth! When did you figure it out?" Even on the cliff he insisted that she was a cold blooded murderer, but now he was behaving very strangely. Even Hanna behaved less crazedly the second time around she met with herpared to the first time. Calpin''s spell seemed to be quite powerful on the rogues he targeted. Suddenly, she heard the eerie sound of chains rustling once more, but Ryan didn''t say anything even after the space between them fell silent again.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Abby almost felt like making them l.n open the barred doors so that she could go inside and shake her father until he came to his senses. Because what was he thinking by helping his beloved mate''s killer get rid of Abby, his own daughter? But she forced herself to calm down, knowing she couldn''t lose herposure if she wanted Ryan to start talking. "What is wrong with you father? How could you help someone like him do so many outrageous things knowing fully well what kind of a person he is?" Yes, to her utter mortification, when reading the book, Abby actually found out that Riley had long filled her mate in on all the things rted to the he very Dark sorcerer who had been locked up by her ancestor, the great witch, just a few miles from the Silver Moon pack. Content belongs to "You knew all about the enmity between mom and Calpin, but you chose to turn a blind eye to it?" Abby was having a hard time controlling her urge to set her own father on fire for his twisted thinking. "Just because you thought I caused her to die, you went ahead and joined hands with a person who swore to kill your daughter? You even tried to kill me because of him..." Ryan finally chose this moment to cut her off. "I didn''t do it on purpose! I didn''t mean to push you down." "But the other rogues say otherwise, father. Do you know where I fell?" Abby didn''t wait for his answer. "It was the very cave mother pledged to keep Calpin locked in." Hearing this, Ryan gasped at the realization. He even knew Calpin was so dangerous that he had to be locked up like a crazed beast. Riley really didn''t hide anything from him. Ryan knew she was a guardian, shouldering a responsibility that had been passed down for generations in their family. He knew everything, had his own doubts about that bastard, but went ahead and joined him anyway. "I didn''t know. I really didn''t know," Ryan confessed truthfully. At that time, Calpin.only told him to push Abby down the cliff. But when Ryan realized that falling from there would cause Abby to die, he changed his mind and thought of bringing her back with him. And Abby also vividly remembered it. "Okay, let''s say, you didn''t push me down on purpose. But you still wanted to take me away using force, why would you do that?" "I don''t know anything, don''t ask me anything." She didn''t know what she was expecting him to say, but the more he behaved like this, the more she felt like he was hiding something. She felt her patience run thin. ¡°Father, don''t make me do something I don''t want to." "What will you do more than this?" Ryan suddenly came near the doors, pressing his face into the iron bars, seemingly angered by her threats, but his voice was vicious. "Kill me?" But Abby couldn''t hear his words at all, because she finally understood why her father chose to hide in the dark until now. Half of his face was scabbing now, from a burn wound, and judging by his words, it seemed she was the cause of it? Only then she remembered how she burnt him when he tried to strangle her on the top of the cliff. But she didn''t feel any remorse. This small wound, even though it disfigured him, was nothingpared to what he had put her through. "Father, tell me why you are in cahoots with that bastard!" Abby snapped her fingers and mes covered her entire palm, while she held her mother''s diary in her other hand. "I need an answer, father. Now!" The father and daughter duo stared at each other, and it was Ryan who finally gave in when he realized Abby wasn''t joking with him. "He promised to bring Riley back to life," he whispered in a voice so low, Abby thought she heard him wrong. "He did what?" Abby bellowed at her father and when he repeated his words, she almost felt steam rise from her head. "How?" "He said there is this dark magic he could use to revive someone who died," Ryan said, almost looking crazed with the idea. ******* ******* Check my new story: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the King Lycan** Chapter 143 Chapter 143 "He said there is this dark magic he could use to revive someone who died," Ryan said, almost looking crazed with the idea. His eyes danced with this weird light, as if he could imagine Calpin seeding in keeping his promise. His whole body was exuding this crazed vibe when he exined Calpin would go through with his promise to him if he just listened to him and did a few immoral things. Abby felt her whole body shudder with disgust looking at her father losing grip over reality. "I just need to give you to him, and he will revive your mother. How wonderful it will be if Rileyes back?" "Father, you are insane!" Abby admonished him, but the man couldn''te out of his delusions at all. "He killed hundreds of people to get to me thest time, how could you think it will be over once he gets his hands on me?" "And he wants to use what? Dark magic? Did you forget that mother''s sole purpose in life was to stop him from wreaking havoc in this world?" She sounded exasperated now, and fearing she would really throw a fireball at him, she immediately snuffed the me dancing around her palm and hugged the book tightly. "Did you know he sent hundreds of rogues to attack the pcest month? Can you imagine what would have happened to the entire kingdom if he seeded and killed the royal family?" She couldn''t understand how he could ignore the massacres Calpin always induced in whichever ce he targeted for such a promise full of sinisterness "You know nothing! Rileyes first, I don''t care about anything else!!!" Ryan was shouting back now. "You don''t know the hell I went through without her for the past ten years!! I can''t take it anymore, I want her and that is all that matters!" Ryan started pulling at the bars, as if he wanted to break them to get to his daughter. "We can all be together again. Live happily, don''t you want that?" The more he talked, the more deranged he looked, until it made Abby turn away from him and leave this ce. "Father, your thoughts are purely selfish and unreasonable. Mother wouldn''t want you to turn into who you are now." "She will not hold a grudge when she realizes I only did it for her. And for you two sisters. She will love me all the same." Ryan sounded quite confident, but Abby was done with him. It was clear he was misled until he couldn''t tell reality from dreams, or nightmares? Bringing back people who had already died? If that wasn''t a nightmare, Abby didn''t know what else was. "You are beyond redemption!" She threw at him before turning around to walk away from him, but the man seemed to have remembered something as he shouted for her to stop. "Abby, Abby! Don''t leave yet! Where is Hanna? Can you bring her to me?!" He shouted after her, but the girl didn''t respond to him. "I need to see my older daughter! Bring her to me, Abby!!!" "Father, do you even realize how pathetic you sound now? Bringing back mother, reunion of our family? You are just delusional!" "What do you mean? You don''t want it? You don''t want her toe back?" Ryan''s face looked really savage now. "You don''t want to see her again? You monster!! You are a monster!!" But all that reached his ears was the rattling of the chains that bound his limbs, restricting him from having too much movement. His voice echoed quite loud, along this dark corridor, where he was the only prisoner. On the other hand, Abby couldn''t bother to talk sense into Ryan anymore when she realized there was no turning back for him from this. Like she said, he was beyond redemption. ************* "Okay, calm down and walk me through this again." Mire looked at Abby, who was a panting mess. She looked behind her, but Alyssa just shook her head, indicating she had no idea why Abby was this agitated until she stumbled over her words this badly. "Queen Abby went to her old house, but then she ran to the dungeon. I tried to follow her in, but the guards outside told me she went looking for Mr. Ryan..." Alyssa didn''t need to finish her sentence for Mire to understand that the maid stopped her pursuit short and waited for her master toe out. "Okay, Abby. Did you quarrel with Ryan?" Mire looked worried, because it was an open secret how Ryan treated Abby in this pack before Micah found her. In fact, Abby also told her a little, and she understood the rest of the story, when she asked the witch tomunicate with the pack members during the investigation. However, Abby''s words, after she finally calmed down enough to speak coherently, made literal chills run down her spine. "Is there any dark magic to revive the dead?" "Where did you hear that? Ryan said that? Did Calpin intend to revive someone?" Mire flooded her with questions and Abby gritted her teeth when she spoke again. "Is there something like it or not?" "Yes, there is. But it''s ancient sorcery. A very dangerous dark magic! If you ask me, it is the most sinister witchcraft out there!" "Oh my god! This is pure absurdity!" Abby felt her soul leave her body hearing the witch confirm it. Now she understood why Ryan fell prey to Calpin''s schemes. He was using her father''s love toward her mother for his own gain. "Come with me, we need to talk to Micah about this!" Even though Mire didn''t know what was going on, she let the girl pull her away. She would know once Abby met Micah anyway. "We need to stop Calpin at any cost!" Abby told Micah after Mire exined how dangerous the dark sorcery of reviving someone from death was. His queen just told him about her conversation with Ryan and he couldn''t help but agree it was beyond absurd. But this also solidified his stance to capture that dark magic user as soon as possible. ¡°Okay, little one, you are too agitated now." Micah pulled her to her feet before leading her to the guest bedroom. "Why don''t you rest while I rearrange my thoughts about this?" "Yes, Abby. You have been running here and there all day long, you should pay attention to your health too." With Mire''s support, Micah coaxed Abby to sleep before he called for an urgent meeting with his gamma and the others. "We are going to ambush the rogue''s base you found recently," Micah dered even before they could take their seats at this long table in the strategy room of the Silver Moon pack. "Finally!" Dax whooped immediately, while Mire and Alpha Samuel just bowed down before the king''s decision. In the next few days, Micah immersed himself in the preparations for the uing battle, because he wanted to be done with it as soon as possible. "You are overworking yourself again. Do you need to attack them so soon?" Abby asked Micah the following night when the king returned to the guest bedroom reallyte. "It''s something inevitable, so attacking this week or next week makes the same difference." Micab looked resolute, but then frowned "You are still awake. Do you need someone to constantly blow in your ear that you are carrying a child now?" "Don''t be unhappy, I took a really long nap before dinner since I know how you would be before a battle." Abby meant the time before the ceremony and the king couldn''t find fault with her when she just wanted to find a chance to talk to him. "Coming back to our conversation, a week is really short for all the preparations." Abby pointed out. But Micah was confident about his n and warriors. The only problem was. "Little one, I don''t want you to participate in the battle this time." He pulled her into his arms, so that her back was flushed against his front, as he caressed her still t stomach. How could Abby not understand what he meant? He didn''t want any harm to befall her or her baby because of this battle. "But what if there is a magic user among them? Even if Calpin didn''t wander around with the rogues, there is still a possibility he had one or twockeys working for him." Micah knew what she was talking about, because that was how Mire found the rogues hideout in the first ce. She followed traces of dark magic and luck knocked on their imaginary door. "We still have Mire, and I sent someone to keep an eye on that ce, it should be fine." Micah kissed his mark on her neck. "If youe along, I''ll be distracted." In what sense? Abby wanted to chuckle, but she dropped the matter when she thought it wasn''t worth it to risk her and her unborn child''s safety. "Okay, I''ll listen to you this time." "Then do you want to stay here or go back to the pce?" Micah asked her, and from his tone, it was evident he wanted her to stay in the Silver Moon pack. But Abby didn''t want it. "I want to go back to the pce!" The king immediately turned her around in his arms to look at her closely. "Are you sure? The pce is now full of people gossiping about you." Abby noticed the way the muscles in his hands bunched up when he bought up the rumors. This was the second time they talked about the rumors, because her mate didn''t care enough to let those hurt his precious mate. "Don''t you think it is better for you to wait here for me until after the battle?" Micah was frowning now because his little one was smiling at him. "What?" "I don''t think it is better at all." "Why?" "People are talking whatever they want about me, so I need to be the one to reverse the situation." Abby told him slowly. "I can''t always depend on you to save the situation." There were rumors of her carrying another man''s child circting left and right all around the kingdom. And they started in the pce. "But you can just do that, little one." Micah kissed her forehead. "I can fight for both of us."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "No, I want to fight for both of us this time." Abby reassured him. "If I can''t even deal with some baseless rumors, I won''t be able to hold onto my position for long." "But..." This time it was Abby who stopped was him from saying anything by sealing their lips together. "No, Micah. We need to uproot this problem from the cause, and your father needs understand I won''t let him ruin my happiness." Micah understood where she wasing from, but she was too sensitive and softhearted. If she went back alone, it would be like letting a naivemb wander into a den of beasts. And the girl could see he was skeptical. "Staying back here would only make me look even weaker in his eyes, I and Micah could only give up persuading her, even though he still pondered whether it was a good idea to let her fight with her father and the other cunning royals. don''t want it." Abby lookup, "Can you promise me you won''t stress yourself out for the sake of unrted people?" Micah looked into her eyes, wanting her to understand that nothing else was important when it came to her and their child. ¡°We are talking about your father, Micah." Abby mock gasped when he talked like that. "Yeah, unrted!" Micah dismissed. "Promise me first!" "Okay, I promise!" ¡°Always have someone follow you around and I''ll write to n immediately." Abby knew she couldn''t change his mind about this, so she didn''t make a fuss about his arrangements. As such, it was settled that Abby would go back to the pce while Micah would stay behind to take care of the rogues base. ****** Check my new story: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King***** Chapter 144 Chapter 144 "My Queen!" Abby looked at the man, who bowed until his front aligned with the floor beneath them in a perfect parallel line, with this slight frown on her face. "You can stop with your acting, it''ll help save my time." She couldn''t care less about the way the man stiffened at her words, still with his head lowered. "If you like that position very much, you can continue admiring the floor beneath your feet." With that, she proceeded to stand up from her chair, as if wanting to leave her makeshift study in the next second. It was almost dinner time and she also needed to take her medicer. "NO!" The man shouted, and when he remembered he just lost his control in front of the queen, he immediately bowed again. "Please forgive my clumsiness, and give me a moment to talk to you." He didn''t receive any response this time, though, other than this sound of Abby''s foot tapping away impatiently. She was clearly unhappy to have this encounter with him. But what could he do, if she left now, he didn''t know when he would get a chance to clear this tense air between her and his whole pack. All Alpha James could do was, forget his ego and focus on the matter at hand. "My Queen, the King told me to follow him to the battle with the rogues, along with Alpha Samuel. Since we are leaving tomorrow, I thought of talking to you about something." Abby wasn''t ignorant of this new change in the n, Micah told her he would take both the alphas with him to the battle, but she didn''t know how that arrangement made him want to talk to her again. She was very happy by treating him as air until now, since Micah didn''t allow anyone he deemed unworthy of her emotions to appear in front of her. However, knowing she would refuse a private meeting with him, Alpha James suddenly requested an audience with her in a high profile manner, and she had to face him again in weeks, just for the sake of appearances. But by allowing him to bow to her twice, she had already done her part, and if she walked away right now, there was nothing this annoying alpha could do, but she still found herself talking to the alpha. "I don''t have all day, Alpha. Just say what you want to say and be done with it." Thest time he talked to her, she only felt utter disgust and unadulterated anger seeing his audacity to ask for her forgiveness. And going with the way he shuffled ufortably on his feet, Abby could tell he was here to sing the same tune again. And as if just to prove her right, the next words that left his lipsprised another apology. "I hope you will find it in your highness'' self to forgive me and this pack''s members..." He was cut off by a scornfulugh from the girl standing tall in front of him. It didn''t match with the wretched image that got imprinted in his mind after watching her being miserable for years in this pack at all. The girl before him was nothing simr to the naive and timid child that was abandoned by her own pack which feared its beta, who did everything in and out of his morale to make her suffer through years. Her eyes that used to shake with fear were now slowly absorbing the coldness the world threw at her and Alpha James had to ept the fact that his apology came a little toote. "Why are you asking to be forgiven again?" Abby wiped the corners of her eyes brimming with water fromughing too much. "After all, there are so many offenses if you include your pack as well." Alpha James felt his cheek burn with the invisible p he received, because she was right. His pack wasn''t small to begin with. His request was clearly brazen, but he couldn''t stop now. "My Queen, you are magnanimous and benevolent, so please let us off this one time and we will be forever grateful to you." However, his sweet words only made the girl before him look even colder, and the man started second guessing his idea to talk to her. He got flustered when she didn''t say anything and just looked at him with this mocking smile on her face. "I know it was an unforgivable sin to iste you when you are just a child, no child should be put through what you have gone through. This pack and I are beneath you, so please grace us with this one chance. Everyone is seriously repenting for turning their back to you while you suffered under your father." Isted me when I was just a child? James really had a way with words. But then... "You know it''s an unforgivable sin, yet you are asking me to overlook it?" Abby would have wed his face if she was a shifter. The alpha was fortunate that she wasn''t one, but the thought of burning his face also crossed her mind. Only the thought he was going to follow Micah to fight those rogues stopped her from doing something impulsive. James could also tell that she was getting annoyed by his presence, but the image of Ryan''s face that got burned by his own daughter wouldn''t go away from his mind no matter what. If one day she decided she used up her kindness and attacked this pack, the first person she was going to settle scores with would be him and he was terrified of what kind of death that would await him if he fell into her hands. So after thinking through, he wanted to use numbers to pressure her into forgiving him. Thest time he asked for her forgiveness, she rejected him outrightly. He didn''t know why she didn''t me him and asked the king to execute him right away, when she didn''t even hesitate to punish her own father. But after seeing Ryan''s miserable state and also hearing that Hanna was now confined in the Red River pack under Abby''s orders, he started to feel he was next. He didn''t know Abby harming Ryan was unintentional, or Hanna was still in Samuel''s pack only to recover, so here he was, trying to get himself out of an imaginary soup. "My Queen, I really regret turning a blind eye to your suffering all those years, so I beg you to please pardon me from this misery and forgive me." Alpha James had to go all in because of the goal in his mind. Abby should be able to see his sincerity, even though it was actually fear for his own life. Content belongs to However, All Abby saw was his shamelessness and brazenness. Did he even realize he was just repeating what she said to him during the first time he came seeking her forgiveness? On that day in the back garden of this pack house, she asked him how he could turn a blind eye to such injustice and now he was using the same words to plead forgiveness from her. It was as if he couldn''t really tell where he went wrong. "Enough!" Abby didn''t shout, but her voice was cold enough to stop the alpha from sputtering more insincere words. "Forgive you, my foot! You don''t even know what you did wrong and came to apologize, just like that?" He could have stopped her suffering just by a single word, but he didn''t. And he only realized his mistake when she pointed it out. But still demanding her to forgive him? "Even if a dayes in the future where I forgive any of you, I won''t forget what you all did to me, a helpless child." Abby was done with him. "I gave you my final so N do yourself a favor and stop reminding me things I don''t want to think about by appearing in front of me." Alpha James never saw her like this, so when she walked past him after saying her piece, he was frozen in ce, still stunned. Her words clearly depicted how much she despised him and this pack. On the other hand, Abby''s whole mood ruined after that conversation and she felt like setting fire to everything in her path to push back the painful memories from resurfacing. "How could they understand the pain of suffering alone with a massive crowd surrounding you? With a few sweet words and pretentious gestures, he wants me to forgive them all and forget everything? In his dreams!" "What happened, little one?" Micah was waiting for her at the small table in their guest bedroom to have dinner with her. He especially made time, so he could eat together with her tonight. But he didn''t expect to see her return on the verge of crying like this. "It''s nothing." Abby didn''t even want to think about it, so she didn''t talk about it. ¡°Let''s have dinner." Micah knew when to push and when to stop, so he let her have a little room for the moment. At least, Abby didn''t let her mood ruin her appetite as she ate normally and took her medicine. But after she washed her face to retire to bed, where Micah was waiting to put her to sleep, sadness rushed over her frame and she started being clingy with her mate. Probably because of the pregnancy or the fact that they were going to be apart for a few days since Micah would leave to fight those rogues, Abby wanted Micah to spend every second with her until he left the next day. "Can you not leave after I fall asleep?" Abby wriggled in his arms a little to find afortable position and pressed her cheek against his steady heartbeat. This sound always managed to calm her down. "Let''s just sleep like this." "Did something happen, little one?" Micah asked her. He thought long and hard, but couldn''t tell what could have triggered her current state of mind. Abby knew she couldn''t escape his observing eyes, but she didn''t even want to think about it, so how would she be able to repeat what happened before her mate? "You don''t want to talk about it?" Micah asked her and her silence was loud enough. But he could tell she wasn''t shutting him out. "Or you don''t want to think about it now?" This time, the girl hugged him tighter and the king had his answer. But her being sad like this didn''t sit well with him. It was clear she wanted her mind upied with something else other than the things that were causing her to be this emotional, so Micah deliberated for a moment and then flipped them over, until he was hovering above her. "What are you doi..." Her question was swallowed by his lips as he pressed his lower body into her abdomen, while holding her hands high above her head. Abby didn''t know how long he kissed her, but by the time he let up, she was a panting mess as arousal coursed through her body, and then she heard his voice. "Making you think about something else," Micah whispered in her ear and then nibbled on it before slowly sliding down her jaw and then his mark on her as he kissed her there, while entering her slowly and gently. The girl didn''t even know when her mate undressed her when he started to thrust into her, so it was safe to say he kept his word. In fact, this distraction was so good, the girl''s mind turnedpletely nk as she sumbed to the pleasure he filled her body with. When the tension finally left her body and he cleaned them both, Micah hugged her to sleep just like she had requested. The next morning, Abby sent off Micah first, where she could see him leave before the first rays of sun hit the horizon with his entourage. "Make preparations for our departure tomorrow." She threw over her shoulder as she turned around to go to her study. *****Read my new story: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King******This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 "Make preparations for our departure tomorrow." She threw over her shoulder as she turned around to go to her study. "Yes, Your Highness!" Alyssa was about to do a curtsy, to receive her master''s order out of habit, but before she could even react, she heard this hoarse voice from behind her, which almost made her scream at the top of her lungs. "Heavens!" Alyssa wanted to scold the culprit for scaring her, but when she turned around, her voice died down immediately, because she saw a burly shifter, sporting this nk expression on his cold face. Just looking at him made shivers run down her spine, not to mention he was wearing the signature armor of the elite royal warriors back from the pce. "Oh my god, why do you move like a shadow, it''s creepy!" She muttered under her breath, as she tactfully turned around to run after her master when it seemed like the man heard her little pettyint. However, the man didn''t seem to care enough to settle scores with her for treating him with ''hostility,'' as he turned around to immerse himself in the preparations for the queen''s departure. "My Queen, your new guard is like a statue, no, he is a creep!" Alyssained to Abby once she realized the man didn''t follow them to Abby''s study. "Deion?" Abby was surprised. "What did he do to you?" "He moves so silently, I can''t get used to his stealthiness." Alyssa looked genuinely annoyed, making Abbyugh. She thought the man somehow bullied her personal maid, but as it turned out, he was just doing his job. But then how could Abby think badly of him when he was personally chosen by Micah as her personal guard? She was just overprotective of Alyssa, because after Micah, if there were people who she cared about, that would be Alyssa and Reyna. Dax could be considered her kindred spirit, while she adored Nadia. If Ezgar didn''t turn out to be a bastard, she could also have had a big brother figure. But she didn''t want to think about him now. She turned to her unhappy maid instead. "I told you he will be following me around from now on, didn''t I? So he is just doing his job.¡± Abby said, brushing off Alyssa''sints. Stealthy or not, if he did his job right, that was all that mattered to her. When Micah said she needed to have someone following her around, she didn''t think he was talking about allocating a personal warrior to her. However, Micah seemed to have long nned to give her a personal warrior, because just before the king departed, Deion reported to be her security personnel. Micah then simply said that Deion would follow her around, no matter if Micah was present or had to go away to deal with impromptu obstacles. Even though Abby believed she could protect herself, she didn''t discourage Micah from having this extra assurity. Moreover, this new guard of hers knew what he was doing, so she didn''t have anyints. "You are right." Alyssa could only agree, because following Queen Abby around was not something she or Reyna alone could do anymore, because King Micah made that cold statue called Deion rush here to protect her master from now on. "But, you are not used to this either, right?" "I''m not, but I don''t find it annoying. It''s only you." Abby ruthlessly pointed out how her maid was a little scaredy cat. "Why don''t you help me pack my things? After that, go and check if Nadia has everything for our trip back to the capital." ¡°Okay.¡± Alyssa agreed and left to do her things. She had less than a day to make sure Abby''s trip back to the pce would befortable enough, now that she was pregnant. **************** A couple of hours after midnight the next day, Abby left the Silver Moon pack and three dayster, because they traveled a little slowly, they finally reached the capital city before the sun could appear on the horizon. When they reached the pce, the sun was just peeking through the horizon and Abby could feel this tense air around her. But she didn''t let herself spiral into the vortex of negative thoughts first, as she tightened her fists. "You can do it, Abby!" She patted herself mentally as she looked at the pce gates. "My Queen." Abby heard n the moment she stepped out of the carriage, as he led the royal warriors and guards around them to bow to her solemnly. She nodded as a response, silently allowing him to let them all rise to their feet as Deion approached to stand behind her. Nadia followed behind her with Alyssa in her tow. "Royal Beta n, let''s go to the strategy room first," Abby said suddenly, surprising all of them. "Your Highness, you just traveled for three days straight, why don''t you rest for a bit first?" Alyssa would have dragged the queen to her room if she could because she was that worried about her, and she believed Nadia would support her, but Abby didn''t look like she was ready to listen to anyone right now. "Alyssa, I''ve rested well enough in the carriage. And I have something to talk about with the royal beta. Why don''t you go and arrange something delicious for breakfast?" She then turned to Nadia. "I believe you will take good care of my health." Just like that, Reyna, who had been watching from the door for her turn to persuade the queen to rest, like Alyssa did, had to follow her fellow maid back to the kitchen as the healer left to her tower to prepare the necessary herbs she would need to improve Abby''s health Abby looked at Deion, but the man decisively evaded her eyes, clearly indicating that he would really follow her everywhere, so she could only say. "Let''s go." n then led Abby to the strategy room, outside where Deion finally stopped following Abby like a shadow, as he assumed a position right before the door after n and Abby closed the door behind them. Abby found her new guard truly reliable, because most of the time, she didn''t need to struggle aboutmunicating with him, as he would always know what to do. It had only been four days, but she already got ustomed to his presence, because he was that efficient. Soon Abby walked to the couch in the strategy room and settled down before asking n to take a seat as well. Once the royal beat took his seat, he could hear Abby talking immediately. "n, what is the situation now?" n then briefed her on the overall situation in the capital city. "After the countless attacks by the rogues, people dabbling in various things have been facing a few difficult situations." Micah already told him to treat Abby as if he would revere his king, so here he was, exining all the problems in the capital, by extent in the kingdom, when she asked for a report. "Traders were feeling that the protection around the capital was a littlepromised while people were hit by drought." The situation didn''t look ideal at all, but before Micah could do anything, he was forced to run around the kingdom because of Calpin. "What about the rumors?" Abby asked after his report. The man looked at her deeply, as if to confirm her question and when he saw her serious expression, he answered her truthfully. "Rumors are spreading really fast, My Queen. You should have waited for Micah back in the Silver Moon pack." Abby understood why n felt that way, because it would have been much easier if Micah announced the pregnancy news, but the queen had a clear goal for declining her mate''s helping hand. "It will be toote by then." Abby shook her head when n was about to say something. "What else were they saying apart from those nasty things?" It had been several days already, so Abby thought there would be more bad things to fuel the unhappiness of the civilians, and n''s words confirmed it. Apparently, the elders were ''reminded'' of her ruined ceremony, and Abby didn''t need to ask who did that. Arthur''s intentions were as clear as a day! He first tarnished her reputation, now he was insinuating that she shouldn''t really be considered their queen because she didn''t manage to go through the ceremony until the end. Since he couldn''t persuade Micah to leave her, Arthur was raking his brains toe up with anything that could be used against her and remove her as the queen. "What do you want to do?" n asked after he finished exining the new revtions regarding this problem. "I want you to make an announcement!" Abby said after thinking for a long moment. And when n thought Abby made explosive decision, she said something totally out of his expectations. "Tell them to prepare food and meat to distribute to the people upon the return of the Queen with the wolf prince in her womb." N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. n was quite surprised. "What about the former king?" "There''s no hurry, let''s focus on the dire matters first." Abby was really not in a hurry. And n could see that. But he didn''t question her, feeling she would have her own reasons for not focusing on fighting Arthur to dispel the bad rumors. Moreover, the drought would be a real headache if they didn''t do anything about it. Abby really had her own reasons to suggest this; she was aiming to gain people''s trust first. "The people are struggling, so the rations from the royal reserves would lift their spirits in this time of need." Abby looked thoughtful when she said it. "And don''t forget to make it clear that Micah and I did it for the Moon Goddess'' blessings." *****Read my new book: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King***** Chapter 146 Chapter 146 People lined up along the streets when the royal guards made an announcement that the pce had opened the reserves to distribute food and meat to the poor upon the return of the queen. Under Abby''s instructions, n made sure to spread the word that the queen was representing both the king and herself for this cause, as she hoped for them to pray to the Moon Goddess, so that the baby in her stomach would grow healthily. However, what they didn''t expect was for the queen to actually take the opportunity to make her first official appearance on this asion. And she even came out dressed almost simr to them, until even her maids couldn''t understand her actions. They couldn''t help but express these doubts when this repeated for the next two days as well. "My Queen, why are you dressed like amoner? You are the queen of this kingdom." Reyna''s tone indicated how disarming it was for her to see Abby like this. Today, their queen was wearing a simple long gown in the color of powder blue that flowed past her ankles, with little to none essories on her body. Apart from a pair of pearl studs and a matching chain with a pearl pendant, she was only wearing a simple brooch, which was designed to look like the royal insignia, on the leftpel of her outer royal robe. Abby could tell Alyssa shared the same opinion as Reyna when she silently stood beside her with this disapproving gaze in her eyes. But she didn''t think there was anything wrong with her choice. "Weren''t I also amoner before your king found me?" Abby smiled when neither of the girls refuted her. "I know what I''m doing." She didn''t want to put on airs when she was aiming to get close to the people, so from her attire to her actions, everything had to be modest. She wanted both their respect and trust, so she needed to make them realize she could understand all their sufferings. Sitting on a high horse and restricting herself with all the rules would not help her achieve her goal. Since she decided to take action personally, she would do it perfectly, only then would she be able to negate all the ''painstaking'' efforts of Arthur. Moreover, if she were to don extravagant dresses and heavy jewelry, she would be restricting her own movements greatly. On the other hand, this simple dress would allow her to breathe freely while walking in the streets. Her chosen attire waspletely practical for the asion. As such, without making any active effort, Abby managed to slowly turn around the people''s opinion, when she persisted with her promise by continuing to distribute food without fail everyday, covering one street at a time. She even made Nadia follow her around this time, just in case, she encountered small children and really old people that fell sick because of the famine, because their healing ability would''t be that efficient to let them go through such harsh times unscathed. The royal healer brought her assistants and disciples to help treat the poor children who couldn''t afford it. This was really thoughtful of her. Still, two types of arguments echoed in the streets, though. "I thought she would stop after the first day, but she was out in the streets almost everyday." "It''s just a few days, we still don''t know how long she can endure the harsh sun and wind." But, Abby didn''t let either the praises or disses get to her head, as she continued to do her part with devotion, after all, she wasn''t lying when she said all of this was to seek the Moon Goddess'' blessings. However, the second group of people, who still looked at her with skepticism, found themselves eating their words when a small incident happened. It was the seventh day, and about half of the poption saw Abby up close. Just like everyday, the queen proceeded to hand the prepared portion of meat and grains to people one by one, when a woman fainted near her feet. Abby hurried to pull the fallen woman into her arms, not caring about her safety or image as she called for Nadia who was checking on a weak old woman just feet away from her. "See, what''s wrong with her." Abby told the royal healer as she carefully cradled the woman''s head that was bleeding now. She didn''t even care that her dress was stained with dirt and blood as she felt genuinely bad for the woman. A few people gathered around them as a man and four small children knelt beside Abby and the woman with worry evident on their faces. It was clear they were anxious for the woman in Abby''s arms. "She is pregnant," Nadia announced as soon as she was done checking her pulse and the man started tearing up. Apparently, the woman didn''t realize she was pregnant yet. When the drought started and they had limited food, she started to prioritize her mate and her four small children, cutting down on her own nutrition. Otherwise, it was impossible for shifters to faint like this, because they were clearly strong. This was also the reason Abby was so flustered, because if there wasn''t a really great reason, shifters wouldn''t fall sick. "Take her inside." Abby told the man, who seemed to be the woman''s mate, and then turned to the royal healer. "Nadia, leave a capable disciple of yours to take care of her." After following her order, Nadia and the others quickly checked on her, almost fussing over when the girl resolutely refused them. "I''m fine, let''s continue." The way she handled the situation lThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. moved the people. If it were the daughters of any high ranking officials in this capital city, they wouldn''t even have bothered to stop and check on amoner, let alone trying to do their best to he them. "She is really down to earth." A woman said, as she recalled how the queen smiled at her while giving her the ration. The girl''s smile, though subtle, was pure, and she carried herself gracefully. "She is also verypassionate. It was not just an act." Another middle-aged man couldn''t help but point out, as if to call out the people, who had been expressing doubts over her intentions. This time, though, there weren''t any voices that rose to refute these people, as they all turned back to their houses seeing that the queen''s little entourage go further and further out of their sight. With this, everyone started to look at Abby in a new light, as they all ??? thought she wouldn''t be able to continue this farce for more than two days, but in the blink of an eye, it had already been two weeks and more than three fourth of the poption received the queen''s grace. Every grain that made it from the royal reserves to the poor people''s houses was personally handed over by the queen, which really lifted their spirits as they genuinely blessed her with happy hearts. Everyone''s mouth was filled with praise for her and this only meant one thing; an oue that upset Arthur greatly. Focusing on gaining people''s trust and support proved to be even more practical than fighting Arthur head on. Abby was very happy with her choice. Because, with the change of tides, the former king realized if he tried to continue dragging her name through the mud, it would only backfire on himself. *****Read my new book: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King***** Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Abby listened to her personal maid Reyna as she recounted what the people had been saying about their queen''s good deeds for the past month. "They finally knew how kind and nice you are, My Queen," the girl said, feeling proud that she realized her master''s exceptional traits long before anyone else did. "I can''t exin how happy I am right now." Abby could only shake her head at the girl''s antics, because she felt Reyna was just exaggerating. However, her next words made the queen realize she didn''t dote on her maids for nothing. "When they said all those nasty things about you, I had never let them have peace." "What did you do?" "I fought them, naturally. Only then did they learn to keep their mouths shut."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Abby didn''t know Reyna fought the others for her honor, and when the girl reiterated how she couldn''t take those people speaking nonsense about Abby, she felt very touched. Apparently, being alone here, Reyna was subjected to ridicule several times, even though it wasn''t direct insults, as she caught the people from Arthur''s old tower a few times running their mouths, in retaliation of which she had minor altercations with those people who forgot fear with the former king backing them up. Just a couple of days before Abby returned to the capital, Reyna ended up rebuking them again, which led to a verbal battle between her and the other party until a few warriors stepped in. She got lucky to put it simply. "Reyna, you aren''t as strong as them. What would you have done if they ganged up on you?" It was Alyssa, who voiced her dissatisfaction over Reyna''s impulsiveness. Even though they all belonged to the same rank, she was alone while the other party had numbers. She had been able to avoid bigger trouble only because a few other warriors were there to mediate the situation. If she had been alone, she didn''t know what would have happened to this impulsive girl. ¡°Even if I suffer a little, it was worth protecting my master''s honor, so I won''t regret it." Reyna answered, not even batting an eyelid and Abby didn''t know how to make this girl understand she didn''t didn''t need to risk anything for her. "Reyna, they aren''t worth either mine or your time, so don''t be impulsive again." However, Reyna didn''t promise her anything, other than lowering her head in submission, and Abby didn''t understand if her maid would heed her advice. Alyssa could also see this, so she changed the topic. Reyna woulde around eventually. "My Queen, you said you need to meet royal beta n to talk about something." Abby did have something important to talk to the royal beta, and her mood plummeted a little at the idea. She didn''t know what news n had for her. Alyssa and Reyna then assisted Abby to dress ordingly, before Deion took over as he escorted the queen to the strategy room where n was waiting for her. ************* "So there is still no news?" Abby looked at n with this somber expression on her face. "I''m afraid, no, Abby." n could see how Abby''s shoulders slumped in an instant. "No news is also a good thing." He didn''t know whom he was trying to cate with this sentence, himself or Abby. Because the news they were talking about was the whereabouts of Micah. "I don''t know no, n," Abby said, feeling her stomach sink further. "It has been a month, why couldn''t we find out what happened to them?" Micah left with Dax and the others to fight with the rogues at the very base, where Ezgar and Ruby were spotted along with those pests. Mire and the two Alphas had also followed the King deep into the forest, where they believed one of the rogues'' bases was located. The only problem was, it had already been a month, but there was still no news about their whereabouts or how the battle went. Abby didn''t know how to reach her mate, and not knowing something about Micah, no matter good or bad news, was taking a toll on her. "n, find a way to contact them." Abby could only say this to the royal beta, who nodded at her. "We will find them, it''s going to be okay." "It has to be." The situation with the royal council was getting out of control, because Arthur started to stir new trouble once he realized tarnishing her name wouldn''t work in his favor anymore. People had long started treating her with hearts full of sincerity, reciprocating her own actions, and Arthur found himself losing his grip over this matter. Mere rumors couldn''t help him distance Abby from the people anymore, moreover, if he were to try that tactic again, he would be dropping rocks on his own feet, harming himself further. Realizing this, he started to find other ways to make things difficult for Abby, and Micah going missing seemed to have breathed new life into his ns to regain power in the pce. By iming that the matters of the kingdom needed to be handled by someone capable in the absence of Micah, Arthus started implying to the elders that he would be willing to shoulder the burden until his son returned. But who didn''t understand his selfish intentions to reim the throne, right after Micah went missing? He clearly had a goal! Once authority fell in his hands, he would definitely make Abby''s life a living hell. Wasn''t this the reason n kept the matter of Micah and Abby going missingst month under the wraps? Who would have thought Arthur could find another opportunity so soon when they avoided a crisis just a month back? And if things came to that, Abby wouldn''t sit still either. And when she made her next move, Arthur should pray she didn''t find enough time to settle scores with him. ''She turned the situation around with just a simple move.'' Arthur couldn''t help but hit the armrest of his chair, the sound of which echoed in this great hall, where he could see the rest of the royal council members gathered to pressure n for answers about the whereabouts of their king. The girl yed her cards nicely, in fact really seamlessly, as she chose to gain support from the people instead of confronting him and the royal councilors, almost disrupting all his ns. She managed to find a strong defense to stand against his moves in the form of public opinion, after all, it weighed more than anything in a kingdom, where the king had to prioritize people above anything. He had asked Micah to think of the people and discard Abby because she had no value, but he had never imagined one day, Abby would reverse her own situation by prioritizing the same people. However, he wouldn''t let her have ??? the upper hand anymore. He could tell it was only a matter of time before n relented and handed over the responsibilities Micah gave him, Because who else was more suitable to run this kingdom in the absence of the king if not their former king? He would see how she was going to retaliate when he had everything below the sky under his grasp. Before Micah returned, he would et make sure Abby ran for her life never to return and then, even if his son returned, he could do nothing about it. "Why was the royal beta taking so long?" Fabron, an elder, asked from the side. "We have arrived earlier." Gavin, another elder, pointed out, making Fabron fall silent, because it seemed like they were rtively free. However, before he could find fault with him, the guard announced the arrival of n, but it was Abby who walked into the great hall. ¡°What''s a woman doing here?¡± Fabron shifted his displeasure to Abby, who chose to ignore his male chauvinism as she continued to walk toward the throne. No one could stop her because n was right behind her, and it was clear that they didn''t announce the arrival of Abby on purpose. But that wasn''t their main concern anymore when Abby finally took her seat on the throne and opened her mouth. "Please be seated and I hope this discussion goes well." Only then did they realize they had all unknowingly stood up upon noticing it was actually Abby who came, and immediately sat down. Abby was wearing one of her newly n stitched royal robes in the color of ck and gold, the royal colors with her frame adorned in simple yet elegant jewelry which made her look regal, sitting in the throne. Arthur had a bad feeling about this. Content belongs to Everyone fell silent when Abby announced she wanted to discuss something with them, giving her a chance to talk first. However, her words were nothing but sparks of wildfire that sent them spiraling out of control. "My purpose foring to the great hall is simple, I want you all to report to me from now on." In the next moment, a few elders started to protest, but before their voices could rise, Abby opened her mouth again. "I know you will ask what right I have to demand of you of these things," Abby said, regarding each and everyone with a collected gaze. ¡°So let me make it clear in what position I''m standing now." She then calmly stood up. "As the queen of this kingdom, it is my responsibility to shoulder this burden of overseeing everything in the kingdom when our king is absent. So I hope you will all cooperate with me." Abby looked Arthur in the eyes when she said the word ''cooperate,'' which left the former king gritting his teeth. *****Read my new book: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King****** Chapter 148 Chapter 148 ¡°As the queen of this kingdom, it is my responsibility to shoulder this burden of overseeing everything in the kingdom when our king is absent. So I hope you will all cooperate with me." As soon as those words left her lips, pin drop silence fell in the great hall for a moment, before various disagreeing voices rose in the air, plunging the room into chaos. "Does she even understand what she is talking about?" "She is still wet behind the ears, but dares to order us around?" "How preposterous! Even if the king is here today, he has to give us some face. Who do you think you are?" Several other voices echoed, as they expressed their dissatisfaction over her audacious decision. She didn''t even discuss anything with them, even though she said she was here to have a discussion. "Do you call this a discussion? You are clearly trying to throw your non-existent weight around here." "You think you cane here and act as you please just because the king always has your back?" On the other hand, Abby waited for them to bark all they wanted as she stood in her ce, with her arms folded across her chest while her face gave away nothing. She saw how almost all of them felt offended by her order. Yes, it was an order, not a request. So she was not in a hurry to exin herself. She even stopped n from going forward to stop them when a couple of elders let their egos get the better of them. "We won''t agree to this unreasonable request of yours." "You don''t even know how to take care of yourself, but here you are, saying you want to shoulder the responsibilities of the queen, where you need to think about thousands of people''s well being?" Except for Arthur, almost everyone protested until they realized Abby just stood there, watching them with this nk expression on her face, and slowly their voices died down as they began staring daggers at the girl. However, the recipient of their ire didn''t seem to be bothered at all, as she finally opened her mouth again. "I know I''m still inexperienced, isn''t it why I''m here, seeking your guidance?" Her very first sentence left them tongue tied, because the girl just said what she had in her mind before they started shouting at her that she was trying to bite off more than she could chew. It was them who didn''t give her any chance to talk about her purpose ofing here. They just assumed things when she said she wanted them all to report to her. However, before they could feel embarrassed for their collective outburst, Abby continued to rip them a new one with every single sentence of hers. "And even If I want to, taking care of this kingdom''s matters isn''t something I can wash my hands off, since I''m the queen of this kingdom." She couldn''t be more correct, because she was indeed the queen and the destined mate of their king. And, it was expected of her to take on different kinds of roles to assist the king whenever it was necessary. In this case, she was the most suitable person to deal with this crisis, after all, just because the king wasn''t here, nothing would stop. Since everything had to go on as usual, in his stead, wasn''t his queen should be the one to lead them forward? Hearing her, their gazes slowly cooled down as they approached the matter more rationally, but Abby didn''t give them an opportunity to make any suggestions regarding this matter. "Who else will be more suitable to take up this role with all of you being busy dealing with your own duties?" True to her words, even though they were rtively freepared to the king, they too had their own duties to attend to, otherwise, how could such arge kingdom like theirs be run without major catastrophes with only a single king overseeing everything? It was impossible for a single person to rule almost ten territories, which included nine werewolf packs and the capital city. And when they finally looked like they were all convinced of her reasoning, Abby chose to say something which was very obvious, eliminating any possibilities of them backtracking again. "And I''m carrying King Micah''s baby, who is none other than the heir of this kingdom, in my womb." With her final stroke, everyone could only ept that no one other than Abby was suitable enough to carry out the job with Micah''s whereabouts remaining unknown, except for Arthur who looked like he wouldn''t hesitate to pounce on Abby and kill her for ruining her ns. Only he couldn''t do anything.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Because, the representatives of several packs, who had been silent for the entire fiasco, were the first to give up the idea of rebelling against Abby, because it would only count as them rebelling against the throne at this point. However, the feeling of following the lead of a woman, whose origins were less than satisfactory while she was deemed weak, did not seem pleasant to most of the councilors. Only they couldn''t do anything about their dissatisfaction with n backing Abby up openly. After saying her piece, the girl ended this impromptu meeting and left the great hall, letting n lead her to the strategy room. Only after the royal beta closed the door behind them did she finally let out the breath she had been holding back. It really wasn''t easy to confront several people who harbored nothing but hate for you. But then she didn''t have enough time to feel relieved yet, because she had even more important things to deal with, so she immediately faced n. ¡°n, I want you to send a few people to investigate what happened on Micah''s side." Hearing her, n had thisplicated look on his face. "But no one knew where the rogue base they left to fight the enemy was." Abby was also aware of this, but they had no time to stall anymore. "At least we know the forest they headed to. So send a few capable people, specialized in tracking there." Even though Micah discussed everything with her, she never thought of asking the exact location of the rogue base and only knew it was somewhere in the forest to the east of the mountain where they found the cave they believed Calpin was restrained in. No matter how many missives n tried to send to the king or the others, none of them made it to the recipients, as the messenger birds couldn''t track them, so Abby had to resort to this. So now the situation became a little tricky when they didn''t receive any news from Micah for more than a month. But Abby didn''t lose hope, Micah would be found. She would do everything in and beyond her power to make it happen. With the royal beta assisting Abby in the matters rted to the kingdom, while the people hailing her as the mostpassionate ruler, the few voices against Abby were slowly but surely snuffed out, as some of them finally started to warm up to her. But there were still people like Fabron, who couldn''t stomach the fact that a woman was in charge of such important matters like handling court and the rest. "Sir Arthur, I don''t understand what the others see in her. She is just a woman, someone so weak, how could they let her poke her head wherever she pleased?" The elder literally seethed, watching on as Abby made an exit from the great hall with her personal guard in tow. It had been two months since that grand showdown in this very great hall when she ordered them like they were her servants and after hearing her twist a few words, these mindless old men were all wagging el? their tails in front of her, almost pledging their loyalty to her. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org However, Arthur didn''t say anything in response to his ranting, but the man continued his monologue. "Hasn''t it already been almost three months since King Micah went missing? She wasn''t even able to uncover that mystery, yet she wants to y queen here?" Still there was no response from the former king, but it didn''t discourage this elder to continue. "Won''t everything fall in ce if they just proposed for you to take this role?" This wasn''t the first time for Fabron to openly go against the queen. In fact, he had been singing the same tune every other day since Abby made her intentions clear. On the other hand, Arthur couldn''t give himself away by openly coveting his own son''s throne, so Fabron received the same response as he did everytime he brought this topic up in front of the former king. Silence. And all Fabron could do was frown even harder. At first, several voices echoed with him, as they all tried to nitpick everything the girl did, but gradually, they all had to stop being difficult seeing Abby doing just fine. Even though Abby found it a little difficult to navigate around the court matters and the kingdom matters in the beginning, she soon managed to gain a better understanding of how things worked around here making more and more of the royal councilors relent. On the one hand, the girl was a little relieved that she could hold the fort together in Micah''s absence. On the other hand, the anxiety that kept racking her body only grew day by day when there wasn''t any news on her mate''s whereabouts for months and months on until one day. Abby was almost six months pregnant when one of the trackers they sent in search of the king finally wrote back, but the paper didn''t hold the positive news she had been hoping to hear. *****Read my new story: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King***** Chapter 149 Chapter 149 "There is news?" Abby didn''t realize she was holding her breath as she looked at the royal beta, who had this indescribable expression on his face. "This... Abby..." The man looked perplexed to continue his words. But she didn''t have the patience to notice it. "Give it to me." n had indeed rushed here as soon as he received the missive, but he also skimmed through it while he was on his way to this strategy room, which made him hesitate now. Before he could think as to how to convey the information to her, though, the queen chose to snatch the piece of paper from his hands and skimmed through it in quick session. He immediately saw how her legs gave away, as she almost copsed where she was, if it was not for his quick reflexes. "It can''t be!" Abby''s voice was no more than a whisper, as n helped her to the couch behind him. "NO! This is not true." Abby broke down, unable to process the words, while n didn''t know how to console the woman who was now crying a river at the loss she suffered. And loss would be an understatement, because on the paper, it read her Micah was no more. Her baby''s father had died during the battle with those pests. "There must be a mistake, n!" Abby couldn''t digest the news. "Yes, there must be a mistake!" Her mate was the king of the werewolves, how could a bunch of rogues kill him? But why didn''t n look like he thought so? Was he inclining toward the words written on this paper? "Why are you looking like that? Didn''t they write that they couldn''t find his body?" Abby was almost hysterical now. The tracker only mentioned Micah was likely to be dead because they couldn''t find his body, while no one was able to mindlink him anymore. But them not being unable to trace a person didn''t mean he no longer existed, right? There could be many reasons for the mind link to fail, dying couldn''t necessarily be the only reason. He could''ve gone missing like thest time. There was still hope for her to hang onto, so that was what she was going to do! How could she give up on Micah without even knowing what happened to him, just based on this single missive? "Dax is on his way here with Mire, they would know something about him. I won''t believe it until I see his body." Abby was now mumbling to herself, crushing the paper unconsciously while tears kept flowing past her cheeks. On the other hand, n could see this was utterly devastating for her, but the tracker clearly mentioned Dax and Mire returning to the pack with the bodies of Alpha Samuel and Alpha James, who died on the battlefield. There was no way the royal gamma leave his king behind if he thought there was any hope for Micah. Dax not writing anything to him only solidified the possibility of the tracker''s words being true. Even though he found it hard to ept and wanted for this to be all a false rm, n couldn''t really lose his grip over reality, now of all times. And as the queen carrying King Micah''s only heir, Abby too had certain responsibilities to fulfill at a time like this. Responsibilities like arranging a funeral for the people who lost lives in that forest fighting the rogues. However, Abby didn''t look like she could handle it all, if anything, she looked like she was going to spiral even more out of control and it would only make things worse if she really lost it. Because Abby wasn''t just responsible for herself and this kingdom anymore, but also the wolf prince growing in her stomach. "Get a grip over yourself, Abby!" The royal beta pleaded with the girl, who was now shaking in disbelief as she read the letter again and again, as if by doing so, the matter there would somehow change from the cold truth inked onto it. But the girl couldn''t hear him at all, and soon, she fainted from the utter shock that hit her the moment she read this mind-numbing news and tapped into the anxiety that had been mangling her body for months. ***************** By the time Abby came to herself again, it was already well past midnight, but not a single person could sleep peacefully when the news of Micah''s death spread far and wide in the entire kingdom. People mourned the death of their king, as they cried for every brave warrior that couldn''t make it back alive this time, while the funeral for the two Alphas became another heart wrenching blow for their respective packs. However, Abby didn''t shed another tear after waking up, as she continued to run the court as usual, refusing every request about holding Micah''s funeral no matter who brought it up. Meanwhile, having lost their lives along with the king, it was decided the funeral for Alpha Samuel and Alpha James would be held following the royal protocol, to which Abby didn''t have an objection in any form. Her only problem was when someone mentioned Micah''s death, a thought she didn''t entertain even for a second. She didn''t evene out of her bedroom, making Deion deal with everyone for her. This only made people feel even more sad for her, because they all felt she was in denial. Even though there was nothing she or anyone could do about this, their queen held onto the tiny hope that they couldn''t find Micah''s body no matter how hard they searched. Abby had only one sentence for even the royal councilors. "I won''t believe anyone until I see Micah''s body for myself." And this incurred Arthur''s wrath, who couldn''t hold back his anger any more as he stormed to the king''s quarters a couple of days after the news hit the pce. Abby could only meet him, because no matter what, he was the former king and Micah''s father. "Even after what happened, you are still not satisfied?" Arthur criticized her the moment she greeted him. When Abby remained silent, it only served to fuel his anger further. "Why are you not saying anything? Feeling wronged? But you don''t have that right, do you?" Arthur had a lot of pent up anger that had been boiling his veins for months, and once it found a perfect reason to be unleashed, he couldn''t rein it back no matter what. "You don''t even deserve to sit on that throne, you bad luck bringer!" The man was shaking now, implying with every word of his that Micah died because of her. However, before Abby could defend herself, they were both startled by a shrill scream, as Neesha rushed toward Abby and pped her hard. If not for her personal maid servant, standing behind Abby and breaking her fall, Abby would have fallen on her stomach from the impact. "Former Queen Neesha! How can..." n, who had been silent when Arthur ran his mouth, couldn''t stay calm seeing Neesha losing control and harming Abby and her baby. However, Neesha wasn''t paying attention to anyone but Abby right now, as she chose to shake her son''s mate, demanding answers. "How did my son end up with a monster like you as his mate? You ungrateful wretch!! You won''t even mourn his death?! What right do you have to refuse to hold a funeral for him? You don''t even respect death?" The more she talked, the more agitated she became, as if she was going to strike Abby again, but before she could raise her hand a second time, Arthur quickly held her back because he could see the royal beta mind linking the guards. Even though he was the former king and Neesha was his mate, Abby was now pregnant with Micah''s child, so n and the others would be more inclined toward keeping their queen safe. Which meant they wouldn''t hesitate to fight Neesha and Arthur if itpromised Abby''s safety, while he couldn''t bear such humiliation.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Calm down, Neesha!" Arthur whispered in her ear. He shouldn''t have brought Neesha with him, knowing how unstable she could get at times. But Micah was their son. He and Neesha had the right to question the disrespect he was subjected to by his own mate by not agreeing to arrange a funeral for him. "How can I calm down?!" Neesha was hysterical now. "She only brought heartache for him when he l.n was alive, even after dying, he couldn''t leave in peace. Isn''t it all because of her? Why couldn''t she just agree..." Neesha almost felt out of breath, firing out usations at Abby, when a cold voice prated her craze filled haze. "Why will I agree to something like that?" "What did you say?" Arthur and Neesha couldn''t believe their ears, as they noticed at the cold gaze Abby directed at them. "How dare you..." "Why wouldn''t dare?" Abby refuted, hugging her protruding belly with one hand while letting Alyssa support her, holding her other hand. "How can I let him go just like that? Without even seeing it with my own eyes, I have to give up on him?" Her cheek pped by Neesha turned bright red with an obvious hand print, but the redness in her eyes dominated the freshly forming bruise. "I don''t believe he will leave me and our unborn child just like that. Unless I see his cold dead body, I refuse to believe it." Abby repeated the same thing for the umpteenth time, leaving no room for negotiation. *****Read my new story: Rejected by the Alpha, imed by the Lycan King***** Chapter 150 Chapter 150 It took almost seven days for Dax and Mire to finally arrive in the capital city. Because of the several tens of caskets that were being pulled by these huge horse carts, it took them almost twice the amount of time toplete this journey. Apart from the first yetparatively smaller cart that held two coffins, which obviously belonged to the two alphas, there were these other few huge carts that had the caskets of the several warriors that died in that battle. But everyone alive was on foot. Even Mire chose to walk with Dax, in silent yet solemn reverence. Abby and n personally received Dax and Mire, who looked beyond dispirited, making Abby dread their exnation. Behind the queen and the rest were people from the Red River pack and the Silver Moon pack. Two days earlier, which was three days after her confrontation with the former king and Neesha, Abby received several people from both the packs, who followed their lunas for the two alphas'' burial. Because of the circumstances they had died, Abby agreed with n''s suggestion to bury Samuel and James'' bodies ording to royal protocol. Abby let Alyssa take care of the arrangements for the two women and the others'' stay in the pce, while they all waited for the royal gamma and the witch to return to the capital city. The said women were now crying again silently as they rushed to their respective mate''s coffins. On the other hand, the queen was about to probe the royal gamma when he bowed to her, but seeing the look of unmistakable guilt on his face made her swallow her questions. "n, send the warriors back first," Abby told the royal beta before she turned to Deion. "Shift these caskets to the underground basement." And then she saw as the guards unload and carry the coffins one by one to the basement, where they would keep them until the burial. Even after looking at all the coffins, there was no change in her expression. She still held her head high as she asked Dax and Mire to go to their rooms in the pce, while the warriors that made it back alive left slowly. She didn''t tear up even at the uncertainty of the situation, where she didn''t know what happened to her mate. Her gaze then fell on the two women still sobbing. "Send the lunas to their guest bedrooms to rest." Abby was about to return to her bedroom to go about her day when ire, Alpha Samuel''s mate, approached her. "My Queen, you should also rest well." ire said, as she bowed to her. And when Abby thought the woman would leave, she wiped at her face before continuing to speak her mind. "You should ept that the King is gone, and move on. Please, think about your baby." From her polite tone to consoling her words, her intention was simple. Like everyone, she believed Abby was just in denial and couldn''t ept the reality. But if she bottled up everything like that, it would harm the baby in her womb, so she only meant well and Abby understood that. "I''m not in denial, ire. I know my Micah is still alive." She said, standing by her beliefs. Yes, she strongly believed that Micah was still alive. Since there was no dead body here, it only meant he was still alive. He had to be alive for her and their baby. On the other hand, her words only sounded like she wasforting herself, especially when ire recalled how Abby had been refusing to hold a funeral for Micah until she saw his body. ire wanted to persuade her a little more, feeling it would be indeed hard to ept the reality for Abby when this cynical voice beat her to it. "How would she believe King Micah is dead when it would only reflect her own faults?" "What do you mean by it, Hera?" ire asked the woman named Hera, mate of Alpha James. "Did I say something wrong?" "How is the King dying in a battle the queen''s fault?" ire was feeling indignant for the queen. "Because her bad luck is the reason it happened." Hera sounded righteous when Abby didn''t say anything in the face of her usation. "She is a jinx." "Hera, you are crossing a line." It was still ire who spoke up with this obvious frown on her face. However, James'' mate lost all James'' reasoning as she started pointing fingers at Abby. "She caused her mother''s death first, then exiled her own father and sister from this kingdom. Now her bad luck has even rubbed off onto my mate. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org She had been holding back for a week now, but seeing James'' cold corpse made her lose it. "She stayed in our pack for a few days, and my James left for a battle, then died because of her. She caused it. Her bad luck isn''t really a joke. Even the King disappeared without a trace." The more she talked, the more brazen she sounded, while Abby just stood there, regarding her coldly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Even when ire wanted to stop her, Hera only spouted more nonsense until n couldn''t take it. He had just returned to Abby''s side when he heard her curse at the queen without fear. "Wherever she goes, death and gloom follows her! She is a jinx, I say!" "Preposterous! Guards, drag this woman to the dungeon!" The royal beta didn''t hesitate to make this decision for Abby. But the girl who had been unresponsive in the face of the insults Hera threw at her until now, chose this particr moment to speak again. "No need for it, Royal Beta n!!" Abby held up her hand, stopping the guards who were about to follow n''s order and lock Hera in a cold cell, Just confine her to her room until the burial." Her order was clear, Abby didn''t want to see her before the burial again. If she had to respond to every finger that was pointed at her, she would never see the end of it. Ignoring these irrelevant people would do her more good anyway! Read my new story: Rejected by The Alpha, imed by the Lycan King. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 151 "Just confine her to her room until the burial." "But..." n didn''t think Hera should be let off so easily, however, Abby had already turned around to return to her bedroom as she threw onest remark over her shoulder. "She is hurting and not worth wasting my breath over!" Abby''s words didn''t really convince n to let it go, but he couldn''t defy the queen so openly. So he turned around to face James'' mate to deliver onest warning. "Keep your mouth shut if you want to make it back to your pack in one piece!" After that, he rushed after Abby, while ire pulled a frightened Hera toward their guest bedrooms. From the moment n told the guards to lock her up, she was numb from fear. For a moment after seeing her mate lying lifeless in that cold coffin, she lost her mind and forgot that Abby was not the same person they stepped on all over back in their pack until a few months ago. But now that she came back to her senses, she was so frightened, she didn''t need any external pressure from the guards stationed by the royal beta outside her door to stay out of Abby''s sight! However, she wasn''t the only person who wanted Abby''s insistence over not holding the funeral for the king to blow over. In the grand scheme of things, her outburst was brushed off as a child''s tantrum while the whole royal council was in knots over debating over Abby''s capability to rule the kingdom. "Even after seeing all those coffins and countless dead bodies, she remains stubborn like this. She just insists on believing in her false hope, instead of doing the right thing." Fabron seemed to have finally had enough of people whitewashing Abby''s stubborn tendencies as her being in a denial and unable to ept the harsh truth. "With such a fragile mindset, is she even suitable to stand among us, let alone order us around?" The elder was still hung up on the matter of the councilors having to report every single issue to the queen, who was none other than Abby. She was just a woman with experience of a new born baby, not to mention she wasn''t even aplete shifter. She was a half witch, who they all looked down on. So how could he digest her wielding authority mightier than him, an elder who had seen two generations of kings ruling the werewolves? Hearing him express his dissatisfaction toward Abby so openly served to incite a few others who had been stewing over this matter inwardly for months as well, and Mark was the first one to dere an ultimatum. "Her background is so unsettling, while she was not even stronger emotionally. She can''t even protect herself, how could we trust her to protect the rest of us?" The elder pointed out how weak Abby was, both emotionally and physically. Even a strong shifter woman couldn''tpare to a mere royal guard, so the girl was obviously on the negative side when they took herbative strength into consideration.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "We can''t let her ruin the kingdom," Pedro said, openly agreeing with the two others. Letting someone incapable rule a kingdom would only lead to one thing, downfall! The words of these three people insinuated the same and the few voices that had been suppressed in the face of Abby''s careful and meticulous execution of her duties, started toe alive again as they strongly opposed the idea of letting Abby continue sitting on the throne. Abby refusing to hold the funeral for King Micah really became a contention in the court and it gave the people opposing her a way to make things difficult for herself. They wanted her to step down and hand over the reins to someone more suitable, someone who had more experience and the person was none other than Arthur, the former king. However, before anyone could get ahead and bring up the former king''s name, few of the representatives of the packs started arguing back with the elders. "How wasn''t she suitable when she was the destined mate of thete king?" Chance, the Midnight pack''s representative, was the first to point out how ridiculous the argument from the people on Fabron''s side was. "She is even carrying the royal heir, why are you all so twisted up just to ept she is now the queen and move on?" Toby, the ck w pack''s representative, stabbed a finger at the few people red at Chance for bringing up the same thing again. Just like that, the court fell into an uproar as about fifteen or so people divided into two groups and debated why Abby should and shouldn''t step down from her position. Only people like Gavin and a couple of other pack representatives stayed silent, apart from Arthur of course, as they tried to calm down the people who wouldn''t stop fighting no matter what. Chance and the others said Abby had been doing just fine for an inexperienced girl, as they pointed out the way she handled the court over thest few months. While Fabron insisted she had only been dealing with some surface problems all this time and that once real problems surfaced, she wouldn''t be able to hold her own. They expressed how unsettling it was to leave the future of this kingdom in the hands of a weak woman. But their opponents countered that they were all there to support her in times of need, because that was their responsibility. "How long will you do that for?" Fabron couldn''t help but ask as he felt this was really ridiculous. "Until the baby in her stomach grew up old enough to take over!" Toby didn''t back down either. "Isn''t it just better to let Sir Arthur take over until the wolf prince came of age?" Mark chose this moment to finally bring up the former king''s name and immediately, silence descended in the great hall. However, Chance quickly recovered as he stared at Mark. "Even if the king isn''t with us anymore, we still have to respect him and his mate. Moreover, she is still the queen of this kingdom, I don''t understand why you people couldn''t see it as simply!" For the few of them, Micah had been a good ruler and he was confident enough in his mate to teach her so many things about the kingdom in the short period they had been together. Only after she really took over the court did they realize how much Micah had valued her, because without such great insights from him, a weak woman like Abby wouldn''t have known what to do. It was clear in the way she handled the court and the problems that Micah had let her be privy to so many things, things that were really confidential. So they had long decided to support her, because she seemed capable enough. "Hadn''t she proven herself enough after all these months?" This was the counter from the people who supported Micah before, and the elders doubting Abby''s capabilities had no strongeback to rival it. Even so, they weren''t willing to give up on making a mountain out of a molehill, as they kept pointing out how convenient it would be to let Arthur takeover because they all could be reassured. The chaos continued in the great hall untilte in the evening without any side gaining an upper hand, while the person in the question remained unaware as she focused on the missives scattered over the small table behind the couch in her bedroom. The words danced across the papers as she tried to get a grip over her emotions, which felt all over the ce, recalling the same thing people repeated over and over. But she didn''t think Micah had died. Abby dropped the letter in her hands on the table as she hugged her stomach with one hand while rubbing her chest with the other, trying to calm herself with her eyes closed. By the time she opened her eyes again, Alyssa and Reyna could be seen hovering over her. "My Queen..." "I''m fine, just a little tired." She reassured them and then saw Reyna holding this small tray of food. Only then did she realize that she had forgotten all about dinner and medicines. And just as she finished her meal, Mire came to talk to her. "Abby, you don''t look good." The witch didn''t hesitate to call out as soon as she sat beside her on the sofa. When Abby didn''t say anything, Mire reached out to grab her hand and squeezed it. "You need to let him go. If you continue like this, it will take a toll on you.." The witch could tell Abby was out of sorts because of the king''s sudden death, but there was nothing they could do about it. So it was not worth it for Abby to neglect her own health and the baby''s life. Even her maids'' thoughts resonated with that of the witch as they tried tofort Abby, who had been looking more haggard with each day that passed. "But he isn''t dead, Mire!" Abby uttered this sentence for the umpteenth time. "He is still alive." However, from the somber expressions on the faces of the three women, she could tell they just pitied her. "I''m not lying to myself," Abby told them as she looked at them one by one. She was telling the truth, because she really wasn''t holding onto any false hope. Her hope was fueled by the fact that she could still feel the mate bond between them. Even though it was faint, it was still there, which only meant Micah was still alive. So how would it be a false hope? His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 152 "I''m not really lying to myself," Abby repeated herself as shepelled Mire and her maids to understand where she wasing from. If a mate really breathed theirst, their other half and partner would immediately feel the bond shattering, and the pain that ensued would be something really unbearable. One look at ire and Hera''s faces, one could imagine the level of devastation they had been mangled with. But her bond with Micah wasn''tpletely destroyed and she could feel it for God''s sake! Only the pitiful gazes roamed over her face with their eyes brimmed with unshed tears made her realize she couldn''t convince them otherwise.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. And that wasn''t the main problem now, so she turned to Mire with determination in her eyes. "Mire, tell me what exactly happened in that forest." The witch''s face fell at the sudden yet expected question, but she didn''t coil back from the queen, if anything she steeled herself for this impending conversation. As if doubting Mire would try to spare her feelings, Abby grabbed her hands hard. "Don''t hold back anything from me!" Even though she had been quite optimistic with her hunch that was fueled by the fact she could still feel the mate bond, being surrounded by people who constantly chanted Micah had died had been f*****g with her mind greatly. She wanted to corner Dax the moment they returned, but the normally easy-going royal gamma was so out of his element, she couldn''t bring herself to. Moreover, seeing him like that also made her spiral with fear. She couldn''t think straight anymore, but she needed to know the truth, all of it. And Mire was the best candidate after Dax to talk about it. She needed to know what happened until they were all hellbent on the idea that Micah was no more. On the other hand, Mire had to forgo her initial idea to tone down things for Abby''s sake after being called out by the queen, and after making the girl wait for a few bated breaths, she dived down the memoryne. "We had no problem breaching whatever defensive arrays the dark mage set around the rogue''s base, but we didn''t realize we gave ourselves away to the enemy."Visit NovelDrama.Org to read theplete chapters for free. Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Job ni b.. Mire could still remember that odd feeling of easily breaking down those simple spells, as she led Micah and the others to the heart of the base. "It didn''t take long for the rogues to take notice and defend themselves, but even with numbers to their advantage, they couldn''t outpower Micah and his guards until Ruby appeared and attacked Micah all of a sudden." "Ruby?" Abby was genuinely surprised with this turn of events. Even though she knew both Ruby and Ezgar had jumped ships, she didn''t expect Ruby to attack Micah so brazenly. Didn''t that woman love Micah? She even went as far as making trouble for Abby a few times, and when she failed, she even incited her father to get rid of her just so she could rece her! So her attacking Micah all of a sudden didn''t really fit into the equation, but then she did join hands with Calpin, so this was all more than bizarre. But Mire didn''t know the inside story for Abby to react like this and only thought she was surprised because Ruby was beingpletely reckless. After all, even though she was a shifter and the daughter of the former royal beta, she was in no realm a match to Micah in strength. "Yeah, and the fact she was a woman weakerpared to the King worked in the enemy''s favor." Mire''s voice was grim with indignation when she continued to exin how Ezgar sneaked an attack on Micah while he was distracted for a fraction of a second. That ex chief of elite warriors managed to w the hind leg of Micah''s beast right before he ended Ruby''s pathetic life, and more rogues swarmed in. However, Abby didn''t get enough time to stew in anger over the fact that Ezgar dared to touch Micah when Mire dropped her next bomb. "As soon as that Ezgar guy managed to hurt Micah, and more rogues pounced on him, Calpin appeared all of a sudden." "Calpin? But didn''t you say you didn''t feel him around there?" Abby couldn''t breath all of a sudden. Mire couldn''t meet Abby''s eyes as she continued in an apologetic voice. "It was a trap, and it was toote when I realized it." Calpin masked himself and erased the traces left behind by his magic really well and by the time they realized it was a trap, it was toote. The dark mage revealed himself as soon as Micah was injured and while the king struggled to fight off Ezgar and the rogues, he did a number on him. The fight was so fierce, because with pin''s presence, the rogues attacked even more ferociously as they tore apart whoever stumbled in their way, as if that bastard dark sorcerer tweaked an invisible switch for them to go feralpletely. It took just about ten rogues to kill Samuel, who had managed to end several rogues easily earlier, while James died in the hands of about seven rogues. Seeing the two alphas copse one by one greatly dispirited the warriors from their own packs, resulting in more deaths, while Dax and Mire were being overwhelmed by the rogues they were dealing with. Death cries and crazed roars filled the forest, as that section of the woods was ttened to the ground when trees fell and it turned into a clearing in the span of a few days. However, even with all this madness surrounding him, Micah fought bravely as he stood neck to neck with Calpin for almost an entire two hours. But something unexpected happened just when it looked like the king could defeat the dark mage. "Calpin started using his dark magic in full force and the situation turned even more chaotic as almost all rogues rushed to Micah at the same time." Mire tried to contain them but when this sudden light exploded from Calpin, even she was thrown back off her feet, and by the time she straightened herself, which took less than fifteen seconds, in the ce she spotted Micah before Calpinunched hisst attack was this giant open furnace. mes danced wildly and they reached so high, it felt like they could touch the clouds. Itsted about a full ten minutes, where it looked like the skies opened and liquid fire poured down in the middle of this forest. Ten minutes was considerably a small amount of time, but the dark magic was so eerie, Mire felt her knees go weak again, and when it finally ended and the fire disappeared, all that remained before their eyes was ash on that really ttened ground. "Good riddance!" Calpin''s parting words were what nailed the final nail in the coffin, as Mire and Dax were left to fight the rogues, who came back to their senses after being stunned by their master''s profound attack. "So you didn''t see Calpin bruning with your own eyes?" Mire was about to continue exining to Abby how they had to fight for weeks with the royal warriors'' assistance, when Abby suddenly interrupted her. Immediately, the witch''s face contorted with pity. "But there was no way for him to survive that attack." How could one possibly survive something eerily simr to hell''s fire, because that was what Calpin''s dark fire looked like in Dax''s and Mire''s eyes. It was beyond eldritch that the witch couldn''t help shudder involuntarily even now. Abby pointing out how they couldn''t clearly see Micah getting burned as a hopeful sign for her to wait for his return only looked even more pitiful in the witch''s eyes. Because it looked like she was grasping onto whatever false hope at this point, no matter how uncanny it seemed. Abby also could see how Mire and her maids looked at her even more heartbrokenly, but she knew they wouldn''t understand how important these speckles of hope were for her. Her belief that Micah was still alive only became stronger with this small reassurance, because the fact that she could still sense their mate bond had been what made her stand until now. And she finally understood why they were so sure what they had seen was theplete truth. She had been wondering why Dax couldn''t even meet her eyes earlier, but now it all made sense. Dealing with Calpin was worlds apart from crushing or burning a bunch of rogues, no matter how many there were there or how crazed they had been to fight their target to death. On the other hand, the more Mire observed the girl before her, the more it looked like she was determined to hide from the truth. But that wasn''t the solution to this. "Abby, the more you fight this, the more it will hurtter." The witch squeezed Abby''s hands to get her attention as she tried to persuade her that this would all implode on her own face. If she was being like this now, she would only suffer even more when thest of her hopes had been crushed cruelly by reality. "Don''t be harsh to yourself and your baby. You need to give up before it''s toote!" A lone tear flowed freely down her cheek, as she felt really bad for the girl. However, before Abby could defend herself or reveal she could still feel their mate bond, faint noises reverberated in the corridor outside her door and cut her line of thought. Alyssa and Reyna stiffened as they scrambled toward their master, and in the next second, Abby saw two beasts jump into the room through a window, growling viciously. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 153 Between exining what happened and talking Abby through her denial, Mire couldn''t pay attention to the changes in their surroundings. Abby was clearly in a bad ce right now that it hurt to even look at her holding back herself from falling apart. However, if this continued, Abby would also get hurt and that wasn''t an oue she could afford with Calpin running amok out there. But when she steeled herself and decided to make Abby see the reality, she waspletely caught off guard seeing the queen stiffen before her. "Abby, what..." "Grrrhhhh!" Twin growls filled the air before she could ask Abby what happened until she couldn''t breathe, and seeking the source of the sound left her face to face with two huge beasts. The witch was stunned for a moment, suddenly hyper aware of the animosity emanating from the creatures. Their auras radiated killing intent and it left her heart skittering. "Abby!" The witch lunged to her feet, cing herself in between the threat before her and the pregnant woman behind, just as the queen''s personal maids huddled behind their master. "My Queen!" The three of them stood frozen around Abby, who was still shocked to her core. "What is happening?" The question left Abby''s lips unconsciously as the wolves prowled in ce, with their gazes locked on her, as if they were seeking an opportunity to finish her off. Their murderous intention and their behavior provided the witch with enough details to amp up her magic to defend Abby, who was clearly having a hard time navigating her own thoughts. Abby, being heavily pregnant at six months, instinctively covered her stomach to protect the baby in her womb. It would be hard for her to tap into her power in time if the two beasts attacked them at once. "Who are you?" Mire snapped her fingers and immediately, mes wreathed her forearms, from elbows to fingertips, as she took a fighting stance. There was no response from the beasts apart from this vicious snarling that made Abby''s blood curdle at the realization as Alyssa and Reyna breathed out in mortification. "They are royal warriors!" "Oh my God!" Abby couldn''t believe her eyes. The air carried over a faint scent of blood, and the queen felt her whole being tremble at the thought of the violence unleashed outside her bedroom. The snarls echoing through the corridors reached her ears as distant growls and she didn''t need to go out there to see what was actually happening. This was an ambush! And with the royal warriors in the picture, it was not hard to guess who was behind this. But how could he be this brash, until he couldn''t even care about the consequences of his actions? Did Arthur lose his mind? Was he in so much hurry to get rid of her that he couldn''t even stop to think that she was carrying Micah''s baby? The way those two beasts snarled in craze just at the sight of her told her just how much Arthur hated her. But she wouldn''t bow down in the face of danger. She couldn''t let him have his way. "Do you even understand what you are doing?" She shouted at the two wolves in exasperation. Her words prompted Alyssa and Reyna to shift into their beasts, but they were too small because of their omega origin. The witch couldn''t understand their reactions, but it wasn''t hard to connect the dots when she tried to feel beyond the walls and couldn''t sense the guards that were posted outside Abby''s door. How could this be? Was this what she was thinking? They dared to attack the queen right in her bedroom? "Who sent you here?" Only Abby didn''t need an answer to that question, because only one person felt the need to get rid of her, and that was none other than the former king, Sir Arthur.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. And hearing Mire this time, one of the guards took a chance and dared to pounce on the witch, but the woman wasn''t having none of it. She immediately set the paws of the grayish brown beast, which effectively stopped the two beasts in their tracks, but the smoke and the fur burning smell that filled the air made Abby feel suffocated. Even though this bedroom was equipped withrge enough windows until beasts could jump in through them, only one window was open while even the door was tightly shut. So if Mire kept using her fire magic, things would turn even more ufortable for Abby, who also seemed to understand this. "You need to calm down," Abby said, realizing making these warriors understand the truth that they were being used was necessary now. "You are being used." This only made the two beasts growl at her even more viciously, but Abby couldn''t risk it. Even though Mire might be able to fight them with Alyssa and Reyna''s assistance, three women were no match to two male shifters, let alone royal warriors who practically spent their lives on the training grounds. "Don''t you understand? This is clearly a coup against me, your queen!" Abby looked them in the eyes as she tried to de- escte the situation, while hoping to buy enough time for n or Dax to show up. "The person behind the scenes wants to im the throne to himself. Don''t fall into his schemes." Abby tried to exin why she said what she said, trying to stall for time. Since she guessed who their instigator was, it came easily for her to raise points that could get her point across. "No matter what they tried to project onto me or my capabilities, I have never given an opportunity for any of you to doubt myself." Abby caressed her stomach while she told them this, hoping to snag their attention to the fact that she was still carrying the baby of their king. But it turned out to be a wrong move, because this suddenly triggered the two beasts, who actually let out snarls that sounded like battle cries, before pouncing forward to attack the four women crazily. "Abby, get behind Alyssa and Reyna!" Mire, who had been observing the two beasts closely, pushed the tea table out of their way and burnt it to use as a shield of protection, which gave Abby enough time to scramble around the sofa and settle against the wall beside it, while her maids came to stand before her. While this move indeed put considerable distance between the beasts and Abby, now she was also trapped in her ce. If Mire failed to hold them back, death would be the only thing waiting for her and her baby. Arthur nned really well, he even sent royal warriors who still believed in those nasty rumors that spread around all those months ago to cut her all ways out. If she managed toe alive out of this, he would face her wrath. On the other hand, Mire tried everything in her power to restrict the beasts from advancing as she focused on battling them both out at the same time. "Damn it!" The witch cursed when Alyssa''s beast got wed as fresh blood oozed out of her neck. Just as she decided to burn them both, two beasts rushed into the room after knocking down the door. "n, Dax!" Abby sighed in relief. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 154 "n, Dax!" The relief which flooded her veins seeing the royal beta and royal gamma arrive in their beast forms was something she couldn''t describe. Alyssa was badly injured while Mire was having a hard time fighting the two beasts alone, because she stopped Reyna from lunging forward after seeing her other maid get hurt. Everything happened in a span of mere minutes after those beasts broke in through the window. Mire burning the grayish brown beast''s legs, Alyssa getting wed and then those beasts turning even more feral. Abby half believed she was going to lose her life tonight. So when the royal beta pounced on the two beasts along with Dax, the queen was still in shock. It was Reyna who came to her senses first as she rushed toward Abby, who looked like she was about to copse where she was standing. [My Queen!] The girl shifted back in a sh, but because of the fact she was not used to this whole shifting process, she took a second longer. However, Mire was there to save the day. Seeing their aid arrive, she immediately put out the mes raging over the furniture across this patch of bedroom, before turning around to Abby. "Abby!" The witch swiftly dashed to the queen, ignoring her own exhausted body, as she supported the fainting woman, before carrying her deeper into the room and away from the beasts grappling on the floor before the sofa. Mireid Abby on the bed before turning to Reyna, who was now helping Alyssa. The girl couldn''t shift back because of the wound near her neck, that still hadn''t started closing. "She is losing too much blood!" Reyna felt her blood draining from her face as she cradled her fellow maid in herp. "Let''s bring her away from the fight first, here," Mire said, as she helped Reyna drag Alyssa away just as n and Dax managed to suppress the beasts until they turned back to their human forms. "Call Nadia over!" Mire bellowed once the royal beta turned around to check on Abby, who was now frowning deeply. Even though they couldn''t sense any wounds on her, her fainting from shock wasn''t something they could ignore now that she was heavily pregnant. Immediately, Dax and n jumped into action as Dax mindlinked the warriors they brought with them to send summons to Nadia while n shifted back to aid Alyssa shift back as well.To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b. The quiet night that turned chaotic in the span of a mere twenty minutes when Arthur''s scheme to get rid of Abby almost seeded finally regained some semnce of peace as the royal warriors that had partaken in the coup were finally subdued by n and the warriors he brought. As soon as the situation seemed a bit calm, the royal healer rushed to the king''s tower to check on Abby, who was currently unconscious. "Alyssa..." Abby gasped as she came to herself and her unfocused eyes slowly refocused, where she could see the royal healer fussing over her. "She is fine, the wound has closed and she is healing." Nadia reassured her, when she saw Abby was about to jump to her feet to run to Alyssa. The main reason for the failure of her wound closer was the location of the injury, the beast''s wscerated Alyssa''s neck quite closely to her jugr, which ruptured quite badly and this resulted in the continuous loss of blood. It was really a miracle for her to hold onto her consciousness until Nadia and her assistant arrived, or else the girl would have lost her life today. n speeding up her shifting back also helped a little, and now she was shifted to another room, where Efrem, Nadia''s assistant, was taking care of her. Abby calmed down for a second at the news before her face morphed into a picture of pure terror. "My baby!" "Calm down, My Queen! Your baby is fine. You fainted from shock, and once you calmed down, you will be alright." Nadia hurriedly exined and only stopped when Abby finally realized on her own that the baby was fine. Abby''s eyes brimmed with unshed tears when she felt her baby kick before it moved around a little in her womb. Relief washed over her as she caressed her bulging stomach over and over again. It was a really close call tonight! She didn''t expect Arthur to forget everything and risk executing such a reckless ambush. Had she been too pliant that he thought she could be pushed around? He even dared to harm her baby! She had been lucky enough this time, but she wasn''t naive enough to think this would be the only time Arthur would do something like this. Hell! He couldn''t even stop to consider that she was carrying Micah''s blood and flesh! Would there be anything that could possibly make him see reason? This shouldn''t be left unapproached. With her decision made, Abby immediately turned to n and Dax. "Gather the royal council!" n and Dax immediately sucked in a cold breath. "What are you thinking about doing?" n was the first toe to his senses as he looked at Abby in a new light. Determination and rage, a recklessbination in any situation, oozed out of her, making him dread why Abby wanted to call this sudden meeting. Instead of answering him right away, the queen posted him a question of her own. "Royal Beta n, how many guards lost their lives tonight?" This made the man exchange a look with the royal gamma, who looked as confused as the former as to where this conversation headed. "Answer me, n! How many?" Abby didn''t raise her voice, but the intensity in her tone made it sound like she did anyway. n was momentarily stunned at the authority rolling off her body. The woman before his eyes lookedpletely different from the scared girl that pleaded Micah all those months ago, where she shook just at the thought of her father finding out she crossed a line Ryan set for her. Involuntarily, he answered her, his voice turning a bit somber at the image he was greeted with the moment he reached this part of the king''s tower. "Everyone stationed around this wing." Since it was the King''s sleeping quarters, there would beparatively more guards patrolling this part of the pce, not to mention Abby was pregnant and needed more protection. "Tell the warriors to leave the bodies untouched until I say so." Abby ordered, her expression still grim. "And I want everyone to gather in the great hall in half an hour." By everyone, she meant the neen members of the royal council, those ten elders and the nine representatives from all the packs. "But why?" n asked, unable to hold himself back. He couldn''t really understand why Abby was insisting on this. "I''m going to announce that there has been a coup against me!" There was no hesitation in the girl''s voice, as she hugged her baby, showing she wouldn''t budge from her decision. "I want everyone to know how this pce has been treating their queen." "You want to announce what?" Dax repeated, feeling perplexed about the repercussions of the news. of this coup getting out there. "Calm down, Abby! If this gets out, it can go two ways..." n began, wanting to point out that her adversaries might turn even more brash with their cardsid out there for everyone to see. "How worse can it get, n?" Abby looked at n with sharp eyes, she was really fed up with the court politics now. "Alyssa almost lost her life tonight." "But, we can handle them for you. We can take measures like strengthening the protection around you."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "It will only cause more deaths, even more than tonight." Abby stood up from the bed. "I don''t want a repeat of tonight. Even if our warriors have to die, it should be on a real battle field, fighting enemies, not in the crossfire of noxious royal politics" Abby''s stance was clear, but the royal beta didn''t feel it was a wise decision. "I don''t think they would see it as a warning, but as a chance." Dax agreed with n. "If you announce this news to the public, it would be no different from waging an open war with them." At least, in the veil of amiability and decorum, her adversaries could be restrained a little now, but if word got out and people found out the constant life threats Abby was facing, they might spiral which would only leave the court even more tumultuous. But they had forgotten something. "The moment they started spreading those odious rumors, the war had already started." Hearing her, n felt his throat tighten at the reminder as Dax stiffened beside him. "Moreover, it might have been me in Alyssa''s ce tonight. She managed to hold on because she was a shifter. Had it been me, what do you think you would be doing now?" Her tone waspletely even, she was being neither servile nor overbearing, as she just wanted to make them understand how far the situation had already escted. "But there will be noing back from this." n was convinced already, but the thought of putting Abby and her baby at even more risk made him feel like his hands were tied. "They tried to kill me, not even thinking of sparing the little life in my womb. What else is there to think about, n?" She looked furious now. "I don''t want to hide anymore. The more I hide, the more they think that I can be pushed around. I''ll not forgive them." Her tone left no room for negotiation. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 155 "Just because you were attacked in the pce, who are you trying to point your fingers at?" The moment these words reverberated in the great hall, allmotion died out as everyone turned to look at Arthur pointedly. Their expressions ranged from puzzled to rmed when the meaning of the former king''s words slowly but surely registered in their minds. A secondter, faint noises of people murmuring among themselves filled the silence as they asked each other if what they heard just now was the same as what they thought they heard was. All neen members in the current royal council had rushed back to the king''s tower when they received summons for an impromptu meeting in the middle of the night. It was close to midnight and for Abby to make such a request, they realized it had to be really something important. But the girl chose to start this conversation with an explosive piece of news. "Someone tried to kill me!" People who constantly opposed Abby, like Fabron, Mark and Pedro, felt their faces turn pale at her words as they looked at each other before roaming their eyes over the rest. However, no one seemed suspicious enough, which was also noticed by Abby. So she went on as she exined how a few royal warriors had turned their back against the throne and dared to kill all the guards stationed around her sleeping quarters before trying to assassinate herself. A collective gasp could be heard as they all sucked in a cold breath. "Fortunately, Melissa was by my side," she slowly said, reiterating the turn of events, but the longer she talked, the harsher her tone seemed. As she exined, she could feel this sense of restlessness among the elders, as if they couldn''t tell where this conversation was heading. Neither her opposers, nor her supporters could find their voices as they listened to her speak. "My maid almost died protecting me, even now, she is still not out of danger!" Even though Nadia reassured her that Alyssa would be fine after a few days of recuperating, Abby chose to keep it a secret for now. She wanted to put pressure on her adversaries and she was going to use every little thing to achieve it. As the final nail in the coffin, she paused for a moment to let them stew over her words before opening her mouth again leisurely. "I want to announce this to the public, and let them know their queen is being schemed against."To avoid an iplete reading experience, visit Jobn''i''b. She didn''t explicitly say that she was going to announce there had been a coup against her, but making this news public would not be any different. Abby then looked at all the members of the royal council, one by one, after she finished her speech, and this made all hell break loose as one after one came up with excuses for themselves or spections over the incident. The ones who shouted out excuses were the people who had been opposing Abby, while thetter were the ones who had been supporting the queen all these months. But no one expected Arthur to lose his cool after all these months and proactively deny Abby''s ims all of a sudden. Her tactic really worked, because even she didn''t expect Arthur to lose to her in this battle of wits. "Do you think just because you are the queen in name, people will believe whatever you say?" Arthurshed out at the unperturbed queen, as she looked at the former king with this strange gleam of interest in her eyes. "Let''s forget about the weight of my words, or if anyone would believe me. Sir Arthur, what do you think I''m trying to say now?" There was this secret smirk on her lips as she prodded Arthur, who didn''t seem to realize he had given himself away by getting riled up by Abby''s words. "That I''m trying to get rid of you. Who do you think you are?" Arthur almost growled as if he was just a wrong remark away from shifting into his beast and charging at the queen. "But I never brought up any names, did I?" Abby looked to her right, where n was standing just a foot away from the throne she was sitting on, while Dax had stayed behind to preserve all the evidence. "You..." Arthur finally realized he had lost hisposure, and denied everything before Abby could even use him of anything, which was nothing less than confessing he was guilty in this regard. Goddamn! Hadn''t I been always careful enough to steer the attention away from me? Yet, I was outwitted by this half witch tonight! The former king had always exercised great control over his words and his actions, going even as far as schooling his expression into one of a nk one whenever someone tried to stir up trouble by expressing displeasure over leaving reins in Abby''s hands. But he didn''t expect himself to slip up when she expressed that she was going to announce the news of this attack on her as a coup against the queen. Even though he had nned meticulously and made sure his name wouldn''t be dragged by anyone into this mess, there were still possibilities for his involvement to be exposed. Moreover, Abby actually managed to escape unscathed, and went ahead to hold an impromptu meeting over the fact that she had been attacked. She had definitelye prepared while he was caught off guard. And that was what Abby aimed to achieve by making this decision, she knew if she didn''t do something about the attack and let it slide without a proper investigation, the perpetrator would make use of her hesitance and n a second attack that might cost her dearly. She wanted to cut Arthur''s way out of this by making it public knowledge that she was being targeted. But she knew she couldn''t directly use anyone, because no one in his right mind would leave evidence against himself whenmitting crimes as huge as trying to kill the queen, which was basically considered treason. Surprisingly, Abby managed to make Arthur lose hisposer, where he acted on impulse. After all, he didn''t have enough time to take care of the things on his side, and thought Abby had managed to gather evidence against him, seeing her boldly announcing the news of her attack to the royal council. On the other hand, Abby continued to speak nonchntly. "I didn''t even insinuate there was someone behind the attack, but seeing you getting all worked up like this, I think I should make them look deeper into this matter." Hearing her, Arthur gritted his teeth so hard, while his ws threatened to extend from his fingertips. If not for the people around them, he would have taken things into his own hands and finished her off. The smug look on her face irked him to the core. Seeing that he was about to lose his mind out of anger, Abby finally turned away from him as she addressed the royal beta. "I guess Royal Beta n here will be able to solve this mystery soon." Immediately, a few representatives of the packs like Chance and Toby offered to provide aid in the process of sniffing out the traitor that dared to attack the king''s tower, prompting others to chime in with simr promises. Arthur had to suppress his rage when he felt like the half witch before him was taunting him to take the bait again. But this time, he managed to hold onto hisst bit of sanity as he let his former royal gamma step in to talk to n about the issue as well. Everyone in the great hall acted as if Arthur never had a meltdown with Abby''s announcement, and the huge elephant in the room was ignored just like that. Just when Arthur thought the farce was over and done with, he saw Abby stopping them from leaving. He wanted to snap, it was on the tip of his tongue tosh out at the woman, but the girl managed to leave him speechless again. "There was another purpose to tonight''s meeting," Abby said when Chance asked if she forgot to tell them something. Arthur had a sinking feeling about this, as the girl slid her nk gaze past his eyes when she answered the pack representative. It was only for a fleeting second, but the former king could swear he wouldn''t like whatever that came out of her mouth next. "I called all of you today so you could bear witness to my attackers'' execution." Immediately, they could see n mind linking someone, before several royal warriors were dragged into the great hall. "They were already fed Rottingbane and will be executed with immediate effect." And then, before the royal council, the thirty or so rebels were beheaded as blood drenched the cold ground beneath their feet. "Don''t you think you have gone too far?" It was Fabron, who felt Abby disrespected them by ordering n to kill them all so tantly. "This is not going far, Elder Fabron. I''ve actually shown them mercy by sparing them t*****e. After all, they are traitors." Traitors wouldn''t be put on trial, so her killing them right away was justifiable. "I''m the queen of this kingdom, taking care of you all in the absence of the King. Not to mention, I''m also the queen mother, carrying the prince. So this is a lighter punishment after they tried to kill me." These were her parting words and no one could find their voice for a long time. It was a clear warning for them all, opposers or not. But her point did get across. Especially for the former king.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 156 "Abby, you really ordered all of the attackers to be executed?" Dax rushed to Abby''s bedroom right as the queen returned from the great hall with n in tow. He slid his gaze to the royal beta to check if thetter just bluffed him though the mindlink. However, his attention was steered back to the cold woman perched on the edge of the bed at her answer. "Yeah, I want to make an example out of this turn of events." Shock couldn''t even begin to cover what he felt right now, because the royal gamma felt like he didn''t know the woman before him at all. A quick nce at n told him he wasn''t the only one who discovered this anomaly. She was so different from the easily scared, insecure girl they met all those months ago. Now she could more or less be considered simr to Micah, doing things fearlessly and decisively. They saw her making two such decisions tonight, one when she decided to make the news of the attack public, and the other when she coldly ordered for her attackers to be killed right away. And this left thempletely astonished. If only they had heard her thoughts when she believed she was really going to lose her life in the hands of those beasts tonight. That moment was a literal wake up call to her. Abby hadn''t really thought Arthur and his bootlickers would ever pose any real threat when they tried to nitpick everything about her or her way of doing things the past few months. But her mate''s father took a drastic step tonight and she knew she couldn''t afford to let her guard down again. "Wow, you really didn''t hesitate." Dax whistled, quickly recovering from the shock, as he imagined what the elders'' faces would have looked like when they saw Abby finally put her foot down and assert her stance. "Some of them are so stubborn, they can''t think past their prejudices and ego." "Don''t encourage her, moron." n felt different about this whole situation. "Abby, you do understand that they won''t sit back doing nothing after what happened tonight, right?" "Of course, they wouldn''t, but we wouldn''t be as vulnerable as before either. We will be ready from now on." Abby was quite confident in this matter. "I give it two weeks before they try something else." The royal gamma looked excited for some reason. n gave him a stern look, for the man looked like a cat that had been promised some premium treats, but the gamma just shrugged his shoulders. He hated those old men and their stuck up attitudes since forever anyway. ***** What Dax predicted didn''te true, because Fabron and the others didn''t start sighing again before three weeks had passed. Just like Abby wanted, people were made aware of that night''s attack along with the death penalty of the royal warriors that partook in the same and it had a very promising effect. It actually pressured the elders so much, all of them started to be sort of on tenterhooks every minute since then. At least, it let Abby do her things in peace for a few days, but like everything else, this was also short lived as Fabron chose to be difficult again, even though it seemed to be unintentional this time around. "Why is there no progress in the search for Calpin?" The elder grumbled as he sat in his chair, while the others were still making their way to the great hall. First it was about Micah''s death, then about his funeral, now he found another issue to point out that Abby wasn''t doing a good job. "It makes me ufortable to even think about it." Mark joined him as the queen was still due to the court. "He has been silent all these months, save for a few minor incidents of rogue attacks with no casualties. What if he is nning something major again?" Micah''s death indirectly instilled fear more potent than the one they had already been trying to ignore, and this silence only felt like the calm before the storm. It was really unsettling.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Just like that, the whole court became tumultuous before Abby joined them in the great hall to hold the court, but it was the pack representatives who broached this subject first. "My Queen, what is happening with the investigation on that dark mage?" Toby, ck w pack''s representative, asked when the morning meeting was about to be concluded. The ck w pack suffered the most damage than any other pack when the rogues attacked them all those months ago. It was the first serious attack orchestrated by Calpin, and that bastard made a statement out of it. The attack had cost them hundreds of pack members, including their alpha and his beta along with a considerable number of warriors. Their pack was still recovering from it. So as the pack representative, Toby was more ruffled by this matter. It had been months, not to mention that that dark sorcerer had also killed the king, so stopping him had been the top most priority now. With the same thought, the others also started to request an exnation from Abby regarding this matter. On the other hand, Abby was a little surprised at his sudden question and the others'' reaction that ensued. Even though there were a few instances where these men asked her the same questions, they had never seemed this agitated before. However, she was calm as usual as she addressed this subject. "That bastard is as slippery as an eel, but our trackers were on it." Then she reiterated her own conclusions over the matter, where she expressed the recent activities were like some sort of reminders from Calpin, keeping in mind the fact that there hadn''t been much damage even though those attacks had nothing inmon with the normal rogue attacks. They couldn''t forget the possibility that they could be normal rogue attacks as well. "But we can''t rule out the possibility of Calpin''s involvement." Pedro pointed out. "I agree, that is why I''ve sent Mire on this mission." Abby said, then going into detail how she would be able to aid their trackers in searching for Calpin. However, these men weren''t born yesterday, and perfectly knew Abby''s intention to send the witch out there. She was still trying to search for her dead mate, thete king, and they couldn''t bother to argue with her over this matter anymore. Not only them, even the people didn''t have any hope for the return of the king, while they understood that Abby was really pitiful for losing her mate, they all believed she was just holding onto nothing at this point. It had been nearly five months since the news of Micah''s death shook this entire kingdom, and Abby was almost seven months pregnant now, but there was still no positive news over Micah''s possible survival. So it was inevitable that their hopes would only dwindle long before they werepletely snuffed out, but the loyal supporters of Micah never tried to discourage Abby, if anything they provided as much as support to the queen. With her answer, that day''s meeting could be considered to end on a good note, but Arthur found another excuse to take down Abby from the throne. He slowly provoked the elders that it was also Mire who had apanied Micah to the forest after locating the rogues with Dax. He kept implying how unreliable that witch was, because she failed to trace Calpin''s movements which resulted in that tragedy. However, he didn''t have any intention to turn the royals against Mire, his goal was entirely something else. He managed to imnt doubts about Abby''s capabilities, as she was a half witch. Mire being aplete witch couldn''t do anything when Calpin struck, so he implied Abby couldn''t be relied upon when tragedy struck them again, blisteringly so. It stirred unrest in the court again, but n and Dax were prepared enough to deflect all their doubts, as they ensured Abby could go through thest trimester of her pregnancy smoothly. With the royal beta and royal gamma backing her up, Arthur couldn''t really stir much trouble for her, but this left him more edgy as all his ns and schemes failed one after another. "Arthur seems way tooid back nowadays," Dax said one evening, as he apanied Abby for a walk in the back garden. The former king didn''t try to make any big waves for the past few days. "But we can''t let our guard down," Abby said, looking thoughtful. "Anything can happen, at any time. We just have to be careful enough." For a moment, Abby thought back to her decision to start this open enmity with Arthur, because now she had to constantly look over her shoulder. It was not just Arthur who had his ws cut off, because Abby had also been living on tenterhooks after that incident. Arthur seemed crazy enough to kill his own kin once, there was no guarantee he wouldn''t do it a second time. But then, she couldn''t think of a more suitable counter attack for that night''s attack even now. Moreover, she couldn''t deny it had been peaceful with all their cards out in the open. As she said, they would just have to be careful. She had to focus on delivering her baby safely now that she was almost due any day now. Once her baby was born, she would be able to take care of other things like searching for Micah and also Calpin. The day of her delivery was fast approaching though, so it was only a matter of time before she could tap into her power morefortably, not having to fear harming her child. Mire did say Abby was just overthinking, but overthinking was all she could do with her hormones all over the ce due to pregnancy. It was ingrained so deeply in her blood, she didn''t dare do anything she remotely considered harmful for the baby. Abby''s delivery date was just around the corner, and the person who was even more scared for the date than Abby was, unsurprisingly Arthur. The former king felt like every meeting in the great hall was an affair for the girl to taunt himself as she maneuvered skillfully while dealing with all sorts of things. "She has be surprisingly reliable in the past few months." Fabron was walking beside Arthur, as thetter was heading back to his old tower after the meeting this morning. "She is nothing if not for those annoying beta and gamma." Arthur still couldn''t ept that Abby changed into someone who could endure all the pressure that came from sitting on the throne. She was a weak woman, who couldn''t even speak a few words to defend herself when the entire royal council med her for making Micah punish Ruby, when all that girl did was try to be friendly with her. People from the court still weren''t aware of Ezgar and Ruby''s involvement in Micah''s death, as Abby prevented Mire and Dax from oversharing that detail. So for Arthur to still think of Ruby as someone kindhearted was unavoidable, but he could be more honest with himself. Because he also knew Micah wouldn''t act on impulse, but he just wanted to hate Abby, so that was what he would do. It didn''t matter if she didn''t make a mistake or the other way around. But recently, his hatred was centered on the fact that the girl had managed to worm into people''s hearts. The food donation campaign at the start of the drought yed a huge part in this, not to mention she also gained support from the councilors who were loyal to Micah. Skillful or not, she had yed her cards well, really well if you asked him, and Arthur couldn''t help but agree that she was a worthy opponent. Even without n and Dax behind her, she was no easy woman to take down and this didn''t sit well with him. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 157 The sky this morning was so dark, as gloomy clouds blocked the sun rays from prating the horizon. This wasn''t a strange sight in recent times, because it was the middle of the monsoon. But, this gloomy morning actually marked when Abby finally started to feel her contractions. "Call the healer, it''s the baby, I think it''sing." Abby panted as she tried to alert her maid who was bringing her food tray away. She just managed to take two bites of her breakfast, before pushing it away and asked for her medicine. However, just as Reyna reached the door, Abby felt this acute pain in her womb. Since she had neared her due date, she had been feeling this dull ache in her back and lower abdomen along with this slight difort in her pelvis. But what she felt right now was much sharper, and she felt breathless just moments after it registered in her brain as tears gathered in her eyes. Reyna, who heard her master whimper in pain, pumped her feet fast as she bellowed for Deion as soon as she threw the door open. "Deion, the queen needs the healer." That was all Deion needed to hear before he rushed the guards to fetch Nadia and assistants, before sending someone to call over n and Dax while Reyna asked someone to bring Alyssa over. Since they were prepared, anticipating for Abby to go intobor any day now, Nadia and the others didn''t take long before rushing over to the king''s tower. After having a brief word with Abby, n and Dax went outside of the room, leaving Abby in the care of the women, and joined Deion, who stood guard in front of the door. However, the weather wasn''t forgiving today, as the wind howled really hard until it looked like there would be a storm very soon, while Nadia and her assistants fussed over Abby. "Take deep breaths, my queen." Nadia was now rubbing warmth into Abby''s right palm as Efrem focused on her left palm while Alyssa and Reyna took care of her cold feet. "It hurts," Abby almost screamed when a sudden bolt of agony that sent her legs curling shot through her spine. Just from her expression, Nadia could tell how badly Abby was hurting, but this was just the beginning or might also be a false rm because contractions didn''t follow the same pattern for everyone. But if this was a false rm, the healer dared not imagine what would happen when the real contractions finally chose to rack her body. All she could do now was hope for the girl to go intobor and help alleviate some of her pain, but it was difficult when Abby found it difficult to even follow simple instructions like taking measured and deep breaths. Nadia didn''t know if she should feel relieved or stressed when the contractions continued to agonize Abby for a whole morning before giving her a little reprieve, where they dulled in intensity for a while. "It''s going to be alright, My Queen. Just stay with me, you can see the child soon." Nadia whispered soothing promises to Abby, as the girl looked like she couldn''t scream any longer as her lungs protested with every breath that she took. However, Abby wasn''t lucky enough for the pain to take pity on her, because they returned with twice the intensity, and just like that, the afternoon also passed in a blur of screams and pain for Abby. n and Dax checked with them a few times, but they couldn''t do anything to help. So they just waited outside, waiting for this to be over.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Why isn''t the babying out?" Abby didn''t even know if her voice was able to rise enough for Nadia to hear her over the wind, but by some miracle, the healer grasped her question. However, it was Efrem who talked to her, even though her ringing ears didn''t allow her any auditory sense. Shey there breathing raggedly as the healers discussed something, while she felt like sleep would consume her any moment now. On the other hand, Efrem looked at her mentor with this scared look on her face. "Nadia, the situation doesn''t look promising. Her contractions were way too intense and too long." Because it was way past evening at this point and the baby still didn''te out, it left everyone scared shitless for Abby and her baby. Nadia felt her heart constrict when she realized it was close to twelve hours since the contractions started, but she didn''t lose her cool as she continued to encourage Abby to endure the pain a bit longer. However, Abby couldn''t hear her anymore as her mind took her to a faraway ce in her mind, where she remembered how often she envisioned this moment of herself giving birth to their first child with Micah by her side. All those months ago, when her mate revealed this blissful news to her, she couldn''t even think of anything else but holding her soon to be born baby and living happily with Micah. She couldn''t remember how she fell unconscious up until that point, because her father pushed her down the cliff, or how she spent two days praying to all gods to let her save Micah, or how her life had been literal hell for ten years before she met her mate. None of it. For days, she imagined how she would have Micah to support her through this, but just after a week, her mate left for a battle which was nothing more than a trap and now she was all alone, suffering through this hellishbor. But she didn''t resent her mate or her baby, she was just afraid her weak constitution would affect her poor baby. Even though Nadia didn''t say anything, she could tell her body was protesting now, unable to amodate her shifter baby. She felt so helpless, she started begging Nadia. "Nadia, do something! I can''t take it anymore. No matter what happens to me, just save my baby, please!" Tears freely fell down her pale cheeks, as another bout of pain racked her being, but this time she gritted her teeth and looked at Nadia with determination. "Abby, stop talking nonsense. Nothing will happen to you or your baby. Just let me think for a moment. Don''t lose hope. It will be alright." Nadia bbered as she reassured her over and over. "How about this, I''ll give you a concoction to alleviate the pain." Abby didn''t remember just how many such concoctions she drank all day long today, but she still bore down and gulped the bitter liquid which only helped very little. It was almost midnight now, and the storm they feared had finally arrived. It was really a mess out there as rain poured down with scary lightning and heart stopping thunder apanying the harsh wind. The weather perfectly matched her state of mind which was equally chaotic, if not more worse. The pain turned unbearable long back, but only the thought of delivering her baby safely made her grit through it. Nadia saw her pale, shaking form and after a few beats of internal battle, she approached Abby again. "Abby, I think it would be best for us to inducebor with herbs." Abby was a bit light headed from pain, but she managed to grasp the gist of her words. "Labor inducing through herbs?" "Yes, I want you to take a few uterine stimnts, which will help induce thebor." "You mean taking them would make the babye out faster?" Abby asked more than a little breathless. "Yes, there are a few herbs for it, will you try it?" Nadia asked her carefully. "They won''t cause the baby any harm right?" Abby''s main concern was this. "No, they won''t, but it will be really painful for you." Nadia said, feeling helpless for suggesting Abby go through even more pain when she was in literal agony. She had tried every possible method, but this was all left to try now, because once contractions started and the water broke, it literally meant the mother''s womb was no longer fully supporting the baby. And Abby''s water broke half way through this morning, and it had already been more than twelve hours now. They really didn''t have any time to spare if they wanted the baby to be born safely. Abby was also aware of this, so the girl gritted her teeth and ordered for Nadia to go through with her idea. "Go with it, Nadia. Just make sure my baby is born safe and healthy." Abby didn''t care about herself anymore, she just wanted the baby to be safe and she would do anything for it, let alone endure a bit more pain. "Give me the potion, let''s not waste anymore time." Abby urged the healer as she bore down and held out her hand for the concoction. Nadia handed her a small water skin filled with some gooey ck liquid, it smelled so bitter, Abby could only imagine how bitter it would taste. But luckily, with all the medicines she had been drinking since the start of her pregnancy, she was able to gulp down the water skin''s contents in one go. Outside the room, the royal beta and royal gamma felt their stomachs sink when Alyssa reiterated Abby''s current condition. Realizing the gravity of the situation, n immediately called for several more guards to secure the ce. Deion even patrolled around the king''s tower once or twice while waiting outside. They all had one thought in their minds. Nothing must go wrong tonight. Only the raging storm looked like it was trying to say otherwise. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 158 It was a little after midnight when the storm finally hit the capital city. Lightning shed the dark clouds as thunder shook the air, while Abby screamed and screamed all night, until she couldn''t feel her throat anymore. It didn''t take long for her screams to turn hoarse, which slowly but surely became inaudible, as her body writhed in pure agony, the concoction was really potent and the girl was more than desperate for this bone crushing torment to end. She was deprived of every other sense but pain, the worst part was she feared she would crush her own stomach if she rolled over identally. "Alyssa..." She rasped as she mustered what little energy was left in her as she searched for her maid through blurry eyes, only rxing when she found the girl scrambling toward her with tears streaming down her own face. Reyna wasn''t doing much better either. If anything, she looked like she was in agony watching Abby like this. "My Queen..." Both her maids hustled to her side and their breath caught in their throats when Abby finally opened her mouth to reveal why she called them over. "Ho-hold me do- down." Abby wasn''t kidding about this, even if she felt her whole body being sliced open under the influence of herbs that strained her muscles and bones, just so this bloodybor could be induced, she wanted nothing but for her baby to be born safely.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Nothing but her baby mattered to her now. The maids were shocked by her order, because they saw how hard it was for Abby to keep still when pain sliced through her frame. However, it was Nadia who made that decision for them. "Hold the queen down, or it mayplicate the birthing process." The royal healer was also the first to reim her position by Abby''s right as she mped a vice grip around her right wrist as Efrem did the same to her other hand, leaving Alyssa and Reyna to pin her leg''s down. Even with the four of them holding her down, Abby managed to thrash around a lot, but it was still better than falling off the bed, on her heavily pregnant stomach no less. However, her wheezing through pain wasn''t the worst part of the night because, a few minutester, Alyssa informed her that n had something important to let her know. "My Queen..." Alyssa managed to reach her through the haze, but hesitated a bitter. "Alyssa, whatever it is, juste out with it," Abby gritted out, doubting for a second if she even soundedprehensible, she sounded coherent enough in her head. Enjoy this chapter for free and stay updated with thetest version on Job n lb. Don''t miss out, visit it now. The pain she was breathing through was both bone crushing and mind numbing, it was a miracle she could even form full thoughts in her mind. Probably her expression or the determination that shed past eyes, but Alyssa started talking again, but Abby felt her vision go dark in the next moment. "Royal Beta n says there has been an attack... the maid rushed out, feeling like she wouldn''t be able to repeat herself even if she tried. "At the grand square, and it was the royal warriors again." Abby wanted to curse but she didn''t have enough strength, so she might as well use it on more pressing issues. "Tell him to march there with the soldiers." She made a quick decision, she knew it was a trap. Even a blind dog could smell it from a mile away. But she couldn''t let innocents die for her sake. Not when she knew how to stop it. "Dax must go too." She bore down from the pain and urged the two men to leave, before it was toote. n didn''t agree at first, he even rushed into the bedroom to deny the order. "It was not safe here. It will only leave you even more vulnerable." "But we don''t have any other choice, n. if you two don''t go there quickly, the attack may cost us more than we bargained for." Abby was long drenched in her own sweat, still she gritted the words out. Her words left no room for debate. Being left with no other choice, n could only relent. "I''ll go check on the situation, you focus on the baby and yourself, Abby." Then he turned to Nadia. "Please make sure both of them make it." The royal healer nodded solemnly, as the royal beta made his way out of the bedroom. Once outside, Dax didn''t put up much fight even though it was as clear as day he too was reluctant to follow this order. n could tell he had a bad feeling about this, just like him, so he could only pat the gamma''s shoulder. "Let''s rush over and return quickly." "That''s all we can do now." Dax agreed grimly as he quickly gathered more warriors to guard around the king''s tower, before departing with n. "What are you doing here?" Just as they set off, someone ran after them and it was Abby''s personal guard. They thought at least Deion would be here to guide the royal warriors, but to their surprise, Deion actually joined them before they could even reach the pce gates. "The Queen wants me to follow you." That was all that grumpy elite warrior told them before he fell in step with them. Leaving the pce, n and Dax couldn''t understand what she was thinking. Of course, Abby was worried. After all,pared to the first time Arthur sent people to kill her, she was in an even more vulnerable state, just like n said, to protect herself, let alone her unborn baby. However, that hateful former king managed toe up with a really goodeback. He targeted innocents, insteading at her directly. This was all so f****d up! But like she said, she couldn''t be selfish and save herself, when people were being killed for no reason. And there was nothing she could do apart from hoping n and the others would be able to make it back in time, before something really horrible happened. It was way past midnight now, marking almost twenty hours since her contractions started, as there were barely a couple of hours before the sun hit the horizon and a new day began. Slowly but surely, light prated the dark and illuminated the streets, only a bit though, because the gloomy clouds still hovering low in the sky made it impossible for them to distinguish between the daybreak and long night. On the other hand, Abby had long started trembling both from cold and pain, as she prayed to whatever gods out there to let her baby be born safely. "Let him be safe, let him be safe," Abby chanted, though there was no sound to her voice. And two hours after the light hit the horizon, when it was close to the time she started having contractions yesterday, there was finally onest ear piercing scream that reverberated through the corridors in the king''s tower, before the cries of a newborn baby filled the air. After nearly twenty four hours of intensebor, Abby had sessfully given birth to her first child. Her child with Micah, her mate, and all kinds of emotions hit her at once. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 159 Along with Dax and Deion, n led about a hundred royal warriors toward the grand square which was to the south of the capital. Fifty more soldiers were on standby, to rush over either to the pce or the scene of the attack, if need be. But he didn''t feel at ease at all. This stinked like a trap from a hundred miles away, but he couldn''t ignore his duty to protect the civilians. Only everytime he closed his eyes, he would recall how dearly Micah cherished Abby, and this left him feeling torn. Dax could understand his inner turmoil, because as much as he respected his king, he also loved him like a brother and his best friend, that was also why he had been so down after letting Calpin kill him. He would have spiraled out of control if not for his responsibility to protect Abby and her baby with Micah, because Micah wouldn''t have wanted anything more than for his mate to avoid getting hurt. So while he still beat himself up for his screw-up day and night, he gave his all to support Abby in the court. That was also why he didn''t say anything when Abby sent not only both of him, even Deion to solve this matter. "Let''s get done with this soon, so we can go back to the pce and protect the queen and the prince." But it was not as simple as he said, because the attackers weren''t really at a disadvantage where the numbers were concerned, but n and Dax were more than capable of dealing with them. The only factor that made things harder was this unforgiving storm, as they fought the attackers while saving the innocents. It took them nearly four hours to grasp any barely possible control over the situation, as both sides braved the wind and rain while fighting to their full potential. Their fur stuck to their bodies, because of the incessant rain and of course the blood of the attackers, but n and Dax didn''t even stop for a second when their attackers pounced on them together. With Deion''s help, when the sun was about to hit the horizon, they finally managed to capture the beasts that fought like they had lost their minds, but they didn''t get to take a breather when one of the soldiers rushed over to ry a piece of news. "Royal Beta n, some of them managed to escape," the soldier panted, dread written all over his features. "We don''t know where they ran off to." "Why are these stupid warriors even more annoying than those mindless rogues?" Dax seethed openly. He really couldn''t fathom what drugs Arthur fed them until they were behaving like rogues. Deion didn''t say anything, but he couldn''t help but agree with the royal gamma silently, the w wound closing on his thigh made him grit his teeth hard, though. This was nothingpared to the wounds he sustained on the battlefield, or the night of Abby''s attack. Being the sole survivor out of all the warriors and guards ced around Abby''s sleeping quarters, Deion sustained some serious injuries that night, but nothing life threatening. Only before he could push it to the back of his mind, another attack happened. Just then, another warrior rushed over. "The Queen gave birth to a baby boy." n felt the timing was really awful, a few attackers were still out there, going to God knows where. They might have retreated, tucked their tails and ran off to save their lives, or else they had thrown caution to the wind and went to court death in the pce. Neither possibility settled well with the man. "Let''s return to the pce." Abby almost fainted when the baby finally managed toe out of her womb, just when she was about to slip into slumber, her baby''s cries ringing in her ears gave her enough incentive to stay awake, as she reached for her baby. "Gi- giv- give him to me." Abby almost pleaded when Nadia was still busy cleaning the baby after cutting the umbilical cord. Hearing her plea, the royal healer rushed the baby''s business, and ced the tiny mess of tears into Abby''s waiting hands, somehow managing toplete the process of checking on the baby in between. Once clutched in his mother''s arms, the baby surely but slowly stopped crying before finally falling asleep. It seemed he had also expended every speckle of his teensy- weensy energy toe into this world, but then his mother started crying like a baby. It was not clear if her tears were out of happiness or sadness, but the woman was an emotional mess, while Nadia and the others took care of her postnatal well being. The four women silently cleaned her up, giving her what little privacy with her child they could under the current circumstances, before Nadia and Efrem busied themselves in preparing the new course of medicines for Abby. The girl lost so much blood during the delivery, so it would be quite a challenge to nurse her back to health. On the other hand, Abby couldn''t avert her eyes from the wrinkly face of her adorable son, who sighed in his sleep. Out of instinct, Abby circled her thumb on his cheek in a soothing motion to calm him. "My baby," Abby choked as she looked at her son, feeling sadness clog her throat at the thought Micah wasn''t there by her side right now, but this awful feeling was at war with the happiness that surrounded her looking at him. If only Micah was there with them now, how wonderful would it have been? ''Your father would have been over the moon, just to hold you right now? Abby kissed the child on his temple, as she promised him. "I''ll not give up on your father, baby. For you, I''ll go to the ends of the world if I have to and bring him back into our lives." But her serene moment was shattered as she felt this sudden shift in air as a muffled scream reached their ears, tensing up the four women around her. Abby''s eyes turned cold when she realized the voice was very near, in fact right outside of her door.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. And she didn''t have to wait too long to mull over the strangeness of the situation when two attackers burst through the door with wild eyes. Nadia and the other three women immediately felt their hearts drop as the two beasts prowled across the bedroom with measure yet crazed steps. "My Queen!" Alyssa and Reyna rushed to Abby''s side immediately, where Nadia and Efrem were already nking the girl and her baby. "Don''t be rash!" Reyna shouted at the beasts as she extended her ws while Alyssa did the same. They didn''t want to startle the beasts, which might make them act in haste. However, Nadia couldn''t contain her fear as she screamed for the guards at the top of her lungs. "Guards!!" However, no matter how hard she shouted, there was no response from the outside, while their only way out was blocked by these two beasts that looked like they would attack any moment now. The dread they felt was indescribable as they stood frozen with their hearts in their throats, scared shitless for Abby and her baby. Nadia and Efrem couldn''t contribute in any form if a fight broke out, as their expertise was limited to herbs and healing, while Alyssa and Reyna never had anybat training. Abby was in no position to fight them off. The five of them were no match to these two battle hardened soldiers. With no guardsing to their aid, it left the five in this bedroom to watch each other''s backs and Abby was enraged at the helplessness she felt. She expected something like this to happen when she sent the royal beta and the others to stop the attack at the grand square, but there was this little hope in her heart that she was just being paranoid. However, the two beasts that sneaked into her bedroom right when she was in no position to defend herself was enough proof, she couldn''t harbor such hopes anymore. Someone like Arthur would never change for the better. "You will regret it!" Abby gritted through her teeth as she regarded the two beasts, as if she could picture the person who wanted to kill her before her. On the other hand, the two beasts were momentarily stunned by the hostility emanated from Abby, but they didn''t take her seriously. She was a woman with a witch mother and shifter father, which resulted in her bing a half witch, with no real power to back up her own threats. Thest time, she only managed to escape death because of that stupid witch from the Red River pack. Also n and Dax rushed over in time to rescue her, otherwise she would have been long dead, but they made sure their n was impable this time around. There was no one to protect her this morning, and they wouldn''t stop until they saw thest drop of blood was drained from her body. They just needed to take care of five weak women, which was nothing but a walk in the park. With that thought deeply engraved in their minds, the two beasts exchanged a look. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 160 One of them growled viciously as he prowled forward, in hopes to scatter the closely huddled women, and needless to say, just hearing his snarl made the women tremble in fear. Yes, it was way too easy. However, their smugness didn''tst when they saw two fireballs rapidly approaching them. They missed getting burned from the fire thanks to their quick reflexes, but then their whole demeanor changed as they looked like they would pounce on the women in the next second. On the other hand, Abby looked as calm and cold as she could manage at this moment. "I''ll give you onest chance to back off, if you don''t heed my advice, don''t me me for not being mercifulter!" Her voice barely overcame the harsh pounding of rain outside, but the conviction in her tone couldn''t be taken lightly. But her attackers didn''t think she could be of any real threat. Especially when she looked like she was going to breathe herst any moment now, not to mention, her fireballs earlier weren''t really powerful enough to leave even scorch marks on the rug beneath their feet. In their eyes, she looked like a kid wielding a paper knife. They didn''t believe this half witch was powerful enough to pose any threat to them with such meager magic. Abby too realized they couldn''t be persuaded, which only made her even more furious. Had she been alone and they came for her, she wouldn''t have minded it. But they were constantly putting her baby in danger, and that didn''t sit well with her at all. If anything, the thought of her baby being dragged into this mess only made her blood boil in rage so potently, she felt like setting the whole world on fire.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. "You should have left while you still had a chance," Abby said viciously, as she handed over her baby to Nadia. Her gaze thawed a little, just a tiny fraction, as she kissed the sleeping bundle of joy. "You three protect them two at any cost." She addressed Efrem and her maids, following which Alyssa and Reyna shifted into their beasts as the group of five retreated to a corner, away from Abby and her attackers. And when she turned around, she already let her fire rage along her forearms, getting into a defensive position. Even if she lost her life here, she would make sure her attackers met their maker today. "Bring it on!" Abby said, almost taunting the two beasts, who immediately released twin snarls that echoed off the walls in the bedroom as they rushed at the woman. Abby knew it was equivalent to suicide by provoking the two, but she knew her current condition best. She was barely holding onto her consciousness. If she let this dragged out for too long, she would fail her baby and she didn''t want that. Abby wasn''t agile enough to duck from their shing ws either, so the moment her words left her mouth, two huge fireballs were alsounched into the air from her open palms, which she then shot toward the two beasts. Her aim was a little off, but she still managed to burn the beasts, thanks to their humongous bodies. The moment her fire touched the beasts, they felt their fur burn to crisp as their skin started peeling off, which left the two beasts flustered as they attacked her even more frenziedly. But before they could sh their ws at her, yet again, Abby made her move, she actually called to her power and set their organs on fire. The beasts howled in agony as they writhed on the ground. They looked like they struggled to breathe, as their bodies twitched incessantly, as if they were mid transformation, their features morphing back and forth between their human form and beast form as gut wrenching snarls left their frames. However, just as Abby could breathe a sigh of relief, one of them actually managed to lunge at her with his ws extended when she let her guard down a bit and this sharpcerated through her left shoulder. "MY QUEEN!!!" "Abby!!!" Nadia and Efrem screamed at the top of their lungs, which also woke up the baby in Nadia''s arms as he started wailing again. Abby was at least quick enough to turn her body in time, which helped her fall away from the beast being burned alive, as shey in her own pool of blood. The wound was quite close to the burnt scar on her back, and no doubt would leave another huge and ugly scar on her skin. But that wasn''t what concerned her the most It was this weird sensation that spread through her body that left her feeling like her soul was leaving her body. As if her life was being sucked up from her, along with the blood that drained from her veins. She couldn''t feel anything else but that as she willed herself to stay awake, but she soon found it beyond impossible, as even her baby''s cries faded into the darkness, as if she was being pulled deeper and deeper into this abyss that only sucked her further down every time she tried to fight it. She didn''t even realize that she was now being fed with herbs as Nadia fussed over her, after handing the crying baby to Alyssa and Reyna, who had shifted back and were now trying to soothe the baby. Only after Abby lost her consciousness, n and Dax finally made it back to the pce with Deion in their tow. "What happened?" The three of them asked the same question, when they saw Nadia trembling while tending to Abby, who was now drenched in blood. Her own blood. "Queen Abby fought with the beasts and one of them stabbed her shoulder," Alyssa sniveled, as she exined the situation to the royal beta and the others, who were drenched from head to toe from the rain. "Is she alright?" Dax asked, even though he knew how ridiculous his question was. Abby just gave birth, which resulted in her losing so much strength and also blood, now she was badly injured until she looked so pale as if there was no blood left in her system. The only answer he got was silence, as even Nadia didn''t seem optimistic about Abby''s current condition. n felt like punching something, not just him, even the other two looked like they were beating themselves up right now. This was beyond f****d up! But all they could do was wait for Abby to show some kind of reaction, only it wasn''t as simple as it seemed. They felt frantic just how much of a shit show would be awaiting them if their enemies found out about her condition. "Block all the news regarding the attack." n made a quick decision. ******* "The Queen fainted from a fatal wound to her shoulder, where she lost a considerable amount of blood." Arthur listened in on as his messenger exined to him about Abby''s current situation. "Royal Beta n has been trying to keep it under wraps for now. The girl seems out of luck, though." It was said that Nadia tried everything she knew to stop the bleeding and help the wound close, but to no avail. "She may not wake up again." There was no emotion in the messenger''s voice, as if he was rying the sun had risen in the east as usual. On the other hand, Arthur didn''t say a single thing all through his exnation as he remainedpletely silent. He only opened his mouth to ask the messenger to leave after he was done recounting his findings. "You can leave now." After the messenger left, the former king sat in his ce for a really long time, forbidding anyone from disturbing him in the old tower, his expression unfathomable. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 161 Much to everyone''s chagrin, Abby took a really long time to respond to Nadia''s treatment. But by some miracle, after a day of falling unconscious, the woman finally started to show some progress. "Nadia, her wound finally stopped bleeding." Efrem couldn''t believe her eyes as she woke up the royal healer, who chose to stay by Abby''s side all night long to take care of her. The woman had fallen asleep at some point of the night, when exhaustion finally caught up to her, just like Alyssa, who perked up hearing Efrem and rushed to her master''s side. "Finally!" Nadia eximed, her voice a mere whisper. "You have almost depleted your healing power, but it is worth it." Efrem was also excited as they tended to the queen together. Abby continued to lose blood, even though at aparatively slower rate, even after losing her consciousness, which left all of them dreadful. But thanks to her persistence, the bleeding finally stopped. "Alyssa, did you check on the prince and the others?" Nadia asked the maid, when she remembered the wet nurse she arranged for Abby''s baby. "The baby is doing fine; Reyna is with him. She will keep an eye on the wet nurse." Alyssa wouldn''t have been this calm if it was another maid in Reyna''s ce. After another day of sleeping, Abby finally came to herself, but she felt so boneless. She felt disoriented, as she slowly took in the room, and it took her quite a while to figure out she was in her own bedroom while Nadia and the others were hovering around her with relieved faces. But there was something missing, she instinctively caressed her stomach, but it was t. Then everything came rushing to her. The contractions. Thrashing around in bone crushing pain. Enjoying the book? Don''t forget to visit Jo bni b for the full experience. You won''t find the nextplete chapter anywhere else. Her water breaking. Then drinking Nadia''sbor-inducing concoction. And more pain. Finally holding her baby. And of course, the attack. The rage she felt at the helplessness. She recalled burning those beasts before one of them did a number on her and stabbed her shoulder. Thest thing she remembered was her baby crying while she fought the darkness that consumed her whole. "My baby," she asked, suddenly remembering she couldn''t see her baby in the room. "No... no... My baby, where is he?" Abby almost turned hysterical, until Nadia and the others feared she would tear her wound open, as they tried to calm her down. "Alyssa, go and get Reyna to bring the baby here." Nadia and Efrem then spent the next few minutes whispering soothing words where Abby looked like she couldn''t rx until she saw her baby with her own eyes. She wouldn''t be able to forgive herself if something happened to her baby. Thankfully, Alyssa returned quickly with a bundle in her hands. "The prince is sleeping, My Queen." Alyssa told her master as she passed the baby to her finally. Only when she felt her baby''s warmth, albeit through the nket wrapped around him, was Abby finally able to breathe normally, as she carefully checked his small face for any form of distress. Tears welled up in her eyes, when the baby actually looked more serene now that he was by his mother''s side. It was really magical, the connection she felt with her baby. Because of the chaos, she could swear it was the first time for her to look closely at her baby, moreover, the face in her memory was all wrinkly. Even though his skin wasn''t too different from her memory, it was now more smooth and supple. Looking at his face, she finally felt it was all worth it. The pain and the suffering. Everything. In what felt like months, there was finally a genuine smile on her face when she took in every little feature of her little baby, who wasn''t really little for a baby, thanks to his father''s genes. But she couldn''t really tell who he took after; she guessed she would have to give it a few days to actually see the simrities. She was lying on her good side, admiring his little frame, when the baby cooed, as he came to himself. His little face pinched in pain, and Abby felt her stomach flip. "Is he hungry?" She thought out loud, when she realized he was clenching his fists too hard. "My Queen, it''s been over two hours since hest drank milk," Reyna, who followed Alyssa to Abby''s room, supplied from the side, and then held her hands for the baby. "Let me take him to the wet nurse, hmm?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. However, Abby didn''t think so. "I''ll feed him myself." Hearing that, Alyssa and Reyna helped her, so she could breastfeed her baby. Abby felt content just watching how her baby''s face slowly but surely turned rxed, as he drifted back to sleep in no time, his tiny head still burrowed into her bosom. "Nadia, thank you. You really are a godsend." Abby was genuinely grateful for the royal healer, who put her own life on the line to bring Abby back from the edges of hell. After coaxing her baby to sleep, Abby spent her morning listening to Nadia and the others about what transpired after she fell unconscious. Even though the beast managed to catch her off guard and injure her, that was all he could do, before her fire did the trick and imed his life. Abby wasforted to know none of the women had to risk their lives to protect herself or her baby. Speaking of the attack. "Where are the Royal Beta and the Royal Gamma?" She had been awake for at least two hours now, but she still hadn''t seen n or Dax. "Did something happen to them?" "No, My Queen. They are fine. They will be here soon." Alyssa answered her vaguely. However, before either of the men could make it back to her bedroom, Abby saw Mire return from her search. "I was about to n my return to the capital, when I heard about the attack." From her words, Abby could tell she had a lead, but had to rush back because she had heard about the attack and also the baby. "This isn''t the first time I''ve been attacked." Abby said, but her words only made the witch curl her lip in fury. "No, but there were rumors..." Mire was interrupted by Abby. "Rumors? Again?" What kind of rumors made the witch rush back in such a hurry? Whatever they were, Abby knew she wouldn''t like to hear them at all. "It was rted to the attack." The witch seemed a bit reluctant to talk about this right now. Not because there were so many people present, of course, but because Abby had just woken up from a deepa. "Is it really okay to strain yourself right now?" Abby could tell the witch was worried about her condition, but she didn''t think so. In her opinion, the more time they wasted, the moreplicated the situation would get. So she reassured Mirelled as she coaxed her to spill the beans. "What we never really have is time, Mire. Every second we waste hesitating woulde back to haunt us. So let''s not leave a chance for any regrets." However, when Mire finally relented and opened her mouth, Abby found herself frowning harder and harder with each second that passed. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 162 Mire not only exined what happened after the attack, she also ryed whatever she learned about the attack from n to Abby. "n wanted to hide the fact that you got injured, but news spread. People heard about the attack, and found out you were wounded pretty badly." Abby couldn''t help but frown when she thought she had also let news of her previous attack be made public. The only difference was;st time she didn''t get hurt, but she almost lost her life this time. However, Mire''s cold face told her there was more to it, so she listened patiently. "A weird rumor spread by the end of the day, saying the attack happened only because you are a half witch." Even though it wasn''t news to people that Abby was a half witch, it was still an easily exploitable point, which seemed to be smartly made use of by her opponent. They said the attack was directed by her own kind, and if she wasn''t a half witch, any misfortune wouldn''t have befallen the capital city. Witches and Mages were really rare in this kingdom, and also people that were irrationally despised on thisnd. So when the people were fed lies that pushed Abby''s origin into the limelight, people started talking and it wasn''t with positive intention.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. It quickly snowballed until a few people opposed the very idea of having her as their queen. "They im that you are unfit to rule, because you brought the enemy to the doorstep." The fact that there was an attack right in the capital city, which was supposed to be the most protected area in a kingdom, rubbed the civilians the wrong way. And then there was more explosive news. "They say you could have caused the prince''s death, because of your enmity with a magic user." Rumors changed what was supposed to be Abby getting hurt by court politics to something she brought upon herself, while also implicating the kingdom, until even her own child was dragged into the fray. Coupled with the fact Calpin wreaking havoc across the kingdom with his dark magic, also attacking the capital on the day of her ceremony, people were skeptical again. All the progress she made for the past six or so months was easily overshadowed by these rumors. Abby couldn''t help but note that her opponent really gave it his all, to be able toe up with such a reasonable exnation, that had both cleared his own name and also plunged Abby deeper into this mess, he was really clever. "So much has happened in just two days." Abby said thoughtfully, but then she recalled something else. "You said something about nning toe back earlier, is it because..?" She trailed off, not wanting to let hopes soar unnecessarily. "Of course, it''s because I have something important to discuss with you and the others but n and Dax are quite busy now." Abby felt her breath stutter when she heard her answer. "There is a lead?" "Sort of..." Mire took her time revealing her findings to Abby. After searching for nearly three months, they had finally found out something really useful. "I seriously believe we are close to tracking down Calpin." Mire looked confident enough. "Just two days before you went intobor, I managed to trace one of his followers." Mire went back to the ce of the attack with a bunch of trackers, and from there they started the hunt. Even though she hadn''t been really optimistic about her attempt, she put in everything she had. After all, there was no way for normal trackers to get hands on any information on a dark mage as cunning as Calpin. So she was back to using magic tracing to help search for leads. That had led them to several ces in the past few months, always missing the target by a few hours or something, it left them frustrated but they persisted. And eventually, when they were about to reach the border of the kingdom in the west, they managed to capture one of the followers of Calpin. "So, did you interrogate him?" Abby was holding her breath now, but she was left disappointed by the witch''s answer. "We couldn''t get to that part yet." Mire first rushed the warriors with her to capture that follower, and then immediately made preparations to return to the capital city, thinking Calpin might realize one of his henchmen was missing. If he did, he might do something to retaliate, and Mire knew her limits. Moreover, back in the capital, they would have more time to break their captive. "Why?" Abby asked. "I told you, n and Dax are busy." "Because of the attack?" "That and the court has been a literal shit show." "What happened?" Abby didn''t have a good feeling about this. "Saying that you fell unconscious, Sir Arthur reimed the throne and n went there to reason with him." Mire''s tone was full of disgust. Hearing this, Abby was dumbfounded for a moment. ''Woah, that old geezer really couldn''t wait to reveal his true colors, huh?'' Couldn''t he wait a few more days to avoid making it look so obvious? It was really an eye-opener to her. But there was no way she would let him have his way. Now that there was a lead to possibly track down Calpin, she couldn''t let him get in her way all the time. After giving it a thought, Abby asked for Deion toe inside. "My Queen!" Deion bowed to her, but before he could catch his breath, Abby had an order for him. "Deion, send someone to inform n that I''m on my way to the great hall." "What are you going to do?" Mire asked Abby, as the woman let her maids help her dress for her to leave to the court. However, Abby didn''t say anything to the witch about her ns, instead she asked. "Where is that follower?" "In the dungeon." "Send people to watch him closely." After that Abby turned to Deion again. "Let''s march to the great hall." His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 163 True to her words, Abby really marched to the great hall, as Deion gathered all the warriors in the pce, guards included, to follow their queen. "Abby, you just woke up. I don''t think you should exert yourself like this. n is already there. He can deal with the former king." Mire frowned hard, feeling Abby didn''t need to step in herself when she was still healing from a life threatening wound. "Yes, Abby, please reconsider your health, don''t be too hard on yourself," Nadiapletely agreed with the witch as she too tried to persuade Abby. "You should focus on recovering and also your newborn baby." Mire was really concerned. "No, guys. While I agree I probably need more rest, confronting Arthur is a more pressing issue." Abby said to them, her voice unhurried as Alyssa tied up her now waist length hair into a half bun. "I know n could deal with him for me just fine. But how many times? Eventually, I have to face him, so why don''t I just do it today?" Mire couldn''t find any fault with her reasoning. "But what if things go south?" "Well, let''s hope I have enough muscle power to back me up." Abby gestured to the door, where Deion was waiting with the warriors under n and Dax. And she made sure to make good use of the said muscle power, because she didn''t enter the great hall alone, as Deion followed her until she reached the throne, where Arthur was sitting now, along with a bunch of elite warriors. It had the desired effect when gasps rang out in the great hall, before Arthur seethed in fury. "What is the meaning of this? Are you challenging the throne?" He really thought he had all the authority to hog the throne, didn''t he? Abby felt like scoffing seeing his reaction, but she managed to school her expression as she had this nk yet cold gaze in her eyes instead. "In what world do one need to challenge their own position?" Abby asked, seeming genuinely confused with Arthur''s outburst. "Then what do you call your actions now? Isn''t it rebelling against the crown?" "Look clearly, former king Arthur, ain''t I wearing my crown?" Abby taunted him openly now, pointing at her own head, where her crown was sitting, a sight nothing but ring in the former king''s eyes. Enjoying the book? Don''t forget to visit J o bni b for the full experience. You won''t find the nextplete chapter anywhere else. "As per my actions, I simply came to reim my position as the queen of this kingdom." Her words were neither servile nor overbearing, but the former king felt his face burning with the invisible p Abby dealt him with all the same.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "I know you only stepped up to help the kingdom in my absence, so after I woke up I rushed here to relieve you of this burden." Abby said as she looked Arthur in the eyes, as if challenging him to deny her words, which if he did, would only put him on the spot. "So, isn''t it time you step down and go back to your own seat, now that I''m back?" Abby asked, still looking calm while Arthur began shaking in his ce. "Let''s not give the warriors behind me any reason to put their hands on you." Not giving those warriors a reason to put their hands on him? Arthur felt his whole body shake with fury. Yet, he couldn''t do anything about it. Her every word was measured yet sharp, it left Arthur no room to retaliate. For effect, she even held up hand as if to stop the said warriors from misunderstanding the situation. "It would be too embarrassing if they misunderstand your intentions when all you wanted was to help me." Abby threw back Arthur''s reason to his face, where he imed Abby was unconscious and needed every little assistance she could make use of while recuperating. He even implied she needed to rest even if she woke upter to shut anyone before they could question his motives for literally ''seizing'' the throne. But she came prepared, the warriors behind her were not for show. If Arthur didn''t know what was good for him, she wouldn''t hesitate to lose violence. After all, she knew the former king wasn''t easy to deal with. On the other hand, Arthur knew it was an undisguised threat, after all, he wasn''t born yesterday to misunderstand Abby''s intention and think she was actually trying to save his face or something. If anything, the moment she said all those words, it only exposed all of Arthur''s intentions, his thoughts he oh so tried to conceal under nonchntments and masked agreeance having to follow Abby''s lead. Without lifting his head, he could tell what was running through the minds of the councilors, who had very patiently fallen silent during this whole ordeal. The tides had changed real fast! "Yeah, you are right. It''s a good thing you are back." Arthur managed to grit out as he looked behind the woman, where Deion and the few elite warriors sported this nk look mirroring Abby''s own. He clearly knew what Abby meant by her actions today, the line of warriors behind her carried the promise of violence if things didn''t go as she nned, and if he let things go that far, it would not just be his face that he would lose today. He didn''t underestimate her, but she did outperform herself, and Arthur had to ept defeat for now, as he stepped down from the throne. However, he didn''t offer it to her, which would have included him bowing to her, and after the humiliation he faced, doing that would only be him hitting a new low. ''I''ll get back at you, woman. You are naive if you think this would be the end of it. He swore to himself as he returned to his seat beside Emile''s, his former royal gamma, who was also sporting a furious re, which he masked in time before anyone could notice. But of course, Abby wasn''t naive to think Arthur would ept this defeat just because she proved to him she was a worthy opponent to him. The man wouldn''t even see her as someone who deserved to stand among the royal councilors, let alone wield more power than any of them. Speaking of the councilors, Chance, Toby and the few others started expressing concern over her health when Abby finally settled on the throne. "There are things more important than my health, my friends." Abby said, almost cringing inwardly for addressing these old men as friends. But it was beside the point now. Before these men could kill brain cells over what she meant, she opened her mouth again. "It''s been two days since the prince has been born, but because of some unpleasant interventions, you guys haven''t got a chance to meet mine and Micah''s first born." Everyone had this awkward look on their faces when she said ''interventions, especially people supporting Arthur to take back the throne. They looked like they didn''t know where to look. Only Abby didn''t have time to dwell on whatever they were feeling as she continued to speak her mind. "But, you don''t have to feel bad about it. I took this chance to bring him in front of you." Abby then addressed someone standing near the door. "Let my people in." Following hermand, the door opened again, where they all could see a pce maid walk in with a baby carefully wrapped in a nket. Normally, this type of introduction needed some kind of preparation, but Abby made it seem like the royal warriors standing on either side of the red carpet, as Alyssa made her way to the queen with the prince in her arms, something really distinguished. It was as good as an introduction ceremony, even though the warriors solemnly bowing to her son wasn''t nned by her at all. Well, what could she say? The elite royal warriors were elite ss for a reason, and their submission to her son only made his position more stable in this court. She didn''t have anyints. "Here." Abby took her child from Alyssa''s hands, who then retreated to the side along with Reyna, who followed her inside, as they both stood slightly behind the throne, making them as invisible as possible. This was the first time for them to enter the great hall and it would be an understatement to say it was overwhelming. They didn''t need to feel so self conscious for long though, because Abby made so many strange things happen today. Them exploring the great hall wouldn''t even be remembered by anyone. "I''m quite delighted to finally introduce your prince to you on this fine day." Abby started, holding her baby in a way his face would be visible to all of them while being careful not to make his little body feel ufortable. "He would be called Arlo Ebenezer." With their heightened vision, everyone could see little Arlo''s sleeping facefortably from their ces, before they all congratted Abby for delivering the baby safely. "Let this baby bring forth prosperity and joy both to the kingdom and his family, may he be blessed with good health and life. All hail the little prince, Arlo, Son of Micah Ebenezer." People parroted the blessings one after another, weing the baby, before Abby stopped them. "To mark his birth, I want to n a festivity. For the same, I want everyone to be prepared." Of course, they all agreed with her happily, because they had already forgotten decorum by not visiting the prince after he was born. No matter what happened, rules were there to be followed, and just because they were elders it didn''t mean they could do as they pleased. And after answering a few of her supporters'' inquiries about her health and absolving their worries, the woman finally turned to Arthur. "Former King Arthur, I wonder if you could spare me a few minutes of your time." His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 164 "Former King Arthur, I wonder if you could spare me a few minutes of your time." Abby''s voice betrayed no emotion when she addressed Arthur, leaving the man in a dilemma for quite a second there. He couldn''t understand what she wanted with him, as nothing about her stance or expression gave her away. Arthur didn''t answer her for a moment, and just stood there, staring at her with this deep frown between his brows. However, Abby didn''t seem to find this strange, as if she expected him to feel wary of her, especially after the showdown she just subjected him through. "I really won''t take too much of your time, just a couple of minutes will do." After she put it like that, Arthur couldn''t reject her even if he wanted to. "You want to talk here?" "No, all of us have things to do, I''ll meet you in the old tower." Arthur thought Abby needed to send her baby away first, and then would march to his old tower in grandiose again, but he found his own brain stuttering when the woman arrived at his study, practically alone and unprotected. "What kind of game are you ying?" The man couldn''t help but ask when Abby practically shoved her way into his study, with just her baby in her arms while leaving her cold statue of a personal guard outside the door. However, Abby didn''t say anything to him immediately, as she looked at Arthur with her lips pursed until the former king felt like yelling at her just to get her talking and get going. He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard her finally speak, though. "Sir Arthur, you still haven''t held your grandson." "Wh- what?" Arthur started sweating visibly. "Wait, what are you doing?" While the man was still processing herst sentence, the woman had already started approaching him with steady steps, her intention as clear as a day. "Hold your grandson, Arthur." Abby said as she shoved the baby at Arthur''s chest, who instinctively wanted to push her away, by extent the baby, as hesitation marred his features. "Look at him and hold him." Abby angled Arlo in such a way, Arthur wouldn''t be able to avoid looking at his adorable face, and once Arthur saw the baby, his grandson, up close, his arms stretched out of their own ord as he clutched the baby a little hesitantly. The faint smell of milk from his sleepy yet puffy breath tickled Arthur, and he was frozen in ce, forced to bask in the warmth of the little fellow. "He looks a lot like Micah." He blurted out unconsciously, as if he was in a daze until Abby had to stifle augh. He was so reluctant earlier, but once he relented, he couldn''t deny the connection to his grandson anymore. "Well, he is your son''s bloodline after all, which makes him yours too." Abby said calmly, yet her words seemed to imply something else, and Arthur suddenly felt like he was holding a sack of hot potatoes instead of a small cuddly baby. He was suddenly reminded of the rumors he spread all those months ago, about the child in Abby''s womb being another man''s, someone who wasn''t Micah. He felt dibobted, as a ball of unease made his stomach flip. On the other hand, Abby let his guilt fester for a second as she reveled in his difort for a bit, after everything he put her through, this was nothing inparison. If she wasn''t pressed for time, she would have basked in his misfortune for hours. Sadly, time is of essence now. "But I''m not here to point out something so obvious." Abby finally put him out of his misery, and the man visibly rxed. But he shoved little Arlo back to Abby, and the woman didn''t insist on him continuing to hold her baby. "What do you want to talk about?" Arthur still looked skeptical of her, feeling like she would bring up the attacks and Abby had finally chosen to live up to his expectations for her. "I don''t think we should waste time by fighting over the throne." But Arthur cut her off. "You don''t even deserve to sit on it, let alone fight with me for it." "Well, I''m not here to ask you for a chance to prove myself. So do yourself a favor and spare me your bullshit." Abby was oddly calm when she dismissed the old man''s outburst. "I don''t care about your opinion, but your hatred turned into something ugly until you couldn''t even bother to remember your own life morale" "What did you say?" Arthur could have shouted. He only stopped because of the sleeping baby in her arms. "I didn''t say anything wrong. I still remember what you said the first time you came to meet me after the incident with Ruby and her friends. You were disappointed in me because you deemed I''m weak, someone who couldn''t protect the people of this kingdom." Abby spoke unhurriedly, her petite frame, which barely reached his shoulders, was ramrod straight but Arthur couldn''t help but feel smaller and smaller in front of her with every word that left her lips. "But what did you do? You actually let your hatred get the better of you, and harmed your own people. The very people you swore to protect from danger." Arthur wanted to defend himself, but what could he say? He also knew he did it out of hatred when his deep rooted prejudice toward her made him lose himself. He clenched his fists harder, unable to find an outlet for the sudden guilt that hit his stomach like a hurricane. "So, I want to ask you, what do you want to achieve by all of that?"This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He didn''t have an answer to this question either. He couldn''t say it was for the people''s well being when he readily sacrificed those very people for his own selfish reasons. However, Abby wasn''t here to trip him into guilt, but because she wanted to make him see how he had strayed too far from his path of a protector. "I''m not here to ask you to forget about your hatred toward me either." Abby said slowly, feeling she coerced Arthur into the right headspace to reveal the actual purpose of her request. "I want you to join hands with me." "Join hands with you?" Arthur asked, a bit dazed. He couldn''t follow her line of thought at all. "Well, isn''t protecting your people what you always cared about?" Abby asked, her face still deadpan as she waited for Arthur to nod. "Then don''t you think we should focus on the enemy instead of our own differences?" She then exined how he had been wasting both his and her time by trying to make things difficult for her, when they could have been strategizing for a far better cause, like capturing Calpin. "The real enemy was out there, waiting for a chance to strike again. And you are only making it easy for him. I wouldn''t have bothered toe to you if my Arlo isn''t involved. Even if you can''t forget your hatred toward me, you can at least, think about your grandson, he is your kin after all. Your own bloodline." His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 165 "Even if you can''t bring yourself to care enough about me, you should think about Arlo." Abby was patient enough to continue her monologue when Arthur couldn''t muster enough courage to admit a woman way younger than him had a valid point in her exnation. However, she could tell the man was genuinely thinking about her proposal about joining hands with her to fight the actual enemy. He just needed a little push, and she had the right kind of weapon in her arsenal. "Mire is back with some really potential leads." Abby could immediately see the wheels turning in his head. "Leads on Calpin?" Arthur asked breathlessly, as if even saying his name left his stomach churning ufortably. "What kind of lead? A location?" "Well, we still have to investigate a little." "What do you mean?" Arthur was confused now, how could she not know? "We couldn''t get to the interrogation part yet, as they were busy dealing with you. If you had just let them breathe for a second, they could have done something about the investigation." Abby sighed when the man couldn''t put two and two together. "It is like this, Mire captured one of his followers...." She then exined how n and Dax were busy with his little shitshow in the great hall, which infinitesimally dyed any interrogation Mire hoped to get done in the protection of the pce. If the royal beta and royal gamma weren''t upied with dealing with Arthur''s scheming on top of their other responsibilities, they would have gotten something out of that captive by now. "So what you are saying is..." Arthur couldn''t bring himself toplete that sentence. Well, his mind failed him after the word ''is. "We need to work together if we want to capture Calpin, you interfering only hindering any progress I painstakingly made." There was that word ''interfering'' again, he couldn''t tell if she was mocking him or not. But the words next left her lips grinded his thoughts to a screeching halt. "If we can trace Calpin, I''m sure we can save Micah..." "You lost your mind. Woman, can you stop daydreaming for a second?" Arthur hissed when Abby brought up his son being alive again. "How can you still be so stubborn that you can''t distinguish delusions from reality?" His son had died, countless warriors saw him being burned alive by that bastard dark magic user and then turning to nothing but dust, but here his mate was, still being delusional that by some miracle, Micah woulde back alive. She didn''t even let them send Micah off peacefully, because she wouldn''t agree to hold a funeral for him no matter water. He wanted to shake her until she realized what she was talking about. "Or did you really lose it?" Abby could see how exasperated the former king was, but her ims weren''t really baseless. Only before she could exin it to the man, he beat her to it. "Can you understand that you only sound crazy to think that he is still alive? No, that''s not right! You are really crazy to even entertain that thought..." Arthur started pacing, unable to do anything else in his desperation to make this woman understand how absurd her ims were. "Woman, you will turn insane if you don''t get your act together soon..." On the other hand, Abby was dumbfounded by his reaction. Was he the same person who tried to kill her twice? And her bewildered expression seemed to have conveyed her thoughts clearly to the former king, he almost stumbled midstep. Well, this was awkward. If she turned insane, he would be the happiest, right? Abby almost chuckled watching the man stutter until no sound came out of his mouth. "Well, you don''t have to worry about me turning insane." She said worry in such a way, it soundedpletely opposite to the word. And Arthur red at her. "I know what I''m talking about. No, it was not out of delusion or daydreaming like you thought. There''s no chance I''m wrong about it." Abby was quite confident when she said this.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "How can you be so sure?" Arthur felt talking with Abby only killed a few brain cells of his every few seconds. It was really exhausting. "Mate bond." "What?" "The mate bond between us; it still hasn''t snapped." Abby looked at him funnily. "I don''t think I have to exin how it works, right?" Abby couldn''t help but jab when Arthur looked like he suddenly couldn''tprehend even simple words. "Of course, so you are saying the mate bond is still intact? Then can you feel him on the other end?" Arthur got a little agitated. But he didn''t realize he had set himself up for disappointment. "Unfortunately, no." Abby answered him grimly. "There is this weird barrier that has been preventing me from doing it." "But the bond is there?" Arthur looked hopeful when Abby nodded in affirmation. "Then... then... what do you want me to do?" He still felt it was hard to wrap his head around the concept of joining hands with Abby, so it was difficult for him to extend this olive branch readily. After all, whether Abby could feel Micah on the other end of the bond or not, feeling the bond itself was a huge positive sign. If Micah had really died, the bond would have shattered long back, and Abby wouldn''t have been able to stand straight even if she wanted to fake through the pain. He really didn''t pay enough attention to her that he didn''t realize Abby didn''t feel crushed, both literally and figuratively, with Micah''s death. Dax exined in detail how Calpin burnt Micah alive, and knowing there was no way the royal gamma coulde back without his king if he was still alive, Arthur believed his son had died, just like everyone else. Now listening to Abby''s ims, he couldn''t help but believe Micah was still alive. No wonder this woman had been insisting on staying stubborn about not epting her mate''s death while refusing to hold the funeral even when the whole royal council tried to persuade her otherwise. "Well, there was one thing you could do." Abby said slowly. "In fact, only you are suitable for it." Arthur frowned at her. "Out with it, woman." "I want you to march to capture Calpin once we find out his possible location." "What did you say?" Arthur lost her after she said ''capture Calpin. "Capture whom?" "Calpin, of course. You are well versed in battling and also experienced in leading the warriors. n will assist you obviously." "You do realize he is a dark mage and I''m a former king, right?" Arthur almost scoffed, but couldn''t see any humor on Abby''s face. "You can''t be serious. How will I be able to fight him?" "I know what I''m talking about." This was the second time she said this sentence in her conversation with Arthur today. "You need to fight Calpin, it will be a war, where you need to lead our soldiers toward the enemy." Abby repeated, as if she was exining to a child. However, the more she talked, the more ufortable Arthur felt. "It''s impossible." He denied immediately. There was no hesitation in his voice, especially when he thought about the dark fire magic Calpin wielded. "It''s nothing but a suicide mission." His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 166 "It''s nothing but a suicide mission." There was no way Arthur could bring himself to agree to something like this and put not only himself but also his soldiers in danger. And danger didn''t even begin to cover what they had to go through if he dived in blindly to fight that man. Calpin was a dark mage. The people of this kingdom weren''t even familiar with normal magic users, and they would choose to keep them at arm''s length even when they encountered one. Their kind was literally despised in this continent, often pushed to the back of the mind and rarely tolerated. It was so rare for witches to be epted, even Mire couldn''t be considered well respected, even though thete alpha of the Red River pack seemed to have no problem letting her live so close to their pack. It was safe to say that they knew next to nothing about the magic users or how to deal with them, let alone dark magic users like Calpin, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Meanwhile, Abby expected him to react like this, and understood where he wasing from, after all, she fought Calpin herself, and knew how unmerciful and cruel he could be. But he must be stopped, regardless of whatever it took, they at least had to try. Not just to save Micah, but also because of the chaos he would stir in this realm once hepleted what he started all those years ago before the great witch stopped him and locked him up. It was her responsibility to stop him for the greater good, just like her ancestor had done. Just like her own mother tried before she fell victim to his cruelty. If her mother had been alive, she would have dealt with him no matter what. Just like the day she died, where she fought with him even at the brink of her death. But her mother failed, because she was greatly injured trying to save Abby, who had a sudden power bacsh. For a while, Abby struggled with the harsh truth, she didn''t feel she deserved to escape death that day. She wished she had been the one imed by death, instead of her lovely mother. Then she was forced to face Calpin, right in the middle of a f*****g chaos back in the ck w pack, where that bastard tried to burn her mate alive. At that moment, she finally understood why her mother didn''t hesitate to put herself between death and her daughter. Seeing your loved one in agony, how could you be able to sit back and do nothing? She couldn''t either, and that was how she found herself fighting Calpin, because she wanted to do everything in her power just to save Micah. Now, her mate was in danger again. She had already had to dy this for so long, just to be able to give birth to her precious baby safely, but only she knew how excruciating it was. For the past three months, every other waking moment of hers had been spent reaching for the mate bond, just to make sure Micah was still alive. Her heart was lodged in her throat long back, and it was still hard to breathe even now. But now she couldn''t wait anymore, it was really unbearable not knowing why she couldn''t feel Micah on the other end of their bond. If she could tell all this to Arthur, she wouldn''t have hesitated. But it would onlyplicate things and they would be running in circles, with no possible solution to this problem. So she took a deep breath and regarded Arthur again. "I didn''t say it wasn''t a perilous task. Or that I don''t understand what we have on the line by actively seeking him..." "Countless people''s lives, that''s what would be on the line if we make a move on him." Arthur sounded even more grim having to say it outloud. Every time they fought that dark magic user, there had been countless deaths on both sides, always them ending up with the short end of the stick. Because, Calpin didn''t really care about the rogues he had to expend in these battles, while Micah''s side only lost more and more people, innocents and warriors alike. Even alphas weren''t spared thest time Micah marched to that supposed rogue base, and the former king was left to think his own son was no more until today. "Yes, countless people''s lives." Abby agreed. "However, did you forget the oue would be the same whether we try or not?" Arthur didn''t look convinced. "Isn''t that what I''m saying, we cannot fight someone like him?"N?velDrama.Org ? content. "If no one stands in his way, how else do you want to ensure the people of this kingdom make it out alive after he gains even more power?" Abby wasn''t agitated or anything, she just wanted the former king to understand the gravity of the situation. "He didn''t bat an eye even when his own puppets were being ughtered, while letting them annihte a whole pack, just to set a trap for Micah all those months back in the ck w pack... "And now he has Micah, God knows what else he was going to do if my mate''s worth to him was exhausted." Abby stressed her words as she patted her son, who was still fast asleep in her arms. But he would wake up soon. So she needed to wind this conversation up quickly. "I''m aware of it too. Then again, you and him belong to the same kind, but even you don''t know how to deal with him either, let alone a bunch of warriors who know nothing but relying on brute force to get things done." Arthur couldn''t convince himself to feel it was a good idea to follow Abby''s suggestion, even though he agreed Calpin should be stopped. "But we have to try somewhere, somehow. Arthur, Micah is still alive. For now. But what if he kills him? What if he is already dying? It''s been months, and we don''t know what kind of situation your son is in right now." She took a deep breath, shaking her head to clear it off unpleasant thoughts. "I know I''m asking for a lot from you, but as I said, no one in this kingdom is more suitable to lead those warriors out there." "I want to save Micah too, but I don''t think this is the way to do it." "Do you have any other ideas then?" Abby was exasperated now. He didn''t have any, but then it wasn''t really his battle to fight. "No, but it feels like you should be the one dealing with this problem, given his strange obsession to kill you." Arthur blurted out when he recalled what he heard from Alpha James after the several times Abby escaped death by that dark magic user''s hands. "I don''t deny he tried to kill me several times now. But do you think he would just stop at that? He would be content after getting rid of Micah and me?" Abby looked at him sharply. "You aren''t naive enough to think so, are you Arthur?" Arthur didn''t have an answer to her question, actually he did, but it wouldn''t be in his favor to open his mouth now. Seeing him falling silent, Abby clucked her tongue. "Exactly. You do realize his main aim is to conquer this kingdom, right? So even if I was captured or killed by his hands, he would still remain a major problem to this kingdom''s people... "And trust me, if I thought letting him take my life could stop him, I could have readily offered it to him, because like I said, I was the only one who could seal him away or have the power to do so. But I''m just one more obstacle in his path to get hold of this kingdom, even though I know with certainty that no one but I can stop him... "At the end of the day, it all burns down to his goal to control this whole kingdom, and all I''m asking for you to help with is to stop him in any way possible before he bes even more powerful." Abby didn''t need to exin why she thought what she thought because Arthur had his own people who had been keeping him updated with information rted to Calpin. There was a stark difference between the first time those rogue attacks started in the capital city and the war which broke out in that forest, where Micah went missing. And the worse thing was, they didn''t even know if Calpin had been holding back until now. That was why the whole royal council had been urging Abby and the others to speed up the process of the investigation ande up with a way to deal with Calpin once and for all. "Also this might be our only chance to save Micah, so if you truly cared about your son, you will be on board with this arrangement. We have to try, no matter how little chance we have toe out victorious." Abby was still calm, her tone t, as if she would understand whatever Arthur chose to do. Arthur started pacing again, before his gaze was drawn to little Arlo''s face, who was sleeping contentedly in Abby''s arms and then sighed. "Let me think about it." Abby regarded him for a moment. "I''ll wait for a day for your answer." She needed to n ordingly so she could only spare a single day for him to make up his mind. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 167 After she was done with her conversation with Arthur anding back to the king''s tower, the first thing Abby did was asking Reyna to gather enough omegas to help her prepare for her baby''s introduction ceremony to the people. They all rushed to the living room in the king''s tower once they heard the summons, sparing her the waiting. "Since we are strapped for time, I want this to be a simple festivity where we can let our people meet their future crown prince before offering them a nice and warm meal." Abby then took her time exining how she wanted the festivity to be held, letting them provide a few suggestions for decoration, food and drinks before dismissing them to finally retire to her room. Before Arlo woke up from his nap, Abby was back in her bedroom, and breastfed her son after taking her lunch. Since she just woke up, Alyssa and Reyna made sure to limit her menu to liquid foods for the time being. "How is your shoulder?" Nadia asked Abby as she set down the bowl of medicine in front of her on the table, just as Reyna cleared it. "If I have to be honest, I can''t feel anything." Abby said truthfully. "All those pain killing herbs you made me take that day seemed to start working finally." Nadia looked at her as if Abby had lost it, when she joked about something like that. "I think it''s just numb because you have held little Arlo for so long." Well, Abby didn''t deny her, because she stupidly kept holding baby Arlo even after being done with her conversation with Arthur all the way back to her bedroom, refusing both Reyna and Deion who volunteered to give her a hand. Abby smiled wryly as she downed the bowl of bitter medicine before chuckling. "This should take care of it." She just wanted to hold her baby, there was no wrong with it. But she still relented and reassured Nadia she wouldn''t aggravate her wound further and let it heal peacefully. Then she remembered something as she asked for Deion. "Deion, did Mire take n and Dax with her?" The personal bodyguard knew what she meant, so he immediately answered her. "Yes, My Queen. She rushed them to the dungeon the moment I sent word that you wanted them to get on with the investigation."Enjoying the book? Don''t forget to visit Jo bni b for the full experience. You won''t find the nextplete chapter anywhere else. On their way back to the king''s tower from Arthur''s old tower, Abby urged Deion to ry an order to Mire. She wanted them to make use of the time while she waited for Arthur to make a decision and get that follower of Calpin in their captivity talking. Abby then let everyone leave as she finally felt rxed enough to take a power nap before Arlo needed her again. "The wet nurse can take care of him for you, My Queen. Why don''t you focus on recovering first?" Nadia said. Even though she made sure none of the medicines she gave Abby could mess with the baby''s health if he drank her milk, she thought it was better for the queen to recover fast. Moreover, Abby''s milk was nowhere near enough to satiate baby Arlo''s little stomach that would start rumbling from hunger the moment he woke up everytime, as she couldn''t produce enough milk because of her own poor health. The intensebor and then being injured during the attack had particr effects on her body. Which also resulted in Nadia retaining the wet nurse, who had been limited to taking care of the baby after Abby was done feeding him. His diet was mixed for now. However, while Abby understood she was only being hard on herself, she couldn''t bring herself to deny herself these precious moments with her baby. "It''s fine, I want to do it for my baby. With the wet nurse''s aid, I can tend to him just fine." She wanted to enjoy however much time she could with her baby, because she knew how busy she would get once she was okay enough to start handling court matters again. Not to mention the festivity she was nning for Arlo. "My Queen, about the date of the festivity, have you decided on it yet?" Alyssa asked herter that evening when the wet nurse took baby Arlo away to give him a hot bath with Reyna in her tow.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. "As early as possible." Abby thought for a moment and then answered her. "In a week." She had something big nned for that day, so she was deliberately rushing them about the preparations. She gave them a vague idea over how she wanted things to be done on that day, and left everything else in Alyssa and Reyna''s care. Before dinner, n and Dax finally got back to her while Mire retired to her guest bedroom to rest. Abby led them to the strategy room, where she discussed with both of them for a long time, as they revealed their findings to her, before she let them in on her ns. With a heavy head, Abby finally went back to her room to her baby after sending them away. Abby spent the next morning doing nothing save for ying with her baby, and listening to a few reports. It was quite a progresspared to the day before, because her shoulder stopped throbbing like hell, now the pain at most remained as a dull ache, thanks to Nadia''s pain relieving concoctions. n and Dax also came to visit the little prince, who was being showered with love and affection from everyone at his every wake moment, but of course, no one overstayed their visit as they refrained from tiring him too much. All in all, her baby had so many people to pamper him, and Abby wished he wouldn''t realize his father wasn''t among them, at least not yet. She had just finished taking her lunch and medicines when Arthur came to find her. He looked around the room as if he was searching for something, and even looked a little disappointed when he finally dragged his eyes back to her. "Arlo is with the wet nurse in the nursery room." Abby said, which left the man dumbfounded as he hurriedly denied her ims. "I wasn''t looking for him." She just shrugged at him and Arthur red at her. "What did you decide?" Abby didn''t beat around the bush, as she dived into business after shaking her head. However, he didn''t answer her immediately and instead asked everyone to leave first. Once it was only the two of them, Arthur finally opened his mouth. "What did they find out?" Abby understood what he meant. He was asking about the results of the interrogation of Calpin''s follower. "We have a promising result from the interrogation." "So did you have a location to work on?" Arthur didn''t know what answer he was expecting from her. "You can say so, but ites in theter part of my n." Abby said vaguely. "So what is your answer, Arthur?" The former king could see Abby wouldn''t give him anything before he gave her his word to cooperate. So he relented first yet again. "What part do you want me to y in this n?" His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 168 Abby''s n was pretty simple, but it needed strategic execution. "There was a reason I am rushing the ceremony I announced for my son... "When the timees, I want you to use your connections and let Calpin know about this festivity. ording to my understanding of him, he will definitely try to make ripples to disrupt the non existent peace settled over the kingdom upon the birth of Arlo... "He will send rogues, but there is also a high possibility for him to make a personal appearance if rumors spread that I''m seriously injured."N?velDrama.Org ? content. When Abby decided to announce the news of her attack to the public three months back, she didn''t actually expect it woulde handy for her current n. And when she was attacked the second time, Arthur went ahead and made a grand scene until everyone in the capital learnt she got injured right after giving birth to Arlo. Moreover, Arthur also made sure the humiliation Abby pped him with didn''t escape the closed doors of the great hall. Apart from the royal council and the several trusted warriors in the pce, no one knew what Abby''s current condition was. Even if they learned she woke up from hera, with Arthur''s help, she nned to keep her recovery a secret, no matter if she got better or worse. "With the mess of our internal conflicts aired for the world to see, Calpin would be tempted toe here." Abby was quite confident with her n. "If we use these cards to our favor, we may be able to surprise him." Arthur remained silent as he let her exin everything she had on her mind. He only spoke when Abby was finally finished speaking. "But you are rushing this too much." "I have a valid reason for it." Abby smirked at his confusion. "I want people to think you were ignoring my current condition and wanted to do whatever you pleased to do. I want you to announce to the capital that you are holding the ceremony for your grandson." What happened in the great hall the day before didn''t make it past the pce gates, it included Abby''s decision to hold an introduction ceremony for her newborn baby. With her making Arthur announce it like this, the public would be left wondering, unable to understand what actually was going on in the pce. Well, gossip like court politics would snag such attention that the longer they circte, the more ridiculous they would be until the actual truth got distorted so much, no one would be able to tell what was the real story anymore. And Abby wanted to feed the people with half truths, she was giddy at the thought of how absurdly people''s wild imagination could y to their favor. Hearing her, Arthur couldn''t help but agree her n was quite cunning and really genius. But he was conflicted about one part. "So you want to lure Calpin all the way here?" From her words earlier, they already had the possible location of Calpin''s current hideout. So wouldn''t it be easy to march there instead of attracting chaos to their doorstep? "Yeah, that''s what I n to do." Abby replied calmly. "It was already a n proven to be effective, so I don''t see why we couldn''t resort to it a second time." "What do you mean?!" Arthur felt a little puzzled by her words. "When did you lure Calpin out of his hiding?" "I didn''t say it was me who lured him before." Abby felt her throat clogging in a bit. "It was Micah, you remember the rogue attack on the day of my crowning ceremony?" Arthur suddenly felt stupid. Because how did he not realize this before? Everyone was still puzzled over the fact how those rogues managed to breach the highly protected perimeter of the capital city, before attacking Micah in their own f*****g pce. But now he had an answer. It was his son''s n all along. He wanted toy a trap for Calpin under the disguise of being busy with his own mating ceremony and had seeded until the part where rogues showed up. Then his former beta ruined all his efforts by trying to get rid of Abby. The devastation left in the wake of those two events was unimaginable. People were still trying to recover from all the damage even after months, and now Abby wanted to try the same thing? "And then you want me to fight him right in the pce? But it will be filled with people,moners and high ranking shifters. It is really risky." Arthur couldn''t help but point out. "I know, but it''s worth giving it a shot." Abby said as she exined it to him briefly. "For the fighting part, we have toe up with a suitable strategy to reduce losses on our side." Only two things had the ability to jeopardize her n. Aside from fighting Calpin, they would also be upied with protecting the innocents. However, it wasn''t possible to avoid deaths in a war, they could only try to minimize them as much as possible. Arthur agreed with her, deaths were inevitable in wars. After discussing a little more, they concluded the meeting for now. They needed to discuss how they should prepare the warriorster. "Thank you for agreeing to help me." Abby said, a small but genuine smile lifting up the corners of her lips. "That''s where you are wrong. Don''t think too highly of yourself?" Arthur gave her a disdainful frown. "I''m not here to help you. I only want to help my kingdom." Abby just looked at him, and the man frowned even harder. "I still hate you. This is only a temporary truce. If you didn''t say there is a possibility for my son to be still alive, I wouldn''t even have spared this suicide mission another thought." "Okay, I understand." Abby said simply. "Then, thank you for putting our grudges aside for now." His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 169 Arthur followed Abby''s idea and soon, the capital was in an uproar with the rumors flying left, right and center. People were left in a dilemma as to whether they should celebrate the news of the werewolf prince''s safe birth and his uing introduction ceremony, or if they should worry about Abby''s current health. The attack near the grand square wasn''t news to any of them anymore, but then they heard those same beasts had attacked their queen right after she gave birth to her son. A couple of dayster, another announcement was made, by none other than Abby. Their queen asked them not to worry about her and then told them to look forward to the first royal celebration the former king throwing for her son. Instead of blowing the rumors off, it only caused them to turn even more ridiculous, when people were left to imagine Abby was forced to make a public appearance when she was clearly still far from being recovered. Which was obviously Abby''s actual goal. Her decision to act brave while looking frail pulled their heart strings and the rumors took an absurd turn until they thought she was dying soon. She was so pitiful, but the former king was being unreasonable by ignoring her. Meanwhile, the frail and severely injured woman, who looked so weak until she couldn''t even stand straight to give a short speech, was now aggressively motivating their elite warriors and the people involved in her n. "I don''t want anyone cking off for the next few days. We are putting not only ourselves but also the entire capital city on the line here." If they fell, the capital would crumble in no time, and the kingdom wouldn''t be far behind. n and Dax gathered the few chiefs of the elite warriors along with the head warriors above the royal warriors in the strategy room. To public eye it was a normal meeting under Arthur''s direction, as he was the one dealing with the court matters now. No one even knew Abby was here, just like she wanted. After all, she still needed to keep up her facade. She was still a frail woman who was severely injured and needed lots of rest, where anyone outside the king''s tower was concerned. "The enemy we are dealing with is no ordinary person, so I want your head, body and soulpletely focused on this mission." These were the same people Micah nned thest ambush with, so they didn''t need to be told twice as to how things should go. Moreover, Abby didn''t insist on pressuring them too much. Enjoying the book? Don''t forget to visit J o bni b for the full experience. You won''t find the nextplete chapter anywhere else. She just wanted them to follow whatever Micah made them go through during the week before her crowning ceremony. This time also, they only had one week to prepare. A week wasn''t really a long time when they needed to prepare so many things. However, Abby had already told them how she wanted to lure Calpin to the pce, and they didn''t object to her suggestion. Now they were nning how they would deal with the impact of the attack. Calpin was insanely unpredictable. And he had too many rogues to expend while his dark fire magic was no joke. If anything went wrong in this attack, the destruction this time would not just stop at them losing their lives. Each of them had two responsibilities on their shoulders, aside from protecting others, they also needed to protect themselves. Surprisingly, Arthur supported her through every decision she made to increase their chances ofing out victorious as much as possible. He didn''t hesitate to follow her lead, which depicted how perilous the situation was. There was this gloomy air to every meeting, because this would be the biggest war they had ever fought but everyone ignored it and focused oning up with a usible course of action for every possible move from Calpin. With several meetings over strategic nning going on, Abby often found herself struggling to manage her time, especially with her baby in the picture. It was really exhausting for her to bnce her time between the meetings, her baby and the court. Only the thought of finding Micah soon kept her going. One afternoon, while putting her baby to sleep, Abby felt particrly emotional, as she realized she had been finding it hard to make time for him nowadays.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. "Your father must have felt even more pressured when he had to deal with all this preparation and nning alone that time." She caressed baby Arlo''s back as she held back her tears. She didn''t know why she suddenly remembered the way she felt heartbroken and devastated when she realized Micah had actually kept something as big as wanting to lure Calpin to the pce and then fighting him. Her mind swam as she recalled all the efforts she put in only for them to go in vain, when Micah saw the charade of their mating ceremony as a mere stage for his grand ambush n. Only now she understood the blood and sweat he put in order to get rid of Calpin, so that he could give a better life to his mate. In his desire to protect her, he burned himself, but she didn''t realize it then. Only when she had someone to protect and someone one to save desperately, did she understand why Micah did what he did back then. "This is really exhausting, baby, but I have so many people to help me, even your taciturn grandfather is by my side, while your father did everything by himself." Abby was really exhausted, both physically and mentally just by guiding the few men who followed her orders to make her n work. She could only imagine how hard it had been for Micah. It would have been better if he had shared his burdens with her. They could have nned together or she would have supported him silently. But then she remembered how her ceremony was ruined because of it, where Arthur found another reason to make things difficult for her. Come to think of it, she was also doing the same thing to her son, depriving him of the proper ceremony he deserved. "I''m sorry, baby. Mother didn''t mean to do this to you." Abby kissed Arlo''s sleeping face, as he mumbled in his sleep. She felt really bad for him. But she was grateful that he was still little and wouldn''t remember this small act of injustice. She swore she would make up to him, once things settled and they rescued Micah sessfully. The only problem now was how to reduce the victims. People would flood this pce fortress on the day of the ceremony without the knowledge of the impending attack. They would bepletely unaware of their predicament and the really serious danger. Moreover, this wouldn''t even be the first time they would be in this situation. Abby couldn''t feel burdened at the thought of how the people of capital struggled to get back on their feet after Calpin wreaked havoc by letting his rogue puppets run rampage in the pce just to get to her and Micah. It took them months to recover any semnce of peace, but now, it would all be destroyed again. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 170 A week flew past in no time and it was finally the day of the ceremony. "My Queen, here." Alyssa brought her crown as she ced it on her made up hair gently. "Prince Arlo would be brought in soon." Reyna and the wet nurse, Deora, were bathing him now. And once he was dressed up in a small royal blue singlet that was embroidered with gold and silver threads, Arlo was finally back in her mother''s embrace. They were both wearing these small brooches designed with the royal insignia close to their hearts.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Seeing his small frame all decked up for the asion, and remembering what ensued her ns for the evening, Abby felt very nervous. She clutched her baby to her chest, as she cherished this peaceful moment for a second longer. "I''m really sorry for putting you in danger, my love." Abby whispered to Arlo as she hugged him close and swore to protect him at any cost. She really felt bad for doing this to him. "Call Deion over." Abby said as she finally opened her eyes. "My Queen." "Deion, no matter what happens today, your priority should be Arlo and his safety." Abby said, even though it had been the umpteenth time she gave the same order to Deion for the past few days. "If something unexpected happens, save Arlo first." Deion gave the woman the same answer he had been giving since the first time she asked him of this. "Of course, My Queen." While he was supposed to save Abby at any cost, he couldn''t refuse a direct order from her. And the momentary relief on his queen''s face was really just that. Fleeting. She was worried sick about her son''s safety. But the personal guard promised her he would protect the prince, so that was what he would do. He just hoped such a situation wouldn''te. Abby was all set for the evening, with her baby securely nestled in her arms when Arthur came to her bedroom. "Sir Arthur, is everything in ce?" Abby asked the man as he took Arlo from her arms. "Yes, thest of our problems finally had a solution, thanks to your idea." Arthur was being genuine with his praise. He had to give it Abby''s way of thinking, foring up with suitable yet efficient ways to deal with even their smallest of worries. They had been burning over the fact that their people would be caught in the crossfire of their schemes and ns to get to Calpin, but Abby brainstormed with the royal beta and royal gamma until she had a solution to it. Only half of their warriors were assigned to guard the pce, while half were ordered to disguise asmoners and blend in with the throngs of people that wouldter rush to the pce for Arlo''s introduction ceremony. This would actually serve two purposes, on the one hand, the warriors among the crowd would be able to protect the innocents effectively. On the other hand, the reduced number of warriors and guards made it look like the pce wasn''t well protected, which was the opposite of reality. Her n had so many tempting baits for Calpin to dig in, but they all still had to wait whether they would be sessfully able to lure that dark sorcerer here. If they couldn''t lure him here, Abby had to resort to her second n, which was marching to Calpin''s hideout. She hoped it wouldn''te to it. Calpin would be more powerful in his own territory, which they witnessed with Alpha Samuel and Alpha James'' deaths. So Abby''s n had to go smoothly. Actually, it wasn''t her n but Micah''s. Since she wasn''t familiar with war and strategy, Abby chose to go ahead with the idea Micah used during their ceremony. Like she said to Arthur, the idea had worked before, so there was no harm hoping for it to work again. "Good." Abby said, finally being able to breathe a small sigh of relief. She had been agonizing over the problem of putting their people in danger knowingly, however, they finally found a solution to that problem yesterday. But then the former king fell silent as he kept staring at Arlo in his hands. "Do you have something else to tell me about?" Abby asked, noticing the turmoil in his gaze. "Before we leave for the venue, can you bring Arlo to see his grandmother?" Arthur made a sudden request, after hesitating for a moment, but Abby stiffened at his words. "Neesha? You want Arlo to meet her?" She was immediately reminded of all the bad experiences she faced the couple of times she met the former queen and her face paled. "No way, she wouldn''t like it." She rejected readily, she didn''t even want to imagine what Neesha would do if she lost her cool, which was hard for her to keep. The woman didn''t even hesitate to p her just three months back when Abby was still heavily pregnant with Arlo at six months. "Why wouldn''t she like it? It was her who requested me to bring her to visit Arlo. She really wishes to see her grandson. But I stopped her, and wanted you to bring him to her." However, Abby couldn''t begin to believe him, because Neesha hated her to the core. Who could guarantee she wouldn''t hurt her or her baby? Arthur understood why Abby rejected him without a second thought. "Neesha ispletely calm now. She wouldn''t do anything to you or this little child. She is his grandmother after all." Abby didn''t feel convinced at all, but she was conflicted, she had no right to deny Neesha from meeting her grandson. However, she couldn''t erase the image of Neesha losing it randomly and hurting people around her either. "She just wants to see him, it would be fine. We will all be there, right?" Arthur, who saw the conflict in her eyes, immediately persuaded her harder and Abby finally relented. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 171 All the way to the old tower, Arthur held baby Arlo, while Deion followed the trio silently. He couldn''t decipher the expression on the queen''s face, but he had his guard up. Thest time Neesha, the former queen, met Abby, she had been pretty violent, given Abby was a heavily pregnant woman. But Arthur''s mate didn''t seem to be in a state to distinguish between right and wrong until she pped the queen, almost making her lose her bnce. Had it not been for Alyssa, Abby would have been heavily injured, by extension putting the baby in danger. So, forgive him if he didn''t regard Neesha''s status if she tried to harm Arlo, or his queen mother. Queen Abby asked him to prioritize Arlo''s safety, it didn''t matter who was the opposite person, he was going to follow that order through and through. On the other hand, Abby still didn''t know what to expect from Neesha. The woman had been extremely sweet to her the first time they met, but then she learned Abby was a half witch and all hell broke loose. She turned so agitated, she even tried to kill her. Then she pped her when she met her again. This would be the third time she met the woman who gave birth to her mate. She had mixed feelings about this whole situation. Just before they reached Neesha''s bedroom, Abby stopped Arthur. "Are you sure she is calm enough for this meeting?" "Absolutely, like I said, she is his grandmother, she wouldn''t harm her own blood and flesh." "Coming from you, these words hold less conviction." Abby''s jab was unintentional, but she didn''t give Arthur a chance to retort or defend himself as she pushed the door open. "Let''s hope you are right." Abby held out her arms for Arlo before they could enter and Arthur was sensible enough not to deny her as he calmly handed over the mumbling mess in his hands. Arlo smiled as soon as Abby came into his view again, he seemed to love the adoring gleam in his queen mother''s eyes whenever she looked at him, so he unconsciously responded to her affection with equal passion. Only then they entered the room, and Neesha could be seen lounging on the small sofa which was ced a few feet from her bed. The room was simple, but filled with enough furniture. It didn''t scream wealth and whatnot. But every piece of furniture had some kind of potion bottle on it, with the former queen''s vanity table being flooded with all kinds of medicinal stuff. The woman was recuperating from an old ailment that had been guing her senses for quite some time now. Looking at her room, Abby felt a little bad for Neesha. For a shifter to fall sick this badly, it was almost unheard of. But she didn''t feel any need to pry into her well being or health condition as herplete focus was on preventing the woman, who could spiral in a split second, from hurting her baby.N?velDrama.Org ? content. On the other hand, Neesha, who had her eyes closed, seemingly waiting for news from Arthur, stirred upon their arrival and when she saw the small bundle in Abby''s arms, all her torpor flew out of the window as this excited smile bloomed on her sickly pale face. "You are here." Neesha couldn''t hide the surprise in her voice, seemingly unable to believe Abby had agreed toe here. Abby didn''t say anything as she just walked further into the room, still holding Arlo close to her chest and stopped when she was a couple of feet from Neesha. The former queen looked a little conflicted, as if she had a hard time finding words, but then she settled for an hesitant question. "Can I look at him?" Abby didn''t mind that she didn''t get an apology from Neesha. Hell, even Arthur, who tried to kill her twice after spreading all those nasty rumors about her, still hadn''t apologized to her properly. Moreover, the woman looked guilty enough, which spoke volumes about Arthur''s ims that she was calm enough now. So Abby didn''t dwell on it too much. "You can look at him. But just that." Even though the woman looked all calm andposed now, Abby wasn''t ready to give her the benefit of doubt and do something like letting her hold Arlo. Call her paranoid, but her baby''s safety came before anything else. Neesha, on the other hand, looked crushed when Abby asserted that she wouldn''t let her touch Abby''s son. For a second, she thought of convincing her otherwise, but then she remembered she still had to amend some weakly holding out bridges between them before Abby could let her guard down around Neesha again. So she swallowed past theplicated emotions clogging her throat before nodding her head. "Okay, I''ll not touch him. Let me look at him." Only then Abby finally adjusted Arlo in her arms until his face was visible to Neesha before taking two tiny steps closer to the woman. Immediately, Abby saw tears brimming Neesha''s eyes. "He got his father''s eyes." Basically, blue eyes were their family thing, all the men in their royal family possessed these strikingly beautiful blue eyes but Neesha didn''t seem to realize she was so overwhelmed until she couldn''t recall that tiny detail. "And mine as well." Arthur suddenly said, making Neesha look between Arlo and Arthur''s eyes back and forth, and then she looked dumbfounded for a second. Abby couldn''t help but smile. Neesha was a gentle soul. Abby could see the look of longing in her eyes to hold Arlo, but she wasn''t ready for that yet. So she turned to Arthur, however, the man had this solemn expression on his face, and her thoughts to remind him they had to leave for the procession got stuck in her throat. They had quite a few things nned for the evening, before the sunset, she had to end the procession where she and baby Arlo go along the streets of the capital in an open carriage to greet their people. The feast and celebrations were next. "What is it?" Abby asked him instead. "Did something happen?" "Oh, nothing happened." Arthur denied quickly when he realized Abby misunderstood his expression. "It''s just I''ve been thinking about all the things I have done to you..." Abby fell silent as she stared at Arthur in confusion. "I shouldn''t have let my hatred get the best of me, I should have given you a fair chance to prove yourself. You are trying, so it means a good thing. I think we can be civil with each other." "Is this supposed to be an apology?" Abby asked him after a beat. "Then? What do you think it is?" Arthur suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He couldn''t possibly lower himself and ask for forgiveness from her. He already knew he made a mistake. So he just wanted her to bury their tiny hatchet and move on. For that, he didn''t need to utter the actual words of apology, right? Abby could only shake her head at his reaction. She couldn''t understand why he was still blocking the door, though. "What else?" "I''m sorry for what I''m about to do." Now these words sounded ominous. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 172 "Do you even understand what you are saying?" Abby''s face was a painting of pure horror as she regarded Arthur carefully as if he lost his mind before his mate could. "It''s too dangerous, I won''t agree to it." "It''s better than exposing Arlo to him." The former king argued back. "But it is his introduction ceremony, you can''t just ask us to stay behind and go out there alone." "I won''t go alone..." Arthur began, but then saw Abby retreat hastily as if the man would snatch her son and bolt right now. "God, woman. Listen to me for a second. I''ll go there with a fake baby... Now, Abby looked like she lost a few brain cells. When Arthur said he wanted to apologize for what he was about to do to her again, this new yet impromptu n was not what she was expecting. "But, you won''t be able to fight him off. Did you forget that only I can seal him away?" Abby exined this to him so many times. "And it should be the royal parents who should sit in the carriage with the new prince, if you went with a fake baby, the capital would be in an uproar even before Calpin tried to do anything." "Well, I understand where you areing from. But it hasn''t been confirmed that the dark magic user will make an appearance personally even if he decides to attack the pce." Abby had to agree with him on this, so she kept silent.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. "And if I was the one to introduce baby Arlo, our ruse would look even more believable. Who knows, Calpin might indeed take the bait ande down here to lead the attack." "Why are you looking excited about that? You can''t fight him. Or are you trying to turn this into a real suicide mission?" Having dumped these new ns on her head, Abby felt a little light headed and thought of the worst first. "NO, no..." Arthur denied, first loudly then softly. "I''m just trying to make the most of the situation. Didn''t we agree Calpining here would be advantageous to us? If he didn''te, it wouldn''t be worth it to put Arlo through all of that." "But what if he dide? You know what he is capable of, right?" Abby was scared Arthur and the others wouldn''t even get a proper chance to retaliate before they found themselves ttened to the ground. Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit J o bni b to read theplete chapters for free. "Moreover, our people would be even more vulnerable. I had to be there, Arthur." "I have a solution if he makes an appearance. I''ll give you a loud and obvious signal if he does and you can take over from there." Arthur exined patiently to Abby, who was agitated over the fact how much destruction that dark magic sorcerer would unleash upon the capital city. "I..." Abby didn''t know what to make out of his sudden selflessness. "I just want you three to stay safe, if things could be handled by us men just fine." Arthur gestured for Neesha with his right hand, who stood silently on the side during the entire time they talked, her eyes trained on baby Arlo, not once taking them off his little frame. "Now this looks like a real apology." Abby said, surprising both of them, as the man didn''t know where to look now. Because this man came a long way from rejecting his own grandson through those nasty rumors, then trying to kill them both to now wanting to protect them both. "So, walk through your n with me again. You wanted to go out there, carrying a fake baby..." Abby started talking again when the room plunged into awkward silence, silently agreeing to his change of ns, before the former king sobered up as he took over the responsibility of outying his whole n. Since, it was a tradition for the new prince to go visit the people of this kingdom on his introduction ceremony, it was the most tricky time for them to anticipate the attack. Out in the open, they would be vulnerable even if all the warriors were ordered to escort the small entourage of Abby and her son through the royal parade along the streets. So Arthur came up with this n, where he would go instead of Abby with a fake baby. Since people didn''t know how Arlo looked, they wouldn''t be able to tell the baby in his arms was fake. Moreover, all newborn babies looked the same. It would be to their advantage, as Abby''s absence would add fuel to the running rumors, which would make the people think of the worst. They could also sell the rumor that Abby was dying more efficiently. "You and Arlo would wait in here until the ceremony is over, or Calpin attacks." Arthur looked conflicted about this part. "I''ll put a few people around here, both in the open and in secret." Since Neesha had a serious health condition, no one would question even if she sat this whole ceremony out, just like she did during the mating ceremony of Micah and Abby. "Someone would be in the king''s bedroom as well, to pose as you. Just in case." Arthur really thought of everything. While Neesha''s absence might not provoke any doubts, Abby''s disappearance would be able to, so Arthur wanted to take care of that part as well. "I only thought you wanted to help this kingdom." Abby had this amused smirk on her lips now. "You even tried to save this kingdom from me. Twice." Arthur was flustered when Abby made light of his actions using such a sarcastic tone. "I''ve already apologized for my actions. You are not to bring any of it up again." Abby was dumbfounded now, he apologized? Even if he thought he did, did he hear her epting it? But she chose to take pity on the man instead. He was trying to do the right thing now, she could forgive him. "So what kind of loud and obvious sign would you make if Calpin appeared?" Abby dragged him back into their discussion, because Arthur had to leave for the ceremony soon. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 173 After making sure Arthur wouldn''t act brave for no reason and would definitely let Abby help if need be arised, Abby finally agreed to stay behind. "Deion, right?" Arthur turned to Abby''s personal guard who had been silent and standing to the side until now. "Don''t let Arlo out of your sight, no matter what." Even without Arthur''s insistence, Deion had nned to do the same, but he kept his thoughts to himself as always and agreed to follow the former king''s order. After that, Arthur finally turned to his mate, as he kissed her forehead and then hugged her close to his heart, as if making sure he said goodbyes to the important people in his life, before he finally reached for baby Arlo. Only after kissing the baby''s cheeks did he finally start for the door, albeit reluctant to part with his grandson and mate. "Take care, all of you!" Abby just nodded at him, silently promising to protect Neesha as well, and then saw him rush away. Soon the pce grounds reverberated with hails and trills of the people and warriors, signaling themencement of the royal procession. Abby felt like time moved too slowly, especially when her emotions kept assaulting her thoughts, as she thought of all kinds of what if''s until she felt like her head would explode. Waiting for something to happen while hoping for the opposite at the same time was really exhausting. "Deion, ask someone what''s happening." Abby said, unable to endure this tension anymore. "Sir Arthur just left the pce in the open carriage," her personal guard said, reporting every little development to Abby, who couldn''t sit still from all the anxiety and nerves. "Everything seems calm for now." Arthur would be back to the pce soon, because they would only parade along the few streets surrounding the pce, as part of their n. And Deion kept reporting how people were torn between celebrating and gossiping, when they couldn''t understand why it was Arthur in the carriage instead of Abby. Everything they nned up until now had gone smoothly, but the longer nothing happened, the more dreadful Abby felt. She had this weird feeling nagging at the back of her mind, that something very big was going to happen. She didn''t know if it would be a good thing or bad thing to them and their people, but something really big was going to happen. Abby paced along the bed, where sheid Arlo after he fell asleep, while Neesha sat on the other yet far side of the bed, staying away from the mother and son duo, as she didn''t want to agitate an already highly strung Abby. This made Abby feel grateful. However, this little bit of peace didn''tst long when the tolling of bells reached her ears about half an hour into the royal parade. It was happening, the attack was happening. Abby didn''t know if she should be happy her n seeded or sad, thinking what would this mean to the people. She dashed to the door, feeling she had to be out there saving lives instead of hiding in here to save herself. When Arthur told her it would be wise for her to stay behind, she felt nothing wrong with the arrangement, but now she felt awful for prioritizing her own safety. She was their queen, in Micah''s absence, she should be the one to protect them. However, Deion pulled her back right before she opened the door. "My Queen, it''s not time yet." The personal guard only loosened his grip on the woman''s hand when she turned to look at him. "My people need me, Deion." Abby was clearly agitated. "Please be calm, if you rush there now, all the ns you made until this point will go in vain." Deion was not a stranger to any of her ns up until this point, since he had been following her like a shadow from the moment this charade started. So he knew how much effort she had put into this trap. "Moreover, there aren''t any signs Calpin came yet. Sir Arthur is not alone. Royal Beta n and Royal Gamma Dax are with him. They will take care of it." Deion then promised her that he wouldn''t stop her if Calpin dide, only then did Abby stop. But then there was this hugemotion at the pce gates, before Deion stiffened in his ce. "What happened, Deion?" Abby dreaded his answer. But before Deion could say anything, a guard rushed to the former queen''s bedroom before knocking on the door hurriedly. Abby quickly opened the door. "My Queen, it''s the King!" the guard said so quickly his words sounded jumbled. "What did you say? Micah has returned?" Abby was quite shocked when she finally made sense of his words as he repeated them a tad slower a secondter after his initial rambling. However, it was Deion who answered Abby. "My Queen, the King didn''t return alone." Abby was even more confused now. "King Micah led the enemies here." Deion couldn''t believe what he just heard through the mindlink, but this guard rushing here only solidified the absurd truth he learnt.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Micah did what?" Abby couldn''t process what he said even after a long time, but the guard and Deion took turns to exin what was happening now. "Sir Arthur kept the procession short and just as they returned to the pce, fire erupted at the pce gates out of nowhere. However, the warriors rushing there hearing the explosion were left dumbfounded to see King Micah emerge from the billowing smoke." The guard began. "But he was not alone, there were several magic users behind him. The situation was too bizarre, they couldn''t decide whether to fight the magic users or check on the king, who looked too different from his own self." Then it was Deion, who continued as he reported the newest developments to Abby. "Royal Beta n rushed to the gates and was now confronting the king His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 174 n couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Standing on the opposite side of the rapidly melting pce gates was Micah, clearly alive but was distinctly different from the person he knew. But it wasn''t possible, right? He could feel the familiarity from him, however, there were also a lot of things that told him Micah was nothing like himself from before he went missing. Starting from his gaze, the way he carried himself, the aura. Everything felt different. Even his scent was greatly altered. But to make things worse, several dozens of magic users were behind him, and from Mire''s deduction, he realized they practiced dark magic. This didn''t look good at all and he felt conflicted to even think what could have possibly made Micah do what he was doing right now. "King Micah?!" It was Mire, who stepped forward from behind the royal beta as she tried to take a closer look at the man, who radiated dark energy so potent, it left the royal warriors edgy all over. But the only response the witch got was a vicious growl, however, that wasn''t the most bizarre thing, because, the moment Micah snarled violently, the mes still licking the pce gates danced balefully, as if they were influenced by the emotions running through Micah''s frame.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Without a second thought, n swiftly pulled Mire back, as the woman gasped at the turn of events. "n, the king is most likely under a spell." "What?" n had an inclination, but he still found himself shocked when Mire confirmed his guess. Mire didn''t have a problem repeating herself. "He didn''t even seem to realize what had happened to him, nor did he know what he was doing." From the dark energy reeking from his aura, Mire could tell how powerful the spell that had been cast upon Micah''s consciousness. He lookedpletelyposed, but the differences people like n could notice about him were so profound, she dreaded just how far gone Micah was in his own head. n felt his heartbeat stutter at her exnation, but he finally understood why Micah seemed awfully different. What should he do now? [n, ensorcelled or not, prevent him from entering the pce.] When the royal beta was still mulling over how to deal with this situation, Arthur made the decision for him. They couldn''t take any chances where countless lives were at stake. "Mire, help Dax and the others restrain Micah, but refrain from hurting him too much." n fired the orders away. "Capture him alive at any cost." Now that he was alive, n knew he had to save his king and bestfriend, bewitched or not. They just had to be careful enough. n quickly made up his mind as he decided to take care of the dark mages first, with the help of the royal warriors and of course, Arthur. "Warriors, charge forward and kill them all." n didn''t waste a second as he followed through his promise and lunged at the magic users. Even though they could use magic power, he was fast enough, the same was true for his soldiers. So if they made use of their speed, they would be able to suppress them in no time. However, the only problem was; their numbers shouldn''t dwindle before they had a chance to make good of their promise to kill them. After all, half of their soldiers were now busy fighting the rogues while the other half were escorting their people to the safe ce they had prepared.Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit J o bni b to read theplete chapters for free. So the quicker they attacked them, the better chance it would leave them to gain an upper hand in this battle. On the other hand, Abby paled with each word that Deion said to her, passing on the messages he received through the mindlink. "This is absurd. They won''t be able to stop him." Abby found herself shaking when she learned n ordered the warriors to capture Micah. "He is too strong, moreover, he is their king." They would have a hard time fighting against the supreme alpha dominance of Micah, let alone capturing him, they wouldn''t even be able to stand for more than ten seconds if their king let his beast take over and suppress them. "Calpin. That damn bastard. What did he do to Micah, until he charged at his own people?" Abby felt her head spin the more she heard what was happening there. Abby didn''t underestimate Calpin at all, but she didn''t expect even her wildest imaginations would fall short before his ruthless and malevolent ideas. This was beyond absurd! Suddenly, Abby jumped to her feet. "This won''t do. I''m going there." This time, no matter what Deion said, or how Arthur made her promise to stay behind, Abby couldn''t sit still. Her personal guard also knew this, but he couldn''t say he agreed with her decision to rush out into literal chaos. Before she even took a step toward the door, his queen turned to him with a somber expression on her pale face. "Deion, don''t let Arlo get hurt." "Yes, my queen!" Deion bowed to her. Abby turned to Arlo as she picked him up and kissed him on the forehead. "Mother loves you, more than anything else in this world." After that, she handed over Arlo to Deion. "Protect Arlo and Neesha." Once outside the door to Neesha''s room, she ordered the guards to be alert, before letting a few follow her to the pce gates. The word chaos couldn''t begin to cover what was happening near the entrance of the pce, but the way her whole frame trembled just at the sight of Micah, now facing off with n, overshadowed every other thought in her mind. "He is alive." Abby was overwhelmed, as a myriad of emotions racked through her body, but happiness dominated them all. She was d she was right. However, the next moment she saw n turn into his beast as he pounced on Micah, who also shifted into his beast to meet with n mid air. Vicious roars filled the air as the two beasts tangled in a ferocious battle. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 175 Abby couldn''t believe her eyes, her Micah was still alive. She had been right all along. Her breath stuttered at the sight of him.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Tears pricked her eyes, as she started toward him. Twin mes wreathed around her arms as she flung fireball after fireball at the rogues and dark magic users that were in her way and fighting the royal warriors to the death. The girl had only her mate in her eyes and she was going to get to him. But she was quickly stopped by Mire, who grabbed her arms. Seeing which, Abby immediately put out her fire. "Mire!" Abby gasped as she tried to shake off the witch out of instinct, so she could run to her man. She missed him so much. There were so many things she needed to tell him. She needed to tell him about their adorable son, Arlo. Only she knew how long she had been waiting for this moment. "Abby, get yourself together. Micah is not himself now." The witch''s words felt like a bucket of freezing cold water tipped over her head and Abby felt her heart tighten. Seeing Micah after so many months for the first time, she momentarily forgot that Micah was ensorcelled now. "Calpin, that damn bastard. Micah must be hurting." Abby was sure because she knew her mate wouldn''t have given up control willingly. "Okay, Abby, deep breaths first!" Mire pulled her to the side, she couldn''t believe how reckless Abby had been. She could have seriously hurt herself before she even made it to Micah. She was supposed to help Dax restrain the king, but then she saw Abby losing control. She had to make a quick decision and she chose to stop Abby from harming herself. On the other hand, Abby struggled to calm herself for a bit, but then with the help of the witch, she managed to regain herposure. But then she saw how a few warriors had now surrounded them, forming a barrier while the witch also tried to help hold off the rogues that tried to attack them. Abby immediately rejoined the fight, but Mire didn''t let her overexert herself. "What is the exact situation, Mire?" Abby asked, hardening her heart for the witch''s exnation, as she hurled a fireball at a stray rogue who tried to snap his canines at an unaware warrior, as he was fighting another rogue. The witch understood what she meant. "It seems to be some ancient spell, I tried to probe a little, but my magic was rebounded quite badly. I can''t get to the King." Mire tried to let her magic flow into Micah''s being, but it was as if there was an invisible barrier around the man, no matter how powerful a spell she used, the result was the same. She couldn''t reach him at all. "This is no ordinary sorcery. It is safe to say he is hypnotized, but by dark magic." The more Mire talked, the more Abby''s heart constricted. Just what did that dark sorcerer do to Micah? Why even Mire couldn''t reach him? On the other hand, the fight around them continued as those dark magic users kept burning everything in their wake, while the rogues continued to fight like rabid animals, giving the elite warriors and the royal warriors quite a headache. They struggled to follow Abby''s order; protect others while being safe themselves, but it was impossibly hard. "Dax couldn''t hold him back!" Abby almost shouted when the royal gamma got excited a little and tried to take down Micah by himself. However, just as Micah was about to pummel his gamma to the ground, n pushed Dax away to rece him, as he faced his king. n tried to meet Micah, blow to blow, and even though he was way stronger than the royal gamma, he was still by no means a match for Micah. The royal beta was easily dominated in the battle of fists, but he wasn''t one to give up so easily. When Micah threw him to the ground next, hended in his beast form, before turning around and pouncing back on his king. "Abby, this doesn''t look good." Mire''s words echoed Abby''s thoughts, because the next second they could see Micah meeting n''s beast midair in his own beast form. After exchanging a nce with Abby, the witch immediately dashed forward to assist the royal beta. Both by strength and technique, Micah was far superior to n, but Mire joining the fight could be considered to work in favor of n. However, just like when she tried to reach for Micah earlier, Mire had to struggle trying to sneak her moves on Micah''s beast, who didn''t even sweat while facing both of them. Moreover, no matter what spells she used, Micah''s beast either dodged it or deflected it, Mire couldn''t do much but distract the king from killing n immediately. "He seems much stronger." Abby noted as she watched n and Mire struggle to fight Micah with a pained expression on her face. She was conflicted now because she could see neither n nor Mire could hold Micah back for long. They might even get themselves seriously injured at this point. Just then she saw Mire''s fireball literally bounce back from Micah, and almost hit the witch. She managed to avoid the disaster at thest second. However, how did Micah manage to turn Mire''s power against herself? Something was not adding up. Abby knew she had to join the fight too, only she didn''t want to hurt him. She just learned he was still alive. And her fire was no joke, it would do some serious damage to him if she lost control, because if Micah got burned heavily, even his royal bloodline couldn''t do much to help him heal from it quickly. This is simply nuts! Abby wanted to curse, but then she saw n being pinned by Micah, who looked like he was seconds away from biting n''s head off, while Mire had no way to attack the king without hurting n. The queen had no choice now, so she gritted her teeth and rushed toward the two beasts. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 176 Abby saw how Micah snapped his teeth dangerously close to n''s neck and quickly made a decision, she flung a fireball at n''s neck, surprising both Micah and n. However, it got the work done, as Micah pushed n''s beast away reflexively, while the beta got his fur burned a little, but that was it. n wasn''t injured, because Abby made sure to restrain her power as much as possible and only threw a fireball that wasn''t really harmful at them. However, this made the huge ck beast turn its attention onto Abby, who was now just a few feet from it while Mire was right beside her. "Micah,e to your senses." Abby didn''t know why she tried to talk to Micah at this juncture, but she knew she had to do something to reach him. She only knew her Micah was still in there somewhere, fighting whatever stupid spell Calpin cast on him. The response from Micah wasn''t surprising though, as the beast just snarled savagely as it prowled toward Abby, its blood red eyes fixed on the petite woman, as if she were its prey. Abby couldn''t help but feel her heart bleed seeing Micah''s ire being directed at her, she only ever got to witness overflowing love in his gaze toward, and this sight left her reeling with sorrow. It was clear Micah couldn''t recognize any of them, but the fact he couldn''t recognize her either broke her heart a little, even though she had known better to hope for the impossible at this point. On the other hand, n quickly healed his surface wound and rushed to Abby and Mire''s side, the only problem was; why did it seem like Micah''s beast was solely fixated on Abby? It was as if he couldn''t see anything else besides her, and not in the loving way they had all grown ustomed to watching him behave around her. This waspletely different. Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit Jo bni b to read theplete chapters for free. He was looking at Abby like he couldn''t wait to kill her. His eyes were filled with this fierce madness as he stalked forward, while Abby stood frozen in her ce, as if she couldn''t decide what to do now. [Abby!] "Abby!" Both n and Mire felt their hearts drop when Micah threw his paw at her, his ws extended. It happened so fast. n was still a couple feet away from them, while Mire couldn''t do anything to stop the inevitable. Her magic just wouldn''t work against Micah no matter what she did, it was unnerving. They knew Abby wouldn''t survive such a brutal blow from Micah, though. Their hearts thudded painfully against their chests, however, the inevitable didn''t happen, because Abby finally came to her senses and dodged his attack just in time. As she burned his hind calf while sliding away from his path of trajectory when he lost control for a moment, he sustained the first real wound since he started fighting today.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Abby''s fire wasn''t something to be trifled with, and it was the only magic that could counter Calpin''s dark magic. So when it was her standing against him, the battle almost looked equally matched. However, Micah still had the upper hand, only Abby didn''t sumb to his suppression at all. With n, Micah could count on his superior alpha dominance and added strength of the royal bloodline, but with Abby, only his strength made the difference, against which Abby had her own fire magic to counter with. And so, this battle progressed with equally exchanged blows while both of them fought neck to neck, all the while managing to dodge the moves from the opposite person. Only it was clear that Abby was holding back, because her fireballs didn''t actually aze as viciously as when she tried to burn those rogues or dark magic users. She mostly focused on keeping Micah busy while trying to probe into that ancient spell. Her intention was simple; if she could understand how that spell kept Micah''s consciousness locked, she might find a solution to dispel the enchantment and free him with Mire''s help. Then everything would be over, at least for now. Because then they had to find Calpin and fight him too. But with Micah by her side, she didn''t doubt their sess. She was distracted by all these thoughts and also her desire to not hurt Micah when the ck beast found an in and got impossibly close to her. By the time Abby realized their positions, it was toote, because she felt this piercing pain in her neck. Micah was biting her, in his beast form, he actually plunged his canines deep into the side of her neck, and Abby felt her soul seeping out of her body along with the blood. "ABBY!!!" Mire shrieked as she saw blood explode out of her wound, without thinking twice, she threw herself at Abby. Fortunately, n was quick enough to pounce on Micah, before Abby got a second of reprieve from his bite and she sted him away from her, sending both Micah and n flying in the air. "Oh my god!" Mire gasped to see the gaping hole in Abby''s neck, her limbs forgot how to work for a second. Blood sputtered from the wound as Abby gasped and panted in agony. Mire''s subconscious took over as she quickly cast a healing spell on Abby, which stopped the bleeding first, before the wound closed slowly but surely. Mire then used her own fire to aid her healing process. She did everything out of instinct, and how grateful she was when it worked. "Mire!" Abby gasped when she was finally able to think about something else other than wanting to kill herself being unable to endure such agony. "What should we do? Calpin... Calpin is inside Micah." "What?" Mire was bbergasted. "He is not under any spell. That bastard Calpin actually found a way to possess his consciousness. I felt him when Micah bit me earlier." "Oh my god!" Mire felt her legs give away. "This is worse, Abby." "How can we take him out of him?" "We can''t. It will kill Micah." His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 177 Calpin was inside Micah, that was why he was exceptionally strong. He even healed faster than usual. It didn''t even take a full second for his wounds to disappear, no matter how big they were. Even the wound from the fire Abby sted at him after he bit her didn''t manage to harm him for more than half a minute. However, n managed to drop a few blows on him while Micah''s beast recovered from Abby''s fire. The royal gamma lent n a helping hand as they rained blows on their king non stop. It would have been to their advantage if his wounds didn''t heal in the blink of an eye, though, so the oue was still the same. Evenbined, both n and Dax weren''t a match for Micah. They couldn''t subdue him. [He will regain his full strength in a few seconds.] n told Dax, feeling dreadful when he realized the wound from Abby''s fire quickly healed. It slowed him down considerably, though, which allowed them a few seconds of reprieve. [But we can''t stop now.] Dax replied grimly. Because while fighting they had moved into the inner part of the pce. This fight took up quite arge space that people were brawling in almost every corner of the first few towers in the pce. If they let Micah and the dark magic users oppress them, they would lose control of the pce. Limbs flew across the air, blood flooded the ground beneath their fight. Rogues fell faster but the royal warriors weren''t doing too good either. More and more people lost their lives, while those vile dark magic users managed to escape death mostly, even though a few of them met their demise when the elite warriors and the royal warriors caught them off guard. Still, Abby and the rest were greatly outnumbered, which resulted in their enemies advancing further into the pce with each soldier of theirs that left theirst breath. With their numbers dwindling consistently, Micah would gain the upper hand in no time. They couldn''t let him ruin their kingdom.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. However, before Dax and n could sacrifice themselves and fight Micah to death, Micah''s attention was snagged by a woman carrying a baby. [Damn it, Arlo is exposed to the fight.] Both n and Dax felt their hearts stop beating when they realized Micah was quickly making his way to the baby. Because of the chaos caused by the rogues, some of the dark magic users managed to sneak into the inner parts of the pce and with the ongoing battle, they had enough time to sniff out the baby. They barged into the old tower after finishing off the guards stationed there, both in open and secret, forcing Deion toe out of the tower with the baby. Staying behind was not a choice anymore when you were facing the fire wielding dark magic users. Left with no other choice, Deion let Neesha carry the baby. "Madam Neesha, you need to pull yourself together and keep Arlo safe at any cost." He would have locked the baby up if it was possible, but Arlo was still just days old, so it wasn''t wise to leave him to his own devices. That was how Micah found the baby and was now rushing toward him, the murderous intention flooding his surroundings since he appeared before the pce gates still in ce. If anything, it only intensified with each step that he took toward baby Arlo. On the other hand, Abby quickly exined how she realized what was wrong with Micah to Mire. Just before he bit into her neck, Abby felt another person''s aura inside him, it was none other than Calpin, and when he bit her finally, she could feel the same in her bones. Calpin had possessed Micah consciousness, he was inside her mate now. That exined how he was able to dodge the spells Mire used on him and also the sudden burst in his own strength. What was even more shocking was the revtion that hit her when Calpin let her harm Micah. He actually didn''t dodge her st when he could perfectly deflect it and kill her instead. "He wants me to kill Micah." Abby was horrified by this revtion. Everything made sense now. "Mire, please find a way to take him out of Micah." "There is no way other than killing him, Abby!" Mire felt like she was swallowing iron nails while confessing this harsh reality to Abby, but it was the truth. "There is really no other way." "No, Mire. There must be a way. Just think hard," Abby pleaded with Mire. How could she possibly let Micah die? She couldn''t do it. There should be a way. The Moon Goddess wouldn''t be so cruel as to take him away from her just after she saw him again after months of agonizing waiting. However, amotion deep from the pce cut short her pleas, as a flustered guard''s words reached her ears. "The King was going for his own baby!" "What did you say?" Abby bellowed at the top of her lungs as she turned to follow the guard''s line of sight. And the sight before her eyes knocked the wind out of her lungs. Before her eyes, Micah was running for her baby with killing intent rolling off his baby. He wasn''t even bothered by the way n, Dax and Deion pounced on him repeatedly as they wed and snapped their teeth at him, as he only advanced to where Neesha was surrounded by a few warriors that acted as a shield and prevented anyone from getting closer to baby Arlo. Neesha looked like she was on the verge of spiraling, while death approached her Arlo, wearing the face of his own father. "No, Micah!" Abby shouted, however, no matter how hard she screamed, there was no response from Micah. He wouldn''t stop no matter what. Seeing this, Abby was left with only one choice. She had to stop Micah even if she had to kill him today. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 178 Abby had so many reservations while fighting Micah until that moment. She couldn''t stomach the idea of hurting him, however, once her baby was dragged into the mess, Abby couldn''t think about anything else but saving Arlo. "Mire, in a moment, drag n and the others away from Micah." Abby ordered the witch. "What do you mean?" Mire was confused with her order, however, her eyes widened when she saw what Abby was about to do. "Abby, you lost so much energy just now..." "There''s no other way to stop this madness." Abby didn''t listen to her, as she continued to conjure fire with both her arms as she let it flow around Micah''s beast alone. This move required so much energy from her, but she couldn''t care less about her own safety when her baby''s life was on the line. "Fall back, fall back!" Mire shouted at the top of her lungs as she ran to n and Dax when they didn''t realize what Abby was doing. To them, it just looked like intense fire was shot at Micah, which stopped the king in his tracks. Only after Mire stopped them did they realize how fiercely Abby''s fire raged as it surrounded the king and Abby alone, effectively separating them from the rest of them. It was simr to the wall of fire Calpin trapped Micah and Abby with in the ck w pack all those months ago, only this burned so bright, the outsiders could see nothing but fire in the middle of the crowd, as if they had just lit a huge open furnace where the mes soared high into the sky. However, the rogues and dark magic users continued to go at the royal warriors just a momentter, forcing Mire and the others'' attention away from the fire. On the other hand, Abby was d her fire was finally able to trap Calpin inside Micah before her. However, she didn''t jump to fight him off immediately. Instead, she tried to talk to him. "Micah, I know you are there. Fight him off, Micah." Abby didn''t know if she would be able to reach, but she wanted to try onest time anyway. Immediately, she saw him shift back into his human form, however, it was Calpin who talked to her. "You know he can''t." Calpin said viciously. "You can try all you want, but you won''t be able to get to him." With that he threw his own fire balls at her, however, they weren''t as potent as before, when he had his own body. It showed how Micah''s body rejected him. And it gave Abby hope, so she continued talking to Micah. "I know you are giving Calpin a hard time, just think of me, about all the times we were happy, Micah. You can do it." Abby encouraged him as she dodged the dark magic user''s fireballs. The more Abby talked, the harder Calpin tried to fight her, however, Abby didn''t focus on counter attacking, knowing she had him trapped with the fire until she could continue fueling it with her power. She just had to give enough incentive to Micah toe back to her, before she could fight Calpin directly to create any chance to end him for good. "Micah, do you remember how excited we were about our first child? You missed his birth, but I didn''t feel any fear and now we have an adorable son. I named him Arlo. Some sentences are iplete if you are not reading this novel on Jo bn ib. Visit Jo bni b.c o m to read theplete chapters for free. He is so cute, you will fall in love with him the moment you see him." Abby rambled on some more, bringing up memory after memory, happy, sad or tragic alike, she recounted several things she experienced with him as well the things she faced alone for the past seven months in his absence. "I took good care of our people, Micah. We all need you. I never once believed you left us. So don''t give up." Abby said so much, but there was no sign she had reached Micah, as the king kept fighting both her and the wall of fire that surrounded them. Calpin evenughed as if he enjoyed her being so miserable, trying to talk to Micah. "I''ll have to disappoint you. He has no other choice but to give up." His manicughter was the final straw, and Abby found herself tearing up. This was it, wasn''t it? She thought sadly. "I didn''t think there woulde a day where either of us will willingly hurt the other, but here we are." Abby mumbled sadly, as she realized only killing Micah could make Calpine out of her mate''s body. But she knew she would die before hurting him, and if their roles were reversed, Micah would find himself struggling to end her. However, it wasn''t just her life that would be on the line if Abby didn''t do the right thing now. This whole kingdom would be under his control, and the people would suffer or even die, but her baby would die immediately. He wouldn''t let him live, when he didn''t want anyone that had any right to the crown alive. So for her son''s sake and also all of their people''s sake, Abby had to make this hard decision. And in the next second, Abby hurled a huge fireball at Micah, who had alsounched an equally noxious spell at her, as fire erupted in the small space between them. However, before the fire extinguished on its own, Abby rushed toward Micah and hugged him hard. The man was startled for a moment, but then sharp ws plunged into Abby''s shoulder, as he smirked at her stupid act which was no different from suicide. But Abby didn''t loosen her grip around his waist, instead she tightened it before tiptoeing to bite the right side of Micah''s neck hard. She marked him.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Abby couldn''t think of anything else from tapping into their mate bond as a final resort. If it worked, she would get her mate back, if it didn''t, she would die with her mate. And as she bit him, her mark set in their bond. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 179 Micah felt like he was drowning, the harder he tried to kick back to the surface, the deeper these waters sucked him, until he couldn''t see any light around him. It was full of darkness, but the feeling of being underwater stumped any other sense he had. Then all of a sudden, the waters disappeared, the darkness was engulfed by this bright light and he felt like he was floating in the air, but then he was free falling. He couldn''t see any ground beneath him, but he could feel it approaching him at lightning speed, and right before he could feel the impact, he was snapped back to reality. Pain. It was his first thought, as feeling returned to his limbs. The firmer he grasped his bearings, the harsher the pain slicing through his frame felt. But the odd thing was, he could feel two types of pain, one was his own and the other belonged to someone else, only he felt it deep in his heart as if he was going through it as well. They were equally bone crushing, and his mind couldn''t catch up with his body at all. He couldn''t understand what was going on with him, however, a few rapid beatster, his sight came back and he saw Abby. His mate. "Abby?!" He tried to call her name, but no sound came out. He wanted to ask her what was happening and why they were surrounded by fire. She was frowning so hard as if she was in pain. Since she was right before him, out of instinct, he tried to reach for her. And how gobsmacked he was when he finally realized what was causing her such heartrending pain. He quickly retracted his ws, and immediately pulled her into his arms as the woman he loved crumbled to the ground. "Abby!" Micah''s voice finally broke past his throat and he saw the girl actually smile at him, the person who had hurt her. "You are back!" Abby breathed through the pain. Her whole body was aching, as if she had been run over by a dozen horse carriages. Everything ached, her arms, her legs, even her head. First, Micah bit her and then he stabbed her. She lost so much blood from her shoulder wound after barely recovering from the bite wound from Micah, and to make things worse, Micah actually stabbed the same shoulder that that warrior stabbed right after she gave birth to Arlo. She had also been using so much of her energy to keep this wall of fire burning. However, seeing Micah finallye back to his senses, the smile on her lips only deepened with each second that passed. "You are back." She smiled, her eyes full of love and longing. "Everything''s going to be okay. I can''t believe my mark actually worked!" "You have marked me?" Micah reached for his neck as he supported her body with a single arm and felt the bite mark there. Now he understood why he could feel two different pains. The other belonged to her. Because of the mutual marking, they could feel each other''s emotions vividly. He did a quick scouring around him and only chaos greeted him. "What actually happened?" Micah didn''t know how he ended up back in the pce, fighting his own people until he hurt Abby this badly, however, before Abby could exin how Calpin possessed him using some ancient dark magic, Micah almost buckled over, as gut wrenching pain racked his frame and ck smoke emanated from his body. "That''s Calpin." Abby shouted as she urged Micah to back away from the smoke. "Micah, step back from him. He ensorcelled you." As Micah pulled Abby away, they both watched the smoke take the shape of a human form as it vibrated unstably in ce for a moment.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Abby realized Calpin couldn''t stay stable without a body, a suitable vessel, to contain his power and sure enough, the smoke moved toward Micah, as if it wanted to enter him again. "Micah, careful. Don''t let the smoke enter you again." Abby herself hurled fireballs at the tiny cloud of ck smoke as it vibrated violently. She also made sure to burn her fire more fiercely. The brighter her fire burned, the hotter the very air they breathed became. And the more Abby''s body ached. However, she couldn''t stop it. If she did, Calpin would escape. The reason she created this wall of fire was to hold down Calpin inside Micah. Her fire, the magic that ran in her blood was the only one thing that could stop this dark magic user and she made use of that fact. Calpin was someone that shouldn''t be left to wander freely in this realm, that was why the great witch took it upon herself to capture him and then guarded his prison, that cave, closely. After her, her descendants took that role. But he managed to escape and caused so much destruction. In that case, she might as well seal him again and what was more effective than her fire magic power? Yes, this wall of fire was a barrier, one powerful enough to contain Calpin, that was why he could not break free until now. And Abby would keep it that way until he met his end, even if she had to lose her life today. On the other hand, Micah heeded her word and stayed away from the smoke, however, realizing he couldn''t get Micah''s body back, Calpin changed his target and entered a dead warrior''s beast. This time, Micah rushed forward and fought with the dead beast controlled by the smoke that was Calpin''s consciousness. The fight was quite brutal as Micah shifted into his beast as he battled it out with the beast under Calpin''s control. Calpin threw blows and spells in quick session to fight off both of them, but Abby had Micah''s back as she assisted him using her own fireballs to deflect Calpin''s spells. His Sweet Little Mate Chapter 180 The battle between Calpin and Micah was too fierce but Abby held on, because her mate needed her. However, she couldn''t burn that bastard to death as she wished once he got out of Micah''s body. After he entered the warrior''s corpse, even if Abby tried to burn him crisp until it turned into dust, the ck smoke would simply change the host and continue to fight them both. At this point, she exhausted almost all of her energy and was relying on thest bits and pieces, driven by adrenaline and sheer willpower, she focused on keeping her fire burning instead. On the other hand, Micah killed Calpin a couple of times, but realized he couldn''t be killed like this. If the dark smoke found a way to escape the corpse, it just found another dead body to attack him. Just then he thought of something and cut Calpin''s body into five pieces, as he tore all his limbs which left him immobilized. With just its head attached to the corpse''s upper body, Calpin had no way to continue to brawl with him physically. On the other hand, having been possessing far too many corpses in one go, the dark sorcerer''s power dwindled quite effectively. He couldn''t cast lethal spells to take the king down. Micah didn''t expect his idea to work, but he knew it was only temporary. Once pin found a way to kill the corpse a second time or healed himself by reattaching his severed limbs, he would be able to fight back. Again. However, before he could do anything, Micah saw the fire around them disappear suddenly. Out of instinct, he turned toward his mate, and the sight that greeted him left his heart skittering. "Abby! Wake up!!" Micah felt his whole being rattle with despair, as his mate lost consciousness, and finally fainted from overexhaustion. Micah held her body, feeling torn between rushing her to immediate care and dealing with Calpin. "Abby!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, but there was no response from the girl. When the witch and the others rushed to their side, Micah had to harden his heart and leave Abby in their care as he had to deal with Calpin first. However, he had no magic powers to finish what Abby had started, and now that her fire had disappeared, if he let Calpin escape, he would return with twice or even thrice his power. He had to cut off his chances of evering back from his current helpless state, where he couldn''t even move his body or use his spells. "Mire,e with me." The witch couldn''t believe what Micah was suggesting. "Do you think it will work out?" "We have to try whatever we can." Micah was determined. They had to seal Calpin one way or the other. "But my magic isn''t potent enough to achieve that." The witch was really skeptical. "Only Abby can do it." Micah knew it too, but his little one was in no position to do that for them. However, he had an idea. "You can use my blood." "Do you know what you are talking about? It''s very dangerous." Mire didn''t know how the king got this idea to use his royal blood to fuel her spell to seal Calpin. "You can lose your life." "I don''t care." Micah couldn''t feel Abby on the other end of their bond, it was driving him nuts. He had to end this soon, or else Abby wouldn''t make it. "We don''t have time. Just do as you''re told." Mire had to grit her teeth, because this was a direct order from the king. Even if she wasn''t answerable to him, she had to save Abby, which was amon goal she shared with the king. "Okay!" Mire then saw Micah plunge his own ws into his left hand, and she immediately got down to work. However, between her power and his royal blood, they still fell short to the vicious dark energy of Calpin. Micah lost so much blood, while Mire almost exhausted her magic, still Calpin wouldn''t go into torpor. Mire clenched her teeth feeling helpless when her body started giving up on her, while Micah was in no better condition. Just when she thought they both were going to lose their lives, Micah did something. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Micah shifted into his beast as he unleashed his superior alpha dominance, it left all of them breathless. Even Mire felt this difort. But then their attempt seeded as Calpin was finally put into torpor, but Micah lost consciousness as well. "Micah!" "My King!" Everyone rushed to Micah''s side as the fight finally ended since Calpin had been brought down. Micah remained unconscious for a whole day and night before he finally regained consciousness, but Abby was yet to wake up. Even though he still needed to rest, Micah insisted on staying by Abby''s side. Only after another whole day passed, his mate finally came to her senses.Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. "Micah!" Abby rasped as she came to herself and found Micah wrapped around her. The king showered her face with kisses. "Thank heavens!" "What happened?" Abby''s first question wasn''t about her own well being or her son. "Did he escape?" However, Micah didn''t tell her anything before she endured a round of examinations by Nadia before being fed until she couldn''t eat anymore and drowned in a ton of medicines she had to take to replenish her energy. And when he finally told her everything, Abby was a crying mess. "How could you put yourself in danger like that?!" She felt like beating him but couldn''t bear to do so when he was just smiling at her with overflowing love brimming his eyes. "I will go to any lengths where you and our baby are concerned, little one. You and Arloe first, always. No questions asked" Abby bit her lip as she threw herself into his arms. "The same holds true for me. No one is more important than you two." THE END The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!