《The King's Wife Is The Alpha's Mate》
Chapter 1 How Sophie Meets Nicholas
--- Hastings, the year 1850 ---
.
"After her!"
"Run like the coward you are! You''re only dying the inevitable!"
"You piece of trash!"
Sophie ran faster than the bullies and saw the school wall''s right up ahead.
There was no way for her to turn around now and change directions. Shit!
She started speeding up and with one graceful leap, Sophie jumped and climbed the school''s walls¡ She turned to look at her bullies running toward her with rage evident in their eyes. They waved their hands and shouted at her toe down.
Of course, she would be dumb to do so. Those people would just beat her up like before and forced her to tell the headmaster that she clumsily fell again. No, thank you.
She better run now and think about what to do tomorrow.
First thing''s first. Sophie took a deep breath and jumped down from the wall to the other side.
"Whoaa!!"
She fell straight into the arms of a young man walking by and minding his own business. The man saw her at thest second and instinctively reached out his strong arms and caught her.
His brilliant amber eyes bulged as he suddenly caught Sophie''s entire weight. He buckled for a moment and then looked up at her face. "Hey¡"
"Oh, my bad." Sophie leaped away from his arms and dusted her uniform. She gave him a look after a moment and recognized that he wasn''t from their academy. "Sorry about that. Are you hurt?"
The man shook his head absent-mindedly. Of course, he wasn''t hurt. He didn''t catch a woman every day like this, but he did enough workouts routinely to maintain his strong physique.
"Get back here you stupid wench!" A voice from the other side of the wall shouted as sounds of agreement of them going out and chasing after her started.
The young man frowned at the conversation happening inside of the academy. He didn''t know what this girl did, but he thought she did not deserve such treatment. The words they chose and the tones they used to threaten this girl made him wince his brows.
Wasn''t this the prestigious Cawden academy where only children of the wealthiest families and the upper sses of the kingdom studied? How could they have such foul mouths?
"Why are they doing this to¡ª" He looked at Sophie curiously. Suddenly, he was astounded and then batted his eyes in awe. Yes, that was often the reaction Sophie received from people who just met her.
She was extremely beautiful and her ash-colored hair had some soft pinkish streaks which made her appearance really unique. Her big blue eyes looked intelligent and yful at the same time.
She was effortlessly charming, that even her shabby clothes and old shoes couldn''t hide her beauty. He had never seen anyone like her.
"Yes?" Sophie''s voice moved the man from his reverie.
Before the young man knew it, Sophie grabbed his hand and tugged him forward. A rock fell over to where he wasst standing. Sophie grimaced at their actions.
"These folks really just don''t know when to stop. Let''s get out of here," she scoffed.
"Um, okay?" He smiled at her.
Sophie was surprised at how easily the young man agreed, but then the two of them were leaving the premises of the academy and heading into the town center.
Sophie and the young man passed through numerous stalls, shops, and other strangers going about their daily lives.
Sophie did not have any idea where they were going, as long as they were far from her bullies, but then the young man pointed towards the gates.
"How about we go out? I know a good ce outside," he suggested.
Sophie really didn''t think she''d trust someone she just met, and it probably showed on her face. "I don''t know¡"
"Hey, are you doubting me? My name''s Nichs and you just saved my life." The young man grinned as his honey-colored eyes gleamed cheekily. Hebed his ck hair with his fingers making him look extremely cool and pointed at the road. "Let''s go somewhere where those fools won''t find us."
"Don''t you have any sses like me?" Sophie frowned a bit. He must have been from some other academy? But then again, there was only one academy in their town.
"Oh, I escaped my private tutors to go for a walk." Nichs sheepishly shrugged. "I wanted to know and see what those in the academy do since it''s havingrge groups of people around my age together¡ and then before I knew it, there you were in my arms."
Sophie grimaced lightly. "I see, sorry about that. I must have ruined the experience."
"Well, it''s a pleasant surprise." Nichs smiled. "What''s your name?"
"Sophie."
"That''s a pretty name, I have an old friend in the past who has the same name as you," Nichs said as the two of them went outside of town.
Normally, the guards at the gate would stop people from leaving, but they managed to leave without anyone stopping them.
The two of them soon arrived at a hill, the road ahead of them was long, there were numerous carts, carriages, and other people on horseback traveling through it.
This was the main road that led to the other various towns and viges in the kingdom.
The sight of it made Sophie miss her home. Her real home in Hauntingen, not her aunt''s home here in Hastings.
"How about we sit here and rx?" Nichs patted at a spot just underneath a lone tree''s shade.
Sophie raised a brow lightly at how Nichs seemed so familiar with going out of town and this exact same spot. But then she sat down, with only a small space in between them. Sophie sighed a little and rested her head against the tree trunk.
"Are you okay?" Nichs asked.
"Mmm¡ I''m not sure." Sophie admitted. "Getting chased by my stupid ssmates isn''t really that nice."
"Yeah. Why were they even chasing you in the first ce? That''s not how you treat ady." Nichs frowned.
"Ady?" Sophie smiled a little. "I''m far from that and I also kind of insulted them."
"Insulted them how?" Nichs raised a brow. "How do they do things in the academy, by the way?"
"Oh¡ you''re curious about how the academy functions because you''re only tutored?"
Nichs nodded. "Yeah."
Sophie realized that the young man must be rich to only have tutors. "Well¡ our academy is having an uing ball to teach young men and women how to function in society."
"A-ah, those balls. Dancing with men and women. Debutantes?"
"Yeah. So, there is this guy in Cow Dung¡ªahem... I mean, Cawden Academy, who asked me to be his date."
Nichs chuckled when Sophie slipped and called her school ''''cow dung'''' which did sound a lot like Cawden. He thought she was funny.
And beautiful.
And so interesting.
Nichs looked at her attentively and asked, "Who is this guy?"
"Well, he is someone you can call¡ the school prince," Sophie continued her story.
"A prince?" Nichs''s eyes narrowed and there was a yful glint in them. He initially thought it was funny. It seemed, outside of the royal pce, people just casually mmed the title ''prince'' to any sons of an influential family.
"Not a real prince, okay," Sophie quickly exined. "He is the oldest son of the mayor. The Lancasters. A powerful family. So, people around here have been treating him like the prince of this town."
"Oh¡"Nichs nodded. So, he was right. He heard people call some other guys in other towns the same way. Prince? Tch.
This actually didn''t bother him until today, when he heard Sophie say a so-called Prince of Hastings asked her to be his date to the ball.
He didn''t know why but this suddenly made him feel irritated. It felt like the prince title was now cheapen by those fools.
"It''s the same in school. Girls and boys in school revere him and did whatever to suck up to him," Sophie added.
Nichs smiled and pointed at Sophie yfully, "But you don''t suck up to him like everybody else? Did you t out reject him?"
Sophie looked away and let out a long sigh. "Even if I wanted to say yes, I mean¡ it''s free food, the ball, I mean, I cannot ept his offer to be his date. My cousins will make my life a living hell. Not that they haven''t already, but it will only get worse."
"Your cousins?" Nichs observed Sophie''s outfit and realized she was wearing a shabby dress and worn-out shoes.
How was she able to study at Cawden Academy if she was from a poor family? Did they have sponsorship or schrship?
"Uhm¡ yeah. I am staying with my aunt''s family. They took me in after my parents passed away and paid for my education. My cousins, Valerie and Lucia like that guy. They threatened to kick me out of their home if I epted him."
"Oh¡." Nichs felt sympathy for Sophie when he heard her background which she shared in an as-a-matter-of-factly tone.
So¡ she was an orphan and was pressured at home by her two cousins? Why was she so nonchnt about it? She didn''t look sad about her situation.
"Yeah... I have ns for my future. I will graduate next year and I can get a job. So, I can be independent. I just have to bear with it for a little longer," Sophie chuckled.
She furrowed her brows. "Where was I? Oh.. that''s right. The guy, Richard Lancaster asked me to be his date for the uing ball and I turned him down. And now, everyone in the school treats me as if I am the royal enemy."
"What did they do to you?" Nichs asked Sophie with concern. "Did they hit you?"
He just noticed some light bruises on her right arm and realized it must be caused by blunt force trauma. Did they beat her up? Gosh¡ this thought made him feel so furious.
"It''s fine," Sophie brushed it off. "I just have to always stay in the crowd next time. So, they couldn''t target me."
"Why don''t you report this to your teachers?" Nichs asked her. "They will surely punish the bullies."
Sophie shook her head. "There is nothing they can do without evidence or witnesses and nobody would testify against the son of the mayor."
"So¡ he is the one who bullies you?" Nichs felt anger slowly rise in his heart.
Sophie pursed her lips, thought about it for a moment, and then shook her head weakly. "No, actually many people wanted to bully me from the first year, but Richard warned everyone that they are not allowed to touch me. So¡ I was safe for two years. Now, after my rejection, he announced that I am no longer under his protection. So¡ yeah."
Nichs started to understand what was going on. Richard Lancaster, the mayor''s son might feel his ego bruised after being rejected by Sophie.
He thought after showing her that he could protect her for years, she would finally relent and ept his advances.
However, when that didn''t happen, he decided to punish her, by showing her that her life was in danger if she was not in his good graces. Prick!
"If he is a good man, he could just not announce anything and those people wouldn''t know that he was no longer protecting you," Nichsmented. "However, he chose to openly tell everyone that you are now fair game."
Sophie bit her lip and didn''t say anything. She realized that much on the first day those bullies started to pick on her. Richard only snorted from afar and pretended not to see them.
That made everyone understand that from that moment, they could do whatever they wanted to Sophie.
Chapter 2 Sophie Wants To Have Her Own Business
Why did so many people hate her in school and wanted to bully her?
Well, there were many reasons. One was her appearance. Sophie was the most beautiful girl they had ever seen and they thought it was not fair for a poor girl like her to have such beauty.
Two, she was poor. Many students thought she brought down the prestige of their school with her old clothes and worn-out shoes.
Three, her two cousins, Valerie and Lucia were the queen bees in the second and third years. They told everyone in school that they wished she was not their cousin and she was just an embarrassing good-for-nothing freeloader at their home.
She worked hard to ace the academy entrance examination. She studied by herself using her cousins'' old books since she was not allowed a private tutor since she was a child, like Valerie and Lucia.
Katherine, Valerie''s and Lucia''s private teacher who was always kind to her said Sophie could be independent and make money if she could find a job as a governess for rich people''s kids, just like Katherine.
In order to achieve that, she needed to get a formal education to show those wealthy parents that she had the qualification to teach their children.
Sophie thought Katherine was the coolest woman ever and decided she wanted to be like her. So, she learned how to read and write secretly. When she was fourteen, she started getting some help from Katherine to study more. Secretly, of course.
Katherine managed to find out that Sophie''s grandfather actually asked aunt Helga to send Sophie to continue her education at Cawden Academy, together with Valerie and Lucia.
Her aunt never provided private tutors for Sophie, like they gave their biological daughters because they actually didn''t want her to pass the entrance test.
Fortunately, Katherine was a woman with a heart of gold. She helped Sophie behind her aunt''s back. When Katherine registered Valerie to enter the academy to continue her education, she also registered Sophie for the test.
Both passed and Aunt Helga didn''t have any excuse not to send Sophie to Cow Dung.. ahem, I mean, Cawden Academy.
The rest was history.
"It''s okay," Sophie shrugged. "As I said, I only need to bear it for one more year¡ well, actually 8 more months. We will soon graduate and I can get my certificate so I can get a job. I will justy low in the meantime."
"Certificate?" Nichs never attended school with the masses so he would never get such a certificate, not that he would ever need it though. His future job was like no other and he couldn''t study for it in a regr academy anyway.
"Yes. I want to work as a governess or private tutor for wealthy family''s kids," Sophie exined. "It''s a good job with decent pay. Katherine, the private tutor who teaches my cousins said I will need a certificate to prove my qualifications."
"Do YOU want to be a teacher?" Nichs asked Sophie.
Sophie lowered her head when she heard his question. Did she want to be a teacher who dealt with snobbish and spoiled wealthy families'' children? No. But she didn''t know what kind of other works she could do to make money besides doing physical work like being a maid.
"I don''t want to be a maid," she sighed. "Many employers treat their maids badly. And the pay is really low."
She saw how the maids in her aunt''s home were treated poorly by Aunt Helga and her daughters. It was also very tiring because they had to work from early morning tote at night.
Nichs furrowed his brows and observed Sophie carefully. Didn''t this girl know she was so beautiful? He was wondering. Nichs thought Sophie could actually get a wealthy husband and didn''t need to work a day in her life.
Her life would be so easy. Well, at least, that''s what many pretty girls in the capital were trying to do. They would study in the expensive academies and attend the elite''s parties with the sole purpose of meeting wealthy noblemen to be their husbands.
Nichs overheard such conversation very often whenever the royal family threw a g to celebrate some important events.
All the people from the capital''s upper ss would be invited and beautiful girls would use the opportunity to shop for wealthy and powerful husbands. That was all they ever talked about.
To be honest, Nichs felt Sophie was so refreshing and a nice changepared to all the women he had met previously.
She was a young woman who aspired to study so she could get a decent-paying job. So refreshing!
"Well.. you can also be self-employed. Open your own business or something," Nichs suggested.
Sophie looked at him as if he just grew a second head. She muttered, "Business needs capital."
"You can get capital if you have a good business n. Rothschild family''s banks are everywhere now and they are eager to support businesses to grow since it means they will grow their money too," Nick exined.
"Well¡ even banks would want some guarantee or coteral before they could give loans. Only rich people would get richer by getting loans to expand their businesses. Poor people wouldn''t be able to convince banks to even let them exin their business ideas," Sophie said.
She batted her eyes and looked at Nichs with newfound appreciation. "By the way, how do you know so much? We don''t have banks here in Hastings. This town is small. Where are you from?"
Nichs scratched his head and smiled smugly. "I am from the capital."
"Oh¡ it''s quite far from here. What''s the capital like?" Sophie asked enthusiastically.
She had never been there. Whenever Aunt Helga and Uncle Stevan went to the capital, they only took Valerie and Lucia. When they returned to Hastings, the girls would brag about their experience.
They told Sophie that the buildings in the capital were all huge, majestic, luxurious; the people were so stylish with thetest fashion; the parties were frequent.
Both Valerie and Lucia had expressed their desire to someday move to the capital and leave behind their boring small town.
Sophie couldn''t imagine tall buildings, bigger carriages,vish parties, and such, no matter how hard she tried. She didn''t have the properparison.
The only other ce she had ever been to other than Hastings was Hauntingen, a small vige in the countryside near the cursed forest.
That''s where she was born and lived until she was ten years old and her parents died tragically, And then, her father''s sister came with her husband and took Sophie to live with them in Hastings.
Sophie always missed Hauntingen, despite its bad reputation - people said the forest was cursed by three witches. For her, it was home.
Sigh¡ it was eight years ago when she left Hauntingen and her memory about the ce was slowly fading. She wished she could someday go back to Hauntingen and see her old home again.
"Well.. capital is pretty boring, if you asked me," Nichs shrugged. "I''d prefer the countryside and small towns like Hastings."
Sophieughed at the man''s response. It was truly in human nature to want something other than what they already had. Nichs preferred small towns, while Sophie was dying to see big cities like the capital.
"Why are youughing?" Nichs asked Sophie. He wanted to know what tickled her funny bones so he could make herugh again. He found her crispugh to be really adorable.
"Nothing." Sophie smiled. She decided to change the subject. "So, you are from the capital, what are you doing here? And where are you staying?"
"I came here to visit my great uncle. He lives in a house outside of Hastings, surrounded by vineyards. Our family physician supported me toe here and spend some time with him. He said the air is good for my health," Nichs exined.
"Oh.. are you sick?" Sophie batted her eyes and looked at the man probingly, trying to see any signs of ailments, but she couldn''t find any.
The man had a slender body, but when he caught her earlier today, Sophie could feel his bulging muscles from under his shirt, which meant his body was quite ripped.
If he was sick, shouldn''t he look frail? Yet, he looked so healthy and energetic.
"I have some condition," Nichs replied to her question just to be polite, but he refused to borate.
The man decided to change the subject back to Sophie because he wanted to know her more. "So, If I can get you a loan from the Rothschild, what kind of business would you like to do?"
"Huh?" Sophie thought she misheard. "Come again?"
"I said if I can get you loans from the banks, what will you do with it?" Nichs repeated his question patiently. "My family knows some of the Rotchilds."
"Oh, you do?" Sophie''s eyes widen with excitement when Nichs nodded firmly. She thought about it for a while and then replied. "I will open a tavern that sells food and drinks."
Chapter 3 Nicholas Wants To Go To The Ball
"Why tavern?" Nichs asked curiously. "Do you cook?"
"Yeah.." Sophie had to help the maids at her aunt''s home ever since she arrived in Hastings and now she could cook, clean, and wash really well. "But that''s not the main reason."
"So? Why do you want to open a tavern?" Nichs asked again.
"Well.. humans need to eat. They can go by with only one set of clothes for a long time, they could sleep outside if they didn''t have a home. But everyone will die if they don''t eat. So, I think the food business will definitely work out as long as I can sell good food with good value for money."
Nichs nodded, looking satisfied with her response. "Very well, Miss Sophie. I can secure a loan from the bank for you to open a business so you don''t have to work for other people."
"Whoa¡ can you really do that?"
"I told you, my family knows the Rothschild." Nichs smiled smugly again. His confidence made Sophie realize that her guess must be correct, that this man was from a wealthy family.
"That will be amazing," Sophie was very happy because now a new option was open for her to move forward in life.
Before she met Nichs, she thought she had to bear the sufferings and bullying from her schoolmates for the next eight months, just so that she could get her certificate and work as a governess.
Now, she could leave cow dung if she wanted because she could open a tavern, her own business, and be independent.
"I only have one condition." Nichs cleared his throat. "I promise it''s not hard."
Sophie pursed her lips and looked at Nichs probingly. "What do you want?"
"Well... I will be in Hastings for two weeks and I have never attended a school ball like the one Cow Dung will be having. So¡ if you could go with me to the ball¡ You know, just to show me around so I won''t look like an idiot there by myself¡ I will do my best to secure you the loan to open your tavern."
"Ohh¡." Sophie didn''t want toe to the ball because she was worried that she would be targeted by the bullies again. In addition to that.. she also didn''t have a nice dress to wear to the ball. "Have you never attended such an event?"
Nichs shook his head. "I told you I study with private teachers. I have never attended school and I''ve always wondered what it''s like to meet and grow up surrounded by people my age, and do things like normal people."
His voice wasced with sadness and it finally made Sophie feel sorry for him.
Maybe she could try toe to that stupid ball, if only for Nic? This man seemed so pitiful.
Finally, Sophie found herself bob her head and agreed to Nic''s condition. "Okay then. I will go to the ball with you."
"Then I am looking forward to it!" Nichs smiled brightly. "I wanted to experience what a normal academy is like and now I''m able to do it because of you. You have my gratitude, Sophie."
Sophie smiled sheepishly. "Well.. you know I''m doing this for the money."
"Well, then let''s say that we''re both helping each other out." Nichs winked. "That settles our little argument, doesn''t it?"
"It''s really not that much of an argument."
"That''s true." Nichs nodded.
Nichs and Sophie talked and conversed with each other, discussing the details of the uing school ball and even Nic''s habit of escaping his tutors to go about the town.
Before the two of them knew it, the sun was already going down the sky and Sophie realized it was time for her to go home.
"Wow, time sure does fly when you''re with someone who you like talking to." Nichsughed lightly and scratched his head sheepishly. "I''m going to get in a lot of trouble this time. What about you, Sophie?"
Sophie nodded her head. "Yeah¡ me too."
Nichs noticed her tone, which was less enthusiastic than his own, but before Nichs could say anything, Sophie was already up on her feet and waving at him. She said goodbye and then started to rush away.
"Hey! I can take you home. Where do you live?" Nichs grabbed her arm before she left him. "At least let me walk you until the town''s gates."
"Ah, no need," Sophie smiled. "You said you are staying at your uncle''s ce, outside of Hastings. I don''t want you to waste time going back and forth. Let''s just go our separate ways, so we can reach home more quickly."
"Well, then, how am I going to meet you for the ball?" Nichs asked again. He wanted to make sure Sophie would really go to the ball with him.
"Ah, juste to that same ce we met today, on the day the ball is held. I will see you there. All right?"
Nichs had no choice but to say yes. Sophie waved at him and continued her journey.
Not long after, there were two knights came out from behind the trees and approached Nichs. Their faces were very serious.
They had been following their master ever since he caught the girl from the school wall earlier today, but decided to give him privacy. So, he could enjoy a rxing conversation with Sophie.
Now that she had left, they decided toe out. Both bowed down their heads slightly to show their respect to Nichs.
"Ahh... there you are," Nichs chuckled when he saw them. He pointed at Sophie who was walking farther and farther away from him. "One of you, please follow her and find out where she lives. I want to know who she is."
The younger knight bowed down and offered to do the task. "Let me do it, Your Highness."
"Very well."
Nichs smiled faintly as he saw Sophie''s back view disappear behind the city gates. She was such an interesting woman.
The crown prince had never met someone like her, and now he was intrigued.
.
.
***************
From Missrealitybites
Did you guess that Nichs is a prince? XD
Chapter 4 Sophie Wants To Borrow A Dress
***
Sophie quickly arrived in one of therger and nicer homes in the town. She stepped inside and was greeted by the sight of two young women that were lounging at the couches.
Several maids and servants were cleaning all around them, serving them refreshments and snacks, but none of them looked in Sophie''s way. Most of them were too afraid to greet Sophie in the presence of her cousins.
"Where were you, Sophie?" Valerie asked.
"We heard that you got into another brawl." Lucia frowned at her. "And you skipped sses as well. Do you know how much my father is paying for your studies and yet you waste it?"
"That''s not good." Valerie shook her head. "It''s really disappointing."
"Well. What can you expect from someone whose father married a poor woman out of love?" Lucia shrugged. "Obviously she cannot understand the importance of learning. She''ll probably end up being a freeloader for the rest of her life if we would let her."
Sophie stared at them silently and kept her cool. When Sophie was a lot younger, she kept trying to defend her father and mother and got into fights because of it.
However, nobody really took her side inside of this house and Sophie learned that it was only their grandfather who was interested in Sophie at all.
"If that''s all that you''re going to say, I''m going back to my room." Sophie turned away from them.
Lucia gritted her teeth and looked at the ss of juice that one of their maids served her. She picked it up and tossed it in Sophie''s direction. "Don''t turn away from me when I''m talking to you!"
The sound of the ss shattering echoed inside of the living room. Sophie felt the sensation of something dripping down her leg while the maids and servants gasped in horror.
"You should really clean up that uniform," Valerie said. "How will you attend sses tomorrow looking like that?"
Sophie ignored the taunts that came from her cousins and continued walking away from them. When Sophie arrived in her bedroom, she quickly locked the door and sat down on her chair in front of her desk.
Sophie looked down at the back of her leg where a shard of the ss stuck to her leg. With a small wince, she pulled it out and then disposed of it.
"Hah, I need to disinfect this." Sophie pulled her drawer open and looked for something she could use to wipe or bandage her wound. Once she found something to wrap her wounds, she cleaned it with some water and then wrapped it around tightly.
***
"My daughters look so beautiful, don''t you agree, Katherine?" Aunt Helga looked proudly at her two daughters during dinner time.
Lucia and Valerie showed off their outfits to the governess.
"Ah, I forget how close the annual ball in Cawden Academy will be. Your daughters do look very lovely, mydy." Katherine nodded. "I''m so excited for your daughters to learn and engage in this uing ball."
But the simplepliment was not enough for them.
"Availing Madam Belle''s Boutique''s services to fashion our gowns was a very long procedure that not anyone is capable of affording and applying for," Lucia said with a pleased tone during dinner time.
"And it''s quite necessary especially since the mayor''s son, Richard Lancaster, will be taking me to the ball," Valerie added.
"He only agreed to take you because I already said yes to Edmond, sister." Lucia retorted.
"If that''s what you want to hear, dear sister," Valerie replied, giving Lucia an eye-roll.
The private tutor only smiled politely at the banter of the two cousins.
Both Valerie and Lucia continued having Katherine as their after-school tutor in order to keep up with the advanced lessons of Cawden Academy and not fall behind their peers.
It meant that during the evenings, Aunt Helga was still very civil and pretended to be a proper rtive. Right now, Sophie was silently eating her dinner and not saying a word.
Sophie forgot that she didn''t actually have anything to wear during the ball¡Shit. What should she do? She really wanted Nichs''s help to secure the loan from the bank.
Not everyone could afford to spend a lot of money to buy a gown to be used for one asion, but the people in Cow Dung were wealthy people so it didn''t matter to them. Perhaps Sophie made a mistake in epting Nichs''s offer to go to the ball?
After dinner time, Sophie was asked to escort Lady Katherine out of the mansion. Normally, a maid or servant would have been tasked with this role, but Sophie didn''t mind it.
This was just one of the few moments where Sophie and Katherine could talk in peace.
"Ah, your cousins are very lively weren''t they?" Katherine said it subtly but then she directly asked. "Sophie, are you also attending the annual ball?"
"Actually, I am." Sophie sighed. "But I think I made the wrong decision."
"Howe?" Katherine raised a brow. "I think it''s a wonderful asion."
Sophie did not want to trouble the governess who already helped her out more than once. Even the problem of bullying in the academy was something Sophie didn''t like to share, but for now, Sophie admitted it.
"I do not have a dress to wear¡"
***
? The day of the ball arrived and it was around six in the evening when Lucia and Valerie were picked up by their dates. Lucia made sure that Sophie was around when that happened and even asked her to see them off.
"I suppose it''s only right that you stay here at home and not sully the grand asion with your presence, cousin." Lucia waved at her dismissively before she left the house.
Valerie nodded along and smiled smugly. "Don''t worry, we will tell you how wonderful it is."
"Come on, say something." Lucia narrowed her gaze at Sophie.
"I don''t think she can say anything right now." Valerie shrugged. "She must be green with envy."
Sophie was only dressed in her shabby house clothes at this time and didn''t say anything else to make them satisfied. It was already enough taunting for them and it was time for them to leave.
"Ugh, whatever. Let''s go, Valerie."
A soft sigh escaped Sophie''s lips once the two young women were gone and she was left all by herself. Sophie rubbed her face and waited for the two of them to leave via carriage before she sprang into action.
"Finally, they''re gone!" Sophie groaned in relief and headed to her room without missing a beat. "The two of them took their time in strutting around here like chickens."
Once in the bedroom, Sophie opened her closet and pulled out the beautiful dress that Katherine lent her as shey it down on the bed. The ball was already starting but it was better to bete than not to attend.
"Okay, I told Nichs that I wille to that ce and see him in an hour. I should really get going," she muttered to herself.
Sophie prepared for the ball quickly. She changed her clothes, fixed her hair into an elegant braid, and then carefully wore the ne she kept in her drawer. She stared at her reflection and managed a small smile.
It was an essory that made her outfit shine and sparkle.
But more than that¡ It held a lot of precious memories for Sophie as a young child. Days when she was actually happy despite having lost her parents. It was as if this ne witnessed everything before she was found by her rtives.
After a few minutes, Sophie left her room and made sure to walk discreetly out of the mansion. She nned to walk to the academy by taking the back alleys to avoid people''s attention.
Uff¡
She waste. She hoped Nichs was patient and would still be waiting for her on that spot, else she had made all these efforts for nothing,
"Hey!"
Sophie''s steps halted before she could reach her house gate. She heard Nichs''s voice calling from outside and when she looked up, she found the sight of a beautiful carriage and two steeds stopped in front of the mansion.
A footman opened the door to the carriage as Nichs stepped outside and then stopped at the sight of Sophie. He was at loss for words for a moment at seeing her, not only was Sophie breathtakingly beautiful right now but he saw the ring she hang around her neck. The only jewelry she had with her.
At the same time, Sophie was given the shock of her life. She raised her hand and pointed at the handsome man.
"Y-you¡? How did you know my home???" Her voice faltered. "I thought you''re gonna wait for me in that ce¡"
Nichs shrugged and smiled nonchntly, "Oh well¡ I became impatient. So, I decided to go straight here."
Sophie was at a loss for words.
Chapter 5 The Cow Dungs Annual Ball (1)
Sophie was shocked at how the young man was capable of finding out where she lived. Who was Nichs to have informants that helped him find out about Sophie''s home?
She didn''t even give him her full name or her aunt''s family name. So, how could he find out where she lived?
Well¡ maybe he was really well-connected and was powerful enough to get such information if he wanted it. Didn''t he say that his family had connections to the Rothschild''s banks?
Perhaps, wealthy and powerful families hung out together. So, this only showed that Nichs was from such a level.
However, what did a man from an upper-ss family want to do with Sophie?
Questions like those were left forter as Nichs reached out and held her hand gently.
"It''s time for us to go, Sophie. Or we''ll bete for the ball."
"Uhm... okay, let''s go."
Sophie would have gone back inside the house because Nichs didn''t answer her question immediately, but her future was at stake and the man didn''t seem to have any ill intentions so Sophie decided to trust him this time.
The two of them stepped inside the carriage. Once they were inside, Sophie noticed Nichs staring at her every now and then. She raised a brow at him. "Is there something wrong with what I''m wearing?"
"No, you look beautiful." Nichs smiled. "I also noticed that you''re wearing a ring as a ne?"
p Sophie''s face heated up. Was this rich boy saying that she should wear it properly? Sophie touched the ring and said, "It''s my choice to wear it however I like. This was a gift. It cannot fit my fingers."
"Oh¡" Nichs nced at her fingers and realized her fingers were too slender for the ring. It was histe grandmother''s and she was a plump woman, so all her rings were quite big.
He knew right away that it was the same ring he gave that little girl eight years ago. And suddenly, he knew¡ it was her, the little girl that his family had been looking for all these years. Unfortunately, she seemed to forget about him.
Well¡ Nichs couldn''t me her. He looked very different then. Plus, so many things had happened in eight years and Sophie must have more things to worry about than an injured boy whom she saved from the haunted forest.
"If you cannot wear it, why do you still keep it?" Nichs asked Sophie with interest. "I think you can only wear the ring if you gain at least 100 kg."
Sophie coughed violently and shook her head, "Gosh¡ I don''t wish to gain that much weight just to be able to wear this ring."
"So? Does the ring hold an important meaning to you?" Nichs asked with a hopeful expression. "Is it gifted by someone you like?"
Sophie shook her head. "No¡ I n to sell this ring when I open my business."
"Huh?" The grin on Nichs'' face suddenly disappeared. "You what? Why sell it?"
"I will need money to open my business," Sophie replied as a matter of factly. "I don''t want to rely on loans 100%."
"Uhmm.. that''s a good mindset," Nichs nodded. However, he was still disappointed that she didn''t seem to value the ring as he had expected. She only kept it with her while waiting for the right time to sell it.
"Right?" Sophie smiled sweetly. "If you can really get me a loan, I will not disappoint you and work hard to pay back every single cent."
"Sounds good." Nichs nodded again. "I can''t disagree with that."
"By the way, I forgot to mention that it was a masquerade ball. Do you have a mask with you?" Sophie decided to ask. She pulled out a white mask from her bag and held it up. "If not, maybe we can find something to make an emergency mask."
"Oh, I know it''s a masquerade ball. And even if it wasn''t¡ I like wearing a mask. So, I prepared mine." Nichs grinned and took out a ck mask from a jewel box. It was embedded with a tasteful touch of moonstone, but then he took out another one that was white. "Do you want to match with me?"
Sophie pursed her lips but epted the white mask. "Only to not make you feel left out."
"Great. We do make a fine pair," Nichs chuckled as he put on his mask. His amber eyes sparkled with earnestness. With this on his face, it would be impossible for anyone to recognize or bug him.
"You''re really excited about this," Sophiemented.
"It''ll be amazing because I will be apanied by you, Sophie." Nichs smiled.
Sophie couldn''t believe he''d say something like that with such a genuine tone. She didn''t say anything and tried to put on her mask.
Meanwhile, Nichs stole nces at Sophie as she was trying her mask. His face behind his mask was filled with glee. The prince couldn''t believe his luck. He suddenly found Sophie in this small insignificant town called Hastings.
And now, they got to go to a ball together. He was so excited.
***
Chapter 6 The Cow Dungs Annual Ball (2)
Cawden Academy''s annual ball officially started that evening and the entire ballroom was abuzz with a crowd of students mingling with each other.
Everyone was already busy when the doors suddenly opened. Two beautiful masked strangers entered the ballroom and caught the eye of the crowd.
"I don''t remember anyone looking like that." A hushed whisper came from a girl that found Nichs'' dark hair and amber eyes irresistible from underneath his mask.
"Can you recognize her?" A guy elbowed his friend and motioned to the beauty in her white mask and beautiful dress.
Both Sophie and Nichs didn''t pay any attention to them and instead simply paid attention to the sight of the ballroom. It was beautifully decorated and elegant as one might have recognized if they attended a lot of balls.
An apaniment of violin, flutes, and other instruments yed in the background as couples danced in the center of the room. Each one of their eyes only focused on their partners, if not for secretly ncing at the neers.
Nichs once again offered his hand to Sophie and grinned. "Will you have this dance with me, mydy?"
"Of course," Sophie smiled back. "I didn''t know that you also learned how to dance. Who did you dance with if you were taught by a private tutor?"
"Anybody, here and there. My tutor sometimes," Nichs exined as the two of them joined hands together and set off into the ballroom. "Why? Does the thought of me dancinge off as strange?"
"Well, if you''re curious about life in the academy, I''d say the same applies to me," Sophie replied. "I can''t recall anyone ever wanting to be privately tutored. We live in a society where mingling is necessary and academies are a chance to experience it beforehand."
"Ah yes, talking with gant young lords and sessful merchants," Nichs chuckled. "I suppose that is necessary. Unfortunately, my parents think that not everything can be taught properly unless the attention of the teacher was solely on me."
"They must care about you a lot," Sophie said.
"And I''m sure that yours did as well," Nichs smiled gently. "They''d be proud to see a beautiful, intelligent daughter that''s also quite brave. I''m overjoyed to see you again, Sophie."
"Overjoyed?" Sophie raised a brow as the man spun her around. She looked up at his face and teased him. "That is quite a lot for someone who you barely knew, Nichs. This is only our second meeting. You must grow fond of people fast?"
"Well¡ it feels like I''ve already known you for quite a long time." Nichs chuckled. "Kindred spirits. Pairs? Do you get what I mean?"
Contrary to what Sophie thought, Nichs didn''t grow fond of people fast, it was the opposite. He was a loner and didn''t like people most of the time. His sunny disposition only came out when he was with the people he liked, and they were quite a few.
Sophie smiled at his words. "Ah, well, I have to admit that you''re the only person around my age that I''ve met that I really get along with. I didn''t think that you''d understand me."
"Well, everybody else must be a fool for not understanding you," Nichs murmured. "Blinded by things like wealth, name and fame¡ they fail to see the beauty that is of knowing someone genuinely without those things."
"I can see that your tutor really must have taught you well," Sophieughed a little.
Nichs smiled sheepishly. "Well, the fact that you get what I mean is a sign that you''re also quite intelligent. Your teachers must have taught you well too."
"I did end up self-learning most of it, but that is also true." Sophie nodded.
Nichs smiled but then asked her seriously. "Is there really no one else here that understands you? Is everyone really a bunch of bullies here in the academy?"
"Even if they don''t bully me, most choose not to approach to not get on my cousins'' bad side," Sophie answered. "I''m sure that there are kind people here, but it''s difficult getting on the bad side of someone powerful, right?"
"I know¡" Nichs frowned.
"Don''t worry about it," Sophie smiled and decided to cheer Nichs up. "It''s not your problem. Instead, why don''t we spend the rest of the evening having fun? Do you want to dance some more or to eat?"
Nichs looked at Sophie carefully, before he gave her a twirl and then grinned back. "I think I''d like to dance with you more."
The night of the ball ended quickly for both Sophie and Nichs. There was a good reason why Sophie needed to return home fast, and Nichs didn''t want to stay any longer if it meant that he couldn''t be with her.
"I''m sorry, but if I stay here too long and my cousins go back and realize that I''m gone, I''d be a goner¡" Sophie gulped for a moment. "I prefer not to get into any trouble with my birthdaying up. I want to leave their home and be independent without any trouble."
"There''s no need to apologize, I understand," Nichs said.
Even though he couldn''t believe that there were people who were of the same flesh and blood that would torture them¡ but then again, Nichs'' father might kill him if the truth about his secret ever came out, so he wasn''t that surprised either.
The two of them left together with Nichs taking Sophie back to her home earlier than the rest of the students. Although it left many wondering as to who the two of them were, Nichs who heard them gossip clearly with his superior hearing didn''t care.
All he had his eyes on was thedy in front of him.
His savior. Sophie truly didn''t remember him. Ahh¡ he shouldn''t reveal everything to her now. This was not the time yet.
When the two of them arrived at Sophie''s house, the two of them exchanged some more words. Sophie especially wanted to remind him of their deal.
Nichs held Sophie''s hand and bowed. "Thank you so much for apanying me to the ball, mydy."
"You know I only did it for the money, right?" Sophie said. "You don''t have to thank me for this much."
"Well, it''d be impossible for me to have fun if it weren''t for you being around. So I consider it as something to be grateful for."
"I see¡ then if you''re truly grateful, I suppose you could help me out as soon as you''re ready, right?" Sophie said. "You''ll probably need to send a letter to your contacts at the Rothschild''s bank?"
Nichs grinned. "Yes, you don''t have to worry about it. You can trust me to do it as fast as I can."
Sophie wasn''t really sure if she could trust his words. Now that she thought about it¡ if this young man wanted to leave Hastings without ever contacting her again, that was also possible.
A huge disappointment it would be, but Sophie would think of him as a clever bastard.
Nichs seemed to read the doubt on her face so the man took off his mask and ced it on her hand. "Consider this as an item for you to hold onto until I return."
Sophie didn''t want to admit it, but the mask looked especially well-made. The moonstone was quite expensive too. Even if Nichs didn''t return, she could also sell this, together with the ring. She narrowed her eyes. "So, you mean, I should keep this as coteral. If you don''t return, I can sell this if I want to?"
Nichs winced when he heard Sophie talk about selling another gift from him. This girl surely loved money, he thought.
"I really wille back, I promise." Nichs insisted. If only Sophie stayed at Hauntingen back then, she would have known that he returned as he promised¡ However, she was already gone by then. Nichs was only lucky to find her again, here in Hastings yearster.
Sophie nodded. "Okay, I''ll trust you."
"Thank you."
Nichs wanted to make it up to her this time and the prince now knew how he was going to do it.
***
.
.
****************
From Missrealitybites:
Does this scene remind you of Cindere? XD
As I have mentioned some time ago, this book is a reverse harem and I am finding myself enjoying the process of writing it. The two men are quite the opposite of each other.
One is warm like the sun, the other is cold like ice, one would remind you of Cindere story, and the other of Beauty and The Beast. But I promise you will like them both being their own self.
Chapter 7 The New Transfer Student
The day after the ball left many of the students in a dreamy state of reminiscing about the night and its events.
Most of the girls were talking about the handsome dark-masked stranger with dazzling amber eyes.
The boys, on the other hand, couldn''t help but admire and also wish that they could have seen what was underneath the white mask of the beautiful damsel.
Sophie really thought that these people were a bit stupid when she heard they were gossiping about the two mysterious guests.
Why would they care so much about strangers?
The students were not the only ones who were thinking aboutst night, though. Sophie was guilty too.
When she peeked into her school bag, the ck mask that Nichs gave her was among them. She forgot to hide it somewhere in her tiny room she was given by her aunt to sleep and store her few belongings. It was still in her bag.
Sophie was a bit lost in her thoughts that she didn''t notice that Valerie and her crew were just right up ahead. She identally bumped into her cousin.
"Why you," Valerie narrowed her eyes at Sophie in annoyance. "What''s in your bag that''s making you so distracted? Have you stolen something?"
Sophie blinked and then frowned. "What? Of course not."
Valerie was unconvinced though and looked at her friends. "We''ll never know if we don''t check it out ourselves, girls. I don''t want this girl to sully my family name. So, I''m afraid we have to check."
The group of young women immediately ganged up on Sophie and grabbed her arms and even hair to keep her away.
Valerie took the school bag from Sophie and scrunched up her nose.
Sophie tried to throw the girls off from her, but they all refused to budge. Their nails even dug into her arms as they kept her away from her cousin.
It didn''t matter to her that much, since it didn''t hurt. Sophie was more worried about the mask, she needed to return it to Nichs. "Hey, give it back!"
"As if you weren''t already satisfied taking my hand-me-downs, but must you also steal?" Valerie dumped the contents of Sophie''s bag on the floor.
The beautiful dark mask appeared among the items.
All of the girls gasped as Sophie pulled her arms away from them and quickly picked up her things and shoved them into her bag. Right before they could say anything else, Sophie was now on the run.
Valerie gritted her teeth and realized that the white-masked stranger was her cousin since she had the ck mask from the mysterious guest fromst night. Valerie looked at all the guy schoolmates who had been staring and she pointed at them.
"Go get her or else Richard will make your lives a living hell!"
It was a threat that worked out well enough, as the boys started to chase after Sophie. The Lancasters could make anyone living in Hastings face a miserable fortune so they moved.
This was a familiar scenario in Sophie''s life, being chased down and bullied by others was nothing by now and she used her wits to escape them. And yet this time, she had something to protect and take care of. She ran agilely to avoid her chasers.
Unfortunately, now the bullies had learned from experience.
"Make sure the bitch can''t escape or jump!" One of them hollered to their friends.
"Don''t let her get to the academy''s walls!"
"Let''s corner her over there." Another guy shouted and threw a rock at Sophie, who had to move in a certain direction to dodge.
It was with great effort and teamwork that the bullies managed to redirect Sophie into a ce that even she would have difficulty jumping up to escape.
The group of boys cornered her into one of the academy''s buildings. Sophie tightened her hands into fists and prepared herself for trouble as she pressed her back against the wall.
These people were too scared of the consequences of offending Richard and Valerie than it was for them to hit a girl.
This was fine though. Even if Sophie preferred outwitting them and avoiding them, she wasn''t also afraid to throw her own punches.
All she could hope was that her school bag and the mask would remain in good condition. She was ready to fight back.
However, right as one of the boys lumbered over towards Sophie and raised a fist to hit her, someone suddenly appeared by her side and grabbed the bully''s arm before it could even touch her.
Several of the guys were surprised at how fast this unknown stranger managed to get past them without even blinking an eye.
Nichs grinned as he tightened his grip on the guy and gave it a painful squeeze.
"I do not think that violence is a good answer to solving anything, my friends. All of you should probably leave now while I''m feeling merciful."
The boy. whose arm was being crushed by Nichs'' powerful grip, groaned in pain as he was pushed back into the arms of his friends. All of them went down like ss bottles from a tavern.
In a blink of an eye, Sophie saw all of them scurrying away in fear like mice. She couldn''t believe it herself as she looked at Nichs, the young man now was wearing the same uniform as Cawden Academy students.
"What¡?"
Nichs looked at her and grinned. "Well, I''m sure that you''re surprised and all¡"
"How did you get in?" Sophie asked. This felt surreal. Surely she was dreaming that she could see Nichs in Cow Dung¡
"I enrolled here?" Nichs shrugged.
"But how? There are only several months left before graduation. Cow Dung normally doesn''t ept stu¡ª" Sophie''s voice trailed off and she immediately knew that it was a stupid question.
People with wealth and influence could get anything if they wanted to. Surely Nichs bought his ce in this academy with a lot of money.
"Don''t you think that it''s a great idea for me?" Nichs rubbed his chin. "I always escaped my tutors, but I have a feeling that I''ll learn a lot more by being surrounded by other students."
Sophie looked at him doubtfully.
Chapter 8 The Barons Nephew
"What would you even say if I told you that I came here for you?" Nichs raised a brow.
Sophie thought about it for a moment and said, "As long as that means that I''ll be able to actually have the reassurance that you''ll get in contact with Rothschild''s banks, then I think that''s great."
"You really are focused on one thing alone," Nichs murmured. He was convinced all Sophie ever thought about was the money.
"I have to put my entire energy and effort into it," Sophie said. "If I show any signs of weakness or get distracted, I''ll lose the opportunity to do it right. All of us tend to only have one chance at making our goalse true."
"That sounds like a lot of pressure on your shoulders¡" Nichs frowned.
Sophie smiled at his words. "Not every one of us has been given the same amount of opportunities, but it doesn''t mean that I should buckle down under the weight of it, right?"
Compared to Nichs who could probably evade his tutors and not have any major consequences to it, or even to Sophie''s cousins who were provided Katherine as a tutor if they were having difficulty¡
Sophie wasn''t allowed the same privilege as them.
Nichs couldn''t help but notice the serious look on Sophie''s face and wished he could alleviate the troubles that she was having. Although he could easily solve them in a snap, Nichs knew he couldn''t do that.
It was so easy to hurt someone by giving them everything they wanted.
But it wouldn''t allow them the opportunity to actually grow stronger and be capable of handling matters on their own.
Nichs could tell that Sophie was someone who was independent and was determined to carve her life out by herself.
"You''re right," Nichs said atst. He gave her a grin and scratched his head. "You''re making me admire you more the better that Ie to know you."
Nichs already knew that Sophie was selfless and kind from the start, but to know how strong she was as a person? He was in awe.
"I have to prove myself," Sophie shrugged and then smiled. "At least so that you can give me a good word for Rothschild''s bank, right? Hey, look¡ this girl is very determined, she''ll be a good person to give a loan out to. You will get your money back with profit."
Nichs chuckled. "Okay, I really won''t forget about my promise since I know you will keep reminding me about it. But why don''t you help me out again, Sophie?"
"What is it this time?"
"Well, I''d like you to show me around the academy and help me familiarize myself with it," Nichs rubbed his chin. "Actually, since I was always escaping my tutors¡ I might have some difficulty with sses. Ahem¡"
Sophie raised a brow. "I thought you told me that I didn''t have to be a teacher if I didn''t want to?"
Nichs smiled sheepishly at her words. He realized he was making up a reason to stick at Sophie''s side, even if it meant countering his own words when they were by the tree.
Sophie noticed his silence and grinned so widely. "I was kidding. Jeez¡! I''m more than willing to help you out with study so you can catch up with the lessons. Come on, let me show you around!"
Word traveled fast among the students of Cawden Academy especially when the students who happened to be near the headmaster''s office saw the ordeals that urred and the baron who left the premises.
Among those students were Lucia and even Richard Lancaster who was talking privately with one another without Valerie even knowing about it.
Lord Ferdinand walked out of the headmaster''s office satisfied with the arrangement provided and the secrecy implemented. The prince himself was already gone long even before the conversation was finished.
It was one of those rare asions where Lord Ferdinand saw his nephew actually look excited about something. When the baron saw the students nearby, the old man decided to put in a good word for his nephew.
"Ah, hello there. If you happen to meet a young man named¡ Nichs, please treat my nephew well," Lord Ferdinand said.
The baron then vacated Cawden Academy to let the young man enjoy learning with others while he could.
The king and queen would normally be against the idea of the prince mingling with themoners, even those from the wealthier families with official positions or small names, but the baron was convinced by the prince.
"It''s a good opportunity for him to be around people his age," Lord Ferdinand said to himself after he left.
Once the old man was gone, Lucia quickly stood up and dusted her dress. "I think we should stop talking with each other, Richard. I''m sure that my sister has been looking for you."
Richard growled for a moment. "Are you for real?"
Lucia was the first one to hear of it and was quick to put two and two together.
***
It was the headmaster himself who weed Nichs into his sses at Cadwen Academy and also gave plenty of words of encouragement to the teachers and students.
"Lord Ferdinand''s nephew, Lord Nichs Ferdinand, will be temporarily joining us over the course of his stay here at Hastings. I hope that everyone will make him feelfortable and well," the old man said.
The man continued, "He is older than you all, so I hope you can show respect to him. He has never attended school for the masses before because he is always taught in private. So, please show him what a nice experience you have in attending school, okay?"
Nichs who was sitting at the back with Sophie tried not to bury his head on the table. He told his uncle to keep it from his parents, but it slipped his mind to tell his uncle to keep it a secret from everyone else.
Now everyone was going to try to get in his good graces. Well.. at least uncle Joseph was smart enough not to use Nichs'' real family name. These students would flip!
And it turned out to be just as Nichs thought it would be, that his ssmates didn''t even wait for their sses to end. During break times, the girls and even boys would mor to him for attention or to be his good friend.
Other students from different ssrooms and year levels also made their presence known and introduced themselves to Nichs.
Even the so-called ''prince'' of cow dung academy approached Nichs with a friendly grin that Nichs immediately despised. It was obvious that Richard Lancaster was trying to maintain a high position in this academy.
The son of the mayor wanted to be friends with the nephew of the baron.
Sophie was pushed to the background even though she was originally seated beside Nichs before everyone knew who he was. She was actually surprised to figure out who he was, but now it made sense.
A nephew of Lord Ferdinand who came from the capital. Several lords anddies came to Sophie''s mind as she remembered her sses on present-day nobilities. But before Sophie figured out who he was, Nichs reappeared in front of her chair.
"Huh?" Sophie looked up at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Let''s get something to eat," Nichs grinned and pulled her up to her feet.
Before anyone else could offer to join them, the two of them were already gone and vacated the ssroom and left everyone in surprise. Richard Lancaster blinked at the young lord and Sophie leaving together.
Even though Valerie was ring daggers at Richard, the boy couldn''t help but grunt.
"Of course the guy goes for the prettiest girl," Richard murmured.
SLAP!
The mayor''s son got a p from Valerie who left him with long strides and pursed lips.
***
Chapter 9 Afternoon Tea With Nicholas
? "Where are we going?" Sophie asked Nichs as they ran off. There was a look of disbelief on her face that the two of them easily left without a word.
"Anywhere else? It''s just very suffocating being surrounded by everyone else with their stered smiles," Nichs said as he sighed for a moment.
Sophie blinked and then stopped in her tracks. "I would have thought that you''d make friends with them. You can get along with people easily and everyone already likes you too."
"Well, it''s a pity for them that I do not want any of their affections," Nichs shrugged. "Besides, they weren''t looking at me as Nichs. They were looking at me as the nephew of Lord Ferdinand."
"I see¡ it was terrible of me to assume that you actually liked them fawning over you like flies."
Nichs chuckled. "Flies are a good description. But yes,pared to them, you on the other hand know how to treat me like an ordinary person. Like I''m actually normal for once. I''m grateful."
"I''m just trying to be a good person," Sophie insisted.
"Well, I can''t help but appreciate it," Nichs said. "You''d be surprised by how many people are only looking out for themselves. Not everyone is looking at you as a person, but they''re only trying to measure how they''d benefit from you."
Sophie only smiled grimly at that.
Somehow it reminded her of Aunt Helga and her husband taking her to Hastings because of her grandfather. If it weren''t for the fact that her grandfather wanted to see the child of his deceased son, then she wouldn''t be here.
"Uh¡ did I say too much?" Nichs looked at her worriedly.
"No, you just told the truth," Sophie murmured then managed a smile. "How about we go to the library?"
"Library?" Nichs asked.
"Yeah, I did promise to help you study right?" Sophie raised a brow. "Unless you''re really hungry?"
"Well, now that you mentioned that..." Nichs chuckled. "How does afternoon tea sound for you?"
***
Sophie couldn''t believe it when she agreed toe with Nichs, but the young man''s idea of afternoon tea involved them actually leaving the premises of Cow Dung Academy. All of the little things that urred when they first went out together now made sense.
Nichs was a nephew of Lord Ferdinand so he was familiar with going in and out of Hastings, and now they were heading to the castle of said baron.
"You know, I''m not actually sure if you''re really interested in studying," Sophie narrowed her gaze at Nichs as they walked out of the town.
Nichs chuckled. What would Sophie say if he only entered the Academy because of her?
"Well, the point of me attending was to get what it was like to be an ordinary person with ssmates. But now everyone knows I''m the nephew of a baron so that changes things, doesn''t it?"
Sophie pursed her lips. "I guess I can understand that. But do you mean to say that you''re no longer interested in attending then? Is that why you''re making me skip sses with you?"
Nichs rubbed his chin as they reached the outskirts of Hasting and arrived at the familiar stone castle in front of them. "Well, I''d like to have apanion with me¡ someone who doesn''t treat me too differently?"
"I''m here with you right now for the money," Sophie pointed out frankly.
"Ack," Nichs pressed a hand on his chest and looked at Sophie with a pout. "Have I never appeared as a good friend to you at all?"
Sophie''s expression lightened up and she elbowed him. "Well, you did save me from the bullies and you''re also a good person to talk with, Nichs. So I think you''re a nice person."
"Fair enough," Nichs chuckled as the guards opened up the doors for them and weed them inside of the castle. "You can''t build a rtionship in a day."
"What did you say?"
"We should eat outside since it''s a really nice day?"
***
Sophie found herself in a beautiful balcony and the bright afternoon sun as a backdrop. In front of her were numerous desserts and treats that would make anyone''s mouth water, but to Nichs it seemed like an average thing.
"Is this really all for us?" Sophie asked skeptically.
Nichs poured her a cup of tea and passed it to her. He gave her a small smile and nod. "Yes. We''re the only ones here, so we can eat to our heart''s content."
The more food there was on the table, the more time the two of them could stay together to chat. It was Nichs'' chance to actually probe more into what Sophie actually remembered eight years ago.
Maybe it wasn''t relevant to Sophie''s current life now, but surely, she would have remembered it even a little bit, right? Nichs watched Sophie take a bite into a brownie and her expression perk up at the taste.
It was a lovely sight.
"Hah, it really goes to show that the food business will be a sess. If a bakery and pastry shop''s start-up capital wasn''t so expensive, it would also be a good option besides having a tavern," Sophie said as she washed down the brownie with her tea.
Nichs who bit into a cookie tried not to choke. He flushed it down with some tea but realized almost everything that Sophie talked about if not for her studies was her future.
"I hope I don''t appear like I''m prying into your life or being extremely rude right now, but will your rtives really not help you out at all?" Nichs asked. "I can''t help but notice that the ce you live in is well-off."
"Not at all." Sophie shook her head and only smiled. "If it weren''t for me studying hard to get into Cawden Academy, I wouldn''t have been able to study at all."
Sophie told Nichs briefly how she studied on her own in secret and Katherine helped her to register for the exam that she could finally get epted at Cow Dung.
"Your family sounds horrible," Nichs frowned.
"We can''t choose our rtives, unfortunately," Sophie shrugged in response.
It was a good way to deflect and not delve into the matter any longer. Discussing Sophie''s current situation sometimes made her feel sick to her stomach and she was only counting the months and days.
Nichs, on the other hand, leaned forward. "How exactly did you get from¡ your old home into theirs? Surely there should have been other people who could have helped you, right?"
Even though Nichs left Sophie back then to find his way back home and not endanger her any further, he left her the ring as a sign that he woulde back for her. Surely it would cross her mind, right?
Nichs wished that she waited for him. He dide back for her with his parents and their trusted king''s guards.
"Other people? Nobody in my vige really cared beyond doing the funeral rituals," Sophie smiled thinly.
"Was there really nobody at all?" Nichs prompted again. He was starting to sound a bit more intrusive, but he really wanted to know. "What about the person who gave you the ring? They could have helped right?"
"Well, it was a gift to me, but it didn''t exactly mean that they''re supposed to help me, right?" Sophie frowned. "You know¡ why does this sound like an interrogation now?"
"My apologies," Nichs bowed his head. "I think that you''re a remarkable woman and I can''t help but wonder what are the circumstances that you''ve encountered that led you to be the person that you are today."
Sophie realized that Nichs was interested in her life and she wondered if it was good to tell him everything. Even though he was a kind person who promised to help her, retelling the story made her feel a bit hesitant.
It felt like she already told him a lot of things.
"My father and aunt Helga are siblings, but my father was disowned by my wealthy grandfather for marrying a woman he deemed below their status," Sophie said atst.
Nichs could already tell where the story was going and it was now easier to even fill in the nks. When Nichs met Sophie in Hauntingens, there was no father or mother in the picture at all.
Sophie was an orphan.
.
.
*************
From Missrealitybites:
What do you think about the first 9 chapters? I will publish one chapter per day on Webnovel until the end of November and by December, I will publish 2 chapters daily.
However, I will throw in a mass release from time to time, if we achieve certain targets. I''ll keep you updated.
Chapter 10 We Have To Leave
After their afternoon tea, Nichs felt a bit guilty for putting Sophie in that awkward position. How painful it must be to recount all of these details to whom she believed to be aplete stranger?
"Um, Sophie¡ besides you trying to secure your future. Is there anything else that you wish for?" Nichs asked.
Sophie raised a brow. "Anything else? I don''t think I''ll be able to think about anything else once I''m working as a tavern owner. It''s a very busy job, you know?"
Nichs looked at the young woman whose mind was solely focused on carving out a livelihood for herself. Sophie didn''t even think about anything else? Nichs wanted to tell her that it was fine to have dreams and other wishes besides making money to live.
"What if you could do anything that you want, Sophie?"
"I''m not exactly sure if I can follow this train of thought, Nichs."
Sophie was trying to be pragmatic and realistic. Unlike Nichs who was a noble, she needed to work hard. Twice harder to be able to actually have freedom.
"Just imagine it. A time and ce where you don''t have to think about the future and what it holds for you¡ If you could have anything, be anyone or do something that you think is impossible, what would it be?"
Sophie stared at Nichs for a moment and mulled over the question. She bit on her lip nervously for a moment and that''s when Nichs realized that she actually did have something that she wanted.
"I think you figured it out, Sophie," the man said with a small smile.
A ring or a business capital wasn''t enough payment for someone who saved his life.
Sophie really wished that Nichs didn''t ask such a question because now it made her feel a bit silly. However, it was the first time that someone genuinely asked her what she wanted.
A tavern was one thing...
"I want to go out and explore the world," Sophie admitted atst. "When I was young, the entire world to me was Hauntingen and the woods where I lived with my parents. Hastings is also just a small town. I want to see the capital..."
Nichs blinked and knew he could take Sophie to the capital, but did she say world?
"I want to go to countless ces and see what the world has in store for everybody," Sophie smiled and looked down at her empty cup of tea. "People always talked about there being witches in the woods I lived in, but there was none."
Nichs also knew that as well. Or else he would have a hard time navigating through the woods.
"I wonder what it would actually be like to meet a witch for real?" Sophie grinned. "And why stop at that? If there are witches, ghouls and other creatures¡ what would it be like to meet a ferocious and majestic dragon? Travel the sea and see everything with my own eyes?"
There was a faraway look on Sophie''s face that somewhat made Nichs long for it as well.
But unlike Sophie, Nichs was chained to a certain role and position¡ and he doubted he could actually take her to those ces himself.
It was a realization that suddenly made him feel at loss.
What good was it to be the crown prince and future king if this person he admired wanted to be so far away?
Sophie realized Nichs''s silence and quickly calmed herself down. She tried tough it off and scratched her cheek. "Well, that''s that. I don''t think I''d actually be able to do all of those things by myself."
"Well, there''s actually the next best thing," Nichs suddenly said.
"What do you mean?"
Nichs smiled sheepishly. He actually remembered a certain magical book at the royal library. "You know, there are books with certain stories written so well that you can almost imagine yourself being there?"
Sophie''s expression cheered up. "Books. Ahh¡. I should have guessed that. They''re amazing and it really is the next best thing¡ After a long day of work at my tavern, I can sit down and rx with a good book."
"When I go to the capital, I''ll get you a good book." Nichs made a promise solemnly.
"A good book?"
"Something really wonderful that''ll help capture the image and sense of adventure I''m noticing from you," Nichs chuckled.
Sophie smiled. "And I''ll be doing all of this at thefort of my fluffy chair. Brilliant."
Nichs wanted to say that it was a special magic book inscribed with numerous glyphs that made the scenarios actually y out as if you were watching a y. But he wanted to keep it a surprise.
Before Nichs could say anything else though, two knights suddenly entered the balcony.
"Your High¡ª"
"Ah, what is it?" Nichs quickly interrupted the younger knight with a raised eyebrow. He didn''t want Sophie to hear the knight address him as ''Your Highness''. That would surely blow his cover as the baron''s nephew. "Has my grand uncle been expecting me since I skipped my sses? I''ll go there if you need me, but I''m still with a guest."
"I don''t want to be a bother if I''m interrupting something," Sophie said as she rose to her feet.
Nichs wanted her to stay a little longer, but it couldn''t be helped if his grand uncle needed him for something. Lord Ferdinand never bothered him unless it was actually important.
"Then I''ll have my men escort you back," Nichs said. "But I''ll be seeing you tomorrow alright?"
"If you''ll attend cow dung that is," Sophie chuckled.
"I''ll make sure to attend," Nichs grinned. "But if I don''t, you''re free toe here and drag me to go back there."
Sophie rolled her eyes but nodded. "Then I won''t take up too much of your time now, Nichs¡ or, should I be calling you ''my lord'' now? I''ve been rude, haven''t I?"
"It''s fine. Call me as you wish," Nichs chuckled. "I would really like to take you home by myself, but¡"
"You don''t have to apologize." Sophie smiled. "Thank you for inviting me over for tea, Nichs."
Once Sophie was escorted out by one of the knights, Nichs headed to Lord Ferdinand''s office¡ only to see that the man was holding a letter in his hand.
It contained the royal seal.
"We need to leave," the old man said in a grim tone.
.
.
**************
From Missrealitybites:
I really, really love the cover of this book, made by my favorite artist. If I could order 100 artworks from her, I would. Unfortunately, she limits only epting 3 orders per client and her waiting list is really long.
I am really lucky to snatch onemission slot from her and that''s how we get to have Sophie, Nichs, and Lnd on the current cover. You can see the artwork in more detail in myment.
Chapter 11 Punishment For Sophie
"We need to leave now, Your Highness," Lord Ferdinand informed the crown prince. There was a grave look on his face as he said, "You know how your father falls ill more easily these days because of his previous injuries. So, they''re asking us to return now."
Nichs knew that the baron was referring to the times when his father still actively participated during their war against the werewolves, but it was some time since the man actually joined.
"Is it really that urgent¡?" he asked the baron with a toneced with regret.
"Your father has been looking for you now, Your Highness," Lord Ferdinand said. "I''m afraid that we cannot stay here any longer, and even your mother has insisted that you return."
Nichs knew it was a sign that he needed to be prepared. It was time for Crown Prince Nichs to return to the royal pce and be ready to take the throne if anything were to happen to his father.
It was something that the prince knew from the moment he learned he was from the royal family, but now, it seemed like a heavy burden on his shoulder. How was he going to see Sophie again?
"Can I still say goodbye to my friend?"
"Your Highness," Lord Ferdinand sighed. "We do not have any time for that."
"Understood, I''ll prepare myself immediately." Nichs nodded and left the study. Even though he was going back to the capital and the royal pce, the man would make sure to actually prepare everything for when he returned.
This time, Nichs already knew where Sophie was and he was determined to make sure that it remained that way.
***
When Sophie came home, she was surprised that both of her cousins and even Aunt Helga were around. There was a look of indignation on Lucia''s face, while Valerie looked smug and pleased with herself.
"What do you think you''re doing, you brat?" Aunt Helga asked. "Where did you go all this time?"
"Huh?" Sophie blinked and realized that her two cousins probably tattled on her about skipping sses. Even if she did this, her grades were higher than Valerie''s¡ but that wasn''t important.
"I um¡"
"Is this a ring that you stole?" Aunt Helga asked as she lifted the ring that Sophie left in her drawer. "After everything that my family has done for you, taking you in despite everything¡ you dare actually steal and be a good-for-nothing brat?"
Sophie''s eyes widened and she reached for it. "No, I didn''t steal it. It''s really mine--"
SLAP!
Aunt Helga pped Sophie in the face as her two daughters watched in the background. The woman grabbed Sophie by the hair and pulled it up tightly, "What kind of person are you to even lie about this?"
"This is a gift!" Sophie struggled in her aunt''s grasp. "A person gave it to me so it''s really mine!"
"What are you now? Some kind of harlot that leaves the academy grounds to get little trinkets like this?" Aunt Helga narrowed her eyes on Sophie. "Did your parents raise you like this? Oh wait, I bet you learned this from your mother."
She narrowed her eyes in disgust and continued insulting Sophie''s mother. "That poor little wench must have thought she scored big time when she seduced my brother, thinking she could be rich by squeezing him dry of our family''s money. Ha. Jokes on her! My father chose to disown his son who insisted on bringing that poor dirty wench into our home. They ended up penniless. I bet your mother taught you some tricks to steal money or seduce men to spend money on you!"
Sophie stared at her aunt and red at her. "Give that back!"
"Of course, no amount of time here with us will change the fact that you''re your mother''s child. Like mother, like daughter." Aunt Helga started to drag the girl out from the living room. "But who knows? Maybe there''s still some hope for you."
"What?" Sophie tried to fight her way out from her aunt''s grasp.
But the servants from around their house were called to help carry Sophie into their house''s cer. She screamed and kicking a fuss, but those servants were a lot stronger than her.
They were forced to throw Sophie down into the wine cer as Aunt Helga and her two daughters looked down at her from above.
"Even a dog will know how to pay respects to its masters after it grows hungry," Aunt Helga spat. "Stay there until you learn how to treat this family that took you in properly."
Before Sophie could try to scramble up the stairs, they shut the door in her face and locked it.
The young woman was left alone in the darkness of the cold cer without anything to keep her warm. Several hours passed and not one servant was allowed to go down and deliver food to Sophie and they did not even open it up to let her sleep on her bed at all.
Sophie was stuck inside of the cer.
The girl did not cry or beg for anyone to help her, but she tried to wait for her aunt''s anger to fade and maybe for them to let her back inside of the house? However, her hope dwindled as the hours continued.
Maybe they were waiting for Sophie to scream and beg for mercy?
She would not give them the satisfaction at all. So, Sophie stayed inside the cer for who knows how long. Her stomach grumbled in hunger, but still, no one came at all.
It was with this event and her cheek that still felt the sting of her aunt''s palm that made Sophie realize that there was no hope left for her in this family. They stole the ring that was hers and refused to even believe her.
"I should leave. I don''t even know why I stayed here for so long." Sophie shook her head and started to look around the cer.
Even though it was dark and dusty, there was one ce where moonlight spilled into the room. There was a window high above the cer that let in a little amount of light, but it was big enough for Sophie to fit in.
Sophie looked around at all of the assorted items and belongings that were in the cer and she pushed several wooden crates together to build a tform against the cement wall.
Once it was high enough, Sophie climbed up the boxes and reached the window atst. Since it was locked from the inside, it was easy enough to pry open.
Sophie squeezed out of the window and into the garden of their house.
She was free atst.
.
.
****************
From Missrealitybites:
I know I said I will publish 1 chapter per day for TKW (The King''s Wife) but this is the weekend and I thought why not publish a bonus chapter? XD
If you like this story, please support it so it can go up in algorithm and be seen by more readers.
There are many ways to show your support:
1. Writements (paragraphments or chapterments). Stories with a lot ofments are considered popr and will be boosted by the algorithm. So, please, don''t stay silent all the time. Let us know your thoughts even only once or twice. ^^
2. Write a review (this will help me to know what''s good or bad about this book so I can improve the content, and for other readers to help them decide if they should read this book or not).
PS: Despina, I saw your review for this book but I''m not sure what happened, it''s removed. Sobs. Perhaps by the system? Would you mind writing another one for me? xx
3. Vote your power stones for this book (and once it''s contracted, vote your golden tickets).
4. Give gifts (also after it''s contracted)
5. Unlock the chapters with coins, not fast passes, although if you can only afford fast passes it''s okay too ^^
WEREWOLVES AND REVERSE HAREM
1. This is a book about werewolves. So, all the main characters are werewolves. However, I will make my own lore. So, it might not be simr to many werewolves books out there.
2. This is also a reverse harem story, meaning the female lead will end up with multiple men. I know polyandry is not widely epted but I am tired of female leads having to choose only one from many great men avable. Why can''t she get them all? hehehe.
So, if you are Team Lnd or Team Nichs, you are all winners.
Just imagine me saying this like Oprah Winfrey enthusiastically gifting all her audience a car.
"You win! You win! You win!"
If you are into a monogamous rtionship in real-life, I am too (even though all my previous rtionships sucked and I had to deal with abusive psychopaths - I still believe in a wholesome monogamous loving rtionship).
So, don''t worry about this story. I will make the reverse harem plot make sense and not forced. I have written almost 20 stories on this tform and I am quite experienced in writing stories as closely as possible to real-life situations.
You have my word. The fact that Sophie will end up with both men WILL MAKE SENSE. She won''t get all the hot guys just for the sake of getting all the hot guys.
PS: I can''t wait for you to meet Lnd. He is the fiercest, baddest, hottest male lead I have ever written.
Chapter 12 Running Away From Home
Now that Sophie was free from the cer and knew that she no longer had a ce in her aunt''s family, she tried to think of a resourceful way to take care of herself.
The girl immediately made her way out of the house and into the streets of Hastings. She was still in her uniform so it wasn''t so cold, but it started to attract some attention because most of the students were already home during thete hours.
"Are you all alone, Miss?" Some of the patrons outside of a pub called out to her andughed. Others whistled and tried to invite her to drink with them as Sophie quickly rushed by and ignored them.
She needed a ce to stay but she couldn''t get caught in her room anymore even if she tried to sneak back into the house. Maybe some of the servants would take her side? But that was too risky.
Sophie traveled across the cold and dark streets of Hastings. Only the flicker of streetmps filled with oil and wicks provided dim lights across the usually busy and bustling roads of Hasting.
If she knew where Katherine lived, then perhaps she would have approached thedy and sought her out¡ but she didn''t know.
Should Sophie still try to attend cow dung academy?
Her cousins would no doubt try to bring her back home and then she''d end up right back into the cer. So it meant that Sophie''s option was either going back to Hauntingens despite herck of a certificate and funds.
¡Or go back to the castle where Nichs was staying?
Would the young man take pity in her situation and let her stay there temporarily? Maybe he could actually rush and get the loan in Rostchild''s bank for her? It was better than actually going to Hauntingen on foot.
Once Sophie decided that it was the best option she had right now, even if it was shameful to go ask for help, she made her way out of Hastings and headed for the castle.
It was only for her toe back and realize that the castle looked abandoned and empty? No. It wasn''t exactly empty because there were some soldiers still around, but when Sophie tried to approach them, they raised their swords.
"No more visitors, allowed," One of them spoke.
"But I was just here this afternoon," Sophie tried to say to no avail. She didn''t think they would raise swords, but she was mistaken.
A few of the soldiers exchanged looks before they said, "The one that you are looking for is no longer here."
"What? Nichs?" Sophie''s eyes widened. "He was here just before I left, so why would he¡?"
The soldiers themselves didn''t even bother responding anymore. They were tasked to take care of Lord Ferdinand''s castle while they were gone and that was the only task that they were going to do.
"Why would he just leave without saying goodbye?" Sophie smiled bitterly.
There was no need for Sophie to even finish her statement. The wealthy, influential, and powerful all had different kinds of whims they followed without even a moment''s hesitation.
If Nichs decided to leave, then he would leave.
Perhaps it was Sophie''s fault to have so much faith in a person she didn''t know that well. Oh, he did leave her that precious mask, but even her school bag was confiscated by her two cousins when her aunt confronted her.
"I will return this to Lord Nichs," Valerie said with a smile.
"No, you already have that mayor''s son, let me do it." Lucia hissed at her sister and tried to steal the mask.
A bittersweet smile formed on Sophie''s lips at the memory. It was probably going to disappoint them that Nichs was no longer around once they attend sses tomorrow¡ but Sophie was now penniless.
She had nothing to her name, no things at all.
"Well, it doesn''t matter," Sophie said to herself determinedly. "I know how to scavenge in the forests to look for food and I also know how to read and write."
All of these things began to formte in her mind. A way for her to survive while she tried to make her way back home. Going back to collect anything from Aunt Helga''s ce was too dangerous and risky now.
Sophie could easily take temporary jobs while on her way to Hauntingen as a tavern worker to earn her keep too. She knew how to cook and that was a good skill to have as well.
There was the fact that she was wearing her Cawden Academy uniform and people would recognize it too, so maybe they''d also let her do other jobs?
If there was anything that Sophie set her mind to, then she would be able to do it. Compared to eight years ago when she was nothing but a child, Sophie now had a lot more knowledge now than before.
"I can''t give up now," Sophie told herself.
After gathering her wits, Sophie reapproached the soldiers to ask for directions to Hauntingen. This time, she was determined to get answers from them.
"What is the easiest and fastest way back to Hauntingen?" Sophie asked and looked all of the men in the eyes. "Can you please give me directions there, at least?"
The group of soldiers stationed outside of the castle looked at the girl in uniform in confusion. Why would she suddenly be asking questions like this when it was already the middle of the night?
"Go home, girl."
"Now is not the time to be asking silly questions," one of them said.
"I am quite serious in my inquiry," Sophie frowned. "And I am going home after this."
The soldiers looked at each other and then decided to just give her directions and even a spare map from out of their supplies.
"Here take this so you can stop bugging us from our jobs."
Sophie raised a brow, but epted it without question. "Thank you."
Chapter 13 Nicholas Secret (1)
When Prince Nichs and Lord Archibald Ferdinand returned to the capital, they were all summoned to the king''s chambers to meet with the king. Nichs''s mother, the queen, was seated at the side of the bed and was taking care of her husband when the two arrived.
"Ah, Nichs," Queen Cordelia''s expression brightened. "You''re finally back after so long."
Nichs nodded politely and then bowed. "I have finally returned upon His Majesty''s request."
The king sat up from bed despite his coughing and nodded. "Good. It''s about time that you finally focus on bing the next king instead of wasting your time and bothering Lord Ferdinand."
Lord Ferdinand tried tough it off. "I''m actually d to have apanion, Your Majesty. It has been incredibly lonely for an old man to live by himself."
"Your Majesty," Nichs''s mother nced at her husband with a small frown. "The two of us agreed that it was right for our son to leave the pce so he would remain safe and recover."
"That was several years ago when he was a boy," the king coughed. "I have allowed this little charade of ''recovery'' from this so-called trauma to go on for too long. How will this young man be king if the thought of werewolves makes him want to run away?"
Nichs stayed silent and only listened with a nk face.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there and not say anything,d?" the king addressed him. "This is about your fate and you''ll simply stay silent? That''s not how a king should act."
"I will do as you will, father, not for my sake but for the sake of the entire kingdom," Nichs said. "But I hope that my coronation is not announced right away when I have juste back. There are still some things that I have to get in order with and ces I wish to go."
"Is this about your savior? It''s already been years since any person who''s visited Hauntingen went to that shambly hut. If it weren''t for my intervention, it would have already been disposed of."
Nichs gritted his teeth. "Father, I am still wishing for that person to return there. It is in my intention to repay them for everything they''ve done for me."
He remembered Sophie expressed her wish to head back there in Hautingen someday. He could imagine how she would be heartbroken to see her home be destroyed.
The older man scoffed, but then waved a hand dismissively. "Then I take it that we''ll announce your coronation as king during your uing birthday celebration. Let my gift to you be passing you the throne even while I''m still alive."
"That soon?!" Nichs''s mother immediately burst out in worry. She couldn''t hide the worry and concern in her chest, but then restrained her features. Only she knew about Nichs''s actual condition, which she even hid from her husband.
"It''s about time. I''ve let this boy go about his life like some dog without a home."
Nichs''s father thought it was already so long since his son was captured by his greatest enemies. In the man''s eyes, there was no time left for the young man to try and ''pretend'' that he was still recovering after those traumatic events.
There was no sign of any scars or whatsoever on Nichs''s body, so the king thought he was fine. It meant that the boy was finepared to the king who actually sustained real injuries and was forced to stay in bed to recover.
He failed to realize that some of the scars were sometimes given to the mind and one''s heart, not necessarily it being the physical body.
More importantly, though, the king didn''t know the truth at all. His wife had kept it a secret all these years.
***
When Nichs left the king''s chambers, the queen left her husband with a royal physician and chased after her son. She touched Nichs''s face worriedly and whispered, "My son, I''m incredibly sorry. I wish I could dy this¡"
"It''s fine mother," Nichs smiled. "My father is incapable of running a kingdom while being bedridden anyway."
"But what about your¡ª" The queen didn''t dare finish her sentence aloud.
p "I will go search in the royal library again," Nichs reassured the older woman with a gentle smile.
For the past ten years, Nichs never saw anything that was substantial in treating his condition, but it was better to not make the woman lose any hope at all.
"Okay," his mother nodded. "There is an entire library of new books again that was added as an addition. I hope they will help you in your research. I have also asked the royal librarian to not disturb you."
Nichs got a bit worried that it was not a good idea to let anyone know about his sudden interest in books regarding werewolves at all, but his mother was usually a good judge of character.
He nodded and gave her a hug before heading to the library.
Nichs needed to be quick. Find a cure, return to Hastings and then take Sophie to the capital. The crown prince wished that she would understand why Nichs had to hide his identity at first and not say things right away when the young man recognized her.
Everything was going to be fine, he convinced himself.
As soon as the young man arrived, Nichs thought about immediately looking at the books, but then he saw the royal librarian. With a quick change of heart, the prince approached the librarian.
If there was anyone who knew about the books more than him, it would be the person who worked at the library all their life. It wasn''t rare for a royal librarian to also engage interest in active research.
"Hello there, can I ask for some assistance?" Nichs asked.
"Ah, Your Highness!" The librarian bowed. "Is there anything I can help you with right now? Your mother has ordered at least a thousand books to be added to our archives. I have finished making a directory."
Nichs paused and doubted himself for a moment. "Is there anything substantial about injuries sustained by our soldiers from werewolves?"
"Your Highness, most people die from those injuries as they tend to be extremely severe."
"Survivors then," Nichs continued. "What about them?"
Chapter 14 Nicholas Secret (2)
The royal librarian stared at the crown prince but then nodded without missing a beat. "I think that there are some old scrolls in the archives that are usually kept away from the royal library shelves which might help, Your Highness."
"Take me there," Nichs frowned seriously. "I have some things that I''m asked to study in preparation for my coronation."
Were these things secrets that his father kept away from him?
"Follow me, Your Highness."
The royal library was a vast collection of books and titles far beyond any ordinary library outside of the pce and was closed to the general public. Some books were worth more than a single home ofmoners because of how rare they were.
The one that Nichs wanted to give to Sophie was something of a highly prized treasure. It was usually appreciated by those of younger years and those with a sense of adventure.
For now, the royal librarian and Nichs reached the end of the library where there were some books that were collecting dust and even webs. It seemed like a ce that was untouched by even those who cleaned regrly within the pce.
"This way, Your Highness." The librarian pulled out a specific book from the lowest shelf. A bookshelf suddenly moved towards the right and opened an opening deep into another room.
Nichs shouldn''t be surprised that there were hidden and secret rooms within the pce. Normally, royalty often wanted passageways away from the eyes of the public to roam about undetected or escape if the castle was sieged.
"How do you know about this?" Nichs asked. He wasn''t frightened or anything by the passage, but he was curious why an ordinary librarian knew this.
"I am the royal librarian, Your Highness." the librarian smiled meaningfully. "The answers that you seek possibly lie there, Your Highness."
"Thank you." Nichs decided to trust them and stepped inside.
***
There were old records, scrolls, and other parchments that seemed to be around even before his own father became king. It was truly the real archive of the library, but Nichs realized that things were kept here to even keep it a secret from the future generation.
Nichs unfurled a long scroll and saw a promation that made his blood run cold.
"In the seventh year of the King''s reign was this order for the entire kingdom. Those who are bitten by werewolves, or even wolves are immediately sentenced to death. If they do not die from the injuries, they will be stoned to death."
It was as if Nichs realized something that was really problematic.
"These people are humans just like me. They didn''t choose to be bitten but they are still killed," Nichs muttered in frustration. He closed his eyes and sighed.
As Nichs continued to read through the documents that caught his attention, the crown prince began to find records about people who were turned into werewolves.
Men and women who were given a bite from a werewolf were known to be stronger than the general popce.
"Regeneration... heightened senses beyond that of ordinary people¡ transformation," Nichs muttered with a frown. Such individuals rose to great power and fame, beloved by themoners for how they turned the war."
The prince already knew all about the beneficial strengths gained through his own experience.
It was one of the reasons why he often had to hide from his father to not arouse any suspicion about him changing into the thing that his father hated the most.
Nichs''s gaze scrolled down to the bottom of the text and the realization of why people like him were no longer around became obvious.
"Such urrences of obtaining lycanthropy have led themoners to revolt from their king because of their newfound powers. The previous kings and his loyal men sentenced all of them to death."
That made sense to Nichs and he hated it. People in power hated it when others below them started to grow more powerful. So, the previous kings put an end to those afflicted by the lycan curse by killing them all.
So it wasn''t strange that his father hated werewolves so much.
But would he really kill his son? Nichs''s mother did not want for them to actually test the king''s resolve. So, she chose to hide Nichs'' condition from his own father. Nichs wished that he had ways to actually rid himself of this condition.
"All of these are historical ounts and exnations of how a man changes once afflicted by this lycan condition. Is there no cure?" he asked the royal librarian curiously.
When Nichs was about to give up and wondered if the royal librarian only wanted him to realize that there was no cure or that lycanthropy was something hated by the royal family, a small but thick notebook caught his attention.
On a whim, Nichs flipped it open and realized that this was a book about herbs, poultices, and other healing salves as well as anti-poisons. There were instructions on how to remove the venom from snake fangs or use spider silk to recover one''s strength.
"Hmm¡ maybe Sophie will find this useful?" Nichs remembered a young Sophie using herbs to heal his injuries back then and he smiled at the memory.
However, a sudden thought jumped in Nichs''s mind and he quickly flipped through the pages. All of them were alphabetically arranged based on the type of disease and nt or herb name, so he searched through the contents.
Lycanthropy.
Werewolves are a dominant species in the world and are subdivided into hierarchical categories. Werewolves are capable of reproducing like most species, but they also have a way of increasing their numbers that do not involve procreation.
The Alpha of werewolves have the ability to transform another race into a werewolf and simr to a vampire, it is through biting and infecting another individual. However, most individuals might be opposed to this change and may seek out wolfsbane to treat their condition.
Nichs heart pounded loudly.
"Ordinarily, wolfsbane acts as a deterrent and may kill a werewolf by hampering their regenerative abilities. However, during torture and interrogation of humans turned into werewolves,rge consumption of the flower can also permanently revert the condition based on several batches."
This was it.
"Wolfsbane is normally grown in the borders of the kingdom to act as a field of protection against the werewolves. Notable locations are the cities, towns, and forests¡ One of the ces where one could find wolfsbane is in the ckwood forest in Hauntingen."
Wasn''t that Sophie''s hometown?
So, apparently, Hauntingen was filled with wolfsbane!
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***********
From Missrealitybites:
If you guessed that Nichs was bitten by a werewolf and is now part of them, YOU ARE RIGHT!
Chapter 15 Sophie Is Going Home
"Can a girl like her actually manage to head to Hauntingen? Based on the map, it''s about two weeks away and that''s on a carriage and not on foot."
Once Sophie left the castle of Lord Ferdinand, the guards couldn''t help but discuss the situation of the young woman. Some might have ventured to help her, but they were given strict orders to stay in one ce.
Unknown to them, Sophie was a lot more capable of taking care of herself and getting where she wanted now than before.
In the past, after Sophie''s parents died, and before her aunt came to get her, the young child was self-reliant. So, she considered this as a chance for her to regain her old self.
Even though it was extremely difficult at first, with determination and grit, Sophie used the map to hike through the roads and head over to Hauntingen. Along the way, she met several people.
The first would be an old man on his wagon. It waste at night when Sophie heard a sound that caused her to look behind her.
It turned out to be a rickety wagon. The wheels were clunking across the ground as an oilmp showed the way for the man riding despite thete hours.
One could see several crates stacked upon one another of what might have been vegetables.
At first, Sophie wanted to avoid the line of sight of the man and would have dove towards the trees if the man didn''t spot her first. Her experience of people in Hastings weren''t always the best, so she was wary.
However, this person turned out to be the first of the many who would help her.
"Where is a youngss like you going around during this time?" the old man called out to her. "Apple and Ross, stop for a moment will you."
His two horses neighed and stopped at hismand.
Sophie smiled sheepishly and looked at the two horses before making a reply to the man.
It seemed like the man took great care of the two and she thought it was a great show of character. A person who cared about animals wasn''t the type to hurt other people, hopefully.
"Hauntingen," she answered. "I''m heading toward Hauntingen."
"That''s quite far away and you''re going on foot?" the old man''s brows rose questioningly. "Do you n to go there without even any supplies except for the clothes on your back?"
"Yes, that was the n that I have," Sophie nodded truthfully. "Until you arrived, good sir. Is there any chance that you could let me join you until your destination if you are heading north? I think we might be heading the same way."
The old man eyed her and rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
"I suppose a man like me could use somepany, it beats talking to my horses all day," the manughed. He tapped on the seat beside him. "Come aboard, child!"
"Ah, thank you!" Sophie scrambled up to join him in front, next to the driver''s seat.
The old man shared some of his food and water with Sophie until he reached his destination several hourster. She thanked the man profusely for taking her that far. Then she continued walking north.
Although there were some people on the road that tried to invite Sophie and saw her as an opportunity for other less savory things, the majority of the people that Sophie encountered were nice and great people.
During the day, she managed to head from one town to the next by either going on foot or meeting people that allowed her to join them on their wagons, carts, and even sometimes carriages.
Most of the people were curious and yet appreciative of thepany and Sophie shared some interesting news and information from Hastings, or rather cow dung academy.
Actually studying there now proved to be an asset for Sophie. Not everyone she met on the road was able to get a proper education, so Sophie''s stories were quite refreshing and challenging at the same time.
"Take care of yourself, young girl!" A matronly innkeeper waved at Sophie.
"Thank you so much, I will repay my debt when I have the chance." Sophie smiled brightly at the older woman she met during her travels.
"When you have built your tavern in Hauntingen, I''ll drop by for a free meal!" the older woman called out andughed.
Sophie was given a small bag that was filled with some loaves, jerky, and other dried foods she could take. Even a water skin pouch filled with enough water tost her three days.
When the night came and Sophie was able to actually reach a town or vige, she was sometimes invited to the home of the person that she joined a ride with.
Sometimes she stayed with them inside of their house and met their family.
There were times that Sophie could only find a ce at a farmer''s barn and promised not to disturb the animals and instead keep them safe. She was rewarded with a hot piping breakfast before she went on her merry way.
Other times when there were no riders or travelers on the road, Sophie headed into the woods to gather something to eat. She was good at foraging and distinguishing between poisonous and edible berries and even herbs and twigs.
Sophie even picked some mushrooms and started a fire in an open valley for a couple of nights.
The winds were cold, but her uniform in Cawden Academy included a cloak that was able to help stave off the harsh temperature during the night.
Before Sophie knew it, she arrived in the familiar brooding forest close to Hautingen.
"I''m finally home." Sophie''s tiredness was washed away by the sight of her ce.
She ended up running through the forest, tried to look around for a familiar patch of bushes that didn''t seem to have overgrown that much, and slipped through them.
The shortcut through the forest took her back to her hut.
Sophie knew that after all those years, it would be a miracle to have her home still be around and in perfect condition. She was prepared to work on debilitated parts if necessary.
However, it looked the same as she remembered it from eight years ago.
Chapter 16 A Familiar Face
"Uff... it''s grown a bit stale and stuffy here," Sophie wiped the umted dust with a rag off from the table. When she found a bucket, she refilled it with water from the river and immediately started cleaning the house.
It was one of the many things that she needed to do.
"Once I can finally breathe into this room without coughing and hacking my throat, I need to find a way to make money," Sophie muttered to herself.
It was a bit lonely to have no one to talk to after several weeks of traveling through towns and viges with various individuals. There were even people who tried to make her stay and suggest that she stuck with them if she had nowhere to go.
"You know, my son would love to have a wife like you," one of the well-meaning people told her when she stayed at their farm. "We might not have much, but if you live with us, I am sure that you will be happy."
"I am sorry, but I really need to go back home," Sophie replied with a smile. "There are a lot of things that I need to do before I could even consider actually getting married."
Sophie did not ept the proposal and politely refused a couple of other offers that were around those lines. So when she was finally home and realized how silent it was as she cleaned, Sophie talked to herself aloud to make the house feel less empty.
When she was finished cleaning the house, Sophie checked on some of the things that her family had once hidden and stashed away for future use.
Underneath one of the wooden nks of the hut was a small jar filled with a variety of seeds.
"Mother always said that keeping the seeds in a dry and cold ce will help preserve it. It''s already been so long, but even if only twenty percent or even ten percent of these actually germinate and start growing¡ I''ll be able to sell them."
There were a lot of things that Sophie needed to do if she wanted to start from scratch.
After Sophie''s hut was cleaned, she went out and traveled to the nearby patch where her parents used to grow vegetables so their family could be self-sufficient. Of course, there was no more growing¡
Wait¡ Sophie rubbed her eyes.
She didn''t want to believe it, but there still seemed to be a couple of nts that were still alive despite all the years.
"Of course some of them would still grow and survive even without people taking care of them," Sophie stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Even without the tended love and care from human hands, nts were more than capable of growing as long as there was water, soil, and ample sunlight. They were all very self-sufficient.
As Sophie took in the vegetable patch, she noticed that there seemed to be some dung too and other rotting leaves.
"Ah, some animals have also started collecting some of the crops." Sophie pursed her lips and then grinned a little at a memory. "Uff, I always chased the rabbits off when I was a kid. But since I was gone, I can see some of the munchings."
Sophie soon made a small fence to keep out smaller animals like rabbits, squirrels, and others that might take a bite out from the crops. There was still that rusty ax and other equipment at home which she could use to do some work.
She was d that some of the vegetables, nts, and others were also a great deterrent from other animals. Sophie learned that rabbits could eat tomatoes, but only the fruit, the green stem, and leaves were poisonous.
"After this¡ it''s time to go fishing and berry picking." She pped both hands to brush off the dirt and wiped her sweaty forehead.
Sophie''s mother may havee from a poor family, but she knew almost everything when it came to tending a garden and Sophie did her best to recall them and also use what she learned back in Cowdung.
Once she was finished tending to the crops, she grabbed both a fruit basket in the hut along with a fishing line and hook that once belonged to her father.
"Gather some berries, capture some fish and sell them to the vige."
There were a lot of things that Sophie needed to buy.
Even though the condition of the hut was still livable, she needed to buy things like nkets, clothes, and other supplies.
"It''ll be a bit of time before I can actually start a tavern and knowing what the vigers think of the woods, I can''t build it here," Sophie muttered to herself. "Unless I manage to change their prejudiced thoughts about the atmosphere or make this ce more appealing."
However, it was time for Sophie to take it one thing at a time.
With no ring, mask, and no support from any Rothschild bank, Sophie''s immediate future was going to be bleak and possibly even filled soul-crushing work since her ie would no doubt be meager as she tried to make a living.
However, Sophie didn''t want to give up. There was no room to admit defeat when she finally found the courage to leave her aunt''s house and return here. If she really wanted to give up then she would have done it years ago, but Sophie wanted to change her fate.
It was up to Sophie alone to make her own life.
After a couple of hours of fishing, Sophie wiped the sweat off her brows and quickly picked up the basket filled with fish and another one that was full of berries.
The ckwood Forest of Hauntingen was filled with a bountiful amount of resources because nobody really bothered to check or visit.
Most of them were biased and preferred to grow their own crops a distance away or have merchantse into the vige and their goods. The forest had a reputation as being haunted. So, people tend to stay away from it.
"I can take advantage of this," Sophie started heading to the vige.
On her way to town, however, she encountered a familiar face amongst the crowd.
His dark hair and brilliant amber eyes were a cut among the rest of the people. Even if the man tried to wear a disguise of a dark hood, Sophie recognized him.
"Nichs!" She shouted in disbelief.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Was it really Nichs, though?
"Sophie?!"
Chapter 17 Going Home With Nicholas
Nichs wasn''t sure if he was seeing things, but the sight of Sophie in the town of Hauntingen surprised him. Sophie was wearing her uniform from Cawden and she was also carrying two baskets filled with berries and fish.
Before Sophie could say anything else, Nichs rushed out and took the heavy items from her hands, and asked. "What are you doing here, Sophie? Why aren''t you in Hastings?"
Nichs rushed to Hauntingen and promised to return to Hastings to pick up Sophie once his lycanthropy curse was cured but now she was here as well. He couldn''t believe it.
Sophie stared at the young man and said, "Why don''t we get those things off from your hands though? I need to sell them to make money."
"Uh, Okay¡" Nichs nodded. "But, just let me carry them. I will follow you."
Sophie finally relented. She headed to one of the market stalls and sold the berries and fish to a fruit and meat vendor. Nichs watched her collect the small amount of money and pocket it.
All throughout the transaction, Sophie felt Nichs''s heavy stare on her shoulder. He had no idea what happened back in Hastings that led her toe here. Likewise, she also didn''t know why he was here.
"You must be really surprised to see me, huh?" Sophie smiled at him. "I''m shocked to see you as well. I thought you went back to the capital with your uncle."
"I have something to do around this area. So, I left the capital. Did something terrible happen with your family?" Nichs asked her straightforwardly. The man did not hesitate to ask her right away about her reasons foring here.
Sophie was honest with him before. So, she smiled reluctantly. "My aunt pped me in the face and threw me into our cer. That was the wake-up call I needed to happen to run away back here."
"What?!" Nichs could hardly hold back his own voice from rising. His blood boiled at the thought of someoneying a hand on Sophie. He reached out and touched her face and stared at it closely. "Are you okay? I''m sorry, it must have hurt."
Sophie''s cheeks warmed at his touch, but she grabbed his hand and pulled it down. "There''s no scar or anything. It already happened a few weeks ago, so you don''t have to worry about it. What brings you here, Nichs?"
"Sophie, do you have a ce to stay?" Nichs asked. He couldn''t exactly exin that he was afflicted by the lycanthrope curse and was looking for a cure so he changed the subject to an important thing. "I am currently staying in an inn so if you''d like to stay in a room there¡"
"Stay with you?" Sophie raised a brow.
Nichs blushed but waved his hand. "No. But I can get you a room right next to mine if you''d like. I wish I was there when that trouble happened with your aunt then I would have been more of help."
Sophie smiled at him and shook her head. "You don''t have to feel responsible about what happened to me, Nichs. Besides, didn''t I tell you that I used to live here with my parents?"
"But that''s¡" Nichs stopped himself from saying anything else. She still didn''t remember him.
"How about I invite you to have some tea at my house?" Sophie asked. "I was worried about what happened when you suddenly left for the capital, but now you''re all the way here."
Nichs quickly nodded. "Sure, I''d love to visit your ce a¡"
"A?" Sophie raised a brow.
Nichs cut himself from saying the word ''again'' and instead said. "I''d love to visit your ce and see the neck of the woods here? You mentioned it before about it being there haha. Let''s go."
"I''ll lead the way so you won''t get lost," Sophie took his hand and then led the way back to the forest. "Nobody has really been there except me for quite a long time so the path is overgrown with thistles, roots, and other vegetation that makes it a lot spookier."
Nichs chuckled. "You say that, but inside of the forest, the sunlight wafts in through the trees'' leaves so wonderfully that it''s hard to believe that people call it haunted."
"Huh?" Sophie looked back at him in surprise. "How¡?"
"I mean, aren''t most forests actually beautiful?" Nichs said. He wanted to tell her about their past together at a much better time. Probably when the two of them could sit down and have a nice talk together.
After staying in Sophie''s hut for about a month with her, it was impossible for Nichs to not feel ovee with nostalgia and especially when Sophie was here as well. Somehow, it felt like they were kids again.
But of course, things were now different since they were older.
Sophie smiled and shook her head. "During the early morning and evenings, the air is so frost-bitingly cold that white mists and haze tend to make the area rather eerie. A lot of people get scared and say that they see things."
"Hmm, it must be their imagination though," Nichs said. "There''s nothing in the forest."
"How can you say that?"
Nichsughed sheepishly. "Well, if it''s really haunted then you and your family wouldn''t be there, right? I mean there are probably animals around, but that''s what hunters are for."
"Uff¡ if only people would think logically like you then they wouldn''t be afraid ofing here." Sophie sighed.
"People tend to be afraid of things that they do not know or cannot exin," Nichs smiled a little bitterly.
"That means that I''ll just have to prove them wrong if I''m determined to change their minds," Sophie smiled brighter and wondered what made him upset. "Especially when I''m building a tavern."
"Huh, you want to do it here?"
"Mhmm, but let''s leave the talk for tea time. For now, it''s time for us to take a little shortcut. The walk usually takes about ten minutes if we take the one my parents used, but¡ª"
Nichs nced in the direction of some bushes and was already heading in the shortcut that she mentioned.
Chapter 18 The Boy From The Past
Sophie was rooted in the spot and stared at the young man who passed through the shortcut without any problem.
How was that possible? How did he know about the shortcut to Sophie''s home?
Nichs even knew how to avoid the low-hanging branch from the old pine tree¡
After she was moved from her daze, Sophie followed after Nichs with slow steps. Multiple questions spun in her head as she stared at this person''s back who, apparently, knew about her house and yet never said a thing.
Who was he really?
Nichs who reached the familiar sight of the hut, felt a sense of nostalgia wash over him again until he realized that Sophie was not beside him. He looked over his shoulder and saw her mouth agape.
He chuckled and said, waving his hand, "Come on over."
"How¡ how do you know about my house, Nick?" Sophie managed to croak out some words as she warily stepped towards him. Even though the two of them were friends, it didn''t mean that she waspletely safe with him.
Nichs scratched his head and then said, "Surprise? I don''t think you remember, but I once visited here. A long time ago."
"Huh?" Sophie batted her eyes at him in confusion.
The image of a young boy at the porch of her house reappeared in her mind and then flickered with Nichs''s current position at her door. Instead of a youngd, a handsome young man with the same dark hair and brown eyes stared at her with a sheepish grin.
"You''re¡"
"Yes?" Nichs gestured around the house and looked at her with a smile. "Even though I wasn''t able to fully say it back then, I returned to you as I promised myself and you."
"That was so long ago though," Sophie muttered. "I didn''t even recognize. You''ve changed so much. It''s been so long¡ h-how did you know it was me? Hastings and Hauntingen are far away from each other."
"Well¡ I was able to recognize you by myte grandmother''s ring," Nichs replied. "I gave it to you as a token of my gratitude. I am so happy you keep it with you after all these years¡"
Sophie bit her lip. Unfortunately, Nichs was wrong. She no longer had that ring because Aunt Helga snatched it from her. This made Sophie feel really bad.
"So¡ you''re really that boy from back then," Sophie looked at him in surprise. "But Nichs¡ your grandmother''s ring, I''m so sorry but I don''t have it anymore. My aunt took it away from me when she thought I stole it."
Nichs shook his head and approached her. "None of that matters right now, I''m just incredibly relieved to see that you''re okay and that you''ve finally left that ce. If you didn''t leave there, then I would havee for you."
Sophie stared at him and tried to shake the sudden feeling that came over her. When she met Nichs so long ago, those were one of the happiest moments. But still, she needed to learn more about him now.
"Nick, if you thought that I was in Hastings all this time¡ then why are you in Hauntingen? What are you doing here?" Sophie asked.
Nichs stared at the young woman before him and coughed slightly. "Ah, that¡ well, I think that''s a conversation best taken when seated down."
"Oh, right. I invited you for tea," Sophie smacked herself in the forehead and stepped inside of her house. "Wee yourself in, Nick. I have to say that it''s a little cramped in here and I barely finished cleaning up¡"
"Hey, it''s almost just like how I remembered it." Nichs chuckled as he stepped inside and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, it does seem a lot smaller since I kind of grew up. But otherwise, it''s just as perfect as I remember it."
Sophie pursed her lips as she went for her family''s cupboard. Nichs was right that it seemed a bit smaller because in the past Sophie used to get a chair to reach the cupboard that her father built.
Now it was within reach.
She ced two cups and saucers on the table, grabbed a teapot, and started heating some water. "I have a feeling that you''re just saying that to make me feel better about this shack. I can''t help but think that Lord Ferdinand''s castle is a lot more spacious and elegant than this ce."
"While that''s true, it makes the ce a lot more lonelypared to here," Nichs replied back as he watched her work on preparing the tea. "And ah, you already have firewood, Sophie?"
Sophie nodded. "Yeah, old ones that were still around. It''s well preserved."
"Hmm¡ what else do you need?" Nichs didn''t sit down on the chair and instead stepped beside her. "I''d like to help you prepare tea like we used to do it before. Do you want me to tend to the fire so you can rx?"
Sophie nced up to see Nichs hovering just behind her, his presence close to hers, but she shook her head. "You can take a seat, Nick. You''re my guest so you don''t have to do anything."
"And you''re the one who seems to have worked all day in cleaning up this ce, going fishing, and even foraging for fruits. When did you get here? I think you need to rest more than me," Nichs argued back.
"Fine, let''s work on making the tea together," Sophie rolled her eyes as she picked up a jar and passed it to him. "It''s not really that hard though, Nick. You can sit down and just tell me when you came here. Are you with your uncle? I doubt that''s the case with the ck cloak."
Nichs blushed and looked down at the collection of tea leaves and flower petals. "Ah, I''m just trying to keep my profile low." He went over to the cupboard and grabbed a strainer and poured some of the leaves and petals into it.
"Well, I''m not sure if you''re doing a great job," Sophie chuckled. "You caught my attention almost immediately. You stand out in the crowd, whatever you wear."
"I would say it''s a shame, but at least we saw each other again right away," Nichs grinned at her. "So I guess it''s worth it even if my disguises suck as long as it leads me back to you."
Sophie stared at Nichs for a moment before she quickly shut out the fire and brought the pot of hot water to him. "Really?"
"Mhmm," Nichs smiled and took the pot from her hands.
"Be careful!" Sophie quickly scolded him.
"Oh, it doesn''t really hurt that much," Nichs chuckled as he added in the tea strainer. "This now concludes our tea making as we wait for it to steep."
"That''s usually three to five minutes," Sophie said as she sat down at the table.
Nichs plopped down and then leaned forward. "How much do you remember, Sophie? My memory''s very crystal clear, but I want to help you remember if you need it."
.
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**************
From Missrealitybites:
What do you think about the story so far? Let me know your thoughts in thement section. Also, a review, if you don''t mind XD.
Chapter 19 Remembering The Past (Sophie)
EIGHT YEARS AGO
"How pitiful she must be to have lost them at such a young age."
"It is because they insisted on living so close to that damn forest that they were quickly dragged to their deaths."
"She might actually be next."
"Hush! Now''s not the time to be speaking of such things."
The vige elder approached a young girl who looked no older than ten. To have lost her parents at such a young age, the neighbors were prone to believe that it was a curse.
The young child was wearing dark clothes and looking afar. The elder sighed.
It was not right for a child to know about death at such a young age, especially because her parents died with so many mysterious injuries in their bodies. So, the burial was kept away from her eyes and she was only informed about their passing.
The older man cleared his throat and asked gently. "Sophie, do you have any rtives who can take care of you?"
"Please do not worry about me, Elder." Sophie managed a brave smile. "My uncle is going to pick me up in a couple of days. I have sent them a letter informing them about my parent''s death."
"Ah, then that is good." The vige elder was impressed that the young child was able to think in advance to take care of her. So, she had sent her uncle a letter? This was really good. The elder felt some relieved.
Nobody would even think about adopting Sophie for themselves, as if the curse would spread through the entire vige if they were toe any closer. Once the funeral rites were finally over, one by one, the vigers left the lone girl to herself.
When Sophie came back to the now-empty hut, that was when she started to cry.
Tears welled up in her eyes and Sophie dropped to her knees. She was at the corner of the hut and hugged her knees to her chest. Sobs began to wrack up from her chest, her shoulders shook and trembled as she wept.
Sophie couldn''t do this during the time when her neighbors all came together to attend the funeral ceremony, she did not want any of them to pity her even further.
"I lied," Sophie''s voice croaked and wobbled.
There was no uncle, rtive or any other family left for her to turn to.
All Sophie ever knew and grew up with was her parents in this forest that people thought was haunted.
But that wasn''t true at all.
Every happy moment was filled with them being in the forest, from growing vegetables to harvesting berries and picking beautiful flowers.
Even though the vigers thought the forest was cursed, it was there that Sophie yed with her father and talked with her mother. They were such loving parents who doted on her. Her life was happy, even though they barely had anything.
Also, there were no dangerous creatures or monsters that lurked in the forest. No evil witch sought to devour them at all.
All of the rumors were false. Even the animals that lived in the forest were not something that dared to hurt anyone. When she was little, Sophie remembered the time when she discovered a wolf cub in the forest.
It was injured and bleeding, but instead of trying to chase it away, both of Sophie''s parents were quick to mend and nurse the wolf cub back to health. Those were one of the moments that made Sophie''s life bright andplete.
But now¡ Sophie was alone.
Sophie cried hard until she fell asleep.
***
A couple of dayster, Sophie was now on her knees and harvesting the vegetables her parents had once grown in the forest.
Even though she lost her entire family, it was difficult to just stop living.
At least that was what her parents probably wanted for her. Sophie couldn''t just lose all hope.
Sophie looked up at the sky and noticed how dark and bleak it looked. Several dark thunderclouds were gathered and it was only a matter of time before a storm fell all over the ce.
"I need to hurry up," Sophie muttered to herself. She rushed to gather the vegetables and as many fruits as she could carry in her basket. When Sophie was done, she returned to her hut and did her best to prepare herself a meal.
Although it took some effort, atst, Sophie now sat at her family''s table and was eating some vegetable stew. If there was anything that Sophie was even more grateful for, it was the fact that her parents taught her to be self-sufficient.
Maybe once Sophie was prepared, she could go to the river where her father used to catch fish. All Sophie needed to do was get some earthworms and then she''d have something wonderful to eat.
The sudden rain prevented Sophie from going out for the rest of the day until finally, it was night. The thunderstorm kept pouring relentlessly while Sophie stayed in her hut.
Whenever it was cold and freezing like this, her mother, father, and Sophie would all gather under one nket as her mother shared stories¡ but now it was just herself.
But Sophie was still warm, wasn''t she? Sophie was under the covers of her bed and was keeping to herself. Until a sudden burst of lightning outside her window and the p of thunder shook Sophie.
"I''m being silly," Sophie whispered to herself.
There was nothing for Sophie to be afraid of. That was until she heard something else besides the heavy rainstorm and thunder. It was the sound of urgent knocking at her door.
Sophie didn''t have any clue who it was.
Sophie''s neighbors never bothered to visit and check after her parent''s death so she doubted it was any of them. No one cared at all besides doing the bare minimum.
"Help me, please!"
Sophie''s eyes widened as she realized it was a cry for help. The voice was croaked and very faint, but after her ears were very sharp and could listen even a faint sound. So, she was very sure it as a cry for help.
Could she really go out right now? Fear made its way to her heart as Sophie thought who could actually be outside and waiting for her.
Sophie was never afraid of the forest before, but now, all the rumors that her neighbors whispered whenever she and her parents traded with them came to her mind. Sophie stayed frozen underneath her covers.
"Help," the voice was growing weaker.
Sophie''s heart beat loudly in her chest, but then she was already at the door and pulling it open. Sophie could never forgive herself if she actually turned someone away just because she was afraid.
A boy not much older than Sophie was swaying at the porch of her hut. He waspletely drenched from the rain and he was pale as a ghost. The scent of blood was in the air and the boy looked at her with widened eyes.
He stumbled and then fainted into her arms.
Chapter 20 The Injured Boy (Nicholas)
Sophie didn''t know what she would do, but Sophie knew that she had to help the boy. Even though the boy was heavy, she carried him to her bed and then ced him there to rest.
Now that Sophie no longer carried him, she could see that there was a severe wound across his neck and the entirety of his throat. It was as if some creature bit him across the neck and tore off bits of flesh.
A lurch was on Sophie''s throat.
It was a gaping injury that should have probably killed someone, but the boy still managed to survive and ask for help. If Sophie wasn''t able to clean the wound, she was worried that some dirt and other things from the rain might have stuck in it.
Sophie grabbed for a basin, poured clean water from a jar, and then reached for a washcloth. Sophie returned to his side and knelt down in front of the pale-faced boy and looked closer at his deep wounds before dumping some water against them.
A bit of dirt stuck to it as blood-soaked against the washcloth.
Sophie''s eyes widened but she quickly pressed some of her nket against the wound. A washcloth couldn''t even absorb everything but this was doing the job. The boy winced slightly in pain and reached for her hand and clutched it tightly.
He seemed to have done it out of pain.
"You''re safe now, don''t worry," Sophie whispered soothingly and squeezed his hand back.
The boy started to rx a little and his breathing became a little more normal. The bleeding also finally seemed to have stopped atst for some reason.
But it was far from over.
Sophie pried herself away from the boy''s strong grip on her and took a step back.
"How could he have traveled during the storm?" Sophie asked herself as she quickly went over her parent''s things. When her father once sustained an injury, her mother actually used some herbs and salves to help treat him.
After going through the cab, Sophie finally found the small canister of the salve that her mother once made. It was a recipe that her mother often used so Sophie thought she could recreate it, but for now, she returned to the boy''s side and reluctantly removed the bloodied nket.
The boy''s injuries were still there, but the bleeding finally stopped. Sophie carefully and gently dabbed some of the salves against the boy''s wound before Sophie saw it slightly close and knit itself over.
Maybe it was Sophie''s imagination, but it was healing far better than she thought possible.
Once Sophie realized that the boy''s injuries were now no longer life-threatening, she was finally able to get some rest atst as Sophie stuck to the boy''s side.
***
It almost felt like forever when Nichs woke up and felt the warm sunlight on his face. The young boy''s entire body no longer hurt, and Nichs wondered if everything that happened was nothing more than a nightmare.
Maybe Nichs''s mother would say it was a silly dream that came after reading all those books and stories in the royal library. Something that he thought and conjured with his overactive imagination.
That was until Nichs saw a girl younger than him. She was probably ten, while he was thirteen.
This girl looked like some guardian angel with messy ash hair and brilliant blue eyes. She was carrying a basket in her arms that were filled with vegetables and fruits, but she dropped it at the sight of Nichs.
"You''re finally awake!" She rushed to his side and then quickly ced a hand on his forehead. "Your fever finally went down as well. Are you okay? My name''s Sophie and I found you."
Nichs''s face heated up at the close contact and backed away from the girl named Sophie. He tried to speak up to say thank you and introduce himself, but no sound came out from his throat.
What?
Nichs tried again and only felt a terrible sensation against his throat. He reached out nervously to his throat and then realized that there was a gauze ced against his neck and Sophie was now looking at him with a sad look on her face.
"When you were at my door, you had a severe injury on your neck¡ I did my best to treat it, but sorry, I guess it wasn''t enough..." Sophie said and bowed her head in apology.
Nichs shook his head. Even if there were probably some amazing doctors and healers, he doubted it was easy to actually treat an injury that was inflicted by a werewolf''s powerful bite.
The boy reached out tentatively to Sophie and the girl raised her head. Once she did it, he smiled brightly at her and mouthed the words ''Thank you'' to her.
That was the best that Nichs could do if there was no paper and ink for him tomunicate.
"You''re wee," Sophie said.
Sophie managed to read his lips a little and quickly returned the smile. Now that the boy was awake, a healthy color returned to his pale skin that made his dark ck hair look better and Sophie could also finally see his eyes.
They have the gorgeous color of amber.
Before Nichs said anything else, his stomach growled loudly and the boy''s face heated up in embarrassment.
Sophie quickly moved towards her table and said, "Stay there and I''ll bring you something to eat, okay? Even though you just woke up, you need a lot of ample time to rest."
Nichs nodded slowly and epted Sophie''s help. Sophie gave him the best of what she had to offer and though it wasn''t much, the boy was grateful for all of Sophie''s help. He epted the bowl of stew and started to eat.
When Nichs remembered what happened before he found himself here, it was hard to imagine that someone would help a stranger out. But there was something that he found a little odd¡
Why was Sophie all by herself?
***
Chapter 21 Little Nicholas Was Kidnapped By The Werewolves Clan (Nicholas)
EARLIER THAT NIGHT
It was before the storm started that a young boy was dragged and brought to a gathering of the n of werewolves.
He was wearing clothes made from silk and other rich materials, but now it was covered in mud and ripped to shreds. All of his opulent clothing now meant nothing.
"Let me go!" The boy shouted and tried to break free from the chain that was around his neck. "You will regret taking me!"
The boy was being pulled like a dog in what appeared to be some gathering of werewolves.
"Insolent brat. Shut up." One of the men pped the boy in the head and knocked him to the ground. "Bow your head down in front of the Alpha."
The boy raised his head and then met the eyes of a frightening man. If one could even call them a man. The boy was aware that there was no sane man that would act like this.
When they called the person the Alpha, the boy figured out that he was taken by the monsters that his father hated so much and had made it his mission to destroy all of them.
Oh.. he was taken by the enemy.
The Alpha was sitting on what seemed to be a throne made out of various bones and skulls. His gaze looked down coldly at him. "So this is the boy?"
"Yes, Alpha Leon."
"Pathetic." The Alpha grinned and looked at Nichs with sadistic glee. "Your father and his kingdom rage against us, but it turns out that his own child is weak and soft."
"A pitifulparison when our own cubs can kill a grown man." One of the wolf n members dered amongst the crowd and eyed Nichs with disgust.
The Alpha ced a hand underneath his chin and eyed the trembling boy. Even though the king''s son was captured and shaking, he refused to back down from the Alpha''s sight.
"I believe we can do that old fart a favor."
"Let us kill the boy, Alpha! Put his skull on the castles of the king and show them no mercy!"
"Kill the boy!"
The other people in the crowd began to chant eagerly.
"No." The Alpha growled and the circle of men and women around him became silent at once. "That is not enough."
"What do you have in mind, Alpha?" One of his right-hand men asked.
The Alpha looked down at the expression of the boy.
"Give this boy the gift of the goddess Luna," Alpha Leon said. "Then we shall see if the king will break his resolve once he sees that his own son is now one of us. Who does your father love more, boy? You or your kingdom?"
The chain around Nichs'' neck was released. The boy quickly got up and tried to run away from them because he knew that fighting was out of his options.
One of the men grabbed Nichs''s head and mmed it into the ground. "This is the boy, Alpha."
Amongst the waiting crowd, the Alpha stood up and stepped forward towards Nichs. He transformed into arge wolf with dark fur and extremely sharp fangs.
The Alpha pressed its paw on the boy''s back and then bit at Nichs'' neck.
Nichs screamed in agony as the Alpha stepped away and then looked down at the bleeding boy. "Consider yourself blessed to receive our gift. But I wonder if you''ll actually survive until you reach your kingdom again."
Nichs looked up pale-faced at therge dark wolf, but then received a kick in the stomach.
"Run while you can, before we change our mind."
Nichs looked at the werewolves with anger in his eyes, but then quickly turned around and started to run away from them. He didn''t know where he was brought or how far the royal pce was from here, but he couldn''t stay still and hoped for help toe..
The Alpha watched the boy run before he looked at the rest of his men. "Make sure the boy gets back to his kingdom."
"Do we have to carry him there, Alpha?"
"No. Do as you please. I don''t care if he arrives there in one piece or not, just make sure he stays alive for the whole kingdom to see."
"We shall carry out your orders, Alpha!"
The Alpha''s men transformed into their wolf forms and howled as the night started.
Nichs looked back over his shoulder and saw the great number of wolves gathered together. The boy''s burst of adrenaline in his blood made him dull the sense of pain awhile, but he started to run faster until he saw a forest in the distance.
Despite its frightening and dark appearance, Nichs thought that it was the only way of escaping. The skies above him continued to grow dark and started to rumble.
Lightning streaked the sky for one moment and the outpour of heavens struck down from above. As the rain came down, only one thought came to Nichs'' mind.
"They''ll lose my scent in the rain and in the forest," Nichs panted and kept running.
Even though Nichs no longer looked back to check, the sound of howls and growls echoed into the night. A great number of werewolves chased after the boy relentlessly and without mercy, making him run faster and further away from the territory of the wolf n.
Nichs entered the forest as the rain poured harder. He ignored the pain and scratches as he rushed past branches, thistles and jumped past roots that twisted against the path in front of him.
The boy didn''t have any idea where to go, he just wanted to escape from them. Nichs heard and saw the howls of the werewolf n start to lessen so he pushed himself further to finally get rid of them.
Before Nichs knew it, the only thing he could hear in the forest was the sound of owls, crickets, and his own loud beating chest.
The rush of adrenaline finally left the boy as his pace slowed down to a crawl. The pain of the werewolf''s bite throbbed and seared into pain that he almost fell down to his knees and gave up.
p But Nichs didn''t stop and kept moving, despite the throb of pain in each step.
He didn''t want to die.
Before he knew it, the boy finally reached the outskirts of the forest and saw the sight of a small hut close by. He pushed himself onest time to reach the door of the hut and asked for help.
When the door opened, Nichs passed out.
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************
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Chapter 22 Nicholas Grandmothers Ring (Nicholas)
Days would pass by in the idyllic hut near the Hauntingen. A young boy and girl lived together against all odds and circumstances. It was difficult to speak to someone who could not talk, but Sophie and Nichs were able tomunicate with each other with a rtive sense of ease.
"Ah, I''m going to head out into the garden and water some of the vegetables. Do you want to apany me?" Sophie asked Nichs.
He nodded his head.
"Oh, then let''s go out now, okay?" Sophie smiled at him and reached out for his hand.
Nichs looked at her hand and then held onto her. He was the older one between the two of them by at least 3 years. So, it was up to him to be responsible and more mature, but Sophie tended to take a more motherly role.
When Nichs wanted something, he''d point at it and Sophie would always ask him questions to which the boy responded with a nod or shaking of the head. Between the two of them, it was always Sophie who talked and Nichs who listened.
Nichs didn''t mind it though. The two of them walked out of the hut and quickly set off to do some chores.
Sophie would water the vegetables and other nts, Nichs would help by pulling the weeds or setting small fences to prevent critters froming in and eating their vegetables.
"Woah, you''re really strong and fast!" Sophie eximed with a smile.
Nichs looked at her with a faint smile and thought, ''I''m only trying my best to be of help to you. How hard it must be to live alone with no parents. You''re amazing.''
Sophie was unaware of Nic''s thoughts and simply pointed to an empty basket.
"If you don''t mind, now that we''re finished with the vegetables, it''s time we go fishing or gather some ripe berries. They sell for a lot in Hauntingen, so we can actually buy meat if we get a good deal."
Nichs followed her instructions and picked it up.
He looked around for the fishing line but Sophie was already carrying it along with a small bucket filled with earthworms. He was impressed that a young girl could do stuff like this.
The girls he met in the pce or were introduced to him as daughters of dukes and other nobles were all very focused on ''ying'' with Nichs or gaining his attention.
He was happy to be around someone like Sophie. A person who liked him and took care of him without knowing the truth about his identity. She was a great person and that was what Nichs liked about living with her.
And yet even as Nichs followed Sophie along, he knew that his days living with her would soone to an end. Nichs already recovered from his injuries and was able to help repay a bit of his debt to Sophie.
But Nichs knew that if he truly wanted to repay Sophie for everything that she did for him, it was time for him to return to the pce.
***
It was one evening that Nichs got up from his bed and checked for the money that he received from Sophie. Since the two of them worked on tending to vegetables and other tasks around the hut, he received a share of the ie.
The boy did his best to save it.
Nichs epted it because it was necessary for him to be able to find a way back home. Last time, when he was on the market with Sophie, he also bought a pad of paper and a quill with some ink.
''Dear Sophie,
Thank you so much for taking care of me for the past month. It is time for me to return to my home but I will make sure toe back for you with my parents and repay you for everything that you''ve done for me.
Yours Truly - Nichs''
It was difficult for him to say goodbye to someone like Sophie. How could he actually leave a girl that was younger than him all by herself in good conscience? After all their time together, Nichs was reluctant.
Nichs closed his eyes and pulled out a ring from his pocket.It was the most precious thing he had in this world since it belonged to histe grandmother and gifted to him after her passing. He treasured it by carrying it everywhere.
A little over a month ago, Nic''s grandmother died and he went along with his parents to the funeral which was close to the edge of the kingdom.
It was back then that the werewolf n attacked them during that evening and kidnapped Nichs. He was brought in and made to suffer for a few days away from his family before he was finally given the curse of lycanthropy.
He looked sadly at the ring of his grandmother and ced it on top of the paper.
It was a small token for Sophie to remember that he was going back for her.
''Even though I like being here¡ I need to return back to the capital and pce. My family must be incredibly worried about me as well.'' Nichs thought to himself and looked back at Sophie sleeping.
Sophie was fast asleep and lookedfortable in her bed, but then suddenly whimpered. Nic''s eyes widened and he quickly approached the girl and touched her hand. Was she having another nightmare?
Nichs watched her expression rx as she squeezed his hand as if she never wanted to let him go. He didn''t have any idea as to what happened to her parents because she never talked about them, but Nichs knew it was sad.
No parent would have wanted to abandon their child alone in the world.
Uff.
It was so difficult to suddenly just get up and leave, but Nichs knew that if he tried to leave the ce in the morning, he would never be able to sessfully leave Hauntingen.
A part of Nichs also wanted to take Sophie with him to the capital, but considering their age and the numerous towns and viges they would visit¡ It was dangerous. That wasn''t even counting how much money they needed.
Nichs also didn''t want to separate Sophie from the peaceful life that she was living in.
Once he gathered enough courage and took everything that he needed to travel out of Hauntingen, Nichs disappeared that night.
.
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***********
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Chapter 23 Nicholas Is Looking For Wolfsbane
Nichs and Sophie spent the entire afternoon retelling each other and swapping stories about their time together as children. Most of them were all wrapped in memories about how the two enjoyed the entire month together before Nichs left to return to the castle.
"I actually came here with my parents a few monthster," Nichs said. "But you were gone and we couldn''t find you."
"Well.. after you left, my aunt''s men found me and took me to Hastings. My grandfather heard about my parents'' death and apparently, regretted that he had banished my father, his only son, from his home after my father decided to marry down to a woman from the lower ss."
Nichs remembered that Sophie lived with a rtively wealthy family. So, it was her aunt''s family?
"Why didn''t you live with your grandfather?" Nichs asked her. "You never told me about him, just your aunt and her family."
"Well¡ my aunt is my father''s younger sister. She took me in because my grandfather died and left his estate under her care. I was lucky she didn''t kick me out of her home after grandpa died."
"Oh¡"
Nichs actually didn''t think Sophie should be thankful for being treated so badly by her aunt. In fact, now that he found out Sophie''s father was her grandfather''s only son, Nichs had a suspicion that the reason her aunt kept her in Hastings with her family was that Sophie was entitled to her grandfather''s estate.
Usually, a family''s property and wealth were passed down to their sons, not daughters. If this was true¡ then Sophie should fight back to get her inheritance from her evil aunt.
Nichs decided to investigate this matter as soon as possible. Of course, after he finished his business in Hauntingen to get a cure for his lycanthropy.
"So¡" Sophie batted her eyes and tilted her head to see Nic''s neck better. She remembered he was injured badly back then and couldn''t talk during his stay at Sophie''s home.
"What are you looking at?" Nichs asked her curiously.
"I am just surprised to hear your voice. You could barely talk back then¡" Sophie pointed out carefully as she sipped her drink. She looked him in the eye and said, "I''m so d that you''ve recovered, Nick."
Nichs smiled grimly and touched his throat. "Yeah, I was afraid that I''d never speak again. Fortunately, I healed well and survived that night."
Or it was actually misfortune due to him being afflicted with lycanthropy.
But right now, it didn''t bother Nichs that much since he was with Sophie. If it weren''t for this situation, then he would have never been able to meet with her.
"Yeah, considering that I was a child back then and only had the salve that my mother had, it was a miracle." Sophie remembered it clearly as she looked at the young man.
"And I grew up still as handsome as ever," Nichs chuckled.
"Pfft¡ that confidence." Sophie rolled her eyes but she was obviously amused.
"That''s what my mother told me, and you can''t deny that all of the women at our academy kept bugging me," Nichs grimaced. "I honestly dislike too much attention, but it''s not like I can change my face. At best, I can hide it."
"Did you consider that they might be interested in your family background and wealth?" Sophie raised a brow. "Not necessarily your looks?"
Nichs smiled broadly. "While that''s also true and applicable to me¡ are you telling me that I don''t look handsome to you? Do you not find me attractive, Sophie?"
"Uff¡" Sophie averted her gaze and shrugged. "I guess you are handsome. A lot more handsome than Richard Lancaster the school prince, that''s for sure. With a great attitude too. So, your future wife will be incredibly lucky."
Nichs stared at her and nearly choked on his tea. "Ah, I guess that a woman as beautiful as you would have incredibly high standards for men."
Sophie raised a brow. "I never said that."
Nichs smiled at his friend and said, "I''m really happy to see you again, Sophie. I was a little worried that we wouldn''t get along after all those years, but you''re still as kind as ever and yet you''ve also changed in ways that are amazing."
"You''re probably looking at me too positively," Sophie coughed. "You should remember that I always end up running away from people."
"It''s for a good reason though, those people were horrible," Nichs said. "I''m¡ Uhm, I really wish that I was there for you during those tough times."
Sophie smiled. "Well, it''s not really toote to repay me. You can still contact the Rostchild bank, right? You did promise to help me out with that loan and it would be incredible if you could do that for me."
"Haha, I can do that, but, uff... of course, you''d bring that up," Nichs chuckled and rubbed his eye. "I doubt that saving my life is worth just that though. I owe you more than that, Sophie."
"Nick, if anyone else were in my position, they would have helped you back then," Sophie said.
"But it was still you, and nothing''s going to change it. I feel indebted to you and grateful," Nichs replied. "You weren''t just my savior but someone who I became fast friends with, someone who I could trust¡"
"It''s the same for me, Nichs. I am grateful for you too..."
"Huh? Howe?"
"Actually, I''m also grateful that you came on that stormy night," Sophie told him with a smile.
If it weren''t for Nichs, perhaps Sophie would have remainedpletely alone. After her parents died, she was very lonely and sad. Nic''s presence helped her in a way to cope after their deaths.
The ''help'' that happened when they were children was not only one-way, perhaps Sophie actually needed Nichs back then more than he did with hers. Right now, Sophie was a lot happier with him around.
Nichs stared at Sophie''s bright smile and found his heart pounding at that moment. Was this what it felt to be around someone who saved his life and who he considered to be a trustworthy person?
"Sophie¡ would you like to stay with me in the inn?" Nichs asked. "I can cover the costs and make sure that you get a really nice room to stay in."
"Huh? Why?"
"Well, I know that this home is very important to you," Nichs said as he looked around the house. He immediately noticed some things that needed more repairs. "And it''s important to me as well. But it''d be morefortable for you to stay in an inn right? The beds are softer..."
Sophie smiled and shook her head. "You don''t have to do that for me, Nick. I''d like to stay here in my home. I traveled so far to get back here and then I''d stay at some inn? No thanks."
Nichs knew that it would be impossible to change her mind.
When Sophie decided on one thing, it was hard to convince her otherwise. So, Nichs nodded. "Okay, I guess that only means one thing then. I''ll be staying here with you."
"Wait, what?" Sophie stared at him. "Are you serious?"
"Didn''t we live together for a month here?" Nichs asked and grinned at her. He pulled up to his feet. "It won''t be that different from before, Sophie. So I''ll just go get some of my things so I can stay here."
Sophie coughed and shook her head vehemently. "It''s different now that we''re older, Nick. You can''t just stay here just because we used to stay together under one roof"
"Howe?" Nichs raised a brow.
"Well that''s¡" Sophie didn''t want to speak about how other people would look at them because she was rarely bothered by those. But the idea of living with Nichs again at this age was enough to make her feel embarrassed.
"You don''t have to worry about anything," Nichs smiled sheepishly. "I just want to help you while I''m here and also because it''s convenient for me to be close to the forest as well."
"Convenient?"
"I''m looking for Wolfsbane."
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**************
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Chapter 24 Nicholass Secret
"Wolfsbane? That''s poisonous, Nick. What do you need it for?" Sophie looked seriously at him. "My mother once told me that if I ever encounter that, I should stay away from it. If you get it on your skin or even ingest it, the effects are life-threatening."
It was one of the few lessons that were heavily ingrained in Sophie''s mind. Her mother taught her about nts, herbs, and their effects but was never as strict when it came to poisonous stuff such as that.
Nichs smiled and nodded at how much Sophie knew. It seemed like the almanac he found at the library was a perfect gift for her once he got it from the inn. More importantly, though, he wanted to trust her with his secret.
"Yes, I know that it''s poisonous, but I need it," Nichs said.
"What are you going to do with it?" Sophie frowned a bit at him.
Nichs bit on his lip and stared at Sophie. It was actually a bit harder than he expected to tell the truth when only his mother and he knew the entirety of what happened. Would Sophie hate him if she knew his secret?
Either way, Nichs couldn''t let it remain a secret for too long. He wanted Sophie to trust him as much as he trusted her with his life and Sophie was probably smart enough to piece the details together.
"Did I ever tell you why I happened to arrive at your house with such grave injuries? I''m sure you''re really curious but you''re not asking me what happened."
Sophie nodded slowly. "I didn''t want to make you ufortable, Nichs. But now that I know that you came from the capital and are highborn, it must be because people are after you, right?"
It was not hard to guess that there were probably some assassins that came after Nichs and attacked him. What was hard to figure out was why the boy came a long way from the capital¡ unless the kidnappers took him close to Hauntingen.
Sophie knew that they were at the border of the kingdom here, so those who captured Nichs were from outside of the kingdom. Or preferred to do it away from the capital.
"Yes, you can say that is the case." Nichs nodded. "Although I doubt you can even call them people at this point."
"I think they''re horrible people for involving children in this kind of situation. They shouldn''t have stooped to this kind of level at all," Sophie told him with a frown.
"..." Nichs stayed silent for a moment and wondered if he should correct her.
Sophie recalled the memory of Nichs on her bed while she treated him. The gaping wound back then¡ her eyes widened. "Wait. The bite wasn''t made through any conventional weapons at all. It was an animal bite."
Nichs nodded slowly. "Yes."
"You came running from the forest, I presume¡ but that''s not it either," Sophie pursed her lips and looked at him. "And that''s not all of it. It''s connected to what you''re looking for, isn''t it? The wolfsbane."
"That''s correct, Sophie."
"Were you bitten by wolves and now you want to kill them with wolfsbane?" Sophie asked. "Crushing them into poison and dipping them into arrowheads make really good weapons for this scenario I think, although¡ I don''t think all wolves are dangerous."
Nichs blinked at such a controversial statement. He realized that a part of him still struggled with even the mere mention of them. He didn''t like the idea of werewolves being put up a pedestal.
"What did you say, Sophie?"
"When my parents were still around, we actually had a white wolf cub staying with us. Before I was born, my parents found it injured outside of our home and took it in. It actually stayed with us until I was eight years old. It was quite friendly and didn''t dare hurt or even nip anything at all," Sophie said with a sheepish smile. "It was actually really cute, like a fluffy puppy."
Nichs looked at her and then shook his head. "Sophie, I''m not talking about ordinary wolves at all. I''m talking about the werewolf tribe. The kingdom''s greatest enemies."
"Huh?" Sophie blinked and stared at him. "Werewolves?"
"Yes, I''m sure that the academy at least taught that in history, right?" Nichs asked. "I think it''s a required module that was mandated by even the king himself in order to remain vignt of our surroundings at all times."
Sophie nodded slowly. "Uhm¡ yeah, they have taught that briefly. Not often though."
"Sophie, I was kidnapped by the werewolf tribe when I was a kid and then they decided to turn me into one of them as revenge on the king," Nichs exined.
"What!?" Sophie''s eyes widened.
Did Nichs just say... king? Revenge to the king?
Was Nichs so important to the king himself that he was kidnapped as a boy?
Nichs didn''t seem to notice her reaction as he continued to exin. "There is an ongoing war still in the background, but people are less concerned as the battles and incidents lessened over time."
"I see¡" Sophie nodded slowly at all the information before her. Even though Nichs just revealed that he was the same boy in the past, now he was providing so much information about lycanthropy that she didn''t even need to know.
"That''s what I need the wolfsbane for," Nichs said. "I need to treat my lycanthropy so I can¡ no longer hide in fear of being killed at all by the people who I consider to be part of the kingdom."
Sophie didn''t know the full extent of what Nichs was fully capable of, but all that she knew was that Nichs was a good person and she trusted him. The idea that he was now suffering because of disease also made her feel hurt.
"I understand, Nick¡" Sophie nodded. "You can stay here so you can find these flowers with me more easily, I''d like to help you out in this search of yours."
"Thank you so much, Sophie."
"It''s only because it doesn''t seem like you have any bodyguards with you at all. Are you here alone?" Sophie remarked and cleared things up.
Nichs nodded. "I am. This is something that I need to do alone."
Chapter 25 Sophie And Nicholas Together
Things were a lot more different now that Nichs was now an adult. Compared to when he stayed with Sophie eight years ago. He was only 13 and she took care of his injuries and most of the household chores. Now it was time for Nichs to show himself as a capable individual.
After he moved all of his items from the inn and back to Sophie''s hut, he also bought an extra mat for him to stay in since there was no bed avable¡ The two of them started out living their life like before.
Except for this time, Nichs made sure to help out a lot more and did an extra effort.
Since he was still cursed with lycanthropy, Nichs was a lot stronger than the average man and could do a lot of things for Sophie. Whether it was chopping down the trees with expert strength and precision to even hunting animals like deer for them, Nichs was prepared to do it.
"Woah, I didn''t realize that you learned how to hunt," Sophie eximed as she looked at the young man entering the hut.
Nichs carried the carcass of the deer and carefully ced it outside. He blushed at thepliment and shrugged. "I had to learn it. Combat is also necessary for a person who lives during tumultuous times. Military experience is necessary."
"I see, but one would expect that someone your rank would stay on the sidelines," Sophie said as she met the young man outside.
Nichs was only wearing pants and a in white shirt this time, and it revealed his toned body from underneath. He shook his head. "I don''t think I''d like to simply strategize, it is also important to be familiar with how battles ur in person."
"I see, well I think it shows." Sophie chuckled and grabbed Nichs''s arm. She found his biceps actually hard and she whistled. "You''re quite fit."
"What do you think you''re doing?" Nichs blushed madly and pulled his arm away. He thought Sophie was too carefree and didn''t feel shy at all being around him. Maybe it was because she knew him from when they were little so she felt more at ease with him?
"Checking out your muscle''s strength?" Sophie raised a brow and then lifted her arm. "Mine is a little softer than yours, but climbing up trees in cow dung academy and my aunt''s home has helped me gain some muscle."
Nichs stared at her and realized that she was letting him touch her. It used to be normal and without any kind of embarrassment when they used to do it as kids and the two of them even slept in the same bed.
Things were much more different since the two of them grew up. Ahem.
His heart raced so madly, but he tried not to show it on his expression.
"Feel it. I have muscles too," said Sophie.
Nichs cleared his throat and reached out to gently poke Sophie''s arm with one finger. He watched Sophie''s expression lighten up as sheughed and looked at him.
"What are you so afraid of? I''m not going to bite you, Nichs."
Nichs sighed in defeat and gave her arm a squeeze. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth, but it was true that there were a decent amount of muscles that were shapely and fit.
"You''re right. I''m more likely to be the one biting you," Nichs said in passing.
"Huh?" Sophie blinked and stared at him in surprise. She was a bit startled by what he said and stepped away from him. "What did you say?"
The look on Sophie''s lips made Nichs chuckle and he approached her, "I said, I''m going to bite you!"
"Are you serious? I guess we really need to find those wolfsbanes soon." Sophie yfully red at him.
"Unfortunately, it''s toote!" Nichs pretended to bite into her and raised his arms. "Run away while you can!"
Sophieughed at his silly antics but then quickly ran back inside of her home and shut the door. She spoke to him from the other side. "Well, you''re not going toe inside anytime soon. It''s best for people who bite to sleep outside."
"Oi, Sophie, I was joking." Nichs chuckled and knocked on the door. "Come on, let me in."
"No can do, Nichs. Better to be safe than sorry."
"Sophie,e on! Don''t be like this." Nichs pursed his lips. "You left the deer unattended here and more importantly, you left me alone here too."
"Didn''t you say that you were with a deer?"
"Well, the deer is dead," Nichs replied. "I''d prefer to have a livingpanion and a person... if you don''t mind?"
"Oh, okay," Sophie opened the door and found herself face to face with Nichs. His amber eyes shone and gazed directly into hers that Sophie instinctively stepped back, a bit embarrassed. "I didn''t know that you''d be standing so close to the door."
"Where else was I supposed to wait?" Nichs chuckled. He didn''t want to admit that he was relieved that Sophie acted that way around him.
It meant that it was not only Nichs who saw things a bit differently between them.
The two of them were no longer children and it was good that Sophie saw him as a man.
"I don''t know?" Sophie said. "Anywhere else so you wouldn''t kiss the door when I open it?"
"It would be incredibly sad if my first kiss happened to be a wooden door," Nichsughed. "What a pity my mother would say for sure."
"Huh?" Sophie blinked at him. "You''ve never been kissed before?"
Nichs stared at her. "Huh? Have you already been kissed by someone, Sophie?"
Sophie shook her head. "It''s just that it''s a bit surprising that someone as handsome as you doesn''t have experience. You seem to be popr around women, you know?"
Nichs chuckled. "I''d say the same to you. Didn''t that school prince of yours want to date you at first?"
Sophie rolled her eyes. "He was only looking at me through my looks but didn''t actually care about me. If he was a good person, he would have helped me out better, but unfortunately, he didn''t."
"It''s such a shame," Nichs said.
Sophie pursed her lips. "Well, let''s not talk about him, I don''t want to think about the people in Hastings anymore."
Nichs nodded. "Of course, my apologies. Let''s just get our lunch and dinner in and then go around and look for wolfsbane again, shall we?"
"Mhmm, let''s do that!"
Chapter 26 Nicholas Transformation
"By the way, when do you exactly um¡ transform into a wolf?" Sophie asked Nichs while they were in the forest, looking for wolfsbane. "If it''s an iffy question, you can choose not to answer it."
"Well, I''ve learned how to control my transformations," Nichs said. "In the beginning, I would shift whenever I was so angry and emotional. But now I can control myself better."
"I see." Sophie mused silently as the two of them passed by some bushes. Every now and then, the two of them stopped to look at all the nts and check if one of them matched with the almanac that Nichs brought.
The two of them were currently searching in the woods for the wolfsbane, but it was taking them a lot of time. It seemed like the immediate area around Sophie''s home was free from wolfsbane. It was quite strange because ording to the almanac there should be wolfsbanes in this area.
Both of them traveled deeper into the woods. Nichs had a feeling that they were a lot closer to the other end of the forest than around Sophie''s surroundings. Around the ce where the werewolves stopped chasing him back when he was a kid.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Even though he said he could control his emotions well, it was not always true. Sometimes, his emotions got the better of him and he would transform on the spot. Fortunately, he could always avoid people and made sure nobody saw him transform.
"Umm¡ you know, Nick?" Sophie asked again.
"What is it?"
"Since your senses are improved because you''re a lycan, how much better would your sense of smell be when you shift? It might help us find what we''re looking for faster."
"No," Nichs said. "I mean, no, let''s not do that. It¡ always feels strange whenever I transform into my wolf form. I really dislike doing it even if it means I''d be getting an advantage when I do it."
"Ah, then forget I suggested it." Sophie smiled apologetically at him.
Even though Sophie was incredibly curious to see how a lycan actually transformed when it wanted to, she did not want to agitate or stress out Nichs.
Nichs scratched his head. Whenever his mother realized that Nichs transformed, she would always end up worried and oftentimes sent him to her rtive''s ces, like Baron Ferdinand in Hastings in order to ensure that he was out of sight from his father.
A part of Nichs now felt like that transforming into that form was something to be ashamed about. It was almost a bad omen. A sign of terrible things that happened to Nichs in the past and a promise of more bad things in the future.
However, he could tell that Sophie really wanted to see what he was like in his wolf form and he didn''t want to disappoint her. The prince wanted to do things that could make Sophie feel happy. She did look very curious and if he transformed meant he could find wolfsbane faster and didn''t need to tire Sophie, maybe it would be best if he shift.
And so, Nichs took a deep breath.
While Sophie was busy checking out the flowers and collecting some that could be useful for them in the future, she heard a whoosh behind her. She nced over her shoulder and then her jaw dropped.
Right in front of her was the most beautiful wolf she had ever seen. It was much bigger than regr wolf. The grey fur was long and it looked really majestic.
If Sophie didn''t know that Nichs could transform into arge wolf, then she might have gotten frightened. There was a slightly domineering stance to the creature, but its grey fur and amber eyes were undeniably breathtaking.
"Nichs?" she asked."I-is that you?"
Nichs did not reply and instead made a step forward to hers. Shyly and almost hesitantly, Sophie reached out towards him. Her heart was beating fast until her hand finally came in contact with his fur.
"Woah, it''s incredibly soft and silky," Sophie eximed as she ran her fingers through the coat of his fur and a growl came from his throat. It seemed to be the sound of Nichs being pleased with her touch.
A bright smile urred on Sophie''s face until a thought came to her head and she saw something lying on the ground just close to where Nichs was standing earlier. At first, it was hard to see, but now she realized what it was.
Nichs''s clothes were now on the ground. She just realized that Nichs in his wolf form waspletely naked.
Sophie pulled her hand back andughed awkwardly. "Ah, I''m so sorry about that, Nichs. I shouldn''t have touched you. It''s awkward, isn''t it? Apologies that you felt the need to transform around me¡ª"
Right before her very eyes, Nichs transformed back into his human form.
The process was actually very fast. One moment Nichs was a grand and majestic grey wolf with dazzling amber eyes, but then the very next thing Sophie knew, the young man was naked and picking up his clothes.
Sophie quickly spun around and stared at a random rock in the distance.
"You should have told me that this happens, Nick," Sophie scolded him lightly.
Nichs chuckled from behind her as the sounds of rustling sounded. It seemed like he was now wearing his clothes.
"Well, it never crossed my mind to transform. So, I never found the reason to exin that my transformation results in me ripping out from within my clothes. It''s a bit inconvenient, so most of those in the werewolf n wear little clothing," he exined. "I don''t want to ruin my clothes now just to transform for you. So, I took them off."
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*********
From Missrealitybites:
Uhm, oh yeah... Sophie just saw Nic naked. XD
PS: I am so happy because the process to sign this book to Webnobel went really fast. I thought I have to wait for weeks to get it contracted. Well, today I submitted the paper and a few hours ago the contract went through.
So, I will be publishing more in the next ten days so we will have enough chapters by November 25 when the book goes premium. I n to have it locked around chapter 40 or 50, right after we meet Lnd. I can''t wait to show him to you!
Chapter 27 Looking For Wolfsbane
Ahh, I see." Sophie blushed and nodded shyly. She tried not to think about the idea of some men only wearing loincloths and showing their sculpted figures.
Did those from the n wear little clothes? If Nichs already looked amazing in shape and he spent most of his life living as a human, how much more were those who lived their life growing up as lycans?
Sophie quickly erased that string of thought. People in their kingdom thought of the werewolf n as their enemy, the monsters, so there was no time for Sophie''s thoughts to get mixed up with dirty ideas at all.
"Ahem," Nichs coughed lightly when he realized that Sophie was lost in her thoughts. What was she thinking of? Did he not give a good image to her because he transformed?
Or¡ did she think of him as a freak?
Nichs''s heart pounded loudly when he thought that Sophie might possibly not ept him. The young man spent a good portion of his growing years constantly thinking of this wonderful girl that took care of him that it never crossed his mind that she would dislike him.
"Sophie?" Nichs asked nervously.
"What is it, Nick?" Sophie asked. She noticed that he looked a bit bothered and she wondered if it was because she saw his body naked for even a short while.
"Do you think I''m strange¡ or a freak?" Nichs looked her in the eye. "Am I scary in your eyes? Does the idea that I can change forms from human and into a wolf scare you or freak you out? I''m just like those monsters¡"
Sophie''s eyes widened and she stepped towards him. She cupped his cheeks with the two of her hands and looked at him. "Nichs, please don''t say that about yourself. You''re NOT a monster."
Nichs''s body flushed underneath her touch, Sophie''s hand was incredibly warm and he yearned for this kind of contact. Back when his mother discovered that he transformed into a wolf and could not control his transformations¡ the queen sent him away.
He knew it wasn''t out of malice, but Nichs grew up looking for love.
Sophie''s touch was so heartwarming and sweet that he leaned into her hand and closed his eyes.
"Thank you so much, Sophie. You''re amazing," he said and sighed in relief.
Sophie''s smile grew wider as she realized that Nichs felt a lot better.
The two of them stayed in this position for about a minute before Nichs reluctantly pulled away and cleared his throat. "Uhm, since it''s getting a bitte and it''s getting darker here inside of the forest. Maybe we should go home?"
Sophie blinked. "Home?"
She did not realize that Nichs had just referred to her home as his¡ but somehow it felt just right when he said it.
Nichs gave her a definitive nod. "Yeah, let''s go back before it gets dark."
Sophie didn''t want their day spent searching for wolfsbane to be for naught. She looked around them and found a dry branch of wood on the ground and some other sticks. She picked up some smooth stones and rubbed them together to make a fire.
"Nichs, we can use fire instead to travel a little bit further today than usual," Sophie told him. "And don''t you have a great vision because you can transform into a wolf? We''re still at an advantage. It gets a bit harder to keep moving back and forth."
"But¡ what about the food? Aren''t you hungry and want to eat dinner?"
Sophie batted her eyes at Nichs. "You do remember that there are a lot of berries and other crops here in the woods. There are nice mushrooms too."
Nichs sighed and knew that Sophie was right. Traveling to this part of the forest took them about an hour of traveling so going back to their hut and then returning the next day always meant that they spent some time repeating areas where they already arrived before.
If the two of them wanted to progress in their search for wolfsbane, it was up to Sophie and Nichs to go further than their usual route.
"What do you say, Nichs?" Sophie smiled brightly and held up her impromptu torch burning with fire.
"I really wish we had amp." Nichs sighed but then grinned. "And yet you always manage to make solutions out of anything. A smart girl as always."
"Don''t embarrass me." Sophie blushed and pointed to the north. "Let''s just get going, shall we? After you first, Nichs."
"Yeah, I need to go first so I can protect you," Nichs nodded as he took the torch from her and stepped forward.
The young man checked the ground for any vines or roots that could trip them, he looked at the trees for any creatures that might surprise them.
Sophie chuckled and stood right behind him. "Nichs, as far as my father and mother ventured before, they said that there''s nothing outwardly dangerous here in the woods. You don''t have to worry about animals either. I''m sure you can easily scare them off."
"That''s true, but still, things might have changed between then and now," Nichs replied.
The reality was that not only did transforming into a wolf give him heightened senses, the animals in his vicinity also seemed to bear notice of his presence and avoided him. Nichs wondered if it was the effect of him bing a lycan.
Actually, Nichs was curious about his position. He knew that those in the great werewolf n were all ranked and given different social standings based on their individual powers. Nichs read the information from the scrolls and books in the royal library and discovered them.
Alpha was at the top of the pack along with their destined mate.
Beta was the second inmand and heeded the orders of their Alpha and made sure that the Omegas were kept in line. The Omegas were thest of the wolf order and were often the most numerous of the werewolf n.
Nichs hoped that he wasn''t an Omega because the abilities of the Alpha included actually dominating Omega and enforcing their will upon them.
"Hey, are you okay?" Sophie shook his shoulder lightly.
Nichs nced over at her and sheepishly grinned. "Ah, I was suddenly¡ª"
Drip.
Drip.
Suddenly, they felt raindrops fall on their skin.
Chapter 28 Raining
Before the two of them knew it, the rain started to pour down heavily from the skies. It quickly extinguished the fire that came from Sophie''s torch. That made the young man and woman look at each other worriedly.
"We can''t get stuck here during a storm!" Nichs dropped the torch and grabbed for Sophie''s hand. "Let''s go!"
Sophie was surprised but did not turn away from him and only nodded wordlessly. She almost assumed that the same storm that brought him to her home was once againing over to send them back there.
Even though they were to waste their time by returning here tomorrow or the next day, it was okay because Sophie and Nichs could not search for them during a storm or even just heavy rainfall.
Both of them traveled as fast as they could, but they were still slowpared to the rain that fell on them without any question or hesitation. It was easy to see that the wet ground and mud weren''t also doing the two of them any favors.
"Sophie, get on my back," Nichs suddenly said.
"Wait, what? I''m too heavy!" Sophie argued with him. "You shouldn''t try to carry me back all by yourself. That''s too dangerous and there are slopes here too. You have to be careful."
Nichs didn''t like using his full strength because it showed him how much different he was whenpared to other ''normal'' humans, but this time it was a proper time to use it. He knelt down on the ground and urged Sophie to get on his back.
Sophie bit down on her lip but then did as he asked. Once Nichs secured Sophie by grabbing her legs while her arms wrapped around his neck, the world behind them suddenly blurred.
"What?!" Sophie''s eyes widened as an incredible burst of speed took over Nichs as they breezed through the woods that they traveled together in what almost seemed like a blink of an eye.
The travel that took them at least two hours to go on foot suddenly breezed through them in what seemed to be a matter of mere minutes.
Sophie felt the strong wind and gust in her face, blowing through her hair. She wrapped her arms more securely around Nichs'' neck and buried her face in his hair.
Before she knew it, the rain finally stopped pouring down on her body and Sophie lifted her head and realized that they were underneath the roof of her hut and standing on the porch.
"You can get down now," Nichs gently told her and helped her get back on her feet.
Sophie was a little wobbly on her feet, but then smiled brightly at Nichs. She gushed, "That was amazing. I thought we were flying!"
Nichs chuckled at her gleeful expression. He shrugged. "I was only running and jumping sometimes to avoid the rocks and other slippery parts of the forest."
"Still, that was really impressive," Sophie said in awe. If all of the people in the werewolf n had abilities as great as Nichs'' she couldn''t imagine how they were all surviving and yet the n didn''t even win the war.
Was it because there were a lot more humans than werewolves?
A lot of Sophie''s thoughts would vanish once she noticed Nichs peel off his shirt and twist it to remove the water that drenched it. Even his own pants were incredibly soggy¡ and Sophie realized that she was also extremely wet.
Even though Nichs moved incredibly fast, the two of them didn''t outrun the ran and were nowpletely drenched.
Nichs was actually doing his best at not looking at Sophie. He btedly realized that some of her undergarments were now visible as the rain darkened and made her clothes soggy. The young man cleared his throat.
"I think we need to get changed, Sophie."
"Huh?" Sophie blinked.
"I mean if you stay in those wet clothes, you''re going to get sick," Nichs coughed. He motioned to their hut''s door and said. "You can get dressed inside and I''ll wait for you here outside. I''d also appreciate it if you get me my change of clothes?"
Sophie quickly nodded and rushed inside of the hut. She tried not to leave wet footprints all over the wood because it might make moss grow and make her home more susceptible to rot and decay.
"Ah¡ what does Nichs normally wear?" she asked herself once she reached his luggage. Nichs didn''t bring a lot of things, but he had a decent amount of clothes for him to change into.
Sophie didn''t want to go through Nichs''s things too much. So, she chose the clothes that were on the topyer and quickly headed back to the door. She handed him the things he asked for and then went on to change as well.
"Uff¡ why did it have to rain?" Sophie asked herself as she looked out at the window.
The two of them were making progress but were now halted by the rain. Sophie sighed but then changed her clothes. She stripped down from her damp clothes and changed into morefortable home clothes.
"If the rain doesn''t stop all night, we might not be able to work in the morning," Nichs said once he stepped inside the hut. The man stopped in his tracks once he saw Sophie pull down her shirt and turned to look at him in surprise.
"Oh, yeah. That seems to be a likely scenario," Sophie nodded. She didn''t ask him why he forgot to knock because it seemed to have slipped his mind. Nichs was a bit red-faced right now. He instantly turned around so as not to see Sophie change.
The girl got dressed so quickly and then cleared her throat. "I am done changing. You can turn around."
Nichs turned around very slowly and tried not to look at Sophie directly. He walked toward her and sat on the wooden stool in the corner.
"Well¡ I guess the two of us should just make good use of our time here," Nichs said. "It looks like it''s going to rain all night."
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**************
From Missrealitybites:
My favorite parts about raining scenes are the see-through clothes and bulging muscles. HAHAHA... sorry about that... I am a certified pervert.
PS: Aww.. thank you, Maude, for gifting a dragon to Sophie and Nic yesterday. xx
PPS: Btw, I really like that the Webnovel tform bes very flexible. In the past, authors can only apply for their books to be locked or go premium every Thursday. That''s why I initially nned to have this book locked by November 25, thest Thursday of the month.
However, now, authors can go premium with their books anytime they want. This means I can choose to lock this book by November 20 or even 30, not necessarily November 25 as I announced previously.
This is good because I can be more flexible with my publishing ns. I would like to give more free chapters until we get to the most exciting parts before you can decide if this story is worth unlocking with your coins... or not.
Btw, I can''t wait to show you Lnd. In fact, I will post a spoiler in the next chapter to give you a little sneak peek at what he looked like.
Chapter 29 SPOILER - Leland
*** This is a spoiler about how Lnd looks since I am impatient to show him to you all XD. Obviously, you can skip this if you don''t want to know. ***
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THE ALPHA
The two scouts went to their headquarters around two days away from Hauntingen. It was a mansion located on the top of the hill and surrounded by thorny nts.
The property looked grey and cold and gave off the vibe of being haunted. The pack liked it that way because it kept people off.
The vigers down the valley thought the mansion was owned by an old and wicked witch who could turn them all into animals if they bothered her. So, they always tried to avoid going around the area.
When the two scouts entered the big hall in the middle of the mansion, they could see their leader standing by the window. His back facing them. If they didn''t know him in person, they might even think he was a statue from how his body was stiff and didn''t make any movement.
His white long hair went down to his shoulders, only added to the coldness he exuded. It actually reminded people of an ice statue.
The man was tall and burly. Everything about him screamed power and strength. His muscles protruded from under his ck shirt and his gesture looked overbearing. Even though it was a cold night in autumn, he didn''t seem bothered by the low temperature and didn''t feel the need to wear a coat, unlike his people.
The two grey werewolves transformed back into their human forms.
"Alpha!" Duncan and hispanion panted as they fell to their knees and bent to the silent man. "We have the news!"
The white-haired man didn''t bother to turn around to acknowledge their presence. However, they could hear his authoritative voice when he talked calmly. "Speak."
"Most of the humans are easily deceived and cannot detect that we''re werewolves," the first man said. "However, we encountered someone who realized what we were when we inquired of the people who lived in the ckwoods."
"The Vige Elder of Hauntingen knew that we were werewolves!" Duncan burst.
An icy silence from their Alpha had Duncan clearing his throat and bowing his head in apology along with hispanion. They did not want to gather the wrath of their leader and cause any trouble within the pack.
"Alpha¡ we also have another news and¡" Duncan swallowed. "I think you will like this one."
"What of it?" Lnd''s voice was cold and blunt.
Duncan hesitated along with hispanion. "We met the woman that you have been looking for, based on her descriptions, but she did not seem to have any clue to her roots. We have also noticed the scent of another alpha werewolf on her. I am unsure which pack."
"What did you say?"
Finally, the pack members could see an expression of their leader because the man suddenly turned around and looked at the two scouts with narrowed eyes. He had always been handsome, but the man never smiled and they never saw him happy.
His blue and green eyes always looked unfazed and expressionless, like the deep sea, hiding a million secrets. They could never know what he was thinking and he was not one to share.
However, today, they suddenly saw a very faint smile on his lips and that made him look so charming. The pack members were dumbfounded. Not only that faint smile, but they also couldn''t recognize the glint in his eyes.
What was that¡? Joy? Relief? It looked a bit like happiness.
He was in a very good mood, all of a sudden.
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***************
From Missrealitybites:
Lnd will show up at around chapter 40-ish. Why? Because Nichs and Sophie need time for themselves to develop their rtionship. So, it will take some time for all the main characters to meet. I hope you''ll be patient ^^.
,m By the way, as I said, this book is inspired by the reverse haremic "Beauty And The Beast" where the female lead has 4 husbands.
If you read the book, you''ll know my favorite husband is Winston, the white tiger.. hahaha. Why? Because he is really strong, kind, handsome, and he also has white long hair, which I really like - you know, like Geralt from "The Witcher".
PS: Thank you, Despina, for gifting a dragon to Sophie and Nic today.
Ahh... this makes me want to publish more, but I have to sleep so I can write properlyter (it''s 2 am my time). I''ll do so in the morning. xx
Chapter 30 Its Such A Cold Night (1)
Note:
Gosh.. thank you, DianaSuan for gifting two castles to this book today. Omo... I will publish a bonus chapter soon because you made me so freakin happy!
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"Yeah¡ Now, I remember that this area rained a lot in the past during the autumn season. This type of rain couldst all night," Sophie nodded in agreement.
"Hmm.. I see. Well, you should eat something so you can feel warmer, by the way," Nichs suggested. "If the rain willst all night, it will be really cold."
"We should," Sophie smiled and nodded again. "I''ll make us supper immediately. Running so fast through the woods and getting us back here before the storm worsened is amazing, Nichs. You deserve to eat well, tonight."
Nichs looked at Sophie and then quickly nodded. "Ah, yeah, let me make the fire."
He cast his nce around them to find firewood to make fire. He remembered they put a stack of firewood in the corner of the hut. So, he went there to get some.
However, the prince had to let out a disappointed sigh when he realized the roof on that part leaked and now the firewood was wet.
He took a few and checked them only to find out that they were too damp to make fire.
"I am sorry, Sophie. I should have checked this hut for any leakage and fixed it. Now the firewood is useless." He turned to Sophie and said apologetically. "We cannot make fire."
"Oh¡" Sophie pressed her lips in surprise. It was damn cold and she didn''t know how she could sleep in this temperature. Also¡ they wouldn''t be able to make tea and cook food.
"I wish we had wine," Nichs murmured. "It would help with the cold."
Sophie didn''t say anything. She never spend her money on alcohol because she didn''t have a lot, to begin with.
A little money she earned from selling mushrooms and vegetables she grew to the market in town was already spent to buy some supplies like a nket, and one set of clothes for her to change into. And now that clothes were wet. She was now wearing her old school uniform from cow dung.
"I am sorry¡ I will buy wine the next time we go to the market," Sophie said with a low voice.
She felt sorry to see Nichs must be feeling cold. The man was a nobleman who was raised in a castle. He must be used to having a good life.
Nichs smiled and shook his head. "It''s not for me. I don''t feel cold. It''s for you."
After he was turned into a werewolf, Nichs had the strength of that monster. He had heightened senses and unusual strength. This included a better ability to handle cold. Besides, if he wanted, in the event that he was trapped in extremely low temperature, he could actually shift into his wolf form and let his fur warm him.
"Oh¡ I am fine, don''t worry about me." Sophie quickly waved her hands and faked herughter. "I am used to this condition. I lived here, remember? This storm and cold won''t bother me."
Nichs looked at Sophie with disbelief, but he didn''t say anything to refute her words because he didn''t want to make Sophie feel ufortable.
"We don''t have anything to eat, but some berries," Nichsmented. "We cannot cook food for dinner."
Sophie bit her lip. She thought the same thing. It looked like tonight they had to sleep with empty stomachs. Well¡ at least her bed was still dry and it had a decent nket to keep her warm.
"Let''s just sleep¡" Finally, Sophie decided.
Nichs nodded in agreement. Outside, the storm continued to pour down heavily and chilled the air in ckwood Forest. The two of them tried to sleep and hoped morning immediately came and rain would stop by then.
As usual, Nichsid down on his mat on the floor while Sophie took the bed.
"Are you really okay just staying ufortably on the floor?" Sophie asked him worriedly. It was a routine that she almost asked every night because she wanted him to have the bed.
A nobleman like him was probably not used to such a lifestyle as hers.
"I''m fine," Nichs reassured her.
That was what Nichs answered every time for the past several nights, but this time, Sophie was a bit unhappy about the situation. It made her remember something they used to do as children.
"We used to sleep together in the same bed when you lived here, by the way," Sophie sighed. "Why not do it now?"
Nichs coughed. "That was before. T, things are a bit different now, Sophie."
"In what way, even? The two of us are just going to sleep together," Sophie pulled the nkets all the way to her chin and shivered.
Nichs tried not to think about the birds and the bees.
"It''s so cold tonight, I should have bought more nkets," Sophieined. "Are you cold?"
"I''m warm¡" Nichs said.
"Oh..." Sophie remembered the sight of him transforming back into a human and flushed a little. He was probably really warmpared to her so he didn''t have problems with the cold.
"Yeah," Nichs nodded and tried not to remember their nights of sharing a bed together as kids. He was a child back then and didn''t have any strange thoughts, but now he was a man. As he said, it was¡ different.
Even if the floor was ufortable, it would have to do.
"I''m sorry, Nichs." Sophie quickly apologized when she realized what he must be thinking. "I just feel really cold that I wasn''t able to think straight about how it might seem weird. I didn''t realize how it would sound so wrong."
Sophie realized was finally aware that it was a bit strange for herself, an unmarried woman to just offer him, an unmarried man, to share a bed with her. People would have the wrong idea.
It reminded her of the times when her aunt Helga called her a harlot who invited men to sleep with her¡ but she knew that Nichs was a gentleman and she really didn''t think of such things.
Gosh, why did Sophie have to even think about it now? That made things strange for her when it wasn''t odd for her to live with Nichs before. The two of them were friends!
"No worries, I know you didn''t insinuate anything," Nichs chuckled weakly. Why did he wish that she did? Ah, he was such a pervert.
A couple more minutes would pass between them. Sophie tossed and turned in her bed and was unable to fall asleepfortably.
Even if she tugged the entire nket all over her head, she was still freezing and her body shook uncontrobly. Sophie didn''t realize how living in Hastings with a warm room over her head made the cold temperature in her old home unbearable.
Nichs cleared his throat. "Sophie?"
"Y-yes, Nichs?" Sophie''s teeth chattered a bit, but she sat up and nced down at him.
"Um, do you want me to hug you?" Nichsughed sheepishly. "I reckon that you need it. I can hear you shivering."
Sophie''s face heated up. "Ah, I''m so sorry. Were you finding it hard to sleep? I''ll try not to make a noise."
"Hey, that''s not what I meant. I really don''t mind. It doesn''t bother me, really." Nichs sat up and coughed. "Er, I am just worried about you. You see, I''m really warm here. So, a hug from me will make things warmer for you. I can wait for you to fall asleep then I''ll get back to my bed."
"You mean your mat?" Sophie asked doubtfully.
"Yeah, my bed, my mat¡ it''s the same." Nichs chuckled. "If you don''t mind. Actually, I''m a little afraid that I''ll wake up to you frozen over in ice."
"Hey!" Sophie yfully red at him. "It''s not that cold. I have body heat too, you know?"
Nichs shrugged. "I know, but it doesn''t seem to be enough. What about it? Just until this storm passes over. You don''t have to worry about me doing anything sneaky."
"Er¡" Sophie averted her gaze shyly and rubbed her arm. "I know I was the first one who suggested it¡"
Nichs nodded and chuckled. "You really did just do that earlier."
"Fine, fine, a hug doesn''t sound terrible right now." Sophie decided, atst, to quit being hesitant. She scooted over and patted the space on the bed beside her. "Come over here now."
Nichs quickly got up and sat beside her in bed. It was a little awkward at first and Nichs could hear his heartbeat so loud in his chest as he inched closer to her.
Sophie coughed. "You''ll¡ hug me while I try to fall asleep, right?"
"That''s right." Nichs nodded with a smile. Even though it was dark and Sophi couldn''t see his face, she could tell that he was smiling...
"Then we should do this while lying down." Sophie moved a little back in her bed andy back down on her side. Her face was incredibly hot as this was the first time she was going to share a bed with someone in eight years.
Why was it so embarrassing?
Nichs gulped as he stared at her. She looked so inviting and it made his blood burn, but as promised, he rested down beside her and slowly ced his arm around her. "Is this okay?"
"Um, yeah." Sophie nodded shyly. "Actually, can you pull me a little closer if that''s alright?"
"Haha, of course." Nichsughed sheepishly as he tugged her closer. Her body pressed against him and it made his breath hitch. Why did this feel so good?
He closed his eyes and tried to think about something else.
Sophie''s eyes widened as she felt Nichs'' incredibly firm body so close to her. She could feel his body heat and even hear his chest pounding wildly.
While it made her feel a little rxed that Nichs was also nervous like her, Sophie began to feel a growing heat spread around her body.
It wasn''t just Nichs'' warmth seeping into her.
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Aww... poor prince, trying so hard to distract his mind from the beautiful woman who is sleeping beside him. XD
Chapter 31 Its Such A Cold Night (2)
Ah, Sophie''s scent was driving Nichs crazy.
She smelled of fragrant flowers in her hair along with the scent of rain and dew and other earthly things that were so appealing to him. Her body felt so snug andfortable around his arms.
If he moved or shifted himself just a little, Nichs could feel something else besides her waist and hips. His fingers could graze against something else by ident.
Nichs bit down on his lip and stared at the ceiling. He must have sent an oath or prayer to the heavens. The prince wasn''t sure if he was going to praise this opportunity or pray for strength and will.
The storm continued to pour down over the roof and the non-stop pounding of raindrops echoed in his ears. If Nichs tried to squirm or even move a little, he was afraid that he''d feel his temptation¡ be more exacerbated.
The man chanted boring lessons of his royal tutors in the back of his head. He suddenly remembered word by word of Sartorius Wisdom in that 500-page philosophy book he had to readst year.
Yeah.. it was one of the most boring subjects he had ever got. Sartorius Wisdom was taught to all future kings so they would know how to be good kings and rule their country wisely.
Shoot¡ it didn''t work. Thinking about being a king only made his mind go wander to the future. It would be nice to be king with Sophie as his queen. They would make a nice couple and¡
No¡ he should think about another more boring subject that didn''t involve Sophie.
What did he need to think about so he wouldn''t get all excited? Maybe he should think about the carrots growing outside of their hut, they were nted deep down the rich soil.
That wasn''t helping him at all!
Nichs hoped that Sophie was falling asleep. He could hear her breathing but it seemed to be a little fast and not rxed at all. Was she also having trouble sleeping, like him? He wondered if she was feeling the same as him.
"Sophie? Are you asleep?" He rested his chin on top of her head and whispered to her.
Sophie shook her head weakly and bit down on her lip. She crossed her legs slightly in bed and tried not to be too distracted with how firm Nichs'' body was. She swallowed heavily for a moment and tried not to rub her legs together.
"N-no¡ I''m not. Now it''s too hot."
"Do you want me to move away?" Nichs asked with a small gulp.
"It''ll be too cold then," Sophie whispered as she closed her eyes. "I will fall asleep, so please just stay by my side until then."
"O-okay," Nichs was going to listen to Sophie''s request because it was helping her - not because it felt so good to have her in his arms.
He exhaled loudly and then started counting again.
One carrot. Two carrots. Three carrots.
After a couple of minutes, Sophie spoke up.
"Are you okay?" Sophie asked Nichs.
"Ngh¡ Sophie, I thought you were going to fall asleep." Nichs wanted to groan because of how difficult it was to restrain his body from going through its normal physiological reactions.
"You sound like you''re troubled too." Sophie leaned away from him for a moment to look him in the eye. She bit on her lip. "Is my request troubling you?"
Nichs noticed how some of the moonlight filtered in their shack and ced her in such a beautiful light. Sophie''s hair fell across her shoulders tantalizing and the way she was biting her lips was so seductive.
"Nick?" Sophie batted her eyes at him.
Dammit. She didn''t realize this but when she innocently fluttered hershes¡ something within Nichs felt like it wanted to explode.
"I''m fine, I''m fine¡ it''s just me," Nichs took a deep shuddering breath. "Maybe this was a bad idea? No. I knew it was a bad idea but I still offered it because I wanted to be so close to you."
Sophie flushed at his words and averted her gaze. "I think¡ I think I know what you mean."
"Huh?" Nichs blinked.
"I feel¡ funny." Sophie coughed as her cheeks had a warm rosy glow. "I was feeling cold earlier, shivering cold. But now, I feel incredibly warm? I feel hot being so close to you, and I don''t dislike it at all."
"Oh." Nichs blushed. "I see¡ Well, uh, is it making it hard for you to fall asleep?"
"Yes..."
"Same," Nichs admitted.
"Then the two of us should move away from each other," Sophie pointed out sheepishly and looked down so she could stop looking into his gorgeous amber eyes. "We still have a long day tomorrow¡ finding wolfsbane, taking care of the garden and work."
"Yeah, we should." Nichs agreed. He cleared his throat and forced his mind to order his body to move away.
"Then it''s settled," Sophie said softly.
Neither of them made a move away from each other though. Instead, the two of them eventually stared at each other and hoped that the other one would do it¡ because they actually liked being in this position.
"Why aren''t you moving?" Nichs asked Sophie in a hoarse voice.
"You do it first, I''m¡ well¡ I am already at the end of the bed," Sophie shyly averted her gaze and ignored the prickling heat that seared across her belly. There was a dampness that she was feeling in between her legs.
It wasn''t from the storm earlier.
"Hah¡ I''ll let you in on a secret, Sophie. It''s really hard for me to do that right now." Nichs leaned in close to her ear. His soft breath fanned over her earlobe. "You¡ feel really good in my arms. It''s like I''m hugging a wonderful and nice pillow."
Sophie flushed hard at his words and his breath. His warm voice somehow sent a shudder down her spine. "Well¡ you''re so warm that I know I''ll feel cold if I move away."
"Then we''re back to square one," Nichs chuckled despite himself.
"Argh, I give up. Let''s just stay like this tonight, but I will fall asleep." Sophie tugged her head away from him, rolled over, and instead pressed her back against his chest. This way, she didn''t have to look at his face and wonder about his lips. "Goodnight, Nichs."
"Goodnight to you too, Sophie," Nichs murmured.
The stormy night and cold winds kept the two of them pressed together, hot and incredibly flushed in each other''s arms. It would take the two of them such a long time before either one of them actually fell asleep.
Neither of them did anything.
Both were nervous and bent on not changing their beautiful rtionship as friends. Nichs struggled with his body revealing the depths of attraction and pull that Sophie had with him.
Sophie was getting in touch with the things that she never thought she''d experience by being so close to someone like Nichs for the first time. Sweet and unfamiliar things that made her skin flush and her heartbeat rise.
Chapter 32 Do You Want To Take A Bath?
The very next day, the still sleepy Nichs and Sophie went out again after doing their chores to search for wolfsbane.
"Okay,pared tost night¡ we should get ready to stay out longer okay?" Sophie said. "Are you okay with camping if it doesn''t rain? I think the stormst night should be the end, right?"
"We should bring food and water so we can go further, then," Nichs agreed. "Maybe some supplies too, so we can cook food. I can hunt for us."
He hated his wolf form, but he couldn''t deny that when he shifted he could take advantage of the heightened physical strength and speed.
"Okay. That sounds like a good idea." Sophie nodded.
The two of them packed enough supplies tost them for a couple of days and after that, both of them set out to the forest more prepared than before. This time, they were better prepared with food, clothes, even a small nket to keep Sophie warm at night.
Sophie had learned to make jerky and bake bread when she was staying at her aunt''s home. Nichs helped her too with the cooking. The deer that Nichs caught was made into jerky that couldst them for a good while.
Then, they also made several loaves of hard bread that would be enough for the next four days.
Nichs insisted he carried the heavy bag filled with their supply. He only allowed Sophie to carry a small pouch with some herbs and spices with her and a light woven basket which would be useful to collect wolfsbane and also caught fish. He said as a man he couldn''t let a woman carry heavy things.
Sophie only smiled at his persistence. She was used to working hard, but she realized Nichs didn''t want her to tire herself, not while he was around. Somehow, this made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Nobody had shown they cared about her this much, except herte parents. This feeling almost felt foreign to her.
Finally, Sophie agreed and didn''t try to bring heavy stuff while she was with him.
They both seemed to have headed in a good direction. In just two hours, they were finally able to find two flowering nts that matched the description on Nichs'' almanac that he brought.
"We finally found wolfsbane!" Sophie smiled brightly at Nichs.
Nichs wanted to smile, and he did it¡ but he coughed. "I think we will need a lot more than just that, Sophie. More wolfsbane, but I think we''re going in the right direction, aren''t we?"
The prince didn''t want to exin the procedure of curing the lycanthropy curse. It involved him consuming a lot of these poisonous flowers and making his entire blood boil to reject the strain of blood and saliva given to him in the past.
"You''re right, then we should keep moving forward." Sophie agreed with him. "We''ll stumble into more nts if we head deeper for sure."
"Let''s do that."
The two of them ventured into the forest and did their best to search for more wolfsbane, however, it seemed wolfsbane was really rare in ckwoods because after finding those two wolfsbanes, in the next three days together, they encountered next to nothing.
"It''s weird. Didn''t the almanac say that wolfsbane is nted in big quantity in the borders?" Sophie asked Nichs in confusion.
"Yeah¡ but that was decades ago. The almanac needs updating, apparently." Nichs sighed. He cast his nce around them and narrowed his eyes to exert his lycan vision. With this power, he could have better vision than a mere human.
"I don''t see wolfsbane around here," he sighed. "Perhaps those werewolf creatures have been working hard to get rid of wolfsbane from the borders. That''s why now it''s really hard to find them."
Sophie felt bad for Nichs. She could see how much the man wanted to cure his condition, and she wanted to help him.
"So, what should we do now?" She asked Nichs. Her face was filled with worry.
The man smiled and patted her back to calm her down. He said, "That''s fine. We will find them. We just need to keep looking."
And so, they continued their exploration, deeper and deeper into the forest. Nichs would hunt small animals for them to eat and Sophie happily cooked rabbits or squirrels he caught for them since she was a better cook between the two. They intentionally kept the jerky as supply in case they couldn''t hunt fresh animal to cook. Today, they could eat fish when Nichs found a river for them to get water to drink.
Sophie learned from her father how to catch fish using a trap basket she brought with her. Her skills impressed Nichs greatly.
"I remember you could take care of yourself after your parents passed away," the manmented as he watched Sophie take the fish out of the basket. "I was so impressed back then, and I am still impressed now."
"Ahaha¡ well, this is a skill that is useful for peasants, because we cannot afford to always buy our food," Sophie replied.
Nichs looked at the girl with gleaming eyes. He felt so touched whenever he remembered how Sophie took care of him eight years ago, despite being a child herself, anding from such a poor background.
She had to fend for herself since she was young, and yet, the kindness of her heart made her ept Nichs into her home.
She worked harder to provide for both of them because he was badly injured, and she even had to get more fish and mushrooms so she could sell some to the vige and make money to buy some medicine for little Nichs.
The man had vowed in his heart that once he had taken care of his own problem, he would make sure to pay back everything Sophie had ever done for him.
p He would not allow her to work hard again. In fact, Nichs would take responsibility for her.
"Your survival skills are great," Nichs smiled. "I learn a lot from you."
Sophie only chuckled when she heard his praises. "You know, I just cook the meat you get for us. You are giving me too much credit. You see, without your hunting skills, we will both be eating berries and mushrooms for days. Even the fish are here because you found the water source for us. This river happened to have a lot of fish. So, it''s your contribution. You did great too."
Nichs didn''t realize he puffed up his chest when Sophie praised his hunting skills. The way she spoke about it and looked at him made him feel so manly and cool.
Ahh¡ he loved being around her so much, that secretly he hoped they wouldn''t find wolfsbane anytime soon. He wanted to spend time with her longer¡
Nichs offered to clean the fish since Sophie would be the one to cook it for them. Both liked this work distribution. Nichs acted as the provider and Sophie as the manager.
Once the fish was ready, Nichs made a fire while Sophie marinated the fish with salt and some herbs she brought from home. Then, she grilled the fish skillfully.
It tasted really good. Secretly, Nichs felt the simple food she cooked was the best food he had ever tasted. It even tasted better than what the royal cooks made.
Nichs always ate a lot whenever Sophie cooked them something. And this fish surprised him too because usually, he didn''t like eating it. Fish was really low in the list of food he would eat.
Probably, if he had to, because there was no other food, he would eat fish. But today, as he took a bite from the fish Sophie cooked, Nichs realized he actually liked it so much.
"You are a gifted cook," heplimented the grilled fish in his hand. He had eaten two fish and still craved for more. Luckily Sophie only ate a little, so there was plenty left for him. "I usually don''t like fish, but this is amazing. You see me, I haven''t stopped eating.. hehe."
Sophie smiled sheepishly at hispliment. She was just happy and relieved to see Nichs could enjoy the food she prepared. She knew he came from a wealthy noble family and this initially made her feel worried that he couldn''t adjust to her lifestyle.
Apparently, all her worries were unfounded. Nichs thrived and liked their adventures together right now. Not once did hein about anything at all.
This made Sophie feel happy and, secretly¡ she also wished they wouldn''t find wolfsbane so easily.
"I''m happy we got fish today," Sophie said after she finished eating. "However, now I smell like one... ahahaha.."
She winced when she smelled her sleeves and realized the fish smelled stuck on her. Uff... she needed to wash up so the smell would go away.
Nichs chuckled. He pointed at the river beside them and said, "Do you want to take a bath? We haven''t had one in three days. It''s good to wash up in running water."
Sophie turned to look at the river and thought about her options. She brought a change of clothes to wear after her current clothes were soiled or too ufortable on her body after many days. She could take a bath in the river as Nichs suggested and change into a fresh set.
"You can wash your clothes too," Nichs added. "I think we can camp in this area. Tomorrow your other clothes will be dry and you can wear them again. I think I will do the same."
Sophie fluttered hershes and looked at Nichs in a stunned expression.
What did he just say?
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Of course, Nichs just innocently suggests Sophie take a bath in the river. It''s for Sophie''s own good, right? XD
Btw, I really love this chapter and didn''t have the heart to break it. So I hope you like this long chapter.
I alsomissioned chibis to an artist for Lnd, Sophie, and Nic. You can see the sketches in thement. Let me know what you think? ^^
Chapter 33 Taking A Bath In The River
Nichs immediately realized that the words he uttered so casually didn''t sound appropriate in this context.
Sophie was a grown woman, and he was a grown man. They were no longer kids.
Their bodies were now different and it must be embarrassing for her to even talk about bathing in the river, around him.
He looked away to hide his blushing face and pointed at a cave nearby. "I will wait for you there, while you are taking a bath, and watch our surroundings. You can take your time."
Sophie bit her lip and looked at the cave and the river alternately. The clear water looked so tempting. Gosh.. if Nichs wasn''t here, she would have jumped into the water and wash herself.
"Okay¡" Finally, Sophie nodded. She turned to look at Nichs and batted her eyes. The man immediately understood what she wanted. He picked up the bag and walked to the cave.
"Take your time," he said one more time as he reached the cave entrance. "I will watch our surroundings. But if you see anything, just scream and I will be right there."
"Thank youuu!" Sophie waved at him and smiled.
Once Nichs disappeared inside the cave, she quickly undressed and dipped her foot in the water. It felt so refreshing.
Not long after, she was already enjoying the cold water and washed herself happily. She also washed her clothes and put them on a big rock by the river after she was done.
Even though the bath was amazing, Sophie knew she shouldn''t take her time so Nichs could take a bath too. She didn''t want to be selfish.
Sophie finished in fifteen minutes and immediately wore her fresh set of clothes. Once she was ready, she walked toward the cave, taking her wet clothes with her.
"I have finished bathing," she said. "Now, it''s your turn."
Nichs came out of the cave with a red face. He nodded at her awkwardly and went to the river. The truth was, his senses were too good and he could hear all the sounds she made while she was bathing.
This made his mind wander and thought about what she looked like naked. Gosh¡ Nichs was embarrassed by his dirty mind. He wanted to be a gentleman and not think lewd about Sophie, but ever since they hugged to sleep during the stormy night, he often imagined doing lewd things with her.
He wanted to know the taste of her lips, the shape of her body, the touch of her skin¡ and her voice when she called his name during¡ª ah. Stop it, Nichs.
Stop it.
Sophie was not that kind of woman.
As soon as Nichs reached the river, he stripped so quickly and jumped into the water. His action created a loud ssh sound that startled Sophie. She wanted to know what happened, but when she remembered the man must be naked and jumped into the river, her face flushed red and she immediately covered it with both hands.
Gosh¡ she should dry her wet clothes instead of checking Nichs during his bath.
Nichs felt slightly relieved when the cold water rinsed his body. He needed this cold bath so he could stop thinking dirty about Sophie.
He finished washing up in twenty minutes, and he, too, returned to the cave with his wet clothes.
"I feel so fresh now," he dered.
Sophie looked up to him and smiled.
"Yeah¡ it''s a good idea to wash up while we find a river," she said. "Give me your wet clothes, I will hang them to dry."
Nichs didn''t know why, he just gave his clothes to her, as if it was very natural to do. This made him feel all fuzzy inside. What they were doing now, felt like a husband and wife, working together to get food and do household chores.
Sophie taking his wet clothes and now hanging them to dry, was like a wife helping her husband with hisundry.
The prince couldn''t help but smile faintly. He really liked this thought.
***
They stayed in the cave for one day until their clothes were dry and then continued their journey to look for wolfsbane, deeper into the forest.
Everything went well, until one day, Sophie and Nichs encounteredrge and ferocious beasts in the forest.
For some reason, the area that Sophie and her family ventured into didn''t have any animals like this. Maybe it was because Sophie''s father was a great hunter that dangerous creatures learned to stay away?
This time, it was different though, the two of them entered into the creature''s territory.
"Ah," Sophie shrieked and hid behind Nichs who red at the group of forest cats, spottedrge felines, hiding in the bushes that prowled around them. There were so many of them that hunted together that it was a surprise.
Nichs'' gritted his teeth. "Watch your back, Sophie. I''ll take care of this."
When one of the beasts lunged towards Sophie, Nichs quickly pushed her back and then grabbed down its paw and threw it into the trees. The creature crashed and the tree actually splintered.
Nichs'' actions immediately frightened some of the felines, but they still attacked.
Sophie was a bit frozen in fear, but somehow, Nichs'' speed and reaction time were remarkable. Even without transforming into a wolf, Nichs countered all of the creatures and avoided getting shed or bitten.
Instead, it was Sophie''s fault that he got injured.
There was actually one remaining cat hiding in the tree that leaped down to attack Sophie from behind. She nearly missed the sound of the feline''s paw creaking the strong branch with its weight.
However, it was Nichs who took the forest cat''s sh with his arm before he kicked the creature back and sent it running to wherever it came from. The scent of blood filled his nostrils, but Nichs didn''t care.
He reached out with his unhurt hand to Sophie and asked. "Are you okay?"
"Nichs, you''re hurt!" Sophie''s eyes watered at the sight of him bleeding. She knew that she was depending on him for protection, but to see him hurt this way made her heart ache.
"This is just a scratch," Nichs reassured her. It hurt a lot actually and he winced in pain.
Even though Nichs knew that he had high regenerative abilities, it didn''t mean that his senses were dull to pain. He was still raised as a prince and there weren''t a lot of opportunities for him to get hurt at all.
However, he bore the pain because he was with Sophie.
Sophie quickly ripped a portion of her clothes, poured some of their water, and then bandaged Nichs'' arm. "I need to find a herb to disinfect that wound. You could get sick from animal bites."
Nichs was stunned at how quickly Sophie tore her own clothes just to take care of him. He was also attracted and distracted by the sight of her thigh getting exposed that he averted his gaze.
The prince could only murmur, "Okay¡"
"Can I borrow the almanac?" Sophie asked Nichs urgently.
"Sure," Nichs lent it to her and watched the young woman flip through the pages quickly. She thumbed through them so fast that it was evident that she was a voracious and fast reader.
How was she able to consume that amount of information so fast? Nichs was impressed.
"Phew, I think we encountered something like this before," Sophie said with a relieved smile. "Let''s go back a little so I can pick it then we should find a way to stay at or maybe we should head home?"
Not to mention that Sophie had great memory retention too.
"Sophie¡" Nichs didn''t want to leave empty-handed, but he followed her for now.
Maybe once Nichs showed her that he was okay, the two of them would be able to continue. However, he was actually concerned that Sophie was pushing herself too far for his sake.
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From Missrealitybites:
Today is my birthday (November 19) and I just realized thatst year around the same time, I just started a book, called "The Cursed Prince" and I ''cried'' to my readers about how I was truly stressed by hitting the big four, that it affected me physically and emotionally.
I was sick all week for no reason. I also felt so old, sad, and hopeless... ahahahahaha. The first few months of hitting 40 were the worst, but once I got past that, things were fine.
Looking back, I actually have a great year.
In reflection, today when I be 41, I don''t feel old at all. Weird, isn''t it??? I''m happy, busy, and have so much to look forward to.
Also, I don''t know if I ever told you this, but I never wrote a werewolf book before and I just started this story because I wanted to join the werewolf contest.
However, the more I write about Sophie, Nic, and Lnd, the more I fall in love with this genre. I got so much inspiration every time I write this book. And if you read along, I think you''ll be pleasantly surprised to see some references to Beauty And The Beast, Little Mermaid, etc.
I MIGHTTTT throw in a mass releaseter today, but we''ll see if I can finish my work early. If not, I''ll save it for the weekend. So, please don''t throw tomatoes just yet. XD
Chapter 34 The Kiss
It didn''t take too long for Nichs and Sophie to retrieve the herb to use as a disinfectant and clean his wounds. However, right before Nichs could agree with Sophie on going home¡ the familiar trickle of rain suddenly sounded.
Sophie''s eyes widened. "Oh no, it''s raining again."
While it didn''t rain for thest three days that they were here, except for the asional light showers that quickly ended when Sophie and Nichs stayed underneath the trees, this time was different.
Sophie nced up at the sky and noticed how the clouds were darker and thicker too.
"We need to find a temporary shelter," Nichs decided.
Sophie agreed with his assessment. The two of them nced helplessly around the forest and did not know which way to go.
Perhaps it was a miracle that they managed to sleep under the trees before, but now it was different. Sophie took a deep breath and then decided on a direction. "How about we go this way? Maybe we can find a tree withrger leaves?"
Sophie was pointing in the direction where the forest cats ran towards too, but of course, even creatures like them probably found a way to protect themselves from the rain.
"...Okay, let''s do that." Nichs was actually willing to go down for another round with those cats if they happened to have a nice roof over their heads. He wanted to pay them back for almostying a hand on Sophie.
This was their best shot at it.
As the two of them ran in that direction, the two of them finally encountered something out of ordinary within the forest. The forest was usually covered and littered with trees, but Sophie and Nichs saw a cave.
It was smaller than thest cave they found thest time. And when they entered it, they saw that it was quite clean, as if it was inhabited by someone¡ or something.
"This ce looks clean. Maybe someone stays here. Wouldn''t we be trespassing if we just go in like this?" Sophie asked.
"Let''s just stay here until the rain stops," Nichs told her. "If there''s a bear, I''ll wrestle it down and kick it out."
Left with no other choice to shelter them from the storm once again pouring at their backs, the two of them risked it and entered the cave. Fortunately, there were no bears or any dangerous cats who came and bothered them.
What only came out were a flock of bats, but Nichs quickly took care of them and most of them actually just fled rather than stay with the two humans. After their arrival, the bats left them by themselves.
"We''re wet again," Sophie wrung the water out of her hair and nced at Nichs'' strong back. His shirt was a bit see-through at this point, but she cleared her throat. "How''s your arm, Nick?"
"It''s good," Nichs threw her a grin. "I''m all fixed actually."
"Hah, that''s a relief," Sophie said and then looked around the cave. It was dry and actually kept the rain out perfectly well.
It almost looked like someone still lived there, but with how there were spiderwebs¡ it must have been a long time since anyone actually used it. Who used to live here? A witch? Someone else?
Maybe just an animal that found a new home?
"...there''s wood here," Nichs frowned at the sight of a few logs piled up in the cave and the traces of someone who lived here. He wished they found some other ce, but his senses told him that there was no one else.
Sophie''s eyes widened, but then she saw how little logs they were. "Um, it won''tst us all night at all."
"Well, it''s better than nothing." Nichs coughed. He didn''t want to bring up the hugging incident¡ but did it mean that it might happen again?
Nichs was able to start a fire.
Sophie and Nichs huddled together and were at least able to wear a change of clothes because they both packed some. Both of them closed their eyes while the other was changing and so neither of them was worried about freezing.
However, it was still cold and the fire wasn''t going to keep them warm all night.
"I guess this is a little better thanst time," Sophie pointed out.
"Huh?" Nichs'' eyes widened.
"The firewood''s not drenched," Sophie chuckled as she inched a bit closer towards him. Unlike before, it was Sophie who made a move towards the boy. "But I think we should stay a bit close together to share body heat again."
"That sounds like a good idea," Nichs nodded and tried not to blush. "You can rest and I''ll keep watch tonight to make sure that there''s no intruders or anything."
Sophie''s shoulders touched Nichs and she nced at him with a frown. After everything that they''d been through for thest few days, he kept treating her as if some kind of child.
He didn''t need to constantly sacrifice himself for her sake at all.
"That''s not fair of a decision, Nichs," Sophie said and furrowed her brows. "You''ll get tired. So, what if I''ll just keep youpany tonight instead?"
"You need proper rest if we''re going back home tomorrow," Nichs pointed out. "It''ll need you to have a lot of energy so get some sleep, okay?"
"I insist on staying awake with you," Sophie pouted at him. "It''ll be really boring and tiring for you to stay awake all night as well, Nichs. At least we''ll be able to finally get more adequate rest when we reach home."
"Okay, it''s your choice," Nichs answered, atst, a bit distracted.
The way she didn''t back down from looking at him and carefreely pouted with those luscious lips of hers was really tempting him more than ever.
Even the rain failed to hide her alluring scent.
"Oh, thank you." Sophie smiled brighter, but then her face grew warm when she realized how the two of their faces were so closer again.
She could actually feel Nichs'' hot breath fan over her face.
It reminded Sophie of the time where Nichs whispered into her ear and his lips nearly grazed her ear. The sensation she felt back then returned and it made her wonder if the air around them thickened.
Sophie''s heart pounded and she instinctively leaned forward towards Nichs.
She gave him a kiss.
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From Missrealitybites:
Hehehe... FINALLY, they kiss!
PS: Thank you so, so much for all the kind birthday wishes you have showered me today. Let me get back to you on them and reply properly after I got some rest. Still having some back pain here (the perks of getting old, I guess.. ahaha).
PPS: Thank your the gifts as well. Despina, Rose, Kendra, love you! Also my author friends (who don''t really read this book but sent me gifts today) - one person even used an ount named "HappybirthdayMRB" to send the gift XD.
I am so grateful for having so many wonderful people around me in my writing journey.
Chapter 35 [Bonus Chapter] Snuggle
Sophie kissed him tenderly and it made Nichs surprised for a moment that he couldn''t make a response at all.
It was as if he was stunned by some kind of magic that was Sophie''s soft and luscious lips on him.
Was he dreaming?
Did he identally eat wolfsbane and was now hallucinating?
Nichs wasn''t sure if this was actually happening at all.
After a second of hisck of response, Sophie quickly pulled away with her face looking extremely red as a tomato. She saw the look on Nichs'' face and it made her shy.
Why did she suddenly do something like this?
The moment felt right to Sophie and she really wanted to do it, but she should have thought about Nichs and what he wanted, shouldn''t she?
"Ah, I''m sorry¡ d-did you not like it?" Sophie asked with a low voice. She was suddenly very worried that Nichs thought she was an easy woman.
Nichs reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. He was also red-faced as he looked into her eyes and pouted. "It was too short."
"Oh. I see..." Sophie flushed harder.
"Well, I think we can fix that," Nichs chuckled and tugged her closer to him. Her kissing him was a good signal as any that she was open to this.
The two of them shared a kiss again and this time it was much longer. Nichs wrapped his arms around her waist and beckoned her to get on top of hisp.
It was natural when Sophie did it and Nichs immediately found himself turned on by the weight of her presence atop of him. Sophie rested her hand against his chest and Nichs ced a hand on her hip.
The two of them shared another minute of locking lips and testing the limits of their kissing before pulling away to catch their breaths.
There was an incredibly huge grin on Nichs''s face once the kiss ended, but he made sure to stop before he could do anything that went beyond the line of kissing.
It was so tempting to do something more. However, he didn''t want to scare Sophie and make her realize that she was stuck in a cave alone with an absolute pervert and lewd guy. Instead, Nichs cleared his throat and said. "Thank you."
"Ah, thank you as well." Sophie batted her eyes at him unsurely and blushed. "It heated up things a bit didn''t it?"
Nichs nearly choked before he offered her something else. "If you want to keep warm, would you like to cuddle instead?"
Sophie nodded shyly. "Sure."
"Well, it''s perfect that you''re in myp now," Nichs gave her a hug and nuzzled her neck. He resisted the urge to press his lips on her neck and give her a kiss.
Why was she so intoxicating to him?
"Why?" Sophie blushed.
"I think that I really won''t be able to fall asleep because of this." Nichs murmured underneath his breath.
"Then it''s a great idea to stay awake isn''t it?" Sophie chuckled and patted his head shyly. All of this was very new to her that she didn''t know what to think or say, but she knew that she actually liked this.
The two of them would remain like this until Sophie got tired and eventually fell asleep before Nichs.
***
When Sophie woke up, she felt something warm and realized that Nichs was once again a grey wolf and hey down around her, providing thefort and warmth that made her sleep so pleasant.
She was in awe when she saw him bobbing his head sleepily. Even though Sophie failed to stay awake, Nichs did his best.
"Oh, Nick¡" Sophie found her heart extremely touched by his gesture that she reached out and touched his fur. He looked like he was about to doze off but stayed watch all night.
The wolf''s head snapped to her in surprise, but then he quickly transformed back into a human and reached for his clothes. Sophie closed her eyes throughout the process but her mind couldn''t help but imagine what Nichs looked like while getting dressed.
"Sorry about that," Nichs apologized again. "I was trying to keep you warm at night¡"
"It''s fine, thank you so much." Sophie smiled at him. "I knew you were doing your best."
Nichs chuckled and then rubbed his chin. "Then, does that mean that I should be rewarded?"
"What do you want?" Sophie raised a brow.
Nichs blushed and didn''t expect that Sophie would go along with it, but then he motioned to his cheek. "A kiss would be nice."
Sophie couldn''t help but find him very cute, she turned away from him. She cleared her throat. "Actually, I can cook you a real nice breakfast instead."
"Sophie¡" Nichs whined for a moment.
Sophie spun back and pecked him on the lips. "Are you satisfied now?"
Nichs blushed and nodded. "I think I''ll go out and hunt us a deer or something¡ please excuse me for a moment and I''ll be right back."
Without saying another word, Nichs ran off the cave and into the woods. It left Sophie smiling a bit and rolling her eyes.
"We haven''t even talked about this thing¡ between us," she muttered to herself.
The two of them had kissed each other and cuddled all night. That meant something right?
Sophie didn''t want to pressure Nichs because she was the one who initiated the kiss, but he happily returned it. When Sophie thought about it and the way that he cared so much about her, she felt a flutter in her chest.
Once Nichs returned with a captured animal, the two of them would do their best to prepare their food before getting up and preparing to leave.
"Do you think it will rain again?" Nichs asked her.
"I hoped not. It stormed two times in only a matter of days," Sophie said.
"Then should we try looking for wolfsbane again instead of returning home?"
The two of them thought about it for a moment and nced at each other. It was actually important for Nichs to find them right away and Sophie also wasn''t against spending her days in the forest again.
"I think that''s a good idea."
Right before Nichs could offer a suggestion on where they should go next, a sudden cry of an animal echoed in the forest. Normally, Nichs would have wanted to leave it alone but Sophie was already heading in that direction.
"Sophie, wait!"
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THEY ARE SO FREAKING CUTE!!!!!!!
I would love tomission artwork where Nichs is in his wolf form and snuggle with Sophie like this. By the way, Imissioned chibis for them to a very talented artist.
You can see the sketches in thement of chapter 32. I will post the final results on my Instagram and Facebook page after they are done. Lnd''s result is out, but it still has the sample stamp by the artist.
If you want to see more visuals like videos, artworks, etc for this book (and all my other stories), you can follow my Insta @missrealitybites.
This book also has an Instagram ount called @lndsophienic
PS: Thank you Despina for gifting a dragon to this book yesterday! xx
Chapter 36 The Hansleys Wolf Cub (1)
Nichs had no choice but to follow Sophie to see what she wanted to do. The girl ran toward the origin of the voice with eager steps. This made the man wonder if Sophie knew the animal that she became so worried about and immediately ran toward the voice.
He didn''t know this, but when Sophie grew up with her parents, there was one creature that she found a constant presence in her home and somehow formed a connection with her only after some time. It was a white wolf cub that lived with them since she was born.
Because Sophie was still a kid, she often found herself jealous and a bit annoyed when the attention given to the white wolf cub was even more than what she received. The white wolf cub was always around too.
Did it have no mother or father like Sophie? Why was it here all the time?
"Why do we have a wolf cub?" a small Sophie asked and frowned at her father.
The white wolf cub was always with them and her mother gave it a lot of love. Sophie''s father was a hunter and hunted a lot of creatures like deer and other forest animals so she didn''t understand what made the wolf cub different.
"About that¡" Jack Hansley, Sophie''s father cleared his throat. He seemed wanting to exin but wasn''t sure how to present it properly to a five-year-old girl.
"Why not make a wolf fur pelt?" Sophie batted her eyes at her father. "It will give us money. Why are you raising it? Even after years, it stays small."
The white wolf cub who was resting on the bed heard Sophie''s suggestion and quickly ran out of the house. Sophie''s father chuckled and shared a look with his wife who didn''t seem all that pleased because of what Sophie said.
Sophie''s father actually knew the answer as to why the wolf cub stayed small all these years. Other animals around its age would already be adult wolves at this point. However, in the five years it stayed with them, the cub only grew a little bit, not so much.
If Jack wanted topare their wolf cub with a human boy, it was like a five-year-old boy who grew up to ten years old during his stay with the Hansleys.
Well¡ maybe Jack could use the analogy to make Sophie understand? The thing is, their wolf cub was not really a wolf. It was actually a werewolf cub who somehow refused to shift into his human form all this time.
But¡ would it be a good idea to tell Sophie all this now at her age? She was still a young child who couldn''t keep a secret. She might identally tell the vigers about their cub.
And if this was heard by the vige elders, the Hansleys might be arrested and sent to prison by the king for protecting a werewolf cub because the king hated those monsters so much.
He actually made it his life mission to kill every single one of the werewolves that they could find in this kingdom.
No... it was not a good idea to tell Sophie the truth. Jack Hansley turned to his wife and raised a brow. Anne Hansley, Sophie''s mother looked worriedly outside of the house for a moment.
Then she whispered to her husband, "Jack.. please look for him. He must be feeling scared. Our Sophia is truly naughty today."
Jack smiled and nodded. He took his hat and left the hut to go to the woods and look for the cub. Meanwhile, Anne crouched down in front of their daughter and decided to give her the talk about what just happened.
"Sophia, the wolf cub who is living with us has been around even before you were born. He is FAMILY," Sophie''s mother exined. "When he came here, he was gravely ill and hurt because of what happened to him."
Sophie frowned. "What happened to him?"
"Well¡" Sophie''s mother bit her lip. "I think his mother was really angry at him and hurt him. So, he ran away to look for another home. We took him in and he liked us. So, he decided to stay."
Sophie''s eyes widened and she held her mother''s hand. "What? Why would a Mama Wolf get angry at her baby wolf? Are they not kind like you, mama?"
A sad smile on her mother''s face appeared. "No, not all mothers happen to be good ones. Sometimes, they have selfish reasons for wanting a baby or maybe their heart is not in the right ce."
"Oh¡?" Sophie''sshes fluttered at her mother''s words. She was truly shocked.
Now, suddenly she felt so horrible for even feeling jealous of their white wolf cub. No wonder her parents were so good to him, he must have suffered a lot.
Anne hugged Sophie tightly. "Well, it''s a tough lesson to learn and understand that some people might not have your best interests at heart, Sophie¡ and that''s what happened to the wolf cub living with us. Sometimes, even shared blood is not enough to have love. Just because you are family, it doesn''t mean you can expect to be loved."
Sophie hugged her mother back and asked. "But how did you know the wolf cub''s story?"
"Oh well¡ your mother is really great at understanding animals," Anne managed a nervousugh before she pulled away to look at her daughter. She held Sophie''s hand. "Now that you''re a big girl, I hope that you''ll be nicer to Lee, okay?"
,m Sophie nodded obediently, "Okay, mama."
The door was opened and Jack Hansley showed up.
"Uh, dear¡ I can''t find the boy¡ªer, the wolf cub," The man came in, looking distraught. "I think he ran away to the forest after Sophie gave him a scare. He probably doesn''t want me to find him or else assume that he''ll be a wolf fur pelt."
The handsome man let out nervousughter. His Sophie did scare Lee a little bit it seemed. This little girl could say the most unexpected things sometimes.
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Can you guess who is their wolf cub actually? XD
Chapter 37 The Hansleys Wolf Cub (2)
Anne pinched the bridge of her nose. Her face looked worried and she let out a long sigh. "Gosh¡ what do we do now¡?"
It was a look that Sophie didn''t want her mother to have, so she quickly raised a hand. "I''ll find him! Don''t worry about it, Mama. I''ll make sure to correct what I did wrong."
Anne nced down at her daughter. "Hmm¡ do you really think that you can do it?"
"Yes!" Sophie promised. "Lee and I sometimes go out for a walk together and I know his favorite ces. I will look there."
Anne shook her head. "So, you and he are close. Then, why on earth you suggested your father sell him as fur pelt???"
,m Sophie pursed her lips and wiped her tears. She was so embarrassed when she remembered her words earlier. "It''s because sometimes I think you love him more than you love me."
"Gosh¡ no, Sophie. You are my daughter. Of course, I love you more," Anne said quickly. She came to Sophie and rubbed her hair lovingly. "How could you think I love him more than I love you?"
"Well... because you just said that sharing blood with someone doesn''t always mean you love that person."
"Huh?" Anne batted her eyes in surprise. Sophie just used her words against her in a way that she didn''t expect. "Oh¡ you mean, what I told you about Lee''s mother doesn''t love him even though they share blood? It''s true, but it doesn''t mean all families are like that."
She looked at Sophie in the eyes and spoke sincerely, "It''s just like most people get married for love and they have a happy and loving family. However, some people get married for other reasons than love, and they will build a family thatcks love and warmth. That''s what happened to Lee''s parents. There is no love in his family. So, that''s why he left."
Sophie batted her eyes and looked at her mother with newfound respect. "So.. does that mean, you and father got married for love?"
"Yes," Anne replied with a smile. "We got married for love. That''s why we can provide so much love for this family that someone like Lee cane and even get some of it too."
"Ohh¡ Mama¡ you are so kind," Sophie wrapped her hands around her mother''s neck and hugged her. "I will also marry for love, like you and father. So, I could have a happy family."
Jack suddenly burst outughing. "Gosh¡ Sophie, please don''t say that. You are only five. I don''t want to imagine you thinking about marriage. Not now, please¡ hahaha. I am not ready yet¡"
Anne red at her husband for ruining the solemn moment between her and Sophie just now, where she could make Sophie understand why they cared for their wolf cub.
"I''m sorry¡" Jack cleared his throat. "Sophie, didn''t you say you wanted to look for Lee?"
Sophie let go of her mother''s neck and looked up to her father. "Yes."
"Good." Anne smiled and looked at her daughter. "Now, I want you to keep your eyes peeled and your ears extra sharp. I''m sure that you''ll be able to find him because you''re my daughter."
"I won''t let you down, mama!" Sophie smiled at her mother before she stepped out of the house and ran into the forest.
It was really difficult for Sophie to actually find the wolf cub because it was incredibly fast and could hide in a lot of ces without being seen. Not to mention when Sophie tried to listen to her surroundings, it was dizzying.
She tried to look for Lee in several ces where they sometimes went together. She searched those ces, but unfortunately, she still couldn''t find the cub. So, Sophie decided to look deeper into the woods.
There were several owls hooting and even insects like grasshoppers chirping and rubbing their legs. It was so confusing, but Sophie did her best to concentrate and focus. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what a wolf cub sounded like.
Sophie finally heard the sound of whimpering and she quickly followed down the trail of the forest. She didn''t know where to look first, but then she saw the wolf cub in what appeared to be a small cave. The wolf cub''s blue and green eyes glowed in the darkness and Sophie sighed in relief.
"There you are," she said.
The wolf cub growled at her angrily and retreated further into the cave. It was a little scary for Sophie, but she knew that the wolf cub actually knew who she was and wouldn''t bite her.
"Hey, I know you''re mad at me," Sophie frowned and knelt on the ground to look the wolf cub in the eyes. "And I''m sorry¡ I don''t even know why I''m apologizing to a wolf cub, but you need toe back with me."
The white wolf cub shook its head. Then it looked away - looking very displeased with Sophie.
"Grr¡" Sophie stood up. "We can do this the hard way or easy way."
The wolf cub looked at her with suspicion in its eyes and only bared its teeth at her. But before the wolf cub knew it, Sophie actually leaped in the cave to grab for him. The wolf cub immediately yelped and tried to get away.
He might have scratched her identally if he bared his ws, so, unfortunately, the wolf cub found himself gathered in Sophie''s arms.
"Phew, you''re really heavy," Sophiemented. "Probably because you eat all the meat in our house. Fat wolf."
The wolf cub red at her.
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Sophie was naughty when she was young ^^
PS: Follow this book''s Instagram ount to see visuals and trivia @lndsophienic or mine @missrealitybites
Chapter 38 Nicholas Thinks He Is A Monster
After the incident, Sophie saw their wolf cub in a different light. She felt very sorry for Lee for not having a loving mother like her. So, she no longer felt jealous when her mother gave Lee extra food, orbed his fur lovingly.
She realized her mother''s love was enough for both of them. So, she didn''t have to feel jealous. She and Lee had the best rtionship after that day. She would even share her food with the wolf cub voluntarily or offer tob his fur when she saw her mother busy.
Seeing Sophie change and show so much love and care for him, the wolf cub repaired her kindness tenfold. He never left her side and would even keep her warm with his warm fur during stormy nights or in the cold winter.
Two yearster their wolf cub suddenly had a growth spurt and grew so big, and suddenly he disappeared. They never saw it again. After it was gone, Sophie actually cried for days. Her parents couldn''t give her a good exnation on why the wolf that was no longer small suddenly left them.
Sophie missed Lee from time to time, but she had learned to move on with her life. However, the experience with Lee made her have a soft spot for animal cubs.
Now that she heard the familiar sound again, Sophie immediately recognized the animal''s cry because she had heard it so many times before in the past. She could tell it was a wolf''s cub cry and before she knew it, her feet were already taking her to where it was.
It was against her better judgment, but Sophie remembered how scared a wolf cub could be and she wanted to find where it was.
Sophie finally saw the wolf cub in the forest, it was entangled in what seemed to be thorns and vines. The baby wolf''s legs were stuck and it couldn''t be free.
"Oh you poor thing," Sophie whispered.
The wolf cub saw her and bared its teeth at her, but Sophie didn''t pay it any mind because she''d already seen something like this before in the past. Instead, she carefully drew closer to it.
"Don''t worry, I''ll help you be free." Sophie knelt in front of the thorn bush and started to carefully remove all of the thorns and prickly vines that were sticking to the baby''s fur.
Finally, the wolf cub was free and released from the nt''s traps.
"Phew, there we go," Sophie smiled and looked at the wolf cub who was suddenly surprised at how it was suddenly free. It was so cute that Sophie reached out to pat it on the head. "Where''s your mother?"
The wolf cub looked at her in fear and quickly swiped its ws at Sophie.
Before Sophie knew it, there was a painful gash on her hand and the wolf cub was growling at her. Nichs who just arrived saw it happen and then threw a re at the cub. "You!"
The wolf cub saw Nichs and then hurriedly ran off into the forest before the young man could get it. Nichs rushed to Sophie''s side and ripped his shirt to wrap the cloth tightly around her wound.
"Are you hurt?" Nichs looked at her worriedly and knew that it probably did hurt. He sighed and asked her. "What were you thinking, Sophie? Animals that live in the forest are dangerous."
Sophie stared at her hand in surprise and while it did hurt¡ she was more shocked than anything. "I''m sorry, Nichs. I just thought that it would be different¡"
"Different?" Nichs frowned a little. "They''re damn wolves! They are not some dogs you can pet. Gosh¡ look at your wound. It has so much blood. You need the salve to treat it. Wolves are dangerous creatures."
Sophie flinched a little but shook her head. "Before I met you, my parents actually had a little wolf cub."
Nichs sighed. "Are you sure it wasn''t a dog?"
"No, it really was really a wolf cub." Sophie frowned at him.
Nichs was the first one to know that one''s memories in childhood were often confusing and sometimes children couldn''t actually tell dreams from reality. So he didn''t argue with Sophie anymore.
Instead, he picked her up and carried her in his arms. "We''re going home, Sophie. Let''s not stay here any longer, okay?"
"Huh? What?" Sophie blinked at him and grabbed his shirt. She winced slightly as she used her bad hand but then argued with him. "Why? We''re looking for wolfsbane!"
"That''s not as important as getting you home so your wound can be treated. There is so much blood. If we don''t treat it properly, you will lose so much blood and¡ I don''t even want to think about it.," Nichs told her as the man quickly darted through the forest. "I can go look for wolfsbane all by myself, so I really shouldn''t have been dragging you into this in the first ce."
"I offered to help you," Sophie countered.
"Yes, I epted it because I wanted to be with you," Nichs said with a bitter smile. "But I would have never said yes if I knew that I was going to get you hurt, Sophie."
"Nick¡"
"Please don''t argue with me, Sophie," Nichs pleaded. "It''s all my fault that you got hurt and it''s the reason why my mother fears me in the first ce."
"Huh, that''s¡ª" Sophie found herself hesitant to speak per his request.
"If I hadn''t gotten this lycanthropy condition then my mother wouldn''t have had to lie to my father. I would have never needed to stay with many different uncles in the countryside to hide my condition. And I wouldn''t make my mother cry whenever she sees me. We''d never have to be here in the first ce!"
There was an intense look in Nichs'' gaze that struck Sophie speechless for a moment. It was an incredibly dark one that seemed like this incident was really painful and hurting Nichs.
She had never seen him so incredibly self-loathing and pained before.
Before Sophie knew it, the two of them finally arrived at her home. The journey took Nichs one hour because he used his lycan speed to take her home.
The man let Sophie down on the bed and avoided looking into her eyes. His shoulders were hunched together and he was brooding hard.
"Forgive me for my ugly outburst, Sophie. I''ll go look for the salve you used to give me so you don''t get any scars," he said as he opened the door to her home.
Sophie gently reached out and cupped his face so she could look him in the eye. "Nichs, you never asked for any of this. It''s not your fault. Please don''t punish yourself for any of it."
"..." Nichs looked tried to look away, but Sophie insisted. Their eyes locked. The man sighed in frustration. "You will hate me one day because I am a monster¡"
His words wereced with bitterness. How could Sophie ept him? Even he hated himself. She was just being nice.
She would change. Or.. even if she could ept his condition, she couldn''t love him. Just like his mother. The queen epted him because he was her son, but he could see that his mother could never look at him with that loving gaze as she did when he was little.
He missed his old mother. He also missed his old self. What was left now was just¡ a monster.
A monster who was trying so hard to go back to being human.
If he couldn''t cure his lycanthropy, perhaps, his mother would finally realize that there was no hope for him and send him away for good.
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Aw... it''s sad that Nichs sees himself as a monster. I am sure youdies would love to tell him that werewolves are HOT and he shouldn''t see his condition as a curse.
Right?
PS: Btw, the artist has finished the 3 chibis, but he hasn''t sent me the final results. They still have his SAMPLE stamps. But, you can see them in thement.
Chapter 39 She Wouldnt Kiss A Monster, Would She?
"Nichs¡ you are NOT a monster," Sophie said softly. "Please don''t say that about yourself. What happened to you is NOT your fault. And even if you cannot cure your lycanthropy, to me you are still Nichs. You are not a monster. You are still my friend. You are a good man."
"Really?" A tear slipped down Nichs'' cheek. "Is that really true, Sophie? Is it really not my fault that I became like this? It''s difficult for my mother to even look at me because I became a monster. Is it really not my fault?"
There was a sense of disbelief in Nichs'' voice and Sophie couldn''t imagine how such circumstances led this cheerful young man to actually believe that he was a monster.
Tears stung her eyes and she clutched his face harder.
"Nichs, believe me when I say that you''re not a monster. Never doubt it when I say that you''re an incredible person." Sophie nodded hard and gave him a smile. "Please don''t look at yourself this way, it hurts me to know that you actually believe in that lie."
Tears glimmered in Nichs'' face before he pulled her into a tight hug. "I¡ I don''t know what to say, but thank you. Thank you so much, Sophie. I wouldn''t know what I''d do without you."
Sophie rubbed the man''s back gently.
"Don''t say that, I''m sure that you''ll be an incredible person on your own. Once you get cured and return to your family, I''m sure that you''ll be happy and do great things. But even if you don''t get cured, it doesn''t change who you are."
She bit her lip and tried to think of an analogy to tell Nichs. When she found one, she pressed Nichs''s shoulder. "What do you think if I got bitten by the wolf cub and it leaves a really bad scar on my arm?"
Nichs furrowed his brows. "No, we won''t let it happen."
"No, but I mean¡ what if? What if I got bitten by the wolf and it leaves a scar? Am I no longer the Sophie you know? Would that change me into a monster?"
Nichs bit his lip and shook his head. "No, it''s different. The wolf today is not a werewolf, you won''t turn into a monster as I do."
"No, but what''s the difference? Both are not our faults and both situations don''t change who we are as a person." Sophie looked at Nichs deeply. "I am still Sophia Hansley, and you are still Nichs Ferdinand."
Nichs wanted to tell her that actually Ferdinand was not hisst name. However, he decided not to say it now. He couldn''t let Sophie get into shock when she was injured like this.
If he told her his family name, she would know that he was a member of the royal family. Better keep that surprise for another time.
Nichs finally smiled. "Yes, you are right, Sophie. Thank you so much for saying those words. I have been hating myself for so long, I don''t even remember what it feels like to hear good things about myself."
"You are wee, Nick," Sophie smiled brightly at him and suddenlynded a kiss on his lips. "You are a good man and I like you. This should be enough proof that you are not a monster to me."
Nick''s eyes bulged. Sophie''s kiss was like the seal that he needed to confirm that she really didn''t see him as a monster.
A beautiful girl like her wouldn''t kiss a monster, would she?
Nichs felt so touched by Sophie''s words that he was left speechless. He wanted to cry but he instead looked away to hide his feelings. The man took a deep breath and then turned to Sophie with a slight smile.
"Thank you," he said with a hoarse voice. "Now, let''s get your wound treated."
Sophie could tell that Nichs was feeling emotional and didn''t want to make him feel awkward. So, she pretended to focus on her wound too.
"Yeah... it''s still bleeding¡" she said softly.
Nichs carefully and gently dressed Sophie''s wound before he wrapped it with a nice bandage and sighed in relief. "There., I don''t think it''ll scar because of the salve. I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself if it did."
"Knock that out, Nick." Sophie frowned at him and looked at her bandaged hand. "Even if it did scar, it wouldn''t be your fault because I was the one who tried to touch the wolf cub."
"I should have done a better job at protecting you."
"Well, it''s not your responsibility to always take care of me," Sophie reminded him.
"You wouldn''t havee to the forest if it weren''t because of me," Nichs pointed out as he stood up. "So in a way, it really is my responsibility to make sure that you stay safe while you are actually there with me."
"You''re so hard to argue with," Sophie rolled her eyes.
Nichs managed a smile. "Well, if you stayed here at your hut instead ofing with me, then you would be able to focus on working and making your dreame true."
Sophie pursed her lips at him. "You did promise to help me with the loan with from the Rotschild bank, so by helping you find the wolfsbane, I''m inevitably also helping myself."
Nichs chuckled. "And you tell me that I''m the one who''s difficult to argue with? Your answer and reasoning are impable as always."
"... So, are you going back to the forest?" Sophie looked at him doubtfully. "You could stay here for a bit and I can make dinner for us. It''s morefortable to sleep here than the woods."
Nichs shook his head. "I can''t waste any time, my father has given me a deadline¡ªer, well, a time period until how long I can stay outside until I return back to my ce."
"Ahh, I see." Sophie nodded slowly and felt a bit disappointed knowing that their days together here would also eventuallye to an end. "Please have a safe trip then, Nichs. I''ll see you out the door."
Nichs knew that he''d be able to move faster to search for wolfsbane without Sophie. So, reluctantly the man agreed. "Thank you, Sophie."
Chapter 40 Taking Care Of Sophie
As Nichs and Sophie went out the door, the two of them looked at each other awkwardly. Neither of them actually managed to bring up the kiss and Nichs didn''t know how long it would take for him to find more wolfsbane.
"I''ll¡ do my best to see you again, Sophie," Nichs confirmed to her. "I will get enough wolfsbane as soon as possible."
"And I''ll wait for you," Sophie smiled brightly at him despite herself. Was it just her but wasn''t the wind incredibly cold right now?
"Well, it''d be hard to leave the forest without seeing you," Nichs chuckled.
"That''s true¡ª" Sophie sneezed a little and brushed her nose. "Uff¡ excuse me. I think I''m getting a cold."
Nichs'' gaze softened at her. "Then please take care of yourself better, Sophie."
"I will," she reassured him.
Nichs finally turned to leave and parted ways with Sophie, but just as he was about to enter the forests and head down deeper, a sudden sound caught him looking back at Sophie''s house.
Sophie was slumped and fainted on the porch steps of her hut.
She had passed out.
Nichs quickly turned back around and rushed back to Sophie''s side and picked her up. When the young man prince ced a hand on her forehead, he found the young woman was burning hot with a fever.
He wasn''t sure if it was because of their days traveling in the forest or the fact that Sophie and he got soaked in the storm that she became incredibly sick. But because of it, Nichs decided he needed to take care of her.
"I''ll make sure that you have a full recovery," he whispered.
***
When Sophie finally opened her eyes and found herself conscious, she''d turn to see Nichs right by her bed and holding her hand. She didn''t even have any idea as to how long she was actually asleep either.
All around her house, she could see the items that Nichs used to take care of her.
Despite his deadline, Nichs still found the time and prioritized taking care of her. Sophie didn''t know what to say to him at all and instead, she found her heart beating a bit faster as she looked at him.
Why was he like this to her?
Nichs finally woke up from his nap and realized that Sophie was awake. He had held her hand when he noticed that she was missing and crying for her parents while she was delirious and that was how he got stuck with her.
He was relieved to see her awake.
"Sophie, I''m d that you''re finally up now." Nichs smiled at her warmly.
"Nick, how long was I actually asleep?"
"Oh¡ not for long."
"Nick?"
"For about a day," Nichs admitted as he carefully ced a hand on her forehead. He found her temperature normal now and the man sighed in relief. "It''s not really that long. I''m just d that you''re awake and no longer burning."
Even though Sophie knew that Nichs had all sorts of problems and issues with himself that needed to be taken care of, the young man still chose to stay by her side and be with her all throughout.
How could someone be this kind to her? Sophie felt loved and cared for.
Nichs stood up for a moment and walked over to the dinner table. He returned with a tray of chicken porridge and a ss of water.
The young man cleared his throat. "I''m not great at cooking, unlike you, Sophie. But you need to eat a little since you''ve woken up. I''ve cooked something for you."
"Wait, did you try to cook?" Sophie raised a brow at him in surprise. It was always her who cooked between the two of them in the forest. So, she was really touched to see Nichs who must have never worked a day in his life prepare food for her.
Nichs blushed. "If you don''t like it, I can make a quick run to Hauntingen to buy you a better-cooked meal. I just couldn''t easily leave your side to do it before, but now you''re awake so I can do that."
Sophie quickly shook her head. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes and she softly uttered, "No... I like it very much. Thank you¡"
After she lost the only family she had ever had at the tender age of ten, she didn''t really have anyone. Being with Aunt Helga''s family for almost eight years proved her mother''s words that blood rtion was not a guarantee that you would be loved.
She was treated like an outsider, and sometimes even, a maid by her aunt and her cousins. Sophie never felt loved and cared for by anyone, except Katherine, the governess. Sophie had learned to care for herself and never expect kindness and love from anyone.
Now¡ seeing how much Nichs was worried when she fell sick, taking care of her meticulously, and even trying his best to cook for her, Sophie slowly remembered how it was like to be loved.
It felt foreign in the beginning, but then the memory returned and she remembered the love her father and mother showered her when she was little.
The look of worry on her mother''s face when she was sick or injured, the smile on her father''s face when he was proud that Sophie could catch fish as he taught her¡ They wereing back to her now.
"W-why¡ are you crying?" Nichs was stunned. He quickly sat beside her and rubbed her back worriedly. "Are you in pain? Is it bad?"
Sophie shook her head and lowered her face. She wanted to hide her tears because it was embarrassing to cry like this in front of Nichs. She was feeling so touched and didn''t know how to express it.
She didn''t want to sound pitiful or invite his pity if she told him how lonely she was these past eight years. It was like she was against the world and she had to fend for herself. Now that she met him again, suddenly, she had someone. The days that they spent here together were some of the best days of her life.
"Oh, Sophie¡" Nichs pulled Sophie to his embrace. As long as Sophie confirmed that she was not in pain, he was relieved. Perhaps, Sophie was crying because she was missing her parents. He decided not to ask her questions to probe her feelings.
He thought Sophie would share with him if she wanted to. Nichs wouldn''t be invasive of her privacy. If she wanted to keep her feelings and thoughts private, he would respect it.
He waited patiently until she finished crying. Somehow, even though Sophie didn''t say it aloud but seeing her cry after he said he was very worried about her condition and he cooked for her, Nichs could guess that Sophie felt touched.
He felt the same way when Sophie showed him eptance and kissed him. Suddenly, Nichs felt the burden on his back was lifted. He had lived for eight years, feeling like a freak, a horrible monster that anyone would hate if they found out who he really was.
But Sophie was different. Even though she knew what he was, she didn''t treat him differently. She took his deepest, darkest secret and kept it in her heart, without a shred of judgment.
Nichs could be himself around her. And that was... the best feeling in the world.
.
.
________________
From Missrealitybites:
Huhuhuhu... I think this is why Nichs and Sophie are so good for each other.
She epted him for who he is, even when he considered himself a monster, and he loved her and cared for her when she felt alone and unloved.
What do you think?
Chapter 41 W E B N O V E L Housekeeping Chapter: Important To Read
Dear lovely readers,
If you have read my other books and seen this housekeeping chapter, feel free to skip this one. You might also see simr text posted in several other authors'' books. Well, they have asked my permission to post it because they found it to be very helpful to exin to their readers the ins and outs of Webnovel.
This chapter is dedicated to giving you information on everything you need to know about W e b n o v e l and books published here. From the chapter pricing, publishing updates, privilege, etc., etc.
If you have any burning questions on how the site works, feel free to write down your question here and I will answer them. I love transparency and I think it helps you and me to navigate the site as we read books that we love.
GOING PREMIUM
First of all, I would like to announce that the story will be going premium (locked) on November 26, 2021. Maybe at around chapter 50. I will throw in mass release to reach chapter 50 by then.
Once the book is locked, you can unlock the premium chapters with coins or fast passes. If you want to and you can afford to support me and this book financially, you can unlock the premium chapters by using coins.
If you are a broke student hahaha... or you are struggling to get by, you can unlock the premium chapters with fast passes which you can get for free every day (I will exinter how). Don''t feel bad about it. It''s okay! I love you too!
I grew up reading books for free by standing for hours in the bookstore because my parents couldn''t afford to buy books and I was a voracious reader. So, I know how it feels to crave books but unable to buy anything.
COIN PRICING
If you are new to the site, this is how the premium chapters will be priced:
200 words = 1 coin, and 1 coin is worth $0.02 (two cents US dor)
That means the longer the chapters, the more coins needed to unlock them. For 1200 word chapters, the price will be 6 coins, 2000 word chapters are worth 10 coins, and so on.
FYI: Authors cannot publish a premium chapter if the word count is less than 1000 words, but it''s almost impossible to keep the word count exactly at 1k (5 coins), so most of the time you will see our premium chapters are at a minimum priced 6 coins (1001-1200 words)
HOW MUCH DOES AN AUTHOR ACTUALLY EARN?
The book''s earning is split three-way between author and Google/Apple (as app store providers) and W e b n o v e l. After deducting the withholding tax, the authors get around 30%.
For example: from a chapter that costs 6 coins, only 2 coins will go to the author. It''s not really much, considering 1 chapter takes 1-4 hours to write (depending on the author''s health, inspiration, research, etc).
But the more readers unlock the chapters using coins, the more money an author could make. So.. please open the locked chapters with coins if you wish to support me and this novel.
If you see a chapter with 1200 words (around 6-7 pages) and priced 6 coins. It means the cost to unlock the chapter is:
6 coins x $0.02 = $0.12
Out of that $0.12 (twelve cents), the author earns 30% or around $0.036 (3.6 cents) from that chapter if a reader paid with coins.
So, please be kind to authors whose books are not popr because they work hard but they earn very little since they only have a few paying readers. I was one of them until a few months ago, earning as little as $20 per month from one book.
I only got my big break after my 7th book and now I earn decently. Thanks to my wonderful readers and supporters who help me realize my dream to write more. I hope someday I can quit my day job and write full time.
Sometimes a book isn''t popr not because it''s bad or the authorcks talent, a lot of times it was actually down to luck. If you read my previous books, you will see that they are not bad and my talent is not sub-par. I just got my lucky break on book no. 7, "The Cursed Prince". So, I believe many fellow authors are like that too.
FAST PASSES
If you cannot afford to unlock the chapters with coins, but you really want to read premium chapters, you can get fast passes every day for free.
Just go to your PROFILE Tab and click the REWARD button on the top left.
You can do the daily missions to get fast passes. A fast pass looks like a key that can unlock chapters. You can get them by doing:
1) daily check-in
2) vote power stone for the book you like
3) vote energy stone for trantion book on the trial pool - basically, just follow the instruction on the REWARD page.
I hope someday you will be blessed abundantly so you can support the content creators that you like with coins too. Unlike content creators on streaming tforms like YouTube, for example, writers on digital writing tforms don''t get any ie from ads, we rely solely on the kindness of our readers.
AUTHOR''S NOTES
If you haven''t noticed already, I love writing my thoughts about stuff and the story under the chapter, not in the author''s note box. I have my own reasons to do that. One of them is readers don''t read from that box, so why would I write things that nobody would read?
The second thing is, I sometimes write A LOT on my notes. When I have a lot to exin or I wanted to share important things, I don''t want to be limited by a small box.
If you are annoyed by this fact, I am sorry, I can''t help it. You can skip my notes, obviously.
I don''t write gibberish and I''d like to think that the notes are important, otherwise, I wouldn''t waste time writing them, just like this housekeeping chapter.
To longtime W e b n o v e l readers, everything written here might bemon knowledge, but for some people, this chapter might provide valuable information that they really wanted to know.
FYI, MY NOTES WON''T COST YOU EXTRA COINS
If you are new to this site, I would like to rify that W e b n o v e l allows authors to add words after a premium chapter is published, but it doesn''t allow us to delete.
Also, the price for each chapter will be automatically set by the system when the chapter is published. It won''t change even after edit.
So, if I published a premium chapter with 1200 words (7 pages), the price will be 6 coins.
However, if I want to add more text to the chapter, like adding a long exnation, announcement, or author''s note (I do it after the chapter is published and the price is set) then the chapter will stay 6 coins, even though after I add more text it bes 2000 word (15 pages).
That means, if I want to add my authors'' thoughts in the chapter, I will do it AFTER the chapter is published so you won''t pay extra coins for them.
You can also rest assured that authors won''t cheat on you by publishing 2000 words so the chapter will cost 10 coins andter delete half of the content to be only 1200 words but still with 10 coins price.
Remember, the authors CANNOT DELETE the original word count from the premium chapter. WE CAN ONLY ADD.
You will see in theter chapters that I add important announcements and my thoughts at the bottom of the chapters. Don''t worry, you are not paying for my notes.
All my notes are added after the chapters are published.
PRIVILEGE
Now, this is another animal that many new readers find confusing.
Okay, let''s talk about PRIVILEGE + RELEASE RATE + MASS RELEASE
Privilege works like P a t r e o n for W e b n o v e l. It''s a way for readers to support the books and the content creators they like by giving them monthly support in the form of a privileged subscription. Just like P a t r e o n, readers will get exclusive ess to early chapters ording to the level of support they show.
IT IS NOT MANDATORY TO SUBSCRIBE TO PRIVILEGE.
I repeat:
IT IS NOT MANDATORY TO SUBSCRIBE TO PRIVILEGE.
Only buy privilege if you like the book and want to support the book and/or the author to make extra ie, beyond the coins you spend on unlocking chapters.
Once you buy privilege, you will get early ess to 5, 10, or 20 advanced chapters AHEAD OF REGULAR READERS (depending on the tier you purchase). So, if the regr readers are in chapter 100, you will be in chapters 105, 110, or 120 depending on the privilege tiers you have.
This privilege must be renewed each month if you wish to stay ahead. If not, you can just wait until the privileged chapters be regr chapters.
I want you to know everything about privilege before you decide to purchase, so you won''t feel scammed etc. when you realize you have to renew it next month.
My privilege for this book starting from December 2021 will be:
Tier 1 is 1 coin with ess to 5 advanced chapters
Tier 2 is 300 coins with ess to 10 advanced chapters
Tier 3 is 800 coins with ess to 20 advanced chapters
Tier 4 is 1200 coins with ess to 28 advanced chapters with 50% disc
The cost per tier is 1 coin (2 cents), 300 coins ($6), 800 coins ($16), and 1200 coins ($24) per month, of which I get to keep 30% or around $8 from the highest tiers (all revenue made by this book will be split 3 way between Google/Apple, W e b n o v e l and yours truly.. including gifts and privilege).
I will keep repeating that purchasing PRIVILEGE IS NOT MANDATORY. It''s just a way provided for readers who wish to support this book further, beyond the coins they pay for each chapter, and in return, they arepensated with early ess to the future chapters.
Since this book is joining the W e b n o v e Werewolf contest, I have to do my best to make sure this book earns good money because that is actually the main consideration to win.
Even if a book is AMAZINGLY GOOD but it EARNS A LITTLE, it is considered A FAILURE and won''t win. That brings me to my release rate.
RELEASE RATE
To make more money, an author has to write more chapters every day since there will be many chapters avable to purchase.
I know I have only been publishing once a day for this book since I was quite busy, but after it goes premium, I promise to work my a$$ off for this book and make it worthy of your support.
I will be publishing the book with a minimum of 2 chapters. Maybe I will even publish more. We''ll see.
If we reached certain targets, like Win-Win target, power stone target, etc, I will also throw in mass releases.
Okay... I think that will be all from me. I hope it answers some questions and gives rity on some things that you have been wondering about.
If you have anything to ask about the site, the books, etc, feel free to write your questions in thement. I will reply to them. ^^
Thank you for reading this important housekeeping chapter. I can''t wait to publish more on Lnd, Sophie, and Nichs for you.
x Vina - Missrealitybites
Chapter 42 I Love You
"Sophie¡" Nichs let go of his hug from Sophie''s body and moved back a little, so he could see her face clearly.
Tears were also forming in his eyes. He touched her cheeks with both hands and he looked deeply into her eyes. His voice sounded firm and clear when he spoke.
"I love you, Sophie. I am so worried when you fall sick. I don''t know what I would do if something happened to you under my watch. I would definitely hate myself."
Sophie looked at Nichs with bulged eyes. She thought she was dreaming. Did Nichs really say he loved her?
"N-Nic¡" Sophie bit her lip. "What did you say?"
"I said¡ I don''t know what I would do if something happened to you under my watch¡" Nichs repeated his words. However, Sophie''s confused eyes let him know that it wasn''t what she wanted to hear.
"Before that¡" Sophie said softly. "What.. did you say?"
"Oh¡" Suddenly Nichs''s face flushed red. He got carried away and let the secret of his heart out. However, he was a man and he wouldn''t take back his words. So, he looked at Sophie deeply and repeated what he already told her. "I love you, Sophie."
He initially expected Sophie tough or change the subject and pretended not to hear his love confession, but she instead asked him to repeat it? He hoped she would return his love.
"Oh, Nic¡" Sophie wiped her eyes and suddenly wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. Her voice was hoarse when she whispered, "I love you too, Nic¡"
Nichs was pleasantly surprised by Sophie''s reaction to his love confession. She didn''t reject him, didn''tugh, and didn''t change the subject.
In fact, she said she loved him too?
This was the happiest day in Nichs''s young life.
"Oh, Sophie¡ I am so happy to hear this," he gushed. "I have loved you since the first day we met again in Hastings. You are so interesting, smart, passionate, full of life, and brave. I have never met anyone like you and I am so grateful that I could meet you again in here, and we can spend so much time together."
Then, he kissed her lips tenderly. Sophie kissed him back. Both were inexperienced when it came to making out, but after kissing several times before this, they had learned how to make the best out of the kiss, and the rest was instinct.
Their lips locked as they hugged more tightly. Nichs''s tongue slowly ravaged the inside of Sophie''s mouth. She felt a jolting pleasure when their tongues met, and instinctively, she returned the favor.
Their tongues twisted and wrestled inside her mouth, while their saliva mixed. This exchange of fluid was like the seal that solidified their love for each other.
Their lips only parted to catch their breath before they continued the passionate kiss. When Sophie let out a soft moan, Nichs'' body suddenly froze¡ and he ended the kiss abruptly.
Sophie suddenly felt at a loss when Nichs ended the kiss. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Nichs with a confused gaze.
She didn''t understand why Nichs stopped.
Did he not like their kiss? Or...
Did he suddenly realize that they were from different sses and Sophie was not from his level, so now he regretted saying that he loved her?
Was that what happened?
Those thoughts suddenly yanked Sophie down from cloud nine after she was feeling the euphoria from their sweet kisses.
The beautiful woman bit her lip and looked down. She should have known her ce. She was just a poor orphan who didn''t deserve the love of someone like Nichs.
The man must have realized now that the kiss was a mistake. So was the love confession.
How dare she said she loved him too? She had no right.
"No, Sophie..." Nichs, somehow, understood what Sophie must be thinking. She must misunderstand Nichs''s reaction to their passionate kiss just now.
Even though they had not spent too much time together, Nichs was an observant man and he felt such closeness to Sophie, that he could understand what she was thinking. He could tell she was sad because Nichs ended the kiss and she thought the man didn''t want her.
No, it was actually the opposite. Nichs wanted her. So badly.
"I love you, Sophie," Nichs repeated his love confession. "That''s true. Please don''t misunderstand."
Slowly, Sophie raised her face and looked at Nichs with her teary eyes.
So, he truly loved her? But...?
There must be a ''but''.
But what?
"No but," Nichs added, as if reading Sophie''s mind. "I love you so much, you have no idea."
"But... why?" Sophie pursed her lips. "Do you not want me anymore? Why did you end the kiss... so abruptly? It was as if you suddenly realize that... that I''m not good enough for you."
Sophie was referring to their difference in status. She knew Nichs was a young master from a noble family in the capital. Even though Nichs said he loved her, his parents might want him to find a good woman from another noble family to marry.
"Noone is good enough for me, but you, Sophie," Nichs said quickly. He touched her cheek and looked deep into her eyes.
"I only want you in this life. I want you so badly that... " He swallowed, "That... I am worried I won''t be able to hold back any longer if we continued kissing..."
His words were uttered in a shy expression. Nichs felt his face heated when he indirectly admitted to Sophie that he was aroused when they kissed and he was worried that he couldn''t hold back if he continued.
Sophie''s mouth agape when she heard Nichs'' exnation. "Hold back...?"
Nichs looked away. He was so embarrassed because his mind was imagining so many lewd things he wanted to do to Sophie during their passionate kiss.
He was imagining her naked and he pressed on her body, kissing her all over, while his hands yed with her breasts, and then¡ª
Gosh... his face flushed red.
"You are a respectable woman, Sophie. So, I shouldn''t have any immoral thoughts about you, but..." Nichs swallowed. His heart was still pounding uncontrobly. "But I can''t help it. I kept thinking about you naked under me and... I am sorry, Sophie. I hope you will forgive me for ending the kiss earlier... I need to get a cold shower."
.
.
_________________
From Missrealitybites:
What should Sophie''s reaction be to Nichs''s confession? Should we have a snusnu in the next chapter? Choose 1 or 2. XD
1. Yes!
2. Nooo... it''s too early. I would rather wait 300 more chapters before they have sex.
Chapter 43 Cold Shower
Nichs threw her an awkward smile and then went to get her a bowl of soup that he had prepared earlier. The pot was still warm, so he didn''t need to light the fire to warm it up again for her.
He used the woodendle to scoop the soup into the bowl gently and then brought it to Sophie who couldn''t keep her eyes off of him.
"This is the soup I made for you," Nichs said softly. "I hope it''s edible¡"
Sophie smiled and nodded. She wiped the single tear from the corner of her eye and epted the bowl from Nichs'' hand.
She was so relieved when she heard from him that he didn''t think she was less than him. He didn''t mind their difference in status. In fact, he wanted her so badly that he had to hold back himself from acting on his desire for her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
When their fingers touched, both felt electric and instantly looked at each other''s faces. Their eyes locked. Both had the same longing in them.
"I will learn to make a better soup," Nichs said with a nervous chuckle. "I hope for your guidance¡"
He was not lying when he praised her cooking. Sophie was truly talented. She could make their very simple ingredients into delectable dishes. Nichs liked everything that came out of her beautiful hands.
Sophie raised the bowl to her face and closed her eyes to smell the fragrance. Her lips curved up in a smile.
"It smells so good." She opened her eyes and looked at Nichs gratefully. "I love it. Thank you for making this for me."
Nichs swallowed. Why did her gesture to inhale the soup look so damn hot?
He could feel his pants tighten and his penis started throbbing. This was only making it worse!
Everything she did was sexy and alluring. Nichs didn''t know if he could even keep staying here with her. What if he kept getting aroused by whatever she did, no matter how innocent it was?
Gosh.. he felt like a pervert. This was uneptable! Sophie was a respectable woman!
Nichs med himself for his unholy thoughts.
"Please eat.. I will take a cold shower now," he said quickly before he turned around and walked through the door. Then he gently closed the door behind him.
Sophie didn''t turn her eyes from the door until a few momentster. Her heart was filled with warmth when she finally looked down and see the soup in her hands.
Nichs must have never worked a day in his life, yet he cooked for her, and he had been helping around the house doing so many chores. He even fixed that leaking roof and the holes on the wall because they made Sophie feel cold at night.
She was convinced that Nichs was honest with his feelings when he said he was in love with her. The beautiful girl smiled to herself and started drinking her soup with a spoon.
She was in love with him too.
Not because of his status and wealth. Sophie didn''t even know his family, except the fact that he was Lord Ferdinand''s nephew.
She didn''t care if he was a peasant like her. Heck, she didn''t even mind that he was a lycan which was considered as monster by other people.
To her, he was not a monster. He was a really good man who was so kind to her and cared about her. Sophie felt protected and loved whenever he was around.
***
Meanwhile, Nichs kept drawing water from the well and pouring it onto his head to wash away his unholy thoughts.
Even though the night was so cold and this water should have made him shiver, the fact that he was a lycan made him have a much higher tolerance for cold. This was not enough to cool him down.
So, he drew more water and washed until he could stop thinking about Sophie. Finally, he stopped and sat by the mouth of the well. It''s been almost one hour. Surely Sophie had finished the soup and had already gone back to sleep.
Nichs raised his hand and felt the air. The temperature at this hour must be bone-chilling for Sophie. Uff.. suddenly he felt worried. What if her fever got worse?
Nichs quickly took off his wet clothes and hung them to dry at the makeshift hanger they put at the side of the hut. He took a clean towel and wrapped himself in it. In his hurry, he forgot to bring out a fresh set of clothes with him.
Well, he could just go in and get his clothes from his luggage since Sophie must already be asleep.
The man opened the door lightly, careful not to make a sound so he wouldn''t wake up Sophie.
"Nic..."
Nichs'' eyes bulged and he halted his steps when he saw Sophie standing by the bed. She had heard him walking in and immediately got up from the bed.
She looked much healthier now and the blush on her cheeks was clear even though the only lighting in the room came from a single candle by the windowsill.
"Why aren''t you sleeping?" Nichs asked worriedly. He came to her side immediately, forgetting that he wasn''t wearing any clothes, just that towel around his waist.
"I-I can''t sleep..." Sophie admitted. She suddenly felt her heart pound so hard when Nichs''s cold hand touched her temple to check her temperature. She no longer had a fever, so the man let out a sigh of relief.
"Ahh... I am d you look much healthier," he said softly.
He gazed at Sophie and suddenly his heart skipped a beat. She was looking at him with longing in her eyes. Nichs swallowed.
This must be his imagination.
His unholy thoughts.
She couldn''t be having that look in her eyes. Longing? For what? Him? Stop fooling yourself, Nichs.
Sophie bit her lip and batted her eyes. She looked oh so alluring.
Nichs stepped back and got ready to take another cold shower, but suddenly a small hand had gripped his wrist. He looked at Sophie''s hand on his wrist, and then at her face with a confused gaze.
"Sophie...?" He swallowed hard.
Sophie exerted all her courage and pulled Nic toward her, and then she tip-toed and gave him a deep kiss.
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From Missrealitybites:
So, I n to lock this book tomorrow and I want to get to the exciting part first. The exciting part is the appearance of Lnd in ckwoods forest, near Sophie''s hut! Yeay!
However, it''s around 10 chapters away from this one. So, my job is to publish all the chapters I have before this book is locked in that special chapter, thus giving you a nice mass release. I already have the 9 chapters ready but I need that one chapter to bridge all of them together.
As you can guess, it''s the snusnu chapter(s).. ahahaha... Yeah, I know you so well now. You must want option 1, instead of option 2.
So, I will go with that one. I am still writing it, so please be patient. I will keep publishing chapters for the next few hours until all 10 chapters are out. Just wait. xx
PS: I am uber busy now so I couldn''t reply toments yet. I will get back to you soonest.
Chapter 44 Is Sophie Initiating... Intimacy? **
Note:
This chapter (and all chapters with double asterisks) contain an R-18 explicit sex scene. Please read at your own discretion.
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Nic''s eyes bulged like a deer''s in the headlights. He was caught off guard by the sudden kiss. This was not the first time Sophie initiated a kiss, but this was surely the most passionate one.
He felt so light like a feather and his brain was filled with intoxicating pleasure. Nic returned her kiss. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her lips with lust.
His tongue started ravaging her mouth and dueled her tongue in a fiery passion.
"Gosh... no." The man suddenly ended the kiss again and step back. His breath was panting and his face filled with desire and guilt at the same time.
He didn''t want to ruin her. She was a virgin, a respectable woman, and he loved her so much.
Nichs didn''t want to smear Sophie''s reputation by sleeping with her now. He wanted to bring her to the capital, present her to his parents and dere his love for the world to witness, then he would marry her in a regal and beautiful wedding ceremony, fit for a queen.
"Nic..." Sophie moved forward until their front bodies touched again.
She had been thinking about it while Nichs went out to cool his head, and finally, she made a decision.
She felt so loved, wanted, and protected when she was with Nichs. And she could see his struggle with his desire for her. It showed that his love for her was pure. He didn''t want to act on his impulse. Nichs even tried to wait until she fell asleep before he went back inside.
All this gesture touched her heart so deeply. She knew she had met a good man, who loved her unconditionally and respected her.
Sophie loved him too, and she wanted to be with him forever. Since their love was pure, surely they would eventually end up together and get married, and consummate their rtionship.
Whether they had sex now orter, it would not make a difference because Sophie couldn''t imagine being intimate with anyone but Nic. She wanted him to be her first, her one and only.
So, why not do it now? Now orter was the same to her. As long as it was with Nichs.
She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
"Sophie..." Nichs whispered. Her name sounded so sweet when it rolled in his tongue.
He loved her name, Sophia Hansley. They sounded so feminine and graceful.
Crown Princess Sophia Hansley Hannenbergh,ter Queen Sophia Hansley Hannenbergh.
Hisst name and hers fit so well together.
"Nic..." Sophie slightly touched his bare chiseled chest with her fingers and traced his skin down to his hard abdomen. Nichs felt his body shiver at her touch. His temperature rose slowly.
Her voice was oh so alluring.
"Sophie... I-I... I think I should sleep outside tonight..." Nichs said with a hoarse voice.
Secretly he hoped she would say no, he shouldn''t go out, he could just sleep inside this hut and nothing would happen. She might be able to convince him. He couldn''t trust himself with his raging desire for her in this situation.
Sophie''s left hand touched his hand and sped them together, while her right hand continued tracing his skin. Her touch made him feel tickle and the man felt his lower body be hot.
What was she doing...?
Was she... initiating intimacy... just like she initiated a kiss earlier?
Nichs held his breath in anticipation. His eyes looked at her like a hawk checking his prey, not because he considered her his prey, but because he wanted to make sure he didn''t miss any single hint, even at the slightest.
Did she want him too...?
Sophie smiled sweetly and took Nichs'' hand to her chest. He could feel her heart pound so hard.
She was nervous as well, just like him, but she wanted to be brave and let him know through her actions that he was wee and she wanted him too, just as much as he wanted her.
"I love you Nic..." she whispered. Her voice was husky and alluring. "I want you... Please, make me yours..."
Something got stuck in Nichs'' throat. He couldn''t say anything for a few moments. He still couldn''t believe his ears. She wanted him to be hers?
The pleasure was all his! He''d love it!
"I want you, Sophie..." Nics finally stepped closer and kissed her again. Then, he looked at her and asked nervously. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I am sure..." Sophie nodded. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him again. When their bodies touched like this, Nichs could feel her soft breast and her body warmth.
She had that faint scent like sweet fresh flowers. It filled his nostrils when they kissed again. This time, her scent felt slightly be more obvious. He loved it!
It was so alluring and made his mind dance with happiness. They kissed for a few rounds and slowly their bodies felt more rxed. The kisses were sweet and soothing. They gave their minds the initial dose of pleasure.
Sophie''s cheeks were rosy. Even under the dim light, Nichs''s eyes could see everything clearly with his lycan vision. She looked so beautiful every time heid his eyes on her, but tonight, she looked especially more attractive than usual.
There was a special charm that mysteriously engulfed Nichs and made him go crazy about her. His desire went through the roof and his penis was throbbing, asking for pration and,ter, release.
"Oh, Sophie..." Nichs pushed Sophie''s body to the bed andid her down gently. Then he went on top of her and pressed on her body.
During the kiss earlier, his hands had groped her dress and now most of the buttons in the upper part had been unfastened. Now, he could see her breasts show from the top opening of her dress. They looked extremely beautiful. Each breast was bouncy and had good size, perfect in his hands.
He couldn''t wait to see the rest of her. So, Nichs quickly unfastened the rest of the buttons and peeled the dress off of her.
Sophie bit her lip and looked at Nichs in anticipation as he stripped her of her clothes one by one.
Her breath was panting and she let out a moan when Nichs took out thest garment and tossed it on the floor.
Nichs gasped.
Her naked body looked so much more beautiful than he imagined.
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Welp, okay, apparently we still have more snusnu in the next chapter XD.
Chapter 45 Making Love **
Sophie felt so nervous but secretly excited at the same time. She was aroused too and couldn''t wait to see what Nichs'' body looked like once he removed that towel from his waist.
The prince licked his lips at seeing the beautiful view underneath him. His hands shakily touched her skin. His movement was extremely gentle.
He started touching her from her arms, then moved up to her shoulders, then went lower to her corbone, then her breasts.
They felt so bouncy and soft. Her nipples had a pink hue that looked so fresh and pretty. Her waist was small and her pelvis looked beautiful.
All the lines on her body looked like they were sculpted perfectly. With one hand, he removed the towel from his waist and now Sophie could admire his body too.
Nichs''s body looked slender but toned. He had all the muscles in the right ce. The triangr lines on his pelvis looked really manly and his stomach was hard with muscles.
Between his thighs, his engorged manhood was towering. It looked like a sword out of its sheath, ready to be used for battle.
Sophie was so embarrassed that her eyes caught sight of his manhood. She could see it well even though the lighting only came from one candle and her vision was not as good as Nichs''s.
Maybe her mind pieced the images together and gave her a clear picture of his penis?
She bit her lip, unsure if she could take his size. It looked really big. Doubt started to fill her mind. She had never done this and never imagined how it would be like.
Sophie reached out her hand and touched his shaft. It''s as hard as a rock. He would need to insert it into her in order for them to consummate their love. But...
Would it fit? Sophie never even inserted her finger inside her fold. So, seeing that huge hard thing towering over her stomach, she suddenly felt uncertain if they should continue.
"Sophie..." Nichs bent down and kissed her lips, then he gradually moved his kisses to her cheek, then to her ear. His lips nibbled on her earlobe and then kissed behind her ear.
Sophie fluttered hershes as she was slowly feeling dazed. She started feeling so rxed that she no longer thought about her doubt if his rock-hard manhood could enter her easily or not. She no longer cared.
Whenever his lips brushes against her skin, she trembled in a lovely way. It was so alluring and made Nichs feel more turned on.
He loved kissing her skin and licked it incessantly. She tasted amazing!
When he licked her skin, it was so smooth and soft to touch, even delectable.
She was perfect.
For Sophie, his kisses felt strange at first, but slowly she became used to it and, in fact, craved it when his lips left her skin.
Now Nichs''s lips brushed down her corbone and then finally reached her right breast.
"Ahh..."
Sophie closed her eyes and let out a soft moan when Nichs'' lips took a mouthful of her right breast and started sucking on it. Hearing her moan made the man feel more eager to pleasure her.
She liked this move, he thought to himself. He would give her more.
So, he sucked more and then licked her nipple meticulously. Sophie''s body trembled and she arched her back, looking so lovely and alluring.
Nichs kneaded her left breast while he sucked on and licked her right nipple, much to her delight. Sophie got breathless when Nichs switched his sucking to her left breast while his hand kneaded her right mound.
It was... so good!
She grasped onto the sheets when she got her first orgasm. Her toes curled and she looked so cute.
Nichs stopped his movement and observed her in awe. He was happy to see Sophie close her eyes as she moaned softly, looking in bliss.
Was this how she looked when she got her release? She looked so happy and sexy!
He touched her pussy and felt warm liquid seep through. It was her love juice. Nichs didn''t know what prompted him to suddenly move lower and kiss herbia.
He just wanted to taste her.
His kisses traveled down to her abdomen, then to her inner thighs, and finally to her very wet fold. He began sucking.
Sophie had not even gotten over the first wave of pleasure when she was suddenly attacked by another one. She let out a scream of pleasure when Nichs''s lips and tongue worked together to lick and suck her pussy.
Her love juice never stopped flowing and she gripped the sheets more tightly. Her mind was in a mess and she couldn''t keep her voice down. She moaned loudly and even screamed when she got another orgasm.
Her voice aroused him so much and Nichs couldn''t hold back any longer. His penis throbbed uncontrobly. He felt his body burn up.
His manhood had gotten very hard since a while ago and now it started to hurt. He needed to enter her. He couldn''t wait to feel his penis being mped tightly by her pussy.
Nichs held Sophie''s hips with both hands and wrapped her legs around his waist. She was still on cloud nine after herst orgasm. So, he hoped it wouldn''t hurt too much when he started pration.
Slowly, Nichs thrust his manhood into her fold. When he got the crown in, Sophie suddenly jolted in surprise. She opened her eyes and looked straight at him. There was an expression of pain on her face, but when she saw him look guilty and wanted to stop, she forced a smile and nodded weakly.
"It''s... it''s okay..." she whispered.
She grabbed his arms and motioned him to continue. Nichs knew it would hurt for the first time but he must continue and quickly do the work to make her get used to his size and the pain would subside.
So, he steeled his heart and thrust deeper. Sophie''s nails dug on his skin and left marks as he pushed his way in, but he barely felt it. Instead, what he felt was her pain. This turned his heart into a mess.
"Oh, Sophie... Please bear with me..." Nichs wished he could feel the pain for her.
He could only keep pushing. Finally, he entered her all the way in. Both gasped and held their breaths for one moment. Then, Nichs pulled his penis out and when the crown was at the tip of the entrance, he thrust it in again.
This time, her pussy was more slippery and his shaft could enter easily. It took several minutes before Sophie was fully rxed and she felt pleasure coursing through her body, to all her nerve endings.
She let out sexy moans all night long when Nichs devoured her in steamy lovemaking that didn''t end until morning came.
Both were devoid of strength when they were finally asleep in each other arms. Sophie lost track of how many times she got orgasms. Nick too. As soon as he got his release, his strength immediately returned for the next round.
As two people who had only experienced the joy of sex, they were intoxicated and addicted. Both could never have enough of each other''s bodies.
So, they continued round after round of lovemaking, until they couldn''t do it anymore. The pleasure and happiness filled their hearts and minds to the brim.
It was the best night of their life.
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I hope you are happy with their lovemaking scene, and oh, the mass release! ^^
Chapter 46 [Bonus Chapter] I Want To Marry You
When morning came for the two of them, Nichs woke up and found Sophie asleep in his arms. She was currently resting and leaning against his chest.
The sight of her was incredible and it made Nichs extremely happy. He didn''t think that this would actually happen between the two of them, but now that the two of them did¡ it was everything that he could ever want.
"I want to marry you," Nichs mumbled to himself as he brushed back some of Sophie''s beautiful and silken hair against her ear. He ced a chaste kiss on her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
There were a lot of things that were now on Nichs''s mind.
In the past, Nichs genuinely wanted to repay his debt to Sophie as his savior, but now, he was already imagining what it would be like to spend the rest of his life with her. The rest of their days could be like this here in Hauntingen and it would fill him with immense bliss.
A pleased smile formed on Nichs''s face.
Until he realized that his father would not ept this marriage between them.
Nichs knew that his father prioritized the kingdom and it was important for them to have strong alliances to secure the safety and prosperity of their kingdom.
It wasn''t suggested often since the king still thought that Nichs was immature to have a wife, but they mentioned names. There were some princesses from the neighboring kingdoms or the daughters of important noble families in the capital.
Nichs didn''t want any of them and he only wanted the woman that was in his arms right now.
While Nichs only thought of wanting to marry her right now, the young man realized that it was the best decision to do. If Nichs was already married to Sophie then there was nothing that his father could do but ept the marriage.
Once Nichs was king, he was more than ready to forge strong alliances with the other kingdoms in order to vanquish the werewolf n for once and for all. During those times, he and Sophie would have the opportunity to travel and meet different people.
"But first the wolfsbane," Nichs muttered to himself. "Or the ring first¡ but there''s no proper ring here. Not to mention all the ns to make. Well, we don''t need any guests, just the two of us will do."
Nichs knew that he needed to cure his lycanthropy first, but the idea of Sophie and him sharing their vows here in Hauntingen underneath the beautiful canopy of blossoming trees was a sight that he wanted to engrave in his heart and mind.
Maybe the ring wasn''t even important now, as long as the two of them got married first then the ring couldeter. Nichs would make Sophie pick whatever she wanted for herself.
It settled things for Nichs as he waited for his future bride to wake up¡ but then a thought suddenly bugged him.
What if Sophie refused to marry him?
While it was true that Sophie gave her first time to him and slept with himst night, what if she didn''t want to be his wife? What if she wanted to be free and without any kind of constraints?
Nichs prayed fervently in his heart that Sophie would ept him.
Once Nichs''s heart stopped worrying, the man found the strength to get up from bed even though he did it with much reluctance. However, Nichs wanted to surprise Sophie and please her.
Nichs prepared her breakfast again to serve her in bed.
This time, he did his best to cook even better than before.
There weren''t a lot of ingredients since Sophie wanted to work for her own food and not rely on Nichs for expenses, but there were eggs and other perfect things to eat for breakfast. The man cooked them for her and ced them on the table.
"Mmm...Nichs?" Sophie''s eyes flickered open once she smelled the aroma of fragrant food.
"Ah, good morning, Sophie!" Nichs quickly walked over to Sophie and brought her the te on a tray and greeted her with a kiss on the forehead. He didn''t want to surprise her too much, so he tried to y it cool.
"You made breakfast?" Sophie looked at him in surprise.
"I thought you might have gotten hungry afterst night," Nichs said. "You might also be feeling a bit sore too."
Sophie looked down at the beautiful food arrangement that Nichs did and only blushed while chuckling. "Ah, now that you mentioned that¡ I didn''t think that you would suddenly go um, all out?"
"I hope that you enjoyed yourself though," Nichs watched Sophie''s expression earnestly to see her reaction. "It''s my first time pleasuring a woman so I probably need a lot more practice to get better at it."
Sophie looked at Nichs and realized what he implied through his words. Her voice squeaked slightly and she asked, "What did you just say?"
"That I will do my best to learn," Nichs smiled brightly. "But ah, that''s only if you''re okay with that?"
"Haha, I almost thought that you''d look elsewhere." Sophie grinned a bit at him. "Well, since it''s my first time and yours¡ there are some difficulties but you actually seem pretty experienced. Where did you learn how to do those things?"
The idea that a man would suddenly go down on her didn''t seem instinctive at first because Sophie was a bit nervous, but then the pleasures the man brought her were heavenly.
"I may have read a book about it once. I promise I have only done it with you." Nichs shrugged sheepishly but then smirked. "I think I did a lot better because I could read your expressions and listen to your moans."
"Don''t say that!" Sophie''s face flushed as she stared at him. "It''s a little embarrassing."
"It''s just really cute seeing you react like that," Nichs chuckled. "Whether you''re smiling, blushing, or mad at me.. you''re always so mesmerizing and beautiful to me."
Chapter 47 The Proposal
"Oh, Nichs," Sophie blushed but rolled her eyes at him. She patted the empty space on her bed and beckoned him to join her. "You can stop saying those things now and just eat with me. We have a lot of things to do today as usual."
"What if I wanted to have you for breakfast?" Nichs smirked. "Would you let me eat you?"
"Nichs Ferdinand!" Sophie was red-faced at how the young man could say them without a hint of shame or embarrassment. "What would your mother and rtives think if they knew that you''re like this?"
Nichs chuckled and took Sophie''s hand in his as their fingers inteced together. He leaned close to her and kissed her cheek. "Well, I think that my parents will tell me to take responsibility for all of my actions."
"Responsibility?" Sophie raised a brow at him and then her eyes suddenly widened. She knew that most women who slept before marriage often asked for the man to marry them, but she didn''t think of that with Nichs at all. "Wait do you really mean¡ª"
Nichs sat down beside her, took away the tray of breakfast, and ced it aside for a moment to look her in the eye. "You have to take responsibility too, Sophie."
Sophie''s face reddened and she felt her heart pound. It was so easy to be confused and feel like her stomach was fluttering with butterflies around this man. However, as far as she was aware, men didn''t ask women to take responsibility at all.
"What are you talking about? I have no idea what actions I did to be responsible for. I''m not asking anything from you either," Sophie said and gulped slightly.
"You''ve taken my heart and soul, Sophie." Nichs chuckled and kissed her hand and ced it close to his chest. "Whenever I''m with you, it feels like my entire world is just you and you alone. I love you, Sophie."
"Nichs¡" Sophie found herself looking at him in amazement as she felt his heart also pounding loudly beneath his chest. She couldn''t believe his words and yet they managed to touch her heart and made her feel something she hadn''t experienced before.
Her face felt incredibly hot.
Did this mean that Sophie loved him back?
It was so different from the love that Sophie knew from being around her parents, but this was love wasn''t it? Sophie took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, she cupped his cheek and leaned down for a kiss.
The moment where their lips brushed was electric and it made Sophie feel things that she didn''t think were possible. More than that though, Sophie did realize that there was a ce in her heart that found it easy to find Nichs there.
She loved him.
He was like the sun that warmed everything he touched and she was happy whenever she was with Nichs. The idea of spending their days together here in Hautingen filled Sophie with joy and earnestness.
She could see and was looking forward to being with him.
Once the two of them parted away, Nichs reached out and squeezed both of her hands. There was a warm and rosy color in his cheeks as he found the courage to finally ask her the question.
"Will you spend the rest of your life with me, Sophie?" he asked.
Sophie''s face heated up and she looked him in the eye. "This is so sudden¡"
"I can''t imagine loving another woman but you," Nichs chuckled. "So why should we wait when we can spend the rest of our lives together like this? I''ll love you every day and never leave your side. I''ll be with you through thick and thin, the good times and bad, I will be with you always."
Tears pricked Sophie''s eyes and she tried to blink them away.
Nichs'' eyes widened and he reached out to gently wipe a tear that fell down her cheek. He didn''t think that he''d ever see such a reaction from her. Was it too sudden? Did his words scare her away?
"Sophie?" he asked with a hint of nervousness evident in his tone and expression. He said her name but it conveyed everything that he was feeling at that moment.
"You didn''t say anything wrong," Sophieughed a bit and shook her head. She smiled at him. "I¡ I just can''t believe it. You really want to stay with me and make me your wife?"
Nichs nodded. "Yes. There''s no one else I''d rather spend my days with than with you, Sophie."
"You really do?" Sophie asked him again. "What if you''re just mistaking this one moment of us being physically attracted to each other as love? What if you''re only feeling a sense of debt and gratitude to me that you feel obliged to marry me and say you love me?"
,m Nichs noticed the doubt on her face and he treated it with gentleness.
"Sophie, I''ll tell you every day and repeat it how many times that you want me to." He gave her a warm and loving smile. "I, Nichs, unconditionally and irrevocably love you, Sophie, with all my heart and soul and nothing will ever change that."
Ever since Sophie''s parents died and she started to grow up with her rtives in Hastings, a certain part of herself became locked out and closed off to protect her heart from getting hurt anymore.
There wasn''t ever a day that Sophie found herself devastated that the people who were supposed to care and love for her turned out to be one of the most selfish and most greedy people alive.
It hurt to see them.
Especially after when the young Nichs left to return to his home and her aunt''s men picked her up, she started dreaming of a happy life with Aunt Helga, Uncle Stevan, and her two cousins.
Those dreams were dashed and she learned how to never expect anything from others again. Sophie never imagined that she''d find herself running back into the arms of Nichs and loving him because of it.
"I do."
"Huh?"
"I said yes to your proposal, I do." Sophie''s tears reemerged as happy ones as she looked at Nichs. "I love you and will marry you, Nichs."
Chapter 48 Visiting The Village Elder
Nichs was d and relieved that his father allowed him to have some time for himself before his birthday and coronation, and it also meant that he could spend some money he brought to throw Sophie a wedding.
It wasn''t going to be the mostvish one, but they would also throw another wedding once he came back to the capital with Sophie.
The vigers in Hautingen were a bit surprised when both Nichs and Sophie came around together to prepare for a wedding ceremony. The two of them actually divided their tasks and roles.
"When marrying here in the vige, we ask for the vige elder to officiate our wedding, right?" Nichs asked her.
"Mhmm," Sophie nodded. "I know the vige elder here and can approach them."
Nichs rubbed his chin and was actually reluctant in parting with her, "Do you not want to choose what decorations we''re having and other things?"
Sophie chuckled and fixed Nichs'' cloak.
"It''s a very small wedding with just the two of us and the vige ceremony making it a legal document, there''s not a lot of things to buy. Besides, I don''t have any specific thing in my mind. I''m sure that you can surprise me."
Nichs was indeed a good judge of character and had a good eye. He''d find the most elegant flower gands, crystals, and other items to make their wedding ce in the woods look beautiful.
"Okay, I''ll make the wedding ce beautiful and it''s up to you to look like the most beautiful bride, and you don''t have to worry about me looking handsome."
"Pfft¡ okay, I''ll leave you to handle it." Sophie kissed the young man''s cheek and then left for the vige elder.
When Sophie arrived at the vige elder''s house, she bumped into two men who were about to depart from the house. They were exceedingly tall and well-built and it was obvious from their demeanor that they were not from this ce.
One of them absentmindedly and identally bumped her and she fell to the ground.
Uff.
"Oh, sorry about that, Miss! I didn''t see you, you''re incredibly small."
Sophie shook her head and waved a hand. "No worries."
"Please let me help you up," One of the men ducked and offered a hand to Sophie. But then the man stopped when he had a good look on her face and he was suddenly distracted by how enchanting she was.
And yet there was something more.
His partner clicked his tongue and said, "Hurry up, Duncan. We don''t have all day."
"Sorry," Duncan sniffed and then blinked again as he helped Sophie up to her feet. He thought he smelled something awfully familiar with her scent but then it was gone. It was a trace of something almost wolf-like.
Actually, it really was a werewolf-like scent!
There were two scents actually, one male werewolf and the very faint scent of the woman in front of him.
Duncan grinned at Sophie and said, "May the goddess bless you."
"Huh?" Sophie blinked and smiled awkwardly at him.
Before Duncan could say anything else, his partner grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away before the man revealed their identities to the woman. "Forgive him, my friend is a bit confused and mistaken you for a goddess of beauty!"
That wasn''t what Duncan said to Sophie, but then she let the strange men leave as she headed to the vige elder''s house and knocked on the door. There was no answer and Sophie tried again.
"Hello? Is the vige elder home? It''s Sophie from ckwood Forest."
It took a couple of minutes before the vige elder opened the door and when he did, there was a look of relief on his face. He was the same old man that handled the funeral rites of her parents.
"Oh, it''s you. It really is you." His eyes widened as he looked at her and the man quickly nced over Sophie''s shoulder as if checking on something. He motioned for her toe in and then quickly shut the door before offering her a seat. "What can I do for you?"
Sophie noticed how the old man seemed a bit nervous, but she smiled.
"I''ll be getting married to a childhood friend I have here in Hauntingen, well, in the ckwood Forest to where my home is. Would you please officiate it?"
"The ckwood Forest?" the old man gasped and clutched his chest.
Sophie''s smile faded slightly.
It seemed like even the old man still believed in the rumors of witches and monsters lurking in the forest and didn''t seem excited about going there.
"Yes, it will be held there but I reassure you that it ispletely safe, Vige Elder. You don''t have to worry about anything and neither do you have to stay around long either. We just want to be officially married."
The old man tapped his feet nervously before he looked at Sophie and asked, "Do you have wolfsbane around your house?"
"Huh?" Sophie blinked and realized that it was the exact same nt that Nichs was looking for.
The vige elder sped his hands together and exined himself.
"Wolfsbane or Aconite is both a medicinal and poisonous nt. In proper dosages, it can be considered a healing item and most importantly something of a fertility charm. As someone who will be getting married, it will be nice for you to get them."
"Ahhh," Sophie blushed and didn''t realize that wolfsbane was also used for that. "I do not have them, Vige Elder. Do you have any idea where to get them?"
The old man looked seriously at her and asked, "The man that you will marry¡ is he strong?"
"Strong?" Sophie raised a brow.
"Physically capable, a hunter of some sort? Who is he?" the Vige Elder asked and tried to remember any particr child in their vige that Sophie yed with when she was younger.
None came to mind.
Sophie didn''t know why the man was asking such things but answered truthfully. "He''s a strong person. One of the strongest I''ve ever met and quite fast and agile too. So if the location of the wolfsbane is the problem, we will get them regardless."
"Okay, once you get that, then I can officiate the wedding," the Vige Elder said and then corrected himself. "I mean, you will have the fertility charm which is an essential part of the marriage rituals here in Hautingen. I will provide a map."
Sophie smiled in relief, "Thank you!"
***
When Sophie and Nichs reunitedter that day, she brought home a map that contained directions to a part of the ckwood that contained a garden filled with wolfsbane and other flowers in great clusters and variety.
Nichs quickly hugged and lifted her into the air as heughed in relief. "Sophie you''re incredible! I thought that I''d have the biggest surprise, but you always outdo me."
Sophie cupped his face and smiled. "I''m just incredibly lucky that the Vige Elder and Hauntingen use wolfsbane as an important part of weddings here."
"Who would have thought that?" Nichs chuckled.
A part of him questioned if it was really the truth, but then he was too happy to give much thought to it. He was excited about having this wedding with Sophie, curing his lycanthropy and then heading back to the capital to live as husband and wife.
"It''s um, some kind of charm," Sophie blushed and decided not to divulge the details of it being a fertility charm. It was almost like yesterday that the two of them were kids and living together to survive their day to day.
Now they were getting married?!
Sophie didn''t want to suddenly bring up children and fertility or else they would be taking things really fast. She never considered any of this before and was only imagining being a tavern owner.
"Should we go look for it today?" Nichs asked.
"Right now?" Sophie raised a brow.
"The faster we find it, the sooner we can get married and then the two of us can have our honeymoon," Nichs grinned at her. "I''d love to introduce you to my parents, I am sure that they will love you."
Sophie''s heart pounded at the thought, but she smiled and nodded. "Okay, let''s do it."
Chapter 49 Preparation For The Wedding
Compared to them blindly searching and hoping toe across wolfsbane in the forest, Sophie and Nichs'' movements were now more decisive when it came to searching for the nts.
"Hah, I''m really d that I can rid myself of this curse once and for all," Nichs said, although it seemed like something more to himself than Sophie.
It was one of those rare times that Sophie saw something darken that sunny disposition of Nichs.
Sophie was actually about to ask Nichs to perhaps transform into a wolf so maybe she could ride on his back and get there faster, but she understood that it was something that he did not want.
There were probably a lot of traumatic memories involved in bing the very thing that you hated the most.
It was just a bit difficult for Sophie herself to fully consider. Maybe it was because of the wolf cub that her family took in when she was younger, it made her incredibly attached to it¡ but of course, wolves and werewolves were different.
When the two of them finally arrived and saw the beautiful collection of different flowers all growing together, Sophie couldn''t help but be in awe. "Wow, it almost looks like there was someone gardening and raising them here."
"Perhaps there''s some witch that raises them?" Nichs chuckled.
"Very funny," Sophie rolled her eyes, but she noticed that Nichs looked immensely serious.
Nichs''s gaze darted across them until he found the particr deep purple flower that appeared like bell-shaped blossoms.
The young man was prepared and had a bag from which he could carry them. Sophie herself had a trowel to use and carry some of the wolfsbane so she could grow them around her shack.
It meant that Nichs didn''t have to travel back and forth. Not to mention it was what the Vige Elder also requested.
"Sophie, I brought a bag of holding here," Nichs exined to Sophie. "It means that I can carry a lot of items in my bag that''s bigger than what it actually can carry thanks to spells made on it."
Sophie''s eyes widened. "What?" Magic was so rare in their kingdom that she didn''t think that even a noble like Nichs would have something so powerful and expensive with him.
Nichs smiled sheepishly. "Yes, it''ll help us carry a great number of nts. I need as much as we can get."
The two of them would carefully gather the wolfsbane and carry as much as they could and soon return to their home.
***
When Sophie and Nichs returned back to her hut after getting the wolfsbane, the two of them carefully worked together to decorate their surroundings in order to have a small but beautiful ceremony ce.
Even if it was just the two of them, Nichs wanted Sophie to have a wedding day that would make her smile. He wanted to create a romantic atmosphere where the two of them could cherish it for years in the future.
"Are you sure that we should do the wedding first before you cure yourself, Nick?" Sophie worriedly asked him. She knew how much it meant to him to be cured from lycanthropy.
Nichs nodded and took the moment to hold Sophie''s hand. He gave the back of her hand a gentle kiss and looked into her eyes.
"I don''t feel like the monster I used to be because of you. So, dying it isn''t that terrible. Instead, I cannot wait to get married to you now, Sophie. I''m excited about spending our lives together," Nichs whispered.
Sophie''s heart fluttered. She didn''t think that Nichs would ever make her feel this way at all and she smiled. "I can''t wait for it as well."
Nichs smiled brightly, "Then it''s time for the two of us to call for the Vige Elder toe here. Before that, how about we go for a dress shop here in Hauntingen to get you a dress to wear?"
Sophie raised a brow. "Is what I wear really that important?"
"Not really," Nichs chuckled. "But I want you to enjoy your day, so if there''s anything that catches your eyes in the shops in Hauntingen, be sure to buy it."
The two of them traveled together into the vige and once they actually found a dress shop, Sophie and Nichs both walked in together.
Nichs took out a small purse and threw it at the counter. "Please give my bride the most loveliest of dresses for our wedding, okay? Some shoes and anything else that you can get for her."
"Wait, Nick?" Sophie''s eyes widened but the dressmaker and her daughters were already approaching Sophie and asking her to try on their entire stock of gowns.
"I''ll go visit the Vige Elder!" Nichs called out. "Please take your time, Sophie! I really mean it. An hour or two isn''t bad either."
Before Sophie even knew it, the young man was already out of the door and left her to choose what she wanted to wear for the wedding. She wondered if it was because Nichs came from a noble family that he still wanted Sophie to try and wear a gown.
She wouldn''t have really minded just exchanging vows, but this was also an experience she didn''t think she''d have. When Sophie nced at the avable dresses she could wear, she came to a decision.
"I''ll wear something that he''ll actually like," Sophie decided.
After everything that happened between them, Sophie also wanted to make Nichs happy. She wanted him toe see her and cherish the memory of them getting married.
***
When Nichs reached out of the dress shop, he talked to one of the individuals hanging outside and told them to stall and to keep Sophie in the shop for as long as possible. It was a necessary endeavor.
"I need to get this in order as fast as I can."
Nichs immediately looked around for everything that might make their wedding even more festive. He knew that Sophie grew up for the most part lonely and even unepted by the people in her life.
He couldn''t forget how the students in the dung academy ignored Sophie and her own rtives scorned her.
So Nichs actually wanted Sophie to experience what it was like to be surrounded by a lot of people that celebrated their wedding.
It involved a lot of money, which Nichs happened to have as he went about to several inns and taverns and asked them to bring delicious meals to the ckwood Forest and fill the forest grounds with a banquet unlike any other.
He went to a flower shop and asked them to deliver a great amount and to decorate the ce more and do it quickly. Once Nichs arrived at the Vige Elder, he told the old man to invite the entire vige to head to the forest for the wedding.
"You want to invite the entire vige of Hauntingen?!" the old man spluttered.
"Yes." Nichs grinned. "I want to give Sophie a wedding unlike anything she imagined before. Please make it happen and get yourself to ckwood, okay?"
It was a rush but somehow, Nichs'' charm and the way he addressed everyone managed to attract and gather a sizable crowd into the ckwood Forest despite once fearing it for being haunted.
Perhaps it was a sign that Nichs was actually fit to rule which was contrary to what his father always used to say, but he did everything with the intention of making Sophie smile.
Once Nichs was done with everything, the young man managed to grab a suit in a tailor''s shop and then headed for the dressmaker shop.
Sophie, who had been fitted through a couple of dresses, wore beautiful shoes and also found herself with jewellery, finally saw Nichs arrive by the door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
She was surprised to see him all dressed up, but she was also the same.
"You look beautiful, Sophie." Nichs said in awe as he offered her the flowers.
Sophie chuckled and epted the bouquet. "Well, you did take a while for some reason. So it''d be a surprise if I wasn''t actually looking beautiful."
The two of them shared a quickugh together before the two of them stepped out of the dressmaker''s shop. What waited for them outside was a carriage and two horses and a footman opened the door to let them in.
"Nick?" Sophie nced at the carriage in surprise and then looked back at him. "What did you do?"
Nichs sheepishly smiled. "Just a little something? Let''s not bete for our wedding, okay? Everyone''s waiting."
"What do you mean by everyone?"
Chapter 50 The Wedding
Sophie and Nichs arrived at ckwoods Forest and saw a sight that was unlike any other. The people who refused to even take one step close to this ce were now all gathered together and the entire forest was sparkling beyond belief.
All of the trees were filled with beautiful wreaths of flowers and crystals that sparkled underneath the setting sun like the very first snowkes of winter that were sooning upon them.
When Nichs and Sophie first reunited and saw each other at Cawden Academy, it was the start of autumn and the trees and their leaves were just changing to their gold, yellow, red, saffron, and bronze hues.
At the time Sophie ran away back to here in Hautingen, the fall seemed like a terrible premonition of how everything withered and died but it only turned out to give way to her finally understanding and knowing who Nichs was.
A passing of seasons that weed and ushered in a new one.
Their days together here in the ckwood Forest were one of the happiest days Sophie never thought that she''d ever had again and it was where the two of them fell in love.
Now that they were getting married, Sophie could feel the cool winter air alreadying upon them and the first shy snowkesing down from the sky on the very day of their wedding.
It only cast a more magical and surreal feeling to Sophie''s day as she took Nichs''s hand and the two of them walked down the center of the congregation. The vigers all stayed to the side and waited for the couple to reach the Vige Elder.
The old porch steps where she once found Nichs as a young boy were converted into where the Vige Elder waited for the two of them to arrive and exchange their vows.
Sophie wished that her parents were here to see this and they would have fallen in love with how wonderful Nichs was and she gave him a bright smile.
She was sure that they would have been proud to know that Sophie would once again experience what it was like to have a home filled with love like their own.
Nichs gazed at her with a look that revealed his deep feelings towards her. Cherished and doted upon, he loved her dearly more than anything and anyone he could ever know.
He said it in his vows.
"I, Nichs Ferdinand take Sophia Hansley as my wife. I promise to be true and to always be by your side in days of happiness and sorrow, and to live my days loving you until death do us apart."
The Vige Elder nced in Sophie''s direction.
"Do you take Nichs to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"
Sophie''s eyes glittered with tears. "I do."
Without another word, Nichs took Sophie in his arms and kissed his bride.
Behind the newly wedded couple, the vigers cheered and even settled into a round of apuse. While none of them intimately knew either Sophie or Nichs, a wedding was still one of the few events that could put people together.
After the wedding ceremony, the entire vige feasted and celebrated together at ckwood Forest. It was a joyous asion thatsted until the night and where a bright full moon lit up the dark sky.
Nichs, who found himself ovee with emotions felt his own body start to stiffen and without his consent started to change, but before anyone else could figure it out, he quickly entered Sophie''s house and left Sophie by herself.
Sophie blinked but quickly figured out what happened and followed him into their hut and quickly shut the door. "Nic?"
A pile of the man''s suity on the floor in a bundle while the silhouette of a dark wolf lingered around her bed. Sophie forgot that the man still hadn''t taken the wolfsbane yet and finally understood what Nichs meant by changing if he couldn''t control his emotions.
The wolf''s head was currently resting down underneath Sophie''s bed and he was doing his best to recover. While he was incredibly thrilled with the wedding, the fact that he would have changed in front of the entire vige if he dyed a second longer haunted him.
Nichs was well aware of the repercussions and the fear that would erupt if it truly happened. People were already afraid of the woods and if they discovered that the groom was actually a werewolf¡
What if they attacked the hut and Sophie?
He would never forgive himself if anything were to happen to her.
Sophie gently ran her fingers through his wolf''s form fur and said. "So there you are, it must have been incredibly scary for you to transform when there were a lot of people¡ but you transformed because you were incredibly happy, right?"
The Nichs wolf gave Sophie a small nod before he found himself engulfed in Sophie''s arms.
"Well, I''m happy too," Sophie whispered to his ear. "So you don''t have to feel bad about this, okay?"
After a couple of moments, Nick finally transformed back into his human form and while he was naked and in Sophie''s arms, he wasn''t feeling that much shy and was insteadforted by her presence.
"Thank you, Sophie."
Sophie gave him a smile. "We did share our vows together, didn''t we?"
Nichs nodded with a grin of his own, but then finally his cheeks heated up. While his wife was dressed gorgeously, he was now butt naked and that didn''t sit well with him. He cleared his throat.
"If you don''t mind¡ Could you turn around and close your eyes for a moment? I''ll get my clothes and dress up," Nichs said. "I think the vigers will start wondering where the two of us went?"
"They''ll probably assume that we''re spending our first night together." Sophie smiled sheepishly.
.
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Ahhhh....! They are finally married! What do you think about this chapter?
Chapter 51 Nicholas Tries The Wolfsbane Potion
***
The wedding was another chapter in Sophie and Nichs'' lives together and they spent the next few days together as a happily married couple. Even though they had already consummated before their wedding, their first night as husband and wife was also special.
Their hearts opened up further to one another.
It was at that time that Nichs finally decided to continue with the wolfsbane cure and exined what it meant to rid himself of lycanthropy. The two of them discussed it over their meal together.
"Wait, you have to suffer throughout the entire process?" Sophie''s eyes widened once she told him. She grabbed his hand and shook her head. "I don''t want to see you suffer, Nick and I don''t want you to die either."
Nichs gave her a reassuring smile and he patted the back of her hand.
"I''ll be alright, especially because I know that I will have you by my side. The reason for my life is sitting right in front of me."
"I''m serious, Nick. Wolfsbane is lethal to even humans¡ How much more when you''re a lycan?" Sophie frowned at him.
"Don''t worry about me, honey. I want to go back to my family and present you properly as the woman who saved my life and also opened up my heart." Nichs told her. "I can only do that when I am no longer affected by this condition."
"But¡ can''t they ept what happened to you?" Sophie looked at him. "This isn''t your fault, so why do you have to suffer for it?"
Nichs smiled sadly. "It happens to all of us, Sophie. Even though you have no fault towards your aunt and her family, still¡ they mistreated you. You can think of it like that."
Sophie didn''t want to imagine how terrible Nichs'' parents were. The young man already exined it before when he was beating himself up for what happened to Sophie, but her husband still sought his parents'' approval.
"Okay, I will do my best to help you, Nick." Sophie looked him in the eye. "As your wife, I will do everything that I can to alleviate your pain. What if there''s a helpful pain reliever in your almanac? I will research."
***
Later that day, Nichs and Sophie would start testing out the wolfsbane. All of the gathered wolfsbanes was made into a brewing potion that even though Sophie''s eyes watered as she prepared it, she continued until it was a sickening purple hue.
"I think it''s ready," Sophie finally said and poured all of its content into a bottle for Nichs to drink. She gingerly ced it on the table because even inhaling the fumes was enough to make her feel incredibly sick.
Nichs prepared himself a chair and also bought some thick ropes from Hauntingen Vige. Some of the men were curious and asked him why he needed secure bindings, and Nichs briefly told them that it was a trap.
The young man sat down in a chair and then tied his legs together to the legs of the chair and also added in some stones to give it more weight. Even though it was painful to do this, Sophie helped tie Nichs'' arms to a chair even though she waspletely against it.
"Is it not toote to back out?" Sophie whispered. For once her lips were pale and she looked incredibly afraid of what they were about to do.
Nichs offered her a weak grin. "I don''t want to suddenly thrash around in pain and identally hurt you. Can you put the bottle in between my lips?"
He was afraid that Sophie would draw it back once she saw that he was in pain.
p It was much better that he did it himself.
Hesitantly, Sophie listened to Nichs and ced the bottle as he asked. The purple liquid sloshed and though it hit and made his lips literally burn and singe but without another moment''s hesitation, Nichs drank it down.
A haunting scream of pain and howling echoed against the ckwood Forest. It was only the fact that they were in the woods that prevented the vigers from hearing it.
Or perhaps even if they had heard it¡ refused to rush into the forest to see what happened.
***
When Nichs finally woke up, he was experiencing cold sweats and he was lying down in the bed and no longer tied to a chair. Sophie''s head was resting against his hand, but he could feel the damp tears on them.
He gently pulled his hand away and looked at her. Did she cry herself to sleep while taking care of him? Sophie must have carried him here when he passed out from the intensity of the wolfsbane.
"Oh, Sophie¡"
Nichs'' heart ached at the sight of his wife pushing herself to this and yet those strong feelings that seized him would transform him back into his wolf form and nearly tear out his clothes.
Before he could ruin his clothes, Nichs forced himself and switched back quickly into his human form.
He clenched his fist and cursed underneath his breath.
However, it was finally at this moment that Sophie raised her head and saw him awake. She suddenly threw herself in his arms and let out a choked sound.
"Oh, Nick." Nichs could hear the wobble in her voice. "Nick, I thought I''d never see you again."
Guilt came over his expression as he gently patted her back. Nichs closed his eyes in pain. "I''m incredibly sorry¡ I shouldn''t have made you worry like this."
"Please tell me that it worked." Sophie''s shoulders shook. "I don''t want to ever see you go through that again, Nick. Please, that much pain should have cured you."
Nichs'' own problems brought his wife so much trouble.
How could Nichs give her a scare like this?
Sophie was someone who lost her parents and he knew that she would feel incredibly saddened if he were to disappear from her life as well. Nichs made a decision to cure himself alone.
He didn''t want Sophie to suffer.
"I''m okay now," Nichs whispered.
.
.
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Oh no! It looks like this wolfsbane potion is bad for Nic, but he would keep forcing himself to take it, so he could get rid of his lycanthropy. T_T
.
Chapter 52 Leland
Elsewhere, the two werewolves that Sophie encountered traveled far from Hauntingen by transforming into wolves and reunited with their alpha and pack who were waiting for their reports.
As scouts, it was up to them to serve as the information gatherer for the pack. They went to their headquarters around two days away from Hauntingen.
It was a mansion located on the top of the hill and surrounded by thorny nts. The property looked grey and cold and gave off the vibe of being haunted. The pack liked it that way because it kept people off.
The vigers down the valley thought the mansion was owned by an old and wicked witch who could turn them all into animals if they bothered her. So, they always tried to avoid going around the area.
When the two scouts entered the big hall in the middle of the mansion, they could see their leader standing by the window. His back facing them.
If they didn''t know him in person, they might even think he was a statue from how his body was stiff and didn''t make any movement.
His white long hair went down to his shoulders, only added to the coldness he exuded. It actually reminded people of an ice statue.
The man was tall and burly. Everything about him screamed power and strength. His muscles protruded from under his ck shirt and his gesture looked overbearing. Even though it was a cold night in autumn, he didn''t seem bothered by the low temperature and didn''t feel the need to wear a coat, unlike his people.
The two grey werewolves transformed back into their human forms.
"Alpha!" Duncan and hispanion panted as they fell to their knees and bent to the silent man. "We have the news!"
The white-haired man didn''t bother to turn around to acknowledge their presence. However, they could hear his authoritative voice speak calmly. "Speak."
"Most of the humans are easily deceived and cannot detect that we''re werewolves," the first man said. "However, we encountered someone who realized what we were when we inquired of the people who lived in the ckwoods."
"The Vige Elder of Hauntingen knew that we were werewolves!" Duncan burst.
An icy silence from their Alpha had Duncan clearing his throat and bowing his head in apology along with hispanion. They did not want to gather the wrath of their leader and cause any trouble within the pack.
"Alpha¡ we also have another news and¡" Duncan swallowed. "I think you will like this one."
p "What of it?" Lnd''s voice was cold and blunt.
Duncan hesitated along with hispanion. "We met the woman that you have been looking for based on her descriptions, but she did not seem to have any clue to her roots. We have also noticed the scent of another alpha werewolf on her. I am unsure which pack."
"What did you say?"
Finally, the pack members could see an expression from their leader because the man suddenly turned around and looked at the two scouts with narrowed eyes. He had always been handsome, but he never smiled and he never looked happy.
But today they suddenly saw a very faint smile on his lips and that made him look so charming. The pack members were dumbfounded. Not only that faint smile, they also couldn''t recognize the glint in his eyes.
What was that¡ ? Joy? Relief? It looked a bit like happiness.
He was in a very good mood, all of a sudden.
For as long as they knew their alpha, he had never shown any expressions such as happiness or joy. He was always so cold and unexpressive. They could never tell what he had in his mind.
Seeing his blue-green eyes, was like seeing the depths of the ocean. Nobody knew how deep it was and what was stored underneath.
"Alpha, the woman you have been looking for¡ª"
"I heard you during the first time." Lnd''s eyes shed as Duncan and the rest of the werewolves cowered. They were worried that they had angered their alpha.
He went to Hauntingen two years ago to look for a woman but couldn''t find her. Then he told everyone to find her. They had not been sessful for two years.
Yet suddenly, Duncan and Max got lucky. They actually bumped into her in the market in downtown Hauntingen. But¡ was their alpha still looking for her? Was this information no longer useful for him?
"Tell me more about the other alpha." Lnd looked at Duncan with narrowed eyes. "Did you see him?"
"We really don''t know a thing about the other werewolf''s scent," Duncan exined apologetically. "For all we know, it could also be a rouge."
Everyone in the pack was aware of who once lived in the forests of ckwoods.
The alpha balled his fists to his sides and turned around again. He looked at the full moon in the night sky and took a deep breath.
He must confirm this report himself. If Sophie had really returned to Hauntingen, he had to see her immediately. The man waved one hand and motioned the scouts to go. "The two of you are currently dismissed."
After Duncan and Max left, Lnd made up his mind to check this report by himself. He turned around and walked through the dozens of his pack members.
They were all members with the highest ranks who were allowed to see him and joined the n meetings where they actually could contribute to what their packs want to do.
Their pack was the leading pack of all the werewolves in the entire continent. They had the most members and right now, they were nning something big that would involve other packs too.
They were getting ready to dere war on the royal family. This kingdom was their biggest enemy and the king had ughtered so many of their n''s members during thest great war.
"Where are you going, Alpha?" A tall and older werewolf walked to Lnd''s side and touched his arm. "We still need to discuss our n."
"I have something to check first," Lnd replied tly. "You can go ahead and have the talk without me."
"Alpha, you shouldn''t forget the reason why we are here." The older werewolf looked at Lnd with a frown. "Please prioritize the pack''s interest before you try to pursue that woman. You are to impersonate thete Count Romanov and draw closer to the royal pce."
Lnd narrowed his gaze at the older man.
The n elder that was sent to travel him by his mother was nothing more than a spy, but if he were to prove himself unruly, they would try to take his position as Alpha away from him.
"A member of the pack does not raise his voice against the Alpha." Lnd smiled coldly and looked down at the older man. "And that includes the Elders meant to assist and advise me of my tasks. Know your ce, Elder, or I''ll feed you to the birds."
"Why you¡ª!" The Elder''s face reddened in anger and he blubbered angrily at the younger man. He jabbed a finger at the younger man. "Just because you are here doesn''t mean that you can get away¡ª"
"I already have, Elder." Lnd caught the older man''s slim fingers in between his own and applied pressure to it. "I''m the Alpha, aren''t I? If you have any problems then challenge me to the death for the position of the Alpha. Only when you seed could you consider ordering me around."
The pain inflicted on the elder''s finger was enough to pulverize his very bone to dust and yet the Elder refused to show his pain and only withstood the act.
"..." The Elder gritted his teeth and bit his tongue until it bled blood.
"Well?" Lnd raised a brow.
"I pledge my allegiance to the Alpha," the Elder bowed and then cowardly slinked back to his carriage while cradling his hand. In his wolf form, the Elder would have retreated with his tail behind its body at being shamed at this moment.
Lnd didn''t care at all.
"I will head to Hauntingen to deal with Duncan''s report myself," Lnd told his men. "Send scouts ahead and deal with the situation in the uing towns and viges. Our next destination is Hastings and Lord Ferdinand''s castle."
"Yes, Alpha!" his men replied in unison.
Without wasting another moment, Lnd transformed into his wolf form. A majestic and white fur wolf appeared in front of his pack members before he quickly bounded off to Hauntingen again.
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Yes!! Finally, Lnd appears!
Chapter 53 The Angry Alpha
Lnd found himself at Hauntingen atst after a day of non-stop travel. Compared to his pack members, he was able to get here faster than them. In addition to him being faster and stronger, he also pushed himself to the limit.
After the arduous travel, every muscle in his body grew a bit weary. What took about a week of journey via a carriage and horses were finished by Lnd in just a day and even as a lycan and an Alpha, he paid dearly for it.
However, he didn''t stop moving at all. He really wanted to see her.
It''s been such an awfully long time¡
As he saw the familiar sight of ckwoods forest, a feeling of nostalgia engulfed him. His tribesmen thought he was a cold and unhappy man. That was not entirely true.
He was happy once. The years he spent with the Hansleys were the happiest time of his life. Perhaps, the only one.
Strength coursed through his limbs and he started making ns. How would he separate the rogue alpha from Sophie? A challenge to the death perhaps. Lnd wasn''t above assassination if it made his job easier.
Anything to rid Sophie of that rogue.
The Alpha passed by his old cave that he used when he left the Hansleys'' home and somehow, even there he could find the scent of both Sophie and this rogue wolf. His blood boiled as he rushed back to her hut.
Lnd wished that he didn''te here at this time.
When he arrived, he saw Nichs walk with Sophie from the forest with baskets in their hands, filled with berries and vegetables. Lnd immediately recognized Sophie from her unique hair and how much she looked a lot like her mother.
Gosh¡ she was so beautiful now that she was a grown woman.
For a moment, Lnd stood in awe.
"Nick, I can carry this," Sophie tried to steal one of the baskets filled with berries and vegetables from her husband. "Please let me help you. I can also manage, you know?"
"Nonsense, let me do it," Nichs told her with a chuckle. "I can handle all of these on my own. You''re so grubby from harvesting the crops and there are even leaves in your hair plus some dirt on your cheek. I''m amazed."
Sophie threw him a dirty look and snorted. She snatched one of the baskets from him and then bumped her hip against him. "What? Do you think I look terrible? Do you regret marrying me instead of marrying a beautiful and gentle nobledy?"
Nichs looked down at Sophie and kissed her lips and then drew back to give her a winsome grin. "Not at all. Have I ever told you that leaves in your hair make you look so alluring?"
"Haha, and does the dirt on my face turn you on?" Sophie joked but her face was a little red.
Nichs'' lips twitched into a smirk. "And what if I tell you, yes?"
Sophie gave him a look. "You''re an absolute pervert. You''re lucky I love this side of you too."
"And I love you too." Nichs grinned uncontrobly. "Wifey."
Being married was awesome, he thought. He loved this woman very much and every day he spent with her was better than before. He couldn''t wait to reveal his true identity and bring her to the capital to meet his family.
Nichs remembered Sophie had never seen big cities before. Her whole life revolved around Hauntingen and Hastings only. He knew she would love the capital from the way she told him about her cousins''s trip there where they left her behind.
[Well... Sophie, just you wait. I will show the world to you. That is a promise.]
Sophie batted her eyes at Nics'' love confession. Saying ''I love yous'' had be so natural for them now.
She poked his chiseled chest with one finger and said yfully. "I love you more¡"
Nichs shook his head and smiled more broadly. He caught her finger and pulled her closer to him, and whispered with a husky voice, "No¡ I love you more."
Sophie giggled and escaped from his arms, to enter their hut. Nichs quickly chased her yfully.
Lnd caught the sight of Sophie and Nichs entering the hut. There was a look of love and also a hint of lust in both of their faces and, before Lnd knew it, the door quickly shut behind them.
Thud.
Lnd didn''t even need to use his imagination to guess what was happening inside the modest hut. With his superior hearing, the sound of the baskets dropping followed by the sound of kisses and soft moans came rang in his ears like a loud bell.
The sound of rustling of clothes and them being thrown into the floor was also detected by him. Sophie let out a squeal of delight and there were some loud footsteps. Perhaps she was being chased into the bed but she didn''t sound unhappy at all.
Lnd was rooted to the spot, like an ice statue, and his blood suddenly ran cold.
He just realized that he was toote.
Far toote.
One of his eyes twitched and then he closed both of them.
After the journey he had taken and everything he went through just to see Sophie again, Lnd still failed to aplish the thing that he wanted. The Alpha clenched his fist and threw a punch into the nearest tree.
BRAGH!
Even in his human form, he delivered a devastating blow.
A loud crack erupted like thunder sting. The tree trunk split and finally crashed down into the ground beside the hut.
It did nothing to soothe the Alpha''s wrath and yet he knew that it gave away his position. A loud huff escaped his lips and he threw onest look at the hut and the sound of rming from the inside.
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What do you think about this chapter?
Btw, this book will be locked starting from the next chapter. I hope you would keep supporting me and this book by unlocking the premium chapters with your coins. Since this book is written to join the werewolf contest, I really want to win.
The book''s performance will be taken into consideration for the winning criteria. So, if you wish to support Nic, Sophie, and Lnd, you could fill this book with yourments, write reviews, unlock the premium chapters with coins, and vote with your power stones and golden tickets.
For December, I aim to reach the Top 10 Golden Ticket ranking. If you could support this book with your golden tickets and it reaches the Top 10 ranking target, I will throw in 10 chapters mass release on January 1.
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Chapter 54 Lelands Plan
When Lnd heard from Duncan that Sophie had returned to Hauntingen, he had hoped that he could return and take her as his mate.
However, apparently, someone else already captured her heart. That man called Sophie ''wifey''. She was also wearing a wedding ring on her finger. And¡ from their mixed scents, Lnd could tell they had consummated their marriage.
She had found her mate, and it was not Lnd.
Anger was slowly rising in his icy heart. He wanted to kill the other man and snatched Sophie away from him.
If Lnd wanted to, he could tear the guy''s heart out regardless of him being a werewolf or not. However, the crystal clear expression of contentment in Sophie''s face made him hold back.
Lnd took a deep breath to calm down his raging heart.
Without another word, the Alpha turned away and sped off.
***
Sophie shared a look of hesitation with Nichs. She pulled the nkets across her body but she was already eyeing her clothes. Whatever made that sound was far from an animal. She whispered worried, "Nick¡ can you stay here with me, please?"
"Honey, I have to go out," Nichs told her gently as he picked up his clothes and changed. There was a grim look on his face, but without another word, he looked out and saw the decimated tree.
A stump was left on the ground while the rest of its body had now fallen across the area close to the hut. Nichs''s gaze saw the hint of force applied on the tree trunk and felt his blood grow cold.
That was no ordinary fall.
All it took was one sniff in the air and Nichs realized that it was a werewolf. His eyes widened and panic seized his chest and he looked back to see his wifepletely safe in bed.
There were no lycan assassins or monsters that were about to seize Sophie away from him. No Alpha monster was about to tear him away from his loved ones or remind him of what he experienced.
This was not Nichs'' nightmares, but this was his reality and it was up to him to keep Sophie safe. Nichs approached his wife and quickly pulled her to her feet. "We need to go right now."
"What? Why?" Sophie asked. There was an rm in her voice, but she was reluctant to leave her home.
"Do you see those marks on the tree?" Nichs asked her, but he was already packing up her things and giving her a look. "Actually, forget about that, and let''s just go now to Hauntingen."
Sophie looked at Nichs'' grim expression and nodded. "Okay."
***
Lnd eventually returned to the mansion with a nk expression on his face. His men immediately started to greet him but they hesitated when they saw that he looked far more unhappy.
The pack started silently questioning themselves and shared nervous looks. What happened when their Alpha went to Hauntingen? Some of the braver ones or knew the reason why Lnd went there drew closer.
"Alpha?"
Lnd''s gaze narrowed at them. "What is it?"
Duncan gulped and looked at Max for help, but eventually motioned to himself. "Alpha, is there anything we can do for you? You look a bit more upset than usual. Was the mission to Hauntingen a failure¡ª"
Max pped Duncan in the head before he said anything else and instead bowed his head lowly to avoid incurring their leader''s wrath. Then, he spoke in a low voice, "We are waiting for new orders, Alpha."
Lnd walked past the two of them. "Don''t bother with the rogue lycan in Hauntingen and the woman. I have finally aplished what I wanted. Let''s just proceed with our mission. Give me updates and reports in Hastingster."
"Yes, Alpha!" His men chorused but all of them were ncing at each other in confusion.
Most of the time, a rogue lycan was someone who was exiled from a pack due to crimes to their pack. It wasn''t strange for an Alpha or a pack to kill a stray lycan that wandered alone.
So, why didn''t Lnd kill the rouge, and instead ask them not to bother him and that woman?
They really couldn''t understand their Alpha. His mind was hard to guess and even though they had followed him for many years now, they didn''t really know him.
Before the rest of the pack could say anything else, Lnd was already gone and stepped into his chamber''s balcony area to settle with his thoughts silently.
The crisp and refreshing morning air blew past the Alpha and yet it failed to ease or calm his features. His expression darkened at the glimpse of sunlight. Even the morning''s rays felt like a nuisance more than anything to be soothed with.
"The reason why I headed there was to protect Sophie by making her my mate," Lnd muttered to himself.
When he arrived there, Lnd found out Sophie was already happy and he was not needed any longer. He realized that he ended up not checking which pack Sophie''s husband came from, but either way, even if he was a rogue?
It didn''t matter.
Their situation honestly reminded Lnd of Sophie''s parents. Remembering Jack and Anne Hansley filled him with a certain amount of grief at the fact that they were already gone.
"I am sure that she will be well," Lnd told himself to quiet down the thoughts that he had in mind. All of these thoughts of his were telling him to head back there and rightfully take back his ce at Sophie''s side.
Before this other man came into the picture, Lnd was already there.
However, who was the person that Sophie loved?
It clearly wasn''t Lnd and even though he felt like he missed the chance and opportunity to win the woman''s heart, he refused to give in to his primal instincts.
"There is no way that she''d be able to love someone like me," Lnd muttered and then raked his fingers through his white hair in irritation andplete frustration.
There was a dullness in his chest that he refused to acknowledge.
All that was left for Lnd to do right now was dedicate his time and energy to his position as Alpha. He''d pour his entire self into avenging Sophie''s parents and all of the Lycans from thest great war.
And yet a bitter smile still yed on his lips.
"Was this what my father felt before?" Lnd whispered to himself.
He could vividly remember his father''s brutality and rage, the way that the entire council and elders in their pack could do nothing but tremble before him.
Alpha Leon''s tactics were preferring fear and respect over love and admiration from his pack. Lnd thought that was simply his father''s chosen path but as he grew older, learned more context in the past, now he realized how destructive love could be.
It could eat someone''s heart out and leave them as a shadow of their former selves.
Lnd strived to ovee that weakness. Instead of being wrathful like the previous Alpha, who was also his father, Lnd was determined to support Sophie in the shadows.
Lnd said that to himself, but he couldn''t bear to take another step that would lead him back to Hauntingen.
When Lnd closed his eyes, all he could see was her.
He had done his best to imagine what a grown-up Sophie would look like when he was still growing his power but his memory failed to fully capture how stunning she grew up to be.
Sophie was even more beautiful than he could even fathom and, though he was more nostalgic as to how she treated him when they were children, Lnd found himself mesmerized.
Sophia Hansley had the faintest scent of something intoxicating to Lnd.
Being born from only one lycan parent, Sophie''s scent was incredibly subtle and the rogue Lycan''s scent was almost insufferably overpowering at that time. Lnd felt like he was smelling a wet dog.
However, he held on to the subtle fragrance in his mind''s memory until the very moment that someone strode into his chambers without permission.
Lnd''s gaze snapped at the intruder.
It was his mother''s spy. The lycan elder didn''t learn a thing, did he?
Such arrogance irritated Lnd as he turned to greet the older man. His handsome face looked as cold as ever.
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Happy Thanksgiving!! Hope you enjoy the mass release! ^^
Chapter 55 Conversation With The Clan Elder
"What brings you to my quarters, n elder? Do not tell me that I was only gone for a day but the entire pack is in disarray under your orders."
"Contrary to your expectations, we have fulfilled our responsibility and done our part for the pack. We shall arrive in Hastings in about a week''s journey and that is where Duke Romanov makes his appearance."
Lnd fell silent as he did believe in his pack''s resourcefulness, but even then he showed only modest interest. "What of the baron from Hastings? What has be of his fate when you traveled there?"
A smile formed on the elder''s lips and Lnd detected a scent in the older man, he was still bathed in the odor of human blood. "Naturally, we obtained the ownership of the castle and even killed hispanion."
Lnd''s expression only rose at that and his lips curled into a tiny smile. "Duke Ferdinand is rted to the Queen of the kingdom, isn''t that, right? I am satisfied that we areing closer to our goals in extinguishing them all."
"Yes, he is one of the many rtives of the queen scattered across the kingdom." the n elder informed him. "He was returning from the capital but our men intercepted him along with his young rtive."
Even without Lnd''s presence, the n elder truly decided to push on with the mission irrespective of his presence. Normally, the Alpha would have problems with such a thing, but in a way, Lnd gave permission and nothing bad happened.
At least nothing terrible happened to the Lycanspared to the humans.
Lnd would look over this just once since it was a sessful mission.
Instead, there was something else on his mind that filled him with a sense of purpose. The real reason why he was here in the human kingdom and the very enemies of the lycan pack all centered on a very specific group of individuals.
The royal family.
"Is there any chance that this young man assassinated is the crown prince himself? Surely there is a certain amount of news about the young prince wandering from one rtive to another, isn''t there?" Lnd tapped a finger idly on the balcony. "What are the chances?"
"That is right, Alpha. Unfortunately, it was not the direct descendant of the king that joined the Duke to his death. The young man was probably a nephew of a lesser house although I think the bodies are too mutted to actually tell which is which."
The n elder narrowed his gaze at Lnd''s finger and the insistent tapping the Alpha was doing, but he held back from speaking.
"Then it seems that we must slowly make our way to the capital of the kingdom after we controlled Hastings," Lnd said as he nced downwards at their hill. Right below the mansion was a vige that feared this ce for hosting a wicked witch.
Their fear was not really baseless because Lnd did borrow this mansion from an old friend, a real witch who had been supporting his cause for a long time.
However, those dumb humans didn''t know that they should fear werewolves more than they feared witches. You see¡ most witches he knew didn''t like blood. Werewolves did.
Perhaps, they thought after thest war, the werewolf tribes had greatly reduced because their king hunted and killed many of such monsters. Well¡ they were in for a surprise.
All this time, the werewolves tribey low, but they were not defeated nor gone. They were actually exerting power and got ready for the next big war, where they would get their revenge.
Lnd''s pack was thergest on their continent because they had been working so hard to gather the several Lycan packs across the entire continent who found themselves traveling and nomadic.
Right now, humans settled in theirnds. However, it was only a matter of time before everything changed.
Soon enough, Lnd knew that these people would understand what true fear was like and it was not in witches, ghouls, or spooky ghosts that haunted forests or so they believed. These people will soon realize what it was like to be treated as nothing more than lesser individuals.
"Yes, Alpha." The older man bowed lowly at him.
"You may leave," Lnd grunted and he heard the n elder''s sharp intake of air. The old lycan was probably shocked and infuriated at his attitude, but he did not care for any whispers, deceits, and lies.
"Before I do leave, my highly esteemed Alpha, I wish to give my advice as an elder within this pack," the older man said and found the Alpha silent.
Lnd ignored him and simply awaited this older lycan to depart from his chambers.
The ''advice'' often given to him was always wrong, or rather, it shared the power of an Alpha amongst the elders and Lnd refused to do so. The n elder didn''t wait for any moment and simply narrowed his gaze.
"The rest of the pack will be livid to hear that you visited ckwoods. Especially your dear mother," he said.
Silence overtook the balcony and it was something that the elder soon regretted. His gaze focused on Lnd''s fingernails lengthening as fur covered his entire hand.
It was a miracle to have someone like Lnd do a partial transformation. This allowed him to retain sharpness of mind and more acumen in most things. One of them turned out to be talking back against his elders.
"Is that a threat?" Lnd asked coldly.
Even without facing the older man, Lnd''s aura was powerful enough that it made the man swallow his words and hesitate. He was supposed to have the upper hand, but Lnd''s sheer power made him uneasy.
"No, Alpha. It is simply a reminder of the sins of those people," the n elder said. "The betrayal that she did is not worth reminiscing about at all and is not looked on too kindly."
"Shut your mouth if you wish to retain your tongue," Lnd narrowed his eyes dangerously at the man.
The elder shrank because he could feel a murderous aura engulf their Alpha. He had witnessed Lnd looking like this, right before he killed one of the eldersst year who dared talk back to him.
"As the Alpha, it is my decision that will rule in this matter," Lnd said. "You are dismissed."
Without another word, the n elder left.
Chapter 56 Nicholas Has To Leave
Lnd clutched the balcony''s railing and crushed the stone underneath his touch. Even the mere pressure in his palms showcased his strength, while the man himself didn''t look like he was exerting power. His expression was as calm as ever.
How strong he actually was? No one really knew. He never lost a fight and those who dared challenge him were now all dead. The others didn''t wish to find out just how strong he was because they might only get the answer on the way to their graves.
The Alpha looked down on the railing and muttered to himself. "Even these old wolves still know how to bark."
It was true that Lnd hated these humans who were all living good and decent lives in their kingdom, unaware of the sacrifices and the blood of the Lycans that spilled in the verynd that they im theirs.
However, Sophie was the only exception.
Perhaps Jack Hansley too.
Except that the man had died so it was only Sophie who showed him the good that was in humanity.
Lnd was aware that there were good humans but as the Alpha of thergest and most powerful across the entire continent¡ªtheir lives were not his concern at all. He only cared about his tribesmen.
If those humans lived and kept their heads low, then the Lycans would ept their submission and use the lives of these humans ording to their whim. However, if there was any blood that needed to run into the ground?
The entire bloodline of the royal family will perish during this reign of Lnd.
Lnd will make sure of it.
Unknown to the Alpha, he had unknowingly let one of the royal family members go when he decided to let Sophie''s husband live.
***
Meanwhile, Sophie and Nichs finally found amodation in the town center of Hauntingen.
Sophie looked around the beautiful room inside of the inn and realized that her husband was really living a simple life by staying with her. This ce was really luxurious and everything looked expensive.
She could imagine Nichs must be used to the finer things in life. Now, when she remembered how modest her hut was, she suddenly felt embarrassed. She bit down on her lip once she saw him ce her things down.
"Nick?" she asked once she saw him approach her.
"I need to head back into the forest, Sophie," Nichs told her sweetly and gently kissed her forehead. "Please stay here until I return safely and ensure that the ckwoods Forest is safe from intruders."
"No! That''s insane!" Sophie eximed as she grabbed her husband''s shoulders. "What are you going to do? Throw yourself as bait? Do you have a death wish?"
Both of them saw the trunk broken into two and Sophie was frightened that she''de across news that her husband was murdered in the forest. She grabbed both of his hands and held it tightly.
"Please stay with me here, Nick." Sophie bit her lip. Her eyes looked at him pleadingly. "I don''t mind staying here at all in the inn, but I want you to be beside me throughout this time. We can inform the Vige Elder about what happened and maybe they can send a hunting party for that? Let them do the search. You shouldn''t do it alone."
"Do you think that these people will move¡? I think they will more likely refuse even if ordered," Nichs said. "It''s dangerous to go out there and your people hesitate in even stepping into the ckwoods Forest."
"You managed to convince them toe to our wedding. So, maybe they will go if you asked them," Sophie pointed out and it made Nichs grimace. That was true, but even that was something different.
"I have money on my side at that time, but I doubt some people will throw their lives away for money, and even if they do, I don''t want to risk anybody else," Nichs said. "It is up to me to take care of this."
"So you''ll put yourself in danger? What about me?" Sophie''s eyes welled with tears and she averted her gaze.
"I''ll be more than careful," Nichs raised a hand and gave her a grin. "I was also trained properly as a boy and am familiar withbat. Noble training if you understand? Some of us will lead armies in the future so we are also good at this."
He cleared his throat and, even though he really hated it, Nichs decided to mention his condition so Sophie would feel more reassured.
? "I''m also a lycan¡" Nichs said tly. "I have greater strength than most humans, and I can move faster. If I met any dangerous animals or even other Lycans, I can protect myself. That''s why I prefer to go alone, so I can move around more easily. Do you understand, honey?"
"I¡ I think so." Sophie wished that she could do something more and yet she knew that she''d just end up burdening Nick to look after her rather than himself.
Nichs really wanted to reassure her that he would be okay, but he also didn''t want to let her know that he intended to take wolfsbane again because even that hurt Sophie.
As the crown prince, it was his duty to conform to the pce''s rules andws.
Right now, his father, the king, would kill any lycan on sight and Nichs had a feeling that he wouldn''t be an exception to the rule at all.
So once he got rid of the problem, both the lycan and the curse, he''d whisk Sophie back into the pce.
"That''s good. When Ie back, I have something important to tell you, okay?" Nichs looked at his wife deeply. He really hated this situation where he had to leave the woman he loved to get rid of the curse from himself. However, he had no other choice.
His time was running out. His father would start feeling worried and send a search army to find him if he didn''t fix his problem soon and returned to the pce.
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From Missrealitybites:
Yeay... I am so happy that the book has gone premium. I will publish 2-3 chapters per day starting December. And if we reach certain targets, I will throw in mass releases. I hope you are happy with the 12-chapter mass release yesterday ^^
By the way, this story only has 9 reviews so far. Would you be so kind as to write a review for this book? I only asked now because I think after 50s chapters, you can already have a sense of how the story is like. So, you can let me (and other potential readers) know why they should or shouldn''t read this book.
Much love, Vina
Chapter 57 Nicholas Is Heading To The Forest
Note:
OMG... I was rendered speechless today. Thank you so much, Maude, for gifting a spacecraft to Nic and Sophie T_T. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
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"I don''t want you to get hurt, so pleasee back soon." Sophie looked him in the eye. "Don''t force yourself, okay? If you think that you''ll get hurt, there''s nothing wrong with running away. Promise me you will prioritize your safety for me¡. Please, Nic¡"
"I won''t endanger myself because I know that someone is right here waiting for me." Nichs raised her hand and gave it a soft kiss. His eyes were filled with so much love for her and his voice sounded so firm and confident when he spoke. "I will be back, Sophie."
Nichs found it incredibly hard to leave Sophie. He remembered his promise, but how could they live in peace if there was a Lycan on the loose and was probably on the hunt?
It was up to him to take care of it. He must make sure ckwoods forest would be safe for his wife before he could even let her step back into it.
Perhaps that was why Nichs still had his lycanthropy despite consuming some wolfsbane? Only another lycan can sessfully kill another one without injuring himself. Or even if he injured himself, his body would regenerate quickly.
That was an advantage that he would use right now. Instead of cursing himself for still being a lycan, for once, Nichs was relieved that he was, or else he might have needed to bring soldiers here.
He didn''t want them trampling on life, and he was also not ready for Sophie to find out his identity before he could get rid of this curse.
"I love you," he kissed Sophie deeply and closed his eyes as if imprinting her scent and her face on his heart. When he opened his eyes, Sophie looked away, hiding her tears so Nichs wouldn''t see them.
"Pleasee back for me¡" she whispered hoarsely.
"I promise, Sweetheart," Nichs wanted to cry too, but he held back his emotions. "You are my reason to live. I wille back for you as soon as possible."
He turned around and left the chamber in long steps. He knew he had to go immediately. Otherwise, he would be weak and wanted to stay behind so he could be with Sophie.
No, he was trained to put the crown''s interest above his. And now, it was his duty to rid himself of this lycanthropy so he could be a good king.
After Nichs left, Sophie dropped to her knees and cried despondently on the floor.
***
When Nichs returned to their hut in the ckwoods Forest, except for the tree still lying on the ground¡ there was no more scent of that lycan.
His gaze narrowed imperceptibly as he approached the tree. Nichs was about to give it a punch to see how strong he waspared to the one who brought it down but then decided against it.
Instead, he used his entire strength to roll the tree further down away from the hut. He knew this could possibly be made into firewood.
He wouldn''t have to do this when they were in the pce now, but he secretly enjoyed his and Sophie''s activities so much together.
While he''d be extremely busy once he became king, he was looking forward to seeing Sophie after the day was over. He couldn''t wait to bring her to the capital to introduce her to his parents and announce their marriage.
They wouldn''t be able to reject Sophie because they were already married. Especially because Nichs and Sophie had consummated their marriage. They had done the deed several times now.
Wouldn''t it be better if Sophie became pregnant? That would secure their rtionship even more. The royal family wouldn''t want to send away a royal baby even though the mother was a mere peasant.
Thinking about Sophie pregnant with their child made a smile curve up on the prince''s face.
Gosh¡ he loved her so much.
Nichs shook his head and muttered, "Concentrate."
He needed to be extremely alert even though the scent of the other lycan no longer appeared in the air. Nichs nced around and even used his other senses to track but he didn''t find anything else.
"Has it already gone far?" Nichs asked himself warily and took another step deeper into the forest. He was extremely guarded as his gaze darted around as if waiting for the creature from his nightmare to emerge.
Unlike before, when he was a boy, Nichs now had a reason to fight for and he wasn''t going to back down at all. So it was his disappointment and also wariness when he discovered that he couldn''t even hear or sense another lycan in the forest.
If the lycan left, then it meant that it must have either returned to its pack or continued moving forward.
Perhaps both.
Nobody knew where all the lycan packs were hiding or whether they were blending with regr humans. Nichs knew that an incident like this that was certified by him brought more attention to the issue of the war between humans and lycans.
"I need to report this to the pce once I return," he muttered. He hoped it would help him prove himself to his father for once.
However, Nichs still needed to cure himself. So, he headed deeper into the forest to return to the wolfsbane area. It was impossible to see so many wolfsbane flowers, but the ce that Nichs arrived at was filled with it in abundance.
He wondered if magic was working here because wolfsbane flowers shouldn''t be growing this fast at all.
"There''s no time for me to spend it on these thoughts," Nichs muttered to himself as he pulled out gloves from his bag.
He cut down a couple of branches from trees to create a fire and also pulled out a small cauldron from his holding bag. Without it, Nichs might have returned home to actually cook there, but this time he was more than ready.
Nichs took out the almanac and looked at the suggested rmendations and separated the flower bulbs from the stems and leaves. These purple flowers were nauseous inducing for someone like him who could even just smell it.
He held his breath as he prepared the potion for lycanthropy cure.
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Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews you wrote for this book.
I am sorry, a few got gged by the system and not showing on the app, I don''t know why. The algorithm can be weird at times. But, please know I am very grateful you took the time to write them. xx
Chapter 58 Nicholas At The Viscounts Mansion
Nichs took a deep breath when he checked the wolfsbane potion in the cauldron. This was made with double the ingredients they used thest time. So, he hoped he could finally see some results.
It didn''t take too much time and now that Nichs was alone in the forest, he could do it all and scream as much as he needed. This time, the prince was determined to stay awake and not pass out.
When that happened thest time with Sophie, Nichs couldn''t remember how long he was out and what followed his screaming¡ but he couldn''t let his guard down. Nichs repeated it to himself.
"Cure. Pce. Report. Introduction."
Nichs needed to cure himself of lycanthropy and then head to the pce with Sophie. He was going to report on the lycan sighting and then finally introduce Sophie as his wife and there was nothing that his family could do.
He chanted it to himself a couple of times as the fire in the cauldron slowed down and finally died. The liquid was still burning hot and was more poisonous than he could ever imagine, but it didn''t matter.
"Cure. Pce. Report. Introduction," Nichs repeated those words to encourage himself.
He really wished that Sophie was here to help him, but he''d rather not see her hurt to know that he would suffer again. Nichs'' suffering was also carried by Sophie.
However, if there was a chance for Nick to lighten the burden? He would do it in a heartbeat. He would prefer to do this by himself and spare Sophie the ghastly sight of him fighting his demon out of his body, and bing human again.
Nichs'' stomach pounded as he reached for the cauldron and parted his lips open. The liquid sloshed down his throat and just like before it was burning liquid literally tearing away his throat with an acid-like intensity.
The cauldron immediately nged into the ground and rolled over. Nichs'' grip weakening but this time, his throat was too scorched for screaming and instead he felt a wave of dizziness ovee him.
"Aahh...." He pressed his head to get rid of the dizziness. His mouth called out Sophie''s name. He wished she was here, but at the same time, he was d she was not. He didn''t want her to witness this. "So... Sophie..."
In the field of his vision, Nichs started to see dancing lights. Almost like spirits or tiny faeries? He wasn''t sure if anything he was seeing was real, but then his own body swayed and tumbled.
Nichs found himself moving slowly and ever so dizzily as if he was actually aboard a ship and the waves were crashing against a boat. He rocked on his heels and nearly tipped over and yet he tried to chant or at least mouth what he had in mind.
"Cure. Pce. Report¡ª" The man tried so hard to exert his focus. "I need... to... go.. pce... report... Sophie... oh, water..."
Nichs'' voice was hoarse and also incredibly dry that he started looking for water.
Anywhere? Water? He thought he heard the sound of water trickling and he pushed himself forwards towards the source.
Everywhere around him were sparks of lights, the sound of what seemed to have been a lycan but then, finally, Nichs reached the outskirts of the forest. However, it was far different from where he came from. He had walked in the opposite direction of Sophie''s little hut.
Nichs tried to tug his body back and yet his body did not cooperate with him at all.
He said it again. "Cure. Pce¡ª"
Nichs kept moving, following where his body took him, not knowing where he was. He needed to find water, badly.
THUD.
He finally toppled over and slumped as he hit his shin against a rock and then fell over into the grass. He tried to raise his head a little and thought he saw a white mansion.
Was that his family''s pce or someone else''s? Was that a figment of his imagination and was even this actually real? Nichs'' eyes were half-lidded and were falling heavily before he could even force himself to stand.
Everything was so heavy right now. When he first drank the wolfsbane potion, it was as if his entire blood was getting cleaned and removing all the effects of lycanthropy. However, this time, it was so different.
A glimmer of a figure came running towards him and he could hear the shout of a woman. She might have stupidly tried to ask him if he was okay and then suddenly called for servants? Nichs didn''t even know.
Maybe he was actually facing a bear right now and his mind was pulling tricks on him.
Nichs'' eyes were already closing even though he tried to keep them open.
"Sophie? So¡ª" he never finished his sentence.
The crown prince passed out and was quickly carried over by the servants into the Viscount''s house, There was a young woman around his age who walked worriedly, following the servants. There was a pale look on thedy''s face as she kept up with the pace.
Nichs was brought into one of the rooms and the servants were quickly moving ording to the wishes of theirdy.
"He''s burning hot with a fever, please do something!" thedy shouted at her servants but then suddenly looked around. "Someone call for a physician! Hurryy!!!"
There were a lot of things that could go wrong and the Viscount who just arrived from a trip from the capital saw that the entire house was in a mess.
He stormed up to meet his daughter but then he stopped cold. He couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw the person inside the room.
It was Prince Nichs Hannenbergh, the crown prince of Riga.
The crown prince was lying on their bed, his face as white as a sheet and barely a color to his lips. There was already a physician who was counting his heartbeat and trying to help. "His heartbeat is erratic, we need something to slow it back down to normal!"
"Oh, Lord¡" the Viscount''s eyes bulged. He immediately recognized their crown prince.
Hearing the physician''s voice, the Viscount was moved from his reverie and he immediately shouted. "Make sure the crown prince lives or our deaths will soon follow!"
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Please, don''t throw tomatoes at me. Nic chose to get his cure alone, and now things didn''t happen ording to n.
Chapter 59 The King And Queen Come To Visit
***
A message was sent to the royal pce that day with the swiftest hawks to carry the letter. The Viscount informed the king and queen that the crown prince was injured and currently staying with them.
At first, it seemed to be impossible because the queen knew that her son, Prince Nichs, was finding his cure or searching for the young girl who saved him, but then the woman realized that the Viscount''s manor was located near Hauntingen.
It meant that it was possible.
She suddenly felt so worried that something might have happened to Nichs. The queen then convinced her husband to go with her to pick their son up.
When Nichs was younger and kidnapped by the werewolves tribe, the king himself was worried. He sent search parties everywhere. He was so distraught when Nichs went missing for over one month.
When the boy suddenly returned, alive, the king was one of the first who was overjoyed. However, over the years, their rtionship soured up and it was difficult because the king had high expectations of their son.
"Nichs cannot even take care of himself at this age?" The king scowled. "What was he doing that he still needed getting saved by strangers?"
"cording to this letter, our son has been poisoned, Your Majesty. I will go pick him up and meet the one who saved Nichs," the queen told her husband who was still in bed. There was a pointed look in her eyes that made the king rise up.
"Fine. Let us see who has saved him this time," the king spoke. "It is right that we reward those who have saved the crown prince and future king of this kingdom."
***
The king and queen traveled for about three weeks to reach the Viscount''s Manor nearby Hauntingen and were quickly greeted by all of the staff and its people.
However, both the king and queen were only searching for one person and that was their son. The Viscount bowed low and thanked His Majesty and Her Majesty for their prompt arrival. Before the two could question what happened, the Viscount alreadyunched into a story.
"My daughter, Lady Karenina, is an adventurous spirit who likes leaving our house despite my orders," Viscount Verhoven said. "But it is how she discovered the crown prince just outside of ckwoods Forest and quickly brought him in. Through her quick-wittedness, she was able to help bring the crown prince''s fever down."
The king and queen shared some looks, but then thanked the Viscount for his tale and asked for their son. They were led upstairs and into one of the rooms in the manor. Compared to the royal pce, it was much simpler.
A servant who was standing guard outside the room bowed so deeply to the monarchs and then opened the door for them. As soon as the king and queen stepped inside, they found Nichs in bed.
There was a young woman across from him. It was ady who was holding up a spoon and clumsily carrying a bowl in her hands. She wasn''t used to working but wanting to be closer with the prince by feeding him the soup so he could recover his strength.
So, she had been staying around Nichs since day one and served him medicine or food whenever she could.
"Open your mouth, Your Highness, and I will serve you. Be careful... it''s quite hot."
Nichs frowned and sighed inwardly. He knew that he shouldn''t be rude to thedy who saved his life, but he still liked doing things on his own and didn''t want to be treated like a child.
He also didn''t like how she kept getting into his personal space. However, he didn''t want to be an ungrateful person. So, he threw her a fake smile. "I can do it by myself, Lady Karenina."
Before Lady Karenina could argue with him and insist that she fed him, the queen and king already entered the room. Viscount Verhoven was following along and throwing looks at his daughter.
"Nic!" The queen called out to Nichs and quickly rushed to his side. She gave him a tight hug and then smiled at the youngdy. Her voice was hoarse when she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you for saving my son''s life."
"It is my great honor, Your Majesty," Karenina said and inclined her head lowly before sweeping into a full curtsy. "Anyone would have done the same."
"You are a kind youngdy with good manners," The queen gushed but then she nced at Nichs. She ced a hand on his forehead and whispered into his ear. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Nichs blinked and stared unsurely at her. "What?"
The queen''s eyes widened but then she reached for Nichs'' face. She whispered underneath her breath so the king wouldn''t hear. "My son, do you know who I am and who you are?"
"You are¡ my mother." Nichs frowned at her and was a bit unused at this feeling of closeness. "And I am the crown prince of this kingdom."
"Then¡ the reason why you went to Hauntingen is¡?" His mother cleared her throat. "Do you know why you came here in the first ce, Nic? For who¡ or... what you were searching for?"
"I don''t know. I am sorry, mother..." Nichs'' eyes widened and he clenched his hands together. He tried to grab something in the back of his head. He knew it was so important, so vital, but then he couldn''t reach for it.
It was at the tip of his tongue but it was oh so foreign.
"That''s alright." the queen noticed the beginning of Nichs'' panic attacks and started to calm him down to no avail.
She feared that her son was about to transform. It already caught the attention of both the king, the viscount, and the youngdy who saw him with his hands in his head.
"I really don''t know. What happened to me? Did something happen? How did I end up here?" Nichs asked his mother.
The queen could see that her son was panicking but all throughout that moment, there were no signs of him transforming at all.
It was different from thest time.
Did this mean.. Nichs seeded in treating his lycanthropy? The queen was wondering.
Was her son no longer a monster?
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? From Missrealitybites:
I really hate how his parents always refer to his condition as a ''monster''. No wonder Nichs was so adamant to remove his lycanthropy and hated himself at times.
Chapter 60 Is Nicholas Really Cured And He Lost His Memories Of Being A Lycan?
The queen''s heart was in a mess. She bit her lip and looked at Nichs carefully, trying to see any signs of him transforming, no matter how little.
Still¡ there was none.
Gosh¡ maybe he was really cured. He was finally cured, wasn''t he???
The queen felt her heart suddenly be so light. She took a deep breath. Tears pricked her eyes and she pulled Nichs into a hug. "Do not worry about it, son. I will exin it once we return home. Everything is okay now."
Was the reason for her son''s memory loss was because he was finally cured from lycanthropy? He shared with her that he would be looking for wolfsbane and used it to get rid of the lycanthropy in him.
They knew the nt was poisonous and dangerous for werewolves. However, both steeled their hearts because they knew Nichs had no other choice. He must return to his old self. Time was running out.
They managed to hide his condition for eight years but it was only a matter of time until he was found out. The queen understood that Nichs would do whatever it takes to free himself from this curse, or he would die trying.
The queen was feeling so emotional. Nichs still didn''t show any signs of transforming. He just didn''t remember why he was here in Hauntingen.
If the reason for his memory loss was because he was cured, then the queen could ept it and actually move on from that moment.
She would talk to him in private and try to probe what memory did he still retain. If Nichs was really cured and he didn''t remember ever being a lycan at one point in his life, then the queen would keep the secret within herself and carry it with her to her grave.
Those were terrible memories in the first ce and perhaps it was time for Nichs to finally start a new chapter in his life where he was no longer chained to his past.
The queen was sure that someday in the future, her son would thank her for this.
***
Meanwhile, Sophie was not the type of person who sat down and did nothing. Even when she met Nichs and he seemed like someone who could easily save her from her aunt Helga''s family, she did not beg him for it when they had met.
Back when Aunt Helga refused to have her tutored, Sophie decided to study by herself and she was able to gain help from Katherine because the woman was impressed with her fighting spirit.
If Sophie remembered herself as a child after she lost her parents, even if she lost hope in staying alive, she learned to pick herself up and learned how to be self-sufficient.
Even with Nichs as a young boy with her, she was the one who first stepped out to help him and not the other way around.
After a month of living together, Nichs eventually did leave her and Sophie knew that he had his reasons for it. The young Sophie was devastated back then but she still chose to remain strong.
All of these events in her life had contributed greatly to how she grew up as a person. It made Sophie fiercely independent, resourceful but also long-suffering. She learned how to make the best out of everything.
Maybe it was why she tolerated being with Aunt Helga''s family.
Sophie wanted to bid her time and graduate from Cawden Academy, but also because a part of her always had a small hope that maybe just maybe, there would be some good in their hearts.
Of course, she came to learn that she was wrong.
All of these circumstances shaped Sophie into who she was today. There were times that Sophie felt weak and helpless, but she never let it get through her head. She learned how to be strong because she needed to be strong.
Sophie eventually learned and became the type of person who did not like waiting for another individual toe rescue her or to tell her to stay put at all.
However, Nichs was the only exception in her life now.
When Nichs brought her to the inn, there was a worried and frantic look on his face as he grabbed ahold of her shoulders and asked her to stay. The way he pleaded with her was so sincere that it was hard to say no.
He wanted her to wait for him again and Sophie was sure that this time, the young man would keep his promises. The two of them were now adults who now knew the value of keeping their words.
The two of them even vowed to each other.
Sophie and Nichs were now husband and wife. She loved him and he also loved her and that was something Sophie cherished far more than she might have let Nichs know.
"You told me that you woulde back, Nic. So, where are you?" Sophie looked out the window and bit down on her lip. Everyday, she waited for him like this and fervently waited to see her husband.
Sophie didn''t realize how much it made her happy to be with him and how much she missed him. For someone who learned how to be independent and tough, Nichs was the light of her life.
The man was someone who brought a bright ray of sunshine into her dark and even dreary life.
Sophie never thought that it was possible for her to be happy again after everything that happened to her.
A part of her sometimes even wondered if what everybody was whispering about the ckwoods Forest was true, except it wasn''t the forest but Sophie who was cursed.
Of course, Sophie knew it was ridiculous to think that way, but she still found herself doing just that every now and then. Sometimes when the night was a little cold, shey down awake, staring at the ceiling,
So it was for that very reason that Sophie was so happy to meet Nichs again. She found it a joy to share her life with someone who knew and understood pain like her, the two of them were able to help each other be a little stronger together.
And now he had gone for too long. She had waited for him for over two weeks and he still had not returned.
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Oh my god... poor Sophie. She can never catch a break. T_T
Chapter 61 Sophie Is Looking For Nicholas
Nichs had paid a lot of money for the inn and the innkeeper was happily letting Sophie stay in the inn. In the first two days, she took the time to calm herself down and waited for Nichs patiently.
However, after one week, she started feeling worried and wanted to go look for him. However, a snowstorm came and she couldn''t leave the inn.
She knew he must be able to take care of himself because he was a strong man. He had saved her several times from animals in the forest. He was also a lycan with greater strength than humans. And they also had her hut at the edge of ckwood Forest if he needed a ce to stay.
Sophie kept looking at the snow falling from the sky through the inn window. She took a sip of the wine prepared by the innkeeper and sighed.
"Your husband is still not back yet?" The chubby middle-aged woman asked her. "He must be dyed by the storm."
Nichs told the innkeeper he needed to visit another city real quick for a business and asked her to take Sophie in the inn until he returned.
Thedy didn''t know Nichs wanted to go to the haunted forest. That''s why she thought perhaps his trip from the other city was dyed by the snow.
"Yeah..." Sophie forced a smile, so she wouldn''t look arrogant. "I am worried something happened to him."
"What do you want to do now?" Thedy asked Sophie.
"I..." Sophie didn''t really know what to do. She wanted to go back to her hut in ckwoods, but what if Nichs was right that the ce was dangerous?
And if she went there and Nichs came back to this inn, wouldn''t they be missing each other out?
"Well... just wait until the weather is clear. Then you can make a decision," said thedy reassuringly. "I am sure it will be nice again in a few days."
"Yeah... I will do that," Sophie said weakly.
Unfortunately, the weather only got worse and she could only hope and pray in her heart for Nichs'' safety.
After two weeks, the birds started chirping and the world was beautiful again. Sophie couldn''t wait to go and find Nichs. She gave the innkeeper a letter for Nichs, in case her husband came to the inn while she was out to look for him.
"It''s been two weeks," Sophie cursed herself and stood up. She grabbed everything that she thought might be able to help her. "Why did I even wait this long? I know he said he could take care of himself, but I need to find him."
Without losing another moment, Sophie decided that she had waited far too long for Nichs to return and it was up to her to go look for him.
At this point, she no longer cared about her safety. If there were really werewolves roaming in ckwoods, she would face them. She needed to find her husband.
After Sophie was done preparing a small bag to pack some items, she set off into the forest.
When she returned to her house in the ckwoods Forest, Sophie found it abandoned but filled with countless new memories that she had shared with Nick.
Tears welled up in her eyes as a sinking feeling started to form in her stomach. She didn''t find any trace of her husband.
"I''m sure he''s fine," Sophie chided herself from worrying.
Even if her parents had died, it didn''t mean that the same thing would happen to Nichs. However, her heart started pounding.
Sophie reached out for an axe that her father, Jack Hansley, once used to cut down trees. It was a rtively easy weapon to use that even if Sophie wasn''t as strong as Nichs. She knew that she could defend herself.
"I''m going to be okay and Nick''s going to be okay. He must have gotten lost." Sophie swallowed uncertainly and restocked on the salve. If Nichs was identally injured then she would use it for him.
Nichs once navigated the ckwoods Forest with ease due to his great senses as a lycan. What about now that he was cured though? The chances of him bing missing now seemed like the best answer as to why he hadn''t been able to return.
***
Sophie entered deeper into the forest. She found her heart pounding hard as she entered the forest. It was so dark even when it was still morning because the sun''s rays failed to prate through the thick leaves. There was an eerie feeling to the woods that she never noticed before.
"Was it ever this scary before?" Sophie whispered to herself underneath her breath.
Nichs was herpanion before and it made her unafraid of entering ckwoods because she was with him. When she was younger, Sophie was reckless and she braved whatever may havee her way because she was confident of her safety.
Jack Hansley, her father, was the greatest hunter in Hauntingen and ckwoods Forest, nothing could touch him and his family.
Now, Sophie was afraid and only fighting against it because she wanted to find her husband. She wished to be strong enough and be the person who would save Nichs if he was in any sort of danger.
However, there were things that Sophie would not ount for. Among them was the harsh blizzard of winter that overtook ckwood Forest. When Nichs and Sophie were first married, the two of them did it on the first day of winter where snowkes crystals greeted them.
Right now, Sophie shuddered against her cloak and traveled deeper into the woods, and hoped for the best. She knew that she shouldn''t be shouting Nichs''s name and alerting the creatures in the forest but she was desperate.
Sophie had been walking in the woods for hours and it was already getting intensely darker. When she tried to eat her food earlier, there were some roons and small creatures that stole some of her food and threatened to bite her.
The winds were frigid and harsh and she hadn''t seen Nichs in any of the ces where they have used to travel before. It was as if there were no signs of him being here at all and that scared her more than anything.
Was he alive?
Did Nichs leave her?
Nichs was safe, wasn''t he?
Dark and terrible thoughts swirled across her head and she tried her best to silence them to no avail.
It was so difficult to stop Sophie''s heart from panicking and she was starting to lose confidence from when she first came here.
"Nic!" Sophie cried out. "Where are you, Nic?! Nic... please... answer me..!"
Each step that she took forward, the sinking feeling that was in her stomach grew and twisted. Memories pricked and probed at her mind, makingparisons that haunted her.
"Nick, pleasee out!" Sophie''s eyes welled up with tears and she shouted hoarsely into the wind. "It''s not fun anymore. If you''re hiding, please show yourself! I need you, Nick."
On the day that Sophie lost her parents, it was very simr to this one.
When Sophie was young, she liked heading to Hauntingen to make friends with the vige children and y with them.
It was boring staying in the woods and always helping out her parents with chores.
However, when Sophie returned back to her hut, both of her parents were nowhere to be found.
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,m .
_________________
From Missrealitybites:
There was a glitch on the system and I apparently cannot add new Privilege tiers... Sobs. I will try to fix this so I can publish the 38 chapters I have written and stockpiled for the Privilege. We will see tomorrow if it can be done.
If not, I will publish the chapters I have as mass releases for you if we can achieve the Golden Ticket ranking target. Vote all your golden tickets to this book.
If "The King''s Wife" managed to get to the Top 10 Golden ranking, I will publish a mass release of 10 chapters on Sunday.
Remember, send this book to the Top 10 Golden ranking, and I will publish 10 chapters mass release on Sunday. We will set a weekly goal for weekly mass releases for December. xx
Chapter 62 Going To Blackwoods Again
When Sophie was young, she liked heading to Hauntingen to make friends with the vige children and y with them.
It was boring staying in the woods and always helping out her parents with chores. However, one day, when Sophie returned back to her hut, both of her parents were nowhere to be found.
It wasn''t actually strange when that happened and the young Sophie dismissed it as her parents wanting some time to be alone.
There were times that both of her parents wanted to have some for themselves or there were moments when Anne Hansley apanied her husband into the forest to go hunting.
Whenever they did, Sophie was happy and excited because they usually brought back more food.
"Father, were you inspired because mother was there to watch you, hunt?" Sophie asked her father and Jack Hansley onlyughed at that and shook his head.
"On the contrary, your mother is the better hunter between the two of us," Jack told his child and rubbed Sophie''s head affectionately. "I hope that you will be like your mother."
However, on that night, her parents didn''t show up or return at all. It scared Sophie so much and she immediately ran back into Hauntingen to ask for help from the vige elder. The old man did his best to soothe her and actually sent some men to look for Sophie''s parents.
Unfortunately, that was the night that solidified the Hauntingen vige''s belief that the ckwoods Forest was haunted and had monsters unimaginable. The vigers came across Sophie''s parents in such a state that they refused to show to an impressionable young child.
It scarred Sophie more than anything.
This time, it was Nichs who was gone and disappeared into the forest that the vigers called haunted and filled with unimaginable monsters.
Sophie always used to call them out and say it was nonsense but she didn''t know what caused her parents'' death. What killed Sophie''s parents?
Who killed her parents on that day?
What happened to Nichs now? If something happened to him, did it have anything to do with the same being who killed her parents?
Sophie did not have any idea and that terrified her. At this point in time, her knees were weak and she had grown terribly tired of walking for hours.
"Achoo." Sophie sneezed and covered her mouth. She looked at her hands and noticed how frosty they were and yet she had kept walking on and hoping to see her husband.
"I¡ I need to find dry wood and shelter." Sophie whispered to herself. Snow was slowly falling again and she could feel her cloak and clothes be damp. Her lips trembled and her steps felt heavy.
She must find a ce to rest and take cover from the snow. If she wanted to keep looking for Nichs, it was better if she stayed here, instead of going back to her hut.
Tomorrow she would have to start from zero if she were to go home and sleep there.
Sophie looked around and found an old tree with what looked to be dry branches. She hacked some of the branches off with her axe and watched it fall on the ground.
Sophie couldn''t start the fire when she was out in the open and exposed to the wind. She took a deep breath and took a hold of her memory. The same cave that she encountered with Nichs in the past was close.
The same cave where she and Nichs talked about how someone could have lived there. They shared their first kiss there and it brought Sophie to tears as she walked towards the cave with an empty heart.
When Sophie entered the cave, she encountered a dark and tremendous shadow within it.
GROWLLL!!
"Aaahhh!!!"
A great bear that was on the brink of hibernation woke up angrily when Sophie entered the cave and it growled at the young woman as it rose on its hind legs. With a powerful swipe, the bear threw a powerful attack at Sophie.
Sophie froze in fear but her instincts were on point, she ducked at thest moment and quickly backed away. She didn''t realize that such a creature was now slumbering in the cave and she was forced to retreat.
However, the bear was too angry and came after her. The axe in Sophie''s arms felt heavy and when she tried to raise it up against the creature, it growled more ferociously and lunged at her before she could attack.
The bear''s paw shed against the tree and fell it down. It missing Sophie only made the bear''s temper rise and it tried to bite her as Sophie evaded the bear but couldn''t quite escape it. She was afraid that turning her back against it would spell her doom.
Could she navigate fast enough and lose it in the woods or was it time for her to face it down and scare it off by herself?
Sophie''s lips were a ghostly blue as she focused on thetter and decided she couldn''t outrun the bear.
Her legs were too shaky and she couldn''t find the strength in her legs to run backward anymore. Even when she did it, Sophie''s back touched against a tree.
Before she knew it, the bear was upon her and she felt her life sh in front of her eyes. She raised her axe up and prepared herself to at least strike it before it killed her as her gaze darted left and right.
It was better for her to go down with one final hit. She swung the axe and closed her eyes, praying that when she died, she would be reunited with her parents and Nichs.
However, the swing she expected never came down. A big, burly shadow of a man suddenly showed up behind the bear.
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From Missrealitybites:
Gosh, I was feeling frantic by the glitch. I almost forgot to say thank you to you for sending your golden tickets to Sophie and Nic in November.
I would like to especially thank the Top 3 contributors: Maude Fluckiger, Rose Hollygolightly, and DianaSuan. Thank you so much!
PS: Don''t forget to vote more golden tickets this week to Lnd, Sophie, and Nic because I am preparing 10 chapters mass release for you on Sunday! xx
Chapter 63 Sophie Has Fever
Lnd suddenly appeared behind the bear and struck it in the back and then jabbed his fist into its chest.
His arm and hand partially transformed into a werewolf''s paw with its long deadly ws. It ripped the heart out of the bear''s chest and killed it instantly.
He was furious that a creature would darey a hand on Sophie.
His Sophie.
Unfortunately, the sight of blood and the bear''s heart lying out in the open and in front of Sophie made the woman pass out. It didn''t help that Lnd''s imposing aura made it so incredible to stand up at all, everyone else would have bowed down immediately because of the pressure.
"Sophie!!"
Lnd quickly caught her with his clean arm and watched the fainted woman with a small frown on his face. There were tears on her face that froze over with the winter winds.
Seeing her looking so pitiful made his heart ache.
"Where''s that rogue werewolf?" Lnd growled angrily. His eyes were wild searching around the cave. There were no signs of Nichs and not even his scent.
Lnd carefullyid down Sophie on the cave floor. Then he grabbed the bear carcass with one hand and tossed it outside. Blood sttered around on the cave walls and the ground.
He sniffed the air trying to search the woods to find the ipetent man that left Sophie all by herself. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find any clues. Nichs had been long gone from ckwoods and there was no scent or trace of him could be found.
Initially, Lnd made the decision to leave Sophie and Nichs alone because the couple was happily living together and were at peace. There was no need for him to interfere at that moment.
He was also someone who refused to prolong the pain he experienced by seeing the woman he swore to love and protect being in the arms of another man.
It was torture and he would rather kill Nichs than deal with that kind of suffering.
However, right before Lnd could make the decision to leave for Hastings and finally leave Sophie for good and move on, he remembered something that made his heart stop cold.
How could he be so stupid?
When Lnd was fourteen years old, he left the Hansley family because he was summoned back to the werewolf n. His mother threatened him that she would send assassins to kill Anne and Jack Hansley if he refused to return.
His younger brother died from a mysterious illness and suddenly Isolde Szar realized she would lose her grip on the pack after her husband stepped down as the alpha because they had no more sons to take over power, except for Lnd.
He was the son she despised, but she needed him. He had left the pack for many years, living with the Hansleys, pretending to be part of their family. So, she decided to summon him home and prepare himself to be the next alpha of Blood River Pack, thergest and most influential werewolf pack in the continent.
,m Alpha Leon was a very respectable alpha but without an heir, many people would be eyeing his position. Lnd had to face many challengers in life-and-death duels to earn his father''s title.
He actually didn''t care if he died. However, his mother made sure he know that if he failed, she would kidnap the cute little girl he had been protecting and give her a slow and painful death.
Having no choice, Lnd decided toply with his mother''s order. From day 1, he had never lost a fight. He knew what was at stake if he failed.
The years after he left ckwoods were hellish, but he stuck by his resolve to not let anything happen to the Hansleys. Anything to make sure his ''true family'' was spared.
However, when Lnd finally returned to ckwoods to see them, he would discover that both Anne and Jack Hansely were dead and Sophie was gone.
ording to the investigation of the werewolf tribe, the two were discovered by the royal family and were silently killed because it was uneptable for a love between a human and a werewolf to be found.
Now that he remembered what happened to Anne and Jack, Lnd realized, it was too dangerous for even Sophie and Nichs to be left in Hauntingen to be by themselves. They could be targeted by the royal family secret hunter, just like Sophie''s parents.
"I will invite them to join my tribe," Lnd said to himself before he left the n and traveled back to Hauntingen. Even though it would pain him to see the man and woman happily married together, Sophie''s protection was still his penultimate goal.
He knew one werewolf, even if he had the strength of an Alpha, couldn''t protect Sophie if the royal family found out about their real identity being lycans.
Finally, the alpha swallowed his bitterness and went back to Hauntingen. Unfortunately, Lnd would only encounter Sophie in ckwoods all by herself and he nearly lost the woman because of that fact.
That werewolf Nichs was nowhere to be found and this made Lnd furious.
How could the man leave Sophie alone????
***
Lnd took Sophie back to her home and treated her wounds. He couldn''t bear to see the woman in distress and in such a terrible state that even though a part of him wished to take her with him back to Hastings, he decided to take care of her first.
There were scratches on her knees and arms after forcing herself to travel the woods without stopping. Even though Lnd had already drawn fire in the hut, it was barely enough to keep the hut at a temperature that would have kept humans warm.
"Why did you go out by yourself, Sophie?" Lnd clicked his tongue. "What are you doing there?"
He removed the cloak that Sophie wore across her shoulders. It was damp from the snow and only made her feel colder. Her clothes earlier barely stayed off the harsh cold winds and when Lnd saw her lips, she had not quite recovered from the pale blueness they had.
"Nic¡ where are you¡." Sophie shivered and kept calling out her husband''s name.
Her pale face and blue lips made Lnd feel very worried. He touched her temple and realized she got a high fever but she was shivering so hard like she was feeling very cold.
The man looked around tried to find anything that could cover her body and keep her warm. He couldn''t find anything decent. There was only a thin old nket on the wooden shelf above the firece.
Lnd sighed. He took the nket and stood rooted in his ce, looking at Sophie who curled up on the bed, trembling and grinding her teeth.
Lnd regretted the fact that he never wore a coat. So, even if he wanted to lend her his coat, he didn''t have any with him to give her. Cold didn''t bother him, but he should have brought one so Sophie could use it.
Ugh¡
Lnd stood awkwardly towering Sophie who was lying on the bed, feeling conflicted about what he should do. Her damp clothes must be removed so she could start getting some warmth if he nned to use this thin nket to cover her.
Once he thought about her health, Lnd only took a second to make a decision. Sophie''s well-being was paramount. He didn''t care about anything else.
So, Lnd came to her side and put the nket next to her. Then, carefully, he took off her clothes one by one. His expression didn''t change and his movement was as calm as before.
Sophie was unconscious because of the fever. Lnd couldn''t let her sleep in her damp clothes. She would get pneumonia or worse.
Of course, he was a normal man with a healthy sexual desire. However, his worry for Sophie''s health filled his head that even a single lewd thought didn''t cross his mind.
Perhaps, if they were in different circumstances¡
Once he got rid of her damp clothes, Lnd immediately covered the thin nket on her weak body. He also took off his shirt and put it over the nket to give Sophie a bit of extra warmth.
There was another thing actually that he could do to keep her warm, but he didn''t want to do it because she was a married woman.
Sigh.
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From Missrealitybites:
OMG... Thank you so much for sending so many golden tickets to this book. We are now #5 in Golden ranking. I am so touched, I decided to publish a bonus chapter now. I''ll still give 10 chapters mass release if we stay in the Top 10.
PS: Do you know what other thing Lnd could do to keep Sophie warm? let me know in thement. Hehehe... ^^
PPS: Thank you, Despina, for gifting a dragon to Nic, Sophie, and Lnd earlier today. xx
Chapter 64 Cuddle
"Why did you have to marry the man who is incapable of protecting you, Sophia??" Lnd wanted to ask Sophie. He looked at the sick woman and thought of something.
Based on his men''s report, Sophie didn''t seem to know her roots. Did she still not know that she was half lycan?
Lnd remembered Anne and Jack Hansley did cover up the fact from their own daughter when she was a child because they were worried she couldn''t keep a secret.
Lnd watched Sophie shiver under the nket and his heart ached. Sophie had passed the age to shift if she was a werewolf. That means she didn''t have enough werewolf in her to have those capabilities. She took after her human father more.
No wonder her scent was very faint. If Sophie was more like her mother, she wouldn''t have to suffer like this. She could just keep herself warm by transforming into a wolf.
Lnd clenched his fists to the sides. His mind went back to Sophie''s husband. HE should have been here and kept Sophie warm!
Where the fuck was he?!
The alpha regretted not fighting Nichs to the death and challenge him to give up on Sophie. He let go of Sophie because he saw how much she loved him, and he thought the man could protect her as her husband. Apparently, Lnd was wrong.
The man took off his remaining clothes quickly, tossed them to the floor, and transformed into his wolf form.
He went to Sophie''s side and wrapped his body around her, over her thin nket, so he could transfer his body heat to her and keep her warm.
Snow was falling hard outside the hut and the temperature became really low. Even though the fire was originally not enough to keep a human warm in this really bad weather, the woman sleeping on the bed no longer shivered.
The body heat transferred from the werewolf fur was perfect to keep her warm. Her body slowly became more rxed and could sleep better. She even snuggled closer to Lnd in her sleep.
Perhaps, her body thought it was Nichs'' wolf that was cuddling her and she was immediately drawn to him.
The huge white wolf stayed by Sophie''s side and cuddle her for a good one hour until he could feel her breathing be regr and her body was warm enough under the nket.
Then, he got up and went to the kitchen area and tried to check if there was anything he could use to make soup for her. There was none.
It seemed this hut had not been inhabited for a long time. Could it be that Nichs immediately took Sophie away from this ce when he saw the broken stump? Had they left this hut for that long?
Lnd realized Nichs must feel the alpha''s presence because of the tree he broke in two and the man felt threatened. If Nichs really thought the visitor was an enemy, he must have wanted to take Sophie far away from ckwoods for her safety.
But¡ why did Sophie end up alone in the forest? Lnd tried to think of all the possibilities. He couldn''t really know.
Finally, he set those thoughts aside. Seeing how weak Sophie was now, he realized if he wanted Sophie to get better, he must hunt and get her something to eat.
So, he decided to leave her just to hunt for quick prey. He checked Sophie''s condition one more time before he went out of the door. Lnd returned not long after with a fat wild chicken between his teeth.
He tossed the chicken on the terrace then he transformed back into a human. Lnd quickly put on his pants and defeathered the chicken. He didn''t need a knife to do the work because he could just use his ws when he did a partial transformation.
In no time, the chicken was ready to cook. He lighted the fire and hung the pot over it to make soup for Sophie.
When she woke up, she could just warm up the soup for her to eat. This way, she would be able to replenish her energy and recover faster.
After he got the pot ready for cooking, Lnd took Sophie''s clothes and washed them quickly at the well outside, under the snow. He hung them to dry near the fire. He hoped by the time she recovered, her clothes would already be dry enough to wear.
At 2 am, everything was done. He had even cleaned up the hut from dust. Anything to make the ce morefortable for her.
Finally, Lnd sat on the only stool in the hut and watched Sophie. He kept the fire on so she could get the warmth. The only sounds he could hear were the crackling of firewood burning and the howling of the winds from outside.
It was like that for a few moments. Until, suddenly, Lnd could hear something quiet escape Sophie''s lips. She was mumbling again in her sleep, whispering one name alone. Her body started shivering again...
"Nic, please," Sophie whimpered in her sleep as tears slipped down her closed eyes. Lnd gently brushed them away despite his own heart growing cold at the mention of her husband''s name.
"What did he do to you?" Lnd asked.
"Don''t go," Sophie pleaded and clutched the hand of Lnd in hers. She clung to him tightly and refused to let him pull his hand away at all. The sight alone was enough for Lnd to make a conclusion.
"That bastard," he cursed with gritted teeth.
Lnd''s heart was immensely furious as he saw Sophie whimper and call out for her husband. Tears were leaking in the corner of her eyes and she continued to talk about Nichs in her sleep.
"You''re not a monster," Sophie cried as her shoulders trembled slightly. She squeezed Lnd''s hand in desperation as if she was afraid to let him go. "Please don''t put yourself in danger¡"
Lnd sighed and felt his heart soften at the sight of her. He gently brushed away some of her tears and found himself immensely disturbed by how much longing she had for her husband.
Sophie truly loved Nichs that even in her dreams, it was him who was on her mind.
The anger that was in Lnd''s heart was ovee by his desire to see Sophie be happy again. He did not like seeing her suffering and so he decided to understand what actually happened between her and her husband.
Where did the man go?
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Yes, you are right, Lnd should share his body heat with Sophie to keep her warm, and he did exactly that.
Chapter 65 Leland Is Looking For Nicholas
in Lnd''s opinion, if this Nichs guy truly loved Sophie, then he would have returned to her side. Yet he had been missing for so long that Sophie became so distraught.
Lnd started to piece things together little by little. He gathered the facts that were avable to him. If Sophie was sleep-talking and muttering in her sleep about Nichs putting himself in danger... What did that mean?
What danger was Sophie referring to?
Was it that incident two weeks ago when Lnd destroyed a tree?
Lnd''s expression became cold as he closed his eyes and remembered the incident clearly in his mind. He tried to put himself in the shoes of Sophie''s husband and imagine what the man would have done.
Nichs must have recognized that a lycan, Lnd, was around their house in ckwood and decided to hunt and track him down?
The Alpha gritted his teeth.
Lnd''s blood still boiled when he remembered how Sophie and Nichs were extremely loving towards each other and then spent the next moments afterward having sex.
The memory was painful and Lnd hated it as it reminded him of howte he was. If he had been better, if he had actually reunited with Sophie instead of focusing on bing the Alpha, perhaps it was him who might have been Sophie''s husband now.
"Concentrate, Lnd." the Alpha chose to put his fantasies away and recollected vital pieces of information. If Lnd was the ''danger'' that Sophie was speaking of in her sleep that Nichs needed to avoid, then there was no danger at all.
No one wouldy a single finger on Sophie if Lnd had a choice in the matter at all.
So where was this Nichs?
The rogue lycan should have realized that Lnd was already gone by the time that he came to look for the Alpha. So why didn''t he return to Sophie''s side after so long? And why was she trying tofort Nichs into believing that he wasn''t a monster?
A natural born lycan wouldn''t even consider their condition as any kind of curse or look at themselves as if he was a monster.
"Ah, he''s not a true lycan." Lnd quickly realized that Nichs was one of those who became a lycan without any choice.
Suddenly, Sophie started to mutter some more. "Don''t¡ the wolfsbane¡" She started to toss in her sleep as if she was trying to fight something or escaping something. "No, Nick. Please."
Everything started to make sense for Lnd.
"That bastard is trying to cure himself from lycanthrophy." Lnd muttered to himself. The Alpha was aware of how much danger it posed to the lycans when one ingested a great amount of wolfsbane.
A good amount was enough to even render them to a state of paralysis. Most importantly, it even killed lycans because it hampered their great rejuvenation ability.
For someone like Nichs who was not a genuine lycan, he must have done it in the hopes that he could cure himself and yet¡
Lnd turned to look at Sophie.
If Nichs did not find the lycan, then he probably went out deeper into the ckwood Forest to search for wolfsbane. How the man became a lycan in the first ce, Lnd didn''t know but there was only one thing that he was sure of.
Sophie Hansley loved Nichs so much, that even if it killed him on the inside¡ Lnd was going to search for that bastard who left his wife for too long. The Alpha was going to make this man regret that he made Sophie suffer though.
But first, Lnd wanted to make sure that Sophie would be alright when she woke up.
He checked the pot of soup by the fire and put it on the floor. It was ready. If she needed to eat, she could just warm it up. Her clothes were still damp but at least they were clean.
Hopefully, by the time she really woke up, it would be dry enough for her to wear.
Once he made sure everything was okay and prepared for once Sophie woke up, he bid her a temporary goodbye and then took off to the ckwood Forest.
The Alpha stood inside of the forest and deeply sighed. A multitude of scents and sounds were detected by Lnd and yet he concentrated and started to distinguish between each of them.
What among them matched Sophie''s husband? Lnd found a small lingering trail and chased after it because it matchedpletely.
The scent of Nichs was so repulsive like a wet dog that even though two weeks had already passed since the man was gone, Lnd was able to track him down.
Lnd''s superior senses gave him an advantage and before the Alpha knew it, he soon arrived in a clearing of beautiful flowers everywhere. The sight of the wolfsbane was visible to his eyes and yet¡
This was where the scent of Nichs ended.
Even though Lnd tried to search for any more clues as to the whereabouts of Sophie''s husband. The Alpha couldn''t find anything anymore and only looked around his surroundings with annoyance.
He finally came across to where Nichs made the concoction of wolfsbane. There was a small upturned pot that ttered among the flowers and the sight of old firewood used to burn it was still around and was charred.
There were even some items idly rolling around the clearing of flowers, items that were used to stir the wolfsbane.
Lnd was careful and avoided the ce where the color purple of wolfsbane was now mixed in with the ground. Even though it was obvious that the effects were already long gone, just the sight of it made him cautious. Uneasy even.
The Alpha felt the scars in his back somehow heat up at the sight of them and the memory of such nts being poured on his back reyed in his mind. The harsh training that Lnd underwent just to be Alpha¡
Yet... Nichs simply drank it all.
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Do you think Lnd will find Nichs?
Chapter 66 Marked By The Alpha
"This man¡" Lnd grounded his teeth at that thought. He could already imagine how much it must have burned inside of him when the man drank that. His assumption was correct then, all thanks to Sophie''s mumbles in her sleep.
Sophie''s husband truly tried to cure himself of lycanthropy. So where was he now?
Lnd searched across the field but could find nothing. His search ended when he came across a river. The lycan''s scent was truly gone by that point.
What happened to him? Did he fall to the river and drown after being poisoned by wolfsbane?
Lnd didn''t want to jump to conclusions but¡ what else could possibly happen?
"If this man actually managed to drink this much wolfsbane then his insides would be literally burning¡ I can''t see or even imagine how he would survive it. And even if he did, he left himself out here in the open."
Lnd didn''t understand what the other man was even thinking when he decided to do this. Irritation red within the Alpha because the decision that Sophie''s husband made was both reckless and dangerous.
Whether or not Nichs survived drinking the wolfsbane, if he was gone for so long and Sophie tried to search for him, there really only was one conclusion that appeared in the Alpha''s mind.
If he survived, he would have searched for his wife. Sophie would have found him.
Yet, it''s been weeks and Sophie was alone.
"He''s dead," Lnd tly said.
There was no turning point about it and yet instead of relief or joy at the fact that Sophie''s husband was gone and the idea that he could be the one who could be with Sophie, All Lnd felt was anger because of what happened.
How could this man easily put himself in danger when he had a woman who loved him and waited for him?
How selfish was this husband to make decisions without even thinking about his wife?
Sophie was going to grieve so hard and mourn once she learned that her husband was dead and that pained Lnd to even imagine. The fact that Nichs was already missing had already reduced her to tears made the Alpha upset.
He didn''t want her to suffer at the realization that Nichs was gone. But this... knowing her husband of only a few weeks was dead not long after they were married... would surely scar her for life.
"How could I even tell her this?" He felt his throat be so dry.
It was not even in Lnd''s position to simply inform about Nichs'' death to Sophie because he was unsure of how the woman might react. The two of them hadn''t even seen each other in years and she didn''t even know she was half a lycan.
Everything would onlye out too suspicious.
Surely the idea that Lnd approaching her and saying that her husband was dead and that he was her long-lost wolf cub woulde out too bad.
There were many scenarios that shed in Lnd''s mind. All of them were terrible and ended up with Sophie hating him and shouting at him foring back to Hauntingen.
Would Sophiesh out at Lnd and me him for the death of her husband? Would Sophie also me him once she realized that he failed to protect her and her family properly?
Lnd wished that he was around during the time when Anne and Jack Hansley were attacked but he wasn''t. It was something that he never quite managed to forgive himself for.
The Alpha knew that he left the happy family because there was no other way to protect them from his evil mother and the elders of his werewolf pack, but Sophie''s parents still ended up dying because of the royal family.
Even though Lnd worked so hard and strove to be the Alpha of his pack so he could protect the people he loved, the truth was that Sophie was going to remain heartbroken. Lnd''s presence was nothing more but a nuisance.
Would Sophie think that if Lnd never appeared then she and Nichs could have lived happily? He was the reason why Nichs brought Sophie to town and then went out to the forest alone.
The Alpha did not know if Nichs would have still decided to take the wolfsbane in secret if he never arrived, but all that Lnd knew was that the couple may have chosen to be separated for some time because of him.
If Lnd hadn''t appeared and disturbed them, perhaps Nichs wouldn''t have left Sophie to look for him at least. Lnd''sshing out his anger on that tree must be the reason Nichs thought ckwoods was no longer safe for Sophie and decided to take her to Hauntingen, and he went back alone to look for the other lycan.
The Alpha closed his eyes and felt a wave of regrete over him because even after this incident¡ he still needed to leave Sophie.
There was still so much work that was left unfinished and there was no hope of bringing her with him. Could he actually convince Sophie to leave the life she knew behind her ande with him?
It would be a miracle if Sophie didn''t hate Lnd once she knew what happened.
The Alpha needed toe back at another time and actually avenge Sophie''s family if he could gain the courage to speak with her again.
The man was never good with words, and now he didn''t know how to tell Sophie that her husband was very likely dead because of his wolfsbane consumption.
The wind howled again, interrupting his thought process. Lnd knew he had gone out for too long and muste back to check on Sophie. So, he stomped on the pot and destroyed it before he went back to the hut.
Once Lnd arrived back at Sophie''s home, he found the woman was still asleep, shivering and crying in her sleep. The man sighed at the sight.
"I have to go, but¡" Lnd touched Sophie''s hand right shoulder. His touch was extremely gentle, but he knew what he would do next would give her pain. He took a deep breath. "I will make sure you are safe."
He bent down and pressed her right shoulder to his mouth. His fangs grazed against her skin and she winced in pain in her sleep, but Lnd continued. His fangs cut through her skin and blood trickled from the small wounds he inflicted on her.
Lnd left his mark on her. He did it to ensure that Sophie would be safe. This mark protection wouldst until the next full moon. Whatever happened to her, and if she was in danger, he would always know.
Initially, he wanted to be mates with her, so he could care for her and protect her, just like what he promised to Anne Hansley, Sophie''s mother, many years ago.
However, now that he needed to leave and couldn''t actually be mates with Sophie, the Alpha could only mark her to keep her safe.
This way, no other lycan would bother Sophie because they could smell his scent and his mark on her. And if she was in danger, they would actuallye to her rescue if Lnd wasn''t around.
This was the only way to keep her safe until Lnd could check on her before the next full moon came.
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I like the title of this chapter. "Marked by The Alpha" sounds sexy. What do you think? XD
Chapter 67 Sophie Is Looking For Answers
***
When Sophie finally woke up, she found herself in bed and tuckedfortably in it. Somehow it almost felt like she had never left but she remembered the fear and adrenaline as she delved into the woods.
"How did Ie back here?" Sophie nervously looked around at her surroundings but didn''t see anyone at all. "Wasn''t I supposed to be in the woods right now?"
She was so panicked when she realized she was naked under the thin nket. After the initial shock, she quickly felt her body and tried to find any anomaly, but there was none.
At this, she heaved a sigh of relief. Nobody touched her inappropriately while she passed out. After thinking about it, she realized whoever saved her must have helped her take off her damp clothes to prevent pneumonia.
She was aware that someone hade and saved her or else the bear might have devoured her. And that person must know her well because s/he managed to bring her back to her home.
And judging from the way Sophie was tuckedfortably in her bed, covered by an old nket from the shelf, she could guess the person was good to her. Who was he?
Was it Nic?
Who else could it be if not him?
Sophie''s heart pounded at the thought. Tears started forming again in her eyes.
"Nic?" she called out uncertainly but there was no answer.
A part of her had hoped that it was Nichs who saved her and her husband hade back, but it didn''t seem to be the case.
Tears stung her eyes, but Sophie forced herself to her feet and looked around the small shack of her parents. She wrapped the nket around her body and checked her surroundings.
Sophie was relieved when she saw her clothes neatly hung to dry near the firece. She checked them and sighed. They were clean but still damp. If she wore them now, she would catch a cold.
Hmm.. maybe she could just wait until her clothes were truly dry before she put them on? It would be stupid to die of cold or pneumonia after she was saved from a scary bear.
Sophie continued checking her hut, to find clues as to who was the person who had helped her. There was a pot of soup on the kitchen floor. She could smell it from where she was.
So, Sophie crouched down and check the contents of the pot. Her brows furrowed at the chicken broth and meat. Who got the chicken for her? In the middle of the night?
This soup was very simple, but when she took a spoon to have a taste, she was pleasantly surprised to find it actually tasted quite good. Sophie felt her stomach hurt and her body was weak.
She knew should eat something to regain her strength. That person must realize this too. That''s why they made the effort to make this soup for Sophie. She bit her lip and held back her tears.
Had Nichs eaten - wherever he was now? Was he even okay?
She wiped her tears and filled a bowl with the cold soup and drank it to get some energy.
Slowly, she was feeling better.
Out of everything that happened, Sophie instantly found one thing that stood out. There was a parchment on her table along with a money pouch.
Sophie''s eyes widened and she instantly took it and saw the letter was written in neat handwriting and contained a short message. It was perfunctory and direct to the point and it also made her heart tremble.
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Sophie, I have saved you in the forest from the bear. You shouldn''t be going in the woods alone if you are not strong enough to handle it. Please do not go look for your husband any longer because it seems that he has deserted you.
Instead, please live happily and buy yourself several thick coats to keep you warm because it is winter and freezing. I believe our paths will meet again once I am finished with my duties. So, please focus on taking care of yourself.
- L
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"What are the chances that this¡ this is someone from Nick''s family?" Sophie asked herself. "Something to distract me from the fact that Nichs was taken away by them?"
Sophie knew well that she was a peasant while Nichs was a nobleman. There was a certain gap between them that would always remain. He always spoke about his family''s strictness and now she wondered if they discovered him and then took him by force.
That was a concern of hers that stemmed from how she saw Nichs cry in pain because of the emotional suffering that his family put him through.
Her husband actually thought that he was some kind of unlovable monster and Sophie was very upset that Nichs''s family made him feel that way at all.
Sophie thought it was more believable that this note was a fake one and was intentionally ced to make her give up on Nichs. Someone like Valerie might have written a note like this to ''prank'' her in a vicious and deceptive way.
If Nichs'' family knew that he married amoner, they might have abducted him by force.
"I can''t¡ No, Nichs would never leave me intentionally," Sophie shook her head and then came to a decision. "I''m going back to Hastings and confirm it with his uncle. I am sure that it will be exined or he can tell me where Nic is."
At least, Nichs didn''t have anything terrible to say about his uncle at all. So, Sophie was confident that the baron would at least pay attention to her once she headed there.
If it turns out that Sophie needed to travel all the way back to Hastings and then the capital to look for Nichs? She would do it in a heartbeat to find him again.
There was no stopping a woman determined to reunite with her husband.
Even though Sophie didn''t wish to touch the pouch of money that came from the person who sent the note, she took it and prepared her things.
She would board up her house and did a couple ofst-minute repairs to ensure that her beloved parents'' hut would remain safe.
After that, Sophie hailed a carriage and headed off the Hastings to look for answers.
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It''s good that Sophie is headed to Hastings. Since Lnd is also going there!
Chapter 68 Sophie Receives Bad News
Along the way to Hastings, Sophie would hear a lot of news and gossip that were about the crown prince but she was utterly distracted by the fact that her husband was missing, so she didn''t pay any attention at all.
In Sophie''s mind, the people''s current favorite topic was not her interest.
All she cared about was vested in her husband and living a happy life with him. Sophie would stop at nothing to create a life with Nichs because even though a younger Sophie dreamed of a life of adventure?
Her days with Nichs were like an adventure too. Each day with her husband was an amazing experience and she loved him so deeply.
***
After a week of traveling, Sophie finally arrived at Hastings and she would soone to one of the greatest shocks of her life. When she arrived at Baron Ferdinand''s castle, the men stationed there werepletely different.
All of the guards looked fearsome and ferocious that Sophie became hesitant to even draw closer. The way that they looked at everyone who even drew close to their castle was given a death re.
What changed?
Sophie didn''t know and first checked inside of an inn in Hastings to gather some news. While eating in a tavern, the details would hit her right in the face like a p.
She was eating her meal quietly when she overheard the people talking with one another.
"It''s incredibly sad that Lord Ferdinand passed away with his young rtive."
"The new lord that is upying the castle is really scary too. It makes travelers uneasy to pass our road at night because they said they could hear loud dogs howling at night."
Sophie turned to them and pointed at the first speaker. "W-what... what did you say?"
"Are you not from around here, Miss?" The speaker looked at Sophie closely but then shook his head. "There''s trouble brewing in the air, it''s already spread that Lord Ferdinand and his nephew who wereing in from the capital were killed."
His friend responded. "Don''t say that! The reports say it was an ident, the roads were incredibly slippery during the awful snowstorm so the carriage went¡ª"
"My neighbor''s son happened to be one of the guards stationed at the baron''s castle, and the reports said that the bodies were literally unrecognizable. It''s the work of murderers. Maybe assassins? No, they were too torn up."
"If their bodies were unrecognizable, it doesn''t sound like an assassin and more like a monster." One spoke up and leaned against the countertop. "That''s a simple deduction. That ain''t no ident at all. We''re not dumb."
"What do you think of werewolves?" An old man who was sitting far away stood up and raised his cane. Even though he was wobbly, there was a look of anger in his eyes. "It''s those damn werewolves for sure!"
"Hey shut it old man." A younger speaker shouted. "If you start spouting nonsense about werewolves, we can get in trouble!"
A middle-aged person nodded. "You know that the king has already decreed that the issue about that has already been solved years ago during theirst military tour around our kingdom."
"Saying that there are werewolves in Hasting is like saying they''re hidden in our society! We won''t know who to trust!"
"Yeh, so shut your mouth."
Others soon agreed.
"It was an unfortunate ident, but now we have someone else upying the damn castle so it''s not like we''ve actually lost anything," another spoke over their fellowpanions.
"But who''s this Duke Romanov?"
"Er, they say he''s from a nearby kingdom that''s in alliance with ours but moved to Hastings. I think he wants to be a member of our kingdom even though he''s not originally from here."
"Sounds kinda suspicious."
"Hey, we''re not here to specte. But I did hear that Lord Romanov has some dealings in the underworld and ck market trades. I wouldn''t be surprised if he was the one who sent the assassins so he could get the castle."
"You''re the one who''s specting!"
"But I think we''ve all seen that the castle guards hired are not even from Hastings. It''s like he has his own militia prepared for some reason."
"All nobles have their guards."
"Well, why couldn''t he have hired some people from here?"
"Did you know that he''s supposed to be insanely wealthy andparable to the Rotshcilds family? I bet the mayor is bootlicking with him."
All of the people were now all talking over each other and rapidly discussing both news, gossip and everything mixed in that they failed to ount for the look of horror in Sophie''s eyes.
Sophie shook her head and started to mutter under her breath. "No, no it can''t be true."
No way¡ This is not right. She felt the world was spinning around her.
Did Nichs go to the capital and then he was killed along the way by werewolves? Maybe something urgent happened and Nichs had to leave Sophie immediately. He went to see his uncle and they were attacked together¡?
Sophie remembered Nichs was kidnapped as a child by the werewolf n. He was tortured and bitten by the alpha and made to be one of them.
Perhaps¡ those monsters wanted to finish what they started eight years ago?
Oh, gods¡
The idea was too surreal and Sophie couldn''t ept it. She couldn''t ept that her husband was gone.
But who else was it who was attacked together with Duke Ferdinand? And where else could have Nichs gone?
The tavern owner who was serving food to his customers finally noticed her distraught appearance and approached her. "Is there something wrong with the food, Miss?"
"N-no... I just lost my appetite, that''s all," Sophie replied with a stammer.
"You''re still going to pay for it." The man scrunched up his nose.
"Of course, let me pay now and leave." Sophie''s hands were shaking as she pulled out her coin purse. A good chunk of it had been spent to ask for the carriage to take her to Hastings because the driver wasn''t actually supposed to go out.
Now, she trembled and tried to take out some coins and ced them on the tavern owner''s hands and then tried to rise out from her chair.
Unfortunately, her legs had already gone numb and she buckled down in pain.
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Oh, no! Poor Sophie...
PS: Thank you for not throwing tomatoes. ^^
Chapter 69 [Bonus Chapter] Am I The One Who Is Cursed?
Note:
Thank you Readingfairy for gifting a castle to this book today. I decided to publish this bonus chapter for you. ^^
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The sudden crash surprised some of the patrons and they looked at the tavern owner and Sophie. The tavern owner clicked his tongue and shook his head. "It''s not my fault! She suddenly fell down on her own!"
A couple of the people nearby immediately helped Sophie up and were looking at the young woman with a hint of concern. "Are you okay?"
"What happened?!"
"This woman suddenly fell down weak-kneed!"
"Is she all right?"
"What''s wrong? There''s nothing terrible with the food, right??"
The noise would get to Sophie and she quickly darted away from the person who helped her up. She quickly moved away and lowered her head while tears stung her eyes.
"Thank you so much, but I really need to get going now." Everyone was stunned to see the beautiful woman suddenly had tears streaming down her cheeks. They were wondering what happened.
Without another word, Sophie pushed away from the crowd of both spectators and observers and ran as fast as she could back to the inn. When she came back into her room, she fell on her bed and started to cry.
An unbearable amount of pain filled her chest and she howled for a moment as she buried her head in the pillow. She tried to stifle away the sounds to not disturb the other people in their rooms, but her chest heaved and wracked out sobs.
"No! No!" Sophie sobbed and her shoulders kept shaking. "Oh... Nic... why??? Why is this happening to me??"
She felt extremely empty and broken at the same time as if her heart was split open. After everything that happened, Sophie thought she could finally be happy with Nichs and spend her days with him as husband and wife.
Was she too naive to think that she could actually be happy?
Why was it that the people that Sophie cared about continued to leave and disappear from her life? Tears trickled down her eyes and she huped as she looked at the empty room. "I¡ am I the one who''s actually cursed?"
Losing every loved one she ever knew, felt like a terrible curse.
***
When Sophie woke upter that day, she realized that she had fallen asleep after crying so hard and now she was dehydrated. It was a situation that seemed so small and unimportant whenpared to what happened to her husband.
A part of Sophie didn''t want to get up from bed or even move at all because the information about Lord Ferdinand and his nephew dying when she was only staying in the inn in Hauntingen filled her with sorrow.
It sapped all the energy and will in her to do anything.
Did anything matter now that her husband was dead? A painful smile flickered on Sophie''s lips and yet she slowly got up and moved. She would get a ss of water from outside of her room and then walk back inside to sit on her bed.
Even though everything right now hurt so much, she still forced herself to get up and drink water. However, suddenly, as if her body couldn''t even stomach ingesting anything, Sophie started to sputter and coughed out the water that she drank.
"Ah..." Another tear slipped down her cheek.
Was it so painful that even her body lost the will to live? She rubbed furiously at her cheek and tried to drink down the water more slowly this time and gulped it down.
After emptying the ss, she held it and only stared at the empty cup.
"What am I going to do next, Nick?" Sophie''s voice croaked and she hoped that a funeral woulde so she could actually attend. However, the death of both Lord Ferdinand and Nichs already happened over a month ago.
Even if there was a funeral, it was already over and she knew that it would be impossible to find the grave. Or even if Sophie could ask, people would think that amoner was not fit to visit a noble''s grave.
What were the chances that if Sophie got in contact with Nichs'' parents that they would me her for what happened to their son? Maybe they wouldn''t even acknowledge Sophie as Nichs'' wife because they would think that it''s irrelevant.
They would probably be livid to know that Nichs married a peasant like her.
"Would they think that I only came for their money?" a painful smile came on Sophie''s face. "That''s what Aunt Helga used to think about my mother and now I''m thinking that Nick''s parents would assume the same."
Sophie found herself incredibly alone and not sure of what to do right now. A part of her longed to go back to Hauntingen because it was her home but there were so many recent and happy memories with Nichs that would spring up in her head.
"It''s more inexpensive to stay in Hauntingen than here at Hastings," Sophie said to herself. "I''ve made sure to avoid the ces and stay in a cheap inn, but if I encountered my aunt or cousins, they''d make my life a living hell again."
A sad smile formed on Sophie''s face when she realized how she managed to keep herself busy by thinking of all of these things.
"What am I doing? I am supposed to mourn for longer and yet here I am making ns on how to leave when I just found out that Nick''s...." Sophie''s eyes stung and she couldn''t even finish her sentence. She went to her bed andid down to look at the ceiling and stare at it nkly.
She couldn''t sleep anymore.
A part of Sophie always kept herself going and moving, never letting things stop her or let them get by. She was devastated when she lost her parents and now she was devastated again.
It was as if someone had torn a piece of Sophie''s heart and refused to give it back to her and she would forever feel like there was something missing inside of her.
However, a part of Sophie was always going beyond and trying to ovee the challenges. The fighting spirit that never gave up, was still there and Sophie hated it right now.
"Nick, I¡ I''m so sorry that I couldn''t be there for you. I wish that you were here with me and..." Sophie curled into a small ball inside of her bed. She just wanted to mourn and try to release all of the pain that was inside of her heart.
***
When Sophie woke up once again, she would find herself feeling sick that even though she skipped a meal and barely ate at the tavern, she immediately went to the bathroom and vomited.
Sophie retched and then heaved even though there was nothing to spew out. There were so many things happening and she found herself in a state of mess.
What was wrong with her? An uneasy feeling settled on her stomach and she decided to go visit a physician.
The local practitioner in Hastings was a kind and aged doctor who looked after both the residents and travelers that passed through the town. When Sophie came to the small clinic, she was given a seat as some preliminary conditions were checked.
"Ah, dear¡ how about we go through your symptoms first, okay?" the physician said. "Let''s see, we have vomiting, extreme nausea, and even weakness. You said you almost fainted on the way here too."
"Yes." Sophie bit on her lip worriedly. If she hadn''t caught herself from falling, she would have stumbled and fallen on the ground.
"Alright. Let''s see, have you been travelingtely?"
"I''vee all the way from Hauntingen to here."
"I see. It''s quite far from here. Do you experience, maybe, motion sickness? Did you encounter anything strange or weird while you were on the road? A nt or something in the trees?"
"Um, no?" Sophie had no idea why that was rted to anything she was experiencing but she let the physician do his work until suddenly the physician asked her a question that made her pause.
"When was yourst menstrual cycle?"
Sophie''s eyes widened at the question and she stared at the physician. The past month had been such a blur with her constantly waiting for Nichs that she didn''t even pay attention to anything else.
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From Missrealitybites:
Poor Sophie. Now... the question is, do you think Sophie is pregnant?
1. YES. It''s good that she is carrying the heir to the throne.
2. Gosh, I hope not. The girl has suffered so much.
Chapter 70 Nicholas And Karenina
Before they left the Viscount Verhoven''s mansion, the queen was smiling brightly at Lady Karenina Verhoven and touched her hand.
She spoke softly, "Lady Karenina, would you like to apany us to the capital, my dear? We are very grateful that you have saved our son and we want to show our gratitude by having you in the capital and sightsee. You will be our guest of honor."
Karenina''s eyes widened. She couldn''t believe her luck!
No... it''s not luck. Her patience and care for the crown prince all these weeks had touched the queen''s heart and now she wanted to repay Karenina''s good deeds to her son.
"I would be honored to¡ Your Majesty," Karenina said, especially when she saw her father signal her to immediately say yes. She managed a quick curtsy and then looked up to Nichs.
There was a pounding in her heart and she wanted to swoon when she looked at the most handsome man she had everid her eyes on.
The people in Hauntingen were modest and among the guards or even servants, there was no one that caught Karenina''s eye, except now.
Nichs was still aloof and distant, ncing away and pretending as if he hadn''t heard anything. But then his mother, the queen elbowed him in the gut and the Crown Prince was forced to nod his head.
"The honor would be ours, Lady Verhoven," he said and then forced a smile as he looked at Karenina. Everything was so wrong, but it was true that Nichs was saved by her and nothing could change that. "After all, you have saved my life and we would like to repay our debt to you."
"Oh, thank you." Karenina blushed hard and then folded her hands together. "Then I will apany you and even though I believe that my father will miss me while I am gone¡ How could I refuse the royal family?"
"My daughter is so brave, I will be missing you terribly," Viscount Verhoven said and took out a handkerchief to dab at his eyes. It was so fake that Nichs wanted to gouge his eyes. The viscount turned to his daughter and spoke hoarsely. "Make sure that you write me letters, dearest daughter."
"I will, father." The two members of the Verhoven family shared a hug before she was given her luggage. Even before the royal family had arrived, the Viscount had already prepared everything beforehand.
After that moment, Nichs who was still upset about how they were taking too long found his mother looking pointedly at him.
The king had already left after a few days and returned to the pce, but the queen forced him to stay a couple of days to get to know Karenina.
Now, they were finally leaving for the pce and he was far from happy as he walked alongside Karenina in order to act like a gentleman.
"She just found me," Nichs muttered underneath his breath. It was technically the doctors who saved his life and not Lady Karenina but the way people treated the girl, it was as if she was the one who actually healed him.
"Thank you so much for helping me out," Karenina thanked him as Nichs helped reached out his hand to help her get on the carriage, as a gentleman would.
Karenina''s face beamed in happiness when she took his hand. She stepped into the carriage and took her seat.
"You''re wee." Nichs'' voice was t and he wouldn''t have answered at all if it weren''t for the presence of his mother.
"I think the two of you will get along well!" the queen added and pped her hands.
It was an amazing thing in the eyes of the queen that Nichs was saved by this woman who came from a good family. She thought Karenina was really beautiful.
She had long curly blond hair that framed her petite face with beautiful red lips and bright blue eyes. She was also quite tall for a woman. Physically, she was very attractive and the queen didn''t see any reason why her son would not be attracted to his savior.
All this time, Nichs kept himself away from the opposite sex, never really dated anyone because he was a lycan, and didn''t want to expose his secret to anyone.
He didn''t want to take the risk of transforming while he was on a date with any of those noblewomen. But now that he was cured, surely he could start thinking about marriage and having a family.
And why not start with this beautifuldy who saved his life? Lady Karenina Verhoven looked good, she also sounded so smart, meek, and what''s important was, she was from a noble family.
If the woman who saved Nichs was a peasant, no matter how beautiful, smart, or kind she was, the queen would never even think of trying to set her up with Nichs.
No, blood and lineage mattered because Nichs would be the next king of this kingdom.
The Verhoven House was actually small, but as long as they held noble''s blood, the queen was more than happy to amodate the young woman and was eager to matchmake her son.
It was not too long before Lady Karenina was taken to the royal pce and allowed to sojourn there in the honor of saving Nichs. She was elevated and ced in a good position that those in politics scrambled to amodate the new person into the picture.
Even though Nichs kept trying to avoid Lady Karenina, the queen would create multiple scenarios where the two would meet each other and even go on events together.
Nichs wished that his father would do something, but the man let his wife do whatever.
***
Nichs finally got some peace of mind by hiding in the library and it was there that the royal librarian asked him a question. "Would you like to go to the hidden part of the library again, Your Highness?"
"Huh? Hidden? Do you mean you can help me hide? Yeah, please." Nichs quickly nodded.
He was escorted into one of the less-visited parts. It was to his surprise that the librarian would take out a book and then the bookshelf opened up to reveal a secret pathway.
The crown prince''s eyes bulged and he turned around to look at the royal librarian, but the man was already gone. Not wanting to miss the chance to escape from Lady Karenina and his mother, Nichs stepped inside.
He finally arrived at a dusty room and sat down on a wooden crate to sigh in relief as he rubbed his face. "Finally, some peace and quiet. Why are women like that? Even my mother has be obnoxious when I clearly try to avoid Lady Karenina."
Nichs sneezed and looked around his surroundings and then idly picked up a scroll. It would contain information about Lycans and he only raised a brow idly at all of this information and he would shake his head.
"My father¡ he was so incredibly busy during the war and now all of these are lying in the corner of the library and umting dust. Seems wrong that they''re just here." Nichs muttered. When he wanted to put the scroll back, suddenly a pang of pain hit his head. "Argh."
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From Missrealitybites:
I bet now you can feel "The Little Mermaid'' vibe from this story. XD
Remember, ALL MY STORIES HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. Please just bear with the difort for a little bit.
Chapter 71 Sophies Tears
"Argh."
Nichs ced the scroll aside and massaged his forehead. Nichs wondered if all of the dust was starting to affect him badly that he would get hay fever or some sort of sickness even though it was winter.
Nichs would finally notice that there was something that seemed to be gone. He stared at a shelf that didn''t have any dust on a small box-shaped area while its surroundings were filled with enough dust.
"Huh, this looks like there''s supposed to be some kind of small book here?" Nichs muttered.
Something was truly missing.
***
"You are pregnant."
What the doctor told Sophie rendered her speechless. She didn''t know what to say and for a few moments, she sat on her chair, frozen.
She¡ was pregnant?
The wind outside was howling, the temperature dropped to really low and she coud see snow started falling again outside the window.
Her mind went into a mess. How could she care for a baby? She was so young and poor. She couldn''t even think about how she could find work and feed herself once the money she had in her purse ran out.
She had been spending so much on the carriage and the amodation because she was hoping to meet Nic in Hastings or at least Lord Ferdinand and found ways to find her husband.
Now¡ what should she do?
The doctor noticed her change of expression but assumed she was just feeling surprised by the news. He had seen women reacting that way when they were told they were pregnant for the first time.
So, he continued his words, giving advice for Sophie to stay in one ce and also get a lot of rest. There was a multitude of advice given on how to take care of the future baby that all that Sophie could do was promise to do them.
However, they were difficult.
"Don''t travel to faraway ces again, at least until you pass the first trimester. What you did by going here from Hauntingen was dangerous for your fetus. You are lucky it is quite healthy." The doctor looked at Sophie seriously. "Don''t over-exert yourself and do hard manualbor. You can lose the baby. It''s quite dangerous in your condition."
Sophie nodded absent-mindedly. She was still in shock.
"I want you to eat well and healthy, but do not overexert yourself, young woman." The old man warned her and wagged his finger. "Your husband should do his best to pamper you and make sure that your child will grow up well."
Sophie''s eyes glittered with tears at those words and she nodded slowly. "Yes, Sir¡."
The old man could tell that he said something wrong so he quickly retracted his words. Perhaps... this woman didn''t have a husband. That was not umon too, especially for young women who were really beautiful but poor.
The doctor cleared his throat and quickly added, "Or... do you have a family to stay with? I am sure that they will take care of you. After all, you are carrying a baby within you."
Sophie was dumbfounded when the doctor mentioned family. She didn''t have any. After she got together with Nichs, she thought the man could be her family... but now he was gone. Dead.
Sophie had stopped thinking of Aunt Helga and her family as her rtive. Now that she knew her aunt only took her in so they could get her grandfather''s wealth that was supposed to be Sophie''s inheritance, she felt resentful.
No... she would not go home to her aunt''s home. They would definitely kick her out and call her a liar.
"You have to look up and stay strong, okay, child?" The doctor patted Sophie''s back and gave her a sympathetic look.
"I will do my best, Sir," Sophie nodded slowly. "I will take care of this baby of mine."
"Good. Then you can return here if you need to buy some tonics or something else, okay? I can give you a discounted price so you can keep your child strong."
"I will do that."
When Sophie left the small clinic, the initial wave of joy at knowing that Nichs was not truly gone and had left her a child vanished a little when she realized what it actually meant to have a baby.
Sophie was too poor and could not afford to take care of her baby or even stay at the inn for so long even with the coin purse she had received from the stranger who sent her the note. There was no choice... she must get a job so she could provide for herself and her baby.
But...
"But who will hire a pregnant woman like me?" Sophie sadly said herself. She was feeling dejected and helpless.
Sophie was young, never had any work experience, and was also pregnant. There was little chance she could get a job. And if there was anyone who would hire her, it was definitely for hard manual work.
However, the old doctor just now already told her to avoid doing manualbor since it could endanger her baby. Even though Sophie was still shocked, it didn''t mean she didn''t love her baby.
She loved it very much. Sophie immediately decided she would not dwell in her sorrow. She must find ways to get a job to support herself and her baby.
So, she wrapped her cloak tightly around her body and started walking from one shop to another, asking if they needed a waiter or staff.
Unfortunately, nobody could give her a job. Only a wealthy-looking woman who was shopping for bread in the bakery offered her to work as a maid in her house and Sophie had to turn it down because she knew how much manualbor was needed in doing that job.
After her legs were tired from walking so much, finally, Sophie decided to return to her inn. Once she entered her room and closed the door behind her, Sophie sobbed uncontrobly.
There was no one else in this world that Sophie could turn to. So, after she cried until her tears were dry, she was forced to head back to her aunt''s house to beg for aid. The steps all the way to Aunt Helga''s house were long and arduous but she did it.
"So the dog has finally decided toe back home?" Aunt Helga stared down at Sophie in disbelief and snorted. "I thought that you wanted to leave the house and ran away, but now you have returned here."
? "I¡ yes, yes I have." Sophie swallowed hard. She needed to stay here and just be able to give birth to her child. That way she didn''t have to spend money on amodation. Once all of this was over, then maybe she could return to Hauntingen.
In reality, Aunt Helga recently came into some trouble when thewyers were looking for Sophie because of inheritance issues that involved Sophie being the daughter of the true heir.
Compared to her two daughters, Sophie Hanlsely had more of a right to the following wealth of their grandfather because of Helga''s stupid father. So it was actually good timing that Sophie returned but the older woman refused to admit it.
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From Missrealitybites:
Sophie really has no choice but to return to her aunt''s family. :(
Chapter 72 Going Back To Aunt Helgas Home
"What are you here for?" Aunt Helga asked. "You squandered your education and ran away from home. You should have a good reason for returning here and looking all meek."
"I¡ I''m pregnant."
"Oh, and where is the man who impregnated you?" Aunt Helga''s eyes were far from sympathetic. "Did he leave you? It seems like you only have us to turn to, so you better be grateful that I will ept you back inside of the house."
Sophie held back herself and nodded slowly. "Thank you so much, Aunt Helga. I am grateful."
"Good." Aunt Helga harrumphed and stood up. "If this is settled then you can go and help with the maids around this house. Even if you are pregnant, it does not mean that you can sit here and do nothing. You must still contribute to the house."
Helga Limbergh thought it must be her luck that Sophie came on her own to this house just when she needed her niece to be there. She decided to just let Sophie stay at her home and made her do some work. As for her pregnancy, they could think about itter.
Sophie''s eyes widened when she heard Aunt Helga''s words but she didn''t react. She thought, maybe if she worked slowly then it wouldn''t strain her too much. All that Sophie needed to do was be careful and she could do all of that. She really thought that she could do it.
"Thank you, Auntie Helga," Sophie lowered her head and thank her aunt. It was better to be non-confrontational in her case. Beggars can''t be choosers. She had no choice but asked for her aunt''s help.
Even though Aunt Helga was harsh, the woman didn''t actively persecute her and even left her alone for most of the time. Sophie could live like that. She had stopped hoping for any affection from Aunt Helga and her family.
Right now, what''s important was for Sophie to have a roof over her head while she was thinking of what she would do next. Perhaps, she could try to look for another job.
"Do you have any luggage?" Aunt Helga raised a brow.
Sophie nodded. She lifted her small bag and said, "Only this one bag, Auntie."
"Hmmm... you can go back to your old room." Aunt Helga scoffed and left her. Sophie heaved a sigh of relief. She was d she took a chance and came here to ask for help.
Apparently, her father''s sister was not really evil. She didn''t care nor love Sophie, but at least she was not an evil woman who took pleasure in seeing her suffer.
From that day, Sophie finally returned to live in Hastings at her aunt''s home. She felt so relieved when she put her back on the bed inside her tiny bedroom andy down her body to get some rest. She stared at the ceiling for a long while, trying to imagine Nichs''s face.
She missed him terribly. Sophie''s tears started flowing down hard again.
***
Sophie kept to herself most of the time and the maids in the house were nice enough that they didn''t let her do much physical work, which she really appreciated. Deep inside, Sophie promised that if someday she was rich, she would pay back their kindness but giving them gifts.
Aunt Helga and Uncle Stevan didn''t care about Sophie living in their home again, because they could still get grandfather''s money while she was officially living with her.
Sophie would get all her inheritance when she turned 21, so her aunt and uncle still had three years to do something to ensure that they could keep the money after Sophie came to age and wanted to manage it herself.
However, if Sophie''s aunt did not really care about Sophie and only cared that she was here¡ her cousins werepletely different.
Lucia and Valerie were both disgusted to see their cousine back. When they learned that Sophie was an unmarried woman who got pregnant, they avoided her like the gue as if she was some kind of dirty woman.
Sophie wanted to say that she was married to Nichs but could not even say it aloud. Both of her cousins would never believe her even if she brought the marriage certificate and so she would be the subject of scorn.
While Aunt Helga kept to her business and her cousins avoided her, they would make it a point to invite ssmates over and ask Sophie to serve them. Naturally, the people from Cow Dung Academy would recognize Sophie.
All of them knew how beautiful and intelligent Sophie was as a student. She was someone who passed the academy''s entrance exam with the highest scores and continued to excel in their studies.
A lot of the students were curious once she stopped attending sses in the academy. When they asked her cousins where she went, both Valerie and Lucia told them lies that Sophie was a loose woman who slept with many men and now she was pregnant.
It was there that Lucia and Valerie would create a terrible picture in the eyes of the students and ndered her.
"Oh, my goodness... I thought she stopped studying because she was sick or something." said one female ssmate when she saw Sophie enter the living room with a tray of tea.
"So, she got knocked up? Jeez..."
"She stopped studying because she got pregnant. Actually, she ran away from home because she did not want to abide by the rules of the house," Lucia shook her head. "She brought shame to our family."
She pretended to let out an embarrassed sigh.
Valerie nodded and added. "Slept with countless men and came back here. She begged to be back here."
"Your family is so kind that you are willing to take her back and give her a home," said a ssmate to Lucia with a concerned expression.
They kept talking about Sophie and didn''t even try to stop or change the subject when they saw her enter again, this time with a jar of cookies for them. Sophie pretended she didn''t hear anything.
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From Missrealitybites:
Good news! As promised, since "The King''s Wife" can enter the Top 10 Golden ranking, I will give 10 chapters mass release this weekend ^^.
Thank you so much for your support. The chapters will be released one by one all day.
Chapter 73 Unnatural Strength
Sophie just wanted to serve them their tea and cookies and left her former schoolmates in the living room, but they apparently enjoyed taunting and making fun of her. So, seeing she didn''t react to their insult, one guy touched Sophie''s arm and mocked her with a disgusting smile on his face.
"So¡ is what Lucia said true? Do you sleep with many men?" He smirked and raised a brow at Sophie. "Can I pay you to sleep with me? This way you can make extra money for your baby."
"That''s not true!!" Sophie''s eyes were furious even as she held onto the tray of snacks to be served to Valerie and Lucia. "My dear cousins here enjoy ndering me. I did nothing that they used me of!"
Finally, she lost her patience. Even though Sophie did not care about her reputation towards her ssmates, she cared about Nichs so much.
If they really thought she slept with many men, it would shame her husband''s name as he was the only man whom Sophie had ever slept with. Her baby would also suffer the same humiliation if she didn''t stand up for herself now.
Those wicked people would make it a habit in the future and call her baby a bastard for having a slut who slept with many different men for a mother.
No! She would not let them insult Nichs and her baby.
"Um, what do you mean?" One of the ssmates asked before she was sent into silence by Lucia and Valerie''s death re. The student quieted down but Sophie took it as an opportunity to exin.
A sad smile appeared on Sophie''s face as she thought about Nichs. "I have only slept with one man and we both loved each other very much. Unfortunately, he''s gone now."
"Hah?" Lucia nced at Valerie and snorted. "That''s even worse, right, Valerie?"
"Do you know why, sister?" Valerie raised a brow.
"Because it goes to show how stupid Sophie really is." Lucia rolled her eyes and then looked pointedly at her invited ssmates. "If this woman has really been loved then she would not be here with us and trying to ask for aid. Gone? The man left Sophie for sure."
Sudden murmurs woulde from Sophie''s previous schoolmates as they all silently thought about the situation. Lucia, who was Sophie''s older cousin, did have a point that Sophie wouldn''t be here if she was married to the man who impregnated her.
Premarital sex was deeply frowned upon by men and women who valued themselves at this point of time and age.
It was supposed to be a prized thing for a husband to take only for himself and to sleep with other men while unmarried diminished the value of the woman and made it impossible for her to marry.
Harlots and prostitutes were the banes of people who were from ''good'' societies. Although the truth of the matter was that it was the richer upper ss who afford these services more than the peasantry who ved at work.
"Oh, that''s right." Valeria pped her hands. "How foolish. I may think she''s being a bit delusional to say that it''s love simply because you were touched by a man and given money. Seriously, we don''t know what would happen to her if she continued doing what she did."
"I wouldn''t be surprised if she ended up dead if she continued down her path." Lucia snorted. "There''s a lot of diseases involved with sleeping around so I hope that my ssmates are warned and stay away from this filthy woman, okay?"
"The prestigious Cawden Academy is put in shame that its former student is nothing more but a woman acting like an ill-bred sow."
The tray of tea finally fell down and crashed because Sophie couldn''t take it anymore. Their ridicule was too much and she red at Lucia and wanted to attack the woman or maybe pull at her hair.
"That''s enough, Lucia." Sophie icily said. "I''ve tried to put my head down for the sake of my child, but if you continue to berate me in front of other people and try to ruin my husband''s name, I won''t be able to hold back myself anymore."
However, Lucia already seemed to have noticed Sophie''s anger and only raised her brows haughtily and didn''t stop at all. She sneered at her cousin.
"What? Are you going to lift your hand against me? I will not hold back just because you are pregnant. Maybe I''d do you a favor and kick your belly to remove it."
SLAP!
Sophie was filled with rage, drew herself closer at her cousin, and pped Lucia in the face. "You take that back! Don''t touch my child or I will kill you myself!!"
"Help, Sophie''s gone nuts!" Valerie would quickly shout and call for the maids and servants. Unlikest time, where Sophie was quickly held back by the stronger adults, she seemed a lot stronger.
The male servants who easily dragged her to the basement before found themselves facing some kind of unnatural strength from Sophie. It was as if she was even more agile and stronger than the males as she didn''t let go of Lucia''s hair.
"Quit this, you wench!" Lucia shouted and tried to scratch Sophie and return the favor.
However, Sophie smoothly moved away from Lucia''s fingers and only pped them away. Lucia winced in pain and ducked back against Valerie who looked intimidated by how Sophie was acting right now.
In the past, Sophie always held back and only avoided Lucia and Valerie while they were bullying her, but now it was different.
It was as if her instincts overtaken her and some parts of a werewolf''s instinctual fighting and survival instincts made Sophie untouchable until she was carefully dragged back away from Lucia by three of the servants who were all men.
"This no-good harlot is crazy!" Lucia touched her hair and was furiously looking at Sophie. "Throw her to the basement again to teach her a lesson. My mother and father will hear of this and you will be punished severely."
"Yeah, this is reprehensible," Valerie added and looked at her sister carefully on her head. She pointed at Lucia''s scalp. "Are you okay? I think you have a bald spot now."
"Oh shut up, Valerie!" Lucia angrily looked at her sister and then narrowed her eyes back at Sophie. "All you''ve proven today is that you''re really like a stupid dog who needs to be put down. I was only talking but you dare attack me?"
Sophie felt like she could overpower the men who were holding her arms right now and pulling her back, but she felt tired. She knew that she was the one who attacked Lucia, but now all she felt was a drain of energy.
"Oh, so now you''re not going to answer or say anything?" Lucia angrily stomped her feet. "What are you? Some mute kid? Maybe it''d be better if your tongue was cut off."
"Leave me alone, Lucia..." Sophie coldly looked up. The frightening and dark look on her face made her cousin finally shut up and then turn away, returning back to her ssmates.
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From Missrealitybites:
It seems mama wolf doesn''t take too kindly her child being insulted XD
I hope Sophie could be stronger from this point onward.
Chapter 74 Leland Could Feel Sophie Is In Danger
The night skies were dark, but even the moon was hidden because of the dark tumultuous clouds that poured down heavy snow. The temperature was so cold and freezing that most of the humansy in their homes shivering underneath their covers and nkets.
There was currently a winter storm that put all of the people staying in their homes.
However, Lnd stood out in the open balcony and was undeterred by the harsh temperature and barely batted an eye at it. A part of him watched the humannds in front of him and was imagining how he would change all of this once he conquered the kingdom.
"First, I need to gather more influence and be epted into the social circles of the nobility," Lnd gritted his teeth in annoyance and turned back to his study.
The Alpha would sit down in front of all the paperwork and ce down his mask as he was momentarily alone.
Masquerading as Lord Ariam Romanov was a position that Lnd did not actually like at all, because of how much he detested being a human and pretending to get along well with them.
However, he needed to do this. He must get himself to the capital without rming anyone and remain unsuspected. Lnd''s mission was to kill the entire royal family and finally avenge the Hansleys'' death.
After ten years of consolidating powers in the shadow, the werewolves tribe wanted to win the war this time by infiltrating the human kingdom undetected.
All the packs in their continent were ready to join forces to wipe down the human kingdom''s powers over thend. They wanted to start with Riga, as their biggest enemy whose army had in countless werewolves in the massacre ten years ago.
Duke Ariam Romanov was a reclusive nobleman who inherited his title andnd from his father two years ago after thete duke passed away. They were a respected family in Frisia. However, the family suffered cmity when their only son was born with deformation.
He grew up with terrible skin deformation that ate out half his face. It shuddered anyone who saw him. When the family failed in getting the cure after countless efforts, he finally resorted to living in a recluse, never to show himself in public.
If he really had no choice and must make an appearance, he would use a mask to cover his hideous deformed face. But that actually made him a perfect cover for Lnd.
The Blood River Pack had targeted this family since five years ago and sent spies to work in the family manor. They gathered enough information about the Romanovs to take over their identity. All they needed to do when they were ready was to kill the senior duke and had all his wealth and title transferred to his deformed son.
Once everything was done, they also killed Ariam, and Lnd had been taking over his identity ever since. Now, slowly, they were moving their forces to Riga and started with small towns like Hastings, toter make their way to the capital, and infiltrated the upper ss of Riga nobility.
Once they seeded with their infiltration ns, the werewolf tribe would n a great attack, when these foolish humans least expected it.
That was the end game. Isolde Szar, Lnd''s mother, demanded Lnd take charge and led the war. Once they won, he would be pushed to get the title of werewolf king.
This was the title that originally belonged to Sophie''s grandfather, the greatest alpha the werewolf tribe had ever seen. It was such a prestigious role that would unite all the different packs under one leadership.
Alpha Leon, Lnd''ste father was eyeing the title when he was younger, but even he couldn''t get it. After King Mchi passed away during the great war, nobody was ever good enough to rece him.
So, now, it was Lnd''s time to prove himself and his pack.
That''s what his mother always told him, demanded of him. Always with the threat that she would hurt the Hansleys if he didn''tply with her orders.
That was until two years ago when Lnd found out Jack and Anne were already dead. He wanted to leave everything behind and became a lone wolf. However, he finally changed his mind when he found out the Hansleys''s death was caused by the royal family of Riga.
Now, killing them to avenge Jack''s and Anne''s death had be his main mission. Aplishing his pack''s goal was just a side bonus.
,m His mother didn''t know this. Lnd was not interested in bing the werewolf king. He would just pretend until they finished everything. What''s important was he could take Sophie away from his mother''s threat.
Lnd was brooding now as he looked at the documents, reports, and other letters that he needed to take care of. All of these useless human things he learned in order to do well, the Alpha was never in a good mood.
It was such a boring night until he suddenly felt a burning sensatione across his chest and he would unbutton his shirt to reveal a mark on his chest.
It was glowing a brilliant gold and was a burning sensation that made Lnd instinctively get up and search for Sophie. This mark would glow when she was in danger.
Where was Sophie? Millions of thoughts immediately raced in his thoughts as he moved out to the balcony with a pounding heart.
His blood was burning with a rage that he knew was not his this time. What was happening to her? Who hurt her?
"Where are you, Sophie?"
Lnd closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt a great pull that almost acted like a bound string that connected her to the woman and he realized that their distance was not actually that far away from each other.
"Sophie is just here?" Lnd''s eyes widened momentarily but then he realized that the note that he had written for her to stay in Hauntingen might have actually encouraged her to leave.
A part of Lnd was thrilled to know that she was so close by and he yearned to have her by his side. However, another part of him was already concerned about why she was in danger.
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From Missrealitybites:
Yes, Lnd, please save our girl!!
Chapter 75 Sophie Escapes From The Cellar
The Alpha went into action. He took a thick coat from the closet and wore it, then reached out for his mask. Finally, he leaped out from the balcony and into the walls of thete baron''s castle.
Multiple werewolves stationed to watch over the castle would notice their Alpha make a move.
These werewolves were told to restrain their powers and not reveal they were not human, but their Alpha was naturally above the rule that he dictated for them. However, all of them were curious as to where Lnd was going.
Duke Ariam Romanov was still not forming friendships with local nobilities just yet, so who was their Alpha going to meet out in a rush?
Lnd''s movements were fast despite the winter''s gale. He did not change into his wolf form, but he darted through the snowy hills like it was nothing. Only the mark he carved on Sophie led him a path to her.
Lnd remembered that Sophie''s father, Jack Hansley actually came from this idyllic town before he had met Anne and the two of them became a married couple.
It was such a well-known story that most of those in his tribe refused to acknowledge because of how disgraceful it was.
Out of all the werewolves who were tasked to head into the human kingdom and kill noteworthy individuals by seducing them and bringing them down little by little without arousing suspicion, Anne had volunteered for the role of assassinating them.
She was a great and powerful werewolf. Alpha Leon, Lnd''s father was madly in love with Anne at that time. The current Alpha at that time was Anne''s father, who was also acknowledged as their king by the tribe. So, she was allowed to head into the human kingdom to get rid of their enemies.
Unfortunately, at least in the eyes of their n, Anne would encounter a man named Jack Hansley who would discover that Anne was a werewolf while he was out hunting in the woods because he encountered the woman transform.
Anne would have killed Jack then and there, but the human proved to bepetent and there were other stories, but all of it was only a precursor to how the two would then eventually fall madly in love with each other.
This was another reason why Lnd needed to be the Alpha and consolidate his powers, it was in order to protect Sophie from the other tribes and elders who would think of her as nothing more but a bad sign because her mother, Anne, was a traitor.
For now, though, Lnd rushed and headed for the town''s area and would do it while keeping himself undetected by the humans who acted as guards for the small town. Jack Hansley''s rtives were undoubtedly still living here in Hastings.
It was where Sophie was bound to be.
***
ll of Lucia and Valerie''s ssmates soon left after the confrontation between the cousins, not only because they were intimidated by Sophie''s fearsome demeanor, but also because of the winter storm that drew upon them.
The weather was terrible and all of them returned safely to their homes while Sophie was locked inside of the cer once again.
It was the same thing all over again and Sophie herself did not actually sit any longer inside to think that her cousins would be less despicable.
"They all hate me here and¡ I didn''t want to think about it before because I thought we were of the same blood, but I have every reason to believe that aunt Helga only wants me to stay here because I am my father''s daughter."
When Sophie was in Cawden Academy, she remembered the rules andws of session and, in this society, it was still the man who received all of the inheritance from their parents and not the woman.
In the situation that the father did not have any sons, it was only then did the right of inheritance be given to the daughter. So in this scenario of the Hansely family''s wealth, Aunt Helga was not supposed to receive anything but only Sophie.
She fit the bill, but Aunt Helga did not.
However, Sophie was not interested in battling her rtives for wealth. She did not want to fight tooth and nail for money. If anything, she only wanted enough money to take care of her child. Instead, a thought came to Sophie''s mind and she hoped that she was right.
It was crazy, but Sophie didn''t want to stay here any longer and instead, all that she wanted to do was leave and go back to Hauntingen and live peacefully while giving birth to her child.
Sophie needed money though or something else valuable to pay for her expenses and make it back to Hauntingen.
"I¡ Nic''s ring, the one that belonged to his grandmother. I do not think that Aunt Helga would have found the need to sell it," Sophie muttered to herself. She was going to retrieve the ring and perhaps even take some of the jewelry on her aunt''s cab?
It felt a bit wrong to take anything else except for Nichs''s grandmother''s ring, but if Sophie was going to survive with her child, she needed to do it. Everything that Aunt Helga bought was technically because of the wealth that was supposed to be Sophie''s.
"If it really feels wrong, then I will justpensate her in the future," she said to herself and walked up to the basement''s door. She tried to see if there were any servants who might help her open the door because Sophie was pregnant. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
There was no answer.
"Well, I can always try lockpicking? It''s supposed to not be all that hard, right?" Sophie bent down a little and peeked through the keyhole. "What if it''s not actually locked and was forgotten by the servants since they were rushing earlier?"
It was a small hope, but Sophie reached out and touched the doorknob. Once again, the unnatural strength that Sophie found for herself helped her this time again.
Sophie actually wanted to try picking the lock, but when she touched the handle of the door and gave it a pull, the wooden door would give in to her strength ande out.
".¡" For a moment, Sophie was dumbfounded.
Chapter 76 Fade Into Black
Sophie didn''t understand how on earth she could pick up the door, just like that.
A question suddenly started to y on her mind.
This was not normal at all and yet there was bound to be a logical reason for it.
"Nichs was turned into a lycan because he was bitten by one of them. So¡ what if it isn''t the act of biting that transforms a regr person into a lycan but their saliva?" Sophie asked herself aloud.
She knew that her strength was unnatural and the conclusion that came to her mind was that Sophie was now actually a lycan too and she just only considered it now. It was very possible because of their close contact.
Nichs and Sophie were so intimate with each other that¡ maybe it inadvertently transformed her into a lycan?
Unlike Nichs who saw it as a curse though, Sophie thought of it as a blessing in disguise.
"I''ll be able to take care of myself better." Sophie gently ced down the door aside.
While it was true that lycans were a bane in the kingdom, Sophie was positive that she could hide in Hauntingen and keep her head low. She had no interest in politics or even any conflict at all.
Sophie would sneak across the hallway of the Hansley''s manor and would avoid any footsteps that she would hear. It was as if her hearing had really be better and she was able to avoid people that wereing her way.
It wouldn''t take her too long to arrive at Aunt Helga''s room and she managed to find a way inside. She looked around the room but immediately focused on her aunt''s dresser and saw the jewelry box where she kept her valuables.
"I really feel like some kind of thief, but I''m only reiming what''s really mine," Sophie whispered underneath her breath to reassure herself as she opened the box and looked at all the rings, nes, and earrings.
Out of them all, Sophie would immediately find Nichs'' ring gifted to her and she quickly picked it up and smiled happily. She didn''t actually n to sell it because of the happy memories it meant to her.
It was another memento to their past that she wanted to keep for herself.
Before Sophie could stare at it any longer, she would suddenly hear loud footsteps. There was an rm that suddenly echoed into the house and Sophie thought she heard someone scream that the basement''s cer door was broken.
More importantly, she heard Aunt Helga''s voice.
"Where is that no good bitch?!" Aunt Helga demanded. "Are you stealing from me?!"
Sophie''s gaze immediately darted around and she would hesitantly, but eventually grab for a handful of jewels from the jewelry box and then darted to the window.
Aunt Helga''s room was located on the second floor of their manor, but with the determination and belief that she would be okay, Sophie opened the window and then leaped out.
Shended in the garden.
The air all around Sophie was freezing and her skin started to have goosebumps, however, there was no turning back and she quickly fled away from the garden. The shouts of Aunt Helga were swept away by the winter''s wind.
A part of Sophie''s mind wondered if Aunt Helga was going to send men after her to look for the jewelry and her heart pounded in worry.
Sophie was no longer in immediate danger and all she needed to do was find an inn or immediately find a way back to Hauntingen. However, all of the inns were already closed and there was no carriage, much even less a wagon willing to go in the temperature.
"Nick was so warm before," Sophie whispered underneath her breath and she was surprised that she was still feeling cold. If she was now a lycan too, why was she not as warm and immune to the cold as her husband?
Weren''t lycans supposed to be stronger?
A painful smile swept at the thought of being safe in Nichs'' arms and her steps slowed down on the now icy streets of Hastings. She knew the winter was harsh and freezing, but there was an unnatural sense to the winter.
Her blood was freezing, but Sophie kept walking and fervently hoped that she woulde across even just one shelter so she could leave in the morning. It was too crazy to actually try and leave right now.
However, even those who may have been open took one look at Sophie''s appearance with a handful of jewels in her hands and quickly shut the door on her. She looked like some kind of thief who stole wealth using her beautiful appearance from rich men.
Or the people were nervous about letting her step inside for other reasons. It was unsafe to let strangers inside especially after what happened to Baron Ferdinand and his nephew, people were untrustworthy and wary of strangers.
Sophie didn''t know why people refused to let her in but kept walking and walking even though the wind blew directly at her face and nearly tossed her backward.
The snow was starting to fall even harder and she felt her body starting to lose heat. Her body became weaker and weaker, but she forced herself to continue walking.
The strength she experienced earlier was already gone and Sophie was losing so much warmth across her body that she thought she saw a cutting silhouette in the snowstorm as her vision was blocked by the treacherous winds.
There was a shape of a tall figure that was quickly approaching her. Sophie wondered if she was seeing things, but trying as she might to do anything else, she couldn''t do it any longer.
She had already exerted herself through her limits and soon saw her vision fade into ck as she lost the strength in her limbs.
Lnd caught Sophie in his arms before her body fell to the ground. This time he was ready. Lnd quickly took off the coat he wore earlier and wrapped it tightly around Sophie''s body.
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From Missrealitybites:
Sophie is so clueless about lycans that she thought she was one but for the wrong reasons. ^^
PS: So d Lnd got there on time.
Chapter 77 The Mysterious Duke Romanov
The man let out a long and arduous sigh. He did not know why this woman was always putting herself in dangerous and risky situations. She was not Lnd, who could brave the winter''s storm.
As far as Lnd was aware of this winter''s tempest, this storm of snow, gale, and hail was another doing of the witches. Even though Lnd knew one witch who was a friend, the truth was that witches operated in covens.
Unlike werewolves who operated in a patriarchal society, the witches were matriarchal and the reason why they were primarily helping the werewolves was to get a bigger share of the continent.
An alliance to bring down the far more numerous human kingdoms, it was an agreement unlike any other. It also helped that Lnd''s mother had close ties to the witches.
However, none of that was important now as the Alpha carried Sophie in his arms and headed back to the castle. The Lycans were immune from the curse of the winter, but unlike him, Sophie was not a full lycan.
The guards who were standing at the gates of thete baron''s castle were shocked and stunned to see their Alpha return with a beautiful woman in his arms, but Lnd only leaped past them and entered their temporary abode.
The Alpha went to thergest room in the castle and gently ced Sophie on the bed and he would quickly cover her in nkets. A part of him knew that he needed to undress the woman and remove her clothes to prevent her from getting sick.
However, as tempting as it was to see her naked skin right now and feel it across his hands¡ he didn''t want to lose his senses right now.
Lnd got up and called for one of the few pack''s female members in the castle and asked her to change Sophie''s clothes.
Dinah, the she-wolf''s name, undressed Sophie and helped her change out from her clothes that were covered in snow that melted off inside of the castle.
Her eyes widened when she saw the mark of their Alpha. It was not visible to human eyes, but as a werewolf, she could see it. She also could smell Lnd''s scent on Sophie.
Dinah knew immediately that this woman was marked by their alpha. Quickly, she finished her task and then bowed her head low to Alpha. "It is finished, my lord."
"Not a word to anyone else," Lnd coldly spoke to the woman and stopped her in her tracks. "I will take care of this matter tonight and address everyone. If a word goes out, I will have your tongue."
"Y-yes, Alpha!" the woman squeaked and then hurriedly ran away to go back to the servant''s quarters.
It was the biggest news to know that their Alpha had finally chosen a mate, and it was disappointing to all the lycan women who joined in their mission to conquer the kingdom.
However, it wasn''t only the lycan women that were eyeing their Alpha at all. Once the woman returned to her room, she was quickly harangued by her friends to gossip. "Why did Alpha Lnd ask you to go to his room?"
"Did he take a liking to you, Dinah?" her friend gushed.
"Easy there, if the witch finds out, she might freeze our hearts," another one of the female lycan spoke against her friend.
Dinah shook her head. "I was called for a different reason."
***
The next day, Sophie''s eyes fluttered open and she would look and find herself in an unknown room. She didn''t recognize this ce at all but it was really warm and peaceful.
This was the most luxurious and beautiful room she had ever seen. Even Aunt Helga''s master bedroom couldn''t hold a candle to the grandness and luxury presented in this room.
Sophie felt the bed she was sleeping on was veryfortable and there was a really thick nket covering her body, providing so much warmth against the harsh winter cold.
However, she quickly noticed someone else''s presence.
Sophie looked up and found a man standing inside of her room. He was tall, had broad shoulders, and was dressed like a nobleman.
And in this cold weather, he only wore a thin shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing his skin that was at least two shades darker than hers.
No coat?
However, that wasn''t what made her surprised. This man had long silver hair that rested above his shoulders and, from the angle where Sophie was sitting, she could see that he was also wearing a ck leather mask on his face. There was a sense of mysteriousness to him that was difficult to express.
Especially when the nobleman was currently looking outside of the window and not at her either. Sophie couldn''t help but wonder what she should do at this point and if she needed to escape?
The man never looked directly at Sophie, but then he spoke up.
"You have finally woken up." His voice was deep and dark. There was a rich but confident tone to it that denied her from even thinking of pretending that she was still asleep.
"I¡" Sophie found herself speechless at first and she didn''t know how to react at all. She pulled the thick nkets all up to her body, but contrary to her mind''s thoughts, she didn''t feel unsafe around this man at all.
His presence was indeed mysterious and intimidating, but Sophie found herself reassured for some reason. It was so strange because she knew that the two of them had never met. She had never seen a man like him before in all of her life.
What kind of man had beautiful white hair and looked so unnatural like this? He looked like some kind of angel that descended down from the heavens.
However, Sophie needed to fight against this feeling because she couldn''t be naive like this.
Who would trust a stranger just because she woke up in their ce? What did this person want from her and what would Sophie need to do to leave this ce?
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From Missrealitybites:
I will resume with the mass release soon. Sorry for the dy, I had to pause editing the chapters because I had to attend a seminar. I will publish 5 more chapters ^^
PS: Follow my Instagram @missrealitybites and @lndsophienic to get more pictures and videos of Lnd, Sophie, and Nic.
Chapter 78 Leland And Sophie
"Tell me what''s on your mind," the man said once he noticed her silence. "Are you surprised at how you''ve arrived in this ce and are staying in a castle?"
Wait... what? This is a castle?
Sophie''s eyes bulged. She had never entered a castle before. The only time she went to one was when Nichs invited her to have tea in Baron Ferdinand''s castle and they only stayed in one of the terraces.
She had no idea what inside a castle should look like. She had imagined luxury, but not at this level.
Perhaps, shecked imagination because she was just a poor girl who was not exposed to such things, unlike Valerie and Lucia who had visited the capital and went to castles.
"Were you¡ the one who saved me during the winter storm, my lord?" Sophie asked politely. She didn''t miss how the man referred to this area as his castle so it indicated his position. It would be hard to get away so it was best to talk. "I remembered a silhouette¡ª"
The man still didn''t look in her direction and it made Sophie freeze uncertainly.
She was wondering if she had offended the man with her question. If thest thing she saw was a silhouette while she was stranded in the snow, and now suddenly she was here, in this beautiful and warm room, with this man, shouldn''t she just take it as a sign that he was indeed the person who saved her life?
Maybe he expected her to use her brain and put two and two together, and now he was disappointed that she still needed to ask the question, indirectly doubting him.
"I-I''m sorry if I offended you, I don''t mean to¡" Sophie quickly added. "I just don''t want to make an assumption. But I want to say thank you for letting me rest here and¡ for saving me¡ if you really were the one who took me in from the streetst night¡."
Her words were nervous and uttered in stammer. Thest thing Sophie wanted to do was to offend a nobleman. If this duke felt offended, he might immediately send Sophie to the constables and she would be locked up in prison for.. stealing her aunt''s jewelry.
The man could sense Sophie''s fear and finally, he nodded slowly and answered her question. "You are right, it was me who saved your life, Miss. I am Duke Ariam Lnd Romanov and I saw you while I was out yesterday."
"During the winter storm?!" Sophie''s eyes widened but then she bit back down her reply. She lowered her head even though he couldn''t see her. "Apologies for speaking out of turn, Lord Romanov. I am grateful that you have saved my life."
"Raise your head. You do not need to be too formal with me," Lnd spoke as he noticed Sophie''s reflection on the window. She didn''t need to bow to him at all. It was so different from how she treated him when they were younger.
"Lord Romanov, thismoner cannot speak to a noble-born without honorifics," Sophie said warily.
A part of her was worried about a situation like this. What kind of duke would randomly save a woman from the winter out in the streets?
It was too strange.
However, Sophie didn''t know of any other reason for the duke to save her unless he suddenly took a liking to her or wanted something else. She thought about how the situation was dangerous and risky. What did he want from her?
"I have saved your life because anyone else would do the same," Lnd said. "Unbelievable it may be, but I am not a harsh man. I for one cannot understand why the others in Hastings have refused to give you shelter. Are their hearts frozen?"
Sophie didn''t know what to say but then shook her head. "Weing a stranger into your house is a dangerous endeavor, Lord Romanov. Even a woman like me could still kill someone in their sleep."
Lnd chuckled at the answer and wished he could face her. However, he didn''t wish to reveal himself or act too close with her when the two of them had barely met. Sophie didn''t even recognize him.
Nor did Lnd have any intentions of doing so. At least not while he hadn''t aplished his mission yet, he still needed to overthrow the kingdom and this was not how he wished to introduce himself.
"You speak with a sharp tongue, Miss," Lnd said with an amused smirk. "What is your name and what caused you to travel during winter''s storm? Do you not have a shelter or home to shield you from the cold?"
Sophie''s expression dimmed slightly at the remark.
Memories of cold nights with Nichs filled her mind and she slowly shook her head. "No, I do not have a home to return to. I am unsure if you''ve seen what I carried in my hands, Lord Romanov, fromst night."
"Trinkets and stones, I believe? They are on the dresser and are currently untouched." Lnd answered. He never cared for precious gemstones at all and didn''t think that Sophie was either.
Sophie''s gaze immediately lifted and before she knew it, she already moved out from her bed and rushed for the dresser. Her heart was pounding and she searched for Nichs'' ring and gratefully found it.
She held the ring to her chest and closed her eyes, sighing in relief.
When Sophie opened her eyes, the Duke was already standing behind her with his arms crossed. Lnd wasn''t actually displeased with her, but he didn''t understand her attachment at all to what was in her hand.
If Sophie actually liked things like this, then he would find a way to decorate her room with crystals far more beautiful than what was on the dresser now. However, for now, Lnd clicked his tongue and was annoyed at the distraction.
"I believe you have forgotten something, Miss."
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From Missrealitybites:
What do you think Sophie has forgotten?
Chapter 79 Lord Romanov Offers Sophie A Job
"Huh?" Sophie''s eyes widened at how fast he moved and her heart pounded hard.
She looked at her reflection in the dresser and saw how close the nobleman was and it made her all the more on guard.
Her voice was hoarse andced with worry when she spoke. "Pardon me, Lord Romanov, I am unsure of what you are referring to."
Nervously, Sophie licked her lips. The sight of it in the mirror was taunting and looked seductive that it affected Lnd. A part of him actually liked seeing her be this way around him, a little nervous and on her toes.
He was tempted toe closer to her, tugged her chin, and kissed her luscious red lips. At first, he just wanted to keep his promise to Anne Hansley to protect Sophie, and he had made it his life goal after he found out about Jack''s and Anne''s deaths.
However, after that night, when he took care of Sophie when she got fever from being in the snow in ckwoods forest, sometimes he would think about her and her soft skin when he undressed her to prevent her from getting pneumonia.
And when the nights were especially lonely, he kept having these unholy thoughts from when he kept her warm with his wolf form. Seeing her in bed under the nket earlier, he kept thinking how nice it would be to snuggle with her.
The man felt his temperature rise. Why was everything she did now look so sexy and alluring? Lnd didn''t even care that she had given her first time to another man and married him.
Thinking about Nichs made his blood boil. A dumb and reckless man like that didn''t deserve this sweet woman at all.
Lnd cleared his throat. "Your name. You have forgotten to introduce yourself, Miss."
"Oh."
Sophie''s eyes widened and she realized that her memory of Nichs made her forget to introduce herself. She was embarrassed by her rudeness.
Sophie quickly turned around and bowed low to the man. She said, "My name is Sophie Hansley. Lord Romanov. I am sorry for being rude."
"Sophia," Lnd murmured. "That is a good name."
"Thank you, my lord." Sophie kept her head low. "I am eternally grateful for you saving me but I believe that I need to return back to Hauntingen and will no longer take advantage of your hospitality."
"I thought you mentioned how you do not have a home to return to."
"Well¡ I uh, I left my aunt''s homest night after being unable to tolerate their treatment any longer."
Sophie didn''t know why she was revealing all of this information to a stranger, but it was difficult to lie to a nobleman, especially someone who looked so intimidating like this man before her.
And what''s with this mask? What was he hiding underneath the leather mask? Didn''t his skin feel itchy or ufortable?
,m Lnd''s blood boiled upon hearing it and realized that Sophie must have activated the mark he put on her because she was fighting back or had gotten upset with how she was treated by her aunt''s family.
"I see. It is a pity to know that a lot of your family members disappoint you in such ways," Lnd said. "I also understand what it is like to have your own flesh and blood despise you."
Sophie''s eyes widened. She didn''t even exin the details, but her words seemed to have triggered something within this man. It seemed to be amon thing amongst the nobility to have issues with their family.
It may have been the same for Sophie, but only because Aunt Helga wanted her grandfather''s wealth. Either way, Sophie didn''t know what to say to the Duke because they really had just met.
"Hauntingen is so far off from Hastings, it is at least a week of travel via carriage." Lnd decided to say and point out. He motioned to the jewelry. "Do you n to get there via selling these?"
Sophie nodded slowly. "Yes, are you interested in them? I can sell everything else but the ring."
Lnd chuckled in surprise. "I will not suspect you as a thief despite the fact that was the only thing you had when you left, but I am afraid that if you try to sell or pawn these pieces of jewelry, your aunt may have already reported it to the local guardsmen and merchants."
Sophie bit her lip at the discouragement but still shook her head. "If that is the case then I will just trade the jewels to a carriage driver, Lord Romanov. I will find a way back to Hauntingen no matter what. I cannot stay here."
Lnd knew how difficult it was to change the woman''s mind. It must have been why Sophie braved the winter storm despite seeing the dangerous weather fromst night because she was that type of woman.
Determined and bold.
Lnd had no intentions of letting Sophie leave though and it was going to be a battle of wills at this point. "What makes it hard to stay here? Is it because you wish to avoid seeing your rtives?"
"Yes."
"Then I may have the solution for it," Lnd said. He wanted to say that he could blot them out from the map here in Hastings, but he said something different instead. "I would like to hire you to work here, Miss Hansley.."
"Huh? Why?" Sophie batted her eyes. "I mean, Lord Romanov¡ you do not know anything about me. I am just a person you saved from the winter stormst night, you cannot tell if I can do anything."
"On the contrary, any person who chooses to leave their terrible rtives on a winter''s night is as good a show of character as any other," Lnd smirked a little in amusement.
"That''s not exactly¡ much of a testimony to my character," Sophie shook her head. The man in front of her was so strange. "It makes me look reckless and not as brave as you''re trying to make me out to be, Lord Romanov."
"I can also see from our conversation that you have a good head on your shoulders," Lnd said. "I think it will be easy to find you a ce here in the castle, Miss Hansley."
Chapter 80 Work Offer
Sophie was really grateful and was tempted because she didn''t know what she was going to do once she got back at Hauntingen. She could sell the jewels, but then she would have to work alone and try to make a living there all by herself.
Compared to staying here in the castle with other people, Sophie might be able to have friends and was actually close to a good doctor and midwife when she gave birth. However, Sophie was still a lycan and she didn''t know if it would affect the birth.
Also¡ how would her pregnancy turn out? When Nichs and she had sex, her husband was still a lycan because the wolfsbane didn''t work... did she now carry a lycan pup?
How long would her pregnancy be? If it was a human baby, the pregnancy wouldst for nine months and she would give birth around seven months from now.
However... if it''s a wolf pup¡ she might actually give birth to a litter of them and her pregnancy would notst as long.
Sophie suddenly panicked. She never thought of this before. She needed to know how long she could keep her pregnancy hidden before she quit her work and find a ce to hide.
Sophie only needed a few seconds to make a decision. She realized, at the moment, she needed a roof over her head while she could think and make ns for her next steps.
It was true that if she tried to pawn the jewelry to the shop here in Hastings, it was likely that she would be arrested by the constables because her aunt must definitely have reported her ''crime''.
She would be trapped in Hasting and couldn''t go back to Hauntingen to raise her child. And then.. what would happen to her and her child if it turned out she gave birth to a litter of wolf pups?
She would be hunted, killed and her children would suffer the consequences. No¡ she must not be rash.
She looked up and gave the man before her a thorough gaze. She couldn''t see his face behind the mask but his eyes were looking at her in concern.
They looked sincere. Sophie bit her lip. She would bide her time by epting this man''s offer to work for him. Maybe she could do it for one month until she could make ns.
Even if she was going to work here in the castle, at least she wouldn''t be mistreated by her cousins.
When Sophiepared the options that were avable to her, she finally nodded weakly and bow again. "I will be forever grateful that you have offered this opportunity to me, Lord Romanov. May I ask what work do you have for me here¡ and how much are you going to pay me?"
Well.. money is money, she thought to herself. She must be upfront about the terms and conditions of the work so she could understand what was expected of her and how much extra money she could earn to add to her savings.
She threw away her pride because she needed money to raise her child.
"You will do some light work with other maids in this castle. I will have the butler assign your position. As for the sry, does 100 dirhams per month sound good to you?"
Sophie quickly nodded vigorously. She could do a maid job. She had been doing it for a long time at Aunt Helga''s home, without pay. Now, it would be nice to make some money out of her work.
One hundred dirhams were quite generous for a maid job that Sophie actually felt suspicious that the duke only gave her the job as an excuse so he could keep her here in his castle.
Was he interested in Sophie and wanted her to be his mistress or something?
Sophie clenched her fists. She would find an excuse to quit work as soon as she found the situation be ufortable. She couldn''t outright refuse him now. Men had their egos. Who knows what this man would do if he felt offended by her rejection?
Even though he sounded sincere, Sophie didn''t want to let her guard down.
She nodded, "That is a generous wage, my lord. I am grateful."
"Does that mean you want to work here?" Lnd hated her calling him ''my lord'', but there was nothing he could do now. He had to keep his disguise, until¡ well, until Sophie became his mate and he could be open to her about everything,
"Yes, my lord. I am grateful for the job offer. I will do my best," Sophie confirmed.
Her answer made Lnd feel pleased. It''s best to keep Sophie close and within his sight. That way he could always make sure she was protected. He wouldn''t need to secretly give her his temporary mark like thest time.
Lnd looked at Sophia fixedly and said, "Then, wee to my home, Miss Hansley. Breakfast will be in the grand hall of this castle, one of the maids wille here to escort you."
"Ah, thank you so much," Sophie said again.
"Hmm." Lnd just nodded. Before the man left Sophie''s room, he couldn''t help but look at the clothes that he asked from one of the lycan women and knew that she had probably noticed it but didn''t say a thing.
"Onest thing, Miss Hansley."
"Yes, Lord Romanov?"
"You may have noticed that you are wearing new clothes, rest assured that I have asked one of the women here to change your outfit because I was afraid that you would get sick. I will see youter and discuss more your situation here."
After those words, Lnd left the room and left Sophie to stand alone in her room for a moment. Only then she did realize that she indeed had changed into something else.
After all, the clothes that Sophie wore were thest thing that she could have noticed after waking up and seeing herself in a new room with aplete stranger. She didn''t know what to feel about this situation at all.
However, like always, Sophie would try to make the best out of it despite everything. She was d the mysterious duke made it a point to let her know that he didn''t do anything despicable to her, and he even made a female servante and help Sophie change.
She carefully looked down at the ring on her palm and smiled sadly. This was her husband''s family heirloom. When he gave it to her, Sophie felt like she was being embraced and became part of them, part of Nichs'' family.
"Nic, even though you¡ you may have not been able to keep your promise to stay with me, I am not alone," Sophie closed her eyes and ced a hand on her stomach. "I will have apanion¡ I am no longer alone and lonely after our child is born¡"
Tears started dripping to her cheeks and she was feeling so emotional. The sadness returned with a vengeance. However, Sophie tried to steel her heart. She wiped her tears roughly with the hem of her dress.
Sophie was determined that she was going to do her best to raise their child.
Chapter 81 Breakfast With Duke Romanov
After some time, a knock would start on her door and Sophie nearly jumped in surprise. She forgot that Duke Romanov did mention that someone would arrive to help her.
"Ce in?" She wondered who woulde to her chamber this early.
One of the members of the pack, Dinah, walked in and bowed her head to Sophie. She greeted Sophie respectfully. "Good morning, Luna¡ªAhem, Miss, I havee here to help assist you in things that you may need. Would you like me to draw a bath?"
"Huh? You don''t need to do any of that, but that is nice of you," Sophie smiled sheepishly and wondered if the woman here was one of her fellow maids. "I am new here so I do not know how things work here at all."
"Please do not be stressed, mydy. I will be here to assist you."
"Sophie is fine. No need to call me ''Miss''.... or dy''," Sophie found Dinah''s respectful attitude toward her odd. Shouldn''t Dinah treat fellow maids more casually? Why did she act as if Sophie was her mistress?
"Miss Sophie." Dinah insisted, but then she saw the look on Sophie''s face. She cleared her throat. "If you wish me to call you by your name, then I will do so here. However, we tend to use honorifics where Ie from."
"Ah, really? Where are you from?" Sophie asked the maid curiously. "I am just not used to using honorifics with my peers here in Riga."
"I am from Frisia, as is my lord," Dinah exined. "Lord Ariam just told us to treat you well. We take it as a sign that he holds you in high regard."
"He does?"
Dinah nodded to answer her question. Sophie became more suspicious that Duke Romanov might be interested in her and used this ''job'' as an excuse to keep her around. She didn''t know what to do. Should she outright reject him? But¡ she needed the ce to stay and the money.
"Well¡ I feel honored, but that''s not necessary to call me with honorifics. Please, just call me Sophie." Finally, Sophie cleared her throat and got rid of the thought that Duke Romanov was interested in her.
It was easier that way, pretending that it didn''t happen than being distraught by it and making her lose focus on what''s important.
The man was polite, even distant. Maybe he was really interested in her, but he didn''t want to act on his feelings because he¡ well¡ he seemed not confident with how he looked, and maybe he would only admire Sophie from afar?
Sophie could guess that under his mask, the nobleman might be hiding a disfigured, or deformed face. Nobody would go through the hassle and difort of hiding a normal or good-looking face with a mask.
If he was really interested in Sophie, she would face the problem when it really happened. In the meantime, as long as he was acting like a gentleman and didn''t try to do anything unsavory, Sophie would give him the benefit of the doubt.
She was used to having many admirers when she was in Cawden Academy. This was not the first time that men from noble families took a liking to her.
Fine. She just had to work here for a month, collect that 100 dirhams, and then go back to Hauntingen. At least she wouldn''t go home empty-handed.
Sophie made up her mind. She touched Dinah''s hand gently and looked at her with a smile.
"Very well¡ you can call me whatever you like. May I also get your name? Since the two of us will be here together, I should at least know it."
Dinah was shocked by Sophie''s politeness and how friendly she seemed to be, but she quickly nodded. "It is Dinah."
"I am looking forward to working with you, Dinah." Sophie smiled warmly at her. It was a lot easier to focus on other people to temporarily forget her pain by turning the attention away from her inner thoughts.
"Likewise, Miss," Dinah didn''t know what the Alpha told Sophie, but it seemed this woman was under the impression that she was supposed to be working in this castle with her.
Since Dinah didn''t want to anger Alpha Lnd, she didn''t say anything to Sophie. She would just wait for further instruction.
"Uhm¡ breakfast is ready. Do you want to eat now?" Dinah looked at Sophie attentively. "By the way, Alph- I mean the lord asked me to help change your clothesst night. I hope you don''t mind."
Sophie believed the duke''s words that he asked one of the maids to help her change. So, she didn''t show any surprised expression when she heard Dinah''s statement.
"Thank you, Dinah. I don''t mind."
Soon after, Sophie and Dinah would go to the grand hall and meet with Lord Ariam or Lnd sitting by himself in the dining hall. It almost looked as if he was waiting for Sophie alone, which was strange.
However, at this point in time, there was no discussion of duties yet so it meant that Sophie was still a guest? It was confusing but Sophie was given a chair at the Duke''s right side and sat down to have breakfast with him.
"Good morning, my lord," Sophie bowed down toward the man who was sitting still as a statue until she called out his name. Only then, he turned to her and nodded slightly.
As soon as she stepped inside the vast room, Sophie immediately admired the grandness of this banquet hall used by the duke for breakfast.
This ce could easily amodate three hundred people with several long dining tables and tens of dozens of chairs, yet now there were only the two of them at this long table.
There were around ten other people in the room, but they were all servants who tend to move as carefully as possible and nobody made a sound. If someone dropped a needle, Sophie believed she would be able to hear it.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
Mass release done!
I will do another mass release next weekend if we can achieve the following golden tickets ranking:
Stay in Top 10 Golden Ranking = 5 chapters
Move up to Top 5 Golden Ranking = 12 chapters
Chapter 82 Leland Feels Jealous
It was such a quiet and cold morning. She wrapped the new coat that was provided for her in the closet of her room and draped an extrayer over her back with a thick wool scarf.
She thought she looked like a chubby loaf of bread in these wrappings, and she still felt the cold. However, Lord Ariam was still wearing only his thin shirt over his ck pants. He dressed like it was summer.
For a moment, Sophie was stunned. She wanted to ask if he didn''t feel the cold, but decided against it because she thought talking about the weather was quiteme.
p There were a couple of other things that made Sophie feel a bit unsure of what to feel about Duke Romanov. Not only did Sophie wake up to find the Duke inside of her room and actually waiting for her, but the man also imed to treat his employees well when he offered Sophie a job.
However, Sophie didn''t need to have stayed here for too long to notice that was not exactly the case. Yes, Duke Romanov did not shout or hit any of his employees like Aunt Helga sometimes did, but there was a look of hesitation and great respect to him.
All of the maids and even guards who were stationed in the great dining hall were extremely nervous aboutmitting even one mistake. It was in the atmosphere and Sophie knew how to read it so it was odd.
This fact made Sophie a lot more nervous with the Duke. She did not know what he wanted with her and what kind of interest this man may have in her.
Sophie did not wish to say that she was beautiful, even though she really was, but she was aware that from Richard Lancaster and others in Cawden Academy, she had some boys interested in her.
Now Sophie was slightly afraid that Duke Romanov may have had a penchant of interest in her and that was the ONLY reason why she was here.
"Is the meal not to your liking?" Lnd asked when he saw Sophie only idly circling her spoon across the bowl of food. He remembered the times when a younger Sophie did that whenever her mother prepared carrot and peas mash.
Sophie''s eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. "No, I mean yes¡ I am grateful for the meal, my lord. I do not find itcking. Apologies for myck of manners."
"You are free to eat whatever you like. We have a lot of avable dishes for you to eat and it would be a waste if you do not eat them. Even my servants all eat well." Lnd spoke. "So, please do not hesitate and tell me if you wish for something else."
"Ah, I think I will eat what is on my te, your grace." Sophie inclined her head and started to eat.
Duke Romanov''s words about his servants eating well sounded honest. The maids and guards in the house did not seem envious that Sophie and Duke Romanov were eating good food, unlike that of the maids and servants in Aunt Helga''s house.
When Sophie stayed with her rtives, while they were affluent enough due to the riches inherited from their grandfather, the servants and maids were only allowed to eat the cheapest and most hardy of meals.
If Valerie and Lucia could eat sweet cakes, the softest buns from pastry shops, and dine in restaurants around Hastings, Sophie would see and also take part in the servants who only ate in and hard foods.
So Sophie could see that even if perhaps the servants were still servants and employees of Lord Romanov, they did notck for anything at all. All of them seemed nervous, but perhaps it was because they were eager to please?
Sophie drank some of her water and nced up at Duke Ariam Romanov. The reclusive duke was eating even though he still wore his mask.
The way that his spoon touched his lips and didn''t spill anything or even touch anything else was a sign of grace and noble upbringing.
Lnd dide to realize that Sophie was scrutinizing him and was still wary of his identity as Duke Romanov. He knew that the young woman could be quite smart and perceptive in ways that were dangerous if he let his guard down.
He suddenly turned to her and asked casually. "Are you feeling bothered by my face?"
"Huh?" Sophie instantly pressed her mouth. She realized she was being rude by not paying attention to what the duke was saying and responded that way. "I-I''m sorry... my mind was somewhere else, your grace."
Lnd touched his mask. It was ck and made of in leather that covered his entire face except for his eyes and mouth. When she saw him for the first time, Sophie had been so curious as to why the man felt the need to cover his face, but she came to her own conclusion that he must have a disfigured face.
This made her feel pity for him, and it only took a short time for Sophie to stop thinking about it. She didn''t want to focus on how the man looked. What''s important was how he was as a person. If he treated her well, then Sophie would think of him as a good man.
Whaty beneath his mask was none of her business.
"Are you or are you not feeling bothered by my face?" Lnd repeated his words.
Sophie quickly shook her head. She felt bad about straying her thoughts earlier. The duke now misunderstood her and thought she was looking down on him because of his face.
"N-no... I am not," Sophie quickly replied. "I wasn''t even thinking about your face. My mind was somewhere else..."
"Am I that uninteresting that your mind is somewhere else while you are here with me?"
Lnd couldn''t help it, but suddenly he was feeling so jealous. Was Sophie thinking about her dead husband, that she didn''t even feel remotely interested in knowing about the man who just saved her life?
Chapter 83 Teasing
Sophie was stunned at this sudden question. She was not sure how to answer him. Why did he sound... jealous?
"I was thinking of other things, my lord," Sophie finally replied as calmly as possible. She was on a stranger''s turf and she didn''t even know where she was right now. She only knew that she was in a castle, but which castle? Where was this ce located?
If she needed to run away, in case the man started showing his bad side, then Sophie must know where she was in the first ce. "I am sorry if you feel offended. I do not find you uninteresting, my lord. On the contrary, I am very curious. You seemed to be shrouded in mystery."
Sophie swallowed and continued her exnation. "However, I try not to ask too many questions and keep my curiosity to myself. That''s why I kept my mind busy, thinking about other things... So, I can distract my mind from you."
She didn''t want the duke to misunderstand her. So, she tried to exin herself as clearly as possible.
The man narrowed his eyes and looked at her more closely. He seemed pleased with her reply. Even though Sophie couldn''t see, somehow she could feel the man''s mouth twitch in a pleased smile.
Relief washed over her. Did he find her answer satisfactory?
"So, you have been curious?" The man asked Sophie with his deep and dark voice, sounding like he was teasing her.
"I have, my lord."
"So, why aren''t you asking me any questions if you are curious about me?"
"I do not dare, my lord. I am a lowly peasant and I have no right to talk to a nobleman without being talked to first. I am a afraid I will offend you with my questions."
"Try me."
Sophie hated those two words. It was like a challenge, and she didn''t know what the other person wanted by challenging her that way. Did he sincerely want her to ask him questions because he wanted to open up with her?
Or did he just want to mock her and see if she would really be so presumptuous and question a noble?
She bit her lip and looked at the mysterious man. She didn''t know if he was a good man and his words were sincere. There was no way to read his expression because of that darn mask.
"Well... I am curious to know why do you offer me a job," Sophie finally decided to ask him something, but she chose the most neutral topic. Not about his face and his mask, but about Sophie. She wanted to gauge his interest and motives in helping her. "You have many staff and workers here. You don''t need another one."
The man smiled. He was wrong about her. He thought Sophie would ask about his face and why he covered it with a mask. Apparently, she tactfully avoided it and ask a neutral question instead.
"Ah... you are a frank woman," Duke Romanov chuckled. "Isn''t that obvious? Why do I want to hire you to work for me even though I already have a lot of staff?"
"Obvious...?" Sophie''s heart skipped a beat. So, did this mean the man was really interested in her and wanted to keep her around by offering her the job? And he didn''t even pretend by saying Sophie was wrong about his many staff.
p "Yes, I think it''s obvious that if I have a lot of staff and I still hire you for a job, that means some of my staff are useless. So, I have to fire them and hire you."
"Wait... what??" Sophie was astounded.
The duke''s words were totally unexpected. She thought he wanted to say that he was interested in her and wanted to keep her close...
But... he actually was not happy with his staff and wanted to rece them with Sophie?
The woman''s eyes bulged and she looked around the banquet hall with a shocked expression at the staff, who was hovering around the dining table with food and drinks to serve them.
She was worried they would be offended and hated her when they heard how the duke was unhappy with their performance and wanted to fire them for Sophie.
"Oh no.." She raised her hands and waved at the duke, hurriedly making a rejection gesture. "I... I don''t want to take other people''s jobs. There is no need to hire me..."
"Very well," Lnd had expected her reaction and he thought she was funny. The man cleared his throat and then spoke with the most serious tone. "So, do you prefer me to say that the reason I offered you a job so you can stay here is because I am interested in you?"
"What...?"
"Because I am."
Sophie batted her eyes in shock and her mouth was agape. So, this man WAS teasing her.
Now that the duke had openly said that he was interested in Sophie, the woman was dumbfounded. She didn''t know how to react to such a sudden confession.
Dinah and the other female staff around them immediately paid more attention to the two people who were having breakfast at the table of honor.
Their ears perked up, trying to make sense of what their Alpha was saying to the woman he brought inst night. So, he WAS REALLY INTERESTED in her.
They were all wondering if this woman would really be their Luna.
That can''t be, right? She was not a lycan like them...
Secret nces were exchanged among some pack members and they all shared the same concern. What would happen to their mission if their Alpha was swayed by this human female and lost focus on their pack?
For one, his mother, the previous Luna, and the n elders would be unhappy. There were some talks about their Alpha choosing his Mate from among the daughters of the other powerful packs that were in alliance with them to overthrow the human kingdoms.
And there was also that beautiful witch that his mother was very fond of.
What''s clear was that an Alpha like him that came from such an important bloodline could only match with a female lycan from a simr alpha bloodline.
The woman who was having breakfast with him now was stunningly beautiful.. but she was human.
She was in fact... their enemy.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
It''s true that Sophie came from an important bloodline of Alpha herself, but these other pack members didn''t know it yet.
Plus, her lycan gene is so thin because she takes after her father the most, and what''s worse is that she can''t shift.
Chapter 84 Sophie And Dinah
Sophie batted her eyes when she heard the duke''s blunt words uttered in such a casual tone. She didn''t know him well enough to understand if he was just teasing her or if he was serious.
If he was indeed interested in her¡ it wouldn''t be the first time. How should Sophie respond to him then?
"Your grace, you have a nice sense of humor¡" Finally, Sophie decided to smile so sweetly and speak tactfully. "I am just a lowly peasant. I am honored to be offered a job here and I am looking forward to doing my best to serve you."
Lnd sensed Sophie''s difort and decided not to prolong the discussion. He could tell she was not ready for anything remotely close to having another man being interested in her, and he didn''t me her. He would actually feel disappointed if she did.
Even though Lnd hated the fact that she had mated with another man, but he epted that she was a loyal woman and didn''t want to open her heart to another male right away.
That''s fine too. He had all the time in the world.
"I am done. Feel free to continue with your breakfast, Miss Hansley. I need to leave you be and do some work," Lnd rose from his chair and nodded at Sophie before he left the banquet hall.
This made Sophie feel slightly relieved. She got up from her seat quickly and showed her respect to the duke until the masked man disappeared from sight.
After Duke Romanov was gone, Sophie finished her breakfast as soon as possible. Even though she didn''t really have an appetite, she forced herself to eat a lot so her baby would receive nutrition.
***
After finishing her breakfast, Sophie returned to her room and was escorted by one of the maids. Without Lnd''s exnation of what Sophie was supposed to do, she had nothing to do but follow his orders.
However, Sophie didn''t want to sit still and do nothing. It felt wrong to only wait and expect a person toe looking for her again. When Sophie didn''t do anything and just waited for Nichs¡ didn''t he leave and never return?
A painful smile crossed her lips. It was an irrational thing to consider. However, it was the same thing for her parents as well. Whenever the little Sophie yed in Hauntingen, she waited until her parents called for her before heading back to ckwoods.
If Sophie had returned earlier and decided to be a child who didn''t need to wait to be encouraged to go home, would she have seen her parents before they died?
There were a lot of regrets in her heart. Each one of them was a little wound that helped shape Sophie''s actions today.
She looked at the maid in front of her and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help around the castle? I know Duke Romanov told me to stay in my room, but he didn''t say anything about meeting with me again."
"Please just stay here and listen to what Al¡" the female lycan bit her tongue from saying Alpha. "¡ªDuke Romanov has asked from you. You do not need to lift a hand at all unless he specifically asks for it."
The female lycan, Dinah, stood in front of Sophie and did not understand what was so special about this woman that led to their Alpha Lnd to mark her as his mate. Sophie didn''t even seem to know anything about the mark either.
Sophie could sense the gaze of the woman not liking her. It was a thing that she had experienced countless times over with both Lucia and Valerie.
When Sophie first arrived in their household, they first pretended to tolerate her but then reared their ugly personalities in just a few months.
"I see, then thank you so much for bringing me here." Sophie thanked the lycan in front of her with a bright smile. Unlike her two cousins, however, it was in Sophie''s interest to get along with the people in the castle.
Dinah bit back down a scowl. This woman was marked by their Alpha and he already told his pack members openly during breakfast earlier that he was interested in Sophie, his statement was directed at his people as much as it was at Sophie. So, Dinah knew she had to watch hernguage and behavior in front of Sophie.
She bowed down her head. "I am only doing what has been required of me. I will take my leave and return to my duties."
"I am looking forward to seeing you here again. Thank you, Dinah." If Sophie was going to stay here then she didn''t want any kind of bad blood at all. It was best to actually make friends.
Dinah hesitated and looked over her shoulder. "If¡ if you wish for anything within this castle or have any questions, then please do not hesitate to call for me. I believe Lord Ariam will want us to take care of you while you do not still have duties, yes?"
The truth was that Dinah wanted to take advantage of Sophie''s kindness.
If this was their Alpha''s woman then it would be beneficial for Dinah to be close to her since Sophie wouldter be their Luna.It would help Dinah be a more esteemed member of their pack. A Luna was the one who assisted and supported their Alpha.
Unaware of the thoughts in the maid''s head, Sophie brightened up and reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Then I hope that you can stay here with me and help me understand how and what things you do here in the castle?"
Dinah blinked but then smiled and nodded. "It would be my pleasure to help you understand the roles of each member in this p¡ in this particr house of nobility, Lady Sophie."
"Sophie. I am not of noble blood." Sophie corrected the maidservant.
"Sophie," Dinah repeated and slowly nodded. "I will call you by name then¡ as for your questions, I will answer all of them to the best of my ability."
"Thank you." Sophie smiled. She wanted to learn more about how everything worked and if her guess about Duke Romanov''s personality was correct. "We should take a seat, then, because I have a lot of questions."
"I''ll stay here for as long as you like or when Lord Ariam arrives," Dinah said. She wanted to skip training anyway. Most of the members of the pack liked to stay fit forbat and attacks.
,m There was an uing war in the future after all.
The two women would go to a table inside of Sophie''s room and sit down on opposite sides of each other. Both of them wanted something from each other and would do their best to find something useful from interacting with one another.
Sophie woulde to learn that the duties of the employees of Duke Romanov were not exactly as strict as that of Aunt Helga who ruled their manor with an iron fist.
Nobody really cleaned much except for what was necessary. Most of them were only pretending to be maids and servants and were instead actually the greatest warriors in their pack.
Chapter 85 Protecting Sophie
Sophie only realized she was now staying in the castle where Baron Ferdinand used to reside after she asked Dinah to help show her around the castle.
She recognized the terrace where she and Nichs had tea together once and suddenly everything started to fall into ce.
Sophie felt her heart ache when the realization hit her. Memories of Nichs and her spending time on that terrace became painful and she immediately asked Dinah to go back to her room.
"You look unwell, Sophie. Do you need me to get you anything?" Dinah asked Sophie with concern.
The beautiful woman shook her head. "I will just go to my room. If that''s okay with you."
"Of course."
After Sophie calmed down her heart. She decided to talk to Dinah and asked her for information about Duke Ariam Romanov and everything she needed to know about this castle.
"Is Lord Ariam normally busy with his work?" Sophie asked. "I know that I will be working here under him, but there were some rumors that I heard in town when I arrived here in Hastings."
Dinah frowned at the mention of the humans and then rolled her eyes. "Do you really believe in gossip from people who hang around in taverns and are worthless drunkards? I am sure they are only upset because Duke Romanov stands above them all."
"Um, no¡ but it''s not every day that a noble from another kingdom will settle here," Sophie exined with a smile. She could see that the servants of Duke Ariam Romanov seemed to really idealize him.
Dinah wanted to bite her tongue.
Not only were the people in Hastings already scared of their Alpha and had associated gossip and information about the actual dead Duke Romanov''s business and shady dealings, but Sophie was also perceptive enough to question why they were here.
The lycan could not tell her the truth or else she would suffer the wrath of their Alpha.
"Well¡ I am only a servant here inside of Lord Ariam''s castle," Dinah shrugged. "So I can''t say that I know whatever he''s actually doing. I am just doing my best to get paid and support my family."
It seemed obvious that Dinah was actually hiding something so Sophie pressed her a little with the questions.
"I have made the decision to work here and thus I will be loyal and do my best to support Lord Ariam, but I am really interested in why he is here. You are also not from this kingdom, right? What brought you guys here?"
"We wish to go to the capital," Dinah slipped out by ident.
"Huh? Capital?" Sophie''s brows raised and she looked at the lycan with pursed lips. "Does Lord Ariam have interest in dealing in the capital?"
"Yes, I think that''s why." Dinah quickly nodded and just agreed with Sophie to satisfy her.
Sooner orter, Sophie would eventually learn who Duke Romanov really was.
***
While Sophie was busy discussing and chatting with Dinah about who was supposedly Duke Romanov, the Alpha was busy with his own tasks.
"How long have we known each other and how much faith do you have in my capacity to lead?" Lnd looked down at Duncan and Max. Both of them seemed like the best candidate to act as guards for Sophie when he was not around. They knew who she was because they were the ones who found Sophie for him when they went to Hauntingen.
"We trust in your ability, Alpha!" the two repeated.
Lnd red at them and wondered if these two were actually the best. "The two of you did not answer my question."
"We have known each other since we were still pups, Alpha!" Duncan answered. "You are the strongest and smartest Alpha ever since the moon goddess blessed the Lycans."
Lnd frowned and nced at Max who only bowed his head and spoke humbly. "We have known each other so long, Alpha, and I trust in your capacity to lead us to a new era, Alpha."
"A new era¡ what do you imagine the new era as?" Lnd asked. "Is it when we have crushed the entirety of humanity underneath our feet?"
Lnd was preupied for the entire day in interviewing members of his tribe who would do everything to protect Sophie regardless if anything were to happen in their pack. That meant a really small circle who would fight another lycan if things soured up.
It was something that was unnatural because most members of the pack stayed together and operated as a single unit. All of them needed to be on the same side or the harmony of the pack would be gone.
A splintered pack was the worst kind of thing that could happen.
"Alpha, I believe the reason why you ask us this question is because of the half-lycan?" Max asked. "You say she is under your protection even though she is half-human and not loyal to the pack."
"Yes. Can you wholeheartedly support my decision and back me if the council of elders decrees it as uneptable within our n?"
"...Well, it''s not her fault that she''s only half lycan," Duncan spoke and then realized that both Max and Lnd were looking at him intensely. He wondered if he said something wrong.
However, Lnd only looked at Duncan approvingly. "Yes. There are circumstances that we cannot control, but it does not mean that Sophie should pay for the sins perceived by the council. That is why I will protect her and hope the two of you can do the same."
Lnd only chose to be an Alpha because it suited him. His mother and father wanted him to inherit the seat of power and he also wanted it because of the privileges it gave him.
It was only by being at the top could Lnd actually do everything that he ever wanted to give Sophie everything that she deserved.
Alpha Leon chose to protect Anne Hansley in the past using his influence, by proxy, even though most of the council elders of their pack wanted the lycan killed for her betrayal. That was the only thing that Lnd had every intention of following in his father''s footsteps.
Chapter 86 An Elder Is Reporting To Isolde Salazar
Elsewhere in the castle of thete Lord Ferdinand, an older pack member, one of the elders who swore loyalty to the Alpha''s mother, hid away from Lnd and the rest of his pack. He would take a small mirror out of his pocket and activate the magic within it.
He was hiding properly to ensure that no other lycan would hear this meeting.
The beautiful face of a woman would appear and it would turn out to be Lnd''s mother. She had a narrow face and very thin lips. At a nce, she would remind people of an arrogant bird, like a peacock.
She didn''t resemble her son at all. The only thing she passed on to Lnd was her skin which had darker shades than most people in the kingdom because of her gypsy background. And perhaps the coldness she exuded.
"What news do you have about my dear son?" Isolde Szar narrowed her eyes at the pack member. She received the news that Lnd saved Sophie fromst night and immediately asked for confirmation. "Is that wench still there? Is it true that she is Anne''s daughter?"
The lycan sighed and shook his head. "It looks like your son is interested in that woman, your grace. He said it openly just now."
"Well you bettere up with something soon or else I will personally ensure that the witches will eat your heart, elder." Isolde smiled coldly at the elder werewolf council member. "They do that."
The elder narrowed his eyes at the previous Luna but did not say anything else for a moment. "What if your son chose to make Anne''s daughter his mate? I cannot attack the woman if she has the Alpha''s mark on her."
"We cannot allow that to happen, Brin." Isolde hissed at him. "The witches have not chosen to help us simply because of my friendship with the Grand Witch ine at all. Even if we are best of friends, witches do not move without anything in exchange."
The elder''s face scrunched up and he concentrated on the lycan in the mirror. "You mean to say that the Alpha will have to be the mate of one of the witches so both the lycan and witches can rule side by side without any betrayal?"
"Naturally." Isolde smiled at him. "Why else do you think I allowed little Lnd to y and be friends with Eloise when he finally returned after ying pretend house with my husband''s lost love?"
p The elder frowned. "I do not think that Lnd will simply agree to marry the witch even if they are friends."
"He has no choice in this matter," Isolde said. "He will do what I have to say because I am his mother. If he has every intention to win the war against the humans, he will make the witch his mate."
She added, "Do what you must, Brin. Kill that wench in her sleep, I do not care. If you are scared of my son, do it when he is away. I will summon him to return home soon and you can kill Anne''s daughter when Lnd is gone."
"You ask for a difficult thing," the elder narrowed his eyes. "Lnd will kill me if I touch even a single hair on that half-Lycan''s head. I cannot overpower him by myself alone."
"Then assassinate Anne''s daughter and then start running all the way back here in the pack." Isolde rolled her eyes. "It is a necessary task, Brin. What do you think will happen if Lnd got swayed from his mission because of that woman?"
"Then it is at that point where I can ask Lnd to be removed as Alpha," the old lycan muttered to himself.
"My son will still be the Alpha," Isolde''s eyes shed. "Anyone else cannot be the Alpha. Lnd is as strong, no, even stronger than his father, Leon. I will do my best to shape and lead him to the right path, but remove that half-lycan from the picture."
"Yes, I will continue to find a way to eliminate her," the older lycan said and sighed inwardly. It was so obvious to him that Isolde was only doing this not only because she wanted to retain power but because of hatred.
The elders in the pack remembered everything that happened.
Lnd''s father truly fell in love with the charming Anne and had set his eyes on making her his mate, but the werewolf king''s daughter fell for a regr human. It was Isolde who loved Leon and did her best to be his mate.
"Good." Isolde nodded in satisfaction. "That bitch and her daughter will not seduce and steal the hearts of the men that truly belong to me. Alpha Leon was my husband and Lnd is my beloved son."
"Yes, Lady Isolde." The old lycan soon disappeared and cut off the connection from the magic mirror.
Isolde''s expression immediately turned cold and hateful. Even though it was already years since Anne was out of the picture, she was still hateful of the woman and especially now of the daughter.
Isolde did everything to be Leon''s mate and yet Leon''s heart was stone.
So, she had no choice but to ask for help from her best friend. Isolde who once saved Grand Witch ine when she was younger became steady friends and the witch promised to pay the debt.
Grand Witch ine concocted a temporary love aphrodisiac drug and a fertility charm for Isolde who used it to sessfully be pregnant and forced Leon to take her as his wife. And thus he and Isolde were connected through the mate bond.
But even after Alpha Leon realized that he had a son, it did nothing to earn Isolde his love. It made her hate Anne so much who by then was happily married to Jack Hansley, unlike her.
Isolde was so frustrated that her son meant nothing to even gain even a little love from Leon that she hated seeing Lnd and knowing that it was useless to have him.
It was true that she was married to Leon who was the Alpha but it was loveless. She thought once they were mated she would have him to herself.
To her surprise though, the mate bond apparently didn''t work if the alpha didn''t want to love his mate. Even if they were mated, her husband could still put up the walls so Isolde would never truly have his heart.
In her desperation, Isoldeshed out all her anger and frustration on her firstborn, abusing him so badly that he ran away from home, only to be found and saved by Anne Hansley. That traitor.
***
Every day, Dinah visited Sophie and did her best to not make the woman be suspicious as to why she was not receiving any kind of tasks or responsibilities around the house. The female lycan served her instead.
"While Duke Romanov has every intention of hiring you since you asked him for a job, I cannot ask you to do any job or responsibilities that belong to me or other maids and servants," Dinah exined. "We do not want to risk angering him."
"Duke Romanov will never know if I do anything in this house." Sophie frowned and crossed her arms. "He''s never around."
"Oh, his grace has eyes and ears everywhere. He will know." Dinah said and tried to ignore the sight of Duncan trying to climb up the window.
Chapter 87 Sophie Is Asking For A Job
Note:
Thank you Southernstar for gifting a castle to this book earlier today! It helped this book reach more audiences because of the new gift feature system. I am so grateful. xx
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"This is¡" Sophie sighed aloud. "The next time that Duke Romanov is here, I will go and meet him. I cannot keep staying here under his roof as a guest, I am not important enough for this."
It was an explicit order that Sophie was to livefortably inside of the castle and if she were to even lift a single finger¡ Lnd might break the fingers of anyone who ordered Sophie to do so.
Dinah gulped. "Well, you can do it when he is here. Actually, I think that in half an hour, he will be returning after a business meeting and will head to his study."
Sophie''s eyes light up at the opportunity presented to her. "Then I will need to meet with him by that time. Help me prepare him tea, Dinah. I am sure that he might want something to drink after a long day of work, right?"
Dinah didn''t have any choice but help Sophie to meet up with their Alpha.
***
Lnd reached his study and sat down tiredly. He didn''t even have a chance to even see Sophie during mealtime together because of the sudden influx of tasks that required him to go about the human kingdom.
When the nobility around Hastings learned that Duke Romanov from the neighboring kingdom arrived, all of them started to invite him in order to actually gain something for themselves.
It was widespread of Duke Romanov''s underworld dealings and the immense wealth of the duke that rivaled even the Rothschild''s banks.
The real Duke Romanov before he was killed by Lnd was a shrewd and solitary businessman that had no real friends or rtives. The man did not show his face to the public and did every illegal thing to garner wealth for himself.
Among wealth-producing activities, Duke Romanov was involved the illicit trading that ranged from drugs to even human trafficking. The thing that sealed the coffin for Duke Romanov was the fact that he also stole lycan cubs from packs.
He would keep lycan pups in cages and treat them as nothing more than mere animals. There was deranged nobility that actually liked keeping Lycans in their basement as nothing more but sheer amusement.
When the lycan pups started to grow up and were no longer ''cute'' it was at that point that they were killed by the nobles who kept them and were then turned into werewolf pelts for bragging rights.
Lnd personally felt justified in killing the man and taking over Duke Romanov''s identity. He was an abhor to the world and it was ironic that it was Lycans who finally put an end to his practices.
So now it was a perfect disguise.
Except it meant that Lnd needed to keep up with the nobility that reached out to him. It was disgusting to know all of their desires and whims because it revealed the darkest and depraved part of humanity.
While Lnd was massaging the bridge of his nose, with his mask on the table, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Sophie was actually knocking for thirty seconds now and Lnd was too caught up in stress to hear it.
"Please excuse me, my lord. I will being in now." Sophie called out and entered the study of the duke. When she raised her head, she would find the duke staring at her with a questioning look in his eyes.
This was the first moment that Sophie realized that he had such beautiful heterochromia eyes. One of them was a brilliant shade of green and the other one was blue. They were such contrast to his dark skin.
For a moment, Sophie was stunned by the sight of his eyes and how gorgeous they were. A fleeting memory of a white wolf cub appeared in her mind but she dismissed the idea of saying that Lee and Duke Romanov resembled each other.
It was not right for Sophie topare a wolf pup to a man.
At this moment though, she didn''t know what to say to the man and only lowered her head in greeting him and slowly stepped forward with the tray of tea. How was she going to beg for something to do from him?
Right now a wave of nervousness came over Sophie and the courage inside of her disappeared as her tongue became a bit tied.
"Miss Hansley? What can I do for you¡ I did not expect you to be bringing me tea." Lnd noticed the sight of the tray in her hands. Hadn''t he told everybody to not let Sophie work? Why was she bringing him tea now?
It was not that Lnd hated seeing Sophie, on the contrary, the sight of the woman lifted the stress out of his body and he found himself already rxing around her. She was his mate and her presence alone was a relief.
"I... I came here because it has been three days since you have saved me from the winter storm." Sophie said and finally gained the courage to talk with him. She needed to do this so she could have a job to feed her child.
Whatever intimidating aura this duke may have had, it was nothingpared to Sophie''s desperation to provide for her future child. Even if this man was the duke of hell itself, she wouldn''t move until she got what she wanted.
"I see."
Lnd observed Sophie with interest He thought it was a surprise that Sophie didn''te here to confront him earlier. She was always so bold and unafraid to speak whatever came to her mind. Did she learn how to hold her tongue now?
"You have agreed to let me stay here and have a position here in your castle but nobody is letting me do their work and neither have I received any specific tasks or a role here from you, my lord," Sophie said and lowered her head as she spoke quietly.
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From Missrealitybites:
I am sorry for my slow replies to yourments. I am working on 4 full day-webinars this week and I''m exhausted. I will reply and write more this weekend. Have a lovely day! xx
Chapter 88 Sophis Learns To Do Bookkeeping
Note:
Thank you so much, Maude Fluckiger, for gifting a gachaphone to this book yesterday. Your super gift helped this book reach so much more audience, with 400 people adding this book to their collection immediately. Thank youuuu! xx
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There were things that she had learned over the years and one of them was the ability to be demure and silent when it was to her benefit. As a young child, Sophie was never afraid to say or do what she wanted.
Sophie was outspoken, loud, and confident whenever she wanted to be. Even a wolf cub ran away when Sophie was intimidating and she could scare off the vige kids that sometimes saw Lee and started throwing stones at him.
When the vige elder spoke stories at night for the children of Hauntingen that spoke of witches, ghouls, and monsters, Sophie was exceptionally brave and even imed that she would fight them off if they ever dared invade their kingdom.
That kind of personality was unhelpful and even just gathered more negative attention from her rtives in Hastings. When Sophie used to defend herself or her parents, she would get pped, hit or punished for talking back to an adult or fighting with her cousins.
So, she finally learned to adjust and be quiet to live a more peaceful life. It was a waste to try and change the minds of people who did not want to be convinced anyway.
Things were so much better and she did not get bullied in Cawden Academy if she only ignored and chose to avoid conflict.
That was why Sophie was not going to offend the duke but she was still going to convince the man to actually give her a job through her own softer methods.
Her train of thoughts halted at Lnd''s voice.
"The reason why I have chosen not to include you in such tasks involving housework is simple," Lnd spoke clearly and wished he could call out her by name. "Miss Hansley, I believe that you are overqualified for such work."
"Overqualified?" Sophie''s eyes widened. Couldn''t this duke tell that Sophie didn''t finish her studies in Cawden Academy?
Her voice sounded confused when she spoke. "Duke Romanov, if I was overqualified, I wouldn''t even be here."
Lnd only shrugged. "Miss Hansley I can see that you are intelligent and have a good head on your shoulders. Why not help me in taking care of the books? I need someone to do the bookkeeping for me."
"Your Grace, I did not finish my studies in Cawden Academy. I do not know how to take care of the books and ledgers necessary for bookkeeping."
Lnd paused for a moment. He knew how intelligent Sophie''s mother was and how easily she blended in the human kingdom because of how easily she picked information and skills up.
There was the fact that Lnd actually needed someone to do the books for real. Duke Romanov had a lot of wealth that he needed to ount for and so he would only nod his head.
"Then, it is not a problem. We can simply assign a teacher for you, Miss Hansley, so you can learn how to do it. I will hire a tutor so you can learn while you are staying here. Would that be alright with you? I see potential in you and I would like you to work for me."
Sophie''s lips parted for a moment and she didn''t think that someone would actually hire a teacher just so she could do some work. Was it really true that Duke Romanov thought that she was smart or did he just want to help?
Either way, Sophie would do what it took to survive.
"I will do my best, my lord."
***
The following day and the next ones that came after it, a neer woulde to Wolfstone Castle of Duke Romanov and became a constant presence in Sophie''s life. The tutor woulde and teach Sophie how to do bookkeeping.
This person would turn out to be Katherine Sommers, the same governess who taught her two cousins of Sophie so she was shocked but also thrilled to meet the woman after all this time.
"You¡ gosh, Miss Katherine. I''m surprised that you also know how to do bookkeeping?" Sophie asked in surprise.
Katherine gave Sophie a warm hug and gave her a smile. "A woman needs to know a lot of things to survive in society. I''m just utterly relieved to see you again, Sophie. I didn''t know what happened when your aunt told me that you ran away."
"One thing led to another¡ but now I''m here in thete Baron Ferdinand''s castle." Sophie''s lips curled into a sad smile. Thinking about the baron''s death together with Nichs'' pained her to no end.
"Well, since I''m here to teach you about bookkeeping, let''s proceed with that. Shall we?" Katherine smiled kindly at Sophie. The two of them were allowed to stay in Sophie''s room so she could study without being disturbed.
Dinah came in every now and then to bring snacks and tea for both Sophie and her tutor. Sophie couldn''t be happier because she could continue at least some part of her education. She felt a bit guilty though because Duke Romanov invested in her education to help him with some bookkeeping work, but she already made ns to only work for a month, until she could find a way to care for herself and her baby.
"Why is your face so gloomy?" Katherine''s voice moved Sophie from her reverie. "Is anything the matter?"
Sophie quickly shook her head and smiled. "No, Katherine¡ I am fine."
She was filled with guilt, but finally, Sophie told herself it was okay to be selfish this time. She would do whatever work assigned to her to the best of her ability, but she wouldn''t stay long.
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From Missrealitybites:
Good news! It looks like this book will still be on the Top 10 Golden ranking this week, so I will publish a mass release of 5 chapters on the weekend.
Send your golden tickets to "The King''s Wife Is The Alpha''s Mate" and bring it to Top 5, if you want the mass release to be 12 chapters ^^.
Thank you so much for reading,menting, voting, and gifting this book. Luv ya!
Chapter 89 Leland Needs To Go To The Capital
***
After studying with Katherine for several days, Sophie showed great progress. She didn''t think that she would be able to pick up a book again after she left the life behind her in Hastings and no longer attended Cawden Academy to go back to Hauntingen. Yet here she was with an opportunity to learn.
"Did I record this correctly?" Sophie showed the ledger to Katherine who gave her an approving nod.
"Yes, you''ve done them all so well, Sophie. You''re a fast learner as usual." Katherineughed. "I think you won''t be needing me soon."
"I''d still love to have you around as my tutor though. I am not skilled yet." Sophie smiled in relief and continued withputing the sums and other journals provided upon her. "I hope Duke Romanov will continue letting me study from you."
The work involved was actually kind of nice and she enjoyed double-checking and even triple-checking if she got the digits correctly and if they were truly urate to thest copper coin.
A part of Sophie always wished and desired to be an educated woman. While it was true that her life in ckwoods Forest was peaceful and happy with her family and even Nichs in the past, the desire to always travel and go around the continent was always there.
She wanted to explore. Sophie wished to learn and experience what other things the world could offer to her. Education was one of the many ways that helped Sophie realize her dream and could help her make it a possibility.
Perhaps once her child was born and the circumstances were right, Sophie could travel with her child and take them wherever the wind might take them. The rich culture, life, and people would help ease the pain of loss.
Before the two women knew it, a knock woulde from the door, and not too long after, Lnd would step inside of her room and greet the twodies. His eyes were on Sophie alone, but he inclined his head in greeting both women.
"I''vee to check on the progress of Miss Hansley," Duke Romanov said. "How did it go?"
"Sophie is doing splendidly, my lord. She learns fast and I don''t think I have a lot more to teach her," Lady Katherine spoke proudly as she curtseyed in front of the duke. She would indicate to Sophie and smile. "You can check it yourself if you wish."
Sophie was a bit nervous but nodded her head. "You can take a look if it is to your standard, your grace."
Lnd would do just that, he stepped close to Sophie and leaned down to inspect the records and the neat penmanship, and even checked on what she was doing.
She found herself a bit nervous at his close contact.
Somehow, whenever Duke Romanov was around, a part of Sophie''s heart started beating fast and his presence alone made her a bit nervous for some reason. He did nothing that was uncharacteristic or ingermane at all. So, she didn''t understand why she always had this reaction when he came near her.
Was it because he once told her that he was interested in her?
The man was even actually a bit distant because he was not used to how to approach Sophie now that she was older and their rtionship was unlike how it used to be. However, he would indicate one line at the bottom of the worksheet.
"You normally double rule that, or mark that with two lines if I remember correctly?"
"Oh, thank you. I will fix that right now, my lord," Sophie''s eyes widened and she stood up beside the Duke with her quill. Now that the two of them stood together, their shoulders brushed against each other.
"Everything else is actually correct and that''s the only thing that I noticed, you do not need to thank me." Duke Romanov nodded before he reached out and patted her shoulder. "Great job, Miss Hansley. Keep up the work."
It was a simple pat on the shoulder but the way that the man''s hand touched Sophie''s shoulder was a bit awkward. Almost as if he wasn''t used to actually dealing with people closely and neither did Sophie expect him to do that.
Once the man left her ce of study Sophie heaved a sigh of relief. She was happy the duke found her work to be eptable.
She didn''t want him to give her a job purely out of pity or because he was interested in her romantically or sexually. She wanted him to actually think she was smart enough and was capable for the job.
***
A noble''s gathering soon came up in the capital and Duke Romanov was invited to attend the event as one of the main guests. Lnd didn''t want to leave and attend it, but it was necessary that he mingled with the human nobility and became closer to the royal family by proxy.
Sooner orter, Duke Romanov would receive an invitation to dwell in the capital and that would bring him closer to his goal of destroying the royal family.
Before the Alpha left, he ordered Duncan and Max to watch over Sophie and guard over her because he trusted them.
Lnd towered over the lycans and gave them one look. He was aware that some disloyal pack members might pull something while he was gone.
"Protect her with your life," Lnd said. "If anything were to happen to Sophie, you will be held responsible."
"Y-yes, Alpha." Duncan felt himself wavering in the Alpha''s gaze as if the man was asking him to die for Sophie. That was the intensity that Lnd showed but Duncan simply bowed his head and said yes.
"Good." Lnd nodded.
He would make sure that everything was in good order in the castle before he finally left for the capital. Even though his interactions with Sophie were sparse and few in between, he was hoping that the two of them could be closer once he returned.
Lnd knew that Sophie was grieving and that there was a time to mourn¡ but he was hoping that little by little, the sorrows that afflicted Sophie''s heart were slowly but surely healing.
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From Missrealitybites:
Still feeling exhausted from the full-day webinars and I just want to sleep for days. I''ll get back to yourments soonest. xx
Chapter 90 Meeting Two Evil Cousins
The days would be a bit more peaceful afterward with both Dinah and Duncan doing their best in keeping Sophie safe ording to their Alpha''s order.
Dinah did a very good job of letting Sophie stay in her room and kept busy with some unimportant paperwork and also the bookkeeping exercises that her tutor, Katherine, left for her.
The woman seemed to have taken a leave to go visit her family.
It all seemed like the days that their Alpha Lnd was gone would be uneventful and only peaceful, but they were mistaken. Sophie soon realized that she now had some spare time to go out and do what she intended to do.
Ever since Sophie found out that she was pregnant, the physician told her toe and visit for a check-up. Since Sophie didn''t tell anyone about it, now was a good time to go without arousing suspicion.
She asked permission from Dinah, if she could leave the castle. "Since there doesn''t seem to be a lot of work to do¡ would you mind if I go out and head into Hastings town center? I will be back soon."
Dinah raised a brow and then crossed her arms. She was aware that their Alpha probably had someone looking over Sophie but it was a lot safer if she stayed in the castle even because it was easier to ensure her safety.
"Why do you need to go to Hastings? Why not stay here instead?" Dinah asked Sophie curiously.
"It''s really important, don''t worry about it, Dinah." Sophie urged her. She knew she couldn''t just leave the castle without permission from someone and so she hoped that her fellow maid who worked longer and knew the others would say yes. "Please¡ I won''t be long. This is really important for me and I have made the appointment before I epted the job here."
Dinah looked conflicting. She wanted to say no, but something in her heart told her that she must try to always be on Sophie''s good side since the Alpha was interested in her.
Finally, seeing Sophie''s pleading look, the female lycan didn''t have the heart to say no.
"Fine. Just be quick about it, okay?" Dinah said.
"I will, thank you." Sophie smiled broadly and gave Dinah a hug. Then, she prepared to leave.
Elsewhere, Duncan was having breakfast with Max in the hall of the castle. He was eating and savoring the food prepared by the cooks and the vorful spices. There were more garnishes and vors for the food used by the humans than the ones made by his tribe.
Max nced at him and asked. "Wasn''t this your turn to watch over the half-lycan more properly?"
"I know." Duncan swallowed some of the food and looked at his friend. "But she''s always around her room and with Dinah. I can get some time to eat before I start hanging around outside of her room, okay?"
While the bodyguard was still eating breakfast, unknown to him, Sophie would leave the house and go outside to head into Hastings. When Duncan was finally finished and headed into the woman''s chamber and snuck a peek through the window, he found it empty.
"Wait. Where is she?!" Duncan immediately panicked and soon searched for Dinah to ask about Sophie''s whereabouts. He was hoping that Sophie was still around the castle, but to his shock and horror, she was not there.
"What do you mean¡ you weren''t around when she said she was leaving?! I thought you are always shadowing here." Dinah shouted at Duncan. "Go look for her now!"
"Do you know where in Hastings she went to?"
"No! She didn''t tell me either, so go!" Dinah pushed the lycan to leave now and search for Sophie. Unlike other Lycans, Sophie''s scent was very weak and hard to find that Duncan would end up trying to search for her using the mark of their alpha.
However, when he finally found Sophie, he came toote.
***
The visit to the physician was brief but helpful.
Sophie was given something to drink and she managed to buy it with the remaining money she had left and then she decided to go straight to Wolfstone castle. There was a relief on her chest and she pulled out the wedding ring that she tied across in a string.
A faint smile appeared on her lips as she thought about her and Nick''s child. It was something that gave her hope and strength.
While Sophie was about to head back to the castle of Duke Romanov, however, she would encounter the people that she desperately didn''t want to see.
Valerie and Lucia actually happened to be in the market ce and saw her.
"Well, look who still happened to be here, sister." Lucia tossed a look at Valeria as she blocked Sophie''s path. "The thief is still here and yet she''s also showing off her stolen jewelry, isn''t she?"
"Should I call for the city guards?" Valerie added loudly and soon the townspeople would all look at the trio in the streets.
Sophie hid back the wedding ring that Nichs gave her underneath her clothes and gave a hard look at her cousins.
While it was true that she retrieved Nick''s grandmother''s ring¡ and may have also taken some other jewels, the truth was that they all belonged to her father.
"This isn''t your mother''s, Lucia, and if we''re talking about thieves, it''s your mother who took away my inheritance," Sophie spoke boldly. Now, she had already figured out the truth.
The reason why her aunt took her in many years ago was not because she cared about Sophie, but because she wanted to take all Sophie''s inheritance. Sophie was no longer afraid to speak up.
Murmurs erupted between the townsfolk who recognized who Valerie and Lucia were. They were the daughters of Stefan and Helga Limberg who owned a sessful business here in Hastings where Stefan often traveled to the capital and otherrger cities to trade.
Chapter 91 Commotion In The Town Center
The fact that Sophie called Valerie and Lucia out for theft was an insult to the Limbergs and even the Hansley family. It was something that immediately started to attract more attention from the passerby that was only trying to go about their daily affairs.
It wasn''t every day that three beautiful women would be found arguing in the street and throwing words at each other. A good number of the people actually knew who these women were and identified them from the Limberg household.
Lucia red at her and said threateningly. "You better be careful with your words, Sophie. You might end up swallowing them."
***
Duncan, who was now apanied by Max, was now on an urgent mission to find Sophie and it involved following the trail of scent that was left by Lnd on her.
It had already been some days since Lnd left and now there was a high chance that their Alpha would return and be furious at them for failing at their job to protect his woman.
The two Lycans couldn''t do things like leaping from one building to another to search for Sophie so he was at a disadvantage. Since it was broad daylight, Duncan and his friend needed to pretend they were regr humans.
When they arrived at Hastings town, the two would find themselves engulfed with the scent of too many things at once and immediately pinched their noses. Hauntingen town was small and the people there sometimes smelled like trees and their environment.
However, Hastings was a lot bigger and denser that the scent was all mixing together for the poor lycan unused to the bustling town life. Unlike both Hauntingen and the tribe of Blood River Pack, everything was too much.
,m "Argh, it''s so noisy here too," Duncanined to himself as he quickly searched through the crowd of passersby and took a sniff.
Max sighed and only looked around. "The two of us should split and look for her."
The two Lycans ended up separating to look for Sophie and yet would find themselves lost in the sea of people. Normally, people would call out for the name of the people they were looking for, but it was different for the Lycans.
Duncan and Max needed to find Sophie while not letting her know that she was being guarded and monitored. This was something that would probably not sit well with her if she were to find out that she was being watched by them without her permission.
This was all for her own good though because their Alpha wasn''t always around to protect her. So, the two lycans moved and did their best to avoidrge crowds¡ Unfortunately, this made them fail to realize that it was Sophie and her two cousins who gathered a spectacle around them.
"Are you threatening me, Lucia?" Sophie narrowed her eyes on her cousin. "You have no warrant to arrest me or even put me in a situation like this. In any other instance, I could be the one asking you to be taken by the city guards for causing amotion."
It was in the rules of the Hasting and even other cities that any incident that resulted in some kind of public outrage or incident could be stopped by the city guards that operated in the city. Right now, Sophie just wanted to leave but her cousins were trying to stop her.
"You''re also a part of this!" Lucia hissed. "If the city guards will arrest us, I will make sure they will arrest you too!"
"I''m only trying to leave. So, please leave me alone." Sophie walked past the two of her cousins and eventually left the crowd of watchers. The hubbub in the streets of Hasting started to diminish after Sophie left.
A lot of questions started to spur among the people of Hastings as they looked at the two women who messed with Sophie in a different light. The Limberg family was actually esteemed and well-liked in Hastings.
Valerie also happened to have gotten close to their mayor''s son so their reputation was respectable¡ but this incident in the market ce was like an ugly mar in their name. Sophie mentioning the inheritance was bad for them.
The two young women exchanged looks with one another and Lucia was positively seething in anger and wanted to make Sophie pay for those words. Valerie was embarrassed as the people all started looking.
"Well, keep walking, Valerie," Lucia hissed at her sister. "We can''t let that skank get away from our sight."
"Got it," Valerie said and immediately started walking forward in the same direction of Sophie. The two young women had no idea where Sophie stayed and actually assumed that the woman died when she went awayst winter.
However, seeing her alive and also well¡ while also publicly humiliating them?
It did not sit well for Valerie.
She and her sister couldn''t do anything while they were in the eyes of the townspeople but once Sophie left and the people dispersed to go about their business, the two cousins chased after Sophie discreetly.
When Sophie was outside of the town, she found herself feeling somethinge in from behind her and she barely dodged in time to find that a stone was thrown in her direction.
ssic Lucia and Valerie, even when they were outside of Cawden Academy, the women never stopped harassing her.
"Leave me alone!" Sophie yelled at them.
"Not until you return what''s truly ours!" Valerie shouted. "Give us back all the jewelry you have stolen from our home, THIEF!!"
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From Missrealitybites:
Good news! I will do 5 chapter mass release tomorrow because you keep this book on the Top 10 Golden ranking. Thank you to everyone who hasmented and voted on this book. I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.
Also, if you read my other book, "The Cursed Prince", I will throw in a 10-chapter mass release on December 13 because it was chosen to join the Christmas Mass Release event.
If you haven''t read it, go ahead, add it to your library and start reading it. During the event, if you read the book for 30 minutes every day, you will get Christmas crackers and after 25 days, you will get the Christmas badge.
I personally think "The Cursed Prince" is a perfect read for the holiday because it''s really funny and heartwarming. You might want to prepare tissue to wipe your tears fromughing too much, and then crying too much.
Chapter 92 Drowned
"You won''t get away from dragging our names through the mud, you stupid bitch!" Lucia threw another stone at Sophie and was irritated to find her dodge them all agilely. It was true that somehow, Sophie was always better when it came to sports and could outrun them.
"I don''t want to do anything with you guys anymore so leave me be." Sophie started walking away from them. If she reached the castle of Duke Romanov, she was sure that they would at least stop.
However, this time, Lucia was so furious that she didn''t back down at all. "Don''t think you can run away from me. Where are you holed up to now? Some random cave or tree here in Hastings?"
There weren''t even any caves in Hastings at all, but Sophie only chose to walk away from them even as the two women continued to chase after her and throw slurs and other derogatory words at her.
Along the way to Duke Romanov''s castle was a nearby river that flowed out from the small forest that stretched all the way across the road. Sophie was walking along the side of it when she suddenly found herself getting pushed.
Lucia had gotten so frustrated at theck of response from Sophie that she decided to just push her into the river.
Sophie didn''t expect Lucia to go this far and she stumbled into the waters and without any proper footing and finding the river to be extremely deep, the cold and sudden rush of the water started to make the woman drown.
Back on the riverbed, Lucia stared at Sophie drowning and then quickly seized Valerie''s hand.
"Let''s run!" she shouted at her sister.
The two young women started running away at the same time that Duncan finally traced Sophie back outside of Hastings.
Duncan''s eyes widened and he rushed towards the river, ignoring the women as he dove into the waters and saved Sophie. Max followed him closely. Duncan immediately brought Sophie back to the ground and found himself worried beyond relief as he didn''t know what to do to Sophie.
He tried to help her cough up the water. Sophie sputtered out and choked out some of the water that had entered her body earlier. She looked up and saw Duncan''s face, someone who seemed familiar enough because she had seen him before.
Either way, Sophie immediately cked out after the incident and Duncan quickly rushed to the castle. It was barely in good time because he already saw that Lnd was arriving via carriage so when Duncan ced Sophie into bed, she was still shaking and shivering.
"Ah, what do I do? The Alpha''s going to kill me." Duncan genuinely feared for his life and started to grab for Sophie''s clothes but quickly withdrew back. Touching Sophie also equaled death.
Dinah pushed the lycan away and hurriedly shoved him out of the room. "Alpha Lnd ising back today. Ufff¡ I''ll take care of her, just try to distract the Alpha while I change her clothes. She''s going to get a fever at this rate, humans are so weak."
***
After he reached Wolfstone Castle, Lnd''s first matter of destination was always visiting Sophie and checking on how she was. He wanted to see if she had adjusted herself well to the life in his castle.
However, what the Alpha encountered was Duncaning towards him. The lycan did not have any shirt on and also had soggy pants. Lnd immediately red at him. "Did you decide to go for a swim?"
"Uh, no Alpha¡ I mean yes, Sophie fell into the river!" Duncan admitted aloud. "So, I dove in to rescue her and¡ª"
Before the lycan could even finish his sentence, Lnd already threw the man aside and burst through the hallway. He rushed towards Sophie''s room and when he opened the door, he found Sophie lying in bed and swaddled in nkets.
Dinah had just been collecting Sophie''s soggy clothes and then immediately bowed to Lnd. "Alpha¡ª"
"Leave."
Without another word, Dinah would quickly flee from Sophie''s room and give the man privacy with Sophie. The female lycan didn''t want to risk experiencing the wrath of the Alpha and the powerful aura of the man was already leaking when he came.
Lnd''s anger coursed through him at the incident. But then his anger slowed and changed to concern when he stepped forward to see the woman resting in her bed.
"Hah¡ I should have known better." Lnd cursed himself as he watched the woman''s pale blue lips. He clenched his fist in anger and wanted to go out and throw Duncan across the walls of the castle.
He intentionally assigned Duncan and Max to keep an eye on Sophie because his mark on her had vanished and he couldn''t protect her anymore while he was away.
Thest time, when Sophie faced back her cousins and their school friends, she could borrow Lnd''s strength because of the mark he put on her.
This time she was on her own because Lnd couldn''t mark her again. She would be suspicious. He already had gone beyond the boundaries by already cing it on her without any approval whatsoever.
So, Lnd''s only way was to provide protection in the form of the two lycans, which obviously couldn''t do their job properly.
Uff¡
It was obvious that a shock had gone through her entire system when she fell into the river. Despite the fact that she was half a lycan, she still experienced a bad effect when she fell into the waters and that pained the Alpha.
When he remembered Anne, the fierce warrior, the only descendant of King Mchi, Lnd could only massage his head. Why did Sophie take after her father so much? Humans were so weakpared to their tribe.
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From Missrealitybites:
I would like to exin a little bit about my werewolf lore since there are many different ones out there. So, the ones I have in this book are as follows:
1. Lycans can choose their mates and whoever they end up with is their destined mate. I don''t like the idea that their mates are chosen for them randomly and they don''t have a say in the matter.
2. Most lycans only mate once for life, but they can have a second chance mate if their first mate bond doesn''t work out (their mate died or their mate reject them).
3. Only purebred (born as werewolves) understand how to live properly as lycans. For example, Nichs is turned, he is not purebred, so he doesn''t understand how mate bond works, he doesn''t know how to mark his partner, he is not able to take advantage of many things exclusive to the lycans.
4. Lycans can crossbreed with other species, like humans (or, in other stories, you could see them mate with vampires, faes, etc), and their offspring will take after one or both parents'' characteristics.
,m 5. Specific for lycans, when they have the mate bond established with their mate, they could share their strength, their feelings, and their minds with each other. They have the closest and unbreakable bond with their mate.
However, one side could block these feelings and strength sharing if they want to. Just like Leon, Lnd''s father, who married his wife for convenience, not for love. He put up walls so she couldn''t have his heart. He, however, remained loyal to her as her mate.
Chapter 93 The Alphas Proposal
It was understandable that most lycans looked down on humans and didn''t want to crossbreed. Anne was different from the others. She could see the good in Jack and her love for him had blinded her to the point that she betrayed her own people.
Once Anne and Jack mated, Anne could share her strength with her husband, and that''s what made Jack a capable hunter with skills and strength above most humans, but still¡ it was not enough.
But Lnd¡ he believed he was much stronger than Anne. If he could share his strength with Sophie, it would be enough for her to protect herself when he wasn''t around.
However¡ he couldn''t do it if Sophie was not his mate.
And the woman was clear with her feelings. She just lost her husband and didn''t want to open her heart for another man.
"If you were my mate, you wouldn''t be this weak¡" Lnd breathed out slowly and looked at Sophie still asleep in bed. He gently reached out and ced a hand on her forehead, her temperature was cold despite the fact that she was covered in nkets.
Should he force her to be his mate so he could protect her?
The mate bond could only be established when they mated¡ or in humannguage means to have sex.
It was the act of bing mates that two lycans became one. What he gave her thest time was just a temporary mark and the effect waned over time. When the next full moon came, the mark would disappear again.
Lnd clenched his fists. Perhaps he would never gain her love, but it didn''t mean that they couldn''t be mates. Even if Sophie never loved him back, all Lnd cared about was her own safety. His feelings didn''t matter.
***
It took Sophie about a day or two for her to recover from the incident with Lucia and Valerie in town. When she finally woke up, she once again found herself in new clothes and at the corner of her bed was a table with a covered lid.
She opened up the lid and it revealed to be a hot piping breakfast waiting for her. Someone had left her a note saying that she didn''t need to go out for breakfast and join them in the hall, all she needed to do was to recover.
"Oh, this is from Dinah¡" Sophie whispered and then massaged her temple. "How long has it been since I fell into that river? At least one day if I made it in time for breakfast."
Sophie looked at the te of breakfast and didn''t exactly find herself hungry. The sight of one meal only made intentionally for her was something that confirmed that she was alone and it made her feel incredibly lonely.
During the mornings when she was younger, both of her parents prepared breakfast and ate together, and when Sophie was with Nichs? The man often surprised her with a meal and the two of them ate together.
Thinking about her husband made her heart ache again.
"Oh, Nic¡" Sophie felt like crying.
She reached out to her neck and even found that the string that held her ring was missing. Sophie''s eyes bulged and she immediately stepped down from out of her bed and ignored the food and padded out of the room.
Even though her legs were still weak, she needed to find it. Did Dinah have it? Surely she would have ced it in her room or did the maid keep it? Ugh... Sophie must ask Dinah and confront her.
That ring was the only thing she had from her husband. Since Nichs told her it was his grandmother''s ring and he wanted her to have it as her wedding ring, Sophie had considered that ring as her wedding ring.
That was the reason why she was so adamant about taking it back from her evil aunt.
And now she lost it again? She wouldn''t be able to forgive herself if that was the case.
Sophie was so desperate to find it that when she stepped out of the room, she immediately bumped into the man who had been wanting to check up on her.
"Hey¡" Lnd caught Sophie in his arms before she could fall to the ground. He noticed how frail her form was and the fact that she was only wearing a nightgown. He cleared his throat and asked. "Miss Hansley, where do you think you''re going?"
Sophie''s eyes widened when she felt the man''s arms around her and she looked up to him and then quickly apologized. She lowered her head and immediately broke free from Lnd''s arms. "I apologize, Duke Romanov. I was going to look for Dinah and ask¡"
"Ask for what?"
Sophie swallowed uncertainly and said. "Ask if she had seen my wedding ring. When I went to Hastings, I wore it around my neck with a string but then I fell into the river."
The memory sparked some annoyance in Lnd''s memory and he had already severely punished Duncan for failing his job, but now he looked at Sophie and noticed how much she was looking for that ring.
"Have you ever thought of the possibility that it''s gone?" The Alpha asked. "It may have gotten swept in the waters and could be gone for good. Which may or may not be a sign because I have a proposal for you."
"Pardon?" Sophie felt a flush of anger suddenlye through her. Did Duke Romanov just say that the fact that she lost her wedding ring was a sign for him? Even though he was a duke and she begged him for a job, something like this was important to her.
The Alpha was terrible with words.
What Lnd wanted to say was that it may have been a sign that perhaps Sophie no longer needed to be burdened by the sorrow of losing her husband. It may have also been a sign that the Alpha''s idea would work.
However, his words came off as brutal and harsh.
"Miss Hansley, now that you have recovered, I have a proposal for you so if you could get dressed properly and then head into my study," Lnd said and still noticed Sophie''s attire of a nightgown. The sight of it distracted him and he tried not to swallow.
Sophie was still upset about what Duke Romanov had said but she suppressed the feeling momentarily because she needed to remain professional when it came to him. How could Sophie take care of her baby if she were to lose her job?
"Then I will meet with you shortly, Duke Romanov." Sophie bowed and then returned to her room. "If you could excuse me for a moment."
She needed the moment to deal with her anger.
The double doors shut in Lnd''s face and he even heard the soft click of the lock mechanism being used. Sophie locked the door properly and perhaps¡ she may have been wary of Lnding in?
Perhaps the first impression of meeting a man in the ce where Sophie had slept didn''t reallye off as a good thing? Lnd sighed inwardly and knew that there were differences between them that needed to be ovee.
The Alpha headed into his study and would wait for Sophie toe and visit him in the study. While Lnd was waiting for her toe, the man would practice alone and did it carefully with a steady voice.
There was no way that he could mess up something as vital as this one. The Alpha needed toe across as convincing and present it as an offer that Sophie wouldn''t be able to refuse.
After some time, Sophie eventually knocked at his door and once the Duke gave her permission, she slowly walked inside and bowed. "Duke Romanov, I am here to listen to your proposal."
Lnd nodded his head and motioned for her to take a seat near his table. "A thought urred to me while I was in the capital and it may provide the two of us with something beneficial."
Sophie noticed that the duke immediately started off their conversation about benefits. It was something that she did not ignore and she bit on her lip. What was Duke Romanov trying to say?
Something that benefited the two of them?
"Miss Hansley, the two of us should get married."
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Do you think Sophie would say yes? Or no?
Chapter 94 Marriage Of Convenience
"What?!" Sophie''s eyes widened and she looked up at the duke to see if he was joking but even with the mask still on his face and covering him, she could see that Duke Romanov was serious.
Lnd expected such a surprise toe from her. "The proposal I am presenting you is a proposal for marriage, Miss Hansley. The two of us would both benefit if this were to happen."
She ced a hand on her chest. "But I am already married."
A sad smile formed on Lnd''s lips as the memory of Sophie in Hauntingen with her husband appeared in his mind. The fact that Sophie was also looking for her wedding ring was a signifier of her rtionship with Duke Romanov as well.
So Lnd''s answer was this as he looked her in the eye.
"I am aware of that¡ but do pardon me if my words seem harsh and brash," Lnd carefully enunciated each word. "However, if your husband was still around then you wouldn''t be here with me right now, Miss Hansley. I came to the conclusion that you are a widow."
Sophie bit her lip and felt the wave of sadness ovee her.
Lnd would feel the same exact thing for a different reason.
If Nichs happened to be alive and well, Sophie would still be with her husband and so she wouldn''t have to suffer like this. She wouldn''t have returned to Hastings and experienced such cruelty from her rtives.
Right now, Sophie and Nichs could have felt joy at knowing that they would have a baby together, and the fact that Duke Romanov reminded her that Nichs was gone only made her feel close to tears.
Lnd was also unhappy about bringing up Sophie''ste and foolish husband. If Nichs was alive then Lnd would perhaps not have felt the need to intervene in Sophie''s life in such a way like this one.
It meant that if the man didn''t die, then perhaps there would be no chance of ever bing mates with her. Sophie''s heart belonged to Nichs and Lnd could do nothing about it except to ept the fact.
Such was the case if Nichs were still alive and well, but because the man was gone and out of the picture¡ Lnd believed that it was necessary that he became Sophie''s mate to protect her.
It was only one man missing and yet Nichs evoked sorrow in both Sophie and Lnd.
,m "Duke Romanov¡ it is true that my husband is gone," Sophie spoke the words slowly and tried to ignore the tears that stung her eyes. She didn''t want to cry in front of the duke like this.
Lnd waited patiently for her to finish.
"However, you cannot simply ask me to just marry another man. I married my husband because I love him and even if¡ I am to assume the benefits of marrying a duke like you, Duke Romanov would offer me great wealth and fortune¡ I still cannot ept it."
"You do not have to love me." Lnd managed to say out, despite every part of him longing for such love. He was jealous of the moments where he had seen Sophie treat herte husband with such tenderness and longing.
"Huh?" Sophie''s eyes widened and she batted her eyes worriedly. Did this man only want her for something else? She stepped back warily and thought about the chances of running away from the study to avoid him.
"This is a marriage of convenience, Miss Hansley, so you do not have to fear any unwanted conduct," Lnd said. "When I attended my meeting with the others in the capital, I experienced some social exclusion from the others."
"Exclusion among the nobility?" Sophie batted her eyes in confusion. She was familiar with the feeling of being ostracized by others in Cawden Academy that she felt a small wave of sympathy for the man.
"Yes. Ie from outside the kingdom of Riga so people do not take it so kindly of me and with the fact that I am a man who is still unwedded even at this age, they do not think of me in a good light," Lnd exined. "This face and my mask didn''t help me either. They became so suspicious of me and my intention. That is why I wish to take you as my wife for that purpose alone."
"Well¡ there are many other women here in the castle," Sophie pointed out. "It does not have to be me."
Lnd shook his head and looked at her sincerely. "I need it to be you, Miss Hansley. You are the one who has lived here in Riga and you also seem to be an educated woman so I believe that you can elevate my status."
Lnd wanted and needed Sophie''s love for him, but for now, he chose to say that he didn''t need her love. What mattered right now was simply creating a proper way for Sophie to be safe. It wasn''t only for matters that pertained to the unknown danger that she may encounter.
While Lnd''s influence as an Alpha made the lycans respect his orders not to attack¡ Another pack or tribe might be unwilling to do such a thing and obey his orders.
That was why bing mates was so necessary for Lnd''s eyes. It was not only to protect Sophie from any humans trying to hurt her, but it would also protect and shield her from the threats of his own people and that of other kinds.
Sophie bit her lip and knew that there was another fact that could make Duke Romanov change his mind and so she straightened her back and said.
"Duke Romanov, you cannot marry me. I am pregnant with my husband''s child," Sophie said with a hoarse voice, as she stared at the man bravely.
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From Missrealitybites:
Finally! Sophie told Lnd that she was pregnant. Do you think Lnd will ept her anyway.. or would he feel annoyed by the fact?
Chapter 95 Heartbroken
"What did you say?" Lnd spoke in a low voice. He couldn''t believe his own hearing.
Was he hallucinating because of the cold? No... right?
"That I¡" Sophie hesitated when she noticed that Duke Romanov sounded angry. She chose not to mention the fact that she was pregnant so she would be able to stay here in the castle and earn some good money.
However, now that the situation called for her to reveal the truth, Sophie could feel the man''s wrath and it made her throat dry. She had lied to him and Duke Romanov must be so furious that he couldn''t even speak a word.
"What was it?" Lnd bluntly asked again. "Perhaps I have misheard you, Miss Hansley."
A stammer came in Sophie''s voice and she replied meekly. "I am pregnant with another man''s child, Duke Romanov. I cannot¡ª"
"Stop!"
Sophie''s eyes widened and she knew that he truly was upset.
The Alpha''s eyes shed in anger and he barely restrained himself back fromshing out. His own nails dug into his hands and he hoped that he had heard incorrectly.
Sophie was pregnant¡?
With that bastard who died and left her?
Sophie bit on her lip and was unaware of the man''s thoughts, but she knew that she had to exin herself to him and apologize properly to Duke Romanov for not telling the truth right away when she first came here.
Even if she couldn''t be his wife, Sophie still needed her job here so she could afford to take care of her baby. She needed his protection, a roof over her head, and some extra money before she could figure out what to do with her life.
So, she needed to do her best even when she could barely manage to say a word at this moment.
The atmosphere in Duke Romanov''s study was already chilling, dark, and cold as if a harsh freezing wind had blown into the room and covered everything in its icy exterior.
Duke Romanov was like a cier, unmoving and yet his expression told Sophie everything that she needed to know. One wrong move and word and then Sophie would be tossed out from the castle and she would lose everything once again.
It was a struggle to work up the courage to talk, but Sophie gulped and spoke again. "I understand that I have neglected to tell you everything when I first epted your job offer¡ª"
What she meant was, she failed to mention her pregnancy when the duke expressed his interest in her during that breakfast.
Was this what made him furious?
He must feel tricked into epting Sophie to work for him?
Sophie felt really bad. She closed her mouth and opened it again to say something, but before she could even say moe, Duke Romanov left her.
The duke swiftly walked past her without another word.
Lnd stormed out of his study, each of his steps was harsh and dangerous.
His aura dispersed all around him madly and any lycan who was going in his direction quickly rushed out of their Alpha''s way. The man was like a thunderstorm that blew back everything that blocked his path.
Everyone truly wished to avoid incurring the man''s wrath.
Lnd could barely hold in his anger and rushed out to the balcony in the castle. He screamed at the sky and crushed the railings of the cement balcony underneath his hands.
He looked around madly and tossed aside the vases resting on them and listened to them crash down to the castle''s grounds.
If anyone had gotten hurt in this hour, Lnd could barely care as his own self was engulfed in pain unlike any other.
The Alpha didn''t want to admit it to himself loudly and had only tried to say to both Sophie and himself that this marriage was of convenience and solely to protect her¡
However, he actually lied to himself. He had fallen in love with her, the moment he saw her again, right there in ckwoods, when she walked out from the forest with the basket filled with mushrooms in her hands.
She was basking under the glowing autumn sunset and the leaves falling down from the trees. Her smile, her crispughter, and her beauty made all around her be magical.
? Lnd was stunned and in awe. However, that feeling was soon crushed when he saw Nichs walk following Sophie and they bothughed together. The affection she showed him was like a dagger stabbing Lnd''s heart mercilessly.
He had always liked Sophie as a little girl, and he thought she was cute and brave. He grew up thinking someday, far in the future, they could meet again and they could be good friends.
However, when he saw her after she became a woman, Lnd was enamored and perhaps, it was love at first sight? He didn''t know. He was not good with such stuff.
When he met Sophie again and this time she had be a widow, Lnd took it as fate. Perhaps, he was meant to be her second chance mate?
He was extremely jealous of that other man, but over time, slowly but surely, by having Sophie near him, Lnd could suppress the feelings and now he was thinking of taking the time to foster a rtionship with her, gain her trust, and then opened up to her about who he was and shared with her his missions and aspirations.
If Sophie knew what really happened to her parents, and the fact that she was the descendant of a great Lycan king, Lnd believed she would take his side and share this mission with him.
Lnd just wanted justice for Anne and Jack and his tribesmen. And then, he wanted to give Sophie everything she deserved in life.
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From Missrealitybites:
OMG!!! I am so, sorry. I just remembered that I was supposed to do a 5 chapter mass release yesterday and I only published 2. I really forgot about it and only realized it when I re-read the past chapters.
I am so embarrassed... ahahaha... I think I got slight memory loss because I''m so exhausted this week, working on conferences back-to-back. I will give the mass releaseter today. So, you can expect more chapters today.
And, sorry for the inconvenience. ^^
Chapter 96 You Must Sleep With Me
Lnd had secretly and uselessly hoped that if perhaps the two of them were to marry each other and form a mate bond¡ a miracle could happen and Sophie could actually love him.
Maybe once the two of them had their own litter of lycan pups, Sophie would look warmly at Lnd as she once did with her husband and then truly think of him as someone she could love.
However, since Sophie had a child from her previous husband, the woman''s heart would never be truly his. It was now an impossible dream of Lnd''s. This was an unexpected blow and he was still processing it.
In his mind, Lnd imagined how Sophie would always remember her first husband and look back on her past days with Nichs with fondness as she took care of the child that was born from their love.
She would always have space in her heart for Nichs and a reminder of what their love used to be like. That meant she would never be able to fully love Lnd or even consider loving him.
Lnd said it was a marriage of convenience, but he had secretly hoped that it would blossom into love.
However, now all of his dreams and wishes were destroyed.
Angry and hot tears stung his eyes and he furiously wiped at them.
The devastation thattched on his heart was critically damaging to Lnd''s mind and soul. Nobody would ever love him and that was really the truth. Even his mother hated him.
The only one who loved him enough and took care of him was now dead. He had not even managed to avenge her death.
Before, Lnd dared to hope otherwise, but the words of his mother came back to him.
"You''re already toote, you fool."
Lnd ground his teeth and shook his head. The Alpha was so disappointed at himself for even actually considering that he could perhaps start a new life with Sophie and that she would love him when given time.
He was a truly foolish and desperate man.
"So what¡?!" Lnd muttered to himself as he killed whatever affection and longing he had for Sophie. "I just need to protect her."
That was all he really needed to do.
***
Sophie anxiously waited at Duke Romanov''s study and did not know if she should leave or stay here. She knew that she needed to apologize to the Duke properly and yet what if he came back and was upset because she did not leave?
What should she do???
What if the duke called her a thief and then said that she was snooping around his castle just so that Duke Romanov had a legitimate excuse as to why he fired her? Perhaps it was better that she left and returned to her room?
But what if the man became furious that Sophie left the study without his permission?
The man did not dismiss her yet, so technically, Duke Romanov could make her stay in his study all night without even taking another step.
Such punishments before were something that Sophie experienced in the past.
There were so many circumstances and scenarios that wrestled in her mind that she barely noticed when Lnd returned from behind her and came through the doors.
The man had quickly rushed back to his study. He was hoping that Sophie was still around. Lnd was relieved to find her still in the room and had been waiting for him all this time.
The alpha gently called out to her.
"Miss Hansley."
"Duke Romanov!" Sophie''s eyes widened and she quickly bowed to the man.
"Forgive my episode earlier¡" Lnd said and cleared his throat. He took his ce by his table and looked at Sophie with a look of a man that had already decided to go along with his ns irrespective of his own longing towards her.
"Ah, you had the right to be upset, Duke Romanov." Sophie lowered her head. "I have failed to mention my pregnancy to you because I was in dire need of this job, my lord."
"I understand your circumstances," Lnd said with difficulty. "It did upset me as your employer, but I believe that we can still proceed with the marriage. You will find the situation even better for you and your child."
"Duke Romanov¡ª" Sophie''s eyes widened and she couldn''t help but look up slightly at him. "I¡ I cannotprehend why you still wish to proceed with it."
Lnd looked at Sophie tly. There were no emotions shown on the surface. In his eyes, there was only a strange depth that made Sophie feel enchanted. She felt like whatever the man asked of her, she would say yes.
However, she didn''t want to say yes. She didn''t want to incur the man''s wrath if she said yes only to leave him when she could take care of herself and her baby and didn''t need him anymore.
Gosh, this made Sophie feel like a user. No.. she should say no to the duke''s offer. Otherwise, she would definitely be a user.
She didn''t love him. The only way she would ept his proposal was to get his protection and resources¡
She could do it if their rtionship was mere as the employer and the employee. She could just leave¡ and the duke could look for another employee.
However, marriage was a different animal. She couldn''t leave the man once they were bound in marriage. If she did, she would only destroy his reputation, even though the marriage was a sham in the first ce.
And this would hurt the duke''s heart. He would feel used.
No¡ Sophie should stay away and not let this man misunderstand her. She bit her lip and muttered her rejection. "I¡ I can''t."
"I will only ask one thing from you," Lnd slowly spoke as he gauged her expression. It was as if he didn''t hear her trying to reject his proposal.
The man continued with a cold voice. "I hope that you can listen to this one request and then I will not bother you in any way from your child-rearing duties and you can livefortably here in the castle."
"What is it, Duke Romanov?" Sophie didn''t know why her mouth asked that question. Did she really want to know?
"You must sleep with me once, Miss Hansley," Lnd said.
Chapter 97 It Is Her Whom He Loves
"What?!" Sophie''s eyes widened and she looked at him in shock. "Sleep with you?"
"Yes." Lnd nodded. "A marriage can be rendered null and void if the husband and wife do not perform their marital duties. That is why I will have to ask you to fulfill it with me only once and then I will not bother you any further."
The Alpha knew that he stormed out from the room earlier and couldn''t take in the news properly.
However, now that he made a decision to never consider actually gaining love from Sophie¡ he was adamant about establishing the mate bond just so he could protect her.
It was necessary in his eyes because there were too many enemies surrounding them. A temporary mark was not enough because the Alpha realized that his own men sworn to protect Sophie couldn''t even do their jobs properly.
What was the only way that Lnd could truly protect Sophie from harm no matter where she was? It was only by bing mates with her that he could protect Sophie absolutely.
This was the only way that he saw. She would be stronger and she could even use his strength when she was in danger.
"No," Sophie spoke up and looked at Duke Romanov in horror. This was what she had always been afraid of when she epted his offer despite knowing his interest in her¡ that there were situations like this one.
A part of Sophie knew that it was a good offer and it would amount to a life of wealth for her child while she lived with Duke Romanov. However, a part of Sophie couldn''t actually fathom the idea of sleeping with someone else.
She couldn''t marry this man¡ let alone sleep with him. No.
Sophie loved Nick. He was her first, one and only love, and she did not wish to ruin the bond that she once had with him by sleeping with someone else.
Even with Nichs gone, Sophie felt loyal to him and it hurt her so much to even consider moving on. It was still too early¡
"What do you mean no?" Lnd looked at her with a sense of dread. He could already feel the looming rejection that Sophie would give him and the Alpha turned out to be right. The words of the woman delivered a swift blow that struck him hard.
"I refuse to sleep with you, Duke Romanov," Sophie said and she shook her head. There was a painful smile on her face. "I cannot betray my husband¡ even if he is gone¡"
Lnd could understand the love that Sophie felt for her husband.
However, even when his father, thete Alpha Leon loved Anne Hansley so much, he still ended up sleeping with Lnd''s mother, Isolde. He even had a second child with her out of his own will.
"Your husband is already gone¡ Miss Hansley," the Alpha tried to say it gently. "If I were in his position and knew that I would soon be gone from this world and separated from the woman that I have loved, I would sincerely wish her joy and happiness."
"What would you even know about that?" Sophie''s eyes glittered with tears and she struggled not to cry in front of the duke.
"If your husband truly loves you more than he cares about himself then even though it might hurt him to know that you married someone else, he would have a heartfelt sincere feeling of eptance knowing that it is for the best."
Those were Lnd''s genuine feelings and he ced them out in the open. It had been so hard to ept that Sophie married someone else when he saw her for the first time.
She was actually the motivation that Lnd had to be Alpha. He was who he was now, because of her.
Every little thing that Lnd did, was all because he wanted to be see the Hansleys again and especially fulfill his promise to Anne to protect Sophie, which recently had turned into love on his part.
It was true that the lycans all hated the royal family and humans who brought war.
However, the Alpha was more concerned with avenging Sophie''s family and so everything was more personal to him. Now that Sophie was having difficulty epting Lnd''s marriage proposal, he tried to exin.
Perhaps this would be the only situation where he would try to put himself in Nichs'' shoes and he found himself making the same conclusion as he once did.
That even if Sophie''s husband was dying, as long as their love was true, Nichs would want her to be happy again and even remarry.
It failed to reach Sophie''s heart though because the woman looked up to him and bit her lip. She was struggling with epting his words and only asked. "Pardon me for questioning your credibility, Duke Romanov, but have you ever loved someone before?"
"Why do you want to know?" Lnd growled softly. He didn''t like her question.
Sophie looked at him bravely. "Those are nice words, but I wanted to know if you really understand the matters of the heart if you haven''t loved anyone."
Lnd struggled with his reply. He didn''t want to admit it aloud that it was actually her whom he loved.
"Hypothetically, this is only my perception of what he may be feeling during his final moments," the Alpha said.
"Even if it is true that Nichs would want me to be happy and move on," Sophie blinked back the tears and looked at the Duke Romanov with a smile. "I still cannot marry you."
"Why?" Lnd knew that he needed to find another way to convince her but it was difficult. She didn''t seem to take any of his words with good intentions because Sophie believed that Duke Romanov wanted to marry her for convenience.
The beautiful woman ced a hand on her heart and said, "What Nichs would simply mean is that I have to find someone who I love and marry them. Duke Romanov, it is better to find a person you love than marry someone for convenience."
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From Missrealitybites:
I am sorry, it looks like I''ll have to publish the remaining chapterster after I wake up. I messed up some chapter sequences for "The Cursed Prince" during the mass release today. T_T
I don''t want to mess it up for this book too, just because I''m exhausted.
Good night!
Chapter 98 Leaving Duke Romanovs Castle
Note:
Thank you, Kelly Goodwin, for gifting a gachaphon to this book earlier today. You know, I have no words... T_T
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"But, Miss Hansley¡ª" Lnd wanted to talk Sophie into the marriage, but the woman looked at him with fierce eyes.
"I have to leave, my lord. I cannot stay here anymore if you keep insisting otherwise." Sophie shook her head and without another word, she promptly left Duke Romanov''s study, leaving behind the man stand rooted in his ce.
He was rejected again. He had told himself that he wouldn''t care but it still felt hurt.
Sophie then forced herself to move on and quickly headed to her room.
Sophie did not expect the man to chase after her since she already refused him. No noble would swallow their pride and chase after a woman even after they have been rejected and so¡ she chose to leave.
Even though it seemed strange to leave because of how much Sophie needed to get the money for her child, she couldn''t stay in the castle any longer. She was already expecting some form of bacsh for refusing the duke''s offer and then leaving without permission.
Sophie had a small experience of what the duke''s wrath was like for lying to him and it made her uneasy. Duke Romanov''s anger was chilly and could make a person struggle to even form words.
Although Duke Romanov may not do something to force her to marry him without consent, the man may hold a deep grudge towards her and then opt to make Sophie''s life more difficult.
Sophie had grown up only experiencing love and care from her parents and then Nichs. The rest of the people that Sophie knew mostly only cared for themselves and were very vindictive.
Even those who did not have any reason to be mad at Sophie, like her ssmates in Cawden Academy, were easily predisposed to think ill of her and were influenced by Valerie''s and Lucia''s words.
So now that Sophie turned down Duke Romanov, the only thing that she could even imagine as the man''s reaction was anger and a need for revenge.
It would be like Richard Lancaster all over again and everyone in the castle would turn their backs against her.
Not wanting to see the history repeat itself, Sophie gathered her few belongings and quickly stashed all the jewelry that she had gotten from Aunt Helga''s home.
She knew that it would be difficult to dispose of the jewels. Aunt Helga was probably furious and called her a thief¡ but as long as Sophie headed to Hauntingen and sold it to people that didn''t know about the Limberg family, then she would still be able to have an ordinary but happy life with her child.
Wasn''t there a small noble Viscount family around Hauntingen''s area? They might be able to appreciate the jewelry she had and bought them. She would sell the pieces lower than the market price. She was sure the viscount''s wife would at least be interested.
Sophie quickly walked past the people in the castle and headed out before they even realized that she was leaving the ce.
She was unaware that the reason why nobody stopped her was that she was in a higher position than them because of their Alpha.
Once Sophie reached Hastings, she would go look around for a carriage that might be able to take her back to Hauntingen. She started trying to make a deal with one of the carriage drivers.
"I will be able to pay you with one of these." Sophie hesitantly showed one of the jewels that came from Aunt Helga''s treasure box. It was a small gold ring.
She didn''t have time to sell it to the pawnshop and thought the coachman might want to ept it as payment. It looked like her assumption was correct. The coachman narrowed his eyes at the ring and his face showed the look of greed.
"Hmm¡ really? Is that gold?"
"Yes. Yes... this is gold." Sophie took it to her mouth and bit the ring to show that it was really made of gold.
The carriage driver looked at Sophie and actually saw hering from Duke Romanov''s castle so he assumed that the woman must be rich and naive for trying to pay him with a piece of jewelry.
"Yes, as long as you take me to Hauntingen," Sophie said.
However, as if she was truly unlucky, a certain woman happened to be strolling in the city with her man and suddenly called out. "I wouldn''t take that jewel if I were you, that came from a thief and actually belongs to the Limberg family."
Sophie nced over her shoulder and saw her cousin Valerie. She remembered the fact that Lucia pushed her into the river and endangered her baby. Her chest was immediately filled with anger.
Sophie red at her cousin. "Don''t throw usations that you cannot even back, Valerie."
Sophie felt a sense of trepidation wash over her as she saw Valerie walk holding hands with Richard Lancanster, the mayor''s son. For one reason or another, they were here and she needed to go on the offensive in order to not make the townspeople''s belief turn to them.
However, it was difficult. Sophie remembered the moment that Lucia and Valerie both simply ran away once she started to drown in the river and it made the woman''s blood boil and churn. If it was just Sophie herself who was endangered then perhaps she wouldn''t have cared.
However, each action these two evil cousins of hers did was tantamount to actually hurting her child as well. Sophie''s eyes narrowed even further at Valerie daring her to say something and yet the woman didn''t seem to notice.
Valerie was too caught up in her own self to even notice.
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From Missrealitybites:
Yes, I will continue the dyed mass release today. Hehehe... Thank you for being so awesomely patient. I love you!
PS: Sophie''s cousins and their family will pay for their sins soon.
Chapter 99 [Bonus Chapter] Sophies Anger
Note:
Thank you, Thank you, Maude Fluckiger, for gifting a gachapon to this book. I wish you a wonderful week despite the cold. ^^
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"It''s funny you say that I cannot even prove it to be true? Dear cousin, do you have the receipts from the merchants that proim the jewelry as yours?" Valerie raised a brow. "I''m sure that you have stolen that for your bastard child."
"Bastard?" A murmur came from the carriage driver.
Valerie smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, a baby conceived and will soon be born out of wedlock."
The carriage driver looked at Sophie in surprise because he thought that she was a pure maiden, virgin and untouched. She didn''t look like the type to have a baby and have premarital sex which was seen as ill by the church and its people.
"My cousin here is a bit of a lunatic, you see," Valerie added with a shake of her head. "She thought that when a man asked you to sleep with him in bed that it means that he loves you but, she''s utterly a fool. Now she wants to escape with her bastard child."
Sophie felt something within her snap.
It was an inhuman rage that filled her and she barely managed to step forward to throw an attack against Valerie, throwing a hand to p the girl for the shame she brought to Nick''s child, but found herself held back aside by Richard Lancanster himself.
He blocked her with an arm to prevent her from reaching Valerie and he narrowed his eyes. The man once admired Sophie for her beautiful looks and was charmed by her but when he heard of what happened to the woman?
Ha. Apparently, he was disenchanted and disillusioned.
If she was going to end up sleeping with some random man, it could have been him and then he might have been able to marry her and salvage her worth. However, now that she had a baby?
It was impossible to even consider.
Richard spoke coldly at her. "I always thought that you were a virtuous, long-suffering woman with goodness in your heart, but it seems I was mistaken. You''re nothing but a¡ hah, just get out of this town. I don''t want to deal with the likes of you."
Without another word, Valerie and Richard headed away from Sophie and left her standing alone outside of Hastings while the spectators found themselves moving away because of how much Sophie was shaking.
It was as if they didn''t want to see such a pitiful sight and turned away. However, those people did not realize that Sophie was not trembling because she was ashamed or afraid of what had happened but because her blood was raging.
Every part of her had wanted to reach out and p Valerie into oblivion. Angry and furious tears stung her eyes and she knew that Lucia and Valerie had actually attempted to eliminate her in the river.
It wasn''t just a quick decision done because they were annoyed. Lucia probably knew that if there was no longer any heir from her father''s side, Jack Hansley, then it didn''t matter if Sophie didn''t reach twenty-one years of age¡ Aunt Helga would truly inherit everything.
Perhaps that was what they were trying to do all these years, slowly but surely pushing her to the edge until Sophie no longer found the will to live and took care of herself¡
The corner of Sophie''s eyes started to dampen with tears and she brushed at them furiously.
They tried to kill her and, while a part of her didn''t care and wasn''t surprised any further, it was Nick''s child inside of her womb¡ and they dared even actually hurt her while being aware that she was pregnant?
It was so frustrating and the rage within her finally turned icy and settled into a cold anger that refused to die down. How could Sophie be even happy after all of this? Was it only naivety that led her to try and find the good in life?
The truth was that her life was miserable and other people might have had already given up if they were in Sophie''s shoes. However, Sophie persevered and decided to be strong even after the death of her husband because of their child¡
But now she had enough. She was so sick and tired of the mistreatment of her rtives that the idea of being happy again seemed like a faraway dream.
No.
Sophie had to apologize to Nichs within her heart because she couldn''t just find it within her to forgive this time or even find happiness in her heart for her child. The pain that had umted so long, day by day, had finally reached its limits.
As long as the Limbergs were happily living and scot-free from their treatment of Sophie for all these years and the final act of trying to kill her, Sophie could never be happy.
Did they really think that she could let them go after this?
Did they think Sophie would only bow down her head and then return to Hauntingen?
If they thought they could break her by casting her out of Hastings, utterly humiliating and slut-shaming her, and finally¡. calling her precious child a bastard¡ then they were wrong.
Dead wrong.
***
Even though Sophie made a decision to leave the castle of Duke Romanov and return to Hauntingen because of the man''s proposal to marry her for convenience, now she was quickly making her way back.
She no longer cared if she had to kneel down and ask forgiveness for offending and shaming Duke Romanov earlier by refusing him. She would bow her head to him as long as it meant that she could get what she desired.
Gone were the thoughts of returning to Hauntingen and living a peaceful life with her child. She would think about itter once the mes of anger within her were finally consumed atst.
However, right now was different.
Revenge was what Sophie wanted so bad that she didn''t care about herself any longer.
Chapter 100 Avenging Sophie
The werewolf people in the castle all started to back away when Sophie reentered the castle. None of them had any idea as to where she went¡ but they could see her ferocious aura.
Duncan, who met her in the hallway was even stunned. Seeing her looking this way, filled with anger and determination, he suddenly thought about Sophie''s mother''s side of the family.
King Mchi was the greatest Alpha the lycans had ever known and their people still sang songs of praises of him.
Now, thete king''s ferocious aura seemed to have surrounded Sophie in such a way that the lycans found themselves instinctively avoiding her to not to incur her wrath.
Somehow, this actually made them think that their Alpha and Sophie were a match made in heaven.
Their anger and wrath were all-consuming and prevented anyone from even saying another word. Sophie''s return shocked Lnd who was sitting still within the study room and couldn''t find the motivation to do anything after her refusal.
Now Sophie was back and with a look of determination on her face.
"Duke Romanov, I have changed my mind!" Sophie announced and then she bowed in front of the duke. She was struggling to maintain the fire that was burning within her. "I will agree to your request for marriage and even sleep once with you as long as you fulfill my wish."
Lnd''s eyes widened and the man''s heart pounded hard as he stood up from his chair and pushed it aside to approach Sophie. He gently touched her shoulder and said with a deep voice. "What¡ what is it that your heart desires, Miss Hansley?"
Sophie raised her head and looked him in the eye. The woman''s eyes were zing as she said to him. "Please punish my aunt and cousins. The Limberg family does not deserve to live their lives in splendor and galor¡ the gall of them to do so makes me sick, my lord."
"Speak no further." Lnd quickly said and felt his own blood burn in anger. "I will do as you wish. I assure you that they will not live by the end of tonight."
"No," Sophie said.
Lnd blinked and thought that he may have overstepped by saying that he would kill them, but then suddenly, Sophie''s next words surprised him. She shook her head furiously and frowned at the Alpha.
"Death would be too swift for them, my lord," Sophie darkly said. "I wish to see them suffer, to regret, and to wish that they didn''t oppose me or tried to take what wasn''t theirs. All of them spent their years living a good life so to end it all so quickly is an act of mercy."
Surprised by that way of thinking from Sophie, Lnd couldn''t help but still be pleased. He would have done and agreed with anything at this point just to ensure that she would stick by his side and marry him. "You are right. Do not worry, it shall be done."
The resources that the lycans have umted from robbing Duke Romanov of his wealth and also pretending to be him, now started to have more purpose for Lnd. While he originally crafted a wicked tale to make Duke Romanov appear dark and intimidating¡
It was now the time to actually do just so.
***
Sophie had signed herself away to a marriage with the dark and mysterious duke but the results that she wanted from Duke Romanov finally came into fruit at just the same day and finally dealt the debilitating blow the next.
A scandal soon arrived about Stefan Limberg who Sophie may have had assumed was a man who turned a blind eye to his daughters''s behavior. Her uncle did not outwardly hurt Sophie or even berate her like Aunt Helga because he was focused on bringing wealth to his family¡
But now, everything that he umted through the capital of the Hansley family, through the inheritance that was meant for Sophie''s father and in actuality, Sophie''s? Well, Stefan was soon brought into the city''s square.
Public humiliation for sins that the man didn''t even know hemitted.
Fraud.
Before the townspeople of Hastings could even contemte what was happening, a higher body of order finally came from outside of the city and measured out an order and judgment for the Limberg family.
Duke Romanov''s visits to the capital and intermingling with the nobles and elites of the humans were finally put to use. He had struck gold by getting along with one of the provincial judges of the kingdom of Riga.
And so before they knew it, everything the Limberg family knew and love was gone.
They were stripped of their wealth and the honor in their name, Aunt Helga and her daughters were dragged out of their manor and thrown into the streets with nothing but the clothes on their back.
Everything was confiscated and the family didn''t even know what had hit them to experience such ill fortune. Unaware that it was their own hateful, greedy, and prideful actions that had finally caught up to them atst.
Sophie watched it all in theforts of a carriage that Duke Romanov had offered her so she could watch it all happen while sitting down in luxury. She watched the family in the center of the town with nothing but shame and humiliation on their faces.
"...I''m satisfied," Sophie said atst and turned to the masked duke sitting in front of her. "Let us proceed with the marriage."
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From Missrealitybites:
Thank you so much for all your support of this book. I love reading thements and will start replying again tomorrow. I''ve been working on back-to-back webinars for the past few days. They are super interesting but super tiring. That''s why I am not too responsive recently.
Today I assisted a renowned cybersecuritypany in a workshop. They wanted to sell their services to the government.
It''s VERY interesting to learn from them about the cyber security threatsndscape and how there are so many experts fighting criminals in the cyber world, while we go by our day-to-day life not knowing what happened in the background... It''s like listening to a sci-fi story with superhero characters fighting the bad guys.
Chapter 101 The Simple Wedding
The wedding ceremony in the duke''s castle was not at all bright, warm, and cheerful as the day that Sophie married Nichs and lived happily with him.
On the contrary, it didn''t even feel like a wedding at all because of how Duke Romanov treated it. Instead, Duke Romanov and Sophie soon returned to his study and Lnd presented her with the marriage certificate.
He said, "I will have you sign this parchment and then the two of us will consummate the wedding and then return things to proper as they used to be."
"Duke Romanov, do you not need the marriage certificate that I have with my husband?" Sophie asked with a certain croak in her voice. She didn''t want to imagine that everything would be rendered null and void.
It pained her to even think that her marriage certificate would now amount to nothing after Sophie married the duke.
"Do not worry about it," Lnd said. "The people in my group are talentedwmakers and judges, they will take care of this matter even if you do not present me with the actual copy of the marriage certificate with your previous husband."
Sophie swallowed hard and only nodded. She looked at Duke Romanov''s study table and saw the clean parchmentid out for her and the quill and container of ink, the instruments to use for their wedding.
"Okay¡" She muttered. " Then I will sign this marriage certificate."
"Thank you." Lnd nodded and then watched the woman pick up the quill with steady hands. She did not waver when it came to fulfilling promises, that even though her legs were shaky in his eyes, she didn''t stop at all.
Sophie took a deep breath and knew that if she were to try and back out from this marriage, Duke Romanov would truly be furious and might do the very same things, that she asked of him to her family to her.
Without a moment''s hesitation, she signed the paper and was then surprised to see Duke Romanov lean down to do the same. He jotted his name and signed down neatly, perfunctory as if he was only signing an official document and not a marriage one.
The two of them watched the ink dry for a moment before Lnd nced at her and said. "I will allow you to prepare yourself in your chamber. I will ask Dinah to go serve you dinner and to get you some time to rest."
"Then you will proceed to head into my chambers tonight?" Sophie dared to ask. She tried not to waver but only politely asked.
Lnd did not actually intend to sleep with her tonight, but after contemting it and knowing that Sophie may have wanted to finish the transaction as soon as possible by sleeping with him tonight and then acting as if it never happened¡ then he was willing to do the request.
"Yes. Wait for me in your chambers tonight, I will visit you," Lnd said.
"Thank you, my lord." Sophie bowed.
"We may need to have you start calling me as your husband during asions that we need to present ourselves as a husband and wife," Lnd couldn''t help but say.
A part of him wanted to hear the wordse out from her lips and to look at him while Sophie was saying that. However, Sophie surprised him by nodding without even breaking a sweat.
"Yes¡ husband." Sophie spoke out without even a hint of change in her tone. She curtsied in front of him. "I will now go to my chambers and will see you shortly."
The Alpha only sighed slightly and felt severely disappointed in himself for even expecting that she would utter it with a tone that was filled with some love and affection.
Without another word, Sophie left Lnd alone in his chambers and the man would contemte their ''wedding'' with a hint of sadness. He looked at the parchment of the marriage certificate that did not even have his real name on it.
This was all meaningless to a lycan who formed marriage by pairing with their chosen mate. The Alpha did not care for a scrap of paper that was worthless to him¡ However, he was thinking about itter.
A mate bond with Sophie.
Soon, he would perform the mating bond with her.
The Alpha knew that he should be excited and thrilled because it was everything that he longed for¡ and yet this was not something he felt proud about.
He was going to make her his mate without even letting her know. She still thought this marriage was for convenience, not based on love.
Well... it''s one hundred percent true on her part. She didn''t love Lnd and only agreed to the marriage for her own convenience. However, it was different for the husband.
He loved her and wanted this marriage to be real. He would share his everything with her, including his strength, power, and wealth¡ except perhaps¡ his heart.
It would be embarrassing to have her feel his emotions and realize the truth about his feelings and devotion for her, while she didn''t feel the same way about him.
Sophie did not love him. All that Sophie thought of him was a duke who was marrying for her own personal interest... So, there was no need for gands, crystals, or even an actual wedding ceremony because, in Lnd''s eyes, this was not a true wedding.
***
Elsewhere, as Sophie was heading for her chamber, she found herself confused.
She didn''t expect much, but at least she thought there would be a small wedding ceremony officiated by someone. Didn''t Duke Romanov had felt an attraction to her and wanted to make her his wife?
However, on the contrary, Sophie came to realize that perhaps she was wrong. Maybe Sophie was just mistaken into thinking that Duke Romanov was attracted to her while all that he truly wanted was just a wife in name.
There were no grand chandeliers, beautiful lights, or even a wedding dress or a ceremony held for Duke Romanov''s guests and friends because the duke probably wanted it done quickly and without any hold up.
Sophie was happy that it was like this because it meant that she wouldn''tpare this wedding to the one that she had with Nichs.
She liked the simple and quick wedding Lnd prepared for them. However, what she was dreading at this hour was when the two of them would finally sleep together.
Sophie was not expecting anything nice, warm, or loving like the warm touches that Nichs would give her. Her husband had made her feel pleasure and joy unlike any other.
She was actually worried that Duke Romanov would hurt her.
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Hope you enjoyed the extra chapters. xx
Chapter 102 The Wedding Night (1)
Sophie sat on her bed, feeling distraught. During the wedding earlier, which barely felt like a wedding, she didn''t really feel anything. Her heart was numb. Her mind was also barely there.
She only thought about her revenge and how satisfied she was at seeing Aut Helga, Uncle Stefan, and her two cousins being dragged and embarrassed in public for their crimes. She kept focusing on that moment and nothing else.
That''s how her hand didn''t waver when she signed the marriage certificate. She knew that with Duke Romanov by her side, nobody would mess with her ever again.
Seeing how he could easily punish her aunt''s family in less than 24 hours, Sophie could imagine how influential this man was... and he was not even from this area. She suspected that in not so distant future, Duke Romanov would be even more powerful.
He had made a lot of efforts in navigating his way around the aristocrats in Riga. He went to the capital a lot, and he also said he needed Sophie to be his wife in name to help him socialize more with the other noblemen.
Sophie had stopped wanting to go back to Hauntingen as she nned previously. Before she decided to marry the duke, she nned to work for him for a month or two, and once she made some money and could no longer hide her pregnancy, she would run away and go back to Hauntingen.
She would live there and raise her child alone. Sophie could already imagine her life going forward. She would live a modest life and continue making a living by fishing, collecting mushrooms and berries to sell. She could also grow her own vegetables.
It would be a really simple life, but she would be happy since she was no longer alone. She would have her child with her. She would have a family.
It was not such a bad life. Even though she no longer had Nichs with her, his legacy would live on in their child.
Sophie already looked forward to her life back in Hauntingen. However, after she met Valerie again, and received insults and nder from her cousin without being able to defend herself, Sophie realized no matter how hard she tried to live in peace, bad people would always try to make her life difficult.
She finally had had enough.
Sophie knew Duke Romanov was interested in her, and he already asked her to marry him. He didn''t even care that she was pregnant with another man''s child. He was powerful and wealthy. And after staying in his castle for two weeks, Sophie could tell that he was not evil. At least, he was not evil to her.
Never once did he try to do anything inappropriate to her, even though her status in his castle was really low. Sophie had heard and witnessed many cases where the wealthy noblemen would harass their attractive servants, or worse... rape them. Such news always made her shudder.
However, Duke Romanov only gave her work and even paid for a tutor to help her do her job. He never asked her to apany him to drink wine until she was drunk and then took advantage of her.
He was polite, but distant. That made Sophie feel very safe around him. That''s why, when she was enraged and wanted to get her revenge, she instinctively went back to Wolfstone Castle and found the duke to make a deal.
She was willing to be his wife in name... and even sleep with him once, just to seal the deal, to prevent the marriage from bing null and void.
They did not really talk about how long she would have to be his wife, but for Sophie, it didn''t really matter. She didn''t n to remarry anyway.
This marriage to Duke Ariam Romanov would be herst marriage. So, if the man no longer needed her service, she would dly leave him and resume her life alone with her child.
If he needed her to be his wife for the rest of her life, that''s fine too. Sophie could at least get something out of this marriage of convenience.
She could at least give her child a good life. Duke Romanov promised to take care of her and her child. That was a good enough reason to stay.
Between getting her revenge and providing a better life for her baby... Sophie steeled her heart to go through with the wedding.
However... now that they would finally consummate their marriage... as she was sitting on her bed and thinking about how the process would unfold, her mind was filled with stress.
Could she... live with herself after doing this with Duke Romanov? Sleeping with him to seal the deal?
Wasn''t this something that a prostitute did?
Sophie suddenly felt so awful.
What made her different from a prostitute if she slept with a man she didn''t love just to get some benefits?
If Valerie and Lucia found out about what happened, they would mock her to no end and call her a whore, and this time they were not really wrong...
Tears started flowing down Sophie''s cheeks and after a while, they became uncontroble. Sophie cried in silence so despondently. She cupped her face with two hands to hide her sobbing sounds. Her heart broke and she felt so alone and defeated.
"I am sorry, Nic... I am so... sorry..." she whispered to herself as if Nic was standing beside her and judging her. "I have to do this..."
She had made a promise to Duke Romanov. Was she really that dishonorable that she wanted to back down now?
Her parents were dirt poor but they taught her to be kind and to have respect. Her beloved father would be so disappointed in her if he knew Sophie made a promise and broke it.
The thought finally gave her courage and she steel her heart again. Soon, Sophie wiped her tears roughly. She pulled herself together and took a deep breath. As she raised her head and looked up, she saw the windows to her right.
Should she open them and escape through the windows?
Sophie bit her lip and shook her head. No. She shouldn''t push her luck. She was now legally married to the duke. If she ran away and ruined his reputation, who knew what he would do to her?
He might not take it too kindly. What if he punished Sophie just like he punished her aunt''s family?
Sophie couldn''t care less about herself, but she would never let her child suffer. So, running away was not an option.
KNOCK KNOCK
Before she knew it, suddenly the door was knocked from the outside. Sophie was startled and pressed her chest. Her heart pounded so hard.
That must be him!
He came!
They would soon sleep together.
Uff... what to do?
"Sophia."
Sophie''s heart skipped a beat. That was Duke Romanov''s voice. He didn''t call her ''Miss Hansley'' like usual. This time he used her first name.
He actually called her Sophia, like what her mother used to call her, which was a bit weird, because Sophie didn''t remember ever telling him that her real name was Sophia, and Sophie was only what most people call her.
"Oh... I am so dumb." Sophie pinched herself when she suddenly remembered that she signed her name as Sophia Hansley in their marriage certificate earlier today. He must have read her full name there and used it now to call her. Perhaps... he wanted to get himself used to addressing her as his wife in public?
People would be suspicious if he kept calling her ''Miss Hansley'' in public after they got married.
"Sophia, are you already sleeping?"
His voice was heard again. This time, it wasced with slight worry.
Sophie realized that Duke Romanov must be worried and thought she already slept or pretended to be sleeping to avoid consummating their marriage.
She immediately got up and went to the door.
"My lord," Sophie greeted the duke after she opened the door for him. She looked up and saw the man towering before her. She only realized tonight that he was so much taller and bigger than her.
Was it because... she was afraid of him?
No... afraid was the wrong word. She was worried to offend him.
"You''ve been crying?" Lnd asked Sophie with a t voice.
He could see traces of tears on her cheeks and how the upper part of her dress was damp. It must be wet by her tears. That meant, she was crying.
Did she dread marrying him? Did she regret her decision?
Sophie didn''t say anything to respond to Lnd''s question. She did cry and she would not lie about it. So, she only lowered her head.
"Pleasee in," she said weakly.
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From Missrealitybites:
Something really bad happened yesterday and I couldn''t continue writing the chapter for Lnd''s and Sophie''s consummation. I, however, have the next scene ready.
Since I don''t want to ruin the story by writing a half-assed scene while I am feeling distraught, I hope you don''t mind if I fast-forward the scene and publish the next one.
Tomorrow, I will publish the continuation of their consummation scene and change the chapter sequence. The next chapter title would be "The Wedding Night (2)" and will be published when you receive the next publish notification.
Chapter 103 The Wedding Night (2)
Seeing her tears, Lnd suddenly didn''t want to continue with the n. How could he do such a thing with a woman who would only see this transaction as her ultimate sacrifice to give herself and her baby a better life?
She was already married to him and, in her mind, he was her husband. They could do the consummation whenever, after she was ready. It didn''t have to be tonight.
As long as she stayed in this castle and under his protection, nothing would happen to her. Right? Thest time, Sophie got into trouble because she left and met her evil cousins who pushed her to the river.
If Lnd could make sure she would be obedient and stay here... then they could postpone the consummation. From the corner of his eyes, he could see her body tremble slightly. She tried hard to hide her distraught and put up a strong front, but Lnd knew her well enough to know Sophie was really sad.
Ahh... if only he could tell her it''s okay to cry around him and talk to him, ask his understanding... he was not a stranger who wanted to take advantage of her situation. It was actually the opposite.
He wanted to protect her, care for her, and give her the world, everything she deserved, not only because he promised Anne, her mother, but also because he loved her. She was his first and only love. He only realized it after he saw her again in ckwoods... with Nichs.
From that moment, he had suffered lovesick, but he had to keep everything to himself because Sophie was a married woman. Besides, he had his mission. He had no time to grieve for unrequited love.
After he found Sophie again in Hasting, alone and suffering... he was tempted to open up and reveal his identity but eventually decided against it after a long and deep consideration.
One, he didn''t want to involve her in dangerous activity. At least, not until she was ready.
Second, he didn''t want her to feel awkward when she found out who he really was. To him, it was better to be a stranger to her but they could have a cordial rtionship, than having her avoid him.
Lnd could imagine how Sophie would feel betrayed because she was lied to by her parents and Lnd. And now the man wanted to have her to himself right after she lost her husband.
Not a good way to start a rtionship, if you asked him.
Lnd didn''t want Sophie to hate him or even act awkwardly to him after she knew the truth. He could wait.
"Wine?" Lnd walked to the table and raised the wine jug. "This is fruit wine. The alcohol level is really low and I believe doctors would say quite okay for pregnant women, but it will help you feel calmer."
Sophie bit her lip. She just realized that her new husband remembered that she was pregnant. She was now two months in and still not showing. She figured the servants in this castle must not yet know that she was married to their master while already being pregnant with another man''s child.
Was that the reason why he suggested they consummate their marriage as soon as possible? So, when the baby was born, he could still make people believe that it was his?
Sophie couldn''t think of any other reason.
"Th-thank you..." she said weakly. "Yes, please."
Lnd nodded. He poured wine into two cups and filled one with only half. He gave the cup to Sophie and sat on the chair. Then, he motioned Sophie to sit beside him.
The woman obeyed and sat with the wine cup in her hand. She was shaking. This reminded her of her wedding night with Nichs. They also drank expensive wine.
Nichs bought the best wine he could find in Hauntingen and shared wine from the same cup with his bride. He wanted to give her the best of everything. Sophie had never tasted a wine that good her whole life. She was not allowed to take expensive food and drinks when she was living at her aunt''s home.
The best food and wine she had ever tasted was at the school ball, where she went with Nichs. The man kept saying how the wine was so awfulpared to what he was used to drinking.
This made Sophie realize how her husband must havee from such a high-ss family, iparable to anyone she had ever met.
All the young noblemen in Hasting considered the wine served in the academy''s annual ball to be okay. That means... their taste was poorpared to Nichs''. She could imagine how much Nichs was used to with the finer things in life.
However, when they drank the wine after their wedding, Nichs told her that he had never tasted wine as good. Heter confessed that everything became good when he shared it with her.
"Ouch..." Sophie realized she just pinched herself for thinking about her wedding day with Nichs. Why did her mind wander?
It was rude to think about Nichs and their wedding, when she was with Duke Romanov, on their own wedding day.
Lnd noticed she pinched herself and wondered why she did that. He cleared his throat and pointed at Sophie''s cup. She had not touched her wine despite saying she wanted it.
"Do you not want it?"
"I... I do," Sophie''s mind returned to her body. She raised the cup to her lips and downed the wine in one go. She must gather her courage and finish this transaction as soon as possible.
Once she and Lnd consummated their wedding, she would be free. This was for the best, she told herself.
She actually could see the benefit of doing this tonight. They just got married and must sleep together to finalize the wedding ritual. This way their marriage would be legal and binding ording to thew.
If they didn''t sleep together tonight, the servants would talk. When Sophie''s baby was born, they would definitely know for sure that it was not their master''s flesh and blood.
Gossip would spread and, in the future, no matter what happened, people would talk that Sophie''s child was a bastard, or worse, they would use Sophie of being a loose woman, and the duke was scammed into the marriage.
The worst part of it? The child would grow up thinking s/he was a bastard.
"You seem in a hurry," Lndmented. "Do you want to get so drunk so that you can do it with me and don''t have to remember what happened by the next morning?"
Sophie suddenly choked. She coughed and rubbed the table to get something to drink. Suddenly a cup was raised to her mouth. Lnd gave her his cup and motioned her to just take his wine.
Sophie gulped the wine and mmed the cup on the table.
"Thank you..." she whispered. Then she turned to him. Her eyes were apologetic. "I am just nervous."
"Hmm..." Lnd knew she lied. "You know what? We don''t have to do this now."
"Huh?" Sophie''s eyes bulged at his casual words. Did he say they don''t have to do it now? Really? "Why?"
"I don''t want to sleep with a crying woman," Lnd said tly. "If you need more time, just let me know. I can tell the others that you are tired or unwell and we can do it when you are ready."
Sophie was tempted by the kind offer. If she could postpone the deed... should she take it?
No, she was only dying the inevitable.
If she waited... she would only torture herself more by the pending transaction. Maybe her heart would even waver if she postponed this.
And yes... this was a transaction. One that she must handle as soon as possible. So what if she got benefits from sleeping with the duke? Valerie and Lucia were now gone. They would not be able to insult Sophie over this.
"I am ready..." Sophie said. She hardened her heart and got rid of her husband''s face from her mind. She had to see this transaction through.
"You are not drunk enough..." Lnd said. "Maybe you want to drink some more?"
"N-no... I am fine," Sophie said. She was tempted by the wine. The duke was right. If she was drunk, she would not remember their sex. And she could pretend that it never happened.
However, she didn''t want to get drunk while pregnant. Even though the doctor said some wine intake during pregnancy was fine, she didn''t want to take risks. Her voice was calm when she finally spoke again. "Let''s do it now, my lord."
Lnd knew that she wanted to say, ''let''s do it and be done with it,'' but she was too polite. However, he understood what she actually meant.
"Very well..." Lnd poured wine into his cup and then finished it in one go. Then, he rose from his seat and reached out a hand to Sophie. "Let''s do it."
Chapter 104 The Wedding Night (3) **
Note:
Holly molly... thank you so much, dear Kelly Goodwin, for sending so many castles. Sorry, I was too distraught to say thank you yesterday.
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Lnd decided to do as she wanted. If she said they should consummate their marriage now, then they would do it.
Sophie touched Lnd''s hand he reached out to her. The moment their hands touched, he felt a shiver down his spine. This was the first time they held hands like this. To him, it was electric.
For a moment, he was stunned.
"My lord...?" Sophie''s voice moved him from his reverie. Lnd looked up from their hands and looked at the beautiful woman solemnly. Her big round eyes were really sad. The sight ached him.
How could he do this to her?
"I was just thinking of something," he lied. Lnd wanted to pull her close to his chest and hug her. He wanted to kiss her tears and calm her down. However, he instead pointed at the bed and motioned her to go there. "Undress."
Sophie felt her throat dry. Her body felt so tense and cold. She walked to the bed and slowly undressed. Meanwhile, Lnd went to blow the candles in all corners of the room.
He actually could do it from where he was, with a wave of his hand. However, he wanted to hide his capabilities in front of Sophie and pretended he needed to do it so that he could give her space to remove her clothes.
When he turned around, he saw the woman was already lying on the bed under the nket that covered all the way to her shoulders. Her clothes were folded nicely on the bedside table.
It was really dark now, with only a bit of light seeping through the windows. However, if Sophie didn''t cover herself with the nket, Lnd actually would still be able to see her naked body clearly.
He was a bit disappointed when she covered everything with the nket. He secretly desired to see what his mate''s body looked like, but Lnd immediately got rid of that feeling. He was crazily attracted to her and he didn''t know if he could keep holding back if she showed her naked body in front of him.
This was better, he thought.
Lnd started taking off his clothes one by one, calmly and almost without a sound. Sophie closed her eyes and tried to think about her old home in ckwoods, or her school... her old ssmates...
She must distract herself. This silence was deafening.
Sophie didn''t see how her husband looked without his clothes on. And she thought he also didn''t see hers. This made her feel slightly better.
However, she suddenly wondered if Duke Romanov took off his mask now that they would do it in the dark. It must not befortable to wear it while... they did the deed, right?
So, Sophie opened her eyes, out of curiosity, right at the same time when Lnd climbed the bed.
Ohh....! He took off his mask!
Sophie could only see his face faintly because of the minimal lighting. She couldn''t see how he looked but she could tell he was not wearing his mask because the shape of his head was different. She wanted to touch his face and feel how deformed it was that Duke Romanov felt the need to hide it from the world.
It must be really bad... but how bad?
Sophie met a man once who was born deformed too. Half his face was ck and covered with warts. It looked disgusting. But even he didn''t cover his face with a mask because it was ufortable.
So, Sophie was wondering how bad her husband''s face really was.
Before her mind wandered further, suddenly she felt his lips were on hers.
Lnd kissed her and sucked her lips eagerly. Then, his tongue slid through the small opening between her lips and ravaged her mouth. Sophie was taken by surprise and her eyes were open wide during the passionate kiss.
She didn''t expect Lnd to kiss her immediately, without saying anything. And then... she felt the nket was pulled from her body and reced by human skin.
Lnd''s big and burly body covered her entirely. She felt so small when the man pressed on her naked body. She was ready to be crushed under his weight, but to her surprise, that didn''t happen.
He leaned on his elbows and was careful not to let his weight press on her too much. Doing that took all his sanity. Lnd thought he had had it rough when he went through his training to be the alpha, under his father''s aggressive and cruel methods.
However... this was next level.
Sophie''s scent made him go crazy with lust. She had this distinct sweet smell on her, especially on the top of her head that could make Lnd feel intoxicated, more than any alcohol he had ever tasted. He wanted to keep sniffing her and get drunk by it.
And her skin... Oh, her skin was so soft and supple. Sophie had a smaller figure but she was blessed with killer curves.
Her body was slim but she had full and bouncy breasts and a plump butt. Especially now that she was pregnant, there was an unexinable glow on her that made her a thousand times more attractive than before.
And most importantly... she was now his mate. Even without touching her Lnd was already drawn to this woman. Now, with her being his mate, lying down naked under him, ready for him to take her... the man was filled with so much desire.
He wanted to make love to her all night long, satisfy her and hear her moan in pleasure... and perhaps even scream his name.
However, he realized, he was not supposed to do it. He kept reminding himself to focus on the objective of this consummation. He wanted to establish the mating bond.
Once they were one, he could feel relieved and more secure about her safety. Then, slowly... he would work his way into her heart, if that opportunity would someday present itself.
He removed his lips from hers and cleared his throat. Just now he got carried away and gave in to his desire... so, he kissed her.
Now, he was himself again. He should do this quickly, establish the mating bond, and leave. He should not be around her when he was aroused like this. He might be tempted to take more than what he was supposed to.
Sophie would hate him if he revealed the truth and she knew what he did. He couldn''t lie to her and say it was all needed to establish the mating bond. Once she was part of them, she would learn about their custom and know what was needed to be done for the mating bond to happen.
Lnd just needed to prate her and bit her in the shoulder when he came inside her. And then they would be one. She would have his mark on her, permanently, and nobody could see it except for other werewolves.
Even Sophie wouldn''t be able to see it since her lycan gene was very thin. Her children, however, would see it and they would know their mother was the alpha''s mate. Their lycan gene was much stronger than Sophie because their biological father was also a lycan.
Lnd realized if he followed his carnal desire and ravaged her all night long, like what his heart wanted, Sophie would know Lnd took more than what was needed and she would me him for being so heartless.
She would think he KNEW she was grieving for her husband''s death and had no choice to get protection but to give herself to him... yet he took advantage of her situation.
"Sophia... I will start now," he spoke with a hoarse voice. "Please bear with it. It won''t take long."
Sophie nodded weakly. She tried hard to hold back her tears from falling down but she failed. She just hoped her husband wouldn''t see that she was crying because of the darkness.
She didn''t know that as a lycan, especially an Alpha, Lnd had such great vision. He could see clearly every single tear that fell down from the corners of her eyes. Seeing her cry pained his heart to no end.
Dammit!
He lowered his hand and touched her thigh. He opened her legs under him and then touched her fold to make sure he got the spot correctly. He didn''t want to waste time and hurt her by positioning his manhood in the wrong ce.
Her fold was dry and she was shaking slightly under him. Lnd was forced to use his saliva to wet the area before he positioned his erect shaft on her fold and pushed his way in.
Sophie had been holding her breath and hiding her sobs when Lnd''s hand touched her fold and then she felt his hardness rubbing her private part. When his engorged penis entered her, she couldn''t help but let out a growl and nted her nails on his arms.
Lnd''s movement suddenly halted when her nails dug his skin. He looked at her face carefully, to see any signs of pain.
There was none. She was just surprised by his size and how he was now inside of her. Seeing that she was not in pain, Lnd breathed a sigh of relief. That was the only upside of Sophie being a non-virgin. She had experienced having sex before and was not in pain by pration.
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From Missrealitybites:
Writing this part is so damn hard. I hate that Lnd and Sophie are in this situation.
Chapter 105 Establishing Mate Bond **
It would be quick... Lnd kept telling himself. He was d to see Sophie was not in pain. He closed his eyes so he couldn''t see her beautiful face or her alluring naked body under him. His focus was solely on pration and uniting their bodies and souls into one.
After the initial shock, Sophie''s tense body started to rx. Her nails let go of his arms and she only grabbed them for support while he entered her deeper and then pulled out. Her fold slowly released her natural lubricant and made things easier for the both of them.
Lnd kept closing his eyes and started pumping in and out of her fold. All his life, he had never experienced such intoxicating pleasure and his mind screamed for more.
He wanted to kiss her all over, caress her body lovingly, outpour his passion and love for her alone and make love to her properly, not like... this.
He cursed himself for doing only the bare minimum but he really had no choice. He was thinking about the future. Sophie and he would have a future together if he started their rtionship properly AFTER she was ready.
Maybe it would happen after she finished mourning for herte husband. Perhaps, it would take months... or years, that''s fine. He was not in a hurry. She was already his.
After tonight, she was truly his mate.
Sophie bit her lip and also closed her eyes. She tried to empty her mind so she was not eaten by guilt toward Nichs. This is necessary, she told herself. Duke Romanov had helped her so much and now it was time for her to pay back his kindness.
He didn''t even ask much, just to consummate this marriage with him once. Quite generous, if you think about it. Could Sophie trust him to not demand her to sleep with him every night after they became husband and wife?
She focused on those thoughts while Lnd was pounding her. Now, her mind was filled with possibilities. What would happen after this?
What if he enjoyed having sex with her? If he wanted to have another taste? Would she give in and do her wifely duties... or should she just remind him of their agreement? Threaten him that she would leave if he didn''t keep his end of the bargain?
"Aahh..." a soft moan escaped her lips and both Lnd''s and Sophie''s hearts skipped a beat. Sophie immediately covered her traitorous mouth that had let out a moan of pleasure.
Her body seemed to have a mind of its own. No matter how much her heart hated this transaction, her body had its natural responses to pleasure.
And right now, what her husband was doing to her, even though it was only the bare minimum, was pleasurable. Her fold weed his size and adjusted ordingly when he pounded her. Her silky walls wrapped his shaft tightly as he entered her. His manhood throbbed uncontrobly at every thrust.
Both Lnd and Sophie felt pleasure during the intercourse, but each of them only wanted this to be over with as soon as possible. Sophie was so embarrassed by the sounds she made during sex which was out of her control.
Her breath was panting and even though she gritted her teeth, soft moans still escape her lips from time to time. And they made Lnd go crazy.
His arousal was so intense that he knew if he kept it for another five minutes, he would not want to stop. He tried to focus his mind on one thing only, that was to get his release. What she looked like, how her body felt, and the sounds she made were out of his mind. He only thought about establishing the mating bond.
He shouldn''t think about her alluring body, he must not listen to her sexy moans, he must not think about her soft skin and how bouncy her breasts were...
He was doing this to protect her. Sophie was too weak to care for herself and he took it upon himself to do the job, no matter what it takes.
He hoped, when the time came and he could tell her the truth, she would forgive him for doing this without informing her. He only made this decision after thinking about it for a long time.
"We are almost done..." his voice wasced with lust and somehow brought shivers to Sophie''s body. She didn''t know why, but she found his hoarse voice to be especially attractive.
She never really paid attention to his voice before when they spoke because they were never alone just the two of them and had an intimate conversation. Thest time was a few moments ago when they drank wine together to calm their nerves before they had sex, but it was not really intimate.
This time, she could hear his voice in her ear, and his lips actually brushed her earlobe when he spoke gently, letting her know that the ''transaction'' would soon be over. It felt especially intimate because he uttered the words in a husky voice and he was inside of her.
Sophie only nodded weakly while her body was moving in sync with his. So... would he cum soon? Sophie opened her eyes in anticipation.
Finally... this would be over.
She didn''t realize that she opened her eyes at the same time as Lnd. The man could feel his release wasing and he wanted to see her beautiful face when he did.
He wanted to remember this moment... because it might nevere again... being intimate with the woman he loved.
Sophie couldn''t see anything because of the dark, but Lnd could see her clearly. His eyes were droopy as he enjoyed her beauty and engraved the wonderful sight in his memory.
He kept pounding faster and faster, and when he finally got his release, he quickly went for her right shoulder and bit her hard, until two drops of blood fell down from her wound.
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From Missrealitybites:
Thank you for your continuous support for this book. Since we are still in the Top 10 Golden ranking, I will throw a mini mass release today. I will publish 4 more chapters all day (a total of 5).
As usual, we will keep the weekly goal for next weekend. If "The King''s Wife" stays in the Top 10 Golden Ranking, I will publish 5 chapters mass release on weekend, and if it went up to the Top 15, I will throw in 12 chapters mass release.
So, keep sending your golden tickets to this book. Luv ya! xx
Chapter 106 The Alphas Mate **
"Aahh..." Sophie was startled by his action and reflexively pushed him away from her body but Lnd was much, much stronger than her.
He pinned her hands above her head and continued the ritual. He suck the blood from her wound and pumped rapidly and finally... he released his seeds inside her. It was heavenly.
Now, they were one. A solemn feeling slowly filled his chest as the pleasure subsided. His body trembled slightly because he was overwhelmed with gratitude and love for this woman.
Mating was a blessing for all lycans. At this moment, they could bond with their mate, share joy and pleasure, and establish such a deep connection as a couple. Unfortunately, since Sophie was not really a lycan, her gene was too thin to feel that connection, only Lnd could enjoy the process.
Perhaps, if there was a next time, and they could mate again, he hoped they could both do it properly.
Now, Sophie must have thought it was just normal consummation between a newly-wedded couple to formalize their marriage. It was fine too. She would have way too many questions if she felt the striking difference from her previous experience. Lnd didn''t think she was ready for the truth.
He was right. Sophie couldn''t help but arch her back when her body was stimted by his rapid movements. Her breath was panting and she let out nonstop moans, even though they were really faint.
The pain in her shoulder was immediately reced by a sense of pleasure that was foreign to her when she was sent to a high ce. Did she orgasm just now?
Why did it feel different from what she experienced when she had sex with Nichs? The pleasure she received from his pounding mixed with the pain from his bite on her shoulder and gave her a weird but pleasant sensation.
She didn''t know that sex could feel this way.
Was this how the duke liked it? Did he enjoy ying rough? Sophie didn''t quite know how to feel about this. She didn''t dislike it but she also didn''t want her husband to treat her roughly during sex. More than this would not be okay for her.
When her panting breath finally subside, his body had stopped trembling and he had released all his seeds inside her womb. The deed was done. He could smell his scent all over her and he loved it so much.
This woman, this wonderful woman was his mate.
She was his and his alone.
Lnd closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling her sweet scent as much as he could, before he ended the intercourse. He could feel something different after he marked her permanently. He could feel... her feelings and emotions.
Right now, they were not the good ones. Her emotions were all over the ce. Sophie was shocked because he suddenly bit her and sucked some of her blood. Her mind was filled with fear that Lnd would take it further and hurt her physically to get pleasure.
Lnd was really bothered by her fear. He instantly rolled over from her body.
This was enough, he told himself. He had established the mate bond between them. It was time to go and let her rest. If he lingered and didn''t exin why he bit her during sex earlier, she would really assume that he enjoyed inflicting pain on his sex partner to reach pleasure.
He cleared his throat and said, "It''s done."
There was not a shred of emotion in his deep and dark voice. This actually made Sophie feel awful. He didn''t exin why he ended their intercourse that way. She bit her lip. She stopped herself from asking him about it because... it''s just a one-time thing, right?
After this, there would be no more sex involved in their marriage?
So... who cares if that''s how he enjoyed sex. He wouldn''t get it from her again. This would be the first and thest one.
"Y-yes..." Sophie said weakly. She wanted to touch her shoulder, but she was worried he wouldn''t like the gesture, so she decided to wait. She didn''t want to offend him.
Lnd could sense what she was thinking and knew she was now feeling ufortable with his presence. So, he reluctantly got up and got ready to leave. The man took his clothes from the floor and started getting dressed. He didn''t say a word, worried that his voice would just make her feel more ufortable.
What should he say anyway? Thank you? Sorry about the bite?
He was never really good with words, and of all the times, this was the moment where he didn''t want to mess up by saying the wrong things.
Once he was dressed, the man said, "Good night."
Then he left, not even giving her another nce.
***
Sophie watched Duke Romanov leave her room after sleeping with her. The man did not linger around for anything else. He performed the act of having sex with her without a hint of emotion on his face.
She covered herself with her nkets as she watched him leave, but that was unnecessary. The man never looked back at her that it made her feel as if she was invisible and that even having sex with her was nothing but one of his duties.
Sophie bit down on her lip. This was really the first and only time they would have sex... right?
Even though she wanted to forget about what happened just now, she couldn''t really get rid of the memory from her mind. She kept thinking about his hot breath on her face, his body on hers... and the one time he kissed her before he prated her.
She knew that she should be bothered about this. A normal man would have had at least shown an ounce of interest towards her but there really had been close to nothing on his gesture as if only the act mattered and nothing else.
***
Chapter 107 The Next Day
Lnd walked mindlessly toward his chamber, far away from Sophie''s. He felt a mix of emotions at the same time fill his chest. Relieved because he had sessfully established the mate bond with Sophie.
Sad because he could tell she dreaded the experience and felt ufortable around him after they did the deed.
Sadder because they did it when she was already pregnant. So, even though he came inside her, he couldn''t even hope for a possibility that she would be pregnant with his child.
Before he reached his door, Lnd''s steps were halted. He saw snow fall slowly from the sky. The moonlight illuminate each and every single snowke that caught his eyes. It looked really beautiful.
For a moment, he stood still, watching the snow. Suddenly, his heart was no longer feeling upset. He always loved snow because the falling snow actually reminded him of warmth.
Many years ago, when Anne Hansley found him trapped in a fox trap, wounded and scared, she could immediately tell the pup was not a regr wolf pup. Lnd would always remember the moment like it was yesterday.
Anne picked him up gently and carried him in her arms. Soon, her husband joined her from the woods. He brought a fat deer on his back. Anne was craving venison. She was heavily pregnant with Sophia and always craved many different things.
Most of the time, Jack would hunt the animals his wife wanted for food, or he would hunt more and sell the meat to Hauntingen and buy whatever it was that Anne craved.
They were dirt poor, and their house was just a small hut on the edge of the haunted forest, but they were happy, loving, and had the warmest home.
Anne loved watching the snow from her window, and she would put Lnd on herp to enjoy it together. Jack would work extra hard to chop firewood so his wife could still feel warm despite the cold.
This habit rubbed off on Lnd and he enjoyed seeing the white nothingness. It brought him a sense of calmness.
So, even until today, snow actually reminded him of warmth.
***
Sophie was dazed after Lnd left. She needed some time to pull herself together and then she climbed down her bed. Shaking, she washed up herself with a wet towel and then got dressed.
It was really cold, but her mind was too much of a mess to pay attention to the chilling temperature and the howling wind outside. She took a nightgown from the closet and covered herself with an extrayer of a wool sweater after she got dressed.
Finally, she went back to bed and covered herself all the way to her neck with the nkets, and tried to sleep. It took many hours before she finally could fall asleep.
While Sophie was sleeping, Lnd took off all his clothes and went outside. He stood still under the moonlight and let the snow fall down on his naked body.
It was like getting a cold shower to get his mind off of Sophie and their consummation earlier.
He needed this, otherwise, he would go crazy with lust.
***
On the next day, Sophie woke up when the sun was already high in the sky. She took a long time before she could get a wink of sleep and thus made her body feel so tired. She was embarrassed by this. Usually, she would wake up early and do so many things before the sun was even up.
Now, she felt like azy woman, still in bed at this hour. Sophie made her bed and changed her clothes to go to the dining room for breakfast, She hoped Duke Romanov had gone out or was busy so they didn''t have to see each other in the dining room. It would feel awkward.
She tried to pretend thatst night didn''t happen but it was so damn hard. She couldn''t get rid of the memory from when she had sex with Duke Romanov.
When Sophie finally came out of her room, she saw Dinah was waiting for her outside with a bright face, She seemed to be in a really good mood. Dinah was happy Sophie finally mated with their alpha. She was now their luna, even though it was not yet announced in the pack officially.
The female lycan thought it would be beneficial for her to have a good rtionship with the luna. So, she was determined to serve Sophie as well as possible,
"Mydy, would you like to have breakfast in your chamber?" Dinah asked politely.
"Oh¡ Can I?" Sophie asked reluctantly. "I mean¡ what about Duke Romanov? Has he eaten breakfast?"
"Yes, mydy. He is currently very busy with other affairs. So, he already had breakfast and went out," Dinah replied.
"I see," Sophie nodded. "Well, then, I would like to eat here."
"Okay, we will bring the food here," Dinah said. She went out and returned not long after with piping hot food and a pot of tea. Sophie ate mindlessly. She didn''t have an appetite but she forced herself to eat something to give nutrition for her child.
The perception Sophie had about Duke Romanov slowly began to change after that because even though the two of them did it, it never felt like Duke Romanov and she were truly husband and wife.
When Sophie expected to be brought for any specific event rted to nobility just as the man once told her, she would find herself alone in the castle with only Duke Romanov heading into the capital or other social gatherings.
Dinah was always around and as always, remained her steadfast friend¡ but the treatment towards Sophie also changed. Everyone looked at her with reverence since she was now Duke Romanov''s wife.
However, Sophie was truly unaware that it was because they could now tell that she was officially the Luna of the Blood River Pack. The mate of their Alpha and to whom they would serve and respect.
After their consummation, the duke almost never spent alone time with Sophie. He was always busy. Unaware and curious about where Duke Romanov was and why he was extremely busy and even distant, Sophie found herself wondering about the man far more than she wanted to.
Chapter 108 My Wealth Is Yours Too
Note:
Thank you Lee E, for gifting a castle to this book yesterday. I am grateful for your support. ^^
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Sophie''s marriage to Duke Romanove was supposed to be an arrangement because she asked for his help. However, she found herself feeling confused.
Duke Romanov was unlike any man she had ever met before because she could not read his mind or understand him. Sophie thought she understood his motivations towards her, but she was proven wrong.
When Duke Romanov was actually around and they happened to be in the same room, the great banquet hall, for example, the man was polite¡ but still distant.
Lnd treated Sophie with the amount of respect that a Luna of their pack would truly have and this would in turn influence the members of his pack to do the same.
In Sophie''s eyes, as she watched the duke pull out and offer her a chair during dinner, the man was more gentle than ever. This was the first time they met again after¡ that night.
She thought she would be embarrassed and couldn''t look him in the eye, but she was wrong. His casual attitude quickly put her to ease. Duke Romanov acted as if nothing happened and Sophie thanked him inwardly.
She wouldn''t know what to do if the duke suddenly changed his attitude toward her after they had sex once.
If he looked at her with lust, or spoke to her intimately because they had been intimate before¡ she would feel awkward.
She remembered after Nichs and she had sex for the first time, the connection between them went up several notches and immediately they felt such closeness for each other. She no longer felt shy or awkward being around him, even without clothes on.
But it''s different with Duke Romanov. What happened between them was a transaction and no feelings were involved.
At least on Sophie''s side. She secretly prayed that it was the same for the duke. She hoped he didn''t grow feelings for her.
Lnd looked at Sophie with a t expression. He could feel what she was feeling and he understood what she wanted. She hoped her new husband would pretend that the sex never happened and make no mention of it whatsoever.
Fine. Of course, he didn''t want to make her feel ufortable. The thought must be bothering her so much that she didn''t even realize that he already pulled out a chair for her.
"Please take a seat, Sophia," Lnd softly said. He pointed at the chair.
"Oh¡ th-thank you¡" Sophie nodded absent-mindedly. She thanked him and sat on the chair. The man sat back on his chair and started his dinner. Servants quickly and efficiently served the sumptuous dishes, wine for the duke, and fruit wine for Sophie. They ate in silence.
This time, Sophie was grateful for the silence. She dread talking to him after they did the deed. She needed more time to get over it and act casual again around him. The man, however, didn''t seem to have problems with her reluctance to speak.
Actually¡ he seemed like he understood what she was wanted. Sophie ate her food and stole a nce at the man beside her who ate without a sound.
He was wearing that ck leather mask again. Usually, Sophie was not really curious to know how badly disfigured his face was, but afterst night when he took it off for the first time around her, she slowly felt intrigued.
What did he look like under that mask? Was it really bad? Couldn''t he just let it out in the open? Perhaps, it''s not actually that bad, but he just hated his face so much that he didn''t want other people to see it? That happens too.
Lnd who was sipping his wine could feel his mate stealing nces at him and he wondered if he should confront her about it?
Was she curious to see him without his mask? He knew she thought he was ugly or disfigured because that was the story people heard about the original Duke Ariam Romanov.
Lnd didn''t n to show himself anytime soon. His face would have toe with his story and right now he didn''t think she was ready to ept the whole truth.
Sophie was currently pregnant and recently lost the man she loved. If he burdened her with so much stressful information, she would feel upset and it could affect her pregnancy.
Human females were much weaker than lycan females, so he must tread carefully during this delicate time in her life.
Lnd was physically strong and Sophie would share his strength when she needed it, but mental wise? No. Sophie would have to be stronger mentally on her own. Lnd could only help her by not adding to her stress.
Finally, he decided to feign ignorance, acting as if he didn''t realize she was stealing nces at him.
When dinner time was over, he got up from his chair and told her he needed to do some work.
Sophie rose quickly and said she would resume doing the bookkeeping work too since that was the reason she stayed in this castle in the first ce.
"You still want to do the bookkeeping work?" Lnd raised a brow. He thought Sophie would understand by now that the job didn''t really exist. He only created it so he could have an excuse to keep her by his side.
"Uhm¡ yeah¡ don''t you need me to do the bookkeeping, my lord?" Sophie asked innocently. "I still hope we can keep our work agreement so I can make extra money for¡"
For my baby, but she didn''t say it aloud,
Lnd shook his head. "Why would you need extra money for your child? Is my wealth not enough?"
"Huh?" Sophie didn''t understand where the duke was heading with his question.
"You are my wife. My wealth is yours too," Lnd exined as a matter of factly. "If you need money or anything, you can ask me. You don''t need to work to make money."
There was a finality in his voice that made Sophie feel like it was rude to ask him more questions and talk back.
,m .
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From Missrealitybits:
SWOON! I love men who say these words "my wealth is yours too" or "my money is your money" to their women. I think it''s sexy. What about you?
PS: I will publish more today. Sorry, I overslept XD.
Chapter 109 [Bonus Chapter] Is Duke Romanov No Longer Interested In Sophie?
The duke added, this time his words were spoken more slowly, to emphasize his intent, "However, if you want to do any work because you are bored and need something to do, you can do bookkeeping or whatever."
At that, Sophie felt at a loss for words. She wanted to ask what he meant by his statement, but she was too shy to speak for fear she misunderstood him.
Perhaps, he meant to say that he would be responsible for her livelihood, together with her child, and that she didn''t need to worry about her needs.
He didn''t really mean to say that his money was her money now, did he? It was too absurd.
She was just his wife in name, a trophy even, to bring out to social events that required him to bring a partner. Even a full wife usually didn''t have entitlement over their husband''s wealth.
Their roles were just to serve their husband in bed and in his day-to-day life, raise their children, and manage the servants at home. Noblemen''s wives usually were not educated to manage money anyway.
They just needed to look good and understood basic stuff about managing the allowance provided for them by their husbands.
"Do you understand me?" Lnd could feel her confusion and decided to talk to her about it. "You don''t have to work for money. I have enough money to support our family even for generations toe. If you decided to do the bookkeeping so you would know how much wealth we have, feel free to continue, but it''s no longer a job."
He smiled faintly under his mask when Sophie''s eyes bulged in shock. She couldn''t believe her own hearing but her husband actually repeated the information twice now and there was no mistaking it¡ he did say that his money was her money too.
? "I¡ I understand," Sophie bobbed her head. She had been poor all her life and she understood what money could bring to someone''s life, so of course, she wouldn''t pretend that she didn''t like money.
In fact, now that she would have a child, who would need money to raise, she liked having money even more than before.
"Good." Lnd didn''t prolong the issue. He turned around and continued walking out of the dining hall, toward his study to do some work. Sophie stood rooted in her spot, watching the man''s back view until he disappeared from sight.
He was like an enigma to her. It''s hard to understand him and his motivations. Finally, Sophie decided to go to her chamber and think.
***
Days went by and things were back to how they were before the wedding. Sophie decided to follow Duke Romanov''s advice to only do the bookkeeping because she wanted to find something to keep her busy. Especially because the duke was often away and she felt lonely in the castle.
Sophie also felt sluggish if she didn''t do any work and she thought doing the bookkeeping helped her mind stay sharp. She could also slowly check and assess how much wealth her husband actually had.
Even after three days, she still had not done checking and ounting for so many properties and assets. There were so many of them...
And he said these were hers too¡?
Sophie still couldn''t believe it. It felt surreal.
***
It was dinner time and Sophie was once again dining with just Duke Romanov. They ate in silence again, as usual, but after half an hour, she realized she had not talked to anyone all day and it felt really lonely.
Sophie bit on her lip and decided to ask him a question about his whereabouts and why he was not taking her anywhere.
Didn''t this man say that Sophie was going to be an asset towards helping him be more well-epted in the noble society of Riga? Then why wasn''t he taking her anywhere? Did the duke change his mind? Was it all actually a lie?
"Something is on your mind." Lnd pointed out as he ate his food. The Alpha could feel the burning emotions of curiosity in Sophie''s mind and he raised a brow to look at her.
"...I am simply curious when you''ll start bringing me to social events, your grace," Sophie told the man. She didn''t say anything else and didn''t even actually know what to call him right now in the eyes of his own people.
"Do not worry about those things," Lnd said. His gazended on her and he shrugged slightly. "Right now, most would expect that we are on our honeymoon so there is no need for you to rush out and mingle with other people except for me."
Sophie''s eyes widened for a moment. She didn''t expect that such a thing would dictate as to whether she appeared in polite society or not, but the duke happened to be right. She didn''t want to admit it aloud that she wondered about his presence.
"Is there anything else¡?"
Sophie chewed on her lip and shook her head. "No, thank you for answering my inquiry, my lord."
She would never purposely ask the man to stay with her or do anything with her, but she really was curious if the man truly did not want to engage in any activities with her whatsoever.
Didn''t Duke Romanov say he was interested in her before? What happened now? Did Sophie lose the man''s interest now that she was his wife?
Did he not enjoy the sex they did once? Not that she wanted him to approach her again for sex¡ It''s just that... she thought he would at least show some struggle to avoid suggesting intimacy. At least that''s what most normal men would do.
How could he sleep with her once and not even show any desire afterward? Was Sophie really that unattractive in bed?
He said he was interested in her before they got married but now that they had slept together, he no longer showed any interest.
Such questions bothered her in such a way, unlike before.
Lnd noticed that Sophie''s feelings began to be conflicted because she was bothered with two opposing ideas and the man wished to alleviate that.
The Alpha purposely kept himself busy with countless activities so he could remain in control of himself, but seeing her feel a bit irritated with herself made him want to do something for her.
"Come with me to my study after dinner," Lnd told her.
Sophie''s eyes widened for a moment and she looked at him. It was impossible to tell what the man was thinking at all and yet somehow he did the exact thing that she wanted him to do.
Invite her somewhere.
Did he read her mind?
Regardless of the duke''s actual intentions as to why she was being requested to head to the study with him, Sophie nodded and said yes. She didn''t know what he wanted to do in the study at all but now she started to eat a bit faster so the two of them could get there faster.
Curious about what would happen once they go there.
A part of Sophie might even say she was actually looking forward to the visit to his study and heard what he had to say to satiate her curiosity.
"Will do, my lord," Sophie replied respectfully.
"Hm." Lnd nodded. He sipped his wine and didn''t say anything. Silence resumed in the dining hall and they finished the dinner without another word.
Chapter 110 Outdoor Conversation
Lnd took Sophie to the balcony in his study not to talk with her or anything, but to let her have a fresh breath of air and rx. This was one of the things that he actually liked to do even when he was still in the pack.
There were countless stars out in the dark night sky and a chilly breeze blew past them. It was actually quite beautiful.
Sophie hadn''t exactly expected that the two of them would be going out of the castle so she ended up feeling a bit cold and exposed to the winds.
However, before she could say something and ask the duke''s permission to go back and fetch an additional coat, a thick fur coat was suddenly draped around her shoulders.
"Here," Lnd said.
She looked up to him and saw that he would once again be wearing little despite the freezing temperature. Sophie did, however, feel the man''s warmth in his coat. She swallowed for a moment and asked.
"What are we doing here, my lord?"
The Alpha nced idly at her and then found himself attracted to the sight of the woman just standing beside him with his coat across her shoulders.
He had made it his new habit to wear something warm just in case she would need it from him. The cold never bothered him and before he was reunited with her, Lnd didn''t like adding extrayers to his body.
The pack members who often went with him must have noticed the change and they could tell he started wearing coats because of Sophie.
The coat was too big for her, even though it was only draped around her back. She looked incredibly small while wearing it and he was dumbfounded for a moment.
Lnd inwardly refocused himself and then forced his gaze up at the stars. Compared to the sight of them twinkling beautifully in the night sky, they all seemed pale when he was standing right next to Sophie.
"Based on your questions earlier, I considered that you may have found staying here inside of the castle as suffocating," Lnd told her. "It is, after all, small and the walls can make you feel a bit trapped, isn''t it?"
Sophie shook her head rapidly and thought she had offended him. How could she sound so ungrateful that the man assumed she thought his residence was small and suffocating?
The beautiful woman gushed, "No! Not at all, the castle is very huge and spacious¡"
"But you wish to go out?" Lnd looked at her.
It was a question that stunned Sophie but she could see how the duke may havee to a conclusion that she did not wish to stay in the castle at all. All her questions were actually about going out for social gathering events, to fill her purpose, not because she felt suffocated behind the castle walls.
Sophie chewed her lip for a moment and lowered her head. She was lonely even though she was surrounded by many servants and she hated the feeling.
She thought she was being ungrateful for evenining about it inwardly. Her life was really good here. She enjoyed delicious and expensive food every day. She slept in the best quality bed and now she even had a full closet of pretty dresses.
She didn''t know how the duke could prepare everything she needed before she even asked for it. Perhaps¡ it was prepared by Dinah? But still¡ a servant wouldn''t even think about what thedy of the castle needed. And the quality of the dresses was the best Sophie had ever seen.
It seemed, her husband-in-name really spared no expenses to provide nice things for her. She had not had a chance to thank him for them because things had been slightly awkward the past few days after¡ the deed, and she wanted to avoid talking with him.
"I am just wondering why you never took me to social events that you attended," Sophie spoke honestly. "Do you no longer need me for the role, my lord?"
She looked at him curiously. Wasn''t that the agreement? He asked her to marry him because he needed his trophy wife for the social events, yet not once had he brought her with him. These contradictions, one after another made her feel confused.
He said he needed a wife for the social events, but he didn''t take her to those events after they got married. He also said back then that he was interested in her, but now that she was his wedded wife, he kept her at arm''s length, didn''t even show an ounce of interest in her anymore.
Again, she didn''t wish for him to desire her, she didn''t want him to lust over her and demand them to have sex, breaking their agreement in the process. No, she was just confused and didn''t know how to respond since the man had been unpredictable in all aspects.
Meanwhile, Lnd was d they mated and he could feel all her desires, worries, and confusion. It helped him a lot in taking care of her needs and alleviating her worries.
"I told you that I am not in a hurry and people would just assume we are still on honeymoon," Lnd reminded her. "I guess my answer is not good enough for you."
It''s true. The excuse was not good enough for Sophie after she thought about it again. Couples on honeymoon would spend their time together, yet Duke Romanov went ces without Sophie. She started feeling that something was not right.
It was either she was no longer needed for the role, or Duke Romanov intentionally avoided her. But why? Was there something about Sophie that suddenly turned him off?
Sophie was really smart, Lnd smiled to himself. It was not easy to fool her.
He did avoid her as best as he could, but¡ not because he was no longer interested in her.
It was actually the opposite. He was crazy about her and being around Sophie without being able to do anything was pure hell.
Lycans were one of the most passionate creatures. They were loyal, fiercely possessive, and protective of their mates. After Lnd and Sophie mated, his desire for her burned even more intensely than before.
Her scent, her voice, her gesture, everything about her made him want to devour her and make love to her for days on end, venting all the desire he had been keeping for her all this time.
Acting casually or distant in front of her was hard work and emotionally draining. So, Lnd preferred to just keep his distance and find things to keep him upied.
How long would he keep this up? He had thought about this carefully and he decided that he would exin everything to her once he avenged her family.
He couldn''t tell it to her sooner because this secret woulde together with the fact that he tricked her into bing his mate by pretending that, as Duke Romanov, he needed a wife-in-name for his social standing.
Would she take it well? Perhaps not.
However, once he could make sure that she had epted him, Lnd would have peace of mind and he could share with her everything she needed to know.
Right now was not the time. He could tell from her reluctance and difort that a secret this big would only make her upset.
Being her mate, Lnd could feel what she was feeling and understand her mind. At this moment, she needed space and security. That''s all.
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From Missrealitybites:
I have written the chapter where Sophie started falling for Lnd and it''s so damn beautiful (I am not biased just because I write this story... bahaha). I really can''t wait to go there and publish that chapter for you to read.
Unfortunately... we have to follow the proper sequence and bear with the chapters before that one.
Chapter 111 Sophies Request
Sophie cleared her throat and said honestly, "I am just a bit confused if I am still needed or not."
Lnd nodded slightly. "You are. Don''t worry about it. I am just not in a hurry."
Sophie looked up at the man''s side profile and tried to read him. Unfortunately, she didn''t know him well enough to understand him.
He was still an enigma for her.
"Very well¡" She couldn''t argue and finally just epted his words.
They stood still on the balcony watching the view outside. The moon was bright and the stars were aplenty. They could actually see the garden from here. And suddenly¡ snow started falling again.
The atmosphere turned solemn all of a sudden. Sophie immediately remembered her mother who loved sitting by the window and enjoyed the sight of the falling snow in winter.
She would put little Sophie on herp and tell her stories while her father made sure the fire in the firece would keep burning to warm up his beloved girls.
And when Lee was still around, he would curl up like a ball by Anne''s feet. It was one of many beautiful childhood memories that Sophie treasured in her heart.
Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks.
She missed her mother so badly. It''s been almost nine years since she lost both her parents. She thought she had been strong and could move on with her life without her parents. However, tonight she felt a deep longing for them¡
Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she stayed with them on that fateful day¡ Would she die together with her parents?
It would have been a weed death, to die with her loved ones. She didn''t have to suffer so much for so many years afterward.
Lnd pressed his chest when he felt her sadness.
Sophie''s longing and devastation were too intense for him. He missed her parents too. To him, they were the sweetest and kindest people in the world.
He turned to Sophie and saw her side profile, she was looking up at the moon, with tears slowly streaming down her cheeks.
He badly wanted to pull her into his embrace and hug her tightly, share this pain and longing with her.People said shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half sorrow.
However, he had to hold back. If he hugged her, it would only negate his efforts in keeping her at arm''s length.
Lnd clenched his fists to the sides and stopped himself from hugging her. He could only share her sadness in silence.
They stood like that for who knows how long.
"My lord¡?" Sophie finally pulled herself together and decided to speak with the duke. She wanted to ask his permission to go out. She needed to distract her mind and find something nice to do so she wouldn''t feel so lonely.
"What is it?" Lnd asked.
Sophie bit down on her lip and looked at him shyly.
"I would like to ask for permission to leave the castle and go on a short trip. Would it be okay with you?"
"Where?" Lnd asked her. He was not surprised by this request because he knew Sophie wasn''t the type to be cooped up around the house for so long.
Sophie still had some of the money she earned from when she was still an employee at the castle and now that she wasn''t worried about her child''s future, she actually wanted to do something for herself with that money.
"I was thinking about going to Redgrave. It''s a nearby town that''s just an hour away from here. I hear that they have a small festival happening."
,m Sophie exined as she remembered the holidays she learned at Cawden Academy. She didn''t want to encounter her rtives if she had a choice and the idea of going somewhere else was fun. It would be a nice distraction.
"A festival?"
"I will bring Dinah with me if you would allow us to leave," Sophie said. "Once my child is born, I will not be able to go out much. So, I wish to do so while I can."
The Alpha could easily say yes to the request and send his best men to apany her, but instead of saying that, Lnd''s lips said something else. "I will apany you."
"You will?" Sophie blinked.
"...I have business in that town," Lnd said with a shrug.
The Alpha didn''t lie. His business was protecting his mate.
Lnd wanted to apany Sophie himself than just simply have her be with a maid and assign a dozen lycan guards on her because he wanted it to be him.
The next thing that Sophie knew, she and the duke were already in a carriage together and heading for Redgrave. It was an odd thing to consider but she found herself a bit more nervous than ever to be alone with him.
"Are you alright, Sophie?" Lnd asked.
Sophie batted her eyshes and looked at him in surprise. "Alright?"
"Is the carriage going too fast or slow for you?" The Alpha asked. He cleared his throat and stared down at her stomach and he thought he almost saw a bump forming. "I understand your pregnancy may require more gentle traveling¡"
"Oh." Sophie touched her stomach and felt her cheeks be hot. "Thank you, my lord. I am alright. A week or two of traveling seems too arduous for a pregnant woman, but this is only an hour away."
"Then that''s good." Lnd nodded briskly and then turned to look out the window. The Alpha surveyed the area and kept it to his memory. All of these would prove useful in the future so he kept it all close to the mind.
Sophie was usually confident and even when faced with her ssmates who came from wealthy and even noble families, she did not bat an eye at them and treated them as her equals.
However, Duke Romanov was now technically her husband and just being around him made Sophie feel a tad more nervous than she had ever been with other people.
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From Missrealtybitesm:
Yes! Finally quality time between Sophie and Lnd!
Chapter 112 Sightseeing The Town Festival
Duke Romanov was now technically her husband and just being around him made Sophie feel a tad more nervous than she had ever been with other people. It could be because she had been intimate with him.
She knew what it felt like to be lying beneath the man while she was in bed with him, how his taut muscles had been¡ Sophie felt her face suddenly flush. She didn''t want to admit it aloud but when she did look at him, she realized how outstanding his physique was.
Sophie didn''t want topare it to Nichs, but Duke Romanov was more burly and muscr. If she could associate Nichs with the word graceful, then, Duke Romanov was the definition of strength.
Even though she wanted to forget the memory of them sleeping together, today, it came back and became more vivid than before. Seeing him sitting upright beside her, looking outside the window, Sophie''s mind went back to their wedding night.
She thought he would act like an animal when they had sex and crush her in bed, but she was wrong. He was very careful and even apologetic. Now that she thought about it again, Sophie realized the man might have been holding back when he had sex with her.
Was that true? Did he wish to do more to her but he stopped himself from doing that? He did bite her in the end... was that how he was in bed when he had sex with other women before her?
All these questions and the fact that he confused her with his change in attitude made Sophie feel a lot more conscious around him. She didn''t want to make the wrong move or say the wrong things.
Sophie was moved from her reverie when suddenly, Lnd reached for something in his coat. He pulled out a small pouch and gave it to Sophie. He cleared his throat and said, "Since you''ve asked to go here in the town, here is some money that you can spend with your maid."
"Ah¡ why thank you," Sophie epted the money pouch and her eyes widened when she saw how much was inside of this. In her eyes, it was too generous while Lnd was actually thinking the money was too little.
Sophie looked at Lnd, looking grateful. She asked him, "Are you sure?"
Lnd resisted the urge to chuckle but nodded. "Yes¡ since I will be preupied, I cannot simply let my wife just stroll about the festival without actually enjoying herself."
His wife.
The way that Duke Romanov said it was with such a rxed and normal tone that Sophie found that it sounded so natural. This made her feel like she had always been married to him. The thought made her face flush again.
Sophie was actually about to ask something that may make her sound like she wanted to be around him, but the truth was she only said it out of politeness. It would have been rude not to offer.
"My lord, if your business here in the town is finished quickly¡ would you like to join me with sightseeing the festival?" Sophie asked the duke politely. "I am quite sure that we can enjoy some sights together."
Lnd''s heart skipped a beat as he looked at her with shock, but then he nodded. "Yes, I think that if my meeting finishes shortly then I can join you for a stroll. Though I must tell you that I am not fond ofrge groups of people."
"Oh, please don''t worry about it." Sophie smiled at him. "We''ll head for quieter and less crowded areas so you won''t feel ufortable."
"I wouldn''t mind going to noisy ces for the experience though," Lnd said. He wouldn''t miss his chance to be with her and he knew for a fact that his business was actually just¡ watching her from afar.
The Alpha made a decision to guard Sophie for an hour or two without letting her know so she could enjoy herself with her maid, Dinah. Then Lnd would take the opportunity toe join them after his ''affairs'' in the town were finished.
***
"Ah, human¨CI mean Riga festivals!" Dinah said aloud with a hint of surprise. "They''re so crowded and noisy. Are you sure that you want to be here, mydy?"
"Yes!" Sophie eximed with a smile on her face. "Yes, I am."
The festivities in the town of Redgrave were enough to cause the lycans to feel a bit confused because while each pack did have its own ceremonies, gatherings, and asions¡ It was unlike humans.
Lycans were actually less dense and fewer in number per pack. The rare moment when lycans banded together was when there was a Lycan King, an Alpha King who could actuallymand several packs.
So, the sight of seeing so many people in one ce was odd to the more nomadic lycans.
,m Sophie''s eyes were sparkling though as she exchanged a look with Dinah. "Where should we go first?"
Humans enjoyed events, where numerous stalls were ced alongside the roads, new sights, music, and scents, were avable for everyone to pay attention to and one could see the road bustling with people.
All of them were strangers and did not know each other as well as lycans who stayed in one pack, but they were all festive and merry. The lycans apanying the Alpha and the Luna found themselves culture shocked.
Before Sophie knew it, she was already having such a fun time with Dinah that she didn''t notice how much time was passing as they strolled from one stall into another.
With the money pouch that Duke Romanov gave her, they bought a lot of hot piping snacks, tried out games and challenges, and watched other people perform.
There was a bright smile on Sophie''s face as they went through each of these activities. When she was in Hastings, it had always been her cousins who enjoyed particr festivals and she could only watch.
Now Sophie was experiencing it all for herself.
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From Missrealitybites:
It''s nice to see Sophie is having fun!
Chapter 113 Date With Leland
Note:
Thank you, Despina, for gifting a castle to this book yesterday! xx
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"Would you like to eat something else, Dinah?" Sophie held out a meat skewer to the maid who was surprised that their Luna was eating so ravenously. The two of them had been eating so much food that even the female lycan was satisfied and satiated.
"No, I''m full, ma''am." Dinahughed a little and shook her head. She looked at Sophie curiously. "I''m surprised that you''re eating more than me. It''s like you''re eating for two people or even three!"
Sophie''s face heated up. It was technically true that she was eating for at least two people when she was pregnant but it seemed like Duke Romanov didn''t share it with the people in his household.
Why would he even share the fact that Sophie was pregnant until theter term?
The child wasn''t even Duke Romanov''s, so it would only make Sophie look even stranger in the eyes of his people if they figured out that she had conceived a child with another man prior to marrying the duke.
But unlike the other maids and servants, Dinah was a constant presence for her past time in the Duke Romanov''s household that Sophie realized that sooner orter, the maid would also eventually figure it out.
Wasn''t it better to let her friend and maid know in advance?
"You know Dinah, I usually would keep this for myself but I have to tell you something." Sophie drew closer to the maid and whispered in her ear. I''m actually pre¡ª"
BUMP!
"Ahh...!"
A child bumped into Sophie roughly and stopped the woman from speaking as she kept her bnce. He coughed and quickly moved past the two women and started to blend in with the crowd. "Excuse me."
Sophie blinked at the same time that Dinah''s eyes narrowed immediately and she growled. "That brat stole your purse. I''ll go retrieve it, mydy."
"Wait, what?" Sophie''s eyes widened but then her maidservant, Dinah immediately darted through the crowd with agile footsteps and suddenly she disappeared through the sea of people to chase after the young thief.
Sophie presumed that she was left alone and would have also started to chase after Dinah and the thief if it weren''t for the fact that she couldn''t exactly strain herself to move too much.
"Uff¡ I''m sure that Dinah will juste back for me," Sophie also happened to know where their carriage was parked so it wasn''t that big of a problem for her. Not knowing what to do however, she began to sightsee at the nearby stalls.
There were actually some masks on disy for the festival that were on sale. All of them were made from different materials, colors and even designs. None of them were exactly precious but they attracted the eye.
Sophie gingerly picked one up and realized that it was nothing like the masks that Nichs once lent to her and neither was it the dark leather mask that Lnd actually wore. However, Sophie still smiled.
This mask was wooden but had been painted with a pink color and beautiful vani stripes. It was such a pretty color and actually meant for a woman to wear and Sophie held it up into the air to look at its design underneath the sun.
That was the exact moment that Lnd came after Sophie. He took advantage of the fact that Dinah finally left so he could spend alone time with his mate without alerting her or making it too suspicious if he sent the female lycan away.
Sophie''s eyes bulged for a moment at the sight of Duke Romanov''s face now appearing as if he was wearing the pink mask that she was holding up. For once, in her eyes, there was no ugly ck leather mask on his face. A small chuckle escaped her lips even as the duke finally stood at her side.
"Is there something funny on my face?" Lnd couldn''t help but ask. He raised a brow and was actually happy that Sophie was smiling because he could feel the warmth of her happiness in his chest.
It was everything that he could ask for right now.
Sophie ced down the mask back into the stall and sheepishly smiled. She bowed a little and then shook her head. "No, no. Not at all. I am just pleased to see you, my lord."
That was until Sophie realized that her money pouch was missing.
She calmed herself down and smiled at him. The duke wouldn''t know that her pouch got stolen if he only arrived so it was up to Sophie to make sure that he didn''t know and hopefully Duke Romanov wouldn''t ask about the whereabouts of Dinah.
Luckily for Sophie, Lnd wouldn''t even ask about the female lycan.
Instead, Lnd offered his mate an arm and said, "Since it seems that your maid has left you or you sent her to an errand, I will apany you until then and make sure that you do not stumble or trip while we''re here."
"O-oh," Sophie batted her eyes at the man''s arm and realized he was offering it so she wouldn''t exactly fall since the two of them were in a crowded area. She bit her lip for a moment but eventually reached for his arm.
Lnd took a deep breath when her hand gently touched him. Her scent was so sweet and intoxicating. He had to hold back himself from sniffing her and kissing her. Ahh¡ getting her holding his arm already gave him so much happiness.
"Is there anything that you would rmend I try to purchase for myself?" He asked her softly.
Sophie looked up to his face and tried to gauge if he was tired. If Duke Romanov had actuallye from a meeting, then the man was bound to be tired.
Sophie remembered something and she smiled at him. "I have a suggestion as to where we should go."
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Swoon! They are finally on their first ''date''.
Chapter 114 Picnic
Lnd and Sophie made their way out of the sea of the people and eventually ended up in a more isted area outside of the town. If there was anything that Sophie learned was that she didn''t exactly need to be with a lot of people.
She was actually being more sympathetic to the duke''s earlierment that he didn''t like crowds. So, after the man purchased a basket of different food and even a nket upon her request, they ended up sitting behind a tree away from the rest.
"I expected that the two of us were going to sightsee, but this is also lovely," Lndmented as he eyed his mate do something unexpected for him.
He was aware thatpared to him, Sophie could have spent all day in the festival without running out of energy. She seemed to enjoy going out and be among the crowd, whereas he disliked them.
"Yes, it really is," Sophie bobbed her head excitedly. They were sitting under a big oak tree on a small hill where they could see the market from.
"And what are we doing instead¡?" Lnd cast his nce around them.
"Well, I think you would appreciate a pic, my lord," Sophie ced the nket on the grass and gave the duke a small smile.
While she actually enjoyed being in the festive crowd, she also didn''t mind sitting down and was grateful if they could rest a bit like this.
She didn''t want to overdo it just because she wanted to enjoy what it was like to have fun by sightseeing at the festival. Especially because she had some money on hand which she could use to buy nice things for herself.
She must not forget that she was pregnant and had to be more mindful of her body. Lnd actually sensed a bit of her tiredness and was more than happy to just sit down and join her underneath the cool shade of the tree.
p He found himself surprised when Sophie immediately started preparing a quick meal.
"Would you like some meat? Some fruit jam?" Sophie had a loaf of bread and actually bought some supplies to distract the lord from realizing that her money pouch had gone missing.
"I think I can do it for myself, Sophia. You don''t need to do it for me," Lnd tried to say but Sophie was insistent and so he gave an answer. "I wouldn''t mind some of the strawberries that you bought earlier."
"Oh, nice choice. The farmer we bought from earlier said they were freshly picked." Sophie smiled brightly. She smoothly picked one up and then offered it up to him. "They''re probably really juicy¡"
Lnd noticed how Sophie trailed off when she realized that she was holding the fruit out to him, so he quickly took a bite and then chuckled. "They''re quite sulent and sweet. Temptingly so."
"Ahh¡ is that so?" Sophie managed to say.
Lnd nodded and reached out to the small bowl. He took another bite of the strawberry and looked at his mate with a deep look. "Mhmm, I could eat them all day."
Sophie''s eyes widened and for a moment she felt her cheeks heat up. Did he just call a strawberry tempting, sulent, and something he could eat every day?
They were a very provocative choice of words that could mean something else.
Was this the duke''s way of trying to flirt with her¡ or did she just have a dirty mind?!
Eating fruits was supposed to be a very simple asion and yet somehow, she found herself at a loss for words.
Sophie swallowed and only smiled at Lnd. She didn''t want to speak right now because she might say something stupid or else. And yet she couldn''t help but wonder if the duke was trying to make a move on her?
Lnd felt a twinge of excitement wash over him and before the Alpha knew what happened next, his entire body was already heated up from just seeing his mate sitting across from him. If he reached out right now, he could hold her chin and then tilt her head just so.
How would her lips feel?
Lnd quickly picked up the sandwich that Sophie prepared for him and started to eat fast. He needed to distract himself from the idea of touching his mate but it was a wave of desire that suddenly attacked him so badly. He didn''t even know where it started from.
Sophie was relieved to see the man finally start to appreciate the food she made for him and also started to eat as well. She was aware that she was only a human who couldn''t help but feel desires for another person, but it didn''t mean that she needed to act on them.
Sophie took a deep breath and looked at the man currently eating his sandwich. She also ate hers slowly. This pic actually reminded her of the pic she had with Nichs.
They could talk about so many things while eating simple food from the pic basket. Nichs showed great interest in everything Sophie had to say. He also shared his experience which Sophie found fascinating.
She was just a poor girl from the countryside¡ a country bumpkin, while Nichs was a nobleman who had seen the world. Nichs was probably attracted to her simple life, while Sophie was curious to know about the amazing ces he had visited. That''s why they never ran out of things to talk about
However, it was different now. Duke Romanov was not a talkative person and Sophie didn''t know what topic would interest him. Since she didn''t want to be presumptuous and said the wrong thing, the woman chose to eat in silence.
Lnd opened his mouth to say something. He knew Sophie was reluctant to chat after they sat down for this pic because she was worried Lnd would not find her topics interesting.
So, he wanted to make her see that he actually loved hearing her speak, even when it was trivial or nonsense. However, Lnd truly didn''t know what to say to start the conversation rolling.
So, he closed his mouth again, and let out a soft sigh.
Chapter 115 Sophie Panics
In the end, they didn''t say anything and just spent the time together on the pic in silence. Sophie was worried she would say the wrong things; Lnd didn''t know how to start a conversation.
He didn''t really have anything to ask her about because he knew what she thought or felt. He could feel it as her mate. He knew she was worried about the missing money pouch, thinking Duke Romanov would be upset if he knew she was careless and lost the money he gave her.
Of course, he didn''t feel that way, and he actually wanted her to stop worrying so much about money, but he couldn''t say it openly because then Sophie would wonder if he could read her mind.
So, Lnd only kept things to himself. He realized he didn''t need words. Being here with her, enjoying the beautiful weather, was so lovely. It was the end of winter, and the temperature was not as cold as before. That''s why people could enjoy a pleasant time being outdoors.
Finally, after almost one hour, all their food was gone, and there was nothing else to do. Sophie felt awkward sitting there with the duke, doing nothing. She cast her nce around them and sighed. Dinah was still not back.
Did she fail to find the young thief? At this point, Sophie no longer cared if her purse was found. She was just worried about Dinah and wanted her back.
"Are you looking for your maid?" Lnd asked Sophie.
The beautiful woman nodded. "Yeah. I asked her to do some errands, but she has not returned after so long."
Lnd tilted his head to their right and said, "She is there, waiting near the carriage. She didn''t want to disturb us."
"Oh¡ she did?" Sophie instantly got up and brushed off her dress from the dust and small leaves. She was flustered when she realized Dinah had been around for who knows how long, watching her sit with Duke Romanov.
The man got up as well. He watched Sophie clean her dress and then take their pic gears. Apparently, she wanted to end it now.
"Do you want to leave now?" He asked her.
Sophie bobbed her head. "Yes. This has been really nice. Thank you."
"For what?" Lnd thought he should be the one to thank her for allowing him to be by her side and enjoy this wonderful day together.
"Uhmm¡ for letting me out and enjoying myself." Sophie wanted to say that she had always envied her cousins for being able to enjoy good stuff when they went sightseeing and visit the festivals.
She never had the money to buy anything and often had to swallow her saliva when Lucia and Valerie bought sweets and cakes.
Today, she was able to get whatever she wanted. It was all thanks to the duke. She didn''t even feel too distraught when she lost her purse because the money was gifted to her. If she had to toil and work so hard for the little money she had, she might be devastated by the loss.
"I am having a good time too," Lndmented. He took the basket from her and reached out for her hand to hold. "Let''s go home."
Sophie was dazed when she suddenly realized the basket was now moved hands and the duke held her hand to walk toward their carriage.
She felt her heart beating faster. Lnd could feel the increase in her heart rate, but he was not sure if it was a good thing or bad.
"My lord," Dinah bowed her head when the Alpha and his mate reached their carriage.
She opened the door for them and waited for Lnd to help Sophie get inside. Once Sophie sat on the carriage seat, Dinah winked at her, giving the sign that she managed to retrieve her purse. Sophie let out a relieved sigh.
"Let''s go home," Lnd told his coachman after he and Sophie were ready and Dinah sat beside the coachman.
"Yes, my lord." The coachman started driving the carriage home.
Sophie sat by the window and she opened it to see the view outside while the carriage was moving. She thought it was a nice change of scenery.
? Unconsciously, she rubbed her belly. After eating so much during the pic, she felt very full. Soon, she would start showing and her tummy will be protruding. She might not be able to go out as much. That''s why she wanted to savor this moment.
It was a bit cold because the wind entered from the open window, but Sophie was stubborn. She would rather bear with the cold than not see the view.
DRAP
The beautiful woman turned to see herp when another coat was draped on her stomach. It was done by the duke, but he didn''t make any mention of it, just pretending to look outside his window too.
Sophie could only mouth her thank you and wrapped the coat more tightly to her body. This was really nice.
***
After the pic, Sophie realized the duke had his soft side. Even though he didn''t talk much, he was kind, gentle, and respectful towards her, and it was impossible for her to not see his good qualities.
However, there was also something else that started to grow and it affected Sophie''s state drastically. Her stomach had already grown so much even though she was only four months in. She ballooned to such a size that scared her.
Sophie started to panic and knew that the people in the castle would look at her strangely because it didn''t take at least five months after the wedding for her to reach this size.
The duke married her only two months ago. So, in other people''s expectation, if Sophie immediately became pregnant after their first consummation, she should now be around ten weeks in... which was definitely... not this big.
However, contrary to her expectations, all of the people in the castle didn''t even seem to notice.
Did Duke Romanov tell them in advance? Did they know that she was already pregnant before the duke married her?
Even Dinah didn''t bat an eye at all or even brought up the fact that Sophie was pregnant and only did her best to serve her. The days flew past her quickly and before she knew it, Sophie was already just anxiously waiting for the time she''d give birth.
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From Missrealitybites:
Poor Sophie doesn''t understand that everyone in the castle just assumes she is carrying wolf pups that don''t need 9.5 months gestation period like humans. But yea! We''ll have the pup(s) soon!!
Chapter 116 Secret Rendezvous
Note:
Thank you, Maude Fluckiger dear, for gifting a spacecraft to this book yesterday. I really have no more words to express my gratitude... T_T. I hope you feel better and everything bes well. x
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This particr evening, Sophie suddenly woke up at midnight. She was feeling ufortable all over her body. Her back was sore, her tummy felt bloated and she was getting a headache. She got up from bed and went to the table near the window to get water.
After she drank a cup of water, Sophie massaged her temple and took a deep breath. The headache was still there. Her eyes twitched, seeing the moonlight spill into her bedroom. The soft hues cast around shadow behind her and she knew that she wouldn''t be able to sleep again.
Insomnia took hold of her at times. It began to affect her in such a way that only a good midnight walk helped her clear her thoughts instead of just trying to restlessly fall asleep.
Sophie slowly walked back to the bed and held her stomach gingerly. It was so huge. She couldn''t even imagine that her body could grow to this size and when she looked at the mirror inside of her chambers, she looked like she was about to burst.
Duke Romanov was already aware of her pregnancy, but it happened so soon.
What did the man think about her appearance now? Sophie batted her eyes in frustration and then shook her head. She shouldn''t care about what a man thought about how she looked. Even though she was plumper now, her body was perfectly good as it was.
She fixed her hair in front of the mirror and contemted wearing a hairpin. Whenever Duke Romanov came after his visits from the capital, he brought small gifts and trinkets and told her that they came from the people he worked with.
They were little reminders that Duke Romanov talked about his wife and had her in his mind when he met other people, which somehow pleased Sophie more than she thought it would.
"Uff¡ it''s a good thing that the duke isn''t taking me to the capital or anywhere else," Sophie muttered and slowly picked up one of the beautiful hairpins that the man brought her home.
It was a small hairpin that was decorated with a lovely crystal moon-shaped jewel. She pinned her hair to the side neatly even though she didn''t even know why she was dressing up right now.
"Traveling would be such a pain," Sophie told herself. She probably couldn''t even handle the stress of traveling and she knew that the people that the duke interacted with would talk if they saw her.
The marriage between her and Duke Romanov only happened about three months ago. If she came with him, then the nobility would see her. They would realize that the woman that the duke married was already pregnant and ready to give birth.
It would be a source of gossip for wicked people. What''s worse would be if¡
Sophie swallowed.
... If she gave birth to werewolf pup/s.
Not only would the duke be embarrassed, but Sophie might also lose her precious baby!
This kingdom had dered war on the werewolf n many years ago. Werewolves were considered the worst monsters and anyone who had the information on werewolves'' existence was encouraged to report it and get rewarded.
Sophie was worried that people would report her child to the authorities and have them killed if they found out she gave birth to a werewolf child. She grimaced and immediately got rid of the horrifying thought from her mind.
No... she would not let it happen. Even if she had to die, she would protect her child, no matter at what cost.
She took a deep breath and nced outside her window. The moon shone brightly in the sky and the weather was quite good. It was such a beautiful night in spring. Maybe she should go out for a walk to tire herself so she could go back to sleep.
After ncing at the mirror onest time, Sophie headed out of her room and walked down the hallway. Evente at night, she always saw that there were guards posted in each hallway and it almost seemed that they were more active at night.
These people greeted her with respect as Sophie walked past them. She nodded her head a little and rushed along with only one ce in mind.
It was the only ce in the castle that she truly felt a bit morefortable in. To her, the ce was special.
Sophie agreed to the marriage because of how it would benefit her, but now, she was already genuinely concerned about Duke Romanov¡ her husband''s reputation and that made her feel a bit flustered.
She wanted to me the pregnancy hormones. Sophie wanted to say that it had been impossible to not to find her heart opening to him because his presence was afort.
It was because Duke Romanov just always happened to be there whenever Sophie needed someone.
There would be cold and lonely nights where Sophie woke up in cold sweats, tears in her eyes as she dreamt about Nichs and found her heart feeling immensely empty.
During those times, Sophie got up and visited the terrace where she and Nichs enjoyed their first afternoon together and had some snacks. It filled her with nostalgia.
Whenever Sophie visited this particr terrace, it reminded her back when the only concern of hers was the fact that she skipped sses in Cow Dung academy and everything else didn''t matter.
Simpler times.
It would bring her so close to tears but then she wouldn''t and couldn''t cry in the presence of someone else.
Somehow, Duke Romanov would appear right after her when she reached the particr terrace. Sometimes, Sophie would even find the man already there with nothing but a cup of tea.
When she''d politely ask him and inquire whether he couldn''t sleep, he''d just nod and offer her some refreshments. He was always there when she needed him.
It was a weird coincidence, but after several times, she just assumed the man also had insomnia and liked going to the terrace to calm his mind, and she just happened to choose the same spot to visit when she had trouble sleeping.
Sophie didn''t know that Lnd always knew when she was feeling upset and couldn''t sleep, and he woulde there to keep herpany.
"Ah, good evening, Sophia," Lnd greeted her at the terrace.
As usual, he was there again. The moon shone behind him and he was already waiting for her at the table with a pot of tea. There was a small smile on his face and even a twinkle in his eyes. "Unable to sleep again?"
"Good evening as well, Duke Romanov," Sophie greeted him and approached the table. The man stood up and pulled out a chair for her to which she thanked him for as she sat down. "I¡ I did have some trouble falling asleep."
"So did I," Lnd said. Without her asking, he already poured tea into her cup.
As usual, he was only wearing a thin shirt, despite the cold, but there was a fluffy and warm coat draped on his chair. As always, it was meant for Sophie because this careless woman often forgot to bring her coat.
Sophie smiled when she received the cup from him. She felt like they were having a secret rendezvous at night.
Chapter 117 Sophie Is Going Into Labor
Lnd didn''t think that he''d find a way to grow closer with Sophie, but he apparently did. The man realized that it was only possible, somehow, by the loss of Sophie''s husband. It was obvious that his gain was her loss. His happiness was her pain.
This reality made him feel awful. He was not responsible for Nichs''s death, but Lnd knew he was only lucky because the other man, hispetition, was gone. He could take the ce by Sophie''s side by tricking her into thinking he was marrying her for convenience.
He had also mated with her using the excuse that they needed to sleep together to make the marriage legally binding. Sometimes, he actually questioned himself if his reason to establish the mate bond was also just an excuse to be selfish, so he could truly mark her permanently as his.
He was a man with wants and desires and his biggest desire was to have her. So... could he be doing all these because he wanted to act on his desire? Perhaps, that was the truth.
After they mated, Lnd realized that almost every night Sophie had nightmares. He didn''t know it was this bad. That''s why, whenever she came to this terrace to calm her mind, the Alpha would wait for her.
Over the course of time, her nightmares lessened but Sophie still ended up going to the balcony terrace as if it had be some sort of routine for her. Lately, the routine now involved talking to Duke Romanov.
Even though Lnd was still disguised, he could still interact with his Sophie. It made him feel incredibly happy.
"How are your nightmares¡?" Lnd asked as he poured more tea into her cup. "I do hope that this chamomile tea is helping you fall asleep more peacefully. I''ve requested Dinah to prepare you a cup every night."
"Ah, I''ve been trying to limit my intake actually," Sophie smiled sheepishly and epted the cup. She took a slow sip and then said, "My doctor told me to limit my cup of tea to at most, one cup a day. For nightmares, less frequent."
"Oh, I see." The Alpha nodded in understanding. He couldn''t believe why pregnancy for humans was always so¡ difficult? Female lycans didn''t have to worry about what to eat and drink at all.
Sophie gingerly took another sip of the tea and then smiled at the duke. "How are your books, Duke Romanov? Is there anything I can help you with? I know that you always end up workingte into the night."
"I''m fine, you don''t have to worry about the book of ounts while you''re pregnant," the duke said. "How can I ask my pregnant wife to lift a finger at this kind of time?"
Sophie couldn''t help but smile at how the duke phrased it. She looked at her cup and knew that it must have been silly or awkward to say it when the both of them were fully aware that the child was not the duke''s.
After their marriage consummation, there was never another moment or asion where Duke Romanov touched her. There were times where Sophie thought that he would because she caught him looking at her and his eyes showed some longing.
Or there were moments thick with such a heat that it almost seemed painful not to do anything. Yet Duke Romanov did no such things. Perhaps, he still thought of himself with no confidence and couldn''t make a move?
Honestly, in Sophie''s head, the duke was starting to preupy her thoughts more and more with how mysterious and difficult it was to read his personality. Nichs was someone who she easily knew that was just like sunshine.
Her husband had been warm, affectionate and his expressions were clear as day. When Nichs was upset, it was visible¡ Sophie even saw how his face grew red whenever he became mad or became embarrassed.
On the contrary, Duke Romanov''s face was as cool as ice and barely moved save for the asional smirks and twitch of his lips. This was an expression that Sophie only saw around her because during dining at the great hall, his face was fierce and intimidating.
Duke Romanov also wore a mask that added to the factor of mystery and intrigue.
"I think I must leave and return to bed." Sophie decided atst and pushed the cup back. She stood up and smiled at the Alpha. "I thank you for your tea, your grace, but I need to get back¡ I am feeling a bit slee¡ª"
However, before Sophie could finish her sentence and return back to her chamber, all of a sudden, her stomach felt like it was churned mercilessly by an invisible hand.
She gasped and hugged her stomach tightly. Her face was filled with the expression of pain. Lnd noticed the way her face contorted, and a sudden sh of panic spread across her beautiful face. The Alpha immediately noticed the intense scent in the air. Then, he heard something trickle. His eyes widened.
It seemed, Sophie was going to give birth now.
Sophie''s water broke out so fast that she was suddenly seized by thebor pains.
"Aaahh¡.." She lost her bnce because of the intense pain. Before she knew it, Duke Romanov had scooped her up and gently carried her in his arms. He didn''t buckle due to her weight and took her to the closest room.
"Argh," Sophie tensed in the bed and watched the midwifee in. It was just another woman from the castle but Sophie was filled with worry and concern and looked up to see Duke Romanov beside her.
The man never batted an eye that she was going to give birth right all of a sudden? Didn''t Duke Romanov consider it strange or abnormal?
Why was he just standing there?
"Aaaaah¡!" Sophie suddenly felt pain coursing through her body again. This time it was more painful that before. Before she knew it, Duke Romanov''s hand was intertwined with hers. She squeezed and gripped his hand so tightly that she knew it must have hurt him.
Her nails even dug into his flesh because she couldn''t withstand the pain. However, Duke Romanov didn''t wince and only sat down to apany her throughout the delivery process.
A sh of panic was on Sophie''s face and she tried to exert her mind to turn to him and assess his expression. The sudden realization as to why the term only took five months instead of nine months was put in the background as Sophie went intobor.
Loud painful breathing and strangled screams echoed in the room as she finally gave birth. Sophie thought she saw ck fur, not hair,e out from her as the midwife gently covered the lycan pup in nkets and then took out another one.
Sophie''s heart thundered and she looked up warily at Duke Romanov. Adrenaline was coursing through her body and she was prepared to get up and kick the man, take her children and then attempt to run away.
However, Duke Romanov''s face did not contort into disgust or even look appalled at the sight of the lycan pups.
Lnd saw them as normal and when he looked down to see Sophie who was looking at him with a worried expression and a questioning gaze¡ the man only said one sentence to relieve her worries.
"I''m actually a lycan and the alpha of this pack."
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From Missrealitybites:
Yes! The babies are here. ^^
And I am d Lnd quickly eased her worries about giving birth to lycan pups. Meeting Lnd during her pregnancy was truly a blessing for Sophie.
At this point in time, if she was still with Nic, I cannot imagine how Nic could handle the situation since he really hated that side of him and would do anything to get rid of his ''curse''. Perhaps, even if he could ept and love the pups... his family would make Sophie''s life a living hell.
Chapter 118 Twins
"What?!" Sophie looked at him in surprise and yet before Lnd could say anything else, the midwife already approached her and was cradling the two lycan pups in her arms. She gently ced them in Sophie''s arms.
As soon as she caught sight of her babies, Sophie felt tears prick her eyes.
These lycan pups had the same exact color as Nichs'' hair and she felt her love grow in this moment for her two children. "Oh¡ they can''t still open their eyes either huh?" Sophie lovingly held her babies in her arms and gently kissed their foreheads.
Then, she remembered something and her face was immediately flustered.
Sophie looked at the midwife and asked, "What about breastfeeding?"
"You do not have to worry about it," the midwife replied. "Lycans are easy enough to take care ofpared to human babies. Within two weeks, your children will know how to walk and before you know it, they can run. Breastfeeding is the least of your concerns."
Lnd felt a sudden wave of embarrassment ovee him at the mention of Sophie''s breasts and yet he also felt a wave of jealousy when the thought of the lycan pups sucking on their mother''s breasts came to his mind.
The Alpha felt his libido was aroused at that moment and he felt ashamed of himself. How could he even think about¡ that¡ when Sophie just gave birth to her children? Lnd realized he needed to restrain his impulses.
At this particr moment, the urge to leave the room struck Lnd because he knew that Sophie''s attention was solely on her children. She would need some time to be alone with them.
However, the man stood still in the room. He didn''t make any movement, standing still almost like a statue. Sophie lifted her head and locked gazes with the Alpha of the pack and she still felt a wave of uncertaintye through her.
She didn''t want to sleep or rest. She had so many questions. Why did Duke Romanov move to Hastings from Frisia? Did he know Sophie was pregnant with lycan pups from the beginning?
Did he really marry Sophie to help him socialize with the nobility in Riga? And¡ was Duke Ariam Romanov was even his real name?
The man spoke kindly to Sophie and said, "Please let the midwife or Dinah take care of your children. You also need to rest."
As a first-time mother, Sophie had to work so hard to deliver her babies earlier. Lnd witness her struggle and how exhausted she must have been now. He wanted her to think about herself for once and rest so she could quickly recover.
"But¡" Sophie protested.
"You do not have to worry about anything here, Sophia," Lnd said. "If we had had any intention of hurting you, then we would have done it right away. I know that you have a lot of questions but we''ll save it for when you''re well rested, okay?"
Sophie couldn''t argue with the man''s logic because it made perfect sense. Slowly she nced up at the midwife who then epted her precious children and she came to realize that all this time, she didn''t even think of a name or names yet.
However, before she could finally decide and actually ask as to whether the lycan pups were a boy or girl, Sophie felt a wave of drowsiness and fatigue hit her really hard.
For the past few months that she had been here, Sophie was always on guard. She was always tense and up on her feet that she never actually got a real moment to simply breathe and rx.
It was hard for Sophie to truly rest and feel at ease because of everything that happened. So, now, she was struck with tiredness and then slowly drifted off into sleep.
As soon as Lnd saw his mate''s breathing rx and her expression ease up, the Alpha felt relieved because after giving birth to two lycan pups, it was near impossible to not be tired and be in need of rest. It''s good to see Sophie could take her much-needed sleep.
Giving birth was an amazing thing and Lnd had nothing but respect for Sophie. Her love for her children touched him. was a great contrast to his mother who kept using the fact that she was the one who gave birth to Lnd as a way to dominate over him and use it as an influence over him as well.
"Alpha? What shall we do with these lycan pups?" the midwife asked.
The people in the castle could tell that the children were not their Alpha''s from their appearance and their scent. So, it meant that the Alpha''s wife had children with another lycan.
If there was anything else a bit humiliating for an Alpha¡ or rather even impossible to think about, it was to have his mate bear children for someone else.
Most Alpha in the respective pack would have a mate and they would be mates for life if possible. So the fact that Lnd''s mate, Sophie, actually gave birth to someone else''s child was enough to make his pack members uneasy.
What would the other packs say when they see that the Blood River Pack''s Alpha had a mate that was already someone else''s wife and even had children with another man who was not the alpha?
Female lycans who suddenly became widows if their husbands died in a hunt would often just raise their children by themselves and rarely looked for a new husband because lycans were fiercely loyal.
For an Alpha, it was avoided to marry widows because the hierarchy would start to be a bit confusing. Did the children he adopt also be possible heirs to be the next Alpha?
Lnd was aware of how bloody it could get within other packs. Those situations often resulted in the older lycan children getting the Alpha''s real children killed so they could secure the title of Alpha.
It was all so annoying and aggravating to deal with.
Lnd''s eye twitched as he nced at the two lycan pups cradled in the arms of the midwife. If he was going to have children with Sophie in the future, then these two cubs could actually fight with his children for the throne.
But fortunately for them, the possibility of Sophie ever having children with him was slim. So, he said. "What else do we need to do? Take care of them, of course."
He would deal with the consequencester. For now, he would do everything he could to protect not only Sophie but her children as well.
Chapter 119 Nicholas Wants To Investigate
Currently, the royal family was having dinner together with their beloved guest Lady Karenina from Hauntingen. She had stayed in the capital for several months now and the queen was very fond of her. So, she was often invited to dinner at the royal pce.
"How is Uncle Joseph by the way?" Nichs asked his mother. His words caught the queen who looked shocked at her son''s sudden question.
"Um, pardon me, your grace, but who is Uncle Joseph?" Karenina batted her eyshes innocently. She thought the name must be someone important to the family, seeing the queen''s reaction.
Queen Marianne swallowed for a moment and then tried to scold her son. "Nichs, you mustn''t bring up people that our guest doesn''t know. It''s important that you don''t ostracize a person during a conversation by choosing a topic she''s not familiar with."
"Oh, it''s not a problem, Your Majesty," Karenina smiled at the queen as she cut some of her steak and ate. She didn''t actually mind just listening to Nichs talk while she ate well in the royal pce.
The daughter of the viscount hadn''t been able to taste such sulent and delicious food even at her own house. More importantly, she could just stare at Nichs and be happy because the prince was so handsome.
"Ah, so you also don''t remember what happened?" King William asked. He raised a brow and said, "Do you remember that you always went there when you were a child?"
"I can¡ and I faintly recall being happy when I was there," Nichs cleared his throat but then looked at his father''s way. "But I can''t remember the exact reason why."
Queen Marianne was a bit fainthearted and knew that Nichs came to her uncle to hide his lycanthropy from his father. She really didn''t have the heart to tell him but she was only sad that he remembered the man.
"He is your favorite uncle," Queen Marianne said softly.
Lord Joseph Ferdinand was the original owner of the Wolfstone Castle in Hastings and was one of the few people that Nichs managed to remember in his childhood. There were clear incidents that he couldn''t remember like being kidnapped and the queen insisted that it wasn''t brought up.
"Yes, how is he, by the way?" Nichs smiled a little. "We came all the way from Hauntingen but didn''t even drop by there at all. I''m actually surprised and hoping that the old man cane to visit me on my birthday this year."
"He is dead, Nichs." King William frowned.
"Your Majesty!" Queen Marianne looked at her husband aghast and then turned to Nichs to see that his smile was frozen on his face. Her son looked like he was traumatized and that worried the queen greatly.
"Fine, your beloved uncle has passed away with one of your third cousins, I think." King William shrugged and ate his meal. "You were still in Hauntingen when that happened and your mother insisted that we do not bring it up."
"I know that you are fond of your uncle and he was of you," Queen Marianne exined. "I had hoped that you would figure it out when you are all better, my son. You were still in recovery back then so I didn''t want to aggravate you."
Nichs'' expression became cold and icy.
His smile disappeared and he felt his heart stop at the realization that the faint memories he had with his Uncle Joseph in Hastings would now only remain as memories now that the man was gone.
However, based on how Nichs'' father had spoken, the crown prince could tell that it was not simply the old baron passing away in his castle, especially because they talked about one of his cousins.
"What happened?" he asked.
"An unfortunate carriage ident," Queen Marianne said.
King William snorted as he ate his steak and chewed. He looked at his wife and shook his head because she refused to trust anything that he said.
"Do you actually believe that? A simple carriage ident took out both Lord Ferdinand and a young man plus the carriage driver and guards apanying them? Did the earth swallow them whole?"
"Then you think it is foul y, father?" Nichs suddenly asked and leaned towards his father with a frown. There was a look in his amber eyes that glinted with hot anger and furiousness. "Is it rivals of my uncle or assassins sent to dispose of him? Are you conducting investigations?"
King William Hannenbergh looked at his son and, for once in his life, actually liked seeing that the young man seemed finally fired up by the death of his uncle. In the past, Nichs was always happy-go-lucky or rather chose to waste his days in Hastings.
It frustrated the king to no end. Now, King William [a1] could see that the crown prince perhaps had the strength to actually be king and took the mantle after him.
Now that the young man was no longer soft after forgetting that he was kidnapped by lycans before, it was time for Nichs to step up.
"Would you want to help lead the investigation?" King William asked his son.
Queen Marianne shook her head rapidly and refused to bring her son into a wild goose chase just to please her husband.
She frowned and looked at Nichs. "The evidence is scarce and close to nonexistent. It would probably be a waste of your time perhaps¡"
"No!" Nichs mmed his hands on the table with a frown of his own and glowered at his mother. "Whoever dared attack my uncle knows fully well that he is rted to you and thus the royal family."
"And so¡?" King William asked.
Nichs frowned. "If there are actual people involved in my uncle and cousin''s death then it is only right for the royal family to investigate this matter. We cannot let these people think that we will let this thing slip by without repercussions."
"Good."
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From Missrealitybites:
Since the names are quite simr between Katarina (the viscount''s daughter who saved Nichs) and Katherine (Sophie''s tutor), I decided to change Katarina''s name into "Karenina" to avoid confusion.
Chapter 120 Sophies Sweet Dream
Note:
Thank you, Kendra (K-Deck) for gifting a castle to this book yesterday. I hope you are having a wonderful day with your family. xx
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"No!" Queen Marianne protested and looked at her son desperately. "Even if we have to conduct investigations, why does it have to be you, Nichs? We could send someone else to do it. What if it''s simply to lure you to your death? A trap?"
"Please do not worry about my safety, mother," Nichs said. "I will be fine."
He''d rather be anywhere else than here in the pce anyway. He didn''t need to steal a nce to his right to know that Karenina had been watching him with glee in her eyes.
Nichs didn''t want to be rude, but he didn''t like the way the girl look at him. However, she was his savior and an important guest in his home. Plus, his mother adored Karenina. They spent a lot of time together.
The crown prince would rather go somewhere far away and avoid the girl for the time being. Investigating his grand uncle''s death would be a good excuse to leave the capital.
He also needed to find out more about himself since he had forgotten many things from his past after the incident.
Why did he go to Hauntingen in the first ce? That was a question he kept asking himself. He didn''t remember having a special memory of that area. Why couldn''t he remember what he was doing there??
"Oh, Nichs¡" Queen Marianne massaged her temple."Why can''t you let other people do the investigation and you just stay here in the capital to wait for their report?"
The queen was worried something bad would happen to her son. After what Nichs went through, she really didn''t want him to risk his life further. She loved thete baron.
Lord Ferdinand was one of her favorite uncles and she even confided Nichs'' condition to him. However, now the old man had died. Whatever they did wouldn''t bring him back.
So, why take risks? Nichs was safer here in the capital than in any other ce.
"Mother, it''s obvious that the people tasked with the investigation are not doing a good job if we still don''t know what happened to Lord Ferdinand," Nichs insisted.
He really wanted to leave the capital. He felt suffocated. Going to Hastings to do the investigation was a good opportunity, not only to clear his head, try to find out more about himself, and also find out his grand uncle''s cause of death.
He added, "People said, if you want something to be done right, you have to do it yourself."
King William nodded. "You are right. I will assign you the investigation. Some early reports actually gave some clues about the involvements of werewolves in his death. I want you to find out if it''s true. We have to make sure that such threats could be mitigated as soon as possible."
The king scoffed. His face was filled with contempt as he added, "If they dare attack our extended family members, they will get to us next. We have to investigate and eliminate any werewolves in the kingdom before they attack us in the capital."
"Understood, father," Nichs nodded respectfully. "I will do my best."
"B-but¡ you are the crown prince!" The queen was upset. "You will be their target. It''s very dangerous."
"Don''t worry, mother. I will go undercover. Nobody will know it''s me. Besides¡ I will bring some reinforcement and the king''s guards to protect me. You don''t have to worry about me." Nichs touched his mother''s hand. "Please¡ let me do this. This is my responsibility to our family¡ and as the future king of this country."
Karenina looked at Nichs in awe. She thought the crown prince was already so handsome and cool, but now he became even more impressive in her eyes. Nichs was brave, valiant, and cared about his kingdom. She could see him ascend the throne and be an amazing king.
And she would love to be there by his side.
***
Sophie woke up after a beautiful dream that involved her being with Nichs and her children. In the dream, her two beautiful cubs were now two human toddlers and they were back in Hauntingen and living happily together.
It was such a beautiful dream. Sadly¡ that was only a dream that would never happen in real life because Nichs was gone. The children would not know their father, and Nichs never even knew that Sophie gave birth to his sons.
She sat up and wildly looked around and found herself back in Duke Romanov''s castle. She was not with Nichs but was instead inside of the castle of an Alpha and his pack.
Everything that happened over the course of the four months now seemed to have been suddenly flipped over and there were countless things that needed to be said and discussed.
But first¡ her babies.
Sophie''s heart thundered and she searched for her children. She heaved a sigh of relief when she found them sleeping in a nearby crib. The two beautiful lycan puppies slept together in the same crib, their dark fur looked warm and cozy as they slept.
One was greyish and the other was ck. It was easy to tell them apart. Sophie''s heart eased in worrypared to how she might have felt if they were not in the same room as her. Now, seeing her babies were sleeping peacefully, Sophie felt warm and fuzzy inside.
Before she knew it, there was a gentle door knock and then Dinah strode in carrying a cart and smiled a bit when she saw that their mistress was awake.
The female lycan greeted Sophie with a relieved smile. "You''re finally awake, Ma''am. I hope that you are hungry because we have something good..."
"You hid the fact that you''re a lycan," Sophie couldn''t help but blurt out.
"And you also hid the fact that you were pregnant at first," Dinah said. She nced at the two cute lycan puppies slumbering and gently stopped her cart on the bed. She took out the food cover and revealed Sophie''s breakfast.
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From Missrealitybites:
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you!
I hope you have a wonderful time wherever you are ^^.
Chapter 121 Feeling Ravenous
The foot cart was filled with many delicious and healthy dishes. There were two delicious eggs, a grilled lean chicken, a side of vegetables along with soup, and there was also a pot filled with what was probably tea and a pitcher of water.
The amount of food there was already enough to make her feel full. There were also some desserts included in the cart. zed muffins with lots of syrup on top that made Sophie''s mouth water.
It was such a hearty meal. Sophie felt a bit surprised to know that she was expected to eat that much after giving birth. She did, in fact, feel very ravenous and felt her body was craving for food.
Dinah cleared her throat and spoke. "You can eat first and we can discuss thingster once you''re not in a bad mood. Being hungry can lead you to act in ways that are not yourself."
Wordlessly, Sophie reached out to the te but then turned to Dinah. "Thank you for the food, Dinah. Uhm... perhaps you can eat with me? Would you like to join me for breakfast?"
Dinah batted her eyes at that request. She thought it was rude to say no, but she also didn''t think it was good to eat together with the Alpha''s wife. Finally, Dinah joined Sophie for a meal with her.
The female lycan epted a muffin because she had already eaten earlier. Soon, the two women slowly enjoyed the silence as they ate.
It didn''t take too long for Sophie to finally nce at the maidservant and friend who had apanied her for the past four months. She fiddled with her hands and asked Dinah, "So you being a lycan¡ and well, this Alpha? Pack? Hiding here?"
Dinah realized that Sophie was not familiar with the dynamics within the pack. She actually wondered if Sophie actually knew that she was now their Luna and became mates with their Alpha.
"How much do you humans know about us lycans?" Dinah asked and folded her hands together. "The Alpha is the leader of their pack and his second inmand is the Beta. And well, his mate is called the Luna. There are Omegas in our pack too."
"I''m a bit familiar with that because it was discussed in our Cow dung Academy," Sophie exined, and yet there was something else that made her a bit worried.
? "What seems to be on your mind?" Dinah asked.
Sophie bit down on her lip, hesitating visibly before she eventually looked at Dinah. "If I¡ married your Alpha, does it mean that I''m the Luna of your pack? Or does it not count because it''s a human wedding?"
Dinah coughed. It was a topic that Dinah may have started out with, but she was afraid of what their Alpha might do if she was the one who revealed it and not Lnd.
"There are certain requirements involved in order to be Luna but it is not in my position to exin," Dinah smiled. "For now, what''s important is that you are safe in the Blood River Pack."
"And the reason why you guys took me in and my children is because I¡ or rather my children are lycans?" Sophie nced at her sleeping children with a soft smile. "Were you guys able to identify me as someone carrying the same as your kind?"
Dinah raised a hand, "Perhaps a skilled lycan is able to detect it via the sense of smell and to which humans may not be able to detect at all. However, for questions such as this one, I''d like to refer you to the Alpha and not me."
"Of course¡" Sophie sighed a little and then sipped her tea.
"Do you have any more questions that I could perhaps answer?" Dinah raised a brow. "I think the Alpha told us to let you rest and recover and right now. He is even asking some of the female lycans to help us make our lycan cub formtion drink."
"Huh?" Sophie batted an eye in confusion. "You mean milk? Wouldn''t my children need to drink from me?"
"Of course, they can," Dinah smiled. "However, we also have our own special drink that we make. Well, it''s actually a ritual that we do during the full moon which involves evoking the Moon Goddess to bless the newborn lycan puppies."
"And this formtion is¡ from the Moon Goddess?"
"No, we gather fresh and pure water, have the women in the group go up to the highest peaks avable and then we let the moonlight shine on it, offering gifts so that our children can grow strong and blessed by the goddess."
***
When Sophie finally found the strength to stand up and decided to head to Duke Romanov''s study, she would find herself being beaten by the man himself who came by her room and actually had his men with him.
Lnd cleared his throat and nodded slightly at Sophie. "I came here and brought you some things that could help you take care of your children. The Moon Tonic that the female lycans give to their children is also here, delivered from our pack."
"A-ah, thank you¡ Duke Romanov." Sophie curtsied a little when she saw him, a bit unsure of what to refer to him now and what to think of so many items that the Alpha brought.
Normally she only saw Duke Romanov by himself so it was strange to see him with others.
However, the truth was that Lnd was a bit unsure of how to approach Sophie and did not wish to make her feel uncertain around him. He was not familiar with how a female lycan took care of her cubs so he did his best to research.
When his mother gave birth to another son, Lnd was left by himself and only saw the affection of Isolde, his mother, be shown to her second born. It was at that period that Lnd''s father, Alpha Leon, decided to pay attention to his mate.
Chapter 122 Sophie And Leland
"Oh, they''re so cute! I thought they were going to be white cubs, but grey and ck are also really nice colors, huh?" Duncan pointed out to Max and gestured to the babies, but suddenly he received the re not only from his friend but especially the Alpha himself.
One look from Lnd was all that it took and Max immediately gestured for the rest to follow him out as he pushed Duncan out of the door and went out.
The rest of the lycans quickly followed alongside Dinah who left the room, so Sophie could talk privately with their Alpha without any hindrance whatsoever.
However, being alone with Duke Romanov only made Sophie feel more nervous.
What was she going to say to him? He had told her that he was a lycan, the Alpha of this pack, and he didn''t seem to mind that Sophie gave birth to lycan pups.
But¡ how did he view her and her children''s situation now?
Sophie''s mind was full of questions.
When it was finally just the two of them alone, Lnd slowly stepped forward and held out the small bottle towards her. "When they are awake¡ you can let them drink this so they can be strong."
Sophie batted her eyshes and said, "Pardon me, my lord¡ but Dinah exined that it''s just water exposed to the moonlight? I''m not really sure if I''mfortable letting my children drink that."
"Oh, my apologies." The Alpha blinked and looked at the tonic in his hand. He immediately started heading for the windows and said, "I can throw this out then."
Sophie''s eyes bulged and she waved a hand at him. "Wait, you don''t have to throw it out, my lord."
Lnd stopped in his tracks. He felt himself hesitate for a moment and then looked at her.
"If you have no use for this then it deserves to be disposed of."
"What? No!" Sophie shook her head. "You don''t have to throw it away just because I said I wasn''tfortable using it. Your people''s practice is also important too and I want to respect it."
Sophie and Lnd stared at each other for a moment, the two of them felt like they were actually having a real conversation for the first time. Prior to this, the two of them held up masks and walls.
Now it was a little more different. Lnd didn''t think that he would voice out his opinion and have Sophie oppose him.
"You wish to respect the pack''s practices?" Lnd asked.
Sophie nodded slowly and then took a deep breath before deciding to tell the duke a little bit more about Nichs. She was sure that the Alpha didn''t have a clue as to how she gave birth to lycan pups or knew her story. Perhaps, this was all just a coincidence which he apparently didn''t mind.
"There is a reason I want to know more about lycans." A sad smile formed on Sophie''s lips. "I know that my husband¡ my first husband didn''t actually want to be a lycan because he felt like it was a curse to him. He¡ he was turned."
Lnd frowned at Sophie''s words but chose not to say anything. He now realized why Nichs decidedly made bad calls and decisions that resulted in him losing his life.
So, the man was turned and wasn''t born lycan like Lnd. He saw his condition as a curse. Nichs must have hated that side of him that he did whatever it took just because he wanted to rid the ''curse''.
Sophie nced at Lnd. "I mean no offense to you or your pack, but that was how he saw things. It was one of the few moments I saw him actually with such a serious expression."
"I see."
"So¡ now that my children are actually lycans just like their father, and I''m uh, fortunate enough to have been found by you," Sophie bit down on her lip and gauged his reaction. "I feel like¡ I have to be open to you about my situation."
Lnd simply stayed silent and didn''t move at all, as if waiting for her to continue. Sophie on the other hand was d that he didn''t seem mad at her for bringing up useless topics that probably didn''t matter to an Alpha.
"Well, I would like to see them grow up loving themselves," she said atst.
"I understand." Lnd slowly nodded. It was surprising that Sophie was talking about Nichs. Did it mean that she was slowly epting and trying to recover from her husband''s death?
The Alpha was sure that she was only trying to give context and exin her actions.
Even if it pained him to some extent to hear Sophie talk about Nichs, Lnd wanted her to express herself and open up to him.
Even if he couldn''t obtain her love, if the two of them could understand one another, it would be nice. Now that Sophie decided to talk to him, Lnd thought it was a good sign, that she had started to trust him.
"Thank you once again for helping me and my children, my lord," Sophie said. "You must have taken such a huge risk by choosing to help me when I could potentially endanger the pack if I learned about your identities."
"It is nothing," he said.
He was someone who grew up feeling that the person he could depend on was only himself and if it weren''t for the fact that being the Alpha had its perks, then he would have preferred to live by himself.
Even though it was dangerous for a lycan to not live with a pack, Lnd believed he could do it just fine. He had no need for anyone. He took that position to be their Alpha in the first ce because his mother threatened him with the Hansleys'' safety.
Now that Sophie showed interest in their people''s practices, though, it seemed like it was also his responsibility to help her.
Chapter 123 Nicholas Wants To Go To Hastings
Lnd wanted her to know about her roots, the side of Anne that Sophie''s mother didn''t get the chance to tell her beloved daughter. The responsibility was now on Lnd''s shoulders.
"But it''s not nothing!" Sophie argued and then suddenly calmed down a little. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "There is a reason why youe to this human kingdom and hide among us."
Lnd couldn''t help but be impressed. Even though he didn''t say anything to reveal his pack''s motives, she was quick to read in between the lines and silence.
"...I know that I am probably not trustworthy yet," Sophie said. "So I understand why you choose to remain silent."
That was only partly true.
Lnd cleared his throat and then nced in the direction of the two lycan pups in their crib. He suddenly asked, "Would it be alright to see them up close?"
"O-oh, yes¡" Sophie slowly said and thought he chose to change the subject.
Both Sophie and Lnd stepped forward at the same time and then approached the two babies who were still fast asleep. Their eyes were still closed and didn''t open yet. Their chests were heaving up and down with gentle breathing. Lnd gently looked at them. They had their mother''s scent all over them. He loved it so much.
It was so strange to see the lycans so helpless and weak. He felt a strange sense of duty to protect them, not only because they were Sophie''s but because they were small and fragile.
"Since they''re just newly born, I think it will take the two of them about two weeks before they can open their eyes," Lnd said. "Then, they will slowly learn to walk."
"Ah, yes, I actually asked the midwife about that," Sophie looked up at the man and bit down on her lips. Now that the secret about him being an Alpha of the pack was out, somehow, he felt a bit more conversational?
She honestly didn''t know.
Lnd nodded to confirm.
"May I?" he asked.
"Ah, yes. Uhm¡ please, be gentle," Sophie said. She gently picked up one of her babies and kissed it on the forehead. It was strange to see them in their lycan forms and not as actual babies.
Never in her life, she thought she would give birth to cute little puppies, and not human babies. However, it didn''t make her love them any less. Everything just made sense to her.
It reminded Sophie of Nichs so much. The twins had their father''s fur and it made her smile. She couldn''t wait to see what how they would look like as human children when they could finally shift. Would they both have their father''s eyes?
She wondered what the future was like for them? When Sophie first came here, she felt that she was only trying to survive.
Her children''s future was the most important thing to Sophie. At first, she felt like she needed to put up walls and do what it took to ensure that she and her children lived. But now as she nced over her shoulder, she saw how the Alpha was kind to her baby.
It almost seemed like she could actually be at peace here.
***
Meanwhile, in the capital. It didn''t take too long for Nichs to make ns to head towards Hastings. The crown prince was aware that this was one of the first few times that his father seemed pleased about his decisions.
Nichs smiled at the thought but then suddenly looked down at the papers with a frown. He didn''t want to jump to conclusions or anything out of the ordinary but he looked at the document and scrutinized them.
"A month after my uncle''s death, Lord Ariam Romanov purchased the baron''s castle and then moved in with his people," he said aloud.
The crown prince was in his personal study and tapped his foot impatiently beneath his table and was conflicted.
"All of this could have happened simply because of coincidence. Lord Ariam''s father passed away not too long ago based on my intel so perhaps the duke simply wished to leave his ancestral homes and travel for a fresh start."
For some reason, Nichs kept looking at the document and his gut instincts were telling him that something was amiss. He could feel like there was something that connected them but he could be wrong.
He didn''t want to solely trust his instincts and wanted to tackle this with only cold rationality and facts¡ however, the evidence was scarce and there was not much of a lead.
"I''ll go visit the ce where the carriage ident happened, but my father already said that the incident was so clean." Nichs frowned hard. "Not swallowed by the earth but by andslide? Magic?"
Regardless of the evidence orck thereof, Nichs stood up and already had his luggage being prepared to head on over to Hastings. He was going to take a discreet appearance and not reveal himself as the crown prince.
"If people were aware that the crown prince came to visit Hastings then it would alert them that I was on to them, so it is much better that I do not let anyone know that I came from the capital."
Nichs asked for a carriage that did not have the logos of the crown and he also chose to wear in and simple clothes. He was already dressed in a cloak when he came out to the royal stables.
Even those in the pce would not know that he left because it was to ensure that if there were any spies or ears, they would remain clueless as to the crown prince''s whereabouts.
Soon, Nichs was ready to leave for Hastings. Unfortunately, on the night before he was supposed to leave, the queen fell ill and begged him not to go until she recovered.
"What if I died while you are away?" the queen cried in her bed. "Can you live with yourself if that happened?"
Nichs only stood rooted in his spot, hearing his mother''s plea. He understood his mother cared a lot about him and she was worried something bad happened to him if she let him go.
He couldn''t hurt her by insisting to go to Hastings and investigate. She was right. He wouldn''t be able to live with himself if she died and he was far away from her during herst moment.
The king looked displeased in the corner of the queen''s chamber, but he, too, was hopeless. His wife had been ckmailing him with her weak body whenever she wanted something so badly, like today.
And he had been so used to giving in to what she wanted. He sometimes resented her for it, but there was nothing he could do. She was his queen and the mother of his only son.
However, if this kept going... how could Nichs grow and be the formidable king that his father expected of him?
"I won''t go anywhere, mother," Nichs faked a smile and went to sit next to his mother. "You have to get well."
The doctor already told the king and the crown prince that Queen Marianne''s body was weak and any extra stress could make her condition worse.
At this point, Nichs sometimes thought he just needed to wait until his mother passed away before he could do whatever he wanted.
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From Missrealitybites:
Ahh... too bad Nic wouldn''te to Hastings anytime soon, while his wife and children are finding refuge in another man''s home.
Chapter 124 The Alpha And The Babies
***
Sophie may have been a little mistaken when she thought that she would be at peace here in Duke Romanov''s castle with her children. The truth of the matter was that Sophie was not actually that prepared for taking care of babies.
She had the spirit and love to take care of her two young boys. However, taking care of twins proved to be a daunting task for one person alone. The cries of the lycan puppies were extremely loud.
Sophie, who was still feeling weak after childbirth, found herself shocked at how much lung power the babies had. It was an incident that made the lycans who were all good with hearing somewhat bothered.
"Oh no," Sophie muttered as she quickly did her best to stand up from her bed to attend to her two babies. However, before she could even step down into her bed, someone quickly knocked on the door.
"Sophia?" Duke Romanov''s voice called out to her from the other end.
Sophie quickly became nervous that the duke who may have found the babies cute earlier would be annoyed at how noisy her children were and disturbing the rest of the people past midnight.
"Ah, my apologies, your grace!" Sophie called out as she stepped towards her children and tried to pick the two of them up at the same time. She wondered if they were hungry or if they needed something else¡
One was wailing on the top of his lungs, and his brother was trying to crawl away from him. She panicked to see it and was worried he would fall to the floor and hurt himself.
"I''ll being in." Lnd felt that Sophie was panicking about her children and what he thought of them. Since he heard no argument from Sophie, the man stepped into the room and saw the mother with her children.
Sophie looked a bit frantic and her hair was a bit messy, too tired after giving birth to even think about her appearance. This made Lnd frustrated to see her maidservant, Dinah, was nowhere to be found.
However, it was possibly a blessing in disguise.
Compared to Sophie who absolutely had no idea whatsoever of what it was like to take care of babies¡ Lnd actually had the experience of seeing Anne take care of Sophie while she was still a baby.
All those years ago, Lnd felt a bit jealous to see Sophie being taken care of by Anne. Her mother''s love was amazing. The memory of Anne suddenly inspired Lnd to take a step forward and offered to take one of the children in his arms. He could see how much of a struggle it was for Sophie to hold her two babies alone.
"Alpha¡ I''m so sorry, I may have fallen asleep by ident," Sophie said in apology while cradling one of her sons. She passed one of them to Duke Romanov because she was feeling a bit weak. Her babies were very healthy and now quite heavy.
Lnd shook his head, started cradling one of Sophie''s sons in his arms. He rocked the pup in a rxing motion. Anne once used it to soothe baby Sophie before and it worked on her son as well.
Sophie was surprised to see it. She immediately mirrored the duke''s movements. It really helped and her previously wailing son slowly became drowsy. He yawned many times and finally fell asleep. Sophie heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you so much. I was not aware that you were good with babies, my lord."
Lnd wanted to say that it was actually thanks to her mother, but he decided not to say anything.
"Please go to bed, Sophia. I am not sure why Dinah is not here to assist you, but I''ll be looking after your sons. So, please get some rest."
"I couldn''t possibly ask you to do that." Sophie''s eyes widened in shock.
Lnd smiled a little and shook his head. "I''ve married you, Sophia, and have taken you as my wife. I am not only sharing my wealth with you but I also wish to share the responsibilities that you have."
"But¡" Sophie didn''t want to point out that these babies were not the Alpha''s. She could only bite her lip and look away.
Why was this man so kind to her?
Lnd felt the hesitation in her chest but he insisted on getting Sophie to bed. "Do not argue with me any further because I''m worried that you won''t stand any longer. You can trust me with your children, Sophia."
Sophie couldn''t argue with the duke after she explicitly told her not to. So, she bowed her head awkwardly and thank him. "Understood. Thank you for your help, my lord."
She finally passed her second son to the duke as he requested. She was surprised to see the duke at ease with the two children.
He looked like he took on the fatherly role quite well. Duke Romanov''s arms were more than enough to carry both of them at the same time without even batting an eye at the weight.
The sight eased Sophie''s heart as she reluctantly went to bed. Her eyes were still on her children and she couldn''t help but still feel that she should be the one doing all the work. But her husband was right. She was so exhausted.
"Are you ufortable with me being here in your room?" Lnd wondered why Sophie was still looking at him and didn''t sleep as he told her. There were times that it was a little hard to distinguish between the emotions flowing through her.
Sophie blinked and found herself a bit surprised. No, she was not ufortable by the duke''s presence in her room. On the contrary, the thought never crossed her mind.
She was only feeling a bit guilty and distracted by the fact that she wasn''t the one caring for her children. The man was not even the father of her boys, yet not only he didn''t say anything, but he also treated them very well.
Chapter 125 Luciel & Jan
"Please do not feel burdened or anything at all," Lnd said tly. "I haven''t got the chance to speak about this with you before, but what are their names?"
The Alpha thought that perhaps making light conversation would help Sophie sleep better because the instant that Lnd started carrying the two babies in his arms, his own heartbeat seemed to lull them to sleep along with his swaying.
"Ah, their names¡" Sophie had thought long and hard about it before. Since she hadn''t known the gender of the baby and only expected one, she had actually wanted to name it ''Annabeth'' after her mother.
If Nichs had been around, perhaps he would have wanted to name them after him or his father? Sophie smiled a little gloomily and knew that she could not find any answers from her former husband.
"Luciel and Jan," she said shyly. She didn''t have any particr reason why she chose those names. She just liked them.
Lnd seemed to agree.
"Luciel and Jan..." he repeated their names as if trying to engrave them in his heart. "Luciel... and Jan."
***
"I brought something to eat for your children." Duke Romanov cleared his throat as he entered the room. Lnd came across Sophie sitting on her bed with the two lycan puppies on the bed.
Each one of them could already walk and had already opened their eyes. One of them had Nichs'' beautiful amber eyes and the other one had Sophie''s blue eyes.
Right now, the two babies were already puttering about and sniffing Sophie''s hand and smelling one another. Both of them looked up when the Alpha entered the room and instinctively, they stopped moving around.
The aura of a great lycan appeared. It was impossible for them not to feel in awe of him.
Sophie''s eyes bulged when she saw how the Duke arrived with Dinah who wheeled in a lot of grilled meat. The scent of sandalwood was present in the air as she sniffed.
"Meat?" Sophie asked.
It was a heavenly scent that made Sophie hungry herself, but then her two babies started making some sounds. It seemed like they were begging for scraps and she was a bit worried if they could already eat meat.
She had been nursing them diligently and also gave them the moon tonic on the side, just to respect the lycan''s tradition. Now, the babies were so fat and healthy. Both looked like two balls of fur when they slept in her embrace.
"I think you''ve already noticed how they''re quick to walk and see, right?" Lnd chuckled. "They can also already eat meat as long as it is properly chopped up."
"Ah, I didn''t know that." Sophie nced at her babies. She realized she had so much to learn about the lycan species.
She did see how their teeth started growing fast. Compared to a human baby, their growth was incredible. Maybe it was true, they were ready for other food.
"Indeed, us lycans are quick to learn how to adapt fast in our environment. A female lycan takes care of her babies for a short while only because even baby lycans grow up so fast and can immediately adjust to their environment."
As Lnd''s father always once said, even a small lycan cub could kill a deer by itself if they wanted to. It reminded the Alpha of the time where his father, Leon, threw him in a herd of deer.
The stags had rammed their antlers before Lnd got away from them, and then realized that his father would only take him back after he defeated the entire herd.
However, that wouldn''t be the case here. He was not his ruthless father.
"If you''ll excuse me," Lnd grabbed a chair and ced it close to Sophie''s bed.
He sat down and opened the tray filled with grilled meat and then the man would swiftly slice them into small strips and chunks. Each one of them was bite sized.
Sophie was surprised as Dinah left the room, but not as surprised when Duke Romanov himself picked up one strip of meat with his bare hands.
"My lord?" Sophie asked, a bit bewildered. "I can do it, you don''t have to slice them yourself."
***
Once Dinah left the room, she felt like her heart was wildly beating out of her chest and then hurried back into her quarters. Many other female lycans were around waiting for her.
"So you fed those¡ those lycan puppies?" A woman scrunched up her nose when she saw Dinah enter the servant''s headquarters.
Not everyone was happy when they figured out that the children weren''t their Alpha''s. Who was going to be the next Alpha then? Lycans from aplete stranger?
"No, not me." Dinah shook her head. "I only delivered the meat. I think¡ the Alpha and she will be feeding them."
"The Alpha will feed them?!"
It was a surprising change to see that the reclusive, distant, and cold Alpha showed a side that nobody would even dare imagine. Lnd was always intimidating, aggressive and ferocious when it came to those within his pack.
The people in Blood River Pack knew that the Alpha was more than capable of going toe-in-toe with numerous lycans at the same time and there was a reason why their pack was called Blood River.
Their Alphas could make an entire river turn red from blood by how much death and carnage was created by those who became the leader of their pack. Numerous lycans died just to have a strong Alpha. It was how they coined the term.
Lnd was the one who conquered and dominated his father''s beta and also seeded against countless challenges from the Elders and other powerful and ambitious lycans eyeing the position as the alpha of their pack..
Sophie didn''t even know the full story of that and neither did shepletely understand why people like Dinah were all so nervous and subservient to the Duke.
***
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From Missrealitybites:
Thank you so much for supporting this book with your power stones,ments, and golden tickets.
I am overwhelmed with work (again) this week and will be very slow in responding. I will get back to you and yourments tomorrow. I hope you are still having a nice holiday time with your family.
I especially love today''s chapters because... BABIES!!
Chapter 126 Protective Mate, Doting Father
Sophie was shocked by how things changed with Duke Romanov. She already knew that the man could be kind in his own distant way.
She had looked forward to their secret tea times and just conversing with one another because, underneath the mask, he turned out to be an interesting man who didn''t talk much but always seem to understand her.
Now, Sophie was at a loss for words with how he treated her children.
Lnd gently fed each lycan baby a strip of meat and didn''t at all seem bothered when they started to lick his hand. The Alpha even chuckled and picked up another strip of meat.
"You little guys are quite hungry," hemented in amusement.
It shouldn''t have been possible, but the way that Lnd cared for Sophie''s children was almost like they were his own. The Alpha chose to see these two lycan cubs as his because he wanted them to have a good life.
Compared to Sophie who lost her parents at a young age, and Lnd who grew up not experiencing what it was like to have parental love and care¡ these children would not know the feeling of being unwanted or not having loving parents.
Lnd had every intention of letting them know what it was like to be loved¡ and wanted.
Sophie''s words from before about wanting her children to grow up loving themselves? It was something that struck his heart hard because he knew how difficult it was to ept and love himself.
Even though he was proud of his lineage and didn''t have any problems being a lycan, the idea that his parents were not proud of him, and didn''t want him, wounded his heart as a child.
Now, the Alpha wanted these children to love themselves and be confident... because that was what Sophie wanted. In order to achieve that, Lnd believed that it was up to him to actually step in and take on the role of their father since theirs was gone.
Before the children were born, he often wondered how he would perceive them and if he could love them for being part of Sophie. He knew he loved her enough to ept her children, but was not sure if he could love them like his own since... they would always be the reminder of his mate''s first love.
However... once they were here, there was no shred of resentment he felt for them. Those lycan pups were the most adorable creatures he had everid his eyes on. And as days went by... his love for them grew.
So what if they were not his biological children?! He mated with Sophie when they were in her womb. They might as well have been his if he found Sophie a few months earlier.
Now that their father was dead, Lnd was the only father figure they would ever have. So, why not take on the role?
With that thought in mind, it was easy for the Alpha to be himself around Sophie and her cute children... a protective mate and doting father.
***
"Slow down, Luciel!" Sophie called out to one of her more energetic sons and watched him scamper off underneath the table and nearly hit his head against one of the table''s legs.
Luciel barely dodged with his lycan reflexes and swiftly shifted on his paw, evading the wooden pir of pain, and soon grinned in happiness. Until he smacked against something harder instead. It was the wall.
Jan who was the more calm one between the twins watched his brother bumping his head against the wall and sighed. The ck-furred lycan puppy winced at the sight as his mother gently picked up Luciel and cradled the grey pup in her arms.
"Ah, haven''t I told you to not run around the room?" Sophie scolded her son gently as the lycan baby whimpered and nuzzled against her. He was hurt and wanted some love from his mother.
Sophie found it really hard to stay upset at such an affectionate child. It had already been sixty days since Sophie gave birth to her two sons and as promised by Duke Romanov, her children were quick to grow and developed well into chubby lycan puppies who scampered around the room.
One of them seemed to have inherited Nichs'' rather joyful and free-spirited personality and liked puttering about and sticking his nose into things that weren''t his business at all. The other one was calmer and seemed to like quiet and sleeping a lot.
"We''re going out, so please just wait, Luciel. It won''t take too long before we get our escort, alright?" Sophie said.
Luciel whined at her.
"No, you can''t run again on the balcony. You knocked some pots before and that''s too much work for the others, alright?" Sophie may not have been able to speak lycan but she somehow knew what her sons were trying to say by mother''s instincts.
The way that her children spoke, moved, and otherwise looked at her seemed to be as clear as day. They could not yet speak the humannguage or transform, but she knew them by heart.
Luciel harrumphed at her and Sophie rolled her eyes at him. "I''m not only saying this because of the other people. I get worried about you injuring yourself. So, please try not to make your mother''s poor heart nervous, okay?"
The lycan puppy''s ears ttened and he touched his paws on his mother''s face and licked her cheek happily.
"Okay, okay, you''re forgiven. Just a little more patience, alright?" Sophie said.
She had apologized several times over due to broken pottery and was also unhappy that her son kept bumping and crashing flower vases, pots and was overall naughty. However, just one happy pant from Luciel and Sophie''s heart melted instantly.
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From Missrealitybites:
I know I told you Lnd is a bad boy, but I kept writing him in a way that shows him as a doting husband. I have my reason to do that.
Lnd is the second man for Sophie. I need to show his good sides to you so you can be at ease when he entered the picture, took center stage, and swoon our female lead.
If I showed his bad boy sides 100%, you would scream and beg me to bring Nichs back and not torture Sophie with a cold and ruthless man who would make her go through a roller coaster of emotions. Right?
Lnd will show his bad boy sides, of course, when we progress into the story deeper and see him from other characters'' perspectives, especially Nichs''. Lnd will never be an asshole to Sophie, because he loves her, but he is not a sweet man who treats everyone else the same way he treats Sophie.
Chapter 127 Morning Run With The Babies (1)
The other baby nudged Sophie''s leg and begged to be picked up with a cute look on his face. Sophie smiled and carefully picked up the plump lycan to kiss his head and soothed him.
"I haven''t forgotten about you, Jan. Your brother just always gets himself in a lot of trouble, you know?" She chuckled. "You, on the other hand, never make me worry."
The lycan puppy called Jan nodded his head and seemed to have understood his mother. He was great at deciphering his mother''s words and tone despite the fact that the lycannguage was easier for them.
Luciel nipped at his brother and tried to swat his brother with a paw.
"Now, now. Don''t fight with one another, okay?" Sophie separated the two lycan puppies and shook her head. At first, it was hard to carry the two of them at the same time, but now, Sophie was strong enough to hold them both.
Luciel reluctantly nodded his head while Jan swatted him in the head as his brother lowered his guard. Jan growled at his brother and tried to return the favor, squirming in their mother''s arms like living chubby logs.
"Boys." Sophie shook her head.
Jan was also active and liked chasing after his brother but seemed to be more cool and liked to observe things when given the chance. Sophie often caught her son sniffing things and also looking out at the window.
The idea of raising two twin boys was a daunting task. The fact that they were lycan babies made it even more difficult because of their species'' natural inclination to bite a lot of things. Fortunately, Sophie was not alone in this struggle to raise her sons.
A simple knock on the door alerted both Sophie and her pups of who had arrived. Normally, Dinah would call out before entering and there were some of the bodyguards too.
However, the person who came was no other than Duke Romanov himself. After Sophie gave him permission to step in, the Alpha entered the room and smiled warmly at them.
"As promised, I''m here to take the boys on a quick run," Lnd said.
Sophie was grateful that Duke Romanov had such a soft spot for her sons, it was almost felt like they were his own, which made her feel so touched whenever she thought about it. She smiled and ducked her head. "Thank you so much, my lord."
"It''s not a problem at all, Sophia," Lnd said. He actually wanted to tell her to stop calling him with honorifics, but couldn''t find the excuse as to why she should. So, in the meantime, he got himself used to it.
The man cleared his throat. "As lycans, we are already active from birth and blessed with a boundless amount of energy that needs to be used up or else they be antsy."
"But it doesn''t have to be you¡" Sophie slowly said.
She actually had the suspicion that Duke Romanov was doing his best to include the boys in his daily schedule in order to protect them. She couldn''t expect the other pack members to do it with her sons because they seem to dislike her Luciel and Jan.
Dinah was still Sophie''s maidservant, but she had grown a bit distant to Sophie and no longer stayed that much to talk or chat with her, which made her feel upset.
It was as if the birth of her children and knowing that it was not their Alpha''s made thingsplicated between Sophie and the rest of the pack.
There was also the fact that Katherine, her old tutor, was also no longer around Hastings when Sophie asked Duke Romanov about it some time ago.
? Sophie knew that she found satisfaction in taking care of her children but somehow, it almost felt like she lost the friends that she had made. The only one who remained a constant presence in her life beside her children¡was no other than Duke Romanov himself.
"It''s also important to train them," Lnd assured her and tried to cheer her up. "Would you like to watch us run?"
Sophie''s eyes widened, this was the first time that he offered to also take her.
The reason why Lnd didn''t offer to have Sophie join them in his runs with her boys previously was because he was worried about Sophie''s health. Also, he found it hard to concentrate whenever she was around.
His mate''s presence alone caused Lnd to be more attentive to no one else but her. However, now that she seemed to have recovered her health after she gave birth, and she was in need of cheering up, the Alpha offered to take her on their morning jog.
Lnd sensed that Sophie was upsettely. It was probably because of the reaction of the pack members when they realized that their Luna gave birth to someone else''s children and not Lnd''s.
The man didn''t care about them and how they perceived the situation. However, he cared about how that made Sophie feel. He didn''t want her to feel upset by their treatment.
He didn''t want to threaten those people and forced his pack members to show respect to Sophie and her children. It was too obvious and not his style.
He would rather show them how much this woman and her children meant to him. So, if his pack members wanted to be in his good grace, they''d better learn to treat Sophie and the twins better.
Even if the entire Blood River Pack were aghast at the sudden events and couldn''t help but change their mood, so what?
They did not outwardly rebel or attempt to hurt Sophie or her children in any way because these lycans would answer to Lnd''s wrath, but Sophie''s reputation took a small dive.
Lnd was no miracle maker and he could not force his pack to change their inmost feelings about their Luna, but as long as they respected their Luna and her children, then there was no problem.
***
Chapter 128 Morning Run With The Babies (2)
It was in fall that Sophie and Nichs met each other and it was where the sweet and spicy autumn colors crafted a wonderful tale that brought the two of them together.
On the first snowke of winter''s season, she and he were wedded with one another underneath glittering crystals and trees. The two lived happily for a short while and in bliss before Nichs disappeared.
At that time, it was as if the harsh winter wind swept him away and he was gone like the very leaves of autumn.
Sophie thought her heart would remain frozen and chilled because of her loss. If it weren''t for her children, she may have given up out of grief.
Now the circumstances had changed as another season came into fruition.
Sophie who had been saved in the winter storm by the Alpha of the Blood River Pack now found herself surrounded by the blossoming of the flowers and spring was in full session.
Spring was when her children were born and now she was at the end of this rejuvenating season. Soon, summer woulde in full force and everything would be warm again and even more beautiful.
Everywhere around Sophie was pretty and in bright colors. She could see butterflies fluttering in the air as birds chirped merrily and exchanged songs with their brethren.
Sophie felt the yful wind carry the scent of flowers and the sight of dandelions flying through the air and she found herself at peace.
Previously, she thought it was impossible to imagine that spring could bring her joy. Yet, she was here now. She was happy again.
Winter''s chill was finally gone and new life presented itself to her in full blossom. This was an opportunity and chance given to Sophie once again. She was forever grateful for how she found herself in the present.
Blessed with two beautiful children from herte husband and, now¡ Sophie''s eyes widened and found her breath taken away by the sight of whaty in front of her.
Luciel and Jan were lovely and healthy. It was more than anything Sophie could have ever asked for. However, she was suddenly at a loss for words when Duke Romanov went over towards the grove of trees.
Duke Romanov promised to run with her children so Sophie knew that he would transform, but¡ she didn''t expect to see such a sight that left her speechless.
In the back of her mind, she always thought of him as disfigured. So, she expected the same in his wolf form. A disfigured wolf.
However, she was wrong.
Duke Romanov''s wolf was so beautiful.
The Alpha stepped out from behind the trees and his white fur glimmered underneath the sunshine. He came back bounding towards Sophie and her children in his wolf form.
Lnd was majestic, regal, and had an aura of a great lycan. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.
Nichs may have transformed into a wolf before, but the way that the man carried himself always contained a hint of resentment and hatred towards himself. A little bit of a hunched back and unwillingness to ept his lycanthropy as nothing but a curse.
Duke Romanov, on the other hand, was a great contrast, proud and confident. He stopped in front of Sophie and her two children. The two lycan puppies were quick to bow their heads at the powerful aura he possessed.
Sophie was startled by the sight. She was tempted to step forward to touch him but quickly realized that it was extremely rude. So, she stepped back.
She only admired the great lycan in front of her in silence. It was truly a beautiful sight. However, she was even more bound for a surprise when she finally saw his eyes.
The lycan before her had the same exact eye colors as her beloved wolf pup, Lee, in the past. Somehow this brought back so much memory of her childhood.
She thought about Lee again. He went missing so many years ago. What was he like now? Was he even still alive?
"But he''s not¡" Sophie shook her head and muttered to herself. "Can''t be him¡."
Lnd''s heart skipped a beat when he heard Sophie refer to him when he was much younger. He was tempted toe to her and tell her the truth. However, the thought that he had failed her and her family made him feel guilty and sad.
Lnd was determined to prove himself to her before he coulde out and reveal who he was. He must avenge her parents'' death.
The Alpha made a quick sound and challenged Sophie''s children toe and follow after him. He gestured with his snout towards the end of the wall of the castle as their finish line.
He would take this as an opportunity to make them stronger and train them as best as he could. While there was time for fun and games, lycans were also quitepetitive that despite being challenged by the Alpha himself, the two young puppies leaped forward as fast as they could.
Both Luciel and Jan did it in an attempt to get ahead of each other and also to get a start ahead of the Alpha. It was as if the notion of defeating an Alpha was a challenge that stimted the little boys'' minds.
Faster than Alpha!
Zoom, zoom!
Swoosh!
Lnd gave them a minute head start to run about. He found it amusing to see them run on their chubby hind legs. He wondered if the young Sophie found the little Lnd fat because of that.
After giving them enough time to run ahead, pushing themselves to the limits, the Alpha chased after them and crossed the distance in a sh. Sophie was shocked at how fast Lnd could run as the man overtook her two children that were actually so close to the walls.
Sophie ended upforting her two sons who felt like they had been cheated when they nearly, nearly overthrew the Alpha of the Blood River Pack.
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I am truly enjoying writing this werewolf story. This is something I never thought would happen because I didn''t enjoy werewolves stories in the past (there are too many simr stories out there and I am not fond of abusive obsessive Alphas presented in many stories).
I was in severely abusive rtionships and those stories trigger me. Just reading the sentence "You are mine" uttered in dominating nature which many people find sexy... makes me roll my eyes so hard they almost fell out of their sockets.
Mostly because usually it''s followed by many actions that show how the male leads are supposedly hot for smothering the female leads.
That was the summary of my bad experience with many books, especially in the werewolf genre. I am now washing away all the bad memory from my mind and opening my heart to explore this genre, by writing one of my own.
So far, so good. I am actually now really in love with wolves and how protective and doting they are of their mates and pups. The scenes between Lnd and the babies are my favorite, and I am sure Sophie could appreciate him for this too.
I can''t wait for him to have child/ren of his own with his mate.
Chapter 129 Sophie Prepares Breakfast
"It''s okay... you will do better next time," Sophie coaxed her sons. "The Alpha is just bigger and stronger than you. You will win when you are as big and strong as he is."
Her heart fluttered when she said those words. Seeing the duke in his majestic wolf form impressed her so much. Now, she truly associated him with strength and protection. Being around the duke made her feel safe and secure.
She turned around to congratte Duke Romanov for winning the race or rather thank him for his time. However, before she had the chance to do it, she found the man had returned out clothed in his human form once again.
The Alpha was really fast.
"Oh¡" Sophie found herself feeling a bit disappointed. Lnd showed his wolf form to her, but he still met her with his mask on.
She truly wanted to see him without it and found out how he truly look like, even if he was ugly and disfigured. Unfortunately, she could only keep her curiosity to herself.
***
Before Sophie knew it, spring had already passed and summertime arrived. When she woke up in her bed, she found that her two sons Luciel and Jan were already eagerly waiting for her to wake up.
The two lycan pups had hopped into her bed and started nudging her to get up and open the door for them. When it didn''t work, the two young children started to lick their mother''s cheek to get her attention.
"Ah, you guys want to go out again?" Sophie smiled at her children and nced out the window. The sun was barely up and the sky was still dark blue and some of the stars were still twinkling.
It was still so early and yet the two boys had started to anticipate the morning jog with Duke Romanov.
Sophie eventually got up and opened the door to her bedroom. Duncan who was stationed close to her room happened to see the two young lycan cubs scamper past him and the hallway.
Normally, the lycan cubs in the Blood River Pack were assigned to one of the adults to act as a teacher and mentor to them. However, most of the ones with Lnd in this castle were warriors already.
Nobody took on the role¡ especially when it was their Alpha himself who watched over the kids and personally took on the training and raising them.
Even before Lnd got out of his own room, Luciel and Jan were already by his door. The Alpha heard them and was actually already prepared to meet up with them.
During the nights, Lnd took up meditation to calm himself and his growing emotions so when he came out of the door, he was at ease to see the children.
These two lycan babies seemed to have moved past the fact that he was the Alpha and were simply happy at the attention that Lnd dedicated to them. The man smiled a little underneath his mask and greeted them.
"Did you two force your mother to wake up early to open the door for you guys again?" Lnd asked.
Both Luciel and Jan shook their heads at him to the amusement of the Alpha. The two babies looked a bit guilty because their mother had been sleeping well before the two of them disturbed her.
"You guys are lucky that she loves you that much," Lnd chuckled. Unlike his conversation with Sophie that tended to veer on the quieter side, he was more rxed when talking with the children.
Every now and then, Lnd nced at the hallway and expected Sophie toe after her children and fuss over them, but to his surprise, she didn''t appear right after them.
It seemed like Sophie had grown ustomed to their daily jogging and now could entrust her children to Lnd. The Alpha was pleased about it, but the truth was, he longed to see her this morning.
Sophie often came up to follow after her children and apologized to Lnd for them always being so eager to run with the Alpha and yet at those times, Lnd was blessed by the sight of her.
Perhaps she stayed in her bed today?
Well, he couldn''t fault her for wanting to rest if that was the case. Lnd cleared his throat and redirected his gaze to the impatient lycan puppies.
,m "Ahem, let''s get to the garden now."
***
The truth was that Sophie chose to get up from her bed for another purpose. She truly trusted that Duke Romanov had the best intentions for her children and knew that Luciel and Jan adored the man. So, she wasn''t worried.
Sophie''s children constantly waited outside of Duke Romanov''s room.
Instead, she chose to prepare a quick meal for them in the kitchen. Sophie wanted to prepare them a light meal to eat after running outside that wouldn''t strain their body too much to digest.
"I think he really likes the sandwich I made him at the festival," Sophie said to herself as she prepared a bowl of fresh strawberries. She also made a delicious meat dish for her two boys and they were soon was done.
Once her preparations wereplete, Sophie made her way out to the garden and encountered her children and Duke Romanov who were just finishing their run. Luciel and Jan perked up once they saw her and rushed forward to their mother.
"My babies!" Sophie smiled at them and gently took them in her arms. As she did this, Duke Romanov in his wolf form took the opportunity to nod at her and then slink back behind the tree.
Lnd disappeared to transform back into his human form and get dressed again. After he donned his mask, he walked out to smile at Sophie. "Good morning, Sophia. Did you sleep well? Your boys are energetic as usual."
Sophie beamed at thepliment. She rubbed her sons'' fur and thanked the Alpha for taking the time to run with Luciel and Jan.
"Would you like some water, your grace?" Sophie took out a water canister from her basket and offered it to Duke Romanov. She gave him a sheepish smile. "I was tempted to sleep some more, but if my children are awake¡ how can a mother stay asleep?"
Lnd epted the canister from Sophie and relished her fingers brushing against his. He inclined his head. "On the contrary, I''d say that you deserve the rest. Thank you for the water."
Sophie slowly nodded and tried to avert her gaze from the Alpha''s corbones and drenched shirt. It seemed like the sweat from all the running was also evident in his human form.
"Yes¡" Sophie gulped and refocused on kneeling down to feed her children. "I prepared a quick meal for you, my lord. You probably don''t want to eat heavy this early."
At this point in time, Sophie realized that she was thoroughly intrigued with Duke Romanov''s appearance. She never said it aloud because she didn''t know how to speak about it without it seeming offensive.
She didn''t care if he was ugly or badly disfigured. She just wanted to see his face underneath his mask. The true him.
Chapter 130 Picnic For Breakfast
Lnd, who could tell that Sophie''s interest was really piqued, couldn''t help but feel a bit tempted to suddenly take his mask off.
However, unless he was able to fulfill his promise of avenging her parents¡ the Alpha didn''t feel like he deserved to tell her.
There were a lot ofplications and exnations too.
He needed to be strong and hold back the desire to reveal everything.
"Ah, thank you. My cooks could prepare a meal, but I''m sure that the boys are more eager to taste your cooking. You have mypliments." Lnd let out a satisfied sigh. "Shall we all eat out here in the garden? A pic?"
"I would love to¡ er, that would be lovely, your grace."
Sophie did not want to admit it to herself at all, but as she looked at how her two sons interacted warmly with Duke Romanov, her heart softened at the sight of her boys snuggling and warming up to the Alpha.
At first, she was reluctant and had hoped that her children were human. She thought that since she and Nichs were both human, even if Nichs was transformed into a lycan, their human side would still win out by the end.
Now she realized that she was wrong.
This was not the case where she would love them any less, but Sophie''s mind wandered into what-if scenarios. A part of her knew that if Nichs were to see his kids, the reality would be a bit difficult to fathom for him.
While it was true that they were his children, would he be able to fully love them if they reminded him of his curse?
The people in the kingdom of Riga were undoubtedly not willing to ept them and that would hurt Sophie as their mother.
She didn''t want her children to go through the exact same thing that Nichs went through to remove his so-called curse. That was why her heart was at ease as she looked at Duke Romanov with Luciel and Jan.
Sophie smiled and Lnd was struck by the sight of her smiling¡ until the two boys nipped at his fingers and started begging for more scraps of meat. The Alpha rolled his eyes and paid attention to the two boys.
"You guys have been distracting me, haven''t you?" Lnd chuckled at the two boys.
Sophie sheepishly smiled and winced. She offered Lnd the boy''s food as she stared at the masked duke. "I''m so sorry, but they really prefer having you feed them."
There was no doubt that these two boys were looking for a father figure and naturally found themselves drawn to the Alpha. They could see the mark of the man on their mother and thus considered him their father.
"It''s not a problem to me, Sophia." Lnd smiled at her. "They are my children as much as they are yours."
Sophie only smiled back at him and yet there was an intensity in her gaze that left Lnd fumbling even as he fed Luciel and Jan. These two cubs were so demanding and didn''t seem to care that he was the Alpha.
A bit spoiled perhaps, but Lnd was d that such a thing was possible over mistreatment. Still, the man found himself ncing at the boy''s mother and wondering.
If there were any weaknesses that a lycan may have had with mate bonding and sharing their thoughts and emotions, it was this: sometimes it could be hard to distinguish between them.
Lnd who grew up mostly repressing his emotions could feel the intensity of Sophie''s emotions and sometimes ended up getting overwhelmed by them or he found himself at ack of words.
Emotions were sometimes difficult tobel and one often experienced countless emotions, mixed feelings that left an emotionally stunted Alpha at a loss on how tofort his mate.
In this scenario, Lnd felt the twinge of Sophie''s desire to see her children as human and some regret when she thought about her former husband that the Alpha was quick to point out some salient details to appease her.
"Did you know that it''s usually when a lycan child is around five years of age that they can gain their human forms and transform then?" Lnd said in passing.
"Ah, is that so?" Sophie smiled at him and then looked at her two beautiful cubs. She rubbed Jan''s head and sighed wistfully. "I think I did remember Dinah mentioning that."
The next wave of emotions that Lnd felt was Sophie''s desire and longing for friendship. It filled him with sadness because he realized how lonely his mate must have been.
"Apologies, it seems that Dinah is a bit preupied with some other responsibilities in the castle and cannot linger too much to spend time with you," Lnd added.
"There is no need to apologize, your grace!" Sophie waved a hand at him and was flustered. "I understand that she may have other priorities as you said."
Lnd sighed inwardly and knew he probably needed to discuss the situation with his pack about Sophie''s children. Why was it so difficult to deal with people''s emotions?
Sophie cleared her throat and blushed. "That is why I am grateful for your presence, Alpha. I do not know if you feel the same way, but I feel like the two of us get along. I am grateful."
"And so am I." Lnd smiled and inclined his head. "It was difficult to find anyone who would treat me as you do, like an actual partner and equal. Simply not looking at my title."
"Ah, you make it easy, your grace," Sophie said.
While it was true that during her childhood, Sophie made friends in Hauntingen¡ unfortunately the years that cameter weren''t the case. She was often alone and didn''t have people she could trust.
In a way, it triggered Lnd''s own pang of loneliness. If he had been there, the Alpha could have been the one who filled the void of friendship she had and she would fill his.
Chapter 131 Slowly Falling For Leland
Sophie was ostracized in Cawden Academy and mistreated in her rtives'' house, and even though Lnd already punished them for their sins, it didn''t exactly take away those years of suffering.
She learned how to grow up so fast.
Amongst these ever-shifting, ever-deepening emotions that Sophie held in her heart and kept it a secret from others¡ there was actually one thing that she was keeping at the bottom of her heart.
Lnd, who had been distracted by the surface emotions that kept popping in her heart and mind didn''t seem to have realized the slowly developing but growing feelings that were just lingering beneath.
For the past months that she had been here with him, Sophie got the opportunity to slowly get to know Duke Romanov. Now, she knew him more than just simple rumors and gossip that the people in town spoke about.
Whenever Sophie looked at Duke Romanov, she saw his quiet if not distant side that still held gentleness and kindness unlike any other. He was like a cier ice sheet, of snow and snowkes that were freezing but could still be gentle and beautiful.
,m The Alpha could be overwhelming, that was true.
There were times that Sophie worried and became anxious about what would happen when she was with Duke Romanov because there were instances where he waspletely unreadable and unpredictable.
However, she was slowly but surely falling in love with him.
***
It was finally during one night at dinner that Sophie decided to make a move. After spending so long mourning after her first husband''s death, she had found herself unknowingly falling for Duke Romanov.
Sophie bit her lip as she ate her steak and then drank her water. She eyed the man across from her and once again it was the same appearance of him wearing that stupid leather mask.
Lnd blinked and looked up at her. His voice was hoarse when he asked her, "Is there¡ something wrong?"
Sophie smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, my lord."
The Alpha nodded at her but started to contemte wearing a new mask. Did Sophie really think it was stupid? He had never known that she thought about it this way at all.
Sophie was unaware of the Alpha''s current problems and to her, she was actually focused on bringing something up once they were finished with their meal.
Right now, she was at the dinner table with the duke and they were enjoying a meal together that didn''t have her children with her.
Luciel and Jan were currently being taken care of by Dinah.
Actually, Luciel and Jan weren''t even in Sophie''s own room for that matter. They finally moved to the nursery room that Duke Romanov provided so they could run around without disturbing their mother.
These two children of hers preferred to be with Sophie most of the time so it was actually the first time that they''d be separated from their mother and left with someone else without her watch.
Almost instinctively, the two lycan pups could feel the gazes of the older lycans on them that were more unfavorable despite them hiding it so they were really ufortable if Sophie or Lnd wasn''t the one taking care of them.
However, it had to be done for the n to work.
***
It actually took some time for Sophie to convince the maidservant to do it. Dinah looked very reluctant to be seen serving the children of those that weren''t their Alpha''s, but then Sophie opened up to the maid.
"Please take care of my children for tonight, Dinah," Sophie said. "I know that you do not¡ like the fact that they are not the duke''s, but they are still his since we are married."
Dinah bowed her head. She replied reluctantly. "Yes, mydy."
Sophie sighed at her lost friend and sped her hands together. "I need to talk with your Alpha after dinner. So, I was hoping that you could look after Luciel and Jan in the meantime that I am gone."
"What?" Dinah''s eyes bulged.
Sophie''s cheeks became rosy as she spoke. "I have something important to discuss with him."
Dinah, who had been worried about her ce in the pack after serving Sophie, found herself quickly surprised at what the Luna had in mind. She was actually skeptical at first because every member of the pack felt betrayed for their Alpha.
However, if Sophie was going to do this¡ then Dinah was actually pleased. She reached out to Sophie, grabbed the two of her hands, and seriously said.
"Please make it happen, Lu¡ªmydy." Dinah smiled brightly at her. "It will make everyone happy, but most of all, it will make the two of you very happy."
"Are you sure?" Sophie chewed on her lip and knew for a fact that Dinah could tell what she was going to do. "I¡ I do not know what is on his mind."
Dinah stared at Sophie and then shook her head. The female lycan was surprised at their Luna''s cluelessness about what their Alpha felt towards her. All of Lnd''s actions showed love and respect towards his mate.
"Our Alpha has taken you in and has taken care of your children for the past sixty days since they were born. Do you really think that our Alpha would do that for anyone else?"
Dinah''s words rang in Sophie''s mind all day as she thought deeply about it. Perhaps, it was true that Duke Romanov was in love with her, and the reason why he did what he did for Sophie and her boys was that he genuinely loved her and cared about her.
This made Sophie be more determined to express her feelings to the duke.
.
.
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ANNOUNCEMENT:
I am preparing 30 chapters for Privilege and will be busy editing them from tomorrow until January 3. Since the privilege in December 2021 was glitched and I cannot add new tiers, I am asking your understanding to be patient because I need time to make new ones in January.
___________________
The Privilege Tiers starting January 2022 is:
___Tier 1 - 2 advanced chapters for 1 coin
___Tier 2 - 5 advanced chapters for 100 coins (extra 3 chapters from Tier 1)
___Tier 3 - 20 advanced chapters for 500 coins (extra 15 chapters from Tier 2)
___Tier 4 - 28 advanced chapters for 1200 coins + 50% chapter discount (extra 8 chapters from Tier 3)
___Tier 5 - 38 advanced chapters for 2000 coins + 99% chapter discount (extra 10 chapters from Tier 4)
___________________
Tiers 1, 2, and 3 will be avable immediately on January 1
Tier 4 will be avable on January 2
Tier 5 will be avable on January 3
Webnovel app follows GMT+8 Timezone.
YOU DON''T HAVE TO PURCHASE PRIVILEGE to read regrly. I will publish 2 chapters per day again from January 4 and everyone, including the readers who read for free using fast passes, can read this book every day until it''s ending.
Privilege is avable as a means for readers who want to financially support this book further and in exchange, you will get ess to read my stockpiled chapters that are not yet avable to the public.
Privilege will have to be renewed every month if you wish to always stay ahead in the chapters. So, no need to purchase privilege if you cannot afford it. I love you all the same. xx
PS: Sneak peek for the next 38 chapters
- Sophie would confess her feelings to Lnd and they finally consummated their marriage for real
- Lnd brought his family to move to the capital
- Nichs became the next king of Riga
- He fell in love at first sight with Sophie, not knowing she was his wife
Chapter 132 The Alpha Is Panicked
When dinner was finally finished and both she and Duke Romanov were stuck in contemtion of their own thoughts, she gathered courage and decided to speak up. Sophie cleared her throat and nced at the duke.
"My lord¡ would you care to join me in my chambers?" Sophie asked nervously.
Lnd, who was still concerned about the maskment earlier, suddenly blinked and was quick to nod his head. "Yes, I was actually looking for Luciel and Jan. Normally they would have apanied you for dinner, wouldn''t they?"
The Alpha assumed that Sophie was inviting him to her chambers for the sake of her children. He didn''t mind visiting those two cute cubs. The Alpha had softened up and warmed up to them immensely.
Luciel and Jan were really charming. Lnd was sure that the other lycans would ept the boys once they opened up their hearts and minds by even just a little. The members of the Blood River Pack only needed to give the twins a chance.
Sophie shook her head and then looked down shyly on her empty te. She couldn''t look Duke Romanov in the eye without her cheeks warming up. "No, I mean¡ just the two of us?"
Lnd''s heart fluttered and he wondered if this was all an illusion or conjured by his imagination. Was this sudden emotion in his chest truly belonging to Sophie or was it his own?
The Alpha was overwhelmed by a feeling of love, shyness like the first blossoming of love, or the warmth and enjoyment of sweet romance under a beautiful golden sun. He was basking in emotions that quickly surfaced and were not of his own.
This love belonged to Sophie''s and was directed at his?
Lnd couldn''t believe it as his eyes stung slightly but he refused to cry. He was so happy that he felt something was stuck in his throat as he thickly asked, "And what will we be doing, Sophia?"
"Ah¡ well, Dinah actually discussed with me earlier about your people having lycan wine?" Sophie swallowed hard and eventually looked the duke in the eye with a shy smile.
Her cheeks were a beautiful shade of red and Lnd couldn''t help but notice how she temptingly bit down on her lip as she spoke. "Oh, did you want to drink? I actually have one in my study. I will bring it to your room¡"
"Yes."
***
Sophie''s heart was pounding loudly as she waited for Duke Romanov to arrive inside of her chambers. It was almost the same situation as when they first got married and she waited for him.
"No. It''spletely different this time," Sophie told herself.
Yes, it was different. Back then, Sophie was so afraid and nervous about their consummation and she even cried while waiting for the duke toe and actually sleep with him.
She did it out of obligation to officiate their marriage which she saw as a transaction. However, now she was actually fervently waiting for him.
She wanted to¡ give herself to him because¡ she realized he was such a good man and she wanted to show him that she no longer saw their marriage as a transaction.
That was¡ if he wanted the same thing.
"I wonder what''s taking him so long?" she whispered to herself. "Do I look fine though?"
Sophie nced at her reflection in the mirror and tried to fix her hair. She only asked Duke Romanov about the wine because she wanted to drink a little to gain the courage to speak with him.
"Ahhh¡ waiting is going to make me die of nervousness." Sophie sat on her bed and moved around anxiously.
How was Sophie going to confess her feelings?! Somehow it almost felt like she was back in Cawden Academy again like a young woman who was still unsure of how to confess and act with her crush.
Her feelings however ran far deeper than an ordinary crush.
She had no idea whatsoever of whaty behind Duke Romanov''s mask except for the countless rumors of him being disfigured¡ However, whatever was beneath it, it didn''t change the fact that Sophie''s heart had finally opened up to him.
She loved him.
"Now that I have acknowledged it¡ I just feel it bursting more and more." Sophie''s cheeks were warm as she eyed the door anxiously and waited for the man''s arrival. Was she going to blurt it out once he arrived?
No, there was a perfect way to do it.
***
Lnd was a nervous wreck as he held onto the wine bottle and headed for Sophie''s chambers. Outwardly, his appearance as a cold and aloof Alpha was retained and even the guards who saw him were quick to bow their heads.
On the inside though?
The Alpha was running circles in his mind and was panicking hard. No, panic was not the right word for it. He was anxious and yet incredibly excited for their time in Sophie''s chambers.
He was not expecting Sophie to invite him to her chambers to sleep with him. He didn''t think that she would ask him to go meet with him for that¡ but it was about her feelings, right?
Lnd was sure that the way that his heart was bursting out of his chest right now was as much as Sophie''s feelings as it was his. He felt impressed that Sophie managed to hide it this long.
When did she fall for him? Did she really though? Was this a simple case of infatuation?
No, Lnd thought it was love and well¡ Sophie might possibly confirm it with him in her room, right?
The Alpha arrived at her door and knocked gently.
Whatever happened tonight, there was one thing that Lnd waspletely sure of and it was this: things were never going to be the same again.
The Alpha was looking forward to that.
Lnd took a deep breath and then finally made his way inside of her room. His steps were firm. His calm demeanor didn''t betray his nervous self.
.
.
________________
From Missrealitybites:
I changed my mind at thest minute because it seems like I can write more and provide more chapters in the privilege (38 chapters, instead of 30).
So, I will edit and publish 3 chapters to fill Tier 2 at once, and then publish another 15 chapters to fill Tier 3ter today. Don''t wait. It might take hours. Tier 4 will be avable on Jan 2, and Tier 5 on Jan 3.
Regr chapters will resume on January 4.
Also... what do you think about the new cover? I had to go with this one (while I am waiting for a new and more sexy cover). Fellow authors told me the reason new readers don''t really want to read this book is that the old cover looks like a group photo of three people... lol.
They said I should get a sexy man (with abs) and those werewolf''s eyes for the cover, or the picture of the main characters in a steamy pose. What do you think?
Chapter 133 How Can Sophie Express Her Love To Duke Romanov?
Sophie''s heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she heard his knock. That was Duke Romanov wasn''t it? She called out to him and invited him to enter her chambers. "Come in!"
Duke Romanov stepped in elegantly as he held onto the bottle of wine. He inclined his head and greeted her with a soft smile. "Good evening, Sophia. Thank you for inviting me tonight."
"Thank you for epting my invitation, my lord," Sophie managed to say.
"It is my pleasure." Lnd spoke.
"Ahh¡ as it is mine." Sophie smiled back at him as she then tried to say something. "Please take a seat, my lord. I will go get the sses."
Duke Romanov looked around for a moment and then walked over towards one of the tables in the room. He ced the bottle down and nced about the room, Sophie was going over to one of her tall cabs.
The room that Sophie was in actually had a lot of ssware for her to use because it was a master''s bedroom but she didn''t seem to be able to reach the wine sses at the top. She never had use for it before except for now.
Lnd strode over towards her back and could see that she was on her tiptoes as she kept trying to reach for the sses. He leaned closer to her head for a moment and whispered. "Allow me."
Sophie felt herself gulp as Duke Romanov''s warm fingers brushed against her own as he took the sses from the cupboard. He was not doing her any favor by making her feel more anxious.
Lnd cleared his throat and stepped back to give her some space. He was also feeling like his heart was about to burst and yet he needed to maintain his appearance.
The two of them returned to the table and sat down, with the Alpha pulling out a chair for her. Sophie thanked him and sat down with a shy smile and knew for a fact that even without drinking, her face was red.
Every little thing that Duke Romanov was doing had an effect on her that left her a little breathless and speechless. She needed to find the perfect timing to tell him whaty on her heart.
"I will pour you some wine now. Would you like a quarter or half a ss?" Lnd asked her, holding the wine bottle, ready to open it and pour wine for them.
"One ss, please." Sophie smiled at him. She needed a full drink to gather her bravado and courage. How else would she be able to speak without trying to hide or back out?
Lnd''s eyes widened as he opened the cork and looked at his wife. "Sophia, I have to warn you that this drink is actually quite strong. We are talking about lycan drinks¡"
"I''ll be fine." Sophie insisted.
Lnd poured a small quarter on her wine ss and did the same for himself. He gave her a smile. "Let''s start with just a little first. I would assume that this is social drinking, right? Let us talk."
Sophie nodded shyly and took her wine ss and started sipping. It tasted much stronger than anything she had ever tried. Lnd was right. Her expression changed and she coughed after she took a sip.
"Are you okay?" Lnd looked at her worriedly. "I can get us regr wine."
Sophie wiped her lips and shook her head. "No, my lord... I''m fine. I just... need to get used to the taste."
Lnd asked again, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure." Sophie felt her body be warmer and soon she felt her nerves calmer. This was good stuff, she thought.
Lnd looked at her as he sipped his wine, almost without blinking. It was as if he wanted to enjoy her beauty without missing even one second. His heart fluttered when he saw her blush and bit her lip, looking so alluring.
What was it that she wanted to say to him? He could sense her feeling anxious, nervous, and worried about... his reaction.
The Alpha didn''t want Sophie to worry, so he decided to take the initiative. Lnd put down his wine ss to the table and reached out a hand.
Sophie was surprised to see the duke did something he never did before.
He... wanted her to hold his hand? Was that it?
"M-my lord..." Sophie muttered.
"Sophia," Lnd smiled. "You look so beautiful tonight."
He didn''t know why his heart pounded so hard when he uttered those words. He was only telling her the truth. Now that he could feel her affection for him, he felt the courage topliment her openly.
p "Thank you," she could only reply with thanks. Secretly, she was happy he noticed her looks. She was worried she didn''t look pretty after she looked at herself in the mirror earlier.
It had been two months after she gave birth to her children and her body shape had returned to normal. So, she was supposed to feel good about herself.
However, now that hispliment was uttered, Sophie realized, the duke''s attitude was still the same. He always looked at her this way, with desire and longing, even when she was huge during her pregnancy with Luciel and Jan.
"You look flustered," Lndmented when Sophie lowered her face and hide her blushing cheeks.
She immediately looked up and shook her head. "No... I am just..."
She didn''t know what to say. Why was it so difficult to express what she felt about this man before her? It was effortless with Nichs.
She talked more around him and they could joke about things. She also felt so rxed and could express her love for him by touching him, hugging him, and the words ''I love you'' came out so easily.
Perhaps, it truly depended on who the person she interacted with.
Before she met Nichs, she was generally quiet and kept things to herself. She didn''t like most of the people she met on daily basis.
However, after she met Nichs and spent so much time with him, his carefree attitude and his talkative personality seemed to rub off on her.
Duke Romanov was the opposite of Nichs. He was quiet and cold. How could Sophie let him know that she...
That she was falling in love with him?
***
Chapter 134 Nicholas Arrives In Hastings
***
Meanwhile, the idea of marriage was ridiculous to the Crown Prince, Nichs Hannenbergh.
All attempts of his mother, Queen Marianne, to make him consider Lady Karenina was a futile dream. It was true that Karenina was kind and beautiful but Nichs felt no attraction whatsoever.
Even though marrying for love was not the norm especially for someone in his position, Nichs at least wanted someone who could capture his attention and made him smile. Someone who was a delight to be with.
As far as he was concerned, it was not Karenina at all.
Nichs knew that someday he needed to marry someone for political reasons, but right now, he was solely focused on discovering the real cause of his beloved uncle''s death.
In a way, it was also rted to the fact that the Crown Prince found himself missing something important. He didn''t know what exactly, but he decided that visiting here might jog his memories as well.
Earlier today, Nichs arrived in Hastings with his carriage that bore no mark of the royal family. He did not wish to alert those of the nobility that he traveled two weeks from Livstad to here.
This was a mission that required utmost secrecy. After pleading with his mother for a long time, finally Queen Marianne let him go and investigate Baron Ferdinand''s death. The crown prince promised to return as soon as possible.
Nichs wore his dark cape and pulled the hood over his head as he stepped out of the carriage and entered the town''s square of Hastings. The hubbub of the town filled him with curiosity.
"I should probably go to a tavern or bar to hear rumors and stories," Nichs muttered to himself. He was out to gather information about Duke Romanov and what was better than discovering it from the townsfolk?
Compared to the nobility who undoubtedly chose to make decisions on whether or not it benefited them or not, the people who lived simply were different.
Regr people didn''t find a need to filter their words or hide behind masks or capes. They chose to discuss everything underneath the sun and that was something that Nichs was hoping for.
If there was anything that Nichs missed while he was conducting his research while in the pce, the prince would start investigating more and gathering intel from the people closest to Duke Romanov.
As Nichs was going about the town square, he was a bit pleased to see the small town thriving. Even though his father was strict and a pain to deal with, the prince knew the kingdom of Riga provided for everyone.
So the prince was shocked when he saw some people who were asking for money in the street. It was something that went against Nichs'' pre-established beliefs about how their kingdom operated.
"Could you spare some alms?" a woman begged out in the street.
"Shut up, Valerie!" A young woman shouted at her sister in the town square.
It was a strange sight for the Crown Prince to see two young women begging on the street at all. There were actually other people, some old and young kids, but these two women stood out.
The way these two women didn''t seem to belong because of how fussy they were and acted. They also looked quite pretty to be beggars. Somehow, they kept their distance from other beggars and refused to approach the rest.
Nichs frowned a little and wondered why the two young women weren''t working because they seemed more than capable of getting jobs for themselves if they wanted to.
However, Nichs, despite himself, was actually more softhearted than he thought and started to check his money pouch. There were people who suffered not because it was their fault, but because of situations beyond them.
He started drawing closer and took out some coins, trying to be discreet. However, when Lucia''s eyes started widening and filling with greed because of the gold coins Nichs was giving, she recognized him.
It was the nephew of thete baron!
Nichs was also one of the people who showed interest in Lucia''s no-good cousin, Sophie.
Lucia felt like she struck gold. She quicklytched onto Nichs'' wrist and looked up to him pitifully, "Oh! Nichs, you don''t know what happened to us!"
Startled and shocked that this woman suddenly grabbed onto him and knew his name, Nichs quickly stepped back and pulled away from the woman. He narrowed his eyes at the woman and said, "Don''t touch me."
Valerie, who noticed themotion happening with her sister and the cloaked man, realized it was Nichs and also started talking. "If you help us, we can take you to Sophie!"
"Sophie, who?" Nichs blinked at these women and then decided to step away from them. He shook his head and walked past the two women trying to gain his sympathy.
He was unsure if these women were lucky enough to guess his name, but when they started talking about this ''Sophie'' person, Nichs realized that he was being yed or tricked.
He didn''t know anyone with that name. So, their efforts to pretend that they could trick him into meeting Sophie failed.
"They''re probably some crazy people living in the street," Nichs said to himself. He was a bit bothered by the encounter and started looking back every now and then.
The Crown Prince of Riga managed to evade the two women in the town square due to the numerous people going around the market square, but it felt like they were still creeping around and could approach him at any time.
"Sophie¡?" Nichs whispered the name and, somehow, it went smoothly through his lips as he said it. The Crown Prince closed his eyes for a moment and then sighed aloud.
He wondered if he was getting yed like a fiddle.
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__________________
From Missrealitybites:
Ahahaha... I know you want to read about Sophie''s love confession. However, Nichs is finally able to leave the capital and go to Hastings to investigate.
So, we will read about him while waiting for Sophie to think about how she could confess her love to her husband, Duke Romanov.
Do you think Nichs will see Sophie soon?
Chapter 135 Nicholas Is Investigating (1)
When Nichs said that name, it made his heart beat a little faster which was strange. He didn''t know anyone who was named as such, but somehow, he actually liked that name.
"Were those two women actually not crazy¡ but witches?" Nichs slowed down a little. His forehead creased and then he shook his head and continued walking to his destination.
Among the enemies of the human kingdoms, while lycans were at the forefront of those who came up in the Crown Prince''s mind, there were also witches who manipted things from the background.
The kingdom of Riga had participated and started a lot of witch trials in the past to snuff out the individuals who were practicing witchcraft.
Anything supernatural or rted to magic was considered a big sin in the kingdom. That''s how witches and werewolves were hunted and became the royal enemies.
Nichs chose to stay in the tavern to hear about rumors of Duke Romanov and he was filled with a countless array of stories. One after another they filled his mind with a lot of questions.
"When the Limberg family faced their downfall, I think I saw one of the carriages from Duke Romanov''s castle be around in the city square." One of the patronsughed. "One of the windows was rolled open actually."
"Did the duke spit on them?"
"Well, if he did, that serves them right! Even a foreigner duke knows that those people were never the best lot!" One man said. "The Limberg family traveled to the capital and then overpriced their goods."
Nichs sighed and chose to take note of that information but it wasn''t really about the duke himself. Who was this duke and what was he trying to do? Was this connected to his sudden arrival?
It didn''t make much sense for a duke to suddenly bully a small house for no reason. It was kind of out of character actually. So, it made Nichs ponder about their line of decision-making.
"What made him evene here?" Nichs mumbled to himself. "Is it truly just a change of pace?"
"Well, probably that. The kingdom of Riga is beautiful and offers a lot of countless opportunities for everyone!" another person chimed in and raised his ss.
"The duke has been visiting a lot of other nobilities here around Hastings but he has also frequented the capital too," one man answered Nichs with a shrug. "Business probably."
Nichs was silent as he drank his ale. "Really? But I thought he has been busy for thest few months. No visits whatsoever."
"Well, that''s because he has a wife now!"
"A wife?!"
"Yes! A wife!"
Nichs'' eyes widened at the mention of this new information. The crown prince nced at the one who spoke. He asked, "Can you confirm that? How did you even know that kind of news if the duke is a bit reclusive."
The prince knew that he was starting to raise some suspicion by asking too many questions. However, he was the one buying the rounds of drinks for the patrons that they couldn''t care less.
"The mayor of this town, Lord Lancaster, tried to invite Duke Romanov to an event," one man in a blue shirt said with a chuckle. "I happened to be one of the men who was fixing the mayor''s house back then and the duke mentioned he was busy with his wife."
"So the duke actually went and visited the local mayor here in Hastings?" Nichs raised a brow. That was surprising because as far as previous reports said, the duke only visited high nobility. The mayor was just a small viscount.
Nichs heard that Duke Romanov only cared about the people who could actually help boost his reputation and never those who tried to only rub shoulders with the man. Did Duke Romanov want something out of the mayor?
"Well, a foreigner''s got to be polite."
"Yeah! He''s not even from here so his title as duke doesn''t mean a flying dung beetle''s here!"
"But the thing is, the duke declined and the event ended up getting canceled anyway," the man exined to Nichs with a shrug.
"And why is that?" Nichs raised a brow.
"The mayor''s son? Richard Lancaster''s the name¡ I think the boy got into an ident of some sort?" the man said. "He broke his leg and arms after he fell into some hunting pit he originally made."
At the mere mention of the guy''s name, Nichs'' nose immediately scrunched up in disgust. The reaction surprised Nichs actually because he didn''t think he''d suddenly be filled with hate for a person he never met.
"Did¡ did I ever meet him though?" Nichs muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. He honestly couldn''t tell if he did or did not and that was the problem.
"Say, this Lancaster''s boy tried to go on a hunting trip somewhere," one of the men said. "Not too far away from Hastings actually, just Redgrave."
"I see¡" Nichs finished his drink and stood up.
All of the stories about Duke Romanov were interesting and yet not exactly as helpful as Nichs hoped they would be. If anything, the only thing that stood out to him was the marriage part.
On his first research into Duke Romanov, there was no mention of any woman, but suddenly he found out that Duke Romanove was now married?
Nichs stepped out of the tavern and eyed the castle of histe uncle in the distance. His expression became icy and he started to step forward.
"Your Highness." One of the men suddenly came and stopped the crown prince from moving towards the gate. "We''ve been instructed by your mother, Her Majesty, to stay low and abstain from contact."
"Will you listen to her who''s in the royal pce far away from here or to me who''s currently with you?" Nichs raised a brow. "I won''t be visiting the duke himself and will just observe the castle in the distance. I can do that, right?"
"Yes, your highness." His soldiers bowed to him.
Chapter 136 Nicholas Is Investigating (2)
Nichs eventually drew close to the castle, outside of Hastings¡ or at least he did it as best as he could. He instructed his soldiers to stay back and he kept himself light on his feet.
For one reason or another, he felt a tingle in his veins. It was as if Nichs could sense something dangerous in the castle of Duke Romanov. Even in the darkness, the crown prince saw numerous figures stationed at the outer walls of the castle. I
The prince didn''t speak aloud but he wondered why there were so many men stationed to guard the castle. It was not unusual for a wealthy noble family to have their own garrison.
However, this castle here had way too many guards. And the crown prince could feel that something was off. Nichs had a couple of inclinations in his head as he dared toe closer.
''This Duke Romanov is hiding something in the castle and does not wish for the people in Hastings to discover it.''
''He obviously wants to keep people away.''
Prince Nichs Hannenbergh had a lot of suspicions that only seemed to grow as he went closer to the castle. He felt for a stone in his pocket and threw it in a direction directly opposite of his.
The men who were in the walls seemed to have their attention distracted and went to inspect it and that was Nichs'' chance. He was positive, extremely positive that if he got the chance toe closer, he would remember something.
And he actually did.
The memory shed in the crown prince''s mind.
Nichs as a child loved scaling up and down the walls of Lord Ferdinand''s castle. He was energetic as a child and one of the spots in the walls of the castle actually had some bricks that were a little shoddy which were good footholds.
The boy''s constant climbing affected them¡ but more than that, there was a secret doorway in them. It wasn''t strange for a castle to have secret pathways for the nobilities to use them.
"Duke Romanov has probably not discovered them¡" Nichs muttered quietly to himself as he reached the castle''s walls. His heart was pounding and every inch of him was telling him to run away.
However, his curiosity was killing him and even if the soldiers had seen him draw closer, they couldn''t stop him now. Nichs pressed a hand on the shoddy brick and gave it a small twist.
The quiet crank alerted and pricked Nichs'' ears. If he could hear this sudden noise, a part of him knew that it was only him who could hear the noise but then he was too anxious.
He didn''t know this, but the lycans were superb in hearing.
A small gateway opened up to him and Nichs quickly stepped inside and then disappeared into the darkness. It was all good timing because the two lycans who were stationed on the walls had just returned to their posts.
"Did you think that the pesky humans started throwing rocks at us?" Duncan asked as he retrieved the pebble and looked at it with a frown.
"They have no reason to do so." Max sighed and rubbed his face. "I can''t believe that you just made us leave our posts to retrieve a stupid rock. It probably came from a bird."
"Oh, so you think birds dropping rocks are more realistic?" Duncan asked.
***
Nichs was now inside of the Wolfstone castle.
Well, not exactly inside of the castle but instead he was in the secret hallways hidden in the walls. The royal pce in Livstad had a hidden library and others too so the secret passageway in Lord Ferdinand''s was normal to him.
There was a stupid grin on Nichs'' face as his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. Never did he in his wildest dreams think that he would be breaking and entering the castle of his grand uncle.
Was he going to die by doing something stupid like this?
Crown Prince or not, if Duke Romanov were to discover Nichs inside of his now owned property, they had the right to punish him and who knew what the people in Frisia did? Nichs didn''t want to know.
He started to walk around and tried to listen in which proved to be a difficult task. The walls were extremely thick and he needed to find a way to maybe listen in to something important.
"Second floor, they''ve probably upied my uncle''s master bedroom," Nichs muttered to himself with a bit of anger in his voice.
The idea that someone else bought this castle where it was probably filled with his countless happy memories did not sit well with him. The reason why he came to investigate was rejuvenated.
It was partly because he wanted to escape the marriage arrangement proposed by his mother, partly because he wanted to prove himself as a capable man¡ but the reason was mostly that he was looking for himself.
After his mother showed signs of good health, Nichs worked hard to convince her that he would not put himself in danger if he could go to Hastings and investigate his grand-uncle''s death.
He told Queen Marianne how much it would mean to him to do it before he ascended the throne. Finally¡ the queen relented, and here he was now.
Nichs looked around him and then started to navigate with a bit of difficulty to find his way up. Soon he would hear something. The crown prince knew he had some selective hearing when it came to his parents, but now he thought he heard something that caught his attention.
There was light spilling out from the other side of the room.
"There''s an opening!" Nichs found himself excited and quickly walked towards the small light. What kind of secrets would the crown prince unveil by being here?
.
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_______________________
From Missrealitybites:
Yes! Nichs is SO CLOSE! Lnd and Sophie were having a conversation at the moment on the other part of the castle.
Chapter 137 Nicholas In Duke Romanovs Castle (1)
***
Sophie and Lnd were drinking and conversing over wine and, in the Alpha''s heart, it almost felt like the entire world was just the two of them in this room. He couldn''t care about anything else.
The only thing that mattered to Lnd right now was the fact that the woman in front of him was smiling so beautifully. The chandelier above them could only enhance her beauty with its lights.
Sophie was blushing as they talked about idle topics as she gathered the strength to confess. In Lnd''s imagination, he was filled with the urge to ravish his wife and bring her joy.
"Did you hear that?" Sophie nced out of the door and thought she heard something light hit the walls, but then thought maybe she was just nervous.
"No." Duke Romanov smiled at her as he took a sip of his wine. "I think I''m only interested in what¡ what you have to say to me. You didn''t invite me just for social reasons, right?"
Sophie flushed underneath the man''s gaze and her heart pounded. "No. You are as perceptive as ever, my lord."
"Please do not call me by that title any longer," Lnd said. "We are husband and wife now, Sophia."
"As you wish." Sophie ducked her head and then smiled sheepishly at him. "I¡ I only chose to call you by that title because I do not know what to call you. I have a feeling that you are not Duke Romanov."
"Yes, you are right. That is not my real name." Lnd nodded his head and felt his heart pound. Maybe it was really time toe clean and tell her everything.... everything about who he actually was?
She didn''t look repulsed when he told her that he was actually a lycan and the Alpha of this pack. That means, human society didn''t manage to brainwash her to hate werewolves even after eight years.
She could ept Nichs being a lycan and she loved her children unconditionally when she found out they were born lycans as well. Sophie was surprised when she saw she gave birth to lycan pups, that was true, but she had shown great love for Luciel and Jan from the first moment sheid her eyes on them.
And she also had asked Lnd to help her make her sons understand their origins and love themselves for who they were.
So, Lnd being a lycan was not a problem to Sophie.
However... what would she react if she knew that Lnd was actually... Lee?
Would she think he deceived her by covering the truth from the beginning?
The Alpha''s mind went back to the night when they consummate their marriage. He only did what was necessary, to establish a mate bond between him and Sophie. He could exin to her the reason why he did that.
It was to protect her.
Why?
Well... because...
Because he was in love with her.
He wanted her to be safe. He didn''t even mind if he could only protect her in secret and she would never know that he did. He would keep the secret to his grave if necessary, and never tell her the truth about his feelings.
However... now that she started falling for him, could he actually take this chance to open up and tell her all the secrets he had been keeping?
Could he tell her? What would Sophie feel once she knew what he was here for? He took a deep breath.
The Alpha''s tongue felt loose, he was rxed and at peace. His wife''s presence brought him that. He realized that he did the right thing when he only did what was necessary when establishing the mate bond.
Sophie would understand that he didn''t take advantage of the opportunity just to have sex with her. She would be able to appreciate his decision. So... Lnd had no guilt about it when he confess to her who he really was.
He was her Lee from her childhood.
Sophie''s expression brightened up. "Ah, so I was right! You are not really Duke Ariam Romanov."
Her voice was sweet and her heart was filled with brimming affection. She was happy to hear the confession from the Alpha that she was right about him using a fake identity.
So, did this mean... he would finally open up to her and tell her who he really was?
Sophie looked at the man with her round eyes and a beaming face. When Lnd looked deep into her eyes, he could see love in them.
The Alpha still couldn''t believe the fact that she loved him.
A part of Lnd had always been prepared to have one-sided love, simr to both his father and mother. However, the fact that Sophie found it within her to share some of that love for him?
He was ecstatic.
***
Before Nichs could do anything though to see the master''s bedroom, he was suddenly attracted by the sound of howlinging from another portion in the walls.
It sounded like wolf puppies. The crown prince was shocked to hear such a thing and came closer to the source of the sound.
Why were there wolf sounds? Nichs'' heart thundered. That was wolves'' howling right?
He wasn''t really sure since the sounds were quite small and childish. It was not scary like what wolves should be.
Could it be that¡ this castle had wolves in it?
Wait¡ that was possible.
Nichs remembered a little the gossip he heard about Duke Ariam Romanov from Frisia. He was rumored to have some dealings with the underworld and he hunted and sold lycans for noblemen''s entertainment.
They could keep the lycans as pets or torture them for personal pleasure. That was how he got his dark reputation.
So¡ did Duke Romanov keep lycan pups here in his castle?
Thinking about it made Nichs scrunch his nose in disgust. Even though his family dered war on the werewolves n, he didn''t condone any human trafficking.
Since werewolves were partly¡ err, humans, selling them for entertainment was simr to selling humans. To him, it was uneptable.
Nichs believed in the death penalty for the royal enemies, but he wouldn''t torture them for entertainment. That was a vile thing to do.
This made him think that the duke was someone who was no different than a monster. So¡. which woman would marry such a monster?
Chapter 138 Nicholas In Duke Romanovs Castle (2)
Nichs thought about Duke Romanov''s wife and assumed the woman must be not in her right mind. Or she could be just as vile as the dark duke. Like beget like, doesn''t it? Only a wicked woman would marry a wicked duke.
It was a different story if she was forced into the marriage. He could imagine that this was not something beneath the dark duke, forcing a woman to marry him.
Or, she might be a poor woman who needed the duke''s money to survive. Being pragmatic was not a sin. Everybody needed money to eat. Nichs could only feel sorry for the woman if that was the case.
He heard how the duke was ugly and disfigured that he needed to cover his face with a mask just to go out. So, people wouldn''t be repulsed at seeing him. His wife would be forced to live with him in that state every day throughout the marriage.
''Ish¡ why am I thinking about Duke Romanov''s life? What do I care if he could marry a woman with his wealth? I am sure many women are only interested in men because of what they have,'' he said to himself.
His mind went back to Karenina. She always followed him like a puppy and looked enamored. However, Nichs was not sure Karenina would treat him the same way if he was not the crown prince of Riga.
Deep inside, he just wanted to meet a woman who would be attracted to him and love him for who he was as a person, not the title and family background attached to him. Nichs didn''t know if that would ever be possible.
He took a deep breath and continued his focus on his mission to infiltrate Duke Romanov''s castle. Nichs wanted to confirm if his suspicions were correct that Duke Romanov had something to do with his uncle''s death, and paired with the earlier evidence provided by his father that lycans were involved.
Nichs was about to make a discovery of a lifetime. Duke Romanov might keep some lycans with him to use at his disposal. Lycans were effective killers. He could send them to kill his enemies or did other crimes to obtain his goal.
Suddenly, the crown prince was distracted by a bright shimmering light that seared his eyes and sudden ringing. Nichs''s eyes widened as he started to locate whatever was making the noise and ruining his chance to discover the truth.
He came across a golden pendant trapped in one of the pockets of his cloak. What was going on? Nichs didn''t remember having this. He quickly tried his best to turn off the artifact.
Instead of turning it off though, something worse and more unexpected trouble happened.
***
Luciel and Jan were pounding their little paws at a wall. The two lycan babies were excellent at tracking scent at even a far better level than older lycans.
They had been very attracted to this particr scent from a while ago. There was something about the scent that made them feel curious.
It was the smell of something so familiar that they kept trying to smell it more to find the source. The two lycans were familiar with the scent of their mother, Sophie, but this was something else.
Dinah was a little confused at why the lycan babies were doing it¡ but she was actually rxed about taking care of them. They weren''t as bad as she expected, probably because their mother was Sophie.
"I don''t know who their father is, but their biological father must be more on the dumb side," Dinah muttered to herself as she watched the ck and grey lycan babies cry out.
Eventually, though, Dinah sighed and started to stand up. She made a promise to the Luna that she would take care of the children. So, she needed to fulfill the end of her agreement.
Dinah bent down and started to look at the two lycan puppies with a more consoling look. It would be a terrible thing if the Alpha realized that Dinah made the children cry while under her care.
"Come on little guys, don''t cry. You''re messing up the chance for your mother to be with the Alpha for real," Dinah said and smiled kindly at them. "Wouldn''t a little brother be nice? Don''t you want a cute younger brother to y with?"
Luciel took one look at Dinah and hurtled forwards. He bumped into the female Lycan''s leg as the woman howled a little in pain. The boy didn''t actually like the sound of having another brother.
Jan was already more than enough! He growled.
"Ow." Dinah winced a little.
The maidservant was actually starting to get close to the wall and she thought she heard something, but she kept getting pushed back by Luciel and eventually found herself lying down on the floor.
"Ugh, these lycan babies." Dinah eyed Lucien as he slobbered her cheek and panted innocently at her. "You''re lucky, you''re cute. Did you hear rats in the walls? Human architecture is stupid."
***
The kingdom of Riga was not known for its magic users or magical might at all. Witches were a menace to the kingdom and thus even those who practiced magic were not well received in fear of being seen as a threat.
King William Hannenbergh and his bloodline were all ill-opposed to anything that might have shifted the power bnce of the royal family towards those who were powerful.
However, the king and queen were not above using magical artifacts themselves. They considered those powerful tools that assisted the kingdom but did not offer any sort of insecurity with the king in fear of rebellion.
Queen Marianne had decidedly gifted and given her blessings to thedy who had been at Nichs'' side for all these past months. She hoped that by giving one pendant to her son and one to Karenina, the two would be closer.
Lady Karenina appeared in Nichs'' vision from the pendant.
.
.
_____________________
From Missrealitybites:
Thank you so much for your support bymenting, writing reviews, gifts, and casting your golden tickets to this book. I am humbled by your support and I will keep working hard in 2022.
This book is written to join the "werewolves writingpetition" that will end on January 5 and the winners will be announced on January 28. I only have several weeks to show Webnovel that this book can perform well to win the contest.
That''s why I''ve been busting my butt off to add many chapters to the privilege. I am so thankful if you support this book by purchasing the privilege. Any tier, even the first-tier (1 coin) is much appreciated. Thank you, thank you so much!
I would like to give special thanks to all the Golden Tickets Contributors in December 2022. You managed to send this brand new book to the Top 10 golden ranking and keep it there. You are amazing!
I would like to thank the Top 3 golden tickets contributors, Maude Fluckiger, Kelly Goodwin, and DespinaNY. You girls truly robbed Willy Wonka and sent his golden tickets here. I am still in awe. Thank you!
Chapter 139 The Moment Of Truth (1)
"Your Highness!" The woman was cheerful and all too unaware of the danger that this call was presenting to the crown prince. His life was in possible danger just because of this one call!
"How do I turn this thing off?" Nichs panicked and was sure that if anyone were to hear Karenina''s annoying voice, he was doomed. He was already this close to learning the truth but now it was all ruined!
p The Crown Prince of Riga wasn''t going to take any chances and hoped that he was left unheard by the residents residing in the castle. If these people were dangerous then they were undoubtedly already looking for him.
Nichs started to run back to the way he came from.
***
Sophie smiled at the duke and started to feel her heart pound. For a moment, she found herself distracted by something. She stared at the wall and thought she saw the painting moving¡ but she thought it was just her nerves.
Perhaps it was Luciel and Jan simply howling in the nursery that made her confession awkward? She needed to remember that she was still a mother and no longer as free as she was before.
However, as far as Sophie could see from the duke and Alpha of the Blood River Pack, he cared about her children almost as much as she did. Sophie couldn''t ask for anything more than that.
Someone who loved not only her but her kids too? That was a blessing.
Lnd sipped his wine and looked over his shoulder. The sound of thumping was evident from across another room. He smiled a little while musing and said, "It seems like a mother''s job is never over even when you''re trying to rx, isn''t it?"
Sophieughed. "Motherhood is truly like that, my lord. My own mother was never tired of me. When I was younger, I tended to have nightmares involving being chased by something silly like the moon and I often crawled in my mother''s arms."
Lnd smiled. "I know."
"Huh? Did I mishear you, my lord?" Sophie forgot to drop the honorifics even though Lnd had told her not to use them. She couldn''t believe her ears all of a sudden when the duke said he knew what Sophie did when she was younger.
She was probably mistaken, wasn''t she?
Duke Romanov¡ no, this Alpha of the Blood River Pack, couldn''t have known who her mother was, right? She stared at the man and hoped that she actually just drank too much wine.
However, instead of correcting Sophie and saying he meant something else, the Alpha did something elsepletely. Lnd smiled lightly. Even when most of his face was covered by the leather mask, Sophie thought his smile was beautiful.
His eyes twinkled as he looked at Sophie. The woman felt her heart flutter. She knew she was falling for this man and the way he spoke or looked at her made her feel butterflies.
It was simr to the feelings she had when she was with Nichs. Simr.. but also different at the same time. Perhaps¡ it was like the way she loved Luciel and Jan differently but alsopletely.
Loving Luciel with his outgoing personality didn''t mean Sophie loved the quiet Jan any less. Her sons were different and she loved them both with all her heart.
The feelings she had when she was with Nichs made her heart filled with happiness and positivity. However, when she was with Duke Romanov, she felt safe, secure, and understood. Sometimes, she didn''t even feel the need to say anything and the duke would know what she wanted.
Sophie never expected someone so quiet and distant could understand her so much. He also treated her with kindness from day one, after he saved her from the snowstorm, at the lowest point of her life.
From the beginning, when the duke offered to take her in with the babies in her womb, until now, when the babies were born, Sophie could see how much the man cared about her. There was not a single thing about him that made Sophie feel out of ce.
As days went by, she only felt more and more at home with him.
Perhaps¡ it was really love?
Duke Romanov nodded. His voice was filled with nostalgia when he continued his words.
"You were always the mischievous and energetic child that I can''t me that your two children happen to be the same. You were always scampering about and getting bruises, didn''t you, Sophia?"
Sophie couldn''t say anything at all.
Her heart thundered and her eyes bulged in surprise.
"Your mother would often make salves and creams that were meant to help soothe your booboos, alleviate the wounds and overall just do everything that she could to make you feel better." Lnd smiled gently at her.
Still, at this point, Sophie couldn''t believe what the man before her was saying. Was he really and truly talking about her¡?
How was that possible?
"Anne Hansley was a wonderful woman and the best of mothers." Lnd''s expression became a bit solemn and his voice warbled for a moment. "I couldn''t me her that she chose to protect you and abandon the pack."
"What¡ what are you saying?" Sophie asked atst in disbelief. "My mother and the pack? She abandoned the pack?"
"Your mother is the daughter of the Great Lycan King, Mchi. A renowned and fearless woman, someone beyondpare and well-loved by the Blood River Pack. She was one out of the many who were chosen to help save our pack."
Lnd''s expression was enough to make Sophie fall silent as she heard a story that she had never heard before. It was so new and somehow, it almost felt familiar and yet so distant.
Had Sophie heard her mother talk about a man called Mchi before? Faintly, Sophie thought she had but then she was nothing more but a child back then.
It must have been one out of the countless memories she had. She didn''t really know who King Mchi was.
Chapter 140 The Moment Of Truth (2)
"Your mother, Anne, volunteered to enter the kingdom of Riga under one mission, to assassinate the royal family." Lnd smiled. "She would blend in with the humans but travel swiftly, unseen and undetected to Livstad and then eliminate our greatest enemies."
"But¡ but that didn''t happen," Sophie said. She tried to force her brain to think. All the information she received from Lnd was too shocking for her to digest.
Perhaps¡ she was hallucinating and this conversation didn''t really happen?
Lnd smiled and sipped his wine. He shook his head gently at her words and affirmed what she said. "Yes, it didn''t happen because she was discovered by none other than your father, Jack Hansley."
"My father is¡ human," Sophie said. She would have known if her cousins were actually rabid lycans or anything. So, it only made sense that they were humans... because her father was human.
However, that must mean one thing¡.
"You are a hybrid, Sophie," Lnd said. "In your blood, lycan blood is flowing. You are half lycan. Though, I have to admit that you may have taken your father''s side more and do not have many of the qualities of that of a true lycan."
"But what about my parents?" Sophie looked Lnd in the eyes and she was searching, more hungry for answers than anything in the world. She didn''t know that she was starved for stories and the truth.
"I think you know how the story goes more than me," Lnd spoke softly.
"Well, I can surmise that my mother didn''t kill my father," Sophie said as tears brimmed in her eyes. "The two of them¡ one way or another, they fell in love with each other, and then they had me."
Lnd nodded his head and felt his own eyes water. He had given and spared not one detail, but it was up to Sophie to figure out what had happened on her ord. Just as the Alpha expected, she did not fail to fill in the details for herself.
"A human and a lycan." Sophie couldn''t help butugh as she wiped the tears in her eyes. She looked at Lnd and her heart pounded with deep emotions. "Cow dung academy always said that both sides hate each other so much."
"Your parents proved them wrong," Lnd spoke and gently leaned forward to her. "I have never seen a much more in love couple than your parents. Despite their differences, they never once saw that as a negative but instead it was a positive thing."
"Harmony, they lived in harmony and peace." Sophie smiled as the Alpha brushed her tears away. "My parents loved each other so much and they also had me¡ and it means¡"
Lnd was prepared for her expression to start to be gloomy because of what happened next and yet Sophie surprised him by grabbing ahold of his hand and looking at him seriously.
"You''re Lee, aren''t you?" Sophie said.
Lnd blinked in surprise. He had wanted to tell her the truth about her origins, of the love between Jack and Anne Hansley and how Sophie came to be, but he was surprised that she looked him in the eye and focused on him.
"White wolf cub from all those years ago." Sophie breathed out softly and looked at him. "Tell me if I am wrong but that was you, right? You''re Lee. My mother and father found you before I was born."
The Alpha nodded slowly.
Sophie suddenly jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lnd was stunned but Sophie kept embracing him and there was a disbelieving smile on her face.
"I thought I was mistaken¡ that your appearance was only by chance. I kept telling myself that I shouldn''t have considered a wolf cub and a man to be the same person just because of the eye color or your wolf form, but you''re really, Lee."
"Lnd." The Alpha breathed out and wrapped his arms around her waist. "My name is Lnd."
Sophieughed and pulled back a little to look him in the eye. "Lnd, of course! That makes sense. Where were you all these years? Gosh¡ it''s you!"
For the first time in so many years, Sophie felt the happiness she never thought was possible. Lee was family. He was her family in every sense of the word, unlike her aunt and cousins who abused her and made her life a living hell.
Many years ago, Lee was there with her and her parents. They had such a good life together until the day he suddenly disappeared and never returned again.
Sophie still remembered the day. Her mother cried so much and was devastated. It took the family over a year to finally ept that he was gone.
Anne didn''t like to talk about Lee afterward and soon the wolf cub was forgotten from Sophie''s memory. Now everything made sense.
Anne was a lycan and she knew Lee was one too. That was why she took the pup into their home and cared for him as part of their family. Lee would have been dead if other humans found him.
"Oh my god¡" Sophie wiped the tears from her eyes. She was so moved by the sudden turn of events. The man she grew to love was none other than her childhood friend.
Now that she knew Lee was no ordinary wolf pup, she started to see him in a different light. He was never a pet in the Hansleys''s household. Lee was a family member and now it felt so right. No wonder her mother seemed to always be able tomunicate with Lee. They were both lycans.
"Oh, don''t cry, Sophia¡" Lnd whispered with a hoarse voice. He was also feeling moved and wanted to cry. He was a tough man and looked cold and scary on the outside, but right now, he just wanted to be vulnerable before the woman he loved.
He wanted to share with her how much he missed her parents, just like she did. In all this world, the only person who could understand what he felt was Sophia.
Chapter 141 Sophie And Lee... Leland
Sophie''s ears perked up when she heard Lnd call her name, just like her mother.
Sophia, not Sophie.
Ahh¡ of course! Her husband always called her Sophia, not Sophie, because he was Lee and that was how Sophie was called at home by her doting parents. It was the name that Lnd got used to using.
"These are not sad tears¡" Sophie confessed.
Suddenly, all the walls between her and the duke seemed to vanish. She was feeling awkward earlier because she didn''t know how she could talk to him. It was so hard to confess how she felt about him because the man was quiet and distant.
However, none of those mattered anymore. Suddenly, Sophie felt like she found a piece of her that had gone missing for years after her parents died and she moved in with her abusive rtives.
It was the warmth of a family. Yes, it''s true that Nichs was her family too after they got married, but the connection she had with Lee was much deeper than that. He was her connection to her past and herte parents.
Seeing him before her now felt like seeing the past again, when everything was right and safe¡ and filled with love.
Lnd was dazed when Sophie told him she was crying not because she was sad, but because¡. she was happy?
She was really happy to know that Lnd was¡ Lee?
"How have you been?" Sophie pursed her lips and touched his cheek. "Are you okay?"
Lnd closed his eyes and enjoyed his mate''s touch on his cheek. Even though it was covered by a mask, he could feel the touch as if it was directly on his skin.
He took in a deep breath and a small smile unknowingly decorated his face. The man was relieved¡ and happy.
"I am d your tears are not sad tears," he said softly after he opened his eyes. Their eyes locked and both were dazed. This was the happiest day in the Alpha''s life. He smiled more broadly. "I am okay. Now that you''re here with me, everything is fine."
Sophie furrowed her brows, still looking at his face that was covered in a mask. She wanted to ask if Lnd was okay since she heard about him being disfigured.
Knowing that he was the Alpha of his pack, she immediately thought about the countless scenarios where the man was injured in fights or missions and it damaged his face so much, he now had to use a mask.
She immediately realized that it was rude to mention Lnd''s appearance, especially since it might affect the man''s confidence. Maybe that was the reason why Lnd hid his identity from her for a long time?
Did he feel insecure by his looks and think Sophie wouldn''t want him? Was that the reason?
No¡ she better not say a word or even mentioned it. Her love for this man grew because of his kindness and how he always cared for her. How he looked didn''t matter.
"I am happy to know you are okay," Sophie said softly.
She decided to change the topic and wiped her tears again. Dammit. She intentionally dolled up before he came so she could look beautiful but instead, the tears kept flowing down her cheeks. Her eyes must be puffy now and she looked pathetic.
Gosh¡she didn''t want to keep crying, but how to stop these tears from falling?
Lnd could feel what she was thinking and this made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Didn''t she know that she was so beautiful? Even her tears only made her look gentle and vulnerable. When he saw her like this, Lnd just wanted to pull her into his embrace and kiss her, tell her everything was fine and that he was there to protect her.
Even if he had to face the entire world for her, he would do it without thinking.
Lnd reached out to the woman and pulled her for a kiss. It was a sweet and deep kiss.
Sophie felt her body turn to jello when Lnd kissed her. Her mind went into a daze. This kiss¡ was very simr to the kiss he gave her when they¡
When they consummated their marriage.
It was filled with lust and passion. At that time, Sophie was startled because the kiss came so suddenly and she didn''t expect the duke would do it. She thought they would only have sex and that was it. No feelings were involved from the man.
However, now that she tasted his lips for the second time and felt the intensity of his desire for her, Sophie realized the kiss fromst time was also done out of love.
Had Lnd fallen in love with her back then?
Was that the reason why he married her in the first ce? Did he actually marry her out of love? Or... maybe she was wrong. Men could feel lust even when there was no love involved.
The kiss was passionate and Sophie thought she lost herself in it. Her mind went into a mess and she could no longer think. Then, the man pulled her onto hisp and he hugged her waist more tightly as their lips locked and their tongue dueled each other in a fiery passion.
"Ahh¡" Sophie couldn''t hold it when a soft moan escaped her lips. Her eyes opened and she was so embarrassed.
She just¡ returned his kiss so effortlessly. It felt so right to kiss him back, but now that she felt aroused¡ she thought it was embarrassing.
Would he think of her as an easy woman because she just kissed him back?
"Sophia..." Lnd opened his eyes too and looked at Sophie with so much love in his gaze. He used his thumb to wipe tears from the corner of her eyes. "I am okay now and I have never been happier."
His words were uttered calmly and managed to make Sophie feel at ease. She nodded weakly and smiled a little. "Yeah... that''s good."
"I am sorry I couldn''t find you sooner..." Lnd spoke. His voice wasced in sadness.
Chapter 142 His One And Only
"It was my fault that you lived such a miserable life," Lnd added. Sophie could see the guilt on his expression.
The man was referring to the time when Sophie was living with her aunt''s family. After Sophie confided in him and asked him to punish her rtives, Lnd must know how bad her life was with them.
Sophie bit her lip. "It''s not your fault. My parents passed away and they were my only rtives. They took me in because I didn''t have anyone and¡ they only became bad after a while. I''m okay now."
She had a rough life with the Limbergs, but at least she could get an education and, to Sophie, it meant so much. If she had stayed in Hauntingen all by herself, she would not even be able to read. There was no one in Hauntingen that would teach her how to read, and about the world.
So¡ she tried to count her blessings and focused on the good.
"Besides¡ it''s over," She added hoarsely. "You already punished them."
Lnd lowered his head. He didn''t want to shed tears before her. It was not his style to show so much emotion. At this moment, he was feeling immense guilt for his failure to protect Sophie for so many years. After Anne and Jack died, Sophie was left alone without anyone to care for her.
The only rtives she had treated her like a maid and even worse, they abused her.
His people couldn''t even do a good job of finding her. Duncan only saw Sophie by chance when he went to Hauntingen. If not by luck¡ perhaps, all his life Lnd would never be able to see Sophie again and she would continue to suffer for who knows how long.
While he was feeling guilty, it was the opposite with Sophie. She didn''t me him for anything. She thought it was not his fault.
Eight years ago he was only what¡ fifteen? What could a fifteen-year-old boy do? He couldn''t possibly raise a ten-year-old.
"I promised your mother to always care for you and protect you until myst breath," Lnd said with a low voice. "I failed and you suffered so much. I am so useless."
Don''t even start with the fact that he still couldn''t avenge Anne''s and Jack''s death even though he was already the Alpha of the biggest werewolf pack in the continent at the age of eighteen, the youngest in their pack history.
In these five long years, they had worked hard but only managed to get this far. They had not even been able to infiltrate the capital, Livstad.
The enemy was too great and had immense power. Lnd felt useless before Sophie. His mother always told him how he was never good enough and he was too slow, too weak that even though he was far from slow nor weak, he couldn''t help but think that way about him.
Lnd always criticize himself too much and thought he needed to do more. Now, being with Sophie and having the heart-to-heart conversation with her, when he finally opened up¡ he couldn''t help but speak in a self-deprecating way.
"Lnd¡ no, it''s not your fault," Sophie pursed her lips.
Somehow, Lnd''s name rolled out in her tongue so easily. It felt so right not to use honorifics anymore. As soon as she knew the man she married was actually Lee¡. her Lee, Sophie no longer felt the walls between them. Now, she felt so much at ease being with him.
Sophie continued, "Can we¡ not talk about bad things now? I am so happy to see you and¡"
She lowered her head. Her cheeks blushed.
Lnd suddenly became aware of his bad habit. He was always too hard on himself. Other people couldn''t see that behind his tough exterior, he hated himself and didn''t think he deserved love.
"I am sorry," he said. "You are right. Let''s not dwell on bad things. I hope you will forgive me. I will stop."
His heart pounded so hard when he saw her blushing cheeks. Sophie was happy to see him. Period. She didn''t me him for hiding the truth from her for so long.
She didn''t me him for her bad life. She was also not repulsed by his supposedly disfigured face. Did she know Lnd was not actually ugly?
"Sophia¡" Lnd took a deep breath and hugged her waist again with one hand, while the other tugged her chin to see him.
This was the moment of truth.
Now that Sophie knew Lnd was Lee¡ how did she feel about him? Could she find it in her heart to still love the man?
Even though they grew together, Lnd never thought of her as a sister. Since he was little, he adored little Sophie. He thought she was the most beautiful human he had ever seen.
After he left the Hansleys and started his training to be the next Alpha, sometimes he thought about the future. Seeing how Sophie was only five years younger than him, by the time he was ready to choose his mate, Sophie would already be a beautiful young woman herself.
So, he did think about her as a potential life partner from many years ago. It was only when he finally saw her again when they were both adults, he knew that he was in love with her.
It was the rare case of love at first sight. Right then he knew that he wanted Sophie to be his mate, not just because he promised Anne to protect her daughter, but because he was immensely attracted to her.
Unfortunately, back then Sophie was already married to another man. Lnd had to immediately step back and let her be happy with the mate she had chosen for herself.
However¡ now that they were given the opportunity to be together, Lnd thought it must be fate. The moon goddess opened the way for him to get the love of his life, and now¡ she was his.
This woman was his mate. His one and only.
Chapter 143 Sophies Secret Promise To Herself
"Yes, Lnd¡?" Sophie batted her eyes adorably at the man''s word. As she looked at his face, covered with a mask, the curiosity and desire to see his real face resurfaced. Now that she knew who he was¡ she wanted to see the real him.
Even if he was badly disfigured, she wanted him to know that she didn''t mind. She epted him for who he was.
He was her Lee.
"I¡ I asked you to marry me so I can make you my mate," Lnd spoke honestly. "After the incident that you were almost drowned in the river, I know the only way for me to protect you is if you are my mate."
He waited for her reaction before he continued. If Sophie showed any signs of feeling offended or angry, he would apologize and use better wording to express his feelings for her.
Sophie didn''t say anything. She wanted him to speak more before she could understand what happened. So, Lnd continued.
"In our society, lycans only choose one mate, their soulmates, to spend the rest of their lives with. We are loyal to our spouses and, usually, the mate bond is unbreakable¡" He paused a little. "Lycans can share everything with their mates, be it their feelings, or even their strength."
Sophie remembered reading about this in their school books. Lycans mated for life and in the rare cases that the mate was rejected and abandoned, the pain was so great that they usually didn''t want to live any longer.
When she found out how loyal the lycans were toward their mates, Sophie actually thought it was romantic. She never expected that one day she would marry not only one but two lycans.
"I had to establish the mate bond between us so that whenever you are in danger, I can feel it ande to your rescue," Lnd exined. "And when you need my strength, you can use it."
Sophie furrowed her brows. Slowly the memory of their first night together returned.
Mate bond.
Was that the reason why Lnd bit her shoulder when he ended their intercourse?
As if reading her mind, Lnd nodded. "Part of the mating ritual to establish the mate bond was¡ what I did to you when we consummated our marriage."
"Oh¡"
"I am sorry for the pain," the Alpha said apologetically. "It was necessary."
He hoped Sophie would immediately understand that he did the bare minimum because he didn''t want to take advantage of her and really only did it to establish the mate bond.
"I would never hurt you¡" he added with a solemn expression. "I promise your mother to protect you with my life. I would die before I let you get hurt."
Sophie was in awe. She believed him one hundred percent. The memory came flooding in and she realized he was holding back so much when they consummated their marriage for the first time.
He only did the bare minimum and did the deed as quickly as possible. The consummation was necessary, but he didn''t want to have sex with her when he knew she was still mourning for her dead husband.
Now, the passionate kiss before they had sex and small hints here and there made Sophie believe that the man actually wanted to do more but he stopped himself.
This revtion touched her heart so deeply that she never thought it was possible.
"I know¡" she whispered. Tears started falling down to her cheeks again. "Thank you for¡ for epting me into your life, and making me your mate to protect me."
Lnd''s confession touched her so much, but then it also made her question something.
If... Lnd decided to make her his mate because he wanted to protect her¡ and lycans only mated once for life, didn''t this mean, Sophie took Lnd''s chance to find his true mate? Someone he loved and wanted to share his life with?
By marrying Sophie and binding himself to her with the mate bond, Lnd would never be able to find another mate. Someone who was better suited for him with his status as the Alpha.
"However¡" she swallowed. Her words made the Alpha startled. Why was she looking at him despondently? Did she not want to be his mate?
"Yes?" Lnd felt his throat parched. What was it that she wanted to say?
Did she think they shouldn''t be together, now that she knew who he was? Did she want to reject him?
Suddenly, the man was filled with panic. Perhaps Sophie''s feelings for him now changed into tonic because she knew he was Lee?
Lnd thought of this possibility before and was conflicting between telling her the whole truth, or just covering the fact that he was Lee until after her feelings for him became deeper and he had avenged her parents'' death.
With that, he could buy time to woo her and make her fall in love with him. Then, all the awkwardness would be gone and it would feel just right to be Lnd''s mate.
Sophie bit her lip. She didn''t know what to say. She was grateful that Lnd chose her as his mate so he could protect her, but now she also felt guilty. She had be a burden that weighed on his back.
Now, he was stuck with her because she couldn''t even care for herself. She was too weak. So, Lnd had to take that drastic measure by mating with her to make her his mate, so she could share his strength and get his protection.
Sophie looked up and see the man carefully. She realized he had sacrificed so much for her. By bing mates with her, Lnd had closed the door for him to get his own happiness. He was stuck with her and her children for the rest of his life.
He was stuck because lycans couldn''t break the mate bond. Even if Sophie wanted to free him from his burden, she couldn''t. Lnd would suffer great pain and he might even prefer death.
At this point... Sophie had only one thing to do.
She had to appreciate his sacrifice and treat him well.
Secretly, Sophie made a promise in her heart. She would love this man and serve him well. She would be a good wife to him and care for his every need.
He could have chosen to abandon her and found another female lycan from his tribe, someone so much better than Sophie to be his Luna, but he chose to get stuck with her.
Chapter 144 Love Confession
"Lnd." Sophie finally made up her mind. Her voice was shaking when she spoke.
The Alpha looked at his mate with a dazed and confused expression. "Yes? Sophia?"
He was dying to know what she wanted to say, but she looked too shy to express it with words. So, the Alpha could only wait. He didn''t want to pressure her to talk.
From her attitude, he could tell that it was really important.
"Th-thank you¡" That was all she could say.
"Thank you?" The Alpha became more confused. In his opinion, there was nothing to thank for. He asked her gently. "For what?"
"Thank you for taking me in and¡" Sophie wanted to cry again. "For being there for me and my children, for treating them like your own¡ for being you."
Her words were like cool water that filled Lnd''s heart with such a refreshing stream. He was worried she wouldin about his method to make her his mate. Apparently, she didn''t mind.
"You are my mate," Lnd smiled sweetly. "Of course, I have to be there for you and protect you. You and the twins are my world now."
He was so relieved and happy, that he pulled her closer and kissed her tears away. He kissed the corners of her eyes, then her cheeks, and down to her chin.
When his lips brushed hers, suddenly they both felt electric. It just felt right to kiss.
He kissed her lips gently, then passionately. As his tongue thrust through the small opening of her mouth, Sophie weed him shyly. They both sucked and twisted each other''s tongues and soon got into a sweet and passionate makeout session.
Sophie felt everything in the world be right again. Her children were safe and healthy, and she was with an amazing man who would do anything to protect her. She felt so lucky.
All the sufferings she went through for years, all the loneliness she felt, were now distant memories.
She promised to be a good wife and did everything within her power to make her husband happy.
"I love you¡" she said shyly after they ended the steamy kiss. Lnd was stunned when he heard the love confession. For a few moments, he didn''t know what to do.
It was so hard to let the words out of Sophie''s lips. Usually, women didn''t say those things first. They only acted as the recipient of men''s affection. However, she wanted to be honest with him.
Sophie wanted him to understand that she appreciated everything he did for her and the fact that he sacrificed his own chance of finding a better mate by mating with her.
She said weakly, "I will be a good wife to you¡"
She wanted to be selfish this one time. Now that Lnd had chosen her to be his mate and decided to get stuck with her, she would take him as her husband and make him happy so he would never regret the choice he made.
Lnd felt his heart was filled with love to the brim. He cupped her face and kissed her again. It felt so good to kiss Sophie and have her kiss him in return. It was no longer one-sided on his part.
"I love you too, Sophia," Lnd smiled after the kiss was over. He could feel his temperature rise as his arousal was awakened. Right now, he wanted to pounce on her and make love to her¡ properly.
Sophia smiled back when she heard him say he loved her back. Even if he only said that because it was the right thing to say after his wife confessed that she loved him, Sophie still appreciated it.
She hoped that Lnd did love her or would truly love her as she proved herself to be the best wife he could ever hope for.
It was truly the best feeling in the world. She was d they had this conversation. She had been holding back her feelings for him for weeks and wanted to let him know that she wanted to be with him, if he would take her.
Finally, after she gathered her courage, she asked him toe and see her in her chamber, just the two of them. She wanted to share what was in her heart. Who would have thought that she would get more than what she bargained for?
"D-do¡ do you know why I asked you toe to my chamber?" Sophie asked the man with a low voice. She now remembered that the main reason she wanted him in her bedroom now was¡ to sleep with him, to give herself to her husbandpletely.
Lnd shook his head. He had his guess, but he preferred to hear it from her directly.
"Well, I¡" Sophie swallowed. "I have been thinking about this for a long time and¡"
Lnd smiled. He could feel her rising emotions, all in a good way. "Go on."
"I know we talked about being married only in name and we only slept together once to finalize the wedding¡" Sophie''s voice became smaller and smaller, she almost sounded like a scared mouse.
Lnd became amused to see her looking extremely shy. He didn''t want her to struggle further just to express what she had in mind. So, he touched her chin and looked her deep in her eyes. "Sophia¡ I know that I asked you to marry me for convenience, but now that you know who I am and the fact that you are my mate¡"
This time, it was Sophie''s turn to hold her breath. She was curious to know what Lnd wanted to say. She swallowed and squeaked her question. "Y-yes¡?"
"Now that you know I am a lycan and lycans only mate once for life, there will be no other woman for me," Lnd continued his words. "I can only love you, sleep with you, and have children with you. Would you¡ ept our rtionship as mates?"
.
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______________________
From Missrealitybites:
Just say yes, Sophie.
Repeat after me... YESSS!
Chapter 145 He Could Satisfy Her All Night Long **
Sophie batted her eyes. The words that her husband uttered sounded so sexy. He asked her if she was willing to ept their rtionship as mates.
Consent was really extremely sexy.
She had nodded her head as a response before her brain could even process the question. She loved this man because of everything he did for her. So, of course, she would say yes to being his mate. They were already married anyway.
"Ahh¡." Lnd smiled back. "That''s good."
He suddenly got up from his chair with Sophie''s body lifted from hisp. His strong hands supported her buttocks and he held her close in his arms. The woman shrieked a little and instantly wrapped her hands around his neck at the sudden movement.
"W-what¡ are you doing?" she asked him in a whisper. Lnd didn''t need to reply with words because the next thing she knew, he strode toward her bed and slowly ced her body down.
Sophie''s heart pounded so hard when she realized what he was about to do.
So, he beat her to it. She wanted to tell him that she wanted to be his true wife and that she was willing to sleep with him, but the man instead asked her if she would ept their rtionship as mates, and now he took the initiative to have sex with her.
Ahh¡ truly, Sophie''s heart fluttered. Her husband didn''t want her to embarrass herself by asking for sex because she was obviously having trouble expressing it.
So, he took the burden from her chest and initiated it from his side.
"You are my mate¡" Lnd said with a hoarse voice. "Don''t you know what I am doing?"
He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes, and right then and there, Sophie thought she could understand him. She could feel his overflowing emotions. Was this what they meant by the mate bond?
She could feel so much desire engulfing Lnd and she just knew what he wanted.
He wanted her. He wanted to ravage her body and mark her with his love bites, he wanted her to scream his name over, and over, and over again.
He wanted to pound her and make love to her like there was no tomorrow.
The man climbed on the bed and kissed her again. He peppered her with kisses from her cheeks, to her lips, then he moved to her corbone.
Soon, she was moaning softly because of the stimtion. The sounds that escape her lips sounded so sexy in his ears and turned him on so badly.
If he didn''t have better self-control, Lnd would have already ripped their clothes apart and immediately enter her. However, he held back and tried to stay gentle.
This was only their first night together as real husband and wife. Tonight, he would finally be able to give her so much pleasure that she would want him in her bed every night.
The sex they had thest time was an obligation. It was dry and he only did the bare minimum.
This time though¡ he would ravage her body and make love to her in ways that only his luna deserved.
His stamina was top notch and he could satisfy her all night long.
Sophie was suddenly feeling nervous. She loved his kisses and the way his hands started to caress her skin. This time he didn''t coldly ask her to get undressed and waited for him under the sheet.
In fact, it seemed, he took it upon himself to strip her. He slipped his hands from under her dress and now caressed her thighs.
She had intentionally changed into a nightgown that didn''t haveplicated buttons and straps after she invited him to drink wine in her chamber. It was to give him easy ess to her body which he now appreciated.
"Mmm¡" he smirked in satisfaction when he felt her supple and smooth skin with his hands. The man worked quickly to peel the nightgown off Sophie''s body.
His waiting and perseverance paid off. She was now his mate willingly and tonight she was ready to give herself to him.
The Alpha felt his manhood throb uncontrobly, asking for release when his eyes caught sight of his mate''s beautiful body.
Sophie had those killer curves with round and bouncy breasts, hips that were meant to bear children, and a small waist that made her look like a beautiful violin.
She looked extremely hot and Lnd couldn''t help but salivate at the sexy view. He was the luckiest man on earth!
Sophie looked away and bit her lip to hide her shy expression. She didn''t mind her husband seeing her naked body, but it didn''t mean she was not shy about sprawling there naked.
"You are¡. so beautiful¡" Lnd said with a husky voice. He bent down and kissed her again, while his hands traced her skin gently. He caressed her inner thighs and went up to her fold. It was wet.
He smirked at this. Thest time, she was so dry that he had to use his saliva to lubricate her pussy. He loved that she was wet and aroused, ready for him to take.
Her sweet scent filled his nostrils and make him feel like he was drunk. He loved her scent so much. It was intoxicating. Thebination of her scent, the touch of her skin, and her sweet moans made the man almost lose his rationale.
He just wanted to fuck her senseless, ravage her all night long. His kiss went down to her chest, and now his lips found her lovely breast. He lightly bit her nipple and tickled it with his tongue. Then he took in a mouthful and sucked on it,
Sophie gasped and then moaned in pleasure. She was quietly lying down in bed, gripping the sheets as the man pampered her breasts alternately.
Finally¡ they were making love for real!
This time, they didn''t consummate their marriage out of necessity, but out of passion and love, at least that was what she felt.
Chapter 146 Leland Without His Mask **
Lnd was happy to see Sophie''s reaction. He sucked her nipples alternately and then rose from her body to take off his shirt. Right at that moment, she opened her eyes and looked at the man attentively.
She was still feeling the pleasure from his stimtion. Her vision was slightly blurred but soon, after she batted her eyes, she could see his majestic body.
The man''s physique matched his wolf form perfectly. His naked upper body was big and burly, consisting of toned muscles. This was the first time Sophie saw him this way and she liked what she saw.
When they had sex after the wedding, the light was off. Lnd blew all the candles so that Sophie wouldn''t feel embarrassed with her nakedness. She didn''t know her husband could see her well in the dark.
At that time, Sophie could only feel his body on top of her. She couldn''t see him naked and could only guess how he looked.
Now, she could feast on his beautiful physique with her eyes open wide.
Sophie gulped involuntarily. Suddenly, her mind was filled with dirty thoughts. She remembered what it felt like to have him inside of her. It felt so, so good.
And back then he only did the bare minimum. So, Sophie could only imagine how great sex with him would be like if he stopped holding back.
She hoped he wouldn''t hold back tonight.
She wanted to feel what it was like to make love to him properly. Weren''t lycans passionate lovers? She was filled with anticipation for their lovemaking session.
Lnd smiled underneath his mask. He could feel her curiosity and desire for him. He loved it. He gulped as he looked at her naked body again. His hands moved faster to remove his pants. His manhood was throbbing with the same anticipation she had for him.
When his pants were pulled down, showing his hung manhood, Sophie''s eyes widened. She had had him inside her, but she didn''t see how he looked down there.
No wonder she felt so, so full when he entered her. Every thrust brought her to heaven.
She swallowed.
"Sophia¡" Lnd whispered seductively. He climbed the bed and positioned himself on top of her. As before, he was careful not to crush her with his weight.
He was more than double her size and if he didn''t lean on his elbows, she would be buried under him and she would feel pain and suffocate. He cared about her too much and didn''t want her to experience any difort, especially when they were making love.
"Lee¡ Lnd¡" Sophie managed to squeak a soft reply. She was so aroused. "Y-your¡ mask."
She had seen the whole of him, bare naked, before her, and she loved what she saw. However, there was one more thing.
She wanted him to show himself to her one hundred percent. Even if he was disfigured and ugly¡ she wanted to see him. She would show him that she epted him for who he was. One hundred percent.
"My mask?" Lnd repeated her words.
"I want to see you¡" Sophie looked at the man sincerely. "Now that you''ve told me who you are, and you have shown me everything¡ I want to see your face."
Lnd had been wearing that stupid mask for a long time after he took the duke''s identity and slowly he had be used to it. In fact, he liked it because it could hide him further from the world.
He almost forgot that Sophie didn''t really like his mask and he was thinking of getting a new one.
But apparently, Sophie wanted to see his face?
"You want me to remove my mask?" He asked her softly.
Sophie nodded. She tugged at his leather mask with her fingers and tried to pry them off. She couldn''t do it because Lnd secured it properly to ensure that it never dropped in the presence of anyone.
"Look... Lnd, we are mates now, and I love you," she said with a flustered face. "Even if you are¡ even if you think you don''t look good, I don''t care. I want to see the man I married."
Lnd wanted tough when he heard she was trying to be careful with the words she uttered. Sophie didn''t want to use the word ugly or disfigured.
So, she must still be thinking that Lnd''s face was really disfigured.
Yet, she still said she loved him.
She didn''t mind their rtionship, even though Lnd established the mate bond by tricking her into the marriage, by pretending to need a wife for convenience. In fact, she epted him as her husband and even solemnly stated that she would be a good wife to him.
Of course, Lnd knew that, to her, his looks didn''t matter. But he wanted to tease her about it. So, he asked her, feigning worry, "Are you¡ sure?"
"Yes." Sophie bit her lip and stared at the man sincerely. "I want to see my husband when we¡"
''When we make love.'' She didn''t say the words but he knew what she wanted to say.
Seeing her determination, Lnd found no further need to hide the truth of himself to her and thus he tugged off his mask without difficulty. Once the mask was removed, he looked at her with a rogue smile. "Sorry."
For a moment, Sophie was stunned by Lnd''s appearance because he was such a beautiful man. To even think that he was disfigured, marred, or ugly in any way whatsoever was to sphemy him.
His skin was a beautiful tan underneath the chandeliers. His handsome face looked perfect with the eyes and lips that she had seen with his mask.
? His smile looked like the smile of an innocent boy on a man''s face. He was so attractive and it made it difficult for Sophie to even look away at all.
Slowly and uncertainly, Sophie reached out and touched his cheek gently. This was the face that was hidden beneath the man''s leather mask and she could feel that his cheek was a bit damp from both the tears and sweat.
Chapter 147 Making Love **
"You''re beautiful," Sophie spoke out.
Lnd blushed at thepliment but then he shook his head. He reached out and pulled her hair back behind an ear and said. "No. You''re the one that''s beautiful, Sophia. You don''t call a man beautiful¡"
"Ah¡ you know what I mean¡" Before Sophie finished her sentence, Lnd had bent down and kissed her passionately, effectively shutting down her chance to argue further.
Now that he had opened up to her, showed her the real him, Lnd knew she was now truly his mate. He couldn''t wait to mate with her.
Sophie let out a soft moan when Lnd finally ended the long and passionate kiss. His body pressed on hers and he lowered his kisses to her breasts. Her nipples were perky from the makeout session.
Sophie bit back her moan when he took a mouthful of her right mound and sucked on it eagerly.
It felt so, so good that she gripped his arm tightly, to suppress herself from screaming. It was embarrassing to let other people in the castle know that they were having sex.
Lnd used his right hand to knead her other breast. Sophie was d she had breastfed her cubs earlier that night before sending them to the nursery.
She didn''tctate during this intimate moment with her husband. It would have been embarrassing if she did and it might throw him off.
Sophie didn''t know that some men actually found it sexy. At this moment, she was filled with worry, and Lnd could feel her body slowly bing tense.
"Sophia..." he looked up from her breast and gave her a sweet smile. "You smell so good. I love your scent so much."
She bit her lip, her mind was distracted by his voice. He said he loved her scent. Was that because she was his mate?
She learned a little bit about werewolves in school. They were taught about how to recognize werewolves when those monsters went under disguise among humans.
The students also learned about the werewolves customs, which some were proven to be inurate. That''s where Sophie knew that lycans could recognize their mates from their scent.
Now she was feeling jealous of Lnd who could smell her scent clearly. She couldn''t really smell any special scent that showed he was her mate, except for the fact that Lnd had this masculine scent about him that she loved so much.
Her lycan gene was, unfortunately, too weak.
Lnd closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment that they were finally together. His right hand traced her skin from her abdomen to her thigh. He caressed her inner thigh and then slowly moved up to her fold.
It was soft and warm, and wet. The man smiled seductively as he massaged her clit with a finger and then slowly inserted it inside... followed by another one. He had to make sure she was ready to receive him.
He opened his eyes to observe her reaction while exploring her cave gently. Sophie was staring at him with wide eyes. She was surprised by his action when he inserted his fingers inside her fold, but she didn''t mind.
Her breath started to pant and her bosom moved up and down following her irregr breath. Lnd could see her gaze was filled with something hot and sensual. She wanted him.
She wanted him inside her, she wanted him to explore her insides with his manhood. He could see anticipation and longing in those beautiful eyes.
Watching her, he felt his body burn up. He wanted to ravish her to his heart''s content. He repeatedly moved his fingers in and out of her, and soon they were wet with her love juice.
The smacking sounds resulting from the movements filled the room and he could smell love scent wafted in the air.
"Hmmm...." the man growled softly. His lower body had gotten very firm since the moment he climbed the bed and started kissing her. It now started to hurt. He needed to give his manhood its release.
So, he moved and positioned his engorged manhood in front of her fold, and with a powerful thrust, he entered her. Sophie squirmed when she was filled up all the way.
At that moment, she thought she had lost the ability to breathe. He literally took her breath away.
All her mind was filled with pleasure. The anticipation was met and her desire fulfilled, her husband was now inside of her.
Lnd kneeled and raised her legs to his shoulders.
He pulled out his penis almost all the way out and then he thrust back inside. This time, it felt even more full than before.
Sophie gasped and gripped the sheets tightly. This was nothing like she had ever experienced. When Lnd started to move his body and pounded her regrly, Sophie moaned incessantly. She no longer cared that other people would hear her.
Her mind was too busy to process and enjoy the pleasure he inflicted on her. Now, as if to remove the memory of pain when he bit her shoulder thest time, Lnd focused on giving her pleasure after pleasure.
Sophie growled softly when he started to increase his tempo and pounded her faster and stronger. Her insides mped his penis tightly and throbbed as he filled her up. Her mind went into a mess and she couldn''t think of anything.
Wave after wave of pleasure coursing through her body and in just a short time, she reached the peak. Lnd smiled when he saw her get her orgasm. He bent down and nted a deep kiss on her lips. She tasted so sweet.
"I love you..." he whispered, but Sophie was too high in cloud nine to hear him. She thought she heard him speak, but there she couldn''t manage to understand what he was saying. Her brain couldn''t work.
He was truly fucking her senseless. Before Sophie could get her mind to go back to work, Lnd pulled out and moved behind her. He spooned her from the back and raised her hip to give his penis ess to ravage her fold. His shaft slid in easily from this position.
He entered her swiftly and soon continued plowing her regrly, each thrust invited a sexy moan from her lips. This turned him on so much.
Lnd used his big hands to knead her full bosom while he was pounding her. The three-pronged attack made Sophie reach her next peak in no time.
Chapter 148 Second Round **
***
Dinah bulged her eyes when she heard the sounds of lovemaking from Sophie''s bedroom. She was in the process of scooping up the children from the floor and she halted her movements.
Her face flushed red when her mind filled in the details from the sounds she heard.
So... their Alpha and his Luna were finally doing it!
Life at the castle, among members of the pack, had no secrets. Dinah knew that Lnd and Sophie only had sex once after the wedding... it was a human wedding and the couple needed to consummate their marriage in order for it to be legally binding.
The pack members could tell that their Alpha used the opportunity to mark his mate permanently and established the mate bond between him and his hybrid wife. They could see his mark on Sophie from the next day.
However, after that one time, the Alpha and his mate didn''t even share the same bedroom. Lnd still stayed in his chamber, and Sophie kept staying by herself in the best chamber in the castle.
Initially, she shared it with her babies, but now the boys had their own room in the nursery. Dinah would always know if the Alpha ever slept with his mate again, yet it never happened.
Sophie always went to bed alone and woke up alone too. This situation was too pitiful for anyone who understood what was going on.
Their Alpha never showed it because he was still as cold and unexpressive as ever, but the pack members could imagine how bad it was if a man was denied intimacy from his mate, especially lycan males who had higher libido than humans. It was... torture.
Some members even started to hate Sophie for doing that to their leader. They med everything on her. No matter what was the reason and the nature of Sophie and Lnd''s true rtionship, they didn''t care.
Their Alpha deserved to be loved and receive affection from his mate.
"Ahh... they are finally doing it," Dinah muttered to herself. Her face was all smiles. She was happy for her leader, and also for Sophie.
Finally, that woman knew what was good for her, Dinah thought to herself.
"Come on, kids. It''s time to sleep, really. Your mother will be upset if you start messing up with your sleeping hour," Dinah told Luciel and Jan. "Let''s go back to your room."
***
Lnd was over the moon. He was finally making love with the love of his life, his mate, his wife, his Luna. Now that they had had the conversation, Sophie had learned a little bit about his tribe and their customs.
It was only a matter of time until she knew how to act like she was one of them. He would teach her their ways and he and Sophie would live happily as mates for the rest of their lives, and raise their children together.
He loved Luciel and Jan like his own, but deep inside, he wanted to have more. He wanted to see a part of him growing inside her ande out to see the world.
He promised to make this cold and cruel world a better ce once his pups were ready toe. He had witnessed the process when Sophie was giving birth to another man''s children. He would love to witness the same for his own pups.
That was the thought that kept lingering in his mind as he pounded her more rapidly, ready for his release. His body shook and his penis throbbed uncontrobly when he finally reached his peak. Sophie had reached hers so many times and now was ready for him to get his turn.
"Aahh..." The man growled as he unloaded his seeds inside her, his body trembling. Sophie felt her insides were now drenched in a warm liquid which she could only assume was her husband''s semen. She gripped his arms tightly and her body shook.
Lnd held his body up for a little longer until he released everything inside. Then he rolled down to the side and pulled her into his embrace, still keeping their bodies united.
His breath was panting, but there were no signs of fatigue on his face. He just wanted to wait a little bit, while his wife adjusted her breath. Sophie closed her eyes and see all the most beautiful things in the world.
He didn''t bite her after he cum, unlike thest time. So, she could safely assume that he only needed to do it once. This gave her a small sense of relief.
She didn''t know if she would like it rough. He was much, much bigger than her. If he yed rough with her, maybe she would get injured.
She appreciated that the man had been extremely gentle in the beginning and only adjusted his movement and slowly increased his power after she could get used to having him inside her.
Their lovemaking was a wonderful experience. It was exactly like she thought it would be, or even better.
However, Sophie was wrong when she thought their intercourse just ended. For Lnd, it was only the opening round.
"Ahh..." Sophie was startled when the man turned her around to face him and he cupped her face to kiss her passionately. He had been kissing her so many times during sex, her lips were starting to swollen.
"You are... so hot," Lnd growled huskily in her ear. He peppered her face and neck with kisses, and then feast on her breasts again, alternately with his hand kneading them.
Sophie let out a long and loud moan when she arched her back and get another orgasm. Before it ended, Lnd had turned her around to lie on her stomach and raised her hips.
Now, she was on all four. Sophie was still in the high ce when his thick length thrust her fold from the back and filled her all the way in.
This was the fullest she had ever experienced and she thought his penis would churn the insides of her stomach. For the first time, she thought she would pass out.
Chapter 149 In The Morning **
Note:
Thank you so much, Kelly Goodwin dear, for gifting a golden gachapon to this book. You are so kind. I hope you are having a wonderful start to the new year.
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Lnd was right. It was only the opening round because he could get it up and ravaged her again after they concluded the first round. The man''s confidence about his stamina was not misced. He could make love to her all night long.
She had screamed his name countless times, and was brought to heaven for god knows how many times. And he seemed to have his load refilled as soon as he released them. Sophie felt she had be drenched in his semen after so many rounds of lovemaking.
With this much sex, she could only expect that she would immediately be pregnant with his child. Was that what he wanted? Did he want children from her?
When she thought about his beautiful and majestic wolf form, standing proud and with full confidence, Sophie was d if she could have his children. The lycan babies she would give birth to him would be majestic and beautiful too.
Now that she already had children from Nichs, she had experienced what a wonderful thing motherhood was. She couldn''t wait to have a piece of Lnd which she could love and raise just like she had a piece of Nichs on Luciel and Jan.
It was already three hours past midnight and they had been doing it for many hours, Lnd knew his wife needed rest. She was a mother and needed to care for their children soon. He wanted her to rest and had a good sleep.
So he decided to finally end their intercourse. It was like a payback for the time he had to hold back when she was already there within his reach, sprawling there naked under him, but he couldn''t fuck her as he wanted.
The hours that they spent making love tonight did manage to relieve some of the pent-up sexual frustration that he had been holding in ever since he saved Sophie from the snowstorm.
He had kept himself busy and kept her at arm''s length so he couldn''t go crazy by her scent and her alluring presence. Now, there was no need to keep holding back.
He had given her a night of a lifetime. He knew she was satisfied and happy with his performance. She would want him again in her bed.
Then, they would ravish each other every night and make love to their heart''s content.
Lnd kissed her again as he pumped faster and soon released his seeds inside her. He wanted to have a litter of pups with her, but he could wait. She had just given birth and he wanted her to enjoy life without additional burden for a good while.
He hoped the moon goddess would bless them with children at the right time.
Sophie almost passed out from fatigue. Even though she barely did the work, she had been the recipient of his affection and desire for hours, she had lost track of time.
Her body felt sore and her insides were throbbing and filled with warm liquid that slowly seeped out from her fold after he ended their intercourse and spooned her to sleep.
The whole chamber was filled with love scent and she felt hot. His hot breath brushed her nape and sent a shiver down her spine. It felt surreal. His big hand cupped her breast and the other one hugged her waist.
The sheet was wet with their releases. How many times did she cum? She couldn''t remember. It was a lot. She wanted to protest and ask him to let her rece the sheets before they could fall asleep, but she didn''t have the energy to speak.
Sophie fluttered hershes and then yawned. She was soon hit with drowsiness. The sheets could wait, she decided in the end before she drifted to sleep.
***
She woke up in his embrace. Her body felt sore all over, and she immediately remembered what they didst night.. ahem... all night.
What time is it? She thought to herself. The curtain was closed so tightly and she couldn''t see the sun. She didn''t know if the sun was high up or if it was already morning.
"Good morning," Lnd''s deep and dark voice rang from behind her. Sophie''s face flushed red. She suddenly felt awkward. How would she face him after a long night of passion?
"G-good morning..." she squeaked her reply. Lnd moved her and turned her around to face him. Since her eyes had been adjusted to see in the dark, Sophie could see her husband''s face without his mask and she gasped.
It felt like a dream when she finally saw Lnd''s true face. He was not disfigured like most people thought. In fact, it was the opposite. He was handsome with his chiseled jaw, his tall nose, and sharp eyes. His thin lips made him look like a ruthless person, but to Sophie, it couldn''t be further from the truth. He was a gentle big bear.
It was fine though, Sophie smiled to herself. Nobody should see his gentle side but her. Let the world think and see Lnd as the cold, reclusive, and ruthless duke. To Sophie, he was her gentle giant.
"Do you know what time is it?" She asked him.
"Early," Lnd replied.
"H-how early?"
"Too early," the man added. He was a hard-working man and, usually, he would wake up before the sun showed up on the horizon. But today he just wanted to stay in bed longer and hug his wife.
Perhaps make love some more if she was willing. Even though they had had so much sex the night before, he didn''t think he would ever have enough of her.
She was... so alluring. Her skin was delectable, her fold was amazing. When he entered her, he felt all kinds of pleasure coursing through his body. She was so addictive.
"I have to check on the babies..." Sophie murmured.
"Okay," Lnd finally relented. He remembered the reason he finally ended their intercourse was to give her a chance to rest because she had to mother her children in the morning. He should let her out and tend to Luciel and Jan.
He would have wanted his mother to do that. Isolde abandoned him too much and it scarred him for life, always trying to prove his worth to her.
He could see that Sophie was such a good mother to their children. He didn''t want her to change just because they had finally experienced the pleasure of mating properly.
Sophie got up from the bed, and kissed Lnd on the lips, much to his delight. She went to the window and opened the curtains to the side a little to see the sun. She shrieked in horror when she realized the sun was already so high up in the sky.
"Oh no... we have slept in for too long," she murmured.
From the light peeking through the slits in the curtain, now she could see her chamber. It was messy and the sheets were still damp from their lovemaking fromst night. This made her cheeks blush so red.
She went to the table and took a small towel and rinsed it in the water basin, then she quickly washed up her body with the wet towel. She noticed many kiss marks were decorating her skin. They brought the memory fromst night more vividly and Sophie''s face now looked as red as boiled crab.
Lnd thought she was so adorable.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
Finally... I wrote the past 6 chapters consecutively and now my fingers are curled. XD
Hope you are happy. By the way, I have the next chapters ready, just need editing. So, you won''t need to wait that long for the next tiers to be avable.
Have a nice day! xx
Chapter 150 Shouldnt We Share A Chamber?
He got up from the bed and nted another kiss on her shoulder where one of the kiss marks showed. His voice was husky when she wrapped his arms around her waist. "Don''t worry about this. They don''t care."
He understood her concern and immediately alleviated her worries. She must be troubled by the thought that the pack members would look at her weirdly because of the obvious signs of sex on her body.
Lycans were not humans who lived with a lot of pretenses. They were not prudish when it came to sex as they understood it was part of their nature. It was needed for procreation and the sustainability of their race. They treated sex like breathing and eating, a natural part of life.
"They don''t?" Sophie needed to confirm this.
She had never heard anyone having sex in the castle before. If they made noises like she didst night, surely anyone having sex in this vicinity would be heard, and she would be aware of it. Yet, she had never heard any of the pack members do it.
She didn''t know that the lycans in the castle wanted to give face to their Alpha by not openly showing that they had sex while he didn''t. Even if they had sex with their partners, they would do it discreetly.
Lnd could guess what Sophie had in mind. So, he pulled a chair to sit and put her down on hisp and he exined to her a little bit about his tribe.
His voice was soothing when he spoke. "Female lycans usually only go into heat twice a year. Other than those times, they don''t really attract the opposite sex for mating. That''s how we can focus on our mission, not swayed by other unnecessary things."
"Ohh..." Sophie was surprised by this information. So, lycans considered sex for pleasure as an unnecessary thing? Did Lnd also think that way? Was their amazing sexst night something that would only happen twice a year?
The man moved his hands from her waist and cupped her breasts, slowly kneading them gently, effectively shutting down her assumption earlier.
Lnd cleared his throat. "We take procreation seriously and during the mating season, you can witness how we celebrate our bodies and sex to the fullest. That''s when lycans usually can''t hold back. We are loud and savage."
Sophie swallowed. She couldn''t help but imagine the scene. Had her husband ever had sex with another female, during the mating season where he said, with his own words, that lycans couldn''t hold back?
"I usually would go somewhere around that time," Lnd immediately added to make Sophie understand that he didn''t fuck just any female lycans in heat during the mating season. "It''s too much of a distraction."
Sophie didn''t want to pry into his past sexual adventures because whatever he did with his life before they got married was none of her business. She also thought it would only pain her to know the truth.
Lnd was not a virgin like Nichs when they first have sex. She could tell that Nichs'' first time was with her because he needed a bit of time to get over the awkwardness in the beginning.
However, after they consummated their marriage, he was quick to learn her sensual spots and how to pleasure her.
With Lnd, it was all great from the beginning. He seemed very confident and knew what he was doing. Their consummationst night was proof of his experience and capabilities.
She wondered how many women had seen her husband naked and enjoyed being fucked by him.
So, hearing him exining that he usually didn''t participate in the mating season rituals gave her some relief she didn''t know she needed.
''You must not feel jealous of the women in his past,'' Sophie chided herself. ''You even have children with another man. You are thest person on earth who could feel jealous toward him.''
"You are more human than lycan, so you don''t seem to follow other female Lycan''s estrus cycle," Lnd continued his words. "which is good because I am also not like most lycans who associate sex only for procreation."
"Ahh..." Sophie''s face instantly flushed red. Her question was immediately answered. It seemed, their amazing sex would happen more frequently than she originally thought.
"My mother is half human and half lycan. I believe, only humans do sex for pleasure and that''s the only good thing I receive from her," Lycan said tly.
Whenever he had to mention his mother, he couldn''t help but feel an unexinable coldness. His mother was cold and that was another thing that he took after her.
"Oh.. so, your mother is like me?" Sophie turned around and looked at Lnd attentively. This was the first time she heard the man talk about his mother.
"No, she is nothing like you, but she did pass on a little human gene to me," Lnd replied. "I love mating with you, and not only for procreation. If you will have me in your bed every night, you will see what I mean."
Sophie couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw Lnd grin. He never did that. Before this, the best she could get was a smile. The grin was so rare that she could tell he was now in an extremely good mood.
"Uhm... about that," she muttered shyly. "Maybe we should share a chamber from now on?"
Since they were now truly husband and wife, no longer in name, shouldn''t they start sleeping together and stay in the same bedroom?
The man nodded happily. "Yes, we should."
"Then..." Sophie cast her nce around the room. "Where should we stay? My chamber or yours?"
Lnd stopped kneading her breasts. He felt his lower body had be so firm and he was aroused again.
Ahh... so dumb. He shouldn''t have done it if he knew he wouldn''t be able to fuck her this morning. Sophie already washed up and was prepared to get dressed and start her day.
Chapter 151 Moving In Together
"Which one do you like better?" Lnd asked her back. "I can move in here with you if you are already feelingfortable here."
Sophie furrowed her brows and checked her surroundings again. This chamber was really spacious and had everything they needed, but she had not seen Lnd''s chamber so she didn''t really know if her ce was better for them than his.
"I haven''t seen your chamber," she said honestly. "You''ve seen both. So, which one do you think is better for us?"
"Yours is perfect since you don''t have to move out and gather your stuff again," he replied.
His chamber was big but it was cold and boring. He only used it for sleep and didn''t care about decoration. However, it was different for Sophie''s.
He specifically told his people to prepare her chamber to be fit for a princess. She would suffer if she had to move to his ce and leave all thisfort and beautiful space.
"Okay... I believe you," Sophie smiled and then nodded in agreement. She liked her bedroom and would be happy to share it with her husband. "I can set aside some space in the closet for your stuff."
"Thank you," Lnd kissed her nape and hugged her tightly. "I am a man and don''t have many personal things. I don''t need that much space except for your bed."
Gosh... he was dying to fuck her again, but he must let her go and mother their children.
"Well... that''s settled then," Sophie said. She got up from hisp and quickly went to the closet to get her dress. She was still feeling shy to let him see her naked body in broad daylight. Perhaps, in time, she would get used to it, but not this morning.
Lnd could only watch her get dressed and prepare to leave the chamber with longing in his eyes. His expression didn''t escape Sophie''s vision. When she was walking toward the door, she halted her steps in front of him.
"Why... are you sulking?" she asked him, worried that she did something wrong without realizing it. "Is anything the matter?"
She instantly bulged her eyes when she saw his hardness poking from under his hands. The man had tried to cover it but it was difficult to do. She realized what was going on.
Perhaps, when she was sitting on hisp earlier and he was kneading her breasts, he became aroused. That''s why he suddenly stopped.
"Are you... are you okay?" She asked him, worriedly. "Should we... uhm, do something about it?"
"I am fine, you can go and take care of the kids," the man faked a smile. He was not fine, but he wouldn''t let her think he only wanted her for sex.
"Uhm... okay. I will go see Luciel and Jan and ask Dinah to clean up the room after you are done."
She turned around, but before she could walk out, she remembered the promise she made to herselfst night, that she would be a good wife to this man and serve him well.
"We can do it quickly, what do you think?" she said suddenly and turned back around to him. "I am sure the kids are fine, otherwise Dinah would already be banging on my door."
Lnd didn''t even know his head had bobbed as a reply. Sophie smiled seductively and went to hisp. He was still naked and she could feast on his wonderful physique.
The man kissed her excitedly and slipped his hands under her skirt to caress her thighs.
Needless to say, the Alpha and his mate spent extra time that morning to savor their intimacy. Since the bed was still ruined fromst night''s activities, they did it on the couch.
Later that day, Lnd moved into Sophie''s chamber.
***
Everything seemed to go well for Lnd and the Blood River Pack. Now that Sophie epted him as her true husband and mate, their rtionship vastly improved and Lnd was now confident.
Several weekster, he talked to Sophie in confidence about their situation.
"I am aiming to be the next Lycan King and my goal is to reunite all of the packs together under my name, Sophia," Lnd exined.
Sophie looked at him in surprise and then spoke honestly from her heart. She smiled sheepishly and scratched her cheek. "I¡ I really didn''t think that you would be the type who''d suddenly desire to be king."
Lnd chuckled. "When your grandfather, King Mchi passed on, no one from all of the packs in the continent was able to unite us and we splintered. In order for us to live well, we need to unite again and the tribe needs a figure to do that."
"I understand." Sophie nodded seriously and looked at her husband. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Well, you have already be my wife in name and also in truth." Lnd''s expression became loving. "So I would like to tell you that my next step is to move into the capital and go for the royal family."
Sophie looked at him. "That sounds dangerous. You are already familiar with how the royal family has such bad blood with the lycans, right? They will not hesitate to put anyone who is suspicious to death. The situation is rather bleak."
"It is," Lnd admitted. "But you have nothing to worry about me, Sophia. The Blood River Pack and I have been well prepared for all these years. My years with the pack are not for nothing and we also have allies."
"I''m relieved." Sophie smiled but she held his hand. "Still, is there anything that I can do? You are trying to make the nobility put their trust in you and you fulfilled that point by attending events right?"
Lnd nodded. "Yes, and I have also alleviated their fears or worries by marrying someone from Riga. They believe that I am here for good and for business purposes, expanding my reach."
"That person is me," Sophie smiled crookedly. "Would you have married someone else if you didn''t find me?"
Chapter 152 Argument
Lnd chuckled at that question and kissed her forehead. "No. I would have chosen to continue ying the role of a bachelor duke that is a keen businessman. No woman would pay attention to me because they believe I am disfigured anyway."
"That is true¡" Sophie felt a bit pleased to hear her husband say that. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it lovingly. "So from what you''ve told me so far is that you mean to say that I will finally be attending these noble parties with you?"
Lnd raised a brow and actually wanted his mate to stay at home, but he smiled and nodded. "I would have preferred to keep you to myself, but I believe that when people see you, my ruse as a nobility from Frisia will be maintained well."
"These people will probably think I married you for wealth¡" Sophie suddenly said with a sigh. "You came from Frisia and married a woman here in Riga."
Lnd''s eyes narrowed. "They will regret it if they ever dare say it in your face and try to sully your name."
"I wasn''t worried about it." Sophie smiled at him and reassured her husband. "Just a little disappointed that perhaps Cawden Academy has trained me far too well for this day. My experiences in the academy won''t be that different."
"It will be different though," Lnd said.
"And why is that?"
"The difference is that you will have me, Sophia." Lnd gently raised her hand and kissed it softly. "I swear that I will do everything within my power to protect you and love you the best as I can and our children."
Sophie blushed and nodded her head. "I¡ Well, you can prove it in your actions and deeds, Lnd. Do not say anything at all because I prefer you to just do what you promise yourself secretly. I don''t need grand vows and promises."
The Alpha looked at his mate with a slightly somber expression. Lnd could feel that Sophie''s first husband had failed to keep his promises to her and that made Sophie unhappy when a person made promises.
He wanted to change Sophie''s heart and mind.
Lnd was looking forward to the day when Sophie would truly be healed from the scars and pain that her first husband inflicted upon her. On that day, Lnd would vow, promise and make an oath that would please his mate.
"But wow, we''re finally moving to Livstad." Sophie said and decided to change the topic. She was in the study with Lnd and soon looked at a map with him. "That''s about two weeks away and I have never been there."
"Are you excited?" Lnd chuckled.
Sophie smiled and nodded. "Yes, I truly am. I''ve never been there, only my cousins."
Lnd''s expression soured slightly as he remembered Sophie''s wicked cousins. He cleared his throat and looked at his wife with a loving expression and spoke sincerely to her.
"When that dayes and I have ended the royal family, I will name the entire pce after you and decorate it for you." the Alpha said. "The entire capital will be yours and we can rule the whole kingdom together, then the entire continent."
Sophie blinked for a moment and was stunned with his words. "A-ah¡ yes, about that, Lnd?"
"Yes, Sophia?"
Sophie''s expression became a little serious as she looked at her husband. "What will happen when you be the Great King of Lycans? You¡ you don''t n on doing anything else besides ending the royal family, right?"
This was what Lnd was a little worried about. He cleared his throat and folded his hands together. "The royal family''s entire bloodline will be ended. They are a family whose only concern is maintaining power."
"I¡ I understand that. They are prejudiced and raised the entire kingdom of Riga to hate lycans and despise your people," Sophie said.
"Our people," Lnd corrected.
Sophie and Lnd looked at each other inside of the study room and it suddenly became a little tense, if not a little awkward. Sophie tended to forget that she was also a lycan as Lnd and his people were also hers.
"Our people, yes¡" Sophie sighed. "I am also a lycan like you and yet I am still a human as well."
However, it didn''t change the fact that Sophie was also human. Her human side was actually much stronger and she took a lot after her father, Jack Hansley. Nobody could deny it.
"I know that, Sophia." Lnd sighed a little and nced out the window from his study room. He was truly d that they have decided to converse in the privacy of this room and not the balcony where other lycans could eavesdrop on them.
The elder lycan had been quiet and lurking probably because he had no argument against taking in Sophie, but her words just now were something that the lycans wouldpletely disagree with.
"Then that''s good." Sophie bit on her lip and didn''t know how to approach her husband on this topic. "I do have something to tell you, Lnd. Are you willing to listen to me? This is important."
"Yes." Lnd looked her in the eye. "Please don''t hesitate and say what is in your heart, Sophia."
"I won''t."
"Good."
After all the loving reunion between them, the wonders of finally treating each other as husband and wife, the two of them didn''t actually expect this to be brought up and for the situation to suddenly be tense.
The Alpha more than anyone else in the lycan pack knew what were the concerns of his mate and he truly understood the hesitations that Sophie had.
"You¡" Sophie awkwardly folded her hands and looked him in the eye. "Lnd, you''ve lived with my family haven''t you?"
"Of course," Lnd smiled at her. "Jack and Anne Hansley were wonderful parents and an incredible couple. I will not forget that, Sophia."
"Yes." Sophie smiled at her husband. "Yes, so you understand where I''ming from when I say that I hope you and your pack aren''t going to be doing terrible things to the kingdom of Riga right?"
"On the contrary, we will make the kingdom of Riga prosper," Lnd said. "Once we have finished the royal family and take over, a lot of packs will actually be excited toe and upy thends¡"
Chapter 153 Lelands Mission
"Lnd." Sophie swallowed hard and licked her lips for a moment. She wasn''t scared about herself and her children. She was married to the Alpha but she was still worried. "I am talking about the humans, my people. They''re my people too."
Lnd looked at his wife and sighed a little. They were mates and on the Alpha''s side, he could tell what Sophie wanted from him, and yet he also knew her tactics.
"I know that you will use your parents as an example."
"They''re proof that lycans and humans can live in harmony together!" Sophie said.
"They''re a rare example." the Alpha said.
"Even your mother''s parents are mixed." Sophie reminded Lnd that his mother was half human too.
"Yes, but her parents'' marriage failed and it was a disaster," Lnd responded. "My mother really is not a good example."
"But it goes to show that it is possible," Sophie said. "While it is true that my nation has been indoctrinated into hating the lycans that even the people who get turned into lycans see it as nothing more than a curse, we could change that."
"I understand that, Sophie." Lnd smiled softly at her. "You know I understand that, but you must believe when I say that it is a long and tedious process that might even take multiple generations to change."
"Are you telling me that the lycans will simply kill the humans in Riga? No, right?" Sophie asked and was actually a little shaken. Now that she actually knew the entire truth about the situation, she understood that her emotions were flourishing.
"Of course, not." Lnd shook his head. "The lycan packs are¡ too cunning to simply end the bloodshed by simply killing off humanity and considering the war as over. Instead, you do not need to worry about their lives at all."
Sophie pursed her lips and looked at her husband. "They will all live but¡?"
Lnd opened his mouth to speak and then sighed. "Before any of that, you must understand that the position as the Lycan King is not as absolute as a human ruler of any kind."
Sophie bit her lip and nodded and spoke in a hushed tone. She realized what her husband was saying and realized the seriousness of the situation. "Yes, there are chances for a king to be overthrown by his people."
Lnd smiled grimly and nodded. "It''s more dangerous here in the packs. I understand that humans, and since you have grown among them¡ consider that killing someone is wrong, but not so much for lycans."
Sophie closed her eyes and sighed. "It is a struggle for power and what you''re telling me is that even when you be king, there are still multiple people who may vie for the throne to rece you."
"That is correct," Lnd said.
Sophie looked at her husband and now understood how pressuring it was. His life was in danger and she looked at him worriedly. "You mean to say that there will be individuals among your pack and others that would kill you?"
Lndughed and looked at his wife. "You do not have to worry about brutal and physical strength from others, Sophia. In terms of that, I am second to none and have held my position even against elders and more experienced lycans."
"Then what are you worried about, Lnd?" Sophie asked him. "Why can''t you reassure me that nothing terrible will happen to innocent people? Not all humans are bad, you know?"
"There are people who keep me in check and so-called allies who are also joining forces with us for their own benefit. The elders, my mother, several other packs, and our allies will try to steer me or even take reign over the situation with humans."
"You''ve spoken about your allies for so long now¡" Sophie pursed her lips and looked at Lnd curiously. She knew that this wasn''t the main topic, but the idea of lycans working with non-lycans was a strange urrence to her.
What kind of people would work with lycans to defeat humans?
"Are you interested in knowing who they are?" Lnd asked.
Sophia was his mate and had every right to know about the ongoing decision of the Blood River Pack and others to attack and eliminate the royal family.
Sophie waved her hand and smiled at him. "You don''t have to tell me. I''m more interested in knowing what we could do to prevent the others from hurting humans and enving them."
Lnd blinked and looked at his mate with a rueful expression. "You¡ you didn''t have to use that word. I believe that the n is to create a hierarchy in the continent where lycans are at the top¡"
"And humans are at the bottom of the rung. Practically ves if we don''t want to hesitate with the words." Sophie looked at her husband seriously. "I am sure that you will be kind to them but what about others?"
"Sophia, you must understand that during the war, many lycans lost their lives."
"And so did humans."
"I know there are deaths on both parties, but these lycans who have lost their loved ones are resentful of humans. Can you me them for wanting to hurt the humans once the chancees to them? They are also in pain."
Sophie bit on her lip and looked down on the ground. "Pain¡ I''ve also lost my parents due to this war, Lnd."
"That is why I''ve chosen to agree with this pursuit of the lycan packs, Sophia," Lnd exined. "I want to avenge your parents and make the royal family pay for what they have done to them."
"Is it really the royal family that has hurt my family though?" Sophie looked up at Lnd unsurely. "What the Vige Head said about the deaths of my parents¡"
"I am sure that the old man was lying to you or sparing the details." Lnd looked at his mate. "My sources tell me that the ones at fault for your parents'' death are none other than the Royal Lycan Hunters."
Chapter 154 Leland Moves His Family To The Capital
Sophie blinked at Lnd and frowned a little. She knew that the Vige Head and the vigers truly didn''t let Sophie look at her parents because of the way that they were found in the forest.
"Do you really think that they would be so gruesome about killing?" she asked.
"These people are ruthless assassins that are employed by the royal family," Lnd exined. "Once they hear of the verdict about your parents, these people will not bat an eye in ending them. I am sorry, but humans can also be quite cruel."
Sophie squeezed her arm and smiled sadly as countless memories shed in her mind on the word cruelty. Aunt Helga, Lucia, and Valencia were at the forefront of her memory.
"I know that, Lnd. I will not defend my people or say that humans are saints or angels. They can also be ruthless as you said¡ but the idea that we lycans will reign over them? It still doesn''t sit well with me."
Lnd gently touched his mate''s shoulder. He could feel her weariness in the situation that hadn''t evene to pass, and now he felt her reluctance to push forward.
Lnd needed to reassure his mate.
"I assure you that I will do everything within my power to ensure equality between the lycans and humans." Lnd looked her in the eye.
Sophie breathed deeply at his words and knew they were a difficult thing to promise to anyone at all. She wished that she didn''t care about what happened because she was burdening her husband, but she still had to ask.
"And how will you do that, Lnd?"
"For those who are like your father, Jack Hansley? I will make sure that they are weed and epted by lycan society."
"You¡ Do you promise?" Sophie looked at her husband with a serious look on her face.
Lnd smiled and sped her hand. "I do."
***
After the conversation between Lnd and Sophie in his study, the ns quickly set off in motion. The pack currently in Hastings soon traveled towards the capital of Riga Kingdom.
Along the way to the capital, Duke Romanov and his wife would attend numerous gs and events that they were invited to. Duke Romanov''s wife would quickly charm the nobility.
Sophie proved herself to be a great asset in the pack as she warmed and softened the hearts of the people they encountered during the parties. She was brilliant, well-spoken, and most importantly attracted the eye of many during such events.
The identity of Duke Romanov already opened many doors because of his business reputation, but they were able to gather more favor and warm wees with the help of Sophie at his side.
Blood River Pack finally arrived in Livstad and quickly settled there in the outskirts of the capital. The Alpha bought a manor evenrger than Lord Ferdinand''s castle and weed his family and pack to the estate.
"This ce is secluded enough for Luciel and Jan to have space to run around freely," Lnd exined to his mate with a warm smile. "I will simply have my guards watch over them."
"Thank you." Sophie smiled and looked out of the vast expanse of thend that stretched out as far as her eyes could see. She could see that there was truly a lot of space to roam around.
However, her eyes suddenly sharpened and then she saw past her current vision.
The Luna thought she could see something over the valley they were in, above the hills and that was another manor. Sophie blinked and rubbed her eyes, losing concentration before she looked at her husband.
"Is something the matter, Sophia?" Lnd asked.
"Uhh¡ is there another reason why you chose this ce?"
***
Anticipation filled the hearts of the pack members who joined their Alpha in this journey and mission. While their Alpha and Luna were currently discussing and conversing together in privacy, the pack also talked amongst each other.
"So our next-door neighbor is the royal family right?" Duncan asked excitedly. "I''m super excited to finally sh with the Royal Lycan Hunters. They''re a feared group, but we''ll beat them down."
Max rubbed his face at his fellow lycan''s words. "No. Not exactly."
"Then why did we move here and not the capital''s heart then? We need to be closer if we want tounch attacks on them." Duncan frowned.
Max shook his head at his rather near-sighted friend who couldn''t see all the cards perfectlyid down by their leader. Duncan was among those who liked the challenge ofbat, but failed at strategy.
"Our Alpha has chosen this location wisely. It would be too suspicious if he settled close to the royal pce and we started our attacks¡ but the manor right next to us is the royal family''s vi."
"What''s the difference between the pce and vi?" Duncan raised a brow. "The size?"
"The royal family is secure in the pce and is surrounded by a lot of people from all sides. We''re not only talking about the Royal Lycan Hunters, Duncan. The poption of humans is much greater than ours."
Duncan shrugged. "It is the capital city after all."
Max''s brows furrowed at his friend. "Even if we are able to y them there in the pce itself, we would be hard pressed by the garrisons and army. They will surround us."
"Oh, so the royal vi is less secure than the royal pce." Duncan rubbed his chin.
"Exactly!" Max sighed in relief that the other lycan finally got it.
"Then why would the royal family evene here if it''s less secure?"
***
"Some people wish to get away from the troubles, stress and pressure of their daily life." Sophie folded her hands together and thought of the vi that she saw. "That is why they wille here."
"Yes." Lnd nodded. "When they wish to ease from responsibilities and rx, they wille here to avoid their people."
Sophie and Lnd were also discussing the same situation and right now, she still looked a bit ufortable. It was easy to enjoy the nobility parties and gatherings, and pretend that she was the wife of Duke Romanov.
However, when it pertained to bloodshed, she was a bit uneasy. Sophie''s arms were crossed together unsurely as she looked at her husband. She understood what her husband was discussing.
She saw the brilliance of his n.
Chapter 155 Sophies Pain
"You wish to strike the royal family during the holidays?" she asked.
The Alpha nodded. "Yes."
"So while the royal family is in the vi right next to us, looking forward to rxing and spending time with their loved ones¡ that is when the Blood River Pack will strike them down?"
"Yes. That is when their guards will be the most down," Lnd patiently exined to her. He said all of this in a soft and gentle voice so as to not scare off his mate, he didn''t want her to see this side of him.
However, this was everything that Lnd was raised and prepared to do.
Sophie''s expression was grim and suddenly an ufortable nudge pressed at the back of her mind. "When you say that you will end the royal family¡ Do you truly mean everyone?"
"Yes, everyone," Lnd exined with a serious expression as he shook his head. "All of them are too unwilling to ept the lycans and will forever dere war if even one of them survives."
"So even the children?" Sophie closed her eyes in pain as she thought about innocent young kids dying simply because they were born in the wrong family.
"They will grow up with even more hatred towards the lycan packs if they survive." Lnd coughed. "However, the good news is that the royal family and all their rtives are more on the aged side. I do not think they have kids yet."
"What do you mean?" Sophie frowned a little. Was it truly all better that there were no children and their pack would kill the elderly?
"The entirety of the royal family are all adults, with the crown prince to actually seed the throne on his twenty-two birthday," Lnd exined. "We have already started to eliminate his rtives one by one."
Sophie bit on her lip and the thing that had been bothering her the most finally left her lips. She looked Lnd in the eye and asked. "Did you have something to do with the death of Lord Ferdinand and his nephew?"
The Alpha was at a loss of words for a moment.
"You did, right?" Sophie''s voice was small and not at all usatory as Lnd might have expected. Instead, it was only because she wanted to confirm something and that worried the Alpha more than anything.
"Sophia¡"
It never crossed her mind before, or even if it did, Sophie had chosen to ignore it in lieu of more important things like the survival of her children while she was still a maid under the employ of Duke Romanov.
She was then distracted by the numerous changes around her life and the way that her rtives did not care for her. She had focused on the pain and hurt, seeking revenge for what her rtives did to her.
Those things upied her mind and chased out other thoughts that weren''t rted whatsoever.
When Sophie became married to Duke Romanov, her thoughts and attention were preupied with her children and then the revtion that he was Lee and that filled her with so much joy.
Sophie was happy, satisfied and at peace¡ she thought she was fulfilled and could live happily with Lnd and her children now. However, contrary to her expectations, there was still so much to do.
And now came this revtion.
The Alpha did not know what connection Sophia had to Lord Ferdinand and his nephew. The only person that Lnd knew to be of importance to Sophia beside her parents were Nichs and that man was already long gone.
Why did she care about Lord Ferdinand and his nephew?
Lnd wanted to ask about it but was afraid of identally hurting his mate''s feelings some more. So, he cleared his throat and looked at Sophia with a sad smile. "Do you know how Lord Ferdinand is rted to the royal family?"
Sophie bit her lip but nodded. Her lessons in the Cawden Academy proved her well as she met the eye of her husband. "He is rted to Queen Marianne Hannenbergh¡ So, that is why you have chosen to kill him."
"Yes."
"I understand." Sophie looked at Lnd and nodded her head slowly. She had already mourned for Nichs and thought that her wounds were already healed, but this was simr to ripping off a bandage.
She was reminded of who she had lost.
What she and her children had lost was the chance to be with Nichs. Even though Lnd was now here and taking the role of the father and husband, and even with both Sophie and her children loving him and being fond of the Alpha, it wasn''t the same.
The fact of the matter was that Nichs was still gone and Sophie was in front of the person who unknowingly sentenced him to death simply because Nichs was distantly rted to the royal family.
"Sophia, you do not appear well." Lnd gently reached out to touch his mate and to his surprise, she gently stepped away from him and shed him a tired smile. The pain of loss throbbed heavily in her heart and his.
The weight was so heavy that Lnd did not know what truly affected his mate to be hurt and pained this much. He was at a loss for words at the depths of despair that rang through her heart.
"I¡ I''m fine, Lnd. I was just surprised." Sophie clutched a hand on her chest and gave him a tight smile. "I truly understand that you have chosen to walk this path as the Alpha of your pack. There will always be death, right?"
Lnd looked at his wife in worry and stood up. Sophie had never epted the idea of killing other people but now she seemed to have epted it? Something was terribly wrong.
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From Missrealitybites:
Uff... now Sophie would think that Lnd is responsible for Nichs'' death since she thought Nichs was Lord Ferdinand''s nephew that died with him. Would she hate him for it? What do you think?
Chapter 156 The King Wants To Go Hunting
He approached her gently and spoke to her. "Please, Sophia. Just tell me what is bothering you¡ I did not expect that you would mourn the death of this Lord Ferdinand and nephew. I did not imagine that they were rted to you or whatsoever."
"Of course," Sophie said.
"What?" Lnd blinked in confusion.
"There is no way that you would have known about it, Lnd." Sophie smiled at him and chose to be more logical. "You weren''t there yet at that point in time¡"
"Please speak more straightforwardly with me, Sophia," Lnd begged. "How will I know what is truly disturbing you? I may be your mate but I cannot read your mind."
Sophie closed her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. Her heart pounded hard and she tried her best to cover the emotions bursting through her chest. "I¡ I''m sorry, Lnd. I want to go to our room."
p It made sense to Sophie that Lnd didn''t know anything about Nichs.
Lnd on the other hand was at a loss because his attempts tomunicate with his mate were hindered. However, he did not wish to push his wife and hurt her by forcing her to say something that she did not wish to say.
"Then I will not stop you, Sophia. It seems that I have done you wrong so I deeply apologize. Shall we talk at a better time?"
Lnd looked hurt at her rejection so Sophie reached out and clutched his hand. She gave him aforting smile. "It is not your fault, Lnd. You didn''t know¡ I will see youter."
"Okay." The Alpha sighed.
Sophie returned to their chamber and plopped down on her bed wearily. She hadn''t been able to introduce or talk about Nichs at all beyond what was necessary.
It was not intentional that Lnd killed her husband because, at that time, Lnd didn''t know anything about Nichs and how much he meant to Sophie¡ they haven''t even met at that time yet because Sophie was in Hauntingen.
Now Sophie sat in her room alone with Lnd giving her space.
"Ah¡ did I intentionally chase my husband out of our chamber?" Sophie rubbed her face and sighed sadly. "I need to exin things more clearly to him and let him know how Nichs was Lord Ferdinand''s nephew."
She was going to do it though when she was feeling a lot better. Right now, Sophie was still emotionally shaken when she thought about Nichs.
Sophiey back on her bed and wished she had the presence of her two lovely children. All it took was one cute pant and a happy lick from her boys and then Sophie started to feel a lot better.
"I suppose Dinah must be taking care of them¡ or one of the bodyguards," Sophie muttered. "But I''m quite relieved that they''re starting to open up to my boys."
At this point in time, Luciel and Jan were already staying in their nursery room and actually enjoyed having some room for themselves. It was a little awkward for the two lycans to stay in a room with the Alpha and the Luna.
Mates deserved some time to be alone and to have privacy so the two young boys slept in another room. However, it made Sophie more lonely and alone because she wanted to talk to Luciel and Jan about their father.
Finally, Sophie got up and shook her head. Even though she was in pain after the reminder of Nichs'' death, she shouldn''t have shut out her husband at all.
"I need to tell Lnd everything."
***
When Sophie came out of her room to meet with Lnd however, she would suddenly be met with theck of his presence. Even when she headed over to his study, the Alpha was nowhere to be found.
She came across one of the bodyguards assigned to her. The lycan had noticed that their Luna seemed to be looking for their Alpha and quickly came forward to answer her inquiries.
"Excuse me, Luna. The Alpha went out with a small unit of lycans to head towards the forest of the capital." Max exined. "It seems like there is a human event there and he hase to participate."
Sophie blinked and felt a bit of disappointment wash over her, but swallowed it down. After everything that happened today, she couldn''t me it if Lnd went out to rx with his men. "Ah, is that so? Thank you so much for informing me."
"Not a problem, Luna."
"Do you have any ideas as to when Lnd wille home?" Sophie asked.
"He did not say anything, Luna."
"Ah, I see¡ thank you."
Max nodded and then stepped away without another word. One of the things that their Luna probably didn''t assume right away when their Alpha went out was this¡ Lnd didn''t simply go out to socialize.
He was out to hunt.
***
< Royal Pce, Riga >
< Capital, Livstad >
"Must you really go out and go hunting tonight? It''s too dangerous, William." Queen Marianne looked at her husband with a frown. "You''re already old and you might break your back if you fall off your horse."
"Nonsense, Mary." King William rolled his eyes and looked at his son Nichs who was eating dinner. "Are you sure that you don''t want to apany me, boy? Get your head out of those books."
Ever since Nichs returned after breaking into Duke Romanov''s castle, the man had poured his attention into watching and gathering intel about the dark duke''s movements. He was still obsessed with the idea that he nearly found something.
"I am alright, father. Please have a nice hunting trip." Nichs said and raised his head. He looked at his father in worry. "Will you be bringing the Royal Lycan Hunters with you?"
"Why would I?" King William snorted. "Thoseds will start ruining the game if they participate. I know we raised them to be elite hunters, but they can make me and other nobles look bad."
Nichs sighed at his father''s pride. He decided to inform him once again of the recent events. "Across the borders of the kingdom, a great number of lycan pack raids have been happening, it happened before, but now it''s more frequent."
"Ah, those no good lycans are harassing our people again." Queen Mary sighed and shook her head. "I''m relieved that we''ve taken Karenina out from Hauntingen. It''s too close to the borders."
Nichs said not a word about the woman who was currently down with a cold. He would have actually enjoyed it if she ended up seeing a lycan but he kept that thought to himself. The crown prince looked at his father in concern.
"Father? There is some news about lycans masquerading as humans and then killing off an entire vige once they''ve assimted." Nichs frowned. "Yellow Fangs Tribe stered across their names and such. I worry."
"Those are in the borders. It''s impossible for a lycan pack to make their way here in the capital without getting caught." King Williamughed and shook his head. "If I ever see one though, I''d split his head open with my crossbow bolt."
Those were one of thest words uttered by King William Hannenbergh when he went out to the forest to engage on a hunting trip with his old noble friends.
***
Chapter 157 Leland Is Injured
Note:
Thank you, dear Rose (Hollygolightly), for gifting another castle to this book yesterday. Your support means the world to me. xx
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Sophie waited anxiously for Lnd toe home that, even though it was well past midnight, she stayed by the balcony overlooking the hill and waited for him toe back with his men.
When Sophie finally saw a small group return to their manor with a carriage, she noticed the urgency in their actions as the lycan castle opened and rushed the carriage in. She thought she smelled blood in the air.
She rushed down from the balcony and went out to meet the lycans but she already saw that several female lycans were waiting. If they didn''t function as assassins, they were healers.
Fortunately, Sophie did not see any injured lycan men and women. On the contrary, they were only congratted and patted on the back and everyone was in clear celebration.
The blood that Sophie smelled did not belong to any of the lycans but the humans they had killed instead.
Still, Sophie did not feel at ease and when she saw Lnd standing amongst the pack, she rushed forward and threw her arms around him. The Alpha froze at Sophie''s open affections but then softened up.
"I''m home."
"Come with me, Lnd," Sophie whispered to her husband and soon dragged him to their chamber to the amusement of the Blood River Pack. A lot of the lycan men were whistling while the women were a bit silent.
"After a good hunt that gets my blood pumping, there''s another thing that''s pumping hard and raging as well," one of the male lycans joked to theirpanions.
One of the female lycans sighed. "I suppose I would also want to have sex with a warrior once he finished conquering our enemies. It is incredibly sexy and hot to do it while there''s still blood."
At the words of the female lycan, the other men quickly turned to her and made faces. "Ew. You don''t want to clean up first?"
"But is our Alpha and Luna really going to sleep together after he just came back after hunting?"
"Sweat is good," one of the women said.
"I mean, our Alpha must be exhausted. That bastard king was really devious." one of the lycan men said. "It''s true that evil men diest because even though he was old, he actually fought hard until the end."
***
"Peel off your shirt," Sophie demanded Lnd to his utter surprise and confusion. The two of them were alone in their chamber and the Alpha hadn''t been able to discuss the results of the hunt with the entire pack.
Sophie did not care however and only looked at her husband with concern. She thought she could smell blood and while most of the lycans seemed alright and proudly said it was from nobility, Sophie didn''t believe it.
The Alpha coughed and shook his head. He was sitting down on the edge of their bed and refused to lie down while he was still dirty. "I¡ Sophia, I would like to take a shower first."
"You''re wounded." Sophie snapped at him and then softened. "I know that as an Alpha, you must remain strong within your pack and remain the appearance of absolute power¡ but please don''t hide your injuries from me."
"I¡ you truly are my mate." Lnd couldn''t help but say.
"Why is that?" Sophie blinked.
"Even though I have sessfully managed to hide it from my pack members, I could not hide it from you." He slowly took off his dark shirt and dropped it off the floor so as to not dirty up their bed.
It was impossible to figure out that it was Lnd''s blood because there was abination of different scents that mixed and matched with his.
However, once Lnd took off his shirt, Sophie immediately saw arge stab wound across his stomach. Her eyes widened and she looked at him worriedly. "I need to clean and disinfect that."
When Sophie turned away to retrieve some cleaning materials, she was stopped by Lnd grabbing her hand and he pulled her into hisp. The Alpha immediately hugged her and kissed her head.
"I''m relieved that you''re no longer upset with me," he whispered into her ear and kissed the back of her neck. The relief of knowing that his mate was not angry at him was quite enough to get him into a rxed mood.
Sophie blushed as she felt her husband''s lips pressed around her nape. His breath was incredibly hot and sent shivers across her spines but she cleared her throat. "How could I stay mad at the person I love?"
"I love you too."
Sophie tried to get up from hisp and wished she could get the almanac that Nichs once gave to her. It may have something useful for her to help her husband.
"Lnd, let me go so I can clean your wound though," Sophie scolded him. "You''re injured and it needs to be treated by me."
"It will heal," Lnd murmured.
"Why did it not heal when you came back here though? Your injuries should have healed after receiving them, right?" Sophie asked. "I thought lycans were supposed to have superior healing ability and regeneration¡"
"Wolfsbane I suppose," Lnd said with a shrug. "I think that old man kept a special dagger that has a type of metal alloy which also works well against my people and along with the flowers? It''s poisonous."
"Then we need to get rid of it," Sophie said in concern.
"Don''t worry about me." Lnd chuckled. "I can already feel it healing already as my body is familiarizing itself with the poison. You are talking with the Alpha of the Blood River pack."
"I don''t think a lycan has poison immunity as one of their natural abilities though." Sophie turned around to look at Lnd''s stomach. Just as he promised, it was already starting to knit together and then soon disappeared.
Lnd cleared his throat. "I have an old friend who is great with poisons and my friend helped me to grow a certain immunity to them and for my body to adapt to it more than the average lycan."
"More than the average lycan?" Sophie looked at him worriedly.
"If that old king had struck anyone else from my pack," the Alpha''s expression darkened. "I would have lost a valuable member, so I give my thanks that it was me who he stabbed and not anyone else."
Sophie was silent for a moment and realized that Lnd had finally killed off the King of Riga and it meant that he was one step closer to achieving his goals. It meant that the queen or crown prince would take after.
Still, there was something that Sophie realized after the worry about her husband''s injury faded away. Sophie blinked at her husband. "Wait. You had a friend that you never talked about?"
Lnd looked at his wife and shrugged. "It never crossed my mind to speak about her because there is nothing to say about Eloise. She''s always just been there."
"Huh." Sophie pursed her lips and looked at Lnd questioningly. "Still¡ is she a member of this pack? I don''t think I''ve ever encountered someone called Eloise. Wait, is she one of the allies that you were talking about before?"
Lnd nodded. "Yes, Eloise is a powerful witch."
Sophie''s eyes widened and then it sparkled. "Really? A witch? That''s amazing. I was curious about who your allies were but they were witches? That''s truly incredible and unexpected."
The Alpha didn''t think that Sophie would be pleased to hear him talk about another woman but, on the contrary, she seemed to be enthusiastic about witches. Lnd cleared his throat.
"It is because my mother introduced me to her when I was younger," Lnd exined and tried not to grimace. There was nothing wrong with Eloise since she had been a helpful ally.
"Do you not like her then because she was kind of forced to be your friend?" Sophie asked. She realized that Lnd knew everything that was about her past, her parents, and well, even Sophie''s origins. However, most things about Lnd were still a mystery.
"Yes, we both hated being around each other at first." Lnd nodded. "Her mother and my mother were best friends¡ so naturally our mothers expected us to get along."
"That''s quite nice." Sophie smiled and listened attentively.
Lnd didn''t know and couldn''t tell if Sophie truly thought about it that way. For a moment, he thought that she learned how to hide her emotions away from him. He cleared his throat.
"I suppose it is, but I''m a lot happier to be with you." Lnd genuinely said.
Sophie grinned and kissed him on the cheek. "I know."
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__________________
From Missrealitybites:
I am happy Tier 4 is live. We will have thest tier go live soon after I finish editing thest 10 chapters, and then I will throw a mini mass release.
Thank you so much for your support.
Chapter 158 The Coven Of Witches
< Gazi Desert >
< Frisia Kingdom >
"We have finally gathered at longst, my dear sisters!" The Grand Witch ine greeted her people with a spark of fire in her eyes.
All of them were gathered underneath the moonlight.
It was a spectacle for any of those who might have caught sight of them and it would have been thest sight for any unsuspecting travelers that actually did see them.
The fire in front of them all burned brightly with righteous fury as the Witches all tipped their hats at one another and greeted each other with tidings.
Katherine who excused herself from tutoring Sophie and her other countless jobs finally traveled out from Hastings to the outside of Riga and was among them.
There was a smile on her face as she joined thisrge group of her people. It was finally great to be here atst and no longer hiding continually among the humans because now it was time.
A coven for witches.
It was also known as a gathering for those who practiced witchcraft,but it was mostly a race that held magic and power within their fingertips. Simr to elves, but less liked by the rest. A bit like the lycans.
An enemy to the human kingdoms, an aid to others.
These humans wholeheartedly believed and were fooled into thinking that witches casted curses, hexes and other spells to unsuspecting victims and were only those who created chaos.
Perhaps, not all of them were as evil as what the king of Riga imed to be. Although that did not matter to those outside of the coven and circle that gathered tonight.
"Once upon a time, a dear friendship was struck between a lycan and a witch." Grand Witch ine smiled and started the tale to begin their meeting. "The desert in which the young witch took her training was harsh, arid and dry."
"Not this story again," a young woman groaned silently beside Katherine.
She was a beautiful witch and looked so simr to the Grand Witch currently recounting the tale. This was the beloved witch who was monumental to the current alliance with the lycans.
Her name was Eloise, the youngest witch in history who had proven herself to be almost as powerful as the grand witch herself.
She had long raven hair and twinkling eyes with the color of pumpkin. Her eyes had this bewitching quality that always managed to enchant men to submit to whatever she asked of them.
"I tip my hat to you, Eloise." Katherine carefully curtsied and tipped her floppy witch hat to the Grand Witch''s daughter.
"Yes, I tip my hat to you as well, Katherine." Eloise smiled and greeted her.
Grand Witch ine narrowed her eyes at the two witches, but continued her tale of friendship that she used to inspire her fellow witches. It was not often that witches themselves participated in the war.
However, this was going to be the first time that Witches aided another greatly to destroy a kingdom. The solidarity between the Witches who were more often predisposed to smaller witch covens was necessary.
This was a speech that would make everyone act and remind them of their responsibilities.
"The lycan could have killed this witch back then, but instead, this strong she-wolf who introduced herself as Isolde saved me back then and soon started a bond of friendship that also took part between our children..."
Katherine soon listened closely and found herself a bit in awe of the story. It was a beautiful tale of friendship and as she nced at Eloise, the woman also looked like she was blushing.
p It seemed like this friend¡ was more than a friend. Eloise acted like a lovesick woman when the grand witch mentioned Isolde''s child.
Katherine only shrugged it off. It was none of her business. Eloise was a much younger witch and perhaps she was still curious about love and a rtionship between a man and woman.
"I tell you a tale that is true and filled with hope," Grand Witch ine said. "It is a dark contrastpared to prejudiced and narrow-minded humans who detest everything and everyone that is different to them."
At those words, the rest of the witches all paused and their expressions darkened.
The entire race of Witches was all women and it meant that they often needed to go to other races like humans to bear their next child and kin which always turned out to be female.
It was also one of the reasons why people like Katherine were also in human kingdoms, if not only to marry and continue the bloodline of witches but to also gather information.
Perhaps also lend a hand.
Grand Witch ine addressed the crowd of witches.
"And now, the Blood River Pack is moving with the rest of their packs. We must render our aid and ensure that they seed in conquering the kingdom of Riga. The Alpha is risking his life there."
"Are they close to the capital now?" Katherine couldn''t help but wonder to herself. There were also other Witches who were asking for updates about the sess of the lycans.
"I believe so, my friend was in my castle just a couple of months ago," Eloise answered. "It was a castle I got from one of the old Dukes that used to live there and I made him make me inherit under my name."
"That''s wickedly smart," another Witch cackled beside them.
Katherine only smiled a bit thinly. One of their contributions as ofte was manipting the weather and conversing with nature. Thetest winter storm was one of their actions to camouge the lycans who moved and to also seek out the worst in humanity.
Katherine didn''t need to think too hard. Helga Limberg and her two daughters immediately came to mind. It was on that day that Sophie finally had enough of her coldhearted family and left.
Katherine couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty that the ugly nature of Sophie''s rtives was enhanced during that winter.
However, now that Sophie was under the help of a kind if not distant duke, Katherine was just relieved and happy for them. It seemed like the duke had feelings for Sophie.
"The lycans give their thanks for our help in creating thendslide to hide their tracks. I think they will be bringing us precious moonstones and other jewelry as thanks for our aid in assassinating thete Baron Ferdinand."
Katherine''s eyes widened when she heard the information. She hadn''t known any of this when she went to Hastings at all. So... thete Baron Ferdinand''s death was not an ident?
Ahhh... she knew she should have been more suspicious about the circumstances. She looked around her and found that it seemed like the rest of the Witches were in the know. Katherine could only keep her surprise to herself.
Grand Witch ine continued.
"Their current situation has been reported to me by Isolde. The Alpha, her son, Lnd is masquerading as Duke Ariam Romanov. He has finally reached the capital of Riga, Livstad and they will need our help once they arrive there."
"No," Katherine stammered in surprise.
Chapter 159 Katherine Tries To Protect Sophie
Katherine realized that Duke Ariam Romanov, that she suspected of falling in love with Sophie, turned out to be the one that Eloise was childhood friends with. The woman beside her along with other Witches heard Katherine and quickly nced at her.
The Grand Witch ine''s expression suddenly turned frosty and she looked at Katherine with a nk expression. "Is there any resistance with you, dear sister?"
"No," Katherine shook her head quickly and was filled with fear in her heart. "I just blurted it out and was thinking about something else."
"Wait, weren''t you supposed to be in Hastings beforeing here, Katherine?" one of the witches that Katherine exchanged pleasantries earlier pointed out.
Eloise''s expression suddenly shifted and she looked at Katherine differently. The smile on the witch''s face became a lot more predatory. "Oh, has there been any chance that you have met with my friend, Lnd?"
All eyes were suddenly on Katherine and they were all unfriendly. She knew that she suddenly put herself on a terrible spot by speaking aloud but the idea of Duke Romanov being betrothed to Eloise was a terrible thing.
She liked Sophie and didn''t wish to see her get hurt. The duke had always been kind to her. Katherine knew what kind of woman Eloise was. If she entered the picture, Sophie''s life in Duke Romanov''s castle would be unpleasant.
,m However, lying was even a worse sin tomit when a person was in a coven. Katherine gulped and swallowed hard before nodding her head. "Yes, in fact I have met with him."
"And what does Lnd need you for?" Witch Eloise raised a brow. "We have already been assisting him from afar so he has no need for an ordinary witch''s services at all. I am sure that he doesn''t even know that you are there."
The witch''s voice wasn''t harsh at all and only inquisitive all of a sudden. If it were anyone else, they would have let their guard down but Katherine was uneasy at the sudden loss of anger.
Katherine wanted to lie and protect Sophie¡ however, how long until the other witches figured out the truth about Sophie? There was no way that they wouldn''t figure it out once they came and visited the Blood River Pack.
What Katherine could do was reassure the other witches that Sophie was in no way a threat at all and could be trusted.
As far as Katherine knew, Sophie was actually married to someone else so there was no way that she''d respond to the duke''s advances if the quiet man ever made a move at all.
***
There were hours that Sophie and Katherine only spoke to one another in confidence. Simr to how the young woman got into Cawden Academy, Sophie was a fast learner and had no need to learn something twice once taught with an idea.
She naturally excelled in her studies so they actually spent a good bit just talking and conversing. It was a happy reunion that urred because Katherine had a soft spot with Sophie.
Now, Katherine decided to confess a few things that were on her mind.
"Sophie, I do not wish to pry but it seems that there are a few changes that have happened since the two of usst saw each other," Katherine said.
"Besides meing here to Duke Romanov''s castle and leaving my rtives?" Sophie batted her eyes innocently. Besides that incident, she did not have anything else that might have led her former tutor to question her.
"It seems that you have met someone, and I am not referring to the duke."
Sophie''s eyes widened and she realized that she hadn''t gotten the chance to tell Katherine about Nichs. Her heart ached at the memory and she paused from doing her bookkeeping work.
"Ah¡ how could you tell?" Sophie asked.
"I''ve known you for quite some time now, Sophie." Katherine mysteriously smiled.
"Well the truth is, when I left my family and decided to leave Hastings, it was because I decided to go to Hauntingen and to where I used to live with my family."
Katherine sighed and sped her hands together. "Yes, I remember that. I thought you were going to wait until you graduated and I could help you find work just as I promised to. Was the sudden decision because of the boy?"
"No." Sophie shook her head. "It was because I couldn''t take it anymore with my family. Aunt Helga locked me in the cer¡"
"I''m so sorry to hear that." Katherine''s expression suddenly became sad. She didn''t realize that Sophie''s rtives would take it that far at all. "I wish I could have done so much more."
Sophie smiled weakly. "Please do not feel guilty. It would have been extremely difficult if you had decided to take me in. Aunt Helga would never agree because of the inheritances."
Katherine shook her head. "Then let us not talk about the terrible things anymore, tell me about this boy¡?"
Sophie''s smile faltered on her face but she nodded. "It was thete baron Ferdinand''s nephew. He was a young man with such a bright smile and he had saved me when I fell from Cawden Academy''s walls..."
It was a story that was like a fairytale.
A boy and girl who met each other and fell in love.
Katherine, who never experienced what it was like to fall in love, found herself enraptured by the story that she didn''t realize that when the ending wasing soon, she was shaken up.
"I¡ I tried to find my husband but he disappeared and I went back here to Hastings to find him. However, I came to learn that he was long gone." Sophie smiled sadly and her voice was raw. "I do not know his reasons for suddenly leaving, but all I know is that he is no longer with me."
"Oh, Sophie¡" Katherine didn''t know what to say anymore.
"I came back to Aunt Helga because I realized that I was¡ well, the thing is that a lot of things happened and one thing led to another. I came here to Duke Romanov''s castle and he decided to let me work here and now here we are."
Sophie chose not to reveal her pregnancy but Katherine had decided to speak to Sophie about something because as a witch, she could tell that there were two lives forming in her belly.
***
Chapter 160 Katherine And Eloise
Katherine immediately brushed off her memory about Sophie, so that her face wouldn''t betray her in front of the grand witch. She must not be caught lying. The punishment was too great.
"The reason for Duke Romanov''s need for my services¡" Katherine''s words halted. She tried to find a good excuse.
"That is not his real name but only his alias," Eloise curtly said. "Not that you are allowed to speak his name since you are not close with him whatsoever."
Katherine swallowed hard and under the glower of the Witches. She needed to focus on answering without bringing doom to both her and Sophie. There was in no way that she could die right now.
Somebody needed to warn Sophie and only Katherine could do that.
She needed to survive and warn the girl of the danger of witches. Whether or not Sophie was actually intimate or close with the duke or Alpha didn''t matter at all as long as she was perceived as a threat.
Katherine bowed her head low. "I did not have any idea that he was the Alpha at all. As to why I was there¡ it was because he was in need of someone to teach a person in their castle the trade of bookkeeping."
"Bookkeeping?" Eloise''s expression didn''t change.
"Yes." Katherine breathed out. This was not a lie at all.
Witch Eloise looked far from satisfied at the answer and her smile became cold. "In need of bookkeeping? I know that Lnd is well-versed in all things that are needed to portray himself as human and noble. I was the one who helped him."
Simr to the friendship between her mother and Lnd''s mother, Eloise and Lnd had such a strong and fierce bond. When their mothers introduced them together, the two immediately became close and the best of friends.
? Well, it was true that Lnd was initially hateful of the idea that his mother was forcing friendship between the two of them, but Eloise proved herself to be a good friend.
Someone whom he could depend on.
Everybody could see that Eloise and Lnd could form a union together and be perfect mates. It was a match made in heaven and nobody could ever disagree.
Her mother and Isolde both promised and reassured Eloise that Lnd and she would form a union after the Alpha conquered the human kingdoms and became the Lycan King.
The Alpha didn''t actually like his mother that much, Eloise was aware of that, but that was why Eloise had her own ns once everything was settled and she usurped the Grand Witch title from her mother.
By that time, Lnd would no longer be controlled by his mother, Isolde, and she, Eloise, would be the one that the Alpha adored for all her help. That was how much Eloise loved Lnd.
She didn''t care about her mother or Lnd''s mother at all.
Eloise was only lying in wait.
It was only a matter of time until she and he would be one and together.
So why was Eloise sensing that this person that Katherine was talking about was someone who would rival her? Surely, Lnd did not care about his people and preferred doing things for himself.
He was the type of man who did not trust others, so why would he entrust it to someone from his pack? Was this a special woman?
Thest female lycan that expressed interest in Lnd was hexed by Eloise herself and she hoped that it sent enough of a message. However, it seemed like Eloise was wrong and someone needed to be eliminated again.
"It is not the Alpha himself," Katherine shook her head. "I believe that he wanted to pass on the role to someone else¡"
"I see." Witch Eloise frowned. "Who is this person?"
Grand Witch ine cleared her throat and then narrowed her eyes at Katherine and her daughter. The Grand Witch was all too aware of how possessive and jealous her daughter could be but it was interrupting their business.
She pped her hands to gather the attention of all of the witches. "If that is all that you have to report and there is nothing substantial that needs to be learned of then we shall proceed with our ns."
Katherine barely escaped her brush with death that night.
Or so she thought.
***
After the coven of the Witches ended on that full moon, all of them soon gathered in celebration and spent their time in merriment and delight. They were not opposed to the idea of a grand time with their fellow witches.
Katherine was smart enough to not immediately run away or attempt to go to Hastings right away. One way or another, Eloise would see her and perhaps track her down.
However, not wanting to get interrogated by Eloise, Katherine performed the art of dancing between conversations. She talked with a lot of other people and tried to stay as far away from Witch Eloise without suspicion.
Katherine could feel the re of the woman wanting to approach her and get answers about Lnd. She had never seen anyone so determined¡ so obsessed with one person that it frightened Katherine.
Every now and then, she would nce over her shoulder and find Eloise just behind her. Only a couple of people away from her and that was where Katherine would jump to the next group to talk.
She was running away in her own way while pretending that she was too busy to pay attention to Eloise. Before Katherine knew it, she would eventually find herself parched after all the talk.
It was rare for all the witches to gather together and so the festivities were grand. Numerous tents were set up for all of them to sleep and there was also a banquet for all of them to enjoy.
Katherine eventually darted to one of the banquet tables and was about to reach for a goblet but was beaten to it by someone else. She found herself freezing for a moment and slowly looked up.
Eloise smiled kindly at her and offered her the ss. "You must be so thirsty after all the conversation, Katherine. Some refreshments?"
Chapter 161 Isolde Meets Eloise
A beautiful older woman with dark skin paced angrily in her beautiful chamber, facing the vast garden outside the vi. In her hand was a magic mirror which she used tomunicate with her spy, an older lycan among those sent to go with the Alpha to Riga.
This was only one of the few magical artifacts that the grand witch gave her as a token of their friendship. It''s proven to be so useful in situations like this.
"I apologize, even though the pack is ambivalent to Sophie Hansley''s position as Luna, they respect and fear Lnd too much to do anything besides grumble underneath their breaths."
"Stupid and useless, Elder! You should do something to make them question the Luna''s loyalty to the pack. She still sees herself as a human does she not? Use that to your advantage."
"What do you mean, Luna?" the Elder blinked and was confused with the orders of Lnd''s mother. Even though the pack already had a new Alpha and when he chose his mate, Sophia Hansley, they also had a new luna, the elder still looked up to Isolde as their true Luna. Not, some weak hybrid who couldn''t even shift.
"Make Sophia Hansley reveal that she is sympathetic to humans and prefers them over us lycans." Isolde''s gaze narrowed at the Elder. "That will further tarnish her reputation in the pack."
"Oh, I will do just that!" the Elder grinned and nodded his head. "I will do it when the Alpha is away to make sure that he cannot save his wife."
"Good. Stir up some trouble before I get there." Isolde said. "I need these lycans in Lnd''s castle to think that he is too in love with the woman and cannot make good judgments."
"Of course," the Elder bowed his head. "As the cunning mate and former Luna of the Blood River Pack, you truly are wise beyond your ways. I will eagerly wait for your arrival here in Riga."
Isolde cursed underneath her breath and shoved the magical mirror in her pocket.
"Prepare my carriage. I need to visit the witches and discuss the next step," she roared her order. Three lycans immediately bowed down their heads and scrambled to do what she ordered them to do.
? ***
After traveling for two weeks, finally, Isolde and her entourage arrived in Gazi Desert.
"We are close, Lady Isolde." one of her lycan guards called out to her.
"I know that." Isolde snapped at the lycan guard and continued forward. "I am familiar with this ce far more than you people. I used to live here¡"
The female lycan traveled along the sands of Gazi to visit the witches. She promised to meet with Grand Witch ine to discuss the next steps in the conquering of Riga Kingdom and soon the entire continent.
As usual though, the Elder that was staying with Lnd in Livstad right now kept requesting her toe and deal with the Alpha herself. She shook her head and tried not to grit her teeth.
"Why do I have to do everything to get the job right?" Isoldeined as she eyed the witch gathering in the distance. She thought she could smell blood and wondered if an unfortunate traveler saw the witches and died.
"I really don''t like witches." one of the lycan guards chatted with their fellow guard. "They are mysterious and scary."
"Shut up and make sure that you do not offend them or I will offer you as a sacrifice to them!" Isolde narrowed her eyes at the lycans who came with her.
She had a lot of problems she needed to take care of and among them was the news that Lnd married Anne''s stupid daughter.
"That stupid bitch just had to seduce my son." Isolde gritted her teeth and grumbled to herself. "And yet my son is too deceived. It''s incredible that he''s still fawning over that woman when it''s clear that she already had children with another lycan."
Every little event that happened over the course of months was reported to Isolde but she had been too far away to do anything. It vexed the woman to no end because of how it was deterring her from her ns.
"Hah. At least I''ve managed to keep this away from ine and her daughter," Isolde sighed to herself. "I''ll have to deal with this after my visit here."
Ever since thete Alpha Leon, her mate, died several years after her beloved son died, Isolde had to ensure that Lnd became the Lycan King. So, it was monumental that the witches helped them.
There were a lot of Alphas from different packs who wanted to be King as well and she wouldn''t let anybody else steal that title from Lnd. As the mother of her son, she would be able to ensure that her legacy lived on.
Isolde''s old pack, Obsidian Sand Pack was among those that disappeared over the course of the war between lycans and humans, and she was hellbent on ensuring that the humans would suffer for their transgressions.
She finally came to the Gazi Desert to meet with ine and her daughter, but the atmosphere of the witches'' gathering was different. There was a certain dark atmosphere that bothered her and the lycans.
The first thing that greeted Isolde Szar was the head of a witch that rolled across the sands. The female lycan looked up and saw Witch Eloise greet her with a deadly smile.
"Ah, Isolde¡ can I call you mother-inw?" Eloise asked. "Or perhaps that is wrong because you already have a daughter-inw. Can you exin to me about my dearest Lnd''s choices?"
Isolde stared down coldly at Eloise despite the shudder that went down her back. "No greetings? I thought ine would have taught you some better manners, child. I am still older than you."
"Isolde!" Grand Witch ine stomped down towards Isolde and threw a crystal ball into the sands. It scattered across numerous shards and yet there was one thing evident in all of them.
There was a reflection of Lnd and Sophie in them.
The appearance of Duke Romanov and his wife in parties and gatherings.
All of the Witches were furious and Isolde clenched her fist so much that they turned white. Isolde''s expression was cold as she saw the shards and then the woman sighed and looked at her best friend and the Grand Witch''s daughter.
"What is the meaning of this?" Grand Witch ine shouted at Isolde. "We made a promise to wed our children together. Who is this woman currently in your son''s arms? Did you think you could hide this from me?"
"Mother calm down." Eloise''s voice called out to her mother and stepped forward to Isolde with a bright smile. Her eyes twinkled. "I do not think this is intentional on Isolde''s part, right?"
"Of course not. I''m actually about to go to Livstad to rectify this situation." Isolde said without breaking a sweat.
"Really? Perfect!" Eloise beamed and then held out a small vial to her. "I''d like to send you a gift to the woman that Lnd married. Just a tiny housewarming present."
Isolde narrowed her eyes at the beautiful witch before her. She always liked Eloise. She actually saw herself in this young woman. A crooked smile appeared on her face as Isold epted the vial.
"You are such a good friend," shemented with a sneer.
***
Chapter 162 The Grieving Royals
< Three Days Later >
"Mother, please don''t cry." Nichs patted his mother''s back while the old woman shook and trembled. A couple of days had passed by since the death of King William Hannenbergh and a grand funeral ceremony was being prepared.
"I¡ even if he is a fool," Queen Marianne wept and looked at her son. "he is still my husband. Nothing can change that, and now he is gone. Your father is gone, Nichs."
"I know mother¡" Nichs sighed. "I should havee with him."
The crown prince''s suspicion was right and evidence actually showed that it was a small unit of lycans that quickly disappeared during the course of the night. There had been barely any survivors except for a servant that ran away and lived to tell the story.
Investigations were undergoing but it was only done in secret as to not alert the entire capital of Riga about the presence of the monsters in their midst. Nichs knew that he had to take care of the matter sooner orter.
Queen Marianne''s eyes welled up with tears as she clutched her son''s face. "I couldn''t bear to lose you as well, Nichs. I''ve already lost you before, I can''t let that happen again."
"What do you mean by ''lost me'' before?" Nichs blinked. "Did you mean when I was injured in Hauntingen?"
However, contrary to his expectations, Queen Marianne only sobbed again and even harder this time. The crown prince couldn''t pressure his mother to say anything else and only served as a pir of strength for his mother.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness¡" one of the servants knocked gently on the door. "The Royal Councillor is looking for the queen or the crown prince to discuss the ceremony''s royal procession."
The servant only triggered more tears from Queen Marianne as Nichs sighed and looked at the servant. "I will meet with the Councillor after I''veforted my mother. Please give me thirty minutes before I go meet with him."
"Yes, Your Highness." the servant nodded and soon disappeared.
"After this, the duke and other nobility will soon start pressuring you to take after the throne." Queen Marianne sobbed and shook as she clutched her son''s arm. "Oh, I am so sorry, Nichs. I wish I was better at handling the royal affairs."
"I cannot leave the throne to you, mother." Nichs patiently said. "My father has prepared me for this day, so please do not worry about it."
"Are you sure?" Queen Marianne looked at him with red eyes.
,m "Of course," Nichs smiled tofort his mother.
On the contrary though, he felt theplete opposite of being alright and reassured about taking the throne. He thought that he at least had a couple more years of freedom.
He didn''t feel prepared at all.
Nichs felt arge amount of pressure pressing on his shoulders because of the grief that overtook his mother a lot. It had already been three days and yet she still wept and grieved hard.
The young man couldn''t even find it within him to cry because of the stress and amount of responsibilities that suddenly weighed on his shoulder. There was no one else who could help him.
However, all of a sudden, someone actually dared enter the chambers of the Queen and thete King and it was no other than Lady Karenina herself.
The young woman had be a bit irrelevant after the King''s death and Queen Marianne grieving but now she was here. Nichs pointedly ignored her after she messed up his chance to sneak at Duke Romanov''s castle.
So what was she doing here? Nichs wanted to tell her that she needed to learn how to read the atmosphere better because this was a wrong time for any pretentious meetings.
"Pardon me for intruding, Your Majesty and Your Highness." Karenina curtsied at the queen and Nichs, she greeted them with a solemn tone. "I would like to offer my condolences to Her Majesty and His Highness."
Nichs sighed inwardly.
However, Queen Marianne looked at the young woman and sniffed sadly. "Ah, Karenina. I apologize for my dreadful appearance. How are you doing and how is your father? Will he be able toe to the funeral of my husband?"
Karenina slowly stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. My father is quickly traveling in haste to make it here to Livstad. Would you like to go out of the room, Your Majesty, and join me for tea?"
Queen Marianne sniffed once again and let go of Nichs''s arm. She managed a sad smile and nodded. "I suppose it is time for me to go out¡ Nichs, you still have to talk with Councillor, right? I will go with Karenina first."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Karenina smiled kindly.
Nichs nced suspiciously at Karenina. He wondered if thedy was taking advantage of his mother''s grief to be closer to the woman, but it seemed like Karenina was genuinely sympathetic.
Karenina gently bowed at the crown prince. It was as if the Viscount''s daughter took the opportunity to take away the burden of taking care of Queen Marianne from Nichs'' shoulder.
Nichs didn''t say anything as he watched the queen and Lady Karenina leave. Once they were gone though, the crown prince fell on the bed and was exhausted beyond relief.
"Perhaps I may have misjudged her a little¡" Nichs muttered but he shook his head. "However, it doesn''t change anything between the two of us. At best she serves as a great distraction for my mother."
There was no time for any rtionship whatsoever in Nichs Hannenbergh''s mind. Instead, he wearily sat up and then rubbed his face with much anguish and he spoke to himself.
"After the meeting with the Royal Councillor, I will meet with the Royal Lycan Hunters for their investigations then I need to meet with the Nobility and those who are asking for justice about the deaths of the rest."
Nichs wanted to bury himself in his bed and avoid all of this.
"Perhaps it won''t be terrible if I stay in the vi?" he muttered.
Chapter 163 Isolde Is Coming To Riga
***
"Alpha, I have some pressing news for you." The Elder visited Lnd in his study room and soon encountered the Alpha, still busy strategizing his next steps on attacking the royal family.
Lnd growled and looked up at the older lycan. "The news had better be urgent or else you have disturbed me from actual important matters."
"It is about your mother." the Elder said.
The Alpha froze uncertainly at the mention of Isolde Szar but he then narrowed his eyes at the Elder. "Speak and inform me briefly about what she wants. I am certain that you''ve been reporting everything I''ve been doing, right?"
"Y-Yes Alpha." the Elder blinked and realized that the Alpha had eyes and ears everywhere. Even when the Elder tried to talk to Isolde in private, it still reached the ears of Lnd.
Lnd looked at the Elder nkly.
"Ahem." the Elder cleared his throat and straightened his back. "The rest of the Blood River Pack will slowly be making its way here in Riga and your mother will be here in two weeks. She is expecting you to meet with her halfway."
"What?" Lnd''s eyes widened for a fraction and then he gritted his teeth. "We came here with only a select number among the pack to mobilize fast. Now isn''t the time for the rest of the pack toe."
"Your mother has insisted, Alpha." the Elder said. "We cannot stop her, but perhaps you can meet with her and attempt to stall her from gaining too much attraction?"
Lnd stood up from his chair and sighed inwardly. He narrowed his eyes at the Elder but spoke bluntly. "I will meet with my mother but do not attempt to do anything, Elder. You will follow your brother if you try toy a hand on my mate."
"I will not touch a single hair on her head or her puppies, Alpha," the Elder assured him with a dark look on his face. Among those who tried to challenge Lnd for the title of the Alpha was his brother and numerous others. None of them lived after they challenged him.
However, the Alpha was already gone.
***
Lnd immediately visited his and Sophie''s chambers. There was a bothered look on the Alpha''s face as he stepped inside of the room and saw his mate still asleep and slumberingfortably.
He was filled with a certain hesitation to disturb her, but he wished to say goodbye before he left. Lnd knew how vital it was for him to stop his mother from marching in here with the rest of the pack.
Isolde Szar truly did everything just to make hime see her.
Lnd''s expression darkened at the thought but there was nothing that he could do. Sophie eventually woke up when she felt her husband''s presence and she looked up to him.
The Alpha''s shadow cut darkly inside of the room and he looked tense, rigid and even cold all of a sudden.
It didn''t deter Sophie from speaking to him though. She knew how gentle and loving her husband could be and he would never hurt her or her children. "Lnd, what''s wrong?"
"I have to go." Lnd exined with a soft sigh and sat at the edge of their bed. He held his mate''s hand and gently gave it a squeeze as he looked into her eyes and somehow all he could see was the reflection of a monster.
Him.
The Alpha still couldn''t believe that he was now with Sophie and actually experiencing what it was like to be happy. However, it seemed like life decided to just remind him that his days weren''t supposed to be as wonderful as this.
"Huh? Where are you going, Lnd?" Sophie looked at him worriedly. "Please do not tell me that you''re going to try and attack the royal pce. Everyone is on high alert and they will be more prepared if you attempt to attack them."
The Alpha shook his head. "No, I have not decided to go and attack them. Instead, I''m actually about to meet and reunite with the rest of Blood River Pack and meet with my mother."
"Wait. What?" Sophie''s eyes widened and she looked at Lnd at a loss for words.
"The Blood River Pack is farrger than what you''ve already seen." the Alpha chuckled and softly kissed his mate''s hand. "It was unwise of them toe here, but it seems my mother insisted so I have to stop them."
Sophie paused uncertainly but then said, "It is the first time that I have heard about your mother, Lnd."
"Yes." Lnd nodded slowly.
A silence came between the two of them and Sophie realized that Lnd seemed to be pointedly not wanting to talk about his mother. Neither did he want to talk about his witch friend.
There were a lot of things that Lnd chose not to mention.
They had been married for almost one year but this was the first time he talked more about his mother and the rest of the pack.
At first, Sophie chalked it up to simply the man being intriguing but now the situation was different. As husband and wife, they needed to be transparent with one another.
"Lnd¡ I do not wish to pry into anything that you''re ufortable with," Sophie said to him gently as she clutched both of his hands and looked at him seriously. "However, I am still your wife. I would like it if you could tell me what''s on your mind."
The Alpha let out a long sigh and then nodded slowly. "You have the right to ask, Sophia. Forgive me for not wanting to talk about these topics though, I have been happy with you."
Sophie felt guilty because it seemed like Lnd didn''t have a good rtionship with his mother. "I''m sorry for pushing you, Lnd. I have also been more than overjoyed to be with you¡ but now you''re leaving to meet with your mother."
"Anne Hansley has been more of a mother to me than my own mother." Lndughed a little. "Jack Hansley has been a better father to me than my own father. I do not think I have much to say beyond that."
Chapter 164 Leland Is Away
***
If there was any chance for Nichs Hannenbergh to actually have some time for himself, it was thesest few days before he ascended the throne. He left his mother in the care of Karenina and then went to the royal vi.
"Once I''ve actually be king¡ I won''t have time to go on adventures or do as much as I please anymore," Nichs muttered to himself as he prepared his horse in the stables of the royal vi.
"In the eyes of many, bing king is equivalent to power but to me, it is all responsibility," Nichs said to the dark stallion in front of him. The crown prince was feeling a bit chatty.
Too bad all he could talk to was a horse.
Prior to King William''s death, Nichs was actually popr with events and invited to many parties and balls to enjoy his time and potentially get closer with other nobility.
However, Nichs avoided them like they were the gue.
Lady Karenina interacted and participated in a lot of parties. However, he did not want to do anything with her, and neither did he want to interact with people who only saw him as a chance to seize more power and influence.
"People all approach me because they want something out of me." Nichs clenched his fist for a moment before he rode atop his stallion and he fed the horse a sugar cube.
Nobody saw him as just Nichs, it was always, the Crown Prince or future King of Riga and now those people who were waiting for him to be ruler finally got what they wanted.
A lot of the people were mourning King William''s death, but it was only just a week and now they were preparing for the coronation. How quickly the emotions shifted and changed.
"Sure it''s probably important that I be king soon to handle the political instability of the kingdom¡ but why did it have to be only a week after the funeral of my father?" Nichs let out a sigh and then rode his horse out of the stable.
The stallion moved into the grasnds.
There were a lot of things that weighed heavily on Nichs'' mind and now he chose to cast those fears and worries away into the wind. He rode away from the royal vi and out into the outskirts of the capital.
He tried tough into the wind and let out his stress, but it was so hard.
Nichs truly felt alone in this world.
***
After saying his temporary farewell to his mate, Lnd left the capitalst night with some of his people. The Alpha set out to meet with his mother and the rest of the Blood River Pack. They used the fastest horses because it was too dangerous to travel in their wolf forms from a big city such as Livstad.
By his prediction, he would be able to meet his mother in three days.
"Please take care of yourself, Lnd." Sophie kissed her husband''s cheek and smiled warmly at him.
"Thank you, Sophia." Lnd kissed his wife''s lips tenderly before gingerly pulling back as he looked at her with a loving look. He truly didn''t deserve to be with someone as wonderful as her. "I shall return as fast as I can."
"I''ll be looking forward to that!" Sophie beamed at him. She wished that she had been able to apany him, but she must stay in Livstad with her children.
Since her husband was going to be gone for a few days, Sophie actually had ample time to spend exclusive time with her children. She chose to look on the bright side and not miss Lnd too much.
He was going to be back soon.
The truth was that Sophie was actually a bit nervous and worried about the man meeting with his mother, but she chose to put her faith in Lnd and knew that he was going to be fine.
If anything, Sophie was actually a lot more concerned about meeting with her mother-inw. Was there anything that Sophie could do to be closer or at least repair the rtionship between mother and son?
As a mother herself, Sophie wanted to believe that Lnd''s mother also had affection and love for her son. Even though it was a little difficult, perhaps it was possible to make Lnd happier.
Somehow it reminded Sophie of Nichs'' rtionship with his father. Herte husband seemed so focused on trying to please and fulfill the expectations of his family that it burdened him so much.
"Ah, Nic¡" Sophie smiled a little sadly as she looked out the window of her manor. She felt wistful and rather nostalgic about him all of a sudden. "I know that I''ll have to tell the boys about you when they''re a little older and can understand me."
She was so grateful that Lnd loved them like his own, but Sophie knew that it was also fair for Luciel and Jan to know about their father even though he was already long gone.
"I am sure that you would have loved to see them." The beautiful woman wiped the tears from her eyes.
***
"Come on, Luciel and Jan. I can also run around with you guys." Sophie teased her children as she took them out of the manor and headed for some fresh air in one afternoon. "Let''s go out and get sunshine, okay?"
Her two boys whined a little because the Alpha was gone.
The two of them wanted to go on their morning jog with Lnd but since the man wasn''t around and left to reunite with the rest of their pack, only their mother was left.
Dinah wasn''t that fun of a caretaker because the maidservant tended to be strict whereas Duncan was too rxed and Max actually turned out to be boring for the two cubs.
Well, Jan thought Max was kind of cool and Luciel thought Duncan was funny, but since their mother was going to take them for a walk, the two lycan puppies eagerly went out with their mother.
Chapter 165 Love At First Sight
"There we go." Sophie grinned at her children and jogged with them across the valley. "I''m also not that bad to be around, right?"
Luciel and Jan happily panted and chased after her.
The two boys liked the Alpha, but they were also happy about spending time with their mother alone. Both Luciel and Jan thought their mother spent too much time with Lnd and actually craved to spend more time with her.
Sophie eventually stopped at a field of flowers and smiled brightly as she fell back on them. "Ah, these flowers are lovely."
***
"What¡ is this feeling?" Nichs held a hand on his chest and thought his palms were incredibly sweaty all of a sudden. Below the hill he was currently, there was a valley filled with flowers.
However, that was not what caught his eye at all. It was this person that he didn''t even know.
Nichs Hannenbergh did not believe in love at first sight. It was a ridiculous thing to imagine for a Crown Prince who knew that appearances could deceive you and first impressions could make you prejudiced.
However, when the young man looked over the hill and saw a beautiful woman resting in a bed of flowers and ying with two cute and adorable puppies¡ his heart leaped out of his chest.
He never felt anything like this before. If love at first sight was real... perhaps, it was something like this?
"Ahhh, I''m not dying am I?" Nichs muttered to himself as his stallion snorted at him. "Yes, I''ve seen women before this. I''m not a hermit or anything so why am I¡ like this right now?"
Nichs felt his throat be dry and his head started to spin at the sight of her. Every little thing seemed to scream at him and he couldn''t turn his head away from her.
His stallion neighed a little but he quieted down the noisy creature as he watched the woman below him. The crown prince knew it was rude to watch a woman from afar, he felt terrible in doing so, but he couldn''t take his eyes away from her at all.
"Who is she?" he whispered to himself.
Nichs didn''t think he was the type to be moved by appearances because he never batted an eye at princesses from neighboring kingdoms, daughters of dukes, and other important noblewomen¡ but this woman was different.
She had an effect that was like none other than him and his heart was moved. Where did shee from? Where did she live? Thousands of questions ran through his head and he started to descend down the hill.
"The best way to know is by speaking with her," Nichs said to himself as he gathered the courage to go down and meet with this incredible and intriguing woman.
As far as Nichs was concerned, he could see that the woman lying down with the ck and grey puppies was someone bound to be free-spirited, exciting, and would be like a breath of fresh air.
"Drats. What should I say? I saw you and so I went down to say hi?" Nichs muttered to himself and paused for a moment. He looked at his stallion and asked. "Do I introduce myself as the Crown Prince or will that scare her off?"
He thought he heard herugh and refer to the puppies as her babies and just the sound of it made Nichs'' knees go weak. He was flustered beyond relief and his heart ached so much.
Did she hear him?
No.
She wasughing at one of the babies who spat out some flower petals.
Cute.
However, this wasn''t bringing him anywhere closer to her, was it? All he needed to do was go down out of the hill and meet with the woman so why was he frantic and nervous?
"What is wrong with you, Nichs?" he asked himself. "You''re just going to talk with her. No need to get anxious or hesitate at all, there''s no need to drag this any further."
He said that but still did theplete opposite.
"Ah, she''s really beautiful. Is she the daughter of some local baron here? A faerie?" Nichs muttered to himself.
He took the opportunity to admire the strange woman for another moment and savored the sight of her unperturbed and undisturbed. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
If he had met her before, he was sure he would never forget her. She had this unique ashen hair with streaks of pink. Her frame was a bit petite but she looked very healthy and happy.
Nichs felt his heart pound faster and faster at the sight of her. For a moment, he was dumbfounded.
Once again, Nichs found himself swayed by her presence alone despite not even saying a word just yet with her. Somehow it almost felt like he knew her but that was a ridiculous thing to imagine.
"I''m probably just associating a lot of things to her."
All of the women Nichs encountered were dreadfully boring and preupied with a lot of notions of what it was supposed to be a ''proper woman'' who fulfilled her duties and simply bothered their husbands with endless desires.
However, this woman resting in the valley looked at peace by simply resting underneath the rays of the sun. She looked content, happy, and everything that Nichs longed and desired for himself.
"Okay, I''m finally going to do it." Nichs prepared himself to go down but he was suddenly beaten to it by the sight of a dozen men on horseback. "Wait. Who are they?"
The crown prince finally realized where this woman hade from. There was another manor nearby the royal vi and it seemed the men hade from there.
For a moment, Nichs was worried that they were bandits or thugs out to harass the woman. They all looked scary and ruthless. He was suddenly prepared to ride down the hill and rescue the woman.
However, contrary to his expectation, she didn''t seem frightened when she saw the mening near.
"Oh, they''re her bodyguards," Nichs muttered slowly to himself.
Once the crown prince spoke, one of the men on horseback slowly met his gaze. Nichs blinked because he thought he had hidden himself well enough but he was wrong.
His presence was detected.
Did the wind carry his voice down below to these bodyguards?
Before Nichs could even do anything, the woman and her two puppies were soon taken away without even giving him the chance to talk with her at all. The hope and happiness in his chest suddenly disappeared.
What reced it was a sudden feeling of misery as Nichs watched the woman be escorted away. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, but he couldn''t look away from her even as she left.
"Why¡ Why does it feel like I''ve let someone special go?" Nichs asked as he felt hot tears suddenly sting his eyes. The crown prince quickly rubbed his eyes and then turned away from the sight of the woman leaving.
Nichs sped off back towards the royal vi.
The crown prince waspletely unaware that this woman¡ Sophie actually had looked up at the hill. However, when she did it, Nichs was already gone as well.
Chapter 166 Leland Meets His Mother
***
The moon was hidden behind the clouds when the Alpha reunited with his mother in the outskirts of a vige about one week away from Livstad.
He managed to cut the travel time short and arrived there in only three days because he rode day and night until they were far enough from the capital, and then continued running in his wolf form, together with his men.
He winced his forehead when he saw the number of people who joined his mother. How his mother actually got here with that many pack members without attracting attention was surprising.
However, Lnd was far from happy and only narrowed his eyes on the older woman.
"Lnd, my son¡ you''ve truly outdone yourself this time." Isolde Szar greeted the Alpha of the Blood River Pack with nothing but a curled smile on her lips. She was followed by an entourage of a hundred lycans behind her.
All of the lycans were quick to greet Lnd by kneeling to him, but the Alpha''s eyes were on no other person but his mother alone. Her voice was sickly sweet and doting, but it did not fool him.
Lnd didn''t give her the respect of giving a greeting beyond a grunt, but then Isolde''s eyes sharpened on him and the man felt a wave of struggle ovee him. He was uneasy around this woman.
This was his birth mother and¡ there was always still a sense of hurt that washed over the Alpha when he saw the look of disappointment on her face. It was almost instinctual at this point.
If there was a bond between lycan mates who chose to be with one another, there was something a bit simr to that between a mother and her children. Compared to a lycan choosing his or her partner, however, your birth mother was not your choice.
"Lnd, is that how you greet your mother after such a long time of not meeting with one another?" Isolde''s voice rang clearly out into the night. She looked down at her son unfavorably and said. "Come and greet me properly."
The Alpha clenched his teeth but then felt the pull within him to do just that. Always yearning for eptance from his mother and his father, it wasn''t only lycan society but their gics that forced him to do just that.
He bowed his head low and ced a hand on his chest. "Mother, you''ve finally arrived into thends of Riga. I was not aware that you would risk yourself with these members ande here by yourself."
There was a certain way that Lnd and Isolde acted around each other. The strong and powerful Alpha was nearly subservient and always amodating of his mother''s desires.
Things had always been like that ever since Lnd was a young child. Somehow, even though he knew that he was physically stronger than his mother¡ he didn''t and couldn''t do anything when he was in her presence.
"Lnd I have to personallye here and intervene because you''re putting the alliance between our pack and the witches at risk." Isolde smiled sharply at her son. "It is best that you listen to your mother and rectify the situation immediately."
The Alpha froze for a moment but then looked at his mother with both confusion and annoyance. In the eyes of the Blood River Pack, they must have assumed that his mother was the more experienced one between him and her.
Even if that was the truth, Isolde shouldn''t have tried to make him look bad. Everyone also knew that he was a capable leader with or without her. The way that Isolde acted like Lnd was ipetent without her was frustrating.
"What do you mean?" Lnd asked with a frown on his face. "Eloise and I are on good terms as to how you and Grand Witch ine are good friends. I cannot see what I did to anger them."
Isoldeughed mockingly and pped her hands. "Exactly my son, you cannot see what I can see or understand what I have gone through when I visited the witches."
Lnd stayed silent, but at the look of Isolde was forced to ask. "What happened to you, mother? What urred while you were visiting the witches? I recall that they have a gathering, do they not?"
"Yes, it was supposed to be a time of merriment, of celebration because we are one step closer to achieving our goals and aspirations."
"I am aware of that," Lnd said.
Isolde reached out and grabbed Lnd''s cheeks roughly. Her fingernails scraped against his face as she smiled warningly. "But it wasn''t. And do you know why, Lnd?"
Lnd didn''t say a thing and neither did he lift a hand or shove his mother away. Whether or not he was physically capable or not, tied by a bond between a mother and child, the final nail was the fact that it was done in the presence of other lycans.
Alpha Leon''s personality was wicked and domineering, but it garnered respect from the Blood River Pack. Isolde was still the previous Luna of the pack so they actually also held her in esteem.
Right now, Lnd couldn''t find it within him to do anything so he shook his head. "I don''t know, mother."
"Exactly! You know nothing."
"I am still the Alpha, mother."
"And you''re doing a wonderful job!" Isolde rolled her eyes."Not."
Lnd ground his teeth. "I am. Haven''t I been listening to you all these years?"
"Hmph. Except for one thing. It is naive of you to fall for the wicked charms of another woman who just happens to be the daughter of that outcast Anne." Isolde snapped at Lnd.
The rest of the Blood River Pack suddenly started to murmur underneath their breaths. They were all shocked and a bit scandalized to hear the sudden news because they weren''t with Lnd all these months.
"I do not know how this concerns the witches, mother." Lnd smiled tightly at her. "It seems like the problem lies more with you and not them. What seems to be the problem if she''s Anne''s daughter? She does not know anything."
p At the Alpha''s words, the atmosphere shifted slightly and the lycans started to look at Isolde and whisper among themselves about the situation.
A lot of the older lycans recalled how Isolde was immensely jealous of Anne.
Chapter 167 Mother And Son
Isolde''s cheeks suddenly heated up in anger and she released her grip on Lnd''s face. "Not only have you disgraced us, but you also took care of her children. They are not yours but you''ve taken them in."
Once again, the Blood River Pack swayed to Isolde''s side at her words. All of them were shocked because Lnd simply adopted children that were not his? That was giving them an unfair advantage.
"Mother, it does not concern you," Lnd said. "It is not the pack''s concern to whom or whom I do not consort with. It is my right to choose my mate and take care of her, including that of her children."
Isolde Szar was afraid of this answer and she chose not to outwardly reveal the promise that Lnd was supposed to marry Eloise to her son, so she thankfully had a different tactic.
"I am only worried for you, my son." Isolde sniffed aloud and stepped away from her son. "You do not know about Anne and her choices as much as I do. They are¡ lovers of humans. I am only looking out after you."
Lnd ground his teeth and narrowed his eyes at his mother. "I know Anne more than you because I''ve lived with her and her family!"
Isolde scrunched up her face at the mention of Anne. She really hated that woman until this day and refused to see the woman and her daughter in a good light.
Whether or not Lnd was betrothed to Eloise, Isolde would have hated Sophie anyway for being Anne''s daughter.
Isolde eventually sneered and shook her head.
"Even so, I am sure that it was her who nted that nasty thought of marrying her daughter. After she was outcast by the Blood River Pack, Anne probably immediately devised a scheme to get back in and it is through her scheming daughter."
"That''s ridiculous!" Lnd red at her. "Anne would never do such a thing."
Isolde smiled and gently patted her son''s head. "And that is why you have been fooled and manipted by that woman, Lnd. It took us so long to see each other eye to eye, but now you''re going against me?"
"I''m only asking you to respect my decisions, mother." Lnd frowned. "I am more than capable of making decisions for myself. I can reassure you that Anne was happy with her husband, Jack Hansley, and did not long to go back to our pack."
"Nonsense, but if she really hadn''t¡" Isolde shrugged. "It goes to show that she has instead be more warped by humans and is trying to influence you to betray our lycan ideals by using her daughter."
"Sophia didn''t even know she is half a lycan until I told her!" Lnd growled at his mother. "Do not say that Anne is scheming when it is only you who makes evil ns for your own benefits."
SLAP
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT???" Isolde shouted at him and pped him across the face. "It just goes to show that this daughter of hers has been affecting you with her presence alone! Are you even listening to yourself right now, Lnd? You are going against the pack''s beliefs because of her."
"You are throwing usations on this woman that you have never met before, mother." Lnd''s face stung but he didn''t care about himself. It didn''t hurt, what pained him was the baseless usations that his mother was talking about Sophie.
Why couldn''t his mother open her heart? Why couldn''t she just be genuinely happy for her son? What did Lnd even do to harbor so much hate from his mother? His father and brother were already long gone, so now it was only the two of them.
All of these senseless arguments weighed heavily on Lnd''s soul and mind. It seemed like nothing he did would ever make this woman happy.
"I do not need to see this woman for myself," Isolde smiled at Lnd. "She has taken after her mother. The apple does not stray far from the tree and the same goes with you, my son. You''ve taken after me and your father."
"She has been nothing but supportive of me!" Lnd shouted at his mother. "Sophia has also lost her parents because of the Lycan Hunters and also wants the bloodshed to end."
"But will she ept the humans suffering under us?" Isolde smiled cruelly at Lnd. "If she was raised as a human, she cannot ept this¡ She cannot ept you."
"Shut up and stop all of your lies, Isolde." Lnd red at his mother. "I am still the Alpha of the pack so heed my orders or get cast out of Blood River Pack. You will regret speaking against Sophia, my mate."
Isolde''s face suddenly morphed a little in surprise and she clenched her fist angrily. "My words do nothing anymore, don''t they? You are already a grown man and so you believe your decisions are absolute."
p Lnd refused to say anything to this maniptive woman.
The Alpha''s mother eventually unclenched her fist and the expression on her face suddenly rxed and she let out a long and repressed sigh. "Ugh, at longst you''ve finally turned your mother away aloofly."
It was a tone that Isolde never used before around Lnd, only her second child. It pricked his ears as he looked at his mother. "What?"
Isolde smiled at her son. Suddenly, she looked like the doting mother that Lnd never had. She spoke with a sweet voice. "This was all a test, Lnd. I was waiting for the day that you finally stood up against me. It was a task that your father, Alpha Leon, told me before you were born."
Lnd couldn''t believe his ears and was at a loss for words.
Isolde gently stepped forward and clutched her son''s face. "You are your father''s firstborn son. He always wanted you to be the one who inherited the title of Alpha and that was why he and I were unbelievably harsh to you."
"No¡" Lnd''s eyes widened and he shook his head. "That can''t be¡"
Isolde wrapped her arms around her son and engulfed him in a hug. "It was hard on me too, Lnd. Putting you through all of this, but things are going to be different now, my son."
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From Missrealitybites:
Omg.. such a maniptive woman. I hope Lnd wouldn''t fall for this.
Chapter 168 Nicholas Is Investigating Duke Romanovs Wife
,m Even after so many days, Nichs couldn''t remove the woman he had seen from his mind. She was dazzling and sparkling¡
He had tried to see her again by going to the flower field, hoping she would be there at the same time, ying with her puppies. But she seemed to realize a stalker was trying to find her and decided not toe back.
Or, perhaps, it was the bodyguards. They were aware of Nichs'' presence thest time and advised theirdy to stay away from strangers.
Nichs thought he could get her out of his head if he tried, but all his efforts proved to be futile. Finally, the Crown Prince couldn''t help but summon his people.
"If I''m going to be the king, I might as well use the power and authority it can give me," Nichs muttered to himself and soon inquired into the identity of the woman he encountered in the valley.
One of the servants who stayed in the royal vi was quickly summoned alongside the nearest informant who both bowed to their future king. Nichs'' expression was grim and he tried to hide the emotions on his face.
"Who are the people living in the manor close to my vi?" Nichs eyed the two people in front of him with nothing more but a frown.
The servant and informant were worried and already sweating. Did the crown prince realize that another manor was present in the outskirts of the city and wanted it demolished? The servant bowed low and spoke.
"I believe that the manor is currently being upied by Lord Ariam Romanov, Your Highness." the servant said.
"What?!" Nichs'' eyes widened and he unintentionally mmed his fist on the table. It made the two people quiver but then he looked at the informant with a frown.
That dark duke again!
Nichs felt intrigued by this information. So, the duke had left Hastings and now resided in the capital. What did he want from here?
The prince clenched one fist to the side and pointed at the informant with his other hand. "You. Tell me if Lord Romanov has a sister."
"No, Your Highness." the Informant replied with a shake of his head. "Lord Romanov is an only child. If there is any woman inside of the manor or you may have seen, perhaps you are pertaining to his wife?"
"Wife?" Nichs couldn''t believe it.
That dark duke and that woman he had seen were together? A husband and wife?
No. That couldn''t be possible, right? Nichs massaged his forehead but it all started to make sense to him as he muttered glumly underneath his breath.
Now he remembered the stories he heard while he was investigating in Hastings. The duke was newly married and the townspeople said she was a daughter of lower nobility in Hastings.
Nichs thought the woman was a wicked woman who married a wicked man, or perhaps a pragmatic woman who only married the duke for money.
Never in a million years, he thought the woman would be this gentle and beautiful angel he saw in the valley several days ago.
This made his heart sink.
"Of course, a woman as beautiful and happy as her must have been happily married," he muttered to himself.
Maybe she was really an honest woman who married Duke Romanov with sincere intention? Perhaps the duke, albeit disfigured, was kind to her and gave her everything she needed?
"Your Highness?"
"Who is this woman?" Nichs inquired again. "How did Lord Romanov acquire a wife? I remember that he came from Frisia and did note with a wife originally so where did shee from?"
He needed to make sure this was really the same woman he heard marrying Duke Romanov when he was in Hasting. If not, maybe he was wrong and this was apletely new wife?
"We believe that the woman is from Hastings, Your Highness." the informant replied. "A lot of other nobility are actually trying to decipher the identity of this woman because they were intrigued."
Nichs'' expression froze for a moment. "What? What do you mean other nobility are inquiring about Duke Romanov''s wife?"
"Your Highness was currently preupied and unable to attend many of the gatherings and events are done here in Livstad. However, if this servant has gotten the correct woman, then she is the Shining Moon of the Ball." the informant replied.
"What? What are these titles you''re speaking of?" Nichs frowned. He knew for a fact that nobility liked peppering nicknames and titles for remarkable people, so he didn''t realize that Duke Romanov''s wife was already a great presence.
"Ahem." The informant cleared his throat. "The title that was aptly nicknamed for the Romanov couple has been the Moon couple, simply because the woman shines like the light side of the moon, whereas Duke Romanov is like the hidden part of the moon."
"Ridiculous," Nichs muttered to himself. "Once again the nobility have proven that they have nothing to do but give titles and gossip amongst themselves. If there is a moon then there is a sun? What about stars? How ridiculous."
"Your Highness?"
"Do you have a name for Duke Romanov''s wife?" Nichs asked. That had been the first thing he should have but he got distracted by the details so now he looked at the informant with hunger in his eyes.
The informant wobbled for a moment. "Her name is Lady Sophia Romanov, Your Highness. I believe she was a minor nobility in Hastings before Duke Romanov met her."
Nichs thought the name was awfully familiar.
"I see¡ that is all that I need for tonight. The two of you can leave."
Nichs Hannenbergh sighed aloud and dismissed the two people. He was once again alone in the study in the royal vi. The crown prince was sorely tempted to go out again and try to see that woman but he didn''t know.
"Sophia? Not Sophie?" Nichs said to himself and then shook his head. "Perhaps it is all coincidence?" He remembered the twody beggars in the street that tried to bring him to this woman named ''Sophie''.
"Sophie... Sophia..." He repeated the names solemnly.
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From Missrealitybites:
Nichs is THIS CLOSE to the truth. Ughh...
By the way, I will publish several more chapterster today ^^
Chapter 169 Sophie Is Feeling Unwell
The crown prince didn''t know why he was suddenly so enamored and infatuated with a woman who was already another man''s wife.
Well, Nichs didn''t know that the beautiful woman that caught his attention was already married at first, so he couldn''t me himself.
However, now that he figured out that she was married¡ Why couldn''t he still get her out of his mind?
Nichs clutched his chest and let out another sigh. "What is wrong with me? Is this because I''ve been causing my mother so much grief that now fate decided to punish me by falling for someone out of my reach?"
If so, fate had a wicked sense of irony for the crown prince.
He knew that he had ignored women left and right, even causing some to keep longing after him like Lady Karenina. And now Nichs was subjected to the same desire to be with a woman who couldn''t be his... Was this his karma?
"Ah, how cruel." Nichsughed to himself. "I''m terrible."
However, despite everything that the crown prince discovered, Nichs'' couldn''t help but fall silent as he remembered something. He closed his eyes and tapped his fingers on the oaken table.
"When I came to their castle in Hastings and trespassed there¡ I thought there was something I was about to discover there. Something sinister and evil, no doubt rted to the death of Uncle Joseph."
Nichs felt his anger renewed at the memory of his uncle dying and as his father once said, all of the first witnesses and evidence led to lycan attacks.
"This Sophia may not know of it since she married Duke Romanov recently."
***
Sophie couldn''t go out of their manor to y with her sons. That''s why Nichs could not see her again even though he came to the valley every day. She had been sick for several days.
When she returned after ying with her two sons in the valley near the manor that Lnd bought, she was suddenly surprised to realize that she was exhausted beyond relief.
"Uff¡ my legs really hurt even though I didn''t run that much with my sons," she muttered to herself.
Sophie plopped down on her chair wearily while Luciel and Jan quickly ran around the room and tried to get her to continue ying with them. The two nipped her fingers and licked them as if begging for more time with her.
"Ah, I''m sorry." Sophie smiled sheepishly. "Please go enjoy yourselves without me. I''m not as energetic as I used to be, which is silly because I used to leap up walls."
She honestly didn''t know what happened because she was finest month.
Now her energy seemed to be sapped again for no reason.
Was this really the same Sophie who leaped off the walls of Cow Dung Academy? Sophie didn''t think that there should have been much of a difference even if she had gotten pregnant with her boys.
A quick knock jostled her out of her thoughts.
"Come in!" Sophie said and to her surprise, it was Dinah who walked in carrying a tray of lunch for her children and her. The woman looked at their Luna with a small frown on her face though.
"Luna, I hope that you inform us when you will be leaving the manor and going outside of the valley with your children," Dinah told her in a soft tone. "It would have been terribly risky if anyone saw you and the pups."
"Oh, I''m sorry." Sophie smiled apologetically to her maidservant and yet felt her lips twitch a bit in annoyance. For some reason, the way that Dinah spoke somehow triggered her.
Why, though? Sophie was usually patient but now her temper was a bit short.
Dinah looked at their Luna and sighed. "Forgive me for pointing this out, but you don''t seem sorry at all. What you did was incredibly dangerous not only for you but for the Blood River Pack as well."
"I just wanted to take the boys out and there''s really nobody else except for us for miles. Plus I don''t think anyone would have suspected my boys though?" Sophie rolled her eyes. She was really irritated by Dinah''s nagging.
While the two women were talking with one another, both Luciel and Jan couldn''t help but watch and pay attention to them. The two boys fell silent since it was the first time they saw an argument.
"Luna, everyone is on high alert after the Alpha killed the human king here in Riga. I don''t think they''d simply assume Luciel and Jan are puppies when they see the pups." Dinah frowned at Sophie. She was always serious when it came to the safety of the pack.
"I know that." Sophie kept the smile on her face. "I saw my husband be injured when he returned. How could I forget that, Dinah?"
Dinah''s eyes widened at the mention of their Alpha, but eventually rubbed her face and looked at Sophie tiredly. "Please be just more careful because you know how it was when some of the guards camete to save you, Luna."
Sophie remembered how both Lucia and Valerie pushed her into the river and she was drowned before she was saved by one of the bodyguards. The smile evaporated from her lips and she nced at Dinah.
"I understand¡ At least I understand how slow these lycans can be. Are they really incapable of protecting me and my children?" Sophie frowned at Dinah. Her words were really snappy and this sudden change of attitude made Dinah startled
The maidservant blinked at the sudden tone and she couldn''t help but bite her lip and lower her head demurely. "I apologize for my harsh tone, Luna, and it¡ really is the ipetence of my people."
The female lycan had often thought that Sophie was easy to deal with because she used to assume that she was human. However, Dinah needed to remember that she was dealing with a Luna now.
Now, it seemed like Sophie was a lot more irritable all of a sudden and refused to be appeased.
Chapter 170 [Bonus Chapter] Leland Returns Home
Eventually, though, Sophie realized that she was raising her voice and looked at Luciel and Jan who were whimpering and hiding underneath the table. She didn''t realize that her mood had fluctuated that much.
Sophie grimaced.
"Would you like some water, Luna?" Dinah offered to her as she ced the tray on top of the table. She decided to change the subject. "Or would you like to eat or anything else? You seem a bit pale."
She had gone pale from realizing that her temper was rising.
Sophie smiled tiredly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Do you think I could talk with the midwife who apanied you guys? I feel a bit unwell, and I wonder if I strained myself too much after pregnancy. I am irritable."
Dinah looked at her with urgency on her face, but eventually nodded and summoned forth the midwife. Since their Alpha was gone, all of the lycans became worried about Sophie.
When the maidservant went out of the door to retrieve the midwife, she couldn''t help but let out a sigh. "Is she currently pregnant? When our Luna was pregnant with her two boys, she was happy¡ is she going to have girls this time?"
Dinah soon came back with the midwife and let Sophie talk with her in private.
If anything were to happen to their Luna while they were under their watch? Well, Dinah and the rest were not willing to find out what happened if anything terrible urred to their Luna.
However, when the midwife came out of the door, the female lycan looked happy and pleased after talking with Sophie which was a great contrast to Dinah. Was Sophie now in a better mood and did not snap at the midwife?
Before the midwife left, she grinned at Dinah and held her hands. "Finally everything is falling into ce, isn''t it? The Alpha might be gone but he wille back and receive great news!"
Dinah''s eyes widened and she pped her face. "So.. she is really pregnant??"
The midwife nodded with a smile.
Inside Sophie''s room, the woman herself was also more than happy and already talking with Luciel and Jan eagerly. She and Lnd had been married for almost a year now and she had been wondering if she would ever get pregnant with his child.
Ahh¡ the moon goddess truly knew the perfect timing!
Sophie''s eyes sparkled as she held Luciel and Jan''s paws. "You''re going to get siblings."
***
Sophie was quite stressed as she woke up and looked out her window. There was actually a lot of noise that woke her up.
Her eyes bulged when she saw arge group approaching the manor in the distance. At the forefront was no one other than Lnd and a beautiful woman that was most likely his mother.
A wave of joy and longing poured through her chest. Her husband had been away for almost ten days and she missed him so much.
Sophie almost wanted to run out of her chamber and came to him for a hug.
However, she was also suddenly nervous because of the arrival of Lnd''s mother. What was she going to do?
There were so many things that needed to be done and yet that wasn''t even the end of it all.
"He''s finally here but¡." Sophie bit her lip.
She was at a loss for words but chose to redirect her gaze to more important matters. Didn''t Lnd say they shouldn''t attract too much attention? So, what were these peopleing for?
There were too many of them.
"Why did hee here with all of them? Any of them passing small viges or even towns would give anyone quite a scare and what''s even worse is¡" Sophie closed her eyes and sighed.
It was too suspicious.
It was a number that was almost fit for arge group ofbatants. At first, Sophie had thought that the current people living with Lnd were plentiful but there were more.
However, that wasn''t even the worst thing of all. Something else had suddenly caught her attention and it came from the opposite direction of Lnd and the rest of the Blood River Pack.
"What¡ Who is that?" Sophie was shocked and fell silent because on the other side of the valley was a lone person on horseback.
They were riding down the hill, atop a beautiful stallion and they bore the royal banner. The banner was blowing back and forth across the wind.
"Please don''te here," Sophie muttered to herself as her heart thundered. "Please¡ go away."
She knew that Lnd was smart enough to not attack a lone rider but what was a servant from the royal family doing here in the manor? His life was in danger with so many lycans around.
Sophie''s heart nearly gave out as she went out of her room and met Dinah along the way. The woman was carrying her a tray of breakfast.
"Luna¡?" Dinah blinked at her sudden departure.
"Lnd is back here with his mother and the rest of the pack, I''m going out to meet them." Sophie ced a shawl over her shoulders and rushed through the hallways.
On any other day, Dinah would have chased after her Luna and told her to be more careful because she was pregnant with the Alpha''s children but now she was at a loss for words.
No.
Dinah looked shaken up.
Sophie, unfortunately, didn''t notice as she went out to meet her husband and mother-inw. She truly didn''t know that Isolde Szar, Lnd''s mother, struck fear in the hearts of female lycans.
***
Meanwhile, Lnd eyed the royal messenger on horsebacke to a terrible halt at the sight of him and the rest of the Blood River Pack.
This royal messenger was actually bearing a message from the crown prince that was supposed to be sent to House Romanov, but now the man faltered at their appearance.
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From Missrealitybites:
Aww.. I have published so many chapters today. I hope you are happy ^^
Wait... can''t be too happy because Isolde is here. Ugh. Can''t trust that hag.
Chapter 171 Invitation From The Royal Palace
In any other moment or day, it would almost seem like Duke Ariam Romanov had taken a good number of his garrison from Frisia and ordered them toe here.
However, to a lone guy on horseback, the royal messenger, it almost seemed like he was going to be swallowed alive by them.
The guy was sweating and looked like he wanted to dart back up the hill and return to the royal vi. What to do? He was at war with himself. This dark duke truly lived up to his reputation.
If it wasn''t for his lovely and charming wife, all the nobles in the capital would fear him and took their distance when it came to the duke, even though he brought business to Riga.
"Coward. He isn''t even prepared to die for this banner he serves." Isoldemented to her son. Her nose scrunched up in disgust.
Lnd nced at his mother and still found himself at a loss for words. He never thought that a day woulde where she would talk sweetly to him and treat him like an actual son. This time, her disgust was directed at a stranger, not at him.
It felt so... surreal.
He was still wary and suspicious, and Isolde knew that very much but when the older woman shed him a smile, Lnd felt a wave of shock ovee him.
"What''s wrong, son?" Isolde asked again. Her voice was gentle and doting.
"I will deal with this matter by myself. Please halt our men temporarily," Lnd said.
The Alpha thought that having Sophie''s love was enough for him. He had the respect of his pack and Sophie''s two boys loved him.
However, now that his mother, Isolde Szar was dangling the idea that Lnd and she could get along and act like an actual family, Lnd was ashamed of himself.
The little boy who sought after the recognition and eptance of his parents were still there and happily wagging his tail at the thought that his mother loved him.
How ridiculous!
Lnd made his horse go faster to meet with the lone royal messenger. He didn''t think that he would be receiving anything but it seemed like he would.
However, when the lone messenger saw Duke Romanov wearing his dark leather mask and swiftly rode towards him like an angel of death, the royal messenger darted forward.
At the same time, he also saw a womane out of the castle. Compared to anyone else, she seemed like a good person who wouldn''t dare hurt him.
So, he decided to ride forward and halted his horse in front of Sophie. The woman blinked and looked up in surprise.
"Yes¡?" She asked the royal messenger.
A part of her was actually a tad afraid that the royal family discovered that Duke Romanov was actually a lycan, but they would have sent an army to vanquish them if it had been the case.
"I am bearing a message from the king, the future king." the royal messenger rified as he handed Sophie a scroll. "Two days from now, the royal coronation will be held in the center of Livstad."
"If you have anything to say, you should redirect it to me." Lnd thundered behind the royal messenger and narrowed his eyes at the man foring near his mate.
He was incredibly protective of his wife and wanted to keep anyone rted to the royal family away from her.
***
After themotion in the morning that came from both the royal family and arge number of the Blood River Packing in, Lnd would swiftly start tomand his peoples. He ordered his second-inmand and his Beta to help amodate the influx of lycans.
Lucas was his Beta who was ordered to stay behind in Frisia to manage their pack but Lucas was powerless to deny Isolde''s request to bring their most formidable soldiers to Riga.
When Lnd met Lucas, the Alpha immediately understood that his mother must have oppressed his Beta to follow her whim. Lucas must not be able to say no to her out of respect to Lnd and histe father, Alpha Leon.
Lnd couldn''t me Lucas. He didn''t even show any reaction on his face. The Alpha didn''t say anything to scold his Beta and only asked him to help him in Riga. He would take care of his mother on his own.
"Hey¡ I am so d you''re home," Sophie''s sweet voice instantly elevated Lnd''s mood. She appeared with her nightgown and shawl and that made her look vulnerable. The Alpha immediately felt unease. Was Sophie sick?
She was smiling so brightly and seemed in a fantastic mood. So, she must be okay. Probably a bit tired. Lnd immediately removed the thought from his mind. He smiled soothingly at her.
Sophie wanted to help and assist her mate, but Lnd had taken one look at her and gently kissed her forehead. He was thrilled to see her but the letter that came from the royal family bothered him.
They were invited to attend the coronation?
Duke Romanov hadn''t even been able to meet with the rather elusive crown prince so he had no idea why he was invited. There was so much to do, a lot of opportunities waiting to happen, but first, the Alpha needed to get the entire Blood River Pack with him in order.
"Can I do anything to help, Lnd?" Sophie asked.
Lnd smiled and gently kissed his mate''s head. The weariness of traveling all the way to meet his mother and rush back evaporated at the sight of his beloved partner who took away all of his stress.
"I am d to see you again, but please let me handle it. Instead, you can have breakfast without me," he said.
"She could have breakfast with me," Isolde suddenly said.
Both Sophie''s and Lnd''s heads snapped to look at Isolde in surprise and wariness. Sophie was actually surprised to see such a beautiful woman who looked so different from those in the Blood River Pack.
While the others like Dinah had fairer skin and even unruly hair sometimes, Isolde looked enchanting with her dark skin and her silver hair entuating the curves that she had.
She looked like the queen of a faraway desert kingdom.
Sophie now understood why Lnd had such¡ luscious tanned skin. He must have inherited it from his mother''s side. The two of them looked like siblings when standing next to each other.
.
.
______________________
From Missrealitybites:
So, they are invited to attend the coronation. It must be Nic''s tactic to be able to see Sophie again. What do you think? XD
Btw, I will publish 3 chapters today as my thank you because SO MANY of you purchase the privilege, I am now over the moon.
Hopefully, it will help this book when WN is judging participants to win the werewolf contest.
Chapter 172 Isolde And Sophie
"Mother¡ won''t you assist me?" Lnd said and came in between them at once. He would rather keep his mother with him, than let her have breakfast alone with Sophie. He didn''t trust Isolde.
He added, "You are the one who brought all of these people with you. This had been an unnecessary visit. You could havee with a smaller and discreet group. I need you to manage this together."
"Lnd, don''t forget that these are all Blood River Pack members. They are not strangers who don''t know what to do. Besides, you have Lucas here too." Isolde smiled at her son and then threw a look in Sophie''s direction.
She added, "Besides, isn''t it time that I meet my daughter-inw? You have robbed me of the opportunity to get to know her by getting married in secret."
Sophie batted her eyes uncertainly and she honestly felt a little underdressed. Even though Isolde hade from outside and was wearing traveling clothes, she still looked incredible whereas Sophie was in her nightgown.
She really should have thought this through. Uff... she felt so modestpared to her mother-inw.
"Good morning, mother-inw," Sophie curtsied and looked at the older woman. She was a bit nervous and didn''t know how to introduce herself properly. What should she say? "My name is Sophia Hansley Ferdinand Romanov¡ Szar?"
"I know who you are, dear." Isolde nced up and down at Sophie from head to foot. She pursed her lips and nodded. "Yes, you take after your mother, Anne, so much. Though I can see the human heritage that you have."
Sophie''s eyes widened and she was startled for a moment. She looked at Isolde in surprise. "Y-you¡ you know my mother as well?"
Since Lnd had been quite secretive about his past and only recently opened up to Sophie, she didn''t quite know how Lnd''s father and mother were both intertwined and connected to her mother so much.
"Yes." Isolde nodded and noticed the stares of several other people on her. She cleared her throat and smiled. "I can tell you a lot about the good things of your mother while she was in our tribe before Lnd was even born, my dear."
Sophie felt curiosity course through her heart at Isolde''s words.
Both of her parents hid the true origins of their family and so she longed to hear more about her mother. In the past, she had heard stories about her father from her grandfather but now she wanted to know about the life of Anne before she met Jack Hansley.
Since Lnd ended up bringing his mother back to Livstad anyway, didn''t that mean that the two of them actually managed to make up or something? That was Sophie''s assumption.
She realized she must treat her mother-inw well in order to preserve the good rtionship between Lnd and Isolde.
She smiled and nodded. "I¡ it would be an honor if you could spare some time with me, mother-inw."
"Isolde is fine," the older woman said.
Sophie''s eyes widened and she shook her head. "I couldn''t possibly call you just like that and use your name without any honorifics."
"Don''t worry, it''s fine with me." Isolde insisted. "If you called me ''mother-inw'', I will feel so old."
The truth was, Isolde felt disgusted that Anne''s daughter addressed her as mother-inw. Not in this lifetime! Fortunately, she was so skilled in hiding her own feelings. So, Sophie didn''t see any negative emotions in Isolde''s expression.
Before Lnd could actuallye and stop his mother, Isolde started to walk down the hallway. She walked past Duncan and Max who came to help Lnd.
Isolde started toin aloud and pointed out things that caught her eye. "This manor we''re in is terribly small, I can detect where the dining room is through scent alone. How can humans really live in such a small ce such as this?"
Sophie needed to chase after Isolde, but she first looked at Lnd and noticed his anxious expression. She stepped closer to her husband, squeezed his hand, and then kissed his cheek.
"I''ll be fine. Handle the rest of the pack first and I''ll see youter okay?" Sophie''s eyes twinkled for a moment. "I actually have a surprise to tell youter, Lnd. I think you will really like it."
Lnd sighed at the fact that Isolde still ended up getting what she wanted and even him shouting at her didn''t work that much. Now, the Alpha looked at his mate. He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.
"I am looking forward to what you have to tell me," Lnd said with a tired smile. "Please be safe and don''t get too close with my mother, alright? Also don''t believe everything she has to say? In fact... do not believe any single thing she says. She is good at lying."
Sophie''s brows furrowed at her husband''s direct and clear warnings against his mother. However, she couldn''t help but nod her head seriously. She was aware of what it was like to have awful rtives.
"I''ll be careful," she said before she walked after her mother-inw.
As far as Sophie could see right now, Isolde didn''t seem to be so bad¡ but that had been how Aunt Helga and her cousins used to be. Little by little, they started to see the limits of how they could treat Sophie and saw how they could get away with it.
It only took them a couple of weeks before the abuse started rolling in.
Sophie shook her head and erased the memory away from her head as she stepped inside of the dining room. Isolde was already sitting down and looking at her. She thought that the older woman was fiddling with something.
"Ah, you''re finally here." Isolde sighed and motioned to the seat opposite of her. "I''m so d that we can finally have a moment to sit down and just talk. I''ve been exhausted from that trip."
It was finally time.
Chapter 173 The Wise Wife
Lnd''s nightmare didn''t happen at all.
The truth of the matter was that the Alpha was actually nervous that his mother would have attacked Sophie in the broad open once they met, but that didn''t happen.
Because he was really worried, he actually sent Duncan and Max to watch the ongoing conversation, while he and Lucas held the meeting with the pack. He didn''t find it within him to trust his mother.
Before the Alpha knew it though, breakfast was already over.
Nothing happened.
Once Lnd finished stationing all of the Blood River Pack''s new arrivals and giving them rooms, he immediately rushed to the dining hall to meet with his mother and mate. As soon as he stepped inside the dining room, he only heardughter echo.
Sophie''s eyes were lit up when she saw Lnd. The Alpha furrowed his brows, looking worried. He was not sure of what was happening at all. He looked questioningly at Isolde, while the older woman only smiled innocently at her son.
"I was telling her about the time when you were still a young pup and met your brother for the first time." Isolde chuckled. "My little Lowell was such an angel back then."
Lnd''s lips pressed into a thin line and, at that moment, he knew that Isolde''s favorite would always be her second son, Lowell Szar. It would never be him.
Not wanting to ruin the moment though, he looked at the te of food that both women received.
The two of them seemed to have eaten well.
Isolde continued. "He was such a jealous wolf pup. Ah, I think that''s why he ran away from home. I am d that he came back though."
"Really?" Sophie raised a brow and tossed a look at Lnd. She gave her husband a smile to signal that she was alright and fine, not really always believing every word his mother said.
"Thank you for choosing to delve into my childhood." Lnd sighed a little and plopped down beside his mate.
"Come on. I didn''t know that you haven''t been saying a thing to Sophie at all." Isolde shook her head. "You even neglect to mention that you had a brother."
"A-actually he did," Sophie hastily interrupted Isolde. She kept her smile unchanging at her mother-inw''s words. Even though she was surprised to find out that her husband had a younger brother, she didn''t show it on her face. "I know about Lowell."
As Lnd''s mate, she thought she would need cover for him and give him face in front of other people, including his own mother. She would lie for him if needed, like what she was doing now.
Under the table, she could feel Lnd squeeze her thigh lovingly. Isolde was unhappy by Sophie''s calm response, but she faked a smile and pretended to brush it off.
"Oh, he told you about his brother? I am surprised because Lnd seemed to hate Lowell," Isolde said nonchntly as if it was not a big deal. Then she poured tea into her cup and added, "I suppose, he didn''t tell you about Eloise?"
"Lnd''s witch friend, right?" Sophie smiled. She remembered the name because Lnd mentioned Eloise once. "He did."
Lnd narrowed his eyes at Isolde and knew how much the woman actually wanted to pair him off with that girl Eloise. He couldn''t see Eloise as anything more than a helpful ally, a friend at most.
"That''s right, Lnd was so insistent that he didn''t want to have her as a friend." Isolde sighed and shook her head. "However, before he even knew it, the y dates actually went well and they grew so close."
"May I remind you that I met Eloise after I returned from the Hansleys?" Lnd frowned. "I do not think you can say it as little y dates."
"It doesn''t matter¡" Isolde nced at Sophie and to her surprise, Lnd''s mate didn''t at all seem bothered at the mention of another woman. For someone like Isolde who always seemed to explode at the mention of Anne, it was shocking.
Secretly, she was furious because all her agitation didn''t seem to work on Sophie.
Sophie smiled and only listened attentively to Isolde and did her best to make sure that Lnd didn''t get too upset. She held her husband''s hand and then nced at Lnd.
"I want to meet Eloise someday¡ well, I mean witches in general," Sophie said to make light conversation.
"Why is that?" Lnd couldn''t help but ask.
"They seem so interesting. I believe that they''re the ones who make a lot of brews, right? My mother often made salves and creams using herbs, I think witches could probably improve on that, right?"
"They tend to have their own specialties," Isoldemented.
"Like poison?" Sophie said.
Isolde''s eyes widened for a moment, but Lnd nodded. "Yes, I''ve exined to Sophie that Eloise is a specialist when ites to poison. She helped me ingest and grow immunity to a variety of known poisons that humans use."
"I see¡"
The rest of the morning would continue with Sophie, Lnd, and Isolde talking amongst themselves and making conversation about various topics.
However, all of a sudden, Isolde cleared her throat and looked in Lnd''s direction. There was something on her mind that she chose to point out when they arrived earlier.
"Son, what is the letter that you received from the royal family?" Isolde smiled. "Is it good news?"
Lnd fell silent and didn''t actually want to tell it to his mother right away, he had kept the scroll in his pocket and sent the royal messenger away with no confirmation whatsoever.
"You really don''t have to be like that," Isolde sighed at theck of his response. "Sophia, does it ever feel like you''re talking to a cold unmoving stone? My son tends to be like this around me."
Sophie thought her mate could be distant at times, especially before they confessed their feelings to each other, but in her opinion, Lnd only treated people the way they treated him. He was fair. If they acted respectably, he would treat them well.
However, if they were dishonest, cunning, and two-faced, he wouldn''t spare them even a tiny bit of attention. To him, they were like air. They were insignificant and worthless... and would be treated as such.
Sophie didn''t know the details because her husband refused to talk about his family, but she suspected Isolde might have been a bad mother, that Lnd couldn''t bring himself to show affection to her.
Based on Sophie''s own experience, Lnd was a loving man. The way he adored her and her children, which were not his, made her realize that her husband had a heart of gold despite his aloof appearance and sometimes distant attitude.
She bit her lip and nudged Lnd a little. "Maybe we should just tell your mother? I think everyone will know sooner orter, right?"
"Fine." Lnd took out the scroll and tossed it to his mother who swiftly caught it. "I''ve taken care of King William Hannenbergh and he will soon be seeded by his son in next week. For one reason or another, we are invited to his coronation ceremony."
"Then my arrival with the rest of your men is perfect timing, isn''t it?" Isolde smiled. "A mother truly knows best, my instincts are sharp as ever. It is the great opportunity to storm the capital and take over during the coronation."
"You say that, but I am sure that this crown prince must have decided to invite everyone for a certain reason." Lnd''s eyes glinted sharply at the scroll.
"And why is that?" Isolde batted her eyes. "I believe that you must be attributing too much brilliance to this crown prince. If they were actually any good, then they would have immediately discovered your pack, but they didn''t, right?"
Sophie cleared her throat. "Isolde, I think what your son is trying to say is that by inviting everyone to the coronation, the crown prince could take that as an opportunity to see where the hearts of the people lie."
"Yes. If we don''t attend this event, we''re suspicious¡ but if we do attend it, I am sure that the security is at an all-time high," Lnd said and looked proudly at his mate. He was d that she could tell what was on his mind.
"Nheless, this is still the best opportunity to attack," Isolde said. "Or are you saying that the Blood River Pack is backing down from this enemy of ours? We are not cowards, let us finish this already."
Chapter 174 Lelands Decision
"I¡" Lnd hesitated and looked at Sophie.
He was so happy to have her as his wife and this conversation after breakfast proved to him that she was such a smart and wonderful woman who could hold her own before his cunning mother.
He also had just returned from a long trip. Right now, all he wanted to do was spend time with her and listen to what she had to say.
Didn''t she tell him that she had a sweet surprise for him? He was curious to know because he could sense that it truly made his mate feel very happy.
He wanted to share whatever good news she had. So, now, Lnd would have preferred to cherish his wife some more before going to battle again.
The crown prince was undoubtedly in a precarious position since his father died, so what difference would it be to wait for a little more?
Surely, this new king would eventually let his guard down if the coronation went well. Duke Romanov could just send a representative to attend the coronation on his behalf, to avoid suspicion.
He was not in the mood to attack. This was not a good time. Sophie was right. His mother was too rash and it was not good for the pack.
Sophie looked at Lnd and gently squeezed his hand. She leaned up and whispered to his ear, "I believe that you will make the best decision for your pack, Lnd. I have faith in you."
Lnd felt his heart be at ease at his mate''s words. The truth of the matter was that Blood River Pack had been eagerly waiting for the day when they''ll conquer the kingdom of Riga.
This human kingdom was one out of the many kingdoms they had to conquer and all of this actually happened after several years of careful deliberation. Blood River Pack worked not only with the witches but other lycan packs as well.
Some would upy the other kingdoms or attack the borders of Riga and keep the royal family on their toes. All of Lnd''s men were ready and actually anxious to fight.
If Lnd chose to hesitate and wait for another opportunity, then he was only dying the inevitable, but it was fine. A dyed attack to guarantee victory was better than a rushed attack. The Alpha nced at his men who were standing around and were eavesdropping on the conversation.
Max and Duncan didn''t seem nervous. They only focused on what The Alpha would answer to his mother or decide. Eventually, Lnd nced at Sophie once more and looked at his beautiful and wonderful mate.
Even though Sophie said it was better to wait, wasn''t the reason why Lnd chose to lead the attack himself was to avenge the deaths of Sophie''s parents?
Would Sophie think he was a coward for not immediately choosing to attack the crown prince and the remaining members of the royal family? This was a risky attack but¡
"Don''t be a coward," Isolde chided him, suddenly disrupting this train of thoughts. "I know they will secure the capital, especially the royal pce during the coronation event, I am not dumb."
She added, with a very criticizing tone, "However, it is also the best time to attack because for once, the capital will be crowded with people. They will go out to the streets and celebrate the asion, nobles would be invited to the pce. YOU and our people can be there without attracting much attention if everyone is smart enough to blend in. Can''t you understand this simple logic??"
Her words, even though uttered in a soft voice, pierced Lnd''s heart and again, he felt like he was not good or smart enough in his mother''s eyes.
"Sophia¡" Lnd tried not to focus on his mother, and instead directed all his attention on his mate.
Sophie smiled warmly at him and never let go of his hand. This beautiful and gentle woman was always understanding and weing of him¡ and she was also willing to trust his judgment. She said she had faith in him.
Lnd felt at peace, and yet there was still a storm brewing within his heart. How could he forget what he came here for? Even though Sophie smiled at him, she was still hurt. She lost both her parents in such a cruel way and had been living such tough life before Lnd found her.
This was all because of the royal family.
Lnd wanted to avenge her parents by killing everyone responsible for Jack''s and Anne''s deaths. King William Hannenbergh was down, more to go. His son, the next king should be next.
"Fine, we will be attending the coronation," Lnd said atst. "I expect to have the Blood River Pack''s warriors prepared in the short amount of time we''re given. We will storm the capital by ourselves."
The lycans who had been eavesdropping suddenly cheered at their Alpha''s decisions. The day had finallye for the humans to receive retribution for all of the sins they havemitted.
"Perfect." Isolde smiled.
***
Even though Sophie had told Lnd that she trusted his judgment, she was actually surprised by the decision he came up with. She pursed her lips and sat in their chamber alone, sighing a little.
After the conversation, Lnd immediately had to summon all of the Blood River Pack members in the grand hall to announce his decision to attack the royal family during the crown prince''s coronation.
Sophie rubbed her belly gently and said, "I believe he may have decided a little differently if I told him that you''re here. However, I have faith in him¡ that things will go smoothly after this."
Even though Sophie was really nervous and worried about what would happen once Lnd and the Blood River Pack stormed Livstad, she wanted to put her confidence in him.
.
.
___________________
From Missrealitybites:
So... Lnd decided to attack the new king during the coronation. That means... he will finally meet Nic!
Chapter 175 Isolde Scolds The Elder
The man told her that he had been preparing for this takeover for many years. In fact, his pack had done everything within their power to get their revenge literally since thest Great Human and Lycan War that urred over twenty years ago.
Blood River Pack and countless others were confident that they were ready to take over Riga and then spread all over the continent. Sophie believed them and was actually more worried about what would happen to the humans afterward.
"When it''s time for me to give birth¡ it will be a chaotic time, ushering in a new era, I believe." Sophie sighed softly. "Where lycans are at the top and¡ well¡"
As Sophie was stuck contemting with herself, she suddenly heard the door knocked. Sophie raised her head and asked. "Who is it?"
"It''s your maidservant, Luna," Dinah called out to her from the other side.
Sophie blinked and then smiled a little. Since Dinah had been monumental in giving her courage to confess her love to Lnd many moons ago, she always felt a sense of closeness with Dinah. So, she was happy to hear from the maidservant. "Pleasee in."
The door slowly opened and Dinah walked in with a tray filled with a teapot and one cup. She said warmly, "Good afternoon, Luna. The entire manor is in a state of upheaval, isn''t it?"
Sophieughed a little and nodded. "Yeah. I think Lnd deciding to attack during the coronation sets a new precedent, doesn''t it? I can''t me him that everything is kind of chaotic right now."
Dinah nodded and looked at her seriously. "Were you able to tell the Alpha that you are pregnant? You requested us to keep it a secret¡ but now he is going to attack the capital. How do you feel?"
"I''ve epted it." Sophie smiled tiredly and shrugged. "It''s a little difficult for me to ept, but I want to support my husband."
Dinah fell silent for a moment as she approached Sophie and ced the tray on the table. She immediately started to fill a cup with tea even without Sophie''s word before she sat across the woman.
"There''s probably a lot of things on your mind, Luna." Dinah offered her the teacup and looked down at the floor. "I am¡ in awe of your mental strength. I''ve always doubted you in the past, you know?"
Sophie blinked at the sudden mood of her maidservant and friend. She smiled kindly at her. "I know¡ that. I must not have been the person that you expected to be the pack''s Luna, right?"
Dinah shook her head as her eyes stung. "No, you turned out to be better than I expected."
"Gosh, don''t cry." Sophieughed and epted the teacup from Dinah. "I never realized you had such a sensitive side too. We''re both learning new things about each other, right?"
***
Isolde wanted to make sure that her son Lnd was preupied with the idea of attacking the coronation so she could do as she pleased.
When both Lnd and Sophie left the breakfast hall, she waited for Lnd''s loyal men to also leave so she wouldn''t get followed.
Once they were gone, Isolde set off to work.
The first thing that Isolde did was to meet up with the elder who stayed with Lnd for the past year. This was her own spy who agreed to work with her for their own mutual benefit.
Now she met up with the older man and bared her teeth. She grumbled, "It seems like you have enjoyed your vacation here and have gained weight, don''t you?"
The elder''s face turned red as he looked at himself. "Stupid humans have a lot of delicious food here¡ it was all that our Alpha wanted to serve to keep his mate happy. I had no other choice."
Isolde looked at him nkly. "Give me something important that I can use against Anne''s daughter or I will make you regret being a useless lycan who didn''t do anything for the past year."
The elder sweated. "It''s hard! All of the people here are loyal to the Alpha. Not one of them willy a hand on the Luna or even speak ill of her when your son is around. What can I do?"
"It is simple, you fool."
"What?" the elder narrowed his eyes at her. "I won''t die for you."
Isolde smiled cruelly at the elder, couldn''t believe his ipetence. "Who is the closest person to Anne''s daughter? Surely there is one among them and all we have to do is erode their confidence in her."
The elder blinked and his expression changed for a moment. "You''ve already been informed that the Luna has children from outside of this pack, right? They do not belong to the Alpha at all."
"Yes, I am aware of those stupid whelps existence but I couldn''t care less about them," Isolde''s eyes sharpened. "I want to strangle the wench, but I cannot expose myself."
"Well¡ there is someone who''s been a constant presence in the Luna''s life besides the time when the children were born." the Elder exined. "The others are not so happy that the Alpha took in those kids. She however seems quite close with the Luna and is tasked to be nannies for her children."
"Then we already have someone who can do the job for us." Isolde smiled. "Keep everyone off my back and I will seclude this woman myself and talk with her."
"Do you really think you can do that?" the Elder asked her doubtfully. "If anything were to happen to the Luna at this point¡ you''re risking the goals of the pack too much for your petty revenge."
"Petty revenge?" Isolde''s eyes shed. "I am doing everything for the pack, elder. All of this is for our benefit, I assure you. Or would you prefer to bring this conversation with Grand Witch ine yourself?"
The Elder grimaced and then folded his hands. "Fine, this woman who is always at the Luna''s side is¡"
***
Chapter 176 The Witches Can Help For A Price
***
"Dinah." Sophie looked at the female lycan who was so close to tears. "What''s wrong? I didn''t think that you would cry this much¡ What seems to be the problem?"
Dinah shook her head and blinked back the tears. She was looking at the teacup in Sophie''s hands and felt her throat was extremely dry. "I¡ I just missed my brother, that''s all."
Sophie''s eyes widened and this was the first time that she actually heard about Dinah having any siblings. It seemed like the lycans were all great at keeping secrets to themselves.
"You have a brother? Why didn''t you tell me? Is he not here with us?"
? "The situation never came up for me to talk about myself, Luna," Dinah exined. "It is irrelevant if I were to speak of it. I am only here to serve the pack and aplish its goals."
Sophie shook her head. "Nonsense. I am assuming that he is not here with us in Livstad?"
Dinah smiled and shook her head. "No. My brother cannote here even if he actually wanted toe. He is too injured to participate in the war and ording to pack standards he is useless."
"That''s a harsh assessment¡" Sophie frowned.
"For a people that prides itself in strength and physical prowess, we can actually be quite¡ cruel to those who are weaker than us," Dinah exined. "My brother used to be a part of those who help the Alpha, he is strong, clever, and brave."
Sophie bit her lip. "But then he was injured? Were his injuries enough that a Lycan''s regenerative abilities didn''t suffice?"
Dinah smiled and yet her lips were pale white. "He had been captured by the humans before, they broke his legs and poured boiling liquid metal onto them continuously to reveal the whereabouts of Blood River Pack¡"
Sophie felt her blood run cold. "What? I''m sorry, is he¡? How did he survive?"
"The Alpha returned into the soldier''s camp and saved Desmond while also killing all the humans there." Dinah coldly said. "It is good that they left no survivors there. All of them are meant to die."
Sophie bit her lip and nodded. "I¡ I can''t believe that they could be that cruel."
Dinah shook her head. "That is why I initially didn''t like you since you reminded me of everything that they''ve done."
"I''m sorry, Dinah." Sophie apologized.
"Sorry won''t do him anything." Dinah''s gaze was harsh on Sophie but then she sighed and hesitated. "It won''t bring my brother''s strength back at all but¡"
Sophie smiled sadly and decided to open up a little. She wanted to open her heart as much as Dinah did, even if it was kind of difficult to say.
"However, not every human is like that. They''ve been raised to believe, brainwashed to think that you guys are monsters¡ I have no words to say about your brother. If I were to meet him, I would like to give him my thanks. He is brave and clever as you said."
"They said that there''s a chance¡" Dinah spoke softly.
"A chance?" Sophie batted her eyes and then they widened as she looked at Dinah. "Wait, you mean there is a chance that he will be healed again? How is that possible?"
Sophie was not a doctor or physician but she was familiar with what a human doctor could do. So, she was stunned that there was a chance for Dinah''s brother to be healed from his immense injuries.
Wait¡ was Dinah referring to magical healing?
That was immensely rare and difficult to obtain.
Dinah swallowed hard and kicked at the wooden leg of her chair. She looked entirely ufortable but hopeful. "The witches¡ they can be expert healers. I believe they can heal my brother for a price."
"A price?" Sophie thought long and hard and then came to a conclusion. Since Dinah was an ordinary member of the pack, she thought that it was Dinah approaching her to ask for help.
As far as Sophie could see from lycan societies, there was no sense of ownership and private property from lycans because everything seemed to be ced for the benefit of the pack as a whole. The Alpha and Luna were the ones responsible to manage everything for the pack.
She started to think about how she could help Dinah and her brother. If the price was high, she could talk to her husband about this and, hopefully, Lnd would agree to help.
Dinah was silent and closed her eyes. "Yes. A price."
"Then I think I can help you out with that." Sophie smiled. "If you are in need of money, then I think I can talk to Lnd. His wealth is technically mine and I believe that he would be more than happy to help someone from his pack."
Dinah''s eyes pricked with tears again. "I¡ª"
"Are you going to cry again? Dinah, you don''t have to cry like someone''s attending a funeral," Sophie chuckled and finally raised the teacup to her lips and then looked down at the liquid.
She said, "Hmm, the tea seems to have gotten a bit cold now. I am sorry, I should have drunk this immediately after you poured it for me. You''ve made me a nice pot of tea. Let''s not waste it."
Dinah''s eyes widened and she couldn''t take it anymore.
What kind of lycan would she be if she let her Luna drink from that cup? She started to reach out for the cup and looked directly into Sophie''s eyes to plead with her. "Then let us throw that out, Luna. Cold tea does not taste good. Let me prepare you a new pot instead. A fresh one."
Sophie shook her head and leaned away from Dinah to avoid the insistent lycan. Was Dinah really avoiding the topic about her family and trying to distract her with tea?
What was it with lycans who all insisted on being strong and never letting their guards down around other people?
There was nothing wrong with being vulnerable around friends and families. Sophie was d that Dinah seemed to trust her and start to confide in her.
The Luna shook her head. "No. How could I ask you to get up and do that? Tell me more about your brother or the fee for the witches."
"Luna please, give me that cup!" Dinah''s voice was strained as she wanted to get out of this room without confessing anything. She didn''t want to ruin her reputation by saying, ''Luna, please give me the cup because it''s poisoned''.
How could she do that?!
However, it was Dinah''s moment of hesitation and her inability to spit out the truth that made Sophie drink from the cup. She looked at Dinah and took a delicate sip from her cup and saw the look of horror stered on Dinah''s face.
Sophie blinked and said, "What? The tea doesn''t taste so¡ª"
Dinah watched in horror as Sophie''s eyes rolled back from their sockets and she lost her bnce on the chair. The teacup fell from her hand and shattered into the floor as Dinah barely caught the Luna.
"Luna...! LUNA!!!" Dinah''s tears leaked out from her eyes as she gently ced her on the bed and before she knew it, she started to head out of the room to call for their lycan healers.
Chapter 177 "Sophia..."
"I will only go over our cements onest time," the Alpha addressed the entire pack of Blood River as he gestured to arge map of the royal capital of Riga. There were a lot of encircled positions where the lycans were supposed toe in.
All of the lycans were paying attention to their leader and discussing everything with them. This was the time that they had all been waiting for and they could already taste the victory on their lips.
"The scouts will be the ones in charge of making sure that no human escapes from the capital. They will go ahead and ruin the carriages, unloosen the horses and do everything to ensure that none of them make it out alive."
Lnd was currently discussing strategy and position with the rest of the lycans when he suddenly felt his heart being squeezed and strangled. The Alpha''s eyes widened and before any of the lycans in the meeting room could ask a question, he stormed out of the room.
He felt his knees weaken for a moment and his lips had already turned pale. If it was already bringing him to this point, the Alpha couldn''t imagine what was happening to Sophie.
Where was his mate?
"Sophia..."
Lnd rushed down the hallway and headed into Sophie''s room just in time to see his mate currently lying down on the bed, pale and feverish. There were shards of a teacup littered across the floor and no one else was around.
"Sophia!" Lnd''s own throat was hoarse and he ground his teeth. The Alpha concentrated on strengthening himself and then lending it to his mate. To share his strength with her, that was the best thing that a mate could do.
However, nothing was happening.
Before he knew it, Dinah rushed in with one of the lycans who were great with treating the sick amongst their kind. This older lycan lowered his head and then looked at their Alpha.
"Alpha, if you would¡ª"
"Find out what''s wrong with my mate and heal her!" Lnd growled and shoved the healer forward to his wife. As the healer approached Sophie, the Alpha immediately turned to Dinah. He grabbed the cor of her dress and red at her. "What is the meaning of this?"
Dinah was paralyzed in fear and only managed to call a healer and tell the man that their Luna suddenly fell ill. However, when she was faced with Alpha, suddenly all her strength was gone. Just like that.
Isolde waltzed into the room and there was a look of worry and concern written all over her face.
"What happened to Anne''s daughter?" she asked. "I heard themotion¡ Oh wait, we already have a healer. Great. Let him do his job. Lnd, please return to the great hall and continue with the ns of attack, we will take over from here."
"NO."
"What do you mean no?" Isolde narrowed her eyes at Lnd. "I''m not sure what happened to your wife but don''t forget what we came here for."
Lnd let go of Dinah and turned his murderous re at his mother. His sense of paranoia finally came back. He stepped towards his mother, with each of his steps forward, his mother remained on her ground.
Isolde didn''t flinch away and stayed looking aloof.
Lnd growled at her. "Is this situation of your doing? Did you do this to Sophia? Did you poison her, Isolde? I should have known better than to trust your appearance."
Isolde''s eyes widened and she ced a hand on her heart. "You dare throw usations around right now? I''m terribly hurt. You have no evidence at all and yet whenever something terrible happens to you, you me me. How dare you use me of a crime I certainly didn''t do!"
Lnd threw a look at Dinah and narrowed his eyes at the woman. "You are the only one who serves Sophia. Tell me if this woman is involved and do not hesitate to tell me the truth."
He pointed at Isolde, with rage evident on his face.
"Oh, so you want her word against mine?" Isolde''s gaze sharpened at Dinah. "Will you really believe some random female lycan over me? You''ve really sunk low, son."
"I''d rather believe her than you!" Lnd shouted at Isolde and then felt his heart hurt. It skipped a beat. His heartbeat was slightly erratic and he nced over to Sophie who was still in bed.
The healer didn''t seem to have managed to help her and was now only running through a diagnosis. He shook his head. "Alpha¡ the Luna. I can''t detect anything wrong with her physically."
Lnd gritted his teeth and red at Dinah. "Summon more healers. Summon doctors from humans, the best ones, as long as they can diagnose and help my mate."
Dinah immediately rushed out of the room and took the opportunity to leave the room. There was immense guilt written all over her face but she focused on getting help to the Luna.
The current healer looked stumped at the situation but said. "I will do my best to help, Alpha. But there doesn''t seem to be anything wrong when I''m looking for the root cause."
"How can you say that when it''s clear that my mate is in pain?" Lnd barked at the healer. "Check the shards and try to detect any kind of ill-inducing substances, poison, or anything!"
The healer immediately moved forward and started to check the shards, sniffing them, and yet he shook his head.
Isolde''s lips didn''t move an inch. Eloise may have wanted to immediately hurt Anne''s daughter, but the witch was an expert at making poisons and reassured Isolde that it wouldn''t be traced back to any of them.
Even the greatest lycans wouldn''t be able to detect it.
As far as Isolde knew, the materials used to create the poison didn''t actually have any dangerous and ill-bearing ingredients¡ but it was Eloise''s hexes, curses, and negative energy that transformed even simple water into the deadliest poison.
Eloise only needed to have something in her hand once and she could already imbue poison by just having it near her. That was why Witches were a great ally to the lycans because of their capabilities.
That was why Isolde was frustrated that her son couldn''t see how wonderful of a pairing he and Witch Eloise could be. Magic paired with the best physical prowess would make their offspring unstoppable.
"Alpha?" Several lycans from the meeting hall followed Lnd and arrived outside of Sophie''s room. "Alpha, are we not going to discuss the operation?"
"We still have a lot to discuss, Alpha."
"Is something the matter, Alpha?"
"Wait, the Luna is in bed. Hush, we should shut up."
All of the lycans immediately started to exchange looks with one another in concern. None of them knew what to say because they were seeing their Alpha in a vulnerable state.
Lnd was kneeling in front of Sophie and holding her hand. He was in pain from feeling the immense pain in her body. Her face was scrunching up and she was covered in a cold sweat.
He slowly nced at the men outside of the room and only said one word. "Out."
The Alpha didn''t want to do anything with the operations and all the lycans immediately scattered out of fear of being used by the Alpha to vent his anger and stress.
Chapter 178 Feeling Like A Failure
Note:
Thank you, dear Kelly Goodwin, for gifting this book a spacecraft today. I hope you are having a wonderful week. ^^
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"I will deal with youter," Lnd spoke coldly to his mother. "If I discovered that you have ANYTHING TO DO with my mate''s condition, I will make you regret you were even born."
"Lnd¡!" Isolde''s eyes bulged at her son''s words. She was shaken and offended that, for the first time in her life, her eldest son talked back to her so ruthlessly.
All this time, Lnd preferred to avoid any confrontations with his mother, or even any interaction if he could help it. Isolde didn''t mind it because she knew he hated her but couldn''t do anything to her.
It showed that she still had her grip over him. He would do what she asked, albeit reluctantly. She knew he craved her approval even though he tried to act tough in front of everyone.
Ha. She was HIS MOTHER. She knew him like the back of her hands. She knew how to push his buttons.
The fact that he didn''t send news home about his marriage was a clear indication that Lnd wanted to avoid being confronted directly by his mother.
He knew she wouldn''t approve and he wouldn''t be able to act tough and mighty before her as he did in front of the pack members. He would have to do as she said.
Isolde came here to make sure of that.
However, from the first time this stupid wench appeared by the door and weed Lnd home, the Alpha was like a different man. He was so sweet and gentle and he ignored his mother in favor of Sophie. This made Isolde feel furious and fuming inside.
Lnd even chose to listen to his mate regarding the n to attack the royal family during the coronation, and not his mother. Lnd only decided to proceed with the attack because he thought that''s what SOPHIE WANTED.
Hmmph!
Good thing Isolde had one card that she could use to get rid of Sophie. She could threaten Dinah to mix the poison on her daughter-inw''s tea. Now, Isolde just needed to wait. Sophie would meet her demise and¡ª
Suddenly, Isolde was moved from her reverie when Lnd''s voice thundered and shocked her to the core.
"SCRAM!"
She looked at her son with gritted teeth. Isolde clenched her fists to the sides and spoke with such coldness that Lnd was so familiar with.
Her pretense as a doting mother was gone. It was now reced by that distinct aloof and ruthless expression that was very simr to the one Lnd had on him now.
"You are truly good-for-nothing. You chose that traitor''s daughter over our pack. Everyone is ready and we just need to strike the royal family, but just one sign of your weak wife getting sick and you will throw everything away?" Isolde snapped at him. "Very nice. You are an embarrassment to our family. I am ashamed to meet your father in the afterlife because I have failed to raise you."
"GET OUT!"
If it wasn''t for Sophie''s hand still on his hand, Lnd would have already attacked his mother and tossed her out of the room. He didn''t want to move so suddenly and startle Sophie. Even though she was unconscious, he thought she might be able to feel him.
His beloved mate was in great pain. Thest thing he wanted to do was add his anger into her heart.
Lucas quickly took initiative and gently pulled Isolde to leave the room. The man was very respectful of his Alpha and the Szar family, including Isolde. So, he treated the former Luna with respect.
"Please, Mam, let The Alpha calm himself down," he said gently to Isolde. "This is a very delicate situation. We can talk about the n at ater time."
"Hmmph!" Isolde looked away and snorted in displeasure. She brushed Lucas'' hand and turned around to leave the room. She didn''t say anything much to Lnd''s relief. He didn''t want Isolde to agitate him further because his fuse had be really short.
He needed to keep his cool for Sophie. Right now, she was his priority.
Everyone understood that the Alpha was in a very bad mood, but he tried to keep calm for his mate''s sake. They didn''t want to be around him and test his patience at a moment like this.
So, almost immediately, all the pack members who were outside the room dispersed. All the lycans inside the room also left, leaving behind only Lnd, Sophie, and the healer.
"So, you don''t know what happened to her?" Lnd asked the older man with a hoarse voice. "Is there anything you can do? At all?"
The healer was scared shirtless for not being able to provide any answers to the Alpha. He only shook his head weakly.
Lnd let out a long sigh. He had ced Sophie''s head on hisp and rubbed her hair lovingly, trying to understand how on earth his mate could be attacked under his watch, with him around, only several dozen meters away from her¡
He felt like such a failure all over again.
Lnd had not been able to avenge her parents'' deaths and now Sophie became a victim too?
He didn''t need Isolde to im that she was ashamed of him. He was ashamed of himself too. He was strong and powerful, but he couldn''t protect all the people dear to his heart. What kind of man was he really?
"Get other people here. You seem to be really ipetent," Lnd gritted his teeth. "Find someone who knows what he''s doing!"
"Yes, Alpha. I will be back shortly." The healer bowed down and immediately left the room. His body trembled when he stepped out and cold sweat ran on his back.
The old man felt relieved that the Alpha didn''t kill him on the spot for his failure to diagnose his mate. Lnd looked like he was filled with killing intent.
In this case, the healer was grateful that the Luna was there. She might be the reason why Lnd didn''t kill anyone¡ yet.
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From Missrealitybites:
Uff... I don''t think Isolde can feel safe ever again if something bad really happened to Sophie. Lnd obviously suspected her.
PS: When the time gets tough, please remember that all my stories have happy endings. I personally HATE sad endings.
I honestly believe that a sad ending is a cheap way to make readers feel the roller coaster of emotion. Lifting them with some happy times only to toss them down with tragedy to close the story... ugh!
I believe that the experience of a roller coaster of emotions should be achieved by happy - sad - happy - happy - sad - happy, etc times. And the ending should ALWAYS be happy, otherwise, why would we even read in the first ce? Our real-world is frustrating enough.
If you have read "The Cursed Prince", believe me when I said the conflict in this book is not as tough as TCP. So, you can rest assured.
I think, if you survived TCP, this one is like a walk in the park ;).
PS: I know Jurassic Park is also a park, but I hope you know which park I was referring to. XD
Chapter 179 Give Me The Cure
The royal coronation wasing soon and yet nothing was happening. Isolde knew that she couldn''t entrust the role of the Alpha to her son''s hands. He was easily affected by his mate and refused to move when their victory was already so close.
For someone like Isolde who was already used to getting everything that she wanted, the rejection that Lnd, her eldest son, gave her was uneptable and she wanted to take control.
The former Luna wanted to regain the same authority she had back when she was still the mate of Alpha Leon. If Lnd was going to continue to act like a miserable and pathetic fool, then he was really not fit to rule the Blood River Pack.
"If only my second son was alive," Isolde sighed as she remembered her second child, her beloved Lowell. "I wouldn''t have had to worry about anything and could have abandoned that abhorrent Lnd long ago. He could have died with the Hansleys for all I cared."
Isolde met with Brin, the older lycan working with her, and spoke to him in private.
"You must do something about this," Isolde snapped at the man. "If my son isn''t going to move, we will still have the backing of the witches and can still take over the kingdom of Riga."
"Are you sure, Isolde? Sophia is still alive." Brin warned her. "The witches are no doubt still unhappy with the results based on what you told me."
"Hmph, so you are also relying on them, old fool?" Isolde gritted her teeth. "Are you actuallypetent or not? If that young beta of my son wasn''t so loyal to him, then I would have worked with him instead of you."
The elder''s gaze sharpened and he snarled at her. "If I seed on this, the council of elders will retract Lnd from being the Alpha and I can propose to take over for the good of the pack. Are you prepared for that, Isolde? You will no longer have any ce of power once I take over."
Isolde snorted at the threats of the older lycan. This old dog was nothing more but a second fiddle when her husband, Alpha Leon, had been alive.
"Do not threaten me with anything, Brin." Isolde threw the man a murderous re. She was surrounded by wealth and power all her life. Her pride and self-confidence wouldn''t allow her to bow down to anyone she deemed beneath him. Over her dead body.
Brin involuntarily stepped back. Even though Isolde was a woman, she was scary and intimidating. Her ruthlessness and cold countenance were almost as bad as her son.
"I was just stating fact," Brin tried to look nonchnt before Isolde. However, his tone changed by a lot. He no longer sounded boastful.
"Idiot." Isolde scoffed. She knew she could put this stupid elder in his ce. The former Luna of the Blood River looked at them demeaningly, up and down, and said, "Just do as I said. I will deal with Grand Witch ine to hold back her daughter Eloise from her tantrums if you seed."
"Very well¡." The elder nodded obediently. "I will take over the mission if the Alpha back down. I know these young lycans like the back of my hand. They only need a little more agitation and restlessness and then we can attack the coronation and finish this for once and for all."
"You better." Isolde sniffed and then got up. She wanted to go and find that that bitch Dinah who still ended up betraying her. If Isolde had been near that female Lycan''s brother, then she would have long ended that pathetic lycan.
Thankfully, it was still Isolde''s words against Dinah''s so the evidence was scarce. Who cared if Lnd still thought his mother was the one at fault? Isolde could point out that he was only attempting to ruin her because he hated her and had biased judgment toward his own mother.
However, when Isolde stepped out of the room, she didn''t expect that Lnd was waiting out of the door.
"What are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be with your mate?" Isolde haughtily asked. "Please don''t tell me that you''ve lost strength and havee here for advice?"
Lnd was only silent.
Isolde rolled her eyes at theck of response, opened the door, and went toward her room. As soon as she opened her door, out of nowhere, Lnd grabbed his mother by the throat and walked inside of the room, and shut it behind them.
"W¡what are you doing, you fool?!" Isolde choked and shed her ws at Lnd''s arms. She was losing air and started to snarl at her son. "So you''re really going to kill your own mother?"
"Where is the cure?" Lnd narrowed his eyes. "You''re the one who poisoned Sophia, aren''t you?"
"You''re using me again when I''ve never evenid a single finger on your mate!" Isolde growled at him and choked a little. "I''d rather bite my nails off than touch that filthy woman with my own hands."
Isolde tried to kick her son in the stomach to let her go and yet he was unmoving. Even a powerful m of her feet against his chest didn''t make the Alpha move an inch as he was relentless.
For once, Isolde started panicking and thrashing about in Lnd''s grip. She didn''t expect her son to actuallyy a hand on her at all. Yet, she turned out to be wrong.
"Let me go, you ungrateful brat!" Isolde swatted at Lnd''s face and shed her fingernails across his cheek. "I gave birth to you and this is how you treat me?! You unfilial son!"
Lnd was silent and unmoving. Since Sophie wasn''t waking up yet and all of the doctors who kepting were ipetent, all he could do was confront the person who likely had the cure.
"I won''t hesitate to kill you," Lnd said and continued to squeeze together. He watched his mother''s face turn blue from theck of air. "I should have done this long ago."
Chapter 180 Investigate Dinah
"Alpha!" there was a rushed knock at the door and the voice of Lucas sounded. "The doctor needs your advice. Your mate needs you!"
Lnd immediately tossed Isolde aside and quickly opened the door. Before Lucas could exin anything, Lnd quickly returned to his mate''s room to see how she was doing and if there were any signs of improvement.
The lycan healer quickly exined the situation. "Alpha, it is important that you stay with your mate by her side and concentrate on sharing your strength. If you go too far away or allocate your strength somewhere else, the Luna will weaken and she may not make it."
The Alpha felt a wave of hopelessness wash over him at the healer''s words. When he was filled with anger and redirected it to threatening his mother, that must have been a loss of strength for Sophie who was fighting for her life.
Lnd gently knelt down in front of his unconscious mate and held her hand. His heart ached at seeing her this way and the anger in his chest extinguished, reced by deep sorrow.
"Oh, Sophia¡"
At first, he thought that perhaps Sophie would recover on her own and that Lnd''s strength was enough to help her wake up. However, that didn''t work after one day passed. He was impatient, furious at the idea that his mate had been touched and harmed.
The Alpha had attempted to get the cure from Isolde through force but that didn''t work. Isolde Szar was a proud woman and Lnd knew she would choose death over giving up anything that she thought was valuable or belonged to hers.
He understood her so much because he took after her in that regard. He was his parents'' son, after all. He, too, was a proud man.
He could conclude that Isolde had nothing to lose and she didn''t fear death. So, threatening to kill her wouldn''t work. Lnd could end up killing his own mother and yet he would still not get the antidote and would never know the truth.
The Alpha sat on the floor beside Sophie''s bed and watched her helplessly. Lnd wanted to finish off his mother, but it would amount to nothing.
Reluctantly, the Alpha knew that he needed to go back to his mother and asked again for the cure. He knew that his mother probably had it even though she was lying all this time.
"Alpha." A knock on the door interrupted Lnd who was stuck with his thoughts. Lucas, his Beta, second-inmand, walked in slowly and bowed his head. "Apologies for disturbing you but¡"
"Thank you foring here, Lucas." Lnd smiled sadly as he gazed at his mate and then back at Lucas. "I know that my mother has been tormenting you with offers to rece me, but yet you are still here."
"I would never!" Lucas shook his head wildly. "I am here to serve the Szar family and the Blood River Pack. At most, I will only assist, but I do not have thepetency to truly be an Alpha."
Lnd smiled faintly at the man''s words. He actually doubted the ability of Isolde to influence Lucas because this lycan was a powerful individual.
At first, Lnd had hated returning to the Blood River Pack. He thought that his peaceful life was stolen away because he had to return for the safety of the Hansleys. However, he changed his mind when he met Lucas.
This man was one of the few people who proved the purpose of the pack to him. In Lnd''s opinion, Lucas was cheerful, resilient, and a people person, everything he was not. Lucas was also very loyal to him.
So, he thought it would be best to have this man help him manage the pack. That''s why, when Lnd became the Alpha, he appointed Lucas as his Beta. They had been doing a good job together so far.
Lnd looked at Lucas seriously, "I know you will not try to snatch my position. However, right now, I do not think I am capable of handling the affairs of the pack. I will leave that matter to you and I expect you to handle it well."
"Of course." Lucas nodded. "Understood, Alpha."
"If possible, I would also like you to start an investigation on Sophia''s maidservant, Dinah," Lnd said. If he couldn''t threaten his mother to confess and give him the antidote, perhaps it would be easier to interrogate Dinah.
"Luna''s maidservant? Oh, you mean Desmond''s sister?" Lucas furrowed his brows.
Lnd stiffly nodded. "That''s her. She has indeed been thest one who was with Sophia before my mate fell sick. If this lycan knows anything that could help, I want you to report to me immediately."
"Of course, Alpha."
"Healer, if anything happens to my mate while I am gone." Lnd frowned at the healer on standby. "Your life will be in my hands. Do everything to make sure that she is alright."
"Yes, Alpha!" the Healer stammered.
After some hesitation at leaving Sophia alone, Lnd ended up heading back to find his mother while Lucas left to handle the affairs of managing the pack.
***
Isolde happened to be resting in her room and lounging in the bed. After the encounter with her son, she felt sick and touched her bruised neck with a grimace. She couldn''t stand the abuse that her son inflicted on her.
A part of her was sorely tempted to leave the Blood River Pack here and run away. She didn''t actually trust the capacity of the elder lycan to handle the coronation attack and it was nothing more but stirring up trouble.
However, the idea of leaving Blood River Pack and starting in a new one was too much for Isolde. She had already umted power and influence here that she was unwilling to give it up.
"This pack will be gone just like my old one." Isolde gritted her teeth. "All of my ns are ruined and it''s all thanks to Anne and her daughter. That wench!"
Her ears suddenly perked up. She could hear Lnd''s footstepsing back to her room.
"What now?" She cursed under her breath.
Chapter 181 If Violence Doesnt Work, Maybe Begging Will
Warily, Isolde rose to her feet and prepared to escape. However, she was surprised by the sudden change of tone in Lnd''s tone.
"Isolde,e out," Lnd spoke tly. He held back his emotions and focused on the reason why he was here: to get the antidote for his mate.
If violence didn''t work, he would have to try other ways. Even though he was a really proud man, he was not beneath begging if it meant he could make sure Sophie was saved.
"What do you want?" Isolde opened the door and sharpened her gaze at him.
"I need the cure for my mate," Lnd''s voice was strained. "That is all that I''m asking for¡ mother. Can''t you at least just give it to me? I will noty a finger on you or contest your decisions as long as you give it to me."
Isolde scrunched up her nose in disgust. She hated weak people the most. For her, this was a new low,ing from Lnd.
Half of her was happy to see her son was broken and finally came to her with his tail between his legs, thinking she could take pity on his situation if he begged. However, another half was disappointed and disgusted. A man, especially an Alpha should never lower themselves to anyone. It got worse if he lower himself for the sake of other people.
Isolde gritted her teeth. Alpha Leon was ruthless, tough, proud, and would rather kill and be killed than beg anyone for help. He had his pride and Isolde loved him for it.
However¡ this son of hers¡ ugh. Isolde was so ashamed that she had given birth to this man before her.
Lnd was bing more and more corrupted with Anne''s daughter around him.
"Is this not enough for you already, Isolde?" Lnd''s eyes glittered with tears.
He looked at his mother with a pleading look. Violence didn''t work. Perhaps, if he tried to move Isolde''s heart she would relent? He was willing to try anything to save Sophie.
The man sighed and continued. "All I ever wanted to be was to be happy. Haven''t I proven myself to you already and been your obedient son? Won''t you allow me to be happy even once?"
Oh, this was the moment that Isolde had been waiting for all her life. It was satisfying to see that this arrogant lycan who only existed because of her was now grueling for herpassion.
Unfortunately, she did not have the antidote.
Witch Eloise was too crafty to give her any sort of cure and even if Isolde actually had the cure, she would also not just give it up to Lnd because she couldn''t trust in baseless promises.
Who could trust someone like Lnd?
This man was once again twisted by the affections of someone else. First, it had been Anne herself, Lnd''s so-called recement mother, and now with that woman gone, Lnd turned to Sophia next.
Isolde saw Lnd as nothing more but a weak man when it came to love.
As long as Anne''s daughter was alive, her unfilial son would continue to threaten the pack''s true goals in exchange for ying house with that wench.
More than that, this was a tricky situation too.
If Isolde happened to have the antidote, it would just go to show that she was the one who was behind this incident. So even as Lnd continued to beg with tears in his eyes, Isolde''s face was cold.
Did Lnd really expect Isolde to fall for that act?
Isolde Szar shook her head disappointedly. "In your focus for your own happiness, you never once thought of me or the pack, haven''t you? Perhaps this situation is a chance for you to get your priorities straight. She doesn''t fit to be the Luna of this pack. She doesn''t even shift!"
Lnd''s fists tightened. He could ept his mother''s insult or demeaning words. He was used to it. However, he couldn''t allow Sophie to be targeted by his mother''s poisonous tongue. "Isolde, you can insult me, but do not insult the fact that I have chosen Sophia as my mate. She is leagues better than you."
Isolde gritted her teeth.
She knew she had overstepped a little by saying those words. However, she also knew how to pick her battles and so attempted to salvage the situation by answering the poor lycan atst.
"Let me say it to you for onest time, Lnd." Isolde smiled thinly. "I do not have the antidote with me at all. You are free to go through my belongings and check, but you will find no evidence against me, and neither will you find any cure. Give it up while you can. What happened to her might be a curse from the moon goddess to give you warning for not choosing the lycan tribes over a human like her."
Lnd immediately darted past Isolde and went for her room. He started to upturn everything and even went through her bag like a poor restrained puppy finally let loose.
Isolde saw the Alpha destroying some items with how fast he was going through her belongings, all in hopes for something called a cure. Before she knew it, Lnd was finally done.
A wild goose chase for a cure.
"See?" Isolde sneered at him. "I told you that I am innocent and don''t have the antidote with me. Do you finally believe me? Of course, you won''t, but what matters is that I cannot save your mate."
"No¡" Lnd raised his head and met his mother''s gaze sadly. "You were supposed to have it. You would have used that cure as an edge against me and I would have done everything to obtain it from you."
That sweet and delicious look of despair on Lnd''s face was etched in Isolde''s memory. He held Isolde''s ruined bag in his hands hopelessly because even after he went through all of them, he found absolutely nothing useful.
Chapter 182 Devastated
TRIGGER WARNING: The loss of unborn babies.
Please skip this chapter if the scene is triggering for you. Writing this chapter is very hard for me too.
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"Get out of my room, Lnd," Isolde curtly said. "I have ces to be."
"Where are you going?" Lnd asked and desperation was evident in his tone. "Did you bury the antidote somewhere else beforeing here? Did you hide it outside of the castle? Somewhere else? Frisia?"
"How many times do I have to get it through your thick skull that I don''t have the cure?" Isolde snapped at him. "If I did, I would have also gone through what you said and used it to obtain power, but I didn''t, right?"
Lnd stared at her helplessly and threw Isolde''s bag against the wall. Frustration ebbed within him as he stared coldly at his mother. "You''re going to run away, aren''t you?"
"What are you talking about?" Isolde frowned at him. "I have realized that I am unwanted here in your castle, so why should I stay here any longer? The attack on Riga is also canceled. So, why would I stay here?"
Lnd growled underneath his breath. "I wish I could kill you now with my own bare hands. I¡ I could have done it so long ago but I never did it. Have you never wondered why?"
"I''m your mother, Lnd." Isolde smiled.
"Blood means nothing between the two of us!" Lnd red at her. "You used me to get to Alpha Leon but since it didn''t work, you found no use for me. Don''t you dare bring up blood rtions!"
Isoldeughed despite the bitterness of remembering her mate and then looked at Lnd coldly.
"Deep down, even if you refused to admit it to yourself¡ I will be the only one who will understand you. You''re showing your good side to this Sophia, but what happens when she sees the monster that you are?"
"Leave, Isolde. I do not want to see your face ever again." Lnd red at her. "You are not wee here in Blood River Pack any longer."
"Casting me away from the pack? How silly when the truth is that you want to kill me." Isolde smiled. "And yet you''re holding yourself back again. You''re trying to tell yourself that you''re better than me or your father. You know what? I don''t even want to be here any longer. You are an unfilial son. I know I''ll always regret the day I gave birth to you. Ungrateful brat!"
Lnd stood in silence as Isolde brushed him aside and grabbed her bag. She didn''t want to stay any longer.
***
Another day had passed and the coronation wasing up fast and yet the Alpha couldn''t care one less about the crown prince ascending and bing king.
All he cared about was his mate. Sophie was still unconscious and he could feel her body be weaker and weaker. Lnd couldn''t think about anything else but how he would stay strong and kept Sophie alive.
Fortunately, there were many servants in the manor that could help around the estate and take care of Jan and Luciel while their parents were in a very upsetting situation.
The boys were distracted by new toys and so many treats. Duncan and Max also took them running around outside to see the beautiful scenery for hours and hours, much to the boys'' delight.
That way Lnd could focus on Sophie and all the doctors and healers they summoned to the manor. He could at least get his mind off of the twins.
When the lycan healers couldn''t do anything, all of the best doctors from Livstad were summoned. Simr to the conclusion that the healer from before said, the word they gave to Lnd was enough to make the Alpha lose hope.
"She is dying." All of them agreed and made that conclusion.
"No." Lnd refused. "There has to be something. Anything to help my wife recover, she is strong and fighting until now. I can feel it."
All of the doctors were looking at each other and were at a loss for words. They didn''t know what they could do to help the woman who looked so close to death and was already near the end.
Suddenly, a woman spoke from the back and looked at the doctors.
"My¡dy is pregnant. Have any of you checked on it?" It was the midwife that checked Sophie two days prior. She spoke hoarsely and her eyes were stinging red.
Lnd felt the strength suddenly leave him all of a sudden as he looked at Sophie. He remembered that his wifest told him that there was a special surprise that she wanted to tell him.
It all started to make sense. He cursed his bad luck and how he could never catch a break. This wonderful news came at such a bad time and it only caused him so much pain.
What happened to his wife''s pregnancy? How far was she in? Was their child okay?
Gosh¡ Lnd had to exert all his sanity not to cry in front of others. He listened to the midwife''s exnation with a t face.
"Do what she said," Lnd told the doctors standing in the corner of the room.
All of the doctors looked at each other and murmured, starting to discuss the situation among themselves as Lnd heard every single word that came out from their lips.
"Perhaps if we¡?"
"The baby?"
"Is it a possibility?"
"Induce the woman to give birth?"
"What are the chances if the baby is the one that is making the woman sick?"
Each one was a direct attack on the Alpha''s heart as he looked at his mate and felt tears prick his eyes. Sophie wanted to surprise him that they were going to have children, but now she was in a state like this...
The Alpha was heartbroken because he could already imagine having kids of his own with Sophie. Lnd loved Luciel and Jan dearly like they were his own.
However, having his own children with Sophie was like a dreame true. A dream that he never knew he needed.
No.
Lnd could see how much Sophie was suffering right now. If it was actually her pregnancy that had caused so much pain and burden for her, then the Alpha wanted to ensure her survival first.
"I want my wife to live," Lnd said as he closed his eyes. "That should be your priority."
When the doctors finally checked on the situation, the truth was actually much harsher because it seemed that even before they made a conclusion to induce childbirth, the babies were already long gone.
They were gone from the moment that Sophie drank the poison.
After Sophie was induced, the midwife pulled them out one by one. There was a sad expression on her face as she gently wrapped each fetus with small nkets. There were two of them.
Lnd felt his heart split open and yet when he looked at Sophie who still didn''t regain her consciousness, he knew how this was going to eat his wife alive and it crushed him so much.
The Alpha stayed in their chamber and didn''t leave his mate''s side. Thoughts of revenge, justice, and other acts were out of his mind and all he cared about was waiting for his wife to wake up.
***
Lnd stayed with his mate until the moment when Sophie''s eyes fluttered again. After she opened her eyes, she weakly looked at Lnd who didn''t let her hand go all this time.
She was still feeling unwell and was very sick, but she had finally regained consciousness.
"Lnd?"
"Sophia." Tears started to stream down Lnd''s face as he looked at his mate. He had been so afraid that he would lose her, but to see that she had finally woken up made him burst into tears.
This was the first time that Sophie saw her husband and mate cry like this. He suddenly looked so vulnerable around her. Her heart ached at the sight as she weakly but gently brushed the tears away from his eyes.
"I''m here, please don''t cry," Sophieforted him with a soft tone.
"I thought I would lose you," Lnd whispered hoarsely. "I would have never been able to forgive myself if I had lost you, Sophia. You are my world."
Sophie smiled despite the pain and shook her head. She felt saddened that she had also let Lnd feel the same pain that she experienced when she had lost Nichs. She wanted to help ease his pain and reassure him that she was fine.
"Lnd¡"
"Please gather your strength, Sophia." Lnd gently spoke to his wife and then softly kissed her hand. He was hopelessly devoted to his wife and wanted to see color back on her cheeks. "Are you thirsty or hungry? Let me fetch you something to drink or eat."
"I really don''t have an appetite though," Sophie admitted.
"Please still try to eat and drink," Lnd said.
"I really don''t know what happened to me," Sophie said and looked down at her nkets."I apologize for worrying you this much, Lnd. Thest thing I remember is that you need to n for the attack on the coronation, right?"
"Do not think about that anymore," Lnd said. "What matters is that you need to recover your strength and get better."
She fiddled with her hands and felt rather guilty that she really made her mate concerned. Everyone was looking forward to conquering Riga and her situation didn''t help them at all.
"I understand that¡ and the truth is that I secretly wanted to postpone the attack."
The Alpha felt his throat be dry. "Then it is good that we have halted all the operations. Please don''t think about anything else, for now, Sophia."
He smiled sweetly at her and kissed her forehead. His heart was broken but he didn''t want her to see how he was feeling devastated by the loss of their unborn babies. She needed to get better first. He could mourn alone until she was ready to receive the bad news.
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From Missrealitybites:
My heart goes out to anyone who has experienced losing their child/children at any stage of their lives. Words cannot describe my feelings.
Writing this chapter is very hard for me personally but it has to be written. I am just the storyteller and their life story needs to be told.
I intentionally kept the scene short, because it was tough on everyone, but there would be more mention about it a little bit more in the next chapter.
Chapter 183 Luciel And Jan Make Everything Better
TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of the loss of unborn children.
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Lnd smiled sweetly at her and kissed Sophie''s forehead. His heart was broken but he didn''t want her to see how he was feeling devastated by the loss of their unborn babies.
She needed to get better first. He could mourn alone until she was ready. Until then, Lnd would do his best to distract Sophie from even thinking about their unborn children.
Sophie realized there was something off. Her mate looked really sad, instead of relieved that she had recovered.
Did something bad happen? Was that the reason why the attack was canceled at thest minute?
"How long did I sleep?" Sophie asked Lnd. She needed to know what happened and how long did she pass out. She only remembered being in so much pain and then everything turned ck.
Lnd sat beside her and rubbed her arm lovingly. He replied, "Four days."
It was four agonizing days. After the midwife took out their dead children, Lnd had to focus day in and day out, sharing his strength and self-healing abilities with his mate. Otherwise, she might still be unconscious and in so much pain by now.
"Oh¡ that''s really long," Sophie pressed her lips in surprise. No wonder she felt so weak.
"Yes, so you need to eat something," Lnd said, faking a smile. "I will get a servant to bring you food."
He rang a small bell and soon a servant entered the room and bowed down respectfully. He wouldn''t want to leave Sophie''s side even to get food. That''s why he used that bell.
"Please get us some food," Lnd said to the servant. He paused for a while and then added, "Also tell Lucas to bring Luciel and Jan here."
"Will do, Alpha."
The servant bowed down again and then left the room to do what the Alpha ordered him. Sophie immediately smiled when she remembered Luciel and Jan. Ahh¡ they must be missing her badly when she was unconscious. She turned to look at Lnd and squeezed his arm lovingly.
She was thankful for his thoughtfulness. He understood that, as a mother, the first thing she wanted to know was how her children were doing. He intentionally asked the servant to bring their children to their bedroom.
Lnd hoped that seeing her children would make Sophie feel better and she could recover more quickly. It would also help to distract her from the pain and losing her babies. At least temporarily.
"Oh¡ how were the kids while I was sick?" Sophie asked Lnd after the servant left. She looked miserable when she thought about how worried her husband and children were.
"They are healthy and happy. I told them you were unwell and needed rest," Lnd exined. "I make sure they are taken care of properly. They also spent a lot of time outside with Max and Duncan. I think yesterday they even came home with a prey each."
Sophie was very impressed to hear that. Her babies were only nine months old, but they could already hunt? That sounded so amazing. She was so proud of them.
"Really? That''s wonderful," she beamed in happiness and it was enough to make Lnd feel so much better. "What kind of prey did they get?"
"Well¡ Lucien got a small rat, and Jan brought home a rabbit." Lnd smiled too. He was happy to see Sophie focused on her children that she didn''t realize that she was no longer pregnant. He added, "Once you are fully recovered, I will take the boys on a hunting trip and teach them how to do it well."
"Ahh¡ thank you so much," Sophie tilted her face and kissed Lnd''s cheek. "They would love that."
"Me too." Lnd kissed her back and rubbed her hair. "Maybe we can go to the countryside after this, where the air is fresher and have better scenery. I know a ce, it''s beautiful and rxing to stay there, and the kids can go hunting in the small woods nearby,"
"Sounds good," Sophie nodded. Secretly, she was d that the attack on Livstad was canceled and they could spend time together as a family in a rxing ce. It means, they would go on a nice holiday.
KNOCK KNOCK
A servant opened the door and, as soon as there was an opening big enough for a lycan pup to enter, Luciel and Jan tried to squeeze through at the same time. They ended up blocking each other''s path.
They both bumped into the door and flew back, beforending on the floor outside the room with a thud. Fortunately, they were very healthy and didn''t feel the pain from the collision.
SWOOSH!!
After the boys got back on their feet, they immediately dashed back toward their mother, this time passing through the door that was now wide open.
"Ohh, Luciel! Jan¡!" Sophie was teary-eyed when Luciel and Jan arrived at the foot of her bed and started scratching the floor, asking to be lifted to be with their mother.
Lnd quickly carried one pup each with his hands and gently ced them on the bed beside Sophie.
He was right. These children were good for distractions. The grey and ck wolf pups were now quite big. They were the size of an adult cat.
They were wagging their tails and nuzzling up to Sophie as if confessing how much they loved and missed her.
"I am sorry, I was sick for several days," Sophie rubbed Luciel''s and Jan''s fur lovingly. "Now, I am fine. Please don''t worry about me."
She was sad that she couldn''tmunicate with her children before they could shift into humans, she didn''t understand werewolf''snguage.
However, as a mother, she could feel what they feel and guessed what they wanted. And at this moment, she knew Luciel and Jan were expressing their longing for her.
She bent down a little and kissed Luciel and Jan on their heads respectively, to soothe their feelings.
"Your father told me that you managed to hunt prey each, didn''t you, Lnd?" The Alpha nodded. Sophie smiled and looked at the boys alternately. "I am so proud of you both."
Chapter 184 Lets Finish The Food Together
The boys looked very happy by thepliment. Luciel raised his nose and howled, followed by Jan. They put a big smile on Sophie''s face. It was heartwarming. Suddenly the room seemed to be filled with warmth and happiness.
Lnd smiled faintly at the scene. He was relieved that the boys could really lift Sophie''s mood. They did it so easily, it almost felt like magic. He patted the boys on their backs and praised them too.
"You did great for your age. I know both of you will grow up to be fierce and skilled warriors," he said.
Luciel was extremely pleased, being praised by the Alpha himself, the father they admired and revered by the whole pack.
He nuzzled up against Lnd''sp, followed by Jan. Seeing the heartwarming sight, Sophie felt so blessed. She was grateful that her children grew up with such a doting father.
From the day they were born, she had already talked to them about Nichs, their biological father. So, Luciel and Jan knew Lnd was not their real father. She didn''t want them to forget about Nichs.
At that time, she and Lnd were still only married in name. So, she didn''t want her sons to grow up thinking that they had a im over the duke''s wealth and power. It would be bad for them if they didn''t learn to know their ce early.
However, when the pups were two months old, things changed and Sophie fell in love with her husband in name, just like he did with her. Their marriage of convenience changed into a real one and Lnd had effectively adopted the twins as his.
Still, Luciel and Jan already knew the Alpha was not their biological father. It was toote to pretend that he was, not that Sophie wanted the pretense anyway.
She still loved Nichs and wanted to keep his memory alive in their sons'' lives. But still¡ seeing the closeness between the boys and Lnd made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Ahh¡ Lnd would soon have his own child too. She reflexively looked down on her still t stomach and rubbed it.
From the corner of his eyes, Lnd could see what she was doing. His heart bled at the sight. Sophie didn''t even suspect that her pregnancy was affected by the poison. She thought she was just really sick and now she was feeling better.
Before the Alpha could say anything, the door was knocked again. Relieved, he immediately told the servants to enter. Two servants came with trays of food and drinks for the patient.
"You better eat something to regain your strength," he said to Sophie, distracting her from her stomach.
"Ah, okay." Sophie instantly nodded. She realized she must eat healthy for the child in her womb.
Before she could touch the spoon to get a bite, Lnd had reached out and poured tea for her and gave her the cup. The tea was made sweet so she could get more energy.
Sophie mouthed her thank you and drank the tea. Lnd waited patiently until she finished her tea and got ready to feed her the soup from the bowl.
Sophie shook her head and made a sign that she could eat by herself. However, her mate was stubborn. He insisted that Sophie ate from his spoon.
"You are still too weak. Let me help you," Lnd said. He gave her a firm look and Sophie couldn''t help but agree.
She realized he was right. Her arm was so weak like jello. When she was drinking tea from the cup her arms were already shaking. If she forced herself to eat, she might end up spilling her soup to their beautiful bed, or worse, to the children.
As her mate, it seemed Lnd could always tell what was going on with her, including when she was feeling so weak. This made her heart ache. She could imagine her husband must be feeling her pain too when she was fighting for her life.
She didn''t know how awful her condition was, but the pain was excruciating that she cked out, and it must be really bad for her to be unconscious for four days.
"Thank you." Sophie finally nodded and let Lnd feed her. Luciel and Jan curled up in two fluffy balls on each of her sides, with their heads paying close attention to their mother.
They could feel that Sophie was very sick. So, they both tried to be good children and not stir any trouble.
"Have you eaten?" Sophie asked Lnd after she finished half the soup in the bowl. She realized he had not touched any food for himself.
"I am fine," the man replied briefly. "I am a man."
"What does being a man have to do with it?" Sophie asked with furrowed brows. "Don''t men need food to eat and survive?"
Lnd finally chuckled. The dark clouds in his mind were slowly disappearing. He thought Sophie was so adorable with the way she was worrying about him.
Her showing how much she cared about him made the Alpha feel so loved and this greatly improved his mood.
"We, males, are much stronger than females," he finally exined, "especially human females. I could survive much longer than you without food. Once, I didn''t eat for ten days and you can see I am still alive."
Sophie pressed her lips in shock. She didn''t know this. So, her husband was starving once? She thought he was strong and even if he was not a wealthy Duke Romanov, he could easily hunt his food.
So, what happened that he couldn''t eat anything for ten days?
Lnd instantly regretted his words. Now, he only made Sophie feel worried about his past. He didn''t want to tell her the detail that Isolde locked him up when he was much younger in the basement and denied him food as punishment.
He didn''t want to remember that incident because it would only ignite the fire and hatred in his heart. He needed a long time to get over that and he would not want Sophie to share that bitterness with him.
"I''m fine," he repeated his words, and then he raised the soup bowl to his lips and drank all of it, to ease Sophie''s worry. After he put the bowl down, he turned to her and said reassuringly, "I am eating. Let''s finish the food."
Chapter 185 Telling Sophie The Truth
Sophie looked at Lnd attentively and wondered how long since thest time he ate something while she was unconscious.
Did he stay with her all the time and forgo food? Lnd refused to share that with her, probably because he didn''t want her to worry.
Sophie turned to her children and asked them if they had eaten. Both Luciel and Jan opened their mouths, howled excitedly, and got ready to receive food.
"They have eaten," Lnd exined with a smile. "But they are always hungry. It''s normal for their age."
"Oh, that''s a relief¡" Sophie rubbed Luciel''s and Jan''s heads. "Well, we can eat together. There is plenty of food on the tray."
Lnd nodded and cut some meat into small slices and gave them to Sophie so she could feed her children with her own hands. He thought she would love it since she had not spent time with them during meal times for several days. Luciel and Jan also missed eating with her.
Sophie mouthed her thank you and proceeded to give the meat slices to the boys who ate eagerly from her hand. It was such wholesome sight that Lnd couldn''t help but smile at seeing it.
For a moment, he could forget about the pain and just focused on counting his blessings. Soon, he would have to face the reality and find the best way to tell Sophie the bad news.
***
After they finished eating, Sophie spent some time cuddling her babies. Luciel and Jan ate so much and now could barely move. Finally, they snoozed on their mother''s bed.
"Let me take them to their room," Lnd offered after he saw Luciel and Jan curled up into two furballs and snored lightly.
He wanted to cry when he remembered he could have two more sons from Sophie but they were robbed from him before they were even born. All his life, he had never felt pain this great. He didn''t know if he would ever recover from this.
Lnd tried to make his voice sound normal when he continued his words. "You still need to rest. We can go out together to get some air after they wake up."
Sophie initially wanted the boys to stay by her side, but seeing her mate''s strange expression, she decided to relent. There was something about Lnd that day that didn''t seem right. She wanted to talk with him about it without the presence of the children.
Lnd gently scooped the pups one by one, trying not to wake them up. It seemed they became much heavier after the meal.
"I''ll be back soon," he told her before he left the room to bring the pups to their nursery. Sophie could only watch him leave with so many questions in her heart.
Lnd returned not long after. He maintained his t expression, but he couldn''t fool Sophie who had been his mate for almost one year. At this point, she had known him well enough to recognize the subtle expressions on his face and his gestures.
Her gut feeling told her something was not right.
"Lnd¡. why did you cancel the attack during the new king''s coronation?" She asked him after Lnd closed the door behind him. "Did something bad happen? Where is your mother? I haven''t seen her."
She didn''t know what happened to Isolde, but she thought as her mother-inw, it was only logical that Isolde would want to know if Sophie had recovered ande to visit. However, she didn''t show up. Lnd also didn''t mention his mother at all.
She was wondering what happened while she was unconscious. Thest thing she remembered was she took a sip of the tea she received from Dinah and¡
And then everything went dark.
"Lnd¡" Sophie looked up and touched Lnd''s arm. Cold sweat ran down her back and suddenly her mind was filled with so many questions. "Did something bad happen? Why didn''t you say anything? Where is Dinah?"
The Alpha looked at his mate and felt hopelessness ovee him. He found something stuck in his throat as he looked at Sophie who knew that he was hiding something from her.
Even though Sophie had just woken up, she could already tell that her mate was trying to hide important news from her. Lnd was once again trying to shield her from something.
"Lnd, please tell me the truth." Her voice was hoarse. She gripped his arm harder, pleading, "Did something bad happen?"
Lnd looked at her deeply. Suddenly, a sadness washed over himpletely. However, he kept his cool and tried to be the strong one between them.
"We lost them," he said softly, then he sat beside Sophie and hugged her shoulders. His voice was calm when he continued his words. "I am sorry I couldn''t do a better job at protecting you and our children."
Sophie needed some time to register what Lnd just said.
"What are you talking about?" she asked him frantically. "They are just sleeping. We will see themter today and go out together."
Was he talking about their sons, Luciel and Jan?
Lnd didn''t say anything. He just gave Sophiee a loving squeeze on her shoulder. Right at that moment, she realized that Lnd wasn''t talking about Luciel and Jan.
"They are not Luciel and Jan, aren''t they?" Sophie croaked her question. When Lnd shook his head to confirm it, she started shaking her head in disbelief. It was as pale as cotton. "No¡ I haven''t told you yet about it., I had not had the chance to¡"
Suddenly she felt like she lost her ability to speak. She opened her mouth but no words came out. He heart bled and she was shocked beyond belief.
Lnd couldn''t help it any longer and pulled his wife into his arms. She was frozen and unyielding in his arms.
"Sophia, I learned about it while the doctors were trying to cure you when the midwife came¡"
Sophie acted as if she hadn''t heard him or rather that she couldn''t ept what her mate had told her. Their children? She could already guess that it was not Luciel and Jan they were talking about.
A loud wail released itself from Sophie''s chest as she cried out for her lost children. Grief engulfed her whole being as the realization came upon her. She continued shaking and trembling in Lnd''s arms.
Chapter 186 The Grieving Mother
Lnd was grieving on his own but at this moment, he didn''t even have the slightest care for himself. He just wanted to make sure Sophie was fine. Fortunately, she had eaten something so her body had started to regain some energy.
She tried to be strong, he could see it, but it was close to impossible. She was just a young woman who had suffered a lot. She experienced losing the people she loved one after another and it had started to feel like a curse.
She thought she was finally happy with the man she loved and their children. He was on the path to taking over power in this kingdom. In the future, he nned to unite all the other packs under him and became the lycan king.
It was a tough journey to take, but if there was anyone who could do it, she believed it would be him.
After she got to know him, seeing how hard he worked, and how devoted he was to their mission, and how much he cared about his people, even though he didn''t show those things openly, Sophie knew Lnd was going to aplish everything he set his eyes on.
And she would support him by bing the best wife he would ever need. She knew his pack members were not thrilled to have her as their Luna, but they epted her because they looked up to Lnd. So, she didn''t want to disappoint them.
She didn''t want to be weak and give the Alpha trouble or slow him down. But... she was not good at acting. The pain and loss she was feeling right now were too much for her to bear.
Sophie gripped Lnd''s arms and sobbed uncontrobly.
? It was agonizing to see her, feel her, and even understand the exact pain that she was going through at having lost her children. The raw scream of pain and nonstop sobbing hurt Lnd as much as it did her.
Sophie''s crying didn''t stop for hours. When it finally did, it was because of exhaustion filling her body and making her weak. She couldn''t cry any more tears because she had already spent them all.
Her eyes were swollen, red, and stinging hard as she looked up at Lnd''s face, and then before he knew it, Sophie eventually passed out and fainted. The exertion of mourning for her children weighed upon his mate.
The Alpha couldn''t do anything but gently rest his mate''s body against his chest as he held her still in his arms, before hey her down on their bed.
Lnd brushed away her tears and gently pushed back strands of her hair away from her face. There was a pang of sadness within him as he watched Sophie fall into slumber once again.
It was good for his wife to sleep.
Lnd watched Sophie''s chest heave slowly up and down and the Alpha let out a long sigh. She had cried herself to sleep. After she woke up, the pain and grief would return with a vengeance.
***
While the Alpha was taking care of the Luna, the rest of the pack were called forth and convened together to finally speak about the situation that they had been anxiously waiting for.
"The invasion on the coronation of the Crown Prince of Riga is canceled," Lucas addressed the entire pack even as a vast majority of them muttered and grumbled underneath their breaths.
A lot of them were aware that their Luna was hurt and in a difficult position, but the truth was that a lot of them were actually hoping to attack the capital and wreak havoc across the humans living there.
"What?!"
"We''re ready!"
"You can''t let years of training go wasted!"
It was obvious that a great portion of them was unhappy with the announcement made by the Beta of the pack.
Lucas'' sharp green eyes focused on the grumblers and naysayers and he frowned heavily but, unlike the Alpha, he could do nothing at stopping them fromining underneath their breaths.
He understood their frustrations and their longings for justice. Many had died during the previous wars. The rtives, friends, and their loved ones. However, as long as their pack was not united and divided because of distrust and struggle, it could easily break from within.
Lucas ran his fingers through his ck hair and sighed deeply before speaking again.
His gaze searched for the crowd, looking in particr for a person, but it seemed as if he was giving each of them a look and speaking only to the person in question alone.
The Beta''s voice echoed in the room.
"Without the full force of our pack and without our Alpha leading us, all operations are halted and I expect that all of you remain vignt and guard the pack to the best of your ability," Lucas instructed them. "WE WILL ATTACK THE CAPITAL but we need to find a better time to do it. Anyone who disobeys my order will be punished greatly."
Silence filled the hall for a moment.
"Do I make myself clear?!" Lucas asked again. His expression was serious and they knew he meant every word.
He was usually a likable man with a sunny disposition, but on the rare asions that he was angered, Lucas could be as ruthless as their Alpha. That was why he and Lnd were a good match. They understood each other and seemed to share a wavelength.
"Yes, Beta!" the entire pack responded at once.
"Good. Now go back to your position and wait for an order." Lucas dismissed them all and went out to look for Dinah, the female lycan who might have caused their Luna to be in her current state.
Lucas didn''t see Dinah all day and when the entire pack was summoned to gather in the hall earlier she was also not there. This made Lucas be more suspicious. Somehow, Dinah must have escaped through a secret passage because all the exits were heavily guarded.
Lucas needed to find this secret passage and get to Dinah.
Chapter 187 Traitors Among The Pack Members (1)
After the big meeting, The Blood River Pack found themselves in a state of the conundrum. Their answer to their Beta was nothing more than a half-hearted response and truly not what they wanted.
The vast majority of them had been eager to fight the Riga Kingdom and finally put an end to the decades-long war between humans and lycans. Unfortunately, the precarious state of the Luna had left them under the care of their Beta since the Alpha didn''t even leave her side even for a bit.
A lot of the lycans ended up exchanging silent looks,municating with their eyes and the unhappy expressions on their face.
There was only one thing on their mind and it was this: The Alpha was too preupied and concerned with his mate to pay any more heed to anyone else besides his wife.
The hybrid Luna was not favored by many members because of many reasons. One, she was not a pure woman who was mated to only their Alpha.
Even though Lnd forbade the pack members to gossip about his wife, people still talked behind his back. They knew the circumstances surrounding the Alpha and his mate''s rtionship.
That woman was already mated to another lycan and even brought children with her when she entered the rtionship. It was seen as a bad thing because how could their great Alpha mate with someone else''s used goods?
Lycans were extremely possessive of their mates. So, seeing their Alpha epting a woman who already had a previous mate before made some members think he was cuckolded by that woman.
Surely someone like him could get anyone he wanted. So, why settle for someone less than he deserved?
Some female lycans were also very unhappy with their rtionship. Once they knew the Luna couldn''t even shift, they considered her a disgrace to all female lycans.
They thought she didn''t deserve the title to be the Luna of Blood River Pack. If Lnd didn''t end up with the witch that his mother was so pressed on getting together with him, so why not choose from one of the many beautiful and strong female lycans among members of his pack?
The fact that Sophie was birthed by the woman who abandoned Blood River Pack decades ago for a human male was another minus point that they couldn''t seem to forgive.
Of course, a lot of the negative sentiments were spread and fanned by Isolde and some elders who were loyal to her. They made the people think that their Alpha had be soft because of the woman he married.
The only reason why nobody said anything openly before Lnd was because they feared him. Nobody wanted to be on his bad side since he was still the leader of this pack.
Plus, his past reputation and the body counts that he killed before he took the role as the Alpha to rece his father were something they still remembered wholeheartedly.
Nobody dared to offend him. He had be softer after he got married, but that didn''t mean the real him would note out to the surface if he was agitated.
However, today, things changed a bit. The cancetion of the attack that they had nned meticulously for months and worked hard for years was a big blow to many people.
Many pack members grew up and lived their lives with the sole purpose of getting their revenge and seeing the day when they could finally topple the human domination in Riga.
Lucas'' statement that the attack was only postponed, not canceled until they could find a better time, did not sit well with most pack members. Provocations here and there left them in agitated states.
Unfortunately, even the Beta was a little preupied with the task given to him by Lnd to investigate the maidservant of their Luna. Lucas gazed onest time at his fellow lycans before going off the stage.
The next on his task-list was searching for evidence on who poisoned the Luna. The current prime suspect was truly no other than Dinah.
However, Dinah was nowhere to be found amongst the crowd.
Lucas still needed to confront the woman. After Isolde left with some of her trusted men, Lucas ordered two guards to check all exits and make sure no one could leave the manor secretly.
He waited for Lnd to give more orders, but the man didn''t even leave his mate''s side for a long time. So, he finally took it upon himself to do everything that needed to be done.
After he finished exining the situation to the rest of the Blood River Pack, a majority of them looked unhappy but did not choose to go against his decisions. They grumbled but not openly.
As Lucas went down the stage after addressing the Blood River Pack, he was suddenly approached by Brin. The older lycan patted him in the back and said, "Good job, Lucas. I will take it from here."
Lucas frowned but bowed his head. "Elder, there''s not much to do. The important thing is that the pack stays here¡ but I need to go do something that the Alpha charged me with. If you will excuse me."
"Of course, I will not hold you back."
The moment that Lucas left the grand hall of the manor and waspletely out of earshot, Brin immediately took the center stage and gathered the crowd''s attention back to him.
"Who among you are prepared to let this opportunity go to waste?" Brin asked. His voice boomed in the hall as he eyed them with a stern frown. "Is one pack truly beholden to one lycan alone? The Blood River Pack is strong because we are many. We should let one man define our future just because he has be weak and no more desire for victory!"
Chaos was stirred amongst those in the pack. The elder truly understood which buttons to push and use to provoke the pack and follow what he wanted.
He proceeded to tell them about how many people they had lost in thest war. How many of their beloveds had suffered under human rules.
At the end of the day, so many members had switched their loyalty to Brin.
Chapter 188 Traitors Among The Pack Members (2)
TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of suicide.
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Lucas rushed amongst the hallways, searching for Dinah amongst the designated rooms for the Blood River Pack as his nose followed a certain scent he wished he didn''t have to follow.
As he ran, Beta heard the sound of wailing in one of the biggest chambers and it filled his stomach with regret and pain.
He realized that must have been the Luna finally awakening and it truly was bad timing that he would eventually meet with her during unfortunate circumstances.
Yesterday, Isolde had already left the Blood River Pack with a few of her most trusted lycans and went away without another word.
Since Lnd didn''t give him any instructions on that matter, Lucas didn''t stop Isolde from leaving. It truly seemed like the Alpha had wanted his mother to leave and never return.
Perhaps the Alpha still wished to stop himself from hurting the woman who gave birth to him? Over the years, Lucas had witnessed the dynamics between the mother and son and he understood the difficult position Lnd was in when it came to his mother.
"Beta! You have got to see this!"
The voice of one of the guards he ordered to look for Dinah suddenly rang from behind him. Lucas turned around and raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Did you find her?"
The guard nodded. His face looked horrified and he couldn''t really speak clearly to exin what was going on. He only begged the Beta to follow him. For a warrior to show that kind of expression, Lucas could guess that the man had seen something so terrible.
What happened to Dinah? Was she dead?
"Show me the way." Lucas walked with the guard toward the exit to their right. It was a big open field before the tall wall that separated the manor from the outside.
"She was found in the woods over there," said the guard hastily. "I told my friend not to do anything until I report to you."
Lucas didn''t say anything. He could guess what had happened to Dinah at this point. After they made sure that there were no humans around them, both Lucas and the lycan transformed into their wolf forms to get to the woods faster.
Right in the middle of the thick woods, near a water source, they saw Dinah hanging from one of the tree branches, a cord fastened and wound tightly against her neck. It seemed she had prepared the trap for herself to die in.
The female lycan was already long gone when Lucas had arrived.
One of the few ways to get through a Lycan''s regenerative abilities was to simply suffocate themselves to death. Judging from the condition of her body, Lucas assumed Dinah took her own life immediately after Sophie went into aa, four days ago. She probably thought the Luna wouldn''t make it.
Since the rope was not too long, Dinah''s body was hanging low from the branch and bigger animals had started eating the lower part. It was a ghastly sight even for Lucas, a warrior who had encountered many terrible things on the battlefield.
He transformed into his human form and looked at the body with a winced forehead. He knew Desmond, Dinah''s brother. The man would be devastated to know his sister was a traitor and had killed herself.
"There''s a letter in her pocket," the guard spoke quietly, moving Lucas from his daze. His friend who was standing by in the area while he went to send his report to Lucas had done his search before the Beta arrived. And he told the guard about the letter they found on Dinah.
"Where?" Lucas turned to him.
The guard tilted his head to his friend. The younger man bowed respectfully to Lucas and took out a letter from his pocket.
"I found this in her pocket, Beta."
Lucas epted the letter and put it in his pocket. He would give it to Lnd to read after he returned.
After he took another nce at the dead woman, Lucas ordered the two men to get Dinah down from the tree and bury her.
"But she is a traitor, Beta," said the guard in protest. "Why should we give her a proper burial?
"Idiots! If humans found her, they will investigate her and find out that she is a lycan. This will arise suspicion." Lucas scoffed. "Stop questioning my order!"
"Oh, I am sorry, Beta." Both men quickly bowed down in embarrassment. They didn''t think that far.
Once he saw they prepared to bury Dinah, Lucas shifted into his wolf form and went back to the manor.
***
Lnd had been just about to put Sophia carefully on the bed to let her get some proper rest when he came upon the shocking news.
One of the remaining lycans who weren''t affected by Brin''s speech about attacking the coronation came stumbling into the room to report to him. Despite being more on the slow and impulsive side, he happened to be fiercely loyal.
"Alpha, the pack needs you!" Duncan shouted and then received a withering re from Lnd himself. He quieted down immediately and pointed out at the window with a panicked look on his face. "They are running away!"
Lnd already heard the sound of trouble in the air and could sense it, but he only focused on Sophie alone and knew when the situation had already gotten out of hand and there was nothing for him to do.
When the Alpha finally pulled the curtains aside, he quickly saw the sight of his Beta, Lucas trying to mitigate the damage and do crowd control.
It was like seeing a lone man trying to fight against and stop an iing storm.
"Stand down!" Lucas shouted and enforced his authority into his voice, a number of the lycans who were flooding out of the manor halted in their tracks. "The Blood River Pack remains here!"
A lot of the lycans looked terribly guilty for trying to escape and attend the coronation when it was clearly against the better judgement of both Lucas and Lnd. They stopped and dropped to their knees.
However, a great number of the lycans were already leaving and fleeing up into the hills, a majority of them were already in their lycan forms, transformed and ready tounch an invasion towards the coronation event.
At the forefront of the runaway and vagabond warrior lycans was no other person than Brin the lycan elder himself.
"To the capital!" Brin shouted wildly and encouraged the warriors to keep running.
He sessfully managed to incite a great portion of the warriors to turn their backs and follow his lead to conquer Livstad and then the rest of Riga. The promise of a future where lycans reigned supreme was filled in their minds.
"That fool," Lnd muttered underneath his breath and found a headacheing at him at the sight of the Blood River Pack divided and separating from the manor. The royal vi castle was nearby and undoubtedly would end up seeing them.
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From Missrealitybites:
OMG, I wrongly inserted some paragraphs from the previous chapter. I already fixed it thanks to Kendra D who immediately notified me.
Please remove the cache by going to "Profile > Setting > Clear Cache" on the app to see the most updated chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Chapter 189 [Bonus Chapter] Going Home To Frisia
"What should we do, Alpha?" Duncan asked Lnd respectfully when he saw the Alphae out of the room to the courtyard. He cast his nce toward the hill where most of the lycans went.
"Let them be," Lnd replied coldly. "They are no longer members of the Blood River Pack."
He could already see that it was nothing more but an idiotic attempt of Brin portraying himself as the upstanding lycan Elder. He had betrayed the pack by inciting them to follow through with the attack n when they were not actually ready.
Surely Brin would be punished by his own idiocy when the attack failed miserably. However, if he lived to see another day and Lnd found him in the future, Brin could expect a gruesome death awaited him.
What about the rest of the members though? There were a total of 600 lycans in the Blood River pack and most of them were in Riga for the sole purpose of going to war with the royal army.
One lycan warrior was powerful enough to take on 20 soldiers. The more powerful ones, like the higher-ranked warriors, the Beta and the Alpha himself could easily deal with fifty.
So, with the full formation and taking advantage of the element of surprise, they were confident that they could wreak havoc and y the 15,000 strong soldiers from the royal army that secured the capital.
However, with this new development, around 100 lycans were left in the manor and the 500 went to attack, led by Brin. This would not give them the victory they hoped for.
Lnd could imagine there would be chaos at the beginning caused by the lycans, but soon the table would turn, and eventually, the battle in Livstad would turn into a massacre.
The Alpha knew he could do nothing for the rest of the Blood River Pack that went along with the elder''s ns. They were as good as dead to him.
That was why he had stayed silent even when Brin''s nonsensical mors for a fight reached the Alpha''s ears and instead, he only focused on Sophie.
People who were influenced by other inciters were alreadypromised so Lnd found nothing worth recovering in them. If they were going to die because of their mistakes and faults, then Lnd would let them die.
The Alpha knew that his opinion was cold, brutal, and perhaps every little bit as uncaring as Isolde might have done. He was fiercely loyal to his people but if they chose to disobey him and disregard his better judgment, he didn''t see the need to protect them any longer.
He hated the royal family to the core. They were responsible for Sophie''s parents'' death and Lnd had made it his mission to kill them and end their domination.
However, he was not blinded by rage and revenge. Who would protect and take care of his family and his people if he died fighting in a stupid battle? No one.
There woulde another time to avenge Sophie''s family, but for now, Lnd wanted her to recover fully. A leader should know how to set priorities right.
Lucas went to Lnd when he noticed the Alpha was watching themotion with a cold expression. He bowed down and quickly reported to him what had happened.
"We also found the maidservant. She hung herself in the woods," Lucas said, taking out a letter from his pocket and giving it to Lnd. "I haven''t read it, but they found this letter on her. Probably her suicide note."
Lnd didn''t say anything. He put the letter in his pocket to readter. Too bad that female lycan had taken her own life. Lnd would have preferred to punish her with his own hands.
He already thought of a slow and painful death for Dinah.
"I am sorry, I cannot hold them back," Lucas said with an apologetic tone. "There are too many of them and they have been unhappy for a while now."
He didn''t borate how many members had heard bad things about the Alpha''s mate and the dissatisfaction had been brewing for months among the members.
That was the reason why they were easily provoked when someone like Brin stepped up and tried to get their loyalty. So many lycans were blood-thirsty and wanted revenge. Brin was offering that to them.
"They are no longer members of our pack," Lnd said tly. "Stop worrying about them. We should immediately leave this area. Soon the royal army will swarm this ce."
"Understood, Alpha," the lycans around him immediately nodded and replied in unison.
It sucked that some of the warriors that left to continue with the attack n were their friends or family. Now, the pack had been divided.
They were left with slightly over 100 members after most of the warriors left. It was a small numberpared to their previous glory, being the biggest werewolf pack on this continent.
"Don''t focus on quantity," Lnd said calmly. "A basket of good apples is better than ten baskets of rotten ones."
"Where are we going, Alpha?" Lucas asked Lnd respectfully.
"Let''s go back to Frisia," Lnd replied. "Prepare our carriages and let us go as soon as possible."
"Y-yes, Alpha!" The three lycans quickly left to follow the orders of their leader.
There was no more grand opportunity to attack the coronation of the crown prince. All that was left was to recover and gather strength once more.
Jan and Luciel were howling and whining when Duncan came in and scooped the two lycan puppies up as the remaining lycan pack quickly gathered to leave.
There was no time to waste.
While Lucas did his best to gather up the remaining members of the Blood River Pack that did not abandon their stations, Lnd gently picked up Sophie and carried her to one of the prepared carriages.
The Alpha ced her gently in a prepared bed and watched both Luciel and Jan quickly try to get on the bed and attempt to nudge her awake. The two lycan puppies were whining and utterly confused at the situation.
Why were they in a carriage?
Why were they leaving their home?
Were they running away?
"You see, your mother has recently gone through a hard time, so we will be going away temporarily," Lnd exined to the two lycan puppies as gently as he could as he stepped inside of the carriage and joined them.
He picked the two babies and cradled them in his arms for a moment. The Alpha felt a wave of sadness ovee him as he imagined his own children who died and he felt tears prick his eyes.
The two fetuses were buried in the garden of this manor, under a rose tree. He hoped someday he could go back here and pay them a visit. Right now, his priority should be the living ones.
"I am alright, Jan. Thank you," Lnd told Jan who tried to wipe away a tear that trickled down his face.
Luciel unhappily looked at the manor because they had actually left one of his favorite toys there and failed to retrieve it. So many things had happened in such a brief amount of time.
The Alpha closed the door to the carriage and they soon set off.
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From Missrealitybites:
I hope you like this bonus chapter. I just think we need to get over the sad part more quickly to change the mood. After more details about the coronation and Nichs part, we will have a time skip.
Lnd and Sophie would grieve in private ande out stronger. I don''t wish to dwell on their misery and exploit their grief for content. So, we will soon see them in a better state, and of course, the boys will grow up quite a bit.
PS: If you were confused by some paragraphs in chapter 187, please clear the cache or remove the book from your library. I identally copied some paragraphs from chapter 186 to chapter 187.
I think I need more sleep... ahaha. I immediately fixed it, but some of you might already see the bad chapter and didn''t know I already fixed them.
Chapter 190 The Royal Coronation Ceremony
It was finally the day of the coronation ceremony.
Crown Prince Nichs Hannenbergh was about to be the King of the entire kingdom and he felt the heavy pressure weigh on his shoulders and increase a thousand more times because it was finally time.
Outside of the castle''s building, he could already hear the crowds cheering and celebrating. Everyone from the Riga Kingdom was invited to attend the coronation and that filled the capital with guests from across the entirend and other kingdoms.
Even those outside of Riga came and visited this one momentous event. As far as he heard, the brothers and sisters of his father even came here now to pay their respects even when they were managing their own kingdoms.
That was how important this day was. However, instead of being happy, the young man felt sick.
If there was anything that would have made Nichs feel a lot better, then it was receiving the confirmation from Duke Romanov and his wife. They woulde to witness the coronation ceremony. The truth of the situation was that Nichs received a letter that said yes.
Duke Romanov wasing over as stated by his letter of eptance from a week ago. However, so many things could happen in a short amount of time and Nichs knew he was highly unaware of them.
"Are they here or did they decide at thest minute not to attend?" Nichs frowned heavily and took a deep breath. "Perhaps he said yes, but didn''t actually have any intentions ofing here."
Nichs stood up and temporarily opened the door. He asked one of his royal staff to check on the nobility who had arrived and the man answered that all of the Riga''s nobility were present, if not for their own representatives.
"Hmm... what about some nobility that isn''t from Riga?" Nichs tried to y it off with a nk expression. "I''ve heard a lot of Duke Romanov and his wife frequenting social gatherings in Livstad that I''ve invited them here."
"Not a sight, Your Highness." The staff shook his head. "Maybe they cannote?"
"They sent a confirmation letter," Nichs insisted.
The staff looked cornered. He didn''t dare to talk back to the future king, but the truth was Duke Romanov didn''t show up. How else he could frame the situation?
Nichs ended up closing his door in the face of the royal staff and that was how he found himself alone in his chamber once again.
The crown prince was mentally preparing himself to go outside of the castle¡ but the truth was that he was still pressured and now feeling disappointed. Nichs sank back to his chair and tried to massage his temple helplessly.
"So what if they didn''te here? Did something happen to them? Well¡ if it did, shouldn''t I receive the news by now?" Nichs asked himself. He shut his eyes for a moment and thought about the duke and his wife. "Did they not care about my invitation? Don''t they realize that this is an honor to be invited to such a momentous event in this kingdom?"
Many people would kill to get the invitation, but Duke Romanov didn''t seem to think it was something important. At least not important enough to send a representative to the royal pce to let the future king know if they could note for whatever reason.
A painful smile twinged on the crown prince''s lips because whenever he closed his eyes and dreamed, his mind was filled with thoughts of her. Sophia Romanov.
This was really strange, to think about a woman he didn''t know personally. Gosh, he had never even once spoken to her!
Yet, she gued his dreams with her sweet smile andughter.
Nichs now ended up in situations that were undoubtedly fictional and fantasized ounts he made of the two of them in his dreams and that made his chest ache again.
When Nichs thought of her, his heart started pounding hard and it was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He couldn''t stop thinking about her.
Sophia was far more than simply intriguing.
She had sessfully upied his thoughts and mind.
Duke Romanov''s wife.
Nichs forced his eyes open and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Garbed in royal attire that was fit for a king and yet he couldn''t help but feel so inadequate and unprepared.
"How can I even be fit to rule and when¡ when my whole mind ispletely consumed by a woman I haven''t even properly met?" Nichsughed weakly and pressed a hand on his chest.
No.
It wasn''t only his thoughts.
"I think I¡ I''m in love with her." Nichs admitted to no one but to himself. "Lovesickness is perhaps the appropriate term. How ironic that I''d end up like all the women that long for the image of me. I don''t know Sophia."
However, that statement felt wrong to him.
He felt like he knew her.
Before Nichs could think about it some more, he was suddenly interrupted by a quiet knock on the door and it opened without permission. Queen Marianne Hannenbergh stepped inside and looked proudly at her son.
"Look at how much you''ve grown, Nichs." His mother approached him and engulfed him with a loving hug. "I¡ I cannot believe that you are about to be king."
Nichs sighed a little and hugged his mother back. "I cannot believe it either, mother. Is there any chance that my father has other rtives who want to rule Riga? I don''t mind passing up the responsibility."
"Nichs!" Queen Mary looked at her son and her expression grew sympathetic. "You are the first in line and that is what your father wanted. I know that you feel immensely burdened by this role, but you are far more equipped than you think."
"... I know," Nichs half-heartedly said. "I was joking."
"Come now, Nic." The queen chuckled and pulled her son off the chair. "It wouldn''t be any good news for the kingdom of Riga to know that their crown prince was unwillingly dragged off to the coronation ceremony, right?"
Nichs stood up and slowly nodded.
Chapter 191 Attack On The Capital
Nichs realized it was better to get this coronation over with so he could finally move past it. "Alright, mother. I will do this for the sake of the kingdom and our sake as well."
"I''m proud of you, son." Queen Marianne smiled and yet her eyes suddenly became misty.
"Mother¡" Nichs touched her arm. He could tell she was feeling nostalgic and sad because her husband was not around to witness this important event.
"I know that your father would have also been thrilled to see this daye. He was never the best at expressing love, but please know that he did. That was why he was so hard on you," she said.
Nichs felt his heart suddenly ache at those words and he gently offered his mother a handkerchief. He grew impatient with this woman standing beside him, yes, and he had hated his father.
However, he wouldn''t be here if not for them.
Before the two royals could go outside however, the door quickly opened and revealed a hooded and undistinguishable man. "Your Majesty, Your Highness! Lycans have entered the gates of the city."
The Royal Lycan Hunter prevented the Crown Prince and Queen from leaving his chamber and told them to stay put. However, the Queen''s expression immediately became haunted and she staggered back as if hit by a terrible p in the face.
"L-Lycans?!" Horrified and petrified by the news, Queen Marianne stumbled back and was fortunately caught by her son. Traumatic memories flooded Queen Marianne''s mind as she remembered her poor son who got kidnapped by them when Nichs was just a young boy.
She didn''t want Nichs to see any of them and trigger his memories. Who could guarantee that the crown prince''s memory wouldn''te up to the surface if he saw the lycans?
No, the queen didn''t want to take any risk.
"Ahh¡."
Nichs caught the queen before she fell. However, he quickly passed her on to the Royal Lycan Hunter''s arms. He felt his blood pound at the sudden news and he heard the screams of the residents of Livstad outside.
Panic quickly spread and entered the city center. The shouts of his people angered Nichs and he remembered the news that came when his father was reported dead. Thete King William was grasping his lycan-ying dagger back then.
The memory taunted him sorely and incited the crown prince to make a move.
"Stay here, mother," Nichs said. He gave the royal hunter a look and then proceeded to shut the door behind them. He rushed out of the hallway and could see numerous soldiers, guards and hunters all moving out to interlope with the attackers.
"Nichs!" Queen Mary''s cries echoed loudly in his rooms.
He could still hear his mother''s cries, but Nichs felt nothing but cold and sheer determination ovee him. All of his guards, soldiers and hunters were flooding out the doorway of the castle.
The young prince felt a faint memory rekindle back in his head. Memories of when his father harshly trained him to learn how to use a sword and dagger¡ back then, Nichs was a disappointment to his father.
However, now, Nichs felt like his senses were sharp, his reflexes quick as he quickly snatched a sword from one of the slower soldiers and finally made his way out into the heart of Livstad.
Left and right, there wasmotion in the streets and he could see numerous innocent civilians running away and trying to escape the wrath of the monsters. These lycans were already transformed.
Great-sized feral wolves descended on men, women and children alike. Commoners received the worst of the brunt of the attack as they were left in the open streets, whereas the others were in more secure ces.
Nichs could see that the nobles who stayed close to the castle were already entering to hide. A mother was trying to lift her child up towards the walls and crying out, but nobody paid any heed.
Among them, he even saw Karenina and her father shuddering away in fright. The man dragged his daughter into the safety of the castle and left themoners and helpless people to the open attacks of the lycans.
"Your Highness!" cried out the citizens and nobilities who saw him.
Nichs felt his heart be enraged and he leapt across the castle''s foyer and descended into the streets of Livstad. With a sword in his hand, the crown prince stepped forward and met his foes.
He knew that he needed to find the strongest lycan, their leader and vanquish them.
Around him were fleeing civilians, some royal hunters and soldiers fighting amidst the crowd. A feral lycan rushed past Nichs to attack a familygging behind and he stabbed them quickly with a sword.
Blood gushed out and the lycan somehow threw him a confused look, but he didn''t pay it any heed. Nichs pulled his sword out and ventured forward. He avoided soldiers trading blows with lycans, ordinary people and fought against the invaders.
Back when they had killed William Hannenbergh, the Lycan Pack had taken advantage of the darkness to conceal them and outnumbered the group that were with the King.
Now it was obvious that this seemed like a suicide attack. Attacking in broad daylight was still a great feat, but Nichs felt it in his bones that his people, the kingdom of Riga would vanquish them.
The bloodshed and the sight of innocent people littering the streets now fueled Nichs with anger. Without paying any heed to his own safety, Nichs engaged further and further away from the castle.
There were fewer soldiers and hunters to guard his back, but Nichs didn''t care at all. Somewhere along the infighting inside of Livstad, the crown prince finally saw a lone lycan standing at the back and protected by some lycans.
Nichs expected the Alpha to fight at the front of the battlefield, but all he could see was an elderly lycan, whose fur was ashen gray and with yellow eyesmunicating with his men.
"Go forth!" the elderly lycan roared and encouraged the lycans to venture forth towards the city. "They might outnumber us, but we are stronger! Better! Let us end this now!"
Nichs grasped his sword tightly in his hand and lifted it. Without another word, he aimed it at the elderly lycan and threw it towards him. Instead of the lycan dying however, some other lycan got impaled instead.
The elder lycan, Brin''s eyes widened and then quickly met the gaze of Nichs. He was confused for a moment with his nose but looking at the young man''s appearance made him remember everything clearly.
Alpha Leon once bit a young prince''s neck and turned them into a lycan as a gift. Back then, Isolde was not among the Blood River Pack and was focused on torturing Lnd, but Elder Brin remembered it and couldn''t help but find it ridiculous.
Brinughed and pointed at Nichs.
"Get him! Once we have his head, the kingdom will be ours!"
Since Nichs'' weapon was thrown aside, he was weaponless. The crown prince gritted his teeth and started retreating back to join the rest of his royal soldiers and hunters.
A lycan pounced at him, but with strength that he didn''t know he had within him, Nichs threw the lycan back to hispanions and ventured backwards. The royal hunters and guards pushed forward and continued with the engagement.
It took several hours of harsh fighting, a great number of deaths on both sides before the remaining lycans made their retreat and the royal army became victorious at a heavy price.
It was all over.
Chapter 192 After The Battle Is Over
"Your Highness." One of the Royal Lycan Hunters knelt to the crown prince once the battle subsided and the lycans flooded out of the city in a hasty retreat. "Shall we give chase to the fleeing lycans? We can take advantage of their defeat and hit them in the back."
Nichs wanted to say yes.
He had every urge to nod his head and let the Royal Lycan Hunters pursue their greatest enemies and put an end to them. However, the crown prince took one look and assessed the damage of the city.
The street was filled with the stench of both the dead lycans and humans. He saw that a lot of people were injured and even the elite group of Royal Lycan Hunters were taken down by a number.
Nichs shook his head and smiled wearily.
"No. Let us focus on securing the capital instead. There is much to do here than chasing the losing enemy," Nichs said. His head was notpletely wrapped up in revenge like his father. He actually cared about his people.
"But Your Highness!"
Nichs spoke with authority in his voice and met the eye of the leader of the Royal Lycan Hunter. He understood how the elite task force thought. The members were raised by the royal kingdom to be their elite anti-lycan warriors.
However, Nichs thought it was better to rest after the fierce battle.
"It is better to stay here and recover our strengths and then pursue for another day. The lycans have great regenerative abilities. They will recover faster than us and it will be a strategic disaster if we chase them now while we''re exhausted."
"Your will be done, Your Highness." The chief of Royal Lycan Hunter soon went off to work. He ordered his men to gather their casualties and help in any way they could.
Meanwhile, Nichs sank down on the streets of the city center for a moment, weariness finally overtaking him. He looked around to see the disaster that filled the ce and he felt burdened by the sight.
Royal guards, soldiers, and hunters all worked together to clear the streets of the dead bodies, evacuate injured residents, and overall heighten the security of the ce.
Nichs doubted the lycans would return for a second attack, so soon after they had been vanquished. However, a sudden thought came to his mind that filled him with worry and concern.
? The future king quickly stood up and made his way back to the castle, unaware of the proud looks that his citizens and men were throwing at him. His sheer act of bravery cemented him as a proper king in the hearts of themoners and his men.
"Your Highness!" several servants eximed as Nichs entered the royal pce. "Shall we call for the royal doctor to treat your injuries? You must stay in your room and be treated."
The young man was garbed in regal attire fit for the coronation, but after Nichs'' encounter with the lycans, his clothes were already torn. It exposed his upper body filled, with dirt and scratches.
Upon closer inspection, however, those scratches were already disappearing if any of the servants had paid attention. Luckily, the crown prince was moving ahead of them as Nichs shook his head.
"No, I am feeling fine. Where is my mother?"
"Her Majesty is currently in her private chamber, Your Highness," one of the servants answered. "She fell ill out of shock and is currently with Lady Karenina. The royal physician is with Her Majesty now.."
Nichs sighed and rubbed his face at the thought of the viscount''s daughter quickly finding her way back to his mother. After the attack and the chaos ensued, why didn''t Karenina get scared and leave the capital for good?
For now, Nichs couldn''t care less what she was doing because his mind was distracted by something else.
"Summon my informant to my office," Nichs ordered one of the staff. "Since the doctor hase, I am sure my mother is in good hands."
"What about the coronation, Your Highness?" The royal butler asked. "We shouldn''t let the lycans feel victorious because they managed to stop this important event."
"We''re still securing the entire perimeter of Livstad. Now is not the time for coronations." Nichs snapped and rushed ahead. "Tell me thetest update about outside, in my study, NOW."
He headed to his study and hoped to find his informant already there and still alive. There was something that nudged his mind and he wanted an answer as soon as possible. What if Duke Romanov and his wife encountered the lycan pack that attacked Livstad? What if they were in danger??
If Nichs'' suspicions of Duke Romanov being a ck market noble dealer had any proof, and among them was trafficking lycan puppies for depraved nobility, then perhaps the reason why they couldn''te was because of that?
Were the Romanovs attacked by the lycan pack?
Nichs'' heart ached at the thought of Sophia Romanov getting hurt, He could hope that Duke Romanov was capable of dealing with threats. Didn''t the duke have his own garrison to secure his property when Nichs came to sneak into his castle in Hastings?
Surely he could protect himself and his family when lycans attack them, couldn''t he?
"Your Highness!" one of the nobles came out of a room to meet him.
Nichs saw that all of the nobilities were intact and safe. The royal castle was secure and well-guarded against possible attacks in the city. If anything terrible were to happen, this ce was a good siege fortress.
"What is it?" Nichs slowed down to meet the gaze of the nobleman. He didn''t want to waste time with useless and trifling conversations, but he still needed to maintain a good rtionship with the stewards of his kingdom.
"May I have a word in private with, Your Highness?" the nobleman smiled at him. "I have something interesting to tell Your Highness. I will walk with you until you reach your chamber, perhaps?"
The nobleman was starting to look at Nichs and realized that he was currently in a terrible state. The crown prince did look unkempt because of his fight with the lycans whereas all of his nobles were spotless and not a hair looked out of ce.
Nichs sighed and wordlessly walked forward.
The nobleman decided that was an invitation and followed after the crown prince. Once they left the hallway with the rest of the nobility, Nichs finally nced at the nobleman.
"Who are you?" Nichs narrowed his eyes.
"My name is Lord Siegfred Bettencourt, Your Highness. My father was a friend of His Majesty," the nobleman added with a grim expression before looking ahead. "They both died during that night where they were attacked by those pack of lycans, Your Highness."
Great.
This was exactly what Nichs wanted. Someone to try and snake their way to his side just like Lady Karenina. Why wasn''t Nichs particrly surprised at all? Nobility moved quickly when it came to amassing power.
"I suggest you stop looking into Duke Romanov and his wife, Your Highness." Lord Bettencourt suddenly said.
Nichs stopped in his tracks.
He turned to look at the man and tried to gauge what he wanted.
"Why is that?" Nichs crossed his arms on red at Lord Bettencourt, challenging him. "Who is going to stop me?"
Chapter 193 Bad News
"Your Highness¡ please¡" The nobleman smirked annoyingly at the crown prince. He acted like he was keeping a secret that the prince wished to hide.
Nichs nced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the nobleman. He felt his heart pound uneasily. He didn''t want to say anything but how did this nobleman know?
The only person who knew about his request was¡
"Informants talk for a certain price, you know," the nobleman said. "Informants exchange information with fellow informants too. Your Highness, I am just looking out for you and the interest of the royal family. It''s not a good image to go after another man''s wife."
"What do you want?" Nichs looked away and felt a wave of shame and embarrassment flood him. If this nobleman knew about this¡ who else acquired the information that he was looking for Sophia Romanov and her whereabouts?
Already too many for his liking.
The crown prince was aplete mess. He realized he was too careless and let this rat get a piece of information that could ruin his reputation.
He didn''t really care about other people but his mother, the queen, had poor health and she might be shocked by this news. Queen Marianne was the definition of prim and proper. Embarrassment could kill her.
If Nichs brought shame to their family because people spread gossip that he wanted to be a homewrecker by taking a liking to a married woman, his mother would die of shame.
Sigh.
Right now, Nichs felt like he was in a precarious situation too. One''s good reputation as the future king was necessary or else he would have nobility with desires to make him into a puppet king. Those who knew his secret could use this to ckmail him.
He must not let people find his weakness.
His weakness?
This word actually surprised him when he thought about it. Nichs didn''t even know that woman. How could she be his weakness?
Nothing happened between them. All the prince needed to do was deny everything and punish whoever tried to spread false rumors about him.
"I want nothing, your highness," the lord said but then bowed. "At least for now though. This is just a word of advice from a nobleman looking out for you. I look forward to your coronation."
Without another word, Lord Siegfred left Nichs alone in the hallway and returned to the rest of the nobility while the crown prince was left alone with his thoughts. He was originally supposed to meet with his informant in the office.
Nichs still headed there and saw the Informant waiting for him outside his study. The person bowed at his appearance and was quick to greet him respectfully, but trust was already broken.
"You''re dismissed," Nichs said and then mmed the door in the informant''s face. He looked around his study and was filled with immense shame. The crown prince knew how terrible his search for Sophia Romanov looked of course.
She was the wife of Duke Romanov.
"I am aware of how it can tarnish one''s reputation¡" Nichs''s gaze flickered around his study. He finally came across an expensive liquor in one of his cabs. It was a strong cask whiskey.
Some time ago, King William delivered it to him as a birthday gift, telling him that wines were only for social drinking and that if he really wanted to be a man, he needed to drink hard alcohol.
That was one of the few moments that Nichs actually thought his father attempted to give him a word of advice or try to rte to his son back then. Nichs wanted tough when he remembered that moment, but he sighed instead.
He didn''t say it aloud back then, but the princepletely disagreed with that notion. However, now, with so much woes and worries on his mind, the young man wanted to get himself a drink.
"If this can take some of the pressure away," Nichs muttered to himself. "If it can help take my mind away from Sophie¡ Sophia, I mean¡I should just give it a try. I shouldn''t waste good liquor."
The prince knew that he needed to get a grip about his situation.
Nichs immediately went to get the whiskey bottle along with a small ss. He opened the bottle and poured himself a full ss and took a little sip. Nichs made a small face when he tasted the liquor, but then braced himself.
He drank it in one go and felt his entire body spin for a moment. However, it didn''t take him too long to get used to it. A warmth settled in his body and he felt the nerves that overcame him earlier ease back a little.
He sighed in relief.
Nichs never realized that he had a body that was fit for heavy drinking. In no time, he already enjoyed several shot sses.
"My father''s rtives tend to grow a gut or two with drinking, but I can handle this just fine¡" Nichs decided to pour himself another drink. And then another one.
It didn''t take him too long to realize that he nearly emptied one full bottle of whiskey. The crown prince felt himself grow annoyed at himself for drinking too much, but it did help him.
"And I¡ I don''t even feel drunk at all, how frustrating." Nichs sighed and shook his head. When he looked out the window to the castle, it was alreadyte evening and the streets of Livstad were more or less cleared.
Tomorrow or the day after that would be his coronation. The real coronation ceremony.
Perhaps he could dy it for a week or so because there were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of. Those lycans who escaped were only smaller in number because they refused to back down until the end.
He still needed to take care of them though.
Nichs actually couldn''t care less about the crown right now.
"It''s only a symbol for power¡ and if I wanted to, I could just take away all of this pompous celebration and just ce the crown on my head to get it over with." Nichs grouched to himself.
However, the coronation ceremony was a big thing for the people in Riga and if he wanted to get it right, he still needed to get through with it. Dignitaries not only from Riga had visited and observed him.
If he chose to avoid a ceremony, it would make Nichs and Riga Kingdom look weak in the eyes of other kingdoms. His own nobles would disrespect him for not continuing with it just because of an attack by a lycan pack.
And so, like always, Nichs didn''t really have a choice.
While Nichs was still alone in his thoughts and watching out the window, he saw his own reflection and finally decided to take care of himself. He still hadn''t cleaned himself up after the battle.
Before he could do anything like that, however, a sudden knock interrupted him and a servant''s urgent voice echoed in the hallway of the castle. "Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Nichs'' eyes widened and he became rmed.
He rushed and opened the door to find a servant trembling in front of his study. The prince was wondering what had happened outside to make this servant look so distraught?
Did the lycans decide to attack again? Were there any problems with all of the visiting nobilities and dignitaries? Nichs knew a lot of trouble could ur in the social setting as well.
"Her Majesty, Queen Marianne is on her deathbed." The servant burst into tears.
Chapter 194 The Queen On Her Deathbed
As soon as he heard the servant''s words, Nichs rushed to his mother''s chamber. He was so worried and distraught at this turn of events. His father just passed away not long ago and now his mother was on her deathbed too?
This was too much!
When he reached the queen''s chamber, as he feared, Nichs found Queen Marianne was indeed on her bed and she looked deathly pale. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly and heavily.
The prince''s heart ached at the sight of his mother suffering. She was truly the most fragile of health between them all that Nichs had once thought that he would get stuck with his father after she passed away.
Perhaps, he was truly destined to never be happy. After losing his father to the lycans attack and having to take the responsibility to manage a kingdom, finally met a woman who could make his heart flutter only to find out she was married to another man, now he also had to lose his only family.
He didn''t know how he could live alone if his mother left him so soon. He was not ready. His heart was still bleeding from the tragedy of losing his father, he was just a young man who had to pretend that he knew what he was doing and acted brave and smart all the time.
The truth was¡ he wasn''t as brave and smart as people thought he was. He had his fears and his moments when he made bad judgment calls. Even if his mother couldn''t help him rule this country, at least he coulde to her and vent, pour his heart out, and be himself.
He couldn''t be himself in front of other people. He was not ready to always put that mask of confidence, courage, and intelligence that people expected of him. He needed his family.
Nichs stepped inside the queen''s chamber and stood by her bed with a sorrowful expression.
Servants and the royal doctor fussed around the chambers of the queen. They looked bothered and were talking to each other in hushed voices as if keeping the diagnosis a secret.
They bowed down when Nichs arrived¡ and so did someone else.
"Your Highness!" Karenina''s eyes widened and she quickly turned back to Queen Marianne. She gently whispered to the older woman. "Your Majesty, your son is here safe and sound. Not one hair out of ce."
Nichs inwardly sighed.
At his mother''s side was none other than the viscount''s daughter.
He actually wished Karenina and her father were packing their bags and left for Hauntingen after the lycans attack. However, he should have known that he wouldn''t be that lucky.
Who was the real child in this situation? If Nichs hadn''t known any better, Lady Karenina acted like the daughter of the queen with how much she ced herself at his mother''s side.
Nichs knew he needed to put those things aside though.
His mother needed him.
Queen Marianne''s eyes fluttered weakly at the sound of Karenina''s voice and they quickly made their way to her son.
"Gosh, Nic, you''re alive!" Queen Marianne choked out as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
In the woman''s pale and sickly state, she burst into tears at the sight of her son being alive. She was most relieved at the sight and worried about his condition.
In the deepest part of her heart, she had feared that her son would transform at thest moment when he went out to meet the lycans in battle, or for the other lycans to reveal that fact.
She didn''t want to lose him. And she didn''t want the dark secrets that had been buried toe up to the surface. Not at this critical time when Nichs was about to ascend the throne.
What would the people think? That their soon-to-be king was a monster???
She could imagine the gossip and the uproar. All those noblemen would use the royal family of intentionally raising a monster among them and deceiving the people.
Worse yet, they would think thete king was a hypocrite. Pretending to hate werewolves, when his own son was one.
And the worst-case scenario¡ they would use this reason to topple down the monarchy. Many dukes who had been eyeing the throne would be happy to gather power and usurp the throne.
Queen Marianne was stressed just thinking about those things. And that affected her health greatly. She thought she would rather die than witness the secrets unfold and civil war erupt.
That''s why she was so relieved when she saw her sone through that door, looking healthy and¡ not transforming into a lycan as she was feared.
"Mother¡"
Nichs made his way to the other side of his mother. He knelt down and held her hand. The prince looked gravely at Queen Marianne. From her weak pulse and her heavy breath, Nichs realized his mother was indeed in a precarious state.
This was why that stupid Lord Siegfried''s words bothered him. Nichs'' being found out to have any longing for another man''s wife was probably enough to shock his poor mother to death because of how weak she was.
If Lord Siegfried found out about his secret, maybe the queen did too. She had her ownwork of spies which she used to make sure her son and husband were always safe.
Did Nichs'' informant also tell the queen about his order to look into Duke Romanov''s wife?
It bothered Nichs far more than he would let on.
"Mother, I am here." Nichs closed his eyes and then quietly spoke to her, low enough that only she would hear. There was a grim expression on his face. "Please don''t join father too soon."
Queen Marianne coughed lightly and saw the expression on her son''s face. Despite the way that he sometimes acted like he hated both his father and mother, there was an ounce of vulnerability in his tone.
He was such a good boy. She felt blessed to give birth to this wonderful young man. She didn''t mind having only one child, because one Nichs was enough for her.
Chapter 195 The Queens Last Wish (1)
Queen Marianne realized she couldn''t have asked for a better son at all. However, she was worried about his decision-making recently.
He was making such bad choices, throwing himself into danger, both investigating Lord Ferdinand''s death and joining in a battle that she didn''t want him to.
He was exactly like her husband, quite stubborn and bull-headed in his own ways. The queen honestly didn''t know what to do since she wasn''t always going to be there for her son.
Queen Marianne''s gaze flitted to Karenina and an idea sparked in her mind.
Nichs'' eyes widened when a certain strength returned to his mother''s grip as she clutched his hand. He recognized it as one of those moments where she would make a plea and request to her husband and son.
"My son, I don''t know how long I will be here in this world." Queen Marianne coughed as her arm trembled in his grasp. "I only have one wish that I want you to fulfill."
Nichs felt himself sigh inwardly at how his mother was crafty enough to use her frail health to get what she wanted. It had always been like this and his father was used toplying to whatever whim the queen had.
Well¡ mostly. Thete king was a stubborn man himself and there were some things that he would neverpromise. The queen knew this. So, she was careful not to push him too much when it came to those.
Nichs wondered what was it that his mother had in mind. The prince nodded. "Yes, mother?"
"Swear it on your mother''s health, your father''s life, and the kingdom of Riga." Queen Marianne said. There was a certain fire in her eyes that made it look like she suddenly gained the fighting spirit to survive.
However, it was to only make a request because her grip was already loosening from him. Queen Marianne rested her hand back on her side as she looked up to her son with a weak smile.
"Mother¡" Nichs felt a shudder go down his spine. He didn''t like the way his mother was starting to phrase things now. She wanted him to make an oath in front of everyone.
"Nichs, please."
This was a serious request and he had an inkling of what she wanted from him. Already, the servants who were taking care of the queen and the royal doctor were standing close by and could act as ready witnesses.
If Nichs refused his mother, he would seem heartless, unfilial, and a terrible person. But what if what she was asking for was something he couldn''t do? He steadied himself and bit down on his lip.
Nichs couldn''t give up his pursuit of lycans.
The faint memory of his mother begging his father to stop chasing after lycans all his life was something that returned to his mind at thest moment.
Queen Marianne had requested her husband to give up hunting lycans and King William refused. If not for the king''s severe injuries obtained during thest war, Queen Marianne wouldn''t have gotten what she wanted.
Did his mother really get what she wanted though?
Nichs didn''t know, but she always seemed disappointed with her husband even when King William couldn''t physically join the battles himself. It disturbed the crown prince that perhaps his mother sympathized with the lycans...
If she did, Nichs wanted to keep it a secret.
"I wish for you to find a good wife, Nichs." Queen Marianne said atst. "A woman who can be there for you, elevates your strengths, and encourages you to ovee your shorings."
What?
His mother''s words suddenly threw Nichs off.
? So, it was not to stop pursuing those lycans.
The prince blinked and quickly said, "That''s not easy, Mother."
It was an answer that Nichs instantly said, but now he finally understood what his mother actually wanted him for him. The real deal this time as Queen Marianne''s gaze flickered to the viscount''s daughter.
"It should be easy enough because I have a certain someone in mind." Queen Marianne looked and smiled at the young woman who had been at her side for the past months.
Lady Karenina was kneeling close to them and her eyes widened as both the queen and crown prince looked at her. She stammered for a moment and pointed to herself. "M-me?"
"Mother!" Nichs quickly looked at his mother in betrayal. He was caught off guard by this sudden request. Marriage was thest thing he had in mind.
He was not ready. Not when he was busy taking care of so many important issues. The lycans just attacked the capital, and he was about to ascend the throne. So much mess needed to be cleaned up.
Queen Marianne coughed and averted her gaze away from her son. There was a pained expression written all over her face. "This is myst wish from you, Nichs. Will you not respect it? I cannot bear to imagine that I will leave you without a suitable partner. I can''t be at peace leaving you all alone, without anyone to care for you and help you. Do you want me to suffer in my grave?"
"Mother¡ we are facing so many crises. Marriage is not in my book right now," Nichs tried to talk some sense into his mother.
"Exactly because we are facing so many crises, you need someone to help you," the queen was now in tears. "I can''t bear seeing you handle everything on your own. When I''m gone, you will need someone by your side."
Nichs bit his lip. His throat parched. His mother''s words made sense and everyone in the room seemed to agree with her.
They all looked at the crown prince and Lady Karenina on the other side of the bed.
The viscount''s daughter was really beautiful. She also had good manners and a good personality. Even though she was from a lowly nobility, she wouldn''t look shabby standing beside the future king as his queen.
What''s most important was¡ the old queen liked her.
.
.
_____________________
From Missrealitybites:
So, you guessed right. The queen wants Nic to marry Karenina. However, don''t worry, even if Nic was pressured to promise to marry the girl, he would never marry her.
Chapter 196 The Queens Last Wish (2)
"Mother, really¡ this is not a priority to me. I have so many things that I have to take care of and I don''t have time for marriage," Nichs still tried to insist. "I promise I will find myself a wife when the time is right."
"Nichs¡ there will never be a better time than when yourst remaining parent is still alive¡" the queen replied in frustration. "Don''t you want to see me take myst breath feeling at peace and relieved, knowing that my only child finally finds happiness?"
Nichs looked at his mother tly. Happiness? How could his mother associate happiness with marriage?
He had seen many couples around him who were in loveless marriages. Their unions were part of obligation, political deals, and were seen as chores. His parents'' marriage included.
Nichs was aware that for nobles and the royalties, it was part of life and to be expected. So, he never associated marriage with happiness from the beginning.
He didn''t mind political marriage because that was the reality for men and women in his position, and if he had never seen that woman the other day¡ he might not care about being shoved by his mother into marrying Lady Karenina.
But he had seen love and now he couldn''t stop thinking about it. What if he could fall in love with a woman and marry for love?
It''s true that Sophia Romanov was a married woman, but the fact that he could fall in love with a woman at first sight showed Nichs that love was real and maybe¡ maybe someday he could fall in love again. If it wasn''t Sophia Romanov, perhaps someday he could find a woman that made his heart flutter the way Sophia did.
Even if he had to wait for a long time, it would be worth it.
"Mother, that''s why you must fight and stay with me. I want you to be with me when I find the woman I love and marry her," Nichs touched his mother''s arm gently. "I promise you I will find a good wife and you can feel at ease."
"You have shown no interest whatsoever." Queen Marianne looked at him disappointedly. "If I do not beg you now, how will I know that you will truly look for a wife and not shut yourself from the world?"
Queen Marianne knew that her son truly avoided all of the gs, ballrooms, and social events like they were nothing more but excruciating ces to be with. She feared that her son didn''t trust anyone.
If her son actually had shown interest in perhaps another woman, a daughter of a duke, a princess that came from a neighboring kingdom then perhaps she would have relented.
Nichs shook his head. "I can find myself a suitable wife if you give me time¡"
"I cannot wait any longer, Nichs!" Queen Marianne said and ced a hand on her chest. Shebored for breath and looked at Nichs in a pitiful way. "Before I depart from this world, I wish to see you engaged with Karenina. That will make me feel at ease about leaving you behind. If you still say no, I will die now in agony."
Herst words suddenly brought the room into a deathly silence. Nobody said a word. The queen was quite stubborn and nobody could say no to her. Nichs had tried using whatever excuses he could think of, but none of his words seemed to manage to convince the queen.
In Queen Marianne''s eyes, Lady Karenina was a sweet girl who respected her father and got along well with the queen. She didn''t see anyone else who would suit Nichs as this woman with them.
Lady Karenina wasn''t perfect, Queen Marianne had to admit that, but she seemed like a great match with Nichs. Her son would learn how to soften up and open his heart to other people.
There wasn''t much that Lady Karenina would be able to do, but the queen thought it would be good since having too strong and bull-headed of a woman would lead to arguments and disagreements.
Nichs needed a woman who could support him,fort him and be there for him to be a graceful presence whenever he needed someone. Queen Marianne wished for someone who could ept her son.
If someday, the secret about Nichs was once a monster woulde out, he needed a wife who could ept him and be there for him no matter what.
Lady Karenina was the one.
However, Nichs wasn''t saying anything at all. He became silent at his mother''s request. Why did she have to do it this way? Was it because he ignored every other attempt of hers?
Has this really be necessary?
"Nichs, please!" Queen Marianne called out to her son.
Nichs closed his eyes and wished that the moment would just end without him making any promises to his mother. Unfortunately, he could feel the prative and unrelenting gaze of the queen.
"Do you really not care about me?" Queen Marianne''s voice was strained. "I''m doing this because I care about you. People will seek to take advantage of you as you ascend to the throne, but I know that Karenina will do nothing like that."
How was his mother so sure? Nichs wanted to argue with the queen but didn''t want to put her into a more precarious and unhappy state as shey down on her bed.
"I know you care about me, mother¡" Nichs tried to say but couldn''t continue his words. He could now also feel the gazes of the servant and royal doctor were directed at him.
It felt like a trap to the prince. How could he outwardly argue and reject his mother''s wishes when she was sick and dying?
"Will you ask for Lady Karenina''s hand in marriage before my very eyes, son?" Queen Marianne asked.
Nichs gritted his teeth and gazed at Lady Karenina. The young woman lightly stepped back in fear of the dark look on Nichs'' face, but she still stood her ground.
Of course, who wouldn''t want to miss the chance to marry the future king of the kingdom?
Queen Marianne spoke again. "Nichs?"
.
.
________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I hate hospitals but two days ago I had to stay with my sister in one because she was having surgery. I don''t know why, but I always associate hospitals with diseases (it''s full of sick people) and I always tried to avoid it as best as I could. I wouldn''t go into one unless I think I''m dying.
The covid situation got me even more paranoid - but hey I can''t let my sister go into surgery alone. :(((
And now I am starting to have a fever etc. I hope it''s just my paranoia and I don''t really get anything from the hospital. T_T
I hope wherever you are, you stay healthy and well. Don''t take unnecessary risks with your health. Take care!
Chapter 197 Traveling To Frisia
"Must I really do it now?" Nichs threw a look at the dying queen. He knew that his chances were quite slim to refuse this request from his mother.
It was most likely herst wish before she died.
Perhaps Nichs could make that promise and then break off the engagement after his mother passed away peacefully?
Even if his reputation would suffer, in terms of actual damage¡ perhaps Nichs could still escape unscathed? Or at least with only an eptable amount of trouble?
The Viscount was no powerful man at all. It would be difficult for him to manipte Nichspared to say, a Duke, or a neighboring King who could offer their princess to him.
Is that what his mother was trying to say when she said that Karenina would not take advantage of him?
It was hard to understand the woman''s intentions.
Nichs still believed that his mother was manipted in one way or another. Soothed by the presence of the viscount''s daughter who seemed like she couldn''t do anything wrong.
But that was his mother''s mistake.
With Lady Karenina also being a constant presence in the pce for thest months and attending numerous events, it was almost as if the pieces were allid down for her.
People would question and doubt what was actually in the mind of thete king and queen for even inviting Lady Karenina to stay with them. If it wasn''t because they showed their blessings towards the young woman, then what else?
For now, it seemed like the best way to escape this situation was to say yes and then find a way out?
"Nichs!" Queen Mary cried out again and this time she clutched her chest, wheezing and looking as if she was truly out of breath. The royal doctor finally stepped forward to check on the queen.
"Your Majesty," the doctor did a quick check and then he turned to look at Nichs. His face was filled with regret. "I am sorry, Your Highness¡ it seems the queen is in a critical condition. I am so, sorry, there is nothing more I can do."
Nichs felt his worlde crashing down. Must he relent and just say yes so his mother could take herst breath in peace?
Finally¡ all Nichs could do was ept.
***
Sophie woke up to something tickling her face and when she opened her eyes, all she saw was white. She smelled the familiar andforting scent of Lnd and slowly rose up to find herself lying against Lnd''s wolf form.
While she was sleeping, she actually had her arms wrapped against her husband and was snuggled up against him. Simr to her, Lnd also fell asleep and seemed at peace.
She smiled at that.
Sophie looked around and realized that they were inside of arge and currently moving carriage. On the other side of Lnd''s huge wolf form, she could see both Luciel and Jan, her beautiful ck and gray lycan babies also snuggling up to Lnd from the other side of the carriage''s seat.
Luciel''s foot was actually in Jan''s face, and yet the two of them were sleeping soundly. Her beloved children were unbothered by their surroundings and felt safe and rxed enough to sleep.
Her heart was filled with so much warmth.
"Why are we out here¡?" Sophie was confused for a moment until she remembered everything that happened. Tears dripped from her eyes as the memories returned to her and the reality sank down in her mind.
Before waking up in this carriage, Sophie remembered she woke up in her bedst time to find Lnd beside her gently informing her that she was asleep for days and that they had lost their unborn children.
Afterward, Sophie passed out once he told her of that news.
Now, Sophie was here in a carriage with Lnd and her children. Why did they suddenly leave the manor? She didn''t know, she was just grateful to see that they were all together.
However it didn''t stop her from feeling lost and confused, Sophie wiped her tears and tried to stop them from flowing downwards so as to not disturb her husband and children, but it was already toote.
Lnd woke up when he sensed her movements. The Alpha immediately heard the sniffles Sophie tried to stifle back and quickly raised his head to meet her. He saw that she was red-eyed and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Oh, Lnd." Sophie''s voice wobbled as she tried to brush away her tears and looked at him with a tense smile. "I''m sorry that I woke you up."
The Alpha immediately transformed back into his human form and immediately wrapped his arms around her tofort his mate.
"No need to apologize, Sophia, I''m here for you," Lnd whispered into her hair as he gently kissed her forehead.
? Last night, when he saw Sophie shiver and cry in her sleep, he decided to keep her warm by transforming into a wolf and snuggled with her. It helped give her a sense of peace.
"Lnd you''re¡" Sophie couldn''t help but break out into a weak smile as she pointed out his nakedness.
"Ah, my apologies." Lnd cleared his throat.
Perhaps to the lycans, transforming back was normal so Lnd was not bothered with it, but Sophie felt embarrassment color her cheeks. Lnd quickly picked up his assorted clothes and put them on.
He was momentarily d that it distracted his mate, but it didn''tpletely erase or wipe away Sophie''s tears at all. She was still upset and Lnd knew he wanted to make her feel better.
Once he was finished dressing up, the Alpha looked at her gently and asked.
"How are you feeling, Sophia?" He had an idea on why she suddenly cried when she woke up, but Lnd knew it was better to still talk about it.
Compared to him, Sophie hadn''t been able to fully grieve as she spent several days being unconscious.
"I¡ I just remembered that they''re gone," Sophie weakly said. She rested her head against his shoulder. "And I couldn''t do anything about it. I''m so sorry, Lnd."
"It''s not your fault," he said and gently rubbed her back. "Don''t me yourself."
Lnd''s understanding voice and gentle demeanor finally made Sophie stop trying to hold back her pain. If she couldn''t befortable around her own husband, then there was nowhere else she would feel safe.
Sophie''s shoulders shook momentarily as she buried her face into his chest. Lnd let Sophie cry on his chest and he listened to her quiet crying.
The Alpha knew that she must have remembered theirst conversation and it brought him a pang of emptiness in his heart.
Lnd did his best to be a soothing presence andfort to his wife, holding back his own grief as he wanted to be the tough one in their rtionship. His mate needed someone who she could count on as a pir of strength.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I know Nichs promised his mother, the queen, that he would marry Karenina, but he would postpone the wedding for so many years, hoping that the woman would finally give up. So, you don''t have to worry and pull your hair.
However, that doesn''t mean Karenina wouldn''t be a nuisance in the long run. BUT, another good news is, when the queen finally met Sophie, she would REALLY REALLY REALLY LIKE SOPHIE and her boys.
PS: I will publish the third chapter soon. I always feel happy whenever I write about Sophie and her little family, especially when they spend quality time together. The boys are really adorable.
Chapter 198 Going To A New Home
After a couple of minutes, Sophie slowly backed away from Lnd to look him in the eye. She took a deep and calming breath so she could talk to him without stumbling through her words or crying again.
"Lnd can you exin what¡ What happened before I passed out?" Sophie looked at Lnd deeply and her voice sounded so weak when she spoke.
However she decided she needed to understand everything, so she could grieve properly. She pointed out the window. "I do not recall that we nned on going on a short trip or anything like that. Where are we?"
Lnd gently brushed his mate''s hair back and knew he needed to calmly exin the situation. The Alpha made that decision to leave Riga when he realized the danger. With Sophie unconscious back then, he didn''t ask her opinion on this, but normally, he would have discussed it with his Luna.
"What do you remember?" Lnd asked. "I will fill in the details."
"Well, I remembered our conversation." Sophie bit her lip, fighting back more tears from dripping down her cheeks. She touched her stomach. "...and I also had a talk with Dinah. She had served me tea and I think it did not sit well with me."
The Alpha took a deep breath and gently squeezed her hand. "Sophia¡ I believe you were poisoned by Dinah."
"What?" Sophie''s face was filled with shock and horror. "That can''t be true."
Lnd sighed. He knew that Sophie liked the female lycan who had served her as her maidservant for so long. He exined the situation to her gently. "I believe that my mother, Isolde made an agreement with that¡ that maidservant of yours. So she poisoned you and that led to your miscarriage."
"No, maybe there''s a misunderstanding or something!" Sophie shook her head. "Dinah¡ she''s my friend. She supported me to confess to you and she even opened up to the boys even though she was uneasy at first."
"I''ve already discussed it briefly with Lucas," Lnd patiently said and eventually reached into his pocket. "Dinah is now gone and she confessed everything in the letter that she left."
Sophie stared at Lnd silently as if uprehending but then took the letter from his hands to read it herself. After a couple of moments, she finally lowered her head and closed her eyes.
Lnd watched his mate with worry, but eventually Sophie spoke again.
"I guess, Dinah''s sudden cryptic words back then finally makes sense to me."
The Alpha knew that it was a difficult moment for Sophie and he let her take her time to process everything. He was surprised when she gently folded the letter and then looked at him with a serious look on her face.
"What is the matter, Sophia?" Lnd asked. He expected tears to be shed because Sophie was close to her maidservant, but there was only a resolute expression on her face.
It bordered on a sense of fury in those beautiful blue eyes of hers.
"You warned me about your mother, that I shouldn''t trust her, but where is she now?" Sophie asked as she gripped the letter tightly in her hands. "If you believe that it was your mother''s fault, then where is she? Is she also dead?"
Behind them, the sound of Luciel yawning caught their attention momentarily, and the rather tense expression vanished from Sophie''s face. Her expression softened at the sight of her child.
The anger in her disappeared because Sophie saw that she was with her children. However, Lnd was reminded of the time when Sophie agreed to marry him.
She was not swayed by power, security or wealth that he offered as Duke Romanov back then, she had been moved by vengeance.
The Alpha looked at his mate and took a deep breath.
"Since wecked substantial truth back then, it was Dinah''s words against my mother''s. We weren''t truly able to convict her. I should have still killed her back then, haven''t I?" Lnd looked at his mate. "Do not worry, I will do it next time."
"You will kill her?" Sophie narrowed her eyes at her mate.
"I''ve already cast her out of the Blood River Pack, but if I were to encounter her once again," Lnd said. "I will make sure that she will regret everything that she has ever done to us, Sophia. She has messed with our lives far enough."
"I¡" Sophie bit her lip, suddenly didn''t know what to say. She hated Isolde to the core if she was really the one responsible for her babies'' death. However, the realization that Lnd might really kill the woman who gave birth to him gave her a shudder.
"Sophia, I apologize that I didn''t do it sooner," Lnd said with a somber expression. "For a moment, a fleeting moment, I had actually hoped that she had a heart and yet I should have known better."
"You wanted your mother to love you, Lnd," Sophie said weakly. "I can''t fault you for that."
Lndughed in a bitter tone. "No. She was never a mother. She only gave birth to me because she thought it was useful, Sophia. The next time I meet her, I will not hesitate any longer."
Sophie bit down on her lip as grief washed over once more. Could she really expect Lnd to kill his own mother with his hands?
The thought was something that made her hesitate.
She was angry and rightfully furious because of everything that happened from the miscarriage to even Dinah, but a part of her had actually hoped that Lnd and Isolde would get along.
That, perhaps, it was a second chance for both Lnd and her. Even if it was difficult at first, perhaps Isolde would warm up to her son and Sophie and they would be happy like the old days with Sophie''s own parents.
That was her mistake.
Once again, Sophie realized that one''s own blood rtives could do more harm than good. The worst thing was that one''s family was also great at manipting you because they knew you well and understood your weak points.
More than ever, Sophie couldn''t me Lnd for letting his mother get away amidst everything. She knew that Lnd was also probably worried sick about her back then to do anything else.
Sophie only realized everything that happened now, but her husband was dealing with every issue while she was unwell.
As a mate and wife, she failed Lnd and let him face the situation alone.
"I¡ can you just exin where we are going, Lnd?" Sophie finally asked again.
"Complications urred while you were still unconscious," Lnd said. "The pack revolted and chose to attack the coronation despite my decision and that of my Beta telling them not to."
Sophie''s eyes widened. "The pack revolted?"
"Moved to anger by Elder Brin." Lnd''s expression turned dark. "I am sure that a lot of the members of the Blood River Pack are now gone¡ but it does not matter. Those who remained with us are heading back to Frisia to avoid the royal family''s attack."
"I see¡" Sophie clutched at her chest uneasily. Too many people died in that short amount of time. "You had to postpone the attack on the capital because of what happened to me."
"Sophia, you didn''t choose this to happen to you."
"That is something I''m aware of but¡" Sophie shook her head and smiled a bit sadly. "I wish none of this happened at all."
The Alpha gently lifted his mate''s chin up. He needed to encourage his mate and give her an opportunity to look at the bright side of things."I wish that were the case as well, but there is nothing that we can do but move forward, Sophia."
Sophie nodded slowly. "I know, Lnd. It just means that we''ll be leaving the country that I grew up in and¡. I never got the chance to say goodbye properly to our kids."
Lnd''s expression faltered at those words, but he put on his best smile. "We shall return someday, Sophia. For now, let us put our concerns and cares to the present and to the living. Our other children need us."
Sophie finally looked at Luciel and Jan who both woken up at the hushed conversations of their parents. The two lycan puppies yawned cutely and then immediately nudged at Lnd.
Both Sophie and Lnd exchanged a look and gently picked up their children. Luciel and Jan quickly set off to work at perking up their downhearted mother and father by licking their faces.
"You''re right, the kingdom of Riga is nothing more than just a ce." Sophie said atst as she looked at Luciel and Jan. "Our boys need the best environment to grow in, and that lycan-hating country isn''t the best spot at all."
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I hope you like the 3rd chapter. Thank you to everyone who has supported this book by voting power stones, writingments and reviews, sending gifts and golden tickets to this book.
The winners of the Werewolf writing contest will be announced on January 27. So, it''s less than 2 weeks. Crossing fingers that this book will win something. If it did, I will throw 10 chapters mass release on February 1.
Chapter 199 Morgan And Emery
During their travels to Frisia, there were other questions and situations that upied Sophie''s once she felt more secure about their choice of leaving Riga. Among them was the state of the Blood River Pack after they had left the manor.
"Lnd¡ are these the only people who remained with us?" Sophie''s brows scrunched up in worry as she looked at her husband. "When you said that the pack revolted, I did not expect that so few would remain."
When Sophie parted open the curtains of the carriage to let in some moonlight, and to let Luciel and Jan enjoy the night wind, she only saw about five men on horseback following after them.
Behind them were two smaller-sized carriages.
There was a great possibility that there were other people upying the carriages and it did not only hold their belongings, but even then, the number was so few that it made her heart ache.
This was the only thing that Sophie saw in the darkness of the night and she felt concern grow in her chest that Lnd lost too many men when they revolted. However, her husband didn''t seem bothered.
On the contrary, Lnd chuckled and shook his head. "No, of course not, Sophia. But simr to how we travel at night and rest during the day, this is all to conceal ourselves."
When Lnd left the kingdom of Riga, he divided the remaining members of the Blood River Pack into several groups. Small groups wouldn''t attract too much attention as they traveled towards Frisia.
In Lnd''s own group, he only took ten members of the pack to apany him and his family. Lucas took charge of the other groups and they traveled separately from the Alpha.
"Oh, I see." Sophie smiled in relief and nodded slowly. "That makes a lot of sense¡ and we shall be traveling for how long, Lnd?"
"It would be a lot quicker if all of our men were in their wolf forms," Lnd exined. "However, we are going at a pace that wouldn''t rm the viges and cities we pass through. A month or so of travel."
"Ah, so it''s not that far away from the borders of Riga itself." Sophie rubbed Jan''s fur as the boy poked his head out and happily raised a paw at Max and Duncan who were riding together.
"It''s still close to Hauntingen." Lnd smiled softly. "That is how I managed toe to your family in the first ce when I ran away from my parents and the pack."
"Really?" Sophie''s heart welled with nostalgia. So many good memories returned to her mind as to when she was still with Lnd and her parents. It made her smile back at her husband.
For a moment, she could forget about their grief. Thinking about the past when everything was fine and their lives were happy always managed to elevate her mood.
"Yes, if you''d like, we can actually take a detour and visit your old home in ckwoods." Lnd offered to her. "Would you like that?"
Sophie''s heart warmed at his offer.
It would be nice to pass by Hauntingen and relive the memories.
"That sounds lovely. I can show Luciel and Jan the home of their grandparents, where we grew our vegetables and there are so many other things I wish to show them¡"
Sophie''s expression grew a bit somber at the memory of Nichs. A lot of fond and happy memories filled that hut with just the two of them there. Her heart suddenly panged and she bit her lip.
Back then, Sophie waited for Nichs in that inn at Hauntingen, not knowing that he had died with his grand-uncle, Baron Ferdinand.
Sophie was now aware that it was the Blood River Pack who attacked the royal family, including distant rtives like Nichs which saddened her. However, she did not want to trouble Lnd with her grief.
There were already a lot of events that happened, Sophie couldn''t and wouldn''t add this as another burden on her husband''s shoulders. Lnd had already gone through a lot.
She would keep it to herself.
Still, that was an impossible thing to do, because even if Sophie still tried to smile, she still looked despondent. The Alpha noticed the sadness of his mate and gently touched her hand. He thought that the sudden sorrow in her heart was because of their lost children.
"We had boys as well," Lnd softly said.
Sophie''s heart immediately pounded as she met the Alpha''s longful and sorrowed gaze. She felt something stuck to her throat and her eyes watered. "Our children were boys as well?"
"Two, just like Luciel and Jan over here," Lnd said softly as he picked up Luciel andbed his fur. The happy lycan puppy rested his head against the Alpha''s strong arms. Lnd managed his t expression and looked up at Sophie. "Did you have any names for them, Sophia?"
Sophie smiled sadly as she folded her hands together. "I was actually hoping to discuss it with you when I told you the news but¡"
"We can still discuss it now," Lnd said. "To remember them by."
"Of course!" Sophie looked her husband in the eye and admitted something. "When I talked it over with¡ Dinah. I was not sure if we would have boys or girls. I prepared a name that could go well for any gender."
"That is wise," The Alpha said. "What names do you have in mind?"
Sophie bit her lip. "I-I didn''t know there would be two. I only prepared one."
Lnd nodded. "I can name the other one."
"Ahh¡ you are right. Do you have the name?" Sophie asked her husband with teary eyes. "I like Morgan."
"That''s a good name," Lnd said as he looked at her dotingly. "Let''s call the other one Emery. Would that be a good name to you?"
"It''s nice. I''m sure Luciel and Jan would have loved to have two more brothers."
"They could have their own little pack," Lnd said. "The older brothers helping the two younger ones just like I did with them."
Sophie''s heart ached at Lnd''s words and she closed her eyes. "I can already imagine it. One ck lycan puppy, one gray, and two adorable tiny white wolf puppies following them everywhere."
Chapter 200 Leland Changes The Way Theyre Traveling
Both went silent after they talked about the sons they lost. Even though Lnd and Sophie understood they needed to talk about them in order to process their grief, it didn''t make things easier or better.
It only happened not long ago. So, the wounds were still quite fresh. None of them say another word. Sophie didn''t want to make the atmosphere turn more somber than it already was, decided to focus her attention on the little ones who started showing signs of hunger.
Lnd nodded at her and took out a bag of food and gave the children some meat to fill their stomachs. He offered some to Sophie but she refused to eat anything until the children were full.
"You should eat first," Lnd said to her. "We have enough food for days. We will stop in the next town and buy more food. Max and Duncan can also hunt for more meat."
After Lnd insisted, finally, Sophie took some food and ate with the boys. She didn''t want him to feel worried. She also realized that her body was still very weak and she needed the food to gain more strength.
"How far are we from the next town, do you know?" Sophie asked Lnd after she finished eating and drank water from the waterskin.
"Perhaps, we will arrive there before sunset. We will spend the night in Anheim. You should rest in a proper bed."
Luciel''s and Jan''s ears perked up when they heard they would spend the night in the next town. They loved traveling and they still remembered the trip they took when they moved from Hastings to Livstad.
So, now, they were traveling again? Sweet!
Luciel and Jan were toddlers and like most young children around their age, even a ratherrge carriage made them restless and eager to arrive at their destinations.
How long till we get there? The two seemed to say as they nced up with a mouthful of meat in their mouths as they scarfed down their lunch.
There wasn''t enough room to run around and so they anxiously nipped at both their mother and the Alpha tomunicate their boredom. Sophie chuckled as she opened her arms.
"Are the two of you really bored being stuck with your mother? Come here," she said.
Jan luckily enjoyed resting in his mother''s arms when he got tired, but Luciel started a staring contest with Lnd, which he often tended to lose.
On other asions, Luciel and Jan also readily poked their heads out when traveling to bark at owls and at the other lycans traveling alongside them.
Sophie herself was a bit restless from long travels in a carriage.
Back then Sophie headed to Hauntingen mostly on foot by herself when she left Hastings and her rtives. She was not stuck all the time in a carriage.
However, walking was not an option now. So, she passed the time with conversations with Lnd, napping, and also taking care of her kids.
She was very happy when they finally reached the town Lnd mentioned. Anheim was arge town not too far from ake. It had beautiful scenery and she enjoyed looking outside the window to admire the view.
"Let''s rest here for the night," Lnd said to Sophie when the carriage stopped in front of a really big inn. He got out of the carriage followed by his wife.
When he saw Sophie look so weak, Lnd helped her walk by holding her shoulders. However, when she almost lost her bnce because her legs were so weak, he immediately carried her in his arms.
"Let me," he said as he scooped her up. His heart pained when he realized she was still very weak from the after effect of the poison and miscarriage. Sophie didn''t argue. She didn''t want to attract any attention on them from the people around the inn.
The kids wanted to dash out immediately from the carriage but Duncan was faster. He hade with a big basket and motioned the kids to get into the basket and hide themselves from other people.
It was dangerous to show wolf pups around regr people because they might be suspicious that the traveling group was werewolves under disguise.
It was better and safer to hide the kids while they were in cities, So, Duncan had prepared the basket and nket to cover them.
Luciel and Jan didn''t want to, but the man looked at them firmly. "You must get into the basket, otherwise you can''t get out of the carriage. This is the Alpha''s order."
Luciel and Jan exchanged nces. They looked like they were wronged and wanted to ask their father to pick them up, instead of letting Duncan do it.
"Do what Duncan told you." At the same time, Lnd turned to them and raised an eyebrow. It was enough to make Luciel and Jan relent.
Reluctantly, both pups entered the basket and sat. Duncan smiled happily and then cover them with a nket. He also took a loaf of bread and put it over the nket to cover up the lycan pups'' existence further.
Then, he walked inside the inn, following Lnd and Sophie. Max and the others took care of their carriages and horses before they joined the Alpha in the inn.
They restedfortably in Anheim for one night. Sophie felt a bit fresher after a good night''s sleep in afortable bed. Seeing the colors return to her cheeks the next morning, Lnd realized they should stop traveling the way they usually did, traveling in the nighttime and resting in the daytime on the road.
His very sick wife needed to rest in a proper bed, in a nice inn at proper sleeping hours. So, her health wouldn''t be worse than it already was.
"Let''s travel slowly in the daytime and find towns to sleep at nighttime," Lnd said to his men when they got ready to continue their journey. "It''s less suspicious that way."
Nobody argued or contested his decision. Most of them understood that the Alpha did it for his mate, but they didn''t mind. They were not in a hurry to attack the enemy. They were going back home to rethink the pack''s future.
Chapter 201 Can You Turn Me Into A Lycan?
After Anheim, the small group moved slower and made the journey be morefortable. Sophie really appreciated what her husband did. But when she thanked him for it, he pretended he didn''t know what she was talking about.
Lnd still wasn''t used to being appreciated. He thought everything he did wasmon sense and out of necessity. He didn''t see the reason for them to be acknowledged.
"Are you thirsty?" He changed the subject. "You look cold. Maybe a little wine can help."
Sophie smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah¡ wine sounds good. I''d like that."
She received the cup of wine from Lnd and sipped it slowly. It gave her warmth that she didn''t know she needed. She looked at her husband while sipping her wine and thought about why was it so hard to make him eptpliments or appreciation.
After one year together as husband and wife and knowing the fact that they were close when they were children, Sophie still thought it was hard tomunicate with Lnd. He was really not the talkative type, which she didn''t mind, but she wished he would share with her more about his feelings.
She thought crying and pouring her heart out were therapeutic. She could grieve and slowly heal. However, she never saw him cry about their unborn sons. Perhaps, he thought he must act strong and tough for their family to rely on.
She didn''t need him to always be the stronger one between them. She wanted him to be himself around her. However, it seemed, she still had a long way to go, to make him open up to her.
"The wine is good," Sophie smiled. She gave the cup back to Lnd. "You should drink some too."
Lnd nodded and refilled the cup with more wine. He downed it in one go. Luciel sniffed the air and nuzzled against Lnd''s arm, trying to beg for wine. He thought it must be something really good since mommy and daddy seemed to enjoy the red liquid so much.
"No, no¡ it''s not for kids," Sophie reprimanded the curious boy, but she was smiling when she did that. "You can drink wine when you are an adult."
Luciel gave his best puppy eyes to Sophie, but it didn''t work. Then, he switched and tried to melt Lnd''s heart. The man shook his head and replied briefly, "What your mother said."
Luciel pouted and went to the corner. He curled up into a ball and refused to listen to Sophie''s call.
"Luciel, you can still drink milk," Sophie said.
They bought a jug of milk from Anheim and she nodded to Lnd to take out a small bowl from the cab behind him. The manplied. In no time, he already poured milk into the bowl and put it next to Jan.
The pup was excited. He was thirsty too. He licked the milk from the bowl eagerly, while Luciel raised his head and stole a nce at the bowl of milk. Sophie wanted tough when she realized her son rolled his eyes but finally joined Jan drinking the milk.
She turned to Lnd and said, "They have so much personality. I can''t wait to hear them speak."
"I can hear them speak," Lnd exined. "Wemunicate in wolfnguage."
Sophie pursed her lips. She knew this and was often jealous of Lnd who could talk freely with her sons. She could kind of understand them, but it was more to do with her instinct as a mother. She couldn''t hear their voice and understand their words.
She had to wait until the boys were older and can shift into humans before they could converse as she did with Lnd.
"I read in books that an Alpha could turn humans into lycans," Sophie suddenly said. "Is that true?"
Lnd nodded. "Yes."
"Can''t you¡ turn me as well?" She bit her lip and asked him carefully. She remembered that Nichs was turned and he became a lycan after the incident. He hated that part of him and tried everything within his power to get rid of his lycanthropy.
However, it was different with Sophie. She didn''t hate it. She would even ask to be turned if it was possible so she could be more connected to her family.
Her mother was a famous werewolf princess. Her husband, Lnd, was an Alpha werewolf, and her two sons were werewolf pups. She wanted to be part of them. She wanted to understand them more and speak theirnguage.
So, she often thought about the possibility to make her one of them. She did read about an Alpha''s special ability to turn a human into lycan and had been wondering if she could ask Lnd to turn her.
However, she was too embarrassed to talk about this in the past because it meant she would have to discuss that part of her that made her feel really insecure. Today, though, the thought crossed her mind again and she finally decided to ask.
Unfortunately, Lnd shook his head. "You are already a lycan. A half lycan, but a lycan nheless. You can not be turned because you are not human."
"Do you know this for sure?" she asked again. "You haven''t tried. Maybe if we try...?"
Lnd smiled faintly at this question. He cleared his throat and looked at Sophie deep in her eyes. "The mating ritual involved a practice that is simr to what you wanted."
,m He added, "If you are a human and I wanted to turn you into a lycan, I will have to bite your neck and share my gene with you through my saliva while I suck some of your blood. It doesn''t involve sex, but it''s basically simr."
Sophie''s face suddenly flushed red. She understood what he meant. When Lnd established the mating bond between them, he did bite her and sucked her blood. So, if that practice could turn her into a lycan, she would have been one by one now.
So, it didn''t work.
Sophie let out a sigh. Just as he said he couldn''t turn her because Sophie was already half lycan. She just didn''t have enough lycan genes in her to transform and other Lycan''s special abilities.
Sophie bit her lip and looked visibly upset. This made Lnd feel bad for not being able to grant her wish.
"I wish I am just like everyone," Sophie muttered sadly. "I am the only one who can''t shift among the people around us. And I am too weak. I also cannot converse with my own children."
Lnd understood she felt like an outcast sometimes, even though everyone treated her with respect because she was the Alpha''s mate. However, it was the little things that bothered her and when piled up could be a big issue. This damaged her self-confidence and her self-worth.
Once, she overheard some female lycans talk about her when they were still living in Hastings. Those lycans felt embarrassed because their pack was the only pack that had a Luna that couldn''t shift.
These people startedparing Sophie to her mother and Lunas from other packs. They thought except for her stunning beauty, she was basically useless.
This made them think their Alpha was a shallow man for valuing mere physical beauty over other qualities that a Luna of the pack should have.
"If this thing bothers you because you think about other people''s opinion," Lnd said slowly, "Stop. Don''t do that. They don''t know you as I do. The only opinion that matters should be mine. You must not care about others."
Sophie looked at Lnd deeply. She realized Lnd must have heard those people talk about Sophie behind their backs as well. He just didn''t care.
She wished she also could change her mindset and stop caring about how other people think about her, but it was easier said than done. Sophie was the Alpha''s mate and she thought she was responsible to keep his reputation.
She didn''t want to be the reason people revolt and abandon the pack, like what they did in Riga. What if the same thing would happen again in the future? She was distraught just thinking about it.
"You are right." Sophie forced a smile.
"I am sorry," Lnd said apologetically.
Sophie shook her head and pretended she was fine. "Don''t worry about it. I was just thinking out loud."
Lnd looked at Sophie in concern. He could feel her difort and how she med herself for the pack''s failure to attack the royal family when they were given such a perfect opportunity and the fact that they all trained hard and prepared for this mission.
"It''s not your fault," he said briefly. "Stop thinking as such."
He pulled her into hisp and hugged her tightly. Sophie felt guilty for making him worry. This man must have a lot to think about even though he always looked calm and unfazed. She shouldn''t add to his stress.
"You are right," she said softly. "I won''t think that way again. As I said, I was just thinking things would be easier if I am also a lycan like all of you. Please forget what I said. It''s stupid."
"It''s not stupid, and I understand where you''reing from," Lnd replied. "But I cannot turn you and you don''t need to be someone you''re not. You''re perfect as you are."
Sophie wanted tough when she heard his words that sounded like a cheesy pickup line, but instead, she let out an ugly cry. She knew he meant every word.
Chapter 202 Stopping By Blackwoods
As he promised, Lnd took Sophie on a detour and visited her old home in ckwoods before they continued the journey to Frisia. Seeing the rundown hut in the middle of nowhere brought Sophie to tears again.
Of all ces she had ever stayed in, it was the shabbiest. However, this was also the ce she loved the most. It brought her so much love and good memories.
Beautiful memories of her childhood with her parents and Lee, and the short wonderful memories she had with Nichs.
"This ce is almost crumbling¡" Sophie muttered to herself when she got off the carriage and looked at her old hut. However, there was a beautiful smile curved up on her face. She wiped her tears slowly and took a deep breath. Then, she turned to look at Lnd and said, "Thank you for taking me here."
Lnd nodded. Seeing the handsome man by her side, Sophie suddenly remembered thest time she was in ckwoods after she failed in her search for Nichs. She was attacked by a bear and¡
Her eyes bulged at the sudden realization.
"You¡" She swallowed. "Did you save me from the bear and¡ and you left me a letter and a pouch of money?"
She was too distraught after losing Nichs and finding out that she was pregnant. She didn''t really think about her mysterious savior back in ckwoods. Now, everything suddenly started to make sense.
Lnd nodded lightly. "Yes."
"Oh¡"
Sophie pressed her lips. Now she remembered what happened more vividly. She was attacked by a bear but someone saved her at thest second and took her back to her home.
He provided her with warmth, cooked soup for her to eat when she woke up, and even washed and dried her clothes so she would have something clean and dry to wear after she woke up.
Now, she realized it was not a dream when she thought she snuggled against a very warm and huge wolf when she was unconscious. Back then, Sophie thought she was dreaming of Nichs.
But apparently, it was real and it was Lnd.
Lnd looked at Sophie''s tears with questions in his mind. Did she feel offended by what he did back then? They were not mates but he dared to remove her clothes and snuggle with her in his wolf form.
Yes, he did it for her safety, but she might not see it that way and only felt disappointed because Lnd vited her privacy.
Was she mad?
"I can''t believe you are always there when I need you the most, even from before I know you," Sophie said with a hoarse voice. "I must be the luckiest woman in this world."
She staggered but she forced herself to walk to him and hugged him tightly. Her feet felt so weak and she almost fell to the ground by her sudden movement, but Lnd caught her in time.
"Thank you," Sophie whispered amidst her tears. "I am grateful to have you in my life."
Lnd had hugged her closer and supported her back. Seeing her reaction made his heart flutter, but at the same time, her fragile body pained him to no end.
How long would she be this weak? How far had the poison damaged her body? Would she ever recoverpletely?
"Do you want to go inside?" Lnd asked. He decided to just carry her in his arms. Sophie hugged his neck and turned to look at the shabby hut. She nodded weakly.
"Yeah. I want to see it a little bit before we continue our journey."
"Okay."
Lnd walked to the hut, followed by the eager pups who had jumped down from the carriage as well. Their sleepy eyes suddenly went round when they realized they arrived in a strange ce.
The dark forest to the right looked scary but fascinating at the same time. They wanted to explore it. However, seeing their parents go to this shabby old hut, they chose to follow.
The other lycans only stood guard to make sure that no one bothered the Alpha and his family.
When Lnd and Sophie arrived inside the hut, a wave of nostalgia immediately washed over them. They could see the ce looked exactly like thest time they left it.
It was too shabby for anyone wanting to steal anything from it. There was barely any furniture, only one shaky wooden bed, a stool, a simple stove, and a few pots for cooking.
Sophie was dazed for a moment. She remembered the bed she shared with Nichs after they got married. It was hard and shaky, but when she was sleeping in his arms, it felt like the fluffiest and mostfortable bed in the world.
Luciel and Jan sniffed around the hut and started ying with the pots. When Luciel identally kicked a pot to a corner and created a loud nking noise, Sophie was startled and moved from her reverie.
She was embarrassed that she was thinking of another man while she was with Lnd. Her face flushed red.
"I-I have enough¡" she said weakly. She realized that being in this hut made her feel ovee by sadness and longing for Nichs. It was disrespectful to her now-husband.
"Are you sure?" Lnd asked."We can stay here longer. We are not in a hurry to reach Frisia."
"I am sure, yeah¡" Sophie lied. She could stay here forever despite the hut''s rundown condition and would still feel happy. However, she knew this would only make her think about Nichs more and it was not good for her rtionship with Lnd.
This man was so kind and loving to her. He didn''t deserve to have a wife who was still thinking about another man, even though the other man was already dead.
Recently, Sophie also had stopped talking about Nichs to her sons. She thought it would be confusing for them to be doted on by Lnd but Sophie insisted on showering them with stories about their biological father.
Perhaps, when they were older, she could have a sit-down and talk to them about Nichs again.
Until then, let Nichs be an exclusive part of her that she kept deep in her heart.
Chapter 203 Arrive In Frisia
"Very well," Lnd agreed with Sophie''s request. He understood what his mate wanted. He did feel jealous when they stepped inside this hut because the memory returned to him as well.
He remembered seeing Sophie giggling andughing freely with Nichs when they returned from the forest. Sophie looked so happy around Nichs and she chattered a lot.
The sight filled him with so much jealousy when he saw them from the distance.
For as long as Lnd could remember, Sophie had never been that chatty when she was with him. She smiled a lot, but he realized he never made herugh, unlike Nichs.
When she was with Nichs¡ Sophie talked to him with this big smile on her face and sheughed so much. Lnd also heard how she was giggling and being yful when she and Nichs made out and finally had sex in this very hut.
The jealousy Lnd felt back then was so intense that he punched a big tree over there. Now, the same jealous feeling was starting to engulf him, seeing the wooden bed in the middle of the hut that Nichs and Sophie used to sleep in together.
However, Lnd could only keep that feeling to himself. He maintained his t expression, not wanting her to feel ufortable. He knew he shouldn''t bring up Sophie''s past rtionship because the other man was dead and she was now his wife.
"Yes, let''s go now," Sophie said. "We are not far from Frisia, right? We should keep going."
Lnd was d she didn''t want to stay in ckwoods longer. He would have to work hard to keep the anger and jealousy within himself if they decided to linger here.
Fortunately, Sophie wanted them to continue their journey. That''s what he wanted too.
"Luciel, Jan¡ let''s go," Sophie called out to her sons who were excitedly ying with the pots and some firewood. They felt funny seeing such a small and shabby hut. All their lives, they had been living in luxury and didn''t understand why their parents decided to visit this ce.
Luciel and Jan immediately dashed out of the hut and went to the carriage. Duncan helped them go up because the carriage was still too high for them to jump on by themselves.
When Lnd entered with Sophie, the boys were both standing by the open window, checking their surroundings.
"Let''s go," Lnd ordered his men to continue their journey. The carriage door was closed and they started moving again.
***
Before they knew it though, the small group had moved past the borders of Riga and reached Frisia. They had been traveling for one month.
"We''re almost there," Lnd said as he pushed the curtains in their carriage to the sides. The Alpha revealed to his mate and children the sight of a beautiful property located up in the mountains.
Sophie saw an enormous building up on the mountains andpared to the previous ones they had stayed in, it was far greater in size and seemed like a fortress, secured in the mountains.
"That''s where we''ll be staying?" Sophie''s eyes widened.
"Yes." The Alpha nodded. "The height seems a bit steep, but the view is wonderful once you reach the manor. Not to mention that the air is also immensely fresh and crisp. I think you''ll enjoy the morning chill there, Sophia."
Sophie grinned. "As long as you hand over your coat, Lnd."
"Always."
? "That''s good," Sophie said and inched closer to her husband. "I was hoping that we''ll still have some changes though."
Lnd blinked but smiled. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said. "If you have any desire to renovate the manor in any specific design, we can readily do it. It is our ce, after all, Sophia."
Sophie poked at his cheek. "I mean your mask, silly. We''re not in Riga anymore."
"Oh, you''re right." Lnd kept up with his disguise as Duke Romanov and included among it was the need to wear the dark leather mask. He had gotten so used to wearing it every day that he nearly forgot about it.
"You don''t have to hide your face anymore," Sophie said. "Besides, that mask is really stupid."
"I''ll take this off now." Lnd smiled as he pulled it off and ced it away. "Are you happy?"
"Pleased!" Sophie chuckled and her eyes sparkled. "I know you had to wear the mask while we were traveling because of us being stopped over by multiple garrisons in Riga, but it''s safe now."
After the attack of the Blood River Pack on Livstad, a lot of towns and cities were on high alert for a lot of travelers, but it was finally over.
"It is." The Alpha said. Lnd felt himself rx at the sight of the ce. At longst, after traveling for a month they finally arrived in the city where Duke Romanov once resided in.
It was already transformed into the Blood River Pack''s settlement and the ce where Lnd wanted to take Sophie.
This area was much safer than Riga and more importantly, he considered it as the perfect environment for both Sophie and their children to dwell in. Last but not the least, it would give the Alpha a chance to gather strength once more.
Soon they arrived at the castle up in the mountains, and the moment that Lnd opened the door, both Luciel and Jan happily scampered out.
"Gosh, they''re so eager to get out," Sophie said.
"I''m d that they''re excited. It will be our new home after all." Lnd offered his hand to his mate and helped her step off from the carriage.
This time, Sophie finally took in the sights of the property from up close and she smiled brightly. The castle was new to her and she felt enthusiastic about having a fresh start with Lnd.
"It really is beautiful¡" Sophie marveled at the view until she saw dark spinning circles in her vision and the sight of the castle blurred.
Luciel and Jan were already trying to barge into the castle doors much to the amusement of Lnd and he stepped forward to follow them in. However, he sensed Sophie''s difort.
"Sophia?" the Alpha nced over to his mate so they could walk after their children, but his expression changed at how Sophie looked. There was a sudden paleness in her face and her lips were a touch dry.
"I''m fine. Let''s go after the kids." Sophie tried to say, while a cough escaped her throat. "Gosh, it''s afternoon but it''s quite cold. I guess a Lycan''s sense of temperature is really different from a human''s."
"Sophia, please slow down a little. We don''t need to rush if you''re not feeling well." Lnd said. Instantly, anxiety resurfaced in his mind as he looked at his mate''s face.
"Don''t be silly, it''s just a little chilly here as you said." Sophie refused to be stopped and tugged Lnd forwards towards their children already pawing at the door. "We don''t want to be thest one¡"
Sophie''s grip on Lnd''s hand loosened as her legs went ck, but before she fell, Lnd immediately caught her in his arms.
"Sophia," he spoke to her in a worried tone.
"I think my legs just felt weak after sitting for such a long period of time." Sophie touched Lnd''s chest and smiled. "Thank you for catching me."
Chapter 204 [Bonus Chapter] New Home
"Thank you for catching me," Sophie said, but it didn''t ease the worry that flooded her husband''s chest.
It was already six weeks after the poisoning and miscarriage and it still seemed to be affecting her. Lnd looked at his mate with concern and immediately took Sophie into the castle''s main foyer.
The doors immediately opened up by the remaining members of the Blood Pack that stayed back. "Alpha!"
Lnd walked past them immediately.
Luciel and Jan both waded after their parents and noticed the tense atmosphere and started to ce their paws at Lnd''s legs as if trying to climb up and reach their mother, but Sophie kept insisting that she was fine.
"Don''t worry about me, boys!" Sophie said as she leaned against Lnd''s chest. She didn''t want her children to be afraid for their mother''s health. So, she smiled at them and waved. "You two can have fun, okay?"
Lnd nced at the two boys at his feet and then looked at Duncan and Max who were both carrying some of the luggage inside of the castle. He said, "Take charge of the boys while I put Sophia in bed."
"Yes, Alpha!" Duncan immediately added the luggage he was carrying on top of Max''s own load.
"Oi!" Max grunted at Duncan to no avail.
Unfortunately, Duncan already crouched down and then grinned at the children. "You boys wanna see the view from the top of the castle? It''s breathtaking!"
Luciel was immediately enchanted with that thought and rushed towards the older lycan. Jan on the other hand still looked at Sophie until she ushered him to follow after his brother and their caretaker.
Once the children and their guardian were gone, the Alpha immediately started heading back into his room to bring his mate there. He did it despite the protest that Sophie gave him.
"Lnd it''s not really that necessary." Sophie poked the man''s chest and gave him a pout. "You can let me go down and let me just catch my breath. I am fine."
"If you do not wish to do this for yourself, then do this for me at least." Lnd insisted. "I''ll be more at ease if you are able to rest. Would you like me to prepare you a cup of tea so you can rx?"
Sophie knew that she couldn''t argue with Lnd when he put it that way. The man showed his concern for her both through words and actions that she didn''t want to reject it even if she thought that she waspletely fine.
"Alright you can do that and I''llply with your request, as long as you stay with me in bed." Sophie smiled. She didn''t want to be the only one resting because she was sure that her husband was also probably tired.
The Alpha blinked at his mate''s words. "Sophia, I still have to coordinate with Lucas to manage the rest of the pack¡"
"Well, I don''t want to stay cooped up in my room alone," Sophie said. She felt like staying in bed would just make her feel sick. "Can''t I just stand around so I can see how you do your role as an Alpha?"
Lnd hesitated.
"I think it''s also important for me to participate in leading the pack," Sophie added.
Lnd knew that Sophie had a point and he wanted to say yes. The Blood River Pack would feel more cohesive that way, but he didn''t want to risk it when Sophie''s health was fragile.
There were other chances for his pack to warm up to Sophie.
"On second thought, I''ll let Lucas handle it and give the pack some time to rest and recuperate," Lnd said and then whispered into Sophie''s ear. "I was looking forward to being able to spend time with you alone after all."
Sophie blushed. "You''re just saying that so I''ll agree."
"It''s still true." Lnd took his mate into their room. He gently ced her down and then immediately joined her in the bed. He kissed her forehead and asked. "Are you still interested in that cup of tea?"
Sophie shook her head and snuggled up against him. "No. Just stay here with me as you promised. That''s all I need."
"Alright." Lnd smiled. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her to sleep.
***
The Alpha gently brushed some of Sophie''s hair away as he kissed her forehead. It only took about ten minutes before his mate finally fell asleep. Her chest slowly rose up and down as her breathing rxed.
Sophie''s exhaustion in her body made her rest even while she tried to stay awake and chat with him. She attempted to stay awake but having a soft bed and her husband''s presence eased the tension in her body.
Lnd was d to see her resting and he hoped that this helped her to recover. Perhaps the strain of the travel didn''t allow his mate a chance to fully heal from the miscarriage?
He wished and fervently hoped that was the case. It brought him grief to remember the incident.
It struck past Lnd''s carefully crafted defenses in his heart and affected him deeply, far more than the Alpha let himself show to his mate and the Blood River Pack.
"Our sons¡" Lnd breathed deeply and remembered the doctors'' words clearly. All of them agreed that Morgan and Emery must have absorbed the poison that Sophie drank which allowed his mate to stay alive.
As Lnd stared nkly around their room, he was suddenly interrupted by a firm but quiet knock on the door.
The Alpha rose to his feet and opened it up to see Lucas.
The Beta lowered his head. "Pardon me for the interruption Alpha, but I came here to inform you that the final group of Blood River Pack has arrived atst and I''ve sent everyone to rest and recuperate before you summon us to a meeting."
"Thank you." Lnd nodded his head. He could imagine that there was a lot to discuss, issues that needed to be addressed, and a new n and goal for their entire pack to make. "Is there anything else?"
"No, Alpha." Lucas shook his head. "That is all, but I''m here to check if you have any new orders."
"No, let everyone rest. I''m also taking care of my mate¡" Lnd nced over at Sophie asleep in their bed. However, he suddenly hesitated for a moment and said, "Actually, summon our best cksmith."
.
.
____________________
From Missrealitybites:
Third chapter today. I just feel like writing more for Lnd and Sophie.
PS: I had a change of heart with the babies'' names. Initially, they were Morgan and Merle (it''s actually from Merlin), but after I thought about it again, I decided to just use Emery (Merlin''s childhood name).
If these names ring you a bell, congrattions! ^^
Chapter 205 Lelands Way Of Grieving
"Our cksmith, Alpha?" Lucas blinked and looked up at the man with confusion. What did their Alpha need from someone who made armors, weapons, and other metal items?
"Do I need to repeat myself, Lucas?"
"Of course not, Alpha. I will summon our best cksmith right away. Shall I send him here at the door or at the study?" The Beta asked.
Lnd nced once again over his shoulder. His mate was still fast asleep, but the Alpha didn''t want to let his mate out of his sight if he had a choice. "Summon him here."
"I will do it at once."
"Good."
Lucas was unsure of what the Alpha wanted with one of their cksmiths. It was a rather strange request that put even him, who was Lnd''s second-inmand, into a state of confusion.
As powerful lycans, they didn''t usually require swords or other weapons forbat. Instead, their cksmiths were mostly appointed in order to create other items like horseshoes, nails, and other materials that were useful for day-to-day life.
However, the Beta didn''t question or pry into it. Instead, he did as he was asked and summoned their best cksmith. The lycan cksmith turned up hurriedly outside of Lnd and Sophie''s chambers not long after.
"What can I do to serve you, Alpha?" the cksmith bowed.
Lnd went still for a moment but finally, he took a deep breath and asked. "We have a lot of treasures and precious metals that came from the mountain. Can you craft me a pendant?"
Since Lnd took over the identity of Duke Romanov, he took advantage of everything that thete man had to offer him. Included among them were the mine shafts that the man once owned.
He wanted a pendant that wouldst him for a long time.
"For our Luna? Most certainly, Alpha!" The cksmith immediately said yes and bobbed his head.
"..." The Alpha stayed silent for a moment and knew that most woulde to that conclusion. It was something that perhaps Sophie would like as well, but it actually wasn''t for her. Lnd felt a bit embarrassed to discuss with her.
It would be something just for himself.
If Sophie wanted one for herself, then Lnd would quicklymission one for her. There was no problem with that whatsoever with him, but for now, it would be for him.
The lycan cksmith certainly thought that their Alpha wanted to give his mate a precious gift. So, he smiled and brightly asked. "What kind of stones do you wish for me to use? What material shall I obtain for the ne, Alpha?"
"No stone, just metal," Lnd shook his head atst and rified. "It is not for Sophia, it is for me."
"Oh¡ yes, the question remains the same, Alpha. What material shall I obtain for the ne?" The cksmith stared at his Alpha and wondered if he had gone deaf or his hearing became impaired. "Unless I misheard you, Alpha."
The lycan was talking to their Alpha who mostly went around the castle baretop and without a hint of jewelry at all. In the Blood River Pack, it was no secret that Lnd didn''t pay attention to his wardrobe or appearance at all.
When it came to terms of outfits, fashion, or other social etiquettes, their Alpha couldn''t care less about those frivolous things.
They were not particrly important in lycan society. If anything, it was the battle scars and wounds that one received duringbat, battle, and war that the lycans held on with prestige and honor.
A scar showed one''s expertise in battle, one''s ability to survive under tumultuous pressure.
That was something that their Alpha, Lnd Szar, was filled with all over his back.
Being lycans with strong regenerative abilities, scars meant the wounds were too deep to heal 100%, and so they left marks. Those were considered the battle scars that every lycans wore with pride.
"Is there a problem with your ears?" Lnd narrowed his eyes at the cksmith who started sweating on sight and shook his head. "Yes, I want tomission a pendant for myself. Does the idea trouble you? Make it with simple metal and use leather string to hang it."
"Understood, Alpha." The cksmith cowered in fear when he saw the Alpha''s sour expression. "I will start working on it immediately."
Without another moment''s hesitation, the Alpha continued with his sudden order. "Spare no material or expense for this pendant so that it willst for a lifetime. I do not wish for any shy jewels, but a gold pendant will suffice."
"Of course, Alpha." the cksmith bowed his head. "Is there anything else that you require from the pendant?"
At the other man''s question, it was when Lnd finally slowed down and looked the cksmith in the eye. He hesitated on sharing it aloud, but he said it slowly. "Yes¡ I want you to engrave the following names, Morgan and Emery."
A silence followed as the cksmith immediately bowed. "I will do it at once, Alpha!"
Once the cksmith was gone, Lnd shut the door at once and leaned against the door. The idea that he showed even just a hint of vulnerability was something that the Alpha was unused to.
Grieving was useless.
Tears were a sign of weakness.
Those lessons were embedded strongly within him even as a young child. When his younger brother, Lowell, died back then from a mysterious disease that afflicted him, Isolde only cried out in grief once.
She was allowed to cry because she was a woman. No matter how heartless she had been with Lnd and how tough she looked on the outside, she was free to grieve and the Blood River Pack epted it as normal.
For someone like Lnd though, it was disallowed and considered strange for him to cry. Luckily for him, he wasn''t close with the golden child. Back then, he only attended Lowell''s burial with a sense of agony and dread within him.
However, that wasn''t what stuck in the Alpha''s mind at most. It was his father.
Not one tear was shed by the man.
The Alpha lost his youngest son but there were no sounds of pain, a sniffle, or even a single tear. If Alpha Leon was upset that his second son died, he never showed it through any normal means.
Lnd didn''t get how his father managed it, because thinking of his two lost sons filled him with so much grief now.
After the cksmith left, the Alpha covered his face with a hand and took in a deep and shaky breath. He stood unmoving for a moment until Sophie''s eyes bleared open.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Mmm, Lnd?"
The Alpha dropped his hand and stepped forwards towards his mate.
"Yes, Sophia?" He asked with a smile. Lnd didn''t wish to add more trouble to his wife who was still in recovery. So, he put up a calm expression whenever he was around her.
If he could take care of this pain on his own, he would do it.
"I heard voices..." she furrowed her brows. "Were you talking to anyone?"
"Yeah. I called someone to discuss a matter of the pack," Lnd said lightly. "It''s nothing important. Do you want to have breakfast now?"
Sophie nodded. "Sounds good. I am hungry."
Chapter 206 Life In Frisia
< Three Months Later >
Time passed quickly for the Szar family and before Sophie knew it, she and her family settled down into a nice andfortable routine.
Even though Sophie''s throat was a little dry and she had a headache when she woke up, she looked up to see Lnd watching over her with a loving look on his face.
"Good morning, Sophia." Lnd greeted her.
It eased the ufortable feeling a little.
"Are you lycans really nocturnal?" Sophie rubbed her eyes and yfully red at him. "I don''t understand how you wake up earlier than me. I was an early riser in Hastings, and the same went for Hautingen."
"I know." Lnd smiled and gently ced a kiss on her forehead.
The Alpha remembered little Sophie eagerly waking up Anne and Jack so they could harvest their vegetables. She had always been a ray of sunshine around him.
"What are you smiling about?" Sophie tilted her head and pouted. "You didn''t even answer my question."
Lnd stared at his wife and shrugged. "Well, I just like waking up early and get busy."
Sophie sat up and clutched Lnd''s cheek. She gave him a kiss on the lips and pulled back to give him a soft smile. "Well, I''m just d that you''re the first thing that I see everyday. I''m incredibly lucky to wake up to such a handsome face during the mornings."
Lnd looked at her with deep longing in his eyes. It made Sophie''s stomach churn as her entire face heated up. She couldn''t help but nce at the covers and then back at Lnd as another blush crawled up at her face.
The Alpha only gave her a raised brow look. "Were you looking for something?"
"No." Sophie shook her head wildly.
Lnd smiled faintly. Before Sophie knew it, Lnd moved closer and then kissed her on the lips deeply. When he pulled away, Sophie was a little dazed. Her mate showered her with kisses and affection and he treated her with so much love.
"Sophia..."
The atmosphere between them thickened, but Sophie''s eyes suddenly focused on the pendant that hung around Lnd''s neck. She understood what it meant to her husband and knew that Lnd was dealing with his grief in his own way despite not saying a word.
Her heart ached a little more, and she only managed a smile.
,m In Sophie''s mind, she didn''t want to do anything when the both of them were still grieving for their children. It felt selfish of her to want to be intimate with her husband. Lnd on the other hand, knew how his body was still affected by being so close with such a beautiful mate.
Somehow, his libido was betraying him. However, the Alpha controlled himself. He still kept checking on Sophie''s health and didn''t want to aggravate her. Every now and then, Sophieined about mild ailments and though she brushed it off, he was always vignt.
Lnd also knew where Sophie''s eyes trailed and knew that she was thinking about their lost sons.
"Shall we go on for breakfast now?" Lnd asked. He changed the subject and distract his mind from intimacy. This was still not a good time to even think about such a thing.
"Yes." Sophie agreed at once and stood up. She held on to her husband''s arms and walked with him out of their chambers. "I''m sure the boys are eagerly waiting for us."
"Unless they''ve started to scarf down their food eagerly," Lnd shook his head. "I''m a little concerned that they''re picking up a few bad habits from Duncan."
Sophie looked up at him and teased her husband. "Maybe you''re just jealous that they''ve really warmed up to Duncan and Max?"
"No." Lnd shook his head. "If Lucas wasn''t so busy with being my second-inmand, I would prefer him to watch over my children. He would be a good influence on them. Max is alright, but¡"
"Well, don''t worry about it too much." Sophie squeezed his arm to reassure him. Although secretly, she had already thought about those two lycans like they were the uncles of her children. "Luciel and Jan adore you the most."
"Do you really think so?" Lnd raised a brow. "Luciel always enjoys trying to beat me during our races. It''s less adoration and morepetitiveness, though I can respect that."
"He''s just being silly." Sophie smiled at the image of her growing boy running about. "Although I don''t know where he gets it from¡ Ahem, well¡ maybe he got it from me."
"Most likely." Lnd agreed. "Did you remember when your father once brought us a rope? He made the two of us y tug of war although your mother wasn''t too happy about it."
"All I can remember is me ending up in a mud pile since it was rainy the day before." Sophie snorted. "Though you were such a mess before because you were all white."
Lnd grimaced. "That''s true."
"Did you bring that up because you''re going to make Luciel and Jan do itter?" Sophie asked.
"Perhaps?"
"As long as the boys have fun." Sophie grinned. "It doesn''t matter if they get dirty."
***
And so the days went past for them like this.
Things were peaceful and each day was a blessing for Sophie, although, peaceful wasn''t exactly the best word when it came to living with over fifty lycans underneath one roof.
Most of the pack members lived around the Alpha in his manor and they did everything together. The rest were scattered down in the settlement nearby.
"Good morning, Alpha and Luna!" The members of the Blood River Pack greeted them when they stepped inside the dining hall. Lucas stood up and went to greet the couple.
Luciel and Jan happily barked alongside the pack as they eagerly awaited for their parents to join them for breakfast. It made Sophie smile as she sat down beside her children and with Lnd beside her.
She never dreamed that she would eat in thepany of so many people.
It was another lycan culture she started to enjoy. Compared to human societies where a vige was close together but still separate, she didn''t realize that lycans were incredibly close-knit when it came to a pack.
"May the Moon Goddess bless this bountiful feast for us!" one of the lycans raised a goblet before they all started eating.
Ever since Sophie and her entire family arrived at Frisia, she didn''t realize how happy moving here made her feel. This was truly the fresh start that she didn''t know she needed.
In what felt like so long ago, Nichs once asked Sophie what she would do if money wasn''t an issue and her answer back then was traveling the world and going as far as she could go.
Truth be told, Sophie was only being whimsical at the idea because all she ever nned was to reach Hautingen, open an inn or tavern then live the rest of her days by herself.
However, life brought her an unexpected series of surprises.
There were both good and bad events, but if the Sophie Hansley of over a year ago could be here right now, she was bound to be shocked by the changes and would never expect that this was the life that she had now.
After a delicious breakfast with the entire Blood River Pack, her husband yed with their sons, trained alongside them. Sophie loved to watch over and sometimes even joined them when she wasn''t feeling exhausted or drained.
Although, Sophie couldn''t stand around for too long. The damage to her health was too severe and doctors confirmed she might never fully recover.
Chapter 207 Can She Recover?
During the afternoons, Lnd upied himself with the affairs of the Blood River Pack and it was during those times that Sophie took the chance to do some light reading in his expansive library or spend time with their children.
"So what do we have here?" Sophie smiled and gestured to the ckboard in the study. She drew a picture with some chalk and looked at her two babies. "We''ve gone with this word before, right?"
Luciel was a bit distracted by the book in front of him, while Jan paid attention like he always did. Although it was anyone''s guess if Jan paid attention to the chalk more than the picture.
"Ah, maybe it''s time for a break." Sophie massaged her temple.
Even if it was still a bit early for education in her initial assumption, Sophie saw that her two boys were far more intelligent than regr human children and soon began teaching them how to speak.
Once they could finally shift into their human forms, Sophie was excited to hear them talk with her. For now, Sophie wanted Luciel and Jan to further understand what she was talking about.
"Um, is it an apple, Luna?" a small voice suddenly said.
Sophie''s expression perked up as she saw a child peek out from the door. Compared to her two children who couldn''t shift yet, this one already had and apparently picked up on her lessons well.
"Yes, you''ve got it correctly." Sophie nodded pleased. "Jamie, right? Do you want toe inside?"
Before the boy made a decision, an older female lycan opened the door and bowed profusely. "My deepest apologies, Luna. My son likes to run around. I''ve told him so many times that this ce is off-limits."
"It''s alright." Sophie waved a hand. She didn''t think that she''d be able to actually be like Katherine and teach kids, but she wanted to do it.
There were actually other Blood River Pack members who also had children who sometimes joined in, albeit shyly as most of their parents were too respectful when it came to their Luna like right now.
"We couldn''t possibly impose on you, Luna." The mother tugged her child''s hand. "Let''s go, Jamie."
"Well, others have also¡ª" Sophie winced as she felt a sudden faintness and wobbled for a second.
"Luna, are you alright?" the older lycan turned to her worriedly.
"Ah, I''m fine," Sophie reassured her with a smallugh. "I think the break was just for me more and not really for my kids."
"Would you like anything, Luna? Is there something I can still do for you? A cup of water? Do you want me to call for a healer?"
"No need for any of that." Sophie smiled. "As long as your son can join us next time I teach my boys, it would be a lovely thing."
"It would be an honor to have my son be instructed by the Luna herself." The mother bowed respectfully and made her son do the same.
Even though the pack was more known for itsbat prowess and strong lycan warriors, there were still others who were left behind when Lnd went to Riga.
Among them were mothers still nursing their children, those who had other responsibilities, and so on. The past months allowed Sophie to get to know them better.
Unlike the harsh treatment back in Riga, the other members warmed up to their Luna. It was something that she hadn''t expected at all and it made her happy. It felt like Sophie was finally contributing as the Luna of the pack.
***
During the evenings, Sophie and Lnd spent some time together before dinner with their kids. Sometimes, it was them talking about their day, but tonight, the Alpha took her somece else.
Tonight, the Alpha surprised her with a nighttime pic in one of the cliffs at the mountain. It was so beautiful. This was even much nicer than that one time when he took her to dinner at the castle''s rooftop.
"What do you think of the view?" Lnd nced at his mate with a warm smile.
,m "I didn''t realize that the stars would look so much better from up here, Lnd." Sophie smiled back at him as she leaned against his side and nced up at the sky with a newfound appreciation for the night sky.
"The heights of the mountain certainly elevate us furtherpared to the tnd or even the hill in Riga." Lnd cleared his throat. "I''m d that you like it."
"I love it, Lnd. Thank you for bringing me up here." Sophie grinned at him.
"It can get a little intense with staying and living in a pack. That is why I also enjoy having some time alone." Lnd exined. "Heightened hearing senses, and such."
"I understand." Sophie smiled as she reached for her goblet.
"How was your day so far though, Sophia?" Lnd asked.
Sophie nced down at her wine and found the scent a bit overpowering that it made her head hurt. "My day has been¡"
"Sophia?"
Sophie''s surroundings dimmed again before she fainted.
The Alpha immediately carried his mate in his arms and rushed her back to their room and called for the doctors and healers. Lnd looked at Sophie in concern. There was one thing on his mind.
He was not going to lose her again.
Lnd''s chest pained at the sight of his mate lying on the bed unconscious. He needed to do something to help her, but all he could do for now was try to understand what happened to Sophie.
Unfortunately, when the first healer from the Blood River Pack came, he spoke to Lnd in a grave tone when he checked on her condition.
"I apologize, Alpha but the Luna''s state is worse than we expected," the healer said. "It seems the doctors in Riga assumed that the Luna would be fine because the babies absorbed the poison but after a more thorough check, I found that the poison also affected her."
"She was fine. I could see that she was fine and it just seemed like she was forcing herself." Lnd shook his head and looked at Sophia. "I thought that she was slowly recovering even if she was weak, but you''re telling me that her condition worsened over time?"
"It seems the damage to her internal organs was done and even if you shared your strength with her, it''s only slowing down the effect," the healer said."It is too difficult. If she could survive this ordeal, maybe slowly her body could regenerate and heal on its own. But¡ I can''t guarantee that it will happen."
"No!" the Alpha red at the lycan healer. "There must be something we can do. That is what the healers of the Blood River Pack are for. If you cannot even treat my mate then how can I expect you to even handle the pack?"
"My deepest apologies, Alpha." The healer bent on his knees. "Our knowledge about poison is not enough. Lycans are quite strong on their own but it is our first time dealing with such a delicate situation."
He meant that Sophie''s physiology was unlike that of a true lycan. She was too weak to handle this problem.
"I''m afraid Alpha that even another lycan would have sumbed to the poison, but she is only surviving because of your strength," the healer said. "I believe that is how she has managed to get by for thest months."
"The fact that my mate is in this condition is uneptable." Lnd shook his head and clenched his fists in frustration. He almost never lose his calm, so this sight was unusual to the healer. "Why are you so useless???"
"I am sorry, Alpha," The healer croaked a response.
"My strength isn''t enough on its own it seems," Lnd let out a long sigh. "Is there no other healer who can do a better job?"
Lucas immediately summoned more healers to check upon the Luna''s health that night but their answers were all the same.
When the lycan healers couldn''t do anything, Lnd turned to the human doctors again and hoped that they could do something for Sophia. However, even the doctors that visited confirmed what the lycan healers said.
"Her condition is extremely fragile and it is our first time encountering a poison this strong, Duke Romanov," the first human doctor spoke. "If we could get a sample to study it¡ maybe we can find the antidote, but even then, the time that it would take to try and find a way to counteract such a poison would take a while."
Lnd red at him.
"I apologize, Duke Romanov." the doctor said. "It is better to be ready for the worst. Even ourtest research cannot figure out how this poison is affecting your wife."
The Alpha took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had hoped that the doctors would have an answer for them but it seems that there was only one thing that he could do. "I cannot ept it."
If the lycan healer said that it was Lnd''s strength that helped Sophie survive and if there was no doctor or healer that could treat her, then it only meant one thing.
It was up to Lnd to grow in strength for his mate.
.
.
____________________
From Missrealitybites:
I adore Lnd because he never gave up. No matter what happened.
Chapter 208 Leland Is Working Hard To Be Stronger
Sophie woke up after a week and was unaware of what happened. Thest thing she remembered was she was having a pic dinner with Lnd outside. She saw Lnd beside her who looked worried sick and she touched his hand. "Lnd?"
"Sophia!" the Alpha''s expression was utter relief because she still woke up.
He had been so afraid that this time she wouldn''t make it. However, as she gave him a weak smile, his worry was eased a little. It seemed like everything he did for the past week truly helped improve her condition.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You passed out..." Lnd softly said. "Sophia, I thought that you were slowly recovering. You''ve been moving around and active, but suddenly you passed out again. You were forcing yourself, weren''t you?"
"I don''t like staying in bed all the time, because it makes me feel as if I really am sick." Sophie bit her lip and she shook her head. "Even though I sometimes feel weak, as long as I get up and exercise, eat well... I do feel better after some time, Lnd."
"Sophia, there is no harm in resting if your body feels like it needs it," the man said in concern. "I understand that feeling very well. I myself don''t like staying in bed doing nothing, but I hope that you can still take it easy."
Sophie looked at him sadly. "I''m terribly sorry for worrying you. I didn''t expect that this would happen at all since I am taking it easy. I''ll be more careful next time when I''m feeling faint or tired. But it must have been freezingst night..."
The Alpha''s heart was crushed by the thought that his mate assumed that it was only one night but it was far more than that.
"Do not worry, I will share my strength with you," Lnd said.
"Lnd, you already are." Sophie fluttered hershes when she heard his words uttered in a serious tone. "You are the reason I am still alive now."
"I am, but I will do my best to maintain my own strength further so the two of us can share it even further." Lnd exined. "Perhaps in thest few months, I''ve been needlessly too focused on rebuilding the Blood River Pack..."
"You are working extremely hard indeed." Sophie touched his arm. "Even if it wasn''t for me, Lnd, I want you to also take care of yourself. I am sure that we can still grow the pack''s power even if it is slower than you want to."
"Thank you, Sophia." Lnd smiled.
"You''re wee¡" Sophie felt frustration in her chest as she held onto Lnd''s arm. She was doing her best tofort him, but all she could think about was how she was slowing him down.
Not only was she a half lycan who couldn''t shift, she was even weaker now.
Why couldn''t she be stronger for her husband?
Perhaps if it was just Lnd alone, he would be able to fully concentrate on growing the Blood River Pack''s power once more. And maybe they would even have seeded with conquering Riga if not for her!
"I think the pace is just fine now." Lnd grabbed her hand and smiled gently as he felt the frustration of his mate throb within him. "You do not need to worry about how long it will take."
Sophie leaned against his chest and sighed. "I¡ I guess you''re right. Perhaps a lot can still change as you grow in power? What if humans and lycans can get along suddenly. A peace treaty would be wonderful."
Lnd loved his mate for that optimism in her heart and he held her close. "We will see what can happen, but I want you to focus on regaining your health first, alright? Worry about the whole thing when you are much better."
"Okay," Sophie nodded slowly and smiled. She found his steady heartbeats aforting thing. "Thank you for always taking care of me, Lnd¡"
"Always."
Before the Alpha knew it, his mate ended up falling asleep on his chest. She must have been still so weak and her body still demanded her to rest. Lnd gently ced her back on the mattress.
"Sophia¡" he slowly breathed.
After a couple of minutes, Lnd forced himself to step out of their chamber. He needed to work once again for her sake.
If it was his strength that contributed to her health and wellness, then he needed to grow in power and also keep his own condition optimum.
"Alpha!" Several lycan warriors stood attentively in the hallway. Among them were the familiar faces of his trusted aides, Max and Duncan and it made Lnd halt. They were the few people that he could liked and could trust like Lucas.
"Have a healthy breakfast prepared for the Luna and make sure that you carefully watch its preparations and have a female lycan deliver it to our chambers, Sophia can eat once she wakes up."
Now, he always made sure to have someone trusted to watch whatever food and drinks served to his mate. He didn''t want to lower his guard like thest time and gave the opportunity for someone like Dinah to poison Sophie.
"Yes, Alpha!"
"Duncan, you can go watch over and take care of Luciel and Jan for this morning. I will be meeting with Lucas," Lnd ordered as he left the hallway to locate his Beta.
***
"Alpha, shall we head back to the mountains?" Lucas bowed his head in greeting Lnd. "I have our men prepare the battle circle already."
"Yes, let us go." Lnd nodded.
For the past week, he had concentrated on taking care of himself while pushing his own skills and capacity.
It was good for him to maintain his health, eat well, and train with Luciel and Jan but if he could increase his strength then it would be a boost to his mate.
Included among the marks of strength was his capacity forbat.
Lnd had probably grown a tad weaker during his stay in Riga when he was preupied with attending balls and parties as Duke Romanov. The Alpha still trained but he was also fully more devoted to his mate and their children back then.
Now it was time to hone his strength once more.
.
.
____________________
From Missrealitybites:
While Nichs is trying to get away from an arranged marriage, Lnd is collecting kudos points from Sophie.
It will be interesting to see how Nichs will catch up on his missing points. XD
Chapter 209 Leland Wants To Become The Werewolf King
It didn''t take too long for them to climb the high part of a mountain on a cliffside. There were red and blue tribal marks painted across in a small circle which represented their designated sparring area.
Lucas settled on the right side, his back to the mountain.
Lnd settled on the opposite, his back turned towards the cliff.
It was better for Lnd to be on this side so he could keep his senses keen and sharp.
He asked his Beta, "Are you ready, Lucas?"
Lucas nodded and immediately dove towards Lnd. The Beta''s hands were already transformed into ws and swiped down at Lnd. The Alpha dodged at the nick of time but felt the ws graze against his skin.
"Alpha, did you learn how to ask questions from staying quite long in Riga?" Lucas chuckled a little and stepped back. The Beta was light on his feet and took advantage of his nimbleness.
Lnd shook his head and counterattacked wordlessly.
"Uff¡" Lucas bent down and avoided the sh that crumbled down rocks behind his back. "It must have been too annoying always being surrounded by humans."
,m "They can be tolerable at times," Lnd muttered and grabbed Lucas'' fist. He threw his Beta against the mountain and watched him crash down against the rocks.
"Good spar!" Lucas winced.
"Again," Lnd said.
"Yes, Alpha!" The Beta rose to his feet and grinned kindly. "I only let you win because I was distracted by what you said about humans being tolerable. I forget that you once lived with one."
"It all depends on the person. They can have a change of heart."
"Except for the royal family, they''re all wicked down to the bone." Lucas frowned.
It was true that Lnd was the Alpha and his pack detested humans, but like many others, it was more personal than simply wishing to end humanity or elevate the lycan society to the peak of existence.
"That I can attest to." Lnd shook his head and felt the anger simmer within him.
He wished to avenge Jack and Anne, for the suffering that the royal family brought them and many others. In order to make up for the years of loneliness, hopelessness, and sorrow that Sophie experienced.
It was for the happiness that was stolen from both Sophie and Lnd.
"The meeting with the other packs will take ce soon during the next full moon, Alpha." Lucas reminded him. "What happened in Riga will be a difficult thing to exin to the other packs."
"There was a dissident among our members," Lnd tly said. "There are a lot of power struggles constantly. It cannot be helped that Elder Brin caused it. In my eyes, we have simply weeded out those who should have been cast out from the pack."
"Yes, Alpha. However, I worry about your chances with the title of Werewolf King since our power has diminished," Lucas voiced his concern.
"There is no need to trouble yourself. I still have every intention to take on the title for myself." Lnd reassured him.
The reason why Lnd wanted to grow in power was for Sophie''s sake. He did not want any titles like the Werewolf King or anything else, but the reason why he wished to pursue it was also for her as well.
Blood River Pack''s mutiny and division were because of the seeds of discontent that Brin and Isolde nted among the pack and they were unhappy about Sophie not being a full lycan like them.
Lnd wished to ensure that when a full-blown war came between all of the human kingdoms and all of the lycan packs, Sophie would remain safe and well protected. The safest ce in the food chain was being at the top. So, of course, he would ensure his family would be safe by working hard to secure the position.
He could use his influence as an Alpha on the Blood River Pack, but other packs would surely challenge him once they figured out the Luna was half-human. That was why he had every intention of bing king.
He could work with little members as long as they were all loyal. He would train them to be stronger. He believed in quality over quantity. It was better to have a small army of powerful and loyal warriors than weak-minded people who were easy to sway by wicked people like Isolde and Brin.
In addition to that, Blood River Pack would also be open to epting rogues or other smaller tribes who wished to join. They just had to follow the way Lndmanded his pack.
"Alpha, what about our pact of agreement with the Witches?" Lucas asked. "Since you''ve cast your mother out of the pack and she has escaped, who will be the one in charge of dealing with them?"
"We will break it off with them," Lnd said. "I believe that Isolde may have worked with the Grand Witch to create a poison for Sophia. I cannot trust or work with them any longer."
He didn''t have evidence, but it was better safe than sorry. He couldn''t trust the witches because they were close to his mother.
"I do not wish to pry, but what if we could get a cure from them for the Luna? Are the entire Witchespromised, Alpha?" Lucas inquired. "I remember that your friendship with the Grand Witch''s daughter is strong."
"I cannot trust them. The Grand Witch is my mother''s friend. So, I will assume that they are allpromised even if some of them will ept payment¡" Lnd shook his head.
"You mean that only a few would be able to create a cure."
Lnd''s expression became grim. "It does not seem strange if it is Eloise herself who made the poison and if it is her..."
"But she must know that poisoning the Luna is like poisoning you as well, Alpha." Lucas'' eyes widened. "It is no secret that strength and even weakness are shared among mates."
"Perhaps she was tricked by her mother and believed that the poison was meant for the king of Riga?" Lnd acknowledged. "Regardless of the truth, we must break off the agreement."
"Understood."
Chapter 210 Isolde And The Obsidian Sand Pack
< Gazi Desert >
"Are we there yet, Luna?" one of Isolde''spanions sweated hard against the harsh sun. The Blood River Pack who remained loyal to her were not used to the heat of the desert. They were mountainous people and spent a lot of their time in areas with a colder climate.
"Yes, almost!" Isolde hissed at them. "Remember your ces. It will be difficult, but I will vouch for all of you as strong warriors that can be an asset to this pack."
Isolde Szar no longer had a ce in the Blood River Pack. It filled her with unimaginable rage because she had lost her position, but there was another ce that she could go to despite her leaving it all behind before.
The Obsidian Sand Pack.
She raised her head and found the old sands that were once bathed in blood transformed into a thrivingmunity. Their pack nearly got wiped out before, but now it was growing again.
Several other lycan guards stationed at the entrance raised their ws. "Who goes there!"
"Are you blind?" Isolde narrowed her eyes on the men. They shared the same skin color so they surely should have identified her. "I am a former member of Obsidian Sand Pack, Isolde Szar. I was the Luna of the Blood River Pack. Take me to your Alpha. He knows who I am."
"Blood River Pack?" The lycan guards were shocked.
At Isolde''s name, several of the guards took her to their Alpha along with the Blood River Pack members who came with her. They were surrounded but Isolde didn''t bat an eye.
"You¡" the Alpha growled at the sight of Isolde. He was a man in histe forty who looked fierce and unfriendly. He shared simr physical traits with Isolde. His skin was tanned and his ck hair looked messy. "Why are you here, Isolde? Haven''t you left us already because you prefered the Blood River Pack?"
Isolde''s expression shifted. "The winds have changed and brought me back."
A beautiful female lycan suddenly appeared and approached the Alpha without a moment''s hesitation. She whispered. "Father, I heard that members of Blood River Pack is here but who is that woman?"
"Oh, is this my niece?" Isolde smiled and shook her head sadly. "I''m upset that you never told me. It has been so long since west met, brother. You''ve made our pack prosper even when I thought it would not."
"Aunt?" the beautiful Lycan''s eyes widened. She looked at Isolde and her father, the Alpha, alternately.
"Do not give her a moment of your time, I." the Alpha warned his daughter before narrowing his eyes at his sister. "Tell me why you are here, Isolde. I do not have time for your mind games."
Isolde sighed and ced a hand on her chest. "I have lost my husband and my beloved youngest. Now, my cruel eldest son has shunned me and cast me out of the Blood River Pack."
"Oh no," I whispered and she looked at Isolde with concern. She had heard good things about Blood River Pack since Lnd took over and even though they were far away, she felt proud of her rtive. "I¡ you mean that my cousin did that to his own mother?"
The Alpha''s face didn''t change. "And so youe running here expecting us to help you?"
"My son''s mind has been twisted by that human woman he fell in love with." Isolde shook her head. "I cannot stay there when my son''s ideals have already changed in favor of the humans."
"What?" the Alpha''s eyes widened.
Isolde couldn''t approach the witches any longer knowing that she had failed them in separating Lnd from Sophie. So, she went for the pack that she knew would ept her.
"It is true." Isolde clenched her fist. "They are human sympathizers. If you must recall that the reason for our downfall is because of thest Lycan King''s daughter, Anne, that wench consorted with humans."
The Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack, Alpha Zaros, didn''t bat an eye at his sister''s words. However, he felt his blood boil at the mention of the Lycan King''s daughter.
He remembered how the great war between the lycans and humans was truly affected by the change of stance. The king''s daughter was a great assassin and was supposed to assassinate the king of Riga and many others.
However, it was widely known and spread that she betrayed the Blood River Pack. The Alpha, Leon, was even said to avoid the kingdom of Riga to give Anne peace with her human husband.
It was something that tarnished the reputation of Blood River Pack, but the other packs couldn''t do anything with the tremendous power they had.
Alpha Zaros sighed deeply and looked Isolde in the eye. "And how is this rted to the one seducing your son now?"
"It''s Anne''s daughter who brought the changes to Blood River Pack." Isolde''s face was nk. "It is disgusting. She has tainted it with her human blood. It is uneptable, brother."
"Are you expecting me to do something against the strongest andrgest lycan pack in the entire continent?" Her brother asked. "If it is only to shelter you, then perhaps I can relent to your presence here but you will not make war with them."
"You are only frightened because of Blood River Pack''s power, right?" Isolde batted her eyes at her brother.
"It makes sense too." the Alpha said. "I will not shake the ho''s nest."
"I know their weaknesses well," Isolde said. "I have been the Luna of the Blood River Pack for over a long time before my stupid son, Lnd, took over. I know it better than him and I am sure that they have taken a great loss too."
The Alpha shifted uncertainly. "A great loss to the Blood River Pack? What happened?"
He was surprised to hear from Isolde that the once the biggest and most powerful pack in their continent experienced great loss. Was Isolde telling the truth?
Chapter 211 The Deserters Return
Isolde nodded. "Yes. Seeds of discontent and unfulfillment have already been present in our Pack. We were divided and I believe that Elder Brin has led a great majority of the warriors to a suicide attack."
"Do not try to pull me along with your schemes, Isolde." Her brother narrowed his eyes on her. "Even if you are bright and strategic, I will not risk anything. A wounded wolf simply fights more furiously until it is healed."
Compared to anybody else, it was true that a family member was more familiar with the motivations and methods of their rtives. Was it better for Isolde to just retire and stay here with content?
As long as she could hide, then she and her son would never meet again.
Or so anybody would think.
Isolde did not live long enough to simply rx because she had gotten away. She knew Lnd. He was vengeful just like his mother. If Isolde let her guard down, her son would kill her.
If not today, sometime in the future.
She had made too many enemies to think of peace.
Isolde pursed her lips. She looked at the empty space beside her brother and sighed. "It is hard to manage the Obsidian Sand Pack, especially when there is no one to support you."
At Isolde''s words, the Alpha stiffened because Isolde knew how to hit where it hurt. His expression became gloomy. "Nobody has ever taken the ce of Luna here, I would rather lead it by myself than take anyone else but Eryea for my mate."
"I am sorry, Zaros¡"
The reason for their hatred for humans was evident. Both Isolde and her brother remembered how the sands were bathed in red, and among them had been Eryea''s own life vanishing before their very eyes.
Little I had been the only thing that was left for Isolde''s brother.
"If you were sorry, then you would have stayed, Isolde." the Alpha red at her. "You could have helped me raise my daughter and the pack, but you chose to desert us."
"There was no hope for the Obsidian Sand Pack before." Isolde frowned at him. "How can you me me for taking the best option to survive?"
"It is truly your nature isn''t it?" the Alphaughed. "You will do whatever it takes to survive."
Isolde clenched her fists in frustration. "You were the one who refused to merge the remaining members with the Blood River Pack. The suffering that has happened is your fault!"
"Father!" I finally intercepted between them with a frown. "Even if Aunt Isolde abandoned the Obsidian Sand Pack in favor of the Blood River Pack and you have your differences, the two of you are still siblings."
The Alpha softened at his daughter''s words then nced over to Isolde with a frown. "Well? Shall we stop arguing?"
Isolde only looked at I and smiled. "You seem to have raised a kind-hearted daughter."
"And you have failed to raise your son properly."
Isolde narrowed her eyes at the Alpha. "I can''t help but wonder if you didn''t get a Luna after Eryea was gone simply because of that horrible tongue of yours."
"Do not test my patience, Isolde." Her brother said. "I can still throw you out."
"Why thank you, dearest brother of mine." Isolde let out a fakeugh. "But I still offer my services to you. I can help you manage the Obsidian Sand Pack."
The Alpha shook his head and smiled at his daughter. "Do not worry, I will take the role of the Luna after she and her husband take over. They will be the ones to usher in a bright future."
Isolde raised a brow at those words and nced over to her niece.
I smiled brightly at Isolde and opened her arms. "Wee back to your old home, Aunt Isolde."
Isolde looked at her niece and smiled to herself. Fine. Even if she couldn''t convince her brother to take a stand against Lnd, she could always influence the next Alpha of the Obsidian Sand pack.
I, her niece, would be a nice option too. This good girl would be far easier to ''assist'' than her brother.
***
"Alpha!" A lycan rushed up the mountain and intercepted the next spar between Lnd and Lucas. They bowed in front of the Alpha and said. "You muste down, Alpha!"
Lnd''s eyes widened. "Did something happen to Sophia?"
No.
He would have felt it.
The Alpha''s connection with Sophie would allow him to notice if something happened to his mate. Instead, something else had happened and the Alpha nced towards the castle and saw a great congregation of lycans heading up.
"Survivors of the Blood River Pack, Alpha! They just returned," said the lycan. "They want to see you."
Lnd narrowed his eyes when he heard the report. So, those traitors decided toe home and see him¡ for what?
Didn''t they think Brin was a better leader and chose to follow him and his orders?
"Where are they?" he scoffed.
"They are on the foot of the mountain and asking permission to go up," the lycan responded.
"Don''t let theme up," Lnd said coldly. He motioned Lucas to follow him and soon they met with thepany of the survivors outside of the castle. Lnd did not let the betrayerse in or even enter the walls of the castle. He and Lucas met with them at the entrance.
"What brings your deserters'' lot to the Blood River Pack?" Lucas frowned at them as the Alpha stared at them silently. He was furious to see them.
"Wee here to bring important news," one tried to say but was quickly intercepted by his brother.
"Beta, we apologize for our actions." One of the lycans knelt low and modted his voice. "Elder Brin has moved us to anger, but it was a fruitless attack."
"He did not know how to lead us," another agreed.
"Elder Brin was a coward and only hid in the back while sending the rest of us to our deaths that are meaningless. Many have died and we could not even recover their bodies, Alpha."
.
.
_________________
From Missrealitybites:
Thank you so much for all yourments, reviews, and votes. I am feeling unwell and can''t respond to yourments. I''ll do so tomorrow after I get better. In the meantime, take care and stay healthy. xx
Chapter 212 Leland Has No Pity For Traitors
"How many of you survived?" Lnd coldly asked. "I only see twenty of you and that is a pittance. I remember more than five hundred lycans have deserted me so why are you guys the only survivors?"
"About a hundred of us survived the battle, but we were all separated, Alpha," a lycan survivor exined. "The King of Riga sent many Royal Lycan Hunters after us."
"Did any of the lycan hunters follow you until here?" Lucas'' eyes narrowed at them.
"No, Beta! We assure the Alpha and everyone else that we have escaped the Royal Lycan Hunters sessfully." The survivors reassured the Blood River Pack''s leaders.
"If there are at least a hundred survivors, why have they not returned here?" Lnd asked. "Much time has passed but I only see you."
"Please forgive us, Alpha." The lycan was on his knees and trembling hard. They could see that the expression on his face was nk and did not show a hint of mercy. "We fear that they may have joined other packs that were closer to Riga."
Lnd raised a brow. "And yet you havee here to return to Blood River Pack?"
"If you will ept us again, Alpha." All of the lycans bowed until their heads touched the ground. "We have done you a great disservice. We will do anything that you wish for if you can ept us back into the pack."
"We did not respect our Luna before, but now we will serve her with our lives, Alpha!"
Lnd slowly walked towards the closest lycan whose head was bowed. Lucas and the rest of the lycans who were inside of the castle watched their Alpha move and held their breaths.
The Alpha stepped on the Lycan''s head and crushed it.
All of the lycan survivors immediately raised their heads in shock. Some gasped, others growled and the rest were silently outraged.
"I have no use for people who betrayed me in the past." Lnd kicked the body of the dead lycan towards the other survivors. "If you wish to return here, then die. Or save your pathetic lives and get lost."
"Alpha, why do you chase us out!" one of the lycans shouted and shook. "We have bravely attacked the kingdom of Riga and caused harm to them."
Lnd stayed silent and turned back to the castle. He realized Sophie was awake. So, he decided to return to her side. He had no pity for disloyal people. If they betrayed him once, they could betray him again.
"The Alpha has no need to answer you," Lucas said to the deserters on behalf of the Alpha.
"This is that woman''s fault." Several of the lycans growled underneath their breaths. Words of displeasure filled the air and they talked among them begrudgingly.
This must be because of the half-human female who was now controlling the Blood River Pack''s Alpha. They hated her so much. Lnd chose her over them, his pack members who had been part of his tribe for decades. His reaction today only cemented their assumption that the Alpha had changed and no longer focus on his mission to avenge their tribesmen.
They started shouting at the Alpha who entered the castle, followed by Lucas who closed the gates on them.
"You will regret turning us away, Alpha!"
"You are not leader material. Your mother was right. You shouldn''t have been the Alpha of our pack!"
"She changed you and someday you will regret throwing us out¡!"
Lnd didn''t pay them any heed. He walked faster to his chamber to check on his mater.
***
Time pass by so quickly when they were living in peace. Lnd did his best to be strong for the sake of his mate. He trained himself harder and pushed himself to the limits by sparring with Lucas and his warriors.
When he had the opportunity to be with Luciel and Jan, who were growing each day, the Alpha spent more time with the boys outdoors to be stronger while maintaining his good rtionship with his sons.
He also ate good food, choosing to eat a healthy and bnced diet and everything in order to maintain his physique so he could be stronger and share his strength with Sophie.
What the healers told him was true. Sophie only survived her failing health because she was his mate and she took advantage of the fact that mates could share their strength. If Lnd was a weak man, Sophie might have died a long time ago.
This gave Lnd the motivation to keep working out and training his physique. In one year his body had buffed up even more than before. He had excellent health and strength and he could share it with his mate.
It was not enough, but at least Sophie could stay alive and her health didn''t be worse.
Sophie herself tried to eat well, but even the food that was prepared by the best cooks and delivered by Lnd himself didn''t sit well with her. The headaches she had grew worse despite the several healing tonics that the healers of Blood River Pack made for her.
Healing rituals were performed for Sophie''s sake, offerings were even done for the Moon Goddess but Sophie''s health could only maintain for a while, stagnating, but then worsening over time.
Sophie hated it.
She didn''t like seeing other people pushing themselves for her sake, but there was nothing she could do. The best that Sophie could do was deal with the self-loathing that was building up within her.
Everyone was already doing their best, and it was up to Sophie to focus her attention on others instead of herself.
"Lnd, thank you." Sophie''s voice was hoarse and croaky as her husband ced her on a rocking chair.
"Please tell me if you need to head back inside, Sophia," Lnd whispered as he ced his cloak over her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "I do not want you to force yourself."
"I''m fine, Lnd." Sophie managed a weak smile. "I wanted to see you and the boys."
Lnd his men were training on the castle courtyard as usual, and the boys joined them from time to time. Sophie who couldn''t do much always asked her husband to take her to the terrace so she could watch them training.
Just seeing them looking healthy and spending a lot of time outdoors brought happiness to her heart. Luciel and Jan had grown so chubby. They looked like two fur balls rolling around among the older lycans who were sparring and training.
Sophie smiled so much whenever she saw her boys with their shenanigans. Even though she was too weak to be involved in any physical activities, she thought the happiness she got from watching them made her feel better and healthier.
***
< Six Months Later >
Isolde earned her ce in the Obsidian Sand Pack again. People treated her as an important figurehead as the sister of Alpha Zaros and she was more than happy to take the role.
Respect.
Isolde craved it and was given it, not as much as she wanted to because the Alpha was still the head, but several opportunities came and blessed her.
There was also the fact that a great number of Blood River Pack warriors suddenly came here and tried to find a ce among the Obsidian Sand Pack, and Isolde quickly took advantage of it.
Chapter 213 Isoldes Plan
Isolde had no news if Elder Brin survived, but she was more than happy to believe that the old man died during their cowardly run from the Kingdom of Riga. The former Luna of Blood River Pack didn''t care at all because he was nothing more but a pawn in her ns.
Now that he no longer had use, he was better off dead.
"Will you take charge of the Blood River Pack warriors who survived?" Alpha Zaros approached her. "Even though theye here, they are still disrespectful. I believe that they have been deeply hurt by my nephew''s casting them out."
"Of course, dear brother." Isolde smiled. "Do not worry, I will make all of these lycan warriors be of asset to you."
"Good." Alpha Zaros looked at Isolde with a frown. "Do not think of starting a coup, Isolde. Just because I''m handing off these men to you, it doesn''t mean that you can break the Obsidian Pack from within."
"Of course not!" Isolde shook her head and smiled innocently. "Why would I do something like that? You are too paranoid that you could even think that way about me."
Isolde realized it was a bad n to attack her brother head-on anyway. She was not stupid.
Alpha Zaros sighed but then looked at his daughter who was ying with the lycan pups. The sight of his daughter made him smile and his expression softened immediately.
He loved I so much because she was the only connection he had to his deceased mate. Everything that he was doing was for his daughter.
"In a couple of weeks, it will be I''s birthday and I''m nning to head up into the Zekkyl Heights to obtain the Moon Desert Flower as a gift for her," he said.
Isolde raised a brow. "That''s a dangerous ce with the harshest winds and sun. Many lycans have fallen to their deaths there, brother."
"I will do anything for my daughter, Isolde." Alpha Zarosughed. "She is but a simple woman that does not want for anything, but if I could give her the world, then I would do it."
"You never even got me anything during my birthdays, brother." Isolde pursed her lips.
Alpha Zaros narrowed his eyes. "It is a warning, Isolde. I may be leaving the pack to obtain the flower, but if you attempt to do anything during those times, I have my trusted men staying here."
"Of course, of course." Isoldeughed and gave Alpha Zaros a yful smile. "You think I cannot sway them with my beauty? Have you forgotten that I''ve obtained Alpha Leon''s heart before?"
"I have no time for your jokes, Isolde," Alpha Zaros said. "You''re an old hag in my eyes."
"I hope that the winds kill you, brother." Isolde hissed.
"You can only wish that, Isolde." Alpha Zaros narrowed his eyes. "If it weren''t for my daughter''s kindhearted nature, you would have already long been begging for other packs to ept you."
"Then I am fortunate indeed." Isolde smiled and nced at I from faraway. "I think she takes after her mother, doesn''t she? I see no ounce of you in her at all. A pity, she could have used some more bite. Kindness kills."
"I love my daughter the way that she is." Alpha Zaros narrowed his eyes.
Isolde crossed her arms. "You say that now, but it''s necessary to raise them tougher. I would have ended up nowhere if I were to act like your daughter."
Alpha Zaros sighed. "In the past, we had the need to be ruthless because of the human kingdoms attacking us. I lost my mate because of King Mchi''s decision to slow down the war¡ but now it''s different."
"Different how?"
"Obsidian Sand Pack is stronger than ever." Alpha Zaros said and gestured to the great number of lycans in front of them. "The Kingdom of Armeria is incredibly wary of our strength and does not provoke us."
"Then it means that you can take them." Isolde pointed out.
Alpha Zaros shook his head. "No. I am aware that the rest of the packs wish to conquer the human kingdoms, but I have grown weary and tired of bloodshed. Did you know that I visits Armeria sometimes?"
"What?" Isolde narrowed her eyes on her brother. "I thought you hated humans! Why are you letting her go there?"
"Because she likes to," Alpha Zaros said. "I could have forbidden her to, but she would rebel. She finds the inventions and cities of humans as an interesting concept. I''m proud of her."
Isolde shook her head. "You have grown weak, brother. I do not remember you being like this before."
"People change over time, Isolde," Alpha Zaros said. "I still hate humans for taking away my mate. I despise that King Mchi''s daughter fell in love with a human, but right now, I am happy to protect my daughter."
"I used to respect you before, brother," Isolde smiled thinly at him. "You once worked hard to be an Alpha and even made Obsidian Sand Pack into what it is today. However, now, you have grown too content."
"I find nothing wrong with it," Alpha Zaros said and extended a hand to his sister. "I wish that you would also understand it."
"I loathe it." Isolde stomped away.
She didn''t think that she would be epted in the Obsidian Pack since her brother, Alpha Zaros, truly hated her for leaving their pack at its lowest point¡ but his daughter made him soft.
It weakened him.
Unlike Isolde.
Ever since she lost both Alpha Leon, her mate, and Lowell, her beloved son, she knew better than to make herself weak. Now she knew that there was an uing feast and ceremony that was celebrating her niece''s birthday.
Zaros didn''t trust her to do anything but with little I being a naive lycan, she was confident enough to pull up with her n. Isolde quietly pulled out a small vial from out of her robes.
There were some droplets still remaining.
It was enough.
.
.
______________________
From Missrealitybites:
If you read "The Cursed Prince" and are used to reading about the sweet mother figure like Queen ra, seeing a mother so wicked like Isolde might make you want to pull your hair. Unfortunately, mothers like Isolde exist.
One book I read twenty years ago that affected me greatly was "A Child Called It" by Dave Peltzer. He recounted his experience of being abused since he was 5 by his biological mother so, so badly, while his brother was doted on by her.
He was not even referred to as human by his wicked mother. She called him ''it''. And her hatred for him was baseless. There was absolutely no reason whatsoever for her to treat one son lovingly and another son like sh*t.
I don''t want to go into detail how bad it was... You can google it. :(
Chapter 214 [Bonus Chapter] Cold
***
"It''s really cold..." Sophie muttered under her breath. Her body was shaking so intensely from cold and her eyes pricked with tears. She nced over to her side and saw that her mate was sleeping soundly.
Every day, for the past year that they were here in Frisia, Lnd didn''t falter in his strict routine that involved taking care of Sophie, their children, and himself. He was so hard on himself that he always fell asleep fast and deeply.
The Alpha was working so hard especially for her sake that he could only rest by sleeping. She could even hear his light snores due to the extreme exhaustion that he was going through.
Sophie didn''t want to disturb him, but she was shaking and so she shook her husband''s arm. "Lnd please wake up."
Sophie was already covered by a lot and the thickest nkets avable, but she was cold tonight. That was despite the fact that she was inside of the castle protected from the winds.
There were a lot of factors that made it impossible to be cold.
Even though Sophie was situated in a room where the firece was burning hot. She could see the crackling bright mes that came from the generous amount of firewood.
She was still cold.
It was so freezing.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Sophie, but only a couple of seconds, her husband finally woke up. She looked at him guiltily and said, "I''m cold, Lnd."
"Don''t worry about it, Sophia. I''m here for you." Lnd pulled her close and hugged her to his bare chest. He didn''t know why this was happening to his mate even after he was pushing himself to the limits of growth and strength.
ording to Lucas and the rest of the pack, they thought they had already experienced the peak of their Alpha''s strength when he was trained severely by Isolde, but now he was working twice as hard.
Before, Lnd worked to protect Sophie and her family from Isolde. Now, Lnd was working hard to save his mate from the illness of the poisons and it gave him an unexpected strength unlike anything before.
"Do you feel a bit better now, Sophia?" Lnd asked. The Alpha was already trying hard to strengthen himself and take care of Sophie and their kids. He wanted to see progress from his results.
However, it was to no avail and everything he seemed to be doing was only preventing Sophie from facing something much worse than what she was already experiencing now.
"I''m so sorry, Lnd," Sophie whispered hoarsely. "I wish I didn''t disturb your sleep, but I can''t¡ it''s just so cold."
"No, it''s fine to wake me up when you''re not feeling well, Sophia." Lnd held her close and gently kissed her forehead. "Don''t me yourself for needing me when you are cold."
Sophie closed her eyes and tried to focus on her husband, Lnd''s warm body, but she was still freezing despite him being so close to her. He was already pressing his hot body so close to her but it wasn''t helping.
"We''re living in a secure and fortified castle, Lnd." Sophie weakly said. "You have me in your arms and yet I am not able to keep warm."
"It''s not your fault, Sophia," Lnd said as he slowly sat up and looked at her. "Do you wish for me to bring you hot tea? If you are unable to sleep tonight, I can stay awake with you until you are."
It would be like the times when Sophie was still afflicted by nightmares and grief with herte husband. Lnd wanted and was going to be there for his mate this time as well.
Unfortunately, it wasn''t going to happen.
"I¡ I wish I could sleep." Sophie looked down at the nket and gripped them tightly. Her knuckles were white but she couldn''t feel them as her shoulders trembled. "I''m so tired but every part of me is shaking."
"Do you wish for some healing tonic from the Healers?" Lnd nced at their bed rest and found it empty. It seemed like Sophie had already drunk them earlier. "I can ask them to make some now."
Even though the Lycan Healers couldn''t cure Sophie of the effects of the poison that was in her body, they were able to create concoctions and potions that were able to numb their pain even temporarily.
At first, the healers were afraid that it would cause a severe reaction with the poison in her body, but so far, with Sophie''s pain and conditioning worsening, they risked it and, fortunately, it helped alleviate the symptoms.
"But what if they''re resting?" Sophie shivered. "I do not wish to be a bother right now."
Lnd gently touched his mate''s cheek. "You are in no position to care about others while you are still struggling with your own health, Sophia. Lycans are nocturnal. They will not mind the disturbance."
"I¡ uhm¡ are you sure?" Sophie looked at her mate''s eyes.
"I am positive, Sophia. Even if they were disturbed, they are serving you, the Luna and they will drop everything for your sake," Lnd said. "That is how the pack operates."
Sophie bit her lip. "Okay¡"
Lnd kissed her head and looked back at her. "I will stand up for a moment and talk Max or Duncan to fetch for a potion. Can I leave you here for just a minute, Sophia?"
Sophie bravely smiled and nodded. "Of course, Lnd."
The Alpha immediately padded outside of their room to talk with his men.
Sophie couldn''t help but hide underneath the nkets and shake. Her husband stepped away, and she was already freezing once again. Sophie detested it.
This wasn''t supposed to be worse than when she and Nichs slept in Hautingen in their shabby hut. Even though the hut was run down and the hard and shaky bed was really ufortable, she was so warm.
Now she was sleeping in the most elegant andfortable bed in a beautiful room, but it felt like she was sleeping in ice.
Sophie suddenly wished for that warm moment in Nichs'' arms and she felt guilty about it.
.
.
________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Uff, I was surprised to see this book receive a sh banner today.
I wish I could give you a mass release to celebrate it. Unfortunately, I am still recovering from the past week''s arduous work and cannot write much. =(
So, I hope this bonus chapter will do for now. I will write and stockpile for February 1 IF this book won anything in the Werewolf writing contest which will be announced on January 27. I will publish 10 bonus chapters.
These are the chapters you can look forward to in the future (in no particr order):
- One by one, the lycans will take over power in kingdoms around Riga
- The rise of the Obsidian Sand Pack
- Sophie finally recovered and she bes pregnant with Lnd''s child
- The Romanov family move back to Riga
- Luciel and Jan get their human forms.
- They are invited to the royal events (because the king wants to find an excuse to see Sophie)
- Queen Mother gets to see her grandsons and falls in love with them
- Lnd and Nic''s face-off
- And so much more!
Chapter 215 Lelands Walls
Lnd quickly returned back into the room with the vial in hand. "Sophia, I''m sorry it took too long for me toe back. We were missing an ingredient and¡"
Sophie immediately looked up and smiled weakly. "Lnd."
"Your lips are blue." Lnd immediately sat down beside his wife and offered the vial to her. He helped her gently drink it down until the color returned to her face. "I... I won''t let this happen to you again."
Sophie touched his hand and gave it a squeeze. "You don''t have to make promises, Lnd. I am sure that I will get better as time passes."
The Alpha looked at his mate and also hoped for the same. However, it had been almost a year already without any results and the same desperation in his heart took hold of him.
What if¡ what if he could truly bargain with the Witches?
Nothing he was doing was helping his wife recover and he was feeling as if that was the only way he could help Sophie. Sophie looked at the bothered face of her husband and decided to probe about it.
"What is on your mind, Lnd?" Sophie asked with a gentle smile. If there was anything she could do to alleviate his fears and worries, then she would do her best tofort him.
Lnd sighed softly and ran his fingers through his hair. "It''s less of what and more of who¡"
"Who?" Sophie raised a brow.
Lnd caught himself and grimaced. "I don''t want you to worry about it. It is nothing for you to be concerned about, Sophia."
Sophie pursed her lips. "... You really don''t tell me a lot of things, Lnd. That''s making me more curious though and yet I don''t have anyone else to talk to about that."
The Alpha looked at his mate ashamedly. There were so many things about himself that he wished to hide. His weaknesses, insecurities, and other tell-tale signs of ws made him less willing to share them.
A part of that had been Isolde.
His own family was something that he didn''t want to talk about in the past because they were only filled with unhappy and even traumatic memories that he wished to forget.
Lnd only wanted to focus on the present.
His happiness with Sophia, her kids, Luciel and Jan, and what their future might be. The Alpha did not want to be crushed by the weight of sadness, loss, and grief and the pendant he wore even in his sleep was his only outlet.
When he looked at Sophie, his beloved mate, still sick¡ he felt a tremendous amount of sadness. However, he never showed it on the outside. Sophie was unwell. He couldn''t burden her with his feelings and worries too.
"Sophia, I''ve always admired you for emotional strength," Lnd said, still not wanting to share what was in his heart. So, he decided to change the subject.
Lnd added, "You''ve gone through so much loss and yet here you are still doing your best tofort me. You should focus on yourself. I am a man and I will be fine. I just have many things I need to do."
"Oh¡" Sophie looked at Lnd in disbelief. This man still didn''t want to tell her what bothered him and he didn''t even share his burden. Weren''t mates supposed to share everything?
At first, Sophie thought she couldn''t know what he felt because she was notpletely a lycan and thus the mate bond effect might only work on Lnd. He could sense her feelings, he could share his strength with her, and he could understand her.
However, now she slowly thought her husband might intentionally block her from his heart and mind. So, Sophie couldn''t know whatever things bothered him.
He only wanted to keep them to himself. He only shared when he felt like it. When he wanted her to feel his love and his affection. However, he didn''t want her to feel his worries and sadness.
Was that true? She wouldn''t know for sure because she was only half lycan and things would be different for herpared to other female lycans. So, she couldn''t ask to confirm. Unless she met another hybrid like her.
She didn''t want to confront Lnd about this. She would seem ungrateful if he put up the walls to protect her and she insisted to barge her way in.
And for what? She was currently very sick. Maybe he was doing this because he thought she would be even weaker if he burdened her with his thoughts and problems.
Sophie decided that she should not say anything so Lnd wouldn''t feel more worried about her.
,m "Please drink this, Sophia," Lnd said gently, pouring tea from the cup and gave to his mate. "You will feel better after this."
Sophie smiled and epted it. She would try some other time. Now was not the right time.
"Thank you," she said quietly after she finished the tea and returned the cup to him.
"I''m doing my best to save you, Sophia," Lnd admitted and gently held her shoulders. "I''m doing everything I can because I''m afraid of losing you. I love you and I can''t bear the thought of you not being part of my life anymore."
Sophie was stunned to hear him open up like this, even if it was only a little.
This was progress.
She looked up to him and cupped his face lovingly.
"Lnd, the reason why we''re husband and wife¡ why we''re mates is because we are supposed to share each other''s strengths. You don''t have to carry all of this burden by yourself. I''m here for you."
"Sophia, you''re currently sick and not in a good state of health." Lnd touched her hands on his cheeks and smiled back. "You do not need to deal with this right now. Let us go back to sleep."
.
.
_____________________
From Missrealitybites:
Lnd is really not good atmunicating. He thought keeping (bad) things to himself will protect Sophie. I hope he will learn to share more. What do you think?
Chapter 216 Breakfast With Luciel And Jan
Sophie sighed and gently kissed Lnd''s forehead. "You''re so used to carrying burdens alone that you don''t feel like it''s good to share them."
"We can talk about this at another time," Lnd said. "You''re no longer cold, Sophia. So I think it''s best that we sleep now."
Sophie pursed her lips and looked him in the eye. Her body was no longer freezing indeed, but she became more aware of Lnd''s heart and she didn''t want to lose this opportunity.
"I''ve already said a lot." Lnd managed a smile. "The fact that I was even able to admit that I''m not strong emotionally¡ It is a lot for me. Please do not let the Blood River Pack know this."
"Are you sure that you have nothing else that you want to get out of your chest?" Sophie asked again.
The Alpha shook his head. "Maybe next time, Sophia."
Sophie rested back on the bed and pulled the covers over her body. "I won''t force you to speak if you''re notfortable. But tell me about who you were thinking about tomorrow, okay? I didn''t forget about that."
Lnd only smiled and pulled her to his embrace. "Good night."
***
The next day, Sophie woke up feeling a bit better than usual and she was able to join her two children for breakfast. Since her health took a sudden turn for the worse, Uncle Max and Uncle Duncan had be the boys'' primary caretakers.
Although, there were asions where Sophie still tried to teach her boys how to speak along with some other lycan children visiting. She tried to be content with her situation so as to not aggravate her health.
Today, she sat down at the dining hall to eat with her kids. Lnd normally insisted on her to not move around and stay in bed, but she convinced him that she missed her kids.
"Ah, my precious boys. It''s so good to see the two of you." Sophie smiled as she watched Luciel and Jan in Duncan''s arms. "Are the boys giving you trouble, Duncan?"
"N-no, Luna!" Duncan stammered and managed a weakugh. He thought he could feel the Alpha''s gaze on him. So, even if the boys did give him a lot of trouble, he would never say so to their mother. "They do run around, but now it''s breakfast time and they have to eat instead of y around."
"Yes, my kids will behave now, won''t you?" Sophie smiled as her two boys whimpered but nodded. "There''s a time to have fun but there''s also time to sit down and eat, alright?"
Jan exchanged looks with his brother, Luciel. They wanted to run around and exercise! Their father exined to them that he was getting strong for their mother''s sake, so they wanted to be strong too!
Unfortunately, their mother didn''t get the message.
"It''s time to eat now." Lnd reminded the boys.
Duncan nearly had a heart attack when the Alpha spoke.
"We will ce your boys here, Luna." Max intercepted his nervous friend and gently ced both Jan and Luciel in chairs. The two lycan puppies stood up on their hind legs and looked down at their bowl filled with their favorite meat.
"Thank you, Max," Sophie said before she exchanged a silent look with Lnd who seemed to be silent after their conversationst night. The Alpha smiled at her, but he still seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "Shall we eat, Lnd?"
"Of course." Lnd nodded.
Lucas watched the interaction between the Alpha and Luna with a bit of concern but didn''t interfere. If there were any problems between mates, it was something that the mates dealt with on their own.
Sophie cleared her throat and picked up her goblet. "May the Moon Goddess bless this bountiful feast for us!"
Lnd blinked and realized that he forgot to do it himself, and he nced around at the lycans, but to his relief, all of the lycans immediately raised their own goblets and also cheered.
It was the first time that Sophie had to do it, but she threw Lnd a smile and whispered into his ear. "Not so bad, right?"
"You did wonderfully," Lnd replied to his mate and smiled as well.
There was absolutely nothing for the Blood River Pack to worry about, the love between their Alpha and Luna was quite strong and immense.
***
After breakfast, Lnd picked up Sophie and took her out to watch the kids run around. Instead of the Alpha joining them, however, he stayed by Sophie''s side at the rocking chair.
"Do you know why our sons are filled with boundless energy, Sophia?" Lnd asked.
"They''re in their toddler years, so they''re active." Sophie raised a brow. She watched with a smile as Luciel and Jan happily ran after some of the lycan kids with Duncan.
"No, they assumed that if they could grow strong and healthy, so would their mother." Lnd watched the two lycan pups. "They have good hearts."
Sophie looked up to her husband with a look of longing on her face. "I¡ I can''t wait for them to finally speak with me. Mother once told me that I could speak words in just around nine months."
Lnd smiled a little. "I remember that¡ don''t worry, it will only be a few more years."
"I know."
The two of them then nced back at their children for a moment and watched for a couple of minutes. After some time, Sophie reached out to her mate and touched his arm. "Lnd, you know I''m always here for you, right?"
The Alpha nced down at his mate and nodded. "Yes."
"You can also rely on me." Sophie hugged his arm. "It''s a bit presumptuous of me to say that when you''re working so hard to be strong for the both of us, but I''m also here for you. I mean it."
"Thank you, Sophia." Lnd smiled and gently kissed her head. "I don''t think you''re being presumptuous at all. When I was still training hard to be an Alpha, I was doing my best so I could see you again."
Sophie blushed a little and shook him. "I mean yes, you can think of me, but you can also talk with me. I''m not some faraway person, I''m here with you right now."
"I know," Lnd said. "...I just can''t help but worry if what I''m doing is enough for the both of us. I hesitate to approach the witches because the Grand Witch is my mother''s friend."
"Oh, so it means thatst night you were thinking of Eloise." Sophie blinked. "Your witch friend."
"A little. I don''t want to think that she has beenpromised," Lnd said. "But on the safe side, it''s best to think that she is and cannot be trusted."
"I see." Sophie tilted her head. "Well, actually, I don''t see it at all. I thought she was your friend. Wouldn''t she want to help you?"
"...I think she would," Lnd said. "However, she is a bit unpredictable. She once promised to help me to dispose of my mother once she became the Grand Witch."
"What?" Sophie''s eyes widened. "Dispose?"
The Alpha looked ufortable. "The reason why we got along was that our rtionship with our mothers is a bit simr. Both of us feel pressured by our parents, and Eloise thinks that her mother is holding her back."
"But will she really kill her own mother?"
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From Missrealitybites:
NEW BOOKS!!!
I am mentoring three young writers to write their stories. I love their talents and the stories they are creating. One story actually became a favorite of mine. It''s called "Odette & The Cursed King." It''s a story that I wish I wrote because of how wonderful the storyline is.
That''s fine though. I love mentoring the writer, Ogi, when she writes it and watching the story unfolding. I can''t wait to share the story of Odette when the timees.
Ogi is a slow writer, so we can not have enough content to immediately publish on Webnovel. Maybe, you will be able to read it in March after we stockpile chapters. If you are impatient, you can go to my P a t r e on to read the early chapters.
In the meantime, you can check another story written by my second mentee, Gigi, called "Loving The Cursed Werewolf King".
It was already published on Webnovel yesterday with 5 chapters and we will publish 1-2 chapters per day. I helped Gigi write this one and I am very pleased with the result.
You will like Ronan, the male lead from this book, as he makes his appearance. He is a king who was cursed to be a werewolf every full moon, a curse that seemed to slowly disappear after Arielle, a princess from the neighboring kingdom was sent to his pce as a prisoner.
Go search the book by the title, or go to my profile and check my reading list "Missrealitybites Books" to find it.
PS: Yes, I think I like cursed male leads too much XD
PPS: As always, my notes are added after chapter publication, so you don''t pay extra coins for the additional word count. ;)
Chapter 217 Eloise Takes Over Power
***
It was a witch''s tantrum.
It started out from a letter sent by no other than Lnd himself. The Blood River Pack was withdrawing their alliance with the coven and finally arrived in the Gazi Desert, it was only sent via a hawk.
The letter was still amicable. The Alpha ''kindly'' informed them that Isolde was exiled from the pack. Thus, he said didn''t want to trust in the coven who had strong ties with a rogue lycan.
It was all for safety purposes, the letter informed them. It was not offensive in any way. Prompt. Maybe a bit brutal. Perhaps, it was a terrible thing to say, but Lnd didn''t want to start a war with the witches.
While Sophie was still sick and suffering, the Alpha didn''t want to expend any effort in making new enemies because he wanted to focus on sustaining his wife''s health. So, it was still a respectful letter to inform of the changes in circumstances.
The winds had changed and so Blood River Pack didn''t have any interest in war right now. There was that great loss of numbers in Riga, which Lnd didn''t care about but he still mentioned it.
Witches were still a terrible enemy who could hex and curse you from afar.
"That... that arrogant Lycan. He wouldn''t be this arrogant if he were in our vicinity. An alliance is an important thing to us witches, but he broke it anyway."
Grand Witch ine''s hands shook as she gripped the letter and immediately stuffed it in her robes. She didn''t want to deal with her daughter who would no doubt raise hell and give her a headache.
"How could he do that to his own mother?" she sighed.
Isolde had a lot of ws. Grand Witch ine knew them well. The two of them had been friends for years. She knew how the usually arrogant female lycan was infatuated with Alpha Leon and helped her despite making a vow to sisterhood.
So many wrong decisions in their lives, but Isolde never quite gave up.
"Where is that woman now?" The Grand Witch ine wanted to immediately look for Isolde. A part of her still cared for an old friend, no matter the failure in the mission to kill Lnd''s mate.
She was upset at Isolde, but if Lowell hadn''t died, it was supposed to be Isolde''s favorite child who would be married off to Eloise. It was never Lnd in the first ce.
"She should havee here if she was exiled." Grand Witch ine narrowed her eyes at the dark crow sent by the Blood River Pack. "Hah. I shouldn''t worry about her. That woman can be thrown into a wastnd and she''ll survive."
For now, the Grand Witch needed to find a way to break the news as gently as possible.
Witches bore a lot of resentment. She must tread gently and with caution when she exined the situation to Eloise. It was such a sensitive matter.
"Mother!" Eloise suddenly ran up to her mother and smiled. She held up a crystal shard and showed it to Grand Witch ine. There was a small image of Lnd and Sophie in a carriage. "I saw a bird fly over."
"Yes¡ but it was simply a stray." Grand Witch ine frowned at the image. "I see that Lnd''s mate is still alive. However, I do know that Isolde poisoned her properly. Did you make a weak concoction, Eloise?"
"You think I was the one that ruined the n, Mother?" Eloise''s eye twitched.
Grand Witch ine pursed her lips. "We must not leave it out as a possibility, Eloise. Did you take into ount the travel time from here to Riga? Dilution? It might have waned when Isolde got there."
"Oh of course, mother," Eloise said. "Perhaps¡ perhaps it was my fault."
ine should have never forgotten that it was those who bore grudges from their childhood that was more deadly.
***
< Several Hours Later >
"Why thank you so much, Mother." Eloise picked up the long staff from the fallen body and met the eyes of the entire coven of witches. Shenguidly held it up and smiled. "I''m thrilled to be the new Grand Witch."
Several of the witches exchanged looks and stared at Witch Eloise with shock.
A number of them were already muttering spells underneath their breaths but were stopped by Eloise thumping the staff. Sparks of power flickered out from the ancient artifact challenging.
However, it was the crazed look on Eloise''s eyes that made them hesitate from acting and avenging the fallen Grand Witch.
"Before any of you do anything rash." Witch Eloise addressed the crowd with a calm smile. "I would hate to see all of you get hurt so please all settle down and pay respects to the Grand Witch."
"Why did you do this, Eloise?!"
"How could you do this to your own mother?"
"Questions. Questions." Witch Eloise pursed her lips. "I am obligated to exin them to my loyal coven. My mother has betrayed all of you and that is why I had to take over."
"Where is your proof?!"
"Of course." Eloise nced at the crowd. "Sm, can you please give me some assistance over here?"
Silence filled the crowd as a crow flew and immediatelynded on thete Grand Witch ine''s body. It pulled out a letter, ced the parchment in Eloise''s hands, and then flew back to one of the witches.
"We made an agreement with the Blood River Pack." Witch Eloise eyed the letter with contempt. "However, they failed to uplift it. Alpha Lnd was supposed to be my mate and yet Isolde didn''t talk with him. My mother chose to hide it from me."
"You still shouldn''t have killed Grand Witch ine!"
Witch Eloise sighed aloud. "My mother was choosing her best friend over her daughter and yet not one of you offers me sympathies? How cruel."
She gazed at them, feigning a disappointed look. The witches around her could only stare at Eloise, waiting for her next move.
Chapter 218 Alpha Zaros Death
"You can''t simply expect us to ept you as our new leader!" one of the witches shouted at Eloise. "Even if you have the Staff of Power, it''s one against the entire coven!"
"Do you really believe that I have no friends?" Eloiseughed and out of the crowd of the witches, several of Eloise''s trusted witches came up and bore arms. The beautiful woman waved her hand, looking bored. "But really, this is all unnecessary. No need to fight."
"What¡ what do you mean?" one of the witches asked with hesitance.
"I poisoned our water supply." Eloise''s eyes twinkled as the entire coven started to panic. Sheughed at the mass hysteria and looked at them. "I''m the only one who can create the antidote. So please, let''s not fight."
This time a gnawing and ufortable silence filled the crowd, resentment in their eyes as they stared up at the new Grand Witch.
Some wanted to fight, others actually wanted to run away and flee from the coven, and yet like a poisonous spider, Eloise managed to keep them all.
***
The circumstances around one''s life had the ability to take away the life of someone precious to you instantly. Over a decade ago, Queen Marianne thought she lost her son Nichs when he was captured by the lycans.
Sophie''s parents were gone before she even knew it. Nichs was unaware that he lost an important part of himself, but he knew that he lost Uncle Joseph and his own father due to the lycans who attacked his family.
Lnd lost his father and brother to an illness that he didn''t even know and then finally lost his two precious sons due to the actions of his own mother. Death was a part of life as any other. However, to those who lived their lives each day, it was still shocking.
It was so sudden.
Everybody thought Alpha Zaros was in good health, but while the Alpha was climbing up the dangerous cliffs of Zekkyl Heights, a strong wind suddenly blew him and the man was swept away from the cliffs.
He died.
Everyone believed that he died because of the heights and for failing to transform during that time, but Isolde knew better. It was not obvious at first, because the poison was only in droplets, but it still had been enough.
She remembered it well.
***
"I, can you give this to your father?" Isolde smiled at her niece and offered her a water bag. "I heard that he will be traveling today and I do not wish for him to be dehydrated. The sun is harsh and the wind is tormenting."
I blinked and eyed the water bag and then looked at her. "Why not give it yourself, Aunt Isolde? I heard that the two of you had an argument some days ago."
"Your father will not appreciate it because ites from me." Isolde sighed. "But I have been up there in Zekkyl Heights before and it is dangerous. My old friend, the Grand Witch ine nearly died when she was trying to obtain ingredients."
"You know Grand Witch ine?" I perked up and didn''t immediately reach for the water bag. "You really know a lot of people, Aunt Isolde. I admire you."
Isolde blinked but eventually quirked a lip at the praises. She held out the water bag some more to get the message across. "Ah yes, that''s how it is when you''re a well-versed traveler and do not stay in one ce."
"Would there be an opportunity to go to the witches'' territory, Aunt Isolde?" I batted her eyes innocently. "My father does not let me go anywhere. He is afraid that I''ll put myself in danger."
Isolde sighed inwardly. A part of her knew that going there would be a death sentence. Her friendship was strong with ine, but it was Eloise that she was more worried about. Her mother could not control her.
"Am I bothering you, Aunt Isolde?" I looked at her with a sad look.
"No, no. I''m just not used to all of these questions¡" Isolde averted her gaze. "My son never asks me for anything or talks with me. So, I am not used to it."
I gently touched her arm. "It seems incredibly hard to believe that my cousin shunned you, Auntie. I do not want to talk out of my ce, but it seems like you are a strong woman and butt heads easily with people."
Isolde nced back at her niece and snorted.
"I, dear. I am holding back for the sake of peace here, but if I had my way, your father would have already been fighting with me. I know my way here better than him. He soiled his fur as a puppy and now he''s like a retired old lycan."
I''s eyes widened. "What?"
Isolde smirked a little. "Your father may be the strong Alpha now, but he used to rely on my wits. Our people value strength above all, I. However, if you know your way around, all you need is your head. You have power on your own."
I stepped back a little. "My father¡ said you were a little intense, Aunt Isolde. I didn''t realize that was what he meant. Is that what you picked up from hanging out with witches?"
"It''s less something I picked up, and more of something I realized on my own." Isolde frowned. "For example, I, where is your husband?"
? "Oh, he''s out hunting with the rest of the pack." I nced faraway. "I believe that he will be back by sundown."
"What happens when hees back?"
"He''ll be giving the spoils to our pack''s lead cook, maybe help in separating the meat from the useful parts of the prey like fur and ws¡ I have to get water from the river by then so he can take a bath for the evening dinner."
"You could be apanying him, you know?" Isolde said. "During the hunting. Why aren''t you?"
"My father wouldn''t allow it," I said. "But that''s just for me. Other young female lycans in our group are free to join in the hunting. We''re much more liberated than humans, Aunt Isolde."
"And you''re not bothered at all that you''re staying here?" Isolde asked. "You''re not questioning at all why you''re supposed to stay here. I heard that you also visit Armeria, does your husbande along with you?"
I bit down on her lip. "Well, he doesn''t like going there¡"
Isolde realized she was speaking for too long. It reminded her too much of when she used to talk to Lowell, she eventually shook her head and simply handed her niece the water bag and looked into her eyes.
"I, the lycan society is patriarchal and the witches are more matriarchal. I will not linger too much on senseless topics. I understand that you think differently from me. And that is fine, adapt to your environment and survive the best way you can."
"But, Aunt¡ª"
"Carry along now dear." Isolde pushed the younger woman forward. She looked at a woman who didn''t look too different from her and found herself saying. "You still want to say goodbye to your father don''t you?"
"Yes, I need to give my father a hug before he leaves." I smiled and held up the water bag. "And I''ll give him this and say it came from you as a gift?"
"No."
"Alright. I hope that the two of you can get along when hees back, Aunt Isolde." I waved at her aunt and ran up to find Alpha Zaros.
Chapter 219 The New King Of Riga
Note:
This chapter is dedicated to Rhonda (Zzgirl). Thank you so much for gifting a spacecraft to this book yesterday. I was at a loss for words... and still, really don''t know what to say. I hope this book wins the werewolf contest tomorrow so I can make you proud. xx
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***
"But would she really kill her own mother?" Sophie stared at Lnd. There was a touch of ufortableness in her expression.
As the two of them sat outside, a cold wind blew past them and carried the voice of the happy lycan children and their guardian running along. This didn''t seem like the best ce to talk about it, but Sophie''s gaze never strayed from her mate.
Lnd half-wondered if Sophie would truly look at him differently if he had actually finished off Isolde back then. At that time, Isolde encouraged him to kill her to be the monster that he was¡ and he hesitated back then.
He didn''t want to have second doubts anymore.
"Sophia, do you remember how we dealt with your horrible rtives in Hastings?" Lnd nced at her. Back then, Sophie married him for revenge and he did it as she asked.
"Yes, how could I forget about that, Lnd?" A flicker of pain and mixed feelings appeared on Sophie''s face. "I was so angry, so furious that they pushed me into the river and could have hurt my children."
"That''s right." Lnd''s expression darkened for a moment at the memory. "We pay them for every horrible act they''ve done to us. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If theymit a sin, they must atone for it."
Sophie bit down on her lip. "I¡ I sometimes think about them though. They were still my father''s rtives. Did they really deserve to suffer in the streets? Was it too much? Was there still probably a better way to make them atone for it?"
"Sophia¡"
"If all of us are always going to repay for every wrongdoing that another personmits to us." Sophie smiled sadly. "Our entire world would be filled with people who will always constantly fight among each other. We''d all be blind too."
Lnd couldn''t help but chuckle at thest part. However, he looked at his mate seriously. "I understand what you mean and you''re thinking about forgiving them. They don''t deserve it."
"If I''m filled with resentment and harbor constant grief, they won''t even feel it." Sophie sighed. "I''m the only one who''ll suffer and be gued with thoughts about them."
"And yet if we didn''t do what we did and punished the Limbergs¡ I''m sure that they would have hurt other people more, right?" Lnd pointed out. "Not just you, Sophia."
Sophie took a deep breath and smiled uncertainly. "So that is where we start thinking that it''s better off to kill them?"
"If these people are not dead, Sophia." Lnd''s voice was grave. "Who knows what else will happen? I should have finished off Isolde myself in order to assure that she wouldn''t hurt anyone else."
"Like Eloise would kill her mother because she thought she was being held back?"
"Yes," Lnd said. "Unfortunately, not all who give birth to children are meant to be parents."
Sophie agreed with his words. He was right. She had witnessed it far too often now."
***
Nichs found himself staring nkly at the crowd of onlookers and yet he faked a smile. All of them were cheering for him, celebrating the sovereignty of Riga as he knelt down to receive the crown and finish the coronation ceremony at longst.
The one who was supposed to make him take the oath of coronation was his own father. There was no great church to take on the role of passage of sovereignty, instead, it was the royal family that reigned supreme.
On this asion, the one who was going to precede the ceremony was going to be his mother. The queen''s gaze was gentle and motherly, she forced herself to rightly crown her son despite her illness.
"Nichs Hannenbergh, is Your Highness willing to take the Oath of Coronation?" Queen Marrianne spoke in a soft voice. If it weren''t for the immediate silence of the crowd, nobody would have heard it.
Nichs kept his head low. "I am willing."
"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Kingdom of Riga and of your Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, ording to their respectivews and customs?" Queen Marriane asked.
"I solemnly promise to do so."
"Will you use your power in the cause of Law and Justice, in Mercy, and to be executed in all your judgements?"
"I will."
"As it has happened for the past generations since the First King of Riga¡ I, Queen Marriane Hannenbergh, will grant, Crown Prince Nichs Hannenbergh, the Sovereign Throne of Riga and appoint him as the new Ruler of the Realm."
Queen Marriane beamed as she took the crown held up from a pedestal and ced it on her son''s head. The entire crowd exploded into celebration and cheers. Unlike thest time, there were no more incidents or idents.
However, Nichs felt numb.
He wasn''t happy, sad or anything at all.
He may have be the King of Riga, but it was something that he always knew he''d have. He really just wanted this ceremony to be done, but there was that look in his mother''s eye that made him swallow hard.
"I believe that His Majesty will be giving his first speech as the king of Riga." Queen Marriane announced to the crowd and smiled proudly.
Nichs could have done the ceremony by himself if there were no more living parents. That was how the first king of Riga crowned himself when he lost both his mother and father during a war.
However, this time, his mother was expecting him to say something during his coronation speech. Nichs nced alongside the edge of the castle''s stage where the nobility sat and watched from up close.
He saw the expression''s of the highest Duke to the lowest Lord as they stood and pped for his coronation. There were a lot of royal ambassadors and delegates as well who were also around to witness this event.
Lady Karenina and her father, Viscount Verhoven, all of them had their eyes on him.
Nichs saw them as nothing more but people who all wanted something out of him. However, if there were people who always expected and demanded a lot from him, it would always be his own parents.
The new king, who didn''t feel like a king at all, stepped out into the center stage.
"I take my ce as the new ruler of the realm. However, the task of ruling the kingdom of Riga is a daunting task that no man, even a king, can do by himself alone and thus¡"
It was an engagement proposal.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I know you are all rolling your eyes at thatst sentence. Hang in there XD
Chapter 220 The Engagement Party
"I would like to reveal my proposal to Lady Karenina Verhoven to whom I have¡ been engaged for the past month," Nichs said.
All of the scheming dukes and lords who actually nned to propose to their king their beautiful daughters were shocked beyond relief. Viscount Verhoven pretended to look shocked too.
Nichs inwardly sighed and gazed out to the crowd. "The Kingdom of Riga will be ruled over by both a king and queen in the near future. Tonight will function as both my coronation and engagement celebration."
The king wouldn''t reveal it to anyone else, but he didn''t want to spend too much resources on a celebration, and neither did he want to spend two times the amount of time socializing at a party.
Nichs felt like he was spending money on his own funeral. Unless he found a way to sessfully break off the engagement without tarnishing his reputation too much, this was like a noose around his neck.
However, nobody really would have figured out his own feelings.
Everyone was all preupied with their own reactions to Nichs''s announcement. Queen Marianne was just thrilled by the announcement. Finally.
She beamed happily to have her worries finally beforted at this coronation ceremony. She could have used more celebrations, but she did not want to push her son.
As long as she could rest easy about her son''s future, that was more than enough. Even though she knew that her son was unhappy, Queen Marianne hoped that someday, Nichs would thank her for the decision that she made for him. Everything that she was doing was for his benefit.
Lady Karenina Verhoven''s mouth fell open. Nichs already swore to his mother when the queen was still sick and on her deathbed, but for him to do it now during his coronation, she still felt like she was dreaming.
This was what dreams were made of.
Karenina felt like she was that little girl again, back when her mother was alive, and read her stories about true love, damsels in distress, and those saved from dragons. She couldn''t help but smile even though she understood that it was not Nichs'' personal wish.
Who could me him though?
Lady Karenina was no one special. She was meek, quiet, and didn''t imagine she would ever leave Hautingen. How would a mere daughter of a Viscount everpare to the son of the royal family?
She did her best to hide it through smiles and appear confident, but she never really felt adequate. It was Viscount Verhoven, her father, who kept pushing her to be close with the queen and the crown prince¡ the now present king.
The reason why Lady Karenina actually seeded was because of Queen Marianne''s own preferences. Queen Marianne once wanted to have a daughter of her own.
Unfortunately, the queen was never blessed to have another child due to her fragile health. When she discovered that Lady Karenina no longer had a mother, she instantly softened.
In a way, Queen Marianne''s secret dream to have a daughter also seemed to be fulfilled as well. All that was left was for a celebration.
***
"Your Majesty, congrattions on your coronation." Lady Karenina smiled and curtsied at Nichs. The two of them were going to enter the ballroom together and needed to wait for them to be called.
"Ah¡ thank you." Nichs nced at her awkwardly and sighed.
The doors suddenly opened and revealed the event proper. Lords and Ladies all gathered beneath the grand staircase for their entrance. It was the first time that they would go together.
Nichs always found ways to avoid her, but not this time.
"His Majesty, Nichs Hannenbergh and Lady Karenina Verhoven join us in their celebration!" one of the royal staff announced their presence.
Both Nichs and Lady Karenina found themselves needing to be around each other at first because that was expected. Lady Karenina nced at the banquet table and thought of an idea.
"Would you care to join me for a meal, Your Majesty?" She gave him her best smile. She had spent countless hours getting herself dolled up for this asion to make him happy. She hoped he would give herpliments for looking so much more beautiful than usual.
However, the king immediately found a reason to move away from his fiancee and engage in conversation with others. He didn''t even seem to notice her beautiful dress that had a diamond brooch, given to Karenina by his mother. A family heirloom.
Instead, he looked around and suddenly said, "I think Duke Siegfred needs me for something, Lady Karenina. Will you excuse me for a moment?"
"A-ah, of course, Your Majesty." Karenina watched Nichs walk away and she sighed inwardly. She swallowed the disappointment in herself. It was too naive to think he''d speak with her. She thought now that he had chosen her to be his wife, he would at least treat her more nicely. She was wrong.
It left Lady Karenina all by herself.
Her father, Viscount Verhoven was already intermingling with other higher-ranked Lord and Ladies and acted as if he was the same and on equal footing as them. Unfortunately, Lady Karenina wasn''t all ready to interact with them.
The daughters of dukes, marquesses, and even earls had different reactions. Some epted the change of circumstances long ago and wanted to be closer with her. Some still looked down on Karenina and thought she didn''t deserve her luck and were thinking of ways to bring her down.
At that moment, Karenina didn''t really know who she could trust and felt alone in such a festive event.
Fortunately for the young woman, Queen Dowager Marianne herself came up to her. "Lady Karenina!"
"Your Majesty," Lady Karenina''s eyes widened as she curtsied. "Must youe here and attend the party? I thought that the royal doctor told you to rest immediately after the coronation."
"How can I simply stay in bed when everyone is here alight with festivities?" Queen Dowager Marrianeughed weakly. "I havee here to actually tell you something. Come with me for a minute."
The queen dowager took the youngdy to the balcony, she took her away from the celebration and the prying ears and eyes of nobility and informants. Lady Karenina was just happy to get away.
"How are you feeling, Karenina?" Queen Marianne asked.
"I''m thrilled and honored, Your Majesty. I didn''t expect to be surprised with the engagement and party." Lady Karenina smiled but it slipped. "However¡ your son, His Majesty''s heart does not lie with me."
"Indeed. I worry about my son¡" Queen Marianne nced in the balcony and saw that her son was actually at another balcony. Instead of talking with any dukes, her son was with a hooded stranger.
It was the Royal Lycan Hunter head.
Queen Marianne felt a wave of anxiety in her heart. She had managed to keep Nichs'' secret for a long time, even from those dangerous people who could sniff lycans out with expertise.
"Your Majesty?"
Queen Marianne turned back to Lady Karenina and smiled. "However, it does not change anything. Soon, you will be the queen and this will be your home."
Chapter 221 The Royal Lycan Hunter
Karenina wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She felt so touched by the queen''s words.
"Thank you¡" she said with a hoarse voice.
Queen Marianne smiled and reached out to her. "Come here, child. Don''t cry. You are a good woman. I hope to see you marry my son and live a happy life together and give me many chubby grandchildren."
Karenina touched the queen''s hand and held it solemnly. She really liked Queen Marianne and felt lucky to have her as her mother-inw. She had lost her mother when she was a child and always missed a mother figure in her life.
Who would have thought that the queen herself would take her under her wings?
"I promise¡" Karenina wiped her nose and cheeks from her tears. "I promise to devote myself to His Majesty. I will make him happy."
"I know you will," Queen Marianne smiled broadly. "Good girl."
***
Nichs Hannenbergh was now the king of the nation, and though everyone at the party was intermingling with one another, he saw a certain group that didn''t even take a single sip of wine.
They seemed out of ce in the party as much as him.
If one was able to pay attention, there were a lot of hooded figures at several locations in the banquet ce. He identified them as the Royal Lycan Hunters and all of them were stationed everywhere.
In the event of the great catastrophe that attacked the city of Livstad and Riga, these were the sworn protectors of their capital and kingdom. A lot of them did their jobs despite no thanks ever being received.
Before any dukes or lords approached him to pay him lip service, Nichs immediately walked toward one of the hooded figures. It was a strange thing to see that, during a party, all of them had their weapons strapped on.
However, the king didn''t say a word. It was better to be over prepared than underprepared and overwhelmed by the enemy. Nichs learned that now.
"Do you know where the Head of the Lycan Hunters are?" Nichs asked. It was hard to distinguish who was who underneath their shadowy hoods.
"He is on the fourth balcony, Your Majesty," the voice of a female answered him.
Nichs blinked in surprise. He didn''t expect any females to be part of this elite squad of hunters. Now he realized there were a lot of things that he didn''t know from the ordained group that existed alongside the royal family.
He finally came to the balcony as instructed, but when he opened the door and walked out, he found it empty.
There was no one around. Or at least, Nichs thought of it until he nced up and saw a figure on top of the pce''s roof. The Royal Lycan Hunter leaped down and immediately greeted him.
"What can we do to be of service to you, Your Majesty?" the man asked.
Nichs looked at the hooded figure and said, "I have noticed that not one of your men has partaken in the festivities or celebrations. Our injured soldiers were all rewarded handsomely for serving and protecting Riga, but what of your organization?"
"We are people who have lived our lives to fight our enemy, Your Majesty." the Royal Lycan Hunter said. "There is no need for any rewards, whatsoever. We only live to serve the kingdom and protect its people."
Nichs pressed his lips. "And what of those who had died? How many of your men perished during the battle? Have their families been informed andpensated for their deaths?"
The kingdom of Riga and its nobilities were all celebrating right now, but Nichs couldn''t forget how his coronation was borne out of the blood and death of many. If there was one thing that he wanted to do, it was to honor them.
Nichs was numb from being forced into this role. He did not want to get married to Lady Karenina and he felt like he lost his chance at love when Sophia Romanov disappeared. However, Nichs didn''t want to turn a blind eye to his people.
Despite his own burdens that weighed on his mind, Nichs was still the King of Riga and he needed to separate his personal problems from his responsibilities to his people.
The Royal Lycan Hunter finally spoke in a tone with some emotion. "Since Your Majesty only took the throne recently, it seems that you are not aware of the circumstances of those who are filled into this position."
Nichs frowned. "Speak what is on your mind?"
"All members of the Royal Lycan Hunters are orphans of the past war, Your Majesty." The Head Lycan Hunter exined. "We have no families to return to and so, there is nobody to inform."
"...I apologize," Nichs said. His heart went out to those people. They must have such sad and lonely life without families, and had to witness losing their loved ones because of the war. Yet, they all dedicate their life to this kingdom.
He felt such deep sympathy for them.
"It is not your fault, Your Majesty." The Royal Lycan Hunter bowed his head. "This servant apologizes for theirck of social etiquette and grace. It is my first time speaking with you in this setting¡ Your Majesty."
Nichs smiled a little and nced at the hooded figure.
"There''s not much need to be precise and cutting in words when your weapons are all that needs to be urate. I have seen how fierce your men in battle are. One of you is akin to a dozen soldiers from what I''ve seen."
The Royal Lycan Hunter cleared his throat. "You give us too much praise, Your Majesty. If there is anything that has made our men more inspired¡ it is when you charge into the battle yourself."
Nichs grimaced. "It was an unwise and foolish decision on my part."
"If I did not see your garments fit for the coronation, Your Majesty, I would have assumed you were a battle veteran," the Royal Lycan Hunter exined. "Your awareness in battle was second to none."
"I am not aware that your people could jest." Nichs chuckled. He remembered that day clearly, and he thought his blood was pumping at that time. That was one of the rare asions where he felt alive and untethered to anything.
That kind of freedom scared him. Nichs thought he could simply keep running and throw everything away.
He felt free like some kind of animal released from prison and yet he needed to remind himself that he was king.
"Your Majesty, I was serious," the man said.
"Has anyone ever told your men that wearing that hood is quite intimidating?" Nichs pointed out. "It feels like I''m talking with reapers of death."
"That is the purpose of it, Your Majesty," the man replied seriously. "To spread fear into the eyes of the lycans at their veryst moments. Instill a fear that would make the lycans believe that it is their final hour."
"A good tactic." Nichsughed. "However, it does seem odd to talk to someone who keeps their face hidden."
"Ah, forgive me, Your Majesty." The Royal Lycan Hunter finally pulled off his hood and revealed a man with simple features.
He had short jet ck hair with sharp brown eyes and three hideous scars on his left cheeks. There were more scars if one was to trace his skin from his neck down.
He bowed down to Nichs and said, "Noel Gastrell at your service."
Chapter 222 The New Alpha Of The Obsidian Sand Pack
"So we finally have a face to one of them."The new king said when he saw Noel''s face.
Nichs felt like he was with kindred spirits¡ or perhaps he was simply feeling restricted. If he could have changed roles with the man in front of him, Nichs would do it in a heartbeat.
"I can finally thank you and your men with much more ease." Nichs thanked the hunter and smiled somberly. "It does not seem much, but I will also be holding a memorial service for all those who have fallen that day."
Noel bowed his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Nichs watched the expression and slowly asked. "Do you know their names?"
Silence came at that moment and a look of hesitation flickered in Noel''s face. "Hunter. Ross. Lilibeth and many others. I remember all our fallen members, Your Majesty."
It was Nichs'' first test of character to Noel. It gave him a chance to see if the Head of the Royal Lycan Hunters was someone he could trust.
So, from his response, Nichs could see that Noel Gastrell was a leader who remembered his men. That was the sign of a good leader.
Nichs believed Noel, even though the truth of the situation was too grim.
Far too many had died.
***
A howl of pain pierced through the dead of the night. There was a ceremony for the death of Alpha Zaros and it was something that the entire Obsidian Sand Pack mourned for.
However, no one else was more pitiful than the young woman who kept weeping.Isolde saw I crying by herself in front of her father''s body that nowid peacefully on top of a stone.
Thete Alpha Zaros'' body was recovered by his men who came searching for him.
A multitude of the Obsidian Sand Pack''s members and shamans all paid their respects and also offered up prayers to the Moon Goddess. It was all in order for their Alpha to finally rest in peace in the arms of their goddess.
It was a time where everyone was crestfallen and in despair.
What was supposed to be a time of celebration for I''s birthday suddenly changed into a funeral.
"You shouldn''t have gone up the heights, Father!" I''s shoulders shook and trembled.
In the Alpha Zaros'' hand was none other than the promised flower that he wanted to give to his beloved daughter. I didn''t want to take it and she only continued to cry and didn''t pay attention to anything else.
Many other lycans came tofort I and help her up from her father, but she refused to budge.
Far away from the rather depressing atmosphere was one woman with a heart that didn''t seem to be moved. Isolde helped organize the rites, but mostly let others attend to the needs of a funeral ceremony.
If there was any sort of guilt, she did not show it.
A lycan who decided to give up on their ambitions and chose to lower their guards were nothing more but people who would die sooner thanter. At most, Isolde probably delivered a quick death to her brother.
It was the little things that mattered.
There were too many things that Isolde needed to prepare and take care of. Some certain interesting developments that she didn''t even expect but worked in her favor. She wasn''t alone right now.
While most of the lycans were mourning, she was apanied by a particr lycan that didn''t fit her side right now. He had dark hair, beautiful tanned skin and a physique simr to that of an olympian.
This handsome man was one of her brother''s hand picked warriors and who worked well for him. Alpha Zaros mentioned him several times and for the first time, Isolde finally had the opportunity to speak with him alone and uninterrupted.
His mate, I was easy pickings for Isolde, but what about this man?
Had her dear brother, Alpha Zaros chosen well and presented a final challenge to Isolde''s ambitions or was this nothing more but another potential person she could control?
"Are you not going tofort your mate?" Isolde nced at the man standing beside her. She adopted the tone of a chiding and even slightly concerned aunt. Curious and probing.
She was testing the atmosphere.
"I do not know how to do it," the male lycan said with an ufortable expression. "When ites to I, she is too emotional and I cannot handle her at all."
"Oh, really?"
He caught himself and changed his tone immediately. "I appreciate Alpha Zaros a great deal and he entrusted me with his daughter but¡"
Isolde''s lips curled into a smile as she found a way to take advantage of the situation. These people were all too vulnerable and she saw something to twist and pull about this man.
The man appeared powerful on the outside, and Isolde knew she couldn''t defeat him in a physical battle except through cunning. However, he was still unguarded. His emotional defenses were too weak andpletely exposed.
"So I take it that there is no love between the two of you," Isolde said in a sympathetic tone. "Even with the mate bond?"
The male lycan sighed and looked down ashamedly. "Please do not tell anyone. But Alpha Zaros did not trust anyone else in the pack to be with his daughter except me, and I decided to take it."
"I consider that as a great honor and pride, young man." Isolde smiled at him. "You have given up a chance for love for the greater benefit of the pack. There is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Alpha Zaros cared a great deal for his daughter," the lycan confessed. "I think that he would have preferred that I love I and make her happy. However, I truly fail in that regard."
Isolde raised a brow. "I do not wish to demean my brother in any way, but when one''s personal wishes finally go against that of the pack, that is where one''s downfalles. I heard that he allows I to go to Armeria?"
"Alpha Zaros only did it for his daughter''s sake, but I truly don''t understand that woman for wanting to go there." the lycan frowned.
"What does she even like there?"
"I used to guard her before when she visits the ce and she seems to like books." He snorted. "There is a seller of books there that she frequents and she even buys products from merchants. She has made friends among them¡ humans."
Isolde sighed. "She may get herself in trouble if she continues that. What has my brother done? Now there is no one to admonish her."
The lycan shook his head. "I believe she is too spoiled by her father, but can anyone fault Alpha Zaros for it? Do not worry about it though, I will take care of her as I have sworn to the Alpha. I will bar her from visiting Armeria."
Isolde noticed how much this lycan warrior idolized her brother. However, that made it all the easier for her to understand how the man thought. A man with good intentions, possibly.
Still with ws.
"That is good," Isolde said with a practiced smile. "I am quite sure that my brother will be proud of you. Actually, it does not escape my notice that one day, you may surpass Alpha Zaros."
"Really?" The lycan turned to Isolde and looked at her intently.
"Why, of course." Isolde nodded. She cleared her throat. "Your name is... Elias, right? You will be our next Alpha once we finish the burial rituals for my brother. I would love to help you to be a greater Alpha than Zaros."
Elias looked at Isolde intently. He saw how much this woman look like thete Alpha. She looked tough, cunning, and overbearing.
She was still much more beautiful than the female lycans around them who were younger than her even though she was now in herte forties. It seemed age was kind to her.
His sight went back to I, his mate. She was a sweet woman and she looked like a younger version of Isolde. It must be that their family had good genes. Elias thought he could see what his mate would look like in twenty years if he saw Isolde. He actually liked what he saw.
"I don''t need your help, Auntie," the man replied tly. "I know I will be greater than my father-inw."
Isolde was taken aback by Elias'' response. A faint smile curled up on her lips. So, she was wrong about this man. He was not as gullible as she thought initially. He was actually... a bit hard to predict.
"I can make you be the next werewolf king," Isolde said firmly.
Chapter 223 Noels Suspicion
Note:
Thank you, dear Kelly Goodwin, for gifting a gachapon to this book yesterday. I''m still at a loss for words because of your kindness and support...
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***
The mountains in Frisia remained cold all throughout the year, the snowcaps didn''t melt there, but the Alpha and Luna of the Blood River Pack only looked at each other and were immersed in their conversation.
,m "Unfortunately, not everyone who gives birth to children is meant to be parents," Lnd said. With a mother like Isolde, he knew this all too well.
Sophie agreed with his words and yet she couldn''t help but remember something that made her smile. A long time ago, her mother, Anne, told her of how some people had a great capacity for love and how it could be shared with other people.
Anne told that to Sophie when she was younger and jealous of the attention that her mother gave to Lnd in his wolf cub form. It was something that she didn''t think much of, but she cherished those lessons now.
Sophie looked at her husband and gently touched his cheek. "I think it''s time to focus on the positive side of things. Luciel and Jan are incredibly lucky to have you, Lnd."
Lnd coughed and averted his gaze. He was a bit embarrassed to have the attention be suddenly on him. He loved how Sophie was looking up to him and it gave him pride, but he was still surprised by her affection.
The two of them were supposed to be talking about the dangers of getting involved with the witches. He wanted to think that those people might be able to heal his mate because he didn''t want her to suffer, but after long consideration, he thought it was too risky.
Even his own friend, Eloise was a tangible threat that had the chance of killing both her mother and even Isolde if provoked. Eloise got along with Lnd just fine. However, he did not want to endanger anyone.
How Sophie still turned it as a chance to express her admiration to Lnd made him want to blush. However, as an Alpha, he couldn''t do such a thing. So he redirected thepliment instead.
"Sophia¡ I thank you for thepliments. However, I only learned from the best."
Sophie chuckled. "Give yourself some credit, Lnd."
"I am." Lnd insisted.
"I wish you could see yourself through my eyes, Lnd," Sophie whispered. "You''d be able to wholeheartedly ept my praise if you did."
She didn''t think that she''d see this side of her strong Alpha mate and yet what Sophie said was truly genuine. She gazed and watched the sight of multiple lycan children of different sizes all pounced together at Duncan.
The older lycan was now lying on the grass andughed. "Okay, I give up. You guys are great hunters! Truly an asset to the Blood River Pack."
Luciel proudly strutted in front of Duncan''s face. His tail swished happily. His brother Jan rested his paws on the Lycan''s back and there was a sense of aplishment written all over his cute face.
All of this was only possible because of how Lnd came into Sophie''s life. If it had been Nichs instead¡ Sophie''s smile faded slightly.
She didn''t want to imagine how much danger their children might experience if she was with Nichs.
She didn''t think that Nichs was going to be a bad father. However, the man might have had trouble epting their kids. Or there was a chance that they needed to defend themselves against the Royal Lycan Hunters.
And what would his family think of Luciel and Jan when they found out Nichs fathered two¡ little monsters?
She bit her lip.
"Sophia?" Lnd sensed her growing apprehension.
Sophie smiled sadly and leaned against her mate''s side. "I''ve seen what it''s like to be both a human and a lycan. It just makes me a little sad to see both sides fight against each other. Will this ever end, Lnd?"
The Alpha didn''t say anything. He knew the answer, but he didn''t want to make her sad. He also didn''t want to lie.
Some words were better left unspoken.
***
"Your Majesty, this will only end when all of the lycans are eradicated from this continent." Noel Gastrellmented as he blocked the king''s sword. "If I may speak so boldly with you."
Nichs frowned a little as he made a feint and the Royal Lycan Hunter didn''t fall for it. The two of them were only sparring, but he could see howbat experience truly separated the two of them.
"I understand what you are saying." Nichs twisted easily and dodged against Noel''s heavy ax that nearly cut off his head. "Unfortunately, even if Riga were to amass all of its military strength, it''s one kingdom against multiple packs, don''t you think?"
It was a strange and odd friendship formed between the King of Riga and the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter. When Nichs had the time, he visited the secret quarters of the kingdom''s elite anti-lycan unit and trained with them.
Nichs took the opportunity to practice his sword. Unfortunately, it felt awkward in his grasp. A part of him wanted to drop the weapon and attack Noel bare-handed, which was a crazy idea.
What kind of person fought without any weapons?
"We''ve dealt a major blow to them in thest war," Noel exined as he swung his ax and closed the distance. "Their Lycan King is gone and thus the packs have all be more autonomous. Mostly piging viges and towns, threatening travelers and wreaking havoc."
Nichs blinked and received a small nick on the cheek. "Not killing?"
"Your Majesty!" Several Royal Lycan Hunters shouted and stood up when they saw that he had gotten injured.
Nichs raised a hand and eventually dropped his weapon on the floor. "I''m fine. It''s a small scratch. "What were you saying, Noel?"
"One pack provoking an entire kingdom is usually a bad idea," Noel exined. "Unless the lycans under one pack are beyond a thousand members or have lesser packs under their control, they do not risk extermination, Your Majesty."
"That indeed makes sense," Nichs said. "I suppose the strategy will be eliminating all of the smaller packs and preventing them from choosing a Lycan King, right?"
"Yes¡ª"
Nichs suddenly charged in and went for a sweeping low kick, and he seeded to catch the Royal Lycan Hunter in surprise. This time, he made Noel fall off into the ground with a thud.
"Unorthodox methods, Your Majesty." Noel chuckled. "Your chivalrous knights will call this dirty."
Nichs smiled and offered him a hand. "It''s a good thing that I''m not with them then."
The Royal Lycan Hunter blinked in shock and nced up at his king''s face. The slight cut that was on Nichs'' face was already gone.
"Is there something on my face?" Nichs asked, unaware.
"...No, Your Majesty." Noel slowly epted the king''s hand and stood up. "There''s nothing there."
Noel was wondering if his eyes were ying tricks on him. Wasn''t the king injured earlier? Why did his wound disappear so quickly? As Nichs turned his back on him, the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter couldn''t help but stare at the king with confusion stered on his face.
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From Missrealitybites:
I miss Sophie''s and Lnd''s intimacy... Ahaha. A friend of mine, a fellow Webnovel author is reading this book, and herment made me feel over the moon. She said she loved the intimacy part between Lnd and Sophie, even the awkward one during their wedding night.
This made me think about Sophie and Lnd again. I already told you that Sophie will recover and have Lnd''s child in the future. Now, I can''t wait to write more snusnu for them.. AHAHAHAHAHA. Hope I can deliver.
By the way... THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you for giving this book so much support! I am really moved. Yourments, votes, gifts, and golden tickets help this book to get seen by new readers.
I''ve been biting my nails since yesterday, waiting for the werewolf contest announcement. There are still no results. So, several hours ago, I asked the Webnovel staff about it.
She told me due to so many unforeseen circumstances and the fact that the headquarters in China will celebrate the lunar new year for one week, the contest results announcement is postponed to mid-February or the end of February at thetest. So, still crossing fingers... ahahaha...
Chapter 224 Sophie Wishes She Could Go To Lunar Gathering
Note:
Thank you so much, Rhonda (ZZgirl), for gifting a castle to this book earlier. Love you! Hope you are well. xx
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***
If only Sophie was in perfectly good health, Lnd might have considered his life to beplete. The Alpha understood why Sophie was not happy with the war and even a part of him simply wanted to retire and live happily with her and their children.
Unfortunately, peace was not yet possible.
The only way Lnd saw that happening was to be the Lycan King. His mate''s words only strengthened the resolve of the Alpha to be more powerful and finally rule over the rest of the packs.
It was the only way that Lnd could give Sophie the life that she wanted.
"Sophia, I also desire what you wish for¡ and yet we''ve already discussed this before, haven''t we?" The Alpha reminded her gently. He held her hand and said. "Please focus on your own recovery first."
"I am taking care of myself, Lnd." Sophie pouted. "But it''s not like I can keep pretending that we''re separate from the rest of the world while we''re here. That''s only wishful thinking."
"Indeed." Lnd sighed and remembered something. He eyed Sophie reluctantly and said, "In the uing full moon, a multitude of packs will be gathering together and I will need to attend there, Sophia."
"Oh?" Sophie blinked and smiled. "That sounds like quite a gathering. If the Blood River Pack was nearly a thousand strong before, I can''t imagine how big of a gathering it will be."
Lnd cleared his throat. "Not everyone will attend, it''s usually the Alpha, Luna, and other selected members. It will be the elders, Beta, and other influential members usually."
"Oh... the Luna usually attends too?" Sophie asked. She knew that she hadn''t been able to fully take the role of a Luna. She had done her best to be morefortable around the pack members and they did start to warm up to her.
However, if Sophie attended the meeting, it would be something that solidified her role and position more. Even though Sophie couldn''t shift, it still showed that she was the Luna.
The Alpha sensed her desire and felt himself sadden a bit. A part of him also wanted to take her there and proudly present his mate to everyone. Sophie was even the granddaughter of the previous Lycan King, Mchi so she was practically royalty too.
Unfortunately, there were too manyplications.
? "Yes, but I cannot take you there, Sophia," Lnd said.
Sophie swallowed down her disappointment. "Is it because I''m sick?"
"Yes," Lnd said. "But do not worry, I will return here as fast as I can. I think it will only be a week or so. It will take ce in the Gazi Desert."
He didn''t have the heart to tell her that it was mostly because of her human nature, although the Alpha knew that his mate probably also knew that. However, he didn''t want to risk her life any further.
"Well, at least I''ll be able to spend more time with the children." Sophie smiled and nodded. "I''ll stay here, Lnd. Please don''t worry about me, alright?"
The Alpha kissed his mate''s forehead. "I will try, but I will be missing you."
"We''ll miss you too."
***
The burial rites for Alpha Zaros finally ended and I''s eyes were red and swollen. She was still mourning, but because she was going to be the Luna and her mate, Elias was about to be the Alpha, she did her best to be strong.
"I need to stop crying now." I wiped her eyes and tried to smile. She knew that the ceremony of the Alpha and Luna needed to be done fast because of the uing Lunar Gathering of all of the packs.
This meeting was done every year to keep close ties with all of the packs, sell goods and services unique to each pack, and most importantly exchange new and vital information.
"In the past, it has always been my father alone who attended it¡" I muttered to herself. "Perhaps I will be able to see my cousin, Lnd, atst, and maybe exchange some words with him."
She stepped out of her tent and saw the shaman of the Obsidian Sand Pack already waiting for her. The elderly lycan had a small lycan boy hold out three small bowls filled with different colored paints.
ck. Red. Gold.
"Young one," the shaman reverentially greeted her.
I knelt in front of the shaman and felt the older Lycan''s fingers paint marks across her face. The tribal marks of the Obsidian Sand Pack were now on I''s face, arms, and even across her legs when they were done.
"Thank you." I smiled and looked up to see that her mate, Elias was already done with the markings of the Alpha and right now was being preupied with a lot of excited lycan children.
"You have a lot of paint all over you!" an eager lycan cub said.
"Can I be the next Alpha after you?" another older lycan child asked.
Eliasughed and ruffled the child''s head. "You must defeat me in a battle to the death first before I give up my ce, Pavel."
"I will train hard, Alpha."
I knew that her mate had always been good around kids, unlike her. She watched him interact ordingly with the children. However, her eyes were drawn to her mate''s back which was a beautiful swirl of colors of intricate designs.
It was the same design that she once saw on her father''s back when he took charge of the Obsidian Sand Pack. I held her breath for one moment and slowly came up to him and did her best to smile.
There was still a pang of loneliness in her heart, an emptiness in her that couldn''t be quite erased. Elias kindly gave her all the space she needed to mourn for her father, but now, he needed her to be his Luna.
She could do that much for him, couldn''t she? She was raised for this role ever since she was young.
She could do the job, she cheered herself.
Chapter 225 Attending The Lunar Gathering
In the uing days, the castle of Duke Romanov was in a hubbub. Several of the members of the Blood River Pack were in hushed but eager conversations. The Lunar Gathering was a prestigious event where only the leaders of the lycans were summoned together with their trusted people.
"Do you think I will be taken along, Max?" Duncan asked. "I know the Alpha will bring his Beta, but I''ve been doing a lot of great work, recently, right?"
"I think you will be staying here in order to take care of the children," Max said and frowned. "Besides, I do not think that attending the event this year will be a good idea."
Since more than half of the Blood River Pack suddenly abandoned the orders of their Alpha in Riga, the more cunning and level-headed lycans knew that their position as thergest and strongest pack was now under peril.
However, their Alpha was not someone who simply backed down from a challenge because of such circumstances. In reality, Lnd was already preparing everything for the trip while making sure that his family was attended to while he was gone.
He was actually tempted to leave Lucas and other strong lycans behind to protect his mate. However, the gathering was not simply a friendly meeting. Any weaker packs were treated with less honor than others.
Even though only a maximum of twenty individuals attended from each pack, most of them were the strongest and ounted for major power within each pack.
Right now, Lnd was in the healers'' area of the castle and made sure that all of the tonics and medicine that Sophie drank were avable until his return. The Alpha didn''t expect one of them to speak to him.
"Alpha, I believe it is necessary for you to bring the Luna to the Lunar Gathering," A healer exined.
Lnd frowned at the man who spoke. He didn''t expect somebody to make such a suggestion. He nced at the healer and raised a brow to ask what he meant. "What makes you think that this is a good idea? The journey can be tiring for her. Several packs will also be around and not all of them are friendly toward us."
The Alpha was confident about his physical strength and battle prowess, but if something happened to Sophie during the trip, he wouldn''t be able to fully protect her.
Lnd didn''t want to risk it. He thought the safest ce for her to be was at home.
"While it is true that you can share strength over long distances, the safest side for the Luna still lies with you, Alpha," the healer exined, countering Lnd''s train of thoughts.
"More than that, Alpha. Great Healers and Shamans from different packs will also be attending and they may be able to help. Our capacity is limited and we have done our best so far. But perhaps, you might be able to find more help from outside."
Lnd''s gaze sharpened slightly at those words. Blood River Pack was a lycan pack that specialized inbat against humans and other enemies, and so, most of their knowledgey in that aspect.
"Then it seems there is no other choice," the Alpha said. Even though there were dangers of bringing Sophie to the meeting, he thought that this was his best chance at finding a way to help his mate.
That was worth everything.
***
< Several Days Later >
Sophie was shocked at first when Lnd suddenly asked her toe with him. She was ready to be left behind with the boys while Lnd went to the gathering. However, she was more than happy to apany him on the trip even though her two boys had to stay behind.
"Are we nearly there, Lnd?" Sophie asked her husband with a smile.
Lnd took off his coat and draped it across her shoulders. He was happy that his mate looked healthier and even excited about this trip far more than him. "We are. The meeting is tonight after all."
Sophie peeked out from the window and saw the beautiful full moon above the clouds. All around her were the sandy desert and yet to her surprise, the temperature was actually quite cold and chilly.
That wasn''t the only thing that surprised her though. It was far too shocking to see figures dashing off in the desert sands. At first, Sophie thought they were mere animals who lived in the area.
However, she was wrong.
They were creatures far bigger and even more agile, dashing through the desert even faster than their carriage. Sophie recognized them as lycans and for a moment, she looked at them enviously.
If Sophie was able to shift, then the need for a carriage might have been unnecessary. She didn''t realize it at first, but for a moment she thought one of the lycans had made eye contact with her and saw her despite the distance.
She quickly closed the curtains and hoped she was wrong.
"I guess this is why your mother was able to get used to the temperature of the Blood River Pack," Sophie said and pulled Lnd''s coat over her shoulders. "During daylight, the Gazi Desert can kill you with immense heat but then freeze you at night."
"When did she speak to you about that?" Lnd''s brows knitted together and he frowned. His mother once remarked that her pack was truly far better than Blood River Pack when it came to adaptability.
Sophie''s expression was in as she closed the curtains of the carriage. "During breakfast when she first arrived. Your mother was very charismatic¡ but all I''m wondering now is whether or not she is hiding cowardly somewhere."
The memory of Dinah returned to Sophie and it filled her with cold anger. When Sophie wasn''t in her faint spells or felt weak, she actually took the opportunity to meet with Dinah''s injured brother.
She couldn''t keep her anger to Dinah for what she did to her when she saw Desmond and realized how much the man was suffering after humans captured him and tortured him.
Since Lnd mentioned that there were great healers and shamans who served the Moon Goddess, she was actually hopeful that there was also something for Desmond and others.
"I do not want to make it seem like I''m praising her," Lnd frowned. "However, she is far too crafty to be simply hiding in cowardice. She is only lying in wait for now, which truly fills me with regret. I should have finished her off."
Sophie gently touched his hand. "This time, we will be more than ready for her if she everes back again, Lnd."
"Yes," Lnd said.
"Alpha, we have arrived at our destination," Lucas called out to them from outside of the carriage.
"Atst." Lnd sighed and pulled up to his feet. "I am not looking forward to this meeting at all. I will return as soon as I can, but a meeting like this can happen for a few hours."
Sophie grabbed his hand. "I''m sure that you''ll do fine, Lnd."
The Alpha managed a smile and squeezed her hand. "I apologize that you will need to remain here, Sophia. Please do not go out of the carriage at all costs."
Chapter 226 The Meeting Of Packs Leaders
"I¡ I understand." Sophie bit down on her lip. She wanted to go out and experience what it was like to attend a gathering like this one, but she understood what her mate asked of her.
"Do not worry, Sophia," Lnd reassured his mate. "My men will be able to converse with healers and even shamans from other packs."
Sophie remembered the healers back in Frisia and she suddenly hesitated. "Would they still be able to help even if they know¡ who I am?"
"We will be looking for a possible cure that won''t require theming near you, or if they do, they will be sworn to secrecy, Luna," Lucas exined with a kind smile. "You need not worry about it."
If there was anything that the Beta had known for the past months of living with both the Luna and the Alpha, he knew that Lnd would do anything for his mate. If there were any consequences whatsoever, he would damn them.
After a little more reluctance, Sophie and Lnd parted ways. Sophie remained in the carriage and silently prayed for a sessful gathering. Even though Blood River Pack had a loss, she hoped they would be fine.
"Please be safe, Lnd," she whispered after Lnd left. She knew her husband was very formidable and could definitely win against anyone inbat. However, she felt that it was the right thing to say when Lnd was leaving to meet people from the other packs.
Even though the lycans all had the same goal, to topple human''s dominion, many Alphas were also eyeing the same position, to be the Lycan king. They would see Lnd as theirpetition and might act hostile toward him. She didn''t wish to see him engage in any fights if possible.
***
"Blood River Pack has arrived atst."
Lnd and all of his men that apanied him moved forward towards the circle where all of the packs gathered together for their meeting. Several lesser packs, especially those who only brought a few members, gave way to the Blood River Pack.
However, there were others who were around the same level of influence and power as Lnd''s pack.
Among them, he saw the familiar and great ones like Red Moon Tribe, The Nightwalkers Pack, and others who preferred tobat with humans regrly. They were among those who Lnd hadmunications with.
The Alpha of the Red Moon Tribe gave him a feral and toothy grin in greeting. He had participated in distracting the Riga Kingdom with his men. Nightwalkers Pack only nodded politely. This Alpha''s goalsy elsewhere.
Lnd returned their greetings as his gaze wandered about the rest of the packs who joined them tonight. Most of their positions in the circle revealed their standing and preference in the ongoing wars.
Some packs were more neutral or didn''t always oppose the human kingdoms, they only wished to join when it was sure that the humans were about to be crushed. Obsidian Sand Pack was among them¡
Lnd paused at the new face.
It was no longer Alpha Zaros who came but someone else.
Was his uncle defeated by someone? Even though Lnd was not close to Obsidian Sand Pack, he didn''t have any problems with Alpha Zaros. So who was this new person¡ªLnd nearly did a double take at a woman''s face.
Among the Obsidian Sand Pack, Lnd thought he saw Isolde with them, but another look revealed it to be a woman around his age. This was not Isolde but seemed close enough in terms of appearance.
"Cousin," Lnd muttered underneath his breath. He had not seen I for a very long time but now that he saw her he remembered her.
Lnd finally understood what had happened. The Alpha thought that Zaros finally stepped down to let his daughter''s mate be their Alpha.
I''s eyes widened when she heard Lnd''s voice. She immediately hid behind her husband''s back. She was rather startled by her cousin and didn''t expect that she would get acknowledged by him.
Lnd and I were not close. So, seeing Lnd for the first time after how many years, looking buffed and imposing, she felt intimidated.
Lnd didn''t know if the decision to give the role of Luna and Alpha to his cousin and her husband was a good choice. However, the Alpha didn''t have time to be concerned with the welfare and affairs of other packs.
Until Lnd became the Lycan King, it was not necessary for him to pay attention to what autonomous packs did and chose.
"What are you looking at?" Elias tly called out to Lnd. His voice immediately disrupted the atmosphere that had been filled with idle chit-chat.
Some members of their packs were immersed in trading goods, secrets, and information, but the Obsidian Sand Pack Alpha''s voice took away the chance and opportunity for conversation.
Lnd''s face remained unmoved that some of the packs wondered if Elias'' voice actually reached him or if the man simply didn''t care. It simply pissed off Elias further because he knew how much Blood River Pack fell from glory.
Didn''t anybody else know what had happened in Riga? The great Blood River Pack that was previously glorified in the past had fallen from grace when they foolishly tried to overthrow the Riga monarchy with bad nning and ended up being chased out and in..
The Great Shaman Elder of the Whitew Hunters Pack cleared his throat and finally addressed the entire packs to formally start the meeting. "Greetings to all who have arrived here at longst. Blessings of the Moon Goddess be bestowed upon you all."
A murmur of polite replies and gestures were done in respect to their goddess before the Lunar Gathering officially began.
"For the past twenty-one years since our Lycan King passed away, nobody has been able to reunite all of the packs together under one rule. We squabble, argue, and even fight amongst one another."
Elias''s expression darkened, but he didn''t say a thing. He was tempted to provide the information he received from Isolde about the traitorous things that Lnd had done.
"Not one of us has been able to join together," the Great Shaman spoke with a frown.
Elias winced his brows. He even brought some of the exiled members of the Blood River Pack for that very purpose. The Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack was just waiting for the right opportunity to expose Lnd.
"Thest orders of the Lycan King Mchi fell apart two decades ago due to unfortunate circumstances," the Great Shaman continued his words. "And yet some still wished to continue his legacy and pick up his mantle."
Lnd was mollified that the shaman didn''t exactly shame or specify Anne.
"We''ve had some great candidates for the past decade." The Great Shaman eyed the Alphas around him. "Among them was the current leader of the Blood River Pack who chose to lead the operation in conquering Riga."
Lnd didn''t miss the shift in the older man''s tone. He wasn''t quite tense, but he was only waiting for the truth to be revealed.
"Red Moon Pack has informed us of the mutiny that urred in Riga. Elder Brin took five hundred of your men without permission andunched an invasive and foolish attack on the kingdom of Riga. What exactly happened?"
Chapter 227 Elias Challenges Leland To A Fight
Note:
Thank you, Maude Fluckiger, for gifting a castle to this book yesterday. I love you 3000! x
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"What?!"
"The Blood River Pack had a rebellion?!"
"Is this for real?"
A chorus of surprise and shock echoed within the numerous packs that were gathered that night. The Alpha of the Red Moon Pack simply kept a grin on his face.
The Obsidian Sand Pack''s Alpha, Elias, immediately narrowed his eyes at the other Alpha for taking away the opportunity for him to reveal the ws and faults in Blood River Pack.
Lnd didn''t blink and simply stared at the Great Shaman. He was not intimidated and didn''t care about the reactions of the other pack. He felt like he did not need to exin anything. His gaze didn''t falter and he spoke calmly.
"One of the Elders in Blood River Pack attempted to take the role of Alpha and put himself to glory. Foolish ex-members joined and died by the hundreds." Lnd informed them.
"How could the Alpha simply let that happen?"
"You chose not to attack because of your mate!" An angry ex-member of the Blood River Pack frustratedly shouted from among the Obsidian Sand Pack. "Our victory was in our grasps but you let it go, Alpha! We had worked hard for years and made meticte ns.. but you ruined it."
A couple of lycans from different packs exchanged looks at the word, mate. It was clear in reaction of some packs that they actually had interests in showcasing their most beautiful lycan women to someone in a powerful position like Lnd.
It was a sudden thing that the reclusive Alpha, who was renown to be formidable and was highly talked about to be the next Lycan king, suddenly had chosen a mate.
The Great Shaman nced at the speaker with a raised a brow. Then, he turned to Lnd and asked. "You have chosen your Luna? The Blood River Pack did not have a Luna when we had our meeting three years ago."
"I have a Luna now," Lnd said. "My mate was poisoned when Isolde came and visited the Blood River Pack. That was why I didn''t continue with the attack on the capital that day."
"I see¡" the Great Shaman slowly nodded and then addressed the crowd. "Can we me any lycan who chooses to value his mate above all? An ordinary lycan would be unable to operate in full capacity if he is under stress."
"That is true."
"They only needed to dy the fight until their Luna recovered."
A couple of murmurs once again started in the pack. Some were now a lot more sympathetic to the Blood River Pack incident, but others still remained unfazed and resolute in their opinion.
"It was still a failure on the part of the Alpha of the Blood River to allow such things to happen within the pack," another Alphamented. "It seems that the Alpha failed to create countermeasures."
"How could such an uprising happen when the Blood River Pack has their Alpha, Luna and Beta to take care of it?" Someone else agreed. "It is negligence on their part."
"One cannot simply me the members of the pack for their disloyalty," Another said. "It can simply mean that the current Alpha did not inspire much loyalty within the Blood River Pack."
The negative opinions of other Alphas and packs were much louder than any neutral or sympathetic ones who kept quiet. Their voices were filled with discontent, doubt, and were utterly disapproving.
Despite all of their displeased tones and being ced in a position of extreme scrutiny, Lnd kept his face nk. He didn''t flinch and simply eyed the speakers without a hint of fear in his face.
"Silence for a moment," the Great Shaman said and nced at the packs. He was the voice of reason within them. "It is far easier to ce cruel judgements on others when we have already seen the results of the events."
"He left hundreds of lycans to die in vain, Alpha!"
"While it is true, and it is a shame, we must not forget that all of us havemitted errors on our part. Blunders and mistakes. Nobody is above them."
"You are being too kind, Great Shaman!" Othersined and protested. However, to those who were levelheaded and didn''t ept ex-members of Blood River Pack, they agreed with the assessment.
"It is impossible to truly control the hearts of one''s people," an Alpha from another pack agreed. "Even us leaders cannot control those who are beyond a certain level of ipetence."
"But I must admit that it does ce a certain demerit on the Alpha of the Blood River Pack." The Great Shaman sighed. "Ourte Lycan King, Mchi, managed to create peace and harmony while diffusing disagreements, Lnd. How do you n to follow in his footsteps?"
Before Lnd could answer, another Alpha suddenly stepped forward. It was Elias from Obsidian Sand Pack. He frowned heavily and said. "Great Shaman, it seems that you are cing too many expectations that it is the Blood River Pack who will take over."
The Great Shaman smiled calmly and shook his head.
"There are many candidates, but even in previous meetings, most would agree that it is Blood River Pack''s Alpha who has a great chance for it. He is the youngest Lycan ever to be an Alpha of such a great pack. When he was only eighteen, he had managed to win against many much older Alphas in his first Lunar Gathering and we respect him for that. You, on the other hand, have only joined this meeting once," the Great Shaman exined to Elias. "Must I say more?"
Murmurs of agreement sounded and didn''t show disapproval. In the past decade, Lnd had shown himself as a capable Alpha and thest Lunar Gathering approved the Alpha in taking over one of their greatest enemies, the Riga Kingdom.
Elias gritted his teeth but then turned to Lnd. "It appears then that I must prove myself as a worthy candidate. Lnd Szar, I challenge you to a duel for Blood River Pack''smand."
"Who is this new Alpha?"
"Alpha Zaros is not here. So, he must have been reced?"
"I think the Alpha''s daughter is here."
"The Obsidian Sand Pack''s Alpha is incredibly gutsy."
Lnd only raised a brow but wasn''t opposed to it. However, he nced at his cousin and decided to mention his kill marks thus far. The Lunar Gathering would end too bitterly if the new Alpha died.
"In the past decade since my father, Alpha Leon, died and I took over, far too many have attempted to take themand away from me, Alpha," Lnd said. "I can let you take back your words, before it''s toote.."
"My name is Elias and I will not step down from the challenge, Szar," Elias said. "Unless it is you who is too cowardly to fight me now."
He was agitated and wanted to show everyone present that he was worthy of his title to be the new Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack. He thought this was his opportunity to start getting support for his campaign to be the next werewolf king.
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From Missrealitybites:
I will throw a mini mass release on February 1. Hopefully, I can publish 5-6 chapters... or even more, if possible.
In the chapters released next week, we will have the time skip, the boys shift into humans, the Romanovs return to Riga, attending the royal g in the pce, and Sophie finally meets Nichs again.
Chapter 228 Defending Sophie
I''s eyes widened when she heard what her mate just said. She immediately grabbed Elias'' arm.
"What do you think you''re doing? Elias, please stop this..." she whispered to her mate and then turn to Lnd. She spoke apologetically. "I''m sorry, Lnd, please don''t fight my mate!"
Whether or not I agreed with Lnd''s decisions, she knew her cousin''s reputation far too well. He was strong and ruthless. He had killed the most powerful warriors from each tribe when they were challenging his position
There was a great reason why the Obsidian Sand Pack was mostly neutral and didn''t actively participate in wars and conquests while Blood River Pack did. She didn''t want Elias to get harmed.
In terms of the power difference, not all Alphas were the same.
Elias gritted his teeth and shoved I away. His mate ended up falling on the sands but he simply glowered at her. "Do not interfere with my decisions, Luna. I am still the Alpha of the Obsidian Pack and your words do not negate anything I''ve said."
"I''m only doing this because I don''t want you to get hurt!" I''s eyes brimmed with tears. She clenched her fist and stared up at him. "Please don''t make any rash decisions!"
"You''ve hurt my pride." Elias frowned and ignored the stares of the other packs on his back. "The Obsidian Sand Pack is not weak, I. Do not make it appear that we have nothingpared to the others."
"I¡" I''s lips trembled. "I didn''t mean it that way, Elias. Please, look at it from my point of view. We''ve already lost my father, Elias. I can''t lose you too."
The other packs were already looking at them with a much more scrutinizing gaze that irritated Elias. It was his first timeing here in the Lunar Gathering but instead of showing himself worthy of the title, I just made them look bad.
"Leave." Elias hissed at his mate.
"What?" I''s mouth fell open.
"Do not make me do it myself, I," Elias growled.
He didn''t want to push her away or make her leave because he still respected the fact that she was Alpha Zaros'' daughter. However, what she did earlier was enough to make him lose face in front of so many Alphas, elders, and other packs'' important leaders.
"Elias¡"
Don''t make me repeat my words," Elias said coldly.
I realized if she didn''t want to aggravate her husband, it was better for her to leave and wait for him to cool down.
I immediately pulled up to her feet and quickly avoided the gaze of the other Alphas, except for Lnd. She looked at her cousin pleadingly for a second and hoped in her heart that he wouldn''t harm Elias.
"I!" Elias narrowed his eyes once more. He could see how his mate looked at Lnd as if begging him to spare Elias. This hurt his pride even more.
"I''m sorry." I smiled sadly at her mate. Eventually, she ran away from the Lunar Gathering and quickly disappeared into the night''s fog and mist.
Lnd''s gaze hardened at Elias'' back. Whether or not he had any real closeness or blood ties with I didn''t matter to him at all. As far as he could see, this was a worthless man.
How could he treat his mate like that? Lnd had no respect for Lycans who abused their mates.
"Elias from Obsidian Sand Pack, are you finished with disrupting the meeting?" Suddenly, the Great Shaman spoke, clearly sounding displeased.
Elias gritted his teeth and eventually turned to look back at the rest of the packs in the gathering. It was clear that his little episode brought some shame to the Obsidian Sand Pack''s name.
The Alpha of the Red Moon Tribe even stole the chance for him to reveal the betrayal done by Elder Brin. What else could he do? Elias didn''t want others to simply think he was a battle-hungry person.
There was also the chance that the Blood River Pack would take it far too easy and even simply take a loss. If Elias won the fight now, others would assume it was because of I''s intervention and not of his own strength.
"Alpha, please let us speak. This is what you brought us here for, right?" One of the ex-members of the Blood River Pack spoke in a low voice to Elias. "We haven''t said what we came here for."
Elias smiled and realized what he could do. He turned back to the Great Shaman and said, "It seems that the Red Moon Tribe still failed to gather one vital piece of information, Great Shaman."
The Alpha of the Red Moon Tribe frowned.
Elias kept his gaze on Lnd. "The reason why Elder Brin sessfully managed to convince five hundred members to betray the Alpha of Blood River Pack is simply that Lnd Szar married a human."
"WHAT?!"
"Did he say human?!"
"Blood River Pack mingled with a human!"
If the other revtions before were still taken with some willingness to listen on Lnd''s side, this time, Elias'' words shook the entire packs gathered that night. Even losing hundreds of lycans was still small whenpared to betraying their own kind.
"Is there any proof in your usation, Elias?" The Great Shaman barely held back the outrage of the rest of the pack.
"These men are from Blood River Pack." Elias gestured to the men he brought with him. "What can the Alpha say to that?"
"Sophia is the daughter of Anne and the granddaughter of the Lycan King Mchi," Lnd said. "She is not fully human but has our blood as well. It seems like you simply believed the words of ex-members who have their vendetta, Elias."
"So she is half-lycan," The Great Shaman said and closed his eyes. "And the daughter of Anne. So it seems Elias'' words have some partial truth in them. Does your mate ept our kind, Lnd?"
"Yes, Great Shaman," Lnd answered the older lycan. "The fears of the others do not have any warrant at all."
"s, it is hard to simply trust your words, Lnd." the Great Shaman smiled sadly. "You mentioned that your mate has been poisoned so she is not here. However, I believe that we must still meet with your Luna."
"Shaman, that Luna must have been raised in the human kingdom!"
"Even if she has our blood, it doesn''t mean anything!"
"He must have hidden her!"
"The Luna doesn''t even know how to shift¡ª" one of the ex-members of Blood River Pack spoke. Before he even finished his sentence, suddenly he felt a dark presence and aura.
He realized that Lnd''s gaze was on him and the courage he had immediately died.
Despite all of the usations that Lnd received on his ability to lead the Blood River Pack, the Alpha took it all without flinching at all. He didn''t even care or bother because his beliefs were firm and resolute.
However, he couldn''t ept the nder on Sophie''s name.
"Enough is enough," Lnd''s gaze swept across the numerous packs. He spoke coldly. "If there is any lycan here who believes that the Blood River Pack is no longer trustworthy because of my mate,e step forward and challenge me now."
Chapter 229 Isla And Sophia
The Whitew Hunters Pack''s Great Shaman had a sessor who didn''t quite like to participate in the Lunar Gathering. It was a gathering that mostly focused on destruction and conquest, and he was not the type of man for that.
He only came with the rest of their pack because it was expected from him and only because he actually wanted to reveal some good news. It was a discovery that would change that night.
Silver, who was both a shaman and healer, actually obtained the most precious and potent Moon Desert Flower that special day and raced towards the event proper even though he waste.
He rushed past a carriage and thought he saw a beautiful woman by the window but he carried on.
The lycan was thrilled to present it to his grandfather. The Moon Desert Flower was a sought-after ingredient that was said to have been especially blessed by the Moon Goddess during this specific full moon, and he managed to obtain it.
Most of the lycans assumed that it was able to bless female lycans with beauty, youth, and other surface-level properties. However, its cleansing ability was beyondparison.
Even witches who were aware of its existence longed to obtain it.
Unfortunately for him, Silver immediately encountered the Beta of the Blood River Pack who stopped him from reaching the Great Shaman at once. "Lucas?"
"Silver." Lucas smiled warmly. While his Alpha, Lnd was preupied with the meeting, he was tasked to search for a shaman who could help him. Silvan was most likely the person to help them.
Although doing it while keeping the secret that their Luna was half-lycan seemed to be impossible. Lucas wanted to think that maybe Silver would turn a blind eye for them.
"Hello." Silver transformed back into his human form. He quickly gathered some of his clothes from a dry bush and quickly clothed himself. One of hispanions passed him the Moon Desert Flower and he held onto it closely.
"How are you doing?" Lucas eyed the pure white flower''s petals with a scrutinizing gaze. Normally, this flower was pure white, but this time, it seemed to have a soft glow.
"What can I do for you?" Silver asked and held onto the flower with a gentle smile.
***
While the Beta of the Blood River Pack was preupied with dealing with one of the Shamans from another pack, a beautiful female lycan rushed past them and eventually came to a stop.
I grew tired of running and just stopped when she was far away enough from the Lunar Gathering. She fell on her knees and felt the rough sand on them. It didn''t actually quite hurt, but she suddenly just burst into tears.
There was no one stopping her from releasing all the pent-up emotions that filled within her. She had tried to be brave and be a proper Luna after the death of her father, but all she did was make a mess out of everything.
Her own mate was annoyed by her and detested her and there was nothing she could do about it. Even though Elias didn''t actually hurt her that much physically when he shoved her, the mere act of it was enough to pain I.
I tried to bottle everything up and smile, but now she just wanted to cry. It was all of the little things and big things that finally got to her and so she wept.
Right until a voice spoke to her.
"Um, hello?" Sophie greeted her awkwardly from the window of her carriage. She had heard the crying and despite Lnd''s warning not to go out, she couldn''t ignore the cries.
Sophie didn''t exactly leave the carriage¡ So, this was fine, right?
I quickly wiped her tears and raised her head. She had been so focused on running away that she didn''t notice the carriage. It was strange to have a carriage around the lycan territory, but she thought the woman who spoke seemed nice.
No.
I needed to be wary. This was a potential stranger who could be dangerous.
"Who are you?" I tried to hide her sniffles but it was clear that she had red eyes.
"Ah, I''m not anyone important." Sophie smiled sheepishly. "I just heard that there was someone outside and decided I wanted to say hello. Are you¡ uhm, well, I can see that you''re not doing well, but I don''t want to force you to speak with me."
I bit down her lip and felt tempted to do so. "Would you really listen to a stranger''s problems and woes?"
"I don''t see why I can''t," Sophie said. "I think telling a stranger your problem can be quite freeing. Especially when I doubt that we''ll meet each other again."
I decided to step closer and rubbed her stuffy nose. However, the female lycan suddenly stopped in her tracks and finally caught a whiff of Sophie''s scent that exuded from the open window.
"Close the window." I''s gaze suddenly sharpened on her. "Close it now."
Sophie was taken aback by the change in I''s tone. One minute it seemed like this woman was so close to tears but now she suddenly changed the tone to a much fiercer one. "What?"
"You''re notpletely lycan," I said. "Other lycans may identally catch your scent and realize you''re not one of us."
Sophie realized that, but she hadn''t expected this reaction. "Why¡ Why are you helping me by saying that?"
"You don''t seem like a bad person," I said and smiled sadly. "You could have ignored me while I kept crying but you didn''t. Father thinks I make bad judgments about other people, but I can see that you''re kind."
"But you''ve said it yourself that I''m¡" Sophie hesitated.
"I''ve also met some of your kind before," I added but then halted as she heard the sound of approaching footsteps from the distance. "Close the window now."
The ex-members from the Blood River Pack suddenly arrived from out of nowhere within the desert night''s cold dark fog and both I and Sophie recognized them. They mostly came from the Obsidian Sand Pack.
And they were far more than the number Elias originally brought.
Chapter 230 Out For Blood
Meanwhile, Lucas and Silver were still conversing over the rare nt that the young shaman brought with him.
"I understand that this Moon Desert Flower variety only appears every full moon," Lucas said. "It is also very difficult even for us lycans to reach that ce by ourselves so I know that you are very reluctant to part with the flower."
"Once a year, Lucas. It''s not every full moon, but once a year only," Silver said. "This specific night is sacred due to the Moon Goddess'' Blessings and out of a hundred desert flowers, only one of them gets blessed. I managed to find it under the very limited window."
Lucas was still talking with Silver when he noticed figures dart past them from the shadows. His gaze focused in the darkness and inspected the figures, but then he realized who they were.
"The Luna is in danger, Silver! Tell that to Lnd." Lucas rushed past the shaman and quickly moved towards the direction of Sophie''s carriage. They had actually left it at a great distance to avoid the eyes of their people.
Silver stared at Lucas but then rushed towards the Lunar Gathering. He saw that the Alpha of the Blood River Pack was in the middle of a circle surrounded by multiple other lycans.
p The air was filled with hostility and for a moment made Silver feel confused. Were there any problems during the gathering? He was wondering.
However, when he remembered what Lucas asked him to do, Silver immediately called to get Lnd''s attention.
"Alpha!" Silver shouted. "Your Luna is in danger."
Lnd, who had been focused on defending Sophie''s honor and name, froze. He initially assumed that the lycans would confront him fairly in a battle. However, they''ve instead gone for cowardly tactics. This enraged him.
The Alpha immediately stopped what he was doing and threw the Alphas who were in his way and rushed out from the Lunar Gathering. It left the Great Shaman and everyone else in a state of disarray.
***
Isolde herself didn''t attend the Lunar Gathering because she didn''t want to face her son. However, all of the old members of the Blood River Pack who held a grudge towards Lnd all came.
It was an assassination attempt on Sophie.
Isolde had told them that her son would bring Sophie and ask for help from the shamans. Her prediction turned out to be urate. While her son was busy with the gathering, it was their time to strike.
Lucas was outnumbered greatly by them and was doing his best to defend both his Luna and the Alpha''s cousin, I. It was so unfortunate that these lycans didn''t listen to I at all, even though they had pledged loyalty to the Obisidian Sand Pack and she was their Luna.
Their hatred toward Sophie was deeply rooted after they suffered the big losses and Lnd refused to take them back. This hatred blinded them to the point of ming her for everything and just wanting to see her dead. They even dared attack their former Beta.
The situation looked grim and yet Lucas wasn''t even backing down at all. He fought bravely against at least twenty lycans who all tried to get near the carriage.
It was only a matter of time before Lnd arrived, Lucas told himself as he transformed into his wolf form and fought ferociously. The Beta was really just holding them off until his Alpha arrived.
"It seems that the decision not to ept your lot into the pack is the right thing to do."
Suddenly, a deep and dark voice rang from behind the big rock, and soon a cold pressure emanated from the desert, sending most of the ex-Blood River Pack members buckling to their knees. The fight stopped almost immediately.
Lnd had arrived and after throwing a murderous gaze at the fighting wolves, he went to the carriage to check on his mate''s condition. Fortunately, he found Sophie unharmed.
Not one hair out of her face was out of ce. This made him feel relieved. For a moment, the frightening aura of the Alpha softened. "Sophia, are you alright?"
"I am." Sophie didn''t know what to say and actually felt a bit ashamed that she opened the window. If she hadn''t done that, would these lycans have not found her or would the sight of the carriage make her an open target?
It didn''t seem to matter to Lnd whose gaze immediately turned dark and murderous on the old members of his pack.
He walked toward them with anger was evident in his every step. "I once told all of you to leave my sight if you wished to live and yet where are you now?"
All of the old Blood River Pack members trembled under the weight and pressure of Lnd''s voice. Death was an imminent thing for them and yet they were prepared to die for their beliefs.
Lnd drew closer to them, his muscles started bulging. He was ready to transform and kill everyone around him who had dared to attack his Luna and his Beta. However, before he could do that, Lnd was suddenly stopped by the voice of his cousin.
"Please don''t kill them!" I said and stepped in between the Alpha and the rest of the old members. She opened her two arms wide as if creating a wall to stop Lnd from moving forward.
"Are you trying to defend them?" Lnd frowned. "Do you have ack of brains, I? I can see that they did not hesitate to kill you even though they''re now part of the Obsidian Sand Pack. Yet you''re still trying to protect them?"
I shook her head. It seemed like her own cousin did not have faith in her which was painful but also understandable. The only person who seemed kind to her was Sophia who turned out to be Lnd''s mate.
I eyed the Alpha of the Blood River Pack and spoke firmly.
"You don''t want to start a quarrel between packs, cousin. The Lunar Gathering only allows for proper duels where you can fight to the death. Attacking these lycans now can make other packs say that you went against the agreement for neutrality tonight," I''s voice trembled but she kept her tough exterior.
She nced at the carriage and added, "Please.. .better take your mate out of here and pick your battle. If you killed them now, all the other lycans would go after you and it would only endanger your mate."
Lnd gritted his teeth and wanted to say that he didn''t care about the consequences. He was still out for blood after what they did to Sophie, but then his mate suddenly spoke up.
"Lnd, your cousin is right," Sophie said weakly. "How about we just leave right now?"
"Leave?" Lnd looked at his mate in confusion. As far as he was aware, Lucas still hadn''t obtained any help or item from the Shamans and Healers to cure his mate. "You want us to leave?"
"Yes."
Lnd was actually out for blood, and he was ready to fight to the death for his mate''s honor. However, just one word from Sophie was enough to make him change his decision.
At this point, her safety was paramount. Luciel and Jan were waiting for them at home. He must not be selfish and only thought about how he could punish those people who had offended him.
"Let''s go home." He nodded.
.
.
__________________________
Note:
Happy birthday to Kassi White! It''s already February 1 in Bali. Hope you have a wonderful one!
By the way, I will publish more chapterster as part of the mini mass release I promised, but I still need to edit them. So, don''t wait. Let them be a surprise.. ahaha.
Chapter 231 Eloise And Isla
***
"Ah, I can''t wait to meet, Lnd!" Eloise was giddy as she saw the great bonfire in the distance. She was aware of the Lunar Gathering and came here with some selected and trusted witches.
There was a bright smile on her face and she was in a wonderful mood.
When Eloise checked the crystal shard that remained from her mother''s crystal ball a few hours ago, she only saw Lnd standing alone in the gathering and without the sight of his Luna.
"She''s finally dead!" Eloiseughed and threw the crystal into the air. "After so much time of waiting, she''s finally dead. Even poor Lnd couldn''t stop it himself. I feel so bad for him."
The witch finally stoppedughing and cleared her throat. Eloise took a deep breath and sighed deeply as she passed the crystal to her witch friend. "Even though he attended the gathering, he looks so sad. I need tofort him."
At longst, Eloise and the five witches she brought with her finally arrived at the gathering and saw a great number of different lycan packs still conversing. However, Lnd was nowhere to be found which made her frown deeply.
"Witches?" a few curious Alpha gazed at her and the crowd. A lot of people, even lycans and humans liked to barter with witches so Eloise sent her people to mingle and interact with them.
"Do some good deeds, I guess," Eloise ordered. "Minor spells and charms."
After all, when Eloise became the true mate of Lnd and he became the Lycan King, she was going to help these poor and helpless lycans anyway. Eloise gazed around and saw a lone Alpha.
She recognized him as an Alpha because of the beautiful tribal patterns on his back. Eloise approached him and tapped his shoulder with her staff. "Excuse me, you, Alpha lycan, have you seen, Lnd?"
Elias, who was still upset with how the meeting ended, gruffly turned around and knew that this woman was mocking him. However, when he gazed back at Eloise, his eyes widened.
Eloise was a stunningly beautiful witch with charming red hair and colorful golden eyes. Since she wasn''t in her crazy mode and was actually putting in effort to converse properly, she managed to bewitch Elias with just one smile.
"W-Who?" Elias lost the ability to form coherent sentences. He had been content to uphold Alpha Zaros and be mates with his daughter, but for the first time, Elias was stunned and mesmerized. The Alpha was tall and burly, and he was towering over the petite witch, however, people could see the witch easily had him wrapped around her fingers.
The smile on Eloise''s face vanished and she walked past him. She met an idiot and didn''t want to deal with him. The newly elected Grand Witch finally saw the Great Shaman and approached him.
"Hello there, Great Shaman." Eloise smiled. "Do you know where Lnd, Alpha of the Blood River Pack is?"
The Great Shaman who was burdened with newfound revtions about the Lycan King''s granddaughter looked at Eloise and realized she held onto Grand Witch ine''s former staff.
It meant that another person hade to power.
The Grand Shaman spoke warily, but truthfully.
"The person that you seek, has left the Lunar Gathering half an hour ago." The Great Shaman pointed in a certain direction. "He had some important business to attend to."
Eloise''s smile evaporated from her lips. Important business? What other business did Lnd have besides her? One of her eyes twitched for a moment. "Really? Then it means that he must still be here, right?"
"I do not know, Grand Witch. Perhaps he is still there and you must look for him yourself." the Great Shaman replied politely. "Right now, I am looking for my grandson¡"
Witch Eloise only listened to his first words and was incredulous. She couldn''t believe it and immediately rushed past the Great Shaman after she excused herself to look for him.
While Eloise assumed that Lnd left grieving, he should have waited! She was feeling very annoyed and tried to look around to find anyone she could talk to and get information about Lnd.
Unfortunately for the Witch, all that was left was one person standing by herself in the sands. Despite the Lunar Gathering where all lycans were all together in amunity, this female lycan was alone.
I''s long dark hair swayed in the wind as she stared out in the distance with a mournful expression. Her back was turned to Witch Eloise and she looked like a hauntingly beautiful ghost.
"Excuse me, Luna." Witch Eloise frowned as her patience had already worn thin. She eyed the tribal marks painted and dotted across I''s skin and asked. "Where is Lnd Szar of the Blood River Pack."
I sighed and shook her head. She kept her eyes on the lonely moon and prayed to the Moon Goddess with a sad smile.
"He has already left a while ago and you have missed him."
This was the fourth time that someone asked I about the whereabouts of the Alpha of the Blood River Pack. Some of them were upset over her cousin, others wanted to speak to the Luna, and yet not one of them was Elias.
I''s mate did not search for her despite the end of the meeting.
? I didn''t want to go look for him.
It seemed like I and Elias being mates truly meant nothing and it filled I with immense grief. At best, it seemed like she needed to remain with Elias in order to be strong for the Obsidian Sand Pack.
She didn''t realize that behind her, Witch Eloise was seething with rage and wanted to break the staff she got from her mother. She wanted to believe that Lnd was still around but the reality was disappointing.
"Turn around and look me in the face, Luna. I cannot believe you if you do not look me in the eyes." Eloise hissed at I''s back. "It is quite disrespectful of you to speak to someone this way."
I took a deep breath and spun around.
Chapter 232 Nicholas Dreams
I smiled apologetically and knew that people were not sympathetic to her. If there was only one person that I could rely on now, it was only herself.
Eloise''s demeanor changed when she saw I''s face and aura. There were still tear streaks all over I''s cheeks, but she smiled at Eloise and her beauty looked remarkable that night.
Standing elegantly like this, I really looked like a proper Luna that exuded confidence.
"Apologies for my rude behavior," I said. "I am not in a good mood right now. What else can I do for you, Miss Witch?"
"Who are you?" Witch Eloise asked.
"My name is I, the Luna of Obsidian Sand Pack."
"Are you rted to Lnd?" Eloise suddenly asked in a quiet tone.
"Yes." I didn''t realize by telling the truth, she was inviting her own doom. Eloise was in an extremely bad mood and wanted to vent her anger to anyone.
Before I realized what was happening, Eloise stabbed I''s stomach with her staff and smiled brightly as the color drained from I''s beautiful face.
Eloise pulled the staff away and didn''t pay any mind to it now covered in the Luna''s blood.
"Aah..." I sank on her knees and clutched the now gaping hole in her stomach.
She tried to exude the power of regeneration that came from her bloodline as a lycan and yet the injury healed too slowly.
"How?" the Luna asked in pain. Her gaze looked at the powerful staff that brimmed with unknown power and she looked up at the Witch with pale lips. "You¡ Obsidian Pack will avenge me."
Witch Eloise ignored her and spoke in a disappointed sigh. "I could tell that you were Lnd''s cousin because you really look like Isolde. I hate that woman but she''s nowhere to be found. It''s a good thing that you''re here, right?"
There was no more reply.
"Oops, I was talking to the wind." Witch Eloise giggled but then gazed up seriously into the direction from which Lnd left on his carriage. "I''ll leave you, for now, Lnd. But we will meet again."
She pursed her lips and clutched her staff tightly. She was toote this time. Lnd was gone. Elois no longer saw the purpose of being there. Thus, she decided to go home and thought about the next n.
***
It was a strange thing to be gued by dreams because Nichs normally did not have them or didn''t remember them well. However,tely, when he was asleep, he dreamed of the beautiful woman calling out his name.
''Nic!''
Nichs woke up and widely looked around his room and found no one. He bit down on his lip and looked at the rather empty space on his side. Why did it feel so empty when it had always been him sleeping alone in thisrge bed?
He tried to get back to sleep but failed. The young king was unable to sleep and continued to stare at the spot beside him. Imagining and almost feeling someone''s arms wrapping around him and burying their head on his chest.
"That''s another dream isn''t it?" Nichs sighed and rubbed his face.
A part of him truly yearned for someone. No, not just someone, but her.
Just her.
His mind was filled with scenes of Sophia Romanov. Even though he had only seen her once, his mind probably was making things up on its own because of how much Nichs was infatuated by that woman.
In his dreams, he saw Sophieughing and singing while they were both enjoying a nice time together in a beautiful flower field. . Sometimes, Nichs would see her with her eyes closed and sleep beside him on a simple bed, while he hugged her small waist.
Oh, she was a sight to behold. It had already been several months since they''dst met, but he still hadn''t been able to forget her. In fact, his imagination ran wilder when it came to her and how much he felt a closeness to her.
This was really crazy! He was never in love before, so he didn''t know that this was how people in love would feel like. It''s actually borderline mental, he sometimes chided himself.
"You need to stop thinking about her, you''re already engaged," Nichs whispered to himself. However, it was to no avail. Since he hadn''t been able to inquire and threw out the Informant, Nichs was filled with endless questions.
The young king rose to his feet and padded towards the table where his whiskey and cup were held. He didn''t really have much use for the alcoholic beverage inventory before he ascended the throne, but right now he used them up quite often.
Another drink.
Gosh. He didn''t want to be an alcoholic. However, the burden he carried on his shoulders was too great for someone so young like him.
"Hah." Nichs ced the empty bottle back down. "I''ve managed to stall it, especially because my mother is in good health. What if I can cancel this arrangement? I need to talk with my mother privately."
He finally decided to leave his room. Where his footsteps took him, well, he was inplete control of himself and not drunk. He arrived at his mother''s room.
Servants were ced at the door.
"Your Majesty, the queen-dowager is currently resting," one of the servants tried to say, but then gulped back down. He realized he was talking to their King and if the king felt displeased, something terrible might happen.
Nichs walked into the room and found it empty.
"What?" He asked in confusion. Where did his mother go?
Did he actually be drunk? No. Nichs looked around the room and knew for a fact that simr to the library''s secret hallway, his mother''s room undoubtedly had a simr function.
Should he wait for her to return?
.
.
______________________
From Missrealitybites:
LOL... as expected. The dying queen is not so dying now. By the way, Nichs thought the memory he had with Sophie that came to him in his dreams was made up by his mind because he was infatuated with her.
If only he knew that those dreams were actually real memories, not his imagination.
PS: Also, Ugh... Eloise really did seem like a twisted psychopath.
Chapter 233 Nicholas And Karenina Are Pressured For Marriage
Nichs immediately nced around the room and tried to remember which part of the castle''syout usually had their secret passages. "If I were going to hide the passageway, then¡"
He approached the wall behind the bed and crouched down. Nichs touched a loose brick and twisted it around. He heard the sound of stones moving and craned his head around in search of a doorway.
A gust of wind suddenly drew his attention to one of the curtains. He pulled it open and saw the dark opening. He finally stepped inside. It reminded Nichs of the time when he was in his Uncle Joseph''s castle.
It didn''t take too long for the king to locate his mother when he saw another exit. He stepped out into the light and found the Queen-mother hunched over several books. There were several tall bookshelves around her.
Nichs realized that they were in a part of the royal library where he had never once stepped in before.
"I can''t believe my mother is well enough to stand up and go around when she was on her deathbed just six months ago." Nichs watched his mother nearly jump out in shock.
"Nichs!" Queen Marianne turned to her son and immediately pushed the books away. "What are you doing here sote, my son?"
Nichs looked at the several titles over her shoulder. "I could ask the same with you, mother. Do you do this often?"
His mother sighed softly. "Are you not happy that your mother is now in good health?"
"Please don''t bring that point up and make me seem like a bad son." Nichs shook his head and red at her. "You made me swear on your deathbed to get married to Lady Karenina but now you''re able to sneak around and read books!"
"Well¡ this is a different scenario." Queen Marianne nced at her books, but then looked at her son. "Besides, Nichs. You''re already aware that it is a norm to have arranged marriages. You were never opposed to it before."
"I understand that it''s not strange for people to marry for prestige, power, or for the growth of the kingdom." Nichs looked at his mother intently. "But what about you and father?"
"I hated your father before." Queen Marianne pursed her lips. "You''ve seen how he is."
"What?" Nichs'' eyes widened.
"But I got along well with him after we both adjusted ourselves to each other. As long as there is respect, the marriage will work on its own," the queen added.
Nichs shook his head in frustration. "Mother.. don''t say that. Nothing will work on its own."
"You are too young. You don''t understand," Queen Marianne insisted.
Nichs took a deep breath, looked away, and then looked at his mother again. "Mother.. let me ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Were you happy?"
"Of course I was happy. My son, it seems strange to you, but doesn''t it make sense that people can learn how to get along with each other and fall in love?" The queen dowagerughed weakly. "Parents do their best to find the best match for their children and ensure a bright future for them."
Nichs frowned. "Mother, if it''s a marriage for power, then Lady Karenina would not be our first choice either. We have nothing to gain from her family politically, economically or socially at all. Her father is a sniveling badger in my eyes."
"Nichs!"
Nichs remembered how the Viscount was willing to please everyone. He remained steadfast and looked at her. "Well, mother?"
"I have my own reasons for choosing Lady Karenina, and¡" Queen Marianne looked at her son sadly. She still wasn''t sure about her son''s condition so she had poured her time into reading and researching. She wanted to make sure that Nics was truly cured. "So, what changed?"
"What do you mean?" Nichs frowned.
"Why are you vehemently opposed to this marriage? I''m not asking you to love Lady Karenina." Queen Marianne looked at her son. "Your heart can belong to someone else, but please don''t ruin the reputation of the poor girl."
"You care more about others than you care about me." Nichs smiled sadly.
"It''s because you''re not even giving the girl a single chance at all." Queen Marianne shook her head. "You''ve shut her off¡ that I can''t help but wonder, are you in love with someone else, Nichs? Is that why you wish to cancel?"
Nichs stared at his mother and was tempted to say yes, yes he fell for someone else. However, could he really admit that he was longing for Duke Romanov''s wife? It was far better to lie.
He could say anything about Sophie.
"Fine. I won''t cast her away myself, Mother, because I respect your wishes." Nichs frowned. "But if Lady Karenina has her pride, she will realize that it''s far better for her to break off the engagement."
***
While Queen Marianne and Nichs conversed in the privacy of a secret royal library, one concerned father that came from a low and humble noble family already barged in his daughter''s roomte at night to express his disappointment and concerns.
It has already been quite some time since King Nichs Hannebergh announced his engagement with Lady Karenina Verhoven, but unfortunately, it seemed like whatever the young woman did had no effect whatsoever on the busy king.
King Nichs still had not talked about his ns to prepare for the wedding. He always seemed so busy and couldn''t spend quality time with her, his future wife.
Since the Verhovens were only a small family from the lower nobility, they didn''t have the political power to pressure the king. So, they could only wait.
"You have disappointed me, Karenina. Your task is quite simple and you have your mother''s beautiful face, but there is no improvement whatsoever." Viscount Verhoven paced back and forth in his daughter''s room.
"Father¡"
Viscount Verhoven sighed. "I''m finally able to converse with people far above my status and yet I was rebuffed by one of them. Duke Siegfried spoke about how His Majesty was closer to the Royal Lycan Guard than you and shamed us."
Lady Karenina nced down at her hands, teary-eyed. "I''m sorry for failing your expectations, father. It''s just incredibly hard to get close to His Majesty when he always makes a lot of excuses."
Tears started welling up in her eyes. She was truly sad about her situation. Six months ago, she thought she would soon be a bride. However, now, she didn''t know anymore.
"I apud you for getting close to the queen dowager, but you still haven''t gotten close to His Majesty at all." Viscount Verhoven clicked his tongue. "You met him as a prince and now he''s king but there''s still nothing. Are the rumors truly true?"
"What rumors, father?" Lady Karenina batted her eyes.
"That he actually prefers the same sex." Viscount Verhoven sighed and rubbed his face. "If what Duke Siegfred said is truly urate then it seems that we must give up on trying to obtain his affection."
Lady Karenina fell silent and didn''t know what to say. It seemed like her father was choosing to believe that Nichs couldn''t love Karenina at all and it stung her.
It was like a p on her cheek. Was she really so unloveable that Nichs suddenly became interested in men?
.
.
________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Hahaha... I think Nichs probably fanned the rumors so Karenina will think twice about marrying him.
Chapter 234 [Bonus Chapter] Viscount Verhovens Sinful Methods
The thought, that she was so unlovable that her fiance would choose a man over her, pained Lady Karenina to no end. Her tears streamed down harder.
No.
Lady Karenina didn''t want to think that she was undeserving of love. Queen Marianne told her that she only needed to be patient and her son could grow to love her, even if it was a slow and tedious process.
While there were rtionships that immediately started well and strong, Karenina only needed to persevere. Maybe, after some time, she could melt Nichs'' heart and he would finally be able to give her the love that she deeply wanted?
Karenina smiled sadly. She wiped her tears and steeled her heart.
If Nichs could love her, then Queen Marianne was going to be happy and her father wasn''t going to make her feel like a hapless daughter who should have been born as a son.
As far as Karenina knew, there hadn''t exactly been any indication that showed Nichs liked men. Maybe he was just busy or¡ he might not be interested in her and just asked for her hand in marriage because the queen dowager pressured him.
Yeah, maybe that''s what happened. Nichs kept postponing their wedding because he didn''t love Karenina. No matter how beautiful and smart she was, if there was no love on his part, it would be hard for Nichs to be excited about their marriage.
And thus¡ he tried to keep dying the process. But that''s fine. Karenina didn''t mind if the king would never love her. As long as he kept his promise to marry her, she would keep waiting.
She still had a chance!
"Karenina, are you listening to me?" Viscount Verhoven frowned. "Your father is speaking but you''re not even paying attention."
"I¡ I''m sorry, I was lost in my thoughts." Lady Karenina bowed her head apologetically.
Viscount Verhoven finally sat down beside his daughter''s bed. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. "If it weren''t for me and my actions, you would have remained in Hautingen as a namelessdy born from a lowly lord. Please show more aptitude, Karenina. I can''t do everything by myself, can I?"
Karenina bit down on her lip. "What did you say earlier, Father?"
"Even if the circumstance has changed, it does not mean that we will be canceling the engagement." Viscount Verhoven gave his daughter a look. "Even if he likes men more, he can chase after them in his spare time. You must still be the queen, Karenina."
"And how can I do that, Father?" Karenina glumly asked. "If I cannot have his love¡ how will I even be the queen?"
Viscount Verhoven clicked his tongue and pulled out a small bottle from his pocket. "Some time ago, a witch came to Hauntingen with her wares and sold me this aphrodisiac. Use this and give the king an heir and you will be queen."
"What?!" Lady Karenina turned to Viscount Verhoven and looked scandalized. She stared at the small bottle in horror and slowly backed away from her father. "You want me to¡ use that so I can be the queen?"
Viscount Verhoven red and grabbed her by the arm. "If you weren''t so ipetent, we wouldn''t have to resort to this method¡ª"
"Oh, father.. no¡" The youngdy pressed her chest in shock. The thought of throwing herself to the king and forcing him to have sex with her made her shudder.
However, it seemed her father was really hitting a dead-end and decided to use sinful methods to reach their goal.
She wanted her first consummation with Nichs to be on their wedding night¡ not before.
"I can''t let you ruin our family''s future," the viscountined. He looked at his daughter with narrowed eyes. "Are you trying to be an unfilial daughter by disobeying your father?"
Give me time, Father!" Lady Karenina rose from her seat and begged him with tears in her eyes. "I can make Nichs Hannenbergh love me. I don''t want to use those methods!"
"You''ve already failed in the past year, Karenina." Viscount Verhoven frowned. "How do you expect me to simply agree with you?"
"Because I will be the one who will be marrying, Nichs and not you!" Lady Karenina balled her fist. "Do you think I cannot do it, father? I will prove it to you that I am worthy of love! Queen Marianne already likes me, I am sure Nichs will alsoe to like me too."
Viscount Verhovenughed and shook his head. "Karenina, if the rumors are true about His Majesty then your chances are slim¡"
"Those rumors are not true! They''re baseless and I can''t believe that you would listen to some Duke just because he is higher-ranked than you, Father." Karenina shook and trembled as this was the first time that she went against her father''s wishes.
Viscount Verhoven''s face darkened but then he talked slowly to her as if he was dealing with an insolent child. He saw her as nothing more but an extension of himself.
"Karenina¡ I understand that you''re upset, but that is not how you speak to your father. I am only doing what I believe is the best for the two of us. You don''t need love, we need power and stability and this aphrodisiac will give you and His Majesty an heir."
"Put that thing away from me. I don''t need it." Lady Karenina red at him. "I don''t even know why you keeping here and expect me to keep listening to you. Please leave while I can still maintain my respect for you, Father."
"Karenina, you will regret this," Viscount Verhoven said. "Just take the bottle and listen to my advice. I will overlook your sharp mouth tonight."
Lady Karenina snatched the bottle away from his hand and threw it on the floor. "Leave or I will make the guards take you out, Father."
Viscount Verhoven gritted his teeth but then kept his pride as he walked to the door. He threw her a cold look. "In due time, you will regret shattering the bottle ande beg me for help, Karenina. That man will never love you."
"Goodbye."
Chapter 235 Three Years Later
Do you know what is the most consistent moving forward thing?
That''s right. The answer is time. Time never wants to stop, it does not wait for anyone, and never does it want toe back for anyone.
Time goes on and doesn''t stop. It shows itself when the old leaves on a tree start to age and fall down, while the young leaves grow and are ready to rece the old leaves, in order to continue the maintenance of the tree''s survival.
However, before the young leaves be really ready for the task, the old leaves need to maintain themselves from all storms.
Simr to the leaf cycle in a tree, the family cycle is also the same and not much different. Children are needed in order to keep the family tree alive, but what if the young leavese from another tree? Is that possible?
Of course. But how does it happen? The answer is through grafting. It will be difficult for the tree to ept it but not impossible.
***
The twinkling stars and moonlight illuminated the night sky which overshadowed the Land of Frisia.
The clear sky tonight seemed to represent the feelings of the beautiful blue-eyed woman who was currently standing by the window as she gazed at the moon that emitted golden light.
A gust of wind moved a few strands of her gray hair with soft pinkish streaks, which were neatly tied up to reveal a very beautiful neckline.
"Oh, Nic...." The name came out softly from her small lips while she was lost in her thoughts. Sophie unconsciously imagined Nichs'' face smiling warmly at her.
"Oh Nic, are you looking from up there? Today is Jan and Luciel''s fifth birthday. I can''t wait to see their faces when they turn into humans. Will they be handsome like you?"
Sophie couldn''t help but smile as she gazed up at the sky. Her heart was filled with happiness and warmth and she no longer beat herself for thinking about Nichs.
However,a momentter, her smile faded as worry suddenly appeared and came in as an uninvited guest that spoiled the atmosphere.
Around this time, a number of pack members kept gossiping about Jan and Luciel, who were not the children of Alpha Lnd but the children of another lycan.
Sophie was worried that her children would be bullied, humiliated, and looked down upon once they gained their human forms.
No, no, it was more than enough for her to stop feeling that way. It was not her children''s fault either.
Even though Lnd had repeatedly told her not to worry, there were times when such thoughts came to haunt her, and she couldn''t shake them off.
Sophie took a deep breath, but then she was startled by someone suddenly hugging her from behind.
"Le-Lnd? You startled me." She turned her head to look at her mate and held his hands on her stomach.
Lnd smiled seeing Sophie''s rosyplexions and her beautiful face looking so healthy. Every since Silver, the son of the GreatShaman, came to visit themst year and treated Sophie, her weak body had improved significantly.
Silver was truly a talented healer and Lnd was grateful for his help.
"What are you thinking?" The Alpha asked as he gently kissed the nape of his mate. He inhaled the sweet scent that emanated from there.
"Nothing, I¡ I''m just worried about Jan and Luciel,"
"Worried?" Lnd raised an eyebrow.
Sophie immediately shook her head. "I''m afraid that¨C"
"Won''t you trust me, Sophia?" Lnd cut Sophie''s words quickly.
He knew what his wife was going to say. Usually,when Sophie started to worry like this, Lnd became a little sad because it meant he failed to make Sophia believe that Jan and Luciel would always be safe under his protection.
The light from Lnd''s blue-green eyes dimmed slightly, obscured by a light mist of sadness, and Sophie noticed it immediately.
The woman in the ck dress with golden floral ents on the cor turned around to face him and she cupped her husband''s face. Five years had passed, but Lnd''s habit of always ming himself for every bad thing that happened to his Sophia had not changed at all.
"It''s not like that. You know I trust you one hundred percent. However, this is just¡ Uhm, let''s just call it a mother''s raw feeling. Mothers get anxious very easily. So, don''t me yourself for my anxiety, I trust you more than myself." Sophia smiled warmly.
It was so warm that it touched Lnd''s heart. The man looked at her deeply. "Is that the truth?"
"Hm. Of course." Sophia winked and jokingly said, "You''ll know for yourself when you give birth to a child."
"..."
"Come on, let''s go!" Sophie took Lnd''s hand and pulled the man''s hand up. She started to drag him back to the venue. She felt very excited. "I really can''t wait to see Luciel and Jan transform. I also can''t wait to talk to them and hear them call me mom and then I¡ª ahh!"
"Sophia!" Lnd swiftly caught Sophie''s body. The moment she suddenly had difficulty breathing, she might have fallen if Lnd hadn''t caught her quickly.
"Sophia!" Lnd wanted to carry her in his arms. He looked very worried, but the woman shook her head and stood back up.
"Huffff." Sophie rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, relieved that she had regained her breath quickly and had not lost consciousness. Recently, she had been experiencing shortness of breath and sudden fainting.
"I''m fine," she said when she saw Lnd''s tense face.
"Sophia, are you sure?"
"Yes. Please don''t worry too much about me. I''m fine. Come on, everyone must be waiting for us." Sophie put her arm around Lnd''s then walked over while she held on to him for support.
.
.
______________________
From Missrealitybites:
We just had the time skip and now the boys are five. I can''t wait for them to shift! Soon, the family would also move back to Riga. Ahh, there will be so much going on!
PS: THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support. "The King''s Wife is The Alpha''s Mate" went up to #9 in the Golden rankingst month. It''s amazing!!
Thank you to everyone who has voted your golden tickets to this book. You made me feel over the moon.
I would like to give the shoutout to the Top Three Golden Ticket Contributors in January 2022. Kelly Goodwin, Maude Fluckiger, and Rhona (ZZgirl). Thank you, thank you..!
Chapter 236 Jans And Luciels Birthday
In the spacious manor''s courtyard, the invited guests had arrived. The old, young, and children of the Blood River pack were already there.
Of course, they didn''t want to miss this important moment, especially for the gossipers, they were the ones who looked the most enthusiastic.
Their hearts were excited and impatient for the moment when the two boys transformed.It gave them the chance to see the human face of the twin sons of Alpha and Luna.
? If the faces of the two children differed greatly or bore no resemnce to their Alpha and Luna, that would be a very good gossip material.
Whoops!
Jan jumped forward and caught Luciel. His brother was running after another wolf cub but was held back by his brother.
Luciel tried to break free, and Jan held him as hard as he could and they had a fight. The two rolled on the grass and ovepped one another. They bit each other''s ears, pushed, and pounced about.
The boys'' squabble continued until the grey-white wolf cub that Luciel had previously chased came along with the other children. He and his army ran fast and jumped at the two brothers, and ¡ then they were piled up like mountains.
If this was a cartoon, then some little birds would have been circling Luciel''s head who was at the very bottom.
The children''s behavior invitedughter from those who were watching, but some looked indifferent or didn''t notice. They were so serious and preupied with chatting or enjoying the drinks and light snacks that were avable.
Lucas, who saw Alpha and Lunaing, immediately approached them. Everyone stopped their activity and gathered to pay their respects, while Duncan and Max picked up the twins and led them to Alpha and Luna.
Lnd received the respect of the pack. Then he gave a few words of wee, after which he invited all the guests to have fun and enjoy the series of events that had been arranged, while they waited for midnight when Luciel and Jan would turn into humans.
SWOOSH!
The bonfire was lit, music was yed, the servants came out gradually and brought venison to be arranged on the grill.
The lycans circled the bonfire and danced gracefully, followed by the couples. Singles also didn''t want to be left behind, even though they don''t have a partner yet. Who knew? Perhaps they will find their soul mate there?
As for the kids, they made their own fun. They ran and jumped around as if they never ran out of energy to do them.
Sophia only sighed tiredly when she saw Luciel and Jan, who could never sit still for even a minute. "Aren''t they tired of doing that? As the one looking at them, I''m tired already."
When he heard his mate grumble, Lnd couldn''t help but smile.
"Isn''t that good? It means they are healthy," he said and drank his wine calmly.
"Hm, well. You''re right, Lnd." Sophie looked at the ck gold-patterned tunics that were on herp. It was the ones she had prepared long ago for Luciel and Jan.
She smiled and imagined that when Jan and Luciel wore these clothes, it would be really amazing. She couldn''t wait any longer.
After looking at the clothes, she turned to look at the lycans who danced around the bonfire.
Lnd, who was still drinking his wine, was taken aback when Sophie suddenly stood in front of him with her hand outstretched. She asked him, "Would you like to dance with me?"
Lnd furrowed his brows and stared at Sophie in silence. To be honest, he was happy with the invitation, but he was considering Sophie''s health.
She had gotten better the past year, but he didn''t want to take risks by letting her do strenuous activities like dancing.
"Just a moment, I beg you. A party without dancing is no fun. If I faint you can just carry me. Easy, right?" Sophie smiled widely. She spoke as if it was something light.
Didn''t she know how Lnd felt every time she fainted? The man felt as if half his life was taken from him.
"Lnd, please¡?"
Lnd was still reluctant to ept Sophie''s extended hand, but seeing Sophie''s pleading face¡. he could not refuse.
"Okay, but only for a moment." He put his goblet on the table and took Sophie''s outstretched hand.
The festivities around the castle courtyard broke out, and Sophie brought Lnd to join everyone who was dancing happily.
"Lnd, you are very handsome."
"Haven''t I always been handsome," said Lnd as he turned Sophie around.
"Yeah yeah, but tonight you look a hundred times more handsome."
Sophie wasn''t lying, Lnd, who was already handsome from the start, grew even more handsome when the light from the bonfire hit his face.
It made Lnd shine even more.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Lucas ¨C the Beta, seemed to be separating himself from the crowd. Instead of dancing, he preferred to eat grilled venison while he watched his surroundings.
Parties like this were often used by the enemy to attack. So, he wanted to stay vignt and let the Alpha and the others enjoyed a nice time while he kept watching.
From some distance away, Duncan and Max were standing with their arms crossed, watching the bonfire and the people dancing to the music.
The two lycans who were assigned to watch over Luciel and Jan were whispering about the Beta. They heard some rumors said that Lucas had two left feet, that was why he never joined dances.
"I can totally see it. He does look like he had two left feet." Duncan chuckled and turned to Max. However, from the corner of his eyes, he could see a shadow looming in and¡ª
Duncan and Max bit their lips when Lucas suddenly stood behind them with an intimidating cold aura.The Beta stepped up and hugged them both.
Duncan and Max became tense.
Lucas smiled lopsidedly, and then said, "I still have one more secret, you know."
"..."
"Wh-what... is it?" Duncan asked with a low voice.
Lucas brought Duncan and Max''s heads closer to him.
"I''m also a cannibal," he whispered threateningly.
Lucas breathed behind Duncan''s ear and caused Duncan to gulp.
Chapter 237 The Boys Shift
Note:
Gosh, Thank you, Maude Fluckiger, for gifting a gachapon to this book yesterday. You are so kind. x
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When the dance was over, the event changed to a racingpetition and this event was specifically for the children. From the Luna''s seat, Sophie shouted encouragingly at Luciel and Jan.
"LUCIEL! JAN! COME ON! YOU CAN DO IT!" She was like a cheerleader with her pompom, encouraging her sons to win the race.
"Sophia take a seat," Lnd said as Sophie stood up and shouted excitedly, but Lnd''s voice was just like a passing wind that was ignored. She was too immersed in the race and not once did she let herself distracted from her sons.
Finally, Lnd could only smile and shook his head. He loved this side of Sophie too, and he was happy to see her enjoying the festivities.
From behind the starting line, Luciel and Jan, who heard their mother''s scream, turned around.
At this moment, the boys did an unexpected sweet thing, they both stood on their two hind legs then put one paw in front of their mouths in unison and¡
SMOOCH!
It was a long-distance kiss thrown for their mother. One didn''t need to ask where they learned that because no one knew either.
"Aww, so sweet." Sophie''s heart melted. "My babies are so adorable."
Duncan, who now changed roles as the host of the show, entered the arena.
The rules of the race were that all participants will run towards a rock that was 500 meters at a distance and return to the starting line. They needed to repeat this five times, the fastest one toplete the round was the winner.
"THE COMPETITION WILL BE STARTING SOON! ALL PARTICIPANTS GET READY AT THE START LINE!" Duncan''s voice echoed through the manor courtyard.
"ARE YOU READY?!"
AWOOOOO
All the kids howled in response. ''YEESSS!!''
"PERFECT! ALL PARTICIPANTS START RUNNING AFTER THREE. GET READY, AND ONE TWO THREE, START!"
Everyone pped as the children started running. Sophie couldn''t control herself and she ran down to the edge of the arena. The Luna shouted encouragingly at her sons, and this action provoked other mothers to join in and follow what she was doing.
When mothers gathered like this, then the only thing that could happen was ''CHAOS!'' They shouted, screamed, threw confetti, and provoked the children to run faster.
Some liked it, and some didn''t. It was a part of life. Many female lycans joined Sophie, but a few alsomented negatively about her. ording to them, what Sophie did was corny, that was inappropriate for a Luna to do.
In their opinion, a Luna should have been more elegant and showed her higher status. Of course, they didn''t dare to say this openly because they were terrified of making the Alpha angry.
Over the course of three years, the Blood River Pack had grown, almost to what it used to be. Lnd assigned Lucas to talk with many smaller packs and offered them to join the Blood River Pack under his leadership.
He still wanted to be the Lycan king and toppled the kingdom of Riga for his revenge. And for that, he needed an army. Fortunately for him, Lucas was a capable man.
He was good with words, something that Lndcked, and the Beta could convince the leaders of those small packs to join Blood River Pack. He shared with them the ns and missions that Lnd had in the future.
Since the Alpha had a great reputation out there and had been seen as the strongest contender for the title of The Lycan King, added to the fact that his mate was the previous king''s granddaughter, it didn''t take a long time for Blood River Pack to grow in number.
Now, four years after the rebellion led by Brin, Blood River Pack numbers had almost gone up to their original number. Not only did members of small packs decide to join them, but many powerful rogues also came to pledge their loyalty.
They all hoped for a better future for their race once they could have one true leader who would unite all lycans under the sun in this continent.
Many of those lycans, the new members of Blood River Pack, came to this celebration with their children. That''s why the event felt so festive and filled with many cries andughter of children. It was a really nice family event.
The excitement continued until the long-awaited moment was almost there. While waiting for the approaching midnight, all the guests ate their food and enjoyed the hot roasted venison.
Time continued to pass, the moon and stars still faithfully decorated the night sky.
Sophie looked anxious and her heart pounded at that moment. It felt like she was waiting for the final decision of thepetition, she was tense and impatient.
"Lnd, why haven''t they shifted?" she asked when it was already midnight, but Luciel and Jan still did not shift.
Sophie watched Luciel and Jan ying cat and mouse with their new friends and yet none of them showed any sign of transforming into human children.
Lnd smiled to see his mate looking so anxious and excited at the same time.
"Just wait a little more," he said and stroked Sophie''s back.
Gotcha!
Luciel jumped from behind the bushes and pounced on one of his friends but suddenly his body gave off a blinding white light, and in the next second, a human child was seen holding a wolf cub beneath him.
"LUCIEL!" Sophie jumped from her seat and was followed by Lnd, Lucas, and everyone else.
After one minute, the same thing happened to Jan, who had been stalking his friend while he hid behind a bush. However, when he was ready to jump, his form had already changed.
"Jan!" Sophie ran toe over but stopped suddenly when her two sons stood up. In Sophie''s eyes, she saw the figure of little Nichs.
The boys were so handsome with hair ck as night, and their pair of amber eyes radiated warmth. They looked so alike and were the exact copycats of their biological father.
Sophie was stunned.
One by one, the memories of Nichs shed through her mind and yed like a movie trailer. Meanwhile, Lnd was secretly disappointed that Luciel and Jan looked so much like Sophie''s first husband.
He had hoped that Luciel and Jan would look like Sophie.
Chapter 238 The Luckiest Woman In The World
Note:
Thank you, Kelly Goodwin dear, for gifting a gachapon to this book yesterday. Muaah!!
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Sophie, who was trapped in the memory of Nichs, couldn''t hold back her tears. She walked slowly towards her two sons, who seemed to be looking confused at each other.
Sophie knelt down and gently touched her sons'' cheeks. They really made her see Nichs again.
"Oh, God." She hugged Luciel and Jan tightly and then she wept. It was happy tears.
The members of the Blood River pack who saw Luciel''s and Jan''s forms immediately realized that the two children had absolutely no resemnce to the Alpha or Luna.
Many people started whispering among each other and letting out snarkyments. The crowd of guests suddenly turned into a swarm of wasps.
Some insulted Sophie as a lowly, undignified woman, and nothing more than a female who slept with another man that was not her mate. Even the two innocent children did not escape their insults.
It certainly ignited anger in Lnd''s heart. The man turned around and stared at them intently. The Alpha released a killing aura that instantly silenced the mouths of all the wasps.
This time Lnd managed to silence them all, but for how long?
After the situation calmed down, Lnd looked back at Sophie, who had just finished dressing Jan and Luciel. The woman looked unaffected or maybe¡ was pretending to be unaffected?
Now, Lnd turned to Jan and Luciel and smiled as the two children looked up at him.
"Happy birthday," he said, and touched the heads of the two children affectionately.
Luciel and Jan looked very much like ordinary human children. The tunic that their mother chose for them made them look like two sons of a human noble family.
No, in fact, they even looked like two human princes.
Seeing the boys in their human forms made Lnd feel bitter and jealous. He would never see what his own sons look like. This made him clench his fists to the sides and thought about revenge. He still didn''t have proof but he was convinced that his mother was behind it.
He couldn''t after Isolde and force her to confess because of Sophie''s condition. But now that his mate had be better, maybe he could start thinking about punishing Isolde.
Yes, revenge wouldn''t bring back Morgan and Emery, but it would make him less bitter. Sophie looked up and noticed her mate''s expression. She furrowed her brows.
Usually, Lnd didn''t show what he was feeling on the surface. He always looked as calm as the ocean when he was around her.
The only emotion she saw from him was anger when he thought she was in danger, and that anger would always disappear when he looked at her.
Maybe he was worried that she would be scared by his outburst? Sophie would never fear him. She knew his heart.
"Lnd..." Sophie''s heart sank when she realized Lnd was looking at Luciel and Jan with a sad expression. She realized he must be feeling so deep in sadness for his emotion to escape to the surface like this.
Sophie could guess that Lnd must be missing their own sons who never made it to see the world. At a time like this, she knew she had to be the strong one. Sophie walked to Lnd and sped his hand with hers, and she whispered, "I love you."
Lnd blinked and turned to see Sophie. He realized she could tell he was being emotional and this made him feel ashamed. He should have had hidden his feelings better.
"I love you too," he smiled at her and hugged her waist.
He tilted his head toward the boys who now struggled to walk on two feet because they were not used to it and now they were looking at Sophie with their best puppy eyes.
Lnd exined to Sophie. "Ahem... they want to ask your permission to take off their clothes and shift back into their wolf forms."
"Oh... really?" Sophie noticed that too. Luciel and Jan didn''t lookfortable with their clothes even though the material was very soft and it was supposed to feel really good. "Ahh... they are not used to being humans..."
"Correct," Lnd agreed. "When I was younger I also still preferred to be in my wolf form than my human form. It took me some time to getfortable in my own skin as a human."
"Ahh.. that''s right," Sophie sighed. "I remember now. We lived together for more than eight years when we were children but not once did I ever see your human form."
"Well, I did transform several times when you were not looking,"
"Oh, you did?" Sophie''s eyes bulged. "Why?"
"Well... " Lnd cleared his throat. "... because I was naked?"
Sophieughed when she heard his answer. That made total sense. "I am d I am finally lucky enough to see you naked."
Lnd smiled when he heard her funny words. Slowly, his face blushed. He didn''t know why but during this especially sad time, she managed to lift his mood just by saying she was lucky to see him naked.
"Well... you can see me naked anytime," the Alpha replied solemnly.
This time, it was Sophie''s face that turned pink from blushing.
She and Lnd were still being intimate even after she was sick but it was nothing like what they had in the first year of their marriage. Lnd was too worried that she would die.
In the past year, things had be much better. She was almost healthy and they were having sex regrly, but he always avoided pregnancy. Even though he really wanted more children from Sophie, her safety was much more important to him.
He wouldn''t be able to live with himself if Sophie had a difficult pregnancy just because he wanted children. He was okay to never have a child of his own since he loved Luciel and Jan and they were amazing children.
However, tonight, seeing how much the boys looked like their biological father, Lnd felt that longing again. This made him feel ashamed of himself.
Sophie cupped his face and looked at him with a sheepish grin. "Can I see you naked tonight?"
Lnd didn''t know this, but Sophie had been talking to their healers many times in the past months, to check whether she was healthy enough for pregnancy.
They kept checking her health and earlier today they said she had almost fully recovered and could start nning for pregnancy, if she wanted.
Of course, Sophie wanted it. She nned to tell Lnd tonight that they had to start trying.
Lnd''s eyes were fixated on Sophie''s. He couldn''t believe his ears. His sweet mate suddenly talking seductively like this made all his sadness go without a trace.
He couldn''t care less about everyone else around them. He immediately pulled her in for a kiss and he did it so passionately that parents had to cover their children''s eyes.
Many single women pressed their lips with bulged eyes and instantly felt jealous, seeing the glorious disy of affection of the Alpha toward his Luna.
She was the luckiest woman in the world, they all thought in unison.
It was obvious that the children were not even her mate''s but he took care of them much better than most biological fathers they knew. And they could see he worshipped the ground she walked on.
So lucky.
Chapter 239 You Keep Distracting Me... **
Note: OMG... it''s double asterisks sign! HALLELUJAH! XD
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Sophie bit her lip seductively and squeezed Lnd''s arm. She repeated her question because the Alpha didn''t immediately reply, too surprised by her sudden boldness. "Can I see you naked tonight?"
Lnd nodded vigorously. He didn''t know she still needed a verbal answer from him after he kissed her so passionately just now. So, now he said firmly, "Yes."
Sophia chuckled and pecked his cheek before she went to her sons and told them they were allowed to take off their clothes and shift back into their wolf forms.
"Well done, boys! Let''s try again tomorrow. For now, you can take the clothes off," she said with a smile.
Luciel and Jan let out relieved sighs in unison. Then they took off their clothes quickly, almost lightning-fast, by tearing them apart.
"That''s not..." Sophie bulged her eyes when she saw what they did. "That''s not what I meant..."
She could only swallow her words and sigh. The boys had disappeared so fast, she almost thought they were magicians.
"They really dislike wearing clothes," Sophie turned to Lnd and pursed her lips. She was concerned that her sons would be like those feral wolves who didn''t know how to live among humans.
Uff... what should she do to make them look more like human children?
"Give them time," was all Lnd said. Before Sophie couldin any further, he had scooped her up and carried her in his strong arms. "Let''s focus on you seeing me naked."
Sophie shrieked in surprise and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. "You startled me."
"Sorry," Lnd said without any hint of regret. He was actually smiling. "Now, where were we?"
The guests knew it was time to end the party and went back to their residences since the Alpha seemed busy with his mate. The boys had transformed and the purpose of this celebration had been achieved. It was time to call it a night.
Lucas smiled, seeing Lnd and Sophie disappear behind the castle door. He immediately took over to properly close the event. He thanked everyone foring and wished them good night.
Duncan and Max found Luciel and Jan and escorted them to their bedroom, then made sure they sleep.
***
Lnd ced Sophie on theirfortable bed and climbed up to lie on his side beside her. His eyes glint in anticipation. Sophie was admiring the man, charmed by his good looks and masculine scent. She thanked the Moon Goddess for sending Lnd into her life.
"I love you," she said shyly, tracing his chest. "Thank you for being such a wonderful mate for me and father for Luciel and Jan."
Even after five years of being together, Lnd still was not used to eptingpliments. He only smiled awkwardly and nodded. In his mind, what he did wasmon sense, but to Sophie it was wonderful.
If Sophie could give one gift to Lnd, it was to make him see himself through her eyes.
Sophie inched closer and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, while her eyes were looking at him deeply. Lnd''s heart started pounding.
He moved his hand and traced her body from her shoulder down to her waist, then to her thigh, and then he slipped his hand under her dress and traced her skin.
Sophie''s breath started panting. When his hand touched her skin, it was electrifying.
"I love you too," Lnd said softly. Then, he slipped his other hand under her dress. Suddenly, he pulled her with both hands to sit on his body. The next thing Sophie knew, she found herself straddling him while both his hands were squeezing her buttocks.
"Ahh..." she let out a soft moan when he kneaded her butt.
"Focus, Sophia," Lnd said with his deep and dark voice. There was a twinkle in his eyes. "You were... undressing me?"
Sophie bobbed her head. "Y-yes.. I was..."
She realized he pulled her to be in this position to make it easier for her to unbutton his shirt. She just needed to bend down a little and do the work.
However, how could she concentrate on doing her job if this man distracted her by kneading her butt?
"You may continue," Lnd said with a smile. His mood improved after feeling dejected earlier that night, thinking about their lost sons. Sophie truly did her magic, bringing him back from the abyss just by confessing her love for him.
Sophie bit her lip and nodded. She was trying her hardest to focus on the task at hand, but now Lnd''s naughty hand had moved to...
His face beamed when he felt her fold was already wet.
"Ahhh..." Sophie let out a long moan. Lnd had started rubbing her clit from outside her underwear. She paused her work and closed her eyes. "I-I can''t do this... if... if you keep distracting me..."
Lnd instantly paused what he was doing.
Sophie opened her eyes. Her face looked frustrated. "Why did you stop?"
She was feeling so good down there and he suddenly stopped?
"You didn''t want me to distract you," Lnd said.
"I never said that," Sophie pursed her lips. "I said I can''t do it if you keep distracting me..."
"Isn''t it... the same?" Lnd raised his brows.
"It''s not," Sophie said stubbornly. She knew it was the same, but she refused to admit it because, at the same time, she thought he should have realized that she didn''t mean for him to stop.
She just meant to say that she would be slow...
"Okay," Lnd smiled. He suddenly rolled around and moved Sophie to the bed. Their position now switched. She was lying down under him and he was pressing on her body, careful not to hurt her. Then, he informed her with his husky voice, "I will stop distracting you."
"..."
Lnd bent down to kiss Sophie''s luscious lips, while his hands went inside her dress, lifting her skirt up to expose her soft and supple skin. He swallowed at the beautiful sight, then he pulled down her underwear.
Sophie''s breath panted and her heart pounded in anticipation when Lnd stripped her off her clothes one by one.
"I... I should be the one to see you naked..." she grumbled. "Not the other way around..."
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From Missrealitybites:
I have many chapters ready actually, but I need to write the smut scene first. This one took me 3 hours... hahahaha. I promise, once I get this scene out of the way, I will give you a mini mass release with the chapters I already have.
Chapter 240 Lets Try To Get Pregnant **
Lnd stopped Sophie fromining further by iming her lips and giving her a long passionate kiss. His nimble tongue feasted on hers, twisting and sucking it until she was almost out of breath.
Sophie suddenly forgot what she wanted to say. Her mind was now filled with euphoria from the kiss and his hands kneading her breasts.
"Mmm..." Sophie let out a long moan when Lnd lowered his kisses to her neck, her corbone, and thennded on her right breast.
Lnd took in a mouthful and sucked on it like a hungry baby, while his right hand continued kneading her other mound. And then he switched. It felt so good!
Sophie squirmed and started moving her hips, rubbing her private part on his crotch. She was so wet and dying to have him inside her. She really missed being filled up by him.
Lnd took the hint and immediately removed his clothes. His manhood was throbbing for the same reason. It''s been a while since thest time they had sex, and he missed it so badly.
He tossed his clothes to the floor and Sophie could see his manhood towering above her. She smiled.
"You are so beautiful...." Seeing her sweet smile, Lnd spoke between his panting breath. His hands kneaded her breasts. They felt so soft and so bouncy. He could never have enough of her. His eyes were filled with desire, his voice was hoarse.
Now that they were both naked, Lnd wanted to position their bodies to do a sixty-nine like what they were used to. This was their go-to position for sex after Sophie became sick.
It still gave them pleasure while ensuring Sophie would not feel tired or exert herself. It was also good to avoid pregnancy. Not the most ideal way to have sex for a passionate man like Lnd, but it was better than nothing.
"Lnd..." Sophie gripped his arm and stopped him. She bit her lip, looking so alluring. There was a sheepish smile on her face. She whispered coyishly, "Let''s try to get pregnant..."
Lnd''s movement suddenly halted. He bulged his eyes and looked at Sophie seriously. He muttered, "You are still weak. We shouldn''t..."
"No..." Sophie shook her head and smiled. "I''ve checked with the healers many times. They said I am now strong enough for pregnancy... So, let''s try to have babies..."
Sophie loved her husband so deeply. She wanted him to have his own children too, after being such an amazing father to another man''s offspring
She looked at him with gleaming eyes. She saw the pendant still hung from his neck after all these years as the reminder of what they had lost. She was filled with the desire to have his children. She wanted him to feel happy.
Lnd was dumbfounded. He couldn''t believe his hearing.
p This was what he had been wanting for years, but he kept this desire to himself, never letting Sophie know because he didn''t want her to feel pressured to give him biological children. Surely Luciel and Jan were enough for them. Right?
Expectations were the root cause of disappointments, he thought. It was better not to expect anything, then he wouldn''t be disappointed.
"Lnd..." Sophie spoke again. She thought Lnd didn''t believe her the first time. "I want to have your babies."
Lnd stared at Sophie in confusion. Were his ears ying tricks on him? Was he so sad about their stillborn children that he started hallucinating about Sophie wanting to get pregnant with his child?
"We can start trying." Sophie had to repeat her words to move Lnd from his daze. "The healers said I am healthy."
"They did?" Lnd still wanted to confirm. This was such good news. When he saw Sophie nod, he realized this conversation was real. He gushed. "They did!"
"Yes, they did." Sophie smiled broadly. She was d to see he finally got it.
"Gosh... Sophia...!" Lnd was so moved, he peppered her face with kisses and he caressed her skin with such deep affection. "I love you so much..."
Now, Lnd''s body was filled with vigor. Sophie''s words awakened the beast that he had been caging inside and pressuring to sleep for years.
Lnd felt his manhood throb and his body was on fire. He missed ravaging her body to his heart''s content and making love to her all night long.
Well, he wouldn''t go all out immediately tonight. First, he needed to make sure Sophie was really okay. If there were any signs that Sophie became tired, he would immediately stop.
If she was truly fine...
They would make love all night long, to make up for what they had missed all this time.
Oh, how much he longed being inside her and that amazing feeling when her pussy mped his penis tightly as he pounded her rapidly until she screamed his name in pleasure.
"Lnd..."
"I love you..." The Alpha whispered as he positioned his engorged manhood in front of Sophie''s fold and pushed his way in. Sophie arched her back when his shaft entered all the way. She felt so full.
She wanted to say she loved him back, but her mind suddenly lost focus and she couldn''t even utter any word because he had started pounding her. Their panting breaths, together with their racing hearts filled the air in their room.
Sophie bit her lip, trying to hold back her moans. They had not had loud sex for years. It was weird to suddenly make those noises again and disturb everyone''s sleep.
However, all her efforts were futile. When Lnd pounded her faster and faster, she no longer cared about their surroundings and finally screamed his name.
"Lnd.... ahhhh... aahhh...!!" Sophie arched her back and curled her toes when a mind-blowing orgasm engulfed her being after Lnd pumped rapidly for several minutes.
Warm liquid seeped out from her pussy, making his penis wet and slippery. Gosh... he missed this so much!
Lnd''s breath panted from excitement. He was so turned on when he heard her moan loudly and call his name. After Sophie got her first release, he lowered his tempo and observed his mate, checking whether she showed any signs of pain or tiredness.
There was none.
Sophie''s face disyed this silly grin that she always had when she reached her peak. She was not even sweating. Lnd only saw happiness and satisfaction in her. This made his heart flutter and filled with warmth.
His carnal desire was now fully awakened. Lnd turned Sophie to lie on her stomach and raised her hips. He loved seeing her beautiful back view while he entered her from behind.
When Sophie realized what her mate wanted, she rose her upper body to lean on her elbows and was now on all four. For a moment, Lnd stopped and admire the view. From this position, her pussy was on full disy, so beautiful!
It was wet with her love juice from her orgasm just now. The man gulped.
She was perfect in every single way.
Lnd felt so lucky to have met her in this lifetime and made her his. He touched her fold gently and felt the warm liquid still seeping out. It was so sexy!
Lnd bent down and spread her thighs open, then started licking and sucking her wet pussy hungrily.
Sophie immediately let out a long moan and squirmed. She thought Lnd would enter her from behind, but instead, he went down on her because he thought her pussy looked so tempting.
Sophie''s sexy moans made the Alpha be more aroused. His penis throbbed uncontrobly, yearning to be inside her again. So, he rose and positioned his shaft to enter her. With one powerful thrust, Lnd entered, just as Sophie was about to get her second orgasm.
"Aaahhh..." Sophie moaned and gripped the sheets tightly. She felt so full and her mind went into a mess.
Lnd pounded rapidly without stopping for a few minutes while Sophie was sent to seventh heaven. After she got her next orgasm, Lnd rolled to the side and pulled her into his embrace.
He spooned her from behind and used one hand to raise her hip while his other hand positioned his manhood on her fold. Once he found the entrance, he entered Sophie from the side.
This was one of her favorite positions during their lovemaking. He could fill her up so deeply without having to tire her with vigorous lovemaking.
Their bodies moved in sync, dancing to the same tune. Their hearts were racing in the same beat and their breaths panting, their minds were filled with the same excitement and anticipation.
They both hoped their union would be blessed with another child.
Chapter 241 Attack Of The Lycans (1)
While Sophie and Lnd were enjoying a night full of passion, venting their pent-up desire for a long time, Armeria, a kingdom adjacent to Frisia was about to face terror.
That night, a cold atmosphere enveloped the night of Armeria. The atmosphere in the kingdom was in stark contrast to the conditions in Frisia.
Not a single wind blew. All the nts were silent and did not move at all, and the sky also seemed empty, not a single star appeared.
The unusual silence gave an eerie feeling.
The cry of a baby was heard from one of the residents'' houses. The mother affectionately tried to calm her child down but to no avail. The baby looked very restless.
Nature seemed to be trying to alert people of the dangers that were approaching them, and it was true. Dark shadows shed in the darkness, broke through the thick forest, crossed the river, and moved swiftly towards the capital of Armeria.
After a while, the shadows stopped at a hill where their leader was waiting for them. They continued to arrive gradually. At first, they numbered in the dozens. Then tens and then hundreds.
It was here one saw the shape of the shadows clearly. They were a pack of wolves, or rather a pack of werewolves who were taking on their wolf forms. They were troops from the Obsidian Sand Pack who were prepared to attack the Kingdom of Armeria.
A wolf with ck and white fur stepped out of the line and walked over to a ck-haired man who stood on the edge of the hill. To the Alpha, the light from the human houses at the settlement below looked like fireflies.
"Is everything ready, Likaios?" Alpha Elias asked and nced at his Beta over his shoulder.
The ck and white wolf lowered its head as a ''yes'' answer to the Alpha''s question.
"Hmm. Good." The Alpha looked back at the settlement below them and smiled wickedly. "It''s time for us to turn things around. Let''s go!"
Without any hesitation, he jumped from a height of 50 meters.
AUUUUUWW
Likaios and the rest of the army howled, then followed the Alpha.
***
A man in armor stepped very quickly into the king''s chambers. Without dying a second, he immediately opened the door to the room he was aiming for.
"Your Majesty!" His voice sounded very urgent, and it took the man behind the pile of documents by surprise.
Themander-in-chief walked in, and the king immediately rose from his seat. Before the king asked anything, themander in chief sat down with one knee bent and passed the report from the soldiers guarding the northern border. The soldier said that they were under attack from the lycan pack.
"The soldiers over there are struggling to contain them," said themander quickly.
"What did you say?!" The king''s face was tense. He immediately ordered hismander to send reinforcements to the soldiers on the northern border, and he ordered that the security of the royal pce be tightened.
"No need to bother doing that." Someone''s deep voice came from the doorway and caught the attention of the two people in the room.
For a moment, the king''s eyes widened when he saw the ck-haired man standing in the doorway. However, his gaze then sharpened. Meanwhile, themander immediately stood up and drew his sword to protect the king.
When he saw this, the ck-haired man, who was the Alpha of Obsidian Sand Pack grinned.
"I will give you free advice, don''t waste your energy doing something useless. Now you are surrounded by the enemy," he said.
Shortly after that statement was made, screams and cries for help were heard from outside. Outside the pce, dozens of lycans carried out indiscriminate attacks and killed all the humans they encountered.
Meanwhile, inside the pce, the same thing happened. The beautiful scenery there turned into a terrifying sight.
Things were scattered, corpses were strewn about, bloodstains were shed all over the walls and floors. The Beta had entered the pce with several lycan warriors and they attacked all members of the royal family.
"N-no, don''t kill me." A middle-aged man wearing royal attire begged the Beta for forgiveness and to spare his life. He shuffled backward shakily as the ck and white wolf continued to advance and red at him.
"I beg you, please spare me I have a family, and my children are still very young," The man still pleaded, but the Beta was not interested in granting the request. Likaios mercilessly pounced and bit the man''s neck until his veins were severed.
"FATHEEEER!" The screams of a girl apanied by sobs were heard as Likaios killed the man.
Likaios turned his head and saw a girl in the pink dress standing near a pir. The moment they came face to face, the girl immediately ran to save her life.
***
THUD!
The king''s body had just been released as the Alpha threw him into the wall. Meanwhile, on the floor, themandery unconscious under the pir, and nobody even knew whether he was still alive or not.
"Let me give you free advice." Alpha Elias picked up the sword thaty at his feet and then walked over to the king of Armeria who had just got up.
"I have a good offer for you." The Alpha pointed the sword in the king''s face. He said, "Bow at my feet, and I will spare your life."
However, instead of being afraid, the king actually smiled.
"Why are you smiling for?" Alpha Elias arched an eyebrow. He was running out of patience!.
"Even to death, I would not do that. Keep this in mind in your head, Lowly Beast. Humans will always be at the top of the food chain," said the king fiercely. "Your time wille."
"Even though you''re about to die, you can still talk like that. You, humans, are very arrogant. I''m starting to hate you even more." Alpha Elias scoffed.
The king smiled again when he heard Alpha Elias now sounded agitated.
Chapter 242 Attack Of The Lycans (2)
When the Alpha saw the king''s smile, he drew back his sword. At first, he wanted to kill the king but he stopped his intention after hearing the arrogant words of the man who led the Armeria.
"What did you say? Did you call us lowly beast? Humans will always be at the top of the food chain?" Alpha Elias snorted.
He wanted a pathetic death for the king. If he killed the king now, then the king would die proud of having died as a warrior. He would be remembered as the king who died defending his country.
No!
Alpha Elias wanted the king to die a loser. The Alpha wanted the king to suffer. The King of Armeria loved his people very much, and it looked like it could be put to good use.
The Alpha wanted to see how the king would react if he was tied up like a dog and his subjects were tortured before his eyes. Elias thought it was going to be a lot of fun.
"You will live long. I will make sure of that," said the Alpha coldly. Then he turned around. "Likaios, you havee at the right time, I want you to take care of this man, don''t kill him."
"From now on, he''s your pet," he added when he saw Likaios enter the room. He threw away his sword and walked out.
He walked gantly down the red carpet to the throne of the King of Armeria. The Obsidian Sand Pack members sat lined up on two sides of the red carpet and they all howled as the Alpha ascended and upied the throne of the kingdom of Armeria.
After that day, the suffering for the people of Armeria began.
Alpha Elias from the Obsidian Sand Pack had sessfully carried out his n. He attacked the capital of Armeria and took over power from the king and the royal family.
His new luna, Elois the witch came to join him and his pack one weekter. Together, they ruled Armeria with terror. They killed and punished the nobility of Armeria and ced lycans to rule in every city and vige.
Humans became second-ss citizens and had to ept being treated badly by the new government. Many people left Armeria to find a better life and protection in other kingdoms that were safe from lycans. Everywhere in Armeria, there was pain, suffering, and terror.
***
Elias got himselffortable quickly, sitting on the throne of Armeria. In the presence of the king, just as he said, Alpha Elias tortured the people who could not pay tribute.
The former king of Armeria who was now Likaois'' pet was forced to witness it and soon reacted exactly as the Alpha expected.
SLAP!
SLAP!
The king screamed hoarsely as his subjects were flogged with chains. He wept as an old, frail woman was flogged.
"STOP! I BEG YOU PLEASE STOP! STOP!" He screamed like crazy. His heart shattered into pieces when he saw his people being tortured, and he couldn''t do anything about it.
When he saw the king scream in despair, the Alpha was satisfied. He crouched beside the king, whose neck was tied to a pole, and his hands and feet were nailed to the floor to make a pose resembling a shackled dog.
"Now, who is at the top?" Elias asked, then smirked. His expression was cold as ice and his eyes were filled with wickedness.
The king looked at the iron embedded in the back of his hand with tears in his eyes.
"You can do anything to me but don''t hurt them. Please spare them," he said and sobbed softly. His tears fell like rain.
"If you caught us, did you spare us?" asked Alpha Elias coldly.
The king could not answer.
Alpha Elias stood up and looked down on the king then said, "I didn''t cut off their hands and feet and doused their wounds with a hot melted iron. Nor did I burn them alive like you did when you captured us. If I didn''t spare them I would have done the same."
The king was still silent and he seemed to contemte on the words spoken by the Alpha.
***
In her room, Sophie helped Jan and Luciel learn to walk on their own two feet. She sat on her knees on the floor and held out both hands towards Luciel and Jan who were slowly walking towards her.
"Come on boys, you can do it," she said encouragingly.
Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.
The two children raised their legs slowly in turn and asionally they seemed to lose their bnce and were about to fall, but they did not give up.
Even though they were already five years old, they needed time to get used to walking on two legs. They had to learn what two-year-olds learned. To walk and talk, and not howl.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
Jan started to do well and took a step away from Luciel. Luciel, who didn''t ept losing, then nudged Jan naughtily but because he didn''t have a good bnce, he fell too and hit Jan, and then, as usual, they started a fight and both rolled around on the floor.
When she saw the behavior of her two sons, Sophie let out a tired sigh. She then asked Jan and Luciel to stop, but the two children turned into their wolf forms and quickly ran out of the room.
"Hey! Don''t go!!" Sophie turned around to chase them but she bumped into someone. "Ouch."
She grimaced and held her forehead.
"Sorry Lnd, I didn''t know you were behind me," she said when she saw the person she hit happened to be her husband.
"No problem, I like being run over by you." Lnd smiled.
"..."
"Does it hurt?" asked Lnd. He touched Sophie''s forehead. The Luna shook her head and said it was no problem.
Sophie intended to catch up with Luciel and Jan, but Lnd pulled her hand away and in an instant, she was in Lnd''s arms.
,m "Le-Lnd?" She looked up at Lnd''s face and blinked.
"You''ve been very busy taking care of themtely. I want to be taken care of too," said Lnd and he brought his face closer to Sophie''s.
Sophie couldn''t help but smile. Lnd''s words made her feel a little ticklish. She wrapped her arms around Lnd''s neck.
"Oh, I''m sorry about that. I forgot that I also have a big baby to take care of," she said and then stroked Lnd''s right cheek affectionately.
Lnd''s face turned red. He propped Sophie''s chin with his index finger for a kiss, but he suddenly broke away from the kiss because Lucas came.
Lucas, who was in the doorway and identally saw the intimacy, immediately turned around.
"Ah¡ Uhm, I''m sorry. I''ll be waiting for you in the meeting room," he said and quickly left.
"He ruined the mood," Lndined.
Sophieughed at Lnd''s annoyed face, but then she asked, "Is there a problem?"
She was curious when she heard Lucas would be waiting for Lnd in the meeting room. Lnd exined that he didn''t know either. He would know after meeting Lucas, who looked like he wanted to report something.
"We''ll continue tonight." Lnd kissed his wife''s forehead briefly then walked out to meet Lucas.
.
.
______________________
From Missrealitybites:
As I said, I will give a mini mass release since I have got the smut scene out of the way... HAHAHAHA. I am very sleepy now though. It''s 2 am here. Maybe I''ll publish the rest of the chapters after I wake up.
PS: In case you forgot what Nichs looks like, I posted his picture (from the first cover Imission for this book) in thement. The boys'' appearances take after Nichs, right? So, just imagine that''s what they will look like after they grow up.
Chapter 243 Moving Back To Riga
Lnd entered the meeting room and saw Lucas was already inside along with several elders and their strongest warriors. Lnd was confused by their student visit, but he didn''t show it in his expression.
Everyone in the room rose to give him their respect as he walked towards his seat.
"Get to the point, Lucas," Lnd said as he sat down.
Lucas nodded respectfully and started to report. He broke the news about the fall of the Kingdom of Armeria. The Obsidian Sand Pack took the kingdom over several weeks ago.
Lucas told the Alpha about the king of Armeria, who was shackled, and the people of Armeria enved by the lycans.
"The lycans also took thends of the nobles and made themborers for very little wages. Currently, many nobles are leaving Armeria to seek refuge in Frisia and Riga," Lucas finished his report.
Lnd didn''t say anything. However, the crease in the middle of his brows showed that he was in deep thought. After a few seconds, he nced at the elders sitting to his left. After hearing Lucas'' report, he could guess the reason the elders were in the meeting room.
The reason they showed up was that they definitely wanted to urge Lnd to mobilize armies to conquer Frisia or Riga territory and show the existence of the Blood River Pack as the strongest pack.
They thought it was important to remove the bad taste from their mouths, caused by the failed attack on Riga almost five years ago. They couldn''t let the other pack take all the glory to themselves.
The Blood River Pack needed to show their fangs too.
His guess was right. The elders urged him. Lnd seemed lost in his own thoughts again.
"I''ll call you guys once I have a decision. You can leave now." He turned to Lucas and motioned him to not go anywhere, saying, "Lucas, you stay."
Everyone left which made Lnd and Lucas the only ones who stayed back in the room.
As they walked out some of the elders had displeased expressions. They were the ones who judged Lnd to be slow to act.
***
Meanwhile, in the Riga Kingdom, after five years, Nichs looked more handsome and even more dignified as he wore his regal attire.
He currently listened to the news delivered by a royal informant about the Kingdom of Armeria. The news conveyed by the informant was not much different from what Lucas told Lnd.
It happened at both the borders of Riga and Frisia, people from Armeria came to ask for protection and permission to stay.
Those who had rtives in one or both of these areas were lucky enough to be able to quickly get permission to cross the border and find amodation, while those without rtives had to spend the night at the border.
***
,m The sound of nocturnal insects were heard and broke the silence of the night. After she put Luciel and Jan to sleep, Sophie returned to their own bedroom and found that Lnd was waiting for her there. The man was standing by the window, watching the moon in the sky.
"Lnd." Sophie approached.
Lnd took his eyes off the sky and turned to look at Sophie. For a few seconds, Lnd just stared at her in silence.
Sophie batted her eyes and gave him a serious look. To have Lnd stare down at her like that made Sophie a bit nervous and confused.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked.
Lnd smiled warmly.
"Nothing. It''s just that you look beautiful," he said and gently touched Sophie''s head. Then, suddenly, he carried her bridal style.
Lnd walked towards the bed and then he sat on the edge of the bed. He let Sophie sit down on hisp. Now that he was looking at Sophie closer, his face looked serious. "Sophia."
"Yes."
"Do you miss your hometown?"
Sophie raised her eyebrows. She was confused by Lnd suddenly asking this question.
"Sophia, I''ve thought about it," Lnd said gently. His tone was serious. "I want us to go back to Riga."
"What?" Sophie was surprised.
"Why? Are you not happy?"
"No, it''s not it.... really. I''m just a little surprised, it''s so sudden."
"So are you happy?"
"Hmm. Yeah."
Lnd smiled, then grabbed Sophie''s chin and kissed Sophie''s lips gently but deeply.
***
Three dayster, all the preparations for Riga had beenpleted. Jan was seen in Max''s arms, and Luciel was in Duncan''s arms.
Simr to when they left Riga for Frisia, they traveled in small groups. Apart from his family and his closest men, Lnd only brought a few lycans which were currently scattered across five groups. They were his most trusted men.
Each group consists of ten to fifteen members. Later, the lycans would be assigned to guard and scout the situation. They were also required to gather the information that would be needed in making an attack strategy too.
While the rest of the pack spread out and settled in various nearby areas around the Riga Kingdom, some settled themselves in the forests. They stayed there while they waited for the Alpha''s signal.
The rest still stayed in Frisia until Lnd had a clear n to attack Riga, after he settled there and studied the most current situation.
***
Time went on and the day turned into night and night turned into day, and Lnd and his group had arrived at Livstad. Here Lnd once again used the identity of Duke Romanov.
Seeing the duke''s family and his people, the guards of the mansion immediately ran to open up the gate and greet the entourage.
As she passed through the gate and saw the mansion in front of her, Sophie was reminded of sweet memories with Duke Romanov a.k.a Lnd.
"What is it?" Lnd asked as he saw Sophie was lost in thought.
"Nothing. I just remembered sweet memories with someone," she replied.
"Who?"
"It''s a secret," Sophie said as she poked Lnd''s chin and then walked ahead of Lnd, followed by Max and Duncan carrying the twins.
"Tsk. Naughty." Lnd smiled and followed Sophie, who entered the manor.
Chapter 244 Duke Romanov Family Returns To Livstad
"Sigh, finally." Nichs rested his back against the back of the chair as he had just finished reading and stamping thest document of the day. On his desk, there were five piles of documents and each were as high as the moon and stars.
He stretched and considered resting in his room, but just as he was about to stand up, a man with a thin mustache entered the room and carried a pile of new documents that had to be stamped.
When he saw the document ced on his desk, Nichs gulped and felt like passing out.
The man exined that the documents contained applications from Armeria nobles asking for permission to enter and settle in Riga. The man also added that after lunchtime, Nichs had an appointment to meet with envoys from several kingdoms of friendly countries to discuss their regional cooperative rtions.
Nichs now rubbed the bridge of his nose in what appeared to be of annoyance.
Once the exnations were finished, the man bowed respectfully to leave the room.
"Wait!"
The man turned to face his king, who now seemed to be propping his chin up.
Nichs'' eyes that had been surrounded by dark circles stared at the man in front of him wistfully. "Get me a rope."
"Ha?" The man looked confused for a moment, but then he nodded. "Very well. Your Majesty."
"Don''t you want to ask what the rope is for?" Now Nichs leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.
The man didn''t understand. "W-what for, Your Majesty?"
"To hang oneself."
"What?"
"You can go."
"Ha? Y-yes, Your Majesty."
After the man left, Nichs snorted and exhaled tiredly. He then stood up and walked to the window. A gust of wind made him feel a little better.
Couldn''t he just rx for a day? Sometimes he thought of running away and leaving the pce life. He wanted to live as amoner, who enjoyed a free life where there were no piles of paperwork. No more such and such encounters, and other stressful things.
Haha...
He exhaled tiredly once again.
"Your Majesty."
Someone''s voice caught his attention. He turned and saw Karenina who stood by the doorway.
If one decided to make a list of things that could stress Nichs out, then one needed to add Karenina''s name to that list.
"Can Ie in?"
Nichs nodded then walked over to a sofa while Karenina walked in with a cake.
They were now seated opposite each other and separated by a table.
Karenina put the cake down.
"I noticed Your Majesty seems very busy these past few days. You must be tired, so I thought a cake would make you feel better," she said with a sweet smile.
Nichs looked at Karenina and then the cake in turn. Honestly, he felt sorry for Karenina.
Karenina was a kind and caring woman. She was a woman who was coveted by many men. If she wasn''t already engaged to Nichs, she would have gotten a lot of proposals.
Nichs himself didn''t understand what had happened to him. Why couldn''t he love Karenina even after nearly five years of their engagement when she had no ws at all? She was devoted to him but his heart was not moved.
"This is my first time making this one, I hope you like the taste," Karenina said as Nichs started tasting the cake.
Nichs couldn''t lie, Karenina''s cakes were really good. "You are very talented at making cakes, I''m sure if you opened a cake shop, you would have a lot of customers. It''s really delicious."
Karenina chuckled. "d you liked it."
Nichs nodded.
There was silence for a while until Karenina spoke again.
"By the way, does Your Majesty remember Erina?"
Nichs raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I remember. She''s your cousin, right?"
Karenina nodded with a smile. "Yesterday I received news that she had just given birth to a son."
Nichs put down his fork and looked straight at Karenina. He knew where this conversation was going now.
"Your Majesty, how long have we been engaged?"
"Karenina..."
"People used to call me the flower of the Kingdom of Riga, and now I have a new name. Can Your Majesty guess?"
Nichs silently looked at Karenina, who looked like she wanted to cry but kept the smile on her face
"Withered flower."
Nichs bit his lower lip.
Karenina quickly wiped away the tears that had started to fall, she had tried her best not to cry, but she failed. The tears wouldn''t stop.
Nichs'' heart ached to see the woman cry. He felt very guilty and felt he had be a very bad person.
Karenina tried to control herself then looked back at Nichs and forced a smile. She then said, "It''s soon my twenty-fourth birthday. I want to celebrate it with a lively atmosphere."
Her voice trembled as she continued her words. "I was hoping you would announce our wedding there, but if you don''t want to, that''s fine, or if you want to wait until people call me a dumped flower, that''s fine too. Excuse me!"
Karenina immediately stood up and walked quickly out of the king''s study. Nichs knew that the woman came out in tears, but it wasn''t entirely his fault either.
Nichs had already told Karenina that he didn''t love her. He asked Karenina to break off the engagement, but Karenina didn''t want to do that, she thought that one day she would be able to make Nichs love her.
Nichs didn''t have a choice either. He was forced to keep making excuses to postpone the wedding and hoped that she would give up and call off the engagement.
If Nichs was selfish, then he would break off the engagement long ago, but he couldn''t because of his mother and also because of Karenina.
Even though he didn''t love that woman, he cared. If he was the one who canceled the engagement, then Karenina would not get a proposal from any man. People would think Karenina had a major w, which was why the king called off the engagement.
And because of that concern, people gossiped about him as a man with a deviant sexual orientation, and he used Karenina to cover it up. Nichs knew how many gossips were flying out there about him actually being into men because before announcing his engagement to Karenina, he never seemed interested in any woman.
And now, he already had such a beautiful fianc¨¦e, but for five years, he had not married her. If he was not gay, then what? That was how people gossipped.
They didn''t care that Nichs also suffered. Still, he was considered a bad antagonist in his mother''s and Karenina''s eyes.
The young king again exhaled tiredly, he really felt depressed. He got off the couch and went back to his desk. He really didn''t have time to rx.
When he just opened the document, an informant suddenly came.
"What is it?" He asked. Nichs momentarily nced at the informant''s face and then focused on the document in front of him.
The informant nodded and conveyed the news that Duke Romanov and his family had returned to Livstad.
Hearing the name ''Duke Romanov'', Nichs immediately thought of the blue-eyed woman who was the wife of Duke Romanov.
He looked at his informant intensely as if asking for reassurance.
The informant nodded and said it was true.
Right now Nichs tried to ignore this and lectured himself that he should stop thinking about that woman, the woman he fell in love with at first sight.
She was someone else''s wife.
He tried to shift his mind to the documents in front of him, but the image of the woman kept popping up.
To be honest, Nichs was happy to hear that the woman had returned to Riga but he was also ashamed of himself for not being able to forget her even though she was already married and Nichs himself was engaged.
No. He didn''t n to create a scandal.
But ¡.
The image of the woman appeared in his mind again.
He saw the informant and realized that he was still there in front of him. Nichs then told him to convey his message to Karenina that the king had agreed to her request for a festive birthday party, but he would not make an announcement.
Nichs did not mention what announcements he was talking about to the informant because he thought it was a private matter between him and Karenina.
No. Nichs had absolutely not thought of using the birthday party as an excuse to invite Duke Romanov over so he could see and meet the duke''s wife.
Not at all.
.
.
________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I especially love this chapter because Nichs finally found out that Sophie is BACK!
OK, that''s thest chapter for today. I hope you like it ;).
Chapter 245 Luciel And Jan Playing Together
Under the golden twilight sky, a few butterflies fluttered among the flowers. They perched from one flower to another and then chase each other, showing off their beautiful wings.
Inside the manor, Sophie was standing by therge window, watching Jan and Luciel ying with the other lycan children. They were running around happily in their wolf forms in the vast courtyard of the manor.
Luciel was seen ying hide and seek with several other lycan children, while Jan was ying with the butterfly asionally perching on his nose. Jan wanted to catch the butterfly, but then it flew away from his nose. Jan immediately chased it vigorously.
Jan, who was running while looking up to see the butterfly flying above identally tripped on Luciel''s body, who was stalking a lycan pup that was hiding.
GROWL
RAWRR
They started fighting again.
Sophie, who was watching them from afar, couldn''t help but smile. Her two sons grew up healthy and happy. Even though they seemed to fight a lot, they always did it in a yful manner. She wished it would always be like that. Luciel was Jan''s best friend, just like Jan was his.
At first, Sophie didn''t know that apart from Jan and Luciel, there were other children in their group when they moved back to Riga. She thought that Lnd had only brought the lycan warriors with them. When she saw the lycan children, she was slightly surprised.
Lnd exined the warriors would be serving them for a very long time in Riga, so the Alpha allowed them to bring their children and mates with them.
Lnd said that the real reason he did that was for Jan and Luciel. If the warriors brought their children, Jan and Luciel would have ymates. The boys would not be lonely.
Sophie was touched by this gesture. She realized Lnd was very sensitive to what Jan and Luciel needed. Sophie hadn''t really thought Luciel and Jan would be lonely in Riga because they both had each other, but Lnd did.
This made Sophie feel so lucky to have this man as her mate. He was truly the dream husband and father any woman could ever ask for.
She looked at her t stomach and wondered when she could give him another child. After the healers confirmed that she was healthy enough to carry another baby, she and Lnd had been regrly doing the deed with the main objective to conceive.
Initially Lnd was worried about bringing a child into this world when he and his pack was undergoing an important mission to topple the kingdom of Riga. However, Sophie convinced him.
She said they didn''t know how long it would take them to finish with the mission, if they were ever going to seed. It might take years before they could win the war and by then they would already lose precious time.
"I trust you. I know you will be able to protect us if anything happens in the future," Sophie said convincingly. "We have waited for many years. I don''t want to wait any longer¡"
Lnd always listened to her words and demands. So, that''s why they had started trying to have a baby. Because she asked for it. However, it''s been so many months and Sophie still was not pregnant.
This started to make her feel worried. What if she had be sterile from the prolonged health issues?
No, the healers would have said so, she thought to herself.
Sophie closed her eyes and remembered herst pregnancy. It still pained her whenever she remembered the children she lost.
When people said time heals all wounds? They lied.
Time doesn''t heal anything. In reality, time presents us with the opportunity to bury our pain as deeply as we can.
And that''s what Sophie and Lnd did. They buried their pain because of the loss, so they could move on with life.
A gust of wind stirred the flowers. Sophie, who was still looking at Jan and Luciel, was now deep in thought, remembering her two other children, Morgan and Emery.
If they were still alive, they would have been four years old. They would be ying in that garden with their two older brothers.
Sophie wiped away the tears that had were forming in the corners of her eyes.
When Lnd said they were going to Riga, Sophie was happy because not only did she miss her hometown, she also missed Morgan and Emery.
After Lnd finished taking care of all the matters rted to the pack moving here, Sophie would ask Lnd to take her to visit Morgan''s and Emery''s graves.
She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly, a pair of big hands wrapped around her waist from behind.
The couple must be so in tune with each other, the man came and hugged Sophie just as she was thinking of asking him to visit the grave together.
"Are you okay?" asked Lnd. He tilted his head and kissed Sophie on the cheek.
Sophie nodded with a smile. "I am fine."
When he arrived at Livstad, Lnd only took a short rest before getting busy arranging the pack and distributing tasks to the warriors who had apanied them to Riga.
The Alpha had to move quickly and silence the elders, who judged him to be slow to act. He didn''t actually care what the old wolves said about him, but he cared about Sophie.
From behind the scenes, the elders and some power-hungry members criticized Lnd for not being as strong as before, and they med Sophie for it.
ording to them, ever since Lnd married Sophie, he had be soft, sluggish and indecisive. They even referred to Lnd as a toothless wolf that had lost its fangs.
They used to firmly believe that Lnd would surpass Alpha Leon in leading the Blood River pack and make Blood River the most respected among all the packs in their continent.
However, their faith faded when Sophie came to Alpha Lnd''s life. Ever since she came, Blood River had suffered a lot of setbacks. They thought Sophie was a jinx.
During her time as Luna, the woman did not contribute anything to the progress of the pack.
All she did was take care of the children they believed were not Alpha Lnd''s children but the children of another lycan. Sophie and her two children were a disgrace to the pack.
Honestly, Lnd wanted to destroy them all. But if he did that, would it all be over and solve the problem?
No!
That would only bring in more criticism. If he killed the elders who talk badly about his mate, it wasn''t just the elders and those few lycans who would criticize Sophie but the entire pack. They would me Sophie for breaking the pack..
Those elders had existed since Alpha Leon''s leadership, even among those there were ones who have existed since Alpha Ethan ¨C Lnd''s grandfather.
They had contributed a lot to the advancement of the Blood River Pack and had arge following. If Lnd killed them, then their followers would definitely not ept it, and there would be more rebellions ensued.
So the one way to achieve his goal to silence them was that Lnd had to prove himself.
Chapter 246 Do You Want To Visit Morgan And Emery?
For a moment, Lnd watched Jan and Luciel ying together in the garden. Then he tightened his embrace on Sophie and whispered, "Sophia, do you want to visit Morgan and Emery?"
Sophie immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling but doubts were evident on her face. "Can we go? Have you finished your work?"
Lnd nodded with a smile. "Yes."
After Lnd nodded, the happiness inside Sophie returned. "Yes. I do. I did n to ask you to take me to visit them after your work is done."
Sophie''s face lit up as she expressed her wish.
Seeing the happiness on his mate''s face, Lnd felt both happy and relieved.
At first, he was worried that the long journey from Frisia to Riga would harm Sophie''s health. Luckily that didn''t happen.
After Jan and Luciel''s fifth birthday, Sophie''s health gradually improved more significantly.
"You can visit them whenever you want. Because they''re there." Lnd pointed to a corner in the garden. "I know when we get back, you''ll always want to visit them, so I buried them there so you can visit any time."
"Oh, Lnd, you are very kind," Sophie said very happily, then turned to hug Lnd and gave the man a passionate kiss.
Lnd''s smile never disappeared. For a moment, he stroked Sophie''s head and then jumped out the window.
"Well. Come on! We''ll see if you''re really healthy," said Lnd, holding out his hands to catch Sophie.
"What''s wrong? Haven''t you always been boasting that you can jump over the academy wall? I want to see if you dare to jump from there," he said again jokingly.
Sophie, who saw Lnd''s attitude, was stunned. She suddenly remembered her meeting with Nichs, years ago.
Nichs caught her when she jumped off the back wall of the academy. She could still clearly remember the incident. The memory always managed to make her miss Nichs until tears began to well up in her eyes.
Lnd, who saw this, immediately approached the window and regretfully said, "Sophia I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to offend you. I¡ I was just kidding."
Hearing that, Sophieughed and said, "Lnd, you are so easy to deceive. I was joking too."
Sophie lied and pretended she was joking too. She didn''t want her husband to know she was thinking of her first meeting with Nichs. She thought it was rude to even think about Nic when she was with Lnd.
"..."
"Now get ready. I''ll show you a beautiful, elegant jump." She lifted her skirt and got ready to climb the window.
"Oh, I can''t wait."
For a moment, they smiled at each other. Sophie jumped into Lnd''s arms. Bothughed heartily when shended safely in his arms.
"I told you, I am healthy," she told him.
"I see it," Lnd replied with a smile. He lowered her to the ground. Then they walked together, holding hands, through the garden to Morgan''s and Emery''s grave.
Sophie took the time to pluck some flowers, after which she and Lnd continued walking towards a corner of the garden. This part of the garden was filled with lush trees and daisies.
When they got there, Lnd and Sophie crouched down near a tombstone. It was where their two sons were buried, inside the same grave.
Sophie ced the flowers she brought on top of the grave and started to cry. While Lnd was also sad, as usual, he didn''t show his feelings.
Lnd''s principle was he would never show his sadness or weakness in front of others. He didn''t want them to use that to bring him down.
He also didn''t show them in front of Sophie because he didn''t want the woman he loved to be worried or burdened because of him.
He thought it would be better if he kept everything to himself. This way he could shield Sophie from problems and heartache. He didn''t mind taking care of them alone as long as Sophie could stay happy.
***
It was a beautiful evening. After Sophie had vented all her longing and sadness, Lnd took her back to the terrace to rest. There they sat side by side on a long sofa.
Lnd asked Sophie to stop being sad because Morgan and Emery wouldn''t like it when their mother cried. After all, they must have been happy up there.
"I know Lnd, but I can''t help it," Sophie said, leaning on Lnd''s shoulder. The Alpha hugged her waist with one hand while stroking Sophie''s hair with the other.
One thing Sophie regretted was that she had never seen Morgan and Emery. She was very sick due to the poison put in her tea by Dinah, the servant she trusted the most.
When Sophie woke up, she had lost her babies. She didn''t even get to attend their funeral. The next time she woke up, she was already in a horse-drawn carriage headed for Frisia.
It was only after four years that she was able to return here. Sophie was looking forward to seeing her children''s graves. So, finally seeing them made her relive the memory again and that brought tears to her eyes.
"Mother ...."
Sophie was startled by the voice, as was Lnd. She and her mate turned towards the source of the voice.
They were taken aback by Luciel and Jan, who stood before them in their human forms, naked.
"Jan? Luciel?" Sophie widened her eyes in astonishment, then pursed her lips, stifling augh. "Good grief¡"
The two children stepped closer. Now they could walk on two legs and talk but not very fluently.
Jan sat on Sophie''sp while Luciel sat on Lnd''sp.
Jan and Luciel still had a lot to learn, especially not to transform carelessly anywhere. They could shock the people who saw them, and more than that, the most worrying thing was if the person who saw them shift was a lycan hunter. It would be very dangerous for them.
"Are you guys tired of ying, honey?" Sophie asked with a smile. Even though her eyes were still puffy, the sad look on her face was gone.
"Um." Jan and Luciel nodded. Before Sophie could go in and find clothes for them, Lucas came over to them.
"What''s the matter, Lucas?" asked Lnd.
Lucas was a little surprised when he saw Luciel and Jan, sitting on their parents''p, naked, but then he focused on Alpha.
The Beta nodded respectfully and said. "There is a messenger from the pce who wants to invite Alpha and Luna to attend the birthday party of Princess Karenina. She is King Nichs Hannenbergh''s fiancee."
Lnd furrowed his brows when he heard the report. The man looked deep in thoughts, while Sophie wondered why they were invited when they didn''t actually know the king, nor Princess Karenina.
After a moment of silence, Lnd asked Lucas to send a reply letter stating that Duke Romanov and his family would be d to attend the party.
Although Lnd didn''t understand why they got invited to the party, considering that they did not know or were closely rted to King Nichs and Princess Karenina, Lnd still decided to ept the invitation.
Bying to the party as invited guests, he didn''t have to bother thinking about ways to infiltrate the pce.
King Hanenbergh had invited his destruction toe.
Lnd smiled faintly when he thought that the day he would be able to avenge the Hansleys'' deaths was approaching fast.
Chapter 247 Princess Kareninas Birthday Party (1)
***
In her room, Karenina was overjoyed after being told that His Majesty the King was willing to throw a festive party to celebrate her birthday. Her face was beaming in happiness at the good news.
Actually, she was disappointed that the king was not willing to announce their wedding. That meant, he was still trying to avoid giving her the status she was so longing for.
However, it didn''t matter now. Karenina already had a n.
To be honest, she didn''t want to use dirty means to get the king to marry her, but he left her with no choice. Karenina had been waiting patiently for long enough, and now her patience was running out.
He made her resort to this method.
Karenina already n to ask Queen Marienne to make an announcement on behalf of the king that King Nichs Hannenbergh and Princess Karenina would soon wed.
Karenina believed Queen Marianne Hannenberghs would support her on this matter because she had been feeling frustrated by Nichs for almost as long as Karenina.
She would definitely grant Karenina''s wish to make the royal announcement. If the queen dowager announced it in public, witnessed by so many nobles in Riga, King Nichs Hannenbergh wouldn''t be able to find any more excuses to postpone their long-overdue nuptials.
In addition to that, Karenina also still had one more n. She was a smart woman and knew she must have backup ns in case her n A didn''t work ording to her wishes.
She reached for a small box on top of her dresser. She opened the lid and took out a bottle filled with brown liquid.
It was an aphrodisiac that she had specially ordered from a renowned witch. Karenina had prepared for a long time for this n.
? "I love you, Your Majesty, and I will never let you go or let you get away from me," Karenina said to herself, looking at the bottle with a smile.
She would mix the aphrodisiac into the king''s drink, and when the king was under the influence of the potion, she would make the king sleep with her.
That way, the king would no longer be able toe up with an excuse to dy their marriage.
***
The long-awaited day had finally arrived.
One by one, the noble families and their children entered the pce ballroom, and it didn''t take long for the vast space to be filled with invited guests.
The atmosphere became very lively in a short time and became even more lively when music came into y.
While waiting for the main event to start, the guests seemed to be doing various activities.
Some caught up with their news, chatted with each other, andughed asionally, and some enjoyed the drinks and snacks provided.
Don''t forget the gossipers who were busy discussing Karenina Varhoven, ady from a lowly noble family whose status had been elevated to a princess because she was the king''s fianc¨¦e. However, after almost five years, the king still hadn''t married her.
The gossipers would never be absent from parties and other social events because that''s where they could get thetest interesting gossips to be discussed and debated.
And sure enough, parties always gave them the news and gossip they needed.
Their attention and all of the invited guests were distracted when unexpected guests arrived. Duke and Duchess Romanov came with their two very handsome young sons.
When she stepped into the vast hall, Sophie was stunned to see the party inside filled with luxury. All the noblewomen were wearing the most beautiful dresses. They all dressed to the nine for this special asion and tried to outdo each other in terms of appearance.
"Come on," said Lnd. He sped his hand with hers and together they walked together. Tonight, he looked especially imposing with a ck robe and a ck mask that covered 3/4 of his face.
Sophie nodded. It had been a very long time since she had attended the parties of the human nobility. In the past, when she was still living in Riga, she would often apany Lnd to the various parties held by the nobles in Livstad.
After moving to Frisia, her body was too weak to carry out even normal activities, such as standing for long periods. It was only in thest year that she began to be healthy and able to travel with Lnd.
Sophie walked gracefully into the ballroom, holding Lnd''s arms while Jan and Luciel walked in front of them. Behind them were Lucas and Duncan. The two men took on the role of bodyguards for the family.
Initially, Lnd only nned to take Sophie, but she wanted Luciel and Jan toe with them too. The two children were almost six years old. Sophie wanted her children to learn to socialize with other humans.
To keep Lnd from worrying, Sophie said that she had taught Luciel and Jan human manners and told them what they could and couldn''t do when they were around other people.
Sophie wanted to see Luciel and Jan put into practice what she had taught them. To her, it was very important for them not to forget the human side within them.
Lnd didn''t mind. After all, ording to him, if the children went with them, their family would be seen as a perfect family and would not be suspected.
Plus, he could also take Lucas and Duncan.
Besides being assigned to watch over Luciel and Jan, they could also be assigned to infiltrate the rooms within the pce under the pretext of searching for Duke Romanov''s children. He would send the boys out with Duncan and then pretended to have Lucas search for them.
All the guests were still focusing their attention on the Romanovs before finally, a few noblemen stood up to greet them, followed by others.
The Duke and Duchess Romanov were well-known to many people, especially among the nobility. In the past, the couple often attended parties held by the Riga nobles.
Chapter 248 Princess Kareninas Birthday Party (2)
"Wee back to Riga, my lord," one by one, the nobles greeted Lnd and his wife. They were surprised to see the duke again in Livstad after he was said to move back to Frisia five years ago.
They respected him because Duke Romanov was known for his massive wealth and big influence. Many of the nobles who greeted the couple were the people who had owed something to Duke Romanov.
They had great respect for the man, who they considered a generous and helpful person. They didn''t know that Duke Romanov actually never cared about helping them.
He only did it to gain more influence and made people indebted to him. He would collect what they owed him when the time came.
***
The party became more lively after Lnd''s and Sophie''s arrival. The Romanov family became the talk of the people.
The noblemen praised Duchess Romanov''s beauty while the noblewomen secretly gossiped about Duke Romanov''s appearance that always seemed shrouded in mystery.
Those who had met him in the past were still wondering about how bad did his face be disfigured that he had to cover most of it when going out in public.
Seeing how much his wife was like a goddess and seemed so in love with him, the women asked themselves if the scary duke was so great in bed. Perhaps, he was like a sex god, that a woman so beautiful like Sophia Romanov was willing to marry him?
"If there is no love between them, just money, I am sure she wouldn''t be all smiles and so devoted like she is now," one of thedies whispered to her friends. "So, it''s either she really loves him, or she is such a great actress."
"Yeah, from what I heard, the duke is badly disfigured because of lycan attacks. I can only imagine how scary he must look underneath that mask," another one chimed in. "One of my cousins died after he was attacked by a lycan and you should see his face.. he was barely recognizable. Even his wife vomited and passed out when she saw him."
"That sounds horrible!"
"It WAS horrible."
"Ugh... I am not sure if there is real love between them. We know Duke Ariam Romanov is very wealthy. Money talks."
"Well, maybe he is great in bed?" Anotherdy chuckled. "Just look. He actually looks so hot. I can almost feel all his muscles just by looking at him. He seems really strong."
The women pressed their lips and stifled theirughter. They secretly stole nces at the man they were gossiping about.
It was true, of all the men present in the ballroom that evening, Duke Romanov''s physique stood out among the rest. He was tall and burly. His shoulders were broad and his arms were big and toned. His whole body looked chiseled to perfection.
If they could forget about the fact that he was disfigured, the mask actually made him look sexier because it added the mysterious vibe that made girls go crazy with their wild fantasies.
"I agree. He must be great in bed. They can do the deed in darkness. As long as the duchess doesn''t have to see her husband''s face, if he is a sex god, she could just pretend he looks good and focus on his other good points."
The girlsughed again. And then, they noticed the two boys who came with the Romanov couple.
"Wait.. are those their sons?" One of the girls tilted her chin toward Luciel and Jan who appeared from behind their father''s body. "Whooaaa!! Look at them! Twins!"
"They are so handsome!"
"They don''t look exactly the same, but they are so simr. Probably paternal twins. How could young boys look so handsome already? It''s a sin to look that cute!"
"They don''t look like the duchess, though."
"Hm... that only means they take after their father."
"Whoaaa... if they do take after their father, that means Duke Ariam Romanov is actually really handsome!"
"Ahh... now I understand why his wife is in love with him. They might have known each other before he was disfigured and she had seen how good-looking he actually was."
"That makes total sense."
"The duke has white hair though," someonemented. "The boys have ck hair."
"Maybe they take after their grandfather in the hair department? It''s possible."
"Ah, you are right. Why didn''t I think of that?"
While the younger noblewomen were gossiping about Lnd and his family, the olderdies were talking to Sophie, trying to build a good connection with the duke''s wife.
Luciel and Jan received a lot of praise for their handsome faces from these olderdies. While waiting for the royal family to officially open the party, the guests mingled and had some small talk over wine and delicious snacks provided by the many servants.
Luciel and Jan were surrounded by mothers who became their instant fans. The boys were so adorable that those women feltpelled to hug and pinch their cheeks. They could never have enough for these boys.
All the attention and giggles made Jan and Luciel feel ufortable. Soon, they started to feel annoyed.
They were so tempted to bite the women''s hands, but they remembered about the biting ban given to them by their mother.
They could only puff out their cheeks and showed a sullen expression, but that expression only made the mothers think they were so cute and adorable.
"Oh, my god... Your sons are so handsome, Lady Romanov," one Countess said. "Let''s be inws! I have a young daughter at home. She is so pretty. I am sure my daughter and one of your sons will look good together."
Sophie couldn''t help butugh at that. "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Morose. Luciel and Jan are still very young. Let''s not talk about betrothal at this age."
"You are right, we have to wait until they are old enough," another onemented. "We are willing to wait... hehehe... My husband and I have two daughters, and they are both very beautiful! We will wait."
Sophie pressed her lips and stifled herughter. She always thought her sons were so handsome, but she realized all mothers were biased.
So, seeing so many women around her showing their admiration for Luciel and Jan and wanting them to be their sons-inw, Sophie felt validated.
Ahhh... Nic must be so proud of his sons. Thinking of this made Sophie''s heart filled with warmth.
Chapter 249 The Queen Thinks She Is Dreaming
"Hey, Luciel, Jan... would you like to marry auntie''s daughter? Her name is Ca. She is five and she is so pretty," the Countess bent down and touched Jan''s and Luciel''s heads dotingly. "What do you think?"
Jan raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Marry?"
"Hm. Yes, would you like to marry Ca?"
For a moment, Jan turned to look at Sophie. Their mother had never taught them anything about ''marry''.
Jan then turned to look at Luciel and both exchanged confused looks.
"What is ''marry''?" asked Luciel.
The woman became confused as well. She tilted her head, thinking about how to exin ''what is marriage'' to the two children. Now she felt silly for discussing marriage with six-year-old children.
"Hmm, it''s a celebration. A party. Getting married is a party," she replied after a few seconds.
"Party?" Jan and Luciel furrowed their brows.
"It''s a party like this. There''s a lot of food, drink, cake and¨C"
"Is there meat?" Luciel asked. He really liked to eat. His favorite food was all kinds of meat. Ahh¡ imagining a meat feast, it feels really good.
"Meat? Well, sure. There''s a lot of meat at the party. So what do you think?" The woman leaned closer to Luciel and Jan. She looked at them with a twinkle in her eyes. "So, would you like to get married?"
Luciel and Jan looked at each other for a second, then nodded in unison. "Yes!!"
Instantly, everyone who had been listening to their conversation burst outughing. Sophie also couldn''t help butugh when she heard the innocent answers from her two sons.
She was happy to see Luciel and Jan interacting well. She was relieved that her efforts to educate her children to look like normal humans were going well.
The nobles then expressed their joy and said that the arrival of the Duke and Duchess Romanov was aplete surprise. This was because the Duke and Duchess Romanov had been away from Riga for five years, and now suddenly they were back with two adorable sons.
Sophie looked happy and enjoyed the conversation, while Lnd was mostly silent. He only asionally smiled and nodded at the person who greeted him.
While listening to the chatter of the people nearby, Lnd quietly looked around,bing every side of the room, and observed every detail.
***
While the atmosphere in the ballroom was filled with excitement and joy, Princess Karenina was far from happy. She paced back and forth in her room.
She had started to worry because the party already started fifteen minutes ago, but King Nichs had not yet shown even the bridge of his nose.
Queen Marianne, who saw Karenina''s concern, tried to calm her down and invited the younger woman to officially open the party with her.
"Nichs has been through so muchtely because of the crises at the border," the queen told Karenina. "I am sure he is getting ready and wille very soon. Let''se out and meet our guests."
Karenina bit her lip and then forced a smile. Nichs must be tired, she told herself. He didn''t n to avoiding to the party, did he? He was the one who suggested this party after Karenina came to see him.
He wouldn''t intentionally do it, pretending to grant Karenina''s wish to have her birthday celebrated, but he didn''te just to embarrass her. He was not such a man. He might not love her, yet, but he was not a jerk who would intentionally hurt her.
Very well... Karenina decided to trust the queen and Nichs. She muste out and meet the guests because this was her night. Nichs was just busy, or tired. He would definitelye.
"Your Majesty is wise and right as always," Karenina nodded respectfully. "Let''s go and see the guests."
***
Outside, Luciel and Jan were ying with the children of the other nobles. Lnd and Sophie were not the only parents to bring their children to the party. So, as soon as they were introduced, the children immediately got along.
Sophie''s heart was truly satisfied to see Luciel and Jan''s improvements. Not only were they now able to chat with the other children in fluent humannguage, but they also made friends easily.
She smiled happily as she watched Luciel and Jan y catch. They seemed in a very good mood andughed a lot.
Suddenly the music stopped ying and an MC entered the stage at the front side of the ballroom. He was a man in his forties, wearing red robes and looking very serious. He cleared his throat to get everyone''s attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my lords and mydies¡ please wee¡ Her Majesty Queen Marianne Hanenbergh and Princess Karenina Verhoven!"
He announced the arrival of Queen Marianne and Princess Karenina who entered the ballroom from the massive entrance on the other end of the room.
Princess Karenina Verhoven was a very beautiful woman. Tonight she made extra efforts in her hairdo, makeup and looked even more stunning than usual. She wore a green dress studded with crystals that glittered under the lights.
She could have been the most beautiful woman in the room easily if it wasn''t for Sophie''s presence. Since everyone had seen Duchess Romanov first, Princess Karenina''s beauty be unremarkable.
When the queen and the princess entered the ballroom, Luciel was running while turning his head to see Jan. He wasn''t aware of his surroundings. Luciel only paid attention to Jan who was chasing him and he didn''t realize that he was running towards Queen Marianne and Princess Karenina.
"Luciel, stop!" Sophie jumped from her seat when she realized what was going on.
Luciel, who looked back to the front, immediately stopped for a moment before he bumped into the woman in the red dress in front of him, not long after Jan came over.
The two children looked up to see the middle-aged woman in front of them.
"Ohh..." The queen was stunned at the sight of the two boys. She pressed her lips in astonishment.
Queen Marianne batted her eyes in confusion. She almost thought she was dreaming.
The two handsome boys before her were very simr to what Nichs looked like when he was still a child their age.
For some reason, when the queen saw the two children, she felt warmth fill her heart. Was it because they looked like Nichs?
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Sorry for the cliffhanger XD
I will publish more chapters tomorrow (this is already the third chapter today). In tomorrow''s chapters, you''ll read how Sophie finally saw Nichs again and Lnd put two and two together.
Are you excited???
Chapter 250 Where Is The King?
The queen started to get emotional when she saw the two adorable boys.
Ahh... if only five years ago Nichs immediately married Lady Karenina, surely now Queen Marianne would already have a grandchild who was the same age as the two children. Her own grandchild would be just as adorable as these two boys.
Thinking about it made the queen want to cry. Tears were slowly forming in the corners of her eyes.
"Sorry," Luciel said quietly. He thought he hurt the old woman he bumped into her just now. "It was an ident."
When she heard the boy speak, Queen Marianne wiped her tears, then cupped the cheeks of the two children alternately. With a warm smile, she asked, "What are your names?"
For a moment, Luciel and Jan looked at each other.
"Luciel," replied Luciel.
"Jan," answered Jan.
"Oh... those are such wonderful names."
It wasn''t long before Sophie arrived. She immediately curtseyed to show respect to the queen.
"Your Majesty... I am so, sorry... My children must have startled you." With a regretful tone, she apologized to the queen and the princess beside her.
Fortunately, the queen said she didn''t mind. Queen Marianne smiled more broadly and touched Luciel''s shoulder. Then, she looked at Sophie. "You have very sweet and handsome children. You are very lucky."
"Thank you, Your Majesty is too kind," said Sophie. She turned to her sons and asked them. "Have you apologized?"
Both boys nodded vigorously. "Yes."
? "Ahh.. that''s good." Sophie bowed a little and thanked the queen, then led Jan and Luciel back to their table.
Meanwhile, Princess Karenina looked at Sophie intensely as the other woman was walking with her back to her. For some reason, Karenina didn''t like this woman. Secretly, she felt inferior when she saw such an elegant and stunning woman.
Karenina felt like she was like an evil witch who was feeling jealous of Snow White''s beauty. She hated that feeling.
***
Meanwhile, in his room, Nichs was busy getting ready. He took out all his best clothes to wear to the party. He had taken out so many different outfits with essories and even had all three of his crowns lined up on the dresser.
He had to look stunning in front of Duke Romanov''s wife...
Oops, what Nichs meant was, he had to look stunning in front of the guests.
As the king of the well-respected Riga Kingdom, he had to look handsome and impressive, right?
It''s totally not to impress Sophia Romanov.
Not at all.
Not far from him, several servants were standing together, looking confused. The servants who used to help Nichs get ready for the party were astonished because they had never seen King Nichs so concerned with his appearance.
"Your Majesty, have you decided what to wear? You''rete," said one of the servants when Nichs still couldn''t decide what to wear. "Uhm... the party has started half an hour ago."
"How about a green robe? But the ck one is good too." Nichs scratched his head. "Uhm¡ how about the blue one?"
"You look handsome in anything. Your Majesty, your mother must have been waiting for you," said another servant.
His face was filled with worry, imagining the Queen scolding them for not being able to help the king get ready for the party on time.
"You guys should have woken me up," Nichsined, still busy choosing clothes. "Now, I amte."
''Actually, we wanted to, Your Majesty, but you slept like a log... or even like you''re dead,'' the servant said.
Of course, he only said those words in his heart. There was no way he would dare say that directly. He just lowered his face, and didn''t say anything.
All nightst night, Nichs was busy dealing with the problems with the influx of Armerian noblesing to Riga to seek refuge. He didn''t sleep until morning and overslept during the day.
When he finally woke up, the first thing he asked wasn''t ''Has the party started yet?'' or ''Am Ite?'' but, ''Have Duke Romanov and his family arrived yet?'' and when the butler said ''Yes'' he rushed to take a bath.
However, when the king was about to get dressed, suddenly he couldn''t decide on which outfits to wear. He wanted to impress Duke of Romanov''s wif¡ª ahem, the guests...
So, he had to choose his clothes carefully.
And that was what took him forever to get ready. After more than one hour, his servants had be frustrated.
**
Back in the ballroom, Queen Marianne and Princess Karenina officially opened the party. The music was ying and food was served. Everyone was having a good time and socializing over wine.
Princess Karenina was starting to feel embarrassed because the guests noticed theck of someone''s presence. She could hear people whispering from around her, asking each other why the king didn''te.
"Now, she is no longer a withered flower but a discarded flower."
"It''s been five years, right? Will they ever get married?"
"At this point, I don''t think so."
"But if the king won''t marry her, why did he organize this glorious birthday party for Princess Karenina?"
"I don''t know. Maybe this is his way of making up to her? They might be announcing their separation soon and so the king decided to throw this party to give her face."
"She must be so dumb or so hopelessly in love to wait this long and still no rity on when the king would marry her."
"Hey, I heard gossip that actually the king holds this event because he wants to announce their uing wedding ns. Just you wait."
"If that''s true... then, where is he?"
"Yes.. where is he? If he really wants to make such an announcement, he would already be here now."
"Ahh.. you are right. It''s too suspicious."
Karenina clutched her wine ss tightly. She felt like she was being stabbed in the chest whenever those gossipers talked about her and mocked her.
"Where are you, Nichs?" she bit her lip, trying so hard to hold back her tears.
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From Missrealitybites:
Be patient. The king will show up in the next chapter ^^
Chapter 251 The Alpha And The King
The murmurs and whispers among the wicked gossipers became louder as the party progressed. Finally, Karenina couldn''t take it anymore. She downed her wine and snorted in annoyance.
Karenina was getting more and more determined to make the king sleep with her. After tonight, Nichs would have no choice but to marry her. She would prove to those people that she would not be a withered flower who was tossed to the ground.
Several guests were seen crowded around a table where Queen Marianne was doing something so peculiar. At that moment, she was ying tricks with Luciel and Jan, the children of the Duke and Duchess Romanov.
,m "Now, can you guess where it is now?" Queen Marianne asked Luciel and Jan with a beaming face. She had quickly shuffled some of the cups on the table where she hid a gold coin.
"Here," Luciel and Jan answered in unison and pointed at one of the cups.
"Are you sure?" The queen raised an eyebrow yfully.
"Um." Jan and Luciel nodded confidently.
"Okay, let''s see." Queen Marianne raised the cup the two children were pointing at. Her face lit up as she looked at the two handsome boys who guessed correctly where the coin was. It was indeed under the cup they had chosen. "Wow, how could you always know? You guys are amazing!"
The queen dowager was all smiles. She looked very happy as she yed with Luciel and Jan, and it became an interesting sight for the guests.
Princess Karenina, who saw this from afar, was feeling very displeased, especially when she saw Sophie and Queen Marianneughing together. Her jealousy burned.
She then stepped closer, and the guests who noticed her arrival immediately gave way.
"Oh, Karenina. Do you want to y with us? This is so much fun," said Queen Marianne with a happy smile when she saw Karenina standing at the side of the table.
The queen''s face was beaming with happiness and, for the first time in years, she actually looked younger.
Karenina had lived in the pce for approximately five years and closely interacted with the queen, but she had never seen Queen Marianne as cheerful as she was now.
Sophie smiled warmly as she came face to face with Princess Karenina. But her smile was actually met with a murderous re of the princess. Instantly, Sophie''s smile faded. She was confused by Princess Karenina''s cold attitude towards her.
While she watched Luciel and Jan ying with Queen Marianne, Sophie asionally looked at Princess Karenina, who now sat to the queen''s left.
Karenina, who realized Sophie was looking at her, nced back at Sophie scornfully. This time, she openly showed her displeasure and jealousy.
When she saw the hostility, Sophie began to feel ufortable and awkward. She realized Karenina must be unhappy to see Sophie and her children hog all the attention of the queen who might have needed to interact with the other guests.
"Uhm, Luciel, Jan, We should go now," Sophie said hesitantly. She also felt bad for the queen, who seemed very happy to y with Luciel and Jan.
"What?" The queen, who was shuffling the cups, suddenly halted her movement and looked at Sophie with an expression that seemed to ask ''why?''
The moment Sophie saw Princess Karenina, Karenina immediately smiled sweetly. She did that as she wanted to look good in the eyes of the queen, who turned to see her.
"What is it, Lady Romanov? Is something bothering you?" Karenina asked with a fake smile, and Sophie knew it.
Her voice sounded as sweet as honey. However, to Sophie''s ears, it was more like poison because her gaze just now was clearly filled with hatred.
"Is something bothering you?" Queen Marianne repeated the question. "Why do you want to go now? I think the boys are still eager to y."
Sophie smiled stiffly. For a moment, she didn''t know what to say. The beautiful woman cast her nce around. She realized that Lnd was not in the ballroom.
"Ah, nothing is bothering me, Your Majesty. It''s just that I don''t see my husband anywhere. That''s why I wanted to look for him," Sophie said, making an emergency excuse.
She wasn''t sure if this was okay, but she hoped it would be eptable to Queen Marianne, and the Queen wouldn''t mind letting her go with Luciel and Jan.
"He must be around here, don''t worry," said the old queen dismissively. She seemed like she still wished to y with Luciel and Jan for even longer.
Sophie also didn''t have the heart to drag her children to leave the queen dowager, who seemed to really like them, but Sophie was really ufortable with Princess Karenina''s hateful gaze.
She was very clearly aware that her presence and her children were not epted by the king''s future wife. Sophie didn''t want to cause trouble for Lnd''s mission if Princess Karenina saw their family as enemies of the royal family.
Now, what would Sophie say? She was annoyed by Princess Karenina''s attitude, but at the same time, she felt bad for Her Majesty Queen Marianne.
"Then you can go find your husband but let them both stay here with me. How about it?" Queen Marianne offered. "I''ll look after them until you twoe back."
Queen Marianne seemed adamant not to let Luciel and Jan go. She wished to stay with them a little longer. Her pair of eyes stared at Sophie pleadingly.
"I''m really sorry, Your Majesty. I can''t let you look after my children. If I did that, people would criticize me. I''m sorry, please forgive me," Sophie said, getting up from her seat.
She curtseyed to the queen dowager, then hurriedly asked Luciel and Jan to leave before the queen could argue further.
The queen''s eyes were gleaming with tears when she saw Luciel and Jan move away from her sight. Somehow, she felt so sad.
The guests who were still standing around the table nced at each other. They were surprised to see the queen, who now looked very sad.
However, soon, the attention of the guests was diverted when the host, who saw King Nichs enter the room, immediately announced the arrival of the king.
"Ladies and gentlemen, His Majesty King Nichs Hannenbergh has entered the room."
Everyone rose from their seats and bowed or curtseyed respectfully.
Princess Karenina rose to her feet elegantly. Her smile widened, and her eyes sparkled when she saw the man she had been waiting for finally arrived.
"Your Majesty, you''ve finallye," Karenina said softly, as Nichs stood before her.
"Sorry I''mte," Nichs said dryly. He cast his gaze around, trying to look for something, and didn''t pay any attention to his fiancee.
Nichs''s gaze was still darting around, scrutinizing everyone in the room.
"Mother, where are Duke Romanov and his family?" he asked his mother when he couldn''t find the person he was looking for, but then he fell silent when he noticed his mother''s really sad face. "Mother¡ what''s wrong?"
"No, nothing." The queen wiped her tears then started nagging at Nichs, who camete. "Why did it take you so long to arrive? The guests have been waiting for a long time to officially start the event."
Nichs couldn''t help but apologize. Even though in his heart, there was no regret at all.
Princess Karenina, who felt ignored, clenched her fists in annoyance. Inwardly, she swore that she would really make Nichs sleep with her tonight. Just you wait, she gritted her teeth.
Nichs could never ignore her again.
Outside the ballroom, Lnd who had just given instructions to Lucas and Duncan, re-entered the hall. He walked over toward the table where Sophie had previously been to look for her.
However, Lnd suddenly froze, and his eyes opened wide when he saw the figure of a ck-haired man standing on the side of the table he was heading for.
Instead of Sophie, he saw a man with ck hair standing on her spot. Lnd furrowed his brows when he noticed the man''s side profile. It was a tall, handsome man with an impressive appearance, wearing a regal outfit.
Nichs, who sensed someone''s presence from the door, immediately turned around.
BADUMP
For a moment, Lnd''s heart skipped a beat as the ck-haired man now turned towards him.
He felt like his heart dropped to the ground.
That ck hair? Those amber eyes? And that face?
Instantly Lnd''s mind went back to the past. It was a defining moment when he realized he was in love and feeling heartbroken at the same time.
That time, after he got word from Max and Duncan that Sophie was in Hauntingen, he rushed to Hauntingen to meet Sophie. However, when he got there, he had to swallow his disappointment and bitterness because Sophie had belonged to another man.
Sophie was already married to a man whose face exactly matched the face of the man standing before him right now.
Lnd scanned the amber-eyed man''s appearance from top to bottom, and his gaze sharpened when he saw the crown on the man''s head.
Was this man... the king?
For a few seconds, Lnd doubted whether the man standing in front of him was the same man he had seen in Hauntingen at that time. The man was none other than Sophie''s first husband and the biological father of Jan and Luciel.
But then, he became convinced when he could smell the man''s lycan scent.
It was him!
The king smelled exactly like Sophie''s first husband.
Lnd''s expression behind the mask tightened, and his gaze became murderous.
Nichs, who received Lnd''s piercing re, returned it with the same intensity. When he remembered that the man standing in front of him right now was the husband of the woman he fell in love with at first sight, he felt irritated.
Something in his mind told him that this man had taken what was rightfully his.
The two men walked closer to each other and stopped when they were a step away.
A pair of blue-green eyes and a pair of amber eyes met, locked, and red at each other.
Queen Marianne, Princess Karenina, and everyone else in the ballroom suddenly felt confused and uneasy when they saw the tension and the aura of hostility emitted by Duke Romanov and the King.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
This chapter is a bit longer because I don''t want to cut it at an important moment. Hope you like it!
Btw, Sophie will meet Nichs in tomorrow''s chapter. Yeay!!
PS: Have you read my mentee''s book? It''s called "Loving The Cursed Werewolf King" by Gigi_Saga. I am mentoring her in writing the story and I really like it!
The story is so fluffy and the male lead is shameless but adorable. Go read it now while waiting for more chapters of this book. ^^
Chapter 252 Sophie Meets The King
The atmosphere in the room was very hostile and suffocating all of a sudden. The two men were still ring at each other fiercely. The guests were shocked to see a duke, dared to look at the king in such a manner.
Some people whispered to each other that Duke Romanov was a foreigner and probably had never met the monarch, so he didn''t know who that man was.
Everyone was watching the two of them in a staring contest until Princess Karenina ventured to approach Nichs.
Karenina took the king''s hand and invited the king to continue the party with her.
"Your Majesty, I don''t know what kind of trouble you have, but it''s my birthday today. Can you please give me face just this once and continue this party with me?" said Karenina in a soft tone. She looked at him pleadingly.
However, the king did not move an inch from his ce. He pursed his lips and red at Lnd. He was angry that a guest dared to stare back at him challengingly. Nichs only invited this Duke Romanov because he wanted to see Sophia. He didn''t expect the duke would be this rude and hostile.
Meanwhile, Lnd, who saw Karenina holding the other man''s hand suddenly noticed the princess called his opponent ''His Majesty''.
So, his guess was correct. The man in front of him was King Nichs Hanenbergh himself! That only meant one thing. Sophie had married the king of the Riga Kingdom, the kingdom that Lnd wanted to destroy.
Riga''s royal family was the enemy of the werewolf tribe¡ Their mission toe to Riga was to attack Livstad and topple the royal family from power.
However, Sophie was actually involved with the king? How could this happen?
Lnd suddenly felt a throbbing headache. He just thought of what''s worse than Sophie being involved with the king of Riga.
That would mean¡ Luciel and Jan were the heirs of the Riga kingdom.
At this moment, Lnd became anxious. His mind was filled with disturbing thoughts. What if Sophie and King Nichs met now and Sophie decided to return to King Nichs?
After all, this man was Sophie''s first love and the biological father of Luciel and Jan.
Lnd''s fingertips turned pale and his body felt extremely cold. He was afraid that Sophie would leave him for Nichs. What woud he do if she chose Nichs over him?
His head throbbed and he was feeling all kinds of emotions right now. All bad. However, the Alpha was very good at hiding his feelings. There was no emotion on his face at all or a change in his gesture.
His distraught was well masked by his cold countenance and sharp gaze on Nichs.
Nobody said a word and they all felt the tension. If someone dropped a needle, they would be able to hear the sound. The situationsted for several minutes until the silence was broken by the sound of the footsteps of a woman and two little boys entered the ballroom.
Sophie, who had previously gone out to look for Lnd as well as to take a breath of fresh air, was surprised by the silence.
She looked around then fixed her focus on Lnd. Her husband stood with his back to her unmoving. He seemed to be facing someone whose face Sophie couldn''t see because Lnd''s body was blocking her.
Her confusion grew even more when she saw everyone was staring at Lnd and the person standing in front of him.
Sophie walked over as she held both of her sons'' hands.
"Lnd."
When he heard Sophie''s voice, Lnd was startled. So was Nichs. The two pairs of eyes that had been locked for a long time finally moved away from each other.
Lnd immediately turned around. His body still blocked Sophie''s view from seeing Nichs. He was terrified by the thought that his mate would now see the figure of the king.
Lnd couldn''t afford to lose Sophie.
Could he be selfish just this once?
When she saw that Lnd looked so tense, Sophie curled her eyebrows in surprise.
"What''s wrong, Lnd?" she asked in concern.
Lnd shook his head and said, "Nothing. We''d better go home now."
He grabbed Sophie''s wrist and pulled her away.
"Lnd, what¡ª" Sophie suddenly froze. Her eyes had caught sight of the man who had previously been standing behind Lnd.
"Sophie..." Lnd spoke softly, as he saw Sophie stare at Nichs. Her body was trembling.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Nichs also froze when he met Sophie''s eyes. However, the reason he froze was different from Sophie''s. At this moment, Nichs was so mesmerized by Sophia Romanov''s beauty that he was at a loss for words.
Karenina, who noticed the king''s gaze on Duchess Romanov and Duchess Romanov''s gaze on the king, was both confused and annoyed.
After he stood unmoving for about five seconds, Nichs suddenly smiled kindly, then stepped closer to Duchess Romanov. But as soon as he was a step away, Sophie moved back. Her knees felt so weak all of a sudden.
Lnd saw Sophie and Nichs lock eyes, both of which couldn''t look away from each other. He then turned to stare nkly at his hand that was still holding Sophie''s wrist. He slowly let go of the wrist.
Now he felt like he was a nobody between them.
Sophie still looked at Nichs with gleaming eyes. Her gut told her to charge at Nichs and hug him. But then she froze when Princess Karenina came and wrapped her arms around Nichs'' arm.
"Your Majesty¡ do you know them?" she asked in her sweet voice.
Nichs looked ufortable with Karenina in his arms and wanted to get away from the young woman, but Karenina wouldn''t let him.
Sophie, who had been unable to think because she was so surprised to see Nichs standing in front of her, began to realize the situation.
Sophie saw Princess Karenina, who put her arms around Nichs, then looked at the crown that Nichs was wearing. At that moment, realization dawned on her.
Sophie could finally guess that the man before her was King Nichs Hanenbergh a.k.a Nichs Ferdinand, her first husband.
He was still alive.
Sophie''s heart broke. She felt devastated because she felt cheated and lied to.
"Hello, I''m King Nichs Hanenbergh. Nice to meet you, Duchess Sophia Romanov," Nichs said. He introduced himself with a smile that never faded.
Sophie was both surprised and hurt even more when she heard Nichs introduce himself.
She was right. The man in front of her was indeed her husband. Nichs.
Sophie could never forget his voice. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, that she saw a man who looked very much like Nichs and also had a simr voice.
However, after she heard Nichs'' voice for the second time and got a better look at the king, Sophie''s little heart realized that they were indeed the same person. Nichs, her husband, and King Nichs Hannenbergh.
He didn''t give her his real name and hid his identity from her. His lies made her mourn his death for many years.
Sophie suddenly found it hard to breathe. This Nichs seemed friendly and considerate, but he didn''t look like he knew her. How could he not react at all when he saw Sophie in front of him now?
Did Nichs really not recognize her, or was he just pretending not to recognize her?
Chapter 253 DONT TOUCH MY WIFE!
Sophie thought she was dreaming, but she was not.
All this didn''t feel real.
"Nic." The name slipped out of Sophie''s trembling lips. Along with that, tears started to fall down her cheeks.
When he saw the woman in front of him crying, Nichs spontaneously took out his handkerchief and handed it to Sophie.
"Mydy..." he spoke gently with a handkerchief outstretched. His pair of amber eyes stared intently at Sophie. "Please, take this."
Karenina looked super annoyed when she saw Nichs easily give his handkerchief to another woman. Even she had never received any from the king. Her hatred for Sophia Romanov became even deeper.
Meanwhile, Sophie turned to Lnd and ignored the handkerchief Nichs was handing out to her. Then, with a stammer, she asked Lnd to take her home because she wasn''t feeling well.
"C-can we go home now¡? I am not feeling well¡" she muttered weakly. "Please...?"
Before Lnd could say yes, Sophie suddenly fell unconscious. Fortunately, Nichs who was closer to her was quick to catch her body before she hit the hard floor.
"DON''T TOUCH MY WIFE!" Immediately, the dark duke''s roaring voice filled the air, shocking everyone.
Lnd pushed Nichs violently and grabbed for Sophie. He took Sophie in his arms and walked out with long strides.
Luciel and Jan immediately followed behind. Before they disappeared behind the doors, the two children looked back.
Everyone who saw them was stunned. Something in their brains suddenly clicked. They had just realized that the two children looked very much like the king.
Oh, this felt so surreal.
Nichs kept looking straight until the figure from the Romanovs disappeared from view. His expression was nk and he was in a daze. Somehow, the young king felt like his soul was somewhere else.
Pain. Sadness. Anger. Disappointment.
So many feelings were raging inside Nichs.
Why? Why did it hurt so much to see Sophie being taken away from him? Why did he feel so sad? Why did he feel so lost?
He didn''t even know Sophie Romanov at all, but why did he feel devastated when she was gone?
Inwardly, Nichs cursed himself. What on earth was he doing? He was ashamed for desiring another man''s wife. No wonder Duke Romanov was so hostile.
Nichs couldn''t lie to himself. The way he acted around the beautiful duchess was inappropriate. He could feel all pairs of eyes in the room now were looking at him with astonishment and inquiring expressions.
Karenina was no exception. The girl frowned and looked at Nichs'' face which still looked nk. She then remembered the look in Sophie Romanov''s eyes on the king just moments before she passed out.
Karenina sensed that something unusual had happened between the three people, King Nichs, Duke Romanov, and Sophia Romanov, the Duke''s wife. She suspected that the Romanovs and King Nichs were hiding something.
What secret were they hiding?
She had to find out!
Karenina met her father''s gaze. Viscount Verhoven was standing in the corner of the room, watching everything unfold. The viscount immediately nodded in understanding.
Viscount Verhoven would send his trusted man to investigate who Sophie Romanov really was. They must know what the hell was going on between King Nichs and the Romanovs.
"Your Majesty," Karenina put her arm around Nichs'' waist, who was still unmoved.
Nichs'' thoughts were elsewhere. So, he didn''t notice when Karenina''s arm was wrapped around his waist.
If Nichs realized that, then he would have definitely escaped from her embrace. He always felt ufortable when the woman acted all touchy-feely around him.
In his mind, they were just engaged on paper. He never had the intention to follow through with it. He only stalled until his mother passed away.
After the engagement event, he never even thought about it. And now, suddenly it was already five years. Where did the time go?
Karenina, who didn''t get the usual rejection, looked at Nichs with sparkling eyes. With a big smile, she made Nichs face everyone who now stared at the two of them.
"I wanted to thank everyone foring and..." Karenina paused to look at Nichs. "I am also very grateful to Your Majesty, King Nichs Hannenbergh, who has been so kind as to throw a festive birthday party for me. I am very happy and will never forget this day."
Karenina was beaming in happiness as she cast her gaze over the guests.
Of course, she would not forget this day because today was the day she would make sure the king would belong to herpletely. Once and for all.
Karenina called a servant who brought several goblets of red wine on a tray. For a moment, Karenina looked at the servant and specially gestured to her.
The servant''s eyes nced at the goblet on the right side. Karenina nced at it and smiled faintly when she saw a small mark on the goblet.
Karenina took two goblets of red wine from the tray. One of them had a small mark on it. She then gave it to Nichs.
Nichs was not focused, still lost in thoughts about why Duchess Romanov cried earlier and if she was okay. He also heard her call him ''Nic'' if his ears weren''t ying tricks on him.
Did he hear correctly? Did she really call him by his childhood name?
With all the thoughts raging in his mind, Nichs didn''t pay much attention to other things. He simply took the goblet and downed its contents until there was nothing left.
He was feeling frantic because of what had just happened, and he just wanted to vent his frustration by drinking whiskey. However, because there was only wine, he drank the contents of the goblet straight away in one gulp.
Karenina was very satisfied to see that. Her n went smoother than she had anticipated. She initially thought it would be difficult to persuade Nichs to ept a drink from her, much less to finish it.
However, this time luck was on her side.
Now, she only needed to wait for the aphrodisiac that had been mixed into the red wine to work.
Chapter 254 From Tonight... You Are Mine
Karenina kissed the king''s cheek and smiled sheepishly, then she turned to Queen Marianne.
After she received the hint, the queen smiled and nodded.
Queen Marianne clinked her ss to get everyone''s attention. When the guests'' eyes were all on the queen, Karenina put her arm around Nichs'' waist again and led him over to join the queen.
Nichs, who was still dazed, just followed her steps.
"Thank you, everyone, foring to this very important event," the queen said with a smile. She walked forward and stood between Nichs and Karenina. For a moment, she turned to look at Nichs and Karenina in turn.
Karenina''s smile grew wider. Her face was radiant like a flower that bloomed in the morning, while Nichs looked indifferent. Right now all he could think about was Sophia Romanov.
No matter how hard he tried to stop thinking about her, he couldn''t.
His heart and mind were out of his control.
At this moment, Nichs was feeling anxious and wondered if Sophie Romanov was all right. The woman was taken away from the party in an unconscious state. Was she okay? He hoped she was not sick.
Queen Marianne took Nichs''s and Karenina''s hands and joined them in front of her.
Nichs'' mind was in a mess that he didn''t realize his mother had already taken his hand and linked it with Karenina''s.
"As we all know, His Majesty the King and Princess Karenina Verhoven are engaged, but due to the king''s dedication to this kingdom, he became so busy, and thus the wedding had to be postponed for many years. I deeply regret that." The queen paused for a while.
Then, she continued. A smile curved up on her face. "Therefore, tonight, in front of all of you, I, Queen Marianne Hanenbergh, announce that the wedding of His Majesty King Nichs Hanenbergh and Princess Karenina Verhoven will take ce next month."
At thest second, Nichs''s mind returned to his body. The young king immediately turned and red at his mother angrily.
He wanted to protest, but then he was forced to restrain himself because the guests were already pping loudly to congratte them. At that moment, Nichs also remembered his position as a king. He never hated his life as much as he did today.
He could not act as he pleased and embarrass the Hanenbergh Family. He also had to hold back all his annoyance and say nothing. On his side, Karenina was smiling with satisfaction. All her ns really went smoothly.
After the wedding ns announcement, the party continued with joy. Everyone seemed to be smiling,ughing, and enjoying the party happily.
Everyone except Nichs.
To Nichs, the party was very gloomy. He wasn''t focused at all. His heart had literally been taken away by a beautiful woman named Sophia Romanov.
Sometimes, he thought if only he had met Sophia Romanov earlier, when she didn''t yet belong to anyone. He would have definitely made Sophie his own, and he would be the happiest man in the world.
Why did Duke Romanov have to find Sophie first? Why not Nichs?
"Ah." Nichs, who had been daydreaming for a while, suddenly felt dizzy. Soon, his vision became blurry. Then, in the next second, his heartbeat became faster, and his breathing became heavy.
Karenina, who had been waiting for the aphrodisiac to work, immediately smiled when she saw the king showing symptoms of dizziness.
"Your Majesty, are you okay?" She faked a concerned expression and held Nichs''s arm to support his weight. Then she turned to look at Queen Marianne. "It looks like His Majesty is unwell¡"
"Oh, no¡" Queen Marianne panicked. "He has been working so hard¡."
"I will help him go back to his room. You don''t have to worry, Your Majesty." Karenina offered to help the king return to his room, after which she said goodbye to Queen Marianne.
Everyone who saw the king leaving the party while being supported by Princess Karenina and Noel ¨C the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter - was confused.
However, the queen dowager gave them an exnation that the king was very tired from working so hard in dealing with the crisis that urred at the border after Armeria was colonized by the Lycans invaders.
Karenina heard the people behind her murmur in understanding after they heard Queen Marianne''s words. They all understood how bad the crisis in Armeria was and they were grateful they didn''t have to experience the same thing.
A faint smile curved up on Karenina''s face as she walked out of the ballroom.
***
After they walked past the long corridor, finally, the three people arrived at the door of the king''s room. Karenina and Noel ushered King Nichs to bed.
After the king wasid down, Karenina asked Noel to leave the room because the king wanted to rest.
"You can leave us now, Noel," said Karenina, pping her hands rudely at the head of the Royal Lycan Hunters.
She especially disliked this man for being too close with Nichs that many people even gossiped the king swung the other way and actually had a romantic rtionship with Noel.
This hurt her pride and made her despise Noel day after day. Karenina never showed her feelings openly, though, especially around Nichs. She always showed her sweet smile whenever she saw Noel with the king.
However, now there were only the two of them. Nichs couldn''t think straight because of the aphrodisiac. So, Karenina let out her true feelings for Noele out to the surface.
"But, Your Highness¡ I want to make sure the king is fine," said Noel. He was very reluctant to leave the king while he looked unwell like this.
Karenina crossed her arms on her chest and threw him a re. "Don''t you know the gossip that''s spreading outside because of you?? How dare you me the gossip by hovering around my fiance all the time?"
She narrowed her eyes in contempt and continued her words, "I will treat His Majesty and stay with him until he recovers. If you dare to disobey me, I will make sure King Nichs will fire you, or even worse¡ I will ask him to punish you. He wouldn''t let his wife be insulted by a lowly peasant like you."
"Your Highness, I don''t mean to insult you. Apologies if you think that way. I am just worried about His Majesty," Noel still tried to argue. "Please allow me to stay and watch over His Majesty."
"What? You don''t trust that I can take care of my own fiance??" Karenina scoffed. In a cold and condescending tone, she said, "You know, Noel, you''re just the king''s pet dog, while I''m about to be his wife. Our wedding ns were just announced tonight. Who do you think the king will choose after we get married? Me¡ or you?"
Noel realized he had just seen another side of Karenina Verhoven, the princess who had always been looking sweet and angelic.
Apparently, she could be so cold and demeaning. Now, Noel was wondering, why would the king marry such a woman? Noel didn''t believe Nichs would follow through with his engagement to Karenina.
However, after giving it a second thought, he realized Karenina was right. Their wedding ns were already announced.
As the king, even if Nichs didn''t love his wife, he wouldn''t be able to cancel the wedding at this point.
Noel took one final look at the king, who was lying in bed, and he gritted his teeth. It was clear what had happened, but even Queen Marianne didn''t seem to care or notice. So, why should he?
Was it Noel''s ce to interfere? Royal politics or rtionship matters were not part of his concern. His job description should make him focus on the lycans, their greatest enemy, not getting himself involved in the king''s private affairs.
It was actually strange that the king who drank alcohol like water was affected by whatever the princess made him drink. Noel had his suspicions but he could only dare hope and dy.
"Your Highness, when His Majesty made his oath to be the ruler of thend," Noel said. "He swore to take care of the kingdom and its people, no matter the circumstances that¡ happen with him. The future queen will also make the same oath."
"I know that," Karenina said with a snap.
Noel restrained his reactions. "Pardon me for mynguage, but it seems that you do not know His Majesty well."
SLAP!
"Noel!" Karenina finally pped Noel''s face. "How dare you throw such insult to my face. Leave now. Your presence is needed elsewhere. Armeria has already been controlled by lycans and yet you still have time to act like a puppy and tail His Majesty?"
Noel clenched his jaws. He didn''t even touch the cheek that was pped by Karenina earlier. What did he care? This wicked woman would be married to the king soon and her words would bew, just like the king.
Sooner orter, they would sleep together as husband and wife, anyway. So, what''s the difference between now andter? Noel realized he was just a peasant, like Karenina said, the king''s pet dog. It was not his ce to interfere.
"As you wish, Your Highness." Noel finally decided to leave. He nodded his head to pay respect and then walked out of the king''s room. After he left, Karenina quickly closed the door behind him.
Haha¡ finally¡.
Karenina spread her arms and walked toward the bed. Then, she stood and watched the handsome king with a sweet smile curved up on her face. Karenina''s heart felt very satisfied because all her ns went smoothly.
She touched Nichs'' right cheek and kissed it gently.
"From tonight¡ you are mine," she whispered with a hoarse voice.
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From Missrealitybites:
Don''t worry, Nic will never betray Sophie, but I think the next chapter will be a bit ufortable to read and will make your blood pressure go up. So, I''ll just stop here. Good night! xx
[Insert evilugh here]
Chapter 255 Inside The Kings Chamber
In the ballroom, the party was still going on. The sound of music,ughter, and people''s chatter filled the room. Queen Marianne conversed with several nobledies.
Some guests were actually curious about what had happened between King Nichs and Duke Romanov, but chose to discuss it far away from the queen dowager. A lot of them knew that the queen had frail health and might faint if they misspoke about her son.
The rest were none the wiser and they simply enjoyed the party, unaware of the situation that was unfolding in the king''s chamber.
***
"Ahh... Nichs..." Karenina bit her lip as she climbed the bed where Nichsy down. She sat on his stomach and touched his firm chest. "You must be feeling so hot right now. Let me help you..."
Nichs opened his eyes and then massaged his temple. His vision was blurry and he felt hot all over his body. Something was not right. He was filled with raging desire. It was more than anything he had ever felt before.
Nichs was a normal man with healthy sexual needs, but he never really acted on his desire by sleeping with any women, because he was a king. He usually took care of his desire on his own.
It was not ideal, but at least he could keep himself free from drama and scandal. He had no time for any of those. He also had his family reputation on the line if he slept around.
No women would keep quiet if they could get on the king''s bed and sleep with him. Plus, he also officially had a fiancee. Even though he didn''t love Karenina, he respected her and wouldn''t embarrass her with those gossip.
Karenina was in this situation because of the queen and the fact that Nichs was too soft, he couldn''t say no to his dying mother''sst wish. Since he kept trying to stall their wedding, the least that Nichs could do was give her face by not sleeping with another woman.
Nichs didn''t care if people spread rumors that he was gay and he had a rtionship with the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter, Noel.
He actually hoped the rumors would be able to deter Karenina and make her break their engagement, which sadly didn''t really work because Karenina was smarter than that, to believe some stupid rumors.
However, if people found out the king was not gay and he was sleeping with women who were not his fiancee, they would mock Karenina even more harshly. This would in turn have a bad impact on the royal family''s reputation as well.
Tonight... the king was ovee by raging desire from the aphrodisiac he took in the party, and this battle with himself was proven to be the hardest one to date.
"Your Majesty..."Karenina''s voice was so soft and seductive. "Let me help you..."
Nichs opened his eyes wide and tried to see the siren better. He thought he saw a siren, a mythical creature whose voice could charm sailors and make them lose their minds. That''s how he was feeling at the moment. He was slowly losing his mind.
"Uhh..." Nichs could only growl. Karenina was sitting on his stomach and her buttocks were right in front of his throbbing manhood. He could feel how bouncy they were just from the way she sat on him.
This made his mind filled with dirty thoughts. He wanted to see those bouncy buttocks without clothes on. Karenina''s breasts also looked perky and bouncy from this close proximity.
Karenina bent down to unbutton his shirt and, from this angle, Nichs could see half of her beautiful breasts, hovering above his face, inviting him to have a taste.
Gosh... why was it so hard to resist this temptation? Nichs gulped.
In the past, Karenina often wore seductive dresses when they were together and Nichs had to fight the urge to act on his desire as a man but today, somehow, it was much harder.
"Karenina..." Nichs tried to resist... He touched her hands on his chest. "You... you should go..."
You should go before I do something that we both will regret...
However, Nichs couldn''t say what he wanted to saypletely... Karenina had kissed his lips.
"Your Majesty.. I don''t want to go," she spoke between her panting breath.
"You should...." Nichs became frustrated. "I am not myself today... I... I might do something..."
"I will be your wife very soon..." Karenina replied sweetly."I don''t mind..."
Nichs closed his eyes and his mind was filled with so many sensual images between a man and a woman who were making love passionately. His lips instinctively kissed Karenina back. Those red lips felt so luscious and sweet.
He could taste wine from her mouth. It was sweet and intoxicating. It made him go crazy with lust. Her kisses were awkward in the beginning, but soon they became more passionate.
When she opened her lips, Nichs'' tounge thrust inside and ravage her mouth. He licked and sucked her lips and tongue hungrily. This was truly intoxicating... his mind was in a mess.
There was mind-numbing pleasure coursing through his body when he kissed the woman on top of him.
It felt so good!
"Ohh... Your Majesty..." Karenina was out of breath from the passionate kiss.
She too was on cloud nine. She was ready to give her first time to Nichs, knowing that it would seal the deal and path her way to be the queen of Riga.
She knew that the first consummation would probably be painful and she was ready for it. However, now, she was pleasantly surprised to find out that it seemed to be going well and fun.
Ohh.. the kiss was heavenly. This was something she had been dreaming of for many years. During the course of their engagement, not once did Nichs ever kiss her like this. At best, it would be on her hand or just a peck on the cheek.
Tonight, however, Karenina finally had a taste of what it was like to be kissed by the handsome king. It was soooo sweet and felt amazing!
She couldn''t wait to take their rtionship to the next level. She hoped, after tonight, Nichs would like the experience of having sex with her and they would start doing it regrly.
She wanted to kiss him every day, she wanted to serve him in bed and make him happy. She wanted to carry his children and gave him beautiful sons and daughters.
Their children would be much, much, much more beautiful than Sophia Romanov''s sons. They would be the heir to the throne of Riga. Life would be good and their little family would have a good and happy life together.
"Oh, Nichs... I love you..." Karenina was a quick learner. She kissed him back and did it with so much passion. For several minutes, the two were engulfed in a deep passionate kiss that only burned their desire more.
Nichs''s hands slipped under her dress and kneaded her buttocks. Just as he expected, they were bouncy and felt so good in his hands. Karenina started moaning because of the stimtion and her body squirmed in pleasure. Her moans made Nichs''s desire go through the roof.
His penis was throbbing more erratically and his pants felt so tight. He needed to get his release. With difficulty, finally, Karenina managed to strip Nichs from his shirt.
Once she pulled his shirt from his hands, Nichs rolled to the side and pulled her body with him. Now, he was on top of her. His sanity was gone. All he ever thought now was sex and how he could get his release.
"Y-your Majesty..." Karenina felt her heart pounding so loudly.
She could see Nichs was filled with so much desire. His body was shaking in excitement and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a wild animal, ready to devour his prey. Karenina realized, tonight she was the prey, and she would give herself to him willingly.
"You are... so handsome..." she said sheepishly.
Karenina raised her hands and traced Nichs'' broad chest. It felt so firm and manly. She had never seen him naked before. The upper part was already so mouthwatering. She couldn''t wait to see the rest.
Her hands went down slowly, tracing his stomach, and then went lower... finally, she touched his bulging pants and felt his hardness from outside. The princess gulped. It was huge. She wondered if it would fit if he prated her.
"N-Nichs..." Karenina stared at the king, her eyes were gleaming. She, too, was filled with desire, even though she didn''t take any aphrodisiac. "I... I want you... You have no idea... how long I have waited for this day toe... the day when you be mine..."
She smiled when she saw his eyes were looking at her with a lustful gaze. He looked hungry. She could see that he wanted her too. She said, "Let''s not wait until our wedding day... Let''s consummate our marriage tonight."
Slowly, Karenina unzipped Nichs'' pants and unbuckled his belt. Then, her naughty hand slipped through the opening and touched his engorged manhood.
"Ahh...."
She gasped when she could feel it throbbing. It was hot and big. Karenina immediately pulled down his pants and wrapped both hands around his shaft. This was hers. This was what would secure her future and give her children to give birth to.
She wanted him inside of her.
"Your Majesty..." Karenina moaned incessantly, "I... I want you... inside me. I love you... I love you so much..."
When she started to move her hands up and down on his shaft, Nich''s finally lost the battle in his mind. It was thest straw.
"Ahh..." The king couldn''t stop himself anymore. Something within him awakened. It was the beast that he had suppressed for years, now came out to the surface.
"Raarrwrr...!" Nichs growled and suddenly ripped Karenina''s dress and tossed the shreds onto the ground. The woman under him was shocked by what he did, but soon she could get ahold of herself and pulled him down for another kiss.
She knew it must be the aphrodisiac that was taking over Nichs'' body. She touched his penis again and whispered, "You have to take this off you..."
She pointed at his pants. Nichs grunted and jumped down from the bed and ripped his pants off. In no time, Karenina could see the king''s naked body in all its glory. She really liked what she saw.
She opened her arms and smiled sweetly to invite the man back to the bed. She was now naked and Nichs could see her body looked so alluring.
Karenina''s breasts were perky and they were heaving up and down from her panting breath. Her skin was glowing. She even shaved her hair down there and he could see her fold look so mouthwatering.
He climbed the bed and pressed his body on top of hers. His hands kneaded her breasts and slowly, his hips moved toward her fold and positioned his penis on the lovely entrance. He was ready to enter her.
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From Missrealitybites:
I''m sorry for theck of updates yesterday. We just found out my whole family is positive covid19, including my two children. I am the only one who is negative.
I suspect I might catch it soon anyway (already got simr symptoms even though I was cleared when I was tested yesterday). I still had to leave home and find a ce to self iste until everything is clear. I am now staying in a hotel after making sure my family got all their needs covered.
It has been really hectic here and I also left behind myptop charger. So, I cannot write properly. I am sorry for the major cliffhanger in today''s chapter. Please bear with me for several days.
Always remember that my stories have happy endings and things will work out well eventually, even though you might feel the need to pull your hair every now and then. XD
Chapter 256 Flashes Of Memories
Note:
Thank you, dear Kelly Goodwin, for the spacecraft gift yesterday. You are so kind. xx
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As the king hovered above her, Karenina closed her eyes and held her breath in anticipation.She waited for the king to enter her.
Meanwhile, Nichs, who had positioned his manhood on her fold and was ready to enter, suddenly froze with his eyes blurring the face of the woman below him.
Suddenly, this position brought back various memories of a woman. shes of memories of him being intimate with a woman came to the surface.
He remembered that woman''s face was very different from the woman whose body he pressed on this time.
Scene by scene was ying in his mind like it was a movie trailer. At first, the memory showed a beautiful woman''s face that looked flushed red.
Her brilliant blue eyes stared droopily at Nichs, who was on top of her. She had this silly grin on her face. Their bodies were naked and covered in sweat. He could almost smell her alluring scent.
Gosh... she was so hot!
The memory changed onto the next one. This time, Nichs saw himself kiss the blue-eyed woman inside a cave. She was smiling sheepishly and said something. However, he couldn''t hear her voice.
Then, the memory changed again. Now, he was chasing after her in the forest. Sheughed so sweetly. He saw her carrying a basket of berries.
In this memory, Nichs saw himself and the woman were smiling andughing. They both looked very happy. Nichs didn''t remember if he ever looked so carefree and without a burden like this.
The longer he closed his eyes and winced in pain, the more memories appeared. They came and went faster than before. His head was soon filled with a throbbing headache. It felt almost like his skull was going to burst.
"AAARRRGH!" Nichs growled loudly.
The pain in his head grew more intense, and his growl made Karenina open her eyes in surprise. She touched his arm. "Your Majesty?"
The pain in Nichs'' head was getting worse. He got up from the bed and staggered to his feet. He clutched his head, trying to get rid of the pain, but it was futile.
And then, as if the pain he was feeling now wasn''t bad enough, something happened.
Nichs felt his body engulfed in me. His internal organs were also burned as if a fire was burning him from within.
"AAAARGH!" He swayed back and forth and screamed in agony. His body staggered as he walked toward the balcony. With one punch, the ss door shattered into pieces and he stepped out.
"Your Majesty!!" Karenina was dumbfounded and was toote to react. When she climbed down the bed, Nichs had jumped out over the balcony and disappeared into the dark night.
Karenina was confused and scared. Her heart pounded hard as she looked outside and tried to find the figure of the king, but she didn''t see anything. Various questions popped up in her head and she bit down on her lip, looking so distraught.
"What... what happened to him...? Is the aphrodisiac supposed to do that?" Karenina shook her head in confusion. How could she im to sleep with the king if Nichs left just like that? She was this close to getting what she wanted...
Why did this have to happen????
p Tears stung her eyes.
She was already the fool who waited for five years, there was no way for her to turn back anymore. It didn''t matter anymore even though Nichs left before he could prate her.
Everyone knew that Karenina brought the king to his chambers. So, they would believe her if she stuck to her story, that she and Nichs slept together.
"If Nichs can jump over the balcony and disappear like nothing, he must be alright. The marriage still has to happen." Karenina muttered to herself.
Her mind quickly worked. She could take care of the kingter and even have Noel go look for Nichs if necessary.
Right now, she had to make sure that her marriage to Nichs would happen.
"Even if nobody truly loves me, I''ll still have the power to make sure I will get everything I want." Karenina already swallowed her pride and asked for her father''s help this time. But once she was queen, nobody could every a hand on her again.
Even if the thing she wanted didn''t happen, she''d continue with her n.
Karenina walked briskly and unlocked the door. Then she went back to bed and curled up with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked so pitiful in that position. Her hair was messy, her face was covered in sweat and tears, and her body was naked with her dress shredded to pieces.
The next n began.
"Help.... Heelpp...."
Karenina sobbed and screamed hysterically that a maid who happened to be passing by the corridor heard her cries immediately came over to check what was going on.
However, when she stood in front of the door, the maid seemed hesitant to open, because the room was the king''s bedroom.
Who was crying in the king''s chamber?
The maid thus refused to open the door and ran towards the ballroom. When she arrived, she immediately approached Queen Marianne, who was conversing with Viscount Verhovent.
"Your Majesty..."
The queen''s attention was turned to the maid who called out to her. She was confused when she saw the tense expression on the maid''s face.
"What is it?" asked Queen Marianne.
The maid looked at Viscount Verhoven. She looked visibly hesitant to say what she wanted to say to the queen.
"It''s okay, just say it," said Queen Marianne who understood that the maid was reluctant to speak because they were surrounded by guests around them. "You can speak softly."
The maid was relieved. Then she said, "Your Majesty, I-I heard a woman''s cry from His Majesty the King''s chamber. Her voice sounded like Princess Karenina''s. I wanted to check it out but I was scared, so I..."
She no longer waited for the maid to finish her sentence, Queen Marianne followed by Viscount Verhoven immediately walked towards Nichs'' bedroom.
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From Missrealitybites:
Now you can have peace of mind... hahaha. Nichs didn''t prate Karenina because he suddenly got some of his memories back.
He would get more as time passed by and finally remembered Sophiepletely.
Chapter 257 Kareninas Accusations
Noel, who met the queen and Viscount Verhoven on their way to the king''s chamber, bowed his head to pay his respects to them. However, they didn''t notice him. Both were very rushed.
The head of Royal Lycan Hunter was confused to see their reaction. Noel immediately stopped the servant who was running after the queen and Viscount Verhoven and asked her for information.
"Did anything happen? Where are they going?"
The servant informed him that she heard the sound of a woman''s hysterical crying from the king''s room but she didn''t dare to barge in. Right now, the queen and Viscount Verhoven wanted to go to the king''s chamber to check.
Noel was cautious and went with the servant, alongside other royal staff who were around the area and overheard their conversation. They all followed suit.
After they rushed down the corridor, Queen Marianne and Viscount Verhoven finally arrived in front of the king''s room.
Without waiting for a second, Queen Marianne immediately opened the door, and to her surprise, she saw Karenina''s and Nichs'' clothes strewn on the floor while on the bed, Karenina was curled up naked and sobbing.
Viscount Verhoven walked over to his daughter, covered her with the nket as Karenina immediately hugged him.
"Fatherr...!!!" she sobbed despondently.
"What happened, dear?" asked Viscount Verhoven. He feigned concerned expression and gently rubbed his daughter''s back. His voice sounded annoyed. It was such a simple thing. All his stupid daughter needed to do was sleep with the king but it seemed she was too ipetent to do it right. Where is the king now??
Shouldn''t they be catching the king with Karenina in bed by now? Did she let him go? So dumb!
The aphrodisiac should have made the king pass out after a passionate lovemaking, but it didn''t work. It''s an big failure. What exactly happened?
Karenina sobbed and had tears in her eyes. "Father ... His M-majesty ... sobs ... The king... he ... sobs ... I ...."
Viscount Verhoven cupped his daughter''s face, a bit harsher than necessary but his voice was likeced with poison. "My dear daughter, please tell me what happened to you? Speak clearly."
Karenina''s tears flowed like a river.
"The king raped me ... sobs," she said, then buried her face in her father''s chest.
Viscount Verhoven gritted his teeth. He knew that he needed to y this scheme that his daughter was setting up. Maybe Karenina was not so dumb, after all.
Meanwhile Queen Marianne was wide-eyed. She was very shocked to hear Karenina''s confession, saying that the king, her son had raped the young woman.
Queen Marianne raised Nichs better than that. She clenched her fists to the sides, looking visibly upset. She didn''t want to believe this.
No... Nichs would never do something like this...
However, when the queen saw Karenina''s tears and how much she was shaking, Queen Marianne knew that she shouldn''t brush off Karenina''s story.
Right now, Nichs couldn''t defend himself.
Karenina was also a good woman. They had known each other for five years at this point. She was practically a daughter to the queen now since she was engaged to Nichs. Could she really lie about such a thing?
No... why would she lie? She didn''t get anything from lying. She and Nichs would be married next month. Maybe Nichs got too carried away and...
It''s okay... d that the royal family already announced their uing wedding. This was just a hup. As long as Karenina could forgive Nichs... there would be no problem.
They would be husband and wife soon. It''s not wrong for the groom to consummate their marriage early. Queen Marianne kept telling herself those words.
Everything would be okay. Karenina was just shocked. Nichs didn''t mean to do force her. Perhaps... he was drunk and he couldn''t be gentle when they had sex. Queen Marianne would need to talk to him and give him so marital advice.
? All the maids standing in the doorway also looked surprised and exchanged nces. They had heard Princess Karenina muttered something about the king raped her, and this caused such an uproar among the servants.
"Karenina, honey... I am so, sorry this happened to you..." The queenn staggered toward the bed. Her face was filled with grief. "Wh-where''s Nichs? Do you know?"
Queen Marianne stammered as she inquired where her son was. As she cried Karenina said that she didn''t know. After he raped her, the king immediately left.
The shards of broken ss from the balcony distracted Queen Marianne far more than the girl''s cries. She was worried sick.
"Your Majesty the Queen," Viscount Verhoven looked at Queen Marianne sharply. Hee looked displeased. He took the role of a father who was angry because his daughter had been raped. "I know you will choose to protect your son and hide this incident¡ I also must do the same for my daughter."
"I¡ I won''t... I won''t protect my son..." Either way, Queen Marianne had truly lost face in front of Viscount Verhoven. She felt very ashamed and disappointed with what Nichs had done if he really did the despicable thing.
Why did he even have to run away? Couldn''t he have stayed here and rejected Karenina properly?
They wouldn''t have gotten into this mess if it was dealt with properly.
Now his reputation as a good and righteous king was now at a risk. Gosh! Where did he go??
With an angry tone, Queen Marianne ordered Noel to look for the king until he found him.
"Noel, please find Nichs as soon as possible. Do it without alerting the citizens about what happened, but do it swiftyl."
"Shall I mobilize all of my men to bring His Majesty back, Your Majesty?"
Queen Marianne bit her lip but then clenched her fist angrily. "I expect that as the Head Royal Lycan Hunter, you can do it yourself. I am sure that he has not gone far off, but do not hesitate to drag him back. He will face my wrath here, so do not measure out justice by yourself."
If the people were to hear the news that their King was arrested like a criminal and forced to go back, the royal family''s reputation was going to sumb further. It wasn''t only the king but the entire royal family would be ced under scrutiny.
Everyone who listened in was surprised to see the queen so angry, while Karenina and her father only exchanged looks.
After she gave orders to Noel, the queen wearily walked over to Karenina and her father. This situation drained and weakened her.
"I do not know the exact particrs that happened tonight, but I deeply regret what my son has done," the queen said. "But I must ask that this conversation doesn''t leave this room. The kingdom of Riga lies on the trust that the king is just and if he has truly..."
"Can your regrets wash away the shame my daughter will endure?! I let my daughter get engaged to your son because I know that my daughter loves your son and because I thought my daughter would live happily if she married the man she loves."
He added angrily, "However, what did your son do?! He toyed with my daughter''s love and devotion to him. For five years, your son made my daughter look like a fool, but today your son crossed the line!"
Viscount Verhoven spoke with burning anger. He was acting so well, that his anger managed to make Queen Marianne tremble.
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From Missrealitybites:
As you can see, Karenina truly framed Nichs for r a p e that he didn''tmit. Things are about to get messy. However, I have good news for you in the next chapter ^^
Chapter 258 Good News
Still in the king''s chamber.
After a few seconds of silence, Queen Marianne stepped closer. She touched Karenina''s arm. The young woman immediately rose from her father''s arms and looked at the queen with puffy eyes.
The queen wiped the tears from Karenina''s eyes and cupped her face gently. She looked at the face of the young woman who had stayed by her side for thest five years.
Was this young woman trying to fool her?
Ahh... Queen Marianne knew her son wouldn''t have really hurt this girl. Nichs may have hated the betrothal between him and Karenina but surely he wouldn''t harm his fiancee at all.
It was true that he ran away and disappeared into the night, but it only meantplications. The reality of what probably happened scared the queen far more than the usation of rape that Karenina was throwing at the king.
Perhaps¡ there was a misunderstanding. Nichs might scare Karenina because he¡
Did he shift into a werewolf? Was he not fully cured of lycanthropy?
This was the most usible scenario. This was something that needed to be hidden and never talked about.
For now, Queen Marianne decided to just keep up with the facade.
"Don''t worry, Karenina. I will make sure Nichs will be held ountable for his actions. I promise you," the queen said and hugged Karenina.
In the queen''s embrace, Karenina smiled faintly. She was satisfied with the result, as did Viscount Verhoven who was standing next to Queen Marianne.
Finally¡ their n worked.
***
Meanwhile, Nichs, who had jumped out of the balcony of his room naked, already transformed into a werewolf. It was totally out of his control. The huge grey wolf jumped from one roof of the pce to another.
His head still hurt, and his mind spun as he looked at his surroundings.
Nichs ran fast and broke through the darkness of the night. Unknowingly, he ran towards the royal vi outside the city of Livstad, which happened to be located near Duke Romanov''s manor.
***
Lucas and Duncan, who had just arrived at the manor and were about to report what had just happened in the pce to the Alpha, were surprised to see Lnd look very worried and tense.
Lucas wanted toe closer, but Duncan grabbed his arm and shook his head.
When Lucas looked at him, Duncan mouthed, ''don''te any closer, or you''ll get in trouble''.
The Beta understood the man''s concerns, but Lucas still ignored Duncan''s warning and approached the Alpha who stood by the bed. At the moment, the Lunay unconscious.
Luciel and Jan looked up as the Beta stood by them while Duncan stayed where he was.
"Alpha." For a moment, Lucas bowed respectfully, and as Duncan had expected, it looked like Lucas was really going to get into trouble.
As soon as Lucas called out to him, Lnd immediately gave him a sharp nce. His gaze was like an ice sword that was thrust at Lucas and froze his heart. For three seconds, Lucas forgot to breathe.
Duncan, who saw the scene from afar, swallowed hard.
"A-Alpha, I want to report that¨C"
"Do you think this is the right time?" asked Lnd so coldly that Lucas froze in his ce. "If you still want to live, get out of here."
Duncan, who listened to Lnd''s words, gulped again. While Lucas immediately nodded and walked out, Duncan followed.
Luciel and Jan, who saw the Alpha''s attitude, exchanged nces. They had never seen their father so quick to anger like now.
Not long after Lucas and Duncan left, a servant came along with a healer.
"Check my mate and make sure she''s okay. If you can''t cure her, I''ll take your life," said Lnd in an icy tone..
The events in the pce really made him feel tense. When he recalled Nichs Hanenbergh''s face, it made Lnd feel extremely angry, and he subconsciously took it out on everyone.
The healer started to approach to check on the Luna''s condition, while Lnd watched intensely.
Being stared at by the Alpha intensely made the healer feel nervous, and he started to tremble. He still tried to focus on checking Sophie''s condition.
Lnd''s eyes didn''t blink even for a second. He kept looking at his wife, who was being examined. His head was filled with all the worst possible scenarios.
What made Sophie faint? Did she recognize Nichs and feel shocked by what she saw? Did she remember what happened in the past and it was too hard for her to bear?
A few momentster, the healer moved from Luna''s side and stood facing Alpha.
"Don''t worry, she''s fine." The old man''s face looked so relieved. "She is not sick."
When he heard the healer''s words, Lnd immediately grabbed the man''s cor and said with anger that he didn''t fully let out.
"Are you blind? Or do you want me to gouge out your eyes? She''s unconscious, and you''re saying she''s fine?!"
Lnd tightened his grip even more, that the healer was having a hard time breathing. Lnd was so upset that he almost choked the healer to death. Fortunately, before he could kill the healer, Lnd felt a small hand touching him.
The Alpha looked down, and he saw Luciel and Jan were looking up at him. Out of the two, the one holding his hand right now was Luciel.
"Don''t be angry," said Luciel.
"Mom said we have to respect our elders," Jan said in his childish voice.
Lnd instantly felt like he got pped, hearing the words of the two children. Sophie really taught Luciel and Jan all human manners very well.
Because he was too anxious and tense, Lnd forgot that Jan and Luciel were still in the room.
He finally released his grip from the healer''s cor.
? "Now exin what you mean by her being alright?" asked Lnd while the healer was still coughing.
After a few seconds and he calmed down a bit, the healer exined Luna''s real condition.
"Lu-Luna is currently pregnant. She passed out because she was exhausted, that''s all," he exined. "She is not sick."
Upon hearing this exnation, Lnd''s eyes that had been ring at the healer for a long time suddenly opened wide in surprise. For a few seconds, he was dumbfounded, couldn''t believe his own hearing.
"W-what did you say? She''s pregnant?" Lnd''s eyes started to tear up. Gosh.. So, Sophie was pregnant.
The Alpha couldn''t hold back his smile and happy tears as the healer nodded in confirmation..
Lnd''s nerves that had been tense now loosened, and he felt like all his anger was washed away by cold water.
Lnd had wanted a child from Sophie for a long time but all these years they had always avoided pregnancy because he didn''t want to burden the frail Sophie with a difficult pregnancy.
"But¡ will she be okay?" Lnd looked at Sophie, who was still tightly closing her eyes.
He was still worried about Sophie''s condition but the healer assured him that Luna''s body was healthy enough and her pregnancy would go well. "There is nothing to worry about Luna, my lord. This time, her pregnancy is very healthy."
After hearing the exnation, Lnd felt extremely relieved. He then told the healer that he could go.
Chapter 259 [Bonus Chapter] The Boys And Their Father
Luciel and Jan exchanged nces when they heard the healer mention the word ''pregnant'' and Lnd''s face immediately looked gentle.
All his rage disappeared without a trace. This made them think that it must be such a wonderful thing. Luciel actually wanted to ask ''what is pregnant?'' but the maid who had previouslye with the healer and had been given a look by Lnd, immediately took Luciel and Jan out.
The maid invited the two children to go to their room because it was time for bed. After everyone left, Lnd got into bed and kissed Sophie lovingly on the forehead. Right now, he was feeling very, very happy.
Sophie was carrying their child. So, that''s why she passed out. It was not merely caused by the sight of her first husband.
Earlier, Lnd was frightened out of his mind that Sophie would leave him for Nichs and take their two kids, but somehow, right now, he felt as if he wasn''t worthless or receable.
Even though it was wrong to hold Sophie hostage because of them having a child together, just maybe, she wouldn''t choose to leave him now that she was carrying his child?
It was a fear that he only acknowledged now as he was alone with Sophie.
***
Now the night was gettingte. Several stars twinkled in the sky, and the silver moonlight illuminated thend below.
Luciel and Jan were worried about their mother''s condition and couldn''t sleep. They decided to sneak out and vent their anxiety by turning into wolves and howling at the moon. The two managed to sneak past the lycan guards that patrolled the halls of the manor and soon went out.
"Let''s go!" Luciel said to Jan as soon as they stepped out of the small entrance in the right side of the manor. Then they started running freely in their wolf forms.
It''s always good to do this thing, running around at night to spend their energy so they could sleep better, especially now that they were feeling anxious and worried.
"Hey¡! Who is that?" As the boys were crossing the field outside the manor, Luciel suddenly halted his movement. He nudged Jan. His brother looked up and saw a big grey wolf was sleeping on the field in front of them.
It was Nichs in his wolf form, sleeping from exhaustion. After he left the royal pce, he was fighting the pain in his head by running around the field and finally became so tired.
"It''s a stranger!" Jan sniffed the air with his nose. "He is not one of us."
"Do you think he is an enemy?"
"Maybe," Jan said. He looked at Luciel seriously. "We should notify the guards."
"Let''s see who he is first," Luciel stepped forward. He nudged the sleeping lycan with his nose. "Hey¡!! Who are you?"
Luciel and Jan surrounded the lycan and nudged him. Since they had never seen the grey lycan and never smelled his scent in the group they raised their guard up.
This lycan might as well be an enemy. They had to take precautions. When Nichs opened his eyes, he saw two small lycans were in a fighting stance and baring their teeth at him.
"Hey!" Nichs was startled when he saw them and immediately got on his feet. He furrowed his brows when he realized his voice didn''t make a human sound, but a wolf''s growl.
The king, who was no longer feeling dizzy, was surprised and confused when he found himself in the form of a lycan.
ROAARR!!
What the fuck was going on? Nichs was so upset when he looked down and saw his body was not human. He looked up and saw two little lycans looking at him with hostile expressions.
Somehow, he knew they were not just regr wolf pups.
They were lycan children.
He froze.
Meanwhile, Luciel jumped back when Nichs growled so loudly. He immediately thought the lycan before them was trying to attack.
Now, this was the confirmation they needed that this lycan was truly the enemy. So, he motioned Jan to attack Nichs.
ROARR!!
AUUUU!!
The boys were so in sync with each other, they could almost know what the other was thinking. When Luciel moved, Jan immediately followed. Luciel attacked Nichs from the left side while Jan took his right side.
Nichs was moved from his daze when he saw the two-pronged attack. He moved back and dodged them skillfully.
This was all too confusing, but he was d that his body reflex was great, he could move really fast. His body also felt so light when he moved.
But¡ why was he a lycan? What was going on??
Luciel''s and Jan''s breath panted. After the failed first attempt at charging the ''enemy'', they immediately got ready for another attack. However, before they could move forward, Nichs had run away from them.
The king was still confused about his state of being a lycan, but then he decided to run and leave the ce because he didn''t want to fight the two little lycans.
Luciel and Jan looked at each other, surprised by what happened.
"We should report this to the guards." Luciel decided.
"I told you," Jan said. The boys immediately turned around and went back to the manor to report what they saw.
***
Nichs was running so quickly into the night. His shadow shed and almost merged with the darkness. A few minutester, he jumped into a magnificent building through a window on the second floor.
Fortunately, Nichs'' memory worked quickly and he realized that the meadow was adjacent to the royal vi.
He slipped in, darted through the halls, and turned until he finally arrived at his room.
Inside the room, he turned back into his human form and was surprised to find himself not wearing a single thread.
As he still looked at his naked body, he was shocked again. But this time, the thing that surprised him had nothing to do with him. He was surprised when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
He quickly opened the closet, took clothes, and put them on in a hurry. The door creaked when he opened the door and found Noel and some of his subordinates standing behind the door.
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From Missrealitybites:
I would like to make a rification since a reader wrote in ament that Lnd is bad for tricking Sophie into thinking that Nichs was dead so she would marry him.
Lnd NEVER told Sophie that her husband is dead. They never talked about Nichs at all.
Lnd made his conclusion from seeing the wolfsbane pot in the forest, and Sophie made her own conclusion when she heard from the townspeople that Baron Ferdinand and his ''nephew'' were dead.
Lnd and Sophie avoided the topic because it was a sensitive matter to them. Lnd made Sophie marry him by pretending that he needed a wife in name for his reputation.
So, I am not sure where some people get the idea that he tricked her into marrying him by telling her that her husband is dead. He never did such a thing.
Lastly, Lnd hasn''t done anything at all to cover up that Nic is still alive. When Sophie passed out after she saw Nichs in the pce, Lnd''s suspicion that the king and her first husband are the same person was confirmed. He realized SOPHIE KNEW Nichs was still alive, at the same time that he found out.
Now, this is finally the time for Lnd and Sophie to have that conversation. How do you think they would handle this matter?
PS: I already said that this story is a reverse harem and Sophie will end up with both. So, if you like Lnd, she will be with Lnd, and if you are Team Nichs, she will be with Nichs too. We all win.
This story will have a happy ending. I don''t n to kill one husband to let the other one have Sophiepletely. So, please always keep that in mind.
Chapter 260 Nicholas Confusion
Tonight was Princess Karenina''s birthday, but the one who got a lot of surprises was Nichs.
The arrival of Noel and several of his men at the vi made Nichs feel a little surprised and confused.
The vi guard who escorted Noel in towards the king''s room was baffled to see him. He wondered when did the kinge and how could the king be inside without him knowing about it?
"Y-your Majesty¡" he muttered in confusion. Then he awkwardly pointed at Noel. "They are here to see you."
The guard was slightly tense as Noel gave him a sharp nce. Shit! Noel must have thought he was lying and was trying to hide the king because he said the king wasn''t here when the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter arrived just now.
"What''s the matter, Noel?" Nichs asked, which made Noel turn his attention away from the vi guard. "Why are you looking for me?"
"I was ordered by the queen to bring Your Majesty the King back to the pce," exined Noel.
"Tell my mother I''ll be back after a few days. I''ve been very busytely, and I want to freshen up and stay here for a few days," Nichs said while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Nichs wasn''t lying. He really needed a rest.
The work of dealing with crises at the border as well as various royal problems did give him a headache, but what bothered him the most right now was the fact that he was a lycan and currently he was standing before the leader of the royal lycan hunters.
Nichs didn''t know whether to cry orugh at his current situation. His family had been waging war with werewolves for decades and now it turned out¡ he was one?
When Noel heard the king''s words and watched his expressions while speaking, Noel arched an eyebrow in confusion.
The king acted normally as if nothing had happened. Noel wondered in his mind if the king was currently pretending not to know what happened to avoid usations and was trying to run away from his responsibilities.
It didn''t seem like it. As far as Noel knew, the king wasn''t such a coward.
There were far more things more dire than Princess Karenina''s usations, but for now, Noel acted as the messenger. He was only here to follow orders from the queen.
"Your Majesty, your mother is currently very angry because of what you have done. She even asked me to drag you if Your Majesty doesn''t want toe back with me," Noel said.
Nichs'' eyes slightly widened in surprise. "What?"
Nichs, who had no recollection of anything before waking up in the field and meeting the two lycan children, was confused and wondered what had he done to make his mother so angry with him?
"Mother ordered you to drag me?"
Noel nodded.
"What have I done?" Nichs frowned.
Noel furrowed his brows. "Your Majesty, you really don''t know?"
Nichs shook his head.
***
After meeting with Nichs, Jan and Luciel rushed back to the manor. They reported to the Beta that they had just met another Alpha in the field.
Lucas, Duncan, Max, and several other lycans who heard the words of the two children were very surprised.
Could it be an intruder?
As the Beta, Lucas immediately dashed out of the manor, and a few secondster, he had arrived at the field.
His nose quickly caught the scent of a lycan. A very strange smell.
Lucas could tell that the scent wasn''t that of a member of the Blood River Pack.
He looked around, to every side, and to every corner of the ce. He saw nothing but stunted stalks of weeds, the trees, and a few rats that came out looking for food. It looked like the lycan was gone.
Lucas took a deep breath and tried to inhale the lycan scent more deeply and more clearly.
Simr to a dog that looked for a trail, Lucas walked in the direction of the scent he was inhaling. Until he stood right in the middle of the field where Nichs had previously fallen asleep. It was where the scent remained the strongest before it disappeared into the night.
The scent of the lycan was not the usual lycan scent but the scent of an Alpha. Exactly as said by Luciel and Jan.
After Lucas confirmed that the information provided by Luciel and Jan was correct, he dashed back towards the manor. It was more important to report than figure out where the other Alpha went.
***
In the royal vi, Nichs was very shocked. He just heard Noel telling the reason why the queen was so angry. The head of royal lycan hunters told everyone to leave them and he exined to the king what he heard happened in the royal pce.
Noel exined that Princess Karenina admitted that she had been raped by the king. Nichs was silent for a moment and didn''t know what to say.
He tried to remember what happened before he found himself awake in the field but he didn''t remember anything. Trying to remember all that only made his head hurt again. Fortunately, the pain didn''tst long.
"Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Noel looked worried when he saw the king hold his head and growl softly.
For a moment, Nichs hissed and said, "Actually, I''m sick right now, and I came here to rest for a few days. Tell my mother I''lle home and exin when I feel better."
"But Your Majesty, the queen will definitely not ept that excuse. She and everyone else will only assume that Your Majesty is deliberately making excuses to run away from responsibilities."
"Do you think I am that kind of person, Noel?" asked Nichs as he looked straight at Noel. His expression looked annoyed.
Noel shook his head and said that he never thought of the king like that either.
"Noel, I really can''t go back with you to the pce now. You don''t have to worry, I won''t run away. I just want to rest. Go back and tell my mother I''ll be home once I''m feeling better. Let''s just say I''m asking you this favor as a friend, I am not ordering you."
For a moment, Noel seemed unmoving and simply looked at the king in silence. A dozen thoughts flitted through his mind as he assessed Nichs from head to toe. The king''s face did not look healthy. He looked really sick.
Even more, the fact that Nichs wasn''t giving orders at all made Noel feel bad about forcing the king toe back to the royal pce with him.
Since Nichs said he was asking as a friend, Noel couldn''t refuse.
The royal lycan hunter nodded in agreement. "Very well, Your Majesty, I will return and tell the queen that Your Majesty is ill and will return when you feel better. Take care of yourself. I will take my leave now."
Noel bowed respectfully and then left.
After Noel and his men were gone, Nichs let out a long sigh. His mind was in a mess and confused.
What was going on with me? He asked himself over and over again.
Nichs threw himself on the bed. He stared at the ceiling of his room as he massaged his dizzy temples.
There were so many unanswered questions that ran through his head right now, and he didn''t know where to look for the answers to all of them.
His biggest problem was the fact that he turned out to be a lycan. How could that be? What happened to him and why? Weren''t both of his parents human? Why was he a lycan?
What would happen if his mother and everyone in the kingdom found out that he was a lycan?
What would their response be when they found out that their king was a lycan, a creature that was hated and despised by the kingdom?
Then the second problem was about Karenina.
Had Nichs really done that immoral thing to Karenina, or was he currently being framed?
Aish¡ why couldn''t he remember anything?
As he grew more dizzy lying down, Nichs got out of bed and walked over to the window. He hoped the scenery outside would make him feel better.
Suddenly, he knitted his eyebrows at the sight of the manor building far away to the west.
"Isn''t that¡ Duke Romanov''s manor?" Nichs muttered. A momentter, he realized and remembered that the vi he was currently in was the royal vi near the manor of Duke Romanov.
It seemed that he had really been so infatuated with Sophia Romanov. When his mind malfunctioned, his heart must have taken control of his body movements and made him run towards the ce adjacent to the residence of Sophia Romanov.
A smile appeared on Nichs'' face, as he imagined the beautiful Sophia Romanov. Somehow, just imagining the woman''s face, Nichs felt better.
"Sophia Hannenbergh." Nichs chuckled. He was amused by the thoughts. He felt like a boy having a crush for the first time and imagined giving hisst name to the girl he liked. That sounded so cute and childish.
He was a king. He was now 27 years. Too old for stuff like that.
However, to be honest, though, Sophia Hannenbergh sounded a hundred times better than Sophia Romanov.
No, ten thousand times better.
Speaking of Romanov, Nichs suddenly remembered the reputation of Duke Romanov who was rumored to be involved in lycans trafficking, including lycan children.
Nichs'' smile had now disappeared, reced with a serious face. He remembered the two lycan cubs he met in the meadow. Were they... Duke Romanov''s prisoners?
Chapter 261 Shift, Shift, Shift!
"Are they prisoners of Duke Romanov?" Nichs'' gaze that was still on the Romanov residence suddenly sharpened.
The king clenched his fists. His distaste for the long-haired duke only grew.
Nichs wanted to ask Noel to help him free the two children. He turned around and was about to walk quickly to approach Noel, who might be still downstairs but¡
Hey, wait a minute!
He froze his steps and was silent like a statue for three seconds when he realized that he had almost done something very stupid.
Noel was the leader of the royal lycan hunters, and Nichs wanted Noel to help him free the two lycan children?
Idiot!
Noel wouldn''t free the kids. He would probably kill them straight away.
Apart from that, Nichs also had to remember who he really was. He was also a lycan, a monster. At the moment, he was also the royal enemy, though it was really hard to believe. That was the truth.
If Noel and the members of the Royal Lycan Hunter found out that he was a lycan, they would turn to hunt him.
Nichs turned back to face the window. His amber eyes stared intently at the Romanov residence.
With no other choice, he would investigate the truth of the gossip himself. If the gossip was proven true, then the two lycan children that were in the meadow earlier were prisoners of Duke Romanov.
Nichs would free the children and teach Duke Romanov a valuable lesson that he would never forget.
Nichs now raised his hands and stared at his own palms. In his mind, he wanted to dabble in transforming into a lycan and wanted to know if he could control his transformation or not.
But how to do it?
The king, who had just found out that he was a lycan, was confused.
Nichs crouched down on all four and said, "Transform."
Swooosh!
The wind blew, and¡ nothing happened.
"Shift!" Nichs tried one more time, this time he intentionally made his voice deeper ...
Still, nothing happened.
"Shift, shift, shift!"
"Aarrrgghh!!! Why is it so hard?"
"What should I do to transform back into a lycan?" Nichs muttered in frustration.
He tried many times, but nothing happened until he got annoyed and hit the floor. That was when he suddenly turned into a dark wolf.
The emotional change was the answer to Nichs'' question about how to shift, but if he wanted to shift into his lycan form anytime he wanted, then he needed practice.
***
Meanwhile, inside the manor, Lnd, who was sleeping beside Sophie, woke up when he heard a faint sound from the outside. It was a conversation among his men. They were talking about Luciel and Jan meeting a foreign Alpha in the meadow.
Lnd immediately remembered that his manor was near the royal vi. It made him suspect that the foreign Alpha that Luciel and Jan met was their real father.
Lnd''s heart struck his chest hard. Instantly he was filled with immense jealousy.
He kissed Sophie then sprinted out of the room. As he darted out he advised Lucas, Duncan and the others to strengthen the defenses while he would investigate the enemy.
Everyone who listened to the order was astonished but they couldn''t ask more clearly because the Alpha had quickly disappeared from their sight.
Lucas actually wanted to follow the Alpha but he realized that right now he was needed more in the manor.
It would be very dangerous if the enemy attacked the manor when both Alpha and Beta were not present.
Lnd had now shifted into his wolf form and ran fast towards the royal vi. Right now, his heart was filled with anger and the desire to kill.
As he imagined the face of Nichs Hanenbergh when he met him in the royal pce earlier, his mind drifted back to the moment when Nichs kissed Sophie in the forest.
Lnd''s blood boil even more when he remembered how Nichs Hanenbergh looked at Sophie at the party. The king''s gaze clearly showed his attraction to Sophie even though he already had a fianc¨¦e.
At that moment, it felt like, Lnd wanted to gouge out the man''s eyes and bite his neck. However, the fear of losing Sophie was enough to debilitate him and render him speechless.
Lnd didn''t know what he would do when he met the other man. Maybe he would kill him even though he knew that the man was Sophie''s first husband and the biological father of Jan and Luciel.
The Alpha could risk everything and lose everything, but he couldn''t lose his family.
For once, he wanted to be selfish.
The silver blur of a lycan continued to sh through the darkness of the night and through the slender stalks of the tall weeds. The figure suddenly halted when a dark shadow came from ahead.
The silver moon was still shining in the sky, and the wind that blew made the weeds sway and rustle.
A squirrel that was eating fruit on a tree immediately entered its nest when it sensed danger.
At this moment, in the middle of the grasnd, two wolves now stood opposite each other and red at each other with hatred.
The shadow of an owl pping its wings shed under the moon.
Nichs, who was on his way to Duke Romanov''s manor to investigate the gossip about Duke Romanov doing the lycan trafficking, stopped suddenly when a huge white wolf blocked his way.
GROWLLL!!
Nichs knew very well that the one before him was no ordinary wolf but a lycan just like him. Nichs was confused that there was a lycan here because he thought that the only lycan in the entire territory of the Kingdom of Riga was him.
For a moment, Nichs suspected that the wolf in front of him right now was one of Duke Romanov''s captives.
However, for some reason, when he saw the white fur of the wolf and its blue-green eyes stare at him sharply, Nichs felt very displeased. Immediately, the air was filled with animosity.
Chapter 262 The Battle Of Two Alphas (1)
Nichs gave the white wolf a look that was no less sharp. Both lycans stared at each other to size up and intimidate the opponent.
Grrrrrr¡.
Both Nichs and Lnd let out a roar. Nichs was taken aback when the figure of the white wolf he watched without blinking suddenly disappeared from sight and, within a split second, the white wolf appeared in front of Nichs'' face with glowing blue eyes.
Nichs'' body was thrown backward. He tumbled and was knocked back through the weeds ten meters away as soon as his body received a blow.
Nichs didn''t understand what the white wolf wanted to do to him until he was thrown.
Pain ran through Nichs'' bones, but before he could stand up, Lnd had already run back toward him and jumped high to pounce on Nichs'' neck. The king quickly rolled to the right, got up, and immediately ran. Lnd instantly gave chase.
The two wolves sped up and broke through the stalks of the weeds that towered over the vast ground.
"What''s with him?" Amid his fast pace, Nichs wondered in his mind.
What was the white wolf''s problem with him? Nichs felt an intense killing intent in every attack the white wolf threw at him as he dodged and narrowly avoided each one of them.
Nichs continued to run, but he stopped when a shadow under the moonlight hit him.
He looked up, and his eyes widened when he saw the white wolf charge towards him with ws ready to strike.
Fortunately, Nichs had good reflexes. He quickly mmed his body to the side just before the white wolf''s ws hit his body and ended up hitting arge boulder behind him.
Instantly the stone shattered into pieces and bounced in all directions.
The incident was enough to spur Nichs'' adrenaline. Imagine if he had been toote to dodge by a second? He might have ended up like that rock.
Lnd turned to face Nichs. The hatred in his eyes seemed to never subside. "You run like a mouse."
A slight surprise was seen in Nichs'' eyes as he thought he heard the white wolf speak to him. But while he was still confused, Lnd attacked him again. This time, Nichs had to fight back as a fight was inevitable.
They pounced on each other and took turns dropping and rolling among the weeds.
Grrrr...
Grrrr...
Their roars scared the small animals around the ce.
When Lnd attacked Nichs, Lnd pictured Sophie, Luciel, and Jan.
''If I kill him tonight, what will you guys think? I don''t know how you would react if you found out¡ and what you would think of me. The only thing I know right now is that I''m so afraid of losing you all.''
Lnd increased the tempo of his attack and showed his superiority over Nichs.
Roarr...
Nichs roared in pain as Lnd''s sharp ws hit his back. Immediately, the blood gradually came out and dripped on the green grass.
The attack made Nichs spontaneously turn to counterattack. However, Lnd very quickly aimed his ws and shed at Nichs'' chest.
Blood gushed out from the open wound, along came a terrible stinging sensation. But there was no time toment about it as Nichs had to move quickly to evade and counter Lnd''s brutal attacks.
Grrr...
Grrr...
The two wolves wrestled and aimed their ws and fangs to injure each other''s bodies. Wound after wound opened, and blood sttered on the grass and weeds that had ttened from their fight.
This continued until Nichs'' body was thrown and ended up hitting a tree. A secondter, Nichs'' body copsed together with a tree behind him.
Grrr...
Lnd jumped andnded three meters in front of Nichs, then started to slowly step forward while he made an intimidating growl.
Meanwhile, Nichs got up on shaky legs. His dark fur had turned darker from being covered and soaked in blood.
Lnd also received a wound, and his snow-white fur was decorated with blood. But the wound Lnd received was not as terrible as the wounds received by Nichs.
An unpleasant stinging sensation came from every open wound on Nichs'' body. But even so, he tried to stand up. He didn''t want to die like a fool in that ce. Not now and not as a lycan.
Now Nichs had managed to straighten his body, and at the same time, Lnd jumped to pounce again. But at that crucial moment, some images of fragments of past memories shed through Nichs'' mind.
The images showed Nichs as himself being a lycan, and he reflexively swung his ws just before Lnd pounced on him. After which, Nichs jumped back to put some distance.
Blood gradually dripped from the wound across Lnd''s face. For a moment, Lnd held his wound and stared at the blood stuck to his hand.
Several thin clouds seemed to cover the moon and made the atmosphere in the grasnds darker than before.
At this moment, Lnd and Nichs once again stood opposite each other and stared intently at their enemy. A gust of wind rattled their blood-stained fur until five secondster, they raced against each other and fought at a speed the eye could not follow.
All that could be seen were white shadows and dark shadows that struck at each other, ovepping and crashing.
The rats that had previously been out to look for food, ran back into their burrows as the sound of a wolf''s howl fighting resounded throughout the meadow.
Meanwhile, Noel and his team, who had recently left the vi and were on their way back to the royal pce, stopped when they heard loud roars and amotioning from the grassy fields behind the shady trees that nked the road.
"This sound and presence, Chief...." One of Noel''s subordinates looked at Noel with a look that wanted to confirm the situation. Noel immediately nodded.
After years of working as a lycan hunter, Noel and his subordinates could immediately tell that the creatures fighting at that three o''clock were lycans just by listening to the sound and feeling their aura.
For a moment, Noel sighed deeply. There were suspicions he had about Nichs, but he never quite managed to confirm them.
Thest five years where Noel became a steadfast friend and ally of Nichs made him feel that the interests of the king were at the right ce. However, for now, there was nothing for him to do but simply abide by his duties.
Noel then nodded silently. He said, "All of you prepare, we will catch the monsters."
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From Missrealitybites:
It''s day 5 of self-istion, I am feeling much better (I slept most days) and my family seems to be doing okay. I hope I can resume publishing all my pending works (The Cursed Prince & The Alchemists) and maybe give a mass release for "The King''s Wife Is The Alpha''s Mate" next week.
I already said I will publish a mass release IF THIS BOOK won the werewolf contest. So, your support definitely will help a lot. Vote,ment, and reviews are much much much appreciated.
Not sure when Webnovel will announce the winning entries though. They are still busy with a program in Singapore (another writing contest special for Singaporeans) and the award event for WSA that just ended today.
So, hopefully, they will announce it soon (thetest is by end of Feb).
Anyway... if you are my first-time reader and enjoy this book a lot, and now feel sad because you have read thest avable chapter and now have to wait for the next updates, I can suggest you read my other books. I do have 6 others, and 1 is actually free. ALL OF THEM ARE COMPLETED, no need to wait for new chapters to enjoy the story.
They are ranging from historical to modern and future, a prince who cannot touch women and is dying for an heir, immortal womanizer CEO who was never in love and finally got his karma, a princess from another with three doting husbands, a king who was cursed with immortality and had to wait to meet his wife again after 15 centuries, etc.
To give you an idea, I havepiled the stats in thement for each book. Which book to start first, how likely you will cry reading them, how likely you willugh, how much you will pull your hair, how doting the husbands in that book would be, etc etc.
To everyone who has read all my books, feel free to add yourment if you think the stats are urate or not.
Chapter 263 The Battle Of Two Alphas (2)
Note:
Thank you, Despina, for the gachapon gift yesterday. Hope your Valentine''s Day is sweet and your days are filled with so much love. xx
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BUGH!
THUD!
A booming sound resounded as the two wolf shadows shot past each other and shed with strength.
The powerful aura they released created a mighty wave in the air wall that dislodged the surrounding weeds like a bulldozer discing rickety buildings.
Noel and his army of lycan hunters who ran towards the grass field immediately stopped when a wave of wind came and uprooted the trees.
"Tch!" Noel stood with his arms crossed in front of his face to dispel the various small materials that were bouncing. He clicked his tongue lightly.
The wind was still blowing strong. The two feet of Noel and his team members who were firm on the ground were slowly dragged backward due to the strong wind, until about seven secondster the wind finally calmed down and Noel and his men immediately moved forwards to the grasnds.
Meanwhile, Nichs and Lnd were still engaged in their fight fiercely. Lnd pounced on Nichs'' body from behind and was about to tear the flesh that was there, but Nichs didn''t just give up.
The king immediately turned around and counterattacked. He inflicted the same wound on Lnd''s body.
Bloodstains sttered on every side of the weeds that had now be ttened.
Grrr¡.
Grrr¡.
The two''s voices continued to echo until Nichs, who was focused on dodging and responding to Lnd''s attacks, smelled a familiar human scent.
This¡ was the scent of Noel and the army of lycan hunters moving towards them.
Nichs gathered strength and increased his speed in attacking Lnd.
Lnd was a little surprised by Nichs'' speed increase. He was about to increase his speed too, but Nichs had hit him first, so he was thrown and rolled away for six meters.
"Grrr¡ stop!"
Lnd, who had just got up and wanted to attack again, suddenly stopped because he was a little surprised when he heard Nichs telling him to stop.
Meanwhile, Nichs was surprised because he suddenly couldmunicate using the lycannguage. Initially he felt confused but then he thought that it was a natural ability that he had when he was in his lycan form.
"Grrr¡ stop here. I don''t know why you are attacking me. I was on my way to Duke Romanov''s manor. Earlier, I met two lycan children here, and I suspect that the children are prisoners of Duke Romanov," Nichs exined.
"Grrrr...." Lnd further exposed his fangs and plunged his sharp ws into the ground. He who had been angry since earlier grew angrier when he heard Nichs'' words.
Nichs, who didn''t know that the white wolf in front of him was Duke Romanov himself, continued to speak.
"Grrr¡ If you''re here to save those children or save another lycan who is Duke Romanov''s hostage, I will help you."
"Grrrrrr..." Lnd growled even more in annoyance and showed a row of sharp teeth and fangs, but Nichs still continued to speak.
"Grr¡ But it looks like we can''t do that tonight because now a very dangerous elite Royal Lycan Hunter army is heading here," Nichs exined.
He thought that the white wolf would stop after hearing his exnation, but oh he was so wrong. The white wolf charged back and attacked him. Even now, the white wolf''s attack was crazier than before.
It was as if every bite and every swing of his ws was meant to end Nichs'' life in one fell swoop.
Nichs, who had to defend his life, couldn''t help but fight Lnd. They returned to wrestling and fighting to the death.
A terrible stinging sensation was felt by Nichs when his wounds were rubbed or stabbed by the weeds that had been cut. The same thing was felt by Lnd, but he didn''t care about his injuries.
The only thing Lnd cared about right now was his desire to kill Nichs, or rather the desire to finish the story of Nichs and Sophie in that ce.
Grrr¡.
Grrr¡.
The sounds of battle cry echoed in the walls of the air. The moonlight grew dimmer as it was covered by clouds.
Noel and the lycan hunter troop moved quickly through the grass, jumped and slipped between the fallen tree trunks and soon their eyes could see two huge lycans fighting.
Noel quickened his pace, followed by his troops, and when they got close, they jumped up and formed a formation that cornered the two lycans in the middle.
Nichs and Lnd, who realized they had been surrounded, immediately stopped their struggle to see the humans currently standing around them.
This was terrible!
Nichs realized that he and the white wolf beside him were in grave danger.
They were seriously injured from the fight. Under such circumstances, Noel and the lycan hunter troops could easily catch them.
Nichs also didn''t want to hurt Noel and the lycan hunter troop because, right now, they were just doing their job to protect Riga.
He had to avoid fighting them.
With a low roar, Nichs looked at Noel.
Noel, who got a re from the dark wolf in front of him, immediately put on a stance.
He thought that those amber eyes looked familiar. Too familiar.
However, before he could think too much about it, in the blink of an eye, the grey wolf had jumped at him.
Noel let his guard down. His body fell backwards, and at this time, Nichs took the chance to pin the Head of Royal Lycan Hunter down. He stepped on Noel''s body. His forelegs pressed against Noel''s chest.
"Grrr¡ run!" said Nichs to the white wolf that stood behind him.
When Noel fell, all the attention of the troops was diverted.
Lnd, who was still furious, grew even more furious when he saw the royal lycan hunters that surrounded him. He really wanted to kill them one by one, but suddenly he stopped when he thought of Sophie and the kids.
If he got killed or captured¡ then Nichs Hanenbergh would surely be free to make a move towards Sophie.
With a heavy heart, Lnd finally decided to escape.
When he saw that the white wolf managed to escape, Nichs immediately jumped down from Noel''s body and dashed towards the bushes.
Behind the bushes, he darted as fast as he could, and when he was close to the royal vi Nichs immediately transformed into a human.
"Ahhh..." He winced as the pain from his wounds stung, but he forced himself to stand up. Nichs took a deep breath and then managed to catch his breath.
He felt that the surroundings had calmed down. However, he wasn''t going to rx, instead, he rushed towards the vi.
Fortunately, when he arrived at the vi, the area waspletely empty and no female servants were passing by. Nichs didn''t want to imagine if a servant were to see him at this time.
Perhaps at sunrise, the news of King Nichs Hanenbergh wandering around in the middle of the night butt naked would shock the vi area and its surroundings. It would quickly spread to the pce.
If the news reached the queen''s ears, maybe Queen Marianne would havee straight to the vi and pped Nichs'' cheek for embarrassing the family''s reputation, but it still wasn''t the worst.
The worst thing was when the news reached Sophia Romanov''s ears.
If that really happened, Nichs would just hang himself.
Chapter 264 Lelands Injuries
"Oof..." Nichs hissed as he applied some ointment to his wound. He cleaned the wounds that were scattered on almost every part of his body.
He was lucky his family kept the best medicine and healing ointments in the royal vi. He didn''t want to let any doctors check on his condition.
This would raise a lot of questions. No, thank you. Before he found the answers for himself, he wouldn''t let anyone know what happened.
After he tended to his injuries, Nichs walked to the closet to get some clothes. The stinging sensation stung again when the wounds rubbed against the cloth.
The night was still not over. The moon and stars still adorned the sky.
Nichs sat on the edge of the bed and reflected on what he had just experienced.
He recalled how he and the white wolf had fought. After he thought about the strength and speed of the white wolf, Nichs was able to draw the conclusion that the white wolf was an Alpha.
Nichs'' brows furrowed. The line of questions again filled his mind. He tried to sort the questions one by one. He needed to understand what was going on¡ with him, with this kingdom¡ with those lycans he saw earlier tonight.
First question, what was the Alpha''s problem with him? Nichs could see the never-ending hatred within Alpha''s blue-green eyes as he looked at him.
Then the second question, why did the Alpha look so angry when Nichs said that he would help free the two lycan children who were held captive by Duke Romanov?
Had Nichs mistakenly thought that the Alpha hade there to free the two lycan children and free all the lycans that were prisoners of Duke Romanov?
The Alpha might have been working under the orders of Duke Romanov.
No. That was a ridiculous thought. There was no way such a strong Alpha could obey a viin like Duke Romanov.
Then what really happened?
Nichs leaned his back on the bed. His mind still wrestled with questions that needed answers.
He looked up at the ceiling and imagined the two lycan cubs he had met in the field.
"They¡ looked okay," he muttered, his eyes twinkling. "They don''t seem to suffer. In fact, they kinda look chubby and cute."
"If those two kids aren''t Duke Romanov''s captives, then who are they? Why are they in Riga? And there was also the Alpha¡ What is he doing here?"
"Shouldn''t they be in Armeria or something? Riga is a dangerous ce for them because we have much stronger defenses against werewolves."
Suddenly his eyes widened as a new thought appeared in his head. He woke up with a slightly surprised face.
"There was never a werewolf sighting in the past five years after the battle in Livstad where the royal army and the Royal Lycan Hunters annihted hundreds of attackers."
Nichs furrowed his brows. He suddenly saw lycans after Duke Romanov returned to Livstad.
Did Duke Romanov have a rtionship with lycans? Was that the reason why the lycan children were able to be in Riga? Maybe that was also the reason why the Alpha was furious when he said that Nichs would help to free the two lycan children from Duke Romanov''s captives?
The Alpha was angry that Nichs had carelessly used Duke Romanov.
Ha.
Nichs took a deep breath and thenid back on his back. Duke Romanov. The man was full of mystery.
Maybe he did have something to do with the lycans. Or worse¡ he might be one himself.
***
Meanwhile, Lnd, who had just arrived at the manor, shocked Lucas and the others when they saw him covered with blood. They could smell another Alpha''s scent on him and they could immediately tell that the blood was also from his injuries, not just his opponent.
This made them wonder who did he fight and what happened to the other lycan.
"Alpha¡!" Lucas rushed over and intended to carry the Alpha to his room, but Lnd immediately refused.
He waved his hand and brushed off Lucas'' offer. "Not there."
Sophie would be very worried if she saw Lnd get injured, and he didn''t want that to happen. What more was the fact that Sophie was currently pregnant. She should not worry or stress because it would have a bad impact on her pregnancy.
In addition to that, Lnd also didn''t know what to answer if Sophie asked what happened and asked him the reason why Lnd could be injured so badly.
So far, Lnd had never experienced defeat or was seriously injured like this. He didn''t want to admit that the lousy king was actually quite formidable. He would rather think that he was blinded by his anger and grudge, that he was not focused during the fight.
"Take me to the guest room," said Lnd. As if he understood what the Alpha was thinking, Lucas immediately nodded without asking anything. Before Lucas could support the Alpha walking, the Beta first ordered a servant to call a healer.
***
"Ah." Lnd grimaced slightly as he struggled to sit back on the back of the bed.
Not long after, the healer and the servants that Lucas had ordered entered the room, followed by Duncan and Max.
Of course, Lnd''s current state raised big questions in the heads of those who wondered who Lnd''s opponent was.
Their Alpha had fought many battles, and he had always won. He also had never suffered terrible injuries like this time. Well, maybe when he was younger and his strict father was training him, Lnd would sustain so many injuries, but that was a long time ago.
They didn''t remember any events where he came home from battle looking this bad. The big gaping wound across his face was the worst they had seen so far. It ran from his left temple to his left cheek, all the way to his chin.
"Max, Duncan, bring Luciel and Jan here. Don''t let them tell Luna about my situation," said Lnd.
Chapter 265 The Lonely Star In The Sky
Lnd leaned his back on the headboard and closed his eyes. Before he took a rest and tried to heal his wounds, he must make sure the boys didn''t say anything to Sophie. He didn''t want her to worry.
When they heard the Alpha''smand, Max and Duncan immediately nodded and left the room.
It turned out that what Lnd thought about Luciel and Jan going to tell Sophie about his injuries was true.
When they saw that Lnd came home severely injured, the two children panicked and immediately ran to tell the mother about their father''s condition.
"Goshh¡ what happened? Did he fight the Alpha we saw in the meadow? So, there is a dangerous enemy lurking around us now?"
"Mommy must know!"
When they arrived at the door of the mother''s room, Luciel immediately knocked on the door with his front paw. However, before the door was opened, Max and Duncan came and picked them up. They took the pups to where Lnd was being cared for, just as the Alpha ordered.
"Alpha said you must not disturb Luna," Duncan said to Luciel and Jan. "He wants to talk to you both."
Luciel and Jan exchanged nces. They turned their heads to see Sophie''s room and nodded obediently.
After a quick walk through the manor, Duncan and Max finally arrived at the room where Lnd was currently being treated. They put the boys down and they immediately shift to their human forms. Luciel and Jan now sat in front of their father. The faces of the two children showed that they were very worried.
"F-Father, are you alright?" asked Luciel.
When he heard Luciel''s question, Lnd smiled faintly, then nodded slowly.
"It''s nothing. Real men don''tin about a small wound. I want you to remember this, the day we were born as a man was on the same day we were destined to be protectors. I want you to always be able to protect your family and protect your mother from any harm and from all things that will make her sad. Currently, your mother is not well, we must not make her worry. So you must not tell her about this, do you understand?"
"Um." Luciel and Jan nodded in unison.
"Smart boys," said Lnd. His smile widened as he touched Jan and Luciel''s heads in turn. "Now, you should go back to sleep. It''s veryte. If your mother saw you both tomorrow with panda eyes, she would be upset."
Luciel and Jan gave Lnd onest look, trying to be brave seeing his wounds and the blood, and then nodded.
"Um." They both replied obediently.
"Okay. Good night." Lnd rubbed their heads and then turned to his men. After he told them what he wanted to say, Lnd asked Max and Duncan to take Luciel and Jan to their room to sleep. "After they sleep. You must check the security around this manor''s perimeter. I met a group of Royal Lycan Hunters earlier. We have to make sure they don''t suspect this ce."
"Understood, Alpha."
Just like before, the two big men carried Luciel and Jan again. But this time, their destination was different. Now, they were heading toward the boys'' room.
***
Not long after Luciel and Jan left the room, the healer had finished tending and treating the Alpha''s wounds. Lnd thus ordered everyone to leave the room.
Actually, Lucas wanted to stay in the room and ask Lnd what really happened, but he canceled his intention when he realized that at this time, the Alpha didn''t want to be disturbed. Lucas left the room, following the two people who had left first.
It was almost morning. The world outside was so quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of insects in the trees as well as in the grass.
After being silent for a while and thinking everyone in the manor was asleep, Lnd got up from the bed and walked slowly towards his and Sophie''s room to see how his wife was doing.
When he opened the door, Lnd saw Sophie was still asleep. He really wanted to lie down and continue sleeping with her, but then he canceled his intention after he felt the long scar on his face. She must not see him this way.
Lnd walked inside and touched Sophie''s hair dotingly, as he looked at her sleeping face. She looked so beautiful and at peace.
The healer gave her medicine so she could rest. Lnd was no longer worried about her health after the healer told him that Sophie was pregnant and was just feeling tired.
She was now pregnant with his child. Lnd was over the moon today after he found out. It was a silver lining amidst the clouds that were hanging over his sky. The man closed the door again and decided to go to the rooftop.
At least he had seen that Sophie was okay. He should let her rest and try to think about what he should do now, away from her. He didn''t want her to see his injuries.
***
Lnd''s pair of blue eyes stared at a star in the twinkling sky. There was only one after the rest were covered by clouds. He was now lying on the roof, nning to spend the rest of the night there contemting what had just happened.
He again felt the wound on his face and remembered when the gray wolf suddenly swung its ws at him. The gray wolf was Nichs Hanenbergh, the king of the Riga Kingdom. He was also Sophie''s first husband and the biological father of Luciel and Jan.
Nichs'' strength in fighting was beyond Lnd''s expectations. Although it was very difficult to ept this, Lnd had to admit that Nichs was a formidable lycan. It''s just that he stillcked experience in fighting, something that Lnd had in abundance.
Lnd could deduce that from remembering Nichs'' movements which were stiff and seemed often hesitating in his attacks. Lnd couldn''t take his opponent lightly.
Now Lnd wondered if one day he and Nichs had to duel to get Sophie then which one of them will win?
Lnd''s eyes narrowed. A light mist of sadness crossed the pair of blue-green eyes as he pictured Sophie''s face in the sky.
"Sophia... if he and I were hurt in front of you, who would you help first? Or if he and I were dying in front of you who would you save first?" he muttered. Lnd closed his eyes for a moment then looked back at a small star that was there.
The star was alone in the dark sky, there were no other stars around. If Sophie decided to return to Nichs Hanenbergh then Lnd will suffer the same fate as that star.
He would be alone and the world around him would be as gloomy as the darkness of the night sky. Although people below admired him for his shining light, his life would still be as gloomy and lonely as it had been before, when he had not been able to find Sophie.
"Nichs Hanenbergh ... why did you have toe back?" He muttered again.
Nichs was still alive but why didn''t hee back to Sophie? What stopped him from looking for his wife?
Did the man actually not love Sophie and was just toying with her feelings? He married Sophie and then dumped her because Sophie didn''te from a noble family.
Was that why?
Chapter 266 Leland Is Restless
Lnd''s eyes were still focused on the tiny twinkling star in the sky while he remembered the figure of Nichs Hanenbergh who met him at Princess Karenina''s birthday party.
p At the party, Lnd could clearly see the king was interested in Sophie. Heck, even a blind man would be able to see it too. The way his eyes looked droopy and in awe at the sight of Lnd''s mate, and his overly-enthusiastic voice when he introduced himself to Sophie.. they said it all.
The king was obviously attracted to or even... in love with Sophie.
Thinking about it made Lnd clench his fist in annoyance. Ugh... If Nichs was nearby, Lnd would have jumped down and attacked him again. How dare he...!
However... Lnd then furrowed his brows, if King Nichs Hannenbergh was really the same Nichs that Sophie married six years ago, why was he acting like he didn''t know her?
Was the man pretending he didn''t know Sophie because he didn''t want his fianc¨¦e to know he was married? Was he ashamed to admit Sophie was his wife?
Lnd''s heart desperately hoped that his conjecture was correct. Because then Sophie had a good reason not to go back to Nichs Hanenbergh, and Lnd didn''t have to worry anymore that Sophie would leave him.
Sophie wouldn''t possibly want to go back to the man who had dumped her, would she?
However, even though Lnd''s heart hoped so, his mind refused and denied that the conjecture was true.
Nichs Hanenbergh didn''t dump Sophie. There must be another reason. If Nichs really dumped Sophie, then he should have avoided Sophie when he saw Sophie at the party.
However, in fact, what happened was that Nichs, without hesitation, even seemed enthusiastic about approaching Sophie to introduce himself. Did Nichs really not remember Sophie?
Lnd closed his eyes and struggled to understand what had really happened to Nichs Hannenbergh.
Just as Nichs had many questions about Duke Romanov, Lnd also had many questions about Nichs Hanenbergh.
In his mind, Lnd tried to sequence each incident from the beginning to thetest ones. He hoped to find answers to his questions in these events.
After he recalled the events at the party, Lnd turned to remember the incident when he fought with Nichs. In the middle of the fight, Nichs actually asked Lnd to stop the fight, then said that he wanted to free the two lycan children who were held captive by ''Duke Romanov''.
It meant that Nichs had absolutely no idea that Jan and Luciel were his children, and it seemed that Nichs didn''t even have an idea that he had children.
Lnd''s memory shed back to when Nichs and Sophie stood face to face. At that time, Nichs was either so fascinated by Sophie that he didn''t pay attention to Jan and Luciel who were standing beside her, or he did see the two children but he ignored them.
Maybe Nichs ignored them because he thought that the two children were Sophie''s and Duke Romanov''s children.
If Nichs only pretended not to remember Sophie, Nichs would have been surprised when he saw Luciel and Jan, as he should be able to immediately conclude that the two children were his children because their faces were very simr to his.
Lnd remembered very clearly every expression the king had when he stood opposite Sophie. The king never showed the slightest bit of surprise except when Sophie suddenly fell unconscious. His look was innocent and clearly enamored by her.
Lnd now started to believe that King Nichs Hanenbergh really didn''t remember Sophie, but how could that be? What caused Nichs to lose his memory?
Lnd''s memory continued to travel through time. Until finally, his memory reached the moment when Lnd found a pot filled with the remains of wolfsbane that he found in the ckwoods Forest several years ago.
Was it the wolfsbane that caused Nichs Hanenbergh to lose his memory? If so, then Nichs was not to me for having left Sophie. It was a very unfortunate ident on his part.
If she found out that he lost his memory when trying to cure himself of lycanthropy, Sophie would be understanding. Lnd had witnessed Sophie talk in her dreams, pleading Nichs not to take the wolfsbane and just ept himself for who he was.
She was very bothered by the fact that Nichs hated himself so much that she begged Lnd to help make her sons love and ept themselves. She didn''t want Luciel and Jan to grow up hating their lycan sides, unlike their father.
So... Sophie was separated from Nichs by ident. One that was caused by his efforts to bepletely human. Surely, she would understand and forgive him for leaving?
In fact... she might return to Nichs once she knew he never meant to leave her all alone. If Nichs got his memory back, he would definitely im his wife and children. And they might choose to go back to him. They would be reunited and be family again.
Lnd''s chest tightened at the thought of this. What should he do? He didn''t want to lose Sophie and his children. If he could keep them by fighting to the death, he would.
However, at this point, he must think about what would Sophie and the boys think and want. He couldn''t make that decision for them.
All this time, he and Sophie had never talked about Nichs. He wanted to avoid drama, and he felt Sophie wanted the same way. She didn''t know that Lnd knew her husband because he had seen her with Nichs in the ckwoods Forest.
It seemed that Sophie also didn''t feelfortable talking about Nichs'' death because she thought Lnd was responsible for the deaths of Baron Ferdinand and Nichs.
The woman chose to bury her own sorrow rather than me Lnd which could eventually make Luciel and Jan hate Lnd for killing their biological father.
"Aarrrghh!" Lnd exhaled roughly. His chest was filled with heavy clouds. Now he felt it was time for him and Sophie to have a heart-to-heart conversation about Sophie''s and Nichs'' past and her status as Lnd''s wife and mate.
He also needed to ask what Sophie wanted in this situation. It was the most important thing after all, even though Lnd was actually afraid that if he asked Sophie what she wanted¡ she would reply that she wanted to go back to Nichs.
.
.
___________________________
From Missrealitybites:
My heart ached for Lnd. Luckily, I know that this story will have a happy ending for all three of them. So... pfew..!
Chapter 267 Sophies Worry
Lnd felt increasingly heavy and restless, so he decided to get up and sit down on the roof. He knew it was futile to force himself to sleep under the stars. Not when his mind was filled with so many things that made him worried.
Now, his blue-green eyes looked down at the pink flowers in the garden and then remembered Sophie, who suddenly fainted when she saw Nichs at the pce party. Sophie must have been in shock that the husband she thought had died suddenly stood before her.
"Do you still love him, Sophia?" Lnd asked the surrounding space with a sad smile. He continued to watch the pink flowers in the garden that fluttered in the wind.
The gentle rays of the morning sun slowly rose and dispelled the remaining darkness. It signaled that the night was over and a new day was about to begin.
After he spent so much time by himself in contemtion, Lnd finally decided to meet Sophie. He was not ready for the conversation, but he knew it had to happen. However, when he came back to his room he was surprised because he saw Sophie was seated on their bed while she wept.
"Sophia...!" Lnd gasped at the sight. Sophie''s arms hugged around her knees as she sobbed.
Without thinking, Lnd rushed over to Sophie on the bed and hugged his wife worriedly. He was so worried that he forgot that his body was still injured and that she could see it.
Usually, lycans healed faster than normal humans but this time not so. Since Lnd''s injuries were quite severe and caused by another Alpha''s attack, it took longer to heal.
Sophie looked up and then she saw Lnd''s wounds. Her eyes widened and she was immediately filled with worry.
"Gosh... Le-Lnd, you¡ what happened to you? What''s wrong?" Sophie wiped her tears roughly then touched the wound across Lnd''s face carefully and gently.
"I''m fine," Lnd lied. He smiled and held Sophie''s hand that cupped his face. He added, "It''s just a small wound. Don''t worry."
"Small wound? This, Lnd, is not a small wound. What happened?" Sophie looked distraught.
To be honest, Lnd liked seeing Sophie worry about him because it meant Sophie must have loved him. However, Lnd did not want to make her continue to worry because it could be bad for her health.
Lnd broadened his smile. That smile looked very warm, like the sun that shone this morning. It was quite an unusual thing as Sophie had always associated Lnd with ice. He was quiet and cold most of the time.
It was this warm smile on his face that made Sophie suspect something bad had happened, and Lnd wanted to keep it a secret.
The woman looked deeply at Lnd. Her face looked even more worried. "Tell me what happened..."
"It will heal soon. You know that lycans can recover from injuries quickly. So, don''t worry," said Lnd hastily. He gripped Sophie''s hand and held it. "Like I said, it''s just a small wound."
"But Lnd, what happened?" Sophie''s puffy eyes stared intently at Lnd. "How did you get that injury?"
For a moment, Lnd just stared at Sophie in silence. He felt he had to at least say something.
"This¡ this is because I fought with the elite Royal Lycan Hunter troops that are guarding around here since this ce is located adjacent to the king''s vi," exined Lnd.
The Alpha was forced to lie because he couldn''t possibly tell Sophie that he was injured from his fight with Nichs.
When she heard Lnd''s words, Sophie became worried that their pack would be hunted by the royal lycan hunters.
Sophie gripped the nket under her tightly. Her hands felt cold as she thought about their current situation. She had pondered a lot. She even had a bad dream about Nichs, who thought the lycans were monsters and tried hard to heal himself with the wolfsbane.
When she woke up this morning, Sophie was devastated when she remembered meeting Nichs at the party the night before and how Nichs had acted like he didn''t recognize her.
For a moment, Sophie felt angry because she thought Nichs had tricked her and left. But then she remembered the time when Nichs was desperately trying to heal himself with the wolfsbane.
Sophie now guessed that Nichs had recovered from lycanthropy and he had forgotten about her in the process. She also realized that right now, she and her children were between Nichs and Lnd. They were trapped in a vicious circle of hatred and revenge.
Sophie clearly remembered Lnd''s words. He wanted to avenge the death of her parents caused by the Riga Royal family. That was his life''s mission: to destroy the royal family of Riga and take over power on this kingdom.
As for Nichs, he must hold a grudge against the Blood River Pack who had turned him into a lycan and no doubt he would also hold a grudge against Lnd who was responsible for his uncle''s and his father''s death.
How could this be? Sophie was married to two men from the opposing sides, mortal enemies, and her children were conceived and raised by the two men respectively. Why should they be trapped in the middle like this?
"Have you had breakfast?" asked Lnd.
His question snapped Sophie out of her daze. The woman looked at Lnd with a confused look. Lnd only asked if she had had breakfast. He didn''t seem suspicious that Sophie acted strangely after she met the king in the royal pce.
Did he not notice what happened? Sophie was wondering. Lnd understood why she looked confused. It was his fault, changing the subject.
At first, Lnd wanted to talk to her about Nichs and ask what Sophie wanted to do now that her first husband turned out to still be alive.
However, at thest moment, he realized that he was too cowardly to do that and was not ready to ept the fact that Sophie might reply by saying that she wanted to return to Nichs.
Chapter 268 The Happy Family
Sophie looked at Lnd and noticed his different demeanor today. She wondered what he was hiding from her.
"Have you had your breakfast?" Lnd asked again, gently.
Sophie answered his question by shaking her head weakly. She had not had breakfast. She didn''t have an appetite too since after she woke up she had been bothered by what she saw in the royal pce.
"Then, wait a moment." Lnd got out of bed and quickly stepped out of the room. He looked around and couldn''t find a servant he could ask to get Sophie breakfast
Lnd finally decided to go and fetch it himself in the kitchen. The servants would have already prepared the dishes in the kitchen, otherwise, Lnd would have made all the servants as a meal for all the wild wolves in the forest.
When he arrived at the kitchen, Lnd saw a couple of servants standing around Lucas. The Beta was preupied with a task, he was tasting the dishes one by one.
"You''re not done?" Lnd stepped closer, and all the servants including Lucas immediately bowed respectfully.
Earlier, before meeting Sophie in the bedroom, Lnd ordered Lucas to check all the food that would be given to Sophie. He didn''t want the past incident to happen again.
He and Sophie lost Morgan and Emery because of the poison Dinah mixed into Sophie''s tea. This time, Lnd didn''t want to lose another child. Therefore he would take care of Sophie and the child in Sophie''s womb protectively. He wouldn''t let anyone get the chance to hurt them.
After Lucas made sure all the food was safe from poison. All the servants standing around Lucas immediately brought all the dishes and stepped quickly, they followed Lnd who walked in front of them.
Not long after, they arrived at the Alpha and Luna''s room. Lnd, who didn''t see Sophie in the room was a little surprised. No, actually he almost panicked. If it weren''t for a maid who had been ordered by Sophie to tell Alpha that Luna and the children were on the terrace, he would certainly be agitated.
Lnd, together with all the servants who carried the food, immediately headed for the terrace. After they arrived there, Lnd immediately sat down on the chair opposite Sophie while the servants quickly set the food on the table.
Luciel and Jan, who were with Duncan and Max and caught up in ying, suddenly paused when Lnd arrived. The two ran over when they saw their fathering.
"Good morning!" The two boys greeted their father and then sat on the chairs next to their parents. The two children did not say anything about the father''s injuries.
After Jan and Luciel sat down, the four of them started having breakfast. They had breakfast as a happy family. Initially, Lnd was worried and thought the atmosphere would be awkward, but thanks to Luciel and Jan, the atmosphere became fluid.
The two children asked a lot of questions, such as why do birds fly? Why is the sky blue? Why is the sun not there at night, and why is the moon not there during the day? Then how are they so handsome? And h h h h h¡.
Sophie and Lnd now struggled and started to get overwhelmed as they both tried to answer the two children''s neverending questions. They eventually exchanged nces and then ended upughing together.
"Haah¡ such a happy family. Seeing Luciel and Jan, I feel like I want to have kids too," muttered Duncan, who now stood in the corner with Max and some of the servants who had followed Lnd. "They are so adorable."
"Before you think about children, think about your mate first. Because to make a child you need to be mated unless you can reproduce on your own, so you don''t have to think about a mate," Max said.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. How funny, Max," Duncan said, rolling his eyes.
***
In the garden, Luciel and Jan were now seen ying with Max, Duncan, and several other lycan children. After breakfast, the two children now had enough fuel to y until noon.
A gust of wind ruffled a few strands of Sophie''s hair, who had just stood up and now gazed up at the rising sun. Not long after Sophie rose from her chair, Lnd followed and hugged Sophie from behind.
"Are you okay?" asked Lnd. Actually, the Alpha knew that maybe Sophie was still thinking about her meeting with Nichs Hanenbergh, but Lnd wasn''t going to talk about the man.
Sophie smiled sweetly at her husband''s question.
"I should be the one asking like that, Lnd," Sophie said. She let go of Lnd''s arms and then turned around and looked at the wound on Lnd''s face. She touched it gently with two fingers. "Are you okay? It must hurt, right?"
"I was in pain, but after I saw your sweet smiles, your eyes that sparkled like stars, and your pretty face like flowers, I''m fine," said Lnd.
Cough! Cough!
Sophie was silent for three seconds and then batted her eyes. "Lnd, let''se inside. I''ll ask the healer to check on you. Your wounds look severe," Sophie said very worriedly.
"..."
Lnd now made a strange expression. Even though he was just trying to be romantic, Sophie thought he was seriously ill.
"Lnd,e on!"
"I''m fine, Sophia," said Lnd. He changed his expression to t then pulled Sophie back, who was already wanting to lead him inside. "Sit here."
Lnd made Sophie sit on a chair while he crouched down in front of her. Then he gripped Sophie''s two hands tightly and looked into her eyes intently. "Sophia, I have something to say."
Sophie blinked in confusion. She was a little tense because Lnd''s face looked very serious. Something Lnd wanted to say must be very important, so she hoped it was not a bad thing.
"Lnd, what''s wrong? Did something bad happen?"
Lnd shook his head.
"No." He smiled widely.
"Then what is it? You make me curious."
"You''re pregnant, Sophia."
Swoosh¡.
For a moment, the atmosphere became silent.
"Le-Lnd, what did you¡ say just now?" Sophie asked in a stammer. She could barely believe her own ears.
Chapter 269 Tears Of Happiness
Sophie looked at Lnd with batted eyes. She thought she was dreaming.
"Last night, the healer checked your condition. He said that you are currently pregnant, and you fainted because you were tired," Lnd exined. He looked at Sophie''s face very closely.
Lnd wanted to see every expression Sophie showed. He wanted to know if Sophie was happy to hear about her pregnancy or¡ just sad that the pregnancy would keep her from going back to Nichs.
Tears immediately welled up in Sophie''s eyes after she convinced herself that it was real. After being married for almost six years, she would finally be able to give Lnd a child. She felt touched and immediately hugged Lnd with happy feelings.
"Oh, Lnd, I''m so happy," Sophie said. She kissed the top of Lnd''s head and then tightened the hug. "This is such great news!"
Sophie didn''t know that Lnd, who was in her arms right now, was also crying silently. The Alpha felt very, very happy and relieved. His Sophia was so happy with her pregnancy.
Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. As long as Sophie was happy with him, it was enough.
"I am d you think it''s great news," Lnd whispered. He moved back a little and watched Sophie''s beautiful face with so much warmth in his heart.
"It is..." Sophie wiped her tears and cupped Lnd''s face. Shended a sweet kiss on his lips. "I am very happy."
Lnd was dazed by the affection poured into him by Sophie and the fact that she seemed over the moon by her pregnancy. All his worries were suddenly gone with the wind.
"I love you so much," he whispered. "I promise to always make you happy."
Sophie nodded with tears in her eyes. "I love you too."
***
After both of them shed their tears of happiness, Lnd carried Sophie in his arms, in a bridal style, to their bedroom. Sophie had asked Lnd to put her down because Lnd was currently injured, but Lnd didn''t listen.
"Okay, now lie down and get some rest," Lnd said as soon as he ced Sophie on the bed. However, instead of lying down, she sat up and folded her hands together.
"But Lnd, I''m fine. I''d be so bored if I justy around all day," Sophie said somewhat sullenly. "Healers already confirmed that I am healthy. I am just pregnant, not sick."
When he saw his wife''s pouting face, Lnd couldn''t help but smile, Sophie''s face looked really adorable. He gently touched Sophie''s head and said, "Sophia, I know you will be bored but do this for the sake of our child. You are not fully recovered, after all, so you should get plenty of rest and I beg you not to think too hard, do you understand?"
When she heard Lnd''s words, Sophie could only nod and was speechless. She didn''t want anything bad to happen to her baby.
Now Lnd helped Sophie lie down on the bed and he sat by Sophie''s side, leaning his back on the headboard As he stroked Sophie''s head, Lnd told himself that from now on, he was going to be selfish.
No matter what happened, he would never let Sophie and their two children go. He wasn''t going to let Nichs Hanenbergh or anyone else take them away from him. He would keep them to himself.
No. Over my dead body.
Even though Nichs was Sophie''s first husband, the truth was that he was only married to Sophie for a month before he disappeared without a word. Lnd''s rtionship with Sophie had been much longer and he had been by her side through thick and thin. There was no way he would let Sophie go.
Whatever reason Nichs left Sophie was not important. Now Sophie was Lnd''s. Nichs was Sophie''s past, while Lnd was Sophie''s present and future.
Sophie had mourned Nich''s death for a very long time. Lnd would just tell himself that Nichs really was dead. King Nichs Hanenbergh was just an outsider who happened to look simr to Nichs Ferdinand.
After all, Lnd had been Sophie''s husband longer, far longer than Nichs.
So what if Nichs was Luciel and Jan''s biological father? Nichs didn''t even know he had children.
,m Lnd was the father that Jan and Luciel had known since they were born. So, no matter what and for whatever reason, Lnd would never hand them back to Nichs. Lnd would defend them with all his might. Nichs could only have them after he killed Lnd.
***
Meanwhile, at the royal vi, Nichs, who sat down by the window was hit by a big dilemma about himself being a lycan as well as the king of the Riga Kingdom, he was the monarch of a kingdom who hated lycans.
What am I supposed to do? What if everyone found out? Howe I''ve be a lycan?
These questions ran through his head all night, and because of that, he didn''t sleep at all. Dark circles were underneath his eyes.
So many questions remain unanswered.
"Ish..." He hissed in frustration while he held the nape of his neck, which felt so heavy
His mind was in such a mess that he paid no heed to the servants. They were astonished at the sight of the wounds on his arms, neck and several scratches on his face.
The servants who delivered breakfast to his room nced at each other, as they actually wanted to ask the king if he was okay, but they hesitated.
"Yo-Your Majesty are you alright?" One of them finally was brave enough to speak.
"Um." Nichs just nodded slowly, then said, "You guys can go."
Before they left the king''s room, the servants nced at each other again.
"Hah...." Nichs exhaled tiredly when all his servants had left. After that, he took and sipped the tea that had been prepared on the table along with some breakfast menus.
After he took a few sips, Nichs put his cup back on the table and turned his head towards Duke Romanov''s manor building.
Now his thoughts turned to the matter of Duke Romanov.
"Is that guy really rted to a lycan? Then what are they doing in Livstad?" Nichs quietly wondered to himself then frowned. "Were they rted to the attack that happened at my coronation? Or is that all coincidence?"
Nichs tried to remember and piece together all the clues he had.
Chapter 270 Nicholas Returns To The Palace
Nichs was still seated down by the window as he continued to gaze at Duke Romanov''s building.
? He wondered about Duke Romanov having ties to the lycans and what they were doing in Livstad and was reminded of the events of five years ago.
At that time, Duke Romanov brought his whole family to leave Livstad, and coincided with an attack from a werewolf pack.
Were the two things rted?
"Ah." Nichs grabbed his neck again in frustration.
Every time he tried to find an answer, new questions came up, which made him even more confused and frustrated. But even so, he couldn''t stop thinking about them because they involved his life, the security of his kingdom, and¡ Sophia Romanov.
He frowned at the thought of her.
He did not know when Sophia Romanov became so important to him. At first, he thought that the feelings he had for her were merely admiration, as the man knew that he had never seen a woman as beautiful as Sophia Romanov before.
However, at the party, when he saw Sophia Romanov being taken away from him, he suddenly felt empty, and his heart ached. It was then that he realized the feelings he had for Sophia Romanov were not just admiration.
It was more than that.
Now the king wondered if Sophia was safe in the manor. Did the woman know that the man she married had a rtionship with the lycan, or maybe he was actually¡ a lycan himself?
"Ish." Nichs hissed and he ruffled his own hair in frustration. He couldn''t go on like this. He had to stop making his own guesses because it was just a never-ending chain of puzzles.
Before he figured out the problem about Duke Romanov having a connection with the lycans or not, he should first find out why HE became a lycan. After thinking about it deeply, he decided he needed to seek the answer to that question from his mother.
For some reason, he had a strong hunch that all the things he was questioning about how he became a lycan had to do with the matter of his lost memory.
He could have been sure he would get an answer from his mother, as all this time he felt that she was hiding something.
***
The sun''s rays were still warm against the skin, and the dewdrops were still present on the leaves and flower petals.
After breakfast, Nichs, who was already very frustrated with the series of questions in his head, decided to immediately return to the pce to meet his mother.
The vi keeper offered to escort the king in a carriage but Nichs refused and decided to ride a horse himself, as he thought it would be faster.
Even though Nichs didn''t give any orders, several vi guards followed him from behind. After all, Nichs was the king of the Riga Kingdom, whose life was often the target of people from various parties who were hostile to the kingdom.
Plus, at this time, the king didn''t look well. There were many mysterious wounds on his body.
As the sun continued to rise, the rays started to sting the skin. Nichs rode his horse very fast towards the pce, and after one hour, he finally entered the castle gates.
All the guards present bowed respectfully to him as he dismounted. Yet he didn''t pay attention and walked straight into the pce building.
Everyone who saw his return immediately whispered around, but he didn''t realize it at all because right now, his focus was distant.
He was thinking about the fact that he was a lycan, and he wanted to immediately meet his mother to find answers to all the issues that filled his head. However, when he was about to turn into the corridor leading to his mother''s room, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Three meters in front of him, two servants seemed to be chatting with each other. They didn''t notice the king was nearby and continued talking about thetest gossip in the royal pce.
"Did the king and Princess Karenina really sleep together?" asked Servant A.
"Where have you been? Everyone in the pce is talking about this," said Servant B.
"I haven''t been in for a week because I have to take care of my sick mother. I just came back today," said servant A, exining the reason for beingte about the news of the king and Princess Karenina sleeping together.
Then, she added, "So the news was true, huh? The king actually slept with Princess Karenina?"
She looked dumbfounded. It was hard to believe the news for her.
Servant B shook her head. "That''s not true. The truth is that the king raped Princess Karenina."
Servant A''s eyes and mouth widened in disbelief when she heard the news.
"Th-that''s impossible. The King is a good man, he couldn''t possibly do such a lecherous thing." Servant A refused to believe it, but Servant B told her that she saw everything.
She exined that when Her Majesty Queen Marianne and Viscount Verhovent opened the king''s chambers, people were shocked to see Princess Karenina huddled on the bed naked, weeping bitterly.
However, the most shocking thing was when Viscount Verhovent asked Princess Karenina about what had happened, and Princess Karenina said that she had been raped by the king.
"..."
Nichs, who listened to the servant''s words, was annoyed that he couldn''t remember anything. Had he really done such a shameful thing? He really didn''t remember anything.
Nichs finally resumed his pace and headed towards his destination. For now, he decided to focus on finding out how he lost his memory and how he became a lycan.
He was very sure that if he got the answer to those problems, then the answers to other questions would also be revealed. About Duke Romanov, the lycan pack attack on Livstad five years ago, and also about Sophia, as he had always felt she was familiar.
He would take care of the matter with Princess Kareninater.
Chapter 271 The Distraught Queen
The two servants who had been busy chatting were surprised when they saw the arrival of the king.
As the king continued to walk closer to them, they could only look down in fear because they thought the king had overheard their chatter and was going to punish them. They finally breathed a sigh of relief as the king passed them by without saying anything.
Nichs continued to make long strides down the corridor, and before long, he finally arrived at his mother''s chamber.
"Mother," Nichs called from the open doorway. The queen, who was sitting by the sofa with a maidbing her long blonde hair, immediately turned around and was surprised to see her son hade home.
Nichs walked in and approached his mother. Queen Marianne immediately rose from her seat.
"Mother, I need to talk to you."
Surprise appeared once more on the queen''s face when she saw several scratches on Nichs'' face and wounds on his son''s neck and hands.
"Nick, w-what happened?" Queen Marianne looked at every wound on Nichs'' arms and neck, then turned to look at Nichs'' face. Her son''s face was pale, and he looked sick. The queen was immediately worried. "Oh no... my son. Did somebody attack you? Who dare did it?"
"Mother, I am fine now," Nichs said, lying. "They just look hideous, but they don''t hurt that much."
"Oh, Nick. How could you say that? This must hurt so badly," Queen Marianne said. She cupped Nichs'' face and cried as she hugged her only son. "Have you seen the royal physician?"
Nichs winced when he heard his mother''s words. There was no way he would let other humans check his wounds. They would know immediately that they were caused by a werewolf.
It would invite way too many questions. He was not ready for them to have that kind of question about him. "I did. He already took care of them. You don''t have to worry, mother."
Queen Marianne let go of his face. She wiped her tears and looked at Nichs carefully. She saw he did look fine. At least, he wasn''t showing that he was in so much pain. So, maybe he did ask the physician to treat his wounds.
However, she still wanted to know what happened. Queen Marianne let out a long sigh. "What happened to you? Who did this to you?"
Nichs looked at every servant in his mother''s room. He needed to kick them out before he could speak with the queen. Or, he should ask his mother toe to his study. It was more private and no one could eavesdrop.
"I want to talk privately with you, mother," he said.
"Oh, okay. You heard His Majesty. Please leave..." Queen Marianne ordered her maids to leave the room, but Nichs immediately shook his head.
He said, "No. I want us to talk in my study."
For a moment, the queen looked closely at Nichs. Her son''s face looked very solemn. She wondered what matters Nichs wanted to talk to her about? Was it about Princess Karenina?
"Very well." The queen nodded. She realized this conversation must be quite serious for her son to ask to talk to her in his study. She got up and walked with Nichs out of her chamber. Nobody said a word until they reached the room.
After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the king''s study. Nichs closed the door behind him. Then, he sat in his chair while his mother sat on the chair across from the table.
"Nick, what happened? Noel said you were sick, but how did you get hurt like this?" asked Queen Marianne, immediately throwing a few questions at Nichs.
But before Nichs gave an answer, the queen opened her mouth and spoke again. This time she discussed Princess Karenina, who imed to have been raped by the king.
"Nick, tell me what really happened that night? Did you really do that immoral thing?" The Queen''s eyes were full of questions. "That night, I bowed my head in shame, my son. I did so in front of Viscount Verhovent and everyone who witnessed and listened to Princess Karenina''s confession."
The queen then desperately revealed all the things she had wanted to say to Nichs for the past few days.
"Mother, I don''t know what happened, I don''t remember anything. We''ll talk about thister, okay? Right now, there are more important things than that," Nichs said. His words made the queen stare at him without blinking.
"Is there anything more important than saving our family''s reputation? Do you know how this matter tarnished the reputation of the Hanenbergh Family?" she asked in frustration.
The queen added, "What will happen to us if the people decide that you are unfit to lead the kingdom? What will they do to you? The nobles can take advantage of this if Viscount Verhoven uses it. No, in fact, he is already using it."
"Mother, I told you that I don''t remember anything. Thest memory I remembered was that I woke up in the meadow as a lycan," Nichs exined, which instantly made the queen''s eyes widen.
"You-what did you just say?" Queen Marianne stammered, her heart suddenly beat faster.
"I said... something unexinable happened to mest night. I suddenly woke up in a meadow... as a wolf."
"Oh..." Queen Marianne pressed her lips in shock. Memories from the past suddenly shed on her mind. Nichs was found in Hauntingen after he was kidnapped by a lycan tribe. Then, he suddenly transformed into a wolf when he was upset after having a nightmare...
She thought Nichs was cured, at the expense of losing his memory.
Apparently, she was wrong.
Her son still shiftedst night, after years of suppressing the lycanthropy, which only meant one thing...
He was not cured. He was still a monster.
Oh god... what to do??
"Do you know anything about it?" Nichs stared at his mother pleadingly. "Please tell me everything you know. There''s got to be something that happened to me in the past that turned me into something like this. You and father are humans, so I can''t possibly be born a lycan"
Chapter 272 Conversation With Queen Marianne
"Y-you... you said you woke up as a lycan?" The queen asked with a hoarse voice. She needed to make sure that she heard him correctly, that this was not her imagination or nightmare.
"Yes." Nichs began to recount his story of how he woke up in the meadow in the form of a gray wolf. At that time, he was utterly confused and decided to go to the royal vi in Livstad. "I am not sure why, but I immediately went to the royal vi after I transformed."
He didn''t share with his mother that he might be pulled by his attraction toward Sophia Romanov. Queen Marianne looked like she already had enough on her te. Nichs didn''t have the heart to burden her with her son''s fascination with another man''s wife.
"Noel told me the same thing, that he met you in our vi," the queen muttered. "So, it''s true."
"Yeah."
Nichs confirmed that when Noel came to see him and asked him to return to the pce, he had just changed from his lycan form to human form. When he saw the queen''s face turn pale, Nichs immediately told her that Noel didn''t notice anything suspicious.
"It''s fine, mother. I don''t think he suspected anything," he said, holding his mother''s arm. "Don''t worry."
"Really? Are you sure?"
Nichs was not one hundred percent sure, but he chose to lie about it. His poor mother had suffered so much already. "Yeah."
"Oh, that''s a relief..." the queen nodded. She wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. "You have no idea, how stressful it was for me to keep hiding your condition from everyone, especially yourte father."
"..."
Nichs'' ears perked up. He finally heard what he want to know from his mother. So, she did know about his condition and even hid the fact from his father.
So... what did actually happen that the king was kept in the dark about such an important issue like this?
He asked his mother with a hoarse voice. "So, you knew??"
Queen Marianne gasped. She had slipped and now Nichs knew that she knew he was a lycan. Gosh... Now, he would hate her and think she hid so many things from him. "It was for your own good."
Her voice was hoarse and she looked like she was about to cry when she spoke. "You know how much your father hated werewolves, those monsters... If he found out that his own son was a lycan... I believe he would kill you."
Nichs was silent when he heard his mother''s exnation. He lowered his head and clenched his fists. If only she was wrong... he would dly refute her statement.
However, the fact was, King William Hannenbergh''s hatred toward the werewolves was so deep-rooted. He lost his beloved older brother, whom he adored and looked up to because a lycan killed him.
King William Hannenbergh was someone that people would call the spare. He was not supposed to be king. He liked books and traveling. He was happy that his older brother would take the throne after their father stepped down from his role as the king.
Prince Gabriel Hannenbergh was Riga''s beloved crown prince. He was set to be the next king until suddenly he was killed by a lycan in a horrific battle during a hunting trip. His death turned William''s life upside down.
Suddenly, he had to step up and take the role of the crown prince. Something he hated. However, that was not the main reason for his hatred. Lycans also took the woman he loved. She died of grief after Gabriel passed away.
That was right. William was in love with a princess who was supposed to marry Gabriel, his older brother. Since he loved them both, William decided to step back and travel, leaving Riga behind with all the memories.
However, Gabriel''s death which was soon followed by his fiancee''s changed William''s life forever. He had to take over power and marry a woman chosen for him, who was deemed fit to be the next queen of Riga.
He had to bury his dreams and took on the leadership role, while still mourning the deaths of the people he loved. He didn''t love his wife, but he treated her well. However, there was always that wall between them that they could never cross.
This was perhaps the reason why Queen Marianne was so horrified when her son was turned into a lycan. She knew her husband would never ept Nichs being a monster, not only because he hated lycans in general... but because he didn''t have that much love for his wife and son in the first ce.
So, she did whatever it took to hide Nichs'' condition. It was the most stressful period of her life. She had to keep looking for excuses to travel and take Nichs with her to keep him away from the king''s eyes.
Queen Marianne knew that having Nichs away from the capital often would further damage their rtionship with the king because they lost a lot of precious time for bonding as a family.
However, she couldn''t take the risk.
She couldn''t let her son be killed for being a monster, something that he had no control over. It was not his fault that he was kidnapped and turned into a lycan by the heinous lycan tribe.
"Oh, Nichs, my poor child," Queen Marianne cupped her face with both hands and started sobbing despondently. "I had to do that because I love you. I don''t want to see you being hunted and killed for something that is not your fault."
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
So, there was a history behind thete king''s deep-rooted hatred toward lycans and the reason why Nichs and his mother didn''t have such a great rtionship with his father.
Btw, I ammissioning pictures for Jan and Luciel. They are not done yet, but I already got some sneak peek at the results. See them in thements. XD
Chapter 273 Nicholas Is Slowly Getting His Memories Back
"Mother... please tell me everything," Nichs held his mother''s hands and looked her in the eye. "While I was in the royal vi, I was haunted by the question of how I became a lycan and what if everyone in Riga found out that their king was a lycan."
Queen Marianne raised her face and stared back at her son. "You are the king now, to hell with other people..."
"Huh?" Nichs thought he was dreaming. Did his mother just let out curse words? "What do you mean, Mother? Don''t you feel worried if other people know my condition?"
The queen bit her lip. The only opinion that mattered to her was her husband''s. She was terrified if someday King William would find out about Nichs'' condition. He was the king and he hated lycans with all his heart. Being the monarch, he could easily kill Nichs.
However, now that there was no other power higher than her son, how could she fear anyone? Nichs was the king now and his words were thew.
Queen Marianne''s eyes filled with tears as she listened to Nichs'' story about how he was so confused when he found out he was a lycan. These past 24 hours, she had been so angry with Nichs, she didn''t know that her son was in such a big problem.
At this moment, she felt both guilty and very surprised because she had thought that Nichs had recovered from his lycanthropy. She felt guilty for suspecting her son of doing immoral things when in reality even if he might do it he didn''t do it willingly. It might be the lycanthropy taking control of himself.
When he saw that his mother was silent while she stared at him with teary eyes, Nichs became even more convinced that his mother knew something, the reason why he was turned into a lycan.
"Mother, do you know what happened to me? You said you knew I am a lycan. So, did you know how I became one?" Nichs thus began to issue the questions that were bothering him one by one.
Queen Marianne, who was sobbing, tried hard to regain herposure so she could reply to his questions. She realized at this point Nichs must be dying to know the truth. She nodded weakly.
Nichs grabbed his mother''s hand, which was on the table. He repeated his question desperately, "Mother, I beg you, if you know anything about this, please tell me. There are so many questions in my head about this right now, and they are weighing heavily on me. Mother, I beg of you to tell me what really happened?"
Queen Marianne cupped Nichs''s hand that was holding hers and with tears in her eyes, she then answered Nichs''s question.
"Fourteen years ago... when you were thirteen.. you were kidnapped by the enemy, a dangerous werewolf pack called Blood River Pack." Tears were streaming down harder as the queen relived the horror and recounted the story to her son. "You were missing for almost two months."
For a moment, Queen Marianne wiped her tears. As she slowly calmed down, she took Nichs'' hand back and continued her story.
"Your father and I were very worried about you¡ sobs¡ I thought that I had lost you forever. Luckily your father didn''t give up. He and the rest of the royal family continued the search, and after two months of searching, they finally found you near a small town called Hauntingen. ¡ sobs¡." Queen Marianne always felt scared when she remembered the incident when she lost Nichs.
Nichs was surprised to hear his mother''s exnation, but there were still many questions that needed to be answered.
"Then what happened? When they found me, was I already a lycan? Did Father and the people who found me know that I''m a lycan?" Nichs asked. He was very curious about what happened next.
"No, son," Queen Marianne said. "You were found in good condition. It seemed that someone had helped and nursed your wounds until they were healed. Unfortunately, they didn''t know who had helped and cared for you because when they came to the hut you pointed at them, they couldn''t find anyone else there."
,m Queen Marianne added that after being found, Nichs was fine and did not appear to have any abnormalities, but after a month, it happened.
Nichs shifted into a lycan after being awakened from his nightmare.
"I''m grateful that at that time, I was the only one by your side. Apart from me, no one knew that you were a lycan. I immediately hid the fact from anyone. I don''t know what your father would do if he found out. Maybe he wouldn''t hesitate to kill you even though you are his own child."
Nichs gripped his mother''s hand tightly. The woman''s hand felt very cold.
Queen Marianne continued her story as new tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Thinking of what your father would do if he found out that you are a lycan, I was so scared that I tried to get you out of the capital, away from your father and the Royal Lycan Hunter. I immediately made an excuse that I would take you on vacation to calm you down and relieve the trauma you experienced after being kidnapped."
A mist of sadness appeared in Nichs'' eyes. He was moved to hear the efforts his mother made to save him.
"Then?" Nichs waited for the continuation of his mother''s story.
After she wiped away her tears and caught her breath, Queen Marianne continued that afterward, Nichs was taken on a trip to several of the queen''s siblings. But most often to Hastings, where Baron Ferdinand lived.
"We traveled often because of that. You like my uncle''s ce the most. So, you spent a lot of times in Hastings."
"Hastings¡ " Nichs muttered very quietly. A slight pain stung his head the moment he heard the word ''Hastings''. Gradually, fragments of his past shbacks appeared in his memory.
The shback showed Nichs of his young self turn into a lycan, and he held his breath as the image of a young girl shed through his mind. He felt that the girl had something to do with the person who had helped him.
Besides that¡
Nichs furrowed his brows as the girl''s figure still shed in his mind.
The girl''s hair . . . it was gray with some pinkish streaks, reminded him of Sophia Romanov.
Chapter 274 Karenina Comes To See Nicholas
The image of the little girl with slightly pinkish-gray hair was still visible in Nichs'' mind. More and more, Nichs felt that the girl resembled Sophia Romanov.
Now he knew the reason why he was so obsessed with Sophia Romanov. It was because Sophia Romanov resembled the little girl who might have helped him fourteen years ago.
Was that what happened? Because they looked simr? Oh... Nichs was very curious to know the answer.
Was there a slight possibility that... Sophia Romanov and that little girl the same person?
Sigh. Nichs chided himself. He must be too obsessed with her that he was secretly hoping that she might be the little girl from his past.
But... if Sophia was not her... then, where was the little girl now? Who was she? Was she still alive?
Nichs tapped his fingers on his desk and tried so hard to remember what happened fourteen years ago. After thinking about it deeply, he realized that the answer to his questions about what happened to him in the past might lie in the ce called Hauntingen.
"Mother... what''s the ce called again?" He turned to Queen Marianne and looked at her seriously. "Hauntingen?"
The queen nodded. "Yeah. What do you want to do? Are you going there to investigate?"
Nichs looked away and stared at the garden outside his window. He turned to think about Duke Romanov, who he suspected of having ties to the lycans. He was momentarily in a dilemma. Should he investigate Duke Romanov first or look for his past in Hauntingen?
Queen Marianne studied Nichs'' face, who seemed to be silent with furrowed brows.
"What are you thinking, Nichs?" she asked and wiped away the few tears that were in the corners of her eyes. She had stopped crying, but her face was still red and very moist.
Nichs looked at his mother intently.
"I''m going to Hauntingen," he decided.
***
Meanwhile, Karenina was seated in her room with a teacup in her hand. She was staring at a painting on the easel standing in front of her.
It was a painting of her and King Nichs Hanenbergh. She had ordered it two weeks ago, and today it was just delivered to her.
She set down her teacup on the table beside her and caressed the painting of Nichs'' face. A sweet smile curved up on her beautiful face.
"I will never let you go or let you get away from me," she muttered to herself.
Karenina stood still and thought about the man. Their uing wedding was already announced and people also knew that they already slept together. Soon, they would be husband and wife for real.
She really couldn''t wait for the day she could call him husband.
KNOCK
KNOCK
The sound of someone knocking on the door was heard, moving Karenina from her reverie. It followed by a woman''s voice calling out to her.
"Your Highness... I have news for you."
"Come in!" said Karenina. She quickly covered the painting with a cloth and stood facing the door. A maidservant opened the door and entered. It was her trusted maid. Karenina raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms on her chest. "What is it?"
For a moment, the maid bowed down slightly and then said, "Your Highness, I would like to inform you that His Majesty King Nichs has returned to the pce, and he is currently in his study with Her Majesty Queen Marianne."
Karenina was slightly shocked when she heard what her maid said. "Is that true?"
She stood looking at the maid and then quickly walked out of the room as soon as the maid nodded and said, "That''s right, mydy."
As Karenina walked briskly towards the king''s study, the smile that spread across her face seemed to never fade. She was relieved that Nichs was fine.
It made the servants who saw her wondered what happened. The princess looked fine and no longer miserable. It was such a contrast to the time she was found in the king''s chamber, naked. Many remembered how she looked devastated and shaken.
How could she recover from the shock so quickly?
Karenina didn''t seem to have the slightest shame when she walked and passed by the servants even though she was supposed to be dishonored, leading her to be the object of gossip by the servants, and the spectacle of some guards too.
The attitude she showed now did not look like a woman who had just been raped.
Karenina kept walking briskly toward Nichs'' study. She didn''t notice how the maids were staring at her in surprise.
When she heard her maid''s words that the king was talking with the queen, Karenina was very happy because she thought that at this moment Queen Marianne must be pressing the king to take responsibility.
At the thought that she would soon marry the king, she couldn''t help but smile. She was overjoyed.
After walking for a few minutes, Karenina finally arrived at the king''s study. The door was still open after the queen left. For a moment, Karenina was silent in the doorway, looking at the king who was leaning on the chair, massaging his temples.
She looked around the room, trying to look for Queen Marianne, but the queen was nowhere to be seen. Karenina then looked at the king, who seemed oblivious to her arrival.
It was true. The king was deep in thoughts and didn''t pay attention to his surroundings. He was so focused on the figure of the little girl that appeared in his mind.
For him, there was nothing else more important in this world. The little girl had the same hair color as Sophia Romanov. Curiosity had pushed him to try to remember his past yet again and again. He felt like his skull was going to split open.
"Sophia Romanov¡" Nichs muttered to himself as Sophia Romanov''s face appeared in his mind. "Are you that girl?"
.
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____________________________
From Missrealitybites:
It''s great that Nichs decided to go to Hauntingen and look for answers there. Do you think he will remember immediately? What do you think he will do when he got his memory back?
Chapter 275 I Thought You Would Take The Hint
TAP TAP
The king was moved from his reverie when he heard someone''s footsteps approaching. Nichs stopped massaging his temples and looked up toward the sounds.
The young king was a little surprised when he saw Karenina was standing in front of him with tears in her eyes.
"How could Your Majesty do something so horrible to me? After you slept with me and took my honor, Your Majesty just left me..." Karenina began to sob. "And when you came back, you didn''t even bother to check up on me..."
Nichs straightened his back. He was silent and stared at Karenina intently. In his mind, he wondered if he had really done that lecherous thing to Karenina when he had no love for her at all?
Karenina sobbed harder. "During the five years that we were engaged, I received a lot of ridicule from people because Your Majesty has not married me after so long. I always tell them that Your Majesty is very busy."
Nichs knew what she wanted to say. It was that thing again!
Karenina continued sobbing despondently and slowly walked toward Nichs. She said, "I ept all the ridicule withoutining because I don''t want to add to the burden on Your Majesty''s mind."
She added in between her sobs, "However, this time, I can''t endure the ridicule anymore. If Your Majesty doesn''t marry me, then they will call me a dirty woman. A used good."
Nichs was still silent.
Karenina returned to acting as if she were the victim. She sat gracefully on the chair in front of the king. Her every movement looked heavy and painful. She reached over and cupped one of the king''s hands between her hands.
"Your Majesty, I beg you ... please... save me from their humiliation," said Karenina, sobbing while bringing the king''s hand to her cheek.
Nichs felt his hand wet from her tears. In silence, he watched the woman very closely, listened to every word of the woman who was currently begging Nichs to marry her. For some reason, he felt that Karenina''s current actions were unnatural.
If Nichs had really raped her, she should either be afraid of him or angry and hate him. However, she didn''t do either.
Nichs removed his hand from Karenina''s. "Stop begging like this. You''re humiliating yourself by doing this and also..." Nichs paused his sentence then looked at Karenina with dipped brows. That gaze made Karenina stop sobbing.
Karenina froze. The stare the king gave her at this moment made her breath bated for a few seconds.
Nichs continued his dyed sentence. "Your current attitude doesn''t match the attitude of a woman who has just been raped. What you said I''ve done, doesn''t that hurt you at all?"
He uttered his words carefully, and without a judgemental tone since he knew this was a really sensitive matter. "I thought all women who go through such horrific experiences would need some time to recover from the trauma. However... you don''t seem traumatized being around me."
He looked at Karenina deeply. "Now, tell me the truth... did you make up the stories to force me to marry you? Because I cannot be forced to marry someone I don''t love."
He wanted to say that, in his eyes right now, Karenina had no self-respect for ckmailing a man to marry her. However, Nichs held back and didn''t say the words. He was not heartless.
For a moment, Karenina''s eyes widened. She was surprised and at the same time, felt devastated to hear thest sentence that was uttered by the king.
Nichs'' eyes narrowed down in a re at Karenina, which made her bones tremble. That gaze looked like a sword that wanted to stab her heart and sh it into small pieces.
Amid the fear and the tension she felt, Karenina wondered whether the king remembered what happened that night or not?
She broke out into a cold sweat at the thought that the king remembered everything, which was why the king was currently staring at her so intently.
Nichs''s eyes glinted very sharply at Karenina''s teary eyes as if he wanted to bore through her skull and discover what was in her mind. He wanted to find out for himself what really happened that night as he couldn''t believe that he had done such a heinous crime to a woman.
If he was innocent.... did that mean Karenina was lying?
Was there a woman who would embarrass herself and drop her self-esteem to such a low ce?
Then, which one was correct?
Nichs was still trying to find the truth in Karenina''s eyes. And that made Karenina feel tense and break out in a cold sweat.
Inwardly, she panicked at the thought that the king remembered what happened that night. She immediately wracked her brain to find a way so that the king wouldn''t use her of lying.
If that were to happen, she would lose the king forever.
"Your Majesty¡." Karenina said in a trembling voice, then a momentter, she started crying loudly again. "I know you only wanted me to cover for you by asking me to be your fiancee. I bear with your cold treatment and the ridicule from others. I did it because I love you."
She looked at Nichs daringly, forcing her mind to settle with her own truth that they did in fact sleep together and the king was now trying to get away from his responsibility. She kept convincing herself that it was the truth.
"I am sorry you are dragged into this mess," Nichs replied, "I only agreed to our betrothal because my mother was dying and I didn''t want to see her die with regret."
Karenina bit her lip. She was silent, waiting for Nichs to finish his words.
The king let out a long sigh and continued. "However, I didn''t expect that the charade willst this long. I thought you would value yourself and ask to break off our engagement. I thought you would take the hint."
Chapter 276 Kareninas Story
Karenina actually understood what happened. She knew Nichs didn''t love her and hoped she would break their engagement. She was not dumb. However, she chose not to take the hint.
How could she ask the king to end their betrothal? She was pressured by her father and her extended family. They relied on her to elevate their family''s status.
She also had to carry the shame if those other noblewomen, who were jealous of her luck, mocked her further. By agreeing to the engagement five years ago, Karenina had made herself subject to so many jealousy and awful gossips.
She was between a rock and a hard ce. If she insisted on being the king''s fiancee, she would have to suffer silently because he didn''t love her. And if she broke off their engagement, she would also suffer all kinds of humiliation.
Wouldn''t it be better for her to suffer but still get the king in the end? At least her suffering would mean something.
Queen Marianne was so supportive of this rtionship. She understood how it was to marry a king who didn''t love her back. Yet, in the end, she told Karenina that it was all worth it.
Her son made everything bearable and she could endure the life of being the unloved wife. This was what convinced Karenina to cling to her engagement to Nichs.
She got the queen''s support and she dreamed of the future where she could be the next queen of Riga and give birth to the heir to the throne.
Nichs didn''t understand this because he was selfish and all he thought about was how he could be free from Karenina. He tried to stall for as long as he could until, finally, Karenina couldn''t take it anymore.
She wouldn''t have to resort to scheming if only the king considered her feelings. What happenedst night was not her fault.
She only did what she had to do, to ensure she got what was hers. She had suffered for five years... Karenina wouldn''t let all her sacrifice go to waste.
Karenina rose from her seat. Her movement looked so weak. She was tired.
"Your Majesty, I know you must be suspicious of me because I look fine in your eyes." Karenina looked Nichs in the eye. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm down her anger. "Do you know why I look okay? It''s because I don''t want to make people think you are a bad guy."
She pursed her lips and held back her sobbing, trying to look tougher. "When they found me, on your bed, naked and assaulted, I was in shock and traumatized, and I told them you raped me. I deeply regretted that. I shouldn''t have said anything that would smear your reputation..."
Karenina was impressed at her own lying capabilities. As she heard her own voice, she actually believed her new story.
"As your future wife, I should have protected your name." Karenina lowered her face. She was now looking at the floor. She looked pathetic and miserable. "I was so embarrassed after I woke up the next day and heard all the servants were gossiping about the incident. So, I decided to change my story. I pretend that it was consensual and we are fine. Our rtionship is good."
She spoke in a hoarse voice. "I am covering for you because I care about your reputation at the expense of my own. Now, everyone is thinking I am the one at fault. Can''t you see how much I love you and would do anything for you?"
Nichs held his breath when he heard Karenina''s exnation. He did hear some servants talk about the king and Princess Karenina sleeping together before the other one said that it was rape.
Maybe Karenina was not lying? Did she truly pretend that she was fine to counter the gossip that Nichs raped her?
"You don''t have to lie for me," Nichs said tly. "If Imitted a crime, I would be man enough to take responsibility. However, I don''t believe I assaulted you. You have to tell me the truth..."
"You think I am lying about us sleeping together?" Karenina raised her face and looked at Nichs with disbelief. "Your Majesty.. did you hit your head that you forget about what happened?"
She intentionally asked this question to find out if Nichs remembered what truly happenedst night in his chamber... or not.
Nichs didn''t immediately reply. He poured a whiskey to his ss to the brim and downed it. This was all too frustrating.
"Your Majesty..." Karenina repeated her question. "Do you think I am lying to you?"
Nichs still didn''t reply. He didn''t want to admit that he had no recollection of what happened. If he did, Karenina would say whatever she wanted and it would be the truth because Nichs couldn''t defend himself.
Karenina understood his reluctance to answer and suspected that her assumption was correct. Nichs did lose his memory of the night before. She was not sure how it happened. Perhaps, it was the side effect of the aphrodisiac?
"You are not saying anything... which means, you do think I am lying but you are too polite to say those words..." Karenina smiled bitterly. "I didn''t expect that Your Majesty would suspect me like this. What woman would humiliate herself like that and allow herself to be the subject of ridicule?"
Her tears started falling down again like a river. "I am not sure what got into youst night. Youined of a headache. So, Noel and I took you back to your chamber. After he left, I decided to stay back to make sure you are safe and I could be there in case you needed me..."
Nichs stared at Karenina''s lips and listened to her every word, trying so hard to decipher if she was telling the truth.
She bit her lip and wiped her tears with the hem of her dress, but they only flowed harder. "After I made sure you lie down in bed to rest, suddenly, you pulled me closer and you ripped my dress with your bare hands. I was shocked and tried to scream for help, but you immediately silenced me with your kiss..."
She lowered her head, looking so embarrassed. "It was my fault. I immediately lost all the willpower to fight back because..."
Because she had been longing for that kiss for so many years.
Chapter 277 Nicholass & Kareninas Argument
"Karenina," Nichs sighed. "How could I rip your dress with my bare hands? That doesn''t seem right."
He remembered he got a massive headache after he saw Sophia Romanov at the party. He was frustrated and drank too much wine. He didn''t usually get drunk like that, but who knows, maybe stress contributed to his condition. Nichs didn''t remember much after that.
But, could drunkenness make him really strong that he could rip clothes with his bare hands?
Oh...
Suddenly, Nichs felt like he wanted to smack himself in the head. He must be using his lycan strength when he ripped her dress... if that truly happened.
"I know what I saw, Your Majesty," Karenina insisted. She wiped her tears roughly. "You keep using me of lying, but you actually didn''t remember what happened. How hard can it be to ept that you did something bad for once?"
"Has the royal physician checked on your condition?" Nichs asked tly. "I admit that I didn''t remember what happened because I was not myself. I got a massive headache and was in pain. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the royal vi."
Karenina nodded. "Yes. The royal physician has checked on me as soon as my father found me. He could testify that I was indeed assaulted."
Nichs held his breath when he heard Karenina''s answer. Dammit.
The woman added with a low voice. "Noel could also testify that he left me with you before the incident. Many servants could also testify that they heard me screaming after Noel left me with you. Even the queen could be my witness... how she found me in your bed, naked and vited... Do you want me to continue?"
The royal physician was Viscount Verhoven''s distant rtive and he would definitely testify in favor of Karenina. As for the other witnesses, Karenina was sure that their stories would match hers. She had nothing to worry about.
Nichs stared at Karenina, watching her every move. His mind was filled with frustration. Did he really do that crime to Karenina? Maybe he should check those witnesses'' testimony one by one. He shouldn''t just ept them without thoroughly checking.
"Your Majesty... I could go on but it would only embarrass you," Karenina looked at Nichs with pursed lips. She started sobbing again. "I didn''t want to do that, because I love you, even though you don''t love me back. Can''t you see how much I care about you?"
Nichs was silent, the look in his eyes was not as sharp as before. However, they did not show any sadness orpassion at all for the sobbing woman in front of him.
In the past, Nichs had asked Karenina to break off their engagement, but she didn''t want to do that. She continued to force herself to get Nichs'' love.
Instead of ming Nichs, Karenina should have realized she would be heartbroken if she insisted on being in this loveless rtionship.
It was something she should understand the moment she decided to ept an engagement with a man who didn''t love her at all.
Since Nichs still didn''t say anything, Karenina roughly wiped her tears then caught her breath before she let out a chokedugh.
"Aren''t you going to say anything? Is the king of Riga a coward who will not take responsibility for his actions?" Karenina looked Nichs in the eye and then scoffed. "Now, I''m truly a discarded flower. After taking my honor, Your Majesty just wants to throw me away. I was wrong about you. I have fallen in love with the wrong man."
"You should have broken off the engagement years ago, Karenina, after my mother got better," Nichs finally spoke. "You realized that I only agreed to it because I thought she was dying."
He continued his words. "This is the poison that you take willingly. I don''t love you, but I respected you enough not to cancel our engagement from my side, because I know if I am the one to end it, no man will evere to you to marry you. If you are the one to break off the engagement, you could still find your own happiness."
Karenina shook her head. "My happiness is to be by your side. Does loving someone make me a bad person? I thought you only needed time and someday you will see my value. I hold on to the idea of us being together because your mother convinced me that someday it will happen."
She added, "I am indeed very stupid. When Your Majesty forced me to have sex, I was shocked and I screamed. But on the one hand, I¡ I felt relieved because it meant that Your Majesty and I have be one. I thought, maybe you secretly wanted me, but you just didn''t know how to express it."
"No, I am sure I have no problem expressing my love for a woman, if I had one," Nichs replied. "It''s your fault that you are listening to bad advice."
Karenina''s tears kept streaming down harder. Every single word that Nichs uttered felt like a knife stabbing her heart. She had to stand her ground. This was a turning point in her life. If she lost the argument, she would lose the king.
"So, I am dumb for listening to an advice given to me by the queen, your own mother. It''s my fault that I decided to cover for you and changed my story by telling everyone that what happened was consensual..." Karenina pressed her lips in frustration. "I just wanted to protect your reputation. Is that so wrong? Can''t you see that I did it for your sake?"
"I told you, I don''t want you to lie for me," Nichs became frustrated too. "I will never run away from my responsibilities, but I don''t believe that I assaulted you."
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________________________
The drama with Karenina continues. Sigh. Please bear with it a little bit more. Nichs will soon go to Hauntingen dan find the truth about Sophie.
Chapter 278 Injuries
Karenina clenched her jaws. "No, if I didn''t experience it myself, I would never believe that you are capable of such a thing. I was so shocked and devastated after the assault. However, after thinking about it all night, I decided to forgive Your Majesty by convincing myself that sooner orter we will get married."
She looked at Nichs angrily. "I am so stupid¡ I should have stuck with my story and not tried to protect you. You don''t even appreciate what I did. I never thought Your Majesty would ever run away from your responsibilities."
Nichs'' hands clenched into fists when he heard Karenina''sst sentence. He red at her again.
"I''m not that kind of man, Karenina. You have been using me of things that only you know what happened. How can I be sure that you are not trying to trap me into marrying you?" he said coldly. "For all I know, you could put something in my drink and that caused me to lose my mind for a whilest night."
Karenina''s heart skipped a beat when she heard Nichs'' words. Gosh! Did the king suspect her now? She clenched her fists to the sides, trying to keep herposure. She must not give it away.
Meanwhile, Nich looked at Karenina intently. He remembered when Karenina came to his studyst month. She asked Nichs to throw her a great birthday party for her as well as to announce their wedding ns. That memory made Nichs even more suspicious.
Karenina bit her lower lip when she heard Nichs'' words, she felt devastated. Even though she had done something despicable to get the king, her desire for the king was sincere.
It wasn''t hard to fall for someone like Nichs. She had once hoped that, after some time, he would grow fond of her. Karenina and he would fall in love and she would no longer have to be tied to her father. She could get her own happily ever after.
And yet she was foolish to believe that perhaps his heart would soften and Nichs would see her good side, but he never did.
His Majesty the King did not hesitate at all to use her of all kinds of crimes, including scheming to get on his bed.
For five years, Karenina had tried so hard to patiently win over the king''s heart. She only used the aphrodisiac because of her desperation, and the response the king gave her waspletely beyond her expectations.
She thought that Nichs would never consider that she was lying to him because she had always been patient and kind for thest five years. However, the king did not hesitate to use her at all. He did it so easily and acted so heartless toward her.
That meant all this time, in the eyes of the king, she had never been good. Why did it take her too long to realize that whatever she did, good or bad, she would never get his heart?
This time, Karenina''s eyes met Nichs'' eyes, who were looking at her intently. She was too broken, that she didn''t care anymore how those amber eyes looked at her.
Perhaps she truly was unlovable. Her father used her, so she didn''t really expect much from Viscount Verhove.
As for Nichs, she knew that the man was actually a good person, but even someone like him didn''t have room to give her love.
"Have I really been nothing to you all this time, Your Majesty? Is there really no ce in your heart for me, even if it''s just a little bit?" Karenina spoke bitterly. "I sacrifice so much for you, and I have been nothing but a good fiancee to you for the past five years. However, it doesn''t take much for you to toss me away and use me of crimes when it suits your needs."
Karenina bit her lip and cried inwardly. ''If you could have shown a bit of interest, then it wouldn''t havee to this. But everything''s toote now and there''s nothing left for me at all but ruin.''
Her tears were flowing down like a river. This time, they were not fake tears, in an attempt to push them for marriage¡ Karenina had truly felt defeated and found no way to move forward.
Nichs was so stubborn. She thought she could scheme him, but apparently, he didn''t want to relent. Karenina could imagine the king would not even care even if she provided all kinds of witnesses or proof. He would reject them and find excuses not to give in to Karenina''s demands.
How long could she keep up with this and how much more embarrassment could she suffer?
She was just a young woman who dreamed of finding true love and lived happily ever after as the queen of this country. She was not a heartless witch who couldn''t feel the shame and pain of rejection.
Right now, Karenina thought she was at her wit''s end.
Karenina''s gaze that had looked at Nichs'' face now stared down hard. She saw her tears that fell on the table and smiled bitterly. Viscount Verhoven was going to be livid if she failed and yet he was the only one who still cared.
"If Your Majesty thinks I am such a wicked woman and I trapped you to sleep with me...." Karenina rose from her seat. She threw Nichs onest look. He could see bitterness and pain in her eyes. Her voice was hoarse when she uttered herst words. "Then I don''t want to live anymore."
"..."
"I can''t live with the ridicule of people calling me a dirty woman and the pain of being used by my future husband," Karenina cried and ran outside, leaving Nichs standing dumbfounded in his study.
"What the...?" Nichs massaged his head. The conversation didn''t end well. He wondered what Karenina meant by her words.
Would she try to kill herself?
Nah... she probably only said that to make Nichs feel guilty of using her.
The king tapped his fingers on the table. After Karenina ran out, Nichs took a deep breath and exhaled roughly.
He didn''t know if Karenina meant what she said or not. The king didn''t have time to chase after that woman and soothe her feelings. He had other more important things to do. Now that he knew he was actually a lycan, he must investigate what happened in the past.
He must know who the girl who saved him was and if she had anything to do with... Sophia Romanov.
Thus, Nichs decided to immediately leave for Hauntingen. The man strongly believed that the key to knowing everything could be found in that ce.
Nichs went back to his chamber and packed for a short trip. He would leave the royal pce under a disguise, so he could have more freedom and flexibility. He called his butler and gave him orders to cover for him during his absence.
No one must know that the king was leaving Livstad alone.
Nichs was restless all night. He couldn''t wait for morning toe. His injuries also felt so painful and made it difficult for him to sleep.
When he finally closed his eyes, he wondered if that other Alpha survived. Nichs remembered his opponent also sustained quite some severe injuries.
***
Sophie and Lnd were sitting together on the sofa in their bedroom. She had just finished applying some ointment on his wounds. She looked devastated.
"I''m fine," Lnd said again. His injuries were bad, but with Sophie by his side, he didn''t feel awful at all. He imagined his opponent, Nichs, didn''t have anyone to care for him.
Well... He could have 1000 doctors to treat his injuries, but they were not Sophie.
Chapter 279 Lelands And Sophies Conversation
Lnd looked up at Sophie and smiled. However, because of the hideous wound on his face, his smile looked contorted. This made Sophie feel so sad. She touched his cheek with tears forming in her eyes.
"Who did you get into a fight with?" she asked him earnestly. She could recognize w marks on his body when she applied the ointment earlier, along with severe bite marks.
It seemed hard to believe that the Royal Lycan Hunter''s weapons would look simr to Lycan''s ws and fangs.
"The royal lycan hunters have a lycan with them," Lnd said casually. "He was quite formidable and we got into an intense fight for hours. But I am fine, as you can see."
Sophie clenched her fists to the sides and her body started to tremble. Did Lnd mean... Nichs?
The only lycan she could imagine would work together with the Royal Lycan Hunter was someone from the royal family himself. He was the king.
Sophie was now convinced that Nichs Hannenbergh the king, was her husband Nichs Ferdinand whom she married six years ago.
He was turned into a lycan by some Alpha from a werewolf pack that waged war with the royal family. Nichs hated his condition and Sophie could see him would do anything to fight the werewolves in Riga.
He never considered himself to be one of them. All he ever thought about the lycans was that they were monsters and needed to be eliminated.
So, did this mean, the Royal Lycan Hunter knew about their king being a werewolf?
If so, this would put Nichs directly on the opposing side of Sophie and her children.
Sophie became distraught when she thought about how Nichs didn''t remember her and by extension wouldn''t remember that he had children. He would see Luciel and Jan as part of the enemy.
What should she do? Should she pretend that what happened in the past never happened?
Should she bury her memory of Nichs and stick to the present where she and Lnd had a happy new family? The king was now their enemy and he didn''t even remember Sophie.
Besides, Nichs already had a fiancee, a beautiful princess called Karenina Verhoven. And Sophie already had Lnd by her side.
She lowered her head and was deep in thoughts. No matter how she tried to look at this situation, Sophie realized that it was best to live her new life with Lnd without looking back.
She had a little hope that her sons could meet their biological father and had a rtionship with him.
However, after she thought about it again, Sophie was terrified that Nichs would hate his children if he regained his memory and knew they were his sons, and found out the boys were lycans.
Lnd was relieved to see Sophie didn''t show any interest in the other Alpha. She didn''t even ask Lnd if his opponent was badly injured as well, or if he was still alive.
If Sophie asked those questions, he would think she still cared about Nichs and was worried about him. Fortunately, Sophie only showed concern for Lnd. This made the Alpha''s heart filled with warmth.
"What are you thinking, my love?" Lnd tugged Sophie''s chin and made her look at him. "Please don''t carry your burden alone. I am here to share it with you."
He thought it was time to address the elephant in the room. He didn''t want to push her to talk about Nichs, but he wanted to know if she now was ready to talk.
Sophie looked at Lnd with gleaming eyes. She could see his sincerity. After being together for six years, she knew she could trust him with her feelings and secrets and he would never make her feel bad about anything.
"Lnd..." Sophie touched his hands and gripped them. "You know that I was married before I met you, right?"
Lnd nodded. He didn''t show any emotion on his face even though deep inside he was nervous about what Sophie would say. "I do."
"I lost my husband after only being together for several months," Sophie spoke with a low but clear voice. "I told you he was turned into a lycan by his family''s enemy."
Which was Alpha Leon, my father, Lnd muttered inwardly.
He didn''t say anything to Sophie. He wanted to wait until she share with him everything she knew, and then he would add what he knew. So, they could get the full picture of things.
"Yes, I remember that," Lnd replied calmly.
"Well..." Sophie swallowed hard. "I was wrong about his death. For years, I thought he was killed in an attack that involved our pack, together with his grand uncle."
Lnd furrowed his brows and was visibly surprised by Sophie''s statement. So, did Sophie assume, all these years, that Blood River Pack was responsible for Nichs'' death but she didn''t say anything?
This meant the world to him.
Sophie didn''t hold a grudge for Nichs'' death and forgave the enemy when she joined the pack.. That must have been such a huge internal conflict on her side, but she managed it so well and didn''t burden Lnd with it.
"Sophia... I didn''t know that," Lnd said with a choked voice. "Did you ever hate me for it?"
Sophie bit her lip. Slowly she shook her head. "I can never hate you, Lnd."
The man felt as if his body was poured really cold water, and he was washed away by the feeling of relief. Lnd was so scared that Sophie had at some point hated him for ''killing'' Nichs and his grand uncle.
"If I didn''t know that you are so kind to me, I might hate you for causing Nichs'' and his uncle''s death," Sophie continued in her words. "However, when the realization came that Blood River Pack might have something to do with their deaths, I was already part of you and part of this pack. I couldn''t hate you and me you for his ''death''. Nothing would bring him back to life."
Lnd squeezed Sophie''s hands tenderly and kissed her cheek. He thought she was wise and had a good head on her shoulders.
Chapter 280 When Will This Vicious Cycle End?
Note:
This chapter is dedicated to dear Kelly Goodwin. Thank you for gifting a spacecraft the other day. Hope you are having a wonderful week. xx
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"You were saying... you were wrong about his death?" Lnd asked Sophie carefully. "What do you mean by that?"
Sophie took a deep breath. "I was wrong. I thought he died because he didn''te for me for years. However, I suddenly saw him again... yesterday."
So, this was it.
Lnd knew they would finallye to this point. He wanted to know what Sophie was thinking.
"Is it... the king?" Lnd asked. He kept his tone t and without emotion. This was such a sensitive topic for them, and he wanted to tread carefully.
Sophie was surprised to see Lnd guess the man so easily. Was it really that obvious?
? "How did you know?" she looked at him deeply.
Lnd was conflicted about whether he should tell Sophie that he saw her and Nichs six years ago in ckwoods. He KNEW what Sophie''s husband looked like. He realized Nichs was still alive and actually the king of Riga, almost at the same time as Sophie.
"I can smell his scent," Lnd replied. "When I saw you in ckwoods six years ago, when the bear was about to attack you, I took you to your hut. I could smell his scent everywhere in that hut. And I recognized the same scent when we went to the royal pce and saw the king."
"Oh..." Sophie really regretted the fact that she was not a real lycan like Lnd. She couldn''t smell such scents. "So, you also think he is Nichs? You believe that too?"
It''s good to get this affirmation from another person so that Sophie wouldn''t think she was crazy or making up things, to think that the king of Riga was her husband.
"Yeah, it''s him," Lnd said. "That means, he is still alive and yet he had never looked for you."
Sophie took a deep breath. "I think, he didn''t mean to do it. I believe, he lost his memories when he consumed too much wolfsbane. He hated his lycan side and would do anything to ''cure'' himself."
Lnd nodded. This was what he assumed too.
"Say, you are right. He did lose his memories, still, it''s not an excuse to let you suffer so much, being on your own. If he cared about you and loved you, he would have put your safety as paramount. He wouldn''t endanger himself because that means, he was also endangering you."
Sophie knew Lnd was right. However, now that she had time to think about it, she couldn''t really put the me on Nichs 100%. Nichs was really young back then, he was only 21, and perhaps didn''t think things through. He just wanted to cure himself of Lycanthropy.
It was not his fault that his father and the whole family made him think of himself as a monster. Years of brainwashing that resulted in self-loathing yed the most important role in Nichs making that decision to consume a lot of wolfsbanes.
He was just desperate to be ''healed''.
"Lnd... there is no use talking about what already happened," Sophie touched Lnd''s hand and calmed him. "I was actually mad at him when I saw him in the royal pce, living a happy life, and having a future wife. It hurts to think that I am nothing in his life. The boys were nothing to him. It''s like we never exist. It hurt so damned much."
Lnd was silent. He had never heard Sophie vent like this. She was always the sweet woman that he knew. It was hard to see her looking upset and angry at someone. Did she hate Nichs for leaving her to fend for herself?
Sophie held back her tears from streaming down.
"Now that you know he is still alive, what do you want to do?" Lnd finally broke the silence and asked Sophie the most important question. "Would you tell Luciel and Jan about their father? Or would you keep the story that he was already dead?"
Sooner orter, Luciel and Jan would grow up and find out the truth about their background. It was up to Sophie and Lnd to decide if they wanted to let the boys know directly from them or find out by themselves.
Also, there was another problem. King Nichs Hannenbergh may not remember that he was married to Sophie, but from theirst encounter, it was obvious that he was attracted to her. It might have to do with their past rtionship.
Even though his brain didn''t remember Sophie, his heart did. This would pose a new problem in the future if someday Nichs regained all his memory back.
What if Nichs remembered Sophie was his wife and he came to im her back?
Would Sophie forgive him and got back together with him, along with their children?
These were all the questions that bothered Lnd.
Being his mate for so many years, Sophie could understand that Lnd was upset and curious to know how she would respond to such issues in the future.
"I think..." Sophie let out a long sigh. "It wouldn''t be fair for the kids if they are denied the truth about their father."
"So, you n to tell Luciel and Jan, that their father is the king of Riga... our enemy?" Lnd asked to confirm. He was very disappointed that Sophie seemed to want to tell their sons about Nichs. However, he kept his expression t.
Sophie shook her head. This was what frustrated her. She thought it was not fair for Luciel and Jan if their parents kept Nichs'' existence a secret from them.
However, she thought it would make them he confused if they knew their biological father was still alive, and that he hated lycans.
"I don''t know, Lnd," she cried softly. "I don''t know what I should do. I want to do the right thing, but I am so confused."
Lnd quickly pulled her to his embrace and patted her back dotingly. "It''s okay. You are allowed to be confused and undecided. This is such a difficult thing to deal with."
His hatred toward Nichs was not importantpared to Sophie''s suffering and the fact that the children were trapped in the middle.
Luciel and Jan were raised to hate the royal family of Riga, because the Hannenberghs was responsible for so many deaths of their tribesmen and Sophie''s parents.
However, now they suddenly found out that they were actually the heirs of the kingdom? This was fucked up on so many levels.
"What should we do, Lnd?" Sophie sobbed and buried her face on his broad chest. "I don''t want them to feel trapped in the middle."
Lnd was silent.
"I don''t even mind not getting my revenge for my parents'' deaths if it means we can have peace," Sophie said between her sobs. "We have all been trapped in an endless cycle of revenge and hatred. The Hannenberghs hated lycans because lycans killed many humans and their family members."
She continued. "Nichs was kidnapped when he was young and turned into a lycan to punish his father. His hatred toward lycans was built up too over the years. My parents were killed by the Hannenbergh''s men and now you want to avenge them. When will this vicious cycle end?"
Lnd tightened his embrace on Sophie. He could feel her desperation and sadness. Unfortunately, he couldn''t give her an answer. Lnd still hated the Hannenberghs and he still wanted to get his revenge.
Chapter 281 Who Will You Choose?
"Lnd... can we just go and leave everything behind?" Sophie looked at Lnd pleadingly. "I don''t want to see you and him got into a deadly battle and..."
She halted her words. She didn''t want to imagine losing Lnd... or even Nichs if they fought to the death. What''s worse... she might even lose them both. Men were prideful creatures and would sometimes go to the extreme to defend their honor.
In this case, Sophie could see Lnd fight Nichs to defend his im over her and their children. Was that what happenedst night? This time, both men survived with heavy injuries. What about the next time?
"Tell me, Lnd... did you fight with himst night? Did he cause you all these injuries?" Sophie asked him again.
She was worried for Nichs too because she knew Lnd was very powerful and the damage caused by him must be severe too. However, Sophie held back and didn''t ask about Nichs'' condition. She didn''t want her mate to feel offended or hurt that Sophie was worrying about another man.
Lnd nodded. "Yeah. You can guess that he was the lycan I fought againstst night. The fight ended because of the appearance of the Royal Lycan Hunters."
He decided not to cover up the truth because he was worried Sophie would find out sooner orter. If she thought that he was dishonest once, it would be hard to get her trust back.
"Did he fight you as part of the Royal Lycan Hunter?" Sophie asked Lnd to confirm.
Lnd sighed. He remembered Nichs warned him of the Royal Lycan Hunters and even mentioned that he wanted to free the two lycan children from Duke Romanov''s captive.
So, in that sense, Nichs was trying to do good. He was surely not part of the Royal Lycan Hunters. At least not at the moment.
However, since he was the king, it was hard for Lnd to not see him as the enemy. Nichs might be a lycan like them, but he would never be part of them.
Just because he wanted to do some good today toward the lycan pups he saw in the meadow, it didn''t erase all the crimes that his family hadmitted for decades against the lycan race.
"He is still the enemy, Sophia," Lnd said stubbornly. "I think the wolfsbane messed up with his memory and it suppressed his lycanthropy for years, and he just shifted again recently. So, he might still be in the adjustment stage and still don''t know what he wants to do with his lycan side. For all we know, he might try to take more wolfsbane and get rid of his lycanthropy and go after us in full force."
"How did you know that he only recently shifted again? So... his lycanthropy was suppressed for years?"
"Yeah. When we were fighting, he started awkwardly, like he was trying to understand how to use his ws and fangs," Lnd exined.
"Oh...." Sophie nodded in understanding. It made a lot of sense.
The reason why Nichs didn''t recognize her and didn''t even know that Lnd and his two men who came to the royal pce were lycans was that he lost his memory and he didn''t have his lycan ability to sense other lycans.
So, what happened all of a sudden that triggered his recent shift? And did this mean... he started to remember her too?
This was Lnd''s and Sophie''s biggest question and concern, though unspoken by both. What if Nichs remembered his past and decided to im Sophie and his sons? Where did that leave Lnd''s and Sophie''s rtionship?
Lycans didn''t do human weddings. They mated once and for life. For Lnd, his mate bond with Sophie was the strongest bond he could ever have with anyone. She was his mate and wife in every sense of the word in human standard.
However, Nichs was also married to Sophie, and his im over her was stronger and more valid because they were never divorced and he also had two children from her.
It was unfortunate that he got into an ident that changed his life and robbed him of the many years he could have had with his wife and children.
Should he be punished so severely for making a bad decision when he was young that resulted in losing his memory?
Sophie didn''t want to be unfair to Nichs. However, she was also stuck where she was.
"I understand that you want to go away from here," Lnd spoke calmly. "You want to avoid confrontation between me and him. However, we must not run away from problems."
Sophie bit her lip and looked down. She squeezed her fingers in frustration. "I don''t want to see any one of you get hurt."
"The fight is inevitable," Lnd said. "Sooner orter, it will happen."
Sophie took a deep breath and raised her head to look at Lnd deeply. "If I asked you to spare him... would you grant my wish?"
"He wouldn''t spare me," Lnd replied as a matter of factly. "I love you, Sophia, but I cannot grant that wish. Please ask me anything but that. I have an obligation not just to protect you and our family, but the whole pack."
His answer was just as Sophie had expected. Even though he said it was for the pack, Sophie suspected that Lnd''s decision also had to do with his hatred toward Nichs and his family.
"Sophia..." Lnd looked at Sophie deeply and touched her hand. "If you have to choose, between him and me, who would you choose?"
Finally, Lnd decided to ask that important question. This had been bothering him for the longest time after he found out that Nichs was still alive.
He realized he acted like such a coward earlier, trying to avoid this question because he was afraid of the answer. However, this conversation with Sophie today brought his logic back.
He couldn''t avoid this issue forever. Soon, Sophie had to choose and Lnd didn''t want to be caught off guard by her decision.
Though deep inside he hoped she would stay with him, he wanted to be realistic. Nichs was Sophie''s first love and she gave birth to his children.
Didn''t they say first love never dies? There was a possibility that Sophie would want to go back to Nichs if the man came to im her and the boys.
Wouldn''t it be the life that every woman dreamed of? Nichs was a king. Sophie would be the queen of this big kingdom and her sons would be princes if she got back to him.
"Lnd, how could you ask me such a question?" Sophie furrowed her brows, visibly upset by his question. "Do you think what we have in the past six years means nothing to me?"
Lnd held his breath. He thought he was dreaming. Did she really say that their rtionship meant something to her?
The Alpha cursed himself for allowing his insecurity to mess up with his head. He always felt rejected by everyone who was supposed to show love to him. So, it was really hard to see that he was worthy of love.
? Even though Sophie had agreed to be his mate five years ago, Lnd was still struggling with proving himself worthy of her love and affection.
"I-I''m sorry..." he muttered awkwardly. "I just needed to know."
Sophie sighed and touched his cheek. "I will always choose you."
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From Missrealitybites:
This answer must be giving Lnd such relief. However, I think it''s easy for Sophie to say that she chose Lnd now, when she knew Nichs had forgotten about her, he hated lycans, and already had a fiancee.
But what if he remembered her, showed that he epted his lycan side and their sons, and kick Karenina away? Do you think it will still be easy for Sophie to choose Lnd?
Chapter 282 This Is Really Unfair
Lnd was at a loss for words. He was over the moon by her statement. Surely Sophie wouldn''t lie to him, would she? He pulled her to his embrace.
Lnd peppered her face with kisses and finally, he nted a long and passionate kiss on her lips. Even though his wounds were so painful when her face and body touched his, Lnd didn''t even feel it. Happiness numbed him from pain.
"I will always choose you, but..." Sophie spoke in a hoarse voice after Lnd finally ended their kiss. "You will break my heart if you killed him. Nichs is still the father of Luciel and Jan. I cannot live with myself if I let you both kill each other and I only stand on the sideline and watch."
Sophie moved back and cupped her face with both hands, sobbing so despondently. Lnd was unmoved in his ce.
Damnit. He shouldn''t have rejoiced so quickly.
Knowing Sophie, he should have known that she was too good and wouldn''t let him and Nichs hurt each other if she could help it.
"Please don''t cry..." The Alpha was frustrated and didn''t know what to do to calm her down. Sophie''s request was simple, that Lnd shouldn''t kill Nichs. However, this simple request was actually the hardest request to fulfill for obvious reasons.
How could Lnd spare Nichs when the king would not spare him? If heplied with Sophie''s request, he would end up dead and Nichs could get Sophie back.
"I will talk to him and beg him to bury the hatchet... I am sure he would listen to me if you would do the same," Sophie said between her sobs as if she could read his mind. "If you do this one for me, I promise I will stay with you. I will note back to him even if he regained his memory."
Lnd clenched his jaws when he heard her plea. "Are you sacrificing yourself for his safety by staying with me?"
"What? No...!" Sophie looked at Lnd in disbelief. "How could you say that!? I already told you the reason."
"I don''t know. You are so adamant about wanting me to spare his life."
"Because he is Luciel''s and Jan''s father."
"And also your first husband."
"You are my husband too."
"Well... he is your first love, so you might favor him more."
Lnd immediately regretted his words when he saw the look of hurt in Sophie''s eyes. He was really jealous and, even though he tried to have this conversation calmly, he ended up losing his cool. This was something that never happened before.
Sophie gritted her teeth and looked at Lnd with disappointment. "I need time to be alone. Please..."
"I''m sorry, Sophia... I..." Lnd touched her shoulder but Sophie reflexively dodged him. She never did this in their six years rtionship. Lnd felt so lost and frustrated. "I didn''t mean it."
"Can I please... have a space to think?" Sophie pressed her temple. All of a sudden, her head was attacked by a massive headache. Lnd had always been so caring and doting, but today he suddenly became so jealous and stubborn. Sophie was not used to this side of him.
"What do you want to think about?" Lnd asked her carefully.
"I don''t know..." Sophie sighed in frustration. "I know I think too highly of myself if I want to be the peace bringer, but I really can''t let you two kill each other. I don''t know what to do. I just know that I will die if anything happened to you both. I can''t live anymore."
Lnd went silent at the mention that Sophie couldn''t live anymore if her mate or husband died.
"No, don''t you ever think that way," Lnd spoke with difficulty. "I would rather die and let you be happy with him than see you suffer."
"But I don''t want you to die, Lnd. Don''t you understand?" Sophie looked at Lnd in frustration. "I love you! I don''t want you dead. I just want you to spare Nichs. I will be happy with you if I know you won''t kill the father of my children."
Sophie really didn''t understand how males'' mind works. If Lnd could die for her happiness, surely he could let another man live for Sophie''s sake, couldn''t he?
"They are my children too," Lnd said. "I raised them and have loved them from the start."
"Yes, and I am so grateful for your kindness. However, the time wille when they know their biological father is still alive, and that he never meant to abandon them. If you killed Nichs... do you think Luciel and Jan can forgive you?"
Lnd knew Sophie was right. This was truly not fair. Nichs only nted his seeds and didn''t do any work to protect and grow his family... yet now he could still reap the results?
"It''s not fair..." Lnd muttered. "The moment he left you, he had lost his right over you and the boys."
"He got into an unfortunate ident, as you and I could both conclude," Sophie said tiredly. "I hated what he did and I initially resented him. However, we both must be fair. It was not entirely his fault. I don''t even know if Nichs would get his memories back, but if he did... he deserves to know that he has children. Luciel and Jan deserve to know that their father is still alive."
KNOCK
KNOCK
Both Lnd and Sophie were startled by the knocks on the door. Their conversation had be heated and Luciel could sense that his mother was feeling distraught. So, he steeled his heart and decided to interrupt.
"Who is it?" Sophie asked in a hoarse voice.
"Mommy..." Luciel''s little voice was heard from behind the door. "Are you okay?"
Lnd and Sophie exchanged nces.
"Yeah... mommy is okay. Why are you asking?" Sophie wiped her tears and tried to speak with a happier voice. "Please wait with Jan. Mommy will be right out. I just need to talk with your father for a little bit."
Lnd lowered his face and stared nkly at the tiles. He was the boys'' father after he married their mother and he raised them and provided for them for almost six years. Lnd had loved them from day one. However, soon, they would call another man as their father, even though he didn''t do anything for them.
This was really unfair.
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From Missrealitybites:
I know I already mentioned that Sophie will end up with both Lnd and Nichs. However, it doesn''t mean things would be easy for them to reach that happy ending.
First of all, she needs to convince both men not to kill each other, something that even the kindhearted Alpha finds difficult to grant.
Secondly, she has to be the peace bringer between the two opposing sides, the lycans and the human kingdom.
And thirdly, Sophie has to be able to make both men agree to share. This is probably the toughest challenge.
I am excited to present you with their journey in dealing with all their problems and enemies and making their family work.
Chapter 283 The Commotion In The Palace
Sophie took a deep breath and turned to Lnd. Her voice sounded tired when she spoke. "Can we talk againter? Perhaps we both need to think separately on how we should deal with this problem."
Lnd didn''t want to think separately because he already knew what he wanted and how he would make his decision. However, he didn''t want to force Sophie to stay with him when she wanted space to be alone.
"All right," Lnd said expressionlessly. He closed his eyes and leaned his back on the headboard. Sophie took a deep breath and patted his shoulder gently before she climbed down the bed and went to open the door.
She didn''t want Luciel to feel worried about her. Lnd opened his eyes when he heard the door was closed from outside and Sophie''s scent no longer lingered in the room.
"Luciel," Sophie smiled widely and pulled Luciel to her embrace.
She wanted to cry but tried so hard to hold back her tears from falling. What should she and the boys do when the two men that were important to them were waging war against each other and they were stuck in the middle?
If Lnd could forget about his mission and leave Riga with her, Sophie wouldn''t mind cutting all ties with Nichs, perhaps even never revealing that secret to Luciel and Jan. She just wanted peace.
If they left now, Nichs might never evene to them and they could pretend that he was never part of Sophie''s life at some point.
However, Lnd was adamant to stay and continue the war. This was bad on all levels. They would face Riga''s royal army and the Hannenberghs.
Sooner orter, Nichs would find out about Sophie and the boys, and Luciel and Jan would know about their biological father being the enemy...
And then they would surely get stuck in the middle.
It was easier to hate Nichs if he was a bad man, but he was not.
"Mommy..." Luciel looked at his mother seriously. "You look unwell."
"Do I?" Sophie smiled. "I am just tired, I guess. What have you boys been up to?"
"Oh, Jan and I yed catch today," said Luciel, suddenly forgot abut his concern. "I always won."
"Ohh... you are amazing," Sophie rubbed his hair and took his hand. "I will reward you with your favorite cake. I will make one today."
"Aaahhh... I like it!!" Luciel jumped happily and hugged Sophie''s waist. The mother and son duo were walking together toward the kitchen. Sophie had learned some cooking in the past years and she could now make some simple cakes that her sons and husband really liked.
***
Nichs didn''t waste time. He decided to immediately get ready to leave for Hauntingen. He couldn''t wait to find out whatever information he could get from there.
After he got all the supplies he need and his horse was ready, Nich went to the courtyard of the pce, prepared to leave and mount his horse. He nned to travel alone to minimize the number of people who would find out about his secrets.
After his fight with that strange lycan the night before, Nichs was now feeling so confident about his own capabilities.
He could feel that his injuries were healing quickly and hisbat prowess was so good, that he could surely protect himself without relying on the king''s guards or Royal Lycan Hunters. They were thest people he wanted in his journey.
"HELP! HELP, PLEASE!!"
Nichs just climbed on top of his horse when suddenly a loudmotion was hearding from one corner of the pce. The sounds distracted him. The king turned around toward the noise and he immediately furrowed his brows.
"What the¡ª?"
Nichs clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw Karenina was climbing one of the tallest towers of the pce.
Everyone on the ground was screaming, trying to persuade the woman toe down. In an instant, the state of the pce became very troubled and in a state of turmoil.
Nichs let out a long sigh, dismounted his horse, and walked over to the crowd. He really didn''t expect that Karenina meant what she said. She said earlier that she no longer wanted to live if she had to bear the shame.
Nichsrgely thought it was an empty threat, but now he was not so sure anymore.
"What''s going on here?" Queen Marianne, who heard themotion from inside the pce, came out and tried to find out what was going on. "Oh my god... Karenina! W-what are you doing?"
The queen was extremely shocked when she saw Karenina standing on the windowsill, which was at the top of one of the tallest towers as she prepared to kill herself.
"Your Highness...!" Her maidservant quickly ran toward the queen and supported her since her knees suddenly became weak.
"K-Karenina..." Queen Marianne''s eyes bulged and then she lost all her strength. The queen fell unconscious from the shock.
"Mother!" Nichs ran as fast as he could toward his mother and checked on her condition. Once he made sure she only passed out, he immediately looked up. Karenina was standing by the window on the highest tower, her hair was fluttering with the wind and her face was covered with tears.
Frustrated, Nichs decided to approach Karenina and persuade her toe down. He patted the maidservant and ordered her to take care of his mother. "Take my mother inside."
Nichs strode toward the tower and quickly ran up the stairs to the top of the tower. If he couldn''t convince Karenina to change her mind, he would have a better chance of saving her if he could get close to her.
In less than five minutes, Nichs was outside the room where Karenina was in. He knocked on the door forcefully. "Karenina, it''s me. Open the door. Stop this craziness already!"
Karenina didn''t reply. Only her sobs could be heard from outside. Nichs massaged his temple. Why must this woman do this at this very unfortunate time? He was in a hurry to go to Hauntingen.
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From Missrealitybites:
I know at this point many of you are trying not to vomit because of the stunt that Karenina is pulling... hahaha. Please bear with me for a little bit, Nichs will soon arrive in Hauntingen and got his memory back.
Chapter 284 Partial Transformation
"Karenina, please open the door. Stop doing this," Nichs kept banging on the door. "Listen, I''m sorry for offending you and using you carelessly. I really don''t remember what happened that night."
Karenina''s sobs became louder.
"Can we talk about this after I return? I need to go somewhere urgently. You should take the time in my absence to calm yourself down. I beg you, don''t do this," Nichs said.
He really chose the words he wanted to say very carefully for fear that if he said the wrong thing, Karenina would be offended and jump right up. He couldn''t deal with his fiancee killing herself at this moment. He must focus his attention on finding the truth about his past.
He was worried about his mother''s health if the queen heard that Karenina killed herself because of him. Queen Marianne had been holding on so well for the past five years. Nichs didn''t want her to die now. She was all he had left.
Karenina ignored Nichs'' words and walked closer to the edge of the window. A gust of wind blew around at a height and it ruffled her hair.
"Nichs... I have been so dumb all these years," she spoke weakly between her sobs. "I have been patiently waiting for you to open your heart for me. I have also endured so much ridicule from outsiders. I am now 24, a spinster, mocked by all the noblewomen in the capital."
Tears spilled down Karenina''s cheeks, but her lips were curled up in a smile. She was smiling bitterly. "Today was a wake-up call. I now realized that I had been so infatuated that I revolved my life around you. Now, I have lost myself in the process. Without you... I don''t have a life."
She wiped her tears with her sleeves. "I know you didn''t want me, but I stuck around because I thought you would change. Now, I know that I was wrong. You will never change."
"You still have a life, Karenina," Nichs insisted. "You already admitted that revolving your life around a man is a bad decision. Then, why are you still doing it? You can still get out of it and get your life back!"
"I can''t!" Karenina cried despondently. What was there for her? For the past five years, she was preparing herself to be his wife, the future queen. That was what she focused on. If she lost them, what could she do?
She was right. She didn''t have a life outside of her rtionship with him. She didn''t even have real friends. They were all jealous of her. If she had to let him go... because he didn''t want her, she didn''t have anything to live for.
It was better for her to just die.
"Goodbye, Your Majesty, I hope you will find a woman that will tug your heartstrings and make you feel love. I wish you will live a happy life." Karenina closed her eyes. "I ask your permission to leave."
She closed her eyes and dropped herself.
Everyone below screamed when they saw Karenina was falling down. Nichs became panicked. He kicked the door as hard as he could, and immediately jumped up and grabbed Karenina''s hand. At thest seconds, he could exert his Lycan''s strength and reflexes to save Karenina from her death.
Once Nichs grabbed her arm, he pulled her back to the tower. Everything happened in a blink of an eye and the crowds below couldn''t register what happened.
The next thing they knew, the princess'' body was nowhere to be seen on the ground. Everyone exchanged nces.
"W-what just happened?"
"Did you see where she went?"
"Did somebody save her?"
"Gosh...!"
There was an uproar in the courtyard. Meanwhile, Nichs who pulled Karenina back inside the tower hugged her as both their bodies hit the floor hard.
Nichs was bbergasted when he saw that his right arm had turned into a lycan arm and hand covered in thick fur and sharp ws.
"Ahhh...!!!" Unfortunately for him, Karenina saw this too.
Her eyes bulged and she couldn''t breathe. She didn''t know what to say. Her eyes widened as she stared at Nichs'' transformed arm and then put two and two together.
Karenina immediately realized that Nichs was a lycan.
Stories of monsters and poor soldiers filled her mind as her heart pounded wildly.
As someone who once lived in Hautingen, so close to the borders, she was quite familiar with terrifying stories about lycans. How those who were bitten became mindless beasts out for blood.
Suddenly, her vision turned dark.
Nichs was tense and feeling distraught because he was aware that Karenina saw his partial transformation. Earlier, he just wanted to help her, who almost fell to the ground and would have died if he didn''t take actions. He really didn''t expect that he would shift partially in front of Karenina.
"I-I¡." Just as he was about to say something, Karenina suddenly fainted.
Nichs barely caught her before she passed out. This annoyed the king greatly.
"Karenina." Nichs tried to call the girl, but she gave no response. Nichs saw his arm and hand had returned to normal. "Shit!!!"
Nichs immediately carried Karenina and took her down from the tower. Once he reached the ground, he handed her to a knight.
"Take her to her room and call the doctor to check her condition."
"Will do, Your Majesty," the knight replied respectfully.
For a moment, Nichs exhaled tiredly. Why did trouble never stoping to him? For now, he focused on finding out about his past in Hauntingen because he believed that if he found out about it, many questions could be answered.
"If she said anything, people would more likely believe she''s delusional," Nichs said. "That''d make her a terrible candidate to be a queen, right? But that depends on whether my mother will interfere."
He massaged his temple and walked back toward his horse. He had to continue his journey to Hauntingen. He must find out the truth about his past.
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From Missrealitybites:
Yes!! I can''t wait for Nichs to reach Hauntingen. I think I will publish one more chapter in a few hours so we can reach that part quickly.
If you are reading The Cursed Prince, I will try to update regrly again ASAP. I have returned home and everyone is doing fine now. I couldn''t really write for TCP these days because it was stressful. Now that things are better, I will soon pick that back up.
PS: I reced this book''s cover back with the original one. It''s my favorite. I only changed it to the other ones because my friend kept telling me it looks like a wefie picture of three friends. Well... now that I think of it, I do want to see Lnd, Sophie, and Nichs on good terms with each other.
Also, the other covers didn''t seem to work to attract new readers. So, I''ll just stick to my original (favorite) cover.
Chapter 285 Nicholas Arrives In Hauntingen
The people who had gathered when Karenina was about tomit suicide noticed the king immediately leaving. They were surprised to see him get on his horse and then really left.
In no time, the king had passed through the gate and disappeared at a faraway road.
"His Majesty didn''t even stick around to wait for his fiancee to wake up."
"There must be something urgent that he has to attend."
"But, what happened? Who saved Princess Karenina just now?"
"I am not sure, but I think I saw the king carry her from that tower. So, perhaps... he was the one who saved her?"
The crowd was talking amongst each other. What happened in the royal pcepound today was really juicy gossip. From the reason why Karenina tried to kill herself, who saved her, and why the king fled the royal pce not long after.
People were thirsty for gossip and whatever they could get from the royalties.
***
"Monster!!"
Meanwhile, Karenina, who was being examined by a doctor, suddenly woke up screaming. Her back was filled with cold sweat and so was her pale face. The fact that she woke up hysterical surprised the doctor as well as Queen Marianne who sat next to her bed.
"What''s wrong?" Queen Marianne was tense and confused to see Karenina, who woke up in a panic.
"I-I... saw a monster," Karenina spoke with bated breaths. She couldn''t spit out the word lycan. Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine.
Karenina looked around her and gathered her thoughts. She let out a sigh when she realized she was back in her room. She pressed her temples in frustration. What happened to her on that tower? Was what she saw real?
"Karenina what''s wrong?" Queen Marianne repeated her question.
"I saw a monster! It was... furry... and hideous!" Karenina replied in stammer.
When she heard the young woman''s words, Queen Marianne immediately ordered the doctor out as well as all the servants in the room.
After everyone left, the queen immediately asked Karenina to calm down and stop screaming.
"Monster, monster, His Majesty is... the king, he¡ he is¡ a lycan¡"
"Karenia, shut up and calm yourself!"
"..." Karenina, who spoke in panic, fell silent as the queen snapped at her. She was startled and confused because it was the first time the queen had raised her voice to her. But then it made sense, didn''t it? This was about her precious son.
After Karenina became silent, Queen Marianne hurriedly closed the open bedroom door and returned to Karenina''s side.
"Tell me what you saw?"
Karenina looked at the queen''s face then slowly recalled the incident when the king saved her and then she saw the king turned into a terrible creature.
"His Majesty... he... risked his life to save me¡ but then I saw him turn into a lycan," she said, which made Queen Marianne gasp.
The queen quickly cupped Karenina''s face and made her face towards her. Then she said with a very stern voice, "Listen, I order you to keep this a secret. Don''t tell anyone about what you have seen, including your father."
Queen Marianne''s face looked very serious. The feat that Nichs performed to save Katherine could still be exined away, the queen believed.
Karenina was silent as Queen Marianne let go of her hand. Karenina''s eyes looked straight at the queen. Now she knew that even Nichs'' mother confirmed that the king was a lycan.
Somehow it didn''t mean that the queen was one herself based on how Queen Marriane acted.
For a moment, Karenina swallowed hard as she tried to make sense of the situation. There was no doubt that something like this could be used as an upper hand, but somehow her thoughts focused elsewhere.
She closed her eyes and breathed softly. The past five years flew by in her mind. She was with King Nichs and yet the man was always aloof and told her that he didn''t love her¡
No... he actually said that he couldn''t love her.
People believed the rumors he preferred men to women, but was it because he was a lycan that he kept everyone at arm''s length, especially his fiancee?
Was this the reason why the king avoided her for the past five years? Because he had a terrible dark secret and didn''t think that Karenina would ept him?
No wonder Queen Marianne easily epted a girl from a lower nobility to be her son''s fiance. She didn''t want to go for princesses from another country or daughters of powerful noblemen. She was worried that they wouldn''t ept the king if they found out his dark secret.
Slowly, Karenina could piece everything together and understood where she stood.
***
A horse didn''t have energy to run without stopping at all. Luckily, Nichs was a king and that meant he could ride nonstop all the way to Hauntingen. All it took was buying one horse and then recing it with a new and fresh one after his mount ran out of energy.
A part of him wondered if he could reach the small vige if he transformed into his lycan form and ran there. However, he did not want to risk it.
After days and days of endless riding, finally, Nichs arrived at the edge of the forest in Hauntingen. The ce turned out to be more secluded than he had thought.
"How is the farm today?"
"Not good. Lots of vegetables rot."
Nichs, who had just dismounted, turned his head when he heard the conversation of peopleing from behind him. He saw an old man and a young man walking together. The clothes that they wore looked very simple, the typical appearance of people from the countryside.
The old man who identally came face to face with Nichs suddenly stopped walking, making the young man walking beside him feel confused and look back at the king who came undercover.
"Do you know him, father?" asked the young man to the older man who was apparently his father.
"Yeah, I think I do," The old man only answered with a nod as he walked over to Nichs. The king fixed his eyes on the figures of the two people who continued to approach him.
As the two of them stood in front of him, Nichs opened his mouth to ask for direction but before his voice came out, the old man immediately greeted him and asked how he was.
"It''s been such a long time," the old man smiled. "Are youing back with your wife?"
"Huh?" The old man''s words made Nichs feel surprised and confused. However, the thing that surprised him the most was when the old man mentioned the word wife.
"Wife?" Nichs asked with knitted eyebrows. Perhaps this old man mistook him for someone else? He smiled and decided to ask, "I am sorry. Do you know me?"
The old man nodded. "Yes, I do. I have this thing with me that I can never forget anyone I have met, even after years of not seeing them. How long ago was it? Six years ago?"
"Six years?" Nichs asked carefully. "Did we meet six years ago?"
"Yes, we did. Well... maybe you don''t recognize me now, because I lost most of my hair in recent years," the old manughed. "I used to have more hair... haha. But, I definitely remember you, since I know your wife. You both are such a lovely couple."
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From Missrealitybites:
YES!!! Finally, he is getting there. Nichs will soon remember. What do you think he will do once he regains his memory?
Chapter 286 Nicholas In Sophies Hut
Nichs suddenly forgot how to breathe when the old man mentioned that he already had a wife. So he didn''t mishear the old man''s words?
Okay. His hearing had no problem, but maybe the old man mistook him for someone else.
Nichs looked down at his body and raised his arms to check himself. Did he have such a generic appearance that someone could mistake him for another man?
Well, he did have quite a typical ck hair and brown eyes. He was not easily distinguished like that guy, Duke Ariam Romanov who had white long hair.
However, Nichs liked how he looked because he didn''t want to attract other people''s attention. He liked the fact that he could easily go undercover if he needed to, like today.
The old man furrowed his brows when he saw Nichs''s response when he talked about his wife. The handsome man''s face looked... distraught. The old man wondered what happened.
"What''s wrong? Has something bad happened to your wife? Is your rtionship okay? Where did the two of you move?" the old man decided to probe.
All these questions made Nichs even more confused. Wife? Did he already have a wife, but he didn''t remember her? If that was true, why did his mother never say anything and instead forced him to get engaged to Karenia?
"Wait, are you sure you''re not mistaking me for somebody else?" Nichs pointed at his own face, perhaps the old man had misrecognized him as another person.
"No, I remember you and your wife very well because your marriage was very unusual. I can still remember it very clearly because I was the one who did the blessing ceremony at your wedding."
Nichs fell silent. He was really surprised to hear what the old man had just said. After a few seconds of silence, Nichs asked for some time to speak, he felt the man would give him the information he was looking for.
After finding a seat, Nichs tried to dig for information. He asked the old man to tell him the full details about his marriage as he was currently losing his memory. He didn''t remember his wife at all.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that, young man." The old man was very sympathetic to Nichs'' situation. "What happened?"
"I, well, I got into an ident and I forgot a lot of things, including... my wife," Nichs replied in a low voice. "I am now trying to remember. This town came up in one of my findings, and now I am looking for more clues."
"Oh... that is so unfortunate." The old man, who happened to be the vige head looked closely at Nichs. He turned to look at his son and told him to go home alone. "I will take this man to ckwoods and show him the ce he held his wedding six years ago. Maybe it can help him remember something."
"Oh... that is a great idea," Nichs''s heart immediately pounded. He gripped the old man''s hands gratefully. "I really appreciate it. Thank you so much."
"No problem," the man nodded. He told his son to take one horse and go home alone, while he took their wagon and showed Nichs the way to the forest. "Follow me."
"Yes, thank you."
They traveled through the vige''s small roads and went through a meadow, one small river, and finally reached the edge of a dark forest. The trees were tall and dense, and they could barely see what was inside the forest.
Nichs looked around him and tried to remember the ces they passed by on the way to ckwoods. He felt some sense of familiarity but didn''t really feel the connection.
They finally stopped right before the forest, in front of a small shabby hut that reminded Nichs of witch''s huts in fairy tales. What''s this ce? he wondered.
"Is this it?" He turned to the vige head and asked him curiously.
"Well, the two of you got married here about six years ago," said the old man with a nod. He got off his wagon and motioned Nichs to follow him. "It was a garden wedding, right outside of this hut. This ce looked much nicer back then."
He added, "You bought all the flowers in the market and invited all the vigers. It was a beautiful and festive wedding. People stillmented that it was the best feast, with great food and the best wine, they have ever tasted."
Nichs'' breath hitched slightly at the vige head''s exnation. He then looked closely at the shabby hut in front of him at this time.
He wished he could remember that day. It seemed like he spared no expenses to make his wedding to his wife a memorable one.
However, why did he hold his wedding here? In this shabby hut? He was a prince. Well... he was the crown prince six years ago. If he married a woman, she deserved much, much, much better than this.
,m He clenched his fist and his heart was filled with regret and guilt.
Maybe he didn''t tell her who he really was? So, he only gave her a simple wedding in this... in this shabby hut.
The vige head also looked at the hut in front of him, remembering the time he gave his blessing to Nichs and Sophie.
"You both looked so happy and in love," hemented. His face was filled with wonderful nostalgia. "You and your wife are such good looking couple. At that time you looked very much in love with each other."
Nichs was only silent as he stared at the hut painfully. If the old man really didn''t mistake him for another man... that means, all his stories were true and Nichs did have a history with a woman.
He had fallen in love with someone six years ago and married her. Maybe that''s the reason why he could never be attracted to any other woman? He had given his heart years ago to someone and he didn''t have any left to give to other people.
Maybe that''s why he was not attracted to his fiancee, even though Karenina looked perfect for him.
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From Missrealitybites:
SOON, Nichs would want to kick himself in the head for forgetting about his wife because... he was so adamant about getting rid of his lycanthropy to no avail.
Chapter 287 Nicholas Starting To Remember
The old man turned to Nichs and uttered his sympathy. "I''m really sorry for what happened to you, young man. I pray that you can get your memory back, and then you can find your wife."
Nichs could only nod weakly, unable to say anything at this point.
They were silent as they stood together, facing the hut. One was thinking about the festive wedding, and the other one was trying so hard to exert every single brain cell he had into remembering the important event.
Nichs only felt a headache. He sighed in frustration.
This invited the old man to look at him with pity. He cleared his throat. "How long ago was the ident?"
Nichs took a deep breath and let it out slowly. How long had it been? Well... almost six years. This made him feel such deep guilt.
He must have left his wife not long after the wedding. He couldn''t imagine how she must be feeling when he left and never returned for years. Where did she go? Maybe she went to try and look for him...
The sun was setting on the west and the vige head realized he should head back home soon, otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to find his way after dark.
"Well, I am sorry, young man. I have to go home. Don''t despair. God will surely bring you back together," said the vige head. "Would you like to go into town with me?"
Nichs shook his head and tried to smile but he could only show a bitter sigh. "No, thank you. I think I will stay here and try to remember more."
"Well... have you got food?" the vige head asked him, getting ready to get some fruits from his wagon but Nichs stopped him.
"I am fine. I have some supplies," he said. He could easily hunt for prey now that he realized he was a lycan. Food was not an issue.
The vige head cleared his throat and looked around him worriedly. "Err... this forest is haunted, many people say. So, I would suggest you stay inside and just light a fire to keep the animals away."
"Thank you," Nichs nodded. "I will do that."
"Tomorrow, if you want to look for me, you can head down to town and ask people the way to the Hauntingen vige. I am the vige head. Everyone there will know me."
Nichs furrowed his brows. "So... Hauntingen is a vige?"
"Well.. we have a small town that consisted of 10 smallermunities or some people call a vige. My vige shares the same name as the town and it''s located in the center. That''s why."
"Oh, I see," Nichs nodded in understanding. He was initially confused by the old man''s exnation. "I will do it tomorrow. Thank you so much for going out of your way to take me here. I really appreciate it."
The vige head smiled and patted Nichs on the shoulder. "Don''t mention it."
He then left Nichs alone and got on his wagon to head back home. After the old man had left, Nichs stepped closer to the hut and opened the door.
It made a creaking sound when the door slowly swung inside.
Nichs stood by the doorway and observed his surroundings. Now, he realized why he always had such good vision and he could see in the dark really well. It must be his lycan side.
This time, he could also use that capability to check the insides of the hut. From the doorway, he looked around every side and every corner of the hut. The room was very dusty and filled with cobwebs, indicating that the hut had been abandoned for a very long time by the owner.
He walked in. His hands now touched the hut walls. The wood was already old and damaged from being eaten by termites. For some reason, his chest suddenly felt tight, and his heart ached.
"What''s this?" Nichs was startled when he felt hot water running down his cheeks. He swept the water and looked at it closely. "Tears?"
He furrowed his brows and felt confused. He was crying, but he didn''t know why.
Nichs looked around again and then stepped deeper into the hut. Even though his brain didn''t remember anything, there was a part of him that recognized that ce.
He felt so familiar with this room he was entering. There was an unexinable longing filling his heart. The more he entered the hut, the sadder he felt.
The vige head''s words from a moment ago echoed in his head.
''This is where you two got married about six years ago,''
''At that time, you both looked very much in love.''
His eyes stung and tears just streamed down hard without him noticing. Nichs wiped the tears again with his sleeves and sat down on a bench. They kept flowing profusely and he rubbed his eyes roughly with his fingers.
"What exactly happened?" He asked while looking at the teardrops on his fingers. "Do you know anything? Nichs?"
For a few seconds, he stared at his wet fingers. He really didn''t understand why he cried, but from those tears, he knew one thing: he must have really loved his wife.
A man couldn''t possibly cry for something or someone that they didn''t love and had no meaning in his life.
Now Nichs turned to stare at the empty firece and then pictured the figure of a little girl with that gray hair and pink streaks whom he thought had something to do with the person who had helped him.
The little girl was running cheerfully in his mind. He was surprised when the image of the girl turned to look at him with a sad gaze. His chest felt so heavy instantly.
Nichs pressed his chest, it hurt inside. He closed his eyes, and his tears flowed harder.
"Is that you?" He asked the girl who was in his mind. He looked at her attentively and imagined her looking older.
Nichs was now convinced that it was really the same girl who had helped him when he was little, and when he grew up, he married her.
Chapter 288 Her Name Is Sophia Hansley
Nichs lowered his head dejectedly. "Where are you? I am so sorry that I forgot about you. I am sorry that I left you. I am sorry... I didn''t mean to do that. Please forgive me...."
More tears fell from his eyes, and he gripped his left chest tightly. Nichs cursed himself for not remembering anything about his wife. He felt so guilty, he had hurt the woman.
Tears continued to fall down the wooden floor below as Nichs continued to contemte what his wife must have felt after he left her alone in this forsaken ce.
"Sorry," he whispered in a trembling voice. "Sorry¡ I didn''t mean to."
He kept apologizing in between his tears, but after a few seconds, he was stunned when he just realized that he forgot to ask the vige head what his wife''s name was.
He stood up and wiped the tears from his cheeks with his sleeves, and sped off at lightning speed towards the vige head''s house. He was impressed to know that even though he didn''t shift, his speed when running was much faster than human''s.
This was a pleasant surprise. It seemed that he slowly had learned to tap into his potential. After the day he found out he could transform into a lycan, Nichs had been finding out new things about him that he thought were helpful or beneficial for him.
It almost felt like... he didn''t hate his new situation.
In the past, he was so brainwashed by his father and the people around them that saw lycans as monsters that he had hated himself so much and thought he was not good enough. However, on the way to Hauntingen, his mother''s words were yed over and over again in his mind.
So, what? He was the king now. Who cared about what other people think?
In the past, the queen was terrified that Nichs would be hunted and killed, because the king hated lycans.
But now... who should he fear? No one. He was the king and his words werew.
Maybe he needed to make an adjustment in rtion to the Royal Lycan Hunters. They were still needed and would be the kingdom''s best line of defense against lycans the enemy who were trying to topple their government. Nichs still needed to fight them, so Riga wouldn''t end up like Armeria.
Now, he actually saw him being a lycan as an advantage. It''s like getting inside info about the enemy. Now he knew what they were like. He could find their weaknesses to beat them.
He was not one of them even though he could transform into a lycan. He would never be them. He would always be their enemy and he would work hard to defeat them.
''Jokes on you, Alpha,'' Nichs scoffed. ''You bit me and turned me into a lycan to embarrass my family and prompt my father to kill me. However, you have unknowingly created a monster that would bring your whole tribe down.''
''I will make you pay dearly.''
Yes. Nichs would use his newfound power to his advantage. And now, he would go to that vige head''s home to see him and find out more info about the woman he married. His wife.
The vige head was right. It was easy to find his house after Nichs got into the town center. The first person he asked about the old man''s residence immediately pointed him in the right direction.
Nichs arrived only minutes after the vige head reached his house and just put down his coat on the table. When the king got there, he knocked on the door impatiently.
"Wait a moment." The vige head''s voice came from inside while Nichs waited anxiously.
The door opened. The vige head was a little surprised when he saw Nichs, he had just arrived at his house after escorting the young man into the forest, but now the young man was in front of him.
Did Nichs leave the hut as soon as he left? The vige head furrowed his brows in confusion. He thought Nichs was going to stay in the hut for a while because the man wanted to find a clue about his wife.
"You? Ah,e on in."
The vige head invited Nichs to enter his house, but Nichs refused.
"No. Thank you. I just wanted to ask, what is my wife''s name? I forgot to ask you. That''s why I came here," Nichs exined.
The vige head looked sad because Nichs really didn''t remember anything about his wife. The young man didn''t even remember the name of the woman he married. It was really unfortunate. He could only imagine the ident that Nichs went through.
"Sophia Hansley," the vige head said after about five seconds of silence.
Ba-dump.
Nichs held his breath when he heard the name spoken by the vige head. Instantly the image of Sophia Romanov appeared in his mind then was reced with the image of a child who had the same hair as Sophia Romanov.
Nichs''s heart beat faster, and his breathing became a bit heavy, followed by the pain that rose in his head. Sophia?
Was there such a coincidence? Were they really the same person?
"So... Sophia?" Nichs muttered in disbelief.
"Yeah, that''s her name." The vige head nodded. "She is a very beautiful young woman. An orphan. I knew her parents and was very sad when they died. So, when I saw that she had found a good man to be her husband, I thought she could finally be happy."
"Ah."
Nichs staggered backward, and it worried the vige head to see him.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes. Thank you." Nichs forced a smile, then turned around. He walked slowly with his eyes staring nkly ahead as if his soul was somewhere else.
After walking for a while, he stopped and stood there for a while. He was in the middle of an open square, right in the middle of the town.
His once empty eyes now twinkled again. His brows knitted together as hepared Sophia Romanov''s face and the face of the little girl in his memory, who was probably Sophia Hansley.
The two figures had a lot inmon, and that made him suspect that they were the same person. But if so, why didn''t Sophia greet him when they met at the pce party? Sophia must recognize Nichs, right? So, why didn''t she say anything?
Nichs wondered about all these in his mind. However, the questions were immediately answered with memory when Sophia Romanov looked at him tearfully in the royal party, and then she suddenly fell unconscious.
Nichs'' heart sank at the thought of Sophia''s pain that night. The woman must have been devastated to see that her husband was engaged to another woman.
The searing pain was getting worse in Nichs'' head, but he didn''t want to stop thinking. He had a lot to remember right away.
Suddenly the image of the two children who had entered with Sophia that night came to him. Nichs just realized that the two boys looked very simr to him. He wondered if the two children were his biological children?
Of course, they were!
Why had he been so blind to see it?
Nichs''s breathing became heavier. His fingertips turned pale, and his entire body trembled. He leaned against a tree trunk so he wouldn''t fall because he was losing strength.
The man struggled to catch his breath and tried to control his emotions. He needed to be calm. He didn''t want to turn into a lycan now, but the realization struck him hard.
"Why did I let this happen?"
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__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
YES! Nichs remembers! Now, he just needs to go and find them.
Chapter 289 Exploring Blackwoods
After he regained hisposure, Nichs decided to return to the hut by the forest and reminisce whatever he could remember from his time there. His mind was filled with possibilities.
If Sophia Romanov was really Sophia Hansley, she was his wife... Nichs must go and find her.
Gosh, he was so tempted to go back to the capital right at this instant. However, he realized, he shouldn''t waste the opportunity while he was here, to find out more info about his past and his rtionship with Sophia.
He needed to know what happened to him, that he lost his memory and waster found by Karenina by the edge of the forest, on the other side of Sophie''s hut.
With that thought in mind, Nichs returned to the hut. He ran as fast as he could and reached the ce shortly after. His horse was still there, in the yard. Nichs gave him food and water and let the animal rest.
Then, he stepped inside the hut and once again observed his surroundings. The pitiful condition made his heart ache.
Sophia Hansley must be really poor and she lived in suffering. If she had met Duke Romanov after she went away from ckwoods... maybe to look for Nichs, she must have had a much better life.
Nichs knew the duke''s reputation. He was very wealthy and quite powerful. His connection in the underground was the talk subject of endless gossip in the capital. Sophie seemed to be doing well.
This made Nichs feel upset.
HE could also provide a great life for Sophie. No, not just great, but even better than what Duke Ariam Romanov gave her. Nichs could make her the queen of this kingdom, and their sons would be the heir to the throne.
The king clenched his fists to the sides. Was still there a chance for him to make up for what happened in the past? Would Sophie forgive him and understand that he didn''t mean to leave her?
Would he still be able to take back his family from... that dangerous man?
Nichs sighed. He took out a bottle of wine from the bag he brought inside and found one cup from the cupboard to pour wine into. He had not eaten anything all day today and started feeling hungry.
Maybe he should hunt prey for dinner and then sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day because he would continue his investigation in the forest to find out what happened to him between this hut and Karenina''s home.
Nichs was dying for an answer. He downed his wine and put the cup on the small table by the firece. He proceeded to take off his clothes and transformed into his wolf form.
Hunting would be much easier being a lycan, he thought to himself. He remembered the first time he shifted was onlyst week, but now he had already felt sofortable in his second skin.
He liked the speed, the strength, and the senses. They were all much better than human''s. Nichs ran past the door, startling his horse outside, and disappeared into the dense forest. He returned soon after with a small deer in his mouth.
He bit the deer''s neck with his fangs and easily dragged the animal toward the hut. After he tossed the carcass on the terrace, Nichs was conflicted, whether he should just eat the meat raw... in his wolf form, or if he should roast it in the firece.
After he thought about it, he decided to roast the meat on fire. Even though he was tempted by his animal instinct to eat the meat raw, he thought it was too drastic and he might throw up in the process.
Better to go through a bit of a hassle. He didn''t want to be like those monsters. They were not civilized humans. They were... barbaric.
With that decision, he shifted back into his human form and worked on the deer to prepare grilled meat for dinner.
One hourter, the man was already sitting by the firece, enjoying his grilled venison. After he felt full, Nichs tried to sleep on the small creaky wooden bed to get some rest.
He tossed and turned all night long. He couldn''t shut off his mind from thinking about Sophie... and their children.
***
The next day, Nichs finally fell asleep when dawn came and he woke up after the sun was high in the sky. After he washed his face and drank some water, he got ready to go out and explore the forest.
He shed through the trees and through the thicket. He had managed to calm himself and decided to continue his investigation in ckwoods, even though he really wanted to go back to the capital.
Armed with his hazy memory, Nichs explored the forest and found out the cause of his memory loss. Time went on and it was now getting dark. Nichs, who had been walking through the forest from one end to the other, finally arrived at a cave.
Originally he nned to rest for a while in that ce. However, when he stood at the mouth of the cave, he felt that the atmosphere in the cave was quite familiar. Again he didn''t remember anything.
The sound of his footsteps echoed as he stepped inside. Nichs held his head for a moment as the pain stung again. Luckily it didn''tst as long as before.
Nichs slowly began to understand the symptoms. He always had a headache when he was at a ce or meeting people rted to his lost past.
Unknowingly, his body was always giving him hints. The pain was a signal that told him when he entered a ce he had been to before.
Nichs looked around in all directions. The cave looked clean as if someone actually cleared it up before. But then his gaze focused on a book he identally saw lying on the cave floor. Out of curiosity, he approached and picked up the book.
His brows furrowed as he quickly realized that the book was an almanac that came from the Riga Kingdom library.
"How did this book end up here?" he muttered.
Dust flew as he patted the almanac before he opened it. Nichs then slowly read its contents. It turned out that the almanac contained a variety of herb recipes.
Nichs only skimmed and flipped through page after page quickly, and his eyes suddenly widened when he finally came to a page containing the potion wolfsbane, which could cure lycanthropy.
A conjecture suddenly appeared in Nichs'' mind. He suspected that he might have used the prescription to heal himself from lycanthropy. However, due to the wrong dose or other problems, the wolfsbane didn''t cure him, instead, it made him lose his memory, fall ill, hallucinate and finally... he was found by Karenina.
That was the story his mother and even Karenina told him.
Nichs walked briskly out of the cave. His heart thundered by the realization. Now, he understood what actually went on six years ago.
Gosh...
He really wanted to smack himself in the head. He was no expert in lycanthropy but he was so careless and took the wolfsbane to ''cure'' him, without proper research and understanding of the effects.
And now, he had lost the love of his life, because of one rushed and naive decision on his part.
Chapter 290 Should The Men Settle The Dispute Through A Duel?
Nichs brushed his face roughly as he felt sorry for Sophie. She must be so worried and confused when he didn''t return.
Being alone in the hut by the forest and... when did she realize that she was pregnant? How did she feel back then? Did she feel devastated? And when she finally saw him alive and well in the royal pcest week.. did she resent him?
Looking back, thinking of what happened from her perspective, Nichs realized he must have disappointed his wife so, so badly. He regretted what happened, even though it was an ident. He didn''t want to shove the responsibility to bad luck.
He did make a careless decision that ended up making his wife suffer.
How could he do that to her?
Nichs closed his eyes and remember Sophia Romanov''s beautiful face. Now, he understood the reason why he fell in love at first sight when he saw her for the first time outside of Livstad.
Gosh... Nichs now realized he must have loved his wife so deeply, that when they met again, even though he didn''t recognize her, his heart was immediately attracted to her.
She was ying with... two pups? Were those his children?
Were their sons, their beautiful sons... born as lycans?
Were they the pups he saw in that meadow five years ago when he saw Sophia Romanov for the first time?
Gosh... he was this close!
All of a sudden, his desire to go back to the capital filled his heart to the brim. He really wanted to meet Sophie and beg her for forgiveness.
He kept the almanac in his coat pocket and strode out of the cave. However, suddenly, the man stopped in his tracks when he remembered the fact that Sophie was currently married to Duke Romanov. She was now another man''s wife.
He couldn''t me her for marrying a man who could give her protection and provide for her and her children. Life would be too hard for her to go through alone and have to raise two boys.
He was sure she could do it, but he wouldn''t have the heart to see her go through so much more suffering after he left her without news for years.
Gosh...! Nichs felt a pang of pain attack him.
He clutched his head and screamed out his frustration. The man was angry at himself for only investigating this after so long. Why couldn''t he look into her since five years ago?
Why didn''t he work harder to unravel the mystery about his loss of memory?
Was it already toote?
Nichs remembered the two boys who had entered with Sophie that night. They looked so much like him and he was convinced they were his.
If those two children really were his biological children, then perhaps he still had hope. He still had ims over them being their real father. Blood is thicker than water.
Nothing can break their bond as a family if the boys were truly his sons. They were the heirs of the Riga Kingdom.
What''s more...
His mother would be over the moon if she found out that Nichs actually was already married and had children. Wasn''t it her only dream all these years?
Queen Marianne only wanted to see her son get married and produced chubby grandchildren for her. She was obsessed with it because Nichs was her only child.
Ah... if Nichs could get his children... and then hopefully his wife back... he wouldn''t need anything else. He would have everything he needed in this life.
All this time, he thought his life was meaningless. He hated his position as the king and only took on the role because he was raised to serve this kingdom and devote his life to it. However, he was not happy. He didn''t have anything for him to live for.
Now.. he finally had something. He would do anything for his family.
But first... he had to get them back. So what if Sophie was already married to Duke Romanov? Nichs was the king and his words werew. If he wanted, he could make their marriage illegal.
He would y dirty if he had to.
Nichs pressed his temple. What did he say? He would y dirty?
''Come on, Nichs. You are a king. You have your honor,'' he chided himself. He was embarrassed by his impulsive thought just now.
Maybe he should challenge the duke in a duel. They should settle this problem in a life or death fight and whoever survived, would be deemed strong enough and worthy of being in Sophie''s life.
A weak man would not be able to care for and protect her. So, it would only make sense if this dispute was settled through a duel.
Yeah... that made total sense.
But first... he had to win her back first. He also should win his sons'' hearts, if they were truly his.
After a moment of silence, Nichs dashed out of the ce. He went back to Sophie''s hut to get his horse. He climbed on the animal and dashed it to return to the capital.
His mind was already in Livstad, even though his body was still traveling from Hauntingen to the capital.
''Gosh... Sophie. Please take me back. I will do anything for you. Please, let me make up for what happened in the past.''
''Please forgive me...''
***
After their heated conversationst week when they finally talked about Nichs and Sophie''s past, Sophie had been using all her time to think about what she should do when her first husband finally regained his memory ande back for her and the twins.
She and Lnd didn''t talk much for days, both were trying to give each other space to think and understand their unusual situation. However, they still treat their mate well.
Sophie and Lnd still slept in their bedroom on the same bed, but they just didn''t talk about the elephant in the room again. Secretly, Lnd was worried about what Sophie would decide. However, as usual, he always kept his expression t.
Tonight, in their bedroom, Sophie reflected on Lnd''s words. The Alpha had asked her to continue living with him and forget her past with Nichs. He didn''t want to budge.
For the first time in six years, Sophie witnessed how stubborn her mate could be.
.
.
? .
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From Missrealitybites:
Nichs wanted to settle the dispute by duel. Yet, he didn''t realize he actually already had a duel with hispetition/enemy. XD
Chapter 291 Sophie Makes A Decision
Sophie felt a dilemma after she found out that Nichs was still alive. If the circumstances were different, she would be over the moon to know he survived and only lost his memory.
She would be understanding of what happened and epted him back so easily. Her children needed their father and she needed her husband. However, it was not so easy now that she had found his ''recement'' in Lnd.
No, it sounded so bad to see Lnd as Nichs'' recement. He was his own person and Sophie never had the intention to make him a recement of her presumed-dead husband.
She agreed to marry him for convenience, but she grew to love him after she knew the real man behind his cold and distant exterior. He was kind, gentle, and warm to her.
? Sophie fell in love with Lnd after one year and even suggested that they be husband and wife for real, and their marriage had been bliss ever since. She was really happy and content and the children were too.
Now, Sophie couldn''t just take back her words and tossed away Lnd after Nichs was back. Not only because she was NOT HEARTLESS, but also because she loved him. She loved him so deeply that she would die if he died.
On the one hand, Sophie wanted her children to know their biological father. Nichs didn''t deserve to be denied his existence. But on the other hand, she was afraid that her two children would be rejected by Nichs and the royal family. It would definitely make her children''s hearts hurt.
No. She didn''t want that to happen.
Gosh... should she just really leave and pretended that her past with Nichs didn''t happen? She would spare Lnd''s feelings and she could also save Luciel and Jan from heartbreak if their biological father turned out rejecting them. Even if Nichs MIGHT ept his sons... what about his family?
They had been waging war with lycans for decades. Their hatred of the lycan race was deep-rooted.
Now she remembered when she met Nichs at the royal party. Nichs still knew nothing even now that he was engaged and soon to be married.
Maybe... it was for the better if she kept silent and forgot Nichs. It was better to let things go and focus on where they were now.
After days of thinking and hurting her head in the process, Sophie got to the conclusion that she really had to choose, just like what Lnd asked.
If she insisted on having both men dere peace, she would end up losing both. Both men were powerful leaders of their sides. They had other people they needed to protect and care for. For Lnd, it was his tribe, for Nichs it was his kingdom.
Sophie couldn''t win against the whole tribe or the whole kingdom. She was just a woman. She shouldn''t think too highly of herself.
If Lnd, who was always kind and heed her every word wouldn''t budge from his decision to wage war with the Hannenberghs, then the same would go for Nichs.
Sophia must show her support to one of them and beg the other to give in. If she tried to act neutral, both men would keep fighting to the death and they would probably die together. Then, she would have no one. The children would lose both fathers.
Maybe... she could find a way to check if Nichs had regained his memory and thene to talk to him in private? She would beg him to spare the lycans because his children were part of them now.
If Nichs agreed and withdrew himself from the war... Lnd wouldn''t have a worthy opponent.
Sophie remembered Nichs'' face from six years ago when they were still together. He was such a reasonable and friendly person. She thought it would be easier to talk to him than to Lnd. The Alpha was more stubborn than Nichs.
He didn''t talk much and, usually, would listen to Sophie. However, when he had made up his mind to something, he was like an unmoved rock.
Fine. It looks like Sophie really had to choose.
***
Night hade, Lnd came into their bedroom. He intentionally only came after reallyte to make sure Sophie was already asleep when he entered.
She asked to be given space while she thought about what she wanted regarding Nichs''s issue. So, Lnd tried to give her what she wanted.
Though it was so hard to be away from her, he kept himself busy by training with Lucas or taking care of the pack matters.
Herfort was paramount, especially during pregnancy, that he didn''t want her to feel even the slightest additional stress by his presence during her alone time.
He was grateful that she didn''t ask him to sleep in another room. He could stille and watch her sleep peacefully and made sure she was healthy.
It''s been one week. He hoped she had finally made a decision.
Lnd closed the door behind him and smiled at the sight of his mate sleeping. He walked to the bed and bent down a little to stroke Sophie''s hair gently.
The man was startled when Sophie suddenly opened her eyes.
"Sorry, I didn''t mean to disturb your sleep," he muttered awkwardly.
Sophie got up and shook her head. "I wasn''t sleeping. Actually, I''ve been waiting for you. I wanted to talk to you about something."
Lnd''s heart skipped a beat. He wondered in his mind if this meant Sophie had made up her mind. This made Lnd feel a little tense.
He then sat down next to Sophie and said, "If you wanted to talk to me, why didn''t you get the maid to call me? I''lle right away, and you don''t have to wait."
"I didn''t want to interfere with your work."
Lnd stroked Sophie''s hair again then asked what Sophie wanted to talk to him about. "I don''t have much work. I''d love to hear what you wanted to say."
"Lnd, I''ve thought it through, and I''ve made my decision." Sophie stared intently into Lnd''s eyes.
Lnd was silent as he waited for Sophie to continue. He felt uneasy, but he didn''t show it.
Chapter 292 [Bonus Chapter] Sophie Makes The Right Decision
"Yes?" The man asked with a t voice.
Sophie grabbed Lnd''s hand, which was stroking her hair lovingly. She gripped it tightly.
Her voice was hoarse when she uttered the decision that obviously weighed heavily on her shoulder.
"I''ve decided. I will forget my past with Nichs and will not talk about this to the children," she said, which made Lnd very happy and spontaneously hugged her.
Lnd had been feeling like he was carrying the whole world on his back for the past week. He looked fine on the outside but his heart was raging with conflict on the inside.
This was such a tough spot to be in. It was easier to fight with Nichs to solve the problem between them. He could fight the other man and kill or be killed in the process.
However, he was weak when it came to Sophie. She could threaten to leave him if he didn''t follow what she wanted and if that happened, it was HE who had to make a decision.
He would have to choose between her or his tribe.
And no matter how much he loved her and knew it would kill him to let her go, he knew that when he was faced with an ultimatum, he would always choose the one who didn''t force him with an ultimatum.
He did hypothetically ask her if she had to choose between him and Nichs, who she would choose. By asking the question, Lnd didn''t give Sophiee an ultimatum. The question was asked purely out of curiosity and didn''t mean to be used as a weapon to force her to stay with him.
So, he hoped she would do the same and didn''t use that power she had over him to force him to choose between her and his tribe. He was a man, a leader, the Alpha of his pack, and even a candidate to be the next lycan king.
He would never forgive himself if he forgot about Jack''s and Anne''s deaths, along with hundreds or even thousands of his tribesmen.
Not only that... but also, the moment Sophie forced him to do what she wanted or she would leave means she didn''t love him as much as she loved Nichs. And that''s when he should know his cue, take the hint, and left.
However, it turned out Sophie was more mature than he expected. She didn''t ckmail him to do what she wanted by using her power over him. She didn''t throw tantrum and give him an attitude. She only asked to be left alone and be given space to think.
And without noise, she thought deeply and she thought hard. Finally, she came to this decision, one that made Lnd feel over the moon.
He cupped her face and kissed her lips passionately. Right at that moment, he felt loved.
After six years together and wondering whether she would really love him as much as she loved Nichs, her first love, finally, tonight Lnd felt the confidence that he got her heart and her everything. Unknowingly some tears fell down on his cheeks.
Sophie was overwhelmed by his reaction. She already expected that he would be happy with her decision, but she didn''t think he would feel so moved to the point that he cried. Was he really crying? Or was this only her imagination?
"Lnd..." she touched his cheek gently after he ended the kiss. Her eyes looked deep into his. "I am happy with you. You are my husband, my mate, my rock, the father of my children. I am stuck with you forever. Of course, I have to be with you. That''s why I choose you."
Every single word that she uttered reminded Lnd of the feeling when he sat by the firece near Anne Hansley''s feet while she had little Sophie on herp and the three of them were watching the snow falling from the sky outside the window.
It was the sweetest and most soothing feeling.
Gosh... he missed Anne so badly.
Lnd thought he was truly the luckiest man in the world to have Sophie as his mate.
He didn''t know when but a few drops of tears had fallen down his cheeks. It hurt when they touched the scar on his face. It was still not properly healed. However, he didn''t care.
He was too happy to worry about such a trivial matter.
"You are wise," he smiled and looked at Sophie lovingly. He was d that she could see things from his perspective. Before Nichs'' sudden return, Lnd and Sophie had a good life together. He had his mission and their family to take care of.
Now, they were also waiting for the birth of their new children. It would be dumb for her to ruin what they had just because someone from the past came back to her life.
Sophie had to be pragmatic and choose which side provide more security for her children. After thinking about it from all angles, she realized they were safer with Lnd.
The man had taken her children with Nichs under his wings and raised them as his own. Soon, Luciel and Jan were not the only ones that Sophie had to think about. Her new babies would need protection as well.
If she took Nichs'' side, she would only be facing uncertainty. There was no guarantee that Nichs and/or his family would ept Luciel and Jan being lycans.
The safety of her children with Lnd would also be in danger. She would lose Lnd from her life and that would kill her.
So, no matter how much she wanted to see Luciel and Jan having a rtionship with their biological father, she realized that she had to use her reasoning and choose between the lesser evil.
It was better to lose Nichs, than lose both men.
Lnd felt the heavy weight that had pressed against his chest for the past few days had dissipated. He was so relieved. Now that Sophie had chosen him he didn''t have to worry anymore or think she would leave him and go back to Nichs.
"Thank you, Sophia," he said, then kissed Sophie''s neck and tightened his embrace. For a moment, there was only silence. Lnd was overwhelmed by happiness, while Sophie was feeling numb.
She knew she had made the right decision. However, that didn''t mean her heart was not broken.
.
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__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I hope you like this bonus chapter. I think I am missing their snusnu... ahahahaha... we''ll see if I can write a snusnu chapter for tomorrow. HAHAHAHAHA... Crossing fingers!
Well, Nic would have to wait for some time before he would get another snusnu with Sophie since he needed to win her back.
Yes, I know Sophie kept saying she would choose Lnd, but trust me, she will still end up with both men. I am excited about this story being a reverse harem because I see it has be quite a trend now on Webnovel. I am seeing several other books getting poprity being reverse harems.
Btw, since most of you are my longtime readers, I would like to know your opinion on what kind of books do you like reading? I am now trying to write stories that are mainstream since mine are usually a bit niched.
This is not just me trying to make money from books that sell... lol, but I actually want to challenge myself to write things outside of myfort zone.
Please choose from all these elements that you really like/enjoy reading, and I will think about them for my next book (after "The Cursed Prince" ends):
1. Steamy s e x scenes, the dirtier the better (don''t be shy to choose this if this is what you like. We are all perverts here... hehehe)
2. Modern/contemporary stories with CEO/billionaires (I do write this too in my first book)
3. Historical stories with kings/princes/dukes (this is what I am currently writing)
4. Prefer plot over sex scenes - the snusnu is just to spice up the story. This is what I am currently doing, but I am open to writing steamier stories.
5. Werewolf with the typical lores: e.g rejected mate, abused mate, etc. I mean, there''s gotta be reasons why they are so popr, right? I want to challenge myself to write them, but I am looking to see if it''s worth venturing into since they are already saturated.
6. Werewolf with my own lore (like this book)
7. Dominant overbearing MLs (I do write these dominant overbearing MLs as well, but not many. You can find them in my earlier books).
8. Sweet MLs like most of my current MLs. I mean... I take pride in writing stories about doting husbands, as you can see on my bio. ^^
Chapter 293 Its Easier To Engage In A Life Or Death Battle
Finally, Lnd let go of Sophie from his embrace. He looked at her beautiful face intently with gleaming eyes.
Gosh, she was so dreamy. She was so beautiful, inside and out.
He didn''t know how he was this lucky. Maybe the universe was truly fair. Sophie was given to him to make up for the fact that he had such a hard life and didn''t experience love from the people who were supposed to teach him about love,passion, and family.
If it wasn''t for Anne and Jack Hansley, he might never see what love was. He didn''t even have friends. Lnd had always kept everyone at arm''s length until he met Sophie.
It was so effortless andforting to be around her, that he slowly opened himself to her and then her children, which were now his. And soon, they would have more.
Lnd could only look at Sophie without saying anything. He wished he could express how he felt about her. Did she know how much he loved her? Did she know how much she meant to him?
If Sophie was a pure lycan, or at least, had more lycan genes in her, she would have been able to feel what he was feeling and understand him without words.
Lnd didn''t see it as a disability, it was who she was, more human than lycan.However, he wondered what it would feel like to be able to share their minds and feelings because they were mates.
Right now, he was forced to use more words than he normally would, but even if he tried he realized he was not a greatmunicator.
He was a man of a few words and more into action. However, he was aware that, for their unique circumstance, he had to make the adjustment.
For Lnd, it was easier to manage the pack since his Beta, Lucas, was great with words, and he understood Lnd perfectly. Lnd could do the leading and nning, and Lucas do themunicating.
However, he couldn''t outsource the job of talking to his mate to another man. Lnd surely didn''t want to hear Lucas tell Sophie that she was the most beautiful woman in the world, that her smile could melt away all the pain and his exhaustion.
That she made everything better.
"Is there... something on my face?" Sophie tilted her head and smiled faintly. Lnd had been looking at her with a strange expression for a while, and his mouth twitched several times, but no words came out of it.
She wondered what he was thinking.
Lnd shook his head. "No."
"Are you sure?" Sophie rubbed her face. Maybe there was really something on it but Lnd didn''t want her to feel bad, so he said no. Hmm... he was not a liar, though. Maybe there was something, but he didn''t see it as an issue?
Sophie had been having a tough week and she cried in secret when she was alone. She thought her eyes must be puffed and she looked tired.
Lnd took her hand and stopped her from rubbing her face. "Don''t."
"If there is nothing on my face... why are you looking at me like that...?" Sophie furrowed her brows.
Lnd smiled awkwardly when he heard her question.
The Alpha was not good with words. He had been trying to say how much he appreciated her decision, choosing him over Nichs and standing by him on his mission to topple the human kingdom and eventually be the lycan king.
He wanted to say that he would never make her regret her decision.
"I love you," he finally said, rubbing her hair. "It''ste. We should sleep."
It was already past midnight and normally Sophie would sleep before nine. However, now she was wide awake and didn''t feel sleepy at all.
"I am not sleepy," she whispered.
"Why?" Lnd asked, immediately looking concerned.
"I am not sure," Sophie admitted. "I just like sitting here with you and talking."
"Oh."
Sophie scooted over and sat on hisp, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Do you realize tonight is only the second time we had a heart-to-heart conversation?" she asked him.
The first time wasst week, when they finally talked about the elephant in the room, King Nichs Hannenbergh, and it didn''t end too well.
After she thought about it, Sophie realized it was the first time that she found out how stubborn her mate could be. All this time, Lnd always spoiled her and made sure whatever she wanted and desired would happen.
He never demanded anything from her. It felt like he only gave and gave and never took. She didn''t know if Lnd had secret desires, or if something was not up to his liking.
Now, after six years, he let her know that he was not going to let the enemy go, even though he was rted to Sophie and their children. Especially because he was rted to Sophie and the children.
It was a hard pill to swallow for Sophie who wished everyone could get along and lived in peace. The war between Lycans and humans was the reason why her parents suffered and were finally killed.
If her lycan mother and human father could fall in love and live happily together, couldn''t the others do it too?
"Yeah." Lnd nodded in agreement.
"I really like it. I really enjoy talking with you and understanding what you feel and what you want," Sophie said honestly. "Even though it was hard, I think it was necessary."
"Hm." Lnd agreed that the conversation was necessary.
"So..." Sophie moved her face closer to Lnd''s and looked at the man deep in his mesmerizing eyes. "I would love to talk more with you."
"What do you want to talk about?" Lnd asked worriedly. They already settled the issue with Nichs. What else was there to discuss?
"Hmm... anything."
Sophie was honest with her words. She felt intrigued by her husband and would love to know more about him. Other than spending the first eight years of her life with him around, she didn''t know much about him.
She also thought Lnd could tell her more about her parents since he was older than her and knew her parents longer, so his memory of them was much more vivid. Sophie only remembered some distant memories she had about her parents when she was between eight to ten.
Sophie had been wanting to hear stories about her mother and father from Lnd, but the man never really spoke about them in detail.
Fine, she understood that he didn''t like talking all that much.However, now that they could finally have such heart to heart conversation, Sophie started to feel greedy. Maybe she could encourage him to speak more.
Lnd looked nk.
"I really like listening to your voice," Sophie said. She was not sleepy and if she forced herself and pretended that she was asleep, she might be ovee by those sad thoughts about Nichs.
Right now, she badly needed a distraction.
"You do?" Lnd asked in disbelief.
"Yes. You have this deep voice that could make women go crazy," Sophie said as a matter-of-factly. "But you don''t use it a lot."
The man beamed when Sophie said she liked his voice. However, he still couldn''t takepliments.
"Your voice is better," he said.Lnd kissed her on the lips and then tried to move her back to the bed. "You should sleep. You are pregnant and must get enough rest."
"I know, but..." Sophie wrapped her hands around his neck more tightly. "I am not sleepy and I can''t force myself to sleep. I will just toss and turn. I think... if you would tell me a story, a bedtime story... I can sleep better."
She quickly added, "I don''t mean really bedtime stories, like what I read to Luciel and Jan, but... stories about your life, your experiences, and your thoughts."
Lnd thought it was easier to engage in a life and death battle with Nichs than share stories of his life.
.
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__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Sorry, the snusnu must wait. Apparently, Sophie preferred to listen to Lnd talking than get some bed action.... ahahaha. XD
PS: Thank you so much for your support in February for Lnd, Sophie, and Nic. This book was still on #9 Golden Ranking. Thank you! Please keep voting for this book so it can be seen by more readers.
Anyway... I would like to give a special thanks to the Top 3 Golden Ticket contributors in February, dear Kelly Goodwin, Maude Fluckiger, and DespinaNY. For the others, thank you! I am sorry, I cannot mention you one by one. xx
By the way, since the Werewolf contest is still not announced and we are now in March, I am not sure when they will finally do it. Sigh. Let''s hope this book wins something. I will do a mass release if "The King Is Wife Is The Alpha''s Mate" wins any of the 10 awards. So, crossing fingers!
PPS: I have started publishing for The Cursed Prince and I released 15 chapters from Privi to make up for theck of updates in February. Enjoy!
Chapter 294 Conversation About The Past
Lnd thought about Sophie''s request. Surely, it was a good thing that his mate liked listening to his voice talking. Since she had made the decision and chose him, he should show his appreciation by at least trying to make her happy.
"Okay," he said. His brows furrowed, trying to find something to talk about.
For a moment, there was no sound.
Finally, Sophie decided to do an interview since it seemed easier to get Lnd to speak some words if she asked him questions.
"You stayed with my family for a long time," she said. "I think we had a good life together. What made you leave? My mother was upset for weeks. Now that I know the little wolf was actually you, I sometimes think my mother loved you more than she loved me."
She said herst sentence jokingly, but Lnd thought she was serious.
"No, of course, not. She loved you the most. I saw how much she adored you," Lnd hurriedly said.
"Really?" Sophie''s eyes widen. She loved hearing about her parents and it looked like Lnd would finally share his memories about them. She looked at him with a hopeful gaze. "Tell me."
Lnd''s gaze became distant. He buried the memories he had with Jack and Anne because remembering their deaths always made his heart filled with anger. It would take some effort to relive those memories in his mind.
"She sang for you every day," Lnd finally said. His voice was deep and calm, making Sophie feel mesmerized. "Even when you were still in her womb. Her voice is... very simr to yours."
Sophie didn''t realize how much this conversation would mean to her. She knew she missed her parents so much and wished she could know more about them. However, when Lnd finally started sharing what he remembered, tears slowly dripped down her cheeks.
The man slowly recounted how Anne sang for little Sophie every day, and she once killed a bear with her bare hands when the animal was trying to attack Sophie who was naughty and ran away from home because Anne scolded her.
"You were so naughty back then. You brought this little bag with you and filled it with bread and water, and you went to the woods," Lnd said.
He smiled faintly, remembering the incident. His gaze was distant. The man looked as if he was staring outside their open window. He didn''t see Sophie was wiping tears from her eyes with her sleeves.
"I don''t remember that..." she chuckled between her tears. "How old was I?"
"I think you were... five." Lnd shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I don''t remember what you did exactly... It''s been a really long time. But I will always remember how frantic Anne became. She immediately looked for you and got there right on time when a bear almost got you."
"Gosh...." Sophie pressed her lips. "I think I know where Luciel got his personality."
Out of their twin boys, Luciel was the more outgoing, extrovert, yful, and risk-takerpared to Jan. Initially, she thought the boy took after Nichs. However, now that she thought about it again, she realized the boy might have actually taken after her.
She used to be that adventurous, independent, yful, and outgoing girl. Now, she was calmer and content, also maybe more mature, and thought more before she did something.
"You and Anne both," Lnd confirmed. "Jan takes after Jack more. Your father was a calm, quiet, and studious man. Whenever I see Jan, I remember your father, Jack Hansley."
Sophie''s tears welled up again. She missed her father so badly. The man was her first love and her hero. He taught her fishing, tending their garden, also reading and writing a little bit before he suddenly passed away.
It made her heart flutter to know that both her sons inherited some of her parents'' personality traits. They both looked a lot like Nichs, but their characters and personalities took after the two people she deeply loved and missed.
Lnd finally turned to see Sophie when he heard her soft sobs. He was surprised to see her tears. "Does this make you sad? I think we should stop."
"NO," Sophie eximed. "I''m just... feeling nostalgic. Please go on."
She quickly added, "These are tears of happiness. Really."
After she put on her sweetest smile, Lnd finally believed her. "Okay."
"You haven''t answered my first question. Why did you leave? Did my family do something that made you feel offended? I now realized my mother must be so upset because you left without saying goodbye. She must think they had wronged you... or something bad happened to you."
Lnd was silent for a while. This question would require him to revisit bad memories, ones that he hated and wished to forget.
"If I answer this question, would you sleep?" he asked her finally.
Sophie bobbed her head. "Yes."
Lnd grabbed her waist gently and moved her to lie down on the bed. Then he followed, pulling her into his embrace. "Very well."
Sophie touched his broad chest with one hand and tilted her head to see him while he spoke. She loved that he was understanding of her desire to know more about her family and himself. So, she thought of showing him how much she appreciated it.
He seemed to enjoy her attention and his face beamed as he finally replied to her question. "I had to leave because my parents needed me. My younger brother got a mysterious illness and finally died. I had to take over the pack from my father."
Sophie remembered this. "Lowell, right? Your brother''s name."
Lnd nodded.
"Were you close with him?"
"No."
"Hm... why didn''t you say goodbye to my parents?"
"My parents wouldn''t let me," Lnd said. "I also thought it was best to leave abruptly. Anne would have fought my father and maybe even kill my mother if she knew they forced me to go home."
"Oh..." Sophie knew her mother was thete lycan king''s daughter, but she didn''t know if her mother was really that close to Lnd''s parents. "I remember your mother hated my mother because my mother betrayed the pack."
"Isolde actually hated your mother because my father loved Anne."
Lnd''s exnation surprised Sophie. She didn''t know this. The pack members were too respectful toward Lnd and didn''t dare to gossip about histe father''s rtionship with Anne.
"Oh..." Sophie was d they had this conversation. She finally got to know so much about her origins, her parents, and her past in a single night. She said in a low voice, "My mother fell in love with my father and left the pack for him. It must have hurt your father a lot."
"That is not wrong," Lnd replied. "However, he never hated her. He actually protected Anne and Jack by proxy. No one dared bother your little family in ckwoods after my father became the Alpha."
"Oh..." Sophie''s respect grew for thete Alpha Leon, Lnd''s father. She never knew the dynamics between their parents in the past. "That was nice of him."
"Unfortunately, he didn''t live long," Lnd said.
"What was he like?" Sophie asked. "I saw your mother. You take after her in appearance. So, I guess, your father didn''t look like you?"
"He was a big man. He was my size. I used to think he was a giant, a scary one - because you would never know what was on his mind. He had brown hair, nted blue eyes, and a very calm demeanor. I think he was considered handsome."
Chapter 295 Leland Starts To Like Their New Routine **
"Do you miss your father?" Sophie decided to ask. She knew Isolde was abusive toward her husband and Lnd had cut ties with her years ago. She didn''t know how was Lnd''s rtionship with his father, Alpha Leon.
The man shook her head. There was no expression on his face when he replied. Lnd was indifferent when it came to his other parent. Alpha Leon was really tough on him because, in his mind, being the next Alpha, Lnd should be tough and capable.
Lnd had some respect for his father to some degree, but he couldn''t love him. He had never missed his father to this day.
"I am sorry about your parents," Sophie said with a low voice. She looked at Lnd lovingly, thinking this man had a good heart that even though he had such lousy parents, he still could be a good father for their children.
Lnd didn''t say anything, so they would stop talking about the topic he hated, his family. He rubbed Sophie''s hair and gave her a look that signed ''you promised to sleep''.
Sophie cleared her throat. She was still not sleepy. However, she had promised to sleep after Lnd answered her questions.
"Uhm... I really like our conversation," she said. "Can we do this every night?"
Lnd was horrified by that request. However, he didn''t have the heart to say no. So, he didn''t say anything.
This made his mate understand that he was not into this idea. Sophie sighed at his silence. She realized she shouldn''t force her will.
"Sorry, I just really like hearing those stories, told by you, in your soothing voice," she gave him her best puppy eyes. "I think our child likes it too. I feel so calm and happy now."
Lnd looked at her in disbelief. "You do?"
She nodded sheepishly. "Yes."
Lnd thought about it for a while, before he finally nodded. "Very well."
Sophie''s eyes widened when she heard his response. He was being really amodating to her wishes, even though she could see that it was hard for him. She realized Lnd tried hard to show his appreciation after what happened tonight by going out of his way to please her.
Lnd couldn''t fulfill Sophie''s request to back down and leave Nichs and the Hannenberghs alone, because, to him, it was a matter of principle. However, just working extra hard to get rid of his difort and dig deep into his memories to share stories she asked of him was doable.
"Have I told you that I love you?" Sophie suddenly asked. The man''s ears turned red at that simple question. She had often told him how much she loved him, so his answer should be yes.
"Today?" he unconsciously pursed his lips and muttered, "not yet."
Sophie chuckled and wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back. The woman cupped his face and looked straight into his eyes. "I love you."
Lnd finally smiled and replied, "I love you too."
He touched her hands on his cheeks and lowered them. Then, he tilted his face to kiss her lips. Sophie closed her eyes and enjoyed the meeting of their lips. She didn''t know why their kiss that night felt especially good.
Maybe it was because they had not been intimate for the whole week after their ''argument''st week? Didn''t people say makeup sex was the best sex? Sophie could neverpare because beforest week, they never had any such argument or dispute. And their sex life was already great as is.
His lips were especially soft tonight and there was something about his scent that made Sophie feel so mesmerized.
Wait...
Was this maybe... her pregnancy hormones kicking?
She returned his kiss, even more passionately than what he did. Her response made the man feel pleasantly surprised. He assumed it was his reward for telling her the stories she wanted.
The kiss became heated. Soon, they started panting for breath. Sophie moved back a little to get air, and so did Lnd. Once they could regte their breaths, both Lnd and Sophie went back to kissing.
"Maybe we should... uhm.... do something to... ahem... make me tired and..." Sophie spoke sheepishly. "So I can... sleep."
She touched his exposed chest and traced his skin down to his hard stomach. Her other hand was naughtily sliding down to his manhood.
Sophie didn''t understand why she was suddenly so coquettish. She was surprised by her own boldness. Lnd was too. However, he was pleasantly surprised and again thought it was his reward for making her happy with his stories.
Perhaps, he could work extra hard to find something else to share tomorrow night?
He started to like this thing. Maybe they could make it their nightly routine. He did need to learn tomunicate better. This would work in his favor. He could work on hismunication skills, make his mate happy, and be rewarded handsomely.
Sophie giggled when Lnd lowered his kisses to her neck, her corbone, and after his hands lowered her dress from her shoulder, he rested his lips on her left breast and took in a mouthful.
He sucked and licked her beautiful mound while he moved his hands lower and slipped from under her dress and caressed he inner thighs. When Sophie moaned, the man smiled and moved and pressed on her body, slowly working on her sensual spots.
They had not been intimate for maybe ten days. Thest time was several days before the royal party and after that, there was the incident where Lnd was injured after fighting with Nichs, followed by Sophie wanting some space so that she could think.
He missed their intimacy. They had not even celebrated her pregnancy properly by making sweet sweet love.
"Ahh... Lnd..." Sophie moaned incessantly, trying to focus on her hands on his pants, trying to help him remove them, but her mind was a mess. She startedining. "Why is it so hard to..."
Sophie halted her words, Lnd rose from pressing her body and removed his shirt and pants quickly. Then, he helped her off of her dress.
Now, they were both naked.
"What is so hard?" he asked her teasingly with his deep soothing voice that she loved.
Sophie gulped. He had ced her hands on his engorged, really hard, manhood.
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From Missrealitybites:
Cough cough... that''s the teaser. They finally did it. Ahem... We''ll continue snooping on their lovemaking tomorrow. xx
Chapter 296 Sweet Lovemaking **
? Now Sophie was convinced this must be her pregnancy hormones. She felt so much desire engulfing her whole being. Why did her mate suddenly look so much yummier than before?
She knew she was lucky to marry a very attractive male from his species, who oozed masculinity every time he entered a room. They had a great sex life, especially after she recoveredst year.
Lnd was a passionate man and he had been holding back in the intimacy department for years because Sophie''s body was really weak after she was poisoned and lost their unborn children.
So, once he was sure that his mate was truly healthy, he made love to her in ways that made Sophie think he tried to make up for all the years that they had to be more restrained.
He was hot, full of stamina, passionate, lustful, and was like a sex god. However, tonight, Sophie thought he was even sexier than that.
When she saw him naked before her eyes and her small hands wrapped around his hardness, Sophie spontaneously brought her face closer and put his penis in her mouth.
Lnd''s eyes widened and he bit his lip, holding back his gasp. This was such an amazing reward, he thought to himself. He didn''t know Sophie loved stories that much.
He closed his eyes to enjoy his shaft being pampered by her moist mouth in a regr motion, going in and out, while both her small hands wrapped around it and gave it a gentle massage.
Years of perfecting sixty-nine on each other had made Sophie an expert in oral and knew very well how to pleasure her Alpha.
Lnd couldn''t hold back a grin as he felt so much pleasure coursing through his body. He loved her so much and was happy she was not shy to take initiative. His hands rubbed Sophie''s hair lovingly and then moved down to knead her two mounds.
Both let out soft moans as they were pleasuring each other. Once Sophie was satisfied with taking him in her mouth, she pulled him to lie down in bed and kissed him in the mouth. Lnd knew it was time for him to take charge.
He peppered her face with kisses and traced her skin from her neck, down to her corbone, her breasts which he took in a mouthful each alternately, then his right hand went to touch her fold. He inserted one finger and yed with her entrance while he pampered her breasts with his mouth and his other hand.
Sophie squirmed and moaned incessantly. Her desire was overwhelming her and made her tempted to scream. When Sophie''s hand went to touch his manhood again, Lnd smiled. He took out his finger from her really wet fold and used his hand to position his hardness in front of herbia and then entered her.
This was such a wonderful way to celebrate her pregnancy. The healer said she was only eight weeks in and her pregnancy was really healthy, so they were allowed to continue being intimate as much as they wanted.
"I love you..." Sophie whispered after she let out a long moan when Lnd entered her.
Her breath panted and she immediately forgot her surroundings. Lnd used his hands to raised her legs and wrapped them around his lower back, and he continued pounding her.
"I love you too..." Lnd replied solemnly. He rubbed her hair and bent down to kiss her lips before he continued his work.
Each thrust brought joy, pleasure, and a feeling of love and being loved. Sophie bit her lip and moaned sexily, enjoying their lovemaking. She thought the night was really well spent.
They had a nice heart-to-heart conversation, they also cleared up the air about what they should do regarding Nichs, and they made up after an ''argument''st week. Lnd also learned to open up more to her.
And now, they would end it with sweet lovemaking. It was such a perfect way to end the day.
Lnd only stopped after they heard the sounds of roosters from outside the manor, indicating that it was almost dawn. Only then did Sophie think she was finally sleepy enough and needed to rest.
"Ahh..." Sophie gripped the sheet tightly as the final wave of pleasure hit her brain after Lnd increased his tempo and pounded her rapidly for several minutes.
They finished together when Sophie got herst orgasm and immediately curled up in a fetal position and forgot about everything. She instantly fell asleep.
Lnd could only chuckle when he saw her sleep like a baby, being all wet and messy. For a good one minute, he stood where he was, admiring the beautiful sight before him.
Sophie curled up on the bed, surrounded by evidence of their passionate lovemaking earlier. Her hair was damp and her body was glistening from sweat and love juice after so many rounds of orgasm.
She was extremely hot, sexy, but at the same time had that look of innocence about her.
He agreed that her idea of doing something to get her tired was perfect to get her the rest she needed. He kissed her forehead and got up from the bed. He took a small towel and dipped it in the water basin and cleaned her up.
Sophie was too tired and her sleep was not bothered by his actions. Lnd spread a clean sheet on the sofa. He thought their bed was too messy now after their intense lovemaking. He thought Sophie would want to wake up in a clean and nice space.
So, he lifted her body from the bed and ced her on the sofa. Sophie only muttered something softly and continued her slumber. Lnd also cleaned up his body with the wet towel and threw it on the messy bed.
He took a fluffy nket from the closet and spread it on his mate''s naked body, then he slid inside to hug her. He kissed her again and finally closed his eyes to sleep.
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From Missrealitybites:
The first scene took me 5 hours, and this one only 1 hour... ahahaha... I hope you enjoyed their snusnu just now.
I actually can''t wait to write future snusnu between Sophie and Nichs again... but... it might take a while. So many things must happen before that.
Chapter 297 Sophie Is Missing Frisia
"Good morning," Lnd''s voice was the first thing Sophie heard when she opened her eyes. A big smile immediately curved up on her beautiful face.
"Good morning," she said. She looked up and found the man was sitting beside her, with a cup of tea in his hand.
He only wore shorts, showing his toned body, which was now filled with new scars from hisst battle with Nichs. They were now healed but still showed the scars. Sophie thought they only made him look more manly.
This made her wonder if Nichs got simrly severe injuries as well from the fight. Had he recovered? Where was he now? Was he okay?
Sophie suddenly felt bad for worrying about another man, because he was her children''s father. However, when she saw Lnd''s scars, she could only imagine how bad the fight was.
This was probably the first out of several fights toe. She didn''t know if she would be able to handle the conflict between the two men going forward.
Sophie lowered her eyes and looked at the floor. She didn''t want Lnd to guess what she was thinking. The man seemed really good at understanding her mind.
"What time is it?" she asked without looking at Lnd. She opened the nket that covered her body and realized she was still naked under it. Her mind went back to their beautiful lovemaking the night before and a faint smile was back on her face.
Stop thinking about Nichs, Sophie chided herself. She had chosen to be on Lnd''s side when shit hits the fan. So, she should get used to thinking that Nichs and the royal family are the enemies and she must not care about them.
She couldn''t have it all.
"It''s ten," Lnd replied. "Do you need to do something?"
Sophie sat up and shook her head. "No, not really. It''s just that..."
"Yes?" Lnd put down his cup and took a new one from the table. He poured tea into it and gave it to Sophie. She wrapped her body with the nket, it felt so warm, and sat beside Lnd. She epted the teacup and started sipping her tea.
Sophie sighed. "Can we... go somewhere for a few days?"
"Sure."
Sophie turned to Lnd and furrowed her brows. "You''re not going to ask me why I suddenly want to go somewhere for a few days?"
"Why do you want to go somewhere for a few days?" Lnd asked back.
Sophie pursed her lips. "I just feel like I need fresh air after... after what happened."
She wished they could all go back to Frisia and forget the life in Riga since she knew what awaited them here in the future. An open war.
She thought their life in Frisia for five years was peaceful and she was surrounded by fresh air and beautiful mountain nature. She was suddenly missing their peaceful life there.
"I am missing our old home in Frisia," Sophie said. "I know it''s too far to go there just to visit."
"Hmm..." Lnd touched her hand and yed with her fingers. "Actually, there is a nice ce that looks a bit like our home in Frisia, not too far from here."
"There is?"
"Yeah," Lnd nodded. "If you missed Frisia and want to go there, I can take you to this mountain. I like it a lot."
"How far is it?" Sophie was interested in his offer.
"Two days journey with a carriage," Lnd said. "But if you go with me, I can take you there in one night."
"Go with you how?"
"I''ll transform and you can ride on my back. If we travel at night, nobody would see us. We will reach the ce by morning."
"Whoaa..." Sophie pressed her lips in excitement. She rode her mate in his lycan form several times when they were living in Frisia and he wanted to take her somewhere private to have a pic under the stars or watched the sunset on the top of the mountain.
She always loved those moments but they didn''t do it often because she was sick. Now, she was healthy, it should be okay to travel all night to this ce that Lnd wanted to show her.
"But it''s quite far," she thought it was a great idea to go out with him and calm her mind down. However, on second thought, she realized she would be leaving her two sons for days if they had to travel there back and forth and spend some days there.
"Are you worried about Luciel and Jan?" Lnd asked her. Sophie bobbed her head. "They will be fine. They are six now. They can kill a bear if they want to."
"Ahaha... they can?"
"Yes." Lnd took his teacup and downed his tea. Then, he poured more from the pot. "Lucas dan the others will be able to keep an eye on them, as usual."
"But... what about..." Sophie swallowed hard. "What if the king... send the Royal Lycan Hunter here?"
"I don''t think that will happen," Lnd replied. He remembered Nichs urged him to escape when the Royal Lycan Hunter came during their fight. Nichs also mentioned something about trying to free the two lycan cubs he met in the meadow.
Lnd could deduce several things from that encounter with Nichs. One, the king was only recently aware of his condition being a lycan.
Two, he was still confused and perhaps didn''t immediately see lycans as the enemy since he was now one. And three, he also didn''t know the two lycan pups he met in the meadow were his own sons.
Lnd thought Nichs wouldn''t be a problem to them in such a short time. At this point, the man was probably trying to heal from his injuries, and then the next logical step would be to find out more about his lycan side.
That would take a long time since he didn''t have the right source to ask. So, Lnd thought he wouldn''t need to worry about Nichs right now.
Chapter 298 Feels Like Flying
The Alpha thought this was a good chance for him to take a breather. If Sophie missed Frisia and wanted to go somewhere to calm down, he would dly grant it. Luciel and Jan were safe here and they were big enough not to be dependent on their parents for several days.
"How did you know that the Royal Lycan Hunters wouldn''te here?" Sophie asked worriedly. "If they decided to knock and ask questions... then, it would be... chaos."
"Sophia, tell me a ce safer than this manor where we have 150 highly trained and really tough lycan warriors and another two hundred staying nearby, ready toe for help anytime we need them?" Lnd asked Sophie. "Please don''t undermine their capabilities."
"Uhm... that''s true," Sophie sighed. She realized she was too worried and this might make the warriors who stayed with them feel offended. "That''s true."
"So, what do you say?" Lnd poured more tea into Sophie''s now empty cup. "We can leave tonight if you want."
"I... I need to talk to Luciel and Jan and see if they are okay with us going for a few days," Sophie said.
"Sure." Lnd motioned to her teacup. "Finish your tea. I will call the maids to clean up and help you get ready."
"Thank you," Sophie drank her tea. Then she clutched her stomach. "I am hungry."
"We will havete breakfast after you get dressed."
"Ah, okay."
Sophie watched Lnd put on his pants, then leave their room to call some maids to help her. She looked down at her stomach and sighed. She really missed their life in Frisia now. It would be nice to go back there and give birth to her children far, far away from Riga.
Sophie was moved from her reverie when two maids came and greeted her respectfully.
"Good morning, Luna."
"Hey.. good morning," Sophie replied with a smile. "Please help me get dressed."
She was happy when she realized her body was cleaned afterst night''s sex, so she didn''t feel sticky when she woke up. The maids just needed to help dress her and then she would be ready to go. She was feeling so hungry.
Maybe this was her pregnancy hormones. Her appetitive suddenly became so big.
***
After breakfast, Sophie called Luciel and Jan and talked to them about her desire to have a short getaway with Lnd.
Contrary to her expectation, the two boys didn''t mind at the slightest.
"You should go, Mom," Luciel said with a big smile. "We will be fine here without you. Right, Jan?"
The other boy nodded.
"Are you sure? I have never left you before." Suddenly Sophie felt like crying. Why must she feel like she needed to go somewhere and take a breather? How could she even think of leaving her sons? She muttered indecisively, "Maybe you both should go with us."
Lnd gave the boys a look and they immediately shook their heads in unison.
"No. I don''t feel like going," Luciel shrugged. "I just nted a new seed in the backyard. I want to watch it grow."
Jan nodded.
"Did you nt a new seed too?" Sophie asked the boy. Jan shrugged. She furrowed her brows. "So, why don''t you want to go with us?"
Finally, Jan spoke. His tone sounded annoyed. "I don''t want to be a wallflower."
Sophie chuckled and rubbed his hair. "You won''t be a wallflower."
Jan shrugged again. Seeing her boys'' reluctance to leave with them, Sophie finally realized she should stop being indecisive about leaving them and just go.
Come to think of it, after they got married, she and her husband had never had alone time, just the two of them for a period of time. There were always the children.
They could be away from the pack if they wanted, but they couldn''t be far from Luciel and Jan since the boys were really young and still depended on them.
Now that she saw how big Luciel and Jan were now, Sophie was relieved. Soon, they would wee the little one(s) and probably would not have their alone time for who knows how long.
And don''t forget about theing war.
Gosh, thinking about it suddenly made her feel stressed again. Sophie turned to Lnd and sighed. "Yeah, I think we should go alone and... trust Lucas and the others to watch over the boys."
Lnd smiled and nodded.
After the sky turned dark, Sophie hugged her sons and told them not to be naughty. Then she spoke to Lucas and asked him to watch Luciel and Jan for her. The Beta nodded and bowed his head respectfully to show that he understood his task.
He had known the boys and lived with them for years. He knew how to handle them. And as the Beta of the pack, he also understood how to lead the pack in the absence of their Alpha.
"Very well... I guess that''s it," Sophie bit her lip and turned to look at her mate who was taking off his clothes and then transformed into a huge white wolf.
Sophie''s mouth gaped a little in adoration at seeing him. Lnd always looked majestic in his wolf form.
Sophie had seen him transformed many times now, but she was always amazed when she saw the process. He was such a beautiful wolf. None of her sons look like him. They all take after Nichs'' wolf.
Secretly, this made Sophie desire to see a mini wolf that looked like Lnd. He must like it. Subconsciously, she rubbed her belly, thinking of their baby in her womb. She couldn''t wait to wee them into this world.
"Let''s go now," Sophie said to Lnd. The Alpha crouched down on his four legs and waited for Sophie to get on his back.
Sophie brought a bag with her, filled with their needs, and then climbed up the huge wolf''s back. After she found afortable sitting position, she hugged his neck and rested her head on his back. His fur was so soft and fluffy. Sophie felt like she was lying down in the clouds.
She hugged Lnd tightly as the wolf ran swiftly out of the manor with her on his back. It almost felt like flying.
She took a deep breath and smiled as the wind hit her cheeks and fluttered her hair. She was d they decided to take this trip and have a short quality time for the both of them. She could already feel the weight on her shoulders was slowly gone with the wind.
Chapter 299 A Pleasant Journey
It was a very pleasant journey and itsted all night. Sophie enjoyed the wind on her face and how she felt like flying when Lnd ran so fast that the view around her became like a blur.
This filled her heart with so much warmth. She could understand what Lnd and her sons must be feeling when they were in their wolf forms. They could run around freely and be one with nature.
Sometimes Sophie secretly felt jealous of the lycans around her. They had a much stronger physique than humans, they also had the speed and the sense of freedom that humans didn''t have.
There were so many rules and customs in the human society, while with lycan, they were more rxed about such things.
However, they had a strong rtionship with the members of their pack. The bond they had with their pack members, their mates, and their family was very admirable.
She felt lucky to be part of them, but sometimes she was a bit sad because she was not truly one of them. Being physically different from everyone in the pack, and even from her children was something that Sophie needed time to ept.
She was grateful for those moments when Lnd took her with him like this. She sometimes rode on his back when they were still in Frisia, and he would take her to the mountains and spend time just the two of them for several hours, away from the children and the pack members.
When he took her for rides, ran around freely in nature, those were the moments where she would feel a little bit like the lycans.
It was sweet and pleasant. They had not done it after they went back to Livstad for obvious reasons. The manor was located not far from the capital and it was surrounded by some human settlement. They didn''t want to attract attention if humans saw wolves around the manor.
The nearest mountain was two days away. It was too far to take Sophie there just for a day trip. She also felt reluctant about leaving the children for a long period just to get a break.
However, this week things were different. Sophie badly needed that break, after what happened between them in the royal pce, and knowing Nichs was still alive. Also, the boys were now old enough that she could trust Lucas and the others to watch over them.
It was a good moment to have a getaway.
When dawn broke, they finally arrived at their destination. Sophie didn''t know exactly where they were. She only knew they were in the mountain. There was a small forest in front of them, a wooden hut to her right with a big oak tree and a shrub of ckberry on each side.
Lnd crouched down on his four legs and let Sophie get down from his back, then he transformed into a human. Sophie took out his clothes from the bag she was carrying and gave them to him.
While Lnd got dressed, she walked toward the hut and checked its surroundings. She realized that the hut perched on top of a cliff and when she looked down from the edge, she saw a canyon at the bottom with a small river looking like a green snake.
This area was really beautiful, she thought. It was surrounded by greenery and she could hear birds chirping from the trees. The sun was slowly rising in the east and providing lights for her to see better. She took a deep breath and felt a sense of peace and calmness engulfing her being.
"Is this hut abandoned?" she asked Lnd when the man came to her.
Lnd nodded. "Yeah. We found it by chance. It seemed like this was owned by a hunter many years ago. We saw some hunting equipment in this hut but the owner never came back. Maybe he died."
Sophie smiled at that. She was immediately reminded of her old hut in ckwoods. She missed that ce too. She was happy that Lnd brought her here to satisfy her longing for her old home and Frisia.
Lnd took her hand and led her inside the hut. It was empty and was dusty. The man immediately took her out again.
"Wait here," he said. "I will clean a little bit."
Before Sophie replied, he had closed the door and cleaned up quickly. Sophie could hear the sounds he made from the hut while doing the work.
She could only smile and shook her head. She was used to working and cleaning before she married ''Duke Romanov''. Just because she had maids for six years, didn''t mean she forgot how to do it.
"It''s good now," Lnd said as he opened the door and let Sophie in. She found the hut was now very tidy and there was almost no dust on the surface. There was a wooden bed in the corner of the hut, near the firece.
On the other side, there were simple chairs and household equipment. It was such a simple hut, but Sophie liked it a lot. She really missed her childhood home in ckwoods.
Lnd took out a fur coat from the bag and spread it on the wooden bed. He motioned Sophie to lie down to rest. "You should sleep. We were traveling all night. You must be sleepy."
Sophie wanted to say she was not feeling sleepy, but suddenly, her mouth let out a big yawn. She chuckled and realized her mate was right. She nodded and took off her shoes before she climbed the bed. The fur coat provided a reallyfortable surface for her to sleep on.
"Yeah.. I can take a nap," she said. Sophie reached out her hands toward Lnd and asked him to join her. "Don''t you want to sleep too? You are the one who did all the running."
"I am not tired,'' Lnd said.
"Well.. maybe just snuggle with me then?" Sophie asked again. "What are you going to do while I sleep? It must be boring to stay up alone."
Lnd knew so many things he could do alone, but he agreed, it would be boringpared to snuggling with his mate. So, he did what she asked.
Lnd climbed the bed andy down beside Sophie, pulling her to his embrace. Lnd kissed her forehead and then covered her eyes with his big palm. "You should sleep now."
Sophie smiled and realized he was serious about asking her to rest. She yawned again.
"What do you want to eat for lunch?" Lnd asked when he suddenly remembered Sophie had not eaten anything all after they left Livstad. "I''ll hunt prey for you."
"Hmmm.... maybe chicken?" Sophie pulled his hand from her eyes and looked up at him. "Wait.. maybe fish? I am suddenly craving fish."
After being together for six years, Lnd knew Sophie was not really into fish. She could catch fish because it was free food from nature, but she was not really fond of it. So, her request to eat grilled fish this time surprised him.
Maybe this was really the craving she experienced because of her pregnancy? Ahh... thinking about it put a smile on the man''s face. He nodded. "Very well."
"Can you find it here?"
"Yeah. There is a river down that canyon and there is also a smallke nearby," Lnd exined.
"Ah, well then, I''d love to eat fish," Sophie was happy. She pulled Lnd''s face closer and kissed him, then she closed her eyes.
Lnd spooned her until she was asleep and her breath became soft. He stayed with her for two hours, enjoying their intimacy, before he finally left to catch fish for his craving mate.
Lnd was not worried to leave Sophie alone in this hut while he was out hunting. This ce was far away from human settlement and they rarely came here. Animals also wouldn''t dare to get closer because they could smell his scent all over the hut.
When the sun was high in the sky, the beautiful woman finally woke up from her peaceful slumber. She opened her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. A delicious smell of grilled fish wafted in the air.
Chapter 300 Lelands And Sophies Romantic Getaway
***
Sophie really enjoyed their getaway. The fresh air, new scenery, and alone time with her mate help lift her mood. She felt calmer and happier and could even stop worrying about Luciel and Jan after one day.
After she woke up from her nap, she enjoyed the grilled fish prepared by her mate. She didn''t usually like fish, but somehow, this time she was crazy about it and she ate a lot. Lnd was happy to see her appetite grow.
He was sure this must be her pregnancy hormones. He loved her so much and didn''t know that he could love her even more, but he apparently did. He thought she looked more beautiful by the day and there was something sexy about knowing that she was carrying his pup(s) in her womb.
It was like finally knowing she and him were connected in an unbreakable bond in the form of their offspring together. He could have something from her that was gically his.
"Do you like it?" He asked her attentively. "I can catch more."
Sophie had finished three big grilled fish by herself and was rubbing her tummy with that satisfied expression on her face.
When she saw Lnd get up, ready to catch more fish if she just said the word, Sophie immediately waved her hand. "No... ahahahhaa... I have eaten SO MUCH. I will be bloated if I ate more."
She pointed at the remaining fish and told him to eat too. "You should eat the rest."
Lnd was not fond of fish, he preferred meat, but he ate it after Sophie asked him to.
"What do you want to eat for dinner?" he asked her.
"What? We just finished lunch. I can''t think about dinner with a full tummy," she said with a chuckle. "How about we rest for a bit, and then we go out and explore this ce. You know this area, you can show me around."
"Okay," Lnd nodded. He quickly finished the fish and threw the rest outside for small animals to eat. Then he cleaned up the hut, not letting Sophie lift a finger. "Let me do it. You are not to do any work."
"I am just pregnant, not disabled," Sophie said with pursed lips.
"I don''t want you to feel tired," Lnd said calmly. "I''d prefer if I tire you in bed than doing stupid chores."
Sophie batted her eyes and looked at Lnd with a look of disbelief. What did he say just now?
"Lnd...!" she eximed, pressing her lips. "What did you say?"
Lnd turned to her and shrug. "The truth?"
"Gosh..." Sophie hugged her tummy andughed out loud. She didn''t know why, but Lnd''s words just now sounded so funny. She approached him and hugged his waist from the side.
She rested her head on his broad chest and whispered, "I''d like that."
Maybe this was what she needed, she thought to herself. They had not had time for just the two of them like this, where they could be away from everyone for several days. It was interesting to see how her mate acted more casual and open to her.
Lnd tugged her chin and tilted his head to kiss her on the lips. Then he patted her back. "You should sit nicely on the bed and get the rest for a bit. I will take you out soon."
Sophie kissed him back and then did what he said. She felt so full from consuming so much food. She needed to sit down for a bit and let her body digest the food, before she could go out and do some exploring.
***
"Sophia, be careful, watch out for rocks," said Lnd. He immediately kicked a small rock that almost tripped his wife and Sophie couldn''t help butugh.
Right now, they celebrated their rtionship by going out for a walk. But Lnd had be twice as protective in keeping his wife safe from anything that could knock her down or hurt her.
"Lnd, look." Sophie pointed at a group of white flowers. Those flowers grew in clusters under a big oak tree.
"Do you want to go there?" Lnd asked her, and Sophie nodded. They walked over to the flowers. As they walked, Lnd wouldn''t let go of his arm around Sophie''s waist, not even once.
When they arrived under the tree, Sophie looked at the flowers with a smile. They looked prettier when she looked at them up close.
Seeing her fascination over those flowers, Lnd plucked one.
"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman," he said, then tucked the flower in Sophie''s ear. The smile on his face never faded, and neither did the one on Sophie''s face.
Sophie was very lucky to have Lnd, who loved her so much. The man not only loved Sophie, but he also loved Sophie''s children.
"Thank you, Lnd," Sophie said with tears in her eyes.
"What for?"
"For everything." Sophie hugged the Alpha, and Lnd hugged her back.
In his arms, Sophie said that she was very grateful to have Lnd in her life and that she was happy to have Lnd as her husband.
When he heard Sophie''s words, Lnd''s heart was filled with warmth. Tonight he was very happy. He tightened his arms around Sophie, as the wind blew, and the leaves on the trees rustled. A few of them fell around them.
Sophie let go of her embrace and exchanged a smile with her husband. After that, she looked at the sky. It turned out that the sky was very clear, the stars were scattered wide, and it looked very sparkling.
"Lnd, the sky tonight is very beautiful, right?" she said.
"Um." Lnd nodded in agreement, but his eyes were not on the sky but on Sophie who was looking up. "Very beautiful," he added with a smile.
When Sophie looked at him, Lnd quickly looked away and pretended that he had also been looking at the sky.
"Very beautiful," he repeated, and it made Sophie raise an eyebrow as she felt Lnd''s behavior was a little strange.
"Lnd."
Lnd turned to look at Sophie, who called out to him.
"I think I got another craving."
"Huh?" Lnd was slightly surprised. "What is it?"
"I want to experience sleeping under the stars," Sophie said.
.
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Should they have an outdoor snusnu? XD
1. YES - do you even need to ask?
2. Uhmm.. isn''t it unsanitary?
Chapter 301 Nicholas Arrives At Duke Romanovs Manor
Lnd was used to sleeping under the stars. To him, it was the best. Being one with nature and enjoying the billions of stars in the night sky always made him feel at peace and content.
If Sophie wanted it, of course, he would say yes.
"Sure, we can do it," Lnd said. "The weather is perfect for sleeping outdoors."
Before Sophie could jump in joy, the man quickly added apologetically, "However, for humans, it''s not asfortable as it looks. We must bring the fur coat so you can have afortable sleeping surface."
"Yeah, we can just bring the bag. We have everything we need there," Sophie said. Her face was beaming with excitement. She inched closer to her mate and whispered coyishly. "You can tell me more stories, and we can... uhm... have fun. You can tire me to sleep."
Lnd swallowed his saliva at her teasing. Was this how she was during pregnancy? Sophie seemed bolder and needier. He really liked it.
"Then let''s do it." Lnd could not hold back a grin and immediately turned into a wolf.
Sophie chuckled and took the fur coat and their bag, and then climbed onto his back. After she was sittingfortably and hugging his neck, Lnd dashed away and took Sophie to the shore of ake not far from the hut.
It was such a beautiful ce, surrounded by a flower field. The water reflected the stars and moon in the sky, making theke look like it was filled with glitter. The huge wolf stopped by a big rock and crouched down to let Sophie get down.
"Woah!" Sophia jumped off Lnd''s back and was amazed at the reflection of the night sky on theke. Lnd shifted into a human again. However, this time he didn''t bother wearing his clothes.
Sophie, who was standing admiring theke, was surprised when his big hands suddenly hugged her waist from behind. She could feel his skin. That means he was not wearing clothes. She turned around and smiled broadly.
The handsome man smiled back. He tilted his face and gave her a long passionate kiss. Then he took the fur coat and spread it on the ground and pulled Sophie to lie down with him.
"I remember the story when your father caught a bear and made your first fur coat," he said with a hoarse voice. "You loved it so much, you didn''t let Anne wash it for weeks."
Then he kissed her lips, while his hands moved to lower her dress from her shoulders. Sophie moaned when his hand touched her breast and started kneading.
"I did....?" she asked with a little voice. Lnd nodded. He peppered her face with kisses, then he moved up to undress her better. With both hands, he pulled her dress down, and now she was only wearing her underwear.
Sophie grinned when she saw his towering hardness. She liked this n. Getting stories and pleasure at the same time.
***
Meanwhile, Nichs, who had made up his mind to meet Sophie, finally arrived at the gates of Duke Romanov''s manor. His arrival was immediately greeted coldly by Lucas and the lycans, who guarded the ce.
Right now, Nichs was dealing with Lucas. The Beta didn''t say anything, but the look in his eyes said that Nichs'' arrival was not wee in this ce.
Even so, the king tried to stay calm and be nice. He really needed to see Sophie. "I came here not as a king but as Lady Sophia''s friend. Can I see her?"
"She''s not here," Lucas replied in a very unfriendly tone and then went back into the manor.
The disbelieving Nichs decided to wait outside the gate. He lowered his pride as a king to meet Sophie because there was so much he wanted to talk about, and he was tired of all the questions that ran through his head.
From inside the manor, Luciel and Jan who were running around as they held grilled chicken thighs in their hands suddenly stopped when they saw Nichs standing stubbornly outside the gate.
"Who is he?" Luciel wondered, then took a bite of the chicken thigh he was carrying. His mouth was adorably stained with sauce, and Jan shook his head in confusion.
They stared at Nichs in silence for a moment before they turned to look at each other.
"Are you thinking what I''m thinking?" asked Luciel, to which Jan answered with a nod.
They both ran to the kitchen. When they arrived, one of the maids who saw them asked what they wanted or if they wanted to make something, but both children only shook their heads.
Jan asked the maid to prepare some good food on the te.
The maid was confused because the two children had just finished eating even though they were still chewing the roasted chicken, but she still gave what the two children asked for.
She took two tes, but Luciel said they only needed one.
"Only one?" The maid furrowed her brows in confusion again, and Luciel immediately nodded.
After they got what they asked for, the boys immediately ran outside to meet Nichs. They thought that Nichs was homeless and he came there to beg for food. So, they intended to give him some food out of pity.
Such thoughts popped into their heads upon seeing Nichs'' disheveled appearance.
When leaving the capital, Nichs took off his royal outfits and changed them into ordinary people''s clothes. After which, he went to Hauntingen.
He traveled to Hauntingen for days. From the capital to Hauntingen and from Hauntingen to Livstad. During that time, he only showered once every three days. His disheveled tired look, hair, and face really made him look like a homeless man.
Nichs'' eyes immediately widened when he saw Jan and Luciel run out of the manor and head towards him.
Nichs looked at the two small figures very closely. The two children really did look like him. This made Nichs'' chest feel heavy but also relieved.
He truly felt happy because he thought that his guess might be right. The two children were indeed his. But at the same time, he was confused about the way to describe his feelings.
Jan opened the gate.
"This is for you, Uncle," said Luciel as he gave a te of food to Nichs, but the man just kept quiet as he continued to stare at Luciel and Jan alternately.
Slowly, his eyes felt warm and began to water.
.
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
SOWWWYY... I had to cut the snusnu. I will continue it some other time. Something happened today and I identally deleted chapter 299 and reced it with my future draft.
No idea how it happened. Today is just one of those days where everything just went wrong. I didn''t have any copy and was frantic because I needed to rewrite the whole thing. Sobs.
Fortunately, K_Deck remembered most of what happened in Chapter 299 and gave me the outline so I could rewrite that chapter. To be honest, after I write my stories/chapters, I usually forget about them. I often read back a chapter and be amazed by what I wrote... Did I write this? I don''t remember. HAHAHA... it''s true!
Anyway, rewriting the whole chapter 299 from scratch really ruined my creative flow and I suddenly couldn''t write anymore.
I will continue the outdoor snusnu in another chapter. Plus, I will do a mini mass release tomorrow (4-5 chapters). I hope it will give you a nice boost to face Monday ^^.
PS: LOL, the kids think their father is a homeless man begging for food. XD
Chapter 302 Nicholas And His Sons
"Uncle, are you all right?" Jan asked Nichs while he exchanged a look with Luciel. They were confused because Nichs was silent while looking at them with such a sad expression.
A few secondster, Nichs finally nodded slowly. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, then smiled crookedly. He spoke with a hoarse voice, "No. I''m fine."
"Really? But why are you crying?" asked Luciel. He looked closely at Nichs''s watery and slightly red eyes. "Usually, mother only cried when she was sad."
Nichs''s heart ached when he heard Luciel mention Sophie crying. Did she have a hard life with that man? Was she suffering a lot? Nichs subconsciously clenched his fists to the sides.
"Did your mother cry a lot?" he asked with a hoarse voice.
Luciel and Jan shook their heads. "No. Very rarely. She is happy most of the time."
Dammit. Nichs didn''t know why he hated knowing that Sophie was happy with Duke Romanov. Gosh... he felt so petty.
Jan nudged Luciel, "Mother sometimes cried when she was happy too. You forgot that."
The boy remembered his mother crying buckets when she saw them transformed into human children for the first time. She kept saying how handsome they looked and how happy she was to be their mother.
"Ahh.. that''s right," Lucielughed. He nodded. "Mother sometimes cried happy tears."
Nichs felt so jealous at that statement. So, Sophie was very happy that she cried happy tears? He was upset that the beautiful woman seemed really happy with her new husband.
"So, maybe this uncle is not crying because he is sad," Jan told Luciel. "Is that true, Uncle?"
Nichs faked a smile and nodded.
"Yeah, I''m not crying. It''s just the dust getting into my eyes," Nichs exined, lying absentmindedly. He then crouched down to be level with the two children''s height.
Upon closer inspection, the two boys looked more and more alike to him, and yet again, he couldn''t hold back his tears. Now, he was convinced that Sophia Romanov was truly his wife and these boys were his sons.
Nichs was really touched when he learned the fact that he had children, but at the same time, he was sad because he only found out now.
"Uncle, you are crying again," Jan said as he poked a drop of water under Nichs'' eye and then showed it to Nichs.
Nichs smiled so widely that his cheeks puffed up.
"No, that''s not true," he denied and brushed away the water droplets on Jan''s index finger. He looked alternately at Jan and Luciel, then asked, "What are your names?"
Jan and Luciel told him their names.
"Jan and Luciel, well, very nice names." Nichs praised while he stroked the heads of the two children a few times. His smile never faded once, and his face was filled with a hue of happiness.
In his heart, he wondered if Luciel and Jan were fully human or were they also lycans?
***
At the royal pce of Riga, Karenina, who had managed to calm herself down, decided to return to her father''s manor in Hauntingen.
"Are you really leaving?" the queen asked her worriedly. "Aren''t you feeling unwell? Why do you want to travel?"
Karenina shook her head and wiped the droplet of tears from the corners of her eyes. "I... I can''t stay here after..."
She bit her lip.
She was conflicted about what she should do. The king used her of lying and didn''t seem to want to take ''responsibility''. She tried to kill herself once and failed.
Now, Queen Marianne had maids watching over Karenina all the time to prevent her from taking such actions again. It was actually endearing, knowing that the queen cared about her that much.
Even the king didn''t want her dead. He tried hard to save her at the expense of revealing his true self to Karenina. However, he was gone immediately after. Karenina didn''t know where he went and he didn''te to see her after the incident.
That means, he also still did not want to take responsibility to marry her even though everyone in the royal pce already knew they ''slept together'' and his mother had announced his wedding ns with Karenina.
People talked and gossiped about the incident where Karenina tried to take her own life and the fact that the king didn''te to see her. This was all too much for Karenina to bear.
Now, she just wanted to scream her lungs out and unleash her frustration. However, she couldn''t do it because she was in the royal pce and she had to mind her attitude. She badly missed being in her own home where she could do whatever she wanted.
She loved it in the royal pce, especially after her status was elevated to be a princess. However, now, after five years, suddenly this ce felt like a prison.
"Are you really not happy here?" Queen Marianne asked again.
Karenina shook her head weakly. She looked up to the queen and forced a smile. "No, Your Highness... I am just... I am just missing my father and my hometown."
She didn''t care about her hometown before and in five years only came back to visit less than four times. However, now, she suddenly wanted to go back. She needed space to think and make a decision on what to do with her life.
The queen looked at Karenina sympathetically. "I know it''s hard to be in your shoes. I promise, as soon as my son returns, I will ask him toe to Hauntingen and get you back. He should at least do it because you are his future wife."
Karenina smiled bitterly and nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness. I will rest in my hometown and calm my mind."
"Very well..." The queen patted Karenina''s back. "I hope you can refresh your mind and be happier after you spend some time in Hauntingen. I also wish that..."
The queen was silent. She looked at the young woman with a cautious gaze. "Please, don''t tell anyone, including your father, about what you saw... in the tower."
Chapter 303 So, You Are A Friend Of Our Moms?
Before Karenina left the capital, the queen wanted to make sure that she would not tell Viscount Verhovent about Nichs turning into a lycan. That''s why she asked her not to say anything about what she saw in the tower to her father.
Karenina smiled and nodded obediently, even though she wasn''t going to do what the queen said. She couldn''t help but tell her father such a big thing.
In addition to getting some space for herself and calming down her mind, her real purpose in wanting to return to Hauntingen was because she wanted to tell her father about the fact that the king was a lycan.
"I understand, Your Highness," said Karenina respectfully.
"Take care and see you soon."
Karenina curtseyed to show her respect and then left the queen''s residence. She went straight to Hauntingen.
***
Lucas'' eyebrows dropped sharply. Anyone could see how he didn''t like that Luciel and Jan now chatted andughed with Nichs.
Nichs'' attitude was so friendly to Luciel and Jan that they quickly liked him, while Nichs was obviously happy to chat, joke, and exchangeughter with his two children.
"So Uncle is a friend of our mother''s?" asked Luciel.
"Well, I came here to meet your mother, but the guard said that your mother is away. Is that true?" Nichs didn''t trust Lucas at all. But he did believe in Luciel and Jan. They would tell him the truth.
"Um. That''s right, mother and father are away," Jan exined. "They are on a..."
He turned to Jan, asking for his help with the unfamiliar word. Jan added on his behalf. "They are on a romantic getaway."
His words immediately caused Nichs''s broad smile to fade.
The man was displeased to hear that Sophie was out with Duke Romanov on a romantic getaway, and at the same time, he was saddened that Jan and Luciel called the other man their father.
Nichs'' heart was filled with jealousy, but he tried to suppress the feeling.
"Are you all right, Uncle?" Jan asked him in concern.
It snapped Nichs out of his daze. The king pulled back his wide smile, then nodded and said he was fine.
Not long after Nichs gave his answer, Lucas came over to them. Max and Duncan were seen following him from behind.
As he saw the arrival of the three men, Nichs immediately stood up, and that was how he faced Lucas again. The Beta red at him, his attitudepletely hostile.
Lucas'' unkind attitude towards Nichs left Jan and Luciel feeling confused. They had never seen the Beta behave like that to anyone else. All their life, they knew Lucas as a very easygoing and friendly man. Why did he act so hostile toward this friendly uncle?
"What''s wrong, Lucas?" Luciel asked the Beta. His brows furrowed in confusion.
"Max, Duncan, please take Luciel and Jan inside," said Lucas tly. His eyes never left Nichs'' figure. The two men immediately led the boys into the manor as soon as they heard the Beta''s orders.
"Do you want to go out with your own two legs, or do you need to be dragged away?" Lucas asked coldly. He gave Nichs an intimidating look, but the king wouldn''t easily lose his temper even though he was extremely irritated.
"The host can''t possibly be kicked out by his guest," Nichs said. He reminded Lucas that he was the king of the Riga Kingdom.
"I am the ruler of this territory, and you are staying here because I allow it. If I want it, I can revoke the permit and throw you out of here." Nichs'' face was t, but his eyes threw a sharp nce at Lucas, like an eagle''s.
Even after he heard Nichs'' words, Lucas'' expression didn''t change.
"Go," he said decisively.
Nichs was silent. For a few seconds, he seemed like he was lost in his own thoughts. But surprisingly, Nichs then nodded.
"Very well... I don''t want to cause amotion today. I will leave... for now," said Nichs calmly. His eyes looked behind Lucas, trying to see the shadows of his sons but couldn''t find them. "I will be back here until yourdy returns and I could meet her. We have a very important matter to discuss."
"Don''t test my patience. Just get out of here and nevere back again," Lucas said and emphasized each word in his sentence.
"No, I will keeping back until I could meet Lady Sophia," Nichs said stubbornly. "Ie in peace. I am sure you don''t want to look for trouble while your leader is not around."
He turned around and left with his horse. Nichs decided to stay in the royal vi because it was closer to Duke Romanov''s manor. He coulde there every day easily.
Gosh... his feelings were mixed between happiness, regret, and sadness. He was overjoyed after he finally saw the two boys and talked with them. He was convinced that they were his. However, he was also deeply saddened by their circumstances.
How did he lose the woman he loved and his children? If only he could turn back time, he would do anything...
Anything to get them back.
The butler in the royal vi was surprised to see the king arrive at the gate, looking so disheveled and wearing amoner''s outfit. If he didn''t know the king so well, he might think it was a stranger who came through the gates unannounced.
"Your Majesty," he bowed down and approached the king. "Do you want us to prepare you dinner?"
It was already reallyte and Nichs had not eaten anything all day. He traveled non-stop since morning because he was so eager to reach Livstad as soon as possible.
The food given by the boys earlier was taken away by Lucas when he stormed out to chase him out. So now he was hungry. He also suddenly felt fatigue wash over him.
Great.
"Yeah, please. Just bring the food to my room. I will eat there," Nichs said.
He went to his room to take a moment to lie down for a bit. Soon, several servants came and told him that his hot bath was ready. The man took off his clothes and washed up.
After he finished and changed into fresh outfits, he ate dinner.
***
Chapter 304 Unwanted Guest
Nichs continued to visit and arrive at the manor to see Luciel and Jan. He didn''t know where Sophie was or if she was avoiding him. It''s been several days and there were no signs that Sophie was around.
However, Nichs was stubborn and kepting back. Even though he couldn''t see Sophie yet, he still felt happy to go to that manor because his arrival was always weed by the two children.
Unfortunately, it was not epted by Lucas and all the lycans that guarded the manor. In the beginning, they only showed their hostility but didn''t try to attack him because they still saw him as royalty.
While Lnd was away, Lucas tried his best not to incite war with the kingdom. However, seeing how Nichs stubbornly kepting back, Lucas and the others finally couldn''t hold back their anger.
There were two reasons why Lucas and all the lycans there were so hostile and displeased with Nichs'' arrival. First, they were not happy because they knew that Nichs was the king of a kingdom that had killed many of their people.
And the second reason was that they could smell the Alpha scent that Nichs had. As territorial creatures who guarded their territory fiercely, they considered Nichs a threat that must be removed. It was the natural instinct of the lycan.
On the third day, Lucas and five guards came to Nichs, who was now seated with Jan and Luciel on a bench in the manor courtyard. After getting to know this sweet uncle, Luciel and Jan epted him without question as a friend of their mom''s.
Nichs brought them toys and other presents and slowly he could move closer toward the manor with the two boys when they were talking,ughing, and ying with him.
This angered Lucas greatly. He could see how the boys were the king''s spitting image and he had his assumptions about the true rtionship between their Luna and this man.
As Lnd''s second inmand, Lucas felt such deep loyalty to his Alpha. He could feel how much Nichs'' presence around the Alpha''s children would make Lnd upset.
Without further ado, three guards immediately pulled Nichs up and dragged the king out of the gate while the other two guards took Luciel and Jan inside the manor by force.
Jan and Luciel revolted as the two guards grabbed them.
"GET OFF! GET OFF ME! UNCLEEE!!" Jan and Luciel screamed as they called out to Nichs. They were sad to see Nichs being treated so rudely by the Beta and the guards.
"Uncle!"
Nichs, who had just been dragged out of the gate, was silent for a few seconds when he saw Jan and Luciel being carried into the manor.
The two children shouted for him with their arms outstretched to reach Nichs. Their faces looked like they were in much anxiety as they looked pleadingly in sorrow.
Nichs clenched his hands tightly, and his gaze looked very sharp.
Lucas saw the angry expression, but he ignored it and gestured for one of the guards to close the gate.
When the guard wanted to close the gate, Nichs held the gate with both hands and, suddenly, the atmosphere around them turned cold and intense.
All the guards who were around the manor immediately felt the same threat. Those who had watched him for a while gave Nichs a sharp re. And even those who were previously seated a bit far away immediately stood up while they simultaneously turned their heads towards the gate.
The aura that Nichs gave off was so strong that it gave some of the guards goosebumps.
The aura pressure did not only affect them but also the environment around them. A crack sounded from a tree, and a few secondster, a branch of the tree snapped.
Nichs''s eyes were focused on Lucas, who was also looking at him intently and then suddenly¡.
In a split second, Nichs had grabbed Lucas by the neck and then rushed forward with great haste and rammed Lucas'' back against the manor wall.
The wall fell and shattered like a wafer.
All the guards fell silent with their mouths open, they barely noticed when Nichs shed before them.
Themotion created by Nichs made the servants panic and run into the deeper parts of the manor.
Lucas rose from the rubble, some blood dripping from his forehead and running down the left side of his face, but such a wound could not be called a fatal wound.
All the guards who had been silent now moved quickly to surround Nichs and wanted to attack, but Lucas stopped them.
"Don''t interfere," Lucas said coldly. He showed himself to be the representative of a terrifying Alpha. His pride wouldn''t allow him to gang up on the enemy. This was a problem that should be settled on a one-on-one fight.
Max wanted to object Lucas'' order. He could see clearly that Lucas was no match for this enemy. However, the Beta had bolted at Nichs, and once started, a fight was inevitable.
Lucas quickly repelled Nichs. Even though he was just a Beta, he already had a lot of fighting experience.
p Every punch hebined with a re felt incredibly powerful. Nichs felt the bones in his arm vibrate, and it seemed it would be difficult for him to fend off Lucas'' attack.
Face, stomach, legs, chest. Lucas continued to do fast attacks to break down Nichs''s defenses.
In one moment, he jumped on top of Nichs'' head, and with a very fast movement, when they were back to back, he grabbed Nichs'' hand and pulled him up.
Due to the intense tug, Nichs'' body was lifted and mmed in front of Lucas.
Blood dripped from Nichs'' nose as soon as his face hit the ground. Before Lucas could strike again, Nichs immediately rolled over, got up, and jumped back, then he turned into a lycan. Lucas immediately followed suit and transformed into a huge brown wolf.
Tension enveloped the hearts of all the inhabitants of the manor. The guards stood in line by the copsed wall while the servants peered from inside through the windows.
All attention turned to the brown and gray wolves who now stood opposite each other. The two creatures let out a low roar while showing their sharp rows of teeth.
Grrr¡
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From Missrealitybites:
So, now it''s Lucas and Nichs fighting. I will continue the outdoor snu scene, don''t worry, but I have to put it on hold for a liiiitle bit. I am joining a webtoon contest with my book and my mentee''s book. The deadline is in 12 hours and we are FAR FROM READY.
So, apologies, I will have to focus on that one first ande back here tomorrow. I really can''t wait to share with you the two new stories. They are two of my favorite stories EVER, and I think you will love them too.
I have posted some parts on my P a t r e o n, but next month I will start posting the novels here on Webnovel and maybe theic on my website (I cannot publishics on this tform, so it''s going to be either Tapas, Webtoon, or my website. Of course, P a t r e o n will still be the ce I publish the advanced chapters/episodes).
So, these are what I have in the pipeline:
1. 1912-1932 = historical story, sweet and simple, and has probably one of my most loved doting husband, Arya.
2. Odette & The Cursed King = a story by my mentee, Ogi. This is the story that gave me goosebumps. I swear no story gave me goosebumps before. I helped Ogi trante and edit her book.
3. The Sex Game = a story that has the most snusnu ever (I am going out of myfort zone by writing a steamy story with a vampire trope)
4. Catalina Ashborn = A short side story for Catalina, Loriel''s and Elise''s daughter, who was trying to live a normal life among humans, as normal as a girl in her circumstances (with an overprotective god of war for brother, the scary former king of Summeria as her father, and a powerful witch for a mother) could be.
I also n to end "The Cursed Prince" (Harlow''s story) by June, so, I can start publishing those other stories I have with me. Wish me luck!
Chapter 305 Nicholas And Lucas Fight
The first attack was opened by Nichs. He ran and jumped as he swung his ws, but Lucas immediately dodged. Nichs'' attack only hit the air, but an arcing wind wave formed and shed everything in its path.
In the blink of an eye, one part of the beautiful manor grounds turned into chaos.
After the failed attack, Nichs immediately turned around and jumped back as he sensed Lucas was charging towards him.
He jumped backward just before Lucas'' ws hit him andnded smoothly on the edge of the fallen tree. Thus, an explosion urred when Lucas'' ws hit the ground and left a fairly wide crater.
Everyone who witnessed this was tense. Not a few praised Lucas'' prowess as the Beta of the Blood River Pack. But some were very anxious, knowing that the opponent of the beta was an Alpha.
Lucas darted at Nichs, and they grappled with each other through the fallen trees. The two vicious creatures took turns tearing and ripping each other''s bodies.
Sheets of furry skin seemed to fall and scattered in various ces, along with pools of blood that gave off a rancid smell every time the wind blew.
No sound was heard other than the roar of the two creatures amid the sound of tree trunks being smashed into pieces by the impact of the two creatures'' ws.
Everyone was silent. Everyone froze.
The two wolves now lunged at each other swinging their ws, two arcing waves of air struck and shed then exploded and expanded like fireworks.
All the trees around them were blown away, the pirs of the buildings were broken. the front part of the manor copsed and fell on some of the servants inside.
"Ah!" A servant fell to the ground and was crushed by the rubble.
Luciel and Jan ran hand in hand, they managed to get out of their room not long before the roof of their room copsed.
They were very surprised to see the scene in front of them. Some of the servants died from being crushed by the building, and some were trying to get out.
Not long after, guards came from outside and helped free the surviving servants.
The two children were silent with their hearts pounding, they were tense and afraid. It was their first time seeing something like this.
"Luciel, watch out!"
Jan quickly pushed his brother away when he saw a block of ceiling fall on top of Luciel''s head.
"Are you okay?" Jan asked as soon as they got up from their vulnerable positions.
"Um. Thank you. How about you?" Luciel asked back, and Jan answered him with a nod of his head.
Everyone who saw they were fine breathed a sigh of relief after feeling so tense. They didn''t know what their Alpha would do to them if Luciel and Jan got hurt.
Back at the outside of the manor.
Nichs and Lucas, who had been tossed away from the effects of their attacks, had just risen up. Nichs was very surprised when he saw a good part of Duke Romanov''s manor copse. As soon as he remembered Jan and Luciel inside, his heart was filled with worry.
"Gosh!" Nichs dashed to go in and check on Jan and Luciel''s condition, but Lucas immediately blocked the king''s path and made an attack to stop him. It just made Nichs feel sick.
ROAAR!!
Nichs then increased his speed and fought Lucas furiously. Lucas was surprised. He also increased the speed so that their movements could not be followed by the eyes.
Over time, Nichs began to show his superiority. He managed to dismantle Lucas'' defense and do a barrage of attacks.
Head, back, chest, legs. Lucas'' skin was torn apart by the impact of the king''s ws and bites. His brown fur had turned maroon from absorbing the blood, and it wasn''t long before Lucas was sent flying through the rubble.
,m Trembling, Lucas tried to get up but couldn''t. His body had reached its limit.
***
The horse carriage stopped in front of Viscount Verhoven''s residence. After a long journey, Karenina finally arrived at Hauntingen.
Viscount Verhoven was quite surprised by Karenina''s sudden and unannounced arrival.
"Karenina, are you all right? I was very worried when I received the news that you were trying to end your life," Viscount Verhoven said, shortly after Karenina stepped out of the carriage.
"Father, can we talk inside? I have something important to tell you?"
Viscount Verhovent nodded slowly, then put his arm around his daughter and walked into the house.
After freshening up and resting for a while, Karenina began to tell her father the reason why she was so desperate to attempt suicide.
When he heard his daughter''s story, Viscount Verhoven was surprised. But at the same time, he was afraid because he saw that Karenina''s love for the king had turned into an obsession. Because of that obsession, Karenina didn''t even think twice about ending her life.
The viscount would not let his daughter do that. He was determined that he would do everything he could to get her to marry the king. Besides, the king should have married Karenina, for they had been engaged for so long.
Their family had already endured a lot of shame. After all these years, there was still no rity on King Nichs'' side.
"Hadn''t you thought about how your father felt when you did that? What if the king didn''t manage to save you? How do you think I would feel?" Viscount Verhoven always got goosebumps when he recalled the story of Karenina jumping from one of the tallest towers of the Riga Pce.
He couldn''t imagine if the king didn''t catch Karenina.
Certainly, his daughter would not survive.
Karenina felt a little guilty when she saw her father''s sad face. She didn''t know why she could be so stubborn.
At that time, she was really hit by the king''s words, plus when the king suspected her of faking it, she felt very scared.
She was so frightened that she couldn''t bear to face the fact that she had lost the king. Rather than losing the king, she would rather lose her life.
Chapter 306 Viscount Verhovens Plan
"I''m sorry, Father." Karenina hugged her father and said, "I don''t know why I love the king so much while he never loved me. He has broken my heart many times, but strangely I can''t stop chasing him. Father, I am really scared that the king will know that I am lying."
Her heart ached again, and she began to cry.
"It''s fine, Honey. But please don''t do that again. I''ll help you get the king as your husband." Viscount Verhoven stroked his daughter''s head lovingly.
After a while, he asked what important thing Karenina wanted to say, so Karenina had to go all the way to Hauntingen and not just send letters.
Karenina got up from her father''s arms and began to tell the incident when she was saved by the king.
Viscount Verhovent was very surprised when he heard Karenina say that when she was saved by the king, she saw the king turn into a lycan.
"Karenina, are you sure of what you saw? Are you sure it wasn''t a hallucination?"
Karenina shook her head. She then exined that at first, she had doubts. However, sheter became convinced when the queen told her not to tell anyone what she saw, including Viscount Verhoven.
"What do you think?" asked Karenina when she saw her father was silent.
Right now, Viscount Verhoven remembered about the wolfsbane that grew a lot in the ckwoods Forest. The previous King of the Riga Kingdom made that ce a border to block the presence of the lycans.
The viscount then suspected that six years ago, King Nichs was poisoned by wolfsbane so that he lost his memory. Then, coincidentally he was found by Karenina.
Viscount Verhoven looked at Karenina intently, then asked, "You already know that the king is a lycan. Do you still want to marry him?"
Karenina was silent. Actually, when she was on her way to Hauntingen, she had thought about it carefully. Her little heart said that the king was a good man.
If King Nichs had been willing to marry her, Karenina would ept all of the king''s ws. Including the fact that the king was a lycan.
Karenina finally nodded after a few seconds of silence. "Yes, father. I love him no matter what."
"Then there is no other choice. There is only one way to get the king to marry you," Viscount Verhoven said.
"What''s that?" Karenina looked very curious.
The viscount closed his eyes for a moment.
"You should sleep with another man," he said, which took Karenina by surprise. "And make sure you are pregnant."
"W-what did Father say?" Karenina couldn''t believe what she had just heard.
"We are lucky that the king doesn''t remember what happened that night," the viscount looked at Karenina seriously. "We can still evade the truth. If you are pregnant immediately, you can im that the child is his. We just have to find a man that resembles His Majesty."
"...." Karenia pressed her lips in shock.
"You can think about it first. If you want to marry the king, then that''s the only way to go." Viscount Verhoven crossed his arms on his chest. "Unless you don''t really want him."
Karenina fell silent again. Her heart was beating faster. She gripped tightly on her dress. She was shocked to hear her father''s suggestion. She couldn''t imagine another man enjoying her body. She felt disgusted just thinking about it.
However...
Was there any other way for her to still keep the king? She had tried everything... and even almost lost her life for him.
No... Karenina couldn''t even imagine if she had to lose the king. She would rather die...
She recalled the king''s piercing gaze when using her of lying and then the king''s dazzled gaze when she saw Sophia Romanov. Those two things stirred anger in her heart.
How could he look at another woman with such dreamy and affectionate gaze, and he never once looked at her that way? She was his fiancee for over five years.
She had endured so much to stay by his side despite his cold treatment and so many gossips out there from those other noblewomen who were jealous of her luck.
Why didn''t he ever look at her lovingly... even once?
"Think about it," said Viscount Verhoven to end their conversation. When he got up to leave Karenina''s room, suddenly the young woman called out to him.
"Father..." She bit her lip and tears slowly fell down from her eyes. "I..."
"Yes?"
"I... will... " Karenina wiped her tears and steeled her heart. "I will do it."
"Very well." Viscount Verhoven looked pleased by his daughter''s decision. "We will execute the n as soon as possible. Prepare yourself for tonight."
"T-tonight...?" Karenina choked on her words.
That was extremely fast. She almost thought her father had thought about this n even before she brought up the issue.
? Had Viscount Verhoven been thinking about it and prepared for this possible scenario?
"Do you want to marry the king or not?" The viscount red at Karenina. "Don''t you want to be the queen of Riga?"
Karenina lowered her head. She squeezed her dress tightly. She would... lose her virginity to... a random man that her father choose?
She closed her eyes.
She only wanted to do it with Nichs. She loved that man and she only wanted to sleep with him. She never dreamed of letting another man see her naked body.
She felt disgusted by the n.
"Stop being wishy-washy. Make up your mind," Viscount Verhoven scolded her. He came to Karenina and grabbed her shoulder tightly. "Don''t make our family embarrassed by failing to marry the king. Do you have any idea, how those other people will mock and insult us? Do you want to embarrass our family??"
"No, father..." Karenina cried harder.
"Get yourself ready. Tonight at six, I will send the man to your room."
The viscount left the room in long strides, leaving Karenina feeling disgusted about herself. The young woman dropped to the floor, sobbing.
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__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I know you all want to throw tomatoes... or even cow dung at this father-daughter duo... hahahahhaha... I''m totally fine with it, as long as you don''t throw tomatoes at me... nyehehe.
Please bear with it for a bit. They can try all schemes and whatnot, but Nichs wouldn''t budge. So, don''t worry. I am not a fan of NTR trope.
Anyway... myics are done for 3 eps each. You can check the visuals now if you want:
"1912-1932" is at bit.ly/19121932
"Odette & The Cursed King" is at bit.ly/odettic
They are still in Indonesian. I will trante both stories into English soon and publish all the eps to my P a t r e o n and next month probably I will start publishing them onic tforms and bring the novels to Webnovel.
If you want to be my patron, my patreon is at p a t r e o n/missrealitybites (remove the space).
Pssh... bothics are joining a contest now. So, if you could tap love on each episode (even though you don''t understand thenguage), I''d really appreciate it.. ahhahahah.
Much love, MRB
Chapter 307 Under The Stars
In her bedroom, Karenina now sat in front of the mirror. Two maids were sent to her bedroom to help Karenina with her dress and makeup, probably unaware of why they were told to do it.
She had stopped sobbing and bit her lip so hard, it bled. She smiled bitterly and asked herself why she was doing this¡ but she no longer found the strength to stop.
Too much of her time and effort was wasted on Nichs and if she turned back now, there really was nothing left. Was it self-sabotage to see it through the end? She no longer cared.
After they finished with Karenina''s dress and makeup, the two maids left, leaving Karenina, who now sat and looked nkly at her reflection in the mirror.
"Is this really what''s going to amount to my life?" she whispered to herself.
Not long after, tears welled up in her eyes again, and she began to sob. However, a few momentster, she stopped crying and wiped her tears. After that, she walked to a table.
At the table, she had prepared three bottles of wine. She nned to get herself drunk so she wouldn''t be able to remember the events that would happen tonight.
She began to take one by one bottle and drank all the contents. Not a momentter, the drink had made her drunk.
Karenina was still drinking when the man her father sent opened the door and entered the room. With her eyes slightly blurred, she saw a brown-haired man walking towards her, but before long, she saw the man as King Nichs Hannenbergh.
She started hallucinating and immediately wrapped her arms around the man''s neck.
"Nichs¡ you''ve made me wait so long," she said, caressing the man''s cheek, and the man smiled.
"This is the first time you smile so sweetly at me. I''m very happy," Karenina said.
She still saw the man in front of her as Nichs. Her brain had tricked her mind into thinking that the man before her was Nichs, the man she loved.
"I am sorry to keep you waiting..." the man said. "What can I do to make it up to you?"
"Well..." Karenina smiled broadly, her eyes watered and she cupped the man''s face with both hands, then tip-toed to give him a kiss.
The man chuckled. He kissed her back. He felt so lucky because the Viscount hired her to do a very important job and paid him handsomely. He didn''t know the woman he had to have sex with was the viscount''s daughter herself.
He knew Karenina was so beautiful and she was supposed to marry the king. He didn''t know the story and what made them resort to this scheme, but he didn''t care as long as he could reap a benefit.
The man began to do his job. He put his arms around Karenina''s hips and caressed them. She was melted by his touch and started to squirm.
Her sobs had now changed to sexy moans. The fake Nichs grinned. He could feel his pants tighten and his desire went through the roof. He raised a hand and pinched her chin. He kissed her on the lips again, this time more passionately.
Karenina weed his lips excitedly and returned the kiss. She thought it was the king who kissed her, the man she loved so much.
The man started to take off his clothes and Karenina''s clothes.
"Make me yours, Nichs," said Karenina and hugged the man tightly. She was very happy in her hallucinations.
The man carried Karenina to the bed and started to enjoy the girl''s body greedily, while Karenina just closed her eyes, enjoying everything that happened. Every now and then, she winced in pain but at the same time, her body was shivering with joy.
In her mind, she was currently making love to the king.
***
Sophie curled up in Lnd''s arms while the man spooned her from behind. They were sleeping naked under the stars, as she wished. It was amazing. She could feel the wind on her skin. It was amazing.
It didn''t feel cold at all because her mate''s body warmed her up. He would even shift into his wolf form near dawn when it was the coldest so she could feel the warmth from his fur.
This was the second night they slept outside under the stars. They would make love sweetly,y down on the fur, and watched the night sky, talking about trivial things.
In such a short time, she felt so much closer to Lnd than they had ever been in their six years together.
Maybe he just needed that push to open up? She assumed that much. He knew so many things and when he spoke about the stars, the trees, the temperature, the desert, the rivers, ces he had visited, Sophie could only listen in awe.
When he realized how much she loved listening to his voice, talking about whatever he had in mind, Lnd tried to make words out of his thoughts and spoke more. He still struggled to express his feelings properly, but at least he could share information.
"Lnd," Sophie turned her body around and faced Lnd. She touched his cheek with one hand and observed the big scar on his face.
His injuries had recovered by now, but surprisingly some of the wounds left ugly scars on his body. She thought this was unusual since normally they were healedpletely.
She wondered if it had something to do with who his opponent was. Maybe if they were both equally formidable, the damages caused by their attacks would leave marks like this.
She wanted to ask the question but decided against it because she didn''t want him to think she was superficial and cared about looks. Didn''t she marry him when she thought he was ugly and deformed?
After six months of being in a ''contract marriage'', she started falling for him despite his looks and finally decided to ask him to make their marriage work.
Chapter 308 Sophie Is Feeling Worried
"Yes?" Lnd opened his eyes and looked at her dotingly. He thought she had been asleep because her breathing was very soft and she didn''t make any sounds for a while.
They just had sweet lovemaking under the stars and she looked satisfied and tired after the deed. So, he let her rest. Did something wake her up?
Were there any small animals like ants that disturbed her peaceful sleep? This was one of the problems with sleeping outdoor for humans.
They could take care of the surface by covering it with fur, but they couldn''t possibly make sure there would be no ants around them. Lnd didn''t feel bothered by them, but for his mate''s delicate skin, ant''s bites would be a bother.
"I can''t sleep," Sophie said weakly. "I thought I was tired but after I closed my eyes, I became fresh again. And now I am restless."
Lnd looked at Sophie quietly for a few moments. He didn''t know what she wanted to say.
Did she want to have another round of sex to tire her? His manhood was immediately hardened at the thought. He was ready if she needed him again.
Sophie batted her eyes in surprise when she realized something big and hard suddenly poked her lower body. Then she startedughing.
She immediately understood what was in Lnd''s mind. It was very easy to guess when his body gave all the clues.
"Oh no... ahahaha... I don''t mean that..." she said between her stifledughter.
Lnd became embarrassed for misunderstanding her. His ears became red, even though his expression was t like usual.
"Do you want to go back to the hut?" Lnd asked. He sat up and looked at her more attentively. "Maybe you need a morefortable space to sleep."
"No... not that," Sophie shook her head and calmed herself down. "I am fine here. In fact, I love it."
Lnd looked at Sophie, waiting for her to exin what she wanted. She looked away from his nakedness and his towering manhood. It felt inappropriate to have lewd thoughts about him when her intuition as a mother made her think something bad happened to her sons.
That was the reason why she couldn''t sleep. Something inside her feel restless and worried about Luciel and Jan. She tried to brush it off because she knew Lnd was right that the manor was the safest ce for the kids to be.
Who would dare bother Luciel and Jan with so many lycan warriors around them?
Lnd still looked at Sophie questioningly, waiting for her to continue. If she loved it out here then why didn''t she look happy? Something must be troubling her mind.
"I guess... I am just..." Sophie sighed. "Maybe I am missing the kids? I keep thinking about them."
She suddenly felt bad about saying it. She and Lnd never had this type of getaway without the kids from the first time they got together.
She loved having this precious moment with her mate, during her pregnancy. Wasn''t this what people call ''babymoon''? If she kept worrying about their sons, it would feel like she didn''t trust Lucas and the others to watch over them.
"Oh..." Lnd nodded.
He looked at Sophie lovingly. He loved spending alone time with her without other people, including the boys.
However, seeing how much she loved and worried about Luciel and Jan, warmth seeped through and filled his heart. He saw a loving and caring mother, a figure he never had in his life.
Lnd was d that their children had such an affectionate and loving mother, as it should be. He wondered what it would feel like to have his mother worrying about him and, for once, truly cared.
"We can head back if you''d like," Lnd offered.
"Hm... I don''t know. It''s been only two days and I am already missing them and worrying about them," Sophie sat up and massaged her temple. "I don''t want to be a smothering mother who is always worried."
''You won''t," Lnd said calmly. "If you are worried, we better get back."
He got up and reached out his hand to Sophie. The woman was stunned to see Lnd took her worry seriously. Wasn''t she just feeling unreasonable here?
"You think we should go home?" she asked him. Lnd nodded.
"Yeah. Parents and children bond is the strongest after mate bond. If you feel so worried about them all of a sudden, I am sure something happened to them," he exined. "I don''t want to take risks and brush it off."
Sophie took his hand and looked at the man with furrowed brows. If he said the parents and children bond was that strong, why didn''t he feel it...?
Ah...
Sophie pressed her lips, feeling bad all of a sudden.
? Lnd was not the biological father. He didn''t have that bond that Sophie had with her sons. However, he must take it really seriously that he believed Sophie even if she was not sure herself.
"Do you think something bad happened to the kids?" Now Sophie''s eyes started to water. "Oh my god... Now I feel bad for leaving them. We shouldn''t have gone."
"Let''s get ready and head back," Lnd rubbed her hair and then crouched down, ready to transform. "I''ll shift. You can just ride my back. We should go back to the hut and take our stuff. Then immediately head back to Livstad."
"Oh... okay," Sophie nodded. She was now feeling more worried than before. Gosh... did something bad happen to her sons?
Did the Royal Lycan Huntere to attack the manor?
Sophie and Lnd cut their romantic getaway short because she was feeling worried about Luciel and Jan. She didn''t know that it wasn''t the Royal Lycan Hunter who came to the manor but Nichs.
He actually didn''te to attack anyone. He just wanted to see her and the boys, after slowly getting his memories back. He stubbornly came back to the manor every day to get a glimpse of the children and, finally, he could spend time with them.
This angered Lucas who felt for his Alpha and attacked Nichs. Both men sustained injuries and unfortunately, so did one of the boys.
Chapter 309 Lost Time, Missing Opportunities
Nichs couldn''t sleep well that night. His injuries from hisst fight with Lnd were not yet healed properly, but he already got into another fight. Gosh... He was not this aggressive before. Why did he suddenly be so easily agitated and get into fights?
Maybe it''s his lycan side slowly showing his true self? He knew those monsters were animals and only knew how to fight and show aggression. It must be also the reason why that guard in the manor looked so hostile toward him.
Nichs massaged his temple. He was lying down in bed naked in his wolf form. It was easier to sleep without clothes on so that his clothes wouldn''t get in the way of the salve he used to medicate his wounds.
Once he was feeling sofortable with himself, he shifted into a wolf without even trying. This made Nichs realize that sleeping in his wolf form was the best for him in this condition.
Clothes wouldn''t get in the way to heal his injuries. He was also kept warm from the cold temperature by his thick fur.
The man tossed and turned on his bed. He kept thinking about the two boys. Where were they now? Were they okay? Where was their mother... and their stepfather? How could Sophie leave Luciel and Jan with strangers for days and didn''t return for them?
Romantic getaway my foot! Nichs realized he was really jealous when he thought about how Sophie was away with Duke Romanov to have romantic moments.
Did she not think about him even once? Did she not recognize Nichs in the royal party? Nichs growled. Arrghh!!
His mind went back to the fight earlier. He remembered the annoying lycan who fought with him tonight was always there from day one and showed hostility toward him. When they fought so fiercely, Nichs remembered thinking this was not the same lycan who fought with him in the meadow.
That one was a more formidable one. He thought if Duke Romanov really worked together with lycans, he would keep the strongest one near the children to protect them from the enemy''s attack. However, that white wolf was nowhere to be seen. He also didn''t help Lucas when the man was cornered and lost the battle.
Come to think of it... it''s so suspicious.
Did Sophie know she was surrounded by lycans in that manor?
,m Or...
Nichs suddenly shifted back into a human. His eyes bulged and his heart pounded so hard, it felt like it would leap out of his body.
That white wolf!
He pped himself on the head. Why was he so slow??
That white wolf must be Duke Ariam Romanov himself! That was why he was not around when Nichs came. The wolf was not there because he was going away with Sophie. That dark duke must be a lycan.
In fact, he might be the Alpha of the pack, seeing how much his men seemed to revere him.
So... did Sophie know the man she married was a lycan? Did she find out before or after they got married? Did that mean... she epted the man for who he was? A monster and whatnot...
This made Nichs look down at himself and smiled bitterly.
Did Sophie know he was a lycan too when she married Nichs? If she knew and epted him, then why did he bother trying to get rid of his lycan side?
Now that he was older and wiser, he realized he had made such a naive and awful decision back then. As long as the people who loved him could ept him for who he was, then the rest didn''t matter.
He thought about it deeply and finally sighed. Nichs realized the person he needed to ept his lycanthropy was actually not Sophie.
It was himself.
Nichs realized he must have hated his lycan side so much and was so determined to ''cure'' him from lycanthropy that he took that much wolfsbane that ended up ruining his life.
Meanwhile, Sophie epted the other man even though he was a monster. Not only was he a lycan, but he was also deformed. Yet, when Nichs saw her enter through the door with such a big smile on his face, he realized Sophie was really happy.
Tears started forming in the corners of his eyes. She would have epted him no matter what.
Nichs shouldn''t have taken that risk. And now he had lost her.
He really wanted to kick himself in the head again, but he was injured everywhere and he didn''t even have the energy to do it. So, he dropped himself to the bed and looked at the ceiling.
Things started to be clear to him. He now knew his past. He knew what happened to Sophie. He knew that he had children. And now he knew Duke Romanov and his people were lycans and their arrival back in Riga after five years was so suspicious, especially after the attack on Armeria.
Did theye here to do the same thing as the other pack did to the royal family of Armeria? Nichs was not sure how much power and resources they got. The manor could hold over 100 people. Was that enough to attack and invade the kingdom of Riga?
Five years ago they tried with almost five hundred lycans and they failed. Would they be so stupid to try again but with less power and resources? Did they have more men ced somewhere hidden?
Did they also work together with the lycans who invaded Armeria to attack Riga at the same time?
There were so many things to think about. Nichs became restless and worried. He had found out so much useful information just by being a lycan. All this important information had escaped his spies. He gritted his teeth, thinking how ipetent they were.
Wait...!
The two lycan pups that he saw in the meadow weeks ago...
Nichs winced his forehead, finally seeing his stupidity. They must be Luciel and Jan.
Dammit! Why are you so dumb? Nichs scolded himself. He sat up on the bed and buried his head in his two hands and growled angrily. He couldn''t help but shed tears, crying for the lost time and missing opportunities.
***
The healers were quickly summoned to take care of Lucas'' injuries. They took the wounded wolf to his room and tended to his wounds. When the men were busy fixing the damaged gate and saving their friends who were hurt by the copsed wall, suddenly Luciel''s scream pierced the night sky.
"Jan is hurt!! Help!"
The boy was found hugging his unconscious twin whose head was bleeding profusely. Apparently, big rubble hit Jan in the head during one of the moments when the walls and roof copsed from the fight.
Luciel was hit too and he passed out. When he woke up, he found his brother was injured and didn''t wake up. He immediately got up and checked Jan''s condition. The boy''s breathing was very faint and blood kept flowing from the wound on the back of his head.
Luciel immediately cried and screamed for help. Duncan got to him first. He felt his heart drop to the floor when he saw what happened. He felt like a failure.
He should have kept an eye on the boys every second, to prevent this freak ident from happening. He thought the boys were safe in their room. How could he know that the fight would be so fierce that it would cause such damage to the manor building?
Now, how could he show his face before the Alpha again?
"Oh, by moon goddess'' grace..." Duncan felt like crying. "I am so, sorry..."
He crouched down and took Jan''s body. He quickly take the boy to another building and screamed for healers to check on him. Meanwhile, Luciel ran quickly following Duncan. He wanted to make sure his brother was safe.
***
Sophie was d Lnd offered to return to Livstad immediately. The closer they got to home, the more worried she became. She didn''t know exactly what happened, but somehow, she could feel something bad had happened.
"Please, faster..." she whispered weakly. Her hands hugged Lnd''s neck as and she started crying. She didn''t know why. Her mind was a mess. Being pregnant didn''t help.
Lnd could run faster if he didn''t have her on his back, but since he was carrying Sophie, he had to keep his pace slower so that she wouldn''t fall. He could tell she was anxious and impatient, but there was nothing he could do to calm her down.
He felt so bad that he couldn''t feel anything from the boys. They didn''t have the same bond as what they had with Sophie. They were not his biological children.
This made him feel so angry.
.
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
ODETTE & THE CURSED KING
I have been helping my mentee, Ogi, trante and edit her story "Odette & The Cursed King" for two months now and I have been crying andughing throughout the process.
I LOVE that story, maybe a little more than I love my own. I feel so attached to the male lead who I think is a veryplex man. I just love him! I even pay to turn the story into aic because I really want to see the storye to life in pictures.
Because of that consideration, I have suggested Ogi not sign the book to Webnovel with an exclusive contract because then we won''t be able to continue theic.
Therefore, we n to publish the novel through a third party in April. It will be avable on Webnovel, but since it''s through a third party, the author won''t be able to respond toments, much like trantion books. The publishing would use a separate channel.
However, I really can''t wait to share it with you now. Well, at least the early chapters, so you would know why I am so in love with the book. You can now find the book on Webnovel. Just search by the title "Odette & The Cursed King". The cover is green. You can see it in thement.
Please go there, read the early chapters and let me know your thought.
LOVING THE CURSED WEREWOLF KING
My other mentee, Gigi, has published her story and I am so happy to see she finally wrote her first snusnu scene.. lol. Suprisingly... it is REALLY GOOD! I love the love scene between Ronan and Arielle. It is super sweet and wholesome. You will get to read it in a few days.
If you haven''t read Gigi''s book, go read now. It''s really sweet and fluffy. The title is "Loving The Cursed Werewolf King".
As you can already guess, I came up with the titles.. hahahaha. I might have a penchant for cursed male leads.
Chapter 310 Kareninas Frustration
It was morning, the sun shone in and entered through the window. Slowly, Karenina started to open her eyes and as expected, she didn''t remember what happenedst night. But she clearly remembered her n.
Instantly she felt suffocated. She saw her body under the nket, and she was wide-eyed when she found herself naked.
Karenina woke up, her head felt dizzy, and her body felt crushed. When she realized that she had lost her virginity, she started crying and screaming hysterically.
She felt disgusted with herself, but she kept reminding herself that she did all that to marry the king. It was also to take revenge on the king, who had hung her love for five years by not giving her any rity.
After days spent on grief and utter regret, Karenina hardened her heart and made up her mind that she was going to keep King Nichs stuck with her.
Meanwhile, Viscount Verhoven had started an investigation to find out the reason why Nichs hade to Hauntingen six years ago.
As soon as he returned from the royal pce for his daughter''s birthday, he gathered his informants and ordered them to seek information about Nichs in the surrounding viges. He gave the informants a painting of Nichs to help with their investigation.
The informants immediately set off to carry out orders. They asked people around Hauntingen while showing a portrait of Nichs.
"Excuse me, have you seen this man? He is our missing brother," one of the informants said to a middle-aged woman. "We have been looking for him everywhere, and thest news we received from him came from this town."
"Oh, I am sorry, young man," the woman said, shaking her head after she observed the painting. She said apologetically. "I don''t know him. I wouldn''t forget him if I had met him. He looks very handsome."
"Ah... thank you. Well, if you remember anything or if you saw him, would you mind letting us know? We are staying in Blue Dragon Inn in the town center. We''d really appreciate it and will give you a nice reward for any information on our brother."
"Definitely," The older woman nodded. "Perhaps, you can also try asking our vige head. He might know people who have seen him."
"Thank you, Mam. We will do it."
Day after day passed, they moved from one vige to another until they finally met the vige head who had married Nichs and Sophie.
When they showed him Nichs'' painting, the vige head recognized him immediately. He told the informants how a few weeks ago he met Nichs Ferdinand.
"Nichs Ferdinand?" The informant furrowed his brows. "Are you sure that''s his name?"
Both of them exchanged nces. So, the vige head recognized the man in the picture they showed him, but he called him by another name? This was really interesting.
"Yeah. I can''t forget him. He looked like a good man. Together with his wife, they were such a lovely couple. I know the wife well since she grew up in this area and I also knew her parents," exined the vige head.
"Oh, that''s very interesting. We are wondering if perhaps you can tell us what happened back then? We need to find him."
The vige head told the informants about his meeting with Nichs, and he also expressed his concern with the man''s condition.
"He looked very frustrated looking for his wife''s whereabouts," said the vige head, which surprised the informants.
"His wife?"
"Yes. His wife. He said he lost his memory. And that was how he got separated from his wife. I wish Sophia Hansley well and that she can see her husband soon."
The vige head''s words provided the information Viscount Verhoven needed. Once the informant returned, they convey everything they had heard and this made the Viscount very surprised.
***
"The vige head knew King Nichs Hanenbergh as Nichs Ferdinand. He said that a few weeks ago, Nichs Ferdinand came to Hauntingen to look for his wife," one informant exined to Viscount Verhovent.
"What did you say? Looking for his wife?" Viscount Verhovent looked very surprised at what his informant had to say.
The informant nodded. "That''s right. His wife''s name is Sophia Hansley," he said and surprised Viscount Verhovent a second time. When he heard the name ''Sophia'', he immediately thought of Sophia Romanov. It made him wonder if Sophia Romanov and Sophia Hansley were the same person?
"Alright. You can go and tell the maid to call Karenina to my room."
After they heard the orders, the informants immediately retreated and left the room.
Viscount Verhoven clenched his fists to the sides, as he went into deep thinking. Now, so many things started to make sense. How Nichs could end up in Hauntingen six years ago, and the fact that he was hiding such a dark secret of him being a lycan.
While he waited for Karenina to arrive, Viscount Verhovent recalled when King Nichs and Sophia Romanov stood face to face at Karenina''s birthday party. At that time, the king looked at Sophia Romanov with great interest.
It seemed that the gaze was not necessarily because the king was fascinated by Sophia Romanov''s beauty but for another reason. Even though he didn''t remember anything, the king must have felt something special toward that woman.
Then¡ Viscount Verhovent now remembered the look on Sophia Romanov''s face when she saw the king. The woman was very shocked. From there, Viscount Verhoven assured that both Sophias (Sophia Hansley and Sophia Romanov) were the same person.
He pulled out a drawer on his desk and drew out a document. It was a document given to him by the informant he had assigned to find out about Sophia Romanov the day after Karenina''s birthday party.
The report hade a few days ago, but he had not had time to check it because his focus was shifted to the news about Karenina trying to end her life.
When he opened the document, his suspicions were proven correct. In the report written about Sophia Romanov''s personal data, her real name was Sophia Hansley. She lived in Hastings, at the house of her uncle and aunt and she had studied at the Cawden Academy.
The door opened, and Karenina entered the room. "Father, did you call me?"
"Um. Sit down."
After Karenina sat down, Viscount Verhovent informed her that he had sent people to find out why the king hade to Hauntingen six years ago.
"Then how did it go?"
"Very surprising."
Karenina had a confused expression, but that expression was soon reced with surprise when she heard the exnation from her father, who said that six years ago, King Nichs came to Hauntingen as Nichs Ferdinand and he married a girl named Sophia Hansley, whom they now knew as Sophia Romanov.
? Karenina''s eyes widened in surprise, she could barely believe her own ears.
Since her birthday party, she had suspected that Sophia Romanov and the king were hiding something, but she never thought that the two had ever been married.
Instantly she remembered the pair of boys who hade with Sophia at that time and suspected that the two children were the king''s biological children.
When she thought of this, it made Karenina feel very tense, her face turned pale, especially when she remembered how much Queen Marianne loved the two children. She tightened up even more and started to break out in cold sweat.
"F-Father, no matter what, we can''t let them reunite," she said shakily, then quickly got out and ran to her room.
When she arrived in the room, she immediately screamed in frustration and violently threw things out of her sight. Her hatred for Sophia Romanov only grew.
The maids who identally passed by Karenina''s room and heard the sound of things being broken, along with Karenina''s frustrated screams, were both surprised and confused.
When she was younger, the youngdy was meek and never even raised her voice. Although curious, they decided to ignore it and chose to get away from trouble.
In her room, Karenina now curled up beside the bed. She clutched her head and started to cry.
She was very frustrated as she realized that her path to being with the king was too difficult. She had done a lot, but obstacles always came.
After a while spent on angry hot tears as shemented her fate, she stood up and walked towards the mirror. For a few seconds, she was motionless as she looked at her own reflection. But she was surprised when she suddenly saw her reflection change to Sophia Romanov.
"You?" She was wide-eyed and stepped back spontaneously. Her entire body lurched back as if she encountered a monster. "How dare you show your face in front of me," she said with words full of bitterness. Her eyes stared intently at the reflection of Sophie she saw in the mirror.
Her anger only grew when she saw Sophie smile.
"Why are you smiling? WHY ARE YOU SMILING?!" Karenina shouted as she grabbed the vase and threw it into the mirror until it shattered into pieces.
The maid who stuck around and heard the sound of the mirror became worried about herdy. She immediately ran over and reported to Viscount Verhoven.
Viscount Verhoven was taken aback and he didn''t waste any more time. He immediately went to see Karenina. When he arrived at the door of Karenina''s room, he tried to enter, but the door was locked from the inside.
The man grew worried that Karenina would do something reckless again, so he immediately looked around for a weapon, grabbed an axe held by one of the ornamental suits of armor and then broke down the door.
After the door opened, he immediately approached and hugged Karenina, who was sitting on the floor crying.
.
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I''m sorry, I can only publish 1 chapter per day for the next 5 days. I am assigned to work at a conference on another ind for 5 days (eight hours a day) and it will be really tiring for me to write anything. I will go back to publishing 2 chapters per day after I return. xx
Chapter 311 The Upset Parents
The maids who followed him were silent in the doorway. The maids were surprised when they saw the state of the room, which was very messy.
"Father, I won''t let them get together," said Karenina as she sobbed. Before he gave his response, Viscount Verhoven first took a look and gave a warning look that sent the maids standing in the doorway to run away.
"Karenina, calm down. Right now the king doesn''t remember anything about his marriage to Sophia. Besides, Sophia is now the wife of Duke Romanov. So they won''t be able to be together again."
Karenina rose from her father''s arms and said that they could still be united because the child with Sophia that night was the offspring of the king, not Duke Romanov.
She knew, when the king''s memory recovered, he would definitely do his best to get his family back.
Karenina stood up, as did her father.
"Father, I need to get pregnant soon and get the king to marry me. After that, even if his memory recovers, the king won''t be able to return to Sophia Hansley."
Karenina had made up her mind. She would do everything to get Sophia Hansley out of Nichs'' life. She then asked her father to get his hired man to go back to bed with her.
Viscount Verhovent was taken aback by Karenina''s words, but they hade this far, so heplied with his daughter''s request. "As you wish."
Karenina didn''t say anything. After her father left, she clenched her jaws and got up to get a bottle of liquor. She had asked her maid to get some from her father''s liquor cab. She knew she would need a lot of it in theing days.
***
When Sophie and Lnd finally arrived back in the manor, they were shocked to find the manor was damaged and some of their men died, Lucas was heavily injured and Jan was unconscious.
"Oh, my god...!!!" Sophie immediately jumped down from Lnd''s back as soon as she saw the damaged gate and the rubble on one side of the manor. She almost fell but Lnd immediately shifted into human and caught her.
"Be careful," he said, still in a calm voice, even though his heart thundered at the sight. From what he saw, there must be an attack or a fierce fight happened in the manor. He wondered who came and attack his people.
"Luciel!!!" Sophie staggered and stepped back from Lnd and continued running inside. She immediately saw Luciel running out to her and hugged her.
"Mommy..!!" He started crying and this made Sophie''s heart skip a beat. She instantly had a bad feeling about Jan. Usually, Jan would always be around Luciel and he would alsoe running to her like this. However, the boy was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Jan?" She crouched down and asked Luciel seriously. "What happened here?"
"Something happenedst night," Luciel sobbed. "Lucas was fighting against Uncle Nichs and their battle destroyed some parts of the manor... a big rubble fell on Jan''s head and he''s been unconscious ever since."
"Oh my god...." Sophie didn''t know where she got her strength. She picked up Luciel and ran inside the manor. She screamed and asked anyone where her other son was being treated. Tears streamed down hard on her face.
Gosh... she shouldn''t have gone.
Lnd immediately wore his pants and ran after her. He reached Sophie right before she entered the room where Duncan said Jan was treated. His sharp eyes observed their surroundings and tried to guess the fierceness of the battle fromst night.
Did Lucas die? Lnd suddenly felt so sad because of the thought. He liked Lucas. The Beta was the closest Lnd ever had to for a friend. He cared about Lucas and didn''t wish to see him die.
He had heard Luciel mention Nichs'' name. So Lnd immediately assumed it was Nichs Hannenbergh, the king of Riga.
Anger filled his heart. He wanted to go after Nichs and make him pay for what he did. However, he knew he must check Lucas'' and Jan''s conditions first and make sure they were saved before he could do anything else.
When the door was opened, Lnd and Sophie found Jan was lying down on the bed with his eyes closed and his head was bandaged. His chest was heaving up and down so softly from his weak breathing. His face paled.
"Oh, Jan..." Sophie ran to the bed, put down Luciel, and sat by Jan''s side. She looked up toward the old healer who was standing nearby. "How is he doing? Are his injuries serious?"
"Luna... he is hurt in a vital part of his head," the healer said apologetically. "He is in critical condition and lost a lot of blood. Right now, we can only wait."
Lnd felt his heart drop to the floor when the healer spoke. It sounded really bad. His heart ached for Sophie and Luciel who looked devastated. Soon, the room was filled with her despondent sobbings.
Lnd stood by the bed, unmoving. He was really angry and wished he could just go out and chased Nichs and kill him on the spot.
Didn''t he know that they should never fight near children? They would be in a vulnerable situation when adults were fighting because they could be coteral. Exactly like what happened to Jan.
He wanted to hear what exactly happened from Duncan, checked Lucas'' condition, and determined his next steps. So, Lnd quietly slipped out through the door and motioned Duncan to follow him.
He strode toward the courtyard and stood like a statue, waiting for Duncan to reach him. When the lycan came and bowed down, Lnd asked him what happened.
"The king of Riga came here every day since three days ago," Duncan reported. He looked distraught and tired. He was so stubborn even though Lucas chased him out. After three days, Lucas finally lost it and attacked him. They had an intense fight."
"Here?" Lnd asked to confirm. Duncan nodded. "How could Lucas be injured? How bad are his wounds?"
Duncan sighed. "Lucas told us not to gang up on the man, and..."
Lnd knew Lucas would do something like that. He was not a coward who would rely on his numbers to attack the enemy. Normally, it was fine, it was what a real man would do.
However, just for this once, Lnd wished Lucas let the others help him. Nichs Hannenbergh would be probably dead by now and their mission in Riga would be aplished.
Once the king was dead, it was only a matter of time to kill the others and destroy the royal family''s grip on Riga. He could take over this kingdom and... secure Sophie and the boys for himself.
Gosh... Lnd really wanted Nichs dead. Why must the man return and ruin everything all of a sudden? Lnd would rather Nics die and stay dead.
"What did he do here every day before Lucas fought him?" Lnd asked again.
Duncan rubbed his temple. "He kept saying he wanted to meet Luna. He had something urgent to talk about with her. He imed to be Luna''s old friend. He insisted toe every day until he could see her."
''Old friend, my foot.'' Lnd scoffed. He asked Duncan more questions. "Did he talk to the kids?"
"Yeah. They actually yed together. Luciel and Jan seemed to like him a lot."
Duncan''s response made Lnd feel so irritated. Duncan noticed the change in the Alpha''s expression and could tell he was increasingly angry. He felt Lnd''s cold aura was intimidating him. The killing intent was scary.
"Do they know who he is?" Lnd asked again. "What did he tell them? Did he tell them who he is?"
"No. I don''t think so." Duncan started to feel ufortable. he was not blind and could see the simrities between Nichs and the twin boys. When the three of them were together, anyone could see that they were father and sons. The facial features and their smiles were almost identical.
Duncan suspected that was the reason why Lucas challenged Nichs for a duel. He was angry on Lnd''s behalf. That''s how loyal Lucas was to their Alpha.
"Take me to Lucas," Lnd finally said. "Tell me how bad his condition is."
Duncan walked with Lnd to the east building and showed the Alpha where Lucas was being treated by their healers. The beta sustained so many injuries and was in a lot of pain, but he was still awake and was even trying to sit up on his bed when he saw Lnd enter his room.
"Alpha... I am sorry I failed you..." Lucas looked embarrassed disappointed in himself for his failure to defend Lnd''s honor.
Lnd said, "Just lie down and rest. I need you to be stronger so we can get back at them when the timees."
"I will recover in no time, Alpha. Don''t worry about me."
Lnd nodded. "Thank you for protecting my family. I will always remember what you did for me."
He patted Lucas'' shoulder gently and then turned his gaze to the healer. "Tell me his condition."
The old healer bowed down a little. "Lucas got extensive internal injuries. He will need weeks to fully recover."
"Weeks??" Lucas was startled by the statement. "No, healer. I will be fine in days."
Lnd didn''t listen to him. He trusted his healer more. The Alpha took a deep breath. "We should find a new ce to stay and avoid the royal lycan hunter and the royal family temporarily."
Chapter 312 Leland Takes Responsibility For What Happened
Lnd came back to see Sophie and the children. He talked with the healers and they told him it was not wise to move the injured child to a far away ce in his condition. Because of that, Lnd was forced to stay back in the manor.
He immediately told his men to bury the dead and fixed the manor as much as possible. He also sent some people to sneak into the capital and the royal vi to find information about the king and the royal lycan hunters.
They needed to be on guard in case their presence was found out and the royal army was hunting them.
"What happened while we were away?" Sophie looked at Lnd with a sharp gaze when her husband entered the room. She had stopped shedding tears for Jan simply because she had cried so much and now her tears were dry. "Did Nichse here? Did he cause this destruction?"
Her voice was hoarse and her expression was a mix of anger and sadness. Lnd had never seen her looking this upset.
Lnd nced at Luciel who was sitting beside Sophie. His face looked sad and miserable. The boy was usually always happy and loud, but he had been so quiet all day. It ached Lnd''s heart to see both his son and wife in this condition.
"I am sorry," he said softly. "It''s my fault."
He was used to taking the me for all the bad things that happened around him. Whether it was because he was incapable, he was not strong enough, or not wise enough. That was the bad habit he maintained after years of being subjected to his mother''s abuse who kept telling him he was never good enough.
However, this time, he honestly admitted that he had a contribution to what happened to Jan. What Lucas did was a reflection of what he would do. He realized his Beta knew him so well and cared so much about him that Lucas did what he did.
Lnd could imagine if he was in the manor when Nichs came and get all chummy with Luciel and Jan, his heart would burn in the same anger that Lucas felt, or even worse, and Lnd would also attack Nichs.
The fight would be inevitable. He knew they shouldn''t fight around children, but when their hearts were blinded by rage and jealousy, the two men might not pay attention to their surroundings and hurt the children too, unknowingly.
This time, Jan was hurt. What about next time? What if Luciel, Sophie, and their unborn children got hurt too? How could he live with himself?
"Why did you say it''s your fault?" Sophie gritted her teeth. She knew Lnd''s bad habit and didn''t want him to take responsibility for something that was not his fault. "Luciel said Nichs came here and fought with Lucas."
Lnd motioned Duncan to take Luciel because he wanted to speak to Sophie without the boy present. "Luciel, you have to eat something, and then you must try to get some sleep. You look really tired."
He helped the boy get on his feet and rubbed his hair lovingly. Luciel pursed his lips, not wanting to leave his mother''s side, but Sophie understood what Lnd wanted and she forced a smile and patted the boy''s back.
"Go, eat something, and rest. Mommy will go and see you very soon."
Luciel couldn''t say no to his mother. He finally nodded and took Duncan''s hand and left the room. Lnd also told the healers to leave. Soon, there were only him and Sophie, sitting by Jan''s side.
"Lucas attacked him," Lnd said tly. "He had beening every day and insisted on seeing you. Slowly he started to get the kids to like him."
"Oh..." Sophie pressed her lips in surprise. Both she and Lnd knew what it meant.
Nichs had truly regained his memory. He must havee here because he remembered being married to Sophie and... he must already guess that Luciel and Jan were his sons.
So, this was it.
It happened so fast, faster than what she expected.
"Lucas is my Beta. I take responsibility for what he did," Lnd continued. "Of course, the king is responsible too."
He went silent. His eyes caught sight of Jan. Somehow, seeing the boy suffer, his resolve and stubbornness to fight Nichs in a life or death battle wavered.
One had fallen victim. Lnd would be devastated if Jan didn''t survive and he would carry the guilt with him to his grave.
Lnd crouched down and touched Sophie''s knees. "Soon, he and I will have an open war. When that happens, I don''t want you and the children to get hurt by being the bystanders. I hope you would listen to me and leave. Whoever wins, means he is the stronger one among us and he deserves to be the one to protect you and the children."
"Lnd...!"
The man continued his words. "I know you have said that you take my side, and I am grateful for your love and support. I am the happiest man in the world. However... I cannot let you and the children stay with me if I am not strong enough to protect you, and I don''t want you all to stay here and witness the ugly war and worse... be the victims."
Lnd must mean everything he said because for the first time he uttered so many words in one go. His words left Sophie speechless.
***
Karenina had slept with the man her father hired for ten days in a row. As days went by, she became numbed by what happened and went on to do the deed without feeling anything.
The only feelings throughout the whole ordeal she had were probably bitterness and anger. She no longer felt disgusted. She only hoped she would get pregnant as soon as possible.
When their family doctor confirmed that she might be expecting, she didn''t even feel joy. There was just relief washing over her being.
Ha. The king could no longer call her a liar. She would return to the royal pce with the news that she was pregnant with the king''s child, and Nichs couldn''t refute her im.
Queen Marianne had asked the royal physician to check Karenina''s condition after she was found naked and ''assaulted'' in the king''s bed, but of course, the physician was in on their little scheme from the beginning.
He confirmed Karenina was no longer a virgin. However, apparently, her im was still not good enough because Nichs still insisted she must have lied since he didn''t remember what happened.
Even after Karenina tried to kill herself, he still wouldn''t budge. That truly hurt Karenina''s feelings and pride. Now, she would make sure the king would not have a way to get away from her.
"Don''t think you can get rid of me now..." Karenina muttered to herself in front of her mirror. "Not after you took five years of my life. I will make you pay for my sufferings..."
She couldn''t wait to tell the king the news of her pregnancy and wanted to know how he would react. But before that, she still wanted to take care of one thing.
"Father, I want all the info you got on Sophia Hansley. I will go to Hastings and confirm for myself about Sophia Hansley''s marriage to the king," Karenina said to her father.
After she got what she wanted, Karenina immediately got up from her seat. But before she left, she said, "The man I have slept with, I want Father to kill him so that there are no witnesses."
"Before you asked for it, I already did." After saying that, Viscount Verhovent exchanged a smile with Karenina.
***
Karenina went to Hastings in disguise. She started her search for information and visited Cawden Academy because ording to information from her father''s informant, Sophia Hansley had studied at the academy.
She thought she would easily get information, but reality said differently because Sophie''s ss had graduated six years ago. Many teachers and administrators had also been reced.
But after trying more, she finally met an old man, one of the senior guards who had been at Cawden Academy for ten years.
The man also told Karenina about Sophia Hansley, but the information he gave was not very useful for Karenina because he only knew Sophia as a very talented student who always excelled in every lesson. But, she was often bullied by other students and her two cousins.
"Two cousins?" Finally, Karenina got something that she thought could provide information about Sophia Hansley, who was married to Nichs Ferdinand.
The guard nodded with a frown. "They are Lucia and Valerie. They never miss an opportunity to badmouth their cousin, even though I know Sophia is a good child," he said.
From his words, Karenina concluded that Lucia and Valerie hated Sophia. Maybe she could get the two women to work together to destroy Sophia Hansley.
"Do you know the addresses of Lucia and Valerie?" she asked, which made the guard a bit confused because he had thought the woman in front of him wasing to look for Sophie.
"You said they were cousins, ??right? So maybe Sophia lives with them." Karenina quickly corrected her words as soon as she noticed the guard''s suspicious face. "I just wanted to know where she is now. She was an old friend from Hauntingen and I miss her dearly."
Chapter 313 Karenina Is Investigating Sophies Cousins
To confirm the truth of Sophia Hansley''s marriage with the king, although she felt very displeased, Karenina suppressed her pride. She decided to go to the streets and asked the homeless people she met along the way.
Finally, after days of searching, one of her men came and told her that he had found Valerie and Lucia Limberg. Without dy, Karenina immediately asked to be escorted to meet the two women.
Karenina was annoyed because the route she had to take was a narrow, muddy road, plus on one side of the road, there was a drain filled with garbage. The smell was so strong that she felt like throwing up.
"Here?" Karenina asked to be sure when her guards stopped their horses in front of two very shabby looking huts.
Karenina was reluctant to get off the carriage. She almost gave up her intention, but suddenly she saw two women in shabby clothesing out of one of the huts.
"Who are they?" Lucia asked in confusion.
"We''d better go back in. Maybe it''s the loan sharks who still want to collect our father''s debt," said Valerie with a tense expression.
"Lucia and Valerie."
The two siblings turned back when they heard Karenina call their names. They nced at each other for a moment when Karenina walked up to them, followed by two of her bodyguards.
Inside their minds, Lucia and Valerie wondered who the woman that was currently walking towards them was. She wore an expensive dress and from her appearance and her demeanor,they could tell she was a woman from a noble family. What did she want here? This was no ce for rich people.
"Who are you?" Lucia crossed her arms and raised a brow.
"Are you Lucia and Valerie Limberg?" asked Karenina to be sure. "I am looking for two women with those names."
The two siblings didn''t answer right away. They looked at Karenina''s appearance from bottom to top. They didn''t know who Karenina was, but when they saw the woman''s clothes and jewelry, they knew that she was from a wealthy family.
"Who are you?" Lucia finally spoke up.
"My name is Cecilia." Karenina faked her name. She added, "Can we talk for a minute? There''s something important I want to talk about."
Lucia and Valerie were silent. They just looked at each other.
"Don''t worry, I know how to thank you. I just need some information and I was told that you could help me," said Karenina, to which Lucia and Valerie immediately agreed. Neither of them would miss anything that could bring them money.
They then invited Karenina and her bodyguard into the hut. Since there were no chairs, they had to sit on the floor.
"I hope you''refortable," Valerie said as soon as Karenina sat down. Karenina just smiled and assured them that it was no problem for her.
Lucia and Valerie''s current life was really poor. Neither of them married the son of a rich noble or the son of a royal official. Lucia was married to a farmborer, and Valerie was married to a tavern keeper. Helga, their mother, had died due to an illness, and their father was still in prison for fraud.
Before long, Valerie, who had walked in, came out carrying a tray of water and snacks that Karenina would never want to touch.
"Thank you," said Karenina as she put on a fake smile.
"Sorry if I''m being rude, but I''m really curious about what you want to talk to us about. I mean, you look like youe from a rich family, and yet here you are, going to a slum just to see us, so it must be really important." Lucia was being very friendly because she knew the woman named Cecilia could give her money.
? "Actually, I need your help," Karenina said without further ado.
"We''d be very happy if we could help you," Valerie said, smiling at each other with Lucia. "So, what can we do to help?"
"I want you to give me information about Sophia Hansley and Nichs Ferdinand," said Karenina. It immediately made Lucia and Valerie feel surprised. They were very confused as to why Cecilia wanted to know about Sophia and Nichs.
"Why... Do you want to know about them?" Lucia couldn''t contain her curiosity.
"Do you mind giving out information about them if I don''t tell you my reasons?"
"N-no. Not at all." Lucia''s gut told her that the beautiful woman before her had something interesting that they would like to hear. She looked at Karenina curiously.
"Thank you for your understanding, but one thing you should know, I am a person who really hates Sophia," said Karenina. She remembered what the academy guard said about Lucia and Valerie, who always badmouthed Sophie. "I heard that you have issues with her."
Karenina''s statement again surprised Lucia and Valerie.
How did you know? Who told you that?" Valerie asked Karenina.
"Someone in town. I was looking for Sophia Hansley. We were both from Hauntingen and thest time I heard she went to Hastings. So, here I am." Karenina exined. "I heard that she is your cousin?"
Valerie clenched her fists. She remembered her good life in the past. Her family was rich and she got everything she wanted. She also hung out with kids of wealthy and noble families. She was even a queen bee in school.
However, her family''s bad luck started when they took that orphan in. She was bad luck! Not only was she fancied by all men that Valerie and Lucia liked, one day, she even destroyed their family.
Suddenly, Valerie''s and Lucia''s father was arrested for fraud and was sent to jail. It''s been six years and he was still there.Their poor father. Their wealth was confiscated and now they had to live from scraps.
They suspected that Sophie had something to do with their fall from grace. Everything happened right after they bullied her and she ran away from home after stealing their mother''s jewelry.
Valerie and Lucia eventually got their suspicions confirmed when they found out that Sophie married the mysterious Duke Romanov. They immediately understood that everything that they went through must have been orchestrated by him.
Even Richard Lancaster was beaten up to a pulp and ended up paralyzed from the waist down, and he finally killed himself. Only someone of Duke Ariam Romanov''s level who could do that to a mayor''s son and got away with it.
This made Valerie and Lucia terrified and they went low to avoid getting persecuted further. They only showed up again after they heard Duke Romanov and Sophie left Hastings. Both their hearts were filled with rage. However, there was nothing they could do against such a powerful man.
They could only keep their hatred to themselves. Today, however, all the rage and hatred had finallye up to the surface. Karenina smiled, seeing the two sisters'' hateful faces.
"I see that she must have been awful to you," Karenina tilted her head to see them better, then she smirked. "Don''t you want to make her pay for what she did to you?"
"I..." Before Lucia could say anything, Valerie had gripped her arm and looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Let me handle this," she said coldly. Valerie was older and slightly wiser than Lucia. Yes, she held a deep grudge toward Sophie, but she realized in their situation, revenge wouldn''t do them any good. So, she thought of something else.
She turned to look at Karenina and said, "You look rich and you went through the hassle of finding us, just to get more info about Sophie... when you already know some."
Karenina stared at Valerie, didn''t say anything. She could tell that this woman was smarter than her sister. So, Karenina waited to hear what Valerie wanted from her. Because, of course, she must want something.
"I think the information you need from us is very valuable," Valerie cleared her throat. "I wonder how much are you willing to pay for it."
Karenina smiled mockingly. Ahh.. she should have known, poor people like these two rotten women before her were after her money. She looked at Valerie and Lucia carefully and assessed them. She could tell that these two women could look pretty if they wore nice dresses and took care of themselves, much like herself.
Losing all their family''s wealth overnight must have been such a shocking or traumatizing experience for them.
"How much do you want?" Karenina asked back. She took out a money pouch from her bag and shook it. Valerie and Lucia could hear the sounds of coins rattling from inside the pouch. Karenina added, "This is all gold."
"I want 10 gold coins," Valerie said curtly. It was a lot of money and they could live a good life again with it. She didn''t know if this woman would be willing to pay that much for the information, but she wanted to try and push her luck. If Karenina would haggle,then Valerie would take any money she could get.
"This is 50 gold coins," Karenina tossed the pouch onto Valerie''sp. "I think that''s enough."
GASP! Valerie thought she just hit jackpot. Karenina must be a really wealthy woman that she could throw away that much gold without even giving it a thought.
And the information she needed about Sophie Hansley must be worth so much to her. Valerie wondered what did Sophie do to offend this very wealthy woman.
"This will do," Valerie said. She took the pouch and checked the contents. She smiled. There were a lot of gold coins in that heavy pouch. "Now... where should I start?"
Chapter 314 Nicholas Injuries
***
The vi guards were shocked when they found the king came through the vi gate with serious injuries on his body. Two of them immediately ran to hold the king''s body that looked like it was about to fall.
"Your Majesty!" They arrived on time. Nichs lost his strength two seconds after one of the guards led him to walk. He passed out.
Blood dripped and sttered on the floor as he went downstairs into the vi.
"What happened?" A maid who passed them asked frantically.
"Don''t know. Call a doctor quickly," said one of the guards in a panic.
p The servant immediately ran to call the doctor. His face was pale and covered in a cold sweat because this was about the safety of the king.
Meanwhile, the guards managed to bring Nichs into his room and they quickly noticed the king''s clothes were torn and he looked like he was attacked by a beast.
The guards exchanged nces.
"Do you think His Majesty was attacked by a wild animal?" The first guard asked his friend. The second one took a good look at the king and let out a long sigh.
"It looks like it. I just hope it''s really wild animal because..." he halted his words. The first guard furrowed his brows and wondered why his friend hoped it was really a wild animal. That sounded a strange thing to say.
"Huh? Because...?"
The second guard swallowed his saliva. "Because the other possibility is too scary to mention."
"What do you mean? What could be scarier than being attacked by a vicious and wild animal?"
"Uhm... werewolf?" The second guard looked at his friend intently. His expression was now filled with worry. "I saw simr wounds on soldiers attacked by lycans five years ago. I hope I am wrong though. It''s scary to think that lycans are getting closer to our capital. Do you remember what they did to the citizens of Armeria? It''s horrific."
"Oh... you are right." Now the first guard realized that his peer was right about hoping that the king was truly attacked by a wild animal. They could easily hunt and kill bears, tigers, or whatever animal there was... but if it''s a werewolf, it would only mean one thing. The enemy had infiltrated Riga.
Soon, another war would break out between the kingdom of Riga and the werewolf tribes. War would take so many lives and they would live in fear. In the worst-case scenario, Riga would end up like Armeria.
The werewolf tribe that invaded Armeria burned one-third of the capital, killed so many people, and enved the rest. The former king of Armeria was tortured so badly that he ended up killing himself one week after Armeria fell to the hands of the enemy.
Nobody in Riga wanted to have the same fate as Armeria who now were all fleeing their country and trying to find refuge among other nations. They had witnessed the influx of refugees entering Riga. They had lost their home and their everything.
"I hope you are wrong though...." the first guard looked at his friend and then at the king who passed out on the bed. "Let''s wait for the doctor and listen to what he said."
***
Nichs wasid in bed. There were four servants and guards who stood by his bed, ready to do his orders after he woke up. When they saw his condition, they all felt very concerned.
hey didn''t know what exactly had happened that the king could be so badly injured but they were very worried.
"Oh, my God. Please save the king." A servant sped his hands together and prayed.
It wasn''t long before the doctor came and his reaction was like everyone else''s. He was very surprised to see the condition of the king. He put down his medical bag on the bedside table and quickly checked the king''s condition and treat his wounds.
He was helped by the guards and servants to clean Nichs'' body. After that, he did his best to stop the king''s injuries from bleeding.
Had Nichs not been a lycan with a much stronger physique and healing abilities, he might not have survived after fighting two powerful lycans in such a short time.
Nichs'' body had been badly injured during the fight with Lnd and after fighting Lucas, his body finally reached the limit of its strength.
"I have treated all his injuries and given him sleeping medicine so he could rest," the doctor said. "Don''t say anything to the outsides that our king is currently sick. This is confidential."
The doctor had known Nichs almost his whole life. He understood that Nichs wouldn''t want people around him during his recovery from his injuries because it would attract so much attention. That''s why he told all the guards and servants to keep quiet.
"Understood, my lord," The servants and guards all nodded in unison.
"Good. Let me know if something happened to him." The doctor took ast look at Nichs and then he sighed.
He could tell that Nichs''s wounds were really caused by werewolves, however, he wouldn''t share the information right away, because he didn''t want to cause panic. He would wait until Nichs woke up and ask the king what they should do.
***
When he was unconscious, Nichs had a dream, he was having dinner with Sophie in their small hut. They did the cooking together and she was smiling so sweetly when Nichs asked her to taste the soup he made. Not far from them were Luciel and Jan who were running aroundughing happily.
Nichs'' life wasplete because he had his wife and sons back. He couldn''t stop smiling.
The dream was so beautiful that unknowingly Nichs''s pale face was now decorated by a sincere smile. It did not escape the eyes of the doctor and the people who were standing by near the unconscious king.
"He''s smiling?" A maid mumbled. "Did something good happen? But he is badly injured and we still don''t know who attacked His majesty."
"It seems the king saw something beautiful in his dream," exined the doctor, but he and the others were a little surprised because suddenly saw the king cry.
"Don''t go. Please." Nichs was delirious and he was getting restless. Along with that, his breathing became irregr.
The doctor tried to call the king and calm Nichs down.
Meanwhile, in his dream, Nichs was currently in a dark vacuum. Up ahead, he saw Sophie, Luciel and Jan leaving with Duke Romanov. Sophie looked especially beautiful today. Nichs shouted and ran after them but his hands could not reach them.
"Don''t go, I beg you!"
Tap!
Sophie''s steps halted, as did the three people who had been walking with her. The woman turned and looked at Nichs. His eyes were crying but his lips were smiling.
Nichs was stunned. He couldn''t decipher the expression Sophie was showing right now. While he was still trying to find an answer, Sophie turned her back to him again, as did Jan and Luciel.
"No. Don''t go!" He tried to catch up but a blinding light suddenly appeared and devoured him.
"Your Majesty. Your Majesty. Can you hear my voice?"
Nichs heard someone call out to him in a slightly panicked tone.
"Who?" He tried to open his heavy eyelids then because he could faintly see the image of a man.
"Your Majesty."
"Ha?" Nichoals''eyes blinked before he could finally see things clearly.
"You''re awake."
Nichs looked at the doctor next to him then looked around. There were several maids and guards who looked worried about him. Immediately, shes of memories came to his mind and he remembered his fight against Lucas.
"What happened, Your Majesty?" The doctor asked curiously, his eyes wandered around the king''s body.
Nichs paused and recalled his battle with Lucas. Soon, he remembered half of Duke Romanov''s building being destroyed. Oh, he hoped Luciel and Jan were all right!
"Do you need anything from us?" asked the doctor when he saw Nichs was lost in thought and only answered him with a small nod.
Nichs looked at the doctor and servants around his bed. He could see the suspicions on their faces. No matter what, he must not let them know that he got wounded when he fought with a lycan in Duke Romanov''s manor. He didn''t want the news to reach Noel and the Royal Lycan Hunters.
As long as Sophie and the boys were there, Nichs would make sure nobody from the Royal Lycan Hunter would get close to that manor. He didn''t want to risk their safety.
"Please don''t ask me anything. Can''t you see I''m hurt?" Nichs snapped. "Just do your job and let me do the thinking."
"Oh.. understood, Your Majesty. Please forgive my impudence," the doctor said apologetically. "I will wait for your to get better."
"You and the others can leave now," Nichs said, interrupting the doctor''s words quickly. Then he closed his eyes. He was too weak and couldn''t even think of a reason why he could be hurt like that.
For a moment, the doctor and servants exchanged nces. They were actually very curious and want to know why the king could be injured like that, but when the king didn''t want to talk about it, then what can they do?
"Will do, Your Majesty."
The doctor and everyone present left the room. The doctor asked two maids to stand in front of the door and watch the nurse from outside.
"Stay here just in case His Majesty needed you," he told a servant who immediately nodded respectfully.
Chapter 315 The Queens Visit
Nichs told his people in the royal vi not to let his condition be known to people outside of the ce, but of course, they couldn''t lie and keep covering it up when the queen''s informant came to look for the king and found out his condition.
Queen Marianne had not seen Nichs for weeks and she started to feel worried. Nichs only told her he needed to go to Hauntingen to find out what happened to him six years ago.
After Karenina left the royal pce and Nichs still didn''t give the queen any news of his whereabouts, Queen Marianne felt so lonely being on her own. She decided to ask her trusted butler to send an informant and find out Nichs'' news.
The queen was surprised to hear that Nichs had returned to Livstad for a week and was now resting in the royal vi. The queen was curious to know her son''s findings in Hauntingen, so she set out to visit Nichs in their vi, on the outskirts of Livstad.
"Gosh... my son..." the queen murmured frantically when she entered the royal vi and the butler told her that the king was injured and was now resting in his room to recover. "What happened? How bad are his injuries? Has the royal physician seen him?"
The butler, whose name was James, nodded respectfully. "Yes, Your Grace. Doctor Edgar hase and treated His Majesty sincest week. The king is doing much better than before."
"Why didn''t anybody tellme that he is hurt???"
"I am sorry, your grace. It''s the king''s order. He saidhe didn''t want people to find out his weaknesses." James said apologetically. He quickly added, "He also didn''t want Your Grace to worry about him."
"Uff.. my foolish son," the queenined to herself. She waved at James and asked him to take her to see Nichs. "I will always worry, no matter what. That''s just how mothers are."
Queen Marianne decided to ask Nichs in private to find out what happened and how he ended up injured. She was worried that it had something to do with Nichs being a lycan. These people in their vi might start to be suspicious if she forced them to tell her the chronology of the event.
***
When she entered the king''s room, Queen Marianne''s heart dropped to the floor. She could see Nichs looking pale and his body was bandaged in several ces. He was asleep.
"Thank you, James. Now, you can go." The queen turned to the butler and waved at him. "Your duty for today is done. You may leave."
"Thank you, Your Grace." James bowed down and then left the queen alone. He closed the door behind him.
Queen Marianne pulled up a chair and beside Nichs. She took Nichs'' hand and kissed it. Her left hand was still holding Nichs''s as her right hand moved and stroked her son''s head.
Her heart felt like it was stabbed when she saw her son lying weak and looking very helpless. Then, her tears started to fall when she recalled every memory she had with Nichs and how she had struggled so far to hide the fact that Nichs was a lycan.
The queen hid the fact not only from the people but also from her husband. She took little Nichs here and there and made various excuses to the king so she could make sure Nichs'' life was safe even though they lost precious time as a whole family in return and their bond with thete king was weak from the start.
That reason made him very sure that if the king knew Nichs was a lycan then he would not think twice about killing Nichs even if the man was his own son.
It wasn''t that she was d her husband had died but, to be honest, there was a part of her heart that felt relieved when she no longer had to worry about his reaction if he found out about Nichs'' condition.
The time when she had to hide Nichs'' lycanthropy was the most difficult and tense years of her life. She was so happy when she thought that Nichs had recovered from his lycanthropy.
She felt the heavy burden he had carried for so many years off his shoulders but deep inside she was still unsure if the curse was truly lifted or his condition was just dormant until god knows when.
As years passed by and her husband gone, slowly she finally find peace. However,st month, her worst nightmare returned when Karenina told her she witnessed Nichs partially transformed into a lycan.
The trouble she thought was over was now weighing heavily on her even more so for Nichs. Her son must be a lot more burdened, plus now that he''s lost his memory, he became very frustrated thinking about his past.
"Ah." Nichs was restless in his sleep turning right and left. Queen Marianne immediately calmed him down. The woman held her son''s head which almost fell off the pillow.
"Shhh shhh. Calm down." She ced her index finger to his mouth and calmed Nichs like she would a baby. As Nichs quickly calmed down, she smiled. Queen Marianne was reminded of the time when Nichs was a baby.
"My dear child." She kissed Nichs on the forehead affectionately. "Everything will be fine, you won''t go through this alone. Just like before, I will protect you and take care of you no matter what."
She smiled and then wiped her tears. She decided to sleep by Nichs''s bedside to make sure she was here by his side when he woke up.
***
The next morning, Nichs opened his eyes and was slightly surprised to find a woman''s head leaning on his shoulder. Just by looking at the woman''s blonde hair, he could immediately tell who the woman was.
"Mother."
One low call woke Queen Marianne up.She immediately got up and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes were filled with relief when she saw Nichs look much better.
"Nic, are you awake? How are you feeling?" she asked after straightening his back and rubbing his face.
"Much better. How long have you been here?" Nichs was surprised by the presence of his mother in the royal vi at this time. Uff, she must have seen his injuries and was now feeling really worried.
"I am fine, mother," he said as casually as possible.
"How can you say you are fine??" the queen shook her head in frustration. "Did you get in a fight? Who dared attack the king of this kingdom?"
Nichs perked up his ears to make sure there was nobody around his room that could listen to their conversation. Then he decided to answer his mother''s question and told her the truth.
The queen was not dumb and he wouldn''t be able to make her believe he was attacked by regr thugs. It was better to tell her the truth but show her that he was capable of protecting himself.
"I fought some lycans and got minor injuries," Nichs yed down his injuries. "I am fine otherwise. I intentionally didn''t inform you because this is nothing. You know lycans have great healing and regenerative abilities."
"Lycans?" Queen Marianne thought Nichs must have encountered the lycans around Hauntingen because that ce was close to the border and there might be some lycans from Armeria who bumped into him.
"Yes, they are quite nasty, but I am fine, mother." Nichs''s heart ached when he saw how his mother suddenly look so sad.
"My poor, poor son..." she muttered to herself and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Then, she looked at her son seriously. "Did they attack you when you went to Hauntingen?"
"No... I met them here in Livstad," Nichs said.
"Livstad?? Where?" The queen pressed her lips in shock. "Why don''t you send the Royal Lycan Hunters, together with our royal army to attack them and wipe them out of Riga?"
Nichs took a deep breath and massaged his temple. What he was about to tell his mother was a big secret that nobody could know, because it was rted to Sophie''s and their children''s safety.
After Queen Marianne openly told Nichs she would support him no matter what, even though he had turned into a monster, Nichs felt more at ease around his mother that now he didn''t mind telling her about his biggest secret.
When he found out the queen had also suffered for his sake, Nichs'' perspective of his mother slightly changed. She might be happy if she knew she already had grandchildren and wouldn''t care if they were not humans.
"I can''t do any of those things, mother," Nichs said. "Right now, I need to think about my steps carefully, otherwise I would hurt the people I love."
"What does it have to do with this?" Queen Marianne asked again. "What do you mean by hurting the people you love?"
"Well, I...." Nichs sighed deeply. He sat up and sped his mother''s two hands with his. Then, he started to exin what happened. "I found out very interesting information when I went to Hauntingen to investigate what happened to me six years ago that I ended up losing my memories."
The queen sat in silence, listening to Nichs'' findings. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I found out that when I was in Hauntingen I got married."
"You... what?" The queen pressed her lips in surprise. "Married? To who? How did that happen? Who is she?"
"Hold on, mother. One by one," Nichs chuckled. "I will tell you everything, but one thing at a time."
Chapter 316 Nicholas And Queen Marianne
"Tell me who she is and how did you end up marrying her..." Queen Marianne looked at her son intently. "Did something bad happen to you there that they forced you to marry?"
This news was shocking to her. Six years ago... Nichs was only 21. He was too young for marriage. At least that''s what the queen dowager thought. Was her son set up by a woman?
Nichs nodded. "Yeah... something really bad happened. It looks like I took a big quantity of wolfsbane when I was in Hauntingen, to cure my lycanthropy. It had a really bad side effect. I got sick, lost my memories, and the rest... you already know what happened."
Queen Marianne pressed her lips in shock. She could finally see what happened to Nichs after he left the royal pce six years ago for Hauntingen. The queen understood why Nichs made such a rash decision by taking that much wolfsbane and it had affected his life badly.
"But.. you were there for only one month," the queen said. "You left Livstad for Hauntingen, and we received news about you being found six weekster."
She shook her head in disbelief. "How could you marry someone within that duration? Were you set up by someone? Who told you that you were married? Have you investigated it? What if they lied to you and you didn''t even marry anyone?"
Nichs stared at his mother with a confused gaze. He thought his mother would be happy to know he was already married. Didn''t she want to see Nichs settle down that she actually worked hard to make Nichs marry Karenina?
"No, I don''t think I was set up, mother." Nichs sighed. "The head of the vige told me we were in love."
"But it''s really suspicious. You were there for only one month," the queen insisted. "I cannot imagine you would fall in love with someone within such a short time. Also, you cannot just trust what a stranger told you. They might have their own agenda."
Queen Marianne started to look confused and ufortable. In her mind, the scenario was not the good one. If her son met a bad woman who just wanted to take advantage of him, the queen couldn''t see herself epting that woman.
Also, what would happen to Karenina? She was Nichs'' fiancee. They had been engaged for a long time now. Nichs also had deflowered Karenina, even though it was by ident and he imed not remembered doing that.
There was no other way for him but to marry Karenina. This new development was giving Queen Marianne a headache. Things would have been better as they were.
Nichs couldn''t respond to his mother''s statement. He believed he married his wife out of love. That''s what the vige head told him, and that''s how he felt when he saw Sophie Hansley or Sophia Romanov.
However, how could he tell his mother about it that would make sense to her? Nichs actually thought Sophie Hansley was the same little girl who helped him after he was attacked by the lycan tribe.
This might change his mother''s opinion of the woman that Nichs married. However, how could he convince his mother that his wife was a good woman and they were in love and that she was the little girl who saved his life?
Nichs only assumed Sophia Hansley was the same girl. He didn''t have proof and wouldn''t know for sure unless he could meet Sophie and talk to her.
Dammit. Today, more than ever, he hated himself for losing his memories. There were so many important things that he needed to remember.
Queen Marianne touched Nichs'' hands and looked him in the eye. "I am very worried about you. Thest thing I want to see is for you to get hurt."
Nichs suddenly regretted sharing the information to his mother about him being married. He should have known that his mother would be biased toward Karenina.
She really liked that woman and had been pestering him to marry Karenina for years. He could sense his mother''s reluctance to believe Nichs'' story about having a wife. That would ruin so many of her ns.
"I am a man, mother. I am the king of this country and I can take care of myself, as well as my people." Nichs replied. "Please, don''t treat me like a young child who can''t save himself."
He added, "All this time, I let you do whatever you want, because you are my mother and you have suffered so much for me, but there wille a time where I have to make you understand that I cannot always make you happy with my decisions."
The queen was silent for a moment. Nichs'' words were uttered calmly, but she could feel his displeasure. Was it wrong for her to look out for her son by asking questions about his so-called rtionship? It totally broke my heart.
Finally, she spoke.
"I know you are no longer little Nichs but you are still my son and I will always worry about you especially when I know your life is in danger. If I lose you, then I will not be able to live. So please take good care of yourself. When you want to go to a dangerous ce please think of me, think of how I would feel if you were hurt."
"Mother ¡."
Queen Marianne wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "I''ll make you breakfast, you must be hungry."
She decided to change the subject. Talking about Nichs'' past and knowing his secret marriage was not something the queen could take easily. She needed time to think about it.
p "Breakfast?" Nichs didn''t understand why his mother said those words and changed the subject.
"What''s wrong? Do you think I can''t cook you breakfast? When you were little I used to cook for you," said Queen Marianne, remembering that she was the first to cook and messed up the Riga royal pce kitchen.
At that time she wanted to cook because she wanted to impress the king, her husband. Someone told her that if she wanted to win a man''s heart she should always enter from his stomach, which means cooking good food for him.
Unfortunately, that didn''t work in her case.
"Really, I don''t remember, I hope the food is good," Nichs said and chuckled.
"Bad child, of course, the food is good," said the queen said, raising an eyebrow. "You always ate a lot whenever I cooked. I actually miss cooking for you."
Nichs could only watch his mother leave his room to make his breakfast, without being able to stop her.
Sigh. He regretted telling her about his biggest secret immediately after she came. She seemed struggling to ept the information and now she chose to change the subject.
After an hour, the queen returned to Nichs'' room with a bowl of homemade chicken soup. She was helped a little by the maid to make it, but still, Nichs really appreciated her efforts.
Nichs loved chicken, especially since he became a lycan, his interest in chicken and meat grew. He also started to dislike vegetables. Maybe it''s because wolves were carnivores.
Nichs got up and leaned against the pillow his mother had arranged.
After helping Nichs, Queen Marianne took the bowl of soup that she had ced on the table and sat down on the chair beside Nichs.
"After eating you have to take medicine," she said as she watched Nichs enjoy the soup she made for him.
"How is the soup?" asked the queen.
Nichs nodded his head and said, "It''s delicious. Thank you for cooking for me, mother."
As soon as he finished his sentence, a sudden pain shot through Nichs'' head and fragments of memories from his past reappeared.
He remembered himself making soup in the hut in Hauntingen after that he fed someone whose face he couldn''t remember. The figure looked blurry but he could confirm that it was a female.
"Sophia Hansley," he said quietly. Too low for the queen to hear.
"Ah!" He sighed as the pain gripped his head.
Queen Marianne became worried. She touched his arm and said, "I will ask James to call the doctor."
"Ugh... no need, mother," Nichs sat down on the bed and leaned on the headboard. He closed his eyes and massaged his temple. Fortunately, the pain subsided not long after. Nichs was relieved that it didn''tst long.
"Are you sure?" Queen Marianne touched Nichs'' forehead and Nichs replied with a nod. "Quickly finish this and then take your medicine."
Nichs obeyed his mother. He finished the soup then took the medicine after which hey back down because he was still feeling dizzy. At times like these, he was happy that his mother was by his side.
"Mother, how did you fall in love with my father and decided that you wanted to marry him?" asked Nichs suddenly. He still wanted to talk to his mother about Sophie. Perhaps, he should try another way.
Chapter 317 Sophia Hansley = Sophia Romanov?
Note:
This chapter is dedicated to my lovely Kelly Goodwin. THANK YOU for gifting 2 spacecrafts to this book yesterday. xx
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The queen smiled faintly when she heard his question. Nichs and she didn''t talk about their personal feelings. So, his sudden question surprised her. "Why did you ask that?"
Nichs looked up at the ceiling of his room as his mind went back to the little girl from his past and he subconsciously smiled. He was sure that the girl was his first love. That girl was Sophia Hansley whom he had married.
"Because... I think I do love my wife. I know because I start to remember bits and pieces from my past," Nichs replied. "When you gave me the soup earlier, I remember making simr soup for her. I remember I made it out of love, because I wanted her to eat well."
Queen Marianne went silent. She watched Nichs who now looked dreamy, and her heart was stirred. Maybe her son was truly in love.
It was hard to believe that he could fall in love with a woman in such a short time, but maybe that could happen? Didn''t she also fall in love with her husband after meeting him for the first time?
She was enamored and infatuated with the young prince after she was brought to see him in the royal g. It was an event organized by the pce to celebrate Prince William Hannenbergh''s 25th birthday in a not-so-discreet attempt to find him a wife.
Marianne came from one of the most influential families in Riga and was immediately considered as a strong candidate to be the next queen and help William on his duty as the next king of Riga, after she came to the royal pce and met William''s mother who approved her.
If William returned her feelings, she was sure they would not waste time and get married fast, just like what Nichs imed he did.
However, William didn''t share her feelings and it took them a while to get through the courtship procedure arranged by the pce before they got married - for him, it was out of duty, and for her it was out of love.
"So, are you sure that they didn''t lie to you?" Finally, Queen Marianne decided to open her mind and listen to what Nichs had to say. "If you said you fall in love with a woman and you married her, I believe you. I just don''t trust other people, especially strangers telling you this and that."
"I understand, mother," Nichs was relieved to see his mother''s new reaction. He knew she was basically a good person. She just didn''t trust easily and was very protective of her son. He added, "I started getting some of my memories and the vige head''s stories only added to the missing pieces."
Queen Marianne bit her lip and nodded. "Very well. Tell me what you remember."
Nichs took a deep breath and then closed his eyes. He thought he could remember more things if he concentrate and focus all his mind on Sophie''s image.
"A few weeks ago when I went to Hauntingen, I managed to find some information about my forgotten past," he said slowly. "And I am not talking about six years ago, but fourteen years ago."
"Fourteen years ago?" The queen furrowed her brows. "You were thirteen."
"Yes. Did you remember what happened to me when I was thirteen?" Nichs looked at his mother intently.
"You were..." The queen swallowed. "You were kidnapped."
''You were kidnapped and turned into a lycan by the enemy.''
She didn''t dare say the whole thing. Every time she remembered how Nichs was turned into a lycan after the incident, she felt like crying.
"Someone saved me," Nichs reminded his mother. "Do you remember that?"
The queen nodded. "Yeah. You did say a young girl saved you, but when we came there to thank her, she was gone."
"Her name is Sophia Hansley," said Nichs. He smiled when he saw his mother''s eyes looked surprised.
"Did you find her?" the queen couldn''t help but ask.
"Yes," Nichs nodded. "I think I did. I am not sure, but my heart told me I did, and when I found her, I fell in love with her... and that''s why I decided to marry her."
"Huh?" The queen couldn''t follow Nichs'' words. "I don''t understand."
"Sophia Hansley. She is my first love," said Nichs firmly. "That girl appeared in my dreams many times and then my dreams always ended with her growing up into a young woman."
"So, she is still alive?"
"Not only alive but also... I have met her when I went to Hauntingen six years ago," Nichs exined. "I think I know why I married her in secret."
"Why?"
"To force you and father to ept our rtionship," Nichs replied. "I must have thought that if I married her before I took her to see you both, you and father would have no choice but to ept her as your daughter-inw."
"Oh..." The queen, knowing herself and her husband, understood how Nichs could think that way.
Nichs was the crown prince, the future ruler of Riga. He must marry a woman from his level. She could be a princess from the neighboring kingdoms or a daughter of one of the most influential dukedoms in the country, but definitely not a poormoner from a vige.
So, it made total sense if Nichs fell in love with amoner, he would have to force his parents to ept the woman he loved.
Getting married immediately was a method he could use to force the king and queen to let her marry the woman of his choosing.
"Unfortunately, my n didn''t work because I ended up getting sick and I lost my memories of her." Nichs'' voice was hoarse when he spoke. "I only started to remember what happened after my lycanthropy was awakenedst month."
He added, "I still don''t remember the whole thing. Right now, it is mostly bits and pieces but I believe the woman I married was the girl who helped me fourteen years ago and I''m currently looking for her."
Queen Marianne was silent.
She could see how Nichs was deeply in love with the girl he believed saved his life 14 years ago when he was kidnapped by the Blood River Pack.
Was she really the same girl? The queen truly wanted to believe it. If Sophia Hansley truly saved the king when they were little, it would make her worthy of bing Nichs'' wife even though she was just amoner.
"Did you know what happened to her now?" The queen decided to ask. "When you came to Hauntingen, did you find any clues of her whereabouts?"
"Yeah, actually I did," Nichs exined. "However, I am not really sure. Not until I can meet her in person and ask her to confirm this."
"What do you mean?"
"Mother... do you remember our guests when we held the party in the royal pcest month?" Nichs looked his mother in the eye and asked her with his most serious tone. "Duchess Romanov from Frisia."
Queen Marianne furrowed her brows. "Sophia Romanov, you mean? She came with her husband and twin sons¡ª"
The queen suddenly pressed her lips.
Nichs noticed the change of expression on his mother''s face. From confusion to surprise and finally... realization.
She must have remembered how Luciel and Jan looked a lot like Nichs, her son, when he was still a boy their age. Blood didn''t lie.
They were his spitting image and, when given this context, Queen Marianne could immediately put two and two together.
"Are they...?" The queen gripped Nichs'' arms and asked with a choked voice. "Her name is also Sophia."
Nichs nodded. "Yeah."
The queen pressed her lips again. She forgot to breathe for some seconds.
"The boys look a lot like you!"
Nichs nodded again. "Yes."
"Are they..." The queen couldn''t say the words because she was too shocked. She could only mumble in disbelief. "The boys are almost six..."
She wanted to cry when she remembered Luciel and Jan and how adorable they were. When she saw them for the first time, she immediately fell in love with them. Deep in her heart, she was jealous of the Romanov couple for having such beautiful sons.
She regretted the fact that Karenina and Nichs did not immediately get married five years ago, after their engagement. She would already have grandchildren too by now. She chided herself for not pushing Nichs enough.
However... now Nichs suddenly said that the boys might be his sons? And Sophia Romanov was... his wife?
How could this be?
Sophia was married to another man. Duke Romanov came with her to the royal party and they seemed like a really happy couple.
The queen didn''t see the duke''s face because he was wearing a mask, but from what physical appearance he showed to everyone, the man didn''t seem to resemble his sons.
So, was it possible that Sophia Hansley married Duke Romanov after Nichs left and never returned? The woman might have thought Nichs died. So, she went to find protection from another man.
Gosh... this was such a mess.
"Nichs, do you really believe Sophia Romanov is your wife and the boys are your children?" Queen Marianne asked. "I need to know."
Nichs took a deep breath and nodded. "I believe so. However, I need to see her again and confirm everything."
"Yeah, you should do that." The queen massaged her temple.
Her mind was filled with mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was shocked to find out what might have happened between Nichs and Sophia Romanov, but on the other hand, she was suddenly excited and happy at the realization that Luciel and Jan were actually her grandchildren.
Those adorable boys. She loved them already!
"I tried, but..." Nichs looked away. Now came the hardest part. He had to tell his mother that Sophie was now living with a pack of lycans. The enemy. And so were his sons.
Chapter 318 When Did The War Between Humans And Werewolves Start?
"But what?" Queen Marianne looked at Nichs intently. "Did she not want to see you?"
Nichs sighed. "No... it''s not it."
He looked at his mother glumly. "She is now living with our enemy... together with the kids."
"Enemy? What do you mean?" The queen asked, not understanding. She didn''t remember they had any enemies. It''s been decades since thest confrontation with their neighboring kingdoms. She couldn''t think of any other enemies, except...
Wait.
She pressed her lips in shock.
"Yes," Nichs said to confirm his mother''s suspicions. "She is now living among the Lycans."
"H-how...? How is that possible?"
Nichs didn''t reply. He also didn''t know the answer. Of all people, why did Sophie end up with an Alpha of a lycan pack?
"Are you really sure about this?" the queen pressed on him. "How did you know?"
Nichsughed bitterly. He raised his wounded arm and tilted his head at it. "Because I fought with them?"
"Oh..."
The queen pressed her chest, feeling distraught. Her mind went back to the royal partyst month when she saw Sophia Romanov and her adorable sons. Sophie looked healthy and happy.
So, if she was really living with a pack of lycans, that would mean she was treated well by them. Was she really happy living among those monsters? She was a regr human and didn''t have a capacity like those other lycans.
"It''s very unfortunate," the queen murmured to herself. This new development surely gave her a shock. After Nichs was bitten and turned into a lycan, it seemed the royal family''s war with werewolves was met with conflict after conflict.
How could the royal family keep dering war toward the werewolves tribe when the new king of Riga was a lycan himself? And now, Sophie, the king''s wife was actually part of a werewolf pack herself?
And what about the children?
"I believe Luciel and Jan are also werewolves," Nichs exined before his mother could ask. "That''s why I still cannot go there and take them away because it seems Sophie and the kids are now part of the pack."
Queen Marianne knew werewolves were territorial creatures. So, she understood how the pack members wouldn''t allow Nichs toe closer without a fight.
"I have been thinking," Nichs continued. "Maybe it''s time to bury the hatchet and find amon ground where werewolves and humans could ept each other''s presence and live side by side."
"Peace?" Queen Marianned''s eyes bulged. She couldn''t believe they were talking about actually making peace with the monsters. She remembered how herte husband hated werewolves so much and made it his mission to kill as many werewolves as possible and the war they had against werewolves had be decades-long.
"Yes. I do believe we all want the same thing," Nichs said. "that is to live in peace. Those lycans, I am sure they also have family and won''t benefit from the ongoing war between humans and werewolves."
He never really questioned the war before. He only knew that werewolves were monsters and had killed many humans from his kingdom. However, after he transformed into a werewolf himself and met his sons who were now part of the enemy pack, Nichs started to reassess his perspective.
Now, he started to think about his family, and surely those werewolves who were waging war with them had families too. Their parents, spouses, friends, and children would not want to see them die like pawns.
"Before that can happen, I need to know what actually started the conflict between our family and those lycans," Nichs said to his mother. "Once I get to the root cause, I will know how to fix this."
Nichs knitted his brows when his mother didn''t respond to his question. Instead, she fell silent with a straight face that was hard to decipher.
"Mother," he called, touching his mother''s shoulder and making her look at him. "Mother, are you all right?"
"Yes." Queen Marianne smiled stiffly. She lowered her face dejectedly and tried to think of the moment where it all began. "I am all right. I was just... thinking about those moments when your father dered war on the lycans."
"What started it, mother? Do you know?" Nichs was already curious about what happened. He touched his mother''s arm and asked her questions.
"Before my father dered war against all lycans, there was no animosity between humans and lycans, right?" Nichs confirmed to his mother.
Queen Marianne nodded. "Yeah... it''s true."
"So.. what happened?" Nichs asked again. He had been brainwashed by his father to hate lycans and consider them as monsters, the enemies, but he never really knew why and what started the war.
"It started with the death of the two people your father loved the most." Finally, Queen Marianne spoke wistfully. Her voice was hoarse when she recounted the story about what happened in the past.
"Whose deaths?" Nichs was very curious.
"His older brother, and the woman he loved." Queen Marianne smiled bitterly. "I think you know that your father never loved me, even though we were married for so long."
"Don''t say that, mother. Father might not love you in the beginning, because you were both in an arranged marriage. However, he must have loved you after you both spent so much time together and got to know each other," Nichs tried to console his mother''s feelings. "He treated you well and he listened to what you wanted."
"No. You don''t have to say that to try to make me feel better. Your father never loved me until the end of his life." Queen Marianne steeled herself to say that."It is what it is."
"To him, our marriage was an obligation. A king must have a sessor. Your father did it not out of love but out of necessity. In your father''s heart, there was only one woman and that woman was not me," exined Queen Marianne with downcast eyes.
Nichs was silent. He didn''t know what to say. All this time his father had never loved his mother. His mother must be very sad.
Chapter 319 Can Peace Be An Option?
Nichs looked concerned while the queen continued her story. The woman told him that King William once fell in love with a princess named Grace but his love was one-sided because Grace loved Prince Gabriel, William''s older brother, who was also the crown prince of Riga back then.
Prince Gabriel and William were two very close brothers and they loved each other very much. When he learned that his brother also loved Grace, William gave up his love for Grace for his brother''s sake. He steeled his heart and tried to be happy to see the two people he loved happy.
However, over time, whenever he saw his brother and Grace together, William felt suffocated and his heart ached. It turned out that giving up Grace for his brother was not as easy as he thought.
Heartbroken, William, who at that time was still the second prince nned to leave Riga and travel to various ces, thinking that over time he would forget Grace. However, unfortunately, a tragedy befell Prince Gabriel.
He was tragically killed by a lycan. Reportedly, Prince Gabriel was found in a pitiful condition. His body was torn apart and his heart was ripped out of his chest.
ording to the information of the prince''s guards who survived the incident, Prince Gabriel''s heart was eaten by the lycan that killed him.
His brother''s tragic death made William very sad but not long after he lost his brother, he had to go back to losing the one he loved.
Grace died in grief,menting the death of Prince Gabriel. William again felt very deep sorrow. He ascended the throne in ce of Prince Gabriel and by then he vowed to kill all the lycans he encountered. He would not allow the lycans to set foot in the Riga territory.
"Now you know the reason why your father hated lycans so much," Queen Marianne said after exining. "That was the beginning of the decades-long war between us and the lycans."
Nichs was silent. He did not expect that his father had experienced such a sad event in his life. Now he understood why his father hated lycans so much.
If he had been in his father''s position at that time he would probably have done the same. He was very concerned about the death of his uncle which turned out to be so tragic.
Nichs was still silent when his mother spoke again.
"I was so scared when I saw you turn into a lycan. Your father might have loved you as his son, but his love was not as big as his hatred for the lycans. I was so afraid of losing you." Queen Marianne started crying again and Nichs immediately got up and hugged his mother warmly.
In Nichs'' arms, the queen wept. She poured out all her sadness and the burden of her heart that she had kept to herself and never shared with anyone.
Nichs tightened his arms then stroked his mother''s head lovingly. He realized she must have suffered so much.
Now he understood how the animosity started between his family and the lycan race. Now, he had to think of ways to fit himself and his children in the tangled mess. Could peace be an option since Nichs and his children were actually lycans?
Their family was truly entangled in a big messy web. His heart felt sad when he thought that his father didn''t love his mother all this time. Nichs continued to hug his mother and let her pour out all her heart''s sorrow. He didn''t say anything.
After a few minutes, Queen Marianne finally rose from Nichs'' arms. She was relieved after crying and calmed herself down.
Nichs wiped his mother''s tears and kissed the hand of the woman who had given birth to him. He was also relieved because now his mother had found out everything about him. He no longer had to pretend and lie.
"Don''t cry for father''s love anymore because you have me, mother. I will always love you," he said with a smile.
"You told me you love me, but you often argued with me," said the queen, trying to make light of their situation. She smiled faintly.
"That''s because sometimes you can be annoying." Nichs smiled back. The queen patted his back.
"Yeah, I am sorry, son. I know I can be annoying at times," the queen admitted.
***
Day after day changed. The queen stayed at the royal vi for a few days to take care of Nichs and during that time, their rtionship became very close.
Suddenly, a week had passed, Nichs was much better and recovered from his injuries. The queen still wanted to be in the vi until Nichs recovered one hundred percent but she had to go back to the pce soon.
If she was gone too long people would start asking questions and then they would spread gossip. She didn''t want that.
She asked Nichs not to worry about the people in the pce, she would find an excuse to tell them why the king had not returned to the pce.
"Thank you, mother." Nichs hugged his mother. He couldn''t go back to the royal pce yet because the scars on his body were still visible and he also wanted to meet Sophie.
? Queen Marianne smiled then cupped her son''s face.
"Take care of yourself. I''ll be waiting in the pce," she said then turned to enter the carriage and Nichs quickly opened the door for her.
"Take good care of my mother," Nichs ordered the guards who would escort the queen back to the pce.
After his mother''s carriage disappeared in the distance, Nichs immediately entered the vi and prepared to go to Duke Romanov''s manor. He was sure Sophie and the fake duke had returned from their ''romantic getaway''.
He felt very irritated at the thought of Duke Romanov and had no interest in meeting the man but he had to put those feelings aside because he wanted to meet Sophie and see his children again.
Chapter 320 Nicholas Arrives At The Gates OF The Romanov Building
Nichs arrived at the gates of Duke Romanov''s manor. The building still looked chaotic and a lot of people outside were doing repairs.
The guards who saw Nichs standing outside the gate immediately red at him and immediately shifted into their wolf forms and then dashed towards Nichs at the gate while roaring softly.
All the wolf eyes stared at Nichs with hatred.
"Duncan, tell Alpha quickly. I and the others will stop him," said Max when he and Duncan saw Nichs Hanenbergh who was being blocked by the guards after which he immediately transformed into his wolf form and joined the others.
Meanwhile, at the same time, inside the manor, the healer had just finished checking on Jan''s condition. The boy had woken up but his body was still weak. Sophie never left his side and she treated her son meticulously.
"Gosh... you gave me a scare," Sophie rubbed Jan''s hair and forced a smile. "You have to eat a lot to help your body heal quickly."
Jan nodded weakly. "I am much better now. Mom, you don''t need to look this scary."
The boy tried to make light of his situation. His mother looked disheveled and haggard because she was so worried about him.
"Don''t you know how scared I was when I heard of what happened?" Sophie pursed her lips. "I shouldn''t have left."
Jan sat up and rubbed his temple which was injured previously. It had mostly recovered and left only a small bump now.
"It''s almost healed one hundred percent," hemented. "Tomorrow, I''ll be out and about."
"No... don''t do things that will make you tired," Sophie said firmly. "You must recoverpletely before I let you out of my sight."
"Fine, mom..."
"Now, you must eat the soup I made for you," Sophie sat beside Jan and motioned a servant toe with the tray of food for her sick son. She took the bowl filled with soup from the servant and started feeding Jan with it.
Meanwhile, Luciel and Lnd stood by the bed and watch them attentively. Lnd felt so relieved because Jan was doing much better and now he was no longer in a critical condition.
He had threatened all their healers with death if they failed to save the boy because he was frantic. Fortunately, Jan was a strong boy, and his regenerative capabilities were good that after two days, he finally woke up and with the help of the healers slowly showed great progress.
Nobody made a sound in the room. Sophie was starting to smile again when she saw how Jan''s appetite had returned. Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was broken by amotion that sounded from outside, taking them by surprise.
"What is that?" Sophie was startled. She turned to look at Lnd. Her mate was immediately on high alert. His eyes furrowed and his ears perked up.
"This aura¡." Lnd muttered in his mind when he sensed a familiar aura.
"What is this?" Sophie jumped from her seat. Before Lnd could say anything, Duncan entered the room to give a report.
"Alpha!" Duncan called out in a panic and Lnd pulled him sharply.
"What?" he asked the lycan coldly, feeling displeased that the peaceful atmosphere was ruined by Duncan''s shriek.
"Nichs Hanenbergh is back again. Max and the others are currently blocking him from entering the manor," Duncan exined which made Sophie widen in surprise.
"Nichs Hanenbergh you say?"
"Yes. Alpha."
Lnd nced at Sophie for two seconds then released his grip from Duncan''s cor after which he darted out followed by the man.
Lucas who was resting in his room also felt surprised and immediately woke up when he felt Nics'' aura. He quickly got out of bed and dashed out.
Meanwhile, outside, Nichs who had just made the five wolves bounce with his strength was suddenly dragged backward far back as soon as his stomach was hit hard.
Just as he was just straightening his body, he saw a fist aimed at him and he quickly blocked the fist.
A pair of blue eyes and a pair of amber eyes stared at each other very sharply.
Nichs didn''t recognize the face of the man in front of him right now, he had never seen Duke Romanov without his mask on before.
However, when he saw the man''s blue eyes and white hair, he could immediately conclude that it was Duke Romanov and the Alpha who fought with him a while ago.
"Get out of here or die," said Lnd in a very cold tone. His eyes were so sharp and filled with hatred. He no longer wanted to kill Nics Hanenberg but wanted to crush the man until all his bones were left.
All the werewolves that Nichs had bounced away had risen to their feet and were about to attack him again. However, Lucas gave them a signal to back off. Lucas knew that the Alpha wouldn''t be happy if they ganged up on Nichs. He was a prideful creature.
It seemed that right now the Alpha wanted to solve the problem by taking Nichs on a one-on-one duel.
Sophie ran outside and was surprised to see Nichs actuallying to the manor. For a moment she stood rooted in her ce while watching Lnd and Nichs standing face to face.
"Uncle Nichs? Father?" Luciel who had juste out and stood beside his mother curled his eyebrows. He was confused by the attitude of everyone there. Why did they all seem to hate Nichs when Nichs is such a nice and kind person?
"Lucas please take care of Luciel," Sophie said then rushed over to Lnd and Nichs who were having a face-off.
Nichs'' eyes that had been staring at Lnd intently had changed drastically when he saw Sophie walking closer to him.
Seeing this change, Lnd immediately nced back, following the direction Nichs was looking at, and he immediately turned around when he saw Sophie.
"Get back in," he told her gently. "Let me handle this intruder."
"Lnd, let me talk to him," Sophie said.
Chapter 321 I Married You First!
Sophie''s voice was shaking but she kept herposure. She believed it was time to talk to Nichs and settled things once and for all. From what she could gather, Nichs must have remembered and now he came to seek closure.
While Sophie and Lnd went on their getaway, Nichs hade every day to this manor with the intention of seeing her. He had told Lucas that he wouldn''t give up until he could see thedy of the manor and speak to her.
Sophie assumed Nichs didn''te back for the past week because he was recovering from his injuries after fighting with Lucas. She could still see some of the wounds on his arms.
Now, he came back after he had somewhat recovered. She could only guess that he still stubbornly wanted to talk to her.
"Lnd, please..." Sophie looked at Lnd''s eyes pleadingly.
Lnd was silent. He looked very bothered by her request.
"Just a few minutes," Sophie approached Lnd and touched his arm gently. She spoke to him softly, but Nichs could hear her with his sharp hearing. "He is very stubborn and I believe he will keeping and sooner orter we will have to talk to him."
The idea of seeing Nichs Hannenberghing every day to their manor, bothering his family made Lnd wince in displeasure. Finally, the man nodded in agreement. He gritted his teeth and threw a threatening look at Nichs.
He was very unwilling to let Sophie speak alone with Nichs. However, he agreed with Sophie that they had to face this problem and should stop avoiding it.
Meanwhile, Nichs was overjoyed that Sophie was willing to meet and talk to him. Gosh, hearing her sweet voice from this close made his heart flutter. He didn''t care she spoke to Lnd, he was happy to hear her voice.
After Lnd left, Sophie invited Nichs to speak outside the gate and Nichs nodded in agreement. As he followed Sophie, Nichs kept smiling. He didn''t think that just looking at Sophie could make him as happy as he was now. However, unlike Nichs, Sophie actually felt the opposite.
The woman didn''t know how to exin her current feelings. The husband she thought was dead was still alive and now he hade to see her.
After arriving under a tree, Sophie stopped and turned around to find Nichs'' face smiling broadly at her. Instantly she remembered all the memories of their time together.
Sophie remembered when Nichs caught her as she jumped off the academy walls...
When she and Nichs had tea together on one fine afternoon...
When they were looking for the wolfsbane together and Nics took her away when it started to rain.
Sophie bit her lower lip and desperately tried to keep her tears from falling as all the memories with Nichs kept popping up but she failed.
Her heart ached so much when she thought of all these things, especially when she thought of their marriage and the short time they spent together as husband and wife.
After the death of her parents, Sophie''s life became very bleak. She was alone, lonely, loved by no one, and wanted by no one but even so, she strengthened her heart and tried to survive. Nichs suddenly came into her awful life and changed everything.
Nichs made Sophie feel the joy of being loved again. It was a feeling she hadn''t felt since her parents died.
"Thank you," Nichs said, starting the conversation.
"What for?" Sophie wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing Sophie''s reaction made Nichs even more convinced that the woman in front of him was Sophia Hansley, his wife.
"Because you''re willing to talk to me," he said.
Lnd walked back and forth in the manor courtyard. He was very uneasy at the thought of Sophie and Nichs currently talking just the two of them.
Lnd didn''t doubt Sophie''s loyalty to him but he was really unsettled. He was afraid that Sophie would change her mind.
NO!
Sophie would not leave him and go back to Nichs. Sophie had already chosen him.
Lnd tried to convince himself.
p Luciel who saw his father pacing like that became confused. He really couldn''t understand the current situation.
"Father, what is going on?" he asked Lnd with his small voice what was wrong.
Lnd shook his head and awkwardly said, "Nothing."
Luciel knew that his father was lying. If there''s nothing, it''s impossible for Lnd to look upset like this. Gosh... Luciel didn''t understand adults.
***
Meanwhile, outside the gates, Nics and Sophie stood face to face.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Sophie asked after a long silence. She didn''t allow herself to get lost in the memories of the past with Nichs.
Nichs stared at Sophie in silence. Hepared the face of the woman standing before him right now with the face of the little girl he had seen in his dreams.
His eyes began to heat up as tears escaped from the corners of his eyes when he realized that Sophia Romanov must be the same little girl who helped him and now had grown up.
Nichs who didn''t say anything made Sophie feel ufortable because the situation had be so awkward.
"If¡ you don''t want to talk, I''m leaving because... my husband¡ is waiting for me," Sophie said, looking down. Hearing Sophie''s words, Nichs was a little surprised.
His heart suddenly filled with jealousy. He looked at his hands firmly but his eyes were on Sophie sadly.
"Then who am I to you?" he asked her. "You are my wife too. I married you first!"
Sophie was stunned by his question. She looked straight at Nichs. was shocked. "Y-you¡.?"
"Are you not Sophia Hansley? The girl I married six years ago in Hauntingen?"
Sophie fell silent with her eyes fixed on Nichs without blinking.
"Can I take your silence as an answer yes?"
Sophie looked down, biting her lower lip. She didn''t expect Nichs to speak so straightforwardly like this. Ahh... how could she forget how open and direct this man was?
Chapter 322 Nicholas & Sophie
"Sophie... please answer me."
After a while, Sophie finally batted her eyes. She managed to get over the shock she felt when she heard the question Nichs uttered.
She steeled herself and looked boldly into Nichs'' eyes.
"Your Majesty, you havee here unannounced for several days and bothered my children. I only came out here to talk to you because my people told me you insisted on seeing me."
Sophie tried to show no expression on her face. It was hard, so hard, but she must not give away so many things until she was sure that Nichs did remember everything. "Please let me know why do you wish to see me? We don''t really know each other."
"Sophie... I made a grave mistake when I was younger. I ended up forgetting about you and so many important things and only came to realization when I suddenly transformed into a lycanst month. My world immediately turned upside down." Nichs spoke with a hoarse voice.
He looked at Sophie apologetically. He wished he could turn back time. He wished he could make up for all his mistakes. He wished he could make her his again.
"When I saw you for the first time, five years ago, I have felt an undeniable attraction. It was something that I cannot exin," Nichs moved a step closer, so Sophie could see him better, under the shades of the tree. He wanted her to see his regret and his sincerity.
"I kept thinking about you and it almost made me crazy. You were with the pups, ying in the meadow not far from here, surrounded by the flowers. You were... the most beautiful creature I have ever seen and my heart instantly beats for you."
He added, "Unfortunately, you left immediately and I couldn''t possibly find out what was it about you that got me to fall so deeply in love... even though back then, I thought we didn''t know each other."
Sophie furrowed her brows. She was surprised to hear this honest confession from Nichs. So, did that mean Nichs had actually seen her with her pups many years ago?
She didn''t know that. They were so close... five years ago.
She wondered if she knew, would things would be different now between them...?
Back then, Sophie was still harboring so much feeling for Nichs. She was still mourning his death and only decided to love her mate because he was such a good man and treated her so well.
p Sophie didn''t know her husband, Nichs, was still alive and was actually the king of Riga. She remembered right before they decided to leave Livstad for Frisia, they actually received the invitation toe and witness the coronation of the new king of Riga.
It was actually Nichs''s coronation ceremony. Had theye to the event... things might have been so different. She would have recognized him immediately.
However, what would happen then? Would he recognize her too? If not, Sophie would just embarrass herself, trying to im that the king was her husband.
Brin''s rebellion, together with hundreds of the pack members five years ago changed the course of history and now here they were. Nichs was the king of Riga, he was the enemy, and Sophie had promised Lnd to see him as such.
She had told Lnd that she would forget about Nichs being the father of her children and dedicate her life to their family. It was easy to make that promise to Lnd when Nichs was not standing right before her with teary eyes, and trying to exin his side of the story.
"I was young and dumb, and didn''t understand my priorities," Nichs spoke with a choked voice. "Last month, I got my wake-up call when I was suddenly triggered and transformed into my wolf form. I swear to god, I didn''t know I was a lycan until then."
He continued his words, sounding so emotional. "When I confronted my mother about it, she finally told me everything. I started dreaming about you, when we were children. You were a mystery that I tried so hard to uncover. I finally collected bits and pieces of information. I looked for clues and ended up in Hauntingen. I saw the hut where we got married. I met the vige head who gave us his blessings, I slowly remember everything..."
At this point, Nichs could no longer hold back his tears from streaming down his cheeks. All his life, he didn''t remember ever crying like this, not even when his father died.
This was the saddest day of his life, when he stood before the woman he loved and realized he was responsible for her leaving him.
Nics continued, "When the vige chief told me the name of the girl I married six years ago was Sophia Hansley I immediately thought of you. I assumed you were the same person."
"Why do you think like that?" Sophie asked with a t voice. She still didn''t want to give away who she was.
"Because of the little girl who appeared in my dreams. I don''t know her name but I believe she is Sophie Hansley. The little girl''s face is very simr to yours, that''s why I came here to check it out. I need to confirm all my suspicions."
Nichs admitted that at the moment he was only remembering bits and pieces and only guessing what had happened between them. He seemed to be collecting the missing pieces and was trying to put them all together.
"Please help me, answer me honestly. Are you really Sophia Hansley?" He looked at her pleadingly. "Please be honest."
"That''s right," Sophie replied after a few seconds of silence. "My name is Sophia Hansley."
She wished she could just lie to him and pretended she was someone else. It would have been easier. However, seeing those amber eyes staring at her sincerely, she couldn''t force herself to lie to Nichs.
Sophie''s answer made Nichs feel very happy, he finally found the woman he had been looking for but before he could express his happiness he felt his heart was broken.
Chapter 323 The Conversation
"I knew it!" Nichs wiped the tears from his eyes. "You are really her. I knew I wouldn''t feel attracted to just anyone. It''s because.... you are my wife. You are the only woman I have ever loved."
Sophie was silent. Nichs was always very direct. He was the opposite of Lnd who always kept things to himself and made Sophie guess what he was thinking. With Nichs, it was always so easy.
"Your Majesty... it''s been a really long time since Ist use the name Sophia Hansley," Sophie finally replied with a hoarse voice. "I am now Sophia Romanov. I have taken my husband''sst name six years ago after we got married. My Nichs ''died'' six years ago and I took a long time to mourn for him."
She didn''t want to borate on how awful her life was before Lnd took her in and had been protecting her and her pups ever since. Nichs also didn''t need her to say those words. He was a smart man and could understand as such.
"Whatever happened between us in the past, now we are just strangers. I ask you not toe here again and disturb my family," Sophie continued her words which added to Nichs'' devastation.
The man who was earlier flew to the sky with joy because he could confirm his suspicions and find Sophie, his Sophie, was now knocked to the ground and his hopes and dreams shattered to a million little pieces.
He stepped closer to Sophie and took hold of the woman''s arm. "No. Please don''t throw me out like this. I''m sorry for everything. I''m sorry for not remembering you. I''m sorry for letting you suffer. It was all a grave mistake on my part. I am willing to pay the price to make up for what happened."
Hearing and seeing Nichs made Sophie''s chest feel full. There was sadness that wanted to overflow but she was still trying to keep her promise to Lnd.
"Nic, get out of here. Now you and I are strangers," Sophie said in a trembling voice.
"No, no." Nichs shook his head. His heart couldn''t ept Sophie calling him a stranger. "We ARE NOT STRANGERS. We''ll never be. You are still my wife and when you married that other guy, you were still bound to me in marriage. Your marriage to him is not legal. And you are also the mother of my children. This is something that you cannot deny."
"Nic, don''t be stubborn," Sophie stepped back. Since Nichs had moved one step closer to her, she decided to move one step back to keep their distance.
"I am stubborn, that''s just who I am," Nichs insisted. "You know me that well to know that I will not back down. You are mine. You have my children. Don''t lie to me and pretend that Luciel and Jan are not my sons. They look so much like me."
"I can''t... please, Nichs, you can not just suddenly barge into their life and im your ce. I told Luciel and Jan their biological father died when they were still in my womb. Please don''t make them feel confused. Lnd is their father now."
If it was up to Sophie, she would have loved for Luciel and Jan to have a rtionship with Nichs. However, she had to keep her word to Lnd. She had promised to stay by his side and dere war on the royal family of Riga.
She couldn''t have her cake and eat it too.
"You are robbing them of the chance to know their real father," Nichs looked at Sophie in a fiery gaze. His sadness had turned into anger. He was mad at himself but he was slowly feeling mad at how stubborn Sophie was now. This didn''t seem like the Sophie he knew from the past. That wretched Alpha must have forced her to act this way.
"Sophie, something stupid happened and I lost the opportunity to step up, for you and the kids, but I am here now. I made a mistake, but I am willing to rectify it. If I intentionally hurt you and left you... I understand that you hate me and don''t want to have anything to do with me. But I didn''t leave you."
"I don''t fall out of love with you... Even when I didn''t remember who you were, the moment I saw you I instantly felt the connection and was drawn to you, like a moth to a me. Tell me you really have no feelings for me, even for a tiny bit, deep in your heart... look me in the eye and tell me, then I will back down."
Lnd who had been listening and watching from afar clenched his fists tightly when Nichs moved another step toward Sophie.
He really wanted to hit Nichs but canceled his intention and decided to continue listening to the two people''s conversation. He also wanted to know Sophie''s answer to Nichs'' question.
The surge of sadness in Sophie''s chest grew more and more pressing and almost toppled the stronghold that she had worked so hard to build.
"No." Sophie pushed Nichs'' chest roughly to step away from her. "It''s over, Nick. I no longer have any feelings for you."
"You can''t look me in the eye," Nics said. "I know you are lying."
Lnd clenched his fists to the sides. He could tell that Sophie was lying. What was she lying about? That she no longer had feelings for Nichs?
Sophie pursed her lips and shook her head. "You are wrong. I am not lying. That''s the truth."
"Do you feel indebted to him and decided to choose him because you feel bad? I can settle whatever debts you have with him," Nichs kept pressing on Sophie. "I will pay no matter what price he asks. I will clear all debts between us. I just need you to be honest with me."
Lnd''s ears perked up at the mention of debts. He was now wondering the same... if Sophie stayed with him because she felt indebted to him.
Would he want her to choose him because of debts? Or, would he be man enough to let her go and choose what her heart truly desired? Maybe she actually wanted to go back to Nichs?
Chapter 324 Nicholas Plea
"Nichs... I came out here to talk to you because I wanted to know if you have really regained your memory. If that''s the case, I want to settle whatever it was between us once and for all. I know you need closure," Sophie said with a hoarse voice.
She added, "I am sorry that you lost your memories and by extension, the chance to step up. I forgive you. I understand it''s not entirely your fault. It was a really unfortunate incident."
Sophie tried to stay calm and looked Nichs in the eye. She realized Lnd was watching and listening to their conversation. She almost could feel his anger rising at every word Nichs uttered to her.
Thest thing she wanted was for the two men to fight each other again, openly, with Luciel watching. She knew both men already fought once with them getting severe injuries. She didn''t want that to happen again.
Right now, they were enemies, but their war was not here and now. Lnd had his bigger goal, and Nichs had to think about his kingdom.
She didn''t want their war to be narrowed down to just fighting over her. Other people would lose respect for these two formidable men if they knew all they fought about was just a woman.
Nichs felt literal pain in his chest when he heard Sophie say she forgave him. She forgave him and called what happened an unfortunate incident. However, she was clear about not wanting to give him another chance.
Wasn''t everyone entitled to a second chance? He didn''t evenmit a mistake intentionally... and now he was ready to pay for whatever was asked of him to show his regret and how much he wanted to make up for what happened.
Why couldn''t she have mercy and let him see his kids?
Nichs would rather have Sophie be mad at him, curse him, hit him, vent all her anger and disappointment... but after she was done, she would want to have a sit down with him and discuss their rtionship.
They would NEVER be strangers because she was the mother of his children, and Luciel and Jan were the heirs to the throne of Riga.
They would live for another seventy years. Nichs had failed them for the first six years of their lives, but he wouldn''t want to fail them for the many more years toe.
"Sophie, my sons... they are lycans, aren''t they?" Nichs suddenly changed the subject. "Were you worried that I wouldn''t ept them because they are lycans?"
He remembered how frustrated he was with his lycanthropy and how much he hated himself back then. Now, this thought was bugging him. Perhaps, Sophie still thought he hated lycans, so she took his sons away from him, not willing to let him have a rtionship with them.
Sophie didn''t immediately reply. She did worry about that many years ago when she was still pregnant with the boys. She knew how much Nichs'' parents hated lycans that he ended up hating himself.
That was one of the reasons why she decided to stay with Lnd in a real marriage, after she found out the man was the Alpha of a werewolf pack, and he treated her and her children well.
When she asked Lnd to take her as his true wife, Sophie begged him to teach her sons to love themselves.
She did think that if Nichs was still alive and knew his children were not proper humans, he would find it difficult to ept and love them since he was also struggling to ept and love himself.
Sophie could imagine how badly his family would react to seeing her and her sons. So, yeah... his assumption now was not inurate.
"I would never..." Nichs became emotional. "I would never do that. They are my flesh and blood. If anything, I would love them more because I knew how it felt to hate myself because my parents couldn''t ept me for who I am."
He didn''t bother wiping his eyes from the tears that were dripping down his cheeks. "I would love them more."
The man stood helplessly, looking utterly devastated.
Sophie suddenly sobbed uncontrobly. She couldn''t hold back her welled-up emotions any longer. She felt really sorry for Nic. She wished things were different.
She wished there was no enmity between their two sides.
"Your... your kingdom is waging war... with the lycans..." Sophie said between her sobs. "I cannot let... the kids... live in fear for their lives..."
"No, they won''t need to fear for their lives, not as long as I live," Nichs said. "What are you talking about? I am a lycan too. It took me a long time, but I have finally epted who I am, now that I realized half of my family is lycan, my kids are lycans. Why would I want to continue this stupid war?"
Sophie''s eyes bulged at Nichs'' words. Did she hear him correctly? Nichs would want to end the war against the lycans?
"H-how...?" she muttered in confusion.
"I am the king of Riga. I will change thews. I would rather focus my government on developing our kingdom, than hunting lycans. I will even dismiss the royal lycan hunters," Nichs said firmly. "I can do anything because my words arew."
Sophie looked at Nichs in disbelief. Why was it always so easy with Nichs? He was open, passionate, and would listen to her. Yes, he was stubborn at times, but he was also very easygoing and didn''t dwell in grudge and hatred.
Why couldn''t Lnd think the same way when it came to peace?
Before Sophie could say anything, however, suddenly a big shadow jumped between her and Nichs and pounced on the king. Lnd had lost his patience and jumped to attack Nichs.
"How dare you talk about peace bullshit when your family killed Sophia''s parents and made her an orphan?!" Lnd growled as he swung his fist to Nichs'' jaw. "How dare you thinking that everything can be forgiven and forgotten!"
Chapter 325 I Would Do Anything For You
Nichs immediately dodged the attack and prepared to charge back. However, before he could do anything, Sophie had jumped at Lnd and hugged him as tightly as she could with her small body.
"Please... stop fighting..." she shouted in frustration. "This is not the ce for a fight..."
"Sophia, please step back," Lnd tried to unwrap her arms from his waist. "I need to teach this jerk a lesson."
Sophie cried and rubbed Lnd''s arm. She spoke pleadingly, "Luciel is watching. Don''t let him see this."
Sophie had promised Lnd to stand by his side in this war between lycans and the kingdom of Riga. However, she didn''t want her sons to witness the cruelty and bloody fight between the two men who imed to be their fathers.
Not at this young age. At six, they were too young for this shit.
Lnd immediately realized his mistake. He got carried away by his anger and jealousy, and he even broke his own rules, not to fight around the kids. Not only it was bad for them mentally, it was also dangerous.
"I am sorry..." he muttered. "It''s my fault."
Sophie hugged him tightly and cried, "Thank you. Please... hold back your anger. I know you are enraged by my parents'' deaths, but I need you to give me a moment to talk with Nichs without your intervention. Please take Luciel and wait for me. I won''t be long."
Lnd looked very unwilling, but seeing Sophie''s pleading gaze, he could only clench his fists and nodded reluctantly. He threw another murderous re at Nichs and finally stepped back.
Once Sophie saw he had calmed down a bit, she let go of her hug from him. However, before she knew it, Lnd had pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly again, then he nted a deep kiss on her luscious lips.
He kissed her until she was out of breath, witnessed by the king whose heart was brimming with rage and jealousy. Nichs could feel all the hairs on his body stand and half his arms had transformed into wolf''s arms.
His sharp ws were shaking out of anger, as if ready to attack and devour the opponent.
He hated the Alpha before him with every fiber of his being. He really wanted to pounce on Lnd and kill him in a fight to the death.
"L-Lnd..." Sophie pushed her mate out of instinct, as she was panting for breath. "T-take Luciel with you..."
She wiped her lips and added, "Please..."
Lnd didn''t say anything. He rubbed her hair lovingly, as if showing Nichs that Sophie was his, and his alone, before he went to get Luciel who had been watching the argument with eyes wide open.
Nichs had to take several minutes to calm down his nerves. He was so agitated and almost lost all his reason, just to teach Lnd a lesson. Slowly, his arms transformed into human arms again.
"Where is Jan?" Nichs asked Sophie. He just realized that he had not seen the other boy. Seeing how close he was to Luciel, Nichs doubted Jan would not want to spend time with his brother.
Sophie rubbed her wet eyes with her sleeves before she replied to Nichs'' question. "Jan was injured after a big rubble fell on his head during your fight with Lucas."
She said it as a matter of factly because she didn''t want Nichs to think she med him, but she also wanted him to understand that what he did, fighting with another man around children was dangerous.
Nichs'' eyes suddenly widened. He was very surprised and felt even more guilty because his son was injured in his fight with Lucas.
"Gosh... how is his condition now?" Nichs asked urgently. "Have you had him treated by doctors?"
Nichs felt so remorseful. His fightst week had endangered Jan. He felt so ashamed of himself.
"Yes. we have healers and doctors," Sophie replied.
"Can I see my son?" Nichs asked again. This time his face was filled with worry. "I need to see him."
"I am sorry, he is resting and cannot be disturbed," Sophie said. "Please... we have talked about everything we need to discuss. It''s time for you to leave."
"How do you think I can leave just like this, knowing that my kid is hurt?" Nichs came closer to Sophie and looked at her intently.
"They are not hurt. They are in good hands," said Sophie. "Please, Nichs. This conversation is now over."
"Sophie, please, I beg you. Let me meet them. I will do anything to get you to let me meet them." Nichs looked at Sophie expectantly.
"If you want me to kneel, then I''ll do it without hesitation," Nichs said. He had wanted to kneel right away but Sophie quickly said that there was no need for Nichs to do such a thing.
"Nichs, Jan is fine," Sophie said. "You don''t have to worry about him. If you are sincere with your ns to stop the war, maybe someday we can meet again under better circumstances."
"But I don''t want to meet again someday," the man insisted. "We are already here, I can meet you today. IF you would allow me, I can also meet my children."
Sophie bit her lip. She thought there was a glimmer of hope now that Nichs had made the decision to stop the war between their two races. Maybe... if she could slowly convince Lnd, then this war could really end.
"Nichs, thank you foring here and showing me that you are willing to do whatever it takes to make up for what happened in the past," Sophie spoke softly. She needed to end this conversation now and find Lnd. She added, "I really appreciate it."
"But..?"
"We are trapped in a tangled web where all of us have reasons to hate each other. I am happy to hear that you are willing to end the war within your capacity as the king."
Nichs looked Sophie in the eye. "I would do anything for you."
Chapter 326 Nicholas & Sophie
Sophie held her breath when she heard Nichs'' words, uttered in such a sincere tone. He would do anything for her, including changing thews and making peace with the lycans.
Lnd was more stubborn than Nichs and he wouldn''t budge for anything when Sophie asked him to spare Nichs or try to think about peace. If both men were on the same page, things would have been easier for Sophie and her children.
"I would do anything... for you," Nichs repeated his words, as he looked at Sophie deeply. "I would give you the world, anything your heart desires. I would even throw away my throne and my kingdom if you asked me."
Nichs was not into power. He was just like his father who loved adventures but was stuck on the throne for the good of many people.
As the only heirs, both he and his father were forced to take the crown and rule because if they didn''t take the responsibility, there would be a power struggle, internal conflict, or civil war that would only make the people suffer.
So, it had to be done.
However, Nichs now realized that his father was never happy. He lived his life out of duty. He married the woman chosen for him, and he ruled the country, all because he was a dutiful prince. Where did that lead him?
He didn''t have a rtionship with his own son. He lived a lonely life in his own world, and was killed by lycans after a long and bloody war.
That was not the life that Nichs now envisioned for himself. He might be okay with it in the past because he was raised with a sense of duty, and he wanted to make his mother happy. She was the only person in this universe that mattered to him.
Until he saw that shabby hut in Hauntingen, by the edge of ckwoods forest. It was a really small wooden hut with barely anything inside. It was shabby and old.
However... when he sat on the wooden bed inside the hut, imagining the simple life he had with his young wife there.... his mind felt a really foreign sense of peace and happiness.
He had never felt those feelings before. Being there made him happy.
Now, seeing the woman he loved standing before him, and knowing their children were not far from where they were, Nichs suddenly felt that nothing else mattered in this world, but them.
Fuck his kingdom. Fuck the people. Why would he sacrifice his life and his happiness for other people. His father was never happy until the very end. Nichs didn''t want that life for himself.
If Sophie asked him to throw away his power, his kingdom, his throne... he would dly do it. He would feel happy living a simple life with her and their children.
Heck, he didn''t mind hunting for their food, or bing a farmer and growing vegetables for his family. He would work hard. He would provide for them. He would protect them.
He would do anything to make sure they were taken care of, even if he had to toil. He was not scared of hard work and didn''t mind leading a hard life. As long as he could be with them again.
God, please... give me the chance to turn back time, Nichs cried inside, as he looked deeply at the beautiful woman before him.
Sophie felt his pain, and it made her heart ache. However, there was nothing she could do. She had promised Lnd. It wouldn''t be fair for her mate if she didn''t keep her word, no matter what the circumstances were.
"Uff..." Suddenly, Sophie pressed her lips with one hand and leaned on the tree behind her with her other hand. She felt so nauseous. Was this caused by stress?
Wait... she was pregnant. This could be her pregnancy symptoms. She didn''t vomit and felt nauseous early in her pregnancy, like in her previous ones. It was during moments like this, she would feel the symptoms, and they were not really bad.
However, since she lost her babies in herst pregnancy, Sophie was traumatized by any little signs of difort. She didn''t want anything to happen to her unborn children.
"I-I have to go in..." She said apologetically. "Please leave."
"Sophie...!" Nichs stepped forward to hold her arm, worried that she was sick. "Let me help you. Are you unwell?"
Sophie brushed off his hand. "I am pregnant. Please... leave us alone."
Nichs froze in his ce. Her reply felt like another stab in his heart.
So, he really had lost his chance.
He couldn''t move, nor say a word, just stood there watching Sophie walk back through the manor gate, under the watchful eyes of the guards. At that time, Nichs thought his world had truly crumbled under his feet.
He stood there, unmoved, for almost an hour, getting lost in his thoughts. He had truly lost Sophie. He knew he couldn''t force his im on her. If she told him to stay away, he had to respect her wishes, even though it broke his heart.
However, he wouldn''t budge when it came to his children. They should understand that their biological father didn''t hate them. No, in fact, he loved them so much.
The days when he spent time with the boys were some of the happiest days in his life. Knowing that the two adorable children were his, gave him a sense of pride and happiness.
He knew right then, if they were truly his children, he would make them his heirs. He would let them rule Riga after he stepped down. He would give them all the best the world could offer.
Raindrops fell from the sky and touched his face. That''s when Nichs was finally moved from his reverie. He remembered that Jan was still sick. He was injured because of him.
Nichs decided to go back to the royal pce in the meantime, sent a doctor to the Romanov Manor to check on Jan, and then thought about what to do next.
Chapter 327 Luciels Suspicion
***
"Are you okay?" Lnd asked when he saw Sophie enter the building, looking so pale. She pressed her lips and shook her head weakly. The man became worried and quickly lifted her in his arms. "You must be sick."
Before Sophie could say anything, he strode toward their bedroom and shouted orders to Duncan to find their healers.
"I am just feeling nauseous," Sophie protested after Lnd put her down on their bed. "It''s the baby."
"Oh..." The Alpha''s face suddenly turned bright at the mention of their baby. "Was he naughty in there?"
His voice was so gentle and soothing. There was no trace left of his rage when he wanted to kill Nichs outside earlier. Sophie shook her head and touched his cheek.
"No. It''s normal. Soon, I will start vomiting and feel so much difort," she exined. "It''s simr to my previous pregnancy. Just ask the healer to give me some potion to help with nausea."
"Ah, okay." Lnd nodded. He sat beside her and hugged her from the side. Luciel knocked on the door and asked to be let in.
"I want to see mom," his little voice demanded.
"Come in, Sweetheart," Sophie said. She wanted to check how her son was doing after the incident outside earlier. She hoped Luciel didn''t get too affected by the confrontation he witnessed.
Gosh... what should she tell the boys if they kept asking why their father and ''Uncle Nichs'' hated each other?
Luciel walked in. He pursed his lips adorably and crossed his arms on his chest. His usually happy demeanor now looked gloomy.
"Why did father and uncle Nic fight?"
Sophie coughed when she heard her son ask that question without further ado.
"They had a misunderstanding, honey," she quickly made up something. "It''s now settled. They are not fighting anymore."
Luciel raised an eyebrow. "Is he our real father?"
"Huh? What???" Sophie instantly sat up and looked at Luciel in surprise. "Why did you ask that? Did Uncle Nichs tell you that?"
Knowing Nichs, he might already tell Luciel and Jan that he was their father. Ugh... this made Sophie feel agitated. Even if someday she would tell the truth to her sons, she wanted it to be done in her own way and at the right time.
She felt disappointed in Nichs.
Luciel gave Sophie a side-eye. "I am not stupid, Mom. His scent is so familiar, and he looks a lot like us, me and Jan. We thought he might be our uncle from our father''s side... but, today, I started to think that he might be our father."
Sophie felt as if the space around her was devoid of air. From the corners of her eyes, she could see Lnd''s expression change, and his body turned cold.
Was he upset because their young son could deduce that Nichs was his biological father? They knew Luciel was really smart, but they surely didn''t expect him to make the correct guess and be this mature about the situation.
"Luciel..." Sophie spoke with a choked voice. "There are so many things that happened in the past... that I cannot share with you now. However... I want you to trust me."
"I trust you, mother..." Luciel approached the bed and touched Sophie''s arm. He looked confused, but he tried to not ask too many questions when he saw Sophie wince in pain. "Mom... are you unwell?"
"It''s nothing," Sophie replied with a forced smile. "I will be fine tomorrow."
She turned to her husband and saw Lnd move his body a little from her. It seemed like he was feeling ufortable with their closeness because Luciel just dropped the bomb that he knew Nichs was his biological father.
Suddenly, Lnd felt like he was the stranger among them, again.
He hated this feeling and he had been working hard to get rid of it. When Sophie told him he was finally pregnant with his child, he was over the moon, and this stupid feeling left him.
However, today, it returned.
"Lnd..." Sophie called out to him. She touched his arm, but the man unconsciously dodged. She was surprised by his reaction, and so did he.
p Why did he do that?
"Sophia, please rest. I will get the healer to prepare some potions to help you," he said tly. Then, he climbed down the bed. The man rubbed Sophie''s hair and patted Luciel''s back before he walked out of the room.
Sophie could only watch his back view until it disappeared from sight. She knew he was upset because of what Luciel said just now. However, what could she do? It was not Luciel''s fault that he was so smart and understood things fast.
"Can I sleep here?" Luciel begged his mother. "I want to stay close to you."
"Sure, Luciel," Sophie replied with a smile. She rubbed his hair lovingly and patted the space beside her. Her mind wandered to the past. To the old shabby hut in Hauntingen.
Nichs'' words today reminded her of the beautiful memories she had with him many years ago. If only he didn''t make that stupid mistake and left her behind, things would have been different.
She and Nichs would live happily in their little home, taking care of their sons. She could imagine the life that her father and mother had after they decided to elope and live together.
Her father, Jack Hansley was a wealthy young man from a good family who chose to leave behind all his family''sfort and wealth so he could live with the woman he loved.
Her mother, Anne, was the princess from a werewolf tribe who also left behind all the power and influence her father had, to build a life with a human. And they were happy together, until the very end.
Sophie couldn''t hold back tears from streaming down her face when she remembered her parents. If she still had them, she would have a ce to lean on when Nichs left.
They would take care of her. And when Nichs finally regained his memory and came back to pick her up, she would still be there.
Things would have been different.
Chapter 328 Sophie - Leland - Nicholas
Sophie epted the potion from their healer and drank it to take care of her nausea. She let Luciel apany her in her bedroom all day. The boy''s presence gave her a sense offort. She had a lot to think about and she took the time alone to ponder on what Nichs told her.
He would change thew, he would do anything for her, including ending the war with lycans. He was willing to make up for what happened in the past.
Regarding her parents'' death, Sophie could forgive the royal family because the people who were responsible for them had died. The old king was dead and she didn''t want to put the me on Nichs. He was really young when her parents were killed. So, Sophie knew Nichs didn''t have anything to do with it.
However, when it came to the lives of so many lycans that had been killed during the decades of war between humans and lycans, Sophie couldn''t force Lnd and his people to forgive Nichs and his kingdom. It was not her ce to do it. It was not her decision.
"Stop it, Sophie..." she chided herself. "You shouldn''t think about those things. It will only give you stress. You must not be stressed. You have your baby to think about."
She closed her eyes and tried to forget everything.
Gosh... it was so hard.
***
Lnd didn''t want to leave Sophie in the room but he knew his mental state was not great. He had witnessed how Luciel apparently guess that Nichs was his biological father, and the boy seemed to like that man.
It would be easier if Nichs was dead, or if he was a bad abusive man and Lnd saved Sophie and the kids from him. However, that was not the case. He was not a bad man by their ounts.
He was the enemy, yes, but he was not a bad nor abusive man, and Lnd didn''t save Sophie and the kids from Nichs. He was only protecting them while Nichs was going through a hard time.
He thought he had everything under control, but he was wrong. He was so jealous and feeling insecure, even though Sophie said she chose him and the boys called him father. He felt like he was sitting in a house of cards that could crumble anytime if he made any mistakes.
Sophie could feel bored by him or think he was no longer interesting, or worse, she no longer thought she needed him to protect her and her kids.
He knew the reason why Sophie came to him in the first ce. She needed protection for herself and the babies in her womb. After one year, she decided that it would be better to make that arrangement permanent, so she could secure the future for Luciel and Jan.
She was wise and he loved her no matter what. Even if she never loved him, he could ept that and be grateful for having her by his side.
But now, she could easily get another man to protect her. Nichs was also physically formidable and he had even more resources than Lnd, being the king of this big kingdom. Lnd was now just an option.
"No, she doesn''t see me as an option," Lnd chided himself. He was sitting on the roof of the manor, trying to calm his mind.
He was fighting an inner demon who kept telling him how worthless he was and that he didn''t deserve all the good things he was having. That he would lose all the moment he made mistakes.
However, usually, when someone tried extra hard not to make mistakes... he would end up making them. That''s just the nature of the human mind.
It was much harder than fighting Nichs in theirst battle or even fighting many enemies at once.
***
Nichs looked so down that nobody at the pce dared to talk to him. The king was usually an easygoing man and he didn''t easily look upset. So, to see him looking this down was unusual.
The servants and guards were wondering what happened. However, they could only make guesses. They didn''t want to disturb him.
Nichs immediately called his butler to get the royal physician to see him in his study. He wanted to send the man to the Romanov manor to check on Jan''s condition. No matter what Sophie told him, he must insist to send a doctor there. As the father, he couldn''t stay still not doing anything, knowing that his son was injured or unwell.
He would send the doctor with several of his best knights. He actually hoped Lnd would allow the doctor to enter and check on Jan, if he truly cared about the boy. So, the knights won''t be needed.
However, if those bloody lycans were so heartless to kill a messenger in good faith, a doctor who came to help the Alpha''s ''son'', they could all go to hell and Nichs would see it as a sign that he really should stop thinking that peace was possible between them.
"Your Majesty." A doctor in ck robe knocked on the king''s study. Doctor Samuel Lehman was the royal physician since five years ago after the previous one passed away. He had been serving the king and his family faithfully all these years.
Nichs thought he could trust this man since the doctor had been treating his mother''s illness for so long and she was still alive now, despite her frail physique.
Nichs thought the queen would die five years ago when she begged him to propose to Karenina on her deathbed. However, she was slowly showing good progress after he granted her wishes and with Doctor Lehman''s care, Queen Marianne had even recovered.
He wouldn''t tell this doctor about the patient he was assigned to visit, but knowing how simr Jan look to Nichs, Doctor Lehman might be suspicious and could guess the rtionship between Nichs and Jan, and the reason why the king sent him to the Romanov manor.
However, Nichs didn''t have any other choice. He had to send him there, to show Sophie that he meant every word when he said he wanted to step up for his kids now.
Chapter 329 Shocking News
"Doctor Lehman, I need you to do something," Nichs tapped his fingers on his desk and motioned the old doctor toe in. "I want you to go to Duke Romanov''s manor and check on one of his sons'' condition. I just came there today and found out that their son is injured."
He uttered every word in a t expression, but his heart was bleeding. He had to refer to Jan as Duke Romanov''s son, because he didn''t want the doctor to ask too many questions now. He didn''t have time to exin. Right now, every minute counts.
Doctor Lehman must immediately go and check Jan and provide him with the best care. Nichs was sure that if he could treat the queen so well, he could also treat Jan''s wounds and help him recover fast.
"Oh... I saw the boys two months ago, during the royal party to celebrate Princess Karenina''s birthday," the doctor remarked. "I will dly go and help them. However, I actually think someone like Duke Romanov must have private doctors at his disposal. I just don''t want to overstep my domain."
The doctor tried not to sound rude by arguing with the king. However, he knew of Duke Romanov''s reputation. The duke was not friendly and he was quite reclusive. He made many people owe him money and influence, and he would demand them to do things for him, but he didn''t like peopleing and giving him unsolicited services.
There was a reason why he chose to live in the outskirts of Livstad, in that secluded manor, instead of the bustling capital city. He was not a people person.
Now, it''s true that Doctor Sam Lehman worked for the king and therefore he should obey the king''s orders. However, the king was an easygoing man who wouldn''t kill him if he made mistakes. The doctor was not sure about the duke.
If Duke Romanov felt offended that a random doctor came and offered to check on his son, he might punish the doctor or worse... kill him.
"Are you saying you don''t want to go?" Nichs raised an eyebrow. "This is an order."
"Ah.. no, of course not, Your Majesty," Doctor Lehman''s face paled. "I will go."
"I will send some knights to go with you," Nichs added. He could see the doctor''s pale face suddenly looking bright again. This made him feel annoyed. "I am sure the knights won''t be needed, but just in case."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will go immediately," Doctor Lehman bowed down and left the king''s study.
Nichs massaged his temple and closed his eyes. Today was such a long day. He was worried about Jan, and sad when he thought about Sophie.
Heaven was truly ying a joke on him.
KNOCK KNOCK
Nichs was moved from his reverie by the knock on his door. He wondered if Doctor Lehman forgot something or he wanted to rify the assignment with Nichs, so he returned.
However, the king was wrong. When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of thest person on earth that he wanted to see.
Karenina.
Why was she here?
Nichs heard from the queen that his fiancee was so broken by what happened between them and decided to return to her father''s home in Hauntingen. This had given Nichs some relief, because he thought she finally gave up and decided to live her life as a free woman, no longer attaching herself to the crown.
Was he wrong?
Did she want something from him?
Or... did shee back after she gave it a long thought and decided she would still want to force Nichs to take responsibility and marry her?
If he had even a tiny feeling for her, or if he remembered that he did sleep with her, he might... MIGHT think about it. But that was before his memories about Sophie returned.
Now, Nichs really couldn''t see himself marrying any other woman. He would rather spend the rest of his life alone than betray his love for Sophie.
Also, why would he need a wife now? He already had his heirs. His mother could no longer pester him for marriage for heirs because he could tell her about Luciel and Jan.
"Your Majesty..." Karenina''s voice croaked. She looked distraught but tried to act tough. Nichs was wondering what was on her mind.
"Karenina," Nichs got up from his chair out of politeness. He motioned her to sit down. "How are you?"
She refused toe forward, still standing by the doorway.
"Not so well," she admitted.
Nichs noticed her chapped lips and her hollow cheeks. She looked like she was losing a lot of weight. Was she sick?
"I am sorry to hear that," Nichs stepped forward to approach her. "Do you want me to call you a doctor?"
He could summon another doctor to check on her condition while Doctor Lehman was away.
"I-I''ve checked with several doctors already..." Karenina said weakly. "They all said the same thing."
"Huh? What is it? What did they tell you?"
Suddenly, Nichs felt ominous. His heart pounded and he subconsciously held his breath.
Karenina sighed. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"They all said I am pregnant," she said tly. "Ten weeks now."
She was lying, of course. Her pregnancy was only six weeks in. It was very new. But she would deal with the detailster. Right now, she needed to drop the news on Nichs''sp and ask him to take responsibility.
Nichs''s heart skipped a beat. Karenina''s birthday party, where he was used of raping her during his ckout moment happened two months ago. If the sexual intercourse resulted in pregnancy, it would be exactly ten weeks now.
Karenina smiled inwardly when she saw Nichs'' shocked expression. She would make him suffer for everything he had done to her, making her wait for years and look like a fool.
"I know you don''t want it, so I will abort the baby," she continued her words, with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I just came here to let you know."
Chapter 330 Kareninas Plea
Nichs fell silent. He was very surprised to hear Karenina''s words and remembered about his two sons, Luciel and Jan, that he only found out about recently. He wasn''t there for Luciel and Jan in the first six years of their lives.
Thinking of them always made his heart churn. Now, Nichs didn''t know whether the child that Karenina was carrying was really his child or not but he didn''t want an innocent child to be the victim.
"Don''t do it, Karenina, the child is innocent," he said gently.
"I know this child is innocent but if he was let alive, he will only get reproach from people because he was born without a father. People will call him a bastard," said Karenina, crying.
"I will ept the child and raise him," Nichs said, making Karenina stunned. He added, "I want the child."
Nichs only said it so that Karenina wouldn''t abort the fetus. He would think about what to do with the baby and Kareninater, but at this moment, he knew he should try to get Karenina to change her mind. Being in her shoes, she might not be thinking straight.
Gosh... was that baby really his? Did they really do the deed? Why couldn''t he remember? He had started to remember many things about his past. He was sure it was only a matter of time until he could remember what happened between him and Karenina on that fateful night.
And when he did... would he be able to ept the truth if he finally confirmed that he did have sex with her and now she was carrying his baby?
Nichs really dreaded it. Even if they did have sex, he didn''t do it willingly. He was not in his right mind. He would make up for everything, as long as he was not forced to bind himself with Karenina in a marriage.
He had made up his mind not to live the life his father led. He would not be able to look Sophie in the eye if he did sleep with Karenina, but he wouldn''t be able to marry Karenina. He would take care of her child and raise him properly. But they couldn''t marry.
He looked at Karenina tiredly. "I will not let anyone mock the child or make his life suffer. I will make sure of that."
IF Karenina truly was carrying his child, Nichs would take responsibility and raised him. This conversation made his mind wander to Sophie. Did the thought of aborting her children ever cross Sophie''s mind after Nichs left?
She was in a far worse situation than Karenina. She was all alone in a small shabby hut in Hauntingen. She had no means to raise a baby, let alone two. She must also think about how society would see her children after they were born without a father.
If Sophie had the same mentality as Karenina, Luciel and Jan wouldn''t be here today.
This made Nichs feel more gratitude and admiration swell in his heart for Sophie. She was such a strong woman and she didn''t give up, no matter what the circumstances were.
As for Karenina...
He looked at the woman and was sure more than ever that he didn''t want her to be the queen of Riga. Nichs thought he would be happier living alone than spending the rest of his life with the woman he didn''t love. He thought over time he would only resent her. It was not good for the child either.
Perhaps, he could raise the child with his mother andpensated Karenina with so much wealth.
Nichs thought about many different scenarios, while Karenina felt her heart pounding in newfound hope.
She was shocked and could hardly believe what she heard. She didn''t expect the king to relent so quickly. She thought that it would be very difficult to get the king to acknowledge the child in her womb.
She only pretended to n to abort to check his reaction. Karenina wouldn''t really go along with that n. She would use her baby as a pawn to make Nichs feel guilty andter gave her whatever she wanted.
Karenina was surprised not without reason. From Doctor Lehman, who was a rtive of her father, she heard that the king had sent the royal physician to Duke Romanov''s manor to treat Jan. Upon hearing this news, Karenina could easily guess that the king had found out that Luciel and Jan were his children.
This further reduced the chances for the child she was carrying to receive recognition from the king. Previously, she was quite confident that the king would ept the child in her womb because the child would be his heir. If the king rejected her, Karenina woulde crying to Queen Marianne.
The old queen was always fond of her. She also knew very well that Queen Marianne really wanted grandchildren. So, if the queen found out that Karenina was pregnant with her grandchild, then the queen would urge Nichs to marry Karenina.
However, her brilliant ns were disrupted because of Jan and Luciel. Those two brats were ahead of her by six years.
Now, hearing that Nichs was willing to ept her baby and even raise him, a new glimmer of hope reignited in Karenina''s heart.
"I will keep this child if Your Majesty married me because, otherwise, it doesn''t matter who this child will be cared for and raised by. This child will still be the subject of everyone''s reproach. Therefore it is better for me to abort him now than to let him live just to listen to insults and everyone''s ridicule," she said with tears streaming down her cheeks.
From behind her beautiful longshes, Karenina watched Nichs'' reaction. She had known him quite well from their interaction in the past six years. In her opinion, the only way she could get the king to marry her was to ckmail the king''s emotions.
Nichs really didn''t want to make an innocent child a victim but he really couldn''t marry Karenina either. He has given all his love to Sophie. Now, there was no more space in his heart left for any other woman.
"No," he said firmly. "I am sorry, but no."
Chapter 331 Nicholas Decision Is Firm
Karenina was not prepared to hear the word ''sorry'' from the king.
What did he actually mean? He said he wanted the child and was willing to raise him but he still refused to marry the mother?
Her face was nk for a moment and then her expression was slowly changed with confusion. She looked at Nichs and asked him to repeat what he said. "Sorry? What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"I am sorry I cannot grant your request," Nichs said calmly. "I will give you so much wealth that you can live without care for the rest of your life. I will also ensure your well-being. I will take the child and raise him, but I will not marry you."
Finally, after five years of avoiding this subject, today, Nichs decided to end it once and for all. In the past, he had hoped that Karenina would take the hint and leave. However, she was too stubborn, or shameless.. he didn''t exactly know what the right word to use for her situation.
Perhaps, she was just a foolish lovesick woman who kept hoping that the man she loved would finally had a change of heart and love her back, which obviously didn''t happen.
Nichs felt pity for Karenina if he openly ended their engagement because she would not be able to marry another man. No man would want to marry a woman who was previously engaged to a king, unless that man was also a man from his level.
That was one of the reasons why he didn''t end it right away with Karenina. He thought she would finally give up and be tired of waiting for him. However, that didn''t happen, and perhaps... she even tried to sleep with the king as thest ditch effort to make Nichs marry her.
Nichs regretted his indecision that had resulted in this mess. Now, he realized that as a king, and as a man, he had to be assertive. He had to be clear with what he wanted and stick to his decision. Otherwise, other people would keep trying to push him to do things that he didn''t like doing.
He had decided to be firm with Karenina, and after this, he would also talk to his mother and made his decision known.
He knew his mother wanted grandchildren and was thinking about the future of this kingdom. He would tell her that he had confirmed Luciel and Jan were truly his sons. She seemed to like the boys a lot. She would be happy to know they were really her grandchildren.
"Y-your Majesty...." Karenina''s lips trembled as she uttered her next words. Her expression was filled with disappointment. "How could you do this to me...? To your child?"
Nichs in present was no longer Nichs from the past who was thinking of other people''s feelings and wants over his.
He was not in love with Karenina, and nothing in this world could make him bind himself to that woman.
"Karenina, I will be honest with you. This is something that I should have done much earlier," he said, looking at Karenina deeply. "I will not marry you. Even if we might be sleeping together on that night, the truth is, I don''t love you. I don''t want to marry someone I don''t love. Now, if you want to keep the baby, I will support you and take responsibility for the child, but I will not... marry you."
He added, "And if my offer is not good enough for you, I can''t force you to keep the child for me. I am not a heartless man who would force my will to a woman."
"But you forced yourself on me at that night!" Karenina snapped. "How dare you say you are not a heartless man?"
"I actually slowly remember the events from that night," Nichs winced his brows in disgust. "I started having headache after I drank the wine you gave me. It was a long time ago and I don''t have the evidence, but I can still do more investigation about the wine... and who knows what I will find."
Karenina''s heart dropped to her stomach when she heard Nichs'' words. Shit. Did the king really remember that he had some reactions after he took the wine from her? This was really bad.
If Nichs had been suspicious of Karenina, he would probably make it his mission to investigate this matter more intensely if he was cornered. Forcing him for marriage like this was not a good idea.
He might already be suspicious of Karenina but he brushed it off because he felt guilty about sleeping with her. But if she kept pestering him and didn''t know when to stop, he wouldunch full investigation and who knows what he would find?
He might chase after the servant, Karenina''s people, her father, and perhaps also Doctor Lehman who checked on Karenina''s condition after she imed she was raped.
p Nichs would find a lot of evidence if he kept looking. This thought actually scared Karenina.
Damn!
''I hate you, Nichs Hannenbergh. I hate you so much.''
''I might have loved you in the past, but your vile treatment of me had opened my eyes.''
''You have taken years of my life. You made me believe that someday I will be your queen, only for you to toss me to the ground mercilessly, embarrassing me in the process and making me theughingstock of the kingdom.''
''I hate you. I hate you so much. I will make you pay.''
Karenina bit her lip so hard, it was bleeding, and she felt her body shaking with anger.
"G-give me time... t-to think..." she muttered almost inaudibly.
Karenina turned around and left the king''s study with shaky steps. Nichs almost felt sorry for her. He felt like a massive jerk. However, he couldn''t find it in his heart to grant her wishes. He didn''t want to ruin more people''s lives with his indecisiveness.
If he relented and marry Karenina, she would finally realize that a loveless marriage was worse than hell. He would also resent her, and their child would feel all the pain.
Chapter 332 Doctor Lehman Is Checking On Jans Condition
Karenina entered her room and immediately mmed the door with rage filling her heart. She clutched her head in frustration while crying.
The girl sat on the floor and continued to cry for half an hour. When she had calmed down enough she stood up and walked over to the painting of Nichs that was hanging in her room.
"You''ve turned my love into hate. If I can''t have you then no one else can either. I won''t let you live happily ever after," she said with gritted teeth, looking at Nichs'' face. Her face was filled with so much hatred.
After everything she went through... after everything she had sacrificed, she still couldn''t get the man.
She felt so useless.
Maybe her father was right.
She was a no-good woman. Nobody wanted her.
What''s the use of her beauty and intelligence, if the only man she wanted didn''t want her, no matter how hard she had tried to be the woman worthy of him?
This was not fair.
"THIS IS NOT FAIR!!!!" She screamed her heart''s out in frustration, that servants outside of her room became startled and exchanged nces. They started to think that the princess went crazy after her failed suicide attempt.
***
At Duke Romanov''s manor, Sophie was watching Doctor Lehman check Jan''s condition. She was d to see the royal physician at their home. As soon as she heard the guard tell her that the king sent Doctor Lehman, she immediately ran outside and weed the man.
The thought of asking her mate''s permission did cross her mind. However, Sophie brushed it off because Jan''s health was more urgent and she assumed Lnd wouldn''t mind as long as it was for the boy''s sake.
She knew he cared deeply about Jan and would do anything for him. So, she made the decision to wee the doctor. She was d that some other experts came and help check her son. Being the royal physician, she believed Doctor Lehman was the best doctor they could find in Riga.
"So? How is he, Sir?" Sophie sped her hands in frustration. "What''s your analysis?"
"Everything is fine," said Doctor Lehman shortly after checking Jan''s condition. He then gave Sophie the medicine he had prescribed for Jan. "If your story was correct that he was hit by rubble, then it''s pretty amazing that he has recovered this fast and so well. I don''t see his injuries being critical."
"Oh... that''s good to know." Sophie let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Jan who was now looking at her with ''I told you'' expression.
Right at that moment, Sophie felt grateful that her sons were lycans, unlike her. They got so many physical advantages,pared to humans. Gosh.. it was good to be lycans.
Slowly, she started to understand why so many powerful humans, such as Nichs''s father hated lycans. Not only because they had personal grudges toward lycans, but also because they were worried lycans who had so much more physical advantages than humans would use them to rule over humans.
At the end of the day, everything came down to power.
"Give this medicine after every meal. He will recover even more quickly," the old doctor added. Sophie epted the medicine and thanked him.
"Thank you so much foring all the way here," Sophie smiled at the man. "Do you need help to go back to the capital?"
"No need, your grace," the doctor shook his head politely. "I came here with a group of knights. They will take me back to the capital safely."
"Oh..." Sophie immediately understood that Nichs must have prepared the security for the doctor in case he would be attacked by the lycans. She massaged her temple.
She couldn''t me him though. It was the right thing to do since the lycans and the royal family were enemies. However, deep inside her heart she also felt grateful that Nichs did what he did. He truly walked the talk. When he said he cared about his sons and wanted to send a doctor to check on Jan, he really did it.
"You should thank the king," said Doctor Lehman seriously. "Not me. I only came here to do his order."
"I know." Sophie didn''t want to be rude and stop the doctor from talking, but she wished Doctor Lehman didn''t mention anything about the king around so many lycans. The old man didn''t understand that he was surrounded by danger.
Every pair of eyes, no matter how nonchnt they looked, was watching his every move and word. He was not truly safe until he was out of there.
Since he had confirmed that Jan was fine and would soon recover, they didn''t actually need him.
"Please convey my gratitude to the king," she was forced to speak in a very low tone. "Goodbye and have a safe journey."
"Will do, your grace." Doctor Lehman bowed down his head a little bit to show respect to the woman who was much higher in status than him, then he turned around and headed for the door. Duncan walked him out.
,m Once the doctor was out of her sight, Sophie sat down beside Jan and checked his temperature. He did look much better than the first time she saw him injured. He no longer had a fever.
Sophie was deep in thoughts when she remembered how distraught she suddenly was on the night Jan was injured. Lnd told him it was because she and her children had the bond between parent and child.
When he mentioned it, Lnd''s expression slightly changed. This made Sophie realize that the man didn''t feel the same bond that she had with her sons.
This meant, the parent-child bond only existed between biological parents and their children. Did Nichs feel it too? She was wondering.
However, if he did, Nichs should havee here right away, just like her.
This got her thinking. Maybe he didn''t recognize the feeling because he was injured himself and thought the pain he was feeling was his?
Chapter 333 Karenina And Sophie
Sophie remembered she felt a slight pain in her head on that night Jan was hurt. She was also suddenly engulfed with worry. Maybe... Nichs'' own pain and distraught masked the bond he had with Jan. That''s why he didn''t feel it? And so he didn''t try toe back here and insisted on seeing his son...
It was the only exnation.
However, what about the future? Would he feel the children''s pain next time?
And... what about Luciel and Jan? Would THEY feel their father''s pain?
Wouldn''t killing Nichs would inflict that pain on the boys?
Would Lnd really do it to the kids?
Thinking of this made Sophie want to cry again. She caught sight of her stomach that had slowly shown her pregnancy. If this baby was born, s/he would also feel Lnd''s pain if Nichs did anything to him.
Both men were at war and they were determined to hurt and kill each other.
Didn''t they understand that the pain they inflicted on the other man would hurt the children too? Hurting the children would hurt Sophie by extension.
Why didn''t they see this?
"Mom... why are you crying again?" Jan touched her arm worriedly. "I will get better. I promise tomorrow I will be healthy again and I''ll recover 100 percent."
"Ah... no, Jan," Sophie forced a smile and rubbed the boy''s hair dotingly. "I''ve got something in my eye. This has nothing to do with you. I am no longer worried because you are such a strong boy and all the doctors and healers already told me you will recover soon. You did well."
Jan narrowed his eyes suspiciously. This made Sophie feel guilty for lying to her son. If Jan could feel her pain and distress because of the bond they had as parent and child, denying things would make the boy confused and doubt his own feelings and intuition.
She hurriedly added, "I am a bit unwell because I am thinking of something sad. However, it''s not about your health. You are an amazing boy. It''s an adult''s problem."
She shouldn''t lie to Jan.
"Mommy..." Jan decided to hug Sophie tightly. This gesture greatly touched the woman''s heart. She felt grateful to have such wonderful children. Maybe they were given to her to make up for her misfortunes.
***
A servant came and knocked on the open door. "Luna."
Sophie was moved from her reverie. She was sitting on a sofa, trying to knit something for Lnd and her sons because winter was approaching. She thought she needed to keep herself busy to distract her mind from so many problems that she was facing. However, she ended up daydreaming and didn''t get anything done.
"What is it?" she asked the servant.
"A woman wants to meet you. She ims to be Princess Karenina Verhoven."
Sophie furrowed her brows. She remembered that Karenina Verhoven was Nichs'' fiance¨¦. Why did shee here and want to meet Sophie?
Sophie put down her yarns and knitting sticks, then walked out of her room. "Where is she?"
"She is still outside the gate."
"Did shee with anyone?"
"She came with a carriage. There was a coachman and two servants, but no one else."
Sophie didn''t understand what that woman wanted. As a princess, surely Karenina should havee with more protocol and royal officers to apany her, but again... what for? Why did shee here in the first ce?
When Sophie arrived at the gate, she was a little surprised toe face to face with Karenina.
"Yes?" she looked at the uninvited guest and asked her tly. Sophie tried to be polite because Karenina was a princess, even though she despised that woman.
"Sophia..." So unexpected, Karenina immediately knelt down and hugged Sophie''s legs while sobbing. In order to prevent Sophie and Nichs from getting back together, Karenina would do anything including dropping her pride to the lowest possible ce.
She was determined, if she couldn''t have Nichs, then no one could.
"What are you doing?" The surprised Sophie immediately let go of her legs from Karenina''s arms and helped the girl up.
"What are you doing?" Sophie asked again when Karenina had stood up.
"Tell me what should I do?" Karenina croaked, tears streaming down hard to her cheeks. She looked at Sophie pleadingly. "I''ve been patiently waiting for the king to marry me for five years. We were about to get married in the near future, but because of you the king canceled the wedding."
The girl''s tears flowed profusely and she continued to sob. Sophie was surprised at what Karenina had just said.
"Sophia." Karenina wiped the tears off her cheeks roughly before she added, "Please help me as a fellow woman, get out of here, stay away from the king and nevere back into his life. I am pregnant with his child but he didn''t want to acknowledge this baby because he wants to still gain your favor."
"Wh-what did you say?" Sophie''s heart thundered when she heard Karenina''s plea.
"I am pregnant with the king''s child. We did the deed because it was only a matter of time before we are wedded. However, when you suddenly appeared, everything turned into a mess," Karenina bit her lip so hard, it started bleeding. Sophie winced when she saw it.
Her body suddenly trembled. She understood if Nichs and Karenina had consummated their rtionship because they had been engaged for such a long time, and like Karenina just said, they were about to be husband and wife.
Sophie couldn''t me Nichs if he slept with another woman, especially his fiancee. He didn''t remember her. In his mind, he was a bachelor who didn''t have a wife and children.
But why did this knowledge feel so painful?
"I have checked with many doctors. I am now ten weeks in, with his child. We were supposed to get married and have a wonderful life together..." Karenina cried pitifully. "However, you just have toe at the wrong time and ruin my life. Why can''t you go back to where you were? We were so happy before you reappeared in his life."
"I-I don''t understand what you are talking about..." Sophie tried to deny there was any rtionship between Nichs and her. She didn''t want to give any information to Karenina. "Please leave. You are talking nonsense."
Chapter 334 Nausea
"I know who you are," Karenina insisted. "You can''t fool me."
"I don''t know what you''re talking about and I don''t have time to talk to you," Sophie narrowed her eyes and looked at Karenina firmly. She had chosen Lnd and left Nichs in the past. Now, whatever happened to Nichs with another woman was none of her business.
She didn''t want to be involved in other people''s affairs. She didn''t know why knowing that Nichs got Karenina pregnant felt so hurt. Did she still have feelings for him? How could she be jealous of Karenina?
Perhaps, this was how Nichs felt when he found out Sophie was pregnant with Lnd''s child?
Also... this must be what Lnd was feeling when Nichs came and wanted to meet Sophie and the children.
Jealousy.
Only when she felt it herself, that Sophie understood what those men were feeling.
They were in an unfortunate situation that entangled them in a confusing web. Sophie massaged her temple. Was it really jealousy that she was feeling?
She searched her heart.
Perhaps it was.
It was human nature to feel jealous because she never fell out of love with Nichs. The feelings she had for him were deep and cemented for years because she raised their sons that looked so much like him. She saw him every day in Luciel and Jan.
That''s why her love for him never wavered even though she had been married to Lnd for years and loved him with all her heart too.
It was difficult to exin.
"Why are you so greedy?" Karenina blurted angrily. "You already have Duke Romanov but you seem dissatisfied because you don''t want to let go of the king."
She stared at Sophie with eyes filled with hatred. She no longer looked like a pitiful woman but instead, she was like an angry snake ready to strike.
There was something about her that made Sophie feel worried. She had never felt this way toward another woman before, not even Lnd''s evil mother, Isolde.
"I don''t have to talk to you. You are not wee here. Please go before I ask the guards to kick you out." Sophie still tried to lookposed. She felt nauseous again. Perhaps her stomach churned seeing Karenina like this.
"Nichs is mine. He has been mine for five years and will always be mine. You greedy bitch have forgotten about him and could easily rece him with Duke Ariam Romanov, only in mere months after you thought he died. What kind of woman is that? I am sure you don''t love him sincerely if you can move on that quickly!"
Karenina felt there was no more need for her to pretend. She went on her hateful rampage and insulted Sophie to make her feel better.
She hated Sophie so much. She hated her with every fiber of her being.
Sophie couldn''t reply... or rather, she didn''t want to reply to Karenina''s insults. Only God knows her sufferings and the reason why she decided to marry Lnd. It was not because she wanted to move on quickly from Nichs... but because she wanted to protect her children.
Sophie thought she didn''t have to answer to Karenina. What for? It was none of her business.
"You take advantage of Duke Romanov because he is rich... and for six years you thought you could live a good life. However, now that you know Nichs is actually a bigger fish, you decided you want to go back to him. That''s the real reason why you ask your husband to bring you back to Riga, isn''t it??"
Sophie clutched her throat. She wanted to leave Karenina with her nonsense, but her nausea made her body feel so weak, and she had to lean on the tree to find bnce.
Meanwhile, Karenina stepped forward and pointed her finger at Sophie. She continued venting her anger.
"I am sure your husband will be very interested in knowing the real reason why you made him return to Livstad. I am curious to know how he would respond..."
Sophie rolled her eyes. Karenina''s usations were bing more ridiculous.
"Actually, we came back because my husband wanted to," she red at Karenina. "I will go wherever he goes. And at this moment, I am staying here because this is where he wants to be."
"LIAR!! I don''t believe you for one bit!" Karenina screamed. "You are not happy with your deformed and ugly husband, now you want my Nichs! You want a handsome man to warm your bed and that''s why you n to go back to his arms."
Sophie stepped back. She didn''t want to risk being attacked by this young woman before her who now looked like she had lost her mind.
She wanted to call the guards to kick Karenina, but suddenly her stomach felt churned and she turned around to vomit. Karenina''s presence had truly given her a lot of stress.
This made Sophie suddenly feel sorry for Nichs. Why did he involve himself with this kind of woman?
At first, Sophie was jealous because she still loved Nichs even though her mind told her that she had to stay away from him and keep their distance for Lnd''s sake. But now she was sorry for him.
And if Karenina was truly pregnant with Nichs'' child... Sophie felt sorry for the child.
Karenina narrowed her eyes when she saw Sophie vomit. She subconsciously rubbed her own belly and she realized Sophie was pregnant.
Was it Duke Romanov''s baby?
An evil smirk curved up on Karenina''s face. She covered her lips and started tough.
So... Nichs wanted Sophie but Sophie was already pregnant with another man''s baby. How heartbroken would he be when he found out?
Karenina was sure that Sophie must have not told Nichs about her pregnancy. She still wanted to keep the man under her radar. Karenina decided to break the news to Nichs to make the man give up on his pursuit.
There was no use to keep chasing after his past love.
Sophie already belonged to Duke Romanov. She belonged in Nichs'' past.
Karenina was his present, together with her baby, whom he already thought was his.
Chapter 335 Karenina And Leland
"This is such good news," Karenina muttered under her breath. She couldn''t wait to see Nichs''s pained expression when she told him that the woman he loved was now pregnant with Duke Romanov''s baby.
Sophie wiped her mouth with her sleeves and decided to walk inside, leaving the woman with the venomous mouth. She would let the guards handle Karenina.
"I am warning you, soon I will be the queen of Riga. If you don''t get the hell out of this kingdom as soon as possible and go back to where you all belong, I will make sure your stay here will be like a living hell," Karenina crossed her arms and smirked, as she watched Sophie walked away from her. "You and your children will be under my mercy."
She added, "And you will regret the day when I asked you nicely to leave but you said no."
Sophie thought Karenina was crazy and didn''t want to bother with her again, but when she heard Karenina mention her children, Sophie lost it.
She immediately turned around, still feeling like she wanted to vomit, and threw a murderous re at Karenina.
"If you dare touch my children even a little bit, I will break both of your hands. Get out of here," she said coldly while emitting an intimidating aura. "GET OUT!!"
The servants who had seen Sophie act like that for the first time exchanged nces in astonishment.
"Looks like Luna has caught our Alpha''s cold attitude," whispered a servant to her friend, meanwhile Karenina, who was silent because she was surprised to see Sophie''s attitude clenched her hands in anger. She wanted to destroy Sophie even more.
"Luna, let us help you," said one of the maids who came to Sophie''s side. Her friend got to Sophie''s other side and they helped her walk inside the gate again.
For a moment, Karenina nced at the guards who were around as they watched her and Sophie talk.
If she dared to attack Sophie then the guards would immediately protect Sophie and chase her away. She could see most of them were ring at her and their hands clenched into fists, ready to kill her on the spot.
This made Karenina purse her lips. She really hated Sophie and wanted her to suffer. In order to do that, she must live. She had to save her skin and return to the royal pce safely.
As a result, she, again and again, could only suppress her anger and then turned and left there. However, before she left the gates, she turned again. She saw Sophie was helped by the maids walking quickly into the manor.
On the other hand, Lnd who was discussing something with Lucas suddenly fell silent when he felt something. Did something happen to his mate?
He immediately got up from the chair and looked toward the window. He saw Sophie was walking inside with the help of two maids, and from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Karenina who was standing in front of the manor.
"What''s wrong, Alpha?" Lucas asked before looking out the window or at least in the direction his Alpha was looking at.
"Isn''t that woman Nichs Hanenbergh''s fianc¨¦? What is she here for?" Lucas muttered.
Lnd didn''t answer. He took a nce at Sophie and when he saw she was fine, Lnd immediately darted out of his study towards the exit of the manor.
Actually, he could just jump right out of the window but that wouldn''t look natural for a normal human to do. Just like Lucas, he was also curious as to why she hade to his manor.
"Princess Karenina Verhovent."
Hearing someone calling her name, Karenina immediately turned around and found a handsome white-haired man walking toward her.
For a moment, she was dumbfounded. Who was this man? He was so handsome and manly and Karenina was at a loss for words.
"Why are you here?"
From the man''s white hair and blue eyes, Karenina could immediately guess who it was. She had also heard his voice in the royal pce when he attended her birthday.
Wait... was this man really Duke Romanov?
She was confused.
Wasn''t he deformed and ugly? This man was far from ugly. It was the opposite, he was the definition of handsome and masculine. Someone that every woman dreamed of having in their bed.
"Duke Romanov?" Karenina muttered her question. She guessed this man was the duke, but her mind couldn''t believe her own conclusion.
"You haven''t answered my question," Lnd crossed his arms on his chest, looking at Karenina with a cold stare. His voice was deep and made Karenina feel like she was dreaming.
This man was Duke Romanov?
"I-I... came here to..." Karenina couldn''t blink. She knew it was rude to stare but she couldn''t help it.
"Are you really Duke Ariam Romanov? Otherwise, I will not answer your question because only the master of this manor is worthy enough to talk to me. A peasant shouldn''t try to be presumptuous and talk directly to a princess."
She decided to probe and make sure that this handsome man before her was truly the duke.
Lnd wanted to roll his eyes, but she was right. He was now in the human kingdom. For them, sses and statuses mattered. If he still wanted to keep his disguise, he must follow their way.
"It''s me. Now, answer me, what are you doing here? What do you need?" Lnd asked dryly. He didn''t know if Karenina already knew that he and the rest of the manor''s inhabitants were lycans, so he was still trying to keep their heads down.
Karenina was surprised to know that her guess was correct. So, this man was really the duke.
What did she say to Sophie earlier today? Karenina used Sophie wanted to go back to Nichs because she wanted a handsome man to warm her bed.
Who could be more handsome than this big man over here? Karenina was wondering. She started to feel more bitter.
She stepped closer and looked at Lnd daringly.
"Duke Romanov, the truth is... I came to beg your wife to stop flirting with my fianc¨¦e."
Lnd''s brows dropped when he heard Karenina use Sophie of flirting with her fianc¨¦. Tch! Wasn''t it the other way around?
Chapter 336 The King Is A Lycan
"Are you sure what you''re saying isn''t reversed? Instead of youing here and using my wife, go home and tie your fianc¨¦ to the stake so he doesn''t keeping to see my wife and disturbing my family."
Lnd didn''t usually talk much, but he was so annoyed by the fact that Nichs came earlier and now his fiancee too.
He wanted to make sure Karenina get the message and put a leash on the king since she would be his wife.
"Both of your eyes are blind because of your love for your wife. Because of that, you can''t see how bad the woman you have married is," Karenina retorted.
"Don''t test my patience." Lnd stared very intently. He had to remind himself not to lose control and crush Karenina to nothing.
"Right now your wife may still be with you but if she continues to meet the king, it is not impossible that their past love will blossom again and she will leave you. If you don''t want that to happen, take your wife away from here so they can''t meet," said Karenina. "Go back to where you all belong."
She added, "Look... we are on the same side here. I want to save my rtionship with Nichs, and you must want to keep your wife, especially now that she is pregnant with your child. Think about it."
She sighed waited for Lnd to respond, but the man was silent in his ce. He didn''t show any emotion.
Didn''t he have feelings? Was he not jealous that his wife was involved with the king? Nichs was clear with his intention to stay in his children''s lives by sending the doctor earlier today. Didn''t that bother this duke?
So many questions filled Karenina''s mind.
"Fine. Suit yourself," Karenina finally gave up. She felt like talking to air. "Don''t cry and regret this day when she finally leaves you heartbroken."
Karenina scoffed and turned around. She went to her carriage and immediately told the coachman to take her back.
Meanwhile, Lnd had been trying hard to contain his anger when he heard Karenina speak. He knew that Karenina was trying to instigate him but what the woman said had some truth in it.
He didn''t like it that today Sophie weed a royal physician to check on Jan''s condition without consulting him.
He knew she had all the rights to do it, but since Doctor Lehman was sent specifically by Nichs, Lnd wished Sophie would talk to him before letting the man in.
He didn''t want her to think he was petty and cared more about his jealousy than Jan''s well-being. That''s why he pretended not to know about the doctor''s visit.
Today, it was the doctor. What''s next? Their grandmother? Lnd remembered the old queen was so attracted to Luciel and Jan when they met at the royal party. Sheughed a lot and yed with them.
The kids liked her too. What if someday the old queen came to visit and Luciel and Jan finally knew that the old woman was their grandmother. They must like having more family members. All their lives they didn''t have grandparents figure.
Lnd''s own mother was a snake. She might even be the mastermind behind his unborn children''s deaths. Isolde was the definition of evil. She was a scary and vicious grandmother.
While Queen Marianne seemed like the doting grandmother that any young child would love to have. Ahh... damn you, Nichs! Why do you have everything? Lnd wanted to curse.
He was mad himself for envying Nichs'' life. He seemed to have a really nice mother, unlike Lnd with Isolde.
Now, should he take Sophie and the children back to Frisia? He could avoid suchplications and the kids would never get to know their family from their biological father''s side. Things would also be easier for Sophie in Frisia.
Lnd was deep in thoughts.
***
Karenina''s entire love for Nichs hadpletely turned to hatred. Now she just wanted to make the man suffer. One day after she visited Duke Romanov''s manor, Karenina decided toe to Noel, the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter.
KNOCK KNOCK
Noel looked up from his sword that he was cleaning when he heard the knocks on the door. He was surprised to see Kareninae to his ce.
"Good afternoon, Noel," Karenina stepped in and greeted the man.
She turned her gaze around and found the man''s house was really simple. Even though the Royal Lycan Hunters was an elite group and Noel must have been paid really good money, the man still lived in a really small and old house.
"Hello, Your Grace. Please,e in." Noel invited Karenina to sit down. He was quite surprised by her visit.
"What is the important thing that made the esteemed princesse here?" Noel''s tone was a little cynical. The man had not forgotten Karenina''s insult of calling him the king''s pet dog at her birthday party.
From then on he lost his sympathy for Karenina. He knew that Karenina was not a good woman for the king. He was even sure that the king did not rape Karenina but that it was the woman who framed the king.
Noel remembered how Karenina really wanted Noel to leave the king''s room at that time.
"I''m sure when you hear this, you will be surprised," said Karenina which made Noel knit his eyebrows in confusion.
"Try me," said the man tly.
"Well..." Karenina sat on the sofa and made herselffortable before she continued her words. "The king is a lycan."
She watched Noel''s face to see his reaction. Just as she expected, the man looked surprised.
"What makes you say that?" Noel asked carefully.
Karenina shrugged. "I found out about this when he saved me after I jumped from the tower. I only came back after calming myself down in my hometown. I was so shaken when I saw him turn into a monster."
Noel rubbed his chin. What he said next also made Karenina feel surprised.
Chapter 337 Noels Dilemma
"In that case, my suspicions have been right," Noel muttered subconsciously.
He had long suspected the king was a lycan but he didn''t have any evidence. He saw the king had great regenerative abilities when they sparred and he was wounded, but he couldn''t use it as the base to use the king.
Even though he was the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter, he couldn''t easily use noblemen of being involved with lycans or even a lycan. He needed to have all the evidence to prove his ims.
And this was even more difficult when it came to the members of the royal family. The king was the head of the state and his words were thew.
He didn''t know how Nichs could be involved with the lycans but since several years ago Noel had noticed something slightly unusual with the king, even though he couldn''t pinpoint them. He also had never seen Nichs shift into a lycan.
So, he brushed off all his gut feelings and never thought about it further. However, now that Karenina, the king''s own fiancee had made the usation, iming that she had witnessed the transformation herself, Noel thought back to all his suspicions all these years.
"YOU KNEW???" Karenina bulged her eyes when she heard Noel''s words. She looked at the man with an using gaze. "What? Are you really the king''s pet dog that you knew about him being a monster yet you still protect his reputation??"
Noel looked at Karenina with displeasure evident in his eyes. He liked the king and thought he was a good man. He respected Nichs enough to cover for him and even look out for him on the night he was used of attacking his fiancee.
But he especially hated being called the king''s pet dog, especially by a woman whom he thought was vile enough to frame the king by spiking his wine.
Noel was very certain that Karenina put something in Nichs'' drink that night, but he couldn''t find any evidence because the servants had gotten rid of the wine and the cups.
"What? Are you trying to deny me? If you knew that the king is the monster he is, but you didn''t say anything to anyone, and when your job is to hunt and kill all lycans in this kingdom, but you let him go scot-free... are you not his pet dog?" Karenina crossed her arms on her chest.
Seeing Noel''s hand rubbing his sword, however, Karenina immediately changed her tone. "Actually... I apologize for using you earlier. I think you only suspected him but youck evidence. Isn''t that right? I am sure you wanted to do the right thing but you couldn''t... because you have to be careful when ites to the royal family."
Noel narrowed his eyes. He couldn''t deny Karenina''s words because they were true.
"I am not your enemy, Noel," Karenina continued her words. She smiled and approached the head of the royal lycan hunter. "I want what''s best for this kingdom. I also hate those monsters."
Noel was still not impressed. "So?"
"Well... now I am convinced that you didn''t have evidence or witnesses before. That''s why you are not doing anything. But now you have me. I can prove to you that the king is really a lycan."
Noel spoke coldly. "What do you want?"
"Noel!" Karenina sat next to Noel and looked the man in the eye. "After learning that the king is a lycan, will you just stay quiet?"
"Princess Karenina, I am sorry, I can''t act just relying on that statement because it won''t prove anything. If you said this to everyone, you would only be seen as using the king. Besides, I wonder you are telling me this. Aren''t you the king''s fiancee? Shouldn''t YOU be the one to cover this up, right?"
"I love my country more," said Karenina making Noel feel likeughing. That woman really had two faces.
"I''m very impressed to hear that," Noel said with a faint smile.
"Noel, if you don''t act fast, soon this kingdom would be ruled by those monsters, like Armeria. Now the royal family is dead and the people are enved. Do you want that for Riga?" Karenina still tried to make her point. "Don''t you know they are already close? They are around us now, and I am not talking about the king."
Noel furrowed his brows when he heard Karenina''sst sentence. She was not talking about the king? So, who was it?
"What do you mean?"
"I am talking about Duke Ariam Romanov and his people," Karenina snapped. "I went there today and I had a suspicion that he is also a lycan."
Noel was now impressed by Karenina. He actually also suspected that Duke Romanov was a lycan. Noel''s suspicions of the king have been around for a long time but his suspicions of Duke Romanov were only in thest few months.
At that time, he and his troops were ordered by Queen Marianne to bring the king home after he left the royal pce on the night of Karenina''s birthday, where she imed to be assaulted.
Noel and his team came to the royal vi near Duke Romanov''s manor and found the king there but he failed to bring the king home because he said he was unwell and needed to rest in his vi.
However, on the way home, Noel''s team found two lycans fighting fiercely in the middle of the meadow. One huge grey wolf with amber eyes and a white wolf with blue and green eyes. The full moon gave away their appearances, so Noel and his people could see them well.
The two wolves were obviously not regr wolves from their sizes and the way they could respond to humans'' presence. Noel and his people tried to capture them with no luck.
He didn''t immediately think about the significance, but after returning to the pce and contemting, he finally realized that the fur color and eye colors of the white wolf was simr to the hair and eye colors of Duke Romanov and the gray wolf that attacked him had amber eyes which closely resembled the king''s.
Now, everything started to make sense.
Chapter 338 Kareninas Plan
TRIGGER WARNING: A mention of abortion at the end of this chapter.
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"Are you listening to me?" Karenina asked in annoyance. "What do you think?"
Noel didn''t bat an eye, he spoke calmly to respond to Karenina''s words. "I will have to do my investigation."
"What? So, you don''t trust me?" Karenina got up in annoyance. No.. she looked enraged. "What in the seven hells are you not understanding? The king is a lycan and so is Duke Romanov. This kingdom is threatened to be like Armeria because we are already surrounded by the enemy. Don''t you want to do something? I am sure no dukes or lords would stay still if they knew their lives are in danger."
Noel didn''t budge. "I will investigate. Thank you for talking to me. I would suggest you to find somewhere safe before shit hits the fan."
His words were cryptic and made Karenina narrow her eyes. She was wondering what Noel was nning. Fine. Her job was done. She had nted the seeds of doubts within the Royal Lycan Hunter.
It''s good to know that Noel had been suspecting Nichs but he didn''t do anything previously because of theck of evidence.
Now, with Karenina''s testimony, they got what they needed. She hoped Noel and his team would work together with powerful noble families who had been eyeing the throne and were disloyal to the Hannenberghs.
Her own father couldn''t do such a thing because his only leverage was his daughter being the future wife of the current king. Now that it was clear that Nichs would never want to marry Karenina, she thought there was no choice but to burn that bridge.
As she said, if she could get Nichs and the throne of Riga, nobody should.
"Suit yourself," Karenina scoffed and went for the door. Her heart burned with anger.
Noel didn''t move for a while after Karenina left. He was deep in thoughts. The knowledge that Nichs was truly a lycan was something that really bothered him. He lost his brother to lycans during a fierce battle and had been alone all his life.
The same went for so many members of his team. In a way, they were just like thete King William Hannenbergh who held a grudge for the lycans because they all had lost their loved ones.
They all had this same mission. However, the king now was no more. There was only his son, Nichs. From Noel''s observation in the past six years, Nichs didn''t show any signs of being a lycan supporter, so it was hard to see him being part of those monsters.
So, where did he stand in this war between the human kingdom and the lycans?
Also... did thete king know? Noel thought about it again and he could immediately answer his own question. Of course, King William didn''t know. If anyone knew... it would only be the queen.
Noel''s mind was filled with countless scenarios.
He knew that both the king and the queen were not lycans. So, Nichs couldn''t possibly get his lycan gene from them.
So, the only other way was... he was turned.
When did that happen?
"Ahh..." Noel brushed his hair in frustration. He was already a member of the Royal Lycan Hunter thirteen years ago when the then crown prince was kidnapped. "Was it what happened?"
It was a huge blow to the royal family. Young Prince Nichs was missing for months and was suddenly found in...
Hauntingen!
Gosh... Noel was smart and he had been dealing with lycan problems for decades. He could slowly piece all the puzzles together. That ce apparently yed an important role in Nichs'' life.
He was missing and found in Hauntingen twice in his life. The first time, he was kidnapped and then found without any injuries. Noel now remembered that after the incident, Prince Nichs was rarely in the capital. His mother always brought him around her rtives'' ces.
Her excuse was Nichs must be having trauma after the kidnapping and she wanted to help him recover.
What if... Nichs was already turned back then and the queen tried to get him away from the king''s eyes, so he wouldn''t kill his own son?
Noel gulped. He was surprised by his own assumption. Was that really what happened? Would King William really kill his own son if he found out that Nichs was turned into a lycan?
He didn''t know. He didn''t have a child of his own. Would he kill his own blood if the boy was turned into part of the enemy by something outside of his power? Noel was sure he wouldn''t do it.
However, he understood that Queen Marianne didn''t want to take risks. She and her husband didn''t marry for love, so their rtionship was cordial at best. She must think the king didn''t love their son as much she did.
It''s understandable, Noel thought to himself.
He got up from his chair and looked out the window. If all his guesses were right, then he would be in dilemma. He thought about what it was like to be in Nichs'' shoes. At such a young age, he was kidnapped and very likely abused and turned by an Alpha of the pack that kidnapped him.
His life was turned upside down. His mother had to do whatever it took to keep him safe. And perhaps, it worked, until the king died.
Noel didn''t know what the queen did to suppress Nichs'' lycanthropy but he didn''t show any signs of bing a lycan for years, at least not anybody knew of.
And now... suddenly, it was back.
Noel was deep in thoughts. He could take the conclusion that the young king was definitely not a lycan supporter. He must have been holding a grudge toward them as well for what they did to him. However, his condition of being part of them put him in a difficult position.
Noel was distraught. What should he do to Nichs?
How should the Royal Lycan Hunter tread in this delicate situation?
Maybe Noel should talk to the king and confirm where he stood in this war between the human kingdom and the lycans.
"Yeah... I should do it..." Noel rubbed his face and let out a long sigh. He put his sword on his waist and got out of his home. He was headed toward the royal pce.
***
Meanwhile, Karenina had buried her desire to be queen. Now, she only wanted revenge against the king. She was so pissed that she had already met with Duke Romanov and Noel but the reactions of the two men were not as expected.
Karenina hoped that Duke Romanov would take his wife away from Riga after learning of the rtionship his wife had with the king in the past.
Was the man too innocent or stupid? He had no idea! Then Noel? The man was very slow. Dumb cows!
After thinking about it all day, Karenina finally came up with a new n. She would abort her pregnancy and then use Nichs of murdering his own unborn child and make the king regret it.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in!"
The door opened and a man walked into Karenina who was sitting on a chair by the window.
"You took too long," said Karenina and drank her afternoon tea.
The man bowed politely to his master and asked, "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
"I want you to find a witch for me," said Karenina without looking at the other person. The man was Karenina''s confidant. He was sent by her father to work in the pce to help Karenina with whatever she needed done.
This man was called Hugo and he had been involved in many crimes that Karenina had a hand in. However, he was still surprised that his master suddenly asked about a witch.
"Witch?" The man furrowed his brows. Maybe he heard wrong earlier so he repeated the word to confirm. However, he didn''t mishear because Karenina nodded impatiently.
"Are you deaf?" she scoffed.
"Apologies, Your Highness," the man bowed down respectfully. "It''s my fault for not paying attention."
"I want to get the witch to make a special potion for me. If you manage to find a witch for me, I will pay you three times your current sry."
"What kind of potion do you need, Your Highness?" the man asked Karenina politely.
"It''s none of your business," Karenina replied curtly. "Just get me the most powerful one you can get. Let me talk to her about my needs."
She didn''t want even Hugo to know her n. He would tell Viscount Verhoven. She didn''t want that to happen. Her mother must want her to keep the baby and used it as leverage to get some financial support from the king because Nichs had already said that he would raise the baby even though he wouldn''t marry her.
Fuck no. I will not ruin my body if you still won''t marry me, Karenina gritted her teeth when she thought about it.
Her father and she had different ideas. Viscount Verhoven must still want some sort of power or wealth bytching on to the king through that baby, even if Karenina could no longer be the queen. For him, it must be better than nothing.
For Karenina, it was not good enough.
She wanted all or nothing at all.
She couldn''t wait to see Nichs'' expression when he heard that she ''killed his child'' because he refused to marry her. He would always live with regret because his rejection to marry the mother of the child was what caused the baby to die.
Karenina thought it was a decent punishment.
Chapter 339 Gwen The Witch
Hugo said, "I actually know someone. I will invite her toe and see you, Your Grace."
"Then, go! I don''t have all day," said Karenina curtly.
Hugo nodded respectfully and turned around to leave the room to carry out Karenina''s orders. He returned in the evening with a witch named Gwen.
Gwen was a middle-aged witch with dark skin and long curly hair. She wore a beautiful robe with feathers as essories. She smiled when she entered the room and see Karenina, but she didn''t bother bowing down her head to show her respect.
Her kind didn''t pay respects to humans that way. Usually, those who needed her help would overlook this and let her act as she pleased. Karenina was really annoyed by Gwen''s casual attitude, but she didn''t have a choice but to pretend not to see it. At this moment, she really needed Gwen''s help.
"Hello, Your Grace," Gwen introduced herself. "My name is Gwen and Hugo here told me that you have a big reward for me if I could make you the potion you need."
Karenina raised an eyebrow at Hugo and told him to go. "Leave us."
Hugo bowed his head and said, "Will do, Your Grace."
After Hugo left and closed the door behind him, Karenina crossed her arms and spoke to Gwen without further ado. "I need a potion to get rid of the baby in my stomach."
Gwen didn''t bat an eye when she heard the request. She sat down on a chair and dug into her bag. It seemed she had whatever potion Karenina would ever want. The princess could hear the nking sounds of bottlesing from the leather bag.
Gwen forked out a small bottle with brown liquid and showed it to Karenina. "Ahh.. that''s quite a popr potion. I always bring it with me when I am seeing new female clients."
Karenina''s brows winced when she heard Gwen''s words. So, she was right. The witch did have the potion already. "Good. Now give it to me."
"I don''t like small talk, I just like money," Gewen raised the bottle. "So let''s get straight to the point, how much money can you give me if I give you this potion."
"If the potion works well, whatever price you ask for I''ll give it to you."
Hearing Karenina''s words, Gwenughed.
"I like customers who don''t bargain much," she said then handed the bottle to Karenina. "By the way what made you want to abort that child. Isn''t it the child of King Nichs? Does the king not want to acknowledge the child?"
"Well, that''s how it is," Karenina replied curtly.
"You must be mad at him."
"I am," Karenina scoffed. "I am so mad that I want to kill him."
Gwen looked deep into Karenina''s eyes and could see the immense hatred that the woman had for the king.
"Well, if you want, I can help you," said Gwen with a smile. Her words made Karenina furrow her brows. Gwen immediately added, "That is if you are serious about it... ahaha.. if not, forget I ever said anything."
Karenina stared at Gwen with narrowed eyes. Could this witch really help her?
"Why do you want to help me?" she decided to ask Gwen''s motive.
"Because you can give me a lot of money," Gwen said then smirked. "Money is mynguage."
Karenina was silent. She never thought about taking down Nichs directly. She knew she didn''t have that kind of power.
That''s why she tried to instigate Noel and the Royal Lycan Hunter. However... what if SHE could really do something to make sure that Nichs would pay?
That would be sweet, sweet revenge.
"What can you do?" she asked Gwen .
The witch shrugged nonchntly. "Basically, anything you want."
Damn!
Karenina''s heart was pounding. Anything she wanted? This witch seemed so confident as if she could really do whatever Karenina asked.
This was so great. Karenina watched Gwen intently and tried to see if she could trust this witch''s words. Well... at this point, she had got nothing to lose anyway.
So, finally, Karenina nodded in agreement.
"Okay, but I don''t want to make the king die easily I want to see him suffer and make the king fall along with his throne," said Karenina, sounding so hateful.
"Okay," Gwen nodded. "Do you have a n to overthrow the king?"
Karenina pursed her lips and shook her head. "No.. not yet."
She had only thought about torturing Nichs emotionally by making him feel guilty about her abortion. She didn''t yet have anything nned, except maybe... if the Royal Lycan Hunter would do something after she told Noel that Nichs was a lycan.
"Nothing at all?" Gwen probed.
"Ugh... well, I n to use this potion from you to abort this child, andter I will use the king of killing his unborn child," exined Karenina.
"Not bad," said Gwen, nodding her head and then said, "If you want to overthrow the king and his throne, I have a suggestion."
Karenina furrowed her brows again and looked at Gwen with a look that said, ''what is that?''
Gwen finally told Karenina about the Obsidian San Pack, a group of power-hungry lycans. "Not long ago they seeded in taking over the throne of the Kingdom of Armeria and do you know, what did their Alpha do to the King of Armeria?"
"What?" asked Karenina, she looked very curious.
"The Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack chained the king like a dog and then tortured the people of Armeria before the king''s eyes. Imagine if what happened to the King of Armeria happened to King Nichs Hanenbergh, your heart would be very satisfied to see him suffer." Gwen smirked again.
Karenina''s eyes bulged. This sounded sooooo good!
She was tempted. Just by imagining King Nichs experiencing what the King of Armeria experienced, Karenina was already feeling very happy. She couldn''t wait to make it happen.
She even closed her eyes to imagine the sight. Ahh... Nichs, you would look good in chains, she thought to herself.
Chapter 340 Information From Gwen
It was such a delightful sight, in Karenina''s mind. Nichs would finally understand her pain and the humiliation she had suffered all this time.
A smile curved up on her face. It looked so sinister that Gwen the witch furrowed her brows. She didn''t think this beautiful woman before her who was a noblewoman, didn''t wince in fear or disgust when Gwen told the story of what happened to the king of Armeria. Instead, Karenina looked like she could do the same thing without batting an eye.
"I can guess that you like my suggestion," Gwen cleared her throat and then smirked.
Karenina''s smile suddenly faltered. She became doubtful when she remembered Noel and the Royal Lycan Hunters were protecting Riga, unlike Armeria which didn''t have an elite force like them.
She sighed in annoyance and turned to look at Gwen. "I''m not so sure if the Obsidian Sand Pack can take down Riga like they took down Armeria. Riga is a much bigger country and we have more power to protect the kingdom from the enemy."
"Why?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"Because Riga has the Royal Lycan Hunter. That special forces troop has killed and destroyed many packs of lycans," exined Karenina. Gwen found her words funny and so sheughed heartily. Karenina narrowed her eyes menacingly at Gwen. She hated beingughed at. "Why are youughing? What''s so funny?"
"You don''t know me," Gwen said after stopping herughter. "I work for what I get paid. Each of my suggestions is quality advice. The Obsidian Sand Pack is thergest lycan pack to date, beating the Blood River Pack, which was leading in the past."
She continued, "The Obsidian Sand Pack has arge army. They even managed to get some strong warriors to join them from Blood River Pack and many other packs on the maind. They are now led by the Alpha and Beta who are invincible, and their strength is enhanced by their Luna who is a powerful witch."
Gwen''s exnation took Karenina by surprise. She didn''t know this. Karenina thought deeply about Gwen''s words. If the strength of the Obsidian San Pack was that big, then she was sure that Riga could be defeated.
"Many years ago, the Obsidia Sand was only a small pack that had to survive the harsh life in the desert. They experienced very rapid development when their Alpha married Grand Witch Elois she became the Luna," Gwen chuckled. "I can hardly believe that Elois has finally given up on Lnd."
"Lnd?" Karenina narrowed her eyes.
"He''s the Alpha of the Blood River Pack, the previously most powerful pack on this continent. Elois was very infatuated with Lnd." Gwen who loved gossip and selling information started to tell Karenina at length about Elois who was very obsessed with Lnd Szar from the Blood River Pack, but he had never been interested in her. "Alpha Lnd loves Luna Sophia so much. Even though she was married once, he took her in and imed her as his mate. So many female lycans were so jealous of his wife that¡ª"
"Huh? Wait... did you say Sophia?" Karenina quickly interrupted Gwen after she heard the witch mention the name ''Sophia''.
Gwen shrugged. "I did. Why?"
"What are their names again?" Karenina asked again. "Uhm, I mean, the woman..."
Gwen frowned, slightly surprised at Karenina''s reaction when Sophia''s name was brought up. Did Karenina know the Luna of the Blood River Pack?
"Sophia Szar, the wife of Lnd Szar and also Luna of the Blood River Pack," Gwen replied. "What about her?"
Karenina winced in disgust. Why did she have to keep hearing that name over and over again? She hated Sophia so much! She was the main reason why Nichs suddenly canceled everything and now Karenina could no longer marry the king.
It was so embarrassing because they already announced the wedding ns at her birthday party, yet two months had passed and not only they were still not married, Nichs actually had the heart to kick Karenina out even though he thought she was pregnant with his child.
The king had be so heartless.
Sophia, I hate you!
I hate you so much!
Suddenly, Karenina froze and something clicked in her mind.
"Oh my god..." she pressed her lips as realization dawned on her.
Gwen said earlier that Lnd was mated with a previously married woman. This was too much of a coincidence. Sophia Romanov or Sophia Hansley had also been married before she was married to Duke Romanov.
Karenina was now wondering if Sophia Szar and Sophia Romanov were the same people? If that''s true, then it means Duke Romanov was... Lnd Szar.
Karenina was sure of her guess but to make sure she must ask Gwen to specify Lnd and Sophia Szar''s physical traits and tell her all the information Gwen knew about the couple. She also wanted to know more about Elois who was said to be in love with Lnd.
If Eloise loved Lnd, and Lnd was really Duke Romanov, it means, Eloise must hate Sophia for taking the man she wanted. This suddenly put Karenina at an advantage because the enemy of her enemy could be her friend.
"Gwen, tell me everything you know... about Lnd Szar, this Alpha of Blood River Pack, and his wife," Karenina said. She got up from her seat and went to the cab. She took out a heavy bag filled with gold and tossed it on the table. "If I am happy with your info, you can take all the gold. If not, don''t even dream about touching the bag."
Gwen really liked Karenina because the woman had a lot of money and didn''t hold back on spending it.
If sheFor this information, Karenina gives Gwen extra money.
Gwen was happy to share all the information she knew. She took a seat, poured tea for herself, and smiled broadly. "Well... for that much gold, I will even tell you what they ate for breakfast this morning... hehehehe."
Karenina paid attention to all the information provided by Gwen. The witch apparently knew a lot, not only because he was a witch who knew Eloise personally and had seen Lnd several times when he was younger, but Gwen also knew some lycans who rebelled five years ago from Blood River Pack.
Those warriors were unhappy with how Lnd was managing the pack and now they joined the Obsidian Sand Pack. They knew the inside and out of both packs.
"So, yeah... now, the Obsidian Sand Pack is nning to attack Riga. When they do, those members of Royal Lycan Hunters wouldn''t be able to do anything because the Blood River Pack would have already crushed them. They too, are waiting to strike when the time is right."
Karenina was deep in thoughts. So, she was RIGHT!
Those people in Duke Romanov''s manor were lycan warriors. They came here six years ago to infiltrate Riga and when their pack was divided, they had to go back to Frisia to consolidate power. And now, they were back.
"How dumb," Karenina muttered. "Those ''great'' royal Lycan hunters couldn''t see the enemy when it''s under their nose. Pathetic."
Chapter 341 Kareninas Evil Plan
Karenina tapped her fingers on the table and was deep in thoughts. So much information suddenly flooded from an unlikely source. She felt the goddess of luck was on her side.
Fuck Riga and fuck Nichs. Right now, she was engulfed in so much hatred that even she could feel her heart turn ck. She just wanted to see the world burn.
"So, the king''s wife is the Alpha''s mate?" Karenina chuckled. However, she was not smiling. It was the opposite, she pursed her lips in hatred but she could see the irony in the current situation.
Nichs, the king of Riga had his wife and children under the protection of his biggest enemy, the Alpha of a werewolf pack that seemed to have their own mission bying to Livstad.
Were theying here to topple the Hannenbergh family from power? As an outsider, Karenina felt this was an exciting shit show that would soon unfold. She felt giddy, knowing so much in such a short amount of time.
Maybe she could sell the information to a powerful noble family who wanted to get rid of Nichs from the throne? They could choose to work together with the Blood River Pack and then divide the kingdom after they topple Nichs Hannenbergh.
Wait... no. Karenina decided immediately that supporting the Blood River Pack would mean giving her support to Sophia Hansley to be the queen of Riga, even if they would only rule half of this kingdom.
She hated Sophie so much, and would never want to see her leading a happy life. No. She had to support another party that would want to see Sophie suffer.
Witch Eloise. She had her husband''s werewolf pack that could take care of the Blood River Pack and...
Karenina tapped her fingers faster on the table.
Her father was quite cunning. Even though he was just a lowly nobleman, he had built a goodwork for himself in the past five years since many people tried to suck up to the Verhoven for being the king''s future iws.
If he yed his card right, he could exert some power from within Riga to work together with the Obsidian Sand Pack. They would attack from outside and then deal with the Blood River Pack, and the rebellious nobles from Riga would weaken the kingdom''s security from inside.
"Gwen, how can I meet Witch Eloise?" Karenina turned to Gwen and looked at her intently. "I think I have an offer that she couldn''t refuse."
,m "What do you mean?" Gwen raised an eyebrow.
"I am not telling you my n, jeez..." Karenina scoffed mockingly. "Tell me the price and I will pay, as long as you can arrange for me to meet Eloise. I need to talk to her."
She thought Eloise would agree with her that the enemy of her enemy was their friend. She could tell Eloise must be holding such a deep grudge toward Sophie because Sophie took the man she loved, Lnd.
On the other hand, Sophie also had taken Nichs from Karenina. This made Karenina think she understood what Eloise was feeling.
"Hmm... Grand Witch Eloise is not easy to meet, but I will try," Gwen said. She liked money too much and would never say no to any opportunity to earn.
"Okay. Do it as soon as possible. I will only pay you if you can get me a meeting."
Gwen thought of an idea. She exined it to Karenina. "Maybe you can write a letter telling her who you are and what you want from her... also what''s in it for her."
"Hm... good idea."
Karenina followed Gwen''s words. She took a quill and paper from the cab and immediately wrote a letter containing an offer of cooperation to bring down the Riga Kingdom and destroy Sophia.
She intentionally let Eloise know that Sophie was pregnant with Lnd''s child and they looked so happy together. When she folded the letter, she couldn''t help but imagine the other woman would be seething in anger.
Karenina was pretty sure that Elois wouldn''t refuse to meet her. After folding the letter nicely, she handed the letter to Gwen.
"I''ll see you after Elois makes a decision," Gwen said taking the letter and getting up from her seat.
"How long should I wait do you think? I need reassurance," said Karenina. She didn''t want to waste too much time. She had wasted a lot of time waiting for Nichs to marry her. Now she didn''t want to waste any more time, she wanted to see the king destroyed as soon as possible.
"One week from now," Gwen said and then disappeared.
After Gwen was gone, Karenina stared intently at the small bottle in her hand. She was a little sad that she had to abort her child but that sadness was far less than her anger at King Nichs.
After all, from the start, the child was just a tool to get King Nichs to marry her. Now the tool was useless so she was going to get rid of it.
***
In his study, Nichs was standing by the window looking at some of the Riga soldiers who were training on the ground below. He was thinking of a way to prevent the war between Riga and the Blood River Pack from happening.
He had already told Sophie that he would stop the war but it seemed that Lnd had absolutely no intention of doing that.
If Lnd mobilized his pack to attack Riga then inevitably Riga would have to fight them to defend theirnd and war would be inevitable. Nichs didn''t want Sophie and their children to be trapped in the middle of an ongoing war.
What must he do to save them? Even if he had to give away his throne to make it happen, he would. However, he was smart and knew that it wouldn''t solve a problem.
Lnd''s goal didn''t seem to be power, but revenge. Didn''t he mention that Nichs'' family was responsible for Sophie''s parents'' deaths?
Chapter 342 Nicholas And Noel Sparring
Nichs was very surprised when he heard those usations. He wanted to immediately refute, but he held back because Sophie was there. What if the usations were true?
Did his family have any hand in the Hansley''s murder? He was too young back then to know what happened. He must try to investigate Sophie''s parents'' deaths. Who would know things that happened then?
His father had died. His mother didn''t seem to know anything about things that happened outside of the royal pce. So, who could he consult with?
As Nichs was lost in thought, someone knocked on the door.
"Your Majesty." It was the voice of Noel, the leader of the Royal Lycan Hunter. Why did Noel suddenlye to his room?
p Suddenly, Nichs mmed the table before him.
That''s right. Noel had been around for decades as a member of the royal lycan hunter, before he was appointed as the captain. He must know a lot. Nichs could talk to him about the past and probe for information.
"Come in!" Nichs looked at the door and waited for Noel to enter. He thought this was such good timing.
Noel opened the door. For a few seconds, he stood still in the doorway and looked at the king with a smile, not saying anything.
He remembered Karenina saying that the king was a lycan. Noel came to make sure of that.
Nichs furrowed his brows as Noel continued to stare at him intently. He asked him impatiently, "Why are you just standing there, Noel?"
Noel widened his smile and walked over to the king. Nichs returned to his chair and motioned for Noel to sit down.
"I was a little surprised that you suddenly came to see me. Is everything all right?" asked Nichs.
"Well, everything is fine. Don''t be offended, Your Majesty, buttely I''ve seen Your Majesty get injured frequently. So I thought of getting Your Majesty to practice swordsmanship together."
Hearing Noel''s words, Nichs chuckled. "You mean I get hurt a lot because I''m really bad at fighting so I need some practice?"
"Your Majesty is too outspoken. Please don''t be offended. I was just trying to suggest that we can train together again."
"No. I''m not offended because it''s true. Go to the practice arena first. I''ll catch up with you after changing."
"Very well, Your Majesty." Noel then stood up and walked to leave the king''s room. Before he passed the door he stopped then turned and looked at the king who seemed lost in thought.
Nichs had a look that was difficult to interpret. Noel watched the king for a few seconds then continued his dyed steps.
***
The sound of swords shing was heard in the middle of the training arena. While on one side of the arena the screams of the soldiers who were watching their two friends who were doing a duel sounded excited.
"COME ON BEAT HIM!"
"RICK, STAY UP! DON''T LOSE! I''M RELYING ON YOU! IF YOU LOSE, MY MONEY WILL BE OUT!"
"Haha be prepared. You will lose the bet."
In the midst of the crowd, two soldiers shouted excitedly cheering their heroes. They had made a bet. The two continued noisily followed by all the soldiers behind them until they all suddenly fell silent when they saw Noeling.
The two soldiers who were sparring immediately stopped their fight when they felt the atmosphere around them suddenly turn quiet.
Not long after, Nichs arrived and everyone bowed politely to the king. Noel said that he and the king would do sword training. He then asked that the arena be vacated.
"Please vacate the arena. The king and I will use it," he said.
Hearing Noel''s words, the two soldiers who were in the arena immediately walked out while the two soldiers from the audience approached the king and the leader of the Royal Lycan Hunter while carrying training equipment in the form of swords, helmets, and shields.
"When was thest time you were in the practice arena, Your Majesty?" asked Noel casually.
"I don''t know. I think it was a year ago," Nichs said as he put on his helmet and took his sword and shield. After that, he walked into the arena followed by Noel.
"Wow, this is going to be fun," muttered one of the soldiers. He and all of his friends stood at the side of the arena watching impatiently.
Meanwhile, inside the arena, Noel had mounted a stance while looking straight at the king. It was time to find out if the king was really a lycan or not.
"Are you ready, Your Majesty?!" he shouted to Nichs who was standing in front of him.
"Hmm." Nichs smiled.
"Good."
"Come on, Noel!" he said then ran quickly towards Noel and opened the fight by making the first attack.
CLANG!
Swords shed. Noel managed to withstand Nichs'' attack but due to the heavy impact, he was pushed back a step. Nichs'' strength was beyond his expectation.
He aimed a kick at Nichs'' stomach but Nichs jumped back and then attacked again. Then, the kingunched a fast attack and showed his sword skills. However, Noel who was a swordmaster was able to counter Nichs'' attacks and made the entire audience amazed watching their fight.
"I guess I misunderstood because I thought your abilities were weak, Your Majesty," Noel said while dodging and parrying Nichs'' attacks.
"Really? I think right now you''re just not serious about fighting me, Noel," Nichs said then ducked to avoid Noel''s sword swing. Then he kicked Noel in the stomach causing the man to be dragged back a few steps back.
"Come on, take me more seriously!" Nichs jumped while doing a vertical sh from top to bottom and Noel reflexively raised his shield. Then, he quickly kicked Nichs in the stomach after that counterattack.
"Uff... you''re good, Noel," Nichs praised the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter after he dodged his kick.
"So are you, Your Majesty," Noel replied.
Chapter 343 Noels Suspicion
From minute to minute their fight was getting fiercer. All the spectators couldn''t blink at the duel that took ce between the king and the leader of the Royal Lycan Hunter.
Noel made a quick attack but every kick and swing of his sword was wasted. Nichs was very agile in dodging and resisting Noel''s every attack. He was even able to counterattack even though he was not in his prime condition after the fight with Lucas.
In the midst of the fight, Noel could feel Nichs'' power and attack speed increase. Even so, Noel was still able to follow him. His determination to reveal the identity of the king pushed him to keep moving and carry out deadly attacks.
Noel attacked as if the one he was currently dealing with was a lycan. The enemy of Riga.
"Lycans must be killed," Noel said so softly that it took Nichs by surprise.
Noel saw the king''s surprised expression, even though itsted for a fraction of a second. At that moment, his suspicions about the king being a lycan became stronger.
He had spoken so softly that he barely even opened his mouth. It was impossible for an ordinary human to hear, especially in the midst of the sound of swords and shields shing.
Noel''s words broke Nichs'' concentration and the head of Royal Lycan Hunter took advantage of the opportunity.
Nichs fell down shortly after his leg was kicked by Noel and he was wide-eyed when Noel quickly raised his sword and seemed to be want to cut his head. Luckily, Nichs'' right hand reflexively lifted and crossed his sword to hold Noel''s sword in time.
"Ooh...!"
"Ahh..!"
Everyone who witnessed this was shocked and wondered why Noel would do that. Some of the spectators wanted to enter the arena to stop the duel.
However, someone who was a member of the Royal Lycan Hunt stopped them by saying that the king and Noel were just practicing.
"It''s okay," the man with a big scar on his neck waved his hand and motioned them to stay where they were. "The king is quite formidable and Noel would never hurt him intentionally."
The crowd was not convinced but there was nothing they could do since the king also didn''t say anything. They realized he might actually feel offended if people tried to help him when he knew he was capable of standing up for himself.
Finally, they could only stand where they were and continued watching the fight nervously.
Noel knew the king''s abilities. So, he attacked the king without hesitation because he believed that the king would be able to dodge and withstand every single one of his attacks.
"If you go there, you will only annoy them," exined the lycan hunter again. When he saw Noel waved at him, he realized that his captain wanted him to dismiss the crowd. He nodded at Noel and cleared his throat. "The show is over. Let''s get out of here. Your shouts and scream will only distract them from their training."
Even though they looked doubtful, the soldiers finally picked up their gears and left the training field to return to their ce. Noel was a man who has been very loyal to the kingdom even since the previous king was still ruling. There was no way he wanted to harm the king, they thought.
Meanwhile, inside the arena, Nichs who was constantly under pressure from above gathered his strength and pushed Noel back. Then, he quickly rolled over and got up before immediately rolling over and got up then moving to dodge Noel''s next attack.
"Why do I feel that you consider this fight a real fight," he said. In his mind, he was wondering about Noel''s words he heard earlier. Did Noel really say ''lycan'' or did he just hear it wrong?
"Didn''t you just ask me to fight seriously?" Noel countered Nichs'' words.
"Oh, that''s right."
Noel didn''t continue their conversation. He attacked more and more and tried to break down Nichs'' defenses but Nichs didn''t let him.
After ten minutes of continuous action, Noel''s movements started to slow down while Nichs'' speed did not decrease at all. Instead, over time, his speed continued to increase and began to show his superiority over Noel.
While they were sparring, Noel asionally saw his opponent''s face. Nichs'' face looked calm. He was also breathing normally, unlike Noel who couldn''t close his mouth any more because he was gasping for air.
For a moment, Noel could only dodge. He slid left, ducked, shifted to the right, jumped up, and spun. He kept doing those until he fell because he tripped by his own feet.
Noel immediately turned around, intending to get up but the tip of a sword was already an inch in front of his face.
"You lose," Nichs said with a smile and pointed a sword at Noel.
"Yeah. I guess so." Noel smiled back at Nichs and then picked up his sword which had fallen. When Nichs didn''t expect it, suddenly Noel stabbed the king in the leg. "Aaaahh..!!!"
At that instant, blood flowed profusely from a very deep stab wound.
"What are you doing, Noel?!" Nichs was startled and then winced in pain as Noel drew his sword violently, making the blood flow even faster.
He backed away with a limp while Noel stood up and watched the wound on the king''s leg which was slowly getting better.
Noel pointed at the wound and hissed.
"You have incredible regenerative powers, Your Majesty," he said. His voice was soft and only Nichs could hear him. "That reminds me of the regenerative powers of... lycans."
His words made Nichs freeze.
"What did you say?" Nichs looked at Noel questioningly.
"I am sure you heard me the first time, Your Majesty..." Noel looked at Nichs intently. "Tell me¡ to be honest¡ am I right?"
Nichs looked at Noel without blinking. He was shocked that Noel asked him that question. He looked down at his injured leg. It was healing fast.
Chapter 344 Nicholas Is Distraught
Nichs didn''t respond. He finally realized the reason why Noel acting suspiciously since he came knocking on the door to his study earlier.
Apparently, the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter suspected him of being a lycan.
Well.. why wouldn''t he? Noel had been working as a lycan hunter for so long, that he must be able to see something not quite right about Nichs.no
The king was only safe from suspicions because he didn''t show any signs of lycanthropy for the past six years after the wolfsbane made him lose his memory and suppressed his lycanthropy.
The fact that Noel took him for sparring and then intentionally injured him to prove his suspicion, instead of directly using him, could mean either he was not sure, or he didn''t consider the king his enemy, and so he wanted Nichs to tell him the truth with his own mouth.
Which one was it?
Could Nichs trust Noel?
They had known each other almost his whole life and after the old king died, Noel and Nichs actually became closer than before. Was their ''friendship'' enough to make Noel forgive Nichs for being a lycan?
"Noel, that was a good spar, even though you did cheat by attacking me after we ended the fight," Nichs pretended not to hear Noel''s question. He picked up his sword and dusted his clothes with his hands. "Thanks for the exercise. This makes me tired and I wish to rest. Goodbye."
"Your Majesty." Noel bowed his head reluctantly and dropped his sword to the ground. He didn''t expect this oue. He thought Nichs would either attack him and feel enraged because Noel dared to use him, or he would deny the allegations.
Yet, Nichs didn''t do any of those. He chose to retreat and not answer Noel''s question. Perhaps he wanted to think about what would be a wise reply to this question. Or, he was too shocked and didn''t know what to say? Noel didn''t know.
One thing for sure, this made Noel feel more convinced that King Nichs Hannenbergh was truly a lycan.
He looked at the king''s back view until it disappeared from sight and then he sighed. The hunter with scarred face came to him and gave Noel a towel.
"How is it, chief?" he asked his captain.
Noel took the towel and wiped his face with it. Then he gave the towel back to his man. He said, "I will have to think about it."
Noel realized, now that he knew the king was really a lycan, he needed to make a decision on what he as Noel would do, and what the captain of the Royal Lycan Hunter would do.
***
While Noel was thinking about how he would respond to the fact that their own king was actually a lycan, Nichs was also thinking about what had happened. He had showered and changed into clean clothes and was enjoying a ss of whiskey by his window.
He was looking outside, but he didn''t really see the view. His mind was busy thinking about so many things. Right at this moment, he realized he didn''t have trusted people. Meaning, people who would ride or die with him, knowing full well who he was.
His ministers,manders, and noblemen who swore loyalty to the Hannenberghs were loyal to his family without knowing that he was not like them. He was now a lycan, not human. If they knew of this fact, would they stay loyal to him?
This was something that he didn''t quite know.
He clenched his ss with anger. He didn''t want to be a lycan. He was turned out of his own will because that evil Alpha of Blood River Pack thought it would be funny if the heir of the Hannenbergh family who had been waging war against the lycans would be one himself.
To him, it was a funny joke, perhaps, but to Nichs, it was cruel and traumatizing. He hated himself for a long time and only came to ept his fate after so many years. His father died without being able to know the truth because his mother was too afraid to take that risk.
Their rtionship was strained because Nichs was often hidden by the queen to prevent the old king to be aware of his condition. One thing led to another, and now Nichs paid the price. He was separated from his wife, the only woman he loved, and his children.
HE DIDN''T WANT TO BE LYCAN.
Yet he was stuck in this form. It was not his fault. Would his people still think of him as a monster, the enemy, and chose to rebel when they found out the truth?
He downed his whiskey and mmed his ss on the table. Looking at the bottle, he realized why his alcohol tolerance was really high. Perhaps, it was because he was a lycan. Being a lycan came with so many good and bad things.
He became stronger, and faster, and all his senses were also heightened. Those were all good things.
What were the bad things?
Well.. lycans were considered the enemy. They were monsters.
Nichs realized this was the perception that people had about lycans for a long time because the previous rulers didn''t like having lycans in their kingdom. Those so-called monsters were too strong and if they were to have their way, they could topple the existing human government.
He remembered histe father always talked about lycans in that way, and that''s how Nichs came to see lycans as horrible and evil creatures. All the other people did too. They were made to think of lycans as monsters.
Maybe his mother was right. Perhaps, if he started to change the narratives about lycans, the people would be more open-minded. Surely there were good and bad people anywhere. So, some lycans were bad and evil, some were not. Just like humans, they could be good or they could be bad.
Lycans who were turned shouldn''t be med for their lycanthropy. They didn''t ask to be lycans, they were actually victims.
Nichs massaged his temple. Could he really change their minds?
Chapter 345 Nicholas & Queen Marianne
Nichs had decided to reveal the truth about himself. However, before he did that, he realized he needed to discuss the issue with his mother. Queen Marianne Hannenbergh was the one who made the decision to hide Nichs'' condition for years.
If he wanted to open this secret, people would know that the queen secretly defy her husband and this wouldn''t look good on her reputation, even though some people might understand why she did what she did.
His truth shouldn''t have to make his mother put in a bad light because she only wanted to protect him. With that thought in mind, Nichs put away his drink and decided to go talk to his mother about it.
He had just stood up when his mother suddenly came into his room. The queen knocked and she entered after Nichs asked her toe in.
"Are you okay? I heard you trained with Noel and he injured you badly," said the queen while examining and looking for wounds on her son''s body. She looked very worried.
"I''m fine, Mothe. Just a small wound and it''s healed now," Nichs exined. "You see, it''s one of the benefits of being a lycan. Their regenerative capabilities are amazing."
He showed his wound to his mother and assured her that it was nothing. He still referred to the lycans as ''them'' as if he was not one of them and this made him feel slightly embarrassed.
He wanted to open up to other people about his condition being a lycan, thinking he had epted this side of him. However, he still unconsciously think he was different from those other lycans. It was true he was true and he didn''t want to be a lycan.
But his children were born lycans and it was the fact that he had to ept and be proud of.
Nichs clenched his fists to the sides, feeling frustrated.
Now, he finally realized another reason why Sophie decided to stay with Lnd after she thought he had died.
Lnd was an Alpha of a werewolf pack. He was a prideful creature. Nichs could tell from the way he carried himself. He was proud to be a lycan.
Maybe, Sophie wanted Luciel and Jan to grow up around people who were proud of who they were, unlike Nichs who always hid his condition because he grew up thinking he was a monster.
Nichs had confided in her a lot about how his family hated lycans and he always had to hide and that resulted in him being so determined to find a cure. The beginning of all their problems.
Nichs remembered seeing Jan and Luciel back in the manor. Both boys were so happy and healthy. They didn''t have his fear of being found out that he was a monster. They walked proud and tall being themselves.
He hated to admit it, but it seemed Sophie and Lnd did a great job raising the boys.
Queen Marianne immediately breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Nichs'' wounds were truly minor. She thought it was severe and his life was in danger.
She hugged her son and heaved a sigh of relief. The warm embrace of his mother made Nichs feel slightly better. No matter what, this woman had always stood by him. She was the only person who cared so much about him and would do anything for him, even if she had to defy the king.
"I was just about to see you, mother. I have something important to talk to you about," he said, patting the queen''s back gently.
"What''s that?" Queen Marianne sat on the bed a moment after Nichs sat back down. "Is it rted to Noel? What about Luciel and Jan? Didn''t you tell me that you needed to confirm something about them?"
She looked at Nichs with a hopeful expression.
Nichs smiled faintly when he saw her looking at him that way. He knew she really liked Luciel and Jan and was really hoping they were actually her grandsons. He thought the news would make her so happy.
However, when he remembered that Sophie asked him to stay away from the kids, his throat felt dry and he didn''t know if it was wise to share this with his mother now.
"Later," he finally said to change the subject. "What I wanted to talk to you now about is Noel and the Royal Lycan Hunters."
"What about Noel? Did he intentionally hurt you???" the queen got up in anger. "How dare he!"
Nichs quickly held her arm and gently pulled her to sit down. "It''s not it, mother. He didn''t mean to hurt me but.... he was suspicious of me being a lycan."
"W-what?? He was suspicious of you?" Queen Marianne was very surprised to hear this. What she had been worrying about all this time finally happened. "Is that true?"
Nichs nodded. "He told me himself. He didn''t attack me and called me a lycan or anything, but he expressed his suspicions because he had observed some lycan traits in me."
"H-how could Noel be suspicious? We''ve done our best to hide this from him, not even your father knew this! W-what should we do now?" Queen Marianne stammered. She knew how sadistic Noel and his troops were when they killed the lycans they caught.
She couldn''t imagine that Noel would do the same cruelty to Nichs. Even though Nichs was currently sitting on the throne, Noel and his troops strongly adhere to the previous king''s orders, namely to fight the lycans.
In addition to that, when the Riga people knew that their king was a lycan, it was possible that they would rebel because they had been indoctrinated to hate werewolves since the reign of the previous king.
There would be many who oppose Nichs and it is not impossible if Nichs would be overthrown by his own people. The fact that Noel suspected the king was such a delicate matter. Queen Marianne realized her son must act carefully.
Chapter 346 I Know You Are A Good Father
Most humans would think Lycan was a cruel creature, they were monsters who liked to kill humans. So before being killed by the lycans, they must kill the lycans first. This was the mentality that most people have regarding lycans. It would be hard to change this.
"I actually n to reveal this fact to everyone," Nichs said which made the queen''s eyes widen. "What do you think, mother? As you said, now I am the king and my words arew. I can make newws that humans and lycans could live side by side with proper arrangement and set rules, as long as both sides respect each other."
The queen looked down to the floor and was deep in thoughts. If only her husband was the one who had taken this initiative, things would have been better for them. Nichs wouldn''t need to live in so much stress and hide.
He grew up with a lot of hatred for himself which the queen could see but was hopeless to do anything about.
If only thete King William was wiser and not filled with so much personal grudge, they would have a better rtionship as a family. Ahh.. she could only think of the what-ifs.
"Are my grandchildren lycans?" The queen''s question suddenly startled Nichs. He didn''t expect his mother to blurt the words. How could she know? He had not confirmed with her that Luciel and Jan were his.
"Why did you ask that?" Nichs asked back, trying to keep his expression calm.
The queen sighed. "Well, I did read a lot about lycans after you were turned. It was part of my efforts to find out how I could amodate you. Of course, I tried to find cures, but I was also prepared if it was irreversible and you would be a lycan for your whole life."
Nichs looked at his mother in disbelief. This was news to him.
"So? What did you find out?" He asked her carefully.
Queen Marianne smiled. "I wanted to know what your life would be like if you grow up to be a lycan. I found out that you might have lycan, hybrid, or human children. It''s quite fascinating."
She added, "Seeing your determination to reveal your secret to the public that you are a lycan, I can only think and hope, you are doing it because of your children too."
Nichs went silent for a moment. He could hear the sadness in his mother''s voice. Surely she was wishing that herte husband had done the same for Nichs, but he didn''t.
"You are a good father," the queen wiped her wet eyes andughed bitterly. "You are nothing like your father."
"Mother..."
"So... are they really my grandchildren?" The queen asked Nichs with a hopeful gaze. "Is that why you are doing this?"
Nichs finally couldn''t hide the fact any longer. He nodded and confirmed her suspicion. "They are."
"Ohh, my god.. I am so happy to hear that," the queen cried but she looked happy. "I knew it, from the moment Iid eyes on them, they remind me of you. I am so happy they are my grandchildren."
Nichs gripped her arms and gently told her that another reason why he wanted to reveal his secret, aside from his children was he was tired of hiding the fact because he was always worried about being found out.
He wanted to free himself from the burden. He was ready to ept all the risks he would face after making that confession. In addition, he also said that he thought it was better for him to reveal the fact himself than someone else to reveal it.
"Right now Noel is suspicious and I know he will stop at nothing to gather evidence. Before Noel reveals this to everyone, I better confess. If everyone finds out from Noel or someone else, then they can misunderstand me and I won''t be able to change their perception."
Seeing Nichs who had made up his mind, Queen Marianne nodded in agreement and would be with Nichs to face these tense moments.
Nichs smiled gently then put his arm around his mother''s shoulders and hugged her.
"I will support you no matter what," the queen said.
"Thank you, mother."
"So, when can I see my grandsons again?" the queen asked again.
Nichs could only scratch his head. "Uhm... about that. It''s a long story. I promise I will do my best, but right now, let''s focus on revealing the truth to the public and deal with the bacsh."
"Ahh, you are right," the queen agreed. "This is such a delicate matter."
"I promise I will get Luciel and Jan and give them what they deserve. They are the heirs to the throne of Riga and I want them to know that." Nichs said with determination.
His mother smiled and nodded in agreement. Gosh... she missed them already. Maybe she could visit the Romanov''s residence and ask permission to see the boys? Would Duchess Sophia Romanov allow her? She was wondering.
***
After that conversation, Queen Marianne finally agreed to invite and discuss it with their close rtives first and Nichs was quite surprised because the response he received was unexpected.
"I thought there was something important you wanted to talk about, it turned out to be that," said a blonde woman who was one of her mother''s rtives.
Nichs furrowed his brows as he stared in surprise.
"Aren''t you surprised, Auntie?" he asked.
"No, because I''ve known this for thirteen years and I don''t think I''m the only one who knows about this." The woman looked at the people who had the same hair color as her and the people smiled and some evenughed.
They then admitted that they also knew, they even helped hide it from the previous king. They also assured them that they would always support Nichs.
Hearing this, Nichs was relieved. It turned out that almost all of his maternal rtives knew that he had lycanthropy, and they had never treated him differently. This felt like a breath of fresh air.
Chapter 347 Sophie And Leland
Note: Thank you, Mynovel20 darling, for gifting a castle to this book earlier. Just knowing you read this book and love Lnd means the world to me. Mwahh!
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Meanwhile, after Doctor Lehman left the manor and themotion with Karenina was over, Sophie saw Lnd enter through the door with an unreadable expression.
Yes, her husband didn''t talk much and he also didn''t express his feelings freely, but after six years together, Sophie could already recognize most of his emotions behind his t expression and she could respond ordingly. However, today, she couldn''t read him.
This made her feel bad about being human. If she was a she-wolf, she could sense Lnd''s emotions and feelings and didn''t have to rely on her instinct. Lnd could feel her and it became a great advantage because he always knew what she needed and felt.
Sophie thought being lycans had so many great perks that she started to understand why many humans were jealous of them. More than ever, she wished she was one.
Darn it. Even though she inherited the blood of one of the greatest lycan in history, her grandfather, King Mchi, her father''s gene was more prominent. She could only watch the other lycans and hybrid couples around her with envy. They had such an amazing bond with their mates.
In her case, it only worked on Lnd''s side. She wanted to feel his pain, his emotions, and be able to say the right words and do the right thing when it came to him.
Like today... she wished she could read him.
"Lnd..." Sophie smiled and got up from the chair to approach him. The man smiled back.
"Sophia," he said to her. "Are you still unwell?"
Sophie raised her brows at his question. How did he know that she was feeling unwell? She was wondering for a second before she remembered that he could in fact sense her emotions.
"Just nausea," she replied. Lnd came to her, cutting their distance immediately, and scoop her up with his strong arms.
"Then you shouldn''t have walked," he said gently.
Sophie felt he was like the calm water, that would make her drown in his sweetness. She wrapped her hands around his neck and watched his face carefully. She was enjoying his side profile from such close proximity and realized he was not upset with her.
Sophie thought Lnd was feeling upset because she let the royal doctor in to check on Jan''s condition without consulting him. However, he didn''t say anything. This made Sophie feel bad about what she did.
"Lnd..." she spoke with a low voice. "Someone came from the royal pce earlier today to check on Jan''s condition."
Lnd opened the door to their bedroom with one hand while his other hand kept supporting her body. He walked toward the sofa by the window and then ced Sophie there.
His mate was confused because Lnd didn''t seem to hear her. Did he not want to talk about it? She already felt guilty about letting Doctor Lehman in behind Lnd''s back and now she wanted to make up for it. Yet, he didn''t seem to want to discuss it.
Should Sophie just keep quiet? She looked at him with widened eyes as Lnd sat beside her and looked at her longingly.
"What is it?" she asked him carefully. "Is something bothering you?"
Lnd didn''t answer, which means something was bothering him. Sophie touched his hand and looked him in the eye. "Does it ever bother you that I am just an ordinary human, unlike my mother the great Anne Hansley?"
He replied without batting an eye, "Never."
Sophie chuckled and rubbed his hand lovingly. "Are you sure? You don''t talk much and I think you would appreciate having a mate who could understand you without words."
She was referring to the fact that if Lnd had a female lycan as his mate, things would have been easier for him.
Lnd shook his head, "You put up with me, knowing I cannot express my thoughts well, and always try to understand me. Why would I want another woman as my mate?"
Sophie was touched by his honest but sincere reply. Of course, she didn''t want him to want another female to be his mate. She was just saying things to lighten up the mood.
"I love you," she whispered and tilted her face to kiss him. After shended a kiss on his lips, she rubbed his cheeks and looked him in adoration. "Please, don''t ever change."
Lnd smiled. His mood had quickly improved because of the unexpected kiss. "Don''t you want me to talk more? You asked me to share stories about your parents."
"That will be appreciated, but I don''t want you to feel burdened by it. I love you for who you are," Sophie replied. She had decided to stop mentioning Doctor Lehman and focused on them since Lnd didn''t seem to want to talk about the doctor''s visit.
Perhaps he didn''t want her to think he was petty by expressing his displeasure over the fact that Nichs did send a doctor to visit his injured son. Lnd was just a man with feelings and he was jealous.
"I don''t mind," Lnd said. He pulled her to sit on hisp, facing him. Her slightly protruding tummy was before him. The man couldn''t help but smile at the sight. Thinking about their future child always made him feel happy. He looked up from her tummy and nodded at Sophie. "I am not great with words, but I''ll try."
Sophie rested her head on his shoulder and hugged his back. "I had an awful day today."
"Is it because of that evil woman?" Lnd rubbed her back lovingly. "I let her go because she was a woman, but I can easily go and kill her now if you wish for it."
Sophie chuckled. Lnd spoke about killing Karenina like he was talking about the weather. This made her remember that this man was only sweet to her. To everyone else, he was a ruthless monster.
She shook her head weakly. "I hate her, but I don''t think she is worth your time. Don''t bother with her."
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From Missrealitybites:
OMG OMG OMG!! I can barely breathe! I woke up to the announcement of the werewolf contest winners and WE WON THE FIRST PLACE! Thank you so much for your support of this book.
Thank you for loving Lnd, Sophie, and Nic and for making me feel confident that their story is worth reading. This is my first werewolf story and I am slowly falling in love with the werewolf genre.
My next book is about vampires - a genre which I have never written before, but I like werewolves so much now, that I think my next book will have werewolves in it too. I''ll make it work!
PS: I will write more on Lnd and Sophie soon, after I publish for TCP. I want to celebrate today''s win by writing about Lnd (since many of you are missing him on screen).
Chapter 348 Maybe We Should Move
"Are you sure?" Lnd asked Sophie to confirm. She nodded.
"Don''t dirty your hand with her blood," Sophie said gently. She was ufortable when she remembered Karenina and her poisonous words. She only wanted to vent that she had a bad day, but she didn''t wish to linger on the memory of what happened earlier.
Sophie tightened her hug around Lnd''s back. It was so wide, that she couldn''t really wrap her arms around it. Slowly, her awful mood improved.
They sat in that position, without saying anything, just enjoying the blissful silence for half an hour, until Sophie felt hungry.
"I want to eat something," she said.
"Let''s eat," Lnd nodded. He helped her get off hisp and took her hand to go to the dining room. They walked holding hands and acted like everything was fine.
It was as if Nichs didn''te to the manor this morning asking to talk to Sophie and his kids, and also there was no Karenina causing amotion.
Since Lnd didn''t seem to want to discuss about Nichs and acted like the other man didn''t exist, Sophie understood that it was his way of coping with the recent development. He didn''t want to say anything about the issue because he had nothing good to say.
If they talked, he might end up saying hurtful things about Nichs and he didn''t want to have an argument with Sophie. Not when she was pregnant like this.
Earlier, when he saw her protruding tummy, while Sophie was on hisp, Lnd was deep in thoughts. He knew she was under a lot of stress. Stress was bad for her pregnancy. Losing their first pups five years ago still left deep marks on him and he was terrified to go through the same thing.
He couldn''t control external factors, like the fact that Sophie''s first husband suddenly came back from the grave, or the fact that he started to remember the past and now was trying to im Sophie and the boys.
Lnd could only control his reaction and how he would handle things on his side. It was better to keep quiet when it was just the two of them and even forget about the doctor.
Different story if he met with Nichs. He wouldn''t hesitate to fight that man to leave his family alone, but he wouldn''t do it in front of Sophie.
They ate dinner peacefully. Even Luciel who was usually rowdy looked calm and quiet during the meal. After they finished eating, Sophie went to see Jan and brought him food. The boy looked very sleepy but he ate his food obediently.
Sophie was relieved to see his condition was much better now. Thank god Jan was a lycan, she kept telling herself.
A normal human child would have probably died of internal injuries if he got into a simr ident as Jan did.
"You are doing great," Sophie praised Jan. "Soon, you will be running out and about."
Luciel pursed his lips and shook his head, disagreeing with what Sophie said. "We can''t run around... the workers are still rebuilding the manor."
"Oh.. that''s right," Sophie sighed. "Sorry about that."
A good part of the manor was destroyed when Nichs and Lucas were fighting and now their men were still doing repairs and even rebuilding some parts. The family couldn''t leave the manor in the meantime because Jan was injured and the healer said he shouldn''t be moved.
"Maybe we can move somewhere now that Jan is better," Lnd suggested. "Find a ce with a better environment."
Somewhere slightly far from the capital.
If only Sophie was not pregnant, Lnd would suggest they return to Frisia. Now, he thought it was better to keep Sophie and the children there while he did his mission in Riga.
Initially, he decided to bring his whole family on this mission because he thought it was safer for them to be with him, and... he also couldn''t live apart from them for a long time. It would be too hard to leave them behind.
"Moving?" Sophie widened her eyes. "Where?"
"Hastings can be a good option. I do have a ce there and you are familiar with the town," Lnd exined. "I also have several other properties that we can use. You just choose what you want."
Sophie never heard this before. She only knew Lnd had his castle in Hastings, the one he bought from thete Baron Ferdinand. Sophie really liked that ce and it was where Luciel and Jan were born. She didn''t know about the other properties.
"I keep my men there. We have people around the country, staying in properties I acquired over the years, ready to be mobilized when we need them. They take care of the properties well."
"I see...." Sophie looked at Luciel''s frowning face and then at Jan who was lying down in bed, looking much better than yesterday.
It''s true, the manor repairs would take a long time and the children would not be able to livefortably while the repairs were being done. Also, it would be nice to get a change of scenery.
In all honesty, Sophie was missing Hastings too. She spent years of her life there. Basically, she grew up there. That town held a special ce in her heart.
It was also where she met Nichs for the first time after they were adults.
"Hastings sounds good," Sophie smiled. "It''s not far, so the journey can be donefortably."
"We can go tomorrow if you want," Lnd said. "You are due in two months. It will be good for you to give birth in a calm and peaceful setting."
The capital was surely not such a ce. There was nothing calm and peaceful about Livstad ever since they were invited to the royal party and met Nichs Hannenbergh.
"What do you think, boys?" Sophie asked Luciel and Jan.
Luciel was reluctant. Going away from Livstad meant he wouldn''t be able to meet Uncle Nic again. However, Jan nodded vigorously. The usually quiet boy was too bored after being cooped up in this room for a long time that all he wanted now was to go somewhere.
"Let''s go, mommy," Jan said firmly.
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From Missrealitybites:
Ahhh... so, the family will really move. Will Nichs stop them? What will he think about their moving? I will write more chapters today.
PS: Thank you so much, everyone, for supporting this book with all your lovelyments, votes, gifts, and golden tickets. I would like to thank the Top 3 golden tickets contributor in Marc 2022:
dear Kelly Goodwin, Tierra James, and ZZgirl. You are wonderful. Thank you so much!
Chapter 349 Leland Is Dumbfounded
NOTE: Thank you, dear Kendra Deck, for gifting a castle to this book yesterday. I love you!
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"Very well..." Sophie nodded. She turned to Lnd and said, "Let''s move to Hastings until..."
She didn''t know until when. In this situation, it was probably best to stay there. It was close enough from the capital for Lnd to undergo his mission and safe enough to keep attention away from their family.
Sophie was a local and she could start blending in more with the townspeople, meeting her old school friends in social gatherings, and keeping their family low profile. Luciel and Jan could also have a ''normal'' childhood there and meet children their age. It would be nice to get them to learn how to live among humans.
The other lycan children around their manor in Livstad couldn''t go because their parents stayed behind.
Sophie couldn''t ask Lnd to also take those families with them because their stay in Hastings wouldn''tst long. Only until their manor was fixed or when the Blood River Pack toppled the government of Riga and took over power.
"I will make the preparation," Lnd said. He patted Jan''s head and smiled at him. He was pleased that Jan made Sophie ept his suggestion to move away from Livstad. She thought it was temporary, but if it was up to Lnd, he would prefer to have her be as far away as possible. Until the Hannenberghs were no more.
Luciel was not too happy, but he didn''t say anything. Jan was bored and he just wanted to get out of this room. Moving somewhere would be an excuse. However, he might change his mind if Luciel told him that Uncle Nic was their biological father.
Moving away from Livstad meant they wouldn''t be able to see him again. Jan didn''t know this fact.
***
After Lnd told Lucas his decision to bring his family to Hastings, the Beta immediately made preparation.
As he was the second inmand, he would be in charge of their people in Livstad, while Lnd traveled to Hastings. Duncan and Max would follow the Alpha''s family together with around twenty of their best warriors and one healer.
This was done so they would have enough security for Lnd''s family but wouldn''t attract too much attention when they were traveling. People would think the group was just another noble family going traveling.
Once Lnd was happy with their preparation, he went to their bedroom to rest. He was surprised to see Sophie was still awake despite it being already midnight. He thought she was already asleep.
"What happened?" he asked worriedly. "Can''t sleep?"
Sophie shook her head and then yawned so wide. Obviously, she was sleepy but she intentionally stayed awake and waited for him.
"Why aren''t you sleeping? You shouldn''t wait for me," Lnd said, walking toward her and then climbing the bed to sit beside Sophie.
She yawned again.
"I want to show you something," she whispered.
"What is it?" Lnd was relieved because he didn''t sense anything negative from Sophie. She was not stressed and couldn''t sleep. It was actually the opposite. She was feeling happy.
What made her feel happy? Was she happy about their move? It didn''t seem like it earlier.
Sophie smiled teasingly and then unbuttoned the upper part of her dress. Lnd furrowed his brows, and suddenly his face blushed. Was she waiting for him to have sex before sleep?
He gulped unknowingly and suddenly felt his pants tighten. Sophie had unbuttoned her dress all the way to her stomach and turned to Lnd, "You have to see this¡ª"
Suddenly she halted her words. She had seen his blushing face. She could feel his temperature rise.
Huh?
Lnd looked at Sophie like a boy found guilty of stealing candy. He didn''t do anything wrong. He just misunderstood, thinking she was initiating sex, which was awesome, but apparently, he was wrong.
Sophie wanted to show him her belly.
Well, her beautiful bouncy breasts were distracting too, but now Lnd was sure his mate wanted him to watch her protruding tummy.
"I-I..." Sophie was suddenly blushing too when she realized what her mate was thinking. She awkwardly pointed at her tummy and said, "The... the baby moved... I thought you want to see it."
"Huh?"
Lnd had never seen babies move inside the womb before. When Sophie was pregnant with Luciel and Jan she never showed it to him because back then they were only husband and wife and in name, there was no love on her part, she only thought of him as her fake husband.
She kept everything to herself until the day she gave birth to her two pups and Lnd admitted that he was also a lycan, the Alpha of Blood River Pack.
After they were married for real and Sophie was pregnant with his first biological children, he never experienced the phase because Morgan and Emery died stillborn so early in pregnancy.
So, he didn''t understand what Sophie meant by ''the baby moved''.
He only stared at her in confusion.
Sophie didn''t know how to exin it, so she just pointed at her tummy. "Watch... he moved several times already. I think, if you wait, you can see it¡ª"
Before she finished speaking, suddenly the baby kick from the inside and startled Lnd. His eyes bulged, making Sophie chuckle. She thought he looked so adorable.
"Does it hurt?" Lnd asked worriedly and quickly rubbed Sophie''s belly. "Gosh... That''s gotta hurt."
He thought the kick was quite strong and was worried Sophie would be in pain. However, she only chuckled and shook her head, making him feel relieved.
"It''s fine," she said with a big smile on her face. "I am used to it now."
"Oh..." Lnd was still dumbfounded. He rubbed her belly and tried to detect any movement from the inside. "When did it start?"
"Uhm... I think two hours ago. I was so surprised," Sophie exined. "Pleasantly surprised. He didn''t just kick. He would move around. You will see my tummy will move like a wave. It''s amazing."
Lnd was still in awe. He looked at her belly attentively, as if trying not to miss any single movement. His patience paid off when slowly Sophie''s belly moved like a wave. Lnd''s eyes bulged.
"This...." He was at a loss for words. "This is amazing..."
He sat there, watching her without blinking. Sophie thought he looked so adorable. She moved forward to cup his face and then nted a kiss on his lips.
"It is amazing," she agreed.
Chapter 350 The Big Meeting In The Royal Palace
***
Nichs was relieved when he found out that almost all of his maternal rtives knew that he had lycanthropy. It felt like the firstyer of the heavy cloud that had filled his chest all along had just disappeared.
Now that he turned to look at his paternal rtives, they were all silent and looked surprised. Nichs didn''t know what to say. At this moment he could only stare at them with hopeful and anxious feelings.
After a while of waiting, one of them sighed then nodded and conveyed his support to Nichs. Before long, the others also said the same but there were still some who looked displeased.
Nichs thanked them wholeheartedly. He was quite satisfied with the oue of the family meeting.
After learning that most of his family supported him, he felt even more courageous. He decided to hold a big meeting. The meeting was attended by the queen, the dukes, the ministers, and all the dignitaries of the kingdom.
During the meeting, the security around the pce was tightened. Everyone who had epted the invitation to attend the meeting was seated in chairs that were neatly arranged at the side of the rectangr table in the center of the room.
They were wondering what the king wanted to talk about to bring them all into one room. The invitation they received only mentioned that the king would discuss a very important matter.
After everyone had sat down neatly, Nichs began to open the meeting and said a few words of wee to those who had been present in the room. Before getting into the main discussion, Nichs first took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Right now he was feeling very tense.
Everyone who saw the tension on the king''s face nced at each other and became more and more curious about the important things the king wanted to convey.
Feeling better, Nichs spoke again. "I called this meeting because I wanted to make a confession to all of you."
"A confession?"
Everyone looked at Nichs questioningly. Nichs didn''t necessarily say he was a lycan. He recounts what happened to him 13 years ago in detail so that those listening could understand the situation.
He was bitten by Alpha of the lycan pack who kidnapped him and he became a lycan forcibly. For a few moments, the atmosphere in the room became very quiet.
Very very quiet.
Everyone was silent. Everyone is shocked. They need time to believe their own hearing. Nichs nced at his mother for two seconds then closed his eyes for a moment.
"I already told you that I am actually a lycan. Now, I want to know what your decision will be. If you have any objections to being led by a lycanthropy-affected king, you are allowed to cut ties with Riga and you will not receive any consequences," he spoke calmly.
Nichs cast a nce around the room before he continued his words, "However, if you decided to stay loyal to me and ept me as I am, I''m will feel grateful and I can show you that I will live up to your expectation of a righteous and just king."
Nichs'' confessionpletely shocked those in the throne room. Some of them were silent and lost in their own thoughts and some of them nced at each other as if asking ''what do you think?'' or ''what''s your decision?''
"I need your decision as soon as possible," Nichs said. He wanted to quickly find out who was truly loyal to him and who wasn''t. Besides, he couldn''t waste much time because the decisions of those higher-ups would affect the government.
If any of them wanted to sever ties with Riga then Nichs had to quickly find a recement who would fill their posts. If a lot of people decided to leave, then it means a massive shift would take ce and it would take quite a lot of time.
When the enemy found out that chaos was taking ce within the government of Riga, then they would not miss the opportunity to attack and bring down Riga.
"After I thought about it, I decided to remain loyal to His Majesty and will continue to dedicate my life to serving Riga," said Lord Baden.
He was one of the ministers to finally break the silence. He also became the first person in the room to convey his loyalty to the king.
"I don''t know about you guys but I don''t think the king is to me in this case," he added.
"Sorry for my impudence, Your Majesty, but I want to ask you something and your answer will determine my decision," said a man with maroon hair on the left side.
Nichs looked at the maroon-haired man. "What is it, Duke Marchell?"
"When Your Majesty turned into a lycan, are you still able to control your consciousness, Your Majesty? I mean are you able to recognize the people around you well? I hope you will answer my question honestly and I hope you will not be offended by this question."
The question asked by Duke Marchell represented almost everyone''s mind there. This question made it difficult for them to make a decision.
They knew the lycan as a monster who liked killing humans. If the king couldn''t recognize them when he became lycan, then they wouldn''t be able to follow the king because that would be tantamount to attempting suicide.
"If the king can''t control his conscience then it''s been a long time since we''ve heard the news of deaths or missing persons in this pce, but that''s never been heard of and has never happened. Doesn''t that answer your question, Duke Marchell?" said Lord Baden.
"I''m sorry but I didn''t ask you, Lord Baden." Duke Marchell looked disdainfully at the minister sitting across the table.
"I think what Lord Baden said is true," said another minister.
"But why is His Majesty only making a confession now?" The man on the other end spoke up and was rebuffed by the man sitting on the right side of the table.
"If you were in Your Majesty''s position, would you admit this? I''m sure you would never do that."
"This is a serious matter."
"Well. You are right, sir."
Soon, the room became noisy. The meeting attendees started expressing their opinions. They argued back and forth and all wanted to say something.
"Everyone please calm down!" said Nichs but his voice just passed like the wind.
NOW!
The noise that sounded like a swarm of wasps became silent as Nichs was forced to hit the table hard.
"Can I talk now?" asked Nichs looking at everyone there.
"Please forgive us, Your Majesty," said Lord Baden.
Nichs, who had stood up, sat back down and looked at Duke Marchell.
"Thanks for asking," he said. Nichs took a deep breath and then exined that when he turned into a lycan, he didn''t lose consciousness at all. He remembered everyone and he recognized everyone well. The lycanthropy turned his body into a lycan but did not change his mind into a beast.
"If you think I''m going to attack you like a mad savage dog, I swear it won''t happen," Nichs exined. He added, "Do you still have any questions, Duke Marchell?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"Then what is your decision?"
"I will remain loyal to you."
Chapter 351 Nicholas Decision
"I also decided to be loyal to you," said a minister sitting beside Lord Baden and the man sitting beside him also conveyed the same thing followed by the man sitting at the table to the right of Nichs. After a while, all the higher-ups had stated their decision and all chose to remain loyal to the king.
"Thank you." Nichs smiled and turned to look at the other meeting participants. He was relieved to hear the majority of the people were supportive of his situation. It helped a lot that he hadmunicated this issue with his own rtives.
Most of them were quite powerful and took on leadership roles in this kingdom as well. So, their open support would make other noble families sway to Nichs'' side.
Another thing that made them ept Nichs more easily than he thought was the fact that there was no single incident where people suspected he had been a lycan all along and had done unsavory actions, like killing humans. He was also a good and righteous king who had been working hard for the past five years, developing their country.
If Nichs had been affected by lycanthropy for over thirteen years and he did just fine as the crown prince and now the king of this kingdom without problem, then they believed him when he said being a lycan didn''t affect him in his role as their leader.
Nichs was grateful and deeply moved to see the reaction of his people who understood him and were willing to ept him as their king. When the meeting was over, Nichs stood up, shook hands, and embraced some of the ministers who had served since the reign of the previous king.
After everyone left, he and his mother hugged each other. The queen cried happily, while Nichs patted her back. After protecting her son for over a dozen years and having to deal with it on her own, finally, Queen Marianne could feel the relief.
She looked younger overnight and Nichs felt bad that his mother must have been stressed by his condition all this time. All in all, he was happy to see her finally find peace.
The burden she had carried for years was finally lifted. Now, there were no more secrets. From now on they would no longer be haunted by the fear of being found out.
Queen Marianne rose from Nichs'' arms. She touched Nichs'' cheek gently.
"I''m so proud of you Nichs," she said looking into Nichs'' face with a smile and tears. "You are the king that this kingdom needs."
"Thank you for supporting me and apanying me through this difficult time." Nichs smiled and wiped his mother''s tears. He looked out the window and watched the moon in the sky. Now, there was one less thing to worry about.
He could start focusing on other things. He needed to check on Karenina and find out what she would decide on the matter. He had told her that he couldn''t marry her and his decision was final. Next, he would have to announce the breaking off of their engagement so people would stop associating him with the Verhovens.
Even though he didn''t love the woman, Nichs wanted to do the right thing, being a gentleman. It was his mother who involved Karenina in the first ce, by tricking Nichs and making him promise to marry Karenina since he was under the impression that his mother was on her deathbed.
Queen Marianne made a lot of mistakes and it was one of them, but Nichs couldn''t me his mother and bring that up today. What''s the use of ming her and letting her know all her wrongdoings? What was done was done.
Making her feel guilty wouldn''t change what had happened. Right now, Nichs had to be assertive and take care of all the mess caused by the engagement.
Even if he couldn''t be with Sophie, he would only love her until the day he died. So, what''s the point of even trying to find another woman to marry. This kingdom would do just fine without a queen. As for the heirs to the throne, he already got two.
With that thought in mind, Nichs decided toe to Viscount Verhoven and amicably end his engagement to Karenina so she could make a decision about her own future. He also needed to make arrangements for the baby in her womb IF the baby was truly his, which he doubted.
"What do you want to do after this?" the queen asked Nichs after they overcame their emotions.
Nichs tapped his slender fingers on the table and thought about it. "Hmm... I will have to work on a peace agreement with the lycans who are not our enemy. I am not sure if they would ept me just because I have lycanthropy, but I will try."
Nichs knew there were many werewolf packs on the continent and they lived in hiding because the human kingdoms had been waging war on them for decades.
Even though lycans were physically stronger than humans, they lost in number by far, so it was best for them to not openly challenge the human governments.
Armeria was the only kingdom that was now ruled by lycans. From his spies, Nichs had heard that many lycan packs decided to go to Armeria to join the Obsidian Sand Pack. Armeria was their next-door neighbor.
If there were too many lycans joining the Obsidian Sand Pack there, he could expect that Riga would be their next target. Nichs thought now that he no longer wanted to keep the decades-long war against lycans in his kingdom, he would try to make peace with them, hoping they wouldn''t go to Armeria to join the Obsidian Sand Pack.
If they felt safe living in Riga, and perhaps... even feel ownership of thisnd, maybe they could even be important allies in facing the enemy. And if that happened, maybe Riga could actually work together with them to protect thisnd.
Chapter 352 Nicholas Talks With Noel
It would be really nice if he could promote peace between the two races. Once he stepped down from the throne, he would expect either Luciel or Jan to rece him and take over power.
Since both his sons were lycans, it was important that the people, the human citizens could start epting lycans as part of this kingdom too.
Now, the question was... Sophie''s new husband. Would he be open to talking about a peace agreement? Nichs hated Duke Romanov to the core, but he was a fair king and had to admit, though begrudgingly, that the duke had done a good job taking care of Sophie and his children while Nichs couldn''t.
Nichs also thought about it for a long time, and he came to the conclusion that as long as Sophie and his children stayed with Duke Ariam Romanov, he couldn''t possibly endanger their lives by attacking the duke and his men.
Every time he remembered how Jan was hurt when he and Lucas were fighting, his heart churned. Nichs didn''t want to expose Sophie and the boys to such stress or danger.
If anything... even though he hated, hated, deeply hated Duke Ariam Romanov, he wouldn''t do anything rashly again. He would make sure Sophie and their sons were protected.
Nichs took a deep breath. His face looked tired and despondent. His mother could tell that, even though one burden was relieved from his back, Nichs still had other things that bothered his mind. Was it about.... his sons?
"Nichs... tell me," Queen Marianne looked Nichs in the eye, "What do you n to do after this?"
Nichs forced a smile and shrugged. "I have to quickly work on peace talks. And I also need to break off my engagement to Karenina andpensate her and her family."
The queen opened her lips, wanting to say something, but decided to cancel it. She remembered her grandchildren. Luciel and Jan were so adorable. And then she thought about their mother. Sophia Romanov was such a lovelydy. She would make a good wife to Nichs.
Ah... If only the queen knew her son had married a woman he loved many years ago, she wouldn''t even think about forcing him to marry Karenina. It''s toote to regret it now.
"I understand," Queen Marianne bit her lip. "So, do you think I can maybee and see Sophia to talk to her as... you know, fellow woman?"
Nichs looked at his mother attentively. He didn''t know if Sophie''s new husband would allow it. He seemed like the really jealous type.
But, it didn''t hurt to try, Nichs thought. The doctor he sent was weed warmly by Sophie. The duke was nowhere to be seen when Doctor Lehmand went there.
So, perhaps, Queen Marianne''s visit would be okay?
"I will think about it, mother," Nichs said gently. "Let''s not do anything in a rush."
He missed his sons and Sophie so badly, but he wanted to give them space, especially after Sophie openly told him that his presence was unwanted. He must not put her in an ufortable position.
"Very well," the queen nodded. She was not happy with Nichs'' reply, but she didn''t have a choice but to follow his advice. Sophie was now staying with a pack of lycans. Queen Marianne couldn''t juste and try to see her grandchildren. Her life could be in danger.
"I will do as you said," she added. Her eyes were filled with longing, "but please... try to get them back."
Nichs could only nod haltingly. Even if he had to pay with the world, he would love to try and get them back. However, if Sophie didn''t want to... what could he do?
***
News of the king making the confession of being a lycan spread throughout the pce very quickly like a hay-devouring fire. Everyone quickly talked about it and there was an uproar.
Even though the majority of the people understood and could ept his situation, some people were still doubtful. They all didn''t dare to show their disagreement openly because they were worried it would anger the king, but Nichs knew not everyone was supporting him. And that was fine.
He thought it was better to receive open rejection or questions to answer and to prove himself, rather than having people around him who pretended that they were loyal to him but they actually nned to stab him in the back.
Some time after the meeting ended, Nichs invited Noel toe to his study to talk privately. It was now time to answer Noel''s question truthfully. Besides, the captain of the Royal Lycan Hunter must have already heard of what happened.
Not long after, Noel came to fulfill the invitation. The king invited Noel to sit on the sofa of his study. He poured wine into two sses then offered one of them to Noel.
"Have you heard the news yesterday?" Nichs opened the conversation.
Noel nodded. "I was surprised to hear that and did not expect that His Majesty would do such a thing."
"All of this is thanks to you," said Nichs calmly.
Noel furrowed his brows in disbelief. Nichs then exined that if Noel didn''t share his suspicions, he wouldn''t be motivated to make a confession.
Because he was worried that if Noel exposed it, Noel would only prove that the king was a lycan without knowing the reason why the king could be a lycan. So, Nichs decided to reveal the fact himself by telling the background of why he became a lycan.
He thought if he told the truth people would be able to understand his situation and ept him.
"I''m very impressed with what you did, Your Majesty," said Noel.
p Nichs widened his smile. "I asked you toe here because I wanted to thank you directly and at the same time I wanted to hear your decision."
Noel was silent. He was in a very dilemma. Until now he was still carrying out the previous king''s mandate to fight the lycans. However, the current king was a lycan himself.
What should the Royal Lycan Hunter do?
Chapter 353 Leland And Sophie Arrive In Hastings
Noel stared at the king without blinking. He had been asking himself the same question ever since he started feeling suspicious toward the king. What if... the king was truly a lycan? Would he keep swearing his loyalty to the crown or... what would he do?
The previous crown was the one who assembled the Royal Lycan Hunter. Those members of the team were chosen from knights and military officers who were talented and had the same views as thete King William Hannenbergh. Many of them had a personal hatred for the werewolf race.
Noel for example. His younger brother was in by lycans during a mission. He was all he had in the world and since his death, Noel made it his life mission to kill as many lycans as possible. He volunteered to be a member of the team.
In twenty or so years, he had killed many members of the enemy. He was involved in almost all lycan rted missions. And seven years ago he was even appointed as the captain of the Royal Lycan Hunter. His decision would reflect the decision of everyone in his team.
If Noel was supportive of the king, then they all would do the same. If not...
Nichs already said in the big meeting with the noblemen and the government''s higher-ups yesterday that he would understand if some people decided that they didn''t want to stay loyal to a lycan king, and there would be no consequences if they rejected him.
They could go back to their estate and lived as usual. It''s just that, they would no longer be the citizens of Riga. They could swear loyalty to other kings. Easy.
However, those noblemen were wealthy and had their own estates. It was easy for them to leave. The lycan hunters were justmon soldiers with elite training and responsibilities. If the king decided to kick them out of Riga, they would have nowhere to go. The best they could do was be a rouge group or mercenaries.
Nichs understood that. He didn''t wish to let Noel and his team go. However, he also couldn''t keep them around him if they would see him as part of the enemy.
"Your Majesty," Noel started speaking. "How do you see lycans now that you are one yourself?"
He didn''t beat around the bush. Nichs appreciated it.
"Being in this situation is a wake-up call for me, to be honest." The king replied calmly. "Before, my hatred for the werewolf race was blind. I hate them for the sake of hating. I was raised to think of them as the enemy, the monster."
"Now?"
"Now, I understand that there are bad lycans and good lycans. Just like us humans."
"I see." Noel looked at Nichs attentively. "Tell me, Your Majesty, did you fight with a big white lycan in the meadow near the royal vi two months ago? It was after Princess Karenina''s birthday party."
Nichs chuckled when he heard Noel''s question. He was impressed by Noel''s sharp analysis. The Royal Lycan Hunter captain seemed to already put two and two together. Did he also suspect that Duke Ariam Romanov was a lycan?
"Why did you ask?" Nichs didn''t immediately answer Noel''s question. He wanted to probe what the captain already knew.
"Well... I have my suspicions, Your Majesty," Noel replied, smiling. "Your answer will determine my response to your question."
Nichs realized Noel knew more than what he would let on and perhaps the lycan hunter wanted to be sure that Nichs was really not part of the enemy, even though he was now a lycan himself.
"Yes. You are right," Nichs decided to be honest. "I was in a fight with someone. However, it is none of your business. It''s a personal matter."
He hated Duke Ariam Romanov with all his heart but he couldn''t let Noel bring his team and attack the Romanov''s residence if Noel found out the duke was a lycan and the one fighting with Nichs back then.
He couldn''t risk Sophie''s and the boys''s safety if the Royal Lycan Hunter came there and attacked.
"Thank you for replying to my question truthfully, Your Majesty." Noel nodded and spoke firmly, "I have served the crown for a long time now. Your family has been nothing but gracious and kind to me. So, of course, I will never bite the hands that feed me. I will stay loyal to you."
Nichs looked at the man with relief. He was prepared to let go of Noel, and perhaps his entire team if they didn''t want to serve a king who was also a lycan. However, now he didn''t have to. Keeping them by his side would be beneficial for him and for the kingdom.
"Thank you, Noel," Nichs smiled. "I really appreciate it."
That night, Nichs ticked off another less thing to worry about. Slowly, he would take care of everything one by one and prepared Riga to be a ce where his children could live in peace and safety.
***
"Ahh... it''s been so many years," Sophie smiled widely when she saw Wolfstone Castle from the opened carriage window. The building looked exactly as she remembered. "I see several new trees."
Lnd nodded. "Yes."
Luciel and Jan were eager to get out. They had been cooped up in the carriage for days during the journey and wanted to immediately settle down.
They stopped by several towns before Hastings but since they only stayed there for sleep, the boys felt like all their four days were spent inside the moving carriage without being able to move around much.
They could actually transform into their wolf forms and run by the carriage if only they traveled at night and sleep in the daytime. However, Lnd wanted to avoid attracting any attention. It was fine if he traveled with his men at night, but people would be suspicious to see a woman and children in the group if they insisted on traveling when it was dark.
Besides, Sophie''s health would be affected if she switched her sleeping schedule just to make traveling easier for the boys. In this case, Luciel and Jan should be the ones to adapt to their mother''s needs.
So, now, after four days of travel, the boys were giddy. They wanted to leap from the window if it was allowed. Jan was much better and almost as active as Luciel who was giving his mother his best puppy eyes.
"Can we get off first? This is our ce of birth, right? We were born here six years ago? Right?" he asked Sophie so many endless questions.
The woman chuckled and nodded. "Yes."
Duncan opened the carriage door right at the same time and he was surprised to see a shadow sh past him immediately. It was Luciel, followed by Jan who was calmer.
"We have arrived, Alpha and Luna," said Duncan respectfully. He missed this ce too. Hastings was a much more quiet townpared to Livstad and he loved exploring the area around it when he was here.
"Thank you, Duncan," Sophie replied. "Please, keep an eye on Luciel and Jan. We can get off the carriage ourselves."
Duncan bowed his head a little bit and said, "Yes, Luna. I will go and check young masters."
He left the door open. Lnd got out of the carriage and reached out his hands to help Sophie go down.
"Thank you," said Sophie sweetly. She took his hands and got ready to step down from the carriage. However, before her foot touched the ground, Lnd had pulled her into his arms and carried her lightly to the castle entrance.
"This is our first home," he said in his deep voice. Sophie batted her eyes, hearing his solemn words. She wrapped her hands around his neck and watched his beautiful side profile attentively. She wanted to know what he was trying to say.
Lnd smiled faintly and turned to look at her. Their faces were only inches from each other. Sophie had been with this man for many years now, but she still felt the butterfly in her stomach when she saw him.
"I believe humans have this habit of carrying their bride to enter their home for the first time... after they got married," Lnd continued.
Sophie heard that too. In fact, when she married Nichs, that was what the man did. Even though they had stayed in her hut before their wedding, he still did it after the wedding ceremony. It was a simple gesture that held so much meaning.
Now that she realized Nichs was royalty and must have been used to luxury, having him carrying her to their ''home'', an old and shabby hut by the forest, made Sophie feel so touched. She was wondering what was in Nichs'' mind when he did that.
Did he really consider the shabby hut as home?
"We are not newlyweds," Sophie said with a chuckle. She touched Lnd''s chin and smiled in glee. "Only newly married couples do that."
Lnd shrugged. "We didn''t do it back then because..."
At that time, their marriage was ''fake''. It was a contract that was not based on love. Sophie didn''t love Lnd, and he only wanted to bind her in marriage so he could get an excuse to imprint her and mark her as his mate, for the sole purpose of protecting her.
He didn''t do the newlyweds tradition because it was weird to do it in a fake marriage. However, now that they were truly in love and their marriage was as real as it could be, he wanted to do the tradition since they were now back at their first home together.
"I agree with you," said Sophie with a big smile. "Let''s enter our home together. I miss this ce."
Lnd smiled and kissed her lips dotingly. "Hmm..."
Chapter 354 Making Love In Hastings **
Note: Dear, Kelly Goodwin, thank you for gifting a castle to this book yesterday. I love you! Muahh!!
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This was where it all began for Sophie. For Lnd, it was her small hut on the edge of ckwoods. He saved her from the bear, kept her warm, and spent all night with her in his embrace. However, back then Sophie didn''t know him. She was not even aware he existed.
So, for her... it all started in Hastings. This made the small town be special in her heart. Sophie used to hate it because she had a hard life there, being bullied by her cousins and treated badly by her peers.
However, everything changed and Hastings became special after she met Nichs outside Cow Dung and then Lnd in Wolfstone Castle. Her heart was so warm now that she was back in Hastings.
The door was opened by Jan and Luciel who saw their parents approaching from the big windows.
"Wee," Luciel said with a big smile. Sophie chuckled and said thank you.
"Mom, is this the ce where we were born?" Luciel asked again.
He already forgot about not being able to meet Uncle.. ahem father Nichs after they moved away from Livstad. His mind was upied by the excitement of exploring a new ce after being cooped up in the carriage for days.
"Yes, it is," Sophie replied. She turned to Lnd and motioned him to put her down, but Lnd didn''t budge. She finally pinched his arm and voiced her request softly. "I can walk."
Lnd rubbed Luciel''s and Jan''s heads alternately with one hand and told them to explore. He could see them looking restless.
"Don''t y too far and listen to what Duncan has to say," he told them.
"All right," Luciel smiled broadly and then pulled Jan''s hand. They immediately dashed through the door, leaving Lnd and Sophie alone, just like what the Alpha wanted.
"I also heard that newlywed humans would bless their home by..." he didn''t continue his words because Sophie knew what he wanted to say and her face already flushed red before he could say more.
"That is also true," she whispered coyishly. It was obvious what her mate wanted. Sophie tilted her head and kissed his cheek. "I like that."
Lnd smiled and didn''t say anything. He continued his steps with Sophis still in his strong arms. Sophie was amused by his actions. He seemed so determined to do what newlywedded humans do when they entered their new home together.
She didn''t know what caused him to do this. Was it because he felt jealous because of Nichs'' presence? He must be thinking about it all the way to Hastings while he was in the carriage with Sophie and the boys.
Nichs and Sophie had a human wedding and they spent the early days of their married life in Sophie''s parents'' hut in ckwoods. Lnd couldn''t help but think about what they did as newlyweds there. He remembered when he went there years ago and saw Nichs and Sophie together for the first time.
She looked so happy with Nichs and sheughed a lot. She must be really happy back then.
Meanwhile, his early days of married life with Sophie were awkward because of the marriage contract that they bound together.
And a yearter, when they became a couple for real, it was toote to start with the newlyweds ritual. He thought it was sweet but he was too shy to propose that to Sophie.
Going back to Hastings today, he decided to use it as a way to renew their vows and redo the newlywed rituals which he liked but never got to experience.
"Finally, we are here," he said when he pushed open the door to their bedroom with his foot and entered. Sophie had not seen this bedroom for years and memories immediately flooded her brain when they went inside.
It was a really big chamber with a huge four-poster bed in the middle, facing the floor-to-ceiling windows with grey velvet curtains. The curtains were opened to the sides, showing the huge garden filled with blooming flowers. It was the end of summer and everything was looking its best.
Sophie nted some of the flowers outside their windows and she was pleased to see them still growing healthy even after so many years. Their servants really did a good job taking care of this castle.
Lnd ced Sophie''s body gently on the bed and then he sat by the bed and helped her take off her shoes. The room smelled of faintvender and created an atmosphere of calm and peace.
Sophie watched her mate take off her shoes and then massaged her feet. He didn''t speak much, but his actions were always louder than words. He knew she must be feeling cramp, after sitting inside the carriage for a long time.
"Can you be any more perfect than this?" Sophie muttered to herself, admiring the beautiful sight before her.
The man raised his face and looked at her with a question mark in his eyes. "You want me to be more perfect?"
Sophis should have known that lycans had a very sharp sense of hearing. Her question was a rhetorical one, directed at herself. Of course, he was perfect and couldn''t be any more perfect than he already was.
She chuckled and shook her head. Sophie decided not borate because she suddenly thought maybe Lnd was just teasing her with his question. He must know how perfect he was for her.
So, she decided to grab his arms and pulled him on top of her. Lnd smiled and leaned on one of his elbows so he wouldn''t press on her body. Their faces were inches away from each other. He looked at her face lovingly.
He was pleased to see so much love in her eyes. And suddenly, all his jealousy disappeared. Lnd tugged Sophie''s chin with his other hand and nted a deep kiss on her lips.
They kissed for a long time. Their tongues yed a sweet duel while their breaths started panting. He lowered his kisses while his hand slowly undressed his mate.
Sophie didn''t stay idle. She tried to help him off his shirt too, while her lips let out a sweet long moan when his kisses went down to her exposed breasts.
Soon, they were both naked. Lnd was very happy to see Sophie with her protruding tummy. He thought she was the sexiest he had ever seen. There was this unexinable glow on her that made him feel enchanted. Lnd thought he couldn''t love her more, but apparently, he was wrong.
"I love you," he whispered sweetly as he pressed her body carefully so as not to hurt her and then he entered her.
At that moment, Lnd wished Sophie understood the lycannguage because he loved her more than what any humannguage could express. However, the best words he could use that spoke to her were just ''I love yous''.
"Mmm... I love you too," Sophie closed her eyes and let out a long moan when his manhood thrust all the way in and Lnd started plowing her. It felt amazing and she was immediately lost in their lovemaking.
She loved his initiative. Going back to Hastings surely brought her so much joy as she was reminded of the good times they had together in the past when life was not asplicated as today.
Sophie came very quickly because her pregnancy made her feel more sensitive than usual. Lnd didn''t have to thrust deeply to make her squirm in ecstasy. He bit her neck softly when she came and left a small red mark on it.
Lnd loved marking her to make the whole world know she was his. Then his lips went down and took her breast in a mouthful. He sucked her nipples eagerly while waiting for her orgasmic wave to subside a little before he pounded her again.
"Oh... Lnd..." Sophie bit her lip in a very sexy way that made his heart flutter. He grinned and went back to devouring her luscious lips. They kissed again.
They made love to their hearts'' content, blessing their home together by pouring so much love into one another. This home was blessed with love.
Sophie didn''t know when the lovemaking ended. She fell asleep in his embrace while he was still pounding her, refusing to stop because he was still filled with so much vigor. The next thing she knew, she woke up being spooned from behind and it was already sunset.
"Gosh... did I fall asleep?" she muttered to herself when she opened her eyes and her memory returned. She turned around and saw her mate lying down behind her, his eyes were open and he smiled faintly.
"Did I sleep during sex?" She repeated her question. Lnd nodded. Sophie felt so embarrassed. "I am sorry."
"Why? There is nothing to be sorry about," Lnd replied calmly. He pulled her closer and turned her around, and kissed her lips again. "I love watching you sleep. I''m sorry for exerting you. You must be tired easily because of your pregnancy."
Sophie admitted that. However, she loved making love with him and didn''t want him to think they should do it less because she was tired easily during her pregnancy.
"I think it''s the journey," she chuckled. "I am not tired by my pregnancy, but the travel."
She sat up and rubbed his cheek. "I am hungry."
"Hmm.. let''s eat," Lnd said. He sat up too and kissed her lips, then he got down from the bed. He put on his pants and then reached out to help Sophie get down from the bed. "Luciel and Jan must be looking for us."
Chapter 355 Kareninas Guest
"How do you like our new home?" Sophie asked Luciel after they finished dinner.
The smart boy wiggled a finger and corrected his mother. "This is not our new home."
"Ahh... well, I mean this home. Do you like this ce?" Sophie chuckled and cast her nce around them. Their dining room was much bigger than the one they had in Livstad and overall, the castle and its ground were also bigger than their manor.
Luciel said he liked it. So did Jan. They caught two rabbits already when they yed with Duncan and explored the small woods nearby.
The property included small woods and it was privately owned so the boys could shift into their wolf forms and yed all they wanted without having to worry about being seen by humans.
They spent all afternoon exploring and having fun. Now, their two faces were filled with excitement and happiness. Seeing her children happy, Sophie felt so relieved. It seemed the decision to move to Hasting was a good decision.
She turned to look at Lnd and smiled at him. Her good mood made Lnd happy too. He smiled at her. Sophie would give birth in less than two months. He must make all preparation so that their castle would be secure and safe from any instruction and attack if his pack and the royal family would immediately dere an open conflict.
This was just a waiting game.
At this point, it was only a matter of time until Nichs, the king, would announce that Duke Romanov and his people were actually lycans, and then there would be an open war.
Lnd had heard the shocking news from the capital that King Nichs Hannenbergh had told the higher-ups and the high nobility of Riga that he had lycanthropy. Now that he thought about it, Lnd realized it was a good move.
Sooner orter, Nichs'' secret would be found out and he would have to face the people. By admitting the truth now, he saved himself the trouble of being ckmailed by anyone who knew his secret, in this case, Lnd was thinking of Karenina and members of the Royal Lycan Hunters who saw him and Nichs fight back then in the meadow.
By revealing his secrets to the people who mattered, Nichs took back power and he could choose how and when he wanted people to know that he had lycanthropy. From his spies, Lnd also found out that the majority of people who attended the meeting at the royal pce were supportive of the king.
Next... he would have to do something about the lycan pack that had been infiltrating Riga and even settled down near the capital.
***
Nichs stood in disbelief when he heard Lucas tell him curtly that the Alpha and his family had left Livstad. He looked at the Beta''s face intensely, trying to find traces of lying.
Perhaps, it was just an excuse to keep Sophie and the kids away from him. Now, Lucas must already know who Nichs really was. He was the father of Luciel and Jan and his presence was unwanted in this manor.
However, when Nichs took a good look at Lucas'' expression, he realized that the Beta was telling him the truth.
"When did they leave?" Nichs asked with a disappointed expression. He brought some toys for the boys, hoping he could see them again and perhaps he could see Sophie too.
Lucas shook his head. "It''s none of your business."
"Where did they go, do you know?" Nichs brushed off Lucas'' rudeness and continued asking more questions. "You must know. Tell me where did they go? Is it for good?"
"I said, it''s none of your business," Lucas repeated his answer. His arms crossed in front of his chest and he gave Nichs a murderous re.
He remembered that thest time they fought Nichs beat him up. This didn''t make Lucas feel scared of the young king. It was the opposite. He hated losing to this man and now was determined to fight him again and beat him.
"Of course, it''s my business, they are my...." Nichs suddenly looked away. It was useless to argue with Lucas. He let out a long sigh and turned to Lucas again. "When will they go back? Is Jan okay? Didn''t he need more rest so he could recover?"
"Young master is much better now," Lucas replied curtly.
"Uf... very well." Nichs realized it was better for him to send spies and investigate where Lnd took Sophie and their children. "Thanks for your time. I will find them on my own."
Nichs was sad that Sophie and the boys were now far away. He tried to put himself in Duke Romanov''s shoes and thought about what he would do if his wife and children suddenly had another man in their lives.
He would definitely try to cut whatever contact they had with that him. So, moving away was a good decision. Sigh.
If only he didn''t have the kingdom to take care of, Nichs would have gone out and found his wife and children wherever they were. Unfortunately, he was the king and his government was currently facing a crisis after Nichs came clean to his people and let them know he was actually a lycan.
"Very well... I will give them space and then I will find them again," Nichs muttered to himself and then he returned to the royal pce.
***
Meanwhile, Karenina got her answers faster than she originally thought. Elois the witch was willing to meet her. This was going so great, she thought. The news was brought by Gwen who came to see her two days after their first meeting.
"So, my queen, Grand Witch Eloise said you are wee toe and see her in Armeria," Gwen said. She took out a small envelope and gave it to Karenina. The beautiful woman took the letter and read it quickly.
In her letter, Eloise said that Karenina had an interesting proposition and she wanted to hear from her in person. She thought they were alike and could work together.
Karenina furrowed her brows when she read the letter. Everything sounded good but one part where she was expected toe to Armeria.
"Is this a joke?" Karenina asked Gwen curtly.
"Why?" Gwen asked back.
"I cannote to Armeria because that ce is chaos," Kareninained. "I don''t know anyone there and many people are fleeing their country toe here. What makes you think I would be willing to travel to Armeria and risk my own life?"
"But you said you wanted to see our queen," said Gwen calmly. "She is now living in Armeria."
"I know what I said, okay?" Karenina became so annoyed. "I have a proposition to give her and I would even help her aplish them, however, I would never bow down to anyone. She is not my queen."
Karenina scoffed. She added, "If she is truly as powerful as you all im her to be, then she should be able toe here, the enemy''s den, easily and without any resistance. I will meet her in person if Eloise to Livstad without any problem. Then I would trust that she is truly powerful."
Gwen looked at Karenina with disbelief. "You dare doubt our queen, She will not like it."
Karenina rolled her eyes. "I know a lot of things and I can help her to get their objective. But I will note to Armeria to see her. Tell Eloise toe and see me."
"Fine," said Gwen. "I will tell Witch Eloise about this."
***
Karenina had heard that the king announced to the high nobility and the government higher-ups about him being a lycan and that made her feel so much rage.
She was still thinking about using that information to gather alliance among the noblemen who didn''t like Nichs.
However, now that Nichs hadid the information in the open and it seemed the people were still supportive of him, Karenina had to bit her disappointment and stuck with her cooperation with Eloise.
She hoped Eloise would reallye to Riga to have a discussion with her because Karenina was too scared to go to Armeria.
After one week, finally, her wish was granted. Karenina was feeling upset because her father sent her a letter and told her he wasing to see her in the capital. Suddenly, the door to her chamber was knocked and the butler told her she had a visitor.
"Who?" Karenina asked the butler. She didn''t remember inviting anyone toe but... Eloise. Was that her?
"She said she is your cousin, Your Highness," said the butler respectfully. Karenina did have several cousins who sucked up to her after her engagement to Nichs was announced. They all wanted to be on her good side.
However, they had be rudetely when they realized the king would not continue with the n to marry Karenina.
"Hmm... tell her to wait for me in the garden. I wille and see her," Karenina replied curtly. She changed her outfit and cleaned up her distraught face. She practiced her best smile in the mirror before she finally left her chamber and went to the garden.
Anyone should not see her looking upset or messy. She should always look happy and winning. Karenina walked leisurely to the garden and arrived to find a woman she had never seen before.
"Cousin!"
Before Karenina could say anything, the foreign woman had got up to her feet and came to hug Karenina.
Chapter 356 Soul Sisters
Karenina was stunned when she saw the woman.
"You?" She frowned at this impostor who imed to be her cousin. However, Karenina was a good actress. She immediately changed her reaction and smiled at the uninvited guest and greeted her. "You''re here."
Karenina immediately guessed that this beautiful woman before her, who pretended to be her cousin, was the grand witch Eloise, that Gwen told her about.
Eloise smiled at Karenina and nodded her head. "I am here. I wanted to give you a surprise."
"It works..." Karenina said tly. She cast her nce around them and saw the servants were watching. She realized it was better to go somewhere quiet so she and Eloise could speak in private.
She was already impressed by Eloise who managed to enter the royal pce without getting suspected and now realized that Gwen didn''t exaggerate when she said Eloise was very powerful.
Wasn''t she supposed to be in Armeria? How did she arrive here so soon? Also, why didn''t anyone suspect her?
She reached out her hand and took Eloise to walk with her to her room. "What about talking in my room so we can have privacy?"
Eloise smiled crookedly and shook her head. "No, actually, I came here to take you out. I know things haven''t been goodtely for you. So, I was thinking of taking you out to cheer you up. I stay in this beautiful mansion in the city center. We can have tea and catch up on the old times. Come on, cousin. What say you?"
Karenina narrowed her eyes. She preferred that Eloise and she talked in her room. For a moment, Karenina stood in her ce and didn''t respond immediately.
Eloise noticed her reluctance and waved her hand. She added, "I havee all the way here not to see you sulk in your room. Let''s go out and have fun."
Karenina bit her lip. She wanted to say no.
"Fine, if you are so stiff, I will think that my presence is unwanted. I will just take my leave," Eloise pouted and crossed her arms on her chest. "I wish you well in sorting everything by yourself."
She turned around and got ready to leave when Karenina immediately realized that she needed Eloise more than Eloise needed her.
The witch was powerful. She was also married to the Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack who was now the ruler of a kingdom, Armeria.
Eloise had a good life. The only thing that she didn''t have but would probably want was Lnd, the Alpha of the Blood River Pack who was now mated to Sophia Hansley, the woman Karenina hated so much. However, even without Lnd, Eloise would already have a good life for herself.
Meanwhile... Karenina, on the other hand, was about to lose everything she had ever had and wanted. All she had now was her revenge mission. How she could make Nichs suffer, and kill Sophia Hansley.
For that to happen, she needed help. Eloise seemed like a good ally. Not only was she powerful, she also had a big interest in killing Sophie. She also had the power behind her to topple the Hannenberghs from the throne of Riga.
Dammit. It looked like Karenina did have to go with Eloise and see what she had to say.
Well... at least they were in Livstad, not Armeria. Karenina just needed to make sure that she had enough security around her that would keep her safe while she talked with Eloise. This was not Armeria where Eloise was the queen.
"No, I''ll go with you," said Karenina suddenly. She forced a smile and patted Eloise''s back. "Cousin. I will just make sure my servants know where I am."
"Definitely," Eloise smiled at seeing Karenina''s change of attitude. She knew that Karenina understood she was in need of Eloise''s help and decided to follow what the witch wanted.
"Wait here," Karenina immediately went to get her trusted servant, Hugo, and told him to follow her with a knight because she wanted to spend time with her ''cousin'' outside the pce.
She made arrangement quickly and not long after, the two women had been riding Eloise''s carriage outside of the royal pce. When the two women left the pcepound, many people were paying attention. Karenina had not left her room for many days so it was unusual for them to see her outside.
People had noticed that the king had never made an effort to make any preparation to marry Karenina after the wedding ns announcement at the princess'' birthday party months ago.
After themotion where she tried to kill herself, many people thought King Nichs might have decided to break off their engagement which led to her trying suicide.
They thought she was too embarrassed toe out and decided to hide in her quarter. Seeing her out and about, apanied by a beautiful woman, made people feel intrigued. Karenina looked happy and calm, like everything was fine. So, was everything really fine? They were wondering.
The carriage went to the city center and stopped in front of a beautiful mansion, surrounded by a lovely garden. Eloise turned to Karenina. "This is where I am staying now. Let''s talk inside."
Karenina was wondering how Eloise could obtain such a nice mansion in such a short amount of time. Did she buy it?
"Is this your ce?" she couldn''t help but ask.
Eloise nodded. "Temporarily, yes."
They got off the carriage and walked toward the entrance. Karenina was impressed to see everyone looked so respectful toward Eloise.
However, there was something unusual about the way these people walked and talked.
"Wee, Your Grace," the butler spoke in a t tone. His eyes seemed like he was dreaming. There was no focus on his irises.
"Thanks, John," said Eloise calmly. "I have a friend here. We will be talking on the terrace. Please bring us some tea."
"Very well, Your Grace." The butler called John turned around and disappeared behind the door. Eloise led the way for Karenina to follow her.
"This terrace has the best view," she said and continued walking toward the terrace. Karenina followed her. She had so many questions in her mind.
"Are they..." she looked at Eloise intensely when they arrived at the terrace. It was an open area, facing a big garden filled with so many flowers. However, her attention was still on the butler, not the flowers. "Are they enchanted? The butler and servants, I mean."
Eloise sat on the chair leisurely and looked at Karenina. "As a matter of fact, they are. You have a good eye, Karenina."
"Ah..." Karenina nodded. She knew there was something wrong with those people. "So, is this mansion not yours? Did you steal it?"
Eloise just shrugged. "I borrowed it from the owner, but if I like it, I will make it mine. It''s no big deal."
"How did you do that?"
Eloise smirked. "I am a witch, remember?"
"Yeah, I''ve met some witches, and none of them could do this," said Karenina.
Eloise scoffed. "Because they are not me."
Karenina swallowed. Was Eloise really that powerful? Being able to control people''s minds like this was amazing. She clenched the hem of her dress and suddenly felt anxious.
Would Eloise also try to control her mind? No... she must not let her.
"Don''t you dare control my mind," Karenina said in a stutter. "I won''t let you."
Eloise looked at the anxious Karenina and chuckled. "You are so funny. Please have a seat. I only control the minds of people who disagree with me. From what I see, we are both on the same side. It doesn''t give me any benefit in taking over your mind."
Karenina pursed her lips and looked at Eloise intensely before she felt relief. That''s right. Why would she worry about being controlled by Eloise when they both had the same agenda? If anything, she would help Eloise kill Sophie. She wanted that too.
"I am d we are on the same page," Karenina said hoarsely and then took a seat across from Eloise. "I know you have been holding a grudge toward a woman that I happen to hate."
"I believe that''s correct," said Eloise lightly. Before they could talk more, a servant came and brought them a pot of tea and two cups.
Eloise let the servant pour them tea and waited until she disappeared before she continued their conversation. "I was happy to receive your letter. I felt like I found my soul sister... hahahahha."
Karenina was in awe when she saw Eloise let out her crispughter. She looked so beautiful and enchanting. In her opinion, Eloise was more beautiful than Sophia Hansley, but why did Lnd Szar not want to make her his mate? Why did he choose Sophie?
"Soul sisters," Karenina repeated the words. She liked it. She thought it was really useful to have Eloise by her side. The witch was powerful, well-connected, and would definitely be able to provide value for her. She smiled and said, "Let''s drink to that."
Chapter 357 Eloise And Karenina
"Please have a tea," said Eloise politely. "I feel so thirsty after the carriage ride."
She nced at Karenina and smirked. The princess looked ufortable with her offer. So, Eloise took the cup in front of Karenina and switched it with hers.
She said, "You are smart for not easily trusting other people. I can drink the tea from your cup to show you that there is nothing in there. I didn''t put poison in it... hahahaha."
Karenina batted her eyes. She wanted to say that she was not suspicious of Eloise, but she knew better than to lie. So she only nodded and took the other cup.
"Yeah.. sorry, you can never be too careful," Karenina said awkwardly.
Eloise drank her tea and then chuckled. "No, it''s fine. As I said, it''s smart. Don''t easily trust a stranger."
"Very well... I will drink this," Karenina sipped her tea reluctantly. She waited for a few moments to see if anything would happen, but there was none. The tea was delicious and she now felt fresh. She smiled at Eloise and said, "The tea is really good."
"Ah, thank you. It''s my favorite," Eloise replied.
Soon, the atmosphere between the two women had be light and rxed.
Eloise and Kareina drank andughed heartily. After listening to Eloise speak, slowly, Karenina started to think that she did find a good ally, someone who had the same interest as her and had the resources to help her do what she wanted.
She lowered her guard and became more rxed. It was true, Eloise didn''t need to do anything to her because Karenina was already on her side, and she needed Karenina since Karenina knew a lot of information and had the ess to the royal family of Riga.
"You are very impressive," said Karenina. "I feel good to have a great partner like you. Let''s get rid of Sophia quickly so you can get Lnd back soon."
"You''re so impatient," Eloisemented.
"Don''t you want to get rid of that woman quickly?"
"I want to get rid of that woman more than anyone else. But I want you to tell me everything you know about that damn woman and Nichs Hanenbergh so I can think of what to do. Gwen told me that you wanted to overthrow Nichs Hanenbergh and Riga. I will find a way to kill two birds with one stone."
Karina smiled. She was really excited to hear Eloise''s words. She was also happy to tell Eloise everything she knew about Lnd, Sophie, and Nichs'' rtionship, especially the fact that Lnd epted Sophie''s children from Sophie''s first husband, Nichs.
Karenina also provided additional information that Nichs Hanenbergh''s weakness is his mother.
One word for Lnd that came to Eloise''s mind after hearing Karenina''s story was ''sad'' because it turned out that apart from marrying a woman who was someone else''s sloppy second, he also raised children who were not his.
"I really don''t know what the man sees in her," Karenina said, looking at Eloise, wanting to butter her up to seal their cooperation. "I really think you are much more beautiful than Sophia. He is really dumb to choose over you."
"Do you think so?" Eloise looked back at Karenina with a twinkle in her eyes. The other woman nodded. Eloise looked away and sighed. "The heart wants what it wants, I guess."
With those words, Eloise actually was speaking to herself. She was enraged when she found out Lnd was mated to another woman, even though Eloise was in love with him and had made her feelings for him known years ago. Also, their mothers were great friends and had arranged for them to someday be mates.
However, out of nowhere, Eloise received the news that Lnd had mated with Sophia Hansley, a simple woman, half a lycan who couldn''t even shift. There really was nothing special about her that made Eloise feel insulted.
She would prefer if herpetition was a princess, a royalty, or a powerful witch, but Sophie was none of those. She was just a simple and poor woman whose parents nted a lot of kindness in Lnd and maybe made Lnd feel obligated to protect her, to pay back her parents'' kindness to him.
Eloise was so upset and angered that she didn''t want to see Lnd for many years. She thought when his mother poisoned his mate, Lnd woulde to Eloise and beg her to help Sophie. Eloise would take that opportunity to talk with Lnd and express her disappointment.
However, he never did. Not once did he contact Eloise to talk or ask for help, even though he must know that Eloise was the best person to go to if he needed such help. No, it was as if he didn''t even think Eloise existed.
She was angry and decided to marry Elias, from the Obsidian Sand Pack, in the hope that she could forget about Lnd, her first love, and help the man to bring his pack to the greatest height.
With her magic, Eloise helped Obsidian Sand Pack conquer Armeria, and they were now so big and powerful, they were nning to invade all the neighboring kingdoms as well, including Riga.
However, even after so many years and she was now a queen of Armeria, Eloise didn''t feel happy. She now realized it was because no matter how much wealth, power, and luxury she could obtain in this life, her heart wants what it wants.
It only wanted Lnd Szar.
Now, hearing that the man she loved was raising children that were not his, and living with a woman who was not even pure, made Eloise''s anger rise up to the surface again.
She downed her tea and put her cup down. Eloise went to the small cab beside her and took out a bottle of wine with two goblets. She poured wine into them and spoke casually, changing the subject.
"Ah well... you know how they are." Eloise faked augh.
Chapter 358 Nicholas Is Visiting The Verhovens
NOTE:
Thank you, Kelly Goodwin dear, for so gifting a castle among many other things to this book yesterday. xx
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Eloise said, "I knew you are my soul sister the moment I saw you in the royal pce garden. I am very happy we met and share a goal. I will help you get rid of that woman... and then you can do whatever you want with King Nichs Hannenbergh."
"Thank you," said Karenina with a smile.
"I take notes of everything. I have a n for King Nichs and his mother as well," Eloise added. She gave one goblet to Karenina. "The information you provided is very valuable. To celebrate our cooperation, let''s have a toast."
Karenina looked at the goblet and suddenly her gut feeling told her that she might have trusted Eloise too quickly.
"No offense but I don''t usually drink alcohol this early," said Karenina, making Eloise grin again.
"We do get along. As I said, you''re quite smart. Of course, you won''t trust anyone who gives you a drink. It''s okay. You don''t have to drink it," Eloise said then drank her own drink while Karenina who thought she was really smart nodded arrogantly
"So what''s your n? I hope you''ll really help me to get rid of Sophia," said Karenina.
"Sure. You and I will do it together." Eloise put down her cup and sat leisurely on her chair. She then nodded toward a woman standing by in the corner of the terrace.
She was a young woman with a warrior outfit. Karenina thought she was Eloise''s personal bodyguard. It was not unusual to see a female warrior protecting a noblewoman.
Karenina failed to realize that this female warrior was not just a mere bodyguard to Eloise.
Seeing Eloise''s nod, the woman instantly turned into a lycan and sped swiftly to stab Karenina''s heart from behind with her ws. Karenina didn''t have time to scream.
Her open mouth only let out a muffled shriek. And then, a sword came shing in the air.
Eloise burst outughing as Karenina''s head rolled on the floor.
She poured more wine into her goblet and sipped it leisurely. "Jeez... you thought I will kill you with poison? Idiot."
***
A man has just entered the king''s study. He gave a polite greeting when he had stood before the king. He was one of the spies who had been given direct orders by the king to keep an eye on Duke Romanov''s movements.
"Your Majesty, I wish to report that Duke Romanov brought his wife and children to Hastings."
Nichs'' brows furrowed. "Hastings?"
The man nodded. "I heard from some of the servants'' conversation that Duke Romanov and his wife will wee the birth of a new member of their family there."
Nichs'' face leveled. He felt sad and jealous at the same time.
"You may go," he said and the spy nodded obediently and left the room.
Nichs felt very jealous thinking about Sophie waiting for the birth of her child from Lnd. At the same time, he felt very sad because he regretted the fact that when Sophie was pregnant with Luciel and Jan, he was not by Sophie''s side.
Even though Nichs hated Lnd so much, he couldn''t ignore the fact that he owed Lnd a lot because it was Lnd who had been taking care of Sophie and her children since they were born until now.
The young king could only sigh when his chest felt tight because it was filled with regret. He had to be wiser. He had to put his jealousy behind him and put Sophie''s happiness first.
So far Sophie had been grieving a lot because of him and he didn''t want to make Sophie sad anymore.
Even though it was very difficult, Nichs decided to give Lnd the opportunity to continue to apany Sophie until their child was born without having to think about any conflict.
Nichs sighed again before getting up from his chair and walking out. After revealing his true identity as a lycan to officials and noble families, he wanted to pave the way for Luciel and Jan to gain recognition as his children as well as potential sessors to the throne of Riga but before that he will first settle the matter with Karenina.
Since Karenina had not been seen in the pce for a long time, he thought that Karenina was currently at her father''s house. So, Nichs also decided to go to Hauntingen to meet Viscount Verhovent in person to break off the engagement between himself and Karenina.
***
A few dayster, Nichs finally arrived in Hauntingen. Viscount Verhoven who saw the king''s arrival was quite surprised. He greeted the king coldly, trying to make Nichs feel bad for not wanting to take responsibility for what he had done to Karenina.
"I don''t know what your Majesty''s purpose was foring here, but if you came here to make my daughter suffer even more, I beg you to leave before I forget your status as the king and resort to violence," Viscount Verhovent said, feigning anger.
Nichs was silent. He understood Viscount Verhovent''s cold attitude towards him at this point.
"Please, don''t talk like that, Father."
Simultaneously, Nichs and Viscount Verhoven''s attention turned to the figure of Karenina who was walking toward them.
Karenina gave a graceful greeting to the king as they stood face to face.
"I apologize for my father''s words. I hope Your Majesty can understand his attitude," said Karenina softly after that she invited the king to enter the house.
Karenina was an excellent host and treated Nichs with the treatment a king deserves. Seeing Karenina''s warm and friendly demeanor surprised Nichs and Viscount Verhovent felt the same way.
"I''m a little surprised that Your Majesty came here all of a sudden. If only we had known His Majesty ising we would have thrown a feast," said Karenina.
Viscount Verhoven stared at Karenina very closely. In his mind, he was wondering what exactly Karenina was nning.
Chapter 359 Kareninas Request
"This is more than enough," Nichs said. he added with a smile, "Thank you."
"So what is your purpose ining here, Your Majesty?" asked Viscount Verhoven in an annoyed tone.
"I¡." Nichs paused his sentence and then looked at Karenina for a moment before turning back to Viscount Verhovent. He tried to word the purpose of his visit carefully. No one liked to hear bad news. He spoke softly. "I want to break off my engagement to Karenina."
There was a feeling of relief, filling his chest after he finally said the thing he should have said five years ago. He felt bad about it but he knew this was the right thing to do.
Hearing Nichs'' words, Viscount Verhovent immediately stood up with an angry face. She wanted to kick Nichs out of the residence but Eloise who was currently ying the role of Karenina immediately stood up and tried to calm Viscount Verhovent down.
"Father, calm down. I beg you," said Karenina softly.
"What did you say? Did you tell me to calm down? Didn''t you hear what he just said?!" said Viscount Verhoven. The man showed the attitude that all fathers in this world would do to a man who had hurt his daughter. Hostility.
Viscount Verhoven was indeed angry that Nichs had broken off the five-year engagement but what made him angrier was the fact that all his efforts and ns had been in vain.
"I agree with the decision, Your Majesty," said Karenina, surprising both Viscount Verhoven and Nichs. Nichs was happy to hear that but the response given by Karenina had never urred to Nichs.
"You¡?" Viscount Verhovent furrowed his brows, looking at Karenina in disbelief. "What did you say??"
"I''ve thought about it for a long time and I realize that this engagement should be ended because no one is happy. This engagement only makes me and the king suffer." Karenina smiled and then turned to look at Nichs who had previously stood up.
The man stared at Karenina in disbelief. He didn''t expect this to be so easy. He thought he would face resistance and Karenina crying and bawling to protest his decision, but instead, she looked so mature about the whole thing.
"Can we sit back and settle this matter properly?" she asked Nichs with a gentle voice.
Nichs nodded. He would like to hear what she had to say.
"Sure," he said then sat back down.
Despite looking very much objected, Viscount Verhovent sat back down. He really had no idea what Karenina was really thinking. If Karenina had a new n why didn''t she ever tell him?
Karenina again apologized to Nichs for her father''s behavior and Nichs said no problem. He believed her.
"So¡ do you really agree to break off our engagement?" Nichs looked straight at Karenina. "I am sorry but it shouldn''t have happened in the first ce.
Karenina nodded slowly.
p "Yeah, but I have one condition," she said, looking at the king attentively.
"What is it? If it''s within my power, I would definitely grant your wishes," Nichs said firmly.
"Well... I want Your Majesty to still allow me to stay in the pce and maintain my status as a princess." Karenina looked down and had a sad expression on her face. "I already think of Queen Marianne as my own mother. All the love she has given me has made me feel like I have a mother."
She looked back at Nichs and continued. "I already understand that our rtionship can''t be continued. It''s my fault for continuing to push myself. Actually, the thing that really scared me is that if this rtionship ended, I won''t be able to see Queen Marianne every time I miss her."
Her words sounded so sad that they tugged Nichs'' heartstrings. He looked at Karenina as she continued her plea. "That''s why I put forward this condition so that I I can meet the queen whenever I want, Your Majesty. If you granted my conditions, I will ept Your Majesty''s decision gracefully."
Eloise yed such a good role as Karenina to the point where Nichs was touched. The king felt sorry because it turns out that Karenina was a girl who longed for a mother''s love and care.
He nodded sympathetically and said, "Very well."
"What?" Karenina seemed dumbfounded that Nichs easily granted her request. "Are you serious, Your Majesty?"
Nichs nodded. "Yeah. It''s my way ofpensating you. Even though we didn''t get married, I understand that you still want to keep the same lifestyle you have had in the pce."
Karenina looked at the king and her heart fluttered. She looked at the young king attentively and with a sweet smile on her face. This was the first time Eloise could see Nichs in person and she thought bitch Karenina had a good taste.
Nichs looked very handsome and mature. His demeanor and calmness made him look wise and impressive. Elias was much older than him but he didn''t have half Nichs'' charisma.
Perhaps, that was the difference between someone who was born and raised to be a real king and somemoner who could rise to the top by toppling the rightful royalty.
When shepared Nichs with Alpha Elias, Eloise couldn''t help but resent her husband. The Alpha was only her stepping stone to getting into power. Her need for him was almost over.
"Yeah, I think it''s not a bad arrangement," Nichs said calmly. "I know my mother likes you too. As long as we can have the same understanding, I will allow you to continue having a rtionship with my mother."
Nichs had told Queen Marianne about his love for Sophie and the fact that they had children together. He was happy to see the queen seemed to ept that. Now, he was sure that his mother would no longer try to match him and Karenina.
The queen only did that in the past because she was worried Nichs wouldn''t find love and there was no heir to the throne. She needn''t worry about it now. She actually couldn''t wait for the day she could meet Luciel and Jan again.
Chapter 360 Nicholas Is Passing By Hastings
Note:
Thank you, dear Jess R 7437, for gifting a castle to this book yesterday. Wow, you read SO FAST!!
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"Your Majesty, you are so wise and gracious," Karenina wiped her fake tears and hugged Nichs. "I don''t want anything in this world, but I just want to continue seeing Her Majesty the queen. Thank you."
Nichs reflexively stepped back when Karenina hugged him, so the girl only touched air.
"Very well. I am d we have an agreement," he said casually. "I really appreciate this."
Karenina was a good actress. She didn''t seem offended that the king dodged her touch. Only the Viscount winced his forehead in displeasure when he witnessed his daughter being embarrassed like that. However, there was nothing he could do. This was the king he was dealing with.
Nichs was relieved that Karenina didn''t turn into a drama queen as he expected. Since she acted like a mature adult, he also acted politely and nicely to her. The king then said that he agreed to Karenina''s terms and said she cane to the pce whenever she wanted.
Karenina put on a happy face and thanked Nichs. Her attitude really made Nichs feel another burden was lifted off his chest. He was d that he didn''t have to feel bad for the girl.
Nichs finally left Hauntingen feeling very, very relieved. The two big burdens that had been pressing against his chest were finally released. Now he felt very free. He could start focusing on paving the way for Jan and Luciel to inherit the throne of Riga.
***
Meanwhile, Viscount Verhoven pulled Karenina''s arm roughly after the king left their home. He red at the young woman and gritted his teeth.
"What were you doing??? Didn''t youe crying to me months ago asking me to find a way to force him to marry you? You even got yourself pregnant!"
Eloise who was under disguise as Karenina winced her brows. She didn''t know this fact. That stupid witch Gwen didn''t inform her of this important info. Karenina also didn''t discuss it when they met for tea.
This made Eloise feel angry. She almost blew up her disguise earlier because she didn''t cover this one base. Fortunately, Nichs didn''t seem to care about the baby. He didn''t ask about it, not even once. Had he asked, Eloise might act suspiciously and Nichs would know there was something wrong with his ''fiancee''.
"Dammit," Eloise muttered under her breath.
"What did you say?" The Viscount stepped back and hit her arm. "Don''t you dare speak to me that way!"
Eloise pushed the man so hard, he fell to the ground. "Shut up, old man!"
"Hey! Hey...!" Viscount Verhoven was startled to see his daughter''s reaction. "Karenina! How dare you!"
He tried to get up from the floor, but suddenly, his body felt so heavy and his chest was heaving up and down, panting for breath.
"I.. I can''t..." he clutched his chest and his eyes bulged in horror. "can''t... breathe."
***
Nichs left the Verhoven''s manor immediately. His chest was filled with relief and peace of mind. After he got on his horse, he actually thought about Karenina''s pregnancy. He didn''t believe her when she told him it was his child, but he had promised to provide for the child if she decided to give birth to it.
So, he already expected Karenina to make demands regarding the child. However, that didn''t happen. Nichs felt horrible for not asking about the child when he met Karenina earlier. In fact, he was slightly relieved that she didn''t say anything.
Secretly, Nichs was hoping she was just lying when she told him that she was pregnant.
Yeah... that must be it.
After a while, she couldn''t continue faking a pregnancy, so she finally chose a way out. The moment that the king asked to officially end their engagement might be seen as a good excuse for her to do it.
Nichs rubbed his temple and let out a long sigh. It was now no longer his business. He should stop thinking about it and moved forward.
? The king motioned his knights to start their journey home. The small group immediately rode their horses and left for Livstad.
***
After two days, they were passing by Hastings, on the way to the capital. Nichs was tempted to stop by and see Sophie. Well, even if he was not allowed to see Sophie, as long as he could see the boys, he would feel happy.
However, he knew better than to create another conflict while Sophie was heavily pregnant. Even if he didn''t seek altercation with the Alpha, his mere presence would cause stress and hostility in the castle. It wouldn''t be good for Sophie.
His heart was bleeding but Nichs tried to hold back his feelings as much as possible.
He loved her so much that he didn''t want her to feel hurt or stressed. He still had not been able to forgive himself for what happened in the past. He didn''t want to add more to her burden.
After several months, slowly, his memory returned and now he could remember almost everything that he went through with her. Gaining his memories was both a blessing and a curse for Nichs.
On the one hand, he was happy because he could fill the gap in his memory. It no longer looked like holey cheese. He loved every second he spent with her and was grateful for the chance he had with her.
However, on the other hand, the memories now served as a reminder of what he had and now lost.
It was all his fault. He had held the most precious diamond in his hand, but he slipped and lost it because he was not careful and his young self was too foolish to understand what was important in life.
Now that he was older, he realized, he didn''t need other people''s approval, not even his father. All he needed was her, only her.
But now it was toote.
"Should we enter Hastings and rest there for the night?" A knight called Dew asked Nichs.
The king shook his head, hiding his gleaming eyes. "No. Let''s not waste time and go home as soon as possible."
Chapter 361 Nicholas Plans For Peace
Nichs kept himself busy after he returned from Hauntingen. He spent the next few weeks in the capital to find ways to change the way things were done in Riga. He had met with the higher officials and the nobles in the capital, and most of them understood him and supported him.
However, the people of Riga, themoners had been brainwashed for decades to hate lycans and consider them as monsters, the enemy. These people didn''t understand that politics changed and the royal family''s stance toward the former enemy had changed.
Nichs knew he should approach this delicate issue carefully because during the decades-long war, there had been numerous victims fell on both sides. Many humans were killed by lycans, and so were lycans who were hunted, tortured, and killed.
Promoting peace between the two races would be one hell of a job and he would face a lot of challenges from both parties. However, he knew, if he wanted his children to have a good life in Riga and can be safe, he needed to make sure that lycans were no longer treated and seen as monsters like they were in the past.
Another consideration for Nichs to do this was because he realized Armeria which was now overtaken by a powerful lycan pack was looking to expand their authority and it was only a matter of time until they would try to invade Riga, among other countries.
If Riga wanted to protect themselves from this invasion, they had to mobilize every power and resource they had and work together to fend off the potential enemy. There were many small werewolf packs scattered in Riga, in hiding, for fear of being hunted.
They stayed in Riga because this was thend they knew. The fact that they were not acknowledged as citizens because of their race only meant they had to hide their identities. They couldn''t leave their mothend even though the previous king dered war on their race.
Nichs knew these small packs wouldn''t appreciate if Riga fell to the enemy, especially if the enemy was a powerful werewolf pack with a bad reputation, led by a ruthless Alpha.
From his spies and advisors, Nichs found out that most werewolves were only loyal to their respective Alphas, except for the rogue werewolves. They didn''t have a supreme leader or a king after thest one died twenty years ago.
Several Alphas were trying to take that leadership position by uniting packs after packs under their wings, but none was sessful so far to get the trust and devotion of all members of their tribes.
So, without one sole leader, Nichs thought he could still have a chance to fight the Obsidian Sand Pack from invading Riga.
He realized Alpha Elias, the Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack, wanted to be the lycan king and not all members of the tribe were supportive of this. Nichs got some information that at least two other Alphas were strong candidates for the title. If he could convince them to work with him, they could stop Alpha Elias from bing more powerful.
They could stop Alpha Elias, and Nichs could save his kingdom from destruction. This was one of so many things that kept him busy for weeks, coordinating from the pce, attending meetings here and there, and visiting small packs within the kingdom.
It helped a little bit to distract his mind from Sophie, but not much. At the end of the day, after he ended a meeting andy down on his bed, feeling tired, he would still think about her, so much that he couldn''t sleep.
But at least a little bit was better than none. He could at least keep his mind from thinking about her when he was working himself to the bone. Had he not done it, he thought he would go crazy. Crazy with regret. Crazy in love. Crazy about her.
"Your Highness, the Alpha of the Red Moon Pack is willing to meet you," a spy came to see Nichs in his study after the king ended a meeting with his advisors.
This spy called Jonah was sent to approach Alphas of smaller werewolf packs in Riga and he had been meeting and talking with so many people by now. He brought letters from the king to give to the Alphas to invite them to meet him, either in the pce or in their ce, whichever suited them.
This work was highly dangerous because the lycans might see him as the enemy and instead of epting the invitation, they would try to kill him. He had escaped death more than twice now. Nichs really appreciated his work and rewarded him handsomely.
Today, Jonah finally brought the good news that one of the packs was willing to open a conversation with the king and they invited Nichs toe and visit them in Friar Hill.
"However, to test your sincerity, they want you toe alone, Your Majesty," Jonah said worriedly. His face was filled with uneasiness. "I am sorry, I failed to convince them to¡ª"
Nichs waved his hand, "That''s fine. As long as they are willing to meet, I am fine with meeting them alone."
He knew the Lycans must be testing his sincerity by demanding him toe alone. The war for decades had left both parties with so many lives killed. They couldn''t trust him so easily now.
It was his father who dered war on their race and now Nichs wanted to talk about peace? It must be so hard to believe. He couldn''t me them.
"But, Your Majesty, your safety is paramount," Jonah spoke haltingly. "The Red Moon pack is quite small, but they have fierce warriors. I fought with one of them and he was really good. I¡ª"
"Johan, stop it," Nichs furrowed his brows at his spy. "Are you doubting me and my capabilities? I can protect myself."
Nichs didn''t want to reveal that he was also an Alpha. Maybe it was thepensation given to him by the Moon Goddes. He was turned with the intention to hurt his family and embarrass them, but the evil Alpha who bit him didn''t expect that the boy would be an Alpha, and now, he was no less powerful than an average Alpha.
Nichs had even fought with Lnd Szar, and he could protect himself well. He could fight back and hurt Lnd. That should say something about his capabilities. Now, Nichs was convinced that he was powerful enough to deal with this small pack, the Red Moon Pack.
"What about letting the Royal Lycan Hunterse with you, Your Majesty?" Jonah asked again. "Ifanything happened to you... there will be no Riga."
Nichs shook his head impatiently. "Jonah, they asked me toe alone because they are testing my sincerity. What do you think will happen if I sneakily brought the ROYAL LYCAN HUNTERS with me?"
Jonah went silent. He knew the king was right. However, he felt so worried and distraught. Was the king suicidal? Going alone to meet the lycans was the same as courting death!
Uf.. he could only look away and hide his distress.
Nichs patted Jonah''s back and spoke calmly. "Tell me more. What else did the Alpha say."
***
In the royal pce of Armeria, Eloise was sitting on a beautiful sofa, looking outside the huge windows facing the beautiful garden. Her lips pursed and she was in a bad mood.
Alpha Elias who just entered their chamber looked interested in what she was doing. He walked to her and rubbed her hair.
"Why do you look upset? Did something bother your mind?"
Eloise looked up and stared at her husband coldly. She just heard the news from a local witch in Hastings that Lnd Szar or Duke Romanov was preparing to wee the birth of his child. The reclusive man threw a feast to celebrate it.
This was something unthinkable when Eloise thought of Lnd. The man was so reclusive that she could never see him throwing a party or any celebrations. He didn''t even like meeting people. So, did this mean he was now a changed man?
He must be super happy with the uing birth of that stupid child that he did such a thing. Eloise clenched her fists and tried to get rid of the man''s handsome face from her mind.
Lnd didn''t learn his lesson, it seemed. He had lost his unborn children from Sophie because his own mother plotted to kill them. It was true that their initial target was that wench, but apparently, the poison was absorbed by the babies she was carrying. Those babies saved her stupid life.
And now she dared get pregnant again with Lnd''s child? This was uneptable!
Eloise felt jealousy burn her entire being. She wished she could teleport and be in Hastings right at this instance. She would kill Sophie with her bare hands.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alpha Elias furrowed his brows in displeasure. He could feel his wife was feeling angry and he knew she was filled with a murderous aura.
He touched her arm and tugged her chin to look at him. "Answer me."
"Don''t touch me," Eloise snapped at him. She tried to pull her arm, but Elias was stronger than her. He gripped harder. Eloise winced in pain. "Ouch... that hurts!"
"You don''t speak like that to your husband," Alpha Elias narrowed his eyes dangerously.
He hated it when Eloise acted coldly toward him. In thest few years, he finally realized that she didn''t love him and that made him feel so angry.
Chapter 362 Eloise And Elias
"You''re hurting me..." Eloise whispered with a choked voice.
"Oh, am I?" Elias raised a brow and loosened his grip on her arm. "I am sorry, wifey. I got too carried away."
He apologized for his outburst, however, his expression didn''t change. It was hard to know whether he was truly sorry for, hurting her or not. Eloise stepped back and massaged her pained arm and scoffed. "Please leave me alone."
"Why is that?" Elias crossed his arms on his chest. "I am your mate. I have the right to be here by your side."
Eloise wanted to roll her eyes. She regretted epting Elias to be her mate four years ago. At that time, she was feeling heartbroken because of Lnd and was filled with so much rage and jealousy. After she pondered for a while, she decided to make Lnd pay.
She didn''t think killing his children was enough to make up for the heartbreak she felt when he just decided to marry another woman. She wanted to make him suffer. She knew he wanted to be the lycan king and his mission in life was to kill the royal family of Riga.
Right then, Eloise decided to marry another Alpha who could be Lnd''spetition to be the lycan king. She wanted to take what he wanted and see him suffer. She wanted Lnd to understand what it was like to see something he dreamed of being snatched from him by a stranger.
Of all the other Alphas around in that annual meeting, she thought Alpha Elias was a good candidate. He was recently single, quite young, and head over heels for her. Eloise thought she could easily control him.
However, apparently, it was not as easy as she thought. Being mates, there were some things that she was unable to do to Elias. She couldn''t hurt him. Since Elias imprinted his mark on her, she was connected to him and was not able to hurt her mate.
Elias could not hurt her either, but there were some instances where he would act jealous and upset and things would be heated.
Over time, this became more and more annoying and Eloise wished she could end his life after she was bored with him. However, she couldn''t do it. Elias would know what she was feeling and she couldn''t plot against him. That damn mate bond!
Eloise had toy low for a long time while trying to find ways to remove Elias'' imprint on her so she could free herself from him. Right now, he could feel if she was upset and she had to work hard to hide things from him.
"I am just tired." Eloise pursed her lips. "I need to do some rituals to prepare for the annual pack meeting in Gazi Desert. Or do you not want me to continue?"
She distracted him from her by talking about the uing annual Alpha meeting. Elias had ns for the event and she wanted him to focus there.
Elias immediately remembered the important event. Every year around the same time, all the leaderships from many different packs would gather under the full moon and talk about matters of their tribe.
It was such an important event where many powerful Alphas would show their domination to perhaps get some support to be the next lycan king.
They hadn''t had a king for almost thirty years now and it was only a matter of time until they would finally vote for a new one. Being the king of their tribe woulde with so many advantages. For one, the lycan king would be able to use the packs'' resources, like their manpower, and other things.
After The Obsidian Sand Pack unexpectedly invaded Armeria and won, Elias and his pack had been enjoying a life of luxury. This was not a life that belonged to him because he didn''t have any royal blood running through his veins, unlike Anne Hansley, thete King Mchi''s only daughter.
You could say that Elias won the war and invaded because he was sneaky, and lucky, not merely because of his power. He came at an unexpected time when the royal family of Armeria was under weak security, so he could quickly kill the guards and captured the royalty.
Eloise also helped with her magic. She used a powerful spell in addition to special smoke to make everyone in the royal pce lulled to sleep and lowered their guard.
However, if Elias wanted to attack other countries, he had to do it differently because the royalties in the kingdoms around Armeria had learned from Armeria''s fate. They had upped their security, especially in the royal pce, withyers andyers of additional protection. It would be hard to pull the same trick twice.
That means Elias and his pack would have to work super harder to invade other countries. For that, he would need more werewolves, those who would help him during the war against humans.
At this moment, just the members of the Obisidian Sand Pack were not enough. The only way to get all the werewolves in their continent to work for him, was for Elias to be their king. Then he could easily use them to invade whatever countries he wanted next.
This made the annual meeting with the other Alphas in the Gazi Desert be so important. After almost thirty years, it was finally time to appoint a new king. Elias wanted that to be him.
"Do you still want to be the lycan king or not?" Eloise looked at Elias sharply.
Elias pursed his lip and nodded. "Yeah. I want you to continue."
"Then... leave me alone," Eloise snorted and then turned around to leave Elias alone in their room. Even though she said she wanted him to leave her alone, she decided to be the one to leave.
She felt suffocated around him and wanted to leave Armeria. The weeks she spent outside, under disguise as Karenina felt like a breather. She realized today that she wanted out again.
Perhaps... she could go somewhere else this time?
Eloise was d because Elias didn''t follow her and she continued her steps toward her special room. It was where she kept all her prized possessions. There were some magical items, her most important jewelry, and, of course, her disguises...
CREAK!
Eloise closed the door behind her and cast her nce around. The room was big and spacious with four floor-to-ceiling windows that provided ample lighting from the outside.
She walked gracefully toward a tall cab in the corner of the room and reached out her hand to several well-preserved heads lining up the top shelves.
The one at the far right was the head of Karenina Verhoven whom she just used to trick Nichs into thinking that he had broken off his engagement with his fiancee.
Karenina had served her purpose. If the Obsidian Sand Pack nned to attack the royal pce of Riga, they could easily enter by having ''Karenina'' with them. Nichs had given her the privilege to keep her princess title and allowed her toe and go to the royal pce as she pleased.
It showed how badly the king wanted to get rid of her and break off their engagement, that he was willing to give her whatever she wanted.
Eloise lowered her hand. She had seen another head. A woman in her thirties who had decorated her cab for several years now. Eloise didn''t know why she kept this head back then because the woman was no one important. She was not powerful nor beautiful, but Eloise thought to just keep her there.
Today, suddenly, she realized she could use this head for her interest.
"Ha. I am really smart," Eloise muttered to herself with a chuckle. She reached out her hand again and took the head from the shelf. "Finally, I have some use for you."
She smiled so broadly when she thought about what she could do with that head. Eloise''s mood suddenly improved.
***
Nichs began his n to pave the way for Jan and Luciel to the throne of Riga by sending peace treaty offers to small packs of lycans scattered in various areas of Riga. He sent many messengers to convey a message of peace to the Alphas of the werewolf packs.
ording to him, if he brought peace between the human citizens and the lycans and made everyone understand that the lycans were no different from humans, he could unite all people in Riga and there would be peace.
Not all lycans were bad, some of them were good and some are bad... just like humans.
Vice versa, he also needed to make the lycans understand that humans didn''t actually hate lycans but they were afraid that the lycans would kill them, so they hunted lycans to protect their lives.
When humans and lycans could ept each other''s existence, Jan or Luciel''s coronation as heirs to the throne of Riga would not be opposed by various parties on the grounds that they were both lycans.
Chapter 363 Meeting With The Alpha Of The Red Moon Pack
Nichs knew that bringing about this peace required a lot of effort and the road to getting there was also very difficult because the enmity between the kingdom and the lycans had been going on for more than twenty years.
In that period of time, there had been many battles that had taken ce and it had taken so many lives that the fire of hatred in the hearts of both sides continued to burn.
Even so, Nichs did not want to give up and he would keep trying. The n to bring about peace was not only because he wanted to pave the way for his children to the throne of Riga but because he really wanted to embrace the lycans.
He was now part of them and he realized being a lycan or a human didn''t determine someone''s character. They could be good or bad.
Nichs estimated that the chances of Alpha receiving the peace treaty he offered was only ten percent so he included an offer of cooperation in anticipation of an attack from Armeria which was currently controlled by the Obsidian San Pack, a group of werewolves who was hungry for power.
The pack not only usurped the power of the king but also seized the power of the Alphas. Armeria had several smaller packs that also fell when the kingdom was invaded by the Obsidian Sand Pack.
From the news circting that Nichs'' spies could gather, the Alphas of those packs were either killed or were made as an omega by force, and then their pack members were forced to swear loyalty to Alpha Elias of Obsidian Sand Pack.
Nichs was sure that no Alpha in Riga would want to suffer the same fate as those Alphas in Armeria. That way the chances of the Alphas epting the offer are even greater.
After waiting for a long time, a messenger returned with news that Alpha of the Red Moon Pack from Hillridge, a small town in the West of Riga was willing to meet as long as Nichs came himself.
"This is good news," Nichs heaved a sigh of relief. After sending so many letters and envoys, together with his spies, this was the first positive response he received. Most the other Alphas were suspicious of the peace offer and didn''t bother to send him a reply.
Nichs hoped that this would be the start of something good. Maybe, once a werewolf pack took the peace offer and worked together with the government, and realized that Nichs truly meant what he said when he dered his willingness to live in peace, the other packs would start to follow suit.
"I wille," Nichs told the spy. "Send another letter to the Alpha of the Red Moon Pack. I wille to their ce whenever they are ready to receive me."
"But, Your Majesty..." the messenger named Dario looked worried. "The Alpha was very firm that he wants you toe alone."
"I have no problem with that," Nichs replied with a shrug.
Noel, who stood in the corner of the king''s study immediately raised his hand in objection. After he heard the messenger''s words, he advised the king not to obey Alpha''s wishes.
"Your Majesty, let me escort you. It''s too dangerous for you to go alone," said Noel.
Nichs smiled and shook his head. "I want to meet them to make a peace treaty not to invite war. If they see you with me they will misunderstand."
"But Your Majesty, what if they gang up on you?" Noel said in worry. "I know you are formidable, but we are talking about a pack with many lycan warriors. I am very worried."
"Noel, I know what I am capable of. Don''t worry," Nichs said casually. "I am also an Alpha. It is not easy to beat me. Also, I have learned that lycans are prideful creatures. The good ones are not going to gang up on me, no matter how much they hate me. It''s too embarrassing for them."
He remembered when he was fighting with Lucas, the Beta of the Blood River Pack. Even though Lucas knew he was not as tough as Nichs, and his hatred for the king knew no bounds, he still forbade his pack members to attack or gang up on Nichs.
The fact that the Alpha of the Red Moon Pack was willing to meet him made Nichs believe that the pack was the good kind. He didn''t need to worry that they would y dirty when he came.
,m He also had heard from his spies that Red Moon Pack was known for being righteous and brave. The Obsidian Sand Pack, however, didn''t have such reputation.
He knew bringing along the Royal Lycan Hunters with him would only cement their perception that the royal family of Riga was evil and cunning.
No, Nichs didn''t want that. He would take the risk ande alone to talk about peace.
Seeing the king''s persistence, Noel had no choice but toply.
***
Nichs who had made up his mind finally came alone to meet Alpha from Red Moon on the bank of a small river that was west of the capital Riga, a ce that was quite remote and untouched by humans.
Nichs got off his horse and looked at the people standing in a line across from him. The shadow of the silver moon in the sky was clearly visible above the river that was flowing very quietly.
Nichs looked one by one at the people on the other side before he finally focused on the man with the grey beard standing in the middle of the row. From his aura, Nichs could deduce that the man was Rad, the Alpha of Red Moon.
Nichs smiled warmly when they met face to face but Alpha Rad just smirked then turned into a lycan and immediately attacked Nichs.
"Hey!"
Nichs was taken aback, he jumped back and immediately changed to his lycan form then faced Rad''s attack.
Chapter 364 Peace Talks With The Red Moon Pack
All the lycans from Red Moon who saw Nichs turned into a huge grey wolf were shocked. It turned out that the king was really a lycan and the aura he gave off was that of an Alpha.
"Grr¡ I''m not here to fight," Nichs said as he dodged Alpha Rad''s w swing but Rad didn''t listen to him at all and continued to attack.
Rad jumped and mmed his ws at Nichs but Nichs caught Rad''s wrist then quickly turned his body and threw Rad up, toppling two trees that were standing in a row.
"Grr¡ I told you I''m not here to fight," Nichs said when Rad had just stood up but once again Rad didn''t listen. "Didn''t you get the message? I am here to talk about PEACE!"
The Alpha sped up and attacked him quickly. Nichs who didn''t intend to fight longer had to dodge quickly. He leaped backward and shifted to the right avoiding Rad''s ws that could uproot a tree in just one swing.
Rad who couldn''t hit Nichs increased his speed then spun around while aiming his ws at him. However, his ws only hit the wind, again.
Annoyed that his attacks always failed, he continued to increase his attack speed but it was all in vain. Nichs was always able to dodge until one moment, Rad who had been attacking aggressively suddenly stopped because he felt a pain in the joints of his left leg.
CRACK!
Rad fell to the ground and Nichs who had been moving also stopped when he saw Rad fall. The Red Moon pack members who had been watching for a while darted across the river and stood around their Alpha while ring at Nichs who was staring at them calmly.
Rad changed into his human form and one of his subordinates immediately gave him the clothes they had prepared from the start. They also threw a set of clothes at Nichs.
? "Ah." Rad grimaced as one of his subordinates helped him to his feet. "What have you done to me?"
The Alpha growled. He finally started speaking after Nichs had just finished putting on his clothes. Rad asked that because he remembered throughout the fight Nichs just dodged and defended himself without giving any counterattacks
"Nothing," Nichs replied dryly. Then he added, "I just dodged your attacks and made you move ording to my will."
Rad furrowed his brows in disbelief. "Move as your will?"
Nich nodded then exined that in the middle of the fight he noticed that Rad swings his right w more often so he kept shifting to Rad''s left and made Rad do a quick turn around.
In addition to bearing heavy body weight while being a lycan, Rad''s left joint had to work harder as Rad continued to rotate his body. Rad didn''t notice that he was always turning to the left or rather Rad didn''t notice that he was moving ording to what Nichs wanted.
"Huh. Impressive." Rad smiled, impressed by Nichs'' strategy.
"Thank you," Nichs replied drily. "But I am not here to show off my moves. My messenger said that you were willing to meet me or I came here myself ording to your wishes but you attacked me instead. Can you exin why you did that?"
"I''m just testing you," said Rad.
He actually attacked Nichs because he wanted to know how much Nichs wanted to make peace. If his will wasn''t too great then the king would surely have given up when asked toe to the ce alone and during the fight, he didn''t counterattack, it proved that he really wanted to make peace.
"So did I pass your test?" asked Nichs. This time he smiled.
"Well, you pass with flying colors." Rad replied curtly, but he didn''t look unfriendly. He was just upset that a much younger Alpha could beat him so easily in the fight. Ah.. it looked like he was an old man now. He had be weak. This was what made him speak curtly.
"I am d to hear that," Nichs nodded.
"Well... this is no ce to talk about peace," Raw growled. "Let''s go to our pack home."
The sound of the river flowing was very soothing. Under the moonlight, Rad and Nichs along with a few of the six Red Moon members shot toward a manor that was on top of a hill.
"Father." A girl in a green dress came out of the manor and walked briskly over as soon as they arrived at the manor grounds.
She was a beautiful young woman with white hair that shone under the moonlight, a pair of charming green eyes that looked like emerald and a sweet smile curved up on her lips. She was Rad''s only daughter.
"What happened to you, Father?" she asked worriedly when she saw her father being carried.
"It''s okay. Don''t worry." Rad smiled and touched his daughter''s head gently then added "Lily, this is King Nichs Hanenbergh. He is the king of the Kingdom of Riga. Your Majesty, this is Lily Moonchester, my daughter."
Nichs smiled as he stretched out his hand for a handshake but Lily fell silent. The girl was fascinated by the good looks possessed by the young king.
So, this was... the king of Riga Kingdom? she was wondering.
"Lily," Rad called, causing the girl to stumble and snap out of her reverie. He asked her again, "You are okay?"
"Ah, y-yes. I¡ I was just surprised." Lily looked at Nichs'' face, up and down, and then turned to her father questioningly.
"I''ll exin everything inside," said Rad, understanding what his daughter''s gaze meant. He then invited Nichs into his manor and Nichs nodded.
In the manor, while enjoying the dishes the servants had set out on the table, Rad exined to Lily the reason why Nichs came there.
While Rad was still exining, Nichs secretly nced left and right. There were many lycans watching him closely from afar and ready to gang up on him if he did anything they thought was suspicious.
Chapter 365 First Step To Peace
"Oh, I see," said Lily after her father finished exining. She then looked at Nichs. "So Your Majesty want to make peace with us since you need our strength to fight the Obsidian Sand Pack?"
Lily''s words sounded like usations that Nichs'' real intention in bringing them to peace was because Nichs wanted to take advantage of them.
Nichs smiled and tried to respond calmly to Lily''s words. The girl looked smart.
"Not taking advantage but we need each other."
"Then His Majesty just wants us to cooperate, but His Majesty doesn''t want to make peace."
"Wrong. I really want to make peace with you and all the lycans."
"Should we believe that?"
"Certainly."
"Why?"
Rad who sat in the middle seat nced alternately at Lily and Nichs who sat on the chair to his left and right.
"Because I''vee here alone," Nichs replied looking straight at the girl across the table then continued, "If I only wanted to cooperate with you guys against the Obsidian Sand Pack then I would have given up when Alpha Rad asked me toe here a and chose to cooperate with friendly countries who one hundred percent would not refuse my offer but I chose to stille here because I care about you."
Lily listened carefully to the reason given by Nichs.
"The Obsidian Sand Pack did not only usurp the power of the king of Armeria but they have also seized the power of the Alphas. They have destroyed and taken over many packs. I don''t want the same thing to happen to you guys."
Lily looked deeply into the young king''s amber eyes. "Why do you care so much about us?"
"Because I am also a lycan like you, besides that I am also the king of the Riga Kingdom and you live on thend of Riga. Even though you don''t think of me as your king but I consider everyone who lives in Riga as my people including you," Nichs replied, and then added, "To me, you are part of Riga."
Nichs looked at Lily Moonchester intently when he spoke. He hoped Lily could believe his words because he felt that the girl could influence Alpha Rad''s decision.
Rad nced at the silent Lily, as if thinking deeply about what Nichs was saying. All this time, his daughter had helped him a lot in making decisions for the pack.
Lily was extremely smart and had also helped her father in solving various problems that urred in the Pack. Even though she was a woman, Lily had leadership qualities and Alpha Rad could always rely on her.
"Our king? Your people?" Lily narrowed her eyes. "Your Majesty wants to say that we are under you?"
"You misunderstood. I didn''t mean it that way. I just wanted you to know that I consider you a part of Riga." Nichs was almost at a loss for words.
"Why only now does His Majesty regard us as part of Riga?" Lily crossed her arms on her chest and looked at Nichs with narrowed eyes. "Where were you before today? When we were hunted and chased by humans with pitchforks... killed and disced?"
''Gosh! What should I do with this girl?'' Nichs desperately wanted to wipe his face in frustration as the girl continued to be suspicious and misunderstood his intentions but he kept his cool.
He had known from the start that his attempts to strike a peace treaty with them would not be easy.
Meanwhile, Lily continued. "We have been here for many years and several times the Royal Lycan Hunter hase to chase us away."
Nichs fell silent. For a moment he was lost for words and felt like he would fail to convince Lily but suddenly the girlughed.
Nichs furrowed his brows at Lily who wasughing while covering her mouth in a graceful but slightly annoying style. The king raised an eyebrow and asked curtly, "Is there something funny?"
"Tsk, Lily stop this," said Rad, scolding his daughter and Lily immediately stoppedughing.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty." Lily bowed slightly and Nichs just watched, he didn''t understand the girl''s attitude at all.
After apologizing, Lily said, "If my father decided to make a peace treaty and therefore trust Your Majesty, then I won''t doubt that decision. I know my father has never been wrong in judging people."
Nichs saw the close father-daughter rtionship between Alpha Rad and Lily. This made him feel a bit anxious. How nice would it be to be born as a lycan? His father would love him unconditionally and teach him everything he needed to know to be a good Alpha.
Now, Nichs had to learn on his own, that was after years of self-loathing and only came to terms with his condition and learned to love himself and ept himself.
"All the questions I asked Your Majesty earlier are just a few of the questions that the Alphas from other packs will ask you when they meet you. If Your Majesty wants them to agree with your peace offer, Your Majesty must prepare the best answers that will touch their hearts and make them agree to a peace treaty," exined Lily.
She no longer looked annoying in Nichs'' eyes. She had smiled sweetly and no longer speak in a curt tone. Now this made sense to Nichs. Apparently, the girl just wanted to test him.
Tsk... like father like daughter.
Earlier, Alpha Rad attacked Nichs fiercely... to test him. And now, his daughter did the same.
"I can agree easily to your peace offer, Your Majesty, because none of us from Red Moon Pack have lost our lives due to the battle with Royal Lycan Hunter but the Alphas who lost a lot of pack members because of Royal Lycan Hunter will not agree easily, they have a grudge against the kingdom," this time Rad opened the door.
Nichs'' brows dropped. He thought the same thing actually.
"I know," he said tly. "That''s why I want to break the vicious cycle."
Alpha Rad and Lilly exchanged nces. They were interested in knowing how Nichs could break the vicious cycle he mentioned. It was easy to say, but so hard to do.
Nichs continued, "They are not the only ones who lost their family and friends, but the royal side also experienced the same thing."
His words sounded so tired when he spoke. "People from the kingdom killed the lycans then the pack of lycans who were attacked would kill the people from Riga, then the families of the in people would kill the lycans who killed their family members, and so on. This vicious cycle never ends and I want to end it."
Alpha Rad could see Nichs'' sincerity in wanting to reconcile the kingdom and the lycans.
Somehow, he agreed with the king. He, too, had grown tired of the bloodshed.
"That would be very difficult to do but Lily can help you, Your Majesty," he said, making Lily and Nichs turn to look straight at him.
"Huh? What do you mean, Father?" asked Lily.
"I want you to represent me to help King Nichs talk to the Alphas of the other packs," said Rad then looked at Nichs and added, "Even though she''s a girl you can count on her, she''s a good negotiator."
"I see," Nichs nodded. He looked at Lily and smiled. This was a good start.
Lily''s face flushed at thepliment, but she didn''t refute her father''s statement.
***
The Red Moon Pack finally became the first pack that was willing to make peace with the kingdom and was willing to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Riga.
This made Nichs feel very happy because little by little his hopes of seeing Riga make peace with the lycans began toe true.
After making a peace deal with Alpha Rad, Nichs finally said goodbye to return to the pce. He was escorted by Lily and two guards to the exit.
"May I ask you something, Your Majesty?" Lily opened the conversation as they walked towards the gate.
"Certain." Nichs stopped.
"How did you be a lycan? Your father hated lycans but his own son is apparently a lycan. That was a surprise."
Nichs smiled then walked back and Lily followed him as did the two guards behind them.
"When I was little, I was kidnapped by a lycan pack and I was bitten by Alpha from the pack who kidnapped me. After that, I got lycanthropy."
"Then how did King William Hannenbergh react when he found out about it?"
"My father didn''t know about it at all because my mother and I kept that fact from him.."
"Oh..." Lily had suspected that this was the case, but she still looked surprised to hear it directly from Nichs. She looked at him sympathetically. "Then you must hate lycans because they have made your life difficult."
Nichs chuckled. He replied lightly, "Well, I used to hate lycans and thought of them as monsters. However, recently, I finally understood that lycans are just like humans."
"What made you finally realize that?" Lily was interested in finding out more.
She didn''t think people could change 180 degrees like this unless they experienced something traumatic or life-changing experience. She wanted to know what made Nichs change.
Chapter 366 An Unexpected Guest
Lily kept looking at Nichs, while she continued walking, waiting for his reply. She was so focused on him that she didn''t notice there were steps in front of her.
"Agh!" She fell just as her foot slipped on the edge of the stairs. Luckily, Nichs who was nearby moved spontaneously to hold her so she didn''t fall to the floor.
When she saw Nichs'' face so close to hers, Lily was mesmerized again and her heart suddenly beat faster.
"Are you okay?" Nichs asked after helping the girl to her feet.
"Ah, y-yes. Thank you." Lily''s face turned red. "Sorry about that."
Nichs smiled, "No worries."
He made sure she was fine before he let her go. Secretly, he was happy she was distracted and no longer asked about the reason why he changed. He was not into sharing his personal life and choices in detail with other people.
He didn''t mind admitting to being a lycan and how he was turned, but more than that, he didn''t think other people needed to know it.
Nichs and Lily continued walking toward the manor gate. Finally, he had seen his horse and now it was time to say goodbye.
"I am sorry, my father is still recuperating. He asked me to send you off. I hope you don''t mind," Lily said. Nichs nodded in understanding,
"Of course. I don''t mind." Nichs reached out his hand to shake Lily''s hand. "Miss Moonchester, thank you so much for your weing reception. You are wee toe to the capital at any time. I will be happy to host you and your pack."
"We will let you know," said Lily. "Say that once we have persuaded the other packs to meet you, I hope Your Majesty will prepare the best possible answer to any of their questions if we seed in getting them to speak to you, Your Majesty."
"That''s great!"
Lily nodded. "Soon there will be an annual meeting held by the Alphas in the Gazi Desert. We can meet them and discuss peace with them there."
Nichs winced at this statement. He shook his head.
"No offense, Miss Moonchester, but I don''t think it''s a good idea. It''s like a prey deliberately dropping itself into the midst of a predator eager to eat it. You already know that they hate Riga a lot and there might be some of them who will attack me right away before I even have time to say anything."
Lily nodded, she agreed with what Nichs said. "That''s true, but I thought you would act as boldly as you did tonight."
"Acting brave and acting stupid are two different things." Nichs shrugged. He didn''t want to court death if he could help it. He had children and he wanted to grow old to raise them.
"Then do you have any other ns, Your Majesty?"
"I will see my chance after I meet the other Alphas in Riga. If I can convince them to agree on peace, I mighte to the meeting in Gazi Desert. So, I will look forward to hearing from you about those meetings with other packs. I hope you can really help me."
"Very well. We''ll see what we can do." Lily finally agreed to the request.
***
Three dayster, after making various preparations, they met again to start their n. Lily and David ¨C the Beta from Red Moon Pack, representing the Alpha and all pack members, apanied Nichs to visit from one pack to another to offer a peace agreement.
The reactions received by Nichs from all packs were various. Some chose to agree, some chose to be neutral and some refused firmly.
To the pack who chose neutral and emphatically rejected his offer, Nichs said that if one day they changed their minds, Nichs would dly ept them.
Time passed by so quickly. Suddenly it was weekster. Nichs really kept himself very busy in dealing with peace matters. He did it on purpose so he could take his mind off Sophie. He had promised himself that he would not disturb Sophie and Lnd while they were waiting for the birth of their child.
***
Meanwhile, in Hastings, Sophie, who was about to give birth, got a surprise that made her very happy.
"Luna, someone is here, looking for you," said their maid, a female lycan in her forties who had been helping Sophie after the family moved to Hastings.
"Huh? Who?" Sophie was surprised to hear her maid. She didn''t have family or friends she could think of that woulde and visit her. After she married Lnd, he became her world, along with the Blood River Pack.
"She said her name is Katherine Summers," said the maid much to Sophie''s surprise.
"What???" Sophie was startled and immediately sat up. "Are you sure??"
She still remembered Katherine. She was her cousins'' private teacher who taught Sophie many things and helped her get an education. Sophie owed a lot to Katherine. Katherine had helped her through many difficult times.
Sophie didn''t know where did Katherine go five years ago after she married Lnd. However, she was very happy that Katherine came back. This was perfect timing too, she thought.
Sophie had been feeling a bit lonely after they moved to Hastings. She had built some connections with the female members of the pack and now that they moved, she could no longer spend time with them.
So, it felt good to have another woman, especially someone she was close with in the past.
She almost ran, with how much her heavy belly allowed her and when she reached the door, she immediately saw the teacher.
"Oh, Katherine, I missed you so much," Sophie gushed, hugging her former teacher. "Where have you been?"
''Katherine'' hugged Sophie back. She sounded moved and almost shed tears when she spoke, "I went to another country. I got something important to do."
"Ahh.." Sophie let go of her hug and looked at Katherine deeply. "How are you? Are you okay?"
Katherine nodded. "Yes, Sophie. I am very well."
Chapter 367 Job Offer For Katherine
Sophie felt so happy with Katherine''s presence. She always felt deep gratitude for the teacher and wished she could someday pay back the kindness that Katherine had shown her. Now, the opportunity came.
Sophie was no longer the poor orphan. She had a good life and as Lnd always said, his wealth was hers too. So, she was at liberty to gift Katherine whatever she wanted to give.
After hugging and asking each other how they were, Sophie led Katherine into the manor. Sophie talked at length about their past and Katherine only responded with a smile, a nod, and the asional ''yes, of course, I remember'', and a few other short answers.
She never responded to Sophie''s words with long answers. After all, she wasn''t Katherine. Eloise focused her attention on the heavily pregnant woman before her and tried to hold back from stealing nces around the manor to find Lnd.
Where was the man? She was wondering. Eloise had not seen him for years. It''s more like he avoided her. Eloise once sent him a letter but he never even acknowledged that he received it. As a prideful woman, Eloise didn''t want to ask him about it. She just kept her anger to herself.
"I am so happy to see you healthy and happy," Katherine smiled sweetly and pointed at Sophie''s belly. "When are you due?"
"Oh, anytime now..." Sophie chuckled. She rubbed her belly and smiled soothingly. "Soon. We can''t wait."
"The children must be so big right now," Katherine said. She had learned about Sophie''s two firstborns from Karenina.
"Yes, they are. They turned six several months ago," Sophie replied. She tilted her head to see her sons ying in the garden and immediately a smile curved up on her face. She turned to Katherine. "Oh, by the way, Katherine, are you still giving private tutoring for the nobles'' children?"
"No, Sophie. I am currently unemployed and now I am looking for a job," Katherine replied. "I came back to Hastings because I got most of my students here. I figured, maybe if I came back, they would want to hire me again."
Sophie was silent for a moment then remembered Jan and Luciel who were now supposed to go to school. She had been thinking of sending them to Cow Dung, but she was worried they were still not well adjusted to study among human children.
Maybe... it would be better to hire Katherine to teach her boys? Once they were used to studying like human children, they could go to Cow Dung to study with other kids their age.
"Katherine, how about you tutor my kids? Now they''re six, going seven years old, and¡ um¡ they''re a little too active and a little unruly, but they''re still good kids. I''m sure they''ll be pretty smart if they''re taught by you."
Rght at that same time, she heard a scream from outside and soon Luciel entered through the door with a rabbit between his teeth. He was not wearing clothes.
Sophie''s eyes bulged and she face palmed herself. It seemed, Luciel and Jan were hunting rabbits again and once Luciel caught a prey, he excitedly transformed into a human and wanted to show his mother what a great hunter he was.
And in the process, he forgot to wear his clothes. Sophie was used to this but she was sure if Luciel and Jan would show their antics around their schoolmates and the teacher, they would all think these two boys were feral or something.
She had been trying to teach them to be more mindful with their surroundings and act like regr human children, but it was not the easiest thing to do. Jan did a better job at it than Luciel, but his brother, however, was a forgetful, impulsive and carefree boy. He always forgot.
Sophie quickly rose to her feet and reached out her hands to capture Luciel. "Gosh... what are you doing? Where are your clothes?"
Luciel dropped the rabbit from his mouth, turned around, and quickly dashed outside. He returned five minutester, fully-clothed.
He bent down and took the bloody rabbit with one hand and showed it to Sophie. He said gleefully, "I caught you a rabbit."
"How wonderful," Sophie smiled and epted the rabbit. Blood dropped to the floor from the wounds on the rabbit''s head but she pretended not to see it. She turned to Katherine and smiled sheepishly. "This is Luciel. As you can see... he just caught a rabbit."
"How smart!" Katherine got up from her chair and smiled at Luciel, reaching out her hand for a handshake. "Hello, my name is Katherine Summers. Nice to meet you. I am an old friend of your mother''s."
Luciel understood handshake and epted Katherine''s hand. "My name is Luciel Szar."
Eloise scoffed inwardly. She thought Sophie''s children were not entitled to Lnd''sst name. This made her feel so angry.
"You have a wonderful name," she said with a carefully curated smile. Then she turned to Sophie and said, "Are you serious with your offer?"
Sophie nodded. "Yeah. I want them to get a good education. I think you are a wonderful teacher and I learned a lot from you. Also, we want to make sure you are taken care of since you helped me a lot when I was younger."
Katherine looked touched. She wiped the corners of her eyes from tears and soon she nodded. "I would be happy to ept the job. Teaching you was one of my greatest pleasures and I am sure your sons would be good pupils too."
"Oh, Katherine," Sophie was really happy with Katherine''s response. "Thank you. I am d you agree to this. We can discuss sry and whatnotter tonight after we have dinner together. Do you have any ns after this? If not, I''d love to invite you to dinner, and then we can talk about things."
Katherine nodded back. "Yeah, I have no ns and would love to have dinner with you."
"Very well, I will tell my husband about you and we can discuss everything after dinner."
Chapter 368 Heartbeats
The presence of a female guest in the castle became an unusual sight, but Lnd had known Katherine from six years ago when she was hired to tutor Sophie to do bookkeeping, so he was not wary about her.
Back then, he already had Duncan investigate Katherine''s background before she was hired. He knew Katherine was a lowly witch who loved studying human knowledge more than magic. She also helped Sophie a lot when she grew up in Hastings and taught her many things.
In addition to that, Katherine also seemed like a capable teacher. Katherine''s presence helped Sophie a lot when she started living in Wolfstone Castle with Lnd.
On the pretense that having Sophie work for Duke Romanov, seeing a familiar face there to teach her stuff and be herpanion made Sophie''s hard and lonely life after Nichs'' death be bearable.
Sophie smiled broadly when she saw Lnd reading something in the dining room. He seemed serious about what he was doing and his focus made her feel in awe.
"Lnd," Sophie spoke to him sweetly and moved the man from his book. "Look who''s here! Katherine, my old friend came to visit."
Lnd looked up from his book. He already knew about this guest so he didn''t show any reaction.
"Your Grace," Katherine bowed down her head in respect when she entered the dining room with Sophie. Lnd was sitting on the chair with Luciel to his right and Jan across from him. The spot to his left was empty and that''s where Sophie usually would sit.
"Miss Summers," Lnd nodded at the woman. "It''s been a long time. I trust that you are well."
"Yes, Your Grace," Katherine smiled. She helped Sophie sit next to Lnd and then took the chair across from Lnd, next to Jan when the Alpha motioned her to sit.
"Katherine told me she had to take care of her elderly mother who was gravely ill. Her sister died and left behind some nieces to care for as well. So, she spent the past six years raising them," Sophie exined.
Lnd nodded. He would investigate this tomorrow. He didn''t say anything to Katherine after the initial small talk. They proceeded with eating dinner. Katherine watched the family during dinner and realized that they didn''t talk much.
Perhaps, Luciel was the only one who would chatter nonstop about this and that and the others would nod and smile. Lnd was a very quiet man and his personality seemed to rub off on the other boy, Jan. While Sophie, she looked happy but she just didn''t talk much.
Dinner went by pleasantly but quietly. After dinner, the kids went to y for a bit and then got ready for bed. Katherine was given her old room in the castle. She immediately went to store her belongings and excused herself to explore the vicinity to remind herself of what the ce used to be like.
"You are quiet today," Lndmented when he and Sophie went to check the boys in their room to make sure they were resting properly before they were headed to their own room to sleep.
"Oh, I wanted to talk to you about hiring Katherine to tutor Luciel and Jan but I suddenly remembered that we shouldn''t talk about it in front of her," Sophie chuckled. "That''s why I was silent. I also felt a bit of a headache. I was not in the mood to talk that much."
"Oh..." Lnd halted his steps and touched Sophie''s temple. "Does it still hurt? Why didn''t you say anything?"
"About what? The headache?" Sophie asked back. "It''s no big deal. I don''t want to be a crybaby over such a minor thing. I am fine. I don''t want the healer to give me any medicine for my headache for fear it would affect the baby."
"Babies..." Lnd corrected her.
"Huh?" Sophie furrowed her brows. She didn''t understand what Lnd was saying.
"I was correcting you. Not a baby, but... babies." The man''s smile was so sweet that it instantly melt Sophie''s heart. She bulged her eyes in surprise and jumped into his arms and hugged his neck.
"Are you sure??? When did you know?"
Lnd instantly caught her body and now supported her buttocks with his strong arms. He wanted tough at her reaction. How could this heavily pregnant woman jump like this because she was really happy?
"Hmm... I''ve known for a while now, but I don''t want to jinx it," Lnd exined. "You know I can hear their heartbeats, right?"
"Oh... that''s why..." Sophie gushed. "That is amazing! My hearing is not as good as yours. So, why didn''t you tell me immediately?"
Lnd was silent for a moment. He continued his walk, carrying her body so lightly as if she was just a cute kitten. He didn''t answer her question until they arrived in their bedroom. He ced her body gently on the sofa overlooking the huge open window, and then closed the door.
He put a warm fur nket on herp and then sat next to her. Lnd held her hands and looked her in the eye.
"One has a really strong heartbeat, and the other one was very weak," he exined with a low voice. "I don''t want to make you feel sad if... if the other one doesn''t make it."
He and Sophie had experienced the pain of losing their unborn children. He didn''t think she could handle another loss, because... he surely couldn''t. He knew it would break him hard.
So, he decided to keep things to himself and not let Sophie know in case the second baby couldn''t make it. He would take the pain and grief on his own. Sophie should think she only gave birth to one pup.
However, as days went by, slowly, the second heartbeat, the weak one had be stronger and stronger. Lnd knew his child was a fighter and that made him feel so proud. However, he still didn''t dare to let Sophie know. He also forbade all their healers from talking about it with her.
Today, both heartbeats were equally stronger and he was overjoyed. Sophie didn''t realize he very much enjoyed their alone time where they sat together in silence, enjoying each other''s presence. He would listen to those heartbeats that were like sweet and wonderful music to his ears as well as his heart.
Today, he was finally confident that the two children were going to make it. As he looked at Sophie with a twinkle in his eyes, he smiled so sweetly. "They are going to be okay. Both heartbeats are now strong and healthy."
Sophie pressed her lips and tears started flowing down hard from her face. She was overjoyed by Lnd''s statement. She knew she could trust him. However, a small corner in her heart realized that had the other child not grown stronger... Sophie might never know of their existence.
Lnd chose to hide the fact from her to protect her... and took all the pain himself. Why won''t he share it with her?
She understood why he did it, but that didn''t make things okay for her. She was sad, thinking that her husband and mate thought she was too fragile to handle the truth.
Was she really that vulnerable? Sophie had lived through tragedy after tragedy and she was still here. She was still alive and tried to live her life to the best of her ability.
Sophie''s heart was raging with thoughts, but she didn''t want to dwell on the matter when they had good news to celebrate. She set aside her difort and decided to bring that up another time, when they had a chance to have another heart-to-heart conversation.
"I am so happy," she whispered and pulled his head closer to give him a sweet kiss. "What a wonderful thing to know."
Lnd kissed her back. He supported her head and kissed her more passionately. They made out for a few moments until Sophie was almost out of breath.
"Ahaha... being pregnant, I cannot breathe easily like I used to," sheined.
"That''s fine," Lnd said. He rubbed her hair lovingly and pulled her to sit on hisp. "Hmm.. you were saying that you had a headache. Do you still have it?"
Sophie shook her head. "No, all disappeared after I heard the good news. I am too happy for any headache."
"Good."
Sophie looked at Lnd with a smile and cupped his face. "I was talking about my desire to hire Katherine to tutor Luciel and Jan. What do you think? The boys need education and I actually really want to see them go to school and learn among their peers... ahem, human children."
"Hmm." Lnd nodded. "Okay."
"Are you okay with Katherine? She taught me a lot of things and helped me so much when I was younger. She is interested but, of course, I have to ask your approval."
"Katherine is a witch, do you know that?" Lnd suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Sophie furrowed her brows. "Witch? No. She never told me. How did you know?"
"I investigated her years ago before I hired her to tutor you. She is a lowly witch who prefers to work as a teacher. All her family is from the witch n," Lnd exined.
"Oh... I have never seen a witch before. How exciting!" Sophie eximed. She suddenly remembered that Lnd''s old friend, Eloise was also a witch. She looked at him probingly and asked, "Are they good people?"
All throughout their marriage, Lnd had never taken her to meet Eloise, and that made Sophie think that either Lnd had stoppedmunicating with his friend, for whatever reasons, or he just didn''t want Sophie to meet the witch but he still kept in touch with her.
Chapter 369 Sophie Is Giving Birth
"Witches are just like lycans and humans. There are good and bad people among them," Lnd exined as a matter of factly. His words made Sophie smile sheepishly. She knew he was right and immediately regretted asking the question.
Of all people, she should know better that there were good and bad people in all races and ns. She was half human and half lycan who was raised among humans and witnessed how they misunderstood lycans and considered them as monsters.
On the other hand, now that she lived among lycans, she could see how much they hated humans for all the bad things that thete king of Riga and his Royal Lycan Hunters had done in the past, hunting them and killing the lycans out of hatred.
When in reality, there were many humans who were good and didn''t see lycans as the enemy. Her father was a good example. She should realize that witches were also like that. They had good and bad people.
So, what kind of witch was Eloise in Lnd''s eyes, she was wondering.
"You told me you have an old friend, a witch," Sophie looked at Lnd attentively, trying to sound like she was just asking this in passing and didn''t really need an answer. "What''s her name again? Eloise, I think. She must be a good witch for her to be your friend. Where is she now?"
Lnd shrugged. "I haven''t kept in touch with her for years. I think she is now in Armeria."
"Oh.. isn''t Armeria now ruled over by the Obsidian Sand Pack?" Sophie had heard about this months ago before they moved back to Riga and now she was wondering if Eloise was still safe in Armeria.
"Yes," Lnd replied. "She is the luna of that pack."
"Oh..." Sophie pressed her lips in surprise. This made her feel somewhat relieved. It''s not that she was jealous of the other woman. She could tell that Lnd only loved her. However, she remembered how much Isolde was speaking so highly about Eloise when she came to visit them five years ago, Sophie felt slight difort.
Knowing that her mother-inw favored another woman to be with Lnd, and the fact that Eloise was close to her husband when they were young, Sophie felt a bit worried that Eloise might be a problem in her life with Lnd.
What if Eloise had a crush on Lnd? It was very likely because... which woman wouldn''t be attracted to him? Especially if they knew his real appearance.
So, now, hearing that Eloise was already married, Sophie felt a slight relief. "So, she married the Alpha of the Obsidian Pack."
"Yes."
"You went to the Alpha meeting almost every year, except for the past three years," Sophie said. "Did you meet the Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack?"
Lnd nodded. "Yeah. He is a useless man. He was actually married to my cousin, but he was so useless, he couldn''t even protect his mate. She died after being attacked by a stranger."
Even though Lnd''s expression stayed t, Sophie could feel his anger. His veins appeared on the back of his hands. It seemed, he was holding back his anger, so he didn''t make her feel scared.
"Oh.. I didn''t know that." Sophie didn''t even know Lnd had a cousin. The man really didn''t like talking about his family and Sophie only heard bits and pieces when they talked. She was wondering who else from his family that was still alive. What about his mother?
"It''s nothing important," Lnd exined. "You will know stuff if they are important and useful."
He was trying to say that none of his family members were worth mentioning. He was not close with his cousin, so her life and death didn''t really affect him. Now, Sophie realized Lnd''s anger was more to do with the Alpha of Obsidian Sand Pack being a useless man.
"So, you and Eloise have stoppedmunicating?" Sophie asked Lnd casually. She was happy that Eloise was married. So, she could just continue to ask about her in passing.
"Lycans are extremely prideful and jealous creatures," Lnd looked at Sophie and smiled. "I will not have a rtionship with another Alpha''s mate, not even friendship."
Sophie batted her eyes when she heard his words. So, this also applied to their own rtionship. Lnd must not want Sophie to have a rtionship with another man, not even a friendship.
That''s why he was so adamant not wanting to let Nichs have a rtionship with his children that Lnd raised. Because... that would mean, Nichs would also have a rtionship with Sophie by extension.
And now that Nichs had been so open about his feelings for Sophie, the situation became worse. Sophiepletely understood her mate now. Even though she wished things could have been different, she didn''t want to force her will on Lnd and demand him to ept Nichs into their children''s life.
Ahh... this was all soplicated.
However, knowing that Lnd didn''t have any more rtionship whatsoever with Eloise, made Sophie feel happy. She had never met the witch and was not interested in doing so.
"Hmm..." She leaned her head on his broad chest and yawned. "I am always happy if we have this talk before bed."
Lnd had started talking considerably moretely, much to her delight. She thought, slowly she could get to know more about what he was thinking and what he was feeling. Of course, it was all because of her patience and consistent efforts.
"Sleep?" Lnd asked her gently.
Sophie nodded. "Hmm..."
,m ***
Sophie pretended not to know that Katherine was a witch. She thought it was better to wait until the teacher opened up to her on her own. In the meantime, she was just happy to have another woman in the castle that she could rte with.
Katherine started teaching Luciel and Jan five days a week. She was free on the sixth and seventh day to do whatever she wanted. The study seemed to be working well too.
The boys initially didn''t like studying. They preferred to run around and hunt, but Katherine was really skilled in convincing them to sit still and enjoy learning simple maths or history lessons.
Sophie was so impressed when she took a peek into the ssroom to find her usually rowdy son, Luciel, was sitting calmly and working on a simple math problem seriously.
She had taught them everything she knew but now that she was heavily pregnant, Sophie didn''t have the energy to do any activities that would make her tired. So, it was good to see that her sons were learning things from a real teacher.
Jan seemed to actually enjoy studying. He was more attentive than Luciel and Katherine told Sophie that secretly, Jan was her favorite student ever. Sophie was very happy with the situation and her happiness was what really mattered to Lnd.
He had received the results of the background check he asked Lucas to do. Katherine''s mother and sister did pass away and she had to raise her nieces in a small vige near Giza. There was nothing special about her past that made Lnd feel suspicious.
Thus, time flew by in peace. Two weeks passed and now it was time for Sophie to give birth to her pups.
***
"You can do it," said the midwife encouragingly while holding Sophie''s right hand. Her other hand was held so tightly by the Alpha, her mate. Even though Lnd''s expression still looked calm, beads of sweat had rolled down his temple, showing his inner nervousness.
He stayed with Sophie when she gave birth to Luciel and Jan and it was the most incredible experience he had with his wife, but now, these were his own flesh and blood that he would wee to the world.
He couldn''t help but panic and hope things were going to be okay. Her miscarriage had always ced a dark cloud over his head whenever he thought about having more children with Sophie.
They even avoided pregnancy for years, because she was too weak to carry babies. However, now the time had finallye.
Sophie was crying without a sound. She felt so much pain all over her body. She already gave birth before so the birth canal was supposed to be opened by now. Most women she knew told her that the second or third birth would be easier than the first. However, she didn''t believe them now. This pain... was so great that she felt like shouting and screaming, but she didn''t want to scare her mate and sons.
They would think she was dying. Lnd would be scared to death, she thought. He would be reminded of the moment when... they lost Morgan and Emery.
"You can scream, Luna," said the midwife, when she felt Sophie''s grip on her hand be so much tighter. "Just let it go..."
Sophie looked at her with pursed lips and shook her head. "I-I''m fine...."
She saw Lnd from the corner of her eye. The man was trying to show that he was calm too. His grip on her hand loosened. He cleared his throat and coaxed her gently, "I am fine. You can scream."
He knew she was worried about him if she scream. He could feel her pain and it broke his heart.
"No..." Sophie bit her lip. "I will just..."
"PUSH!" the midwife told her.
"Push... yes..." Sophie closed her eyes and pushed her baby with all her might. She felt like she was breaking ten bones at the same time. It was so painful. She felt something pass through her vagina and suddenly she felt relieved.
"One is out!" The midwife cried. "It''s a female pup."
Chapter 370 So Adorable!
She immediately gave the first pup to Lnd who was frozen in his spot, looking dumbfounded. Was this scene real? His mind was trying to make sense of what happened.
Just seconds ago, he heard Sophie''s insistence not to scream and suddenly there was this beautiful and chubby pup with wet white fur on his left hand.
"Herees another one," said the midwife with an excited voice. She knew the Alpha and his mate lost their unborn children many years ago and understood how much the birth of their children today meant to them.
Lnd felt his left hand wet and warm, and his right hand was gripped so hard by Sophie. His mind was filled with gentleness as he looked at the small creature in his hand. His daughter.
He secretly wished for a daughter and now he had one. What an incredible day. The best day of his life.
Sophie''s grip on his hand loosened after she pushed the second pup out and she felt rxed. Lnd instinctively took the opportunity to receive the second baby from the midwife. Now, in each of his big hands, was his child, conceived after years of wishing and hoping.
"It''s a boy," the midwife announced, more for the mother because Sophie didn''t know what she had. Lnd knew right away.
So, this time they had a boy and a girl. He didn''t even know it but tears had started dripping down his cheeks. Both babies squirmed and tried to reach out their hands for something. Lnd was moved from his daze and immediately went closer to Sophie''s side.
He ced both of them on her chest very very gently, so Sophie could see their newborn children. The midwife worked quickly to finish the delivery process and cleaned up the new mother, while Sophie and Lnd admired their new bundle of joy.
"Gosh..." Sophie wanted to wipe her tears but she couldn''t even move her arms because she was so tired. "They are so beautiful..."
Lnd who saw her bat her eyes with difficulty, took the initiative and wiped her tears with his sleeves and then kissed the corner of her eyes gently. He couldn''t say anything because he was feeling so moved.
He finally realized he was crying too when teardrops fell on Sophie''s face from above as he bent down and rubbed the two pups lovingly.
Sophie looked up and saw him looking so moved, she started shedding tears too. This was truly the happiest day of her life. She wished she was stronger so she could sit up and give him a hug. Unfortunately, her body felt like jello. All her strength was drained during the delivery process.
"I''m fine," Lnd whispered with a smile and nted a deep kiss on her lips. "Yes, they are so beautiful."
The pups were considerably bigger than Luciel and Jan when they were born. Perhaps, it was because Lnd took such good care of her and didn''t let Sophie feel any stress as much as possible. Thest month they were in Hastings had also been very peaceful and rxing.
One pup, the female one had silky white fur, and her brother had greyish fur. Both were chubby and their eyes were still closed. Their limbs were iling and their bodies snuggled on Sophie''s chest, finding the mostfortable position to sleep.
The midwife took the girl and cleaned her up, then ced her on Sophie''s side, under the careful watch of the father. After the first baby was clean, she did the same thing with the boy. Once both babies were cleaned and now looked so adorable, she cleaned up the rest of Sophie''s body.
"Do you want to try to breastfeed them?" the midwife asked Sophie. Sophie nodded weakly. "Yes, please..."
Soon, the pups were ced on her chest again. Instinctively, the children looked for her nipples and immediately suck on them for milk. Sophie chuckled when she saw how voracious they looked when they ate.
"They are healthy," said the midwife before Lnd could ask. "I think they felt a bit toofortable inside and ate a lot. These pups are bigger than other newborn pups."
"Oh..." The Alpha could only nod. He thought the same too. These pups looked so healthy andfortable, snuggling on their mother''s chest and drinking her milk. Fortunately, Sophiectated just fine and could immediately feed her children.
Lnd was wondering which baby had the weak heartbeat and strive to get stronger while in Sophie''s womb.
"You can move her to the next room, Alpha," said the midwife after Sophie and the babies fell asleep while nursing. "We will clean up this room."
Lnd nodded. The midwife took the two babies from Sophie''s chest and wrapped them in a soft nket and ced them in a big basket together.
Lnd lifted Sophie from the bed and carried her to the next room. It was clean and fresh. She was ced on a fluffy bed and Lnd helped her put on the sleeping gown.
Several maids came to the delivery room and started cleaning. The midwife took the basket filled with the two pups and ced it on the bed, next to Sophie. She opened her eyes a little and smiled, then she went back to sleep.
She was dead tired, but it was all worth it.
Lnd couldn''t stop smiling all day. After the midwife left them alone, he just sat by the bed and watched his three angels sleep peacefully.
When Sophie opened her eyes, again, he was still sitting there, watching over them.
"Hey..." She fluttered hershes and slowly caught sight of her mate, sitting by the bed, his hand held hers. "How are they...?"
"Perfect," Lnd said.
He tilted his chin toward behind Sophie and she immediately turned around. She saw the basket with the babies inside. They were sleeping. One was unmoving, and the other one was constantly writhing and rolling to the left and right.
This made Sophie chuckle.
"So adorable," she said in a whisper. She thought the pups were bigger than Luciel and Jan when she gave birth to them. Even as newborns, these new pups already looked chubby. No wonder giving birth to them was so painful. Sophie cleared her throat. "I think I ate too much while pregnant."
Chapter 371 What Should We Tell Katherine?
The babies were asleep peacefully after they got their fill. Sophie was still weak and she was too tired for anything. She immediately fell asleep too. She didn''t even wake up when the two pups climbed her body and sucked on her nipples again and eat.
The new father didn''t sleep all night. He was engulfed in a euphoria that he couldn''t get a wink of sleep. Fortunately, he had a really strong physique and didn''t need sleep that much.
The next morning, Luciel and Jan came to visit their newborn siblings and they were so giddy and excited. Luciel kept trying to poke the two furballs to make sure they were really lycan pups who were alive and breathing.
"They just sleep all the time," hemented.
Sophieughed at his words. She had eaten breakfast in bed and had gained some energy to sit back and converse with her children.
"Well, you slept a lot too when you were a baby," she said. "You slept the most."
"Really?" Luciel who was the most active really couldn''t imagine himself sleeping all day like his younger siblings. He pursed his lips. "Their eyes are still closed. Were my eyes closed too when I was born?"
"Yep," Sophie nodded. She turned to look at the silver and white pups who were snuggling on herp. Their noses touched each other so adorably. "Give it two weeks. They will open their eyes and start running around."
Jan who had been observing the chubby puppies for a while now, finally kissed their heads alternately. He then looked up to Sophie and said, "They are beautiful."
"Aww.. they are," Sophie said with glee. The two pups''s fur was now dry and so soft to the touch. She couldn''t stop rubbing their backs gently, to feel the silky smooth feeling on her fingers.
The female pup had white fur, and the male pup had light grey, very close to silver fur. Both looked very adorable.
Just like their parents, Luciel and Jan spent a good part of the day admiring the new babies. Luciel excitedly chattered about whatever he nned to do once the pups were big enough to y with them.
"I''ll take them running," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Like what father used to do with us."
He looked at Lnd and smiled broadly. The Alpha was the only father he knew for the first six years of his life. He found out months ago that his biological father was apparently still alive, but now that they were far from the capital and no longer met Nichs, he stopped thinking about it.
Lnd showed his rare smile and rubbed Luciel''s head. "You were both such strong opponents to beat."
Sophie coughed violently when she heard the conversation. She knew Lnd always made the boys think they were so fast and so strong that they could beat him if they worked a little bit harder.
Lnd stole a nce at her and grinned. He was really in a good mood. Things were going really well with his family. Now that the babies were born, he would give it a little more time to focus on the family, before he resumed his mission to gather power and take over power in the capital.
"What''s their names, by the way?" Luciel asked again. He looked at Sophie attentively.
Sophie and Lnd exchanged nces. They had talked about this for weeks. Both agreed if the baby was female, they would name her ''Anne'' as a tribute to Sophie''s mother, whom Lnd also adored.
If it was a male baby, they would call him ''Jack''. However, now that they were blessed with both male and female babies, it was only fitting to use the names together.
"Well..." Sophie pointed at the white pup and said, "This is Anne Szar."
"Ahhh... from Grandma!" Luciel eximed. "So pretty."
"Yes." Sophie then pointed at the silver pup and said, "This is Jack Szar."
"From Grandpa!" Luciel eximed again.
"Yes."
Sophie suddenly remembered something. She turned to Lnd and asked him what they should tell Katherine about her pregnancy. She gave birth during Katherine''s off days and she left the castle for two days.
She would return tomorrow and would definitely wonder why Sophie no longer looked pregnant, but she didn''t see any babies around the castle.
Lnd nodded casually. "Let me handle it. As a witch, she is used to dealing with lycans."
"Oh... okay." Sophie was so relieved.
It was nice to not keep any secrets from Katherine.
***
Lnd kept his promise. When Katherine returned to the castle, she was summoned toe to the Alpha''s study. Sophie didn''t know how Lnd delivered the news to her, that she was actually working under a lycan pack, but after the meeting, Katherine came to visit Sophie in her room to congratte her.
"Gosh... I am so happy for you," Katherine said to Sophie when she was let in to see the Luna.
"Oh, thank you, Katherine," Sophie smiled. "I am d we can be open to you about who we are. I don''t like to keep a secret from my kids'' teacher, especially because you are my friend and you have helped me a lot in the past."
"Oh, Your Grace, please don''t mention it," Katherine sat by the bed and touched Sophie''s hand. She smiled sincerely. "We all have secrets."
She took a deep breath and then looked at Sophie deeply. "I think I should also tell you who I really am."
Sophie held her breath. Did Katherine want to reveal that she was actually a witch? She waited in anticipation for Katherine''s next words.
"Who are you, Katherine?" she asked carefully.
Katherine smiled crookedly and then said with a mysterious voice. "I am actually a witch."
Sophie had already heard from Lnd that Katherine was a lowly witch, but she was still surprised to hear it directly from Katherine''s lips.
So, it''s true.
Sophie looked at Katherine attentively.
Chapter 372 Picnic With The Babies
"It''s just my family," Katherine quickly added. "I am not interested in magic and spells and whatnot. I would rather study human knowledge and be a teacher, like what I am doing now. But I know a spell or two."
"Oh... that sounds exciting," Sophie said truthfully. "What can you do with magic?"
Katherine shrugged. "Not much. But I can show you a trick or two someday."
Both womenughed heartily. Finally, Sophie felt relieved because she had opened up about herself and her family to Katherine, and the woman didn''t think she was a freak for her background. In fact, they seemed to be able to stay friends like usual. This made her feel so happy.
***
Things went peacefully for the family. Sophie nursed her babies lovingly and went outside to bask under the morning sun every day to get them used to the outside world. Luciel and Jan studied diligently under their private teacher.
Katherine said they were really smart and could now probably start attending the local school if Sophie wished for them to mingle with other kids their age.
"Hmm... I will think about it first," Sophie said. She was sitting on a pic nket in the garden with Anne and Jack lying down in front of her, enjoying the warm sun on their fur. Their eyes were just opened and they were now restingfortably after spending the previous half-hour exploring their surroundings with their eyes.
The world was such a beautiful ce now with leaves falling down from the trees. The colors around them turned yellow, orange, and brown.
"Very well, Your Grace," Katherine said with a smile. "I can talk to the principal of Cawden Academy and ask if they have admissions for two new students."
"Thank you, Katherine," said Sophie. "I really appreciate it."
Katherine only smiled and didn''t say anything. Her sight was focused on the two pups, basking under the sun happily. They both looked so rxed.
Ahh... lycan puppies were so easy to care for. They only needed two weeks to open their eyes and now they could already walk on their own, albeit weakly. That''s why Anne and Jack still preferred to lie down and bezy.
Just being with them made Sophie feel so rxed and happy. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of Lnd walking toward them with a pic basket and a smile immediately etched on Sophie''s face.
"Hey, my husband is here with the pic basket," Sophie gushed. She turned to Katherine. "Would you care to join us for a pic?"
The teacher faked a smile and shook her head. "Sorry, I have to take a raincheck. I already have ns for my off days."
"Ahh... that''s okay. Have fun." Sophie added, "Sorry, I don''t mean to make you think you have to work 7 days a week. After 5 days of being with my children, I am sure thest thing you need on your break is to spend it with them and me again... ahahaha."
Katherine dismissed her apology and smiled more broadly. "Oh, that''s not what I meant. I appreciate your offer, and it''s not work for me. I just happen to have somewhere to go."
When Lnd arrived, Katherine turned around and got ready to leave Sophie.
"Excuse me," she said weakly. Lnd didn''t even spare her a nce. He sat down next to Sophie and ced the basket in front of him, next to the babies.
"Have a good day, Katherine," said Sophie with a sincere smile. She waved at the teacher and then turned to Lnd. Katherine could only watch the couple with a chest filled with anger and jealousy.
Eloise was such a good actress, however, she knew what she was capable of. She wouldn''t be able to stay calm at seeing Lnd and his mate being lovey-dovey.
She had had it during the first night when she was invited to their family dinner. After she excused herself, she had to sneak out to the forest and kill some animals to vent her anger.
So, that''s why Eloise avoided being around them when Lnd and Sophie were together. She was worried that she wouldn''t be able to hold back and hurt Sophie, the woman she hated to the core and it would ruin all her ns.
She was in it for the long game. She shouldn''t act carelessly like Isolde. Look where did that take her? Isolde lost her only son who could have been her source of glory and also protection. Now, she had to fend for herself.
Alpha Elias only spared her life because Isolde was the sister of the previous Alpha. However, she no longer had any tooth to influence Elias. Not after her niece, who was Alpha Elias'' wife, was dead.
When Eloise heard how Isolde threatened a lowly servant to poison Sophie, she rolled her eyes so hard. She did provide the poison that Isolde used, but she didn''t expect that old woman was so dumb to not y her cards right.
Of course, the stupid maid didn''t do the job properly, and everything failed. Sophie, that wench, was now still alive and Lnd immediately kick his mother out of the pack.
Both Isolde and Eloise knew the only reason Lnd didn''t kill Isolde was because he didn''t have proof that Isolde had anything to do with what happened to Sophie.
That might soon change. Eloise nned to curry favor with Lnd by giving him all the evidence of Isolde''s crimes, including her involvement in the murder of Anne and Jack Hansley.
That could wait though. Eloise wanted to ease her way into the couple''s lives before she struck them when they least expect it.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Katherine nodded at Sophie and barely look at Lnd. She didn''t want to falter when she see the man she loved showing such a gentle expression to the woman she hated, and their two babies.
Katherine walked away from the garden and went out of the castle. She smiled at the lycan guards who were stationed at the gate and waved. They let her out.
Meanwhile, Lnd was all smiles when he watched the babies lying downzily on their backs, all four limbs were outstretched adorably. Both were purring rxedly. They really looked like they were enjoying life.
"I have never seen happier lycans," hemented. Then Lnd looked up at Sophie. "Thank you."
"Hm? Thank you for what?" Sophie asked, not understanding.
"Thank you for being such a wonderful mother that they be so happy and content," Lnd said these words very sincerely.
For him, who never received affection from his biological parents, seeing his mate act so loving and caring toward their children, in a way, healed him and filled the void he had in his heart.
He was scared that he wouldn''t be a good father, that he would follow in his parents'' footsteps, and pass down the hurt and rejection he received from his parents. However, even after more than six years together, he never felt that way when he was around her.
Seeing Sophie look so affectionate and motherly, and never once did shein about his parenting, he knew he was doing a good job. This boosted his confidence and patched his own insecurities.
"Oh... that''s easy to do when you are the father," Sophie smiled sheepishly. She tilted her head and grabbed his head to move closer to hers. Then, she nted a kiss on his lips.
Lnd closed his eyes and kissed her deeper. For a few minutes, they made out under the tree. This was such a perfect day.
The leaves on the tree above them rustled when the gentle breeze blew. It sounded like sweet music to their ears. The warm autumn sun on their skin, the falling leaves, the cool breeze, and the sweet kiss were a perfectbination that filled their hearts with happiness to the brim.
Their kiss ended when Sophie and Lnd felt two paws scratch their clothes. Anne and Jack decided to interrupt their parents''s intimate moments.
"Ahaha.... hey, you are both awake," Sophie chuckled. She rubbed Anne''s fur and then lifted her and put her on Lnd''sp. Then, she took Jack and ced him on herp.
Anne opened her eyes and looked at Lnd with excitement. Her paws were iling and she tried to climb Lnd''s body. The Alpha was amazed at her determination and couldn''t help butugh out loud.
As far as she remembered, Sophie had never seen Lndugh so heartily like this. She looked at the man in awe. He looked like apletely different person.
For once, the cold man looked so warm today. Sophie was fascinated by the sight. Lnd lifted Anne to his face and kissed her nose.
"I love you," he said dotingly. "You are so beautiful."
Anne moved her head forward and tried to bite Lnd''s nose. Seeing this, Sophie couldn''t help butugh too. Their babies were too adorable.
Jack didn''t seem as active as Anne. He immediately curled up on Sophie''sp and continued his peaceful slumber.
Chapter 373 Bliss
Luciel and Jan were very good brothers. They loved ying with their younger siblings. When they arrived in the garden, they immediately took over the babies from their parents and yed with Anne and Jack.
"Gosh... were we this cute when we were babies?" Luciel asked Sophie. His eyes were filled with excitement. Anne was sprawling her four legs on hisp. She seemed to greatly enjoy her brother''s affection.
"Yes, you are," Sophie confirmed. "Oh... you are both so very cute. The cutest. You always made my heart explode with happiness, even after you destroyed so many pots and messed up the living room."
Luciel puffed up his chest andughed heartily. For a moment, Sophie was dazed when she saw him that way. Luciel looked exactly like Nichs'' spitting image when he wasughing like this. Not only did his physical appearance take after his fatherpletely, but his personality also seemed to copy Nichs''.
Jan looked simr to his twin brother, but in Sophie''s opinion, he was like Nichs'' gloomy version. She didn''t really know who Jan took after in that regard.
The boy was very serious and quiet. Maybe Nichs'' parents? She wouldn''t know because they didn''t have any rtionship with Nichs'' side of the family. And perhaps, they never would.
She was moved from her reverie when Luciel tapped her shoulder and asked permission to take the babies for a run.
"Huh? Running? They are too young for that," Sophie said.
"They are not. They can run slowly with their chubby legs," Luciel exined. He showed it by lifting Anne and putting her on all four on the fluffy grass. "Anne said she wants to explore."
"Huh? She can talk?" Sophie batted her eyes. She turned to Lnd and asked him with her eyes if what Luciel said was true. The Alpha nodded. Sophie became confused and muttered, "But... she is just a baby..."
Then, she went silent. She just remembered that lycans and humans had differentnguages and theymunicated among themselves. She just didn''t understand them.
That''s why she so looked forward to the day when Luciel and Jan turned five and were able to transform into humans because then they couldmunicate with her. She was dying to understand them. Before that happened, she was just using her instinct as a mother.
Ahh... it would be so nice to be a lycan like her whole family.
"Very well..." she forced a smile and rubbed Anne''s back. Anne growled softly and turned to lick her hand. She was so adorable. Sophie chuckled and then let out a sigh. "Sure, Anne. You can y with Luciel and explore."
Luciel was happy. He took off his clothes and immediately transformed into his wolf form. Then he nudged the small white furball with his nose and motioned Anne to follow him. The white furball excitedly rolled forward and then chased after her brother with however fast her little chubby legs could take her. Jack immediately followed suit.
"They do need the exercise to train their legs," Lnd said without looking at Sophie. His gaze was fixed on the two furballs following Luciel who ran in a circle around them and then led the two of them like a general leading an army in battle, his chest puffed up and proud.
Sophie turned to see Lnd and smiled at seeing his content expression. She was happy with how their lives turned out. They were leading a happy life together with their children, surrounded by peace and happiness. She wished she could freeze this moment forever.
She tried to get rid of the thought that what they were having now was only the calm before the storm. There were so many other things that they still needed to deal with, and the most important one was the iing war between lycans and humans. Between Lnd and Nichs.
If only she and Lnd could live in peace forever, away from all these problems. She didn''t need much, only her family.
However, deep inside, she knew that things wouldn''t be that simple.
"Aren''t you going to explore with them?" Sophie then turned toward Jan who opened the pic basket and took out sliced meat and started eating. He had a book opened on hisp.
"Nah," Jan shook his head. "I like reading."
Sophie liked reading too. She used to use books as her way to escape from her difficult life and to see the world that she thought she would never get the chance to see. She was d this habit rubbed off on her son.
"Ahh.. this is so peaceful," Sophie sighed.
She leaned her head on Lnd''s shoulder and closed her eyes. Her mate adjusted his position so she could lean on him morefortably and rubbed her arm. His gaze was still fixed on the three children. Well, one young wolf and two little furballs.
***
Nichs was happy with Lily''s help. They had met three other small packs and the Alphas were willing to listen to his peace proposals. He had a suspicion that the sess of these diplomacy talks was due to the female lycan who came with him and charmed all those men with her beauty and intelligence.
"You should be a minister of human and lycan cooperation or something," he joked when they had left the headquarter of the Ashwood Pack. The Alpha had finally agreed to help Riga in fighting the Obsidian Sand Pack if they would evere to attack.
"Oh, is there such title in your court, Nichs?" Lily Moonchester asked Nichs with a serious expression.
She was not used to calling the king ''Your Majesty'' and would instead use his name. Nichs didn''t mind it since he understood that lycans didn''t like to be ruled by a ''human king''.
The king shrugged andughed a little. "No. Not yet. Perhaps I should make one. What do you think?"
Lily smiled sheepishly. "Well... if you insist."
Nichs scratched his head. "I really should think about it. Now that we want to promote peace between humans and lycans, I must think of ways to do things better. We are yet to have lycans in our court. It''s lonely to be the only lycan in the pce."
Lily suddenly smiled so broadly and she couldn''t stopughing. In fact, she evenughed so hard that she clutched her stomach.
"Hey.. what''s going on? Is there something so funny?" Nichs halted his steps and turned to look at Lily.
The woman got ahold of herself and then stood upright. She tried to stifle herughter and then spoke her mind. "Uff... I am sorry, I was just..."
She cleared her throat. "For a second there, I was thinking, when you said, it''s lonely to be the only lycan in the pce, I immediately thought you were saying it because you wanted to have a lycan wife, and then I thought maybe it''s your way of hitting on me."
"Huh?" Nichs was dumbfounded at her exnation. "That''s not what I meant."
"I know..." Lilyughed again. "That''s why Iughed so hard. My mindes up with all the craziest things."
"It sure does," Nichsmented. He looked at the girl attentively, trying to see any hints that she might be serious with what she said.
Did Lily have feelings for him? Should he be worried that his mission to promote peace in his kingdom would be hindered if he rejected Lily''s feelings IF she did harbor a crush on him?
"I''m sorry," Lily coughed and then patted Nichs'' shoulder. "I actually think it would be better for you to have a human wife, instead of a lycan mate because the people would think that they are both represented by you and your wife. If you, a lycan be the king and your wife is a lycan too, they would think the kingdom is overtaken by lycans."
"Hmm... you think so?" Nichs started to like Lily more because of what she said.
He actually agreed with her. Sophie was... human. So, of course, it would be better for Nichs as the king to have a human wife.
Lily nodded. She crossed her arms on her chest and spoke casually. "I did like you. But the more we spend time together on this mission, the more I think of you as a friend. I really want to support you in promoting peace between humans and lycans. That''s why I use all my charm to convince those Alphas into agreeing to your proposal."
"I did see that. You did great," Nichsmented. He was secretly relieved that Lily was so outspoken and didn''t hide that she did have feelings for him before and not anymore. It was easier this way.
He said, "I appreciate your friendship."
Lily shrugged. "Sure."
Nichs smiled broadly and added, "And I do agree with you. I should have a human wife to rule the kingdom together, and I already have one."
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"Where is she?"
"It''s a long story, but I need to fix a lot of things first before we can be together again. I want to prove myself worthy of her love and forgiveness." Nichs said solemnly. "That''s why I am working hard."
"Aww.. that''s incredibly sweet," Lilymented. "I will help you."
"Thanks, Lily. I really appreciate it." Nichs heaved a sigh of relief. He missed Sophie so badly and their sons. He had been working so hard and having sleepless nights because he wanted to make them happy, and find ways to take them back from Ariam Romanov.
"Well... let''s keep working hard then," Lily said. "The next pack that we will have to visit is quite big and they are not originally from Riga, but they are very important and they hate Obsidian Sand Pack. They would be good allies for you."
"Okay. What''s their name?" Nichs asked.
"It''s Blood River Pack."
Chapter 374 Nicholas Realization
Nichs was dazed when he heard Lily''s words. The man halted his steps. Lily stopped too. She looked at him with concern.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked him.
Nichs clenched his fists to the sides. He had heard of the pack and he had an awful memory of them.
Blood River Pack was just as bad as the Obsidian Sand Pack in terms of cruelty. At least that''s what he remembered and experienced. Their Alpha was the one who bit him and inflicted him with lycanthropy. He hated the man with all his heart.
If there was a moment for them to meet again, Nichs didn''t think he could keep his cool and not attack the evil Alpha. Now, he was no longer a weak young boy. He was an Alpha himself and he was also the king of this kingdom.
He had not made a calction with them because right after he ascended the throne, the stupid pack decided to go on a suicide mission to attack the capital and they were so pitifully defeated. He heard reports that almost everyone who came for the attack was killed and the few remaining ones left Rigapletely.
Since they no longer mattered, he stopped thinking about them. Now, Lily suddenly brought up the name again and Nichs''s mind was immediately filled with bad memories.
"Are they still significant?" Nichs asked Lily. The woman nodded.
"Yeah. They lost a lot of people in a stupid attack mission many years ago. We actually heard it was a mutiny. Some elders convinced most pack members to continue with the attack even though their Alpha decided against it," Lily exined. "As predicted, they failed miserably. The remaining ones left Riga for Frisia, and they have been gathering power in the past five years. Many small packs decided to join them from Frisia."
"So, why are we even considering them?" Nichs asked again. He seemed very reluctant to go with Lily and meet the Alpha of the Blood River Pack. "If they are from Frisia, we have no business with them."
"Well, they are here now. So, we might as well work with them to defend Riga and fight the Obsidian Sand Pack," Lily said patiently. She crossed her arms on her chest and looked at Nichs with a serious gaze. "Is there something you''re not telling me? You seem very hesitant to offer them a peace agreement. Is it because they attacked Livstad five years ago?"
Well... that was one of the reasons, but not the main one.
Nichs let out a long sigh. He realized he should tell Lily Moonchester the truth so that she would understand why he was acting a certain way toward The Blood River Pack.
Finally, he told her the truth. "Lily, I told you that I was turned, didn''t I?"
"Hmm... you did."
"Well... when I was thirteen, I was kidnapped by a werewolf pack as a way to teach my father a lesson for waging wars against the lycans. The Alpha decided to bite me and turn me into a werewolf too because he thought it would be funny and cruel to torture a lycan-hating family by turning one of their own."
Lily held her breath. She was very surprised to hear this fact from Nichs. She immediately felt sorry for the man. She imagined he must be really young back then.
Nichs scoffed, "I still remember vividly his evil smirk and his voice when he said he was curious to see whether my father would immediately kill me, his own son, once he found out I am now a lycan, a monster."
Lily felt really sorry. She could guess that the pack and the Alpha in Nichs'' story must have something to do with the Blood River Pack whom they were discussing now.
Was it really them? She was wondering.
She had never met anyone from the Blood River Pack personally but they had quite a reputation. So, she was eager toe and visit.
"But your father didn''t kill you," she said with a choked voice.
"Because my father didn''t know," Nichs said tly. "It''s all thanks to my mother, the queen''s hard work. She protected me and schemed her own husband to make sure that I was safe."
Lily was deep in thoughts. She was sympathetic to Nichs'' condition, but she believed in order for them to fight the Obsidian Sand Pack, they needed to gather and mobilize whatever resources they had because the enemy got help from a powerful coven of witches.
"Nichs, I am sorry about what happened to you. I really am." Lily looked at Nichs sincerely. "However, we need them. They are big, strong, and powerful. They have many formidable warriors. We small packs can stand behind you and help, but even ten of us wouldn''tpare to one Blood River Pack."
"If they are that big, why didn''t my spies pick up on their presence?" Nichs asked back. Secretly, he knew that Lily was right. If the Blood River Pack was really that big and powerful, it would help them greatly to be allied with them.
Lily exined patiently, "They are big but they are good with going undercover. At this moment, they have almost recovered their original numbers. They have nted many warriors around Livstad and in many big cities inside Riga. The Alpha just needs to give the orders and they will all show up."
Nichs scoffed again. So, that means... not only did he have to meet his former captor and tormentor, he also had to set aside all his personal grudge and propose to have peace with Alpha of Blood River Pack.
Seeing his difort, Lily quickly added, "Uhm, they have a new Alpha many years ago. I think the one who did bad things to you is dead now. His name was... Alpha Leon Szar."
Nichs was surprised to hear this. So, both his father and Alpha Leon were dead now. He remembered both men were the champions from their respective sides. They were the ones who were waging war so fiercely.
Now that his father was dead and Nichs became the king, he started to think that it would be better to have peace, than ongoing wars. Perhaps, the Alpha''s son would also think the same way?
This possibility made Nichs'' hatred dissipate a little bit. If both sides were thinking of the same thing and wanted peace... maybe he would forgive and forget past grudges.
"You seem to know a lot," Nichsmented. "You even know the Alpha of Blood River Pack is dead. Do you know who is their new Alpha?"
"His name is Lnd Szar. He is a very reclusive man and doesn''t really socialize, but so many Alphas respect him and he is also the strongest candidate to be our next lycan king... well unless Alpha Elias from the Obsidian Sand Pack could convince the others that he should be king, which I doubt because most of our kind hate him."
"Hm...," Nichs was interested in finding out all this new information. He realized Lily knew so much more than his spies and the Royal Lycan Hunters. He was lucky that she decided to help him. Without her assistance, Nichs might have to wastes so much more time and he wouldn''t know all this information.
He cleared his throat and said, "Very well, Lily Moonchester. I trust your judgment. So, you really suggest that we should go and see them to talk about peace?"
Lily nodded. "Yes. If you could convince him that Riga would treat all lycans equal to humans and let us live here in freedom and you would never interfere in our society, meaning he can be the lycan king and you would respect him as a fellow king, I think he would want to work with you to defeat the Obsidian Sand Pack."
"Hmm.. okay," Nichs nodded.
"What makes the Obsidian Sand Pack more dangerous is the fact that they are working together with a powerful coven of witches and their current Luna is actually a witch."
"Is she powerful?" Nichs asked.
"We don''t know for sure, because none of us have seen her and see what she is capable of, but from hearsay, she was said to be very powerful and ruthless."
"A witch, huh?" Nichs was intrigued. He finally took a deep breath and nodded to Lily. "Okay. I will do as you said. We will visit the Blood River Pack next. Do you know where they are?"
Lily said, "They are spread everywhere, but the Alpha is now in a small town several days away from here."
"Which town?"
"A town called Hastings. They initially stayed in Livstad for their mission but decided to move out two months ago. Rumor has it that the Alpha and his family are waiting for the birth of their children."
Suddenly, Nichs'' heart skipped a beat.
Wait...
Why did this sound so familiar?
Dammit! He raised his fist and punched the air when realization dawned on him.
Why was he so stupid?
"So, it''s him...." Nichs muttered under his breath. So, Lnd Szar must be the son of Alpha Leon Szar, the man who had tortured and bit him fourteen years ago.
Now, he remembered hearing Sophie call her husband by the name ''Lnd'' several times. She was married to Alpha Lnd Szar, who disguised himself as Duke Ariam Romanov to attack Riga.
Chapter 375 Lets Go To Hastings
Note:
Thank you, Kelly Goodwin dear, for the castle gift. Muahhh!! xx
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Now, everything started to make sense. Nichs rubbed his temple and cursed inwardly.
WHY?
Why did Sophie have to end up with the Alpha of Blood River Pack who was, by all means, Nichs'' mortal enemy? It made everything harder for him. He didn''t mind working together with anyone but Lnd Szar!
"So?" Lily looked at Nichs and furrowed her brows. She could tell that there was something that was bothering the king''s mind. Did he still hate the pack even though their old Alpha was dead? Or.. did Nichs also have a history with the new Alpha? She was wondering what was going on.
Nichs showed a bitter smile and patted her back. "I need time to think. Thank you for your hard work. Riga owes you."
"What do you mean? Aren''t you going there with me?" Lily asked. She was now convinced that there must have been something going on between Nichs with the new Alpha of Blood River Pack for the king to act this way.
"I have to think about it," said Nichs. "While I do, why don''t youe with me to the capital. I want to show you Livstad and wee you to the royal pce as an honorable guest. That is if you don''t mind."
"Hmm... I''ve never been to the capital," Lily said. "Very well. Sounds interesting. I will explore the capital while waiting for you to make a decision."
"Thank you."
Nichs became so quiet on the way to Livstad. So much new information flooded his brain and disrupt everything he had thought about before.
He did feel so dumb for not realizing it sooner, that Sophie''s new husband was the Alpha of the Blood River Pack who tried to invade Livstad more than five years ago. The timing was all on point, however, he still missed the clues.
Did that mean his spies were notpetent or... were there any traitors among them who intentionally didn''t provide him with the right information? Either way, he thought Lnd Szar or Ariam Romanov did a great job in infiltrating his kingdom.
***
Lily enjoyed her stay in the capital. Nichs provided a nice ce for her and the lycans who came with her and treated them to good food and a weing reception.
Nichs didn''t tell anyone in the pce that his guests were lycans, so Lily and her men could roam around freely without getting stared at and questioned. Nichs also asked them not to transform as much as possible and not seek any conflicts with anyone.
He was worried that his vision to have peace in his kingdom between lycans and humans would be challenged by people who were still close-minded and still hated lycans.
He only revealed to the public that he was a lycan two months ago. He still needed time to get them used to the idea of having a lycan for a king. So, asking the people to be epting of lycans as their fellow citizen was too much at this point.
"One day, lycans and humans could walk side by side freely without any prejudice," Nichs said to them on the first night they arrived in the capital. "However, it will take time. I hope you don''t mind holding back a little while you are in Livstad."
"Understood," Lily shrugged. "You cannot wipe out decades long conflict in one day."
"I am d you understand." Nichs was relieved to see Lily was so wise and clear headed. He wished Lnd Szar was like her. Things would be so much easier.
***
After three days of staying in the capital, Lily Moonchester was summoned by the king to his study. Nichs had thought about what he should do regarding the Blood River Pack and finally made his decision.
His hatred for the pack, his animosity toward Lnd, and his personal grudge and childhood trauma, shouldn''t hinder him from trying to achieve his goal. At the end of the day, what he wanted was to make Riga a better ce for Luciel and Jan, his beloved children.
He had wronged them and made unforgivable mistakes... not because he was evil, but because he was young and foolish and didn''t make the right decision. He was so focused on getting rid of his lycanthropy no matter at what cost and ended up losing Sophie.
Now, he didn''t want to make the same mistake. He must focus on his children and work hard to achieve his goal. He would swallow his pride and bury his grudge if those are what it takes to make Riga safe for Luciel and Jan.
This was just politics. Nothing more and nothing less.
He had talked to Noel about what happened in Riga around the year when Sophie''s parents were killed. He remembered Lnd hated him so much because the man said the Hannenberghs were responsible for Sophie''s parents'' deaths.
The usation deeply bothered Nichs. If his family was indeed responsible for the crime, he wouldn''t be able to forgive himself. Even though he didn''t have anything to do with it, he was part of his family and also the heir of the Hannenberghs. So, of course, he had to take responsibility.
He would beg forgiveness from Sophie and try to make up for what happened by doing anything... anything she wanted from him.
However, after Nichs had the conversation with Noel, he found out that the Royal Lycan Hunter didn''t have anything to do with the death of the couple found murdered in the ckwoods Forest fourteen years ago.
In fact, Noel said that based on the evidence collected and testimonials gathered from the witnesses, the couple, Anne and Jack Hansley were probably killed by wild animals or... lycans.
Nichs didn''t know how Lnd came up with the conclusion that the Royal Lycan Hunter was responsible for the murder. Did Sophie''s parents have anything to do with lycans?
Nichs remembered that humans who were used of protecting or supporting the lycans in the past were considered the enemy of the state and they were also hunted by the Royal Lycan Hunter. However, he didn''t think Sophie''s parents were lycans supporters. Or were they?
Gosh... at this point, Nichs realized he knew very little about Sophie. In the few months they were together, Sophie only told him that her parents died when she was ten. She said they died mysteriously and she was not even allowed to see their bodies.
He didn''t probe because he didn''t want her to be reminded of her horrible experience. However, now he regretted not asking more about it. He felt so inadequate as a man. Why didn''t he care more?
Lnd Szar seemed to care deeply about Sophie''s parents that his rage toward the Hannenberghs for causing their deaths was much more intense than Sophie''s.
This made Nichs feel bad about himself. No wonder Sophie liked Lnd. She probably liked the man so much more than she liked him. Lnd cared so much about Sophie and did everything for her, more than Nichs ever did.
,m The king took a deep breath and exhaled. He must make up for everything that had happened in the past. He must show Sophie that he was a much better man now.
"Lily, I had made my decision. We will go to Hastings and talk with the Alpha of Blood River Pack," Nichs looked at Lily deeply. "However, before we get there, there are some things that I wish you to know."
Lily''s eyes glint in excitement. She KNEW there must be something between Nichs and the Alpha of Blood River Pack. She was all ears.
"I am listening," she said with a smile.
"I believe I know Lnd Szar, and I have reasons to think that he doesn''t like me," Nichs said. "He might try to kill me if he saw mee. Are you okay with that? Do you think your safety is threatened if you go with me and he will try to kill me?"
Lily swallowed. "Uff... that bad, huh?"
Nichs nodded. "Well, I also wanted to kill him. So, the feeling is mutual."
Lily exchanged nces with her men. They looked at her with a gaze that Nichs couldn''t decipher. He knew they must have their own code ornguage among them to discuss things like this.
Nichs added, "I mean, you are wee to wait outside. I don''t want to endanger you all."
Lily finally shook her head. "Hmm... well, let''s hope that he wouldn''t want to kill me. His pack doesn''t have any animosity toward Red Moon. If he is wise, he wouldn''t want to look for problem."
"Are you sure you want to go with me?"
"Yes," Lily replied firmly. "Let''s do this."
"Very well."
***
Nichs'' feelings were conflicting when he and his entourage arrived in Hastings. On the one hand, he hated seeing Lnd and tried to talk about a peace agreement with him, knowing that he would probably say no. However, on the other hand, he was excited about the possibility of seeing his sons... and Sophie.
Chapter 376 Alpha Leland And King Nicholas
They arrived at the biggest inn in town and rested. The king intentionally went to Hastings without telling the mayor or any government officials because he didn''t want them to ask questions. At this moment, he wanted to keep confidential the fact that there was a pack of lycans residing in Hastings.
People would be terrified or angry and it wouldn''t be good for his peace talks. No matter how much he hated Lnd and his pack, to Nichs, Sophie''s, and the children''s safety was paramount. He would never endanger their lives by letting the townspeople know about their true identity.
Slowly, the people in the capital were starting to ept the fact that their king was a lycan and he was promoting peace between humans and lycans. However, the people in other regions were not that open-minded yet, especially those in the farther away locations because they were not easily controlled by the royal family.
As he told Lily Moonchester, it takes time.
"Now we wait," Nichs said after they entered the inn and gathered for coordination. "I have sent a messenger to the Wolfstone Castle. Let''s hope he will bring good news."
Lily Moonchester looked at the king attentively. She felt a bit curious to see Nichs look a bit nervous. Was he afraid of Lnd Szar? It didn''t seem like it. His expression was a mix of nervousness and impatience.
He was definitely not scared of whatever wasing their way. Now, Lily was looking forward to seeing how the meeting would go.
"What if Alpha Lnd didn''t want to see us?" Lily asked Nichs. She didn''t know what Nichs told his messenger to ry to the Alpha of the Blood River Pack. However, she didn''t want to be kept in the dark, so she tried to probe. "What exactly did you tell your messenger?"
Before today, Lily was involved in sending the messages to the Alphas of the packs they were nning to visit because Nichs thought she knew them better than he did. And she was happy to do it. However, specifically for Blood River Pack, Nichs didn''t involve her.
Nichs motioned the servant toe and bring them wine. He needed to calm down his frantic heart. Being in the same town as Sophie and the boys, he didn''t expect to feel this giddy and nervous.
Uff... if only he was not undercover, he might have snuck out and transformed into a wolf and run toward the castle. He still knew some secret passages that he could use to enter the property. In fact, he remembered that thest time he was here, he used the same passage to investigate Duke Romanov, not knowing that Sophie was in there.
However, he held back and brushed off the idea. He came here to talk diplomacy and discuss a peace agreement. He didn''t want to jeopardize the mission by making Lnd angry. Nichs was very hard on himself nowadays.
After the mistakes hemitted when he was younger, he always tried to think things through and avoid making the same mistakes because he was too immature or emotional.
After the servant poured them wine, he sipped the red liquid solemnly and looked outside the window. He decided to be honest with Lily and told her the truth. So, she wouldn''t feel blindsided. He needed her support in this mission.
"Miss Moonchester, the truth is, Lnd Szar hates me because he thinks my family is responsible for the deaths of two people he cared about," Nichs exined. "It happened a long time ago and I only found out about it recently. So, I have done my own investigation and I can prove to him that my family is innocent."
He quickly added, "We are still holding so much grudge for what happened in the past. His pack kidnapped and tortured me, and his father turned me into a lycan, and we have killed so many of their pack members, but at least my family''s hands are clean from the blood of Jack and Anne Hansley."
"Jack and Anne Hansley? Who are they?" Lily was now feeling more curious. She took a wine cup from the table and started sipping her wine as well.
Nichs cleared his throat. "They are his mate''s parents."
His mate is also my wife, he didn''t say this aloud. Nichs let out a sigh. If he could convince Lnd that his family had nothing to do with Sophie''s parents'' deaths, maybe there was a future for all of them.
If Nichs could learn to forgive and forget the crimes of Lnd''s father for Sophie''s sake, Lnd should also learn to do the same.
At the end of the day, both men were connected by their love for Sophie and the boys. It was really not easy to let go of his anger and grudge, but Nichs worked hard to manage his emotions and tried to think about Luciel and Jan and how he could make things better for them.
Ahhh... but he only did that because he was ovee by guilt. Lnd had no guilt whatsoever. He had not done anything stupid or made any bad decisions like Nichs. So, what could possibly change his heart?
"Oh, no wonder he is very vindictive toward the royal family." Lily Moonchester nodded in understanding. She cleared her throat. "That''s how lycans are. We are fiercely loyal to our family and the people we care about. He must love his mate so deeply that his affection is extended toward her parents as well."
Lily''s words actually made Nichs feel bad about himself. He didn''t have the same affection toward Sophie''s parents. He barely knew them. He only heard about them a little bit from Sophie''s stories.
Of course, he cared about them and the fact that they were killed when Sophie was so young. However, he didn''t have the same connection with them as what Alpha Lnd seemed to have.
This made Nichs feel like a horrible husbandpared to Lnd. The other man seemed to always be two steps ahead of him. Lnd loved Sophie''s parents and he was also adored by her children. Now, he and Sophie also had their own children. The child or children must already be born by now.
Gosh.. Nichs was so jealous. He didn''t have anything. He didn''t have any connection to Sophie''s parents. He didn''t have her. He didn''t even have ess to his own sons with her. They called another man as their father, while he could only watch from the sideline.
The change in his expression was noticed by Lily who suddenly realized there must be some deeper issues between King Nichs and Alpha Lnd.
"Anyway..." Nichs brushed off his jealousy aside and tried to think about the future of Riga. "I have evidence that the murders are not done the Royal Lycan Hunters, but some lycans. I need to talk to him and find out how he coulde up with the conclusion that the killers are humans. And then, I will offer to help him find the killers and punish them ordingly."
"Hm... sounds good. Hopefully, he will listen to you," said Lily. She downed her wine and put it on the table. "But... what if he doesn''t? Will we go? Or will we force our way in?"
Nichs replied firmly. "We will force our way in."
He hade so far. He would meet Lnd, no matter what. And hopefully he could also see his sons.
He added, "but I will try to be polite and ask nicely. If he is too stubborn, I can be stubborn too."
Nichs meant every word. He was ready to fight Lnd again if needed, to make the man listen to what he had to say.
Fortunately, that didn''t need to happen. Not long after, Lily''s men came rushing and told them that Alpha Lnd Szar of Blood River Pack had arrived in the inn and demanded to see Nichs.
Lily and Nichs exchanged nces. They didn''t expect Lnd toe so soon.
Before Lily could say anything, Nichs had got up from his chair and strode outside to meet Lnd. The cold Alpha was standing at the entrance of the inn with three burly men behind him. He brought Lucas, Duncan, and Tre with him when he found out that Nichs came to Hastings with several lycans from the Red Moon Pack.
"Wee," Nichs greeted the Alpha with a deep voice. There were no smiles nor pleasantries. Both men were standing firmly, facing each other with the expressions of two animals ready to fight to the death.
Lily who came behind Nichs was dazed to witness the animosity between the two men. She could feel the air suddenly turn chilly. The woman batted her eyes and looked at Nichs and Lnd alternately.
"So, you prefer toe and meet me here because you don''t want me to see Sophie and my sons," Nichs said with a mocking tone. He regretted losing his cool this fast but he couldn''t help it. "Very well."
Chapter 377 Lily Intervenes
Lily, who had been listening to the conversation between the two men, was surprised. She finally found out the reason for the fierce re of hatred that King Nichs and Alpha Lnd directed at each other.
She could now conclude that the two men hated each other not only because of political problems and human and lycan problems but also because they were fighting over the same woman.
And what did the king just say? Sophie and my sons?
My sons? Did¡ that mean the rumors that had been circting among lycans that the Alpha Blood River Pack mated to a married woman were true? And the woman he married was King Nichs Hannenbergh''s wife?
Lily covered her mouth because she was really shocked by the fact she just found out. However, Lnd didn''t react to Nichs'' agitation. The Alpha stood silently in his ce, still ring at the king.
Meanwhile, Nichs immediately regretted his actions and cursed himself inwardly. He was supposed to be calm and kept his cool. He had practiced this so many times because he realized that in order for him to be back in Sophie''s grace, he had to show her that he was a mature man who knew how to act with his head,not just his heart.
However, he failed on the first try. He hated himself for that. Fortunately, and this made him slightly relieved, he saw Lnd was not provoked. He seemed to be more cool-headed than Nichs in this regard.
Both men hated each other to the core and it would take only a slight provocation for them to attack their enemy, which luckily didn''t happen.
If Lnd was just as impulsive as Nichs and both men engaged in a deadly fight and created amotion, Nichs knew he could kiss the peace agreement goodbye. Not only that, this whole town might end up knowing that he and Duke Romanov were both lycans.
Lily was quite used to seeing men fighting and arguing because her pack had so many more men than women and they lived in a region with harsh conditions. It was easy to get offended over little things there and fights would erupt often.
However, usually, those shows of force and intimidation or even fights were not serious. The lycans in Red Moon Pack were like boys who were fighting yfully with each other because it was what boys did.
However, with these two adult men before her, she could feel the air turn chilly and the animosity was so intense, that it almost felt like it could pierce the air. Her men were on their toes, and so were Alpha Lnd''s men.
Gosh... when Lily heard Nichs mention his sons, her eyes bulged and she instantly thought the intense fight wouldmence. She was ready to break a fight.
d that she didn''t have to do that.
"Are you done?" When Lnd finally spoke he pretended not to listen to what Nichs just said earlier. "I came here for this."
He tossed the letter that Nichs sent to him through a messenger. Nichs nced at the letter and nodded. He knew this would get Lnd toe and see him. So, it worked, he thought.
"That''s the truth," Nichs said. "I have done my investigation and found out that Jack and Anne Hansley were killed by lycans, not humans."
"Lies!" Lnd gritted his teeth. "No thief would admit to their crimes."
"I am telling the truth," Nichs said. "Their injuries are caused by lycans, not human weapons. We are innocent. You should probably check your own people."
"Before the attack, Anne sent my father a letter. She said her family was targeted by the Royal Lycan Hunter and she asked my father to protect them. And not long after, they are dead," Lnd spoke coldly.
His words started making Nichs feel confused. Even though Lnd spoke with a t tone, he could somehow recognize sadness in his voice.Why did Lnd care so much? And why did Sophie''s mother send Lnd''s father a letter?
"Why on earth did she send your father a letter and asked for protection?" He finally asked the question.
"Because Anne used to be part of us," Lnd said. "She was the lycan king''s daughter who was raised among the Blood River Pack. Of course, she came to us for protection when she felt threatened by humans like your lycan hunters."
When he saw Nichs'' confused expression, slowly a thin smile curved up on Lnd''s face. He realized Nichs didn''t know anything about Sophie. He was not aware of the fact that Anne Hansley was a female lycan, and that meant Sophie was a hybrid.
Nichs came to the same realization and he became silent. So, Sophie was half lycan? Her mother was actually a lycan royalty? This made Nichs feel so excluded. What else did he not know about Sophie?
So, judging from Lnd''s affection toward Sophie''s parents, now Nichs thought maybe Lnd''s and Sophie''s rtionship went way back.
Wait...
His eyes bulged and suddenly Nichs started seeing Lnd differently. He remembered Sophie telling him that her family kept a little white wolf when she was a child.
Was that wolf... Lnd Szar???
"Are you..." He swallowed. "Are you Lee?"
Of course, he must be Lee, Nichs quickly said to himself. That exined so many things.
So that little white wolf was not an ordinary wolf, but a lycan. He had been living with Sophie and her family for so many years.
Lnd finally smiled. It made him feel good when Nichs finally realized that Lnd had more im over Sophie because their rtionship went way back. He had been with her for almost her whole life. They were only separated when Lnd was forcefully summoned to return to Frisia.
"So what if you and Sophie went way back." Nichs gritted his teeth too. "Her mother sent your father a letter, begging for protection, but where was he when they were attacked and brutally murdered??"
Nichs became so upset when he realized Sophie''s parents could have been saved because they actually had ess to lycan protection. Blood River Pack was quite big and formidable. However, they still ended up dead and Sophie had to suffer for so many years as an orphan.
His words struck a chord in Lnd''s heart. Nichs was right. Even with the protection of a big lycan pack, Anne and Jack were still dead. How ipetent they were to let Jack and Anne be killed?
"Sophie told me you left when she was ten and her parents were killed shortly after. Why did you leave her? Why weren''t you protecting her???" Nichs became angry, seeing how the big and powerful Alpha before him had all the opportunity to protect Sophie in the past but he didn''t.
Lnd just left without news.Which meant, he was actually not better than Nichs.
Lnd had been feeling the same guilt for so many years and now, hearing it from Nichs'' mouth, he was angry too. However, he could only vent his anger at the enemy, at Nichs, for saying things that he already knew.
"ARRGGH!!" Lnd was finally provoked even though Nichs didn''t mean to agitate him. The Alpha growled and moved forward to attack. However, before he could touch Nichs, a small hand brushed off his arm.
"Stop it!" Lily shouted as she immediately stepped between the two men. "Stop it, you two!"
Everyone there was shocked to see Lily''s act of reckless mediation between two Alphas who were filled with anger. Fortunately, Lnd and Nichs managed to restrain themselves so as not to throw a blow that could make the woman die.
Lily swallowed hard for a moment. She realized that what she was doing was reckless but she had promised her father to help the king speak to all the Alphas in Riga including the Blood River Pack Alpha, Lnd Szar.
"I ask the two of you to calm down. Please," she said and then turned to Nichs. "I hope Your Majesty doesn''t forget our mission."
? Lily then looked at Lnd and Nichs alternately then said, "Alpha Lnd Szar and His Majesty King Nichs Hanenbergh, you two are the leaders and you are responsible for the lives of everyone under your leadership, okay."
She took a deep breath and calm down her nerve. She felt lucky to be born a woman because these two Alphas, no matter how angry wouldn''t hurt her.
She continued speaking, "You have to think about your people. Don''t let your personal problems hinder the peace agreement. The war between the lycans and the kingdom had cost us thousands of lives. So many people had to lose their lives because of problems that had absolutely nothing to do with them."
Upon hearing Lily''s words, Nichs'' facial expression changed drastically. Changes in expression can also be seen on Lnd''s face but the changes are not very obvious because the man was very inexpressive.
Nichs took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The jealousy he had harbored for months towards Sophie and Lnd made him lose his cool when he saw Lnd''s face and forgot his main purpose in inviting Lnd to meet.
If Lily hadn''t intervened, he and Lnd would be fighting it out right now. What Alpha Rad said was true, even though Lily was a girl she was reliable.
"You''re right Lily," Nichs said after suppressing his anger. He turned to look at Lnd and said, "I''d like to have a one-on-one talk with you."
Hearing this, Lily nodded and asked everyone to leave the room. When she left, she pressed her chest, praying that the two men could keep calm and didn''t kill each other in the room.
Chapter 378 Heart To Heart Conversation (1)
After everyone left, both men still stood where they were in silence, until Nichs finally decided to lower his ego and invited Lnd to sit together.
"I shouldn''t have said those words," he spoke tly. His expression wasced with embarrassment. He just projected his own insecurities and shame for leaving Sophie six years ago when she needed him the most, he left with no news. Even though it was not one hundred percent his fault, he still felt so guilty and inadequate.
That''s why, hearing that Lnd also left right before Sophie''s parents were killed, he blurted out his own frustration and med Lnd. He realized young Lnd was also not to be med for the misfortune that fell on the Hansleys. He must be still a child back then.
He was what...? Fifteen? What could a fifteen-year-old boy do in the face of brutal lycan attackers? And he probably had his own reasons to leave the Hansleys.
Nichs looked at Lnd and saw how the man''s eyes reminded him of his own. In Lnd''s blue and green irises he could recognize the pain and guilt that he was feeling every day after he got his memory back and realized how he had failed Sophie.
Apparently, he and Lnd had more things inmon than not. The king smiled bitterly at that realization.
Looking at Lnd Szar now, Nichs''s heart knew that the Alpha was a good man. Sophie was lucky he found her and kept her by his side all this time.
"I am sorry." Nichs was surprised by how easily those words came out of his lips. Lnd''s brows twitched when he heard the other man apologize.
The king added, his expression was somber, "I got carried away. I shouldn''t have med you for what happened to Sophie''s parents."
Lnd narrowed his eyes and looked at Nichs suspiciously. Why was he suddenly apologizing?
Seeing his suspicion, Nichs immediately waved his hand and said, "Hey, don''t get me wrong. I still don''t like you. I just want to be fair and own up to my mistakes. I will always apologize when I did something wrong. That''s how I was raised."
"Hm." Lnd still didn''t say anything. However, he, too, now started to see Nichs a bit differently.
Nichs knew for the proud Alpha, hearing another man apologize unexpectedly was quite awkward. So, he didn''t hope for any response from Lnd. As long as he knew Nichs was sorry for his outburst, it was enough.
"Wine?" Nichs sat on the chair and offered Lnd some wine. He poured wine from the jug into two cups and ced one on the table before him and took the other one for himself. He didn''t wait for Lnd to drink, he started to take a sip before he continued speaking.
"I came here with an important mission, but before we get to that point, I need to rify several important matters with you."
Lnd finally moved and took a seat across from Nichs. After the king apologized and humbled himself to admit his mistakes, Lnd could see that Nichs was a fair man and his heart was in the right ce.
He also still didn''t like Nichs, solely because of his past rtionship with Sophie, but as a man-to-man, Lnd knew he could respect him.
He took the other cup and sipped his wine slowly, waiting for Nichs to continue. The king smiled at seeing Lnd slowly lowered his animosity. This was a good thing. His mother taught him that the words ''please'', ''thank you'', and ''sorry'' could go a long way and he just proved it today.
"First of all, I know we started off on the wrong foot and it doesn''t help that we both love the same woman," Nichs tried to control his voice not to sound bitter or jealous.
It was so hard, but he was raised to be a king. Diplomacy and sweet-talking were part of his nature.
With so many houses of nobility around the royal family that he needed to please in order to keep getting their loyalty and support, he was used to talking his way into the hearts of many people.
If he was not that skilled, and he didn''t have a good heart, it would be impossible to touch the hearts of the nobles he invited to the royal pce two months ago to reveal that he had lycanthropy.
He had won their hearts and loyalty to ept him for who he was. Now, he was using the same methods to win the hearts and loyalty of many lycan packs and their Alphas.
The Alpha sitting before him was the one that he needed to touch the most. The man he hated but grew to respect.
"I made a lot of mistakes when I was young, I will not make excuses for my behaviors, and I left Sophie when she needed me the most," Nichs continued his words.
He wanted to cry whenever he imagined how hard it must be for Sophie to live alone for months while pregnant and frantically looking for him, and finally thought he was dead. How much pain and shame did she endure back then?
For Sophie to end up in Hastings and met Lnd, she must hit rock bottom to decide to return to this town and ask her aunt for help. Nichs imagined her aunt and cousins must have used her situation to further torture her and insult her.
Fortunately, Lnd was around and he saved her from her suffering, and by extension, he provided shelter and love for the babies in her womb.
For this, Nichs was grateful to Lnd.
"Thank you, for taking care of Sophie and my children when I was not in the picture," he looked at Lnd sincerely. "I have been meaning to say this but there was never a right timing. And... I can''t see you without thinking of killing you. So... yeah."
He chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten up the mood because Lnd still didn''t say anything.
Chapter 379 Heart To Heart Conversation (2)
"Anyway..." Nichs cleared his throat. "I am not an ungrateful man. Even though I still hate you for taking the woman I love, I am thankful for everything that you did for Sophie... and for Luciel and Jan."
Nichs looked Lnd in the eye and spoke so sincerely. "You have protected the people I love. You epted them, cared for them and you even raised my sons as your own. I am forever indebted to you and I hope someday I could return the favor."
Lnd''s heart was stirred. He didn''t feel that what he did was anything special. He did raise Luciel and Jan. So what? They were amazing kids and he loved them. Except for the fact that his blood didn''t run in their veins, they were as much as his just like little Anne and little Jack.
However, as before, Lnd didn''t say anything. His focus was now on his wine cup as he continued sipping his wine nonchntly.
"I have been thinking hard for the past few months," Nichs continued his words. "I realized that my chance to go back to being with Sophie is slim. I have wronged her and made so many mistakes that I know I don''t deserve her. While you.. on the other hand, have collected so many points that I don''t think I can ever catch up."
Lnd was surprised to hear Nichs say those words. Did this mean Nichs was admitting defeat? He would stop pursuing Sophie?
Nichs downed his wine and poured more from the jug into his cup. He had really thought about this and came to that decision. He loved Sophie so much that he knew he would never open his heart to another woman.
However, now, he had to be realistic. Sophie was already married to Lnd for six years and built a good family together with him. What Nichs and Sophie had was left in the past.
Six years was a long time and he had lost his chance when he left many years ago.
It was also not fair to subject her to a stressful situation if Nichs insisted to stay in her life. He could see how it made her ufortable. From all angles, Nichs was in a bad spot.
Now that he was older and more mature, he must understand that sometimes he just had to give up and take what he could get. He could not take back Sophie, but at least... he could still have a rtionship with Luciel and Jan.
That was what he wanted to ask Lnd today.
"I hope the babies are fine," Nichs said casually, referring to the babies Sophie gave birth to Lnd. He also could hear the heart beats when he met Sophie and could tell that there was more than one fetus in her womb. "You must be overjoyed."
Lnd nodded very lightly. Nichs could see a glint in his eyes when his babies were mentioned. There were pride and warmth. This made Nichs know that he was touching the right spot. Perhaps, now that Lnd already had his biological children, he could be more sympathetic to Nichs''s situation.
If he were in Nichs'' shoes, would he not try to make up for what happened and make the effort to have a rtionship with his own children?
"They must be adorable," Nichs smiled. "I missed the birth of mine and the first six years of their lives. I envy you."
He was telling the truth, but this time there was no hint of resentment. He was merely stating facts.
Lnd put down his wine cup and looked at Nichs carefully. The Alpha was wondering what exactly the man before him wanted from him.
"I really want to make up for what happened, and be there for my sons from now on," Nichs didn''t beat around the bush. "Tell me what I need to do to have that opportunity again."
Lnd was still silent.
Nichs added, "I will do anything for them. I just want to be in my children''s lives. I want them to know that I, their father, love them, even though I failed them in the past, I won''t fail them again."
He couldn''t help but be emotional. He remembered how cold his father was toward him. There was no warmth, there was no love, and sometimes he questioned why was he brought into this world?
Nichs didn''t want his children to experience the same thing, feeling rejected by their own father. He didn''t know if Lnd and Sophie told the boys that their biological father was still alive or if he was dead, but no matter what, sooner orter the truth would prevail and they would know that Nichs was still alive.
"My father was distant and we didn''t have a real rtionship," Nichs exined. He smiled bitterly. "He was the reason I was a lousy husband and father. I was too busy proving myself to him, to gain his eptance and approval, that I hated myself so badly. I was too focused on getting rid of the lycanthropy so I could be human again - because my father hated lycans. All at the expense of my family: Sophie and my children."
"I am a different man now. If I could turn back time, I would surely make different choices. I would make sure to be there for them," Nichs sighed. He took his wine cup and downed his wine. "I think you should understand what I mean."
Lnd still didn''t say anything but he did understand what Nichs was trying to say. He actually appreciated that Nichs was sharing this with him. Perhaps, deep inside, because Lnd loved Luciel and Jan, he, too, didn''t want them to feel rejected by their biological father.
Knowing that Nichs truly loved them, and not only used them to get back together with Sophie made Lnd grow a bit of respect for Nichs.
Hearing how Nichs didn''t have a good rtionship with his own father, Lnd was reminded of his own experience with his father, Alpha Leon.
It looked like he and Nichs had more things inmon than what they let on.
Chapter 380 Nicholas Has A Way With Words
Nichs smiled, "To tell you the truth, I don''t care about power. I inherited the throne from my father and I see it as more of a burden than a privilege. However, now that I found out I have two sons, I want to make Riga a better ce for them. They are the reasons why I am doing all these, trying to make peace between our two races, to ensure they would have the right to the throne... if they wish for it."
Lnd realized Nichs was a good father and his heart was in the right ce. This man before him only made mistakes in the past because he was young and cornered. Which,e to think of it, only worked in Lnd''s favor.
Had Nichs made all the right decisions, Lnd wouldn''t be with Sophie now. And his beautiful children would never be born. He would still be alone and unloved.
"That sounds good." Finally, Lnd spoke and there was no more animosity in his voice.
Nichs''s worry suddenly felt like it was washed away by really cool and refreshing water when he heard Lnd''s reply. This was a really good sign. The usually fierce and unfriendly Alpha started to show a softer demeanor.
This made Nichs think that Lnd was truly a good man. How could he not be? Sophie loved the man and so did the kids. They were not dumb. Nichs only hated Lnd because the Alpha took his family away from him... which, in retrospect, was not, by all means, Lnd''s fault.
Nichs was d he took the high road and initiate this conversation. Perhaps, Lnd was not going to be a jerk and forbade Nichs from ever seeing his sons again.
"I am happy you feel that way," Nichs was happy that he poured more wine into his cup and downed it. His alcohol tolerance was so high he could practically drink this much wine and it would feel like water.
Lnd only watched him and still sipped his wine slowly. He was reminded of his own father who didn''t love him no matter how hard he tried to prove himself. Lnd looked away and thought about the happy Luciel and the quiet Jan who would be showered with love by two fathers.
They deserved all the love in the world, Lnd thought. He was d that they would never understand what it felt like to be rejected by their own parents.
However, could Lnd deal with having another man around his family on a regr basis? This man was not just any man, but he was Sophie''s first love. And this man still clearly loved her.
He knew Sophie was loyal and kind. She would never hurt him by taking back Nichs into her life. However, the heart wants what it wants.
What if, when Nichs had be a constant presence in their lives, Sophie would fall in love with him again? Lnd was extremely jealous of Nichs, even when he was not weed in their house. Even when he saw with his own eyes how Sophie asked Nichs to leave and never see her again...
Lnd was a quiet man, and perhaps women found boring. It was very different with Nichs. He was charming, warm, he had his way with words and there was this sunny side of him that would make any women feel attracted.
He could have any women he wanted, and he still only wanted Sophie.
Lnd was moved from his reverie when Nichs started talking about his main mission, the reason why he came with Lily Moonchester to Hastings and see him.
"I am d that we got that out of the way," Nichs said. "That is one of the reasons why I came here to offer peace agreement and cooperation to deal with The Obsidian Sand Pack."
Lnd turned to look Nichs dead in the eye. He reminded him. "Don''t forget about Jack and Anne''s deaths."
"That too." Nichs nodded. "I can give you all the evidence we gathered. My investigation concluded that they were killed by lycans. As to who did it... we have no clue. To us, all lycans are the same."
? He added, "Perhaps, you could tell one from the other when you saw victims from their wounds and the scent left behind. However, the Royal Lycan Hunters don''t have such capabilities and it happened a long time ago. Our information source was very limited back then."
Lnd knew Nichs was right. Only lycans could tell from bite marks and scents left behind which werewolf did a killing. For humans, they would all look the same.
"We don''t have any reason to kill them," Nichs said again. "I didn''t even know that Sophie''s mother was a lycan. I don''t think that''s the reason for their deaths."
Lnd was silent. He started to piece things together and thought maybe Nichs had a point. Even if Anne Hansley and her husband were suspected by the court as lycan supporters, they wouldn''t be killed silently.
They would be captured, tortured, and paraded to the public to serve as a warning to other humans who were supporting the lycans.
However, they were killed brutally in the woods.
So, was that true, that they were killed by lycans? Who? And why?
Lnd''s heart stirred and he immediately felt so much anger rising in his chest. Whoever they were, he would find them and hunt them until the ends of the world and when he had found them, he would give them the slowest death he could think of.
They didn''t deserve to die quickly.
"I will find who did it," Lnd said with a very low voice.
"Very well," Nichs was d to see Lnd was a reasonable man. He thought his mission to get the man to work together to fight the Obsidian Sand Pack would be sessful. "Now, let''s talk about the main reason why I am here."
"Hm."
"I will support you to be the next lycan king," Nichs''s words made Lnd furrow his brows.
So, Nichs was quite informed about things rted to the lycans in thisnd, he thought.
"I don''t need your help," Lnd brushed him off.
"I know you don''t. I am just saying, we have the same enemy, the Obsidian Sand Pack," Nichs said patiently.
He actually wanted to smack the man before him for being so proud and stubborn. However, he was on a peace mission, so he must be patient.
"My kingdom is their next target and I want to make sure that everyone who has it in their best interest for Riga to be kept safe from Obsidian Sand Pack woulde together and fight them." Nichs looked at Lnd seriously. "If Riga fell, Luciel and Jan would be in danger. They are the rightful heirs to the throne. Alpha Elias would definitely want to kill them."
Nichs'' words made Lnd realize that he was right. Luciel and Jan would definitely be the next target if that stupid and ruthless Alpha Elias took over Riga. Ugh...!
Nichs added, "I know you want to attack Riga to make my family pay for the murder of Anne and Jack Hansley, but now you know that we are innocent, do you still want to waste your time and energy to attack us? If you want Riga, you can have it. I don''t want the power anyway. I n to give it to Luciel and Jan once they are grown up."
"So, you see.. there is no point for you to attack a kingdom that is willingly given to you. However, it is in your best interest to keep Riga safe from the Obsidian Sand Pack, who wants to invade this country," Nichs sighed. "Do you see what I mean?"
Nichs was not interested in holding on to power. In fact, once Luciel and Jan were old enough to be rulers, he would happily step down and go to the countryside to live a peaceful life.
That means, Lnd would be the one to handle all matters rted to the kingdom''s safety if he wanted to ensure Luciel and Jan have a good life.
"You can wait until they attack, or we can attack them first," Nichs said. "I know Alpha Elias hates you because he is eyeing the title as the lycan king, and he also wants to invade Riga. He is ourmon enemy."
He added, "I have met the Alphas from many small packs in Riga and offered them a peace agreement. I will change thew and make sure humans and lycans could live side by side as equal citizens with the same rights and responsibilities, but I will also respect the Lycan''s hierarchy and would not interfere in any internal issues you have within your kind..."
Lnd took a deep breath. He took in all Nichs'' words to heart and thought about it. The king was right, the main reason he wanted to attack Riga and took over power was to punish the Hannenberghs for their crimes toward Sophie''s family.
However, now that he realized they might not be the culprits... what''s the point of attacking Riga now? With Luciel and Jan being the king''s legitimate sons, this kingdom was practically theirs.
Lnd slowly smiled and shook his head. Nichs was truly a good diplomat and he had his way with words. He had now convinced Lnd to agree with him.
The Alpha put down his cup and rose from his seat. He nced at Nichs, "I have heard enough."
"Are you convinced?" Nichs rose too and asked him. "Is that a yes from you?"
Lnd turned around and walked out of the door. He didn''t pay Nichs any heed when the king walked to his side and asked him more questions.
"Does that mean you agree with me? Hey, why can''t you say something?"
They had reached the outside of the inn and Lnd motioned his men toe with their horses. Without saying anything, he got on his horseback and rode away, followed by Duncan and Tre, leaving behind Nichs who stood in confusion.
Lucas came to the king and bowed his head slightly, "My Alpha invited you for a tea in our castle tomorrow."
Chapter 381 Lucas Likes Lily
Nichs batted his eyes in confusion. He still needed to wrap his head around what just happened. So, did Lnd ept his proposal for peace, or did this mean he also gave Nichs the opportunity to have a rtionship with his children?
He looked at Lucas with furrowed brows. "Come again?"
"My Alpha invited you to tea tomorrow afternoon in our castle," Lucas repeated what he said. His eyes looked annoyed that the king seemed to need to be told twice. He was not dumb, was he?
The truth was, after they fought in Livstad and Nichs beat him up, Lucas had been holding resentment toward Nichs.
He actually didn''t like the fact that Lnd seemed to soften up and now even let Nichse to the castle. However, he was only the Beta and couldn''t have a say on whatever the Alpha decided.
"When did he tell you that?" Nichs asked again.
He didn''t hear Lnd say anything to anyone after he walked out of the inn, but suddenly Lucas told Nichs that he was invited? Or did Lnd actually already n to invite Nichs but pretended he only did it after they had the conversation?
"It''s none of your business," said Lucas curtly.
Seeing the tension, Lily immediately stepped up and stood between the two men. She smiled sweetly and said to Lucas, "Thank you for the invitation. We wille."
She had heard of Lnd Szar''s reputation of being cold and ruthless. She could also see from the animosity he showed earlier that for Nichs to get an invitation from the Alpha meant Lnd was in a good mood.
This was an opportunity that might nevere again. So, instead of questioning Lnd''s motive to invite Nichs to tea, it was better to just say thank you and ept it.
That''s why Lily immediately spoke on Nichs'' behalf and soothed Lucas from his annoyance. The Beta turned his sight on the beautiful woman and looked at her with appreciation.
He actually wanted to say that the invitation was only for Nichs and Lily shouldn''te, but then he changed his mind and didn''t say anything.
Lnd didn''t mention anything about forbidding the people from the Red Moon Pack toe with Nichs to their castle.
p Lucas smiled back. "Very well, Miss..."
"Lily," the girl quickly introduced herself. "My name is Lily Moonchester."
"Oh, so you''re Alpha Rad''s daughter?" Lucas'' eyes widened. He had met Alpha Rad several times during the tribe''s meeting in Gazi Desert.
The Beta winced his brows and tried topare Alpha Rad Moonchester and the beautiful woman before him. Well... they looked nothing alike.
Alpha Rad must have one hell of a beautiful mate and Lily took after her motherpletely.
"Yes, that''s my father," Lily''s face beamed when she heard Lucas mention her father''s name. So, this man must be someone important in the Blood River Pack since he had the opportunity to meet an Alpha from another pack. "You know him?"
Lucas bobbed his head. "We''ve had a few drinks after the tribes meeting several years ago. Your father is a really nice man. He loved talking about his favorite ale."
Lily pressed her lips and chuckled. "That does sound like my father."
Lucas'' expression had changedpletely, from looking curt and unfriendly to one filled with smiles. Nichs Hannenbergh praised Lily inwardly. He really thought bringing the girl on this mission was a good idea.
Perhaps, he really should make that post for the minister of lycans and humans cooperation. Lily would be a good candidate.
Nichs cleared his throat and reached out his hand to Lucas, "Yeah, as Miss Moonchester said, we are grateful for the invitation and would be happy toe."
Lucas pretended not to see Nichs'' hand and nodded at Lily. Then, he turned around to get his horse. After he got on his horse, Lucas said to Nichs and Lily. "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Lily nodded. "Oh, by the way, what time should wee?"
"Three PM would be nice," Lucas replied with a smile. He nodded at her again and then left.
After Lucas disappeared from sight, Nichs raised a brow and turned to Lily. "He likes you."
"Huh?" Lily batted her eyes at that statement. "How did you know that?"
"Even a blind man can see it," Nichsmented.
He patted the girl on the shoulder and turned around to enter the inn. That was probably the fourth man they met who was enamored by Lily. Nichs shook his head and chuckled.
***
When he arrived at Wolfstone Castle, Lnd went straight to the garden and found Sophie and the babies ying together. The hyperactive Anne was rolling around on the fluffy grass and tried to get thezy Jan to y chase with her. The babies were one month old and very healthy.
Every time he saw them, Lnd''s heart was filled with a mix of emotions. Happy because they were alive and healthy, and sad because he would remember Emery and Morgan.
If only they lived, perhaps, they would soon turn five and could transform into human boys. They would y together with Anne and Jack and their crispughter would cheer up their home.
He pinched his arm. He realized he had be greedy. He was supposed to be grateful for the good life that they were having, and not cry over what they couldn''t have.
"Hey, you''re back," Sophie got up and brushed the dust off her dress. She reached out her hands and hugged her mate. "Where did you go?"
When she woke up from her nap earlier today, she couldn''t find Lnd. Max told her the Alpha went to town to meet some people. Since Lnd didn''t like meeting people, she was wondering what was the special asion.
"Sorry, it was a sudden meeting. I received an important letter from someone and I had to see him to rify the news I received," Lnd exined. He was silent for a moment before he finally added, "It was Nichs Hannenbergh."
Chapter 382 You And Him Have So Many Things In Common
"Oh..." Sophie tried to keep her expression t. She was curious to know what was the conversation about but she didn''t want to look very interested. She was giving consideration to her mate''s feelings. Lnd must not think that Sophie wanted to know things about Nichs.
"I think we need to sit down and talk about this," Lnd said gently. He looked at her deeply, as if trying to find assurance that she loved him more than she loved Nichs. "I might have misunderstood his family and... him."
"Oh... is it a good thing or a bad thing?" Sophie asked. Her heart fluttered when she realized Lnd no longer had that hatred in his eyes when he mentioned Nichs'' name. Did something happen to soften Lnd''s heart?
"It''s a good thing," Lnd assured Sophie. He bent down to pick up the babies and took them in each of his arms and motioned Sophie toe inside. The woman followed him.
Lnd put the babies on the small basket and then he pulled Sophie to sit on hisp. He was extremely gentle.
"He said he had done his investigation and found that your parents were not killed by humans but most likely by lycans," he spoke softly and calcted. He didn''t want to make Sophie sad when they talked about her parents'' deaths. "After I listen to his exnation, I tend to believe him. That means..."
That means there were liars and traitors among the lycans. Even though Anne had left the pack when she married Jack Hansley, Alpha Leon still made sure that all lycans on the continent know that she was under the protection of the Blood River Pack.
This was what annoyed Isolde the most but she couldn''t do anything about it because Anne was the daughter of King Mchi and everyone respected her bloodline. She tried to frame Anne as the pack''s traitor but Alpha Leon would have none of that.
Lnd was silent. Scenarios were running through his mind. Who would know what happened back then? He was still fifteen and under the harsh training of his father. He didn''t even know about Jack''s and Anne''s death until many yearster. They kept the news from him.
Had he known they were killed, he would have run away from Frisia ande to get Sophie. He would never let her be alone without her parents. Unfortunately, he was not informed and he only found out about it after his father passed away and he became the next Alpha. By then, it was much toote to do anything.
His men couldn''t even find Sophie for years. They met with her by ident when Sophie returned to Hauntingen with Nichs to marry him.
Lnd always med himself for the dy. If only he found out sooner. He might also have got the right lead and would be able to immediately capture and punish anyone who was responsible for Anne''s and Jack''s deaths. But instead, he was chasing the royal family who didn''t have anything to do with the crime.
Did his mother have anything to do with this? She had the motive and surely the means. She hated Anne to the core and tried to make her life miserable, all because her husband still loved Anne even after so many years.
Lnd sighed. He promised himself to investigate properly this time. He would find all the elders from fourteen years ago and force them to tell him the truth about what happened. If they refused, he would torture them to death because their ipetence had let the Hansleys be ined.
"That means..." Lnd touched Sophie''s chin and spoke in an apologetic tone. "The Hannenberghs are innocent and I shouldn''t keep ming them for the crime."
Sophie was stunned to hear her mate''s exnation. She was always feeling conflicting when it came to Nichs'' family. She wanted her sons to have a rtionship with their father''s side of family.
However, when she remembered that the Hannenberghs was responsible for her parents'' death, it became hard to do. How could the children love the family who killed their grandparents?
With this new development, the children didn''t need to hate on the Hannenberghs. Perhaps, they could start to have that rtionship? She looked at Lnd and was moved to see his gentle eyes seemed to tell her what she needed to know.
Did this mean Lnd was lowering his shield and was willing to give Nichs a chance to see his sons?
"So... I guess the conversation went well?" Sophie asked carefully. "What else did you guys talk about?"
"Well... he said something about wanting to promote peace between humans and lycans in this kingdom to make Riga a better ce for Luciel and Jan," Lnd said.
Sophie held her breath. That really sounded like the Nichs she knew. She loved that he was willing to lower his pride bying to see Lnd and initiating the conversation. All because he wanted to make this kingdom a better ce for his sons.
"He is such a smooth talker," Lndmented. "He said Riga belongs to Luciel and Jan anyway, so I am wasting my time if I am thinking of trying to take over power from him. He''d give Riga away willingly."
Sophie couldn''t help but chuckle. That was really a good argument from Nichs'' side. He killed two birds with one stone.
He could show that he was a loving father who was trying to make the kingdom a better ce for his sons, and at the same time, he could make Lnd think that trying to attack Riga for power was a stupid move.
"He does have a way with words." Sophie nodded in agreement. "Judging from your words, you agree with him?"
Lnd shrugged. "I only wanted to punish those who are responsible for Anne''s and Jack''s deaths. I have no desire for power."
Sophie smiled and touched Lnd''s cheek. "Would you believe me if I told you I think you and him have so many things inmon?"
Chapter 383 A Good Future
Sophie thought about how Lnd and Nichs had so much inmon, from the perspective of an outsider. The men themselves might be too blinded by their jealousy to realize that.
She could see that both men didn''t have a good rtionship with their fathers, but both were good fathers themselves. They both were also good leaders who took their responsibility seriously but deep inside they were not interested in power.
Looking at her mate, Sophie secretly thought that Lnd and Nichs could actually be good friends had the situation been different. Unfortunately, she could only dream of seeing the two men be friends. Just having them be civil and not try to kill each other would already be an aplishment.
Lnd looked at Sophie with a t expression. Her words struck a chord in his heart. Did he really have many things inmon with Nichs? He was not a good talker. He also didn''t have a sunny personality.
His perception of life was negative and bleak, while the other man seemed to always have good things going on with him. The only simrity he could see between him and Nichs was the fact that they both didn''t have a good rtionship with their fathers. Other than that, he couldn''t think of anything else.
However, he wouldn''t call his mate a liar. Sophie must have seen things that he didn''t see toe up with that conclusion. Lnd only smiled at her words.
"You think so?" He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "Well... I can at least agree that he and I have good taste in women."
His reply made Sophie''s face flush red. She didn''t expect him to say such a thing. It was good to see Lnd joke about this. Sophie felt that her mate was no longer as uptight and jealous as before. So, what happened between him and Nichs to make him more rxed like today?
Sophie was sure that the men must talk about other things, not just the fact that her parents'' killers were not the Royal Lycan Hunters, but Lycans. She was wondering what it was.
"How do you feel about meeting him today?" Sophie asked carefully. "You seemed to be in a good mood."
Lnd sighed.
"I am actually conflicting," he said honestly.
He nced at Anne and Jack who were rolling around in their basket, enjoying their fluffy bed. Then Anne''s ears perked up, as if aware that they were being watched by their father. She batted her eyes and turned to look at Lnd. The Alpha chuckled and rubbed her head.
"Having Anne and Jack, I could now put myself in his shoes," Lnd said quietly. "I love these pups so much and I think if someone took them away from me, it would kill me."
"Oh..." Sophie held her breath. She was surprised to hear Lnd''s statement. She did hope Lnd would bepassionate toward Nichs and let him have a rtionship with Luciel and Jan, but she didn''t dare to bring that up after theirst conversation where Lnd was so adamant about not wanting to have anything to do with Nichs.
Perhaps, having Anne and Jack truly changed his heart. Now Lnd felt more empathy for Nichs, which was a good thing because deep inside Sophie wished Luciel and Jan could get to know their biological father.
So... now that Lnd had started to soften his heart for Nichs, would they have peace? Thinking of this possibility made Sophie want to cry.
"I could see how much he loves Luciel and Jan from all the efforts he made to make sure they could have a better life in this kingdom," Lnd added. "I can understand him."
"That''s good to hear," Sophie said.
"Yeah." Lnd wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her nape. "I invited him for tea tomorrow in the castle. I will let him see Luciel and Jan and spend time together."
"You did?" Sophie''s eyes widened. This was far beyond her wildest imagination. She pressed her lips in disbelief. Even though she tried not to look excited, she couldn''t help but raise her voice. "Have you told Luciel and Jan about this?"
"Soon," Lnd replied briefly. He sighed again. "I am notfortable letting him inside the castle and see you, but..."
"That''s okay," Sophie interrupted him. "I don''t want to see him either. I just want Luciel and Jan to meet Nichs and spend time together. See how it goes. I am sure Anne and Jack would keep me busy anyway. They can have tea in the front terrace. I will be busy inside."
She understood that Lnd was still feeling jealous and she couldn''t me him. She didn''t mind not seeing Nichs when the man came here. She didn''t want to be in an awkward situation.
Lnd smiled and nodded. He didn''t want to ask Sophie to hide when Nichs came tomorrow, because he didn''t want her to feel suffocated and caged, but he was really jealous if Nichs were to see Sophie again.
So, when Sophie volunteered not to show herself during Nichs''s visit, the Alpha felt relieved. Lnd suddenly remembered that Nichs didn''te alone to Hastings. He was apanied by a really beautiful female lycan from the Red Moon Pack and her men.
He didn''t know what was Nichs'' rtionship with that woman, but he noticed they seemed quite close. If Nichs decided toe with Lily Moonchester to meet the kids, Sophie might find it awkward to see the father of her children with another woman.
So, from all angles, it was better for Sophie not to meet Nichs at all.
"Then, it''s settled," Lnd patted Sophie''s back. "I will tell the boys about the tea tomorrow so they could put on their best behaviors."
Sophie turned around and wrapped her hands around Lnd''s neck. "That''s a good idea."
She was smiling from ear to ear when she realized things had started to get better. Lnd no longer med the royal family for Jack and Anne Hansley''s deaths, he no longer needed to attack Riga to take over power because Nichs would just pass it down to both his sons, and finally, there was no more war to fight.
Sophie could see a good future for their family.
Chapter 384 A Pleasant Afternoon
"Can I be honest with you?" Sophie looked at Lnd sincerely.
The Alpha nodded. He could feel what she wanted to say, but he dly still listened to her. He knew his decision to allow Nichs toe and visit his sons made her feel really happy and her happiness rubbed off on him.
Sophie cleared her throat. She touched his cheek and caress it gently. "I am really proud of you. You showed empathy and support to another man that you don''t even like because you think it''s what''s best for Luciel and Jan."
She added sincerely, "You are selfless and caring and Luciel and Jan are lucky to call you father. I know I feel so lucky and proud to be your mate and the mother of your children."
Lnd looked at Sophie tenderly and pulled her head to his embrace. He kissed her lips deeply and then hugged her back. These were the words he needed to hear.
***
The next day, Sophie kept herself busy when Nichs and his small group came to visit Wolfstone Castle. She took Anne and Jack to the terrace facing the garden at the back of the castle and yed with them there, apanied by Katherine.
After months of staying with the Szars, Katherine finally showed Sophie some of her witchcraft possession that she inherited from herte mother. She brought a small wooden chest to the terrace and opened it to show Sophie.
"My mother left behind so many small trinkets," Katherineughed. She took out a copper ring and showed it to Sophie. "This one serves as an antidote for any snake bites. If you wore it on your finger, if a snake bit you the venom wouldn''t have any effect on you."
"Really? That sounds amazing," Sophiemented with a chuckle. "Is that real or is it just a made-up story that came with the ring?"
Katherine looked at Sophie with an expression of pretending to be offended. "Are you calling me a liar, Sophie?"
Before Sophie could answer, Katherine quickly smiled and brushed it off. She said, "I was just joking. To be honest, I am not sure. I have never tried it before. My mother just told me it has the antidote effect for snake bites and I am not willing to test it myself. Perhaps. an opportunity wille and we can test it."
She put the ring back into the chest and took out a blue scarf. It was made of fine silk. Katherine exined that the scarf was blessed with prayers of the grand witch from several generations before her.
"This is a gift from my ancestor. My mother told me it is so powerful that it can bring back the dead," said Katherine. "The grand witch blessed this with the blood of so many powerful creatures and she used it to bring back the man she loved from the dead."
This time Sophie could only smile. She started to think that Katherine was just joking and shared the stories of all the trinkets she brought to entertain her.
Katherine seemed to understand her feelings andughed. "Yeah... this one does sound stupid. I don''t believe it either, but I keep the scarf anyway because the color is so beautiful. Don''t you agree? It also matches this sapphire bracelet that could keep the soul of a loved one."
She took out a blue sapphire bracelet and brandished it together with the blue scarf.
"It is beautiful." Sophie nodded. "Your mother sounds like a very interesting person, to have so many interesting items and stories that go with them."
"Thank you," Katherine smiled. "She was a special woman."
Katherine continued showing several more items and talked about the stories behind them while Sophie was nursing her babies. They had a pleasant afternoon enjoying snacks and drinks while talking about Katherine''s family and her life as a witch.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, as promised, right after the clock struck three, six horses entered the gate of Wolfstone Castle with Nichs, Lily, and several lycans on their backs.
Nichs wore his best shirt and he was all smiling. Lily sat on her horseback elegantly while her eyes were watching around them vigntly.
"Wee," Lucas rushed out to meet them after one guard reported to him that Nichs and some lycans from the Red Moon Pack came for an audience with the Alpha. Lucas motioned them to follow him inside. So, they all got off their horses and walked together to follow Lucas.
The Beta spoke cheerfully when he showed them the way. It looked like he was no longer upset with Nichs, in addition, to being charmed by Lily. He was much friendlier today than when they saw him in the inn.
"This way. We will have tea on the front porch over there. Young lords are already waiting for you."
Hearing Lucas'' words, Lily stole a nce at Nichs. She still remembered yesterday the king blurted about his sons when Lnd came to see them. Were the ''young lords'' mentioned by Lucas referring to Nichs'' sons? Well, it looked like Lily would find out very soon.
Nichs puffed up his chest when he was reminded of his sons. His heart was full to the brim with happiness. He had not seen Luciel and Jan for months, and even though he was sure that the boys would be okay because they were in good hands, he still wanted to see them with his own eyes.
They walked toward a big porch on the right end of the main building and saw a table with a pot of tea, cup and cakes, and two very well-behaving boys sitting on the chair. When they got closer, Lucas suddenly grabbed Lily''s arm and stopped her from walking further with Nichs.
"Let''s stop here," said the Beta politely. "Alpha Lnd told me to let them have privacy."
"Oh..." Lily halted her steps and she could only watch as Nichs walked farther and farther away from her, toward the two handsome boys that looked very simr to each other and to him.
Chapter 385 Nicholas And The Boys
Lily immediately assumed that they were his children. But still, she needed to make sure. So she pulled Lucas'' hand closer to her and then she tiptoed to ask him in a whisper. "Lucas, are they.. his sons?"
The Beta nodded. His face suddenly felt hot when Lily spoke in his ear and her breath tickled his skin. For a moment he was dazed and his grip on her arm loosened.
Lily furrowed her brows in confusion and asked again, "But, aren''t they the Alpha''s sons?"
Lucas nodded. "That''s also right."
He didn''t want to gossip so he didn''t say anything afterward and let Lily make her own conclusion. For a moment, the girl was deep in thoughts and tried to piece together all the information she had received so far. She remembered Nichs mentioned that he already had the woman he loved.
Was she... the boys'' mother?
She wondered what happened between Nichs, the woman, and Alpha Lnd to make them end up in this situation. She turned to Lucas and tried to use her best puppy eyes to make the man share more, but Lucas was not interested in speaking about his Alpha''s personal matters.
"Let''s go this way, Miss Moonchester," he politely motioned her to follow him to a room where the servants already prepared drinks and snacks.
"Lily," Lily corrected him. "You can call me Lily."
Lucas smiled broadly and nodded. He repeated her name. It rolled really sweetly on his tongue. "Miss Lily. This way, please."
Lily finally relented. She took another look at Nichs who just arrived at the table and greeted Luciel and Jan who were sitting on the chair with their books. She thought the king really looked happy. This made her feel happy too.
Alpha Lnd was nowhere to be found.
She decided to follow Lucas'' suggestion. Lily nodded at her men and the lycans came with her to the room prepared for them.
They all sat down and enjoyed the tea and wine served by the maids. Lucas acted as the host and asked them about their pack and their trip around Riga for the peace mission with Nichs.
Duncan and Max, who also came as representatives of Blood River Pack in weing these guests, exchanged nces when they saw Lucas look so visibly smitten by the beautiful Lily Moonchester.
"Do you think he likes Miss Moonchester?" Duncan whispered to Max.
Max bobbed his head and whispered back. "Even a blind man can see it too."
They both giggled like girls and thought Lucas and Lily would look adorable if they could be mates. The Beta didn''t realize he was being the subject of gossip by the two lycans and kept pouring more tea and getting more cakes for Lily, while listening to the girls'' adventures.
Meanwhile, Nichs was smiling broadly when he reached the table where Luciel and Jan were waiting for him. He didn''t know if they already knew he was their biological father and was not sure if he had to break it down to them.
So, he decided to juste and sit with them and talk to them about their day, just like what he did when he visited them in their manor in Livstad.
"Hey, Luciel. Hey, Jan," he waved at the boys. "Do you still remember me? I came to the manor several times."
Luciel looked up and smiled at Nichs. "Oh, hi, dad."
Those three words managed to make the king freeze on the spot. His eyes widened and he was dumbfounded.
What did Luciel say just now?
Did Luciel just call him... dad?
The boy rolled his eyes when he saw how Nichs was surprised. He furrowed his brows and asked the man, "Are you not our dad?"
Nichs batted his eyes at that question. He turned around to look for help but didn''t find either Lnd or Sophie. How should he answer this question?
He didn''t want to overstep and say things that he was not supposed to say. Even though he badly wanted Luciel and Jan to know that he was their father and that he loved them so much, he wanted the process to be smooth and not forced.
And more importantly, he didn''t want to overstep the boundaries set by Lnd and Sophie, if any. He was grateful that they finally opened the way for him to have a rtionship with his sons and make up for what happened in the past. So, he didn''t want them to regret their decision by overstepping his im.
But the problem was he and Lnd had not had any discussion about the boundaries and what he can and cannot do. The Alpha didn''t even want to talk to him about the children. He only let Nichs know that he was invited to tea through his Beta.
Lnd''s inability tomunicate frustrated Nichs.
"Well... what did your mother tell you?" He decided to y safe and ask them what they were told by Sophie. "Did she tell you that I am your dad?"
Luciel nodded. "Yes."
? "She did?" Nichs was dumbfounded. He didn''t expect Sophie would tell the kids the truth. "When?"
His eyes were gleaming. He felt so touched. Even after what happened, she didn''t erase his presence from Luciel''s and Jan''s lives.
"She told us about you after we were born. She didn''t want us to forget about you even though you''re dead," Luciel exined.
"Huh?" Nichs was confused.
Jan looked up and added to his brother''s words. "She thought you were dead."
"Oh..." Nichs nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah, I remember."
Luciel added, "She stopped talking about you when we were one year old, but when you came to the manor, I can make the connection and conclude that you are our father because I am smart."
Nichs was silent. He realized now that when Sophie was pregnant with the boys and after they were born, she must be talking to them about him, so that they would know their father.
However, after one year, she must have fallen in love with Lnd and decided to move on and stopped talking about Nichs to the boys out of respect for her new husband.
Chapter 386 The Alpha Is In A Good Mood
"I understand now," Nichs finally nodded and he smiled again, albeit bitterly. He patted Luciel''s shoulder and praised him. "You are really smart."
Luciel shrugged. "It''s not that hard to guess. We know our father''s name. It''s the same as yours. Plus, we do look so much alike. I''d be dumb if I can''t make that connection."
Nichs was in awe when he heard Luciel exin his conclusion. He didn''t expect the boy to be this smart.
"Aren''t you six? Howe you are so smart?" hemented.
"Six years and five months," Luciel corrected him. "I am a big boy now."
Nichs wanted tough out loud at his son''s adorable behavior, but instead, tears were filling the corners of his eyes and making his vision blurry. Oh, how he wished he could hug Luciel and Jan and cried right there.
"Well then, since you already know who I am, I wouldn''t pretend to be someone else." Nichs took a seat across from Luciel and Jan and made himselffortable. "How are you guys doing? Do you like staying here?"
"Yes, it''s really nice," Luciel gushed. "We lived here when we were small. It''s bigger than our manor in Livstad and we will also start going to school. We will have many new friends."
"That sounds nice. You will have a lot of friends to y with," Nichs said.
"Oh, that''s fine," Luciel shrugged. "We can y with each other. We also have Anne and Jack to y with."
"Anne... and Jack?" Nichs thought the names were familiar.
Jan exined, "They are our baby siblings. Anne and Jack are so adorable."
Nichs coughed when he heard Jan''s words. Ah, he remembered Lnd''s children with Sophie. She must have given birth to them already. So, they named the babies after Sophie''s parents...
Deep inside, Nichs suspected the babies were one of the reasons why Lnd softened up to him. Now that Lnd had his biological children, he could put himself in Nichs'' shoes and understand his plight.
"Yeah. This time the babies made it," Luciel added. "Thest ones died stillborn."
Luciel was very smart for his age and he picked up on conversations from the adults around him. He overheard Duncan and Max talk about how they had never seen their Alpha look as happy as he was recently, especially after thest time, when tragedy struck and he lost his unborn babies.
The boy didn''t immediately understand what it meant. So, he talked to his teacher, Miss Katherine, about what happened, and Katherine exined it to him.
Nichs was silent when he heard Luciel''s exnation. He realized Lnd and Sophie must have suffered a lot together. To lose his own children and still raise another man''s kids lovingly, Lnd must have a heart of gold, Nichs thought to himself.
Slowly, all his hatred andpetition that he kept for the other man vanished without a trace.
He was still jealous but, at this point, he realized Lnd deserved all the happiness he had with Sophie. Nichs didn''t know if he could ever do the same thing if their roles were reversed.
He would try to do his best, of course, but he was not sure his best was enough. Now, looking at his two very intelligent and very healthy sons, Nichs couldn''t help but feel thankful to Lnd and Sophie for taking care of them despite everything.
He didn''t know how he could pay them back except maybe by slowly and silently stepping back and leaving them alone. Even though he still only loved Sophie, he would stop making any efforts to try and get her back.
Not only did it seem futile, but now he also respected Lnd too much to try and offend him.
In this unfortunate situation, Nichs realized he should be grateful that he was still allowed to have a rtionship with his sons. He would just admire Sophie from afar and keep his feelings to himself.
***
Lnd didn''te out to see Nichs because he didn''t know what to say to him. He also thought it would be awkward for both men to meet and talk about... what? Their love for the same woman? The children they adored as their own?
They were not friends and didn''t have anything to do with each other. It was hard to suddenly be friends and pretended they didn''t initially hate each other. It''s just too weird.
However, he watched them from afar, to make sure that the meeting between Nichs and the boys go well. After a while and he found them to be talking pleasantly, Lnd decided to stop watching and went to see Sophie.
"Hey," Sophie''s face beamed when she saw her matee to the terrace where she was ying with her babies. Anne immediately ran with her chubby legs and jumped into her father''s feet when she smelled his scent. Jack followed suit.
Lnd smiled and picked them up, one in each hand. He jokinglymented, "You must have eaten so much. You''re getting so heavy."
Sophie was happy to see her mate in a good mood. She assumed the meeting between Nichs and their sons was going well. She didn''t ask him how it went. Instead, she focused on their babies.
"They look so sleepy. Perhaps they want to take a nap," she said. "Wanna go in and put them to bed?"
Lnd nodded. Sophie got up from her chair and turned to Katherine who was busying herself with the small trinkets from her chest.
She patted Katherine''s shoulder. "Katherine, thanks for showing me all these. They have interesting stories. I need to get the babies to bed."
Katherine smiled and nodded. "Yes, sure."
She got up and watched Sophie receive one pup from Lnd and together they walked toward their bedroom, holding hands.
Katherine stood in her spot for a while, unblinking. Her lips slowly pursed and her eyes glint dangerously. After a while, she took a deep breath and turned to her wooden chest. She closed the lid and took the chest back to her room.
"I will take back everything that''s mine," she muttered to herself once she closed the door behind her. "I just need to kill Elias first."
Chapter 387 The Hunting Invitation
Nichs was very happy with the visit. He wished he could stay longer but he understood that it was not his ce. Being allowed to meet Luciel and Jan today was already a good thing. So, he shouldn''t push his luck.
Perhaps, if they could maintain this civil interaction, and Lnd no longer felt threatened about his presence, he could talk about taking the kids to the pce and introduce them to his side of the family. He could already imagine his mother''s happiness and excitement to see the boys again.
This thought made him smile.
"You should listen to your mother," he said to Luciel and Jan before he reluctantly had to leave the castle. The sun was almost gone from the sky. It would be rude to pretend that he didn''t realize it was almost night. "I hope we can see each other again very soon."
"Oh, why can''t you stay here?" Luciel asked innocently. "We have a lot of rooms in this castle."
Nichs chuckled and shook his head. "That would be lovely, but no. I have to go. Maybe some other time."
He ruffled their hair alternately then cast his nce around. He was surprised to see Lnd walk toward them. His face was emotionless as usual. His presence surprised Nichs. He didn''t think he would see the Alpha before he left.
Now, this might be a good idea to finally talk?
He smiled at Lnd and spoke to him when the Alpha arrived. "Thank you for everything. I guess it''s time for me to go."
Lnd nodded. He looked at Luciel and Jan and noticed they were in a very good mood. He wondered what they were talking about with their biological father. From his observation earlier, they seemed to have such an interesting conversation and the boysughed a lot.
Nichs was probably telling them stories about his childhood, adventures, and life as royalty in the pce. Maybe even how he met their mother. Those were interesting topics to discuss and Nichs seemed like he was a good storyteller too.
Lnd, on the other hand, was not good with words and never had such moments where he would converse with them for small talks. He just listened more. What could he share with them about himself and his childhood? There was nothing interesting to recount.
Sophie already told them everything they needed to know. He loved listening to her when she spoke with her sweet voice about how she and Lnd were actually raised together when they were really young.
Lnd looked like he wanted to say something, but he halted his words. He finally nodded and walked Nichs out. For a moment, Nichs felt awkward. They walked in silence and his mind was quick to work on something to say to break the ice.
How could he make Lnd open up more and allow him to visit again? Maybe even take the boys to Livstad and visit their grandmother...
They arrived at the castle courtyard and their horses were already prepared by the servants, waiting for Nichs and his small entourage. Lily Moonchester stood with her men near the horses, apanied by some lycans from the Blood River Pack.
Lucas was standing beside her with a smiling face. His overly enthusiastic expression caught Lnd''s attention. He nced at Lily and then at Lucas alternately.
He realized there was something about the woman that made his Beta smitten. Lnd wondered if Lily and Nichs had something going on and Lucas would be heartbroken.
He had been thinking about it. To see Nichs suddenly relent and said he would no longer pursue Sophie, only wished to have a rtionship with his sons, made Lnd think Nichs might be trying to move on and that was why Lily Moonchester came into the picture.
But maybe he was wrong?
Lnd suddenly turned to Nichs and spoke, "How long will you be around in Hastings?"
The young king was surprised by this question. He was wondering why Lnd asked. He nced at Luciel and Jan and then at Lnd. "Well... we just got here. I can stay for a couple more days. Why?"
"We will have a hunting party tomorrow. It''s for fun. I like teaching Luciel and Jan how to hunt. It''s in the forest not far from here. It''s private property so no humans will trespass and bother us. Would you care to join?"
Nichs was truly surprised by the invitation.
He wondered what prompted this huge change in the man who used to be his enemy and romantic rival.
He set aside his curiosity and immediately bobbed his head to indicate his response. "Definitely."
"Very well, see you tomorrow," Lnd said tly. He turned to Lucas and said, "Please take our guests back to their inn."
Lucas beamed in happiness at that order, while Duncan and Max tried so hard to stifle their cough. They were jealous that Lucas was assigned to take Miss Moonchester back to her amodation, but at the same time, they were impressed that Lnd seemed to understand his Beta was interested in that woman.
They knew Lucas and Lnd were very close and the Alpha would want to support his Beta to pursue the female he was interested in.
"It looks like we will meet again tomorrow, Lily," said Lucas to Lily with a grin on his face. The woman blushed and didn''t say anything, just nodded. Lucas added, "But for now, let me escort you all to your amodation."
Lily nodded again.
***
Nichs felt like he was in a dream when he rode his horse toward the inn. Things had been going so well these days. After he set his priorities and let go of Sophie, good things started to happen. He could now live true to himself, no more hiding a secret that he was a... no, not a monster, but a lycan.
He could meet with his sons and now even foster a rtionship with them. He had made peace with many werewolf packs in his kingdom and they were looking toward a new era where lycans and humans could live side by side as equals.
And tomorrow, he was invited to join a hunting party by the pack which he considered his mortal enemy in the past. Ten years ago, he wouldugh at you if you told him someday he would be rted to the Blood River Pack and bury the hatchet.
Oh, how so much had happened.
"So, I assume things went well today?" Lily teased Nichs who was smiling all the way to the inn.
"You can say that," Nichs replied. He nced to Lily''s other side and whispered to the woman. "I see you also have made yourselffortable in thepany of someone."
Lily''s face flushed red and her eyes widened when she heard the king teasing her back. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Lucas was smiling to himself. He could hear Nichs'' and Lily''s conversation and realized they were talking about him.
"Jeez... Your Majesty, I didn''t know you are a gossip girl," Lily pursed her lips.
"You are aware that we were invited to the hunting party because of you?" Nichs asked her. "I should thank you for that."
"We were?"
"Yes," Nichs replied. He cleared his throat and turned to Lucas. "You must stay for dinner and wine. That''s the least I can do for you."
Lucas chuckled and nodded. "I''d love the wine."
Lily rolled her eyes at the two men.
***
Luciel and Jan were ecstatic when Lnd told them they would have a hunting party the next day. They were especially delighted when they knew Nichs was invited to join. Sophie who listened to their conversation at the dinner table was very surprised.
She didn''t know when did Lnd be so easygoing like this. It was a really good thing but she was not used to seeing this new Lnd.
"Are you sure?" she asked him in a low voice. "Maybe we should take baby steps in doing this?"
She knew how bad the animosity between the two men was in the past. She was worried if things were to change too drastic too soon, it would have a bad impact on their already shaky rtionship.
"I am not doing this for him," Lnd exined. "It''s for Lucas."
"Huh? What does Lucas have to do with this?" Sophie asked again.
"Nichs Hannenbergh came here with a woman named Lily Moonchester from Red Moon Pack," Lnd replied. "I believe she is Lucas''s mate. I am inviting her to stay longer and get to know Lucas, but it''s rude to invite only her and not the rest of her group."
"Ahhh..." Sophie pressed her lips in surprise. She was so d to hear this information. She liked Lucas a lot. The beta was a good friend of her husband and he was fiercely loyal. Sophie had never seen Lucas attracted to any female before.
It would be interesting to see him falling in love with a female and finally getting a mate.
"That is so lovely!" she gushed. "I understand now. Oh, it''s such a good idea."
"Yeah."
"I want to see what the woman is like. She must be quite special."
"You can see her tomorrow."
"Oh," Sophie furrowed her brows. "I don''t n to join though. I am not into hunting."
"You can invite her to tea after the hunting and talk to her," Lnd exined. "It''s important for you to get to know the mate of our Beta and have a good rtionship with her. We want her to feel weed."
"Ahh, I see," Sophie nodded. The thought of having a new femalepanion in this pack made her feel so excited. If Lucas found his mate, and she was this Lily Moonchester, Sophie would have a new friend. She was looking forward to it.
Chapter 388 The Hunting Party
The hunting party went so well and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. This was Nichs'' first time hunting as a lycan and he enjoyed it very much. For once in his life, he felt like he belonged.
As everyone shifted into their wolf forms and started running to chase after the prey, he felt a surge of adrenaline in his veins. So, this was how it felt, to be free andfortable in his own skin, he thought in amusement.
He was in awe when he saw his sons'' wolf forms. They really looked like him. Luciel and Jan had ck and grey fur and looked very simr if not for the colors of their fur.
This reminded Nichs of the cute puppies he saw in the meadow in Livstad many years ago when he saw Sophie and fell in love with her at first sight. They were adorable and smart. He was a proud father.
Jan was a bitzy, but Luciel was a passionate hunter. In no time he had brought many new preys, one fox, two rabbits, and one squirrel, unlike his brother, Jan who was happy with just one chubby rabbit.
Spending time in an active setting like this made Nichs get to know his sons more. He realized Luciel''s personality took after him more while Jan probably reminded him of his mother who was calm and more rxed.
"You both did great," he praised them after they all went back to the castle with the preys. He wondered how they would eat so much meat within a short amount of time before the meat go bad.
"Thanks, Dad," said Luciel with a puffed-up chest. "You didn''t do so bad either."
Nichs chuckled when he heard Luciel''s words. He noticed Luciel was a bit cocky and this made him wonder if he was seen as cocky too by outsiders. He hoped not.
"What are we going to do with so much prey?" Nichs asked the nearest lycan.
Usually, when he and his men went hunting, they would only capture a few animals and it was enough for all of them. He was not used to doing this hunting party with lycans.
They seemed to get so much prey in just one hunting party. Maybe because they were lycans, they could hunt much better than humans and get more prey. The question was, what did they do with all the meat?
The lycan replied, "We will eat it raw, and then bring some for the females to cook. The rest will be distributed to the needy."
"Oh..." Nichs was surprised to hear that. That was actually a good idea. Some people were so poor, that they had never tasted meat in their whole lives. It would be nice to give the meat to them because they would be able to appreciate it.
"That is a really good idea," hemented.
"Yeah, people around here know Duke Ariam Romanov to be a generous man," Duncan added.
Nichs nodded. "He sure is."
He looked around and found the man was walking inside the castle quickly. He wanted to thank Lnd for inviting him to join their hunt that day but he knew Lnd didn''t think it was necessary. So, he ruffled Luciel''s and Jan''s hair and bid them goodbye.
"That was fun," he said. "Maybe we can someday do it in the capital. Until then you have to study well and listen to your mother."
"Okay," Luciel and Jan replied in unison. They already had a lot of fun together today and didn''t feel too bad when Nichs had to leave.
"I will go back to Livstad soon. I will try to see you both before I leave," Nichs said again. He cast his nce around them to look for Lily. The woman was talking to Lucas and they wereughing heartily about something.
"Miss Moonchester," Nichs walked to them. "I think it''s time to go back."
Lily batted her eyes at his words and then turned to Lucas who was standing beside her. Her voice sounded excited when she spoke. "I was invited to meet the Luna. What do you think?"
Nichs was silent when Lily mentioned the Luna. She must mean Sophie.
He missed he terribly, but he must bury his desire to even see her, for the sake of keeping the peace that had been established between him and Lnd.
The king faked a smile and nodded. "You should go. What about the others. Are they staying with you too?"
"No, they will go back to the inn with you," Lily exined.
"Hmm... then what time do you want me to send them back here to get you?" Nichs asked again. "You are female, I won''t let you go home alone."
Lucas cleared his throat and immediately stepped forward. He smiled. "I can take her back to the amodation."
Even after everything, Lucas was still not friendly toward Nichs. This made Lily wonder if both men had a past feud, and she was right.
"Very well, I trust you with Miss Moonchester," said Nichs casually. He was not interested in getting into another argument with Lucas. He could tell that Lily was going to be just fine. He turned to Lily and patted her shoulder. "Have fun!"
"Thanks," said Lily with a broad smile.
She was excited about meeting the Luna of Blood River Pack. She wondered what kind of woman had both Nichs''s and Lnd''s hearts in her fingers. Besides, she was also interested in Lucas. She thought the man was very cool and this made her want to know more about his pack.
Nichs was bitter because he was this close to Sophie but he couldn''t even see her. It was hard and painful, but he was used to keeping his emotion in check, so he pretended as if that didn''t bother him at all.
For the sake of maintaining peace, he had to get himself used to this situation. He had to stop thinking of Sophie.
***
"Gosh, you are all so dirty," Sophiemented when she saw Luciel and Jan enter the castle with muddied clothes and dirty hair. "Go take a bath now."
"Yes, mom," both boys replied in unison. Anne and Jack who came with their mother immediately ran after them with their chubby little legs. They could smell blood and excitement on their brother''s bodies. They wanted to be part of the fun too, so they chased Luciel and Jan and then jumped together with them to the bathtub.
"Oh my god, what are you doing?? You are both not dirty," Sophie frantically fished out her babies from the tub and scolded them. "You have taken a bath an hour ago."
She pinched their noses andughed. They were so adorable and she was never really serious when she scolded them. But both pups pursed their snouts and gave her their best puppy eyes, making them look like the most pitiful creatures in the world.
"Gosh... what should I do with you?" Sophieughed again. She wrapped both pups with fluffy towels and dry them carefully. While she was busy with Anne and Jack, a maid came to tell her that her guest, Lily Moonchester was waiting for her on the terrace.
Sophie took her babies to the terrace and immediately greeted Lily. She held both pups in her arms when Lily saw her for the first time.
"Hello, Lily isn''t it?" Sophie smiled at her. "Sorry, my hands are full. How are you? My name is Sophie Szar. Nice to meet you."
Lily smiled back. "Hello, Luna. My name is Lily Moonchester, I came here with..."
She immediately remembered that Sophie, Nichs, and Lnd were involved in aplicated rtionship. So, she thought it would be awkward to mention that she came there with Nichs.
So, she revised her wording and didn''t say anything about Nichs.
"I am from Red Moon Pack and we were invited to join the hunting party earlier today. It was really fun."
"Oh, I am happy to hear that," Sophie motioned Lily to sit. "Please have a sit. I will ask our maids to serve you something to drink, while I dry these two brats."
"Thank you," said Lily. She tilted her head to see the two pups and then she chuckled happily. "They are so cute. What are their names?"
"Oh, this is Anne, and this one is Jack," Sophie replied.
"Those are such lovely names." Lily gushed. "How old are they?"
"Oh, almost two months old," Sophie replied sweetly. She always beamed with happiness whenever she talked about her children and her happiness rubbed off on anyone she was speaking too, including Lily.
Lily could easily see that these babies were Lnd''s because their fur was very simr to his when he transformed into his wolf today. For a moment, Lily was in awe. She thought Sophie was so lucky to have two mates and both were two very impressive Alphas.
Chapter 389 Sophie And Lily
Sophie batted her eyes and smiled. She noticed Lily''s expression and was wondering what was in the girl''s mind.
"What are you thinking?" she asked with a chuckle.
Lily was embarrassed to be caught staring and quicklyughed it off. She would not tell Sophie that she was impressed to see Sophie had two very impressive men as her mates. She was the king''s wife and also the Alpha''s mate.
From what Lily gathered, Sophie''s and Nichs''s rtionship didn''t end well because they didn''t meet even after Nichs came to Wolfstone Castle twice. If they separated properly, they were bound to at least see each other and remained civil when they met since Nichs was allowed to see his sons and Lnd seemed to have no problems with it.
However, Lily realized she could be wrong.
Seriously, what''s wrong with me? She asked herself. She was not into gossip, but specifically for this matter, her curiosity was piqued. She had been hanging out with Nichs for a while now and she had started caring about the man as a friend.
She just wanted to see Nichs find his happiness. From the way he talked about Sophie, even though very rarely, Lily could see that the man was still so deeply in love with her. He mentioned once that he already found the woman he loved when Lily asked about Nichs not wanting to be the only lycan in the pce.
Lily immediately shook her head. "Nothing. I am just smitten by the babies. They are so adorable. I have seen Luciel and Jan and they are so handsome. I can assume that they also looked this adorable when they were babies."
Sophie nodded. "Oh, they surely did."
As a mother, she knew she was biased and would always think that her children were the best or the most good-looking. So, it was good to hear thepliment from an outsider.
"You must be so happy to have them," said Lily. She took a seat across from Sophie and offered to take one of the babies, while Sophie dry them. The Luna said ''thank you'' and gave Jack to Lily while she dried the super active Anne.
"I am very lucky," Sophie said.
"You are still very young and already have four children," Lilymented. She rubbed Jack''s fur and converse with Sophie. "I am twenty and I don''t think I can see myself having children in near future."
Sophie chuckled when she heard Lily''sment. "Well, when you meet the right man, you want to build a family with them. It wille naturally. Don''t force yourself to have children or not to have children based on what other people think is the right thing for you. You know yourself better."
Sophie became silent. She remembered the time when she met Nichs. Back then she was very young. Younger than Lily now. She had just turned eighteen when she met Nichs and she was in love with him. She thought he was the one. There was no other man in her life.
They both just thought it was right. Everything came naturally. They got married quickly and the next thing she knew she was pregnant.
The same thing went with Lnd. After she stayed with him for over a year as his ''nominal wife'' and was slowly falling in love with him, having a family with him also came naturally. It actually broke both their hearts when they lost their unborn children.
Sophie got rid of the thoughts and focused on Lily and Lucas. She thought it was her job as the luna of this pack to help their Beta with his love life. Lily seemed interested in Lucas as well, so it would be good if Sophie could make Lily feelfortable and epted in this pack.
"So, I have heard a lot about how you help the king with his diplomacy work," Sophie changed the subject and talked about her guest. "That sounds wonderful. You must be so smart."
"Oh, how did you know I help the king with his peace mission?" Lily blushed at thepliment. She puffed up her chest and replied. "I like studying and I enrolled in a human school. I learned a lot from there."
"You did? Wow..." Sophie was impressed. Werewolf packs didn''t have formal education for their children. The bigger packs would have several teachers and decent ssrooms for the children to learn knowledge. However, the smaller ones would have to rely on maybe only one teacher to teach the children. It was very limited.
Blood River Pack had enough teachers because they had many members, but since they were infiltrating Riga these days, they had toy low. There was no teacher in Hastings for the lycan children, that''s why Sophie hired Katherine and would soon enroll her sons in Cow Dung.
So, knowing that Lily studied in a human school and got a decent education, Sophie felt more impressed by her guest. She thought an educated woman was an asset to the pack.
"I studied in human school too," Sophie said with a smile. She had finished drying Anne''s fur and ced her on the basket beside her to sleep. She then took Jack from Lily''s hand and started drying him with a towel. "I am a hybrid."
Lily''s eyes widened when she heard Sophie''s words. She gushed. "Really??? I am a hybrid too. My mother is a human."
"Oh..." Sophie was surprised to know this. "But you can shift?"
"I can," Lily replied. "They said if a hybrid was born as a wolf pup, that means their lycan gene is stronger and they would grow up just like lycan pups do. I shifted into a human when I was five like everyone."
Sophie nodded in understanding. It seemed very few hybrids were like her. She was born as a human baby and never had the milestones like regr lycan pups. She also never shifted and didn''t have their capabilities. She didn''t have their sense of smell, their speed, and their strength.
"I was born human," she said quietly.
This made her feel frustrated and insecure again. She always felt like a stranger among the lycans in this pack. She didn''t speak theirnguage, she didn''t have their talents, and she couldn''t even feel her mate''s feelings.
Everything she knew about him, and the reason why she could understand him most of the time was because she made the effort to get to know him and she also used her intuition as a woman. She felt slightly jealous of Lily.
Even her mother-inw, Isolde, who was half-human was a powerful female lycan from what she had heard.
"Well... there is nothing wrong with being born a human," Lily shrugged. "Humans or lycans can be good or bad. It''s what you do with your life that matters."
Sophie smiled at Lily''s statement. She liked this girl. Sophie hoped Lily and Lucas could truly be mates. It would be nice to have Lily around her and be her friend.
Sophie never really had friends in her life. As an adult woman, she longed for apanion of another woman who could share her ups and downs and support each other. She had Katherine now, but there was something about her that made Sophie didn''t feel quite content.
Perhaps it was because Katherine was a witch, not a lycan. Or because she was much older than Sophie. Or because she was her sons'' teacher, meaning she was an employee. It was not really an equal rtionship.
"Thank you, Lily," Sophie nodded with a smile. "I need to hear that."
Lily smiled back. She really liked this Luna. As a Luna of a really big pack, Sophie was not arrogant or bitchy. Quite the opposite actually, she was friendly and weing.
She was also very smart. Lily and Sophie talked about their experience in school and their opinions about lycans'' and humans'' rtionship. In just one hour, both women felt like they had known each other for a long time.
They drank tea and ate cakes while talking about whatever things they thought were interesting. Soon, Sophie and Lily realized they really had so much inmon.
"Gosh... I wish you could stay," Sophie chuckled. "I really enjoy our conversation."
The night had fallen and it was time for Lily to go back to her amodation.
"I cane back," Lily said. "It was really nice talking to you as well. Ahhh... you are a very interesting woman and we have so much inmon. I can''t believe it."
"Please doe back when you can," Sophie said. She got up and walked Lily out. "I would love to have you stay here for longer next time. Maybe after the mission is over?"
"Thank you for the invitation," Lily nodded. "I would definitely take you up on that offer someday."
Lucas had been waiting for her outside with their two horses. Lily smiled when she saw him.
"Miss Moonchester," Lucas greeted her.
Chapter 390 Peaceful Life
"Lucas," Lily greeted the man with a smile.
"Are you ready?" Lucas asked Lily. The girl nodded. He helped her get on her horse and then got on his own mount. The guard opened the gate and let both people leave the castle.
Sophie watched until they disappeared from sight before she went back inside and met her husband and children for dinner.
"You look happy," Lndmented when he saw Sophie enter the dining room with a beaming face.
"I really like Lily," Sophie gushed. "I feel like we have so much inmon."
"That''s what I thought too," Lnd replied. He motioned Luciel and Jan to sit down and they started to eat dinner.
"So, what will happen now?" Sophie asked Lnd during the meal. "Will Lucas continue their courtship?"
"I believe that''s what he is doing," Lnd said. "I will let him go to apany Miss Moonchester home to her pack. He will have to meet her father and express his intention."
"This is so exciting," Sophie said.
In the six years that she was mated to Lnd they didn''t have any close friends who found their mates. She was not that close to the other pack members and their love life didn''t interest her as much as Lucas''s or Duncan''s or Max''s, Lnd''s close confidantes.
She already considered Lucas like a brother-inw since the man was quite close to Lnd. Seeing Lucas find a mate and maybe start to build a family made Sophie feel happy. She hoped the process would be smooth and Lucas could be happy with Lily.
***
Lucas ate dinner with Lily, Nichs, and her men in their amodation. The Beta of the Blood River Pack was basically an easygoing man who could easily build rapport with new people. After a while, he started to warm up to Nichs and forget about theirst confrontation. The dinner went well and they were engaged in a warm conversation.
Nichs used the opportunity to ask Lucas everything he knew about Alpha Elias from the Obsidian Sand Pack. Since Lucas often went to the tribe meeting in the Gazi Desert, he had met Alpha Elias several times and could tell Nichs a little bit about the enemy.
"Well, he only stood out after his father-inw, the previous Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack died," Lucas exined. "It was around five years ago. Before that, he was a nobody."
"Ah, is that so?" Nichs furrowed his brows. "But I heard that his wife is a witch."
"Well, his mate is dead," Lucas exined. "His new wife is a witch and she is quite powerful. Many people believe Alpha Elias became more powerful because of her help."
Lucas halted his words. He didn''t know if it was wise to exin who Eloise was. He knew her as Lnd''s old friend. He also knew of Eloise''s feelings for Lnd in the past. He was not sure anymore about it since they had not met Eloise for a long time.
Maybe this information would be useful for Nichs. However, Lucas thought it was inappropriate for him to reveal his Alpha''s private life.
So, he decided to not share that information. Besides, it didn''t matter if Eloise and Lnd were old friends. They were not friends anymore. Lnd had intentionally avoided her after Sophie was poisoned and he suspected his mother had a hand in it.
It was all because Isolde wanted him to marry Eloise.
Nichs noticed Lucas''s hesitance. He wondered if Lucas kept things from him.
"When was thest time you met Elias?" Nichs asked the man. "Have you ever met the witch?"
"It''s been a long time," Lucas replied. He didn''t borate. Nichs was convinced that Lucas knew more than what he let on. However, he didn''t want to force Lucas to speak. The king cleared his throat.
"I actually have some spies in Armeria," he said with a low voice. "They are collecting intel for me and they told me Armeria is preparing their force to attack Riga soon. I need everything I could use to defend my kingdom. They said the witch rarely stays in the Armeria royal pce. I am wondering where she is most of the time."
Nichs added, "For a man, his wife is his weakness. If I could find out where that woman is, maybe I could capture her and use her to pressure Alpha Elias to back down. So, if you knew anything about the witch, I would be grateful."
Lucas shook his head and replied apologetically. "I am sorry. I don''t know that much. I only know her name is Eloise."
"Hmm..." Nichs nodded. "Very well."
They continued eating dinner in peace. Nichs decided to change the subject and talk about the history of Blood River Pack, the tribe meeting, and other lycan''s customs. He wanted to know as much as possible about them so he could understand their life more.
Having two children who were raised among the lycans in Blood River Pack, he wanted to know how he could fit in their lives more.
***
Things were peaceful after the king''s visit to Hastings. He continued to see several more packs and met their Alphas to talk about peace. After word got out that Lnd Szar of Blood River Pack buried the hatchet and no longer stood as the enemy of Riga, all the other Alphas from smaller packs followed suit.
With Lily''s help, Nichs could finally aplish his mission. This news didn''t escape Alpha Elias'' ears. He rethought his ns to attack Riga because now he realized he wouldn''t get an easy victory with many lycan packs standing behind the royal family.
Nichs was happy and relieved when he heard the reports from his spy that Alpha Elias decided to postpone his invasion until the foreseeable future. He was relieved that they could avoid bloodshed, at least temporarily.
This didn''t make himcent. He was still maintaining rtionship with lycan packs in his kingdom and slowly started tounch some policies to introduce his people to the new era of humans and lycans living side by side as equals.
It was not easy in the beginning. Some shes and protests urred. Some people were already brainwashed to see lycans as monsters. They were mostly the older generations or the less educated ones.
It was the same with some lycans who considered humans as the enemy or lower than them in status just because humans were not as strong as the lycans. Both leaders, the king and the Alphas were working hard to instill the new mindset in their respective people.
It was a slow progress, but as long as they kept working on it, Nichs believed someday they would see the desired result.
Suddenly, six months passed just like that. Time flew by when you were busy or happy. For Nichs, it was probably because he was busy. For Lnd, it was because he was happy.
His life with Sophie and their children was peaceful. His days were filled withughter and babies'' cries. After he found out that the Hannenberghs were innocent of Sophie''s parents'' deaths, his heart was half at peace.
He was still working on getting the elders from the Blood River Pack to question them about what happened in the past, but since most of them were now joining The Obsidian Sand Pack, he couldn''t get to them without a confrontation with the other pack.
Alpha Elias was protecting them, including his mother, Isolde. This means, if Lnd wanted to force them to be returned to him for questioning, he had to face Elias. Sophie had begged him to dy any dangerous confrontation while their children were really small.
She was worried that something would happen to them when Lnd was away. Her reasoning touched Lnd''s heart. She said her parents were already dead. So, it didn''t really matter if he uncovered their killers and avenged their deaths now orter.
Lnd listened to Sophie and decided to focus on his family. He had never felt so much happiness when his mind was solely on his little family and pack, and not filled with revenge and painful memories.
***
"You are smiling," Sophie nudged her husband. She caught him smiling out of nowhere and was curious to know what he was thinking. "Care to share?"
Lnd turned to her and shrugged. "There is nothing in particr. I am just feeling happy."
Sophie smiled too. She was feeling the same. They were enjoying their lives in Hastings. Luciel and Jan finally had started their school in Cow Dung and they made new friends. Anne and Jack were growing up so fast. Both were very healthy and had shown their big personalities.
Lucas and Lily were soon to be mated. Their rtionship progressed really well. Lucas had met the Red Moon pack and talked to Alpha Rad about his desire to make Lily his mate. Alpha Rad was happy with him and immediately gave his blessings.
Lnd would soon meet Alpha Rad to represent his pack to discuss the mating ritual. Everything seemed to be going well.
Chapter 391 Invitation From The Palace
"We received a letter from the capital," Lnd looked up from his books when he heard Sophie''s footsteps entering his study. A big smile was immediately etched on his face when he also heard small steps from eight chubby legs behind Sophie.
Anne and Jack were walking in a circle around their mother who had to really watch her steps so she wouldn''t step on her children. They looked happy and full of energy.
As soon as Anne saw Lnd''s feet on the floor, she immediately charged forward and wrapped all her limbs on her father''s right leg. Lnd chuckled and lifted her to put her on hisp. The pup let out a happy growl and started licking his arm.
"What does it say?" Sophie asked. She didn''t need to ask who the letter was from. A letter from the capital only meant one thing, it came from the pce or the king. She was wondering what did Nichs say in his letter.
The king had started sending letters to the Szars, mostly to ask about Luciel and Jan and update them on important things that were going on in the capital. Once, he also invited them toe to the capital for a celebration, which Lnd refused. The Alpha still thought it was awkward to be friendly with Nichs. He was not used to it.
So, to avoid being in an awkward situation, Lnd decided to still keep his distance. Fortunately, Nichs was not offended and didn''t take it personally. He knew he wouldn''t want another man to get close to his wife for whatever reason. So, Lnd''s action was understandable.
This time, however, he was telling Lnd and Sophie that he would hold a birthday celebration for his mother, Queen Marianne Hannenbergh and he wished that Luciel and Jan could attend the party because their grandma had been dying to see them.
It''s been so many months since thest time Nichs came to visit Luciel and Jan, and Lnd now thought maybe it was a good time to finally let them meet their grandmother. Sophie''s mother was dead and his own mother was evil, so the boys couldn''t have a rtionship with them.
Queen Marianne, however, seemed like a caring woman, and Lnd had no problem with Luciel and Jan meeting her. He still remembered when they came to the royal pce for Karenina''s birthdayst year, the queen was so happy with the boys that she yed with them.
"The royal family wants Luciel and Jan to see the queen, their grandmother," Lnd exined. He gave the letter to Sophie so she could read it herself. "I think it will be good for them."
Sophie smiled broadly when she heard his reply. This was a good thing, she thought. Sophie liked Queen Marianne and thought she was kind to her children. It would be nice to see Luciel and Jan have a grandma figure in their lives.
"But the capital is quite far from here," Sophiemented. "Are we going to send the kids there with some guards?"
"No, we will go to Livstad together and stay in the manor. Luciel and Jan can visit the royal pce," Lnd replied. "What do you think?"
"Oh, that is a good idea," Sophie beamed in happiness. "I will talk to the school principal and notify them that the boys will take leave from school."
She added, "We can also hire Katherine again to teach Luciel and Jan while we are in Livstad."
After the boys enrolled in formal school, Katherine''s help was not as needed as before. So, she only taught Luciel and Jan twice a week for advanced lessons. It was Lnd''s decision. He was not toofortable having outsiders live with his family for a long period of time.
So, even though Sophie actually wanted to have Katherine for longer around her, she followed her husband''s wishes. Now, Katherine only came to their castle twice a week.
Sophie''s constion was the fact that soon Lily Moonchester would marry Lucas and moved in with them. She couldn''t wait to have Lily around. Their union would be done during the next full moon. They were all preparing for the big day.
"Hmm..." Lnd thought about Sophie''s suggestion and finally nodded. "Very well. You can ask her, but if she is notfortableing with us to Livstad, we can just find another teacher in Livstad."
"Okay, I will ask her."
***
When Luciel and Jan were told about their ns to travel to Livstad for a month so they could visit their grandmother, the boys were conflicting. They didn''t like the thought of going for a long time and left their new friends behind.
However, when they remembered the kind olddy they met in the royal pce and knew that she was their grandmother, they became excited again.
"So, what do you think?" Sophie asked the boys.
"Let''s go!" Lucien replied. After he thought about it again, the trip actually sounded fun. They got to go on adventures and they also could miss school for several weeks. It would be really nice.
"Sound good," Jan added.
They made preparation for the trip and left several dayster. Lnd brought his whole family and his trusted men to go with them to Livstad. Lucas was away to Red Moon Pack to visit Lily. So, only Duncan, Max, Tre, and several other pack members went with Lnd and his family to Livstad.
***
"Gosh... where are they?" Queen Marianne had been pacing back and forth for several minutes. She was standing in the middle of the ballroom and her eyes kept searching for the shadows of her grandchildren.
Ever since Nichs told her that Luciel and Jan woulde to visit, she was over the moon. She was so excited and joyful. On her 55th birthday, she finally felt how it was to be a real grandmother.
Karenina was standing beside her with a smile. She was invited to attend the queen''s birthday party as well and now here she was, also waiting for the two boys.
Eloise now spent more time in the capital under the disguise of Karenina. As a very powerful witch, she could travel quickly between ces and it had never been a problem for her to be in several ces within a short amount of time before.
She could be in Armeria, Livstad, or Hastings, or Gazi, ording to whatever she needed. However, today she was a bit worried to see Luciel and Jan at the queen''s birthday. The problem was one. She was worried the boys would recognize her from her scent.
Those young lycans spent the most time with her as their teacher and over time they must have picked up her distinct scent that even adult lycans couldn''t get. They had never met Karenina again after thest time, during her birthday partyst year. So, they might not remember what was her scent like.
However, if they saw her again today, they might pick up Katherine''s familiar scent on Karenina which could make them feel suspicious. Karenina was not worried about Nichs because he didn''t really get used to using his lycan sense of smell before he fully recovered his lycanthropyst year. So, he was not used to smelling his former fiancee''s scent.
Karenina''s scent was still vague to him. And when he got all his lycan''s sense of smell perfectly Karenina was no longer Karenina, but Eloise who disguised herself as her. Nichs had never met ''Katherine'' in Hastings, so he wouldn''t be able to distinguish their scents.
So, now, Eloise was only worried about the boys. Would they be suspicious when they saw her as Karenina?
She needed to prepare a contingency n if that happened.
"They areing, mother," Nichs patted his mother''s back gently and gave her aforting smile. This almost felt like Deja Vu.
Last year, they also held a birthday celebration for a member of the royal family. Well, even though Karenina was not really his family now, back then she was as good as one. The party looked quite simr to the one they held today for his mother.
The nobility in the capital attended the festive event together with their spouses and children. And that''s where Nichs saw Sophie again after many years. He was smitten by her. His mother was charmed by her sons and asked them to y with her.
It was a heartwarming scene to behold. Tonight, it would look simr, except for the fact that only the boys woulde with their nannies. Sophie and Lnd wouldn''te.
Lnd Szar or Duke Ariam Romanov had made it clear that he and Sophie did not want to have a rtionship with the royal family. They would not be friends just because they were no longer enemies.
Well, it is what it is, Nichs told himself and sighed.
"Hey, there they are!" Queen Marianne gushed when the doors opened to the sides and two boys entered with their light steps. "Luciel! Jan!"
.
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I am sorry I can only publish one chapter per day for this booktely. I don''t know what''s going on, but I feel tired all the time. I can only write after sitting at my desk for hours and it is finally time to sleep. I will try to write more this week.
PS: Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported this book in April. Thank you for yourments, reviews, power stones, gifts, and golden tickets. I would like to give a special thanks to my Top 3 Golden Ticket contributors in April 2022.
Kelly Goodwin, Maude Fluckiger, and Maria Daris. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Chapter 392 The Lingering Feeling
"Grandma!" Luciel ran toward Queen Marianne and hugged her. Jan followed right behind him. Ever since they knew that the kind olddy they met in the royal pce was their own grandmother, the boys were so excited about meeting her.
She was their only known grandparent, the others were dead except for Isolde who didn''t have any rtionship with them because Lnd had cut ties with his mother many years ago.
"Gosh... you are so adorable," Queen Marianne gushed. She crouched down and hugged Luciel and then Jan. Her face was beaming with happiness. Nichs watched the reunion with a very happy heart. His mother was finally getting the grandchildren she so desired.
Now, she no longer tried to find a wife for Nichs just to produce heirs for the throne. After she found out about the boys, Queen Marianne became content and only wished to live well to her old age, so she could watch Luciel and Jan grow to adulthood.
This brought Nichs so much relief because his mother never pulled any more stunts to make him think she was dying. If any, she actually looked more and more healthy by the day.
The royal guests were surprised to see the two boys'' presence. Some people still remembered them from thest royal party to be the sons of Duke Ariam Romanov, and some only saw Luciel and Jan for the first time.
All of them share the same thoughts, that the boys looked so much like the king. Now, seeing the queen hug them lovingly and the boys calling Queen Marianne as grandma, the guests were all wondering if the boys were actually rted to King Nichs Hannenbergh.
Their curiosity was immediately answered when Nichs also crouched down and hugged the boys alternately. He rubbed their hair and spoke gently like a father to his sons.
"Wee home," he said to them.
"Dad," Luciel greeted him. Jan nodded at Nichs.
The king was smiling broadly when he rose and cast a nce around the ballroom. "Everyone, I would like to make an announcement."
Immediately, the ballroom went silent. Everyone stopped talking and focused all their attention on the king who was about to make an important royal announcement. They were wondering if what he wanted to say had anything to do with Luciel and Jan.
"This is Luciel Hannenbergh and Jan Hannenbergh," he pointed at his sons alternately. "They are my long-lost sons. I am so happy to finally meet them again."
He didn''t borate on how Luciel and Jan became his long-lost sons. It was not a king''s job to make people understand and ept his family. He didn''t announce this to get their approval. It was merely an announcement to make the people aware of the new princes.
He knew they must have a lot of questions and he let them find out the answerter through the ministry of information. Tomorrow, the royal family would release an official statement regarding Luciel''s and Jan''s status. He would let his secretary do it.
Tonight was the moment of celebration. He wanted to focus on that.
Nichs took a wine cup from the tray of a servant and raised his cup. "Cheers to my mother''s 55th birthday. She has lived such a long and fulfilling life. I admire her."
Everyone followed suit and raised their cup for the old queen. They drank their wine together with Nichs and send the queen well wishes. Queen Marianne Hannenbergh was all smiles during the party. She thought she had got the best present for her birthday. Those were her two grandsons.
She couldn''t wait.
After they took the first sip, Nichs continued his words. "Also, cheers to my sons, Luciel and Jan. They are the heirs to the throne of Riga. They don''t live in the capital but I hope soon they could spend more time here and I could prepare them to take the throne when they are older."
Everyone drank to that too. Luciel and Jan were happy to see their grandmother''s birthday party seemed to be about them too.
Finally, it was Karenina''s turn to greet the boys. She came to them and gave them her best smile.
"Hello, Luciel and Jan..." she looked at them attentively, trying to see any hints of suspicions in their eyes. "Do you still remember me?"
Luciel and Jan exchanged nces. They had met so many people in their lives. It was hard to expect them to remember every single person.
"I do," Luciel said. "I saw you in this pce, during another party," Luciel said. "Am I correct?"
Katherine felt relieved to know the boys didn''t seem suspicious.
"Yes, you are correct," she replied heartily. "My name is Karenina Verhoven. Nice to officially meet you Luciel and Jan."
Her heart pounded in excitement when she realized the boys didn''t suspect her at all. She wouldn''t push her luck by appearing in front of the boys too often.
"Hello, Lady Karenina Verhoven," Luciel replied to the girl. As before, Jan also nodded. They didn''t care too much about the woman. They thought she might be their distant rtive. That''s all.
They preferred to spend time with Queen Marianne.
***
Sophie was enjoying a quiet time at home with Lnd in their manor. Their oldest sons were attending a royal event in the pce and Lnd had given permission for them to sleep over. He trusted Nichs'' capabilities to protect Luciel and Jan from danger.
Also, the royal pce was equipped and protected by many formidable soldiers and knights, including the Royal Lycan Hunter. They knew Luciel and Jan would be happy.
The babies were already asleep after they became tired of ying chase all day. Sophie had nursed them both to sleep and they were now very full and very sleepy. Carefully, she ced Anne and Jack in their basket in the corner of her and Lnd''s room.
They had gotten so big now that the basket used to keep them was now the size of a baby crib.
"This is so peaceful," Sophiemented after she finished checking the babies in their basket. She came to Lnd who was sitting on the bed with a book. Sophie was surprised to see Lnd read more after they experienced peace in their life.
After a while, she realized he did it because he wanted to be more educated in matters of the world, like Nichs. Now that Luciel and Jan started attending human school and learned a lot from it, Lnd was aware that there were many things that they didn''t get to learn from the lycan''s education system.
He knew Sophie was also quite educated because she attended the academy and studied many things. Nichs was even more. As royalty, he got the best education from all the best teachers in this kingdom. He knew so much by now.
Lnd knew Nichs'' intelligence and his vast knowledge about many things had helped him in his peace mission. This made the Alpha feel motivated to improve himself.
He didn''t want to lose from Nichs in terms of intelligence and knowledge. Now that he was not focusing all his energy on revenge, he could find more time to learn and broaden his horizon.
Sophie kissed Lnd''s cheek andy down by his side, her head rested on his chest.
"I really love our lives now," shemented.
"Hm." Lnd nodded. He felt the same thing. Now, everything seemedplete and they were living their best lives. He only needed to wait until Anne and Jack were big enough and he would start a confrontation with the Obsidian Sand Pack.
He just needed to settle onest score with them for keeping the traitors from his pack and protecting them all this time. After he beat Alpha Elias in a fight and punished his pack, he would deal with those traitors. Lastly, he would make anyone responsible for his parents-inw''s death wish they were never born.
And only then he would truly feel happy and live a good life.
"Don''t you think it''s too peacefultely?" Sophie asked with a hoarse voice. She looked up and threw a worried gaze at her mate. "I have this lingering feeling that something is not right."
Lnd closed his book and looked at Sophie. He could feel her worry, but he couldn''t pinpoint what exactly made her feel that way.
"Since when?" he asked her.
Sophie shook her head. "I am not sure. I just feel things are too good. I am scared if things are too good."
She suffered so much in her life and usually when good things happened, they would be followed by bad things. She didn''t know why, they just did.
Having experienced it all, Sophie couldn''t help but wonder if she could truly feel happy. She remembered when she was feeling really happy with Nichs, suddenly the man disappeared and she was left with two babies in her womb, without a husband.
And when she fell in love with Lnd, married him for real, and carried his babies, they were taken from her in such a cruel way.
Bad things always happened after good things.
Now, she was scared that after Lnd and Nichs made peace and they could live a good life together, something really bad would happen.
She couldn''t brush off this feeling.
Chapter 393 Bedtime Stories For The Boys
Lnd felt helpless when he knew Sophie had a bad feeling about something but he couldn''t really find the solution to address that situation. What could they do when they didn''t actually know the problem?
He was a man who relied on logic and information, unlike women who might be used to using their intuition. He didn''t want to brush off her lingering bad feeling, but at the same time, he didn''t know what to do about it.
However, he also didn''t want Sophie to keep feeling bothered by it. So, he put down his book and pulled her into his embrace. He said, "Maybe... we are just not used to having good things, even though we deserve it. So, we be suspicious when things are going well. I know that feeling."
He could recognize the feeling within himself. He knew it was not a good thing, but he couldn''t help harboring that feeling for as long as he lived. Maybe he was just too damaged that he couldn''t sincerely ept good things when given to him.
For most of his life, he was told he was not good enough or that he was not wanted. He tried to fix himself but it was not an easy thing to do. He needed help from outside to restore his self-worth. Sophie''s presence, together with her family, helped him a lot.
He had learned to take charge of getting the things he wanted in life. He now thought he deserved his happiness with Sophie. He deserved their little loving family. He wouldn''t let anyone take them from him. They could try, he would fight them to the death.
That was also the reason why he preferred to fight Nichs for Sophie, no matter what.
If Nichs insisted, Lnd would kill him just to keep Sophie. Fortunately, the king knew better than to force his will. Now, they could finally make peace with each other.
"Hm... maybe you are right," Sophie sighed. She looked up at him and touched his chin. "I should not worry too much. I have you beside me. I know you will protect me and our children."
"Yes," Lnd smiled sweetly. He tilted his face and nted a deep kiss on her lips. Then, he wrapped his hands around her waist. Her body felt so soft and warm.
Sophie was right. He would always be there for her and their children. Lnd would never let anything bad happen to them.
"I feel better now," Sophie said. She smiled yfully and slipped her hand inside his shirt and touched his broad chest. She liked touching him and feeling his muscle. Her husband was truly a manly man. She always felt safe around him.
"Good," Lnd looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. Now he felt better too. He pushed his book away and moved to be on top of her. He kissed her lips again and this time with so much more passion.
Sophie chuckled and wrapped her hands around his neck. She could feel his temperature rise and something hard poking from his pants. They had not had sex for a week now because they had to travel from Hastings to Livstad. She was also tired and didn''t have the energy to do it after she nursed their babies.
However, tonight, she felt rxed enough and the babies didn''t tire her as much as before. She also missed being intimate with him. It was good to have his big and strong body engulfing hers like this. She felt safe and protected.
Lnd''s right hand snaked inside her dress from under and caressed her inner thighs alternately. Sophie squirmed and let out a soft moan when she felt aroused by his touch. She pulled his head closer and took the initiative to kiss him.
Then, with her hands, she unbuttoned his shirt and help him take it off. And then she moved down to his pants. It felt so tight already.
Lnd growled huskily when Sophie''s hand slipped inside his pants and touched his manhood. It was so hard and engorged now that his pants felt so tight. It was ufortable.
"Take it off," Sophie ordered him coyishly.
Lnd grinned and obeyed. He moved up to remove his pants. Soon, he was towering above her with his rock-hard manhood stood erect, ready to do its duty to pleasure the missus.
Sophie had forgotten the bad feeling she was having earlier. Right now, nothing mattered but the handsome man before her. As long as Lnd was by her side, she knew no matter how bad things got, she and Lnd would be able to brave them together.
The Alpha helped Sophie off her dress and soon both their bodies were intertwined in bed, naked, and started pleasuring each other. They made love sweetly and passionately until midnight and then slept in each other''s arms, feeling at peace and happy.
***
Queen Marianne tucked the boys to bed. She was so excited about this new experience of finally being a grandmother. She pinched her arm several times, trying to convince her that all this was real. Then, she wouldugh heartily and smile to herself.
Ah, seeing Luciel and Jan reminded her of her own son, Nichs, when he was their age. Back then, things were easier and simpler. Nichs was her pride and joy. Even though her husband didn''t love her, she didn''t mind because thete King William Hannenebergh gave him a sweet and beautiful son.
Nichs was such a good boy. Queen Marianne loved him to death and she spoiled him. She couldn''t have another child, so all her love was poured only for Nichs. Things changed and becameplicated after he was kidnapped and caught lycanthropy, but she loved him unconditionally, still.
Seeing Luciel and Jan now made her relive those moments when Nichs was a child. She read him bedtime stories, and they spent so much time together. So, tonight, she also read Luciel and Jan bedtime stories.
Queen Marianne brought the books from the library and opened Nichs'' favorite stories. They listened to her voice reading stories with perked-up ears. They seemed to enjoy her stories very much.
"And they finally live happily ever after," Queen Marianne ended her final story and closed the book. She looked at the boys alternately with a happy glint in her eyes. "What do you think? Do you like the story?"
Both boys nodded in excitement.
"Yes," Luciel said. "Can you read us more?"
The queen chuckled. This was already the third story and, of course, she would love to read to them a thousand more. However, she must make sure they sleep so they could have the energy tomorrow. "Well, I will read more stories tomorrow."
Luciel looked disappointed. "We will go home tomorrow."
"Oh, you will?" The queen was disappointed too. "Why can''t you stay for like... a week? Or even a month?"
Both boys shrugged. Queen Marianne nodded, looking dejected. She had heard about Nichs''s present situation and theplicated rtionship he had with Sophie and Lnd. She really wished things were different.
If only Sophie was not married to that other man, the queen would have nagged Nichs to get back together with Sophie. Weren''t they actually still husband and wife?
Nichs and Sophie were never divorced, so it was within Nichs'' right as her husband to im her and the boys. However, since Sophie was known to the public as Duke Ariam Romanov''s wife, iming her as the king''s wife would create a bigmotion in the capital. Perhaps even a civil war.
The other man was quite dangerous because he was the Alpha of one of the biggest werewolf packs on this continent. He almost attacked Riga and waged open war with the Hannenberghs.
If Nichs did not act wisely, perhaps, now Riga would already face a bloodbath. So, Queen Marianne could only keep her desire to herself. She also should learn to count her blessings. Having her grandchildren for a visit was already a good start.
Perhaps, in the future, they could get more time with Luciel and Jan and, finally, Nichs could really have the boys inherit the throne of Riga.
She quickly smiled and ruffled the boys'' hair. "It''s okay. I hope you can visit again and I will definitely read more stories for you. Okay? But now you must sleep. It''s alreadyte."
Luciel and Jan nodded. They each received a good night kiss from the queen and went to sleep. After she turned off thenterns in the children''s bedroom, the queen left and closed the door behind her.
She found Nichs was standing outside the door, waiting for her. The young king was smiling.
"Are you happy now?" Nichs asked his mother. He walked to her and held her arm.
The queen nodded and smiled back. "Yeah. Very happy."
"I am d to hear that," Nichs said.
Mother and son walked arm in arm to the terrace where a jug of wine and two cups were waiting for them.
"I wish they could visit more often," the queen said after she sipped her wine.
"I wish the same," Nichs replied. "I will see what I can do, mother."
Chapter 394 Queen Mariannes Request
By now, the whole capital already knew that the king''s engagement with Lady Karenina Verhoven was annulled and they were no longer engaged to be married. Many people talked about the issues and their opinions were divided.
Some people thought Karenina was so unlucky and pathetic that the king could toss her away just like that without ever giving her the status she had been wanting for a long time.
Some, however, thought she was brave and mature to still maintain a good rtionship with the royal family after breaking off the engagement.
Now that the king suddenly introduced his sons to the public, the people started to connect the dots and made the assumption that the king''s and Lady Karenina''s rtionship ended because of another woman.
This put Karenina in a favorable position. People felt more sympathy toward her when they thought the king cheated on her with another woman which resulted in two children. Nichs didn''t really pay attention to the gossip spreading outside, so he didn''t make any efforts to refute it.
He also didn''t know that many noblewomen were now thinking that since his engagement with Karenina had ended and he didn''t seem to get back with the other woman who had given birth to his sons, they thought they now had a chance to be his queen.
The king now became a hot item again and many women were trying to find ways to get closer to him. The fact that he had lycanthropy even added to his charm. They knew lycanthropy made humans be physically stronger and more formidable.
Since the kingdom had slowly epted the presence of lycans among them, these women didn''t think twice about his condition. They all wanted to be the next queen of Riga.
Queen Marianne talked to Nichs about this when they had dinner together the next day. Luciel and Jan were already taken back to the Romanov''s manor, so there were only the two of them.
Even though Nichs allowed Karenina toe and go to the royal pce as she pleased as part of their agreement, he had asked her to not have dinner with his mother as a member of the royal family.
With her current status, she was now a guest and not family. That''s why Nichs wanted to set the boundaries from the beginning. He didn''t want Karenina to ease her way back into his life by using his mother and or his children. So, mealtime is off-limits.
This way, he would have his privacy with his mother during moments like this. They could talk about current issues, and he could pour his heart out to Queen Marianne and asked her advice on things that bothered his mind.
"I just received the fifth birthday invitation from the daughter of important families in Riga," Queen Mariane said with a smile on her face. "You are very popr now that you are single."
"I''ve always been popr, Mother," Nichs chuckled. "You know that."
"You know what I mean," Queen Marianneughed heartily. "After you were engaged, we received a lot fewer invitations like those. Now, thosedies are vying for your attention again."
Nichs sipped his wine. He knew where his mother''s conversation was heading. Another marriage.
"I will not marry again," Nichs said casually. "I only love Sophie and if I will spend the rest of my life with a woman, it will only be with her."
"Nichs, we both know she is married. Think about what people would think about you if you keep trying to chase another man''s wife. A homewrecker," Queen Marianne advised her son. "Everyone hates a homewrecker."
"But she is not just another man''s wife," Nichs spoke bitterly. "She is also MY wife."
"She was in the past, but then she thought you were dead. Marriage ends when one of the two people involved in it died," said Queen Marianne Hannenbergh patiently. "You know it, I know it. Everybody knows it."
"I am not dumb, mother, of course, I know it too." Nichs shrugged.
"So, why are you still chasing her? I thought you have let her go," the queen asked, not understanding.
"I am NOT chasing her any longer. I have let her go, but it doesn''t mean I will move on and find another woman to marry," Nichs replied. He had told his mother once that he had no desire to remarry. However, it seemed, Queen Marianne thought he would change his mind after a while.
He wouldn''t.
The queen touched Nichs'' arm gently and spoke with a low voice. She felt really sad for her son. How could someone live alone for the rest of his life? Humans were not built to live in solitary. Men and women were meant to be together and shared life, build a family, and be happy together.
She couldn''t imagine Nichs growing old alone, without a woman by his side to love him and take care of him.
"Please think about yourself too," the queen said sadly. "If you are not happy, you cannot be a good king to your people, and you cannot be a good father to Luciel and Jan."
Nichs wanted to roll his eyes at that statement, he was sure he would be a good king and a good father even without a woman to fill his heart. However, he held back and didn''t say anything. He didn''t want to be rude to his mother.
"I have learned my lessons and will not force you to marry anyone you don''t love," Queen Marianne said suddenly. She was referring to Karenina and how she faked dying to make Nichs agree to marry Karenina six years ago. She cleared her throat, "However, I really, really hope you would give yourself a chance at happiness."
"Thank you, mother," Nichs smiled. He knew his mother meant well. "We''ll see what will happen in the future."
"Very well, but would you at least please attend Lady Esther''s birthday party at Lord Demetrius''s castle? It''s this weekend," said the queen. She took out a letter from her pocket and ced it on the table before Nichs. "I have met her several times. She is really beautiful and smart. I think you will like her."
Before Nichs could say anything, she immediately added, "No pressure.... hehehe, but please juste on my behalf. You don''t even need to do anything. Just go there to represent me and look handsome."
Nichs finallyughed at his mother''sst sentence. He had not attended any festive celebrations outside of the royal pce for a long time. His mother''s birthday party was the first one after more than six months. He realized he needed to be more social and met those noble families in Livstad to foster a better rtionship with them.
"You won, mother." He nodded. "I will go."
"Ah, that''s good." Queen Marianne was truly happy at Nichs'' reply.
Secretly, she hoped Lady Esther could steal Nichs'' attention. If not her, then perhaps other female guests. There were bound to be many beautiful noblewomen from many noble families attending the party because Lord Demetrius'' family was quite powerful.
***
Meanwhile, Luciel and Jan shared with their parents whatever things they did in the royal pce. Sophie was surprised to know that Nichs announced to the public that the boys were his sons. She was curious to know how the public would respond to the announcement.
"We came to the royal party nine months ago," Sophie said. "Many people must know that Luciel and Jan are our children. So, the king would have to reveal that he had a connection with our family. Do you think it''s wise?"
Lnd nodded. "Yeah. I think that''s fine. He wanted to do it so that Luciel and Jan would be acknowledged as the rightful heirs to the throne of Riga."
"You knew this?" Sophie asked her husband with wide eyes. "Did he tell you personally?"
"Yeah, when we met in Hastings. He had told me from the beginning," Lnd said. "So, I am not surprised."
"Hmm..." Sophie was nervous when she thought about how people would start gossiping in the capital. Would they be able to connect the dots and know that she was married to Nichs in the past? How would they see her? A temptress who had two husbands?
This thought made her feel ufortable.
"I hope this doesn''t affect our lives in any way," she finally said.
"No, I won''t let it," Lnd said tofort her. He agreed with Sophie that their lives were good now. They didn''t needplications like gossip about Sophie being the king''s wife while also married to Duke Romanov.
Their conversation halted when Duncan appeared by the entrance. His face looked serious and he held a parchment in his hand. Lnd motioned him toe.
"What is it?" the Alpha asked.
"Hm... a letter, my lord," Duncan exined. "It was sent by a witch in a hurry. She begged me to give this to you directly."
"A witch?" Sophie was surprised to hear Duncan''s words. Who might that be?
Chapter 395 Eloises Plea
Note:
Thank you, Despina dear, for gifting a castle to this bookst week. Sorry I couldn''t publish for days. So much was going on in real life.
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Sophie didn''t know any witch at all, but Katherine. Did something happen to her? Katherine refused to join them in the capital when Sophie asked her toe with them, saying she had other things to do in her hometown. Thest thing Sophie heard about Katherine was that she went to visit her nieces.
She turned to Lnd and asked him with her eyes if he knew any other witches that mighte to him in a dire situation.
Sophie''s mind immediately went to Eloise, Lnd''s old friend which she never met before. He never talked about her and Sophie thought they were no longer friends.
Thest time she asked him about Eloise, Lnd said he wouldn''t want to have any friendship with another Alpha''s wife. However, maybe something happened and Eloise needed help?
"Where is the witch?" Lnd asked Duncan.
"She is waiting for you in front of the gate," said Duncan politely. "Should I bring her in?"
"So, she is looking for you," Sophie said to Lnd.
The man didn''t reply. His gut told him this had something to do with Eloise as she was a grand witch and had a friendship with him in the past. He was wondering what she needed from him now that she felt the need to send someone.
Lnd only touched Sophie''s hand and squeezed it, motioning her to stay inside while he went outside with Duncan to meet the witch. He gripped the parchment in his hand tightly and strode with long steps to go out. Sophie could only watch him leave.
She didn''t know why but suddenly she had a really bad feeling.
"Luciel, Jan, you should go and see who ising," she immediately whispered to her sons and asked them to go after Lnd. Her husband asked her to stay put, but he didn''t say anything about the boys.
Luciel was quick to dash through the door and ran after Lnd. Jan soon follow suit. The babies almost ran outside too but Sophie was quick to catch them.
"You guys should stay here," she told the two naughty ones.
***
When Lnd arrived in front of their manor, he saw a middle-aged woman immediately dropped herself to the ground. He recognized her as Celia, Eloise''s maid who had worked for her family since she was young.
This made him understand that the letter must really havee from Eloise. Now, Lnd was wondering about what was going on with Eloise that she sent her trusted maid toe to Lnd.
The witch cried to him and spoke with a very pitiful expression.
"Oh, Alpha Lnd... please, you have to help our grand witch, Eloise. She is in danger."
Her words made Lnd furrow his brows. He wanted to say he didn''t have anything to do with Eloise, but it was not true. They were friends in the past. He just ended the friendship for numerous reasons.
However, he was not a heartless man who could let a woman be in danger without trying to do something to help.
"Why did youe to me?" Lnd asked the woman. "Eloise has a husband."
Celia shook her head dejectedly. "Alpha Elias is the one who makes Eloise''s life in danger. She has been trying to leave him for several years but it is really hard. He became worse and worse and finally he chained her and locked her up in the dungeon. He is especially mad because she still couldn''t give him an heir."
She added, "Alpha Elias is a really cruel man. Eloise actually believes he had his first wife killed because he only married her for the Alpha position and once he secured his title, he no longer needed her."
Lnd couldn''t understand why a man could do such a thing to his wife. Even his cruel father treated Isolde well. So, it was hard to believe Celia''s words.
Seeing the expression of disbelief on Lnd''s face, Celia moved closer to the man and cried more despondently.
p "I am very scared for Eloise. You know I helped raise her as her nanny and it breaks my heart to see Eloise''s life with him has been a living hell." The witch politely pointed at the parchment in his hand. "Please... please read her letter. I risked my life trying to get the letter to you."
Lnd looked at the letter and then opened it. His heart ached for Eloise if she was really suffering under her cruel husband. He decided to read what she had to say before he made any conclusion.
"Dear Lnd, this is Eloise. Please help me. You are the only one I know who could kill my husband. He has gone crazy and almost killed me several times. I still want to live. Please help... In return, I will give you whatever you want."
Lnd didn''t want anything from Eloise. He had his family and that was enough for him. Well... he did want to get his mother and the elders of the Blood River Pack who now joined the Obsidian Sand Pack, but in order to do that, he had to face Alpha Elias.
Sooner orter he would have to kill the man anyway. Maybe he could do it sooner?
Celia sobbed uncontrobly. "Alpha Elias locked her up and made people think that Eloise is away a lot from Armeria when in reality she is suffering his abuse. Please, Lnd.... remember your friendship with her and help her."
Lnd crumpled the letter and tossed it to the ground.
"Very well. I will n an attack very soon to Armeria," he said calmly.
"No, don''te and attack openly," Celia begged Lnd. "He is always very jealous of you and he will only torture Eloise more if you came."
"Huh?" Lnd didn''t understand what Celia meant. "Why is he jealous of me? I am a mated lycan."
He also had intentionally cut ties with Eloise for the specific reasons he told Sophie, that lycans were possessive and jealous creatures. That''s why he didn''t want to have any rtionship with another Alpha''s mate, not even friendship.
Celia let out a long sigh. "One day he found out that you and Eloise were once betrothed by your parents and that Eloise is in love with you. Alpha Elias became furious and thats'' when the abuse started. It has been years of hell."
Lnd suddenly felt his chest heavy. Elois was still in love with him even after she married Elias? This was really bad.
Now, everything made sense. No Alpha would ept being humiliated if his wife was in love with another man. Lnd could now believe Eloise was in danger.
Ah... he really wanted to go to Armeria as soon as possible and teach Elias a lesson.
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From Missrealitybites:
Thank you, everyone, for being so patient and kind while waiting for me to continue updating my books. I''ve got things to sort out in real life and this left me exhausted and uninspired to write.
I had to read thest 40 chapters to remember the story so I can write again... ahaha, no I mean, I do know the story, but I didn''t remember the events that happened so I needed to refresh my memory.
While reading, I actually thought to myself "Wow... these chapters are great. Did I really write them? It feels surreal." hahaha... just kidding.
Chapter 396 Dont Spout Nonsense
"Will you help...?" Celia looked at Lnd with a pleading gaze. "To show our gratitude, I bring you something."
She took out something from her pocket and showed it to Lnd. The man''s eyes instantly narrowed when he saw it.
It was a simple ring made of gold with a small ruby on it as decoration. He recognized that simple ring and thought he would never see it again.
"How did you have Anne''s ring?" he snatched the ring angrily. "I didn''t know witches can be grave robbers!"
Celia shook her head. "We didn''t rob any graves. This ring was taken from a living person."
"WHO?!" Lnd grabbed Celia''s cor and was so ready to kill her for an answer. "Who dared rob Anne''s grave and steal her ring?"
Celia''s body trembled. She replied with a choked voice. "She was not dead. Your mother kept her in prison for years."
"What?!" Lnd''s grip on the old witch''s body suddenly loosened and he stepped back. This information was too shocking for him to digest, he needed time to understand that he didn''t mishear. Celia''s body dropped to the ground.
Lnd''s entire body felt hot and he was seething with rage. He didn''t know if he could trust Celia. How could his mother do such a thing, even though she hated Anne so much? How could she hide the fact if she truly kept Anne locked up for so many years? And why?
It would make more sense to just kill Anne than to lock her up. Lnd tended to believe that his mother had a hand in Anne''s and Jack''s deaths. But not like this...
"Don''t spout nonsense," he said coldly. "Anne is dead."
Celia shook her head stubbornly. "Anne faked her death together with her husband''s to avoid getting chased down by both the royal lycan hunter and your mother''s aplices. There''s a reason why their bodies were in such bad condition. They took other people''s bodies and destroyed them."
"You''re lying..." Lnd muttered. He was so angry and had to hold back from killing Celia on the spot because he wanted to know more. If Celia was lying, he wanted to know why, and if Celia''s story was not a lie, then Lnd would want to know if Anne and Jack were still alive.
"You can kill me if I lied to you," Celia said bravely. "You can ask your mate if her parents were recognizable when they were found by the vigers. Ask her if her mother''s ring was buried with her. I am sure both the answers would be no."
Lnd didn''t want to make Sophie worried. If he let Celia talk to Sophie now, his mate would feel shocked and distraught by the information that might only be a lie spread by the witches for whatever reason.
He knew how much losing her parents made Sophie sad. Lnd wouldn''t want her to relive the moment when she found out her parents were killed and their bodies were beyond recognition.
"You, I will torture you and give you the slowest death if you dare lie to me." Finally, Lnd looked at Celia sternly. "Tell me everything you know."
Celia shook her head.
"No. Not until you promise to help Eloise." She pleaded with him again. "Once you vow to help Eloise, I promise to tell you everything, including the fact if Anne and Jack are still alive or not."
Lnd wanted to say something but his eyes caught sight of two little wolves standing near the door. He knew Sophie must have sent them to find out what was going on.
He didn''t want Luciel and Jan to hear this matter and made Sophie worry before Lnd could verify this shocking information.
"I promise. Nowe with me," he said coldly and motioned Celia to follow him. The old witch fixed her clothes and bowed respectfully. She looked relieved that Lnd was giving her a chance. He didn''t immediately kick her out or block her. He even gave her a chance to speak to him in private.
Inwardly, Celia was impressed by Eloise''s judgment. Initially, she didn''t think they could find a way to invite Lnd out of his pack, but apparently, Eloise knew the man more than anyone.
Now, Celia only needed to keep her story and be convincing. Lnd would definitely want to find out the truth about Anne''s and Jack''s deaths and the mystery surrounding them.
When Luciel and Jan walked behind Lnd and Celia, the Alpha immediately turned to them and spoke gently, "Boys, I need to have this important conversation in private. Tell your mother that everything is fine. I will be with her shortly."
The two little wolves looked reluctant to leave, but Lnd''s stern gaze finally made them growl softly and returned to their mother''s side.
Sophie furrowed her brows when she saw Luciel and Janing back and they looked unhappy. She quickly approached them and rubbed their fur. "What''s wrong? What did the witch say? Did you hear anything?"
Luciel transformed into a boy and pouted. "Father was angry about something and then he asked the witch toe and talk with him in private."
"Huh?" Sophie didn''t understand why Lnd did that. Her husband never did something like that before. Was this witch special? What was their rtionship and why Lnd didn''t want the boys to hear his conversation? Was there a terrible secret that he didn''t want Sophie to know?
"Is there anything else?" Sophie asked Jan who just transformed. "Did you see anything?"
Jan nodded. "The witch gave father a ring. I didn''t see it clearly though."
"Gosh..." Sophie''s mind was filled with questions. What ring was so important that her husband suddenly acted unlike himself?
She decided to go and see Lnd. Sophie patted Luciel''s back and motioned to her babies. "Please watch over Anne and Jack. I need to see your father."
After making sure Luciel and Jan understood her request, Sophie walked out of the room and went to see Lnd in his study. She immediately told Duncan to watch the babies when she saw the man on the way there.
"Duncan, please watch my kids. I need to see Lnd," she said.
"Eh... Luna, the Alpha is busy. He told me you shouldn''te and see him now," Duncan said with a concerned expression. "He will be with you shortly."
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From Missrealitybites:
Sorry for the radio silence for a long time. Many things happened over the past two months and I lost the inspiration to write. It was so difficult to sit down and churn words when my mind was not in it.
Fortunately, I have awesome mentees who are writing wonderful stories and I found joy in reading their books. I love their stories so much that I am using my own money to turn them intoics.
Anyway, have you read my mentee''s book, "The Alpha''s Recement Bride"? It''s written by Rossita and is currently my obsession after "Odette & The Cursed King", written by Ogi.
If you want to read apelling werewolf story that is fast-paced, filled with snusnu, and has SO MANY twists and turns, you should give Rossita''s book a try.
Search by the title "The Alpha''s Recement Bride" or go to my profile and check my reading list "Missrealitybites Books". The story also has aic version avable.
THE ALPHA''S REPLACEMENT BRIDE
SYNOPSIS
Marchioness Harriet Golne, a talented noblewoman, made a deal with Old Duke Almandine. To save her younger brother, she was willing to be a substitute mate for Liam, the grandson of the Old Duke.
Liam was an Alpha whose ''mate'' died long ago. He was severely injured and had been living without a heart for a long time. He could only wake up from his sleep when there was a full moon.
The Old Duke and Liam himself guessed that the man would die soon due to his worsening condition. Because of that, Old Duke wanted Harriet to give birth to an heir to the Almandine Family from Liam''s seed so that their family would have a new leader.
The Alpha''s recement bride would soon find that she was in love with the dying man and now they both wished for a miracle to save Liam''s life. Could she fulfill her duty to bear the next Alpha for the Almandines? Would Liam survive to protect his bride and family?
Chapter 397 So... You Will Go And Help Her?
Sophie wanted to protest and walked past Duncan to find her husband but suddenly she saw Lnde out of his study. His face looked calm, far from angry as Lucien said. Sophie wondered if everything was fine.
"Lnd," she walked to him and held his arm. "What happened?"
Lnd had listened to everything Celia had to say and he was actually far from calm. However, he didn''t want Sophie to feel distraught if she found out what he had heard. So, Lnd kept acting as if everything was fine.
In his study, he managed to force Celia to tell him everything she knew. The old witch convinced him that for many years, Anne and Jack were actually still alive in captivity with the help of thete grand witch ine, Isolde''s close friend.
Nobody in the pack knew, not even her husband, Alpha Leon who also thought Anne was dead.
Eloise only knew this fact after her mother, ined, died and she found the secret prison. She wanted to tell Lnd about this but since Lnd intentionally avoided her, she became angry and decided to keep everything to herself, to punish Lnd.
However, now that she badly needed his help, Eloise decided to use the secret as a coteral. Through Celia, Eloise promised to let Lnd know the whereabouts of Anne and Jack, and whether they were still alive or dead.
She only told him that the reason why Isolde could keep Anne captive for so long was because she tricked Anne to submit by making her think that Isolde had Sophie and would torture and kill the girl slowly if Anne dared to fight back.
"Why should I believe you?" Was Lnd''s question after Celia ended her story.
"Because you have no choice," said the old witch. "Just like we also have no choice but to rely on your help to free our Eloise."
Lnd clenched his fists to the sides. He didn''t like not knowing everything. Trusting these witches was not something he wanted to do, but he realized that they were right. He had no choice. If he wanted to find out the truth, he must find his mother and at the moment Isolde was in Armeria.
Lnd had to face Alpha Elias, get his mother and force her to spill the truth and maybe, if Eloise was truly in a bad condition, he could save her at the same time. He would need both women to speak, because one or both of them might lie.
Initially, Lnd already nned to get to his mother but he postponed it because Sophie begged him to focus on their family first. She was scared something bad would happen during Lnd''s absence while she was pregnant. Lnd understood thispletely. He felt the same way.
His grudge and anger toward his mother could wait. However now the babies were born, they were also close to the royal pce where Nichs was the king. Oddly enough, Lnd had more peace of mind to leave Sophie under Nichs'' protection because he felt like he could trust his former enemy.
Nichs had time and time again showed his good faith to make up for all his past mistakes to Sophie and his sons. He tread carefully around Lnd and his family, trying hard to show that he just wanted to be there for Luciel and Jan, and not threaten Lnd''s position as Sophie''s mate.
It took a while, but Nichs had gained Lnd''s trust a little bit. Now, the Alpha was more rxed around the royal family. It did help a lot that the truth was uncovered and they could agree that Anne''s and Jack''s deaths were not caused by the royal lycan hunters.
Now, Lnd felt like he had no reason to continue hating the Hannenberghs. His sons were hannenberghs too, he couldn''t deny that. Hating their family would mean he hated them as well. Lnd didn''t want them to think of him that way.
Now, it was time to settle everything with Isolde and find out the truth. Lnd had little hope that Anne and Jack were still alive, but even if they were really dead, at he least he wanted to get a closure on what actually happened to them.
He wanted the closure for both himself and Sophie.
However... he didn''t n to share with her what he had heard from Celia for several reasons. He didn''t one to make Sophie feel worried or distraught. It was better for him to rify everything before he told her what happened.
She already had a lot in her mind. Lnd wanted to spare her from this problem. That''s why he immediately met her and showed a calm expression, to soothe her feeling.
"Sophie," Lnd reached her hand and smiled. "I told you to wait for me. I will be with you shortly."
He kissed her hair and took her to walk back to their room. Sophie furrowed her brows. She turned to look at Lnd''s study to see the witch who talked to him but she couldn''t see anyone.
"Who is the witch and what did she came here for?" she asked him without further ado.
"She is a witch that used to work for Eloise''s family," Lnd exined. "She said they need my help."
"Huh? What kind of help?" Sophie had a bad feeling everytime he heard the name Eloise mentioned. She thought Eloise was left in the past because for many years Lnd never talked about her, maybe out of respects to Sophie as his wife.
Now that she heard this name again, Sophie couldn''t help but feel ufortable.
Lnd decided to share half the truth with Sophie so his wife would not worry. He exined Celia''s words about Eloise being abused by her husband and she begged Lnd to help free her, for old time''s sake.
"Oh..." Hearing his exnation, Sophie felt conflicting. She didn''t like Eloise and this made her feel bad. There was no clear reason for her to hate Eloise, other than the fact that she was Lnd''s old friend.
Was she that petty to hate someone without a clear reason? They had never even met!
Also... as a fellow woman, shouldn''t she feel sympathetic toward Eloise''s plight? Sophie felt horrible if she didn''t let Lnd go and help his old friend.
She halted her steps and looked at Lnd with a questioning look. "So... you will go and help her?"
Lnd looked at Sophie calmly and nodded. "I need to face Elias anyway. He is protecting the traitors of our pack. I need to teach those people a lesson."
Sophie felt really ufortable with the thought that Lnd would leave them to go to Armeria. However, she tried to put on a calm front and took a deep breath.
"You should bring some people with you," she said with a hoarse voice. "Can''t you wait for Lucas toe back before you go? You have to bring him, and several other trusted people. Will you go there secretly?"
Lnd nodded. "Yeah. This is a secret mission. I don''t want to trigger an open war, not yet. Riga is not ready. Celia told me some ways to enter Armeria safely. I will go there with some men."
It was an important mission. He would kill Elias, get to his mother and Eloise, and then find out the truth about Anne and Jack. Once he sorted everything, finally his family could live in peace.
Chapter 398 Lelands Surprising Request
Lnd lowered his head and looked at Sophie seriously. His hands held hers tightly. He said, "I promise to return as soon as possible. This is an urgent matter and I cannot dy this further."
There was something in his voice that made Sophie feel suspicious. To the best of her knowledge, Lnd never lied to her, but he had a habit of keeping bad things to himself to protect her and she hated that. She wanted to always know what he was dealing with so she could support him in ways that she could.
Moments like this were the times when she hated herself for not being fully lycan who could share the mate bondpletely with her mate.
Between the two of them, Lnd had the upper hand. He could always know what she was feeling and do something to help her. Sophie could only rely on her gut feeling and her own knowledge of him.
"Lnd, is there something that you are not telling me?" Sophie pursed her lips. "I have a bad feeling about you leaving..."
Lnd shook his head and chuckled. "Don''t worry about me. I am an adult. You should worry about the kids."
He looked around them and became deep in thoughts. He needed to go as soon as possible but Lucas was not here to rece him taking care of the pack. He couldn''t rely on Duncan and he nned to take Max with him. Those two lycans were the ones below Lucas that he could trust more than the others.
He was not worried about the pack as much as he was about Sophie and their children. During his absence, he would always think about their safety. Who could he trust to take care of his family during his ultra-important mission?
In the best-case scenario, he could find that Jack and Anne were actually still alive somewhere. That would be such a lovely surprise for Sophie.
The worst-case scenario would be... there was no Jack and Anne. Even though it pained him, Lnd didn''t think it was so bad since they already considered both Sophie''s parents dead. As for Alpha Elias, Lnd wasn''t at all worried. He knew the other Alpha''s strength. It was no match to his.
He could kill Alpha Elias in a fight, that''s why Eloise asked him for help.
Sophie gripped his arms and insisted, "At least... wait until Lucases back?"
"It''s too long. Besides, I will not take him with me. His job is to take care of the pack while I''m away. I am actually more worried about you and the kids," Lnd confessed. "I am thinking..."
"Thinking of what?" Sophie furrowed her brows. She could see Lnd''s expression was very unwilling.
"I am thinking of asking Nichs to protect you and the children while I''m away," Lnd said. "Even if Lucas returns, I still don''t feel at ease leaving you here. The only other person I trust to take care of you is Nichs Hannenbergh."
Sophie''s mouth was agape when she heard Lnd''s words. No wonder Lnd looked so unwilling. He actually didn''t want to ask for Nichs'' help, but he thought he had no choice. However... it was funny to think that finally there came a time when Lnd would actually ask Nichs to protect his mate and their children.
Maybe what happened in the past few months had truly changed his heart about Nichs and the Hannenberghs, and slowly the animosity between them subsided. This was really good progress since all Sophie wanted was for her family to get along.
It would be bad for Lucien and Jan if their parents hated each other and they were torn between loyalty to Nichs or Lnd. Fortunately, Lnd was more mature than that and Nichs also learned quickly to show that he knew his ce.
He tried to avoid anything to do with Sophie, even though he still loved that woman, and Lnd appreciated it. Nichs epted the fact that he was only part of Sophie''s past and the cruel fate separated them in the present.
He was now just the father of Lucien and Jan, no longer Sophie''s husband. It was better to get his boys and lose his wife than lose them all.
"You can''t ask a king toe here and protect me and the kids, ahaha..." Sophie chuckled and thought Lnd''s suggestion was funny. The Alpha used to hate Nichs so much, but now he wanted Nichs, the king, his previous enemy, toe here and protect his family?
"Of course, the king won''t need toe here," said Lnd. "I will take you and the kids to the royal pce and talk with him about what happened. You can stay there and rx while waiting for me. Luciel and Jan will like it because they could see their grandmother again."
"Oh..." Sophie suddenly remembered Queen Marianne.
The old queen was so kind and graceful. The first and only time they met was during the royal party to celebrate Princess Karenina''s birthday. Back then, Queen Marianne didn''t know that Sophie used to be married to her son.
Sophie was wondering what did the queen think about her after she found out the truth. Did she like Sophie still? Or did she resent Sophie for the past? Sophie thought it wouldn''t be nice to stay in the royal pce while she was waiting for Lnd to return if the old queen didn''t like her.
"What do you think?" Lnd asked Sophie. "If you agreed. I will send a pigeon as soon as possible to the king and exin my intention."
Sophie quickly thought about the pros and cons of staying in the pce during her mate''s absence. There was the possibility that the queen didn''t like her, also her interaction with Nichs might be awkward because... because Nichs used to be her husband.
However, she and the kids would definitely be safe because the royal pce was the safest ce in this country. Lucien and Jan would also get more chances to spend time with their paternal family. Lnd would have peace of mind and didn''t have to worry about them.
Finally, Sophie nodded reluctantly. "Okay... only because you want it."
Lnd kissed the top of her head and hugged her. Then he said, "You sit here. I will send the message to the pce."
Lnd let go of her from his embrace and then rushed out to notify Nichs. Sophie could only watch his back leaving until it disappeared from view.
"Gosh... is this really happening?" Sophie asked herself, massaging her temple. "Lnd asked Nichs to protect me and the children... how weird."
Sophie decided to speak to her older children and tell them about what happened.
"Wow!" Lucien was so happy, that he threw a fist into the air. "I like going to the royal pce."
Jan looked happy too. He was smiling at the mention that they would stay in the royal pce. He could see his father and grandmother every day.
Sophie''s only concern was just the younger ones. Anne and Jack had never left their home to stay somewhere else. Could they behave in the pce?
***
In the royal pce, Nichs was shocked to receive news that Duke Romanov just sent him a message that he woulde and bring Sophie and her kids to the pce. Nichs was dumbfounded and couldn''t believe his eyes, reading the letter.
"Jerald, please pinch me," Nichs muttered to one of the knights who were in the throne room with him.
"Huh?" Knight Jerald was just as confused as the king. "Come again, Your Majesty?"
Chapter 399 The Romanovs Visit The Royal Palace
Nichs furrowed his brows when Knight Jerald asked him to repeat his words instead of pinching him as the king requested. So, Nichs decided to pinch himself to make sure he was not hallucinating.
"OUCH!"
Nichs realized it was real. What made Lnd want to bring Sophie and the kids to the royal pce? All this time he seemed to avoid the ce like the gue. He only let Luciel and Jane to visit, Nichs would be the one toe and pick them up with several knights. Lnd wouldn''te to the pce at all.
So, seeing hime today made Nichs feel surprised. And to think that he also brought his mate? It was something that Nichs never dreamed would happen.
***
"Duke Ariam Romanov and his family have just arrived, Your Majesty," said the royal butler politely. Nichs who was pacing in his study immediately dashed through the door and went to the pce courtyard. He missed her so, so badly and really wanted to see her face again and...
''Stop it, Nichs,'' the king chided himself. He just realized that he was too eager to meet Sophie again after so long. It was rude to her mate if he showed that he was still so much in love with her despite the fact that she was now another man''s wife.
Even though very few people knew that Luciel and Jan, the duke''s sons were actually the king''s, most people were not aware of the past rtionship between Nichs and Sophie.
So, for the sake of Sophie''s reputation and the king''s himself, Nichs must not let people talk about her that way.
In people''s eyes, Alpha Lnd was Duke Ariam Romanov and Lady Sophia Romanov was his wife.
Nichs slowed down his steps. He walked gracefully out of the pce entrance and stood before the beautiful carriage that just arrived.
The coachman went down and opened the door for the passengers. Two boys immediately dashed out of the carriage, followed by a big man with long white hair who stood by and helped his wife get down from the carriage.
Sophie wore a beautiful pink silk dress, that emphasized the pink streaks on her gray hair. Nichs remembered how much he thought she looked so special and charming with her unique hair colors when he saw her the first time when he was thirteen.
It was sad that by now he had recovered all his memories of her from the moment they met in ckwoods 16 years ago, up to the moment he left her in that inn in Hauntingen to get rid of his lycanthropy after they got married.
It was too little toote. If only he remembered immediately after he was poisoned by wolfsbane, he would have searched for her to the ends of the world and got her back in his arms before Lnd coulde between them and swoop Sophie up.
"Hey, how are you?" Nichs focused his attention on his sons and greeted them so he wouldn''t keep looking at Sophie. He caught Luciel''s arm who almost tripped because he was too excited to be back in the royal pce. Nichs shook his head and chuckled. "Watch out!"
The boy justughed sheepishly and gripped his father''s hand. "Thanks, Dad."
Lnd acted like the scene didn''t bother him and focused his attention on his mate who just stepped onto the ground. Once Sophie stood calmly by his side, Lnd went to get a big basket with his children sleeping on it from the carriage.
When Nichs realized Lnd was bringing his babies too, he became utterly confused. He initially thought the family came to visit probably because there was something important, but he didn''t expect they would bring their small ones.
He had never seen werewolf babies before and always med himself for missing that part of Luciel''s and Jan''s lives when he was not in the picture. Nichs had to hold back his desire to peek inside the basket to see Sophie''s babies. He stood in his ce and waited for Lnd to exin the reason for their visit.
"Can wee in?" Lnd asked without further ado.
Nichs nodded and led the way. "Sure. Follow me."
He took them to his study because it was private and he could tell Lnd had something important to tell him away from everyone. Nichs walked toward his study with so many questions in his mind.
"Wee," Nichs said as he opened the door and held it for the family. Once each and every one of them had entered, he closed the door behind him.
The king''s study was huge andfortable. It had a big sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows and that''s where he often spent time alone to think about state matters while looking at the pond from his windows. It always made him feel calm to sit there and watch the birds and squirrels ying on the trees and outside his study.
"Please have a sit," Nichs offered the sofa, his favorite ce to Sophie and Lnd. Luciel and Jan were already sitting on two stools next to his desk as they always did when they came to visit him.
Sophie initially avoided Nichs'' eyes when they first met in the courtyard, but now she looked at him and smiled to express her gratitude for the warm wee he showed them.
She realized that she would be staying here for a few days, while her mate was away, so she better try to act normal around Nichs. It was rude to avoid their host during their stay here, even though she and Nichs had a history together.
Nichs was surprised to see her smile. He thought she would always avoid his gaze as she did earlier. This made his heart flutter.
"Thank you," Sophie said in her sweet voice. She sat gracefully on the sofa while Lnd sat next to her and put the basket with his sleeping babies beside him. Nichs finally could see the two furballs sleeping soundly in their basket.
Instantly he felt so jealous.
.
.
________________________
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Chapter 400 Dinner With The Queen
Nichs was distracted from his jealousy when the butler knocked on his door and said he came with refreshments for the king''s guests.
"Come in." Nichs was secretly relieved that the butler came. He could hide his feelings and put up a friendly smile again toward the family.
"Your Majesty." The butler entered with two servants carrying trays filled with a teapot and cups, and several jars of cookies. The three of them bowed their bodies to pay respect and with the wave of his hand, Nichs asked them to put everything on the table before his guests.
"It''s a nice surprise to see you all," Nichs said with a sincere smile. "Please have some tea."
The butler smiled at the guests and wlessly poured tea for them. Sophie mouthed her thank you and smiled back. She looked at her husband but Lnd was staring at Nichs impatiently.
It seemed, the man wanted to say something and was unhappy to see the butler and servants disturbing the moment. Nichs raised a brow and motioned his butler and the servants to leave them. He knew that those people were not supposed to witness his family affair.
Once the door was closed behind the butler, Nichs nodded at Lnd. He could tell there was something urgent behind the reason Lnd brought his entire family here.
"I need to go somewhere and I don''t feel safe leaving my family at the manor," Lnd said without further ado. "That''s why I am asking your help."
Nichs looked at Lnd questioningly. He really didn''t expect that this day woulde.
"Sure, I''d dly help in any way I can," he quickly replied. "Where are you going if I may ask?"
"It''s a secret, but my mate knows," said Lnd. "I just can''t tell you about it."
Nichs finally turned to look at Sophie and his heart fluttered at the sight of this beautiful woman of his dreams, who now looked at him with a smile. Nichs maintained his calm demeanor when he asked Sophie, "Are you okay about it?"
Sophie nodded. "Yes."
"Dad, father said we will stay in the royal pce for a few days," Luciel suddenly chimed in. "I am so excited."
"Several days?" Nichs was very happy to hear that. This was truly an unexpected and most wonderful surprise he would never dare dream of. "That''s wonderful."
He looked at Lnd with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was so happy to have his family with him for several days, that included the woman who gave birth to his sons, not just Luciel and Jan. However, he had a bad feeling about the reason why Lnd decided to take this drastic step.
Why?
"Only for several days," Lnd said. "My beta is not around, he is busy preparing for his own mating ritual and I need to go somewhere important. I hope I won''t trouble you too much. I just think the royal pce is the safest ce for them at the moment."
"Understood," said Nichs. "When do you need to go? I will have Sophie and the kids sorted in my mother''s pce. She would be thrilled to meet them."
Nichs was intentionally showing Lnd that he would keep his space from Sophie by immediately exining that he would allow the woman to stay near his mother, not near him in the main pce. He thought this was such good progress and he hoped that Lnd would see through him and trust him more in the future.
If Sophie''s visit this time went well, maybe Lnd would be open to friendship with Nichs and allow his family toe to the royal pce more often.
Nichs'' words satisfied Lnd. He remembered that Queen Marianne was a caring woman who would definitely treat Sophie and the kids well. He appreciated Nichs'' gesture.
"I need to leave in the evening," said Lnd.
"Well then, would you stay for dinner?" Nichs asked, looking hopeful. "The royal family would love to wee your family as our guests."
Sophie looked at her husband and asked him with her eyes to ept the dinner invitation. She wanted to be with him for as long as possible. Besides, she had not met Queen Marianne after Karenina''s birthday. The situation was different now.
When they met thest time, the old queen didn''t know Sophie was the mother of her grandsons. Now they would meet with this new knowledge and Sophie was not sure how she should treat Queen Marianne. It might feel a little awkward.
However, if she had Lnd by her side, it would feel less awkward because her status then and now was still the same, as Duke Romanov''s wife.
Lnd nodded tly. "I can do dinner."
"That''s great. That''s great." Nichs was truly happy. He motioned them to drink the tea. "Have some tea."
"Thank you," said Sophie.
p Nichs cleared his throat and tilted his face toward the basket beside Sophie. "Is there anything specific you need to prepare for the little ones? I can have my people get them ready. There have never been any babies in the royal pce for decades and I am not sure what to prepare..."
Sophie shook her head and chuckled. "They are not fragile like human babies who can just sleep and cry for food. You will see them run around and make chaos when they wake up. We just need to always keep an eye on them because they are so active and curious."
"Oh... interesting," said Nichs. He learned new things every day about lycans. "They are so adorable."
His words were sincere. He saw the two furballs and thought they were so cute. Ahh... of course, with Sophie''s and Lnd''s genes, he could definitely see how the two babies look so damn beautiful.
His sons were beautiful too. Sophie truly gave birth to lovely children.
"Thank you." This time, it was Lnd who spoke. His usually expressionless eyes were filled with happiness and pride when he lowered his face to watch his babies sleeping. His eyes curved up faintly in a very rare smile.
Nichs recognized that gaze. It was the same gaze he gave his sons whenever he looked at them and thanked heavens that he was blessed with such wonderful children.
He sipped his tea and his mind wandered. He would take days off from work and spend time with Luciel and Jan, if Sophie allowed him, with their younger siblings as well. No matter what, they were family now.
Since the little ones were Luciel''s and Jan''s siblings, they were like Nichs'' stepchildren by extension. So, he would want to get to know them too.
"Let me ask the butler to prepare everything and then we can get you all sorted." Nichs got up from his chair, patted Luciel and Jan on the shoulders, and then left the family in his study.
***
Queen Marianne was over the moon when she heard that the royal pce was hosting Sophie Romanov and her family for several days. She immediately weed the family when they stepped into the inner pce, where she resided.
"Good evening, Sophie," said the queen who immediately embraced Sophie when she saw her. "You look so beautiful and healthy. I am happy for you."
"Thank you, Your Grace," said Sophie, giving her a curtsey. "We are very happy to be here."
"Please have a seat," said the old queen. "We will start dinner now."
She motioned them to all sit so dinner could start. Nichs seated his mother at the head of the table while he took a chair to her right, followed by his children. He did it because he wanted to sit as his guests'' equal, as Luciel and Jan''s father, not the king.
Meanwhile. Lnd and Sophie sat on the other side of Queen Marianne. At a nce, they looked like a happy blended family, eating dinner together.
The queen was secretly very happy she would be hosting Sophie and her grandsons for several days. She was determined to talk to Sophie and get to know the woman better. After the queen found out that Sophia Romanov gave birth to her grandsons, Queen Marianne instantly felt a special fondness for her.
She definitely saw Sophie as a better woman than Karenina. Like Nichs, she also regretted the fact that Nichs and Sophie had to be separated in the past. If only things happened differently, she would already have her daughter-inw and grandsons that she so longed for.
Chapter 401 Are You Jealous?
The royal dinner went well. The cooks prepared all the best dishes as if they were throwing a small party. Everything was special and even the dining room was decorated with extra flowers. It looked so beautiful.
The blended family had dinner in a warm atmosphere. Sophie couldn''t help but smile to herself when she looked around her and saw everyone that she held dearly in her heart. She had always dreamed of someday having all her family with her, surrounded by peace and love.
However, when that finally happened, it felt so weird. Weird but not in a bad way.
She thought she just needed to get used to it. Sophie stole a nce at her mate who was sitting upright beside her and focused his attention on his food, while the queen livened up the dining table by talking with Luciel and Jan. Nichs was not as talkative as Sophie remembered, but it might be due to the fact that both he and Lnd were still feeling awkward sharing the family between them.
It was all because of Luciel and Jan, Sophie realized. If she didn''t give birth to Nichs'' sons seven years ago, whatever connection she had with him would be permanently severed after she married Lnd. That was the right thing to do.
However, the two boys became a bridge that would always connect Sophie to Nichs and made them family. Since Lnd raised Luciel and Jan and acted as their father before Nichs was back into the picture, Lnd was also connected to Nichs through the twins.
Whether they liked it or not, this was what fate had arranged for them.
"The food is amazing, thank you for having us," said Sophie politely after they finished dinner. "I am sorry, I have to go back to our room and check the little ones."
"It''s our pleasure having you here," said Queen Marianne. "Can I take Luciel and Jan to the library and get a new book to read for their bedtime?"
"You are too kind, Your Grace," said Sophie with a smile. She turned to her sons and saw they both beamed in happiness. "I will see youter in your room."
Luciel and Jan nodded in unison. They already had their own room in the royal pce and it was close to the king''s tower. However, since Sophie stayed in a room in Queen Marianne''s tower, they were given a new room next to their mother. This small thing meant a lot to Sophie and she really appreciated the thought Nichs put into it.
Sophie stood up, followed by Lnd. He nodded to Nichs before walking out of the dining room, holding Sophie''s hand intimately.
Queen Marianne could see from the corner of her eyes that Nichs looked away, focusing his attention on the oak tree outside the window. She could understand what her son was feeling.
It was easy to see that Nichs still loved Sophie. However, he had to bury his feelings for her in the deepest part of his heart. It was very unfortunate.
Would Nichs ever be happy? Queen Marianne wondered.
She remembered herte husband who had only loved one woman his whole life. Even after more than twenty years together, he could never love his own wife. His heart was buried together with the woman he loved, many, many years ago.
Would Nichs be like his father? If that was so... Queen Marianne thought it wouldn''t be fair to the woman he would someday marry.
She already empathized with her future daughter-inw, whoever she would be. That young woman would live a loveless marriage because Nichs would not ever love her, no matter how good she was as a wife and even if she gave birth to his child.
But... what would people think if Nichs decided not to marry anyone? People would think something was wrong with him. They already talked so much when Nichs was engaged to Karenina for many years but still didn''t show any signs that he would marry her.
"I have to go now and check something," Nichs said to his mother, giving an excuse to leave the dining room. "Good night, Mother."
"Good night, Nichs," said the queen softly. She really wanted to hug her son at this moment, however, she didn''t want to make things awkward for him. So, she only smiled and pretended everything was fine.
"Wee home, Luciel and Jan," said Nichs to his sons. He got up and rubbed their heads. "I will see you guys in the morning."
"Good night, Dad," said the boys in unison.
Nichs smiled and then walked out of the dining room.
***
Sophie''s room in the queen''s tower was really special. It was located on the second floor. The room was huge with a tall ceiling and two floor-to-ceiling windows that opened to a huge balcony.
Her bed was located in the center of the room with a big fluffy rug on the wooden floor. The furniture was ted with gold and everywhere she looked, there were flowers. She felt like a royal princess.
The room she shared with Lnd in the manor was beautiful too, but she didn''t decorate it with so many flowers or girly things because she wanted her husband to enjoy the room too.
"How can he find these many flowers in such a short time?" Lndmented tly when he closed the door behind him.
"He?" Sophie turned to look at Lnd and she chuckled to see his displeasure. "Do you think the king intentionally had the room prepared like this?"
Lnd shrugged. "Who else?"
"Uhm, I don''t know... maybe the butler or the queen?" asked Sophie. "I don''t think the king has that much time in his hands to micro-manage how the guest rooms should look like."
After they arrived at the royal pce two hours ago, Nichs hosted them in his study to have tea and snacks together, while the butler prepared rooms for Sophie and the boys. Seeing how fresh all the flowers in this room were, Lnd could see that the king intentionally asked his butler to prepare them for his guest, Sophie.
Lnd''s sense of smell was very sharp. He could smell flowers only from Sophie''s room. Even Queen Marianne''s room didn''t have flowers in it except for several jasmines in a pot by her window.
Lnd didn''t like it that Nichs seemed trying to impress Sophie. Even though he might have done it with innocent intention, Lnd still hated it.
"Do you want me to ask the butler to take them out?" Sophie said with a chuckle. "I can tell him that I am allergic to certain flowers."
Lnd shook his head. "Don''t. They are beautiful."
Sophie agreed that the flowers in her room were beautiful. They also made the air smell so good.
She took Lnd''s hand and pulled him to the bed and sat there. The man sat beside her. He pulled Sophie''s waist to get closer to him and then wrapped his hands around her.
"Please don''t feel impressed by whatever he would do for you," Lnd whispered in Sophie''s ear. His hot breath tickled her earlobe and Sophie squirmed a little.
She looked at him and smiled broadly. "Are you jealous, Lnd?"
Lnd nodded honestly. "I am."
Sophie turned around to him and cupped his face lovingly. "I am d to know you''re jealous. I don''t know how to read your thoughts and understand your feelings. So, I always appreciate your honesty in sharing your feelings with me."
Chapter 402 The Alphas Claim **
Lnd looked at Sophie deeply. He realized she was really bothered by the fact that she and he didn''t have the same mate bond as those of pure lycan mates.
It was none of their fault.It''s just how it was. There were some barriers between creatures of different species inmunication and how they build connections with each other.
Lycans were superior in this regardpared to humans. They could smell their kind, they also couldmunicate in their lycannguage, and for mates, they had the strongest bond of all creatures.
They could read each other''s minds and understood their mate''s feelings. Humans needed to use their verbal and bodynguage to express their thoughts and feelings.
However, humans were superior in other aspects. For example, humans were more social and they had moreplex systems in their society. Lycans tend to be more closed off and only cared about their packs.
Humans were also more keen on research and technology and they made up for theirck of physical prowess by developing technology to help their life. The hybrids were usually the ones who got stuck in the middle. They couldn''t be fully epted by humans and lycans.
It took them more effort to blend in and prove themselves in their chosenmunity. In some packs, a wolfless hybrid like Sophie would be outcasted by the lycans and she would be forced to live among humans.
The same goes for hybrids whose lycan genes were stronger and they were born lycans, but had to somehow live among humans.
They would be considered monsters and they could even get killed. This was especially worse for those who lived in kingdoms like Riga where lycans were considered the royal enemy. They would be hunted and killed.
Even though Sophie didn''t talk about her insecurity a lot, Lnd always knew what she felt and how it bothered her so much. That''s why he tried to share with her as much as possible what he felt and thought.
When Sophie showed how much his sharing his life with her meant to her, Lnd had made it a habit to talk to her before they slept.
That started when Sophie asked him to tell stories about her parents and their childhood together which she couldn''t remember because she was too young back then.
Sophie was so touched when Lnd told her about the beautiful moments with her parents that she rewarded him with kisses and passionate lovemaking. It was very wholesome.
After that moment, the quiet Alpha had learned to talk a bit more just because he knew how much it would make his mate happy.
"I am jealous," said Lnd again. "Even though I have epted him as part of your past, and the father of Luciel and Jan, it doesn''t mean I can ever be friends with him... or stop feeling jealous."
Sophie smiled and jumped forward to hug Lnd. She wrapped her hands around his neck and tip-toed to kiss him on the lips.
"I love you," she whispered before she kissed him. Sophie closed her eyes and enjoyed the meeting of their lips. "You are allowed to feel jealous. I understand."
Lnd closed his eyes too. He could feel Sophie''s honesty and that gave him a sense of relief.
He returned her kiss more passionately and he pulled her up so she didn''t have to tip-toe. Lnd used his hands to support her buttocks and Sophie instantly wrapped her legs around his waist.
She opened her lips a little bit and Lnd''s tongue slid through the opening. It ravaged the insides of Sophie''s mouth and twisted her tongue in a fiery duel. She was almost out of breath when Lnd ended the kiss.
"Lee... Lnd..." Sophie panted when Lnd slowly brought her to bed andy her down. Then, he went down lower to her neck and gave it a small bite which made Sophie whimper.
His lips and tongue trailed down to her corbone, while his skilled hands quickly stripped Sophie off of her dress. Sophie''s eyes bulged when she realized what he was doing.
"Lnd..." Sophie whispered in panic. "The babies... we will wake them up..."
She looked to the side, where the babies basket were ced. Their beautiful children were sleeping very soundly. Anne''s nose crinkled as if sniffing the air and she growled softly, making Sophie''s heart skip a beat.
Fortunately, Anne didn''t wake up. She rolled around and continued her sleep with her back to them.
"They won''t wake up," Lnd chuckled. He understood Sophie''s worry. "We have time."
Sophie bit her lip and hit his arm yfully. She loved that he was initiating sex before he left, it felt so sexy. However, at the same time, she was embarrassed to think that they were doing it in a ce where they were visiting guests. It didn''t feel right.
It almost felt like having sex in the open field and worried that suddenly anyone could walk in on them. Okay, the babies were sleeping, but what about the older kids?
Luciel and Jan stayed behind in the dining room to talk with the queen and their father. What if they suddenly came and knocked on the door while Sophie and Lnd were doing the deed? What if the queen came too?
How could Sophie show her face again before Queen Marianne if that happened?
"Don''t worry about them," suddenly Lnd spoke in a husky voice. He looked up to see Sophie''s blushed face and touched her cheek lovingly with the back of his hand. "I made sure the king knows that nobody should disturb us. He wouldn''t let theme here until we''re done."
GULP!
Sophie batted her eyes when she heard Lnd''s words. She was surprised to see the man smiling mischievously. It was a very rare expression that he was showing now and this made Sophie in awe.
Gosh... did he intentionally initiate sex with Sophie to mark his ''ownership'' of her and warn Nichs to stay away from his mate?
Okay, ownership was the wrong word, Sophie thought. Perhaps, ''im'' was a better wording.
Lycans were extremely sensitive to scent and sound. Perhaps, Lnd made sure Nichs could hear him and Sophie making love from the sounds they made and the scent he emanated to warn Nichs of his ce.
Being an Alpha Lycan himself, Nichs'' senses were so heightened that he could know whatever things Lnd and Sophie were doing in their chamber.
Chapter 403 Nicholas Is Annoyed **
So... Lnd was intentionally doing this... for what?
To make Nichs jealous? Or simply to mark his territory around a love rival?
"Gosh... Lnd..." Sophie wanted to scold Lnd for being childish this one time. Since he would leave Sophie in the royal pce for a few days, he was marking his im over her by having sex with Sophie before he departed.
However, she immediately forgot what she wanted to do when Lnd pulled down her dress and tossed it to the floor. Then he spread her thighs open to give him better ess before going down on her. He started licking and sucking greedily, like there was no tomorrow.
Sophie came so fast and so intensely. She arched her back so quickly and gripped the sheets to hold back from screaming.
No, no, no... she couldn''t scream here. They were in the royal pce, not their own home.
"Oh, Lnd...." Sophie hit Lnd''s arm when she had regted her breath and pulled herself together. Her first orgasm felt so, so good! However, he took her by surprise. She whispered between her panting breath. "Wh-what are you doing...? This is the royal pceee..."
Lnd didn''t reply. He only smiled and moved up to kiss her lips.
Now, how could Sophie get mad at him if he smiled like an angel? Whatever words she wanted to say were blocked by his sweet kiss, and she soon forgot about them.
Sophie closed her eyes again and enjoyed his passionate kiss. Her legs moved up to wrap around his waist. Instinctively, her body just wanted to hug him tightly. She didn''t want him to go.
Lnd growled softly and his lips went down to Sophie''s neck and he bit her again. Right at that moment, she somehow could feel his reluctance to leave.
Maybe it was not being childish, Sophie corrected her thought.
Lnd was just being a territorial lycan. He had never left Sophie alone in other people''s home. So, since he needed to do it now, out of instinct, he decided to mark Sophie again.
After he bit her, Lnd raised Sophie''s legs to his shoulders for support, and then he bent down to Sophie''s chest and he eagerly took in a mouthful of her left breast. His right hand went to her fold. He used two fingers to stimte her clitoris and then prate her, while he pampered her breasts alternately.
"Oh, Lnd.... Ahhh...." Sophie also didn''t stay idle. She started to unbutton his shirt and then his pants. However it was very difficult to do in her position.
Fine! Since they were doing it already, why didn''t she just enjoyed it and stopped caring about other people?
Lnd who saw how difficult it was for her to undress him, smirked faintly and decided to help his mate. He lowered her legs and got up to strip himself. Once he was naked, he climbed up on top of Sophie again and pressed down on her body. Then he rolled down and take the bottom position.
Sophie''s breasts touched his muscr chest and his hardness poked between her thighs. It made her shiver, in a good way. It felt so sexy. They kissed again. Soon, their naked bodies were intertwined in bed as they groped and kissed each other to their hearts'' content.
Lnd was now on top over Sophie again. He peppered her face with kisses while he ran his fingers down from her corbone to her stomach, and finally her pussy.
Sophie squirmed when Lnd opened her thighs wide and positioned his manhood to enter her. It was time for the main course. Her vision was clouded and she bit her lip in anticipation.
All Sophie could see was her handsome mate towering above her, moving his hips harder and faster, along with every thrust that sent her to cloud nine.
Sophie''s and Lnd''s bodies moved in such a beautiful sync to an inaudible tune that only they could hear. Sophie''s moans immediately filled the huge chamber. From time to time, she would scream Lnd''s name and told him to go faster and harder because she wasing.
Lnd couldn''t care less that Nichs was very annoyed by what the couple was doing. The king''s lycan''s sharp sense of hearing had caught the sexy sounds from the queen''s tower. His expression turned sour.
"Uhm... I need to go out for a moment," said Nichs to his mother and sons. "Do you all want to go to the library now?"
The queen nodded. "Yes. Luciel and Jan,e with me."
She took the boys'' hands, one in each hand and together they walked joyfully toward the library. Meanwhile, Nichs felt such a bad headache. He felt like shifting to his lycan form and ran away to the field and roared to vent out his anger.
After he had epted himself being a lycan, he had enjoyed all the privileges that came with it. The superior speed, senses, and reflexes were among a few.
However, tonight he hated his sharp hearing and sense of smell. His nostrils were filled with such annoying smell that was produced by mating lycans. It was pheromone that was extremely arousing to their sex partner, but made love rivals turned off.
"That bastard," Nichs growled. He finally followed his instinct, transformed into a lycan and jumped out of his window and headed to the forest not far from the royal pce.
How long should he stay away? He didn''t really know. Fuck!
***
Lnd and Sophie made love for several rounds because the Alpha was insatiable. He didn''t know why he felt so much more possessive than usual and ravaged his mate''s body for hours before he finally ended their lovemaking.
Sophie hugged him tightly when they came together and he buried his face between her breasts. They stayed in that position for a few moments, nobody moved or said anything, just enjoying the moment.
And then, Lnd moved and kissed her on the lips. "I have to go now."
.
.
.
_______________________
From Missrealitybites:
I hope you enjoyed the two chapters. I created a new privilege of only two chapters, just to make sure that at least some of my chapters are not stolen by pirates.
Chapter 404 You Have A Lot Of Guts
Sophie wanted to cry. Somehow she felt worried because Lnd had never left her this long. After they were together, they had been inseparable. The longest he went away from her was many, many years ago when he went to Frisia to get his pack to Riga.
Lnd also didn''t seem too happy to leave Sophie and their kids behind even though it was only for several days, that he sent them to the royal pce.
They looked at each other. Sophie forced a smile and kissed his lips. "Take care and go back quickly."
"I will," Lnd said solemnly. His heart fluttered at the possibility of getting news about Sophie''s parents. No matter what, they needed to solve the mystery of what happened to them.
And if they were really dead, who was actually responsible for the crimes?
For years all he wanted was for Sophie and himself to get closure. Anne and Jack died tragically and he had been holding a grudge toward the wrong side. Now, it was time to finally know the truth.
With one final kiss, Lnd left Sophie and his little ones.
***
Right before midnight, Lnd and the ten strongest Lycans from the Blood River Pack had set out on a secret mission to kill Elias. Lnd ran through the wind, in his mind he kept thinking about Anne and Jack and wondering if what Celia said was true.
When the sun''s rays had almost dispelled all the darkness, they finally arrived near the borders of Armeria. They immediately transformed back into humans and put on their clothes. Not long after, two witches who had been waiting for their arrival immediately approached them.
The two witches thanked Lnd for keeping his promise toe to free Eloise. Lnd''s expression was cold as usual. He had note for Eloise at all but to find out the truth about Jack and Anne.
Upon seeing Lnd''s cold gaze that showed no desire to make small talk, one of the witches took out a bottle filled with a light purple liquid.
"What''s that?" Lnd asked tly as he stared at the bottle.
"This is a potion that can remove your scent so that the border guards can''t detect our presence. You have to use this potion."
Before taking the bottle, Lnd looked at the two witches in front of him sharply.
"If you trick me you will die," he said.
When they saw Lnd''s gaze, the two witches broke out in cold sweat, wanting to shrink into the ground to hide.
"N-no, we wouldn''t dare," said the witch who offered Lnd the potion bottle. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Lnd again.
Max stepped forward.
"Let me try it first, Alpha," he said. Even though they were currently cooperating with the witches, they had to remain vignt because witches were skilled swindlers.
Max drank the potion. After a while, Lnd and the other nine lycans could no longer smell his scent.
"We wouldn''t dare lie to Alpha Lnd," said the witch politely. "We also drank it ourselves."
Since it proved safe, Lnd and the others also drank the potion and then continued their journey across the border and into Armeria''s territory.
The potion worked so well, that the border guards werepletely unaware of their arrival.
***
At this time within the Armerian royal pce, Alpha Elias was having a meeting with the officials to discuss the n to attack Riga.
"Right now Riga has received support from many packs, plus royal soldiers and royal lycan hunters. Riga has enormous strength and support," said a man with a cross on his left face.
"But we have Luna and the coven of witches," one of them gave a rebuttal.
Alpha Elias who was sitting on the throne furrowed his brows and thought. He had found out Eloise''s fondness for Alpha Lnd in the past which he hated, and now Alpha Lnd was on Riga''s side. It was not impossible if that woman would finally decide to support the Riga Kingdom.
She no longer warmed up to him after Alpha Elias took over Armeria with her help. She often left the kingdom to do her own thing and Elias realized couldn''t always rely on her.
"Lnd, that traitor. He instead sided with Riga and chose the opposite path to the Obsidian Sand Pack with whom he is rted," Likaios spoke up. "I can''t wait to meet him in battle and teach him a lesson. So many of his former pack members would be happy to see him dead. He is a disgrace to his father''s legacy."
Alpha Elias wished the same. He would be happy to attack Riga when the time came and meet Lnd on the battlefield. But now was not a good time to attack Riga because that kingdom managed to raise so much support from among the lycans within its territory, which must be because of Lnd''s influence.
"Your Majesty!!"
"Alpha!"
Alpha Elias raised a brow and when he heard people call his name. He looked up and see two men came running inside the throne room. They immediately dropped their bodies to the floor. Right at the same time, they could hear amotion from outside the pce.
Everyone stood up spontaneously. They were on high alert because they could feel danger.
"What happened?" Elias asked.
That question was also in the heads of everyone there.
One of the lycans who just entered immediately responded, "Alpha, an uninvited guest hase and attacked the guards at the pce gates."
"What? Who darese here to make trouble with me?" asked Alpha Elias. Likaios wanted to go out to check and see what was going on but before he stepped out, the light from outside the door was overshadowed by a big tall figure who walked inside the throne room calmly.
"That is me." Lnd halted his steps and stood valiantly in the doorway, staring coldly at Elias. The gleam in his eyes was like sunlight reflecting off an icy surface.
"You?" Elias''s brows knitted sharply as Lnd stepped in without any fear at all. Elias smiled sarcastically. "You came in here alone, you have a lot of guts."
Chapter 405 Duel Between Leland And Elias
Lnd''s expression did not change. "Why should I be afraid of weak men who gain power by taking advantage of women?"
Lnd''s words, which were extremely sarcastic, aroused annoyance within Elias. Although he didn''t want to admit it, what Lnd said was a fact.
Elias got the Alpha position because of Isolde''s help who poisoned Alpha Zaros so he could ascend the leadership position. Then, he strengthened his pack and expanded his power by relying on the help of Eloise and her coven of witches. He wouldn''t be where he was today without them.
? "I want to meet my mother," said Lnd, ignoring everyone in the room and focusing on Elias.
"She doesn''t want to meet you. You are a useless child to her." Elias scoffed.
Lnd, who had been feeling irritated for a long time, finally said firmly. "I challenge you to an open duel in front of everyone and then prove which one of us is useless."
Elias gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. He knew that he would not be able to defeat Lnd. Long ago, after the death of Alpha Zaros, his path to the throne was very smooth because nopetitor dared to challenge him to a one-on-one duel.
"Are you scared?" Lnd took several steps forward, his aura was extremely strong and pressing.
He looked at everyone there one by one and looked back at Elias. "What''s wrong? Are you afraid that you will lose the duel and I take over the leadership of Obsidian Sand Pack? I am the nephew of Alpha Zaros so I am also entitled to the position of the Obsidian San Pack''s Alpha."
"Nonsense. SOLDIER!" Elias shouted angrily.
Before the soldiers came, the man who had a scar crossing his left cheek stepped forward toward Elias. He spoke seriously and said, "Alpha Elias must ept this duel. Alpha Lnd''s im is true. To maintain power you must ept and win this duel, if you lose then we will not be able to respect you anymore."
The people in the throne room agreed and said that Elias should ept the challenge.
Likaios also agreed. Even though he didn''t like Lnd, as the beta of the pack, he wouldn''t want to respect a weak Alpha who ran away from a challenge.
Hearing the urging, Elias smirked and scoffed. He looked at Lnd with disdain. "Okay, if you want to die, let''s have a duel right now."
"I will wait for you outside," Lnd said coldly.
He turned around and walked out of the throne room, soon followed by everyone. Elias stood up but he didn''t immediately follow Lnd out. He took a bit of time to retrieve poison from a cupboard behind his throne, and then quickly caught up with the people.
Meanwhile, Lnd who was already outside also took advantage of an opportunity to give orders to Max to investigate the whereabouts of Eloise and his mother, Isolde. He really needed these two women to find out the true fate of Sophie''s parents.
In front of the majestic Armeria Pce, Lnd stood opposite Elias. All the Lycans gathered and stood in a circle. They would watch the course of the fight and ensure there was no cheating in the duel.
Elias was upset inside. He hated Lnd who had put him in a situation of risking his honor and pride as the Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack. But even so, he still showed a calm demeanor.
"I''m giving you onest chance to change your mind," Elias said, smiling disdainfully. Lnd''s expression didn''t change.
One moment, the wind blew between them, the next second Lnd was in front of Elias with a fist punching his face. Elias shifted to avoid it but a momentter a kick hit the side of his face which made his ears ring. Before the effect wore off, a hard smack hit him in the stomach sending him flying far back.
The line of lycans there was split in two and opened like show curtains. A gust of wind fluttered Lnd''s hair as the man was standing calmly in the middle of the courtyard, looking at Elias who was tumbling.
"A-Alpha Elias?" The lycans who saw this were stunned.
There was a feeling of disappointment within them because all this time they had considered Alpha Elias to be a very strong Alpha. However, it seemed he was not even a decent contender for the Alpha position,pared to Lnd.
When Elias got to his feet and saw all the lycans staring at him doubtfully, he gritted his teeth and looked at Lnd with hatred. He didn''t want to lose his pride in front of all his men. He gave off an aura of anger that suppressed and frightened the pack members.
Realizing an imminent attack, Lnd increased his vignce. Elias tightly gripped the small vial of poison and sped off, jumping and transforming into a lycan while preparing to deliver his poisonous ws to Lnd.
Lnd jumped back. Elias'' ws hit the air. Lnd transformed into his white wolf form.
The two of them shot at each other and shed punches and made a hugemotion on the pce grounds. The lycans who were watching stepped back gradually and widened the circle.
Lnd grabbed Elias'' wrist and pulled him very hard. Elias''s body was pulled up and then mmed into the ground very hard, making the ground seem to shake.
In a swift motion, Elias grabbed Lnd''s leg, got up, and threw the white wolf towards the pce walls. At the moment in midair, Lnd turned his body andnded smoothly on the ground.
Seeing Elias''s resistance to Lnd''s pressure and attacks, the lycans who had doubted their Alpha''s abilities were convinced again. The fight was still going on and over time their movements were elerating.
Elias raised his paw to hit Lnd''s face but the man shifted and kicked Elias'' leg, making the ck fur wolf fall to its knees with both hands resting on the ground the next second Lnd kicked his butt, making his nose really kiss the ground.
The lycans who saw this tried to hold back theirughter. If theyughed and it turned out that Elias won the duel, Elias would not spare their lives.
Elias who felt embarrassed and humiliated became very angry. He gave off a strong killing aura. Lnd remained in his position, watching Elias who was trying to stand back up.
Elias looked at Lnd with a heart filled with anger. Despite realizing that Lnd was stronger, he wouldn''t let his pride as an Alpha crumble in front of the lycans and humans alike.
He attacked Lnd with all his strength.
Explosions apanied by shards of earth flying in all directions urred every time Elias'' ws hit the ground.
In an instant, the courtyard was filled with holes. All the Lycans around them moved away to avoid the effects of Elias'' attack. To counter Elias''s charges, Lnd increased his power. The auras of the two Alphas were extremely pressing. Many people chose to go as far from the duel arena as possible because the aura seemed to be crushing their heads.
Elias smacked his ws into Lnd''s face but Lnd shifted his position and stabbed Elias in the stomach with his ws. At the same time, Elias hit Lnd''s temple with his elbow.
Blood ran down Elias'' stomach, while Lnd''s head buzzed for a moment.
Chapter 406 [Bonus Chapter] The Battle Of Two Alphas
At this moment, they gripped each other''s shoulders and tried to knock each other down. Blood flowed from the shoulders of the two as sharp ws pierced into their skin. They bit, wed, and mmed their opponents as fiercely as they could.
Everyone was watching the fight between the two Alphas intensely, but none of them did anything. Even though Elias was their leader, in this one-on-one duel, the lycans from The Obsidian Sand Pack couldn''t take sides.
Lnd had officially challenged the pack''s Alpha in a one-on-one battle to take the leadership position of the pack. So, they were not allowed to help Elias. If Elias lost the battle, Lnd would be their new leader. They must not offend him now.
Grrr¡.
Grrr¡
The two let out a loud groan before Lnd finally mmed Elias to the side. Elias, who didn''t want to fall alone, grabbed Lnd and they fell together. Their bodies rolled and rolled and wrestled each other all the way until they reached a big pir.
Bloodstains spread all over the ce. Elias''s stomach continued to bleed. It made his strength decrease drastically. He was restless and getting more and more irritated every time because the poison he gave Lnd through the nails still didn''t show any effect on the Alpha.
Most of the lycans who were still hanging around to watch the duel could already predict that Elias would lose the fight.
***
Meanwhile, inside the pce, Max and the four other lycans were checking every room of every part of the pce for the whereabouts of Eloise and Isolde.
Gradually, the effects of the potions they drank wore off, making the lycan pce guards begin to notice their existence.
"Do you smell this?" One of the guards took a deep breath, confirming that there was an unfamiliar scent around them.
"Hm. There''s an intruder. From over there!"
The guards who noticed the scent rushed towards the source of the scent.
Max and his fourpanions noticed the enemy''s arrival.
"Get ready. Soon we will be attacked," said Max with a sigh.
As soon as Max spoke, they were surrounded. They couldn''t help but fight. Instantly, the situation in the pce hall became very chaotic.
A guard threw a table at Max but the man pulled a guard nearby and made him a shield to catch the table before he immediately turned to kick another guard who wanted to attack him from behind.
Not far from him, a friend threw a guard at a pir while the others moved swiftly to dodge enemy attacks and throw furniture at each other. Soon, three of their five friends who had been outside watching their Alpha duel came to help, followed by two witches who weed them at the border.
Because of therge number of enemies they needed time to incapacitate them all.
"Have you found Madam Isolde and Miss Eloise yet?" One of the three lycans who came to help asked.
"Not yet," Max replied. "What about Alpha?"
"He almost won the duel."
"Gentlemen, thanks for the help. Pleasee with us. We''ll show you where Miss Eloise is," said Celia, who showed up from behind a big pir followed by a younger witch.
Max looked at the two witches.
"Why didn''t you guys tell us from the start?!" he asked annoyed. "We wasted so much time looking around."
"Ah, that¡ we''re sorry," Celia looked down apologetically. "We were held up."
"We must quickly find Mrs. Isolde and Miss Eloise and bring them before Alpha," said Max impatiently. He motioned the witches to show them the way.
The two witches led Max and the seven other lycans to a building. When they got there, they were confronted by the lycans assigned to closely guard the building.
"Is Luna Eloise inside?" Max asked and the two witches nodded.
"Max, we will fight them. When you find an opportunity, go inside with the two witches."
Hearing his friend''s words, Max nodded.
All the lycans transformed into their wolf forms and then attacked the guards to open a way for Max to enter the building.
The guards didn''t stay still. They also transformed and tried their best to block out the eight intruders. The fierce fight that caused amotion broke out again.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Elias'' defenses began to crumble. Lndunched a barrage of extremely fast attacks. Head, chest, stomach, back. Blood was flowing from between Elias'' fur and made the ck wolf look terrible.
Lnd hit Elias'' injured stomach and then spun around while doing a kick that hit the side of Elias'' face. Elias staggered to the side before finally falling. Gradually his form returned into human form.
His wolf face had been beaten to a pulp and was covered with blood. His two eyes stared hatefully at the white wolf standing in front of him.
Meanwhile, Lnd who was staring at Elias suddenly felt dizzy and he spontaneously shook his head once.
Elias knew from Lnd''s behavior that the poison was starting to work. Even though it was very strong, he only nted the poison on his nails when he broke the poison bottle. It was no wonder that it took some time for it to show the effect on a very healthy and strong Alpha lycan like Lnd.
Now he regretted that he didn''t use the potion in a bigger dose. The amount of poison that entered Lnd''s body was very little while Lnd had a very strong immune system. He only staggered for a while, but he quickly found his bnce and he didn''t even wince.
''Shit!" Elias cursed in his heart. When he thought Lnd was caught off guard, he took the opportunity to run away but Lnd realized this immediately and chased after him.
Today Elias must die.
Lnd chased Elias to a building and when he entered, he found his mother being strangled by Elias. Eloise looked annoyed and hateful.
"Don''te any closer or I will kill her," said Elias earnestly.
"Aahh..."
Isolde''s two hands grabbed Elias''s big hand which was strangling her neck, "Heyy... let me go. Elias... let me go."
Isolde looked very different today than what Lnd saw in person four years ago. She looked frail, even though her hateful and arrogant expressions were still there.
Elias ignored the woman''s words and focused on Lnd. "If you take a step forward you''ll see your mother die. I''m not kidding."
"How dare you! Ungrateful son of a bitch!" Isolde cursed. "Don''t forget that you are in this position, because of me. Without my help you are nothing. LET. GO. OF. ME!!"
"Shut up." Elias snapped while Isolde continued cursing him.
"You insolent dog! You''re shameless and ungrateful! Youe to power because of me and now you use me to protect yourself! You useless man! Trash!"
"Shut up!"
"No. Trash would definitely feel insulted if I called you trash! You¡." Isolde narrowed her eyes and spit on Elias. "You are one piece of..."
"SILENCE!" Elias snapped and immediately slit Isolde''s throat with his long and sharp ws. Instantly the blood flowed like a river from the older woman''s neck.
Isolde''s eyes widened before her head fell to the ground.
As soon as his mother fell, Lnd immediately jumped up and mmed his ws into Elias''s head with great force. It was so fast and unexpected by his opponent. Elias didn''t have time to dodge the attack.
His head was decapitated and his body dropped to the ground like a rag doll.
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I am learning to create artwork/images with the help of AI and I am very pleased with the result.
Check thement to see an image I made of Lnd getting out of the shower. Enjoy! XD
Chapter 407 Elias Cowardice
The spectators immediately went into an uproar. Likaios who already expected Elias to lose the battle was still shocked to see his Alpha face his end in such a gruesome death. He stood unmoved and his face showed a horrified expression. Many other Lycans were feeling the same thing.
It was so hard to ept the fact that now they had to show obedience to the Alpha who was their former enemy. The traitors from Blood River Pack who left the pack to join The Obsidian Sand Pack seven years ago were now trembling on the spot. They were so scared of Lnd''s revenge.
Back then they betrayed him because they were impatient and thought Sophie had made him weak. They got protection from Elias because they sold their loyalty to him.
However, now Lnd actually killed Elias in a formal duel to take over the leadership position in this pack, they couldn''t do anything to avenge Elias'' death.
Heck, they couldn''t even provoke the other members to attack Lnd. It was against their code of honor as lycans. A few foolish ones who tried were immediately reprimanded by the older lycans and they could only step back with their tails between their legs.
Lnd closed his eyes. The fight with Elias drained his energy. However, that was not the only reason why he felt there was something wrong with his body. His head felt heavy and his vision slowly blurred.
He crouched down and transformed into a human again and held his head. It was excruciatingly painful. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Isolde''s head in a pool of blood, staring at him with her lifeless eyes.
His chest felt literal pain. Even though he and his mother had a really bad rtionship, they shared a family bond, and he could feel the horror and pain Isolde felt right before she died. Elias had killed the woman who was linked to Anne''s and Jack''s fate in the past.
Lnd had not had the chance to interrogate his mother about what truly happened to Sophie''s parents and now he couldn''t do it anymore. This upset him greatly. He came here all the way to Armeria because he wanted to give Sophie closure.
"Aahh..." Lnd felt the pain in his head be more intense. He tried to rise and but his legs gave up on him. He fell down to the ground with a loud thud.
"Lnd!!" Eloise''s voice was the only thing he heard before he passed out.
***
Max and his friends found Eloise in one of the rooms of the pce. She immediately cried and sold them a pitiful story of how she was locked in that room by Elias and was not allowed to go anywhere.
Max knew of Eloise''s past friendship with Lnd and treated her respectfully even though she was the wife of their enemy. Since she was Elias'' victim, in a way, she became their ally. That''s how he saw the situation.
When Eloise heard of the duel between Lnd and Elias, she immediately ran toward the pce courtyard to witness it. She wanted to get the pleasure of watching Elias die with her own eyes. Unfortunately, she was toote.
When she arrived, she was greeted by the Isolde''s and Elias'' dead bodies and Lnd staggered to keep his bnce. And then he fell down hard to the ground.
Eloise screamed as she ran past everyone and got to Lnd. She crouched down to hold his head and checked his body for any fatal injuries. There was none. Lnd''s body was injured here and there from his fight with Elias earlier but none of them would cause his death. This made Eloise feel relieved.
She immediately shouted orders to everyone to bring a robe to cover Lnd''s naked body and bring him inside. Her reaction confused many members of the Obsidian Sand Pack.
She was their luna so they were supposed to obey her orders. However, after Lnd won the duel, he was their new Alpha and thus Eloise was no longer in power.
Another thing that made them feel ufortable was that instead of screaming and wailing to see her husband die, Eloise showed more concern for Lnd who killed him. They became salty because their women wouldn''t do something like Eloise just did.
Lycans were extremely passionate and loyal to their mates. So, any female lycans who saw their men killed gruesomely before their eyes would see red because they felt the pain and the anger that their mates felt.
But Eloise didn''t show any of those. Witches were not known for their loyalty and this made them dislike her being their Luna. However, Elias was crazy about her and she was his wife. So, the Obsidian Sand Pack could only bite their tongue.
"What are you waiting for???" Eloise scolded Likaios who was standing nearby and looking at Elias'' body absent-mindedly. The Beta turned to look at Eloise and almost growled at her. How could this woman be so heartless and not grieve for her husband''s death, not even for a bit?
Before Likaios could respond, Max had arrived with his friends and they immediately helped carry Lnd.
"Bring him inside," said Eloise quickly. "I suspect that Elias poisoned him. That coward."
***
Lnd had a nightmare. He found himself in his wolf form being chained to a pir in the throne room, in a foreign pce. He growled and tried to break free, but all his efforts were futile. The chain was made of silver and he couldn''t exert his strength to break it. He could also feel
While he was enraged and tried to remove himself from the chain, he heard a familiar voice from above. The voice tried to calm him down.
"Lnd... wake up! Wake up now..."
Instantly Lnd''s eyes opened. He tried to sit up but he couldn''t move his body. He felt like he was chained and couldn''t move but he couldn''t see the chain. What the fuck was going on with him?
Chapter 408 Leland And Eloise
Above him, he could see Eloise was looking at her worriedly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him wake up.
"Gosh.. that coward," she scoffed to the side and then looked at Lnd again. Her expression was filled with worry. "I am d you woke up. It''s been one week."
One week?
Lnd gritted his teeth. It was days too long. What happened to him that he couldn''t wake up for one week? He was really worried about Sophie and their children.
She must be really worried because he didn''te home as he promised. Lnd told her that his mission would take three to four days max. Even one extra day was too long.
He didn''t like leaving his family at the Riga royal pce for obvious reasons. All he thought about after he left for Armeria was how he could return as soon as possible.
"Can you speak?" Eloise asked Lnd. "Can you move your body?"
Lnd felt so weak that he couldn''t move his body, but he could speak with a low voice. "Where... am I?"
"You are in the Armeria pce," said Eloise. "You were poisoned by Elias, that coward."
"What poison?" Lnd was so mad at hearing Eloise''s exnation. Never in the history of their tribe, was an Alpha so cowardly that he used such a lowly method to subdue his opponent. Lycans were creatures who used physical strength and they dealt with matters using power, not sneaky ways like poison.
However, since Elias was involved with Eloise who was a witch, and used to using these backhanded methods, he became corrupted and used her poison to try and kill Lnd since he was aware of his own physical strength. He was no match to Lnd.
"I... I think he stole my poison and used it on you," said Eloise. Her voice sounded apologetic. "From the symptoms... I think it''s the poison that attacks the nerves."
Lnd''s heart skipped a beat. He remembered experiencing such an excruciating headache after he killed Elias. He didn''t remember anything else after that. The only thing he knew was he woke up one weekter, in the enemy''s den.
"Don''t worry, the pack respected the duel and they now consider you their new Alpha," said Eloise as if reading Lnd''s mind.
Lnd couldn''t care less about the Obsidian Sand Pack. He did challenge Elias in a formal duel but the real reason he did that was to avoid the pack members meddling between his and Elias'' fight.
He was not interested to take over the pack from Elias. Though after he won he did n to kill all his former members who betrayed him and moved to Obsidian Sand Pack.
However, now that worked in his favor too. When he passed out after Elias'' poison took him out, the lycans in Armeria didn''t dare touch him. He was now their new Alpha. He didn''t want to imagine if he passed out here surrounded by enemies. He would have been dead now and he couldn''t go home to Sophie.
"Give me the antidote," said Lnd coldly. He looked at Eloise with a piercing gaze. "It''s your poison. so you have to fix it."
Eloise looked at Lnd with pursed lips. "I am not the one who poisoned you. So, I am not guilty of the crime. You have killed the culprit."
She got up and looked at Lnd from above. Her arms were crossed on her chest. "Since you need my help, shouldn''t you try to be nicer to me?"
"I came here because you begged me to help you," Lnd said. He was angry but tried to keep his tone low and emotionless. "Shouldn''t you be treating the person who came here to help you better?"
"Oh, I am," said Eloise. "I have been treating you day in and day out. I have never left your bed and made sure you don''t die from the poison. I forgive you for not knowing that because you were unconscious."
Lnd was silent when Eloise retorted like that. He still couldn''t move his body so he was suspicious that the witch didn''t really help him get better. She might only do the bare minimum just to keep him alive. He needed to talk to his men to find out from them whatever happened while he was unconscious.
"Where are Max and the others?" Lnd changed the subject. "I have to talk to them."
"Oh, they went home to Riga to notify your pack that you are injured and need to recover before you could return," Eloise said.
"All of them?" Lnd didn''t believe her. Max was not stupid. He would bring Lnd with him back to Riga, even if the Alpha was already dead.
"All of them," said Eloise. She approached Lnd and sat by the bed. Her hand touched the man''s arm. "Why don''t you believe me?"
Lnd gritted his teeth. He wanted to brush Eloise''s hand away from his arm, but he still couldn''t move his body. He felt so angry and, in his mind, he killed Elias again, over and over.
"Because I don''t," Lnd looked at Eloise coldly. "I know you."
"Aww... I am ttered that you think you still know me," Eloise chuckled. She moved her face closer to Lnd''s and now their faces were only inches apart. She touched his chin and smirked. "We were so good together. Why did you have to choose that lowly human to be your mate? You hurt my feelings."
Lnd closed his eyes. He didn''t want to lock eyes with Eloise. He remembered thest meeting he had with her. He told her that he nned to go to Riga and prepared his pack to attack the capital and kill the royal family of Riga.
Lnd didn''t expect to meet Sophie all of a sudden and got the chance to marry her when she came to him for protection. Because he knew Eloise''s feelings for him, he didn''t want to take risks by keeping their friendship, out of respect for Sophie.
He sent her a letter that he had found his mate and he wished her the best to lead her covenant of witches. He couldn''t be her friend anymore. Eloise never replied to his letter.
.
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
I am sorry for the dy in opening the privilege. I didn''t realize I added a new tier. So I just published one chapter yesterday since I thought it would be immediately essible to you. Apparently not.
Apologies. I think I might be sleepwalking or something and didn''t remember stuff, including adding the privilege tier. I am happy that I updated three books today, "The Cursed Prince", "The King''s Wife Is The Alpha''s Mate" and "The Mafia''s Secret Wife". I hope I can keep it up.
Btw, I made more pictures with AI (Midjourney) and I really like one in particr. I think it looks like Lnd. See the picture in thement. What do you think?
Chapter 409 There Is No Antidote
Lnd looked at Eloise coldly. He asked her, "What do you want as an exchange for the antidote?"
Eloise pursed her lips. "I really don''t have it."
"What do you mean you don''t have it? It''s YOUR poison." Lnd wanted to get up and strangle his former friend but his damned body still didn''t want to move. He was slowly worried that his life would be at the mercy of this grand witch before him.
This thought pained him. Lnd would rather die than be at someone''s mercy. He also surely wouldn''t beg for an antidote if Eloise didn''t want to give it to him. So, the only two options he had was to pay Eloise at whatever price she asked, or... kill himself and be done with it.
He wouldn''t let anyone take him as a prisoner when he was weak. That was not who he was. He would rather die than lose his honor. Though... he would be really sad to leave Sophie and their children.
"Not all poisons are made with the antidote, Lnd. Some poisons are made with the intention to torture and kill," said Eloise calmly. "Is there any cure for death? When you attack your enemy with your fangs and ws with the intention to kill them, do you think about treating their wounds to save them from death? No, right? The same goes for some of my poisons."
She stood up and crossed her arms. Her eyes were fixed on Lnd''s who gritted his teeth in anger.
He asked, "If you did have such poisons, why didn''t you use them on Elias?"
"I couldn''t do anything to him..." Eloise replied in annoyance. "That jerk learned about my horcrux. He stole my soul stone and made me swear loyalty to him. That was all thanks to your damn mother."
Eloise still couldn''t forgive Isolde for taking Elias'' side and telling the Alpha everything he needed to know about dealing with witches. Isolde''s friendship with Eloise''s mother gave her so much knowledge about the witches.
To get into Elias'' good grace after she was banished from the Blood River Pack for betraying Lnd, Isolde had nowhere to go. She came to Elias and tried to get her revenge using that man and his pack. Of course, Elias didn''t easily ept her. Isolde bought her way in by telling Elias so many secrets of the witches.
Isolde was still salty that her friend was killed by Eloise and she wanted to make the young grand witch pay. Elias stole Eloise''s soul stone and ckmailed her with it. If she was to leave him for whatever reason, he could kill her wherever she was.
Very powerful witches and wizards could take their souls and hide them in objects of their desire. Some people called it horcrux. If they lost in a battle and their bodies died, as long as their souls were safe, they could be brought back to life.
That''s why when Eloise killed her mother, she made sure to also destroy her mother''s horcrux, it was a medallion that was safely stored in an underground cave near Gazi Desert.
She intentionally nned to use Elias for her benefit, but because she was negligent, she ended up being the one used. Sure, Elias loved her and never did anything bad to her, but with her soul trapped within his clutch, Eloise couldn''t leave him openly.
That''s why she had to get him killed. The only person she thought was capable of killing Elias was Lnd. So, she had to make ns to invite Lnd toe to Armeria. Gah... she didn''t think Lnd would believe Celia''s lies that Eloise was imprisoned and abused by Elias, but she had no other choice.
She was pleasantly surprised to know Lnd truly came. Did he still care about her? Eloise couldn''t help but smile at the sweet thought.
Ugh. No.
Eloise''s smirk was suddenly gone when she remembered Lnd must havee for the information regarding Sophie''s parents. Ugh, that''s right. He loved that family so much that he would do anything for them.
"Horcrux?" Lnd had never heard of that before. What did his mother have to do with Eloise''s horcrux?
"Ahh... you didn''t know. Well... in a normal situation, I would never tell anyone about horcrux, but in this case, you need to know it," said Eloise calmly. "Horcrux is a magical item where very powerful witches and wizards store their souls to keep them safe. As long as our souls are intact, we will never die. It''s the closest human can get to immortality."
Lnd looked at Eloise with furrowed brows. He remembered his mother was very close to the grand witch ine. It was not surprising that Isolde knew a lot about the witches. He also knew his mother well enough to connect the dot and assumed Isolde must have sold Eloise''s secret to Elias so Elias could control his wife.
"So, you were stuck with him for as long as he kept your soul stone?" Lnd asked to confirm.
Now, he could understand Eloise'' situation. Even though she might not receive physical abuse from Elias, but the fact that she was forced to stay with him showed that she was indirectly imprisoned and her freedom was taken away from her.
"That''s right. I tried to y along as a good wife to him, so I can quietly find my soul stone, but that bastard was not dumb. He hid it really well. I have been stuck with him for years," Eloise gritted her teeth. "I helped him win the war and maintain his position as the alpha of his pack and the king of this country and I have grown tired of him. However, I couldn''t do anything..."
"What makes you think you can find your soul stone now that he has died?" Lnd asked again. "What if he gave it to his Beta and Likaios doesn''t want to give it to you?"
Hearing that question, Eloise smirked. "Oh, Likaios already gave me my soul stone back. He didn''t know what it is exactly. Elias didn''t tell him the secret. Since I am Elias''s widow, his Beta thought I deserved to inherit all his belongings. Hahaha..."
Lnd took a deep breath. He missed Sophie and wanted to see her. Seeing a wife who rejoiced in her husband''s death made him feel sick to his stomach.
He wanted to go home. Even if the poison in his body was incurable, he wanted to die at home. Not here.
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
This chapter is dedicated to Maggie. Thank you so much for always cheering me on to update a new chapter.
I am not sure what happened. Time flew by so quickly, and suddenly it was already 9 days since thest update. I really lost track of time doing so many things at once. I will keep trying to update more and more. Hope you are well :)
Chapter 410 Leland Is Stuck In Armeria
"Ugh...!"
Lnd groaned in annoyance because his body couldn''t move at all. He had put all his strength into moving but to no avail. The poison actually almost paralyzed all of his motoric nerves. He didn''t know if he should be grateful or curse his bad luck because he couldn''t move his body but he was still able to move his eyes and speak well.
The poison not only made his body immobile but also numbed him. He couldn''t even feel his own hands and feet. If he didn''t see them, he wouldn''t know that right now he still had hands and feet.
He looked up at the white ceiling, which was golden in color due to the golden light from the candles in the corners of the room.
He then nced at the table to his right. There is a flower arrangement ced in a pot. When he nced at the window, he also found the same flowers. He looked around to all sides that his vision could reach, there were many flowers ced in the room.
He saw that in every corner there were flowers and even almost on every side there were, all ced and arranged beautifully. Eloise had ordered the maids to put the flowers there and change them every day.
ording to Eloise, the scent of flowers could make the mind feel more rxed and when the mind was more rxed, the recovery process would take ce more quickly.
Lnd didn''t hate the flowers but he felt annoyed when he saw them because their presence made the room look like a bridal chamber. He also couldn''t really smell the flowers. So, to him, they were just an eyesore.
At this moment, his eyes focused on the pink flower by the window, the color of which reminded him of Sophie''s hair.
The woman must have been waiting for him toe home. He could imagine she must be worried sick, maybe even now she was crying because he didn''te home.
Normally, Lnd could feel what his mate was feeling, but he was too far away from her now and was in really bad shape. So, he couldn''t feel her, no matter how hard he exerted his mind. It was more frustrating than being immobile like this.
As Lnd continued to absentmindedly stare at the flowers, he became lost in his mind. Sophie''s smiling face shed through and made his heart ache.
TAP
TAP
Lnd was moved from his reverie by the sounds of footsteps from outside. His ears perked up to hear better, but then the sounds stopped. So, he went back to look at the window. That''s when he saw Sophie''s figure standing by the window and looking at him in tears.
"Sophia..." Lnd tried hard to move his hands to reach Sophie to wipe her tears but no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn''t. "Uhh."
"Sophia..." He tried to move his body but couldn''t. While he was still trying to figure out how to touch her, Sophie disappeared and it made him realize that the Sophie he saw was just a hallucination.
Lnd was still looking at the pink flower that was there. "Please don''t cry, I will definitelye back to you and the kids. Please don''t cry and take care of yourself and the kids until Ie home to get you all."
His eyes warmed and a tear rolled down from the corner of his eye. He missed her and their children very much.
Aarrgh!
Lnd groaned in frustration and tried again.
"I have to... uff¡ quickly¡. ahhh... move and get out of here....."
Lnd exerted all his physical and mental strength until after many tries he could finally move his fingertips. It made him happy. Even though it was just a little, it was progress. After so long, his condition apparently didn''t get worse, instead, he became slightly... very slightly better.
It gave him hope to continue trying.
Lnd tried again and again relentlessly. If he could finally move his fingers, perhaps other parts of his body would follow suit. He just needed to keep pushing himself.
After several days, his efforts finally paid out. Lnd was gradually able to move all his fingers. After trying diligently every day, a weekter he was able to move both his hands. He had also gotten his sense of smell back.
The man felt very happy but it couldn''t make him breathe a sigh of relief because his body still couldn''t move at all. He raised his hands and then looked at his body. He already guessed that the effect of Eloise''s poison on his body was gradually diminishing, and it seemed he was right.
If his guess was correct, then all he had to do was try to stay alive until all of the poison''s effects disappeared.
Lnd lowered his hands and looked at the flower in the window again. The previous flower arrangement had been reced with new ones but they were still pink.
''Wait for me, Sophia, I''ll be home soon,'' Lnd mumbled in his mind and then he subconsciously smiled at the thought of himself being able to meet and hug Sophie and the kids again soon.
He kept smiling until it suddenly disappeared when he remembered that he had left Sophie and their children in Riga royal pce.
The figure of Nichs Hanenbergh shed through his mind and it spoiled his recently improved mood. Lnd trusted Sophie one hundred percent but Nichs Hanenbergh would definitely not miss the opportunity to approach Sophie.
What if Sophie thought Lnd was dead? Nichs would be there to console her and give her his shoulder for Sophie to cry on.
Arrgh¡.
Thinking about it made Lnd feel very upset and even more annoyed that he still couldn''t get up from this stupid bed.
While he was still trying, Eloise opened the door and entered the room carrying a bowl of fresh blood. Lnd, who had regained his sense of smell, could immediately smell the blood.
After he woke up, every night Eloise always came and fed him fresh blood from animals that were hunted by the lycans from the Obsidian Sand Pack.
ording to Eloise, Lnd''s recovery depended on his body''s resistance to poison and blood was a practical source of energy for him so that Lnd could survive. They needed to keep him alive until the effects of the poison werepletely exhausted.
Having the same thought, Lnd was forced to agree and ept the blood that Eloise gave him.
Right now he really missed his family and wanted to go home quickly. However, since he couldn''t do anything, he was forced to ept that he was stuck with Eloise in his current condition.
***
Meanwhile, Sophie who had been staying in the royal pce of Riga for more than a week was filled with anxiety because Lnd had not yet returned. There was no news at all about him. The ten lycans who had gone with him until now had not returned either.
She tried to look fine and waited patiently, but when she was alone in her room, she couldn''t help but cry. Lnd promised it wouldn''t take more than one week. Did something happen to him? He never broke his promises to her until today.
Sophie was currently standing on the terrace of her bedroom, looking far ahead. Her eyes narrowed and she looked despondent.
"Lnd where are you? Are you okay? Why aren''t you home yet?" Sophie muttered softly. For a moment, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Chapter 411 Watching Sophie
Sophie walked over to the edge of her balcony. She looked up at the silver moon and imagined Lnd''s face within the moon.
"Lnd... Are you hurt? Are you sick? Are you in trouble and that''s why you can''te home immediately?" She sobbed softly and started to cry. She was very worried that something bad would happen to the man. "Please be okay... please be okay..."
Sophie didn''t want to think negatively but thoughts like Lnd being caught and killed kept haunting her and it scared her terribly.
Even though she was trying tofort herself that Lnd was very strong, so he must be fine, there was still a part of her that kept reminding her that the ce Lnd went to was the enemy''sir. He only brought ten of his men to infiltrate a kingdom with its many soldiers and almost 700 lycans protecting it.
Sophie regretted the day she let him go. She should have been adamant about asking him to stay and stop caring about Eloise. He went there to free Eloise, didn''t he? Was Eloise that important to him?
The reason why Sophie let him go was that she didn''t want to be seen as a jealous wife. Also, she felt bad about letting a fellow woman in a difficult situation just because she had a personal beef with the said woman.
Back then, those two reasons were enough. Now, they seemed weak and unimportant. She missed him so badly and wished she could hug him. She would never let him be far away from her ever again.
She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing quietly.
From quite a distance away, on the other tower of the pce, a man was clenching his fists to the sides. As a lycan, his sense of vision and hearing were so sharp, he could clearly see Sophie standing on the balcony of her room, crying.
This made him feel so helpless. He wanted toe to her and console her, but he couldn''t.
He had to keep his distance from Sophie to respect her mate. Lnd was graceful enough to ept him being in his mate''s and children''s lives, so Nichs wouldn''t ruin his chance to keep being in Sophie''s and the boys'' lives.
He knew lycans were very passionate creatures and they were deeply possessive of their mates. So, he knew Lnd had upped his tolerance level by a lot. Nichs didn''t think other male lycans, especially an Alpha like him would ever do such a thing.
So, he always trod carefully. He kept his distance, his words and actions in a safe way. That''s why even though he was very concerned and feeling sorry for Sophie, he kept holding back and didn''t do anything. He could only watch her from afar.
Not long after, Queen Marianne approached him. She was looking for Nichs in his room but the servant told her the king was sitting on a balcony outside his study. So, she went there to find him.
She could see Nichs'' sole focus was on the tower on the far end of the royal pcepound. It was where Sophie was staying. The queen easily guessed that her son must be watching a certain someone.
"Nic." Her gentle voice greeted her son when she stepped out into the balcony. "What are you doing here?"
Nichs was a bit surprised when he heard his mother''s voice. He turned around and smiled at the queen.
"I am rxing," he said. "I find the view from this balcony to be really nice."
He was referring to the garden under them. However, the queen knew that was not what Nichs meant by a nice view. She noticed Nichs spent more and more time here after Sophie came to stay with them.
,m She quickly realized that this balcony was located in the part of the pce where Nichs could see Sophie and her kids when she was sitting on their balcony ying with them. Even though it was quite far away from here, she was sure with Nichs'' heightened senses, it wouldn''t be a problem for him to see them.
"Let''s go see her," the queen said suddenly, making Nichs'' face turn beet red. She added, "I am sure she could use somepany."
Queen Marianne knew that Nichs had been standing there because he wanted to see Sophie but felt bad about going into her room and seeing her in person.
"Where are Luciel and Jan?" Nichs asked his mother a question to change the topic. Ever since Jan and Luciel came to the pce, Queen Marianne spent almost all of her time with her two grandchildren.
"They''re asleep. They''re also worried that Lnd isn''ting home. I was trying so hard to get them to sleep," said the queen. Her voice sounded tired. "Finally, after I read three stories, the long ones, sleep came to them."
Hearing that, Nichs smiled faintly. He was lying if he said he was not jealous or pretending to be fine. On the inside, he was jealous, very jealous, and hurt to see Sophie was so worried about Lnd as well as her two children, Luciel and Jan.
Nichs wondered in his mind if he were in Lnd''s position, would Sophie worry about him like that too? How about Luciel and Jan? Would they also be worried about him?
Stupid¡
Why would Sophie feel worried about him? Who was he to Sophie? Nobody. He was the past that Sophie wanted to forget.
While for Jan and Luciel, he was a new person who entered their life as a father. They might be worried about him but not as much as they were worried about Lnd.
For the umpteenth time, Nichs reminded himself and made it clear to his heart that right now he was a NOBODY, to Sophie while Lnd was her mate or husband.
Then, regarding Jan and Luciel. If they were more worried about Lnd, then it was normal because, for six years, Lnd had been the father they knew,
So Nichs had absolutely no right to be jealous. Even though it was painful and very hard to ept, Nichs epted it.
Chapter 412 Sophies Sadness
"You are okay?"
Queen Marianne touched her son''s cheek and asked softly.
Nichs who had been lost in thought was stunned. He stared at his mother''s face for a moment then nodded slowly.
"Hm," he replied, smiling bitterly.
"You do your best to cover up your feelings, but don''t cover them up in front of your mother." Queen Marianne wiped the tears under Nichs'' eyes with her index finger and then showed it to Nichs.
"Yes." Nichs took a deep breath. His chest was really tight. "It hurts but I have no other choice but to ept it, right?"
He shook his head and heaved a long sigh. Queen Marianne was very sad to see her son in that state. She felt that God was so unfair.
In the past, she was not destined to get the love and affection of her husband, the man she loved, and now God made her son also unable to get love from the woman he loved.
Thinking of this made her feel very emotional and she started crying.
"Hi, Mother, I''m fine. Right now it''s hard but I''m sure with time things will get better," Nichs said trying tofort his mother as he wiped the tears that flowed down the woman''s cheeks.
"If my mother was like this I would be even sadder," he added.
"My heart hurts to see you like this," Queen Marianne cried softly.
"It''s only temporary. Things will get better with time," Nichs said. He patted his mother on the back and smiled at her to soothe the old queen.
Actually, he said that not only tofort his mother but tofort himself as well. He himself wasn''t sure that there would ever be a time when he would actually give up Sophie for Lnd without feeling any pain in his heart at all. He didn''t know if this wound would ever heal.
"Well, you''re right. Things will get better with time." Queen Marianne wiped her tears and tried to regain herposure. Just like Nichs, she also felt unsure of getting better over time because she knew that Nichs was like his father.
If he loved someone, he would love that person forever. His love would never fade no matter how long time had passed. Nichs'' father, King William Hannenbergh could never forget the woman he loved even though she married his older brother and died not long after.
After she died, decadester, Queen Marianne was sure herte husband still worshipped that other woman, until the day he died.
So, what about Nichs? Would he be able to forget Sophie who was clearly still alive plus he had Jan and Luciel who would always connect him with Sophie?
"Ahh... I am fine, we should stop talking about sad things," Queen Marianne touched her son''s arm and looked at him fondly. She asked, "Do you want to see Sophie? She seems lonely out there."
Queen Marianne pointed at the balcony where she saw Sophie standing alone, looking at the moon with a somber expression. Even though the distance was quite far and the queen couldn''t really see Sophie clearly, she could recognize the dejected gesture that Sophie was showing.
From here, Sophie looked so sad and lonely that it made the queen''s heart ache. She really liked Sophie and always regretted the fact that this young woman was her daughter-inw in the past but they didn''t get to have that kind of rtionship because of the circumstances surrounding Nichs'' and Sophie''s past.
"Come on, let''s keep herpany," the queen said again. She looked at her son deeply. For a moment Nichs hesitated but when he saw Sophie, he realized that his mother was right. he also felt that Sophie needed support right now.
"Well, I guess right now she needs a friend," he said after nodding slowly.
"You''re right. Let''s go see her." Queen Marianne went first, followed by Nichs.
***
"Sophie, can wee in?"
Sophie was moved from her reverie by the knocks on her door. She turned around and furrowed her brows. She recognized the queen''s voice. Why did Queen Mariannee here?
Sophie stepped inside her room and went to open the door. She found Queen Marianne and Nichs standing in the doorway.
"Can wee in?" Queen Marianne asked again. She had a sweet smile on her face.
"Of course, Your Grace," Sophie replied with a curtsey. "Please,e in."
Sophie, who had been contemting alone on her balcony, was surprised and confused by the arrival of the king and queen mother of Riga at thiste night. She also curtseyed to the king.
Nichs always looked ufortable every time she was doing that to show her respect for him.
The curtsey made him feel the distance between them. It was way too formal. Even if she was no longer his wife, Sophie was still the mother of his children. Nichs didn''t want her to treat him like they were really far apart in status.
She was... his family, at least by being the mother of Luciel and Jan. He wished she could act like she was a member of the royal family, instead of his subject.
"Hello, Sophie," the queen started the conversation. She knew her son was too rigid and would not try to initiate small talk with Sophie because he was being respectful of Sophie''s mate. So, as a woman, the queen decided to do the talk. "We came here because we thought you needpany."
Sophie looked at the queen and realized Queen Marianne was being sincere. She did feel lonely and wished to havepany. She didn''t have anyone in this big pce but her children, but they were now asleep and she felt so alone.
"Thank you, Your Grace. You are too kind," Sophie replied with a grateful smile. "I couldn''t sleep and decided to sit on my balcony to admire the moon."
Queen Marianne smiled gently and wrapped her hand around Sophie''s shoulder.
"There''s no need to be so formal, by the way," she said. "I, too, couldn''t sleep and thought maybe I should visit you and have chamomile tea to rx our mind and we can admire the moon together."
Chapter 413 Nicholas Offer For Help
Queen Marianne nodded at Nichs and the young king went out to call a servant and asked them to bring tea to Sophie''s room.
"Your Grace is too kind," Sophie said. She respectfully weed them to sit on the sofa by the window. "Please have a seat. We can see the moon from here, the window is quite big."
The queen sat next to Sophie and she studied Sophie''s face carefully. The young woman''s face looked slightly wrinkled, her skin was dry, the eye bags were drooping and there were dark circles around her eyes. All of which exined that she was sleep deprived.
She also looked thinner than the first time she came to the pce. Ever since Lnd left she had not had much of an appetite.
Queen Marianne held Sophie''s cheek and said softly. "I understand how you feel. Back when Nichs'' father went to the battlefield, I was like this too. I couldn''t sleep because I was so worried about him. Wondering if he''s all right now? When is heing home? Why it took so long? I was nervous."
Sophie fell silent and looked deeply at Queen Marianne. Everything Queen Marianne had said was exactly the same as what she was feeling right now.
Nichs also looked deeply at his mother. He felt sorry for his mother''s words. He loved his father and worried about his father but his father probably doesn''t know that and didn''t care if his mother was worried about him or not. One-sided love was very sad.
"There''s something we can''t ignore, though." Queen Marianne saw Sophie''s babies in the baby box. Little Anne and Little Jack were sleeping soundly on their bellies. They both looks so adorable.
"I used to have Nichs to look after while myte husband went to war or did his royal duties," the queen said. "And now you have the babies and the older boys to look after. They need you. So you have to take good care of yourself."
She added, "When their father is not around, we as the mothers have to look after the children. In order to do that, we have to be strong.".
What she conveyed was not just words but it was an experience that she was sharing. When Nichs was small and was affected by lycanthropy, the queen was the one who looked after and protected her son. The most painful thing that she had to endure was that she had to protect Nichs from his own father.
Sometimes, she wondered how she got through that hard time. She was a fragile woman without power. Yet, she managed to steel herself to take care of Nichs.
"What my mother said is true, Sophie. You must take care of yourself for your children," Nichs spoke up. He looked deeply into Sophie''s sad face. He really couldn''t bear to see Sophie''s condition. "Before leaving, what did Lnd say? I mean, did he say when he''sing back?"
Sophie turned to look at Nichs. "Lnd said he''d be back in seven days, but it''s been more than a week now. He was not usually like this. If he said he''ll be home in seven days then he''ll be home in seven days. This never happened before.
Sophie took a deep breath. She was truly worried that something bad happened to her mate, but she bit back the word. She didn''t want to jinx things. She could only say, "I''m really worried¡."
She cut her own sentence. Actually, Sophie wanted to ask Nichs for help in finding Lnd or at least sending people to search for information. Surely, as the king, he had the manpower to do that.
However, she hesitated and wondered if it was okay to do so. Lnd went to Armeria to help his childhood friend Eloise and it had nothing to do with Nichs. If Nichs couldn''t help her, then she would find a way to contact Lucas and ask him to send a rescue team or any team at all to find Lnd and his men.
Understanding what Sophie was trying to say to him, Nichs smiled and then said, "We''ll wait until tomorrow. If Lnd still doesn''te back by tomorrow, I''m going to Armeria to check what really happened there."
Sophie was stunned when she heard his words. No.. she didn''t mean to ask HIM to go and search. He was the king...
Meanwhile, Queen Marianne, who heard her son''s n, immediately uttered her disapproval.
"No, I don''t agree." She touched Nichs'' arm and looked at him deeply. "Nichs, you shouldn''t go."
"But, Mother..."
"I know your intentions are good but you''re just a lone Alpha who doesn''t have a pack. There is no one to help you."
"I can handle it, Mother. Please don''t worry too much about me, I can take good care of myself." Nichs tried to convince her but Queen Marianne wouldn''t budge at all.
"No, I still disagree. Nic, you are a king, your responsibility is to this kingdom and all the people of Riga. You have no responsibility whatsoever for the safety of the other Alphas and any packs."
Queen Marianne tried to make her son understand the responsibility he had on his shoulders. She also didn''t want Nichs to risk his life out of pity for Sophie.
Nichs had sacrificed his own love for Sophie''s happiness. Would she as a mother let Nichs sacrifice his life for Sophie''s happiness too?
No way!
Nichs had sacrificed enough. She touched Nichs'' face and for a moment her hand remained there.
"Nic¡ please understand what I''m saying. You are the head of this kingdom. If you are caught, what will happen to this kingdom? Think, what if the Obsidian Sand Pack caught you through the same method, and then what happened to the people of Armeria will happen to the people of Riga. Think about it." She looked at Nichs seriously. "The people of Armeria are basically under the very of the Obsidian Sand Pack. We don''t want the same thing to happen to our people here in Riga."
Chapter 414 Nicholas Is Sending His Spies
Nichs was still trying to talk, "Mother, but I..."
"You''re a father too," said Queen Marianne, cutting Nichs off quickly. "If you don''t care as much about your people, at least think about your sons. What will happen to them if you died, trying to save another man?"
Nichs was stunned to hear that.
"You know the polemic that is taking ce among the royal officials about Luciel and Jan, right? Even though many of them are currently silent, it doesn''t mean they agree and actually ept Jan and Luciel as sessors to the throne of Riga," Queen Marianne continued.
She added, "They are silent now just because they are afraid of offending you. They still respect you as the king of this country, the true heir from the Hannenbergh''s line. However, when you''re not around, what do you think they will do to the two boys?"
This time Nichs didn''t know what to say. He knew his mother''s words were true, but¡
Sigh.
He looked at Sophie with pity. What should he do? He couldn''t bear to see Sophie look so sad. He really wanted to help her.
"Dear Sophie." Queen Marianne turned and turned to look at Sophie.
"Your Grace."
"I forbid Nics to go not because I don''t care about your husband at all, but¡ I hope you understand what I mean," the queen said, touching Sophie''s cheek
Sophie smiled faintly and nodded slowly.
"I understand Your Grace." She looked deeply at Nichs. "I am very grateful for Your Majesty''s good intentions but you must not jeopardize the safety of the entire Riga people for Lnd''s sake. Jan and Luciel also need your support."
Although she was disappointed that she couldn''t ask Nichs for help, she understood Nichs'' current position. She was also not a selfish person who would let Nichs risk his life to save Lnd''s life.
Jan and Luciel''s safety was also taken into her consideration. Everything that Queen Marianne said was true and Sophie agreed with her, even though her heart was very heavy to admit it.
"Jan and Luciel need a father figure. You don''t have anyone who will protect them but you," said Queen Marianne with teary eyes. "I can''t afford to lose you either. I have dedicated all my life to making sure you are well and healthy. Please don''t let all my efforts go to waste. I live for you, son. If something happened to you... how could I continue living?"
At this point, the queen was crying. Everything she said was from the heart. She did feel pity for Sophie, but she didn''t want her son to sacrifice more than he already did for this young woman.
Nichs stared at Sophie silently then turned to look at Lnd''s babies in the baby crib. Back when he wasn''t there for Sophie and his sons, Lnd took very good care of Sophie and their children
"I''m sorry I can''t help. Ugh¡" He paused for a moment, and then added, "But I will send spies to find out what really happened in the capital city of Armeria."
"If Lnd managed to free his old friend then word will surely spread throughout the pce and its surroundings," he added, not wanting to disappoint Sophie.
Hearing Nichs'' words, Sophie''s eyes brightened. It was as if she had suddenly received a glimmer of hope.
"Your Majesty," she looked at him with a grateful expression. "Thank you so much."
Seeing her like that, Nichs felt happy.
"Um." He nodded with a smile. "I hope my spies will bring good news."
Everyone secretly hoped the same.
KNOCK
KNOCK
The door was knocked and two servants came with a tray filled with a tea pot and three cups. The smell of chamomile tea immediately filled the room.
"Ah... we should drink this tea and rx our mind. I hope we can all sleep after this," said the queen. She agreed with Nichs'' decision to send his spies. It was a much better option. She motioned the servants to pour them tea and she took one cup for herself.
The room was now filled with silence as the three people enjoyed their tea with their own thoughts.
"Pleasee to my room tomorrow," said the queen after she finished her tea. "While waiting for news about your husband, we can keep ourselves busy with some handicrafts or other things."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Sophie nodded.
***
The next day Nichs called Noel to his room. When the head of the Royal Lycan Hunter came, he greeted Nichs politely.
"Noel, I want you to send some of your subordinates to inglitrate the capital of Armeria and spy on the situation."
"Capital of Armeria?" Noel was quite surprised when he heard that.
Nichs nodded. "You must know about the Alpha Blood River Pack that hasn''t returned from Armeria yet, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Ask your men to find any information about Alpha Lnd in the capital. If Lnd and his group really did carry out the attack then word of it would have already circted in the capital of Armeria."
Noel actually objected to carrying out the order because he felt the matter had nothing to do with Riga. However, since it was the king''s order, he finally agreed.
"Very well, Your Majesty."
He left the king''s chambers and then went to meet his subordinates. He chose five people and then told them the tasks that must be done by them.
"Do you understand?" Noel asked when he finished exining.
"We do, Chief."
"Good. Remember one thing you guys go to the enemy''sir so you have to be careful."
"All right, Chief."
The five people finally set out for the capital city of Armeria. They went undercover and skillfully infiltrate the royal pce to get information from the source.
However, when they got there, they didn''t manage to get any information because the news of Elias''s death had been deliberately covered up by Eloise.
She made sure everyone who witnessed what happened in the royal pce when Lnd and Elias had a duel was silenced. The news must note out of the pce doors.
Chapter 415 What Happened To Anne And Jack?
All this time, the people of the Armeria Kingdom that they had colonized so far were very afraid and submitted to the Obsidian Sand Pack lycans because of Elias'' cruelty.
If the people found out that Elias was dead, Eloise was sure they would revolt and the lycans of the Obsidian Sand Pack would be chased out. She didn''t want to leave the power and good life she had, being the queen of Armeria. So, of course, any news about Elias'' death during the duel must be covered up.
No matter how hard the spies from Riga tried to find out what happened to Lnd, they couldn''t get any useful information. It was like Lnd and his men never even set foot on Armeria.
After trying for days and not getting any information, also not finding anything suspicious, the five spies decided to return to Riga and give their report to Noel. The head of the royal lycan hunters told Nichs of their report.
"Your Majesty, the five spies I sent to the capital of Armeria have returned," Noel said when he met the king.
Sophie was invited to Nichs'' study to hear the report. Her face looked so tired but she was full of anticipation. The queen sat beside her, also watching Noel attentively, waiting for the report.
"What information did they get?" Nichs looked at Noel impatiently. He was dying to know what happened in Armeria.
"They didn''t manage to find any information. While they were there they didn''t hear anything about the arrival of Alpha of the Blood River Pack or any news about the intruders in the pce," Noel exined.
"What?" Sophie who was also listening said in a trembling voice. Her heart grew restless. Queen Marianne who was beside her rubbed Sophie''s back trying to calm her down.
While looking at Sophie and his mother, Nichs wondered where had Lnd really gone. What happened to him? Why was there no news at all as if he and his men were swallowed up by the earth?
***
One weekter, Lnd was finally able to sit up. He held his neck and rubbed it. Lying down for so long made his body feel very stiff. Eloise who just entered the room, and saw Lnd who was already sitting, was surprised and felt very happy.
This was the reason why she liked Lnd so much. The man was so strong, he could withstand even the deadliest poison designed to kill and could not be neutralized using any antidote.
The chances of surviving after being attacked by this particr poison were slim, it could even be called impossible but Lnd managed to do it. She looked at him in awe. What a strong and manly man!
Eloise felt more eager to make the man her partner. A witch as powerful and beautiful as herself needed a very strong partner, and so far she had never met a man stronger and more impressive than Lnd.
"You''re really amazing," said Eloise as she was walking over and then sat next to the man with a bowl of blood in her hand.
She wanted to feed Lnd again but this time Lnd refused her hand.
"I can do it myself," said Lnd taking the bowl from Eloise''s hand and then drinking the blood that was there.
"Okay." Eloise smiled then looked at Lnd. "You seem to have trusted me. You drank the blood yourself without hesitation. You are not suspicious that I mixed the blood with some new poison?"
She looked at him with a smirk. She loved feeding Lnd, but when he roughly took the bowl from her hand, she didn''t mind it too. He looked so sexy when he showed his strength like this. Eloise really liked a strong man like him.
Lnd did not immediately respond. He focused on drinking the blood he drank with a t expression. When he finished he returned the bowl to Eloise and said sarcastically, "If you want to kill me you don''t need poison to do it. I''ve been at your mercy for weeks."
Eloiseughed then nodded in agreement. "You know I want you alive."
Lnd looked deeply at Eloise. He felt the witch wanted something from him but still didn''t want to say it. He wondered what exactly Eloise wanted...
"I have saved you from Elias, now you must keep your promise." Lnd changed the subject by charging for the promise that Eloise had written in her letter.
"I understand that witches also have honor. They will not break the promise they made to someone who saved their life. I hope you''re not an exception," Lnd added, looking up at Eloise with his brows furrowed.
When she heard that, Eloise''s expression immediately changed drastically. She, who had been looking happy earlier, suddenly became gloomy. Eloise was very upset when she remembered that Lnd''s main purpose ining to Armeria was to get information about Sophie''s parents'' fate.
Until now, Eloise had never understood why Lnd loved Sophie so much that, for her sake, he could do anything, including risking his life by going to the enemy''sir like this.
Eloise thought she was prettier than Sophie, much much prettier. She was also a grand witch, who could help Lnd reach power and unite the whole werewolves on this continent as their king, unlike Sophie who couldn''t do anything. Heck, being a hybrid, she couldn''t even shift!
No matter from where she looked at it, she''s way better than that damned Sophie. Thinking of this really made her heart burn with jealousy. However, Eloise tried to stay calm. Her smirk turned into a sweet smile.
,m She didn''t want Lnd to think of her as a witch with no honor for breaking the promise she had made. So, Eloise nodded.
"Very well. I will tell you what happened to them," she said calmly. "They''ve been dead a long time."
"Are you trying to y me?" Lnd stared at Eloise coldly. Even though he already suspected that Anne and Jack were truly dead, this confirmation still broke his heart.
Chapter 416 Lelands Sadness
Eloise spoke so calmly. "They''ve been dead for a long time."
"Are you trying to y me?" Lnd stared at Eloise coldly. Even though he already suspected that Anne and Jack were truly dead, this confirmation still broke his heart.
"You haven''t changed at all, have you? Always quick to anger." Eloise smiled more broadly. Then she continued her words, "They are indeed dead but they actually died a few weeks after the massacre in the forest which made Sophie think that it was her parents who died and were buried by the vigers."
Lnd was stunned to hear that. So... The bodies found by the vigers back then were truly not Sophie''s parents? How... ? How did Jack and Anne leave Sophie for weeks and then died?
"Do you know... what happened?" Lnd asked Eloise with a hoarse voice.
"I do," Eloise replied. "The person responsible for their deaths is Isolde. Your mother."
Lnd looked at Eloise intently, asking her with his eyes to continue her exnation. "Go on."
"I know this for a fact," said Eloise. She took a seat across from Lnd and put her hands on herp as she started to recount her story. "Isolde hated and envied Anne. Her jealousy grew even more when she identally saw Anne with her family in ckwoods. Anne looked so damn happy."
Eloise shrugged. "Isolde thought it was not fair that Anne was blessed with a happy life and happy family, while she and her own family were not at all happy. You know how much your father despised your mother. She thought that Anne had no right to be happy, especially after betraying her tribe for a mere human. So, she nned to kill Anne."
Eloise continued by telling Lnd everything she had heard from her mother about what happened. Even though Alpha Leon had forbidden all pack members from disturbing Anne and her family, Isolde didn''t care and quietly disobeyed her mate''s orders.
She sent out ten of her trusted lycans to kidnap Jack while he was hunting in the forest and then lured Anne toe to the ce she had decided to be where Anne breathed herst.
When Anne came, Isolde vented all her anger by beating and torturing Anne without the slightest mercy. Anne could not fight back because Jack was being held, hostage. They were kept as prisoners for weeks and were tortured endlessly whenever Isolde felt venting her anger toward Anne.
Lnd fell silent hearing what Eloise had just said. He didn''t feel like believing it but when he recalled his mother''s character, he knew that Isolde was very capable of doing that.
"So... that''s the truth," said Eloise to end her story. "They were dead and your mother hid the truth for a long time. Not even your father ever found out because she put the me on the Royal Lycan Hunters."
For a few moments, there was silence in the room. It was so quiet that even the sound of a needle falling on the floor could be heard.
Lnd didn''t understand how to exin his current feelings. Although he had expected his mother to do such a cruel thing to Sophie''s parents, when he heard the truth in person, he couldn''t hide his shock.
His chest tightened and he held his breath, as the figures of Anne and Jack shed through his mind.
"Watching his wife being tortured, Jack finally decided to kill himself by stabbing his own heart," said Eloise, snapping Lnd out of his thoughts.
"At that time Jack screamed in despair. He even cried because he couldn''t bear to see Anne being tortured, but your mother had absolutely nopassion for them. When I saw her, I felt your mother was a real devil." Eloise added.
"What do you mean you ''saw''?" Lnd looked at Eloise suspiciously. He was surprised that Eloise spoke as if she was there and saw firsthand what happened to Anne and Jack.
Eloise took out a purple crystal in the shape of a triangr prism from her pocket. "Because I did."
"What''s that?" Lnd furrowed his brows.
"Toneglyph. This is one of the magical artifacts that my mother gave to your mother. It can record events happening around her when activated using certain spells."
Lnd looked closely at the thing.
"This thing recorded the murder of Sophie''s parents. When she''s bored, your mother will look back on the scene when she tortured Anne and Jack to death and thenughed out loud. For her it was entertainment to fix a bad mood," exined Eloise, making Lnd surprised and opened his eyes wide.
"Would you like to see it?" Eloise asked. Lnd silently watched the crystal. His face turned pale. There was fear in his heart. Would he be able to watch the incident when Jack and Anne died?
Unbeknownst to him, memories of Anne and Jack filled his mind.
"Hey, Lee look what I got for you!" Jack stood in front of little Lnd, carrying a big deer on his shoulder.
"Ah yes, it turns out you''re here."
When Lnd was watching the deer on Jack''s shoulder, Anne suddenly came from behind and carried him in her arms. He was a wolf pup who came to this hut looking so thin and wounded everywhere.
They nursed him back to health and had been showering him with so much love and warmth that he had never experienced his whole life. Now, he was chubby and healthy, and being in Anne''s arms was his happy ce.
"You''ve run around enough all morning. Now it''s time to shower, then eat, after that you can take a nap," Anne said.
"Hey, Anne, I''ve been running all morning too. I want to be picked up and bathed too." Jack smiled broadly.
"Jeez, Jack..." Anne turned back into the hut. Lnd turned his head, looking back from Anne''s shoulder, and saw Jack who had a disappointed face behind him. It was the first time Lnd felt likeughing.
.
.
.
____________________________
From Missrealitybites:
I have 4 tiers of Privilege this time:
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I am editing the chapters as soon as possible but it might not be fast enough for you. So, please be patient. New chapters will be published to fill all the privilege tiers, and then I will publish daily for regr readers.
YOU DON''T HAVE TO PURCHASE THE PRIVILEGE TO READ THIS STORY. JUST BE PATIENT.
Chapter 417 The Truth (1)
Anne and Jack gave Lnd a lot of love, care, and affection that made his heart feel very warm. They gave him all the things he never got from his biological parents.
They were two people who meant so much to him. And now he had to see how they died at the hands of his own mother? Could he bear the sight? Just thinking about it made Lnd feel so upset.
"Are you scared? I didn''t know you could be so affected by something," said Eloise seeing Lnd''s pale, tense face. This was the first time she saw Lnd looking this way. The Alpha''s expression confirmed how precious Anne and Jack were in his heart.
It made Eloise feel sick. She remembered that the two people were Sophie''s parents. Eloise was annoyed that at that time Isolde only killed them and didn''t kill Sophie too.
If that was the case, then Isolde''s and ine''s n to betroth Eloise to Lnd wouldn''t have failed. Damnit. Isolde! You''re so stupid and useless! Eloise cursed inwardly.
Meanwhile, Lnd made up his mind and decided to see what actually happened to Jack and Anne. How did they die...
Lnd''s purpose ining to Armeria was to find out the facts about these two people. Now that the truth that he was looking for was right in front of his eyes, there was no way he could miss it.
"Show me," he said after a long silence.
"Are you sure?" Eloise narrowed her eyes. "It''s not a pretty sight."
"Shut up, Eloise, and just show me what happened," Lnd was losing his patience.
"Okay." Eloise closed her eyes and then cast a special spell in her mind. Lnd fixed his focus on the crystal in Eloise''s hand and he was surprised when the crystal suddenly emitted quite a dazzling light.
Five secondster, the light disappeared. Lnd''s eyes opened very wide when he saw Jack in the middle of the desert. Seeing the man''s face after so long, Lnd''s eyes filled with tears.
"Uncle..." His voice trembled.
At this moment, the crystal shows Jack being held by two big and muscr lycans while another lycan beat him up mercilessly.
BAM! THUD! THUD!
The lycan beat the side of Jack''s face in turn without the slightest pity. Jack''s face was swollen, covered with bruises and his nose was bleeding profusely. One of his eyes couldn''t even open.
His head drooped to the side, it was obvious that he was almost unconscious but the two lycans holding him forced him to stay upright.
The lycan who was in charge of beating him this time grabbed Jack''s shoulder and hit the man in the stomach using his knee repeatedly.
COUGH.
Jack spat a lot of blood, darkening the golden color of the sand beneath. He fell to the ground as soon as the two lycans let go.
"Weak human!" Isolde crossed her arms on her chest, throwing a mocking look at Jack. "Anne left the tribe for someone so weak like you. I really can''tprehend her."
Lnd had to exert all his sanity not to charge at his mother when he saw the evil look on Isolde. he told himself this was not real. What he saw was an event of the past, preserved using magic. His fists clenched to the sides and he gritted his teeth.
A gust of wind blew away a cloud of dust in the middle of a desert valley surrounded by rocky mountains. Lnd slowly recognized this ce as the Gazi Desert. The images shing had changed into a new scene.
Jack was still there with his hands bound to the sides and a big rock on his back. The scorching sun burned his skin.
"Water¡ please give me water¡," he said pleading for mercy but none of those there took pity on him.
"JACK!"
Suddenly a familiar voice shouted his name, and both Lnd''s and Jack''s ears perked up. It was Anne''s voice.
"Anne?" Jack lifted his heavy eyes with difficulty when he heard his wife''s voice calling out to him.
"What do you want, Isolde? Let him go!" Anne red at Isolde who was standing next to Jack while a dozen of her men surrounded Anne and cornered her in the middle of the circle.
Lnd held his breath when he saw Anne after such a long time. He turned to look at his mother and couldn''t believe that he was born to that woman. Isolde was neither human nor lycan. Her viciousness exceeded both races. Lnd had never met anyone more evil than his mother.
Isolde had absolutely no mercy. Inside the woman''s heart was only filled with obsession and ambition. Lnd truly understood why his father couldn''t find love in his heart for Isolde.
He wished Alpha Leon would have rejected the betrothal with Isolde when Anne left him to marry Jack. Lnd didn''t care even if he couldn''t be born. That''s how much he hated his mother and the crimes she hadmitted against everyone dear to him.
Isolde''s lips curved up in an evil smile when she heard Anne''s words. She tilted her face to the side and looked at Anne with so much hatred in her eyes. "What do I want? I want your life, Anne."
"No...." Hearing this, Jack lifted his face with difficulty and supported it with his chin. He tried so hard to find Anne to talk to her. The pain in his body was so great and he couldn''t focus. From behind his blurred vision, he finally saw Anne in front of him being surrounded by lycans.
"Get out of here, Anne, ahh..." Jack spoke weakly while wincing in pain against the pressure of the rock that seemed to break his ribs and make it hard for him to breathe.
Anne gritted her teeth, trying so hard not to explode in anger. She clenched her fists and look at Isolde. "What did I do to you, Isolde? Why did you do this to my family?"
"I just hate you. That is all," said Isolde nonchntly.
Chapter 418 The Truth (2)
"What did I do to you, Isolde?" Anne threw a murderous re at Isolde. "Why did you do this to my family?"
"I just hate you. That is all," said Isolde nonchntly. "That is a good enough reason for me."
"Why? Did Leon know you''re doing this? He and I have no problems..." Anne''s chest felt so heavy when she saw her husband being treated that way just because Isolde hated her.
She remembered the moment fifteen years ago when Leon came to visit her in her hut. Leon came to tell her that he would move on and forget about her to marry another woman.
He wished her all the best and promised protection from all members of their tribe who considered her a traitor. He promised, for as long as he lived, nobody would dare bother her and her family.
Anne truly appreciated the gesture. She appreciated Leon''s feeling''s for her but she couldn''t ept him. She didn''t love the Alpha. So, she could only wish him happiness with his new partner.
Isolde was the mate chosen for Leon by the elders. Still feeling heartbroken by Anne, Leon couldn''t care less who he would be mated with. Isolde was the daughter of the Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack, a powerful pack from the South with so many members.
Her father promised support for Blood River Pack to attack Riga and topple the royal family, and establish the domination of their tribe over humans in the region. Alpha Leon would then unite the whole werewolf packs in this continent under his leadership. That was the n.
It was a marriage of convenience and he made it clear from the beginning. Isolde who had been admiring him and in love with him one-sidedly for years was happy with the arrangement. She thought Leon would change. She was such a beautiful and talented woman. Surely, she could make Leon forget about that traitor, Anne, right?
She was wrong. Leon barely touched her if not for procreation purpose. After they had two sons, he thought they already had enough heirs to continue the pack''s session. Day by day, Isolde felt more and more rejected by her own mate, the man who was supposed to be her better half, the man who should have made her his queen and loved her with all his heart.
And then she realized, even though she was his mate in name, she had never and probably would never take Anne''s ce in his heart. Not only was this hurtful, but also insulting. Everyone thought of her as a joke, because she was the Luna, but she was not the Alpha''s beloved.
After years of taking all the insults from outsiders, Isolde couldn''t take it anymore. She wanted to punish her mate for this pain. She wanted Anne gone from this world. And she wanted Anne to suffer too. It was her fault that Alpha Leon didn''t love his mate and his children.
"I just don''t like seeing you happy. How can you be happy when I''m living a miserable life?" Isolde scoffed. "You live in peace with a husband who loves you when I''m suffering. That''s totally uneptable."
"You are unreasonable, Isolde. So, your mate doesn''t love you. How is it my fault? You live a miserable life, because you are a sorry piece of shit. Instead of doing this, you better look into yourself!" Anne''s gaze was filled with anger but as soon as she finished her sentence, Isolde kicked Jack in the head.
"Aaahh..." Jack groaned in pain because of the kick. He tried to hold it in but Isolde''s kick hit him hard on his existing injuries and caused him so much pain.
"How dare you, Isolde! Grrrr...!!" This angered Anne greatly. Jack had suffered so much and now this heartless bitch was torturing him some more, just to hurt Anne.
Anne Hansley immediately transformed into her wolf form and jumped to save Jack. Unfortunately, the lycan who was standing in front of her immediately jumped to hold her and a fight was inevitable.
Anne showed her prowess in battle after she shifted into her wolf form and fought the lycan who also transformed into a big grey wolf. Her movement was fast, she shifted to avoid the swing of the lycan''s ws in front of her, and then stabbed the lycan''s stomach until it fell. Blood spilled and darkened the color of the sand.
Seeing theirrade being defeated so easily, the other lycans who were standing around Anne stepped forward and attacked her simultaneously.
A greatmotion happened in the middle of the desert valley. The sound of roars and booms echoed between the walls of the rocky mountains that surrounded it.
Isolde gritted her teeth in annoyance, watching Anne drop her men one by one. She then pulled out one of the swords that nailed Jack''s hand roughly, causing the blood to flow profusely and some of the flesh from Jack''s hand was pulled out.
"Ah." Jack winced in pain.
"STOP THERE! IF YOU DON''T WANT TO SEE YOUR HUSBAND''S HEAD SEPARATED FROM HIS BODY!" Isolde pointed the sword at Jack''s neck.
Fresh blood dripped from the tip. Hearing Isolde''s call, Anne who was in the middle of the fight turned her head and the opportunity was immediately taken advantage of by her opponent. One of the two lycans mmed its sharp ws into Anne''s back.
"ANNE!" Jack screamed when he saw his wife fall to her knees. "ANNE GET OUT OF HERE! DON''T WORRY ABOUT ME! PLEASE GET OUT OF HERE!"
Jack still couldn''t see what happened clearly but he knew by instinct that his wife was being attacked and pressured to relent because the enemy used him as coteral.
That''s why Jack screamed at the top of her lungs to warn Anne not toe closer because there was nothing she could do anyway. It was better if she sacrificed him and went back to protect their daughter.
"ANNE¡ GO!!!" Jack cried and begged his wife to leave him. But¡ Anne was more stubborn than him.
Chapter 419 Jacks And Annes Deaths
"Aw, so touching," Isolde said then she burst outughing. Five secondster, she ordered her men to beat Anne who just curled her body and protected her head with her ws. Anne allowed herself to be beaten because she couldn''t see her husband being tortured for much longer.
Seeing Anne being beaten until she was bleeding, Jack screamed hysterically while Isolde keptughing like a maniac. Isolde walked over and partially transformed her arm into a w. She immediately shed Anne''s back multiple times.
SLASH! SLASH!
"It''s because you''re so presumptuous! You dare be happy when I''m miserable! How dare youugh at my misery?! When I''m not happy how can I let you live happily?! You have no right to be happy at all. NO RIGHT" Within seconds, dozens of shing wounds filled Anne''s body, making almost all of her fur covered with blood.
"STOP! PLEASE, DON''T HURT HER! STOP!" Jack''s face was flushed, and the veins in his neck bulged out. He was very angry but he couldn''t do anything. "JUST KILL ME ALREADY! YOU EVIL WENCH! I AM NOT AT ALL SURPRISED WHY LEON DOESN''T CARE ABOUT YOU! NO MAN IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD!!"
Jack tried his hardest to taunt Isolde to just finish him so Anne would no longer have someone to protect and she would fight back. He knew his wife was a formidable lycan. She was the strongest and most resilient person he had ever known. He knew Anne wouldn''t be in this position if he weren''t so weak.
This thought broke his heart. He felt like a failure of a man because he was not a lycan like her. He wished he was one, he would protect his family against them.
"ISOLDE! JUST FUCKING KILL ME, YOU WENCH!"
Isolde turned to him and smirked. She could immediately read through him and realized what Jack wanted. She waved her hand at him and mocked him. "Not so fast, fool! I want to see you both suffer. After this, I will take that little daughter of yours..."
Isolde was lying. She didn''t n on killing little Sophie because she knew how much her oldest son was fond of that little girl.
After her favorite son died, Isolde had no one by her side. She needed Lnd to do whatever she wanted. She would need to keep him in check by keeping Sophie alive as her guarantee.
That was the reason why she didn''t order her men to kidnap Sophie. She also didn''t want Alpha Leon to smell his evil n.
"No... Sophie..." Jack''s face paled. He remembered his adorable daughter who must be worried sick that her parents had been missing for weeks. Was she okay? He had taught Sophie all she needed to know to survive on her own in the woods, but there was no way she could survive the lycans if they were targeting her.
All this time Jack and Anne were relying on Alpha Leon''s promise to protect their family. However... now they had realized, bitterly, that it was not a guarantee that they would be really safe. What Isolde was doing, was obviously outside of Alpha Leon''s knowledge.
No... Jack couldn''t let them get to Sophie. He must force Anne to abandon him and go back to Sophie. Their little Sophie must be saved. However, Anne was so stubborn.
And it looked like, Isolde didn''t n to immediately kill both of them. Aaargghh... Jack was frustrated.
"Fuck it....!" With very trembling hands, Jack exerted every fiber of his being to pull hisst strength. Trembling, he managed to pull out his right hand from the ground. He had been feeling so much pain that his nerves were slowly getting numb to it. He moved his right hand to pull the sword stuck in his left hand. "Ughh..."
Jack tried hard to get up but he couldn''t move from his position at all because of the rock that was crushing his back.
"Damn, why? Why am I so weak?" Jack clenched his bloodied hands as he cried. "ANNE MOVE! FIGHT THEM AND GET OUT OF HERE! YOU DON''T NEED TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR ME!"
"GO ANNE! THINK ABOUT SOPHIE! WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF HER?! AAAAAAH! STOP! Sob..." Jack screamed and howled like a madman.
Lnd held his breath. His body was shaking with anger. His chest tightened and his heart ached to see Anne and Jack being tortured like that.
Jack mustered all his strength to lift and tilt his body up, and slowly, the rock above him fell to the side. It rolled down a few meters away from him. He grabbed the sword that had been used to nail his hand.
"Even though I am your husband..." Jack''s tears dripped on the sand. His body was shaking, and his hands gripped the hilt of the sword very tightly, making the wounds on his hands bleed even more.
His hands hurt, his whole body ached but his heart ached even more. The feeling of helplessness, weakness, and uselessness hurt him more than all the blows he had already received.
"... but I couldn''t do anything at all. I should have been the one to protect you but¡ let alone protect you, I can''t even protect myself," he muttered as he forced his legs to stand up. Several times he stepped back with staggering steps and almost fell.
The Lycans who had been silent for a while, watching what Isolde did to Anne, turned and were surprised to see the human standing. They rushed to hold him again but Jack immediately shouted loudly. "GET OUT OF HERE, ANNE, AND LIVE WELL WITH SOPHIE!"
STAB!
As soon as he said that, he stabbed his heart with the sword and ended his own life
Anne looked up and witnessed her husband take his own life. Her eyes bulged and they were filled with so much pain and devastation.
AWOOOOO¡
She howled into the sky, filled with agony. The howling sound sounded like a grievous cry that gave chills to anyone who heard it.
Chapter 420 ITS ALL ABOUT SOPHIE!
Anne who had been curling on the ground, enduring all of Isolde''s tortures immediately stood up and darted towards Jack. However, Isolde''s lycan subordinates blocked her.
Meanwhile, Jack began to fall. He saw the blue sky blurry before finally falling into the sand.
AWOOO¡
Anne again howled in agony. People could hear the pain and devastation in her voice. The next second, she roared in anger and stabbed the neck of the lycan in front of her with her sharp ws. She then ran towards Jack but due to severe injuries and loss of blood, she fell.
Finally, she crawled on the sand, approaching Jack who was a meter in front of her.
She nudged Jack''s head repeatedly with her muzzle while making a whimpering sound, begging the man to get up, but no matter how much she tried, the man still wouldn''t wake up.
Realizing that her husband was dead, Anne crawled closer and rested her head on the man''s chest. Her eyes were closed and the tears kept flowing non-stop.
"Aw, so touching," said Isolde walking over and standing next to Anne and Jack.
"Don''t worry, I''m not so evil that I would have the heart to separate a couple who love each other." She raised her sword high and smirked. "Therefore, go to the afterlife with your husband!"
STAB!!
Isolde stabbed Anne in the back and killed her. Blood seeped out from the wound and immediately created a pool of blood under her body.
Isolde drew her sword and burst outughing like a maniac, feeling very satisfied that she had vented all the anger of her envy on Anne.
"Uncle Jack¡ Aunt Anne¡" Lnd mumbled quietly and tears welled up in his eyes. He almost forgot to breathe when he witnessed what happened to Anne and Jack. This was truly the saddest day of his life. It wasparable to the day when he lost his unborn children. There was nothing... nothing in this world that could make up for this pain.
He wished Isolde was not dead so easily. He should have prevented Elias from killing his mother back then. He should have tortured and then killed Isolde exactly how she had tortured and killed Anne and Jack. That was probably the only way he could have his anger quelled.
Lnd closed his eyes. He had had enough. Now he really knew that behind the deaths of Sophie''s parents was truly his own mother. He didn''t know how he could be born from that crazy and vicious woman''s womb. He would rather that he was never born than call Isolde his mother.
"Stop it," Lnd growled. He didn''t want to witness longer, how his motherughed out loud and wiped her tears of happiness, seeing Anne''s and Jack''s lifeless bodies.
All his questions were finally answered but at the same time, he felt very sad to know the end of the life of the two people who had saved his life and given him all the warmth of a family.
When he was sick and injured, Anne took care of him and worried about him while his own mother wouldn''t care if he lived or died.
In Jack''s figure, he saw the figure of a man who protected his family in every way he could. A man who loved his wife and children very much and would do everything he could to make his family smile.
Lnd saw his own father as distant and cold. This was something he took after, he couldn''t help it. He was not a warm and cheerful man like Jack, but he tried his best to show his affection to his mate and his children.
For him, Jack was a role model. Even though he knew could never be as good as Jack, Lnd hoped that he could always make his family happy as Jack did.
The toneglyph had returned to its original state. It hovered above Eloise''s hand and then fell down to her open palm. She quickly closed her palm and put the toneglyph back in her pocket. She didn''t like seeing the sight too. She was d it now had ended.
Eloise was especially bothered by Isolde''s crazy behavior and wondered why her mother could be best friends with that woman. She suspected Isolde was not this bad when she was younger and started her friendship with ine.
From her mother''s story, Eloise heard that when they were younger, Isolde and ine were doing many things together and they went on adventures to seek power and alliances. Isolde might change this drastically because of her unrequited love.
This thought made Eloise shiver. She didn''t want to be crazy and did stupid things just because she loved a man. She would still be smart and calcting. Unlike Isolde.
She didn''t need to kill people to get what she wanted. And she wanted Lnd.
No... she didn''t need to kill Sophie or his children. She needed them alive. See? She was smart. Unlike Isolde.
Eloise turned to the side to ask Lnd, what he wanted to do now that he already found out the truth. Eloise''s forehead winced when she saw the man looking down, with his eyes closed and tears dropped to the ground one by one.
Ugh... Eloise, when she saw Lnd crying, felt increasingly disgusted with all things rted to Sophie.
The tears also confirmed to her just how much Lnd loved Sophie''s parents. So, not only Sophie, but he loved her family too... Tch!
The betrothal between her and Lnd failed because of Sophie, Lnd came here for Sophie, and he was now crying because of Sophie''s parents.
SOPHIE, SOPHIE, SOPHIE! IT''S ALL ABOUT SOPHIE!
FUCK THAT WOMAN!
Eloise quietly rolled her eyes in disgust. She really hated that woman named Sophie but, for the umpteenth time, she had to hide her feelings in front of Lnd.
She didn''t say anything for a while and gave the man time to calm down. She was wise enough to know she shouldn''t bother a wounded animal, especially the grieving one.
Chapter 421 I Will Be Right Back
When Lnd had calmed down, Eloise again reached into her pocket. This time she took out a bottle that was 2 times the size of her thumb.
"The poison Elias gave you has no antidote but seeing as you can withstand it and not die, I tried to make a healing potion that can speed up your recovery," Eloise said, reaching out the bottle to Lnd.
She added, "During these two weeks I worked hard by formting several potions together. Then after doing a series of trials, I managed to find the right form and seeded in making this one. It will neutralize the remnants of the poison in your body so you can recover faster. I have tried this on myself."
Eloise smiled coldly when she saw Lnd didn''t budge. She said, "Since you havee here and saved me from Elias, as a person who knows to show my gratitude, I am giving you this potion for free. Up to you if you want to recover faster or if you just want to rely on your physical ability to heal on its own."
Lnd turned to her. He was silent and just looked at the woman in front of him suspiciously. He felt that Eloise''s kindness was not sincere but she had another agenda. What could that possibly be?
He didn''t want to take anything from this witch. However, when he saw his body still looking so stiff, he became depressed. It took him two weeks to finally be able to sit down and move his upper body. How much longer would he need to get up and recover enough to go home?
His chest was filled with so much pain and longing for Sophie. He wanted to see her and hug her and cry with her. He didn''t want to wait.
He already went through the worst. Taking this potion from Eloise couldn''t be so bad after what happened to him, right? Besides, he could tell that Eloise really wanted him to live. She could have killed him easily if she wanted him dead.
"Look, this is not poison," Eloise said. "I drank this every day to make sure it''s really working. I have never felt so rejuvenated and fresh. I am actually so proud of this potion. This is my best one so far."
She took the bottle and drank half the liquid inside it. She smiled and wiped her lips afterward. Then she put the bottle on the side table. "I will just leave it here. Feel free to take it. Or not. I don''t care anymore."
Lnd looked at the bottle and hesitated for a moment, but because his desire to go home to Sophie and their children was so great, he finally took the bottle and drank its contents.
"That''s good," Eloise smiled. She patted Lnd on the back and took the bottle from his hand. "Now, just rest and you will soon feel your energy invigorated, and your body will feel much better. It should give you results immediately."
Lnd didn''t say anything. He looked away and focused his sight on the window. He wanted to forget the scene he just saw earlier, of how Anne and Jack died. It was so heartbreaking.
He promised himself, someday he would take that toneglyph from Eloise and destroy it so Eloise would never have the chance to show it to Sophie. He didn''t want Sophie to witness what he saw. She had suffered enough.
***
It''s been several hours. Lnd wanted to curse in anger. He still didn''t feel any changes in his body. Didn''t Eloise say it would show results immediately? It''s been hours and nothing.
There were no signs of getting better. He gritted his teeth. He shouldn''t have hoped too much. This potion given by Eloise didn''t show the required reaction. It might not work for him as it did for Eloise because he was a lycan, not a witch like her... Was that really the case?
Lnd felt disappointed because he had hoped so much for the potion to work so he could go home soon. He missed Sophie so much. He was wondering what Sophie was doing now.
Lnd was now lying on his back. He kept thinking about Sophie. Everything that happened today was exhausting. He didn''t realize when he had started to fall asleep.
When he opened his eyes, it was already morning. Lnd was surprised to feel his body suddenly be very light.
He sat up, folded his neck to the right and left alternately then moved and twisted his arms a few times. He felt that right now his body was really in good shape.
Lnd immediately got out of bed and was very happy that he could finally stand up. The potion from Eloise turned out to be working really well. It just took longer for him to see the results. Although Eloise was very annoying, it was undeniable that she was a genius. She came to power as the grand witch of her coven because she was the most talented of them all.
? "Gosh... it works..." Lnd mumbled to himself as he looked at both his palms and moved his arms again. He felt like himself again.
He turned to the window and walked over. The sun shone straight through the room as he opened the windows, it felt very warm as it hit his skin.
Lnd took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. For a moment he stood there in silence and looked at the view of the garden outside. When he saw the sun ahead, he felt like he was reborn. He struggled against death for weeks, and now he won.
After a minute of silence, Lnd looked down at the pink flower on the window sill. He took one of the flowers out of the pot and kissed it.
"I''ll be right back," he murmured, smiling as he looked at the flower gently as if he was looking at Sophie. He missed her so much. He had not been able to feel her for weeks and he couldn''t wait to go home and see her again.
Chapter 422 Eloise Wants To Be Friends Again
Lnd couldn''t wait to go home. He had been trapped in Armeria for too long. He wanted to go back to Sophie. However, before he did that, there was something he wanted to do.
Lnd wanted to go to where Anne and Jack were buried.
The door opened and Eloise entered.
"Lnd! Hey! You''re much better now..." She was surprised to see Lnd already standing by the window. The next second, her expression changed to a happy and excited expression. "As expected, the potion does work!"
Eloise walked over to Lnd and touched his shoulder. He was holding the pot of azalea from the window earlier.
"It''s still hard to believe that you actually managed to survive the poison," she added.
"Hm. Me too," said Lnd nonchntly, returning the flower pot to the windowsill.
Eloise noticed what he did andmented. "Do you like azaleas?"
"I like the color," Lnd said tly.
Eloise wasn''t stupid. She could quickly understand why Lnd liked the color of the flowers, it must be because they reminded him of Sophie.
Damn! Sophie again!
Early in the morning like this, Eloise was already in a rage.
"Do you know where Anne''s and Jack''s grave is?" Lnd changed the subject. Actually, Eloise nned to talk about it but she was happy that Lnd started it first.
"Well. My mother told me where it is, so I could definitely take you there," Eloise smiled. "However, I will only do it if you granted me a wish."
Lnd fell silent, his hunch about Eloise wanting something from him now proved true.
"I''ll go alone and find it myself," he said curtly. He didn''t like ying games and he surely did not want to be dependent on Eloise.
"Do you know where it is?" The witch asked him.
"Judging by the sand and mountains your toneglyph shows, that ce is the Gazi Desert." Lnd looked at Eloise with narrowed eyes, to see if she would lie to him.
"You''re always impressive." Eloise smiled and said, "However, do you think your mother would bury Anne and Jack anywhere? At that time your father had forbidden anyone from the pack from disturbing Anne and her family but your mother disobeyed that order."
She added, "Your mother was not so stupid as to let your father and the rest of the pack sniff out her crimes. She buried Anne and Jack in a secret ce and let''s just say that at this time only I know where it is because everyone involved in the murder is dead."
"What do you want?" Lnd asked after he realized that Eloise''s words were correct. The crimesmitted by his mother were grave crimes because she vited the Alpha''s orders. So, he was certain that his mother covered it very well so as not to be found out.
"Would you like to grant it?" Eloise looked at Lnd deeply.
"I''ll consider it after I see Anne and Jack''s graves," Lnd replied curtly.
When Eloise heard Lnd''s words, sheughed.
"You seem to be very worried that my request will harm you," he said.
"Because I know who you are," Lnd said tly.
"Aw, you always tter me with those words. Actually, my request is simple." Eloise stared fixedly at Lnd. "I want us to be friends again."
Lnd furrowed his brows in surprise at Eloise''s request. He had previously thought that Eloise would ask for something that would harm him or his rtionship with Sophie. Just being friends again with her... was not really bad, if the exchange was the location of where Anne and Jack were buried.
He only wanted to give that closure to his wife.
So, Lnd finally agreed to Eloise''s request.
"If that''s all, fine," he said.
Eloise smiled at that. "Thank you, Lnd."
She took a deep breath and looked at Lnd with a friendly expression. "To make sure that you wouldn''t betray our friendship, can you swear that you will never betray me no matter what?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, even if one day we are on two opposing sides, you will not try to kill me, as I also would never try to kill you. When I am in need of help and my life is in danger you woulde to my aid and save me. When you are in danger, I will alsoe to your aid and save your life," Eloise said.
She turned her gaze towards the garden outside. "In this life, I don''t have anyone I can trust anymore. Because of my power, people always want to take advantage of me. Just like my mother, your mother, and Elias did. In order not to be used I make myself cruel."
Her voice was hoarse and Lnd could feel her bitterness.
Eloise looked back at Lnd. Her eyes were teary.
"I know you''re not someone who would betray a friend, but just to be sure I want you to swear. A real man will never break an oath he has made," she said. "I only need one person I can trust."
Lnd, who had agreed to be friends with Eloise again and wanted to finish his work so he could return to his family, finallyplied with Eloise''s wishes.
He raised his right hand. "I swear I will never betray my friendship with Eloise no matter what. Even if one day we are on two opposing sides, I will not kill her."
"When she needs help and her life is in danger I will do everything in my power to help and save her," Lnd swore but because he was worried that one day Eloise would take advantage of him using the oath, his face looked conflicted. "This is my oath as an Alpha."
Eloiseughed again when she heard the few words at the end of Lnd''s oath and saw his expression. She said, "You''ve just agreed to ept my friendship but you''re acting like someone who is wary of their enemies now."
Chapter 423 Youre Finally Back!
Lnd didn''t respond to Eloise''s remark. His face now looked impatient and the witch knew he wanted her to immediately take him to see the grave.
So, Eloise decided not to prolong the issue.
"Very well, if that''s what you think of me that''s fine. I can''t force you to see me differently if you had made up your mind. I will take you to see the grave." She turned towards the door. "Celia, get them out and bring them here."
"Okay, Your Grace!" Celia''s voice came from behind the door, but Lnd didn''t smell her presence at all. He almost thought his sense of smell hadn''t fully recovered, but then he remembered the potion that the witch gave him to hide his scent when he and his men came to infiltrate Armeria.
Lnd realized those witches had been using it to roam around freely without being detected by lycans. He wondered if they had been using it to get closer to his pack without his knowledge.
***
Celia and another witch went to one of the pce pavilions to inform Max and the nine other lycans that their Alpha had fully recovered and they were now invited to meet him.
The ten lycans were being held in the pavilion that had been given a barrier using magic by Eloise''s two subordinate witches. Max and his friends were unable to get out no matter how hard they tried. So, in the end, they just waited.
Even though they were detained, they weren''t treated badly. They just couldn''t get out of the pavilion area. When she came to visit them, Eloise told Max and the other lycans that Lnd was seriously injured and was undergoing intensive care. As long as he had not passed his critical period, he shouldn''t be seen by anyone.
She promised Max and the others that she would bring them together as soon as Lnd''s condition improved and that was also Lnd''s decision.
Max and his friends couldn''t believe Eloise''s words just like that. They insisted on meeting and seeing Lnd''s condition in person. Eloise finally asked her two subordinates to lock up the lycans in the pavilion.
She assured Max that she would not hurt Lnd let alone kill him because Lnd saved her life. She promised to take care of Lnd as best she could and would not let him die.
Max and the others couldn''t do anything but try to believe in Eloise. They couldn''t do anything but wait. After a while, the two witches finally arrived at the pavilion. Before entering, they first removed the barrier magic that surrounded the pavilion.
Seeing theming, Max and the others immediately came out.
"Your Alpha has finally recovered and you can meet him now," said Celia before Max said anything.
"Is that true?" Max was surprised but, at the same time, he was relieved. He and his friends were already very nervous about their Alpha''s condition because it had been a long time since the witch gave them any news about the Alpha.
"Well, thanks to Lady Eloise, he''s fine now," Celia said with a smile.
Max felt like rolling his eyes. He thought it Eloise''s responsibility to save Lnd''s life because Lnd risked his life toe to this ce to save her.
"Where is Alpha now?" Max asked.
"Follow us," said Celia. She walked toward the main pce, followed by Max andpany.
Soon, they arrived at a hall. There, Lnd who was already preparing for Gazi Desert with Eloise was standing, waiting for them.
"Alpha!" Max and the others were very relieved to see that Lnd waspletely fine. Even though he looked thinner and pale, he didn''t look weak. There were no visible injuries on his body and all his limbs were stillplete.
"Alpha, are you okay?" Max asked again to be sure.
Lnd nodded slowly. "Hm. I want you and the others to go back to Riga immediately. Tell Luna that I''m fine. Tell her not to worry, I''ll be home as soon as possible."
Lnd''s orders made Max feel surprised. He thought Lnd was going home with them. However, he chose not to say anything, thinking that Lnd must still have a business to attend to.
"Okay, Alpha." For a moment Max looked at Eloise. "Please take care."
"Go now and be safe," said Lnd.
Max and his friends all bowed deeply before they turned around and got ready to leave.
Max''s words irritated Eloise a bit. She stared at the ten lycans leaving with annoyance. She could see that ungrateful lycan was openly showing that he didn''t trust her.
Bastard! He didn''t even thank her for sparing their lives. She could so easily kill them if she wanted to while Lnd was in recovery. However, she didn''t want to invite his wrath. And she thought those ten lycans were not important. She didn''t need to kill them.
But she could have killed them if she wanted. Bastard!
***
Time passed quickly, the sun was directly overhead. Max and the others sped away from the capital of Armeria towards Riga while Lnd and Eloise were heading towards the Gazi Desert.
Two dayster, Max and the nine other lycans arrived at Riga''s pce. They ran as fast as they could so they could reach the capital quickly. They wanted to see their Luna and told her what happened.
They could imagine she must be feeling so distraught because they were gone for much longer than nned, and there was news sent to let her know that they were still alive.
Sophie who saw their arrival from the pce terrace immediately descended the stairs and ran to them. Nichs who saw her running immediately followed. He was surprised to see the return of the ten lycans.
He furrowed his brows, feeling confused because he didn''t see Lnd''s figure among the lycans.
"Has something happened to Lnd?" He wondered in his mind.
Sophie ran fast like she was a bird about to fly.
"You''re finally home!" She said breathlessly. Her face looked very happy but not long after that her expression immediately changed when she didn''t see Lnd''s figure among them.
Chapter 424 Sophie Was Feeling Uncomfortable
"Max, where''s Lnd?" Sophis asked breathlessly as she looked at the faces of the ten lycans one by one. Her heart suddenly filled with anxiety, thinking that something bad had happened to her mate.
"Ma-Max what happened? W-where''s Lnd?" She asked in a trembling voice.
"Alpha is fine. He asked me and the others toe home and tell Luna that he is fine. He asked Luna not to worry because he will be home soon," said Max.
"Really¡? But why doesn''t hee home with you guys?" Sophie asked with tears slowly forming in her eyes.
"Sorry I have to interrupt, but it''s better if we talk inside," Nichs said when he approved them.
Sophie said turning her attention to the king and then looking at the people around who were watching them.
"Come on," Nichs said turning and leading the way. He led them to a room that was often used during meetings.
"What exactly happened there? Why did you guys onlye back now and why didn''t Lnde home with you?" Sophie immediately asked questions as soon as they all sat down.
Max nced at Nichs, a little hesitant to tell him given that their mission was a secret one, but it seemed they''d been gone for too long now it was no longer a secret.
"The king knows everything. I was really worried about you guys so I told him you were going to Armeria," Sophie exined, understanding what Max was thinking.
Max nodded. He could understand and take Sophie''s anxiety as something very natural. Her mate went to the enemy''sir and did not return for more than a month, of course, she would feel very anxious.
So, Max then began to tell her everything that had happened while they were in Armeria, including the duel that had taken ce between Lnd and Elias.
"After a fierce battle, Alpha Lnd finally won the duel and managed to kill Alpha Elias," exined Max.
"What? He actually killed Alpha Elias?" Nichs was surprised. This was a good surprise, but now he was worried about what happened afterward.
Max nodded then he added, "However¡ because of the duel, Alpha Lndwas seriously injured and was in critical condition."
This time it was Sophie''s turn to be surprised. "Critical?"
She thought her heart stopped beating for a second.
"Yes, Luna."
"So, where is he now? Is he okay or....?" Sophie immediately feared for the worst.
Max hesitated for a moment but he finally decided to tell everything without hiding anything. He informed Sophie that Lnd had been under Eloise''s care for weeks. And now he had recovered.
"¡"
Sophie fell silent. She was relieved that Lnd was fine but she felt ufortable hearing that Lnd was being cared for by Eloise for weeks.
"Didn''t Lnd tell any one of you toe home and notify me what happened?" she asked after a long silence.
Max was quite understanding of Sophie''s feelings. In order for Sophie not to misunderstand Lnd, Max told him about him and his friends being held captive in the pavilion surrounded by magic.
"The grand witch Eloise said that Alpha was in intensive care and couldn''t be visited. Because we insisted on seeing Alpha she held us there."
"Why would Eloise do that? It should be fine to just take a quick look." This time Nichs spoke up. ording to him, Eloise''s actions were excessive and seemed unnatural.
Max also felt that way but he didn''t dare toment.
He looked at Sophie, hoping that knowing that they were being held, Sophie wouldn''t think that Lnd was deliberately keeping the news out of the way. Unfortunately, one of his stupid and innocent friends replied, "I was also confused when the witch forbade us to meet Alpha but the thing that confused me, even more, was when Eloise said that decision was actually Alpha Lnd''s decision."
Sophie was surprised again. Nichs looked at Sophie worriedly.
Max felt like hitting his friend on the head.
"That''s just what Eloise said, wasn''t it? We don''t know what really happened. I don''t want to think negatively about Lnd''s friend named Eloise but I feel she is suspicious," Nichs said.
Max stared at the king intently. He was surprised to hear those words. If another man were in Nichs'' position, he would definitely take advantage of the opportunity to incite Sophie into hating Lnd and get Sophie toe back to him. However, King Nichs didn''t do it.
When Max focused on Nichs, his stupid friend spoke again. "But why didn''t Alpha Lnde home with us right away? As we were leaving Armeria capital, I saw Alpha Lnd turn and leave with the witch, Eloise. I was very confused because Alpha''s attitude was strange. He didn''t seem like his usual self."
Sophie was stunned to hear this remark.
Max nced at his friend sharply but the lycan only raised one of his eyebrows while putting on an innocent confused face.
The lycan''s words really made Sophie''s heart feel ufortable. What really happened to Lnd? Why didn''t he go home with the others if he had already fully recovered? Lnd must know that she was very worried about his situation. Did Lnd not care about her feelings?
Sophie felt sad and confused by Lnd''s attitude, but she decided to keep her feelings to herself. Sophie would ask Lnd what happened when he finally came home. She faked a smile and said, "I am sure he has something urgent to do. I am just d he is okay now."
"Luna, I think there are still issues to be resolved and Alpha has his own considerations. After the matter is resolved, he will go home as soon as possible," said Max to soothe the Luna. "He told me to tell you not to worry. He will be back soon."
Sophie smiled faintly when she heard Max''s words.
"I know," she said. Sophie added, "You can rest now, tomorrow we will return to the manor."
Her words surprised Nichs. He didn''t expect Sophie to leave the royal pce this quick. Why didn''t she just wait for her mate here, until Lnd returned?
Chapter 425 Going Home To The Manor
Since there was nothing else to talk about, they all left the room. Max and his friends were exhausted after the trip where they ran as fast as they could to reach Lievstad. They all fell asleep as soon as they reached the guests'' quarters.
Sophie went to her room and told her children that Lnd was fine and that they would go home to the manor the next day. She asked the children to prepare.
When Luciel and Jan asked why didn''t they wait for Lnd to pick them up, Sophie exined to them that they had been staying as guests in the royal pce for too long and she felt bad about bothering the king for much longer.
The boys found it difficult to understand because Nichs was their father and it shouldn''t be a problem if they bothered him for however long as they needed. However, they didn''t argue because they could see their mother''s expression was looking distraught.
They suspected something bad happened but they didn''t know what. They decided toter ask Nichs if he knew anything.
***
Three hourster, after the conversation, while having dinner together, Nichs asked about Sophie''s ns to go home tomorrow. Queen Marianne who heard it was surprised.
"What? Do you want to go home tomorrow? Why so suddenly?" She was really surprised because it meant Jan and Luciel would also leave the pce.
Sophie shook her head, "No, Your Grace. We have our responsibility to our pack. We have left them for too long. It is my duty to manage them while my mate is away."
"I mean, why don''t you all just stay here until Lndes to pick you up," Queen Marianne asked. She just wanted to have more time with Jan and Luciel.
Sophie smiled. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but we have lived here too long. Besides... I''m afraid that if I stay here longer, people will continue to gossip."
Queen Marianne was silent for a moment and then said, "I see, I''m sorry that I didn''t think of that."
She rubbed the heads of Luciel and Jan who were sitting next to her in turn. "I just feel like I can''t bear to part with my two grandchildren."
Her voice was sad and Sophie felt bad about taking the boys away from their grandmother who loved them so much. However, she must be assertive.
"Don''t worry Grandma, Jan and I will oftene to visit Grandma. We''ll ask Uncle Max to take us. Grandma can also send knights to take you to the manor if you want to meet us. We''d be very happy if Grandma came," said Luciel with a spirited tone.
"Can we invite Grandma toe, Mom?" Jan turned to look at Sophie.
"Yes, of course," Sophie said, nodding slowly with a smile.
"Well, problem solved," said Luciel making Queen Marianneugh.
She rubbed the boy''s hair lovingly and said, "Well, then, I will visit you often."
Nichs smiled at the scene. He was happy to see his children growing up active and smart and had such a good rtionship with the old queen. He truly believed his mother finally got what he had been wishing for all those years when she forced him to find a woman to marry and have children.
However, when he thought of the fact that his two children would leave the pce tomorrow, he became sad. The queen could visit them easily, but he couldn''t.
This thought made his chest feel heavy. However, he couldn''t do anything to prevent them from leaving because he had to think about Sophie''s reputation and feelings too.
***
In the morning Sophie finally said goodbye to Queen Marianne and Nichs to return to the manor with her children.
"Promise Grandma that you two be good and you will miss me," Queen Marianne said to Luciel and Jan. "I will see you in a few days."
"Um. We promise, Grandma," said both boys with smiling faces.
"Ah, I will definitely miss you guys." Queen Marianne hugged her two grandchildren tightly, feeling very unwilling if they left the pce.
"Don''t be sad Grandma, we look froward to seeing you soon. We love your stories and we want to y with you," Jan said with a big smile, making his cheeks puff up like bread.
"I know, my two grandchildren will not break their promise." Now Queen Marianne kissed them in turn and then hugged them again.
After Queen Marianne let go of her embrace, Jan and Luciel shifted closer to Nichs.
The king immediately crouched down to level with the two children. He touched their faces alternately. "Take good care of yourselves and while your father is away you must take good care of your mother and siblings. Do you understand?"
"Um, understand, Dad. It''s our job to take care of mom and our younger siblings."
Nichs smiled so widely that his cheeks puffed up. Sophie who was standing behind the children actually saw Jan and Luciel as replicas of Nichs.
Jan and Luciel not only inherited Nichs'' face but also inherited some of Nichs'' behavior.
To be honest, she always felt moved whenever she saw Nichs interacting with Luciel and Jan. Nichs looked very fond of his two sons and was very sad every time he was going to part with them.
Nichs ruffled their hair gently.
"Smart boys," he said.
"Of course, because we are father''s children," Luciel said, surprising Nichs. He looked at the two children with teary eyes. Three secondster he nodded slowly and smiled again.
"Right, because you are Father''s son. My son." He hugged Luciel and Jan tightly. Nichs tried not to cry but he still couldn''t hold back the tears.
Sophie looked away and wiped the tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes. Seeing Nichs like that made her feel sad and sorry.
"Okay, we have to go. Thank you for everything," she said after Nichs removed his arms from Jan and Luciel and then got into the horse carriage with his two children, followed by the maid who brought Anne and Jack in their baskets.
Chapter 426 The Arrival Of Lucas And Lily
Luciel and Jan stuck their heads out of the window and waved as the horse carriage slowly moved out of the pce grounds.
Queen Marianne and Nichs waved their hands while continuing to smile. However, as soon as the carriage was out of their sight, Queen Marianne immediately cried. She was very sad that Luciel and Jan had finally left. She had been so used to having them around for a long period of time.
"Mom, why are you crying? You can visit them often," Nichs said embracing and rubbing his mother''s back.
"I know but still I feel sad. After they leave the atmosphere in this pce will definitely feel very lonely. Since they arrived, the pce has felt warmer and full of joy," said the queen between her sobs.
When she rubbed her eyes and looked at her son, suddenly the queen understood Nichs'' position. She realized Nichs was having it harder because he couldn''t visit the children at their home, just like her. Nichs wouldn''t want toe to the manor while Sophie''s mate was away. It was out of respect for Lnd.
Meanwhile, Queen Marianne could juste as the boys'' grandma. Now, she felt sorry for her son.
"I am sure Lnd will return quickly and the boys will be able toe and visit us more," she said, trying to soothe her son''s feelings. The queen forced a smile and decided to change the topic. "By the way, it''s your birthday soon. We should n to throw a party. This kingdom needs something to celebrate."
She pulled Nichs'' hand to go inside the pce. "Let''s talk about it inside."
Nichs knew what his mother was trying to do. So, he didn''t argue. Both mother and son walked hand in hand inside the pce. Each was busy with their own thoughts.
***
Sophie and the group finally arrived at their residence, outside of Lievstad. Sophie was a bit surprised because the atmosphere of the manor was busier than when she and Lnd left the ce.
"Luna." Lucas along with two guards and a female lycan who was familiar to Sophie came out to greet them.
"Lucas? Hey, you''re back?" Sophie was happy to see the Beta had returned. She felt relieved because, with Lucas here, the Beta could lead the pack for a while, during Lnd''s absence.
She turned to look at the beautiful girl with white hair and green eyes standing next to Lucas.
"Lily long time no see," she greeted her.
"Luna, I am so happy to see you," Lily said, smiling gracefully.
"Well, from now on you will feel happy every day because after you and Lucas are mated, we will meet every day," Sophie said with a big smile. Both Lucas and Lily blushed when Sophie mentioned their uing mating ritual.
Sophie stepped closer and took Lily''s hand.
"Wee to the Blood River Pack," she said sincerely.
"Thank you, Luna."
"Lucas, you are very lucky to have found Lily," said Sophie as she looked at Lucas who couldn''t hide his joy.
"Thank you, Luna," said Lucas.
Luciel and Jan who were standing next to Sophie, looked at Lily attentively, while she also looked at them with a smile.
''They really do look like King Nichs,'' Lily muttered in her mind as she greeted the two boys. "Nice to meet you, Luciel and Jan."
"Hello, Lily," said Luciel politely.
"Hello, Lily," Jan followed suit. He stole a nce at Lucas. "I am happy you finallye and make Lucas happy."
"Ah, of course! Lucas makes me happy too," said Lily. She nced at the man and almostughed at seeing his blushing cheeks.
Sophie continued to smile seeing the interaction between the three people. However, her mood became ruined when Lucas who didn''t see Lnd around asked her his whereabouts.
"Luna, where''s Alpha?" Lucas looked around them. He didn''t smell the Alpha''s scent around his mate and children. So, he realized Lnd had not been with them for a long time. He didn''t remember Lnd ever leaving them for more than several days.
"Huh?" Sophie was dazed. Her mind immediately went to Lnd. She didn''t know where he was. She could only reply weakly, "He''s¡ still in Armeria."
Lucas who didn''t know anything about Lnd going to Armeria was very surprised. "What is he doing there?"
"Let''s talk inside," Sophie replied. "Sorry, I can''t stand for too long. Let''s sit and talk."
"Ah, I''m sorry. Pleasee in, Luna."
They finally entered the manor together. While inside, Sophie told the maid to take Jack and Anne to her bedroom and then told Jan and Luciel to rest in their respective rooms.
Because she thought Sophie and Lucas wanted to discuss something important, Lily decided to withdraw with the excuse that she needed to care of her mating ritual ns., Lily stepped back, letting Lucas talk to Sophie and Max.
"What exactly happened? Why did Alpha Lnd go to Armeria?" Lucas asked. Then Max started telling the beta everything.
Lucas was very surprised to hear that. He also felt sorry that as a Beta he did not apany Lnd on the mission. However, on the one hand, he was also relieved, knowing Elias had died at Lnd''s hands.
It meant the Obsidian Sand Pack was currently under Lnd''s leadership as their Alpha. As for Blood River. The pack no longer had to worry about getting attacked by the Obsidian Sand Pack since their own Alpha had defeated the original Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack.
"I''m relieved that you''re here. Lnd isn''t around so you''ll be leading the pack for the time being," said Sophie.
"I see. That is my job, Luna." Lucas, noticing the worry on Sophie''s face, added, "Don''t worry, Alpha already said he''ll be home soon. It means he''ll be home soon. I know him, he would never go back on his words."
"I know." Sophie smiled wryly then backed away to go to her room and rest there.
After she arrived at the room, Sophie walked over to the baby box, paying attention to Jack and Anne. Sophie gently rubbed the heads of the two baby wolves and sighed heavily. Even though Max and Lucas had asked her not to worry, she was still worried.
***
The news of Lucas and Lily Moonchester''s wedding had been known to all members of the Blood River Pack. They gradually arrived and made the manor very crowded.
In the midst of her anxiety, waiting for Lnd to return, Sophie greeted the guests from Blue Moon in a friendly manner and helped check all the wedding preparations. However, until all the preparations were finished, Lnd still did not return.
"I know." Sophie smiled wryly then backed away to go to her room and rest there.
Arriving at the room, she walked over to the baby box, paying attention to little Jack and Anne. She gently rubbed the heads of the two baby wolves and sighed heavily. Even though Max and Lucas had asked him not to worry, he was still worried.
***
Meanwhile, Lnd and Eloise were standing in an oasis in the middle of the desert. The crystal clear water stretched out in front of them while all around them were towering palm trees and flowers blooming very beautifully. The ce was like heaven in the middle of hell.
"This is where your mother tortured Anne and Jack," said Eloise.
Lnd furrowed his brows, surprised that the ce was so different from the ce he saw in the toneglyph. However, Eloise walked over and pulled out a small stick that was among the white flowers growing in clusters.
As soon as the stick was removed, the palm trees around them disappeared and were reced by a desert. Theke and flowers disappeared and were reced by golden sand.
Lnd''s eyes opened wide. He looked in all directions, saw the rocks that surrounded the ce, and realized that this was the ce where his mother killed Jack and Anne. Everything was exactly as it appeared on the toneglyph.
"Your mother asked my mother for help hide her crime. She nted magical illusions in this ce and made everyone see this valley as an oasis," Eloise exined.
"Her magic not only deceived the eye but deceives all the senses. I''m sure apart from seeing the water and the flowers, you smell the very refreshing scent of the water and the sweet fragrance of the flowers you see." Eloise smiled and then broke the stick in her hand.
Lnd realized that Eloise''s words were true. He actually thought that the oasis just now was a real oasis. A gust of wind blew away the dust of the sand and, at the same time, Lnd could smell the remnants of Anne''s scent in the ce. Even though it''s been years, the scent was still there. The sand in the valley held it well.
Lnd clenched his fists, his chest tightened again when he remembered the torture that Jack and Anne had endured.
"This way," Eloise walked into the middle of the valley and Lnd followed her. They then stopped right in front of arge boulder.
Chapter 427 Anger And Sadness
Lnd''s eyes opened wide again when he realized that it was the rock the lycans had ced on Jack''s back before he killed himself. Remembering that gruesome sight made his blood boil.
Lnd partially transformed his arm into a Lycan''s and shattered the huge rock into small pieces in just one blow. Eloise closed her eyes and hid her face between her hands as the shards flew toward her.
Five secondster, she lowered her hands and saw Lnd on his knees. Right now Lnd could smell Anne''s scent more and more clearly. He gritted his teeth and his body trembled with anger and sadness at the same time.
? When Lnd remembered Jack screaming in despair when he saw Anne being tortured by Isolde, Lnd felt like his heart was being gripped very tightly and it made him feel suffocated.
"Uncle Jack, Auntie Anne¡ Please, forgive me. I couldn''t do anything to help you¡." His tears started to fall. A drop, two drops... and he finally couldn''t hold back anymore.
"You suffered so much and I couldn''t do anything... If only I had known sooner, I would have killed my mother for you." His tears fell like rain and wet the sand below.
Eloise was silent. She did not expect Lnd to cry so despondently like this. This was the side of him that she never knew existed. Eloise didn''t know how to react.
Meanwhile, Lnd grabbed the sand and clenched his fists very tightly.
"If only... I had known sooner, I would have destroyed them all with my own hands. I would have made them feel what you felt," he muttered.
Lnd continued crying. He didn''t care about his surroundings. He couldn''t care less about what Eloise thought when she witnessed him venting his sadness. He took the time to grieve. Finally, after so many years, he finally got closure.
After he calmed down, Lnd wiped his tears using the back of his hand. He rolled up his sleeves and then dug up the grave of his foster parents.
Eloise just stood on the side, watching him. Not long after digging, Lnd found the remains of two human skeletons. He held his breath when he saw the position of the female skeleton hugging the male skeleton.
He remembered Anne was in her wolf form when she died.
Apparently... when they buried her, she was not dead yet. She was buried alive with her husband and in herst moment, she transformed back into a human and hugged Jack. And then she breathed herst.
Damn it!
"AWWOOOOO....!!!"
Lnd was so mad and sad that he let out a long painful howl. His voice echoed in the vast desert, giving chills to anyone who heard it.
He was furious about what happened, but he couldn''t take it out on anyone. His mother, the mastermind, and the old lycans who helped her, were all dead now. Isolde killed them to cover her tracks. And now she was already killed by Elias. Lnd felt like he didn''t get the closure he deserved because he couldn''t avenge Jack''s and Anne''s deaths. It was really unfair.
He punched the air and cursed inwardly, venting his anger. And then he stood in silence. He was thinking of Anne and Jack and the memory they had together. He missed them.
After a long silence, Lnd crouched down and gently touched the remains.
"What will you do with them?" Eloise asked when she saw Lnd take off his robe andy it down on the ground.
"I''ll move them," said Lnd lifting and removing the two skeletons.
"Where to?"
"ckwoods."
Lnd decided to properly bury his foster parents in ckwoods Forest because, ording to him, that''s the ce they considered home. Even though he really wanted to take them to the manor in Lievstad or to his castle in Hastings so Sophie could visit them any time, he realized it would be better if Sophie never knew what actually happened to her parents.
It would only tear open an old wound. She had epted that her parents died and they were already buried fifteen years ago.
"I''ll help you," Eloise offered.
Lnd didn''t answer. He gently moved Anne''s and Jack''s bones to his robe and then wrapped them carefully. He carried the remains to the horse carriage they had left at the edge of the valley. He wanted to leave the Gazi Desert as soon as possible.
Even though she was annoyed because Lnd ignored her, Eloise still followed the man.
"Are you going to tell Sophie about how her parents died?" Eloise asked when she had sat down on the carriage, beside Lnd in the driver''s seat.
Lnd again didn''t answer. He had no intention of telling Sophie about how her parents were murdered because that would surely make Sophie very sad. He will only tell that his parents were killed by his mother.
He was so quiet during the trip to ckwoods. Eloise didn''t bother him with unnecessary questions or remarks. She let the grieving man keep to himself. Eloise was just happy that he didn''t kick her out and take the trip on his own.
After two weeks of traveling by horse carriage, Lnd and Eloise finally arrived at the ckwoods Forest. When he set foot again in the forest, memories of the past when he lived with Anne and Jack filled his head. It was such a gloomy day.
***
The sun''s rays seep through the leaves. Under a towering tree, Lnd was digging the ground to bury the remains of Anne and Jack.
After digging the hole deep enough, Lnd ced the bones gently inside and slowly covered the hole with soil.
"Rest in peace, Uncle Jack, Auntie Anne..." he muttered to himself. "We miss you every day."
.
.
.
_________________________
From Missrealitybites:
This scene is inspired by an image I saw on Instagram two months ago. See the picture and details in thement. It was heartbreaking when I read it, but at the same time, it was inspiring. So, I decided to write it here.
Chapter 428 Eloises Request
Although she was unhappy, Eloise helped Lnd and yed her role as a ''friend''. She thought after Lnd finished burying Anne and Jack, they would leave the ce. However, Lnd instead entered the hut which was right next to the grave.
The sound of wood creaking filled the air as he set foot on the steps of the terrace of the hut. When he opened the door and walked inside, all the memories of him living in that hut with Anne, Jack and Sophie became clearer.
Every corner and side of the modest home reminded him of every beautiful moment they spent together.
Behind him, Eloise rolled her eyeszily. However, she immediately smiled when Lnd turned to her.
"You can go back to Armeria now," Lnd said tly. And then he walked in.
"What would you do?" Eloise followed him like a tail.
"Clean this ce," Lnd replied briefly.
"What?! Ah, I mean, alright I''ll help you." Eloise was taken aback for a moment but she quickly changed her expression and smiled, as if she didn''t mind at all about Lnd''s decision to clean the hut.
She removed the curtain from the window and tossed it to the floor. In an instant, the dust flew off.
"Argh, dammit. Disgusting," she grumbled without a sound. Suddenly Eloise screamed and jumped to the nearest chair when a cockroach jumped out from the folds of the curtains.
"Gosh!" So shocked and disgusted, Eloise immediately kicked the curtain on the floor away from her. "Oh, Lnd I''m sorry, I can''t seem to help you. I''m not used to doing this kind of work. I''ll only screw up if I try to help. I''ll be waiting for you over there."
Eloise walked towards a bench, but since it was also dusty she decided to just stand up.
"Lnd, what are you going to do after this?" She asked while watching Lnd who was cleaning a table that had been eaten by termites.
"Back to Lievstad," Lnd said without looking at Eloise.
"Then what are you going to do with the Obsidian Sand Pack? Now you are their Alpha," Eloise reminded him.
"I''m not interested in taking care of them," said Lnd nonchntly. He kept his focus on cleaning the wooden furniture in the hut but he stopped what he was doing when Eloise spoke again after a moment of silence.
"Very well... I, however, have a request and I want you to grant it. Think of it as payment because I have helped you find Sophie''s parents'' graves," Eloise said smiling.
"Isn''t it your part of the deal because I saved you?" Lnd said curtly.
"Is that so? I don''t think in my message through Celia I said that I would take you to Anne and Jack''s graves. I only said I will tell you everything I know."
When Lnd heard that, he looked at Eloise scornfully. He knew that the phrase ''helping selflessly'' was not in Eloise''s dictionary of life. Since he already knew it. he wasn''t too surprised.
"Have you lost your memory? I epted your friendship request for that."
Eloise continued to smile as she approached Lnd slowly.
"Since we are friends now, please help me... You swore the oath to help each other. I''m currently pregnant and the child I''m carrying is Elias''s child," she said while holding her still t stomach.
"This child is the next Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack and I want you to protect me until this child grows up and takes over leadership of the pack," she added.
"You''re carrying Elias''s child?" Lnd furrowed his brows, not expecting that the woman was actually pregnant.
"I was forced into it because he was hiding my soul stone," Eloise spoke curtly. She was still annoyed by what happened. "I only found out I am pregnant after Elias died. Initially, I was nning to abort this child, but after several weeks of feeling conflicted, I couldn''t do it. Even though I hate Elias so much, this child is still my child. I want to give birth to him"
"I don''t see how it is my problem," said Lnd tly.
"I want to keep it but I can''t do this alone,'' said Eloise. She looked at Lnd with determination. "I am begging you to help me. Right now, the seat of the Alpha will be contended because you refuse to take over the pack after you killed Elias. Those who are eyeing for power will see my child as apetition and will try to get rid of him because he has the rightful im."
At the moment, Obsidian Sand Pack was thergest pack in their continent and after Elias invaded Armeria, the role of the Alpha also came with the throne of Armeria. It was not difficult to see how there would be many power-hungry people would take advantage of the vacant seat of Alpha and rule the kingdom as well as the pack.
"So, if I don''t take the seat, you want it for yourself," Lnd said, looking at Eloise with narrowed eyes. The witch nodded. Lnd clicked his tongue and added, "Wouldn''t it be easier for you to just go and leave Armeria. No need to engage in a power struggle just raise your child well. Just think of the throne as being taken by me."
Eloise pursed her lips. "No. I don''t want to give up on the power so easily. I worked hard to help Elias to achieve all that. I can''t let just anybody take it away from me without doing the work. If it''s you... I can ept it. But not anyone else."
"Look, Eloise," Lnd looked at the woman seriously. "I am not interested in Armeria nor the Obsidian Sand Pack. I have a good life. After I am done here, I will go home to my family and my pack."
He added, "You can choose to take over power and lead hundreds of lycans, without their Alpha, and the kingdom of Armeria without the king... and face so many problems. Or, you can go back to your hometown and live a peaceful life with your coven of witches and your child. The choice is yours."
Chapter 429 The Fight
Eloise pursed her lips. She didn''t like Lnd''s reasoning.
"No. I belong in Armeria," said Eloise stubbornly. "And my child is the rightful heir of the pack and the throne. You promised to help me."
"I only promised that I will not be your enemy even if someday we will be on opposing sides," said Lnd firmly. "I don''t care about your wants and ns, and I don''t want to be involved."
"Why don''t you want to help me? Is it because this child is not yours? But what about Jan and Luciel? They are not your children either. If you can take care of them why can''t you take care of this child?" Eloise stepped forward and looked at Lnd with fire in her eyes. She was seriously offended.
The witch added, "You can ept the boys and take care of them too even when they were actually children of your ENEMY. You were not obligated to take them under your wing, but you did anyway... Pleasepare it to my child. He has lost his father because YOU KILLED HIM! It''s your responsibility...!"
Lnd''s brows dipped. He wanted to grip Eloise''s throat and choke her for her impudence, but he held back. He remembered she made him swear not to kill her. She surely knew that he would be agitated enough to do it.
"Whatever, Eloise." Lnd stepped back. He gritted his teeth and turned around to avoid Eloise. His decision would not change.
"Do you want to break your oath?" Eloise asked him coldly.
"I never swore that I would look after your children." Lnd wanted to finish his work quickly so he could get back to Sophie.
,m Eloise suddenly chuckled.
"It''s really hard to make you submit," she said with a hoarse voice. "Don''t me me for doing it the hard way."
Eloise took out a magic item from inside her robe pocket. Suddenly, Lnd had a bad feeling. He turned around and saw Eloise standing firmly behind him with a small blue object in her hand. Lnd still remembered what Eloise told him about her soul stone.
He stared at the object very closely, wondering in his mind what would Eloise do with it.
"Do you want to lock my soul in there to make me submit?" He narrowed his eyes and asked Eloise coldly.
"Actually I wanted to do it but it was very difficult, so I chose another path that was easier." Eloiseughed again, at this point, Lnd''s heart became very uneasy. What did Eloise do?
He looked at Eloise who had started to show her true face.
"What do you mean..." He asked coldly. "By the easy way?"
"I''ve trapped the souls of your two true children in this thing," said Eloise, making Lnd very surprised.
Eloise smirked then continued. "I stole their souls while disguised as Katherine and kept them here, if you keep refusing me, I will hurt this soul stone and make the weak babies sick, I can destroy it too and when youe home you will find your children dead."
She smiled sweetly, but her eyes were filled with so much evil. "If I can''t have my child alive and well, so can''t you."
Eloise looked so pleased with herself. Seeing Lnd''s shocked expression, she burst outughing.
Ahh... this was gold! Lnd usually didn''t show much expression and it was difficult to get a reaction from him. However, Eloise knew that his family would always get him to react.
She praised herself for her wit. She initially wanted to get close to Lnd in a subtle way. She thought, he just needed to open the door and gave her a chance to be back in his life. Surely, he would be able topare how much better she was than Sophie.
Back to being friends was a good n, or so she thought. Unfortunately, it didn''t work. Lnd didn''t care about her and their friendship. He only said yes to her request to be friends again because he wanted to find Anne''s and Jack''s grave.
"AARGHH!!!"
Eloise was startled when Lnd suddenly transformed into a lycan and was about to pounce on her.
Luckily, she was able to dodge in time by shifting to the left. The witch then darted out of the hut and Lnd chased after her.
When their distance was close, Lnd raised his hand, intending to strike his ws at Eloise but once again Eloise managed to dodge in time by shifting to the left. Lnd''s ws hit a tree and it fell. This was repeated three times.
Even though she was a woman, Eloise was not weak. She was a powerful witch and had mastered some skills to protect herself in situations like this.
The atmosphere of the forest which was previously very quiet suddenly became very noisy. The birds flew out of the forest to save themselves.
Eloise jumped back and attacked the huge white wolf with fire magic but Lnd jumped and avoided the fireballs that shot in an arc pattern.
The fire burned the trees and shrubs quickly, making the area instantly filled with smoke. The animals that were there were running to save their lives.
Those who couldn''t run fast could only resign themselves to letting themselves burn.
Eloise shot a fireball at Lnd who was running while swerving to avoid the fireball.
Eloise jumped back again while continuing tounch attacks and kept her distance because she felt she would never be able to fight Lnd in closebat.
"Huh?" Eloise was shocked when she saw three straight white beams rapidly rushing through the smoke towards her and...
CRAACKK!!
The beam instantly shattered the tree trunk behind her the instant she mmed her body to the side. Eloise gulped when she saw the light still streaking and destroying everything in its path like a crazy shing machine.
It was Lnd''s power that gave her goosebumps. If she was toote to dodge, even for a second, her body would shatter into pieces.
Chapter 430 Eloises Threat (1)
Sensing Lnd''s arrival, Eloise immediately turned around. She was about to attack the white wolf using her fire magic again but this time her movements were outssed by Lnd.
When she was raising her hand to cast his magic, Lnd had already charged at her and pounced, the next second the soul stone in Eloise''s left hand was snatched away.
"Grrr¡"
Lnd stared intently at the woman who was currently under him. He was relieved that he thought fast and immediately chased Eloise to take that soul stone from her before she could have time to threaten him further. She must not expect him to act so quickly.
Now that he had the soul stone, he must decide what he should do to this wench.
"Ah." Eloise grimaced as she felt the sting of Lnd''s sharp nails stuck under her neck and when she saw Lnd raise one hand to kill her, she immediately said, "Are you going to break your oath?"
Hearing that, Lnd''s hand stopped in midair. Eloise smirked and then continued. "You swore you''d never kill me no matter what. I know you swore that to me. However, I know you''ll break that oath because you are untrustworthy. Just like you abandoned me in the past for that human, you will abandon me again. That''s why... this time, I took a preventive measure..."
Lnd narrowed his eyes. His ears perked up. Why didn''t Eloise look scared in the face of death? He would just stab her with his sharp ws and end her life right here and right now.
However, she just smirked in and looked like she had expected him to do everything he just did.
Did she have other ns?
Eloise scoffed and pushed Lnd''s body away from her. However, he was too heavy for her.
"Get off me, and I will tell you how you can save your daughter''s life," said Eloise curtly. Her lips curved up in a lopsided smile. "What? Do you think I stole two souls and put them inside one soul stone and let you snatch it from me so easily?"
Lnd''s heart skipped a beat.
So, she did expect his movements. She knew he would try to take that soul stone from her and she didn''t fight tooth and nails to keep it with her.
Was she... telling him the truth?
Were there two soul stones?
Seeing what Eloise was capable of, with her poisons, the toneglyph, and the soul stone, Lnd believed her when she told him she disguised herself as Katherine and infiltrate his castle to get close to Sophie. She had the potion to remove her scent. That''s why he never knew she had been hovering around his family...
Gosh, he felt so stupid. Why did he let an outsidere into his house? All the info he collected about Katherine was wrong. This was so uneptable!
He slowly moved back and stood fiercely, staring at Eloise who got up and brushed the dust off her clothes. She shook her head and looked at him in a disappointed expression.
"Look, I tried to do it the nice way... I thought our friendship could still be salvaged, I thought, by making you swear an oath to mend our rtionship, we can really be friends again. However... you broke your promise so easily," Eloise said.
"You are no longer the Lnd I know of. He would have upheld his promise, he would value his friends...." Eloise pointed at Lnd and she scoffed bitterly. "You are making me do this."
Lnd growled. He didn''t make her do anything. He was only protecting his family.
"I can''t understand you when you growl. I guess, you are angry? Well, I am angry too!! You never care about my feelings and the fact that I have done so much for you!"
Grrr¡. Lnd growled at Eloise''s words. She shook her head and spoke again. "Stop it. You know very well how I felt about you. We were betrothed by our mothers. We hated them but we were not against the betrothal if you would care to remember. However, as soon as you found that lowly human, I no longer exist in your book and you left me, not even giving me a chance to stay with you. It was he embarrassing."
She raised a hand to stop Lnd froming closer. She could see anger in his eyes and thought she should quickly make her point clear before he became too angry and just kill her.
"Don''te near. Not only do you know me but I also know you." Eloise smirked. "I knew you would refuse me. So I kept your children''s souls in two different soul stones. The soul stone that you took only kept your son''s soul while the soul stone that kept your daughter''s soul is in a hidden ce that no one will ever find it."
AWWOOOO....!!!
Lnd was so angry, he charged at Eloise and dug his nails so deep, tearing the skin through the woman''s flesh. Blood gradually oozed out from Eloise''s wounded neck. She only winced in pain.
"Kill me... and you can say goodbye to... Little Anne, isn''t it?" Eloise taunted him with a mocking smile. "Go ahead... I dare you."
,m Right now, Lnd really wanted to crush the woman''s head but he remembered that he only had one soul stone. If Eloise was telling the truth, then he only got little Jack''s soul.
Lnd had to resist that urge to crack Eloise''s head open. He got off Eloise''s body and stepped back to free the woman from his grip.
The fire that burned the forest slowly dimmed. The area that was once very lush became cleared open in just a few minutes. Lnd stood opposite Eloise, staring at her very intently. His eyes were filled with the desire to kill but Eloise didn''t feel scared at all.
The woman evenughed at the huge wolf who was so angry but couldn''t do anything.
After a while, Eloise stifled herughter. Then she wiped the blood that was slowly flowing from under her neck from Lnd''s ws.
"Stop looking at me like that and try to rx." Sheughed again. "It''s just a simple deal. You do what I want and your child is safe, that''s all."
Chapter 431 Eloises Threat (2)
GRRRR¡
Lnd let out a low roar and emitted a powerful killing aura, causing the beasts in the forest that had survived the fire to run and hide again.
Eloise was unaffected. "If you''re asking me what I want, I will just be frank with you. I want you to protect me and my son until my son bes the next Alpha, and since you intentionally made things difficult for me... I want to punish you a little."
? She scoffed and rubbed her bleeding neck. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Lnd intently. "You made me do this. I actually wanted us to be at peace with each other and I don''t have to use a backhanded method. For these wounds, you inflicted on me... I want you to break your mate bond with Sophie."
Lnd was very surprised, he had never met a woman so shameless as Eloise.
He growled in anger and was ready to pounce on Eloise again. However, he held back. He had seen Eloise waving her hand and casting a spell. Suddenly, the soul stone that he had snatched from her earlier floated and returned to her hand.
Eloise closed her palm and kept the precious stone hidden. She continued her words casually. "Consider my first request as an exchange for your daughter''s soul stone and the second request is for your son''s soul stone. Tell Sophie that you no longer want to be with her and break your mate bond. Then, I will free little Jack."
Lnd who couldn''t take it anymore immediately raised his hand to kill Eloise. The witch protected her head spontaneously and then shouted, "If you kill me you will kill your son!!"
Lnd''s arm halted in the air. His body was shaking and his whole being was engulfed in so much anger.
"You know me, dear Lnd. I''m not someone who carelessly makes ns. I don''t mind ying the long game. How do you think I could get to your family? After I killed Katherine, I realized she was useful because of her past rtionship with Sophie. I was using her identity to get close to Sophie and your children, under your nose... ahaha. So, you better believe me when I told you I have your children''s souls with me."
She added coldly, "You have seen what I am capable of, then you should know that I have anticipated all possibilities that would happen including you would try to kill me in anger. So I ordered my people to destroy little Anne''s soul stone if I didn''te back in one week."
She lowered her hand and opened her palm to show the blue stone again, showing that stone off to Lnd. "Your only chance of getting Anne''s soul stone is if you keep me alive. I am keeping it somewhere secret. I will be kind and let you have Jack''s immediately if you break your mate bond with Sophie."
Hearing that, Lnd trembled with anger. He lowered his hand and continued to let out a low roar which made the nearby animals feel very uneasy because they felt threatened.
Eloise continued, "If you don''t believe me, you can go home now and see for yourself. Did I really take your children''s souls or not? Go and see for yourself how your children''s health is deteriorating because their souls have been taken."
Lnd gritted his teeth and growled softly. He felt so mad and disappointed in himself for letting Eloise get to his family by taking Katherine''s identity. Now he realized she must be telling the truth from the way she seemed to know so much about his family.
She must have faked the reports about Katherine''s identity. Also, since she had that potion to remove her scent, she could be anyone she wanted. It was so hard to deal with magic users because they had backhanded methods to do things.
He must not be careless. He was fooled once, he wouldn''t let her get to his family again. Even if he had to die, he would make sure his children were safe and they would be free from Eloise''s clutch.
Slowly, Lnd shifted back into his human form. He looked at Eloise with gritted teeth, while she smiled at his nakedness. Lycans were proud creatures and they were not shy about their bodies. She liked what she saw.
"I know you are upset and want to kill," Eloise spoke softly. "I felt the same way too, for years. I felt so betrayed and abandoned, by you. This time you will understand how I feel. However, I am not that heartless. I promise after you break your mate bond with Sophie, I will free your son immediately. I will only hold your daughter''s soul until my son bes the next Alpha and leads the Obsidian Sand Pack.... with your help."
"That''s...." Lnd''s brows twitched. "A really long time. How would I know my daughter is safe?"
"You don''t," Eloise said. "It is in my best interest to keep little Anne safe. So, I will do my best to protect her. You have my word. If you protect my son, I will protect your daughter. It''s a win-win. Isn''t it what friends do? They help each other."
Lnd was so disgusted by Eloise and her twisted way of thinking. He didn''t understand what changed that woman so drastically. The young Eloise that he remembered was not like this. She was more... normal.
He stole a nce at the blue soul stone and his heart ached when he saw it glimmer. Babies were such vulnerable creatures. That''s why Eloise could get close to them and steal their souls. Lnd assumed it was not easy to do because if Eloise could do it to adults, her first target would have definitely been Sophie, since she hated her so much.
Using Sophie as a guarantee was a surefire way to make Lnd submit to her, but Eloise didn''t choose Sophie. She chose the youngest ones in their family.
Lnd needed to understand more of how her magic worked and everything about soul stones. He must buy time and do his investigation.
Chapter 432 Going Back To Lievstad
Lnd groaned and threw Eloise a murderous re. He transformed into his wolf form again and ran as fast as he could to the hut. He had no choice but to follow Eloise''s demand until he could find ways to free Jack and Anne.
Seeing the man leave without saying anything, Eloise heaved a sigh of relief. She was counting on him to not kill her if she could convince him that she was holding his children hostage. It was a gamble, one that she won.
If Lnd was more ruthless, he would just kill Eloise on the spot and rely on his luck to find Anne''s soul stone. However, he seemed to love his daughter so much that he didn''t want to take any risks.
Eloise rubbed her bleeding neck and grumbled. She only felt the pain now. She was too tense to think about her injuries earlier. Now that danger was passed, she could start treating her wounds.
"Dammit, Lnd. I will really make you pay for every single cut and wound you inflicted on me," Eloise muttered to herself. "You will regret treating me so badly."
She closed her eyes and tried to channel healing energy to her neck and arms that were injured during the fight with the Alpha. She could only heal partially, but it was good enough for now. She needed to go home and find their healers to help her recover faster.
It was fine. It was worth it because now she had got Lnd under her thumb. Eloise praised herself for being so patient and resilient. Soon, she would have the life that she wanted. Sure, she didn''t love Elias and hated the man to the core, but the baby which was growing inside her now changed her in some ways.
Seeing Lnd having a good life with his mate, and now his own biological children, secretly Eloise was jealous. She wanted that too. She wanted to be happy. She thought this baby was a sign from the universe that she could get such a life too.
This baby would grow to be fearless, and formidable, and he would be surrounded by both strength and magic to support him to be a great and powerful leader in the future. Lnd didn''t know this, but Eloise never nned to kill Little Anne. She thought the little girl would be nice coteral to have.
In the future, Eloise would match her son with little Anne, to make up for her failed union with Lnd. It would be good to keep her alive to keep her father in check, just like Isolde kept Sophie alive all those years ago as a guarantee to keep Lnd obedient.
However, of course, Eloise wouldn''t say anything. She would let Lnd keep thinking that Anne''s life was in danger. Haha.
Well... if he tried to backstab Eloise, she could easily kill the little girl. That''s fine. She had many backup ns.
"Wait for me!" Eloise ran toward the hut to catch up with Lnd. She didn''t want him to go alone and leave her there. She wanted to make sure that Lnd did what she asked of him before she returned Jack''s soul stone.
Lnd rubbed his eyes roughly from the tears that unknowingly had formed in the corners of his eyes. He didn''t know he was crying. His sadness from finding out the truth about his foster parents''s death had not yet subsided, and now he already had to face a new tragedy.
It would be much better if those people tortured him and killed him, he could handle the pain, but they instead always went after the weakest members of his family. He could understand what Anne was feeling many years ago when Isolde went after Jack and there was nothing she could do to save him.
Now, Eloise was targeting his very young children. As a father and the Alpha of his pack, he felt so inadequate. How could he let Eloise get this far?
He couldn''t imagine the pain and grief that his mate would go through when the storm came and she was hit by it.
"Oh, Sophie... I am so sorry," Lnd cried in frustration. He missed her now more than ever. At this low point in his life, he just wanted to hug her and share this pain with her.
However, she was not here. She had no idea what wasing.
"Lnd!" Eloise''s voice was heard followed by her footsteps. She entered the hut with panting breath. She lost her breath trying to chase Lnd here. "Where are you going? Liesvtad?"
Lnd only looked at her and didn''t reply. Eloise clicked her tongue. "I know you want to go there as soon as possible and you think your lycan form will be faster."
Lnd narrowed his eyes at her. Did she want to force him to take the carriage to go back to Lievstad? No fucking way! It would take him a long time to reach his home. He didn''t want to waste time to make sure of his children''s condition.
As if reading his mind, Eloise said again, "I am not asking you to take the carriage. I have a faster means of traveling to Lievstad. It''s magic. Don''t you remember this? I showed it to you once many years ago."
Eloise took out a small pouch from her and smiled broadly. It contained silvery dust that she took out carefully. She whispered to him, "This is one of the magical artifacts that my family has in possession. Very useful to get you from one point to another. Shall we... go to Lievstad now?"
She walked to the closed door, threw a little silvery dust at it, and then read a spell quietly. Then, she turned to Lnd and reached out her hand. "Let''s go! Lievstad is right outside that door."
Lnd furrowed his brows. He remembered this magic dust that Eloise once showed him. She stole it from her mother and used it to go to the hill where she met Lnd. He almost forgot that the witch had such a thing.
His heart trembled. That means... he would soon meet Sophie.
Chapter 433 Sophies Worries
Meanwhile, at the manor, Sophie was watching the healer who was checking on Jack and Anne. After Lnd went away, the babies had been showing signs that they became weak. She assumed this was because they missed their father very much.
He doted on them and always spent time with them every day. So, she thought since they didn''t feel his touch for days, they became sick out of longing for their father.
Sophie didn''t think too much about it because Lnd promised he would only be away for one week. Surely the babies would be fine and they could get used to without his presence for the time being. The older children understood that Lnd was away, but the babies didn''t.
When Sophie asked Luciel to talk to their younger siblings and exined, the babies were visibly upset and they didn''t want to be nursed for the whole day. This stressed Sophie, on top of her concern about Lnd''s mission being sessful or not.
After one week and there was no news, things became harder and more stressful. The babies looked sadder, but since they were hungry and Sophie kept coaxing them, they drank milk again, but their health was deteriorating.
This made Sophie cry every day. Nichs'' spy went and came back without news. Finally, after almost one month, Max and his friends returned to Riga to bring good news and bad news. The good news was Lnd was safe, and so were they. However, the bad news was giving Sophie more worry.
Lnd didn''te back immediately. He only told Max to tell Sophie he had something important to take care of and that he would return as soon as he was done.
However, at this point, Sophie couldn''t trust him so easily. He said thest time that he would be back in one week, and it turned out he still didn''te home after one month. So, now when he said he would return but did not give the approximate time or period, Sophie became restless.
It didn''t help that Lnd was with Eloise, his old friend, whom Sophie suspected had some romantic feelings for her husband. She knew Lnd considered Eloise important because of their past friendship and he even took the risk of infiltrating Armeria to free her from her evil husband, Alpha Elias.
What it... Lnd and Eloise rekindled their past rtionship....? What if something happened and...
Ah... Sophie pinched herself. She shouldn''t let her mind be filled with negative thoughts. Her life was hard enough without those poisonous suspicions.
She must focus on things that she could control. Right now, they had returned to their home in the manor outside of Lievstad and were now waiting for Lnd until he had finished his business ande home.
Sophie must take care of the pack and their children so he didn''t have to feel the stress of things getting rowdy without his presence.
Right now, her biggest problem was her youngest children who were sick. The longer Lnd was away, the weaker they seemed to get. Today both had a fever and were very weak. Their situation was more worrying when they did not want to breastfeed.
For three days they did not want to breastfeed at all. It made them lose weight drastically and today they could no longer lift their heads. This made Sophie feel stressed and sad.
"How are they? What happened?" She asked when the healer finished examining the two wolf pups and the healer shook his head. His face looked confused and sympathetic.
"I''m very sorry, Luna..." His voice was soft and sad. The healer had done everything he could to cure the two babies. He had even changed the medicine three times but, still, it had not made any progress. The babies even showed allergic reactions to the drugs given which made their condition worse.
Seeing the decline in the babies'' condition, the healer didn''t dare to take any risks by taking any action or changing their medicine again. If both babies die under his care, then Alpha would surely kill him.
"Sorry? Sorry for what? They''re fine, right?" Sophie asked in a trembling voice. "Tell me what happened to them?!"
"I''m sorry, Luna. I can''t find the illness. We have tried all methods and medicines..." The healer lowered his head dejectedly.
"What do you want to say?" Sophie''s face turned deathly pale. She broke out in a cold sweat and her body trembled. Weren''t lycans born with superior physiques to humans?
She remembered when Luciel and Jan were young, they were very healthy. Lnd also confirmed that lycan pups were much more active and stronger than human children.
So, why were little Jack and little Anne sickly? Was there something wrong with them? Did she do something she shouldn''t when she was pregnant with them?
Tears started streaming down her cheeks, even though she tried to look tough on the outside. She must not let her children see her cry. They would be sad too.
"I gave up, Luna. I am so, sorry..." said the healer. "Seeing their condition, I''m afraid they won''t be able tost much longer."
"NO!" Hearing the healer''s words, Sophie immediately fell. Her strength was gone. Luckily, Lily Moonchester who was standing beside her immediately held her body so Sophie didn''t fall to the floor.
"P-please do something. I beg of you¡ sob¡." Sophie didn''t know how to describe her current feelings. Her worries for Lnd who hadn''t returned were still not over and now the healer said her children would soon die...?
No... she couldn''t bear to lose them.
Lucas who was also in the room asked the healer if there really wasn''t anything that could be done and the healer shook his head while looking at Sophie concernedly.
Lucas and Lily exchanged nces, unsure of what to do. The healers who were dealing with Jack and Anne were now the best healers in the group. If they couldn''t cure the children... then nobody could.
They had also asked for human doctors'' help when Sophie and the children were in the pce, but those doctors also didn''t know what to do to treat sick lycans.
Chapter 434 The Twins Deteriorating Health
"Sorry, Luna, I''m very sorry, but if Luna has an experienced healer or doctor acquaintance I will be happy and will report the condition of the twins to them," said the healer. "So, they could take it from there. Hopefully, they will do a much better job than I did."
Sophie shook her head weakly. She didn''t know any more doctors and healers. They had called every healer and doctor both humans and lycans they knew.
So... did this mean... her youngest babies would not make it?
Gosh... she felt so weak and had to rely on Lily for support. Lnd would be heartbroken when he came home and his babies were gone. At times like this, Sophie just wanted to find him and cry in his embrace. She couldn''t handle this on her own.
She was so devastated. This was no less painful than the moment when she found out her unborn babies were dead. Why? Why did they have to experience pain like this for the second time? What crime did she do in her past life that she was punished so severely like this?
She wished she could find Lnd and tell him everything that had happened. She wished they could fight for the twins'' life together.
Actually, when the healer asked Sophie if she knew any more people with healing abilities, there was one person that Sophie thought might be able to help. She didn''t know if that person would want to help her babies. However, she would sacrifice anything and everything if she would try to heal Anne and Jack.
That person was Eloise the grand witch.
And she was now with Lnd.
Sophie remembered Max told her how Lnd was on the brink of death because he was poisoned and they were detained for weeks while he was being treated. From Max''s exnation, she could tell that Lnd''s condition was critical, however, he ended up alive.
That means Eloise must be one hell of a healer that she could help cure Lnd from the poison that was supposed to be fatal. Witches were experts in magic and medicine. If there was anyone better than healers and doctors to heal Sophie''s babies... it was probably Eloise.
Sophie bit her lip. She must do something for her babies'' sake. She resented Lnd for leaving her without telling her what he was doing. He only sent a message through Max and it was without a clear exnation. This made Sophie feel cheated of the truth.
Didn''t she have the right to know everything Lnd was doing and what his ns were? Lnd''s way of hiding things from her now made her feel suspicious. She didn''t want to rely on her mate again.
She must do something. If Eloise was herst hope, then she would do anything to get help for her babies. Even if Eloise wanted Sophie to pay a high price for her help, Sophie would do it dly, as long her babies were safe. She didn''t care about anything else.
"I know someone," said Sophie with trembling lips. "I will try to reach out to them."
The healer looked surprised but relieved. "Oh, I hope that person can help."
Sophie sighed. "I hope so too. Thank you for your help, elder. You may resign and get some rest."
"Thank you, Luna."
After he bowed his head to show respect, the healer withdrew, leaving Sophie, Lily, and Lucas in the room along with the two maids.
Holding Lily in her arms to support her body, Sophie walked over to the baby crib and was devastated when she saw the babies were so quiet and make no sound. If not for seeing their stomachs moving slowly when breathing, she would have thought they were dead.
"Luna, we will definitely find a way to save them, please don''t despair," Lucas said, unable to bear to see Sophie who was now crying despondently.
"I think I know someone who might be able to help," said Sophie in a whisper. She looked at Lucas deeply. The Beta furrowed his brows. He thought he had summoned anyone to help. So, who was the person that Luna meant?
"Who is it, Luna? Let me go and fetch them."
"It''s Eloise, the grand witch that is also Alpha Elias'' wife from Armeria," said Sophie. She looked despaired. "Do you think you can find her and get her toe here? I will try every single way until I have exhausted all options, including asking for the enemy''s help..."
Lucas was silent. He understood Sophie''s dilemma in asking for Eloise''s help. But she was right, her children''s health was more important than the family feud.
"I will find her, Luna," said Lucas.
Sophie let out a long sigh. They couldn''t even find Lnd''s trace. So, how would they find Eloise? Didn''t she go with Lnd together?
Thinking about Lnd made Sophie sad again. She couldn''t help but call his name in tears.
"Lnd where are you¡ I beg you to go home." Sophie wept bitterly, making those who saw her feel sad too.
Lucas'' eyes started to tear up when he saw it. Before the tears came out, he asked Lily to stay with Sophie and then rushed out. "Take care of Luna for me, Lily. I will go out and find the witch."
Lily nodded and sat with Sophie on the bed, while Lucas went out of the room. When he was outside, the Alpha from the Blue Moon pack approached him.
"How are they?"
"Worrying," Lucas said. "Is there something?" He asked when he saw the look on his future father-inw''s face like someone who wanted to say something.
"All the wedding preparations have beenpleted since a week ago. When will the wedding take ce? It''s been too long."
This had actually been discussed. Lucas proposed to postpone the wedding until Lnd returned and Alpha Rad agreed. However, after so long, Alpha Rad finally felt that he and the others had left their ce too long and as the Alpha, there were many things he must take care of.
Especially now that Lily would no longer help with his tasks. His work as an old Alpha was piling up.
Chapter 435 Leland Is Home
Lucas was silent for a while and realized that Lnd had been gone too long. Max and the others had been back sincest week. If it wasn''t a big deal, Lnd should have been back.
He wondered in his mind whether he should make a team and go to Armeria to catch up with Lnd.
"We''ll wait three more days," he said after a long silence.
"Okay, three more days." Alpha Rad nodded in agreement. He didn''t say anything else but his gaze made Lucas understand that his father-inw was not too happy with the development.
Lucas nodded respectfully. "If after three days Alpha Lnd still hasn''t returned, I''ll make a team and follow him to Armeria."
"What?" Alpha Rad was surprised because what he thought was different from what Lucas thought. He wanted to protest but Lucas had left. The beta wanted to meet with Max and tell him his n to go to Armeria if Lnd still hadn''t returned in three days, and he wanted Max to go with him. When Max heard of the n, he agreed and said he would go too.
***
Sophie was exhausted from crying silently when her children were not around. It was too hard for her to handle on her own. While Lnd was away, she never slept well and she couldn''t eat properly. It had made her weak too.
The situation recently made everything worse. At this moment, when her babies were very sick, she badly needed her mate to share the burden. The fact that Lnd didn''t let her know what he was up to truly pained her.
She wanted to get angry, but she couldn''t channel her anger to anyone. Lnd was not there. Night fell and she was finally asleep after pacing in her room for hours, trying to think of a n to find Eloise and beg her to try and save her babies.
She finally wrote a letter to Katherine and exined to her what happened and asked if she could give her clues on how she could get to the grand witch.
After she finished writing the letter and put it on the table, Sophie closed her eyes and fell asleep on the chair. She would ask one of the lycans to find Katherine in Hastings and give her the letter when morning came.
Currently, under the moonless night, in the small forest behind the manor, Lnd was standing on a rock. He was looking sadly at the manor. His white hair swayed in the wind.
Weeks ago, when he thought about home, in his mind he imagined how he would immediately hug Sophie and the kids because he missed them so much. He missed her kisses and her soft touch on his skin. However, now that he was so close to home, he could only feel pain and anger from her.
He understood why she was feeling that way. It was all his fault. That made things worse for him.
"Did you change your mind? It doesn''t matter," said Eloise who was currently disguised as Katherine. She was standing beside Lnd and looking in the same direction as him.
Lnd nced at her sharply but Eloise smiled as she handed him a bottle of potion which they used to remove their scents. She said, "The faster you do it, the faster you will get Jack''s soul stone back."
Eloise told Lnd that he could make sure that Eloise really did steal his children''s souls when she was disguising herself as Katherine, because she left her marks when she did it. She told him she marked both of them under one of their front paws.
If he could see those marks, he would believe Eloise that she did have their souls as hostages and that would mean one thing... he had no choice but toply with her demands.
Lnd didn''t say anything. He quickly opened the lid and drank the potion. A warm feeling filled his whole body and that''s when he knew that the potion had worked. Nobody could smell his presence and he could go in and out of the manor easily.
He tossed the bottle to the ground and then jumped down from the rock, carefully and without a sound.
"Wait!" Eloise suddenly jumped down from the rock too and chased Lnd. She grabbed his arm and stopped him. "They are very sick now. I only touched them a little. I didn''t expect them to be so weak and fragile. So, I''ll be kind and give you some medicine which you can give them."
Lnd gritted his teeth, holding himself back so as not to choke Eloise. He looked at her like a beast when Eloise quickly took out a small bottle from her robe pocket.
"This is the medicine. They will get better, and Jack will even recover one hundred percent after you feed him his soul stone." Eloise looked at Lnd with a smile. "I have promised you to return Jack''s soul stone after you break your mate bond with Sophie. The sooner you do it, the faster Jack will recover one hundred percent."
Lnd threw Eloise a murderous re. He snatched the potion and resumed his walk home. The night was a bit dark because there was no moon in the sky. Eloise stood where she was, watching Lnd enter the manor secretly. None of the guards were aware of his presence.
Lnd sneaked into the ce where Sophie and her children were. His movements were light and without a sound. He was stunned when he found Sophie sleeping in the chair leaning her head on the edge of the baby crib. His eyes started to tear up at the thought that he would soon leave Sophie.
He walked slowly without making a sound at all. As he stood beside Sophie, he saw both Jack and Anne sleeping. Very carefully, Lnd touched the babies'' front paws and checked the marks that Eloise mentioned.
His heart felt so heavy when he did see them. It was a faint dark spot under their right paws. So, Eloise did manage to get close to his family and take advantage of Sophie''s rtionship with Katherine to target their babies.
At that moment, Lnd felt so sad. He wanted to cry and wake up Sophie, hugged her and the babies. However, he clenched his fists and stepped back from her.
"Aaarghh..."
Lnd was surprised to hear Anne''s voice. She opened her eyes and raised her head shakily while letting out a low growl.
With a feeling of sadness raging, Lnd touched and rubbed little Anne''s head gently.
He picked up Anne and cradled her lovingly. The wolf pup''s body was shivering with cold and felt as light as cotton. Lnd then kissed her head and nose and cried silently.
His heart ached to see his children like this. When he remembered Eloise''s words that his children were sick because of her, he became very angry. His face was red and his head felt like it was burned with fire. That was how mad he was.
After a while, Anne closed her eyes and purred. She seemed better after Lnd hugged her in his arms. The Alpha put Anne back into the baby crib and then turned to rub Jack''s head, who was sleeping softly beside Anne.
Lnd turned around and saw Sophie. Softly, he crouched down and stared at the woman''s face in silence while repeatedly wiping his tears.
"Please don''t get sick, take good care of yourself for the sake of the children, because from now on I won''t be by your side to take care of you and protect you," Lnd could only say those words in his heart.
He felt suffocated. The worst feeling in the world was the feeling of helplessness. When you saw the person you loved suffer, and there was nothing you could do to make them feel better.
For a few moments, Lnd remained in that position, staring at Sophie''s face hungrily, as if he wanted to keep that image forever in his memory.
After a while, Lnd rubbed his face roughly and contained his emotions. He got up, intending to leave. However, Anne let out a low growl and attracted his attention.
He turned his head to find Anne raising her head with difficulty. She was staring at him and crying despondently. Three secondster Jack woke up and did the same thing. They both seemed to beg their father not to leave.
This caused Lnd''s legs to feel very heavy. Meanwhile, Sophie''sshes began to flutter. The sounds that the babies were making interrupted her sleep. She finally woke up hearing the cries of her children.
"Anne, Jack, what happened to¨C" Sophie was startled when she realized the babies were crying and instantly stood up to check on the children''s condition.
However, she was immediately stunned and turned around when she realized Lnd was standing next to her. She was frozen in her ce. She thought this was a dream. Was it really her husband? Did Lnd finally return?
Chapter 436 W-What... Are You Saying?
Sophie didn''t give herself time to think, she immediately jumped to hug him. She missed him so, so badly. Lnd was standing still like a statue when Sophie held him tightly. Her heart was filled with overwhelming emotion. She was both very happy and relieved. Her tears immediately wet his shirt.
"Lnd! You''re finally home. I missed you so much... What took you so long? I was so worried." Sophie cried on Lnd''s chest and told him about the state of their children. Every word she said felt like a stab in Lnd''s still-bleeding heart.
He felt numb, so helpless, and inadequate. Sophie had to go through it all alone, and here he was,ing to see her only to inflict more pain on her. It took all his sanity not to break down and cry and hug her back
"...the healers have given up and said they can''t do anything anymore. I was so scared. I''m relieved that you''re here now."
She buried her face in the man''s chest. Her body trembled. Lnd raised both his hands, eager to hug the woman tightly but he stopped when he saw Anne and Jack. Right now, outside, Eloise was waiting for him and watching him.
He was worried that if he made Eloise wait too long, she would be annoyed and take it out on Jack''s soul stone which she was keeping now.
Finally, he let go of Sophie''s embrace and pushed her away, surprising Sophie with his sudden rudeness.
"W-what''s wrong?" Sophie asked. She was feeling surprised and confused at the same time.
Lnd''s expression and gaze were extremely cold. This made Sophie freeze and couldn''t get the words she wanted to say.
Lnd nced at Anne and Jack for a moment then turned and left the room. Sophie who needed an exnation immediately followed him.
When Lnd came out, everyone who saw him was shocked. They were surprised that none of them noticed the arrival of the Alpha.
Lnd''s gaze swept across the room that was decorated with wedding decorations and looked at everyone who was also staring at him very coldly.
"What''s wrong with Alpha?" A lycan, who saw Lnd appear, whispered to his friend. He knew that Lnd was indeed reclusive and cold, but he also knew the difference between Lnd''s usual cold demeanor and Lnd''s face when he was angry.
And at this moment the face before them at this moment was an angry face. Lnd was furious and his expression was filled with a murderous aura.
That sharp and cold gaze made those who saw it feel like shrinking into the ground.
Sophie, who also felt this way, fell silent again and wondered what was going on in Lnd''s mind.
"I-I don''t know. Let''s tell Beta that Alpha is back." The two lycans immediately rushed to meet Lucas who was nning to follow Lnd to Armeria along with Max and the nine other lycans who had previously gone with Lnd there.
"I don''t know why but I had a bad feeling when I saw him with Eloise. That woman is a witch, I''m afraid she''s getting Alpha in trouble right now," said Max.
Lucas was silent, he also had the same thought. Their conversation was interrupted by a lycan''s voice calling Lucas.
"Beta!"
The two lycans barged in and surprised everyone who immediately turned their heads toward them.
"What is it?" Lucas asked.
"It''s Alpha. He''s back."
"What?" Lucas was surprised and immediately stood up, followed by the other ten lycans. Lucas was a little surprised because if Lnd had returned he and the others should have been able to smell the Alpha''s scent.
"B-but he looks really angry," the second lycan added.
Hearing that, Lucas furrowed his brows while the others looked at each other in confusion.
They finally left the room and went to the main hall where they could hear voices ofmotion. They stopped immediately when they saw the Alpha. The lycans who saw Lnd immediately gathered. Everyone was confused but no one asked aloud because Lnd gave off a killing aura that suppressed their mental.
Eloise who had quietly entered the manor was watching Lnd from behind a door. She couldn''t wait to hear Lnd break his mate bond with Sophie. As she said, the sooner he did it, the faster she would give back Jack''s soul stone.
"Sophie Hansley, this is the countdown to your happy hour," Eloise mumbled looking at Sophie who stood near Lnd, looking confused.
Eloise covered the scarf over her head to avoid attracting attention and pretended to look concerned like several other female lycans who starteding in to watch what happened in the main hall. A smirk decorated her beautiful face. This was the day she had been waiting for.
Alpha Rad came too with his daughter. He looked at Lily as if asking what was wrong and Lily shook her head slowly. Lily then saw Sophie who was standing two steps behind Lnd. She noticed how the woman looked shocked and confused. She felt really sorry for Sophie.
Lucas came forward to greet Lnd.
"Wee back, Alpha. We''re so d to see you here now," he said with a faint smile but what Lnd said in response made Lucas and the others very surprised.
"From now on the Alpha of the Blood River pack is you," said Lnd looking at Lucas expressionlessly.
Instantly, the atmosphere became noisy like a swarm of bees. Everyone asked each other what the hell was going on and not a few of them doubted their own hearing, including Lucas.
"What did you say, Alpha?" Lucas asked. He thought he misheard.
"Starting today, I''m no longer the Alpha of Blood River Pack," Lnd said firmly. He then turned to face Sophie. "Today, I formally break my rtionship with this woman. From now on this woman is not my mate."
Lnd continued to surprise everyone. Almost everyone held their breaths in unison. To Sophie, this felt unreal. She must be dreaming. This was a nightmare that came to haunt her because shecked sleep. That must be it.
Sophie''s eyes widened. Compared to the others, she was the one who was the most surprised.
"W-what are you saying?" she asked in a stammer.
Chapter 437 Falling Apart (1)
Lnd didn''t show anypassion or concern on his face, even though everyone around them was looking at him and Sophie with shock, and his mate was falling apart right before his eyes. He kept hisposure.
He had seen his babies'' condition and knew they were dying. If he didn''t do what Eloise demanded of him, he would have to bury more children. He couldn''t do it.
He would just die than lose little Jack and Anne. After what happened to their unborn babies, he and Sophie had waited for many years until they could conceive and get the little ones. It would not only break him but also break Sophie to lose their babies now.
What Lnd needed was time. As long as he could make sure Jack and Anne were safe, for now, he could always find ways to free them and kill Eloise in the future. Even though he was filled with rage and hatred for Eloise, his logic won. He must prioritize life over revenge.
If he was stubborn, Eloise might go crazy and just kill Anne and Jack mercilessly. She didn''t even bat an eye when she killed her own mother. Of course, she would have no problem killing Lnd''s children to achieve her target.
She was just like Isolde. If she was unhappy, then nobody deserved to be happy. She would make sure of it.
"I, Lnd Szar, announce that you, Sophia Hansley, are no longer my mate. The bond between us is ended because I don''t want to be with you anymore. From now on, you and I will go our separate ways."
His words were uttered calmly, without a hint of emotion. His eyes that stared at her looked empty and devoid of emotion.
Lnd gave her an affirmation like he was giving an affirmation to Lucas.
"Lies..." Sophie''s voice broke.
She clenched her fists to the sides and looked at Lnd firmly. Lnd was silent after he announced their separation. His heart ached for hurting Sophie by saying that, but he really had no choice.
Sophie continued speaking through her gritted teeth, "I don''t believe you."
"Are you kidding me, Lnd? This isn''t funny¡." Sophie''s eyes were filled with tears. She stepped forward to touch Lnd but the man dodged her coldly. This truly broke Sophie''s heart.
"You know I don''t like to joke," Lnd said dryly.
"I can''t believe it. I am sure you''re lying. Tell me what actually happened?" Sophie refused to believe it. "Are you forced to do this? Did Eloise make you??? What did she do to make you do this??? Answer me!!"
"Whatever you say." Lnd''s expression did not change.
Sophie was silent, looking closely at Lnd''s eyes. She had several guesses on the reason why Lnd acted as strangely as he did now.
One, something might happen in Armeria and Eloise ckmailed her husband to ditch her and their family. Lnd was doing this to protect them.
Or...
Two, he was under a spell.
Eloise was a witch, wasn''t she? Did she put a spell on him and change him?
No... Sophie did wonder about this in the past and on the rare asion that she and Lnd talked about Eloise, he confirmed that he was too strong for Eloise''s magic. Since he knew her since they were teenagers, Lnd knew what she was capable of.
That made total sense, because, if Eloise truly had the power to put a spell on Lnd and control him, she would have done it years ago. Why would she wait for seven years to do it?
It didn''t make sense.
So, Lnd was not enchanted by magic. The man she saw before her was the real person.
So, what changed him?
Was it... the third reason?
Being with Eloise for one whole month, spending so much time together, and being taken care of by her gave Lnd an opportunity to get closer to Eloise and perhaps... rekindled their good rtionship in the past and now that they were both much older.... romantic feelings suddenly emerged?
Did Lnd fall in love with Eloise... and thus he wanted to leave behind everything that he used to value: his pack, his mate, and his children... for Eloise?
Sophie refused to believe this.
"What''s the reason for all this...? Lnd... Did I do something wrong to you?"
Sophie tried to hold back her tears from streaming down harder. She wanted to be strong in front of the man who had been her true love and her rock for all these years. The man who had shared a life, a childhood together, and children with her.
This was a man who loved her parents like his own. The man who loved her sons like his own. The man who had loved her unconditionally no matter what other people thought about her. They had buried two children together and shared two new ones.
She couldn''t imagine a life without him.
Why did it have to happen right at this moment...? When everything in her life was starting to get good... with the older children having a rtionship with Nichs and his side of the family, the younger ones growing well and healthy, and there was peace between humans and lycans in Riga....?
Why must her happiness end so abruptly?
What sin did she do in her past life that she was punished this severely? Which god did she offend to have her life falling apart like this, so suddenly and so bitterly?
Lnd didn''t answer and wanted to leave immediately but Sophie quickly grabbed his hand and led him into a room. Lnd couldn''t control his body, it just followed her.
Once inside, Sophie closed the door and locked it from the inside. She looked at Lnd pleadingly.
"Now tell me what really happened there? We were fine when you left and you suddenly cut ties when you got home." She grabbed both of Lnd''s hands and shook him. "Tell me the real reason you are behaving this way. Lnd, I beg you to tell me, the REAL reason."
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From Missrealitybites:
I have to admit that THIS PART is what made me stop writing this book for several months. I had burnout, yes, it made me unable to write a lot, but I could still write a little bit every day.
However, I couldn''t write the parts where it got so sad and heartbreaking. That''s why I paused writing The King''s Wife Is The Alpha''s Mate" and "The Cursed Prince". I instead write "The Mafia''s Secret Wife" because it is easier and more fun with what little energy I have left.
It was so hard to put these scenes into writing because it broke my heart when I think about what will happen to Sophie, Lnd, and their children.
So, I understand if you feel bothered and pained when you are reading it.
I promise that THIS STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING, like ALL MY OTHER STORIES.
Your palpitations and tears would not go to waste. There is a silver lining and a happy ending at the end of the tunnel. If you want to pause the reading until you think the darkness is over, feel free to do so. I totally understand.
Btw, as constion, I uploaded in thement, a semi-NSFW picture of Lnd and Sophie together (it''s low res because this app doesn''t allow HD images uploaded). I will publish more pictures of them and my other books on my P a t r e o n starting this Sunday, every week.
You can get those pictures in high resolution by supporting me directly by bing my patron on P a t r e o n.
And.... if you want the spoiler of this book, to convince yourself that it does have a happy ending, you can scroll down and read it. If you don''t want to know, just skip it and read as the story progresses.
- much love, MRB
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STOP SCROLLING AND DON''T READ IF YOU DON''T WANT SPOILER
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ARE YOU SURE?
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VERY WELL... BELOW IS THE SPOILER.
Please calm down your palpitating hearts. XD
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SPOILER:
Lnd will return when Sophie was already the queen of Riga. Yes, he would leave her, and yes Sophie will get back together with Nic.
During Lnd''s long absence, Nic who was always there for Sophie and the children finally popped the question and asked Sophie to be his wife again. After very, very long consideration, she said yes.
Lnd returned after he solved all the problems, but he knew he had no right to im his mate again. He just wanted her to be happy even without him. However, when he returned and the secrets were unveiled, Sophie and Nichs realized how much Lnd had sacrificed for them and especially the children.
In the end, both men asked Sophie to choose which man she would want to be with, without any pressure from society and their statuses.
She decided to live with Lnd for 6 months of the year in their quiet ce in the countryside, and in the capital of Riga with Nichs for the other six months.
Both men learned to share because they loved her and were just so happy she decided to choose them both.
HAPPY ENDING FOR EVERYONE.
Chapter 438 Falling Apart (2)
Lnd had to exert all his sanity to keep looking at Sophie coldly and spoke without a hint of emotion. He wanted so badly to hug her and calm her down. However, he couldn''t.
"You really want to know the reason?" Lnd removed his hand from Sophie. He gave a cold stare and stepped forward, causing Sophie to step back in intimidation.
When she was cornered at the door, Lnd lowered his head and whispered in his ear. "I''m tired of you."
Sophie opened her eyes wider while Lnd took a step back to make some distance.
"I''m sick and tired of you. I epted you because I felt indebted to your parents and because of that I ruined my reputation."
His words were more hurtful than before. Sophie was heartbroken. She almost couldn''t hear his voice because her mind had be a huge pile of mess.
She shouldn''t have let him go...
She should have been more persistent in not letting him go to Eloise. Something happened to him when he was away, and now everything was falling apart.
Lnd continued to speak mercilessly. He really needed to make Sophie believe his words. He had loved her too much and it was hard to convince her that he no longer wanted her.
As Eloise said, the sooner he did this, the faster he could get his children saved.
"Before I made you my mate, no one dared to open their mouth to insult me. After you became my mate, everyone insulted me. For your sake, I killed my own pack members. Because of you, people mocked me as a dog who eats garbage for picking up another man''s secondhand female," said Lnd. "And I always have to silence those who insult you and your children."
"I lost hundreds of pack members six years ago when they revolted and left the pack because they couldn''t ept you..." Lnd looked at Sophie coldly. "Now I can''t take it anymore."
Sophie stared at Lnd with quivering eyes. Every word Lnd spoke was like a knife piercing her heart.
Lnd sharpened his gaze and said very coldly. "Besides being a burden and troublesome for me, you can''t do anything. You and your children are just parasites that keep gnawing at me."
"Lee...." Sophie''s heart broke when she looked him in the eye. Her tears were streaming down harder. Her body trembled and she almost lost her bnce. Lnd didn''t try to help her. So, Sophie leaned her body to the door behind her. "How... how could you do this to me...?"
"Whether you believe it or not, I don''t care." Lnd was more heartbroken than Sophie at this point. Every single tear that she shed hurt him more than anything in this world.
Her pain, her feeling of rejection, her disappointment... all welled up and filled his heart. He could still feel her. Initially, it was a blessing for a lycan like him because he could always understand his mate even though she didn''t say anything to him.
However, in a situation like this, it was the worst curse. Every single fiber in his body was hurting for her. Every word he used to hurt her gave him more pain, physically and mentally.
If he was not as strong as he was, as Eloise always praised him to be, Lnd would have been broken. He would not be able to keep his pretense and therefore he wouldn''t be able to save his children.
No matter what... little Anne and Jack came first.
He could apologize to Sophie in the future. He could redeem his cruel treatment of her now and beg for forgiveness. He could make up for today.
However... he wouldn''t be able to revive his children if Eloise killed them. Even if he tortured Eloise and killed her over and over... they wouldn''te back.
So, he had no choice but to continue hurting Sophie, so that she would let him go. She must let him go. For now.
Once Lnd went away, she must find Nichs and get his protection. She wouldn''t be safe in this pack even though Lucas and his trusted men would keep protecting her and the children out of their respect for her.
The royal pce was protected by the royal army and hundreds of knights, in addition to the king himself.
Lnd hoped while he was away, Nichs would take the honor to take Sophie and their children under his wings... because, as much as Lnd hated him, the Alpha trusted Nichs, more than anyone.
"I have to go," Lnd said coldly. He shifted Sophie''s body violently to open the door but Sophie suddenly hugged him from behind while sobbing.
"Please don''t do this to me. I know you''re lying. What did I do to you? We were fine when you were gone. Please don''t do this to me, if I did something wrong you can scold me, and you can even hit me. Do whatever to me, I won''tin. But please don''t leave me like this Lnd, I beg of you. Where should I go? Lnd, I beg you..." Sophie sobbed and was crying despondently.
However, Lnd didn''t budge. Sophie didn''t feel any warmth or anything from his body. He was like a stone statue, cold and uncaring.
Sophie''s body trembled and her expression was filled with so much grief and disappointment. Her chest was so heavy. She thought her third assumption was correct. Lnd rekindled his friendship with Eloise and perhaps this time it had evolved into something more.
As he said, he now saw Sophie for who she was... a burden. A half-lycan who couldn''t even shift and didn''t have any capabilities which were useful for the pack.
What did she have? Nothing. Lnd made it clear that he only cared for her because he owed her parents.
Lnd knew Sophie was faltering. She was so hurt and she had been filled with the poisonous thought that Lnd was truly throwing her away. His body started shaking too. He so badly wanted to hug her tightly and beg for forgiveness.
He couldn''t take it anymore.
Lnd pressed his lips hard and silently joined in the tears. He struggled to resist the urge to turn around and hug Sophie. If he turned around and canceled his intentions then Anne and Jack would die.
He nced out the window and saw Eloise who was standing outside looking at them. She hid her face with a hood, but he still recognized her. The witch smiled as she yed with Jack''s soul stone like a ball that was thrown up and caught many times. Seeing that, Lnd was furious.
For the sake of Anne and Jack''s safety, he let go of Sophie''s arms that were holding him and said coldly. "I''ve cut ties with you so if you still have any shame, get out of my home and take your kids away too. You can go back to Nichs Hanenbergh. He''ll definitely take you in."
"Then what about Jack and Anne? Do you want to separate them from me?"
"You can take them. I don''t care." Lnd opened the door and darted out leaving Sophie who was staring at him with a nk look on her face.
Things became hazy after that point. Sophie didn''t really remember what happened. All she felt was pain.. grief... disappointment... heartbroken.
Sophie slowly walked out of the room, staring nkly ahead. Lucas and the others looked at her with concern. Lucas wanted toe over but Lily stopped him.
"Give her some time," she said. Seeing Sophie''s condition, Lily felt it would be better to give her some time alone. They shouldn''t ask her anything. She was not capable of even speaking.
The Alpha had just broken up with her. All the lycans assumed he had personally rejected her when they spoke in private just now.
Seeing how Lnd rudely walked away and Sophie was walking out with such a devastated look, they understood that the Alpha had truly rejected his mate.
Lycans were very passionate creatures who loved their mates so fiercely and almost there was never a case where an Alpha would reject their Luna. Witnessing the situation firsthand like this felt unreal to most of them.
The older lycans who knew Isolde and Alpha Leon remembered no matter how indifferent thete Alpha was toward his mate, he never even broke their bond or rejected Isolde. However, Lnd just did the unthinkable.
Most of the female lycans were looking at Sophie with so much sympathy and pity.
Lily walked toward Sophie and hugged her. With her eyes, she told everyone to leave and give Sophie space. She also begged Lucas with her eyes to go inside Luna''s bedroom and take care of the babies. Sophie was not physically able to do anything at that moment.
When they saw Lucas go to the room and stayed with Anne and Jack who were crying, Max and Duncan looked at each other. They immediately stepped back and went to find the older boys.
While Sophie was grieving, they needed to make sure she wouldn''t feel burdened by the children.
Chapter 439 Leaving The Manor
What happened that night became the talk of everybody within the pack and also the Blue Moon pack members who came for the wedding. It was very rare for lycans to abandon their mates. They were creatures who were fiercely loyal to their packs and mates.
Unless something was really, really wrong, breaking of mate bond, an Alpha rejecting his Luna was almost unheard of. After two lycans mated they would be partners for life. The bond between mates would only be separated by death.
After this incident, Sophie would definitely be the object of ridicule by the lycans even more so now that there was no Lnd to protect her. She was not liked by some of their pack members from the beginning because she was married to another man before she was mated to Lnd, and she even had children from that other man.
However, seeing Lnd would rather lose hundreds of lycans who disliked his mate than break up with Sophie, the pack members already learned to ept her being his mate and their Luna. They didn''t dare speak up to express their displeasure of having a wolfless woman as their Luna. They were scared of their Alpha.
Sophie also didn''t take for granted her position by Lnd''s side. She tried her hardest to be a good wife to him and a luna to them. She built a rtionship with the female lycans in the pack and helped them with educating their children.
Things were slowly getting better for her in this pack. However... now, the seeds of resentment would grow again because Lnd was not here to defend her.
Right now every lycan in the manor and the settlements in its surrounding was talking about Lnd''s two very sudden decisions that shocked and confused them. He no longer wanted to be the Alpha of Blood River Pack and he also left his mate, the woman that everyone thought he loved deeply.
Ignoring everyone who was staring at her in whispers, Sophie continued walking nkly. Lnd''s words echoed in her head and made her heart feel like it was being shed into a million little pieces.
"Because of you, people ridicule me as a garbage-picking dog for taking up another man''s female like you...."
"... apart from being a burden and troublesome for me, you also can''t do anything. You and your children are just parasites that keep gnawing at me..."
Sophie opened her bedroom door and walked towards Anne and Jack with tears in her eyes. Lucas was hugging the sobbing Anne and rubbed Jack''s little head, trying to calm them down.
He looked at Sophie with an apologetic look, as if he was responsible for Lnd''s actions, being his Beta, and he wanted to ask forgiveness on the Alpha''s behalf.
No... no longer his Alpha.
Lnd had rejected his pack by abandoning them and tossing them to Lucas. He wanted Lucas to rise up and rece him as the Alpha of Blood River Pack.
Meanwhile, Sophie''s tears streamed down harder. She still heard Lnd''s cruel words echoing in her mind.
"...I''ve cut ties with you. So if you still have any shame, get out of my manor and take your children too...."
Lily who was still holding her shoulders to make sure Sophie didn''t fall to the ground, exchanged nces with Lucas. Both didn''t know how to console this broken woman.
What she experienced was so cruel and unnecessary. They remembered her pain and worry in the past weeks, waiting for Lnd toe home, worrying about him, and then worrying about her babies who were sick.
It was too much.
Sophie''s body staggered and she sat limply on the floor with his sobs broken.
"Why Lnd? What did I do wrong? Why are you hurting me like this? WHY?!" Her tears fell like rain. She squeezed her chest because hse felt so much pain in there. Lnd''s wordspletely broke her heart.
Before long Sophie was wailing. Jan and Luciel dashed through the open door, with Max and Duncan were chasing after them from behind.
"Mother!" Luciel eximed.
He and Jan came to meet Lnd because they heard people talking that Lnd had returned home. However, they didn''t see him anywhere.
Instead, they heard their mother''s heartbreaking cries. Their hearts skipped a beat and they both thought something happened to their siblings.
Did Anne and Jack not make it?
"Mother! What''s wrong?"
"What happened? Why are you crying, Mom?"
They were very surprised when they found their mother sobbing. Sophie didn''t answer and just hugged the two boys as they continued to cry.
She recalled Lnd''s words again referring to her and his children as parasites. It made her cry even more.
Jan and Luciel became very worried. They kept asking what was wrong but Sophie didn''t answer their questions and continued to cry.
The boys could only return their mother''s hug with confusion mixed with fear.
***
Meanwhile, Lnd who just got out of the manor was now in the woods, not far from the manor. He was with Eloise and he immediately demanded to get Jack''s soul stone because he had done what Eloise wanted.
"Sure, I won''t break my promise," said Eloise. She took out the blue stone from her robe pocket and handed it to Lnd. Right now she felt very satisfied with the oue of her n. After a long time, she finally managed to separate Lnd from Sophie.
She stepped closer and put her arm around Lnd''s arm.
"Let''s go home," she said.
This time Lnd did not refuse. He should have kept quiet and sped away from the ce. The thing on his mind right now was Sophie. He treated Eloise like air.
"Come on," said Eloise smiling. Lnd didn''t say anything and sped away from the ce ording to Eloise''s words.
When they arrived in Armeria, Celia and the lycans who had recognized Lnd as the new Alpha of the Obsidian Sand Pack weed them. However, the lycans who were previously traitors to the Blood River Pack and decided to join the Obsidian Sand Pack were hesitant to wee Lnd for fear that Lnd would kill them.
"Wee back Alpha, Luna," said Celia looking at Lnd and Eloise alternately. She instinctively shrank in her spot when Lnd looked at her very sharply.
Lnd also stared intently at all the lycans based in front of him as if he wanted to kill them all.
After silencing all the lycans, he walked to enter the pce. The line of lycans in front of him was instantly separated into two rows like a show curtain and Eloise just smiled at him.
In Eloise''s eyes, right now Lnd was an injured beast. So, it was better if she gave him space and not approached him for a while. After all, as long as she had the stone that held Anne''s soul, she didn''t have to worry about Lnd going away from her. Right now Lnd was already under her control.
***
Lnd entered the room where he was previously treated. He closed the door and searched the room, looking for a container to safely store Jack''s soul stone.
When he searched the cupboard, he remembered that Eloise kept the potion that had neutralized the remaining poison in his body in a small box.
Lnd walked quickly to the table by the bed and opened the drawer there and found the box he was looking for. The potion was very valuable because Eloise stored it so well. He took out the bottle of potion and sat on the bed staring sadly at Jack''s soul stone.
He didn''t have time to feed the soul stone to Jack, but at least the medicine given to the babies must have helped their health to recover. To make sure Jack wouldn''t get sick again, he would have to find the opportunity to give it to him.
That would wait. Lnd would find outter where Sophie and the babies were. If she truly went to Riga Royal Pce, then Lnd would sneak in there to see them.
His mind was busy thinking of ways to find out where Eloise hid Anne''s soul stone, stealing that, killing Eloise, and then going back to Sophie and begging for forgiveness. He would exin everything.
"Sorry." He kissed the soul stone and wept again in silence as he remembered Sophie pleading with him not to leave him.
"....What did I do wrong? If I''m wrong you can scold me or you can even hit me, but please don''t leave me..."
"You didn''t do anything wrong, Sophia. Please forgive me." Lnd sobbed softly. He knew that he had hurt Sophie a lot with his words but he had to do it for the good of Sophie and the children.
He wanted Sophie to hate him so that Sophie wouldn''t wait for him and he wanted her to leave his manor and seek protection from Nichs.
He knew that in his absence, Sophie and her children would not be safe if they remained among the pack. He felt that the safest ce for Sophie and the children was the Riga Pce.
After a while, he put the soul stone very carefully into the box.
"I will definitely free you both, this is my promise as your father," Lnd said, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes and closing the box tightly. He would find ways to immediately return it to Jack.
***
At the manor, Sophie was currently packing her things. She was preparing to leave the ce. She also asked Jan and Luciel to pack their things too.
Luciel and Jan already knew about Lnd who resigned as the Alpha and cut ties with their mother from the lycans'' chatters around them. They just obeyed their mother and didn''t say anything.
Chapter 440 Sophie And The Children Are Leaving
Lucas, Max, and all the lycans who did acknowledge and respect Sophie as their Luna and Lnd''s mate were surprised to see Sophie carrying their belongings, followed by her children out of the mansion. Little Jack and Anne were in their brothers'' arms. They all looked dejected.
"Where are you going, Luna?" Lucas asked, stopping Sophie, Jan, and Luciel from heading for the gate. All the lycans in the mansion gathered and looked at Sophie.
"Lnd has cut ties with me. I''m no longer this luna pack so I have to go."
"But where are you going? You can stay here," said Lucas.
[... if you still have any shame, get out of my mansion and take your children too...]
Lnd''s words echoed in Sophie''s head. That left her with no reason to stay there. She could only smile while holding back the pain in her heart. She said, "Thanks, Lucas, but I have to go. I''m sorry I couldn''t attend your and Lily''s wedding, I hope you both live happily."
then, she led Jan and Luciel back on their way.
"Luna, let me take you to your destination." Max volunteered. He felt very sorry for Sophie who left with her four children.
"Please allow me to help," he said again with genuine intent. He looked at Jack and Anne who were being carried by Jan and Luciel then back at Sophie who was carrying their luggage.
Sophie, who had previously followed Max''s gaze when he saw Jack and Anne, nodded and epted Max''s offer. She did it for the sake of her two sick babies.
Max immediately took Sophie''s luggage and carried it out and put it in the carriage.
At this point, Sophie nned to stay in an inn and think about her ns. She didn''t want toe to Nichs because that would make people speak ill of her. If she went to the pce and stayed there, she was worried that Jack and Anne would also experience what Jan and Luciel had experienced.
Receiving cynical stares and having to listen to people gossiping and insult at them because they were not Lnd''s biological children. If she went to the pce, people would gossip about Jack and Anne not being Nichs'' children but leeched on him.
She didn''t want her babies to be exposed to that. She would rather find her own way and rebuild her life with her children. She was educated and smart. She believed she would survive even without a man in her life.
She had savings, it was enough to rent a house and support them in a few months. To sustain herself and her children, she would work hard. Didn''t she have a dream when she was young to open a tavern and make money? It was not toote to pursue that dream.
This time, she would have the capital to open her own business. She didn''t want to bother Nichs at all. Even though when Lnd broke up with her, he taunted her and mocked her go find Nichs, she wouldn''t do it.
After loading their stuff, Max opened the carriage door for the family. Luciel and Jan entered first then Sophie.
"Be careful when on the way," Lucas advised Max. "I trust you to take them to their destination."
He walked to the carriage and asked Sophie respectfully if she knew where she would be going. The woman nodded with a tired smile.
"Yes, I will go to an inn in the city and stay there for several days. I will then make my way to Hastings and start over," she said.
Lucas sighed. He knew he couldn''t change Sophie''s mind. So, he nned to send the news to their people in Hastings to keep an eye on Sophie and her children and protect them at all costs. He would also send his men to shadow the carriage that Max was riding. They would make sure Sophie would arrive in town safely.
"Goodbye, Lucas. Thank you for everything," said Sophie. She nodded at Lily who came to Lucas'' side, looking sad. "You take care of Lily, okay? Lily, please visit us in the future when you have time. I would love to maintain our friendship."
Lily only nodded. She was too sad to utter any words. Lucas touched Lily''s hand and replied to Sophie''s words. "We will visit you, Luna. Please take care and safe travels!"
Max nodded then immediately got up and sat in the coachman''s seat.
The horse carriage started walking out of the mansion area. Lucas and all the lycans who were there looked at their departure sadly but not a few of them were happy. It was no secret that some pack members harbored resentment toward Sophie. They just didn''t dare to be vocal about it. So, now, they were d to see her go.
Inside the carriage, Luciel opened the window and saw the manor slowly drifting away from his sight. He felt sad that he had to leave everyone who was there.
Even though some disliked him but he and Jan considered everyone there as a family. For seven years he and Jan grew up among them.
After a while, he closed the curtain and turned to Jan who had also been looking out for a while.
They then looked at Jack and Anne who were on theirps and then saw their mother who looked dreamy with a very sad expression on her face.
The big question that was running through their heads right now was why their father, Lnd, had cut ties with their mother. Although very curious, they did not dare to ask their mother who looked very devastated.
In the end, they could only look down while rubbing and making sure their younger siblings were kept warm.
Jan picked up and hugged Anne, trying to give his little sister some warmth.
"Shh, don''t worry, your brother will take care of you," he said as he hugged his sister tightly but still didn''t hurt.
Sophie, who had been silent for a long time, turned her head when she heard Jan''s words. She smiled and rubbed Jan and Luciel''s heads in turn.
"Jack and Anne are very lucky to have brothers like you. Now let me take them on myp."
"You should just rest, Mom. Let us take care of them. We''ll let you know when they''re hungry," said Jan.
"We''re here, so mommy better take a break and rx," Luciel chimed in and smiled broadly.
Seeing her two eldest children, Sophie was deeply moved. Now she was not alone in going through her problems. She had two sons who supported her, Even though they were young, they are very reliable.
"Thank you, dear. I''m also very lucky to have you guys," she said, still rubbing Jan and Luciel''s heads and then stroking Anne and Jack.
The thing that became her biggest concern right now was that the two babies were still unwell, although she was a little relieved because since yesterday Anne and Jack have started wanting to breastfeed again. It raised hope in her heart that her two children would survive.
She didn''t expect Lnd to just dump Jack and Anne even though they had been waiting for Anne and Jack for a long time.
Sophie still remembered how happy Lnd was when he found out about her pregnancy. The cold man even shed tears because he was so moved.
"Do you also think of them as your burden? They are your biological children. Why are you doing all this?" Sophie mumbled in her heart. She didn''t realize, she had burst into tears again.
"Don''t cry, Mom. They''ll get better soon," Jan said, wiping his mother''s tears. He thought that his mother was crying because she felt so sad for Anne and Jack who were sick.
"You''re right, honey. They''ll get better soon." Sophie smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She advised herself to stop being weak. She had to be strong for the sake of her children.
***
Meanwhile, at Armeria''s castle, Lnd tried to find information on how to find Anne''s soul stone. He also needed to make ns to see Sophie and feed Jack his soul stone to get him to recover.
That''s why, when he was around Eloise, Lnd became very considerate. He wanted to get close to her and find out all her secrets. The fact that Lnd no longer treated her like air made Eloise feel very happy.
At this time they were having lunch together by a beautiful pond.
"I used to think that eating with you like this would be impossible," Eloise said with a happy smile. Her face was filled with a tinge of happiness even though she knew that Lnd was behaving that way because he had his hidden agenda, she still enjoyed it.
Lnd didn''t say anything. He focused his attention on the steak he was eating. Eloise knew she shouldn''t push her luck, at least not yet. So, she changed the subject.
"So what''s your decision? Are you going to join us? You said you didn''t want to take care of this pack, but from now on you''re going to stay here. I don''t think you have any reason to turn down the Alpha Obsidian Sand Pack position."
"You want me to guard the throne of Armeria for your son?" Lnd asked.
Eloise nodded. She smiled faintly and rubbed her belly. It had started to show her pregnancy and she was actually surprised to know that she was enjoying this phase.
Perhaps, she did want children, but she hated Elias being her husband. Now, sitting by the pond, enjoying the beautiful view with the man that she truly wanted and waiting for her son to be born... she felt happy.
Chapter 441 The King And Sophie
"Yes. That''s what I want," said Eloise seriously.
Lnd had expected Eloise would continue to take advantage of him and her requests would grow over time, if not granted then she would threaten him with Anne''s soul stone.
Lnd really had to put his anger aside. He looked at Eloise with a t expression.
"All right," he said, giving his approval easily. "However, I don''t understand one thing."
"What''s that?"
"You are a great witch, you can protect yourself and your children. You don''t need to be protected by anyone," said Lnd slowly and seriously.
Eloise chuckled. "Is that apliment?"
Lnd shrugged. "I don''t know. You tell me."
Elosie wiped her lips with a napkin. She rubbed her belly and spoke with a smile. "I may be powerful, but I am not the most powerful. There will be people who are stronger than me and they are out to get me."
Lnd looked at Eloise closely, trying not to miss her every word. So, she was saying that she had her own enemies too? He didn''t know this because he had cut ties with her for seven years.
If Eloise had enemies and they were more powerful than her, he needed to know who they were and how he could take advantage of the situation to get back at Eloise.
"Who are they?" Lnd asked since Eloise didn''t continue her words.
Eloise was taken aback by Lnd''s sudden interest in her personal life. She shook her head and gave him a mocking smile. She said, "That is... my business. You just take care of stuff here in Armeria and the pack where I need you. I will take care of the rest."
However, Lnd had taken the matter seriously. Now that he knew Eloise had some enemies that she was wary of he needed to know more. Now, he understood why Eloise insisted to stay in Armeria and get the Obsidian Sand pack under her rule even though Elias had died.
Even though she acted as if she was helping Elias and his pack to get power, it seemed, Eloise stayed with the pack because she also needed their protection. And now she wanted Lnd to take the leadership of the pack and forced him to protect her, together with the other lycans of this pack.
She was avoiding her enemies.
Who were those people? Were they magic users too? If so, there was a good chance that Lnd could get them to free Anne''s soul from the soul stone, or at least he could learn how to secretly find the stone without Eloise'' knowledge.
He needed to consult magic users, perhaps some other witches or wizards that were more powerful than Eloise could give him insights and point him in the right direction.
However, where should he look to find information?
Lnd had no clue at all. He also couldn''t keep asking Eloise because Eloise could be suspicious of him. He had to be very careful with his steps because if he made a misstep and angered Eloise then his children''s lives would be in danger.
"Since you are ready, I will tell the higher-ups to immediately crown you as the new Alpha Obsidian Sand Pack as well as the new king who will lead Armeria. I will take care of all the preparations. This should be celebrated with a lively party, correct?" said Eloise to change the subject.
Lnd nodded slowly and stood up. "Do as you please, but before that, I''m going to Riga to check on Anne and Jack."
"I thought you already trust me because you''ve been so obedienttely," Eloisemented.
Lnd''s expression was still t. "I still need to feed Jack his soul stone as you told me. Once I am convinced that he is well, I will be back for Anne''s soul stone and do as you want."
Eloise nodded. "Fine, but don''t even think about betraying me."
Lnd didn''t answer and immediately turned around to leave the ce.
***
A gust of wind blew the leaves, some crows flew under the reddish-yellow evening sky. The crows returned to their nests after looking for food all day.
Nichs'' amber eyes watched them from the windows of his study. Right now he was wondering in his mind whether Lnd had returned or not.
"If Lnd doesn''te back then Sophie and I can..."
"Tsk. Nichs Hanenbergh you trash. How can you think like that?"
He chided himself. How dare he thought about such a thing when Sophie was in trouble because her mate had not returned after so many weeks? He felt embarrassed of himself.
Nichs shook his head as he began to wish Lnd never came back so he could have Sophie again. He advised himself to stop wishing like that. Sophie''s happiness now was being with Lnd. So, the Alpha had toe back for Sophie to be happy again. Nichs had to wish them well and support Sophie to be happy with her new husband.
The king sighed. Whenever he thought of Sophie, his chest tightened.
"Huh?" Nics furrowed his brows when he smelled the familiar scent of a lycan near him. He immediately stepped closer to the window and looked at the garden outside. It didn''t take long, his eyes found a male lycan standing under a tree.
He recognized the lycan as a member of the Blue Moon Pack. Feeling curious, Nichs immediately jumped out the window and then darted towards the lycan.
The lycan greeted politely. "Good day, Your Majesty."
"Why are you standing here? Is there a problem?" asked Nichs as soon as he stood before the lycan.
Even though the lycans have made peace with the kingdom, the interaction between the two was still very awkward. After being hostile for so long they couldn''t instantly mingle with each other so casually.
"I''m only here to deliver a message from Miss Lily Moonchester." The lycan handed Nichs a red scroll.
"Lily?" Nichs frowned as he epted the scroll. The lycan sent by Lily nodded and then said goodbye and left.
Nichs, feeling curious, immediately opened the scroll. Instantly his eyes opened wide when he read the contents of the message written by Lily. The woman told the king about Lnd who had returned to the manor. Lnd resigned as Alpha Blood River Pack and cut ties with Sophie. Lily also told Nichs that Sophie had left the pack with her four children.
"W-what happened?" Nichs was very surprised by the message. Lnd? He cut ties with Sophie? What the hell did that mean???
This was something Nichs had secretly hoped for but now that it actually happened, he didn''t feel happy about it at all.
Thinking how this news must have made Sophie so devastated made Nichs worry. He read the message one more time, making sure that there was nothing wrong with his eyes.
Nichs found it very hard to believe, but Lily wasn''t someone who would carelessly talk nonsense.
Suddenly, anxiety filled his heart. Without wasting any more time, Nichs quickly ran and scurried over to the outside of Lievstad to check for himself.
If Lnd really broke his rtionship with Sophie and hurt Sophie, then Lnd was looking for trouble with him.
Nichs ran through the wind but in the middle of the road, he stopped because he smelled the familiar scents of Sophie, Jan, and Luciel. The road he was standing on was not on Lievstad''s territory, which meant that Sophie and the children had really left the manor and out of Livstad city.
Nichs concentrated and tried to smell Sophie and the children again. He then sped back to follow the scent left in the streets.
"Where are you going?" He wondered in his mind because the direction Sophie was going was opposite from the direction of the pce.
It was dark. After running for hours from the pce, he finally saw the horse carriage ahead.
At the same time, Luciel and Jan who were in the carriage were stunned because they suddenly smelled their father''s scent.
"Father?" they said in unison, causing Sophie, who had just finished feeding Jack and Anne, to turn her head.
"Mom, dad is here," Jan said and before Sophie could respond, the carriage had stopped.
Outside, Nichs was standing in front of the carriage, blocking its way.
"Thanks for stopping," he said to Max and then quickly approached the carriage door.
"Father, why are you here?" asked Luciel as soon as he opened the window. Meanwhile, Sophie just stared at the king with a question mark on her face.
Nichs smiled at his sons.
"I came here to pick you up," he said. Then he looked at Sophie. He asked her, "Can we talk for a minute?"
Sophie nodded slowly. She handed Anne and Jack to Luciel and Jan then left the carriage while the children remained inside.
Jan and Luciel, who wanted to know what they were talking about, perked up their ears.
Max who got off the driver''s seat sat silently on the driver''s seat, watching them. He was d to see the king. He hoped Nichs would take Lady Sophia and her children in. It was much safer for them to stay at the pce than anywhere else.
Sophie was standing in front of him, and Nichs looked very closely at the woman''s face. The woman''s eyes were puffy. It must have been from crying too much. Her face was pale and she looked very tired.
Her condition was even worse than when she left the pce. This made Nichs even more convinced that what Lily said in the letter was true. His heart ached for Sophie.
How much more should she suffer? Nichs asked himself.
Chapter 442 Back To The Palace
"What happened?" Nichs asked, looking at Sophie withpassion in his eyes.
"It''s okay," Sophie said. She was reluctant to tell Nichs about her problem because she didn''t want to be taken to the pce.
"Is that true?" Nichs took a step closer. "Then why are your eyes puffy? Why are you so pale and what are you doing with the kids on a night like this? Where are you going?"
Sophie was silent, not knowing what to say to answer Nichs'' question. She finally could only look down while holding back her tears.
Seeing Sophie like that, Nichs clenched his fists. "So it''s true? Lnd broke up with you?"
Sophie was stunned and looked at Nichs questioningly. She was surprised to hear Nichs'' words. How did the man know this?
"I know it all," Nichs said.
"How do you know?"
"That doesn''t matter." Nichs'' face was serious. He didn''t know the reason why Lnd broke up with Sophie but right now he was annoyed that Lnd abandoned Sophie and his children like this. Lnd even abandoned his own two babies.
"Now, let''s go to the pce," Nichs said.
"No thanks. I can''te with you."
"Then where are you going? Where are you going to live?"
"I''m going to rent a house. I still have savings to support me and the kids for a few months, then I''m going to work or open my business."
Nichs looked at Sophie deeply. The memory of the past returned to him. Many years ago when he met Sophie in Hastings, he asked her what her dream was. She told him she wanted to open a tavern. He promised to help her get a loan so she could have her business.
He always admired her resilience and her hard-working attitude. No matter how bad things got, she always found ways to survive. The memory was followed by more memories of their past together. He always regretted the fact that he couldn''t give her a good life. He even added to her misery, even though he did it unintentionally.
No... he would never let her have a hard life again. Not during his lifetime. He had promised himself to make up for everything that happened in the past. He would not let Sophie suffer again.
"I can''t let you stay out there alone let alone with the kids," Nichs touched Sophie''s shoulder gently. "I beg you, Sophie,e with me."
"I''m sorry. I can''t."
When Nichs was at a loss for persuading Sophie toe with him, Max walked over to them.
"I''m sorry to interrupt, mydy. If I may give a suggestion. You better go with King Nichs. Luna and I know that there are many lycans from the pack members who don''t like you. Currently, you and the children are no longer protected by Alpha Lnd. They may take this opportunity to vent their years of resentment on you," said Max sympathetically, but firmly.
He added, "You and the children are not safe outside. Besides, if you stay in the pce, baby Anne and Jack can get good care from the pce doctors. If you are outside you won''t be able to get medical treatment for them," said Max .
Max did this for Jan and Luciel''s sake. He loved the two boys. All this time Lnd assigned him and Duncan to supervise and look after the two children. Because of that, he became close to them, and he loved them both like his own nephews. ording to him, the safest ce for them was the royal pce.
As for Anne and Jack, Max felt Nichs wouldn''t mind taking them in as well. Didn''t Lnd take his sons in many years ago and raised them during his absence? It was only fair if Nichs did the same thing now.
"Are your babies still sick?" Nichs'' forehead frowned as he asked Sophie.
The woman nodded slowly.
"Then you muste with me to the pce. I will ask the royal doctor to treat them."
Max''s words helped Nichs tremendously in persuading Sophie toe with him to the pce. Meanwhile, Sophie was considering Nichs'' offer. She remembered the healer who had given up on treating Anne and Jack. Now the two babies were slightly better but they were still very weak.
The royal family had the best doctors in Riga, maybe their treatment could help cure Anne and Jack. For the sake of the healing of the two babies, Sophie finally nodded in agreement.
She would do anything as long as her children were safe.
Nichs smiled happily. He then turned to Max.
"From now on they are my responsibility," he said. Max nodded then approached the carriage to say goodbye to Jan and Luciel.
"Hi, boys." He lowered his head and peered through the carriage window.
"Uncle Max." The two children looked at him while holding their younger siblings. They knew that the current situation was a farewell so they looked at their Uncle Max sadly.
Max smiled warmly.
"Don''t be so sad. We''re not separated forever. We just don''t see each other again every day. If I have free time, I''ll visit you guys," he said then reached out and gently ruffled the two children''s hair.
Too bad Duncan wasn''t here, if he was, he would''ve been crying.
"Take care of yourselves," he said, smiling and straightening his back.
"I hope you take good care of them." He looked at Nichs.
"That''s for sure. Thanks for your help, I won''t forget it," Nichs said and Max nodded slowly then turned to look at Sophie.
"Excuse me, Luna."
"Thank you, Max."
Max nodded again slowly then sped away from the ce towards the Blood River Pack base. After Max left, Nichs asked Sophie to re-enter the carriage while he took Max''s ce in the driver''s seat.
While keeping the horses running, he repeatedly smiled. Thinking Sophie and her children would live in his pce made Nichs feel very happy. Even though, on the one hand, he felt that it was not right for him to feel happy about Sophie leaving Blood River Pack to stay with him.
It was as if he was happy while Sophie was suffering.
Time passed and they arrived at the pce when it was almost midnight. Queen Marianne who had been worried for hours because Nichs had suddenly disappeared, immediately came out shortly after she received news from the maid that the king had returned.
When the queen went outside, she was surprised to see her two grandchildren who had just stepped out of the carriage, followed by Sophie.
Queen Marianne was confused but she felt happy to see her two grandchildren were here. She immediately approached them. "Jan, Luciel you guys here?"
She came over and rubbed the heads of the two children who were holding their younger siblings. The queen then looked at Nichs and Sophie who had just finished unloading her luggage from the carriage.
"Nick, what happened?" The queen asked.
"I''ll tell youter. Let them rest first," Nichs said.
Queen Marianne nodded in understanding then led Jan and Luciel and Sophie into the pce.
While inside, she ordered the maids to escort Sophie, Jan, and Luciel to their respective rooms.
"Um, Grandma, we want to be with mom and our siblings," Jan said then turned to Luciel and Luciel nodded in agreement.
The two children did not want to leave their mother alone. They would help their mother look after Anne and Jack even though there were maids who would help, they still wanted to take care of their little siblings.
"Can we stay together?" Luciel looked up at Queen Marianne and Queen Marianne nodded in agreement.
"Of course, honey," the old queen nodded. She approached Sophie and talked to her. "How are you, Lady Sophia?"
Sophie forced a smile and curtsey to the queen.
"I am fine, Your Grace," she said. She turned to look at Nichs who walked toward them. She spoke to him politely. "Thank you for having us, Your Majesty."
Nichs didn''t want Sophie to call him using honorifics, but he couldn''t say anything because they were surrounded by many other people. So, he only nodded. "You better rest and we can talk about details tomorrow."
"Thank you," Sophie said again.
"Have you all eaten?" Nichs asked. He motioned his butler toe and made food for Sophie and her children. He assumed they had not eaten anything for that day.
Sophie only nodded her head. "I am fine, Your Majesty."
"Okay then. You better rest. I will have the butler and servants to help you all settle in."
"Thank you for Your Majesty''s kindness," Sophie curtseyed to Nichs. The butler and maids came to help Sophie with her luggage and her children. They were taken to their old room when they visited the pce thest time.
Sophie immediately fell asleep after she nursed her babies. She felt physically and mentally exhausted. Luciel and Jan transformed into their wolf forms and slept around Sophie who was hugging her pups. Luciel''s and Jan''s fur provided their mother with warmth. Sophie no longer cried in her sleep.
Chapter 443 Leland Is Visiting His Family
It was midnight and there was no moon in the sky. Everywhere was dark, except for a fewmps that were lighted to provide light for the guards to patrol. It felt a bit eerie.
Lnd had just entered Riga''s territory and went to the pce to check whether Sophie and her children were at Nichs'' pce or not. In addition, he also wanted to find information about the witches and wizards in the pce.
Sophie had told him that Nichs and his family had a veryplete library and they had a collection of books from ancient times in a special section. That''s where Nichs got the book that had information about how to cure lycanthropy using wolfsbane.
Based on this, Lnd thought he would get the information he needed from the library. He used Eloise''s potion to remove his scent so he could sneak in to infiltrate the pce. He could easily enter it but he had a bit of trouble finding the library.
Lnd darted around and searched every part of the pce. His movements were swift and he went up and down the pce to search for the library. Finally, he found the ce he was looking for after he quickly studied theyout of the property.
The only person who could possibly hear his movement was the king, and Lnd was sure Nichs was asleep at this hour. Also, it helped that Lnd could mask his scent so that he wouldn''t leave a trace once he left tomorrow. Nobody would ever know what went on.
No guards noticed his presence. There was nobody around when he slid inside the library. This part of the pce was not a ce that received special security. Unlike the king''s and queen''s quarters. Lnd could easily explore the library to find the books he needed.
For a moment he was silent looking at the entire shelf containing hundreds of books, maybe even thousands. He had to go through the books one by one.
Actually, he could have saved time by asking and having the librarian who was sleeping nearby tell him about the book containing information about witches. However, he couldn''t take the risk of letting Nichs or Sophie know he came here.
If he threatened the librarian then the guard would report after he left. If he killed the guard after the guard had given him the information he needed, then the case of his death would be investigated.
Lnd approached a shelf and began to examine the books that were there. He chose a book which cover and appearance looked very old.
After two hours of searching, he finally found some books about witches. Lnd then brought the books to the table and read them there carefully.
In the first book, he read the history of the great war between the kingdom of Riga and the werewolves several decades ago. The book mentioned that the kingdom got help from a powerful wizard named Radomir to defeat the werewolves in war.
In the second book, Radomir''s name was also mentioned but this time he was referred to as the culprit of the long war that caused many casualties in the human and werewolf camps.
Radomir was a very powerful wizard who provided support to those who pay for them. He created and gave various magical artifacts to both parties who were willing to pay the price and by using these items both parties knock each other down.
Lnd''s eyes opened a little wider when he read a paragraph that told about the time when Radomir gave a stone to an Alpha and told him to break the stone if he wanted to win the war. Right after the Alpha broke the stone, the enemy king who was winning the war was suddenly killed.
Lnd turned to the next page but there was no further information about the stone even though his hunch told him that the stone that the Alpha had broken was a soul stone. Perhaps, Radomir stole the king''s soul, put it in the soul stone, and gave it to the Alpha who paid the price.
This meant Radomir was a wizard who was more powerful than Eloise because he could steal a powerful warrior''s soul and keep it in the soul stone. The king was not a weak man. He led his knights and soldiers in battles to fight werewolves and they could defend themselves against the lycan''s aggression for years.
So, the king was definitely quite formidable. Yet... Radomir could touch him and steal his soul to sell it to his enemy. Thinking about this made Lnd shudder. Radomir must be a really powerful wizard. He wondered if Radomir was still alive, could the wizard do the same thing to him?
Lnd remembered Eloise admitted that the reason she touched the babies and not Sophie was because it was really difficult to do and she was not powerful enough to steal other people''s souls.
Reading about this wizard made Lnd feel a glimmer of hope. Eloise was not the stronger magic user on this continent. Decades ago, a person called Radomir was around he was so much more powerful than Eloise, and his affiliation was only money.
If Lnd could find him and ask his help to subdue Eloise and take back Anne''s soul stone, he would pay whatever price Radomir asked. He was very wealthy. He would give Radomir all his worldly possession in exchange for his help. And if it''s not enough, he would work hard and obtain more wealth. He would do anything for his dear Anne.
He looked for more information about Radomir but couldn''t find it in the same book. The man seemed to disappear mysteriously after the war ended between the lycans and humans which ended up with the death of the werewolf king, King Mchi, the king of Riga.
"King Mchi was..." Lnd narrowed his eyes. "Anne''s father."
The lycans''s royalty crumbled after thest great war between their race and humans. The tribes were divided into several big packs after the king died and Anne, who was the werewolf king''s daughter who was a little girl at that time was taken in by an Alpha who raised her together with his own son whoter became the next Alpha of Blood River Pack.
Reading history from a human''s perspective like this made Lnd think about their own history. Lycans passed down their stories and history through oral.
They shared them through stories and songs. Maybe facts were not conveyed properly because the people didn''t have good enough memory to retain all the information. Lnd didn''t even know the detail about thest great war and how Sophie''s grandfather died. It didn''t even mention her grandmother.
Ahh... he realized maybe humans knew better how they could preserve history uracy by writing the facts in books, like what he was reading now. Lnd was determined to pay more attention to literature when he became the supreme leader of all the lycans in Riga.
At the moment, he had no time to think about those things. He only needed to find more information about magic users around here that he could ask for help.
His priority was Sophie and their children. Right now, Anne was in danger. Lnd must make sure he could save her no matter what price he must pay. If Radomir was still alive, he would make Radomir help him.
If Radomir was dead, Lnd must find his descendants who must have inherited his power or his knowledge.
There was no more information about Radomir, except that he originated from a port city on the south end of the continent. So, maybe he could go there to look for clues?
Lnd paused for a moment near a big marble pir and recalled all the information he had read in the books earlier. He had made up his mind to pursue this lead to find Radomir or his descendants.
So, what about Eloise? It''s true that she threatened him with his daughter''s safety, but if Lnd was not around, how could she threaten him? As she had stated, it was in her best interest to keep Anne alive.
She would probably wait until Lnd show up before she would proceed with her threat, and if she did that, she could be sure that she was as good as dead. Lnd would never forgive her.
So, Lnd would make her wait.
The Alpha walked with light steps toward the guest bedroom where Sophie was sleeping with their children. He could smell her scent from that ce. He couldn''t wait to see her.
Before leaving to look for Radomir, Lnd wanted to meet and see his children up close. He also wanted to feed little Jack with the soul stone to get him to recover.
The sound of night insects filled the silence of the night. Lnd made very careful steps to approach Anne and Jack''s baby box. Every now and then his eyes nced at Sophie who was sleeping on the bed with Luciel and Jan.
When he arrived near the baby box, Lnd saw Jack and Anne sleeping under the warm blue nket.
The two pups slept very soundly because of the effect of the medicine given by the doctor.
Lnd lifted Anne slowly and then kissed her gently. He hugged her and hummed a luby for her without a sound.
He had been waiting for the birth of his two children for years. He never imagined that after they came, he would have to leave them like this. Lnd took a deep breath.
"This won''t be long," he told himself. "I will be back as soon as possible."
.
.
.
__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Do you prefer Sophie to live in the royal pce with the kids and Nichs, or should she insist to open her tavern and be independent?
1. No, give Nichs a chance to get close to her and make up for everything that happened in the past.
2. It''s about time Sophie live her dream to open her own tavern.
Chapter 444 The Note In The Kings Study
After ten seconds, Lnd put Anne back down. For a moment the baby squirmed but did not wake up.
Then Lnd picked Jack up and did the same to him. His heart ached to see the weak baby. He quickly took out Jack''s soul stone and fed it to him.
A faint blue light emitted from the pup''s chest. And then Jack''s heartbeat became louder, more steady, and his fever suddenly went down.
"It works...." Lnd muttered to himself. He realized Eloise was telling the truth regarding the soul stones. This made his anger rise again. To think that the witch took it out on innocent children made his blood boil. He couldn''t wait to punish Eloise when the time came. No, he wouldn''t let her die easily like his mother.
"I love you, Anne. I love you, Jack," Lnd spoke very softly right at the pups'' ears to make sure nobody could hear him but them. He kissed Anne''s and Jack''s heads affectionately and then put them back on the box.
He turned to the side and finally looked at Sophie who was sleeping with two young wolves by her sides. The boys really kept their mother warm when the weather was bad like it was outside. Lnd was d Luciel and Jan were around to keep their mother and younger siblings safe while he was away. He promised he would finish his mission quickly and return as soon as possible.
After he sorted everything on his end, he would apologize to Sophie and the kids and ask their forgiveness. Right now, nobody should know what he nned. He didn''t want Eloise to be alerted.
Lnd stepped closer very very lightly. He looked at them lovingly, not wanting to touch them or say anything to them for fear they would wake up and his ns would be disrupted. He really didn''t want to take any risks because Anne''s life was at stake.
''Luciel and Jan, I know I told Sophia that you are a burden and parasite, but that''s not true. Even though you are not my flesh and blood but I love you since the day you are born. From now on, I leave the responsibility of taking care of Sophia, Anne, and Jack to you.''
He could only say those words in his heart. He hoped he could soon make up for everything to them. Lnd looked at Sophie in a nce and then turned around and headed to the door.
He didn''t dare to approach Sophie for fear his resolution would falter because he missed her so badly.
"Please take care, Sophia," he muttered then left the room.
Before Lnd actually left the pce, he sneaked into Nichs'' study. He found a stack of paper and decided to write a short note to the king. He put it on the desk and made sure Nichs would find it easily when he entered his study.
After he made sure he had everything covered, Lnd he darted from the window of the second floor andnded on the pce courtyard where he immediately disappeared behind some big trees.
***
The next day, when Nichs entered his study, he found the note Lnd had writtenst night.
*Watch out for Karenina Verhoeven and your children''s personal teacher, Katherine Sommers. Both women are dangerous. Don''t let theme near your family.*
He frowned as he read the contents of the letter. He then flipped through the paper, looking for the sender''s name but he couldn''t find anything.
The letter did not have a sender''s name. He read it again and wondered who wrote and put the letter on his desk. He also couldn''t recognize the handwriting. It was written in a hurry and like scribbles, only enough to be legible.
Who was this person writing the note? And why did they bother infiltrating the pce to send this note? Couldn''t they just say it openly to the king? Also... did they know the two women personally?
Karenina Verhoeven? Katherine Sommers?
Nichs had not met Karenina for months. He thought she had finally decided to return to her hometown and restart her life. As for Katherine, Nichs had never met her. He only knew about the teacher from Sophie and the boys.
Nichs tapped his fingers on the desk and read the note over and over again as if it contained a secret message waiting for him to decipher. It was not.
Nichs thought about Karenina and why would the sender warn him about that woman.
Even though their engagement had ended and Karenina said she epted his decision, she acted like she was cool with him, but who knew how would her heart truly feel? Nichs knew enough about Karenina''s characters after getting to know her for more than five years, being her fiance.
It''s possible that Karenina might want to hurt Sophie out of jealousy if she thought Sophie was the reason why she was not the queen of Riga today, after waiting patiently for Nichs to make their rtionship official as husband and wife.
Nichs didn''t expect Karenina to still love him and she may be telling the truth that she had moved on, however, it didn''t hurt to stay vignt. No matter what, Nichs would not allow anyone to hurt Sophie and her children.
Then what about Katherine?
If he remembered correctly, Katherine was a teacher who had helped Sophie a lot while she was studying at Cawden Academy, and recently she was teaching Luciel and Jan as their private tutor. Why was she dangerous?
Nichs walked out and called a guard outside. "Were you on guard herest night? Did you see anyoneing into my study after I left?"
"No, Your Majesty," said the guard politely. He noticed the king''s annoyed expression and wondered what happened in his study to make him this angry. "Is there anything wrong, Your Majesty?"
"Call the guards who were doing the security herest night. I want to talk to them," said Nichs. Now he was very curious about the sender of the note.
The guard nodded and immediately went to call his friends who were guarding in front of the King''s studyst night.
A few minutester he returned with two of his friends.
"Are you guys here all night?"
"Y-yes Your Majesty." The two soldiers were a bit tensed, thinking that they had done something wrong or something had disappeared from the king''s chamber and they would be held responsible for it.
"Did you see anyone enter my studyst night or before you left this ce?"
"No, Your Majesty," said one of the soldiers, remembering clearly what happenedst night. Indeed no one entered the king''s study, they even looked into the room several times to make sure all the files in there remained in their ce.
"Before we left there was only a maid who came in to clean the room as usual," said another soldier.
"Call the maid now," Nichs said then entered his room and sat on a chair, staring intently at the letter.
"Who wrote this? It''s very bad," he muttered, studying someone''s handwriting on the letter.
"Your Majesty."
"Come in."
Nichs looked at the woman standing in front of him at this moment, bowing her head. "Did you clean this room this morning?"
"Y-yes Your Majesty, but I swear I didn''t steal anything. I just cleaned this room and then went out," said the maid fearfully.
Her thinking was not much different from the previous soldier''s thoughts. She was afraid that something was missing and she was called for the matter.
"Who said you stole something? I called you because I just wanted to ask an important question. When you were cleaning this room this morning, did you see this note?"
The maid raised her head and looked at the paper Nichs was holding and then looked down again. "Yes, Your Majesty. When I entered your study, the paper was already on the desk."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Alright, you can go now and ask the soldiers outside to tell the chief of the pce soldiers toe and see me."
"Very well, Your Majesty." The maid nodded and hurriedly left. He was very relieved that nothing had happened.
***
Elsewhere, in the Armeria Kingdom, Eloise was pacing back and forth waiting for Lnd''s arrival but Lnd still didn''te. She knew how much time he would need to go back and forth to Riga, but after it had passed for a long time, he still didn''t show up.
This made Eloise feel very angry. She vented her anger by throwing and destroying all the things in her room.
The maids outside who heard Eloise''smotion and angry screams immediately ran away. They were afraid that if Eloise saw them, she would take her anger out on them.
"Lnd, where are you??? Are you trying to break our agreement? Are you now??? Do you dare to do it?!" She grabbed the flower vase on the table and smashed it into pieces.
"If you really do that, I will destroy your daughter''s soul stone!" Eloise clenched her fists, staring at the shards of the vase in annoyance.
"CELIA!" Her voice boomed in the room.
Celia who heard the call rushed in and faced her master.
"Yes, Your Grace..."
Eloise stared intently at Celia. Her face was red with anger, making Celia feel intimidated.
"Go to Lievstad, find out if Lnd is there or not. If he''s there, keep an eye out and tell me what he''s doing there. You can bring some lycans to help you find Lnd faster."
"Okay, Your Grace."
Chapter 445 Eloises Anger
Celia finally left for Riga apanied by five lycans from the Obsidian Sand Pack while Eloise waited in Armeria, filled with anger and anxiety.
If Lnd returned to Sophie, it would not only be little Anne she would kill but Sophie and little Jack as well. She was going to show Lnd the consequences of betraying him. She would try her hardest to get close to Sophie and kill her. If she couldn''t be happy, then Lnd must not be happy.
The next day, Celia and her fivepanions arrived at Lievstad and managed to infiltrate the manor of Duke Romanov.
Currently, Lucas and Lily''s wedding was taking ce. The manor was crowded with guests to celebrate the new Alpha''s nuptials and it made it easier for them to sneak and look for information. They removed their scent and pretended to be guests from another pack who came in their human forms.
"Do you see Lnd anywhere?" Celia asked while looking at the bride and groom in front of them.
"No. I don''t see him anywhere," replied one of her people.
"What about Sophie?"
They all shook their heads. There was no sign of Sophie and her children anywhere either.
"Then you guys split up and look further. I will seek information from these guests," said Celia. the five lycans followed her orders.
On the altar, Lily and Lucas just uttered finished uttering their mating vows, and now were kissing. Both their faces were blushing. All the guests pped when their kiss ended.
Alpha Rad who was very happy to see his only daughter married, shifted into his wolf form and howled very loudly followed by several members of the Blue Moon Pack who also witnessed the wedding. It was their way of congratting the couple. Soon, the whole building was filled with uproar and howling sounds.
"May the moon goddess always bless Alpha and Luna with happiness?" The elder who presided over the wedding wished the bride and groom good wishes.
Celia narrowed her eyes when she heard the elder address Lucas and his mate the Alpha and Luna of the pack. So, the leaders of the Blood River Pack were no longer Lnd and Sophie but the new couple. She thought this was good news.
"Our new Luna looks prettier than the previous Luna," said one female lycan near Celia.
She nced at the two female lycans to her right. She listened carefully to the gossip from the women.
"I disagree. Luna Sophia is prettier," said the other woman.
"Oh, so now you''ve defended her? Wasn''t it that you didn''t like her all this time?"
"Indeed. I''m just stating an honest opinion, but that doesn''t mean I like her. Other than that face she doesn''t have any qualities to be Luna."
"Well, you''re right. She''s so weak. She''s just a burden to Alpha Lnd and the pack. Luckily, she still has some shame and decided to leave, because she''s a nobody after Alpha broke up with her. The new Luna seems to be more reliable. "
"Hm, you''re right. So, what do you think about the new Alpha? Do you think Lucas can lead us well?"
"Sigh... he is nowhere as good as Lnd, but not bad. He''s decent enough."
Celia furrowed her brows. She got additional information, which was about Sophie who had left the mansion. But where did Sophie go? Was Lnd currently with Sophie?
Not long after, the five lycans returned to Celia''s side and they gave her the same information, namely about Sophie who left the mansion and pack with her four children.
"Didn''t you guys get any information about Lnd?" Celia asked them again, unhappy with the report. She felt burdened to bring some news to Eloise about Lnd, but so far they didn''t get anything.
"From their conversation, I heard from a maid that Alpha Lnd never came back here after he renounced the pack and his mate."
From the altar, Lucas, who saw the six people and felt he had never seen them, felt suspicious.
"Are they your rtives?" He spoke to Lily in a whisper and she immediately followed her mate''s gaze.
"No," Lily knitted her brows. "I thought they were members of your pack."
"No." Lucas gestured for Max and the others to approach the six people standing by the pir in the middle of the hall.
"Damn, looks like they are suspecting us. Let''s go," said Celia. She turned around and tried to disappear among the crowds. The five lycans followed suit.
"Wait!" Max shouted. He quickly jumped and ran in their direction.
"Quick!" Celia and her fivepanions immediately dashed out, sending Max and the guard lycans after them.
"Disperse!" Celia gave them instructions. The five lycans immediately went in all different directions and forced Max and his men to split to chase them all. However, thanks to the witch''s potion the uninvited guests were able to hide immediately without having to worry that the lycans from the Blood River Pack would find them by smelling their scent.
From behind the wall, Celia noticed Max up ahead who was trying to smell her scent.
"Max." Lucas and Lily came out of the manor. "Where are they?
"I''m sorry, Alpha, I lost track of them," Max replied apologetically.
"What? How is that possible?"
"I think they used the potion to remove their scents, like the one I and the others used when entering Armeria. I think I saw that one of Eloise''s witches was among them."
"Dammit!" Lucas gritted his teeth.
"Do you think they are spies sent by Eloise?" Lily asked, causing Lucas and Max to look at her questioningly.
"Why do you think like so?" Lucas asked her. "Why would she send spies here?"
"I was just guessing. Alpha Lnd went to Armeria to save Eloise and when he returned he suddenly resigned from being the Alpha of your pack and he even severed ties with Luna Sophia. I think Eloise has something to do with Alpha Lnd''s sudden decision," Lily said.
"But what happened?" Lucas was confused.
"I don''t know." Lily looked gloomy. Nobody knew the answer to Lily''s questions.
Max looked around again and found no one. Finally, he entered the manor and ordered more guards to secure the perimeter. At that moment, Celia came out of hiding.
After a while, her fivepanions approached her. They left that ce to return to Armeria and convey the news of the information they had received to Eloise.
***
When they arrived at the Armeria Pce, they were immediately asked to appear before Eloise to the lycan guarding the gate because Eloise had ordered them to immediatelye and see her when they arrived at the pce
She had almost lost all her patience waiting for Lnd to return. Eloise badly wanted to destroy Anne''s soul stone but she soon realized that if she did she would have no more leverage, and Lnd for sure would kill her.
She could see that if she pushed her luck, Lnd would be so angry and he would break his oath and kill her.
"What information did you get?" She asked shortly after Celia entered her room.
Seeing Eloise''s angry face, Celia and her five lycanpanions stumbled and became extremely tense.
"W-we''ve been to Livstad a-and Alpha Lnd was not there. Currently, the Blood River Pack is led by a new Alpha which is Lucas, and his mate, Lily Moonchester. When we arrived they were having a wedding," said Celia.
She added, "I also heard that Sophie and her four children had left the manor and the pack. From the conversation among the members of Blood River Pack, I heard Sophie is currently staying with King Nichs in the royal pce."
"Tch, what a cheap whore!" Eloise cursed. "You just keep going back and forth between one man to another...!"
She didn''t want to admit that she was jealous of Sophie''s luck. She had two men ready to take her in whatever happened to her. In the past, when Nichs left her, Sophie was immediately taken care of under Lnd''s wings. And now when the same thing happened to her, Lnd left her, Nichs happily took her back.
Meanwhile, she... a more beautiful, smarter, and powerful woman who was all that couldn''t even get the one man she had always wanted.
Tch!
BRAKK!
In her fit of rage, Eloise sent the pots and vases near her flying and breaking them on the floor. Celia and the lycans squirmed in their spots, feeling nervous. Eloise''s eyes turned red and she gritted her teeth.
"Useless! You can''t even find news about Lnd! Get out!! GET OUT BEFORE I KILL ALL OF YOU!!"
Celia stepped back and then got out of the room in haste, followed by the five lycans. Eloise''s chest heaved up and down as her breath panted in anger. She waved her hand and sent a fireball into the wall. It immediately burned, leaving ck charred marks.
"Fuck you, Sophie! I hate you so much!"
Chapter 446 Eloise Is Kicked Out Of The Palace
So many questions filled Eloise''s mind. She was truly clueless about what Lnd was doing and where he was now. The man''s action was really unexpected. She thought she knew how his mind worked because she had been right when she threatened him with his kids'' lives.
Oh, the moment when he became submissive toward her demands, when he realized that she was right, was priceless. Eloise lived for that day. She thought she had finally won. But then he did something unexpected. He disappeared and her people couldn''t find him.
Where did Lnd go after he abandoned his pack and his mate? Was it all a trick to deceive Eloise?
Uff... how dare he! If Lnd even just try to trick her, Eloise wouldn''t be so forgiving next time. She would make sure he would pay tenfold for the humiliation she was feeling right now.
She had made her coven of witches and the lycans of Obsidian Sand Pack think she and Lnd were now together. It would secure her im as the queen of Armeria and continue to be the Luna of Obsidian Sand Pack until her son was old enough to assume power.
However, if the Alpha left her, then people would allugh at her. This was uneptable!!
Fuck it! She should make sure by herself that Lnd didn''t actuallye to Riga to be with Sophie. If he did... she would immediately kill little Anne. She knew she did the right thing by hiding the little girl''s soul stone in a secret ce, known only by one trusted witch.
Eloise decided to visit the royal pce of Riga. She woulde as Karenina and pretend she was missing the old queen. There, she would find as much information as possible.
She would also find another way to hurt Lnd''s other children. She was determined to hurt them as much as she could. This was to show Lnd that he shouldn''t y with her.
Eloise took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She must calm down her nerves. She was pregnant and needed to stay calm. She went to her closet and changed her dress. Then she used her magic to transform herself into Karenina.
Once she was ready, she used her magic dust to bring her to Riga. When she opened the door, she stepped out the door of the mansion belonging to one of the witches under her coven. This was the ce where she had Karenina killed months ago.
Eloise was greeted with respect by several witches who stayed in the mansion. She nodded at them and coldly asked them to prepare a carriage for her so she could go to the royal pce.
An hourter, the carriage she was riding arrived in front of the pce gates. Usually, as per Nichs'' promise, she coulde and go to and from the pce. However, this time, four burly guards stood menacingly in front of her carriage, obviously preventing her to go in.
"Why are we stopping?" Karenina asked her coachman. The man turned to her and said apologetically. "I am very sorry, Your Grace, the king''s guards are blocking our way."
"Huh?" Eloise couldn''t believe what she heard. "Tell them it''s me, Karenina Verhoeven, I was the king''s former fiancee. He allows me toe and go as I please because this pce is my second home."
"I did, Your Grace," said the coachman. "They don''t care."
"What???" Eloise felt instant rage. Why didn''t things go as she nned? She thought she had covered everything. Now, she couldn''t even enter the pce of Riga? What did happen? Did Lnd snitch on her to Nichs?
SLAM!
Eloise mmed the carriage door open and got down from her carriage. She walked to the front of the carriage and faced the king''s guards herself.
"Hey, what are you guys doing? Open the gates!" she ordered them. "Don''t you recognize me? I lived in this pce for five years. The king also considers me family and allows me toe anytime to visit the queen."
"Sorry, Princess Karenina, from now on you are not allowed to enter the pce," said the oldest knight among his friends.
"How dare you say such things! The king has promised me that I cane to the pce whenever I want!"
"But this is the king''s own order!"
"What? Take me to the king and queen right now! I don''t trust you! You are just a low-ranking knight who is trying to lie to me. Did someone pay you to do this to me? Is it Lady Sophia?"
"We have no idea what you''re talking about, Your Grace," said the knight patiently. "Please leave. We will close the gate now and if you don''t leave this ce soon, we are tasked to remove you by force."
"What??" Eloise was too dumbfounded by their treatment. She was furious and her body shook out of anger. She could easily kill those four guards, but she didn''t want to take risk of being found out.
She realized Nichs still didn''t know that the real Karenina was dead and she was now a different person. If he did, he wouldn''t have asked his guards to block her and kick her out. If he knew Karenina was fake, Nichs would have already ordered his knights to try to arrest or kill her.
She rubbed her arm and thought. ''Fine, Lnd. It seems you didn''t tell them about my identity yet. I can still forgive you and will not kill Anne. But...''
She pursed her lips and muttered, "but you disappeared and embarrassed me. Now I have to think about stories to tell people if you still don''t return. You''re ying the long game? I can y it too."
She finally turned around and went back inside her carriage. She told the coachman in an annoyed voice that she wanted to go back to the mansion. She must think about what to do to look for Lnd and find out what the man was trying to do.
It was fun to hold his daughter hostage and made him submit to whatever demand she had... However, how could she do that if the man was not around? She also couldn''t just kill Anne to vent her anger. It was her only remaining coteral.
If she killed the baby, she would have to prepare for being on the run for her lifetime. Lnd would chase her even to the ends of the world to make her pay. She still remembered the wrath in his eyes when he found out what Eloise had done to his family.
He was so ready to devour her and eat her alive. So, no... she must think of ways to handle this situation without hurting little Anne. Eloise realized her life would depend on it. She was currently pregnant and her movements were limited. She must not take risks of being killed after she killed Anne.
Ahh.... dammit!
Eloise finally returned to the mansion begrudgingly.
***
Sophie had stayed in the royal pce for several days. She locked herself in her room, and only spent time with her babies, while Luciel and Jan went out and about to be with their grandmother and father.
Even though she felt bad about not being rude by not wanting to see the king and his mother, she couldn''t force herself to meet anyone. She had trouble sleeping and she had cried for days in silence.
She hated herself for being so weak, but the heartbreak came so suddenly and she felt betrayed by Lnd. At this point, she was so hurt that she no longer knew if his words in the manor to taunt her were the truth, or if he was just faking it to make her leave him.
Her only constion was that little Jack seemed to have recovered and now the baby was running around actively in their room, taking the worry off her chest. Little Anne was still weak, but at least she no longer refused milk and spent most of her time on Sophie''sp or arms.
Sophie hoped soon Anne would recover too, just like Jack. She took great care of her only daughter andforted her with her love and affection, even though, deep inside, she was breaking apart.
Nichs gave her all the time and space she needed. He felt really sorry about what she went through and when he remembered how he left her many years ago, he felt extra guilty. He remembered the love they had for each other when they got married.
Back then, Sophie must be heartbroken too when he was gone and she thought he had died. Nichs really wanted to make up for what happened, but he didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t even find Lnd to ask him why he did what he did.
If Lnd truly wanted to throw away the wonderful wife that had been so loving and loyal to him all these years, Nichs would kill him. The only reason he could ept the reality and let go of Sophie was that he thought Lnd was a good husband to her and had been caring and loving her all this time.
If Lnd was not the person Nichs thought he was, the king wouldn''t hesitate to fight the Alpha to the death and make him pay for all the suffering that he had inflicted on Sophie.
Chapter 447 Sophies Decision
Nichs was standing on his balcony, looking at that window over there, hoping he could see a glimpse of Sophie so he could be sure that she was fine.
No, she was not fine, that was for sure. However, something within him felt aggrieved by her situation. Being a king, powerful and wealthy, didn''t mean anything. He could not help the woman he loved.
The only thing he could do now was provide a roof over her head and her children''s heads, making sure they would want nothing physically. However, what could he do to ease her pain? What could he do to help her wounded soul?
Sophie had been disappointed by men and she suffered so much. She didn''t deserve any of those. Every time Nichs met his sons, he would ask them if Sophie was feeling better and they would always shake their heads gloomily.
"Mom is still feeling sad," Luciel would say.
"She thought we didn''t see it, but she was crying a lot when she thought we were sleeping," Jan added. The boy clenched his fists and pursed his lips. "I don''t understand why father did that. It was shocking and... over the top. It''s really not like him."
Nichs didn''t know Lnd that well, but he also thought the Alpha''s action was unusual. Was Lnd hiding something? Nichs looked at Jan deeply and thought about the whole situation more thoroughly.
Jan must know Lnd much better than he did, but even Jan couldn''t understand what was going on. Or... could it be that Jan and Luciel were in denial after what Lnd did to their mother and them?
They couldn''t ept that the man whom they looked up to as a father figure apparently didn''t truly love them as they thought he did, and the betrayal at this point was too deep that they couldn''t ept it as the truth...
If this was what happened, Nichs'' heart ached for all of them. He took both boys into his arms and hugged them tightly.
He didn''t say anything... because no words were useful at this point. Suddenly, Luciel started sobbing, followed by Jan.
"Father said he thought we are parasites..." Luciel stammered between his sobs. "How could he say that to us after all these years...?"
Jan gritted his teeth. He held back his feelings better than his twin but he couldn''t help the tears that fell from his eyes.
Luciel continued venting his sadness in his father''s embrace. "If he really didn''t want us, he should have let mother return to you when she was reunited with you at the royal party. However, he kept pretending for a long time and let us believe that he loved us."
Nichs also clenched his jaws in anger. His memory returned after he saw Sophie at Karenina''s birthday party but at that moment, he had to step back because Sophie was already someone else''s wife.
When he and Lnd had a duel in the moor, Nichs decided to stay away from Sophie and let her be happy with Lnd because he thought Lnd loved Sophie and he was also formidable, he was strong enough to protect Sophie.
However, now, it was Lnd who inflicted the most pain on her. Yes, Luciel was right. If Lnd truly didn''t want Sophie and the children, he should have let Nichs take her back then.
"Never think that you are parasites or unwanted," said Nichs finally. "It cannot be further than the truth. You are both loved, wanted, and the heirs to the throne of Riga. I don''t know why your father said those words. Perhaps there was something that he was hiding and he cannot tell you."
Nichs didn''t know what to believe, if Lnd truly had abandoned his family or if he was hiding something. However, for the sake of his sons, he said those words, to make them think that Lnd didn''t mean all his hurtful words.
Nichs wouldn''t know the truth until he could meet Lnd and talk to him directly. The young king kept hugging his sons and tried his best to console them. This was the first time they finally let out their frustration and express the hurt they had been feeling after Lnd rejected them.
Nichs hoped after this, they could start the process of healing. He couldn''t imagine being in their position. His own father was cold and distant but thete King William had always been that way from the day Nichs was born, so he was used to it.
However, Luciel and Jan were loved and adored by their parents from day one, so being so suddenly rejected by their father must have hurt like hell for the seven-year-olds. Nichs hugged them more tightly.
Sigh. The memory from that day filled Nichs'' mind as he looked up and checked Sophie''s windows again. After Luciel and Jan expressed their pain and anger, slowly they opened up more with their emotions regarding their parents'' separation and Nichs did his damn hardest to help them.
He made sure to give more time every day for them and he started to involve them in taking care of royal affairs. He wanted to keep them busy so they wouldn''t keep thinking about Lnd. His efforts worked. Not only did they learn to process their grieves faster, but they also became closer to him because they spent so much time together.
Now, Luciel and Jan had slowly recovered. However, Sophie and her babies still locked themselves up in their room. The only way Nichs could know their condition was from Luciel and Jan.
Even though he badly wanted toe and see her, Nichs didn''t want to vite Sophie''s personal space, just because he was the king and they were in his pce. He respected her so much to leave her alone and let her take as much time as she needed.
He missed her so badly. The feeling he was experiencing every day was simr to being lovesick. Thinking about how much she was feeling sad and hurt made him feel sad and hurt too. All his power and wealth truly didn''t mean anything if he couldn''t make the woman he loved happy.
KNOCK KNOCK
Nichs was moved from his reverie by the sounds of knocking on the door. He turned around and went inside his study to open the door. He could smell Luciel''s scent outside the door so, before the boy could ask permission to enter, Nichs already opened the door for him.
"Come on in," he said gently. Luciel looked up at his father and spoke rather excitedly.
"Dad, Mom said she wants to see you."
Nichs'' heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened when he heard his son''s words. Did he mishear?
"Really?" he asked Luciel to confirm. The boy nodded.
Before Luciel could say anything else, Nichs had strode out of his study, pulling the boy''s hand to walk with him. Nichs wished he could fly so he could see Sophie as soon as possible.
When he arrived in front of Sophie''s door, Nichs halted his steps. He stood silently at the door and took a deep breath. He fixed his shirt and then knocked.
"Sophie, it''s me," he said calmly. "Luciel said you wanted to see me?"
"Pleasee in," said Sophie with a very soft voice that made Nichs worry that she was sick. The king opened the door and then stepped inside. Luciel followed behind him.
Inside the huge room, Nichs was weed by Jan who took his hand to see his mother. Sophie was sitting on a big chair with a little wolf pup on herp and another one purring on her foot. Nichs could tell the one on Sophie''sp must be little Anne who was still sick.
ording to Luciel and Jan, their younger brother, Jack, had fully recovered and he was so active, always trying to follow them wherever they went, while Anne was inseparable from their mother.
"How are you feeling?" Nichs approached Sophie and spoke gently to her. "Do you need anything? How is Anne doing?"
Sophie was feeling the weight of the world on her back and couldn''t even smile or exchange pleasantries with the king. She tried, but she just couldn''t do it. Not in her current situation. Her voice was small, but firm when she spoke to Nichs.
"Nic... I want to leave the pce," Sophie said.
"Huh?" Nichs was taken aback by Sophie''s words. "Leave? Why?"
The woman replied as a matter of factly, "This is not our home. I have spent so much time crying and grieving for my misfortune. I can''t keep dwelling in sorrow. I have to restart my life so the kids can have stability."
"You can restart your life here. I don''t see the problem," said Nichs.
"I don''t want to," Sophie said firmly. "It''s not right to put you in this position."
"Why not?" Nichs protested. "Luciel and Jan are MY sons and they are the heirs to the throne of Riga. It is in my best interest and the kids'' too to make sure they grow up in the best environment. which is the royal pce. You are their mother, so by extension, it is also in their best interest for you to stay here with them."
Sophie shook her head. "They cane here to visit anytime, but I don''t want to live here."
Chapter 448 The Reason Why Sophie Wants To Leave The Palace
Nichs found Sophie was being stubborn for no good reason. So... what made her suddenly decide to go out of the pce and where would she live?
"Sophie, please.. think about the kids. It''s dangerous out there. You must stay in the pce to be safe. You don''t have anyone to protect you and the kids outside of the pce."
"You can send knights to protect us secretly," Sophie said stubbornly. "However, I really don''t want to stay in the royal pce with you."
Nichs looked at Sophie with a confused expression and heartbroken.
So... she must actually hate him so much by now that Sophie couldn''t even stand living under his roof when she was at the lowest point of her life. Bitterly, Nichs remembered how Sophie came to Lnd many years ago asking for protection when she was alone and in danger.
However, when she was put in the same situation, Sophie refused to seek him for help. Nichs had toe to force her to take the kids to his pce. And now that weeks passed by, she decided she didn''t want to continue to stay.
This made his heart ache. He thought Sophie would never forgive him for leaving her in the past and now she didn''t want to have anything to do with him, except for the boys. Did she really think being alone was better than relying on Nichs to help her?
"Why...?" Nichs looked at Sophie deeply. The woman looked away and didn''t immediately answer him. Nichs became dejected. He had regretted what happened in the past many times over, but there was nothing he could do to change the past.
Was he really unforgivable?
"If you really hate me for leaving you eight years ago and could never forgive me, and that''s the reason why you don''t want to stay here... I understand," Nichs spoke with a hoarse voice.
He continued, "I am very sorry. I wish I could turn back time and change the past. I was young and foolish back then. I made a terrible decision and I have regretted it for the past year, and probably until the day I die..."
Sophie turned to Nichs and looked at him in surprise. Nichs thought she hated him and didn''t want to forgive him for the past?
"What are you talking about?" she asked in a low voice. "I don''t hate you..."
"You would rather be alone than let me help you and protect you... So, it means being around me is worse than facing so many difficulties and challenges on your own. Your decision shows that my presence in your life is unwanted," Nichs exined. "If that didn''te from a ce of hate or resentment... I don''t know what is."
Sophie''s eyes drooped when she saw the hurt and sadness in Nichs'' eyes. She never saw the man look as devastated as he was now.
He truly thought she hated him and didn''t want to have anything to do with him, but got stuck to have some sort of rtionship because they had children together. Sophie felt really sad for him.
Nichs had misunderstood her. The truth was, she never hated him, and she didn''t even resent him for the past. She understood his situation and she could see how much he loved Luciel and Jan and tried to make up for all his mistakes in the past, which were not even purely his fault.
What happened between them was a series of bad luck, coupled with slight bad decisions from being young and inexperienced. Besides, without what happened in the past, Sophie would have never met Lnd again and had a happy life with him. So, of course, she would never me nor resent Nichs.
Sophie could tell that it pained Nichs so much when he found out everything and he had been working hard to make sure he could be a good father for their sons without causing any difort in Sophie''s and Lnd''s rtionship.
He had been careful with his words and actions, respectful of their boundaries, and was always do his best to make sure Sophie and the children were taken care of. When they were safe and happy with Lnd, he stepped back and let them be. When Lnd abandoned them, he immediately stepped in.
And now, he thought everything he did for them was not wee and unwanted because Sophie only wanted to leave... and it was understandable. However, Nichs was mistaken.
Sophie bit her lip. Should she tell him the real reason why she wanted to leave? But she really didn''t want him to keep holding her back.
"It''s not you, Nic," she spoke hoarsely. "You are a good man and I respect you. I have nothing against you. I have my own reasons why I want to leave."
"So... you don''t resent me?" Nichs couldn''t believe his hearing. Sophie nodded.
Nichs looked at Sophie with tears forming in his eyes. Her eyes were staring at him with pain evident in them, but Nichs couldn''t see any hatred or resentment... So, she was not lying.
His heart was filled with so much warmth. So, he misunderstood.
He and Sophie had never had the chance to talk about their past because Lnd was always between them. Nichs and Sophie had a history together that was not resolved and before today, it seemed they would never be able to have this conversation.
So, they both had just brushed it off and epted that the past belonged in the past. At present, Sophie was Lnd''s mate, so she was no longer Nichs'' wife.
However, now that Lnd was gone, Nichs was standing before Sophie with so many emotions running through his mind, and he was tempted to have a sit down with Sophie and finally talk about their past and the fact that she was actually legally still his wife.
"Sophie, can we... sit down and talk?" Nichs asked Sophie politely.
Sophie wanted to say no, but seeing Nichs'' sincerity, she didn''t have the heart to reject his request. She also couldn''t beat to keep letting him misunderstand. Sooner orter he would find out anyway and Sophie still need to have that conversation with him.
"Luciel and Jan, can you take Jack with you to y?" Sophie turned to her older sons. Luciel immediately took Jack from the floor and, together with Jan, he did what their mother asked.
"Call us when you are done, Mom," said Luciel. Sophie nodded.
The boys immediately disappeared behind the door. Once there were only the two of them, Sophie turned to Nichs and asked, "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"
Nichs sat on the sofa and motioned Sophie to sit too. "It''s better to talk while sitting, don''t you think?"
Sophie nodded. She sat gracefully across from Nichs, with little Anne on herp. The baby was asleep and Sophie rubbed her head lovingly.
"Thank you for seeing me," said Nichs. He took a deep breath andposed himself. He wanted to have this conversation with Sophie as smoothly as possible. "I have been so worried about you and the kids for weeks. How are the babies doing?"
"Jack is now healthy but Anne is still sick," replied Sophie. Before Nichs could ask further, she continued her exnation. "The royal doctors are doing their best to treat her, and we are grateful."
Sophie added, "However, they said Anne is just a weak baby. There is nothing wrong with her body that they could find. I do still think Anne is sick but I am not a doctor and I don''t know what happened."
"That is also another reason why I want to leave the pce. Anne no longer needs the doctors here because they can''t even know what is wrong with her," Sophie said.
"Another reason? What is the other one?" Nichs asked.
Sophie was quiet. She bit her lip, trying to look tough but slowly a drop of tear fell down her cheek.
"I am pregnant," Sophie finally spoke with a low voice. "In a few months I will give birth to Lnd''s baby and I have to immediately establish a new life for all of us. I cannot keep bing your burden by staying here and leeching on you."
Nichs thought he dreaming. Was Sophie really talking now? Why did she sound like she was speaking from a ce really far away? He slowly lost her voice as his head spun in a headache.
So, Sophie was now pregnant?
Sophie continued speaking softly, " Nic, you are a good man but I don''t want to bother you for much longer. You are only responsible for Luciel and Jan and you have done more than enough. Right now, I have to step up and be everything my other children need. I have to build a new home for myself and my children and raise them with my own strength. I don''t want to rely on anyone from now on."
She looked at Nichs sincerely. "I will buy a ce for me and the children and live there. You can give us protection by sending your undercover knights. That way you don''t have to worry about us."
Nichs''s voice trembled when he finally spoke. "You are... pregnant?"
Chapter 449 He Should Let Her Go
Nichs was filled with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he was sad to know Sophie was pregnant with a child from the man who had just openly abandoned her.
But then, on the other side, his heart scolded him. His mind used him of being disappointed by the fact that he was still so in love with her, and deep, deep in his heart, he wished this would be a chance for him to find a way back to her.
Whenever the thought came creeping, Nichs would hate himself for even thinking about being selfish and hoping to get back together with Sophie when she was at the lowest point of her life.
And then... there was another thought that came. If, in the past, Lnd stepped up and took Sophie and Nichs'' sons under his wings, taking care of them and protecting them, loving them as his own, he should see this opportunity for him to do the same thing.
He loved her, always has, and always will. He would take her back in a heartbeat, without even thinking. However, the question now was... would she want it? Would she allow him this opportunity to make up for the past and step up?
She was now telling him she wanted to leave. Was it because she really didn''t want to burden him... or she didn''t want him to misunderstand her willingness to be helped as a sign that she wanted to get back together?
Or, maybe... she thought he would no longer want to help because of her pregnancy? Did she think Nichs was so petty that he would not ept Lnd''s child?
"Sophie..." Nichs''s voice was hoarse when he spoke. He crouched down on her feet and touched her knees gently. "I am happy for you about this pregnancy and I am really sorry because the circumstances are not ideal."
He looked at her deeply, holding back his brimming emotions. "Now I could really imagine what you went through eight years ago when you were pregnant with Luciel and Jan, and you were facing so many hardships alone. I am gravely sorry... and I am most saddened that now you have to go through it again."
He continued his words sincerely, "I couldn''t turn back time and fix my mistakes, but I can do something in present to change the future. If you would allow me, I want to help you with whatever you need, at this difficult time, to make sure that you can rebuild your life and be happy again."
Sophie looked at Nichs'' hands on her knees. They were actually barely touching her dress. He did it so respectfully that he was not touching her without her consent. He just wanted to show that he cared so much about her with that gesture.
She took a deep breath and then raised her face to see Nichs in the eye. "Then, please let me go with my children."
Nichs was sad to know Sophie was adamant about her decision to go. Again, he couldn''t understand why? Why couldn''t she just stay here? He would note and see her at all if she wished not to see him. As long as she could live a good life with her children where all their needs were met, it was good enough for him.
"Why don''t you want to stay here?" Nichs asked her. "Is there anything that makes you feel ufortable? Did the court people talk ill about you?"
Sophie bit her lip. It''s true. Some courtdies and servants talked about her and her children behind her back. When the king came with the carriage filled with Lady Sophia Romanov and her children, rumors started flying in the pce and among the noblemen.
The longer they stayed here, the more people talked. A married woman staying in another man''s house with her children for a long period of time was seen as a disgrace. The fact that her oldest sons were actually the king''s heirs made the gossip be even more juicy.
Since the king had never been officially married, the sons that he imed he sired from Lady Sophia were seen as bastards. People questioned Lady Sophia''s past which resulted in her having two bastard sons before she wed her husband Duke Romanov.
The gossip got worse after they realized that it seemed thedy was now abandoned by her husband. The duke went away and was never to be seen again, leaving her with her children under the protection of the king. People were asking questions as to what was happening.
Perhaps, Duke Romanov became jealous of his wife''s past rtionship with the king, or maybe he caught them cheating during his absence, so he decided to divorce her?
Some people with ck hearts who wished the king for themselves or their daughters started to think of it as the truth. Lady Sophia was a promiscuous woman who had a wild youth and gave birth to the king''s bastard sons whom she passed as her husband''s, Duke Romanov.
When she was reunited with the king many yearster, they rekindled the rtionship in an affair which caused her husband to be enraged with jealousy and left her. And now, she wanted to go back into the arms of the king. That''s why she was now leeching on King Nichs in his pce, with all her kids in tow.
Should the king officially marry her, then Riga would have a promiscuous woman as their queen. They didn''t want that. It would be an embarrassment to allow such a woman into the position of the queen.
Sophie imagined her reputation would suffer even more and she would only hear more and more gossip spread about her and her children. Even though she knew the truth, Nichs and Queen Marianne too, the public didn''t. And she didn''t have the energy to refute it.
She also didn''t want Nichs or his mother to be bothered by it. Sophie wanted to live in peace somewhere with her children. She didn''t reject Nichs'' help, because she knew he deserved to be with his sons and made sure they were well cared for.
However, she didn''t want to be near him at this moment. It would be too stressful and she didn''t have the capacity to deal with such things. That''s why she allowed him to help her by sending his knights to protect them when they went out of the royal pce and found a new home for them.
"I want to have my own ce," Sophie said, not wanting to discuss about the gossip. "I don''t want to rely on any man from now on. I made that mistake once and now I realized that the only person we can trust is ourselves."
She tried not to sound bitter but it was so hard. Nichs could hear her pain so clearly.
It was true, in the past, Sophie thought she needed a man to help her and protect her because she thought she was so weak. But Nichs let her down, and Lnd betrayed her.
She brought her jewelry from the manor and if she sold them, she would have enough money to buy a house and start her own business. Didn''t she want to open a tavern when she was young? She still could do it.
The older children were strong and she need not worry about them. Plus, Luciel and Jan could help her watch over Jack and y with him when they were free. She could handle taking care of the weak Anne and if she hired a maid or two to help with the household chores, she could also raise another baby. Lycan babies were easy to care for, unlike human babies.
So, she just needed to focus her attention on her business. She had learned bookkeeping and some other knowledge to start and maintain her business. As for protection, she could trust the king''s guards'' help since they were protecting the princes.
Now, she just needed to start as soon as possible, so she would have everything ready before her youngest baby would be born.
"I don''t want to rely on any man from now on. I made that mistake once and now I realized that the only person we can trust is ourselves."
Those words hit Nichs right in the feels. He realized Sophie was so hurt that she no longer wanted to trust her life to another man. It was not personal. This experience made her grow as a person and she now wanted to carve her own path, without being tied down by a man.
Nichs was sad when he realized this time it would be so much more difficult to get her trust and love. He and Lnd had ruined it for her. If he wished for her to even consider getting back together with him, he should work so much harder.
"Do you have any ns after you leave the pce?" he asked her gently. At this point, he knew he should let her go.
Chapter 450 Nicholas Offer
Sophie nodded. She would buy a ce for herself and her children. Hired some maids to help her and started a tavern business. That was the thing she had always wanted to do and she did some research about it in the past.
She just needed some help with some of the processes, but she was confident she could do it for the most part. She didn''t mind if Nichs would help her because she respected his presence as the boys'' father who must want to contribute to his sons'' wellbeing and care.
If Nichs would provide her with secret protection, she would wee the gesture because she also thought it was best if the children were safe. She didn''t care about herself, but if she being safe and well meant her children would be safe and well too, then, she would ept a helping hand. Just for the kids. Not more.
"I have some jewelry that I can sell to raise some money to buy a home and start a business," Sophie exined.
Nichs looked at her deeply. "Business? You want to work?"
Sophie nodded again. She reminded him, "Yes. Do you remember our conversation when we first met again in Hastings, you were visiting your uncle, Baron Ferdinand."
Of course, Nichs remembered everything about her now. After he regained his memories, slowly, every single piece of memory from their time together returned to him and gave him constion. He swore that no matter what, even if someday he became old and senile and he forgot his own name, he would never, never forget her.
"You mean... the tavern?" Nichs asked her. Sophie smiled faintly and nodded to confirm. The king smiled too. Ah, the memories of that time when they had a pic in his uncle''s castle yard were so pure and beautiful. He wished he was there with Sophie now. He said in a nostalgic tone, "You still want to open a tavern, after all these years?"
"Yeah. I never got to do that, so I can see it as my chance to finally realize my dream," Sophie replied. "I am now older and smarter to hold a business. I also have the capital and the means to do it."
She added, "Plus, I learned the secrets to making special ale that the lycans love. I am sure humans would love it too. It would be a popr drink and my tavern will make a lot of money."
Nichs looked at Sophie with his heart filled with warmth. She seemed excited about her ns and it subsided her sadness a little bit. Nichs realized this was for the best. Sophie needed something to do to distract her mind from her pain and her sadness. She must keep herself busy amidst her difficult situation.
If Nichs forced her to stay here, in his pce, doing nothing, she would have so much idle time to grieve, and perhaps she would fall into depression. He nced at her stomach which was still t and wondered what her baby would look like when they were born.
Lycan''s pregnancy took only five months max. So, if she was 2-3 months in, she would give birth in two months. Now, Nichs understood why Sophie wanted to start as soon as possible. She wanted to finish all the preparation before she gave birth to her baby.
"Can''t you wait...?" Nichs asked again, trying to bargain. "Maybe after the baby is born?"
Sophie shook her head. "No. I want to start right away. I can''t deal with moving and starting a business with three babies. I also want to keep myself busy so I don''t have to keep thinking about Lnd."
Sophie took a deep breath when she mentioned Lnd''s name. She was trying to forget about him so she didn''t have to keep feeling the pain, but it was so damn difficult to do.
"I understand," Nichs hurriedly decided toply with her request to let her go. He didn''t want her to keep thinking about her mate who had hurt her so badly. "I will help you find a nice house and a good location for your tavern. However, you have to allow me to send some knights to go undercover and work for you in your tavern. They will wait tables for you and do whatever you need them to do."
"Huh?" Sophie thought Nichs would send his knights to take residence around her ce and protect her family in secret. However, he actually would position them to work as her staff?
"They are... knights. Do you think they can do hospitality work?" Sophie remembered most of the knights working as the king''s guards were fierce-looking. She didn''t want them to deter her customers if those knights stayed in her tavern as workers.
She said, "I want to make honest money from honest customers. That''s why I want this business to work out. I don''t want to rely on your money to support me."
"I will choose the good-looking ones to attract customers," replied Nichs who seemed able to read Sophie''s concern. "I have some female knights too. They will be happy to do this assignment. I will not support you with money because you seem very offended if I did. So, I will just support you with manpower. What do you think?"
Before Sophie could reply to Nichs'' question, Anne woke up and whimpered. She nuzzled her nose on Sophie''s stomach, and then she sniffed upward, looking for her breast. Unconsciously, Nichs followed the pup''s head movement and now his eyes were fixed on Sophie''s chest.
He felt so embarrassed when suddenly the image of Sophie being naked under him came to his mind. Gosh.. she was so beautiful, so alluring, and they were so in love. Their wedding night was wonderful.
Even though they already had sex before they got married, what they did on that night was truly special. Maybe because it was the consummation where they conceived Luciel and Jan. He was not sure why, he just knew it.
Their lovemaking was wonderful and it had created two beautiful sons that meant the world to him.
Nichs felt his throat dry when his mind was filled with regret again. This made him feel really sad. He had scolded his young self many times over for letting go of such a wonderful wife and two sons, even though it was unintentional. He felt so dumb and useless.
"I think Anne needs you. We can continue this conversation when you are done. I will be waiting outside with the boys," Nichs got up and rubbed Anne''s head gently, nodded at Sophie, and turned around to leave.
Before he opened the door, he turned around and spoke to Sophie, "Please think about my offer. I just want to make sure you and the kids are safe."
Sophie turned to him and nodded. "I will. Thank you."
Nichs smiled and opened the door. He stepped out and closed the door behind him. Outside, he saw Luciel and Jan ying with their baby brother in the corridor. Luciel had transformed into his wolf form and he bit Jack on his nape to take the baby with him. Jan walked with them with his hands inside his pockets.
Meanwhile, Sophie nursed her daughter and pondered her conversation with Nichs earlier. She really appreciated his response and the help he offered. She was d that he didn''t force her to stay in the pce, using his sons as an excuse. This made her feel very relieved and realized that Nichs was really mature and respectful of her wishes.
She decided to ept his offer.
***
When Nichs informed the queen that Sophie and her children would move out of the pce soon, Queen Marianne passed out. She tried to use her poor health as an excuse to coax Sophie to stay, but this time Nichs didn''t allow her.
He still remembered what happened years ago when his mother tricked him to propose to Karenina and promise to marry her because the old queen made him think she was dying. Nichs still couldn''t forgive her for that.
However, since he was a filial son, he didn''t call her out on that and just stop believing her words if she tried to do it again. This time, he took action and didn''t let his mother see Sophie and act weak and sick to pressure the woman to change her mind about leaving and starting a new life outside the pce.
"Please, mother. She has enough on her te now, don''t add to her suffering by pretending that you are dying," said Nichs to his mother who was crying in the corner of her room because Nichs asked her to stay there and not see Sophie.
"What are you talking about?" The queen looked up and pursed her lips. "Do you think I am pretending? Luciel and Jan are my heart and soul. Without them, there is no reason for me to continue living..."
Chapter 451 Nicholas Helps Sophie Buy A House
Nichs wanted to roll his eyes when he heard his mother. She was so good with words and could be maniptive for sure. He regretted that she did manipte him many times when he was younger and didn''t know better.
However, even though his mother was this way, he couldn''t hate her. That''s just who she was. Everything she did was ording to what she thought was best for her son and their family.
Nichs would never forget how much she worked so hard to protect him from his father who hated lycans. She always chose him over her husband. Even though it cost her their rtionship which was not great, to begin with. She prioritized Nichs above everything else.
After he became an adult, Nichs started to see things more clearly and had a better understanding of his parents'' rtionship. Even though his mother never admitted it, Nichs could see that his father didn''t love her and by extension, didn''t love him.
Queen Marianne did try hard to work on their rtionship, though one-sidedly, so that King William could see her worth and perhaps slowly love her for being a good wife to him. It might work had she not been away from the pce so much.
As the king''s wife, Queen Marianne spent too much time outside the pce with her son, visiting their rtives, leaving her husband with his work. King William didn''t know that his wife did it to hide the fact that Nichs had lycanthropy.
So, even if he started to appreciate her presence after ten years together and she served him wonderfully as the perfect wife, from the eleventh year, things changed and she no longer seemed to care if he needed her by his side all the time to take care of his needs and desire.
Their patchy rtionship became colder and the king finally withdrew himself further from his wife and son. Knowing how much his mother loved his father, Nichs felt guilty for causing his mother to lose the opportunity to have a happy marriage with thete king.
So, of course, no matter what the queen did, no matter how much Nichs was angered by it, since he knew she did it for his sake, ording to her own wisdom, and remembering how he owed his mother his life, Nichs always forgave her and loved her.
However, he drew the line with Sophie. He wouldn''t let his mother manipte Sophie into doing what the queen wanted.
"They are my heart and soul too," said Nichs calmly. "But I won''t say I am dying if they left the pce."
"That''s because you are young and healthy," said the queen in protest. "Your mother has poor health."
"Mother, we can always see them whenever we want to," said Nichs. "I will have them study here three times a week. I will also ask Sophie to allow them to sleep over from time to time. And, if you want to go to their new home, I will go with you."
The queen looked away, hiding her tears. "Why don''t you just marry her and get back together? This would solve a lot of problems."
Nichs rubbed his temple. Did his mother really think it was that easy to make Sophie want to marry him? That was actually the first thing he thought about, the only thing he dreamed of that bothered him in his sleep.
He wanted to get back together with Sophie and make her his official wife, his queen, and the mother of his children... but Sophie didn''t want it. So, Nichs had to respect her wishes. He also thought it was too soon. She was heartbroken and had a lot of problems to solve. He didn''t want to add to her trouble.
***
"You can sell your jewelry to me," Nichs said when he helped Sophie sort her jewelry. She brought a wooden jewelry box filled with diamonds, gold, and many other precious gems. "I will give you a good price."
Sophie turned to him and furrowed her brows. "I don''t want your money."
"No, no... this is not a handout," said Nichs firmly. "I am taking your jewelry. The royal pce always needs more jewelry to add to our collection. We sometimes have to send gifts to some lord''s daughter''s birthday or wedding. It''s important to keep a good rtionship with my supporters."
He added, "If you sold it to a jewelry shop, they will haggle with you and give you a bad price. Please don''t do that."
Sophie looked at the pearl ne in her hand that she just took from the box. She remembered it was gifted to her by Lnd for her birthday five years ago. It was one of her favorites.
If she sold it to Nichs, someday it might be gifted to a noblewoman by the court and Sophie would see her favorite ne be worn by another woman. This thought made her feel really sad.
She looked dejected but didn''t say anything. She put the pearl ne back, together with her other jewelry, and then pushed the box toward Nichs.
"You are right. I will sell my jewelry to the court. Please give me a good price."
"Definitely," said Nichs with a smile.
The past few days he saw a change in Sophie''s demeanor. She became busy with nning and doing things to prepare for her move. She didn''t have time to be sad. Well, at least not under his watch. He didn''t know if she still cried when she was alone like her sons said to him back then.
"My treasury will be here very soon to give the estimate and then make the payment to you," said Nichs. "If your business is doing well and you have money to buy your jewelry back, as long as they are not yet gifted by the court to those noblewomen, you can have them."
He lied to ease her mind. Of course, he would immediately keep her jewelry in his treasure chest and not allow them to be taken to the court''s inventory. Someday, if Sophie wanted them back he would return them all to her.
"Thank you," said Sophie. She got up from the couch and asked Nichs. "Can we see the shophouse now? I want to see it as soon as possible and see what we still need to buy to make it habitable."
Nichs told her earlier that his men found a nice big shophouse in the city center. It was a two-story building with a ssic design. The first floor could be used for her tavern and they could use the second floor for their family.
Nichs had bought it from the owner and now told Sophie that the building was avable to purchase. Sophie was excited to know slowly her dream wasing true.
"Yes, we can visit the shophouse now," said Nichs. "I will go with you."
Sophie was d to see Anne was sleeping soundly. Usually, she would sleep for several hours after she was nursed. So, if the shophouse was not too far from the pce, she could go there and return before her daughter woke up.
"It''s half an hour carriage drive from here," Nichs informed her. "I have the carriage ready for you."
"Very well. Let''s go now." Sophie turned to her older sons and told them to watch over their siblings. She would return very soon.
"Yes, mom. We understand," said Luciel with a smile. Seeing her sons looking so confident, Sophie smiled in relief. She rubbed their hair and then walked out of her room, followed by Nichs.
The king wore the simple clothes of amoner today. He didn''t want people to recognize him and by extension recognize Sophie. He didn''t want her effort to start a new life outside the pce to be ruined by his presence.
The carriage that took them to the city center was an old one and looked very modest. Nobody would suspect that the humble carriage actually had their king inside it.
"Here we are," said Nichs. "I hope you like the ce."
The coachman opened the door for them and Nichs got out first. He reached out a hand to help Sophie get down from the carriage. The passersby were all interested in seeing the handsome tall man help a beautiful woman get out of her carriage.
Many thought they were a couple. The husband was helping his wife get off the carriage. If Nichs could read their minds, he would be so happy they thought that way
They stopped in front of a big shophouse and the man hired by Nichs to pretend to be the owner was weing them with a sweet smile. "Wee, Miss. I heard that you are looking for a property to buy?"
Sophie nodded. "I am. Can I take a look around this house?"
"Yes, feel free. I rented it outst year to a family and they didn''t extend it," said the owner. "It''s now empty if you want to take a look inside."
"This is beautiful!" eximed Sophie when she entered the shophouse and saw the living room.
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PS: From Missrealitybites:
I decided to post the teaser for my new book in the next chapter (It will be published as aic mainly because I am busy, so I may not have the novel until next year).
If you don''t want to read it, please just skip it and read the next chapter so you don''t have to pay coins.
Chapter 452 TEASER: The Dragon Princes Replacement Bride
NOTE: This chapter is a teaser for my next book. You can skip it if you don''t want to read it, so you don''t spend coins on it. All the previous chapters are already updated btw.
While waiting for a new chapter for Sophie and Nichs, feel free to read an opening to my new book "The Dragon Prince''s Recement Bride" which I will publish next year.
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CHAPTER 1 - FUCK YOU, ALERIC PENDRAGON!
"Fuck you, Isabelle Delorean," Ines could only curse under her breath when she imagined what the woman named Isabelle Delorean looked like. Isabelle was the reason for her misfortune. So, of course, Ines had a hard feeling for that woman.
Ines stole a nce at the handsome man sitting across from her in this carriage. He was Isabelle''s older brother. Damian Delorean closed his eyes, but Ines knew so well now that the man was not sleeping.
She made that mistake once on their first day of travel, thinking Damian was tired and asleep. So, she tried to run away. Welp. He caught her easily.
Ines rolled her eyes at the memory. She would never make that mistake again. Even if Damian was really sleeping, she would just assume he was not.
She looked at Damian again. This man had short white hair, a beautiful pointed nose, full lips, and an angr jawline that made him look extremely handsome.
So, Ines suspected Isabelle must be beautiful too if she even had only half her brother''s good looks. Maybe even much more attractive than Damian. All the servants in the castle told her Isabelle was the most beautiful woman in Sommeries.
Ines sighed. Of course, she could understand why such a beautiful princess like Isabelle ran away from her own wedding. Who in their right mind would want to be married off to a monster? No one!
Suddenly Ines felt so embarrassed about herself. Why did she me Isabelle for her misfortune? Isabelle was just trying to save herself. The person she should be cursing was her husband, Aleric Pendragon.
Yeah. Ines now had a husband, even though she didn''t love the guy and they had never even met.
She married that man by proxy two weeks ago. That seemed to be the custom in this era, or rather in this world. When the bride and groom lived far away from each other and they couldn''t both be in the same ce to hold the wedding ceremony, one of them would send a representative to act as their proxy to attend the wedding.
Actually, Isabelle Delorean should be the one to marry Aleric Pendragon, but she escaped the day before the wedding. She didn''t want to marry a ruthless monster. So, the Delorean family sacrificed Ines, a stranger girl who was stranded in theirnd and looked slightly simr to their daughter.
It was deceitful and risky, but they didn''t seem to have a choice but to resort to this scheme. Ines heard if they failed to provide a bride when Aleric''s uncle who acted as his proxy arrived, the Pendragons would punish them severely.
Ines was forced to take on the identity of a Delorean. Otherwise, they would kill her for trespassing on their property. It did help that physically she looked a bit like them. The Deloreans all had beautiful silver-blonde hair that looked almost white and purple eyes.
Ines had her light gray hair that used to get her bullied for having ''mouse''s hair''. Her eyes were very deep blue that actually when she thought about it again, could actually be dark purple. So, yes... she could pass as their family member. That''s why they dared to send her as a recement bride to Westovia.
Gosh... Ines'' life was not actually great, but that didn''t mean she wanted to die. So, she said yes to their order to buy herself time to n her escape.
However, it''s been four days now and she had tried to run away from her ordeal many times, all to no avail. The closer she got to her husband''s castle, the worse her chance to escape. This made her feel depressed.
"Fuck you, Aleric Pendragon..." she hissed under her breath. This time she cursed her husband.
Husband.
Eh... husband??
Scoff.
Ines felt like crying. Gosh... she didn''t even know what her husband looked like. Since the Pendragons lived so far away, they sent his uncle, a duke, to represent the crown prince, Aleric Pendragon, in the wedding ceremony.
Ines only knew from the maids gossiping within the Delorean pce that the man was a monster. That''s why Isabelle Delorean, who was supposed to be his wife, decided to run away from home, leaving behind her family with so much stress to find her recement.
Ines was curious and she tried to find information from the only person she was with right now. Damian must have known better what Aleric Pendragon and his family were like.
"Hey!" Ines eximed, but Damian looked indifferent. In fact, there was no movement at all from him.
"Hey! Can you hear me? You can, can''t you?" Again, Ines called out to Damian.
Damian opened his eyes slowly and looked intently at her, causing Ines to gulp down coarse saliva and move restlessly in her seat.
Could it be that he was actually asleep and Ines had just disturbed him?
"Not hey, my name is Damian," said the man in a cold voice that didn''t suit him.
ording to Ines, Damian was too handsome to sound that cold and evil. But ah¡ in this world looks could be deceiving.
Was not it?
"What kind of person is this Aleric guy?" Ines asked, not caring about Damian''s curt response. She looked at Damian seriously. Ines really wanted Damian to know that she wasn''t messing around with this question and she really needed an answer.
An answer that could at least calm her heart.
"No idea. Never met him," Damian replied after breaking eye contact between them first.
Ines let out a disappointed sigh hearing that. Even Damian didn''t know what Aleric Pendragon looked like. How was that possible? Didn''t he care about what kind of man would be his sister''s husband? This Delorean family was... weird!
However, Ines'' disappointment did notst long. A few minutester, she felt how the carriage they were riding in now started to run slowly until finally there was no movement anymore.
A smile appeared on Ines'' face when she realized what she could do by taking advantage of this situation. The carriage would finallye to a stop. That meant they''d arrived at a ce where humans lived and there was probably an inn where they would rest.
Apart from being able to straighten her body, Ines could also look for opportunities to escape.
Unfortunately, Damian was happy to shatter the hopes that Ines had.
"Do not even try." Before he got up from his seat, Damian gave a stern warning to Ines who could only stare at him with an annoyed look.
Damian seemed to already know what was on Ines''s mind without the need to bother guessing.
It''s not like Ines would obey him anyway.
"What? I won''t try to do anything." Ines raised her hands like a criminal about to be caught by the police.
Despite his expression that seemed to say ''yeah, right'', Damian didn''t say anything else.
The carriage door was knocked lightly from outside a few times and after Damian gave permission it was opened by someone from outside.
"Your Highness, we have arrived at the inn near the borders of the Westend capital. Just one more day and we will arrive at our destination. I think you can rest here and we can continue our journey in the morning." One of the guards reported to him.
They had traveled for several days and for the first time after spending so many days on the road, Ines was finally able to get out of this stupid carriage and restfortably and properly.
"You''re right, but I hope no one will do anything stupidter."
Ines nced at Damian who was looking at her with fixed eyes, making Ines instantly realize that Damian was talking about her.
Damian then moved to get off the carriage first, leaving Ines still in the carriage, trying to digest the information she received earlier. The bodyguards untied Ines'' feet as well as her hands.
Only one more day and Ines would meet her monster husband. Ines had really little time left if she wanted to run away from all this madness.
"Come on,e down," Damian said and stretched out his hand which Ines of course didn''t ept, just like the previous days.
She got off the carriage and ignored Damian''s hand hanging in the air. When she saw what was in front of her, thousands of scenarios had already been created in Ines'' head.
"Don''t make me regret this." That was what Damian told her before they walked into the inn, leaving the others behind.
Ines snorted in annoyance. She was still being treated like a prisoner. However, in retrospect, she was the one who saved the Deloreans from the catastrophe by recing Isabelle. They should have treated her better.
Perhaps they would have done it if Ines had not tried to run away all the time. However, she had to. Ines still loved her life. She didn''t want to be the victim of a monster.
Ines saw that they were now in front of arge inn building located on a fairly busy main road. There were people walking around carrying goods, selling, shopping, and so on. Damian was talking to the innkeeper, probably wanting to ask for special arrangements so Ines couldn''t escape¡
"Kyaaaaahhh¡!!"
When she saw Damian was busy, Ines pushed the body of the bodyguard beside her with all her might so that he fell to the ground,
Without looking back, Ines immediately ran away from the inn area, followed by the shouts of people telling her to stop.
"Stupid carriage! Stupid wedding! Fuck them all!" Ines said while running as hard as she could. Her hands were busy lifting the hem of her dress so she wouldn''t trip.
Her head was spinning. Crazy! She had been stuck with these people for two weeks. Ines had to break free before her life took a turn for the worse and she couldn''t find her way back home.
Ines was only thinking about how to make her escape and didn''t think about what other steps to take. She couldn''t keep running aimlessly like this.
"There! Yes, I have to go there!"
Ines nimbly jumped over a vegetable basket and continued to run with all her might, entering the market to hide. The ce in front of her must be the market right? She could already see stalls and the crowd of people.
She would definitely be able to find a ce to hide. If she was lucky, maybe she could look for someone to help her.
"Argh!" Ines let out a low scream when she felt that she had no strength left, making her body stagger.
Her breath hitched and she coughed a few times. She med the carriage for having kept her from using her legs for a long time, making her weak like she was now.
The sound of an approaching horse''s hooves entered her ears followed by a scoff afterward.
"Ahem."
Ines heard that and immediately grimaced when she realized whose voice it was.
Like in a horror movie, Ines turned her head back slowly, and there, right in front of her, was the figure of Damian sitting on a horse, staring at her coldly.
The prince spoke in an icy tone, "This is my LAST warning. If you tried to escape one more time, I will kill you on the spot."
- TO BE CONTINUED
Chapter 453 Sophie Finally Opens Her Tavern
Sophie liked what she saw and after checking the shophouse from top to bottom she decided to buy it. It actually had 2.5 stories. The ground floor was beautiful with a big open space that she could use to open her tavern.
She just needed to redecorate and add appropriate furniture. She would buy several tables and many chairs. She also needed to set aside space for her staff to work and prepare food and drinks to serve.
The second floor had two bedrooms with several other rooms that could be used to house a family. Luciel and Jan would share a room and Sophie slept with her babies. They also would have a family room and a small lounge to unwind.
"When can I start moving here?" Sophie asked the ''owner''.
The man replied, "You can move in as soon as possible, Madam. We just need to finalize the purchase."
He took out the house deed and a scroll that exined their purchase contract. The ''owner'' told Sophie he was ready to give her the house as soon as she paid the price.
Sophie turned to Nichs and then whispered to him, "When will your treasurye with the money?"
"Uhm... very soon," said Nichs to her. "What about the price? Are you okay with everything?"
Sophie nodded. She checked the offer given to her by the shophouse owner and sighed. The price was quite good for a ce like this in this location. After she paid for the property, she would have to immediately find workers to help her renovate the ce and then buy furniture.
Hopefully, everything would be ready in several weeks and she could move in with her children and then open her business. Fortunately, she didn''t need to find staff to work for her tavern because Nichs insisted to send some undercover knights to help her. He also would send a royal cook to train her cooks so she could have a sessful food business.
"Please enjoy this tea," the ''owner'' came with a tray filled with two cups of tea and gave it to them.
Nichs epted the tray and ced it on the table beside him. He gave one cup to Sophie and enjoyed the other one.
They drank tea together while having chit-chat with the shophouse owner. Half an hourter, the royal treasury came with a pouch of gold coins and gave it to Sophie.
Sophie thanked Nichs for their efficiency and immediately processed the purchase with the owner. One hourter, she was the proud owner of the shophouse.
"Congrattions, Miss," said the owner with a broad smile. "This ce is yours. I wish you much sess in your business."
"Thank you," said Sophie. She felt relieved. Now that she already had her own ce, she felt one by one her burden was lifted.
The owner gave her the keys and then left. There were only Sophie and Nichs in the shophouse now. Nichs saw her looking at the keys in her hand and she tapped her fingers on the table.
"What are you thinking?" Nichs asked her.
"Uhm?" Sophie looked up at him and replied. "Well, I need to find workers now. I know I will have your knights working undercover as my wait staff, but I will need real workers to do the cleaning and cooking. I also have to find a connection to liquor and wine merchant to stock up."
"I know people," said Nichs. "Do you want to meet them? I will invite those merchants toe here tomorrow."
"Yes, please," Sophie replied. She looked at the ce one more time, took a deep breath, and decided to go back. Hopefully, Anne had not woken up by now and looked for her. She added, "Thank you."
"Don''t mention it," said Nichs. "This is the least I could do, Sophie. If it was up to me, I would love to take care of you and the children and you don''t have to stress yourself with all this. But if makes you happy, of course, I will do as you want."
Sophie had decided not to rely on anyone. So, she was adamant about being independent. She realized Nichs was helping her a lot to start her new life, but she hoped after her baby was born and she had worked on her business for several years, she could really be on her own.
Nichs added, "However, please allow the children toe to the pce to study three times a week. They need to learn how to lead this kingdom in the future. They must not get away from their responsibility just because they get out of the pce."
Sophie nodded. "Okay."
"I also ask your permission toe here often," the king continued his words. "I am saying this now to avoid being awkward in the future. No matter what, you are the mother of my children. I need to always make sure that you are fine, because when you are doing well, the kids will be well too."
Sophie looked at Nichs deeply. She really appreciated his help and initiative. He was always quick to take action. For example, as soon as he found out Sophie was abandoned by Lnd he came to get her and the kids even though it was in the middle of the night.
He also tried his hardest not to cause her any difort. He was always respectful and did not cross her boundaries. Even when it pained him to let her leave, taking his kids with her, he didn''t object and force her to stay.
He helped her cash out her jewelry and found this shophouse for her. He even helped her finalize the purchase and find workers. All he asked in return was for the boys to be allowed to go to the royal pce often for their study and for him toe here to visit them.
All sounded reasonable and Sophie couldn''t say no to those. So, she nodded and said, "Okay."
"Thank you," Nichs was happy to get her agreement. "Uhm... also my mother would love to see the kids often. Will that be okay with you?"
"Yes, yes, of course," said Sophie. She knew how much the old queen loved her sons. She also didn''t want to deprive Luciel and Jan from the opportunity to spend time with their paternal family. She grew up with her aunt''s family and they treated her badly. If only her grandparents were still alive back then, she was sure that her life would have been better.
She found outter in life that her grandfather willed all his fortune to Sophie, as his only son''s child, but Aunt Helga and her husband took everything on the pretense of raising Sophie. Not only they snatched her inheritance, they also made her life suffer as she was made to work like a maid in their household.
So, having a bad experience with evil rtives, Sophie was grateful that her sons have a kind family who loved them so much.
"Then, I think everything is going to be okay," said Nichs with a broad smile.
He decided that this would work for the best. Sophie could have what she wanted and he could still be around her and their children. Someday, when her heart had been healed and she was ready to open it again for a new love, he would be there for her.
"Thanks for everything, Nic."
"Ahh... this feels like a dream to be honest," said Nichs with a chuckle. "I remember vividly our conversation eight years ago when you told me your dream and I promised to help you get a loan from the Rothschild. Now, you are working on your dream and you don''t need the bank to help you."
He added, looking at her with a twinkle in his eyes that made him look so attractive, "I feel like we are going full circle."
Sophie smiled too. She remembered their conversation from back then.
Gosh, had it been eight years? How time flies!
"I think I am done here," said Sophie. "I have to see the kids. I will start working on the design and make a list of furniture to buy tonight. And then tomorrow I will meet the designer and workers."
"Yes, let''s go home," said Nichs.
They left the shophouse and took the old carriage to go back to the pce. On the way home, Nichs asked Sophie what her tavern''s name would be.
"Oh, I haven''t thought of it," said Sophie. "I will think about it tonight."
"Okay," Nichs thought for a second and then asked her again. "Would you like to have dinner with me and my mother tonight? She was worried when she heard about your ns to leave the pce. I want to exin to her about your ns and let her know that she can still see Luciel and Jan anytime."
"Okay," said Sophie. She realized she had been a rude guest for not even seeing the queen from the day she came. She was feeling so stressed and didn''t want to meet anyone, which Nichs and the queen understood.
However, now that she was nning to leave soon, she should at least see the queen as a courtesy.
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From Missrealitybites:
Do you have any ideas about the name for Sophie''s Tavern? Write down your suggestions in thement ^^
Chapter 454 The Drama Queen
The queen''s eyes looked puffy when she entered the royal dining room. She looked at the boys and Sophie with a dejected expression that Sophie instantly felt bad. She stole a nce at Nichs who sat at the head of the table and the man shook his head faintly, motioning her to not worry and let him handle the situation.
"Good evening, Your Grace," Sophie got up from her chair and curtseyed to the queen.
"Good evening, Lady Sophie," said Queen Marianne with a tired voice. She sat in her chair and motioned them to sit too. "Please have a sit."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Sophie sat back down. The servants starteding with trays and trays of delicious dishes.
Luciel and Jan sat on each of the queen''s sides and she rubbed their heads lovingly. She started the conversation over dinner by expressing her disappointment to see Sophie go with her grandchildren.
"You know I love all of you," she said with a hoarse voice. "I was so happy when Nichs came here and brought you and the kids. I thought it must be fate. However, I was wrong... oh, I am really sad to hear you decided to leave the pce."
She looked at Sophie seriously and said, "Tell me, darling, is there anything that bothers you in the pce? Did people gossip? Don''t you like the food? Or should we move you to a better and bigger chamber? We have so many beautiful rooms that you can use. Or, maybe you are bored? I can take you with me to meet people or see ces. It will not be boring."
"Your Grace is too kind," Sophie felt bad about leaving, but Nichs had warned her about his mother and she tried not to feel guilty about her decision. "Everything here is perfect. I am grateful for everything that His Majesty and Your Grace have granted me."
"So, what is the problem? Nichs told me you want to leave. I thought it was because you didn''t like the treatment you received here, or maybe it was because our ce is not good enough for you."
"No, no... the pce is really beautiful. It''s definitely beyond my wildest dream to live in the royal pce," Sophie exined tactfully. "However, I don''t think I belong here. Riga needs a queen. Sooner orter, the king will have his family and I don''t want to be his burden and create a rift between him and the future queen."
Nichs coughed when he heard her excuse. That was not what she told him yesterday. Sophie told him, though not explicitly, that she didn''t want to stay because she was carrying Lnd''s child and it would be bad for both their reputation if the king was taking in a pregnant woman whose husband just left her.
People would think Sophie and Nichs had an affair that incited Lnd''s anger to divorce her and now the king was taking her in because she was having his affair baby. However, now Sophie framed it as if she was thinking of Nichs'' future with his non-existing future queen.
This way, Queen Marianne could understand that as long as Sophie was around, it would be difficult for the king to open up to a new woman that would be his wife.
Nichs was still quite young for a man. He would be 29 soon and it was a good age to get married and have a family. However, if he thought he already had his heirs, he wouldn''t feel the need to get a wife for himself.
In the long run, it would be bad for Riga because a king shouldn''t be single forever. The kingdom needed a queen to help the king rule.
Queen Marianne looked at Sophie seriously. She understood Sophie''s every word. She also wanted to see Nichs get married, have more children, and be happy. However, as his mother, Queen Marianne knew her son well.
She could tell that the only woman who would make Nichs happy was Sophie. So, why would he need to look for another woman when the person he loved was right here beside him?
"Well, you have a point, dear," the queen replied. "However, you don''t have to leave so soon. Can you give us maybe... five years? Let Luciel and Jan grow up behind the pce walls and have the best life they could ever have."
She added, "Nichs is only 29. In five years, he would be 34. He is still young enough to start a new family, if that''s what you are worried about. I think Riga can still ept me to be the queen for the next five years. So, you don''t have to worry about it."
A female servant came with a jug of wine and started pouring wine into their cups. However, before she could pour for Sophie, suddenly, Nichs raised his hand and motioned the servant to stop.
He said, "There is no need to pour wine for Lady Sophie."
The servant bowed down and took his jug of wine to leave the dining room. Sophie shot a grateful smile to Nichs. This gesture didn''t escape the queen''s observation.
She asked them, "Why aren''t you drinking wine, Lady Sophie? Are you feeling unwell?"
Sophie hurriedly shook her head. Before Nichs or Sophie could find an excuse to as why Sophie didn''t drink wine, Luciel happily informed the queen of the truth.
"Mother is pregnant with our baby sibling," he said with a huge grin. "That''s why she cannot drink wine."
The queen widened her eyes and looked at Sophie with a surprised expression. She suddenly understood why Sophie insisted on leaving. Still, in her opinion, it was not a good reason to leave the pce.
"So, you''re pregnant?" she asked Sophie. "Congrattions!"
"Thank you, Your Grace."
The queen pressed her chest in a dramatic movement. She turned to Nichs and scolded her son. "Nichs! I thought I taught you better than this. How could you be so heartless and let Sophie go when she is carrying a baby?"
"Mom, I didn''t..." Nichs wanted to reply to his mother''s words, but the queen kept berating him.
"Don''t you know that being pregnant is really hard? Not only she would have to carry her bulging stomach for 9.5 months, her movement will be limited, her body will feel sore, and she will experience morning sickness and many diforts..."
Nichs wanted to interrupt his mother, telling her that he understood, but it was Sophie who insisted on leaving and there was nothing he could do to convince her to stay and he surely didn''t want to detain her here against her will.
However, the queen kept talking and scolding Nichs for being heartless and letting the mother of his children face such a problem alone.
"Mother, I did ask her to stay after I found out about her pregnancy." Nichs finally had the opportunity to speak when his mother was taking a breath. "But at the end of the day, I have to respect what Sophie wants."
The queen was surprised to hear that. She thought there was a problem between her son and Sophie when Nichs found out that Sophie was pregnant.
She turned to look at Sophie and gave the younger woman her best puppy eyes. "My poor child. Why don''t you stay here during your pregnancy? My son will surely take good care of you. Don''t you know how hard it is to be alone while carrying your baby?"
Sophie felt ufortable by the queen''s reaction. She knew exactly how hard it was to be alone and weak while carrying her babies. That''s why she sacrificed herself eight years ago and went to Lnd to get his protection.
Back then, she didn''t know who he was. She thought he was the scary Duke Romanov and she was ready to give up her life and be his trophy wife as long as she could give a good life for her children.
However, Sophie today was different from what she was eight years ago. She was now more confident about her own ability to raise her family. She also didn''t want to owe anything to anyone. She was worried that she would be disappointed again.
She wanted to tell the queen that she understood the risk, but she was worried the queen would think she was being rude. So, Sophie could only look down.
"Mother, can we please have dinner peacefully?" Nichs felt bad about Sophie. He immediately changed the subject. "Let''s talk after eating. Sophie is pregnant and she needs to eat well. Please don''t make her stressed."
The queen pursed her lips. She still wanted to say something but her son''s gaze made her relent.
"Very well," she said reluctantly. When she thought they didn''t hear her, the queen muttered to herself. "I don''t understand. Why don''t you two just get married and everything will be fixed."
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From Missrealitybites:
I have the picture of Sophie''s tavern in thement ^^
Chapter 455 Making Plans For The Tavern
"Did you say something, Your Grace? I am sorry, I didn''t hear you..." Sophie asked the queen politely. She thought Queen Marianne said something to her but she couldn''t hear her. So, to avoid being rude for not listening to the older woman''s words, Sophie asked Queen Marianne to repeat what she said.
"No-nothing... I was just remembering something unimportant." The queen waved her hands awkwardly and reach for her wine ss and took a big gulp. The three lycans in the dining room, however, heard her words very clearly and their faces beamed.
Nichs was d to receive his mother''s open support to get back together with Sophie. He remembered in the past he was so worried about bringing Sophie to his family because he thought his family would be against him falling in love with amoner girl. That''s why he decided to marry her secretly before he would take her home.
In his mind, it was a way to make sure his family would have no choice but to ept her. However, only after it was toote and he got separated from Sophie, he realized his mother didn''t mind him marrying down.
Queen Marianne supported him to marry Karenina who came from the lower nobility because she saved him. Marrying Karenina, a viscount''s daughter was almost no different from marrying a wealthymoner, which again, basically meant nothing to someone in his position.
He regretted being separated from Sophie, but he actually thought marrying her when they were really young was the single best thing he had ever done in his life because, thanks to that, they now had two beautiful sons together, and Sophie and he were now bound forever as family, being co-parents to Luciel and Jan.
Luciel and Jan exchanged nces. They heard their grandmother''sint and smiled. They, too, would love to see mommy get back together with their daddy. Why wouldn''t mom and dad do it for their sake?
It would be great to be a family again.
Before, Luciel and Jan would never think of pushing Nichs to reunite with Sophie because they loved and respected their stepfather who had be their father figure from day one.
However, when Lnd openly abandoned them and their mother, the boys'' hearts were wounded and they couldn''t see him the same way again.
Sophie was not the only one who felt hurt by Lnd''s actions. Luciel and Jan too.
Now, secretly, they wished Sophie would just consider epting Nichs'' offer to stay in the pce. Wouldn''t be it good if Sophie and Nichs could meet every day and interact closely? Perhaps that was what Sophie needed in this difficult situation.
She could use a shoulder to cry on and a helping hand. Why not let Nichs be that person for her? Nichs was not a stranger. He was her husband, even though they had not been a married couple for eight years.
Surely spending a lot of time together would be good for Sophie and Nichs to rekindle the love they had in the past... At least that was what the boys were thinking.
It seemed, out of everyone in the dining room, Sophie was the only one who didn''t share their sentiment. She didn''t hear what the queen said, and didn''t even think in that direction. Her mind was busy making ns for her new life outside of the royal pce soon.
Sophie furrowed her brows and turned to Nichs. She was surprised to see him smile faintly, and she could see the same expression on her sons'' faces. She was in awe when she noticed how much Luciel and Jan looked so much like their father and even their personalities were very simr.
This scene before her made her think about how nature was so amazing. She could see Nichs in her sons because they were spitting images of each other.
Suddenly, her heart was filled with so much sadness.
Seeing Nichs and his mini-mes, Sophie was reminded of her children with Lnd. Anne and Jack had not shifted so she couldn''t see their human forms. However, their wolf forms were very simr to Lnd''s wolf.
She couldn''t wait to see them when they turned five and transformed into humans. They would surely take after Lnd in appearance. She would have a part of him with her and she could see him every day.
Gosh... why did she miss him so much?
She was hurt and betrayed by his actions and his words, but she couldn''t bring herself to hate him. She actually hated herself for still loving him and was saddened by his departure.
There was a huge void in her heart that felt so painful like a gaping wound that kept getting bigger and bigger.
And what about her unborn child? What would happen to him?
Sophie pressed her chest to control her emotions and stop herself from crying. She must not shed tears in front of other people. Her children would be sad to see her cry, and Nichs might not let her leave the pce, because he was worried about her condition.
"The food is good," Sophie said suddenly to change the topic. She looked at the queen and faked a smile. "I would love to get the recipe from the cooks. I n to include it in my menu."
"Don''t worry about it," said Nichs. "I told you I will send the royal cook to train your cooks at the tavern. So, you can sell the best food in Lievstad."
"Thank you," said Sophie. "I can''t wait to interview the workers to hire."
"We can talk about the recruitment process after dinner in my study," said Nichs. "What do you think?"
Sophie shook her head, "Uhm... maybe half an hour after dinner? I need to check on the babies first."
"Sure, no problem," said Nichs. "I can alsoe to your ce and have the discussion over there."
"Okay, sounds good," Sophie replied.
Dinner went well and they talked a little bit about the current affairs and Sophie''s n with her tavern. Queen Marianne no longer intervened and guilt-tripped Sophie into staying. She watched Nichs and Sophie talk about her ns and their children while Luciel and Jan chime in from time to time.
Suddenly, the queen understood that her method was wrong. She was too pushy and annoying. Nichs was handling the situation really well, in her opinion.
Queen Marianne was proud of her son who always looked so calm and amodating of Sophie''s wishes. By letting Sophie go and supporting all her decisions, Nichs actually gave himself more opportunities to be with Sophie.
Since he showed that he was on her side and would support her no matter what she decided to do, Sophie''s trust in him became bigger and bigger. She trusted his opinion and his sincerity. And it would be really good if Nichs wanted to convince Sophie to get back together with him.
Slowly, Sophie would see how reliable and trustworthy he was. And when the wounds in her heart healed and she could trust someone again, she would definitely open her heart to him.
When the time came, Nichs could find his way back into her heart. Queen Marianne could hope to see the two reunited, and perhaps officiated their marriage as the king and queen of Riga?
***
"I am sorry, Anne and Jack are just sleeping," said Sophie when she came out of her bedroom.
Nichs was waiting for her in the small lounge outside her room. The quarter given to her to stay in the pce was really big with two bedrooms, one for her and the other for Luciel and Jan, a big balcony, and a small lounge for her to rx.
"No need to say sorry," said Nichs. "Have a seat."
He took out a note and pen and started scribbling there. He wanted to help Sophie with the business ns.
"What are you doing?" Sophie asked Nichs in amusement. She sat beside him and watched what the man was doing.
"I am helping you with the ns," said Nichs with a smile. "Tomorrow we will meet the builder to discuss renovation so the shophouse can be turned into a nice tavern. And we will have to get a designer to create the interior ns for the tavern and your amodation."
Sophie nodded. "Yes. Also buying furniture, hiring people...."
"I know a good furniture shop. I can apany you to go there after we meet with the builder."
Nichs exined the work and the people they would have to meet to finalize Sophie''s tavern. And then they made schedules and rundown of things Sophie needed to do.
Secretly, Nichs thought that they were really going full circle. It felt like they were a newlywed couple who was making ns for their new home.
He remembered when he and Sophie got married, they didn''t have anything. After the wedding, they went straight to live in Sophie''s parents'' hut in ckwoods. It was a humble abode that didn''t even have a new bed for newlyweds.
Chapter 456 Nicholas Worry
Sophie noticed the faint smile on Nichs''s face and she was wondering what he was thinking. The man was busy scribbling some notes and numbers and all the while his face was filled with a sweet smile.
"There..." Nichs gave his note to Sophie. "I think we can finish everything within one month and you can open your tavern right away."
"Mm... thank you," said Sophie. She epted the note and checked whatever things Nichs wrote there. "You are very detailed."
"Yeah, years of doing managerial work makes me an expert on nning," said Nichs with a chuckle. "Don''t you know that a king is basically just a glorified manager? We make ns. delegate work, and supervise the process to make sure the country runs smoothly."
Sophie chuckled too. Nichs had self-deprecating humor whenever he talked about himself. Sophie remembered when they met for the first time in Hastings, she told him she really wanted to see the capital and Nichs said Lievstad was actually boring.
He also imed his family was dull and there was nothing interesting about them. Now, he made his role as the king of this country seem so unimportant.
"This is great," Sophie read the notes and then scribbled her own note under his writing. "I will prepare my n properly before I meet all these people so they can immediately work after we have our discussion."
"Very well. You already have the keys to your shop. My assistant has gone to the builder and designer to make an appointment for you at the shop. You can meet the builder tomorrow. I will go with you," said Nichs. "The designer cane too."
"Oh, wow, you already sent an assistant?" Sophie looked at Nichs in disbelief.
"The builder did some renovation work in the pcest year. I think he will do a good job with your shop," said Nichs. "As for the designer, it''s actually my assistant''s older sister. She is excited to help."
"Oh, that''s very helpful. Thank you," said Sophie.
Nichs waved at the servant who was standing nearby and motioned her to bring him a pot of tea. The servant bowed down slightly, left the lounge, and returned not long after with a tray filled with a pot of tea and two cups.
She poured the tea into the two cups and served it to the king and his guest. "Here you go, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Loraine," said Nichs to the servant. He turned to Sophie. "I think you should hire an assistant to help with your work. Don''t do everything yourself. This person can manage the tavern on your behalf and during the renovation, he or she can also supervise the process."
He added, "That way you don''t have to keep going there every day to make sure that everything is going ording to n. Don''t forget you have young children and a baby on the way."
"Assistant?" Sophie was ufortable with the suggestion. She didn''t have a lot of extra money left after she paid for the shophouse, and then renovation and supply. If possible, she wanted to save costs and not hire unnecessary staff.
Also, an assistant almost meant her right hand. Who could she trust to help her do things like that?
"Yes, someone offered to work for you and help you do most of the heavy lifting," said Nichs. "I think you shouldn''t pass on the opportunity to hire him."
"Him?" Sophie furrowed her brows. "Who?"
Nichs chuckled. He sipped his tea and motioned Sophie to do the same. "It''s Max. He came earlier to visit the kids and also to give us the invitation to celebrate Lucas'' and Lily''s mating ceremony."
"Oh..." Sophie felt touched because Lucas and Lily still considered her important enough to ask for her presence to celebrate their union together.
Lily and Nichs were quite close when Lily helped the king in his progress to promote peace between humans and lycans in Riga. So, it was understandable that Nichs was invited to their ceremony.
However, Sophie was the former Luna of their pack and now Lily took over her title, while Lucas took the title of the Alpha that Lnd gave him. Considering the circumstances, Sophie thought their rtionship would turn awkward after she left the pack. She was wrong.
"When is their mating ceremony?" Sophie asked.
"They postponed it until the next full moon. So, next week," said Nichs. He took out a beautifully crafted scroll from his cloak and gave it to Sophie. "We can go together if you want."
"The kids will be excited," said Sophie. "They must miss the people there."
She opened the scroll and read the contents. It was indeed the invitation for Lucas'' and Lily''s mating ceremony. Sophie was wondering what the mating ceremony would be like since Lucas was now the Alpha of the pack.
From what she knew, the mating ceremony between an Alpha and his Luna was considered a very important asion for a pack, simr to the royal wedding for the human kingdom where the king got married to his queen and then they ruled the kingdom together.
Sophie had witnessed mating ceremonies for regr members and it was okay, nothing extravagant. Her own mating ceremony with Lnd was done in a very simple and private way.
They got married with a human ceremony because back then Lnd hid his identity as a lycan, and back then Sophie thought she was marrying him to be his trophy wife.
When Lnd finally opened up to her and disclosed his identity as a lycan and the Alpha of his pack, it was already toote to celebrate their mating ceremony in an extravagant way. Lnd was not into parties and crowds, but he said several times that Sophie deserved to get avish wedding or mating ceremony.
Sophie was the one who refused to throw an extravagant ceremony because, in her opinion, it was strange to have the ceremony long after they got married. So, they never really had such a wedding.
Ah, she was so happy for Lily and Lucas. She couldn''t think of a better Luna and Alpha for the Blood River Pack.
"Yes, so Max came to deliver the invitation while you were getting Anne and Jack to bed," Nichs exined. "Max and I talked for a bit and I told him about your n to open your tavern business. He became so excited and said he wished to work for you."
"Huh? Max said that?" Sophie batted her eyes in surprise. "Don''t he have work to do at the pack?"
Nichs shrugged. "He can ask Lucas permission to take work outside of the pack. It''s not like he has an important title and responsibility there, like Duncan, for example."
"Duncan?"
"Yes. Duncan is the new Beta," said Nichs. "Lucas asked Duncan to be his Beta. So, for someone like Duncan, even if he wanted toe and work for you, Lucas wouldn''t allow him. However, Max is free as a bird. He missed the boys and wants to see them more."
Sophie felt so touched by Nichs'' exnation. She didn''t know Max cared so much about her children that when the opportunity came, he decided toe and help them. It so happened that Sophie was in need of an assistant.
She thought about it again. Nichs was right. She would save a lot of time and energy if she had someone she could trust to oversee the process of the shop renovation, andter the tavern''s day-to-day business, while she just focused on the managerial stuff.
"Well... if Max can get Lucas'' permission toe and work for me, I will hire him," said Sophie. "You are right. I have the kids to think about. So, it will be better if I delegate all the heavy lifting to Max."
"Great! I have asked Max toe and meet us at the shop tomorrow when we talk to the builder and he can take it from there."
"Thank you."
Nichs and Sophie talked some more about her ns and when Anne woke up crying, Nichs took his leave. He didn''t want to take too much of Sophie''s time while she had to take care of her sick baby.
Nichs was d when Max came and they talked about what happened in the pack after Sophie left and he told Max about Sophie''s n to open her business.
Max who already assumed that Sophie would get back together with Nichs was so impressed to know that Sophie insisted to be independent and take care of her children alone, that he impulsively offered his help.
His suggestion was well epted by Nichs. He advised Max to talk about it with Lucas so there would be no misunderstanding between them. Max agreed and immediately returned to the manor to speak with his new Alpha.
Nichs was determined to make Sophie''s life as easy as possible, so she could focus on her children. Oh,e to think of it, he must advise Sophie to see a doctor to get her pregnancy checked.
Nichs was slightly worried because as an Alpha, his senses were so heightened that he should have been able to easily detect Sophie''s baby at almost 3 months in. However, he couldn''t sense it as well as he should. The heartbeat of the lycan fetus at that stage was supposed to be really strong, but Nichs could only hear a faint one.
So, he wanted the doctor to find out what was happening.
"I am not sure if it was me that has weakening senses, or if it is the baby..." Nichs muttered to himself. He didn''t want to say anything to Sophie because he didn''t want her to freak out.
Chapter 457 Little Jacks Anger
"Luna!" Max''s eyes lit up when he saw Sophie walk down the steps of the royal pce, going toward the carriage that was waiting for her in the pce courtyard.
The carriage was old and simple, one that she would use from now on to avoid getting any attention from other people.
Beside her, was the king of Riga himself who looked like amoner with his simple clothes made of the cheapest material in brown, but somehow couldn''t even lower his charisma.
Nichs had not cut his hair for weeks and now it fluttered with the wind, making him look a bit rough. However, this new look actually made him seem more manly and mature.
"Max!" Sophie was all smiles when she saw the lycan standing near her carriage. "You came here."
"Yeah, His Majesty told me you are in need of an assistant," Max said. He nced at Nichs. "I need a change of scenery and after the peace between humans and lycans, a lot of us are actually thinking of living closer to humans and start blending in. This will be a good opportunity for me to do it."
Sophie remembered Max was one of a few lycans in the pack who showed a lot of interest in human culture and civilization. He and Duncan were often sent to do missions among humans. Max also took the boys to school when Luciel and Jan were still studying in Cow Dung in Hastings.
So, it was understandable that Max was interested in helping Sophie with her business in the city center. Sophie truly appreciated the gesture and thought Max would be a perfect assistant for her. However, she wanted to make sure that Max had asked Lucas'' permission.
"Have you talked to Lucas about this?" Sophie asked.
"Yes, Luna, I did," said Max with a grin. "Eh... I mean Lady Sophia."
He quickly pressed his lips and shook his head. Max had mistakenly called Sophie ''Luna''. Old habit died hard. Sophie onlyughed it off and waved her hand to motion to Max that she was not offended.
"Shall we go?" Nichs asked them. Both Sophie and Max nodded. Sophie took the carriage while Nichs and Max took their horses. They went to the city center where Sophie''s shophouse was located.
Luciel and Jan watched their parents leave the pce from their grandmother''s window. They were getting ready to study. The boys exchanged nces and smiled at seeing Nichs and Sophie seem to spend more and more time together.
"Do you think they will remarry?" Luciel asked Jan.
"I hope so," Jan replied. Before he could continue his words, suddenly he shrieked in pain. "Aaw!"
A little white wolf had bit his ankle fiercely. Jan widened his eyes in surprise. He took little Jack by his nape and lifted him to his eye level. His younger brother bared his teeth and gave him a displeased expression.
"I am sorry, Jack, but father left and he hurt our mother so badly," Jan told Jack seriously. "Do you think I want that?"
Jack howled impatiently and tried to struggle to free himself from his brother''s grip. Luciel and Jan looked at each other and sighed. Of course, little Jack would not want to see his mother be with another man. He was too little to understand what was going on between his parents.
He only knew that Nichs was a stranger who was hovering around his mother so muchtely. Initially Jack allowed that and didn''t think too much about it because that stranger seemed to know his brothers well and his presence was epted by his family.
However, after so many weeks and he didn''t see his own father, while this stranger got to be around his mother more and more, little Jack became frustrated.
And today, suddenly he heard his older brothers talk about their mother remarrying....?
Remarrying who? That stranger guy???
NO!
"Holll...!!!"
"Awoooo..!!"
''Mommy! Don''t go with that stranger uncle...! Why do you spend so much time with him???''
Only Luciel and Jan could understand their little brother''s cries. Queen Marianne who just entered her study with two servants carrying books was surprised to see the sight of a little white wolf being held by her grandson, fussing and kicking, and howling.
Jan and Luciel felt bad about their brother. However, they didn''t want to say anything. Jack was too little to understand at this point. It was different from their situation eight years ago.
When they were born, the only father they knew was Lnd and even though they immediately knew he was not their biological father, they knew he was their father and he loved them.
With Jack and Anne, it was different. They were born to their biological parents and their father was there from the start. They had been cared for, pampered, and spoiled by him. So, they bonded with himpletely.
Now, their father was gone and there was this other man that they didn''t know, who suddenly entered their family. It was not easy for them to ept it.
"What''s wrong?" Queen Marianne asked in a panic. She could see the little wolf was kicking and crying. "Is he sick? What should we do?"
She knew the female twin was sick and didn''t move much or made a lot of sounds. So, the queen was worried that the male twin would be sick too. She didn''t want Sophie to be more distraught than she already was.
"Come here, sweetheart..." Queen Marianne took Jack from Jan''s hands and hugged him gently in her embrace. "Are you unwell? Do you want milk? Do you want to rest?"
Jack pursed his snout and looked away. He threw Jan an angry gaze.
"He is fine, Grandma..." Janmented. "He is just upset."
He approached Jack and rubbed his head lovingly. "I am sorry, okay. I will not talk about it again."
Jack rolled his eyes and snuggled his head in Queen Marianne''s arms. Seeing the little wolf calming down, the queen felt relieved. She believed Jan that Jack was just upset and not sick.
"I am so d to know you are fine," the queen muttered. "Your mother has suffered enough. Let''s not add to her problems."
Luciel, Jan, and Jack all took deep breaths and silently agreed with the queen. Thest thing they wanted to see was their mother suffering.
***
Sophie was very happy with her meeting with the builder and the designer. She discussed her needs and her vision for her tavern with them and they immediately made ns and agreed on the work needed to transform her shophouse into a nice tavern and a home upstairs for her and her children.
Max was surprisingly able to pick up all of Sophie''s ns and vision and worked together with her to n the shop renovation and other things to prepare to open her business.
He promised to oversee the renovation and represent her in dealing with the supplier as they started to prepare for the tavern opening. Sophie felt so grateful to have him by her side in this new venture she was starting.
The meetings for the day went well and she was d about the results.
"Do you want to eat out?" Nichs asked Sophie after she locked the shop and then gave the keys to Max who would start immediately overseeing the renovation on her behalf.
He added, "You will open a tavern. You already have the best location and after the renovation, you will have a nice property to amodate your patrons. Now, don''t you want to research your business by visiting other simr establishments to make aparison?"
"Ah, you are right," Sophie said. She didn''t remember when was thest time she went to eat out in taverns or diners. After she married Lnd and had a good life as a ''duchess'' and the luna of his pack, she nevercked anything.
She had enjoyed the best food, and luxury life, and never had the need to go out and eat in taverns or restaurants. Even when she and Lnd traveled, for example, to have a short getaway just the two of them, usually Lnd would hunt and then they cooked their food together.
"That''s a good idea," Sophie said. "I like that."
"Very well, we can go to this tavern over there, not too far from here. Right now they are the busiest tavern in town because they don''t have worthypetition," Nichs exined. "Their wine is good, but their food is so so. I am sure if you can serve good food, in addition to the wine, people would choose to go to your ce than theirs."
"I hope so," Sophie said with a smile.
She could cook very well because when she was young she was forced to work as a maid in her aunt''s home. She did a lot of cooking and cleaning and became good at them.
Her cooking skills were pretty good and she had some secret recipes for dishes that would surely sell in her establishment. Not to mention Nichs already offered to send his royal cook to train Sophie''s kitchen staff to produce the best food in town. She felt quite optimistic about the prospects of her tavern.
"Just get on my horse," said Nichs. "It is faster to go there by horse. Plus, they might not have a space for parking if you take you carriage."
"Ah, okay." Sophie looked at Nichs'' horse and then her carriage. She had not ridden a horse for a long time. She actually missed it.
Chapter 458 Sophie Gets Checked
Sophie was very happy when they stopped in front of the tavern and Nichs helped her get off his horse. She had not visited a tavern in a long time and mingled withmon people from human society. She realized her life after she was involved with the lycans was very different from what she was used to.
She actually missed living among regr humans and be part of their society again. She didn''t speak the Lycannguage, what she understood was only what people told her. Lnd and her children were her trantors within the pack. Without them, she was clueless when the pack membersmunicated within themselves.
She didn''t understand their heart and their custom, and even though she knew their tradition and their way of life, she was still an outsider to them until the very end. Her mate and children were her only connection to the lycan society.
However, now that she was out of the pack, her children had be rogues, even though in their case, they were not viewed in a negative way by the pack, it was still a fact that the children were now pack-less.
That''s why Sophie wanted to go back to her origins and immerse herself back in human society, and at the same time get her children to be part of human society again. They had studied in Cow Dung, and now they would be educated in the royal pce by the best teachers.
However, she still believed that the best ce to learn about life was outside, within themunity. So, she was happy Nichs allowed her to go out of the golden cage, the pce, and built her own nest outside.
She was happy to see the crowd in the tavern. Men and women were talking and drinking in there, making the tavern look more like a social house. Sophie had observed that Riga, especially the capital, was quite progressive with women having almost the same rights as men.
It was not unusual to see female entrepreneurs or adventurers hanging out in public ces like this. Sophie''s presence in the tavern didn''t cause a frown, except maybe for the fact that she was really beautiful and she was apanied by a very handsome and imposing man by her side.
"I like this ce," said Sophie to Nichs. "It''s very vibrant."
"Yeah, many people like it too," said Nichs. He pulled her hand to sit at the only empty table in the tavern, in the right corner side. After they satfortably, Nichs ordered a jug of wine for them. He immediately realized that Sophie didn''t drink wine because she was pregnant and immediately changed his order midway.
"A pot of tea with two cups, please," he said to the waiter.
"Oh, you can order wine for yourself," said Sophie. "Don''t let my pregnancy stop you. I can take the tea."
Nichs shook his head and smiled lightly, "No, that''s fine. I didn''te here to get drunk. I just want to apany you to see yourpetition, so you can prepare your tavern and make it better."
Sophie smiled and thanked him. After the waiter took note of their order, a pot of tea with two cups and some cakes, they spend their time observing their surroundings and taking notes. While waiting for the order, the tea and cake came, Sophie and Nichs took the opportunity to chat and discuss Sophie''s situation.
"By the way, have you checked up on your pregnancy with the royal doctor?" Nichs asked while pouring the tea into a cup. He gave it to her and continued. "It''s already three months in, right? I think lycan babies are born after 4.5 or 5 months."
"That''s right," said Sophie. She unconsciously rubbed her belly and a smile curved up on her face. "That''s why I need to make sure that the renovation and preparation to open the tavern can go smoothly before I give birth."
"Do you experience any nausea, or difort during this pregnancy?" Nichs asked patiently.
Sophie shook her head. "Nothing actually..."
"Yeah, but still you need to get checked," Nichs said again. He looked at her, feeling conflicted about whether he should tell her what knew about her baby or not.
His worry was picked up by Sophie who furrowed her brows and thought Nichs was being too pushy about asking her to get checked. Before she could ask him, the waiter had returned with their order.
The waiter served the teapot made of beautiful y, meant for export, on the table and poured it into their two cups respectively. Sophie mouthed her thank you when the waiter took her leave. Then Sophie turned to Nichs and asked him why he was so persistent that she must she the royal doctor.
"Oh, nothing... I am just concerned because I don''t want anything to happen to you and the baby," said Nichs, giving an excuse. "I was never in this position before, so please pardon myck of understanding in handling the matter."
Sophie thought he was right. She needed to care for herself and her baby to make sure that she would have a smooth pregnancy.
She didn''t have the time and energy to meet with healers or doctors before since she was dealing with a heartbreak. However, now that the baby was getting bigger and was ready toe, she must pull herself together and start taking care of herself.
However... now that Nichs mentioned the doctor and her pregnancy, Sophie just realized one thing.
For a woman who was pregnant with lycan baby three months in, her belly was still too t. It didn''t seem like she was pregnant at all. She remembered when she was pregnant with Luciel and Jan, and Jack and Anne, at this stage, her belly was already protruding and she gained some weight.
Was this time different because she didn''t carry twins like before? Or... did her sadness and stress cause her body to not get the nutrition needed by her and the baby? If that was thetter, Sophie started to worry.
"Let''s meet the doctor after we go back to the pce," Sophie said uneasily. "I need to get checked."
"Okay," said Nichs. He was relieved because Sophie agreed with him.
They spend time until they finished their tea observing the waiters working in the tavern, the customers, and the overall vibe of that ce. Once Sophie was happy with what she saw, she asked Nichs to go home.
Once she reached the pce, Sophie saw her children and the queen ying in the inner garden, close to the queen''s quarter. Even Anne looked slightly better and she was watching her siblings y catch from the old queen''s arms.
As soon as the kids smelled their mother''s scent, they changed the direction of their running and went to her. Sophieughed heartily as she almost fell down by their enthusiastic jump. Fortunately, Nichs was quick to support her.
"You all look happy," shemented. Sophie turned to the queen and smiled. "Thank you for staying with them, Your Grace."
"Ah, don''t mention it," the queen smiled back. "They are the most adorable and the best children ever! Being with them makes me feel much younger."
Sophie epted Anne from the queen and kissed her head. "You look happy too, love."
Anne nuzzled her head to Sophie''s chest, making Sophie understand that her baby wanted to be nursed. She turned to Nichs and excuse herself to go to her chamber so she could nurse her babies.
"I will send the doctor soon," said Nichs. "Do you want me to be there when he examines you?"
Sophie thought about it and then shook her head. "Uhm, thank you, but I think I can handle it myself."
"Okay," Nichs was disappointed but he didn''t force his presence. He was worried about her fetus, but he didn''t want to show it in front of Sophie. It would be better if he asked the doctor to meet himter and exined her condition.
He could only watch Sophie''s back view as she disappeared with Anne, followed by Jack behind the door. Luciel and Jan stayed behind to continue their studies with the queen and their teachers.
***
Sophie couldn''t believe her hearing when the doctor exined her condition.
"Uhm...e again?" she asked the old doctor. "Did you say the first trimester?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes, mydy. Your baby is very healthy for this stage. It''s still very, very small. It''s normal for someone in her first trimester. You have to rest well and eat good food for the next six months to ensure you will have a healthy pregnancy until the end."
"Uhm... I don''t think you understand, doctor," said Sophie. "I already exined that my husband is a lycan and I am carrying a baby lycan. We don''t need nine months to¡ª"
The doctor furrowed his brows. "I treated lycan patients before, Your Grace, so I know what a lycan pregnancy is like. Yours is not one."
Sophie was dumbfounded by the doctor''s exnation. What did he mean by... she was not carrying a lycan baby?
Chapter 459 The Human Baby
The doctor furrowed his brows. "I treated lycan patients before, Your Grace, so I know what a lycan pregnancy is like. Yours is not one."
Sophie was dumbfounded by the doctor''s exnation. What did he mean by... she was not carrying a lycan baby?
"Doctor, you must have made a mistake," said Sophie several times.
She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She had been pregnant three times with lycan babies and gave birth twice. All her children were lycans and she carried them all to terms in less than five months. Standard lycan babies.
So, why did suddenly the doctor make it seem like she was having a human baby?
"I don''t think I made a mistake, Your Grace," said the doctor patiently. "But we can wait and take more tests if you wish to know more."
"But I..." Sophie was not ungrateful that she would have a human baby this time if the doctor was right, but she was just dumbfounded by the fact. She thought lycan genes were much more dominant than humans and that the children conceived through their unions would always produce lycan children.
Wait...
She looked at her own hands and realized, she was actually proof of how she was wrong.
"I thought lycans have stronger genes," she told the doctor apologetically. "I am sorry, I just realized that I am one such child. My parents are human and lycan and I was born human."
"You are?" The doctor looked at Sophie with interest. "It''s very rare indeed, but since you experienced it yourself, you must understand that it does happen."
Sophie was human for as long as she could remember. If she had been born a lycan like her children, she would be born as a pup and she would transform when she turned five. However, she remembered crawling when she was a toddler and ying with little Lee and her mother.
She had always been human from the start. So, maybe the genes being passed on from her father''s lineage were quite strong that it could affect the baby given birth by a lycan princess, producing a human baby, and now it went to Sophie''s youngest child and made them human too.
"Usually, children conceived between humans and lycans would follow their lycan parents. Most of them would be fully lycans with their ability to transform and they also would have the strength and senses which are more enhanced than humans," the doctor exined politely.
He continued, "I had a few lycan patients over the years since my family lives near the border with Frisia and we are acquainted with some lycan pack members over there. So, I have seen hybrid babies being born. However, none of them were born fully humans... like yourself, Your Grace. This is... an anomaly."
"What caused this, do you know?" Sophie had never looked into her lineage because she didn''t have her parents to ask. Her aunt''s family didn''t know and Lnd also didn''t understand why the granddaughter of the lycan king was born a human.
She heard about a few hybrids who were born without their lycan abilities whatsoever, like her, but she didn''t think too much about it because all her children were born lycans and that''s all that mattered.
Well, now that the youngest one seemed to be born a human, Sophie''s heart was conflicted. It was a bit bittersweet for her. The sweet part was, finally, she would have a child who took after her. This bonus baby was a blessing when she was at her lowest point.
However, she secretly felt bad about her youngest one being born as a human. She, herself, wished she was born a lycan so she could understand the lycannguage and have their abilities.
Lycans had so much more advantagespared to humans. They were physically stronger and had heightened senses. And they could transform into wolves. She was worried that her youngest would feel excluded from his/her older siblings, being different from them.
And another thing to think about was... she was relying on the fact that raising lycan babies was so easy, she could focus on rebuilding her life and operating her tavern to make money.
Lycan babies didn''t need care 24/7 like human babies. As soon as they were born they would be able to walk and run around with their four legs. They were active and healthy. She didn''t have to carry them all the time. Even Anne, who was sick, was very easy to care for and Sophie could spend time outside to prepare for her tavern business.
However... with a human baby on the way, now her ns would be disrupted. Suddenly Sophie felt uneasy about her situation. The doctor noticed her change of expression and thought Sophie disliked her pregnancy. He held her arm and talked to her about it.
"Your Grace, are you feeling unwell? Is this information bothering you?" the doctor asked her with concern. Sophie quickly shook her head. She sat on the chair and looked at her belly. It was still t.
No wonder she had not shown pregnancy signs even after three months. She could no longer use her previous experience as the benchmark. This one was a new experience altogether.
One thing was for sure, she must think about her ns to move out of the pce and open her tavern if she would give birth to a human baby that would take up most of her waking moment.
"Thank you for your help," said Sophie to the doctor. "I need to rest. You may go."
"Very well, Your Grace," the doctor got up and collected his medical bag. He took out a pouch of herbs and gave it to Sophie. "I will leave you with this vitamin. You should take it every day to help strengthen your fetus."
He took his leave after Sophie took the pouch. After the doctor left, Sophie was sitting dejectedly in the chair. She was looking at Anne who was lying down on her foot and Jack who was rxing in front of her and licking its paws alternately.
"Well... I guess, you will have a human sibling soon," said Sophie to both. Anne and Jack raised their heads and looked at Sophie attentively. They didn''t seem to understand what she was talking about. They had never seen a human baby before.
"That''s okay. You will understand when the timees," Sophie murmured to herself.
She looked at her belly again and rubbed it lovingly. Thinking about her human baby, her heart was slowly filled with warmth. Yes, raising this baby would be harder than raising her other children, but she could see how special this baby would be. Sophie would be able to immediatelymunicate with it.
Sophie cupped her face with her hands and silently cried when she remembered this child would not have a father when it was born. What would Lnd say if he found out that Sophie was pregnant with his child?
Should Sophie send the news to him to notify him? Would he even want to know? Where was he now?
Slowly tears fell down her cheeks. The pain that she had buried inside so she could move on with her life for the sake of her children, suddenly resurfaced.
***
Nichs came to visit Sophie as soon as he knew about her condition from the doctor. He was really worried for her. He could tell Sophie was shocked by the news when he saw her.
"Hey... I heard something from the royal doctor," Nichs spoke when he was close to Sophie. "Is that true?"
The woman looked up and saw Nichs walk closer to her and his face was filled with worry. She nodded weakly and said yes.
"I am having a human baby," said Sophie. "It is quite unexpected."
"Indeed," said Nichs. "However, I am actually relieved that you are carrying a human baby."
He spoke seriously and looked at Sophie with concern. This made Sophie be curious. Why was Nichs relieved to know her daughter was human?
"To be honest, I thought your unborn baby is very sick because I could hear his heartbeat but it was very faint. I don''t wish for you to raise another sick child, while also taking care of a business. It is just too much work for you," Nichs exined.
He added, "Now I know that the reason for the faint heartbeat is because the baby is just very very young and has not fully developed. Over time, it will be much stronger as he grows inside you."
"Thank you," said Sophie with a smile. She unconsciously rubbed her belly and said, "I hope he will grow up healthy."
Silence ensued. Now, it became difficult for Nichs to let Sophie go. He wanted to talk her out of her ns to leave, but he didn''t know how to do it without making her feel offended.
Sophie''s life had be more difficult with this new baby. Would she be able to handle this while taking care of her other children and her business?
Chapter 460 Nicholas Tries To Talk Sophie Into Canceling Her Plans
Sophie noticed Nichs was looking at her with a weird expression. So, she asked him what he had in mind.
"Sophie, maybe it''s not a good idea for you to leave the pce?" Finally, Nichs voiced his concern. "You are carrying a human baby and it will give you a lot of hassle and extra problems."
"My child is not a problem," said Sophie, immediately turned sour because Nichs seemed to imply that her youngest baby would give her problems.
She was a human herself and she understood that life would be harder for them but she didn''t want to see any of her children as burdens.
"I didn''t mean it that way," said Nichs. "I just want you to think more pragmatically this time. Haven''t you always been a pragmatic woman? You cared more about survival than your pride. Why changed now?"
Sophie knew Nichs was right. Gosh... the king really knew her inside and out, perhaps because they were so alike. In the past, Sophie didn''t hesitate to sell herself to the stranger duke, Ariam Romanov as long as she could have protection and make sure her children have a good life.
She was just lucky that the man she married for convenience turned out to be Lnd... She and her children had such a good life that she had never imagined possible before.
However, everything changed now. She no longer knew if their marriage was real as she thought it was. Lnd''s actions destroyed everything. A small voice in her heart still tried to convince her that something ominous happened and Lnd was forced to do it to her.
She wanted to believe that Lnd didn''t really mean to insult her and abandoned her and their kids.
However, another voice started to fill her heart and it became louder and louder as each day passed without any news from Lnd after he left. She had to start epting reality. Truth hurts but she must learn to live with it.
So, no... even though she could be pragmatic and let go of her pride to get an easy life in the pce, she didn''t want to. She was now no longer the same girl from eight years ago.
She was not as weak as she was back then. Not only she had a family, her children who were her rock and her reason to survive, but she also had some resources. She was not penniless. She could really support herself and her children.
"I don''t want to rely on anyone right now, Nic," said Sophie sincerely. "I think I will be okay. I am just pregnant, not disabled. Please don''t treat me as such. I can do things on my own, plus I have Luciel and Jan to help me, not to mention Max."
Nichs became frustrated. He knew Sophie could be stubborn, but not like this.
"What should I do to make you change your mind?" he asked her pleadingly. "I have disappointed you in the past and it always haunted me with regret and guilt. This time, I thought I could finally make up for it by helping you when you are all alone. And I can also support Lnd''s children to pay back his deed when he helped you raise Luciel and Jan."
"So, you are doing this to make you feel better about your guilt?" Sophie asked Nichs tly.
She was unhappy to see Nichs suddenly be pushy and wanted her to cancel her ns to leave. She had gotten rid of her awkwardness when they were together, and slowly trusted him to help her because he was so understanding and supportive. Why did he suddenly be patronizing like this?
Nichs replied, "Yes, and no. I do feel guilty to you, but I am doing this not to make me feel better and ease my guilt. I care so much about you and the children and I can''t bear to see them live in hardship, not when I am alive and can provide for them."
He added, "Please, think about the children, not your pride..."
Sophie took a deep breath. This. She didn''t like it if Nichs tried to make her change her mind by using her children as the reason. He was not wrong, but she didn''t like it. It almost felt like she was bullied to stay.
"Awwooo!!"
"Rrrr...!"
Jack suddenly came to them and stood between his mother and the king. He looked up and bared his teeth to Nichs who looked at him in surprise. Jack was less than a year old, right? But he was already looking big for his age, the opposite of Anne, and he was very expressive with his feelings.
Nichs could immediately tell that the boy didn''t like him. Why all of a sudden? He remembered he had no problems with any of Sophie''s children. Of course, Luciel and Jan loved him because they were his sons, but Jack and Anne were nice to him too before today.
What made Jack change? Nichs was wondering.
"Aaarrgghh!!" Jack made his displeasure with this stranger uncle known and Nichs immediately understood what he meant. He was a lycan too and could understand the pup well.
Nichs looked at Sophie apologetically. "Jack hates me now."
"Hates you? Why?" Sophie asked. She crouched down and rubbed her son''s head. "Jack, what''s wrong?"
The pup immediately rested his head and front paws on his mother''s arm. Then, he looked up and gave Nichs a threatening gaze.
Nichs sighed. He could see this boy was Lnd''s son through and through. Their wolf forms looked very alike if Lnd was pictured in a chubby and smaller version. Nichs thought once Jack transformed into a human when the time came, he would look very simr to his father.
Look, their personalities were already simr too. Both were quick to anger and were very possessive of Sophie. Nichs could never forget how Lnd intentionally had sex with Sophie all night long when Sophie first came to stay in the pce because Lnd wanted to go to Armeria.
He did it intentionally to show his possessiveness over the woman they both loved. Nichs looked at Little Jack with a heavy feeling.
Jack was angry at him because Nichs wanted to woo his mother. The boy didn''t want to see another man get close romantically to Sophie. Only his father alone had the right to be with his mother.
But your father left, Kiddo. He abandoned your mother and you two.
Maybe it was hard to believe it now, but if he didn''t mean it, he would have returned by now. He would have said something.
He would be here to protect you all. But he didn''t.
Nichs held back from saying all those words to the little boy who was confused and angry. He patted Jack''s fur and then turned to Sophie. "Jack doesn''t want me to get close to you. He is very possessive of you."
Sophie looked down and furrowed her brows at her son. "Jack, this is Uncle Nic. He is Luciel''s and Jan''s father. He is not a stranger. Please don''t be rude to him."
Jack shook his head curtly and went back to nuzzling his nose on Sophie''s arm. Seeing the boy looking adorable but angry at the same time melted Sophie''s heart. She couldn''t possibly scold Jack for expressing his mind.
Sophie turned to Nichs and spoke firmly. "I know you mean well, but Nic, please give me space to be with myself and do what I see fit. I don''t want to owe anything to anyone. I promise if things get too rough, I won''t be too prideful to ask for your help."
She looked at him sincerely and Nichs felt like crying. Why did she have to be so stubborn now? It must be his fault and Lnd''s. They both had disappointed her and hurt her so bad that she no longer wanted to trust men.
He almost got down on his knees and begged her to listen to him and stay. He would do anything to make her stay and be safe by his side. If she was worried about other people talking bad about her, he would silence them and punish anyone who dared to hurt her with their words.
If she was feeling ufortable with the thought that he wanted to get back together with her by staying close by her side in the pce, he would move out of the royal pce.
He would find a ce for himself outside and rule from there. Sophie could stay in the pce with his mother, leading an easy life with maids and staff, and protected by the knights and soldiers of Riga.
Finally, Nichs could only relent. He sighed and nodded. "Promise me that you wille to me whenever you need help. Promise me that you will not pretend to be strong when things get tough..."
Sophie nodded. "I promise."
Jack growled and gave Nichs a scolding gaze.
Nichs took a deep breath and said, "Very well. You can leave the pce."
Chapter 461 News About Leland
With that conversation, finally, everything was settled. Even though Nichs badly wished Sophie would stay, he couldn''t. He lost the right to influence her decision when he left. So, he could only stand on the sideline and support her in any way he could.
He left Sophie with a heavy heart. Raising three babies and two young sons. Sophie had so much to take.
***
Sophie was very active. She worked together with Max and her builder and designer to prepare her tavern. She badly wanted to finish everything before one month was over so she could immediately settle down with her children in their new home.
Nichs, his mother, and the children suspected that she worked so hard because she wanted to numb her feelings from pain after everything that happened. They all felt sorry for her but knew there was nothing they could do but be there for her.
Luciel and Jan became the best boys ever. They understood that they should not give their mother a headache because Sophie had suffered so much and was currently dealing with her own pain. They were well-behaved, and they took care of Jack and Anne when their mother needed their help.
The court people were so used to seeing the two boys ying with their little wolves siblings in the royal garden. Sometimes, Nichs would take his sons and Jack go hunting just the four of them in the forest near the royal vi, not far from the manor where they used to live.
When they did that, the boys would make time to visit their old home and y with Lucas, Duncan, and the others. They were always weed in the pack, even though they were no longer members of the Blood River Pack after Sophie left.
Slowly, Jack''s displeasure toward Nichs dissipated because the stranger uncle spent so much time with him and his brothers, and stayed away from his mother.
Sophie didn''t keep in touch with the pack because she was still hurt by the experience. She only came there once during Lucas'' and Lily''s wedding because she was invited. She went there with Nichs.
Lily understood when Sophie said she would note there again. She knew it must feel weird to visit the ce she used to call home and be a stranger there, seeing other people now own it.
"I will have my own home soon," said Sophie at the wedding. "I bought a shophouse in Lievstad. I will use the second floor as our home, and the first floor for my tavern business."
"I have heard of that from Max," said Lily with a smile. "Congrattions! I will try toe and visit sometime. It gets boring to stay here all the time."
Sophie and Lily were on good terms and it made some people in the pack who disliked her from the beginning feel unhappy. She could still hear whispers of people who talked badly about her and it made her feel upset.
"I should go home, the kids are waiting for me," said Sophie after a while. "Congrattions on your union with Lucas. I hope the moon goddess will immediately bless you both with children."
"Aaw... should you go so early?" Lily looked sad. "Lucas ns to bring the pack back to Hastings because our base there is bigger. We will only leave some people here. I hate that I can''t see you often, especially the children."
"Oh, you''re moving away?" Sophie asked Lily.
The new Luna nodded. "Yeah. This manor here has always been a temporary base. Lucas actually feels really sad after Lnd left. He only came to Riga because of Lnd. Most of his family is still in Frisia. He actually thought of bringing everyone back to Frisia, but I asked him not to do it so soon. Riga is my hometown and I wish to stay here a bit longer."
She added, "So, hepromised. We will stay in Hastings, which is closer to my hometown, and see if we can make it our new base, if I like it there and such. He will also take me to Frisia and we will see if it might be the better option. We''ll find out."
"Oh..." Sophie remembered that the Blood River Pack was originally based in Frisia after the great war in the past and they were kicked out of Riga by the soldiers of the Riga kingdom.
Lnd came here ten years ago because he wanted to attack Riga and topple the government. Now, it was no longer needed because their pack had been at peace with the royal family.
"Have you... heard anything about Lnd?" Sophie couldn''t help but ask Lily. Even though Lnd had openly cut ties with her and her children, deep inside she still wanted to know how he was doing.
She couldn''t get any info because she had no contact, but maybe Lily and Lucas, being lycans and the leader of this pack, knew something?
Lily looked at Sophie with aplicated expression. How could she have the heart to tell Sophie about the news she picked upst week?
"Lily...?" Sophie asked again. "I just... wanted to know. I want to know if he is fine."
"I am sorry, I didn''t hear anything about him," said Lily, lying. She faked a smile and waved at a servant to bring her a jug of wine. "Get me more wine, please."
When the servant came and got ready to pour wine into two cups, Sophie immediately refused.
"Uhm, I am not drinking. Thank you."
Her response made Lily feel surprised. She tilted her head to look at Sophie better and then she looked at her stomach. Suddenly, it dawned on her.
"Your Grace, are you... pregnant?"
Sophie could only smile faintly and nod. She couldn''t say anything. Lily hugged her and congratted her. However, she immediately became awkward.
"What is it, Lily?" Sophie asked Lily. She thought the she-wolf must be hiding something. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling. "Tell me..."
Lily looked at Sophie with pity. She lowered her head and said weakly. "Lnd and Eloise are expecting a child too. Our spies got word that Lnd and Eloise decided to go back to her hometown to give birth to her baby there. It was the witch tradition or something...."
"What?" Sophie''s body staggered and she almost lost her bnce when she heard Lily''s exnation. She felt like her world came crumbling down. She thought when Lnd broke up with her in public, it was the most painful day of her life.
However, she was wrong.
So, Lnd and Eloise were together... Did they mate when Lnd was under Eloise''s care and that''s when he realized that he loved her?
No wonder he came home just to renounce his rtionship with Sophie and he came back to Eloise. All Sophie''s suspicions were now proven true. The man she thought loved her didn''t truly love her.
He didn''t even wait. And now he and Eloise were expecting a child together.
And Sophie''s youngest would never know their father.
Sophie had thought of trying to look for Lnd and told him about her pregnancy and see if he would change his mind. Now she knew it was futile.
Tears slowly dripped down her face and Sophie couldn''t hold back her sadness anymore. She broke down on the floor and cried silently. Lily was shocked and immediately crouched down by her side to hug her.
"I''m so sorry... I didn''t mean to make you sad..." she said over and over.
Sophie shook her head. She wanted to say that it was not Lily''s fault, but she had no strength left to say anything. Her heart was shattered into a million little pieces. The man she loved with all her heart had betrayed her so badly.
All her effort to numb her pain by keeping herself busy failed and she was now crying uncontrobly. Even though she tried to not make a sound, some people nearby could see her body shaking and she was sobbing quietly.
"What happened to her? Why is she crying?"
"I am not sure, maybe she just heard that Alpha Lnd is expecting a child with his new mate..."
"Oh, I will be devastated too if it was me," said the other.
The servant who served Lily wine just now suddenly chimed it. "No, I think it''s because Lady Sophie is pregnant. Her emotions are all over the ce."
"What? Pregnant? She doesn''t look pregnant to me. How many months in?"
"I am not sure. I only overheard their conversation when I was serving Luna wine. Lady Sophie didn''t drink because she is pregnant," the servant said.
"Pregnant?" The women around the servant exchanged nces. "Whose child?"
"It''s been almost four months since she wasst together with the Alpha. If she was pregnant with his child, the baby would be born the next month. Her stomach should not be that small," said one woman. "She doesn''t have the bulge yet. Probably it''s less than two months in."
"Ohhh....." Suddenly all the women bulged their eyes.
"Do you think it''s another man''s child?"
The women narrowed their eyes and looked at Sophie who was still crying in Lily''s embrace. They looked at each other again and whispered their assumptions. This was such scandalous news!
The former Alpha of the Blood River Pack left his mate for another woman and was now expecting a child together with the witch. And his former mate immediately snagged another male and was now pregnant by him.
This was such a bad precedent for the lycanmunity which was known for being fiercely loyal to their family and mates. Perhaps, this was what happened if they mingled with humans.
If only Lnd didn''t take that human as his mate, he might have kept their tradition sacred.
Chapter 462 Moving Into The New Home
Chapter 462 Moving Into The New Home
Sophie didn''t stay long at the ceremony. Her difort was immediately noticed by Nichs who was talking with Lucas about the future of the pack and what he nned for Blood River Pack after they left Lievstad.
"Are you okay?" he came to Sophie immediately and asked her if she wanted to go home. She nodded.
"I can''t leave the kids for too long," Sophie gave an excuse. She turned to Lily and hugged her again to show her support. "Congrattions, again, Lily. I wish you and Lucas all the happiness in the world."
"Thank you, Lady Sophie," said Lily with a genuine smile. She wished Sophie could stay longer but she knew Sophie had to be with her children.
Both Nichs and Sophie came to Lucas and took their leave. Lucas, Duncan, and some others who liked Sophie and were always kind to her walked her and Nichs to their carriage. It felt bittersweet.
Sophie got in the carriage and looked at the manor from the window. The ce was home to her for quite a long time. It was sad that she and her children would not step into the manor again, especially after the pack decided to relocate back to Hastings, or even maybe to Frisia.
When the carriage started moving, Sophie was sitting in silence, she was busy with her thoughts. Nichs who sat across from her watched her from the corner of his eyes. Sophie looked so beautiful but sad. Her sadness made him feel sad too. He wished he could take away all the pain from her, and rece her sorrow with joy.
s! He was only a man.
"Have you heard about their ns to move out of Riga?" Nichs asked Sophie after a long silence. He wanted to have a conversation with her so Sophie would be distracted from her thoughts that seemed to make her sad.
Sophie looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, Lily told me."
"How do you feel about that?" Nichs asked again.
"Sad," Sophie replied honestly. "They were our family. Even though we have left the pack on our own ord, knowing that they would always be there for the kids to someday go back to, or at least have a rtionship with, wasforting. The kids would still have people who are like them, who know them the best, and are like uncles and aunts for them..."
She sighed and added, "But now, the pack will go away, and we won''t be able to have that rtionship going forward. It feels like bing an orphan again."
Nichs was silent. He understood what Sophie meant. It must be hard because the children were used to the life of a pack, unlike Nichs who was a rouge from the start. He was not part of any pack and he learned to live as a lycan on his own, being the only lycan in the capital - at least the only one he knew.
He was more used to life as a human anyway. He still had his mother, his extended family, and the court people. He didn''t miss anypanionship or rtionship with fellow lycans. However, he understood if his children would need it.
"Maybe I can take them to visit the Blue Moon Pack or other packs?" Nichs said. "I went on progress to many packs around the country to promote peace. There are many friendly people among those packs. And I think it will be good for Luciel and Jan to meet many leaders from different packs to keep the peace between us. They will be the next ruler of Riga anyway."
Sophie looked at Nichs with a smile. Then she nodded. She thought Nichs was very wise at this age. He looked very mature and fit for a king. Whenever she remembered the young man who often skipped school because he was bored, Sophie wanted to sigh. Nichs surely had changed a lot.
"I''d like that," she said softly.
***
Sophie continued with her work and she truly kept herself busy to distract her mind from all the pain she was feeling. She met with suppliers and entered into an agreement with them to supply her with wine, ale, and other liquor.
She also employed two cooks who were trained directly by the royal cooks to create the best dishes for her tavern. Two female knights from the royal pce were sent to work undercover for her as waiters and they were so good at their jobs that Sophie felt so happy.
After a bit over one month, finally, the renovation was finished and Sophie could move in with her children. By this time, her pregnancy was already five months in and she had started showing.
Royal doctors kept close attention on her health and the baby in her womb and they were actually worried because her bulge was only showing a little even after five months, indicating that her fetus was small.
Sophie was told to take a lot of vitamins, rest well, and ate nutritious food. Sheplied with all the doctors'' orders but still, her stomach didn''t show a lot of progress even after five months passed.
"Maybe it''s because you are stressed or have a lot on your mind," said Nichs worriedly. "Can we postpone the opening of the tavern?"
"No, we cannot," said Sophie stubbornly. "We already worked hard for this."
She looked at Nichs seriously. "I already told you, I will not be prideful and will ask your help if I needed it."
Nichs could only sigh. Sophie was still as stubborn as before, he thought. They were standing in front of Sophie''s room in the royal pce. The servants had finished packing her stuff and the kids. With Nichs'' signs, they started taking the luggage down to the ground floor and put them in the carriage that would take Sophie and her children to their new home.
"I will go with you," said Nichs. "We can throw a housewarming party. Just us."
Sophie didn''t argue with him. She walked with Nichs to the carriage. Nichs was holding Anne in his arms, while Jack walked with puffed-up chest with Luciel and Jan.
The queen was waiting for them down the stairs. Her eyes looked puffy because she was crying. Even though she knew that she could visit her grandchildren anytime, and Luciel and Jan would also stay in the royal pce, three nights a week, she still felt sad.
She was already used to having the boys 24/7 for all these months. She loved them so dearly and now they had to split their time between here and their new home. It felt so sad.
"Mother, would you like to join us take Sophie and the children to their new home?" Nichs offered his mother. "But you must wear a coat to disguise your appearance. People around the area don''t know who Sophie is. If they saw youe with your royal outfit, they will ask questions."
Sophie was wearingmoner clothes, and so were her children. Nichs too. At a nce, people would think they were a family of merchants traveling within the city. Nichs who liked going out as amoner since he was very young had been enjoying this excuse to go out more and leave the pce in hismoner''s outfits.
The queen looked at her beautiful silk dress, ornated with jewelry and many precious stones, she then looked up and see Sophie''s dress. It did look very out of ce if she stood with her in front of her shophouse.
"Ah.. you are right. Let me get a simple coat to cover up," she said. The queen waved her hand at a servant and asked her to bring her a simple robe. She said, "You can just borrow the cook''s robe or something. I need something simple."
The servant bowed down and then went inside the pce to borrow the said robe. Queen Marianne looked at her son and Sophie alternately. They looked so good together, she thought to herself.
They looked good as a king and queen, and they still looked good as a merchant husband and wife. The queen hoped someday Sophie would open up her heart to Nichs and they could be together again. It would be good to have Sophie back in the pce, the queen pondered.
She noticed Sophie''s baby bump and wondered what her baby would look like. Ah... if only Sophie was willing, the queen wouldn''t mind asking Nichs to acknowledge Sophie''s human baby as his, if she would marry him. People didn''t need to know that the baby was her previous husband''s child.
That way, when the child was born, nobody would dare insult him as a bastard, since he was born after his mother was no longer married.
"What are you thinking, mother?" Nichs noticed his mother''s expression and he asked her what she had in mind.
"Huh?" the queen was startled and immediately lied to cover up her feelings. "Nothing. I can''t wait to see their new home."
Chapter 463 Housewarming
Chapter 463 Housewarming
"This is actually a lovely home," the queenmented when the carriage stopped in front of a lovely white building with an arc made of rose nts in front of it.
The building had two stories and the first one had a big open-nyout with many tables and chairs that looked veryfortable. There were big wooden stairs going to the second floor and the queen was informed that it was where Sophie and her children would live.
The front part of the property was a beautiful terrace with a pastel-colored awning and several tables and chairs that made it look like a beautiful terrace cafe. There were many huge pots filled with flower nts and small pine trees around the terrace which made it look very lush and refreshing.
The queen imagined drinking tea here with a book in hand, eating cake with friends, and gossiping about thetest news with them would be a nice thing to do, among other things.
"Come on in," said Sophie to her guests. She opened the door and went inside, followed by her sons, Nichs with Anne, Max, and the queen. A female knight named Yara weed them with a smile and she bowed her head to the royal family.
Yara was one of the two female knights assigned by Nichs to keep his sons safe in this ce and they were working undercover as Sophie''s maids. Yara was a tall woman with short ck hair, and sharp emerald eyes, and she had a sword hidden under her apron.
Her partner, Misty was a bit shorter than her and had long brown hair that she kept in a ponytail. She had brown eyes and her face had freckles that made her look much younger than her real age. Misty came out from the kitchen and weed them too.
"Wee, Your Majesty," said Yara and Misty in unison.
"Hey, Yara, Misty," Nichs nodded at them. "How is everything going?"
"Captain Noel has cleared the perimeter," said Yara politely. "He has made sure that there are no suspicious people living around the area. They are just honest people, working to make a living."
"That''s good. I know I can always rely on Noel," said Nichs. After peace was reached between the lycans and humans, there was no more need for Royal Lycan Hunter, so Nichs decided to turn Noel''s group into a special force tasked with protecting the royal family.
Since Luciel and Jan were the king''s sons, their safety became Noel''s and his subordinates'' responsibilities. He sent his people to patrol and lived around the tavern on an undercover mission to make sure Sophie and her children could live safely asmoners.
Actually, Noel didn''t understand why Lady Sophia was so adamant about leaving the royal pce. He honestly thought it was better for her to stay with Nichs considering everything that had happened. However, he didn''t voice his questions and just did as ordered.
To make sure that Sophie and her children could live in peace, their identities were kept top secret, and no one outside of the inner circle of the pce knew that they were going to live in the city center of Lievstad.
Nichs had decided to follow whatever wishes Sophie had and supported her decision. He secretly wished, after she experienced the life as amoner and realized it was not easy, she would want toe back to him out of her own ord.
"This is lovely," the queenmented again. She looked at the stairs and pointed at it. "Is that going to the second floor? Where is the kids'' bedroom?"
"Yes, it is. Luciel and Jan can take you to their bedroom, Your Grace," said Sophie. She nodded at her sons and both Luciel and Jan pulled their grandmother''s hands and took her to take the stairs.
"We have a nice room," said the boys happily. "The room has a really big balcony and it''s quite spacious."
The queenughed and followed them. She wanted to see what their room looked like so she could send them whatever things they needed. If the boys didn''t have a good mattress orfortable chairs, she would send those here tomorrow.
"Yara, can you make us tea and bring some wine here?" Sophie asked her maid. "We want to celebrate the moving."
"Yes, Your Grace," Yara replied. She went to the kitchen and made tea. Meanwhile, Misty went to the storage and brought a jug of wine. She poured wine for Nichs, Max, andter the queen.
Queen Marianne came down from the second floor fifteen minutester. She looked satisfied when she saw her grandchildren didn''tck anything in this new home. She didn''t need to send them anything because they had the best mattress, the mostfortable chair, a huge closet, and a wonderful bedroom to share between them.
During the renovation, Nichs had stepped in without Sophie''s knowledge and ordered the designer and builder to spare no expenses to make her home a really beautiful andfortable one. They lied to Sophie about the cost, because most of it was paid by Nichs already.
After the renovation and redecoration, Sophie still had a lot of money left which went to her savings.
"It doesn''t seem like it from the outside, but inside the house, it''s really nice," the queenmented. "I mean, the outside is nice too, but people wouldn''t suspect that the second floor of this building is a very luxurious home."
She looked at her son with a glint in her eyes. The queen suspected that Nichs had a hand in making sure this house was designed really nicely.
Sophie smiled and looked at Nichs with a grateful expression. "Nichs gave really good rmendations for the builder and designers. I got the best people working on renovating this ce in such a short time."
"Ah, I am d everything works out well," said the queen. She sat down beside her son and took the wine ss before her. She looked at Sophie and asked, "This wine is for celebration, isn''t it?"
"Yes, Your Grace," said Sophie. She raised her teacup and smiled at the mother and son duo. "Wee to our humble abode. It''s such a great honor to have Your Majesty and Your Highness the queen. This home is blessed."
The queen and Nichs raised their wine sses and smiled back.
The queen said sincerely, "May your home know joy. Every room holdughter. Every window opens to great possibilities. And may your home always be too small to hold all your friends."
Sophie was touched to hear the queen bless her new home. She knew the queen secretly wanted her and her children to keep staying in the royal pce and maybe someday Sophie would open her heart to Nichs again.
Sophie was d the queen never confronted her about it directly and asked her to stay. Because if she did, Sophie wouldn''t know how to say no. The queen had been so kind and epting toward her and her children, even the ones that weren''t Nichs''.
Fortunately, Nichs knew his mother so well and had kept her from going to Sophie about it to prevent her from feeling difort, having to reject the queen openly. This was something that Sophie truly appreciated.
However, now, seeing how much the queen still supported her even though she decided to leave, and even sincerely blessed her new home with so many well wishes, Sophie felt like crying. She lost her mother when she was really young and she missed her mother so badly.
Deep inside, she thought Nichs was extremely lucky to have such a mother who supported and epted him no matter what. The queen did anything to make sure Nichs was safe, and have a good life. She didn''t stop loving him and supporting him even though he was now a big mature man, a king of this kingdom, no longer a boy.
To Queen Marianne, Nichs would always be her son. After she spent a lot of time in the pce and got to know the queen more, Sophie felt closer to her and she slowly thought she found the missing mother figure that she had been longing for all this time.
"Thank you, Your Grace," said Sophie with tears brimming in her eyes. "That was so beautiful."
"You know I would love to have you in the pce, so we can meet often," said the queen softly. "I really like you. I really like the children too. Oh, you all make me feel so happy and young. However, I understand you want to have your own ce. It''s okay too."
She put down her wine ss to the side and hugged Sophie. "Please know that you will always have a ce in the pce, anytime - ANYTIME you want toe home."
Sophie was surprised by the queen''s action. She let herself be hugged and didn''t immediately know how to respond. Truly, Queen Marianne treated her like her own daughter. A feeling of warmth immediately filled Sophie''s heart.
Chapter 464 Cooking Together
Chapter 464 Cooking Together
The housewarming party went without a hitch. They just drank and talked andter Nichs helped Sophie arrange her stuff in her new home. Sophie offered to host them for dinner which was dly epted by the king and his mother.
To celebrate their new home, Sophie insisted on cooking herself even though two cooks had already prepared to do it. She said she wanted to do it since it was a special asion.
"I am only pregnant, not disabled," Sophie repeated her words to remind Nichs when the king showed a worried expression at hearing Sophie''s decision to cook. She added, "This is a family dinner. The first one and we are having it in my new home, the first home I ever own myself. I want to make it special."
Nichs looked at Sophie deeply and finally nodded. His eyes were misty when he remembered many years ago he and Sophie stayed in her parents'' humble hut by the ckwoods Forest and they cleaned and cooked together.
He often thought about the simple life they had together back then and he was so damn happy about everything. Living with Sophie in all humility and simpleness made him feel much happier than the life of luxury he had at the royal pce.
If there was a time machine, he would dly go back to that moment and leave everything behind for her. They both could live a simple and happy life together with their beloved children.
"Can I help?" He didn''t know his mouth already uttered that question. He wanted to help her clean or cook when the opportunity presented itself. It would be like reminiscing the time they were together in ckwoods again.
Sophie looked at the king and felt unease at his offer to help her cook. She knew it the man was talking to her as Nichs, not the king, but how could she only think of him as Nichs and forget about his status as the monarch of this kingdom?
"I promise I will not destroy your kitchen," said Nichs with a smirk. His warmth and yful nature always managed to crack even the most rigid person. Sophie was no exception. She looked at Nichs and realized everyone in the dining room also looked at her and there was this look in their eyes, hoping she would say yes to Nichs'' offer to help.
Sophie finally shook her head and chuckled. She said, "Well, okay. I think I can use a hand in the kitchen."
She got up from her chair and went to the kitchen. Nichs immediately followed suit. When she stepped into the kitchen, Sophie took out two aprons from the closet and gave one to Nichs, and she wore the other one.
Nichs was all smiles when he took the apron and put it on. He looked around them and tried to find ways to make himself useful.
"What do you want to cook?" he asked.
"Grilled chicken," said Sophie. She pointed at the cage in the corner of the kitchen where her cooks kept two live chickens. "We need to kill them and cook from scratch."
Nichs nodded. He went to the cage, took out the chicken one by one, and prepared the bucket to keep the blood when he killed them. With one hand, he held one chicken, and his free hand transformed into a wolf w. He then easily sliced the chicken''s throat and killed it.
Sophie watched the man working so diligently without her needing to give him any instruction. This sight reminded her of when she and Nichs went to the woods when they were looking for wolfsbane. Nichs also hunted for animals for them to eat and killed them himself. Then, both of them would cook together.
Ahh... how long ago was it?
This brought back a good memory to her mind and Sophie couldn''t help but smile. She decided to start working with the herbs and spices to cook, while Nichs killed and defeathered the chickens.
"This is really fun," Nichsmented as they were standing together, watching the chickens being grilled over fire. He turned to Sophie and smiled in amusement. "We should do it often. What do you think if we had a family dinner once a week like this? I cane with food, I can also cook here."
He added, "You can alsoe to the pce once a week. I think it will be good for the kids."
Sophie was silent when she heard his suggestion. She had three children that were not Nichs''. Would he be okay if she brought her children to the pce often? She could ept Luciel and Jan spending so much time at the royal pce with their grandmother and father, because they were the princes of Riga, the rightful heirs to the throne.
Her other children, however, were onlymoners. Now that their father had abandoned them, there was nothing left for the little ones, not even their title.
Nichs cleared his throat when he saw her doubt. He said, "I know our family is not conventional and it doesn''t have to be. I would love to take on the father figure for Jack, Anne, and the youngest one after he is born, IF you would allow me...."
He spoke very carefully, so as not to offend Sophie. "I know this is quite new and Lnd might change his mind, because only a stupid fool or mentally disturbed man doesn''t regret leaving you. You can wait and see what will happen in the future, regarding your children''s rtionship with their father... and yours with him as well. However... life goes on. He might nevere back. The children might lose the father they deserve. And I know it''s going to be really hard."
Nichs looked at Sophie deeply. His eyes looked sad when he continued his words. "My mother went through something simr but it was very mildpared to what you are experiencing now. She had to struggle and fight alone to raise me and keep me safe, because my father, even though he was physically there, mentally he was not. He never loved my mother nor I."
Sophie remembered a little bit about this fact because Nichs mentioned his father in passing several times eight years ago when they were together. Nichs hid his identity but he did say that his father and him did not get along because his father didn''t have affection for him.
Only today did she finally understand the truth. She looked at Nichs with pity.
"My father was not supposed to be king, his older brother was the crown prince back then," Nichs started his exnation. "He was an outgoing man who loved adventure. He fell in love with a duke''s daughter who turned out to be betrothed to his older brother and was prepared to be the queen."
Sophie looked at Nichs and felt touched because the man trusted her with his life story, an intimate one that he never shared before. It was the secret of his family. She waited for him patiently to recount his story.
"My father was heartbroken, but he was a gentleman and he supported his brother to be the king and marry the woman he loved. He had decided to leave Riga and see the world." Nichs took a deep breath and his voice started to sound sad. "Unfortunately, his older brother was killed in an attack by the werewolf tribe, I think it was led by a werewolf king called Mchi."
Sophie''s heart skipped a beat. King Mchi was her grandfather from her mother''s side.
Did her grandfather kill Nichs'' uncle?
This made her feel regretful. Lnd was responsible for Nichs'' father''s death, King William Hannenbergh, and now her grandfather caused the death of Nichs'' uncle?
Why must their lives be entangled in such a bloody web like this? Nichs lost the people dear to him in the past war and confrontation between humans and lycans. It went to show how much he had such a big heart that he didn''t keep the grudge preventing him from working on peace efforts between the two races.
Sophie looked at Nichs with new appreciation. She thought he was so kingly and noble.
"My uncle died and my father was forced to take the crown to rece him. The woman he loved was heartbroken when her husband, my uncle died, and she died to follow him several weekster," Nichs continued his story. "I think it was the moment where my father was truly broken and he had never healed."
He looked down and remembered his father. The king was a tortured soul who was just trying to be a good king to his people and at the same let himself be consumed by the fire within him, he became so vengeful toward lycans and if he knew his own son had be one, he might not hesitate to kill him.
"My mother was married off to my father after he took the throne because a king needed a queen. However, my father never loved her. His love died with that woman."
Chapter 465 Heartfelt Conversation
Chapter 465 Heartfelt Conversation
Sophie listened to Nichs'' exnation about his parents. She realized the man went through a difficult life too. She couldn''t imagine what it was like having a parent who didn''t want you or love you. Her father doted on her and would do anything for her.
However, now that she remembered Lnd also suffered the same fate as Nichs, or even worse because both his parents were indifferent, Sophie realized both men were more alike than they thought.
However, Nichs didn''t seem bitter about it. He showed understanding toward his father''s behavior, not ming the man for his indifference toward his own son and his wife. Nichs seemed to focus more on the fact that his mother loved him so much and would do anything for him.
"I am sorry to hear that," Sophie said. She looked at Nichs with sympathy.
"Yeah, that''s why I feel devastated when I found out about Luciel and Jan. I was disappointed in myself for, unknowingly, letting my sons suffer. That''s why I try so hard to make up for it. I want to be there for them now and be the father they deserve," Nichs said.
He added, "And I understand it will not be fair for their younger siblings if Luciel and Jan have their father figure who loves them and would do anything for them - and they don''t. In the long run, it will impact Luciel and Jan as well. So, that''s why... with your permission, I would like to step up for them too."
"Oh..." Sophie looked at Nichs with aplicated expression. Of course, she really appreciated this gesture. She knew he was right. At this moment, she needed to focus on her children and what was best for them.
Even though she and Nichs were in a strange ce, because of their past rtionship and their current situation, she must not let her kids suffer just because she thought it would be awkward.
"You know how I feel about you," Nichs said softly. His eyes were fixed on her. "I love you with all my heart, it has never changed, and probably never will. If you would allow me, I would take you in a heartbeat, but I don''t want to put you in a difficult position and ept me because you feel pressured."
Sophie bit her lip. She looked at Nichs deeply and tried to form her response. This man was so mature now and, of course, he always had the charm that made her fall so deeply in love with him in the past.
However, how could she even think about a man when she was just having her heart broken and she was waiting for a new baby to arrive? It seemed inappropriate. So, she was d Nichs had cleared that up immediately.
Sophie waited for Nichs to finish his sentence. She wanted to hear more from this man.
"Sophie, I will be here for you... anytime you need anything, be it money, time, or someone to talk to, I am here. Please don''t ever think you will bother me. You are more important to me than the whole kingdom of Riga." Nichs looked at her and smiled sincerely.
He continued, "And with your permission, I would love to take care of the children too, so you don''t have to stress yourself about raising them. When Luciel and Jane to the pce, if Jack and Anne want to go with them, please let them. Siblings should always stay together."
This offer was so good that Sophie knew she would be stupid to say no. She finally nodded and smiled back.
"Thank you, Nichs." She touched his arm and looked at him sincerely. "You just took such a big burden out of my chest. I will always remember this."
She lowered her head. "I loved you and always think you are so cool. I feel honored to have shared a life with you in the past. Right now, I don''t know where life will take us. So, I will not say yes or no."
Nichs'' chest pounded when he heard her words. Sophie didn''t tantly reject him. She said she would not say yes or no.
So, there was hope after all!
Sophie continued her words. "At the moment, I am still grieving the end of my rtionship with the man who is the father of my children, and I am still making sense of my situation. Some days are worse than others. I am still finding my foothold in this new world presented to me. So, I beg your understanding to let me take my time to heal and be myself again."
Definitely! Nichs understood that she needed time. That''s why he was treading carefully.
"Absolutely," said Nichs. He stood there looking at her with a new smile on his face. He felt so happy because they had this conversation, even though it was unnned - while cooking. Sophie stood still looking at him too.
Then she saw the recently killed chicken in Nichs'' hand with blood still dripping from its almost severed neck. She chuckled to see a king standing before her looking like a vige butcher.
"Uhm, you might want to start working on the chicken," she said. "The spices are almost ready."
Nichs looked at the chicken and realized he must have looked weird in front of her. Heughed and nodded. "Yeah, I will pluck this chicken''s feathers quickly."
He went back to work and left Sophie to her spices and garnish. They didn''t say anything anymore and focused on cooking. In less than an hour, the people in the dining room could smell a mouthwatering aromaing from the kitchen.
"Dinner is ready," said Nichs who came out with an apron. He brought a tray of food, filled with grilled chicken and ced it on the table. Sophie brought bread, sd, garnish, and sliced fruits. Her maids immediately came to help with tes and cutlery.
After the food was served, the unconventional family sat to eat. Queen Marianne was very happy to see how Nichs and Sophie worked together cooking the dinner and the results were great. She could tell that the food was made with love.
"This is delicious," shemented as she took more meat from the table. "You are a great cook."
"Thank you, Your Grace," said Sophie with a smile. Gettingplimented for her cooking by a queen was something to be proud of.
Her kids also praised the food and thanked her and Nichs for preparing dinner. The dinner was so warm and joyful. When Queen Marianne and Nichs finally had to leave, they looked really sad,
"Good luck with your tavern," said the queen. "I will rmend it to people I know so you will get a lot of business."
When she saw Nichs giving her a weird gaze, she quickly added, "Of course, I will keep your identity a secret. Nobody''s going to know we are acquaintances."
"Thank you, Your Grace," said Sophie. She turned to Nichs and thanked him too. The king only smiled.
"Remember our conversation, please," he reminded. Sophie nodded.
Nichs kissed his sons'' forehead before he left. When he saw Little Jack in his basket looking at him with narrowed eyes, Nichs smiled at the little wolf and came to pick him up.
He raised the wolf to the air and kissed his head. "You be good and protect your sister, okay? Come to the pce when Luciel and Jane there."
Jack pretended to struggle to free himself from Nichs'' hands. Even though he started to like this uncle, he wouldn''t want to show it openly.
Nichs just chuckled when he saw Jack''s reaction. He put the little wolf down and went to Anne who was sleeping soundly in her basket. He rubbed her fur very lightly. "Get better soon, Anne."
"Good night, Sophie." Nichs smiled at Sophie and then turned around. He pulled his mother''s hand to leave. The queen sighed and followed him.
Sophie watched the two leave until they disappeared from her vision. She was grateful to have them at this point in her life. The reason why she was not broken and destroyed was that she had strong support from Nichs and his mother, unlike she was eight years ago.
She also had her children who became her strength to carry on. When she turned to look at her little ones, Sophie smiled faintly. It seemed everything would be okay from here onward.
She just needed to rebuild her life and see what would happen in the future.
If someday... Nichs and she would get back together, it would be because she wanted to be with him, not because she was cornered and had to rely on a man to survive and for protection.
.
.
.
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NOTE: Apologies. I am uber busy this week, working at a conference. My little ind, Bali, is the host of the G20 summit this month and I got so many works lined up rted to G20, and it''s been one crazy month and I can barely find time to write.
I think next week will be even worse because the main summit will be held and we know the geopolitical situation at the moment is not at its best with leaders of Russia vs the US and EU will be meeting in G20. It''s already quite intense around here with security and all. We even have warships and military jets securing the area.
I forced myself to keep publishing something on here - and at times using a ceholder for Winwin, because I know if I lost Winwin, I will also lose the motivation to write continuously for the whole month. So, please support me this month with your patience as I slowly update the chapters as soon as I can sit down to type.
To be safe, you can just clear your cache tomorrow, together with the next chapter update. I hope it''s okay.
Chapter 466 Sophie Opens Her Tavern
Chapter 466 Sophie Opens Her Tavern
That night, Sophie couldn''t immediately sleep in her new home. Even though it was her home, it still felt foreign because, until earlier that day, she and the children had not stayed there. She felt more at home in the royal pce, having her own apartment there and spending months living there with the children.
KNOCK
KNOCK
"Come in," Sophie said when she heard the knocks on her door.
The door was opened by her oldest sons who came inside her room with their hands holding their pillows.
"Mom, can we sleep here?" Luciel asked Sophie. He gave her his best puppy eyes. "I can''t sleep in my room."
"Me neither," Jan added. "This is a new ce."
Sophie nodded with a smile. She patted the space on her bed and motioned the boys toe. "Sure,e up here."
Secretly she was happy they still wanted to sleep with her when they felt lonely or unwell. It was obvious that they wanted to be with her while they got themselves used to this new ce.
Luciel and Jan happily approached their mother and climbed up the bed. They took the space on the outside part, while Sophie moved to the inner part to give them space. She ced Anne and Jack in the middle. Both pups were lying on their backs with all feet going up in the air. They both looked so adorable.
Luciel narrowed his eyes when he looked at his younger siblings and chuckled. Then he turned to his mother and asked, "Mom... were we this cute when we were babies?"
Sophie nodded and whispered, "You are the cutest! Sssh... don''t let Anne and Jack know."
Her words made the boys feel so good about themselves and they both smiled smugly. Sophie looked at them with amusement. They really looked like Nichs day by day.
Slowly, the image from earlier that day, when Nichs told her that he still loved her and would take her back in a heartbeat if she allowed him, came back to her mind.
She realized, without Nichs by her side all these months, her life would have been so much harder. She was grateful for him and appreciated his presence in her life.
"Good night, Mom," said Luciel who came and kissed Sophie on the cheek before hey down on the far end of the bed. Jan followed suit. They closed their eyes and quickly fell asleep.
Sophie still stayed awake fora few moments and watched her children sleeping soundly. They were all healthy, except for Anne, and they looked happy. She prayed that they would keep being this way.
She thought as long as she could have her children live well and all their needs met, she would be happy and content. When Sophie lowered her head and saw her stomach that already started bulging, she smiled faintly.
This was her first human pregnancy. It would be very different from her previous ones. The baby she would give birth to would also be a human baby, not a wolf pup. This thought gave her a strange but endearing feeling.
This must be what her mother experienced when Anne was carrying her for nine months and then raised a human baby from the start. Sophie realized her youngest baby would be her mini version. Would it be a boy or a girl? She couldn''t wait to find out.
***
It took them several days of staying in their new home before the little family became used to their home. After one week, Luciel and Jan had moved and slept in their own bedroom. Even though Sophie loved having all their children around her at night, she realized that it was better for the boys to be more independent.
Three times a week, the old carriage from the pce woulde and pick up the boys for their lessons in the royal pce. They would return to the tavern after their lessons and they would spend the weekends with their father and the old queen.
Sometimes, when Luciel and Jan went to study, Jack or Jack and Anne would go along with them. They would y with Queen Marianne while their older brothers were studying. This helped Sophie greatly when she had to focus on her budding business.
However, when Jan and Luciel spend the weekends in the royal pce, the little ones never went. Sophie couldn''t be separated from them at night. Not only because they were still nursing, but also because she was always worried if she couldn''t see them for a day.
A few times, she woulde to the pce and stay overnight with all her children because the queen invited her to tea and other things.
However, as her pregnancy became farther along, she slowly limited her visit to the pce. She was very busy handling her business and taking care of her staff.
The tavern needed several weeks of operation before business was starting to pick up. It seemed many high-ss women liked going there with their friends to taste the special ale that was only served in that tavern. News traveled fast that the special ale was made with a recipe from the lycan tribe.
The fact that the tavern manager was a handsome man who was rumored to be a lycan became another thing that made it attractive for women toe there. Apparently, after the king came out as a lycan and there was peace between humans and lycans, werewolves became a sexy thing among the women in the capital.
Sophie only realized this when she overheard a group of women talking about it, not knowing she was the owner of the tavern.
"Yes, I came here to prove the rumors that the tavern manager is actually a lycan," said one woman excitedly. She stole a nce at Max who was walking from the kitchen to the entrance to wee newly arrived guests. "See? He does look like a lycan. Look at his broad shoulders and how manly he looks."
Sophie furrowed her brows at that. She turned to look at Max and then smiled. She must have had a really good karma in her past life that she kept getting help from good people around her.
Max was a very loyal pack member who acted as her sons'' nanny for many years and developed a fondness for the boys that he decided to stay and help even though Sophie and her children were no longer in the pack. And of course, Lucas was so kind as to let Max stay here.
Sophie never paid attention to Max''s looks before, because, to her, he was like a younger brother. Now, she understood why those women all ogled at him.
Max was handsome with his long messy blonde hair which he tied in a ponytail, his face was friendly, and his shoulders were broad, his body was tall and burly, and his arms holding the tray were toned, and since he easily felt hot, he always wore his shirt with the top three buttons unhooked.
He looked so manlypared to most male humans in the capital. Sophie knew not only his charming appearance, but as a lycan, he also oozed testosterone that made all the female patrons'' hearts flutter.
Sophie looked around her in the tavern and realized, she had more female patrons here than males. This made her chuckle. Maybe if she hired more lycans to work for her, they would have to start rejecting guests.
"You are right... he is sooooo manly!!" said the other woman. "I am so d now we are at peace with the lycans and they can slowly live among us. Yesterday, I saw a lycan open a stand and sold his hunted game. They have very good meat."
"How did you know he is a lycan?" Her friend asked.
"He said so," said the second woman. "When people asked him, he actually partially transformed his arm into a paw and cut the meat with it. So cool!"
"Oh, wow... I''d like to see that," Another woman said. She turned to look at Max who was standing by the door and talking with the new guests. "Do you think we can ask the manager to show us his transformation as well? It will be awesome!"
"Maybe... but... I think it''s rude to do it?" her friend pursed her lips. "I wanted to see it though..."
Sophie was happy to hear their conversation. She realized the situation now was very differentpared to the past, where Lycans and humans were hunting and killing each other. Now, there was eptance and genuine curiosity of each other.
For this, she really should thank Nichs. This was what she always dreamed of, to have her children live in peace and be epted by society, and there was no need for them to hide their identities.
"Oh, Nichs, you are so good," she muttered to herself. "You have done so well for yourself and for our children."
Chapter 467 Fuck!
Chapter 467 Fuck!
Several monthster.
Nichs was busy in his study reading reports from the lords around Riga that were sent to the capital once a month. This was the day he disliked the most of all days in the month but he must do his job and read them.
Not only reports, but the lords would also submit requests, invitations, etc. All needed his attention. Some lords were throwing parties to celebrate the birth of their heirs, marriage between their children and other lord''s children, the birthday party of a Duke''s daughter, and many more.
Nichs would usually send gifts if he couldn''t attend and send his representatives to go there. It was important to keep a good rtionship with those noble families because they were the backbone of this kingdom. Their taxes and attributes, their soldiers and knights, and their counsel were what kept Riga prosperous and safe.
He put down a parchment - a wedding invitation from Lord Bruno in the South, Duke of Arlyss, and then he wrote down a reply. After he finished, Nichs ced the reply on top of the invitation so his assistant couldter give his royal seal and send the king''s reply together with the gifts from him to the duke.
Speaking of gifts, Nichs''s eyes nced at the cab to his right, where he kept his journal, a crown, and a box filled with jewelry sold to him by Sophie.
That''s where he kept her jewelry with the excuse that it was the royal treasury that bought them and would be given to noblewomen around Riga if the king needed to send them gifts for special asions in which their husbands or fathers sent invitations to the king.
Nichs chuckled when he remembered his words back then. He only said that because he didn''t want Sophie to reject his help. She had been quite stubborn with what she wanted, including leaving the royal pce and opening her own business.
Sophie still thought that her jewelry was now the court''s possession. Well... never in a million years would Nichs let the jewelry go to anyone. When the time came, he would give them back to Sophie.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!!
Nichs raised his face when he heard the knocks on the door. He immediately knew it was his sons because they were the only ones who would dare to knock so loudly like what they were doing now.
"Yes?" Nichs furrowed his brows. "Come in. What''s going on?"
"Mommy is going intobor," Luciel eximed. He barged in before the door was openedpletely, followed by his twin, Jan.
"Huh?" Nichs immediately got up from his chair and ran to them. "Sophie is giving birth?? Where is she now?"
"Mommy is going here to give birth," said Luciel quickly. "She doesn''t want the tavern patrons to hear the noise and be bothered by the birth."
Nichs instantly panicked. Was it safe for Sophie to travel with the carriage to the royal pce with her baby ready to pop out?
"Why didn''t she just close the tavern while she is inbor," asked Nichs, not understanding.
"Mommy said it''s unexpected and the guests already paid to book our tavern for an event," Jan exined. "Mommy doesn''t want to ruin her reputation by kicking out paying guests all of a sudden. She wants her tavern to be sessful and with no drama. She will be here shortly."
Nichs actually felt happy that Sophie was very prepared and as soon as she found out that she was about to give birth, she immediately asked the coachman from the royal to take her there so she could give birthfortably, surrounded by doctors. What''s more important was she wouldn''t be scaring her tavern patrons while she was pushing her baby out.
Nichs would make sure that Sophie got everything she needed, and more importantly the family who loved her so much during her life-and-death battle during childbirth.
He would make sure all the best doctors who were essible to the royal family, the best bed to give birth, and even a harpist to y soothing music during the process to get everyone to rx, would be avable to Sophie.
However, Sophie''s decision, to just get on that carriage with her very big belly and took the trip on a bumpy road from her tavern to the capital, worried the hell out of Nichs.
He hoped she was fine and could reach the pce quickly andfortably.
Nichs strode out of his study followed by Luciel and Jan. He quickly went to the courtyard, getting ready to wee Sophie''s carriage when they got her.
"How did you know your mom ising this way?" Nichs asked the boys.
"Oh, because she sent a raven to us before she left with the carriage," Lucien exined.
"Oh..." Nichs nodded in understanding.? He looked up to watch the gate and then sighed. There were still no signs of Sophie and the carriageing closer.
Nichs started pacing. He looked at the sky, and then he looked at the gate to see if Sophie had arrived. Luciel and Jan stood on each of his sides.? They were nervous and impatient to see her.
DRAP DRAP
"That''s her!" Jan was the first to see his mother''s carriage and he immediately dashed to wee Sophie. Nichs and Lucien followed suit.
The man and the two boys standing right in front of the carriage door, eager to see the woman who was about toe out of the carriage. The coachman got down from the carriage and opened the door for her.
"Hey..." Sophie stepped out of the carriage and looked at Nichs and the boys with a surprised expression. "Have you guys been waiting for a long time?"
All three of them shook their heads.
Sophie suddenly clutched her stomach and held on to the carriage body. She was having a contraction.
"Are you okay?" Nichs asked. "Let me take you to the infirmary. The doctors are already waiting for you."
Sophie opened her eyes and nodded weakly. "Yeah... I need help. This contraction is so damn painful..."
She stepped forward a little bit and identally fell into the man''s arms. Nichs immediately caught her and made sure she was fine.
"Hey... let me carry you. It will be faster and better this way," said Nichs.
"Th-thank you, Nic," said Sophie.
Nichs ran as quickly as possible to the infirmary with Sophie''s body in his arms. An older doctor weed the king in the infirmary.
"Oh, let''s discuss everything else after this," said Nichs. He ced Sophie on the bed and then went to the doctor to ask him to check on her pregnancy. "Please just check her health and help her with thebor."
"Labor?" the doctor looked at Nichs.
The king nodded. "Yes, Lady Sophie is having contractions and she said she will give birth very soon."
"Can you wait outside, Your Majesty?" said the doctor politely. "Let us handle this and make sure Lady Sophia will be healthy. Your presence might disturb the process."
Nichs really wanted to be there, but he realized that he had no rights. He was not her husband, and also not the father of the baby she was giving birth to at that moment. So, it was only logical that he waited outside.
"Very well, but can I ask for my mother to apany Sophie here in the birthing room?" Nichs turned to the doctor and asked about their options. "I don''t want her to be alone."
The doctor nodded. "Yes, definitely, Your Majesty."
Nichs looked at Sophie who was writhing in pain on the bed. Nichs felt really sad to see her. She shouldn''t have suffered like this when she was about to give birth to her child.
Nichs took a deep breath and held Sophie''s hand and squeezed it gently. "I will go get my mother to keep youpany. Do you need anything from outside?"
Sophie shook her head weakly. She growled and gripped the sheets to vent the pain she was having right now. She wanted to curse and scream because of the intense pain but she couldn''t do it in front of the king. So, yes, she badly wanted him to go and she was grateful the doctor asked Nichs to go away on her behalf.
"Gosh.. why is this pain so great...?" Sophie groaned in frustration. The doctor called his assistants and prepared to help Sophie push her baby.
He smiled kindly and replied to her questions. "Human babies are big, so they need extra effort to push out. You can do this, Your Grace."
Sophie wanted to cry. She bit her lip so hard and raised her head to see her stomach. The baby inside her was moving like crazy and it gave her so much pain.
"You can cry and curse, or do whatever, Your Grace," said the doctor again. "Nobody will judge you."
"Aaaahhh.....!!" Sophie rolled to the side and clutched her stomach hard. "Fuck!!"
Three doctor''s assistants came inside the infirmary and helped the doctor prepare for the delivery.
Chapter 468 The Human Baby
Chapter 468 The Human Baby
Jan, Luciel, and Nichs were pacing restlessly in front of the infirmary. Since both boys looked a lot like their father, the three of them became a sight to behold. It was like seeing the king and his two mini-mes showing very simr gestures and expressions while pacing back and forth.
They all were very worried because Sophie''s scream broke into the sky, and they felt like someone was being tortured mercilessly in there.
"Anne and Jack were not this bad," Lucielmented. Their younger siblings were born 15 months ago and the boys still remembered what happened. It was a breezepared to this one.
"Human baby sucks," Jan added. Nichs immediately halted his steps and turned around to scold his son.
"Don''t say that. Humans have their challenges," Nichs said to them seriously. "I was human until I was turned, and your mother is also a human. Your youngest sibling is human. Your grandmother and so many other people dear to you are humans."
Jan became silent. He didn''t mean to mock his youngest sibling or their human rtives. He was just frustrated to hear his mother in a lot of pain and there was nothing he could do to help.
Nichs sighed and nced at the door. He could smell blood and it really bothered his senses. He was very worried to know Sophie was losing so much blood in giving birth to her child. Gosh... even after giving birth twice to twins, Sophie still had difficultbor because this time she was giving birth to a human.
Nichs could only hope his mother would be able to help Sophie while she was there. She was the only woman he trusted to be by Sophie''s side at this critical time.
After waiting for what seemed like forever, finally, the three males froze in their ce and their ears perked up. With their heightened senses, they could immediately know when the baby was finally out of the womb and its lung inhaled the air of this new world. They could hear the heartbeat pounding loudly and then followed by a shrill scream.
"It''s out!" Jan and Luciel blurted in unison. They became more restless and almost went inside to see their new sibling.
Nichs knitted his brows and paid attention to the voices from inside the delivery room. The doctor wrapped the baby and ced her on Sophie''s chest. He said happily, "Congrattions, You Grace, you have a beautiful baby girl."
Nichs held his breath when he listened to the conversation longer. He could hear his mother gasp and kept saying how cute the baby was and how she looked so much like Sophie.
"She has your hair," said Queen Marianne excitedly.
Slowly, a smile curved up on Nichs'' face. He then exhaled and looked relieved. Sophie seemed to be okay, and so did the baby. Her scream broke the sky, so powerful and so annoying, a sign that she has very big and healthy lungs.
The doctor quickly checked the baby and didn''t find any abnormalities. She was perfect. This made Nichs feel calm and all his worries were immediately washed away. Another thing that made him happy was the fact that the human baby was a girl and seemed to take after Sophie.
He thought Sophie deserved to have her mini version after giving her husbands their own. Nichs was already excited thinking of how he could see what Sophie looked like growing up just by looking at her youngest. She must look really, really cute and adorable.
Another reason why he was happy and thought this must be destiny at y was the fact that this little girl took after Sophie. Nichs''s mind went back to Jack and he chuckled. Jack was little Lnd through and through.
The little wolf had been showing so much hostility toward him and when he thought of it again, it was better if this new kid wouldn''t follow in Jack''s footsteps.
"It''s a girl," said Jan to Luciel.
His twin nodded. "So, she doesn''t need to wait five years to transform."
"Yeah, but she will never transform into a wolf either," Jan reminded him.
"Hmm... her life would be so boring," said Luciel again.
***
The three anxious males were finally allowed to visit Sophie and her baby after she was moved back to her old apartment in the royal pce. She looked so tired, but happy, holding her baby in her arms when Nichs and his sons stepped inside.
In fact, Nichs had never seen Sophie this happy before. There was something about her that made her look glowing. Some beads of sweat still fell down from her temple but the doctor immediately told the worried king that it was just caused by exhaustion.
Gosh... Sophie looked like an angel descended from the celestial pce in the sky, Nichs couldn''t help but think.
"Mom, how are you?" Luciel came to Sophie''s side and touched her arm gently, trying to make sure she was okay. Sophie looked up at him and smiled broadly.
She said, "I am fine. Just tired. Have you guys had dinner?"
Jan shook his head.
"No appetite," said Luciel. "We were very worried."
He came closer and tilted his head to look at his sister better. When he caught sight of her better, the boy gasped.
"She is so beautiful! Like a doll!" he gushed. Luciel turned to his mother and pointed at her hair. "She looks like you, she even gets your hair."
"She does, doesn''t she?" Sophie chuckled.
She lowered her face and looked at her baby lovingly. She knew that most human babies were born ugly and wrinkly. However, her daughter was different. She had so much hair with streaks of light pink, it was very cute. Her cheeks were chubby, and her body was plump.
She actually didn''t look like a newborn, but a month-old baby since she already looked so pretty. Seeing her daughter, Sophie thought all the pain she endured during childbirth was worth it.
However...
When she remembered how Lnd didn''t even know he had a new daughter, Sophie felt like crying. She pursed her lips and looked away to hide her sadness.
"She is really beautiful," Nichs said when he stood before Sophie and saw her baby. Jan and Luciel were right. Their sister was so cute and adorable.
Seeing the sleeping baby with her mouth slightly opened, Nichs was in awe and for a few minutes, he couldn''t say anything anymore. The baby was really beautiful and he immediately felt a sense of fondness for her.
He didn''t have a daughter, just sons, and even though he loved little Anne too, there was barely any interaction between them because Anne was very quiet and weak. She spent most of her time with Sophie. Nichs'' interaction was mostly with the boys. Even Jack sometimes would give him a chance to dote on him, though he would pretend not to enjoy it.
However, this new baby, a daughter, a human... offered so many possibilities for interaction and building a loving rtionship. Seeing the fragile little human who looked so charming and sweet in her sleeping state, Nichs couldn''t help but promise himself that he would step up for this little one if her father still didn''t return for her and Sophie.
She would grow up confused because she didn''t know her biological father, unlike her older siblings who at least had the opportunity to live with Lnd before he...
Before he betrayed them.
"Where are my pups?" Sophie changed the subject. She didn''t want to keep thinking of Lnd and cry. So she asked about little Jack and little Anne. "They must be worried."
"I already sent someone to the tavern," Nichs replied. Max promised to bring them here as soon as possible. I am sure they will be here shortly."
KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
"Come in."
The door was knocked from outside and the queen entered with several maids carrying food and drinks. She herself was hugging Anne in her arms and little Jack strolling beside her.
"Here theye," said the queen with a big smile. She took a seat on a chair beside Sophie and lowered her head to see the baby better. She let out an aww and gushed. "She is so pretty!"
"Thank you, Your Grace," said Sophie with a smile too. She used one hand to rub Anne''s fur and then kissed her head. "Is Anne sleeping?"
The queen nodded. "Yeah. She just drank a bowl of milk together with Jack and while Jack became energized, Anne became sleepy."
"Ahh... thank you so much, Your Grace, for your help," said Sophie. "I owe you so much."
"What are you talking about?" The queen pretended to be offended. "I am not doing this to keep score. Besides, YOU helped my son when he was wounded and almost died in ckwoods. I owe YOU."
Sophie nced at Nichs and the man shrugged. His mother was right. His injuries from back then were very severe. Without Sophie''s help, he might have died now.
.
.
.
_________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Sorry, the next chapter is still not updated. Please kindly wait one more day. T_T
Chapter 469 Nicholas’ Worry
Chapter 469 Nichs'' Worry
Sophie''s recovery took longer after she gave birth to her daughter. It was really different from when she gave birth to her wolf pups. This experience gave her a different perspective on how much harder it was for a female human to give birth and care for their little ones.
She had not named her daughter because Sophie couldn''t think of a good name in her current state. She wanted to name the youngest one something rted to her family, but she already named her children from Lnd with her parents'' names.
Now, Lnd didn''t have a good rtionship with both his father and mother and so giving a name based on his parents'' names was not an option for Sophie. Also, even though the baby looked a lot like Sophie, she didn''t want to call her Sophie Jr, or Little Sophie.
She immediately shot down Nichs'' suggestion when he brought it up.
"No, my daughter will not be called Sophie..." she chuckled and shook her head. "I will have to think about the name harder. Gosh... why am I not good with names?"
She rubbed her temple and then looked down at her daughter. The baby was looking at her with her big puppy eyes and making cooing sounds. She was the cutest thing Sophie had everid her eyes on. She didn''t understand how she was blessed with such wonderful children, one after another.
"Well... I will think about her name and decideter," Sophie said. She got up from her chair and brought the baby to the terrace and stood there to bask under the morning son. It was summer and everything was bright and beautiful.
Ahh..? maybe she could call her baby ''Summer''? That would be a good name too.
Nichs watched Sophie take her daughter to some sunlight. He was mesmerized by the sight. This woman just looked more and more beautiful as she grew more mature. He felt blessed to get the opportunity to see this.
He had realized that he would never love another woman as he loved her. And until the day he took hisst breath, probably the only woman he ever hoped to be with... was her.
Would the opportunitye again?
If so... how long would she wait until she could finally open the door for him?
He was so in love with her and it was torture to be around the woman his heart desired but could not do anything about it. He was a normal man with his sexual needs and he had taken so many cold showers over the years after they were reunited and he knew he fucked up royally and lost her to another man.
Other than with Sophie when they were young, Nichs had not been intimate with any woman... unless the experience with Karenina counted, which he believe didn''t count. He was not conscious when that happened... IF that really happened.
He didn''t feel anything, mentally or physically, and even when Karenina told him she was pregnant with his child, Nichs still didn''t feel his heart moved. He truly believed Karenina didn''t carry his child, and even if she did be pregnant, it might not even be his.
Ande to think of it, Karenina didn''t pressure him to take responsibility when he told her he would support the child financially but he would not acknowledge it. And all of a sudden, she was no longer pregnant, iming that she had gotten rid of it.
And several months ago, Nichs found out the news of Viscount Verhoeven''s mysterious death. Karenina didn''t bother telling him about it and she also often disappeared.
Nichs didn''t care about her since he was never in love with her, however, there was something about this situation that bothered him.? He just didn''t know what.
All he knew was the letter sent by the mysterious person told him never to let Karenina or Catherine, the children''s former teachere around Sophie and the kids. So... there must be something wrong with them.
However... what was it? Nichs couldn''t wrap his head around it. He wished that person would be more specific and tell her what was actually going on.
And who was the person leaving the note anyway? Was it Lnd? Did he hide something? Was everything he did to Sophie, intentionally breaking her heart, done to cover up something?
If so... what was his real n? Where did he go? Would he return?
And if he would return.... when? Would he take Sophie and the children again?
Nichs looked around him and felt his heart be so heavy. Luciel and Jan were reading books, an assignment that was given to them by the royal teachers.
Anne was ying with Jack in their basket. She looked healthier today, maybe because the weather was great and put her in a really good mood. Jack had grown almost twice the size of his frail sister now. He ate a lot and he kept running around with his older siblings.
Nichs could imagine that Jack would grow up into a really big man when he became an adult, perhaps even bigger than his own father. This actually reminded Nichs of all history books from the time of his grandfather when they were still in a very heated war with the lycans.
The lycan king was called King Mchi, and he was an imposing man over two meters tall. He was big, burly, and scary. Just seeing hime to the battlefield before he transformed into his wolf form was already an intimidating sight. When he shifted, he was an even scarier monster.
Since King Mchi was Sophie''s grandfather, Nichs imagined Jack might take after Lnd and King Mchi in appearance.
Gosh... this little wolf which was only 15 months old, already looked like an almost three-year-old wolf. Queen Marianne could no longer carry him because he had gotten so big and heavy. Nichs would sometimes carry the pup on his back and Jack loved it.
After almost one year of getting to know each other and spending months being around the king, Jack finally softened up to Nichs. At this point, he had known Nichs longer than he had known his biological father.
They were all Nichs'' treasures now. Sophie, Luciel, Jan, Jack, Anne, and the little one who didn''t have a name yet.. they were all the most important things in his life.
Thinking about the possibility that someday Lnd woulde back and take them all away from him, made Nichs feel heartbroken.
What should he do when that happened?
Or... was there anything he could do to prevent that from happening?
People said all is fair in love and war, but how far would Nichs go to get Sophie back?
"I need to go now," Nichs said suddenly. He came to the terrace and found Sophie. "I have a meeting with the royal ministers. We have something important to discuss. I''ll see you allter."
Sophie smiled at him and nodded. She raised her baby''s hand to wave at Nichs and said with a cute voice, "See youter!"
Nichs'' heart felt heavier when he saw that. He lied about the meeting. There was no meeting nned for the day. He just couldn''t see this little family that he loved dearly and then thought about Lnd.
He needed to be alone and vented his frustration. He couldn''t do it in front of Sophie.
Yes, he had always been a supportive man to her, he did whatever to get her what she wanted, and he did it so carefully, so as not to make her feel suffocated or indebted to him and then feel pressured to take him back.
However, deep inside, he was suffering. It was so hard to love someone who didn''t love you back and still love them unconditionally while having thoughts and desires about them.
***
Nichs was pacing in his studies. He was waiting for Noel toe because he wanted to talk to the captain about something. He had been busy with Sophie and helping her set up her new life in the capital that he didn''t have time to pursue information about Karenina, Catherine, and Lnd''s whereabouts.
He wanted to ask Noel to do surveince on the two women and then send more spies to Armeria and infiltrate their area to find information about Lnd and Eloise. He believed he would get answers if he followed the three people.
"If I am not mistaken, that woman, Eloise, is a witch," Nichs muttered to himself. "Maybe I can find information about witches and their coven from books in my library. If she did give birth to Lnd''s child, that child would be so dangerous because he would be a lycan who could wield magic."
He tapped his fingers on the table. "If one day he would be the Alpha of his pack, and the king of Armeria, he would surely pose a huge risk for us when they decided to have an open war. I need to investigate this."
Chapter 470 The Queen Wants To Go To The Festival
Chapter 470 The Queen Wants To Go To The Festival
When Nichs shared his concern with Noel, the former royal lycan hunter captain agreed with him. There had been no significant progress with Armeria and they had slowly lowered their guard from the possibility of open war.
Nichs assumed this was due to theck of leadership in that kingdom. He heard that the previous human king had died in his captivity during Alpha Elias'' reign of terror and he didn''t leave any surviving children to avenge his death and take over power from their invaders.
The line of the Armerian royal family who had been ruling the kingdom for almost twenty generations was wiped out. Now, it truly belonged to the Obsidian Sand Pack. After Alpha Elias died in a duel between the two Alphas, Lnd was supposed to be the next Alpha of the pack and king of Armeria.
He seemed to take that role for a few months and then left with Eloise, his new Luna, in what the witches called their pilgrimage journey to their ce of origin.
Ugh.... thinking of Lnd and that new woman made Nichs feel very annoyed.
He clenched his fist to the side and turned to Noel, who was standing before him and ready to hear his order. Nichs said, "I have surveince missions for you and your men. You need to get me everything you can get about Karenina and Catherine. Catherine is Luciel''s and Jan''s former teacher. She is a witch and she was based in Hastings. I got some warning from a mysterious person about the two women."
"Very well, Your Majesty," said Noel. He didn''t ask the reason whenever Nichs asked him to do things. He only obeyed and did everything asked of him. He knew the king must have strong reasons for his decisions.
"One more thing," said Nichs again. "I also want you to send several spies to infiltrate Armeria dan find any information you can get about Lnd. And if the man is not there, find out who is the current leader of the pack and every single thing about him. I want to know what he has for breakfast or what he does when no one is watching."
Nichs thought he had beencent for months because he was so focused on Sophie and her children. Now, he realized he must stay vignt regarding theirmon enemy, the Obsidian Sand Pack if he wanted to make sure Sophie and her children always stay safe.
"I have sent two spies, Your Majesty," said Noel apologetically. "However, they didn''t get anything useful."
Nichs scoffed. "Send more people."
"Will do, Your Majesty."
Once Noel took his leave, Nichs sat back on his chair and thought about everything. He decided to go to his personal library and checked books about witches and wizards. Since Eloise was a witch, he wanted to know more about her and where she could possibly take Lnd if they really went to her ce of origin.
Nichs opened the door and walked to the bookcases to find books about history and about the witches. The king spent hours and hours reading, trying to find anything interesting about them. However, since he didn''t know exactly what to look for, he couldn''t find the information that might be useful.
After three days of reading and trying to connect the dots of things, Nichs gave up.
"This all sounds more like a fairy tale or stupid fantasy story," he muttered to himself. There was so much folklore from the witches and wizardsmunity that sounded like children''s bedtime stories.
He read stories about wicked wizards who turned themselves into people who had died and took after their identities to trick their families into giving them all their wealth, magical stones that could keep records of events as they happened which were used by a princess to free herself from being used of adultery by her husband, and many more.
So many interesting stories about magic but none of them made sense. Maybe to some degree, Nichs could see them being true. But it was hard to believe.
"I need a drink," he said after he closed the book for the day. He stretched his arms and got up from his reading chair and went to the door. He had been avoiding Sophie and only met her once a day, during dinner, because he was feeling sad and frustrated about his mounting feelings for her.
He was worried that his feelings would be more and more obvious and he didn''t want to make things awkward again between them.
"Hello," Nichs greeted everyone when he entered the dining room. Sophie and her older children were seated at the dining table, together with the queen. They all wondered why Nichs looked haggard these days. The kingbed his hair with his fingers and put on a smile. "Let''s have dinner."
He talked less and less these days that his mother thought he was sick. To ease his mother''s worry, Nichs told her that he just had too much work to do. It was summer and, usually, the kingdom of Riga would hold a festival throughout the whole kingdom.
It was a moment of celebration for all the citizens where the kingdom would give tax relief for the rich, gifts and free food for the poor. All towns and cities would be decoratedvishly. It was a way to be grateful to the gods for a good harvest and hope the gods would continue to bless them with more prosperity in the future.
It was such a big deal and Nichs, as the king, wanted to make sure that this year''s festivities would be even bigger and better thanst year''s because he personally felt so blessed by the gods.
Of course, this was just an excuse he made up on the spot for his mother, but it worked to make the queen feel relieved.
She gushed. "Ah, I agree with you. I feel so blessed and happy this year too. So many grandchildren, more than I could ever hope for. We should double the donation for the poor. They deserve to have a happy celebration this year too."
Sophie coughed unconsciously when she heard Queen Marianne refer to Sophie''s children as her many grandchildren. Truly, the queen''s eptance and love for her had touched Sophie so deeply.
She looked at the queen with teary eyes and remembered her own mother who died when she was young. Her mother, Anne, would have loved Queen Marianne. They could be good friends if only Anne was still alive.
Sophie could see how the two women had simrities. They both doted on their children, they loved and fought for their family fiercely, and overall were filled with so much love.
"I remember several festivities I attended when I was younger," Sophie said. "The harvest festival is the best time of the year for so many people."
She remembered her first ''date'' with Lnd was to attend this festival when they were in Hastings. She and her maid went to the nearby town to see the festival and Lnd said he wanted toe because he had business in that area.
He ended up finishing his business quickly and joining Sophie for a pic. It was a really wonderful experience. Yearster, Sophie found out that Lnd lied about having a business meeting there and only made up an excuse to apany her to see the festival.
Since it was a really nice experience, Sophie would sometimes go to the festivals around Hastings over the next years. The children were probably too young to remember it.
After they moved to Lievstad, they stopped attending the festival. Now, Sophie wanted to take her children to see the festivities so they could experience it too.
"We can go this year," Sophie said to Luciel and Jan. "And I will also participate by giving free drinks in my tavern during the festival day."
"Aww.. that sounds wonderful," the queen gushed. She rubbed her chin and then looked at Nichs. "By the way, I have never attended the festival celebration outside with themon folks. Can I go this year? I want to apany the boys to see the festival."
Nichsughed when he heard his mother''s request. "Of course, you can, mother. You don''t have to ask my permission. I just want you to be careful and always listen to your personal guards. They are just doing their job to keep you safe."
"Ah, you are the king. I have to ask your opinion. Your father was very rigid. He never allowed me to attend those festivals..." Queen Marianne pouted. "I even begged him several times, but he kept saying no."
Nichs looked at his mother tenderly and said, "Mother... I am not my father."
The queen looked at her son back. A smile curved up slowly on her lips and she muttered, "No, you''re not. You''re my son. You are a better man."
She wiped her eyes and then took her wine up, downed it, and then said happily, "I will be going to the festival with my grandchildren. I am so blessed!"
Chapter 471 Conversation At Dinner
Chapter 471 Conversation At Dinner
Nichs sometimes felt sad for his mother. As he grew older and understood more about what happened between his parents, he could have more sympathy for both his mother and father. He could feel his mother''s suffering, but at the same time, he also couldn''t me his father. Both just tried to do what was best in their condition.
It was not ideal but there was nothing they could do. The heart wants what it wants.
"Will you join us to attend the festival?" the queen asked Nichs with a beaming face. "It will be fun."
"Yes, it will be fun," Sophie said. "The festival is one of my favorite days of the year. I can''t wait to take the kids to experience it."
Nichs looked at Sophie and her enthusiasm got to him. He nodded.
"We can go."
He knew security would be a headache with the king, queen dowager, Sophie, and five children going out together, trying to disguise themselves asmoners. However, what Sophie wants, Sophie gets. That''s Nichs'' motto.
How could he say no to her? She looked really excited about the harvest festival. Come to think of it, Nichs realized Sophie needed the distraction. She had been cooped up in her apartment in the royal pce for almost three weeks. Her recovery took much longer than when she gave birth to lycan pups.
So, the queen managed to convince Sophie to stay longer, at least until her baby was one month old and could be brought outside the pce. Queen Marianne said human babies were so fragile that this new baby might get sick if she took her on a trip - indirectly scaring Sophie into thinking her baby could die if she fell ill around this age.
Finally, Sophie relented and stayed. Max came three times a week to report the tavern''s ie and the situation there. At the end of the week, Sophie would review their business together and make new ns if needed.
Now, it''s been over three weeks and Sophie had been feeling restless. She wanted to go back to her own home. She was worried that she would be toofortable staying at the pce and so would her children.
Life at the royal pce was too good, too easy... she didn''t want her children to get used to such a life and then resented their own home.
If they liked the pce better than their home, Sophie wouldn''t have the heart to take them away from there.
"We should go home after the festival," she muttered. She looked down on her baby daughter who just finished nursing and was now ying with her nipple. Sophie clicked her tongue, realizing her baby was so naughty and had an outgoing personality. She pretended to scold the little one. "Don''t y with your food."
Sophie covered her breast and got up from the chair. She ced the baby in her crib and then took Anne and Jack to her big bed. She felt a bit sleepy after the meeting with Max earlier that day and then taking care of her children. She wanted to take a nap and hugged her pups while she was sleeping.
She felt lucky that lycan pups only drank milk for a year max. They started to eat solid food after six months and she could wean thempletely when they turned a year old. Jack and Anne were now sixteen months old and they were very easy to care for.
Anne was still weak, much weaker whenpared to her male twin, but she was a happy pup who loved spending her time to herself and with Sophie. Sophie was counting the days until the twins'' fifth birthday and she could see them transform into humans.
She believed Anne would look really beautiful as a human girl. Her wolf form looked very much like Lnd''s, and Sophie could imagine when Anne shifted into a human she would look like her father too, but she would be the feminine and meek version of Lnd.
"Come here you two," Sophiey down on the bed and hugged her pups. She hugged Anne in her arms as the little wolf curled up into a furball, while Jacky behind Sophie''s back and soon ced his paws around her head after they all fell asleep.
***
Sophie woke up to something heavy pressing her head and back and she realized that they were her son''s paws.
"Gosh, Jack, you are so big now... so heavy," Sophie shook her head and removed Jack''s paws from her head. Then she sat up.
Sophie let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes. She must have taken around one hour nap. It was still bright outside. She got down from the bed and checked her baby. The little one was ying by herself in her crib.
Sophie couldn''t help but gush as she looked at her youngest child with adoration. Meanwhile, Jack woke up too from his nap, followed by Anne and they immediately jumped down from the bed, to follow Sophie.
When they reached the dining room, Nichs and the boys were waiting for Sophie to have dinner together. The queen was there too. Today, Nichs looked especially tired and Sophie was wondering if the man had been working so hardtely.
She realized now she only met the man during dinner time because they always had dinner together with the queen. It almost felt like they were having a family dinner as if they were a real family.
Sophie wondered if Nichs had been extremely busy with work or if he had intentionally been avoiding her. She didn''t know what to think. She no longer knew the man as she did in the past.
They ate dinner and the atmosphere was more silent than it normally was. The oldest children shared with Sophie what they learned from their teachers that day. Jack was enjoying his own bowl of raw meat on the table while, beside him, Anne was eating cooked meat that was more tender, specially prepared for her.
"Their teachers said they are really smart," Nichsmented. "I am so proud of them."
"Yeah, they studied in Cow Dung for several months," said Sophie.
"Cow..." The queen knitted her brows in confusion to hear Sophie''s words. "Cow... what?"
Sophie pressed her lips and suppressed herughter. She cleared her throat and said, "I mean, Cawden Academy. It''s a school in Hastings. I went there when I was younger and the boys wanted to study with kids their age. So I signed them up to study in Cawden. They liked it there. The teachers also praised them as really smart students."
The queen looked at Sophie with widened eyes and she couldn''t hide herughter when she realized Sophie called her school cow dung.
"That is a funny name," shemented.
"I am sorry, Your Grace. I was just joking. All students called it Cow Dung," Sophie looked so embarrassed. "My children don''t call it cow dung. Fortunately, they are better persons than I am."
Everyone at the dining tableughed at the school''s name and the children excitedly told their father about their experience studying in the academy for human children.
"We are taught by Catherine before Cawden," Luciel exined. "She was great. However, we wanted to have friends our age."
"Yeah. Catherine helped us a lot in navigating life in humans'' school," Jan added. "I wonder where she is now."
"Ah... about that..." Nichs had heard the report from Noel several hours ago regarding Catherine and he wondered if he should tell his sons about what happened to that woman.
"Do you know Catherine?" Sophie asked Nichs.
The king shook his head. "No. Only from your stories when you were young. I remember when I met you in Hastings, you told me a little bit about the teacher who was so kind to you and helped you with the entrance test to enter Cow Dung. It was Catherine, wasn''t it?"
"Yes," Sophie nodded. "I haven''t seen her since I moved from Riga. She didn''t want to join us in Lievstad because she had other things to do. I don''t have the time yet to search for her. It will be nice if she could help teach Luciel and Jan again as she knows them best."
Nichs shook his head and said, "I am not so sure about that. There is something I need to talk to you about her."
Nichs'' words made Sophie feel so curious. What was it that he knew and Sophie didn''t?
"Catherine?" She asked him to confirm.
Nichs nodded. "Yeah, Catherine."
"Can''t you tell me about her now?" Sophie asked.
"No, let''s wait until after dinner," said Nichs. He poured more wine into his cup and downed it. "It''s important."
Sophie really wanted to know what happened to Catherine. She was worried about her friend. Catherine was a witch and she had her own life which Sophie didn''t know about. She just hoped that nothing bad happened to Catherine.
Chapter 472 Catherine Is Dead
Chapter 472 Catherine Is Dead
After dinner was over, Nichs waited at the dining table until his mother and the children went out of the dining room, carrying their little siblings in their arms. They knew Nichs wanted to talk to Sophie about something important.
Once the servants closed the door and left, Nichs got up and turned to Sophie. He looked at the woman carefully and studied her expression.
"How well do you know Catherine?" he asked her.
Sophie looked at Nichs and wondered if anything bad had happened to Catherine from the way he asked that question.
"I know her quite well..." Sophie said softly. "I have known her since I was twelve."
The first time Sophie met Catherine was 14 years ago when the witch was invited toe to her aunt''s home to teach Valerie and Lucia, her cousins. Initially, it was to help them pass the entrance test to attend Cawden Academy.
However, since the two girls were not too bright, she was then asked toe and give them private tutoring three times a week so they could keep up with their school. Catherine immediately showed sympathy to Sophie after she found out that the girl was an orphan like her.
Out of her own kindness, Catherine secretly helped Sophie to study the subjects that she tutored Valerie and Lucia, and she did it for free. Sophie already knew how to read and write because her parents taught her that before they died, but she didn''t have any ess to education until she met Catherine.
Catherine taught her everything she knew and even helped her enter Cawden Academy. Even though they were separated for several years, when they met again, they still had a good rtionship and Catherine helped tutor Sophie''s sons too.
So, when Nichs asked Sophie how well she knew Catherine, of course, she could confidently say that she knew her very well.
Wait...
She didn''t actually know that Catherine was a witch until yearster, and it was only because Lnd found out who Catherine really was.
Was there anything else that Sophie failed to find out about Catherine?
"I..." Sophie furrowed her brows. "I know that she is an orphan. And... she is also a witch."
"Well, there is another thing..." Nichs looked at Sophie deeply. "She is dead."
"WHAT?" Sophie was shocked to hear Nichs'' words. She stepped back a little and looked at the man with horror and disbelief. "Please don''t joke about something like this."
Nichs shook his head. He said, "I received an anonymous tip about Catherine so I looked into her. It took a long time before I could find out the truth. My intel caught a witch who confessed that their leader killed Catherine many years ago."
"No..." Sophie pressed her mouth. She was so upset to hear Nichs'' exnation. "That can''t be happening..."
"She was already dead many years ago..." Nichs repeated his words. "... apparently, not long after Luciel and Jan were born. So, whoever taught them was not Catherine."
Sophie cried and her body staggered as she tried to find bnce. Nichs quickly approached her and supported her shoulder. He felt so bad about letting her know about Catherine''s fate. Knowing that her old friend had died must be shocking and devastating to Sophie.
Nichs wished he could shield her from this and keep all the bad things to himself so she would never need to know. However, he thought it was best if Sophie was informed so she could be more vignt and protect herself and the kids from strangers or bad people who would try to get closer to them by using the identities of people she knew.
"I am so sorry..." Nichs whispered. He could feel her pain and her sadness. Gosh... he hated seeing her tears. It made him feel inadequate and unable to protect her from this harsh life. He was a king, wasn''t he? But why couldn''t he make her happy and protect her from this world?
When he heard Noel''s report that Catherine was dead and someone was hovering around Sophie and the children for a long time without inviting suspicions, Nichs immediately remembered the books he read in the library about the witches and wizards''munity. They could do things that his logic tried to deny.
However, now.... they all started to make sense. The only exnation for someone taking Catherine''s identities for years and fooling Sophie was Catherine had a twin or... someone used her face to pose as her.
The darkest of dark magic was in y and Nichs could only think about Eloise as the strongest witch around Riga who had the capabilities to do it.
So, did Eloise kill Catherine and took her face to pose as her from time to time? Thinking that the evil witch was around Sophie and the little ones often in the past, sent a shiver down his spine.
What if something bad happened to them? Lnd didn''t even seem to be aware of that. This was such a dangerous thing for the children.
''Fuck you, Lnd. You didn''t protect Sophie as well as you should, that a stranger can hover around her for that long. Fuck fuck fuck!'' Nichs cursed inwardly. He didn''t know if Lnd truly missed it or if he knew Eloise was around his family often.
Meanwhile, Sophie broke down and cried in her chair. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed despondently. She felt so sad for Catherine. She was her only friend growing up. Catherine was like the older sister she never had. She missed Catherine so badly.
The pain that filled her chest was so intense that Sophie felt difficulty breathing. She had lost her parents, she had lost two babies, she had lost Lnd... and now she lost Catherine too.
Nichs stood frozen in his ce. He didn''t expect Sophie to grieve this badly for Catherine. He didn''t know her feelings for Catherine were that deep.
"I was going to send her a letter, asking her toe and visit us in the capital. I will tell her about my business and how her teaching me bookkeeping and everything I know has helped me a lot in life," Sophie spoke with a croaked voice. When she looked up at Nichs, he could see her eyes were wet with tears. "She is like a sister to me."
"I am very sorry, Sophie," said Nichs. He sat on the chair beside Sophie and wrapped his arm around her shoulder gently, trying to console her. "I am sorry."
There was nothing else he could say but sorry. What was there to do?
Sophie finally buried her face in his shoulder and cried there. At this moment, she felt so alone. Finally, it was like the weight of the world was crushing her.
She had been keeping her sadness and her pain to herself because she didn''t want to make her children and Nichs worry, but today the news of Catherine''s death opened the floodgate and she finally let everything out.
Nichs''s heart felt so heavy. He lent her his shoulder to cry on and he sat where he was without moving even an inch, so she wouldn''t think she made him feel ufortable. The man waited patiently until Sophie''s tears finally subsided. It was almost an hourter.
"I am sorry..." Sophie muttered when she realized she had been crying on his shoulder for a long time and her tears had made his shirt soaked. She moved back and rubbed her eyes roughly. Nichs didn''t move and watched her attentively.
He said, "It''s fine, Sophie. Don''t think about me. Let''s think about the children and the people who have been interacting with them all this time. If someone can pose as Catherine to get close to you and the children undetected, maybe other people tried it too. We must not lower our guard."
"How could they do it?" Sophie asked Nichs with her hoarse voice. It was still difficult for her to ept the truth that the Catherine she saw thest time was not the real Catherine she knew. "She looked just like Catherine. Her voice too... and don''t lycans have a great sense of smell? Why can''t they smell her scent?"
Nichs took a deep breath and stood from the chair. He had heard from Max about the witch''s special potion that they used to remove their scent.
He suspected that they must also have the potion to mask their scent. Hiding the scent must be so easy for someone who could take over someone''s appearance so convincingly.
"Witches and wizards use magic proficiently," Nichs exined. "I believe someone from theirmunity took over Catherine''s identity and used it to get closer to you. I am not sure what was the intention because as we know you are all safe and unharmed. So, I don''t know if they really don''t want to hurt you, or they just haven''t been able to do it."
Sophie rubbed her temple. She remembered the moments when Catherine was around her. The fake Catherine had so many opportunities to kill her if she wanted to, but the fact was Sophie was still safe until now.
So, did she not mean to hurt Sophie? What was the reason she posed as Catherine then? Who was that person?
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__________________________
From Missrealitybites:
Thank you sooo much for your patience. I was sick on my birthday (November 19) and couldn''t do anything for days. It was not fun. I wish to celebrate it by doing nice things for myself and having a rxing weekend. Sigh. I don''t know why I am always sick around my birthday.
Chapter 473 Sophie Moves Back
Chapter 473 Sophie Moves Back
Seeing Sophie looking so upset, Nichs decided to change the subject.
"Until we can find out more about who they are and why they did what they did, can I please beg you to stay close to me? It pains me to think that you and the children could be targeted by the enemy, whoever they are, and I am not there to protect you all," he said with a pleading tone.
Nichs looked at Sophie with concern filling his eyes. Sophie could see how the man was worried sick about her and her children.
This revtion was shocking to her too and now she was equally worried about her family''s safety. Who knows what the fake Catherine had done while she was around them?
Was it maybe... the reason why Anne was sickly? That was possible, right?
The memory of Dinah who poisoned her while being her maid and caused Sophie and Lnd to lose their first children came back to her and haunted Sophie with so much pain. They still couldn''t find evidence that Dinah did it because Isolde ordered it. Even though it happened many years ago, the pain was still felt deep in her heart.
What if the fake Catherine did something to her precious children and they only had not seen the impact?
Sophie didn''t know what actually happened, but her instinct as a mother told her that Anne''s sickly body might have something to do with the fake Catherine.
Without a second thought, she nodded. "I will stay close to you. For the safety of my children."
Nichs was surprised to hear her response. He was not dreaming, wasn''t he?
Did she just say yes to his offer for them to stay in the pce?
"You will?" He asked her in disbelief.
Sophie nodded again. She didn''t look happy with her decision, but she knew she had no choice. No matter how much she hated people gossiping about her and how much she wanted to be independent and not rely on Nichs, she had to be realistic. Her children''s safety was paramount.
She would bear the gossip. She would fight tooth and nail for her children. What was her pridepared to her children''s safety?
"Oh, Sophie..." Nichs looked so relieved. He instantly hugged her tightly. The weight on his shoulders felt like it was lifted. When he realized he was hugging her, the young king stepped back and removed himself from her awkwardly. "I am sorry. I... I am too happy. I''ve been worried sick about you ever since I found out."
Sophie smiled faintly and nodded. She understood him. She touched his arm to calm him down. "It''s okay. Don''t be too uptight around me. I know our rtionship is not conventional, but I am trying to find the best way to navigate this situation."
She was referring to their new arrangement where she would live in the royal pce as his... ex-wife? They were never divorced. His wife? No, people already knew her as the wife of Duke Ariam Romanov. It was truly a veryplicated situation.
"Thank you for your graciousness, Sophie," Nichs said. "I know it''s not easy to be in your position and I really appreciate everything you have done. I will do everything within my power to make your experience in the royal pce a better one."
"Thank you, Nic." Sophie smiled. "I still would like to keep my tavern. Will that be okay with you? I will go there maybe three times a week to check on everything. However, the children will stay in the pce so they will be safe."
Sophie worked so hard to get her tavern. She didn''t want to lose it just because she moved back to the pce.
"As long as you agree to get the king''s guards'' protection," said Nichs. "I will assign them to go with you undercover. You can do whatever you like outside the pce, just let me protect you."
"That sounds good," said Sophie. She let out a relieved sigh. This was a good arrangement. "I might bring the little one with me when I go to my tavern sometimes."
Her human baby was different from her wolf pups. She needed Sophie most of the time. At least, until the baby turned into a toddler, she would always rely on Sophie.
Sophie added, "I will be careful. Max will be there too."
Nichs knew he shouldn''t push her and asked too much. Sophie was a bit stubborn when it came to her independence and her business. She might think protecting five children was hard, that''s why she agreed to return to the pce. However, if she only need to bring her youngest, things would be easier for her and the knights who would be protecting her.
Nichs couldn''t say no. He nodded. "Very well."
"Great! I will ask my maids to prepare our stuff and move back to the pce," said Sophie.
She had been staying in the pce for six weeks now. So, they had basically moved back, but since they came here without the intention to stay, most of their stuff was still in the tavern. She would ask her maids to get all her stuff and the kids'' stuff to the pce.
"You can keep staying in your apartment," said Nichs. "I can also build a separate property for you and the children. I mean... if you''re going to live in the pce permanently, you might want to have your own ce, the one you design and decorate ording to your own taste and preference."
At this point, Nichs had dismissed the possibility of Lnd ever returning. Since Sophie had agreed to move back to the pce, he would make sure she would feel happy there and stay there permanently.
Maybe...
Just maybe... she would finally open her heart for him again and gave him a second chance.
Sophie thought about Nichs'' offer to have her own ce which she designed and decorated ording to her taste.
She did that with her old homes with Lnd. Lnd let her do whatever she wanted at their castle in Hastings and then their manor outside of Lievstad, even the castle in Frisia was all decorated by her. She did the same thing with her tavern.
However, she knew her ce and never even suggested getting anything done on her apartment in the royal pce. Here she was just a guest and she appreciated everything provided for her without anyint. She thought about the offer seriously and bit her lip. It was such a kind gesture.
IF she would really live here permanently... if Lnd truly didn''t return for her and the children... it would be nice if she could settle in the pce in the home she created for herself.
"I would like that," said Sophie. "Thank you."
At that moment, Nichs felt like celebrating. Who knew that the fake Catherine situation would lead to Sophie returning to the pce? Maybe this was fate.
However, there was also another thing. Karenina.
From Noel, Nichs found out that Viscount Verhoeven had apparently diedst year. This made him feel surprised and concerned. Karenina never mentioned her father''s death. Wasn''t it a big thing not to tell the man you were once engaged to? Karenina''s strange behavior made Nichs feel that something was wrong, though he didn''t know what it was.
So, he immediately asked Noel to investigate further but they couldn''t find Karenina''s traces anywhere. This made Nichs on his toes. He didn''t know why but he wanted to tell Sophie to also avoid Karenina as much as possible should the womane to her.
"I think all is set now," said Nichs, looking happy and relieved. "I will talk to the butler to get the designer to talk to you and help you design your apartment with the children."
"Thank you," Sophie said.
She was sad to move back to the pce, but she tried to see the bright side of it. Her children would be safe, and she could also rent out the rooms upstairs in her tavern.
There were two big rooms that she and her children used. Since they no longer stayed there, she could turn the tavern into an inn as well and rent out the two rooms. They had the third one that could also be rented out. It was initially a lounge for the family to spend time together. Now, it could be redesigned into a bedroom.
That way, she could make more money and her business would attract more guests.
Sophie was already busy with her new ns in her mind that she didn''t notice Nichs was staring at her with eyes filled with love.
At that moment, Nichs was reminded of the time when he and Sophie were sitting down under the tree in his uncle''s castle in Hastings and she passionately told him about her ns to open her own business.
He was d that she could keep her tavern and stay with him at the same time. He didn''t want to shoot down her dreams and passion.
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From Missrealitybites:
Gosh, I am sorry for theck of updates in November. I was working every day in conferences and after each day, I was mentally exhausted and just wanted to sleep. I will try my best to publish daily again for this book. Wish me luck! If I failed, please know I have tried my best.
PS: I don''t have time to write "The Dragon Prince''s Recement Bride" but I really want to get it out there, so I hire a group of artists to make theic. You can read it on W e b t o o n. Just open this link on your browser:
bit. ly /ineswebtoon (without space)
Theic will be published weekly and it''s FREE. Please show your support by reading it on W e b t o on,menting, and rating 10 stars. It will make me so happy. THANK YOU!
PPS: The reason why the female lead is named "Ines" is that I just read the love story between Ines De Castro and King Peter of Portugal. Please look it up. It''s so heartbreaking, yet beautiful.
Chapter 474 Summer Picnic
Chapter 474 Summer Pic
The children were understandably happy when they heard that they were all moving back to the pce. Sophie was surprised to know that they didn''t make anyments or ask for any exnation about her change of heart.
She was already worried about letting them know about the dangers lurking around them and the fact that their teacher, Catherine, was not the person they thought she was. Sophie didn''t want them to feel worried. So, their easily epting to move back to live with Nichs gave her relief.
"Don''t you like our home for the past five months?" she asked them curiously when the boys were packing their favorite toys from the tavern in their room. Sophie was genuinely wondering if the tavern wascking anything and she wanted to make things right with the children. "Is there anything you wanted that you couldn''t find there?"
Luciel shrugged. He exchanged nces with Jan and then he said, "No, Mom. All was great. I don''t mind living anywhere as long as it''s with you. If you asked us to live in the pce, we''ll go with you. If you want us to go to Hastings, or anywhere, even Hauntingen, we''ll be happy too."
Jan seemed to understand their mother''s worry and he added, "There is nothingcking wherever we stay. We have nice homes. That''s why when you ask us to move, we''ll do it in a heartbeat. No questions asked."
"Oh¡" Sophie looked at her sons with teary eyes. She felt very blessed to have them in her life. Though she had experienced suffering after suffering, she thought everything she went through was worth it because she had them.
Sophie pulled both boys into a hug and cried silently.
***
The move was done very efficiently. Sophie and her children stayed in her old apartment in the royal pce, while her new ce was being prepared. After consulting Queen Marianne who managed to convince her to take residence on the second floor of the queen''s pce, finally, it was decided that the builders and designer would turn the whole second floor into Sophie''s dream home.
"I barely use the second floor because I am too old to climb stairs," said the old queen during tea where she convinced Sophie to ept her offer. "Better if you use it and have it remodeled ording to your liking. It''s been abandoned for a long time, and judging from how my son is doing now, I don''t think I''ll see any woman would take up residence there soon."
"Why?" Sophie asked innocently. Her mind was filled with thoughts about her children and her tavern that she didn''t think in that direction.
"Well..." Queen Marianne looked at Sophie with furrowed brows, surprised at the younger woman''s naivety... or was it intentional? Did Sophie pretend not to understand the king''s feelings for her?
The queen took a deep breath and then continued her words. "Nichs is a workaholic. He has always been like that. He hates socializing with the opposite gender because... I am sure this is my fault, because he doesn''t want to be associated with a woman."
The queen was embarrassed when she remembered how she pushed Nichs into epting the engagement with Karenina Verhoeven. She pretended to be gravely ill back then and, gosh... she must have caused her only son so many problems and headaches.
"Anyway..." the queen waved her hand awkwardly, trying to get rid of the unpleasant memory. "I believe he is still in love with you and it will need a long time and effort to get over you and find new love. I know my son. It might not happen in the near future."
Queen Marianne now didn''t bother to speak in riddles. Both Sophie and Nichs were adults and she should treat them as such. She wished Sophie would open her heart to Nichs and give him a second chance but she also understood if Sophie needed time. She was recently heartbroken and didn''t trust men. The fact that Nichs had gravely disappointed her in the past didn''t help Nichs'' case.
So, what everyone could do was wait. It''s a game of waiting. Would Sophie recover first and ept Nichs'' love... or would Nichs meet a new woman and finally get over Sophie?
Only time would tell.
Sophie lowered her face and squeezed her hands when she heard the queen''s words.
"I understand," she said.
"Good." The queen smiled. "Then you should ept the queen''s residence and make it your own. Regardless of whatever rtionship you have with my son now, the fact is you are the mother of the future king."
She added, "Twenty years from now on, Luciel or Jan will be the king. Nichs will dly step down from the throne and hand over power to either boy and he will live a quiet life in the countryside or he would travel. That''s what he likes. He is just like his father. As the mother of the future king, you are entitled to a good life in the pce. So, don''t even think that you don''t deserve it."
The queen sipped her wine gracefully and continued her words. "If not for all those reasons above, at least be kind to this old woman and give me something to be happy about. Having my grandchildren near me all the time will make me smile every day."
Sophie knew she couldn''t refute the queen''s words. She finally nodded. "I am grateful for Your Grace''s kindness. I will ept your offer."
With that, immediately the second floor of the queen''s pce was renovated ording to Sophie''s preference. She liked an open-nyout for her residence so she could spend a lot of time with her energetic children, especially when they were in their wolf forms.
The boys now had their own bedrooms. Jack and Anne shared a bedroom for the two of them next to Sophie''s room where she was staying with her youngest, whom she now called Leia.
In addition to the bedrooms, and lounge, Sophie also had a room for herself to be used as her study. That''s where she did her work with her tavern business and other stuff. She appreciated Nichs'' gesture to open his home for her and give her whatever he thought she needed. However, she was adamant about being financially independent, just in case.
Perhaps, Nichs would meet a new woman before Sophie''s heart recovered and he would fall in love. That would change the dynamic in their rtionship. Sophie promised herself that as soon as Nichs found a new love, she would step back and leave to avoid awkwardness between her and the new woman.
Nichs was kind to her and had always been so supportive. The next time it was her turn to support him to find his happiness, Sophie would do it in a heartbeat.
***
"I love summer," Sophiemented when she opened her wide hat and ced it on their pic mat. They finally attended the summer festival together, as a big family, and it was as nice as everyone expected it to be.
Nichs lookedfortable in hismoner''s outfit, and the same went with Sophie. Nichs wore a simple grey shirt and ck pants with a hat on his head. There was a sword hanging from his belt for self-defense, just in case, even though the king''s guards were all over them under disguise.
Nichs carried Leia because Sophie was tired and so he offered to take over. When Leia fell asleep in his arms, they didn''t have the heart to move her, worried that she would wake up. So, Nichs had been sitting on the pic mat without moving for almost one hour now.
Luciel and Jan were ying catch with Jack in the grassy field not far from where their parents were sitting and watching the festivities around them. Queen Marianne surprised herself because she didn''t feel ufortable wearing a simple dress and being surrounded by peasants. It was good.
The big park in the middle of the capital was used this time to hold the summer festival. Many people came to have a nice pic. Some merchants came with beautiful goods, food, and essories. The royal pce also provided many free souvenirs and food for the people as a gift from the king which the people weed happily.
Sophie was ying with Anne beside Nichs. She was happy to see Anne was getting healthier. The small and sickly pup had gained some weight and no longer looked so frail.
There were many families around them also having pics, but the royal family was kept within a safe distance from everyone by cing some scary-looking undercover knights that deterred people from getting closer to Nichs and Sophie. However, the couple''s good looks couldn''t be hidden, and even from afar, they attracted people''s attention.
"Is she still sleeping?" Sophie asked Nichs in a whisper when Anne yawned broadly and then nuzzled her snout on her thigh and got ready to take a nap. Leia was still sleeping with her mouth open, looking so adorable.
"Yes," Nichs whispered back. "Let her be."
"I am sorry," said Sophie apologetically. "Your arms must be numb by now."
Nichsughed without a sound, for fear he would wake the baby. Then he shook his head. "You''re underestimating me, Sophie. I am not that weak. This baby is as light as a feather."
Sophie smiled when she heard him. "Well.. if you are tired, just give her to me. I will carry her."
"It''s okay," Nichs replied. "I like carrying her."
Chapter 475 Three Years Later
Chapter 475 Three Years Later
Sophie smiled when she heard Nichs'' words. She could see how much the man doted on her children, even ones that were not his. She felt grateful for his graciousness for epting them all and not even making any difference in how he treated the children.
How long had Lnd gone? Sometimes, Sophie tried to ask Max to find news about Lnd - to see if he heard anything from among the lycanmunities. There was nothing.
She didn''t want to ask Nichs because she was embarrassed. Since she knew how he felt about her, Sophie wanted to respect his feelings by not discussing another man with him. While on Nichs'' side, he didn''t want to bring up the topic of Lnd whenever he was with Sophie because he didn''t want her to feel more hurt than she already did.
Where did Lnd go with Eloise and their child? Nichs was often wondering. He had sent spies to find more information, but other than the situation in Armeria, they couldn''t bring anything worthy to report.
Since he couldn''t find the info he wanted even after months of trying, Nichs finally decided to move on and focus on what he could control. Sophie''s and their children''s safety was now most important to him.
He was relieved and happy his mother convinced Sophie to take up residence in the queen''s pce. It would be easier for everyone. And one day, when things were good between them, and Sophie was willing to take him back, he would ask her to marry him in a public wedding and throw the biggest and best celebration in the kingdom, one that she deserved.
"You''re daydreaming." Sophie''sment moved Nichs from his reverie. The man turned to her and blinked several times. Sophie pointed at Leia whose eyes were wide open in Nichs'' arms and staring at the man angrily. Sophie whispered, "Leia is hungry."
"Oh.... I am sorry," Nichs chuckled. He looked down to the baby in his arms and kissed her hair. "You should have made a sound."
"She actually did," Sophiemented. "You were deep in thought. That''s how I got to realize she was awake and hungry. Please give her to me. I will nurse her in the carriage."
"Oh..." Nichs nodded. He gave Leia back to Sophie and noticed a little white pup near Sophie''s thigh was yawning with her eyes closed. Anne was still sleeping. "I will wait on Anne while you nurse Leia."
"Thanks," said Sophie. She took Leia in her arms and got up. Her every movement was graceful, and she looked charming. The king was never tired of seeing her around him.
Nichs looked at Sophie''s back view as she walked toward the carriage parked not far from their pic location with her hungry baby. His chest was filled with warmth to the brim. Sophie was so beautiful and charming. She just looked more attractive as days went by.
After she gave birth to Leia, she quickly shed her remaining weight, which Nichs suspected was due to her stress, and now she almost looked like her old self again.
The queen noticed Nichs'' dreamy eyes when he watched Sophie and could only sigh. How long would thisst, she was wondering.
***
Three yearster.
Sophie was all smiles. Today Anne and Jack would turn five, and as it was custom with all lycan children, by this age, they would gain the ability to shift into their human forms. Sophie couldn''t wait for this day toe. She had enjoyed watching Leia grow from a baby to a toddler and witnessing all her growth progress as a human.
The little girl was so beautiful, so charming, and she talked a lot. Sophie enjoyedmunicating with her about whatever. The teachers at the royal pce all agreed that Leia was really smart and was filled with curiosity. Being the only little girl in the royal family, she was the darling of everyone.
At 3.5 years old, her beauty stood out, and everyone thought she would grow up to be even more beautiful than her mother, Sophie. Leia inherited Sophie''s looks. She had Sophie''s soft hair with pink streaks. Her eyes were mesmerizing blue, and her really beautiful face had freckles on her cheeks that made her look naughty.
Now, Sophie couldn''t wait to see what her older daughter would look like after Anne transformed into a human. At this point, Anne and Jack already looked very different. Jack was huge and burly, and almost as biggest as Jan and Luciel when they transformed into their wolf forms, while Anne was small, cute, and frail, only half of Jack''s size.
"After dinner, we will stay together by the firece and wait until you both turn five and transform," Sophie informed the pups after shebed their furs gently and kissed their heads. "I can''t wait to see you both in your human forms."
Leia, who was standing beside Sophie, pursed her lips. She was the only one who was born human among her siblings, and she was jealous to see Jan and Luciel could transform into wolves as they pleased, and now Anne and Jack could transform into humans. She had asked her mother when was her turn but Sophie informed her that she couldn''t.
This made Leia upset for days, but then she got over it. However, now that the day came for Anne and Jack to shift, she was reminded again that she was not special like her siblings. This made her pout.
"Let''s go to dinner, grandma and His Majesty must be waiting for us already," said Sophie. She got up and walked to the door. Anne and Jack followed her while Leia walked between them.
When Sophie and her children arrived in the dining room, she could see the queen and Nichs were waiting for them with a ss of wine in their hands. Luciel and Jan cameter, looking tired and bored. They just finished their study and immediately went to the dining room.
"Such a big day today," said Sophie excitedly. "I already prepare so many nice clothes for Jack and Anne. I hope they will fit."
Nichs smiled. She looked at the two pups with adoration and nodded. "I can''t wait too. They must look beautiful."
Jack bared his fangs and rolled his eyes when he heard Nichs'' words. The king immediately corrected hisment and said, "No, I mean, Anne must look beautiful and Jack handsome."
Then he winked at the boy. Jack scoffed.
Nichs wanted tough out loud, but he held back. Even after four years together, Jack still managed to keep showing his animosity toward Nichs. Fortunately, Nichs was not bothered by it because he knew that secretly Jack liked him but, for some reason, felt the need to keep acting like he didn''t like the king.
Maybe it was Jack''s way of showing his loyalty to his biological father? Nichs didn''t know, and to him, it didn''t matter.
Sophie onlyughed at the two''s interaction. She had gotten used to the animosity shown by Jack to Nichs, and she had stopped worrying about it. She also realized that it had now be some sort of a running joke between Nichs and Jack. The boy would pretend to hate him and everything he did, and Nichs would pretend to notice it.
"How is school?" Sophie asked the older boys who looked tired and uninspired.
"Bad," Jan replied, on Luciel''s behalf. "This week, we have examinations. We need to study more."
"Well... I am sorry to hear that," said Sophie. "But education is very important for young people. I would do anything when I was your age to be allowed to school."
"Yeah, I don''t mind school," said Luciel, pursing his lips. "But we have private teachers. It''s boring to see the same teachers every day for four years in a row. I want to see other people and meet children my age. I wish we are allowed to go to school outside the pce."
Sophie and Nichs exchanged nces. Both parents knew this was not ideal for children their age to study with private teachers. They needed to have more friends and study with their peers, so they could hone their social skills, and learned from the world.
However, after what happened to their family over the years, and the fact that someone could pose as fake Catherine to get close to them for months, Sophie and Nichs was worried about the children''s safety. They wanted to keep the boys close to them at all times.
So, sending them to school was not something they could choose.
Maybe... they could hold some parties and invite children from outside to meet the boys? That was something that they could do, right?
"Tell you what," Nichs suddenly said. "We will think about that. Maybe after Anne and Jack transform, they could also go to school with you two."
Sophie was surprised to hear his words.
Chapter 476 The Transformation (1)
Chapter 476 The Transformation (1)
"Why did you promise something like that?" Sophie whispered to Nichs disapprovingly. She was always paranoid when it came to her children''s safety. She wanted the children to have friends their age, but she didn''t want topromise their security.
Maybe after they were older and bigger... it would be okay. Right now, Luciel and Jan were almost twelve. They grew up to be two handsome teenagers, but they were still not old enough to be let out in the world.
"It''s time," said Nichs patiently. "We cannot always keep them at home. They need to go out and see the world. I promise I will make sure they will be safe. If needed, I will go with them myself."
Nichs was an Alpha, and even though he didn''t train with other lycans to keep his physical strength, he did quite a lot to maintain his energy and speed by taking the children hunting once a week and spending time outside in nature.
He wanted the boys to grow up strong even though they were not in any packs. As rogues, it was more important for them to be formidable so they couldn''t be bullied by other lycans. They needed to be able to defend themselves.
After doing that for many years, Nichs could see that Luciel and Jan, and even Jack, the younger one, were ready to face the world. He wanted to take them traveling with him to other parts of Riga so they could learn firsthand how they could rule a kingdom and get to know the people as well.
That''s why he thought they could do it after Jack gained his ability to transform so that they could go together without having to worry about a wolf pup who couldn''t hide among humans.
"Are you sure?" Sophie asked again. She looked at the older sons worriedly.
"I am sure," said Nichs. "I n to take them to visit all the duchies and districts under Riga to get to know the area and the people. And if they findpanions from among the youths in those areas, I will invite them toe to the capital to study with Luciel and Jan. That way, they could go to school safely and have friends their age."
He added, "I think it''s also important for them to get to know and befriend those young noblemen because in the future, Luciel or Jan will be king, and those youths would be their subjects."
Sophie realized Nichs had a good point. She finally, reluctantly, nodded. "Okay, if you think so."
Luciel and Jan exchanged nces when they heard their parents'' conversation. As they grew older, they started to understand more about matters of the heart, and they could now see their parents'' rtionship from a different perspective.
Deep inside, they just wished Sophie would get back together with Nichs. Seeing so much love filled Nichs'' eyes every time he looked at Sophie, while the woman didn''t seem to notice it made the boys feel so sorry for their father.
How long would this continue? It''s been years, and they didn''t want their parents to getfortable with this condition. Nichs must not forget that he wanted this woman to be his wife again. And Sophie must realize that there was nothing to lose if she would just ept Nichs back.
They already lived as a family anyway. Except for sharing a bed as husband and wife, the king and Sophie acted as family and parents to five young children. Since Nichs never differentiated his treatment for Sophie''s children that were not biologically his, everyone had seen the other three as his own too.
Sophie must not get toofortable being a single independent woman, both boys thought in unison. She had a good ie because her business was running well.
She even bought the property next to her tavern and converted it into an inn. So, now, she had a tavern and a bigger inn that amodated guests and patrons alike. They were quite popr and brought in good money for her.
At this rate, Sophie might never want to be someone''s wife again, even to a king. This worried the boys greatly.
The family had dinner and then stayed together for several more hours to witness the moment when Jack and Anne transformed for the first time.
"Mommy... why can''t I transform?" Leia was pouting and nagging at Sophie when she was gently rubbing Anne''s fur. Sophie had a beautiful silk dress ready on her right for Anne when she shifted into a human.
Sophie turned to her youngest child and sighed. She had exined this several times in the past, and she thought Leia had understood, buttely, she kept repeating the same question, not caring if she already knew the answer. She acted as if she didn''t know the truth, then the reality could be different for her.
"We are just different," said Sophie patiently. "I also cannot shift. We don''t have enough lycan genes in our bodies. I am sorry, baby... but that''s what happened."
Leia looked unhappy. Her chubby cheeks were puffed in annoyance which made her look even more adorable.
"Why do you want to shift so much?" Nichs asked her patiently. "It''s inconvenient. You are naked when you transform, and it''s a hassle to bring clothes with you if you want to shift into human again. I didn''t want to be a lycan in the beginning. I did everything I could to get rid of the lycanthropy that I..."
He halted his words. Gosh... even after twelve years, he still couldn''t get over that regret over his decision to leave Sophie to cure himself of Lycanthrophy.
"I want to be faster and stronger," Leia said with pursed lips. "Daddy, you are dumb for trying to get rid of the lycanthropy. I would never do that if I were you."
Nichs coughed violently when he heard Leia''s words. The little girl was so smart and spoke in full sentences. Of course, now he agreed with her, but Nichs from twelve years ago was dumber than a three-year-old girl.
"I was not as smart of you, baby girl," said Nichs apologetically. "I wish I could turn back time. I would embrace my condition and be grateful for what I have."
He nced at Sophie and held his breath. Sophie knew how he felt, and they had made peace about what happened twelve years ago when he left her unintentionally. She said she had forgiven him. But maybe she hadn''t forgotten it...
"Wait... if you were smart back then, mother would never marry my father, and I would never have been born," suddenly Leia spoke again. Her face became red. Then, her brows furrowed as something suddenly crossed her mind. "Wait...! Maybe I would still be born, and you would be my real father."
This time it was Sophie''s turn to cough. She often felt grateful for her youngest''s intelligence, but there were times like this when Leia would say unexpected things and make the situation ufortable.
Sophie wondered who Leia took after in this regard. Appearance-wise, Leia looked so much like her, but her feisty personality and intelligence looked more like her mother, Anne.
Ahh... maybe Leia took after her grandmother? Too bad she was not a lycan like Anne. Leia would be so happy to bepared to her grandmother.
"Awwooooo!!!"
Before anyone could say anything else, Jack suddenly became restless. He started rolling on the ground and rubbed his head with his paws.
"The fur must feel itchy to him," Nichsmented. "It''s about time for him to shift."
Immediately, everyone paid full attention to Jack and Anne. Both pups let out growls and crouched down on the ground. Sophie''s heart was pounding with excitement. This reminded her of the moment from seven years ago when Luciel and Jack first shifted.
She fell in love at first sight with her boys when she saw them as humans. They were exactly as she thought they would look. Their wolf forms were so beautiful, and their human forms were even better. Now, her sons had grown up to be two handsome young princes, and they looked so much like Nichs.
Now, she couldn''t wait to see Jack and Anne.
The two pups growled several times and then rolled to the ground. And soon, the transformation that Sophie was waiting for was happening before her very eyes.
"Gosh..." She pressed her lips in amazement and gasped. The big wolf pup slowly transformed into a beautiful young boy with long white hair and glowing blue eyes. He was really, really handsome. He was even more handsome than his father, Lnd.
"Mom...." Jack let out his first word as a human, and it was to call his mother. His voice was hoarse for a boy. And when he got up, he looked much bigger than an average five-year-old human child.
"Jack!!" Sophie shrieked. She hugged Jack tightly and kissed his hair. "I am so happy to see you."
Chapter 477 The Transformation (2)
Chapter 477 The Transformation (2)
Sophie hugged Jack so tightly that the big boy felt squeezed. He pouted his lips andined that he couldn''t breathe.
"Gosh... I am so sorry," said Sophie apologetically. She chuckled and let go of Jack from her embrace. She took a good look at the boy, and suddenly, her eyes were brimming with tears.
Jack was truly Lnd''s copycat. The boy looked like the mini and more adorable version of Lnd. his body type, his hair, his face, and his eyes, all reminded her of her mate.
Gosh... this made Sophie miss him so badly.
Even though she felt hurt by his action and she had tried to move on from him over the years, she thought about him often and missed him. It now felt like a one-sided love story because she was still in love with the man who had abandoned her and left without a trace.
Sophie often scolded herself for being this way. She kept telling herself that loving and missing Lnd was like inflicting wounds on herself. However, she couldn''t help it. When it came to matters of the heart, it was stubborn. What her mind wanted and what her heart wanted sometimes didn''t match.
"Mommy...." Sophie was moved from her reverie by the sweetest voice she had ever heard. She batted her eyes and pulled herself together. She had been thinking about Lnd again just because she saw Jack''s human form. Gosh... she missed the man so badly that her chest felt literal pain.
To her right, a small, frail, and adorable little girl sat and looked up at her with her big round eyes. Anne had shifted too. Surprisingly, she had sparkling grey eyes that looked like silver, different from her wolf eyes.
Her white hair was long and soft, flowing down to her back like a waterfall. She looked like a gentle celestial being. Sophie couldn''t believe she had given birth to this little one. Now, even Leia seemed pale inparison, and she was the cutest little girl in the whole capital of Riga.
"Anne!!" Sophie gasped. She immediately hugged her daughter tightly and cried. She felt so, so relieved and happy that she got to see Anne shift into her human form. For so many years, Sophie had worked so hard to protect her frail baby, so she could survive and grow together with Jack.
So many sleepless nights and hard work to take care of her when she was ill. It was all worth it. Now, Sophie got to see her baby as a human and talked to her.
"I love you so much!" she whispered. "I am so d to see you."
Anne hugged Sophie back and closed her eyes, her lips were smiling.
"Hi, mommy," she said softly.
"Oh my..." Sophie wiped her eyes and hastily took out the clothes she had prepared for her children. "Jack and Anne, you must wear human clothes when you are in your human forms. Humans don''t walk around naked."
She helped Anne wear her outfit, while Jack insisted that he could do it by himself, since he was a big boy. However, he failed miserably when he tried to wear his shirt sleeves on his legs. Finally, Luciel helped him.
"Ahh... you look so good!" Sophie gushed at her children. Anne and Jack were really adorable. She knew she loved them so much even before they met as humans, but now she felt like her love for them was overflowing. "So pretty."
Sophie had never felt so happy in her life, being surrounded by her children like this, and she couldmunicate with all of them. After Jack and Anne wore human clothes, they, too, looked like the prince and princess of Riga.
Nichs was very happy for Sophie. He could alreadymunicate with the children in their lycannguage. So, for him, there was no difference if the kids transformed or not. However, he could understand Sophie''s desire to get a deeper connection with her children in the form of sharednguage.
"What does it feel to walk with two legs?" Luciel asked Jack. "It''s great, isn''t it? Your vision bes higher now that you can stand tall."
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
He tried to move with his two legs, but it was not too easy to do because walking with two feet was not his nature. He was used to walking with all four limbs ever since he was born, and now he needed to practice using only two.
Sophie patiently taught her children to walk, and she eagerly talked to them about whatever. She couldn''t have enough of hearing their sweet voices. Only when Leia fell asleep on herp did Sophie remember that the night was already veryte and the children needed to sleep.
"Gosh, It''s reallyte now. You should all go to bed," she ordered them. "Let''s continue tomorrow at breakfast."
Luciel and Jan kissed her and then bid the rest good night. Sophie wanted to get up so she could take Anne to her bedroom and read a bedtime story for her and Jack before the two slept. However, her youngest one was already sleeping soundly on herp.
"Let me take her," said Nichs. He motioned to the sleeping Leia. "I will take her to bed. You can go with Anne and Jack."
"Oh, well.. then thank you," Sophie smiled. She let Nichs bend down and picked up Leia gently from herp.
"Good night, Anne, and Jack. Sleep well," said Nichs to the older siblings. He rubbed Anne''s hair and patted Jack''s shoulder. "See you tomorrow morning. Oh, and congrattions on your transformation."
"Good night, Daddy," Anne said in an almost inaudible voice. Her face looked shy when she called Nichs ''daddy''.
This made Nichs halt his movement. He turned and looked at the little girl for a moment, then a big smile appeared on his handsome face. "See you tomorrow."
Leia had been calling him ''daddy'' since she could talk because she was copying her older brothers, Luciel and Jan, who called Nichs as their daddy. Initially, Sophie felt awkward about the situation since Leia was not Nichs'' child. However, since Nichs was so casual about it, she finally let Leia call him ''daddy''.
Leia didn''t have her biological father around, and she had zero memories of Lnd, unlike Jack and Anne, who were born when Lnd and Sophie were together and had a great rtionship. They also had spent time with him and knew who he was.
For Leia, there had only been Daddy Nic from the beginning. So, she considered him her father. Deep inside, Nichs hoped Lnd would note and im his youngest daughter because, at this point, Nichs had loved Leia so much that he couldn''t imagine having the girl taken away from him someday when Lnd returned... if he ever would.
And now... Anne also called him ''Daddy''?
Nichs couldn''t ask for a better gift in his life.
Sophie observed the scene with a fluttering heart. That was all she had ever wanted all this time, to see everyone she loved, her family, be good to each other, and have a loving rtionship.
Jack still rolled his eyes and pretended not to see Nichs when he grabbed his twin''s hand and walked with her out of the room. He would stay in Anne''s room for their bedtime story, and then he would go to his own room. This routine was his favorite time of the day.
Sophie and Nichs exchanged nces and then smiled.
"He is very consistent," Nichsmented with a chuckle.
"You know he doesn''t hate you," said Sophie. "He is just a grumpy boy. That''s why he always looks that way."
"Don''t worry, Sophie. I never take it to heart," said Nichs lightly. "Very well. I will take this baby girl to her room and meet youter in Anne''s room."
"Aren''t you going to sleep?" Sophie asked. "It''s almost 1 am."
"No," said Nichs. "I don''t feel like sleeping. My heart is full, and I am feeling inspired. Would you like to have a drink with me after you read Anne and Jack their bedtime story?"
Sophie thought Nichs'' behavior was unusual. Did something happen?
"I mean, if you are sleepy and want to hit the sack now, I totally understand," said Nichs. "However, if you are down for a ss of wine or lycan ale, I would love to have yourpany."
Sophie thought about it and realized she had not gone drinking for fun for a long time already. It would be nice to spend time with Nichs tonight and see what he wanted to talk about.
"Sure," she said. "Where do you want to drink?"
"No need to go and find me. I will juste to Anne''s room to get you," Nichs said.
"Well, then... see youter." Sophie nodded her head to Nichs and then took her leave. Nichs looked at Sophie''s back view longingly, while carrying Leia in his arms. And then he smiled sweetly.
Sophie went to Anne''s room and found the twins happily chatting in their human voices. It seemed they were still fascinated by the new appearances and new voices they had.
Chapter 478 Nicholas’ Proposal (1)
Chapter 478 Nichs'' Proposal (1)
After Sophie read the bedtime story for Anne and Jack, she realized her son was already sleeping on the bed with his mouth wide open. His big body dominated the bed that was meant for one person and pushed the petite Anne almost to the edge of the bed. This sight made Sophie shake her head.
She thought Jack was adorable. His personality came out more prominently now that he could express his feelings with facial expressions and words.
"Gosh, Jack... you shouldn''t have taken that much space. Now your sister can''t sleep," said Sophie with a click of her tongue. She wanted to nudge Jack to wake up and move to his own bedroom, but Anne opened her eyes and sleepily held Sophie''s hand.
Sophie was surprised to see her daughter awake. "Why aren''t you sleeping?"
Anne yawned and said softly, "I was sleeping, but I felt squeezed."
"I''ll wake him up so you can have the space to sleep," said Sophie.
"I am awake," Anne replied. "I will just move to his room. Let''s not wake him up."
"Oh, that can work too," said Sophie, admiring her daughter''s wisdom.
Anne was serious, intelligent, and wise. What Jack had better than other children in physical appearance, Anne kept up with her intelligence. Sophie believed they bothplement each other perfectly.
Sophie helped Anne get down from her bed and took her to Jack''s bedroom. After she made sure both Anne and Jack were sleeping well, she went to Luciel''s and Jan''s rooms, respectively. Both boys were sleeping soundly. They looked tired after the long day and the exams.
She kissed them all in the forehead before she left their rooms and went to find Nichs. The king was standing in front of Anne''s door when Sophie found him.
"I thought you were still inside," Nichsmented when he saw Sophie.
"I was reading them bedtime stories, and then Jack fell asleep," said Sophie. "He took all the space on Anne''s bed, and so I had to move Anne to his room."
"Ah, I see..." Nichs'' face was decorated with a relieved smile. "I thought you wanted to avoid me since I was asking you to have a drink with me tonight. I would understand that."
Sophie rolled her eyes when she heard him and hit him on the shoulder. "Of course not. I was actually looking for you to ask for that drink."
"It''s in my study. Come," said Nichs, reaching out his hand to Sophie.
The woman looked at his hand and thought about what she should do. This was the first time Nichs openly wanted to hold her hand. His expression and his gesture all looked casual and carefree. He didn''t seem awkward or have any particr thoughts when he reached out his hand to her.
So, Sophie decided to do the same thing. She took his hand and held it. They had been living together as a family for many years now, and all this time, Nichs had always been respectful and polite. He never hid his feelings and affection for her, but he was careful not to make things awkward or make her feel ufortable. Sophie really appreciated him for that.
Nichs grinned when he and Sophie walked hand in hand toward his study. It had the best view of the pcepound, and he loved spending his personal time there. Having Sophie there with a ss of wine would make his night perfect.
"How was Leia?" Sophie asked. She forgot to check her youngest child because her mind was distracted by Nichs'' appearance in front of Anne''s room.
"Oh, she is fine. She made me sing her luby five times before she slept," said Nichs lightheartedly. "She is sleeping well now. Don''t worry."
"Ah, I see." Sophie chuckled. "Sorry for bothering you. Leia can be demanding."
"That''s not demanding," said Nichs. "I love spending time with her. Ever since she was born, she has been like a daughter to me."
Nichs wanted to remind Sophie that Leia called him ''daddy'', but he realized it was not necessary. Sophie had nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I can see that."
They had arrived in his study, and Nichs opened the door for Sophie. He moved a chair for her and motioned her to sit. He opened the floor-to-ceiling windows and let the night breeze enter. From this side, they could see the garden that was showered with moonlight outside.
"Wine?" Nichs raised a jug from his cab and two sses. Sophie nodded. So the king poured wine for both of them and gave one ss to Sophie. "This is to celebrate Jack''s and Anne''s transformations."
"Cheers!" said Sophie, raising her ss. Even though it was reallyte, she was not sleepy. Her mind was filled with excitement after witnessing all her children now had their human forms. So, she weed Nichs'' invitation to celebrate it in private.
She still didn''t have other friends. Other than Lily Moonchester, who would visit the capital several times a year, Sophie didn''t have female friends. She also was not close to any males... except Nichs, of course.
Max was the only other male who was kind of close to her because Max worked for her. Sophie already considered the lycan like her younger brother, but even so, she couldn''t share personal thoughts with him. They were not that close.
Only with Nichs, could she have a connection where she feltfortable sharing her ns and wants and also her feelings. Nichs would do the same. After they refined their co-parenting rtionship, friendship came naturally to them.
Now, Sophie could confidently say that Nichs was her best friend. She feltfortable being around him, and everyone knew it. That''s why Sophie didn''t feel awkward being here, in the king''s study, at 1.30 in the morning, talking with him over a ss of wine.
"Sophie..."
Nichs put down his ss and looked at Sophie seriously.
"Hm?" Sophie looked at the man, still holding her ss in her hand. She realized Nichs'' tone sounded quite serious. "Yes?"
Nichs took a deep breath to gather his courage. And then he told her what he had been thinking all these years.
"It''s been four years," he said. His eyes were fixed on hers. "Are you still waiting for Lnd?"
"Huh?" Sophie furrowed her brows. "Why did you ask that? I am not waiting for Lnd."
"I asked that question because I wanted to know the answer," said Nichs truthfully. "Do you still think about him?"
Sophie looked at Nichs deeply. She could see so much love fill his eyes every time they looked at her.
She lowered her head. Then she answered him honestly, "Sometimes."
"It''s understandable." Nichs nodded. "He is the father of your children. You are bound to think about him whenever you see your kids with him."
Sophie didn''t say anything. Nichs was right. However, she didn''t want to discuss Lnd and her feelings for him. Four years had passed and more, and there were still no signs of Lnd anywhere. Thest news she heard about him actually made her upset, and she cried for days in silence.
She only found out two years ago that Lnd and Eloise had a child together. It was a male lycan pup who would inherit the throne of Armeria as well as the Obsidian Sand Pack. Everyone said the pup looked so much like Lnd.
After she heard about the news, Sophie didn''t want to think about Lnd even one bit, and she managed to numb her feelings by keeping herself busy. So, after two years, if Nichs asked her if she still had a love for Lnd, Sophie could say she didn''t.
She just wanted to get over everything and focus on her children and their new life together.
"I don''t think of him whenever I see my kids," said Sophie firmly. "It''s not like that."
Nichs was very happy to hear that. That''s what he expected too. After four years of carefully watching Sophie and trying to get close to her in ways that she wouldn''t feel ufortable with, he could now feel confident that his rtionship with Sophie was solid. They were good friends, and they cared a lot about each other.
Now, after four years... he finally felt that it was time.
"Sophie, marry me," Nichs said suddenly. He looked at her with a glint in his eyes, and his expression was very serious. "Unless you still love Lnd and want to wait for him forever... I want you to think about us and the children. I promise to do whatever is within my power to make you happy, to protect you, to put your happiness over everything, and to love and care for you until my dying breath."
Nichs wanted to be romantic and took her somewhere beautiful and waited to pop the question. However, he was touched by the wonderful family moment they had shared together earlier, and he couldn''t wait any longer. If Sophie truly didn''t have any objection, why not formalize their rtionship in marriage again?
"Huh?" Sophie was surprised by the sudden proposal. "What did you say?"
"Marry me," Nichs repeated his words.
Chapter 479 Nicholas’ Proposal (2)
Chapter 479 Nichs'' Proposal (2)
Sophie batted her eyes when she heard Nichs'' proposal. She was caught off guard because he did it when she didn''t expect it. After years of living together in the pce, raising the children together, and basically acted as family without the title of husband and wife and never being intimate with each other, she had gotten so used to Nichs'' presence around her.
In the beginning, she thought Nichs would try to get back together with her under the excuse that the children needed a father after Lnd left and she needed his protection. However, he didn''t do it.
He mentioned stuff like that in passing, that he missed the old days when they lived in ckwoods, orments here and there referring to Anne or Leia as his daughters when he talked about the children in front of other people. However, it was never unpleasant or forced. He made it casual and lighthearted.
After a while, Sophie got used to them and she never felt worried that she would have to reciprocate his feelings or consider marrying him again. Recently, when she did a reflection on their rtionship, she did feel curious to know if Nichs had truly given up on trying to get her back. He had stopped any mention of it, and their lives went on peacefully.
"Why... why all of a sudden?" Sophie asked with a trembling voice. "You surprise me."
"Sudden?" Nichs looked at Sophie with furrowed brows. "I''ve waited for many years to gather my courage to ask you this question. It''s not something I do out of impulse."
"Oh..." Sophie didn''t know how to exin to Nichs that. in her opinion, THIS seemed to be done out of impulse. She asked, "Don''t people usually prepare when they want to propose to a woman for marriage?"
Nichs scratched his head that was not itchy. He chuckled and looked at Sophie with a yful glint in his eyes. He asked her, "Do you remember when I proposed to you the first time?"
Sophie''s face instantly turned red. Gosh... she did remember, even though it was more than twelve years ago.
They had sex for the first time. It was beautiful and the first for either of them. Nichs woke up early, and he immediately thought to himself that he wanted to marry Sophie. So, he cooked and cleaned her hut before she woke up, and when she did, he suddenly popped the question. At that point, they had only been together for weeks.
After their first lovemaking, Nichs just knew that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. However, he realized that his father would never allow her to marry Sophie, and his mother was too weak to oppose the king openly. So, Nichs had to take that drastic measure to ensure that his family had no choice but to ept Sophie.
That''s why he decided to marry her as soon as possible. Not only because of that reason, but he also truly and sincerely loved her. She was his first love, his childhood crush, and he felt blessed to be reunited with her again after they were grown up.
Nichs actually took it as a sign that fate was giving him a second chance to return Sophie''s kindness after the girl helped nurse him back to health when they were little. Now that they met again in different circumstances, where he was the prince, and she was a poor orphan abused by her rtives, Nichs wanted to get her out of her abusive family and live a good life with him.
Unfortunately, he lost that chance after he made a stupid decision, being young and rash. He regretted it for many years after his memory returned, and he thought the universe would never give him another chance to be with her. He had to settle with being just a co-parent and watch Sophie live a happy life with another man.
Even after Lnd was gone from the picture, Nichs didn''t want to force his way in. He waited patiently and tried to always be there for her until maybe someday the right moment came again, and he could seize the opportunity to get her back.
And after years of being patient and supportive, Nichs decided it was time to make his intention known and asked Sophie to marry him again. Worst case, she would just say no. And that''s fine.
He would just try again when another opportunity presented itself.
"I admit that, at that time, I rushed to marry you because I wanted to force my family to ept our rtionship," said Nichs. "I know my father, and he would not allow me to marry down. He was forced to marry my mother because it was his duty as the king of this kingdom. If he made that sacrifice, he would make sure that I followed in his footsteps and married a woman that my family chose for me. My father... was selfish. If he wasn''t happy in his marriage, then why should I be happy? I am sure that''s how his mind worked."
He sighed and continued his words. "The rest, you already know."
Sophie nodded faintly. She and Nichs once had this conversation to clear up everything between them. Then, Nichs apologized to her verbally for what happened in the past. He took ownership of his bad decision-making and the fact that he left her suffering and alone, with two children under her care.
Sophie had also forgiven him for that, and both wereter healing from that experience. Now that she knew who he was and what he went through as a child, she was so understanding and supportive. Never once she med Nichs for wanting to cure his lycanthropy and, at that moment, made the wrong decision that led to her being left all alone.
"I understand," said Sophie. She lowered her face and smiled faintly. The memories of that day when Nichs proposed to her for the first time and immediately prepared for their wedding, returned to her mind, and she couldn''t help but smile when she reyed the moment in her heart.
They were so young and so in love.
Sophie remembered her teenage self loved the man so deeply. If she was asked about it now, she would say that her love for Nic never died. It just changed form. Now that they were older, she loved him with the maturity of two adults who had experienced so much in life together. It was different from the puppy love of a teenager she had back then.
"I just realized that you were impulsive back then, too," said Sophie. "Ahaha... you surprised me with that proposal. I just woke up and was still flustered after the experience from the night before."
"I thought about doing it properly this time, you know, to propose to you, with candles and flowers and whatnot, but I was too impatient today," Nichs admitted. "I am sorry... if this disappointed you."
Sophie pressed her lips with her hand and shook her head. "Not at all. I am not disappointed. I was just... surprised. That is all."
"Ahh..." Nichs was happy to see no obvious rejection from Sophie at this moment. If she showed a disgusted or ufortable expression on her beautiful face, Nichs would know that Sophie was really against the idea of marrying him. However, he didn''t see any of those negative emotions in her. So... did this mean... she would consider it?
"So....? After you got over the surprise... what does your little heart tell you?" Nichs asked her.
Even though his expression was yful and his demeanor showed calmness, the truth was Nichs''s heart was trembling, and he was nervous about Sophie''s answer.
Would she say yes?
Or not?
Sophie was silent. She had thought about this moment for a long time. Should she open the door to Nichs to enter her life in a more intimate manner?
She was not perfect and had a lot of shorings too. And she would be lying if she said she didn''t need a man in her life. She felt good about what she had and her aplishments. She was no longer a poor and pitiful young woman. She could support herself and her children if she chose to.
However, here was the man who was her first love, the father of her children; at least four of them looked up to him as their father figure, and this man had proved himself to be loyal and supportive throughout everything she went through in life.
Yes, she could live alone until herst days on earth, but sharing it with someone was not bad too, right?
At this point, Sophie didn''t see the downside in epting Nichs'' offer to marry him. If anything, the only change would just be the fact that they could sleep together as husband and wife. Nothing else would change since Nichs had taken the role of the protector of her family and the father to her children.
And if she wanted to be honest with herself, she missed those warm nights she spent in the loving embrace of a man.
Chapter 480 Uh... Did You Say Yes?
Chapter 480 Uh... Did You Say Yes?
What did her little heart tell her?
Sophie already knew the answer. She looked at the handsome man before her, who stood fixedly in his ce, with eyes looking at her with longing, love, nervousness, and hope.
She thought he looked adorable. All the lines on his face showed a mature man with wisdom and knowledge. He was handsome, and he was good-natured. His warm and happy personality always managed to make her days better, even during her lowest points. Having known him all these years, Sophie realized Nichs was a really good man.
Her little heart told her that she had always loved the man and was impressed by his character development. From a happy-go-lucky young man who wanted nothing to do with the throne and lived free outside the pce walls, skipping sses and going on adventures, Nichs took on the responsibility to rule the kingdom as well as he could.
He worked hard to promote peace between humans and lycan to make Riga a safe ce for his children. He hated his life when he was young and didn''t want to be a lycan because the humans considered lycans as monsters and outcasted or even killed anyone inflicted by lycanthropy. He didn''t want that to happen to Luciel and Jan.
He was always there for Sophie and the children. He was a good son who always tried to make his mother happy. He was also a good father, not only to his biological sons but also to other children that Sophie had with Lnd.
Nichs was respectful, and he kept his distance from Sophie, not too far so he could still protect her and support her, but not too close to make her feel awkward and suffocated. Heughed a lot, he worked hard, he was loyal, and not ever once did Sophie see him giving another woman an ambiguous nce or attitude.
He was firm and clear in his stance that he was not looking for a wife when those people from the high nobility came with their beautiful daughters, hoping that the king would consider them to be his wife, the queen of Riga.
Never.
Subtly but nicely, he made it known that he had only had feelings for the mother of his sons, Lady Sophia Hansley, who was now staying in the pce under his protection.
No one was allowed to make any hurtfulments regarding Sophie''s status and her children. People who tried, in the beginning, had to face the consequences of being stripped of their titles or fined a lot of money. Mocking or ndering the mother of the future king was now a criminal offense punishable by jail and a hefty fine.
Initially, Sophie thought it was excessive, and she was worried people would only hate her more if they knew the king was harsh on people who gossiped about her.
However, after it was enforced, she had never felt such peace before, and she was grateful because the king had taken a firm stance on the situation. She realized Nichs knew when he should be strict and when he could be rxed. He just knew what to do in every situation.
This made her feel at ease and knew she could always depend on him.
He didn''t have to go all out for her since she was no longer his wife, and she had been ''rejecting'' him for years, yet he still did. That''s when Sophie knew Nichs was sincere and that his kindness to her was not conditional.
Where could she find a better man than this?
She knew she would not find another man like Nichs even if she would go to the ends of the world to search.
Sophie smiled and chuckled, seeing how serious Nichs looked. She touched his big hand and wrapped it with both of hers. Her voice was gentle when she said, "Yes."
Nichs tilted his head to hear her better. He thought he had heard her answer, but he was not sure because it was only one word, and he was not sure it was really the word ''yes''.
"Uh... did you say yes?" He asked her with a pale face, hoping she would nod and say yes again. If not, he would be embarrassed.
Sophie rolled her eyes. She pulled her hands away from his and crossed them on her chest. "I was holding your hand. Do you think my answer would be a no?"
She pretended to be angry and pursed her lips, but Nichs knew she didn''t mean it. The man patted his chest and let out a long sigh, looking relieved. He then rubbed his temple and let out nervousughter.
"Gosh... I just wanted to make sure I didn''t mishear..." he smiled from ear to ear and pulled her into his embrace. "I love you, Sophie. Always."
He was so overjoyed that his happiness spread and Sophie felt like the room was filled with so much warmth and light. She was happy too. Having someone so good and loving on her side was the only thing she needed in life right now.
"I love you too, Nic," said Sophie softly. She hugged him tightly on the waist. "Thank you for being you."
Nichs was now 32, but his heart was racing like he was 20 again when he hugged Sophie for the first time, and then kissed her, and then made love to her. It was like having a thousand small butterflies roaming his stomach, and made him feel giddy and excited.
"I love you so much," he said before he swooped in for a kiss. His hands supported her head, and his lips kissed hers passionately. He had never been intimate with anyone else, just her, and after holding back for so many years, all his passion and desire were now overflowing.
He kissed her hungrily, and his hands slowly went down to her back, her lower back, and then stopped at her waist. He squeezed her waist, holding back from tracing her curves down to her butt. He shouldn''t make her feel ufortable by taking things too fast.
No matter how much he wanted to lift her up and carry her in his arms to his bedroom and make love to her until morning came, Nichs stopped himself. A kiss was more than enough after suffering for years the pain of watching her from afar and not being able to touch her. A kiss was all he needed right now.
Sophie was surprised by the kiss. Nichs bit and sucked her lips hungrily. He was like a kid who had not eaten for months and was finally given food. He was voracious. His tongue slid through the small opening between her lips and roamed her mouth.
It twisted, licked, and sucked her lips and tongue and made her almost out of breath. However, before she could protest, he moved back and gave her the opportunity to breathe. And then he would attack her again.
How did his kiss get so much better? Sophie was wondering. She enjoyed the union of their bodies and the passionate kiss they were having. She missed him too, and she missed the warmth of a man on her bed. So many lonely nights were spent crying in silence, and she numbed her feelings so she would be strong for her children.
However, it was tiring after she had done it for years. There were times now when she just wanted to be weak, spoiled, and vulnerable without having to worry about anything.
She moved up her hands and wrapped them around his neck so she could kiss him better. When Sophie bit his lips and sucked his tongue, Nichs'' heart palpitated. The kiss had be too hot, and he knew it would be difficult to hold himself back if this continued.
So, he reluctantly stepped back and ended the kiss. His hands were still on her waist, and he looked at her longingly. His eyes were suffering. They were filled with desire and lust, but he knew he had to stop.
"Thank you... for giving me... a second chance..." he said with a hoarse voice. "I promise you... I will not disappoint you again... Sophia Hansley..."
Sophie was surprised to see Nichs step back. She wanted to ask why, but as soon as she saw the suffering in his eyes, she understood what was going on. Her sharp eyes had seen his pants bulged and his chest heaving up and down.
The man was aroused, and he was trying with all his might not to jump on her to have sex. This made her heart flutter.
Sophie felt sorry for Nichs for experiencing this difort. It was her fault for responding to his kiss with equal passion. He must think they shouldn''t go too fast so as not to make Sophie feel difort. What a good man!
Sophie smiled seductively and stepped forward, touching his chest, and said with her sweet voice, "Do you want to go to your room?"
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
A... Sophie said yes, and it looks like they will have their snusnu in the next chapter. XD
Btw, you can see in thement, the pictures of Jack Szar. I hope you like them. I post more on my Instagram. So, you can follow me @missrealitybites to see all the images Imission or create for my books.
Chapter 481 In Nicholas’ Bedroom (1) **
Chapter 481 In Nichs'' Bedroom (1) **
Nichs was dumbfounded when he heard Sophie''s words. Did she just ask him to go to HIS ROOM?
His heart fluttered and for a moment he couldn''t believe his luck.
Not only did the woman of his dreams say yes to his proposal... now she also initiated them to have sex?
Nichs looked at Sophie with tears brimming in his eyes. He had never felt so happy in his life that even if he had to die now, he could face death with a smile.
"I love you..." he whispered as he closed the distance between them and grabbed her cheeks gently. He lowered his head tond another kiss on her lips. Even though Nichs was filled with so much desire, he tried to be gentle and held back with all his sanity.
He loved this woman so, so much.
After years of longing and dreaming of her back in his arms again, Sophie finally returned to him.
He wanted to do it right. He wanted to make love to her in afortable bed and treated her like the queen she was to him. Not here, in his study.
Sophie closed her eyes and epted his kiss. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his waist. Since their bodies touched, she could feel something hard and warm down there poking herher region. Her mind was filled with dirty thoughts about his manhood and how good the king would look naked.
Twelve years ago when she and Nichs were still intimate as newlyweds, she remembered how sweet their lovemaking was. Nichs and she learned everything together since they were both virgins before their first consummation.
Everything they did to pleasure each other was done out of so much love and desire for one another. Back then, Nichs already had a great physique because he was a trained knight and his stamina was top-notch, being an Alpha lycan that he was, even though he tried to suppress that side of him when he was younger.
However, now that he was older, more mature, and had this new charm about him, Sophie actually found him more attractive than twelve years ago. She licked her lips unconsciously when her mind tried to imagine what his body looked like now after he took off his clothes.
His shoulders had be broader and his muscles were more toned. He looked a bit rugged nowpared to his youth version, but it actually made him look more hot and manly. Sophie couldn''t wait to find out how he looked naked.
"Yes... let''s go to my room..." Nichs whispered after he ended the kiss and looked at her face closely, his eyes were filled with longing, and his lips smiled broadly.
He traced the side of her face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Sophie smiled shyly and lowered her head. She felt a bit embarrassed for suggesting that they moved to Nichs'' room... for sex. That''s not what ady would normally do.
However, she realized Nichs was very careful around her and didn''t want to initiate sex because he was worried that he would offend her. It was up to her to make him understand that she wanted him too. She wanted his warmth, his outpouring of love, and him inside of her.
Nichs took a deep breath. He kissed her forehead and then lifted Sophie in his arms. He carried her like the way he carried her to enter their hut in ckwoods after the wedding. Sophie wrapped her hands around his neck and rested her head on his broad shoulders.
Nichs walked to his bedroom, which was located not far from his study, drunk in euphoria because of Sophie''s scent and her warmth around his body. Nichs felt like he was walking on the clouds.
No servants, nor soldiers were in the corridor when the king was carrying his lovely bride-to-be toward his room. Even if there were any, they were quick to hide and give the king privacy.
"Wee to my room," Nichs said when he opened the door to his room and ced Sophie on his bed. He gave her a sheepish grin and went to the door to lock it.
"Sometimes the kidse without knocking," he exined. Even though it was reallyte now and the kids were asleep, he didn''t want to take risks. Tonight, his chamber was his alone. He didn''t want to share this space and Sophie with anyone, not even their children.
Sophie nodded and smiled back. She cast her nce around her and checked Nichs'' room. It was very luxurious and huge. However, she realized that hers was just as luxurious. Nichs truly gave her the best in everything. She liked the bigfortable bed and the soft linens.
"Now... where were we?" After he locked the door, Nichs stepped toward the bed and then crouched down to rest his head on her knees. He looked so dreamy and in love. Sophie looked at the man with a gentle smile and caressed his hair.
Nichs'' hair was longer now, it almost touched his shoulders. It still felt as soft as she remembered.
"We were..." Sophie bit her lip and smiled seductively. "talking about getting married, and..."
"Ah, yes..." Nichs got up and pushed Sophie''s body to the bed. Then he climbed on top of her and smiled. "We never got divorced, remember? So, you are actually still my wife... However, I want us to remarry so that you can get the wedding that you deserve..."
He caressed her face and closed his eyes to kiss her again.
Gosh, how many times had he kissed her tonight?
Not enough.
This time, his kiss wasced with lust and he was not holding back. It was deep and sensual and when Sophie started panting for breath he lowered his kisses from her lips to her neck and her corbone... His nimble hands started to work to unbutton the front part of her dress to give him ess to her breasts.
"Oh, Nic..." Sophie bit her lip, trying to suppress her moan. She had not been intimate with a man for years and Nichs'' touch felt like a fire that burned her body with desire.
Suddenly she felt so hot. She couldn''t wait.
Sophie''s hands moved toward Nichs'' pants and tried to unbuckle his belt. The man was surprised to see Sophie taking this initiative, but secretly he was happy. His manhood had been throbbing so hard and it was starting to be painful.
He was d Sophie helped him to undress. She was not the meek and shy bride he remembered from twelve years ago. She was a mature woman who knew what she wanted and it was so damn sexy.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
Thank you for being so patient with this story. I have tried so hard to go back to writing for the past few months but I couldn''t. I was always too tired and fell asleep in front of my PC many times. My workload is not as bad this week and I think I finally got enough rest. I could finish this chapter.
I hope to write more chapters and do so consistently starting this week. Wish me luck!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!