Chapter 4

Right from childhood, Miranda and Walden have chosen each other as mates and were to be married on one of the future cardinal conferences, things went well between the two until the rogue war which disrupted the gatherings, the packs gradually became isolated from each other and Miranda and Walden’s relationship suffered, before he started getting closer to Samara, the daughter to the beta of the night shadow pack.

After the gatherings resumed, Walden was no longer as close to her as before, probably because her pack’s status degraded, it was like he was even ashamed to be seen with her. Whenever they met, it was always Samara this… Samara that, she didn’t need anyone to tell her that Walden didn’t love her anymore, but what could a princess who wanted to save her pack do???

Now that she’s made this decision, she’s going to stick by it till the end, she doesn’t know what the outcome will be, the only thing she is sure to do is what her wolf says, “follow your heart….”

“Ma’am?”

She turned to see the healer, Roku standing in front of her in her father’s room, only the gods know how long he’s been there, calling her.

“S-sorry, I was just distracted,” she apologized.

“I understand the pressures you’re facing dear princess. Its never easy.”

She nudged her chin in the direction of her father, who now lay asleep on his bed, “how is he?”

“Hmmm… I will not lie to you princess, I’ve managed to give him some herbs that will calm his heart down, he’s sleeping soundly and I will keep checking on him at intervals….” The healer showed resistance to continue speaking but Miranda knew there was more, “what is it? Tell me???”

“I do not want you to worry too much by giving all the details, the only thing I CAN say is that if there’s ever a time you need to be the strongest in life, it’s now. The alpha’s time will soon be near, we can do nothing more but wait till the day he draws his last breath.”

Miranda closed her eyes, wishing it would shield away the pains but it didn’t. The thought of losing her only family hurt more than she could ever imagine.

“I’m sorry princess…. I’ve done all I can,” and with that, she heard the sound of the door close. She was now all alone with her sleeping father.

She burst into tears as she rushed to his bedside, crying profusely, taking his hand in hers as she stammered, “t-t-this…. This is all m-my f-f-fault…. I should have…. I should have agreed to the postponement and n-now look… look at you.”

‘Calm your heart dear,’ Lily said then. ‘It’s not your fault.’

Of course, her wolf is right. Her father has been sick from many years ago, losing his mate to the war, his wolf, it damaged him completely, gave him a paralyzing sickness, and through the years, Miranda had always known that day would come; the day the healer just spoke of, the day alpha would draw his last breath, she’d always thought that her heart would be strengthened and she’d be ready for when that day came; but apparently, she was not, she was not ready to be left all alone in this world.

She was still holding her father’s hand when she felt him move, he’s woken up, she quickly wiped off her tears with the back of her hand, not that it did anything to hide the fact that she’d been crying, but still… her father hated it when she always cried because of him.

Alpha Luther had opened his eyes to see Miranda staring down at him with reddened eyes, he began to speak very slowly with much difficulty of course, but the words he had to say to her were very important, pain could not stop him.

“How many times do I have to tell you that crying ruins your beauty, my princess?”

Sniffs, “father…. you’re awake!”

“Of course… I am.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry father, I shouldn’t have said that…”

Luther cut her short… “no, you SHOULD have…It is I who has refused to see the truth for so long, everyone is pushing this wedding on you… forcing you to carry on with it for the Lotus… no one even cares to know whether the union between you and Alpha Walden will fail or not…”

“Oh father…”

“A failed union between the both of you in future will only bring enmity between the two territories, creating an even bigger problem than the one we had before. I’m sorry Miranda… I’m sorry that I refused to tell myself the truth before, I refused to see that my princess is no longer a princess… but is now a queen…”

He paused for a moment, catching his breath before he continued. “I support your decision, because I know that you will make a good alpha one day Miranda, you will one day bring the Lotus out of the dark tunnels, and you will make us all proud!”

She brought his hand to her lips, and kissed it softly.

“Thank you, father, … I promise, I will not rest until our people rise from the ashes again!”

**********

After the talk with her father, the healer came in to give him another dose of his medication before they both left the room, so the alpha could have some quiet time. Now that the alpha was inactive and the beta won’t be around for a few days, Miranda was the one in charge. Her father had given her his blessings even though he knows that in the eyes of any other wolf, she’s doing a foolish thing by calling off the engagement, but this time, she just wants to trust her heart, just this once, then see what happens after that.

She called on one of the guards.

“Dereck!”

“Yes milady?”

“Beta Valledor has headed to the conference, right?”

He nodded, “yes ma’am.”

“I have to inform him of my father’s condition, he also has to know about my canceled engagement so he won’t have to go ahead with the preparations. Send for the driver, I’m heading to the cardinal conference now.”