Landry’s POVLandry could smell Bernice as soon as she neared the hospital room. He could feel Amon growing excited within him the closer she got. He did everything but break free from Landry and run to her.When she opened the door, his heart fell into her stomach. She was looking so worn out and ill; more ill than she looked the other day. She was much thinner, her features were worn out, her eyes were fading in color, and her hair was flat and unwashed. She still looked beautiful, but he could tell she wasn’t feeling well.It must have been the medication; she’s been too long without his blood and now her body was deteriorating before his eyes.She gave him a faint smile when she saw him; a slight relief look appeared in her eyes when she saw that he was awake.“You’re up…” she breathed as she stepped into the room.Jessie stood up quickly upon seeing her appearance.“Oh, my goddess,” she gasped. “Bernice, you don’t look well. Are you okay?”“Yes,” she answered, brushing her hands
Landry’s POVLandry stayed in the hospital for one more day before he was completely healed and was able to return to his palace. Bernice hadn’t left his side and Jessie popped in periodically to check on him.He couldn’t help but think of Cora in Jessie’s palace.“I wish you would just kick her out,” Landry said to her as they made their way back to his palace. He was alone with Jessie at this point because Bernice wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the palace, in bed. “There’s no reason she needs to stay around.”“I know…” Jessie said, staring down at her hands. “But she was once a good friend of mine… just as she was yours. I’m not sure what happened between the two of you to change that, and I know she may be overstepping, making Bernice uncomfortable, but I can’t bring myself to throw her out on the streets.”“She could return to wherever she came from,” Landry mumbled.He hasn’t told Jessie what exactly Cora has done; he knew if she knew, it would break her heart. She would be fu
Landry’s POVAnother dead end.The sorcerer who gave Bernice’s father the medication was dead. There was nothing Landry could do.“I see,” Landry said, standing to his feet. “Thank you for your time.”Bernice’s father stood as well.“I’m sorry if that wasn’t what you wanted to hear, your majesty. But there’s nothing we can do. She’s gone and any chances of a cure are gone with her.”Landry nodded.“I appreciate your time,” Landry said in return.He left without another word; Jessie trailed closely behind him.“That’s it?” Jessie complained. “We are just giving up?”“It’s a dead end, Jessie,” he said in return. “You heard him; the sorcerer is dead. There’s no cure here.”“And you believe him?”“There’s no reason to not believe him. He might not care for Bernice as his daughter, but he wouldn’t deny her a cure if he had one.”Jessie said nothing more as they returned to his palace.“We can’t give up,” Jessie finally spoke after a long silence.“Who said anything about giving up?” Landry
Bernice’s POVWhat did he just say? My eyes opened quickly as I looked over at Landry who remained beside me, staring at me with a gaze I didn’t recognize. I knew it was filled with love and admiration, but there was something else there too. Something different; something real.“What?” I asked, finding my voice.“I wish to make you my luna,” he clarified, squeezing my hand gently. “It’s no secret that I love you. And I think you might love me too.”He remembered that I told him that I loved him before he passed out the other day?He hasn’t said anything up until that moment, so I assumed he didn’t hear me. There was a part of me that hoped he didn’t hear me. My heart felt so conflicted; I worried about giving him myself and then dying before we have a chance of becoming anything.I wasn’t even sure if there was anything to become.I’m still going to die in a few months, which meant loving him was pointless. Loving me was pointless.I sat up, grabbing a sheet in the process and cover
Bernice’s POVIt felt like everybody was watching me as I came down the stairs of the palace and into the foyer. All the servants were whispering, and I knew gossip would soon surface around the kingdom. But my question was, what are they gossiping about?“Oh, my goddess!” Jessie screamed as she ran through the foyer and toward me. “Have you seen the news?” She asked, grabbing my arm, and pulling me along with her and toward the living room. “What’s going on?” I asked, my nerves rising in my stomach.“It’s really bad…”“Where’s Landry?”“I don’t know. Probably dealing with it. At least, I hope he is…”“You’re starting to scare me,” I say; I couldn’t keep the worry from my tone.We entered the living room, and the news was already playing on the television. There was a picture of me, as the Alpha, on the greenscreen with a newscaster standing in front of it.“It seems the female Alpha is actually an Omega and has been deceiving the kingdom for years. This is an unforgivable act. How i
Jessie’s POVFury was rising through Jessie at what Landry was saying.How could her brother keep such an important thing from her?She stood to her feet as he concluded his story.“How could you not tell me any of this, Landry?”“I didn’t want to upset you,” he said in return; his tone was calm. “There’s nothing you could have done. I already banned her…”“I could have kept her from staying in my palace,” Jessie hissed. “You shouldn’t have kept this from me.”She turned and stormed out without saying anything more. She was going to see Bernice before she left entirely, but she couldn’t even think straight. The couple of servants that accompanied her to the palace followed behind her.“Where are we going, your highness?” One of them asked, breathlessly, as they worked to keep up with her.“To kick out a rat,” she growled.They didn’t ask any more questions after that.Upon returning to the palace, Cora was in the sitting room, sipping on some tea as she often was.“Oh, hello Jessie,”
Bernice I couldn’t get Cora’s words out of my head.Leave Landry; and don’t return. Maybe I should; it might make things easier. He clearly can’t get it in his head that there’s no saving me. So, maybe leaving him is the best choice.“You don’t mean that,” Julia complained. “You love him; just tell him the truth.” Thankfully, Landry hadn’t noticed I left. He was too preoccupied with doing damage control. The kingdom was furious at this discovery. They felt lied to and unsafe and I couldn’t blame them.Landry thinks it’s best if I keep an even lower profile; now that the vampires and bears know that we are vulnerable, they are bound to attack at any moment.When I was in my room and received the mindlink from Cora, I had to admit that I was a little surprised she wanted to speak to me. A part of me assumed she had something to do with the bugs around the palace and leaking the information to the media. I didn’t know that Landry suspected the same thing.Landry and I still haven’t sp
Bernice’s POVI wasn’t sure if it was the emotions of my omega side or the fury of my wolf, but I couldn’t stay in that room any longer. I wanted to go see Landry and ask him how the hell he didn’t tell me any of this information. I couldn’t believe he allowed this woman to stay in the kingdom with what she did. I wanted to find her and rip her head off with my claws.I struggled to keep Julia at bay; she had never felt fury like this before and I almost lost control of her.Jessie could see the many emotions crossing my face and she looked worried. But I also knew she couldn’t blame me. I had no idea how she managed to stay in control for this long after finding out what Cora had done.She had crossed a line of trust for both Jessie and Landry. She shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near them.How had she gone this long without being punished?“He didn’t want me to tell you,” Jessie said, eyeing me carefully. “He doesn’t want anyone to know.”“I don’t understand… why not?” I asked, my voi