Third Person Pov “Right now, I'm going to say everything that I feel like I need to say, and I'll say it with the mindset that I might get fired once I'm done. I also want you to say whatever you need to say to me as honestly as you can so that we can trash this out once and for all,” Lydia said, boldly taking a seat opposite Nicholas. She couldn't care less if he fired her, and she just wanted them to talk and be honest with each other. “You have a lot of audacity, you know that, right? I mean, how dare you take a seat even before I ask you to? Don't you think you've gotten a little too bold for your own good?” Nicholas questioned, wondering exactly what made her think she had the right to speak to him so casually. Lydia sighed. She already knew it was going to be difficult talking to Nicholas, but she had prepared herself to keep calm no matter what. “Listen to me Sir, or better still, listen, Nicholas, I get that you're upset with me and I completely understand that I don't
Nicholas “Just out of curiosity, Lydia, has anyone ever told you that you're really weird? Like, a full-blown weirdo?” I asked, genuinely curious to know if she was self-aware enough to know she was weird. “And why exactly are you suddenly asking such a question instead of answering my question? You always try to avoid talking about your feelings, but I'm not going to let that happen today. You and I are going to twerk very sincerely, and I won't let you avoid anything,” she retorted, still very insistent on getting me to answer her very ridiculous question. I couldn't understand why she would think that I would want you to talk about my feelings with her, and I also didn't understand what she meant by asking me how I really felt about her. Was I supposed to tell her that I liked her? Is that what she wanted to hear from me? If that was the case, then she would certainly not be hearing such from me, ever. “And do you really think that I'm obligated to answer that question? I mea
Lydia "So did you guys finally get to settle your differences once and for all?" Liam asked after he surprisingly barged into the kitchen and pulled me out to come with him. I was so surprised by how he just showed up in the kitchen and completely forgot that I wasn't the only one in them. He called me by my first name so casually and in a friendly tone and everyone in the kitchen had their eyes on us, almost as if they were all wondering how I got so close to the higher-ups. Frowning, I complained. "You do realize that you could have sent somebody to call me instead of coming all the way to the kitchen by yourself and giving everyone in the kitchen more reason to hate me," "Giving them more reason to hate you? Why would they hate you because I came to call you in the kitchen? Is all this really that serious?" he asked, sounding like he was genuinely confused and I could not believe how clueless he and Nicholas was. How could any understand that these basic things fuel rumors t
Third Person Pov “Welcome Luna,” the council of elders, including Gerald, chorused simultaneously as soon as Henrietta walked into the room with Priscilla following right behind her. She stopped at the head of the table and sat down, watching the faces in the room carefully to be sure that there were no foreign faces in the room. “It's an honor to finally be meeting you all at the same time, after so many weeks of having to stay away,” she started as soon as she was seated, grateful that despite how slow their plans have been going, the council of members still had trust in her. “I know things have been very difficult, especially since my stepson has decided that despite his shortcomings, he still doesn't want to leave the position of Alpha for someone more capable than him. It has also come to my attention that this meeting was specifically called because most of you have been feeling quite impatient with how slow our progress is, and you also wanted to meet with me personally be
Third Person Pov “I don't mean to sound rude, but may I know what exactly you are doing here?” Alora asked as soon as she saw Lydia walking towards the training ground. “I know you're probably very surprised to see me here, but I asked the Beta to direct me to where you will be, and he told me you were here, so I decided to come over because there's something I need to talk to you about,” Lydia responded calmly. She had a lot on her mind, and it had gotten to a point where she was perplexed about what to do. Then she remembered Alora had told her when they spoke for the first time that she had a friendship with Nicholas, so she decided to come to see her because she wanted to talk to somebody and figure out what step she could take next. “The fact that you just said that you specifically came looking for me is even weirder and once again, I don't mean to sound rude, but why would you come looking for me? I don't remember you and me having any sort of friendship that would warra
Lydia “Thank you for seeing me, Alora,” I blurted out once again, grateful to Alora for deciding to come to see me because I knew she wasn't obligated to. “You don't have to thank me, Lydia, 'cause I didn't exactly come here for you. Whatever it is that's going on between you and Nicholas isn't just something that is affecting both of you, but it's also affecting those of us around him. He hasn't been himself in the past couple of days, and I want to understand what is going on so that I can know how to help,” she replied, and hearing her say the same thing Liam had said to me, started to make me think that perhaps, Liam wasn't lying after all. I took a deep breath in and exhaled, trying to think of the best way to explain the situation to Alora. “I honestly don't know yet to start, but before I say anything, do you perhaps know of the relationship between Nicholas and me?” I asked, wanting to confirm if she knew anything before I started explaining.“I honestly don't know specif
Third Person Pov Liam stared at Alora and Lydia, unable to hide the fact that he was confused. He already knew that Lydia had spoken to Alora since she consulted with him about wanting to speak to her but he definitely didn't expect both of them to show up in his house without notifying him first. "I have about a thousand and one questions but let me just ask the most important one. What do you want from me?" he questioned, quite sure that there was something they wanted from him and that was why they were here. Alora smiled. "Apologize for coming here without notifying you first, dear friend. It's not very easy to notify you of a visit beforehand since you live so far away from the palace and you know I hate phone calls," she said, casually strolling in since it wouldn't be her first time in Liam's place. Liam frowned. "You could have mind linked with me or something, you know that, right?" Liam hissed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I kind of forgot for a second that I could do that but sinc
**Nicholas** I was trying my hardest to control my anger and keep calm, but it was getting really difficult for me to keep calm. It was taking everything in me not to barge out of the palace and go looking for that audacious woman. Earlier this morning, Martha came to my office to inform me that she would have to conduct another round of interviews with some potentially new chefs, and she requested my permission to let them into the palace. Her request confused me because last I remembered, interviews for new chefs only happened yearly, and I saw no reason why she should be doing any interviews since I already had a chef and I don't remember asking for another one. It wasn't until I asked her why she suddenly wanted to interview new chefs, that I found out that Lydia, was no longer a part of the kitchen. I was completely confused at first because I usually approve the resignation of anyone who works directly under me before they're allowed to leave, but Martha claimed that Lydia ha
Lydia As the anticipation swirled around me, I paced back and forth in my private dressing room, my heart fluttering like a bird trapped in a cage. The grand ceremony was about to commence, marking not only the union between Nicholas and me but also my ascension as the new Luna of the Pack. Excitement and nerves danced the tango within me, creating a whirlwind of emotions.To quell my restless energy, I reached for a glass of water and took a sip, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. But no matter how much I drank, my nervousness persisted. I continued my pacing, back and forth, back and forth, willing myself to find a semblance of calm.Just as I was beginning to lose myself in the rhythmic motion, a gentle knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I hurriedly composed myself and called out, "Come in."The door creaked open, and Amara, the Beta female, and a dear friend, entered the room. I wanted to rush to help her in but knowing how she was and she preferred to re
Third Person Pov A Month Later… Lydia's eyes fluttered open, the first rays of dawn streaming through the curtains and casting a soft glow in her room. She stretched her limbs, relishing in the warmth of her bed for a few moments longer before slowly sitting up. As she sat up, the weight of her new role as the Luna of the Pack settled upon her, and she was immediately hit with a mix of joy and uncertainty.For the first ten minutes, Lydia found herself lost in thought as she gazed out of her bedroom window. The view of the sprawling forest beyond the palace grounds never failed to captivate her, offering a sense of solace amidst the whirlwind of emotions she now faced. She still couldn't fathom the fact that in just a few days, she would be crowned officially as the new Luna, standing by Nicholas's side as his mate and partner.Everything had changed since Nicholas's return, and sometimes Lydia struggled to keep up with the rapid shifts in her life. Yet, a sense of profound hap
Third Person Pov Henrietta paced restlessly in her opulent room, her anger smoldering like a hidden flame. The realization that Nicholas, the stepson she had tried so hard to eliminate, had returned from the dead, killed her lifelong partner, and now held her captive, gnawed at her insides. It was inconceivable, a twisted nightmare that had somehow materialized into reality.She glanced around her luxurious surroundings, a stark contrast to the bitterness that seethed within her. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating her, as the weight of her actions bore down upon her, leaving her in total disbelief.She had foolishly allowed herself to believe that she had successfully gotten rid of Nicholas from her life, but fate had other plans in store which made her even angrier. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, and Priscilla burst into the room, her eyes ablaze with fury. The air crackled with tension as mother and daughter locked eyes."You lying fraud!" Pri
Nicholas I hurriedly walked down the prison hallway, trying to get to Lydia as quickly as possible and see how she was doing. Every step I took felt heavy with anticipation and I also couldn’t help the guilt I felt as I got closer to seeing her again. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had failed her by taking so much time and letting her remain locked for so long. I didn’t even want to imagine how tired and frustrated she must be feeling right now and seeing how I haven’t been able to reach other to her via mindlink or get a feel of her emotions, it could only mean she was too weak to receive my attempt to talk or, she could have blocked me from reaching her. After what felt like forever, I finally arrived in front of the cell she was locked in and as soon as I did, I sensed that her presence was fragile. "Unlock the cell," I instructed the guard, mentally preparing myself to have every one of them fired for disrespecting my mate. The guard seemed a little surprised to see
Third Person PovIt was a dark, moonless night when Henrietta slipped out of her chambers in plain clothes and with a small bag slung over her shoulder.As much as she had always tried to act nonchalant and unbothered by Gerald and whatever he was up to, Gerald was the one person besides her daughter, Priscilla, that she couldn't live without. And because she hadn't heard anything from him in a while, which was unusual, she believed she needed to go see him for herself and put her uneasy feeling at ease.As she made her way out of the palace, she attempted to go through the secret passage to avoid coming across any guards who would find her attempt to sneak out at night suspicious. However, when she arrived at the passage, she was shocked to see two guards in front of it. She was certain they weren't assigned to guard the passageway because to the best of her knowledge and with how long she had been using the passageway as her getaway route, she had always believed that no one, not e
Third Person Pov Henrietta had not been able to get over the fact that she hadn't heard from Gerald in almost two days, despite the fact that they had agreed to meet up yesterday and figure out how to, without evidence, announce to the general public that Nicholas had passed and use it as a chance to coronate Priscilla as the next Alpha.She had tried reaching him through several means and even sent her men to visit but according to them, no one had seen Gerald the last few days and since his guards weren't allowed into his house without permission, they couldn't confirm if he was home or out. She tried not to think that anything bad could have happened to him but for some reason, she wasn't having a very good feeling about his sudden absence especially because she knew that Gerald would never suddenly disappear at such an important moment. "What is it, Mother?" Priscilla asked as she walked in, distracting Henrietta from her thoughts. "What do you mean?" Henrietta replied, not e
Third Person Pov Amara clutched her walking stick firmly as she moved across the complex halls of the palace. She had never walked through the palace's opulent halls before, and it was daunting, considering the fact that she was blind and also considering the fact that she disliked the mere thought of being here and being seen. Still, she was determined to visit her friend Lydia, who had been imprisoned unjustly for over a week now, and bring her some food and water since she doubted that the guards would feed her proper food. Amara’s heightened senses were her only guide as she made her way down the long and winding corridors of the palace. She relied on her super-sensitive hearing, touch, and smell to navigate her way to the prison area without being seen by anyone.She already had a backup plan just in case she'd get caught but she preferred not to be seen by anyone at all to avoid her worst nightmare coming to light. The unfamiliar surroundings were a challenge even for her
Third Person Pov Nicholas glared down at Gerald's almost lifeless body, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions, including anger, hatred, and a strange sense of satisfaction. The man lying in front of him was also one of the people responsible for what led to his mother getting killed unjustly and the pain and frustration that Gerald, with the aid of Henrietta, had caused him over the years was something that Nicholas had never for one second forgotten. Seeing Gerald lying there, in his own pool of blood, cold and on the verge of dying, gave him a sense of partial closure that he didn't know he needed, and as demented as it may sound, he was ecstatic that he got to kill Gerald himself and watch him die a painful death. Gerald was barely breathing, and from the blood that kept pouring out of his mouth, it was clear to Nicholas that time was running out and that Gerald would be a thing of the past in only a few seconds. Gerald knew Nicholas was staring down at him and despite finding
Nicholas's Pov I moved stealthily over the fence surrounding Gerald's house which was located far into town and away from most houses in town. One would think a wealthy and corrupt thief like Gerald would have his house located near the palace since he was so obsessed with the place, but surprisingly, after I kicked him out, he chose to buy himself a house that was very far away from the palace. Of course, I knew he probably only did it to follow Henrietta's instruction cause I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have agreed for her lover to buy a house in a place that was too close to hers, where they could easily be seen by others. The night sky was already pretty dark, and fortunately for me, the guards at the main gate were seemingly occupied with something else, so neither of them heard any sound from my direction.I expected Gerald, knowing how paranoid he was, to have his house swamped with guards but, to my surprise, the place was not as heavily guarded as I had anticipated. Befor