Weight of the past đ„đ„đ„As the boys ran ahead, chasing each other with laughter echoing through the garden, George walked up behind me. His presence was always steady, like a quiet strength I could lean on when things felt uncertain. âTheyâre getting bigger every day,â he said, smiling as he watched them.âI know,â I replied, crossing my arms as I leaned into him slightly. âItâs happening too fast.ââTheyâre strong,â George said, his voice thoughtful. âStronger than you think. But theyâre going to need you more as they grow. You can feel it too, canât you?âI didnât need to ask what he meant. There was something about Lucke and Simeon, something more than their royal lineage. I saw it in their eyes sometimes, a quiet intensity, a power they didnât yet understand. And as much as I wanted to keep them shielded from that worldâfrom their fathers and the bloodline they carriedâI knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up to us.âI can,â I admitted softly. âBut Iâm not ready
Ready or nah? âAshley, are these your children?â Simon asked. I raised a brow questioningly at him, not finding the tone of his voice respectful or polite in any way.âYes, and so?â Both Simon and Lucas had the same expression on their faces, so I knew questions would start rolling in at any moment.âExcuse me,â I said, holding both my sons as I attempted to walk away and avoid speaking with them.âHold on a minute.ââJust wait right there,â they both said at the same time, Simon holding my arm to keep me from moving away.âYou do realize you have a lot of explaining to do right now,â Simon continued.âAnd why is that? I owe neither of you any explanation because I donât understand what relationship we share that would require me to tell you about my business.ââBut you do realize that if what Iâm thinking about these children is true, then you definitely have a lot of explaining to do.ââWell, Iâm sure what youâre thinking is definitely not true, so just leave me alone. By the way,
What if ....I looked up at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, and for a moment, the fear that had been gripping me all day melted away. George had always been someone I could lean on, and in that moment, I knew I wasnât going to be alone in this fight. Whatever Lucas and Simon were planning, weâd find a way through itâtogether.Just as I was about to thank him again, the porch light flickered on, casting a soft glow over us. We both turned to see two little figures standing in the doorway. They walked away from the shade where they had been standing, their sleepy eyes blinking in the light.âMommy, Daddy, why are you outside?â Luke asked, rubbing his eyes as he shuffled toward us.I exchanged a glance with George and smiled. âWe were just having a conversation, my love. What are you two doing out of bed?ââWe canât sleep,â Simeon mumbled, leaning against the doorframe. âItâs too quiet, and also, we're hungry.âI chuckled softly. âAlright, how about we go inside, have a quick snac
Might be...### ASHLEY'S POVThe house was finally quiet now. Luke and Simeon had both fallen asleep, and so had George, who had just retired to bed. I stood on the porch, staring out at the moonlit view of the city, feeling the weight of the past few days settling heavily over me. As much as I didn't want to dwell on it too much, meeting Lucas and Simon again at the event had been a difficult pill to swallow. The encounter was one I had anticipated and mentally prepared for, yet I still found myself feeling unprepared.I had been careful all these years, keeping my distance even though I knew it could only do so much, building a new life far from the chaos of the Salvatore brothers. But seeing them again had stirred something in me, a part of myself I thought I had buried long ago. It wasnât just about the complicated history we sharedâit was about my sons and the secrets I had kept.Luke and Simeon werenât just any children. They were unique, remarkably so. And they were Simon and L
Not adding up ....The packs are growing restless, wondering why the royal bloodline has not been extended. They are beginning to question both your leadership, given the fact that Queen Veronica is still unable to produce an heir.âI could feel the weight of Nathanielâs words settling over us. The rumors were spreading faster than we could have anticipated. If the packs believed that we had no way of producing an heir for the Kingdom, it could spark unrestâor worse, rebellion. To make matters worse, if Ashley's sons do end up being ours, a lot of controversy and issues may erupt, as the people would think that Lucas and I had been hiding the existence of our sons from the world. In fact, things could potentially spiral out of control even faster because of this."Who started these rumors?" I asked, keeping my voice even, though my wolf was now pacing anxiously within me.âWeâre not certain yet, Your Highness, but theyâve spread rapidly among the southern packs. Thereâs been talk of a
Need to discuss..."If that's the case, then she's definitely playing her cards well," I muttered. "From everything we've just analyzed, those boys are truly ours, and sheâs holding the key to the future of our kingdom. And she knows it."Lucas nodded. âSheâs definitely smarter than we gave her credit for. Sheâs waited all this time, biding her time until the right moment. She didnât use the pregnancy back then because she didnât need to, whether or not she actually knew about it. Considering the possibility you mentioned earlier, it's also possible that she knew about the pregnancy and decided to hide it, waiting for the perfect moment to corner usâjust like sheâs doing now.ââExactly! Either way, sheâs using the boys to force us into a corner.âI drummed my fingers on the table, lost in thought. Ashley had always been cunningâit seems we've underestimated her once again. But that didnât mean we were out of options.âSo what do we do?â Lucas asked. âWe canât just sit back and wait fo
Compromise...âAshley,â Lucas said, his voice measured.âLucas,â I responded, keeping my tone even. I walked forward and took the seat across from Simon, who had, till this moment, not had the decency to greet or acknowledge my presence except for the nod he had previously given. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence between usâan unspoken standoff of sorts.âI appreciate you coming,â Lucas began, his eyes searching mine for any sign of vulnerability. Simon, on the other hand, remained quiet, his piercing gaze unwavering. âI know this isnât easy.âI crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair. âLetâs skip the pleasantries, Lucas. What do you two want? Whatâs so important that you had to call me out of nowhere after all this time?âHe shifted slightly, clearly not expecting me to be so direct. He turned to face Simon, as if they had both rehearsed what was about to be said next, waiting for the moment to say it together. âWe all know exactly why I reached out,â Simon began, an
Insanity...Now seated alone in my bedroom, lost in intrusive thoughts, I couldnât help but reflect on everything that had transpired during my meeting with Simon and Lucas. After their not-so-friendly and indirect threat, my wolf was instantly on alert, dreading how much their influence might interfere with the life I had begun building for my sons.I had expected a reaction once I confirmed that Luke and Simeon were their sons. However, they both seemed so calm about it, as if my confirmation hadnât changed anything about their pre-established ideas on the matter.Simonâs words still echoed in my mind, making me shudder:â...Then Iâll have to take other measures to ensure they get what they need.âThey made it seem like being heirs to the throne was something Luke and Simeon needed, when in reality, they were perfectly content here with me and George. But as I stormed out of the hotel after the conversation with Lucas and Simon, my wolf said something that resonated deeply: although