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 wasn’t going to be alone in this fight. Whatever Lucas and Simon were planning, we’d find a way through it—together.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.“Mommy, Daddy, why are you outside?” Luke asked, rubbing his eyes as he shuffled toward us.I exchanged a glance with George and smiled. “We were just having a conversation, my love. What are you two doing out of bed?”“We can’t sleep,” Simeon mumbled, leaning against the doorframe. “It’s too quiet, and also, we're hungry.”I chuckled softly. “Alright, 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 wasn’t just about the complicated history we shared—it was about my sons and the secrets I had kept.Luke and Simeon weren’t 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.”I could feel the weight of Nathaniel’s 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 unrest—or 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.“We’re not certain yet, Your Highness, but they’ve spread rapidly among the southern packs. There’s 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 she’s holding the key to the future of our kingdom. And she knows it."Lucas nodded. “She’s definitely smarter than we gave her credit for. She’s waited all this time, biding her time until the right moment. She didn’t use the pregnancy back then because she didn’t 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 us—just like she’s doing now.”“Exactly! Either way, she’s using the boys to force us into a corner.”I drummed my fingers on the table, lost in thought. Ashley had always been cunning—it seems we've underestimated her once again. But that didn’t mean we were out of options.“So what do we do?” Lucas asked. “We can’t just sit back and wait fo
Compromise...“Ashley,” Lucas said, his voice measured.“Lucas,” 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 us—an unspoken standoff of sorts.“I appreciate you coming,” Lucas began, his eyes searching mine for any sign of vulnerability. Simon, on the other hand, remained quiet, his piercing gaze unwavering. “I know this isn’t easy.”I crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair. “Let’s skip the pleasantries, Lucas. What do you two want? What’s so important that you had to call me out of nowhere after all this time?”He 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. “We all know exactly why I reached out,” Simon began, an
Insanity...Now seated alone in my bedroom, lost in intrusive thoughts, I couldn’t 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 hadn’t changed anything about their pre-established ideas on the matter.Simon’s words still echoed in my mind, making me shudder:“...Then I’ll have to take other measures to ensure they get what they need.”They 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
Fire cracker 🔥🔥🔥“I thought you might be hungry,” he said, placing the tray on the table beside me. His gaze softened when he saw Luke, who was still sitting beside me, wide-eyed and confused. Lucas knelt down beside him, brushing a hand through his hair.“Hey, buddy,” he said gently. “Are you hungry?”Luke looked up at me, unsure, and I nodded slightly, letting him know it was okay. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded at Lucas, who smiled and handed him a small plate of fruit and bread.I watched the interaction, my heart sinking. Lucas and Simon weren’t monsters. As much as I hated to admit it, they weren’t wrong about everything. The boys *were* part of their world, whether I liked it or not. But that didn’t change the fact that I didn’t trust them to do what was best for my children. They were ruthless, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that they would use the boys as pawns in their political game.Lucas stood up and faced me, his expression more serious now. “We’re not askin
In the blood....Simon, who had been watching silently all along, said nothing. His expression remained stern, offering no comfort to her growing panic.I smirked, enjoying the sight of her unraveling before me. “Aww, it seems your husbands didn’t think you needed to know about this, did they? That’s just sad,” I teased, shaking my head in mock pity.Veronica’s face paled as she looked back at me. “Tell me what’s going on!” she demanded, her voice shaky but still filled with desperation.I took a step closer, leaning in as I spoke softly but clearly. “The so-called ‘unfortunate little things’ you referred to are Lucas and Simon’s children—*both* of them.”For a moment, Veronica looked as though she couldn’t breathe. She turned to Simon, who was still standing frozen by the door, his expression nonchalant.“Is this true?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper now, trembling with shock and betrayal.Simon still didn't say anything, but I was already growing very tired of the dr
The end of the tunnel !!!**Ashley's POV**As I stood by the side, watching my arch-nemesis being taken away, I honestly couldn’t tell what I was feeling at that point. Although this moment had been a highly anticipated one for me, it just didn’t feel right somehow. As soon as the guard announced that her banishment was to begin, I could feel my wolf’s countenance instantly change. I remained motionless where I stood, watching the whole thing unfold. Nobody moved until she was finally out of sight, with the men trailing behind her as she went on her way. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was getting, although a wave of relief washed over me. All this while, I had wanted her downfall—to see her get the punishment she truly deserved. But now that it had happened, I surprisingly didn’t feel as excited as I thought I’d be.“Are you feeling alright?” I heard Simon ask as he placed a hand on my shoulder, and I nodded.“Yeah, I… I just—”“It’s fine, you don’t have to say anything. I can underst
Outplayed....**Veronica’s POV**Right after informing me of the success of the plan, Drago had actually requested that I come over to see things for myself, and as I drove to the arranged meeting point, I couldn’t contain the mix of emotions I felt. It was a strange blend of excitement, adrenaline, and anxiety. Drago had assured me everything had gone according to plan, but amidst the excitement, I couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something didn’t feel right.As I approached the hideout, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was a voice message from Drago.“Greetings, your Highness. I just wanted to let you know that these kids have been crying ever since they were brought here. I don't know what happened exactly, but when I went out to find something for them to eat, one of my men apparently shot one of them, and now he's dead. I'm really sorry, your Highness.” The moment the voice note ended, I had to slam on the brakes because the shock hit me harder
Love and war !!!We made our way back to the mansion quietly, sneaking in before anyone noticed our absence. Even as we slipped back into our normal roles, something between us had changed—strengthened. There was a deeper understanding now, a silent promise that we would stand by each other no matter what came next.What came next was the reckoning we had been preparing for.Later that day, Simon and I gathered in his study with the sole aim of finalizing our next steps regarding Veronica. We knew time was running out. With Fabian already in our custody, Veronica was bound to make a move sooner rather than later. Her desperation would push her into action, and we needed to be ready.“She’s going to crack soon,” Simon said, his voice filled with certainty. “Especially now that we’ve got Fabian. There’s no way she can keep up this facade much longer.”I nodded in agreement. “We just need to keep the pressure on her. Fabian already gave us some leads—now it’s only a matter of time before
The hatch **Lucas's POV**Right after the whole thing with Ashley presenting ample evidence against Veronica, although it was hard for us, Simon and I just had to keep to ourselves. Well, at least until we had finally achieved what we wanted, which was actually pretty close to our reach at that point. I never liked Veronica from the start, but this was something I could never see myself believing she committed. It now makes me wonder if she really was the one who killed Mortica as well.As I sat on my bed thinking about all these things, I could feel a knot forming in my head, and I ruffled my hair as I tried relieving myself of the headache. As it stands now, we currently have all the top perpetrators in our custody back at the torture house, and the one person we needed to find is that slimy Fabian. Just as I had mentioned to Ashley a while back, we needed to keep things on the low so that we would easily be able to use Veronica to get to him. After all, the reports we had been get
Surprise, surprise!!!“Yes, yes, that’s right! She seemed very secretive about the whole thing, like she didn’t want anyone to know we’d left or where we went.”“I see,” I responded, finally removing my claws from his thigh. Lyon gasped in relief, but the moment Simon turned his glare toward him, he silenced himself.Simon and I exchanged a knowing look.“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Simon asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.“Bet,” I replied, a hint of realization dawning on me.Together, we turned our gazes back toward Lyon, who flinched in fear under our combined scrutiny.Simon crossed his arms, his jaw tightening as he addressed Lyon again. “You better hope for your sake that what you’ve said checks out. If we find out you’ve withheld anything, even the smallest detail, you’ll regret ever stepping foot in this mansion.”“I swear, Your Highness, that’s all I know! I told you everything!” Lyon pleaded, desperation evident in his voice.I took a step forward, looming ov
Feel the heat....I stepped forward, towering over him. “You thought you could hide in the shadows, Fabian, but your time is up. We’ve heard everything.”His face paled, and he stammered, “I-I can explain! It wasn’t my idea—Veronica pushed me into this! I was just trying to survive!”“You’ll have plenty of time to explain,” I said coldly. “Take him away.”Fabian’s eyes darted to the exit, but before he could make any sudden moves, our men swiftly blocked the way. He was trapped. The fear in his eyes deepened as he realized there was no escape.Simon crossed his arms. “Let’s make this simple. You come quietly without receiving any beatings, or we drag you out of here with no less than 20 slaps already landed on you.”Fabian hesitated for a moment, but when he saw that resistance was futile, he slumped in defeat. “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll go.”As we escorted him out of the building, Simon leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Now that we have him, it’s only a matter of time before Vero
A little bit more....The next morning I woke up feeling extremely refreshed and light. For over 6 years I had been wrongly accused and tagged for committing crimes that I knew absolutely nothing about. Even though I did make it a point to act like I didn't care about it, the accusations definitely followed me around like a serious plague all through. Well at least till last night.As soon as I woke up, the first thing that came to mind was everything that had played out the previous night between myself and both Lucas and Simon, and a smile soon appeared on my face “Finally! I'm free” I exclaimed, as I excitedly got out of bed. I went straight into my bathroom to freshen up, and as I went about doing my usual morning routine, I couldn't help but to hum a song happily whilst carrying out every activity I did. “Oh, good morning my queen, you seem happy this morning,” Yasmine greeted warmly, as she peeked into the bathroom where I was busy brushing my teeth. I spat out the mouthwash
Let the real games begin!!!!I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “Because Amira has been helping me gather evidence. We have proof of her dealings with corrupt members of the court and her plans to undermine the council. I’ve been working with Rita to piece everything together, and we’re ready to present it to you.”There was a moment of silence as the two of them processed my words. Lucas finally leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.“If what you’re saying is true, then why didn’t you come to us sooner?” he asked.“As if,” I scoffed. If I had come to them any sooner, they would have dismissed me as quickly as possible. Not to mention the fact that going without concrete evidence could have endangered the little I had managed to gather over that space of time.“If I had come any sooner, would you two have given me a listening ear? That is exactly the question you should be asking right now, not the one you just mentioned. Given that every attempt I made to reve
Look back...This wasn’t just an attack on Amira—it was a trap for me. Veronica had suspected something, and now she was using Amira to bait me into revealing myself.I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. I couldn’t act rashly. If I made the wrong move now, everything we had worked for could be undone. But Amira—she had risked everything for me. I couldn’t just leave her to face this alone.As Veronica presented her so-called “evidence”—a series of forged letters implicating Amira in a conspiracy—my mind raced. I had to think quickly, but I couldn’t act openly in front of the council. I needed to find a way to turn this situation to my advantage.Then, an idea struck me. I stood up slowly, the eyes of the council and Veronica now on me.“Queen Veronica,” I began, my voice steady, “these accusations are indeed serious. But I must question why this alleged plot has only now come to light. Every one of us knows that this lady in question happens to be your most trusted han