Megan flushed down the remaining strips in the toilet and rinsed her face with ice cold water from the tap.
She didn’t want to leave any evidence behind that she had been crying. In the mirror, however, her face still looked pink and puffy and she still felt the lingering nausea.Was this how pregnancy was like?After getting back in bed to try sneak in some more hours of sleep, Rosetta and Brianna entered the room.“Good morning, Luna!” They said, a bit too loud for Megan’s ears but she answered them nonetheless.Perhaps she was just cranky this morning. She was determined to look and act as normal as possible.Despite the fact that she abruptly made up her mind to leave the East after her divorce, she wasn’t sure how to break the news to either ladies that she would be leaving.She didn’t have a clear plan so she couldn’t ask them to come along, she couldn’t.Megan let them draw her a bath and she sat at her vanity as Brianna picWhat?”Megan asked, turning to look at Rhode. Clearly she heard wrong.“Marry me, my queen.” Rhode said again, holding her eyes.This was not the time nor the place he planned on proposing yet somehow he felt compelled to at this very moment.“Why?” Megan was finally able to ask.“Why what?”“Why would you want to marry me? What’s in it for you?” “Do I have to have some ulterior motive? Can I not just want to marry a beautiful woman?”“Who is broken goods.” Megan added, getting up.“You’re not broken goods, Megan. You’re the best of only your kind.”“You flatter me but I’m afraid your words fall on deaf ears. I could never marry you.”Rhode’s heart sunk to his belly.“Why?”“Because I can’t.”“That’s not an answer, my queen.”“That is enough, Rhode Wales. I will act as though this night never happened. I appreciate your help these past few nights but I will handle my situation a
Megan was suspicious of his answer but decided not to press any further.She still felt extremely embarrassed that he had seen her at her most vulnerable moments.She cleared her throat rather loudly, “I see. I suppose I should thank you.”“I apologize if you feel embarrassed. I did lie to you.”“That and we were basically courting through text. Quite the scandal.” Megan laughed in a fit to reduce how awkward she suddenly felt around Rhode.“I would like transparency. Considering you’re going to be my queen.”“I didn’t say yes.”“You’re right, you didn’t. I’m being optimistic.”Truth was, she didn’t have a reason to refuse him. If anything, he just offered her what she had been silently wishing for the past three months.She wanted someone to save her and she communicated those feelings to Mason.She obviously didn’t expect that her Kingdom’s greatest rival was the cub she had been confiding in and here he was off
A year ago in the Western Empire, now the Western Kingdom.“With all due respect, your highness, all you have done is travel, travel and travel some more! We are yet to see the spoils of all your journeys!” Lord Randolph said.“That and the fact that you remain unmarried! How do you plan on ruling with a spouse?!” Marquise Highborn said.“My daughter, Mirabel, has been waiting for you to formally ask for her hand!” Said Duke Fulher.Rhode sat on his oddly soft chair while all the members of the court hauled questions at him.He had assumed the position of ruler of their clan after his family’s untimely demise.The only piece of his family left behind was Mirabel Fulher, his late brother’s widow. It was Michael supposed to be getting the ear full, not him. Rhode was on his many adventures far South when he got the news of the disease that was spreading in the palace. He brushed it off, believing they had enough resources to employ the
Rhode and Wales sat on his center table for what felt like hours plotting his infiltration of the great East.“I heard that it is the Luna who is responsible for their strong presence in the world right now.” Brian said.“How so?”“The Luna, Megan Brighton trained for the position since she was just five years old!”“So did most women who were betrothed from a young age.” Rhode replied, unsure of what Brian was getting at.“You don’t understand, Rhode. The reason the former Luna of the Jared clan picked Megan Brighton and not her niece was because Megan was an incredibly bright child!”“She was five and was reading and writing exceptionally! Acing everyone in her class and even her seniors! Word is, the Eastern empire transitioned into a kingdom so smoothly because of her.”“So Richardson is just a figurehead.” Rhode said.“A dumb one, at that! Some of my men in the East reported that Richardson and Aspen Bridget, Megan’s child
Rhode remembered watching her retreat. She walked so light on her steps you could hardly hear her foot steps. Her scent was caught up in his nose. He had had enough of the castle for the day.When the coast looked clear enough, he returned back to the hole he used to get into the garden. He headed right back to him and Brian’s rendezvous point.“Rhode?!” Brian asked, shocked that he was back so early. Rhode transformed back to his human form and wore his trouser and his tunic.“That was really fast. Did something happen?!”Rhode shook his head. Brian would definitely have a field day if he said the reason he returned so early was because he was stunned by the Luna’s beauty.Brian had put so much emphasis on her brains and genius and didn’t once mention how beautiful she was. In a captivating way that felt good.What shook Rhode was the fact that he was never moved by women in particular. So much so that the rumor among members of his council was that he secretly liked men. Rhode never
Chapter 23The rest of the week went by quickly. Megan and Rhode didn’t see much of themselves that week. Megan was busy finishing up what was left of her duties and Luna. Rhode was communicating with his clan who were on his neck about returning and marrying Mirabel Fulher.Megan still had not told Brianna or Rosetta about her plans to marry Rhode Wales and leave the East. The only people who knew she was leaving were her parents and brother who were in great support despite what people would surely think and say.Megan was sitting in her greenhouse for the last time. It had been years of her life pouring into her kingdom, her people, her husband.It was all taken from her and by the man she loved the most. She hated that she never had a choice in the matter.She would’ve done anything for Richardson. Anything. Her dream of a happily ever after now felt like a fool’s dream.She was grateful for Rhode Wales and he picked her interest a lot, however, he wasn’t the one she had spent her
Megan and Richardson got married in the summer, some five years ago. As soon as they got married they were thrusted into a world of political and kingdom duties, something they trained for, yes but their extensive classes did not compare to the weight of their new lives. The young couple felt the heat to say the least. Young Richardson speed-walked through the halls, heading for his usual stop, Megan’s office. It was a place he retreated to quite often, and by often; everyday. The young king and new alpha found solace in the arms of his wife and Luna, Megan.Though trained for his position since his birth, the sudden death of his father the king and former alpha of his pack threw him head first into a tub of responsibilities he only knew of in theory. Megan, however, handled it like a natural. She blended right into her new position and took the bull by it’s horn, shocking her subordinates and members of the court.None of the past lunas were ever involved in official duties, all the
Megan snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. The three women snapped their heads towards the door. "Who could it be?" Brianna asked. No one knocked on the queen's door except Richardson and he didn't wait before he entered. Could it be? Megan got up and hurried for the door yanking it open to reveal Aspen leaning on the door frame. "Hi!" Aspen said in a very fake high pitched voice. Megan heard her ladies gasping rather dramatically behind her, "what do you want, Aspen?" Megan asked her ex bestfriend, patience already thin. Aspen smiled, "Did you hear? I'm now in a room quite close to yours! Does it not bring back fond memories?" a sour taste formed in Megan's mouth but she ignored it. Megan gave her a small smile, "of course. I'm sure our play room is still standing back at my family house." Her response visibly shocked Aspen. Aspen was never good at hiding her emotions unlike Megan who had every reason to lash out, show her justified rage and anger. H
Rhode could not contain his anger when he woke up the next morning. He had stirred up to find himself in Brian's bed, and that was not the only unflattering thing that happened.He could still feel the bitter residue of whatever drug he had unknowingly consumed the night before, and knew, without anyone telling him, that the drug must have been potent.And what's worse? He could still feel the weakness in his bones that came from denying his body what it had been forced to desire last night. Doing that had only been through sheer force of will, as was everything he did, but oh was he pissed off.He knew the gist of what had happened by now, his own court members, or one of them at least had dared to poison him, and he knew without the doubt that if he had stayed in his room last night, he would have been violated, but the court would not have seen it that way, and would have demanded that he took responsibility for the cursed woman.He knew everything, and that was precisely why he co
Aspen, although severely ungrateful with her lot in life, had never truly suffered in any way, at least not to the people around her, although that opinion would soon change when the western kingdom got wind of her less than pure movement.Richardson had been quick to dispel the rumors and dismissed everyone, but even his kingly presence, note the sarcasm, was not enough to rid the accusations from the people's minds and seal their lips.As a result, she had been extra careful not to go outside, partly because everybody seemed to look at her like a murderer, e.g the servants and ladies maids, but also because of the appearance of Duke Elric.She had seen the way Richardson went pale at the sight of him, and had begun to question if making a deal with such a man was wise at all. But it was too late now, she was already indebted to him, and he held the secrets that could bring her to ruin at the tip of his untrustworthy tongue.“Aspen!” Richardson barked as he slammed the door to her ch
Megan frowned as she stared at Rhode's face, and that was the moment something was not quite right with the Alpha. Why, sweats were dotting his forehead and he looked positively flushed, she wondered if he had too much wine.But it was more than that, wasn't it? Right from when Lord Fuhler and Aldrien seemed to want Rhode to stay back, but the friendly man she had met before had battled for the opposite.“I wonder if he is alright.” She murmured to herself, but the woman sitting beside her seemed to have no qualms for manners as she blatantly listened in, and turned to Megan.“Perhaps you should verify.” She said so softly and quickly that Megan was left to wonder if she had imagined the soft whisper.“You know something.” Megan turned to her with an accusing look, but she simply busied herself with cutleries as she ignored Megan and casted graceful smiles to everyone in the room instead, the picture perfect queen, but Megan was too in her head to put her properly in her place.Someth
Rhode sipped the wine sitting in front of him in an effort to clear the strange feeling in his throat. He had no idea what was going on, only thing he knew was that he had started to tune out the conversation slash confrontation going on around the table.Tried as hard as he might, he just could no longer pay attention to Megan, he was beginning to harbor a terrible kind of suspicion.“Alpha,” Brian concerned voice shook him a little from his stupor, but for some reason it felt like Brian was yelling at him from a place he could not quite reach, under the ocean perhaps.“Brian?” Rhode whispered, something was quite wrong, but he could not pinpoint what it was. His hands shook as he tried to pick up the knife in front of him.“I am here Alpha, what is going on?” Brian asked behind him, he could hear the muted panic in his voice. Brian was worried, and that informed the strangely inebriated Rhode that perhaps he should be worried too.“I feel drunk.” He confessed slowly to his best frie
Mirabel hurried towards the dining room, she needed to talk to her father physically, to put an end to his craziness.If Rhode finds out what she did to him then it would be well within his rights to put her to death, and no one would bat an eye, people have been condemned for less.She needed to speak sense into her dad, he was becoming too reckless with his ambition and it would result in tragedy, Mirabel was sure of it.Her dad wanted the throne, he had coveted the position of Alpha for a very long time, and Mirabel knew that from a very tender age he had viewed his daughter as a stepping stone to his great ambition, but this had gone too far.“My lady, you have not gone to the dining area since Alpha Micheal, why are you doing so now?” Rose asked with apprehension as she led the way to her father, and Mirabel grimaced.“As much as I don't want to see the People, I want to die even less.” Mirabel answered with a wry smile.She was not afraid of dying, far from it. She was afraid of
“The cheek of that woman!” Rosetta gritted angrily as she paced in Megan's suit, and Megan shrugged, biting her lips in deep thought. Mirabel Fuhler, the dethroned queen. She had the perfect motive for vengeance, didn't she? But yet, Megan could not help but feel like she was missing a very important part of the puzzle.There was a chasm when it came to Mirabel. If Rhode was to be believed, then his claim that Mirabel had been the perfect wife to his brother should be believed too, right?If she had been faithful and loving to the late Alpha, then there would be no reason for her to wish to jump the wagon so soon. Something was definitely fishy, and Megan was determined to find out what it was. The former had been silent since her arrival to the palace, she had ignored the whispers about being dethroned that floated around the court like smoke. She had been perfectly polite when they met, so why on earth would she do something like this? It just did not make any sense. Unless she wa
Mirabel had only said what she did as a joke, but seeing the stiffening figures before she could not help but wonder if she was right after all, and if so, what exactly was she right about?Megan was a very intelligent woman, she was formidable as well, with the dangerous ability to sniff out enemies from wherever they were hiding.Now while Mirabel herself might not have had anything to do with Megan's incident, thus absolving her of guilt, but she could not say the same for her ambitious father, and that made her want to creep into Megan's mind, to see if she had come to the same conclusion, and to snuff her out if she had to. It was her duty to protect the Fuhlers name, and she could not let anyone that might proof to be a danger to said name, walk around freely.But she was finally evenly matched, she could see the intelligence in Megan's eyes, and the cunning of her smile, she could not be caught off guard before such a woman, she needed her wits about her.So she had said what s
Megan was definitely harassed at this point, she was definitely not ready for guests, and she knew that Rhode knew this, but for some reason he was insistent on barging into her safe haven with Mirabel Fuhler! The Mirabel! Her betrothed supposed fiancee! She couldn't do this, nobody would make her. This was shitty.“I will have nobody question your sanity!” He insisted, and while that warmed her heart, she could not help but balk at it. She was not looking her best, she decided, staring at her reflection in the mirror.Why, she was looking positively pale this morning, she could not meet her so-called competition like this! She looked positively horrid.“Please don't do this Rhode, I'm not ready!” She yelled at Rhode through their mindlinked. The mindlink was becoming really useful at this point, she could talk to him about things without anyone being none the wiser.“We are coming in Megan,” He told her resolutely. “Prepare yourself.” Sighing, Megan brushed down her already slick ha
Mirabel fuhler walked through the hallway in deep thoughts as the long black skirt she still insisted on wearing to mourn her late husband Michael Wales, trailed behind her. The husband she never knew she needed. It pained that she spent years pining for another when the real love of her life was seated beside her and praying for her to look at him.And now she was being forced to marry the younger brother of that perfect man? It didn't make sense to Mirabel, not even one bit. She loved Michael, and the resemblance Rhode shared with him was also a punch to the gut every time she crossed his path.“My lady, are you sure you want to do this?” Her maid Anne asked as she led the way to the room of Rhode's bride to be from the west.“Exactly my lady, it does not really make sense. You were supposed to remarry Alpha Rhode, but he chose some wench from the west over you, why should you go to visit her?” Lily, are other maid questioned and for the first time in a long time, Mirabel was tickle