Those who were found and brought back from Neptune’s warehouse were now placed in a guarded apartment building near the castle. They were given food, clothing, medical checkups, and therapy if they wanted it. Toys had also been donated by civilians of the empire to the hybrid children.
Lucianne, Xandar, Christian and Annie made regular trips to visit the families with Pellethia, Octavia, Rafael and Amber, to see if the families needed anything that they could provide. Even Maddock and the other ministers came along a few times.
A few of the families began asking whether they could return to the lycan kingdom to visit families and show their parents their pups. Xandar and Lucianne immediately granted such requests and even gave the families a few dates where a jet would be sent to come pick them up.
The administrative hybrids and those who fought at Bordure weren’t given as much freedom or luxury as those who weren’t involved in executing the plan. The administrators who were left after Chong’s death were Saxum, Regina, Gerella, Rudolpho and Zepine. Regina was placed on house arrest since she had Michael to care for. Gerella was confined to her apartment as well, escaping dungeons because she warned the empress and consort about the Bordure attack. The other three were kept in the dungeons until trial. Unlike the other prisoners, they weren’t allowed to leave their cells for meals or walks. It was a safety precaution taken to avoid starting prison riots. On a trip that Lucianne dreaded, Deputy Chief Laurent and Officer Laila escorted Kate when they boarded Xandar’s jet with the queen to leave for the empire. Once they landed
Toby visited Gerella twice a day, getting to know her and making sure that she had everything she needed to make the experience less tormenting. She constantly assured him that she was fine, and always looked forward to his visits. He learned that her mother died giving birth to her, and her father subsequently passed on from the grief and heartbreak. He learned that she liked children and had a favorite - Isla. He also learned that she was fluent in proditor code. What was it used for? Help some of those who left the empire transmit messages to their families or close friends, if both sides were still on good terms even after the separation. The main translator was a proditor who stayed in the Forest of Oderem for a few years before sneaking back into the empire, living in one of the most remote parts under a new alias. His years as a proditor enabled him to read the code, and he made a go
When Toby visited Gerella in prison for the first time, his leg fidgetted as he prayed that he wouldn’t see that she had been battered or anything like that. The empress and consort assured him many times that Gerella was going to be safe, and that the prison guards always had things under control so violence and bullying seldom happened behind those walls.He was waiting for her in the private visitation room for two painful minutes before Gerella entered with the policewoman, who then took off the keratin and silver cuffs that bound her wrists while reminding her about the usual procedure and the two hours that she was allowed. Gerella was dressed in the teal green uniform that everyone else wore, her hair up in a ponytail, and Toby sighed in relief that she still looked perfect.Gerella’s brows arched in confusio
Gerella’s smile grew in cheekiness when she explained, “They think it’s the authorities’ fault that we left the hideout. Since you’re part of the authorities, they hate you.”Toby argued in a whisper, “Ella, that’s not fair. The vigils went in first. I’m NOT a vigil. Hate on them. And besides, you guys left BEFORE any of us saw any of you.”She replied with a playful smile, “I know.”“Didn’t you tell them?” Toby asked in dismay.“Not at first. I do like to listen to everything someone says before I say anything. It gives me a good picture of what they know and where they stand in things.”
Xandar was in bed scrolling through his phone when he read the news from the empire. Many were awed and even touched by the level of commitment that the kingdom offered to their Imperial Majesties, vigils and governing body during the cooperation. They were grateful to Greg because he tracked down the triplets and brought back the abducted vampires before killing the scientists and destroying their lab. When he was reported to be ‘the only royal family member who is, at present, single’, some women from the empire even boldly expressed their interest to ‘meet’ the duke. Xandar took a screenshot of that part of the article and sent it to Greg, and he didn’t expect the reply that came seconds later with only four words, “I hate you, cousin” along with the middle-finger emoji. Xandar chuckled to himself as he continued reading.
In the meeting room, everyone brought their notes along with their own copies of Iridessa’s theses as they took their places around the table. Toby was walking to his own seat when he muttered a complaint as he walked past Lucianne, “I swear, I’ve never seen that many words in a single document in my entire life.” Lucianne merely scoffed softly in amusement, whereas Xandar saw the need to respond, “It’s a thesis with research taken from all species, Toby.” “Wrong. It’s TWO theses, Xandar.” Lucianne covered her mouth to swallow the chuckles when Xandar continued, “Exactly, so what did you expect?” Shamelessly, Toby declared, “I expected more graphs and charts, preferably with color.”
After lunch, Lucianne and Xandar met with the vampire rulers to discuss bringing back the Secret Service. They have been watching Greg and his followers. Not only did they conclude that none of them went out of line, they agreed that none of them went anywhere near that line. The initiatives they took were highly commendable; their commitment in the cooperation was unwavering; and their loyalty outshone their pasts, no matter how dark they were painted to be. Octavia even mentioned that it didn’t feel like they were doing what they did to be pardoned. The royal mavericks helped because they wanted to help. Margaret’s followers were more split - about two-thirds helped because, like the royal mavericks, they grew to like working with others beyond their own. But the remaining one-third were just there for the pardon, excluding the traitors, Kate and Howard, of course.
Lucianne explained to Greg the same way she explained to Xandar the previous night, “Yes, Greg. Your scent. Ever since you’ve disclosed housing 98 rogues, none of us could fathom how you never smelled like a rogue. When you confessed to being the one leading the rogue world, the issue of why your natural scent was preserved became even more perplexing. I thought you used scent sprays at first, but you didn't always have those on hand even when you were in prison, so that couldn’t be it. The only logical explanation is that you were never a rogue.”“O…kay?” Greg tried to keep up before he said, “That’s probably because no matter what I do, I’m still of royal lineage, My Queen.”Xandar countered, “That can’t be it, Greg. In the past, any king or queen who ha
Dear readers,Thank you for giving “The Rogues Who Went Rogue” a chance, and for following through to the very end. I hope that this sequel was entertaining enough to keep you engaged, and empowering enough for you to draw strength from it whenever you need the boost.I hope you can spare a few minutes to rate this novel and leave a review here and on Goodreads. It'll help a lot in seeking new readers and sharing the love!To anyone who dropped comments with encouraging words from time to time, thank you. You have no idea how helpful these have been on the days when I experience severe fatigue or writer’s block.Now, with regards to what’s in store for the next book in the Coalescence of the Five Series, it’s this - in Book Three, we’ll be acquainted with hunters and a potential duchess, but the publication date cannot be confirmed as of yet. I am discussing the contractual terms of a writing project with another platform, and if that proceeds, I would be working on that book in the s
As he gently took the baby girl from her mother, everyone braced themselves for the deafening screams that would usually follow. But what came next was just soft coos as Enora leaned against her uncle’s shoulder, resting her head there with a soft smile. After a few quiet moments, Greg glanced at the child before looking back at Xandar and Lucianne when he questioned, “What did you two feed her this morning? What sorcery is this?” Christian had a theory, which he shared as he walked over to Greg, “Maybe she’s starting to warm up to us. Let me try.” As soon as Greg reluctantly detached Enora from his shoulder and the baby realized that she was going to a different adult that was neither one of her parents, she screamed and started tearing up as she pressed herself again
The ceremony to return the title was held in the abandoned castle next to the Forest of Oderem. Pellethia had an unexplainable feeling that it had to be there, as did Lucianne. When the servants went to have the place cleaned up, all praying that they weren’t going to encounter anything out of the ordinary when they did their job, two among the sixty cleaners entered a room on the highest floor that was covered with a very thick layer of dirt and dust. When the two servants assigned to clean this particular room opened the windows to let in some air, a dash of breeze came from the forest and blew at a part of the dirt on the floor, making the poor servants flinch before instinctively holding each other as they quivered in fear. When nothing happened for the next few moments, they slowly released their hold of each other. Th
Gerella walked gracefully down the aisle, and while all eyes were on her, her sights stuck to her groom who looked like he was close to tears as he beamed at her. When she reached him, he offered her his hand to help her onto the platform. The music stopped, and the guests took their seats once more. After the marriage officiant recited from the Scriptures of Matrimony, he announced that it was time for the exchange of vows. Toby began, “Ella, from the moment we met, I knew that my life was never going to be the same again. Not only can I now boast about being the only one among my friends to get the most beautiful hybrid for a wife, your mark practically gave me the license to also gloat about being able to see a discretus when they cannot. You have no idea how much fun I’m going to have lying about a discretus’s presence when we’re training.”
7 weeks later “I’ve actually already had two. They taste pretty good.” Toby told Lucianne as they stood by the table with the trays of cupcakes. He then added, “I’m glad she decided to start a business out of this. Her baking skills are fantastic!” Hailey made those cupcakes. She was now a probationary kindergarten teacher on weekdays and a baker on weekends. She and the other mavericks still worked for Greg, but they were free to indulge in their hobbies and passions when they didn't have maverick duties. Some even pursued career paths that earned a salary the 'normal' way. Jade opened a cyber café which attracted lots of youngsters, and Hailey baked cupcakes or made pastries to sell to Jade’s customers. She offered him a small percentage of her earnings for his space. Some even came in just to buy her baked goods.
After Margaret managed to compose herself, she cleared her throat, looked into Tate’s eyes that held so much love and assurance, and began reciting her own set of vows, “Tate, when we met, I thought that our bond wasn’t going to last. I thought that a rejection would follow, from you or me, or even from the both of us. You haven’t the faintest clue of how relieved and happy I am that I’ve been proven wrong. Very wrong.” “I was wrong to think that our bond is a mistake; I was wrong to judge you based on the title you inherited; and I was wrong to think that you could never love me the way I didn’t know I needed to be loved. Never in my wildest dreams could I’ve imagined falling in love again, and never did I think it was someone as perfect as you are, Tate. I held so much hate from my past, carrying it throughout my life, even scaring away a few acquaintances with my untamable inferno, yet y
The Alpha of White Blood got cheers and claps even before the bride emerged. He was pleased to see that his pack members were not giving the vampire guests odd looks, and he was proud that, when he raised this matter with everyone weeks before the wedding, they seemed more excited and welcoming than reluctant and disapproving. What surprised him most was that the vampires didn’t sit at one place, but were scattered among the wolf and lycan guests. The Alpha wanted the integration but he definitely didn’t expect to get it this soon. Tate took a good look around to commit the sight before him to memory - the memory of his closest friends and pack members here to celebrate his and Margaret’s special day. When his eyes fell on Lucianne, she linked, ‘Margaret’s more t
3 months laterAlissa was pulling Gabriel by his arm through the rows of white, yellow and beige flowers in a nature park where Tate and Margaret decided to have their wedding ceremony. In the sea of White Blood pack members, Alissa finally found the creature she was looking for.“My Queen, this is Gabriel, my second-chance mate and husband. Gabriel, this is our queen.” Alissa said with the widest smile that Lucianne had ever seen. Alissa and Gabriel tied the knot two months ago in the marriage registrar’s office, with only the attendance of her triplets, Gabriel’s brother, Greg, Hailey, Desmond and Ivory.Lucianne smiled warmly at the nervous-looking man in a tuxedo. “Well, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Gabriel. We’ve heard a
Alissa’s furrowed brows and puzzled eyes shifted to the door, and her defensive instincts kicked in. She extracted the hard drive from her laptop and slid it into the custom-sewn compartment in her jeans. Reaching for the loaded gun and heading for the door, she tried to guess who that could be. The property was bought under an alias. Her landlady never came up in the last ten years she stayed here. Greg and the others usually gave her a heads-up before dropping by.She looked through the keyhole to see if she was able to get anything from the slit. All she saw was a sand-color shirt. She was also picking up a delightful yet somewhat familiar scent of oak and rain. The knock came again. She pressed her ear to the door, where she heard a heavy sigh before something was placed on the floor as the footsteps retreated.Alissa waite