~Gemma~ I hadn't left my room since I returned from the hearing. I didn't know what came over me, but I was ashamed. The way my father looked at me still hurt me, coupled with the fact that I had a life growing inside me, and I didn't know what to do. If my father could look at me with so much disappointment learning Lucas and I had slept together, then I didn't want to imagine what he would do when he found out I was pregnant. I wept most of the evening, unable to show my face. When Harper came to knock on my door to tell me she was leaving, I couldn't reply. She knew of my predicament, and I knew she was worried for me. I couldn't even bring myself to tell my sisters. They were perfect, but I was messed up. I woke up in the morning, and when I checked online, instead of seeing the altercation I had with Katalina, it was Uncle Leo and Lady Amelia's attack and kidnap that was all over the news. I was in shock, and my hands shook. It felt unreal. I couldn't believe that disa
~Lucas~ I had never felt such intense emotions for anyone as I did for Gemma, and the thought of losing her was unbearable. Katalina's outburst outside the council hall, triggered by my decision to end the engagement, was proof of the turmoil my actions had caused. It was imperative that I rectify this situation and make my true feelings clear to Lord Vino. He deserved to know the reality of the situation, which is why I ventured to the palace. With the current state of affairs in our continent, waiting to speak to him outside would only worsen matters. Now, standing face to face with him, though it seemed sensible to heed Gemma's request and leave, I understood that doing so would mean walking away from her entirely. Therefore, I stood my ground. "Are you daft?" Lord Lawrence finally inquired, to which I shook my head. "I'm just a fool in love, sir," I replied, and he scrutinised me. "How did you two meet?" he queried, his expression appearing to soften. While it might have s
~Lucas~ I waited, watching Gemma, and time passed a little. Eventually Gemma woke up looking tired and i riushed to her side. "What happened?" she managed, her voice trembling, and I gently touched her cheek. "You fainted; I had to carry you in here," I explained, and she fell silent, appearing to understand the reason behind her fainting spell, though I didn't press her for an explanation. Lady Claudia returned to read her charts, and she was shocked when she saw her test results. I hoped it wasn't anything alarming, but she looked at me and then looked at Gemma, unable to speak. Gemma looked at her with tear-filled eyes; it seemed she knew what her mother had just found out. "How? When were you going to tell us?" she asked, and Gemma sat up, tears in her eyes. "I didn't know what to do, Mom; Dad was.. I was... I didn't… I just didn't know what to do?" she said, tears streaming down her cheeks, and I wondered what the issue was. Was she facing a terminal illness? Was that
~Leo~ I could not believe what had hit me. Everything happened so fast. I trusted Kappa Daniel so much that I didn't pay attention to the route. I didn't even ask any questions until the vehicle came to a halt, and people jumped out of nowhere and began to attack us. I wouldn't say I was confident, but I tried not to show fear. I hated seeing Amelia fight. It made me feel incapable sometimes, but in this scenario, it was required, and there was no way of avoiding it. We shifted, and the battle seemed like we were winning until I felt a dart on my hind leg, and everything went dark. I sunk into the abyss so deep that I knew crawling out of the mess we were in would be close to impossible. All I prayed for in those seconds was that fate would favour my mate and me, and we would survive it. As I regained consciousness, I found myself in a dim cell with only a small window offering no glimpse of the outside world. The window seemed almost insignificant, leading nowhere and se
~Leo~ It was either Gavin was sick in the head or did not really know what happened, but if he was alive all through, then he should know what happened and that Amanda was the cause of her father and his sister's death. Something wasn't right, but I was aware of the danger he represented. "It was justice," was all I could manage. He nodded. "It is okay. My son and I will get the justice too. Take pack our region ," He said and I laughed. "If you want the head alpha position, you can have it," I said, wanting my son's safety by all means. He laughed and shook his head. "No, Leo. Head alpha won't suffice anymore. You are the cause of this colossal mess we call a kingdom. You and your fucked confused friends. All regions were independent before, and the council only attended to certain matters. I am taking us back to those days. Once your household falls, I will go for the north, too. The west and South will fall in line. No formidable foe there, really. I will keep you alive until
~Liam~ After my call to Adrian, I felt a bit restless. Time was going by pretty fast, and I was nervous. Asking me to remain in Lucland was unfair. It would have been nice to be in the Mountains, where all the action was. Just like old times. I was a bit frustrated. Josephine entered the bedroom with a knowing smile on her face. "Why don't you just go to Mountain. You know I can take charge here," she teased, chuckling. I got off the bed and pulled her into my arms, tickling her in the process, and she laughed. "Li, Li, stop, stop," she said, her laughter loud and genuine, warming my heart and easing my mind. Josephine had always been playful, and she hadn't changed, and I doubted she would. I pinned her against the wall, ready to kiss her. She slid down. Between my arms, dodging the kiss. "I have to go back to the garden. Jason is there with his cousins, and we are having a picnic," she said. I pulled her up and gently caressed her bump, feeling our baby growing in her. Joseph
~Liam~ I finally arrived at the Mountain, and I was shocked to see the airport sparsely populated. I could sense something was coming, and I hoped we had the power for it. Taking a cab, I headed to the settlement. I didn't want to trouble Noah and Sebastien by sending a vehicle because I knew they had a lot to do and might be tied up at the moment. The cab took me straight to the Alphas office, where I met Anthony, Luis, Ethan, Noah and Sebastian. They looked demoralised, and I could tell they might have hit a wall. "They were surprised to see me, and I could understand why. After all, I had told them I wasn't coming. "What are you doing here?" Luis asked me, and I made myself comfortable. The alpha meeting was my seven tonight so I best be on my way but I had to explain certain things to them. "The alphas have written a petition and requested the temporary removal of power from your family pending the investigation. They say Lord Andrew can take over for the time being, and t
~Liam~ Alpha Gabriel introduced himself officially and welcomed me to the meeting, then decided to speak about their request. "The majority of the Eastern alphas have petitioned his majesty to permit the appointment of Lord Andrew Stepanov, either his heir or representative, to serve as interim head of the East until this matter is resolved. While I may not personally align with this prevailing sentiment, the majority of my colleagues present here today advocate for the arrest and interrogation of the Albert brothers. Given the disappearance of our lord and lady, coupled with the mounting evidence against them, we seek clarity from the royal family. We wish to know their stance on this issue and whether any action has been taken," stated Alpha Gabriel, and I stood up to thank them for having me. "The King extends his gratitude for your communication, and rest assured, we are actively addressing the situation. Given the absence of Lord Andrew and his son, we have opted to refrain fr