~Noah~ While Brandon and I walked past Sebastien's room to head to the garden, I could hear him and Summer in there, and I would bet my brother wasn't taking it easy on her. I knew I'd pretty much do the same to Winter, and the longer she made me wait, the more vicious I'd be. Brandon did not say anything, and for a second, I wanted to punch him. I didn't know why I had the feeling, but knowing he had been inside Winter, touched her and was her first got to me, I hoped a time would come when I'd stop being jealous. She was all mine, yet I wanted to erase him from her life, and here I was trying to help him. It was twisted, I was twisted, and I didn't know why. We arrived at the garden, and to my surprise, Oliver, Marvin, Miles, and Luis were there along with their mates, except for Luis, who, of course, was single. I could see Liam had told them about Brandon, and Oliver did not seem pleased, but he was going along with it. Luis did not want to be there either. It was all over his f
~Winter~ Having to spend time in the North without Noah was hard for me. I didn't want to come across as clingy, but letting go wasn't easy. A strong part of me wanted to tag along, and I might have done that. When I realised Anthony had left, I felt a bit stranded because the people we had followed to the North had left, and we were still here. We were new to the royal family circle, so Summer and I felt out of place. Our discomfort didn't linger because Princess Josephine and the other ladies ensured we were welcomed. We laughed, played, gossiped and played some Croquet. The game was slowly becoming my favourite, especially because we teased each other when we missed easy shots or didn't position well. I know Eleanor teased Summer about being unable to position herself well because of what Sebastien might have done before he left. She was pink instantly, and everyone laughed. We teased them, too, and it was all fun. The loneliness didn't set in until it was time to retire to b
~Winter~ I was shocked for a minute. Noah and I were yet to claim each other, but I guess I was already Lady of the East to them. The ladies laughed at my surprise. I wanted to correct the manager to call me Miss Crayton, but I knew Noah wouldn't like that, and even though he wasn't here, he would somehow know. I didn't know how he would feel about it, so I accepted the name and shook my head. "I am not in the mood for shopping, but your clothes are exquisite. I might return at a later time when I am more relaxed," I said, and she nodded. "In that case, the designer has packed some dresses for you," she said, and just then, a sales girl came with some boxes of clothes. "We would like you to be photographed in our clothes. We also hope you will give us the privilege to make your wedding dress, Lady Albert," she said, and I was stunned. I didn't know what to say, and Lilly stepped in and thanked them. "Thank you so much; I am sure Winter won't mind. If your clothes flatter her, th
~Winter~ Morning came, and I was a bit sore between my legs. Noah had kept his promise, and indeed, I had pleaded with him. Food was served around three in the morning because I was famished. Right around the time, my clothes were delivered to the room. We both ate and went to bed. Noah held on to me, and I could feel he was optimistic about something. Whatever he went to do in the East must have turned out well for him. We showered together. It was clear we had missed breakfast, but it was okay. "When will we return to the East?" I finally asked him, stepping out of the dressing closet with jeans and one of the T-shirts that Chelsea had made for me as a gift. It had writing on the chest area where my boobs were that said, "I have a face, you know?" and I remembered how the T-shirt made me laugh when she gave it to me. Noah saw the shirt and laughed. "Creative," he said, and I smiled. "Yeah, Chelsea made it. She has a lot of weird t-shirts like this one," I said, and he nodded
~Brandon~ The pain of the severance was incredible, and I wished I could just silence everything. How could I lose everything and gain nothing? If anyone had told me this would be my future the day I met Winter, I would say it was a lie, but here I was, walking away from my mate after rejecting her fully. The last time I rejected her, I had made it partial and pretended not to understand why we were still connected. I really hoped it would buy me time. I hoped the council would answer my prayer and lift the embargo. I never planned to let go; I just needed a little while longer, but I guess I underestimated the pain my humiliation and rejection would cause her. I had lost her to a better man, a Lord, royalty. How could I compete? The fact that I could see that he truly loved her made me realise that my story with Winter had come to an end. I wanted to laugh at myself, but I couldn't. The pain in my chest wouldn't let me, and the emptiness that was creeping into my soul tore a
~Brandon~ I exited the shower after spending a while in there and returned to the room right around the time that my phone rang. I rushed towards it and saw it was Lesley. I didn't want to answer it, but knowing it could be an emergency, I answered the call. "Hello," I said, sounding as normal as I could manage. "Brandon, when are you coming home?" She asked, and I cursed under my breath. This wasn't the time for this. "I don't know," I said, and she was silent a bit before speaking. "Alpha Gabriel called requesting our land at the Maines border as payment," She said, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "And what did you say?" I asked her, trying to focus on what she was telling me. "I told him you weren't around and had gone to the north. Then I offered him money, and he said what Hayland owed is more than that," she said, and I knew she was about to complain, so I braced myself for it. "It is too much for me, Brandon. This is too much. You don't love me; you won't touch me
~Brandon~ Justin hushed everyone for Noah to speak and gave him the floor. I had begun to realise that Noah was the talkative of the twins, and he didn't even say much. That said a lot, and it made me wonder how their friends managed. "According to legal stipulations, an inquiry shall be clandestinely initiated within the impacted regions to ascertain their exoneration from the transgression for which they were proscribed. Substantiating the rehabilitation of both the territory and its inhabitants is requisite for the enactment of a provisional respite. Following thorough examination and confirmation of the territory's redemption, stringent monitoring shall ensue for a duration of three years prior to the complete rescission of the embargo." Noah said, and even I could not fully understand what it meant. "Simple words, Noah," Henry said, and everyone laughed. Noah sighed to rephrase himself. "It means the law says an investigation would be secretly launched in the affected region
~Brandon~ The invitation took me by surprise, but the sincerity in Anthony's eyes was unmistakable. Despite the challenges that lay ahead, there was a sense of unity in his words, a shared determination to face whatever trials awaited us together. And as I looked around at the faces of my newfound allies, a flicker of hope ignited within me. Perhaps, against all odds, we could emerge victorious. "Sure, I do not mind," I said, and they began to leave. "Great, meet us at the dining hall in the Alpha Wing in one hour and thirty minutes," Justin said, walking past me. He stopped and placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him, and he sighed. "Victory isn't guaranteed, Knight. We can't win them all, nor can we have it all. Every loss carries a lesson. Brush yourself off and rise again. The future holds unforeseen opportunities," he said with a smile and walked away. His words sank deep into my soul. I believe it was because I wore my misery on my sleeves. My pain was palpable,