~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,
~Lilly~ Life, they say, is a mystery. Sometimes, we think we already know, but the truth is we don't. When I was eighteen, I thought I would find my fate. I wasn't big on it since my parents weren't fated, but I wondered how nice it would be for me to experience the bond; it never happened to me, and life went on. I never hoped for much, and neither was I actively searching. I would lie if I said I wasn't plagued by loneliness at night, but there was nothing I could do about it but wait. Years went by, and I watched friends, family and acquaintances find their soulmates, their fated partners, as they called them. I witnessed their joy, their struggles, and their unwavering support for each other, and while I was genuinely happy for them, a part of me couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. I questioned myself countless times—was I doing something wrong? Was I not putting myself out there enough? Was I too picky? But deep down, I knew that fate had its own timeline, its own plan f
~Lilly~ As the realisation sunk in, a bitter taste filled my mouth, and I fought back the bitter tears threatening to spill from my eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I deserved more than to be a mere footnote in someone else's love story, a consolation prize for a man who had already made his choice. But even as I raged against the injustice of it all, a small part of me couldn't help but wonder—was there still a chance for redemption? Could Brandon find the courage to break free from the chains he was bound with by his wife and embrace the possibility of a new beginning? I held my breath, waiting for him to speak, to offer something, anything, but as the silence stretched on, the truth became painfully clear. With a heavy heart, I turned away, steeling myself against the ache of disappointment and betrayal. For in that moment, I knew that my fairy tale ending was nothing more than a fleeting dream, a figment of my imagination destined to remain forever out of reach. Te