Every single werewolf, vampire and witch were on edge at the thought of anyone hurting their Queen. They wanted blood.
“No!” Althea cried out, looking terrified. “Sh-She’s lying!”
Dimitri looked up at me, silently begging me with his eyes. I know that anything I would say would put him in a tough spot. I could downplay everything that happened so she doesn’t have be killed. But she not only put my life in danger, but also my kids, Nikolai, Mikhail and everyone with them. She was a part of a rebellion. She was on Adrik’s side. And I could not have that in my Kingdom.
My babies shifted in my belly and I caressed my bump in an attempt to calm them and assure them of their safety.
Nat looked me in the eyes. They narrowed in realisation before anger crossed her face. “Althea is a traitor. She’s working for Adrik. She’s the reason Nikolai, Ratmir and his comrades almost lost their lives, and the reason Adrik has Mikhail.”
More gasps spread.
“He has Mikhail?” My heart sped up.
Natalia nodded, her jaw clenched and her eyes furious. “We can’t contact him. Nikolai said they won’t kill him, that they would demand for something in return.”
I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. But still, anything could happen. Mikhail could end up losing life!
“And this is all happening because of her!” Natalia glared at Althea with more fury and hatred than I had ever seen her display before. Of course she was furious, Mikhail was her best friend. I was furious too.
“Is it true?” Dimitri whispered, his voice hollow.
“No!” She lied crying. “Believe me!”
“Whose knife is this?” Nat picked up the knife Althea had brought with her to kill me from the hilt.
Dimitri looked at it and tears filled his eyes, “mine.”
Natalia brought it closer to her nose, careful to keep the silver away, “it has Althea’s smell all over it.” She had been hiding it in her clothes for a while. Her smell was bound to stick to it.
“If you were even a little smart, you would have known that since I am a faye, silver does not affect me,” I took the knife out of Natalia’s hand and trailed my finger down the silver part. “And to think that you could kill me in my own home…” I scoffed. I wasn’t scared one bit. She was not strong enough to harm me.
She cried harder, knowing she was not getting out of this. She was caught.
I pitied her, I really did. She was a naive girl who refused to learn. She was so fixated on her past that she refused to see the amazing life the future had the potential to offer her. But naive or not, she let the negativity get to her. She knew what she was doing was wrong but still went ahead and did it. What’s where nativity stopped and stupidity started.
And I knew that she wasn’t the only one behind all of this. This has to be a plan, which consisted of killing both Nik and I, along with our children. It clearly was not a well thought out one. And they obviously picked the wrong girl. Althea was not the devious or strong type. She wasn’t very smart or courageous either.
The ones who planned this were clearly amateurs in the art of strategising. Which meant they had to be either young, inexperienced or too used to following orders.
“You met a few people in Volk, didn’t you?” The terror on her face gave it away.
The process of weeding out Adrik’s fanatic followers was still a work in progress. I knew that the people here were way too loyal to me to have a hand in any of this. But the wolves of Volk were a different story.
“I’m guessing they also told you lies about me? Like I am not Nik’s true mate? That I don’t deserve to be the Queen?”
Hesitantly, she nodded.
“And you believed them?”
She nodded again.
“And what made you think you could be the Queen?”
Dimitri’s pleading gaze that was fixated on me shifted to Althea. I think he is only now realising his mate’s true wishes.
She swallowed noisily.
“You want to become the Queen?” Dimitri hissed angrily at her.
That seemed to charge her with anger. “I was doing this for us! I told you they’re no good. You are the one doing all the real work here. Nikolai is out frolicking God knows where,” she then glared at me, “and you sit around all day waiting for your impending death.”
I gritted my teeth, furious now.
I was not going to listen to another word out of her mouth.
“Dimitri,” I hissed. He looked up at me with helplessness and resignation. He knew what was coming.
“The punishment of the crimes that your mate has committed is death.” His eyes slid shut as a tear slid down his cheek.
“But as an act of good faith towards you, and all that you have done for me, Nikolai, our family, our Kingdom, I will spare her life. But she is banished from Jiv for the rest of eternity. She will be killed on sight should she decide to return. I do not wish to make you choose between your mate and your Queen. Which is why I will make that decision for you.” A small piece of my heart broke when I finally said it, “I believe it will be best if you leave with her too.”
“I’m sorry! Please don’t do this!” Althea sobbed. “Where will we go?” The influence of supernaturals outside of Jiv was limited. There were a lot of packs outside of the main supernatural island but none of them were nearly as strong as the ones here. They were weaker than us. They thought that we were arrogant and we weren’t very fond of them either. And Dimitri and Althea would have to struggle a lot before they got accepted in any of them. And even if they did get accepted, they would not be given a very high position in the hierarchy. “Tell her to not do this Dimitri! Tell her she’s making a mistake.”
And the man in question had his eyes on me, filled with heartbreak.
I couldn’t believe I had just told Dimitri to go far away from our lives.
But the weight of the crown was heavy and the deeds it made us do were heavier.
Some decisions needed to be taken.
“You’re making a mistake.” Max spoke. “Letting her go is a mistake. As your advisor, it is my duty to remind you to take decisions as a Queen and not as a sister.”
“No!” Althea spoke in horror, her eyes wide. “Tell them it was a mistake, Dimitri! They can’t do this! I love you! Fight for us! Fight for me! You can’t let them kill me. I’m your mate.” She cried pathetically.
“My decision is final.” I whispered, looking at Max. I knew I was making a mistake. But my love for Dimitri refused to let me hurt him like that.
“A good Queen will not make you choose between her and your mate. A good mate will not make you betray your Queen.” Max looked deep into Dimitri’s eyes. “Just like that, a good mate will not make you choose between her and your Queen. And a good Queen will not make you betray your mate.”
What he was saying was a hundred percent true, but why was he saying that right now?
Dimitri’s lips parted and his eyes flash with recollection of some memory. It seemed like they had had a discussion on this particular topic. Dimitri’s chest heaved as he began hyperventilating.
“It is time.” Max spoke and a tingle went down my back. Something bad was about to happen. I could feel it. I wanted to do something, I wanted to say something.
But for some reason, I was frozen in my place. I felt like a spectator watching what was inevitable.
“You know what to do.” Max said and Dimitri’s eyes turned black before a drop of blood leaked out of the corner of his eye like a tear.
What is it time for?
What does Dimitri have to do?
And in the next second, Dimitri’s hand was inside Althea’s chest before he ripped her heart out.