“Very well.” I turned around and walked towards the ceiling to floor glass windows, slid them open and walked out into the balcony, giving her the opportunity to hide the knife. I had a feeling that this was going to be a turning point in our lives. Whether it was for the better or for the worse, I didn’t know.
I caressed my belly. Whatever it was, I was going to keep my babies safe. That was all that mattered to me in the end.
“So, what are you doing here?” I asked her when she came into my view. A shiver passed through my spine. It was cold out here, more so than normal. I wish Nikolai was here to warm me up. He was so warm all the damn time.
She took a deep breath before looking at the night sky. “From the moment I was born, I was trained to be the perfect mate for Nikolai. For eighteen years, I have barely been allowed to step out of the Bellehaven palace. I barely had any friends. Father was afraid that I might become friends with boys and get… tainted.” Her voice was empty, like she was trying to portray that she had made her peace with it. But I didn’t believe it. She was distancing herself from her past so that she could talk about it without feeling vulnerable. “I was trained to be the Queen one day.”
I detected jealousy in her voice.
“Do you know how hard it is to change after you have only known and believed one thing all your life?” She titled her head slightly
“I do.” I’m not sure if she knows the extent of my knowledge on this.
“Then maybe you understand my behaviour up until now.” She sighed softly. “I -I know that you don’t like me. All of you.”
I wanted to object but she wasn’t exactly wrong.
“And I just wanted to say that I wasn’t like this before…” her breath got caught in her throat, “after Father…” she choked up, “he was all I knew. He might not have been the best father, but he was mine and I loved him.”
“I’m sorry.” I was. I was sorry that she had to see her father die. I knew it wasn’t easy in any sense.
But he hurt my Nikolai. And his death was a result of all the deeds he had done in his long life. Thousands of people had died because of him. And tens of thousands of witches had suffered for years because of the entire council.
“My world shifted on its axis when I met Dimitri.” She whispered. “I never thought… I was supposed to be Nikolai’s mate! I was supposed to be the Queen.”
All this while, we were thinking that she was upset because Nikolai killed her father and rescued all those witches. But now, I had a sinking feeling that she was simply jealous.
“Dimitri is your mate.” I spoke carefully, not wanting to show my anger. Dimitri deserved better than her. “He was chosen by the Moon Goddess to be with you. He is your other half. He loves you. He do-”
“I deserve better than him.” She sobbed. How the fuck could she even say that?
“What makes you think that?” I asked sharply.
“I like him. I know he is a good man. I know he has a nice heart. I know he will make me very happy if I let him. But….” Then what was the freaking problem? “But I was supposed to be the Queen. I have been trained to become one all my life! I have everything it takes to be a good mate and a good ruler. I deserve a King. And not some Second in Hand.” The disgust in her voice when she said ‘second in hand’, especially in reference to Dimitri was it for me.
“Shut up,” I hissed and her eyes widened. She had a lot of audacity but the heart of a coward. “I have been more than patient with you. I know you have the knife with you. I know you are probably here to kill me. But I thought I will give you a second chance. Everyone deserves one. Especially the mate of Dimitri, who is a gem of a person. And I love him with all my heart.” The jealousy on her face was instant. She was never going to understand our bond. “I have had enough of you disrespecting Nikolai, me, Dimitri and my bond with both of them. I know Dimitri has told you about it a million times but I will repeat it for the last time. He is like my little brother. Nothing you do or say will change that.” I said in one breath. “And your story almost made me pity you enough to let you go without any repercussions. But now, I am going to have to punish you.”
She pressed her lips together and her hands turned into fists. “Punish me?” Her voice was confident this time around. “Without your ability to use magic and your wolf, you are weak. Without Nikolai, you are weak. Without the title and the crown, you are weak.” She said as if she was reciting lines that had been drilled into her mind. And then she took out the knife from the back of her shorts and looked at it with a hint of fear.
It was her first kill.
If there was even a sliver of chance to stop this from happening, I would. Because there was no turning back from his. If she tried to take my life, the only punishment for that would be death. And I did not want to do that to Dimitri.
‘Come to my room. The balcony. Now.’ I commanded Dimitri through the mind-link.
“I love Dimitri. I am doing this for him. For us.” She whispered like she was talking to herself.
“Don’t do it, Althea.” I warned her and took a step back, making sure there was enough space between her and my babies before I used my powers.
It was true that I couldn’t use them a lot. It hurt me. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t use them at all.
She thought that me taking a step back was a sign of me being afraid.
No one makes me afraid in my own home.
“I’m sorry. But I have to do it. It’s too late now. I’m sorry.” Tears rose in her eyes. “It’s too late to back out. It has already begun!”
For some reason, my stomach flipped. “What has begun?”
“King Adrik knows they’re coming!” She cried. “They told King Adrik that Nikolai is coming for them. They’re all going to die!”
It’s an ambush.
It’s a fucking ambush.
‘Adrik knows you’re coming!’ I screamed into the mind-link of Nikolai and Mikhail but they had shut me out.
Most probably to avoid distractions and focus on the mission.
Tears filled my eyes.
“No.” Nikolai can’t die. He just can’t.
He’s… he’s supposed to come back. He’s supposed to be here with me. He’s supposed to raise our kids and then join me on the other side!
I screamed in the mind-links of our family. ‘Nikolai’s walking in an ambush! Stop them!’
‘On it.’ Natalia promptly replied and I took a relieved breath.
“And I’m supposed to kill you. So that Dimitri and I can be the King and Queen.” She took a step forward, still crying. Her hand was trembling like she didn’t want to do it.
I caressed my belly. My babies were shifting, feeling uncomfortable. They could sense that their mother was in danger. I hated it.
‘Dimitri!’ I hissed. Where was he?
There was banging on the door of my bedroom. “Avalyn! Open the door!” Dimitri was yelling. It was locked. She must have locked it.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” She cried before raising the knife in her hand to strike me.
Before I even got the chance to use my magic, out of nowhere, she flew out of the balcony with an unimaginable force.
A scream ripped out of her mouth when she hit the ground and a pool of blood formed around her.
I uncurled my wings and slowly flew down to the ground.
People were already coming out by the time I landed on the ground.
“Queen Avalyn!” A guard, I recognised as Zoravar came running towards me, “are you okay?”
“I am. Thank you, Zoravar.” I nodded. The man nodded before lowering his head.
A group of people had gathered around Althea, trying to make sure she was alright.
“Avalyn!” Max and Nat appeared. Nat’s bump had finally began showing a two weeks ago and it had grown drastically. I didn’t want to stress her out but I knew there was no stopping the inevitable. “What happened?”
“Althea!” Dimitri was by his mate’s side in an instant, obviously very worried. He had pulled her in his lap and cradled her profusely bleeding head, pressing against it to stop the bleeding. She would live.
“Avalyn! Please heal her.” Dimitri begged.
“Althea tried to kill me.” I said without beating around the bush. I heard multiple gasps before the air around us started charging with raw power and anger. Everyone was on edge and the only reason Althea was alive after my declaration was because she was Dimitri’s mate.