“What is going on here?”
I froze and abruptly detangled myself from Alonso, hoping Paisley didn’t catch our intimate stance when she came out. I faced her, still reeling from the impact of her unexpected appearance.
Seeing as a dreadful silence hovered in the air, I made the first move. “Paisley!” I squealed in falsified exuberance, flinging my hand up to strut to her. Her face was clouded with obvious confusion, her eyes skidding between myself and every other person around us.
“What’s happening? I was waiting for you inside. Has-”
“Yes!” I cut her off before she would finish the question that would leak our secret to Theresa. “I mean, yeah, let’s get back inside so I can give you what I have for you…” I started pushing her inside, avoiding making eye contact with the seething Theresa, who would by now be more confused with everything going on. I didn’t want her to speak up or start to ask questions that would devastate the plan we have worked so hard to achieve, so I pushed Paisley back inside.
For someone who rushed back because she was exhausted, Theresa sure looks like a bull!
“What is wrong with them?” I heard Theresa ask in the lobby, my inside relaxing as the door to the living room closed behind us.
Paisley faced me with worry. “What was the commotion about? I heard Mother’s voice from the tea room and thought something had gone wrong down here.”
“No! Not at all. You know her, always fighting with the King…” I snickered nervously, twisting forcefully around when the living room door opened and my two friends came in with concern etched in their eyes.
“What the fuck are you two doing here?! Get the hell out!” she barked at them and with full force, they flipped back around and made for the door. I felt sore at not being able to fight her for them. But I trusted they would interpret that now isn’t the time. I have to convince Paisley not to tell the Queen that Mrs. Dolly was here, by all means.
I cleared my throat. “So Paisley, you know, the Queen is not that fond of my female friend… I was told by Alonso that she wouldn’t be happy to see her in the palace. However, that was after he saw her leaving… So,” I inched closer. “This has to be a secret between us, okay?”
Her eyes danced about in puzzlement, afterward her head bouncing as she smiled sensibly and said, “Sure.”
“Great! Next time, I promise to invite her out so we all can meet somewhere, where there would be no troubles…” I inferred to keep her from overthinking the situation.
It seemed to work as she turned on her feet and said, “That would be far better. I really like her wisdom. She seems to know a lot about the palace which would help me become a better Queen in the future. So, I agree. By the way, from everything she shared with me, it made all I have learned in the library look like nothing… Hmmm, this place is somehow strange, Danika.” My mind went back to the library. I almost forgot everything about my odd discovery there. One of these days I will have to go back there.
But for now, I have to know what Mrs. Dolly has to say so I pivoted and feigned tiredness by yawning. “Can we chat later? I am feeling very weak and tired.”
“Oh, no problem. We will talk later then…” She smiled and flopped on the chair, bringing out her phone in dismissal.
“Don’t forget our secret…”
“Yeah,” she said and continued typing on her phone, not giving me any more attention. Judging from the perpetual beeping of her phone and how enthused and engrossed she was in it, it must be the man from earlier that was chatting to her.
I gradually closed the door after me and vaulted down the hallway to meet my friends whom I knew would be waiting for me somewhere around my room.
“Thank goodness! We were thinking you would remain there with her!” Mary hurried forward to meet me, her countenance seeming disconcerted as her hands flailed by her side. “The King used his Alpha’s aura on his mother after you left!”
“What!” My eyes widened, joining in her agitation. “What happened?”
“She attempted to slap him after he warned her never to lay her hand on you ever again or he would banish her to the retired Alpha’s quarters in the isolated Bumungas.”
My heart both soared and depleted. He did that for me? Awwn, that is so sweet. I would have preferred to go to him now to know how he is faring, but I can’t due to the present predicament which is more vital. While threatening his mother because of me sounded alluring, I have never been in support of him using his aura on anyone. It’s never a good experience for whoever is the scapegoat.
An Alpha King’s aura? Humph!
I shook off the bad impression and let out a breath. I have to focus, one thing at a time. I looked at Mary, took a steady breath, closed and opened my eyes before saying, “I have to go to the library now to see Mrs. Dolly. You two have to stay here so that Theresa wouldn’t start suspecting anything if she sees us leaving at once, okay? By the way, I’m sorry for how Paisley spoke to you guys and also Theresa,” I pouted as I addressed them, with a puppy eye.
They smiled and then their faces fell into a grimace, implying they weren’t comfortable with my statement. I huffed.
“I know, guys. I can comprehend the urge to want to hear the report first. But-”
“The Queen wouldn’t see us leaving by the way. After what happened, she might be locked inside her room trying to regain her strength and lost power, that she might not consider what is going on around her for the next week…” Nadia surged, pouting in the aftermath.
I palmed my eyes, the powerful urge to go to Alonso stretching. I have to leave here fast before I change my mind and heed to primal pull of our bond. “Fine…” I dragged and made it to the door with them on my heels.
We went straight to the garage and luckily, Luther was driving out and stopped when he saw us. I beamed in delight and gestured he opened the door which he did. We slid in and he drove off.
“The library,” I told him. When we reached the palace gate, Alfred’s jaguar drove in and we dodged so he wouldn’t see us.
“Are you okay back there, Ma’am?” Luther asked and we abruptly jumped up from our hiding positions, me spotting a red tinge from being caught hiding by my mate’s chauffeur. What if he spilled to him? Well, why should I bother?
“So, guys, we are positive, right? By tomorrow we are going to be unraveling the secret behind the Drama Queen’s pregnancy, and by Gad, we are going to finally put her in her rightful place! Once we are certain she was pregnant, finding the father won’t be much of a problem.” I teetered in a hushed tone at my gleaming friends who raised their hands up in childish ardor and clamored, “YESSS!”
I just hope it was that easy.
…