“Danika!” my friends hollered, rushing forth to hold me from tumbling to the ground in shock. With my mouth open in alarm, I gazed at Mrs. Dolly disbelievingly.
“How?” I muttered in question.
She sighed, flipped another page, and wrung it about until I was staring into the face of a man that looks so much like the man on the wall. “My husband was the second brother to the former King and of course, his only blood sibling. We met when he came for a mission that he was sent to by the former King to my former pack, red moon pack.”
“You came from red moon pack?” I asked, still bedazzled.
“Yes, do you know there?” she inquired.
I looked down. “Yeah… I came upon them back then when I escaped.”
“Oh,” she chortled. “Then you met my brother, the present Alpha of the pack…”
“What! That man is your brother?” I asked, my heart in my mouth. I withheld from telling her he nearly met with his death in the hands of the King for his Beta’s rotten vices.
“Yeah, in fact, the last of my mother’s children.”
“Wow,” I mumbled and hastily looked back at the book in her hands. She saw the curiosity in my eyes and continued with what she was saying.
She proceeded, “So, after we found out we were mated, we fell in love… and he took my virginity.” She had a fulfilling beam on her face. “I was the happiest person alive and so was he. However, when we came back, the first day the Queen saw me, she felt the power in me and instantly hated me. Meanwhile, I already saw through her. I saw all her dirty secrets and then when she told the King to stop the marriage between his brother and me, I lost my mind.”
“That fateful night, she came to my room after dinner while the king and his brother were in a meeting with the elders, and told me that the king’s brother would never marry me. She offered me money to go away and start a new life elsewhere or she would tell the King I am a sorceress. Knowing the king wouldn’t condone that and would banish me, I became very scared.” She sniffed once more, dabbing her eyes lightly.
“I became restless, thinking of what I was going to do. I loved my mate so much and he didn’t know about my powers. I hid it from him because everyone back in my pack never took it lightly for what I was. I didn’t want him to know which would mean him despising me. By the next morning, I made up my mind I was going to run away back to my pack. Nevertheless, that very day, I fainted and when I woke up, my mate was sitting down beside me with a delightful smile on and he said, ‘We are going to have a baby.'” More tears fell down her face. I didn’t know how to react to that and had to go closer and squeezed her shoulders.
“I lost every muscle in me to fight and had to tell him everything about me. He was mad at me for not telling him, but he forgave me and told me nothing would separate us. That same day, Theresa came and asked me my response and I told her that I am not leaving and then I threatened to tell the King her dark secret if she told him mine.” A devious glint sparked in her eyes.
“I have never seen someone go cold at a spot. She came at me, and at the same time, my mate walked in and threw her off me. The next morning, the King summoned me and accused me of trying to kill the Queen with my powers. My mate stood up for me and both brothers had a major fallout…” She stared off into space in thought. “Theresa is a horrible woman. She was very happy about it. That was when I knew if she could tell the King about me, I wouldn’t let her win. There and then, I spilled her secret.”
The silence in the room was scary. A pin falling on the floor could be easily dictated. Absolute silence was what we maintained. I had stepped away from soothing her and was facing her.
“The former King being that he loved her so much and didn’t want to cast her out, coupled with the fact that he couldn’t rule without a Queen, didn’t do anything. He was bitter, and at the beginning refused to accept it. Nevertheless, when the doctor returned a fortnight and confirmed that from the test taken, the blood from the second baby had a streak of vampire blood in it, the King finally conceded, albeit dejectedly. After the children were born, three months later, Vladimir the former Vampire King visited and the King sat there on his throne, unable to do anything knowing that he indeed was the true father of his children.”
I gasped.
“That is why she loathes Alonso so much. It was his blood that confirmed her deceit, and that was why the King made Alonso the King. It was his little way to revenge on her…” Mrs. Dolly chuckled devilishly and continued, “and that also my children, is the reason why till date, the vampires are at war with us. They think our King stole their bride and must one way or the other take their revenge.”
I palmed my mouth. This is overpowering. And Alonso and his brother didn’t know about this? Oh, the former King must have suffered till his death knowing he wasn’t their biological father.
“Why didn’t the former King and the Queen make more pups after the King and his brother, then?” Mary asked.
Mrs. Dolly bobbed her shoulder. “After that revelation, the two of them lived like strangers. Yes, the King fell in love with the boys from birth, particularly Alonso, he loved them so much, but their mother, he kept at arm’s length. The marriage up until his death became one that remained for the sake of fulfilling an obligation.”
“That’s so bad,” Nadia muttered. I can imagine. No, I can’t.
“This is why I don’t come to the palace till date. Theresa still sees me as the enemy that destroyed her marriage and I agree. The only reason I’m alive and still in this pack is that the former King made it clear after the death of his brother in a mission, that I am to remain untouchable and live here with my children in the pack, come what may. And Alonso being a kind man, upholds his father’s words. .. the only thing I try my best to do, is to avoid the palace at all cost, including my children and grandchildren.” The more things she said, the more terrified I become of Theresa.
How can one person be an embodiment of terror, deceit, and wickedness? I have always known she bores trouble, but after today, I think I will see her as the devil! Though, I heard she had fought tooth and nail to keep the former King alive to the extent of the Vampires kidnapping her and putting her in a drum of Wolfbane and silver, still, I hardly think she did it with the purest of heart.
Probably was only to gain back the love of the poor King. What a treacherous woman!
I went to a seat and flopped down with my hands going to my temple to massage it. I have heard enough today to last me a lifetime. I glanced at the ring on my finger with affection. I love Alonso very much, I can’t deny that. I am ready to fight by his side to restore normalcy in this Kingdom. He is already going through a lot in his life. There is no way I will want to upturn everything he has known all his life. No!
If it means keeping this secret from him, then so be it. I will. Even though till death. And after we are married, so many things would change. No longer will I allow Theresa to maltreat any member of this pack or estrange anyone from the palace. I won’t even let her treat my husband badly anymore!
I shook my head with a pursed lip. This is too much for me. I flicked my eyes to Mrs. Dolly and said, “I am so afraid. I don’t even know if I am fit to be a Queen. I am not as strong as Theresa if I am to be honest.”
“You are stronger than you think, Danika. Look at now, because of you, your mate is saved from falling into the same trap as his father. You are powerful and can do more exploit if only you believe.” She took my hands and tugged softly. Her aging eyes flicked to my friends. “Not to mention you have the best friends ever! I wish I had any in my time.”
I smiled. She is very right. Though, I am mad at them for not telling me these things. I would rebuke them later. For now, I met Mrs. Dolly’s eyes and said, “I will make sure that once more you feel free around this pack, especially the palace, when I become Queen. Thanks for telling me everything.”
She nodded.
The next morning at work, someone knocked on my door, and when I opened it, Roland wiggled a small gadget on my face. “Let’s get to work.”
…