“What!” He was at my face in a split second. “What did you find out? You didn’t tell me!”
“Calm down.” I patted his chest soothingly. “You are too rapt. I will tell you later, don’t forget we are here to celebrate and wouldn’t want them to be uncomfortable.” I discreetly nodded to Lance and Nadia- who was still looking out of place.
He didn’t pull away immediately until I smiled and kissed him sharply before he grudgingly took the glass of orange juice I gave to him, and sipped. I know this is not the kind of booze they enjoyed, but they have to make do. “Now, I can’t concentrate until you tell me,” he whined lowly.
I chuckled and averted my gaze from him to Lance, who was reclined on the couch in comfy, taking us both in intently. “Lance, what of your mate? Why don’t you call her to join us?” I shrugged quizzically and sipped from my glass expectantly.
He shook his head. “No, she is very busy inside. I doubt she would want to come out, anyway…”
I sensed trouble in paradise but I didn’t pry further. Whatever the problem is, I hope they are able to sort it out and not end up like… Mary and Roland. Oh, Mary! I hope she is doing well with that buffon! We all sipped from our glasses with no one making any sound. The silence was deafening and certainly unsettling.
“I think you have had enough now, come on,” Alonso said as he dropped his cup on the table and picked up my wrist. “You disobeyed the doctor and me and left without my permission, it’s time to return you to bed. Don’t forget this is my heir and deserves to be handled as such.” He stood and tugged me up.
“Your heir is not a weakling,” I uttered casually. Even saying that brings back memories of when I was called one, but I didn’t dwell on it. I didn’t disobey and followed him to the door, Nadia standing up instantly. I waved her back. “Relax, Naddy. Lance doesn’t bite at all. Have all the fun you can,” I told her and winked while her wide eyes pleaded with me to run away which I ignored and allowed Alonso to pull me out of the room.
When we reached the foot of the stairs, Alonso swoop down when I was least expecting it, and hoisted me up.
“Alonso!” I squealed and patted his shoulders. “I am only pregnant and not sick!”
“Exactly, my heir is in there and should be handled delicately.”
“You are making me very uncomfortable now,” I whined.
“You will have to deal with me during this period, I don’t want anything to go wrong,” his voice sounded off as he said it. I didn’t argue more because I think he is getting agitated. I once heard his former mate was pregnant when she died, so, I understand that might be the reason for his fuss.
“So what’s the deal?” he asked the instant I was perched on the bed. He wrapped the coverlet to my chin and sat down to take my hand. “What did you find out?”
My eyes searched his nervously, wondering how I’m going to say this without implicating Roland and Paisley. Till when am I going to continue hiding so many secrets from my mate? First, is the secret of his real father which I am taking to my grave, and now this?
“Dan-”
I flipped to my side to face him and placed my other hand on top of his. “I have solved this enigma, Ally. But I need you to trust me.” His facade fell, his lips quirking to the side in.
“What do you mean by that? I trust you.”
“Then don’t push me to tell you, okay? Let’s just say the baby is not yours or any member of this family. She told me herself but refused to tell me the father. She said she is trying to protect him because she knows if she tells me, I will tell you.” My heart constricted as the lie flowed from my lips. “So I agreed.”
“You can’t have agreed to such obscenity!” He yanked his hand away and stood up belligerently. “I’m going to send her away! I will make sure she is disgraced for soiling my image before my family! For all her rotten ploys.”
“Ally!”
“No, don’t tell me to pay a blind eye to her unpleasant behavior! Do you know what she cost me? She made me nearly lose you, not to forget her father might not say it, but he now looks at me with aversion!”
“She would correct it all, I swear!” I sat up abruptly and touched his stiff arm which he flinched away. “Ally…”
“I can see she has worked her shady magic on you as she always does…”
“Ally!”
“No, I have to punish her and that lover of hers, if not every other people would think they are free to work against the royal family and go scot-free!”
“What of her baby? We are pregnant too!” I told him, watching him go pale at the mention of my pregnancy. I totally grasp where he is coming from, but I made a promise and have to keep it. Plus, I want them out of our lives for good.
“You can’t possibly compare our baby to the child of that monster!” He looked at me with fury and incredulity.
“They are both new pups and have no idea of what their parents have done! They both deserve their parents, please do this for me.” I made to take his hand once more and he didn’t pull away. “She also hurt me just as she did you. This is all I have always wanted, you and I together and now that I have it, that is all that matters to me. She wants to go, so let’s allow her.”
“So you are recommending I should just leave her, just like that?” He demonstrated, still tenacious.
I nodded with a sigh. “I am tired, Ally. I just want this thing to end. We have to forgive them, even though we might not forget. Believe me when I tell you so many people would be hurt by this decision, but, it’s for the best.”
“Munchkin, why are you always making me do this? I am not a kind person. I love making anyone that crosses me pay. Direly!” He bit into his lower lip with his face pinched unconsciously, not knowing what the action did to me.
I snickered and tugged him until he fell on the bed with his back to me, still heaving with fury. “It’s going to be fine, trust me. For now, I think you should concentrate on terminating whatever plans the enemies are plotting towards us in this upcoming ceremony…”
“And we have a wedding to plan…” he muttered, in reminder.
“Exactly!” I conceded, “We have a wedding this weekend.”
He relaxed, twisted around to take my hand in his, and kissed it adorably. “Will you obey me and not go running off without telling me again?”
I nodded. “I swear it.”
He grinned, worry lines intensifying on his forehead. I held the back of his neck and massaged softly, dragged him close, and kissed him once, which he intensified until I pulled apart and placed his forehead on mine. “What would I have done without you…” he asked.
“Nothing,” I quipped and we laughed.
“Cocky, huh?”
“Yeah…”
There was a knock on the door, which pulled us apart and looked toward the entrance. It opened and Nadia stuck her head in with swollen eyes, Mary. I abruptly stood up from the bed and walked toward them, burying Mary’s face in my neck.
Alonso came towards us and said to me, “I will meet you at the dining room.” He kissed my head, I nodded and he left the room.
“Come inside, you two.” I took Mary’s hand after she tore away from me, and we went inside to sit down. “You know it’s going to be alright, right?” I inquired empathetically.
“I don’t know, Danika… I’m so lost,” she muttered and sniffed, while Nadia went to bring a napkin which she handed to her, and went back to the closet to start sorting through it. This is one great quality I admire in Nadia; irrespective of our friendship, she has insisted on still being my maid and doing all her duties despite telling her I could do them myself.
“You are going to, Mary, trust me. You have us and we will be with you through it all. Roland messed up and even though he comes crawling up to you for forgiveness, I don’t think you deserve him anymore. So let him go in here,” I touched her chest, “so that you can be free. And who know? Another mate will soon come calling. I am a testimony to that.” I cupped her head to look at me, wiping a tear that fell with my thumb.
“You are different, Danika,” she asserted. “You are a very powerful Hybrid and still very kind. Even the goddess would have been too daft if she ignored any of your prayers. I am merely an Omega. A nobody!” She dabbed at her eyes which had turned ice cold.
“Don’t say that, Mary. I want you to be happy and the only way to do that is for you not to think you don’t deserve anything good from the goddess. You are a very sweet person and would get everything just as every other person.” I took her hand and kissed it, before resting it on my cheek.
“Thanks very much, Danika…” She ripped her hand away from me and hugged me. I smiled assuringly and wrapped my arms around her. “I don’t know what I would have done without you guys.” She mewled.
“Shhhh,” I patted her back. “I am the one lucky to have you guys by my side…”
Nadia cleared her throat and when I looked up, she was smiling demurely with a blue dress ladled with glitters in her hand, which I shook my head at. I need something of milder color, yet, elegant.
“Come, Nadia, I think I know what I will wear.” I waved her to us.
As I walked into the dining that evening and went to sit down close to Alonso-where Paisley used to sit, Paisley was seated close to Lance and his mate opposite Theresa, who didn’t spare me any glance as I entered. Alonso kissed my temple and rose to push in my chair after I sat down.
Dinner went smoothly without any noise until suddenly, Paisley’s chair screeched on the floor as she stood with a glass in her hand, her eyes meeting mine squarely. “I have something to say…”
…