Andre’s POV
“I feel different, Andre.”
Olivia lay on her side in bed and faced me. My arms were wrapped around her, and her bedclothes were on. Her blue eyes brought a coolness to my heart, and her sweet antics made me smile.
“Different, how?”
I brushed her hair away from her face to get a better look at her pretty features. She was a perfect work of art. My work of art.
She placed her hand on my chest and remained silent for a while. Then, her lips spread into a smile even wider.
“I can feel you. It feels so raw and overwhelming. I can feel your heartbeat and your breathing. I can feel the blood coursing through your veins as if it were my own body. I feel connected to you.”
Her voice was soft. Her hands slid down my chest and found my hands and our fingers clasped together.
“I feel the same way, Princess. I can feel your anger, joy, and sadness. I can feel those instances when you are so embarrassed and you blush. The feeling is so intense.”
She leaned into me and planted a kiss on my cheek. She sat up and stroked my face while I relished hers. It was morning, and she looked like a hot mess. Her hair was all over her face.
“Everything is in sync, Andre.”
I took her hand and warmed it with a kiss.
“I have a meeting with the council today.”
As soon as I mentioned council, I could feel her spirits fall.
“I need to settle them. They aren’t particularly happy about us. Frankly, those old conformists aren’t happy about anything. I just want to let them know that I have you, and you are mine. Nothing they say will change that.”
She gave a little smile, and her heart warmed up. My beautiful princess was back.
I got ready for the day and enjoyed catching Olivia feasting on me with her eyes.
“You know, you don’t have to look at me so longingly. You can have me anytime you want.”
My words caught her off guard again, and she blushed.
I finally left the room, and Doran rushed towards me.
“We have a little problem, Alpha. Nicole has gone.”
I don’t know what he expected from me, but Nicole’s whereabouts was the last thing I wanted to know.
“Good riddance.”
Doran looked at me in shock.
“I can’t believe that you are acting so nonchalant about this. Andre, she was the Luna for a while…”
“And it meant nothing to me. I don’t care. I don’t love her, and I certainly shouldn’t be bothering myself with her location.”
I raised my hands to my temples and massaged a spot to emphasise further how much I hated Nicole and how much headache she caused me.”
“I was losing brain cells on a regular basis just to keep her in check. Her departure is a mini holiday for my brain. She was the worst Luna ever. If she was working, I was spending much more keeping her in check…”
I continued to talk. I needed people to understand that there had been nothing between Nicole and me. I didn’t care about her before, so there was no way that I could care about her now.
We got to my study, and just as I was about to close the door, I saw Pierre walk up to us. His face was stern as he walked towards me.
“Good morning, Alpha Andre, Beta Doran. We have a bit of a problem. One of the guards demands an audience with you.”
Doran and I were stunned. What on earth did a guard want with me?
“Andre, you can’t be considering this. We have a meeting soon. This is going to have to wait,” Doran advised.
I was silent for a moment as I thought about what to do. No one, and definitely not a guard, had ever asked to have an audience with me. This could be something important.
“Andre?”
“Doran, you should go and start the meeting without me. I will see the guard, and then I will come and join you.”
Doran seemed sceptical.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Now, hurry up and meet those old men. The faster I find out what the guard wants, the earlier I can get to the meeting.”
Doran was visibly unhappy, but he said nothing more. He left my office, and Pierre ushered in the guard.
He stood at attention in front of me, but he seemed visibly worried. His brow was creased and full of knots, and I could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest.
“Thank you, Pierre. You can leave us alone.”
Pierre bowed and left the room, and I was left alone with the guard.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“My name is Dean, Alpha.”
He answered loudly and confidently like a true soldier, and I nodded in satisfaction. He knew his job well.
I reclined in my chair and allowed the silence to sit between us for a while before I asked him why he wanted to see me.
He took a gulp first and was hesitant for a few minutes before he finally spoke up.
“Forgive me, Alpha. It is rude to listen in on conversations, but I heard Lu… I mean… Miss Nicole say something that seemed very alarming.”
I was intrigued and leaned in closer to hear.
“And what did she say?”
He took a deep breath. He was agitated. The fact that he had apologised for eavesdropping before he started to talk showed that he felt unsafe.
“I assure you that whatever you tell me is strictly between us, and you will not get in trouble for what you said.”
My words seemed to calm him down, and he took a deep breath.
“I overheard Miss Nicole saying that our future Luna, Miss Olivia, is not her real daughter.”
I stood up in alarm, and the guard took a step backwards in fear. This was very alarming and delicate news.
“Are you sure that you heard right? Is that how she said it?”
“No, Alpha. I don’t know if she was talking to herself or she was on a call, but she was screaming in anger, and the words burst out of her mouth. She said, ‘She isn’t even my real daughter, and I don’t give a damn if she dies.’. It sounded suspicious and odd, so I came to report it to you since it concerned the life of our future Luna.”
I was silent for a while. I wasn’t sure how to take this news. Nicole was always shouting and saying things she didn’t mean, but this was different. Something about all of this felt true.
“Alright. Thank you so much. This piece of information is delicate. It must have taken a lot of gut for you to speak out. I will find you and pay you handsomely for your troubles.”
Dean gave a firm salute and left my office. I was left alone to think.
This was very absurd, but it had some glaring truth. In a way, it made a lot of sense. It made sense why it was so easy for Nicole to ignore Olivia and treat her so poorly. They didn’t even seem to look very much alike. The bond between them was awful for any mother and daughter.
If there were any truth in this, it would mean that Olivia’s life is more complicated than I thought.
I managed to gather my thoughts and head to the council meeting. I had wasted enough time, and those old men would probably call me out on it as if I were still a little child.
Pierre had my car ready, so I went downstairs to meet him. On my way, I pulled out my phone; I needed to make an important call.
As I got into the backseat, I put the receiver to my ear.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end filled my ear.
“Hello. It’s Alpha Andre. I need you to seal all the pack borders for one hour. No one is to go in or out. Do I make myself clear?”
The voice replied loud and clear.
“Yes, Alpha.”