Feeding the lies !!!
I placed a hand on each of their shoulders, silently encouraging them to be brave.
Lucas stepped forward, his voice commanding as he addressed the boys. “Today is the beginning of your journey. From now on, you’ll learn the skills you need to survive and to lead. Your training will be difficult, but it’s necessary. Do you understand?”
Luke nodded solemnly, but Simeon looked up at me, his eyes wide with uncertainty. “Will it hurt?” he whispered.
I knelt down to his level, brushing his hair from his forehead. “It’s going to be hard sometimes, but you’re strong. And remember, I’ll be right here with you.”
Simeon swallowed and nodded, though his fear was evident. I stood again, forcing myself to stay calm as Lucas led the boys toward the trainers. My heart was pounding, and I felt a strange mixture of pride and dread watching them walk away from me, toward a future that was both unknown and inevitable.
—
The first few weeks of training were grueling. The boys came back to me each evening, exhausted and bruised, but still holding onto their spirit. Luke, always the stronger of the two, took to the lessons quickly, learning how to wield a wooden practice sword with surprising skill. Simeon, on the other hand, struggled more-his sensitive nature clashing with the harsh demands of the training. It broke my heart to see them so worn down, but Lucas and Simon were relentless.
“They’re doing well,” Lucas said one evening as we watched the boys practice in the courtyard. His eyes followed Luke’s every movement with a hint of pride, but his face remained impassive. “Better than I expected, especially Luke.”
I nodded, though I couldn’t share his enthusiasm. “And Simeon?”
“He’ll get there,” Lucas replied, though his tone lacked confidence. “He’s just younger. We’ll push him harder.”
The thought of them pushing my sensitive, sweet Simeon harder made me want to scream, but I held my tongue. There was no use arguing with Lucas. His mind was set. And so, I watched in silence, helpless, as my children’s innocence slipped further away each day.
—
One night, as I sat by the window in my room, the cold air drifting in from outside, I thought about George again. His betrayal had hurt me deeply, but in a strange way, I understood it now. He had made his choice, and I had made mine. He had moved on, and I was left here-trapped in this gilded cage with no hope of escape.
Suddenly, there was a knock on my door, and I stiffened, my heart racing. It was late, and I wasn’t expecting anyone. I rose from my seat and crossed the room, my hand trembling slightly as I opened the door.
Simon stood there, his expression unreadable in the dim light of the hallway.
“Ashley,” he said quietly, his voice unusually soft. “We need to talk.”
I remained quiet for a while as I tried to read the emotions on his face.
“What do you want to talk about?” I asked as I stared at him blankly.
“Like I said before, we need to talk.”
“All right then, where?”
“How about we have it here?” he said, pointing into the room with his eyes.
At first, I was a bit reluctant to give him this talk he was requesting, but then I changed my mind. I couldn’t tell what it was really about.
“All right then, come in,” I said, opening the door wider and moving out of the way for him to enter.
He gracefully walked in and sat down, waiting patiently for me to do the same. I took a deep breath and then moved over to sit beside him. The room was uncomfortably silent for a while, making it harder for me to look up and meet his gaze.
“Are you going to be completely honest with me?” he began, and I furrowed my brows in confusion.
“Hmm?”
“I asked if you would be honest with me about what I’m about to say. I need you to be straightforward.”
“Oh, well, all right,” I responded, though I had no idea what he wanted to discuss.
“Okay, then I’ll be very straightforward.”
“About what?”
“I came here to talk about what happened six years ago.”
The moment he mentioned it, a frown instantly settled on my face as the memories resurfaced. I began considering whether to continue the conversation, but despite how uncomfortable it felt, I stayed.
“Sure. What about it?”
“Is there any specific reason why you chose to sell off the kingdom’s secret to Fabian?”
“Wait, what? Are you serious right now, Simon?”
“Some rogue wolves recently stirred up trouble in the eastern packs, and Lucas and I are certain it has something to do with Fabian, who’s been in hiding for a long time.”
“And you think I have some idea about it? First of all, who is this Fabian guy?” I asked, and he looked at me in a scrutinizing manner.
“Come on, Ashley. You promised not to lie to me. Why are you pretending you don’t know who Fabian is-the same guy you sold the kingdom’s secret to?”
I paused before responding, taking time to think about what I was about to say.
“So, wait, you still think I was responsible for everything?”
“Ashley, please don’t deny it again.”
I laughed hysterically and shook my head in disbelief.
“Wow! So, after six long years, you and Lucas still haven’t uncovered the truth. You’re still feeding off the lies Veronica’s been cooking for you?”
His expression changed.
“Ashley, I didn’t bring this up to accuse you seriously. Lucas and I moved on.”
“Then why bring it up now?”
“Like I said, Fabian has been hiding, but the real issue is that he still possesses some of our most crucial information. We’ve been trying to find him for years. I thought you might help us, for the sake of the future of our kingdom and our sons.”
I scoffed, shaking my head.
“So you think I have information to help find him? Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t. If you’re desperate, go meet the one who caused this-Veronica. I still don’t understand why you and Lucas haven’t seen through her deceit.”
“Enough, Ashley. We’re not going to punish you, so stop pushing the blame to Veronica.”
“No punishment this time? Because I’m the mother of the future heirs? Is that it?” I asked, noting his unreadable expression.
“You know what, fine. If you both believe I sold the kingdom’s secrets, so be it. If you think I killed Madam Mortica, then so be it. But I hope you figure out the truth about Veronica before it’s too late.”
The tension in the room thickened. Simon stood up and left without another word. As soon as he left, I plunged my claws into the edge of the bed in anger. Words couldn’t describe how furious I was. I couldn’t believe the topic was brought up again, in such a manner.
“All right then, no problem. Sooner or later, the truth will be revealed,” I said to myself, trying to calm down. Although he had left, I still felt his presence, which made my wolf sensitive. Ever since we met again, being around Simon and Lucas stirred my wolf in ways I’d suppressed for years.
I took a deep breath and composed myself. I hadn’t come here on neutral terms, and I couldn’t let emotions overwhelm me.
“Get it together, Ashley. You’re in a battle,” I told myself, slowly regaining my resolve.
—
VERONICA’S POV
It had been days since I last visited Fabian at his new hideout. Although we had come up with a solid plan, tension filled me as time was running out with no impact.
Our communication had been poor, as Fabian couldn’t use his mobile phone. Since he was one of the most wanted wolves, personal gadgets were out of the question, as they could easily be hacked and used to trace him. He relied on public telephone lines to contact me, which wasn’t ideal but was something.
On this particular day, I was tense, desperate. I dialed the public line, hoping he’d answer, and luckily, he did.
“Hello, Fabian.”
“Oh, princess! You really are a witch. How did you know I just got to the phone booth?”
“It was a lucky guess. And correction-I’m not a princess, I’m the queen of the lycanthropes.”
“Oops, my bad. Didn’t know you were a queen,” he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.
“Look, I don’t have time for your jokes. Tomorrow I’ll be dethroned, and you’ve done nothing.”
“What do you mean? Haven’t you heard about the trouble my friends caused in the eastern packs? Stop worrying already.”
“Stop worrying? Lucas and Simon resolved the issue in less than a day. You’re underestimating them.”
“Oh, that’s bad.”
“Of course it is. I’ve been trying to reach you for two days, but nothing. Now I’m lost. You’re useless.”
“Calm down, princess.”
“Calm down? How can I when everything is falling apart?”
“It’s almost over, not completely. Just give me time.”
“No, I don’t need your-” He cut me off before I could finish, and I groaned in frustration. How did my life come to this?
After the frustrating call with Fabian, I paced the room, my heart racing. I couldn’t afford any more delays. If Fabian didn’t act soon, everything I had schemed for would crumble. My title, my influence, my entire plan-all would be reduced to ash.
I slammed my hand against the table, causing the papers scattered across it to flutter to the ground. How had it come to this? I had always been two steps ahead. But now, everything felt uncertain, out of my control.
A knock at the door startled me. I froze, my breath caught in my throat. No one was supposed to be here, not at this hour. Slowly, I walked over to the door, pressing my ear against it to listen. Silence. Then another knock-this time, louder.
I cautiously opened the door a crack, peering out into the dimly lit hallway.
“My Queen,” a familiar voice whispered.
It was Amira, my trusted confidant, the only person I could truly rely on. I sighed in relief and pulled the door open wider to let her in. Amira slipped inside, her slender figure moving gracefully in the shadows.
“I heard what happened,” she said, her voice low and serious. “His highnesses both resolved the issue faster than expected. Fabian didn’t deliver.”
“No, he didn’t,” I spat, my frustration flaring. “He’s incompetent. I should’ve never trusted him.”
Amira nodded, folding her arms across his chest. Over the past couple of years, Amira had become my most trusted handmaids, smart and quick witted. Her calculating eyes never missed a detail.
“So what are we going to do now my queen? We can’t sit idle and let that unworthy woman take your place, never!”
I turned to the window, looking out into the moonlit forest. The cold wind rustled the leaves, and I felt the weight of everything closing in on me. “There’s still time,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “But I’ll have to act fast.”
She stepped forward, her voice calm but urgent. “What do you have in mind?”
I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of the decision ahead. “We need to find Fabian. If he’s compromised, we can’t let him walk away with the secrets of the kingdom. If the council ever finds out that I was involved with him things would be worse”
“Yes my queen, don’t worry I will cover up for you as usual”
I glanced over my shoulder at her, thankful for her loyalty. “Alright then, I’ll call you the moment I need you”
She gave a curt nod, then turned and left the room , leaving me to my quiet thoughts.
I stood there, watching the moonlight flicker through the trees, knowing that the next 24 hours would determine everything.