Doubts as it should be…
As I reached my bedroom, I slammed the door shut and paced across the room, my mind racing. **Fabian.** They were getting closer to him, but I had been careful-too careful to let them find a direct link to me. Still, if they did, everything I had built would crumble.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I needed to get to Fabian first. If I could control the narrative, change a lot of the things happening **before** they caught him, I could turn this whole situation around. But I would need help. I couldn’t afford any mistakes.
As I sat down **quietly**, thinking of what I could possibly do, I heard my phone ring, and I quickly reached for it.
“Well, speak of the devil,” I said, looking at the telephone number boldly displayed on the screen.
“Fabian,” I hissed, my voice dripping with venom, “well, it’s about time you called. We need to talk.”
His breathing was a bit hitched and somewhat unusual, but I didn’t pay much attention to it since I had better things to think about.
“Veronica. You know you really don’t have to be this bitter all the time. I thought our interactions would have made you more positive by now.”
“In your dreams,” I replied coldly. “Listen, they’re onto you. They’re getting too close. We need to act-now.”
Fabian chuckled softly, and this made me more annoyed. “Is the mighty Queen afraid of a little exposure?”
I narrowed my eyes. “This isn’t a joke, Fabian. If they find you, they’ll trace everything back to me. You need to disappear for good, and I’ll make sure you have everything you need to do it.”
He remained silent for a while, and this made me even more uncomfortable. “And what’s in it for me, Veronica?”
“Freedom,” I replied. “And if you help me, I can guarantee your safety. But if you don’t, well, I won’t be able to protect you when Lucas and Simon come knocking.”
Fabian chuckled darkly. “Alright. I’ll play along-for now. But I expect a substantial reward for this.”
“Consider it done,” I said, my mind already calculating the next moves. “I’ll contact you again with the details. And Fabian-don’t mess this up. We have a lot of plans ahead of us, so we can’t blow this.”
“Sure, bye,” he said and hung up the call. As soon as the line disconnected, I could feel my wolf itching to break something. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The clock was ticking, and I couldn’t afford any more setbacks.
Ashley thought she was clever, but she had no idea what I was capable of. By the time she realized what was happening, it would be too late.
This kingdom was still mine.
—
**ASHLEY’S POV**
As the council session concluded and the announcement of Lucas and Simon’s marriage to me echoed through the corridors, a sinking feeling settled in my chest. Veronica might not be the Queen anymore, but she was still in the picture, and that made her a danger to everyone-especially to me, who was going to take her place.
I hurried through the mansion’s halls, my mind racing. The decision to keep Veronica as their wife would give her enough time to plot her next move. I knew better than anyone that she wouldn’t stay idle. She would manipulate, deceive, and scheme her way back into power. I had to find a way to stop her before she could strike again.
I needed proof-something undeniable that would expose Veronica for who she truly was. Without it, Lucas and Simon would never fully believe me. And if I couldn’t earn their trust, I would lose everything.
As I turned a corner, I nearly collided with Simon. His expression was conflicted, but his eyes softened when he saw me.
“Ashley,” he said quietly, his voice cold and stern as usual. I took a deep breath, knowing this was my chance to gain at least something in understanding what was really going on. “Please, I need to talk to you.”
“What is it, Ashley? Just hold on a bit; it’s noisy here,” he motioned for me to follow him into a quieter hallway, away from the bustling castle servants. Once we were alone, I began.
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I said. “You and Lucas-the decision you both made to keep Veronica as the second wife-don’t you think it’s really unnecessary?”
He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “And where is this coming from?”
“Simon, she’s lied to both of you, manipulated everyone around her. She’s dangerous. Why protect her?”
Simon looked away, his jaw clenched. “Why are you bringing this up again? Besides, who are you to question my decision alongside my brother? If you were listening back at the chamber, you’d understand that we owe a great deal to her father, Alpha Norway. Breaking our ties with her would not only dishonor the foundation our parents created, but it could also spark unrest with him and his pack. Our political alliance is fragile, and right now, with the recent attacks, we can’t afford to lose any more support.”
I sighed, understanding the weight of the situation. “I get it, but what’s more dangerous? Losing political alliances or keeping a traitor close to you?”
Simon didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched between us, heavy with uncertainty.
“I don’t trust her,” he finally said. “But that doesn’t mean I trust you either. With everything that has happened in the past, we can’t tell who’s who anymore. There could be traitors all around us.”
I nodded, feeling a mixture of hurt and anger. Lucas had always been the more trusting of the two, but it was that trust that Veronica had exploited.
“Simon,” I said firmly, “if you want to protect the kingdom, you need to help me gather proof. If you and Lucas believe me this one time when I tell you that Veronica is involved with Fabian, I am 100% sure we can find the answers to all the questions we have right now. Please.”
Simon’s eyes searched mine, hesitant. “And if you’re wrong? What if there’s no proof?”
“I’m not wrong,” I said, my voice resolute. “I know she’s behind this. We just need to find the missing piece.”
Simon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright. I’ll help you. But just know you’ll also be under the gun because I personally don’t trust you either.”
I shrugged it off after a moment. A flicker of relief surged through me. “Thank you, Simon. We’ll find the proof. I know we will.”
He nodded softly and then walked away, leaving me in the hallway by myself. I made my way towards my bedroom, and all I wanted to do was lie down and have my feet up in the air.
The air was heavy as I made my way to the library. It was late, and most of the mansion had already settled for the night, but I couldn’t afford to rest. Simon had agreed to help me despite his doubts, but at least it was something tangible to find proof against Veronica, which obviously wouldn’t be easy.
The only place I hadn’t yet searched for clues was here-among the kingdom’s oldest texts, hidden in the archives deep within the castle. If there was any record of Fabian’s connection to Veronica, it would be somewhere in these ancient scrolls and manuscripts.
As I reached the grand doors of the library, I pushed them open quietly, the scent of old parchment and ink filling the air. I needed to be quick. If Veronica had any spies within the castle, they’d be watching me, and I couldn’t risk being caught.
I lit a small lantern and made my way through the dusty aisles of books, the flickering light casting long shadows across the stone walls. My heart pounded as I approached the back of the library, where the kingdom’s most guarded records were kept. There had to be something here-some piece of the puzzle that would bring Veronica’s lies to light.
Suddenly, I heard a noise-a faint shuffle behind me.
I froze, gripping the lantern tightly. Was someone there?
“Who’s there?” I called out softly, peering into the shadows.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence, and then…