Lilith’s POV
A gentle laugh came out of my lips, and it filled me with joy to see the mixed expressions on the faces of the men. Adams had an intense look in his eyes as he furrowed his brows. It was like he was trying to figure out a mysterious puzzle that seemed difficult to understand.
Ronan blinked at Dale with his face showing that he was struggling to grasp what was happening. Bartholomew and Raoul looked at each other with confusion, completely forgetting about the food in front of them as they tried to make sense of the heavy and surprising information that had just come to light.
“I’m sorry. Could you please repeat what you just said?” Bartholomew finally broke the long silence that had filled the room.
He was taken aback and his feelings of disbelief were so strong that they seemed to wash over him like waves in the ocean.
Dale had a smile that looked a bit unsure, but it managed to ease the tension in the air. With a hint of hesitation in her voice she said, “I want you all to know that I’m… a female.”
I laughed again and the sound of my laughter was bright and cheerful, which created a sharp contrast to the confusion that was thick in the surrounding atmosphere. At that moment, I felt a sudden jolt of surprise that ran through my body.
It was a mix of amusement and a deepening sense of understanding as I saw the men around me struggling to make sense of this huge and unexpected turn of events.
“Adams, were you really not aware of that?” Raoul teased with his voice friendly and casual as he positioned himself closer to the hectic situation on ground.
“It seems that the Alpha King of the Bloodhounds has been outwitted this time!”
However, I noticed that Adams suddenly seemed to understand what was happening. It was as if a flash of truth had hit him all at once. He quickly moved his eyes back and forth between Dale and Ronan while trying his best to figure out what was going on, like he was trying to solve a complicated issue.
“What is happening right now?” he asked with a sense of urgency starting to show in his voice.
He looked at me with intensity, and it felt as if he was looking right through me, like he was judging me for something. He asked, “Lilith, is there something you’re keeping from me that I should know?”
My laughter slowly disappeared. Instead, I could feel my heart start to beat faster, almost as if it were racing because of the anger that I could hear in his voice.
I could not help but look over at Dale. She had stopped talking completely and seemed to be weighed down by guilt. Her shoulders were drooping, and she couldn’t lift her eyes from the table.
In a very soft and quiet voice, almost like a whisper, she said, “I will explain.”
“Explain yourself then!” Adams replied with rising anger, as if a storm were gathering inside him.
“You told us lies! You tricked every single one of us!”
The atmosphere changed, and I could feel the growing tension. I extended my hand and placed it gently on Dale’s hand to show my silent support.
As I did this, I felt the deep heartache she was experiencing, almost as if it was a physical sensation coming from her. At that minute, she appeared to be so small and fragile, burdened by the heavy emotions around her.
She was like a guilty child caught in a complicated web of secrets that were difficult to escape.
“Adams, please hold on for just a moment!” I called out while trying to get his attention. My voice was strong, but I also wanted to sound calm and comforting.
“I promise I will tell you everything you need to know.”
His expression of surprise was like a small break in a raging storm. His eyes went wide as he turned to look at me.
“Did you really know about this?” he asked. His voice was shaking, clearly caught between feelings of not believing what he had just learned and a sense of being betrayed.
I nodded my head firmly while feeling my determination grow stronger as I looked directly into his eyes.
“Dale has always been a woman, even though many people may not have realized it,” I said.
After taking a deep breath to steady myself, I went on to explain, “Her parents and the people in her village lost their lives in a brutal attack carried out by one of your brothers.”
The room was so quiet that it felt like a heavy blanket of silence was covering everything as the importance of what I had just said started to sink in for everyone present.
I continued speaking while keeping my voice calm and steady. “Dale decided to put on a disguise so that she could sneak in and become one of the soldiers. Her main goal was to get back at the people responsible for her pain. But in a shocking twist, she found out that it was actually Ben who was the one behind the terrible event that completely changed her life for the worse.”
I looked closely as I saw the anger on Adams’ face start to fade away. His expression changed a lot as he took in the serious information I had just shared with him.
After a moment of thinking, he slowly called her name, “Dale,” and then he asked “Is this true?”
In a surprising and amazing action, Dale got down on one knee in front of him while lowering her head as a sign of respect and submission.
“Absolutely, Your Highness. What Queen Lilith mentioned is indeed the truth,” she said.
A feeling of understanding and compassion filled the room and the tension that had been hanging in the air started to fade away.
Then Ronan spoke up, and his voice brought a sense of calm. He said, “Now I can finally relax and feel at ease. I’m really happy to say that I am not feeling a bond with another man!”
You could really sense how relieved he was, and his joyful tone created a beautiful difference from the earlier confusion and turmoil.
“Slow down there!” Adams said in a low and fierce voice as he focused his eyes intently on Dale. “She is still a liar.”
“Your Highness, I am begging you,” Dale said with her voice shaking with deep feelings as she finally looked up to face him.
“I truly did not mean to trick anyone. All I wanted to do was keep myself safe and try to find justice for my family. I honestly thought…” She paused with her voice shaky even more, and I could see how hard she was trying to gather the courage to speak up as she was faced with his anger…