Alpha Roman’s POV
“Mom, we have to play this smart,” I said, my tone as sharp as the edge of a blade. I paced across the grand study, glancing at Riley for support. “You can’t just walk up to her. It will look suspicious. The rest of the girls-”
“Roman,” my mother interrupted, her voice calm but layered with a dangerous edge. “I’m not here to babysit silly girls’ feelings. Don’t insult me.”
She leaned back in the high-backed chair, her gaze steady and unyielding. Even in her years, she exuded the command of a queen, someone used to getting her way. Riley sat on the armrest of the couch, her arms crossed, an expression of exasperation on her face.
“She doesn’t even remember who she is,” Riley argued. “At least, that’s what she’s been pretending. If you corner her like this, what happens when she snaps?”
“That’s the point,” my mother replied smoothly. “A woman who has everyone on edge, who supposedly lost her memories, shouldn’t be feared this much. I just want to meet her. To see for myself the woman who took everything from us and left us in the shadows.”
Her words sent a ripple of unease through me. My jaw tightened. “And what happens if she realizes who you are?” I asked, stepping closer. “What happens if she figures it out and turns her fury on you?”
“She won’t harm me,” my mother said with a cold smile.
“She might,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “Jacky isn’t some trophy or a pretty face parading through the mate trials. She’s dangerous, and you of all people should know how unpredictable someone like her can be.”
Riley gave a sharp nod of agreement. “She’s already on edge, pretending to be someone else. The last thing we need is you poking at her, Mom.”
“Enough,” my mother said firmly, her icy tone cutting through the tension in the room. “If I wanted to assassinate her, I’d have done so already. But I’m not here to fight her. I just want to talk.”
“No,” I said, my voice hard, leaving no room for debate. “Not like this. You want to meet her? Fine. But you’ll go late at night when the others are asleep. If anyone realizes you’ve visited her, it’ll become chaos, not just within the kingdom but outside it. The media will twist this into a spectacle, and we cannot afford that.”
My mother’s lips thinned, but before she could retort, Riley stepped in.
“Roman’s right, Mom,” she said softly. “Look, I get why you’re curious, but you have to trust us on this. If you want to meet Jacky, you’ll do it quietly, without drawing attention.”
The room was silent for a long moment, tension crackling like static in the air. Finally, my mother sighed and leaned forward, folding her hands.
“Fine,” she said. “But I will meet her.”
—
Jacky’s POV
Valerie’s laugh rang out, sharp and teasing, as we circled each other in the training field.
“Are you even trying, Jacky? Because right now, it feels like I’m sparring with a toddler,” she taunted, her sword twirling in her hand.
I lunged at her without warning, bringing my blade down hard, forcing her to block it with a grunt. Metal clanged against metal, reverberating through the crisp morning air. My arms strained against hers as I pushed forward, our faces inches apart. I was training for my battle with Malia. While the girls couldn’t stop talking about it, Alpha Roman had provided Malia every available resource needed to train for it. The odds were stacked against me, but I didn’t care.
“That enough effort for you?” I hissed, shoving her back.
Valerie stumbled, but her grin didn’t falter. She recovered quickly, darting forward with a feint to the left before swinging at my side. I dodged, spinning to avoid her blade, and countered with a thrust aimed at her chest.
“Better,” she admitted, her voice laced with amusement. “But you’re still thinking too much. Your hesitation is going to get you killed one day.”
Her words hit harder than her sword ever could. I scowled, pushing the thoughts of the upcoming fight with Malia out of my mind. This wasn’t the time for distractions.
The clanging of our swords filled the air as we continued to spar, neither of us holding back. Sweat dripped down my temple, and my muscles burned with every movement. Valerie was fast-too fast sometimes-but I’d learned to anticipate her tricks.
She lunged again, her blade aiming for my shoulder, but I sidestepped and hooked my foot around hers, sending her sprawling to the ground.
“Gotcha,” I said, smirking as I pointed my sword at her throat.
Valerie looked up at me, unimpressed. “You know, Jacky, if you fought Malia like this, you might actually stand a chance.”
I offered her a hand, pulling her up. “If I fought Malia like this, I’d probably get disqualified for breaking every rule in the book.”
“Fair point,” she said, brushing dirt off her pants.
We sheathed our swords and sat on the edge of the training ring, catching our breath. Valerie nudged me with her elbow, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“So,” she began, dragging the word out. “Any more dreams about your mystery man?”
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Val, I’m trying to focus here.”
“Oh, come on,” she said, laughing. “You’re out here sweating and swinging a sword like your life depends on it, and I know for a fact it’s not just Malia you’re thinking about.”
I shot her a glare, but it only made her laugh harder.
“Seriously,” she continued, her tone softening. “You’ve been different since you told me about him. I wonder who he is ? Do you even know?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t know who he is. Sometimes I wonder if I imagined him, that night. But my skin tingles every time I remember our night. I’d give anything to see him again.”
Valerie leaned back, looking thoughtful. “Maybe the Moon Goddess is trying to tell you something. Maybe he’s your mate.”
“If he were my mate, don’t you think I’d know?” I scoffed. ” Besides, the moon goddess already cursed me by giving me Alpha Roman for a mate. Good thing, he doesn’t know it. If he did, who knows what chaos would ensue.”
“Not necessarily,” she said with a shrug. “The Goddess works in mysterious ways. And hey, speaking of mysteries, did you hear about the festival coming up?”
I frowned. “What festival?”
“The one in a few days,” she said, grinning. “The same one where you supposedly met your masked man last time. Maybe he’ll be there again.”
I hesitated, the idea taking root in my mind. “Val, I can’t just-”
“Yes, you can,” she interrupted. “You’ve been hiding long enough. Maybe the festival is exactly what you need.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “And what if it’s not? What if he’s not there, and I wait like a fool hoping for fairytales.”
“Then you deal with it,” she said firmly. “But what he’s waiting for you too? What if he dreams of you, just like you dream of him. What if he’s been dying to kiss you again, touch you, hold you and never let go. What if he’s there, waiting for you?”
Her words lingered, stirring something deep inside me. If I could see him again, if everything went right…
” Fine! If everything goes right at the festival,” I said quietly, “I’ll leave. I’ll abandon all of this. I’ll choose the man in the mask over Alpha Roman. I’ll take my mom and my niece, and I’ll disappear. Somewhere Roman will never find us.”
The words hung in the air, for a while, I hoped I could put all of this behind and get my happy ending.