Chapter 19

Nineteen

LUKE

I needed to make things right with Princess Lyra.

It was her choice if she wanted to be with Kodan or not. I was starting to realize that maybe I was a little jealous of her affection toward Kodan, and the more I accepted it, the easier and better my relationship with her would be.

I walked towards the terrace, where I knew she would be sitting with her mother. But when I made my way over there, I couldn't see her anywhere.

"Hello, my queen," I greeted her mother, who was sitting alone and deep in thought as she sipped the last drop of her tea.

"Luke, my son," she said cheerfully, setting down her cup. The somber expression on her oval face disappeared at the sight of me. "How's marriage with my daughter?"

"She's splendid," I said. "Do you know where she might be?"

She pointed north. "She's at the graveyard. Visiting."

"Thank you," I said, heading off toward the graveyard.

Lyra must have had a depressing chat with her mother, which would explain her mom's sorrowful look in her eyes before I arrived. I wanted to help her. I wasn't around when she was ten and lost her brother, but she told me every painful detail she could remember.

I nearly crashed into Vanessa, who walked down the path toward me on her way back from the graveyard.

"Is Lyra over there?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, walking past me with her nose in the air. I never liked that lady . I needed to see Lyra. It was a long pathway to the graveyard, and maybe I should have cut to the shortcut and walked between the trees.

But I wanted to give her the time she needed.

Upon reaching the graveyard, I sniffed the air. Something didn't smell right. Scanning the area, I couldn't see Princess Lyra.

She wasn't here.

A tinge of her peach scent lingered in the air. It was strong in some areas, which must have been her strong emotions coming here. Then I sensed another scent when I got closer to her brother's graveyard. It was familiar, and it evoked bad memories within me. Bile nearly rose in my throat.

It was an alpha's scent.

Another alpha had been in the area.

Vanessa was lying about not knowing anything. Vanessa's scent was all over the headstone as I sniffed everywhere. My heart pumping with adrenaline, I knew instinctively something bad had happened to my innocent omega.

She was probably taken by surprise.

Running toward the palace, I went to confront Vanessa. She knew something, and she was hiding it from me. When I reached the throne room, I saw her conversing with Armon while twiddling her thumbs.

"Vanessa!" I roared, making my way over to her and wrapping my fingers around her neck. She gasped and then smirked, confirming my suspicions.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked Armon, looking back and forth between us, his hand grabbing my arm, trying to pull me away from her.

"Where's Lyra?" I demanded. I tightened my hold around her neck, and her eyes began to bulge with fear at seeing how serious I was.

"Stop…the baby," she pleaded, rubbing her stomach. I relented, loosening my hold just a little. "Let go, you fucking moron."

"Where's my daughter?" asked Armon, his eyes narrowing and his face turning red.

"She's with Voss," said Vanessa.

At the mention of his name, all I saw was red.

He had taken her again.

My hand shot out, about to strangle her, but I felt several hands pulling me back away from her. The other guards held me back as I shouted obscenities at her.

"Why is my daughter with him?" Armon asked her calmly. A coldness had set in his voice, his blue eyes ice. "He put her in danger once."

"He came and kidnapped her. I couldn't do anything about it," Vanessa replied.

She was clearly lying. I could feel it in every word. The way she shrugged nonchalantly earlier while I walked to the graveyard was a telltale sign.

"She's lying," I snapped. Several Royal guards were holding me back from strangling that bitch. "She was quiet when I asked where Lyra was. She's hiding something, my king."

"The full truth, Vanessa," ordered Armon. "Or you will be sleeping in the servant's quarters tonight."

"Fine," she let out a long breath. "Voss and I formed a relationship. His dream was to take down the Royal Pack, and Lyra was really getting in my way when I tried to get close to you. But I never knew Voss was actually serious. I thought it was just a joke."

"Treason," said Dravin sharply. I could smell the fear emanating from Vanessa rising in the room.

"You'll be sent to the auctions after you give birth," said Armon after a long pause.

"No! How about my baby? Will my baby be with me?"

"We're keeping the baby," said Armon. "It's the final decision. You've committed a grave crime against the Royal Pack, conspiring with the enemy."

"It was a mistake," she pleaded, tears marking her face.

Then Armon turned to the guards that held me back.

"Lock her up in her room," he ordered them. They finally released me, and I flexed my arms in anger.

"Where did Voss take Lyra?" I demanded, trying to get Vanessa to focus. She had a lost look in her eyes, confused and dazed at what was happening.

I didn't give a fuck since she deserved it.

"I don't know," she said in a low voice as they pulled her away. "It's too late now."