CHASE POV:
"Dammit," I cursed under my breath, practically shoving the little wolf toward Damon.
But Damon, being the frustrating pain he always was, refused. "No way," he said, holding up his hands like I was handing him a ticking ti bomb. "You take him. At least you can defend yourself—you’re her mate."
"She won’t let touch her ever again after this!" I snapped back. The thought alone sent a shiver through . Leila’s version of punishnt was legendary, and the cold shoulder was the worst of all. "Take him and hide him. Maybe he’ll change back after a while. I’ll stall her."
Before Damon could argue, I shoved the tiny pup into his arms. Ash gave an innocent little yap, wagging his tail, completely unaware of the trouble he’d caused. Damon looked like he wanted to strangle , but he clutched the little wolf anyway.
"You owe ," he hissed before vanishing out the window in a blur of vampiric speed.
Just as he disappeared, the door swung open, and Leila walked in. Shit. That was close.
"Chase?" she said, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the room. "What’s going on in here?"
"Oh, uh, nothing," I replied a little too quickly, throwing on my most charming smile. "Just, uh, handling so... paperwork."
Her brow arched. "Paperwork?"
"Yes!" I nodded enthusiastically. "You know, boring royal duties. Very dull stuff."
Leila crossed her arms, giving that look. The one that said she wasn’t buying a word of it. "Chase, I know when you’re lying. What are you hiding?"
"Hiding? ? Nothing!" I said, backing up a step. "What would I even have to hide?"
Her eyes narrowed further, and she started walking toward . "You’re acting weird. Where’s Damon? I thought I heard his voice."
I scrambled for an answer. "Damon? Oh, uh, he—he had a... sudden urge to, um, inspect the... periter! You know how he gets. Always so thorough."
Leila stopped a few feet away, tilting her head slightly. "Uh-huh," she said suspiciously. "And you’re sure there’s nothing I need to know about?"
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my cool. "Absolutely nothing. Everything is completely under control."
"Hmm." Her eyes lingered on mine for a mont longer before she sighed. "Fine. I’ll believe you—for now."
I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Okay, I might survive this after all.
Then, just as I was about to steer her away from the room, we both heard it—a faint yap from sowhere outside the window.
Leila froze, her eyes narrowing again as she turned back to . "What was that?"
My heart sank. "Uh... a bird?"
"A bird?"
"Yes! A very vocal, very... wolf-like bird. You know how strange the wildlife around here can be."
Leila’s gaze sharpened. "Chase..."
I was so screwed.
"Where is Ash, Chase?" Leila asked again, her voice steady, but her eyes sharp.
Oh, crap. I was running out of ideas. "Uh... Damon. I think he’s with Damon," I blurted out, feeling the weight of her gaze on like a spotlight.
Leila’s expression darkened, and I could swear I heard my soul whimper. When Leila wasn’t in full mama Alpha wolf mode, she wasn’t exactly terrifying. But now? Now, she was all dangerous smirks and predatory energy, and I was acutely aware of just how badly I’d screwed up.
"And why," she said slowly, her smile turning razor-sharp, "would Damon have my baby in the middle of the night?"
I groaned inwardly. I walked right into that one, didn’t I?
Looking back, every lie I’d told tonight was progressively dumber. Paperwork? Really? In her son’s room? What the hell was I thinking? It was painfully clear now that Leila had been pegging from the start when she claid to "believe" . And like the fool I was, I’d trusted her.
"I—uh—will you believe if I say I don’t know?" I tried, wincing even as the words left my mouth.
Wrong answer. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and I braced myself for impact. But before she could deliver whatever terrifying lecture she had brewing, a guard burst into the room, skidding to a stop in front of us.
"Apologies for the interruption, Your Highness," he said quickly, bowing. "We’ve captured the council elder who issued the order, but the rest of the council is protesting."
Thank every deity ever created. A distraction. "Right," I said, nodding like this was exactly the ergency I needed. "I’ll be there in a mont."
The guard bowed again and left, and I turned to Leila, gesturing toward the door. "Let’s go."
She looked like she was about to argue, but I held up a hand, cutting her off. "Leila, they’re accusing you of killing my father. Let’s set the record straight."
Her face shifted from suspicion to shock, then to anger and determination. "Fine," she said, nodding firmly.
As we headed for the door, she suddenly paused, turning back to . "What about Ash?"
Oh no. Not this again. "He’s fine. Damon’s with him. I promise," I said quickly, hoping she wouldn’t notice the slight waver in my voice.
She studied for a mont longer before nodding. "Alright. Let’s go."
Relief washed over as we stepped out of the room. For now, I was safe. But as I glanced at Leila’s tense profile, I knew this wasn’t over. Damon, you better fix this.
But hey, I didn’t lie. Damon did have the kid. And how hard could it be to keep an eye on a little white furball? I an, it’s not like Ash was going to stage a jailbreak or go on a destructive rampage. He was a tiny wolf pup, for crying out loud. Cute, fluffy, and relatively harmless.
...Right?
I shook off the lingering doubts and focused on the matter at hand. The council accusing Leila of murder was a big deal, and it needed my full attention. Still, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but hope Damon was handling things.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, let this whole "tiny wolf" thing wear off.
After all, how much trouble could one little pup cause?
As we stepped into the chambers, the tension was palpable. The elder responsible for the order was restrained by two guards, his face pale but defiant. The other council mbers stood nearby, their expressions ranging from wary to downright disapproving.
The mont they saw , they bowed their heads—not out of genuine respect, but out of custom. It was an ingrained habit, a shallow gesture that did little to disguise their skepticism as they turned their eyes toward Leila.
Stupid old geezers. Whether they liked it or not, Leila was their soon-to-be queen.
I felt the low hum of Leila’s restrained power radiating beside . She didn’t say a word, but her presence demanded acknowledgnt. Good. Let them squirm.
"Your Majesty," one of the braver elders began, his tone cautious, "we deeply regret the chaos caused by—"
"Spare ," I cut him off, my tone icy. "We’re not here for excuses. We’re here for answers."
Leila stood silently at my side, her piercing gaze sweeping over the room, making more than one council mber shift uncomfortably. I could tell she was restraining herself, but the flicker of her wolf was evident in her sharp eyes and rigid posture.
"Tell ," I continued, stepping closer to the captured elder. "What possessed you to accuse my beloved of murder?" My voice dropped low, dangerously calm, and the room seed to chill.
The elder swallowed hard, his bravado faltering. "I-I acted on the information I was given," he stamred. "The wolves—"
"Her wolves had nothing to do with it," I snapped, my voice like a whip. "So who exactly fed you this so-called information?"
Silence. The elder’s eyes darted to his peers, but none of them dared speak.
"Answer him," Leila said, her voice steady yet carrying an edge of nace that made the entire room go still.
The elder broke under the weight of her glare. "It was... it was a ssenger," he admitted reluctantly. "A cloaked figure—he claid to have evidence. I acted swiftly to protect—"
"To protect whom?" Leila interjected sharply, stepping forward. "Certainly not your king. Apparently and truly unfortunately he was already dead. So, tell , Elder—what exactly did you protect?"
The elder had no response, his silence speaking louder than his excuses ever could.
"Pathetic," I muttered. "Guards, take him away for further questioning. I want every detail about this so-called ssenger and where he got his information."
The guards dragged him out, and I turned to the remaining council mbers. "As for the rest of you," I said coldly, "I suggest you tread carefully. This kingdom is changing, whether you like it or not. Leila is your queen-to-be. Show her the respect she deserves—or I’ll make sure you regret it."
I sighed internally as Leila’s voice cut through the room like a blade. "Wait, what...who dared call my baby a murderer?" she demanded, stepping forward with the kind of energy that had second-guessing my own mortality.
The council flinched as her alpha aura rolled over them. Even I could feel the weight of it, and I wasn’t the one in trouble. She wasn’t just a mother defending her child; she was an Alpha in full command, and she was pissed.
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