With that conversation, finally, everything was settled. Even though Nicholas badly wished Sophie would stay, he couldn't. He lost the right to influence her decision when he left. So, he could only stand on the sideline and support her in any way he could.
He left Sophie with a heavy heart. Raising three babies and two young sons. Sophie had so much to take.
***
Sophie was very active. She worked together with Max and her builder and designer to prepare her tavern. She badly wanted to finish everything before one month was over so she could imdiately settle down with her children in their new ho.
Nicholas, his mother, and the children suspected that she worked so hard because she wanted to numb her feelings from pain after everything that happened. They all felt sorry for her but knew there was nothing they could do but be there for her.
Luciel and Jan beca the best boys ever. They understood that they should not give their mother a headache because Sophie had suffered so much and was currently dealing with her own pain. They were well-behaved, and they took care of Jack and Anne when their mother needed their help.
The court people were so used to seeing the two boys playing with their little wolves siblings in the royal garden. Sotis, Nicholas would take his sons and Jack go hunting just the four of them in the forest near the royal villa, not far from the manor where they used to live.
When they did that, the boys would make ti to visit their old ho and play with Lucas, Duncan, and the others. They were always welcod in the pack, even though they were no longer mbers of the Blood River Pack after Sophie left.
Slowly, Jack's displeasure toward Nicholas dissipated because the stranger uncle spent so much ti with him and his brothers, and stayed away from his mother.
Sophie didn't keep in touch with the pack because she was still hurt by the experience. She only ca there once during Lucas' and Lily's wedding because she was invited. She went there with Nicholas.
Lily understood when Sophie said she would not co there again. She knew it must feel weird to visit the place she used to call ho and beco a stranger there, seeing other people now own it.
"I will have my own ho soon," said Sophie at the wedding. "I bought a shophouse in Lievstad. I will use the second floor as our ho, and the first floor for my tavern business."
"I have heard of that from Max," said Lily with a smile. "Congratulations! I will try to co and visit soti. It gets boring to stay here all the ti."
Sophie and Lily were on good terms and it made so people in the pack who disliked her from the beginning feel unhappy. She could still hear whispers of people who talked badly about her and it made her feel upset.
"I should go ho, the kids are waiting for ," said Sophie after a while. "Congratulations on your union with Lucas. I hope the moon goddess will imdiately bless you both with children."
"Aaw... should you go so early?" Lily looked sad. "Lucas plans to bring the pack back to Hastings because our base there is bigger. We will only leave so people here. I hate that I can't see you often, especially the children."
"Oh, you're moving away?" Sophie asked Lily.
The new Luna nodded. "Yeah. This manor here has always been a temporary base. Lucas actually feels really sad after Leland left. He only ca to Riga because of Leland. Most of his family is still in Frisia. He actually thought of bringing everyone back to Frisia, but I asked him not to do it so soon. Riga is my hotown and I wish to stay here a bit longer."
She added, "So, he compromised. We will stay in Hastings, which is closer to my hotown, and see if we can make it our new base, if I like it there and such. He will also take to Frisia and we will see if it might be the better option. We'll find out."
"Oh..." Sophie rembered that the Blood River Pack was originally based in Frisia after the great war in the past and they were kicked out of Riga by the soldiers of the Riga kingdom.
Leland ca here ten years ago because he wanted to attack Riga and topple the governnt. Now, it was no longer needed because their pack had been at peace with the royal family.
"Have you... heard anything about Leland?" Sophie couldn't help but ask Lily. Even though Leland had openly cut ties with her and her children, deep inside she still wanted to know how he was doing.
She couldn't get any info because she had no contact, but maybe Lily and Lucas, being lycans and the leader of this pack, knew sothing?
Lily looked at Sophie with a complicated expression. How could she have the heart to tell Sophie about the news she picked up last week?
"Lily...?" Sophie asked again. "I just... wanted to know. I want to know if he is fine."
"I am sorry, I didn't hear anything about him," said Lily, lying. She faked a smile and waved at a servant to bring her a jug of wine. "Get more wine, please."
When the servant ca and got ready to pour wine into two cups, Sophie imdiately refused.
"Uhm, I am not drinking. Thank you."
Her response made Lily feel surprised. She tilted her head to look at Sophie better and then she looked at her stomach. Suddenly, it dawned on her.
"Your Grace, are you... pregnant?"
Sophie could only smile faintly and nod. She couldn't say anything. Lily hugged her and congratulated her. However, she imdiately beca awkward.
"What is it, Lily?" Sophie asked Lily. She thought the she-wolf must be hiding sothing. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling. "Tell ..."
Lily looked at Sophie with pity. She lowered her head and said weakly. "Leland and Eloise are expecting a child too. Our spies got word that Leland and Eloise decided to go back to her hotown to give birth to her baby there. It was the witch tradition or sothing...."
"What?" Sophie's body staggered and she almost lost her balance when she heard Lily's explanation. She felt like her world ca crumbling down. She thought when Leland broke up with her in public, it was the most painful day of her life.
However, she was wrong.
So, Leland and Eloise were together... Did they mate when Leland was under Eloise's care and that's when he realized that he loved her?
No wonder he ca ho just to renounce his relationship with Sophie and he ca back to Eloise. All Sophie's suspicions were now proven true. The man she thought loved her didn't truly love her.
He didn't even wait. And now he and Eloise were expecting a child together.
And Sophie's youngest would never know their father.
Sophie had thought of trying to look for Leland and told him about her pregnancy and see if he would change his mind. Now she knew it was futile.
Tears slowly dripped down her face and Sophie couldn't hold back her sadness anymore. She broke down on the floor and cried silently. Lily was shocked and imdiately crouched down by her side to hug her.
"I'm so sorry... I didn't an to make you sad..." she said over and over.
Sophie shook her head. She wanted to say that it was not Lily's fault, but she had no strength left to say anything. Her heart was shattered into a million little pieces. The man she loved with all her heart had betrayed her so badly.
All her effort to numb her pain by keeping herself busy failed and she was now crying uncontrollably. Even though she tried to not make a sound, so people nearby could see her body shaking and she was sobbing quietly.
"What happened to her? Why is she crying?"
"I am not sure, maybe she just heard that Alpha Leland is expecting a child with his new mate..."
"Oh, I will be devastated too if it was ," said the other.
The servant who served Lily wine just now suddenly chid it. "No, I think it's because Lady Sophie is pregnant. Her emotions are all over the place."
"What? Pregnant? She doesn't look pregnant to . How many months in?"
"I am not sure. I only overheard their conversation when I was serving Luna wine. Lady Sophie didn't drink because she is pregnant," the servant said.
"Pregnant?" The won around the servant exchanged glances. "Whose child?"
"It's been almost four months since she was last together with the Alpha. If she was pregnant with his child, the baby would be born the next month. Her stomach should not be that small," said one woman. "She doesn't have the bulge yet. Probably it's less than two months in."
"Ohhh....." Suddenly all the won bulged their eyes.
"Do you think it's another man's child?"
The won narrowed their eyes and looked at Sophie who was still crying in Lily's embrace. They looked at each other again and whispered their assumptions. This was such scandalous news!
The forr Alpha of the Blood River Pack left his mate for another woman and was now expecting a child together with the witch. And his forr mate imdiately snagged another male and was now pregnant by him.
This was such a bad precedent for the lycan community which was known for being fiercely loyal to their family and mates. Perhaps, this was what happened if they mingled with humans.
If only Leland didn't take that human as his mate, he might have kept their tradition sacred.
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