Catarina’s POV
“Mindy, tell me. Is there not a hidden door in case of emergencies?”
Mindy's eyes widened slightly, and she glanced around nervously before speaking. "I... I can't say for sure," she replied cautiously. "There have been rumours, whispers of a hidden door, but it's mostly speculation. No one knows for sure.
“Ok. Mindy, we must find out. We can't afford to be trapped here if something goes wrong."
My heart raced as I looked at Mindy, her eyes filled with uncertainty. We had been trapped in the safe room, but staying there indefinitely was not an option.
Danger loomed outside, threatening the safety of my precious twins, Nadia and Nathan.
We needed to escape the clutches of my old pack, who would stop at nothing to claim the children since their father was the alpha of our old pack.
Convincing Mindy to leave the safe room, however, was no easy task. She was loyal to the King's orders, but this was my twin's lives at stake.
"Mindy, you're scared, but we can't hide forever. The twins are not safe here," I pleaded, my voice tinged with urgency and desperation. "We must leave the kingdom to keep them out of harm's way."
I searched around, touching every wall and moving furniture until I found it. Underneath the chest of drawers was the door to our freedom.
“Open it,” I told her as I pulled my twins close.
“Mummy, where are we going?” Nathan looked up at me, and I stroked his hair from his eyes.
“We are going on an adventure. Stay close to me, and don't let go of your sister's hand. Not even for a second.” I told him, and he nodded. Nadia held her hand out to her brother, and they looked so innocent.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Mindy's face paled as she clutched the door handle tightly. The weight of the decision we had to make hung heavily in the room. She whispered, her voice filled with fear, "But Catarina, we have protection here. What if we step outside and something goes wrong? We can't lose the twins."
I took Mindy's hands in mine, the gravity of the situation urging me to find the right words to convince her that our only chance of ensuring the twins' safety was leaving the safe room.
"I know this is terrifying," I said, my voice filled with empathy. "But we are vulnerable here. My old pack will relentlessly pursue us. We are trapped, and we cannot defend the twins indefinitely. It's time to act, Mindy. We have a chance to escape through the underground tunnels, far from the reach of our enemies."
Fear flashed in Mindy's eyes as she contemplated the risks. "What if we're caught? What if your old pack finds us?"
I squeezed her hands gently, willing her to understand the importance of our choice. "We will be cautious, Mindy. I won't allow anything to happen to Nadia and Nathan. But if we remain here, paralysed by fear, their safety will be compromised. We must fight for their lives and our own, even if it means sacrificing everything we know."
Mindy hesitated momentarily, the weight of the decision visibly burdening her. Finally, she nodded, determination mingled with trepidation in her expression. "Alright, Catarina. Let's do it. Let's take the tunnels and protect the twins at all costs."
As we stepped into the darkness, fear and determination coiled within us - a silent promise to do whatever to be safe.
We hadn't gotten far when suddenly something made me stop.
“Well. Look who it isn't.” a familiar voice echoed in the darkness, causing me to shriek and pull my twins behind me.
My moment of hope was shattered when the figure emerged from the shadows, seizing us with an iron grip. It was David, the beta whom I once trusted with my life.
How had he managed to escape the guards and find us?
David's malicious gaze burned into my soul as he dragged us towards the front of the castle, where his alpha and pack awaited our arrival. Panic coursed through my veins as I fought against David's hold, realising the grim reality of our danger. I locked eyes with Mindy, and she blinked back tears while Nadia and Nathan cried in fright. They clung onto me as we were pulled through the long maze of tunnels.
“Now, Catarina. Outside, you will see some very familiar faces. They will want you dead as much as I do right now. Don't try anything stupid, or your bratty twins and silly maid will get the brunt of my anger.” he whispered in my ear, and I nodded, unable to say or do anything else.
“Get on your knees, bitch.” David grabbed my hair and threw me to the ground as he pulled my twins away with his other hand. “You too,” he ordered Mindy, and she obeyed his orders.
Nadia and Nathan were inconsolable.
They were screaming for me.
“I will kill your brats if you don't follow my orders. You're not as strong as you think.” he taunted me.
“Now, get up and go out there and tell everyone that you want me to be the Alpha and no longer Lochlan. You're the Queen now, so make it happen. If you value your kid's lives.” he spat.
I had no time to think as we were forcefully pushed out into the open; I frantically searched for a lifeline, a plan to escape the clutches of my enemies and secure my children's future.
But I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Lochlan was there, and a sea of faces that I recognised from the old pack. I couldn't look at them properly. They would know about my babies now; I had kept them twins away, and they would all be against me since Lochlan was their alpha. I had kept the heirs from the pack because they would not understand that.
Then I heard the voice of my mate, Alex. I looked up, and there he was, staring in shock at the sight of me, Mindy and the twins.
“Catarina!”
“Mindy. What have you done? Why have you bought them out here? It's not safe!” Alex roared, causing Mindy to shake with fear.
David laughed, and I glared at him. He was evil, just pure evil.
“She didn't do anything. It was all my idea.” I yelled, causing silence to hang over everyone.
I stood tall; my voice filled with determination as I addressed the shocked crowd. "You all have been deceived. Yes, I kept the twins hidden, but it was to protect them from the chaos and power struggles of this pack and the leader who betrayed me with my ex-best friend.” I growled; even thinking of her made me want to throw up.
I should never have come here. I should have stayed where I was and let Alex move on with someone else. He did not deserve any of these problems in his kingdom.
“Alex, I'm so sorry for everything. This is all my fault for allowing you to come into my life. You do not deserve any of this.” I sighed and shook my head as I shielded my twins from the eyes that bore into them.
My babies. My beautiful babies. All I wanted was to keep them safe and happy. It seemed that I could not even do that for them.