Eliza’s POV
I couldn’t believe that I had accepted Ryder as my mate. He made me feel so happy and so special. I didn’t even give the quadruplets a second thought. How Ryder looked at me made me feel like floating on a cloud. Jasmine wouldn’t stop howling in my mind, and I knew she was happy, too. Things were finally looking up for me, and I couldn’t be happier then.
Ryder had left to collect some things for me, and I walked excitedly back to the main lounge, lost in my thoughts. I wondered what my father and brother would say. Would they approve?
“I hear congratulations are in order.” I turned around to see Theron in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. I was surprised to see him and hadn’t heard him come in.
“Thank you, but how did you know?” I exclaimed. The news did travel fast, that was for sure.
“Oh, I saw Ryder, and he looked delighted.” Theron chuckled.
“But what brings you here?” I frowned and gestured to him to take a seat. My brother walked in at that moment and looked at the pair of us before nodding his head.
“Ah, glad you could make it today, Theron,” he said, placing a cup on the coffee table and clicking his fingers. Two servants quickly came in with a tray of cakes and tea. My brother hadn’t told me anything about Theron coming to visit, so I was curious as to why this was happening and what I hadn’t been told.
“What’s this all about, Alex?” I asked with raised eyebrows and rested my hands on my lap. Alex smiled and pointed to Theron as if permitting him to speak.
“Princess Eliza, I want to return Lara to my pack. I think Grayson would greatly benefit from having his parents together, and she is my true mate after all,” he said. I was surprised by his request. Shouldn’t he be asking my father this question since he had sent Luna and Morgan to prison anyway? I looked at Alex for his views, but he shrugged his shoulders like he was giving me the choice.
“But why are you not asking my father this question?” I felt irritated to be having this put on me.
“Eliza, you are going to be the queen one day. You should be able to make such decisions,” Alex told me with raised eyebrows.
I felt a mix of anxiety and confusion welling up inside me. It was one thing to be informed that my role as a future queen might come with responsibilities; it was another to be thrust into the possible reunion of my ex-Luna and her real mate without prior notice.
“Theron,” I said slowly, carefully choosing my words, “you know my father will have strong opinions. He may not even agree with it.”
Theron leaned forward in his chair, his expression earnest. “I understand that, but I believe the bond between Lara and myself is still powerful. We deserve a chance to be a family, especially after everything they’ve been through. And if you support this, it could mean a lot. Besides, I’m sure you know that the quadruplets would benefit from merging both packs.”
I glanced at Alex, who seemed oddly calm about the situation despite the weight of the decision in my lap. It felt like I was being pushed into the role of a diplomat in a situation that required far more than just my approval.
“Have you thought about how this might affect things with my father?” I asked Theron, my voice barely above a whisper. “He’s already under so much pressure with how his health has been and—”
“Sister, our father needs to take some of his responsibilities off his shoulders. Dr Adams may have helped him greatly, but we should take some pressure off our father, don't you agree?” Alex interrupted me.
I took a moment to collect my thoughts. The tension in the room thickened as I weighed my options.
“Maybe you're right.” I shrugged my shoulders.
Theron nodded, gently suggesting, “Would you like to speak with Lara first? “
I chewed on my lower lip, aware of the challenging conversation ahead. How could I face Lara, knowing she had done what she had and Morgan as well? They probably both hated me for rejecting their sons, but I did what I had to do for my sanity.
“We can go now if you’d like,” Theron offered, sensing my hesitance.
“Yes, let’s go,” I urged, trying to shake off the doubting voices in my head.
Alex gave me a reassuring smile, silently encouraging me. “I’ll make sure everything’s taken care of here,” he said, a hint of brotherly pride threading through his words.
With a nod, I stepped into the corridor, Theron behind me. The walls, adorned with tapestries of our history, seemed to watch curiously as I moved.
“What if she’s still angry?” I asked, half wishing for reassurance and half looking for an excuse to stall.
Theron paused, considering my question. “Well, we can’t control how others feel. We can control how we choose to support each other moving forward.”
His words were a reminder of the responsibility resting heavily on my shoulders, a reminder that, as a future queen, I must navigate these tricky waters gracefully.
When we reached Lara’s door, I hesitated before clicking the lock open and pushing the door.
Lara looked up from perched on the edge of her bed, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she saw me.
“Eliza! What are you doing here?” She was taken aback, but the confusion quickly turned to guardedness as she processed my sudden presence.
“Lara, can we talk?” I asked gently, trying to bridge the gap that had formed between us over the years.
“About what?” she replied, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, defensiveness surfacing. “About you, how rejected are my sons?” She grunted.
“About you and Theron,” I began, ignoring her comments about me rejecting her quadruplets. I knew she wasn’t happy about it, but it was done now, and I was happier to be with Ryder.
Lara crossed her arms, her posture mirroring a shield raised in self-defence. “What do you mean?”
“Theron wants to take you back to his pack, and—”
“I’m not interested.” She interrupted me, the bite in her tone echoing through the room.
“You want to stay in this rotting cell and die like that pathetic weasel Morgan? You’re getting a second chance here!” Theron raised his voice and shook his clenched fists. I could see how much it bugged him and the pain in his eyes. “Your sons need you, and it’s time we put everything to an end and concentrate on leading peacefully!”
“Theron?” Lara gasped, falling to her knees and bursting into tears as she set eyes on Theron. “Where is Grayson? Is he ok?” she begged to know. I watched as Theron slowly moved closer to her and reached a hand out to stroke her hair from her face. She did not take her eyes off of him.
“Grayson is fine. He's out front waiting in the car.” Theron explained.
Just as we were about to leave the cell, an ear-piercing alarm started to sound, and I immediately covered my ears. “Oh shit, let's get out of here.” Theron grabbed Lara, and they began to run. I was about to follow them, but someone stopped me.
“Princess, you have to come along now. Quickly now.” Two guards quickly appeared around me and escorted me up the corridor and down some steps. I had no idea what was suddenly happening.
The guards squeezed my arm and made me squeal out in pain. “Don't fight it.” the guard growled, and I was shocked by his words.
“What are you doing?” I scowled as I yanked myself from his grip, but then I was picked up from the ground and carried through the air. I had no time to think as I was suddenly outside and thrown into a waiting car.
“Hello, Miss Eliza.”
A familiar voice said as the car sped away from the kingdom.