Eero's perspective
Silence filled us as Codrus stared at my face, refusing to believe me. I licked my lower lip.
"You came here to ask for my side, and now that I'm telling you my side. You don't want to believe it?" I asked, smirking at him.
"Do you take me for a fool, Eero? I may be old, but I can still see things clearly. Did you really think that I don't notice the way you and Claudius steal and exchange glances with each other?!" Codrus shouted. I closed my eyes, and even when my knees were trembling in fear. My wolf and I knew that the only way out of this situation was to drag my lies further until Codrus finally believed it.
"You have to manipulate the Alpha King, or it's over for you," my wolf whispered, and those words didn't help me at all.
Codrus took my hand. His eyes were practically begging me to tell him the truth.
"Whatever connection it is that you had with Claudius. Whatever you two did in that bar. I'm willing to forgive you, my sweetling, but you have to tell me the truth."
Tears started to cloud my eyes, "There are tons who are after you and your claim as my heir, Eero. I swore to protect you, but how can I do that when I don't know your secrets."
"I-If I tell you what Claudius and I meant to each other, you wouldn't like it." His hold of me loosened, and the Alpha King retreated as if he had figured it out.
"It wasn't my first time meeting Claudius during my coronation as your heir, father."
"When did you first meet him then? What happened to your first encounter?" The Alpha King was eager to hear the truth, and there was no turning back for me.
"H-He fucked me. I was sold to him by Alpha Ameo, whom I thought was my father. I was Claudius' breeder, and then soon he became my second chance mate," I said, holding my tears.
"I didn't know how to tell you, father. Plus, when I got here, I was planning to run away from Claudius, but you knew how powerful a bond can be. No matter what I do, fate will always bring us together."
The Alpha King faces the stained window and breathes heavily.
"You said that you were Claudius' breeder. Did you have a pup with him? Where is your pup, Eero?"
"I have one. His name is Perseus, and he's staying with Claudius on the howling island." The Alpha King turned to me. I stared back at his orbs, that was filled with madness.
"If you'll ask me to turn my back on my pup with Claudius. I can't do that, father."
"We're getting your son from the howling island. You'll be with him."
"How will you do that?" I inquired.
"I'm the Alpha King. I can do anything with a flick of my fingers, but this isn't free, Eero." I eagerly nodded my head.
"That's all I want right now. To be with my son here in the realm... wait, does this mean that you're acknowledging him?"
"Yes, but in one condition." My forehead frowns.
"Condition? What is it? I'll do anything?"
The door to my room busted open. Regulus, Captain of the Epsilons, walked in and whispered something to the Alpha King.
Codrus looked at me, his finger taunting me, "Until this situation is fixed. You're not allowed to leave the realm," he said, and then he opened his palm to me, and at first, I was confused.
"Give me your phone, Eero."
"What? Are you grounding me? What am I? A teenager?" I asked my adoptive father, but his glares sharpened. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and handed it over to him.
Not even a minute went by after the Alpha King left with Malvar. Alice, lady-in-waiting, graced my room.
"Your grace, the Luna Queen, request your presence in the garden."
"For what?" I spat. I closed my eyes to control my temper. Now that Aelice is the Luna Queen. I need to follow every request and order that she makes.
"Luna Aelice, you wanted to talk to me?" I asked seconds after I set my feet in the garden. Aelice stopped biting her fingernails and held my hand.
"Is it true that you were once Claudius' breeder? And that you had a pup with him?"
"Who told you this?" I asked, confused as to why she knew this when it seemed like she hadn't met the Alpha King after he left my room.
"It doesn't matter who told me, but the truth does, so... did you became Claudius breeder before?"
"No," I said to her, "I'm not sure who is spreading these lies, but none of this is true," I said.
Aelice gazed at me with suspicious eyes.
"I swear, Luna Aelice. I wouldn't lie to you. I swear this to our friendship." Alice sighed, and then she pulled me into a hug.
"Don't worry. Codrus will surely clear up your name, and whoever is the mastermind of this blasphemy will be punished."
"Even if the one who was doing this was your father? Luna Aelice, the Beta is the only shifter who'd do anything to ruin me." Luna Aelice lightly squeezed my hand.
"If it's my father who was behind these scandalous rumors. I'll do my part as the Luna of the pack and will encourage my mate, the Alpha King, to punish Beta Octavio."
That made me smile. Claudius could be wrong. Maybe Aelice marrying my adoptive father won't make her my enemy. As long as I can get rid of her father, then we will live in peace.
"Luna Aelice, the Alpha King asked you to prepare Princess Eero for her engagement tonight," said Aelice, a lady-in-waiting who caught the two of us by surprise.
"Engagement? Tonight? With Who?"
"With your second chance, mate, Eero. None other than Miguel Blackthorn," the Alpha King answered me himself.