Eero's perspective
"I beg your pardon? If Codrus didn't accept Claudius as your mate back when he was still alive. What made you think that you can come back to him now? Aelice wouldn't allow you to reject Miguel Blackthorn." Beta Octavio soon painted a mocking smile on his lips, insinuating something.
"Aelice wouldn't allow me? What makes you think that I need the Luna Queen's permission to reject my husband and run back to my true second chance mate?"
It was now my turn to smile or smirk at Beta Octavio.
"Aelice is the Luna Queen, and until you're crowned the new Alpha of Regulus and Queen of the realm, my daughter will remain as the shifter who holds the highest position.""It will take a while before you can manage to win the favors of the council to crown you—"
"But they would still prefer me if they discovered that the Luna Queen's son isn't the Alpha King's." Beta Octavio's jaw clenched.
"Ask me how I found out?" I dared the beta, but he remained silent. Seeing in his eyes that he might have an idea and it was the right one, I nodded at him.
"Yes, the Alpha King told me on his deathbed. What Aelice did is the highest of treason." Beta Octavio grabbed my arm, and although the pain was fast to sip at my flesh, I showed him no reaction.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone, at least not for now." I lightly patted the beta's back and smiled tauntingly.
"Excuse me," I informed the Beta and went straight to the door leading to the comfort room.
I opened the faucet and put my hand there to wash my face. Once done, I put both hands on the sink and thoughtfully stared at my reflection.
I took a tissue to pat my face dry, and then I took out a pressed powder from my bag. I was almost done retouching my make-up when the door opened.
I immediately lowered my hand holding the pressed powder and turned to face Aelice when I saw her standing on the opposite side of the door.
I quickly took my bag to the side of the sink and was about to leave when she stopped me.
"Eero." I halted my footsteps and spared her a glance.
"Let's make a deal, Aelice. Let me peacefully ascend to the throne that Codrus left for me. Help me become the Alpha, and I'd never tell anyone that Vance is a bastard, a fruit of your infidelity to the Alpha King." I said in a monotone.
"I know how much you hate my son because you see him as a bastard, but you end up having one too. You and your hypocrisy are unbelievable."
"Years ago, you told Claudius a lie that he can't confirm whether it was true. He just unquestioningly believed it. Now that he is back in Regulus, and won't leave again. Will you keep lying to him? For how long, and what about Perseus? Aren't you going to tell him that his father isn't Miguel Blackthorn?" I felt deaf when I heard her mention that.
I had no choice but to face Aelice again.
"I was trying to find a way for us to be at least civil because we can't go back to how we used to be, and yet here you are threatening me with my secret when you know that you have your own that I can tell the council and they'd behead you." Aelice smiled weakly at me. She tried to hold my hand, but I didn't allow it, and instead, I moved further away from her
Silence wrapped around us. Her silence is killing me. I couldn't calm myself.
"You didn't tell Claudius, right?" She shook her head in response. I felt relieved. I smiled a bit, and our eyes locked in.
"I just want you to know that I didn't know that my father was planning to install my son to the throne. He tricked me too, and as per Vance, yes, he isn't my son with the Alpha King, but with my one true mate. My mate is waiting for me and Vance at the border of the pack's territory. We will escape tonight. This is the only thing I can do to keep the realm peaceful."
"I don't believe you. I can't. You already fooled me before, and what assurance do I have that you won't do it again?" I asked her.
I went straight to the door and grabbed the doorknob, hoping to open it and get out, but suddenly she spoke again.
"I need you to do a favor for me. A favor that will benefit us both and the entirety of the realm."
I didn't say anything, but I wanted to hear what it was.
"Find a way to kill my father. Killing Octavio means giving me and Vance a chance to start over again, away from the complications of the realm, and no one would hinder you from claiming the pack as yours. I tried to do it before, but I'm still my father's daughter, so I couldn't bear to do it myself."
I remained silent and tore my eyes off her.
I took a deep breath when I left the comfort room with my hands shaking.
I intended to see Codrus' casket again when I noticed a phone that Caspian was holding in his hand, and it looked like he was on a video call with someone.
"That's my phone!" I said to myself.
Before I could get closer to Caspian to get closer to him, I noticed Claudius, who was sitting right across from him.
"Who was that boy you video-called earlier?" I heard Claudius ask in his monotonic voice.
Perseus was using a silly filter, so Claudius didn't see his face when Caspian and Perseus were video calling.
"Is he your son? A child that I didn't know existed?" I heard him ask Caspian again.
Claudius was chuckling when he asked those his beta. Caspian put down his cell phone to look at his friend's face.
"He is not mine, but yours. It was Perseus that I was talking to earlier, your pup, Claudius."