Page 24
Mira
“I got this for you. I thought you’d look beautiful in it,” Victor said, placing the most beautiful diamond I’ve ever seen around my neck and clasping it. He took a step back to admire his masterpiece, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
“Pardon my mistake, you don’t look beautiful in the necklace. It looks beautiful on you. You make everything beautiful my love.”
I gave him a smile in return, taking in my reflection on the mirror. “It’s breathtaking. Thank you.”
“You’re breathtaking,” he replied, not taking his eyes off me. My heart dipped, and I could feel guilt eating away at the seams of my consciousness.
Victor was a gentleman. He was sweet, and he loved me. Yet, barely a month into our engagement, I had already cheated with his brother. As strong as I was, I was no match for the pull I felt toward Griffin Thorne. I had neither the will nor the power to fight him off. He defeated me at every turn.
After our encounter in the throne room, I could sense the onset of my heat.
Determined not to let things take the turn they did the last time, I took a few tabs of suppressants.
It’s how I’ve been getting by for the past years.
I let my wolf and hormones get the best of my reasoning years ago, and now I was determined to make sure we didn’t have a repeat.
Victor ran a finger down my cheeks, hooking it down my chin and lifting my eyes to his. “Is everything alright, love? Did I say something wrong?”
“Not at all. I was momentarily blown away by how much you love me,” I replied, smiling up at him.
He placed a kiss on the tip of my nose, and I had to force myself not to pull back. I cared about Victor a lot. He’s been a great friend to me, but I just wasn’t attracted to him in that way.
It didn’t feel good that I had to use him to fish out my friend’s murderer, but it was the only way I could get uninterrupted entry into the palace and make investigations for myself.
I didn’t believe the bullshit about her death being an accident.
It was very unlikely that she’d get into an accident she couldn’t heal from days after I was almost abducted.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone had gone through our texts, seen where I told her about my suspicions, and decided to silence her.
A part of me felt responsible, and not even Griffin’s promise to get to the bottom of things could ease my resolve.
He had already betrayed me once, and as honorable as he was, I didn’t trust him.
And I figured running away wasn’t going to fix anything.
I would eventually have to return to New York.
I have businesses here, and living in hiding was a life I wouldn’t want for Noah.
I wanted him to be free to do whatever he wanted with his life without fear.
So, if I had to throw myself into the lion’s den to ensure my freedom and justice for my friend, I was more than willing to do that.
I’d been running for a long time, but now, I was ready to fight.
I was certain the goddess was on my side.
If not, she wouldn’t have presented me with an opportunity to fight.
“I still have a lifetime to show you how much more I can love you,” he beamed at me. “Come on, we’re almost late for the ceremony.”
Victor had informed me to prepare to attend multiple ceremonies before we arrived at the palace.
He said it’s customary to hold welcome ceremonies if a royal was getting married to someone who is not originally a pack member, and there would be some rituals to help me get acquainted with the traditions and customs of the pack.
The information left me with a great sense of unease, but I tried my best to tuck my nerves away, wearing a polite smile.
As we walked down the halls, I could hear whispers of a few maids talking about my ceremonial exit from the palace years ago and how surprised they were to see me return as Prince Victor’s bride.
Others concerned themselves with the drama that was to ensue and wondered how Griffin felt about the new development. Of course, the whispers were not complete without the bunch who thought me a gold digger and concluded I was solely after the throne and Victor was my new victim.
Victor tried to warn them, but I prevented him from engaging, preferring to ignore their foolishness. I had far more pressing issues to focus on.
On the other hand, I couldn’t miss the wide berth some of the women gave Victor. It was almost as though they were scared to be in the same space with him .
Some of them shrunk into themselves, their shoulders hunched and images growing smaller with every step closer he took.
Griffin’s accusations in the court echoed in my head, but I found it difficult to reconcile the image he painted of Victor with the man I’ve known for two years.
Surely, a person can’t pretend for that long, and Victor has never given me a reason not to trust him.
Griffin, on the other hand, had cut me deep, and I was wary of him.
Regardless, I couldn’t pretend not to see the women avoiding Victor like the plague.
“Your majesties,” Elder Edmond beamed, bowing his head to Victor and me. The gesture felt weird to me, but I plastered a smile on my face, pretending it was just another day.
“You make such a wonderful couple, a soothing sight to sore eyes. I hope the people will learn what true love is with the example you both will set.”
The subtle jab at Griffin was obvious and even more evident was the declaration of expectations. I was to play the role of the loving wife to keep the faith of the court on us.
I moved closer to Victor, resting my head on his shoulders and batting my lashes at him. “Thank you, Elder. It’s easy because he loves me so much, and I can’t imagine what my life would be without him.”
Victor was momentarily surprised by my sudden display of affection, but he caught on fast, placing a kiss on my head and telling Elder Edmond how much I mean to him.
I heaved a sigh of relief at the same time my wolf hissed. We were both happy to be done with the display, but unlike me, she was reaching for the dashing Prince in the charcoal black suit and a face that would give a sculptor a hard-on. Griffin always looked like a god.
I tore my gaze from him, keeping my wolf at bay and reminding myself of the mission at hand.
Avenging Mary’s death was far more important than my wolf and the heat she was currently dealing with.
While suppressants can help regulate the feelings of the human and shield you from the attention of the opposite sex, they do very little for your wolf.
Our eyes met briefly, and in that moment, a wild variety of emotions coursed through me before I looked away, choosing to keep my gaze on the man next to me.
“Are you having fun?” Victor asked when the wrestling match was over, and I nodded in reply. It all felt surreal to me.
Years ago, I always watched the ceremony of the white moon from the sidelines, and my contributions to the celebration ranged from serving to cleaning up.
I grew to dread the opening of the mating period because of the workload that it came with, but from this perspective, it was the most glamorous thing ever.
Everyone looked happy, including the maids. No one appeared to be overworked, and those in service seemed to perform their duties with joy. I knew without doubt that such an environment could’ve been fostered by Griffin.
My eyes strayed to him to find him already looking at me. His eyes were drilling holes into Victor’s hands, which were resting casually on my thighs. I fought against the sudden urge to shove Victor’s hand away, and instead, I rested my hands on his to prove a point.
Griffin’s jaw flexed, the vein in his forehead looking dangerously close to popping.
My little display got him to look away. I looked up to find Victor smiling at me.
He witnessed everything and was happy I chose him.
If I continued this way, I would achieve my aim at a faster rate.
All I had to do was stay away from Griffin. That should be easy—right?
******
My palms were sweaty as I steered my car out of the palace parking lot. Sneaking out had proven more difficult than I anticipated, with everyone wanting to get to know me and Victor constantly holding me to his side.
I knew my mission was going to be a dangerous one, so I hired extra security details and a private investigator. I changed Noah’s school arrangements to a homeschooling plan before leaving, but the call from the PI had kept my mind racing the entire day.
He didn’t say Noah was in immediate danger, but he mentioned his source getting intel on threats directed to my son from the palace. Lilith probably figured she could pull a fast one in my absence.
I tried calling Noah’s nanny, but her phone remained unreachable, and the home telephone was off for some reason. My anxiety was shooting off the roof, and I stepped on the gas, diving down the street at a dangerous speed.
The option of sending Noah back to England had always been at the corner of my mind, but I figured it’d be easier to keep him safe if he was close. Plus, I’d miss him so much if he was away, but now it seemed like the only reasonable option.
Once I’m home and certain of their safety, I’d send Victor a text, telling him that Noah wanted me home. That way, I can have some time to start processing the travel documents for Noah and his nanny.
My knuckles were white as I squeezed at the wheel, mentally willing my car to go faster.
I have killed Lilith a thousand times in my head within my short stay at the palace.
She had been trying to get my attention with silly antics, but I had been successfully ignoring her.
If as much as the hair on my son's skin is harmed, hierarchy be damned, I'll peel her skin from her body and hang it for all to see.
It took roughly forty-five minutes for me to get home, and I blasted my horn so loud the birds resting on the trees nearby ran for safety.
A strange vehicle in my parking lot had me flying out of my car mid-drive and dashing inside.
There was no one in the living room, but everything looked intact.
I ran up the stairs, trying my best to be discreet in case we were under attack, but the sight I ran into comforted me and scared me at the same time.
Noah was seated on the floor with his construction toys carefully erected into skyscrapers and multiple structures. Next to him was Griffin, holding an airplane and making a buzzing noise as he passed it over the structures.
“Mama,” Noah shrieked, tackling me into a hug.
I picked him up, pulling him into a deep hug, letting his cinnamon roll scent calm my nerves.
“Hey, big boy, how are you?”
“I’m fine. Uncle Griffin came to play with me.”
Uncle Griffin. Again, with the fondness at the park, only this time, he seemed to have added a bit of adoration to the equation with the way he was looking at Griffin. Just how long has he been here?
“I see, and what did I say about strangers?” I queried, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
Noah pulled his lips into a cute pout.
“He said you sent him to play with me.”
I threw Griffin a pointed look.
“He said that?”
Noah nodded before squirming from my arms and running back to Griffin.
Watching them had my stomach in knots, and a strong wave of nausea washed over me. My fear of my son being under attack was replaced by a stronger fear of Griffin finding out about him.
“Sweetie, why don’t you go get your nanny for me? I’m sure Griffin will be here when you return. ”
Once Noah was out of earshot, I turned back to Griffin, pinning him with an angry look. “What is this supposed to mean? I asked you to stay away from my family.”
He got up from the floor, careful not to destroy Noah’s skyscrapers. “I was only here to keep the little man company. I figured since you were busy playing wife, you’d barely have enough time for him.”
His words hit me like a slap on the face, and I held the door open for him. “Take the stairs out, and never show your face around me or my son.”
“Mira, I didn’t mean—”
“Get out!” I ordered, not letting him finish his words. I have had enough of him running into my son and telling me how to take care of him.
He didn’t try to argue with me. He picked up his keys and with one last look at me, he walked out.
I fell onto the sofa, rubbing circles on my chest to soothe the pounding in my heart. Every time I thought I had made some progress keeping him away, he found another way to sneak back into my life.
“You sent for me, ma’am.” Nora, Noah’s nanny, appeared, standing in front of me.
“You let a stranger in my house and abandoned my son with him? How careless can you be?”
“He said you sent him to keep Tom away, so I assumed he was a friend.”
I blinked, my brows knitted in disbelief. “Tom was here?”
“Yes. I found him in your room, going through the files. I tried to call for help, but he grabbed my phone and threw me on the floor. Mr. Griffin arrived just in time to scare him off. ”
A closer look at her revealed the bruises on her wrist and the reddened skin on her cheek. Here I was thinking Lilith was the only force I was faced without knowing Tom was waiting for the time to strike.
“I’m sorry about that. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“I don’t think he’ll be coming back,” she added with a shy smile. “Mr. Griffin beat him up real good, and he ran out of the house screaming and begging for his life. Mr. Griffin also promised to drop by every day to make sure we’re okay and left his number behind.”
I couldn’t find any words to express my surprise or the guilt I felt at how I drove him away. He was only making sure my son was okay.
“ Our son,” my wolf added, and my guilt intensified.
Noah chose that moment to run in with more toys. “Where is Uncle Griffin? Did you kick him out, Mama?”
His face fell, and the excitement in his eyes was replaced with the accusatory look he was throwing at me.
He let out a heavy sigh before running back to his room, tears welling at the corner of his eyes.
I sank back onto the sofa, completely overwhelmed by the turn of events.
He wasn’t just living rent-free in my head anymore.
He had succeeded in burrowing himself deep into my baby’s tiny heart.
So much for staying away from him.