CHAPTER 38: EX’S LAND

CHAPTER 38: EX’S LAND
Maya’s POV

“Take care of yourself, my little munchkins,” I kissed every sad baby face on both cheeks. “I love you,” I mouthed.

Not a baby giggle or even a sound like “Vawooo,” their way of saying ‘I love you,’ came back. They seemed to understand that I was going on a long trip and leaving them behind at the palace where they would be safer.

They were giving me the silent treatment.

The triplets seemed to be drawing their emotions from their angry father who was missing since last night.

A black sleek car rolled in front of me. When the doors soared like an eagle’s wings, I half-expected Sebastian to be in there bit but Zane was behind the wheel.

An entourage of heavily armed bodyguards and their vehicles stood like a formidable army in front and behind my car.

Sebastian seemed to have worked overnight to fine tune the security detail personally. I knew he loved me but I still felt hurt. We could have resolved our differences last night and kissed each other goodbye today.

I knew he was watching. From somewhere. Hidden.

I took out my dagger, the blade gleaming with my name. It was a gift by my father that I always carried on my person, no matter what.

I raised the dagger high in my hand, the blade reflecting the sun’s shine and catching his attention.

I, MAYA THUNDERSTORM, MATE AND QUEEN OF SEBASTIAN THUNDERSTORM, LOVE YOU, SEB, ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US.

The sharp dagger sliced through the lawn grass like hot knife through butter.

I sealed the public confession with my signature by slicing the dagger across my thumb and stamping the ground with my bloody fingerprint under the message.

The ball was now in his court.

“I will be strong,” I mouthed to the hidden, black figure on the rooftop. “Don’t worry,” I promised.

With that, I slid into the back of the car and waved goodbye to Valerie, Carl and my teary-eyed, brave kids. The little brave hearts were trying their best to not break out into tears. Their little, crunched faces broke my heart but I needed them to be safe and I trusted no one but their imprinted father. On the other hand, their evil, malicious birth father sat at the other end of the spectrum. He was the most dangerous who could eat his own pups to save his skin.

“Where are we going, Zane?” I asked through the mindlink.

“It is a long way to the pack, my Queen. Sebastian arranged a private jet for you,” he replied.

“Maya.”

“Excuse me?” He asked, perplexed.

“Please don’t use royal titles or titles in general, Zane. Not long ago you were my boss and we are friends, aren’t we? My husband’s best friend is my friend as well. Please call me by my name unless utmost necessary according to protocol or rituals.”

“As you command…”

“No! It is not a command, Zane. Please understand,” I pled.

“Maya,” Zane softly called out my name. “I am your guardian first. It feels improper to call you by name and you are the Queen who saved us, our kingdom and our King. You are our saviour.”

The airport came in view and I sighed at the sight of the massive golden eagle eager to fly us across borders. I missed him already.

“Not saviour. Your King’s headache,” I murmured in my head, forgetting that the link was still open.

Zane opened my door and helped me out.

I stepped out of the car to face the whirring machine and army of loyal lycan warriors waiting along the red carpet.

Sebastian had gone to great lengths to protect me.

Since, the Goddess gave me a second chance to life, I was going to get back everything I lost. My resolve became stronger as I watched the Golden Warrior flag inside Sebastian’s jet softly move along with the wind.

‘I promise to not only protect myself but also avenge my dear ones, Sebastian. I will be the ruthless Queen you want me to be. Wait for me…mate.’

Eight hours and a road trip later.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Leo said, his voice deep, not betraying even a flicker of emotion. He looked the same. Handsome as ever – the same face with which I had fallen in love with a decade ago. “…Your Highness,” he took my hand in his and kissed the back of my gloved hand as he knelt in front of me. Even a brush of our hands would cause my heart to flutter before but now he just disgusted me.

I noticed that his saccharine sweet smile still melted young hearts in his pack but I was immune to it now.

“Gosh, look at our Alpha! So gallant and well behaved! Even welcoming his notorious ex-mate with so much warmth. I wish he was my mate.”

“Luna Quinn is so lucky!”

“Yeah. I swear my ovaries cry just from looking at him.”

Leo smugly looked at me, his dazzling green eyes rolled up, taunting me, ‘See, you are still a disgrace and I am a hero.’

I looked at the foyer of the packhouse. It had been completely changed to opulent golden from the welcoming white earlier – almost looking like a cheap imitation of the lycan palace. This screamed Quinn all over it. The woman hated anything related to white, my favourite colour.

I bent forward, my lips skimming his outer ear. Ex or not, I could still make this man shiver. I smiled.

“Your humble abode, Leo?” I huffed in amusement, tightly squeezing his hand which still had my fingers inside them. He tried to pry his hand away from mine but I pinched his palm tighter. I kept him from getting up and stepped on his other hand, my pencil heel digging against his knuckles. “Did you not tell them that you murdered my father, the original Alpha and his heirs, my sister and brothers, for this humble abode?” I whispered in his ear.

“Y-you! You ca-can speak?” He trembled.

“Damn right, I can and thank you so much for the warm welcome…Alpha Leo,” the title a mocking reminder of his crime. “In exchange, I am willing to stay silent and not expose your crimes…yet,” I whispered and pulled away from him.

Leo paled. His palms bled and knees shook violently against the ground.

“H-how,” he whispered. “How can you talk?”

“I took back from you what I had lost,” I replied.

“What do you mean?” He sprung on his feet, fearing the worst.

“Your lucky Luna? Remember I gave her some of my powers in the palace after your great punishment?”

“What about them?” He shot back.

“I took them back from her and regained my voice.”

“Yo-you! You are vicious! I am so glad that I rejected an evil woman like you,” Leo lashed back.

I chuckled. Vicious? This was not even the start of how ruthless I could be.

“Alpha, is everything alright there? Would you like to come inside?” The Beta–Quinn’s brother and Leo’s best friend–Maddox asked, approaching us from the packhouse.

I turned towards the vicious man who had made life hell for me. This was the man who had helped his sister secure her position as Luna and tormented me out of the pack by whispering poison in his evil Alpha’s ears.

I spoke loudly for the pack to hear.

“Oh, and you are –?”

“I am Maddox. The Beta of the pack,” he growled, feeling humiliated that I didn’t even acknowledge him and his status. “Your Highness,” he remembered on time when people started to whisper of his rude behaviour. The siblings really liked to keep their appearances in public.

“I would love to come in but protocol dictates that the Alpha and Luna welcome the Supreme Council. I see your Alpha here but where is your Luna? Does she not know the imperial rules? How has her family raised her?” I innocently asked while Maddox’s fingers curled into an angry fist beside him.

“My sister, the Luna, knows the rules. She will be here any moment,” Maddox huffed.

“So she wants to keep us waiting? Is this her way to disrespect the Supreme Council? It is equivalent to committing treason. Your pack can be taken over by the King just for that,” I reminded him.

“No, no!” Maddox hurriedly said, power more important to him that dignity and respect. “That is not we meant, Your Highness.”

“Maya, remember your place. You are acting like a jealous, disgruntled ex-wife. Don’t push me into punishing you,” Leo spoke through clenched teeth.

“Punish me?” I laughed. I grabbed his chin. “Thank you for reminding me, Alpha Leo. I forgot to deal with you.”

“What do you mean?” Leo asked.

“I will take back my powers from you. This is your punishment, on behalf of your Luna, for disrespecting me,” I smirked.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Leo ground out. “Especially not in public,” he taunted me, suddenly getting back his bravado.

“Watch me,” I smoothly replied and crashed my fangs in his neck, my fingers keeping his chin in place.

Leo screamed.

The public gasped.

Quinn cried.

Maddox wielded his sword.

What an idiot.

I chuckled as I drank every drop of powerful blood, before pushing away the monster out of my way.

“You–” Leo choked, coughing profusely, his hands against his neck to stop the bleeding.

Quinn rushed to his side and shrieked, “Stop seducing my mate!”

“You should be more concerned of your brother’s missing hand…Luna Quinn,” I smiled, wiping the last dregs of blood off my lips.

“I will complain against you and your Beta to the Elder Council,” Quinn cried out. “You should be punished for harming your subjects,” she screamed.

“The Beta of your pack tried to harm the Supreme Council. As her Guardian, I saved the Queen. If I obeyed the royal protocol, it would be his neck and not hand holding the sword that I chopped off,” Zane deadpanned.

I cupped Quinn’s wrinkled face and smiled. I tucked a stray strand of her dishevelled hair behind her ear. She visibly recoiled from my touch and I chuckled. She was still frightened after I took back my powers from her. Her hand inadvertently went to her bandaged neck.

“If you want, you can initiate an investigation,” I said. I rolled my eyes to Leo. “However, your past record with justice is not a glowing endorsement.”

Leo straightened, his back going ram-rod still. He knew I could hold him accountable for contempt against royalty on his turf.

“Our apologies for the less-than-gracious welcome. Please come in, Your Majesty. We admit that we are at fault and would like to make amends,” Leo softly said and bowed.

“I accept your apology, Leo,” I replied and Leo visibly tensed. I didn’t call him Alpha Leo.

The pack whispered, not understanding what was happening and how did their Luna get so ugly. I turned towards the crowd which was silently cursing me.

“Kindly give a proper explanation to your pack. I would hate it if they don’t know the whole situation,” I added.

“I will,” Leo forced out and helped me inside.

“See to it that he does it honestly, Zane, and if not, cut off Maddox’s second hand,” I ordered and Quinn almost reached for her dagger, her fingers wrapping around the hilt in fury.

“Yes, my Queen,” Zane bowed.

“You have changed, Maya and I like it.”