Chapter 43

Kieran’s P.O.V

A loud gasp rippled through the spectating crowd, which was quickly replaced with hushed whispers and incredulous glances. I could see that the news was a shock, but I was more worried about how the city folk would take it. From out of nowhere, a single person started a slow clap of approval, rapidly becoming faster but increasing loudly around the crowd. As I looked on, the courtyard erupted into a wall of noise, as cheers and claps echoed out from excited followers. Grinning subtly to myself, I turned around and faced Carlton and his wide-eyed girlfriend, as I beckoned towards the crowd behind me.

“See? It looks like the kingdom approves of our upcoming nuptials and my expectant child,” I smirked carefully. “Can’t you see that it’s over for you? I am the Alpha and you are nothing. You were never destined to be king. You’re too consumed by hate and our father’s own beliefs to ever be a decent king.”

“She’s, she’s pregnant already?” Carlton stammered disbelievingly while shooting Davina a side-eye glance. “This can’t be!? This wasn’t meant to happen! You’ve ruined everything for me!”

“Well, I’m sorry about that but that’s life, I guess!” I chortled before looking at Carlton dead in the eye. “Now I suggest you leave as I have a wedding to plan! And you’re boring me!”

“There’s only just one problem, though, isn’t there!” Davina quickly piped up eagerly as she walked in front of Carlton and stood with her hands placed firmly on her hips. “Your wife-to-be doesn’t seem like she wants to be with you right now. Let’s face it. You did try to kill her only two friends. How sure are you that this wedding will take place? I mean, yeah you have the heir, but the will does state that you have to be married and produce an heir!”

“I know she will forgive me. She loves me!” I retorted back angrily, glaring at Davina and her audacity. “Yes, what I did was wrong and I know I can make it up to her. You’re just clutching at straws. I think it’s best if you just leave! You’re obviously not wanted here!”

“Don’t worry, we were just going!” Carlton fumed before grabbing Davina’s hand. “Mark my words! I will be back and if I have to destroy you, your whore, and that unborn bug, just so that I can be king then I will!”

The stomping, clanging sound of metallic marching made me spin around in confusion as Reginald and his gold guards stomped past me towards Carlton. Without saying a word, Reginald grabbed Carlton by the scruff of the neck and promptly marched him towards the Palace gates. The remaining guards grabbed Davina, who filled the courtyard with her protesting screeches, as she too, was dragged out after her royal boyfriend.

“If you want to get to the Alpha and his wife-to-be, then you have to get through us first!” yelled Reginald as he shoved Carlton through the Palace gates, with Davina closely following. “I believe you’ve been told to leave. Now I suggest you do that or else you may meet a grisly end!”

“Come on, Carlton! Let’s just go!” Davina urged desperately, pushing against Carlton’s chest. “We won’t get very far now. Let’s go and plan our next move! It’s not worth it now!”

I watched as Carlton looked at me with a fierce look in his eye as he muttered something in response to his girlfriend, before storming off out of sight. Sighing, I turned to look at Reginald who was once more by my side. Gratefully, I extended a hand and firmly shook Reginald’s hand gratefully.

“Thank you for helping get rid of him. I thought they were never going to leave,” I sighed shaking my head. “I could see it ending in a fight if he didn’t go. Look, can you get rid of this lot. I need to find Elena and tell her what’s happened!”

“Of course, your Highness,” saluted Reginald promptly, before turning to the crowd. “Right, Come on you lot. Time to go home! You heard the Prince!”

I smiled gratefully as I turned on my foot and followed Elena’s footsteps back into the Palace. I knew it wouldn’t take me long to find her as all I had to do was follow her scent. I knew that she would be back in our tower, with Hollie and Brooke, possibly discussing what she was going to do about us. A lot had happened in the last day or so and my mind was a constant buzz of emotions and thoughts, tumbling around in my brain. Not only did I have my dead mother’s return to contend with, but I now had a death threat from my own brother and his psycho girlfriend. I also had a wedding to plan, a murderer to help find, as well as protect me, my wife-to-be, my unborn child, and my kingdom.

As I burst through the doors to our tower, I scanned the room desperately. I could hear Elena’s soft floaty voice coming from the bathroom followed by Brooke and Hollie’s voice. Sighing with relief, I walked up to the bathroom door and loudly knocked, waiting for a response to come in.

“Who is it?” Elena called out hesitantly. “We are bathing in here!”

“It’s me, Kieran,” I called out sorrowfully. “Look, I know you said you wanted space but something has popped up. I have something to tell you! It’s urgent!”

I listened carefully as the three girls quietly whispered amongst themselves but none of their words were clear enough to be understood. The bathroom door suddenly creaked open as Elena stood there, looking at me quizzically, with one hand on her hip.

“Finished eavesdropping?” she snapped sullenly. “What do you want, Kieran? What part of space do you not get!?”

“I do get it. I really do! But this is important!” I urged desperately, grabbing her hands in mine. “It’s about Carlton and Davina. My mother was right. There is a plot against both of us! Will you just hear me out!?”

“Fine. I’ll hear you out and hear what you have to say,” Elena replied haughtily, as she strolled towards the couches and sat down stiffly, watching me beadily as I sat down opposite her. “What’s going on then, as seeing as it is so imperative that you tell me?”

“Carlton and Davina. They’re together. Like together, together,” I hinted while stroking my beard thoughtfully. “They came back to try and take the kingdom for their own. They believe I’m failing the terms and conditions of my grandmother’s will. They basically asked me to step down now and just leave quietly with you.”

“Right? Well, what’s the problem?” Elena asked in confusion while arching an eyebrow at me. “Yeah, okay, Davina being with your brother is a bit weird. But she has always been a power-hungry bitch, but how are you failing your grandmother’s will?”

“I only have so many days left to find a wife and become married to her,” I explained, looking up at Elena carefully. “And eight or so many months left to produce an heir, which we don’t have to worry about. It’s the marriage part that bothers me!”

“I see. Well I was going to be your wife, but now I’m not so sure,” Elena continued coolly. “I don’t know if I can deal with your irrational thinking! I mean what were you thinking? Sending Brooke and Hollie to be executed? And by an executioner and his axe? Wasn’t you man enough to do it yourself? Thought you would have used your pack of domesticated wolves like you did last time. Remember?”

“I’m sorry. I really am! I just didn’t think! If you had taken your bodyguards then this wouldn’t have happened!” I pleaded sorrowfully while looking across at Elena sadly. “I have no words. What I did was unforgivable and I understand if you hate me. I thought I’d lost you forever. The thought of not having you in my life scares me. You’re like a drug to me. I need more of you. You control my thirst, my hunger and you keep me sane. What have you done to me, my sweet little Lilly?”

“So this is my fault! I don’t want to be mollycoddled by you or your guards, Kieran!” Elena fumed angrily. “You need to apologise to Brooke and Hollie. It’s them that is hurting, not me!”

“Please, Elena, you need to realise. You need protection!” I exploded, feeling frustrated that Elena was not only being stubborn, but she couldn’t see how much danger she was in. “You’re always going to be in danger! More so now that people know about the baby and our wedding!?”

“How do people know?” Elena asked slowly, looking at me worriedly. “Kieran, what’s happened? You said there was a plot? What have you done?”

“There is a plot! I swear! What my mother said was true!” I explained slowly, resting my head in my hands. “Carlton was kicking off about the will, saying that I’d never get married in time or produce an heir in time, so I may as well just give up and leave the kingdom. I had to announce the pregnancy and our upcoming wedding to the crowd just to shut him up about being the next king!”

“Right, so what’s the problem then?” Elena shrugged casually. “So what? He knows about the baby and the fact that we were going to get married. Did he leave in the end?”

“Yeah, after Reginald and the other golden guards threw them out with a stern warning not to come back!” I nodded, shooting Elena a quick worried glance. “Not before they threatened to take you and the baby down, alongside me. Carlton won’t stop until he gets his own way. I can assure you that! Also, there’s one other thing?”

“Can this get any better?” Elena scoffed loudly, shaking her head in disbelief. “What’s the other thing. It can’t get any worse, surely?”

“I told them that we were getting married in the next week!”