Chapter Eighty-Eight: Lisa’s Killer

Andor –

The fireball had knocked Ashina out, and I rushed to carry her to the medical tents, navigating through the tunnels to avoid encountering too many non-mated male warriors. Her mating scent hadn't become strong yet, so I was relatively safe from wolf shifters attempting to claim her as theirs (My Mate).

When I entered the medical tent, I noticed several male shifters sniffing the air. Amidst the chaos, a healing witch hurried over to me and directed me to a tent designated for women only. She explained that the tent was enchanted to conceal mating hormones from non-mated males. To manage the females' heat until the war was over, they administered medicinal herbs that would allow them to complete the mating once the conflict had ended.

I nodded and followed the nurse to where Ashina would receive care. As the nurse started IVs for Ashina, I observed her receiving the herb intravenously. Though Ashina's heat made me yearn to mate with her, it wasn't the appropriate time or place to conceive.

Despite my protests, the nurse led me out of the tent, presumably to prevent overly protective male partners from approaching their mates in heat. Reluctantly, I consented. As I left the tent, I heard triumphant shouts. The queen had killed Malcolm. She was a formidable woman; I had no doubt she was responsible for Malcolm's death.

The warriors requested my assistance in organizing the deceased, so while Ashina was being guarded by the nurse inside the tent, I agreed to help. I joined the process of sorting the dead, which included various types of shifters such as bears, dragons, werewolves, and witches.

As a tribute to the fallen warriors, we provided each with a form of identification akin to a human dog tag. This allowed us to separate the deceased into packs and clans, so their alphas can return the bodies to their respective families and packs/clans.

Furthermore, we had the daunting task of tracking down the women who had been snatched up by Malcolm's goons, the rogues. Some of my pack members set out to search for these missing women, and I made sure to send along counselors and pack medics. I can only begin to imagine the horrors these poor women must have endured.

Word on the street was that Ashina's mother was personally meeting with every pack and clan leader. In a show of gratitude and allegiance, Queen Amira graciously expressed her thanks and pledged her loyalty to future alliances. As for me, there was no way I was diving into that mess. Dealing with magical bullies had already drained me for the day.

I was all set to stick to my guns on this, until one of my men sent me a mind-link from the palace, with a message from the queen herself asking to meet me in her conference room. Dread filled me at the thought of facing Ashina's mother. How on earth could I win her approval? It certainly wouldn't be a smart move to refuse to see my future mother-in-law. I can't seem to shake the urge to catch flies with my tongue.

Entering the castle, I was escorted to Queen Amira's personal office by one of her pack warriors. As an Alpha King, I knew it was crucial not to show any hint of fear.

I strode in with my head held high, and with dramatic flair, inquired about what she required of me. Queen Amira greeted me with a smile, but I remained suspicious; her smiles often concealed ulterior motives. After a few tense moments, she finally motioned for me to take a seat in front of her desk. As she discreetly dismissed her pack member, leaving us alone, I braced myself for her next move.

Queen Amira:

Andor's nervousness was blatant, a stark contrast to my own deliberate coldness towards him. Thanking him, as a King, for his assistance should have been the courteous thing to do, but I needed him to understand the reason for my hostility. The time had come to let go of past grievances.

"King Andor, I thank you for aiding my daughter and fighting alongside her in this war. “Your perseverance in our mate bond did not go unnoticed, despite her initial reluctance when you first met," I spoke, my words heavy with emotion and history.

I sighed, steeling myself to reveal the truth about his past. This would be difficult for both of us. "The next thing I'm about to tell you will shed light on my behavior today," I began, conveying to Andor that upon the coronation of queens in my family, the gift of sight is bestowed upon us.

"I saw Ashina come to the realization that you were her mate during our time together. She surprised me by not lashing out at your concubine more severely than she did, and I observed that you never sought another woman after that. I needed to be sure that you were committed to my daughter for the long haul, not just because of a strong bond," I continued, recounting the profound insight I had gained.

Andor sought clarification, but I hushed him gently. "You were right to stand against your father; he was a ferocious, aggressive wolf. However, what you may not know is that my sister and I were actually triplets, although we were always perceived as twins. We were inseparable."

"On that fateful day at the mall, my other sister and I wandered into a store while Lisa stayed behind. She was hungry and tired, so she headed to the food court. There, she witnessed a cruel man assaulting an Omega with helpless children in tow, and no one intervened. The Omega had no means of self-defense. My sister ran to save them without thinking of her own welfare. Lisa hovered over the crouching mother and child taking the fatal blows she later died from. I also saw that Lisa saved you, your mother, and sister.”

"I can't begin to tell you the pain I felt knowing my daughter was mated to my sister's killer son. This was overwhelming. I see you are not your father, and I must get past this. I am warning you right now that it will not be easy."

I knew I had to accept this relationship, but it would be a difficult journey. I had to accept the fact that my daughter had a fated mate who was the son of the man who killed my sister. I had to find a way to forgive him and move forward.