Dagen's POV.
After I had left Edvin's home the other day I had not got to the palace when I had to attend to royal duties outside Mosvil. The council of elders had summoned me to a meeting where all the Alphas of the other packs were present. It was a meeting about the underworld. There was suspicion about the current ruler of the underworld and the elders were worried it might affect the werewolf race. It had taken quite some time to resolve the conflict so I had to stay away from the palace for a few days.
Upon my return to the palace, I noticed that the mood was heavy and seemed thick with suspense. I could tell at once that something had happened during the day but no one would tell me what it was.
“Your Majesty,” Nydia greeted me with a bright smile and a warm embrace but her smile did not fool me. Something significant had happened in the palace and it was my intention to get to the bottom of the conflict.
“I have missed you very much, Dagen. The palace feels empty without you in it,” she whispered in my ear.
“So have I but tell me, what has happened in my absence?” I asked right away.
“Did someone say something?” I spotted fear in her voice and this confused me greatly. I had to play this smart then, it looked like she had something to hide but what could that possibly be? Was she having an affair while I was away? I hardly think that was the case as I trusted Nydia to remain faithful to me.
“I want to hear your version of the story, love,” I replied with a smile so she could let her guard down.
I saw that she was uneasy yet she said, “I had to punish Regina for her mistakes; she was getting out of hand.”
“I see,” came my cool response. If she had punished Regina I did not see anything wrong with that.
“You know you're worried about Regina, why won't you be honest with your feelings?” Kane spoke up and I scoffed inwardly.
“You don't mind, do you?” asked Nydia.
“Of course not, love. What did she do this time?” I asked her.
“She stole from me. I found some money in her room; it was a large sum,” came Nydia's response.
“How did you know she stole the money? It could've been a reward from her horse riding competitions,” I said, recalling that Edvin had mentioned something of the sort to me.
“Do you support her horse riding? I think it is best if she stops it altogether. It is rather a dangerous sport considering she is to carry our child,” said Nydia and this brought a smile to my face. The child would be ours that was why I could not allow Regina to leave. But once I had given the pack a heir I could do away with Regina and marry Nydia.
“You are right, of course. I had not considered that,” came my response.
“I have been reading some books about child conception; I shall prepare Regina myself to ensure that when you meet with her she will conceive at once. I know it must be hard being intimate with a woman you have no feelings for. I want to save you the trouble of having to do it so many times,” Nydia's kind heart and the way she always considered my feelings were part of the reasons I had fallen for her.
“Do not lie to yourself, you hate Nydia right now. How dare she try to control your intimate meetings with Regina? What is she trying to do?” I chose to ignore Kane's voice. I knew Nydia had said what she had said out of concern for me.
“Are you a fool? She said that because she's afraid you will begin to prefer being with Regina over being with her. After all, it has happened before. You remember Lady Divine, don't you?"Sometimes, I wished I could get Kane out of my system.
“That is really thoughtful of you Nydia. I am deeply sorry that you cannot conceive, it would have been a blessing to have you bear my children,” I said with sadness. It had been a dark time for the both of us when we had discovered that as Alpha of the Shadowclaw pack, I could not get Nydia pregnant because she was not my fated mate. It was why I could not make her Luna of the pack because she was not capable of bearing my heir. However, once Regina had given me a child, I could make Nydia my Luna.
“You must be very tired, when I learnt you will be returning today I made you a special meal,” said Nydia looking up at me with doe eyes.
I kissed her forehead lovingly. Yes, Nydia was all I needed.
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Gina's POV.
I was sick for several days and was forced to stay in bed. I could not differentiate day from night because I fell in and out of consciousness. But today I felt a lot better. When I opened my eyes I could see clearly but it felt like the weight of the world was on my head. I could not even turn my head.
“My lady? Are you awake?” I heard Diane's voice but I could not turn my head in the direction of her voice.
“What is happening? How long have I been like this?” I asked in a weak voice.
“About seven days, my lady. I should get the physician to…”
“Don't bother Diane. Please just stay with me,” I said to her.
“Lord Edvin came to visit yesterday. He said I should send his regards when you regain consciousness,” Diane said. Lord Edvin was a nice man.
“Did the physician say why I feel sick?” I inquired.
“I heard him tell Lady Nydia that the whips were poisoned,” Diane whispered in my ear.