Chapter 89

With one swift motion, Katherine shut the door of the rental car she picked up immediately she got to town. It was an old one but the rental service promised that it was one of the best. At that point, she didn’t care whether she was in a sleek Mercedes-Benz or a beat up mustang, she had more important things on her mind. Even though she had spent about three years preparing for this journey, everything had to be painstakingly thought through, since it could make or destroy her life.

Katherine’s plan was conceived on the small hospital bed she lay after the almost life-taking task of pushing her son out of her belly. Staring at his blue eyes – one that shone like hers – reminded her of the words Damien, her ex, and the Alpha used to say, “Your eyes remind me of the crashing of the sea. It draws me right in.”

“So this is what Damien saw in my eyes,” she would say aloud whilst staring at her son. He was the light in her life at the moment, and the joy he brought her knew no bounds. Sometimes she found it very hard to believe that she gave birth to this beautiful creature. That aside, he was her lucky card to hit the jackpot. If she played her cards well.

Anyways, no matter how happy he made her, she was still quite annoyed at the toll his birth took on her body. Now that that had been resolved, however, nothing could stop her from getting what she wanted. Brunette hair, head-turning body and an enticing voice, she had everything going for her in the body department. Katherine checked herself in the car mirror, her lips breaking into a smile as she noted her perfect facial features.

“Mummy, did you say we’re going to my father?” her son asked. Katherine lifted her head to look at him through the mirror and his dainty lips were circled in confusion. So adorable.

“Yes, we’re going to visit your father,” she said, patting his head with a smirk dancing on her red lips as she recalled her plans again. The excitement caused her insides to tingle.

“Father? But I have you, I don’t need a father.” He kicked his sock-clad feet against the car seat he was in.

“Hush now, you need a father. Everyone needs one.”

If only her life was so. Katherine’s father was the one who held no regard for that belief. He staggered out of her life before she could even say “father”.

“Really? But where’s your father?” he countered, face scrunching up as though he was thinking deeply.

Certainly not the kind of question she wanted to hear at the moment. Most times she was slightly annoyed at her son’s inquisitiveness. Couldn’t he be like other little boys who shut their mouths at needed times?

“Sadly, my father died…” She proceeded with the rehearsed story.

She told herself she wasn’t lying to her son, since her father might as well be dead. No one knew where he went that stormy night, not even his good-for-nothing brothers.

“Oh…”

“Yes, now you need a father, and we’re going to meet him,” she said with a tone of finality.

“Alright.”

Katherine was relieved when he did not ask any questions after that. The drive from the rental service to the palace Damien lived in was not so far off, it gave her little time to change her mind. She held the steering tight, ignoring the whiteness of her fingers as the blood flow was nearly cut short. Even the bold ones had fear. In fact, they feared more than the ordinary people, they just had a way of hiding that fear.

The town she grew up in was the same as three years ago. The streets were still packed with people, the street lights still had the glow they always had.

Katherine had driven up to the palace so many times that she could do it with her eyes closed.

“Whoa!” Her son said the same thing she'd said years back when she first sighted the palace. Its grandness still awed her.

“It’s so beautiful!” he said “Wait till you get inside.”

Wait till it’s all ours.

“We’re going in?”

“Yes, son. This all will be yours soon.” She turned to her awestruck son, a satisfactory smile on her lips. Katherine lived to see her son happy; she would do anything to see his face light up.

“Really, Mum?”

“Yes, Alex.” She gave a small laugh.

“Let’s go in.” Alex fiddled with the straps of his car seat, trying to free himself.

* * *

“I want to see Damien.” Katherine gave her best smile, one to send chills down anyone’s spine. She had gone over this scene over and over in her head and was pleased to see the guard’s face turn pale.

“Who– who are you, ma’am?” Her gaze made him uncomfortable.

“The Alpha’s mate.” Her smile widened as the guard’s face paled even more. She was enjoying this more than she imagined. Katherine was disappointed in the guard, was this the kind of person Damien appointed as a guard? One who couldn’t even mask his emotions. That was one of the things she was going to change when she got her hands on the throne.

“We need an actual name ma’am.”

“Okay, if you insist. Katherine. Tell Damien that.” She dusted imaginary dust off her sleeves.

“I’m sorry ma’am, I can’t let you in.” He said, seeming to have gotten over his initial shock.

“What? Why? Lucio?”

He didn’t seem surprised that Katherine knew his name. “Damien gave strict orders not to let anyone in.”

“Well, go in and tell him Katty is here.”

Lucio didn’t budge.

“Mum, you’re hurting my hand.” It was only then that she realized the grip she had on her son. She was sure he was bleeding already.

“I’m sorry baby…” She bent to his level and gave him a kiss. Turning to the guard she sent him her best glare. “Tell Damien that I brought his son. The heir to the throne.”

Shock was written all over Lucio’s face. Without breaking eye contact he picked up the receiver of the phone affixed to his table. Katherine was sure this news would cause a meeting with Damien and she was all for it. She ruffled Alex’s hair, satisfied with herself.

“What you claim is of great weight,” said Lucio. “Great weight or not, I suppose you don’t want to keep the heir to the throne out. Now Lucio, let me in,” Katherine purred. Without further words, Lucio let them into the palace but not without taking their belongings. He handed Katherine and her now restless son to another guard to be taken into the palace.

Of course, Katherine knew that Delphine was Damien’s mate and she expected the freckled woman to be at the palace so she came prepared to face her. She knew Delphine was no coward, that she fought for what belonged to her. She was going to be harder to conquer than Lucio the guard had been.

The duo was not allowed into Damien’s living area. They stayed in a lobby-like area. Katherine ignored the mirrors in the room as she did not want to see her broken self. For her, mirrors were a tool to see the soul, it showed her deeper than her smooth, even-toned skin, almond eyes. It saw through the storm in her blue eyes.

Katherine felt her presence before seeing her.

Delphine.

Just like Katherine remembered her, baby blue eyes – unlike hers – with flesh in all the right places, with her signatory freckles pasted on her oval-shaped face. The cream dress she was in complimented her fair skin, the dress was like it was made especially for her in heaven. Its low cut showed the glow of her smooth skin.

“Lucio said you wanted to see me,” Delphine said, oblivious to Katherine’s claim.

Katherine quickly recovered from her shock and put a smile on her face. “Did Lucio say that?”

“Yes, he did. Now, what do you want from us?” Delphine was starting to lose her patience.

“Us? I came here to see Damien.”

“Damien? Damien is not here now. He has some business to attend to.”

“Oh, then I came at the wrong time.” The glimmer in Katherine’s eyes did not disappear.

“In his absence, I attend to all his dealings here.”

“No, this matter is none of your business… Delphine.” Katherine’s smile got wider.

“If you really want to speak to Damien, you better tell me now,” Delphine said firmly.

“Okay, since you’re really adamant. Tell Damien that Katherine, the one he tried to abandon, is here with his child, the heir to the throne.” Nothing in the world could wipe the triumphant smile off her lips. This was exactly the reaction she hoped Delphine would give. Her face was as white as paper and her lips quivered in shock.

Delphine could not believe her ears. Setting her eyes on Katherine, she knew trouble was coming but nothing in the world could have prepared her for Katherine’s claim.

Damien? A son?

She trusted Damien to have mentioned this to her. What could be happening?

“What do you mean?” Delphine finally asked, glancing at the little boy wrapped around his mother’s legs.

“What you heard is exactly what I mean, Delphine.”

No. This was impossible, Delphine thought.

Before Katherine could utter any more words, Delphine stormed out of the room. Her headache and everything she saw suddenly doubled. Her stomach gurgled and threatened to empty its content. She crashed into the nearest chair and took some breathing exercises to steady her ragged breathing.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Daciana seeing her brother’s mate on the resting chair was surprised and curious. Something was definitely wrong.

“Delphine?” Daciana said Delphine oblivious to her presence stared off in shock. This time Daciana tapped her, ensuring that she was still conscious. “Delphine. You don’t seem okay,” she said after Delphine acknowledged her presence.

“Does Damien have a son you know of?” Delphine asked, her face still pale.

“What?” The question threw her Daciana off.

“Yes. A son.”

“What is wrong, Delphine? Tell me.”

“There’s a woman in the lobby claiming Damien has a–” She could not complete the sentence.

“A son? Impossible. Where is this lunatic? Take me to her!”

Delphine led her to the lobby, willing herself to believe this was just a bad prank. They will laugh about this in the future.

Back in the lobby, Katherine patted herself for the good job she had done. Everything was easier than she expected, all she had to do was break the news to Damien and show him the test she had done claiming Alex was his son. Damien would pay for all he has done. “Don’t worry Alex. All is coming into fruition.”

“Mummy, I’m scared…” Alex whimpered.

“Don’t be. This belongs to you, my child.”

Daciana marched into the room with Delphine following behind, along the line Delphine had fallen behind. “Katherine?” Daciana was shocked to see her old friend who was rumored dead.

“Daciana. Long time no see.”

Their friendship had been one everyone was jealous of. Even the older ones. They were never away from each other for long. Nothing could separate them. It all changed when she fell for Damien. She had to choose between the Alpha’s love or his sister’s, just like Vivian. It was things like this that made Daciana stay away from friendships, as she felt everyone just wanted to use her, just to get to her brother.

“What is it that you want?”

“Oh? I didn’t know I had to report to you too. Delphine said she handles Damien’s matters since he’s away now.” Her smile never left her lips for once.

“Yes she does but this matter is great.”

“Yes, it is. Isn’t it…?” Katherine sashayed towards the other women, tracing her fingers over the wooden panels of the shelves, her gaze never leaving Daciana’s.

Daciana knew Katherine. Everything she did and ever did was to intimidate those around her. She never wanted to be looked over.

“A son?” Daciana tucked her blond hair behind her ears and looked towards Alex. She could not believe that the little boy was a product of Damien’s sperm.

“Yes, yes. As you know, Damien and I were the hottest thing back then…good times. One thing led to another…” she turned to Delphine, “and I got pregnant with his son.”

“Impossible,” Delphine said.

“No, Delphine. Ask Daciana here, my dear.” Katherine circled the duo.

“It’s all lies. Damien never got you pregnant,” Daciana said, memories of the day Katherine ran off hit her. She remembers Damien and Katherine had a big fight. She had accused him of sleeping around and he was outraged she thought of him that way.

“Why do you say so, Daciana?”

“I know you had an affair with Stephen. Damien would never send you off knowing you were pregnant with his son.”

“That’s it. He wasn’t aware. And contrary to your belief, I didn’t have an affair with Stephen or whatever you call him.” Deep down Katherine wasn’t surprised Daciana was aware of her affair. She figured she knew but it was her word against hers. Daciana had no concrete proof.

“I will not exchange words with you any longer as Damien is not around to defend himself.”

“Good decision, friend.”

“Well with that, you should leave now,” Delphine said.

Ever since she realized that Delphine was Damien’s mate, her dislike for her grew.

With her unfaltering smile, she replies, “I understand that you don’t have a child of your own so you don’t understand the love of a mother. Alex would be crushed if he doesn’t see his father. Now, do you want a young child’s heart crushed because of your selfishness?”

Delphine was dumbfounded. Trust Katherine to emotionally blackmail her with a little child.

“I thought so,” Katherine said.

Diana and Delphine exchanged a knowing look. They knew this was going to be a long day.

“Now lead us to our room, will you?” Katherine pulled her son closer to her.