Betrayed Heiress: My Second Chance Mate is A Lycan King

Aira’s POV

The sun didn’t shine today, not that I expected it to.

This was the middle of autumn, yet the clouds were so gray, I could even feel the little droplets of water on my skin. But what I was feeling in my heart was far more concerning. After my encounter with Ana this morning… or should I say Ana’s ghost or whatever the hell that was, I was feeling rather strange.

Like this growing chill within me, it was hard to explain.

Perhaps it was just the shock of seeing her out of the blue like that. For a moment, while I stared into her eyes, it felt like she was there with me. Like she was still alive. As much as I missed her, that would be a nightmare come true if she still was.

But that was impossible.

Ana was dead; I watched her plummet thousands of feet into the ground; I watched her bones crush from the impact; I watched her corpse get lowered six feet beneath the earth’s surface.

The same way I am watching Uncle Richard’s remains get lowered.

Carla’s sobs filled my ears, adding to the weight on my shoulders. The priest recited the prayers and sprayed the coffin with holy water. He bowed his head in respect to us and took his leave. Our men began to cover the casket with sand, and I watched every movement of theirs until they finished molding his gravestone.

Carla falls to her knees, her hands wrapped around her stomach as she begins to utter some words to the gravestone. My feet moved back on their own; I suppose it would be better if I gave her some alone time.

Never in my life have I seen Carla so pained. They only knew each other for a short time, but it was obvious that she loved Richard greatly.

My gaze shifts to the gravestone, precisely to the spot where Uncle Richard’s details were written. A single tear trickles down my cheek, but I quickly wipe it away.

“Rest easy, uncle.” Is what I say before leaving the scene? I make my way down to the car. My eyebrows crease when I do not find Alex standing with the rest of the guards. I could have sworn he came out here with us.

“Where is he?” I ask Arnold, and he points ahead. I follow his finger to find Alex standing in front of a gravestone. He had his hands clasped in front of him and his head bowed in what almost appeared to be sorrow.

My eyebrows crease with confusion. As I turn to Arnold, there is a silent question. That is when I notice the hint of sadness in Arnold’s eyes as well.

“The explosion took every inch of the palace, Luna. Including the west wing.”

No.

My eyes widen as a pang strikes my chest. Quickly, I spin on my heel and sprint towards Alex.

The guilt I felt as I made my way to him was suffocating.

I am so selfish.

Incredibly selfish.

I blamed Alex for Uncle Richard’s death, and he silently carried the burden. I never knew that he too had lost someone dear to him. No matter how strong or nonchalant he tried to act, I knew he still cared about his dad.

I can’t believe he didn’t tell me. Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t believe I didn’t notice. I should have asked. I saw the tiredness and grief in his eyes, but I ignored it. I misinterpreted it for guilt because I blamed him for Richard’s mate.

Some mate I am.

He turns to me when I close in on him. My steps slow down when my eyes lock with his blood-shut eyes. I don’t know why, but the sight instantly brings tears to my eyes.

“Oh, Alex,” I say, wrapping my arms around him, and his body grows rigid for a moment. Soon he adjusts to me and reciprocates my hug. He nuzzles his head into my neck, and a pang strikes my heart when he releases a shaky breath.

He had been crying.

“What are you doing here? You are supposed to be with Carla by your uncle’s grave,” he croaks out, and I hold him tighter.

“I am supposed to be right here. By your side,” I whisper to him, my hand snaking up to his hair and ruffling it to bring him some form of comfort.

“Thank you.”

I found it hard to believe those words had actually escaped Alex’s lips. It was so strange hearing it come from him; I loved it.

I don’t know how long we stand there in front of his father’s gravestone, and I did not care. I would stay here the whole day with him if I had to. In my opinion, things ended a bit too soon, if you ask me.

The sound of approaching footsteps fills the air, and Alex quickly regains his composure. In a matter of a second, he was back to his cold, stoic self. He released me from the hug, but our hands remained clasped. He turned to find Arnold walking up to us.

“We are ready to go home, Alpha.”

My blood runs cold at the mention of home.

That place was anything but my home. After my encounter with Ana… or what I thought was her, I had a very bad feeling about that place. But deep down, I knew the new palace had nothing to do with it. But what else could it be?

Alex nods once, his grip on my hand tightening. “Is Carla in the car?” is the first question he asks, and my heart warms at his thoughtfulness.

“Yes, your majesty,” Arnold answers.

“Okay. We will be down in a moment,” Alex says, and Arnold bows before taking his leave. The second I am certain he is far from hearing range, I turn to Alex with fearful eyes.

“I think we should move to another palace.”

Alex raises his brow slowly. “Why?”

“I think it’s haunted,” I whisper to him, and Alex lets out a sigh. It was at that moment that his fatigue became evident to me. He massaged the crease between his brows and took a deep breath.

“You have been communicating with spirits for months now. And now you think the palace we moved to is haunted?”

Okay, now I realize how dumb that might sound.

“But wait. This isn’t just any spirit! I saw Ana.”

Alex’s features overtake with horror. “What the hell?”

“See? It’s concerning,” I point out, and he strokes his chin. He takes me by the hand with his other one, and we head towards our vehicle.

“Spirits usually summon you, don’t they? I don’t think it has anything to do with the palace. I think she might just want to talk to you,” he says, and my lips seal shut. He stops walking and places both of his hands on my shoulders. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk to her. Remember that she is nothing more than just a spirit. She can’t harm you.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I wish I could believe that.