TALIA'S POV
Walking through the gates of this palace again makes my blood start rushing through my veins. The moment that I was drugged out by soldiers and a mob was allowed to lynch me keeps replaying in my head.I was so helpless and extremely weak then. I couldn't even fight a single soldier. I should feel safe now, but my heart thrombs the moment too many eyes turn to look at me.Even the outside of the palace is full of people. I see faces that I used to know, my mother's and Taylor's friends, all their eyes turn to stare at me. My whole body quivers. Can they so easily recognise me?Then I see men smiling amorously and I sigh in relief. They don't recognise me. They are just staring for some weird reason."She is gorgeous!" I hear one of the girls whisper to her friends."Yeah, she must be noble. You know her?" Another asks in a voice just as low.It's strange that I can hear them. "I don't know her. But she does look kind of familiar." The first girl answers and my heart throbs hard again. I still keep going. It will be hard for them to figure out that I am the girl that got executed when I am acting so confident.I am not scared of being hurt anymore. I can protect myself now. But it will be hard for me to find my family if they know I am back to life. I forge a smile as I walk past them. Some smile back but seem too shy to say a word."Good afternoon my lady. May I escort you inside? You don't look like you have been here before." One of the young men in a servant's uniform rushes to my side, bows and extends his hand for a handshake.I shake his hand even though I clearly remember his irate voice and those of his fellow servants yelling insults at me while the soldiers drag me out of the palace to be executed. Hearing him speak so sweetly now makes me want to spit on his face.That will however cause unnecessary drama when the best thing is to focus on finding my family."I am not noble if that's what you think." I correct. Seems like I am going to be repeating that a lot. "I have not been here before," I lie, "but I can find the way in on my own, thank you for offering to escort me though." He smiles but I can see that he is disappointed.I don't really care, his insults hurt too much compared to his little disappointment. Besides, I don't want anyone following me around since I am not here to watch Prince Evan get crowned and cheer him like he is some kind of a small god."You look too beautiful for an ordinary girl. You don't mind sharing a name, do you?" The servant asked, now smiling seductively. I want to tell him to f off. But the people who acted shy earlier now join us, all looking eager to meet me."I'm Hilda." I lie as I shake their hands."I think you look very familiar. Yet no one I have ever known looks so beautiful as you do." One of my mother's former friends comments with a friendly smile. Her counterparts nod in agreement."I do look like my cousin Talia who was executed three years ago. That's probably the reason I look familiar to you." I lie again. The shock takes over their faces but no one reacts the wrong way. I said I am Talia's cousin, which is not a crime."I am sorry if you are related to that family. You look so beautiful and I am sure you are a good person as well. But your aunt and cousins did a very awful sin and got punished for it." The woman who used to be a very close friend of my mother says."You shouldn't keep mentioning that you are related to them. It's shameful!" One of her friends adds.I feel like punching their mouths, but I nod my head and forge a smile instead."I was told that my aunt and my other two cousins were sold as slaves, does anyone of you know who bought them?" I ask now that they are convinced that my name is Hilda and I am Talia's cousin.They all shake their heads. "No one would know that. I only heard that they were to be slaves for life so that they would never return here. Don't waste your time worrying about those animals, they are probably dead already." One of the men speaks.My anger starts to surge and I know I won't be able to act cool anymore."I will go to the party and find something to cheer me up. See you guys around." I say and storm off in the direction of the Palace's front entrance.I see a couple dressed like royals ahead and decide to follow them inside. I don't know the chambers of this big palace well since the only time I took this path was the time I and my siblings were being dragged by soldiers to meet the king and the council. I didn't care about the beauty or the size of the place then.The royal couple walks through a crowded corridor before entering an even more cramped hall. People make way for them and since I am following closely behind they do the same for me.I walk into the hall and several eyes turn to stare at me. I already know that my new body dressed in this sleeveless dress is what is attracting their attention so I ignore them and look up at the stage far ahead.The first thing I notice is that tall prince that would easily pass for a demigod. He goes down to one knee so his father can place the crown on his head while the crowd applauds Wildly.Then the incredibly alluring scent hits my nostrils. An odour is so endearing that it makes my mind feel dazed.Hell no! I can't be finding my mate right now. So much would be ruined.My heart skips a beat when Prince Evan suddenly turns his head to look in my direction. I stand frozen for almost a full minute while our eyes stay fixed on each other.I have never felt so spellbound by a living being. Not even on the day before they arrested my whole family.That thought makes me snap out of the daze suddenly and immediately avert my gaze from the prince. I look around and notice that a lot of eyes are still on me. Guess I am not blending in as I wanted.I am still breathing in my mate are alluring scent and it is making me weak in the knees. I just hope that I didn't walk in here to discover that prince Evan is my mate.Any man in here could be the source of the scent. It doesn't have to be the prince. I look back up at the stage and he is still watching me. The queen who was standing several steps away rushes to him with a concerned expression.But he doesn't pay attention to her. Instead, he steps away from the stage and starts heading in my direction. The crowd parts to make way for him, most looking confused as to why their new king suddenly left the stage.Can he have recognised me? Such a busy man I like would not remember the face of a not-so-attractive girl that was executed years ago.The sweet scent becomes more intense as he gets closer. He is my mate? Life really has a way of punching someone in the face. I came back to life to find out that my most powerful enemy is my mate.I don't care about the fact that he will reject me. The problem is he will want me dead again if he has already recognised me.I turn and splint back out of the hall, pushing aside everyone on the way. The good thing is that I am a lot stronger and faster than I used to be."Wait!" I hear his authoritative voice shout but I keep going. I get through the gate before the two guards that were guarding it can stop me. Not that they would be able to. I am powerful enough to handle ten of them. But hell not the prince.EVAN'S POV"I have gathered everyone that she spoke to, Sir. But I am also afraid that they too don't know much." My servant says in an anxious voice. "Let them in, I will question them myself," I order. He bows again and leaves my office.Apprehension can actually make breathing hard. Why the f did she run?She is literally the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on. She wore no makeup or jewellery, yet her natural beauty was honestly breathtaking.She looked extraordinarily just like I imagined my mate would be. I knew she was in the room the moment I inhaled that alluring scent, nothing in this world can smell so good and pure. The strange thing is despite looking like an angel among humans, her stunning features did look familiar. But I could have only seen such beauty in a dream. I will chase her to the edge of the world if I have to."Try to relax. Your girl will come back to you. Just give her a day or two." My mother tries to comfort me. She may have been right abou
TALIA'S POVHaving powers is apparently the only good thing that has happened to me since I came back to life. I have lost everything else, my family, our home and now the hope of ever having a loving mate.I no longer know where I am headed to anymore. My former plan can no longer work. The fact that I cannot walk into the palace without prince Evan smelling my scent also means that I have no means of getting near the Queen. There is no point in being alive as long as I cannot find my family. They are the people I want to protect."Hey, why do you look so sad? You didn't like the party?" The woman that I met fast after coming back to life makes me halt."Where are you going?" She asks. I look around. I had no thought about where I am headed to. I just had my legs carrying me towards wherever. But seemingly I am on the road towards what used to be our home. I am in fact a few metres away from the small gate."The people that live there now won't welcome you." She informs with the same
THIRD PERSON'S POVThe Queen wears a troubled face as she walks fast down a corridor and bursts into a magnificent bedroom with a king-size bed and the most exquisite furniture. Some of which have been decorated with gold. It's too extravagant even for a royal bedroomHer husband lays down on his back on top of the bed covers, his eyes gazing at the ceiling as he appears to be thinking deeply."We need to talk." His Queen states as she matches to bed and sits on the edge."I already heard that Evan's beautiful mate is Talia's cousin if that is what you wish to tell me." He replies without taking a glance at her."Then I guess the news you haven't heard is that . . that is a lie." She says and he finally turns his head to look at her."What do you mean?""Miss Abram was my best friend before she tried to poison our son. She didn't have any nieces or nephews. The girl lied!" She says, sounding clearly too certain of what she believes is the truth. Yet the husband shakes his head in disa
TALIA'S POVI thought the soldiers were going to only hurt me during the night but so far I have bypassed over a dozen of them and answered their questions about whether I have seen an incredibly beautiful and tall young lady with pitch black, wavy hair and bright brown eyes.Good thing is that my very kind host advised me to dress like a widow and hire a carriage instead of walking. I put on a hat and a veil to hide my face. The soldiers wouldn't expect a young lady to be blessed in the long dresses of a widow anyway.I am headed to the north to start the search for my mother, Taylor and Michael. Hopefully, they got bought by one of the arrogant alphas.My host did warn me that this was going to be a long journey. I thought she was exaggerating but I have been on this carriage for over eight hours and we are yet to get to the border.But I can now see a long line of posts far ahead so I think we are finally close. I think I will let myself sleep for the rest of the journey since I am
EVAN'S POVI had to retreat to my room to mull over my next move. I still feel like I have been wrecked inside. Every time I let my eyes close the appalling image of my mate's dead body lying in the dirt and her blood soaking the soil pops up in my mind.Three full years may have passed since I witnessed that awful scene but I now remember every second of it like it happened a few hours ago.All I cared about was avenging my servant's death. It didn't matter if we went too far and hurt people that were not responsible for the atrocious crime that was committed.I kept telling myself that the girl made her own decision and she probably was just as evil as her mother. Her death didn't make me feel better about my servant's death. It in fact made me realise what a mess we had made in our insane quest for justice.By now the true culprit, the mother, is either dead or truly regretting her actions. Her stupidity has made so much in my life go wrong.I don't regret being mated to her daught
TALIA'S POVThe sun is about to set, but we are finally here. The palace of Silver Moon Park stands tall in front of us. It's quite huge considering that Silver Moon is a small pack.I hand my driver his pay and step off the carriage. We had time to talk about the truth and he is no longer afraid of me. He is the first person I have met that is open-minded enough to accept that even members of the royal family could be evil."You have the money to buy them back if they are in there?" He asks."No. I plan on pretending that I have the money. Once I see them I will use my powers." I answer."You have to look like a noblewoman for them to believe that you want to buy slaves." He advises. I take off the widow's gown and stuff it into my bag. I am left in a lovely blue dress that I had underneath."Yeah, that looks fantastic." He approves. "The other thing you need is a servant to escort you.""Why?""Rich noble ladies don't travel alone and they definitely don't carry their own bags."I
EVAN'S POV"Your fake tears disgust me, woman!" I snap, stepping closer to where she has kneeled. "But I am going to make them very real soon!" I hiss and she visibly shivers.It's strange how the most wicked people are the ones that cry and beg for Mercy the most even when they have hurt others in the most abominable way. It's like their selfishness doesn't allow them to understand the pain of others or feel guilt."I raised you! You shouldn't be doing this to me!" Mother cries, literary crawling on the filthy floor of the cell. It's funny how weak she is acting already while her actual punishment is yet to come. A night in this cell is nothing compared to the horror she is yet to experience.One can only imagine the amount of pain she has caused my mate and her innocent family. It's atrocious if you also consider the fact that my mate's family could be dead or so abused to survive for long.I am not eager to have her executed yet. I will let my mate decide what should happen to her.
EVAN'S POV"What do we do with your mother if you're not back by the fifth day?" My Father's Beta, Henry, asks, taking a step back as I mount my horse. I had ordered that she shouldn't be given food or water for five days. I want her to have an idea of what it was like for my mate. The wicked woman already proved that she is too dense to understand anything that is said by words. So I assumed that experience will be me a better teacher. "If I am not back after the fifth day you should ask my father and his council to decide her sentence," I answer."Yes sir. I really hope that you find her. She is a special woman." Henry says, turns and heads back to the palace. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be an easy quest. Slaves are bought and resold now and then. Some don't even last long enough to see their next buyer. I fear that my mate's family may not even be alive considering the monsters that my so-called mother chose to sell them to. I regret agreeing to have the mother so