Chapter Twelve

LEO’S POV

"If we move our guards to this border, Your Highness, the northern vampire territory will take it as a threat," General Marcus said, pointing at the large map laid out on the table. "They are already looking for an excuse to fight us."

General Vance shook his head, slamming his fist down. "We cannot leave our eastern borders open either! The witch coven in the south has been creeping closer to our lands. If we look weak, they will strike. We’re exposed and need to act fast"

"We need to stay focused," General Marcus argued, his voice rising. "The vampires have more dark magic and soldiers than the witches. Don’t forget , If war breaks out with the vampire king, our entire wolf kingdom will be in danger!"

“Are you saying, they are stronger than us?” General Vance asked with a frown

“This is not about our Ego Vance, think about the people “another General, Luke stated.

The generals kept shouting back and forth, their loud voices filling the room. As the crown prince of all werewolf packs, I was used to their endless fighting. But today, I couldn't concentrate. My phone buzzed against the dark wood table.

I glanced down and saw Doctor Rachel's name on the screen.

I raised my hand and flicked my wrist, signaling for them to leave. The generals stopped talking instantly. They gathered their maps, bowed deeply to me, and hurried out of the room.

"Hello, Doc," I commanded the second the heavy doors closed.

“Good afternoon Your Highness, Miss Ivy is doing much better physically," Rachel said over the speaker. "Her bruises are almost completely gone, and the baby's heartbeat is strong. But you need to tell her the truth. She is beginning to miss you. She doesn’t understand why, so I explained it, but she's hesitant because she is scared. If you are going to make this work, you need to talk to her…really talk to her."

"But won't telling her what happened affect her?" I asked, frowning as I leaned back in my chair.

"You don’t need to tell her everything," Rachel advised softly. "Just tell her the truth in a light way. She needs her Alpha, and it's only going to get worse as her pregnancy grows."

"Okay, I heard you, Doc."

"Good. I am going to help you, my Prince. I’m sending you a planned schedule of activities you both have to participate in to help with your bond. If you follow it strictly, I believe she will begin to trust you."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome, sir."

I ended the call and rubbed my temples, feeling a little hopeful for the first time in weeks. My phone dinged with a message from Doctor Rachel containing the activity schedule she had planned.

Before I could open it, the door opened again. General Marcus stepped back inside.

"Forgive me, Prince Leo, but we forgot to mention the royal event at the end of the month," Marcus said. "The Leaders Apex Gathering which we host once a year, to bring the leaders of all the different packs together. We need your final approval."

"Approved," I said simply, standing up to leave, I turned to my Beta, Sam, whose been standing behind me silently.

"Let’s go” I said to him

We both left the palace and drove straight to an old, secret warehouse on the edge of town. Inside was a hidden basement where my elite assassins and spies were waiting for me. They answered only to me.

"What do we have?" I asked as I walked up to the table.

My Beta, Sam, stepped forward. "We are still tracking the black-market supply of Blood Rage. We made progress and shut down two street distributors, but we still can't link the potion to the main mastermind."

"Keep digging," I ordered, my jaw tight as anger flashed in my chest. "I want the person who is creating and spreading this vile poison."

"The royal event at the end of the month might be our best chance, Leo," Sam suggested. "Every powerful Alpha from every territory will be in that room. The main supplier behind Blood Rage will likely be there too."

"Good," I grunted. "We will be watching."

After the meeting, I got into my car and started driving back home to my secret mansion. As I drove through the quiet streets, I remembered that I hadn't gone through the activity schedule Doctor Rachel sent me earlier.

I reached for my phone, but before I could check the file, the screen lit up with an incoming call.

It was Celeste.

I sighed heavily and ignored the call, setting the phone aside. Seconds later, my phone dinged with a text message from her:

“Hello Leo, I’m coming back next month. Let's hang out when I get back.”