Victoria’s POV
The door opened, and Jane walked in with Aidan in her hand. They both walked up to me, and I took Aidan from her as I stood up."Are you okay?" she asked, and I nodded and smiled at Aidan, whose future would be decided in a few minutes from now."Shall we go?" Jane asked, and I nodded.She took my hand and Aidan's before teleporting us to the hall where the meeting was to be held.When we arrived, I saw seven gammas seated, while Beta Tony took his seat beside Derick's empty throne.Seeing the empty seat made my heart clench in my chest, but I composed myself and made my way to my seat, which was also beside Derick's empty seat.I took my seat and carried Aidan in my lap, staring at the gammas, who all had unreadable expressions on their faces. I held my gaze with Lord Luciano, Derick's father, and he weakly smiled and looked away."It seems we are now complete,” Gamma Edmund spoke up. “Then let the meeting begin,” he said, and Beta Tony stood to his feet.“We are all aware of the tragic death of Alpha Derick,” he spoke, while I frowned and gave him a hateful glare. There was something about him that didn't seem right.“Alpha Derick is gone, but the throne cannot be left empty,” he said, while I furrowed my eyebrows, waiting for him to finish. "We are all aware that Alpha Derick has a son, but his child is just a kid and can't sit on the throne," he said, while I clenched my fists, waiting for him to complete his words."So, I have come with a suggestion that I take up the throne until Aidan is of the rightful age. This is best for the pack."My heart pounded in my chest, and anger surged through me like a wildfire. How could Beta Tony even suggest such a thing? It felt like a betrayal, a betrayal not only to Derick's memory but also to me and our son.I rose to my feet, cradling Aidan protectively in my arms. My voice trembled with a mix of grief and anger as I addressed the room. "No! I will not stand for this. Beta Tony, how dare you suggest taking the throne? You were Derick's Beta, his most trusted confidant. How could you betray him like this?"The room fell into an uneasy silence as all eyes turned to me, their gazes filled with a mixture of surprise and apprehension. Beta Tony's face reddened, his own anger flaring in response to my accusation. "I did not betray Alpha Derick. I only want what's best for the pack, for our future," he retorted, his voice laced with defensiveness.I took a step forward, my grip on Aidan tightening. "Best for the pack? Derick's wishes should be respected, and he made it clear that he wanted Aidan to inherit the throne when he came of age. I will not allow you or anyone else to undermine his legacy."The tension in the room thickened as the other gammas exchanged uncertain glances. Lord Luciano, Derick's father, stood up, his voice filled with sorrow. "Victoria, I understand your grief and anger, but we must consider the stability and welfare of the pack. Beta Tony's suggestion is not without merit."I turned my attention to Lord Luciano, my eyes narrowing. "You, too? I thought you would honor Derick's wishes, support our son's rightful claim. How can you stand there and suggest anything different?"Lord Luciano's expression softened, and he took a step closer to me. "Victoria, I loved my son dearly, and his loss pains me every day. But we cannot let our emotions cloud our judgment. Aidan is still a child, and the responsibilities of leading the pack are immense. We need someone capable to guide us during this difficult time."His words stung like a slap to the face. I felt betrayed by those who were supposed to stand by me, by Derick's side. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and looked around the room."I will not allow anyone to usurp my son's rightful place as the Alpha of this pack," I declared, my voice resolute. "I will protect his birthright with every ounce of strength in me. Aidan will be trained, groomed, and prepared for his future as the Alpha. And until he comes of age, I will serve as the interim Alpha, ensuring that his rightful place is secure." I said and turned to Beta Tony."This man here won't give up the throne to my son once he is of age," I said and saw Beta Tony's eyes filled with anger."Are you trying to accuse me of not being loyal to the late Alpha Derick and this pack?" He asked as he took his steps forward to me, his anger-burning gaze holding mine."You know very well what I'm accusing you of," I replied, my voice steady despite the emotions burning within me. "Your suggestion to take the throne for yourself is a betrayal to Alpha Derick's memory and a disregard for his wishes. You were his Beta, his second in command. How can you entertain the idea of assuming his throne a mere two weeks after his demise?”Beta Tony's face flushed with anger as he clenched his fists. “I am only thinking about what's best for the pack,” he spat, his voice laced with anger. “You may be his mate, but you don't understand the weight of leadership. Aidan is just a child. He cannot bear the burden of ruling yet.”I scoffed and shook my head as I stared at him with hate. I know what his plans are. Firstly, he killed Derick, and the next plan was to be the Alpha in the pretense of being the caretaker of the throne, and the next was to kill Aidan and fully take the throne. I knew this was his plan, but I won't let him achieve it.“Aidan will be trained and guided, just as Alpha Derick would have wanted," I declared, my voice unwavering. "He may be young, but he carries the blood of a leader. I will not allow you to belittle his potential or undermine his rightful place. This pack deserves a true Alpha, and Aidan will grow into that role."The room remained tense, the air heavy with conflicting emotions. Some gammas watched our exchange with uncertainty, torn between loyalty to Alpha Derick's legacy and the practicality of Beta Tony's proposal. Others kept their gazes lowered, avoiding the confrontation altogether.Lord Luciano stepped forward once again, his expression a mix of sorrow and contemplation. "Luna Victoria, Beta Tony," he began, his voice gentle yet commanding. "This is a difficult time for all of us. We have lost a great leader, and the future of our pack hangs in the balance. Let us not forget that unity and loyalty are our greatest strengths."I scoffed and shook my head, he is so naive that he can't see the scheme of Beta Tony like I do."Victoria, I know your love for Derick was unwavering, and I know you want what's best for our pack. But consider the weight of your son's responsibilities. It is a heavy burden for someone so young…""My son won't sit on the throne, rather I will be the one making decisions until he comes of age," I declared, but Beta Tony cut in."Never! You are a woman, what do you know about ruling a pack?" he muttered, causing me to grit my teeth with anger as I held my abilities from exploding."We are not afraid of your abilities, Victoria. You may have some powers, but that does not grant you the right to make decisions for the pack. The gammas have a significant say in this matter, and they will decide what is best," he said, causing my anger to fume, but I held myself and sucked a deep breath before speaking."My abilities may not give me the right to have a say, but they certainly don't diminish it either. I have proven myself time and again, fighting alongside Alpha Derick and protecting this pack. My role as his mate and the mother of his child gives me a voice, whether you like it or not," I yelled.Gamma Edmund, the most senior among them, finally spoke up. "Beta Tony, you should remember that Victoria is our Luna, and the way and manner you speak to her is wrong. Let us not forget our principles."I sucked a deep breath to compose myself, waiting for Gamma Edmund to finish his words.“We, the gammas, think this decision is beyond us, so we are taking this matter to the council of Alphas. They will be the ones to make a decision," he said, causing a nervous gulp to pass down my throat.This was bad, really bad.Victoria’s POVJane teleported us to the sitting room and handed Aiden to his nanny. I waited for him to leave before angrily kicking the stool away with my legs.“Calm down,” Jane said. I groaned and paced around the sitting room, with thoughts buzzing in my head.I can't let Tony ascend that throne. Once he sits on it, it's over for Aidan and me.“Why don't you kill him?” Beatrice, my wolf, spoke for the first time since two weeks ago, after Derick’s death.“Beatrice, you're back,” I exclaimed in relief.“I saw that you needed me,” she responded, and a relieved smile appeared on my face. I thought she was going to mourn longer.“Maybe you should just burn that bastard to ashes,” Jane suggested, echoing my wolf's idea. But I shook my head. “They will know it's definitely me, and it would seem like treason,” I responded, running my fingers through my hair as I struggled to come up with a meaningful idea.“Who knows, maybe the Council of Alphas could vote in your favor,” Jane spoke, bu
Lord Bernard's POV“You're not eating,” Cora, my mate, asked when she noticed I was playing with the fork in my hand instead of eating.“It's nothing,” I responded, and she frowned and held my hand, which was placed on the table. “You know you can talk to me about anything that is bothering you,” she comforted, while I nodded and looked away.How do I tell her that I was worried because a woman I thought I had gotten rid of is back in my mind just by hearing her voice again?“Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?” she asked, and I didn't respond.“Is it because of my inability to give you a child?” she asked, and I knew she was about to nag again.“It's not about that. Stop filling your head with thoughts,” I groaned and stood to my feet. “I've lost my appetite,” I announced and walked out on her.I made my way to the gym attached to my home, took off my shirt, and began punching a dummy, pouring out my frustration on it.“And what do you think you're doing?” the voice of my w
Victoria's POVAs I stood before the mirror, a whirlwind of thoughts consumed my mind, and tension gripped my entire body. It was 5 pm, and the meeting in the pack house would commence in less than two hours. Fear, anxiety, and dread coursed through me as I anticipated the final verdict of the alphas. I knew they despised me and would seize this opportunity to exact their revenge, especially Alpha Simeon, whom I had burned. The scars of that encounter still lingered, and unfortunately, he was one of the judges."Why don't you just burn them all?" Beatrice groaned, but I knew that wasn't a viable option. With a deep sigh, I touched the pendant on my neck, a gift given to me by Derick. I stared at my reflection in the mirror as tears clouded my eyes. I never imagined he would be taken away from me. Everything still felt like a nightmare from which I wished to wake up.A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called out, and a female maid entered."My queen, Lord Bernard
Victoria's POVAs I walked into the pack house, I could feel tension in the air as they all stared at me. They all had an unreadable expression on their faces, which made it hard for me to detect their mood. I held gaze with Alpha Golden, and he also had that unreadable expression on his face. Taking a deep breath, I walked to my seat, which was beside Beta Tony. I took the seat and made Aidan sit on my lap. I looked down at him and could see he was frightened by the faces of the Alphas, but I placed a kiss on his forehead and wrapped my arms around him, giving him the assurance of protection and letting him know that I was with him and no one would harm him.I met gaze with Bernard, who was seated with the other ten Alphas. He also had that blank look that scared the hell out of me. I was scared, wondering if he would play me for a fool and decide to pay me back for refusing him years ago.“Take a deep breath, Victoria,” Beatrice comforted, and I did as she had instructed.The hall
Victoria's POVI paced around my room in a panic as his words rang in my head. I couldn't believe that I was actually doing this—I was going to have sex with Bernard. I was going to be his sexual partner, and there was nothing I could do about it.With a sigh, I stood before the mirror and gently caressed the pendant on my necklace as my thoughts turned to Derick. I wondered what he must be thinking of me and the decisions I had made. Surely, he would be angry with me, but I hoped he understood the situation I was in.“What's wrong? You should be celebrating,” Jane spoke from behind me, causing me to startle. With a deep sigh, I sat on the bed and saw the worry etched on her face as she stared at me. “What's wrong? You won, you should be happy,” she asked. I gulped, knowing I had to tell her, I had to confide in someone.As Jane sat down next to me, concern evident on her face, I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts. Opening up to her was the only way to share the burden I car
Bernard's POVI paced around the living room, feeling tense and anxious. Victoria was on her way, and I couldn't help but be nervous. All these years, I have wanted her. I have craved to hold her in my arms, and now, as if it's a dream, it's about to happen.“I'm against this, Bernard,” my wolf spoke angrily, but I shut him away and suppressed him from talking to me. Nervous and curious, I checked my wristwatch and realized it was almost 8 PM, with no sign of her yet. I knew she was avoiding being seen by anyone, so she decided to come in the dark. Not that I cared if anyone saw her. It's not like we were doing anything wrong, right?“I'm at your gate,” she announced through telepathy, and my heart skipped a beat. “Come in and lock the gate,” I spoke firmly, trying to hide the uneasiness in my voice.She closed the mind link without saying a word. “You can do this. Don't let her see that you're nervous,” I mumbled to myself and sat on the one-seater couch. I rested my back on the couc
Bernard’s POVIf eyes could kill, I should probably be dead, but all that did not matter to me. All that mattered was that she was mine tonight."Bernard!" she called out impatiently when she realized I was just staring at her naked body. "You didn't tell me that you wanted to sit and drool," she spoke, fuming with anger. "I'm not a..." she tried to speak, but I cut her off. "Get down on your knees," I said and saw her furrow her brow, confused at my words. "You heard me right. Get down on your knees," I repeated my words and saw her gulp before she slowly fell to her knees, and this time a droplet of tears fell on her cheek.Her tears hit me, but I sucked in a deep breath and gestured for her to come closer to me. Without hesitating, she crawled to me and stopped a few inches away from me.She lowered her gaze, unable to meet mine. With a sigh, I lifted her chin with my index finger and held her gaze. Her eyes were filled with pain, and I couldn't stop myself from slamming my lips ag
Victoria's POVI pushed him away and got off the bed. My heart was clenching with pain, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I refused to let him see me cry. I walked over to where my clothes were scattered and picked them up, ignoring his gaze fixed on me.After dressing up, I grabbed my bag and made my way towards the door, but he stepped down from the bed, blocking my path, still naked. Anger surged within me, and my rage started to boil over. “And what is the meaning of this?” I asked angrily.“You're not leaving,” he stated firmly, causing my brow to furrow. “Are you serious?” I retorted with frustration, and he nodded.“You're not a whore that I would let leave after making love. I want you in my arms tonight,” he said, and I scoffed in disbelief. How dare he? How dare he think I would spend the night with him? Having sex with him was already torturous enough, and now this?Taking a deep breath, I composed myself and locked eyes with him. “I'm not spending the night h