Landry’s POVJessie glances behind Landry at Bernice before looking back up at him. Her face is red once she realizes what she’s interrupting. Landry would be lying if he said isn’t a bit annoyed, but he doesn’t make it known to her. He stares down at the sparkling pink invitation that Jessie handed to him moments ago.You are invited to Princess Jessie’s Ball, located in her palace! “What’s the occasion?” Landry asks, looking back at his sister questionably.“No occasion,” she answers. “It’s just for fun. I figured we could use a little fun.”Landry finds it to be odd; nobody has a ball for no occasion around here. But Jessie has always thought outside the box, and she was always looking to stir things up. So, for Jessie, this isn’t so much as odd behavior, but inviting them to the ball is what’s questionable. Jessie and Bernice didn’t have a good conversation during their last exchange. Maybe this was her way of making things up to Bernice.“I hope to see you both there,” Jessie sa
Tina’s POV“What is it you were saying moments ago?” Tina asks the maid who was just speaking about the omega being the same as the female alpha. The other maid, the one she was talking to, has walked away to complete some other tasks Jessie has ordered of her.The maid looks surprised when Tina approaches. It was clear Tina was never supposed to hear that conversation.“Oh, I’m sorry, mistress. It was unfair of me to speak like that toward the Alpha King’s omega…” she bows her head in shame.“Never mind that,” Tina says, waving her hand in dismissal. “Just tell me what you were saying, maid. About the omega and the female alpha being the same. Are you sure of this?”She stays quiet for a moment as she tries to figure out what to say in response.“Well…” she begins hesitantly. “I’m almost certain. But not 100%. I just feel their resemblance is uncanny. Nobody has heard from the female alpha in some time and now this omega shows up with a similar face. I just find it odd is all.”That
Bernice’s POVI’m shocked that this maid figured out my secret. Remembering what happened with Jessie’s last maid and how she ended up being an assassin spy, I am wary of this maid. It must have shown on my face because she gave me a small and shy smile.“Your identity is safe with me,” she says, bowing her head. “But I would also like to help you escape.”“I’m afraid you’ve been mistaken. I’m not whom you think I am.”“I remember your face so vividly. You have the same face as the female alpha. You don’t need to hide it from me. I want to help you. I’m not the only one who wishes to help. If you let us, we can get you out of here.”My heart stops in my chest at her words as I narrow my eyes.“Who else wishes to help?”“The Alpha King’s cousin, Tina,” the maid says with wide eyes.Something isn’t adding up.“What else did Tina say, exactly?”…I brush the conversation with the maid out of my mind as she leaves for the evening. Landry came to retrieve me and bring me to Jessie’s palace
LandryBernice mentioned at one point that she’s never danced before, but she moves so delicately in his arms. She has a smile on her face that he’s never seen before. She’s genuinely having a good time. This pleases Landry. Everybody else also seems to notice because they are surrounding them and clapping.Bernice looks gorgeous in her gown; unfortunately, she must wear a mask to hide her identity. She doesn’t want anyone to recognize her as being the female alpha. By the time they finish with a couple of dances, she grew breathless.“I haven’t laughed like that in a long time,” she admits as they search for an empty table.“I’m glad you’re having fun.”“Have you seen Jessie? We should thank her for the invite,” she says as she glances around the ballroom.He rose his brows at her; he knows that Bernice and Jessie are on rocky terms ever since Jessie accused her of using Landry without the intent to marry. Even after he spoke to Jessie, knowing his sister, she is not going to drop it
Bernice’s POVIt was a long shot, but I knew if I didn’t take drastic measures, it could have been me. I knew something was going on when the maid confronted me as I was getting dressed. She told me she knew my secret and that Tina wanted to help me escape. Based on that, I knew Tina was up to something.Then, I saw Tina speaking to a servant near the door of the ballroom. They slipped into the hallway, trying not to be seen and I grew even more suspicious. So, when Tina set up a couple of glasses of wine at a nearby table, I had a feeling she might have slipped something into one of them.I noticed her speaking with Landry at the food table, so while they were distracted, I switched the wine glasses. I was right to do so. She handed me the glasses just as they were making a toast.She must have slipped aphrodisiac into one of the glasses because the next thing we all knew, she was going into severe heat. Going into heat like this would have blown my cover. I would have ripped everyth
Landry’s POVBernice stares at him with a shocked expression for a moment as she quickly sits up. She narrows her eyes at him, focusing her attention on only him. A small act that would have made his heart race in his chest, but in this case, he could tell what she was thinking wasn’t good. It was obvious that she played that trick on Tina because she was jealous of her and wanted Landry to herself without any other, she-wolves getting in the way.She saw Tina talking to him and batting her long lashes, not to mention swaying her hips flirtatiously, and it caused her to drug Tina’s drink so she can make a fool of herself. Of course, he’s not sure how she got aphrodisiac. Maybe she found another aphrodisiac flower and brought it with her just in case.Landry didn’t want Bernice to feel ashamed by that trick; he honestly found it quite funny. Nobody got harmed. Tina’s family was able to bring her home and allow her to rest. Maybe Bernice was upset that Landry caught her and is outing he
Bernice’s POV“Jessie? What are you doing here?” I ask, staring at Jessie who stood before me at my doorway.She stared down at her feet sheepishly for a moment before bringing her gaze back to me. She’s still in her ball gown, so I know she came here directly from the ball.“Can I come in, so we can talk?” Jessie asks again, meeting my eyes.I step aside for her to enter. She hurries into my room, and I shut the door behind us. She sprawls out onto my bed as she used to, curling up and peering up at me with sad eyes. I sit beside her and keep my eyes steadily on hers. I thought back to her accusations against me; she accused me of using her brother for my own selfish gain. As if Landry isn’t aware of our arrangement. I was hurt that Jessie thought so little of me and that Landry didn’t bother to correct her until it was too late.“Oh, Denise,” she cries the fake name I had given her. “I’m so sorry for being so cruel to you. I shouldn’t have said what I said.”No. She shouldn’t have.
Landry’s POV Landry didn’t return to Bernice all night. He stayed away to give her the space she needs. He needed the space too. He can’t help but feel hurt over what she had said to him. That this was nothing more than a sexual arrangement. Of course, he knew that they did one another a favor and it was an agreement they both had, but it still bothered him that she was still claiming that she doesn’t harvest any feelings for him.He went to his office early this morning to get some paperwork done before his day began. As he walks by Bernice’s door, he could hear nothing but silence. He figures she’s sleeping soundly and continues down the narrow halls until he reaches his study door.Hours have gone by since he’s gone to his study. He was deep in his work when he received a mindlink from his beta.“Alpha, we have a problem.” “What is it, beta?” “There’s a rogue attack in the northern region. We are going to need all hands on deck for this one. Gammas are already on their way there