Chapter 14

Malia's POV:

"Tyler, Why'd you consider making such a rash decision? There's a wild creature killing the members of our pack in the woods and all you can think about is giving power to Veronica?" I retorted sharply. I could see the color draining off his face as he stared at me in awe.

"And since when did you start calling me by my name?" He fired back provocatively.

"I'm sorry, my King" I replied softly, as I turned to meet his piercing gaze. "Let's get some sleep and discuss this tomorrow, alright?" I rubbed his arm tenderly, giving a soothing effect to his tense muscle.

"Aiit, Goodnight." He replied, kissing my temple and pulling me closer in his arms. His bare skin grazed over mine, leaving those familiar tingling sensations in the pit of my stomach. The only difference was that the sensation I felt now wasn't one of pleasure but one of fear.

Everything was going just fine but now that Veronica resurfaced, I'm on the verge of losing everything that I'd built over the years. Eliminating Veronica now will be really difficult since her father, the Lycan King has sworn to protect her with every fiber of his being.

"One way or another, I know that I'll definitely get rid of that frail human and stop her from stealing my son's inheritance", I thought to myself, nodding in satisfaction.

I woke up to the first rays of dawn filtering through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. My husband, Tyler, was still sound asleep beside me, his chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. I couldn't help but smile as I remembered the passion we shared just a few hours ago, our bodies entwined in a fiery embrace that left us both breathless.

But as I lay there, basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking, my thoughts turned to the conversation we had last night. Tyler had brought up the idea of making his daughter, Veronica, the Luna of our pack. At first, I was hesitant, knowing how much resistance we would face from the other members. But Tyler was determined, and he made some compelling arguments that left me wondering if maybe he was still obsessing over Rhoda's death.

I slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Tyler, and padded quietly down the stairs. As I walked down the stairs, the coolness of the hardwood floor under my feet grounded me. I made my way to the kitchen, put on the kettle to boil, and started preparing coffee. The house was still, the only sounds coming from the coffee maker as it hissed and sputtered. I made myself a cup, savoring the rich aroma and the warmth that spread through my body.

As I sat at the kitchen table, sipping my coffee, my mind wandered back to Veronica. She was a sweet girl, but still so young and inexperienced. I couldn't help but wonder why Tyler didn't deem Lucas fit for the responsibility of leading our pack. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and I took a deep breath, savoring the rich scent. The early morning silence was interrupted by the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall, a soothing sound that brought some peace to my anxious thoughts.

As I sat there lost in thought, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. My mom, Chloe appeared in the kitchen, looking groggy but still managing to flash me a smile.

"Good morning, my beautiful daughter," she said, walking over to me and kissing me on the forehead.

I smiled back, grateful for her affection, but still unsure of how to bring up the topic of Veronica. I could tell that she noticed the glum look on my face and immediately she stood hands at akimbo, peering into my face suspiciously.

"You know that I'm your mother right?" Chloe said, narrowly eyeing me as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat beside me.

"You can't lie to me, Malia. I'm your mother" a snug smile appeared on her face briefly as she rubbed my back. "So tell me what happened. Or is it because of that girl, Veronica?" She asked, rolling her eyes at the mention of Veronica's name.

I took in a deep breath, feeling hesitant about letting my mom in on the conversation I had with my husband.

"It's nothing mom" I replied with a wry smile on my face.

"Malia, I'm not a kid. If you can't trust your mother with little details, then who'd you trust?".

My mom was good at emotionally blackmailing people to get her way through anything and somehow she was beginning to win over me. I heaved a sigh as my eyes darted to and fro to ensure that nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Well, I and Tyler made love last night," I said as the memory of last night's lovemaking lingered in my memory, leaving a contented smile on my lips.

"Young woman, I'm not here to listen to the naughty sex escapades you had with your husband" Chloe retorted, tapping her coffee cup impatiently.

The smile on my face was suddenly replaced with a sullen look as Tyler's words replayed in my head. I cast my eyes warily around to be sure that no one was around.

"Last night, Tyler told me that he's going to step down from the throne soon," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Chloe's brows furrowed as a sly smile played at the corner of her lips. "That's good news then. Lucas will become the next Lycan King and you'll be the Queen mother".

"That's the problem, mom," I said, breathing out heavily.

"No, there's no problem my dear daughter. Everything is going fine. Just as we planned it" my mom said, caressing my face with her palm which was wrinkled by old age.

"Mom", I paused, unsure if I should leak out the rest of the information.

"Tyler wants Veronica to be the Luna of the pack when he steps down from the throne," I said, nervously. The smile on Chloe's face disappeared instantly. Her eyes widened in shock as she just sat down, trying to process the information I just passed.

"That's impossible!" Chloe screamed.

"Mom, keep your voice down" I hushed. "Everyone is still asleep and you don't want to wake everyone up. Besides, I and Tyler are yet to discuss the issue properly".

"Discuss what issue? Isn't it obvious that Tyler is trying to deprive you and your son of your rights to the throne just because of some miserable girl he picked from the seashore" Chloe said, glaring at me.

"Mom, get yourself together. I'll talk to Tyler about—" I was still in mid-sentence when I heard a familiar voice greet me.

"Good morning mom. Morning' grandma" the masculine voice rang as the owner dreamily climbed down the stairs.

It was Lucas and I'm sure he heard everything I just said.