"They killed her!" Lady Ophni repeated, her words were a raw, anguished cry, her voice cracking with emotion as she struggled to contain her grief. Alpha Ardon's grip on her tightened, his arms wrapping around her like a lifeline as he tried to make sense of her words, his face twisted in concern as he was, trying to comprehend the depth of her pain. He was hurt by the sight of her in such a state, her usual composure shattered, her eyes flashing with a mixture of grief and fury and he was desperate to understand what had triggered this breakdown. What had caused her to snap like this, to lose all sense of decorum, to shed her pride and dignity like a worn out cloak? She looked like a woman possessed, on the brink of collapse, her body shaking, her voice cracking with emotion, her eyes wild and unfocused, her words tumbling out in a torrent of anguish."Who has killed who, Ophni?" Alpha Ardon asked, his voice was a gentle probe, a gentle whisper, a soothing balm to her frazzled nerv
The servant girl's frantic words replayed in his mind: "It is Lady Ophni, Alpha. She has... she has gone hysterical!" She had burst into the throne room without warning, her urgency palpable. Her unannounced entrance had been a testament to her desperation. Now, as she lay prostrate before him, her head bowed to the floor, Alpha Ardon noticed the subtle tremors that ran through her body. Her body shook like a leaf and it was not the chill of the room that caused her to shiver, but fear - her fear was not just of Lady Ophni's state, but of his own reaction to her intrusion, fear of his wrath, fear of having overstepped her bounds. At least she was aware of the gravity of the situation. She knew better than to interrupt him without good cause, unless it was absolutely necessary, and judging by her demeanor, the fact that she had done so spoke volumes about the severity of the situation. Whatever had driven her to breach protocol was indeed dire. His expression turned stern as he cons
The months ticked by, each one a reminder of the silence that had fallen between Elyria and Nyxoria. It had been eight long months since the mating ceremony, and seven months since the first letter had arrived, announcing Annora's union with a merchant. But since then, nothing new had followed. The letters they sent afterwards carried no new messages, no whispers of her life beyond the borders of Elyria, no updates, no word of her whereabouts. Alpha Ardon had sent letter after letter to Nyxoria, seeking more information about Annora's life as a mated woman. But every response had been met with the same vague reply as elusive as the wind: "She has been mated to a well-traveling merchant and is on a tour around the kingdoms," their letters would say, always adding that familiar phrase, "She would come to Elyria soon." The words had become a hollow promise, a reassurance that seemed more like a platitude than a genuine commitment. But knowing Annora as he did, Alpha Ardon could not he
But Lady Ophni was quick to intervene, cutting him off as her head whippped around to face him with a sudden intensity. "No," she said, her voice firm and decisive. She didn't need a hasty report, a rushed summary of half-baked findings. She had waited a year and eight months without seeing her daughter, eight long months without hearing from her directly, without a single word from her own child.. She deserved better than a hurried update. Lady Ophni's eyes locked onto the man's, her gaze piercing and intent. "Take your time, I don't want you to rush," she said, her voice measured and deliberate. "I want you to dig deep and find out everything. Every detail, every tiny piece of information. Don't rush back with half-truths or incomplete reports. I don't care if it takes a week or a month or longer, I will wait, whether it's a week or a month. I need to know what's going on with my daughter, and I need to know everything, even up to the meal she had been served on her first day ther
Seven months had ticked by slowly since the mating ceremony, each one stretching out like an eternity for Lady Ophni and it had been exactly six months since they had received that reassuring letter from Nyxoria, informing them of Annora's well-being and her new life with her mate. Yet, despite the reassuring words, despite the passage of time, they had not laid eyes on their beloved daughter and the distance was beginning to feel like an insurmountable barrier.The lack of direct communication had taken a toll on Lady Ophni, who was more disturbed than anyone else in the family. She was consumed by a deep-seated longing to see Annora, to hold her close and feel her warmth, so she had written to Nyxoria multiple times, expressing her desire to see her daughter and receive more detailed news about her life. But the responses they received were always the same - vague and unhelpful. "Annora is well, but she is touring other kingdoms with her mate, a merchant who travels extensively," th
A month had elapsed since the mating ceremony had taken place but its memories still lingered. A month had passed since that day, and the distance between Elyria and Nyxoria seemed to stretch even further with each passing day. In the aftermath of the ceremony, Alpha Ardon had sent a letter to the royals of Nyxoria for his daughter, expressing his heartfelt desire of his love and concern for her. She had been sent to live in a foreign land and he had stated in the letter that he wished to pay her a visit with his wife as she was terribly missing her daughter whom she had not set her eyes on in a year. The letter had been dispatched two weeks after the ceremony, and it had taken another fortnight for a response to arrive. The wait for a response had been excruciating and agonizing, filled with moments of doubt and worry, but finally, after another two weeks, a letter had arrived from Nyxoria, bearing news of Annora's new life. The passage of time had been marked by anticipation and cu