Chapter 64

Royal Alpha POV

“Good morning, Alpha,” my Beta, Garrett, said as he walked into my home office.

It was a weekend, so I had summoned him to meet me there rather than my office at the pack headquarters building.

“Good morning, Garrett,” I said. “Have you seen this?”

I handed him the weekend edition of The Star. The reporter that ambushed my daughter for an interview had written an article about the events that happened here.

My embarrassment over nearly going into a frenzy in front of people - in front of the media, no less! - was warring with pride over how Claire had handled the situation.

She was becoming, in a very short time, quite an expert at speaking with the press. She handled their constant questions and nosiness with a grace and calmness that reminded me exactly of her mother.

How I wished Kara was here now. She had always been a quiet, gentle source of strength.

I missed her with every breath I took.

As Garrett quietly read the article, I found myself wishing Kara was here to help me face another feeling I was struggling with about this situation:

Disappointment.

Sabrina claimed to have arranged an interview for herself with that reporter, wanting to do a feature about her upcoming wedding to that Silverfang Alpha, Nathan.

Her own sister’s mate.

But I strongly suspected she’d arranged for exactly what happened: a media ambush on her sister.

Garrett finished reading the article and lowered the paper. “It’s actually quite a flattering article, all things considered. Flattering for both the Princess and yourself. The reporter handled your condition with delicacy and respect.”

“Indeed. And I’m aware that having public conversations about the issue of the frenzy condition can help remove the stigma surrounding it.

“But you see, it’s not the article itself I’m worried about. It’s more…”

“The fact that Sabrina tried to humiliate her sister publicly? Again?”

My mouth twitched, despite my concerns. Garrett was my Beta for a reason. He was far more observant and intelligent than many realized.

“Exactly. She claims it was going to be an interview with her, about the wedding. That she had no idea what the reporter was going to do.”

“But you don’t believe that.”

I got up, paced to one of the wide windows that filled the room with sunlight.

“No, Garrett. I don’t.”

I shook my head. “Sabrina’s behavior continues to disappoint me. She’s always been strong willed, determined, and ruthless. Qualities I admire, when they’re appropriate.

“But this? That my own daughter would behave toward her own family in such a way…”

Trailing off, my mind went to the mystery that had been looming ever since I discovered Claire was my long lost daughter:

If Claire was a Princess…did that mean Sabrina maybe wasn’t?

It was a mystery that had lingered long enough. It was time to get some answers.

I went back to my desk and sat down. “Garrett, it’s time we focused our attention on what’s really been going on here. Two princesses in one palace, where there’s only supposed to be one.

“It’s no wonder Sabrina is acting out. By now it’s surely occurred to her that her entire life here may actually be a lie. Somehow.”

Garrett nodded. “I agree, sir. It’s important to know what happened all those years ago, how Claire came to be raised in the Silverfang pack. And…”

“Who Sabrina really is,” I finished, finally saying it out loud. Finally acknowledging the worry that had been hiding inside of me like a shadow.

Garrett’s expression was somber as he nodded. He knew just how painful this was for me.

“I know it’s uncomfortable, sir, but I have to ask: Is it possible either you or the Queen had any other children?”

Yes, that was a very uncomfortable question. But it was also one I could answer easily.

“No. The Queen had only one child. And I was loyal to her. There’s never been anyone else for me but her. So no, there’s no chance of Claire being an illegitimate child.”

“Which means…Princess Sabrina may be an imposter.”

The pain of that thought pierced me deeply. I had loved Sabrina her entire life. “Imposter” was such a heavy word to use for her.

“I hate to think of it, Garrett. Yet she’s been acting out, targeting Claire for upsetting her life here at the palace. Maybe having an answer, even if it’s a painful one, will at least keep her from harassing Claire further.”

“And maybe it will also keep the media from trying to sneak their way into headquarters, the palace and the clinic?”

I smiled ruefully. “That too. I am aware of just how many questions the pack has about this situation. I didn’t need to look at the Opinions page of the paper to know that.”

But I had looked. The Opinions page had been extended to accommodate all the letters members of the pack were writing in every day, voicing their thoughts, concerns and feelings.

The Opinion “page” was now its own entire section.

And nearly every single opinion centered on the mystery of Claire’s origins, and what that meant for the Royal Family.

People were talking about it so much that the media had even given the issue a name.

They were calling it “the two princess problem.”

“So what do you want to do about it, sir?”

I leaned back in my seat. “There are two things we need to figure out: what happened all those years ago, and what Sabrina’s true origins are.”

Garrett thought for a moment. “I can begin a discreet investigation for the first part. That was a very…eventful time.”

“An understatement,” I said, thinking back to the earliest days of my reign as Royal and pack Alpha.

My father had died trying to secure the throne, leaving me - young, inexperienced, with a new child to raise - to fend for myself.

There had been many attempts on my life, and the lives of my family. Securing my position had taken years to finally achieve, and it had taken me even longer to truly feel safe in my own home.

“You’ll have whatever resources you need for that effort, Garrett. Keep me posted on any progress you might make. As for the other issue…”

I trailed off, knowing what needed to be done but still struggling to make the decision.

The truth mattered. It needed to be found. But the idea that the child I raised and loved as my own was an imposter?

That was a hard idea to accept.

But I needed to know.

“Get a few strands of Sabrina’s hair to send off for testing. Have a servant get them, someone you trust not to talk about it. The last thing we need is word getting out that we’re sending her hair off to be tested.”

“Understood, sir. Right away.”

“Thank you, Garrett. That will be all for today.”

As he left, I stared down at the newspaper. The truth was important. The truth mattered.

But if the testing did indeed show that Sabrina was not my daughter, and not actually a Royal…

How on earth was I going to break the news to her?