Chapter 13

~Grace~

I couldn’t believe it.

Was it Liam’s? He had gone behind my back that quickly?

He wanted an heir so badly that he got busy with Sophia the very moment she crawled back to him!

My stomach turned, and I felt sick and dizzy.

So it really was all about my infertility. Liam had promised me countless times that it wasn’t an issue, that I was doing everything I could, that he loved me no matter what.

I protected him in a rogue battle, and this was how he repaid me?

I had left the meeting room Alex and I had used, with no more than a quiet “thanks,” and stumbled down the hall, in a daze.

How long had this been going on? Had they been trying for a while, or was this a recent event?

Had he sought Sophia out? Or had she come to him?

My hands trembled to think of them, together, on my bed. How many times had I slept in it, not knowing what had occurred there when I was gone?

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed the person walking towards me, and I ran right into them.

I caught myself before I stumbled and looked up in surprise, only to find Liam’s concerned face looking down at me.

Confused, I took a couple of steps back from him.

Of course, it had to be him of all people. But why was he looking at me like that? I hadn't seen him give me that gentle of a look since the night he revealed Sophia.

“Grace, there you are, darling. I’ve been looking all over for you,” he said, looking at me with soft eyes.

What? Who was this? Why was he acting like this?

Just then, I realized a decent crowd had formed in front of us, each with cameras, notepads, and microphones all pointed in our direction.

Of course. The media was hungry to catch the Alpha King with his Luna after all of the juicy gossip articles circulated online.

Liam grabbed my waist and tipped me back forcefully, face getting close as he came in for a kiss.

Absolutely not!

Stuck in his strong embrace, there was no time to try to escape. My hand reached out for something–anything–and I grabbed something cold, round, and hard.

Grabbing it, I swung it at Liam’s head as hard as I could, and Liam staggered back just in time for the object–which I now saw was a vase–rushed past him.

I cursed under my breath, wishing it had hit him. Let the media record that!

Loud gasps and a few screams rang out from the crowd at my outburst, and I heard hundreds of shutters click as white lights flashed at me.

Liam rushed forward, arms outstretched to grab me, when a dark blur flashed in front of me, and I saw Liam fly back several meters.

Liam stumbled, and fell backwards, stunned.

I almost laughed at how pathetic he looked, were I not so perplexed by what had just happened.

Then, I recognized the tall figure that stood in front of me, creating a barrier between Liam and I. Alex.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Alex said, not even trying to fake a hint of a real apology in his voice.

Liam snarled, eyes filled with hatred as he hunched forward, hair bristling as he prepared to shift.

“You must attend tonight’s Council banquet,” he growled at me. I could see he was trembling. He must have been doing everything in his power to control his temper in front of the media.

He wouldn't shift into his wolf form here. It was an empty threat.

“Why don’t you take Sophia instead?” I asked coldly.

“You are my Luna,” Liam emphasized, “therefore, you must go.”

It sounded as if every word was a struggle for Liam to say.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why don’t you use your Alpha voice to make me?”

Liam scowled for a moment, but he kept his gaze steady on me, not reacting to my taunt.

“I had only taken Sophia to the charity ball out of pity,” he continued.

I looked down at him, wanting to spit on him. He looked pathetic, hunched and sweaty.

He was only trying to save face in front of the media; he already knew he was rapidly losing grip on his title.

Liam had no love left for me. I realized that the moment he used his Alpha voice on me at the banquet–in public, no less. There was no convincing me, no winning me over.

I was going to destroy him.

“Why did you cheat on me?” I confronted him, and camera flashes went off again.

Liam’s face registered a brief moment of shock, but he quickly regained his composure.

“You shouldn’t make baseless accusations, Grace,” he said loudly and steadily. “I’ve never cheated on you. You are my Luna.”

What a fool. Had he forgotten that we were married for three years? That I knew him inside out, all of his likes and dislikes, his habits?

He didn’t look me in the eye when he denied my accusation. He never could, when he told a lie.

Liar.

But I wasn’t stupid, unlike Liam. He couldn't deceive me, but I could deceive him.

I hadn’t been able to get close to him since Sophia showed up, and this might be my only opportunity to obtain Liam’s DNA for testing.

I needed any solid evidence I could get.

“...alright. I believe you,” I told him, making my voice as gentle as I could, despite the rage that boiled my blood. “I’ll go to the council banquet with you.”

Liam seemed shocked, then relieved. He looked like he wanted to say ‘really?’, but managed to compose himself. Cameras flashed as I held out a hand to help him to his feet.

He scowled at it, but for the sake of the media, he took it.

Holding my hand in his, Liam pulled me close to him as the media took our picture. He was smiling, shoulder pressed against mine.

I hadn’t expected that today, I would be holding Liam’s hand while we smiled at the camera for the media to report on our patched marriage.

It killed me to be in this position, but at least he had bought into my lie.

I glanced over at Alex, wanting to see his reaction, but he was already walking away.

My heart sank. Was he disappointed in me? Upset at me? I hope I hadn’t hurt his feelings.

Wait, what was I thinking? Alex and I had nothing. Why was I concerned about what he thought about my romantic life?

Even if I wasn’t where I wanted to be right now, it was none of his business if I decided to get back together with my husband.

I turned back to the cameras, giving my most convincing smile.

But, even through the flashes and questions thrown at us, I couldn't help the nagging disappointment that dug at my chest as I took one last glance at Alex, and watched his back disappear around the corner.