Chapter 127

Carol’s POV

We didn’t want to stick around much longer. King Bennet agreed to get us a private plane that would take off at the empire’s airfield in a couple of hours. In the meantime, he insisted we ate something before we left.

I didn’t want to see Queen Elizabeth or Jenna again, but it didn’t seem like I had a choice. King Bennet had been kind to me and Aiden since we arrived and though I didn’t trust him at first, I was glad I was able to get to know him a little better and maybe someday even establish a real relationship with him.

He promised that he would speak to Luca about everything we had discovered. I knew the King was in denial and didn’t want to think about his best friend betraying him like this. Technically he wasn’t betraying King Bennet, he was just plotting against Aiden and his family. It made us not safe in the palace as much has the King assured us that we were safe.

The elevator incident proved otherwise.

“It’s a shame that you need to leave,” Queen Elizabeth said, giving me a pointed look. “Also, coincidental that you are taking off right after Morgan was found dead.”

“That’s enough, Liz,” King Bennet said sharply. “We’ve already spoken and I’ve ruled both he and Alpha Aiden out.”

Elizabeth scowled.

“Maybe she’s blocking you from seeing,” Elizabeth said, narrowing her deep blue eyes at him.

I pressed my lips together in a thin line.

“If I wanted Morgan dead, she would have been long ago,” I snapped.

Aiden put his hand on my leg to settle me down and at that moment, I realized I was shaking. Something about Queen Elizabeth just made me so mad and the way Jenna was glaring at me while she ate her food made me feel uneasy.

I thought back to our fight in the gym, and I averted my eyes from hers, staring down at my own plate, which was untouched. I wasn’t hungry and if I were to be honest, I didn’t trust the food here. I knew Aiden was feeling the same way because he was picking at the food more than he was eating it.

“We are going to get to the bottom of this one way or another and we will keep you updated on the process,” King Bennet assured me and Aiden.

We both nodded in response.

After dinner, we declined dessert, claiming it was better if we just left. We finished packing out things and then we went down the stairs to say goodbye to King Bennet.

I was surprised to see Queen Elizabeth, Jenna, and Beta Luca standing around as well. Tilly was standing off in the corner with a couple of other servants. Her head bowed low and she refused to meet anyone’s eyes.

I looked at Beta Luca who had the face of indifference as he stared back at me. I wondered what he was thinking.

Did he know that we knew the truth? Had King Bennet brought it up to him yet? Was he going to deny it once he did?

He would be stupid to deny the truth given King Bennet’s abilities.

Now that I was looking at Beta Luca, I realized he had the same dark eyes and hair as Oliver. They also had the same bone structure. How had I not realized this sooner?

Maybe it was because I always thought his father died during a rogue attack, so I didn’t really think much more about it. But if Oliver’s father was Luca, then who was it that died in the rogue attack?

I shook the thought from my mind and faced King Bennet as Beta Luca took our things to the car. He was going to drive us to the airfield; I wasn’t sure how I felt about that considering he wants Aiden’s father and Aiden died, but Aiden doesn’t think he’s going to try anything while murder investigations are going on. He isn’t going to want to add to the fuel right now.

He will probably try to kill Aiden from afar like he attempted with his father, so it doesn’t look like his hands are dirty. It was a smart move honestly; if the Capital doctor wasn’t knowledgeable about the history of Starlight and the potion created, we would have never figured out it came from the King’s Empire.

King Bennet had both hands on my shoulders and gave me a small and warm smile.

“It was so nice to meet you, Carol. You have no idea how happy I am to learn that my daughter is alive and well,” he told me genuinely. “You have created such a wonderful life for yourself and you have an incredible mate. You should be proud.”

I couldn’t help but smile in return.

“I am,” I told him.

“Know that I am always here if you need to speak with me about anything,” he told me. “I’m only a phone call away. I’ll have Kendra text you my personal cellphone number, so you’ll always have it. She still has your number.”

I hadn’t seen Kendra in a while, and I wondered briefly where she had been. I nodded though, not bothering to ask.

“I hope this isn’t the last time I see you. I would like to get to know your further and hopefully one day get you used to the idea of being a queen,” he surprised me by saying.

I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Elizabeth and Jenna, both tensed and they looked pissed. I swallowed the lump in my throat, not bothering to correct him by saying that wasn’t something I wanted. But I know according to the prophecy, I might not have a choice in the matter.

If the Moon Goddess truly did choose me, that meant I was more special than I thought.

“Thank you,” I managed to say and then I did something that surprised us both; I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. “We will talk soon. I promise.”

After a moment, I added, “I know you don’t use your powers on family and friends that are close to you… but I would maybe break that rule just once. You might be surprised what you find.”

He tensed at my words, but I pulled away and gave him a polite smile before taking Aiden’s hand in mine.

After we thanked him one last time, we left and got into the back of the car that was waiting out front. Beta Luca drove us to the airfield. The drive was quiet because neither of us felt comfortable speaking in the presence of Luca. I wondered what was running through his head but thought it was better not to bring anything up.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Luca was Oliver’s biological father. This means the man Oliver thought was his father for his entire life wasn’t. Aiden was right; this would destroy him once he found out.

When new got to the airfield, the plane was already waiting for us. Beta Luca got out of the car first and grabbed things. He went straight to the pilot to speak with him.

I looked at Aiden and took in a deep breath, giving him a small smile.

“I can’t wait to get back,” I whispered. “The Capital feels more like my home than this place.”

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me, deepening the kiss slightly as his tongue glided across my bottom lip. He took in a deep breath as he broke the kiss and buried his face in the nape of my neck, kissing the spot on my neck that he had told me he’d like to mark. A shiver ran up my spine and I couldn’t help the smile on my lips.

“When we get back, we are going to have the mating ceremony,” he told me. “I can’t wait any longer. I need to make you mine.”

I laughed.

“I’m already yours,” I told him, kissing the top of his head as he committed my scent to memory.

“This will make things official. Once I mark you, there’s no turning back. There’s no such thing as divorce. It’ll be real,” he told me. “Is that something you’re okay with?”

I chuckled at his question and brought his face up so his eyes could meet mine.

“I’m already yours,” I repeated. “I’ve already decided I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Aiden; I love you.”

He smiled, his face lighting up from my words as he pressed his lips into mine. His kiss wasn’t sweet; it was filled with need and hunger. My heart swelled from the impact and the passion he portrayed in the kiss.

A knock on the window brought us out of our daze and we turned to see Beta Luca with raised brows, glaring at us.

I adjusted myself and fixed my hair, feeling the warmth spread across my cheeks. Aiden took my hand and winked at me as he pushed the door open, slipping out of the car and taking me with him.

He stood in front of Luca, his posture stiff and I wondered if he was going to say anything about what we found out. I knew it was safer if we didn’t and just let the King handle things on this end while we handled things at the Capital.

Oliver needed to be aware of what was going on and we needed to figure out the whole David situation. Not to mention Aiden’s mother, Miranda, needs to know what is going on as well.

To my surprise, Aiden outstretched his hand toward Beta Luca.

Luca accepted his handshake.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Beta,” Aiden, keeping his eyes locked on Aiden.

Luca nodded.

“Likewise,” he said in return and the tightness in his voice did not go missed by me.

Without another word, Aiden and I walked towards the plane. The pilot stood outside the lane, and he looked a bit funny; like his eyes were hazed over and he looked uneasy.

I didn’t question it though; he was the King’s personal pilot, so he had to be trusted. We said hello to him, and he said hello back without his words slurring.

We walked into the luxury plane and sat in one of the comfortable booths towards the back so we could have extra privacy. Not that anyone else was on the plane. We watched from the window, Beta Luca, staring at the plane with a look of difference, and a knot formed in my belly.

That bad feeling was returning.

Aiden wrapped his arms around me and held me close as the plane started to move.

As the plane lifted in the air, Beta Luca’s image got smaller and smaller until he was gone completely, and we were surrounded by clouds.

“Let’s go home,” Aiden said, kissing the side of my head. I smiled and nodded.

Home.

That sounds nice.

However, things are never that simple. Our nightmare was only beginning.