Chapter 4. Afterwards…

“Fergus,” she said, looking very fierce. Fergus was the Omega she had bribed to spike her sister’s drink and plant another drunk Omega in the room Alexa would be led into. “What have you done!”

“What do you mean, my lady?” Fergus asked.

“You did not plant the drunk Omega in the room I asked you to?” she asked, fuming.

“I did!” he answered shocked at what the lady was implying and scared of his fate if it turned out he had messed up his assigned job.

“Then how come, he was not in the room where Alexa spent the night? Someone else was!” Camellia shouted.

“Someone else?” Fergus asked, surprised. He had taken care to follow the instructions of the lady. “Who?”

“That’s none of your business,” Camellia said, relenting. The fewer people who knew the person Alexa slept with, the better. You can never be too careful. “Just thank your stars that something good came out of this, otherwise,” she said, looking at him angrily. “Else, I would have made you pay with your life!”

“I’m sorry, my lady,” he said kneeling. “How can I rectify my mistake?”

“I have already taken care of it. Just make sure nobody comes to know about this!” she said. “If it comes to light, I shall deny it and make you take the fall. Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes, my lady,” Fergus said. “My lips are sealed. I shall take the secret to my grave!”

“That’s a great idea!” Camellia murmured as she nodded in dismissal. The foolish Omega had just given her an idea. Why keep him alive and risk her secret coming to light? If Alpha Connor heard about it or the Lycan Prince, then she was done for. The best way to ensure the secret remains hidden was making sure Fergus disappeared permanently. Dead men don’t talk!

She quickly went to her mother and told her everything.

“Don’t worry, dear,” she assured Camellia. “I shall take care of Fergus. He will no longer be a source of worry!” Then hugging her, “You are really a genius taking that ring from Alexa. You shall make sure the Lycan Prince sees the ring on your finger. Then leave the rest to me.”

“What is your plan, mother?” she asked.

“Come close, the walls have ears,” she said, drawing her daughter close and whispering in Camellia’s ears.

As she listened to the whispered plans of her mother, Camellia kept smiling happily and nodding approvingly.

As they gathered at the Alpha’s reception hall to bid the invited guests farewell, Camellia made sure to stay within sight. As soon as she sighted the Lycan Prince, she raised her hand and pretended to smoothen her fair hair, the diamond ring sparkling as the sun reflected on it.

It caught the Prince’s attention and he looked at Camellia closely.

‘Is this the same girl I spent the previous night with?’ he thought.

He didn’t feel drawn to her as he had been last night. He was sure that night that he had met his mate which was why he had given her the ring, but he must have been mistaken. Her eyes which had struck him as usual last night was green, the light must have reflected in them to make them unusual.

The girl smiled at him, looking down shyly. She definitely was the one, else why would she feel so shy with him? He recalled seeing the tell tail sign that it was her first mating, the blood stain on the bed. He was her first. That explains why she was being so shy.

He looked away from her and walked to the Alpha.

“I shall be on my way home, Alpha Connor,” he said. “Thanks for your hospitality. My father, the Lycan King, shall hear of the special way you cared for me!”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Alpha Connor said. “Extend our heartfelt gratitude to him for honoring our invitation and please give this to the Alpha King as a thank you gift from us,” he added, presenting a wrapped gift to the Alpha prince. He looked at his Beta who rushed to his side and accepted the gift in his stead.

“He shall be very grateful,” Lycan Prince Hector said, moving out of the Alpha’s presence.

As he was going out, he caught sight of Camellia again but did not know what to say to her but decided he would ask his Beta to give her family any amount of gold they might ask for. He didn’t want her bothering him.

His Beta nodded at the instruction, taking a good look at Camellia then rushed to open the door to the Prince’s car, holding it open for him to enter but a woman appeared from nowhere.

“My Prince,” she called curtsying.

Prince looked at her impatiently. The Beta tried to stop her from getting too close to the Prince but the prince waved him away. “It’s okay, Sam,” he said. “I’ll hear her out.” Then looking at the woman, said, “Yes, lady, what can I do for you?”

“I am the wife of Beta Andrew and I just found out from my daughter that you shared a connection last night,” she said, staring at the prince straight in the eye. “We are a respectable family and such a scandal will no doubt soil our reputation. I guess what I am saying is that I wish to know your intentions towards her.”

‘Beta Andrew?’ the prince thought.

“I will send my Beta to you with any amount of gold you desire. That should take care of things. Any other thing?” he asked, impatient to be on his way.

“You may not have thought of it but my daughter is just eighteen and I had hoped you would take her as your mate for her reputation.”

“I already have a fiancée, last night was a mistake that should never have happened. We both had too much to drink but the money should take care of any inconveniences and nobody needs know. I am not planning on telling except you are.”

“Of course, not,” she replied. It had not gone as well as she had hoped but the money was going to go a long way. She had not expected to get that. She was still speaking when Alexa rushed to her. “Mother, I have been searching for you,” she said. “I heard you wanted to speak to me urgently!”

“Can’t you see that I am speaking with someone?” her mother asked, pushing her away and looking apologetically at the Prince. “I’m sorry, Prince, excuse her bad manners!” But the Prince was staring at Alexa in a strange manner. He would have sworn that she looked familiar. He felt drawn to her.

‘Was she the one I mated last night?’ he thought. ‘But if she were, how come she does not have the ring but another girl does? I must have drunk more than I thought last night,’ he thought in confusion, shaking his head.

They were sisters after all, so that explains why she looked familiar. There was a likeness between the two girls. Though this one looks far more beautiful than the one he slept with. If only…

His look was not lost on Amelia as she gestured to Alexa to go away.

“It’s okay. The money shall be delivered to you, as soon as we get back!” the Prince promised, getting into the car.

As the car drive away, he could not shake the feeling that he was missing something. ‘Why can I not stop thinking about that girl?’

And then he thought of Camellia, ‘why does something feel off about the girl with my ring? Maybe I should investigate this further…’