The Wolves of Ossory

12. Choices

Alma

I watched my sister in awe. Her grace and poise surprised me as she commanded the room with ease. She is incredible. I thought to myself, Artemis agreeing with me silently. The shocking news of the Moon Goddess siding with these crusty old bastards left her speechless and I could see her visibly shaking, seeming moments away from shifting and losing all control. I quickly stepped beside her, resting my hand on her shoulder and giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"If the Goddess has really denied our ceremony, and our place on the throne, there must be a reason why. I implore you, High Chamber, to give us a chance to prove ourselves worthy and to find out what is really happening." I chose my words very carefully, noticing the shift in the air.

Maury sat back, stroking his chin and pondering my statement. "Perhaps there is a way. If you can reconcile with the Moon Goddess and she grants you her blessing, we will gladly overturn this whole ordeal," he mused, a coy smile touching his lips.

"Alma, no," Maeve whispered to me urgently. I shushed her, continuing on.

"If Maeve and I go on this journey and succeed, do I have your word?" I challenged.

"Princess, if you or Maeve find your chosen mates and or convince our Moon Goddess to bend at your will, I personally will step down from head of the High Chamber myself and you and your sister shall reign without interference," Maury beamed at me, the other Chamber members whispering fiercely to each other.

Maeve tried to silence me once again, pleading with her eyes for me to stop talking. I c*cked my head at her before turning my gaze to the chamber.

"Deal. I look forward to proving you wrong!" I snarled.

"You have six months. Six months to complete this quest. If you fail, we have selected a new heir to take your place on the throne. He is strong and of Alpha blood and has eagerly stepped up. In your absence, he will fill in alongside the king and queen." Gregory stood, gesturing to a door off to his left.

When I tell you my blood boiled and my jaw dropped, you had better believe it to be true. None other than our sneaky cousin came strolling in. Maeve let out a roar, startling everyone in the room, including myself.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! Desmond? He is incompetent!" Maeve shrieked, Aila trying to surface once again. I was flabbergasted and felt as if this was some kind of sick twisted joke.

"We feel as if Desmond Wormwood would bring order back to the throne. He came to us throughout the years with evidence of you and your sisters' wrong doings. The disgrace you've brought to the Beaulieu name and to the kingdom. Without his insight and close relationship with you, we would never have known the sake of all our hard work to be so close to undone. You have not done your duty to the kingdom or to your people. He showed us recordings of your encounters with him and others. Banishment for simply expressing care about the royal family? Threats of barbarically removing limbs? I have never been so disappointed in the daughters of the great king and queen," a woman named Bonita spoke finally, standing with a look of disdain pointed in our direction.

He set us up Al! Maeve mind linked me.

He must have been recording the conversations we had and twisted them to fit his agenda! I linked back to her.

" Whatever evidence you have against us, I hope you investigate it thoroughly. I would hate to be dethroned simply on allegations and hearsay," Maeve shot daggers at our cousin, who smiled brilliantly at us.

"Oh, cousins, I have no doubt you will be victorious in your endeavors. I only hope to be a substitute for the kingdom in the worst case scenario. This will be for the best. Our people need someone to look to for hope and guidance while you are away." he strolled towards us.

"I have been spending time in your pack and also throughout the kingdom as a whole. I have grown to love our people and will only serve them in your name. Blood helps blood, remember?" Desmond charmed, putting on one hell of a show for the High Chamber.

"More so, the queen has already approved his request to step in if anything were to happen to you two. Hence our stance on the matter today. This is only temporary." another woman stood, addressing the room.

I looked back at my mother, bewildered and feeling betrayed. She gave me a sheepish smile.

A growl was omitted from my father's chest, bringing all attention back to him.

"I think we are done here. Alma, Maeve, we will be taking our leave. Thank you for your time and giving my girls a chance to reclaim what is RIGHTFULLY theirs." his voice boomed through the small room, his face stoic and refined.

" Remember ladies, six months." Maury smiled, folding his hands in front of him with a triumphant look on his face.

Greg waved his hands and a portal appeared behind us. Maeve whipped around, storming out. I followed suit, trying to remain calm as I felt everything in me break into pieces. Artemis howled for our loss, her song of betrayal bringing tears to my eyes.

We appeared back first in our study and Maeve turned to face me.

"What were you thinking? Making a statement like that? How ignorant can you be, Alma! The Moon Goddess hasn't made contact with our world in millennials! If we were to find her, how can you be so sure she would give her blessing? The Goddess rarely makes mistakes, her plans are calculated and precise and not to be trifled with. You have sealed our fate, Al. Goddess, you have no idea about the deal you've just made. Maybe if you paid attention to the book side of our duties you would know this!" she yelled at me, sniffling as tears flowed freely. I was taken aback, never hearing her speak to me this way.

I stammered, trying to find the words for this new revaluation, but she turned, shifting into Aila and taking off through the study, the door splintering apart as she charged through it. Before I could shift to follow her, Magnus stepped through, stopping me.

"Let me. You have done enough," he gently said to me. Nothing about his kind tone made me feel better. He shifted into Elias and ran after her, leaving me alone to wallow in guilt. I didn't know. I took a seat, trying to gather my thoughts as my mother and Desmond stepped through the closing portal.

"You!" Artemis and I voice together, moving forward and grabbing Desmond by the neck, slamming him against the bookcase and causing books to tumble all around. "A new-leaf?! Explain to me how usurpering your queens is a new-leaf?! I should rip your head from your shoulders and wring your spine from your worthless body, you slimy little f**k!" I growled, squeezing his wind pipe and watching in satisfaction as his face turned bright red.

"Alma! Enough! Put him down! If you are to be furious with anyone, be furious with me!" my mother pleaded, using her royal aura to submit me. This only pissed me off more as I countered it, throwing him to the ground and turning to face her.

"Hopefully you have a better tactic to woo the Goddess," Desmond sputtered, gasping for air. I growled, spinning back and stalking forward, fully intending to murder him, but my mother grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Desmond! get out of here! We will talk soon," she instructed forcefully, and he fled. "Sit," she hissed at me. I obliged, ripping my arm from her grasp. Amber sighed, picking up all the torn clothes from the ground where Aila and Elias had shifted. She sat across from me, gripping the fabric and holding back sobs.

"I didn't know it would come to this. We had just agreed with Alpha Daniel and Luna Cassy to promote Desmond as the next heir as a last resort, in case others come to overthrow you. I had not planned this. I feared my fertility issues would pass down to you girls. I wanted to ensure our bloodline would remain, at least in partial, pure. If I had foreseen the High Chamber pulling this, I would never have made this decision. But Alma, oh my sweet girl, you should never have made that deal. I fear the crown will be lost forever, and it is me who caused this." Amber hung her head, her shoulders shaking with cries. Seeing her like this made something in me surface. The desire to kill Desmond, yes, but also a new found ambition to complete this quest and come back victoriously. I ran before her, kneeling and taking her hands into mine.

"I will fix this. I will go to the ends of the earth to find our Goddess. I will take a chosen mate if I have to, but we will not lose our kingdom! I vow to you, Amber and Juneau, that Artemis and I will succeed, or so help me, I will die trying to bring back the honor of the Beaulieu wolves."