Pregnant After One Night with the Lycan
Chapter 83

Tanya’s POV

My skin feels like it’s on fire. But the sensation doesn’t hurt me. No. It’s like an adrenalin rush racing through my body at lightning speed, triggering chemical reactions that I can feel. Mini explosions erupt in my system as the werewolf gene sprouts its way through my system.

My body shifts and morphs with exponential speed, as fur black as the night with silver streaks running through it, sprouts across my skin in impressive patterns. I feel my canine features extending into the forefront and taking over my body. And my human consciousness is forced to draw back as Freya takes the steering wheel.

We tower over Lily’s wolf exponentially. My body feels well-toned and built for war, and around me, I hear the gasps of the surrounding beings. The word Alpha is whispered into the wind by multiple voices.

Freya is finally free, and her wrath is rampant. She roars with full strength at the mere sight of Lily who has finally reached our position, barrelling into us hard, bashing us into the flooring as she tries to pin us down.

But Lily’s no match for our strength. Freya’s paws jolt up in a sudden motion, throwing Lily off and she skids to a halt. Freya leaps back onto her paws and the wolves begin circling one another. Jaws snap in a threatening display, growls escalate as tensions rise.

Lily is obviously sizing us up. She hasn’t expected me or Freya to have been so strong. And I see a flicker of concern in her wolf’s eyes as she stalks her body low, like a snake weaving through grass, stalking its prey.

But Freya is no snake. Not a predator willing to be hidden. She’s a warrior ready for battle and without warning she launches herself with another roar. The wolves clash as their body masses slam against one another. Rising on their back legs every now and again to try and get the upper hand over the other. Teeth shredding fur and trying to latch onto flesh.

Suddenly, Freya throws her weight against Lily, using her neck and chest to bash into the other hard. Lily can’t compete with the force and looses her footing, dropping beneath us on her side. My wolf and I hold her down with our paws before jaws lurch forward, teeth snapping hold on Lily’s diamond necklace and wrenching it back. Snapping the chain, and shattering it into billions of pieces.

As the diamonds roll away, they disintegrate into their true form, as shiny rubies reveal themselves beneath the exterior. And like her necklace, Lily too disintegrates. The magic gave her body a false power, and now that it has been suddenly taken away, her body is dealing with the consequences of the power’s disappearance.

Like an addict going through a sudden and harsh withdrawal, Lily disintegrates physically. Her body thins and her fur greys on the edges of her snout. Finally, her body cannot bear the torment and transitions back into its human form, and Lily appears on the floor beneath me, battered and immeasurable bruised.

Still towering over her vulnerable and weakened state, Freya emits a deafening growl in the face of Lily, teeth just barely edging above our opponent’s face, threatening to destroy her completely.

But Freya and I both know we aren’t going to end Lily’s life. We would never stoop down to the level of evil. So, we step back, head risen high in triumph, and chest puffed in considerable dominance.

It’s then that the royal palace guards swoop in and drag Lily away to the dungeons. And I learn that she is imprisoned and to be given ten years in prison, and then banished from the kingdom of Mador. Forever.

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Only when the threat is truly gone, am I finally able to shift back into my human form. Vivian immediately runs to me, encompassing me in her warm embrace, holding my hand against her chest as I see tears twinkle in the corners of her eyes. Thrilled by the fact that she now knows the truth and sadden by the years of hardship I had to endure without her. But she is immensely proud that I’ve perfectly inherited the Montenero family’s talent for perfume making.

Thomas comes over and expresses his dismay, saying that he initially thought that Vivian and I looked very similar, and that he should’ve realised it sooner. Philips pats his brother’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, and I assure him that this is no one’s fault but Lily’s and her mother’s. None of us could’ve known the truth.

Even Alexander, although he appears calm, his lips tremble with discomfort. And he expresses his hope that I can come home often and stay with them for a bit, and be amongst my true family. Finally.

When I head home with Marco, a new emotion swirls within me, something I’ve never felt before or never had any reason to feel. Pride. Proud of who I am, proud of the family I belong to. Proud of who I’ve become. It’s a tremendous feeling that I savour and harbour close to my heart.

Marco is also truly happy for me, and with Lily out of the picture, and my necklace gone, the true nature of our mate bond is revealed. We are in fact fated mates, and I’m ecstatic over the revelation.

However, I notice Marco’s mind is slightly preoccupied despite him trying to hide it. “Is everything alright?” I ask, as I brew us some tea in the kitchen.

He sighs. “Oliver not only helped me replace out information about Lily, but he also found out where the maid who served my mother is. And I need to leave the capital for a short while to go and meet her.”

I nod in understanding and take his hand carefully in mine. “Don’t worry about me and Claire. We will be okay whilst you’re away. Your mother is important to you Marco, I completely understand, you deserve to know the truth.”

After some hesitation, he finally nods his head in agreement before his gaze slips away again as he says. “Oliver also found out something else. He accidentally learned from one of the guards that he had seen Eric enter Joseph’s office a few hours before the King was found unconscious five years ago. And although everyone originally thought my father fell into the coma after being distraught over my curse, I think there’s something suspicious about the situation.”

His eyes draw back to me now as he says. “I’m wondering if you get the opportunity, could you go see Joseph? But be very careful. And don’t let Eric know that you’ve gone to see the King.”

I nod in understanding, trying to reassure him. “I can do that for you Marco. Don’t worry. I know who I am now. I’m no longer weak and frail. I’m an Alpha, I can do this. I’ll be able to get it done.”

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Several Days Later

Lily’s POV

Trying to pretend to be sick is such a pathetic ordeal. But I know it is the only way I can get the guards to come take a look at me, and then I can hopefully convince one of them to open my jail cell so I can escape. I cry and cry for help, but to my surprise, it’s not the guard who comes to greet me…

The eldest Lycan Prince steps into the light of the dark and dingy jail house, his royal clothing shimmering in contrast to the grimy cell and clothes I’ve been left in. His eyes sparkle with interest that leaves me unnerved.

My expression remains guarded, and panic settles in the depths of my bones at his intimidating figure. Strange to think that more than five years ago we celebrated our engagement, dressed to high heavens in lavish clothing and praised by the entire kingdom. Now I shrink in his shadow as he holds the limelight, and I wonder what he desires from me.

I can tell he sees through my walls, able to sense my displaced emotions and he chuckles dangerously. “Don’t be so afraid darling. I’m not here to hurt you,” I doubt his taunts. “I’m here to make a deal.”

My gaze narrows in scrutiny, highly skeptical of this deal, and so he explains. “I’ve known for a very long time that you weren’t the true heir of the Montenero family, that you weren’t really Vivian’s daughter. But I never said anything because you were of use to me. And now, you can be of use to me once more.”

He smiles eerily. “I stole a bottle from you five years ago. It contained poison and I used it on King Joseph, leaving him in a coma to this day,” my eyes widen, I had never realized what Eric truly was capable of. He always portrayed himself as the quiet gentleman out of the two brothers, overshadowed by his brother’s strength and ruthlessness. But now I can see beyond that as Eric explains his plan.

“The same black magic I saw in the bottle is the same as the black magic I saw in your necklace today. But your mother was an omega, I doubt she was capable of creating that on her own. I know, there’s someone else behind the scenes helping you. Isn’t there?”

I raise my head in slight defiance, but Eric doesn’t bat an eye. “I want to learn black magic. If you help me, I’ll ensure you escape.”

I scoff. “And who says I can’t escape on my own.”

He chuckles again. “I never said you couldn’t. But on your own, you will remain a rogue, banished from Mador from anyone and everyone. You always be on the run, never to be a noble again. But by making this deal with me, you’ll be ensuring the fall of Marco. Together we will eliminate him. And then you and I will become the King and Queen of the Mador kingdom.”

I pause in silence, eyeing Eric fiercely and my mind wraps around this proposition. Years and years I’ve tried to win back Marco’s affections, and every time he has denied me. I no longer feel love for him. Only rage. And I’m eager to see his demise.

“Deal.”

Eric’s smile grows. “I knew you’d make the right decision. You’ve always been so very smart Lily. I’ll be in touch soon. For now, I’m going to see my dear father.”

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Tanya’s POV

As per Marco’s request, and with the help of Freya’s knee sense of smell, I am able to sneak into King Joseph’s ward. The man appears asleep, and I lean over to check his skin for marks. Finally, I reach down to his palm and notice how a black mark that appears every now and again, disappearing and reappearing.

Now I am sure he was poisoned by black magic. But before I can do anything else, Freya alerts me, sensing that someone is coming down the corridor and approaching the room I’m in!