I had no idea how long I sat there, but soon, the door creaked open, and Laura walked in with Arron. The little boy scrambled up the bed and peered at his sister. He held out his hand, then carefully poked her flushed cheek with his finger.
“Why is she not waking up?” Arron asked, looking up at me with worried eyes.
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “She’s just sleeping. She needs to sleep a little bit more to recover.”
“In that case, I want to stay by her side until she wakes up.” Arron crossed his arms over his chest, which made him look like a man on a mission. He kept his gaze fixed on the sleeping Beryl.
My mother walked over, then, and hugged the boy from behind. “Now, dear, let’s not disturb your sister while she rests, okay? Let’s head to bed. Who knows, by the time you wake up, Beryl might be awake as well.”
“All right.” Arron was still reluctant, but he couldn’t resist yawning. “I am a little sleepy, Grandma.”
“Then let’s go to bed.” My mother took his hand and led him to the door.
Shortly after they left, I exited the room as well, and plopped down on the sofa in the living room.
I picked up the cup of black tea a maid had prepared and waited patiently.
Moments later, my mother finally appeared down the hall and approached me.
“How is Crystal doing?” she asked as she sat across from me and picked up her own cup of tea. “What happened?”
“We eventually found the traffickers’ hideout, but something happened while we were trying to rescue Arron. Crystal was captured by the head vampire and he… He put a blood curse on her.” I took a deep breath as I finished. It was a short retelling of what had transpired, but I didn’t really have the energy to elaborate on the events.
“Crystal has suffered a lot,” my mother said, her expression sorrowful. “To think that she has gone through such horrors on her first trip to the imperial capital. It was a blessing that she survived.” I couldn’t help but smirk at her. “You seem very familiar with Crystal, Mom.”
I didn’t miss the flush that crept into her cheeks. She cleared her throat and awkwardly jutted her chin out. “It’s just that we get along really well. Even when we first met, it felt like we’d known each other for a long time. Besides, I just adore her children. They’re so cute.”
“Is it really that simple, though?” I plastered a smile on my face and stared straight into my mother’s eyes.
Her expression shifted, and I could tell that she was trying hard not to grimace. She quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, has Crystal got any better? Would you like me to lend you my personal physician and have him check on her? He is quite excellent at treating the trickiest diseases.”
“She’s fine for the time being. The three forces contained in her body have subsided. She just needs to wake up, and she’ll be in the clear.”
I kept my tone casual as I added, “Mom, don’t you feel familiar with Arron?”
“Hmm, what? Arron? Why do you ask that? Stop bothering with insignificant matters. Why don’t I go see Crystal now?” My mother was rambling. It was clear that my question unsettled her.
“Don’t worry about her,” I said patiently. “Let’s wait until tomorrow and see if there is any development in her condition. But Mom, you haven’t answered me yet.”
“About Arron? Well, I don’t think he is familiar. Children tend to look the same, you know, with their chubby cheeks and all.” My mother prattled on, but she couldn’t quite meet my gaze. To me, it was a clear sign of guilt.
“Really? Don’t you think that Arron resembles me?” My mother blanched.
Laura’s POV
I froze, stunned by my son’s words. Only then did I realize that Arron’s face was no longer bandaged up. What was more, Rufus had carried the boy all the way here.
My son was no fool. He must have already had his suspicions the moment he saw Arron’s face.
This was all my fault. I had been too caught up with my worries that I forgot about the bandage on Arron’s face.
I had no way of knowing when Rufus had first seen Arron’s face, or if Crystal was aware of it. If she had given him some sort of explanation, then I must tell the same story, or we would be exposed. As I mused over this, I also realized that I had been too intimate with Arron just now. Anyone with eyes would have recognized that we had a special connection, let alone my cunning son.
“Is something the matter, Mom? You don’t look well.” Rufus fixed me with a worried look, as if he didn’t care about the answer to his question at all. He painted the picture of a good and dutiful son.
My mind was in a mess. I didn’t want to lie to Rufus now that things had come to this, but at the same time, I refused to let him suffer the curse again.
“I’m fine. I’m just having a headache. Remember the ointment you gave me last time? It worked wonders. Do you have any more of it?”
I made a show of rubbing my temples and tried to change the topic again, but Rufus was not easy to fool.
“Yes, I’ll have one of the servants to take some to your room later. Let’s go back to the question at hand. Arron looks so much like me. Is he my half-brother or what?” Rufus said this last part in a joking tone.
I was so offended that I almost lunged at him to smack him in his head. How could he say such a thing? “What nonsense are you spouting? Aren’t you scared that your father would roll in his grave and come out to haunt you tonight?”
“Don’t be mad, Mom. I was just kidding. It’s because Arron looks a lot like me. He can’t possibly be mine, right? I don’t remember having any relations with a she-wolf. Besides, Crystal…”
Rufus paused then, and gave me a sharp, meaningful look. “Unless, of course, there is something you’re not telling me.”
I averted my eyes in a panic. “Are you saying that I’m keeping something from you? Preposterous! You are the king. You can easily find out whatever it is you want to know. Why would I bother hiding anything from you? I would only be wasting my time, don’t you agree?”
“That’s right,” Rufus said with a small smile. “I am the king. I just need to dispatch my men to look into the matter, and I’ll know everything I need to know.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat as a keen sense of foreboding washed over me. After racking my brains for a while, I ventured, “You know, there are a lot of random people who look alike. Some are even on opposite sides of the world. Arron is just a kid. His looks will change over time. He might look like you now, but I’m sure it would change once he grows up. This is just a funny coincidence, nothing more.”
“His eyes, his mouth, his hair… Even his dimples are an exact mirror of mine. Are you sure it’s just a coincidence, Mom? Contrary to what you think, I believe he will only look more and more like me as he grows older.” My son raised an eyebrow at me, obviously not believing the paltry explanation I had offered.
I stared at him, much like a deer caught in headlights, I presumed. I didn’t know what else to say at this point.
“If I’m not mistaken,” Rufus continued with a pointed glint in his eye, “you’ve known Crystal for a long time now. Of course, that applies to Arron and Beryl, too.”
He paused before adding, “Moreover, your longstanding wish to have grandchildren has already come true.”
My breath grew shallow. I didn’t have a way out of this. Rufus had practically figured everything out. If I tried to deflect again, it might only make matters worse.
I had no other recourse. I groaned and dropped to the floor, pretending to faint.
Rufus’ POV
I saw right through my mother’s act the moment she hit the floor. Her acting skills were so poor, it was all I could do not to laugh outright.
But what could I do in this situation? Since she had gone to such lengths to try and hoodwink me, I felt obligated to pick her up and carry her to bed.
“Guards,” I called out to the men stationed outside. “Call for the doctor and tell him to get here as soon as possible.”
I watched as my mother’s eyelids fluttered. She probably wasn’t expecting me to call a doctor over.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply