The Lycan Princess and the Temptation of Sin Chapter 133 A Dire Decision ROYCE.
âFine by me,â I reply.
Just then, Mom and Winona enter the hall. Thereâs no sign of Marcel or Dad but the blood on Momâs clothes makes me scan her over. She looks ok.
What happened?
âThen what do the people say?â Aleric says scanning the crowd.
âI donât give a fuck what people say. I know my daughter and you are not the fucking one for her.â
âBut I am her mate! Fated mate! You have no right to stop me from being with my mate, Alpha King Alejandro.â Aleric says.
âBecause I-â Alejandro begins.
âDad, stop it!â Sky shouts.
I donât want her doing that to her father⦠theyâve only recently come to an understanding.
âFated mate or not, sheâll always be mine. She chose me, and as much as I belong to her, she belongs to the Solaris King.â I say confidently, not caring how arrogant I sound. 2 âHow dare you!â Aleric snarls. âI demand you accept her rejection and back the fuck off, or I wonât hold back from killing you either.â
I smirk coldly. âIf you will succeed.â
âTry me!â
âBut she is choosing Aleric Arden⦠we need to do whatâs right, your majesty.â Another Alpha from the council says seriously.
I glance at Alejandro, who still seems to be struggling with the truth, as he stares at Skyla.
âAleric.â Momâs voice comes, but she sounds exhausted.
âMom⦠look, I found my mate,â he says, smiling at her.
Mom looks between us, âTell me Aleric, tell me the truth,â she says, looking between the three of us.
âDid you have anything to do with Quadeâs death?â
âNo! How can you believe that? I have done nothing wrong!â He says with false sincerity as he takes Momâs hands. Concern in his eyes as he looks at the blood on her clothes. â
What happened?â
She shakes her head, and I glance at her hands, stained with bloodâ¦
But sheâs observing him. Can she see through his façade?
My heart thunders as she slowly pulls away and looks at Skyla, who is standing silently. Mom goes over to her and takes her hands, âSkyla Rossi, I wish our first meeting wasnât like this⦠but please donât pitch two brothers against one another⦠isnât Royce the one you want?â
âNo,â Skyla replies. âItâs Aleric. Royce has committed far more crimes than you can imagine. If I were you, Iâd stay away from him.â
My eyes flash and Iâm about to speak when Leo places his hand on my arm.
âEnough. With the allegations that are presented here. I vote that for now, Aleric and Royce Arden are both taken into custody for questioning and held in confinement. until we have done our investigations.
As for Skyla Rossi, I think she too should be kept apart from-â
âNo! Aleric has done nothing wrong. Isnât the law that everyone is innocent until proven guilty? Probe their minds, and you will get your answers! How can you hold someone innocent in prison? Iâm telling you that he has done nothing to me! I want to be with him! And if anyone will make this difficult, then I demand that the council defend me! isnât that what itâs for?!â
A murmur crosses the crowd, but itâs clear without the facts and proof everyone is debating it.
If Dad could see the state of the Arden name, he tried so hard to protectâ¦.
âAll in favour of Leoâs suggestion!â
Alejandro growls.
âDad!â Skyla says, shocked.
âIâm sorry Sky⦠but Iâm not taking chances.â
âBefore everyone votesâ¦I just want you to think if you truly think this is the right thing to do⦠why am I being targeted? I have done nothing wrong in my life. I suggest a mind probe and until there is proof against me, I will not settle to be abused by those in power.â Aleric says seriously, as he scans the crowd. But this was not part of his plan. I can see it from the look on his face, the way he paled and the way heâs balled his fists.
âNow youâre ok with the mind probe?â I ask coldly.
Mom looks at him, frowning slightly.
âAll I want is to simply be with my mate,â Aleric says.
âAleric,â Mom begins. âThe truth, itâs never too late to atone-â
âThere is no truth! Iâm being framed because your Solaris King wants my mate! He got the kingdom!
Allow me to keep the woman I love!â
Bastardâ¦
âAll in favour of keeping both Aleric Arden and the Solaris King, Royce Arden, in confinement until further investigations!â Alejandro thunders.
The crowd is torn, and I know itâs going to be a mixed vote. Rayhan Rossi is the first to raise his hand, followed by all the Westwoods.
Azura follows as she looks at me with regret and mouths, âIâm sorryâ.
One by one, everyone begins to raise their hand.
âYou canât hold me forever. I have a life!
This will only cause my mate trauma!â
Aleric shouts.
âNo, it wonât,â Raihana says coldly.
âPerhaps a time limit?â Someone says.
âItâs true. We canât hold people like this without proof! That goes against what we have been taught!â
âI propose they be held for three days then if in three days no proof is brought forward, then heâll be released,â Liam says suddenly.
I look at him sharply as Skyla curses.
Three days?
âThatâs not fair!â
But his words send a ripple through the crowd.
âAll in favour,â Alejandro says quietly.
Most hands go up and my eyes flash.
Three days.
Fuck.
That means for three days I canât do anything?
Aleric wraps his arm around Skyla, who hugs him tightly.
Three days⦠I need to find the answers in three fucking days⦠but Iâm not opposed to getting rid of him if I donât find anything.
âThen we will hold Aleric Arden and Royce Arden in custody. After all, this involves the royal family. We canât have something happen if they are under your watch,â Magdalene says gravely.
âPerfect⦠and we will find out if anything strange occurs under our watch,â Raihana says, her eyes glimmering as she glares at Aleric.
So, the witches trust her despite the fact sheâs a Rossiâ¦
A hint of a frown crosses Alericâs face before Skyla shakes her head.
âThis isnât fair!â
âItâs ok sweetheart⦠weâll be together soon.
Three days, they wonât find anything,â he says with confidence as he caresses her jaw.
âMark me then,â she says suddenly.
My heart seems to stop as my gaze snaps to them⦠removing my markâ¦.
âNo. Until we confirm what is right and wrong, there will be no marking.â Leo says icily.
âYou canât stop me, mark me, Aleric!â Skyla says, glaring at her cousin.
âThatâs not Sky.â I hear one of the quints say.
I glance around and realise I can see the pain and devastation on their faces.
âSky⦠donât do this⦠come on⦠can you hear me?â I try through the bond.
Nothing.
My heart thuds as Azura runs over to her, shouting at her not to do this. Flames engulf them both and my own heart is thudding as I see her arch her neck through the flames.
No.
Jealousy and rage like never before burn inside of me, blistering cold ice that is ready to destroy the fucking world. /
âDonât do it,â I whisper, my voice so cold and dangerous I barely recognise it as the entire room becomes a fucking freezer.
But they donât listen. Time seems to slow as Alericâs flames grow higher and I send a powerful bolt of lightning at it, but thereâs something inside, something thatâs shielding them from my blow.
âHeâll kill them!â someone shouts as I slam my fists into the fire, but the barrier is strong.
âSkyla!â Kiara shouts, but itâs obvious they are torn.
Right before my eyes, I see Aleric sink his teeth into her neck. A blast of my blue aura wraps around Skyla, but itâs not my doing.
Iâm held back by this barrier, but whatever. that is, it throws Aleric back and he hits the wall of flames and in that moment my power overrides his, destroying the flames in seconds.
Ice spreads around us, encasing the floor, ceiling, and furniture.
âWhat theâ¦â Aleric murmurs, horrified.
âIt⦠didnât work,â Skyla says as she clutches her neck.
Thereâs blood and a bite, but it did nothing to the mark or the remaining tatters of our bond.
âThey are not destined!â Someone shouts.
âThey possibly are, but the mark of a Solaris king cannot be overruled,â Janaina says quietly. 5 âCorrect,â Grandad says as he steps forward, from where he was holding Mom, and Winona quickly moves closer, supporting her.
Something happened, but my mind is too fucked to focus on it.
âWhat do you mean? A fated mateâs mark trumps all!â
I smirk coldly when Aleric looks at me.
âNot a kingâs.â I taunt. 9 âWhat on earth is going on? Whoâs lying?â Keith says, confusion clear in his eyes.
âWe can probe their minds, but the chance that their memories are tampered with is highly likely,â
Raihana says quietly. âFor now, imprisonment is our only option. I hope that is alright Luna Catherine.â
Mom looks at her, and I can see the pain in her eyes. She nods slowly, looking away from both Aleric and me, and I can see the negative effect this is having on her.
Mom⦠Iâm so fucking sorry.
They will not hold me. I donât care what everyone wants, but I need to find answers.
âThree days⦠until we can be together without these accusations,â Aleric says. quietly, cupping Skylaâs face.
Sky⦠look at me.
âWhere is Alpha Kenneth!â someone asks. â
His sons are here and he isnât. He should know whatâs happening!â
âHe wonât be joining us tonight,â Mom says quietly.
Did she⦠kill him?
Her aura is weakerâ¦
No, I push the thought away, not having time to ponder on it, as a few witches step forward to bind us.
âMake sure the spells are absolute,â Leo says, as he watches Aleric.
Three days⦠if in three days we donât find the answers, I will kill him myself before I let him touch my woman.
âRoyce.â Raihana says.
I look at her, and I see the sympathy in her eyes.
I donât need sympathy.
I glance at Leo. âFind the answers, or I will raise hell,â I say quietly, as our eyes meet, and he nods. 5 The witches begin chanting as their magic begins simmering around them and I can feel the powerful binding spell wrap around My eyes blaze as I glare at Aleric.
Heâs panicking, but at the same time, heâs trying to contain himself. But what unnerves me is the way he keeps staring at Skyla, who gives him a slow nod.
What is going on? 3 His gaze snaps back to me.
âI wonât forgive this,â he says quietly.
âEnjoy these three days, because when they are over, you will pay for every fucking crime you have committed⦠and I swear on Selene, and Helios that I will expose the truth. One way or another. This is the beginning of your fucking end.â I reply icily and I mean it. 2 My eyes flash and even with the binding spell, I manage to raise my hand, sending a bolt of lightning right at Aleric hitting him square in the chest. Skyla tries to block, but I create a wall between her and him, forcing her back.
âRoyce!â Mom shouts, but I donât really care.
âHe deserves far worse.â I snarl.
The witches double down on the spells. âYou might want to strengthen the spell on him. He may not be as strong as me, but he does have a deal with the snake god after all.â I add mockingly.
âThe accused will be held in secure cells, and my men will also be watching over them,â Alejandro says quietly. âThe truth will be revealed. Any funny business and sedate them.â
The witches nod, and soon guards begin to escort us out. Rayhan, Liam, Chris and a few others flank Aleric, as I look down at the magic that wraps around my wrists.
Three days. Thatâs all they fucking getting.
Iâm coming for you, Lil Lucifer. Thereâs no way your Reign will let anything happen to you. 3 I turn my head and look over my shoulder at her, only to find her watching me. Our eyes meet and I hear her heart skip a beatâ¦
âWait for me, Love. Your Royce will return.â