35_Choosing Sides

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LAYLA

Left alone with my thoughts after all that, I settled down on the damp grass overlooking the shimmering sea.

Sounds of labor and men assembling didn't leave my ears and I no longer had excuses for what I already knew was about to happen.

The slight ruffling of leaves made me turn back. Erin.

She seemed surprised at seeing me here all alone and prepared to leave, "Wait!" I straightened up.

I take in the frown etched on her flawless face and begin before I'm shortly interrupted.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it would be better if you hear it from your alpha himself—"

"Why do you hate me?" I blurt out, at which her retreating form comes to an abrupt stop. "Not just you... Have I done something to offend you? I—"

"No, your highness. I'm sorry if I've given you that impression." And she looks away, sighing. A sense of tiredness suddenly filled her eyes. "We just...envy you, I suppose. You and the King."

Unease grips me at her confession as I wait for her to continue.

"You don't understand the weight of your arrival. The hope that you've given us." She takes a step towards me and I gulp at the vulnerability taking over her face.

"We've always trusted the king and knew he'd free us someday but mating? We didn't think it was possible. We didn't think we'd get our chance back after all that had happened." Rage suddenly prominent in her tone. "But here you are. Letting us starved beasts feel the power of your bond in our hearts."

"I'm sure all of you can find your mates too. Vlad will—"

"No! You don't understand, do you?" The urgency in her voice confused me. "Why do you think Elder Anne died? She was a bonded alpha with her mate, her soul, ripped away from her. Lord knows when others will take their last breath."

"But surely it's possible to heal with time...?" But the words trail off my mouth, sounding foolish to even myself.

The look on her face made me look away in shame as the seriousness of this issue only dawned on me then.

"You never heal without your soul, without your bond complete. You only get used to it." With that she rushes away from me.

The lump in my throat only made my breathing difficult as my eyes wander aimlessly over the restless group of alphas.

So much had been hidden away about my own self, about my own people that I didn't know if I trusted anything in the world outside anymore.

What else had they not told us about? Would they even care if the omegas were on the brink of extinction?

And all along I knew picking a side was what muddled my thoughts into fear and distrust. Now I finally knew what I wanted. 

•♧--------¡☆◇☆¡---------♧•

Brace yourselves! We're about to get into our King's head!

~SN~

Allure Of The Beast • Book I ✔ (Under Major Editing)Where stories live. Discover now