The Rightful King

Scott | 046

                "Of course I loved him, we were friends for ages." He said to the Beta on the other side of his desk. She was pretty enough, if not a little plain, but grief had hit her hard. Her hair was pulled back as if she couldn't be bothered with it, in simple clothing, though they were clean and brand name. Her shirt was stretched over her swollen belly, the material clearly made for her condition, and he couldn't help but stare of it. Robbie would be in a similar state in the upcoming months if he couldn't change his mind.

"Oh don't give me that bullshit," She responded, venomous, "What you two had wasn't friendship."

"Perhaps our relationship went beyond friendship at times, but ultimately he was my best friend. We grew up together." Her tea was left on his desk, untouched and becoming cold as the time passed. He had his hands wrapped around his own cup, taking a long sip of it, "Why are you here, Mrs. Ingram?"

Her hands went to her stomach, cradling the bump as if it were something precious. It was, in theory, but he still watched on in fascination. "I won't give you my babies."

"Babies? I wasn't aware you were carrying twins. Congratulations."

"I don't want them to grow up in this goddess forsaken castle." Halley continued, resolute. Her eyes were rimmed with dark circles, from sleepless nights, whether it be from pregnancy or losing her mate. She must have loved him, or maybe she was afraid of being alone.

Scott didn't take offense to her sentiment. She'd just lost her mate to the same thing that her children were fated for. The Ingrams had been serving the crown for as long as the Wilkey's had held the crown, and it wouldn't change because of some Beta's maternal instincts. He tried to be sympathetic. "I understand your concerns, of course. I don't require them until they're ready to begin their schooling, so you're free to raise them as you please until then."

"I plan to move to my hometown up north." She said, "I have no plans to return to the capital."

"A shame. It's much harder to grow up in the Palace without a parent, but our nanny's have always been capable."

"I have no plans for them to return to the capital, either."

They stared at each other, something defensive in her eyes. Defiant. It was nearing two in the afternoon though, and soon Allen would be here to play chess with him. He needed to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand. "I received a copy of Colin's will, as I'm sure you have too. You already know that I'll be their godparent when they're born. Their Alpha parent is already gone," He leaned forward, setting his half empty tea on its saucer, "it wouldn't be much to rid them of the other. I have a feeling my mate is rather fond of children. And orphans at that, people are so fond of sob stories."

She bared her teeth, and again, he tried to be understanding of pregnancy hormones. "It'd be suspicious if you murdered me."

"You'd be surprised. Betas are quite prone to dystocia, at least compared to Omegas. And with twins? That's twice the potential for issues. Do you understand?"

She nodded, something dark in her tired eyes as she seceded, "Of course, Your Majesty."

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Robbie looked at the doors to the gardens like they were the gates to hell. The arm that was linked with his tightened imperceptibly, and he didn't need to smell the sharp tinge of sour berries to know that they wouldn't be taking a stroll as he wanted to. He changed their course immediately, heading toward the roof. It wasn't an area that was used often, if at all, but there were tables and chairs placed dotted throughout the area, kept free of dust and debris by the servants. They chose a place to sit, sky streaked with orange and pink as the sun set.