Vindicator

Chapter 32

Queen Aless was approaching the hospital room in the Royal suite of the medical wing, intending to speak to Christina. While talking to Chance about Theo, she was thinking about what Luna Jenna had told her before. The Alpha of the Forsaken pack worked through Kayla...And her mom. When Kayla first introduced Theo's mother, though, she had said that the woman was the first abused mate to be rescued by the Alpha of the Forsaken pack.

How could Theo's mother be saved by an Alpha who worked through the Spectre, if the Spectre hadn't been taken into the pack yet? Which meant the Spectre and her mother were likely the first two taken into the pack, and that would mean Spectre's mother was also Theo's.

"That makes no sense" the Queen's wolf, Celeste, interjected in her thoughts. "Theo is an Alpha heir, so either this Krista woman isn't his mother at all...Or she's not Kayla's mother. There's no such thing as a Luna with two children, especially not one who's a female."

"I know, I know" the Queen said with a sigh. "But there's also no such thing as a prince mated to an Alpha, yet here we are!" She reasoned.

"True..." Celeste admitted.

"And if Krista is, in fact, Kayla's mother, then Kayla would have Alpha blood. Ever since the whispers of the Forsaken pack first came about, I was wondering where an Alpha would have come from. This would explain it! Kayla is the Alpha!" The Queen said excitedly, feeling like she'd just uncovered the answer to a great mystery.

"Or...The more likely explanation is that Krista was rescued by the Alpha directly, and it wasn't until he rescued Kayla and her mother that the Spectre was born" Celeste suggested thoughtfully.

The Queen deflated a little, annoyed with her wolf.

Chuckling at her human, Celeste added "cheer up! Even if that's the case, we would then know someone who knows what the Alpha looks like. That's valuable!"

"We already do, I suspect. Her name is Kayla" the Queen grumbled back.

"How regal" Celeste teased her.

Fortunately, the two were just outside of Theo's door by this point, so Aless didn't bother retaliating. Instead, she stopped when she realized there were voices coming from inside.

"Excellent" she thought to herself, "that means Krista is here."

So, without further hesitation, and assuming the excellent hearing capabilities of the two werewolves in the room would have long since given away her arrival, the Queen walked into the room without knocking. As she did, she found that the two had not even realized she'd entered the room yet, let alone seeming to have heard her approach...Which is how she overheard the words "your sister's" leave Krista's mouth.

The Queen gasped, shocked that she was correct. While she'd deduced that Kayla and Theo shared a mother, she was entirely prepared for a more reasonable explanation. To hear, from the she-wolf's mouth, that Theo had a sister all but ensured the Queen's theory was correct.

Finally, upon hearing a gasp behind them, the two wolves turned to see the new arrival. Christina's face paled at the realization that the Queen had just heard her admit to Theo having a sister.

Theo was shocked to have heard he had a sister, and doubly shocked to see the Queen barge into his room unannounced. He figured she was here to discuss his mate with him, which was the very last thing on his mind right now. He had millions of questions bubbling to the top for his mom after what she just said!

"I knew it!" The Queen exclaimed with a triumphant smile aimed at Christina. "You're Kayla's mother, aren't you, Krista?" She pressed.

Christina swallowed back the bile rising in her throat. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her hands were clammy as she tried to think of a way out of the situation.

"Adopted" Faith hissed in her ear.

Christina bowed her head to the Queen and swallowed again. "Good afternoon, your majesty. I'm sorry, we weren't expecting you...I was just about to discuss my adopted daughter with my son" she explained. "That was what you overheard" she lied more smoothly than she thought possible.

The Queen's smile faltered, as she realized she'd missed an obvious possibility through adoption. Nonetheless, she fixed her smile and nodded, asking "your adopted daughter Kayla, right?"

Theo frowned at the Queen, then looked to his mother. "Kayla? Is that my sister's name?" He demanded, not realizing he'd given his mother an easy and honest out.

"No" she answered Theo, then looked at the Queen. "I'm not sure why you believe Kayla is my daughter, but my daughter's name is Karma" she told Aless.

"Karma..." Theo murmured the name thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, Aless was frowning again. She was sure she'd figured something major out, but she didn't know how to prove it. Was Krista lying to her? If so, why?

"To protect her daughter, of course" Celeste piped up. "You just barged in here out of nowhere, and eavesdropped on their private conversation. I wouldn't trust you either."

With a sigh, she had to concede that her wolf was right. Krista had no obligation to tell her about her family, and Theo didn't know anything about his sister to begin with. So, plastering a smile on her face, the Queen stepped towards them and apologized. "I'm sorry for barging in like I did. I had assumed you would have heard me stomping down the hallway a mile away" she said with a laugh. "I would have knocked otherwise. How are you feeling now, dear?" She asked Theo.

"Better...Thanks" he answered uncomfortably. He knew he was not the Queen's favourite person, and didn't know how to talk to her. He had, after all, purposely tortured her son and assisted his father in an attempted coup.

"Good!" She said cheerfully, then looked at Christina. "Is there anything I can get you two?"

"No, thank you, your highness. Time alone with my son is all I need right now" she said with a smile, but the meaning behind her words did not escape the Queen's notice.

"Ah, excellent, I shall leave you two to it, then" Aless said, nodding. "Please, don't hesitate to call if you need anything" she added, then walked out of the room.

"Thank you, your majesty!" Christina called out after her.

"Now what?" Celeste asked while Aless shut the door to Theo's room gently.

"Now we go talk to someone else" she answered, heading back the way they originally came.

"Oh? Who do you have in mind?" Celeste wondered aloud.

"When mom won't give you what you want..." the Queen began.

"Don't tell me—" Celeste said, but she was cut off by Aless who had started towards the castle's dungeon.

"You try dad."