Violet String {EDITING}

Constance

"She still seems pretty shaken up." The man's voice came from just outside the room she was huddled inside. "I'm not sure if this visit would be a good idea."

"We need answers." Another man replied, his tone deadly serious. "This kid is our one lead to one of the biggest crimes of our reign."

"I think what the Father is trying to say is that you could traumatise the poor child even more by rooting about in that head of hers." A woman joined in their argument. "Think about what she's just been through, for Goddess's sake!"

"Step aside." The second man sighed. "Don't make me force you."

"We'll be taking her to Blagmoor." A second woman spoke, her voice soft. "She'll have the best care available... Garrett could even wipe her memories if it's that serious..."

"Let's just get this over with." A different voice sounded, the door clicking open, a black-haired man striding in, ignoring the cries of protest from the other two people in the corridor. "Hey, kiddo." Grey eyes met hers. "From today on, you're under our protection." He extended a hand, blinking as he was shoved to one side.

"It's OK." A blonde woman took his place. "My name's Carol, and from today on you can call me mum."

"Mum?"

"Yes, that's right." Carol scooped her up into her arms. "You'll be living with me and my mate, Leopold."

"So, we're adopting her, then?" Pale blue eyes stared down in Constance's matching ones. "Hmmm. I wonder how Rylan will take the news that he's getting a new little sister?"

"He'll love it."

"What are we calling her?"

"She's not a dog, Leo!" Carol scowled, blinking as a small set of arms latched around her neck. "She already has a name. All we need to do is wait for her to tell us."

They didn't have to wait long.

"Constance." She whispered, snuggling into Carol's chest as they sat in the back of the car, driving back to Blagmoor Castle. "My name's Constance."

***

"She's settling in well." Green eyes surveyed the child playing in the snow, watching as her new older brother came and rescued her from the mound she'd gotten stuck in.

"Will we be able to question her anytime soon?" Dark blue eyes glanced over at the other Alpha. "The trail is getting colder with every day that passes."

"Patience, Blythe."

"He's right." Leopold came and sat down next to the pair. "If you push her for answers too soon, it'll do more harm than good... and I doubt my mate would approve of that."

"Carol seems to be getting quite attached..." Blythe grinned.

"She's always wanted a daughter..."

"So, just have one."

"It's not as simple as that." Leopold sighed. "Our workload has been increasing ever since we had Rylan, so we wouldn't be able to make time to raise another kid properly."

"And yet you've adopted this one?"

"She's past the worst stages." Leopold folded his arms. "We don't have to worry about getting up in the middle of the night to feed her... She's a model three-year-old... besides, Rylan's getting fairly good at taking care of her."

"He's ten-years-old, Leo." Blythe scoffed. "You can't lay all that work on him."

"When he becomes Alpha King, he'll have to deal with a lot more than this."

"She's being looked after, and that's the main thing." The green-eyed Alpha said, interrupting them, tightening his ponytail as he stared out across the gardens.

"So, this is the little girl who was rescued from that city...?" Silver eyes locked on the small figure running away from the Alpha Prince holding the snowballs, all heads turning to face the silver-haired woman who'd just entered the conservatory. "The only survivor..."

"Silver." Another Alpha ran up behind her. "Don't run off when I'm in the middle of talking to you." He sighed, his grey eyes narrowing on her silvery ones. "It's rude."

"Sorry, Ry."

"Never mind that." He smiled wanly. "I brought tea and biscuits."

"Oh, is it that time already?" Leopold turned. "I'm afraid we're all a bit underdressed..."

"Don't worry about that." He said, just as a young grey-eyed boy arrived, pushing a trolley of saucers and other various implements into the room. "Thank you, Blake."

"Rylan and Constance are outside, if you want to join them." Leopold said, turning to the ten-year-old. "I think Blaze and a few others might be about too... unless you want to stay for tea?"

"Why's Blaze dragging Rylan back...?" The boy stared past the Alpha King, his eyes locked on the two figures moving back towards the house slowly. "Is he OK?"

"What?!" Leopold was on his feet in seconds, sprinting out across the snowy ground, skidding to a stop by his son's side. "Rylan?!" He tapped the semi-conscious boy on the face. "Rylan, wake up!"

"Did he fall or something?"

"You don't get an injury like that from falling over a tree root." Blythe sighed, pointing at the bloody gash on the side of the boy's head. "Get him to Finar. I'll look for that other brat of yours."

Pale blue eyes opened slowly, staring dizzily up at the faces surrounding him as the Alpha Prince spoke. "He took her." He muttered. "He took Connie..."

"Who took her?" Leopold's matching eyes bore into his with an intensity Rylan had never seen before. "Who took your sister, Ry?"

"The pink-eyed man..."

"Pink-eyed...?" Blythe hissed. "Don't tell me... The King of Ishgard..."

***

"Hey...?" A voice woke Constance from her nap, her pale blue eyes cracking open to find a set of purple ones alarmingly close. "You awake yet?"

"Who are you?" Constance croaked, staring up at the brunette who couldn't have been that much older than her. "Where's mum?"

"Justin brought you back." The boy said. "The purple-eyed Justin said you didn't belong there, so he forced pink eyes to go and get you. He said you'd fit in much better with us than those stuffy Alphas."

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry." The six-year-old smiled. "I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?"

"Um..."

"Nice to meet you." He said. "I'm Blaine."

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