The Royal Alpha, & Loyal Luna

36. An Inbalance In Power .

Grey's POV

I had abandoned her.

In all her times of need.. I had been there. But the one time, the one true time she needed me.. I closed her out. Blocked her away. Left her utterly, painfully, terrifyingly alone.

Her soul might not have, but her mind had gone rogue. She was seeing in and out, distant and far, vividly and vaguely. Her mind was faltering, working on loose strings and playing in snippets. I could feel the hollowness she felt inside, how confused and lost and scared she was. How furious she'd became and vengeful she promised to be.

It was.. something I couldn't describe and wished on no one. Not even my enemies.

"Your thoughts are going a million miles per hour." Kale set his papers down irritably. "Hard to keep them to yourself tonight?"

"They're not mine."

He looked up at me, concern lining every inch of his face.

"She's so loud in my head.. It's like I can't contain it."

"Should we see Grand-Prime Moani, she-"

"No."

"Grey, I understand you don't want to chance seeing him now that your father's back in.."

I eyed him.

"I'm just saying, she can heal. Maybe your mind needs some repair from all the damage. You don't just carry the weight of your own chaotic thoughts, but those of someone who has also seen hell."

"Moani isn't the only mother that needs to be seen."

Kale glanced over to me with a curious look, then realization hit. "You're not going. She clearly doesn't want you to go. And you'll probably fall into an obvious, obvious trap if you go back to the Royal Packhouse. The Luna may be her goal, doesn't mean Princess Luna Minette won't make you her focus. She'll play you like a puppet until you bring her what she really wants, and that's Nova."

"What the hell else is there for me to do? My girl wants me nowhere around her while she not only destroys the very foundation of her own existence, but the pillars of ours. And quite frankly, Kale.. a part of me doesn't want to be around her like this. It's eery, scary to watch someone who isn't.. her take over."

"And that's why she needs you now more than ever." I winced at his words. "But we have to play our cards right."

"So, Beta.. what do you propose?"

"We need leverage. Minette won't come out from behind the walls of the Royal Packhouse and if she does, it won't be without an army of bloodthirsty wolves. If there's one pack more ruthless than ours, it's the royal house. The Lycanthropes. The rich-blooded wolves." He all but spat as he spoke of them now.

I tightened my fists. "Prince Alpha Montreal will be back before we can make a solid plan. I need to figure out how to get Nova out of there before he touches back on his territory."

"You know who's rumored to have been traveling with him, don't you?"

"I've heard." I'm sure he heard the grit of my teeth. "Prime Laurent is coming back with him. If they aren't back already."

"Think your father will side with you?"

"Doesn't matter." I turned to the picture of Nova with her pajama onesie on backwards, glad that Lynn was able to capture the perfect moment of her laughing hysterically as she walked in reverse. "He'll side with his Luna. End of story."

"He does have a duty to his pack. But you must consider what you'll do if he sides with Baptiste."

"I'll consider his life if he so much as hesitates on Nova's behalf."