~ NINE
"What do you mean by she is not dead?". Kyle asked sniffing back his tears.
"She is not. And who said she was?". Paul asked unaware of Kira's presence.
"She did". Kyle answered, glaring at the witch who pronounced the Love of his life dead.
"Kyle, it's not her fault. The picture given was Elizabeth lying in her pool of blood". Paul said.
Kyle growled picturing her dead, He can't deal with It; "You said she was dying?".
"It seems so because when I went further, she was breathing". Paul answered, squeezing his face trying to remember what he saw.
"What exactly did you see in your vision?" Kira asked while trying to get something right.
"She was lying in a pool of blood while whispering something. I also saw a young woman of her age with her", He explained.
"Thanks but give me time to think about all this. I will be back tomorrow". Kira said while walking out of the door.
Nathan, who has been quiet for a while gasped. Kyle and Paul looked at him immediately. "Arya... she...". He couldn't finish forming his words.
"What is happening?"; Kyle growled, frustrated.
"Your highness", three Draeries came in and bowed; "You are needed by the council".
Kyle furrowed his brows and looked at Nathan and Paul; He was confused. The council elders only come during rare occasions, one that seriously needs their attention. "What were you about to say?".
"Arya said thank you and I don't know why. However, there is a message for you". Nathan said and looked directly into Kyle's eyes. "She is here".
"What?". Kyle said confused and later at the direction his friend was facing and saw her standing at the doorway. He immediately ran to hug her while sniffing her smell.
She smiled as she hugged him. Kyle was beyond excited while others including Paul decided to give him space. He wondered why his wolf wasn't excited but he knew he had to right the wrong he did to her.
He was with her, holding her for the past five minutes forgetting about the elders until one of the Draeries cleared his throat and he glared at him. "I am sorry, your highness". The Draeries immediately apologized. "They said they will be present the next week".
The next day, Kyle was so excited with her coming back so he was so into her and forgot about his friends. " She has changed. If I remember correctly, this is not who she was". Nathan said when they were packing their luggages into the cars.
Paul decided to follow them to their pack, The Fire Rage pack at the United States. Even though he never did talk to his brother throughout their stay at the Academy, he still did tell him his plans. His brother, Colton left that morning with Marianne who was stomping her feet glaring at Elizabeth.
Paul smiled and said, "Elizabeth is my best friend. If there is only one thing I know about her is her heart". He finished and closed the booth while settling into the car.
Nathan sat by his side while looking at Paul. He was trying to decipher what he was trying to say but he couldn't think of any.
They landed at the United States the next day since the Academy was at Canada. Kyle introduced Elizabeth to them, his father who was still ashamed of his actions bowed his head in shame and his mother looked at her disgustingly because of the short revealing clothes and excessive makeup.
He introduced her to the pack as his Luna and was always beside her throughout until one fateful night.
"Kyle, did you know how I survived?". She asked when they were on his bed two nights before the council's arrival.
He shook his head while tracing his hands down her back that had scars which were already fading. Kyle has been blaming himself since he saw the scar five days ago when she undressed in front of him. He remembered her telling him she was kidnapped and tortured by the Cayades and he kissed and slept with her that night while promising to make it up to her.
"I survived because I knew one day I would come back to you and bear your heir. I only did show what I have been through before now to Paul because I promise to hide nothing from him". She said while tracing her hands down his arbs.
"Ummmmm! I understand". He said tracing her scars absent mindedly.
She looked directly into his eyes and said," Mark me, Kyle. Mark me". She said.
Kyle frowned. Not that he wasn't willing to but he felt this was odd, like this shouldn't happen. He smiled and was about to talk when they heard a knock on the door.
"Who is that?". Kyle asked, annoyed at the person at the other end for disrupting his moment with her.
"Paul. Can I come in?". He asked, not ready to face something he can't handle.
"A minute". Kyle said while he put on his white shirt and blue khaki shorts and she was on the black gown. "Come in". He said after they were fully dressed.
"The elders are here, Kyle". He said while he stepped aside for them so they could come in with his father, mother and both betas present.
Paul coughed after a while and said the one thing that has always been on his mind. "She is not the one". He said. All of them looked at him except the elders as they were giving him questioning look. By then, the guards had closed the door while guarding the door from the outside.
"Who are you?". The only female among the three of council elders asked.
"I am Elizabeth, ma'am". She said as she did a courteous bow. She wore a black short tight fitted gown with her black hair done into a ponytail. The elders looked at her from head to toe.
"You are not her". They spat out. And they faced Kyle and the woman spoke; "It's such a shame you couldn't tell apart who your mate was and that's to show how little you know her". She looked at Paul and smiled. "Thank you". And then to Nathan, "I know you don't know who Elizabeth is but do not believe just any voice. Your human side can be easily deceived but your wolf senses won't fool you".
"Take her to the dungeons". Kyle ordered as two guards marched in and seized her by her arms and took her to the dungeons located underground at the pack house. Kyle was broken with tears streaming down his face. He had betrayed Elizabeth! He thought. He was at the verge of marking that impostor which would have marked the end of his happily ever after with his mate.
"She will hate me! She will hate me!! I have betrayed her! Why! Why!! Why!?!!". He continued saying while destroying his room. The others silently watched as they stepped aside waiting for him to finish grieving. Kyle didn't stop until the next morning. He sat on the floor at the door with his bloody hands covering his face with his bloodshot eyes shedding more tears.
Queen Charlotte immediately ran to her son calming him down as he silently sobbed on her chest. She was silently blaming herself, why hasn't she seen this sooner? She thought as she continued soothing her son.
"Mom, she won't come back. She won't be able to love me anymore". Kyle lamented as he was sobbing. He hoped and prayed with everything in him, that she would forgive him. He was reminiscing all that had happened starting from the rejection which made him sob harder. He wished he had never rejected her, maybe all of this won't have happened.
"Son......". The father called but wasn't able to finish his sentence with the intensity of glare he received.
Kyle stood up and dusted his clothes. "Let's go". He ordered to the elders who still stayed until everything died down. It was their duty no matter what to protect the royals. Paul was the one that sent for them day before yesterday, stating that an evil woman has managed to infiltrate into the kingdom by claiming to be who she was not.
Kyle's expression was blank as he walked to the bookshelf in his room and inputted the password which was another secret pass way to the underground but before then, he had closed the door after ushering his parents, the elders and his betas alongside Paul, his saviour.
They walked through the tunnel and got to the holding cell which stinks of urine. They got to the last holding cell as directed by one of the guards holding her earlier and saw her tied down with chains with her head cast down.
He signaled for them to open the gate as the guard pressed the button. He immediately stepped inside with the others and said, "I promise myself I would never raise my hand on a girl and I won't do that to you yet if you just tell me why you did what you did".
She never did raise her head; in fact, she was unresponsive. It was when Paul got closer to her before he could feel his shallow breathing but was met with a consequence - him thrown across the wall with an unseen force.
"She is a witch". Realization dawned on him. He should have noticed it sooner for his wolf to have been dormant and the recent mysterious happenings.
"She is the reason". The witch whispered. Immediately she had said that, they all turned in her direction while the guards stayed outside the cell to give them space.
"What? Who?". Nathan said, urging her to speak. Since Nathan was the calm one, Kyle stepped back for him to continue because he knew he wasn't in the right mood to question her.
"Elizabeth! She is the one. The one who caused all of this..... or so I had thought". She laughed humorlessly and licked her dried lips.
"What?....what did she do?". Kyle immediately stepped forward once he heard her name.
"You love her right?". She asked as she laughed. "I mean the question is how does she manage to invade the hearts of the men she comes in contact with?". She continued.
"Shut up and talk sensibly. What do you mean by all of your ranting?". Kyle asked as he was feeling his wolf making his presence known.
"Your wolf is very powerful. I couldn't control it but Elizabeth did". She said and all of them looked at her as if she was insane.
"Okay now, I will tell you". She said as she raised her hands up as if she was surrendering. "My brother, Darren loved Elizabeth even though she never did know and then Elizabeth was sent to infiltrate our organization... I thought she did it, it looked like she did it". She stopped after a while and raised up her head.
Everyone looked at themselves confused until Paul cleared his throat and asked what has been on everybody's mind. "What do you mean by she did it? what is your name?".
"Felicia". She answered while frowning her face and later continued, "I need to tell you. I thought she killed my brother but turns out she was not the one". She whispered at the end.
"How did you know?". Paul asked because he felt a voice in him urging him to do so.
"You guys do not know Elizabeth!". She whispered dumbfounded and continued, "Never judge a book by the cover. She is beautiful yet dangerous".
"What do you mean by all of this?". The elder woman asked.
"Minutes before you came down here.... she was here".
"What?". They all exclaimed.
Felicia chuckled as she spits out the blood in her mouth. "You came late. She has fulfilled what she came here to do". Felicia said and immediately she started vomiting her blood. Minutes later, she gave up the ghost and Paul moved closer to her to check her pulses.
"She. Is gone". He said and called for the guards to untie her.
"Are you sure she is dead or this is one of her acts?". The elder woman asked.
Kyle punched the wall. He doesn't know what to think of anymore. He knows whatever or whoever Elizabeth is, he will continue loving her but their obstacle would be the pack. As a royal, you are known as the protector of the pack, to love and care for them, to place them above yourself so her being a killer is not making matters better.
Paul doesn't know what to believe anymore. He knew the poison given to Felicia was a rare one and can be only possessed by the best of the criminals so the questions so engraved in his mind was how was she able to possess it if she is the sweetest as she claimed to be and who was she?