Layla's Point of View
I lay comfortably on the giant bed placed at the left corner in a big and spacious room given to me by the King to ensure we were both in our part of the bargain.
I am beginning to feel helplessness towards achieving my set goals. It's been 14 days from the 120 days I planned on solving the case of my family's mysterious death.
And the moon goddess had warned me not to exceed 120 days on earth without a real mate if I wanted to exist. Now I have less than 120 days to complete the task, and I must also find my own soul mate and be marked in order to stay alive.
"Ding dong"
The sound of the doorbell echoed through my room while I was still boxed up with all these thoughts in my small head.
I quickly put on my black mask as I walked towards the door to peep through the door lens to see who was there. In my mind, I was expecting to see Ashina or Gina, my sworn enemy, but to my surprise, it was King David himself.
King David stood tall behind the door, his commanding presence filling the depths of my heart. His chiseled features seemed chiseled by the gods themselves.
"Come in, your majesty." Without wasting time, I quickly opened the door for him.
He walked in gently and confidently; he folded his hands backward as he walked around my room in his long sleeves and trouser attire.
"Sheila, you sounded so different 14 days ago; I kept on wondering and wondering who was in that room with me; isn't it the same, Sheila? I am known to be very gentle while serving my mother. Where is that sudden confidence coming from, and who are you, Sheila? Are you a spy working with Layla?" King David's eyes were still gloomy in shock from the last meeting held last month with the Alphas of different packs in Craftanwood.
I kept my silence like a deaf person; I was aware that my action would attract so many enemies and fewer friends. I know everyone wants to know who the lady under the black mask was. I laughed my heart out when I vividly imagined such words.
Meanwhile, to the majority of the people, I am now the troublesome Queen Sheila; even King David hasn't been able to see my face or my nakedness since we announced our union.
I made him promise not to have anything with me as long as I continued with the agreement to act as his mate.
However, he snapped his fingers, and I was brought back to full attention.
"What do you think about informing me before you went ahead and disgraced us in public? We left this palace together on that day, and you didn't even inform me of your plans. What the hell is wrong with you? I married you to become an Alpha to my people and avenge the death of my father from Alpha." King David angrily muttered.
I signed underneath the mask because I didn't want to blow off my disguise and respond to him in a way that disguised made him more suspicious.
"Your majesty, I want you to understand my angle on this story; this is going to be a fight for once and for all, or will you say it's not a good thing to ensure that the wicked ones are put behind bars?" I tried to talk him out of the fear he had for Alpha Malakai and his surrogate.
"What do you intend to achieve by waking up a dead case in the middle of nowhere? You can't simply defeat all of them alone; they work together as one to defeat another tribe. They hated my father before he died, and the hatred had been passed across to me. Sheila, you will need all the help you can get, and if possible, we must find Layla to hear her own part of the story." King David said.
"What do you mean by we? Are you saying you will support me?" I quickly asked in a low tone.
"Yes, Sheila, you left me with no choice but to assist you in your silly investigation. Even though I'm not sure that I want to do this, I am definitely sure I need to find all the culprits behind the death of Layla's family and that of my father. Let me tell you a little secret: Layla was supposed to be my mate if she was still alive." He agreed with a meaningful emphasis.
My eyes filled with shock when I heard him express his love for me, even though he thought he was informing Sheila.
For the first time, I felt a sting in my heart. I wanted to know more.
"Do you know Layla, your majesty?" I asked without hesitation.
"Yes, Sheila, my father had told me about a powerful witch who once oversaw the future and informed him that Layla would be my queen and I would be her mate forever. Ever since I had promised not to love anyone else except her, I actually summoned my courage one day to make a trip to Craftanwood and tell her how much I love her, but unfortunately my trip didn't end well." He muttered and sat on my giant bed.
"What happened, your majesty?" I probed gently.
"Hmm! I was informed by my spies to turn back immediately that the royal family was under attack. Since then, I haven't set my eyes on Layla or her dead body, and that's if she's dead, but my heart is telling me she's still alive somewhere very close to me, and I'll definitely join your course to find out more about her disappearance." He slowly whispered, and tears almost gush out of my eyes.
I felt like telling them straight away that it was me and not Sheila under the mask, but I couldn't. I was so scared to reveal my identity; I needed to be sure of his love for me.
"I was so angry at myself for waiting too long after the death of my father before I decided to visit her; although I haven't seen her, I know she will be a beautiful person." He exclaimed.
I giggled under the mask.
But our conversation was cut short when Caleb came in to inform him of a guest requesting to see him.
"Good morning, your majesty; there is a guest outside in the waiting room, and he's requesting to see queen Sheila." Caleb said.
"Where is he from? King David asked as he walked towards Caleb to leave my room.
Curiosity made my mind uneasy, so I followed behind them.