Max and Wade got back to the Royal City seeing tons of people in town. They made their way to the Palace being check at the gate. They were let through once they seen who was in the passenger seat. The Alpha ceremony was tonight and he had hoped to cancel it since Lily wasn't with him to ascend with him. Pulling up to the front Wade hands the keys to the valet as Max made his way inside. His mother met him at the door hugging him and kissing his cheek, "My dear, where have you been? The ceremony starts in a couple hours. Where's Lily? Weren't you going to get her?"
Max stepped away from her trying not to explode on her. It was because of Alisa that Lily was sent there and he was willing to bet his mother had something to do with it. "She'll be coming back in a few days. I handled the situation with the Dragon Clan. There won't be anymore marriage proposal from them. I need to find dad where is he?" Max asked keeping his sentences short.
The Luna Queen looked her son over as she said hesitantly, "He was talking with a couple of the Alpha's that came, in his office, why?" He didn't answer walking straight to his office Wade and the Queen behind him. The Luna queen tried asking Wade what was going on, "What's going on? Why is he so upset? Lily is alive he shouldn't be this mad." Wade stopped the Luna stopping with him as Max continued on saying, "If what he found out is true I'd be finding a way to make it up to him, big time. Excuse me Luna."
Wade walked away leaving the Luna speechless. *Why is he acting this way? What were those marking on him? Another tattoo? So tasteless.* She drowned on in her head walking off to finish organizing the event happening.
Meanwhile Max had made it to his father's office pushing open the door walking in with purpose. Seeing his father, the vampire king, his fathers Beta Rick, and two new people he had yet to meet. They all stood up when Max entered alarmed with his behavior. "Father I need to speak with you its important." Max had pushed urgency into his voice so his father would take him seriously. "Gentlemen if you could give me some time with my son we will speak more after the ceremony," the Alpha wolf king said the others nodding as the left the room closing the door.
"So what could possibly be so important that you would interrupt a very important meeting? I thought you were going to get Lily. Why didn't she come with you?" the king asked sitting behind his desk. "Because of you. You knew the whole time who she was and you never said a word. How? How could you know and the rest of us be so blind?" Max asked slamming his fist on the desk.
The king look enigmatically at him assessing his son's current state before answering, "I knew from the moment she came to us. When you ascend the throne you will be give certain abilities that only the Alpha can have. You also come from the other half of the Alpha Pairing of our Wolf Clan. Each receives there own ability as well as blanket ones. Sensing other bloodlines is one of those gifts some stronger than others as you, yourself, have experienced. I knew she was from the other bloodline, but I could also tell how pure her blood was by her smell and other signs."
Max sat down in the chair behind him shocked at what his father was telling him. "Is that why I could always sense her?" he asked his father. "Probably. Also because she was to be your mate. Your mother never could tell and the only thing we felt she would be good for was producing heirs. We had plan to find you a luna worth standing next to you while Lily gave you a few children. Means to an end nothing more."
Max was shaking by this point fight his own wolf to not kill his father. The king noticed the mark on his neck sucking in his breath hissing out, "You mated her?!" Max looked him dead in the eyes saying with full authority, "Yes, and she will be my queen. I won't have some strange woman in her place simply to keep appearances. If you can't handle that or try to shove other females at me again I'll take your head off. I'm tired of these stupid games you and mother play."
The Alpha King threw back his head laughing hard as if Max told some hilarious joke. He continues to laugh but notices that Max has a stone cold look on his face. "Your serious? How can you mate HER? Fun yes soulmate no. Did you think I mated your mother because she was my destine mate? Noooo not even. Her family was rich and the royal family needed finds to continue running smoothly. She was infatuated with me and I seen an opportunity. Oh don't look so shocked. Have your mother and I ever looked overly loving towards each other?" the King asked his son.
Max though about it and they never really were the kind of close he felt towards Lily, not even out of the public spotlight. Maybe when he was younger, but by that time she couldn't do anything about it. Max was coming to understand the type of person his father really was. Thankfully he didn't know who Lily fully was.
Getting up he walked to the door saying before he left, "Cancel the ceremony. I want Lily next to my when I ascend. If you can't respect that then get out." Max pulls the door open slamming it as he leaves his father shouting after him. "Max! Wait! Be reasonable!" Max ignored him walking to the back of the Palace towards Lily's room. Opening the door it was just like she left it clean and tidy. Opening the door to her lab/observatory the plants seemed to be doing well. Lynn must be taking care of this place while Lily is gone. Closing the door he moves to lay on her bed breathing in her scent.
He knew he f*cked up and needed to make it right with her. He should have told her his suspicions about her and maybe they would have figured out sooner who she was. Burying his face in her pillow he slowly falls asleep.
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A foggy path lay before him as he walked along it wondering where he was going. Then a clearing came into view as he seen a gazebo with a woman sitting under it. Walking to it he wondered who it could be. As he approached he started to notice certain things about the woman like how some of her feature looked familiar. Standing just outside the platform the woman turned to him smiling as she said, "Welcome, Maximus. I have been expecting you."