Chapter 42

Nicholas:

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting an ethereal glow over the clearing where Amy stood. Cheney and I had followed her here, moments ago. There were benefits to werewolves following a human, she’d had no idea we were there.

Cheney and I watched from a distance, hidden in the shadows. She was on the phone, talking low, almost a whisper. We couldn't hear the conversation, but our heightened senses allowed us to pick up on the tension in the air.

Suddenly, Amy spun around, looking in our direction frantically. She didn’t see us, but we hunkered lower in our hiding spot anyway. There was no way she could have heard us.

She seemed to calm a bit, and her facing us made it easier for us to hear her. “You talked to her?” She spoke into the phone viciously. “Did you tell her who you were?”

She nodded at the response that came to her through the phone. “We still need to be careful. We can’t afford for Armand to catch wind of our plans. We’ve worked too hard to get to this far.”

Another pause as she listened to the other person speaking. “She’s got to be talking to Uncle Bob, right?” Cheney whispered beside me. “Or do you think there are others involved in this too?”

“I don’t know, but that’s definitely something we need to find out.” We listened again, as Amy began talking again. “Stop sniveling, everything is going to be fine. I have it under control. Armand doesn’t know anything.”

Amy’s tone was condescending. I had a hard time thinking that Uncle Bob would allow anyone to speak to him that way. Who else could she be talking to? Wild thoughts were running through my head.

After a few more minutes, she hung up the phone, and we followed her back to the mansion. There, she went to Armand’s room and closed the door.

“I’ll stay here and make sure she doesn’t come back out. Go check on Beryl and Brian.” I spoke softly to Cheney, thinking there was no reason for both of us to be outside of Amy’s bedroom door.

He nodded and walked away. I settled into the shadows, getting comfortable. I was hoping that I would be there for a while and that Amy wouldn’t decide to leave again tonight.

Days passed and the routine continued. My brother’s and I took turns staying by Beryl’s side and following and watching Amy. We saw her take many different covert phone calls but were unable to hear anything more.

One day though, we heard something that shook all of us. Whispers of a malicious rumor began to spread through the werewolf pack like wildfire. The rumor involved Beryl, and it threatened to tear apart the trust and unity that had kept the pack strong for generations.

We assumed that Amy, with her ulterior motives hidden behind a façade of innocence, had orchestrated the rumor to tarnish Beryl's reputation. The gossip suggested that Beryl was spending time with a mysterious male outside of our home, someone who wasn't one of us, her mates.

The intention was clear - to cast doubt on Beryl's loyalty and create a divide within us and the pack. When Beryl found out, we could all see how much it crushed her. She’d been through so much in her life, she didn’t deserve this much more pain.

Beryl knew the implications of such a lie and how it could affect her standing within the pack, especially with Armand. We all couldn't believe Amy's audacity, but we also understood that the conniving woman was desperate to secure her grip on power.

"I can't believe she would stoop this low," Beryl murmured, her voice laced with anger. "She's just trying to sow discord among us," Nicholas said, his voice resolute. "We won't let it affect us, Beryl."

Beryl:

I smiled at my mates, grateful for their steadfastness in the face of this mess. But deep inside, fear gnawed at me. I was worried that Armand might believe Amy and doubt my loyalty, especially given the complicated history between the two of us.

The triplets were gathering their courage to bring this up with Armand, they knew the situation was delicate. Armand had always been a strong and fair leader, but he’d always been so hard on them. And Amy's manipulative ways were creating a rift in the pack.

Nicholas:

We went together to his office, silent on the way there. "Father, we have something we need to talk to you about," Nicholas spoke with a sense of urgency, and uncertainty.

Armand turned to face his sons, his eyes reflecting confusion and annoyance at the interruption. "What is it?" I took a shaky breath, but his voice caught.

"We need to address the rumor about Beryl," Brian took a step forward. "It's all lies, Father. You need to believe us."

Armand's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "I don't know what to believe anymore. Amy is carrying my child, your sibling, and I can't ignore her concerns."

Cheney stepped forward, his voice tinged with frustration. "But she's playing you, Father! Can't you see that she's trying to create trouble in the pack?"

Before Armand could respond, Amy appeared with a malicious grin on her face. "What's going on here?" she asked, feigning innocence. "Is there a problem?"

Each of our fury burned hotter as we saw Amy's wicked satisfaction. We exchanged glances, realizing that confronting our father in her presence might not lead to the resolution we sought.

I stepped closer to my father, my voice gentle but firm. “We really need you to listen to us, Father. Beryl is innocent. Amy is trying to manipulate you."

Armand's face contorted with conflict. We could all see he was torn between loyalty to his family and the desire to believe in Amy's affection.

In the heat of the moment, emotions boiled over, and a heated argument erupted. The air crackled with tension, and Armand’s power filled the room. He charged forward in an attack.

I stepped in front of my brothers, trying, in vain, to shield them from our father’s rath. Armand was the alpha king for a reason though. He was the strongest among us, and we were all struck by his flying fists and the full force of his alpha power.

Being in the front, I was hit with everything head on, and I fell to the floor, feeling more pain than I’d ever felt before. My head was spinning, and my body was limp and useless.

"No!" Beryl cried out, rushing to my side. The concern for me overwhelming me. "We need to stop this!" Brian and Cheney were kneeling beside me, with looks of pain on their faces as well.

Armand's eyes widened in shock as he saw the damage his anger had caused. He rushed to my side, remorse and regret etched on his face. "I never meant for this to happen," he said, his voice filled with sorrow.

As the commotion subsided, I couldn't ignore the pain I saw in Armand's eyes. I knew he was struggling, torn between his love for us and his feelings for Amy.

Beryl must have seen it as well because, gently, she touched Armand's shoulder, her voice soft but firm. "You need to see the truth, Armand. Amy is manipulating you and the pack. We can't let her tear us apart."

Armand looked into Beryl's eyes, and for a moment, the fog of doubt seemed to lift. "I want to believe you," he whispered, his voice filled with uncertainty.

“What?” Amy hissed behind him, rushing to put her hands on his shoulders. “How could you ever doubt me? My love for you?” She was laying the guilt on thick, knowing it was one of Armand’s weaknesses.

Determination broke through the pain, and I tried to sit up. "We'll prove it to you, Father." I told him through clenched teeth. "We'll uncover Amy's deception and bring the truth to light."

Amy hissed, but stayed silent, worry etched into her features. She wrapped her arms around Armand’s shoulders and pulled him away from us.

The battle lines had been drawn, not just between Armand and us, but between the truth and the web of deception Amy had woven.