After Luka’s hurried departure, I had left the dining hall and instead roam the halls in search of a window to see his soaring, no longer feeling hungry with how devoured from the inside I was feeling over the mate link getting weaker and weaker as Luka parts from me, the small insects of worry creating tunnels of emptiness in my belly, their slow and tortuous path making shivers race down my arms and back. I hope he won’t be gone for too long… 

I feel as if my heart is slowing down a little bit more with each step I take, my body temperature dropping to worrying levels along with it and making the dark walls feel colder than ever before. Feeling another vibration coming from my protruding stomach, I gently rest my hand there and rub the flesh. It’s as if my baby was feeling my distress and wanted to tell me that I wasn’t alone. How cute. 

They are right, though; I am no longer alone. Even if my mate has gone to who knows where to do who knows what, there is still one more living being inside me. I can’t let myself get carried away like when I was rejected. Not eating and staying in bed for days without even sleeping with the nightmares hunting me and making me fear that my first mate would somehow find me back and hurt me again was how I coped with the rejection. However, now I am not in the same context. My second mate is only gone due to his duties, he didn’t abandon me, nor would he hurt me at his return. I don’t have anything to be afraid of. 

Taking in a big breath, I slowly exhale it back before simultaneously slapping both my cheeks with my palms to motivate myself. There is only one sentence that I need to engrave in my mind. 

I will survive without him. 

*** 

As I am walking past a big window in the form of a cross, a glimpse of vibrant green makes me halt, my head wiping around to catch the sign of a huge dragon slowly flapping his wings the way a bird would do to take his flight. My breath catches in my throat as I recognize Luka’s other form, the majestic creature not one I could forget easily. I halt, my feet taking me back to the window and my hand coming to a stop in front of it, fingers brushing against the cold glass that seemed to reflect my heart at the moment.  

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes, throat closing up and breathing becoming harder, but I refuse to let them fall. Now that Luka is gone, I will need to face all the hostility alone. To do so, I will need to be strong. I shall not show any weakness to my enemy and right now, I’m right in the foe’s camp. From now on, eggshells will be what I will be walking on, no more soft carpet or even brown mat, each step will have to be calculated. 

I’m in no way familiar with the castle nor am I accountancy with the staff, which is pretty bad. Too many uncontrollable variables can make me fall off the frail throne I have been put on by Luka. One wrong move and I will fall down into the wicked water staining the foundation of this palace. I need to secure a high position for both me and our Micro bean to assure our safety. 

For now, I need allies. Someone to watch my back and give me Intel. 

The King is a big fat no, the Queen one I am not familiar with and do not wish to meet from the way Luka doesn’t seem to really like her, the staff seems pretty much like peas in a pod with the old man and Gloria now luckily off to who knows where with her lovely daughter- Wait… Luka did say that the witch’s offspring was quite pleasant, which is kind of surprising considering her raising. He is not one to exaggerate too, even if it means pissing off an old rag that deserves it and seeing smoke comes out of her ears. For now, she seems like the best option. I can only hope that Gloria didn’t take her daughter with her like the bitc- mean person she is. I need to watch my language now that I will be a dad, good habits need to be started early on. 

I come out of my thoughts as Luka finally takes his soaring, his scales glistening against the sun as his body rises in the air, some rays getting in my eyes and making me squint them, but in no way am I shutting my eyelashes entirely closed. I can’t miss anything. As I watch my mate fly away, becoming smaller and smaller until nothing remains to be seen, never turning his head back toward me, my chest squeezes painfully. However, I trust my boyfriend.  

I know he is not looking back because he will want to just come back to me, take me in his arms and bring me to his room, never letting me out of his sight again. Well, maybe it is just my way to reassure myself, but I know deep inside that he will miss me while being away, just as I already feel empty without his mental and physical presence, the mate's spiritual link now broken until we reunite. Furthermore, I think we can take this event and come out of it stronger. The separation will bring us closer after being back in each other's arms. 

I stay a few minutes longer, my eyes becoming dry with an irritating itch while my sore throat lets the meager saliva I manage to produce and swallow slip down its throbbing walls. A beginning of what will be a painful headache starts to make itself known, the pressure building behind my brow bones and precise squeezes being applied to my brain by some sadistic and unknown forces. 

I really want to just return to my bedroom and sleep away the pain, but evilness won’t wait for me, schemes to throw me out or make me suffer may be made as I stand here. I need to gain advantages right from the start. Now, I need to find Gloria’s daughter, whose name I didn’t catch, not that I think Luka ever mentioned it, but I can’t really be sure, my head is always floating in the clouds while my mind is focused on thinking about books so maybe I just missed it. 

"That would be me." Suddenly says a woman’s voices to my right, nearly making me jump out of my shoes. I whip my head around, wincing when it painfully stretches the taut muscles on my forehead, and look at the young girl before me. She looks around twenty maybe, with hair looking like a giant bubble gum with its afro style and bright pink colour, the curls looking both soft and strong, going along with its owner’s look. Her dark chocolate skin makes mine look like sandpaper with its deep smoothness, black freckles gracing her flattened nose pierced with a golden loop on the left side, matching the giant ones stretching both her ears toward the ground. She must love piercings with the other one attached to her full deep purple lips and the one at her navel. Her prominent bosom can be seen through her white tank top, making her electric blue eyes pop out even more and showing off her belly muscled with abdominal muscles and her arms as trained along with the tattoo on it. Black sweatpants shoved into combat boots finished her bad girl habit, the girl’s look both screamed of happiness and hate at the same time. It was strange but somewhat she seems to fit right into it. She looked gorgeous. 

"W-wait, YOU are Gloria’s daughter?! And how did you know I was looking for you?" I asked, not quite understanding how a beautiful lady like her could come out of an ugly woman as thin as a twig and white as a ghost. It didn’t also make sense how I was just thinking of her and then she appeared. 

"Well, adoption exists, unfortunately. Luka sent a messenger to me before leaving, telling me to help you with anything you need while he is gone. I was also kind of curious about who could have made this arrogant self-centred idiot ask someone for a favour. I was just going to greet you after finally finding you when I heard you muttering about Gloria’s daughter this and Gloria’s daughter that, so yeah. I’m Misha, by the way." The lady, now known as Misha, says in her smooth voice, quite deep for a woman I must say, making me blush up to my roots at my own carelessness.

"So, do you need my help Sweetheart?" The dragoness says, making me mentally shake my head to get rid of my embarrassment. Now is the time to be serious. I opened my mouth to tell her that, yes, some help would be much appreciated, before catching back the words that wanted to escape in extremis. Luka is the one who kind of forced her to come here, I can’t rely on Misha if she doesn’t want to help me herself. That could lead to trouble further down the way.

"Before that I want to know if you really want to help me. I do not want someone, who is forced to be with me, by my side. I won’t tell Luka if you say no, it really doesn’t bother me." I say in the most convincing tone I could muster. I mean, she is the only sort of ally I have for now, it would break my motivation if she doesn’t want to help me. 

"Don’t ya worry, I’m kinda interested in ya little wolf. Don’t take it the wrong way, between us, I already have my own Baby girl that I’m very happy to be mated with, but you are full of surprise. I’m sure you will bring some change around here, which is much needed. I may even be able to finally come out to my mom without fearing for my mate’s safety because of you. It will be my pleasure to help the future King of our Kingdom. So, what’s the plan?" Misha says while chewing bubble gum, followed by a warm chuckle. My shoulders become slightly slack; their heavy burden having been dropped to the ground with the words that came out of her mouth. I finally have an ally. Now let’s begin the plan. 

"Well, first, we need to know who is completely faithful to the King and report to him every day in the staff..." 

Hey dear readers, I hope you like Misha! 

Our Cookie is becoming smarter and smarter! Finally taking things into his own hands! 

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