Chapter 30

Adira was getting to the point that her old clothes were no longer fitting her. She had two summer dresses that she could still wear comfortably. The rest of her clothes, however, were getting too tight.
The King insisted that they stay there till the birth of their pup, and he also insisted that the royal doctor take care of Adira. She had a diet she had to follow now, not complaining; the doctor insisted that she was still underweight and needed to eat more.
He has her on all kinds of vitamins, and she is to get bed rest at least three times a day. Till she starts gaining more weight, she is allowed some short walks in the gardens of the castle. The King also insisted that she have lunch with him every day. She was starting to feel like a lazy leopard hanging in a tree as the noon sun was above.
She didn't mind; she knew that she and her unborn pup were helping the King through his grief. She couldn't help noticing since all this happened that he now looked older than he did before.
She also involved him in the design of the nursery and baby clothes and names, it made his face light up a little, and she didn't mind sharing all this with him. She and Duncan both discussed it at length; He didn't care. She still always informed him of everything, though. So, he has a say if he wants to jump in and add anything.
Winter arrived as the first snow fluffy snow fell to cover the ground last night. The palace was getting ready for the holiday season, and everything seemed to be a little lighter than before. So that at least was a plus. Though she had this feeling like she had forgotten something. It has been getting stronger. Lately, she told Duncan about it, and he, too, has been on a higher sense of alert.
Of course, he is a helicopter mate of late; it was because she was starting to show, and he jumps in when there is something that needs doing. When she thought that she was alone and wanted to do something on her own, poof, he was right there to do it for her; it was starting to get a bit annoying.
She sighs; Artemis thinks it's cute and a sign of a good father. Adira thinks that Apollo and Artemis snitch on her; that is how Duncan always seems to know where she is and what she is doing.
She had to admit that she liked being able to link with both their wolves and Duncan. Apollo and Artemis decided it would be funny if they switched places for a day. Apollo seemed to enjoy being lazy and eating whenever he wanted.
Artemis had a blast; Apollo thought he had an excellent vacation but hated the lack of what he called "action." He said that although he loved talking to the pup and being with Adira, the rest was bland.
He couldn't understand why females had to take so long to decide what color the nursery walls should be, what colors for the furniture, and on and on and on. He did help Adira get another little walk in the castle, he told no one, and she finally had a little privacy.
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Alpha Michael was pissed as he sat in his little cabin outside town. He'd overheard what they did to all his things and his businesses; how dare they. All of them would pay, including the King, if he could arrange it.
There was nothing left, he still had his one bank account, but the others were frozen. So he still had some money, enough at least to go and find some rogues. He is going to need them to carry out his plan for revenge. That little bitch and her pup will be the start of his new business venture.
By the time they realize she is missing, I will already have her in her new cage. Who knows, maybe he can snag a few servant girls too. His kind of business, after all, did require variety.
He will, of course, have to break her in; all the females need to be shown the rules on how to please an Alpha. The thought of what he was going to do, made him hard. He stroked himself in anticipation.
Unfortunately, the Prince was nowhere to be found; he decided he would have to let that ship sail. He was a little too demanding anyway. He decided that he would go down to the local pub and treat himself to a female for the night. He couldn't do the things he liked, which would be taking too much of a risk.
Of course, every time he has to curb his pleasures, it will be that little bitch’s job to give them to him; he would keep a tally, so she would know how long she would have to please him.
After all, he thought that if you don't use it, you lose it. Off to find himself a piece of ass for the night; maybe he could find one that was more open to his kind of play.
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Jack Dawson did not like that they couldn't find that piece of shit, Alpha; he couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't just escape to a tropical island. He felt that the poor excuse for a living being was still hanging around. He was waiting like a snake under a rock, ready to strike.
He had already traveled to his clan to take care of things with the warriors and the extra members. Everyone seemed to be getting along nicely. They even gained two cooks, which was better than gold. They also acquired three new clan members, all-female and one little human girl named Chloe with black hair and bright blue eyes.
At first, the clan didn't want her because she was human. Oliver had none of it; she was already exposed to the shifter world. Once everyone saw how Oliver was with Chloe, they decided that she should stay after all. Oliver finally had a cub that he had always wanted. No one would argue with him because no one wanted their face rearranged.
Jack still couldn't shake the feeling that Alpha Michael was still watching and waiting. If they can't find him soon, they will have to take extra security measures and hope he doesn't get through them.
Jack called his clan, asking for six warriors to come to him at the castle, under the radar as quietly as possible, and to mask their scent. He was assured that they were on their way and would be there by morning.
He wasn't sure where things were going but to have some of his men in places watching things. He was sure of them anyway; too many here could be bought or blackmailed for his liking.

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Duncan was more than capable, but he was distracted for a good reason. His mate is in danger and is pregnant; Duncan is also helping and protecting the King during his time of grief. So that means that Jack has to have all their butts covered.
Still, he had the feeling that something nasty was on its way. He hoped it wasn't with Adira; not only would Duncan go ballistic, but so will the King. One of them alone would be a handful to get under control; the two of them together would be impossible and lethal.
Still, he can't stay here forever; he must return to his clan for a more long-term stay. Three of his best warriors were taking care of things for him; they reported back to him every other day or sooner if there was a pressing issue.
Duncan's pack and his clan had been exchanging items and people that were needed and information; they also sent some of the best healers; Jack had left the warriors he lent to Duncan. Leaving them there provided extra security.
Who would have thought that werewolves and werebears would work together almost as one pack?
Marco had been a tremendous help; he’d also been responsible for getting the victims the help they needed and searching for their packs. The human victims were harder to track down, but most had found their way home. Some had nowhere to go; they were offered to choose which pack to reside in.
Marco made sure that all females were joining other packs or their families; both humans and shifters had everything they needed physically and mentally.
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Alpha Michael had to take a late-night trip to the mountains; he stood at the edge of a cliff just after he tossed the body of a female over the edge. It was the prince that showed him this place.
He had to be more careful; it was a good thing she was one of the lower-ranking whores in town. If she had been well known, he would be in trouble right now and would have to forget his plan for revenge.
He heard rumors around town that the prince had been executed; he was never one to believe in idle gossip. Still, there were a lot of words. Mixing that with the fact that he cannot get a hold of Prince Adam worried him.
He was over the moon happy when he found his hiding spot; he had a perfect view of Spares’ room. He did, unfortunately, have to watch her mate at times too. She was pregnant for sure now; it was out there for all to see. Soon she would be ripe for picking; he had already found himself an insider willing to look the other way for some fast cash.
It's just a matter of time before her mate slips up, and she is alone. It has to be in the right place, though; once she is alone, he will have her, and her poor mate will be so lost without her. He laughed under his breath at that; perhaps he would send him some updates so he wouldn’t feel so lonely.
Alpha Duncan doesn't have to worry; he will see that his little bitch will have plenty to do so she doesn't have to deal with heartbreak. His rogues were ready and waiting; the trap was set to be sprung.
All the pieces are on the board; all he has to do is wait for them to make one mistake.