42!

LIAM

I turned to Layla and shrugged my shoulders, “where have you been sis?” I asked her with a bit of sarcasm in my voice.

“Don't give me that, Liam. You know it's true. We share the same mother,” she said, walking towards me.

“I'm glad you believe that,” I said and Brianna stood in front of me.

“Duke Mikeal said the same thing,” she said to me.

“No, he didn't. He only made an assumption,” I said, pointing my fingers at her.

“What is so bad about us having the same mother?” Layla asked me.

“That will mean she is not dead!” I yelled, shaking the whole ground again. “And I mourned her,” I whispered, trying very hard to control my rage.

“Where have you been, Layla?” Brianna asked her.

“I told both of you,” she said, looking at Trisha. “I wasn't going to sit back and just let the information jump on my lap,” she said and I shook my head.

“If you don't believe me ask Adrian,” she said and a wild wind blew past my ears. The second of my brothers' names sent jolts down my spine.

“What about Adrian?” I asked her.

“He is looking for her as well,” she said. “He is looking for her for your father,” she said and my eyes widened.

“That can't be!” I said, firmly.

“He told me himself,” she said and I raised an eyebrow.

“Adrian will never tell you something like that,” I said to her and she smirks.

“I didn't say willingly,” I scoffed.

“You mean with magic. He is of royal blood, Layla!” Mason yelled at her.

“So am I!” She yelled, the ground shook but not as much as Brianna's voice.

“I am the daughter of Luna Celeste and she was of royal blood before she married the king. I am my mother's daughter. I do not wish you to tell me who I am,” she said so fiercely.

Brianna walked up to her and held her hands, “you need to calm down,’’ she said to Layla.

“Trish will take care of your injuries,” Brianna said and walked up to me.

“You can't rattle her like that,” she said, taking me away from the mini crowd.

“I have to know what if she is lying, Brianna. I can't just make decisions based on emotions,” I said and she looks taken aback.

“I don't make decisions out of emotions,” she said and I rolled my eyes.

“You still have a lot to learn,” I walked away but she stopped me.

“You can't rattle her like that because she has been through a lot. Searching for her mother, believing she is not dead but alive. That's a lot to take in,” Brianna said to me.

“Okay, fine. I will go easy on her,” I said to her. She nodded and was about to walk away when I stopped her.

I pulled her close to me and brought our lips together. She deepened the kiss by wrapping her hands around my shoulders.

We broke the kiss breathing each other's hair, “what was that for?” She asked and I smirked.

“I should be asking you,” I said and she blushed.

“I have missed you,” I said, touching her long hair, “this all week has been really tough and I couldn't see you.”

“Well you are seeing me now,” she said, smiling. Damn, I'm in love with her. I'm glad I was able to stand up to my father even though he has ulterior motives for allowing our betrothal. Once this war is stopped we are tying the knot.

“Layla has been like a sister long before all of this. Remember that,” she said as we walked back to the others.

I cleared my throat and walked towards Layla. I squatted and held her hands.

“What happened, Layla?” I asked her.

“After our journey to the spirit world,” she said looking at Trish and Brianna. “We found out Mom was still alive,” she said and I nodded.

“I thought of approaching the King and demanding the truth but Brianna and Trish were against it.”

“That didn't stop you from walking away from us,” Trish scolded her.

“Trisha,” Brianna said her name firmly.

“What would you have done if it was your Mother, Tisha. At least you know yours is dead but right now mine isn't and she's in danger,” she couldn't stop crying. Her emotions were all over the place.

I noticed Brianna walked away to the side with Agatha and her commanding officer.

“Our mother, along with Brianna and Trish's Mother were the greatest werewitch the whole creature species have ever seen and Castillo wanted that power for himself including your father, the Highest Alpha King.” I looked at her with a straight face.

“That's no news to us Layla, he had Duke Mikeal find you three and killed Brianna and Trish's Parent,” I said to her.

“Except that Castillo's men were tracking them too. After my Mom escaped from Mikeal, she gave me to my father.”

“The second highest priest,” I said and she nodded.

“She was then captured by Castillo's men,” she said, taking a sip from the glass of water Trish gave to her.

I looked back at Brianna and Agatha. The Commander had left them.

“How do you know all this?” Ethan asked her. She gave Ethan a hard look.

“It's Ethan's Job to ask this question,” I said to her.

“I told you, I spoke to Adrian. You know him. My supposedly half brother,” she said and I exhaled sharply.

“Hey, we don't know that,” I said to her firmly. “We could be related. You could be a princess,” I said to her. She dropped the glass of water firmly on the table beside her. Leaving a crack.

“Yeah, a fat chance of that happening,” she said and stood up.

“Talk to her,” I said to Mason, standing up.

“Me, what do I have to say to her?” He asked and I exhaled.

“She's your mate,” Ethan whispered to him.

“I know that but we haven't really bonded over the issue unlike you two,” he said, pointing at myself and Ethan.

“Bullshit!” I refrain myself from yelling even more. “Talk to her and no smack talk about werewitch or you will get the same treatment they did long ago.”

He sighed and walked up to Layla. She moved away as he walked towards her. “When is he ever going to change?” Ethan said out loud beside me.

“When he really falls in love with her,” Trish answered him.

“Oh he's in love with her but because of some personal experience he doesn't want to believe it,” I said to her and she nodded.

“Well, both of you should be glad that you don't have those experiences,” she said and I smiled.

I looked up to see Brianna, Agatha and the commander walking towards us with a straight face.

“What's going on Brianna?” I asked her.

“Where is Layla?” She asked, deflecting from my question.

“Don't do that. Just tell me what's going on,” I said to her. She still had that straight face on.

“The Soldier who saved your life earlier,” she said and then stopped talking.

“Go on,” I said, walking towards her.

“His body was taken out of the morgue a few hours ago,” she said to me.

“What do you mean by taken?” I asked her. Her Commanding officer walked towards me and handed me a tablet.

It was a CCTV video of how the body was taken. “There was nothing there before,” Brianna said. We all looked at her surprised. Just Agatha and the officer didn't.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“I mean Magic was used to cover up the deed so I had to use Magic,” she said to us.

“Are you saying exactly what I am thinking?” I asked her.

“Your Mother is alive, Liam and she held steal the Soldier's body.”