Chapter 58 The Contingency Plan

(Alexander POV)

I woke up to a bright sunny morning. Today is my birthday! I turned my head and drooling on her pillow, snoring, was the best birthday gift I could ever receive in my life. The doctor said she should be in heat soon. I needed to talk to her about starting a family. I knew she has plans in her life and having pups might not be the first item in her agenda.

I wiped the drool off her face. She was obviously tired. After making love in the shower, I knew she'd fall asleep right away and I was right. Once her head hit the pillow, she started snoring. Poor Hope. In a matter of just two weeks, her world has turned upside down. After being invisible for eighteen years, she is now being hounded by the press, her picture all over socmed sites, invitations to attend events left and right. I told my secretary to filter out the ones that needed our attention or were of great value not only to Hope's foundation, but for the company as well. Everyone wanted to be with my darling mate or at least catch a glimpse of her. I couldn't help but smile. It made me feel good being the only person she wanted to be with in her reality.

"What time is it?" She snorted, suddenly waking up.

"Around 7AM." I showed her the bedside clock. She looked at her pillow and saw the wet spot on it from her drool.

"Was I just drooling on my pillow?! Ugh!" She pushed up with her elbows to sit upright. "You didn't see that, right?" She rubbed her eyes. Her hair was standing up like a nest. I don't know with other men and their mates, but I loved seeing my mate like this when she wakes up in the morning. Priceless.

"I just woke up, my love," I lied, trying to hide back a smile.

"Gosh, I'm so tired. My body hurts and it's hot. Do you feel hot?" She complained.

"It's hot?" Speaking of the devil. I think she's going into heat. I sniff her. She smelled irresistible. I went hard. I jumped up and moved at the edge of the bed.

"You're going into heat, my love. I just got hard sniffing you. If we make love, you'll get pregnant. I have to ask you...Do you want to start a family?" Deep inside I was praying she'd answer yes, however I knew what her answer would be.

"I can't get pregnant yet. I still have to finish school. Will this happen every month?" She started to sweat which just made her smell stronger. I got up from the bed and moved away from her. I mind linked Oliver to have all males stay away from the mansion and to have my mother come with the elixir for heat. "Oh boy, Alpha. Good luck. I'll have Aunt Diane come straight away," Oliver mind linked me back.

"Do you want to start a family, Alexander?" She looked at me. I could see the panic in her face.

"I do. But if you don't want to yet, I'll understand. We can wait. Don't worry, heat happens once a year or we'd overpopulate the planet," I told her.

"Oh, that's good news," she said, sounding relieved. "It's so hot. And my body is in pain. Why is it so painful? Shouldn't I feel sexy instead? This isn't sexy and I don't feel sexy. I'm sweating buckets! Even my armpits are sweating!" She groaned. She takes the tissue box from the night stand beside her and starts putting tissue in between her arms. "I get it. Pheromones!"

"This is why I need to move away from you or I won't be able to stop. Your body will stop hurting when you mate." Where is my mother? What is taking her so long?

"I want to take a cold shower, but it hurts when I move. Let me mind link Grace. Maybe she can help me move from the bed to the bathroom." She goes quiet, mind linking with Grace.

We heard a knock on the door. "Luna Hope, it's me." I opened it and saw Grace panting from running to our bedroom.

"She's in heat. I need to find my mother so I can give her the elixir. Can you help her into the shower?" She nodded her head and I exited the room. Phew. Another second there and I would do all things possible to mate with her. I went downstairs to look for my mother. "Where is my mother?" I asked the staff. "Alpha, she went to the basement." Ah, she went to her conjuring room to get the elixir.

I raced downstairs to the basement and I saw the door to the conjuring room was open. I heard voices. I wondered who my mother was with. I inched closer so I could listen in on the conversation.

"Cecilia, we can't just take it from her. It's her birthright." I heard my mother say.

"But we've waited for so long to become Priestesses. Remember how Mother only annointed Julia and Maria. She may not annoint us again. The only way is to take the ring. If you help me, I will make you my right hand Priestess, Diane. Don't you want to become a Priestess?" Cecilia asked my mother. I heard my mother sigh.

"I do, Cecilia. I have always wanted to be a Priestess, you know, for my powers to grow. As for the ring, it is probably in Alexander's vault," my mother said.

"I know of a spell that will open any vault. We will wait until they leave for the village tonight to celebrate Alexander's birthday," Cecilia suggested.

"I don't know, Cecilia. I think we should wait. Hope will need to annoint Priestesses if she will be annointed as High Priestess of Lupa to complete the ring of Lupa."

"Diane, doing the right thing has only made us old and frail. We need to take the ring now before it is too late. If not, we will just die without our dreams realized," Cecilia argued.

I heard my mother sigh again. She didn't agree with Cecilia. "I had hoped Adella would annoint us after Julia's death. Well, Hope's in heat. I need to bring her this elixir. Patience, Cecilia. We have waited this long. What is a few more days?" My mother walked out of the conjuring room to find me outside. She let out a gasp.

"Ma, I have been looking all over for you. Hope needs you," I told her like I just arrived at the basement.

"Alexander dear, here it is." My mother raised her hand to show me the small vial of elixir.

"How much do I give her?" I asked her. I gazed at my mother who was clearly flustered.

"One vial per day for 5 days. She should feel the effects within 15 minutes. I will give her another vial tomorrow." The words came rushing out of her mouth.

"Thanks, Ma." I kissed her and turned around, hoping she would think that I did not hear their conversation.

The little pouch that Hope gave me. That must be the ring. Apparently it was very important, so important that they had to keep Hope alive to find it.

I ran upstairs and looked for Adella's portrait on our wall. I stopped in front of it and looked at her hand. It was a yellow diamond ring, shaped into a circle. The yellow diamond was mounted at the center of a gold band with stars and in each star a blue sapphire was in it. The ring itself was worth a good deal of money. However, it wasn't money that made this ring important, it was obviously power.

I needed to give this elixir to Hope. Then, I'll have Mark hide the ring in the dungeons. I had a vault put in there when it was being built. They'd have to kill Mark before they could get to the vault.

One should always have a contingency plan. No one should get in the way of Hope's destiny. Not even my own mother.

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(Cecilia POV)

After Alexander showed up at the conjuring room while I was talking to his mother, Diane decided against taking the ring from Hope. To appease her, I lied and told her I would not look for the ring and will just wait for our trip to Canada.

The sun was setting when Alexander's Beta drove up to the front of the mansion to transport Alexander and Hope to the village. Now was my chance.

I went into the mansion and heard Diane in the kitchen preparing dinner with her staff. I quietly walked up the stairs and turned to the hall which would lead me to their room. Diane said Alexander had a safe. It must be in the room.

I opened the door and the darkness outside was already enveloping the room. I took out a small gem inside my pocket. It was a gem which provides light in a dark room without showing through the windows.

I walked inside their closet and started opening drawers. I found Hope's drawer for her jewelry and scanned through the items. The ring would glisten when hit by the light of this gem. It was not among her jewelry items. I looked through all of the drawers even Alexander's, but still no ring. I checked the room for a hidden vault. Nothing.

I entered the bathroom and began opening their cabinets. All I could find were toiletry items, towels, bottles of soap and shampoo. If Alexander's vault wasn't here, then where can it be?

I remembered Hope mentioning Alexander had an office. Could it be the room fronting this? I decided it would be best if I checked there also. I am already here. Might as well look there.

I exited their bedroom and closed the door behind me quietly. I proceeded to turn the knob of the door fronting their bedroom to check if the door was locked. It wasn't! Luck was on my side. I opened the door just a bit.

I sniffed the air to make sure no one was inside and I peeked inside. Yes! Indeed this was Alexander's office. I opened the door and walked to Alexander's desk. Only one drawer. I opened it and I only find a pen and pad of paper. I looked up. An expensive painting sat on the wall behind the desk. I casted the spell to open any vault. The painting slides into the wall and a vault appears, the door swinging open. The vault was empty. EMPTY! I wanted to scream my frustration.

I returned everything back to its original place. Maybe this was just a decoy and there was another vault in the room. I cast the spell to open any vault throughout the room. Nothing moved. Think Cecilia! There must be another vault here in this house. Howard's study!

It must be dinner time already. I can sneak into Howard's study and check for a vault before all of them are finished eating.

I head back downstairs and heard laughter in the dining room. I walked quietly to Howard's study and opened the door.

I've never been in here before, but even in the darkness, I could see the collection of precious items and prized possessions the Ulrich family had acquired over the years of being one of the richest clans. Expensive paintings of the masters lined the walls. Antiques and expensive jewelry in glass cabinets on display. Books of first editions lined the shelves of the walls. Armor of knights placed in each corner. The whole room was like an exhibit in a museum.

The tapestry of the Ulrich coat of arms hung proudly on the wall behind Howard's desk. The desk was huge. A laptop sat on top of it as well as today's newspaper. In front of the desk were two couches with a coffee table in between for entertaining guests. On the side of the desk was a mini-bar lined with alcoholic beverages and glasses.

If I were looking for riches, this would be the first room I would steal from, unfortunately, there was only one item I was interested in.

I casted a spell to open any vault and the mini-bar moves to the side and a big vault appears, its doors swinging open. I took the gem out of my pocket. Even if it is covered in cloth, the ring will still shine.

Inside the vault were several bars of gold, folders filled with important documents and a tray of black satin pouches. It might be in one of these pouches. I place the gem above the satin pouches to check. Nothing. How can that be possible? I decide to check each satin pouch and all I found were diamonds. No ring!

I heard voices from outside. I waved my hand and everything goes back to the way it was.

I opened the door a bit to see if anyone was outside. Howard was at the entrance to the parlor with his back towards me. I opened the door and exited the room.

"I forgot to get a bottle of wine Hope and Alexander brought with them. I want to put one in my study." I heard Howard say.

"I think I put the box in the kitchen," Diane replied. Howard left to go to the kitchen. I saw my chance to escape and walked towards the entrance of the house. I opened the door, exited the mansion and hurriedly walked home. The ring was not here in the mansion. Where could it possibly be?

It must be still with the High Elder. Adella, even in death, you mock me!