Chapter 177- Something Big Is About To Happen

Arabella:

I stood in front of the Queen, trying not to think about it.

She stepped closer and placed her left palm over my belly button. Her hand felt unusually warm against my clothes, but I didn’t dare move. "Close your eyes, Arabella."

I did as she asked.

For the next few minutes, neither of us spoke. I could hear her breathing, and once or twice, her fingers moved slightly against my stomach. And then she began.

"Repeat after me. I, Arabella Toussaint, a slave of the Royal Lycans..."

My eyes flew open at the word slave. Was she doing it intentionally to make me feel small? Of all the words she could have chosen, why did she have to use that one?

"Let her! This word will do us more good than she realizes." Astrea remarked.

The Queen’s eyes remained closed. "Repeat the words, Arabella. I’m waiting," She commanded, clearly annoyed by my silence.

I looked at her hand resting against my stomach. After everything I’d suffered in this palace, I never wanted to hear anyone call me that again. But now it was too late. I had already agreed to it. So, I decided to trust my wolf.

"I, Arabella Toussaint, a slave of the Royal Lycans," I repeated reluctantly.

"Do willingly bind myself under the Queen’s oath," she continued, "and swear before the Moon Goddess that I shall never reveal what has been spoken or agreed upon in this room, whether by speech, writing, signs, or any other means."

Shit! Now I was beginning to regret my decision. So much for Astraea’s brilliant idea. I went completely quiet.

The Queen still hadn’t opened her eyes. "Arabella," she said impatiently. "I’m waiting."

I wanted to pull away. I wanted to tell her I’d changed my mind and walk straight out of her office. But then I remembered Rick’s words about my mother.

"Astraea!" I called her in my head.

"Arabella, I’m your wolf. Trust me, she won’t be able to use this oath against you. Just go along with it for now. She thinks she’s clever, but the Moon Goddess is far smarter than she is. Let her think she’s won."

I nodded and started repeating those words. My eyes didn’t miss the relief on her face as she continued speaking.

"Should I ever attempt to reveal this agreement, or even form the intention of making it known to another, may the Moon Goddess tear the bones from my flesh and take my life as punishment."

The queen wasn’t just preventing me from speaking. She was making sure I couldn’t write about it, signal it, or even think about telling someone.

I’m doing this for you, Mom.

I closed my eyes again and repeated the oath, word for word.

Once the oath was complete, the Queen removed her hand from my stomach and opened her eyes. She looked far too pleased with herself.

"Well, that’s taken care of." She returned to her desk and gestured for me to sit down. "Now, about your mother."

I sat back in the chair, still feeling uneasy about the oath I’d just taken. "Go and speak to Vikki Toussaint," she continued. "See what she has to say. And if she refuses to cooperate, don’t be afraid to threaten her."

I looked at her, wondering how far she expected me to go.

"I’ll send a couple of royal guards with you. If you need more, just let me know. Scare her a little. Make her understand that you’re not leaving without answers. And if you have to grab her by the throat to make her talk, then do it."

Goddess. She wasn’t joking. The Queen was actually keeping her word. Unbelievable!

Theodora leaned forward slightly.

"Oh, and one more thing." Her eyes narrowed. "Her daughter is expecting a child, isn’t she? Vanessa?"

I nodded slowly.

"Well, then." She gave a small shrug. "I’m sure you can think of a way to use that information to your advantage."

She didn’t finish explaining, but she didn’t need to. I wasn’t a fool. I understood exactly what she was suggesting.

Threaten Vanessa and her unborn baby? I didn’t think I’d need to go that far. Still, I kept my thoughts to myself and nodded as though I was considering her advice.

"Thank you for your help, Your Highness," I said, getting to my feet. The Queen smiled, looking very pleased with how our meeting had turned out.

"The pleasure was mine, Arabella. It was wonderful doing business with you."

Business? Wow!

I returned her smile anyway and quietly made my way out. The meeting hadn’t gone entirely in my favor, but I’d gotten two things I wanted. I could worry about Anika’s case later. Right now, Jasmine needed to pay for what she’d done to Zorro, and I needed to find out the truth about my mother.

***

I was passing by the training grounds, still thinking about my deal with the Queen, when I spotted Bradley talking to one of the warriors.

The moment our eyes met, he stopped paying attention to the man beside him and looked straight into my eyes.

Urgh. He is still mad at me.

I ignored him and glanced toward Jasmine, who was dressed in a black sports bra and matching leggings. She had noticed me too, but unlike Bradley, she chose to ignore me and went back to her workout.

After dinner, a little surprise will be waiting for you, Jasmine.

Then I spotted Lucien.

He was swinging a heavy wooden club called Mugdar, an Indian club, over his shoulder and behind his back with practiced ease, his tattooed arms flexing with every movement.

He wore black workout pants, and I could see sweat glistening across his tattooed chest and muscular arms. I found myself ogling him, not bothering to look away.

As if sensing me, he turned his head. Our eyes met, and a knowing grin spread across his face. There it was. That little dimple in his cheek.

Damn that dimple. How was I supposed to think straight when he smiled like that? The moment I saw that dimple, all those doubts seemed to disappear.

For a few seconds, I couldn’t think of anything but him.

"Arabella, I have a feeling," Astraea suddenly spoke up. "Something big is about to happen. I think the Moon Goddess is about to bless us with something neither of us expected."