Broken Queen

4. A pair of beautiful green eyes

Alpha King Bentley had three malevolent sons: Crown Prince Miles, Alpha Prince Grant, and Third Prince Farrell. On the outside they appeared attractive but on the inside they were little more than toxic waste.

Regina’s eyes studied the Alpha and Luna. Hadn’t they just been curious to discover who had been in the room with her? Would they dare to reach for the Princes’ collars just to bring her down?

“Have you gone insane, Regina?” Harrison snarled, but it was tinged with resentment and animosity. Even the devil himself would think twice before disclosing their names if it were in reference to Grant and Farrell.

“How can you blame the Alpha Prince and Third Prince for your sins? Aren’t you terrified of being decapitated if your lie is discovered?” His voice rose in panic. Every werewolf was terrified of the Royal Pack’s power. If the Alpha King learned of these accusations, the Dumas Moon Pack would be in no small amount of trouble for tarnishing the Princes’ reputations.

Regina just gave Harrison a blank look. This man had the audacity to call himself an Alpha. He was little more than a stand-in for her Grandfather. In her past life, Harrison had conspired against his Father after Jermaine returned alive from the Maze. Later, Jermaine had been publicly humiliated before being hung.

Regina’s eyes grew darker at seeing Harrison alive and well. He did not intimidate her, nor did his presence make her quiver. Yet she still dropped her gaze.

“Just moments ago, I was assured that if I exposed the names of the men, the Alpha would help me bring them to justice,” Regina's voice was quiet when she pointed this out. The hearts of the pack members ached at witnessing their Princess suffer so much at such a young age.

“I believe the Alpha won’t allow them to escape the repercussions of their actions,” she bit her lip.

Harrison listened to the whispers of the pack members while gritting his teeth. Even if they believed what Regina said, he couldn't confront Grant and Farrell or hold them accountable for their misconduct. He held no such power. His furious gaze went to Laila.

“Don't ever suggest anything like that again,” he mind-linked Laila with a glare as she had persuaded Regina to name the men responsible for this crime by promising justice.

"The Third Prince?" Violet staggered, nearly collapsing under the emotional and mental strain but Bernice swiftly supported her while giving her a quick glare to maintain her composure in front of the pack.

“Mother… she slept with my Farrell,” Violet whispered weakly but her wolf eyes turned crimson. She dug her sharp claws into her palm, ready to shred Regina's innocent face which had always been more beautiful than her own, it just intensified the insecurity in her heart.

“Why would a Prince desire an ugly woman?” Bernice quickly inquired. There was no way they could bear the scandal of Violet was aiming for the position of the Third Prince Farrell's wife and had been having an affair with him. “See how she is hiding her behind her hair in shame.”

“Yes, Mother is right,” Violet felt a sense of relief but Bernice was losing her s**t.

What if Farrell had actually stolen Regina's innocence? Aziza had stolen Sven from Bernice. Wasn't Regina doing the same? Bernice felt stuck, unable to act. She turned her eyes towards Luna Alvara who was looking anxiously at Laila.

“Please bring me justice, Alpha,” Regina begged.

"It's impossible," Laila murmured in disbelief as her eyes locked with Regina's calm ones.

She had sent her maid to lock Regina in that dark room. How could her plan have backfired on her?

She had planned for Regina to die due to suffocation. No one would have questioned her as she had been attending the party with a friend. But then Laila had remembered something else about that evening, Grant was not at the party at that time. Had he…had he really stalked and f****d Regina that night?

“Grant wouldn't touch Regina. He is mine…” Laila murmured. Regina read her lips which brought a small smile to her own. She innocently lowered her gaze when Laila’s wolf glared at her.

“Regina don’t cry,” one of the pack’s Elders stepped forward. “You’re the granddaughter of the legendary Royal Beta Jermaine, even though he isn't around to protect you, his reputation alone will bring you justice.”

“Yes! The scandal is huge so it’ll end in marriage,” another Elder said in support of her.

“Thank you,” Regina wiped at her tears.

“What?” Laila’s mouth gape.

The Alpha King has yet to name his successor, Grant stood a good chance of succeeding his Father one day. Regina would become his Luna Queen, while Laila who had been weaving together a fantasy of becoming Grant's wife since childhood would be left empty handed.

Luna Alvara, who had been quietly standing beside her mate the entire time, had the most interesting expression.

“Was there a more shameless she-wolf than one who was willing to expose the names of the men that she slept with instead of committing suicide?” She chuckled under her breath. A timid virgin had the guts to do this?

Before Alvara could say a word and handle the situation, Laila spoke.

“I’m worried that no one will believe you, Regina,” Laila put on her polished expressions and body language before speaking. Regina wanted to laugh at her remark. When Laila lost her s**t, she always acted bizarrely gentle.

“I wonder, why? The room I was found in belongs to the Third Prince and your maid saw a man’s shadow, it fits the description of Alpha Prince Grant, right?” Regina countered. Laila was trapped in her own lie. She could not say that her maid had lied about the man’s shadow.

“Yes, but that man can’t be Alpha Prince Grant.” Laila’s pitch was a little high as she began to argue using her weak claims. Regina’s words had more weight than hers and she was afraid that Grant was going to slip through her fingers. Regina’s black hair hid her evil smirk when she began to sense Laila’s fear.

“It saddens me that you’re assuming things, Laila. I know that you care about me but the Princes need to take responsibility or who will marry me?” Regina made herself sound so pitiful that it attracted the sympathetic eyes of the pack members causing Laila to panic further.

“Don’t lie, Regina! That man wasn’t Grant,” Laila snapped, losing her temper for the first time.

“Don’t let your ladylike facade slip in public,” Alvara mind-linked Laila as her eyes snapped at her daughter in alarm.

“How can you be so sure that he wasn’t the Alpha Prince?” Regina asked, stunning Alvara for a second.

“Because at that time Grant was…”

“Enough!!!” Luna Alvara yelled before Laila could slip up and tell the truth, that during the party Laila and Grant had been together.

“Why would Laila be so distraught over Grant's name being mentioned?” Harrison suspiciously looked at Alvara and Laila. The circumstances were made even more suspicious by Alvara's unexpected interruption.

“It’s just an argument between cousins ” Alvara disregarded her mate's baffled stare and kept her face blank. "Leave this matter to me, Dear." She moved down the steps, her gaze fixed on Laila, who had almost ruined herself by mentioning Grant.

“Your Father has no idea that you have feelings for Grant. Even though Grant is the Alpha Prince and every woman that lives in the Dyson Kingdom’s dream man, your Father would never allow you to mix with the Royals unless he is her mate,” Alvara reminded her daughter.

Harrison wouldn't allow his daughter to wreck everything he’d worked for over her foolish obsession. If he discovered Laila in Grant's bed, he would quite eagerly strangle her to death. If she caused any disgrace to his name, the loss of a daughter would not be a big deal for him. His son Arlo was enough in his eyes. But for Alvara, Laila was her ticket to the Royal Palace.

Alvara met Regina's gaze, she had skillfully provoked her intelligent daughter. How had she done it? She was a brainless Princess and a huge stain on the Dumas Moon Pack.

“Regina, my child. Don't be scared. I’m here for you,” Luna Alvara coaxed, giving Regina her sweetest smile as if she were her mother. If this had been heard by the old Regina, she would have believed every word but it was not the same Regina standing before her.

This woman was responsible for murdering Regina’s Mother in order to obtain her Luna position. Aziza had been found dead in her room. Her death was pronounced a suicide.

“A widowed Luna who couldn’t bear the death of her mate and took poison to join him,” Alvara had smartly spread the rumor around the pack. On one occasion when Alvara had come to visit Laila at the palace Regina had overheard their conversation.

After murdering Regina’s Mother, Alvara had played the role of her adoptive mother perfectly. Jermaine had handed over the responsibility of raising a six year old Regina to Alvara after Aziza’s death. He expected that Regina would receive motherly love from Alvara. Instead, she used Regina to gain Jermaine’s favor and good graces. She had never mistreated her directly and always acted kind to her but she never treated her like Laila.

“I know you’re confused, Regina. The men that were with you couldn’t be Alpha Prince Grant and Third Prince Farrell,” Alvara’s motherly tone felt like someone had poured acid in Regina’s ears. “If you accept your mistakes and your punishment then I’ll help you marry into a good family.” Regina saw her lips curling up into a warm smile.

Regina smiled knowing what she needed to do if she did not want to be punished. In her previous life Alvara had taken possession of Luna Aziza’s jewelry, she had always desired Aziza’s pack land that was in Regina’s name as well. After the death of her parents, Regina became the sole mistress of that packhouse. Regina stood at the point in her life when she had lost her Mother’s possessions and her Grandfather's packhouse. They said that after the scandal she was not worthy of keeping them.

“I promise that I’ll protect you, my child,” Alvara assured her in a sweet yet worried tone.

Laila scowled even though she knew that her Mother was a great actress. Bernice's smile returned as the scandal, and the Third Prince's name, would be cleared. The matter would be buried as soon as Regina accepted things.

“Protect me?” Regina calmly looked at everyone’s faces. At that moment they were all playing the same game. They were planning to ruin her image in front of the pack by forcing her to accept the sin of sleeping with an unknown man. Regina smirked mentally. Shouldn’t she grant their wish? She met the Luna's gaze.

“This sinner isn’t worthy of the Luna's kindness,” Regina’s voice shook with guilt which brought a smile to Alvara's lips.

“Oh my, but you’re like a daughter to me, Regina,” Alvara placed both of her hands on Regina's shoulders wanting to pull her into a hug while letting out a small laugh, enjoying her respectful gaze. She was an amazing woman in the eyes of the pack, someone who had raised another woman’s child.

“Yes, that is why I don't think I’m going to accept your kind hearted suggestion Luna,” Regina remarked, confusing Alvara and the others.

“What do you mean?” Alvara wondered, her smile faded a bit. She noticed a pool of tears gathering in Regina’s eyes which startled her.

“I’ll take my punishment Luna,” Regina announced, scaring the hell out of everyone in the pack. “I’ll go to the State Inspector, accepting my sins for sleeping with Alpha Prince Grant and Prince Farrell,” Harrison stood up from his seat as soon as Regina mentioned the State Inspector.

Bernice's wide eyes snapped to her brother and Luna Alvara. If this matter left the confines of the pack then the Alpha King would learn that Grant and Farrell had s*x with Regina. The pack would lose face but Regina would gain two powerful husbands!

“I should be punished under royal law,” Regina remarked, wiping away her tears. Laila and Violet stared at their parents in panic. The men they loved were going to be mated and marked by Regina.

“No…no you can't go to the State Inspector Regina,” Luna Alvara stammered, losing all the color from her face. Her voice lost the pride that it always held and her forehead became sweaty.

“Then what about the punishment Luna? Grandpa always said that one should repent for their sins. I’ve been accused of losing my innocence…”

“According to who?” Alvara interrupted with a frown. Regina blinked innocently. “I’ll punish Laila’s maid for misleading us over a shadow that could have been a piece of furniture. No one saw a man in the room. Plus you were just on the bed. The door was locked so I believe that you just wanted a bit of rest,” the Luna said with a forced smile.

“What?” Laila gritted her teeth. Her plan to ruin Regina’s image was failing. The strategy to remove Regina as an obstacle was not something that Laila had been planning for just a few days. It had taken years. She had removed Regina from her path to Grant by giving her that scar. Laila had sent that wolf into the woods to ruin Regina’s beauty.

“Mother,” after coming so far Laila refused to let Regina just walk away. Her parents had just accepted the fact that Regina was still a virgin in front of the entire pack.

Laila shook her head, attempting to speak but Harrison’s glare froze her on the spot. “Shut up!” he glared. Only Alvara had stopped Regina from going to the State Inspector, otherwise they would be doomed.

“But the Kingdom doesn’t know about my innocent Luna. I think I should go to the State Inspector,” Regina insisted.

“Don't worry about that. I’ll ask the Alpha to spread the news of your innocence. People will know that the scandal was just a rumor,” Alvara assured but Regina lifted her eyes to look at an annoyed Harrison who had yet to confirm his mate’s promises.

“Alvara is right. Princess Regina is my niece and for the honor of the pack I’ll protect her,” Harrison commented casually. Violet and Laila’s mouths hung open in shock.

“Then I can rely on the Alpha and Luna to clear my name of this scandal?” Regina asked, earning a kind smile from Alvara. “Then please excuse me, so that I can retire to my packhouse,” Regina smiled, giving a slight bow of her head. Harrison and Alvara’s pride stung when they heard the words ‘my packhouse’.

They had done so much to obtain it but it had once again slipped through their fingers. All of their planning to remove Regina was in vain. She’d successfully escaped! The pack members viewed Luna Alvara and Alpha Harrison with respect but their hearts were enraged. They lost this round of the game to that little slut!

“Princess,” Olivia immediately ran out of the crowd to follow her mistress who had set out towards her packhouse. The wolves who had surrounded her stepped aside as she walked slowly like a Queen not sparing the others a glance.

“Regina,” Olivia whispered as she closely followed Regina. She still could not believe that Regina did something that unexpected and could leave her monstrous relatives behind.

“For a second I thought you were going to marry Alpha Prince Grant and Third Prince Farrell,” Olivia shook at the mere thought of her innocent Princess being mated and marked by two men that were not her mate. A chuckle escaped Regina’s lips when she thought about her hypothetical marriage to Grant.

“I would happily accept death once again instead of eating that rotten fruit twice.” Olivia shivered at the coldness in Regina’s eyes. Olivia could not understand the meaning behind her words.

“But, I’m still confused,” Olivia commented. “When you were trapped in that room and suffocating, how did you manage to climb on the bed?” Olivia's question brought a new memory to the forefront of Regina’s mind that had not been there in her past life. Her feet slowed subconsciously. No one had been in that room with her in her past life.

Regina blinked when she suddenly remembered a pair of beautiful green eyes that were in the room with her that night. They stared deeply into her black ones.

Her hands automatically brushed her lips as if she were captivated by them.

“Who do they belong to?”