Molly was rushed to the hospital. She had regained consciousness at some point and was crying, "My baby, what happened to my baby?"
Her pale face and weak voice would make even the coldest person pity her. And she got a lot of pity. The banquet was dismissed early; no one complained that they were not properly seen off. Everyone offered their words of encouragement and left. It was no good to get involved in a Royal Pack scandal. But Garsam was sure that by tomorrow morning, every pack in the Tristate area would know that the Luna Queen pushed her husband's pregnant mistress down the stairs.
Garsam followed them to the hospital and anxiously waited in the corridor. Nothing could happen to Molly's child, or else, innocent or not, her Queen mother would be forced to bear the blame. She didn't believe her Queen mother pushed Molly. She didn't think Molly would harm herself either; the baby was her trump card, she wouldn't risk that. That means her fall could only be an accident. Garsam rubbed her face in frustration.
She wished Klaus was here but she had declined his offer to accompany her. Several other people were in the corridor waiting, including her father. She had never seen him so flustered. Was he worried about Molly or the child she hopefully still carried? She must have been staring really hard because his head turned, and their eyes met. His worried expression morphed into anger. He stalked towards her.
The door to the operating room opened, and a doctor, her father gave her a hateful glance and turned to the doctor.
"How is she?" Her father asked.
"Alpha," the doctor bowed. "The patient inside is your...?"
"Wife," her father answered. Garsam clenched her fist so hard her knuckles turned white.
The doctor was a little confused; the girl in there was barely twenty and looked nothing like the Luna. He didn't think any further; it was no concern of his.
"Her condition is stable, and the child is fine; there were bruises on her arms indicating she had shielded her stomach during the fall or else both mother and child might not be saved."
Garsam followed her father and some high-ranking wolves in the pack into the dungeon. They walked a small distance even deeper than where Klaus had been. This part of the dungeon had a musty iron smell, and the scent of blood and urine could not be ignored either. It was also closer to the torture chamber. Soon they reached her mom's cell; she was standing right in the center of the cell. There was no place to seat, and the cell could barely contain a second person.
The Alpha King glared at his Luna. He never really liked this mate of his; she always had that condescending look in her eyes like she couldn't be bothered to speak to mere mortals. Even now, locked up in prison, her expression was placid.
"Do you know what you have done?" He growled.
The Luna Queen smiled, a serene smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I did nothing wrong, husband."
She bowed. "Please seek justice and prove my innocence."
The Alpha King scoffed in fury. "You still dare to quibble; perhaps a month in here will set you straight."
Garsam bowed. "My Queen mother is innocent!"
Some of the high-ranking wolves that were close to her mother, including the beta and his wife, bowed as well. "The Luna Queen is innocent, your Majesty!"
The Alpha King glared at them. "Good, good, you're all taking her side."
The Beta straightened up. "This is not a matter of taking sides, your Majesty. The Luna Queen has been faithful all these years, the pack looks up to her, and despite all your...indiscretions, she has remained tolerant. She would not throw all these away in a moment of anger."
He bowed again. "Please investigate, your Majesty."
"Good, good," the Alpha King repeated with fury in his eyes; he stormed out with his trusted aides.
Garsam bowed to the few people that pled for her mother. "Thank you."
"There's no need to thank us," the Beta's wife interrupted. "I don't trust that little seductress one bit; I mean how convenient is it that with how much she bled, her little bastard survived?"
The Beta chided his wife. "Be thankful the child didn't die or else it would become a matter of harming the royal bloodline."
He motioned to a guard to unlock the Luna's cell. A Luna Queen should never have been locked up in the dungeon, no matter how grave her crime. The Alpha King had gone too far.
Garsam took her mom home. When they entered, the Luna Queen's proud posture finally wavered; she smiled weakly. Garsam led her to a seat.
"How is the girl?" She asked.
Garsam scowled. "Why do you care about the bitch?"
"From what I've heard, she should be just fine, that's good."
"Don't worry, mom; I'll clear your name."
"No, don't," she sighed. "There's no proof I didn't push her, even if there was, it wouldn't make a difference. I'm prepared to be the villain."
Even now her mom was still silently bearing the insults. "Mom, I don't care about the pack, I don't care about being Alpha, I just want you to be happy."
Her mom looked startled, then she chuckled. "Where did that suddenly come from?"
"It's not sudden; I've thought about this for a long time. If the reason you're tolerating everything is that you want me to become Alpha King, then you no longer need to because I don't care."
"I don't need the power because I'm plenty strong on my own and... I want to openly be with my mate."
"Ah, there's the main point," her mom laughed.
Garsam blushed. "No, it's not; I'm sick and tired of seeing you in pain because father spreads his seeds like a dog in heat! You're still young; reject him and find yourself a second chance mate!"
"Darling, if only things were that easy. About your mate, is he currently in the pack?"
Ding. Dong.
The doorbell rang. Garsam opened the door. A delicious scent assaulted her. She gaped in surprise, what was he doing here?
He reached out and held her hand. "Can I come in?"
"Uh..."
"Who is it?" Her mom called from the sitting room.
Garsam pulled him in and shut the door.
"There's someone I'd like you to meet," she announced. Her mom looked up and raised an aristocratic brow.
"He is?" She asked, even though she had an idea of who he was.
"This is Klaus, my mate."
Klaus reached out his hand; the Luna Queen briefly shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
He held out a neat black bag. "I made a little something for you."
The Luna Queen accepted it with a smile. She pulled out the box in the bag and opened it. Inside the box was a snow globe.
"Sam told me you loved Cherry blossoms," he said.
The cherry blossom snow globe was a beautiful sight to behold! A delicate, pink cherry blossom tree was captured in a glass globe, surrounded by a flurry of delicate, white "snow" flakes. The tree's branches were covered in tiny, pink blossoms, and the snow would drift gently around them, creating a mesmerizing display. As the globe is turned, the snow would swirl and dance, adding to the magical effect. It was a beautiful scene.
The Luna Queen smiled happily; her eyes twinkled as she shook the globe; it even felt cold to the touch. "You made this?" She asked.
"I did."
Garsam had him sit down; she whispered in his ear. "When did you have time to prepare a gift?"
"As long as it concerns you, I'll always have time."
Garsam smiled. She wanted to kiss him so bad. Klaus raised a brow at her. His little girl was thinking naughty things again.
The Luna Queen set aside the gifts. "Tell me about yourself, dear."
Garsam squeezed his hand in encouragement, and he squeezed back.
"My name is Kriss, and I am an ice spirit."
Garsam turned to him in surprise. He was a spirit? The Luna Queen looked at her silly daughter's expression and figured that she didn't know.
Kriss continued. "In each Century, I am given a mate..."
Garsam released his hand. "And...how many centuries has that been?"
Kriss narrowed his eyes in thought. "Five," he answered.
"I'm gonna go get you a drink, are you thirsty? Sure you are." She stood up and hurried into the kitchen.
"Four fucking mates?" She hissed. She knew he could hear her.
In the sitting room, the Luna Queen gave him an encouraging smile. "She'll be fine, give her a minute."
Klaus nodded.
"Do you have plans for both of you?"
"I originally planned to take her back to my home..."
Garsam's ears twitched in the kitchen.
"...but now I think you should come along."
The Luna Queen gaped in surprise. "That is very kind of you, but I must decline..."
"Why?!" Garsam burst out of the kitchen.
"My place is right here, love; it's good enough if you follow him."
"If you're not going, then neither am I!"
"Don't be stubborn."
"If I leave you here, that little bitch will plot against you."
"I have supporters here; besides, she is a little girl, ambitious but ignorant. No child born out of wedlock can become the Royal Pack's Heir; her efforts are all for naught."
"What if father insists, especially when I leave?"
"Your father cannot simply do as he wishes. If he insists, then I'll involve the Council of Elders. If the current Alpha King has no heirs, then a contest will be held to determine our next leader... I will ensure that is the only outcome of this story."
"Mom..."
"You have no more excuses, dear; go with your mate, be happy. Mother is sorry for all these years; let's meet again, okay?"
That same night, Garsam left Royal Pack with Klaus. When she came out with her backpack, her eyes twitched as she saw him harnessing the reindeers to the sleigh.
"Is that safe?" She asked.
Klaus patted the sturdy sleigh. "Of course."
Garsam deadpanned. "The first time I saw you in that thing, you crashed into a mountain."
Klaus coughed. "That was my old self; he's a little ditzy."
Garsam frowned. "Tell me, do you have multiple personalities?"
Klaus turned and heaved her into the sleigh. The seats were quite comfortable. Klaus denied. "I don't, I just get a little silly during summer, you can tell by the color of my hair."
He held her cold fingers and pressed a kiss to it. "Besides, even if I have a dozen personalities, it wouldn't matter, because they would all love you."