Alpha Nocturne"s Contracted Mate

Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate By A E Randell Chapter 98

Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell

Chapter 98 Return to the Palace

As soon as the Royal Court of Elders had released them into the hands of their

specially trained guards, they were escorted back to the palace in an unmarked car

with blacked-out windows and no trace of the usual pomp and ceremony that followed

them everywhere. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

They sat in silence as they headed towards the palace, the guards watching them like

hawks with impassive expressions on their faces.

Title of the document

The trial had been a disaster for all of them, especially Leopold.

This latest installment in the saga of events that revolved around Ada’s obsession with

trying to destroy Ann had exposed the long-standing defects and flaws that Narcissa

had spent so long cultivating in Leopold’s character.

The time and energy it had taken to chip away at his sense of righteousness, the

seduction and whispered persuasion that it had taken to twist his mind with her

poisonous words, and the sacrifices of flesh that she had been f0rced to make over

the years to bind his heart to hers, ensnaring his wolf in a bottomless void so that she

could take control of his every move…

She had been so damn close…

Narcissa raised her eyes carefully to sneak a look at her husband and her heart sank

as the cold stare that met her was devoid of all emotion.

All of her hard work had been completely undone now that Ada’s lies had been

revealed. The trust was gone and with that, the paranoia that her whispered words

filled with poison and the darkness she had instilled in him would now turn him against

her.

Dark Magick was nothing if not volatile and required careful handling, something her

pathetic daughter still failed to grasp.

Narcissa shifted her eyes to look at Ada’s sullen countenance as soon as Leopold

released her from his disdainful glare.

Ada must have felt the intensity of her gaze as she glanced up uncertainly and visibly

paled as she met the cold calculating gaze of her mother.

The murderous fury radiated from her and Ada knew she was in big trouble, but there

was nothing that she could do until they were in the relative safety of the palace.

For once, she was immensely grateful for the protection that these extra guards would

provide for her. Although they wouldn’t be able to move against the guards and their

plans would have to be put on hold… at least her mother couldn’t murder her in cold

blood where she slept.

Ada might be impulsive and acted rashly, but she wasn’t entirely stupid. She knew

that her mother’s love was entirely conditional on her usefulness, and with the verdict

of the trial, her usefulness had just about run out.

She wrapped her arms around her stomach subconsciously and patted her tiny bump

soothingly as her eyes pricked with the hot feeling of unshed tears, threatening to

burst free.

She had to find a way out of this, for her unborn child’s sake. Ada’s stomach twisted

uncomfortably.

No matter what her mother said or felt, this baby was the most important thing in her

life and she would fight until her dying breath in order for her baby to see the light of

day.

The car pulled to a stop abruptly, shaking Ada out of her thoughts as the guards

moved them fluidly out of the car and into the palace, ignoring inquiries from the

palace guards and shoving them roughly away.

There was nothing that they could do to go against the Elders Guards, they were

above even the king. If anyone dared to move against them in the line of their duties,

then there would be swift, and brutal consequences for the parties involved.

Leopold, Narcissa, and Ada traipsed glumly in through the ornate front doors and

through the dimly lit corridors.

Their staff would be whittled down to a skeleton crew now thanks to sanctions

imposed during the investigation. Not that Ada minded, it was fewer people to have to

keep an eye on. She wouldn’t be accepting food or drink from anyone anytime soon

anyway. She had seen how easily her mother employed her poisons and she refused

to be on the receiving end purely because she was an inconvenience.

Ada’s father said nothing as he strode forward wordlessly and continued toward the

staircase.

“Dad? Are you going straight to bed?” Ada asked in a quiet voice edged with a hint of

panic.

She really didn’t want to be left alone with her mother, especially with the way she was

eyeing her right now.

Leopold paused on the stairs and turned his head slightly over his shoulder. He

seemed to have aged tremendously in the past few hours.

“I’m tired, Ada. I’m tired of it all.” He said wearily, his voice hoarse as he resumed his

laborious climb up the staircase.

“Don’t disturb me tonight… either of you…” He added as four guards fell in behind

him, “The last thing I want to see right now is the faces of the people that betrayed me

in the worst possible way…”

Narcissa hurried forward to the bottom of the stairs, clutching at the banister

desperately as she shouted after him.

“My love, please, you don’t mean that! We’ve only ever loved you and supported you.

This will all disappear quickly and everything will go back to normal soon. Just give it a

little time and you’ll see..”

Ada’s stomach turned at the desperation in her mother’s voice. She never begged.

Not for anything, nor anyone…

Leopold paused at the top of the stairs and stared down at them both coldly.

There was no warmth in his eyes, no trace of humanity or life anymore as he stared

impassively at them.

Just a cold, grey emptiness, that sent a shiver down Narcissa’s spine.

“I think we have reached the end of whatever…’this’ was, Narcissa. I don’t know you,

nor our daughter anymore. You should prepare to remove yourself to another wing

once the investigation is over.”

“Leopold!” Narcissa wailed, her voice cracking slightly.

“Enough.” He said quietly, yet firmly. “That’s enough, Narcissa, you both have done

enough.”