Chapter 155 - Sophie's Pain

"You wish to strike the royal family during the holidays?" she asked.

The Alpha nodded. "Yes."

"So while the royal family is in the villa right next to us, looking forward to relaxing and spending time with their loved ones… that is when the Blood River Pack will strike them down?"

"Yes. That is when their guards will be the most down," Leland patiently explained to her. He said all of this in a soft and gentle voice so as to not scare off his mate, he didn't want her to see this side of him.

However, this was everything that Leland was raised and prepared to do.

Sophie's expression was grim and suddenly an uncomfortable nudge pressed at the back of her mind. "When you say that you will end the royal family… Do you truly mean everyone?"

"Yes, everyone," Leland explained with a serious expression as he shook his head. "All of them are too unwilling to accept the lycans and will forever declare war if even one of them survives."

"So even the children?" Sophie closed her eyes in pain as she thought about innocent young kids dying simply because they were born in the wrong family.

"They will grow up with even more hatred towards the lycan packs if they survive." Leland coughed. "However, the good news is that the royal family and all their relatives are more on the aged side. I do not think they have kids yet."

"What do you mean?" Sophie frowned a little. Was it truly all better that there were no children and their pack would kill the elderly?

"The entirety of the royal family are all adults, with the crown prince to actually succeed the throne on his twenty-two birthday," Leland explained. "We have already started to eliminate his relatives one by one."

Sophie bit on her lip and the thing that had been bothering her the most finally left her lips. She looked Leland in the eye and asked. "Did you have something to do with the death of Lord Ferdinand and his nephew?"

The Alpha was at a loss of words for a moment.

"You did, right?" Sophie's voice was small and not at all accusatory as Leland might have expected. Instead, it was only because she wanted to confirm something and that worried the Alpha more than anything. 

"Sophia…"

It never crossed her mind before, or even if it did, Sophie had chosen to ignore it in lieu of more important things like the survival of her children while she was still a maid under the employ of Duke Romanov.

She was then distracted by the numerous changes around her life and the way that her relatives did not care for her. She had focused on the pain and hurt, seeking revenge for what her relatives did to her. 

Those things occupied her mind and chased out other thoughts that weren't related whatsoever.

When Sophie became married to Duke Romanov, her thoughts and attention were preoccupied with her children and then the revelation that he was Lee and that filled her with so much joy.

Sophie was happy, satisfied and at peace… she thought she was fulfilled and could live happily with Leland and her children now. However, contrary to her expectations, there was still so much to do.

And now came this revelation.

The Alpha did not know what connection Sophia had to Lord Ferdinand and his nephew. The only person that Leland knew to be of importance to Sophia beside her parents were Nicholas and that man was already long gone.

Why did she care about Lord Ferdinand and his nephew?

Leland wanted to ask about it but was afraid of accidentally hurting his mate's feelings some more. So, he cleared his throat and looked at Sophia with a sad smile. "Do you know how Lord Ferdinand is related to the royal family?"

Sophie bit her lip but nodded. Her lessons in the Cawden Academy proved her well as she met the eye of her husband. "He is related to Queen Marianne Hannenbergh… So, that is why you have chosen to kill him."

"Yes."

"I understand." Sophie looked at Leland and nodded her head slowly. She had already mourned for Nicholas and thought that her wounds were already healed, but this was similar to ripping off a bandage.

She was reminded of who she had lost.

What she and her children had lost was the chance to be with Nicholas. Even though Leland was now here and taking the role of the father and husband, and even with both Sophie and her children loving him and being fond of the Alpha, it wasn't the same. 

The fact of the matter was that Nicholas was still gone and Sophie was in front of the person who unknowingly sentenced him to death simply because Nicholas was distantly related to the royal family.

"Sophia, you do not appear well." Leland gently reached out to touch his mate and to his surprise, she gently stepped away from him and flashed him a tired smile. The pain of loss throbbed heavily in her heart and his.

The weight was so heavy that Leland did not know what truly affected his mate to be hurt and pained this much. He was at a loss for words at the depths of despair that rang through her heart.

"I… I'm fine, Leland. I was just surprised." Sophie clutched a hand on her chest and gave him a tight smile. "I truly understand that you have chosen to walk this path as the Alpha of your pack. There will always be death, right?"

Leland looked at his wife in worry and stood up. Sophie had never accepted the idea of killing other people but now she seemed to have accepted it? Something was terribly wrong. 

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From Missrealitybites:

Uff.... now Sophie would think that Leland is responsible for Nicholas' death since she thought Nicholas was Lord Ferdinand's nephew that died with him. Would she hate him for it? What do you think?