Chapter
Chapters
Chapter 1 The Scentless One
Chapter 2 Memories
Chapter 3 Assaulted
Chapter 4 Surprise
Chapter 5 The New Assistant
Chapter 6 Surprise Assignment
Chapter 7 Stay or Not
Chapter 8 Jessica’s Trick
Chapter 9 Discovering Alpha Power
Chapter 10 Surprise Visitor
Chapter 11 Message Explosion
Chapter 12 Reunion Misery
Chapter 13 Something to Talk About
Chapter 14 Hidden Obsession
Chapter 15 His Proposition
Chapter 16 Resisting
Chapter 17 A Deal
Chapter 18 New Department
Chapter 19 Wagering My Freedom
Chapter 20 Both Accepted and Rejected
Chapter 21 Losing to an Alpha
Chapter 22 A Surprising Perspective
Chapter 23 Swarmed and Stalked
Chapter 24 The Lesson
Chapter 25 Sally's Story
Chapter 26 The Photojournalist Finds a New Love
Chapter 27 His Promise to Protect
Chapter 28 The Missing Assistant
Chapter 29 Is it a Date?
Chapter 30 Attempted Murder
Chapter 31 The Poisoner
Chapter 32 Cathy Joins the Mission
Chapter 33 Threatened By a Colleague
Chapter 34 He Wants More
Chapter 35 Sweet Success
Chapter 36 Getting Steamy in the Kitchen
Chapter 37 A Cozy Night with An Alpha
Chapter 38 The Alpha in My Bed
Chapter 39 A Jealous Day
Chapter 40 First Kiss
Chapter 41 Jealous Again
Chapter 42 Another Kiss
Chapter 43 Letting Myself Go With Him
Chapter 44 An Unusual Request
Chapter 45 Charles and the Children
Chapter 46 Charles in Command
Chapter 47 Kissing in the Rain
Chapter 48 Chaos at City Hall
Chapter 49 Intimidation Tactics
Chapter 50 Reporting to the Boss
Chapter 51 An Easy Choice
Chapter 52 Possible Murder
Chapter 53 Kisses Over Coffee
Chapter 54 Conversation with the Editor
Chapter 55 One Dream Fulfilled
Chapter 56 My First Press Conference
Chapter 57 Charles, the Boss
Chapter 58 Telling All to Cathy
Chapter 59 The Declaration
Chapter 60 The Pleasure is All Mine
Chapter 61 First Time with My Alpha
Chapter 62 The Protests Begin
Chapter 63 Fighting An Attacker
Chapter 64 Satisfaction in the Shower
Chapter 65 A Thinly Veiled Threat
Chapter 66 The Adoption Party
Chapter 67 Murder of a Traitor
Chapter 68 Making Love to Forget the Night
Chapter 69 A Clue From Jessica
Chapter 70 A Deeper Betrayal Discovered
Chapter 71 Preparing For Battle
Chapter 72 Charles Wins the Crowd
Chapter 73 A Smear Campaign Launched
Chapter 74 The Attack
Chapter 75 The Murderer's Father Speaks
Chapter 76 Saving the City of Lustrum
Chapter 77 Victory Celebration
Chapter 78 The History of the Alpha King
Chapter 79 Claimed By My Alpha
Chapter 80 Uncertain Goodbyes
Chapter 81 In The State Capitol
Chapter 82 Turning a 180
Chapter 83 Life Upended
Chapter 84 A Little Too Sweet
Chapter 85 The Cost
Chapter 86 Old Wounds
Chapter 87 Making Lemonade From Lemons
Chapter 88 Some Much-Needed Freedom
Chapter 89 Sneaking Off, Naughty, Naughty
Chapter 90 Freaky Fun
Chapter 91 Taking a Serious Look at Our Relationship
Chapter 92 If Only This Could Last Forever
Chapter 93 The Warm Family Feels
Chapter 94 If Only This Could Last Forever
Chapter 95 Bad News Comes Knocking
Chapter 96 More Mistreatment
Chapter 97 Another Move?
Chapter 98 Leaving One Evil Behind
Chapter 99 So Long, Lupinton
Chapter 100 The Mile High Club
Chapter 101 Night and Day Different Guards
Chapter 102 Landing in Packhaven
Chapter 103 Testing the Boundaries
Chapter 104 Making the Most of the Morning
Chapter 105 a Meeting With the Governor
Chapter 106 An Unemployed Alpha
Chapter 107 The Terms of Our New Life
Chapter 108 Getting Right to Work
Chapter 109 A New Assignment
Chapter 110 Babysitter or Friend?
Chapter 111 First Story in Packhaven
Chapter 112 Family? What Family?
Chapter 113 Interviews in the Park
Chapter 114 Kids are a Distraction
Chapter 115 Personal Deliberations
Chapter 116 Let Me Forget in Your Embrace
Chapter 117 Charles’ New Cause
Chapter 118 Glimmer of the Elena’s New Reality
Chapter 119 Packhaven’s Dirty Secrets
Chapter 120 Are We Meant to Report the Truth?
Chapter 121 Amplified Weirdness
Chapter 122 Weirdness in Bed
Chapter 123 To the Watershed
Chapter 124 Deceptive Beauty
Chapter 125 Finally, a View of the Real Capital
Chapter 126 A Mob-Type Feeling
Chapter 127 The Real Story Might Be Worse Than Before
Chapter 128 A Wedge of Doubt
Chapter 129 Some Words Are So Hard to Say
Chapter 130 Just Play Along
Chapter 131 In the Temple of the Moon Goddess
Chapter 132 I’ll Play With Sugar
Chapter 133 Success With the Editor
Chapter 134 Necessary Conversations
Chapter 135 What Are You Implying?
Chapter 136 Apologies in the Night
Chapter 137 A Lunar Holiday
Chapter 138 A Big Announcement
Chapter 139 Family Friction
Chapter 140 Unwanted Expectations
Chapter 141 Elena’s Truth
Chapter 142 No Answer in Sight
Chapter 143 Pangs of the Heart
Chapter 144 Ready to Talk
Chapter 145 A Storm of Confusion
Chapter 146 Self-Made Misery
Chapter 147 What Exactly Did I Do?
Chapter 148 Fresh Dangers
Chapter 149 Serious Awkwardness
Chapter 150 Serious Misunderstandings
Chapter 151 Serious Discussions
Chapter 152 The Trouble We Uncovered
Chapter 153 A Climactic Reunion
Chapter 154 Criminal Activities
Chapter 155 Actions Have Consequences
I woke up pounding on the door. A moment later, Theo burst into the room, a look of panic on his face.
“What’s wrong? Charles asked, bolting upright in bed.
“There’s trouble!” He rushed over to the bed and leaned down so he could whisper loud enough for Charles to hear but quiet enough so that whoever was in the living room wouldn’t be able to.
“There must have been some kind of mistake,” he said. “There are palace guards here, and they’ve been ordered to arrest you.”
“What?” I shrieked.
“The charges?” Charles growled.
“I don’t know, they won’t tell me. I’m allowed to go with her, but you’re not.” He focused on me. “Whatever it is, just tell them the truth. I’m sure things will be straightened out in no time. I’ve been with you the whole time. I know that you haven’t done anything wrong.”
All of a sudden, hot guilt beat behind my rib cage, threatening to jump out, and my lips burned with the secrets that I’d been keeping from Theo. His look of genuine concern made me feel even worse. He wasn’t expecting this. He wasn’t a party to it. I could see that as clearly on his face as I could see the alarm on Charles’.
I reached under the covers and squeezed Charles’ hand. “I’m sure Theo’s right.” I looked at Theo. “Tell them I’m undressed. I will throw on clothes and be out as quickly as I can.”
He stood and gave me a sharp nod.
As soon as he shut the door, I scrambled from the bed and threw on the first thing that I found that looked presentable and conservative.
Charles caught my hand. “I don’t like this.”
“I don’t either. But what am I going to do? If I resist now, it’s going to make us both look guilty.”
“Don’t say anything you don’t have to. And if they give you the option of a lawyer, take it.”
I swallowed hard, but the spit wouldn’t go down.
He kissed me one more time. “Don’t panic. You’re more likely to make mistakes if you lose control of your emotions. Breathe deeply and keep your mouth shut until you have to say something.”
A whole shiver rippled through me, and I returned the deep kiss before hurrying into the living room. I could hear raised voices and figured that whoever had come for me was losing patience.
Two officers waited in the living room. They were dressed very much like my guards in Lupinton had been all suits and ties and dower expressions.
The sight of them sent ice through my veins.
“Ms. Lorentia?” one of them asked, stiffly formal.
I nodded.
“Evidence has been presented to us, and you’re being brought in for questioning pending your arrest.
“What information? What charges?” I asked.
“We’ll discuss that once we reach the station,” one of the men said. “Did your bodyguard inform you that he will be allowed to ride along, but your boyfriend will need to stay here?”
I nodded.
“Do you require anything?” They asked, already heading for the door.
“I’m just going to grab my purse.”
When we reached the station, we bypassed the section of the station where other criminals were being processed. My heart beat even harder. Surely, it was going to beat too loud and give me away.
Theo stayed close, not saying much, but every so often, he would reach forward and touch between my shoulder blades or on the back of my arm. Just to let me know that he was there.
They showed us into a room with nothing but a one-way mirror and a table with uncomfortable chairs on either side of it, then left. I took a seat, and Theo sat next to me. He put a hand on my knee.
“Relaxed,” he said. “This has to be a mistake. I’ve been here about the whole time. I’ll vouch for you.”
I let out a shaky breath and nodded. “After everything that’s gone on, and the way we were treated in Lupinton…”
He patted my leg before letting go. “You have nothing to worry about. Just tell the truth.”
The door opened, and a man came in wearing a badge that identified him as the captain. He sat in the chair across from us and set a file down on the table.
“Please verify your name and date of birth.”
I gave him both of those.
He looked at the front page inside the folder, nodded, and then snapped it shut. “The charges against you are quite serious, Ms. Laurentia.”
I waited in silence as Charles had suggested, waiting for the captain to give me more to work with.
“You’ve been accused of spreading information to undercut the king’s authority and the government in Packhaven.”
I gaped at him. “I can assure you, I have never given out information to criticize the king’s authority or undermine the government in Packhaven. Or anywhere, for that matter.”
He made a noise through his nose and flipped open the folder, tapping it hard with a finger. “The evidence says otherwise. You wrote damning things about government officials in Lustrum. Things that the Palace Press Panel reviewed and deemed unworthy to be published here in Packhaven. Do you deny this?”
“Yes, I deny that. I was trying to help the government there. The things I published exposed corruption by government officials that hurt the population. I said nothing about the whole government or the Alpha King.”
He made a noise through his nose as if he didn’t quite believe me. “Still, the Palace Press Panel deemed them unworthy and subversive. Yet you were given a second chance to work at the Palace Press, one of the most prestigious journalism posts. You’ve been accused of distributing information in other locations while still representing our government.”
“I have no affiliation with any other newspaper or periodical.” Charles was right. It was easy to tell the truth and still keep my secrets as long as I chose my wording very carefully.
The captain scowled. “The local media outlets are not where you’ve been accused of circulating the information.”
“Where else is there?” I asked directly, waiting for him to admit his knowledge of the dark web or to ask me if I had direct knowledge of it.
He seemed to roll this around for a few minutes before moving on without going there. He stood, closed the file, and tapped it a couple of times to straighten the papers on the desk before tucking it under his arm.
“Then you deny all allegations?” he asked one last time, looking down at me.
“I do.”
Without a word, he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
“Does that mean we’re free to go?” I asked.
Theo shook his head. “They’ll tell us when we’re done and lead us out.”
Ten minutes of horribly awkward silence passed before the original officer came back. “We’re still gathering supporting evidence,” he said. “You won’t be booked until that process is complete.”
“I’m free to go?”
“For now.”
I bit my lip to keep from saying more. This must have been what Charles was talking about when he said that the alphas were guilty until proven otherwise, that everybody just assumed that the alphas were guilty regardless of the truth.
Suddenly, I had a whole new appreciation and sympathy for all of those alphas and what they’ve been through. It sucked having somebody accuse you and then not even listen.
We followed the guard out, and he escorted us all the way to the front doors of the precinct. When we were outside on the sidewalk, Theo squeezed my hand and then gave me a one-armed hug.
“Don’t worry about the way they make it sound. You and I both know the truth. And whatever this ‘supposed’ evidence is, it won’t stick because it’s all just hearsay. If they actually tried to arrest you, I would do everything I could to get you out and get the charges dropped.”
“Thanks.” I appreciated the fact that he had my back even though he didn’t know what he was really promising.
When we got back to the apartment, Charles was there, waiting just inside the door. He rushed me when the door opened, picking me up, twirling me around, and planting kisses all over my face.
“They let you go?” he confirmed.
“For now,” I said, shutting the door behind me. “It went exactly how you said it went with the alphas,” I whispered. “Nobody believed in a word I said. And if they really do have evidence of what we’ve been posting, my intentions aren’t going to matter.”
<Chapter>Chapter 156 The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back
Chapter 156 The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back
Chapter 157 My Lips Are Sealed
Chapter 158 Release
Chapter 159 Women’s Rights
Chapter 160 Role Reversal
Chapter 161 Interview With the Devil
Chapter 162 A Compromising Situation
Chapter 163 Trying to Soften the Walk of Shame
Chapter 164 Tabloid Fodder
Chapter 165 I Want to See You
Chapter 166 Taking the Offensive
Chapter 167 Drug Tests
Chapter 168 A Public Statement
Chpater 169 Setting the Record Straight
Chapter 170 The Dirtiest Dirt
Chapter 171 A Huge Surprise
Chapter 172 The Truth Made Public
Chapter 173 A Thank You in the Bedroom
Chapter 174 Choices, Choices
Chapter 175 Going for the King’s Throat
Chapter 176 A Fractured Royal Family
Chapter 177 An Audience With the Alpha King
Chapter 178 Not as Expected
Chapter 179 An Uncomfortable Dinner Date
Chapter 180 Distraction Rather than Corruption
Chapter 181 A Bad Taste
Chapter 182 Permission to Uncover the Truth
Chapter 183 Whispers of the Goddess
Chapter 184 Powerful Women
Chapter 185 Bring Down the King
Chapter 186 Back into Dangerous Waters
Chapter 187 A Divine Conversation
Chapter 188 A Little Taste of Fate
Chapter 189 Mind Blown
Chapter 190 Always the King
Chapter 191 The Best Distraction
Chapter 192 Disappeared or Dead?
Chapter 193 The Doctor’s Mother
Chapter 194 The Northernmost Temple
Chapter 195 The Monk AKA the Queen’s Doctor
Chapter 196 Doctor’s Warnings
Chapter 197 Testing a Theory
Chapter 198 Double Checking
Chapter 199 A Good Distraction
Chapter 200 Bareback
Chapter 201 The Lost Heir
Chapter 202 The Alpha King
Chapter 203 Conditions
Chapter 204 Waiting for Confirmation
Chapter 205 Divine Advice
Chapter 206 Saying Goodbye
Chapter 207 Things Left Unsaid
Chapter 208 Waiting for the Consequences
Chapter 209 Time to Tell Charles
Chapter 210 The Trial to End All Trials
Chapter 211 A Sympathetic Soul
Chapter 212 Escaping the Public Eye
Chapter 213 The King’s Persuasion
Chapter 214 Time to Confess
Chapter 215 Renewed Closeness
Chapter 216 The Verdict
Chapter 217 Awaiting Sentencing
Chapter 218 An Unwanted Duty
Chapter 219 The Queen of Orlune
Chapter 220 A Strong Finish and a Fresh Beginning
Chapter 221 A Wedding and an Epilogue
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Chapter 114 Kids are a Distraction
After several of the same sort of interviews, I somehow found myself at the edge of one of the playfields, watching a group of children. My mind was wandering at first. It was the predictable sort of wandering for a writer.
I drew in the smells, the sights, and the sounds, translating all those sen...
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