Unrecognizable

LORRY SPRINGSTONE'S / KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

Hearing the name of my ex-husband sends a shiver down my spine. However, I manage to stand still as if I was hearing that appellation for the first time in my life. Knowing the name was that of the ruler of the land, I prefer to keep my mouth shut, making hence sure not to say anything disrespectful toward him or his authority. A crime of lese-majeste they say.

Mr. Braxton looks at me haughtily, remembering our meeting earlier in the day. His wolf inside emits very unfriendly sounds against me, waiting for the human side of Mr. Brandon to let him take over, so that he will teach me a lesson I would probably never forget.

The tension between both of us is palpable and goes higher and higher as we fiercely stare at each other. I'm not going to let myself be intimidated by this messenger who thinks he's superior to me, a mere human (again, in his mind).

It's only when a young servant of the pack makes her appearance that the tension reduces to its simplest form.

"Miss Lorry Springstone, is that correct?" the servant asks me with a tone of voice tinged with consideration and respect for my person.

I am very pleased with her mild timbre and it changes for some time the perception I was having about being there.

"Follow me, please!" she then tells me before turning and beginning to trek toward the castle which was about two hundred meters away from our position.

I walk behind her a bit excited as a lot of fine memories pop up in my head but when we finally reach the gate and the guards open it so we can go in, a lot of horrible souvenirs get hold of me.

The guards close the long and heavy metal gate behind us and I'm instantly in a panic. I begin to fear to be arrested for the poisonous pill incident. I commence regretting why I never tried to flee whereas I had countless opportunities to do so when we were still outside but now see, I'm stupidly trapped inside this damn castle.

With growing worries, I tail the young servant till we arrive in a vast and lavish room where a woman with bold wrinkles on the forehead was standing tall in the center with a yellow and loose dress made of light cotton that could be only worn by the head housemaid. As the former Luna Queen, it's part of the things I know about the castle.

We near the mature woman and I recognize her immediately. It's the chief Omega female Tina Dom, the majordomo of the castle. Apart from the wrinkles, she looks the same as she was about six years ago when I was expelled from the pack.

When she sees me, she quickly bends her knees slightly in order to greet me. I'm thus confused by her great mark of respect. Instinctively, I think she has recognized me, the former Luna Queen. And as far as I remember, during my time as the Alpha King's wife, Tina and I were getting along. So maybe, that's why she feels she must still pay me that respect regardless of what had led to my departure from the pack. I guess.

Then she opens her mouth to talk to me.

"Doctor Springstone of Liverpool, here you are at last! What a great honour to see you in flesh and bone for the first time. Be welcome to our castle!" she said with the same grace that had always dwelt in her since I've known her.

I sigh in relief. I'm a different person to her. It couldn't just be better.

"Linda, you may now leaves us. Thank you for your time!" she then orders the young servant who escorted me to her.

Linda greets her with a slight bow of the head and a half bend of the knees, then turns her back and walks away. I now find myself alone with the majordomo Tina. Actually, that's what I was thinking since I had not looked around yet.

"Doctor Springstone, please come with me," Tina pleads as she strides towards the direction of the bed placed at the back of the room.

I'm a bit intrigued but I do as the chief servant tells me. I follow her just to be amazed by the striking beauty of a small boy of about five to six years of age who is sleeping, the lower part of his body tucked into the blanket.

"Doctor Springstone, is he not cute?" Tina asks me with a soft voice and I simply nod.

"But see doctor, this small boy is our king's son, the next to the throne after his father. However, he may never get this chance because he's terribly sick. He's suffering from a rare case of psychological trauma that is prompting him to live in seclusion. And even sadder, he's been refusing to eat and when we force him a little bit, he throws all the food out. We are very concerned with his health and the king, even more. Please doctor, do something before it's too late," Tina reveals to me, sweeping away the bright smile I had moments ago when I first laid my eyes on him.

I'm torn apart and invaded by guilt for not having heard Mr. Braxton in the first place when he came to meet me in my office in Liverpool. The kid just looks like my son Eden. What if that was actually him and someone who could help, denied to assist him? How would I feel? These questions begin to torment my mind and I want to redeem myself.

At the same time, the kid who has felt in his sleep our presence around the bed, opens his bright little eyes tinged with innocence. He sees me and he is frightened and insecure. He begins to get agitated and screams horrendously.

"Eddy, no, don't be afraid! It's the doctor. She's here to help you," utters Nina with a reassuring voice to the little boy.

However, I'm struck by how she calls the boy. Indeed she names him after Eddy which is quite similar to my son's name Eden. But, since the moment is not really appropriate to get to the bottom of it, I postpone my investigation for later. There's a kid in deep hysterical crisis in front of me and that's the priority right now.

Hence, I come closer to Eddy and with a comforting voice I talk to him.

"Hi Eddy, I'm doctor Lorry Springstone but you can just call me Lorry because from now on, we are friends. Aren't we?"

Eddy seems surprised by my calm tone as if he wasn't used they talk to him in such a nice way. Is that maybe one of the reasons he's isolating himself? That's a path I will have to probe in my diagnosis, I tell myself.

And when I'm just about to continue my preliminary study of the kid's issue, I hear the sound of a door that opens. Together with the head housemaid Tina, I turn to look back and a tall and extremely imposing male figure makes his remarkable entrance. He's wrapped with royal clothes and symbols such as a scepter and a glittering crown on his well-shaped oval head.

I recognize the newcomer immediately because we have had a love story in not a so long time. Indeed, the man or more exactly the werewolf male was no one else but the Alpha King in person, His Majesty Jason Bentley of the South pack, my ex-husband.