Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 258

Chapter 258

Lillian’s POV

Grayson and I walked around the gardens for twenty minutes before the kids revealed themselves, coming from one of the doorways to the palace. They seemed somewhat downtrodden, dragging their feet. Alex kicked a pebble like it had offended him, sending it skittering down the path.

“Did you get tired of hiding?” I asked them.

“No,” Madison said but didn’t elaborate.

“Well…” Grayson said in the long quiet minute that followed. “I need to be returning to work. Thank you for wanting to include me in the game.”

“Bye, Grayson,” Alex said.

“Bye,” Madison said, sounding disappointed.

Grayson forced a smile then left. The minute he was out of earshot, I looked at the kids. “What’s going on with you two? You wanted Grayson to play, but then you didn’t even hide properly?”

“We didn’t want to play anymore,” Alex said, shooting a sideways glance at his sister.

“We wanted…” Madison started but didn’t finish. “Never mind.”

Understanding filled me. “Were you hoping to spark something between Grayson and me?”

“Maybe…” Madison said, looking away.

I kneeled down in front of her and placed one hand on her shoulder, one on Alex’s.

“Listen. It’s okay for you to like Grayson. He’s a good man, and you can trust him. But when my duty is finished here in this kingdom, we are going to be returning to the Lycan Kingdom again.” I hesitated, unsure whether to admit this next part. But I didn’t want to lie to the kids. They should know what our future looked like. “Once we leave, it will be unlikely that we see Grayson again. He may come to some events, but it won’t be like this. Do you understand?”

Madison hung her head. Alex nodded, even as he frowned.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so harsh,” I said. “I know things have been difficult and I should have been kinder.”

“Forget it,” Madison said shortly, making it clear she wouldn’t be forgetting it anytime soon. Despite our having made up just a little bit ago, it felt like we were back at the start. Maybe things were even worse now. Madison seemed furious with me, more than before. “I want to go to my room.”

“We’ll go,” I said, making her take my hand. “We’ll all go together.”

Alex and I talked about the different types of flowers we saw in the garden. Alex was observant and smart. He liked botany and would likely excel at in the future. I tried to encourage this by talking to him about flowers and trees as much as I could, though admittedly my own knowledge was somewhat limited.

When we reached the room, I unlocked the door and let the kids go in ahead. Curiously, as I took a step to follow them, I heard a crinkle under my foot. Looking down, I saw an envelope. Picking it up, my name was written across the front.

Weird.

1/3

+15 85nus

I opened it and pulled out a short letter from inside.

Me note was brief.

Those against you are still plotting. This time they will come for your children. Remain vigilant. Protect them.

My heart sank at once. There was no name on this note, no indication of who could have written it. My wolf was still weaker than most, despite its appearance inside of me. Still, I tried to scent the letter, to determine its origins. I immediately doubted myself and my wolf’s abilities, because I detected a perfume that I vaguely remembered.

But the only person I knew who actually used that perfume had been Ophelia. And she was dead.

Or… presumed dead?

I searched the room at once, but detected nothing else out of the ordinary. There was no sense of malice or scents that were unexpected or matched the letter. I tried to be subtle, not wanting to alarm the children. With how upset Madison was with me, she didn’t pay me much mind anyway. Alex noticed but didn’t say anything, remaining attentive to his sister.

When I was certain our rooms remained safe, I asked one of the servants to summon Ivory for me. After a few minutes, Ivory returned with her son. The son went to play with my kids in their room, while Ivory and I sat on the couch. I showed her the letter.

Her face hardened. “We have to tell the guard.”

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