Alpha Nocturneâs Contracted Mate by A E Randell Chapter 221 Luna Aoife Whilst Adam and Allen left to make the necessary arrangements for the next dayâs departure, Bartholomew, Lexi, and Ann made their way to the council chambers.
âDonât you ever find all this tedious?â Lexi asked with a sigh.
âWhat do you mean?â
âThe same scenery day in and day out⦠I think I might go mad if we donât get a break soon, you know.â She whined, âI have no idea how youâve done it for so long Bartyboy.â
Bartholomew chuckled good-naturedly.
âI can assure you that things are not usually this busy nor intense under normal circumstances.â
âYou hear that, Queenie? Weâve brought abnormal circumstances along with us.â Lexi grinned as she nudged Ann in the side. âWhoâd have thought, eh?â
Ann chuckled as they linked arms.
âAre we actually allowed out then? Or do we have to confine ourselves to these dusty halls forever?â Lexi pressed with a grin.
âWe can go out of course. Whether or not we have the time to or not, is a different matter entirely.â Ann grimaced, âSeeing as how weâve inherited a whole mess to clear up, I have a feeling that the fun excursions will be few and far between unfortunately.â
âYou know what they say though Ann, all work and no play makes Lexi a stabby mess.â She grinned imploringly at Ann whilst she fluttered her eyelashes.
Ann sighed as she stared dubiously at her friendâs mischievous face.
âFine, Iâll think of something after the boys leave tomorrow.â She relented finally with a wry grin.
âWOO!â Lexi yelped happily as she wiggled her butt in delight as she gripped Annâs arm enthusiastically, drawing more than a few questionable glances from people they passed in the corridors.
âIt could be nice to invite Felixâs wife along as well⦠what was her name?â Ann thought hard for a second, her name eluding her briefly before Maeve interjected and filled in the blank, âAh! Aoife!â
Lexiâs face stilled as she gradually relinquished her grip on Annâs arm and she stared at her sullenly.
âWhat?â Ann asked, disturbed by Lexiâs sudden shift in demeanor.
âDo we have to invite her?â She grumbled. âWhy? Have you met her before? Is there something I should know about? Some rivalry perhaps?â Ann questioned curiously.
She knew Lexi was careful about who she allowed to get close, but as far as she was aware there was no chance that Lexi and she had ever met previously, so the possibility of poor interactions between them both was slim at best.
âIâve not seen her before, no.â Lexi muttered as they continued towards the council chambers, âBut with everything between Allen and Felix, I donât think itâs right that I spend time getting to know her.â
Ann stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked at her with incredulity as Bartholomew narrowly avoided crashing into the back of them.
âLexi⦠we talked about this. Sometimes we have to suppress how we feel about things for the good of the kingdomâ¦â
âYeah, and you said I wouldnât have to change who I was if I took this position Ann.â
Lexi retorted, âIt might not seem like it, but I do have some morals you know.â
Ann sighed internally. She knew that Lexi was loyal to a fault and this just proved that she had accepted Allen completely.
âLexi, look. Try to think of it this way. I know that what the Dubois family did was wrong, but Adam has already stated that Felix wasnât even born then. He had no part in that incident with his brother Jasper, and neither did Aoife. She is only associated with all of this drama because she is mated to Felix. Thatâs hardly her fault, is it?â
Lexi scowled at her but said nothing as she turned and continued walking towards their destination, leaving Ann with no choice but to follow, but not before sharing a helpless look with Bartholomew.
Ann still didnât know the full circumstances surrounding the incident that resulted in Allen losing his sister, but she had every confidence that Adam had done everything that he possibly could at the time.
It had resulted in a great injustice for sure, and Allen had every right to be furious and pursue vengeance against the man in question, and the family who, as far as she knew, did nothing to bring their son to justice, but⦠she couldnât help wonder⦠when did this feud end?
Did it carry on relentlessly as time marched ever onward and pass from their children to their grandchildren? Centuries of two bloodlines forever locked in an eternal feudâ¦
or could it end with Felix if he could help bring Jasper to justice and if Allen could be persuaded to find forgiveness for a man who had been born into the midst of this injustice?
One thing was for sure, if she stood any chance of getting Allen on her side, then she also needed to get Lexi to see the reasoning behind her thought process in ending the feud, and they also needed to befriend Aoife.
Both women would be instrumental in achieving at least a truce of sorts because they were able to talk to their mates in a way that Ann could not, and she hoped that a simple evening together would be the first step towards strengthening the burgeoning friendship between them all.
As the doors of the council chamber loomed ominously over them and she was pulled from her thoughts, Ann resolved to ask Adam more details about the incident when they finally retired for the evening. It would be their last night together for a while.
Who knew how long he would be out in the field with Felix and their men? Se only hoped that they would be able to put an end to this invasion relatively quickly, and with as few lives lost as possible on their side.
âAre you ready to face the Elders once more, my Queen?â Bartholomew asked softly as his hand rested on the heavy handle that graced the door.
Lexi grinned at him suddenly, the sullen look vanishing in seconds as a wicked glint formed in her eyes. âWhy wouldnât she be ready? Didnât you know that with me at her side, Ann is practically unstoppable.â She smirked with a wink as Bartholomew chuckled throatily.
âThen let us face the music together.â Bartholomew smiled kindly as he swung the door open, and strode in confidently, announcing the arrival of Queen Ann and her Beta, Lexi Brarthroroz, only daughter of the Daemon Lord Brarthroroz and heir to his realm.