Chapter seventy two

“Alpha Damien,” Alan bowed on seeing the men in front of the hall. “High Howlers,” he greeted the rest.

Damien sighed and glanced around. “I know you would be wondering about our unannounced visit but this should answer your question. Step forward,” he commanded and Elder Maximus stepped out from behind the men. Alan closed his eyes and sighed in dejection. “I trust you know why we are here now, don’t you?”

“Alpha Damien, please understand that we are trying to gather the information as well and I was sure to bring the news to you once we have enough things to tell you,” Alan said.

“That is totally different from what he told me,” Damien said, “but I will believe you one time if you tell me all you have learnt so far.”

Alan nodded with a sigh, “but of course, Alpha Damien,” he bowed. “Please, come with me, I will have the omegas prepare lunch for you while we go over everything.”

Damien and the rest of the men nodded and Alan and Aton led them to Alan’s mansion where they would be treated as the kings they were.

***

“Are you okay?” Edward asked Aliyah as he laid Aliyah down on the bed in their room.

“I am now,” she whispered with a silent sob, realizing that she really shouldn’t be crying over this. She had witnessed worst scenarios and most of them were from him, so why would a little encounter be making her cry?

“I’m sorry I wasn’t with you when she came. I didn’t really think anyone would visit without being invited,” he sighed. “I was careless but be rest assured it won’t happen again.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I promise.”

Aliyah sniffled and smiled softly at him, trying to calm herself down. However, something occurred to her then and she frowned. “She is Genevieve.”

“Yes, she is one of the High Council chiefs. Her father, Knight Solomon was one of my best men and I hardly go anywhere without him and Ramus’s grandfather.”

Aliyah nodded, however, that was not what she wanted to hear. She could vividly remember the day he had bought her dresses, he had mentioned a Genevieve and she would be a liar if she said she didn’t notice something when he had called her name and now, seeing the woman for herself, that beauty and elegance, no one would tell her that there was nothing between them. Just thinking about that ruined her mood and she moved away from Edward’s touch. She too was surprised at why she would be jealous. She had dated Eric after all and she doesn’t expect a man as old as Edward not to have past lovers.

“What is it?” Edward asked, sensing the change of her emotion immediately.

“Were you…” she cleared her throat, “were you ever intimate with her?”

Edward sighed and reached to caress her hair, “it doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” she said, a little too rude and he was taken aback by that. Aliyah cleared her throat and sat up on the bed, resting her back on the headboard as she picked up a pillow. “I want to know.”

Running his fingers through his midnight black hair, Edward sat on the bed. Never in his life did he imagine himself to ever be in such situation. “I started dating Genevieve when she was two hundred years old. I did it because I was tired of getting…” he paused and gulped.

“Tired of getting new women every time?” Aliyah helped him to finish.

Clearing his throat in embarrassment, Edward nodded. “Yes, and she had suggested it herself. She had been looking for a mate and even her parents thought she was my mate. The relationship lasted till the day her father and the rest of my men killed themselves. I broke things off with her because I wanted to isolate myself from everyone. It was then that I got this castle,” he glanced around, “it was far from the nearest council and I loved the peace and quiet. Genevieve tried to get us back together again but I insisted and when I found Irene in the woods, I knew she would kill her because she is a witch and I wanted to protect her. Irene is the closest thing I have to a daughter. Although every nightwalker is addressed as my child but I felt that fatherly love to Irene and to keep her safe, I summoned the wives of my men who were considered the leaders then and warned them that no nightwalker is allowed in my palace. That was how Irene stayed here without an issue,” he rubbed his neck, “I guess I should pass that decree now as well.”

“It won’t work now,” Aliyah said. “I am sure she would be telling the rest of the chiefs what she heard and from what I noticed, she still wants you.”

“Not possible,” Edward shook her head, “she found her mate on the blood moon night. I know because I was there. It happened right before I came to you.”

“Is that why you were in my woods? Where you hurt because she found her mate?” Aliyah hated that she was asking that but she could remember how pissed off he was that night and now thinking Genevieve could have been the reason didn’t sit well with her.

Edward smiled and climbed into bed with her, pulling her into her arms. “On the blood moon night right before the blood moon rose, Genevieve had tried to seduce me and normally, I would have fallen but for some reason that night, a certain blue-eyed werewolf restricted me from feeling anything as she dominated my thoughts despite how much I hated her.”

Aliyah smiled at that and burrowed deeply into his arms, “so what now happened?”

“I rejected of course with the blood moon as an excuse and how our mates would feel cheated on if they ever found out. She had wanted us to mark each other once after the blood moon but I had told her I would think about it, however, she didn’t even finish convincing me when she smelt her mate.”

Aliyah frowned, “why were you angry then?”

“I was angry at the moon goddess, the moon in fact because of the injustice.”

“Oh, I see, then…”

“Wait,” Edward said with a frown and she glanced up at him, her heart missing a beat. “What is that?”

“What is wrong?” she asked, “what is what?”

Edward kept silent to know if he would hear it again and after a long silence, he heard it once more. It was faint but it was definitely a heartbeat. He glanced at Aliyah and shuffled on the bed to get up. He placed his head on her stomach and closed his eyes, hearing it more clearly now. The beat comes once in a minute but it was definitely what he thought it was. Slowly, he looked up at his mate, the heartbeat is like that of a nightwalker in a deep slumber, coming once in a minute. There is no doubt about it, his child is going to be a nightwalker just like it would be a night howler, making him the first hybrid of the two clans.

“What is it?” Aliyah asked when she couldn’t take the silence anymore. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest as Irene’s words flashed in her mind and she waited for his reaction.

“I think,” Edward began but shook his head right after, “no, not I think,” he chuckled, shaking his head as he sat on his hunches. “Aliyah, you are definitely with child.”

Aliyah didn’t know how best to react. She definitely knew she was, after all she has been more concerned about the baby in her belly since Irene told her but now having him find out on his own without being told by her made her more shocked than ecstatic.

“God, I can’t believe it,” Edward laughed as he wiped his palms on his face. He was looking at her once more, his eyes shining bluer than she had ever seen. “I can’t believe it,” he repeated, placing his ear on her stomach once more. “I can’t believe it. It’s right there, that tiny heartbeats.”

“Edward,” she whispered but the man shut up her by slamming his lips on her, his fingers curling on her neck as he held her closer, kissing her so deeply and passionately. The only thing Aliyah could think about through the kiss was Irene’s words. ‘Edward would be so thrilled; he has been waiting for so long.’ And indeed, he was thrilled. She closed her eyes and delved deeper into his kiss, feeling his love and affection with the way he moved his lips over hers. Her heart swelled so deeply and she couldn’t wait to hold her baby right in her arms.