CHAPTER 5

Eavesdropping

Rose made up her mind to confront the first person (Lord Grim) she had met in the forest. She didn't even know the name of the monster that just left the godforsaken room she was confined to, but she called him Grim, too.

She had many questions to ask: if her Mom was indeed alive and well, then why wasn't she here at the Nostville Empire?

Suddenly, her wolf, Lara, who had been quiet for a long, long time, spoke, “Do you remember when I warned you about Reed?”

“Oh! You finally remembered I exist, and that you exist because I am still alive.” Rose replied.

Lara chuckled, “You thought you had it all figured out. I hope you'll listen to me now, especially now that your mom isn't here like your dad said in that letter.”

Rose sighed, she couldn't even imagine her mom being dead before she got to meet her. What if Lord Grim had done something bad to her?

“Arrggghhhh!!! I hate my life.” Rose yelled. Just a few weeks ago, she was a princess with people at her beck and call, but now she was fatherless and probably motherless.

Rose stood up from the bed, pacing to and fro the room. “Hmm. Reed Justice. You won't go unpunished, I'll take my revenge and that's a promise.” She sat on the bed, holding onto the letter her late father had written to her. Seeing his handwriting brought back many memories. Rose and her father were best of friends; growing up with only her father wasn't easy, but he never made her miss her mother. Thinking about it, she became confused as to why he had lied to her that her mother was dead.

Was it because Vanessa was a vampire?

Tears dropped from her eyes as memories of her and her dad playing in the garden resurfaced. Reed would have just asked for the throne. Alpha Vale wasn't a troublesome wolf not to agree.

Just maybe her father would have still been alive. Rose wiped the tears off her face; there was no need to cry over spilled milk. Being here would help her find her roots, get to know her

mother, and find the truth about why she was absent all her life. Her revenge plan had just started and it would be fierce.

Her thoughts were interrupted by faint voices, so she quickly hid her father's letter she had been holding under her pillow and dashed out of her room to find out the issue.

The castle was a large one, and Rose didn't want to miss her way, so she followed the voices carefully until she got to a passage.

Apparently, the two Grim were in a heated argument. No one was in the passage so she rested her head gently on the huge metallic door to get a grasp of their conversation.

“Just look at you, big fool at 40. Listen to me, Grim, you got to this throne by mistake, and I'll prove that to you soon.” The voice from earlier challenged the other person in the room, that voice was for the same person who entered her room rudely. But she thought their surname was Grim, and Rose became confused. There was silence between the both of them, and Rose became alert. What if they come out of the room and find her eavesdropping? She wanted to leave when she heard the second voice.

“Dale. I know it's hard to accept defeat, but in this case, you have to. You don't have a choice.” Yes. That was the voice she knew well. Lord Grim.

Now it became clear to Rose. Grim was the Lord of Nostville Empire. The one she had met in the forest.

“You seem to forget that I am your older brother, Grim, and by right, this throne belongs to me; I'm supposed to be called Lord Dale,” Dale responded, anger brewing in his voice.

Rose knew she was right, he had the same darkness in his eyes as Reed. That darkness that yearned for power. There was something strange about these two brothers, so much hate and love for power.

“Dale, I never for one day doubted that you are my elder brother but when it comes to ruling this great empire, we both know Vanessa would trust it in my hands more than in yours,” Grim said, his voice calm. Rose knew they were speaking about her mom now.

“What do you mean by that you coward?” Dale yelled. His voice sent fear into Rose and she knew if they discovered her here, it was going to be bad.

“Do with that information what you wish, as for me, I know you know that I'm telling the truth.” Grim paused and continued. “Vanessa was a true leader; she never approved of you, and you know this. I don't have time for these meaningless conversations, I need to rest.” Grim responded.

Dale let out a wicked chuckle. “I know you want to back off, run away like you always do okay?”

“Whatever…” Dale said, sniffing the room. “I can smell a strange scent. Oh yes! That strange trash you brought into this empire.”

“You don't have the right to call her names but I'm sure you've met her,” Grim answered. Rose became angry. How dare Dale refer to her as trash?

“I expect you to tell me you were bringing someone strange to our kingdom.” Dale persisted.

“For fuck sake, can you get out! You just came back from who knows where after one year of vanishing and you expect things to go well between us? Grow up, Dale, and act like the firstborn for once.” Grim said, contempt and anger brewing in his voice.

“Why are you staring at me? I said leave my room now. Don't exhaust the small atom of respect I kept for you.” Grim warned.

“I want to know who she is. That's all, something about her seems strange and she has a mixed scent. That's all, Grim.”

Grim sighed, totally exhausted from his brother's trouble.

“She is Vanessa’s daughter.”

“What the hell!!! Grim, how could you?” Dale asked.

Rose had heard enough, she turned to tiptoe back to her room when the door opened.

“Speaking about the devil.”