The Royal Hospital 3.

This morning they remembered Mike being confused about how he found his mate before his birthdate. So, he told them he was heading home early so he can get some clarity. Now, how did things become this way? How come they are all in the hospital?

Aldrin looked around and found all the people he cared about safe and sound. However, Lydia was not there and the anguish he saw in Mike's eyes right now, was astonishing.

"Dad, what is happening?" he chose to ask his father as this was the safest way.

"Follow me. The both of you." He didn't want to speak in front of everyone. It would just tear them apart again.

He took them to one of the doctor's offices in the hospital. He gestured for them to have a seat.

"I am sure you're aware of Mike's birthdate being today not Friday. Upon forcing Lydia to speak the truth, Mike found out Lydia is not their biological mother nor is she mated to Oscar," he said with a grim look on his face.

"Dad, I am not sure I follow." Aldrin was confused, so was Brandon. What did he mean?

"Oscar's true mate happened to be friends with Lydia. She is a lone wolf, lone wolves are not supposed to have destined mates. But there are occasions when they get rewarded by luna. This could be for the good deeds they did or their family 'ancestors' served their purpose diligently. So, their descendants get this privilege."

Many didn't know of this but this was one of the special things Luna did for her children.

"This is very rare and special. So when Lydia learned of this, she became jealous but she didn't act on it. This was until she found out about me offering homes for the homeless and refugees. She decided to steal her friend's mate and torture her for more than 2 decades."

"WHAT?" The two exclaimed in shock.

"How is that even possible?" asked Brandon.

The king told them the whole story, which left them filled with anger and hate. They wanted to rip that wretched woman into pieces.

How can she do such a thing?

This was a capital crime, she needed to be executed. They will not rest until her head is decapitated from her neck. Lydia and that witch friend of hers will get what is coming for them.

"So Aldrin, son. I want you to be more cautious than I was. I want you to be braver and more alert than I ever was. This happened on my watch, I have failed my friends, my family, and my people."

The king was filled with guilt. So many things happened during his ruling and they were not pleasant.

"Alpha, don't be hard on yourself. If anyone questions your ability to rule, they will have to answer, to us. This is something that any of us couldn't have thought was possible. Lydia is pure evil and this act was done before she joined the pack. It is known to everyone, a mateless wolf can choose a chosen mate. So, Lydia used this as a cover. There was no reason to suspect her."

"Yes, father. There are things in life that cannot be avoided. This might be also part of fate. This is something we learned from and we will have to be cautious of it happening again, in the future. It is indeed cruel and painful it happened to be Mike's mother, unfortunately, she is the one who had to suffer," added Aldrin.

This was a painful experience for everyone but now they have to turn it into a positive lesson. The world was cruel but it was also the reality that many have lost their humanity. There was no choice but to accept what has happened, though it will take long to heal, they had no other choice.

The culprits of course will be punished for their deeds, but this didn't mean this will change the pain they inflicted nor the evils they've done. Aldrin found himself learning more about the world. He needed to be careful in ruling his people. This meant what his father failed to realise was happening, was now his responsibility to follow up on. This will have to carry on generations. No one was perfect. If this was the case, the world wouldn't be in such a mess.

"Father, don't do this to yourself. I know where your worry is coming from, but the inevitable cannot be ignored. Some people will question you, your enemies will rejoice. This is part of life and this is how we all learn how to be strong. Not everyone will understand and they will need someone to blame, unfortunately, in this case, you will be the victim."

He knew that many alphas were not happy with his ruling and this will be the perfect opportunity to ridicule him. This was the worst part of being the alpha of all alphas. They always thought they knew better but this was not the case. They still needed someone to guide them.

His father was not in any way a saint but he had to sacrifice a lot for his people. His loved ones died protecting him and fighting for this kingdom. He will be damned if any of those ungrateful people looked down on him. Many didn't know that his father lost his first mate to the war that happen years ago. His mother was a second chance, his father still had a broken heart of losing his first mate.

Many may say he was being unfair, but you'll never understand the pain of losing the one you love until you experience it personally. Luckily for his father, his mother understood him clearly. No, she didn't lose her mate but she lost all her family members during the war. The pain of a lover or family member may be different for others, but for Malia, this was not the case.

She felt love is love and she didn't need to divide it. So, she never felt insecure or questioned Jack for the love he still had for his first mate. She was grateful he found a part in him to love her. In some way, the love he still had lingering assured her that she was not some rebound, but he found a way to love them both equally. He never treated her differently.

So, Jack's guilt can be the cause of all that has happened to him in the past. Aldrin felt sorry for his father.

"So, how is Mike's real mother doing?" he asked.

"Terrible. Gina and her sons are trying to heal her for now but she has too much poison in her body. They advised we make contact with the Green coven, their twins will be able to help with detoxing the poison," said the king.

"Will they help?" asked Aldrin.

"I am not sure, son. This worries me also. The Greens are not on good terms with Gina's coven but Simon insists it's only these twins who can help."

"I think it might not be that bigger of a problem. I think Lucas is one of the twins. Let me call him..." said Brandon.

"Who is Lucas?" asked the king.

"His mate," answered Aldrin with a smile on his face. He was amused as well. How can he forget Lucas?