The Rogues Who Went Rogue
Chapter 58

Many wolves and lycans were sent to the pack clinic for blood transfusion. Some were so incapacitated by the venom that their friends and allies had to carry them there for treatment. Eighteen wolves and ten lycans, two of whom were Greg's followers and one was Phelton, were in a coma as the Blue Crescent's Chief of Medicine called two ally packs for supplies and asked for extra doctors and nurses. Xandar got Dr Yeil from lycan territory to send over some of his staff members and bring more blood as well.

Seeing how dangerous the proditors were capable of being even in small numbers, the royal family members, defense ministers, Alphas, Lunas and Gammas decided to refrain from sending any trackers along the scent trail of the decipios who got away, for fear of sacrificing the lives of their own people.

The royals and alliance members took quick showers, dressed up and headed for Tate, Toby and Christian's jets with stoned faces. Liam was regretting asking his aunt to come back when he saw how tired she was just through her eyes, which shone less than they normally would. Juan made sure Hale hid all their pups, especially Liam, before Xandar brought Lucianne into the pack house to use the bathroom.

Before they left the pack, Lucianne mustered as much strength and assurance as she could to tell Liam that he did the right thing, and made him promise that if anything like this happened again, he would tell her. He nodded in obedience and waved goodbye as the convoy of cars left Blue Crescent.

On the jet, Xandar placed Lucianne in a window seat before dropping into the seat next to hers as he held her hand. It felt weird, so Lucianne got up and made her space on his lap, where she always sat when they travelled by air. Xandar hesitated. Nonetheless, his strong arms held her in place, careful to avoid touching her abdomen.

Lucianne leaned into his warm, hard chest, and listened to his heart that was beating in a slightly higher-than-average rhythm. Her fingers ran across his chest before she planted a deep kiss over his shirt, where the sound of his heartbeat was the loudest. Xandar's. anger subsided just the slightest. His animal was still angered that they were made to harm the very creature they claimed to love the most. What was worse was that the manipulation didn't wipe out one's memories of reality. Hurting his mate, the mother of his daughter, would be an image that would be etched in his mind forever.

He pecked a deep kiss on her forehead in return and uttered, "I love you, baby."

Her tired eyes still sparkled a little when she looked up at him and whispered, "I know, Xandar. I love you, too."

He managed a small smile. "Sleep, sweetheart. We're not reaching there anytime soon. I'll wake you when we land."

"Mm," Lucianne snuggled into him, and he started running his fingers down her hair as she drifted off.

In another two seats on the same jet, Zelena's face was as hard as metal while Zeke continued to stroke her hand and coo her through their link. It was taking every bit of patience for Zelena to not start screaming profanities at the proditors who were no longer in sight. Lovelace had her fingers pressed against her forehead as she stared out of the window, unable to accept what she did during the battle. Juan apologized to Toby for the third time before the defense minister decided to take a nap after telling the Alpha again that it wasn't his fault to begin with. Azalea replayed the memory over and over again, somehow wishing that she was remembering things wrong.

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They reached castle grounds in less than an hour. The lycan ministers who were not involved in the Blue Crescent battle received an urgent link from Christian, and met them on the castle landing ground. Sir Weaver spotted a very weak Lucianne in the king's arms when the minister was descending the airstair, and he would have fallen had Lord Yarrington not caught him by his arm and waist.

The two vampire servants who were there to greet them looked hospitable at first, but the moment they saw the murderous faces of the wolves and lycans, they became visibly frightened.

One servant nudged the other as he himself became invisible, courtesy of his defense mechanism. The other servant, who was a velox, fought the urge to sprint away and fidgeted when he forced a smile and said, "R-Right th-this way, Y-Your Highnesses."

Xandar refused to let Lucianne walk. He could still feel that she and her animal were tired even after the short nap, so he carried her as the entire party barged through the entrance. The servant stuttered again when he asked them, or pleaded them rather, to wait while he and his still-invisible colleague informed the empress of their presence.

Lucianne finally managed to convince Xandar to put her down, and she studied the black-and-white tiled floors and cedar-colored walls. The gray ceiling would have made the room very dark if the five chandeliers weren't turned on. Huge portraits of past rulers were hung on the walls. Lucianne began to wonder whether vampire rulers were forbidden from smiling since the late emperors in those portraits looked like they were trying to look more menacing than the other.

Suddenly, everyone heard someone shouting, and their ears perked up to eavesdrop on as much as they could. Those who met Pellethia the other night recognized that it was her voice. "HOW MANY MORE F*CKING DAYS DO YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A DAMN PLAN?! YOU HAVE MAD ZERO PROGRESS IN THE PAST WEEK! OUR PEOPLE ARE STILL MISSING! YOU REFUSED THE LYCANS' HELP TO FIND THEM! NOW, FOR ALL WE KNOW, THE ONES WHO TOOK OUR OWN ARE THE ONES WHO MADE THE LYCANS AND WEREWOLVES ATTACK EACH OTHER! THEY COULD HAVE LOST THEIR QUEEN TONIGHT!"

There was a blaring sound of a table being slammed before the empress's voice continued ringing angry and strong, "DO YOU IDIOTS HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DIRE OUR SITUATION IS?! IF I HADN'T MET THEIR RULERS IN THEIR PAST LIVES, IF OUR PRESENT RELATIONSHIP DIDN'T START OUT SMOOTHLY, WE'D BE AT WAR RIGHT NOW! YOU'D BEST BELIEVE IF THAT EVER HAPPENS, I'M SENDING YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES TO THE FRONTLINES FIRST! I DON'T CARE IF THEY CAN'T FIGHT!"

Greg muttered in mild satisfaction, "I'd say we're off to a good start."

Lucianne narrowed her eyes at him at what he termed 'a good start. The empress was screaming her lungs out. Who knew if she wasn't going to break a few necks soon. Then again, knowing Greg, breaking necks might be termed 'a better start'.

Xandar then uttered in a homicidal tone, "And we're here to make sure that the momentum stays that way."

Lucianne gently hit his chest with the back of her hand to signify her disapproval of what he just said. But he simply took her hand and pecked a sweet kiss on it as Christian patted his shoulder and said, "We will, cuz. We will."

'These cousins,' Lucianne thought to herself as she started boiling, which only simmered down after Xandar pressed a deep kiss on her hairline to cool her down.

"WHAT?!!!" Pellethia shouted when the servants (the discretus servant had to force himself to be visible) butted their heads through the door, not pleased that she was being disturbed. The servants' legs wobbled when they told her that Lucianne and the others had arrived. Silence.

Then, the sound of heel-clicking could be heard, along with a pair of shuffled footsteps. Pellethia and Octavia came out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar and both dashed to stand before Xandar and Lucianne. Lucianne smiled instantly, and wanted to offer Pellethia a hug, but Xandar's large hand held her in place by her waist, waiting for the vampires to extend the greeting first.

Pellethia and Octavia bowed. Lucianne was about to return the gesture but her cold-faced husband held her up, refusing to let her knees bend even by an inch. She started throwing him an annoyed glare before Pellethia began apologizing in a tone that was so different from the on they overheard that a normal creature would think that the one who screamed and the one speaking to them now were two different creatures.

Her emerald eyes amplified guilt when she said, "I don't even know where to begin, Aunt Lucy, Uncle Xandar. I cannot tell you how...embarrassed and sorry I feel that this happened on my watch. Uh...Octavia have I have no issues with giving you and your people full access to look under every nook and cranny of this empire at any time of day. Our governing members, security forces, even the vigils, remain at your disposal. You have full authorization to go wherever you want to, and speak to whoever you wish to." "Even the prisoners?" Greg asked, surprising everyone present.