The Crown's Entrapment

At Keen Manor, Silver Crescent Pack Territory

“Thank you,” Gilas said as he and Clara headed inside the Keen Mansion. Gilas’s mother was already inside waiting to have dinner with them, and Clara was generous enough to accompany him to their mansion to be with his mother whenever he asked.

“I’m just keeping my word on my end of our bargain, Gilas,” Clara answered.

She had been firm in her point every time about how this was more like an obligation to her as they agreed upon and nothing more. While he wished it could be more, what could he expect from a woman who was head over heels in love with another man?

Gilas clenched his jaw, but he quickly relaxed it when his mother suddenly appeared in the hallway to welcome them ahead of their arrival.

“My son… Lady Clara,” her mother greeted with a broad and bright smile on her face.

Gilas smiled widely, seeing how his mother’s health had improved compared to when he last visited her. Her pale cheeks now had color in them, and hopefully, she would soon gain some weight and look more healthy.

Standing back, he watched as her mother hugged Clara in front of him. Sharing an embrace, the two women smiled at one another.

“Lady Shila, it’s nice to see you again,” Clara politely greeted as soon as his mother let her go. “You look radiant tonight.”

“Oh, your visit with my son is very much appreciated,” his mother warmly smiled. “I’m so glad that Nasser finally allowed Gilas to visit me more often. Please continue to accompany my son, Clara. I’m sure he appreciates the company.”

Clara only smiled as she let his mother drag her inside the dining hall. Behind them, Gilas let out a long deep sigh as he followed the two women. His father was still at Cordon Castle, and he had intentionally made his visit with Clara lately knowing that his father wasn’t around to breathe down his neck.

Along the way, he recalled that he had something to grab back in his old room so he said, “Mother, I will join you and Clara shortly. I’ll just go and get something in my bedchamber.”

“Alright, Son,” her mother answered before she continued pulling Clara along with her.

Turning around, Gilas quickly made his way to the stairs. But when he reached the middle part of the stairwell, he paused to stare up at the family portrait hanging up on the wall.

It was a portrait of his grandparents with their twins; his father Nasser along with his uncle Ramon. The two were identical twins, but unfortunately, Gilas was unable to meet his uncle with the man dying before he was even born. He had been killed in battle according to his mother, and she would often speak highly of him whenever she regaled him of her experiences with the man. Knowing that, he was sure that his uncle was a good man… compared to his own father at the very least.

Another sigh came out of Gilas’s lips before he proceeded to walk up the stairs on his right, making his way to where his previous bedchamber was located.

*********

Meanwhile, Clara honestly liked Gilas’s mother the more they conversed. She was so warm towards her like the Queen Mother, and she didn’t see a problem whenever Gilas would come around to pick her up saying that they would visit his mother.

Still, she wasn’t aware of what the real deal was regarding Gilas and his family. Although, knowing Nasser’s nature, she wasn’t surprised to see just how messed up it was that Gilas had to use her as a front and a reason just so he could visit his own mother.

Walking around, she smiled as she saw another part of the feast Gilas’s mother had prepared on the dining table. “This is too much again, Lady Shila.”

It was amazing. Everything looked so delicious, and she bet that they tasted delicious as well. And it all already smelled so good just from her using her human sense of smell.

[I’m envious!] her wolf Sheba complained.

[Hahahaha! I’ll describe to you later how perfect everything smells,] Clara teased. [Just enjoy the taste and stop sulking about you not being able to smell it.]

No one knew that her wolf Sheba had problems with its sense of smell except for the few people she trusted like their Queen Mother, King Darius, Bartos, and Gilas.

Sheba wasn’t like this before, but her wolf started losing her sense of smell after that one accident she had back when she was a kid… It was the day that she found out she had just lost her parents…

She remembered running through the wilderness after that, but she encountered trouble in the form of rogue werewolves. During that time, she could only shift into her wolf form, and during the fight, Sheba was badly injured which caused a problem with its sense of smell.

After all was said and then, she tried having it looked at by a healer, and sure enough, they said that it wouldn’t be a permanent disability. Sheba could still recover, but it would take a long time because they still had to wait for the plant that the healer would add to the healing potion. That one specific plant was notoriously rare, and even now, she was unable to find any of its kind even in the nearby kingdoms that were safe to visit.

She tried asking for alternatives, but according to the healer, that plant was very much available only at the Kingdom of Helion, which Sheba absolutely refused to set foot. In the end, her wolf would rather not have her sense of smell back than to put their lives in danger going inside the Kingdom of Helion.

Getting themselves situated, Gilas soon came and joined them at the table, having seemingly gotten what it was that he needed.

“Did I miss anything?” Gilas asked with a smile.

[He looks good whenever he smiles, don’t you think?] Sheba commented. [Why not give him a chance? I think he really likes you. If only I had my sense of smell then we’ll be able to find out if he’s our mate. How about you ask him directly?]

She inwardly scoffed. Lately, her wolf would constantly bug her about Gilas. Maybe Sheba felt pity for her since she had been heartbroken because of Darius lately?

[Stop it, Sheba. Just focus on our training,] Clara inwardly chided. [I’m not losing out on hope… Darius will eventually realize that it’s still me who can best stand by his side.]

[Say that after the trials…] Sheba pointed out. [And if you still fail, then you should just give up, Clara. Enough is enough.]