The Beta’s Regret

(Eden's Pov)

The moment Alice stepped out of the room, I let my guard down and relaxed.

I took a deep breath, and allowed the fury I felt to evaporate. I never intended to get so worked up, but Alice had a way of bringing out the worst in me, and I wasn't about to back down.

If my plan was to go accordingly, I couldn't allow anyone else to stand in my way. This wasn't only about what I wanted or about saving myself. This was about saving the people that trusted me to protect them, saving the people I failed.

I felt uneasy as my heart hung heavy in my chest. I had a fight ahead of me, one I wasn't sure I would come out of unscathed but one thing I was sure of, was that I wouldn't fail my people, not again.

A knock on the door caught my attention, and I turned to look at it in curiosity.

Was Alice back again?

I went to the door and pulled it open. My brows raised when I saw two maids one taller than the other stood behind it with fresh bath towels in their hands.

"My lady." They chorused.

"What do you want?" I asked.

One of the ladies, the taller one replied. "His highness asked us to get you ready for the night."

I looked back at the towels in their hands and I sighed. What I needed was time alone to myself, not to have people running around trying to please me.

However, I couldn't turn them away. I needed to act as if I wanted this much more than anything else. Pison has to think that I was just as vain as the other women trying to get the crown. If I turned them away, Pison might suspect I hadn't really changed. I pulled the door open wider.

"Come on in." I said softly.

The maids entered, heads bowed. They hurried towards the bathroom, and spent a few minutes adding various oils before they coming back to my side.

"The bath is ready." The tall one spoke again.

I shook my head in answer.

was about to move when the maids got closer to

I stopped them. "I will do

and

little conscious, taking off my clothes in front of total strangers, but I swallowed my discomfort. This was all a part of what I had to do. When I was done, I allowed the maids to lead me to the bath they had drawn, and slowly, I soaked myself in the warm

work its

what I needed, but I would have preferred it

felt the maids hands on me, touching my

my skin

and scurried out of the

thing in the palace, maids running around in fear. Was it all because they were scared of what Pison might

bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. I was just about to drift into

sat up with

That voice. Zion?

Did my parents come along with my son? Or was Eros

for the opened room window and jumped out, shifting midair

she

it. Thankfully, there was no one else in sight. It was

were probably about to

Pison caught me, but I needed to know why my son

side of the

she saw a small girl in white picking flowers. The girl turned, the light of the moon casting a glow on her

alive? But how? I assumed she was killed in the

a safe place for her. Pison would kill her in an instant if he knew

shifted to human form and moved forward. With a frown, I looked around. There was no

get suspicious when Lamia smiled and covered her lips

come, and I knew you would if you heard the voice of your son" she said with a soft

Zion?" I narrowed my gaze

"No. I

Lamia was definitely a strange girl. Till now, I had no idea she was aware of her powers. Had she been playing with me all along?

widened. "You heard