When Tables Turn Book 3: Love & War
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Ivana Vanessa Jameson
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Chapter 1
LUCY]
Itâs wild how life can flip upside down in a heartbeat. I felt like I was stuck in slow motion, while the rest of the world sped on without me.
I was lost. The only thing I knew for sure was that there was no winning against the lycan king. I sat quietly next to him as he conducted the post-war meeting.
My friends watched me from the crowd, sitting a few feet away from the main table where the leaders were gathered.
âWeâve lost over a thousand men, my king. The young ones whoâve just come of age are refusing to join the warriors after everything thatâs happened,â Vladimir reported, his face etched with worry.
Alexander studied him with a stern expression. âRecruit them all. They donât have a choice. Is that everything?â he asked Vladimir.
Vladimir seemed surprised by the kingâs response, but he didnât question his decision.
âMany of our people are homeless now. Most of the homes near the borders have been destroyed, and even if we rebuild, they donât feel safe there anymore. There are rumors that the banshees are still lurking.â
âRebuild the homes near the borders and increase border patrol. Make sure there are more warriors stationed in that area.
âAnyone who spreads rumors about the banshees should be locked up and publicly shamed,â the king declared without a hint of mercy.
I wanted to interject, to tell him how harsh that punishment was, but I held my tongue. Iâd already caused enough trouble. None of these creatures would listen to me now. Not after everything Iâd done.
I was surprised their king was still protecting me. Maybe the mate bond was stronger than Iâd imagined.
I couldnât ignore the way Karen had been glaring at me the entire time. It was as if all the redheads had something against me.
âAnd what about them? People are starting to ask questions,â she asked Alex, her gaze shifting to me.
Suddenly, all eyes were on me, and I wished I could vanish.
âThey can stay if they want to. It seems they make my mate happy and comfortable. If they want to leave, no one will stop them. My mate stays with me. Thatâs final,â Alexander replied calmly.
Karen didnât seem satisfied with his answer. âAfter all the trouble sheâs caused? Canât you see how this will affect you?â
âWhich part of âmy decision is finalâ did you not understand?â He narrowed his eyes at her.
She didnât respond. Who would dare argue with the king?
I looked around at everyone. They werenât happy with Alexanderâs decision. They didnât like me, and I couldnât blame them. I didnât like myself much either right now.
I couldnât understand why Alexander was being⊠I wouldnât say kind, but he was treating me and my friends decently. After everything, Iâd expected him to banish us from his territory.
The whole situation felt strange. I didnât know whether to feel relieved or scared.
After the meeting, I had a chance to catch up with my friends while he attended to more pack business. We sat in silence while the twins played with their toys.
âWhat happened? I thought you guys got away,â I asked, frowning.
Marcia rubbed her forehead. âAbout eight warriors caught us before we could escape. Iâd call it luck because the place was swarming with banshees. We could have died if those warriors hadnât been there.â
My heart sank as I listened to her. I felt so stupid for letting them go alone.
I didnât know what I would have done if anything had happened to them. Weâd already lost one friend, and losing anyone else would have been unbearable.
The thought of everything Iâd been through and the people Iâd lost made me feel sick.
I sighed. âIâm so sorry. I should have been there.â
Amara shook her head. âNo, youâve always been there for us, Lucy. You donât need to feel guilty about this.â
âYes, besides, you were safer with the king. Iâll admit that, and everything thatâs happened has happened for a reason,â Marcia added.
Persius smiled at me. âYou donât have to look after all of us, love. Anyway, weâre past that now. Howâs your leg? How are you feeling?â
Honestly, I didnât know how I felt. Thinking about it, my whole body ached, and I was incredibly tired.
The cramps had subsided, but I was still exhausted, and what worried me the most was that Iâd never felt this tired before.
âLucy? Are you okay? You look worried,â Amara asked, concern in her eyes.
I smiled at them. âNo, donât worry. Iâm fine. Just a bit tired, but then again, Iâm always tired.â
They all laughed.
ââAlwaysâ is an understatement,â Hakim joked, grinning.
âShut up,â I laughed, rolling my eyes at him. âSo, have you thought about what their king saidâŠabout staying?â I asked, and everyoneâs smiles faded.
âI feel like weâve been safer here than out there, and to be honest, the twins are happier here. They need stability, and this place seems to offer that,â Marcia admitted.
I hadnât expected her to want to stay, but it made me happy. Plus, she was right. I didnât want to admit it, but this seemed like the safest place for us right now.
Persius hummed in agreement. âThatâs true. It sucks, but we have food here. We have places to sleep, and they have real human kids theyâre taking care of here. The twins can make friends and go to school.â
âAs long as youâre here, Lu, Iâm not going anywhere,â Amara declared.
A smile spread across my face, thrilled that my friends were sticking around. But it faded as soon as Trevor opened his mouth.
âI canât stay here⊠Iâm heading out early this afternoon. Got some stuff to sort out,â he said, his expression unreadable.
No one challenged him. Heâd been through the wringer, and I couldnât fault him for wanting to escape. This place was a minefield of painful memories for him.
His decision to leave tugged at my heartstrings, but we all had to respect itâif it was what he needed to find happiness.
