Mating the Female Alpha
Chapter 47 – Allying with the bears.

Tina's

POV

Tina longed for the day that she would marry Landry. She was born and bred to be the next luna queen.

Her father always said so.

It wasn't long ago that Tina had pressed herself against the wall of her home, hiding in the shadows, out of sight. Her father was on the phone with somebody, talking about bringing a peace offering to the bears. The bears? Tina thought to herself. What kind of peace offering would he want with the bears? And why?

Tina found herself pacing her room; she couldn't get that conversation out of her mind. She needed to confront her father about what it was he was planning on doing. She opened her door and headed into the halls when she heard the murmurs of a couple of maids from around the corner.

"She's safe now, but she's probably traumatized," one of them said.

"And the spy has been caught?" The other asked.

"She's in custody at the Alpha King's holding cell. He's going to interrogate her and find out whom she's working for."

"Poor, princess Jessie... I couldn't imagine having a gun pointed at my head."

Tina gasped loudly, alerting the maids that she was there. They both turned, startled to see her lurking around the corner. "Oh, mistress!" One of them said with wide eyes. "We didn't see you there. We are sorry for running our mouths..."

"What happened with my cousin?" Tina asked, narrowing her eyes at the maids.

They both looked at one another before turning back to Tina.

"She was held captive by a vampire spy. The spy had a gun pointed at her head. But the Alpha King and his omega saved her life."

His omega.

Tina hated the sound of that. She was only "his omega" for the time being. Soon enough, he will see that the woman he's meant to marry, the one who's going to rule the kingdom by his side as his luna, will be Tina. But until then, Tina had to plaster a smile on her face and pretend to not be bothered by the omega.

"I will have to see my cousin for myself," Tina says after a short pause. "Ready the car for me."

"Yes, mistress," they both say with a bow before scurrying down the hall.

Tina straightens her stance before going toward her father's study. Per usual, her father was locked away in his study, typing on his computer and doing Alpha things.

"Father, may we speak?" Tina asks as she entered his study.

"I'm busy. What is it?"

"Father, I heard you on the phone earlier. You were saying something about making a peace offering with the bears. You know they are our enemies. Why would you want to make peace with them."

Her father looked up from his computer to stare at his daughter; his eyes were dark, and it gave Tina an icy chill down her spine. She's always admired her father, despite how cold and ruthless he can be.

"We have something in common," her father finally says after a moment of assessing her face. "We both want power. We can work together to obtain that power. But first, we need to make peace."

"They want control of our territory; just like all the creatures do," she says, unease clear in her tone. "Is it a good idea to work with them?"

"They want to overthrow Alpha King Landry, just as we do..."

"I don't want to overthrow him, father. I want to marry him and -

"And be the luna queen," her father finished for her. "If things keep going the way they are going, you aren't going to be the luna queen. That Omega is. I will be damned if my daughter is in second place after an Omega. I will do what I can to get you that thrown."

"Even if Landry isn't by my side?"

"If things go as planned, we will no longer need Landry."

"And we will also allow the bears to take control?" Tina asks in disbelief.

"They only think they are getting control. We are only using them. But it starts with a peace offering."

Tina had an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach; she could tell that her father was getting annoyed with the questions.

"I need you to trust me, my daughter," he says, eyeing her uncertainty carefully. "You wouldn't want anything to screw up our chances, would you?"

"Of course not, father," she sighs, staring down at her feet. "I trust you."

"Good," he says, turning away and back at his computer. "Now leave me, I have work to do."

"Yes, father," she says before leaving his study.

Tina wastes no more time, she leaves her home and greets the driver who has been waiting at the car for her arrival, per request. He bows to her and allows her into the backseat where he takes her directly to Jessie's palace. The guards know Tina very well and don't question her arrival.

Jessie was seated in her sitting room with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Tina recognized the blanket as the quilt Jessie's mother had made for her; may she rest in peace.

She was sipping on some tea and her hands were trembling.

It was clear she's been through something traumatizing.

"My dear cousin; I heard from my maids what had happened, and I had to come to see you right away," Tina says, sitting on the couch beside Jessie.

"Oh, it was terrible," Jessie says with tears filling her eyes. "I thought for sure I was going to die. I had never felt so stupid..."

"Hush now," Tina says, waving her hand in dismissal. "You are not stupid. Don't say such harsh things. Be glad that you're alive."

"Thanks to Landry and Denise," Jessie breathes. "I would be a goner if it weren't for them."

Tina kept a plastered smile on her face; the mention of that omega, Denise, made her flinch. Thankfully, Jessie didn't notice.

"Aren't we glad they were there then," Tina says, trying to sound unbothered.

Jessie nodded and stared down at her tea.

"I'm exhausted," she says with a sigh. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some rest."

"Of course," Tina says in return. "I'll be going now. I just wanted to see that you were okay." Jessie thanked Tina before leaving the room.

Once Tina got back to the car, she ordered the driver to take her to Landry's palace. Per usual, the doorman greeted her with a bow as she passed through the front entrance. Up the stairs, she heard footsteps. She knew the footsteps to be Landry's and she ran to meet up with him.

"Why are you here at this hour?" He asked once she approached.

She gave him a smile and faked the concerned look in her eyes.

"I heard what happened to my dear cousin. I stopped by to check on her. Poor thing was so distraught."

"I asked why you are here at this hour," he repeated, no trace of amusement on his face.

He was still upset with her for her behavior at the banquet. She clears her throat and straightens her stance so she can appear and feel more in power.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior. It was wrong of me to do as I did and I never truly apologized for it," she says, batting her long lashes at him. "You have every right to despise me. I wouldn't blame you in the least. But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"You are apologizing to the wrong person. It was Denise's drink you had tampered with," Landry says to her, his tone deep and threatening. "You had what was coming to you."

"I know," she breathed, staring down at her feet. "I don't even know what came over me..." she paused as she reached her hand out and places it on his strong bicep. "It drove me crazy thinking that she would be the next luna. I'm supposed to be the luna... I'm the one you are supposed to marry...Can't you see that?"

...

Bernice's POV

I couldn't take the fluttering of my heart any longer.

I was never going to get any sleep. I needed to speak to Landry about this right away. I slid out of bed and went straight for my door, but as I neared, I heard murmuring voices in the hallway.

I opened my door just a crack to hear who it was.

"It drove me crazy thinking that she would be the next luna. I'm supposed to be the luna... I'm the one you are supposed to marry...Can't you see that?"

My heart stopped in my chest.

I couldn't hold the illness in any longer. I leaned down and released the contents of my stomach onto the ground.