Chapter 258
There were a lot of panels happening in the pack house.
Janet and Medline managed to get a speaker’s list from one of the staff and found out the panel that Daran would be at.
If Daran was at this panel, it was possible that Aspen was there too.
Janet and Medline waited for the discussion session to be over before sneaking into the room.
There were still a lot of people in the room, mingling and talking.
Janet stood in the corner alone and quietly observed the room.
She spotted Daran in the near distance, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.
This was the first time she saw his face in 8 long years.
A mixture of pain and longingness shot through her body like a sharp knife.
…She could hardly recognize him anymore.
It was not like that his facial features had changed that much–he still looked dazzling handsome as usual.
It was his aura that changed.
The youthful part of him was dead, completely.
Now all that was left in him was a cold, ruthless soul.
His deep–set, smokey–grey eyes now held a haunted gaze that spoke volumes of the grief he carried.
The sparkle that once danced in those eyes had dimmed, replaced by weariness. His dark hair, once carefully groomed, now hung behind his shoulders and was
slightly dishe
Janet also noticed a scar on his face, which traversed his left cheek, d Jabb
from the ear to the neck.
She wondered how he got that scar.
Probably on the battlefield.
Probably during a brutal assassination.
Nevertheless, she was absent from those 8 years of his life.
And she would never have the chance to figure out what happened to him in that period of time.
Janet took in a deep breath fought back the tears in his eyes and looked away from
Daran.
She had to quit those sentimental thoughts.
She needed to focus on finding her son.
“I don’t see Prince Aspen here,” Medline whispered into her ears.
from Daran. Must b
“He can’t be too far away here somewhere,” said Janet with a frown.
This wasn’t Riverside Pack.
Daran didn’t have anyone that he could trust Aspen with.
He would very much likely keep Aspen close to his side.
Yet the only problem was….where?
Janet told Medline to do a thorough search in the crowd. And she would go into the VIP lounge to see if Aspen was there.
She was heading towards the lounge when a voice came behind her back:
“Excuse me…Miss?”
Janet jerked around and found a young man staring at her with a frown.
Shit.
It was Daran’s Beta, Francis.
They knew each other back at the Riverside pack.
She panicked for a brief moment and then remembered that she was wearing a mask.
So there was no way that Francis could recognize her.
“Yes Sir?” she forced out a smile underneath her mask.
“You…”
Francis looked at her with a blank look, “I am sorry…But you look really familiar to me.‘
Janet’s heart rate quickened.
But she didn’t let her nervousness show, “I think you mistook me for someone else.
Or is that a really old pickup line?!!
On is that a really old pickup line
Francis scratched his head, still looking skeptical, “No believe me. I wasn’t frying to hit on you it is just that when I saw your back earlier, I almost thought that t saw a very old friend”
“Oh is that so? Sorry that I am not her,” replied Janet in a calm voice.
She curtseved to Francis and was about to leave
Francis took a hasty step forward and blocked her way again.
“What is your name, Miss?” he asked eagerly.
“…Kurt.”
“Lord Kurt from the Black Water Pack. He is your
“That is my father,” she replied with a nod.
“It is very nice to meet you, Lady Kurt.” Francis came even closer to her, “Listen. Do you want to come to an exclusive party later? I can even introduce you to the King if you like…”
Janet frowned in frustration.
The last person she wanted to be introduced to was Daran!
“I appreciate that sir. But I don’t think I have the time-”
“Oh come on. 99% of the girls here want to get to know the King. I bet that you are no different. What do you say?”
Janet was losing her patience.
Why was Francis still pestering her?
She had to find her son. ASAP.
If Daran took Aspen away, she would lose the chance to talk to her son again.
She was thinking of ways to get rid of Francis when a cold voice came from their backs:
“Francis, what are you doing there?”
Janet froze on her spot.
It was Daran’s voice.
Her heart was racing, her palms sweating, her mind a total blank.
She didn’t dare to turn around.
She was afraid to face him..
“Oh! My King!” Francis said briskly, “Come here. I want to introduce you to Lady Kurt, from Black Water Pack.”
…Please don’t!
Janet begged internally.
Luckily, she heard Daran’s nonchalant voice the next second, “I need to talk to you. Come.”
“Oh. OK.
Francis sounded disappointed, “Well then, maybe another time, Lady Kurt.” He walked away with Daran.
Janet stood there and waited for their footsteps to disappear into the distance, before slowly letting out a sigh of relief.
That was close.
The impact that Daran still had on her was unbelievable.
The moment she heard his voice, she even forgot how to walk or talk.
She better find her son and get out of this place as quickly as possible.
So she kept on heading towards the VIP lounge prepared for the speakers.
All the speakers were still at the panels, so there weren’t many people in the lounge right now.
Janet pushed the door open for a crack and peeked inside.
She saw a maid and a boy in the room.
Aspen!
Found him!
“Why can’t I go to the panel? I am so bored here,” she heard Aspen ask the maid.
“It is only for adults, young master. You will get bored there as well.”
Aspen pouted, looking very disappointed, “Then can I at least get some cake? I am starving.”
The maid hesitated.
She didn’t want to leave the young master here alone, yet she also didn’t want to starve the boy that King Daran asked her to take care of.
After a small pause, the maid said, “OK. Let me get you some cake. But you promise to stay here, young master?”
Aspen nodded absent–mindedly.
The maid stood up and left the lounge.
Janet waited for her to walk away and hastily dashed into the room.
“…Aspen!” she cried in a hushed voice.
The boy snapped his head up, his eyes round with shock.
“Mom!” he gasped, “What are you doing here?!”
“To find you! Oh my god, Aspen…Do you know how worried I was?!”
She clasped him to her and almost choked.
She couldn’t imagine losing her boy…Anxiety almost killed her.
Aspen wrapped his tiny arms around Janet’s neck and rubbed his forehead against hers, “I am sorry Mom…I miss you too.”
What happen
Aspen pouted, reluctant to say.
As desperate as Janet was to hear her son’s reason, this was not a place to talk.
“Never mind. We will have a serious discussion when we get home. Now let us go.”
She tried to pull her son up.
“No!” Aspen cried, breaking from her grip. “NO! I don’t want to go home!”
“What? Why? What is wrong with home?”
“…Those people. They are horrible to me!”
Aspen cried with tears welling up in his eyes, “My classmates, those elders. They laughed at me all the time because I didn’t have a wolf. And I heard people calling me…a bastard. What does bastard mean, Mom? Does that mean that I am not daddy’s boy?”
Janet felt her heart ache for her little boy.
Because Aspen was a werewolf, he wouldn’t be able to shift till he came of age.
Yet that was not the case for the Lycans, who were born with wolves.
Due to that very reason, Aspen had become the scoff of the town.
Janet and Westin tried to rationalize this by telling people that Aspen was a hybrid so
his wolf would appear later.
Yet that didn’t kill all the rumors.
“Aspen. Listen to me.
Janet crouched down meeting her son’s eye level and held his tiny hands,
“Remember what I said? That you are a boy of wonder? You are different from them, in a good way. So don’t let other people’s laughter get to you.”
Aspen held his head down in silence.
“I will make those people apologize when we get home,” Janet promised. “But now. We REALLY need to go.”
“NO, MOM! I don’t want to!”
“Aspen
Janet tried to pick up the boy by force.
Just then, she heard the sound of a plate breaking from the door, followed by a sharp
Cry:
“HELP! Someone is trying to steal the young master!”
The maid went to get Aspen’s cake. She was back!
Janet spooned Aspen up and quickly assessed the situation.
If it was just one maid, she could probably escape the scene without getting stopped-
Yet a tall figure appeared by the door the next second.
Daran blocked the entrance and gazed at Janet with cold, dangerous eves.
Chapter 259
