Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies: A Reverse Harem Romance Chapter 124: Schemes and Plans

*Barbara*

“What do you mean he stole your throne?”

I think my neighbor here has to be some sort of a crazy person. He thinks he’s King Edward, King Gene’s father? Everyone knows that King Edward and his wife, Queen Marcella, retired to a large palace in the east of the country a few years before they both caught an illness and died within days of one another. Though they had been very reclusive once they moved away, they weren’t locked up in the castle. That was preposterous!

Besides, Queen Marcella was a nut job. She was crazy from the time she was married to King Edward, so it wasn’t as if she would have been able to function if she was locked in the dungeon. Either she would’ve keeled over dead from her own delirium, or the guards that worked down here would’ve lost their minds.

“I mean what I said,” my neighbor says in a casual voice that makes it sound as if what he’s saying isn’t that big of a deal, like imprisoned kings are the every-day norm. “My son took the throne from me. He locked me up here. I’ve been here ever since. It’s a pity, really, since I would’ve gladly just stepped aside and let him have it if he wanted. But… he wasn’t patient enough for that, so he took it.”

“And locked you up down here?” My voice is full of sarcasm, but I can’t help it. I have to let this guy know I’m not buying what he’s selling.

“Yes. My wife at least was locked in one of the towers. So at least she’d be comfortable. I do miss her….”

“Queen Marcella?” I question him.

“She was such a beauty. I love her so much. I hope she’s still alive. I think she is. She was my true mate, you know. I didn’t just marry her because she was beautiful or because she was a good asset coming from a dangerous pack that wanted power. No, I loved her. That was back when people still believed in true mates.”

I listen to him ramble, but his talking of true mates makes me angry. Very few people are lucky enough to find their true mates these days, and those who do don’t appreciate them. I think of stupid ass Emily and my own husband, who were allegedly mates. I didn’t believe that a mate bond was strong enough to break up a marriage.

But apparently my husband and that skanky bitch disagreed.

“Listen,” I say to him. “You’re not the fucking king. You’re just some crazy old dude who has been locked up for so long you don’t remember which way is up. When my boyfriend breaks me out of here, which better be soon if he wants to stay my boyfriend, I’ll take your sorry ass with me.”

He laughs. It’s the laugh of a man who has gone more than a little insane.

I’ll get him out of the cell, but then he’s on his own.

With a sigh, I reach out with the mind-link again. “Kane?” Again, there’s nothing. “Kane! Goddess damn it, answer me right now, or so help me, as soon as I see you again, I'll cut off your balls and shove them up your nose!”

“Barbara.”

I hear my own name in my head spoken in a soft, soothing voice from the man that I think I love, and I take a deep breath, hoping he has good news for me.

“Where the fuck have you been?” I can’t help myself. Anger courses through me. “It’s been days!”

“I am fighting to get into the castle. It’s surrounded by the forces of four other Alphas and the king’s guard. This is no easy task. I shall be there as soon as I can be.”

“You’d better get me out of here, now!” I scream. I hang my head and grab two hunks of hair in my fists, threatening to pull it out.

I stop myself, though. I don’t want to be bald. I decide to wait and bottle up my rage to let it all go on Kane when I see him. He might be my lover, but he’s not my mate.

So I can hurt him and not have to worry about the consequences….

* * *

Mark

“We have to do something about Gene now that he’s back.” I close the door to the library and take a quick peek around, seeing no one. We aren’t meeting in Eli’s room because he’s not here. He volunteered to take Emily back to Stephen.

It shouldn’t be a very hard job since Stephen’s troops are amassing on one side of the castle. Kane’s are on the other. They are trying to surround us, but our troops outnumber them greatly, and we have each sent for more warriors from our packs. They will come in behind our enemies, and soon enough, we won’t be the only ones surrounded.

I am slightly worried about Eli, though. I don’t think he took enough forces with him. I think he might end up getting himself into trouble, but he felt confident he had it under control.

“Here’s what I think we should do about Gene,” Tristan says, leaning casually on a bookshelf. My eyes float over the titles and notice that they are all books about human waste. “How to Poop When You’re All Backed Up,” “Your Large Intestine and You,” “What to Do When You’re Expecting a Bowel Movement–and Nothing Happens.” I almost laugh, but I hold it back.

Tristan’s forehead wrinkles as he stares at me, but he continues. “Unless and until King Gene and I meet in person, I’m acting king. So I’ll just avoid him.”

“How are you going to do that?” Reece asks, a very serious expression on his face that tells me he doesn’t notice shit.

“Simple. I’ll run. If I see him coming, I’ll spin around and go the other direction. If he summons me, I’ll make an excuse.”

“Like what?” I ask Tristan. “You’re taking a dump?”

“Yeah, maybe,” he says, still straight faced. “That does take a long time.”

“Perhaps I can interest you in some literature on the subject?” I gesture toward the books.

He looks down and slowly shakes his head. “You’re such a little boy, Mark,” he chides.

“Me?” I can think of a hundred examples of him acting like a child, but I don’t argue.

“Anyway, that’s the plan. And then… we can organize to just get rid of him altogether,” Tristan says.

“How? We aren’t going to kill him, right?” Reece asks. “I don’t want regicide on my rap sheet.”

“No, no, we’ll just have him declared insane. Shouldn’t be too hard. His mother was declared insane before he moved her to Shady Pines Chateau.”

“He moved her?” I ask. “I thought his father retired and the queen went with him?”

Tristan’s shoulders go up and down again. “I’ve heard a lot of rumors. But anyway. That’s the plan for now. Sound good?”

“Well–” Reece begins.

“Don’t argue with me! I’m the king!” Tristan barks in a teasing tone.

“Acting king,” I correct him.

“Tomato, potatoh,” he says, and I roll my eyes.

“Fine. That sounds like a plan. Now, I think one of us needs to go check on Rose, and I volunteer,” I tell them.

“You spent an awful lot of time with her when you were poisoned. I think this is a bit unfair,” Reece says, folding his arms and sulking a bit.

Somewhere behind me, I think I hear a strange creaking noise. Before I can answer Reece, I turn and look over my shoulder.

I swear I see a picture on the wall swing slightly. How strange.

“Fine,” I tell Reece, thinking I should investigate. “You go ahead, and I’ll catch up with her later.”

“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be,” Reece says.

I’m already out of my chair. With a shrug, I walk toward the wall. I’ve got something to look into.”

I glance behind me to see Tristan has pulled one of those poop books off of the shelf and is looking at it intently. He turns the book slightly as if there’s an illustration that doesn’t look right in its current direction. I shake my head and move on.

Walking to the wall where I saw the picture moving, I feel around. At first, it seems like an ordinary wall. But then, I realize there’s a slight separation between panels.

This doesn’t seem right. Looking at the bookshelves close by, I begin to tip books up, looking for the strangest ones first, the most worn ones, the biggest ones.

I pull on a book that says, “How to Win at War,” and I hear the creaking noise again.

The wall opens up.

It’s a secret passage.