Betrayed

☾Chapter Forty-Four☽

Vladimira's P.O.V

My mother and I stare at one another for a moment with confusion in our eyes. I don't dare move towards her, but she slowly inches towards me.

I tighten my grip on Aaron as she comes closer. Her brown eyes bear into my blue eyes, and I'm shocked when I see love there.

She finally reaches me and carefully strokes my face. "You look so much like me," She whispers as tears sting her eyes.

I readjust my shirt, cautious of Aaron's warm body. "How...? You died," I choke out.

Greer blows out an unsteady breath. 'No wonder Father is uneasy. His mate is alive!'

Nikolai walks farther into the room. "Everything will be revealed soon enough." He steps closer towards me, his eyes flashing amber. "Aaron's going to have to come with me."

Before he can touch me, I'm jolting away from him. "You're not touching my son again! He's safer with me!" I growl at him.

His blue eyes examine me, and before I know it, he has a knife against my mother's pale throat. "Hand him over, Vladimira. If you don't, your mother's blood will be splattered over the both of you," He threatens cruelly with an evil glint in his eyes. "Do you really want to disappoint your father?" He taunts.

The question chills me to the bone, making me glance at my mother. She's shaking gently as tears stream down her face.

"Okay," I croak out. Pain stabs at my heart when I hand over Aaron, but it subdues slightly when I watch Nikolai release my mother.

He sends me a fake smile. "Not so hard, huh?" He glances at the ajar door. "Guards! Take the queen to our meeting place. Is my son already in the room?" He asks calmly.

A man, dressed from head to toe in black, walks into the room. I soon recognize him as the man that had drugged me. "Yes, sir." He takes me by my arms from behind and leads me out the room.

Instantly, Aaron's wails begin to echo out of the room, almost as if he's being stabbed. My hearts speeds up, and I try to break free. "My son needs me!" I yell in frustration.

The man simply pushes me forward. "Don't fight me. If you do, he will be crying for other reasons."

Fear seeps deeper into my body when an image of Aaron, bloody and dismembered, pops into my mind.

I fight to hold back a sob.

At the sight of a wooden door, the man pushes me forward again. He opens the door, and I resist the urge to let out a sob once again.

My father is tied to a chair with silver chains. He seems alert yet calm. That's still not a good combination.

From the looks of it, he could break the restraints, but I don't think Nikolai would be naïve enough to not use me or Aaron as bait.

His shoulders relax at the sight of me, and I can't help but imagine him with my mother, smiling and laughing.

The man puts his mouth next to my ear. "Tell your daddy about the secret, and Nikolai will slit her throat." His breath is hot on my neck, making me cringe.

My father chuckles. "Do you really want to know what I'll do to everyone in this building? Keep terrorizing my daughter and you'll be the first one to lose your head," He threatens simply. His blue eyes, which are tinted with red, zero in on the man behind me.