Carter stormed into the house, his cloak flying with the wind as he walked in. The white-haired woman scrambled to her feet, fear flashing in her eyes.

"My lord," she blurted, head bowed as if her neck would fall.

Carter's gaze flickered over the dark and red-painted room. "Tell me, Alma. What did I just hear?"

The woman swallowed heavily, glancing at what she'd been working on before he came and bent down to pick it up.

"Forgive me, my Lord, but I'm afraid the sperm isn't of his majesty," she repeated.

Carter's face grew redder, and his eyes grew darker. "And what do you mean by that?" he snarled.

The woman flinched but stood her ground. "The sperm doesn't belong to his majesty," she stated matter-of-factly.

"And if it's not his majesty's, then whose can it be, huh?"

She lowered her gaze. "That, I cannot say, my Lord. You asked me to perform my services, to extract and prepare the sample for the young missus. But the energy, the essence… it isn't his."

Carter's mind reeled. How was this possible? Veronica had sworn Thorne slept with that whore. He had ejaculated into the bag, and now… it wasn't even his?

No. Something was up. Radek had to have messed this up at some point and lied about it.

Carter was sure of it now. Radek must've made the mistake.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the door flew open. A gush of wind blew into the room as his youngest daughter came storming in.

Freya's eyes landed on Carter first and then the woman. Her face grew stormier at the sight of the woman, and she marched up to her, her face twisting in disgust. She raised her hand and slapped the woman across the cheek so hard that the woman staggered.

"How dare you tell your filthy lies to my father?" she growled, veins popping in her neck.

"Freya!" Carter growled, but she didn't listen.

Freya grabbed the woman's arms so tightly it would leave marks. "Tell the truth, you slimy bitch. Your powers have failed, right? And now you have resorted to lying rather than owning up to your disgusting actions. You're a failure," she screamed.

"Freya!" Carter snarled, pulling her back while she thrashed in his arms.

"Tell him! Tell him you're lying and you've lied only to keep the king's sperm to yourself. You want to bear his child, don't you? You have my father fooled, but not me! I know what you are. You are a cheap, desperate loser who wants to beat the king's heir!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH! FREYA!" Carter growled, the sound reverberating through the walls.

"You've said more than enough. Alma has no reason to lie about this. She's seventy. What child can she bear for the king at her age?"

Freya glared at the woman. "Who knows what she has planned. She's one of them, father. How can you trust her words so easily? She's a witch! A practicing witch. How can you trust their kind?"

"Alma is a witch who has used her powers for me. For us. She won't betray me now. Get your acts in order or leave. I won't tolerate another word against her."

Freya scoffed, shaking her head. "She's got you wrapped around her finger so bad, father. But soon you'll see that I'm right. You'll see that this witch wants to have the king's child. Nothing more," she spat out before marching out of the room.

Carter watched her retreating figure then sighed. He loved his two daughters so much. While Veronica was intelligent, smart, and capable, Freya was the opposite. She was erratic, desperate, and stubborn.

Carter sighed, turning to face the woman. "Alma…"

She looked up at him with a smile. "It's alright, my Lord. The young miss can be quite intense when things don't go her way," she replied.

He nodded, "If this is truly not the king's sperm, then Radek must have made a mistake or lied. In any case, I'm sure this is his fault."

She nodded, "Do you want me to give you a potion? One that'll make him better?" she asked, but he shook his head.

Alma might've been the one to turn Radek from a wolf to the beast that he was now under his orders, but he knew exactly how to make the man a bitch…

He walked out of the place, didn't even make it so far when he saw Freya pacing around his carriage. He sighed, knowing she was about to spew one of her nonsense.

He walked down the stairs towards the carriage. Freya snapped her gaze towards him.

"Father. Don't tell me you believe her. You don't, right?" she asked.

Carter stopped in his tracks, "Freya, darling. You must stop this nonsense at once."

Freya reeled back in shock like she'd been slapped. "Nonsense? How can you say that, father? You of all people know how important this is. If I'm queen. If I carry his majesty's child. Father, you will own the realm. You'll be the most powerful man to ever live. Do you not see what I am talking about?" she asked.

Carter sighed, dragging his hand through his face. The many evil deeds he has done over the years must be coming back to bite him in the balls, seeing as this was his daughter.

"Freya…" he drawled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

His brows furrowed. "Tell me what?"

"What Veronica said. That the sperm isn't his majesty's? You didn't tell me. I overheard your conversation with Beta and trailed you to Alma's home. Shouldn't I be the first to know?" she asked.

Carter's jaw clenched hard; he was getting too irritated now. "I didn't tell you because it wasn't worth it. And for the love of the goddess. Shut up. I have given you way too many chances to prove your worth. Do something with your life and capture the king's heart, but even that you failed to do."

"Father…"

"Don't father me. The insertion has failed, and until I figure out what exactly happened. Stay away from everything that concerns the king." He got into the carriage, leaving a furious Freya behind.

Freya wiped her tears. She should've seen this coming. Her father was such a puppet for Veronica and Alma. She's always had to figure things out herself, and this time… she'll have to figure this one out too.

"Keep an eye on Freya. Lock her up if need be, but I won't have her prancing outside like a whore just for the king. I need his power, and she's my only way of getting it. The sperm failed now doesn't mean it'll fail a second time. I just need a second avenue," he said.

The Beta nodded. "As you've ordered," he replied.

"Bring Radek to me. It's time he answers for everything that's gone wrong," he said.

The Beta stiffened slightly. "My Lord. I'm afraid that will have to wait for a bit. We have an unwelcome guest waiting for you," he said.

Carter's brows furrowed. "Unwelcome? Who is it?" he asked.

"Former General Elara. She's been here for the past two hours. She insists on speaking to you."

Carter's face grew stormy. That little wretch… how hard was it to understand 'Stay away!' Why was she so hell-bent on being a second Varrick?

He didn't wait to hear what else the Beta had to say. He stormed up the stairs with rage and flung the door open.

Elara was already standing with a smile on her face like she'd been waiting for him.

"How dare you—"

"Welcome back, Lord Carter. I've been waiting for quite a while now."

Carter's eyes glowed a dangerous red. He stormed towards the woman, gripping her arm like he'd tear it off. "Have you lost your mind, girl! How dare you come into my pack like this?" he growled so hard it echoed through the walls.

Elara smiled, as if her arm wasn't hurting… as if he wasn't close to snapping it off. She looked him dead in the eye. "Why have you hidden from the king the fact that your son-in-law is a Morvyn?"