Alpha's Rejected Mate Returns as Queen

309 The Change

Selma Payne’s POV:

In the middle of September, I set off for the Shadow Pack. To protect my former friends and family, the royal family announced that Aldrich and I were going on a honeymoon at the Shadow Pack. The specific itinerary was kept secret, and no media interviews were accepted.

Accompanying us were Dorothy, Jordin, Emma, Master Kevin, and others. I thought the Sorcery Research Institute would send Master Hayley, but Master Kevin’s arrival surprised me. He was famous for his academic brain. He was not interested in anything other than the library and the laboratory, let alone traveling.

On my wedding day, I saw him on the viewing platform. He was holding a delicate wooden box with the Y&Y on it. Before leaving, I visited Master Mary and asked her about it.

“It’s been so many years, but Kevin still hasn’t gotten used to this.” She said emotionally, “Ever since Layla passed away, Kevin would bring the dress he had customized for Layla to important events. This way, he can feel that Layla is still by his side.”

I sighed and didn’t pursue the matter.

Many of them, like Dorothy, had never left the Lycan Pack since they were young. She was extremely excited along the way, occasionally picking rare plants, seeds, spores, and other small things to store in her sample bottle. Compared to accompanying me on a journey, she was more like a student on a study trip. She was more relaxed than anyone else.

We stopped at the Silver Moon Pack for a day to rest. As one of the top-ranked packs, the Silver Moon Pack was as prosperous as the Lycan Pack. In particular, this place was close to the plains that bordered the elf forest and human society. Trade was developed here, and it had a luxurious feel.

Francis welcomed us warmly. Coincidentally, his youngest daughter also came back to visit her family. I finally got to meet the girl that Francis always talked about.

It was not accurate to call her a girl. She was a few years older than me. Although she had been married for many years, and she led a very happy life. With the nourishment of love, she was as young as a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

“Greetings, Your Highness.” She went forward and kneeled before me, seemingly a little excited. “Thank you for coming to the Silver Moon Pack. Your presence is an honor for all of us.”

Teresa was a talkative woman, and with her witty language, the unfamiliarity between us was quickly swept away. As I chatted with her, I was surprised to find out that her husband was an old acquaintance of mine – Benson’s friend, the head of the guards, Daniel.

“So you’ve known about me for a long time?”

“You could say that,” Teresa smiled shyly. “Daniel has been helping Mr. And Mrs. Payne to find you. I’ve gradually come to know about you.”

Daniel had always been one of the indifferent people in the Shadow Pack. He didn’t bully me, nor did he help me. He treated me like an invisible person. We didn’t have much interaction, but I didn’t expect him to be willing to help my adoptive parents find me.

I had to thank Daniel for taking care of my adoptive parents. Since Teresa already knew about my background, there was no need to hide my relationship with my biological parents. I didn’t know him much in the past. I didn’t expect him to be such a warm-hearted person who was cold on the outside.

“You know, conflicts and contradictions are inevitable in human relationships,” Teresa said with a troubled expression. “As Benson’s friend, Daniel had no choice but to avoid suspicion with you. He didn’t mean to be disrespectful, so please don’t misunderstand.”

“Why do I feel like you’re a little afraid of me?”

Having been seen through by me, Teresa smiled awkwardly and didn’t reply.

Recalling how she was so secretive about Benson that she didn’t even dare to mention his name, I understood everything. The news of Benson’s resignation had long been sent back to the Shadow Pack. Coupled with some rumors that were intentionally leaked, smart people could easily link it to me.

They were all adults, so they were expected to be realistic. No matter how good their relationship with Benson was, they had no choice but to admit defeat in front of me. They were unlucky to be Benson’s trusted aides. To prevent me from settling the score, it was normal for them to show goodwill in front of me. I was sure Teresa had rushed back to her hometown alone to meet me because of her husband.

After figuring out the crux of the matter, I lost all interest in chatting and sent Teresa away with a few perfunctory words.

She was still a little worried before she left, but I had no interest in comforting her. Since she liked to guess at other people’s thoughts, she should guess as much as he wanted.

Aldrich and I took our leave early and returned to the hotel.

Seeing my low spirits, Aldrich asked, “Why are you unhappy? Did someone offend you?”

I shook my head. “No. I feel like something has changed.”

“What has changed?”

“I can’t say for sure. This feeling is like a flower growing from a seed to a flower. Although the surrounding environment hasn’t changed and it’s still the same, the outside world’s attitude towards it has suddenly changed.”