Chapter 2

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Evelyn stepped in to the room teary eyed, she had thought she had no more tears left but she was wrong, her eyes burnt from all that crying she did...apparently she was good for only that. For she had been useless for anything else.

While people has sprung in to action around her at the devastation unleased at them, she had remained still, numb, unable to move or act. People just kept giving her pitying glances but generally kept their distance from her, perhaps even they knew how useless she was.

She had been staring out of the window at the rain as she had been doing for the last two days when Sebastian stepped in to the room grim faced.

She looked at him with an expression of hopelessness.

"Roma wishes to see you" He told her in a flat tone devoid of any attention.

She just stared at him dumbly.

"Shall we?" he prompted indicating at the door.

She gave a gentle nod, and wiped her tears with her palms and meekly followed him.

There was a small hospital set up in the underbelly of the palace, a team of most trusted doctors summoned and on continuous duty under watchful eyes of the guards. They were not taking any chances.

When she entered the room she met with Alex and Adrian standing in the room.

"Roma" Evelyn greeted her mother-in-law. She was pale and looking weak.

Roma looked at her for a moment and whispered weakly "Come here child"

Evelyn dutifully walked over to Roma.

"I am sorry, Evelyn" She whispered heartbroken.

Evelyn looked confused, what was she sorry for?

"It is not fair for someone so young to go through so much misery...I wish...there is something I could do...have done" She said miserably.

Evelyn kept quiet, what could she say? Would it even matter? What would it change?

Roma took Evelyn's hand gently in to hers and whispered "Considering the circumstances" she said haltingly "I need a favor from you"

"Anything Roma" Evelyn said without hesitation.

Roma looked at the girl "Never commit to anything without knowing the details girl" she told her.

"Even for family?" Evelyn asked.

Roma gave a gentle smile of admiration at her and looked away staining in to the air and taking deep breaths.

She looked at the others "Can you leave us alone?" she asked and everyone nodded stepping away. She looked at Sebastian and said "Stay"

As everyone left, Roma look at Evelyn, a piercing glance, studying the girl trying to understand if she could take the news she was to break to her.

"Only me, Sebastian and now you know this...I would prefer we kept it this way" Roma told her and Evelyn nodded hesitantly, she has a bad feeling about this.

"I am dying" Roma declared without any preamble.

"What?" Evelyn whispered in shock, blood in her veins went cold.

"One of the bullets coated with silver hit my spine, the doctors were able to take the bullet out and treat me but the silver has entered my nervous system and is spreading...The doctors have been trying to isolate it and slow it down but have not been successful. It's going to kill me in a few days' time" Roma stated emotionlessly, like a person who accepted the inevitable.

Evelyn did not even know how to respond.

"We all have to leave eventually" Roma added "It's just the timetable for me has accelerated a bit and my mate is waiting for me on the other side."

Tears streaked out of Evelyn's eyes "But there must be something..."

"First comes denial and then acceptance" Roma cut her "And I have accepted my fate."

"I am so sorry Roma" Evelyn cried.

Roma gave her a gentle smile "its ok child, as I said death is an unavoidable eventuality"

"There is a reason I called you here..."Roma began "We need to transfer my powers to you"

"What?" Evelyn said flabbergasted.

"As a monarch I can choose my successor...I am going to choose you." Roma said.

Evelyn's head was spinning "But...you had already chosen Max...your son...how can you" She rambled.

"I did...but considering the circumstances I believe we need to change that plan."

"Roma..I...Max....I can't do this...I can't do this to him to you...I am not meant for this." She panicked.

Roma sighed "Max is not here...we don't know if he will ever be here..." Roma paused her voice breaking "We need to have a successor in place..."Roma said.

"But this is what Max trained for all his life...this is rightfully his...I can't do this to him" Evelyn stated. Did she not realize what she was asking of her...what she was asking her to do to her son, she would be denying him his rightful place and something he had been trained all his life. She could not do this to him

"He is my son...he will understand" Roma said confidently.

"Roma...you can't ask me of this...this is not fair...I can't do this to Max" she rambled.

"If I don't do this, Max might not have a Kingdome left to inherit...We cannot have a leadership vacuum Evelyn, please child, listen to me...this is the only way" Roma reasoned, she had thought about this and its consequences hard.

Evelyn just stood there stunned. Not sure what to do next. Roma was crazy, she wasn't coherent she reasoned to herself.

"Hold my hand" Roma instructed and Evelyn numbly followed.

"I Catherine Roma wish to transfer all my powers and the title of Roma to my daughter-in-law Evelyn Roma, I wish this done now" She whispered lowly but firmly.

Evelyn's eyes widened in horror when Roma began to speak and she tried to pry her hand away from her but the grip was strong. Once Roma said the words she felt a tingling in her hand and Roma looked at her expectantly.

"Did it work?" Sebastian asked. To a horrified Evelyn.

The tingling on Evelyn's hand died and she did not feel any different. She looked around panicking.

Roma gave her a steely eyed gaze and closed her eyes and sighed taking a deep breath.

"It didn't work" Roma stated.

Evelyn had never felt so glad in her life.

***

"Your mother has gone crazy!" Evelyn whispered "She wants me to have her title, something that belongs to you" Evelyn said "and..."her voice in her throat hitched "I am sorry to tell you this Max...your mother is dying" He broke down "Doctors say its silver poisoning to her nervous system...she has a week tops...I am so sorry Max" She whispered to him.

No response. The only response were the occasional beeps from the monitor attached to him telling the world that he was alive...sort of.

Doctors mentioned he was very lucky. She surely didn't feel like it. But the gunshot wound to his throat, miraculously had not harmed any vital parts but made a clean exit off the back of his throat. Timely medical intervention had saved his life as he was rescued almost immediately after the injury and a four hour intensive surgery saved his live but the problem was he was in a coma.

A coma no one was sure of when he would come out of...if he would come out if it. So he was connected to life supporting machines that would keep him alive. He had been transferred back to the palace under the watchful eyes of trusted doctors and now he was occupying a room next to his mothers, blissfully unaware of everything happening around him.

"I don't know what to do Max" Evelyn confessed, she was sitting on a chair next to his medical bed holding his unresponsive hand "I am so lost" she told him "Please come back to me Max...I just found you and I am not ready for you to leave me...please Max...if you hear me, come back to me"

She broke down in to hysterical sobs and eventually passed out of exhaustion near his bed still holding his unresponsive hand.

***

Sebastian and Roma sat in silence for a long time.

"We cannot have a power vacuum Sebastian" Roma gently said.

"I know" he agreed "But the transfer didn't work, any idea why?" He asked.

"May be because I had already done this once with Max" She told him. As soon as she became Roma she had done this ritual with Max to ensure that Max succeeds in her place.

"We need to figure out..." Sebastian said.

"We don't have the time" Roma retorted firmly and sighed in exhaustion "I don't have the time"

The sat in silence for a moment.

"There is something we can have Evelyn do that will ensure transfer of power" Roma said slowly.

Sebastian's eyes widened "You can't be serious Roma" He asked her.

"Why not?" she shrugged "I am dying anyway...might as well have an death that helps us"

"Roma....we cannot...I mean...that girl...you will break her" Sebastian pleaded and there was no way on earth that the girl would go through with this.

"We must find a way Sebastian" Roma insisted, knowing there was no way out.

Considering the circumstances they were in they could not have a leadership vacuum. The blood oath of the alphas under Roma would transfer to the new monarch and only the monarch can keep them in line. Max in his vegetative state would not serve the purpose.

"Do you think...Max" She stuttered showing her true feelings for the first time.

"He will come out of this Roma" Sebastian said with confidence of steel "He has many reasons to do so"

She sighed. Licking her lips for a moment of silence.

"You know I always thought you as my son" Roma said looking at him.

"Roma" Sebastian said in a voice that was trying to control the feeling he felt.

"When Maxim got you home, you were such a ruffian..." She reminisced.

"Maxim was at his wits end" she told him.

The boy had been out of control when Maxim had dragged him out of the gutters and was impossible to control but has only listened to her. Maxim was sometimes amazed how she could control this boy with one look or gesture.

"But I knew who you were, the blood that ran through your veins...your face was much like his" She told him.

Sebastian got uncomfortable, there was things that he never had discussed.

"You were such a strong influence on the boys all of them Max, Adrian & Alex, they are what they are because of you."

"Roma" Sebastian said uncomfortably.

"You were the Rock for all of us when Maxim died Sebastian...we all relied on you so much..." She told him.

"Look what they did to us Sebastian, look what they did to our family...what they did to Max" She broke down in sobs.

Sebastian sat there like a rock for a moment. Roma was one of the strongest woman he has ever encountered in his life. Someone who could make his blood run cold with one steely gaze. Initially he had been afraid of her, not Maxim of his impressive guards but her...but her he admired. Her he followed and would have followed to the end of the earth. Slit his throat without a moment of hesitations if it would save her life.

He slowly leaned on the bed and took her in to an awkward hug as her body wracked with sobs of gut wrenching sorrow.

"Shhh..Roma" He soothed her.

"I need you... I need you to promise me something Sebastian"

"Anything Roma" He said without hesitation.

"Avenge us...what they did to our family avenge us all...Show them the true bite of Roma" She hissed in to his chest.

"I will" he vowed.

"If I could, I will swap my life with yours in a heartbeat" He confessed.

She pulled away from him. Wiped at her tears "No they will need you here....All of them, guide them, be their rock...and do not let Maxim's dream fail." Maxim had built this empire with his blood and sweat and his sheer determination, he had forcefully inherited a crumbling Roma empire from his father and turned it on its head in just two decades.

"This is Maxims dream, my dream...our dream for all of you...do not let it crumble" She pleaded.

"I will not Roma" He promised.

Roma relaxed a fraction, knowing the value of his promises. Sebastian never broke his word, not to her.

"Now, can you take me to Max?" she asked

***

She and Sebastian rolled in to the hospital room, the room was saturated with scent of despair and tears...Evelyn and she had been here for a while but now had gone.

"Poor child" Roma whispered knowing the state of mind the girl would be in.

She sat there in her wheelchair next to her son's bed holding his hand in hers without a word. Sebastian had left her with him.

"Max" she just kept whispering softly in regular intervals her voice full of heartbreak.

"I am sorry my boy, for what I am about to do...I hope one day you will forgive me" She whispered to him. Took his hand to her lips and gently kissed it and with great care put his hand back on the bed. She them called out to Sebastian to take her back to her room.

***

Evelyn was summoned to Roma's room then next day, she had a fitful sleep, her mate bond which had been humming and strong was now just a whips of weak thread them might snap anytime and they filled an hollow in her heart that could not be filled.

She entered the room disheveled and red eyed.

Only Sebastian was present with Roma.

"Come to me Evelyn" Roma instructed "Sit next to me"

Evelyn sat on the edge of the bed.

Roma looked at her with soft eyes, understanding the state Evelyn was "If we don't have an active monarch on the throne the Alphas will break free and chaos will ensure...which our enemies will capitalize on child, we cannot have that happen" She explained.

"I will not do this to Max" Evelyn insisted firmly.

"I understand" Roma told her "There is a way, where we can transfer my powers to you and at a later point you can transfer it to Max."

"But I thought...Max told me you can do it only once in a lifetime?" she asked skeptically and with suspicion.

"Do you think we will want to publicize such an option?" Roma asked the girl "We keep it secret for obvious reason"

"What is it?" Evelyn asked skeptically.

"There are two ways I can transfer power. One way is I declare my successor and when I die they become my successor. Which we tried and did not work because I had already declared Max as my successor" Roma told her.

"The second way is the way of the old, win the position through a fight" Roma said.

"You think I will fight you?" Evelyn asked Roma with disbelief.

"No child, you don't have to fight me, you need to bite me on the neck and spill my blood in to your mouth...and I will submit to you as my alpha" She declared and added "and later you can do the same with Max"

Evelyn looked at Roma trying to read her and looked over at Sebastian who stood there stoic.

"Are you sure...this is safe...and it will work" Evelyn asked.

"Yes" Roma replied unequivocally.

"Ok...can we wait...may be Max will wake up and we don't have to do anything...." Evelyn trailed.

"No" Roma firmly stated "I don't have time and the silver is poisoning my blood and will become toxic for you later." Roma stated.

"When...when, do you want to do this?" Evelyn asked hesitantly.

"Now" Roma responded and Evelyn felt her blood run cold, she felt something was off, it could not be so simple now could it?

"Are you sure Roma? We can..." Evelyn tried stalling.

Roma exposed her neck "come here, I will guide you it will be simple"

Evy hesitated "Now Evy!" Roma said firmly.

And startled Evelyn bent towards Roma's neck.

"Before that you need to challenge me" Roma said. "Repeat after me"

"I Evelyn Roma"

"I Evelyn Roma"

"Challenge Cathleen Roma for the throne of Roma and the position of alpha"

"Cha..." Evelyn stuttered.

"Repeat" Roma said firmly.

"Challenge Cathleen Roma for the throne of Roma and the po...positon of...al...alpha" she was crying and hiccupping.

"I accept your challenge Evelyn of Roma" Roma said and pointed to her expose throat.

"Now gently puncher my throat" She told Evelyn.

Evelyn hesitated.

"Do it child, do if for Max for me...for everyone you love because they will be killed mercilessly, what do you think is going to happen to your old pack without Roma's protection...do you want their blood on your hands?"

"But..how can I...what can i?" Evelyn fumbled.

"Sebastian will take care of all the details, you now need to do this for the sake of all of us...be the strong woman I know you are"

And Roma gently put her hand up behind Evelyn's head and pulled her to ther throat.

Evelyns lips were pressed shut on Romas throat.

"Do as I say and it will all be over before you know it" Roma assured her.

"Now bite me gently" She told the girl.

Evelyn hesitated. "Please child" Roma begged and Evelyn gently bit in to her skin breaking it.

"Deeper, you need to drink my blood... you need to puncher my vein, it will heal don't worry, do it" Roma urged, holding her head firmly in place.

Evelyn punched further and warm metallic blood started filling in to her mouth.

"Swallow" Roma urged and Evelyn tried not to gag.

"I accept you as my Alpha" Roma whispered.

As the blood flew in gentle rivulets in to Evelyn's mouth it changed...it was no longer simple blood...it was potent...like heroin....

Evelyn gagged on the power she felt flow in to her but Roma had her head held firmly in place.

"Just a little more and you are done" Roma assured the girl.

Roma's eyes moved over to Sebastian as he saw the scene horrified. She looked at him her eyes sending him a message and his jaw tightened and his fist curled in to his hands, his nails drawing blood.

Roma sagged and closed her eyes. Her other hand also went to Evelyn's head and held it firmly in place.

"I am so sorry child" Roma whispered and before Evelyn could comprehend with one swift move she pressed Evelyn's head hard as and Evelyn's razer sharp fangs pierced Roma's veins flooding Evelyn's mouth with Roma's blood and with a swift jerk pushed her head down and that action sliced Roma's veins need like butter.

Instantly Roma let go. Evelyn reeled back in horror and threw up next to the bed, vomiting out the blood and the very little food she had in her stomach.

Roma was gurgling helplessly and bubbles of blood formed on the fatal gash and blood oozed out.

Evelyn was too horrified and covered in her own vomit to notice the struggle of the woman on throes of death.

As Roma's heart struggled for the last few seconds Evelyn looked at her in utter horror and denial and then looked at Sebastian who was standing like a marble statue who's blood had drained from his face and in a moment she understood it all.

It had all been a lie...a lie...There was no surrender...the only surrender was death to the old alpha. They lied to her!

She had killed Roma! And with that horrified thought she threw up violently again.

Roma's heart finally stopped and as Evelyn has collapse in the floor.

And then the power for a thousand alphas hit her.

Like a fucking sledgehammer!