The Beta's Regret (Eden and Eros)

EDEN's Pov

Finally, Adonis and Beauty left.

It took a lot to convince Beauty that I would be fine. Beauty insisted something else might happen in their absence, and she was so skeptical about leaving.

I silently begged Adonis to pull her off me, as I could no longer bear the way she clung to me.

By the time Adonis pulled her away and they left, I was all alone in my thoughts.

Adonis had promised to look into Arthur's strange actions, and that gave me some kind of relief. It was better to be safe than sorry. Ever since Alice and Tom's betrayal, it was hard for me to look past things that could potentially lead to disaster.

I spent the whole day talking with Tiara, who was convinced that something was wrong with Eros and Arthur, and we needed to find out.

But it was hard to look for people who wanted to shut me out.

After the night of the initiation ceremony where Eros disappeared, I hadn't heard from him or Susie.

I had no idea where he went to.

I tried to take those thoughts off my mind and rest... My mother on the other hand, made sure I had everything I needed.

She still had no idea about my pregnancy. She hadn't sensed and neither have I told her. I feel a little guilty about it but on another note, she has been busy coping with issues surrounding my father...

No one except Ryker knew. I have no explanation as to how he knew, but maybe because he was related to Eros, and comes from the royal bloodline.

One thing is certain, he is almost as powerful as Eros.

The day went quickly, and another morning came.

The mansion was too quiet.

There was an unusual tension that lurked in the air, but maybe it was just me. However, I couldn't stay still. I needed to feel the morning air against my skin. The walls had already begun to close in on me, so I got up from my bed and walked out of the mansion. The first thing I saw as soon as I stepped out was my father's concubine. They all wore long looks, their lips set in an angry flat line as they glared at me. They were leaving, with their bags packed.

"Woah," I gasped as I watched them go.

Who would've thought this would ever happen? I felt a small flutter in my heart.

Maybe there was hope for my parents after all, because this could only mean my mother now seem to have some influence on my father.

When they were out of sight, I continued on a stroll around the mansion, not sure where I was going, but after a while, I came to a stop in front of the maze I used last time, the one the little girl showed me. Lamia was her name.

I decided to go closer. I was so focused on my escape last time that I didn't take the time to explore it. Now I can.

"Eden, you can see it's a maze, right?" Tiara suddenly snapped. "What if you get lost in it? You will upset the baby."

I rolled my eyes as Tiara began to panic. She's been doing that a lot these past few days. I wasn't sure why, but she kept linking everything with the baby.

It was almost as if she was the only one who cared about her pup, as if I didn't care about my own child.

"I'm not a child, Tiara. I will definitely find my way out. If I can't, then you will."

I smiled.

If it got too hard for me to get out of the maze, I would have to enlist Tiara's help so she could use her sense of smell.

Tiara huffed. "Do what you like."

By the time I got to the entrance, I saw someone sitting on a bench all alone.

I frowned and went closer. It was Lamia. She looked lonely as she stared at her fingers clasped together in front of her.

For a child, she wasn't having a lot of fun. It didn't sit right with me. I remembered all that Lord Shevek said about her, and pity engulfed me.

A child shouldn't have to live such an unhappy life.

From the way she sat, her head was bent, and her brown hair covered her face. She swung her legs back and forth.

I was suddenly drawn to her.

I moved closer, and when she noticed my presence, she looked up. She smiled when she recognized me as she hopped off the bench in one move.

"I know you." She grinned, her eyes bright.

I smiled and nodded. "Yes. My name is "

"Eden!" Lamia announced.

I frowned. "How do you know?" I didn't tell her my name last time.

She shrugged. "I just do."

I nodded. She must have probably heard it from the other maids.

"What are you doing here all alone?" I asked.

She shrugged again. "It's quiet out here. It helps me think about things."

Think? That sounded so mature.

"What did you think about?" I asked.

Her smile fell as her expression turned serious. "About the path that lies ahead of us. The things we must overcome and the sacrifices we must make along the way."

I was thrown back by her answer.

This was not a usual thing for a child

to say. At her age, she should be worried more about playing around than about what the future held. However, I was impressed

"That's amazing." I said.

Lamia tipped her head to the side. She stared at me for a few seconds and said. "The answer lies in your hands. You have been given the power to make or destroy. The path you choose lies with you."

I shivered and stepped back as a chill ran through me.

Those words she just spoke: "The path you choose lies with you," felt very familiar. I had heard them before. But not in this realm.

I trembled slightly as memories came flooding back...

One evening at the other world, in

King Eros' mansion, I had felt an

inexplicable pull to a bush path beside the mansion. I took the route,

and it ted me farther away from pack's mansion and I met a strange being. A woman.

Beautiful with hair that flowed around her. She had a light about her... I was speechless. She looked ethereal, her dress a flowing ancient gown that wrapped around her. "Who are you?" I remember asking and she ignored my question

"You must heed my warning." She said,

"What warning?"

"Stay away from the Eros. Your destiny is doomed with him. The path he walks is filled with danger... The path you choose lies with you."

Before I could more questions, we heard footsteps and she disappeared into the shadows with no trace, almost as if she had never been there.

-

I almost forgot about that moment, but now, things I never noticed began to fall into place.

Lamia.

She was an exact replica of that strange woman with that mysterious aura. Only a much younger version.

I gasped as a sudden cold grabbed me.

"You." I whispered in shock. "Who are you really? How did you know those words? Who told you?"

She was all smiles again. Childlike. "I am Lamia, and I have no idea what you mean."

She turned and went to sit on the bench as she continued to swing her legs back and forth, head bent.

She was strange.

I watched her for a long time, then decided to walk away and leave her alone.

Who truly is Lamia? Was it her powers that made her act strangely? Why does she look like the younger version of the woman who warned me to stay away from Eros.

Those words she spoke, they sent a chill down my spine.

What was the connection between Lamia and myself? Or is it going to be between Lamia and my child?

I carressed my stomach. The moon goddess said it would be a special one.

Unanswered questions swirled in my mind. But one thing was clear. Whatever lay ahead, I would face it.