Chapter 257

257 Chapter Two Hundred Fifty Seven

Katie got her mate to their room and started packing clothes for the both of them. Her body moved on its own, going through their closet and picking out what she thought would be the best fit for him. Her mind was in constant search of his, sending constant reminders that she was around him. The royal was doing his best to stay in his best condition, but he wouldn’t bring himself to.

“Katie, what’s driving you?” he asked her at one point.

The girl had kept quiet for a while thinking through her answer, “You don’t want to know that answer, Cole,” she replied when she found no meaningful answer behind what drove. Not meaningful enough in his state anyway.

“The Lycaon empire doesn’t need a ruler who’s not yet ready to rule them, Katie,” Cole said to her.

“Cole, you might not be ready to rule Lycaon, but no one has asked you to get ready. And in the meantime, I know you can run that empire. I’ve seen you do it,” Katie said from within the closet. She had picked out the necessities and was now working on carefully packing the duffel bag they were to use in the meantime.

Cole had gone silent after her remark and she searched for his presence through the mind link, keeping note of his state at every second, “I thought I was sure to hide my work from you.”

“You didn’t have to, Cole. I wondered how one could make so much time for me. Why one would when they were the prince of an entire empire? That’s when I realized it. Every time I would set my mind to doing something, yours would go to work shortly after. It was either when I was training or handling something without you. One day I found documents at your desk. You’ve been helping your father run the empire this entire time and I’ve been watching you do it.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Cole asked the girl.

“I meant to say something, but the rogues in the reserve got in my way. I couldn’t tell you then. I didn’t get the chance,” the girl replied, zipping the duffel. She walked out of the closet and placed the bag on their bed and took a seat next to him.

.....

Cole his hand covering his face to hide his expression, but his mate could feel his turmoil. All of it, “You don’t have to hide it from me, Cole.”

“We are about to go out, Katie. I have to get myself ready to face the world,” he tried to steel himself.

“No, Cole... You don’t have to. You stink from the trip,” the girl responded.

“What did you say?” Cole chuckled.

“Oh, I’m not taking it back. Now get up and shower...” the girl began poking and edging him closer to the bathroom. Just when he was about to reach it, she stopped pushing him, “Until your done washing off, you’re allowed to be vulnerable.”

Cole went quiet and pulled Katie into a hug once more. The hunter was shocked by the sudden movement, but warmed into his hug only a moment later, “I will be with you the whole way, Cole. While I might not know what you’re going through and have never experienced it, I will be there for you if you need me. Through all of it.”

“Thank you, Katie.”

............

Lionel walked through the castle touring the different activities that were going on. As it so happened, the beta alphas were found among the fallen. It was no doubt the two creatures had died the moment their alpha’s life had been snuffed out. Their families sobbed at their caskets. The hunters were asked to bring the caskets of the beta alphas to the king’s chambers so that they might side with him even in death.

Beta alphas, the two werewolves that were sworn to serve the royals till their death. It didn’t matter if it was a request from their alpha, it was to be executed no matter the circumstances. Lionel moved on to the dungeons where some of his pack mates had been stationed. Within the concrete hallways, he found numerous cells holding criminals that were of no significance to him. However, the ones that he had come to see caught his attention beyond anything he’d seen before.

The first ones were alphas, each of them bound in thick chains and their mouths gagged to prevent speech. Each of the alphas differed from the other, “These must be the ones working under him.”

“No, that man and child are just some of his generals. I heard that another one... a woman managed to get away while another was killed by a hunter called Jackeline. They spoke of another general that was killed in the Sirius kingdom, but those are only rumours. They are very dangerous,” one of the guards told him.

The alpha squinted as he noticed one of the generals was more chain than muscle, “The red eyes of the small being locked with his and flashed a frightening shade of red, “Is that a child?”

“Yes, sir... They say he’s the one who knocked out most of the hunters,” the guard explained with a shudder.

Lionel continued on his way and came face to face with the most important cell since he’d come. Bound in chains and raised from the ground were two beings that radiated power on levels unimaginable to the alpha. The first one to lift his head towards him was who he assumed to be a beta alpha. Lionel felt like the gaze alone would pin him to the ground and suck the life out of him. The man, noticing his situation, shrugged and looked away from him.

“That’s been the same reaction for everyone that’s come here. The beta alpha looks at you first and if you don’t flinch at his gaze, the rogue king does it... No one has survived that one... It’s like a game to the two of them... They’ve completely resigned to doing nothing... Their king seems to have given up everything.”

“Why is that?” Lionel asked. The guard that had been narrating turned to look at him.

“Oh, you haven’t heard.”

“Heard what?” Lionel asked him, turning to face him, but staying painfully aware of the beings in the cell before him. Even with how chained they were, the man couldn’t help but feel uneasy in their presence. It was as though they could break free of their bonds easily.

“Well, rumour has it that the Moon Goddess’ chosen marked each other. When the rogue king got to learn of that development, he surrendered without further resistance,” the man said to him.

“What... Just like that?” the alpha asked.

“Yes, just like that,” the man responded, “The man’s years of tyranny are over by something as simple as that. Talk about divine intervention.”

Lionel couldn’t believe what he was hearing and another part of him only pieced together the fact that Katie had been united with Cole at last in ways words could no longer describe. “So the power of the royals has been stripped away from them just like that.” ‘It’s ironic that they did it themselves...’

..............

Thorrin sat in the great conference hall within the Lycaon palace waiting on the hunters that he had called to attend a meeting he had called. Something bothered his brain worse than he could describe. The sun had already set and the night was approaching fast. Most of the hunters had taken a rest during the day. He, on the other hand, hadn’t been able to rest with the different waves he was receiving.

“It must be troublesome to be a Chase hunter,” Micah said, walking into the conference room as the first arrival. Behind him, Evelyn made her arrival. The two of them had dark lines under their eyes and they yawned with tiredness etching its way all over their bodies.

“I agree...” Thorrin replied, “Thankfully, I believe the rest of the hunters have had all the rest they would need to take care of anything should the occasion arise.”

“I believe so as well...” Evelyn was interrupted by the opening doors as many hunters began to file into the room, taking random seats until they were all seated. Before Thorrin could talk, servants came in with refreshments and began to pour drinks for all of them. The hunters, most of who had just woken up, began to sip the delightful tea.

'

Thorrin, on the other hand, eyed the tea. It did not attract him as his nerves were more focused on what he was supposed to say. The scent coming from it, however, was somewhat soothing. When the maids had gone and everyone was ready to talk, Thorrin stood up from his seat, “I’m glad that you could all gather after everything that has happened. I have only recently spoken to my brother in Sirius and he confirmed that the new King of Lycaon was on his way here. The ceremony will soon be taken care of with everyone present. As we have had a whole day to rest, it’s nice to see that most of you took advantage of it and... Hey, Micah, I know you haven’t slept all day, but you don’t have to nod off here...”

Thorrin called to his brother at his side as the man got dizzier and his eyes got even more droopy. When Thorrin reached out to his brother, he watched as the man fell forward unconscious with a thud. Similar sounds went through the entire room... It was only then that Thorrin noticed what was happening... “The tea... Stop drinking the tea...” It was a warning that was a moment too late. Every hunter had taken their dose of the sleeping draught.