Chapter 167
The days passed smoother than I ever remember them doing. There was no nausea or whiplash from sudden events that kicked me to the ground and Darian had been surprisingly well behaved. Gabe took Mathilda into town and showed her around, they went to the Royal Training Facilities where she got to see the Guards train and she’s visited almost every bookstore in the Lycan Pack,
It’s been two weeks since Mathilda and Kiera moved into the palace and it seemed to be going well. The girls were getting close, Kiera found a safe place with my little sister and she was starting to warm up to Darian while he slowly informed her about her lineage,
They were bonding, spending time together and slowly building trust, it would take time for Kiera to feel at home here and for her to truly see Darian as her father but all in due time. He wasn’t rushing her and he’d continue being patient for the rest of their lives if needed, Darian was just ecstatic to have her
home.
Nora continued her rounds around the palace and at night she retreated to her room in the adjoining tower. She and Mathilda were bonding more than 1 thought they would and it seemed they found common ground among books. Everything was peaceful and calm, Valeria stood as strong as ever and there had been no talk between packs about the events in the Council meaning they were covering it up, Fine by me, they can cover it up as much as they’d like but they couldn’t hide the stench of betrayal and disloyalty that happened within those walls.
Though I must admit I was surprised that Mr. Light’s death hadn’t been announced, neither had Ophelias and they were big names around the packs, I guess you’re only important when you’re alive.
Oh and no Demons had knocked on the palace doors- aces for that, and Darian and been good in giving me space to cope with everything. He came back to our room at night and we’d lay in bed and talk, he would tell me about the work he had done throughout the day and what business he’d attended with other packs and I would tell him about Mathilda and Nora, everything we had been up to, and then we’d fall asleep.
Undramatic.
Calm.
Perfect.
The weaving of our lives had finally begun and little by little I was building a foundation with Darian, on that was based on trust and respect.
I stepped into the family den as they called it, it was big with room for everyone and it had a warmth that most of the main palace lacked.
Everyone was sitting there in front of the fire, cursing the chilly breezes that were sweeping in over the kingdom and they had taken to a permanent seated strike on the floor in front of the roaring fire.
“Tea?” Nora asked and lifted the mug.
I took a moment to just stare at them, Kiera was sitting in Mathilda’s lap eating all of the pralines in her whipped cream before drinking the cocoa.
Gabe was usually too busy to sit with us for more than fifteen minutes but there he was, sitting calmly with a cup in his hand of something that smelled a lot stronger than tea.
I loved this, seeing them all get along and be still, it was serene. Nothing rang my alarm bells screaming danger in my ears and even Trixy was cooing in my mind and tucking her tail around herself as she laid down for some much-needed rest.
The aroma of the tea was divine, cherry sweetness with a dark cacao undertone.
It took me a moment to realize that I could relax now, so I headed over to Nora about to take the cup when a pungent, sickly sweet smell seeped up my
nose.
I looked around to see if maybe someone was messing with me, pulling a prank or something- but there was nobody else there.
‘Hazel, is everything alright?”
He must’ve felt the rising tension in my chest, everything can be felt through the mark, it was crazy- sometimes he felt my emotions before I could even put words on them.
‘Where are you?’
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Chapter 167
‘In the study, I had some business to attend but I’ll join you later. Are you sure that everything is good?’
‘Everything is fine’
‘Gabe is with you?’
‘Yes he’s here. It’s nothing, really’
‘But you’ll tell me if there is?
‘I will’
The mind link cut off and I looked at the people around the fire cast under a warming hue of beautiful orange and yellow.
That smell was familiar and it lingered this time. God, it was awful, the smell, I felt like it was burning my nose and Trixy stirred awake and started sniffing around. She snarled and bared her teeth like she caught something, and her eyes were dangerously narrowed as though she’d found prey.
H
“There’s a human in the palace,” Trixy said.
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It was the same smell as the one in the Council and the one that I’d smelt the night of the Ball, it was unmistakable.
“Hazel, is everything alright?”
I looked at Gabe who was shifting on his seat and it looked like he was about to get up. When I turned around to check, I couldn’t see anyone but the scent was strong- how could the others not react?
“It’s fine,” I said and looked down the hallway and scanned the corners of the room. Maybe they were hiding in the dark, there were always spots where the light didn’t reach but a human wasn’t supposed to be able to hide from a werewolf. We were the stronger ones, we were the superior species so how the hell did they get in here?
The blood rushed through my body like a stream and I had to do one more take over the room before I could give up but as I did I froze. Out in the hallway, standing around the corner, poking out half his head was a young man and his piercing blue eyes were locked on mine. He waved his hand and when I didn’t react he did it again more aggressively.
“I’ll be right back,”
Nora looked down the hall and put my tea down on the tray. I smiled at Mathilda and winked at her when I saw a little fear creeping up in her eyes. Once I had left them I headed down the hallway but he wasn’t there when I reached the corner.
Three taps on the wall signaled that I should turn my head and I saw him standing close by a door with his foot jammed between to keep it open.
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The Alpha’s Hunt
