Chapter 256

256 Chapter Two Hundred Fifty Six

Cole rushed through the palace in search of the king’s office. He had to ask something that was on his mind and wouldn’t let him settle. Reaching the door, he rang the bell that had been placed at the door, waiting impatiently at the entrance for the door to open. His impatience grew even thinner by the moment.

The king’s voice came through the small speaker at the side of the door along with a click from the door. The door swung open before Cole could push it open to reveal Queen Martha holding it open for him to enter. The woman looked around him for a moment, “You came alone, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. Were you expecting someone else to show up?” he asked.

The woman sighed, “Yeah, I was expecting you to come here with a few more, but I guess you’re the most important at the moment. Although it would be good if you had come with Katie.”

Cole walked past the queen and greeted the two rulers before taking a seat in front of the king’s table. “How was your trip, Cole?”

“Well, besides the rogues that tried to kill us, there was nothing out of the ordinary,” Cole said right before remembering the ability his mate had uncovered the day before.

The king was silent for a bit taking in the information he was given. He asked Cole to give a detailed explanation of what happened and the alpha gave a detailed explanation of what happened while they were at the reserve. The king listened silently as Cole narrated his version of the events that occurred at the reserve, “To be honest, I’m somewhat disappointed. Katie should have snuffed them out while she had the chance during the day and brought them all down before they had a chance to endanger the entire pack.”

“Honey, would you wait for her to get here before you have to yell about her methods?” the queen tried to calm her mate.

“You’re right. I’ll...” the man stopped speaking when the door opened to reveal the hunter they were looking for, “Talk of the devil. Katie, there is a lot we have to discuss.”

.....

“And what might that be?” Katie asked her father. She noticed the angry expression on his face although she found that she couldn’t react to it. Cole noticed her mind was swarmed with thoughts that were completely unrelated to the subject. While he couldn’t figure them out, he could tell they had nothing to deal with what the king was about to say.

“Why didn’t you kill the rogues when they were still gathering? Before they had a chance to completely overwhelm the pack. From what I’ve heard, the humans weren’t even attacked. You were meant to...”

“I took care of it in the most efficient way I could come up with and no one was killed. If I had rushed into the situation, I would have gotten myself worn out like the last time and risked being killed. So I played my cards the best way I could think of,” Katie responded, somewhat irritated. Her eyes darted to Cole and she moved to approach him, but the king was not done.

“All you did was stand at the top of the hotel while carnage took place in the forest. What’s that if not saving your own skin? And what’s this I hear about you bringing the traitor straight back to the capital?” the king bellowed.

“I don’t have time for this, Father,” Katie raised her voice for the first time. Looking slightly winded by the effort, the girl turned to Cole and grabbed, “Now, come Cole, you need to get ready.”

“Cole was confused by the girl’s words, but couldn’t deny the level of urgency in her voice,” he got up to follow her, only to find that the king stood by the door, keeping out of her line of sight.

“Where is it that you’re going?” the king asked, keeping his voice down with the last of his self-control.

“I’m going to the capital of Lycaon,” Katie responded, “I know you said I had to stay here for about three months, but...”

“Did anyone tell... Wait, you’re only feeling like going to Lycaon or has...” the king felt as though the words he kept trying to dodge would only be needles to the two in front of him. From the look of surprise on her face, he could tell she was surprised. The man chuckled, “Your intuition is sharper than anything I’ve ever witnessed.” The king stepped aside without further argument. His anger seemed to have quelled for reasons Cole wanted to know.

“That’s actually why I came here. I wanted to ask you something,” Cole said to the king, “I need to ask you something concerning... my father. I opened my mind link earlier and couldn’t feel him. I know we are far from Sirius, but it’s too quiet. I can’t tell if he’s even there. It’s like he broke away from the pack and I know that’s not true.”

'

“Cole, have you already forgotten what Jackeline told you?” Katie asked the alpha... It was only then that the alpha remembered the conversation that the two of them had heard with the hunter on the phone. It was almost like he was hearing this for the first time or that his mind hadn’t interpreted anything a moment earlier.

‘Wait, Katie wants to go to Lycaon... why would she...’

“Cole...” Katie’s voice rang in the background as the royal tried to find his bearings. He hadn’t felt his father’s absence yet and when he’d been told that the man was dead. He had nothing primal to force him to take in the truth of the statement.

His mind rushed off in thoughts of the past and many irrelevant details that only worked to slow him down, “Cole...” he heard her again, but this time her voice was clearer. Her scent brought him back to reality. The royal hugged his mate tight as though she was all his sanity depended on and at that moment, let his tears flow. His father was gone... and he wasn’t coming back.

.......

Lina got out of the car and pulled her phone from her pocket. Before she could head up to the palace, she noticed numerous missed calls on her phone. Someone had been calling her and she’d barely noticed. Unlocking the phone, she found that the calls had been from none other than her best friend, Honour. She dialled the number again and waited for her to answer.

The ringing sound ended almost instantly and the sound from the other side was almost enough to shatter her eardrums, “LINA, you dunce... I’ve been trying to call you so many times. What are you doing? Where are you? You’re supposed to answer when a friend calls you in her hour of need,” the girl yelled from the other side of the phone.

“Someone’s energetic after a night of no sleep,” Crysta’s voice reached her as she walked up to the royal, “Aren’t you going to help unpack the car?”

“No, that’s usually done for me-” she said, covering the mouthpiece before returning her attention to her friend in distress, “Hey, Honour, what are you trying to say? I haven’t heard you speak this energetically since the first time someone tried to put alcohol in your hibiscus tea.”

The other side of the phone went silent for a while, “I wonder why you have that memory in your head. You know how serious I am about my herbal tea. Besides, I wouldn’t consider one of the sweetest types of tea herbal. However, that was criminal... Hey, stop distracting... or continue distracting me... Whatever works for you. Lina, help me. I’m nervous. Would you come to our home? I actually haven’t gone home yet. I’m at the flower shop. I haven’t been able to get the guts to go home yet,” the girl rambled on through the phone.

“Hey, slow down a moment there. What’s keeping you from going home?” Katie asked the girl.

“Well, it’s easy. I’m afraid of a confrontation with my grandmother. You know I can’t go back in there without me thinking about what happened back at the reserve. Would you come with me? Maybe with you by my side, I will be able to take in whatever she has to tell me,” the girl begged.

“You know I wouldn’t turn you down. Let me get a change of clothes and meet you at the shop. Does that work for you?” Lina asked the girl.

“Yes, it does. Lina, thank you very much. I appreciate it,” Honour said through the phone. Lina smiled at the reply before the phone went silent.

“That’s not a smile I see every day,” a feminine voice said from the stairs. Crysta came bounding down the stairs, “Is she alright?”

“For now,” Lina replied, “I just have to make sure she stays that way.”