Once Maddie departed, Steve entered the study to give his report.
"How is it progressing?" Hezekiah inquired.
"It should be completed within two more hours," Steve answered with a nod.
"Very good." Hezekiah retrieved another scroll and handed it to him. "This is a royal decree and it must take effect imdiately. Quinn, Duke of the North, is forbidden from entering the castle for the next two days. Any of his loyalists who resist this command are to be detained, no matter the cost."
Steve knelt on both knees, the scroll pressed against his chest. "Your will is my command." Rising, he turned on his heel and left the room.
Now alone, Hezekiah exhaled heavily, closing his eyes as exhaustion crept over him. So much had gone into preparing for the days ahead.
"I do not mind losing you if it ans claiming her," he muttered under his breath.
To steel himself, he would not see Belle until the night of their mating. He could not afford to waver now, not when everything was in motion.
In Belle’s chambers, chaos brewed.
The news of her impending introduction to the kingdom’s ministers, nobles, and aristocrats had just reached her ears, sending her into a downward spiral.
She had tried to leave at once, storming out to demand answers from Hezekiah, but the guards stationed outside refused to let her pass. Pacing the room, she gnawed at her nails, wracking her brain for a way out.
Mia’s absence only added to her distress. Her friend had been gone since morning, and there had been no word of her whereabouts. Was this all part of Hezekiah’s plan? Had he ensured Mia was nowhere near to help her?
How was she supposed to prepare for a formal introduction when she didn’t even know who she was to be presented to? And worse, how had Quinn known of all this before she did?
Two days. That was all the ti she had before she was to be mated to Hezekiah, and she was neither ntally nor physically prepared.
Frustrated, she rushed to the window, stretching as far as she could to scan the area. Quinn had managed to enter and leave through it with ease, but then again, he was an Alpha. He could transform. She, on the other hand, was a werewolf without a wolf, trapped in every sense of the word.
Her hands curled into fists. "I need to get out of here," she whispered harshly, her teeth clenched in fury.
The following morning.
Far from the castle, in a secluded inn, a petite woman lay asleep on a modest bed.
Peeking through the door, the innkeeper frowned. "She has yet to wake? What am I to tell her guardian?"
Mia had been unconscious for over a day, and his concern only grew. His eyes widened as a dreadful thought struck him. The man who had brought her in bore the air of an assassin.
"She isn’t dead... is she?" He murmured.
Inside the dimly lit room, Mia groaned softly, stirring from her deep slumber. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and after a mont, she pushed herself upright. Blinking against the morning light, she frowned as mories of the previous day ca rushing back.
That wretched man had brought her here, handing her so pills that were supposedly ant to help her relax.
Swinging her legs off the bed, she stumbled toward the window and threw it open. Her breath hitched as she took in the morning sun. Had she slept through the entire day? What exactly had he given her?
Panic seized her, and she hastily ran her hands over her body, yanking at her gown to check herself for any signs of violation. Her fingers trembled as she examined her skin, her breath coming in short gasps.
"That bastard... what did he do to ?!" She shouted, fury lacing her words. She should never have trusted him. She should have run when she had the chance.
Just then, the door swung open, and Mia whirled around, her stance defensive, ready to attack, until her gaze landed on a middle-aged man pushing a food trolley.
"I am not here to harm you, I only ca to bring you food," the man said hastily, halting in his steps as he noted her aggressive posture.
Mia didn’t lower her guard. Instead, she stord toward him, her questions flying in rapid succession. "Where is the man who brought here? What did he do to ? Where did he go? And why are you feeding ?" Her sharp tone made the man flinch.
"Alright, calm down. Let answer one question at a ti," he said, raising his hands in surrender.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "If you try anything foolish, I will kill you," she threatened, making a slashing gesture across her throat. The man visibly swallowed.
"The man who brought you here left at dawn. He stayed by your side all night and only left when you didn’t wake up. He did nothing to you, he was actually quite worried. We even had to call a physician to check why you weren’t waking. And as for the food... well, it is just food," he finished, exhaling deeply once he had relayed the information.
Mia’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though irritation remained etched on her face. "Did he leave anything behind? Say where he was going?"
"No, just so coins for your als."
Her lips curled in frustration. That annoying man! How dare he abandon her in an unfamiliar place? Did he think she was so stray cat he could just leave to fend for herself?
"Keep your food. I am going ho," she snapped, brushing past him as she stord out.
She didn’t owe him a shred of gratitude. If he truly cared, he wouldn’t have left her alone in a world full of dangers.
anwhile, just as Mia disappeared from sight, Ray returned to the inn.
"Oh no, you just missed her," the innkeeper lanted. "Didn’t you see her on your way in?"
"She left?" Ray’s expression darkened. "Where did she go?"
"She said she was going ho. No further details."
Ray sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Well, at least she was safe. That was all that mattered.
The innkeeper crossed his arms and huffed. "Next ti, don’t leave a lady alone like that. It’s hardly gentlemanly."
Ray rely gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable, then turned and walked away.
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