Chapter 40
I rushed towards Kiara’s room and just as Nadia had said, it was empty. I couldn’t bring myself to believe it so l searched every nook and cranny of that room but my daughter was nowhere to be found. Her guards were gone as well and I was beginning to freak out.
“Get Aiden,” I instructed Nadia and I rushed to my room to grab my phone so I could call Jaxon.
He didn’t pick up the first time but when I called the second time, he picked up on the first ring and before he could say anything I blurted out what was wrong. He fell silent for a full second as if he didn’t hear what I had said and I told him again. He told me he would be there and he hung up the phone.
I felt like I was going crazy and I was pacing around the room in fear and frustration. Where could Kiara be? I left the
room and went to check every possible room I could. I checked the kitchen and Jaxon’s office but she wasn’t in either of those places. I met Aiden on my way back from Jaxon’s office and he grabbed my shoulders to steady
me.
“She’s missing,” I told him and I saw his face twist in agony. “Please, find her.”
“I will do everything in my power to do that.”
That was two days ago and we still hadn’t found Kiara, Jaxon returned the evening of that day and as soon as he arrived, I finally broke down and allowed the tears grip me. I couldn’t believe that my daughter was missing and was so worried for her. I couldn’t imagine the fear of being in an unknown place with strangers who probably wanted to hurt her.
Jaxon was furious and he was convinced that it was the work of the rogues. He was putting his all into finding their hideout but it seemed like it wasn’t proving fruitful. I was hoping and praying I would get a letter from them to at least claim responsibility but nothing came.
It was two days of complete silence and I felt like I was going crazy. I had not been able to enter Kiara’s room since she went missing because of the overwhelming feeling of guilt I had. If only I had stayed with her instead of going to the garden, she would not have been taken.
I thought she was safe with her guards but we found them dead in a shallow ditch in the woods. There was not sign of a struggle according to Jaxon so they had gone there willingly. Aiden also found evidence linking them to being off duty at the time that my letters were delivered so we put two and two together and figured out that they were moles and they had been killed so they wouldn’t say anything.
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I didn’t care about them being moles, all I cared about was that my daughter was missing.
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Chapter 40
I was currently in the council room with Jaxon, I was to meet the council elders for the first time. They were still adamant on having the meeting with Jaxon especially since Kiara’s disappearance. Jaxon had tried to push it off but he got a call from them this morning saying that they were on their way to the palace. He asked me to sit in with him because he couldn’t bear to tolerate them.
I didn’t understand what he meant until they walked into the room. There were four of them and even though they hadn’t spoken yet, I felt a surge of annoyance and frustration. They had their noses turned up
as if the were too big to visit us and they peered down at us–me- as if I was the sand beneath their feet.
I was not going to let them intimidate me so I sat up straighter and I saw Jaxon shoot me a look of pride which led me to believe that I had done the right thing.
“We are finally meeting, your majesty,” one of them drawled as he took his seat. “It is a shame that our last meeting was cut off so quickly. We had a lot of things to discuss.”
“My first priority will always be my family,” Jaxon said without hesitation. “Is there anything in particular you need to know because I have some other things that demand my attention?”
I saw them bristle at his choice of words. It was a clear dismissal and insult because he had practically said that they were not important. One of them glanced over at me as if I was the cause of Jaxon’s disrespect and I felt Jaxon place his hand over mine in silent solidarity.
“The council is worried about the recent attacks,” the man paused before speaking. “A lot of things have been happening ever since you found your mate and not a lot of them are good.”
I could see through the lines and I knew what they were implying. They thought I was a bad influence and they were indirectly blaming me for everything that happened. I felt Jaxon bristle beside me and I knew that it was not going to end well.
“If you are implying that my mate is behind all of this then I would prefer if you said it directly, I did not place you on the council to be a coward, Loris,” Jaxon drawled and Loris flushed a deep red. “If you are also implying that my mate is behind our child’s disappearance then I would ask that you come out and say it.”
“I was just saying that she is a common denominator here,” Loris had begun to sweat and I realized that he was quickly seeing where he went wrong in his choice of words. “I would never try and imply that she was behind it. I am just asking you to consider the possibility that she is the reason for all of this.”
The room w
went quiet when his words left his l*ps. No one dared to speak or breathe and I cast a glance at Jaxon. He was not looking at me, his eyes were fixated on Loris who was growing uncomfortable under his gaze and kept squirming imhis seat. He glanced at his other council members as if trying to silently ask them to back him
up but none of them spoke.
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Emergency calls only b
Chapter 40
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Loris had unknowingly allowed himself to be used as a scapegoat. It was what they were all thinking but he was the one that they chose to say it and he was going to realize very quickly that he was in the wrong.
“You are on the council to advice me on matters concerning the pack,” Jaxon began. “That does not include anything concerning my mate. The next time her name comes out of your mouth, your tongue will go with it. Am I clear?”
I had never seen this side of Jaxon before. It was easy to forget that he way he
was the lycan kino kacauit of the was with me but seeing it in the flesh, I was not sure it was something I could have forgotten anytime soon.
Jaxon turned to me once he was done speaking. “Can you excuse us for a second? I don’t want you to see this.”
He added the last part in a whisper and I nodded. I smiled at the rest of the elders in a bid to seem non threatening but none of them returned my smile or even met my gaze. Once the door shut behind me, I heard Jaxon begin to go off.
The room was sound proof so I couldn’t hear anything and I didn’t stick around to. Jaden and his brother followed me in silence but I could feel that they had more they wanted to say.
“You can speak,” I said when I got to the door to the room. “It can’t be anything worse than I’ve already heard.”
“I’m sorry about your daughter,” Jaden blurted out and I saw his brother deliver a sharp elbow into his side. “I’m
sure she will be found soon. The king will not give up until she’s found.”
“Thank you, Jaden,” I smiled softly, “and you, what’s your name?”
“Jael,” he said softly and I could tell that he was the quieter twin.
I didn’t want to be roped into any conversation so I gave them a curt nod and I walked into the room. As soon as the door shut behind me, I let out a deep sigh and placed my forehead against the door. I needed a second to breathe because I was getting tired of putting up a mask.
I stood like that for a few minutes and I made my way to the bed. I got to the pillow when I noticed a letter there. I could have screamed in excitement in that moment because I had been waiting for it for so long. I picked it up immediately and practically tore it open. When I read the contents, I was left in absolute shock.