55

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE.

ROSALIE'S POV.

It was a bright morning, and I was pacing the length of the sitting room in the chamber where Jacqueline was kept, waiting for Carl to show up.

Last night, after the heartfelt moment with Jacqueline, we had concluded that we would change Jacqueline's room since the present one had been discovered by Brianna.

This time, I had decided not to include anyone in our plan. Not the driver. Not Susan nor any other guards. Just Carl and I, for Jacqueline's safety.

Throughout the night, we couldn't sleep. We had to keep on checking for the hidden rooms on the castle's map to know which one we would choose to keep Jacqueline safe.

All the unnoticed rooms in the castle were in the open, so we couldn't take Jacqueline there.

But we noticed that this present room, which we took him to, was not drawn on the map, so we concluded the fact, 'Not all the rooms in the castle were on the castle's map.'

We got what we wanted about the unknown room, so we had to search for any room outside the map. Luckily, we found one, and that was where we were planning to relocate Jacqueline.

I was waiting for Carl to shower and return to transport Jacqueline into the room, but he was stuck in his room.

I sighed my mind racing with questions I couldn't quite silence. The events of the previous night replayed in her head like an unending loop.

Carl's outburst, the raw emotion that had filled the room, and most importantly and unexpected of all, the single tear that had slipped from Jacqueline's eye. It was a sign of life, hope and fleeting, but a sign nonetheless.

I had thought that he would be awake by now because his tears spoke to us that he heard everything while we spoke to him. He cried because everyone else was clothed with emotions.

I sighed.

I got tired of staying out of the room, so, I decided to wait for Carl in the room, beside Jacqueline.

I paused at the door to the room, peering inside. Jacqueline lay still on the bed, his face pale and white but peaceful. I sighed. 'Does miracle still happen?' I couldn't help but wonder.

The creak of the door behind me got me out of my thoughts, and I turned behind to see Carl stepping in from the opened door. His eyes immediately sought mine, and I gave him a smile when his eyes met mine.

"It's time," He said simply and I nodded to him in understanding.

I knew this moment was coming, but the weight of the decision still pressed heavily on me.

Though I knew, 'This is something I have to do. I have a choice to save Jacqueline when I still can, and it's now.'

"Come on," I said to Carl and we both moved closer to Jacqueline on the bed.

For easier carriage for Carl, since he would be doing most of the carrying, we had to wrap Jacqueline up with a wrapper, after which Jacqueline was fixed in a way which made him look like a bounded firewood which was fished from the woods.

Together, we moved Jacqueline on the bed to check for any omitted part of his body, but there was none, and he was ready to be transported.

Carl took in a ball of breath before carefully lifting Jacqueline into his arms, his movements deliberate and gentle.

I moved around the room and carried his herbs which I had packed together. I turned to Carl, who had Jacqueline on his shoulder, "I'm done, let's go."

He replied to me with a nod.

I led the way out of the room, carrying the few belongings Jacqueline might need in the new space with Carl following behind me.

As I moved out of the room and checked the hallway to see if the coast was clear and void of any sight. It was. No one was in sight, and everywhere was still cold for it was so early in the morning.

"Clear." I made it known to Carl and moved out while he closely followed me. "Careful with his head." I cautioned him silently.

"Yeah." Replied Carl.

"Come on, let's move swiftly."

"After you."

Just like I said, we moved swiftly, with me leading, making sure that my nose and ears were opened enough to pick up any form of sound meters away from us.

We were safe. No one could pick our scents. Carl had covered it up, and we wouldn't be detected, so we moved swiftly and in ultimate alert.

The inner room where we were heading was hidden at the far end of the castle, behind a cleverly disguised door that blended seamlessly with the wooden walls, just like the one we had relocated from.

It had been there for ages as a precaution, though I had never fully believed they would use it as one. I mean, precaution for what? Wars? Diseases? Pestilence? I don't know.

That was one of the questions I had for Jacqueline when he woke up. I had to know what the hidden rooms were doing in the castle. And now, the rooms felt like they were made for us.

We got to the new room safely without being spotted. After pushing through the door which blended with the walls, I entered, followed by Carl.

"Careful when dropping him, he shouldn't be thrown or hit. Let me help you to get him laid."

"I so need a hand here." He appreciated my help.

I held Jacqueline's legs, and Carl held his upper body with that, we laid Jacqueline down on the bed. We unwrapped him and adjusted the blankets around him with care.

I set the bag of belongings on a nearby table with my eyes lingering on my mate's face.

"Do you think this will keep him safe?" Carl's voice broke the silence.

I exhaled slowly, leaning against the wall. "I hope so. But even if it doesn't, at least he's away from prying eyes. The fewer people who know where he is, the better."

Carl sat down beside Jacqueline, his hand resting lightly on his. "I just want him to wake up," He said quietly. "To hear his annoying voice again, to see his frown."

My throat tightened. "I know. Me too."

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

"Do you think he will be fine all by himself?" I broke the silence and questioned Carl.

"We're not abandoning him here, we just have to keep him here til he wakes up to put an end to all the blurry and uncalled things happening in his absence. I know for a fact that he would be stronger when he wakes up." He replied to me.

"I hope so."

I stood right and adjusted the duvet on him. "You should be fine alone for a few minutes," I whispered to him and pecked his forehead.

I stood straight and turned to Carl, "Let's leave before they come by. They have to meet us in the room to believe Susan's words."

He nodded, standing up, "I'm thinking of the same thing."

We stood side by side and gave Jacqueline a final look before turning over and walking out of the room together, not without checking again to know if the coast was clear.

We were not sneaking when we were returning to the previous chamber.

We got into the room and had barely spent a second in when the door busted open. Elder Lennox strode in, his presence commanding and malicious, followed closely by Briana and a group of guards whose faces were stern, and their eyes scanned the room as if searching for something or someone.

"Rosalie, where is Jacqueline?" Lennox questioned me straight, not beating around the bush.

My heart pounded, but I kept my expression neutral. "He's not here," I said evenly.

Briana stepped forward, her gaze piercing. "Don't play games with us, Rosalie. We know he was here. Where is he now?"

Carl stepped beside me. "We don't know," He said firmly. "He was not here, he's gone."

"Gone?" Lennox's voice rose, sharp with suspicion. "Do you expect us to believe that he just disappeared?"

I searched for a sober voice at the deepest part of my throat, and spoke with it, "He never said that Jacqueline disappeared, elder. What he meant to say was that he's dead." I released a single tear to buttress my words.

Both father and daughter were with a solid expression. They were not moved by our declaration. They were smiling. Smiling when their alpha was declared dead. How evil?!

One of the guards stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon. "Elder Lennox, should we search the chamber?"

I don't move any part of my body after hearing that question. Not even my lashes.

"No," Lennox said finally. "Not yet. But I warn you, Rosalie if we find out you're hiding something..."

"What will you do then?" Carl interrupted, "Kill us? Since that's the only thing you can do perfectly."

Lennox's eyes darkened at Carl, "Do you have any idea of what you're doing, Carl?"

Carl chortled and pulled closer to him, indirectly challenging him, "Do your worst, Lennox. Are you scared? For you can do nothing than a dead rat!"

Lennox burst at that, "Carry them, and throw them in the cold room!"

'Who are the 'them'?' I wondered until I was thrown on one of the guard's shoulders.

"Let me go!" I shouted for release.

"Coward!" Carl kept shouting and laughing.

Then we were interrupted by a calm voice, "Let them go!"