Chapter 10: Breakfast

**Coal**

I left her in her suite shortly after, making sure that my floor was secured well before I went back to my own suite and laid down.

I couldn't sleep, and I knew I likely wouldn't get any sleep at all with how restless my wolf was at knowing our mate was just down the hall sleeping on her own. I wondered if her wolf was just as restless as mine. I doubted it though, her eyes only gave away her wolf's presence once, and she didn't really seem all too in touch with her. If her wolf was restless, she was likely ignoring it and sleeping just fine. Though it hurt to think she could just ignore her wolf, it gave me peace of mind to know she would be well-rested in the morning.

Of course, though, the hours in between when I laid down, and when the Sun came up were strenuous and everlasting.

I tossed and turned, and played on my phone, and then tossed and turned some more, and then finally, the Sun moved into sight, and I got out of bed to shower.

I didn't want to get rid of her scent on me, but it was necessary to make myself presentable for the day ahead of me.

I had to make sure everyone settled in well last night, and ensure that the rest of the day was uneventful so that the rest of the week could go on without a hitch, and without stressed out high ranking wolves clawing each other's throats out. The plan was to negotiate resources with them, and help settle disputes between Pack Leaders for the betterment of the Kingdom, it would make it easier to get them to trust me if they saw that I was on the side of their packs.

I showered quickly, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. I put on tennis shoes, and then headed out to do my rounds. Three guards trailed me again as I made my way to the kitchen. Annalise was already there with her team prepping breakfast.

I smiled at her, and she got on her tip-toes to kiss my cheek in greeting. "How are you this morning, your Majesty?" She asked.

"Tired, but alright," I nodded, and looked over her shoulder at what she was prepping. She had a massive metal bowl in front of her with raw eggs in it and ingredients for scrambled eggs strewn about around it. "What all do you have planned for breakfast today?"

"Family style, a little bit of everything," she said, "we're cooking four types off eggs, scrambled, fried, omlets, and just egg whites. Sausage links and patties, bacon, and potatoes in several styles. We've got diced, shredded, and patties of that too. Toast, french toast, pancakes, waffles, croissants, bagels, and doughnuts."

I grinned, and she grinned in response, setting back to work. "Thank you for cooking late last night too, Chef. It was phenomenal."

"I was going to ask who you had dinner with," she said as she started to beat the eggs in her bowl, "I have an idea, but I just want to make sure my gut is right on this one before I get my hopes up."

I blushed heavily, and looked up at the ceiling, "uhm, Miss Raegan Martin."

She turned to me slowly, and a wide grin stretched across her face, "*Raegan?* She's back? She's here for the conference?" She was practically bouncing on her feet.

I smiled back, and nodded, "yes."

She quickly handed off the eggs she was working on to another member of her team, and started working on something else entirely, scrambling around the kitchen like a small tornado to prepare a different meal for my mate.

I smiled again, and waved goodbye as I left the kitchen to meet the guard who did head count last night.

He met me at the top of the staircase to the guest floor, "I've emailed you a new chart of the pairings that were made last night, and the changes in the suite assignments. Everyone is accounted for aside from a Miss Raegan Martin."

"She is accounted for," I said dissmissively.

He looked skeptical, but nodded.

I pursed my lips, and pulled out my phone to check his email. The chart was well detailed, and even listed descriptions of each pairing and what they offer the Kingdom and their Packs or Clans.

I clapped my hand on his shoulder, "well done, this is really well made."

He bowed his head respectfully, "thank you, your Majesty."

"Of course," I said and turned around. The guest floor had started buzzing already, and I knew that they would be down for breakfast soon.

I started down the stairs, and towards the large dining hall that breakfast was being set up in.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," a hand clapped on my shoulder aggressively and I jumped, swinging my fist out towards the body attached to the hand.

I narrowly missed, and let out a heavy breath, "fuck! Cassian!" I shoved him, "you scared the shit out of me!"

He grinned and laughed, "daydreaming?" He batted his lashes at me.

Watson rolled his eyes and started to drag his mate forward, "leave him alone, Cass. You know he's not a morning person."

"From the looks of it, this isn't even the morning to him," Cassian chuckled, and I followed them into the dining hall. "Did you even sleep last night, bud?" He asked as we made our way to the table at the front of the hall.

"No," I shook my head, "she insisted on sleeping in the Luna's Suite and my wolf was a pain all night."

He chuckled again, and we took our seats.

"I think it's sweet that you invited her to stay in the Luna's suite when she said she didn't want to sleep in your room," Watson said a little dreamily.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Watson, that's like, the bare minimum."

"The bar is on the floor," Watson murmured.

"Do you need me to kick Cassian's ass for you?" I asked, "I'll do it. I swear I will."

He laughed, and Cassian grumbled, "he's just bitter because I told him there won't be date night this week."

"It's basically rejecting me," Watson pouted.

My heart constricted at the word, and I shifted in my seat.

"No it's not," Cassian countered, "it's just saying that there won't be a date night this week."

"You could be a little more like Coal, Cass," Watson glared at his mate, "he ordered a fancy dinner to his mate's suite and ate with her before going to bed like a gentleman."

"There was nothing gentlemanly about last night," I muttered.

Cassian looked at me wide-eyed.

"Did you mate with her?"

I choked on air, and shook my head, "goddess no! No, not yet. No," I let out a heavy breath, "no, I just was a little bit of a prick last night. Well... a lot a bit."

The doors opened and the room started to fill with people.

I swallowed hard and turned my attention to the servants who started to bring in food after everyone had been seated.

"How were you a prick?" Cassian asked, and glanced to Hannah and her mate who had filed in with everyone else.

Hannah looked at me with an expectant look, and I groaned, "I don't want to talk about my love life right now, if you wouldn't mind."

They both chuckled a little, and as I scanned the room I noticed that my mate hadn't joined us yet, but her friends had.

I frowned, *Marie? Has Miss Raegan woken up yet?* I linked the guard I'd left to watch her.

*She has. She's on her way down to the dining hall now, your Majesty.* Marie responded.

*Thank you.* I said and shut the link off.

"Where *is* your darling mate?" Cassian asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"On her way down."

Cassian patted Watson and they both got up to shift seats and open the one beside me, I shook my head, "you don't need to move. She's not going to be sitting with us."

"What? Why not?" Hannah asked, sounding a little dissapointed.

I cleared my throat, "we're not telling people."

"What?!" Cassian asked, clearly shocked. I widened my eyes and held my finger to my lips.

"Shh!" I snapped, "be quiet!" I whisper-shouted.

"Why are you not telling people?" Hannah asked quietly, but was audibly as shocked as Cassian was.

"She doesn't want to," I shrugged, clenching my jaw as I started to fill my plate with food.

Cassian and Hannah both gasped, but Hannah is the one who asked the million dollar question, "did she reject you?"

Just as the question left her lips, the doors opened and my mate walked into the dining hall with five guards in tow. She looked annoyed, and frustrated as she scanned the room for her friends. Before her eyes could find them, Cris was behind her lifting her into the air by her waist with a grin on his face as she squealed and smiled. A quiet growl vibrated in my chest, and Cassian tensed beside me.