40

CHAPTER FORTY.

ROSALIE'S POV.

I woke up and rolled over to the other side of the bed with my eyes closed to know if Jacqueline was on the bed and if it was too early to rise.

When I felt, I didn't feel him. His side of the bed was very cold, meaning he had left the bed for a long time, that was, if he slept on it throughout the night.

Though I could remember I felt the bed dipping with weight last night when I was dozing off, and it was Jacqueline, I could remember I was swallowed up by his scent.

"Jacqueline?" I called and got out of bed.

I adjusted my nightgown. Then I moved towards the bathroom. I was feeling pressed.

I had raised my hand to the knob and opened it before I could reason that Jacqueline might be in there, "Shit!" I gasped for nothing.

There was no Jacqueline in sight, so, I moved in.

I relieved myself and returned to the room, and that time, I became attentive to everything in the room, "Jacqueline?" I called again, but no sight of him.

'Where the hell is he?' I wondered and checked the unreasonable places in the room, places like the wardrobe, under the bed, and the table. My mind had become too messed up, thinking of all negativities, to think of tailing his scent.

'His scent should be somewhere. If not in the room, then it should be outside.' Something said to me, and that snapped my thinking faculty into action.

"Thanks." I appreciated whatever spoke to me and I took a sniff of the room. All I could perceive were flowers and some light scents of the cake we had last night.

I immediately ran to the wardrobe and grabbed a nightgown's jacket, aware of the lurking eyes around the palace.

I moved out of the room, knotting the rope firmly around my waist.

I shut the door behind me and exhaled, 'I'm okay,' I told myself and moved away from the door, putting on my Luna's appearance, which I had dropped out the door last night.

A few steps away from the door, I met a group of maids, "Luna." They acknowledged me, and all bowed to me with a smile.

They fixed their eyes on the floor after bowing, "Do you need anything, Luna?"

I knew it would be inappropriate to ask them where Jacqueline was, and I knew he might just be around the place. So, I told them, "Never mind, I just want to step out of the room."

"Okay, Luna. Would you like us to lead you to the dining? Everyone is there, eating breakfast."

I took the open opportunity then, "And the alpha?"

"Yes, Luna, he's there with our king."

I released a silent breath of relief.

"Lead me there."

They bowed again, and all turned in the opposite direction, and they led me to the dining which was a very wide room. It had a long rectangular table with chairs all around it.

Then, I picked Jacqueline's scent. 'Thanks, goddess.' I became calm.

"Wow! It's the Luna herself!" One of the leaders clapped his hand, pointing in my direction, and all eyes turned my way.

I turned to the maids and smiled at them, "Thank you."

"It's our duty, Luna. Enjoy your breakfast." They bowed and left.

I moved closer and Jacqueline stood up from his seat to meet me. He was on a pair of shorts and a round-neck top.

"Hey!" He leaned to my height and pecked my forehead, "Sorry I left without informing you, you needed your beautiful sleep."

I glared at him, "Do you know how worried I was? The least you could do was to leave a note."

He bit his lower lip, "Guess I wasn't thinking that way."

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to create a scene in front of the leaders. I would have known what to do if we were alone, but right here, I was to comport myself.

"Come, I saved a seat for you beside me."

Jacqueline sneaked his arm across my shoulder and held me closer to his body before leading me to the table.

I got there and smiled my beautiful fake smile at all the leaders at the table, and greeted, "Good morning, leaders."

I didn't bother to bow, I sat down.

"Good morning, you're looking good."

"Enamor."

They said their different words, except Scott, and the vampire king, Dracula.

I smiled at them until Dracula opened his mouth to talk, "Your blood scents as sweet as ever." And he sniffed the air before releasing a satisfactory sigh.

"That's calm."

The horror I was feeling at that moment was so deep that I couldn't show it on my face. It was as if I had no more blood in my body, like his gaze drained me up, and it was not easy to explain how I felt.

I only knew one thing for sure, 'A second alone with Dracula would do me more bad and no good. Avoid him at all cost.'

"Can you all keep your eyes to yourselves?" Jacqueline snapped at them with his gaze on them cold. Though he was not frowning, his anger could be felt, and I felt his hand on my lap, he caressed my lap, and I regained my composure.

"Woah! The alpha seems annoyed!" One mocked and they all shared a cold laughter. They were not threatened, nor were they remorseful.

"Just listen to my words when I'm this calm. Trust me when I say I won't back out when I get more angry than this." He warned them again.

They shrugged but dropped their mockery and eyes on me.

I could feel their anger too, and I feared for myself and Jacqueline. There were six, and we were one and a half, probably a quarter because I knew I couldn't handle one of the leaders all alone.

"Let's just eat," I said to snap whatever was in each of their minds off, and that did it for that moment.

They nodded and picked up their cutleries to eat.

Jacqueline put it upon himself to serve me my breakfast, and I just watched him til he was done. "Eat." He said to me.

I nodded and dug in.

"So, Martha," I heard someone starting a conversation and I raised my head to the source to see one of the leaders.

I had not had a proper conversation with him before, and unlike the other people who had a normal height or extraordinary height, he was short, just like a dwarf.

"Yes?" I replied to him.

"You said you're a doctor," He continued.

"Yes, I am."

"Good. I will need one as good as you in my kingdom. I love the way you treated Scott's bitch with just a drop of that liquid, though we all knew you spiked her drink in the first place."

I was not surprised they found out, neither did I flinch. I took another bit of my food before responding to him, "Sorry, I don't want to leave my pack. They need their luna as much as my alpha needs me."

"I see."

"You're just like my daughter described, carefree and selfless." The phoenix king said to me.

'Who is his daughter?' I was left to wonder.

"I hope she's awoken now," Jacqueline said.

I noticed he was not genuine with his words, he was sarcastic, and he would rather say, 'I hope she's dead now.'

The phoenix king was mad, but he spoke calmly like he wasn't, "Damn you! I'll still punish you for that, Sun. I'm only waiting for her to be fine, to administer your punishment."

How could all these people keep their emotions in check? They were extraordinary, I know, but they were silent poison too. Their yelling is better than their calmness, that was what I grew to know.

"Where's my messenger? If you don't produce him, then sorry, your daughter will be bedridden forever." Said Jacqueline to him.

That was when I realised the daughter they were talking about was the little Phoenix girl who was trying to kidnap me the other day.

Jacqueline must have done something bad to her to make her sick for that long.

"Was that bitter soul his messenger?" Dracula questioned the phoenix king.

"Yes, the one you fed on when you arrived."

"Is he the same one whose blood is filled in my cup?" He questioned again and the king nodded.

'Wait, blood in his cup?' I lost my appetite immediately.

The way they spoke casually like it was normal to drink someone's blood, was what got me, and I felt nauseous.

"I can see you killed him," Jacqueline said, and again, I felt his hand on my lap. He must have felt my irritation.

"That's what we're saying, and there's nothing special about him. His blood is very bitter, and his brain isn't worth the while. I wasted my time on him for nothing." Dracula said and sipped from his cup.

From the squeeze of his face, one could see that he was disgusted by the blood. It was like he was forcing himself to drink it, like if he didn't, he would die.

Then he raised his head to stare at me, "That is why I want her blood. It's so sweet and I would keep her for a very long time."

"Not even in your dream, Dracula, though I know you never sleep. You will be too busy choosing a sweet blood to relax and sleep." Jacqueline said to him.

Dracula dropped his cup and stood to his feet, "What if I want to take her now? You can't run as fast as I can, neither can you teleport."

"Why not try me." Jacqueline challenged him.

Dracula was before me in a mini-second, on the table with his hand wrapped around my neck. He was so fast that in a twinkle of an eye, I was feeling his teeth on my neck.

But when fear was to creep in me, he let out a loud animous scream, "Arg!" And he vanished into thin air.