Chapter 11 What the heck are you hiding?

Chapter 11 What the heck are you hiding?
Scarlette’s POV

“What the heck are you hiding?” I said, eyes heavy from sleepless nights as I looked at Cyrus’s unmoving body on the hospital bed.
“Your majesty?” Dr. Fedric called, causing me to turn just slightly.
“Any improvement?” I asked, my eyes still focused on Cyrus’s rising and falling chest.
The doctor sighed. “He is just normal, breathing fine and responding to treatments, but his condition is not getting better.”
For over two days now, this was the same response.
I had sent out Kael and five of the Pack’s warriors to find Alan, using the description in Cyrus’s journal.
Seems this is truly a Sorcerer’s problem and no amount of medical attention we give to it would yield any meaningful result.
I watched Cyrus for a little longer. A sigh escaped my lips as I turned to return to my office.
Back in my office, I struggled to maintain my focus. My mind was clouded with a whole lot of things. One was the dream I had with Alan in it. That dream made me skeptical to call for him at first, but I soon realised that I was short of options. I just had to go for him.
Then to the other stuff bothering me; my eyes instinctively went to the journal on my desk. Cyrus’s journal. He always kept it out of reach.
I had spent almost two whole days searching for it.
I flipped to the last page. Most likely one of the ones he had written before he collapsed.
“She’s slowly walking into the mysterious and I don’t think I have the strength to help her anymore.
I’m scared, I can’t let her get swallowed up by her drive to take revenge on those who hurt her.
The path is too dangerous to walk.
Goddess please protect my Lani.”
I buried my head in my desk, feeling the frustration creeping up my neck.
This was never how it was supposed to happen.
A quick knock on the door caught my attention. “Your majesty, you have a visitor!”
“I don’t want to see anyone, ask them to leave.” I groaned, my face in my palm.
“It’s Alpha Azrael.” She announced.
Suddenly, my heart started to act strangely, beating a little too fast to be normal.
What is he doing here?
“Should I tell him that you’re not welcoming visitors at the moment.” Grace asked.
As much as I wanted her to do that, I didn’t want to seem so cruel. He had traveled all the way from his Pack to see me and then he’d just end up being shut out.
“You and I know that’s not the reason.” My wolf stirred in my head. “You never used to care how far they’d come.”
I shut her out immediately.
“Your majesty?” Grace called once more.
“Let him in!”
I straightened my posture, quickly closing the journal and sliding it into the safebox. I didn’t want him or anyone seeing those desperate words.
By the time the office doors creaked open, I had donned my mask of royal composure, though the dark circles under my eyes likely betrayed me.
Azrael stepped in, his presence immediately filling the room. He didn’t have the frantic energy of my warriors; he moved with a calm confidence that made the air in the office suddenly feel tense.
“Greetings my lady,” he said softly.
His eyes briefly scanned the room taking in the dim lighting and the disarray of papers before landing on me. Almost like he was making sure I was alone.
“You may have your seat.” I said, without even looking at him.
After letting him settle in, I asked. “What brings you here?” The sound, a little too direct.
He didn’t speak immediately, there was a little pause before he finally said.
“I came because I was worried.”
My head snapped up from the stack of papers almost too quickly.
“Worried about?” I asked, trying to make sense of what he had just said.
His eyes locked on mine like he had a plan to see through my soul.
“You left my Pack in such a hurry. And ever since you left, I tried to reach out to be sure everything was alright, but you never answered or returned my text. And since I was passing through the territory, I thought I’d check in.”
“I’m doing perfectly well! There was no need for you to go out of your way.”
The dismissal was sharp, intended to send him back toward the door, but Azrael didn’t move. Instead, he leaned in closer, He didn’t look convinced; if anything, his gaze softened in a way that made me want to look away, yet I was unable to.
“Pardon me, your majesty, but I recognize that look,” he said, his voice dropping low, making it sound more personal. “I see it in the mirror more often than I’d like to admit. As Alphas, we’re taught that we have to be the pillar. We keep everything locked inside because we’re terrified that just one moment of honesty could make us look weak to our people.”
I felt a lump form in my throat, but I forced a dry laugh.
“We’re not the same, Azrael.”
“Tell me… why are we even having this conversation?”
“Maybe because you know I’m saying the truth, but you’re unwilling to admit it.”
The fact that his voice remained so soft through it all made me want to kick him out before I end up saying things I didn’t mean to tell anyone.
“I didn’t come here today as a business partner
or a fellow political leader. I want you to know that I don’t just care about the project or the help you’re providing for my pack. I care about you too. And If you ever need someone to talk to, someone who actually understands the weight of that crown. I’m here.”
“You don’t have to carry the whole world by yourself, Alpha Lani.”
For a split second, I felt the urge to tell him everything, to finally let it all off my shoulders.
But what if this is just a setup to know my weakness.