Chapter 20 You seem Nervous

Chapter 20 You seem Nervous
Azrael’s POV
“Your majesty, I’m sure you know how important the Gala is, most especially for Alpha’s like yourself?”
I didn’t give a reply.
My eyes just kept on moving from face to face, from one speaker to the other.
“Yes, your majesty… You need to appear at your best, everything has to represent the pack well, down to the woman you’ll be taking with you. This cannot be overemphasized.”
I just kept on watching the elders as they laid their concerns. Everyone somehow just seemed to have something really important to say about the Gala.
“I understand that your majesty doesn’t really find pleasure in matters like this, but I also understand that any little mistake could take a toll on the name of the pack which we have been trying to revive for years now.” Elder Jade said, adjusting his robe.
“For the woman to represent the pack, I highly recommend the young Miss Martins, daughter of Alpha Martins.” Elder Heathrow said.
“Brenda?” Another Elder added and I saw how they all nodded in agreement.
The council meeting dragged on longer than it should have. I sat there, hearing every word and none of it at the same time.
All I could see was Alpha Lani lying pale against those white sheets.
The steady beep of the monitor still echoed in my ears.
I kept checking my phone under the table.
No calls. No messages. Nothing at all from Kael.
When the meeting finally ended, chairs scraped against the floor, and conversations broke into smaller groups. I didn’t stay. I walked out before anyone could stop me, demanding my attention which seemed to be absent from this place.
The hallway outside felt quieter, though their voices could still be heard from a distance.
I dialed Kael immediately.
He picked up on the second ring.
“How is she?” I asked, skipping everything else.
He paused for a second, or two. Then said, “She’s stable.”
Stable?
My brows knitted.
Not better. Not awake. Just stable?
“She hasn’t woken up?” I pressed.
“No.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Where are you now?”
“Almost at our border. Cyrus is already preparing.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Call me the moment anything changes.”
“I will.”
The call ended.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the blank screen. My chest felt tight again, like someone had wrapped a rope around it and kept pulling.
I shoved the phone into my pocket and headed outside.
It was the middle of the day, so the pack grounds were alive. On one side, you could see the warriors training. On the other side were passersby, including children who had just closed from school, now standing and admiring the warriors.
Immediately they noticed me, they bowed, their greetings filling my ears.
As I moved further I could already smell the wonderful aroma that filled the air. It came from the women who specialised in taking care of the warriors meals. They were preparing something delicious and my nose couldn’t resist such wonder.
I was heading to the construction site…
I should have taken my car. But today, I just felt like walking solo. No guards. No Escort. No Beta.
Soon, I got to the place where the builders were working on the new housing units. Patrols moving in and out. Everything looked normal.
As it should be. But something that felt off soon caught my side.
I slowed down for a bit.
Rick usually supervised the construction site personally. He was obsessive about it. Always correcting measurements, always arguing with workers over details.
But I hadn’t seen him all morning.
How did I not notice that?
I stopped one of the guards walking past. “Greetings your majesty!” He bowed.
“Have you seen Rick?” I asked, not even giving a reply to his greeting.
The guard shook his head. “No, Alpha.”
“When was the last time?”
“I… I’m not sure.”
That didn’t sit right.
I headed toward the construction area anyway. The workers bowed when they saw me.
“Where’s Rick?” I asked.
They exchanged confused glances amongst themselves.
One of them finally spoke. “We thought he was with you, Alpha.”
My jaw tightened. “He didn’t report here?”
“No.”
I nodded once and turned away.
Something was wrong.
Rick never skipped duties.
I grabbed another warrior. “Check his patrol logs. See if he signed out.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
I didn’t wait for the result. My feet were already moving toward the residential quarter.
The Beta’s quarter sat near the edge of the inner territory. He’d moved in after mating with Blaire, his chosen mate.
He had never spoken about his mate. His true mate. I tried to recall what happened to the first mate, but each time I did, my mind went blank.
I frowned as I reached the door of the house.
I knocked once but no reply came forth.
I tried the handle. It wasn’t locked.
The door creaked as I pushed it open.
The house smelled like lavender and a mix of something else I didn’t have a name for.
“Rick?” I called. But the house remained quiet.
I stepped inside.
The living room was neat. Everything was arranged carefully, as if someone had cleaned in a hurry.
My gaze drifted around the house as I stepped further in.
That was when I saw it.
A black cloak lay draped over the back of a chair.
It looked strange. Probably because I had never seen Rick wear something like that. He preferred leather jackets and dark fabrics, but never cloaks like someone who lived in the ancient time.
I walked closer.
The material was thick. The hood is deep enough to hide a face completely.
Why would he need this?
I picked it up, turning it slightly. Something stiff brushed my fingers.
A Paper peeked out from the inner fold.
My instincts sharpened immediately.
I pulled it halfway. It was more like an envelope, looking too sacred to conceal anything normal.
The front door opened.
I dropped the cloak back onto the chair instantly and moved toward the couch like I had been waiting there the whole time.
Blaire stepped inside.
She froze when she saw me.
The reaction was small, but I caught it.
Her shoulders stiffened. Her eyes widened for half a second before she forced a smile.
“Alpha… I didn’t know you were here.”
“I was looking for Rick,” I replied calmly.
She nodded quickly. Too quickly. “He… he stepped out.”
“Where?”
“I’m not sure.”
Her gaze flickered toward the chair.
Just for a moment.
Then she walked forward casually and stood in front of the chair where the cloak had been lying, as if to prevent me from looking. Her move felt natural, but I’m damn sure it wasn’t.
Nevertheless, my eyes remained firmly on her, watching her every move.
“Did he say when he’d be back?” I asked.
“No.”
Her voice sounded tight.
I leaned back against the couch. “He didn’t request permission to leave.”
“Maybe he forgot,” came her reply. It sounded too quick, like someone trying to cover something up.
Rick never forgot.
For a while, I said nothing.
She busied herself unnecessarily, adjusting things that didn’t need adjusting. Her movements were careful, controlled.
But her eyes kept flicking toward the cloak.
Toward the envelope.
I rested my elbows on my knees. “You seem nervous.”
She laughed softly. “No, Alpha. I’m just surprised. I had only stepped out for a second, so I genuinely didn’t expect to see you here.”
I nodded slowly, pretending to accept that.
But my mind was already racing with possibilities.