chapter 6

*Emrys’ POV*

“Alpha,” Thomas bowed his head slightly as he entered the room and looked at me; I was getting my crown and suit fitted for the very last time -thank Goddess- before the crowning. Laker and Arrow had taken off to ready the men, double checking every security measure, and Anton had to go meet with his parents and mate to ready themselves for his vows. Princess Emily and Anton would marry the same day as the crowning for Anton’s ‘King-hood’. 

“Thomas Hendal,” I nodded in a greeting before looking down to the few maids who were finishing up the last touches, thanking and dismissing them, and then looking towards my nervous guard. 

“I have a report on your father,” Thomas said, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes only finding mine momentarily in the mirror. 

“Continue,” I raised a brow and turned around to face him. My father was supposed to be with the King and Queen right now, not wondering about the palace. 

“He hasn’t shown up for any meetings, gone from his room, and no one has heard a single peep from Alpha Knight,” 

“Did you check in the City?” 

“Of course, Sir.” Thomas stated. “But it’s as if he went to tea and then vanished,”

“Tea? Was it Aconite that invited him?” Tea? What century is this… Well, then again this is a royal palace so maybe it wasn’t to crazy-

“No Sir…” Thomas sighed, downcasting his eyes. “It was… Um…”

“Future Luna of the Knights.” Lessie…

“Where’s my mate?” Panic flushed through me. Did my father do something to her? 

*

“Celeste!” I practically yelled as I entered our palace bedroom, my eyes landing on my more than beautiful mate who sat at my desk; she was currently reading some book, her golden hair pulled into a ponytail -showing off my mark- and her body covered by a sweater dress. 

Celeste paled as she stood, placing her book back down on my desk, and as I closed the distance between us, I could sense my father's scent of damp soil and spice linger; waves of uncertainty and anxiety danced off of her so fiercely that Atticus growled lowly. 

“Emrys?” She questioned, voice wavering; her stress increasing. 

“What did he want?” I bit back my own growl at the thought of both my cruel father and my love in the same room, probably alone together-

“Who?” Celeste asked, raising a brow but her posture didn’t match her innocent façade. 

Anger from both Atticus and I rushed through us, sparking annoyance at her fake appearance, and confusion gnawed at my bones - what is she hiding, why is pretending not to know who I am talking about? 

“You know who,” I tried and failed not to grit my teeth. We now stood with only a few feet between us, eyes meeting each other yet unreadable, and I hated that I could sense a coming on fight; she knew something that I didn’t and didn’t seem apt to tell me. “Do not play dumb,”

Right now, I couldn’t handle the stress… Planning the coronation of both Anton’s and I’s crowning, getting security situated, this whole vampire and witch business, Celete’s newfound magic fire power and the reality that she’s not full lycan- I could explode. 

“I took care of the issue,” She deadpanned, crossing her arms. I let out a heavy breath.

“And what does that mean?”

“I went through with our plan to give him the water and it worked, end of story,” My father… He’s dead? My heart slowed as it soared downwards to my feet, the pit in my stomach growing as I tried to catch my breath, and I closed my eyes for a moment.

She said as if it was hardly nothing, as if she didn’t just kill my father or the current Alpha Knight, as if she wouldn’t be executed for murder if anyone found out-

“Damn it,” I spat, my anger coming back. “We had a plan, one that if we got caught before we could handle it-”

Celeste interrupted my words, pushing something so cold that I could’ve mistaken it for ice into the palm of my hand, and told me to look; slowly, I tore my eyes away from hers and looked down to what she placed in my hand.

The one arm cross pendant…

But now, its rubies were red and shimmering with life - no. Now, the rubies could be mistaken for onyx and it just looked… Dead. Dead as if it had once housed a spirit that had now escaped the object, leaving it desolate. 

“H-how?”

My mate shrugged helplessly and was about to speak before our bedroom door was shoved open, making both of us jump from the sudden intrusion, and as we looked back, Aconite came waltzing in with a beautiful lady behind him; her pale head hung low, red ringlet curls curtaining her face, and the lady was about petite as he was. 

“Ah,” Aconite’s lips danced into a wide smile as his almost red eyes caught sight of the one armed cross and with a snap of his fingers, the girl behind him stopped walking. “I see you have just made my life a million times easier,”

“What?” I raised my own brow and took a step back, my hand running through my hair, and clenching my eyes closed for a moment. “Can someone tell me what the fuck is happening?! So much has happened!”

Celeste whispered as I opened my eyes. “Kyrell… He’s gone,” It was as if realization set in on herself but I couldn’t comfort her, not yet; I needed to know what was happening, how to handle whatever is coming, and not lose myself in an anxiety ridden panic attack along the way. 

“And this,” Aconite broke through my thoughts and drew my eyes away from my stressed out mate, Atticus whimpered as he longed to comfort her. “Is our last problem, Ms.Lucerne, aka our little witch,”

Oh my Goddess… I feel like I’m gonna have a damn heart attack.