Chapter 38: The plan

Hazel stood quietly in front of the strange mirror while Caius struggled with the chain around her neck. For someone who could probably break mountains with his bare hands, he seemed to be having a serious problem with one small piece of jewelry. His face was filled with annoyance as he tried to connect the hook, but the lifeless chain seemed determined to make things difficult for him. He said nothing, but the deep frown on his face was enough to show Hazel just how angry he was.

Watching him struggle, Hazel slowly began to understand something.

He was probably forced to do this by the Moon goddess.

She was the only person Hazel could think of who could force someone like Caius to do something he did not want to do. Hazel was about to say something when Caius’s fingers suddenly touched the back of her neck.

A strange feeling immediately rushed through her body.

’A spark...’ she said in her mind.

Hazel’s eyes widened as a warm energy moved from the place where his fingers touched her skin and spread through her entire body. Her heart began beating faster, and she quickly bit her lower lip to control herself.

She had heard other werewolves talk about the mate’s spark before. They always described it as something beautiful and impossible to explain, but Hazel had never believed she would experience it herself.

Not with the Werewolf King. She tried to stay still as another spark moved through her body, making her fingers curl slightly.

She wondered if Caius felt it too, because he didn’t stop or show any reaction.

His expression remained serious as he continued working on the chain, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Maybe he was ignoring it. Or perhaps he was simply too focused on the chain to notice. Hazel could only smile faintly as the strange sparks continued to move through her body.

Then Caius suddenly stopped. He looked down at his hands.

Hazel became nervous. His long nails suddenly started shrinking by themselves, pulling back until they looked very short. That’s the only way to do the chain properly. Caius stared at them with clear irritation, as if they had become another obstacle standing between him and the stupid chain.

Hazel almost laughed. But she quickly stopped herself.

Caius returned his attention to the chain, and this time, he fixed it in less than five seconds.

Click.

The hook locked into place perfectly. Hazel stared at him in surprise. She had intentionally refused to help because she wanted to see how the mighty Werewolf King would solve the problem without asking anyone for help.

Apparently, he didn’t need help at all. She slowly turned around and bowed. "I really appreciate your kindness, Your Majesty. I promise I won’t tell anyone."

Caius frowned "Why would I be afraid if you want to tell everyone? Out!"

Hazel nodded quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty." She turned around and hurried out of the room before he could change his mind.

As she walked down the hallway her mind would not stay quiet. That spark... she had really felt the mate spark from the werewolf king himself.

She was still lost in thought when Janet and Akeelah ran toward her with bright, curious faces.

"What happened? What did he say? Did he hurt you?" they asked at the same time.

Hazel told them everything — how he put the chain on her and how she felt the strong spark when his fingers touched her skin. Both girls looked shocked.

Akeelah reached out and touched the silver chain. The moment her fingers met the metal she pulled back with a small cry of pain. Her hand turned red and silent burns appeared on her skin. "Pure silver," she muttered.

"But why did he put it on you himself?" Janet asked in a low voice.

"The Moon Goddess, of course," Akeelah said with a smile. "She’s the only one who can handle him." She grinned at Hazel. "I heard you’re still very weak. You’ll start training with me. I’ll be gentle."

She grabbed Hazel’s wrist and pulled her toward the training grounds.

From a quiet corner, Rita watched Akeelah teaching Hazel the basic movements. Janet soon came and stood beside her.

"She still has a lot to learn," Janet sighed.

"That’s why we need to act fast," Rita answered. "No one will dare to be harsh with her once His Majesty starts showing his possessive side."

Janet frowned. "Is what you saw real?"

Rita kept her eyes on Hazel as the girl tried to dodge Akeelah’s attacks.

"I don’t know why she has a connection to that secret room, but she is going to tame His Majesty. We have to stay on her side."

Janet shrugged. "I already knew that. Why else would I lower myself to act as her maid? The High Priest wants her to carry His Majesty’s child, but first we need to prepare her for the war." She shook her head and sighed. "But how is she connected to the secret chamber?"

Rita’s eyes narrowed. "That’s the strange part. Nothing about her makes full sense." She lowered her voice. "Only the guardian and Servant-maid Allison normally have access to that door."

Janet looked worried. "So that means she can open it?"

Rita nodded. "As the guardian of that door, I should know how this happened." She moved closer. "His Majesty must not find out. He might try to kill her again." Her voice became a whisper. "You may not be able to save her this time if he removes her head from her neck."

Janet sighed. "I still don’t understand how I brought her back from death that day. She died in his hands... yet I healed her. I’m certain that power was not mine. That girl is not ordinary."

Rita blinked and looked at Hazel again. The girl’s arm was already bleeding from training.

"How can she even be a seer when she is not from the ancient wolf bloodlines?" she murmured.

.....

Somewhere in the Witch Kingdom, six remaining dark-witch leaders sat in a secret meeting.

"Now that Sunny and Jeremiah are dead and the queen has been taken, we have almost no hope of saving ourselves from the werewolves," Joan said quietly.

"I thought the curse would make him weak," Sarah answered with anger. "But he is still strong. He suddenly stopped his attack after a message from the High Priest. Humph! Their Moon Goddess must have stopped him. This is our territory. How dare he barge in and take our queen as a prisoner? It is not fair."

Another witch, Rebecca leaned forward. "I heard the entire wolf race is planning a worldwide welcome-back event for him. Why don’t we use that chance to get closer to the secret door?"

Several heads nodded at once.

Sarah sighed. "We can’t be sure. Our ancestors sealed him because they wanted that door. Who knows what kind of witches he has guarding it now?"

Jeffrey frowned. "Which witch is powerful enough to guard that door?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Didn’t you see? He already has a royal Light witch with him."

All their faces changed. "I thought we managed to wipe out every last Light witch!" one of them whispered in shock.