Chapter 40: Mate not certain

Basileia

The throne hall of Basileia was unusually quiet.

Emily was kneeling nervously in front of Caius with her head lowered, trying her best not to show how uncomfortable she felt. A few steps away, Alpha Gebriel was sitting on one of the thrones meant for the Alphas, while the High Priest, Ethan, Alexander, Rita, and Janet were seated nearby.

Hazel stood in a corner with Akeelah, watching everything carefully.

Her eyes soon fell on Emily. There was something strange about the way Emily was kneeling. She looked calm on the outside, but Hazel could tell that she was nervous. She shouldn’t have let her father come as far as this.

Caius sat on his throne with his usual cold expression. His silver eyes were fixed on Emily while Gabriel explained the situation to him.

"Gathering all the young werewolves in all packs, along with those who represent our company in the human world, is not be a problem," Caius said. "But..." he raised one eyebrow. "Are you certain you will find your mate?"

The entire hall suddenly became silent. Emily’s body stiffened. Gabriel frowned in confusion. That question was much deeper than it sounded.

Caius is not only smart, but also extremely intelligent. Caius was not someone who could easily be fooled. He noticed small details and was very good at finding problems before anyone else even realized there was one.

Emily’s lips parted slightly. For a moment, she wondered if Caius could read her mind.

She quickly glanced at Hazel who shook her head slowly.

Emily swallowed hard.She had to admit the truth to herself.Could she really trust that strange vision?

What if the Moon Goddess had shown her something that would never happen?

"You are wasting a lot of time, Emi Emi," Alexander suddenly said with a playful chuckle.

Emily trembled. Alexander smiled innocently."Yo, relax, I’m just saying."

The High Priest gave Emily a warm smile. "Or if you feel your mate is already dead, I know what we can do to help."

Emily let out a quiet breath and shook her head. "I have a feeling... that I cannot see my mate yet, Your Majesty."

Caius looked at her for a long moment. Then he nodded once. "Good girl." He rose from the throne. Everyone in the hall stood up at the same time. Without another word, Caius walked out. Ethan and Alexander followed right behind him.

When the heavy doors closed, the air in the hall felt lighter. Alpha Gabriel stood and walked over to his daughter. His face was serious.

"What is really going on, Emily?" he asked in a low voice.

Emily kept her eyes down. She could not tell him the full truth. "It’s just... a strange dream I keep having," she said. "I don’t understand it yet."

A moment later Hazel came forward and greeted them politely. "Father. Emily."

Emily dragged her away before Hazel could protest.They walked through one of the quieter hallways of the palace until they reached a small empty room.

Emily quickly looked around before closing the door.

Hazel stared at her in confusion. "What is wrong with you?"

Emily turned around. "Look..."

She lowered her voice."Is there a place where I can lift this stupid curse?"

Hazel froze. "Ahh...what are you talking about?" She looked at Emily carefully."It isn’t a curse."

Emily’s face changed immediately."Then what do you want me to call it?"Her voice trembled."How am I supposed to cope with this?"

Hazel became quiet. Emily’s eyes were filled with tears. She quickly turned her face away, trying to hide them. Hazel felt something inside her hurt. Emily was a tough girl.

She was not the type to cry easily, and Hazel had rarely seen her this helpless. Hazel stepped closer. "Emily..."

"I don’t understand why this is happening to me," Emily whispered. "I never asked for it."

Hazel sighed. She knew exactly how confusing the Moon Goddess could be. The woman had appeared in Hazel’s reflection, called her granddaughter, and casually told her that her fate had already been written.

And somehow, Hazel was supposed to accept all of it. Hazel reached out and gently touched Emily’s shoulder. "I’m very sure the Moon Goddess isn’t wicked."

Emily looked at her with teary eyes. "How can you be sure?"

"Because..." Then a new idea suddenly came into her mind. She looked left and right to make sure the hallway was empty. She moved closer to Emily and lowered her voice.

"Let me tell you something..."

Hazel looked at her sister carefully and spoke in a low voice. "I talked to the moon goddess myself."

Emily stared at her with wide eyes. It was hard for her to believe those words. "You... talked to the moon goddess?"

Hazel nodded and began to explain. "That night I was sitting in front of my mirror. Suddenly my own reflection started smiling by itself. Its eyes glowed white, and a silver moon mark appeared on my forehead. The moon goddess used my reflection to speak to me....ahhh, such an amazing experience! at first I was surprised and afraid at the same time. maybe she can elaborate what’s going on, or what do you think?"

Emily listened in complete silence. When Hazel finished, she slowly wiped the tears from her cheeks. A small hope appeared in her eyes. Then she nodded.

"You mean... there is a solution, right?"

Hazel sighed softly. "Of course. Maybe when I see her again, I can ask why she chose your younger brother as your mate."

"Shhh!" Emily quickly looked around the empty hallway. "What if someone hears us?" She let out a long breath. "I’ll go and confuse Father so he stops worrying about my mate for now."

Hazel smiled and nodded. Emily then looked at her sister with curiosity. "How are things going with your own mate?"

Hazel’s smile faded. She sighed and lowered her voice even more. "I think he’s planning to reject me... after I become strong enough for that secret door."