Chapter 52: The Missing Little Wolf

Ever since that day, Hazel had refused to open her door.

No matter who knocked, she remained silent. Even when Janet came with food, Hazel would not answer. When Akeelah tried talking to her through the door, there was still no response. She had completely shut herself away from everyone, and after two whole days, the silence was beginning to worry the people around her.

In Caius’s study, Akeelah stood before the large desk with her hands behind her back while Caius read through several documents. His face remained cold and calm, but Akeelah knew better than to believe that he was completely focused on the papers.

"Your Majesty," she said carefully, "Hazel has locked herself inside her room for two days now."

Caius’s fingers stopped moving over the document.

He slowly lifted his eyes."Two days?"

Akeelah nodded. "Yes."

"Has she eaten?"

Akeelah hesitated before shaking her head. "No. She refused every meal we brought her.... She didn’t open the door"

For a moment, the entire room became quiet. Caius stared at Akeelah, his expression unreadable, but something inside him tightened.

She had not eaten for two days? Even if Hazel was angry with him, why would she refuse food?

He quickly pushed the thought away and returned his eyes to the document. "Let her do whatever she wants." His voice sounded cold, just like always.

Akeelah knew he was pretending. She almost smiled, but she decided it was better not to test the Werewolf King."There is also something else, Your Majesty."

Caius raised his eyes again. "We investigated the witches and searched their entire kingdom, just as you ordered. We couldn’t find the crystal coffin."

Caius’s expression darkened. "Continue searching."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Akeelah bowed and turned to leave, but before she reached the door, Caius suddenly called her back.

"Wait." She turned around with interest.

Caius looked down at his documents again, pretending to be interested in them. "Make sure Hazel has someone watching her door."

Akeelah’s lips almost curved into a smile. "Of course."

"Not because I care about what she does," Caius added coldly. "She is my mate. If something happens to her, it could affect the curse."

Akeelah nodded seriously, even though she knew exactly what he was doing. "Of course, Your Majesty."

She left the room. The moment the door closed, Caius leaned back in his chair.

His eyes moved toward the large window. For some reason, his mind returned to Hazel.

Two days without food. It was impossible. Even when she was angry, Hazel loved eating. She could complain about almost anything, but she never complained about food.

So why was she doing this now? Is she even okay? Caius frowned at himself.

Why was he even worrying about her?

He had more important things to deal with. The missing coffin, the demons, the witches, the war and the Immortal Council were all waiting for him. He picked up another document and began reading.

A few moments later, he stopped. His eyes narrowed. Something felt wrong. He couldn’t sense her.

Caius slowly lowered the paper. Normally, even if Hazel was far away, he could feel her presence because of their mate bond. It was faint sometimes, but it was always there.

Now there was nothing. His face became serious. He closed his eyes and tried again.

but no fucken thing! The room suddenly felt colder.

Why can’t I sense her?

.....

Meanwhile, Rita stood in front of Hazel’s bedroom door with her arms crossed.

She stared at the door for several seconds before scoffing. "What do you think, Janet? Should I just burst this door open?"

Janet rolled her eyes. "At least she should eat something. Two days without food is too much, even for Hazel."

She glanced at Rita. "Or do you think she’s angry because of the scent-covering potion? Should we tell her that His Majesty knows nothing about it? It was your idea, after all. Or should we tell His Majesty that Hazel isn’t under any curse and that she can now see whatever she wants to see?"

Rita gave her an annoyed look. "Why would His Majesty have to know about the scent potion? We only did it to protect both of them."

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "We can tell him that Hazel is now capable of controlling her wolf and seeing her visions whenever she wants, but do you really think she will be safe out there?"

Janet’s expression became serious. "No."

"Exactly." Rita walked closer to the door. "Something is wrong." She lifted her hand, and blue light gathered around her fingers. The lock clicked before the door slowly opened.

Both women expected to see Hazel lying on her bed. Instead, the room was completely empty.

Rita frowned. Janet stepped inside quickly. "Hazel?"

There was no answer. She searched the bedroom, then rushed into the bathroom.

Empty.

She checked behind the curtains and even looked inside the closet. Janet hurried toward the window. It was locked from the inside. She slowly turned around, her face losing color. "She’s not here."

Rita’s eyes widened. "How?"

Janet shook her head. "The door was locked from the inside. The window is locked too."

Rita walked toward Hazel’s bed. Her face slowly became serious as she stared at the empty sheets. She frowned in deep confusion.

"She locked the door from the inside... and yet she is not here. How is that possible?" She walked slowly toward the door again. "It can only be possible with magic."

Janet froze. Fear filled her face. She grabbed Rita’s arm. "Not what I’m thinking, right?!"

Rita kept staring at the empty bed in a daze. Seeing that fear, Janet clenched her fists and started pacing back and forth.

"Shit! Whether His Majesty cares about her or not, we were supposed to keep her safe!"

Rita’s frown grew even deeper. "Someone dared to kidnap her."

Janet let out a shaky breath. "Do you think it was Susan? I haven’t heard anything about her since His Majesty let her go."

Rita shook her head. "She would not dare to do that..." She pressed a hand to her forehead, looking restless. "Or... did she go back to her family?"

Janet thought for a moment and shook her head hard. "Alpha Gabriel would have informed His Majesty immediately if she returned home." Her voice rose with panic. "Shit! Do you think the demons took her?"