Chapter 97: Where is my mate?

Caius frowned as he entered the study, his silver eyes moving around the room before settling on Ethan and Alexander, who were busy reviewing the paperwork brought by the Alphas earlier. There were several files spread across the table, and both men looked serious as they went through the reports, but Caius barely paid attention to what they were doing because something else was bothering him.

"Where is my mate?" he asked, looking between them with a frown.

Ethan and Alexander immediately raised their heads, exchanging a confused glance before looking back at him. How were they supposed to know where Hazel was? They had been with Caius for most of the day, dealing with important matters, and neither of them had seen her since they left the previous place.

"How should we know?" Alexander was about to ask, but before he could say anything, the door opened quietly.

All three men turned toward the entrance at the same time, and the familiar scent that entered the room told them exactly who had arrived. Hazel stood by the door, but the moment she noticed three pairs of sharp eyes fixed on her, she almost turned around and walked away. She had only wanted to speak to Caius, so why did it feel as if she had walked into a room full of people waiting to judge her?

Her cheeks turned pink as she lowered her head and stared at her toes, suddenly finding them more interesting than the three men in front of her.

"Good afternoon," she greeted them shyly before looking toward Caius. "I want to talk to His Majesty."

Caius stared at her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. Instead of asking what she wanted, he walked toward the table and sat on its edge, then reached out and pulled her toward him.

Hazel’s eyes widened as she suddenly found herself standing between his legs, with his arms wrapped around her small waist. Before she could even understand what he was doing, Caius buried his face against the side of her neck and took a deep breath, enjoying the familiar scent that had been missing from his surroundings.

Hazel froze. What was happening to him today?

This was the same man who could look at an entire room full of powerful Alphas without changing his expression, yet here he was, holding her as if he had been waiting for her to appear all day. She could feel his breath against her neck, and her face grew even hotter as she remembered that Ethan and Alexander were still sitting right in front of them.

She wanted to disappear into the ground.

Across the table, Alexander slowly turned his head toward Ethan and sent him a mind-link.

[Someone is already ten steps ahead of you.]

Ethan did not even look at him. He simply continued reading the file in his hand, his brows drawn together as if Alexander had not said anything at all.

Alexander narrowed his eyes at his friend before sending another mind-link.

[ Are you sure Hazel will be able to continue her training?]

Ethan finally replied without lifting his head. [If she doesn’t continue, how will she learn to fight without the moon chain?]

Alexander sighed, leaning back in his chair as he glanced at Caius and Hazel. The Werewolf King was holding his mate in front of them without the slightest embarrassment, while Hazel looked as if she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.

[We should start learning how to give her special treatment, Alexander sent through the mind-link again. I still have so many good things to do with my precious head]

Ethan’s fingers paused over the file for a moment, but he quickly continued reading, choosing to ignore the nonsense coming from his friend.

Meanwhile, Hazel could barely control her embarrassment. How could Caius hold her like this when they had visitors? She had expected him to ask what she wanted, not pull her into his arms and bury his face against her neck as if they were alone in his bedroom.

Ahhh! Why is he doing this in front of them?

She wanted to complain, but she did not have the courage to push him away, especially when his arms felt so comfortable around her waist. After a little while, Caius finally lifted his head and looked at her face, seemingly satisfied after inhaling her scent.

"What is it you want to tell me?" he asked.

Hazel quickly stepped away from him, although she could still feel the warmth of his hands around her waist. She glanced at Ethan and Alexander, hoping they were too busy with their paperwork to pay attention to her, but both men appeared to be minding their own business.

Still, she was not completely convinced.

Caius raised an eyebrow when he noticed her looking at them. "Should I throw them out?"

Hazel’s eyes widened, and she immediately shook her head. "Ah, no! No, you don’t have to do that!"

Alexander, who had already started moving his chair as if he was preparing to escape, stopped and slowly sat back down with a tired sigh. He had almost found an excuse to leave the room, but Hazel had ruined his chance before he could even stand up properly.

Caius looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak.

Hazel took a small breath before finally explaining what had been on her mind. "I’m bored, and I was thinking about going out to explore Basileia," she said nervously, watching his face to see how he would react. "I haven’t really had the chance to look around properly, and I want to see more of the place."

She paused before quickly adding, "You don’t have to worry about me. I won’t go alone, and I promise I’ll come back."

Caius frowned slightly. Why was she talking as if he would think she was planning to run away? Did she really believe he would refuse to let her explore the place?

After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Azula will follow you."

Hazel’s smile immediately disappeared. "Azula?" she repeated, unconsciously frowning. "Why would she follow me?"

Across the table, Ethan lifted his eyes from the file and glanced at Alexander, who was already watching Hazel.

Hazel noticed Alexander looking at her and quickly turned back to Caius, realizing that her reaction might have sounded rude.

"I mean..." She struggled to find the right words.

" Don’t you like Azula?" Caius said seriously.

Hazel shook her head before continuing with a small smile. "Azula is the army leader, isn’t she? Won’t it attract too much attention if she follows me around? I’m not planning to leave Basileia. I only want to explore the place, so I think Janet and Akeelah would be better."

Her expression brightened as she mentioned the two women. She was already familiar with Janet and Akeelah, and she genuinely liked spending time with them. They were strong, funny, and much easier for her to talk to without feeling nervous.

Besides, the two women had helped her in the past when she was still living in her father’s pack. They had even pretended to be her maids for a long time and helped her escape from the witches, so Hazel trusted them more than she could explain.

She would feel much more comfortable exploring Basileia with them than with Azula, who was the leader of the army and could probably make half the people they met nervous.

Caius studied her face for a moment before giving a simple nod. "Accepted."

Hazel’s eyes lit up immediately, and before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed happily. She turned around and hurried toward the door before Caius could say anything else, her steps filled with excitement now that she had gotten permission to go out.

Caius remained seated on the edge of the table, watching her leave with an expression that softened as soon as she disappeared from sight.