The Werewolf King’s Mate
Chapter 54

Cory's POV:

Time has flown by in the kingdom. Lucas has been keeping himself occupied with investigations lately. They were able to replace out new information about the witch and where she is currently. Whenever they approached her, she would mysteriously disappear. "Why haven't we captured her?!" Walking down the hallway, I couldn't help but hear his menacing growl.

Everyone, except for me and Lola, was in the study room with Lucas. They were going over their leads and brainstorming new strategies. "With the potion, she could easily cover her tracks and lose us, Your Majesty." Elias, leading a small group of fighters, spoke to Lucas. "Argh! Keep searching for her. Find out who her family or friends are. And look for a witch who could help us replace her." "Yes, Your Majesty."

As the meeting carried on, I made my way to the cozy living room. Renee and Lola huddled together to hash out some details for the upcoming event. They were determined to iron out any kinks and make sure everything went smoothly. The party will be held in two days! That is why Renee is cramming.

"The suppliers should have arrived by tonight or early tomorrow morning, but none have contacted me!" she sounded stressed.

"They will be here on time, Renee. We can call them by tomorrow if they don't arrive tonight."

"Yeah, Cory is right. Give me their contact details, and I will call them first thing tomorrow morning. Sounds great?" Lola volunteered. "Thank you so much, both of you!"

Suppliers came in the next morning. As Renee approached the gates, a sense of relief washed over her as she spotted a stream of cars and trucks. Eventually, they were guided to the Palace. The stylist was already in full swing, getting everything ready for the big day. Wall and ceiling decor were being put in place, tables were set up, and backdrops were positioned for the perfect shot.

"I'm glad you're here, Marco!" Renee greeted the stylist with a warm and friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Right on time!"

"I was already frantic that you would be late!"

"My apologies, Princess. Packaging all the stuff for tomorrow's event took some time."

"No worries! I understand."

"So, we will now begin with decorating this huge hall. I will mix fresh and artificial leaves and flowers on the ceiling as planned. We will start with that. Then, we'll move on to the wall decor." "Sounds great, Marco! I leave everything to you!"

As the day went on, the Palace saw a steady stream of people arriving to lend a hand with the setup. Renee always seemed to be on the go, never stopping for a moment. I watched as she wandered from one end of the room to another, taking in every detail. Renee sauntered over to my location with a weariness etched onto her face.

"Here you go, Renee." I offered her a bottle of water.

"Yeah! I needed that. Thank you, Cory!"

"Everything is looking good! It will absolutely look amazing by tomorrow."

"You're right. But d*Mn! This is tiring. You had better hire a coordinator for your wedding! Taking care of the baby and planning your wedding would be difficult."

Wedding? I never thought of that. Or it hasn't crossed my mind yet. Lucas and I were preoccupied most of the time, so the topic was never discussed.

"I don't know yet. We haven't talked about weddings or ceremonies."

She giggled and said, "I think it will be soon, dear."

I shook my head while laughing at the idea. After Renee left, I quickly got to work and started calling up other suppliers to see if their shipments were on schedule. I decided to take on Lola's task because I felt a bit antsy and wanted to occupy myself with something productive. Time flies, and I need to get going. Lucas kindly offered to come with me to La Femme to pick up my gown for tomorrow. After bidding Renee farewell, I eagerly went downstairs to meet up with Lucas. "How's that planning? I hope you didn't get involved much."

"With Renee overseeing everything, all is good! And no. I sat in a corner the whole time and called suppliers."

"Good!" He stretched his hand out and touched my belly. "We don't want anything to happen to you and our peanut."

"Then, drive properly. Eyes and hands on the road."

We drove down the town. In addition to my attire, we snagged a few items for tomorrow's party. After that, we made our way over to La Femme.

"Hi, Miranda! We're here to pick up the dress."

"Your Majesties, this way, please."

Lucas and I followed Miranda to the store's lounge, and I noticed that two boxes were sitting on the table. It seems like Miranda caught me staring at those boxes.

"The other one is for a lady who loved the design of your dress. She loved the empire style because she was also pregnant! Congratulations, by the way. She asked me if I could do the same for her."

"That's wonderful! She must be attending a party, too."

"Yeah, she told me about it. She'll be picking up the dress today as well. I was waiting for her, but she hasn't come."

"How I wish I could have met her! But we have to go, too."

"No worries, dear. Thank you for your patronage!" "Thank you, Miranda!"

****

The kingdom was bustling with activity on that particular morning. Excitement fills the air as maids and butlers bustle about, the kitchen a hive of activity, and everyone else busy preparing for tonight's festivities. Our lunch was delivered to our room today while my hair and makeup team were already present, assisting me with getting ready.

"Your skin is gorgeous, Your Majesty!" Brandon, my hair and makeup artist, complimented me.

"Really? I feel like I haven't given it much attention these days. But thank you!"

"It looks good! I'll apply only a minimal amount of foundation so that it won't look cakey. Let's go with a natural look, too."

"Alright. You're the expert here!"

"As for your hair, we can put it in an elegant bun. Sounds good?"

I nodded my head. As Brandon's assistants dried my hair, they also applied my makeup. Just as we were about to wrap things up, Lucas walked into the room. He's finally done with his virtual meetings for the day.

"Wow! You look beautiful, babe."

"Thank you!"

"I'll start preparing as well. Be right back."

The clock is ticking! We're only thirty minutes away from the start of the party at seven in the evening. I'm all set once I slip into my dress.

"You ready?" Lucas asked when he emerged from the walk-in closet.

Wow! Standing before me is a gentleman who exudes an aura of impeccable elegance and irresistible sexiness. His hair was impeccably styled to the side, perfectly complementing his all-black 5-piece suit. My eyes scanned from top to bottom and bottom to top, taking in every detail. He met my eyes and raised a brow.

"Like what you see?" He spoke in my mind with his deep, rough voice.

"Very much."

He chuckled at my attempt to flirt with him. I was so distracted by my mates that I didn't notice they were done zipping my dress.

"Well, I like what I see, too."

I slip into my stylish shoes with adorable kitten heels and snatch up my trusty bag. We made the final touches, and we're done. Lucas offered his arm as we left, and I accepted it as we descended the stairs. In just a mere ten minutes, we found ourselves standing in front of the Grand Palace. The atmosphere is electric with the arrival of guests representing various packs and kingdoms. The room fell silent as everyone stopped their discussions and respectfully bowed to the King.

Entering the hall, it was amazing what Marco did. The atmosphere in the hall was instantly uplifted by the beautiful display of hanging flowers and leaves, which were elegantly complemented by the twinkling lights.

"It's amazing what you guys did here."

"It was all Renee's idea."

As we were admiring the intricate design, a lovely couple approached us. The Duke and Duchess of Rusa greeted us warmly and sent their heartfelt thanks for graciously allowing them to commemorate their special anniversary within the Palace walls. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We wouldn't have this lovely celebration if not for you." Duchess Catherine said.

"It's nothing, my dearest aunt. And congratulations!"

"Thank you! I am glad we can celebrate our 25th anniversary with everyone, especially our dear Renee," Duke Louise said.

"She did all this just for you."

"We know, and we couldn't be any happier. And thank you, Her Majesty, for helping her out. I know it is not easy, especially with your pregnancy." Duchess Catherine conveyed her sincerest appreciation.

"Your Majesty!"

Before we could even catch our breath, a crowd began to form around us, eager to greet us and the Duke and Duchess. As we strolled through the hall, we found ourselves wrapped up in various conversations. I had high hopes for the kitten heels, but unfortunately, they didn't last very long. My feet are hurting.

"Lucas, I need to sit down. My feet are killing me. I'll be in one of the rooms, OK?"

"I'll come with you."

Lucas kindly led me to a cozy and comfortable room where I could finally take a rest. I took a seat in the nearest chair available. He helped me with removing my shoes and massaged my foot. That felt better.

"Thank you, Lucas!"

"Let me get you something to drink. Stay right here."

He walked out of the room, and I was left alone in the room. I detected some activity coming from within the room. I immediately became alert and tried to mind-link Lucas. Suddenly, I was muted by a hand covering my mouth, and a scent overwhelmed me. Suddenly, I found myself being pulled away while a lady wearing an identical dress hid behind the door. As Lucas walked into the room, a woman playfully covered his eyes.

I tried to scream, get away from him!

But nothing came out as I drifted to sleep.