The Werewolf King’s Mate
Chapter 60

Cory's POV:

We were standing before the chateau, returning from the mountains. The whole walk from the forest was a quiet one. Lucas did not utter a word; his sole focus was getting me home. We had backup troops following closely behind, ready to protect us in case any rogue attacks occurred. I looked around. These men were wounded and had gashes and bandages around their bodies. The heavily bruised soldiers were transported via car to the hospital.

When we stepped into our house, everyone was waiting for us. As soon as I arrived, Lola dashed towards me and wrapped her arms around me, giving me a warm and affectionate embrace. I can only imagine how anxious she must have been all this time. Tommy and Ellie also joined in for a group hug.

"How are you, Cory? Are you hurt anywhere?" Lola worriedly asked.

"Yeah. Just a little light-headed."

"Alfred, call Doctor Miranda. We need to have Cory and my child checked thoroughly." Lucas spoke this time.

"Understood, Your Majesty. We'll ask her to come immediately."

"Oh, Alfred, do you mind calling Brandon, too? I kind of need help with my hair."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

After the exchange was completed, I politely expressed my desire to take some rest in our room. Lucas assisted me all the way to our room. He also had the bath and my clothes prepared.

"I know you're tired, but have a quick shower first. I'll help you."

"Alright."

I headed to the bathroom and removed the clothes I had worn a few days ago. The once shimmering and immaculate dress has now succumbed to a layer of grime.

As I walked through the room, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The first thing I noticed was how messy my hair was. It was cut unevenly. As I ran my fingers through my hair, I noticed it was still stiff from the hairspray. And my face. It was covered in dirt, and I got a scratch on my cheek. Was it from the time Chloe slapped me? I don't know.

I stepped into the refreshing embrace of the shower cubicle. When I stepped in, the shower was already on, so the warm water relaxed my body. Lucas entered with his clothes still on. I thought he would be joining me, but he cleaned me up instead. This was more intimate than any other day when we showered together. He lathered my hair and my body gently. After taking a shower, he dried me with a towel and put on my clothes for me.

"Hey, you haven't spoken a word since we left the mountains. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I had food prepared for you. Come here."

"Tell me first what's wrong. What's on your mind, Lucas?"

He exhaled deeply as if releasing a weight from his chest. "I can't shake off the feeling that what if we were too late?

What if we never figured this out? What if I made the wrong call? It has got me thinking, Cory. And the endgame is, what if I lose both of you?"

"I know. I was scared of not seeing you again." I tried to be tough when I was kidnapped, but being in his presence, I became vulnerable. I sobbed harder than when I was alone in the basement-hopeless and cold.

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for a warm, comforting hug that made me feel safe and loved. We relished the beautiful moment of our long-awaited reunion, and time seemed to stand still as we embraced each other for what felt like an eternity. I slightly pushed myself away from him. We still have a lot to talk about. I pulled his hands toward our small dining table where foods that were obviously by Chef Linguini were placed. And instead of sitting on the chair, I sat on his lap. The closeness made us feel relieved. I took a piece of bread from the tray and dipped it in the bowl of mushroom soup. I took a few bites of my food and shifted my attention toward him.

"Lucas, when I was taken away that night, I saw you with a woman. It was blurry, but I could tell we had the same dress. Who was she?"

"I will tell you, but I have something to say first." This made my heart do a mini flip.

"No. No, it's not what you think, OK? I wanted to let you know what happened." So, I nodded. I have complete faith in Lucas.

"When I came back, I thought it was you. She smelled like you. She covered my eyes and switched off the lights so I couldn't see her face. She started making advances....I'm sorry that I let her.'

I found myself at a loss for words at that very moment.

"Cory, I'm sorry. I didn't know it wasn't you. It was all a set-up."

I took a deep breath. "I know. And it wasn't your fault. They tricked us. I understand. So, will you tell me who she was?"

"Laura."

"She was part of this, too?!"

"Apparently, yes. I was only able to identify who your abductor was through her."

"Where is she now?"

"In the dungeon. She will be imprisoned until we capture Hendrix. I need her to testify."

After eating snacks, I informed Lucas that I needed to rest and would be lying down for a while. I slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber as he meticulously wiped the table.

Lucas' POV:

Cory quickly drifted to sleep after eating. Perhaps staying at home has brought her a sense of calmness and ease in her mind and body. MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE ME when I saw her in the basement with a knife in her throat. It's a high-stakes situation for me. One misstep, and I risk losing them both. Aside from the scratch on her neck, she has a few bruises on her face and knees. It looked like they didn't do anything worse than I could imagine.

I continued cleaning up in our room. I picked up the dress she wore the night she disappeared. As we searched for Cory, I asked Miranda to verify if the lady who approached her was Laura. Indeed, it was confirmed that the woman was Laura. With Miranda's testimony, Laura will suffer a grave punishment- death. Chloe and Laura are now imprisoned in our dungeon, and all that is left is Hendrix and the witch. So far, Silas has been tailing Hendrix. He has no idea yet that we already have Cory. As for the witch, Agnes tried contacting her daughter but could not reach her.

I left Cory to rest and went to my study room. I had guards at the back and in front of our room this time. They will alert me immediately if something is not right. I went to the study room and sifted through a couple of files when Silas contacted me about the whereabouts of Hendrix.

"Lucas, Hendrix was just talking to Sir Kingston. As expected, he ordered him to stop the investigation."

"As expected. He's planning to divert our attention to somewhere else and not him be convicted for orchestrating these attacks."

"Yes. He was trying to bribe Sir Kingston. And he just accepted it."

"We're moving as planned. You know what to do, Silas."

"Yes, Your Majesty. We'll make our move now."

"I will be with you once Cory's check-up is done."

We dropped the mind link, and in time, Alfred notified me that Dr. Miranda had arrived.

"We'll be there. I have to check if Cory is awake."

opened the door to our room and found Cory was still asleep. So, I went to her side and lightly shook her. She slowly fluttered her eyes open. She looked really exhausted.

I hate to wake her up, but the doctor needs to see her.

"Dr. Miranda is here."

"Hmmm."

"Let's go downstairs to have you and the baby checked.

OK?"

She soon got up from bed and readied herself to meet Dr.

Miranda. We met Dr. Miranda was in the living room, and when she saw us, she made a curtsy as a sign of respect to both of us. Cory sat in the armchair next to Dr. Miranda, and she started to check Cory's vitals.

"How are you feeling?" She asked Cory while putting her stethoscope away.

"A little dizzy and tired."

"Hmm. Everything is good; I see no signs of other serious injuries or illnesses. You are sleep-deprived. What I can recommend is for you to have bed rest for three days, OK?"

"How about our pup?"

"Nothing to worry about, Your Majesty. The child is perfectly healthy and safe. You make sure that all foods are balanced and full of nutrition. I will also prescribe vitamins to supplement the nutrients you lost in the last few days. Oh! One last thing: if you have time, visit my clinic next week. We can finally check the baby's gender."

We thanked Dr. Miranda for her time today. And I escorted Cory back to our room. She did not protest about the bed rest; she just lay on the bed and went back to sleep. I ensured that Lola stayed with Cory while I met Silas. This would be the day Hendrix would get what he asked for.

Tasked Silas to meet with me in the great hall where all council members, including Hendrix, would be. When I entered the hall, it was only Hendrix standing in the center, frantic and confused. He was eyeing me and giving me a hard glare when I walked straight to the throne and sat down.

"What is the meeting of this, Lucas?" Oh. It's Lucas now.

"Well, why don't we start from the...start? Shall we?"