The Werewolf King’s Mate
Chapter 61

Lucas POV:

*Before the Present*

After Cory was taken away, an envelope soon arrived at the chateau. A handful of Cory's hair was in the envelope, a picture of her tied up and mouth covered, and the letter.

Upon reading the letter, I didn't hesitate to agree with the conditions they had laid out for Cory's release. What should I cut next? Give up the throne, or I will send her body in pieces. You have two days. The letter says. She is the missing piece that completes me, and I won't let her slip away. After making up my mind, I made the decision to step down from my role as king. I knew people would be disappointed, but I knew it was right. I made up my mind to gather additional information from Laura that very night. By hook or by crook. And who would have thought it changed everything?

As soon as we got wind of Hendrix's scheme, Silas and I kicked things into high gear and worked out a plan in no time. We contacted council members who we thought were supportive of the Dacre family ever since and those who prioritized loyalty to the monarch over individuals. We informed them beforehand that my resignation as king would only be temporary until we had ensured Cory's safety.

"Aside from that, we need your support on something else."

"Let Hendrix be the king...until then."

"But why him?" Sir Patton asked.

"What better revenge is to give the man what he wants only for you to take it away again?"

"And Sir Kingston? We have a gut feeling that he will be coming to you about the rogue attacks. Knowing Hendrix, he would most likely bribe you into accepting his terms. If that happens, just play along with him. Silas would know what to do." "I will, Your Majesty."

"The plan will go into motion by morning"

As soon as the sun began rising, we finally had our plan ready. As we approached the palace for our council meeting, Silas asked me a question.

"Are you sure about this? There's no going back."

“100% sure, Silas. I will get Cory back. And I will get the crown back, too."

"Okay, then. I will be with you every step of the way."

"Thanks! Now, let's get this thing started." *Present*

The expression on Hendrix's countenance is beyond description. See. It was truly satisfying to see him experience the thrill of being a king, only to have it swiftly taken away. He was dumbfounded by the information he received. It was a devious plan. The cunning plot was carefully crafted to lead him straight into his disastrous downfall.

"No! I am still king! You cannot veto it! I still have power over you and everyone else!"

A small chuckle escaped me as I witnessed his denial.

"What made you think that, Hendrix? From the moment you became 'king' until now, none of it was approved. None of it was real, to begin with. We made you believe you were king, and you were so hungry for power that you made a fool of yourself."

"I still have the upper hand! You don't know where your family is. I could easily give a call and have them both dead! Is that what you want, Lucas? Are you willing to risk their lives for the crown?!"

"You mean my mate, who is now peacefully resting in the chateau?"

"Wha-What are you talking about?!"

"Your wonderful niece, Chloe, and her friend Laura, well... they're in the dungeon now."

"THOSE STUPID WRENCHES! Just as I thought. Having them as part of the plan was a mistake!"

"You have no one but yourself to blame, Hendrix. It seems like you've found yourself in a bit of a predicament, and it's time to face the consequences. Death would be the only suitable punishment for your crimes."

Silas just handed me a list of Hendrix's transactions and photos to back up the claims against him. There were photos of him talking to the rogues, the purchase of illegal magic potions and weapons, and bribery. The most punishable of all is his crime of treason. The entire room was privy to his menacing words and actions. If only he had decided to stick to the right path, he would definitely have been the best.

"Hendrix Allard, you are hereby found guilty of fraud, kidnapping, and treason. You are henceforth sentenced to the maximum punishment of death. Chloe and Laura will also receive the same punishment for conspiring with you and acting against the kingdom's law." "No! I do not accept this!"

Hendrix struggled and resisted the hold of the palace guards, his voice rising in protest.

"This is not over yet! You will pay for this! You still haven't found the witch! Ha ha ha! I will have the last laugh, Lucas!"

He was dragged away from the hall. And he was correct, though. We must continue our search for the witch. This battle is not over until we have found her. We expressed our gratitude to all for their excellent cooperation and subsequently bid them farewell. Silas and I stood in the hall to discuss the hunt for the witch. Tracking her down is quite a challenge since she employs dark magic to conceal her trail and scent. It's a mystery even to her mother about where she could be. "Where could she be?"

"The witch community here is not that big. She should be somewhere."

"We need to locate her urgently, as replaceing her soon is of the utmost importance. She has ties with Hendrix. Thus, she knows about the rogues. It will be challenging to have them work together." "Yes, Your Majesty."

"And Silas, their punishment is effective immediately. I will leave the rest to you."

****

The day was slipping away rapidly. As I arrived back at the chateau, I found Cory in the living room with Brandon, who was busily tending to her hair. With what Chloe did, her once-lengthy brown locks left them just above her shoulders. She probably didn't hear me come in and continued to chat with Brandon.

"Hey, I thought you should be in bed."

"Yeah, but Brandon came, and I really, really want my hair done. And, I was also bored upstairs."

"You could have read or watched a movie. And Lola was there with you. You must have had plenty to chat about!

"Yeah. We were able to talk about some stuff finally. And how excited we are to get back to class. I will let you know later."

"Alright. Alright. I will leave you two alone. And by the way, you look lovely."

Its great to hear that Cory is doing a bit better. I am thrilled that her cheeks are once again rosy and full of life, and I can sense a renewed energy emanating from her. After a refreshing shower upstairs, I went to the study hall. After what happened, I found myself buried in an overwhelming amount of paperwork. A letter unexpectedly slid out as soon as I hit halfway through the stack. It was out of place amongst the white papers on my table. The paper was black. I opened the letter, and the words I am not done yet. Wolves will pay were scribbled in white. It was clearly the witch, Elisha. But how did the letter get here? I hurriedly rushed downstairs to check on Cory, my heart racing with worry. I was glad to see her there when I got to the living room. I felt a sudden wave of relief that swept through me.

"Hey, what's wrong? You looked like you'd seen a ghost."

"Nothing. Are you done?"

"Yup! Brandon was only making finishing touches."

"Hmm. OK. I will wait for you here. Then, let's grab some dinner."

"That will be great! I am famished!"

I left the paperwork and sat down on the couch. I couldn't get the thought behind me, even during dinner. My mind was wandering aimlessly throughout the entire duration. I didn't notice Brandon leaving or me sitting at the dining table. I've been pondering how she managed to slip that letter past us. Only Silas was allowed to touch them due to confidentiality. He would have noticed if something was odd. And when? Where? My mind was racing with a plethora of unanswered questions. The thought of Elisha entering the chateau without me and without making her presence known was alarming.

I reached out to everyone via a mind-link to gather at the chateau. After sensing Cory was now in a deep sleep, I slipped out of bed and headed towards the adjacent room.

I made sure to increase the number of guards stationed outside the room. As soon as I stepped into the room, I noticed everyone had arrived. I did not say a word. Instead, I showed them the letter. "Where did you get this?" Silas asked.

"On the pile of papers. It was inserted somewhere and fell out when I looked through those folders. When did you put it on my table?"

"No. That couldn't possibly have happened. I just dropped them off this morning before we left for the council meeting. And everyone knew better not to approach or talk to me when I had these files." "Then, are we assuming that someone entered the house?" Elias was alarmed at the possibility.

"I just spoke with Alfred, and he confirmed that aside from Brandon, no one else has entered since we left."

"And this is from Elisha? The witch?"

"Hmm. Based on her words, 'the wolves will pay, it is most likely her. Her objective is to exact revenge."

"What do we do now?"

"Tommy, where is Agnes? We need to talk to her."

"This morning, I escorted her back to the village after receiving news that Cory was out of harm's way. Let me get in touch with her." Tommy started dialing Agnes' number. A few minutes later, no one answered. "That's weird. I promised her that I'd give her a call if we discovered any information regarding Elisha. I told her to keep her lines open. Shoot! Do you think something happened to her?"

"Have a group of soldiers go to her place. Check on Agnes.

Now!"

D*mn it! It just seems like there's no end to it all!