THIRTY

After asking him a question, amusement flashed in his eyes before he chuckled.

He stood up from his seat before walking to me and stood beside the chair, leaning toward me.

I looked upwards, and he looked downwards.

Our faces were close to each other breathing each other's scent.

If I move forward, our lips will touch.

His peppermint with a mix of musk scents invaded my senses. And all I could smell was him.

His mesmerizing grey eyes stared into mine, and my violet eyes stared into his.

The two of us were in our world, ignoring everything happening.

I could feel his breath on my nose.

''My beast needs you.'' He said, breathing out.

I didn't answer and stared at him with his face close to mine.

''What is going on between you and your vice-commander?''

That question seemed to break the trance between us.

I blinked my eyes before staring at him, seeing him asking the question seriously.

I widened the distance between our faces and asked a question to answer him, ''What is going on between you and lady Macquoid?"

He stood upright and looked at me below him with amusing eyes, ''You never back down, do you?"

I stared at him without answering.

He sat beside me and pushed the chair that Aiden sat on close the distance between us.

He answered, ''There is nothing between us.''

''Same here, and I am sure you know that we are siblings,'' I answered.

''But you are an adopted sister, and why did he enter your room?'' My mate asked.

I looked at him in confusion before remembering the last two weeks that Aiden came to my room, and I felt someone watching but couldn't find the person.

'so it was him,' I thought.

''I thought you didn't care about me?'' I asked him

''I don't, but my beast does.'' He answered impassively.

I pushed down the disappointment I felt in my heart before I answered, ''I see.''

''Well, your majesty, what do you need me for?" I asked, trying to leave here.

''How are you enjoying your stay here?'' My mate said.

I looked puzzled why he asked me that, but I answered anyway, "It is good.''

''Your brother told me about your routine when your parents came to request the meetings since you came here and that you have not left the castle,'' My mate explained when he saw why I was puzzled with the question he asked.

''Anyway, I will tell the head maid to take you hopefully around the kingdom, and you won't be bored,'' He said.

I nodded.

'That sounds like Aiden,' I thought.

'It seems I would have to attend the invitations to stop his nagging and telling my mate,' I added to my thoughts.

My mate kept staring at me with blank eyes in silence.

I coughed to hide my flushed face and turned to him, ''Is that all, your majesty?"

He looked at me before speaking, ''Call me by my name.''

''What?'' I asked.

''My name, you must have heard it from Nyctimus,'' He said impassively.

I looked at him to see if he was joking, but I couldn't tell what he felt with his blank face.

''Your majesty, we do not have a relationship to call each other by our first names,'' I said.

''But we are mates,'' He pointed out.

''Yes, we are, but you have not acknowledged me as your mate, and your hatred to my kind,'' I came out and tucked in the chair before looking at him.

He looked at me and smiled mockingly, ''I see.''

The atmosphere became colder after he spoke.

I didn't let his mood affect me and bid him goodbye, ''I will take my leave, your majesty.''

I left without his answer and could feel his stare on my back till I left the conference room.

The guards opened the door for me, I came out, and when I walked to a certain distance, I puffed out, not knowing I held my breath.

After calming down, I followed the route the maid used to take to the conference room and went straight to my appointed room.

The next day, I saw the head maid dressed in an outing outfit in front of my room, smiling at my door.

''Good day, miss carmen. With his majesty's order, I am here to tour you around the kingdom.'' She spoke excitedly.

I looked at her before nodding and mumbled, ''Please wait.''

She nodded with a smile, and I closed the door to dress up.

A vehicle parked in front of the entrance with a driver, and we entered.

The head maid known as Sarah told the driver to park in a parking lot.

she turned to me and said, ''Miss carmen, I suggest we walk for you to appreciate many things.''

I nodded and got down the vehicle.

I looked at her when I felt her stare.

she explained, ''I wanted to open the door for you.''

I turned forward and replied, ''No need.''

She said, ''Okay, so where would you like to go first?''

I replied, ''Anywhere.''

''Then, let's go to the popular boutiques, restaurants, and bakery. Oh! You would like this shop,'' Sarah excitedly said as she walked briskly to the places she mentioned.

I looked at her leading the way and thought, 'It seems she is excited about the outings,'

The kingdom has a lot of shops lined up on each side, with people going in and out.

I could see some people in maid uniforms following ladies dressed in casual wear or gowns.

Vehicles driving to and fro, people sold their goods on the pedestrian road on each side of the street, with different signboards indicating the direction of the road and where people are.

'Everywhere is busy,' I thought.

The kingdom is not werewolves divided into packs. Each werewolf pack is like a mini kingdom and not formed into one.

Sarah stopped in front of a boutique with the name 'Laura's closet' written on the sign board.

Sarah entered, and I followed.

Immediately an attendant who noticed came to us, ''Mrs jones, It is nice to see you again.''

Sarah chuckled, ''It's good to be here, but sadly I am not here for myself. I am here to show his majesty's guest around the kingdom, and I thought it would be a shame not bring her here.''

The attendant turned to me and smiled professionally, ''Hello, welcome to Laura's closet boutique.''

I nodded at the attendant and turned to Sarah, lost on what to do.

Sarah saw my dilemma and smiled at me before turning to the attendant, ''Why don't you show her your jeans and jacket collections? I noticed miss carmen likes to dress in black jeans and a jacket.''

The attendant nodded and gestured with her hand to enter the shop fully, ''Right this way, please.''

I looked at Sarah, who nodded at me, and I followed the attendant.

The attendant guided me to every section, not only jeans and jackets but dresses, pieces of jewelry, bags, shoes, and all.

We were about to leave the shoe section when I paused because one shoe caught my eye.

It seems the attendant noticed, and she pointed to my line of sight, '' Would you like me to bring the shoe?"

I nodded, and she went to do it.

She brought a knee-length combat boot with laces and a low block heel. It had a gold design at the knee side, black and shiny.

'Perfect for me,' I thought.

I looked at it with satisfaction and brought out my debit card from my jacket pocket to ask and pay for the price, but someone cut my words.

''I didn't expect miss Carmen to have this kind of taste,'' I turned to the voice's owner and saw Brittney with two maids on each side.

She dressed in a low-key expensive gown with her typical hand-fan in her hand.

I ignored her and turned to the attendant to give her my card.

''Miss Carmen likes to ignore people when they speak to you, and it's rude,'' She smiled at me.

''I don't expect this behavior from you, especially in front of his majesty,'' I paused my movement, and Brittney smiled at the little reaction.

'Of course, she would be affected at the mention of her mate,' Brittney thought smugly.

I looked at Brittney's smug smile and couldn't help but sigh in my heart at my trouble-seeking fate or, now trouble-attracting, fate.

I was about to chase her away with my words when Sarah spoke behind me, ''Of course, she can display this kind of behavior in front of his majesty. Because of her status, she is special to his majesty, unlike someone who disturbs him.''

Brittney flushed in embarrassment at Sarah's words and exclaimed in anger. ''How dare a servant to speak to its master!''

Sarah walked to my front and replied.

''Exactly, I am his majesty's servant, not yours, and under his majesty's order, I am to help miss Carmen in whatever she needs. If I tell his majesty about your disturbance.'' She didn't finish her sentence, but her facial expression and the last sentence gave an idea of what she could do.

Sarah looked at me without seeing Brittney's reaction, ''Miss Carmen, let's go.''

''Also, please wrap miss Carmen's choice and put it on his majesty's tab,'' Sarah said to the dazed attendant.

I put my debit card back in my pocket at Sarah's words.

The attendant quickly did what Sarah said.

We walked to the payment counter, and I noticed stares and glances from others.

'Brittney brought in the attention,' I thought in dissatisfaction.

After wrapping the boots, Sarah took the shopping bag, and we left.