Chapter 90

Hannah’s POV

“Meow.”

I heard the sound again; I looked around, wildly, for a few moments, confused.

Was that a cat?

I didn’t think there were any wild cats in the king’s pack. In the rogue territory, there were a few. My mother used to feed them scraps of food and they would always come back every time. But I hadn’t seen any cats since living in the palace.

“Meow,” it said again.

My heart was racing in my chest; I had a feeling that this cat was in trouble. From the sounds of the meows, it sounded almost muffled, like it was somewhere enclosed. Maybe trapped. It also sounded young so it could have been a kitten.

I walked through the gardens, listening for the “meows.” As I got closer, it got louder until I stopped in front of a large oak tree.

I stared up at the tree in awe for a few moments.

“Meow.”

It was like the cat was right next to me. It must have been stuck somewhere in this tree. I walked around the tree, trying to find a hole that it could have crawled inside and got stuck. I finally found a hole toward the bottom of the trunk; it looked big enough for me to crawl through, which meant it was big enough for a cat to crawl through as well.

However, it was dark, and I was having trouble seeing as I poked my head inside.

“Hello?” I called into the tree, allowing my voice to echo through the trunk.

“Meow,” the cat said as if it was responding to me. Its voice also echoed through the tree trunk. I knew it was close; it had to be close.

“I can’t see you,” I said. I tried to reach into the trunk to see if I can feel for the cat, but it was so high up that I wasn’t able to reach it. It would help if I could see. My senses were alert and I felt Sebastian had just returned home to the palace. It wouldn’t be long before he realized I wasn’t in bed and then he would come out to look for me.

Once he came outside, I would ask him for help in retrieving this cat.

“It’ll be okay,” I told the cat as if it could understand me. “The king will be here soon and then you’ll be rescued.”

I pulled myself out of the tree and slid to the ground, pressing my back against the trunk.

“Meow.”

“I know,” I whispered, responding to the cat’s pleas for help. “It’ll be okay.”

At that point, I wasn’t sure if I was talking to myself or the cat. I wasn’t sure how long I waited at the tree; Sebastian’s scent didn’t seem to be getting any closer to me. I knew he knew where I was; he always knew where I was. But it was like he wasn’t even searching for me. Did he care that I left the bed? Dr. Conway told me I needed to rest in bed for the day so I can fully heal. Typically, Sebastian would be angry with me for not following instructions.

I was honestly surprised he didn’t yell at me for going to the rogue territory last night. It was weird at how calm he remained. I wasn’t sure why that was worrying me like it was.

I pulled myself to my feet.

“Meow.”

“I’ll be back,” I told the cat. “Don’t move.”

I ran from the garden and toward the palace. I barged through the backdoors of the palace, trying to pick up Sebastian’s location. I knew quickly that he was in his study; he must have come home and gone straight to his study. He probably didn’t even notice that I wasn’t in bed.

When I entered, he was typing something on his computer. He looked tired and worn out from the day. He hardly even looked up as I walked into his office without knocking.

“I need your help,” I told him breathlessly.

He glanced up at me for a moment before turning back to his computer.

“I’m busy,” he muttered. I was a bit thrown by that; he’s never seemed too busy for me in the past. What was going on with him? “I’m still trying to put the rumors of the scepter to rest. I’m sending emails to the Alpha’s of each pack.” He answered my unspoken question.

“Oh,” I breathed. “Can you take a break for a little while?”

He glanced up at me again, raising his eyebrows.

“You didn’t seem like you wanted to be around me last night. You dismissed me when I tried to kiss you. Why do you want to be around me now?” He asked. He didn’t sound angry; he just sounded confused.

“Because there’s a cat,” I told him.

He cocked his head to the side, eyeing me carefully.

“A cat?” He repeated. “Is that a metaphor for something?”

“No,” I answered. “I mean an actual cat. It’s stuck in a tree in the gardens. I can’t seem to get it out. I thought maybe you could help me.”

“Help you rescue a cat?” He asked; now he was sounding annoyed.

“Yes; it needs our help,” I told him urgently, motioning for him to follow me.

He shook his head in disbelief and turned back to his computer.

“I’m far too busy to be worried about some feline,” he said. “Have Beta Arnold help you.”

“He’s in the city,” I told him. “He took Raya into the city earlier and they haven’t returned yet.”

“Then have a servant help you,” he muttered, waving me away. “Or I’ll come to help you later. But I need to finish this. I have a job to do and responsibility as king.”

I pressed my lips firmly together, trying not to show him the hurt that was crossing my face. I turned away from him without saying anything else and ran from his study. I rummaged through some drawers in the halls until I came across a flashlight.

It was looking like I had to rescue this cat on my own considering Sebastian was refusing to help me. I ran from the palace and toward the gardens again. As I ran, I was getting more nervous the closer I got to the cat. It was no longer meowing, and I worried something terrible had happened to it.

I rounded the corner and entered the rose garden; Just as the oak tree came into the view, I ran into something hard. Or rather, I ran into someone.

I fell to the ground with a thud, dropping the flashlight beside me. My entire body screamed in pain from the force of hitting the ground. I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts.

“Oh shit!” I heard an unfamiliar voice from in front of me.

I blinked a few times and peered up at the man that was standing over me. His large eyes were filled with worry and dread as he stared down at me.

“Shit,” he said again, slapping himself in the forehead. “I’m so sorry, your majesty. I’m such an idiot. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay,” I said in return, finding my voice.

Once the pain in my body started easing, I grabbed the flashlight and attempted to pull myself back to my feet. But my entire body was screaming at me to stop moving.

“Let me help you,” he breathed, wrapping his arms around me, and pulling me to my feet.

He was much taller than me, but not as tall as Sebastian. He was wearing a plaid blazer and jeans; he didn’t look much older than me and he was strongly built. I had to admit that he was good-looking; it kind of took me by surprise. But he wasn’t as handsome as Sebastian.

“Thanks,” I muttered, pulling away from him.

“First day on the job and I’m already fucking shit up,” he said, hitting himself in the forehead again.

“It’s okay,” I assured him. “Really.”

“Are you okay?” He asked, staring around my body as he brushed the dirt off my clothing.

“I’m fine,” I told him again with a laugh. “Honestly. Stop worrying.”

He looked relieved and he sighed.

“Who are you, anyway?” I asked, eyeing him carefully.

I don’t remember ever seeing him around the palace before; he looked unfamiliar. He straightened his stance and reached his hand out to me. I took it hesitantly and he shook it, giving me a crooked and broad smile.

“Henry,” he said confidently. “The new gardener.”