Chapter 39: Find Her

Derek’s gaze snapped to Ruby like a blade unsheathed. His voice came out low, controlled, but edged with something dangerous. "I should be asking you that question."

Ruby’s eyes widened, her face turning into a perfect picture of shock. She pressed one hand lightly to her chest, as though the accusation had physically struck her. "Me? Your Grace, I... I prepared everything. The invitations, the seating, the ritual timetable—I sent the Queen her dress and the time of the event as early as I possibly could. I wanted this to be perfect for her... for the pack."

She spoke with such careful precision, the image of a devoted servant pushed to her limits. Derek didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled his phone from his coat pocket again and redialled Kira’s number. The line went to voicemail. Again.

"What’s going on?"

Declan strode up just as the call cut off, his face tight with worry. He looked from Derek’s stone-cold face to Ruby’s distraught expression.

Ruby turned to him. "The Queen hasn’t arrived," she said in a small voice.

Declan’s head snapped toward her. "What do you mean, she hasn’t arrived? She’s the centrepiece of the ritual! The farmers are standing there with their baskets, the sun is at its peak. This is the moment."

Derek didn’t look up. He was listening to the sound of the wind and the heavy, suffocating silence of the crowd. He stepped toward the edge of the pillars and looked out. Hundreds of Lycans were standing in the plaza. They had gone unnaturally still. The lead elder stood at the top of the steps, a ceremonial bowl of water in his hands, looking toward the royal dais. The farmers waited below in neat rows, baskets of seed balanced on their arms, faces turned expectantly.

Declan’s voice dropped to a furious whisper. "This is bad. I knew it," he hissed. "I knew werewolves were never to be trusted. What if she ran away, Derek? I never trusted that woman in the first place, she is just like every one of them. Who knows what she is planning? Who knows—"

"Declan," Derek called in a calm voice, but it was edged with a dangerous warning. Declan looked at him. "She is my bride and your Queen. You will not speak about her like that."

Declan’s jaw clenched. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he bit his lip and nodded in understanding. He knew better than to add to Derek’s frustration.

Ruby’s hands curled into fists at her sides. A white-hot fury bubbled in her chest, and she had to dig her nails into her palms to keep from screaming at the King.

Why?

she thought bitterly.

Why is he still defending her? She has humiliated him. She has failed the pack. Why is he still picking the side of that wolfless runt?

She forced her face into calm concern. "Perhaps we should speak to the maids who attended her this morning. They might know something."

Derek gave a curt nod. "Bring them."

Ruby bowed curtly and hurried away, her heels clicking against the stone.

Derek paced the shadowed corner behind the pillars, boots scuffing the marble. Leo prowled inside him, restless, anxious, claws scraping at his ribs. Something was wrong. He could feel it—deep in his gut, in the way his beast refused to settle. But he pushed the feeling down, his jaw ticking.

She is fine,

he told himself.

She’s probably just being stubborn.

That woman was hot headed. Fiery. Defiant to a fault. Petty, even. She might just be doing this to get back at him and the entire pack for the humiliation she got at the gym yesterday. He had not seen or spoken to her since then. She would do anything to make a statement.

Would she?

He had to believe that.

Ruby returned minutes later with two young maids trailing behind her. Both girls looked terrified. They curtsied so low their foreheads nearly touched the ground.

Derek turned to them, fixing them with a glare that made the girls flinch and tremble. "Where is the Queen?"

The first maid gulped, her voice shaking. "We... we brought in her dress this morning, Your Grace. The pink one Miss Ruby selected. But the Queen... she threw a tantrum. She said she wouldn’t wear it. She said it was an insult and that she wouldn’t come to any ceremony if her dress wasn’t changed immediately."

Ruby gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "Oh, goddess. I never received this information! If she had a problem with the dress, I would have changed it in a heartbeat. Why didn’t she send word?"

The second maid looked up timidly. "She also said... she said she was going to go out and get something else for herself. Something that didn’t make her look like a child. That was the last time we saw her, Your Grace. She told us to leave."

Ruby sighed, a long, dramatic sound of disappointment. "I knew it. She never cared about us or our traditions. Even when I handed her the tablet with the order of events last night, she looked completely nonchalant. Like she couldn’t be bothered to read a single word."

Declan crossed his arms, his face darkening as he looked at the King. "What we really need now is to find her, get her into the temple for the blessings, and then she can be scolded for her behaviour later. We have a pack to answer to."

Derek nodded, his heart feeling like a block of lead. He waved the maids away, his mind clouded with a mix of fury and doubt. Doubt that Kira would dare pull something like this off, and because of a dress. It was high time he put her in her place. He had been so lenient.

The maids scurried away.

Just then, Connor’s SUV skidded to a stop again. The Gamma jumped out and hurried up the temple steps, his face pale and sweating. He bowed quickly before standing in front of Derek. "Your Grace. I searched around the palace, but couldn’t find her." He reached into his pocket and held out Kira’s phone in both hands. "But I found this in her bedroom. On the nightstand. She didn’t take it with her."

"She must have purposely left it there," Ruby said, her voice dripping with mock sadness. "She didn’t want anyone to be able to reach her while she was out doing whatever she pleased."

Derek took the phone. The screen was dark. He pressed the power button—nothing. Dead. Or switched off. He stared at it for a long second. Something cold and sharp twisted in his chest. Not anger. Something worse.

Nana and the announcer approached then. Nana’s face was calm, but her eyes were troubled. "What is happening?" she asked quietly.

Ruby answered before Derek could. "Her Highness is nowhere to be found, Nana."

Nana’s brows drew together. "Nowhere to be found? That’s impossible." She looked at Derek. "What have you done? Did you fight with that lovely girl?"

Derek’s brow furrowed. "Why would you assume I fought with her?"

"Then where is she?"

"That’s what we’re all asking," Ruby chimed in.

"Uhm..." said the announcer, looking from one person to the other. "The farmers are waiting. The first blessing must happen now. The people are growing restless." He cleared his throat. "Perhaps... someone else could stand in for Her Highness. Just for the blessing. To keep the ritual moving."

No one saw the corners of Ruby’s mouth lifting and curling into a smirk. She stepped forward gracefully. "I would be honoured to stand in, Nana. I’ve performed the blessing for several years when the position was vacant. If it will save the day and keep the pack from rioting, I am willing to do it."

The announcer looked at Nana, who nodded slowly. "Thank you, my dear Ruby. You are saving the day." She looked at the announcer. "Tell the pack that the Queen is unwell."

The announcer bowed. "This way, please." He began to lead Ruby toward the plaza.

Nana glared back at Derek. "I know you, Drek. You must have said something to hurt her feelings. Find that girl before the ceremony ends."

Derek’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. His jaw ticked once, hard. He said nothing as Nana walked back towards the ceremony without looking back.