The Alpha King's Witch Bride
Chapter 246: _Caroline

Chapter 246: _Caroline

Caroline’s POV

*****

They say the quietest ones are usually the most observant.

That couldn’t be much truer of a statement for her.

She sweeps the floors, cleans the linens, and watches everyone lie to each other like it’s part of the job description.

It’s exhausting hiding behind a mask, pretending to be nothing more than a maid... But she was on a mission. One which made her place herself within the Alpha King’s mansion for years.

Protecting Odessa Pierce from the shadows.

And the biggest threat to that mission so far? Beta Marcellus.

She’s had her eyes on him for years before Odessa’s arrival. She saw how easy it was for him to become the Alpha King’s best friend.

How easy it was to win the hearts of the people.

She might’ve thought little of it back then but with Odessa’s arrival came a string of deaths that alarmed Caroline.

Her hybrid nature wasn’t even awakened during the first death — a maid of Elder Davina. So Odessa clearly couldn’t be behind those deaths, despite how much Gamma Zane and others tried pushing that idea.

It wasn’t until the Beta made the rookie mistake of trying to mentally manipulate her after Odessa escaped to the Blood Oak woods that Caroline realised who the killer was.

The enemy lurked within the pack, blending perfectly for years.

Marcellus hadn’t done anything to get rid of her after the failed mental manipulation because he thought she didn’t feel it and she was merely "a maid".

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Not only did she feel his manipulation attempt but she fought back against it that fateful night. Her bloodline was specifically designed to deflect twisted magic like his. And she’s had her eyes on him ever since.

Which all led up to tonight... At Elder Davina’s residence. Marcellus tried using the shadows to his advantage, sneaking in, not knowing he had eyes on his back.

She didn’t see what happened in the building... But she witnessed the explosion of moonlight that probably woke the entire pack with its power.

Maids who had been lingering outside the building were the first to rush in. Caroline joined them, conveniently clad in the signature white attire of Davina’s maids.

When they got to the last floor... Chaos.

"By the goddess!" A maid screeched when the door to the greenhouse was opened.

Smoke billowed out from within, snaking into the hallways outside.

Death hung in the air like a cloak. The glass ceiling was shattered, the moonlight pouring into the greenhouse like a cascade, illuminating the destruction.

And Marcellus? Gone.

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows as one of the maids pushed through the others and rushed into the room, stepping over the rocks and debris.

"Elder! Elder Davina!" She yelled out with a shaky voice, coughing through the smoke that blocked most of the view inside.

Caroline didn’t even need to go in to know what had happened here. Once again, Marcellus’ mission was to kill, and this time... He came for someone high in the hierarchy.

Not a maid. Not a pack doctor.

But THE spiritual leader of not just Blood Oak but the packs of North America as a whole.

"AHHHHH!" The gut-wrenching scream of the maid who stepped into the room tore through the murmuring of the maids gathered outside the door.

The others gasped in shock and fear while Caroline balled her hands into fists.

"She’s dead! The Elder is dead!" The maid’s pained wails echoed like a crescendo of sorrow, causing Caroline’s heart to ache.

The other maids either broke down in tears as well or ran into the room, not wanting to believe that it was true. But it was.

Caroline bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether she should go in there as well. The lingering energy of a pure moon stone pulsed deeply within the room, calling to her like a siren song.

She took the first step inside before finally rushing in, disappearing into the smoke. When she got to the spot where a few maids were wailing, her breath caught in her throat.

She has trained herself to be... Emotionally detached after one loss too many. It was the only way she could stay focused enough on her mission.

The only way she could make sure she didn’t lose Odessa like the others.

But this? It was too much for even her.

Elder Davina lay on the ground, her once pure white robes blemished with blood and ash. Her eyes were still wide open... Showing the pain and regret she felt before her death. _{f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com}

And Caroline could only imagine the pain.

The old woman’s rib bones stuck out of her, curving into the air like bloody fingers.

One of the maids was so disturbed by the scene that she was forced to look away and vomit in between sobs, adding to the putrid stench already filling the place.

None of the maids were confident enough to touch her body, like it was a curse. But not Caroline.

She walked past them, including the first one who stepped in. That maid was kneeling close to the body, sobbing into her hands while shaking her head.

"She... She was the closest thing I had to a mother." She croaked, drawing pity from Caroline.

Caroline stepped closer and placed a palm on the girl’s shoulder, her expression solemn as she scrutinised Elder Davina’s body.

A memory flashed past her head... She had once helped Elder Davina pack some things from the Alpha King’s mansion to her residence before Odessa ever showed up.

The old woman had offered Caroline tea and then shared one single piece of advice:

"You seem to have gone through so much pain. Don’t let it define you, child. Don’t let it overshadow your kindness."

Caroline fought back her own tears, pushing the memory to the back of her mind as she knelt beside the Elder’s body. She placed her right hand on her face, shutting her eyes.

"You’re with the goddess now..." She muttered, smiling wryly as she took a heavy breath.

The sobs of the maids standing around only increased and some even hugged themselves as the sound of pack soldiers gathering outside the building came through.

Caroline was just about to rise to her feet when her eyes fell on something sticking out of a pocket in Davina’s robes.

It was a piece of paper.

After glancing around and seeing that everyone was too busy being in their feelings, she stretched her hand forward and grabbed the paper, crumpling it in her palm before getting on her feet.