Chapter 5

Diana found her way to the kitchen. It wasn't difficult to locate, considering she started the journey from the dining.

She didn't know who Nichole was, and the other maids didn't know who she was, so they couldn't respond to her. They treated her like thin air.

"Nichole?" She called aloud. A few maids turned to see who dared to call the head maid so recklessly. 

"Who are you?" Nichole answered from behind.

"Hi, I'm Diana. The king asked me to get him wine mixed with blood from you." Diana said.

Nichole sized her. "Are you the new maid?"

"New, yes. Maid, certainly not."

Nichole eyed her again. "Where did you come out from?"

"That's a rude thing to say. Just give me the wine so I can return to the king before he leaves the dining."

Nichole walked passed her. "Leave. I will have the wine delivered to his chamber myself."

Diana frowned. "Listen, Nichole, he specifically requested I bring the wine to him."

"And I said I will get it to him. Now go." Nichole ordered. Diana stood stubbornly. She didn't want to miss her chance to understand what was going on.

Seeing that she wasn't going to move, Nichole grabbed the wrong bottle and gave it to her. Diana took it and left. Nichole grabbed the right bottle and took it straight to Calhoun's chamber. She knew he would no longer be in the dining.

Diana reached the dining and found it empty. "Great." She muttered. "He just had to leave."

She returned to the kitchen to find Nichole no longer there. 

"Does anyone know the way to the king's chamber?" She asked. Nobody answered her.

She sighed and left again. Walking through the hallways, she decided to listen closely. She heard muffled words. She closed her eyes to focus. With eyes closed, she walked through the hallways and she found Calhoun's chamber. She opened her eyes. 

She touched the door handle to open the door when she heard George's voice.

"You should knock before entering." He said. Diana turned to find the unfriendly man behind her. 

"He did request for me to bring the wine to him, what's the essence of knocking?" Diana asked with a shrug.

"Diana, right? Listen, your stay here will be harder than you thought. But you must persevere. King Calhoun is cruel and aggressive. The alpha male in him is more primal than his human nature. So you must be careful." George advised. "Don't make any mistakes whatsoever."

Diana worked her ass off in the castle. The other maids in the castle were jealous of her. She didn't take orders from anyone else but the king. Although they knew how cruel he was, but they all would give anything to be that close to the king.

Diana would prepare Calhoun's bath water. Sometimes, he made her wash his body. At the start, it had been disgusting. But gradually, she began to feel a strong affection for him. All he wanted her for was to break his curse. Diana had fallen in love with him along the line.

She would wash Calhoun's body while he laid still in the water, sometimes it ended up with him mating with her. That was the break of the curse. Calhoun was to never reproduce or bring an heir. But being with Diana changed that. Diana had thought it would change his feelings for her, but nothing changed.

He still ordered her around, sending her to do difficult tasks and giving her little rewards at the end of the day.

Diana was saddened. Her heart was weary. She hoped that he would one day change, especially when she found out that Calhoun was her fated mate.

"Diana." George called. "King Calhoun has summoned you to his chamber."

Diana got up with a sigh. She was very exhausted. She hadn't had any rest for two weeks. Calhoun had been very busy with meetings with the other kings, and the kings' makers. There seemed to be a starting problem in the kingdom.

"George, is it urgent?" She asked. "I don't think I can find the strength to move my legs."

George sighed. "You cannot ignore him, Diana. You signed up for this."

"I did not!" She whispered. "I did not sign up for this. I never knew what was going on. I was tricked." Her eyes welled up with tears.

George felt bad for her. He knew how terrible Calhoun could be. That was why he was feared even by the king makers. That was the problem the other kings were having with him.

Diana sobbed lightly. She heard footsteps that sounded heavy on the floor. She could tell it was Calhoun. Her senses were able to pick his scent, his heart beat, even the pattern of his footsteps.

"Speak of the devil." She murmured. She took three large steps and she reached the door just as Calhoun pulled it open.

"What kept you?" He growled. "I need a massage." 

"My Lord." Diana whimpered. "I'm afraid I cannot give you a massage.. my shoulders are a little sore from the last one I gave."

Calhoun bent over to her level. "Do you dare refute me?"

Diana shook her head slowly. "I dare not, my Lord."

Calhoun nodded. "Now, don't let me get to my chamber before you do." He ordered.

Diana had heard the rest of the conversation. After everything she had done for him? She took care of all his needs, enduring the gossips, the after pain, the heartache, only for him to still see her as a slave?

"I.. I can't take this anymore." She whispered. Slowly, she backed away from the hallway. She made her way to the kitchen and then out of the castle using the back door. She journeyed through the thickness of the forest behind tye garden. The paths were lonely, but she reminded herself that she was no longer a lamb nor was she a cub. She was a full grown wereolf.

Calhoun finished speaking to George and returned to his chamber. He found it empty.

"Diana!" He bellowed. There was no response. He went into the inner chamber. She wasn't there. He stormed out again. 

"George!"

"My Lord." George answered from the side. "What is the matter?"

"Diana, where is she?" He demanded. He didn't know why, but his heart was racing. Where was she? He tried to listen for her scent, or her heartbeat, or anything at all. He couldn't pick up anything. Her scent was nowhere near the castle. Did she leave?

"My Lord, perhaps she must have gotten tired and sneaked out to the maids room. I will have the entire castle searched." George exclaimed.

"Don't just stand there, get going!" He growled.

George scurried away to find the missing maid, praying for her in his heart that she had a plausible explanation for her disappearance.

The search lasted three days. In those three days, Calhoun realised how much she meant to him. He realised how much she cared for him and how he had gotten used to her affection.

But one thing that caused his heart to ache for her, was the realisation that he was also in love with her.

With every negative news about finding her that he received, his heart sank further.

He had to find her. He just had to find her. Where could she be? How did she leave?!

"George!" 

"My Lord." George answered tiredly. Ever since Diana's disappearance, the castle had been upsidedown.

"How did she leave? Isn't the castle guarded enough?"

"My Lord, I heard a maid say she saw her sneak out through the forest behind the castle." George answered. He had said this to Calhoun several times.

"She saw her sneak out? And she did nothing? Bring me this maid! I must sip her blood!"

"My Lord, you have to calm down." George pleaded.

Calhoun growled. His eyes began to glow and his hair elongated. His eyes sunk inside. George could tell that the anger in him was much to turn him to his werewolf form. If the maid wasn't brought, he was going to enter into a primal rage where he wouldn't be calm until he was satisfied or worn out.

"I will bring her immediately." George said and ran out. Calhoun took deep breaths.

He turned back to the window of the tower. His eyes looked to the farthest point.

"I will find you, Diana. I will go through the ends of the earth to find you. No matter what comes, I will bring you back. I can't cope without you." He swore. "I swear to you, Diana."