forgot something important

Hazel’s P.O.V.

“Everything done?” I asked Cody anxiously when he came back after, I guess, an hour. I was in the lobby with Mom. She was still sleeping. She was in so much pain when Cody gave her the medicine a few hours ago after taking the medicine from Naisha.

“Yeah. I have arranged a single room for her here. So, you can stay with her at any time if you want. They are bringing the stretcher. Then we will shift her safely.” He replied to me with a faint and relaxed smile.

This pack was a bit different from the Black Lotus Pack. People coming in and going out of the hospital were also looking at me with strange gazes, but I didn’t see any contempt or disdain.

Even a mated she-wolf who came with her mate came to me when Mom suddenly stirred and I dropped my bag on the ground.

The he-wolf helped me adjust my mother’s body on the chairs.

I thanked them for their help sincerely.

It took us quite a good time to settle my mother inside that single room. I slumped on the couch in the end.

The staff went out, leaving me and Cody inside. I felt exhausted and wanted to have a short nap before I went to Cody's place. The whole day was a perfect mess, but in the end, everything settled in a better way.

“I sent your mother’s reports to my professor at the UNI. He said that your mother can gain her health back.” Cody spoke in a serious tone while sitting on the single couch.

I immediately sat up straight, looking at him in shock.

“But she needs a stable and peaceful environment. I am glad that we made the right choice by bringing her.” He spoke further, and the hope that had died in my heart a long time ago seemed to get a lifeline.

“If nothing bad happens further, then she will be back to herself in a minimum of three months.” The smile that stretched on my lips also brought tears to my eyes.

He smiled too. He looked like an angel sent by the goddess to save me and my mother.

Yes, the goddess sent him to me.

“You can relax now, Hazel. Although.” He paused and adjusted his sitting position on the couch.

I sensed his uneasiness, which made me worried.

I could tell someone had sent him a mind link.

“My dad wants to invite us to dinner,” Cody said, giving me an apologetic look.

I swallowed hard. My sham marriage with Cody was about to experience its first test.

Cody was Alpha Henry Nickelson’s second son, but his mother was Henry’s fated mate, not his wife. He was embarrassed when he mentioned his family background, but I could see the sadness beneath his words; after his mother’s death, he was taken to Alpha House to be raised. I immediately hugged him to comfort him.

Henry’s mate, and their mother, Cassendra Nickelson, is still the Luna of the pack, as Alexander is still unmated.

When Alexander was mentioned, there was a clear look of respect and fear in Cody’s eyes.

Alpha Alexander hated his half-brother, which meant that I, as Cody’s nominal wife, would also face the anger of this pack’s highest leader.

If Alexander discovered that my marriage to Cody was a sham, he would undoubtedly kick my mother and me out of the pack immediately.

I shuddered.

Now I just need to hide the truth for three months.

Within this period, I absolutely cannot let Alexander discover about my true relationship with Cody.

Alexander’s P.O.V.

I looked around the room in astonishment, disbelief, and shock.

My mate, the woman who was all over me all night, who made me take three cold showers before I succeeded in calming down, just disappeared.

The most astonishing fact was that her scent was completely gone.

How could I be able to track her down if I can’t smell her?

“What happened? Were you with a woman last night?” Hunter asked me in a shocked tone.

He was now standing behind me.

“But I didn’t smell s*x here.” He remarked while sniffing hard and glared at him.

He immediately blinked innocently, but I looked back at the room again.

The bed was still a mess, cruel proof of what happened there last night.

“Who is she? Shall I arrange someone to find her?” Hunter asked me excitedly.

But it felt like a bucket full of cold water poured over me.

Damn it.

Her scent was gone, and I didn’t even know her name.

“Velan.” I called my wolf anxiously.

“Can you sense her wolf through our bond with her? We need to find her.” I asked him anxiously.

He nodded and went silent for a few seconds before his expression changed.

“I…. I don’t know what happened, Alexander, but I can’t find her through our bond. She…. She was clearly the strongest she-wolf I have ever sensed, at we are fated mates. Even if… if we haven’t marked each other, I still should be able to find her through our bond. What happened to her? Where did she go?” He snarled anxiously, panic evident in his voice.

I sat down at the edge of the bed, trying to calm myself down.

“How many alpha she-wolves came here last night to attend the ceremony?” I asked Hunter while rubbing my head.

Velan was so anxious that he was pacing furiously.

“I don’t think so that any alpha she-wolf attended the ceremony last night. I heard that Luna Naisha got into a heated argument with two unmated alpha wolves during the ball in the royal pack this year. After that, almost all the alpha she-wolves started avoiding Keith and Naisha like they were some kind of contagious disease.” Hunter replied to me, and I groaned internally.

Damn it. It’s going to be more difficult than I had anticipated.

“Can you check the surveillance here to find the girl who was with me last night?” I asked him, looking at him hopefully.

Hunter looked at me apologetically.

“I am afraid that I can’t, Alpha. Alpha Keith has been searching for someone since last night, and I am sure that they are on strict vigilance right now.” Hunter replied to me in a serious tone.

I immediately knitted my brows in confusion.

“Last night was his mating night, and you are telling me that he wasted his whole night outside, searching for someone, leaving his mate alone?” I asked him in a shocked tone. What was Keith doing?

“And the one whom they have been searching for is a girl? A wolf-less omega girl who came here a year ago.” He added it with a raised brow, giving me a knowing look.

I was pretty sure Alpha Keith had something going on with that girl.

For a moment, I suspected that the girl Alpha Keith was looking for was my mate, but my mate was a powerful she-wolf, not a wolfless Omega.

"I don't care about that girl, Hunter. We have to find the girl who left my room this morning." She was drugged when I found her yesterday. After writhing in fever all night, I was sure that she would be famished.

So, for the first time in my life, I brought breakfast for someone.

Okay…

Not for someone, but for my mate..

But she was gone.

“I’ll do my best, Alpha, but we have to leave before sunset. The Alphas who came for the ceremony are all leaving one by one. If we stay any longer, Alpha Keith will think we’re provoking him,”Hunter dutifully reminded me.

I groaned. Damn wolf pack politics.

"If we don’t find my mate, we’ll go back to our pack for dinner, and then I’ll immediately ask Keith to grant me a long-term search for my mate. He can’t stop an Alpha crazily wanting his fated mate.” Thinking of my mate’s enthusiasm last night, I grinned.

I couldn’t wait to see her again.