The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate-Chapter 173: The Rescue (2)

"Your Majesty, what are you doing here at this hour?" Nina’s voice echoed softly through the corridor, halting the Alpha King in his tracks.

"Miss Nina?" Phillipe turned, surprised to find her awake. His brows furrowed. "What are you doing out of bed so late?"

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty," Nina replied politely, dipping her head. "I only asked because... this passage leads nowhere. There’s no exit ahead, as far as I know."

Phillipe’s expression hardened slightly. "Then allow me to ask, why are you awake at this hour?"

Nina folded her hands in front of her, choosing her words carefully. "I couldn’t sleep, Your Majesty. Everything that happened in the palace today has been... unsettling. I was especially disturbed by the fact that your own daughter tried to harm you. It’s all been quite troubling, and my mind wouldn’t rest. Then, the Crown Prince was quite troubled. So, my heart and mind weren’t at peace."

Earlier that night, she’d followed Leon, drawn by an instinct she couldn’t ignore. She’d seen him with Darren, Radulf and Zenna, slipping through the shadows with speed too great for her to keep up. But what she had seen was enough. They disappeared behind a wall in this very corridor. A wall that wasn’t supposed to lead anywhere.

She’d stayed hidden, tucked behind one of the marble pillars as she watched a guard emerge moments later from that same spot. And just now, before she revealed herself, she saw the Alpha King himself coming toward the same hidden path.

So, Nina created a whole fake scenario so that Leon and the others if were returning from the same path would not encounter Phillipe.

"I see," Phillipe said. "Miss Nina need not concern herself. It’s already late. You should return to your bedchamber and rest."

The dismissal was clear. He was in a hurry, that much Nina could tell from the way his eyes flicked toward the seemingly empty corridor behind her.

’Zenna, I’ll help you this time,’ Nina thought, clutching the folds of her robe.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I will return," she said with a delicate smile. "But before I go... there’s something you should know."

Phillipe’s gaze returned to her, brows subtly raising.

"I saw someone, perhaps more than one person running through that direction," she added, calmly pointing down the opposite end of the corridor, away from where he had come. "They moved fast... it startled me, actually."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and he wondered if it was Radulf.

"I thought it best to inform you, in case it’s a threat," she added innocently

Nina tilted her head gently, as if waiting for reassurance, while inwardly hoping the diversion would buy her just enough time for Leon and the others.

Phillipe hurried over the direction, which Nina had told him. However, before leaving he told Nina to go to her chamber and within seconds he disappeared from her sight.

~~~~

Meanwhile, deep within the hidden corridor, Darren and Leon moved swiftly, clearing the path for Radulf and Zenna. The door carved into the stone wall creaked open as they emerged into the corridor, only to freeze at the sight of Nina standing there.

Her eyes widened briefly before she quickly masked her shock.

"The Alpha King was here just moments ago," she whispered urgently, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting him to return any second. "Hurry, before he sees you."

Her gaze flicked to the pale, unconscious woman draped across Radulf’s back. The sight unsettled her. Who was she? What had been done to her? But now wasn’t the time to ask.

Radulf and Leon could both feel that the Alpha King was truly had come that way.

"This way," Leon said quickly. He took the lead without hesitation, guiding them in the direction opposite from where Phillipe had gone.

Darren lingered behind, casting a final glance at Nina while his eyes scanned the area behind them.

Nina remained there for a moment before making a way to her own chamber.

Once Leon and Darren arrived at the secret route from which Darren had brought Zenna and Radulf to the palace, they stopped.

"The carriage is ready for you both. Don’t stop even for a second and inform me when you reach the mansion," Leon told them.

"How?" Zenna asked.

Radulf held Leon’s hand as a bright light appeared over their hands.

"This will bind our energy till the morning," Radulf explained. "I can make a contact to you through the mind link."

Leon gave a single nod, and both he and Radulf drew their hands apart and the faint glow of their brief bond faded instantly.

Zenna stepped into the carriage first. Radulf followed close behind, carrying Karina carefully inside. Without wasting another second, Darren shut the carriage door and locked it from outside.

"Drive safely. Take them straight to the Shadow Hunter Pack’s mansion," he ordered the chauffeur in a firm tone.

The driver gave a nod and snapped the reins. Within seconds, the carriage vanished into the shadows.

Leon exhaled as they were able to uncover the biggest secret of the Alpha King.

"Your Highness," Darren said, stepping beside him, "we need to return to your chamber before the Alpha King notices your absence."

Leon’s eyes flicked toward him, sharp with concern. "What about Nina?"

"I’ll check on her once I’ve escorted you back—"

"No," Leon interrupted. "I’ll check on her myself. You go find out if the gamma has escaped."

Darren hesitated for a beat before nodding. "As you wish."

With that, the two men turned in opposite directions after a certain distance.

~~~~

Phillipe didn’t find any wolves in the direction that Nina had mentioned, but the guards informed him about a mysterious wolf, who ran within the corridors. He didn’t waste time anymore and went to check on Karina.

However, in the middle of his way, his wife Loretta appeared.

"Phillipe, why aren’t you in your chamber at this hour? What are you trying to do?" Loretta’s brows knitted in suspicion as she stepped closer.

Phillipe stiffened, a flicker of unease flashing in his eyes. He couldn’t risk her discovering anything about Karina. The underground dungeon could wait. If anything bad had occurred, the guards would have reported it already. For now, keeping his silence was the best.

"Answer me, Your Majesty!" Loretta demanded.

"I couldn’t sleep," Phillipe replied smoothly, reaching for her hand. "Everything that happened earlier is still weighing heavily on my mind. Come, Loretta. Let’s go to your chamber."

She studied him for a long moment. Though clearly unconvinced, she chose not to press him further. It was late, and she had little energy left for a confrontation. Wordlessly, she turned and walked beside him toward her manor.

From the far end of the corridor, hidden behind a grand marble pillar, Leon and Nina silently watched as Phillipe and Loretta disappeared into the Queen’s manor..

Nina instinctively turned away. Seeing the proximity between them, her breath hitched while Leon dropped his gaze to her. Neither of them blinked, as if caught in a moment too fragile to break. Then Leon took a quiet step back and cleared his throat.

"I’m sorry," he murmured.

"It’s fine," Nina replied softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Leon hesitated, then offered, "Come, I’ll escort you back."

She considered declining, the words on the tip of her tongue, but something unspoken held her back. Instead, she gave a small nod, and together they walked in silence through the dimly lit corridor.

Once they reached her chamber door, Leon turned to her. "Good night... and thank you for earlier."

Nina lingered for a moment before saying, "I hope you’ll tell me everything in the morning."

"I will," Leon promised.

"Then, I’ll go in," Nina said softly, offering a faint smile before disappearing behind her chamber doors.

Leon stood there for a bit longer, staring at the closed door as if trying to find the words he couldn’t say aloud. Then he finally turned and made his way to his own quarters.

He tugged off his boots, one after the other, then shrugged off his overcoat and draped it over the nearby chair. With a sigh, he sank onto the edge of his bed before leaning back, letting his head rest against the headboard.

His eyes fixed on the ceiling, a bitter thought slipping from his lips in a low murmur.

"Father is so evil... He’s always lived to satisfy his own selfish ambitions. Nothing else ever mattered."

His hands curled slightly at his sides. "What if he is the one who seperated me from my family," Leon mumbled. After watching Zenna’s mother with his own two eyes, he felt Phillipe played an evil game for a long time.

And there was no one who knew his game.

Maybe Radulf’s father knew and that was why he was punished in such a brutal manner.

Leon felt his head aching and he finally slipped inside the soft duvet.