Chapter 145: A Bit of Hope

Delia closed the door as Gavin exited and turned from it. She may have thrown him off her scent for now, but it wouldn’t last long. Gavin was planning to out her to Adolph and Basil if given a chance. She couldn’t be around when that happened. She couldn’t give Basil a chance to change his mind and banish her either.
She should have gotten out much earlier than now, but it wasn’t too late. She went into her bed-chamber, looking for the trunk where she’d put her bag. As she expected it was at the bottom of the least lavish trunk among them. She put it under a bunch of things that didn’t seem to have much importance to her. She was glad that she’d at least had the sense to make sure she brought it with her on this trip.
If Gavin knew that Laura was Laurel, it was only a matter of time before everyone knew, including Adolph. What he would ask her didn’t matter. What mattered more than Basil’s plans to divorce her was that Laura might remember enough about the night she was murdered to start an investigation. Basil knew she had gone missing for a bit during their engagement party. In the state that he was in now, he’d let it slip and wouldn’t even care to make sure that people gave her the benefit of the doubt.
And then, there was just Laura, in general, to worry about. While Laura had known nothing about men, she had apparently wizened up in her second life and snagged the alpha king of all people. Sure, they were mates, but were they really? If Delia had played a different game, if she’d focused on keeping Basil rather than chasing after Eden through her actions, she and Basil might look a lot like Adolph and Laurel did now.
Her mistakes had already been made and there was no way to fix them. The only thing she could do now was to get out before they decided to interrogate her. She didn’t want to be on the other side of the table from Adolph when she had virtually nothing to offer. They wouldn’t even consider giving her a plea deal since the queen was dead, let alone simply exiling her from the country, especially since they knew that her parents had served the vampire queen directly.
She hadn’t even known!
She turned her thoughts away from the irony of them ending up working for the vampire queen even after she had left them.
She had to focus and do a bit of guesswork about how long she had before the lie all came crashing down.
How long would it take for Laura to figure out that she had been murdered? Had she already figured that out? Is that why she came back? How long would it take for her to figure out that Basil’s feelings for Delia were all a lie? Maybe she already knew or suspected, but would she connect that to her murder?
She hadn’t been seen, Delia was certain of that. She’d been so pitiful that she hadn’t even noticed Delia coming up behind her. She hadn’t had time to turn around and see Delia.
After shoving Laurel, she’d hustled back to the castle and snuck back in. She hadn’t been seen, she knew that and she’d been so proud that she had hastened the plan along with such ease. She’d expected Eden to be proud of her, yet she never had the chance to tell her that she’d been the reason Laura was dead.
Still, she couldn’t rely on her own knowledge of the events when others knew that she had disappeared for enough time to murder Laura.
She couldn’t chance being around when people started asking questions. Quickly, she changed out of her blue silk dress with a bit of regret. She really liked this dress and all the others. She wanted to take one of them with her, but she knew from experience that it would just make her a target to either be attacked or accused of theft. She didn’t know if the borders were still closed, but there was no way they could cover the entire border through the forest with the kingdom’s forces.
She put all of her jewelry in her bag and gathered whatever money she had in her luggage. There wasn’t much since she spent so much of it and her budget had been cut, but she had lived on less once upon a time. She could learn to do it again.
As she slipped on the old, nondescript cloak, she sighed in regret.
She would miss the ease of life in the castle, but it was better to die in the simple comfort of old age than die by execution in a silk gown. She had entered the deal with the vampire queen and Eden with the expectation that she would live the rest of her days in peace and riches either at Eden’s side or in the werewolf kingdom.
She pressed her ear to the door, listening for anyone nearby. When she was certain no one was there, she headed out, careful to close her door silently as she made her way down the hallway. She took the path she guessed was to the kitchens when she heard a voice coming down the hallway. She darted into a corridor and remained still, listening.
“I am sorry, Minister Mirabelle. I must be on my way.”
“Surely, you have more information than that. How does a dead man simply wake up? Are you certain that the Wiccans are bringing him back–”
“Minister Mirabelle,” the voice turned stern. “You are impeding my duties. I have to report back to the castle with His Majesty’s orders at once. Please step aside.”
She heard the rustle of a cloak and felt her heart swell with hope. There was only one dead man that was in any state to wake up with the Wiccans.
Eden was alive and awake! He was coming back to the castle. Would she be able to see him again? Her heart fluttered. If so, she could ask him what to do next. She didn’t know how soon he would return, but if she could hold on a bit longer then she’d get to see him.
Was it worth it though? The danger of staying was a far bigger unknown. She worried her lip.
“He will want to leave as soon as the celebration is over,” Gavin hissed. Something crashed around the corner. “Damn it. Have they arrived yet?”
“Yes, Minister Mirabelle. They have been placed in the guest suites and clothed as you asked.”
“Good, I will see them later. Go on and finish the preparations.”
Delia frowned and turned back towards her room, taking the same path and barely breathing until she could close the door behind her.
Eden would have a plan. He’d know what to do if he understood how serious her position was. He’d at least help her escape if he knew. Gavin was planning something with regards to the party and maybe, just maybe, uncovering it would keep her safe a bit longer.
If not to keep her safe, then it would at least give her something to hold over Gavin’s head.
She took a deep breath and returned her bag to the bottom of her luggage.
She would stay for now, but as soon as it wasn’t safe. She’d run if there was really no hope left.

Laurel got out of the tub and dressed for dinner. Adolph remained seated, staring out into space, fully dressed and pensive.
“What is it?”
“... They’re actually bringing him back.”
Laurel looked at him, “Surprised?”
“His grandfather knows that I plan to kill him.”
“Perhaps you won’t.” Adolph looked at her and she sat beside him. “Perhaps, you’ll think of some other way to deal with Eden and make sure he’s not a threat.”
“Doubtful.”
She shrugged, “Well, running him through with your sword didn’t work. Do you plan on drawing and quartering him next?”
Adolph glowered at her and huffed, “Pregnancy has made you sassy.”
Laurel giggled, kissing his cheek and biting her lip, pressing her breasts against him. His eyes widened just a bit as she trailed her hand down his chest and licked her lips as their gazes met.
“It’s… made me quite a few things.”
Alice purred in her chest as Laurel wished she could panic. Adolph’s eyes began to glow red and she felt his wolf surfacing in the way his skin heated up and his pupils dilated.
She felt oddly powerful. Daring and a little outside of herself. Was it normal to suddenly get frisky when pregnant? His hands had felt incredible early.
“Laurel…”
She stood abruptly, “It’s dinner time.”
Adolph groaned, rubbing the space between his eyebrows, “Little… minx.”
She grinned at him, “Well… the sooner we get through the celebration the sooner we can retire, right?”
He stood, took her hand, and led her towards the door as she laughed.