The Cat Shifter (Book 1 of Shifter Series)

Chapter 42

'Carver,' I groaned through the link between my advisor and me, and Carver had to bite his lip to keep himself from chuckling, amused. I leaned my head back against my mate, and he started to rub my arm, his touch soothing. 'Make him stoooooooop.'

'Stop worrying about him calling you 'Your Majesty,' and listen to what he is saying,' Carver said, and I mentally groaned at him. He shook his head and pressed his lips into a thin line, and I could tell that he was annoyed with me. 'Think, Kat,' he said. 'What do you think he is trying to tell you?"

What do you think he is trying to tell you?

His words echoed in my mind, and my mind started to go a mile a minute. I had no idea why Cornelius kept insisting on calling me "Your Majesty" when all I wanted him to do was call me by my real name.

Did he want me to be the High Queen rather than have his king as the High King? I silently wondered while I cocked my head and furrowed my brows. Was that why he kept insisting on me being called Your Majesty, even though he knew that I didn't like it?

"Your Majesty?" Cornelius asked, concern in his voice because I hadn't said anything in a while. "Is something wrong?"

I looked at Carver when that thought crossed my mind, and Carver nodded slowly. Relief filled my body, and I leaned against my mate, feeling grateful and relieved that there were those that wanted me as their High Queen, even though their own king wanted to take the throne for themselves. "Oh, thank Goddess," I said with a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty!" Cornelius exclaimed when I said that. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, yes," I confirmed, still relieved. "Everything is fine." I cleared my throat and licked my lips. "Do you know where Dominic had gone?" I asked and cocked my head while I looked at the phone.

"Unfortunately not, Your Majesty," Cornelius said apologetically. He sighed and cleared his throat, and I had a feeling that he rubbed his face. "He hasn't told me where he had gone nor his plans."

'Phone calls are recorded like they are with the packs,' Carver said, and I nodded because I had a feeling that they were. 'If you want to get him to talk more freely, then you should get him a burner phone so that he would be able to talk to you.'

I nodded. 'What if Dominic finds it?' I asked and pressed my lips into a thin line, worried for Cornelius's safety. 'I don't want him to get hurt or killed if something goes south.'

'He knows,' Carver said. He sighed silently and bit back the clearing of his throat because Cornelius didn't know that I had people in the room. 'There is going to be death, Kat,' he said soothingly, and I pursed my lips in annoyance because I did not like him saying that, even though I knew it was true. 'You can't stop it.'

'But I can pr-' I stopped talking when he sent me a look.

'You may be able to prevent some death, but you can't prevent all death if it occurs. A queen watches out for her people and protects them, but her people watch out for her and protect her,' Carver said in that teacher's voice he sometimes used when he wanted to teach me something, and I rolled my eyes and scowled because I knew that he was right. 'That is what makes a great leader; those that die for their people but their people die for them.'

"Your Majesty?" Cornelius asked when I didn't answer him. "Is everything all right?"

"It is," I confirmed with a soft sigh and rubbed the bridge of my nose, and I had a small feeling that Cornelius didn't believe me, but I knew that he wouldn't push. "Can you let Dominic know that I called, and I would like it if he called me back sometime today?"