Blood King | Book Three of Blood Trilogy

Chapter 16

Hazel 

I bolted through the hallways. My mind was buzzing. Everything was a blur and I was very close to crying and letting out an endless stream of tears. 

Stumbling into the guards' chambers, there were several guards standing there and they were just staring at me, waiting for what I was going to do next. I swallowed past the lump that grew in my throat and pushed past the crowd. Father and the king were nowhere in sight so I hurried past one man at the man, trying to identify William from the group. 

A hand gripped around my arm and tugged a bit. I turned around to see who it was and it was Zayden and Aidan. They were looking worried. 

"Father didn't want us checking up on Alexia. He demanded that nobody bother her since he left her with you. What are you doing here, Hazel? Why aren't you with my sister?" Zayden demanded answers and he was looking panicked himself. I could tell by his slightly sweating palms and his racing heart rate that he was stressing out and just worried about everything going on with Alexia. 

"I know, I know. Don't worry about it, Zayden." I stated while standing on my tippy toes and peeking my head past the tall sea of guards. 

"Just give me a second," I mumbled then yanked my arm from his hold. I proceeded to walk forward and away from Zayden and Aidan. 

It was Aidan this time to stop me by gripping onto my shoulder and spinning me around to face the both of them. The guards all had their eyes glued to us. 

"What are you looking for, Hazel? Tell us and we'll help you. We need you to get back to Alexia." He stated wearily. Wrinkles on his face formed and his eyebrows were furrowed from the stress. 

"William." I hushed. There was really no reason why I whispered his name. Everybody in this room was a vampire and that meant heightened senses. I closed my eyes momentarily and shot a dirty look around the main room. The guards, who were standing and staring at us, averted their gazes elsewhere and pretended not to hear anything. 

"Where's William? He's supposed to be right here!" I exclaimed in a frustrated tone through gritted teeth. Where was the man when you actually needed him? 

"He could be in his room," Zayden stated then looked up at Aidan. His uncle nodded and took long strides towards the stairwell. I followed behind in hurried footsteps, trying to keep up. 

We approached his bedroom, to find his bedroom door wide open, so we glanced in. The man that I've been looking for has been pacing the floor with both his hands tangled in his hair, which looked like it had been run through by his fingers a million times. He was in a distressed state and it was clear that what happened to Alexia obviously affected him.

"William. Come with me. Alexia needs you." I declared without hesitation. With each second going by, Alexia was most likely twisting and turning in pain in her bed. 

"The princess?" He asked surprised. He froze from his pacing and he just looked shocked at her request. I nodded then gestured with my hands that he leave this instance. 

Aidan walked away immediately so William and I followed him down to the main room. Zayden stood exactly where he was when we left him. No words were exchanged and the four of us rushed straight to Alexia's room. 

I opened the door and walked in without knocking. Alexia's body was still on the bed, writhing in pain. I approached her instantly and placed a hand on her shoulder. She was shivering and her now-bloodshot eyes were glued to the ceiling while her forehead layered with beads of sweat. 

"I'm here, sweetie. I'm here, Alexia." I exclaimed with a hopeful smile on my face. She was shaking uncontrollably. 

"O-okay, thank you, Hazel." She exclaimed through gritted teeth. Following immediately after exclaiming those words, she closed her eyes shut until her eyebrows furrowed. She tried to swallow past the pain. I could no longer see her reddish, glazed-over eyes. 

"William," I said with panic laced in my voice. I glanced over my shoulder and he pushed past the doors quickly and made his way to her bedside in a brisk manner. 

Zayden and Aidan remained standing by the door. William stood against the edge of her bed and reached across to barely touch her. He glanced at me cautiously. I nodded. He took that as an 'okay' to sit on the princess' bed. 

"William?" Alexia asked after cracking her eyes slightly. 

"I'm here, my princess." He hushed softly. He gently placed his hand on her forehead, despite all the sweat that produced on her face, he didn't mind at all. His hand stroked her forehead and into her hair. His gentle movements soothed the frown on her face and she relaxed immediately after letting out a deep breath. 

I took that moment to think that everything would be alright and I exited her bedroom without a second glance behind me. I wanted to grant the couple their privacy. I sucked in a sharp inhale. 

Couple. I really just called them a couple. My best friend, a princess, with a guard. They had to be mates. There was no way that she and Samuel could ever be destined to be together. I closed my eyes and silently prayed. But Samuel has such a strong effect on her, I hoped it doesn't end this way, that she be paired with Samuel for eternity. 

I closed the doors behind me and let out a deep breath. Zayden and Aidan stood expectantly, waiting for me to say something. 

I sent them both reassuring nods. They each let out an exhale. 

"Good, good," Aidan exclaimed then leaned against the wall behind me. Zayden looked very relieved and he patted my shoulder. 

"Thank you, Hazel." He offered a small smile. I smiled back. 

The three of us remained silent in the hallway, rethinking everything that was happening around us. How the world was moving too quickly.