CHAPTER 15 - HIDE AND SEEK

It was supposed to be a secret, but Elias and his men were unable to stop the spread of the rumor.

For five days, they had been searching for the girl Elias met in the woods of Moongrove, but they failed to find her. They asked Emma, the head of the servants, but she told them she had not seen a girl with silver eyes.

Helena was in the kitchen washing the plates from this morning when Emma secretly approached her.

"It was you." Emma mumbled.

She frowned. She had no idea what Emma was talking about.

"The Crown Prince's men came to me, asking about a girl who came from Moongrove with silver eyes. You are the only servant with that eye color who recently entered the palace." Emma continued.

She was surprised and excited. She wanted to jump for joy because Elias was looking for her. But she would have to make him yearn for her more.

"Miss Emma, before I met the Crown Prince, my name was already submitted as one of the new servants. We met by accident and I had no idea who he was."

"And what made you sure that it was the Crown Prince who was looking for you?" Emma asked.

She sighed. "A banner with his portrait was hanging outside the palace, and even at the gates of Elysium. He was the man I met in the woods. But I am unsure why he was looking for me."

Emma was staring at her as if trying to see if she was telling the truth.

"What kind of interaction did you have with His Highness?"

She casually shrugged her shoulders. "We chatted a little. But I ran away because I heard someone approaching us from the woods."

Emma frowned. "Why did you run?"

She now knew the head of the servants was sharp. So she had to be careful with her words.

"I wanted to be alone that day and meeting him was enough. I didn't want anyone else to see me" She lied.

Emma crossed her arms. "So, what's your plan now? You know he'll ascend the throne in less than two months so he was looking for his mate."

She understood what Emma meant. She was a servant and he was the Crown Prince. But for her, everything was perfect. She wanted Elysium to have a Queen and a Luna that belonged to the lowest rank.

"Nothing. I have no intention to be someone's mate. I'm here to work. That's all. So, can you keep it a secret from everyone? I will try my best not to be seen by him and his men." She said with pleading eyes.

Emma sighed. "Fine. I'm not doing this for you, but for the royal family. You could keep on covering half of your face for now until the prince finds his mate. I will give you a decent scarf, not the one you have."

She felt a little thrilled to play hide and seek with Elias. And the longer he waits for her, his desire grows deeper and stronger.

"Why would the inspector tell you that she's working in the palace? It's been three days, but we haven't found her." Elias growled.

Triton and the others were a bit scared because they knew he was beginning to lose his patience.

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found," Blue commented.

Elias scowled. "What? And what made you think that?"

"The rumor about us looking for a mysterious girl has already spread in Elysium. I don't think your woman didn't hear about it." Blue answered.

Triton nodded in agreement. "That's a good point. Maybe she's not interested in you. Did she show any interest when she met you?"

He didn't answer. The men glanced at each other and burst out laughing. They stopped when he gave them a warning glare.

"We just can't believe that someone would not fall from your charm. If she's here in the palace, I think she already knows who you are. If she's like those women who wanted you badly, she'll find a way to see you. But I don't think she's like that." Triton chuckled.

The men's curiosity toward Helena grew. Who was the woman who charmed the Crown Prince? They thought inwardly.

Elias couldn't accept the fact that the woman was not interested in him. He wanted to see her so badly and his Lycan blood was craving for the girl's scent.

He stood up, banging the table with gritted teeth. The men stepped backward because they knew what would happen next. Elias transformed into a Lycan. He never wanted to use this form to look for Helena, but she left him with no choice.

He sniffed, trying to breathe in everything around him. As a Lycan, his sense of smell was stronger than his human form. He looked around the dining room because he was sure she had been there. Her scent was faint, but it was hers.

He ran outside to follow the trail of her scent. His men followed him out of worry and curiosity.

"You should have shifted to your Lycan form a week ago." Triton scolded him using a mind link.

Stephen chuckled. "Maybe he wanted to put more effort into finding the girl."

Ali shook his head as they ran behind Elias. They were already a floor below where they came from, but the girl was nowhere to be found.

Then a lingering scent of vanilla and honey strolled into the air. He ran as fast as he could to follow where it came from. He stopped and stood by the door of a small room.

The scent was stronger and more intoxicating, making his blood boil from desire. He couldn't believe that Helena was just four floors below the pack's dining room.

He turned the rusty doorknob and barged into the room.

Helena was busy brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She was done with her work and had just come out from the shower.

She felt someone was standing by the door. She gulped realizing that familiar scent. She wanted to run away, but it was already too late.