Chapter 22: Crumbs he left behind

"Where is the Queen?"

Becky, clad in a pair of white trousers and a plain black t-shirt, asked the first servant she spotted. She knew her since she was a baby, and had even been tended to by her.

Gertrude.

The plump woman bowed her head briefly, before speaking. "She is in the receiving room with Alpha Derek of Emberfang pack."

Becky’s immediately rolled her eyes.

"Just great. Of course my ex decides to show up when he’s least wanted."

Gertrude, Tawny and Miranda all frowned. "I beg your pardon?" Gertrude queried, but Becky just walked past her.

"It’s nothing!" She called out, offering Gertrude a small smile, fearful she might have rudely brushed her off.

Becky’s legs carried her to the receiving room as fast as she could, her mind racing.

Conan had left her a message via phone text in the wee hours of the day, informing her that she would be responsible for educating Hazel about her duties and responsibilities as Queen.

She had sent another long rant about how Hazel was currently upset with her for keeping her in the dark about the stakes of the consummation rites, but he has promptly ignored her.

Typical Conan.

Yesterday had been the stuff of nightmares.

From June Callaghan outing her pathetic crush on Xavier, to Rosie exposing and nearly destabilising Conan.

Pure nightmare fuel.

It had been a miracle Conan didn’t send her off the grim reaper in the middle of the night.

And now Derek?!

"—what do you have to gain from—"

"—protective of—"

"—sure of what to think—"

As Becky neared the receiving room, she caught the faint sounds of their discussion, and immediately kicked up her walking pace.

What is that weasel telling Hazel?!

She slammed the door open.

The moment Hazel’s eyes landed on Becky, rage flared in her chest. She immediately rose to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" Hazel snarled. "I thought I told Maddox I don’t—"

"What am I doing here?!" Becky shouted, walking into the room and pointing an accusing finger at Derek. "I think the question is, what is HE doing here?!"

Derek raised both hands in a placating manner. "Easy there love," There was a small smile on his face. "It has been a while, Rebecca. Didn’t expect to see you here."

Hazel, stunned, darted her head between the two.

"What is this? You two have history?"

"You can say that," Derek rose to his feet, his hands still up. Becky’s face bunched up in an even angrier scowl.

"You better get the fuck out of here before I make you history."

The dots slowly connected in Hazel’s mind, and when they finally did, her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.

"You two are former lovers?!"

"This is not up for discussion! Get out, Derek."

"I don’t care what happened between the two of you," Hazel snapped, stepping between them before Becky could lunge across the desk. "But you do not get to storm in here and throw my guest out like some common thug. What is the matter with you?"

Becky’s chest was still heaving from the run. "You shouldn’t trust him," she said, jabbing a finger toward Derek without looking away from Hazel. "You have no idea who he actually is."

"Oh, and I should trust you?" Hazel barked a humourless laugh. "Because you’re so trustworthy?"

Becky’s hand fell slack at her side. The fire in her eyes guttered out, replaced by hurt.

"I was trying to protect you," she said. "I swear, Hazel, I only kept it from you because I didn’t want you to spiral before the coronation. I thought—" She stopped, shook her head. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Well." Hazel’s voice went cold. "You weren’t."

"I know that now." Becky took a step closer, hands lifting like she wanted to reach for her and thought better of it. "I was wrong. I’m sorry. Please, Hazel, just—look at me."

Hazel didn’t. She turned her face toward the window instead, arms wrapped around herself like she could hold the anger in by force. Because underneath it, infuriatingly, there was something softer trying to claw its way up, she wanted to forgive her. Becky had been one of the few people in this gilded nightmare of a palace who had bothered to treat her like a person and not a title.

That almost made this worse.

"You blindsided me," Hazel said quietly. "You know that, don’t you?"

"Yes." Becky’s voice cracked clean down the middle. "I did. And I am so sorry. I care about you, Hazel, and I’m so sorry I hurt you. I won’t keep any secrets from you anymore, and I will always tell you the truth. Please don’t shut me out over this. I want to be your friend."

The silence that followed was heavy.

Hazel closed her eyes for a moment, breathing through the ache in her chest. She finally let her gaze slide, not to Becky, but to Derek, who had had the good sense to stay quiet through all of it.

"Thank you for the information, Alpha Derek," Hazel said, her queenly composure sliding back over her. "It was... enlightening. You can leave now."

Derek dipped his head, silver earrings catching the light. "Of course, my Queen. Do remember, you will always have my help, whenever you need it."

His eyes cut to Becky, and he closed his eyes while smiling.

"I’ll see you around, Rebecca."

He strode out without waiting for a reply, the door clicking shut behind him.

~

"What did he tell you, Hazel?"

Becky asked the moment he was out, whirring on Hazel.

Hazel thought to herself, pondering on their conversation.

"Three of the elders dislike Conan, and think him rash and unfit to be king. One of them in particular, Eliana, reached out to Rosie and provided a way for Silas to sneak into the Palace to inhale your wedding bed sheets."

Hazel had nearly vomited at his words, but held herself together.

The invasion of privacy was sickening, to say the least.

"How do you know this?" She had asked, her eyes wary. "And what do you stand to gain from this?"

Derek had picked up a biscuit then, munching it on it for some seconds before responding.

"I have my ways. Rosie is not as smart or clever as she likes to think she is. She leaves crumbs around, and Silas cleans them up. Unfortunately I caught on to this bread crumb before he could clean it. And as for what I stand to gain from telling you...."

He had paused then, swallowing the broken down biscuit.

"Let’s just say I am very protective of my cousin. He is two years younger than me, after all, and I would hate to see him, or his wife hurt over something like this."

Hazel had been shocked upon processing his words.

Derek’s older than Conan?

"Oh," she had said. In the middle of her next question, Becky had loudly burst into the room, which led them to now.

"He just told me who told Rosie about us...." Hazel finally responded to Becky’s question, fiddling with her fingers. Before Becky could respond, Hazel spoke again.

"I hope you know this doesn’t mean I fully forgive you. Trust for me is hard to come by, which is why I was very hurt by your lies by omission."

"Yes, I—"

"I’m not finished." Hazel held a hand up. "But.... I’ll give you another chance. I could use a friend here, with all the chaos happening."

Becky’s eyes watered. "Yay!" She suddenly wrapped Hazel into a bone-crushing hug. Hazel reluctantly laughed, hugging her back.

"Okay! Now, we should get to your official office. You’ll tell me what Derek told you, and we can begin your studies!"

Hazel simply nodded as Becky let go of her. "What happened between you two?"

Becky’s face went red, and she quickly turned away.

"I’ll tell you later. Now let’s go, before Conan comes back and skins me alive."