Chapter 523
The Past 17:
Amelie’s hands trembled violently as she read the ominous message again. She initially decided she must tell Gabriel about it, but the terrifying fear of losing him, of the witch harming him if she knew Amelie spoke up, made her stop.
She blinked rapidly, her breathing becoming uneven and shallow. She had personally seen how easily Anaya had kidnapped her and used a powerful spell to immobilize Gabriel. And so far, Ophelia hadn’t been caught.
’But if I don’t tell Gabriel and act on my own, things could go terribly wrong. I should trust Gabriel more than any witch, right p>
Her inner voice strongly advised her to tell everything to Gabriel, trusting his Alpha strength and judgment.
Taking a deep, calming breath and caressing her wildly beating heart, she reached out, trying to mindlink with Gabriel.
’I have something important to tell you, Gabriel,’ she thought, projecting the message with all her might.
However, the mindlink didn’t establish. There was only silence.
“Why am I unable to connect with him?” Amelie murmured aloud, her worry spiking even further at this unexpected barrier.
She tried again and again, but got no response. Not wanting to waste another second, she rushed out of her room. The living room was empty, as her parents were also busy packing their belongings in their room.
As Amelie stepped out of the house and onto the porch, a masculine voice stopped her instantly. It was Draven, one of the spies Gabriel himself had planted for her protection.
“Miss Amelie, where are you going?” Draven asked, stepping into her path respectfully but firmly.
“To see Gabriel. Where is he? I’m unable to connect to him through the link,” Amelie revealed instantly, too worried to be cautious.
Draven furrowed his brows together and tried to establish a connection from his end. But he, too, couldn’t establish a mindlink with Gabriel. He then quickly tried to form a link between himself and Soren, the Beta, but that didn’t happen either.
“You can’t connect either, can you?” Amelie pressed, her fear escalating into panic. “Something has happened. We have to save Gabriel,” she said with a concerned, pleading tone.
“Miss Amelie, I will immediately ask someone to check on the Alpha Prince. You should stay right here, inside the house. And please, try not to panic,” Draven told her, keeping his tone calm and humble, attempting to manage the situation.
“How can I not be panicked?” Amelie’s voice rose sharply in distress. “Gabriel… He’s in danger.” She then showed him the crumbled threatening note clutched tightly in her hand. “See this. Ophelia sent this terrifying message directly to me p>
Draven quickly took the crumbled paper from her and began reading it. His eyes widened slightly at the explicit threat and the time specified, but he quickly regained his composure. “Who gave you this letter, Miss Amelie p>
“A maid,” Amelie replied, her mind racing to recall details.
“Which maid?” Draven pressed, needing precise information immediately.
“Uh… Wait, let’s go inside,” Amelie said, needing a place to focus away from the open doorway.
The two of them walked back into the house when Amelie spotted another servant heading toward the kitchen.
“Did you see Teresa?” Amelie’s urgent question stopped the maid instantly.
“Teresa? Yes! She’s helping Madam in packing her clothes upstairs,” the maid replied.
“Please call her here immediately,” Amelie urged in a strained tone.
The maid nodded and went straight to complete her task. A few moments later, Teresa came down to the living room and immediately saw the troubled, anxious expression on Amelie’s face.
“Teresa, who gave you the letter meant for Miss Amelie?” Draven questioned, his tone authoritative.
“The envelope you brought in earlier,” Amelie clarified, pointing toward the direction of the table where she had placed it.
“It was inside the mailbox outside the gates, Miss,” Teresa replied, looking confused by the intense questioning.
Draven and Amelie immediately rushed outside, thinking the guards must have seen the person who left it there. But upon interrogating the guards stationed at the gate, they found nothing. The mailbox was not constantly visible from the posts, and no unauthorized person had been sighted approaching the perimeter.
“What will I do now?” Amelie stated, looking desperately at the ominous threat in her hand. “Gabriel is indeed in danger. And the only way to save him is if I meet Ophelia in the backyard alone, exactly as she asked.” Her heartbeat kept increasing with the passing time, and the internal restlessness grew unbearable.
“Miss, I will go and check on the Alpha Prince myself. You absolutely don’t have to worry,” Draven reassured her firmly. “We have plenty of wolves to fight this witch. You can’t do anything alone; you must keep that in mind. Maybe the mindlink is simply blocked for some standard military reason p>
“Then, you must go to the area of Ophelia’s house immediately,” Amelie insisted, rejecting his calming assurance. “But not like this, Draven. You need protection. What if I am not able to establish a link with Gabriel because of something at the place where Ophelia was kept? Maybe she left a charm or put a spell there which affected all the wolves investigating the site, including Gabriel and Soren!?” Amelie theorized, her mind racing with the possibilities of dark magic.
“You’re right, Miss Amelie. I’ll be cautious,” Draven assured her, nodding at her valid fear of residual magic. “Don’t worry. I’ll come straight back to you after I bring the Alpha Prince’s message or find out his location. But please, under no condition, are you to step out of this house before I return. Ophelia must be playing a dangerous game with us. And we simply cannot afford to give her any more leverage over us. I hope you understand what I mean p>
“Yes. I won’t step out of the house,” Amelie stated, forcing the words out. Though her mind was screaming at her to ignore him and immediately search for Ophelia herself, she knew she couldn’t risk it. If the note was truly a trap, Gabriel would fall into even greater trouble if she disobeyed.
“Great. I’ll return soon,” Draven stated, giving her one last concerned look before he turned and left her sight, moving quickly to organize a search party.