Chapter 3: How Will This Day Go?

Alpha King Caspian's POV:

I wasn't exactly sure how this day was going to go, but I knew we were going to be traveling to the Blue Moon Pack to check on things and see how things were progressing there. Every so often, I would travel to the different packs under my command to ensure they had everything they needed. These visits seemed to be a bit mundane and dull, but they were necessary for the well-being and security of everything around me in our grand nation.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time when I heard a knock at my door, which opened slightly. Without looking up to see who it was, I spoke openly when they poked their head inside the door, asking, "Yes, what is it?"

'Are you not even going to look up and see who is coming in?' (Cash asked me with an irritating tone to the sound of his voice inside my head.)

"Are you ready to go?" Maxwell, my Beta, asked when he came into the room after knocking and speaking up without waiting for me to look up at him. "Everyone is out front and awaiting your orders, Your Highness."

'Does that answer your question?' (I responded to Cash.)

"Alright then," I said as I placed my phone back in my pocket and rose from sitting at my desk with my hands resting on the front edge. Before I walked around the desk, I popped my fingertips on the top edge as a statement to Cash, one he did not care for, and I even smirked at his next response.

'Humph.' (Cash responded grudgingly.)

I walked around my desk and out the door of my office first, as Maxwell started to follow me, closing my door behind him. When we walked out front, five vehicles were running, ready to go. All of my Warriors were standing beside the vehicles they would be traveling in. When I walked out of the main entrance of the castle, they all turned to face me and Maxwell. When I reached the top step, I stopped walking to watch them all turn to stand at attention.

Maxwell walked up to stand on my right side and peered out over the stairs just as I did. Without saying anything, I proceeded down the stairs and headed for the front vehicle. Maxwell walked past me swiftly so that he could open up my door. I swiftly climbed in, and he closed the door after me. He proceeded to the other side, got into the same vehicle as I did, and then we were headed on our way.

Before too long, we arrived just outside the border of the pack we were visiting first. The vehicles were parked out of sight and off the beaten path. We were going to head to the border the rest of the way on foot. Ae started traveling toward the border, I half expected to get stopped. However, I didn't know how to interpret this action. There was no one to be seen. This was a bit odd, I thought to myself. Where were the Warriors who were supposed to watch the border?

We all continued walking past the border and still didn't run into anyone until we reached the main castle gate. That was when I saw a landscaper trimming the hedge around the gate's entrance, completely oblivious to the number of men coming his way. He wasn't even paying attention to us at all. Maxwell was about to reach him when I noticed he was wearing earbuds.

'Are you going to scare this one?' (Cash asked.)

'Maxwell? Leave this one be,' (I said via Mind Link.)

(Maxwell turned around and responded.) 'Why is he listening to music or something else like it. Shouldn't he be paying attention?'

'Damn, I was looking forward to a decent reaction this time. It's not that often I get a good laugh.' (Cash answered disappointedly.)

'We have to figure out why no one is doing their job first. This is serious, Cash. We can do that later.'

We all continued walking past him and up to the castle's main entrance door. Maxwell reached the handle and it opened with no trouble, as if it were not even locked from the inside. Where was the door guard? What is going on here? I was truly confused as to where everyone was. Did no one know that I was coming to see their pack today?

I knew I had arrived much earlier in the day than I told them, but that is beside the point. They should still be ready to have a visitor at any time of day. Or night! That was one of the main sets of rules I had for my pack's safety. The fact that no one is at their post means someone is seriously slacking around here, and I am definitely going to get to the bottom of it.

However, once we all walked inside the entrance, there was nothing to be heard. Something surely didn't seem to be right.

'Where is everyone?' (Maxwell asked openly to all of us in attendance.)

'Does it seem a bit too quiet to you?' (Cash asked.)

'Be on guard. Something's not right. No one is where they are supposed to be,' (I said openly via Mind Link as I looked at all my Warriors.)

'Yes, Your Highness,' (I heard the group respond almost at the same time.)

'Do you smell that? It smells like cinnamon and brown sugar. Are they making dessert?' (Cash asked curiously.)

'It's time for breakfast, Cash. It's way too early for dessert.'

'Then what is that faint yet ever so appetizing scent that is floating in the air?'

I wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from, but I was certainly going to find out. When I looked around, this scent was definitely coming from down the hall, in the same direction as the dining hall. I walked out of the foyer and down the corridor, heading toward the dining hall. When I reached the dining hall, I walked in, but no one was there either.

Other scents were coming from the next room, where the kitchen was located. I smelled eggs and bacon, biscuits, and freshly squeezed orange juice. So, at least someone was cooking. One person was doing their job, but that didn't explain why no one else wasn't doing theirs. Just then, I heard someone coming down the hall and turned around to see a woman entering the room from a separate hall held for the staff.

"When will the meal be served?" I asked her before she saw me. I could tell by her reaction that she didn't expect to see me there, and it was clear she didn't know I had already arrived. When she finally saw me, she stopped walking and froze in her tracks. I then continued speaking as her shock was shown all over her face. "After we eat. Then we can discuss business."

"Promptly, Your... Your Highness," she said as she stammered over her words before bowing after my last statement.

"What are we having for dessert?" I made sure to ask to amuse my Wolf, Cash, who asked about the earlier tantalizing scent.

"My apologies, Your Highness," she said, then she paused a moment before continuing. "We... haven't started preparing dessert just yet. However, we are preparing cinnamon rolls, Your Highness. When we do prepare dessert, I'll let you know what the selection is, unless you have a suggestion."

'That scent is not coming from cinnamon rolls. If they're not making dessert, where's the scent coming from? Must Follow it!' (Cash insisted.)

I turned toward her and walked right past her without saying a word.