Chapter 210

Carol’s POV

“You’re proposing to her?!” I shrieked, resulting in him shushing me and practically throwing his hands over my mouth to keep me quiet.

I chuckled at the alarmed look in his eyes.

“Yes,” he told me in a harsh whisper. “I want to marry her and finally mark her as mine. I’m not really sure how to go about it though because I can sense she still has one foot out the door. She told me she loved me though and that’s enough for me to take the next step.”

“That’s a huge step, Oliver,” I warned him. “You can’t change your mind once you commit to something like this.”

He shook his head, his eyes darkening.

“I would never change my mind about Fiona,” he told me. “I love her, and I need her more than I need my next breath.”

My heart swelled for him and for my best friend. She was a lucky girl to have a guy like Oliver in her life and she was about to become even luckier once he officially proposed to her. I knew that Fiona was still afraid to let herself go all the way in with Oliver, despite the fact that she had told him that she loved him. But I knew with certainty if Oliver were to propose to her right now in this hospital room, she would say yes in a heartbeat. All worries and fears would disappear from her mind and all that would consume her would be her mate.

Oliver really didn’t need to try that hard to get her to marry him because she was already his. But I also understood the fact that he wanted to make things special for her and I admired that about him. I wondered if Aiden was aware of Oliver’s plans to propose to Fiona.

“So, what do you need me to do?” I finally asked after I finished pondering all that Oliver had told me.

“I want to make this proposal special,” he told me. “I still need ot pick out a ring and I’m worried she won’t like the ones that I picked.”

“She’s going to love whatever you give her, Oliver,” I assured him.

He shook his head.

“I know she’ll say she loves it because it came from me and my heart, but I want her to actually love it,” he told me. “I want her to feel like the most important woman in the world to me and I need her to know that I love her more than anything and I’ll always be here to take care of her.”

I smiled thoughtfully at him.

“You better take care of her, or I’ll kill you,” I teased.

He smirked at me before his face sobered and he grew serious once again.

“I have a few ring ideas, but I’m not sure if she will like any of them,” he murmured. “I was hoping that maybe we could go to the jeweler tomorrow and you can take a look at them. Pick the one that you know she’ll love.”

I thought about it for a moment, and then I nodded.

“Anything else you need from me?”

He smiled.

“Just help me plan the perfect proposal,” he said, letting out a deep breath. “I want to make it special, and you know her better than anyone in this world.”

“It would be an honor to help you. We’ll go ring shopping tomorrow and start the planning later in the afternoon.”

“Thank you,” he said, looking relieved. “I’m going to go find my mate now before she loses her mind. She knows something is up and I don’t want her to be suspicious.”

I smiled and watched as he left. A few minutes later, Aiden was returning to the room with a tray of food. He set it on the table beside me and grabbed one of the sandwiches off the tray, handing it to me.

“You need to eat,” he told me. “You are eating for two after all.”

I nodded and unwrapped the sandwich; the turkey smell made me feel nauseous and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stomach it. The second I took a bite, my stomach decided to flip inside out. I quickly grabbed the bucket on the side of the bed and released the little contents that were in my stomach.

“Are you okay?” Aiden asked, rubbing my back gently.

“It’s the turkey<” I murmured. “I don’t think the baby liked that.”

He gave me a sheepish smile and then grabbed the bowl of soup also on the tray.

“Good thing I had a backup plan,” he said.

The soup smelled delicious, and my stomach immediately started to growl from the aroma. I put a spoonful of soup in my mouth and moaned as the flavors hit my tongue and danced around my taste buds.

“Better?” He asked, raising his brows as he watched me.

“Much,” I answered.

Later in the day, the doctor returned with my discharge paperwork. He checked my vitals and took some blood for more testing and once everything came back clear, I was able to leave. Fiona and Oliver disappeared to their shared room in the manor the second we got back. They were both exhausted because they hadn’t slept yet and they flew in overnight.

Aiden looked exhausted too, but I knew he wouldn’t sleep until he knew I was safely by his side. I was a little apprehensive about being in the manor after I was drugged the last time I was here, but I couldn’t walk away just yet. I needed to get my training done and keep a close eye on Queen Elizabeth. If the Goddess was serious about what she told me about the Queen, then she was planning something big and I needed to be on the lookout. If I let the Queen cause distraction with the darkness she yields, it could be dangerous for my pack along with the others. I couldn’t let that happen, which meant, I might actually need to step up as the high priestess.

The thought terrified me, but at the same time, I felt a sense of warmth knowing that I was chosen by the Goddess herself.

King Bennet walked into the front room when we got inside, and I could see that he too looked utterly exhausted. He was probably awake all night and day as well, trying to figure out who had poisoned me and who had let the rogue into the pack.

“Carol,” the King said, holding out his arms for me to hug him. He didn’t wait for me to close the distance; he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. “I was so worried. I’m sorry I didn’t come and see you. I had to take care of some stuff here.”

“Did you figure out who let the rogue into the pack?” I asked him.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

“No,” he muttered. “I think he just snuck in honestly. I ended up firing my border patrol and replaced them with new ones.”

“You fired them?” I asked, shocked that the King would actually do that.

“Yes,” he answered, shaking his head. “I can’t have border patrol that I can’t trust. If they can’t protect my pack from rogues, then what’s the point of having them?”

I nodded.

“I get that, I just didn’t think you’d fire them because of me,” I admitted.

His face softened and he stepped towards me, putting his hands on my shoulders and holding me steady.

“Carol, you are my daughter, and I would do anything for you. Don’t you know that already?” He asked, his tone soft and filled with compassion.

Tears filled my eyes, and I nodded, biting back a smile.

“I appreciate that,” I told him. “I hope you don’t mind that we skip training today.”

He let out a belt of laughter.

“We will start magic training first thing tomorrow morning,” he told me. “You just focus on getting some rest and spending the rest of the night with your mate. I won’t pester you for the rest of the day. I’ll have a maid bring you some dinner later.”

I frowned at his words.

He’ll have a maid bring us some dinner later? It was strange that he didn’t specify the maid being Alison. She was the one assigned to me during my stay here after all. Wouldn’t she be the one who brought me my food like she brought me everything else?

Besides, I was hoping I would see her later so I could talk to her and make sure she was truly okay.

“A maid?” I asked, speaking my thoughts out loud. “Not Alison specifically?”

His eyes darkened at the mention of Alison, and I could feel his mood shifting almost immediately.

“Not Alison,” he muttered.

“I don’t understand,” I said, my brows furrowed. “Why not her?”

“Because I found out she was the one who served you the tea that was spiked with drugs,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure who spiked the drink because there’s no footage or proof of anything, but I don’t trust her around you or anyone else in the manor.”

My heart fell into my stomach.

“So, where is she?”

“Packing her things,” he answered. “I banished her.”