Her Alpha - Complete

Chapter 21

"Gone?! What do you mean she's gone?" Adrian barked at Head Guardian Croft.

"From what we can ascertain, last night after dinner Rose drugged her mother and Guardian Matthews. When breakfast was brought to the suite this morning, both women were in their beds and it was difficult to rouse them."

"And what about the Guardians? Her suite was guarded, right? Did she just swan past them?"

"No. Novice Hathaway tied two bedsheets together and secured them to her bedframe before escaping out the window."

"She was on the fourth floor!" Lord Ivashkov roared.

"We think she climbed down to a ledge on the second floor, then made her way to the ground by way of a downpipe."

"And then what? She disappeared into thin air?"

"It would appear so. She must have left during daylight when there were fewer Guardians rostered on. I have already questioned those in the vicinity, and no one saw anything suspicious. Given she's proven to be so evasive, I suspect she's already made her way outside of Court, although I will instigate a full search here."

"Do you think she's acting with someone?" Queen Tatiana asked, joining the conversation for the first time. Her Majesty and Lord Ivashkov had been sitting down to breakfast when Guardian Croft had the unfortunate task of telling the Royal Moroi that Rose Hathaway had escaped.

"I don't think so. Rose and her mother don't have much of a relationship, and Guardian Hathaway's stellar reputation speaks for itself. Also, by all accounts, she was livid when she discovered she'd been drugged. I think we can rule her out. As for Guardian Matthews, I don't see her risking her career like that. I've checked her personnel file, and there's nothing to show any close connection to Rose or previous insubordination. My guess is Rose acted out of fear and acted alone."

"You had Rose over to your house!" Adrian blurted out, the implication clear in his words. "What did you discuss?! And why did you invite her?!"

"My wife Mirabelle requested Rose's company," Hans said, decidedly frosty. "Mirabelle is off on leave and is a little lonely. As you know, there aren't many married Dhampir women at Court. Mirabelle thought she could show Rose being married was not such a bad thing."

"What did they discuss?" Tatiana asked.

"They talked about St. Vladimir's. My wife attended there, so much of their discussion was about mutual teachers, the food and the like."

"She discussed nothing operational? With you or your wife?" Adrian blurted out.

"Lord Ivashkov... I have been a Guardian since before you were born. I would never let information like that out unintentionally!" Croft said, conveniently skirting the truth. "Nor would my wife!"

"You think Rose could have made it out of Court?" Tatiana continued.

"Easily," Croft replied, happy to return to safer ground. "The checkpoints only search vehicles coming into Court, not those going out. There were several vehicles close to Guest Quarters that left Court between nine am and seven pm, including several garbage and linen vehicles."

"That suggests pre-meditation and help. She'd have to know the maintenance schedules. That seems peculiar given she'd only been at Court a day or two," Her Majesty observed, her head clearer and calmer than her great-nephew's. Adrian was acting like a three-year-old whose favorite toy had been taken away.

"Yes and no," Croft replied. "Many service vehicles come to Court every night, many close to Guest Quarters. Food, refuse, linen, stock for shops, the postal service and the like. It wouldn't be too difficult to hide in one of them."