The Beta's Young Warrior (Book 2 of Young Mate Series)

Chapter 25- Axel's POV

Terrence cleared his throat and opened the door to Colton's office before he stepped out of the way so that I could have access to it. "Here," he said and gestured for me to enter the room before he entered himself. "We can talk in here, and we will not be disturbed." He looked around the hallway before he looked at me and bowed his head in respect. "Your Majesty," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up at attention, but I entered the room, knowing full well that I could get Harrison to come to my "rescue" if I needed him to.

What did he know..?

Terrence cleared his throat and closed the door behind him, turning the knob so that he locked the door. He smiled nervously and bowed his head, not looking me in the eye and making sure that he was submitting in any way possible that would make me feel less "intimidated" by him. "I don't want anyone to interrupt us while we talk."

I narrowed my eyes further and scowled, not saying a word.

Terrence cleared his throat again and gestured for me to go over to the seats, and I hesitated but did what I was told to do and went over to them. "Go ahead and sit down," he said and gestured for me to sit down while he slowly started to sit down, looking at me with a tight smile on his face. "We will start talking as soon as we are comfortable. Ok?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line and slowly nodded, not saying a word. I sat down in front of him, biting back a small sigh while I stared at him with a raised eyebrow and waited for him to start.

Terrence cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. He looked nervous as if he was worried about what he was going to do and what he was going to find out if I let him know what I knew. "Now," he said and raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you ready?"

"I am," I confirmed and cleared my throat, leaning against the back of my seat and folded my arms across my chest. "Now, what is going on?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Why did you call me "Your Majesty" when I walked past you?"

Terrence bit back a small chuckle and shook his head, moving a hand through his hair and across his face, biting back a small sigh. "Straight to the point," he said and cleared his throat to hide another chuckle while he shifted in his seat. "I am not surprised."

I didn't say a word and slowly blinked while I looked at him, waiting for him to answer my question.

He sighed and shook his head, moving a hand through his hair some more before he rested his arms on his legs and leaned forward, clasping his hands together and growing serious. "Before I answer your question, what do you know, your Majesty?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he stared at me with such intensity that I couldn't help but blink. "What have you found out?"

"Why would you think that I know anything?" I asked, not answering his question. I raised an eyebrow in question while I stared at him, making sure to keep my face blank because I did not want him to know what I was thinking.

Terrence bit back a small sigh of annoyance and moved a hand across his face while he shook his head and grimaced. "Because, I do," he said grimly before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "Because I have been told that the one with the Golden Heart is a lot stronger than we have imagined and could hope for."

I raised my eyebrow higher in question and made sure that I kept my composure neutral, even though the hair on the back of my neck stood up at attention.

Shit...

"We?" I asked and cocked my head while I studied him, not giving him the answers that he was looking for. "What do you mean by "we," Terrence?"

Terrence blinked and blinked again, and I could tell that he was weighing his options like I was weighing mine in letting him know what I know and him letting me know what he knew as well.

Neither one of us wanted to give that much information away, especially if we were dealing with someone that didn't know something and then told them anyway.

Neither one of us wanted to break down first in fear that we would change the path that we were on and lead us to something darker, more dangerous than what we hoped would happen.

However, it wasn't long until Terrence sighed and shook his head before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat before he leaned back and folded one leg across the other. "Unfortunately, I am not able to tell you until I know some information about what you know, Your Majesty," he said in a calm and collected manner, bowing his head a little.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat again. "Those are direct orders that I have that I have to follow."

I hesitated before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "And do who you serve work to protect the throne and those that are rightful heirs to the throne?" I asked and raised an eyebrow question.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he confirmed and nodded, biting back a small sigh of relief. "We protect those that are the rightful heir to the throne and those that have been to protect it," he said calmly.

I raised an eyebrow in question. "Those that have been sworn to protect it?" I asked, and he nodded in confirmation. "What do you mean by "those that have been sworn to protect it?""

He was talking about the other eleven...

The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention when that thought crossed my mind, and I pressed my lips into a thin line while I stared at him, waiting to see if he would grant me that information, even though I had "figured" it out myself.

Terrence smiled grimly and slowly nodded as if he caught the look on my face. "The other eleven are sworn to protect the twelfth one, who is the rightful heir to the throne," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, and I could tell that he was debating with himself but decided to give me this piece of information.

Finally, he sighed and cleared his throat while he slowly nodded as if he decided that this was something that he could tell me. "That includes Harrison and your mate."

He stared at me with such intensity and tried to gauge my reaction, but I gave him nothing, not even a single movement like an eye twitch.

I made sure to keep my face neutral while I stared at him, making sure to keep my body relaxed and not so tense to make sure that Terrence didn't know what I was thinking or knew until I felt ready for it.

Again, Terrence cleared his throat and leaned toward me some more while he stared at me with such intensity that it almost took my breath away. "So," he began before he leaned closer me, his eyes shining bright with hesitance and hope as if he wanted me to answer truthfully and unveil everything that I knew and have found over time, even with things that I did not allow myself to know until the time was right, and it was safe for me to know.

"What do you know?"