"How disrespectful."
"Only to you... your highness." Ava answered almost immediately. She knew Lycans disliked witches and treated them as lowly slaves, but the way they looked down on witches was irking her.
Why?
Witches are powerful creatures.
Why treat them as if they were beneath them?
"I will forgive you this time," unfazed by her words, Kieran only smiled. "I didn’t come here to fight. Please forgive me for trying to test you. I just thought it would be a proper welcome to the new witch that is serving my brother."
"A proper welcome?" What kind of welcome was this?
"A warrior’s welcome," Kieran said. "Aren’t you going to invite us to your house?"
"No."
"Then shall I see you in Matthew’s mansion?"
Ava gritted her teeth. Lycans are assholes. Yep. That was her official opinion about them. "What do you want from me?"
She couldn’t help but wonder if the man wanted her to convince Matthew to go to the Kingdom again.
"Contrary to the others... I come bearingpeace. I just wanted to talk to Matthew’s new witch. I didn’t come here to ask you a favor. Consider this a... how do they call it? A getting to know each other meeting."
Ava’s lips twitched.
"I am well aware that you are very powerful, Miss Woods. What happened last time between us was enough proof of that. However, I wanted to make sure that you can fight as well. Thus, the test. Matthew needs someone who can defend themselves."
"Right." Ava continued, staring at the man.
"I understand that you don’t trust me yet. But I am Matthew’s brother. I would not harm him."
"Coming from the man who asked his witch to bind Matthew’s wolf." Ava snorted. "What do you want?"
After realizing that Ava wasn’t planning on letting him inside her house, Kieran sighed.
"I have reasons to believe that your life is in danger."
"In danger from the likes of you," Ava said. "Thanks, but I am well aware of this."
"Not from me."
Ava lifted an eyebrow. "I came to warn you. Not because... I was worried about you."
Of course. It would be weird if this man just showed up here because he’s worried about her.
Kieran looked at Erenes. "Sound protection."
Erenes nodded without saying anything. She chanted a few words and an invisible force surrounded them.
"You are in danger and you will drag my brother," Kieran said, his expression grave. "I don’t know what you did. Why would someone want your life but... it would happen soon — very soon."
"You have a cosmic witch."
"Lycans have survived for generations and have kept our existence a secret to the world because... we have secrets, Miss Woods," Kieran said. "And these secrets have kept us safe for hundreds of years."
"So you have someone who could see the future and from what you are saying. It’s a strong oracle. Someone that could foresee the future and not just see glimpses of what’s about to happen." In short, a stronger version of Marylis.
"Precisely."
Ava nodded.
"I came here because I knew my brother wouldn’t listen to me. He probably wouldn’t listen to anyone else and would insist that he could protect you."
That should sound like the Matthew she knew.
"Someone wants you."
Ava frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"
"I have no idea. But I want you to be careful. One mistake and Matthew would lose his mind and..."
"And what?"
"And nothing good happens when the future King is upset."
"You are hiding something." Ava squinted. "Did Matthew do something?"
"Of course not."
"Lies." Ava looked at Erenes. "What is it this time?"
"Matthew... lost it when you were taken."
"Lost it?" Ava tilted her head as she thought about the kidnapping. "You mean..."
"He almost killed his brother." Erenes continued. "I am certain you didn’t know. But Matthew almost killed my daughter in anger."
"Elizabeth?" She hadn’t seen Elizabeth since that kidnapping.
"Yes. The only reason why Matthew isn’t punished is because the King... favors him." Erenes said.
"Erenes..."
"Am I lying, your highness?" Erenes had a twisted smile on her wizened face. "The King believed it is good to become a cold and heartless King. One must become the most powerful King even if that means... killing one’s own brother."
"Erenes!" Kieran scowled. "Father is— "
"Oh please! We all know how the King wanted everyone to fight for the crown. But Matthew refused to play his games. He wanted Matthew to kill you and your brothers to become the King. Isn’t that why you are here, your highness?"
"I believe we should go," Kieran uttered. "Please forgive me, Miss Woods. I hope to see you— "
"The King of the Lycans, Matthew’s father, heard about what happened, Miss Woods. He knew that Matthew lost control when... you were taken. And I believe he might be the one who wants to kill you to trigger his son."
"Erenes! Stop spouting nonsense!"
"We are already here, your highness. Why not tell her everything that we know? Aren’t you here because you were scared of Matthew’s strength? Aren’t you here because you were scared that Matthew would hurt you and your mother? Aren’t you— "
"Enough!" Kieran growled. "We are leaving!" he clenched his jaw and walked away from Erenes and Ava.
Seeing Kieran’s back, Erenes scoffed. "The books have portrayed the wolves as animals who value their pack. They portray werewolves and lycans as someone who would die protecting and fighting for its pack." She slowly looked at Ava. "But they failed to say that they are part humans too."
Erenes continued, "Humans are born selfish. The moment we open our eyes, we already want attention. We want the warmth of our parents, love, food, and everything else." She scoffed. "Lycans would never have survived until now if they were really the people the books portrayed them to be."
Ava swallowed the words she wanted to say. She watched as Erenes turned her back on Ava and followed behind Kieran.
"Remember witch... Matthew is the future King. And all the Kings before him... were people who were forced to kill their brothers to secure the crown."
"We are supposed to protect them, not slow them down." Erenes uttered before her body slowly vanished.
"Hey!" Ava yelled. "What about my car?" she asked. Who the hell cared about their secrets? "Who the hell will pay for my damaged car!?"
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