"What happened?" Dorian questioned Ezekiel the second they exited the room where Kazan, who is in critical condition, was undergoing treatment by some of the pack's best healers.
"That stray. She bit him." Ezekiel lowered his head in shame. After all, he blames himself for the tragedy that befell his sovereign, his best friends, and his big brother. Therefore, he didn't dare look his grandfather (who was probably disappointed in him) in the eyes.
If he had known it would turn out this way, he wouldn't have let the sovereign meet this girl. He should have killed her. "I failed to protect the sovereign, grandfather. Please punish this useless grandson of yours."
Dorian sighed deeply before saying, "What's done is done." He wanted to scold little Ezekiel for allowing something like this to happen under his watch, but the poor kid is already beating himself up over the tragedy. That's punishment enough.
"Is he going to be alright, grandfather?" Ezekiel's voice was soft and filled with sorrow and guilt as he asked.
"Well, some of our top healers are doing their best to keep him alive."
"I don't understand. It's just a bite. So why is he in such a severe condition? Why is he not healing?"
"Be at ease, my child." Dorian patted the troubled Ezekiel's head to comfort him. "I assure you. The sovereign won't die."
"How can you be so sure?" Did his grandfather know something he doesn't? Now that Ezekiel thinks about it, his grandfather is behaving rather calmly over the whole situation. That is unusual.
"Where is the stray girl? You didn't kill her, right?"
"I wanted to, but I was so concerned with Kaz. I had her locked away in the dungeon. Why?"
"Take me to her." Dorian commanded.
"Alright." Ezekiel did as his grandfather ordered. And with their speed, it took them only a few seconds to arrive in the dungeon where the stray is imprisoned.
"Please tell me you at least brought something down here for me to eat." Leah groaned while rubbing her stomach. "I'm starving."
"What have you done to Kaz?" Ezekiel interrogated. This stray reminds him of how much he messed up, so of course he was upset by the sight of her. Right now, he's barely managing to keep himself under control. In fact, if his grandfather weren't there, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.
"Kaz? Is that something to eat?" Leah played dumb. She knew the little twerp was asking about that arrogant young sovereign brat who almost succeeded in killing her. Now he's the one in the process of dying. Serve him right.
"You damn stray!" Ezekiel had finally lost it and attempted to seize Leah. However, Dorian got in his way, and he backed down.
"The symptoms the young sovereign is displaying are extreme pain and constant fainting. The inability to self-heal, which I assumed was only temporary—those are all signs that a lycan is in the process of being claimed by force. So I think it's safe to say that you have claimed the young sovereign, right?" Dorian voiced his speculation after a brief thought.
"Claimed?" Ezekiel was puzzled by his grandfather's illogical assessment of the situation the sovereign is currently undergoing. He might not know the technique that Stray used to harm Kaz. But he's a hundred percent convinced that Stray did not claim the sovereign. After all, it is common knowledge that only a male lycan can claim a female, not the other way around. So why would his grandfather, the wisest man he knows, come to such a bizarre conclusion?
"I know it is taught that only the males of the Lycan species can claim a female. But there are rare cases in the past where a female actually claimed a male." Dorian said, which stunned and confused Ezekiel even more. He then questioned Leah. "Who are you exactly? Which pack are you associated with? You can tell me willingly, or I can strip you of your garment and let your mark tell me that."
Ugh! That's the last thing Leah wants to happen right now—her mark getting exposed. It will only bring her unwanted trouble. And now that she is this weak, she could die if the wrong person learns who she really is.
"You think I claimed that, arrogant little punk?" Leah glared hard at the old dog with the physique of an appealing late twenties male for a moment before she shook her head and chuckled. "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. That brat was trying to kill me, so I've decided to take him down with me. But this little coward bastard here," she pointed at Ezekiel. "He attacked me out of nowhere before I could finish that pup. Humph, are all the men of this pack cowards who bully defenseless and innocent young girls?"
"You." Ezekiel snarled.
"Ezekiel, leave us alone." Dorian ordered.
"But grandfather—"
"Now!"
Ezekiel lowered his head, then left.
"You are from one of the five top packs, correct?" Dorian concluded after a few moments of thought. "Only special females born from any one of these strong packs can claim a male lycan. So which one is it? White Clover, Yellow Spade, Golden Hearts, Blue Diamond, or the Emerald Ace?"
"Blue Diamond? Emerald Ace? Are those perhaps something you eat?" Leah asked, seemingly clueless about his statement.
"You are from the White Clover pack, right?"
"I'm just some unlucky stray that got caught by a pack that bullies defenseless young girls," Leah replied. "Have you no shame?"
"Alright, I won't question the matter any further." After all, her action—her avoiding answering his questions straightforwardly—just strengthened the theory Dorian had deduced about her earlier. And if that turns out to be the case, then this will cause big trouble for his pack if the wrong person uncovers her truth. Therefore, this must be kept hidden. At least until he figures out how to get the sovereign out of this claiming mess and get rid of this woman.
"Does that mean you are letting me go now?"
"Well, that is for my sovereign to decide," Dorian replied, but he's very much aware that they won't be able to lock her up against her will for long. Sooner or later she will break out of here. In fact, if she weren't in such a weakened state, she would have probably been long gone.
"Then just kill me right now." If that bratty sovereign somehow survives her spirit death bite, which is highly unlikely, there is no way he would ever let her live. But if this old dog is right about her claiming that little punk, then him killing her would only be his demise as well.
Leah doesn't know too much about the claiming process, but she does know that when a lycan claims another, they share a bond stronger than love and deeper than hatred. Well, according to her deceased father, that is.
The point is, she's sure that's not the case here. You see, her spirit death bite is a technique taught to her by her mother. And she had strict orders not to use it unless she was in a life-or-death situation. Call it a Trump card, if you will.
As for what the spirit bite does, well, it basically allows her to invade the soul of anyone who falls victim to her bite and take them out from the inside out—not claim them.
"I would like to do so more than ever while the opportunity is still present." This woman did try to kill his sovereign after all, and the punishment for that is death. "Unfortunately, my sovereign's fate is now bound to yours."
"Argh! Not that again," Leah uttered, annoyed.
"I'll send someone in with a meal as soon as possible. So until then, sit tight." Dorian stealthily leaves the dungeon.