Ophelia was overwhelmed with joy. She let out a sharp gasp and straightened up as if she had just heard the best news of her life.


    "R-really?" Ophelia pressed on, her eyes wide and shimmering to hear him out more.


    Killorn was impaled by her sudden happiness. He couldn''t tell if he shouldugh or cry at the fact that no matter what materialistic things he got for her, she''d never be this ted.


    "Yes."


    "R-really really?" Ophelia urged.


    "Yes," Killorn mused, reaching to pinch her nose. She let out excitedughter, even wiggling her cute little features in an attempt to pull away from his grip.


    Ophelia had never felt more relieved. She couldn''t fathom the idea of sitting at home and waiting for her husband to return the entire week, pondering, wondering, if he''d evene back at all. Now that she''d by his side, she would be reassured and insistent on seeing that he returned every night to make sure he was unharmed.


    Ophelia''s joy was short-lived when she realized something. What did he have to gain out of her being there for him? Comfort?


    "A-am I going t-to burden you b-by being there?" Ophelia hesitatingly asked him, realizing she might''ve been too selfish earlier.


    Who was going to tell her the truth? Killorn pressed his lips together. "You would burden me much less if you were actually with me, than if you were not."


    Killorn was talking in circles around her. Ophelia was too excited about the opportunity to even care. She simply nodded her head and began wondering if she could bring the puppy with her. Perhaps, she could hide him in a sack, or under her fur cape. Maybe he wouldn''t notice the mass of ck on herp…


    "C-can the puppye?" Ophelia innocently asked.


    "A werewolf''s wife raising a dog, though?" Killorn inquired.


    "Mmhm," Ophelia stated, not seeing the problem.


    "Would it make you happy?" Killorn asked.


    "Y-yes, very…"


    Killorn narrowed his eyes. He gave it a second deliberation before nodding. "The dog cane."


    Ophelia gasped and squealed in delight. Without warning, sheunched herself at him, embracing him tightly. He melted on the spot, his rigid body rxing.


    "Ophelia—"


    "O-Oh I must tell Jte, s-so she can prepare dog food along the way!" Ophelia ran off before he could even embrace her back.


    "Wait, Ophelia, my hug—"


    Ophelia was gone before he knew it. Killorn scowled and rose to his feet. That was too short-lived. He wanted to hold her longer, for it wasn''t everyday that she made the first move.


    Killorn walked out the doors to hear a gasp and then a loud, "REALLY?!" He cringed at how high the octave was. He was certain at least one of the windows was shattered from his sister''s screeching. In the corner of his eye, he saw Gerald taking a heavy trunk from one of the maids and hauling it down. The maid blushed and bowed quickly to thank him, but Gerald didn''t even see. He was simply doing a gesture of kindness. That idiot.


    "I''m guessing you told Luna she wasing?" Gerald asked, approaching him the second he saw him.


    "It''s better for me to protect her personally than leave her alone in this castle, even if Maribelle is here," Killorn stated.


    "Our weekly training sessions and ns are in order then," Gerald agreed with a slight nod of his head. "Mirabelle will be overseeing the coaching in your absence. That old man will most likely be back the day after we leave as well, seeing as he was dumped once again by whatever tavern woman he tried to woo."


    "Good," Killorn nodded. "The boys will need someone to whip them in shape when I''m not here."


    "You speak as if you won''t be back for long," a voice snorted from behind him. Beetle slung azy arm around Gerald''s huge frame, which was nearly impossible. "Aren''t you going to be visiting whenever you can?"


    "Get off of me, you mosquito," Gerald hissed, shoving the irritable man off of him. Sometimes, he doubted Beetle''s sexuality from how frequently the man was unashamed of touching others of the same gender.


    "It''s obviously more relieving to know they''re in good hands," Gerald responded to Beetle. "If you actually used your third-inmand brain for once—"


    "No can do," Beetle shrugged just to piss Gerald off further.


    "You—" Gerald paused. He saw Killorn''s attention was nowhere with them. That was strange. Usually, his bantering with Beetle would irk the man. When he followed Killorn''s line of sight, he saw a trio of women gathered around a puppy, fawning over it like thest creature on earth.


    Gerald narrowed his eyes. "The people in the auction house already died a bitter ending," he reminded his friend.


    "It''s toote anyways," Killorn responded. "Alphas and Vampire Heads already saw her appearance at the ceremony. If high society is going to be vying for her, whether out of curiosity or malice, I''d rather be there when it happens," Killorn coldly stated.


    Then, Killorn nced at Gerald, revealing a pair of murderous gazes. "If they want her, they''ll have to snatch her from my lifeless hands. It is the only way. And I doubt there will ever be a day Ophelia won''t be by my side."


    Gerald could only hope that moment ceased to exist.


    "It''s a wise n," Beetle leisurelymented. "You''ll introduce her to high society as your wife and Luna of one of the world''srgest militia packs, not to mention, warn everyone that saw her at the ceremony. You''re intending on letting the world of supernaturals know our Luna belongs to no one, but you. And no matter how much they crave her flesh or blood, they can''t have her."


    Gerald''s throat tightened. Leave it to their Alpha to fight a forest fire with hellfire. Killorn''s n was as good as cing one of the worst targets on his back. They could''ve just easily given Ophelia over to the empire and be done with her.


    "Didn''t the Werewolf and Vampire Overlords issue amand ten years go, though?" Gerald reminded Killorn. "Ophelia Eves is off-limits."


    "She was," Killorn agreed, his attention glued to the excited Ophelia. "But you and I both know the Overlords have not shown their faces in over ten years. The warning is wearing off. It''s time for me to remind the people exactly why the Forest of Blood happened."


    Gerald felt a shiver run down his spine. He had known Killorn for over 28 years. The man was always cool headed and calm, rarely losing his mind. But whenever Ophelia was involved, Killorn was good as a mad man.


    "M-my lord!" Ophelia shouted from the top of the stairs. "U-uhm…"


    "Yes, my sweet?" Killorn didn''t even hesitate. He instantly left the two men standing and walked up the stairs, talking in the softest of tones, as if he hadn''t just revealed a n of a massacre.


    "D-did Killorn just?" Beetle turned to Gerald.


    A cold sweat dribbled down the side of Gerald''s face. He wryly crossed his arms and watched their frightening Alpha interact with Ophelia. The innocuous woman was shyly telling their Alpha something, her eyes lit up, but she was still nervous. So, Ophelia grabbed onto his sleeves like a lost child, and he immediately lowered his head to hear her better.


    The two were pr opposites. She was small like a bunny and he was huge as a bear. Predators were supposed to eat prey—not protect them. Killorn Mavez obviously didn''t get that queue when he went along and married Ophelia.


    "Our Alpha would rather wage war than let her go," Gerald warned with a slight tremor in his voice. "He''s doing exactly what the Overlords warned would happen."


    Beetle blinked in confusion whilst turning his head to the couple. Darn, they were making his eyes hurt and his heartache. He never minded being single, until this exact moment.


    "What''s the big deal with our Luna?" Beetle murmured. "All she does is resemble the Direct Descendant''s traits—"


    "It''s because you weren''t there ten years ago," Gerald said in a hard voice. "You didn''t witness the monstrosity that took ce, Beetle."


    Beetle was beyond confused. "Huh? Tell me more."


    "Ten years ago," Gerald grimly said, his face twisted by the memories of that horrific day. "Our Alpha challenged the Overlords."


    Beetle''s bewildered expression slowly morphed into disbelief and then, horror, before, understanding.


    "W-what happened when he did that?"


    "A bloodbath thatsted an entire week," Gerald whispered. "There were deaths upon betrayals and vengeance. People thought the end of dawn was upon us from the mass destruction he caused. Everyone was worried the world was going to end and that centuries-old treaties were going to be untied all because of a single boy. In the end, do you know who walked out of it?"


    "Our Alpha," Beetle breathed out in disbelief. He just got goosebumps. They were overlords for a reason. No one had ever bested them, much less, an eighteen year old werewolf who hadn''t even found his mate.


    "Yes," Gerald coldly remarked. "A species war almost broke out again, between human, vampire, and werewolf. And do you know who almost caused it?"


    Beetle didn''t even need to say it. All he had to do was take one look at Luna''s shimmering silver hair, bright purple eyes, and her naive grin to know the answer.


    "There is a reason why no one has ever gone against the Overlords orders," Gerald informed Beetle. "And it is because of Duke Killorn Mavez."


    "You''re telling me," Beetle harshly whispered. "That innocent little woman is—"


    "Yes," Gerald remarked.


    Gerald watched as Ophelia nearly tripped over her own footing from her excitement to show Mirabelle some stupid thing the puppy did. Mirabelle, of course,pped it all up, alongside Killorn who could barely take his eyes or hands off of his wife for even a single moment.


    Beetle didn''t even know what to say.


    Gerald opened his mouth and uttered a line that''d one day make history. "Ophelia Eves Mavez might be the catalyst for war."