Chapter 66: Chapter 66

DAHLIA:

My heart stilled as Kaist’s words sank into me…

He was right. That wolf bearing a dark violet rune on his forehead could only be a wolf from the Shadow Rune Pack.

But how can that be? Didn’t the whole pack go extinct twenty years ago? Did they not mysteriously vanish out of thin air over night? Why would they reappear now then and wreck havoc towards those they allied with before?

“I-It doesn’t make any sense, Prince Kaist… Why would the Shadow Runes return, and why would they attack their own allies?”

Kaist’s face was also distorted in disbelief. “I don’t know too… But whatever their reason was, we must investigate further. For now, can you keep this a secret, Dahlly, even to your husband?”

I looked around and realized that I was the only one outside of the palace’s official people who had witnessed what the memory projection crystal contained. Kaist would probably get into trouble if word about this would spread.

“Y-yes, of course,” I mumbled. “What about the contents of the other crystal?”

“We will view that too, but in another time. Meanwhile, I think I should get you home first.”

I nodded. The twilight was fast approaching. I had almost forgotten that I did not tell Tristan that Kaist was visiting nor did I bother to give word that I went out today and did something a bit out of the usual.

“I’ll take you home now, Dahlly. Did you leave word to your husband about this afternoon trip,” Kaist asked as we walked towards a carriage that the general had prepared with just a word from his highness.

“Um, no… I just told those at home that I will be spending the afternoon with you.”

“Good thinking. Now you can give your husband a bit of a heart attack. I would have wanted to see the look on his face when you give him a taste of his own medicine,” Kaist grinned.

As soon as he mentioned the word ‘heart attack,’ I bit my lips. I remembered something odd about Corlion’s memory, which we had just witnessed.

Something was oddly familiar with the black wolf he had encountered. It wasn’t the wolf’s face, for I am sure I have never seen him before. What was it then? What makes that wolf so familiar?...

Perhaps due to the graveness of the experience of using a memory projection crystal for the first time, Kaist and I rode silently back to the villa. He seemed absorbed about something, and I was also wondering why I felt a strong sense of familiarity with the Shadow Rune wolf in Corlion’s memory…

“Prince Kaist, how about the survivors?... Did the Apricus peace talk committee ever mention any survivors from that massacre?”

He shook his head sadly. “As far as I know, there weren’t any survivors…”

“Then, that little girl…”

“Yes… She was probably slain by that black wolf who took her.”

Kaist sighed violently before he continued what he was saying, “That wolf who confronted Corlion, I think it was an alpha wolf. Why else would he be so big?... Is it possible that the Shadow Runes are really behind these killings?”

I didn’t get to understand further what Kaist was saying. In an instant, a memory came flooding back into my consciousness.

As soon as he mentioned the words ‘alpha wolf,’ and described him as ‘big,’ my head began to throb.

Suddenly, I remembered a seeing a great, black wolf with the same, sharp fangs and dark violet eyes that looked quite menacing…

Only this time, instead of simply looking at me, he was groping my body and pushing his manhood against me as I struggled in fright...

I gasped… That scene!

“Dahlly! Dahlly, what’s wrong?”

My head spun around. I began to vomit inside the carriage uncontrollably.

Half-kneeling now with one hand supporting my back, the prince was still anxiously calling my name. “Dahlia! Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

My eyes met his as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Kaist produced an immaculate white handkerchief from somewhere and began wiping my lips in my stead.

“N-No, your highness, l-let me do it,” I said, trying to get the handkerchief away from him, but he clung to it firmly.

“Dahlia, keep still. Let me do it…”

He wiped my face gently with the cloth.

“What happened, Dahlia, tell me… Did you remember anything? Was it connected to the attack or to Corlion’s memory?”

I didn’t know what to tell Kaist… Frankly, I didn’t even know if I could tell him or repeat the thoughts that just flashed within my head.

Moon Goddess, were all of those visions true? Did I not see it wrongly? Did my memory betray me?

If it was, then what does it mean?!

Even if they looked the same, there wasn’t any rune stone on his forehead, right?... Right?

‘Rune stones? Did you mention rune stones,’ Eva suddenly said inside our shared thoughts.

That’s right! Eva will know it, I’m sure! Eva wasn’t able to journey with me when I accessed Corlion’s memories, but she was with me when that disgusting thing happened!

‘Eva, tell me… That black wolf with a rune stone in its forehead, did you see him? Have you seen someone like him?’

‘Him? Are you asking if the wolf you have seen just now in our mind was real?’

I nodded internally to her.

‘Dahlia, didn’t you already know the answer to that?’

Before I could respond back to Eva’s sassy question, the carriage had already stopped.

“Dahlia, were here. We’ve arrived back at your house – Seymour’s Villa.”

I nodded silently towards Kaist, who had sat beside me after seeing me violently spill the contents of my lunch earlier.

“Thank you,” I said weakly.

He patted me by the head as I tried to open the door of the carriage.

Before I could push the door myself, however, it had already unlocked itself on the other side.

I looked up and met a pair of dark violet irises. They were looking at me with a slight pang of anger.

Just then, a pair of hands grabbed me by the waist and took me outside of the carriage away from Kaist’s side.

“You – just what do you think you’re doing to my wife?!”

“I took her out, but she appears to be sick,” I heard Kaist said from behind me.

I couldn’t turn my head any other way. All I could see was the angry face of my mate – the man I love so dearly…

‘You want to know where we have seen the black wolf with a rune stone in his head, Dahlia,’ Eva said quietly in our shared consciousness. ‘What for? Aren’t we looking at him now?’

I shivered. Eva words were on point!

The glint in Tristan’s dark violet eyes were as menacing as it had been in Corlion’s memory. It was even more menacing against the orange-hued sky that was quickly turning darker and darker with each passing second as he held me...