章 12: Meeting Her Again

Ren gently cradled Jax's slumped head, making sure he was settled comfortably, to extend his sleep. Then, with an even and emotionless face, he cleaned the cup he had drugged in the sink. He accomplished all of these with practiced ease.

Jax thought Ren was still the same alpha from their school days—arrogant and naive. However, Ren had grown and changed far more than anyone else in their years at the North outpost. What was once a struggle, or even impossible for him, was now second nature.

After putting Jax down, Ren surveyed the room, then left and locked the main door behind him. He stripped off his coat, shirt, and boots, folded them neatly, and tucked them into a cupboard. Now in his black tank top and fitted pants, he slipped on a new pair of black gloves, took a thin dagger in his mouth, and tied a dark bandana around his head, securing his hair tightly.

Once he was all set, Ren looked up to the ventilation opening in the ceiling. He removed the cover with a forceful flick of his fingers and, nimble as a fish, slipped into the large air ducts of the mansion.

The grandeur of the mansion even extended to its ventilation system, providing ample room for Ren, a large alpha, to crawl through. The real challenge was to make absolutely no sound, for there were numerous alphas roaming the mansion, and their senses were acute.

Fortunately, the ongoing festive gathering provided an excellent cover for his stealthy venture.

Ren concentrated his strength in his fingertips and toes, moving as silently as a cat through the dimly lit vents. He let his senses fan out as far as they could, covering much of the mansion. This was risky—his spying could easily alarm some sensitive alpha and blow his cover. He had to be extraordinarily careful and precise, detecting everything early enough to avoid the areas with the most powerful alphas.

His exerted senses gave him a throbbing headache, each move as dangerous as walking on a knife's edge. But Ren didn't mind—he licked his lips, relishing the thrill of danger.

Etched in his memory was the layout of the mansion. Before his arrival, he had painstakingly acquired and memorized the blueprint. Now, he used that mental map to navigate through the mansion, leading him quickly to his target.

At this moment, he was a deep-sea predator that had been lurking in the abyss, and now, he'd caught the scent of his prey. He emerged from the darkness, silently closing in on the unsuspecting target.

Along the way, Ren heard various voices and sensed many people moving beneath him. He proceeded with utmost care.

Yet, Ren was also astounded. Despite slipping past so many alphas, he hadn't sensed any inkling of psychic vigilance from them. The alphas tasked with guarding the Imperial Nexus, in their flawless, grand attire, earning generous salaries, were immersed in dinning and whining under the twinkling lights. Their minds were lost in the excitement of alcohol and spices, their voices loud with pointless chatter.. None had the alertness expected of warriors, far less than Ren's own soldiers.

The Empire's capital was a dreamland for frontier alphas, a wealthy haven that those enduring the harsh borderlands yearned for in their dreams. However, they didn't realize that beneath its dazzling facade, the place was decaying.

He heard soft chatter coming from an unremarkable room. Ren stopped, listening attentively.

"Why did you get me a green suit?" an officer of the mansion grumbled to his wife.

"Don't you know the Earl himself is wearing green tonight? Oh dear, I can't believe I'm having such an embarrassing moment."

"How was I to know?" the wife murmured, smoothing out her husband's suit, clearly trying to dodge humiliation in front of her friend, who's just sitting next to them.

Ren heard the rustle of fabric and the faint sound of a hand being swatted away.

The wife's friend excused herself, saying before closing the door, "Priscila, I'll wait for you outside."

That brief, indifferent statement, like a sudden clap of thunder, echoed in Ren's mind.

"Is it her? She's here too?" Ren's mind whirled.

Just by hearing that voice, Ren could vividly envision her: a pale face, serious expression, parting the crowd as she go up on the gallows to stand before him.

Ren left the room to follow the woman, the alpha's ongoing complaints were still audible, though.

"I told you, you should spend less time with her."

"She's no proper beta."

"The Tarian family even canceled her engagement, you know."

"I don't want you, my wife, to become like her, you know that?"

...

But Ren paid no more heed, his attention drawn to the figure outside.

The woman picked up a glass of water and strolled to the pond.

She sat there, gazing at the water lilies, enticed by the faint fragrance of flowers.

She lifted the glass, took a sip.

Hearing the gulp amplified by his own senses, Ren felt an unusual tingling sensation on his face. He remembered the touch of those slender fingers tilting his chin up, forcing him to lift his face.

Back then, she was tough, but what she gave him was a cup of warm, clean water. It didn't have anything gross in it. The cool water went into his thirsty body, pulling him away from being super tired, and giving him more energy to fight. She was like a noble knight on a battlefield who, before a fight, would show her enemy respect and fairness.

Later in his psychic landscape, she fought a fair fight and didn't use any sneaky tricks to beat him. This was something special, an attitude only real warriors on the battlefield had, a sort of pride that only the very strong had. But, she was a beta, who should have been gentle and soft.

Ren shook his head, getting his focus back, and kept moving towards his goal. Maybe he didn't even notice that on this journey, where he was always ready to face death, deep in his psychic landscape, covered by blood and fights, a small, pure white pearl had quietly formed. It was shiny and lay quietly in the soft shell, giving off a gentle glow.